02/03/1990
Friday, 2nd March
Dear diary, we began in Stockholm, the Swedish capital, an impressive city full of history and beauty. We visited the Royal Palace and marvelled at its majestic rooms and beautiful gardens. We strolled through Gamla Stan, the charming old town, with its cobbled streets and colourful buildings.
After exploring the city, we ventured into the Swedish wilderness and found a nature reserve deep within a Swedish forest. While exploring, we discovered a herd of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks! These creatures were believed to be extinct!
The Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are like creatures from the stories my mum used to tell me. They have furry bodies and big, bright eyes, and the most surprising feature is their wrinkled horns that look like twigs. They blend in perfectly with the trees and rocks, which is why they are so hard to find!
We approached them carefully so as not to scare them, and they watched us with curiosity. They were friendly and playful, allowing us to get close enough to see their details. They seemed happy to have company and followed us as we explored their habitat.
Luna was like she had eaten too much sugar (yes, we've seen her like that before, and the energy she gets is a bit terrifying), she was extremely happy and didn't stop taking photos, recording videos, drawing, and taking notes in what seemed like a hundred notebooks! She told us that her mum had always believed she would find these creatures and that her dad supported her, but most people, if not everyone, thought she was crazy, as if these wonderful creatures were just a product of her imagination. But now they had proof, and that excited my little friend a lot.
I was very happy for her, but Dad told her it would be better not to specify or write down where she had found them, as they were believed to be extinct for a reason and could be put in danger. Luna understood and started tearing out the pages where she had noted that and asked me to burn them with wandless magic. It was good practice for control and accuracy because Luna just threw the pages into the air, and I had to burn them without setting the forest on fire. Of course, Dad was on hand to put out any uncontrolled fires, but I still had fun. My Dragon and Blaise were jealous because they couldn't do magic without a medium, so I promised to teach them what I could.
We also celebrated Luna's birthday. We prepared a surprise party with a vanilla cake decorated with frosting in all colours and sugared fairy wings. Luna was delighted and happy to celebrate her birthday in such a special way.
Additionally, I took the opportunity to find some souvenirs for Anna. I found a hand-carved figure of a mountain troll, which I know she will love.
After a few quiet days, while exploring the Swedish mountains, we encountered a mountain troll! It was huge, with thick skin and warts all over its body. Its eyes gleamed with malice, and it roared so loudly that the rocks trembled.
We realised that the troll was near a small village, so we had to act quickly to protect the people. Thanks to Sev, we always carry our carved wooden bows that we got in Mexico. I still remember learning to use them, guiding our magic and forming arrows with characteristics of natural elements.
It didn't seem like anything had changed with our elements when we prepared to use them; my arrows are still wind and electricity, Draco's are pure wind, Luna's are water but like a fresh breeze, and Dad's are like Luna's but still seemed like a storm. Blaise didn't have a bow, so he was at the back of the formation, a little scared.
We prepared to face the troll, and with a very clever plan, we managed to position ourselves on a slope, giving us the advantage of height so the arrows would do more damage. It was a difficult battle, but working together, we managed it. The troll was defeated, and the village was safe.
The villagers thanked us with a banquet in our honour. There was delicious food and cheerful music. We felt very happy to be able to help and save the day.
We continued our journey through the mountains and met the Ice Man. Yes, a man made entirely of ice! But it turns out he wasn't an ordinary man but a wizard with a very special lineage!
The Ice Man was actually the eldest son of a family of wizards who had an ancient family grimoire. In his family, the eldest son learned to control cold and ice as part of his ancestral magic. It was impressive to see how he could create ice sculptures and control the weather around him.
But that wasn't all; the Ice Man also had seven wives, known as the Witches of Sweden! Yes! Like the stories we heard in the city in the Muggle area! Together, they formed a large family of nearly 50 people, including people of all ages. They lived in their own small village deep in the mountains, where they were self-sufficient and lived in harmony with nature.
Although they liked to tease and scare the Muggles who ventured into their area, they were quite pleasant with the wizards and witches who passed through. They invited us to their home and welcomed us warmly. They told us stories about Swedish magic and how they had protected their knowledge for generations.
Towards the end of our stay, we met the elven court! They welcomed us with open arms, all thanks to Luna and her connection with the fairies. Apparently, Cirnimides, the fairy queen we met in Capciamis or the area we knew in Cappadocia last year, had been speaking well of us to other magical realms.
They quickly guided us to the elven palace, a majestic structure covered in glowing vines and adorned with sparkling gems. At the entrance, we met the elven king, Arandurquis, and his wife, Queen Celesbrim. Both radiated an elegance and wisdom that was palpable in the air.
They invited us to a royal banquet, where we sat alongside the elven royalty and enjoyed exquisite dishes we had never tasted before. The elves told us stories of their enchanted land and the ancient bonds they shared with the fairies and other magical creatures.
Luna was especially honoured during the celebration. The elves gifted her beautiful jewellery encrusted with gems that shone with their own light, and some even proposed marriage to her, although, as she is so pure in body and soul, she doesn't need to respond to such proposals yet.
All in all, it felt like something out of a story, it was very exciting and much less frightening than Romania, for which I am grateful, but I still hope that our next and final trip will be more peaceful.
See you!
Goodbye!