"Days That Stay Forever"
The limousine had barely come to a stop when the adults stepped out firstorganized but clearly excited. The children, meanwhile, remained still, staring at their parents with serious expressions… as if waiting for a military command.
"Alright, go ahead," Susan said with a playful smile.
The moment they heard those words, the five kids shot off like arrows, laughing and shouting with joy as they scattered in different directions, each running toward the attraction that had caught their eye.
The adults could only sigh and shake their heads with resigned smiles as they began following their little whirlwinds.
Wanda, of course, went after Harry, who would stop for a second in front of one ride only to dash off to the next, unable to decide which one to get on first. He was so excited he looked like a hyperactive hummingbird.
"If you keep running around like that, you'll be exhausted before you even get to play," Wanda said, her voice full of affection.
Harry stopped abruptly, going completely serious, as if he had received a critical warning. Then he began analyzing the rides carefully until he settled on a hall of mirrors.
"Let's go to that one first, Mom!" he said excitedly, immediately grabbing her hand and tugging her forward. He didn't want to be the only one having funhis mom had to enjoy it too.
Wanda walked with him, and they entered together. Inside, their reflections multiplied endlessly, bouncing off every mirror and making it impossible to tell which way was forward. Harry turned his head in confusion, unable to find the path.
Wanda gently took his hand and began guiding him step by step.
Some of the mirrors had wavy surfaces that distorted their bodies, making them look funny. Harry laughed and made silly faces at every reflection before moving on to the next one.
Next, they went on a small roller coaster, designed for kids but surprisingly fast. It had just one steep drop and then a wide loop.
Harry screamed with excitement, laughing uncontrollably as the wind whipped past his face.
Later, they headed to the bumper cars, where all the families met up again. Everyone picked a car, ready to dive into the chaos and join in the kids' fun.
"Watch out, Daphne!" shouted Harry, right before crashing into the side of her car with a triumphant grin.
"Oh really?" replied Daphne, turning her wheel sharply as she chased after Harry with a laugh.
Hermione rammed into him from the side, catching him by surprise, and right after that, Daphne hit him too. Luna and Astoria weren't far behindthey all teamed up and surrounded him, leaving him no way to escape.
"Hey, no fair!" Harry protested, laughing and grumbling as the girls turned away, giggling with victorious smiles.
Meanwhile, the adults were also bumping into each other, laughing and having fun while keeping an eye on their children.
"Come on, Wendel, hit someone!" cheered Susan as she chased after Pandora's car.
"I'd rather not… Even if the ride's safe, we're not exactly young anymore…" Wendel murmured, looking a bit uneasy.
But before he could finish his sentence, Mr. Lovegood rammed him from the side, making him burst out laughing in surprise.
Then Selene, Pandora, and Susan noticed that Wanda was driving calmly, not bumping into anyone. The three women exchanged looks and silently agreed to team up against her.
Wanda saw them coming and, with a small wave of her hand, made all three cars spin violently backward, completely out of control.
"Hey! No using magic!" Susan protested quickly. "You could damage the electrical equipment!"
"Not mine," Wanda replied with a faintly teasing smile as she continued driving like nothing had happened.
Afterward, all the families gathered for lunch in a quiet area of the park. The children ate enthusiastically, recharging their energy to keep playing, while the adults chatted and laughed together.
The whole day went by like that: games, laughter, excited screams, and unforgettable memories. They visited almost every attraction in the park, having fun with friends and familycreating a day they would remember forever.
…
On the way back in the limousine, the children fell asleep one by one. Some rested their heads on each other's shoulders, while otherslike Luna and Astoriadozed off with their heads resting on their mothers' laps.
"They had so much fun," Selene said softly, a warm smile on her face as she lovingly stroked her youngest daughter's hair.
"Maybe they could even summon a Patronus with this memory," Pandora said, her voice full of calm, happy wonder.
"I'm sure they could," added Mr. Lovegood, visibly moved.
"We need to do this more often. Because once they grow up, it'll be harder," Susan said with a bittersweet smile.
"I wish time could stop… so we wouldn't have to watch them grow up so fast, get married, and leave home," Selene sighed, gazing down at her sleeping daughters.
"Hmph. If they want to get married, they'll have to go through me first. They're not leaving the house that easily," Edward said gruffly, though his eyes betrayed just how much he loved his girls.
"I'd like to say the same," Wendel added, smiling awkwardly. "But I think Hermione will know how to choose the right guy…" His tone made it sound like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
"Worrying about that now is pointless," said Pandora with a relaxed smile. "Only time will tell."
Finally, the limousine dropped off the Granger family first, followed by Wanda and Harry.
Wendel carried Hermione in his arms, and Wanda did the same with Harry. They exchanged warm goodbyes before heading into their respective homes.
Wanda took Harry to his room, gently laid him on his bed, tucked him in, and sat by his side for a moment, watching him sleep.
A peaceful smile formed on her face as she thought about the future awaiting her little boy. Just like they'd said earlier, she was curious to see who he would choose to be with one day… and she felt genuinely happy knowing she'd be there to see him grow.
Just then, Harry frowned slightlyperhaps trapped in a bad dream.
Wanda softly touched his forehead, letting a gentle red light flow from her fingertip. Within seconds, his frown faded, replaced by a serene, happy smile.
Quietly, Wanda stood up and left the room without a sound, letting her son rest peacefully… wrapped in the unconditional love of a mother.
For a couple of weeks, everything remained peaceful, even with Lockhart's sudden appearances as he attempted to court Wanda. One had to give him credit for one thing: his persistence. Some of his tactics were odd, others interesting, but none of them worked.
"My dear and lovely friend Wanda!" said Pandora cheerfully as she entered the shop, with Luna running in behind her, smiling. She wore carrot-shaped earrings and cork necklaces.
Pandora, on the other hand, was dressed in pajamas and even had a sleep mask on her head, something that quickly caught the attention of Hermione and Harry, who were sitting not far away, reading.
"Welcome, Pandora. You too, Luna," said Wanda, looking at the girl, who smiled while waving hello and then ran over to where Harry and Hermione were.
"Why are you dressed like that?" asked Wanda, eyeing Pandora's curious outfit.
"Well… I'm going to the Muggle world to buy some electronic devices. I want to study why magic makes them malfunction," Pandora said with a smile. "I remembered our day at the amusement park, and you said your magic was special, so now I'm really curious about that," she added.
"Oh, really?" said Wanda, smiling and shaking her head. "But you'd be way too eye-catching if you go like that. Better let me give you a hand," she added, snapping her fingers, instantly changing Pandora's clothes into a long blue dress that made her look very pretty.
"How beautiful!" said Luna, walking over to admire her mother from all angles.
"Then let's make one for you too," said Wanda, also changing Luna's clothes into a dress similar to her mother's, which made her very happy.
She was very attached to Pandora and was always with her. It was rare to see them apart.
"Mum, remember the gift for Aunt Pandora," said Harry as he walked over.
"Oh, right!" exclaimed Wanda, pulling a box out of her handbag. It was wrapped in gift paper. "Happy birthday," she said with a smile as she handed it over.
"Ah… was it my birthday?" Pandora said as if she had just realized, taking the box and opening it with excitement.
Inside was a red heart-shaped necklace. It was open, showing a photo of Luna on one side, and on the other, a picture of the Lovegood family.
Pandora's eyes lit up with joy as she lovingly picked up the necklace from the box.
"Thank you…" she said, a small tear of happiness forming in her eyes.
"I told Mum to put a protection spell on it, so you don't get hurt again while studying spells like last time," Harry said seriously.
"It's fine. I'm used to it, and my arm works just fine," Pandora replied, moving her arm slightly to show it was normal.
But Harry said nothing. In truth, he still had a small trauma from that time Pandora showed up at his house holding her own arm, which had come out of its socket while trying to create a strange spell. Luckily, Wanda had fixed it with no problem.
That's why Harry thought it would be better if Wanda made something for Pandora to stop her from blowing herself up with her own spells.
"Mum, it's getting late," Luna interrupted.
"Right. Time to go. See you later, Wanda. And you two as well," said Pandora, waving to Wanda and the kids before taking Luna's hand and quickly heading out.
As they watched Pandora and Luna leave, someone else entered the shop, prompting Hermione and Harry to roll their eyes before turning back to their books.
"Ooooh… I must've walked into paradise, because all I see is an angel at the counter about to tell me whether I'm allowed to enter," said Lockhart dramatically as he walked in.
From the sofa, Harry and Hermione whispered:
"How many times has he used that line?" asked Harry.
"Fifteen this month. New record," replied Hermione.
Meanwhile, Wanda, standing behind the counter, kept her professional smile.
"Hello, Mr. Lockhart. What brings you back here… for the ninth time this week?" Wanda said, a slight edge of annoyance in her voice.
"I still owe a knut from last time, remember? I came to settle my debts. And also to pick up a fantasy novel," Lockhart said with a charming smile.
"Which one?" asked Wanda.
"'The Love I Have for You,'" replied Lockhart, winking flirtatiously. "And a smile from the beautiful cashier would make my day."
Wanda turned around, grabbed a book from the shelf behind her conveniently titled The Love I Have for You and placed it on the counter.
"That'll be 100 galleons and 1 knut," she said calmly, offering a forced smile.
"Ahem… how much?" Lockhart asked, surprised by the price. Though he was wealthy, he was also rather stingy.
"100 galleons and 1 knut," Wanda repeated.
"Is the book really that expensive?" he asked, his smile starting to falter.
"No. The book costs only 1 galleon," Wanda replied.
"Then…?"
Wanda simply pointed to a sign hanging above her head. It read:
"A smile 99 galleons."
Loise had put up that sign two days ago, aimed at men who came in to flirt with the staff without buying anything.
Lockhart's flirting had been seen too many times. He wasn't the only one. Maybe they had all read the same awful flirting guidebook.
Hermione and Harry, sitting on the sofa, were holding back laughter. They had convinced Loise to put up that sign, since every day they saw men trying to flirt with Wanda. Not even Loise herself was safe from these guys.
"What's wrong? Can't afford it?" Wanda asked with a calm smile.
"Of course I can! Ahem… Here you go. One hundred galleons and one knut," Lockhart said with a forced smile, placing the money on the counter with exaggerated delicacy.
"Thank you very much. Come again," Wanda replied professionally, though with a kind tone.
"Y-yeah… sure," muttered Lockhart before hurrying out of the bookshop. In his mind, he was beginning to consider that maybe he needed a vacation… from flirting. Because, in his words, love is only truly valued when it's gone.
However, just as he crossed the door, he bumped into someone. The mild discomfort quickly turned to irritation as he looked up and saw a well-dressed man with a distinguished presence, long perfectly-groomed hair, and a natural air of elegance. A face that, much to Lockhart's dismay, rivaled his own in beauty… at least from his perspective.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Lockhart snapped irritably, casting a sideways glance with a hint of jealousy in his voice. He hated competition even if it was just in appearance.
"Oh, sorry about that. I got a little excited and wasn't looking where I was going," the man replied calmly, not giving the incident much importance. He didn't even look Lockhart in the eye, as if he were a minor inconvenience.
"Hmph. How arrogant," muttered Lockhart, feeling the apology was cold and mechanical.
But then, the man stopped and slowly turned his head. His black eyes locked onto Lockhart's with an intensity that cut through the air. It wasn't an angry look… it was something worse. Serious. Silent. Imposing. Like a lion measuring whether to tear your throat out or let you go.
"Ahem… I'm in a hurry. Don't have time for this," Lockhart said quickly, letting out a nervous chuckle as he walked off with quick steps. His cape billowed behind him, as if trying to reclaim some dignity in his retreat.
The man stopped watching him and turned his gaze back toward the bookstore.
There, between the shelves, a boy laughed happily as he read a book, fully immersed, unaware of the world around him.
The man's eyes softened.
It was Sirius Black.
And at long last, after so long, he had come to meet Harry.