Christmas Eve

Before leaving, Sagreles and Nightingale briefly explored the ruins.

The place was clearly ancient. Nightingale's boots crushed across lichen-speckled stone bricks, and the glow from her wand startled a swarm of sleeping Bronze-Winged Beetles.

As those thumb-sized magical creatures beat their wings, they traced pale green trails through the damp air, like meteors streaking across the night sky.

"Judging by the style, this is a structure left over from the Tudor dynasty."

Nightingale touched the relief on the stone door. Vine-like Golden-Thread Ferns grew from the relief's eye sockets. "It was originally meant to be a magical plant cultivation area. When Elios renovated it, he barely touched these plants that had survived from the thirteenth century."

Sagreles used the Everlasting Flowerwood Wand to lift a dark red plant hanging from the vault, then sidestepped its thorn-covered tendrils.

"Gather what you need and leave the rest here. I'll leave behind a permanent Portkey so you can come whenever you like."

Nightingale nodded. Her glass potion bottles were already floating at her side, while the yewwood spoons on their stoppers automatically collected the rare specimens.

These ruins had remained since the Tudor dynasty and contained countless rare species. They even found two plants listed on the Ministry of Magic's Functional Extinction List.

Nightingale was overjoyed. After all, as a young Potions master, she hadn't joined Bronze Feather because of her skill with offensive magic, but because she could brew more than a dozen highly difficult potions.

"I'll return directly to Hogwarts." Sagreles handed Nightingale two unfinished wands. "Other than Bronze Feather commissions, I probably won't be leaving at any other time."

Nightingale accepted the wands with a nod, then hesitantly spoke. "Sagreles..."

"What is it?"

"Next July, I'll be going to teach at Beauxbatons..."

"What does Maxime plan to have you teach?"

"Potions."

"That really is your specialty..." Sagreles nodded solemnly. "But I have a suggestion!"

"What suggestion?"

"Wear a veil. Otherwise, your students might not learn anything at all..."

"I'll give it serious consideration." Nightingale laughed, and the Firefly Ferns atop the ruins suddenly flickered in unison, as though they were blinking.

"Cast Frost magic at least three times a week. It'll help a lot with suppressing the Veela bloodline in your body..." Sagreles tapped the dragon-hide pouch at her waist with his wand. "And... when you hand over the wands, remember to remind them about the unfinished steps..."

Then he plucked a glowing Glow Rose. The moment its petals touched his wand, they hardened into a brooch that would remain fresh forever.

"This is a Portkey..."

"How could you casually give a rose to a lady?" Nightingale teased him for once, a sly smile playing on her lips. "You've become far too gentle lately, Mr. Greengrass."

"Yeah... Maybe you've bewitched me."

"Now I'm wondering whether I accidentally mixed Love Potion into the Felix Felicis I gave you..." Nightingale winked at him.

"That would really be unnecessary..." Sagreles replied humorously. "Veritaserum would do."

Nightingale laughed even more brightly. Then she put away her potion bottles and decisively waved farewell to Sagreles. "Then, farewell, Sagreles..."

Before her words had even faded, she turned into a streak of silver light and vanished from where she stood.

Sagreles smiled, then Apparated back to Hogsmeade.

He remembered Dumbledore once saying that Apparating directly into someone else's home was terribly rude, no different from kicking down their front door.

He thought Hogwarts was probably much like a home to the old headmaster. Leaving the castle by Apparition was one thing, but if he Apparated directly back inside, Dumbledore might really get angry...

Christmas was drawing near. Hogsmeade village was covered in thick snow, and the edges of the lake had frozen over.

Sagreles encountered two unexpected people there—the Weasley twins.

As he passed through the street, the brothers happened to squeeze out of Honeydukes.

The Weasley twins were equally embarrassed when they realized they had run into a professor. Clearly, they hadn't expected this.

"If I remember correctly, today isn't a Hogsmeade weekend."

Sagreles calmly asked the brothers, "So, gentlemen, which one of you would like to tell me why you're here?"

Fred said, "Professor, this is a misunderstanding..."

George said, "Yeah. After all, who would risk breaking school rules to come to Hogsmeade?"

Fred said, "Even if there were someone like that, it definitely wouldn't be a Weasley."

George said, "And even if it were a Weasley, it wouldn't be the two of us!"

Fred said, "Exactly. George and I are probably just temporarily lost."

Sagreles raised a hand, cutting off the brothers' nonsense. "What a coincidence. I happen to know the way back to Hogwarts."

The brothers immediately wilted, but they could only follow Sagreles toward Hogwarts.

"Don't look so dejected." Without looking back, Sagreles said to the two young wizards behind him, "If you come back with me now, I won't deduct any points. Or you can choose to return to Hogsmeade, and I'll deduct five points from each of you."

Fred said, "Thank you, Professor, but I think we'd better go back to Hogwarts."

George said, "Fred's right. But Professor, why were you in Hogsmeade?"

Sagreles turned to look at them, speaking with a faint smile. "If I were you two, I'd shut up and behave right now."

The twins immediately fell silent, wisely no longer trying to pry for information.

Sagreles shook his head and continued leading the brothers through the wind and snow toward Hogwarts.

The weather was cold, but the owls were especially busy during this period. It was already mid-December, and many young wizards were writing home to ask whether they would be staying at school for the holidays.

During Potions class, Malfoy and his cronies were causing trouble as usual.

"I think it's rather sad..." Malfoy drawled, with deliberate mockery in his voice as he glanced sideways at Harry, "because those who have to stay at school for Christmas are all homeless people."

Crabbe and Goyle snickered beside him, trying to add to Malfoy's mockery with their laughter. Harry, meanwhile, focused on weighing lionfish bone powder, ignoring their provocation.

Ever since the last Quidditch match, Malfoy had held a grudge over Harry stealing the spotlight on the field. Anger and jealousy tangled in his heart, so he once again mocked Harry for not having a home.

The news that young wizards could stay at Hogwarts for Christmas delighted Harry beyond measure. He wouldn't have to go back and endure Uncle Vernon's harassment, nor would he have to see Dudley's hateful face. This would be the happiest Christmas he'd had in years.

Whenever he thought of it, warmth and anticipation rose in his heart, making Malfoy's sneering taunts much easier to bear.