Achievements achieved in five seconds
Deep in the Scandinavian mountains, on the cliffs, the evening wind blew gently. The moonlight pierced through the thin clouds, casting a silver glow upon the forest below. In the distance, the roar of unknown beasts startled a group of night birds. Felix Peregrine stood on the cliff, marveling at the grandeur of nature spread out before him.
Beside him, the Moon Spirit Flower swayed gently, surrounded by intricate silver formations. Its thousand-layered petals seemed to shimmer under the moonlight, wrapped in a veil of silver gauze.
Felix raised his hands, his eyes closing as he began to recite the magic spell to activate the formation. In an instant, the moonlight, once scattered aimlessly across the world, now focused its attention on this place, swirling like a whirlpool and pouring into the Moon Spirit Flower.
The moon, known as Luna in Latin, corresponded to metallic silver in occultism and carried the meaning of madness. The Moon Spirit Flower, absorbing the moonlight, was the main ingredient of the lunar eclipse secret medicine.
With the veil on his face gone, Felix had returned to his cat-headed appearance. He would intensify his efforts to refine the lunar eclipse secret medicine, using its properties to break the curse.
The moonlit night was silent, the flowing light attracting many creatures to gather here. However, they were all frightened by the terrifying aura emanating from Felix and dared not approach.
Hours later, as the moonlight gradually dissipated, Felix opened his eyes and beheld the three blooming Moon Spirit Flowers atop the flower bush. A smile graced his lips.
Despite being damaged by mischievous creatures, the three flowers would suffice for his needs.
After harvesting the three Moon Spirit Flowers, Felix returned to the castle. The basement revealed a different scene - with numerous exclusive rooms, each serving a unique function: storage, collection, alchemy, potions, library, and more.
Entering the potion room, Felix observed the cauldron bubbling on the central table. The potion, bright red and thick, awaited his attention. Adding the three Moon Spirit Flowers, he began stirring.
Lucifer's face appeared in the flames below the crucible. Responsible for the castle's various fire-related tasks, Lucifer was tasked with heating up the flames.
"Increase the firepower," Felix instructed.
As the flames intensified, Lucifer voiced his concern, "Felix, I still think your approach is a bit extreme."
Referring to Felix's use of the madness within the eclipse potion to attack the curse.
"Really? I find it to be a novel idea worth trying," Felix replied nonchalantly.
After boiling for a considerable time, Felix removed the crucible from the heat, allowing the potion to settle. Filtering out the suspension liquid, he was left with the thick, glue-like substance - the lunar eclipse secret medicine he sought.
Returning to his red patent leather sofa on the first floor, Felix positioned himself in front of the fireplace and drank the potion in one gulp.
As the magic potion entered his stomach, he felt a spiritual shock. A full moon appeared in his mind, followed by boundless darkness. A strange lunar eclipse unfolded in his mind...
...
Standing before No. 4 Privet Drive, Harry reflected on the day's events. He felt like a brave adventurer, having experienced a thrilling journey in a story. Even as he faced the Dursleys, he felt prepared to respond to their difficulties and humiliations with resilience.
Of course, this was merely a thought.
Harry patted his face, hiding his excitement, before assuming his usual embarrassed posture. For the Dursleys, his happiness would only dampen their spirits, prompting them to intensify their efforts to make his life difficult.
Tip number one for dealing with the Dursleys: never smile in their presence.
This lesson had been learned through experience.
Creak...
The old wooden door emitted an unpleasant sound as it opened, allowing soft, dim light to filter in. The room appeared warmer, offering the illusion of a cozy home. Yet, for Harry, there was no warmth here...
"I'm back," Harry announced.
Aunt Petunia emerged from the corridor, her expression morphing into one of disdain. "You damned little wretch, get over here quickly," she spat, her voice filled with venom. Harry couldn't help but think of Felix. Aunt Petunia bore a striking resemblance to the legendary evil witch, rather than any real wizard.
"Tell me, Dudley's injuries - are they your doing?" Uncle Vernon interjected, rising from his seat to confront Harry at the door. Their elongated shadows loomed large, casting Harry in an even more vulnerable light.
"It's not my fault," Harry denied vehemently, his face flushing with anger.
"You wretch, and... and I heard from Petunia that you destroyed the neighbour's rare plant," Vernon accused, grabbing Harry by the collar.
"Good gracious, if the neighbour hadn't been so forgiving, who knows how much trouble you would have caused this family," Petunia lamented, her tone dripping with despair.
"I didn't do anything, it's not my fault," Harry weakly argued as Uncle Vernon's fury boiled over. The events of the day had been relayed to him as soon as he arrived home, putting him in no mood for dinner. He simply waited for Harry's return, ready to confront him.
"Have you no gratitude toward us?" Uncle Vernon bellowed before forcibly pushing Harry into the closet, the door slamming shut with a resounding boom.
Snap— a hole appeared in the small door, revealing Uncle Vernon's eyes squinting through the gap. "From today onwards, while you're in this room, you're going to work for me," he snarled, his voice dripping with malice, before leaving abruptly, as if Harry had transformed into a mere pest he no longer wished to deal with.
Brushing aside a spider that had been dislodged from his pillow and clearing away the dust, Harry collapsed wearily onto his makeshift bed. Thoughts of Moonlight Castle flooded his mind once more. The magical haven had made him forget his troubles. Even if he were to work as a handyman there for the rest of his life, it would still be preferable to his current situation.
Anticipating tomorrow with a mixture of apprehension and hope, Harry fell into a fitful sleep without even removing his glasses.
His rest was short-lived, however, as he was abruptly roused by a loud banging on the door.
"Get up! Get up! Hurry!"
Aunt Petunia's shrill voice pierced the air once more.
"Time to wake up!" she yelled. "You can't sleep in all day. Don't forget, you have work to do."
Groaning, Harry dragged himself out of bed and opened the door to face Aunt Petunia's insistent demands.
"Go wash up quickly," she urged.
Glancing out the window, Harry noted that it was still early morning, with Dudley's snores echoing from the adjacent room. It seemed he had been roused from his slumber unusually early today.
A realization dawned on Harry then. The Dursleys had no intention of providing him with food. They had likely concluded that the man residing at No. 13 Privet Drive would take care of his needs.
"He'll make sure this poor boy has enough to eat," they might have said.
Understanding their motives, Harry resigned himself to his fate. Without a word, he allowed Aunt Petunia to shoo him out of the house like a stray dog.
As expected, the night before had brought light rain, leaving the morning air crisp and cold. Harry wrapped himself tightly and stood outside No. 13 Privet Drive, contemplating his next move.
Would Uncle Felix be awake now? Was it too early to disturb him? Harry wrestled with these thoughts, uncertain of his actions.
Did his presence here make him seem like a beggar? Would Uncle Felix resent him for it?
Uncle Felix had been incredibly kind. The meals he had prepared were the most delicious Harry had ever tasted. Yet, Harry couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. Was he truly worthy of such kindness? Would Uncle Felix come to hate him for his shortcomings?
Lost in his thoughts, Harry was startled by the creak of the door at No. 13 Privet Drive. As it swung open, the darkness within revealed only the flickering flames of Lucifer burning in the fireplace.
"What are you doing lurking outside? Hunting for goblins?" Lucifer inquired curiously.
Harry managed a smile, though his mind was elsewhere. Moonlight Castle, with all its darkness and gloom, felt far more inviting than the warmth of the Dursleys' home.
"No, Mr. Lucifer. I just..." Harry began, but his words trailed off as he caught sight of the figure lying on the red sofa.
It was Uncle Felix.
Yet, something was amiss...
The clothes belonged to Uncle Felix, but the figure itself... was that of a cat?!
Harry's mind reeled in shock. Within moments of stepping through the door, he was met with an unexpected twist that left him utterly bewildered.