Sunday morning
Luke and his father, James, were about to leave when Anna stopped them.
“Luke, why didn’t you invite me to Hermione’s birthday party?”
“Didn’t you forget to invite her to your birthday party?” Luke replied.
“Then I’ll invite Hermione next time too! Can I come with you this time?” The little girl clearly just wanted to go out with them.
“Anna, haven’t you noticed you’ve gained a little weight lately? And you’re still thinking about eating cake?” Luke exposed her real motive.
“I’m not fat! I hate you, Luke! Humph! Bella, Garfield, let’s go play! We’re not playing with Luke anymore!”
With that, she led Bella toward her little room.
Watching Anna leave, Luke smiled.
“What a little glutton.”
…
On the way
“Son, you’re going to someone’s birthday party without bringing a present?” James asked after noticing Luke had gotten into the car empty-handed.
“Dad, did you forget I have storage space? Besides, Hermione is definitely going to love my gift,” Luke replied confidently.
“Alright, as long as you didn’t forget.”
Before long, James pulled up outside the Grangers’ house.
Ding dong~
Mr.
Granger opened the door.
“Hello, Uncle Granger.”
“Hello, Luke. Please come in. James, would you like something to drink?”
“I won’t trouble you. I have an appointment later,” James replied.
“Luke, you’re here! Come upstairs! Did you bring any more books? I’ve already finished reading most of the ones from last time.”
Hermione hurried downstairs the moment she saw Luke.
“Dad, I’m going in now. See you this afternoon.”
“Alright. I’ll come pick you up later.”
“I’ll walk you out, James,” Mr.
Granger said as the two men headed outside.
“Where’s Aunt Granger?” Luke asked.
“Mom went to the supermarket. She should be back soon.” Hermione immediately changed the subject.
“Luke, when do you think I can finally start practicing magic?”
“You can already control several objects at once with your mental power now, right?” Luke asked instead.
“I can control seven.”
“That’s amazing, Hermione. You’ve improved even faster than I did. Once you achieve a breakthrough with your mental training, we’ll go to Diagon Alley, buy you a wand, and you can start practicing some simple spells.”
“So I still have to wait until I break through…” Hermione sighed in disappointment.
“A breakthrough will greatly strengthen your mental power. When I broke through, the number of objects I could control increased from seven to twelve. I’m curious how much yours will improve.”
“Besides, practicing magic carries some risks. Waiting until after your breakthrough will make it much safer,” Luke explained.
The books he had given Hermione were mostly textbooks and magical theory rather than advanced spellbooks.
He was worried she would be tempted to try difficult magic too early.
Unlike Hermione, Luke had already mastered the mental training method and could even cast some spells without a wand.
There was no guarantee Hermione could do the same.
“And don’t forget, there’s another sanctuary of magic. Even though we still haven’t met the Ancient One, the magic there is even more profound. The stronger our foundation is now, the more we’ll benefit later. We still have a lot to learn.”
“Hermione, bring Luke downstairs. Lunch is ready,” Mrs.
Granger called.
“Okay. Let’s go downstairs first and see what cake Mom bought.”
The two of them headed downstairs together.
“Hello, Aunt Granger. Do you need any help?”
“No, thank you. You and Hermione sit down. Everything is already prepared.”
Mr.
Granger walked out carrying a large birthday cake covered with lit candles.
The icing read:
Happy 10th Birthday to Our Darling Hermione
“Happy Birthday!” the Grangers said together.
Luke casually cast several Spark Charms into the air.
Red, blue, and green sparks floated around the dining room, instantly making the celebration feel even more festive.
Using the Spark Charm, which was normally intended for signaling over long distances, as decoration certainly caught everyone’s attention.
“How beautiful!” Mrs.
Granger exclaimed.
She then picked up two beautifully wrapped gift boxes.
“Hermione, these are your birthday presents.”
“Thank you, Mom and Dad.” Hermione smiled happily.
“Happy Birthday, Hermione! I have a surprise for you too.”
As he spoke, Luke summoned the Ice Phoenix.
Chirp~
Although the young Ice Phoenix wasn’t very large, much like Aster, it was breathtaking in flight.
Its ice-blue feathers shimmered brilliantly, its long tail feathers flowed gracefully behind it, and tiny ice crystals sparkled in its wake.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful! Is it really for me?” Hermione asked excitedly.
“It’s gorgeous!” Mrs.
Granger exclaimed as well.
“Of course. This is an Ice Phoenix, a type of Eastern phoenix. If you like, you can simply think of it as an Ice Phoenix. In a moment, prick your finger and place a drop of blood on its forehead. Then it will become your companion. You can also give it a name.”
As he finished speaking, Luke summoned Aster as well.
One red phoenix and one blue phoenix circled gracefully through the air together.
“I’ll go get a needle!” Hermione said excitedly as she rushed off.
“I’ll get it,” Mr.
Granger said.
“I’ll disinfect it while I’m at it. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a phoenix… and now there are two of them.”
Although the Ice Phoenix was still very young, its elegant appearance was already stunning.
“Hmm… What should I name her?” Hermione thought for a moment.
“I’ll call her Artie.”
“Normally, you can have her hide her ice magic, and she’ll look like an ordinary little blue bird. But don’t let her out too often. She’s so beautiful that someone might try to take her.”
“Okay, I understand. What does she usually eat?” Hermione asked.
“Ordinary food is fine, though I’m not entirely sure what she likes best.” Luke still hadn’t figured out the spirit beasts’ preferences.
Although they could eat normal food, he suspected the system might provide special spirit beast food in the future.
Mr.
Granger returned with the sterilized needle, and Luke helped Hermione complete the blood bond with the Ice Phoenix.
“This is the best birthday present I’ve ever received. Thank you, Luke.”
Hermione walked over and gave Luke another hug.
Luke blushed once again.
“Alright, Hermione, make a wish, blow out the candles, and cut the cake,” Mrs.
Granger said with a smile.
Hermione had a wonderful birthday.
The smile never left her face, and the entire day was filled with laughter and happiness.
After lunch, Luke deliberately avoided talking about the wizarding world.
Instead, he and Hermione chatted about ordinary things from their daily lives, hoping she would discover that there was just as much happiness outside the magical world.
That afternoon, James finished his business and came to pick Luke up.
When he saw the beautiful little blue bird perched on Hermione’s shoulder, he immediately guessed it was Luke’s birthday gift.
After chatting with the Grangers for a while, he and Luke headed home.
“How did the negotiations go, Dad?” Luke asked on the way back.
“They went quite smoothly. The other party didn’t make many demands. They mainly hope to keep their existing staff and avoid major personnel changes.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the employees are capable. The whole point of buying the studio is to help us produce new projects, and we’ll only have more work in the future.”
“I’ll wrap things up with them as soon as possible.” James paused before asking, “Are you really planning to attend that magic school next year? I’ve heard that both Eton College and the Royal Academy of Music are interested in offering you early admission.”
James had extensive connections in London’s education circles, so it wasn’t surprising that he had already heard the news.
“If the world were only like this, either of those schools would be an excellent choice.” Luke smiled faintly.
“Unfortunately, that’s not the case. By the way, Dad, it’d be best if Grandpa moved to London in a few years. America is becoming more chaotic.”
Luke wanted to make arrangements in advance to prevent any unexpected incidents.
“Talk it over with your mother when we get home. I don’t think she’ll object.”
The premiere of Frozen was scheduled to be held at the Royal Albert Hall, the famous performing arts venue in Knightsbridge, London.
When Huadi Films first applied to host the premiere there, they hadn’t expected much.
To Kevin’s surprise, however, the application was approved remarkably quickly.
By now, preparations were nearly complete.
Test screenings and preview audiences had responded overwhelmingly positively, with most viewers giving the film very high praise.