After dinner, instead of returning to the common lounge, Vizette and Luna took another walkway to the Astronomical Tower.
The tallest tower at Hogwarts is the Astronomy Tower, where astronomy classes observe celestial phenomena.
It was Luna's idea to go to the Astronomy Tower; she wanted to show Vizette what she had learned in a week.
It was September now, and the nights in the Scottish Highlands were already quite cold.
The chill was especially noticeable atop the tower.
The night sky was bright tonight, and the stars twinkled and blinked in the sky, looking particularly mischievous.
Climbing to the top of the Astronomy Tower, one could see an imperfect moon against the clear sky.
Vizette calculated the dates; he had less than a week to adapt to the first steps of Animagus.
"I've found Europa! Come and see for yourself! There are sea spirits there. To protect the ocean that nurtured them, they use magic to cover the sea with thick ice."
Luna gave up her spot with the binoculars, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Vizette.
Jupiter was very bright in the night sky, and given its exceptionally large size, it was easily observed, which had led wizards to conduct considerable research on it.
In astronomy textbooks, a large portion of the content was dedicated to Jupiter and its moons.
The Europa that Luna mentioned was Europa, which was covered by an ice layer, beneath which lay an ocean.
As Professor Sinistra, who taught astronomy, once said, observing and experiencing Europa was an exploration of deep emotions and the subconscious.
Coincidentally, Professor McGonagall's Animagus notes also contained content related to Europa.
According to her and her research, the best way to take the first step was on a night when one could see both the full moon and Europa, and then hold the Mandrake in one's mouth.
Animagus was a ritual magic that, with the help of Europa, allowed for a deeper exploration of the soul, thus increasing the chances of ultimate success.
To pinpoint Europa's location, multiple confirmations were needed, and during this process, Vizette could always feel Luna's gaze.
Luna's gaze was as mischievous as the stars in the sky, glancing at him every now and then, lingering for a moment before quietly looking away, as if she were examining something new.
After pinpointing Europa's location, Vizette stood up, touched her cheek, and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
Luna shook her head, and her dreamy, ethereal voice rang out, "It feels... different, yet completely the same."
"Is that so?" Vizette asked with a smile. "It is indeed somewhat different, yet it is still the same."
He always found Luna's keen intuition incredibly magical and possessed a unique allure.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and Luna brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Is it because of the magic this evening?"
"Yes!" Vizette nodded. "I've come to understand quite a few things."
He drew his wand and drew a circle in front of him. "Expecto Patronum!"
The Patronus Charm was released without any hindrance. He carefully controlled the range of the Patronus Charm, ensuring it only enveloped the two of them.
Everything around them brightened, and the shadows on the ground seemed to lean together.
"Will this make it warmer?"
Luna nodded. "The same warmth!"
With the protection of the Patronus Charm, the cold wind posed no obstacle.
Although Luna did not know many satellites, Vizette knew the locations of quite a few.
Under Vizette's guidance, the two continued stargazing, and Luna recognized many more satellites, her curved eyebrows resembling crescent moons.
"I suddenly had a craving for noodles…" Vizette looked at the not-quite-round moon and, for some reason, suddenly thought of a fried egg and a bowl of longevity noodles.
Through the Patronus Charm, he came to know his own soul as if he had been reborn.
Luna tilted her head. "Hannah told me where the kitchen is. Shall I take you there?"
"Good!"
...
Without hesitation, the two quickly returned to Hogwarts Castle.
They seemed to have stayed in the Astronomy Tower for a long time, and when they returned to the castle, it was quiet, with most of the students having gone back to the common room.
"It seems a bit late…" Luna pursed her lips, as if she was thinking of a plan. "Hannah told me to be careful of Filch… Mrs. Norris is a clever little cat."
Vizette had originally intended to say that if it were just Filch, they would not need to be so careful.
But seeing Luna's interested expression, he did not say anything, followed Luna, and pretended not to be discovered by Filch.
Vizette's usual practice was to explore Hogwarts using the common room and library as boundaries, so as not to interfere with his classes and studies.
As for the castle's basement, Vizette explored it relatively little.
The two of them followed the marble staircase and quietly turned left, soon seeing a wooden door.
Inside the wooden door was another staircase. Compared to the staircase leading to the Potions classroom, the stone corridor below this staircase was noticeably wider.
There were many oil paintings hanging on both sides of the wall, mainly depicting various foods and drinks.
There were many torches on both sides of the stone corridor, which illuminated the walls brightly. The warm firelight made the food paintings look even more appetizing.
"Meow?"
Right behind them came the sound of a cat meowing.
Luna quickly lowered her voice, "It's Mrs. Norris! We can't let it find us!"
Vizette wanted to explain: "Actually, we..."
Luna smiled and said, "It's almost here! Let's run!"
As Mrs. Norris's voice grew closer behind them, Luna grabbed Vizette's hand, and the two of them suddenly started running.
The two ran wildly to a huge oil painting, their hearts pounding as if they were about to leap out of their chests, their faces flushed with a very similar blush, which appeared even more vibrant under the bright firelight.
Luna glanced behind her to make sure Mrs. Norris was not chasing after her before leaning against the wall opposite the painting, panting heavily.
Vizette leaned against the side, his chest heaving, feeling a strange stimulation and excitement.
He seemed to understand why Fred and George were so enthusiastic about it, always making a ruckus during their nighttime outings and outsmarting Filch.
...
"Mrs. Norris! You've found a student breaking school rules?" Filch's tone was somewhat excited. "Where?"
"Meow meow meow..."
"Is it Vizette?" Filch asked hesitantly upon hearing Mrs. Norris's call. "Why did he run away?"
"Meow meow meow?"
"He went out at night with someone else?" Filch was still puzzled. "So what? I'm not arresting him. I'm counting on him to make me a wand!"
After saying that, he took out a leather bag from inside his coat and took out a fake wand wrapped in velvet.
"You've been patrolling for a while, you must be tired. Let's clean up!" He hugged Mrs. Norris and chanted an incantation in a spirited tone, "Scourgify!"
…
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