Hooty's Moving Hassle

Outside, Bijou did some breathing exercises while Luz, Hazel, King, and Eda had finished setting up the bullseyes and wooden dummies that the latter collected.

"Okay, Bijou. The equipment is all set up. Since you just recently learned fire magic, you ready for some magic training?" Eda said to the girl.

"All set, Eda." Bijou said as she finished her breathing exercises.

With the help of her bangle, Bijou conjured up a light sword and slashed her way through the mannequins until none of them has a head or a limb. Next, she conjures up fireballs to at the bullseyes until all of them either have scorched marks or are partially turned to ash.

"Excellent, Bijou. Looks like you've really getting the hang of the light and fire magic." Luz said as Eda, Hazel, and King applauded.

"Thanks," Bijou said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Just then, the three heard someone nearby.

"Excuse me!" It was Principal Bump, happening to be passing by.

"Principal Bump? What are you doing here?" Bijou asked.

"I was just out on one of my morning walks when I noticed you outside. Now, I haven't asked who you are, young lady? Please tell me your name."

"My name is Bijou Adams," Bijou replied.

"Is there something you want to talk to him about?" Eda asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes. I remember the time you fended off the abominations with that light sword you must have conjured up several days ago and the time you released a fireball suddenly in that area at the covention. So with that said, I would like to invite you to attend Hexside School of Magic and Demonics." Principal Bump replied.

"What!?" exclaimed Bijou, Hazel, Eda, and King.

"Really?!" Luz exclaimed.

"Yes. You heard me. I would like to invite you, Bijou Adams, back to attend Hexside." Principal Bump responded.

"I don't mean to disrespect you, sir, but aren't I banned from Hexside?" asked Bijou.

"That's true. But as the principal of this school, I can lift your ban. So what do you say?" asked the principal. Bijou begins to consider it. She turned to look at Eda, King, Luz, and Hazel. Luz nodded at him. Eda shook her head, while King and Hazel shrugged.

"If it's all the same to you, Principal Bump. Can I at least think about it?" she blurted out.

"Of course, Bijou. Let me know when you've made your decision," Principal Bump said as he walked away.

"Wow. Principal Bump just invited you back to Hexside," Luz said.

"Well done, Bij," Hazel said.

"Yes, congratulations," King said.

"Hehe. Thanks, you guys," Bijou chuckled.

Later that afternoon...

Eda was holding a deck of cards in the Owl House. She smirked as the eye symbols came to life from them. She locked her gaze on Owlbert, who was wearing a green visor. Both sets of cards appeared to be tarot cards.

"Watch closely, girls," Eda warned the two. Luz sat on the couch next to Eda, while Bijou sat on her knees on the floor and King and Hazel sat on the opposite end of the couch. "Hexes Hold 'Em is the most tricky game on the Boiling Isles. Any proper witch knows how to play."

"Oh, boy. Cards," Luz exclaimed cheerfully. "The paper rectangles that old people think are fun."

"Yeah, I remember playing similar card games with those old folks at the retirement home," Bijou went on to say.

Eda placed her yellow-flashing cards on the table. Owlbert flew backwards, watching the cards transform into literal monsters. Bijou recoiled a little as his set did the same thing. "Whoa!"

"Now, when it appears that the deck is stacked against you, that's when you break out the wild card!" Eda held the card up in the air, and Owlbert's cards burst into flames. Between the two players, the words 'Winner: Eda' formed. Owlbert landed on the table and respectfully bowed to Eda.

Bijou exclaimed, "Wow. Impressive."

"That's how you play the game. If you are interested, that is," Hazel said.

Eda raised her fists in the air in victory.

"Whoo! I win! In your adorable owl face," she exclaimed as she stood up happily. "I love the feeling of victory. It feels...fluffy?"

Both girls and beasts were nervously staring at Eda, who had feathers growing on her body.

"Uh, Eda, it's happening again," Luz said as she pointed to her.

"What's going on again?" she wondered.

"Your arms!" Hazel exclaimed, startled.

"Your curse is returning!" King exclaimed, and Eda gasped as she examined her arms.

"Let's get you some apple blood. And fast!" Bijou exclaimed as she stood up.

They rushed into Eda's room, and she opened her chest...and they were all terrified.

"Oh boy," Eda exclaimed as they examined the empty bottles of elixir.

"This is terrible; I'm out of elixir," she said, holding up a bottle to inspect it.

"Uh, the last time this happened, you turned into this thing," Luz said, holding up her cracked phone, which showed Eda as the Owl Beast.

"And then you attacked Hooty and ate a Snaggleback whole," Lucila said, shuddering slightly. "Gosh, that last one still gives me the willies."

"I know I should be repulsed, but that look is fierce," she said proudly, patting her hair.

"Eda," Luz expressed concern.

Bijou deadpanned at the woman, echoing her sister, "No time for self-admiration."

"You're right. You're right," Eda said with a wave of her hands. "We need to head to the market."

"Market!" Luz exclaimed, pumping her fists.

"Let's go!" Bijou exclaimed as she made her way downstairs to the front door.

"I'm curious what they're selling today," Hazel said.

"I'm going to steal everything that isn't nailed down!" King exclaimed joyfully.

"By the way, Bij, I thought you were looking into this," Luz inquired of her friend.

"I am. So far, I couldn't find anything on Eda's curse. Resources about this are few and far between," Bijou said.

"Ah, don't sweat it, kiddo," she said as she looked at Eda.

"But, before we go, would anyone like to play one more hand of Hexes Hold 'em?" she asked, patting her pocket, but her cards had vanished. "Hey, where are my cards?"

As Owlbert flew up to Luz, she had them hidden behind her back. "Take these and fly ahead," she said quietly. "She'll have to follow us."

"It's for her own good...and, well, everyone else's," Bijou added.

She didn't want another incident like the one that happened not long ago. He flew away, and Eda noticed him.

"Owlbert, you sore loser!" Eda yelled as she pursued him. "Give me back my cards."

They arrived at the market, where Eda knocked on Mr. Elixir's closed stand, wearing her cloak over her body to conceal all her feathers.

"Hey, open up, Morton!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, ju-just a minute!" he exclaimed from inside. King and Hazel approached the two girls.

"Sure is a peaceful day out here in the market," Bijou said.

"Unless you count what's happening on the streets," Hazel said, pointing to the street.

"Yeah, and is there anything better than people-watching in the Demon Realm?" Luz asked, picking up King and placing him between them. Hazel climbed onto the bench.

A massive egg rolled up to a bus stop and hatched, revealing a massive nestling. It flew away, and the people intervened. The egg rolled away after one of them closed it.

Tinella Nosa attempted but failed to catch up with them. "Wait, wait! Aw, dang it."

"I know one thing: the curse of genetically tiny legs," Bijou said knowingly, shaking her head.

"I know the pain," King agreed.

"Speaking of pain...well, not really, but what did that guy you bumped into at Covention look like, Bijou?" she asked, looking up at her friend, who turned to face her.

"Hmm? Oh, I can't even tell since he was wearing a mask. Like those three members of the Emperor's Coven." Bijou declared.

"Okay," Luz said, shrugging.

Tinella Nosa screamed as she ran away as she heard footsteps approaching. A tough-looking man stood in the middle of the road. He waved his hand forward, and several others in the same robes as him followed, carrying a bound creature. King, Luz, Hazel and Bijou approached Eda, all of them staring.

"Whoa! That is one ominous parade," Luz said to them both.

Eda turned around and stared at them. "That's no parade. Those are demon hunters."

They stood there watching as the creature snorted at the one in front of them.

"Dangerous nomads who capture and sell the most powerful beasts."

The leader conjured up a ball of electricity to knock the creature out. He then turned to look at the shocked sisters, who both gasped.

"Which is exactly what I'm about to become if you don't open up, Morton," she slammed the window again.

"Sorry, Eda," Morton said as he opened the window.

"I was up all night poison-tasting and, for some reason, I don't feel great," he said, clutching his stomach.

"I'm all out of my juice, pal," Eda said, holding up an empty elixir phial.

"Oh, gee. Let me see what I can do." Morton looked under the counter for more apple blood phials.

From across the street, Luz and Bijou noticed Gus, Willow, and Jackie approaching.

"Willow, Jackie, and Gus!" she yelled, followed by Bijou and Hazel, who is perched on Bijou's shoulder. "Heya, friends!"

She then noticed that they didn't appear to be in a good mood, with Jackie having the most sour expression on her face. "Wait. What's wrong? Who hurt my babies?"

"Yeah, why the long faces?" Hazel asked.

"Them," Willow jerked a thumb, and they looked up ahead to see Amity and two of her friends laughing.

"Ugh, I should've known," Bijou sneered when she saw Amity. "Mean girls."

Luz could still learn magic, but she didn't agree with Amity's role in chasing them down at Hexside and then being arrogant about human witches and magic emulators.

"Amity's having a moonlight conjuring and has invited everyone but me," Willow lamented as she gazed at the ground.

"And she keeps posting about it on her Penstagram account," Gus said, bringing up a scroll with a selfie of Amity with her friends. It was followed by a tweet from WitchChick128.

"Not inviting Willow is bad enough but posting it online just to show off really drives me up the wall." Jackie said furiously.

"It's conjuring night! No dorks allowed!" Luz exclaimed, followed by a pumpkin ?, heart ?, and ghost ? emojis. Witches, unlike humans, do not have phones and instead communicate through scrolls.

"What a jerk!" Luz exclaimed as she looked at the mean girl clique.

"I know. They're just doing it to show that they're better than everyone else," Bijou scowled. "But what is a moonlight conjuring anyway?"

"Like a slumber party!" Luz exclaimed as she realized. "We have those!"

"What's a slumber party?" Hazel inquired.

"It's when a group of people get together overnight in their pajamas; of course, I'm not really into it that much," Bijou shrugged.

"Then you bring something to life with moon magic," Willow said, holding up a book with a picture inside.

"...Like a weird slumber party!"

The girl then expressed her disappointment once more. "Gus and I have never been to one but Jackie had. You need at least three people, and-"

"I'm three people. I mean, we're three people. Actually, five, if you count Hazel!" Luz smiled as she held Bijou's hand and gestured to Hazel. "And we're way better than them. Are you interested in joining us, Bijou?"

"Actually I was thinking about training tonight. But thanks anyway," said Bijou.

"Okay," Luz replied.

She motioned to Amity's group as they approached. They were mocked by the three-eyed girl. "Sorry you couldn't get an invite to the conjuring, Willow. Only real witches allowed."

Amity scoffed slightly.

"Leave her alone. It's not her fault she was born without talent," she said as they walked away.

Willow's fists were clenched and she grumbled. The ground beneath her shook, and vines sprouted.

"Whoa!" "Huh?" Both Luz and Bijou smacked some vines away.

"Don't waste your time getting thorny over them," Luz said as she and Jackie wrapped their arms around Willow. Gus put his hand on her back. "Cause we are gonna have our own moonlight conjuring."

"Are you serious?" Gus inquired cheerfully. "This is on my bucket list," he said as he took out a piece of paper. "After owning a real human bucket."

Also on that list was 'Grow Haunted Beard, Lose my Baby Fangs, Finish Digging Tunnel Under Hexside, Get My Own Squamping Permit, and Be the Surprise in a Giant Hollow Cake.'

"That's a strange thing to want, but I appreciate your enthusiasm," Luz said, pointing at him.

"I'll teach you about the bucket list later," Bijou said as Gus gasped.

"My first human lesson from a master!"

"I wouldn't call myself a master, but okay. Come on Luz, let's tell Eda about this conjuring you're gonna do." Luz, Bijou, and Hazel approached Eda.

Morton raised his head from his stool, "I've got bad news and good news. The bad news is I'm out until next week. The good news is feathers are a good look for you."

Eda gritted her teeth as a feather popped out of her hair.

"Morton!" she yelled angrily at him.

"Well, gee, E. Why did you wait to re-up till now?"

"I've been very busy," Eda said, pouting.

"Yeah, busy playing Hexes Hold 'Em," King said nearby. "She's obsessed with it."

"I am not obsessed!" she retorted.

"You're playing it right now!"

Her deck was on the counter, and she was holding up a card.

"Am I winning?"

Morton then gave her a threatening look. "You know, I wouldn't suggest this to just anybody, but if you need your elixir, you could try your luck later this evening."

"In the Night Market?" she asked softly.

"There's a guy with a stand. Goes by Grimm Hammer. If anyone has what you need, it's him."

Bijou and Luz went up to the two. "Eda, Gus, Jackie, Willow, Hazel, Bijou, Lucila, and I are gonna do a moonlight conjuring and stick it to Amity, so can we-"

"Not tonight," Eda said, raising her hand. "I'm going out. I need you to keep an eye on the house," Eda said as she grabbed her staff and walked away. "I have many precious objects in there."

"Like me," King said, jerking a thumb at himself. Eda abruptly yanked him up by the collar. "You're coming with me. I need an extra pair of eyes looking out for pickpockets. And an extra pair of hands in case I wanna pickpocket."

"Pickpocket!" exclaimed the two together.

"Then maybe they can come to the house and-"

"No," Eda interjected. "Besides, conjurings are dumb. Sitting in a circle holding hands," she scoffed as she walked away from the two. "It's like magic for babies."

"Eda, come on. I don't think having one night with friends won't hurt anyone... hopefully," Bijou said, hesitating on her final word. "After all, didn't she save you from your curse with her light spell back then?"

"Yes! Yes, exactly!" Luz exclaimed, pointing up at her friend.

"Trust us. We won't touch your stuff; remember that I'm in charge when you're not around," Bijou said with a smirk.

"And I'm in charge of both of you while I'm here, and that's my final say," Eda said, looking over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Luz. Guess we'll just have to wait another night," Hazel said, apologizing.

"Guys," Willow, Jackie, and Gus yelled. "What did Eda say?"

"So, guys..." Luz began nervously.

"Oh, look," Gus said, pointing to the sky. "The moon is rising into place."

"With the moon in position, the celestial powers only align once a year." Jackie added.

"Wait, once a year?" Bijou inquired. "Then, that means..."

"No conjuring. Witches don't have enough power to do it themselves," Gus concluded for Bijou, who shivered nervously. That certainly altered her situation.

"Oh, I can't believe I finally have enough friends for a moonlight conjuring," Willow exclaimed with delight. "Thank you, guys! Did Eda say it was okay?"

"Uh...yes!" Luz smiled at them, and Bijou's eyes widened. "She said yes. We can do it at the Owl House, as long as we don't make a mess, touch anything, and never bring it up."

She smiled broadly at Bijou, who picked up on it.

"Um, yeah, that! Gotta keep an eye on fragile stuff, you know? Hehe..."

The two girls laughed nervously together.

"Yes!" Gus exclaimed, pumping his fists.

"Alright!" Jackie exclaimed, clapping her hands joyfully.

"Oh, you guys are the best!" Willow exclaimed.

"We're gonna do a conjuring~, we're gonna do a conjuring~," the three witches sang as the two girls looked up at the moon. "Conjuring, conjuring!"

They both had worried expressions on their faces, hoping Eda would take her time with whatever she will be doing.

Later that night...

"Guys, you three are in charge while I'm out. Make sure Hooty doesn't get into any trouble," Eda said as she put on her cloak.

"Hoot hoot! I don't need a babysitter. I'm a big boy house!" exclaimed Hooty as he opened his door.

"You can rely on us, Ms. Clawthorne," Hazel said, saluting.

"We would never betray your hard-earned trust," Luz added nervously.

"Yeah. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do tonight." Bijou said.

"You're acting suspicious. You're doing that thing where you hide in your hoodie, Luz, and where you're twirling a lock of your hair, Bijou."

True enough, Luz's hood was pulled over her face, and Bijou was twirling a strand of her hair.

"What are you talking about?" Bijou innocently inquired.

"Meow, we're not. Er..." Luz said before dropping her hood. "Oh, where's King?"

"He's right here," Eda said, removing her cloak to reveal King sleeping in a baby carrier.

"Look at this, his little body just conks out when he's weightless," she swung around, and King didn't react. Bijou exclaimed, her eyes gleaming, and she snapped a photo with her phone.

"Il est comme un adorable ours en peluche."

"Aww! He's so dangly," Luz said, fiddling with his feet.

"So precious." Hazel cooed with delight.

"Anyway, really going now," Eda said as she walked out the door, the three following her. "And girls...if you mess up the house, I will never trust you both again," Eda said, prompting Bijou to gulp.

"No pressure! Bye!" She then took off on her staff, the girls waving to her. Luz let out a nervous sigh once they were certain she was gone.

"Ay! Should we really be doing this?" Luz inquired of Bijou.

"We're only doing this because this is the only chance this year for Willow to have a conjuring. Remember, we can't tell Eda anything about tonight, and we can't disappoint her again for the second time."

"You're right, you're right. Willow is counting on us," she agreed with Bijou as they and Hazel moved their gaze to a few bushes.

"Okay, she's gone; you can come out now," Hazel said to the bushes.

"Release!" exclaimed Willow, and the bushes burst into leaves, revealing the three. Jackie wore a simple white shirt under a pink and maroon knit jacket, a blue denim skirt, pink boots, a white necklace with a pink rose pendant, and a brown belt.

"I'm a sneaky sneakster!" Willow said.

"I stayed quiet for two hours," Jackie said, patting the dirt off her skirt.

"I've got leaves in my pants. And I like it," Gus said, smiling.

"Are you coming with us?" Luz asked, motioning Gus, Jackie, and Willow to the door.

"You guys go ahead, and Hazel and I will be out here training," Max said as Hazel nodded.

"Okay, but just in case you change your mind, we'll be waiting," Luz replied.

"Company! Hooray!" exclaimed Hooty as Luz opened the door to let three witches in. "Finally, someone to listen to my stories! Okay, one time a sparrow flew into my mouth and then-"

Luz then shut the door, and Hooty pouted. "Hey..."

He coughed up a sparrow, which flew out of his mouth.

"So, shall we do some evening training?" Hazel asked.

"No need to ask," Bijou replied.

Inside the Owl House...

"Welcome to the living room," Luz said.

"We call it that because the walls are technically alive! Look," she said, pointing to the pulse from the wall.

"Enchanting," Willow exclaimed. "And look at all these human treasures," Gus said as he lifted an 8-ball from Eda's chest. He then produced a human skull. "And actual humans!"

"We've got snacks," Luz said, holding out a bowl of sugar eyeballs. "We've got weird music."

She played a gramophone nearby, but it wasn't music at all, just a scary laugh.

"We've got stories," Jackie said, pulling out a small stack of story books.

"We've got a bucket!" exclaimed Gus, holding a bucket over his head.

"Gus, my man," Luz said with a wink.

"And, best of all, we have actual friends to do the conjuring with," Willow exclaimed cheerfully. "This is so exciting!"

"So, how does this conjuring stuff work?" Luz inquired.

"First, we need to find an object to animate; since this is our first time, we should choose something meaningful," Willow said, pointing to a flower vase nearby. "Something beautiful."

Gus pushed the flowers away, holding a Beefy Bob action figure in his hand.

"Like this strangely buff little man?" he asked, pressing his hand against the body to squeeze it.

"I'm half beef, half Bob."

"Yes!" Luz exclaimed, eagerly pointing to it. "He's perfect."

"That's not exactly what I meant by beautiful," Willow said, eliciting whimpers and puppy dog looks from Gus.

"Let him have this one, Willow," Jackie suggested.

"Okay, buff boy it is," Willow finally agreed.

"Yes!" Luz exclaimed as she hugged her.

"Tonight he shall be risen!" Gus exclaimed.

Outside...

Bijou summoned fireballs and began firing them at the targets Hazel had set up. Bijou powers down after destroying the last of the targets and begins to pant.

"Whew, that's the last of them," Bijou exclaimed.

"Yeah. You're getting pretty good at this, Bij," Hazel added.

"Thank you. I need to keep at it if I want to be at my A-game," Bijou said as she sat down under a tree, joined by Hazel.

"Are you still planning on going to Hexside?" Hazel inquired.

"Pretty much. That school has everything about the different lessons in magic. That school reminded of Alfea. It's a magic school in Winx Club." Bijou replied.

"Winx Club?" Hazel asked.

"It's a TV show that I used to watch when I was kid. It's about a team of six fairies who fight off the forces of evil and defend the magical universe."

"Ooh, interesting," Hazel said, intrigued.

Luz, Gus, Jackie, and Willow sat in a square formation. Gus set the Beefy Bob figure down on the floor, surrounded by candles.

"According to the conjuring books I've read, we say the incantation and make a connection with the doll," Willow explained, holding out her hand to Jackie.

"Figurine," Gus corrected as they closed their eyes.

"Ready?" Jackie began.

"Moonlight, we call, we sing," they chanted, surrounded by a blue aura. "Moonlight, take this chance. Moonlight, tie the string."

Luz, on the other hand, were just babbling because she didn't know the actual spell. "And I don't know the words."

Hooty flinched as the moon stopped moving. The moonlight washed over the house, extinguishing each candle one by one. When they opened their eyes, they noticed that the figurine was still motionless.

"That's your cue, little man," Gus said quietly, but the entire house began to shake. Hooty's eyes flashed blue as they stood up. Birds flew away, and the house began to separate from the ground. They yelped in surprise.

Bijou and Hazel also felt the earthquake as it caught them by surprise.

"What's going on?" Hazel inquired.

"It's coming from the Owl House," Bijou said as she and Hazel dashed back to the house. The Owl House rose from its foundation and stood on giant bird legs as a result.

"Holy smokes!" exclaimed Bijou, as Hazel stood there with his mouth agape.

"Guys," Luz winced as a book fell on her head. "Did the entire house just hiccup?"

Gus looked at the figure. "Little buff guy, what did you do?"

He pressed his hand against the figure. "A real man never takes accountability."

"No, I think...I think we might have animated the house by accident," Willow rubbed the back of her neck.

"The house?!" exclaimed the human girl, stunned.

She dashed outside, almost falling off because they were so far away from solid ground.

"Luz!" Bijou called out from below, "What happened?!"

"Well, me, Willow, Jackie, and Gus were doing a moonlight conjuring to animate Gus' doll and we may have accidentally brought the Owl House to life," Luz went on to say.

The house suddenly began to shake, taking everyone by surprise. Gus, Willow, and Jackie ran outside just as Hooty shut the door. The Owl House then began to walk away. Both Bijou and Hazel jumped out of the way to avoid being trampled.

"Quick! Let's follow that house!" exclaimed Bijou. Hazel hopped on Bijou's back and the two of them chased after the house.

"Hooty. Hooty! Hooty, you have to stop!" Luz called out to him but he wouldn't listen.

"By the power of the moonlight, I have risen. Hoot, hoot," he said monotonously.

"He's in some kind of trance," Gus explained to the two. Gus almost fell off the house as it moved past some trees.

"Gus!" Willow and Luz snatched him up, Luz grabbing Jackie's hand for support. She nearly fell, but she ran over and grabbed the door handle to regain her balance.

Willow realized, "Our magic must've spread throughout the house instead of the doll!"

"Figurine," Gus corrected her once more.

"Hold on, guys!" Jackie exclaimed, slowly releasing the door handle. She took Willow's and Luz's free hands. A blue aura appeared around all five of them.

"Hooty, stop!" Luz yelled before he walked off a cliff, and, this time, he listened.

They yanked Gus back up onto the ground, confusedly looking at their hands.

"How'd we do that?" Gus wondered, and Luz pondered something.

"Willow, Gus, Jackie, hold hands again." They did, and the aura reappeared, the house stepping backwards and away from the cliff.

It then took a step back. When Bijou and Hazel saw this, they ran back a few feet to avoid being stepped on again. "What just happened?" Hazel inquired. "Luz, Willow, Jackie, and Gus must be controlling the house," Bijou blurted out. "Come on. Let's get up there."

"We're controlling it with the power of friendship," Willow realized with a smile. "And the moon. Probably the moon."

"It must be because we said the spell!" Jackie exclaimed.

"This is amazing!" What should we do now?" Gus inquired.

"On the one hand, we should probably stay put," Luz said as Gus excitedly approached her.

"On the other hand, we've got a giant walking house and should totally take it on a joyride!"

Luz didn't want to think about what would happen once the moonlight magic wore off if they didn't keep track of it.

"Okay, okay, but we have to be back before the moon sets or Eda will kill me. And possibly Bijou," Luz said.

They cheered and controlled the house throughout Bonesborough. "Yeah! Joyride!"

Bijou and Hazel start walking towards the house, but the house starts walking away again.

"It's getting away!" exclaimed Hazel.

"We better not lose it," Bijou said.

With that, the pair starts chasing after the house.

'Hold on tight, guys. 'We're coming for you,' Bijou thought, determined and concerned.

A Demon Hunter, unbeknownst to them, was watching the Owl House walk away.

Eda could see why Morton wouldn't recommend the Night Market to just anyone. Everything felt shady, from the customers to the merchandise to the sellers. She groaned as she looked around, more feathers sprouting on her arm. She quickly covered it up.

"The curse. I need that elixir quick."

She looked up ahead and noticed a person sitting alone near a stand, so she approached him.

"Hey, you. You know where I can find a Grimm Hammer?"

He nodded, a rat pointing to the right from his eye socket. Eda followed the sign and came across an ominous stand with skulls and dark curtains. She walked away, the man eating the rat.

Jackie noticed a familiar person walk by as the house marched around until it came to a halt. It was one of the girls from Amity's friend group.

"Guys! I saw someone in the distance," Jackie exclaimed, looking to her right.

"Hey, is that-" Luz inquired.

"It's Boscha," Gus said, finishing for Luz. "That girl who made fun of us."

"Ugh!" groaned Boscha into her phone. "Yes, Mom. I'm going to a moonlight conjuring." Her phone was shaped like a crow, but it definitely had cellphone buttons.

"No, Mom. You can't come. And, yes, Mom, it's sad that you're asking." She then released the crow, which flew away. She looked behind her and noticed the house that wasn't moving.

"What do we do now that she's noticed us?" Willow asked Luz, who smirked.

"Hmm."

Bijou and Hazel continue to pursue the fleeing house, but it stops again.

"It stopped again," Hazel reported.

"Then this is perfect opportunity for us to get up there," Bijou went on to say.

They then moved over to one of the bird legs and climbed up.

"Hey! H-hey you. You should, uh, stop being so mean to people!" Luz called through a megaphone Gus had conjured for her. "You're kind of a jerk!"

The four of them laughed at the same time.

"What was that?" Hazel inquired.

"It's Luz," Bijou said. "What were she and the others doing up there?"

"Ew! A talking house is giving me a lecture?" Boscha scoffed. "Whatever. I'll just TP you like I did with the rest of the neighborhood."

"But don't you see? I am no mere house!"

The house then stood up as Luz roared. Bijou and Hazel had to hold on tight to avoid falling off. They kept climbing up the leg.

Boscha screamed and ran away, the four laughing at her reaction.

"I've never pranked anyone before!" Gus exclaimed. "And now I have a taste for it."

"We should follow her to Amity's house and show off our conjuring!" Willow cheerfully suggested. "That'll show her who's got no talent."

Luz raised her gaze to the moon once more. They'd progressed from a joyride to pranking, and the moon was nearly set...

"Actually, I'm starting to think we should head back," Luz told them.

"Amity's updating her Penstagram," Gus said, pointing to a new post on his scroll.

"You're not going to like this one, Luz," Jackie said.

"Shout out to my fellow witches! #HUMANSCANBITEIT!" Luz exclaimed as she balled her fists after reading it. "Let's do it!"

Bijou said, "Almost there, Hazel."

But then, the house took off again. Bijou and Hazel yelped, clutching the leg. At the same time, Jackie, Luz, Gus, and Willow cheered with glee.

"Why can't this house stay still?" Hazel asked, irritated.

"And could this night get any worse?" Bijou moaned.

As soon as she said that, a swarm of shadows swooped down on the moving house.

Meanwhile, with Eda and King...

Eda approached the stand, cautiously peering inside. "Hello? Uh, I seek the one they call Grimm Hammer."

Large, menacing white eyes emerged from behind the counter, "I'm the one they call Grimm Hammer."

The drapes suddenly lifted, and a tiny pig demon a few inches taller than King jumped onto the table.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome," he said cheerfully. "I've got weaponry from the Hinterlands, curses from the Winterlands, and jelly beans!"

He tossed them into the air.

"Jelly beans!" King snatched some, leaving Eda perplexed. This was not what she had anticipated...

"They're lethally delicious."

Eda smacked King's hand away as he was about to eat it. He gave a disappointed expression.

"You are Grimm Hammer?" Eda asked.

"Tibblet-Tibblie Grimm Hammer the Third," introduced himself the little pig. "Please, call me Tibbles."

King burst out laughing. "He wants to be called that."

"Okay, Tibbles, I need some of this elixir," Eda said, holding out her empty phial. He accepted it and rubbed his chin.

"Oh, this is one wicked brew; lucky for you, I just stocked up," he said as he handed her an elixir.

"Huzzam!" she exclaimed, pumping her fists.

"I'll give you 10 snails," she said, holding out her wallet.

"Add two more zeros and it's a done deal," he said with a smile to Eda.

"A thousand snails?!" she exclaimed, stunned. "What kind of game are you playing?!"

Morton had never even charged her a hundred snails, let alone a thousand. She wouldn't give it up even if she had that much.

"Capitalism. Where everyone wins, except you," he said as he re-entered his stand.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, noticing a deck of Hexes Hold 'Em cards and having an idea. "Say, you play Hexes Hold 'Em?"

"Really? Now?" King exclaimed, frustrated. Tibbles came to a halt, his eyes widening.

"Oh! Is that what that game is called? I was just using these as coasters," he said innocently as he sat in front of Eda.

"How about we make it interesting? If I win, you give me the elixir," Eda suggested, pointing down at him. "You win, you can take something of mine."

"Oh, what fun! You're on." She smirked, believing she had this.

The Owl House marched down Bonesborough, scaring several people who fled. Hazel and Bijou had managed to climb up the ledge and hoist themselves up while this was going on.

"Phew, we made it!" exclaimed Bijou.

"Now all we have to do is make our way to Luz and the others and convince them to turn this house around before Eda comes back." Hazel went on to say.

Bijou and Hazel then began walking along the side of the house until it comes to a halt. They peered to the right, curious, to see that they were in front of a manor with the words "Blight Manor" written on it.

"Look, Amity's house. Time to show Amity what a real conjuring looks like," Willow said with a giggle.

"Blight Manor? Is this where Amity lives?" Bijou inquired.

"Correct. It's actually home to the Blight family. They're the most opulent family in the Boiling Isles. They're known for creating different types of Abominations weapons and security systems." Hazel went on to say.

The house took a step forward...only to become entangled in the rope. Luz, Jackie, Willow, and Gus all stumbled and dropped their hands.

"What happened?" Willow inquired, her face concerned.

"Is that...a...giant crossbow?" Luz asked, pointing to the object in front of them. After gaining control of the house, the demon hunter leader ordered a second arrow to be fired, which landed on the other side. The demon hunter leapt into the air and landed in front of the four.

"Knock, knock."

They all gasped in fear.

"What was that?" Hazel inquired.

"I don't know, I think we need to go in the back," Bijou said.

The two then proceeded to the back of the house. They notice a window in the back of the house. Bijou opened the window for Hazel to enter. He then held the window open so Bijou could crawl inside.

The house was then carried away by the demon hunters, one of whom blew a horn. Hooty was hooting in a strange manner.

"Good thing this house has a back window," Hazel pointed out.

Bijou declared, "Let's find Luz and the others."

The pair moved through the corridor. They discovered Luz, Gus, Jackie, and Willow tied up in rope.

"There they are, and they're all bound," Hazel said quietly.

"Who did this to them?" inquired Bijou.

"Hooty!" Luz yelled as she kicked open the door to their confinement inside the house.

"Hooty, you have to wake up!" Gus yanked on the restraints with his teeth, but it didn't work.

"If you want this to end as you say, four must hold hands. It's the only way," he said.

"¡Oye, no me hables así!" Luz yelled in frustration, slamming the door once more.

"These knots are too tight! I can't break free!" Jackie grumbled as she tried to escape.

"Willow, will you help me out with Hooty?"

"I'm sorry, Luz," Willow said, closing her eyes.

The three of them turned to face her.

"You shouldn't ask me to help with anything."

"Willow," Jackie began, but they abruptly came to a halt, landing on the ground. Bijou and Hazel also felt the shaking, too.

"What just happened?" Bijou asked.

"I think the house shook," Hazel said.

"Did the house stop moving?" Luz asked.

Gus let out a loud groan. "My insides didn't."

They whimpered a little as the door opened and let in some light. Bijou and Hazel hid behind a nearby doorway. Entering the house, the hunting leader scoffed at them. He took a step forward, looming over them. He then threw them outside and onto the ground.

"Demon hunters? What in the world are they doing here?" asked Bijou.

"What are they doing?" "They must have seen the house and taken it," Hazel replied. "That also includes tying up Luz and the others."

The two dashed over to the window to observe the demon hunters discussing their plans with the children and the house.

"Take the house and rip out the house demon," the leader demanded as he jumped down from the platform, closing the door behind him. "We can sell it to restaurants as exotic meat."

"No!" Luz exclaimed in protest. "Hooty would taste terrible!"

"Yeah, you don't want him," Jackie added. "He'll give you a bad stomachache."

"Hey, I'm a refined taste! Hoot, hoot," Hooty argued back.

"What do we do with the worms?" inquired another demon hunter.

"Throw them over the cliff."

Bijou and Hazel both gasped in surprise when they heard this.

The other one laughed, and he dragged them over to the cliff.

"Alrighty, kids, here's the end of your brief lives," he said as he dangled them over the edge.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait," Gus exclaimed as he turned to face him. "Is this really what you wanna be doing with your life? Tossing kids from cliffs?"

"Actually, yes," he said cheerfully.

"It's been my dream since I was a boy," he explained. "...I was a strange child."

Bijou kicked the door open before he could push them away.

While still in a trance, Hooty yelled in pain, "Ow!"

"Hold it right there, demon hunters!" yelled Bijou. Everyone turned to see her and Hazel emerge.

"Bijou! Hazel!" yelled Luz, Willow, Jackie, and Gus.

Hazel yelled, "Let those four go NOW!"

"Okay," the hunter replied as he pushed them off the cliff.

"No!" exclaimed Bijou and Hazel.

"Who is this?" inquired one of the hunters.

"I have no idea," said another of the hunters.

"This is none of your business, kid; get out of here!" exclaimed the leader.

But Bijou, enraged at her friends being pushed off the cliff, roared in rage as her hands caught fire, much to the surprise of the hunters.

"Whoa!" exclaimed one of the hunters.

"That's it! You guys are in big trouble!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not sure what just happened, but we're going to put a stop to it. Let's get 'em!" yelled the lead hunter.

The demon hunters drew their weapons and charged at Bijou and Hazel.

Luz, Jackie, Gus, and Willow, were fortunately caught by a branch growing out of the cliffside.

"If we're not killed now, we will be when Eda finds out about the house," Luz said. "Luz, I'm so sorry," Willow apologized. "You wanted to turn back, but I just had to off to Amity. The truth is...she and I used to be friends."

"Whaaaat?" Luz exclaimed, surprised. It was difficult to imagine Amity now. The branch began to snap.

"Wait, what changed?" Jackie asked, looking over her shoulder.

"We played together as kids, but when she got her magical powers and I didn't, she stopped hanging out with me."

"Guys, is now the best time?" Gus wondered, not wanting to die.

"I just wanted to prove to her that I was a powerful witch, too," Willow admitted.

"That's ridiculous! You helped bring a house to life," Luz countered. "Amity doesn't know what she's talking about."

Willow gave her a friendly smile.

"Yeah, that's her loss," Jackie said with a wink to the girl.

"Next to Eda, you're the most powerful witch I know. No offense, Gus."

"No, not at all," he said, smiling up at Luz. "I know what I'm about."

The branch snapped again, and they all screamed, all of them looking up.

"This tree can't hold us much longer."

"What do we do?" Jackie asked as Willow managed to free her hand.

"There," she said, pointing to a smaller branch next to the larger one.

"Now if I can just reach that root...Gotcha!" she exclaimed as she grabbed it and activated her powers.

Back to Eda, King, and Tibbles...

All of the burned cards on the table drew King's attention. "Oof! That was painful to watch."

Eda clenched her teeth and glared angrily at Tibbles. "You card shark! You hustled me."

"Looks like you forgot about my...wild card!" Tibbles tossed it to the ground, and it roared to life. It turned around and ripped the shirt off the person on it, revealing buff muscles.

"In any case, I'd like my prize right now," he said as he stood up smugly.

"And I choose...the little bone boy," he said as he took King away from Eda, much to her surprise. "I've always wanted a tiny servant to model my line of baby clothes."

"No! I don't look good in clothes," King objected. "I'm all-natural. Eda, do something!"

She tried to cast a spell circle, but her arm got covered in feathers. "Ah! I can't perform magic,"

Tibbles said as chains appeared on the ground. They wrapped around Eda's waist, and she fell to the ground on her side.

"You think this is going to stop me? I can still bite your ankles!" she threatened.

"You don't think I know who you are?" he smugly asked. "Eda the Owl Lady."

She exclaimed sharply, knowing she was screwed.

"That's right. I've seen your wanted posters around here," he said, holding up one of hers. "I wonder how much the Emperor's Coven would pay me to hand you over."

She clenched her teeth against him.

Meanwhile, with Bijou, Hazel, and the hunters...

Bijou easily kicked away the smallest hunter, who attempted to attack them with a small hammer. As the other demon hunters surrounded them, Bijou fired fireballs, knocking some of them away. Two more hunters charged at them, but Hazel knocked one down with a headbutt to the face. When the other hunter attempted to strike them with his weapon, Bijou grabbed it and fired another blast of fire at him. Hazel then took advantage of the situation by sprinting up and headbutting him in the stomach, knocking him down. When he saw his comrades fall, the Demon hunter leader became enraged.

"Enough! I'll take you down myself!" he yelled, unsheathing his sword and charging at them.

"Be careful, Bij!" Hazel warned.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Bijou as he deflected a slash from the leader's sword. Bijou conjured a shield to protect herself as the leader attempted to strike him again. She fashioned her light sword, and the two engaged in close combat. The leader, not wanting to be defeated by a human girl and her almiraj, turned to the hunter who threw Luz, Jackie, Gus, and Willow off the cliff.

"Tom! Now!"

The hunter, now known as Tom, drew a green circle with his hands and electricity emitted from them. He then zaps Bijou and Hazel, knocking them to the ground as Bijou's sword and shield vanish. As they stood up, they were startled to see the Demon hunter leader pointing his sword at them. The other demon hunters began to rise as he did so.

"You should've left when you had the chance, girl," the leader yelled as he held the sword above his head. But before he could strike, something appeared from behind him.

"Hey!"

Bijou and Hazel looked up to see Luz, Willow, Jackie, and Gus on top of a large plant's leaf. Bijou and Hazel both smiled at the fact that their friends were still alive.

"Leave them alone!" yelled Jackie.

Willow then directed a vine to cut the rope and the vines to attack the hunters. The leaves then lowered Luz, Gus, Jackie, and Willow as they ran over to help Bijou and Hazel up.

"Guys, you're alive!" Bijou exclaimed as they embraced.

"We sure are, Bijou," Luz responded.

"But how did you survive?" Hazel inquired, leaping onto Bijou's shoulder.

"After the hunter pushed us over the cliff, we were able to get caught on a nearby branch. Luckily, Willow reached for a nearby root and used her magic to make it into a large plant." Gus went on to say.

"Impressive," Bijou exclaimed.

"And we may be children, but we're also witches. Powerful ones." Willow responded.

She swung her hands again, knocking one of the members away. The leader slashed a vine, while another vine grabbed another hunter's legs and threw him deep into the ground. While the demon hunters were distracted, the six ran to the house. They climbed the platform, Luz letting them in first before closing the door behind them.

"Everyone, hurry!" She called out, and they all joined hands to retake control of the house.

The demon hunter leader cut the vine with a spell circle. He looked up to see the house standing on two feet again after hearing a noise behind him.

"Uh..." He awkwardly lifted his eye patch, and the foot stepped on him.

"Ouch." Bijou flinched as she and Hazel looked out the window.

"Someone's going to be sore in the morning," Hazel added.

"Oh, no," Luz exclaimed as she looked out the window and saw the moon setting. "I don't mean to step on this victory, but we gotta get home before Eda does!"

Bijou checked the time on her phone, wondering where Eda was since it was late. They returned to the forest, leaving the defeated demon hunters behind. As he sat up, the leader groaned and rubbed the side of his head.

"King," Eda called out, as King was dressed in a small sailor uniform and did not appear pleased. Particularly since he was restrained by a ball and chain. "I'm sorry."

"King? Who's King?" he asked, crossing his arms. "I go by Little Bone Boy now."

"I know I have a problem; I get obsessed with Hexes Hold 'Em," she confessed.

"But I'm done with that stupid game. Look," she put a card in her mouth and ate it.

"You promise?" King asked, looking down at her. "I promise," she murmured, eliciting a laugh.

"Okay, okay," he said, slipping free of the chain and standing up. "I'll get you the elixir, and then we can get out of here," he said as he turned around.

"Bone Boy!" Tibbles exclaimed, coming to a halt when he noticed the pig demon in his path. "You will not do such a thing. The Emperor's Coven is already on its way to send this witch here to the Conformatorium, and I just rustled up some more clothes for you to try on," he said evilly, holding up a little knight outfit for King.

"Just because I have a model's body doesn't mean you can use me like this," King said, tossing his hat to the ground. They were approached by heavy footsteps.

"I can and I am, Bone Boy," Tibbles smugly crawled onto the table. "I've got the cards stacked against you."

Eda's eyes widened as she felt the tremors.

"And nothing can stop me. Nothing!"

The house then stepped onto his hand, safely dropping the elixir. Luz waved as she looked out the window. "Sorry, mister!"

Tibbles was horrified as Eda stood up and laughed, and King slipped away. Then she had an epiphany.

"Wait, w-was that my house?"

"Eda, quick!" King tossed the elixir to her, and it landed in her mouth, shocking Tibbles. She spit out the bottle and shook herself free, watching as her feathers molted right off her arm.

"Ha!"

"No, no, no! My scam stand!" exclaimed Tibbles.

"Sorry, Tibbles, old boy. Looks like you forgot about the wild card," she said as she tossed some cards at him.

"Curse you, witch!" he yelled, shaking his fist. "Curse you, Bone Boy. I'll have my revenge! Tibblet-Tibblie Grimm Hammer the Third will have his revenge!" His stand collapsed completely.

The house returned to its original location and life resumed as usual.

"Did we do it?" Luz asked, opening her eyes. The door opened to reveal Hooty, who had recovered from the moonlight magic but was still a little woozy.

"Is the room spinning or is it just me?" he mumbled. "Ah, just a little house humor. Whew!"

"Sorry about all that, Hooty," Luz said, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's okay. I'm just glad I was included."

"That was one wild night," Hazel remarked.

"It sure was. I'm just glad Eda and King didn't suspect anything." Bijou went on to say.

The door suddenly slammed shut, revealing King and Eda.

"Oh, boy," Luz exclaimed in terror.

"You are so busted!" Eda yelled at them.

"Oh, man."

"You held a moonlight conjuring."

"We did," Luz winced slightly.

"And you animated my house. My house!"

"Yes!"

"To be fair, Ms. Eda," Jackie protested, "we didn't intend to bring the house to life!"

"And me and Hazel had nothing to do with this," Bijou added

"Really?" Eda inquired.

"Yeah. We were just outside training until we saw the Owl House get up and walk away. We were only trying to get them to put it back," Hazel replied.

Eda's eyes narrowed as Willow, Jackie, and Gus moved in front of them.

"No," Willow said as she stood in front of the two. "Don't punish them. We're the ones who pushed them to do the conjuring."

Gus joined them on both sides. "If you're gonna eat me, just do it now. Do it now!"

"She won't eat you...I don't think," Bijou said quietly.

"Hey, you didn't have to do that," Luz said quietly to Willow.

"Yes, Luz. I did," Willow replied, smiling.

"Well, you're all guilty, so you'll all be punished by cleaning my house from top to bottom," she said, waving her finger and cleaning supplies appeared above their heads. When they fell, the five caught them, and she returned her gaze. "And another thing..."

Bijou looked at her friends, who were expecting another punishment, but she instead smiled.

"That was totally amazing! And I'm definitely joining you for next year's conjuring, Now get to work."

They bolted in a single file to avoid detection. "I can't believe they animated a whole house," King exclaimed, stunned.

"Yeah. You're right," Eda said as she looked at the two humans. "That takes some powerful magic."

"You know, I still kinda wish we got to show up Amity," Luz said as she wiped her brow with a mop.

"Yeah," Willow said as she sprayed the cabinet. "Too bad no one will know of our daring adventures."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Bijou said, perplexing them.

"What do you mean?" Jackie asked.

"Me and Hazel will always remember this crazy night," Bijou said while wiping the windows with Hazel.

"Yeah, because we had to chase you guys around," Hazel said as he helped Bijou.

The kids shared a laugh, and they continued to clean the Owl House. Little did they know is that Bijou couldn't be anymore right about other people remembering what happened with the walking house because...

At the Blight Manor...

A doll was in the middle of the group, and all of the girls were disappointed. They hadn't been able to bring it to life. Boscha mocked the bunny doll.

"So what if we couldn't move a doll? Now we have time for what really matters...Penstagram!"

They were scrolling through their social media accounts. Amity looked out the window, and Boscha exclaimed. The green-haired girl went over and looked behind her...to see the Owl House alive and well, controlled by Luz, Jackie, Willow, and Gus. Not to mention Bijou and Hazel attempting to scale one of the legs. On the internet, they were all well received.

"What?!" Amity and Boscha exclaimed together.

At the Emperor's Castle...

The Golden Guard sat on his bed, his gaze fixed on a scroll. He laughed as he saw the same pictures.

"Climbing up an animated house, huh? You're strangely intriguing, dear human..."

He finally snapped out of it. What did he say? She was brash and still outside the system. Despite this, he couldn't stop thinking about her lately. She had no idea what awaited her in the Boiling Isles. He looked out the window as he closed his scroll. Regardless of that... He anticipated seeing her again sooner or later.