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July marked the end of Lys Black's student life, and Noah insisted on celebrating.
However, two years ago, his insistence on celebrating had dragged his wife and child into a disaster that nearly cost them their lives. Last time, it had resulted in Lys tearing apart the restaurant in a fit of anger. Now, Noah had no idea how to celebrate.
At that time, it was popular to travel abroad. Even though the political climate was tense, ordinary families weren't easily stopped from going on overseas trips.
But Noah's sensitive bloodline, coupled with the heavily monitored Black surname, meant no department would approve his travel application.
Lys had tried many times already.
So, they had to settle for traveling within the UK.
In the end, Senna decided they should go to the beach. She casually tossed a few clothes into a suitcase as preparation, while Lys showcased her culinary skills in the kitchen, preparing everything from potato dishes and meats to desserts, candies, and drinks.
The next day, as they were about to leave, they realized none of them knew where the beach was. The last time Senna had been to the seaside was during her youth in Italy.
Exchanging bewildered looks, Senna, with a slightly green expression, raised her wand and pointed it toward the street.
Just as Lys realized what Senna intended to do, a double-decker bus zoomed over their heads and parked in the open space behind their house.
"Hello! The Knight Bus, at your service for witches and wizards! Current stop: Diagon Alley! Where are you three headed?" A petite witch at the door directed four pale-faced wizards off the bus before cheerfully addressing Senna.
"Bournemouth Beach."
The beach there featured steep cliffs and stunning scenery. Most importantly, it had areas where they could avoid Muggles.
This information came from a grumpy old man's friend in the library last night. He had recommended visiting on sunny days when they could see distant islands. With skilled Apparition, they could even visit the islands, where a few interesting wizards occasionally sold fascinating items.
"Alright, Bournemouth Beach, about an hour. Three passengers... let me calculate—four Galleons and eleven Sickles. Hot chocolate is an extra Galleon!" The petite witch took the exact amount of Galleons from Lys's hand.
Senna shook her head to decline the hot chocolate offer, stepped onto the bus, and quietly sat beside Noah, whom Lys had levitated onto the bus. She used a binding spell to secure Noah's wheelchair tightly to the iron bed frame.
Just as Lys was puzzling over her mother's actions, a voice from the front announced, "Hold on tight, next stop in forty minutes—Godric's Hollow!"
Lys watched in horror as the bus charged toward their library. Before she could raise her wand, the bus lurched and twisted, flinging her onto the opposite bunk with a loud thud.
In the end, they never made it to Bournemouth Beach because Lys vomited so much on the bus that she nearly turned her stomach inside out, leaving Noah heartbroken.
The three of them got off at Godric's Hollow. Lys was so dizzy she couldn't even muster the magic to levitate Noah out of the bus. She blinked, feeling the world spin around her.
"Ugh!" After a while, Lys pulled a drink mixed with tooth-strengthening potion from the picnic basket and took a couple of sips.
Taking a deep breath to suppress her discomfort, she vowed never to ride the Knight Bus again—or the Gringotts cart, for that matter. She swore off all vehicles! She'd rather expend magic using the Arrow Spell to fly herself!
The three of them found a lush, flower-filled spot to lay out their picnic blanket. Lys sprawled out on the blanket, staring at the sky, completely abandoning any semblance of poise.
Senna stood in the shade, selecting candies from the basket, popping one into her mouth after another.
Meanwhile, Noah, controlling his trembling legs, set up an umbrella on one side and a small tent on the other. Seeing how happy Noah was, Senna and Lys didn't interfere, letting him stumble through the tasks.
Lys even wriggled herself into the umbrella's shade and gave Noah a cheeky grin.
Looking at his daughter's rare smile and his wife's delicate demeanor under the tree, Noah felt a surge of emotion. His dream upon graduation had finally come true—a family, a simple, complaint-free family.
Everything was peaceful and wonderful until Noah asked Senna to wash his hands using Aguamenti. That's when things took an unexpected turn.
Senna's spellwork had always been quick and hasty. While effective, it often resulted in sudden and visually striking outcomes.
The burst of water splashed onto Noah's hands and face, drenching half of him. Instead of getting angry, Noah burst into laughter and retaliated with a jet of water from his wand aimed at Senna.
Senna dodged nimbly and sent another jet of water back.
Though Noah's mobility was limited, his spellwork was still impressive—his NEWT-level Charms grade was an "E" (Exceeds Expectations), his only high score on his report card.
He deftly deflected and blocked Senna's water jets, turning their exchange into a playful duel.
Lys sat up to watch the fun, occasionally offering commentary. "Mom's water jet is going to be huge this time!" or "Dad, there's a gap in your shield!"
Eventually, the soaked couple turned their wands on Lys, startling her into using the Arrow Spell to yank herself upright.
She didn't put much effort into attacking or defending, but her ingrained habits made her instinctively dodge their wand aims.
After ensuring no one else was around using her magic, Lys brandished her willow wand in her right hand, dual-wielding spells.
Even Gulp, the snake coiled around Lys, tried to intercept the incoming water jets with its mouth.
Half an hour later, the three of them—along with the snake—had moved to a small hilltop. Senna, now genuinely fired up, sent water jets so forceful they often misfired, leaving Noah cowering behind a tree, groaning in mock agony.
Eventually, the three of them, drenched and hungry, returned to the picnic blanket. Noah's legs were trembling from exhaustion, and he collapsed onto the blanket, as unceremonious as Lys had been earlier.
Lys pulled out the picnic basket, handing the prepared food to her parents before wringing out her wet hair.
For some reason, she hesitated to dry herself completely.
After finishing their meal, Noah was the first to succumb to fatigue. He lay on the blanket, nearly asleep. His legs, still recovering, had been strained from the morning's activities.
Lys retrieved a blanket from the tent, draping it over Noah to let him rest. Before long, Senna also grew sleepy, curling up beside Noah and pulling the blanket over herself.
The sunlight was warm, and the breeze was gentle.
Lys grabbed a blanket for herself, carefully setting up protective and alert spells around them. She placed Gulp by her head before allowing herself to drift off slightly.
She never thought that even such a simple spell as Aguamenti could bring her so much joy in a moment like this.
A surge of magical energy woke Lys from her light slumber. Gripping her wand, she rolled over to see her father's slightly frail, silver wolf-shaped Patronus. She let out a sigh of relief.
It was her father's Patronus.
The wolf tilted its head, signaling for Lys to follow.
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