Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

The familiar smell of Woody Orphanage in London, a mixture of disinfectant and cheap soap, now seemed particularly pungent to Tom.

He and Lux ​​were shoved back to the gate of Woody Orphanage by Dumbledore like two unruly cats, using Apparition. They were also given a "pig head curse" that made them both want to disappear into the ground—if they dared to use magic on each other, their heads would immediately turn into real pig heads, lasting until the end of summer vacation.

"For your physical and mental well-being and for the common property of Hogwarts," Dumbledore's voice came through the embers of the fireplace, carrying an undeniable weariness.

"Enjoy your holiday, children. I hope this holiday will help you understand that peace is the most precious magic in the world."

After knocking on the door of the Woody Orphanage, Dumbledore once again used Apparition to leave.

Mrs. Cole opened the door after hearing Dumbledore's knock. "Who is it...it's you. You're back so quickly this time."

Seeing the two young wizards returning home in triumph, especially Tom's face which was as black as the bottom of a pot and Lux's contorted expression as she tried to suppress her laughter, Mrs. Cole wisely chose to keep quiet, simply pointing upstairs: "Your rooms are still there; I've cleaned them thoroughly."

The following day was arguably the most bizarre period of peace in the orphanage's history.

Tom locked himself in his room and even waited for Mrs. Cole to bring him his meals to the door.

Lux, on the other hand, was enjoying the peace and quiet, occupying the most comfortable sofa in the common room. While munching on honey candies she bought from Diagon Alley, she directed Lumi to perform "Poro Rolling Ball," making several of the bolder children giggle.

"Why didn't Tom come out today?" Little Billy asked, his words muffled as he munched on the honey Lux had given him.

"Him," Lux lazily rolled over, sunlight streaming through the window and falling on her golden hair, "is practicing a peerless martial art called the Sunflower Manual. Once mastered, he will be invincible, and after that, at Hogwarts, only Tom will be undefeated."

"Wow!" the children exclaimed, though they had no idea what Lux was talking about.

"Pfft!" Lumi rolled around in the basket laughing. "Little sister, your mouth is even more scathing than the ice picks of our Freljord."

However, this false peace was shattered the following afternoon.

Lux was idly counting the cracks in the ceiling, wondering if she should go to the kitchen to borrow some flour to make a Tom Pig head for fun, when suddenly a loud "cooing" sound and the flapping of wings came from outside the window, along with a few angry screams.

She curiously peeked out and saw two owls passionately fighting outside the window.

A majestic eagle owl and a smaller barn owl were locked in a fierce battle on her windowsill.

The eagle owl's sharp talons clawed fiercely at the barn owl's wings, while the barn owl pecked at the eagle owl's head with its beak. Feathers flew everywhere like snowflakes. Both birds clung tightly to the corner of the parchment envelope under each other's claws, neither willing to let go.

"My letter!" Lux immediately recognized the envelope tied to the barn owl's leg, bearing Professor Slughorn's distinctive perfume scent; the other eagle owl's clutched envelope was clearly a letter from LeBlanc.

"Stop! Stop fighting! You're not going to kill the owl like that!" Lux snapped, grabbing an empty cookie tin and smashing it out the window. "Besides, it's mine!"

"Crash!" The cookie tin hit the window frame, bounced back, and almost hit Lux on the head.

The two owls were startled by the sudden noise and simultaneously released their talons.

Lux reacted quickly, leaning half her body out of the window and narrowly catching two letters that were about to fall.

"Phew...that was close." Lux wiped away a cold sweat, looked at the two owls still glaring at each other on the windowsill, their feathers bristling, and waved her hand in annoyance.

"Alright, alright, we've had our fight, the message has been delivered, everyone go home. If you fight again, I'll stew you all and feed you to Lumi!"

The two owls seemed to understand the threat, or perhaps they were tired of fighting. They gave each other one last threatening "coo" before reluctantly flapping their wings and flying away one after the other.

Lux opened the letter this time.

The first letter came from Professor Slughorn, his words brimming with barely suppressed excitement:

Dear Lux:

Fantastic news! Our paper has been nominated for the Gobalote Alchemy Prize from the International Alchemist Association, and the award ceremony will be held on August 3rd at the Heart of Alchemy Hall in Paris, France.

As the first author of the paper, you must arrive in Paris to meet me on July 28th. You can get there directly via the Filo network from the Leaky Cauldron. This will be the glorious start to your academic career, and I have already booked the best hotel suite for you.

Dresses? No worries! Paris has the best tailors; I've already had three made.

Believe me, my child, this will be an unparalleled event. We may very well bring home the Golden Cauldron Trophy, the symbol of the highest honor, and a huge sum of Galleons!

Looking forward to seeing you in the romantic city!

You are faithful,

Horace Slughorn

"The Golden Cauldron Trophy, Paris, and the prize money!" Lux's eyes instantly transformed into Galen shapes. "Merlin's beard! Professor Slughorn really went all out this time! Lumi, we're going to Paris for a big meal!"

"Boom! Big meal!" Lumi bounced excitedly in the basket.

The second letter came from LeBlanc, written in elegant and flowing handwriting, with a slightly commanding tone:

My Shadow:

I have transformed the closet in your orphanage into a FibroNet node.

I need you to go to Paris, France immediately to investigate the strange events surrounding the runes. Armando Rozier has taken the potions produced by the runes and defected from his family.

The Rozier family is now completely under my control. They know some information about the runes and will provide you with the necessary cover and resources. Remember to keep a low profile, but be sure to retrieve the runes.

The pale rose never fades.

"What a coincidence, both in Paris." Lux scratched her head. "That sounds like a lot of trouble... but LeBlanc is quick enough to find the rune. The one with the potion effect should be 'Triple Supply,' right? Two birds with one stone, perfect!"

She immediately began packing her luggage. Actually, there wasn't much to pack: a few changes of clothes, a wand, and the remaining three Galleons and a few Sickles.

She carefully put away Slughorn's letter, while she lit LeBlanc's letter with her wand and watched it turn to ashes in the air.

As night fell, the orphanage fell silent. Lux, carrying a wicker basket, tiptoed to the dusty, cluttered closet on the first floor. She took a deep breath and opened the creaking closet door.

The familiar musty smell and cobwebs were gone, replaced by a faint scent of violet incense.

Deep inside the closet, a brand-new Floo net fireplace is quietly emitting a soft glow.

"LeBlanc is really quick..." Lux muttered, just as she was about to grab the Fizz.

"Squeak—"

The closet door was suddenly pulled open!

Lux was startled and almost spilled her Floo Powder. She turned around and saw Tom Riddle standing in the doorway, wearing a well-tailored black travel cloak and carrying an expensive-looking leather suitcase.

His handsome face appeared somewhat gloomy in the dim light, but his eyes were sharp, clearly indicating that he was also preparing to run away from home.

The two stared at each other in the narrow doorway of the closet, an awkward tension and a sense of impending conflict hanging in the air.

"How did you know this closet was connected to the Floo Network?" Lux asked, puzzled.

"Hmph, I'm not blind to have such a large magical artifact here." Tom's voice was icy.

"It seems Dumbledore's 'peaceful holiday' is meaningless to you too. So late, sneaking around in the closet, which sewer are you going to look for a werewolf this time?"

Lux rolled her eyes and retorted without hesitation, "It's better than some people hiding in their rooms, Tom. Being sent back early, your great 'Magic Aid Society' is leaderless, are you getting anxious?"

Tom's face darkened instantly. He instinctively reached for his wand, but then remembered the damned pig's head curse. His hand froze in mid-air, his knuckles turning white. "Watch your words, Lux. My whereabouts are none of your business, you crazy woman who's written all over the history of magic."

"Oh dear, I'm in a hurry!" Lux exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her anxiety was something that modern people had to judge.

"Look at how furious you are! Be careful, Professor Dumbledore might be watching you with his magical water mirror right now. If you make another mistake, next time you might not just get a pig's head, you might get a pig's tail!"

"You!" Tom was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. The five-word mantra was still too stimulating for people of this era. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"At least I won't be like some people, bearing the name of a Gryffindor brute, causing trouble everywhere, and in the end, having to rely on a smooth old guy like Slughorn to clean up their mess. I heard your 'epoch-making' paper got nominated? Ha, what a tragedy for Hogwarts."

"Ha! Just admit you're jealous!" Lux said, hands on her hips, her blonde hair standing on end in the dim light. "It's better than someone like you hiding in the gutter of Slytherin, thinking all day about how to get bitten by snakes. You can be envious, but once my picture is printed in the Daily Prophet, I'll be making a big fuss and setting off fireworks at your door for three days straight."

"Childish!" Tom scoffed, turning his gaze away from her and turning to the Floo furnace in the closet. "Get out of the way."

"Why should I? Do you own this closet?" Lux retorted defiantly. "I was here first!"

"You're just a Gryffindor lion who only knows how to use brute force," Tom said with utter contempt.

"You're just a Slytherin slug who can't even fight and only knows how to talk big!" Lux retorted.

The two stood at the closet door, glaring at each other, neither willing to back down. The air crackled as if sparks were flying. Lumi, inside the basket, nervously made little "pop pop pop" noises.

Finally, Tom seemed to feel that wasting time with Lux in this place was beneath his dignity. He took a deep breath and said in an almost condescending tone, "Forget it, arguing with someone like you in this place is a waste of time. Have a good trip to Paris, and hopefully you'll be arrested by the French Aurors as an illegal black wizard."

After saying that, he sidestepped Lux, who deliberately bumped him hard with her shoulder, strode to the Floo Reactor, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and clearly and coldly spat out her destination: "Knockturn Alley, Bogin-Bock!"

With a flash of green light, Tom disappeared into the fireplace.

"Tch, what's with the attitude!" Lux made a face at the empty fireplace. "Knockturn Alley? I hope the dark wizard strips all your gold! Lumi, let's go!"

She grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, took a deep breath, and called out clearly towards the violet-scented fireplace, "France, Château Rosier!"