Vita Magicis (HP SI-WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 47: All Aboard for the Holidays

In no time at all, the semester had ended, and we were now heading back home for the holidays for a much-deserved vacation. Thankfully, everyone would be returning home and no one had to stay behind at the castle, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone feeling left out.

We were on the Hogwarts Express, rattling back toward London, chatting idly, though one particular topic had quickly taken over and was turning more heated by the minute.

“Pokémon!” Luna declared firmly, her expression sharper and more serious than I’d ever seen it before.

“No! The Lord of the Rings!” Hermione shot back just as quickly, practically bouncing in her seat with indignation. “It’s one of the greatest literary masterpieces of all time! Middle-earth is where we should go!”

“Pokémon is a masterpiece too,” Luna said matter-of-factly, tilting her head like she was stating the obvious. “It has friendship, adventure, and talking animals. Tolkien only had talking trees.”

Hermione gasped as though personally insulted. “Only? Only!? Do you have any idea how much work Tolkien put into his worldbuilding? He INVENTED languages! Whole languages, Luna!”

“Yes, but did he invent Pikachu?” Luna countered serenely, sipping her pumpkin juice without breaking eye contact.

The others in the compartment tried, and failed, to suppress their laughter. Most wisely pretended to be absorbed in books or snacks, or even doing homework.

The worst part? I was stuck right in the middle, trying to melt into my seat before things exploded.

Have you ever seen Luna angry? Neither have I, but judging by the look in her eyes, I might be about to, and the thought honestly terrified me more than any eldritch horror or monster.

‘I never imagined simply describing Pokémon to the girls would cause this,’ I thought with a mental groan. ‘But really Hermione? Why Tolkien’s world of all things? Are you insane!? Depending on when we land, that world is horrifying! Don’t get me wrong, I love Tolkien as much as the next fan, but going there before I’m a lot stronger? That’s just asking for trouble.’

Unfortunately, there was no escaping it. My next words would either make or break this fragile truce.

“Aether! As a fellow fan of Tolkien, you agree with me, right?” Hermione pressed, clutching my arm tightly, her eyes daring me to disagree.

But Luna wasn’t about to back down. She leaned forward, her silvery eyes wide and shimmering with conviction, and somehow managing to look cuter than a lost puppy. “Aether is a lot more like me than you think, Hermione. He loves animals, that’s why he has those vivariums at Hogwarts, and why he turned magical beings into cute girls. That’s why I know he’ll want to visit the Pokémon world with me. Right?”

“Umm…” I muttered helplessly, already sweating. No matter what I said, one of them was bound to be disappointed.

‘Where the hell is Malfoy when you need that useless prick!?’ I thought in panic, scanning for an escape before suddenly shooting to my feet.

“L-Loo! I need to use the loo!” I blurted, and before anyone could stop me, I bolted from the compartment like my life depended on it.

Thankfully, by the time I returned, Luna and Hermione were still locked in their heated debate, neither sparing me a glance. I wisely slid into the seat between Rose and Daphne, who immediately giggled behind their hands at my cowardice.

I gave them a playful glare. They had no right to laugh when they hadn’t dared to intervene themselves.

“This is what happens when you date multiple girls, you know?” Rose whispered teasingly, though I caught the faint note of jealousy in her tone.

“You just have to be a man and deal with it,” Daphne added from my other side, matching Rose’s look.

Raising an eyebrow at them, I smirked and suddenly threw my arms around their shoulders, pulling them both closer. Their simultaneous blushes were priceless.

“A-Aether!?” Rose stammered.

“W-What’s gotten into you?” Daphne sputtered next.

“Hoh? Do you two want to become my women as well? I don’t mind, you know,” I whispered low, teasing them further.

They both went beet red, their eyes wide as they struggled to process my words.

“T-That’s—!” Rose’s voice cracked, her thoughts obviously spinning in circles.

“Y-You have to ask properly first!” Daphne blurted with closed eyes, squirming in her seat.

Realizing I might have pushed too far, I eased up with a chuckle. “Very well. I’ll be looking forward to our dates then.”

Both girls sputtered, their faces tomato-red, but neither moved away from me. If anything, they leaned in closer despite their embarrassment.

We returned to chatting casually after that, while Luna and Hermione kept up their endless back-and-forth, neither side winning.

It wasn’t until the train neared London that Illya, perched comfortably in my lap, offered a “brilliant” idea.

“Why don’t we just put it to a vote? Since we’re all going, it makes sense for everyone to have a say,” she suggested with her head tilted.

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Ginny agreed, then her smile dimmed. “Though, I don’t think I’ll be able to join anyway. My mum would never let me go unsupervised… and the Quidditch World Cup is this summer. My whole family’s hoping on going, including me.”

‘The Quidditch World Cup, huh? That means Voldy might still try to resurrect next year like canon,’ I thought grimly before smoothing my expression and giving Ginny a reassuring smile. ‘True, Molly is super strict with all of her children but especially Ginny. I will have to think of a way to bring Ginny along that doesn’t upset her mother.’

“Yeah, now that I think about it, summer is also the only real time I can spend with my parents,” Hermione admitted, looking just as conflicted.

“Same here,” Daphne said with a frown. “Our parents might let us disappear for a week or two, but not much longer.” Astoria nodded beside her, looking equally moody.

The rest of the group didn’t raise any objections.

“Let’s just vote on it for now,” I said, rallying their attention. “Leave the logistics to me. Time flows differently in other worlds, so what might feel like months there could only be a few days here. One way or another, I’ll make sure everyone can join.”

That got the girls who’d been hesitant to perk right back up.

“That’s my boyfriend for you~” Astoria cheered, leaping over Daphne to hug me tight.

“He’s very reliable, isn’t he?” Luna said with a dreamy smile, leaning against my other side.

“Of course he is! Onii-chan is the strongest after all~” Illya declared proudly.

“Yes, Senpai is the best~” Sakura chimed in softly.

Compliments kept rolling in until my face heated in embarrassment, but at least the plan moved forward without any more obstacles.

When the votes were finally tallied, the results came in: 8 for Pokémon, 4 for Lord of the Rings.

Hermione sighed, shoulders slumping as her quill slipped from her fingers. “I should’ve known…” she muttered, looking a little dejected at being outvoted.

But then, as if catching herself, she straightened in her seat and gave a small smile despite her pout. “Still… the chance to visit another world at all is incredible. I suppose I can wait for Middle-earth.”

“That’s the spirit,” I said warmly, reaching over to pat her hand.

Her cheeks pinked, but she nodded, the sadness in her eyes replaced with excitement that mirrored the others.

By the time the train pulled into the station, the entire group was buzzing with anticipation, their chatter filled with plans, ideas, and what they wanted to see first when the journey began.

=====

By the time the train slowed into King’s Cross, the excitement of our little group hadn’t dimmed. Even those who’d lost the vote were smiling now, their voices mixing with the clatter of trunks and the hiss of steam as the scarlet engine came to a halt.

“Looks like this is it,” Rose said softly as she gathered her things, giving me one last smile and hug before heading toward the exit joining her twin on the way who offered me a quick wave that I returned.

The platform was filled with parents and siblings waving eagerly, the sound of laughter and calls filling the air. Daphne and Astoria were quickly swept up by their elegant mother, who gave me a sharp but approving nod when she noticed where the girls’ attention lingered.

Hermione’s parents were waiting as well, their faces lighting up when she dashed into their arms. She still looked back once though, her eyes lingering on me with a bittersweet smile, and then she was gone in the crowd, hand in hand with her mum.

Ginny’s entire family had gathered like a small army, Fred and George already scheming about Merlin-knew-what while Molly fussed over her youngest with fierce hugs. Ginny glanced over her shoulder, catching my eye just long enough to mouth a quick “thank you” before she was pulled away.

Illya, Rin, and Sakura clung to my side the whole time, earning more than a few curious looks from passing families. We just ignored them and waited patiently saying goodbye to everyone with Luna being the last to go with Pandora pulling me into a hug and inviting me for Christmas before leaving after managing to wrangle a yes from me.

At last, when the crowd thinned and everyone was with their families, I exhaled and allowed myself a small smile. Another term behind us, and the promise of something much greater waiting in the summer.

‘Pokémon world, huh?’ I thought with a chuckle as I adjusted my scarf and started toward Ilulu who was already waiting patiently for us. ‘Guess I’d better prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.’

=====

Christmas Morning

Just like I had promised, early Christmas Day, me and the girls made our way to Luna’s house, this being the first time we had visited since me and Maya saved Pandora what seemed like a long time ago.

“Aether! I’m so glad you could make it! And you brought Maya too! I’m so glad, my Luna has been looking forward to this,” Pandora rambled happily into my ear as she pulled me and Maya into a tight hug.

“H-Hello, Miss Pandora. It’s good to see you again,” I said, my voice a bit muffled since my head was buried in her chest.

“H-Hello,” Maya also greeted from the same position as me.

Illya, Sakura, and Rin stood behind us looking a bit awkward as they were seemingly ignored by a very happy Pandora.

Thankfully for them, Luna came to their rescue as I felt another body join the hug.

“Mum, I know you’re happy to see Aether and Maya again, but you’re making his other friends uncomfortable,” Luna said calmly as she adorably rubbed her cheek against my chest.

Pandora finally released us and quickly greeted the girls behind, letting us breathe again as we properly greeted Luna, who looked absolutely adorable dressed in a reindeer outfit.

“Hello Luna, you look adorable,” I said, bringing my hand to her head and patting it, causing her to smile happily with closed eyes.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Maya agreed, also joining me in laying praise to the cute cinnamon roll that was Luna.

“Hihi. Thank you~” Luna said with a big smile on her face, looking truly happy. “I’m very happy right now. This is the first time I will get to spend Christmas with friends.”

‘Must protect at all costs.’ That was the thought that invaded my mind at the pure and innocent look Luna was showing right now, and I would make sure to hold onto that promise.

Me and Maya turned and looked at each other with knowing looks, nodding with a smile, glad that we were thinking the same.

After introductions were done, we were led to the sitting area where a tree stood in the corner, only it looked quite different from a regular Christmas tree. Instead of being green and filled with decorations and lights, it was all metal with a bunch of random stuff used as ornaments.

I felt a smile grow on my lips at the sight. ‘I guess it was to be expected coming from Luna’s family.’

A while later Xenophilius came out of his workroom and also greeted us quite excitedly, shaking our hands.

Now we were sitting on the floor exchanging presents. Illya, Sakura, and Rin had come together and gotten Luna some toys for a pet and other things to take care of one, confusing the girl and her parents a bit, but she accepted them nonetheless. Maya had given her some of her beautiful red scales, which I had crafted into a bracelet that would warm up when it sensed danger.

Already having informed her I would go last, Luna presented us all with thoughtful gifts: a book of advanced runes for Rin, a pair of earrings for Sakura that changed colors, a book of advanced hexes for Illya, and a necklace for Maya made out of rare fossils, which Maya found soothing.

Finally, for me she presented a scarf in Ravenclaw colors that would always keep me warm and comfortable no matter the season.

“Thank you, Luna. Your presents are always very thoughtful, which makes them more special,” I said, putting on the scarf right away, causing the girl to beam in happiness.

“It was nothing. It’s nice having many friends to do these kinds of things with,” Luna said softly with a smile.

“You truly are something else.” I whispered with a shake of my head in fondness before grinning happily at her. “Hey Luna, you told me that you’ve been looking for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack for a while now, right?”

Luna and her father perked up at the same time and nodded in unison. “That’s right. Me and Daddy have been looking for one for years now, but they are very elusive. Next year we were supposed to go searching for one in Italy after a tip Dad received.”

“Well, look no further,” I grinned, stepping back a bit and pulling something out of my inventory before setting it on the ground in between us. “I got one for you.”

Sitting innocently on the floor was a weird creature colored purple, with a long horn, humped back, and strange tail as it stood on four legs.

I watched in amusement as Luna’s and Xeno’s faces lit up in happiness and they immediately crouched around it.

“Daddy, look! It’s just as you described!” Luna said in awe as she inspected the creature, even picking it up and showing it to her father.

“I see that, sweetie.”

We just watched the scene play out with smiles on our faces, seeing Luna show a side of herself she hadn’t revealed at school yet.

To be honest, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks didn’t exist in the Harry Potter world, and Luna and her dad could search the entire globe and never find one. Luckily, the Company was bullshit, and all it took was buying one from them. Thanks to that, I got to witness such a scene right now.

A moment later I was pulled into a soft hug from Pandora, who once more buried my head in her chest. “Thank you for doing that, Aether. I don’t think you understand just how happy you’ve made my Luna today, but thank you, truly. Ever since you and Maya entered her life, my Luna has never been happier,” Pandora whispered quietly.

Feeling something wet land on my hair, I stayed silent on the matter, only nodding my head. “Luna is a beautiful girl, both inside and out, and I’m truly happy I get to be her friend,” I said instead.

“Hmhm, no wonder my Luna is in love with you. That natural charisma of yours is dangerous,” Pandora said with a chuckle, finally pulling away and quickly wiping her eyes before smiling gently at me.

Before I could respond, I was suddenly tackled to the ground by another blonde blur. The impact sent me sprawling against the carpet, blinking up in confusion as I tried to get my bearings. A second later, a pair of soft lips pressed against mine in a quick, impulsive kiss.

When my eyes finally focused, Luna was kneeling over me with her hands on my chest, cheeks flushed a bright pink against the soft brown fur of her reindeer outfit. She pulled back almost immediately, hands flying to her mouth as though she couldn’t believe what she’d just done.

“I–I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—” she stammered, looking both horrified and delighted all at once.

For a heartbeat the whole room went still; even Rin’s teasing smirk froze mid-form. Then Maya’s low, amused chuckle broke the silence, and Illya dissolved into laughter, clapping her hands like a child watching her favorite scene unfold.

“Ah… Luna…” I said softly, sitting up and brushing some of her hair from her face. “You caught me off guard there.”

Luna’s lips trembled into a tiny smile, her silvery eyes searching mine for some sort of sign she hadn’t just ruined everything.

I smiled instead, a small, warm one, and reached up to rest a hand lightly against her cheek. “Thank you,” I said simply, keeping my voice gentle so only she would really hear. “For everything today.”

She blinked rapidly and then exhaled, her shoulders sagging as the tension slipped away. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back, the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

Behind us Pandora beamed, Xeno was too busy fussing over the Snorkack to notice, and Rin finally shook her head with a muttered, “Honestly…” while Sakura and Illya exchanged knowing glances.

The rest of the morning rolled on in that strange, warm way, gifts, laughter, and the kind of small chaos that only happens when all your worlds collide.