Chapter 09: Wrackspurts

Professor McGonagall really didn't like being interrupted while enjoying herself. However, since the person in question was a very dear friend of hers, and it wasn't exactly dignified for a professor to be caught having fun in front of others, she decided to suppress her annoyance.

"I'm here to help someone buy a cat, Catherine."

Catherine then turned her attention to Luke, who was standing next to Professor McGonagall.

Luke politely greeted Mrs. Catherine.

"Hello, Mrs. Catherine, I'm Luke Gaunt. You can call me Luke. I'm going to Hogwarts, so I'm here to pick out a cat to keep me company."

Luke noticed that Luna, who had been engrossed in her book, was now looking at him too, prompting him to make his smile even more radiant, hoping to come across as more approachable.

When Mrs. Catherine first laid eyes on Luke, she was instantly captivated. After all, a face of such extraordinary beauty was a rare asset, no matter where in the world you are.

"Oh! What a lovely boy. Luke is such a nice name. Luke Gaunt... Gaunt?"

Catherine's words trailed off as she froze, staring at Luke before looking at Professor McGonagall in confusion.

Professor McGonagall gave a subtle nod to the puzzled Catherine but said nothing more.

"Oh, Mr. Gaunt, I apologize for my earlier behavior."

Now that Catherine had received confirmation from McGonagall, she seemed a bit more reserved, and a hint of fear crept into her gaze toward Luke.

Luke was baffled. He looked as though he was familiar with the world of nobility, but the truth was that he had been living alone for years. Even if he had family around, they had severed ties with the noble circles for centuries. Honestly, if Luke didn't visit the Gaunt family estate, he wouldn't even know his place in the family lineage.

Luke remained polite on the surface, but inwardly he was filled with confusion. What on earth just happened? Could merely announcing his name really make people fall over themselves like this?

"It's no problem, Mrs. Catherine. Just call me Luke. I'm not here as a Gaunt, but as a new Hogwarts student and a customer looking to buy a suitable cat."

"Oh! Right, right! Ga—Luke, do you have any particular preferences for a cat? I could narrow it down for you, or would you like to look around first?"

Mrs. Catherine had regained some composure, now capable of interacting with Luke as a guest.

Just as Luke was about to respond, a clear female voice rang out.

"Let me introduce them to you."

Luke quickly turned his head, refocusing his gaze on Luna's face. She had already stood up, a gentle smile on her lips.

The elf-like girl smiled at Luke, saying, "They really like you and want to get to know you."

"Luna! Stop saying such nonsense…"

"Catherine!"

Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her voice, interrupting Mrs. Catherine. Without paying attention to her startled expression, McGonagall stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and with a smile said, "It's been ages since we last met. You've got butterbeer here, right? Let me have a glass. I've been running around Diagon Alley with this kid all morning; I need a break and something to drink."

Then she turned her head and gave Luke a meaningful smile. "Luke, you can take care of yourself, right? And the little girl beside you."

Luke was about to respond when a soft voice interrupted him.

"My name is Luna. I'm ten years old and will be a first-year student next year. You have Wrackspurts around your head, but don't worry they won't harm you."

Luna spoke gently and for quite a while, with kittens meowing beside her as if trying to back her up.

Madam Catherine looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could, Professor McGonagall pulled her into the small room behind the shop for a drink.

With a bang, the door to the lounge closed, leaving only Luke and Luna in the shop.

'Now it's just me and Luna in the hall...'

Before Luke could say something, Luna continued speaking.

"We're not the only ones here. These little guys are here too, and if you ignore them, they'll get upset."

Luke looked at the girl beside him with some surprise. "You can…"

Luna shook her head again before he could finish. "No, I can't do Legilimency. That's a very advanced spell or a special talent. But…"

Luna furrowed her delicate brows, thinking for a moment, as if trying to find the right words.

"But your thoughts are quite easy to understand, at least I can get a glimpse of them."

Luke's mouth twitched slightly, and he silently activated his Occlumency.

"How about now?"

"I can still see just a little bit, but your mental defenses are causing a lot of noise."

Luna's comment made Luke frown deeply.

What was even more unsettling was that Luke felt he could also catch glimpses of Luna's thoughts, though they weren't as clear.

This was strange—it didn't feel like love at first sight, more like a natural connection.

Luke found himself increasingly uneasy. Did he have any secrets left in front of Luna? He didn't believe his mind was so easy to read. After all, the spells his system provided were stronger than the ones he had learned on his own, making his Occlumency quite powerful. The key point was that even around Professor McGonagall, he often had his own thoughts, and she had never seemed to notice.

Looking at the mysterious girl in front of him, Luke felt as if he had met his natural nemesis.

"Come on, Luke, I'll introduce you to them. One of the kittens smells a lot like you." As she said this, Luna leaned in closer to Luke, sniffing lightly, as if confirming the scent.

Luke felt a bit out of sorts, his movements stiff as he responded, "Okay! Sure! No problem!"

He seemed to have no resistance to Luna's proximity.

Luna straightened up and picked up a small orange kitten from the ground to introduce it to Luke.

"This is Alpha. She…"

—

Inside the lounge, Professor McGonagall was humming a tune as she carefully searched the liquor cabinet for a good bottle of wine, her sharp eyes scanning the selection. Meanwhile, Mrs. Catherine sat at a round table with a troubled expression, frequently glancing at the closed door as if trying to peer through it and see how the two kids were doing.

"Don't worry so much, Catherine. Trust me, Luke is a good kid. He won't make any foolish mistakes"

McGonagall said as she finally selected a satisfactory bottle, grabbed two silver wine glasses, and walked over to the table. She set the glasses down and poured the wine.

But before Professor McGonagall could even lift her glass, Mrs. Catherine downed her drink in one gulp.

Then, with a puzzled tone, she asked, "Minerva, I thought the Gaunt family had died out? How is it that a Gaunt suddenly appears?"

"My husband and I barely managed to escape our servant status. Are you bringing another Gaunt family head to enslave me?!"