Christmas Gifts

In December, Hogwarts was blanketed in snow.

The heavy snow, like goose feathers, fell upon the ancient, majestic castle, making it appear as a breathtaking winter painting from afar.

Gemini's life had also returned to a state of calm. Without any messy, melodramatic plot twists, he was living a peaceful and serene campus life.

On the last Saturday before Christmas, Gemini visited Hogsmeade.

The snow on the ground came up to his knees. Gemini was slurping down a spicy and sour noodle cup, wandering back and forth along the streets of Hogsmeade village.

Hogwarts' lunch today was toast, beet salad, and milk tea for drinks – all sweet dishes…

Even though Gemini had grown accustomed to British eating habits, he found this difficult to accept. In both his past and present lives, he was a staunch supporter of spicy food. Being able to tolerate bland British cuisine was already his limit.

In reality, British food wasn't as outrageous as rumored. Many traditional British dishes actually tasted quite good. For example, Gemini's favorite was baked potatoes, known as "Jacket Potatoes" in Britain. Although they were baked, the baking process was quite particular, and there were many ways to eat them.

However, the variety of British dishes was limited. Eating the same things repeatedly could become tiresome, unlike in China, where you could eat Chongqing food for a lifetime and never get bored.

So, Gemini couldn't be blamed for being picky today. A staunch supporter of spicy food had endured British cuisine for so many years, and now they were being fed sweets directly. Anyone would find it unbearable.

Fortunately, Britain still had chili peppers, peppercorns, black pepper, and mustard. While not truly spicy, they were at least edible. Otherwise, Gemini might have even considered immigrating to France…

"Slurp—Ah~"

After finishing the last sip of soup, Gemini casually tossed the cup noodle container into a nearby trash can. Snape, standing by the entrance of Devis & Banes, seemed to be blind, completely ignoring the first-year student who had ventured into Hogsmeade without permission.

Students in the first and second years were prohibited from leaving the school grounds during term time. Even students in the third year and above needed guardian signatures to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.

Therefore, Gemini's actions could be considered quite audacious…

Two figures, one tall and one short, passed each other. Neither Gemini nor Snape greeted the other.

It was one thing for Snape to turn a blind eye to him, but if Gemini had gone up to greet him, it would have been too arrogant, essentially no different from provocation…

In fact, it wasn't just Snape. Gemini had also coincidentally bumped into Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout earlier. Professor Flitwick immediately looked up at the sky, saying, "The snow today is so beautiful—"

Professor Sprout cheerfully looked up, "Yes, yes…"

And then the two of them walked past Gemini…

After spending enough time at Hogwarts, one would realize it was a very warm place.

For instance, Professor Flitwick always liked to buy sweets and distribute them to students, always giving Gemini a few extra pieces, which was why Gemini had never told him that he actually didn't like sweets.

For example, almost all the new dishes released by the Hogwarts kitchens were developed by Professor Sprout. She had also invited Gemini to her small tea parties on several occasions. It was said that most of the attendees were girls, and there was plenty of delicious food…

The professors' leniency towards Gemini was not without reason. Earlier that morning, they had seen Gemini applying to Professor McGonagall to go to Hogsmeade to buy some Christmas presents.

He was then sternly refused by Professor McGonagall. Finally, Professor McGonagall had repeatedly warned Gemini, saying she was very busy lately and would be in her office grading assignments all day, forbidding Gemini from wandering off. She warned that if she didn't see Gemini at dinner, he would be in trouble.

However, in reality, Professor McGonagall, who was supposed to be grading assignments in her office, was currently sitting in a private room on the second floor of the Three Broomsticks, leisurely sipping afternoon tea.

She had seen Gemini outside through the window long ago…

As the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall had always been a very serious person. Given her position, she had to treat all students equally. If she had agreed to let Gemini go out, it would have meant she couldn't refuse requests from other students, which would have been detrimental to her management.

But if Gemini had snuck out on his own, it was fine. After all, she didn't need to worry about this child's safety. She had noticed it when examining the troll and the three-headed dog carcasses earlier; Gemini had kicked the troll's head clean off! The troll's skull still bore the imprint of Gemini's heel…

"How much for a spyglass?"

Inside Devis & Banes, Gemini was examining a beautifully packaged spyglass on the shelf.

This was a shop specializing in magical equipment. All sorts of magical devices could be bought here, from celestial models and Dark Arts defense equipment to even Quidditch maintenance supplies.

"12 Galleons," the bearded owner said gruffly. "If it's a Christmas gift, I can also package it and mail it out for free."

Although the spyglass at the Weapon Shop only cost 10 Galleons, Gemini still chose not to buy it from there. Gifts, which were meant to convey thoughtfulness, were best purchased from a dedicated shop to add a sense of ceremony. Besides, he wasn't short of a few coins.

Gemini paid for the spyglass.

"Where should I send it, kid?"

"Hogwarts, to Severus Snape."

"Buying it for your Head of House?" The bearded owner glanced at the green scarf Gemini was wearing. "Though it might be a bit presumptuous of me to say, he won't give you a pleasant look even if you give him a gift."

"Ha… you're right," Gemini said, shrugging helplessly.

He didn't care about Snape's attitude towards him. However, since Snape had been tutoring him privately for so long, he felt he should express his gratitude.

He casually picked up a copper cauldron from a nearby shelf and handed it to the bearded owner. "Add a cauldron, too."

"Thank you for your patronage. That will be fifteen Galleons and five Sickles in total," the beaming shop owner said. "Anything else? The renowned Mr. Fox?"

"A wand care kit, the latest model. Could you give me two extra bottles of care solution?"

"Ah! Of course, child!" The bearded shop owner took out an exquisite gift box from a shelf and added two bottles of care solution.

The so-called care solution was actually a lubricant-like substance made from cypress oil, which could polish wands. For dueling enthusiasts, the wand care kit was their favorite item.

"This is also a Christmas gift. Please send it to Professor Flitwick."

"As you wish," the bearded shop owner's smile grew even brighter. "Are you getting Christmas gifts for all four Heads of House?"

"Yes," Gemini nodded. "The Heads of House have taken good care of me."

"It's only natural for teachers to look after their students, child. You've already spent a lot of money," the bearded shop owner advised. "Perhaps you could buy something cheaper. Generally, no students come to me to buy things…"

Gemini shook his head. "I don't take others' kindness for granted. I don't have much of a connection with them, so regardless of the reason, their taking care of me is a favor, and not doing so is their duty. They can disregard it, but I cannot, because I am the one receiving the care. This is my principle in life."

"Ha!" the bearded owner laughed, "Principles of being a person! That's right! I knew that Rita Skeeter, that wicked woman, never had good intentions. You're nothing like what the papers say, and I admire you for that."

"Then can you give me a fifty percent discount?"

"But the papers wouldn't just make things up out of thin air."

Gemini: "..."

Where was the sincerity between people?

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