dmims Chapter 127 Returning to Family Life
Chapter 127 Returning to Family Life
Chapter 127 Returning to Family Life
The morning sun pierced through the thin mist characteristic of the coast, bathing the Hawthorne family house in a warm golden light. Karen opened the bedroom window, and the salty sea breeze rushed into the room, dispelling the lingering fatigue of the journey. Phoebus let out a dissatisfied "coo" and buried its head deeper under its wings. From the kitchen downstairs came the soft clinking of cutlery and the gentle humming of their mother, Emily.
Karen changed into a T-shirt and trousers, carefully put away her Hogwarts robes, and prepared to return to the normal world from the magical world.
The breakfast table was filled with the aroma of toasted bread and fried bacon. Emily deftly plated the food, her movements as precise as dispensing a medicine dose. Lily, wearing her favorite duck-patterned pajamas, sleepily climbed onto the chair, but immediately perked up when she saw Karen, her big eyes sparkling.
"Karen! Good morning! Can my teddy bear jump for a second today? Just a little bit! Like you used to!" she asked expectantly, her voice clear and bright.
Emily put down the milk jug, smiled and shook her head, her tone gentle but firm: "Lily, we agreed to let things take their course. Karen can't use magic here, and too much 'practice' might frighten the little bear. It needs rest, just like a patient needs quiet time." She placed golden fried eggs on everyone's plates.
David put down the Daily Telegraph and picked up the knife. "Mom's right, Lily. Magic is wonderful, but it takes patience, and you'll definitely become a great wizard someday."
Then he looked at Karen. "Speaking of which, Karen, the weather's nice today. Want to come to the shipyard with me? The puffin needs some fresh paint and the engine needs a check-up. It's been a while since I took you out to sea. Want to go take a look?"
"It would be my pleasure, Captain," Karen replied with a smile. Lily, who was standing nearby, made a small peep, but her attention was quickly drawn to the fried eggs on the plate.
After dinner, the father and son walked towards the small boat dock by the sea. David's "Seagull" was a well-maintained 30-foot offshore fishing boat, its blue and white hull gleaming in the sunlight. The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea, the smell of engine oil, and the smell of fresh paint.
David handed him the tools, his movements precise: "Same as always, start by removing the old, peeling paint. Be careful not to damage the primer, and pay attention to the smoothness of the edges." He then skillfully opened the cover of the outboard engine at the stern and began checking the oil lines and spark plugs.
Karen began working skillfully, scraping the old paint with a scraper while watching her father intently inspect the engine.
"Dad, you said before that you wanted to hear about the principles you learned in school?" Karen asked while polishing the hull.
"Hmm," David said without looking up, tightening a screw with a wrench, making a soft clicking sound. "I'm just curious. For example, those brooms of yours, how do they suddenly fly up? What's the principle behind it? Anti-gravity? Or some kind of force field propulsion? How does the transmission work? How efficient is the energy conversion? I know it's all magic, but I'm thinking, if we could figure out even a little bit of it and apply it to the ship's propulsion system, or reduce some drag, then the 'Seagull' might be able to reach the speed of a cruiser!" He said half-jokingly, but his eyes did indeed sparkle with curiosity about magical creations.
Karen pondered how to explain, while highlighting the key difference: "Dad, magic is actually very different from Muggle technology. The principles of technology, like the combustion of an engine, gear transmission, and fluid dynamics, are objective, measurable, and reproducible physical laws. But magic," he paused, "is a kind of idealistic power. It highly depends on the wizard's will, emotions, beliefs, and even innate talents. For a spell to work, the core is that the wizard 'believes' it will work and has the ability to guide that inner power to change reality. Its 'principles' are difficult to describe clearly as a physical law. Just like making a teddy bear move isn't about gears and a motor, but about Lily's strong will and a bit of innate magic at work, but this effect is unstable and difficult to explain physically."
David stopped what he was doing, straightened up, and looked at his son with interest. "The power of the mind? Willpower changing reality? That certainly sounds beyond the realm of physics. You could say it's magic!" He thoughtfully patted the cold engine casing. "So what do you learn in class? You can't rely entirely on 'feelings,' can you?"
“Of course not,” Karen explained. “We have Charms class, learning the precise pronunciation of spells and the movements of wands—like ‘operating procedures’ guiding the will; Potions class, studying the magical properties that change when materials are mixed and reacted—closer to the laws of the material world; History of Magic, understanding the experiences and lessons of those who came before—and Transfiguration, studying the magical rules governing the transformation of matter. All of these are attempts to understand, master, and regulate this idealistic power. But ultimately, its core driving force is still the wizard’s ego.”
David nodded, understanding the key difference: "I see, the core driving forces are different. Our technology discovers and utilizes objective laws, while yours develops and guides subjective forces. What about alchemy? You mentioned in your letter that Nicolas Flamel was a master alchemist. Is it also idealistic?"
"Alchemy is quite special," Karen's eyes brightened slightly. "It exists at the intersection of magic and certain fundamental laws of matter. It has its own rigorous logical system, symbolic language, and transformation steps, pursuing the 'truth' of understanding material transformation and the principle of 'equivalent exchange.' It's more like an attempt to use the power of magic to interpret and manipulate the most fundamental laws governing the material world, so it has certain 'principles' to follow, recipes, and transmutation circles. It's more like a science that integrates magic and the laws of matter. That's one of the things that attracts me." The complex transmutation circles and symbolic logic in Nico's notes flashed through his mind.
"The 'Equivalent Exchange Transmutation Array of the Underlying Material Laws'," David murmured, his inquisitive gaze replaced by a deeper curiosity. "This certainly sounds more tangible than mere 'idealism.' Perhaps at the very bottom of matter transformation, magic and physics intersect?" He smiled, bending down again. "Of course, for now, it's more practical to ensure the 'Seagull' sails safely. However," he gestured to a notebook spread out on a small workbench in the cabin, "I've drawn some conceptual sketches about 'non-Newtonian fluid coatings to reduce friction' and 'energy field stabilization devices.' They're just random ideas; you can take a look when you have time—purely technical hypotheses."
Karen smiled and noted down the existence of her father's notes. Indeed, technological creations could be combined with magic; Sirius Black's motorcycle and the Weasley family's car were both products of the fusion of magic and technology.
In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly. Karen helped her mother, Emily, busy themselves in the small garden behind the house. The garden wasn't large, but it was well-maintained, with various common roses, daisies, lavender, and seasonal vegetables growing vigorously.
"Look, Karen, this white rose is blooming exceptionally well this year!" Emily said proudly, pointing to a cluster of roses covered in pure white blossoms. She knelt down and carefully trimmed a few withered leaves. Karen noticed that among the gardening tools at his mother's feet were several pieces that looked particularly handy—the "automatic gardening tool set" he had given her last Christmas. Although they were imbued with magical powers, they looked like ordinary tools of high quality, and Emily clearly used them with great ease.
Karen helped his mother carry the gardening basket, his gaze sweeping across the garden. In a corner near the fence, a deep red rose caught his eye. Its blossoms were an exceptionally rich color, the edges of its petals shimmering with a velvety sheen. More importantly, he could see an unusually vibrant life force emanating from the rose, and the soil around it seemed to contain a faint but persistent pulse of energy—this was highly unusual.
"Mom, that red rose bush is blooming so beautifully," Karen asked casually.
Emily followed his gaze, a gentle smile spreading across her face: "Oh, I bought it last fall in a corner of the market."
I almost threw it away back then. But after planting it, it grew better and better, barely getting frostbite in the winter, and it's blooming especially profusely this year. Maybe it really loves the sea breeze here and this wonderful spray bottle you gave me?" She waved the magic spray bottle in her hand, her tone filled with satisfaction. "It's a very resilient little thing."
"Indeed very resilient," Karen agreed, noting the anomaly in her mind.
"Oh, right, Karen," Emily said, remembering something, and deftly pulled a small cloth bag from her pocket, "You mentioned in your letter that there are many magical plants in the wizarding world? Are there any that are gentler and suitable for planting in a regular garden? Like insect repellents? Or just purely pretty ones?"
Karen took the bag and carefully picked out a few seeds from her backpack—supposedly harmless plant seeds she'd brought from the Hogwarts greenhouses. "Yes, Mom," she said. "This is 'Moonlight Mint.' Its leaves emit a very faint silvery glow at night; it has a calming effect and repels mosquitoes. This is 'Calendula Bubble Grass.' It has yellow flowers, and the petals make a soft 'popping' sound when touched—it's quite fun, and the children will love it. And this is 'White Dictamnus,' a gift from Fabian. It's very useful for treating many external injuries and prefers a warm, sunny environment." She had deliberately chosen the safest and most harmless varieties.
Emily happily accepted the seeds and carefully put them away: "What interesting names! Karen! I'll plant them carefully. Lily will definitely love that 'popping' flower!" She was already imagining the new look of the garden and planning where to plant them.
Lily usually sets aside the afternoon for her "magic practice." The little girl sits on the living room carpet, hugging her beloved teddy bear, her face flushed red from straining, staring intently at the bear.
"Jump! Jump quickly! Like a ballet dancer!" she whispered the command.
The teddy bear didn't budge. "Turn the page!" She turned to an open picture book on the sofa.
The pages remained silent.
After repeating it several times, Lily pouted in frustration, looking like she was about to give up.
Karen walked over, sat cross-legged beside her, and said gently, "Lily, do you remember what I told you? Magic is like a shy little bird. When you try really, really hard to catch it, it flies away. You need to relax, make yourself happy, and think about things that make you feel warm and joyful, instead of desperately trying to make it move."
"But how can I stop thinking about it?" Lily asked, her little brows furrowed in confusion.
"Think about what I told you about Hogwarts?" Cullen prompted. "Like, the Ravenclaw common room, in the highest tower of the castle, with arched windows offering views of the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest. Before you enter, a talking bronze door knocker asks you a riddle; you can only go in if you answer it correctly. Once, it asked us: 'Where did the things that disappeared go?'"
"Where did you go?" Lily was immediately drawn in, forgetting her earlier tears.
“We answered, ‘It went to all the places that needed it, and to all the hearts that remembered it.’ And then the door opened,” Karen said with a smile. “It was beautiful inside, with blue silk curtains, a starry ceiling, and books everywhere.”
Lily listened intently, her large eyes filled with longing. The teddy bear in her arms seemed to unconsciously and extremely slightly bounce upwards, the movement so small as to be almost negligible. But Karen caught that extremely faint magical disturbance.
"Look!" Karen whispered, not making a fuss. "When you truly relax and think about good things, magic might quietly respond to you. Although it's still weak now, just like you, it's slowly growing."
Lily looked down at the teddy bear, then at Karen, a smile returning to her face. She nodded vigorously, "Yes! I'll think of happy things! I'll grow up slowly! Teddy bear, let's dance again next time!"
Karen ruffled her hair. After dinner, he returned to his room, opened his notebook under the lamp, and began to record and organize his observations and thoughts from the day. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft rustling sound. Perhaps one day in the future he would be able to use the contents of his notes.