Summer vacation had officially begun.
Under the blazing sun, the world seemed wrapped in a blanket of heat.
Lewis and Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon sat beneath the shade of a great oak tree, sipping cold soda as they discussed how to spend the summer.
"How about we go dragon hunting?"
Ciri batted her eyes at him mischievously.
"I've noticed you've been collecting dragon hearts lately, one after another, and you still complain that your collection isn't complete. Why don't we hunt down the missing species ourselves?"
Lewis nodded thoughtfully.
"That's actually not a bad idea."
Then he raised an eyebrow.
"But why are you suddenly suggesting this?"
He studied the silver-haired girl carefully.
"This doesn't sound like you."
Ciri pouted.
"That's because every time there's a dangerous fight, you insist on handling the strongest opponent yourself."
She began counting on her fingers.
"The Chimera. The basilisk. Every big monster always ends up being your prey."
She leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"I want to know what it feels like to battle truly dangerous magical creatures too."
Lewis immediately saw through her.
"I think you just want an excuse to test your sword."
He smirked.
"Wasn't carving up Tom Riddle enough for you?"
Ciri shook her head.
"Fighting wizards and fighting magical beasts are completely different experiences."
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Lewis could only sigh.
"Ever since I upgraded your Arcane Sword to version 2.0, you've become increasingly addicted to chopping things apart."
Ciri shot him a sultry glare.
"And whose fault is that? You made the sword absurdly powerful."
She was right.
Lewis's Arcane Sword 2.0, combined with Ciri's battle style, was almost perfectly matched to her.
As a swordswoman who excelled in close combat, possessed enormous magical reserves, and preferred brute force over delicate spellwork, she was practically made for it.
"What's that?"
Ciri suddenly looked up.
A dark shape crossed the sky.
Lewis followed her gaze and saw an extraordinarily ugly owl struggling toward them with a letter in its beak.
The poor creature looked exhausted.
It crashed directly into the oak tree trunk and fell to the ground like a rag.
Ciri blinked.
"This owl is nowhere near as competent as Hermes."
Nearby, Hermes proudly puffed out his chest.
"It's just old," Lewis said.
He bent down, picked up the battered owl, and immediately provided water and food.
Opening the envelope, he discovered that it was a letter from their neighbor, Arthur Weasley.
The letter thanked them once again for saving Ron and Ginny and invited Lewis and Ciri over for dinner.
However, the letter had been dated two days earlier.
If the Weasleys had prepared the meal when they expected the letter to arrive, Lewis had technically missed it by "a little while."
"Who's it from?" Ciri asked as she played with the two owls on the table.
"The Weasleys," Lewis said, handing her the letter. "They want to treat us to dinner to thank us for the Chamber of Secrets incident."
Without delay, they set out.
A few minutes later, they arrived outside the Burrow.
Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Ginny Weasley were tending the garden.
When they saw Lewis and Ciri, they immediately waved.
Lewis noticed Ginny blushing as she looked at him.
Still, compared to last year, she was now able to speak to him naturally.
Fred grinned.
"Dad sent that letter two days ago. We thought you'd show up yesterday."
"That owl is too old," Lewis replied, handing the bird to Ginny. "You should seriously let it retire before it dies in the line of duty."
"O-Of course, Lewis," Ginny said softly, cradling the exhausted owl.
The Burrow looked as improbable as ever.
It appeared to have begun as a stone pigsty before rooms were stacked atop one another in a crooked, gravity-defying tower that only magic could sustain.
Every time Lewis saw the place, he found it absurd.
Yet somehow, it was also charming.
"Oh, Lewis! Ciri! Welcome!"
Molly Weasley rushed over from the chicken coop and hugged them both tightly.
"I thought you'd arrive yesterday!"
She sent the children off to entertain their guests while she prepared dinner.
Ginny took Ciri upstairs to see her room.
Fred and George, however, dragged Lewis to their bedroom.
Once inside, they locked the door and produced a trunk from under one of the beds.
It was stuffed with half-finished potions and mangled magical gadgets.
A pungent medicinal smell wafted out.
Lewis cast Detect Magic and immediately identified ingredients for Swelling Solution, Polyjuice Potion, Cure for Boils, and various crude experimental products.
He quickly opened a window and cast a Gust spell to clear the air.
"That smell is incredible," he muttered. "Anyone walking by would think you were brewing something very inappropriate."
George scratched his head.
"We've been trying to incorporate potions into sweets."
Lewis raised an eyebrow.
"And you expect people to eat candy that smells like this?"
Fred grimaced.
"With our current potion skills, this is the best we can do."
Then he proudly produced several fireworks labeled:
Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks.
"These are our best products so far," Fred said.
Lewis nodded in understanding.
So this was the beginning of their dream: a magical joke shop.
The ideas were excellent.
The problem was technical execution.
They lacked the magical craftsmanship to turn inspiration into reliable products.
George leaned forward eagerly.
"We've decided to open a joke shop one day."
Fred added, "And we want your help."
George continued, "You said before that if we proved we were serious, you might support us. We're willing to offer you a share of the business."
Fred spread his hands dramatically.
"For someone with your genius, it would be easy. Just a tiny fraction of your limitless wisdom."
Lewis hesitated only briefly before nodding.
"Very well."
He smiled.
"You've shown enough dedication to convince me. I'll help."
The twins erupted into cheers.
"Give me until dinner," Lewis said. "I'll have some initial recommendations by then."
That evening, Arthur Weasley returned from the Ministry with exciting news.
He had won the grand prize in the Daily Prophet sweepstakes:
Seven hundred Galleons.
The announcement sent the household into celebration.
Dinner was a feast.
Molly's cooking was astonishingly good—far better than the average British home meal.
The Weasleys lavished attention on their guests.
Molly kept piling food onto Lewis and Ciri's plates.
Arthur enthusiastically questioned Lewis about Muggle electronics.
Ginny repeatedly stole glances at him.
Even Percy Weasley made stiff attempts at conversation.
The Burrow may have been ramshackle, but it radiated warmth.
Of everyone present, however, Fred and George were the most excited.
In a single afternoon, Lewis had provided a detailed improvement plan for their products and numerous technical suggestions.
Their dream had taken a major step forward.
After dinner, Arthur announced that part of the prize money would fund a family trip to Egypt.
He also warmly invited Lewis and Ciri to join them.
Lewis politely declined.
The Weasleys were not wealthy, and as the owner of a Philosopher's Stone, he had no intention of accepting their money.
As they walked home afterward, Ciri sighed.
"Hermione's family is going on holiday. The Weasleys are going on holiday."
She looked at Lewis.
"Is traveling suddenly fashionable?"
Then she added hopefully,
"If you don't want to go dragon hunting, we could always take a trip somewhere."
Clearly, she still hadn't abandoned the dragon-hunting idea.
At that moment, another owl swooped down and dropped a letter into Lewis's hands.
He read it, then passed it to Ciri.
A grin spread across his face.
"Looks like your luck has arrived."
He tapped the letter.
"This is excellent news."
He met her eager gaze.
"We can travel, hunt dragons, and best of all…"
"It's entirely free."
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