January 9 was Severus's birthday. Pomona truly had no mood to think up any more creative ideas, so she went to the knitting club to learn how to hand-knit scarves from Leeds, planning to give him that Slytherin-green scarf.
The ruby necklace was still around Leeds's neck.
Perhaps noticing Pomona's gaze, Leeds pulled it out from beneath her collar.
"It's a protective charm. Barnaby said he made it himself."
It was a very ordinary magical item enchanted with a Hexagonal Deflection Charm. Bill's Portkey earrings had also been made by Barnaby himself. Barnaby had a pair of blue socks covered in stars, his lucky socks. Supposedly, he always had good luck whenever he wore them. Bill had become superstitious once too, carrying the fourth leaf of a clover on him.
Émilie Taylor had once mocked Bill's family's financial situation, and Charlie really did need a broomstick. Barnaby had merely brought over an old unused broom from his home, had Ben refurbish and maintain it, and gave it to Charlie.
Molly was delighted. She wrote Barnaby a letter to thank him for the gift, while Arthur gave him a bicycle.
Pomona felt Arthur had misunderstood. The boy flying on a bicycle was from a movie poster; it was not that Muggles had truly invented a flying bicycle. A group of wizards fiddled with the thing based on a completely mistaken understanding, and in the end it became Leeds's spinning wheel.
Bill himself felt that he had seen Émilie for what she really was, and did not dwell too much on the failed confession. He was still hesitating over whether to continue pursuing his own plan of becoming a Curse-Breaker or follow the professors' advice and enter another profession. Besides, Percy would be starting school next year, and he was very worried