Chaper 27: The Zoo

July 30th, 1990, 221B Baker Street, London, 22:45 PM.

"Hehe..." Harry had been giggling nonstop ever since Ethan gave him his first ever wand—a very special one at that. On top of that, Ethan seemed to have accepted Harry as his son!

With sparkling eyes, the boy raised it up, tracing the meticulously carved 9.5-inch, springy, walnut wood and Re'em's horn core wand, which was magnificently handcrafted by his peerless Dad. This would forever be one of his 'precious', as it forever held the most magical moment for the boy. Up until now,

With a true wand in his hand, no doubt Harry could perform those spells Ethan's had taught him much more efficiently than doing them wandless. As if the wand were serving as a conductor, directing the chaotic magic of young wizards as well as an amplifier to boost the prowess of those masterful wizards.

Following Ethan's teaching right after he had connected to the wand, Harry must always carry it with him; the boy must not use wand magic without Ethan's supervision, at least for now; how the boy would take care of maintaining the wand, etc., all of which Harry strictly abided by.

About why would Ethan let the boy hold it without the fear of Accidental Magic? That was when all those wandless castings came into play. Ever since Harry could perform Lumos perfectly without a wand, the boy had achieved very basic control over his magical flow. As of now, the boy could feel a certain subtle connection to the wand, and he could pour his magic into the wand if he wanted to.

On the other hand, with such regular wandless casting, his magical core ought to be exhausted to a certain point, reducing the chance of Accidental Magic close to zero while boosting his magical core.

Unlike the overly thrilled Harry, Osian, the young Re'em, was having a not-so-okey day as his priceless, prideful pair of horns had been cut off.

Sulking at his well-decorated Kennel, Osian sent a glare at the giggling Harry on the bed, which the boy is also keenly aware of as they now share a shallow bond over the wand. Atlas, they could confirm the other living status as well as some surface emotions.

Harry discreetly sneered. "Worry not, Osian; Dad said they will grow back next summer, so... Goodnight, Jasper, Osian."

"Nox..." Immediately following the boy's murmurs, all those Runic lamps were turned off.

With that, the boy lured himself to sleep with a bright smile on his face, but Harry was too excited for tomorrow as it would be his birthday, the first one-ever he'd spent with Ethan, a rather different one compared to those torturous earlier years spent with the Dursley, which up until now Harry would still avoid recalling those memories.

Phew, using 'Cognition' to calm his mind, the boy's miscellaneous thoughts were soon cleared out, and in place was a dazzling blue moon radiating a soft haze as the boy drifted into deep slumber.

...

Ring Ring!

The alarm's bell went off as Harry slowly rose off his bed, doing a few stretches to greet the dazzling sunlight of his birthday.

"Harry! Breakfast is ready!" The boy's ears perked up at the sound of Ethan's call.

"In a minute, DAD!" Harry loudly replied with a grin on his face before dashing off into the bathroom. followed by a hooting Jasper, while Osian only hissed before getting back to sleep.

Little did the boy know, Remus was witnessing the whole gleeful exchange downstairs whilst having his soothing Chamomile tea, brewed by Ethan. The secretary had arrived as fast as he could once he finished off the newest batch of paperwork, leaving the old ones for the latter, for today was his godson's birthday—a proper one at that!

"Ahem, so..." Remus raised an eyebrow towards Ethan, who was preparing the dish.

"Yes, Remus..." Ethan replied mildly.

"Good, good; the boy really adored you after all." Both gentlemen were giving each other acknowledgement through their glances.

Thud thud! Soon, Harry's quick footstep came closer as the boy entered the room with a slight bewilderment.

"Uncle Remus! Good Morning." The boy crashed into his godfather's welcoming embrace

"Haha, it's good to see you too, Harry, and happy birthday!" The two grinned at each other before joining Ethan for breakfast.

Hoot hoot!

"Oh, good morning to you too, Jasper, and..." Remus gladly patted the fragile golden bird, though he was searching for the other one.

"Osian was still taking his nap." Harry said it tersely, to which Remus nodded in amusement. In fact, he did get to meet the Re'em once, when the boy and Ethan came back from China, shortly after a not-so-calm Sam was coming in, pulling Ethan away with a barrage of questions.

Even though Remus didn't get the full picture of what had happened in China, he had his suspicions, especially a month after the two came back. The news of the magical world was bombarded with information regarding the arrest of the notorious poaching organisation, Altxorra Braconier.

Altxorra Braconier was put behind bars, and many of their hideouts were demolished, starting in China. Thus ending their decades of crimes.

The newspaper didn't really specify how they came to catch those dangerous criminals red-handed in one of their supposedly large operations in China, targeting one of the rarest five X magical beasts. Remus could guess that Osian was involved one way or another. For Altxorra Braconier's demise...

'Ethan... Sam...' Remus glanced at Ravenclaw's gloomy genius with contemplation, as coincidentally, Sam also went abroad a few days after Ethan and Harry had arrived in Shanghai.

Too suspicious... but anyway, having seen that both were in one piece, Remus didn't really mind that much; alas, he'd find a proper time to ask for details.

Back to Osian, Remus was once again dumbfoundedly beholding such a creature in the flesh.

"Merlin's Beard! How, how did..."

"Er, uhm, U-uncle Ethan retrieved it from one of the smugglers in Shanghai, and it seemed to like Uncle Ethan, so... w-we temporarily, temporarily, keep it here..." The boy's voice slowly turned sheepish under Remus raised eyebrows.

"Haiz, right then." Remus shook his head slightly with a sign, not wanting to delve deeper; he believed that Ethan could handle it.

Snapping out of reminiscence, Remus's attention was drawn back to reality by the utterly delicious smell of Ethan's breakfast.

A full-on Irish breakfast coupled with three cups of fresh Oolong tea were presented gracefully on the table, the best you could ask for from a home cook.

"Wow, traditional, I see, but how come the smell..." It was much more robust and tasty than Remus had thought.

"Chinese's spices," Ethan grinned, while Harry also giggled at the amazed Remus. Ethan intended the breakfast to be more exquisite, for it was Harry's birthday.

With that said, the three cheerfully dig into the hearty meal.

July 31st, 1990, London Zoo, 9:05 AM.

Having finished breakfast, the three swiftly made their way to the zoo. It didn't take long for the cab to arrive at the destination.

Upon entering the grand entrance, Harry was met with a rather novel scene. Unlike the outside, the place was painted with an atmosphere of the wilderness, with shades of green and numerous animals of all kinds, the places where they keep them, etc... all pouring into those curious emerald eyes.

Even though the boy had travelled to many countries, he would still be amazed by how much the outside world had to offer. Every experience was distinguished for the boy.

Still, at the time, the zoo was crowded with people, which made the boy uncomfortable as he tucked closely to Ethan. Harry wore a black hoodie with the hood on all the time, a pair of matching trousers and shoes, and his trusty enchanted dark brown satchel strapped across his shoulder.

While Ethan dressed in a formal suite, unbuttoned ulster-short cape coat with his trusty stylish top hat, Remus in his elegant brown suit and matching bowler. Their attire didn't garner any unwanted attention.

"What do you think, Harry? Fascinating, isn't it?" Ethan's assuring voice once again calmed the disturbed boy.

Harry nodded slightly whilst trying to utter a smile.

"Why don't you go and have some exploration by yourself, just like at the company? I bet it would be fun." Ethan kneeled down to his gaze.

The boy intended to shake his head vigorously, but Ethan's pleading eyes met his gaze, halting Harry's refusal.

"Me and Remus will just be around the corner. Beside your birthday, don't you want to do something different?"

"But isn't it enough being with you, Dad?" Harry whimpered, which made Ethan smile tenderly.

"You know you can't be with me all day long, right? Soon, you'll need to go out and meet friends too. So one step at a time, Harry." Ethan ruffles the boy's head gently

"Alright, Dad, I'll try."

"Okay, off you go then. Don't worry, I can always find you."

Harry nodded before taking a few steps away from the two men. At first, it was not so likeable for him, as the ideal of being along amid a sea of people terrified the boy, so he would occasionally turn around to meet Remus and Ethan's assuring gaze from the distance. Soon, the anxious feeling soothed off as Harry realised there wasn't much gaze directing at him; at best, he could only feel a few curious gazes swept by, which he could put up with.

Then in front of the boy was a grand tank that resembled that of a tropical forest.

"Wow." Harry's eyes widened when he saw a non-magical yet still distinguished figure lying quietly inside—a boa constrictor. The boy immediately shared his findings with the two men from a distance, to which the two replied with bright smiles, though the boy keenly noticed...

'Hm? they seemed to be in mid-discussion?'

While Harry was immersed in watching the snake, Ethan and Remus did have a small exchange.

"Well, it seems like the boy is getting used to it; this would serve him well when Hogwarts comes." Remus signed in relief, seeing his godson not have a breakdown amid the crowd. The boy's social anxiety as well as mental health did improve significantly, but the scar left would still be there.

"He'll be just fine. Have some faith in him, my friend." Ethan remarked

Remus raised an eyebrow at Ethan's choice of words before letting out a satisfied smile. 'My friend, huh..'

"Anyway, how's the new Wolfbanes potion doing? I guess that the more 'reasonable community' of werewolves took it with pleasure, no?"

"Ah, yes, it has been wonderful, with Mr. Belby aiding in the legislation as well as Sam's side in the distribution of the upgraded potion worldwide... Everything seemed to have turned for the better; many newspapers praised it, and the werewolf community was in a much better light almost everywhere for such a long time... I know I said it a lot, but I'll say it again. Thank you, Ethan, thank you...

"You're welcome," Ethan nodded softly. "After all, the wizarding world needs to usher in a more prosperous future for generations to come... and this is what she wanted to see..." Ethan voiced and murmured.

"Right... Oh, may I ask how I have never seen the press coming after us? They only showed up at the opening ceremony and wrote a small article regarding our success. I was even preparing for some daunting journalists, such as that poison-pen Rita Skeeter, to wander at the main every day." Remus eyes furrowed as Ethan let out a chuckle.

"Well, let's just say Sam and I had plenty of ways to deal with those thirsty hounds; Department of Mystery is not something those feeble could easily reckon with. As for 'The' Rita Skeeter... she did once visit our company, unorthodoxly, specifically after we announced the new Wolfbane Potion as well as our cooperation with Mr. Belby, but I personally greeted her..." Ethan's eyes seemingly turned crescent.

Remus raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging. "Fair enough."

"Moving on, how did it feel when the transformation began? Any exciting progress?"

"Incredible, I'd say. Never in my life had transformation been this... comprehensible, at least less nastier, less painful. On top of that, I could regain control over my mind and body, although channelling was nigh impossible due to the werewolf's specific traits and incompatible with the wizard's mind. Mind magic seems to be the most possible."

"Very good, very good."

Soon the two went on to discuss other things, such as Harry's birthday presents, which Remus was excited about.

Thus, while the two adults were immersed in their conversation, Harry was still continuing to watch the boa constrictor rest peacefully.

The other visitor had only stopped to glace at the tank before moving on with a slightly disappointed reaction. Yet Harry was still observing it; for some unknowing reason, he could feel a subtle attachment to the creature, oblivious to the surroundings.

Seemingly noticing the boy's gaze, the creature slowly opened its eyes, locking its gaze with the boy. "~Hello~"

'What the- !?' Harry was dumbfounded when the snake hissed, yet he could understand it!?

"D-did you just talk? C-Can you understand me?" Harry's eyes once again widened with bewilderment as he saw the boa constrictor tilt its head slightly before nodding at his words.

The boy's mind raced with numerous reasons as to why this could happen; the most reasonable answer was, of course, Magic, but he didn't know any magic that could do this, or innate talent?

'Dad should know the answer'

Just when Harry was about to rush to Ethan, an almost angelic, dreamy voice resounded beside him.

"Fascinating, isn't it, to witness such a creature resting peacefully? Did you just talk to him?"

Harry almost jumped on the spot and bolted away, but he managed to calm himself down to take a look at who was speaking.

Since when, standing leisurely beside him, a petite little girl, a little shorter than him, had been standing beside him for Merlin knew how long.

She had waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair, yet Harry seemed to find a million colours of hazel, golden, and red in the sunlight shone from dancing off her hair. She wore a simple winter blue dress, a prominent red scarf over her shoulder, and some red vegetable-looking earrings. She tucked a few lost strands behind her ears, revealing a delicate, fair countenance, faint eyebrows, slightly chubby cheeks, and tender rosy lips. And her eyes—those protuberant, silvery eyes—brought an unfathomable dreaminess to them. Harry thought he could get lost in them, as he had to blink a few times while the girl fixed her gaze on the resting snake, unwavering.

The boy could clearly tell she had an aura of "distinct dottiness" with a serene disposition about her that curiously drew him to her. Harry's emeralds reflected her entire figure bathing in the morning sunlight gracefully.

Had it not been for 'Cognition' to cheek his mind, Harry thought he was enchanted to meet her.

'Who is she?' was the first thought that came to his mind about such a peculiar girl.

"Ah, yes. Err, I-I'm sorry. W-hat d-do you mean by t-talking to it?" The boy held on tight to the strap of his satchel. He was still uncomfortable making direct eye contact with strangers as his posture exuded sheepishness, but his mind was already running with numerous thoughts regarding her question.

'Did she just hear me say it, or could she also hear it talk too? Oh shoot, did I just violate the Statue of Secrecy like Uncle Sam said? Is the Ministry going to take me away?' Harry's eyes quickly darted around, looking for any angry gaze that appeared out of nowhere, but...

'Wait, is she a Muggle? She doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that I was talking to the snake. Let's see..'

The girl's dreamy voice once resounded before Harry could raise his question. "It's a shame, isn't it? To be locked up in this place. Despite all the Muggles effort to make it feel like home, they don't belong to this place."

'Okay, she's a witch.'

Her unblinking silver eyes were still fixated on the snake, while Harry was looking between her and the snake. Despite her dreamy and somewhat indifferent expression, Harry somehow perceived a tinge of sadness. Just like that time in Interlaken.

"I-I guess so." In her words, it did bring back a lot of memories involving those poachers.

'Well, like she said, at least they seemed to be well cared for. Still...' Harry's face bore a trace of contemplation before something unexpected happened.

With an inaudible reverberation, the tank's glasses vanished into thin air. 'What the- Acciendental Magic? But who...' Harry's eyes darted to the side. He saw the girl blink for the first time, and she also bore a look of bewilderment.

"Oopsie." She took a step back, as the snake inside was slowly crawling out onto the floor. Before taking its leave, the snake turned his head back and gave the two dumbfounded children a nod of gratitude. "~Thank you~"

Then chaos befell this entire section of the zoo, followed by screams and shouts of people and animals, while people crashed into each other in order to avoid the creature.

Harry and the girl were standing amid the chaos.

The boy was breathing heavily; both his hands were holding on to the strap tightly as many gazes were pouring in his direction, bearing negative emotions. His feet wobbled, and he frantically searched for the two familiar silhouettes, but to no avail as it was too chaotic with people running around.

Just as he was about to be hit by a stumbling person, a small but firm grasp pulled him out of the way.

"I think we should get out here. Wackspurted had infested the area; it's quite dangerous." Her dreamy yet utterly calm voice brought Harry back on his feet, snapping him out of an impeding breakdown. She gave out her hand for him to take.

'W-wackspurts?'

Harry, of course, hesitated at first, for this was a complete stranger, a girl of his age, but soon he collected his thoughts and took her hand, following her lead out of the chaotic crowd.

Perhaps it was her dreaminess or her serene and calm disposition that enchanted him to take her hand, but for now, he only knew that he could follow her and...

'Well, Dad can always find me with Magic.' Harry reassured himself.

Despite her petite figure, the girl moved with steadiness, following behind her Harry once again experienced a rather unique fragrance in the air; it was somehow very soothing, delicate, and refreshing, like the spring drizzles. Like the smell of hundreds of colourful wildflowers bathing in the soft sunlight.

'Did I meet her somewhere?'

Soon, the two children got out of the chaotic, crowded area and into another section of the zoo that seemed to house birds of all kinds.

The two grapes for air before taking a look at where they were.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, her silver eyes locked on Harry this time, unwavering. The boy didn't feel any discomfort; her gaze simply showed genuine concern.

"T-Thank Y-you for b-back then." The boy tried to keep up eye contact so as not to be rude.

"You're welcome... It was my fault anyway. I bring more trouble for Daddy again." A tinge of sadness resurfaced in her eyes.

"B-but I-it was Accidental M-magic, no, you c-couldn't have c-control it. B-beside you w-were... sad at that time..." Harry voiced his thoughts, hoping to at least lift her mood.

The girl widened her eyes at his words before she gave him a wry yet gracious smile. "Thank you... I have just lost my Mommy last year... " Her voice trailed off as her gaze wandered off ahead, watching some birds fly graciously within the grand cage.

Harry was speechless, not knowing what to say. He, too, felt the loss of a mother. So all he could offer was silent consolation by watching those exotic birds by her side.

Moments passed by before the girl jolted her unblinking gaze back at him.

"Oops, where are my manners?" The girl patted the dust off her clothes. "Hello, Nice to meet you; I'm Luna Lovegood, nine." She was smiling at him.

Harry also bore a look of surprise before quickly collecting himself and clearing his throat. "H-hi, n-nice to you, I-I Harry P-Potter, turning ten today."

"Oh, happy birthday to you then, Harry."

"T-thanks, Luna." Harry smiled.

...

On the other side of the chaotic crowd, Remus and Ethan had keenly noticed a subtle wave of magic fluctuation before chaos befell.

"Oh boy, Accidental Magic?" Remus furrowed

"Not Harry," Ethan confirmed.

"Any way, it isn't looking good. We should find him quick; the boy must be terrified by now." Remus urged before starting to look for the boy's silhouette.

Ethan nodded while also attempting to divine Harry's location. It was then that he spotted a familiar silhouette with slightly cross-eyed eyes and shoulder-length white hair that had the texture of candyfloss. 'Mr. Lovegood?'