Christmas Gift

The biting November wind swept through Hogwarts' towers, but the atmosphere within the castle was gradually replaced by a warm and excited anticipation—Christmas was fast approaching. Holly and mistletoe garlands began to hang in the corridors, and the suits of armor were enchanted to occasionally hum off-key Christmas carols. For most students, this was a time to reunite with family, and the Great Hall buzzed with conversations about holiday plans.

Yet, this festive atmosphere pricked at Tom Riddle's carefully maintained calm like invisible needles. When Abraxas Malfoy casually mentioned returning to his family estate in Wiltshire for a Christmas dinner attended by high-ranking Ministry officials; when Billius Black excitedly chattered about the Christmas tree at the Black family manor, decorated with real goblin lights, Tom's hands would clench beneath his robes.

He had nowhere to go. Wood Orphanage? That had never been a home, merely a mire he needed to escape. Hogwarts was good, but during the holidays, it would become empty, a stark reminder of his deep-seated alienation from this world. This feeling of "belonging nowhere" burned his proud heart more than any curse.

Ares noticed Tom's growing gloom. He could see Tom's eyes become hollow and cold when he was alone, and the fluctuations in his magic power carried a restless sharpness. Ares knew he had to do something, or Tom might be pushed to even more paranoid extremes by this loneliness and envy.

Meanwhile, Ares himself faced a dilemma. A new quest flickered on the System's quest list:

[Special Holiday Quest: Giving and Bonds]

[Quest Requirements: Give the target person a unique Christmas gift that touches their heart.]

[Quest Rewards: Bond Value greatly increased, Mysterious Gift Box (Blood Pact related) x1.]

A gift that could touch Tom Riddle's heart? This was harder than deciphering an ancient Runic script puzzle. Money, flashy decorations—none of these could reach the depths of his soul.

Time slipped away amidst busy revision and Tom's increasingly evident low mood. On the last day before the Christmas break, most students had already left, and the Great Hall felt empty and desolate. At dinner, even the teachers' table had many empty seats.

In the evening, only a handful of people remained in the Slytherin common room. The pale green flames in the fireplace crackled, casting the shadows of creatures swimming in the lake onto the stone walls like dancing claws. Tom sat alone in an armchair far from the others, a copy of Advanced Spell Theory open before him, but he clearly wasn't reading, his gaze fixed on empty space, his jawline taut.

Ares walked over and sat in the chair opposite him.

Tom looked up, casting a cold glance at him. "What is it?" His voice was more indifferent than usual.

Ares didn't answer. Instead, he took a small, flat, rectangular package, carefully wrapped in dark green silk with silver trim, from an inner pocket of his robes and placed it on the low table between them.

Tom's gaze fell on the package, his brow furrowing slightly. "What is this?"

"A Christmas gift," Ares said calmly.

Tom froze. He clearly hadn't expected to receive a gift, especially from Ares. He stared at the package, his eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny, as if it were a cursed box needing to be deciphered.

"Open it," Ares gestured.

Tom hesitated, then finally reached out. His movements were deliberately slow and cautious. The silk was carefully unwrapped, revealing not the expensive magical item he might have imagined, but a thick, hand-bound book with a cover of black dragon hide (rough in texture, clearly not top-quality).

On the cover of the book, there was no title. Instead, a complex symbol, interwoven with chains and stars, was drawn in a silver ink he had never seen before, yet found inexplicably familiar—Ares had imitated some of the patterns from the Twin Soul Key, combined with Runic script, to symbolize "connection" and "secrets."

Tom flipped the book open with a puzzled expression.

The contents made his breath catch.

The first half of the book contained extremely detailed notes about Hogwarts Castle. Not just maps (though there were some hand-drawn ones marking secret passages and suspicious areas), but more importantly, observational records. Which portraits dozed off at specific times, the movement patterns of certain staircases, the patrol routes and preferred times of groundskeeper Pringle and Filch, which abandoned classrooms or empty rooms were rarely visited... every detail, as if gathered by a ghost wandering the castle for years. For Tom, who craved to explore the castle's secrets and engage in clandestine activities, this information was invaluable.

The latter half was even more astonishing. It was a compilation of magical knowledge, beyond the first-year curriculum, that Ares had organized based on the System and his own understanding. It included deeper analyses of the energy structures of existing spells, insights into casting techniques, as well as his thoughts and speculations on the nature of magic gleaned from ancient scrolls and vault books. It even included several ancient Runic scripts labeled "high risk, use with caution" and estimations of their potential effects. Tucked within one page was a dried, oddly shaped leaf, with a note beside it: "Hypothesis on the periodic quietness of the Whomping Willow."

This was more than just a notebook. It was the crystallization of Ares's observations, thoughts, and secret research over the past few months. It was the most precious gift he could offer—sharing his "kingdom," sharing the "wisdom" that sustained him and propelled him forward.

Tom turned the pages, his fingers trembling slightly from the force. His face first showed shock, then disbelief, and finally, all his emotions settled into a profound, complex stirring. He looked up at Ares, his dark eyes churning with an unprecedented depth. There were no false pleasantries, no calculated assessments, only a shock that truly touched his soul.

He understood the weight of this gift. It was more precious than any expensive broom or magical artifact. It was understanding, trust, and a declaration of an unreserved alliance.

"...Why?" Tom's voice was hoarse. He rarely asked such direct questions.

Ares looked at him, his heterochromatic eyes clear as crystal in the firelight. "We agreed, together."

Three simple words held all the answers. From the rainy night at Wood Orphanage, to the bustle of Diagon Alley, to this common room beneath the Black Lake, they had always been together.

Tom was silent for a long time. He closed the book, clutching it tightly, his knuckles white. Then, he did something that surprised even Ares. He also took something out from his robes and placed it next to the notebook.

It was a small, dark wooden box, carved from smooth, dark wood. The craftsmanship wasn't exquisite, even a bit rough, but the carver's effort was evident. The box had no decorations on its surface, except for a tiny, snake-like mark etched along the edge, similar to the texture of Tom's yew wand.

"For you," Tom's voice was still a bit stiff. He looked away, seemingly unaccustomed to such an act of giving.

Ares picked up the small wooden box and opened it. Inside, lined with black velvet, lay a brooch. The brooch's design was extremely unique—not a Hogwarts house crest, but an abstract bird, interwoven with silver metal and dark enamel. Half of its wings were bright silver, outstretched as if embracing the light; the other half were deep dark, with tiny star-like specks, retracted, holding mystery. The bird's head was slightly turned, its two eyes inlaid with tiny gemstones, one sapphire blue, the other grayish-black.

This clearly symbolized Ares himself—a symbiosis of light and darkness.

A faint magical fluctuation emanated from the brooch—a defensive spell. Though not yet powerful, it was extremely intricate, clearly the result of countless secret practice sessions by Tom.

This gift, too, was imbued with observation, understanding, and... heart.

Ares looked at the brooch, a warmth surging through him. He carefully pinned it to the collar of his school robes. The silver and dark bird looked exceptionally striking and harmonious against the dark green fabric.

[Ding! Special Holiday Quest: Giving and Bonds Completed!]

[Bond Value greatly increased! Current Level: Unbreakable Symbiosis.]

[Reward: Mysterious Gift Box (Blood Pact related) x1 has been sent to your System space.]

Tom watched the brooch gleam on Ares's robe, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards almost imperceptibly before quickly returning to its usual straight line. He didn't say "thank you," and Ares didn't need him to. They had long surpassed the need for words.

The flames in the fireplace burned quietly, and a giant squid swam slowly past the bottom of the lake, casting a massive shadow. In the empty common room, two boys with nowhere to go exchanged their most precious "kingdoms" and "understandings." This Christmas, though lacking the family gatherings by the hearth or the Christmas tree piled high with gifts, under the interwoven silver and green shadows of the Slytherin common room, a stronger, deeper bond was quietly born.

Could this bond withstand the greater storms and darkness of the future? No one knew. But at least for this moment, it was real and warm, like a ray of light piercing the deep waters of the Black Lake and illuminating the Eternal Cycle wand.