The Wind and the Wings of Hogwarts

Chapter 444 Clash with Mr. Lovegood

"dad?"

Luna turned around and looked at the white-haired wizard with a puzzled expression.

She seemed oblivious to the two gazes that were about to scorch Scott's hand; in any case, she didn't let go of his hand.

“Hello, Mr. Lovegood,” Scott greeted him politely. “I’m Scott Trollope, Luna’s classmate in Ravenclaw.”

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood."

Fred and George greeted each other casually.

"Hello, everyone."

Mr. Lovegood nodded reservedly.

He took two steps forward, casually reaching out to grab Luna's wrist and pulling her hand away from Scott's.

Then, he pulled Luna back two steps.

Luna was caught off guard and looked up at her father in surprise.

But Mr. Lovegood didn't meet her gaze; instead, he stared intently at Scott while holding Luna's hand tightly.

Throughout the entire process, he maintained a polite, fake smile.

“My daughter and I were searching for the Curved Horned Snoring Beast in the wild. After hearing about what happened tonight, Luna was very worried about you friends and rushed back to make sure you were alright.”

Scott heard clearly that Mr. Lovegood’s tone was somewhat strained when he said the words “you friends.”

Then, suppressed chuckles came from behind.

Scott remained remarkably calm throughout.

“Thank you, Luna.” He smiled at Luna again, then looked at her father. “Of course, thank you for your concern, Mr. Lovegood.”

"You're welcome."

"I don't care about you."

The father and daughter spoke almost simultaneously.

The difference is that Luna has a genuine smile on her face, while Mr. Lovegood's fake smile mask is almost shattered.

But Scott pretended not to notice his pretense and spoke to Luna openly and naturally.

"Everything that happened today was too dangerous. The mysterious man appeared in front of everyone, killed people, and searched for Harry. I'm so glad you didn't go."

"Oh, how is Harry?"

"He's alright, Dumbledore arrived just in time."

Are all the other people really alright?

"The Mysterious Man killed a group of Irishmen, as well as Roger, who was cursed by the Mysterious Man."

"How is Roger?"

“I just contacted Mrs. Davis, and she told me that Roger is receiving treatment at St. Mungo and should recover soon.”

"Oh, should we go check on him?"

"I am planning to go."

"Really? I'll go with you."

"it is good."

The two of them chatted as if no one else was watching, even making a promise to visit Roger together in St. Mungo's.

"Cough...cough..."

Unlike Scott's genuine composure, Mr. Lovegood, who had been feigning composure, couldn't help but cough again, interrupting their conversation.

"Dad, are you sick?"

Luna was drawn by the coughing sound and turned to ask with concern.

“Cough…no.” Mr. Lovegood raised his hand and loosened his collar. “Dad just has a sore throat.”

"Oh……"

Luna nodded slightly, then turned to chat with Scott.

"When are you planning to go see Roger? You don't look too well."

“Tomorrow,” Scott replied. “I’m just a little exhausted; I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

"Okay, then tomorrow..."

"Luna!"

Mr. Lovegood took Laluna's hand.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Luna looked at him, puzzled.

Mr. Lovegood smiled naturally at Luna, "Who is this Roger you're talking about? Can you tell Daddy?"

“Roger Davis is the captain of the Ravenclaw team and a friend of Scott’s and mine,” Luna answered honestly.

Mr. Lovegood glanced at Scott with a dark expression, but when he looked at Luna again, his expression instantly changed to that of a loving father.

“Oh, you want to visit a friend in St. Mungo? Of course, that’s fine, but you must go with me.”

Luna looked at him in surprise, "But didn't Dad tell me that because of the news about the mysterious man appearing tonight, you're planning to rush to publish a supplement?"

“No…it’s nothing.” Mr. Lovegood coughed twice more. “I can make time to go with you.”

Luna gently shook her head. "No need, Dad. I can go with Scott."

Mr. Lovegood's eyes widened at his daughter's resolute refusal.

"No, that's too dangerous!" he shouted. "You know, the Mysterios and the Death Eaters are eyeing everyone. You're too young to go out alone without an adult!"

"But Dad..."

Luna looked up at him.

“I think everyone will focus on protecting St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Injuries and Illnesses. There’s no danger there, and Scott’s magic might be a little better than yours.”

"Impossible!" Mr. Lovegood exclaimed in disbelief, deeply shocked.

Luna, however, remained serious. "I remember telling you, Scott is a true genius."

“Oh, Luna…”

Mr. Lovegood made an exaggerated expression and reached out to cover his chest.

"puff……"

Unlike Scott, who remained unfazed, Fred and George began to chuckle quietly at the sight.

"boy."

Upon hearing the burst of laughter, Mr. Lovegood promptly turned his head.

He released Luna's hand, stood in front of her to block her view, and glared fiercely at Scott.

“Scott, is it? You're the one who boasted to my daughter?” He drew his wand and pointed it at Scott. “For the sake of a father’s honor, I challenge you to a duel!”

"..."

Scott looked at the unusually dramatic man with a calm gaze.

"What kind of look is that?"

The injured father seemed even angrier, his eyes, which were originally only slightly crossed, glaring into the most authentic cross-eyed state.

"Aren't you afraid to pull out your wand to prove your lies?" he demanded angrily.

The atmosphere was tense, and even Fred and George stopped laughing.

But Scott, who had regained some of his magic, remained unfazed.

In his magical perception, Mr. Lovegood's magical fluctuations, while not entirely stable, were not intense either. This indicated that while his exaggerated emotions at the moment had some genuine element, they were more of a deliberate performance.

Luna, who peeked out from behind him, clearly knew her father well, so she simply smiled apologetically at Scott and did not stop Mr. Lovegood's performance.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lovegood.”

Scott was very polite, but he resolutely refused.

"Because of the previous accident, I am currently exhausted and unable to accept your duel invitation."

"Oh, you mean you'd accept my duel challenge if you weren't exhausted?" Mr. Lovegood's expression was unreadable. "So, you weren't exaggerating?"

Scott nodded frankly. "Of course, I've never boasted about anything."

Mr. Lovegood's brow was furrowed deeply.

Scott smiled at Luna again. "You should trust your daughter, Mr. Lovegood. Luna has an eye for truth and a sharp mind. In short, I don't think anyone can deceive her."

Upon hearing his words, Mr. Lovegood's expression immediately relaxed.

“You’re right, boy!”

He suddenly laughed and withdrew the wand that was pointing at Scott.

"Luna is definitely excellent!"

He turned around and ruffled Luna's hair.

"I'm sorry, Luna, Dad underestimated you."

"It's okay," Luna laughed cheerfully. "This is fun!"

The father and daughter looked at each other and laughed, their laughter growing louder and louder. As they laughed, they even held hands and spun around twice, like two madmen.

"Oh...that's how their family is."

"Luna's crazyness was learned from Mr. Lovegood."

Fred and George whispered to Scott.