A Not-So-Peaceful Christmas Eve

The next day was also Christmas Eve. Christmas baubles and light strips were hung in front of every house, and the lawns were decorated with many gifts or small fir trees.

When Harry went outside, he was surprised to see Uncle Mu En shoveling snow.

As Harry approached, he heard Uncle Mu En muttering to himself.

"I wonder if Saint Nicholas can fight... If he were in this era... I'd rob all his wraps..."

Harry felt a bit embarrassed. Saint Nicholas was the legendary Santa Claus, and also a very famous wizard.

"Uncle Mu En," Harry greeted him.

Mu En looked up and nodded. "Merry Christmas Eve." He then handed the snow shovel directly to Harry and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, there's no holiday."

"I understand," Harry said, taking the snow shovel with a smile and starting to work.

"Hurry up and shovel the snow, then we'll decorate the house after breakfast," Mu En said before walking into the house.

Not long after, he reappeared, dressed, and instructed Harry outside the door, "I'm going to Diagon Alley."

With that, his figure disappeared from Harry's sight.

Half an hour later, when he reappeared, he brought many Christmas decorations commonly used by wizards, as well as a lot of candy.

In the evening, the entire castle had been transformed. Lucifer had parked the castle on a mountaintop, and snowflakes continuously fell, adorning the castle with caps.

Inside the castle, it was warm and peaceful. Roasted chicken, sizzling with oil, exuded fragrance through its golden, crispy skin. Various other delicacies were also placed on the table.

"To magic," Mu En raised his cup first, clinking it with Harry.

"By the way, Uncle Mu En, the castle has been moving for so long, where are we going?" Harry asked.

"Lorland Village," Mu En replied. "It's a village in the Scandinavian Mountains, inhabited by half-wizards and half-ordinary people."

Lucifer added from the cupboard, "We're almost there, about a day's journey left."

The castle's movement speed was not fast; most of the time, it proceeded slowly like a leisurely old man, just like Lucifer's lazy demeanor.

Anyway, no one was in a hurry.

"Why are we going there?" Harry asked curiously.

Mu En smiled. "That village is said to have a history of a thousand years. Perhaps there are some ancient inheritances related to Runic there."

Hearing this, Harry immediately recalled the introduction to Runic.

Runic script was a very important branch of ancient magical scripts. In the Ancient Runes elective course at Hogwarts in the third year, Runic was included in the curriculum.

Legend has it that in Germanic mythology, Runic was the wisdom that the All-Father Odin obtained from the Fountain of Wisdom at the cost of his right eye.

He then hung himself on a tree for nine days and nine nights, contemplating the wisdom of Runic day and night. When he descended from the tree, he had comprehended Runic script.

People also gained magical power by learning this script.

"Of course, it's just a probability, not a guarantee. My original intention was to go south because the climate there would be warmer and more pleasant, but this village happened to be on the way," Mu En added.

Just then, Lucifer suddenly rose.

Before Harry could react, the castle's main door was smashed open with a bang!

Instantly, the peaceful and serene atmosphere of the entire castle was shattered by the howling wind of the snowy night on the mountaintop, and snowflakes surged in.

"Who dares to smash my door!!" Lucifer instantly unleashed a massive flame, causing the entire castle's flame pipes to wail, and fire snakes spewed directly from the chimney.

"Oh, what is this... magical creation?" a sharp, ancient voice came from the darkness outside the door.

"It's too cold outside, can we come in and sit for a while?" another different, unpleasant voice sounded.

Before anyone could speak, Harry saw the newcomers.

They were a group of short figures with pointed noses and long fingers – Goblins.

"Strange," Mu En said, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the group of Goblins at the door. "Are you an illegal Goblin organization?"

"Illegal? Heh, you're wearing a cat's head. I don't want to talk to you much," the Goblin said, looking at Mu En with a mixture of confusion and disdain.

"Who are they?" Harry asked Mu En, looking uncertainly.

Mu En slightly raised his head, gesturing for Harry to look at their hands.

As Goblins, they were holding wands belonging to human wizards. Harry immediately understood their origins.

After the Second Goblin War, some Goblins accepted the Ministry of Magic's amnesty and established Gringotts. Some Goblins operated in the gray areas, becoming free agents.

And some...

Formed illegal Goblin organizations with the intention of restoring their nation. In fact, they, along with other demi-human groups like Giants, Werewolves, and Bloodline races, were recruited by Voldemort with the aim of overthrowing the wizarding world.

Harry frowned, looking at the Goblins entering with an unfriendly expression.

Mu En's nose twitched, and he could already smell the blood on them.

"Are you from Lorland Village?" Mu En asked the Goblins.

Unexpectedly, a Goblin pushed through the crowd from behind and stepped forward. He had a fierce look on his face, filled with hatred.

"Enough talk! Those Vikings are about to attack. Let's quickly secure this place, cast an invisibility spell, and hide for a while," the Goblin said directly.

As soon as it finished speaking, a spell shot straight towards Harry.

"Looks like we have extremists," Mu En sighed, and then its figure disappeared.

It reappeared in front of the spell, pushing its hand forward slightly. An invisible shield appeared, nullifying the spell.

Then, Mu En swept its hand horizontally. Instantly, a powerful force surged from the house, sending all the Goblins flying.

By the time Harry snapped out of it, the house was already empty.

Outside the castle, on the mountaintop!

In the blizzard, Mu En's clothes flapped in the wind. Its eyes narrowed into vertical slits, and for it, the night was as bright as day.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A green light shot directly at Mu En. It was the same Goblin that had attacked earlier, now looking at Mu En with a ferocious, triumphant expression.

Mu En shifted its position slightly in the air, then casually glanced at the surrounding Goblins.

"I'm wondering why you don't just teleport away," it said softly, then shook its head.

"Never mind... I haven't really had a chance to try out some of the things I figured out from Thales's Manuscript a few months ago..."

As it spoke, it slowly raised its hands, and balls of black energy began to swirl between them.

Thales, the foremost of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece, was the first wizard in ancient Greek magical history to have a recorded name. He founded the Milesian School, also known as the Ionian School.

In an era when spellcasters were crudely exploring the laws of the world, Thales, in a groundbreaking manner, was the first to distinguish, analyze, and anchor a single set of laws from the infinite expanse of the stars.

[Water]

And he proposed the controversial theory that "All things originate from water."

Mu En's eyes were pitch black, like an abyss. In the sky, the snow had stopped at some point, but the dark clouds, like a collapsing heaven, had not dispersed, and the wind grew more violent, like a bone-scraping steel knife.

Some Goblins trembled in place, their feet shaking. Others, bolder ones, tried to escape or attack the towering figure.

Mu En closed its hands, and the swirling black clouds in its palms vanished. However, everyone knew that the thunderclouds remained, High above in the sky!!

As it pressed its hands down, it slowly chanted the incantation:

[Storm and Rain]

Storm and Rain—