Deep within the Scandinavian Mountains, upon a cliff, the evening wind blew.
Moonlight pierced through thin clouds, sprinkling over the forest, and in the distance, the roar of an unknown beast startled a flock of night birds. Howl stood atop the cliff, the grandeur of nature laid bare before him.
Beside him, a Moon Spirit Flower, surrounded by intricate silver formations, swayed, its thousand layers of petals appearing veiled in silver under the moonlight.
Howl raised his hands, his eyes slowly closing, and began to chant a spell, activating the formation.
In an instant, the high-hanging moon seemed to shift from aimlessly casting its glow upon the world to uniquely focusing on this spot.
A large amount of moonlight gradually converged on this center, like a vortex, pouring into the Moon Spirit Flower.
Luna, derived from Latin, corresponds to the metal silver in mysticism, and also carries a certain connotation of madness. As a Moon Spirit Flower that absorbs moonlight, it is also the main ingredient for the Moon Eclipse Potion.
At this moment, the veil on Howl's face had disappeared, revealing his cat-headed appearance once more. He needed to accelerate the refining of the Moon Eclipse Potion, using its inherent madness to assault himself and break the Curse.
The moonlit night was serene, and the flowing moonlight inadvertently attracted many creatures to gather, yet they were all deterred by the terrifying aura emanating from Howl, not daring to approach.
Several hours later, the moonlight gradually dispersed. Howl opened his eyes, looking at the three blooming Moon Spirit Flowers at the top of the cluster, and smiled.
Although many were destroyed by those imps, three flowers were enough for the Potion.
If not for today's unexpected incident, he wouldn't have wanted to fully ripen the Moon Spirit Flower all at once.
After completely harvesting the three Moon Spirit Flowers, Howl returned to the Castle.
The Castle's basement presented an entirely different scene; it housed too many specialized rooms, each with a unique purpose: storage, collection, alchemy, Potion-making, a library, and so on.
Upon entering the Potion room, his gaze fell upon the bubbling cauldron on the central table.
The Potion was bright red and exceptionally thick. After Howl added the three Moon Spirit Flowers, he began to stir.
From the flames beneath the cauldron, Lucifer's face suddenly popped out.
The Castle had many flame pipes; the kitchen, Potion room, alchemy room, and even the hot water for the washroom were all his responsibility.
"Increase the heat," Howl said indifferently.
The flames on Lucifer's body began to intensify, and at the same time, worry appeared on his face: "Howl, I still think you're being a bit extreme."
He was naturally referring to Howl's method of using the madness in the Moon Eclipse Potion to break the Curse.
"Am I? I think it's a very novel and worthwhile idea to try," Howl said indifferently, a smile on his face.
After simmering for a long time, he lifted the cauldron, placed it aside to settle for a while, and then removed the suspended liquid from the top. What remained, thick and glue-like at the bottom, was the Moon Eclipse Potion he needed.
Taking out the Potion, he returned to the first floor, settling into his red leather sofa, striking a pose, and facing the fireplace, he drank the Potion in one gulp.
As the Potion entered his stomach, he felt a jolt of spiritual energy, and a full moon seemed to appear in his mind, followed by an endless darkness. A strange Moon Eclipse quietly manifested in his mind...
...
Standing in front of Number Four, Privet Drive, Harry recalled everything he had experienced today, feeling as if he had undergone a magnificent adventure like a hero in a story. Even though he was about to face the Dursleys, he felt he could meet their Make things difficult and humiliation with a smile.
Of course, that was just a thought.
Harry patted his face, hiding his excitement and happiness, then his expression shifted back to his usual disheveled appearance.
As long as the Dursleys saw him like this, they would be happy, puffing out their chests like triumphant knights, displaying their smugness and arrogance.
Conversely, if Harry was happy, they wouldn't be as pleased. Accordingly, the Dursleys would escalate their harassment of him.
The first secret to getting along with the Dursleys: never smile in front of them.
He had concluded this from experience.
Creak—
The old wooden door made an unpleasant sound. Pushing it open, soft, dim yellow light spilled out, forming a sharp contrast with the darkness of the street. The house was clearly much warmer, like a cozy little home.
However, for Harry, it was not warm here...
"I'm home," Harry said.
Petunia walked through the corridor, her face immediately changing: "You damned little bastard, hurry up and get over here."
Her words were full of loathing, and her voice was incredibly sharp. He suddenly thought of Howl; compared to that true Wizard, Petunia clearly resembled the evil old witch of legends more.
"Tell me quickly, is Dudley's face your doing?!" Vernon also stood up, staring directly at Harry, who was standing by the door. Their shadows stretched long, even from a distance, pressing down on his slender body.
"It has nothing to do with me," Harry flatly denied Vernon's accusation, his face flushed red, like a kettle about to boil.
"You brat, and… and I heard Petunia say you also crushed a neighbor's precious plants." Vernon walked over and grabbed him by the collar.
"Oh my goodness, if it weren't for their kindness, I can't imagine how much debt you would have caused this family," Petunia said with a pained expression.
"I didn't, it has nothing to do with me," Harry weakly argued.
Vernon was furious. He had been informed of everything that happened today as soon as he got home. This made him lose his appetite for dinner; he was just waiting for this brat to return.
"Do you have any gratitude towards us?!" Vernon roared. Without waiting for Harry to resist, he opened the cupboard door and shoved him inside.
Bang—
The door was slammed shut.
Click, a small opening appeared on the door, and Vernon's tiny eyes, squeezed by his fat, peered through. He said viciously: "From today onwards, for every moment you are in this house, you are to be confined."
With that, he walked away, as if Harry had turned into a mouse and he didn't want to say another word to him.
Harry brushed away a spider that had just fallen onto his pillow, then cleared some dust, and weakly leaned on the wooden makeshift bed. He suddenly thought of Moonlight Fortress again.
That magical Castle made him linger. To be honest, even being a lifelong handyman there would be better than being confined here.
He was somewhat looking forward to tomorrow. Although it would be busy, what did hard work matter compared to being scolded for doing chores at the Dursley Family, or being bullied by Dudley and his cronies?
Lost in thought, he fell soundly asleep without even taking off his glasses.
He felt as if he hadn't slept for long when he was jolted awake by a loud banging on the door.
"Get up! Get up! Hurry!"
Petunia was banging on his door again.
"Get up!" she shrieked, "How long do you want to sleep? Don't forget, you still need to go to work."
Harry propped himself up, mumbled, and then opened the door.
"Hurry up and wash up," Petunia urged.
Harry glanced out the window; it was just dawning. Standing there, he could hear Dudley's snores. Clearly, he had been woken up very early today.
It was then that he realized something: the Dursleys did not intend to feed him. Oh, yes, after yesterday's lunch and dinner, they had confirmed that the gentleman living at Number Thirteen, Privet Drive, was a wealthy and kind person.
He will take care of this brat's meals; we don't need to worry.
Surely he wouldn't let this poor child go without food.
Harry already understood the Dursleys's intention. Regardless of whether he felt embarrassed, Petunia had already driven him out of the house like a stray dog.
It had, predictably, rained lightly all night yesterday, and the morning wind was still a bit cold. Harry wrapped himself up and stood outside Number Thirteen, Privet Drive.
He didn't know if Mr. Howl was awake yet. Would he be disturbing him now?
Going over now would be a blatant attempt to get breakfast. Would this make him seem like a beggar? Would Mr. Howl dislike him?
Mr. Howl had already been very kind; both yesterday's lunch and dinner were extremely lavish, the best food he had ever eaten in his life.
He was supposed to be here to work and atone, but then suddenly...
Harry's mind was flooded with countless chaotic thoughts, intertwined and making him agitated. Yet, all these thoughts asked him the same question: "Do I deserve this? Will Mr. Howl dislike me if I do this?"
Creak—
Just as Harry was feeling agitated, the door to Number Thirteen, Privet Drive, slowly opened, revealing the dark and gloomy house inside. The only light source was Lucifer burning in the fireplace.
"What are you squatting outside for? Looking for gnomes?" Lucifer asked curiously.
Harry smiled. Although the house in Moonlight Fortress was very dark and gloomy, he felt it was a thousand times better than the Dursley Family's home, which seemed warm and gentle yesterday.
"If you're looking for gnomes, you can come in and grab a bottle of Sniffing Water; that stuff is great at attracting gnomes, it can draw them all out at once," Lucifer continued to say unhurriedly.
Harry stood up and walked into the house: "No, Mr. Lucifer. I just…"
??
He saw the figure lying on the red sofa, and the words he was about to say caught in his throat.
The clothes belonged to Mr. Howl.
The build also belonged to Mr. Howl.
But why… was it a cat?!!!
Harry's first shock of the day occurred within five seconds of him entering the door.