"Uuuurgh…."
Albert yawned, stretching out his body sleepily. It was still pretty dark outside, not even the rooster on Hagrid's hut could be heard yet. However, the biology clock he developed for several years wouldn't allow him to stay on the bed for too long. He would always wake up before the sun rose and started his day with a productive activity like tidying up his bed or doing some light reading.
However, since this was his first morning in Hogwarts after a long time, he decided to go for a morning walk, visiting his old friend.
"Inky?"
POP!*
"Yes, professor Shafiq?" The ever-enthusiastic house elf suddenly appeared. "Is professor Shafiq want to have an early breakfast like usual?"
"Not today, Inky." Albert said kindly. "Instead, do you have anything 'sea-ish' on the kitchen?"
The smile on Inky suddenly disappeared, replaced by flat, disapproval gaze. "Professor Shafiq wants to meet his friend?"
"Yeah."
"Then Inky will join. Inky don't trust Professor Shafiq's friend to not make problem for him."
"Thanks, Inky. You are the best." Albert hugged the house elf fondly.
"Yeah, yeah. It would be great if Professor Shafiq could listen to poor Inky's advice and not go to his dangerous adventure again." He grumbled grumpily before disappeared with a loud pop noise, leaving Albert alone with a helpless expression.
After he was done with his morning routine and waited for Inky, the house elf suddenly appeared once again with a box full of food. Just y the smell of it, Albert could guess there was a steamed lobster, fishcake, tuna related dish, and several other mouthwatering foods based on sea.
"Wow, this is great, Inky!" He praised. "The smell is amazing!"
"Of course!" Inky beamed in pride. "We house elf is the best cook in the world!"
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"
The two of them walked side to side, exchanging conversation and laughing at each other. If anyone from the pureblood society saw him so close with any house elf, they would think he was crazy. But Albert didn't care about their opinion. He had already learned that he wouldn't be able to satisfy other people completely. Rather than trying to do the impossible, he would rather use his time doing something he liked with the people he liked too.
When they stepped outside, the cold wind breezed, sending chilled through his bone. Even though it was still September, the weather in Scotland had already begun to feel like a winter. But he was not complaining. As a native from Scotland, Albert had experienced the gloomy weather of this land for so many years that he felt useless to do that again.
Albert tightened the scarf around his neck while casting a warming charm for him and Inky.
"Thank you, Professor Shafiq!"
"It's okay." He smiled. Then, he stopped walking, his gaze suddenly met something he didn't expect. A young girl, probably from the first or the second year had already been there, humming cheerfully while picking up flowers on the school yard. One thing he could identify for sure though, that based on the blue and bronze robe she wore, the girl was a Ravenclaw.
"Hello, there. What are you doing this early?" Albert couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, I am picking up goat ears." The little girl said dreamily. "Daddy said it is good to drive the wrackspurt away."
"Wrackspurt?" Albert looked at the house elf confusedly. His tiny little friend also shrugged, didn't have any idea at all. "What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh, I don't mind." The girl's smile spread ear-to-ear. "Wrackspurt are small, insect-like creatures that are about the size of a human's thumb. Daddy said it was attracted to the scent of fear and anxiety and always made everyone close to them confused and unfocused. It is not nice to have them around the school."
"Yeah, it is not nice." Albert nodded seriously.
Although he didn't know what wrackspurt was, Albert was a smart person. He knew goat ear was a flower that had the sedate effect to calm down the nerve of the patient, usually used to children who had an accidental magic outburst. Combined with the description of wrackspurt he got from the girl, Albert could guess the girl's good intention to help the first-year students to calm down on the first day of the school.
Even though he didn't know wrackspurt was real or not, Albert could still appreciate the thoughtful gesture from the girl.
"Have you gotten everything you need?" Albert asked when he saw the girl rose from the ground.
"Yeah." She patted her robe, cleaning it from the grasses stuck on it. "It is nice for you to wait here, Professor Shafiq, Mr. house elf."
Inky coughed violently, his eyes widened in surprise that Albert was afraid that the poor creature would pop it out accidentally. Even though his reaction was a bit exaggerated, Albert could understand Inky's feeling. There was not a lot of wizards or witches who would acknowledge the presence of house elves. They usually ignored them, and if the wizards or the witches were cruel enough, they would make sure to assert their dominance over the poor creature.
"Well, we are a bit surprised to find student wandering around this early, especially on the first day of the school. What is your name, by the way?"
"I haven't introduced myself? Oh, how rude of me!" The girl gasped. "My name is Luna Lovegood, and I am a first-year student from Ravenclaw."
"First year?" Albert raised his eyebrows in surprise as he thought the girl was at least second-year student. "Didn't Professor Flitwick and the prefects informed you that you cannot go outside at night?"
"Yup." The girl, Luna Lovegood nodded cheerfully. "But even though the sun hadn't showed up yet, it is already morning, right?"
Albert stunned for a while before letting out a small chuckle. "Good point. As expected of a Ravenclaw student. But is this your first night on the school? Aren't you afraid of getting lost in the castle?"
"Not really. The nargles would lead me back to the Ravenclaw's common room."
'Another creature I don't know?' Albert furrowed his brows slightly. He saved the two creatures' name came out of the girl's mouth inside his mind, thinking about researching or asking Hagrid the groundskeeper about those creatures later.
"Well, since you have introduced yourself, it would be rude for us not to do the same." He decided to put his idea for later and continued the conversation. "As you know about me last night, my name is Albert Shafiq. You can just call me Professor Shafiq. And this little guy is Inky, a friend of mine." He introduced the house elf who was beamed in pride for being called a friend by a human.
"Well, it is nice to see you, Professor Shafiq, Mister Inky." Lune greeted seriously. Poor Inky, he had never been greeted with a tittle 'mister' before. His face blushed in embarrassment like a boiled lobster, not knowing how to respond her. Albert just chuckled at Inky's awkwardness around Luna.
"So, are you going to bring me back to the castle and took point out of me?"
"Oh?" Albert raised one of his eyebrows slightly. "Why do you think so?"
"Well, you are professor, so punishing students going outside at night is your job, right?"
"That's true. But didn't you say that it is morning already?" He chuckled. "And don't tell the others, but when I was student like you, I like to go out on what I call a night escapade. Poor Professor Sprout has her hair turned grey just to think about me."
"That's true." Inky nodded, mumbling grumpily. "Poor Inky, got dragged by the naughty professor Shafiq when he is a student. Inky is ashamed he is helping a student breaking the rule."
"Hey! It is not like you insist on joining me, right?!"
"Because Professor Shafiq would get into more trouble if Inky is not following him!"
"That's rude!"
Lune who saw a professor and a house elf bickering like an old friend giggling, before it turned into an uncontrollable laughter. Albert and Inky stopped their bickering, looked at each other in surprise.
"Wow, this is the first time Inky is seeing a student so brave to laugh like that in front of a professor."
"Me too." Albert nodded. Then, a playful smile formed on his face. "Should I give her a detention?"
"No!" Inky suddenly shouted, using his body to shield the girl as if he was afraid that Albert would attack her. "Professor Shafiq be nice to Miss Luna! Inky likes Miss Luna a lot!"
"You only like her because she addresses you as a Mister." He grumbled lowly. However, smile still could be seen on his face as he heard the merry laugh from the girl.
"I am sorry for being rude." Luna said, wiping the tears on her face while holding her middle, still giggling a little. "But you both are so funny. This is the first time I see a human and a house elf so close as if you both are friends."
"Because we are friends." Albert replied spontaneously.
Luna blinked, processing his words for a second. "Wow, it must be nice to have a friend."
Albert frowned. "Don't you have any friend in Ravenclaw, Luna?" Then he wanted to slap his forehead due to his stupidity, remembering that this was her first day in Hogwarts.
"Not really." Luna shook her head, not seeing Albert's expression. "All the other Ravenclaw first-year students were either too nervous, too homesick, or already too deep on their book to care about the other."
Albert frowned once again, having an idea to talk to his old master about socializing his students. "What about from your childhood? You are not a muggleborn, right?"
Even though Albert had been away from the magical world for almost ten years, that didn't mean he was out of touch. He had several informants who would give him update about what happened there, and he could remember he heard the name Lovegood was mentioned pretty often, something about the delusional media or something like that.
'This will be another topic I have to research later.' He took a note on his mind.
"I have one friend at home, or so I think we are a friend." Luna answered his question. "But she is sorted into Gryffindor and she was acting pretty strange at the train, as if she is avoiding me. It is a bit sad to think about."
"That is not nice." Inky frowned, showing his disapproval. "Friends should talk and not ignore each other."
"If she was a first year too, maybe because she was nervous about the sorting ceremony. Give her time and she will probably come around." He reassured both the girl and the house elf. "In fact, how about we become friends of your?"
Luna's silvery-blue eyes widened in surprise, not expecting this proposal. "Are you sure about that?"
"Inky is sure!" Inky answered immediately. The little guy bounced back-and-forth, excited at the prospect of being friend with her. "Inky will be honoured to be Miss Luna's friend!"
Luna's gaze softened at the excitement showed by the creature in front of her. "It would be my honour too, Mister Inky." She kneeled down and hugged Inky softly, making the house elf blushed in happiness.
Albert chuckled before adding, "And it would be my honour too to be your friend. But you have to keep it for yourself, okay? Make sure to always call me Professor Shafiq, or Professor McGonagall would have my head for suspecting me for pedophilia."
"I don't think she would be cruel." She giggled. "But friends…. I like that sound. It is nice to have two new friends on the first day at school."
"Yeah." Albert nodded.
To be honest, he didn't know why he proposed this since usually, he was more reserved. But there was something special on that girl that attracted him, that pulled him to get closer to her. And no, it was not a lustful or a romantic feeling. He had some experiences dealing with veela, so he knew the unnatural lustful or romantic feeling that was forced upon himself.
But this girl, Luna Lovegood, has this kind of aura that could bring calm and peaceful nature toward the person around her. If Albert didn't know better, he would think of her as a druid or a siren.
"Well…" A smirk suddenly formed on his face. "As a gift to a new friend, how about I introduce you toward my other friends?"
"Oh?" Luna leaned forward curiously.
"No, Professor Shafiq! This will be dangerous!" Inky rejected the idea quickly.
"Oh, come on, Inky! Don't be a spoil sport!" Albert complained childishly. "They are not that bad!"
"Is Professor Shafiq forgetting his first meeting with them?" Inky asked flatly.
"Oh, yeah." Albert rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But this would be different! We have already known each other for a long time, and if anything goes wrong, there is still you to bail us out of the trouble! Come on, Inky!"
"No! Professor Shafiq don't be naughty!"
"Wow, this just makes me more curious." Luna blinked. "Mister Inky, can you allow Professor Shafiq to introduce his friends to me?"
Inky could only last for a few second before he wilted under Luna's pure, innocent gaze. "Okay, but!" He raised his hand in a bossy manner to stop Albert from celebrating. "If Inky sees the situation is dangerous, Inky will bring you back to the castle without question, okay?"
Seeing the glare that resembled Professor Sprout in her worst condition, Albert gulped, nodded quickly, not wanting to test his bottom line.
"Well, let's go before the dark is gone."
Even though it seemed so long, in fact, the conversation only happened for about ten minutes or so. The sky was still dark, and when Albert casted the tempus charm to checked the time, it showed 05:19:33; still one hour before the sun rose.
After casting the lumos charm to light up the surrounding, Albert led the way through the north, entering the dark, quiet forbidden forest.
"Is it okay for me to enter?" Luna asked.
"If you are alone, it wasn't okay." Albert stopped, then turned around to the girl, putting a serious face. "So, Luna, I want you to promise, if you want to go out here, you have to be either with me, Inky, or both of us. Do you understand?"
Luna blinked for a second, startled with the sudden seriousness. "Sure."
"Good." Albert sighed in relief. "There are too many dangerous creatures inside this forest. It would be a disaster if you accidentally stumbled upon the colony of acromantula."
"There are acromantula here?!"
"Yeah, and don't ask why." He replied, ignoring Inky's continuous mumble about irresponsible professor and headmaster.
"Oh, is that thestral? I have only heard about them from daddy's story. I didn't except to find them here."
Albert stopped walking once again, but this time, horror flashed through his face. "You can see them, Luna?" He asked softly.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Is there anything wrong?"
Albert and Inky glanced at each other hesitantly before Albert replied with a half-whisper, "Those creatures could only be seen by those who had ever witnessed death in their life."
"Oh…" A dead-silence suddenly filled the air as the atmosphere turned solemn. "She was a brilliant spellcaster, died in an accident when her new invented spell was backfired. I was nine and witnessed it all with my own eyes when it happened. It was so sad."
Albert was silence, looking at the girl whose eyes stared far away, not a hint of emotion could be seen there.
"Well, you are not the only one who could see them." Albert patted her shoulder. "I also had the misfortune to be able to see this majestic creature after I witnessed with my eyes how my parents and my fiancée died under the cruelty of the dark eater. It wasn't a good time for me."
He blinked his eyes, a bit surprised he could tell this dark history with ease. Seeing Luna glanced at him with teary eyes while Inky had no reservation to hold back his tears, Albert shook his head, patted the girl's shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I am okay." He smiled. "I like to think that they are in a better place now, watching me living the best of my life. So, even though I was sad, I don't want to drawn into that feeling forever. Not that I would forget them, but at least I could think clearly with my head again without blinded by rage, revenge, and hate filled my brain. They would be proud if they saw me matured like this. And it is not fair to hate thestral just because we can see them. It is not like they have any choice about that too."
"Yeah." The girl nodded; a single tear rolled down her cheeks before she wiped it away with her sleeves. "I'd like to think my mom would also be proud if she saw me replacing her taking care of daddy."
Albert could only nod, the silence spoke louder than any words. They spent a while there, staring at the herd of thestral snoring loudly from afar. Shaking his head, Albert snapped all the negative thoughts inside his mind before saying, "If you want, we can go back here later and feed them some meat. But for now, let's continue our journey."
"Sure."
They continued their journey for a while, kept going through the forest. Fortunately, the sun had already peeked from the east, illuminating the forest with his ray. The gloomy atmosphere was gone as the warm temperature from the remnant of the summer season could be feel penetrating through their skin. After walking for another five minutes, a piercing sound suddenly could be heard, and Albert who knew what was that used his arm quickly to prevent Lune from taking a step further.
"HALT!" A majestic sound suddenly could be heard, echoed through the forest. "What do you want here, human?!"
Albert snorted amusedly as he shouted back, "Funny, Bane! Since when did you have this ability to scare children?!"
"DON'T TEMPT ME TO SHOOT ANOHER ARROW, HUMAN!"
"Then do it!" Albert kept shouting, not afraid of the angry tone from the other side. "You know what happened the last time you lot insisted on shooting on me, right?! Half of the right wing of your tribe was gone!"
Then, he heard the sound of something dropped to the ground, and after waiting for a while, a majestic creature, half human half horse appeared, his jaw dropped as he saw Albert's appearance.
"Albert Adrian Shafiq, is that you?"
Albert's gaze softened as he nodded, "It's good to see you again, my friend."
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Author note
I make a site for anyone who want to support me. If you are willing to help, you will also be able to read this story up to chapter 13. If you are interested, you can visitpatre0n/BlankNotes04. Also, I make an original story in the Webnovel platform with the titleEden, The 'Weak' Illusionist in the Magic World. Please, support this work too! I hope that you are satisfied with this story! Thank you!