Arrival at The Burrow

A flicker of surprise crossed Wes's face, and his brow furrowed slightly. He had not expected to be invited to spend Christmas with the Weasley family.

"Inviting me to spend Christmas at your house?" he repeated, a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

The twin brothers, Fred and George, immediately broke into bright smiles when they heard Wes's question.

"Mum heard about how we behaved at school this year," Fred said excitedly.

"We didn't cause any trouble at school," George added proudly.

"She knows we've been studying alchemy with you," Fred continued.

"And she wants to thank you," George concluded.

After speaking, the twins looked at Wes together, their eyes full of anticipation as they waited for his answer.

After spending some time with them, Wes had already grown used to this rapid-fire way of communicating.

"Christmas?" Wes murmured softly.

Wes had always lived a solitary life, throwing himself wholeheartedly into magical research and never forming any deep connections with others.

This was the first invitation he had ever received in his life, and to him, it was undoubtedly a novel and unique experience.

Besides, Wes had always been curious about Mr. Weasley's creatively modified car.

"All right, why not?"

In the end, Wes agreed. Watching the twins leap up excitedly, the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile.

Then he asked, "Do I need to prepare anything?"

"You don't need anything," the twins answered in unison, their smiles becoming even brighter.

"Mum will definitely be thrilled."

As they spoke, they skipped away, their cheerful figures like two lively little birds.

They could not wait to tell Mrs. Weasley the good news.

Wes had no intention of visiting empty-handed, so he spent quite some time carefully choosing gifts.

He considered every gift with care, striving to make sure they suited the Weasley family's tastes while also conveying his sincerity.

At last, the Christmas holiday arrived.

Wes sat in the same compartment with the Weasley children and Hermione.

A cheerful atmosphere filled the compartment. Wes had bought the children a pile of sweets, their colorful wrappers glittering in the sunlight.

Ginny was somewhat shy. She sat quietly in the corner, occasionally sneaking glances at Wes, this unfamiliar stranger.

Percy, on the other hand, was very friendly. He took the initiative to speak with Wes, though his words and mannerisms made Wes feel that he was putting on airs a little.

Percy tried hard to act like an adult, making every movement seem mature and composed. Yet his deliberate performance only revealed the childishness within.

Hermione, meanwhile, was like a talking encyclopedia, constantly asking Wes a whole barrage of questions.

Ron could not help complaining, "Can't even sweets keep your mouth shut?"

After Hermione shot him a glare, Ron hurriedly stuffed a piece of chocolate into his mouth in fright, and his flustered appearance made everyone burst out laughing.

Before long, the train arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The moment he got off the train, Wes saw Mrs. Weasley waving warmly at them.

Her face was lit by a warm smile.

Ginny happily jumped down from the train and, like a little bird returning to its nest, threw herself into Mrs. Weasley's arms.

Having been away from home for so long for the first time, Ginny's longing for her mother surged like a tide.

Mrs. Weasley gently stroked Ginny's little head again and again, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes.

"We meet again, Wes."

Arthur strode over and gave Wes a warm, sincere hug, holding him tightly. "Fred and George must have caused you quite a lot of trouble."

"Hello, Mr. Weasley," Wes replied politely.

"Call me Arthur..." Arthur said with a smile.

"Arthur." After Wes changed how he addressed him, Arthur's smile grew even brighter.

"Fred and George are very clever boys. They have extraordinary talent in alchemy."

Hearing Wes's praise, the twins proudly raised their heads and deliberately put on haughty expressions.

Their exaggerated faces made everyone laugh.

Hermione also met up with her parents, and after exchanging blessings, they went their separate ways.

Wes had originally wanted to try the Flying car, but unfortunately, it had already been confiscated by the Ministry of Magic. He felt a little regretful about that.

When they arrived at the Weasley family's home—The Burrow—a crooked, four-story house came into view.

The house looked as though it might collapse at any moment, giving off a precarious, teetering impression.

Outside was a large garden, and Wes spotted several Goblins inside. They darted busily through the garden, adding a touch of life and vitality to it.

There was another shed, filled with various tools and odds and ends.

The moment they entered the house, everyone impatiently took off their coats. The warmth inside stood in sharp contrast to the cold outside.

However, there were too many people in the Weasley family, making the house rather noisy.

Ron eagerly tried to be the first upstairs, only to be stopped by the twins.

They shoved each other around, mischievous grins on their faces.

Taking advantage of her small size, Ginny nimbly squeezed through the gap between her three brothers, her agile figure making everyone laugh.

After a chaotic scramble, everyone finally got their luggage put away.

Mrs. Weasley began busying herself with dinner preparations, while several of the children ran over to help.

However, they were so clumsy that they either knocked over plates or spilled seasonings, only adding to Mrs. Weasley's workload.

Arthur stood to one side, somewhat helpless. He shrugged resignedly.

He was not good at cooking and could only fret uselessly from the sidelines.

Wes was much the same. Faced with the bustle of the kitchen, he looked somewhat at a loss.

But he had an all-purpose butler. Whenever he needed something, the butler could always solve all sorts of problems for him.

Wes opened the leather case, and Jandi stepped out of it.

No one was particularly curious about Jandi. House-elves were not rare creatures in the wizarding world.

The Weasley family was greatly intrigued by Wes's magical leather case, especially Arthur and the twin brothers.

They gathered around the leather case, carefully examining this unusual magical item.

As someone deeply interested in Magic Items, Arthur's eyes were full of admiration for this high-end magical tool.

The twin brothers, Fred and George, had their curiosity completely ignited. They took turns stroking the leather case, trying to uncover more of its secrets.

Seeing their interest, Wes generously handed the leather case to them so they could inspect it more closely.

"Oh, Merlin's beard! This is dragon hide!"

Fred's cry instantly drew everyone's attention. His fingers lightly brushed over the surface of the leather case, and its texture and warmth convinced him that he was right.

"Dragon hide?"

George, who was closest, snatched the case away and stared at it wide-eyed.

The others crowded over as well, all of them drawn in by the magical leather case.

Arthur appeared far more professional. He took out a pair of glasses and carefully inspected every corner of the leather case. He knew that dragon hide was an extremely precious material, and being able to use it to make a magical leather case was, in itself, an extraordinary craft.

"It really is dragon hide," Arthur concluded after examining it for a while.

"How many Galleons must this be worth?" Ron's eyes gleamed, and he was practically drooling.

Countless Galleons appeared in his mind as he imagined what it would be like to possess such wealth.

"We couldn't afford it even if we sold our whole house," Percy said in amazement. "Do professors really earn that much?"

"What professor has that kind of money?" Wes shrugged. "My funds all came from selling off treasures I found during my adventures."

"It took quite a bit of effort to make this leather case."

Whenever Wes thought of the money he had spent gathering the materials to make the leather case, his heart ached a little.

"Professor, what's inside the leather case?"

Everyone was very curious about what Wes kept in such a valuable case.

"A secret." Seeing that Wes did not want to say, the Weasley family did not press him.

They knew that everyone had their own secrets, and respecting others' privacy was a virtue.

"Dinner is ready," Mrs. Weasley's voice called from the kitchen.

The small dining table was packed with people. Everyone laughed and chatted, and the atmosphere was very warm.

Mrs. Weasley was delighted to have a guest in the house this year, but her eldest son Bill and second son Charlie had been unable to return because of work, which left her somewhat disappointed.

Dinner was lavish, the table covered with all kinds of delicious food, clearly prepared to entertain Wes. However, no matter how much food there was, it was quickly swept clean by four teenage boys in the prime of their growth.

They were like little wolves that had been starving for ages.

Mrs. Weasley was delighted. "It looks like I'll have to prepare more for tomorrow's Christmas feast."