The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

"Elizabeth? I never expected to run into you here. You're back in Fonsari again this year?" Fleur broke the awkward silence first.

She stepped forward with a polite smile. "Thanks to your aunt's help the other day, my grandmother's magical herbs were successfully delivered to Beauxbatons."

The sharpness in Rozier's eyes softened instantly, and she nodded slightly: "It's nothing. Aunt Margot always says your grandmother is the most reliable herbalist in Fonzari."

The two began to chat familiarly. It turned out that Rozier's aunt Margot and Fleur's maternal grandmother were longtime friends. They had met several times at family gatherings when they were young, but they were still young at the time and there was a difference in age between them, so they were never very close.

Gabriel, holding Julien's hand, looked up at Rosier curiously: "Sister, are you a wizard too? Your clothes are so beautiful!"

Rozier's lips curled up slightly at the little girl's innocent tone, and he bent down to pat her head: "Yes, like Brother Julien and Sister Hibiscus, I study at the magic school."

Furong watched the atmosphere between the two gradually ease, a sly glint in her eyes.

She naturally noticed the undisguised concern in Rozier's eyes when he looked at Julien, and also noticed that Julien would unconsciously glance at Rozier when he spoke.

She smiled and suggested, "Since it's such a coincidence, why don't we go for a stroll together? The Christmas market in Fonzari has some interesting stalls; Gabriel has been talking about making magic gingerbread."

Rozier hesitated for a moment, then, catching a glimpse of the expectation in Julien's eyes, finally nodded.

The group of four was particularly lively. Gabriel acted like a little guide, leading them through the various stalls.

At the magical dessert shop, they enjoyed hot chocolate that produced snowflakes, gingerbread men dancing on the plate, and crisp bell sounds when bitten into.

At the handmade jewelry stall, Rozier picked up a star brooch inlaid with small diamonds and examined it from all angles.

While hesitating, Julien had already bought it from the vendor. "This is very beautiful. It matches your snake brooch perfectly; one is cool and aloof, the other is dazzling. Consider it my Christmas present to you."

Rozier's cheeks flushed slightly, but she ultimately accepted the brooch.

Fleur always played the role of a gentle mediator. She would deliberately steer the conversation toward ancient books and magical theories that both of them were interested in, watching them gradually become more open and talkative from their initial restraint.

When Julien mentioned the obscure books on astrological magic in the Hogwarts library, Rozier's eyes gleamed with empathy, and he readily shared records of astrological research from his family's collection.

When Rozier mentioned that the Slytherin common room, though underground, had a periscope for observing the stars, Julien also spoke with great interest about the stargazing observatory in the Ravenclaw Tower.

This amused Fleur, who was a few years older than the two, and also helped her understand the situation at Hogwarts.

As the sun set, they strolled through the entire market. Gabriel, clutching a bag full of candy and toys, dozed off on Hibiscus's shoulder.

The four decided to rest at a bar in town before rejoining the adults.

Led by Furong, they found the legendary bar at the end of Tess Lane in Funsari – Le Chêne et le Gobelet (Old Oak Cup), with a gnarled oak tree carved on the lintel and a verdigris-covered wine glass embedded in the tree hollow.

The bar doesn't look big from the outside, but it's surprisingly deep inside, as if the space has been quietly extended.

The ceiling is low, and the beams are made of unpolished century-old oak, inlaid with dozens of breathing firefly lamps—not real insects, but glowing magic potions sealed in small glass bottles, which change brightness according to the guests' moods: they glow gold when there is laughter, turn blue when the guests are deep in thought, and suddenly go out when there is an argument.

The bar is unique because it was made from a whole fallen ancient oak tree, with a natural tree hole still preserved in the heart of the tree, which has now been transformed into an automatic wine dispenser.

According to Furong, if you throw a silver coin into the hole, it will spew out a suitable drink based on your mood—the bitter "Regret Beer", the sweet "Old Dream Butter Beer", or the spicy "Duelist Flame".

After entering, the group found a small table for four and sat down. The table and chairs were made of dark beech wood, and although they looked quite old, they were very clean.

Although it's called a bar, it actually offers non-alcoholic drinks suitable for young wizards. The group ordered the specialty drink, "Heart of Oak," made with oak sap and butterbeer, which is said to enhance memory.

The bar was warm and inviting, with wizards sitting in small groups, drinking bubbly, fiery whiskey and talking in hushed tones.

Several old wizards at the next table were chatting about interesting things in town when the topic suddenly turned to the abandoned old church.

"Have you heard? Someone saw a green light flash in the church again last night," a wizard with a gray beard said in a low voice.

"Hey, that's been going on for decades. They say it's the resentment left behind by Muggles when they left. I think it's just the wind blowing the shadows off the window." Another wizard waved his hand dismissively.

"But my cousin said that he passed by late last night and heard strange whispers inside, like chanting some kind of spell."

"Stop guessing. That place is creepy. Who would go there except a lost Muggle?"

Everyone laughed, and the topic quickly shifted to something else.

Rozier held his glass, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim. "It seems the rumors of this church being haunted are common knowledge here."

"It's probably just hearsay," Julien said, but in his mind, he thought of the Moon Shadow Council members he had glimpsed during the day. Could that abandoned church be their hiding place?

Furong put down her cup, her eyes thoughtful. She hadn't forgotten the fleeting gray figure from earlier that day, nor the crescent moon and thorny mark on his arm.

"Perhaps, but there's no smoke without fire." She looked at Julien and Rozier, her tone meaningful. "However, since none of us go there often, we don't need to investigate further. After all, safety is the most important thing."

Julien also assumed that Fleur would definitely report the matter to Madame Maxime, so he didn't say anything further.

After all, this place isn't far from Beauxbatons, and no one would dare to provoke that big woman.

As dusk fell, it was time to meet with the adults.

The four walked out of the bar, and snowflakes began to fall again. Rozier's aunt's house was not far away, and Fleur, with a sleepy-eyed Gabriel, said goodbye to them.

"If you have time sometime, you can come to my grandmother's house for tea. She has a lot of old magic picture books in her collection."

"Okay, I'll definitely go," Julien nodded in agreement.

Rozier stood at the crossroads, looking into Julien's eyes, holding the star brooch Julien had given him, and said softly, "Thank you for today..."

"I should be thanking you," Julien smiled. "It was a pleasure strolling through the market with you."

Rosier's cheeks flushed, and she turned to walk towards her aunt's house. After a few steps, she turned back and said, "See you at Hogwarts. Oh, and give me back that notebook about the foundations of Hogwarts after you've finished reading it. I have some additional annotations here."

"No problem." Julien waved goodbye, watching her figure disappear at the end of the path.