Retrieve

As the gate closed behind the last straggler, a rune circle encompassing the entire field lit up, teleporting out of thin air an impressive amount of varied in size tables, barrels, lit-up campfires, chairs, and other utensils required for a feast. Cooks of all races appeared next to the whole roasted cows, bowls the length of a person containing vegetarian options, oversized fruits and vegetables whole, fish and crabs grilled over fire, huge shapes made out of colourful jelly, fountains of chocolate and flowing wines dotted the grassland.

"It's all normal food, right?" Luca oversaw the trolls cheering and jumping down the stands as the aroma of meat reached them, the giant chairs and tables placed strategically below where they stood.

"Yeah, you can't use magical creatures' ingredients after putting up such a show." Junfeng confirmed.

"After those delicacies you get served every day, our humble folk grub can't satisfy prince's delicate palate?" Miranda mocked.

"You guessed it. Any other programs for the day? If not, I will go, can't mingle with unwashed masses." Luca played along, he wanted to go back to his room and think some more about the memory.

"There should be a whole upgraded no-maj amusement park between Coliseum and Iverstead, teleported from Roanoke or some other village. If you're not hungry, have fun there. Snack booths can last you till supper, come back to the Inn by then and watch fireworks together." Mr. Toll came to the quartet and ruffled Miranda's head lovingly, crowds jumping happily to bounce into the food court, or walking slowly in the direction of the exit signified the end of the parade. He and Junfeng's parents went to grab a table and get acquainted further, their kids seemed to know each other.

"Let's go to a shooting range, I don't believe you can be better than me without cheating." Winnetou apparently still angry Luca had an unfair advantage because of the width of his spells.

"I'm just born sooo talented…" Luca sighed ruefully and led his friends slowly outside, bickering about who had the greatest aim, Junfeng arguing that now there would be no problems with him hitting the wall seven out of ten times, the last three hitting ceiling and floor, as he is a reborn man forthwith when his glasses got changed. Miranda noted smugly that she for sure had the biggest count of hitting people, refuted by Luca that pointed out his quidditch career.

"Dad was correct by accident, this year's park is from Roanoke." Miranda commented as the quartet saw typical Wild West themed attractions in front of them.

"What are the enchantments on them?" Luca thought a simple ride wouldn't cut it for wizards, they had to be somehow different despite the similar appearance, still unused as not many families went straight here.

"Don't spoil yourself, we will go one by one after I beat you all." Junfeng, inexplicably confident, led the way. Four hours later, Luca lay spent on his bed, his adrenaline still pumping to the trembling involuntarily legs from the Invisible Cart - magical version of a rollercoaster that makes it feel like you are flying at supersonic speeds, inches away from hitting numerous obstacles that melt into a blur, prevented from becoming a splash of blood by something you can't see, tracks and other passengers also hidden, only their screams and roaring wind as a company to try siphon courage from. Calmed down from the fright that cost him having to endure verbal jabs from his three frenemies, he intended to get done the delayed by not exactly knowing what to write in it letter to Blanco's, since they sent him a description of their days, Luca finally decided to reciprocate with a passage describing today's Independence Day, and gratitude that they obliged to the deal, praising the lack of prisoner's abuse. The boy wrote quickly, having prepared enough in his mind, reread and sealed it satisfied, the first in a long series of messages designed to culminate in a sneak attack. Glancing at the window, it was almost the agreed time, he went down to rejoin his friends with an added Bryce, and summoned Grace that came in less than five minutes during which Bryce talked about the lifetime he witnessed.

"I drew Robert Grimsditch's memory, the scene of team's assembly was so cool! And even cooler is his super brain power, like Professor X." Bryce gushed over the abilities that their inheritor used on him, to Luca's discomfort.

"Cool, cool." with indescribable meaning in his eyes, the boy replied stiffly as he stood at the side of the table, stroking Grace's head. "You looked mighty flying earlier, know how to reach Selina Lopez?" he whispered near the bird's beak, confused by her lack of ears he noticed only now. "Em… Where are your ears?!" he asked the eagle out loud as he had a sudden epiphany that no birds seem to have ears, were they all deaf?

"Hidden by feathers, of course. Can I touch you?" Winnetou eyed Luca's pet since she perched on the railing and overlooked the restaurant proudly, Grace gave him a lookover and squawked with a nod to his joy and immediate action, standing up and gently caressing her wings.

"Why he can, but I can't?!" Miranda also pulled away from inhaling noodles and stood up, pointing with one hand at Grace, the back of the second hand wiping her mouth from oil. The bird ignored her and spread her wings to fly away, Luca successfully tied the piece of parchment to her leg. Miranda's finger went to now almost touch Luca's nose in an accusing manner. "Your pets don't like me, why?!"

"How do I know? I will try and talk to Grace… Ringo might have an opinion about aggressive petting." he tried to justify his animals, Miranda snorted and went back to her ramen. Mr. Toll and Junfeng's parents came back, the older wizards shared their more interesting experiences and jokes with the younger ones until the first loud bangs came from outside, the sun didn't yet set completely, but the pyrotechnic performance aided by magic had already begun. The seven came out of the Inn to a slight repeat of the parade, but this time in the air, the silhouettes of participants in Red, White, and Blue flames danced above the buildings. Rest of the night equally noisy and bright, Luca was in a merry mood until he lay in his bed again and reminisced about the green light and abilities of the Twelve, the life of Mr. Weiss as a victim of constant abuse, a target of a hunt from many parties later, the attitude of never giving up, redemption and family.

Luca sorted out what he knew of his parents, ready to completely come to terms with being abandoned, the nine loving years he was given now seemed extraordinarily precious contrasted with that kid's treatment. They weren't to blame, Luca understood if his father showed 'force', his mother would grab him and run away the same way, deeply ingrained in no-maj society fear of the unknown and demons worked perfectly in tandem to make it the only logical thing to do. The boy speculated if those common apprehensions were written into the DNA of powerless humanity, prey to bizarre dark creatures and demons since its birth. News of his Italian grandparents' death firmly in his mind, he concluded that living in Paris, French grandparents were his remaining bet to try and approach, but the address was left in the orphanage, in the room he shared with Oz. The album might have already been thrown out, the boy was anxious to go and retrieve it, by the way, give money to the priest to repay the grace of housing him for a year, to Oz because he may need it in the future to get out of the poverty trap and go to a private high-school, visit his homeroom teacher, recall the old times with Buffy and Dawn. Falling asleep, he imagined what to say or give to them, should the contact be broken, could he even leave the wizarding barriers at will, should he start learning French, would Mr. Weiss be sorted to Pukwudgie's, will his teacher pass down his skills to him, who would be stronger of the two Fontaines, what about Grimsditches, could he learn to defend from the mental attacks and constant reading, was he being read now or was the Inn's owner asleep, and myriad other questions with no answer floated inside the boy's frontal lobe.

In the morning, Luca seriously decided to learn French, he was half-French, already with certain knowledge of the language, and had a teacher that apparently still thought himself part French after being a fifth or sixth-generation immigrant, cultivating the love of language, or at least vulgarities of it. The visit to his grandparents could wait for next year's vacations, he was adamant to learn how to close his mind directly from the First Legilimens of MACUSA that spent his days running a bar downstairs and go out to Boston with help from either him or his teacher. Going down the wooden stairs, the overpowering stench of disinfectant hit his face as he passed the transparent barrier separating the airflow. The bar was full of blackout-drunk creatures and wizards sleeping under the tables and along the walls, Tom Grimsditch was smoking a pipe behind the bar with an expression of supreme enjoyment on his face.

"Well?" Luca sat on the barstool with a naked leprechaun trapped under it and queried, choosing already the least compromised chair for himself.

"That's pure ethanol, trolls love it, not disinfectant." Mr. Grimsditch took a puff. "Glad that kid liked my forefather's efforts, I have a present for him and you." he took out a book from his pocket, Luca received it with both hands, the cover read: 'Control Your Mind: Occlumency For Dummies'. "You are for sure disciplined enough to learn, so have at it. Oh, occlumency is closing your mind, if you become a grandmaster of it, even I won't be able to enter even after exerting full effort." Mr. Grimsditch explained slowly in between puffs.

"Thank you, Sir." Luca bowed with his forehead touching the counter, straightened, and waited patiently for the rest of his admittedly impudent requests to get their evaluation.

"We can go after you learn occlumency to a basic level, pure vampires all have vast mental power, don't get killed before I can react if she comes personally." Mr. Grimsditch pondered the best course of action. "About money, no problem. We don't have any exchange rate in America, complete separation, you know, but I can give you an unlimited number of dollars, although judging from no-maj kids' perception, a million is enough to spend for you. No point to repay, I will get it from some criminal." the matters almost all settled, Luca had one last doubt.

"Rappaport's Law?" he asked.

"Rules are dead, people are living. Ordinary wizards indeed have to follow them or go visit Alcatraz for a nice, relaxing, long holiday, smarter don't get caught, rich and influential ignore most of them. I didn't make the game, it is how it is." Mr. Grimsditch shrugged and taught the boy.

Next month, Luca and Bryce both dedicated to meditating and learning occlumency, Mr. Grimsditch personally supervising them from time to time, the boys learned it to a satisfactory standard, Luca's promised trip could start. Mr. Grimsditch took him into the Stonehenge the boy arrived in Iverstead from and grabbed his arm.

"Where exactly?" he asked, Luca thought of the locations he wants to visit and decided that orphanage was the most urgent of them. "That Father Roberts seems to be a figure, I heard about him being active in Canada for decades before the war officially started." the old-timer had a look of appreciation as he waved his wand, Luca squeezed by the magic into what felt like a thin tube of flesh, the experience of floo powder a hundred times more likeable.