svetikya Chapter 131 The Hawthorne Family's First Impressions of France
Chapter 131 The Hawthorne Family's First Impressions of France
Chapter 131 The Hawthorne Family's First Impressions of France (Part 2)
As you descend the wide, bright stone steps, the view suddenly opens up before you.
People moved about, and wizards dressed in all sorts of robes, some even more vibrant and daring in color, hurried along, but the overall atmosphere was relaxed, elegant, and even somewhat languid. In a corner, a small string quartet was playing a lively tune.
"Wow!" Lily's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, completely captivated by the magnificent and wondrous sight. "So beautiful! Like an underground palace!"
"It's definitely very different." David looked around, comparing the descriptions of the London Ministry of Magic in the book with the photographs. "It feels more..."
Brighter? More vibrant?
"The French magical world does indeed tend to be more open and artistic in its atmosphere, which is consistent with the non-magical world, Mr. David," Sarah smiled, skillfully guiding them away from the crowds. "This way, the immigration checkpoint is over here. There aren't many people, it'll be over quickly."
The immigration process was surprisingly simple. At a small counter decorated with an iris emblem, a smiling witch in a pale purple robe greeted them. Sarah handed over several documents, which the witch simply touched lightly with her wand to confirm the magical markings, then recorded their names and purpose of visit in a thick register. She didn't ask any unnecessary questions, nor did she request Karen to show her wand or test her tracks.
"Welcome to France, Mr. Hawthorne, Mrs. Hawthorne, and your two little guests," the witch said in a friendly tone of accented English. "I hope you have a pleasant time in Paris. Mrs. Delacour will take good care of you." She nodded to Sarah.
"Thank you, ma'am," Emily replied politely, feeling a sense of relief. The whole process was faster than airport immigration, without any difficult or scrutinizing looks.
"Alright, the formalities are complete." Sarah put away the documents. "Now, let's officially begin our tour of the magical world of Paris! Mr. Flamel specifically instructed that I first take you to get a brief feel for its unique charm. Don't worry about time, we have plenty of it. And someone will deliver your luggage to the Tranquil Abode."
They returned to the main hall. Sarah didn't immediately lead them away from the Ministry of Magic, but instead headed towards a small pavilion that resembled a visitor center. "First, I recommend buying one of these," she said, pointing to a thick, beautifully bound book with a cover inlaid with tiny gemstones displayed on the counter.
"This is a magical photo album. It can store photos like a regular album, record moving images and sound clips, and even automatically organize and beautify photos according to your will. Most importantly," she winked, "it's very user-friendly for those without magical backgrounds; simply touch the gems on the pages to trigger the recording function. Mr. Lemaître specifically instructed that it be used to leave you with wonderful memories."
"That's great!" David immediately agreed. "Emily, shall we buy a copy? We can record everything Lily sees."
"Of course!" Emily was also very interested.
Karen watched as her parents unhesitatingly pulled out Gallons and bought a dark blue photo album with a cover inlaid with silver star gems. Lily curiously touched the stars on the cover with her finger, and the album immediately emitted a soft glow, automatically turning to the first page, where tiny, dynamic images of the four of them standing in front of the counter appeared.
"That's amazing!" Lily exclaimed in surprise.
"Remember, Lily, don't take it out and use it on ordinary streets outside," Emily quickly reminded her.
"I know, Mom!" Lily nodded vigorously, clutching the photo album with obvious delight.
Leaving the Ministry of Magic, Sarah led them through another hidden exit, directly onto a vibrant shopping street in Paris. This street was different from the one they had visited during Easter; it was cleverly embedded within ordinary streets. The street was lined with ordinary cafes, bakeries, and boutiques, but interspersed among them were magical shops that had been imbued with powerful confusion spells. The items displayed in the windows were bizarre and fantastical: exquisitely crafted crystal balls floating and spinning, spindles that automatically wove intricate lace, brocade rings that changed color according to the customer's mood, and even an installation art piece displaying miniature tornadoes inside a crystal ball.
"This is the Silverbell Lane," Sarah explained, "one of the most popular shopping and leisure areas in the Parisian wizarding world, a blend of magical and ordinary elements."
Their first stop was a pastry shop called "Honey Whisper Bakery," filled with an enticingly sweet aroma. The window displayed dancing royal icing figures, automatically rotating magic cream puff towers, and macarons that constantly changed their rainbow colors. Pushing open the door, a sweet and warm fragrance greeted them.
"Bonjour!" A plump witch with rosy cheeks and a tall chef's hat greeted us warmly from behind the counter. "New face! Welcome to Honey Whisper Bakery! Would you like to try our 'Dreamy Cream Puffs'? Or perhaps a 'Mood Macaron'? It changes flavor according to your current mood!"
Lily's eyes were practically glued to the shop window. On Sarah's recommendation, they ordered a dreamy cream puff, a mood macaron, and a dessert called a cloud soufflé. The first macaron Lily ate was an exciting strawberry flavor, and the second was a curious lemon flavor. The cloud soufflé was extremely fluffy, and eating it felt like biting into air, but you could taste the rich egg and milk flavor on your tongue.
"Mmm! It's so delicious!" Lily exclaimed, her cheeks puffed out and her lips smeared with icing sugar. Emily also took small bites, a look of enjoyment on her face. David, however, was more interested in the dancing meringue figures and tried to capture them in his photo album.
"Dad, look at this!" Karen picked up a seemingly ordinary piece of chocolate. "It says 'Memory Chocolate' on it."
Eating it can briefly allow you to relive a happy memory.
"Oh? This is interesting." David took it and looked at it. "But how does it make people recall happy memories?"
"It's more of a magical memory resonance, Mr. David," Sarah explained. "However, the effect is very mild, only a few seconds of flashback, and it can only be triggered by truly happy memories. In fact, some magical potions have been added."
Leaving the pastry shop, they strolled down the street. In a small square, a wizard with a large beard and dressed in a flamboyant costume was performing street magic. His wand transformed into a lifelike little bird, which flew around the audience before turning back into a wand; he made a handkerchief in an audience member's hat automatically fold into a rose.
The most spectacular moment was when he summoned a small, shimmering cloud of starlight. Within this cloud emerged a scene that the audience had been most eager to see—somewhat like the Mirror of Erised, but much more blurred. Applause and gasps of amazement erupted around him, from many ordinary people dressed in plain clothes, clearly having stumbled upon this place by mistake. Their expressions, however, were pure wonder and admiration, devoid of any fear or doubt.
The Confusion Spell worked perfectly.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Lily watched intently, her little hands clapping until they were red.
"The performance style was very romantic," Emily commented, noting that the rose petals the wizard conjured were gradient colors.
"Our wizards here are truly unique in their approach to everyday magic and performing arts," Sarah said with a smile. "They place a greater emphasis on aesthetics and enjoyment."
David's gaze was drawn to a building on the street corner. It looked like an ordinary old apartment building, but its porch had an incredible curve, and the size and arrangement of its windows completely defied the principles of perspective, as if it had been pieced together from multiple angles.
"How did you do that? It's amazing, and it has a strange kind of beauty." David pointed to the twisted doorway.
“A powerful combination of reinforcement and spatial folding charms, Mr. David,” Sarah explained. “Wizards sometimes seek out unique visual effects. This building is the former residence of a wizard who was skilled in spatial expansion charms, and it has now been transformed into a magical art gallery. The interior is much larger than it appears from the outside, and the layout is even more fantastical. Would you like to go inside and take a look?”
"Maybe next time." David was very interested, but he shook his head. "Lily probably won't understand. But this is really a cognitive challenge." He took out his camera and took several pictures of the building, planning to study it carefully when he got back.
Emily was captivated by a flower shop called "Greenery." In the window, enormous pots of daffodils with petals as clear as sapphires emitted a cool light; several oddly shaped plants stretched out thorny vines; in a corner, a red and yellow flower resembling a rose was in full bloom; and several other elegant plants, when Emily approached, had their pods tremble gently, releasing several colorful bubbles that emitted a lemony fragrance.
"Oh my God!" Emily exclaimed, awestruck by these strange lives.
The shopkeeper was a serene witch. Seeing Emily stop, she seemed to realize Emily was a Muggle and smiled as she invited her into the shop. "Madam, are you interested in these magical plants? This rue," she pointed to a potted plant with light green leaves and a refreshing scent, "can be used to make antidotes. Those are styrax, also a common potion ingredient, but they're quite nice to look at too."
"They're amazing," Emily exclaimed, thinking of the red rose in her garden. "I'm just an ordinary gardening enthusiast, but I can't help but take a second look at such unique plants."
"Gardening has no magical aspects, madam," the witch said gently. "The love of plants is universal. Look at this enormous daffodil; its cultivation borrows heavily from the techniques used for growing ordinary bulbous flowers. These devil's webs, though dangerous, need to be guided and pruned just like ordinary vines." She patiently introduced several plants to Emily, and the two found themselves chatting quite congenially. Emily shared her own gardening experiences, which the witch listened to with great interest.
Lily's attention was quickly drawn to a display outside a toy store. There, a ceramic kitten dressed in a ballet tutu was twirling and leaping on a small stage to the music of a music box, its movements fluid and elegant, like a real dancer. Next to it were pop-up books that told stories on their own, with little figures moving on the pages, and magic whistles that could mimic various bird calls.
"Mommy! Karen!" Lily pointed to the dancing kitten. "I want that!"
Emily and David exchanged a glance and nodded with smiles. Sarah helped with the purchasing. Lily was overjoyed, clutching the exquisite gift box containing the kitten.
Karen felt particularly relaxed watching his family engrossed in their own enjoyment. As Sarah led them through a quieter alley, he drew his wand and gently touched the slightly loose ribbon on the gift box in Lily's arms: "Restored to its original state."
A faint light flashed, and the ribbon instantly became smooth and flat.
"Wow! Thank you, brother!" Lily exclaimed in surprise. "It's nothing." Karen put away his wand, a delighted smile on his face. This feeling of freely using magic in the magical world was like a fish returning to water.
Before they knew it, the setting sun had bathed the streets in a warm golden glow. Sarah checked the time: "Alright, our pleasant shopping and sightseeing time is temporarily over. Next, we're heading to the highlight of the evening—Mr. Lemaître's 'Quiet Residence.' The carriage is already waiting for us."
They returned to the secluded little square. The Thestrals carriage stood there silently, like phantoms blending into the twilight. As the carriage rose silently once more into the sunset-reddened sky, the Hawthorne family, clutching their magical souvenirs, wore satisfied smiles.
Looking back down at the gradually lighting up romantic city of Paris, David and Emily felt that this short half-day trip to a corner of the magical world had opened a small window into a fantastical realm—novel, beautiful, and full of goodwill. Seeing the sparkle in her parents' and sister's eyes, Karen knew that the beginning of this family magical journey had far exceeded her expectations.