Luna quietly descended from the bed, turned back to the mother and daughter who were sleeping on the bed, and breathed softly.
They were unaware that they had just gone around the edge of life and death.
As the golden hair on Luna's forehead fell back, she gazed out the window, seeing the grassy hills bathed in a gentle moonlight, swaying like water grass.
The mountain was enveloped in the roaring wind and the rustling sound of grass leaves, but it gave a sense of ultimate tranquility.
Luna approached the potted plant, removed her wand, and then changed into jeans and a T-shirt.
"Dad, Dad..."
The workshop on the second floor was full of strange printers spewing color pages and oil ink smell. The clicking sound of the mechanical parts meshing was loud, but after listening to it for a long time, it made people drowsy.
Luna gently shook the shoulder of Professor Lovegood on the desk.
"How so, Luna?"
Professor Lovegood opened his eyes without seeing his daughter's name and called out her name. When he noticed Luna's attire, he slightly opened his silver eyes and...
"Are you going out?"
"I'm going to look for Professor Brein."
Luna said.
"Is that so?"
Professor Lovegood glanced at the sky outside,
"Why don't you write to him, Luna? By the time the owl delivers the letter, he should be up and about, so he can see it in time."
Luna didn't respond, but just blinked at her father.
"Oh, it's urgent."
Professor Lovegood immediately understood, without asking a single question about what it was.
With Luna's help, he put his hands on the desk and tried to support himself as he stood up, swaying a few steps in front of the desk while scratching at the white hair on his head that looked like weeds.
"Amortha Brein, such a busy man. Let me think. Maybe I'll try my luck at the Ministry of Magic. Alright, I'll go change my clothes."
"I'll go myself, Dad—"
Luna shook her head,
"I need you to watch over Evelyn and Ponya."
"Oh, right--"
Professor Lovegood mumbled to himself. As his consciousness became more alert, his eyes shone a bit brighter.
"Then I'll use Floo Network but our fireplace can't directly lead there, oh, let's take a chance and bet that my contact at the Department of Magical Transportation is on duty tonight--"
Father and daughter went down to the first floor together. Professor Lovegood threw a small pinch of floo powder into the fireplace and then stuck his head into it.
Luna, on the other hand, looked out into the courtyard through the kitchen window, her expression dazed.
"It's done."
After a moment, Professor Lovegood pulled his head back.
"Erik said that you could use the fireplace to get to the Ministry of Magic, but it's best to come back before dawn. He said that with the news of the new department of supervision, everyone is starting to pay attention to the departmental code of conduct. Now that it's easier for people to get caught breaking it."
"Oh, and I asked for you, Brein is currently in his office chatting with a pixie."
"Thank you, Dad--"
Luna looked up at her sleeping father and said,
"You can go back to bed, Dad, I'll help keep an eye on the printer when I get back, oh, and it's best to throw some wards at the door before you go up so that a Snorak with a bent horn doesn't smell your hoard of unicorn horns and try to break into our house at the Ministry of Magic!"
After saying that, Luna ignored her surprised father and stepped into the warm fireplace with a kick.
Amortha Brein in the office of the Ministry of Magic adopted a style similar to his at Hogwarts.
His shabbyness even made the old Barnabas's wrinkles on his face smooth out when he entered the office with the sign 'Development Committee of British Wizardry'.
Apart from an unassuming desk piled with papers, a camping bed behind a curtain, several high-backed soft chairs, and a low coffee table, the only other piece of furniture in the center of the office was a huge 'square table' covered in black cloth.
The entire room felt like a freshly cleaned warehouse.
"Nobody would say a word about adding more furniture to your office, Professor Brein--"
After the shock wore off, Old Barnabas shook his head and smiled wryly.
"You don't have to act so surprised."
"That's not quite true, Barnabas－－"
Amortha Brein, who had been working around the clock for many days and nights, did not show much fatigue on his face. Only the occasional sharp glint in his eyes was more intimidating.
He led Barnabas to the 'Reception Room' and then walked towards the fireplace to make tea, smiling.
"A column appeared in the Daily Prophet yesterday, criticizing some of my recent actions, including my seizing the treasuries of the Death Eaters."
"In addition to leading the Ministry of Magic and reaching an agreement with you to jointly develop and construct on the site of Diagon Alley, as well as impose punitive fines on some idle workshops, it all amounts to me taking money for myself. So, I had better behave more modestly where people can see."
"Can't you just order them to keep their mouths shut?"
Old Barnabas took the teacup offered by Amortha and leaned forward slightly,
"Even the Ministry, led by Mr. Weasley, has the power to order the Daily Prophet to shut up."
"I always have to let people speak, Barnabas."
Amortha shook his head and smiled.
"Albus Dumbledore's criticism of Voldemort's propaganda in many public places is not actually for the glory of pure-blood wizards or to raise wizards' heads high in front of Muggles, but just for the sake of his personal dictatorship."
Then, at a time like this, if the Ministry of Magic were to suppress public opinion, it would be too embarrassing for them to slap their own faces.”
Old Barnabas pinched his lips together, his expression acknowledging the point without explicitly agreeing.
"Then--"
Amortha waved his wand and produced a few plates of snacks on the coffee table.
After exchanging opinions on the tea that Amortha served his guests and the skills of the house-elves he served the Ministry with, Amortha leaned back in his chair.
Smiling, Amortha looked at the determinedly patient Barnabas and said,
"How about the move, Barnabas? I mean, I think your relocations haven't encountered much resistance, have they?"
"You're asking what you already know, Professor Brein,"
As predicted by Amortha, the old ghost immediately began his performance.
It sighed heavily,
"We issued a brief statement, preparing to transfer some of our operations from Paris to London, which caused a strong reaction from the French Ministry of Magic. They seem to have guessed that we also have plans to move our headquarters to London."
"You know, the French Ministry of Magic cannot agree to this. For them, it means a large amount of taxes and job opportunities. In fact, they have sent their enforcers to block us from leaving, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they did."
"You can protest France's Ministry of Magic for violating international law, I believe that Hop will make a fair judgment---"
Amortha said with a laugh, his words like a soft cloud, silently dissipating the old goblin's first punch.
"The International Confederation of Wizards"
"I know, but we can't do much about it. They have everything on their side - the Muggles, the Magical Laws, and the Aurors."
"This is a very serious matter for all parties involved, Professor Brein. You know, there are many business dealings between Britain and France. If the issue of the goblin relocation is not handled properly, it could very well affect the existing cooperation between you and them and further exacerbate the current high unemployment rate in the British magical community!"
Amortha raised his teacup to Barnabas in apology for the joke just now.
"I've always said--"
Amortha refilled the teacups for both of them, the smile on his face softening slightly.
"Doing things requires patience, Barnabas."
"Indeed, the French have legitimate reasons to be concerned and react this way, and I don't believe it's appropriate to further disrupt the friendly cooperation between official and unofficial bodies of British and French magical communities at this delicate time in European magic. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to provide a satisfactory explanation to the French Ministry of Magic."
"Excuse my lack of wisdom, Professor Brein—"
"Old Barnabas frowned,"
"We said we were just moving some of our operations,"
"Of course, such a statement won't fool the French, Old Barnabas--"
"Amortha pointed to the large square table in the center of his office."
"Galleon and the Ministry of Magic have reached an agreement to provide massive financial support for the reconstruction of Diagon Alley. Isn't it reasonable to establish a better-qualified and more comprehensive Galleon branch to oversee this huge investment?"
