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Elizabeth nodded in surprise. "You... you know my aunt?"
"Of course," Madame Maxime offered a slight smile. "We are old friends. As for you, little sir, who might you be?" She looked down at Julien.
"Hello, Madame. My name is Caelum Julien Black. I live at the Black Vine Estate not far from here."
"The Black Vine Estate? I see. I ran into your grandfather once in the Meteor Alley in Paris. Yes, the encounter was... less than pleasant. That old man is quite slippery."
Julien chuckled awkwardly. He knew, of course, that his grandfather frequented that place; after all, that was where he had gotten his first wand.
Madame Maxime continued, "Ah, I forgot to introduce ourselves. I am Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. And this is my student, fourth-year Fleur Delacour."
Julien's heart gave a jolt as he looked at the young girl again. No wonder she looks as flawless as a 2D anime character brought to life, he thought. So it's her—the pearl of Beauxbatons, the future Triwizard Tournament champion.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Delacour," Julien hastily offered a polite bow.
Rosier, meanwhile, covertly glanced at Julien first. Seeing that he showed no unusual reaction to Fleur Delacour, she finally offered Fleur a polite, elegant greeting of her own.
Hearing Madame Maxime's introduction, Rosier recalled what her aunt had told her about Fleur Delacour's background.
She was a quarter-Veela. Not only did she possess breathtaking beauty, but her bloodline also gave her an innate, indescribable allure—especially to men.
And yet, Julien hadn't seemed to lose his composure in the slightest. For some inexplicable reason, this made Rosier feel rather pleased.
"On behalf of Beauxbatons, I must express my deepest regret that neither of you chose our academy," Madame Maxime said directly, though her tone held no blame, only the genuine pity of an elder.
"Especially you, Miss Rosier. I understand your difficulties, but I firmly believe that you would have received far better guidance at Beauxbatons. Do you truly trust Headmaster Dumbledore more?"
Rosier's expression shifted slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She merely offered a slight nod and a polite smile, choosing not to answer.
Madame Maxime didn't seem to mind her silence. Instead, she changed the subject, dropping her voice even lower. "Of course, I trust you both have your own reasons for your choices. I merely wish to take this opportunity to ask you to pass a message to Dumbledore."
She glanced around before continuing. "Recently, there have been some unusual movements across the European continent. The activities of a wizarding organization known as the 'Moon Shadow Council' (Lunar Conclave) have become exceptionally frequent."
"The Moon Shadow Council?" Julien frowned slightly. He had never even heard this name in his previous life; he had only just learned it from the man fighting Cassian.
"Yes," Madame Maxime nodded. "It is an ancient organization, founded centuries ago. They operate in utmost secrecy. They never showed their faces during the eras of Grindelwald or Voldemort, as if deliberately avoiding the vortex of power."
Maxime chose her next words carefully. "They do not seem to desire dominance, nor are they interested in causing chaos. Their interest lies... solely in knowledge itself, no matter how dark that knowledge may be."
"Illegal experiments, research into forbidden dark magic, and even the plundering of ancient magical substances," a trace of ice crept into her voice. "Just last month, an ancient ruin near Beauxbatons was ransacked. From what we've seen today, it was undoubtedly the work of the Moon Shadow Council."
"Why are they suddenly becoming active now?" Rosier finally spoke up, her voice cool, instantly catching the core of the issue.
"That is exactly what worries us," Madame Maxime looked out into the distance, her eyes heavy with concern. "Perhaps it was triggered by a specific event, or perhaps some lost treasure has reappeared in the world. Regardless, I believe Dumbledore needs to know about this. I hope you will relay my words to him, verbatim."
---
The dizzying sensation of Side-Along Apparition was slightly milder than a Portkey, but only just. Fortunately, Julien's physical constitution was quite strong.
When his feet hit the ground, the unique scent of the Black Vine Estate—a mix of grapevines and oak barrels—already filled his nose. Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, instantly melting into cool drops of water. Standing right before him were the familiar, ornate iron gates of the manor's main building.
"Remember my words, Mr. Black," Madame Maxime's voice was exceptionally clear through the wind and snow. Her massive silhouette stood as steady as an iron tower in the night. "Pass on my warning about the Moon Shadow Council's movements to Dumbledore. Do not take this lightly."
Julien nodded solemnly. "I will, Madame. Thank you again for your help."
Madame Maxime gave a slight nod, saying no more. She turned to Elizabeth and Fleur beside her. "Let us go."
The three figures blurred, dissolving into a halo of silver-blue light before vanishing entirely, leaving only the faint echo of Elizabeth Rosier's "Goodbye" lingering in the wind.
"What's with all the commotion?" His grandfather Alphard's voice called out from behind him. Julien smiled, turned around, and wrapped his grandfather in a hug, finally feeling like he was home.
"Didn't we agree you'd contact me to pick you up as soon as you got off the plane?"
"I ran into a classmate heading the same way, so we traveled together. By the way, do you know Madame Maxime from Beauxbatons? She just Apparated me back."
"That giant of a woman?" the elder Black's mouth twitched. "You could say we came to an 'understanding' after a fight."
"More like you got beaten up, from the sounds of it," Julien said with a laugh.
"That woman is a match for Dumbledore himself," Alphard said with a wry smile. "Honestly, she can hardly even be called a woman." He cast a nervous glance around the courtyard, as if terrified Maxime might suddenly pop back into existence.
"Hahaha!"
When Julien pushed open the iron gates and walked into the manor, the familiar, warm light from the living room was spilling through the French windows onto the snow.
He had just finished changing his shoes when his grandmother Elodie hurried over, carrying a mug of hot chocolate. Her wool shawl still carried the warmth of the fireplace. "My little wizard is back! Did you run into any trouble on the way? I told you we should have had your grandfather pick you up early."
"Everything went smoothly, Grandma." Julien took the hot chocolate. The warmth spread down his throat and throughout his entire body. He shot a covert wink at his grandfather. "The flight was just a bit delayed, but I made it back exactly in time for dinner."
Grandfather Alphard sat on the sofa, his fingers habitually twisting the Latin-engraved wedding band on his finger, his eyes deep in thought. Naturally, he knew that if Madame Maxime had personally escorted Julien home, something serious must have happened.
"It's good that you're back. Rest for two days, and then I'll take you for a walk around Fontsarris so you can see a real French wizarding market."
After a long talk with his grandfather that night, Julien didn't glean much new information. Alphard knew absolutely nothing about any Black ancestors involved with Hogwarts or anything regarding magical leyline nodes. He merely reminded Julien to be cautious in all things.
However, a new book did appear in his Magical Resonance Library: Pop! And Where Am I Now? - A Beginner's Survival Guide to Apparition. The subtitle in small print read: Don't worry, your first failure is just your body's final joke with space.
Julien skimmed through it. With his current magical level, his first attempt really might end up being his last. Of course, there was no harm in practicing the theory in secret, as long as he didn't actually hit "Enter" on the spell.
As for the town of Fontsarris his grandfather had mentioned... wasn't that exactly where Elizabeth had gone? Interesting.