Harry, thinking Wrackspurts might be some sort of insect, instinctively scratched at his ear, but didn’t feel anything even after he’d rubbed it red. He wanted to ask what a Wrackspurt actually was, but before he could, Luna had already skipped back over to her father.
She studied the bump on Mr. Lovegood’s head with fascination and reached out to touch it.
“Ouch…” Mr. Lovegood winced, his face scrunching in pain.
“Sorry, Dad,” Luna said quickly, though she couldn’t resist poking it again.
“Did the Crumple-Horned Snorkack do this? Did you actually see it?”
At this, Mr. Lovegood’s pain seemed to evaporate. Standing up, he brushed off his vibrant yellow robe and said, “No, Luna, I didn’t actually see the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. But I believe it knew we were looking for it and left us this little... reminder.”
“You’re amazing, Dad,” Luna said, twirling with a delighted smile.
Harry, listening to this, grew more confused by the minute. He couldn’t shake the thought that maybe the bump on Mr. Lovegood’s head wasn’t caused by the gnome after all. He glanced around and saw the gnome he had hit earlier, muttering and stomping off nearby. But if the gnome hadn’t caused the bump, why had Mr. Lovegood mentioned a… what? And what was a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, anyway?
Harry scratched his head, feeling utterly out of his depth. By the looks on their faces, Ron and the others seemed just as puzzled. Only Kyle seemed unfazed and curious as he asked, “Mr. Lovegood, did you manage to find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack this time?”
“We were very close,” Mr. Lovegood said with a hint of regret. “We found signs of it in the southern valley, but it must have moved on before we got there.”
“And I found this!” Luna chimed in, proudly holding up a half-nibbled leaf. “It’s leftover from the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Dad, it must have left this behind when it passed through.”
“Exactly, Luna.” Mr. Lovegood sighed with a touch of wistfulness. “If only we hadn’t left the area.”
“Can I see that leaf?” Kyle asked, intrigued.
“Of course!” Luna handed it to him eagerly. “Are you interested in the Crumple-Horned Snorkack too?”
“Well, I’m interested in all magical creatures.” Kyle took the leaf and examined it carefully in the moonlight, but his expression quickly turned dubious. The bite marks looked very familiar… If the Lovegoods could swing by The Burrow’s garden, they might find plenty of what they were looking for. This “clue” was clearly a potato sprout, nibbled by none other than a garden gnome. There were loads of them out front, and if they wanted, they could collect a whole pile.
Just then, Luna’s voice brought him back. “Kyle, stay still—there’s a Blibbering Humdinger right next to your nose. Oh, it’s gone now.”
“What?” Kyle blinked, handing the potato sprout back to her. “What exactly is a Blibbering Humdinger…?”
“It’s a type of House-elf,” Luna explained serenely. “They dance around intelligent people to confuse them, so they forget what they were going to say. They’re very rare.”
“Did you see it, Dad?” she asked.
Mr. Lovegood looked disappointed. “I must have missed it while tidying up,” he replied with a shake of his head.
Kyle shrugged it off. The Lovegoods often talked about creatures no one else seemed to know about. Even Newt Scamander would probably need a detailed manual to decipher their conversations.
“Mr. Lovegood…” Kyle changed the subject, “Luna’s starting at Hogwarts this year, right?”
“Yes, her acceptance letter arrived three days ago,” Mr. Lovegood replied happily. “Such a joyous occasion! I’ve been gathering materials to make her a special gift—a pair of magical glasses.”
“They’ll help me see Wrackspurts,” Luna added dreamily.
Kyle managed a polite smile, though he couldn’t help but feel wary. He didn’t exactly want to be caught wearing any of the Lovegoods’ inventions—it might make him look… well, a bit too eccentric.
The three chatted for a while longer before Mr. Lovegood and Luna hurried off.
As they walked back to The Burrow, Harry couldn't hold back his curiosity. “Ron, who were those two?”
“The Lovegoods,” Ron replied. “They live in the house with the big chimney on the north side, with a wooden windmill out front. Oh, and Mr. Lovegood’s the editor of The Quibbler.”
“The Quibbler?” Harry repeated, intrigued.
“A really weird magazine,” Ron explained. “Almost everything in it is nonsense, so hardly anyone takes it seriously.”
“Oh,” Harry nodded, amused. “And that… what did she call it? Wrackspurt? And Crumple-Horned Snorkack? Are those supposed to be magical creatures? I’ve never heard of them.”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Ron said dismissively, waving his hand. “Everyone calls her ‘Loony Lovegood.’ She’s got a wild imagination, just like the magazine.”
“Yeah, everyone who knows her calls her that,” Ron shrugged. “She’s as into nonsense as The Quibbler itself. Not many people want to be around the Lovegoods, honestly. Only Kyle manages to hold a conversation with them. But I bet even he doesn’t understand half of what they say.”
Harry thought back to Luna’s dreamy demeanor and couldn’t help but feel the nickname fit her, though he found her strangely fascinating. “What a peculiar family,” he muttered. “Have they always been ?”
“They used to be different. We even had dinner with them a few times. But since two years ago…” Ron suddenly glanced around, then lowered his voice. “They’ve been like that ever since an explosion two years back. Mum invited them over loads of times afterward, but they always refuse.”
“Explosion?” Harry asked, intrigued.
“It was supposed to be a magical experiment gone wrong,” Ron sighed, whispering. “I even remember Kyle warning them to be careful with magic experiments…”
Ginny appeared, scowling as she approached them. “Did you forget? Mum told us not to mention that to anyone.”
“I didn’t forget!” Ron defended himself. “But this is Harry. He’s not ‘just anyone.’”
Normally, at the mention of Harry’s name, Ginny would go bright red and hurry off, but this time she stood her ground, frowning at Ron.
“Fine, fine. I won’t tell anyone…” Ron muttered, looking away.