As the sky grew faintly bright, Fiona awoke.
She glanced at her still sleeping husband, careful not to disturb him, and quietly put on her shoes before slipping out of the bedroom. First, she went to the window to see if snow had fallen overnight, and caught sight of a familiar figure in the yard.
Vid, dressed in a thick dark blue coat, stood by the fence near the door, planting a stick into the ground that resembled a javelin.
Though winter's ground should be frozen solid, Vid's actions appeared effortless, as if inserting a fork into a soft cake.
Beside him lay seven or eight other such "javelins," casually strewn on the ground.
Fiona blinked in curiosity, quickly wrapped herself in a thick coat, and briskly walked into the yard.
"Good morning, Vid!"
Fiona saw Vid fixing the "javelin" alongside the iron fence, and promptly bent down to pick up another, saying, "Let me help! Where should I place it?"
Upon taking the "javelin" in hand, Fiona realized it wasn't made of wood and was heavier than it looked. Though slender, it felt as if it weighed six or seven kilograms.
"Good morning, Mom."
Vid took the "javelin" and planted it beside another part of the fence, saying, "There's not much you need to help with here; it's cold outside, you should go back in."
"Oh, I'll go in once I feel chilly."
Fiona replied, lifting another "javelin" and heading towards the adjacent fence.
Earlier, she scanned Vid's symmetrical arrangement, quickly placing the remaining javelins at corresponding spots. Rubbing her numb hands, she ran to Vid, full of enthusiasm, asking:
"All set, what else needs to be done?"
Seeing his mother's eager smile, Vid couldn't help but grin, saying, "Then help me bring that barrel of Magic Potion from the doorstep."
Fiona turned to the door to see an oak barrel slightly larger than a cup, holding half a barrel of golden-yellow potion. The liquid inside looked like molten gold, not frozen despite the cold, but slowly rotating by itself.
She hesitated, then bent down to pick up the barrel, carefully walking to Vid's side.
By this time, Vid had planted all the "javelins." He took the potion, dipped a Quill into it, and began drawing patterns on the javelins and fence.
Fiona watched intently from the side, seeing some symbols forming strands, others linking into loops. Once completed, each symbol emitted a faint golden light and vanished after a few seconds.
She held her breath, fascinated and admiring, but didn't dare interrupt Vid.
After the last javelin's pattern was completed, Dobby's sharp voice came from the kitchen window:
"Madam Grey, Mr. Riddle, breakfast is ready! Today there's fried eggs, bacon, roasted mushrooms, and hot milk!"
"Coming, coming!"
Fiona replied loudly, then told her son, "Let's eat first, Vid! You need a full stomach to have energy for work!"
"Okay."
Vid responded with a smile, placing the nearly empty barrel on the windowsill, stomping off the snow on his boots, and headed into the house.
As Ferdinand came downstairs, he saw his wife, red-nosed from the cold, with some dust on her hair, and couldn't help but chuckle: "What were you doing?"
"I was helping Vid!"
Fiona paused, then turned her head, asking: "Right, Vid, what are you busy with early in the morning?"
— Only now does she remember to ask?
Ferdinand smiled wryly and also turned his gaze to his son.
Vid changed his shoes at the door, patted his clothes, and walked inside, saying:
"It's a protective Magic Spell, arranged around the house so that wizards or magical creatures without permission can't approach. Even if they reach the gate, they'll instinctively overlook the place."
"Wow, that's so cool!" Fiona's eyes sparkled as she looked at the javelins planted beside the fence, hard to discern without careful observation, and asked:
"Can I still invite Mr. Moody over for dinner?"
"Of course," Vid replied. "As long as you personally invite him inside."
He glanced pointedly at his father.
Ferdinand nodded quietly—in other words, without their invitation, those dangerous magical creatures could no longer easily intrude upon the house.
Occasionally on holidays, he would invite core members of the company or important business partners to the family's banquets. But now it seemed the upscale city restaurants were more fitting.
After breakfast, Vid continued his modification plans.
He first extinguished the living room fireplace, using Scourgify to remove the logs and ash, leaving the ancient red bricks exposed.
Then, wielding his Magic Wand, a slender gold light emerged from the tip, inscribing a circle of Runic Language on the fireplace bricks.
The instant it was completed, the carvings seemed ignited from within by invisible flames, glowing gold-red, like molten lava traversing a round, then disappearing leaving only a subtle ring of dark grey traces.
"In the future, this fireplace cannot be connected to the Floo Network," Vid explained to his parents. "There's no need to worry about wizards suddenly emerging from it."
"Oh…" Fiona expressed mild regret: "I've always wanted to try the Floo Network… Besides, doesn't this mean you can't use Floo to come home either?"
"I can Apparate, Mom," Vid winked, his tone relaxed. "And don't you think flying home is cooler?"
Fiona's eyes curved in a smile: "That's right… By the way, the coffee just brewed—would you like a cup, Vid?"
After the living room, Vid applied the same technique to the study's fireplace, prohibiting Floo Network access while ensuring any attempt to force a connection would alert him no matter where he was.
Next were the windows.
His fingers traced intricate paths on the glass, whispering spells. After a subtle flicker of silver light, the glass no longer appeared as transparent, making outsiders unable to see the activities inside the room, only the vague outlines of furniture.
By afternoon, Vid moved to the garden, burying things at the roots of roses and beside cobblestone paths—sometimes palm-sized bags, sometimes seeds.
Ferdinand dug holes with a hoe found in the warehouse, while Fiona bustled around delivering water, wiping sweat, fetching various tools.
If she couldn't help, she refused to return inside, instead staying bundled nearby, watching father and son work.
Without magic power, she couldn't understand Vid's spells or sense the house's miraculous transformation.
Yet, gazing at her son's focused profile, watching him skillfully, reliably manage these seemingly complex "security measures," a gentle water-like glow rose in Fiona's eyes.
"My little Vid has truly grown up." She whispered to her husband: "Look at him, becoming so dependable, so capable…"
She paused, then softly said: "…So no matter how the situation outside changes, he'll surely handle it and protect himself, right?"