Christmas

Time passed slowly, and Hogwarts returned to peace.

The troll incident became a topic of conversation among the students, while Lin An Alvin Bones's name was quietly added to the ranks of the "most mysterious professors."

He continued teaching, revising textbooks, and recording experiments as usual. Time flowed amid work and thought, and before long, Christmas Eve arrived.

To Lin An, this holiday was not a celebration, but a point of order.

He had always believed that the meaning of holidays lay in resetting and restoring balance.

So, even if his research remained unfinished, he would suspend all experiments for these few days and devote his time to socializing.

Over the past few months, while ensuring that the timeline progressed correctly, he had also completed interventions at several key points—

Harry's first victory in Quidditch, Quirrell's secret probing, Snape's "rescue" operation.

Everything matched the timeline of the original story.

Snape now had a new obsession—the resurrection of Lily.

Driven by that obsession, his determination to protect Harry grew ever firmer.

Lin An knew that as long as this psychological structure was maintained, most future variables would be locked down.

He set down his quill and took out a list. It was a gift list.

"In this world, every relationship needs to be maintained," he murmured.

He had prepared dozens of gifts:

For Dumbledore, there was a box of candies he had personally refined—perfectly sweet, with a faint magical shimmer upon entering the mouth.

He had originally planned to give him wool socks, but after some thought, he felt that candy better embodied the symbols of "peace" and "innocence."

For Professor Flitwick, he had prepared an alchemical ornament forged with a lost technique from Gringotts.

It was the Metal Resonance Method, long forgotten by the Goblins. By adjusting magical frequency, it granted an item the ability to "repair itself."

When Flitwick opened the gift box, perhaps he would hear that faint, familiar magical note.

Professor McGonagall received a flying broom—one Lin An had made himself.

The broom's magical flow lines surpassed every model on the market, and its speed was remarkably stable.

He wrote in the letter, "If you give this to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I will make an even faster one for Ravenclaw."

He knew how McGonagall smiled—the corners of her lips pressed together, amusement in her eyes, yet never a word of thanks.

As for the other professors, they received gifts as well, though they were no longer prepared with such care.

The essence of a gift was not the object itself, but the "social order" he deliberately maintained.

He had not neglected the family side either.

For his cousin Susan, he sent an alchemy notebook he had compiled, recording the relationship between the flow of magic and natural elements.

The accompanying candies came from the same batch as Dumbledore's, only slightly less sweet.

As for Aunt Amelia, he personally crafted a silver-white necklace for her.

Its surface was engraved with a runic array that kept the wearer's magic in a constant state of flow, making spellcasting smoother and more powerful.

Its more concealed function was emergency protection—when the wearer encountered a deadly threat, the necklace would automatically activate Blink Transfer and carry her away from danger.

If the enemy continued the pursuit, the magical array would also activate the Life Delay Spell, preserving her life until rescue arrived.

He wrote only two sentences in the letter:

"May strength be with you. Do not let Fate dictate your choices."

Even Helena received a gift.

It was a necklace of an extremely ancient design, suited to the style of tenth-century nobility.

Its appearance was no more than that of an elegant accessory, but it actually had two uses—

First, it could change along with Helena's form: whether she was a ghost or corporeal, it would blend in naturally without attracting attention;

Second, it allowed her to manifest a physical body at will, no longer requiring Lin An's spell.

When he placed the necklace around her neck, Helena's smile carried a trace of long-lost warmth.

That night, they spent their time in the Silence of the Astronomy Tower.

Candlelight flickered, snow fell beyond the windows, and she softly said, "This is the best gift I've ever received."

He did not answer. He merely brushed his fingers through her hair.

A few days later came Christmas morning.

The Great Hall was decorated splendidly, and flames danced in the fireplaces.

The students' laughter echoed beneath the stone vaulted ceiling, while the air was filled with the scent of cinnamon and honey.

Lin An did not appear in the center of the feast.

He preferred the quiet in the distance—sitting by the window, watching snow fall over the courtyard and listening to the bells far away.

He felt that balance—time, Fate, and order were all moving along the proper track.

That afternoon, he walked through the castle corridors with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

The previous night with Helena had put him in a good mood.

But that lighthearted feeling did not last long.

Suddenly, a faint ripple in the air caught his attention.

It was not magic, but a gaze.

He stopped, clasping his hands behind his back as his eyes shifted slightly.

Magical vision, thermal detection, echo location—he activated all three senses at once.

Wind swept around the corner. With a light flick of his sleeve, a sudden current of air surged forth.

Dust scattered, and a small figure was swept out by the gust.

"Professor Lin An!"

Harry Potter fell to the ground, looking flustered.

Lin An looked at him, his tone calm. "Wandering alone late at night is not a good habit."

Harry stammered an explanation. "Sorry, Professor. I thought... no one would notice."

"Then, Mr. Potter, was the place you intended to go... also somewhere 'no one would notice'?"

Lin An's voice was even, yet it carried a force that made lying impossible.

After a moment of silence, Harry lowered his head.

"I just... wanted to look at that mirror one more time."

"The Mirror of Erised." Lin An nodded. "Come. I'll go with you."

The boy looked up in surprise, but saw understanding in those eyes.

One after the other, they headed toward the abandoned classroom.

Lin An pushed open the door, and the mirror reflected their figures—

Harry saw the tender smiles of his parents;

While Lin An saw the starlight of countless worlds and runes of order in the mirror—this was the future he sought.

He said softly, "Mr. Potter, the mirror does not show reality, but desire.

If a person becomes immersed in it, he will lose his direction forward."

Harry looked up. "Then what did you see?"

Lin An smiled. "The answer is too complicated, and too early."

He turned and left, his steps steady as his figure was swallowed by the light.

In the mirror, that departing figure gradually blurred, leaving behind only a silver trail of light.

—That light seemed to span time itself.