Aaric and Luna bid farewell to the gods and left for their island after all the celebrations were done.
"Should we bring our other friends with us?" Aaric asked as they were flying.
Luna shook her head. "Maybe next time," she said.
Aaric raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who wanted to bring our friends?" he asked.
Luna glanced at him. "And I still want to… just not now." She looked away, muttering about how idiotic Aaric could be.
Aaric scratched his head and shrugged as their island came into view. He was stunned.
It was much larger now, almost double in size from when they had first seen it, and a giant mechanical sphere floated above the island with thin tendrils connecting it to the ground.
The golden tree was much bigger as well. They both stood there for a few moments, taking in the sight.
When they landed, Luna was immediately tackled by the little red dragon and Noctelle at the same time, making her giggle.
Aaric smiled at the scene and looked ahead to see Iggnesia approaching with a wide smile.
She was much taller now, taller then Aaric, looking around fourteen years old.
"You grew up fast," Aaric said, pinching her cheek when she reached him.
She pouted. "I did not. It's been a month since you last visited us," she said with her arms crossed.
Then she sighed. "I know the reason for that… I suppose there's nothing to be done about it." She smiled and took both his and Luna's hands. "Come on. We made something for you."
Aaric and Luna followed her patiently. "You seem to have grown a lot, Cherry," Luna said to the little red dragon. It seemed she had named her that.
Cherry puffed out her chest and looked smug, earning a head pat and giggle from Luna.
Aaric glanced at Cherry. 'She's a demi-god now, huh?' he thought, then shrugged. 'More protection for Luna'.
After ten minutes, they reached a house by the shore overlooking the vast ocean.
"We made this for you," Iggnesia said with a beaming smile.
Luna squealed, thanked Iggnesia with a hug, and ran to the house to check it out.
Aaric followed her with a happy smile. The house was large but not overly so, built from wood and furnished with high-quality, comfortable pieces. The temperature inside was perfect. It had five bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area, and living room.
Iggnesia left after explaining the layout.
Luna hugged Aaric and kissed him with a bright smile. "We have our own house," she said excitedly.
Cherry hissed at Aaric, making Luna giggle. "My Cherry will get kisses too," she said and kissed the dragon's snout.
Aaric sat on a couch by the fireplace. The wall beside it was mostly glass, showing a beautiful view outside.
Cherry was coiled beside the fireplace, Noctelle perched on her back.
Luna sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling as she looked into his eyes. "Do you think you can use your new abilities in the waking world?" Aaric asked.
She nodded. "Yes, I think they'll be a little restricted, but nothing a little golden sand can't fix," she said and hugged him tighter.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For walking into my life."
Aaric smiled and held her as they watched the view, content in each other's presence.
The next day, Aaric woke up and saw Chaya's face as he always did. He tried to hold her, but she slithered away.
He sighed and got out of bed, stretching and looking out the window.
Students murmured and pointed at him as he walked to the Great Hall for breakfast.
He found Luna, Daphne, Ars, and even Harry's group sitting at the table. Fleur joined soon after he sat down, and they exchanged good mornings.
Daphne and Luna sat beside him as they ate. "How is Professor Moody? I missed his first class," Aaric asked.
Daphne tilted her head. "He's a great teacher. Every spell he teaches comes with a story about how he used it in battle," she said.
"He sometimes scares the younger kids, but he tones it down when he notices," Luna added.
"Seems fair. He's one of the most accomplished Aurors of our time," Aaric said.
"I 'ave spoken to Madam Maxime, and we will be joining some classes wiz ze 'Ogwarts students," Fleur said, and Aaric nodded.
"At least you thought of your studies," Aaric teased, smirking.
Gabrielle laughed as Fleur ignored him, though she smirked when Daphne kicked his shin, making him yelp.
Classes began, and they were just as others had told Aaric. Alastor Moody was a great teacher, gruff and harsh at times, but effective. He would introduce a simple spell and tell the class a story of how he'd used it against a Death Eater or dark wizard.
The students didn't confront Aaric about being the fourth champion; they just whispered and pointed. Aaric shrugged it off, none of it bothered him.
After classes, he saw Dune land in front of him with a letter in her mouth.
Aaric patted her and gave her a treat as he read the letter. It was from Simon, brief and to the point, inviting him to have dinner with the family that evening.
A/n: The chapter is a little rushed because I want to explain all the stuff with Simon and the GOT word in the next few chapters.
Power stones and reviews please.