Ron: Huh? Huh!

At night, the full moon hangs high in the sky.

On the Edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Harry and Ron trudged through the snow toward the Whomping Willow, leaving a long trail of footprints in the glistening snow.

"To be honest, this has been the most tiring Christmas I've ever had..." Ron panted heavily, hot breaths coming out of his mouth and nose and quickly dissipating.

"The Christmas holidays of the past two years haven't been easy either," Harry replied, glancing at the Marauder's Map unfolded in his hand.

"Quirrell was in the first year, and the Basilisk last year..." Ron's voice trailed off as he turned away from the topic and leaned in to look at the map with Harry. "Moony? What does that mean? When did Professor Lupin's name become Moony?"

On the worn, yellowed parchment, the small black dot that once marked Lupin Remus has now been replaced by a brief Moony.

Harry looked up at the full Full Moon in the sky, equally puzzled. "Moony? I know that's Professor Lupin's nickname. My dad is Prongs, Sirius Black is Padfoot, and the last one is Wormtail."

"So, this map returning to its rightful owner is actually a return to its rightful owner, right?"

Harry pursed his lips and didn't reply.

Following the map, the two headed straight for the Whomping Willow. The Whomping Willow wasn't far, about halfway from Hagrid's Hut. From the Castle, you could walk across the open space and along the path between the Greenhouse and the vegetable garden.

The leaves on this magical plant's branches all fell off the night before the first snow, leaving it bare. Unlike other trees in the Forbidden Forest, the branches of the Whomping Willow were free of snow.

When Harry and Ron arrived at the Whomping Willow, it was just as the Whomping Willow was shaking its branches to clear the snow. The long, sturdy branches shook rapidly, the willow twigs whipping through the air like whips, making a whistling sound and crunching noise, and snowballs fell to the ground and shattered.

Ron jumped in fright, whether from the cold or from being scared, he shivered and said, "Quick, check the map to see if there's any advice on how to deal with this tree. I don't want to be turned into mincemeat."

"I remember both Loren and Professor McGonagall mentioned that there's a knot on the Whomping Willow ..."

Harry compared the Whomping Willow with the markings on the map and was surprised to see that the little black dot representing Harry Potter suddenly turned into a little person. The little person took a few steps to the sketch of the Whomping Willow, jumped up and patted the knot on one of the branches of the Whomping Willow.

After glancing at the map and then at the snake-like branches, the two fell silent.

"We missed the good time, didn't we?" Ron muttered to himself. "If we had come while it was resting, we probably could have made it."

Harry sighed, somewhat disappointed.

Just a few minutes after the two were at a loss with the Whomping Willow, Ron suddenly took out his wand and used Levitation Charm on a small pebble under the roots of the Whomping Willow, manipulating the pebble to slip through the snake-like branches and press it onto the knot.

Suddenly, the Whomping Willow stopped moving, as if it had turned into stone.

"Well done, Ron!" Harry looked at the Whomping Willow with delight.

Ron's eyebrows practically shot out with smugness. "I knew it would work, just like Quidditch!"

Within seconds, the two rushed to the tree roots and crawled into a dark hole.

Great Hall, long table.

After Harry and the others left, the young wizards also left one after another. Professor McGonagall and Sybil parted on bad terms, and the other professors said goodnight to each other and then left as well.

Only Dumbledore and Snape remained.

The long table, which was full of people not long ago, is now empty. The colorful lights in the hall are still bright, but they now seem somewhat desolate.

"Firecrackers!" Dumbledore exclaimed excitedly, handing the end of a large silver firecracker to Snape.

Snape glanced at him dismissively; he hadn't played with such childish things since third grade. But for the holiday...

Snape reluctantly tugged at it.

Bang--

With a deafening bang like a cannon, the firecracker exploded, revealing a large, pointed Witch's hat topped with a specimen of a vulture.

Snape turned his head away in disgust, but Dumbledore didn't mind at all, and put it on his head with a smile, "How interesting. We were the first to leave at the thirteen-person party during the summer vacation, but now we're the last ones left. What do you think, Severus?"

Dumbledore shook his head, causing the vulture specimen on his hat to sway incessantly.

Snape: "..."

It's even more unbearable to watch now.

Snape pursed his lips and said in a slow, deliberate voice, "I didn't poison him; I just adjusted the formula of the Wolfsbane Potion."

Although Lupin's name wasn't mentioned, both men knew who he was referring to. Dumbledore casually dangled the vulture specimen on his hat. "Of course, Severus, I believe in you more than I believe in myself."

"..." Snape paused for a moment, then said, "Then perhaps you should go and check on those two little ones. Don't tell me you didn't notice, Dumbledore, they went out again not long after they came back from outside."

"Oh, Severus, it's holiday time now."

"I hope you'll say the same thing when that guy's identity is exposed." Snape chuckled. "If those two little brats find out that a gentle Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts is Werewolf, given his twisted and weak personality, he probably won't be able to stay at the school anymore."

"I know, Severus ..."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed, and he spoke softly, "But I also believe that if Remus entrusts his secret here, it's like planting a seed... so that when he begins his wanderings again, he will never be lost again."

Why not Morgan and Granger?

"I think it's probably because Harry doesn't know how to brew Wolfsbane Potion, and Ron doesn't care about the living conditions of Werewolf."

Snape frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore did not answer again, but instead shook the witch's hat on his head with great interest, causing the vulture specimen on the brim to sway incessantly.

Smack, smack—

Click, click—

Harry and Ron had just emerged from the dark tunnel when they heard strange noises coming from the attic.

The eerie sound made Ron stiffen. He trembled and whispered, "Don't you think that sound is like a ferocious beast normally gnawing on a human body? Professor Lupin... he... he couldn't have been killed, could he?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Harry was also a little flustered.

Using the faint moonlight to unfold the Marauder's Map, they confirmed that only Moony was upstairs, which made the two even more panicked.

Deploying their Invisibility Cloak to conceal themselves, Harry and Ron climbed the stairs, eventually spotting the source of the eerie noise at a dining table—

Two triangular, erect ears perched on its head, its back arched, and its entire body covered in tough, gray, stiff fur. Its thick, long tail swept constantly. It was engrossed in gnawing on something on the table, and the eerie sound was coming from there, its heavy, panting breaths tugging at the hearts of the two people.

At the same time, the ferocious beast seemed to sense something, turning its head. Bone fragments remained between the teeth of its bloody maw. The wolf sniffed the air, its green eyes looking at Harry and Ron, who were hiding under the Invisibility Cloak.

"Damn it..." Ron slowly opened his mouth wide, his eyes gradually becoming vacant.

Damn it, I'd rather be beaten into mincemeat by Whomping Willow.

If eaten by wolves, there probably wouldn't even be any bones left; everything would turn into excrement that's hard to imagine!

I, Ron Weasley, haven't even taken over the team yet, haven't become Prefect, haven't become chairman, and I'm about to die on Christmas Eve!

Just as Ron was lost in his fantasies, the wolf suddenly tilted its head and asked in a very familiar voice, "Harry?"

"Huh? Ah!"

On December 26, light snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

Grandpa Bates disappeared early this morning; I don't know where he went to play.

Wendell and Monica were invited to a client's party. They spent most of the day getting dressed in dresses and skirts, then took them off and put on heavy down jackets before driving off, saying they would change back into them when they arrived.

After all that commotion, Hermione and Loren were exhausted and silently prayed for the poor adults.

For dinner, we had rice pudding made by Loren. The leftover beef and lamb from Christmas Sectumsempra shredded into strips, drizzled with a tangy and salty tomato soup. With each spoonful, the rice grains were infused with the aroma of meat and the broth, and we swallowed them without much chewing.

Hermione initially thought she had made too much, but before she knew it, she had finished the whole plate.

Hermione inhaled and tensed her abdominal muscles, glanced at Loren who was eating while reading the newspaper, then subtly pressed her lower abdomen before slumping down in dejection.

Never mind, I'll indulge myself during the Christmas holidays and it shouldn't be a problem to eat a little more.

The television not far away was broadcasting the evening news from a British broadcasting company, similar to the Daily Prophet, mostly featuring Christmas celebrations in various places, as well as some funny stories about people doing silly things during the holidays.

However, as one of the major media outlets in the England, it's clear that this British broadcaster is trying its best to produce some serious news.

Six o'clock news. "According to observations from the Greenwich Observatory, debris from Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which orbits Jupiter, is steadily approaching the Jupiter. The comet's discoverers, Eugene and Carrow Shoemaker, are certain that once Shoemaker-Levy 9, captured by Jupiter's gravity, breaks through its maximum distance, it will collide with Jupiter's surface at an astonishing speed—a spectacle never before directly observed by humankind... Many Astronomy predict the impact will occur next year..."

After finishing the last spoonful of risotto and the last sip of cola in his glass, Loren let out a satisfied burp.

Hermione glanced at the Coke bottle on the table; there was still a little over half a cup left. But then she felt her bloated stomach and could only look away sadly.

Hermione frowned and looked at Loren: "Drinking like this is bad for your teeth and digestion."

"Hmm, and then what?"

Loren didn't even look up, continuing to flip through the jokes about stupid wizards in the Daily Prophet.

Hermione felt even worse.

When Loren finished reading the newspaper and looked up, Hermione had already tidied up the messy Kitchen and dining table with her wand and was staring blankly at the last bit of cola in front of her.

"Don't worry, it won't be wasted." Loren picked up the Coke bottle, tilted his head back, and chugged it down, laughing heartily, "Look, not a drop is left."

Hermione remained expressionless, her gaze following the movement of the Coke bottle.

"By the way, let's go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy Mandrake Leaf. We've been waiting for news from Gringotts but haven't gotten any results."

"..."

"If we encounter danger, we can just Apparition away..." Loren noticed the seemingly naive girl and asked hesitantly, "What do you think?"

"..."

Hermione? Hermione?

"I understand!" the girl replied indignantly.

The next day, after lunch, the two went out together and teleported directly from the garage to the alley next to the Potions supplies store in Diagon Alley.

During the festival, the streets of Diagon Alley are adorned with colorful ribbons. Although many shops are closed, those that are open have a Christmas decorated with all sorts of magical ornaments.

At the entrance of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, there were even Fairy carrying bellflowers to attract customers. The soft, colorful light shone through the small bellflower flowers, and the little Fairy would shake them from time to time, shaking off the sparkling pollen from the stamens. It was a beautiful sight.

The signboard of the Potions supply shop was covered in grime. It took Loren quite a while to make out the words "Slug & Giggs" from the black stains.

Pushing open the door, one enters a bizarre place filled with all sorts of strange things. Rows of barrels of viscous substance lie on the floor, while jars of powders and herbs flank the walls. Bundles of feathers, sharp teeth, and claws hang from the ceiling.

The entire pharmacy smelled awful, like a mixture of rotten eggs and decaying vegetables. The two quickly bought ten packets of Mandrake Leaf and rushed out of the pharmacy, breathing heavily.

Cold air rushed into his nasal cavity, making his head even colder than his throat. Loren covered the sides of his nose, trying to warm it up. "No, my nose has been attacked by magic!"

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle, even though her nose was bright red. "Let's find somewhere to get something hot, how about trying the Leaky Cauldron's Butterbeer?"

"Agree!"

As they entered the Leaky Cauldron, before they could even shake the snowflakes off their clothes and hats, they saw familiar figures sitting at a small table in the corner on the right side of the bar—three professors.

"Your Violet Water— " Mr. Tom, the bar owner, handed over a shallow champagne glass with his large fingers, only letting out a sigh of relief after setting it down steadily. "By Merlin, Minerva, and even ghosts, they can't imagine how difficult it is to find a clean glass for Violet Water in my bar."

Professor McGonagall laughed and said, "I knew you could do it."

"Yes, yes!" Tom smiled and looked at Professor Flitwick beside him. "And you, Filius, what would you like to drink?"

"A soda with ice and Umbrella Snail Cherry Syrup Soda, please!"

"What? No, no, the Leaky Cauldron doesn't have that!" Tom deliberately put on a stern face. "If you ask me, how about Gamp's Old Firewhisky?"

Upon hearing this, even the most serious Snape couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth and reveal a faint smile.

——

Note: After the International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Act was implemented in 1692, the then Minister for Magic Uric Gamp, made an exception and allowed the Leaky Cauldron to continue operating as a safe haven and sanctuary for members of the magical community.

Although he insisted on using many powerful concealment spells and required all patrons of the pub to behave properly, Gamp actually understood the wizards' psychological need to vent during this difficult time. He also went further, allowing people to enter Diagon Alley from their backyard, as the shops behind the Leaky Cauldron also needed protection at that time.

Out of gratitude, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron brewed a new beer— Gamp's Old Firewhisky. It was so bad that even with the reward of 100 Galleon, no one could manage a pint.