Christmas (Thanks to Star Wishes and Dust for the flowers, thank you)

The next day, the snow that had begun falling during the night turned into a blizzard.

The windows of Hogwarts Castle rattled under the wind. Snowflakes seemed to be poured down from the sky by someone, plastering themselves against the glass one after another and quickly blocking out everything beyond.

The final Herbology lesson of the term was canceled. Professor Sprout decided to knit socks and scarves for the Mandrakes herself in Greenhouse Three. Early that morning, she carried a basket of yarn to the greenhouse, bringing along a pot of hot tea and a packet of biscuits. She trusted no one but herself with such delicate work.

Early that morning, Su Yu was also dragged to the library by Daphne. Her goal was to make him read more books.

But after arriving at the library, Su Yu only idly played with Daphne's long hair while eavesdropping on that group of Hufflepuffs spreading rumors about Harry Potter. Daphne sat beside him with a thick copy of Advanced Transfiguration Theory open before her, her quill scratching across parchment. Su Yu's fingers wound around the strands of hair falling over her shoulder again and again, and Daphne did not avoid him, simply letting him play.

The Hufflepuffs sat by the window in a circle, their voices lowered, yet still perfectly audible in the quiet library.

What Su Yu did not see was that Harry had come here as well. He had intended to apologize to Justin and explain what had happened yesterday, but instead he heard them spreading rumors about him.

"Anyway," said a fat boy, "I told Justin to hide in our dormitory. I mean, if Potter makes him his next target, he'd better stay hidden for a while. Of course, Justin has been expecting this ever since he accidentally told Potter he was Muggle-born. In fact, Justin even told Potter that he used to attend Eton College. That's not the sort of thing you casually tell an heir of Slytherin, is it?"

"You've already decided it was Potter, Ernie?" asked the blonde girl with a ponytail, Hannah Abbott, anxiously.

"Hannah," said the fat boy solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of an ordinary person being able to talk to snakes? They called Slytherin a Parselmouth."

This prompted a wave of muttering. Ernie continued, speaking faster and faster. "Remember the writing on the wall? Enemies of the heir, beware? Potter had some conflict with Filch. Then, before we knew it, Filch's cat was attacked. First-year Colin made Potter unhappy during the Quidditch match because he took pictures of him lying in the mud. Then he was attacked. Do the math yourselves."

"But he always seems so nice," Hannah Abbott said uncertainly. "But... oh, he's the one who made that man disappear. At least he isn't completely bad, is he?"

Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously. The Hufflepuffs all leaned closer, and Harry shifted nearer as well so he could hear him.

"No one knows how he survived that man's attack. I mean, he was only a baby then. He should have been torn to pieces long ago. Only a truly powerful Dark wizard could survive a curse like that." He lowered his voice until it was nearly a whisper. "That was probably why that man wanted to kill him in the first place—because he didn't want another Dark wizard competing with him. I wonder what else Potter can do that he hasn't shown us."

Harry could not listen any longer.

He cleared his throat loudly and stepped out from behind the bookshelves.

If Harry had not been so angry, he would have found their reaction as amusing as Su Yu did—everyone seemed petrified the instant they saw him. Ernie's face turned completely bloodless. Hannah's mouth hung open, and the book in her hands fell to the floor with a dull smack. Someone backed into a chair, its legs scraping harshly across the floor.

"Hi," Harry said. "I'm looking for Justin."

The Hufflepuffs' greatest fear had been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie, as though he were their chosen representative sent to face a dragon.

"What do you want with him?" Ernie asked in a trembling voice, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"I want to tell him what happened with that snake at Dueling Club," Harry said, his voice hard and cold.

Ernie licked his pale lips, took a deep breath, and said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."

"Then did you notice that after I finished talking to the snake, it went back?" Harry asked, taking a step forward.

"What I saw," Ernie said, trembling and stammering, "was you speaking snake language and urging the snake to bite Justin."

"I didn't urge it!" Harry's voice shook with anger, his fists clenched. "It didn't even touch him!"

"It came very close," Ernie replied, his voice growing quieter. "Just so you know," he added nervously, as if suddenly remembering some protective charm, "I can trace my family back nine generations of witches and wizards. My blood is as pure as anyone else's, so—"

"I don't care what kind of blood you have!" Harry snapped, his voice exploding through the silent library as students behind several bookshelves poked their heads out to look. "Why would I attack Muggle-borns?"

"I heard you hate the Muggles you live with," Ernie replied hastily, shrinking back.

"It's impossible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," Harry said. "You try it!"

With that, Harry turned and stormed out of the library, his footsteps fading farther and farther down the corridor.

The Hufflepuffs looked at one another, but no one spoke.

Then, only a few minutes later, Su Yu heard chaos erupt outside. Screams and hurried footsteps came from the corridor. Someone shouted, "It's happened again!" while someone else yelled, "Get a teacher!" Su Yu quickly pulled Daphne along to see what was going on. He had long since stopped wanting to stay in the library.

When Su Yu arrived, the Slytherin students who had gotten there earlier made way for him and let him through. Holding Daphne's hand, Su Yu moved to the very front.

But the moment Su Yu saw the scene, he felt like slapping his forehead. Poor kid, why was he at the scene again? This time, it was Justin and Nearly Headless Nick.

Su Yu thought to himself, Wasn't it supposed to be Harry alone in the movie? Why were there so many students here now?

As the teachers shouted for everyone to quiet down, Harry stood by the wall in utter misery.

Professor McGonagall rushed over as well. Her students followed behind her. She made a loud bang with her wand to silence the crowd and ordered them to return to their classrooms.

Not long after the area was cleared, Ernie and the Hufflepuffs arrived. They were so horrified by the sight that they could barely breathe, and Ernie's face was white as paper.

"Catch the culprit!" Ernie shouted, pointing at Harry with a trembling finger, his face pale.

"We will," Professor McGonagall said, her gaze moving from Ernie's face to Harry's, then from Harry to Justin.

Peeves rubbed his head and grinned wickedly as he watched the scene. Peeves always loved chaos. He somersaulted through the air, and as the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick to examine them, he suddenly began to sing, "Oh, Potter, you wretch, why did you do it? You're killing students, do you think it's fun—"

"That's enough, Peeves!" Professor McGonagall roared. Peeves stuck out his tongue at Harry and floated backward, though he remained in a corner, his eyes glittering as he waited for more excitement.

Justin was sent to the hospital wing by Professor Sinistra from the Astronomy Department. But no one knew what to do with Nick, who was missing half his head. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan from thin air, handed it to Ernie, and instructed him to fan Nick up the stairs while keeping him suspended in the air.

Ernie did as he was told, fanning Nick upstairs like a silent, black helicopter.

Su Yu had already left. He went to see if he could find any clues, but luck was not on his side, and he found nothing. He could only wait and see.

The term had finally ended. On Christmas Day, Hogwarts was so quiet that one could hear snowflakes falling from the castle to the ground. The corridors were empty, with no students running about. Only the wind poured in through gaps in the windows, making the torches sway and howl.

Because of this year's petrification incidents, almost no one remained at Hogwarts for Christmas. Most students chose to go home, away from the castle shrouded in fear.

This time, Su Yu stayed at school with Sister Ka. He understood that Sister Fa and Daphne had deliberately left the two of them some time alone.

However, Malfoy and his two dim-witted followers also stayed at Hogwarts rather than going home. Malfoy said his father had told him to remain at school to "experience life." Crabbe and Goyle probably had no one at home to manage them. There was food and drink at school anyway, so it made no difference where they stayed.

Christmas morning was cold, and everything was blanketed in white.

Yet Su Yu's arms were warm. Sister Ka had given herself to Su Yu without reservation last night, and she was still exhausted, lingering in his bed without wanting to get up. Her hair spread across the pillow, pale golden strands glowing softly in the morning light. Her face was buried in the hollow of Su Yu's neck, her breathing light and slow.

Su Yu lay on his side, one arm around Sister Ka's waist while his other arm was pinned beneath her head and had already gone numb. He did not move. He simply lay there quietly, listening to the wind and snow outside the window and to Sister Ka's breathing.

Beside the dormitory fireplace was another huge pile of gifts that gave Su Yu a headache. Brightly colored boxes were stacked high. He sincerely felt that giving gifts was too troublesome. They could not be too good or too bad, and he had to guess what the other person wanted. One or two gifts, he could accept, but every Christmas brought a massive pile.

Mrs. Weasley had once again sent him a sweater she had knitted herself. It was dark green, with a silver snake embroidered on the chest. Its eyes were two tiny black buttons, and it looked very delicate.

This year, Ginny had sent him not only fudge, but also a cheesecake that the Nine-Tailed Fox liked.

Sister Fa had sent a bottle of men's cologne. Su Yu opened it and took a sniff. The scent was not strong, light and subtle, like a blend of sea breeze and some kind of woody fragrance.

Daphne gave him a brooch. It was silver, shaped like an eagle with its wings spread wide. Two words were engraved on the back: "Safe and Sound." The lettering was tiny, but deeply carved.

Luna had unexpectedly sent him a pair of gloves she had knitted herself, along with a copy of The Quibbler. Su Yu had not expected that.

The Great Hall looked especially beautiful today. Not only were there two Christmas trees coated in frost, heavy garlands hanging from the ceiling, and evergreen mistletoe crisscrossing overhead, but snowflakes also drifted down from the roof, adding even more to the festive atmosphere.

Dumbledore led several of his favorite cheerful carols. Hagrid stood beside him, and after several cups of eggnog, Hagrid became more and more excited, his face redder and his voice louder.

But Su Yu and Sister Ka did not attend the feast. Because last night had been too intense, Sister Ka was weak and listless today, with a bit of a stomachache. Su Yu could only stay with her in the Slytherin common room, stoking the fireplace higher and asking Egg Beater to bring several more blankets.

There was no shortage of food here, either. Egg Beater thoughtfully prepared plenty of high-protein and blood-nourishing dishes. Su Yu was benefiting from Sister Ka's favor too, and had nearly ended up eating postpartum meals. Sister Ka leaned against his shoulder, sipping black sesame paste in small mouthfuls, her eyes half-closed. She looked like a well-fed kitten.

Before long, the common room door suddenly opened.

Su Yu and Sister Ka looked over and saw Malfoy returning with his two dim-witted followers. Malfoy walked in front, dressed in a finely tailored black robe, his chin held high and his strides broad. Crabbe and Goyle followed behind him—no, they were not Crabbe and Goyle.

Su Yu looked at the two stiff-faced fools. They were Harry and Ron.

Malfoy was still marveling that Goyle could actually recognize words and had somehow even learned to read.

Harry and Ron followed behind him, both looking as stiff as if they had been hit by the Petrification Curse.

But when Malfoy saw Su Yu, he hurriedly bowed in greeting. He stopped, leaned forward slightly, and placed his right arm against his chest in a respectful, elegant posture. "Chief, Merry Christmas."

Harry and Ron had never seen anything like this. They immediately bowed alongside Malfoy. Harry's movements were stiff, as though someone had shoved him from behind, while Ron bent even lower than Malfoy, probably from nerves.

Both Malfoy and Sister Ka stared oddly at today's Crabbe and Goyle—or rather, at Harry and Ron.

Since when had those two learned how to greet people? Back then, they had been so stupid that even Su Yu felt sorry for them. Whenever Crabbe and Goyle saw Su Yu, they only knew how to grin foolishly, their mouths stretched to their ears, before pulling snacks from who knew where out of their pockets and offering them to Su Yu. Bowing and formal greetings were things aristocrats did, not things fools did. It was already good enough if they did not ask Su Yu for food whenever they saw him.

Malfoy felt as though the sun had truly risen in the west today. Not only could his two "men" read now, they could even greet people. What a joyous occasion, what a joyous occasion.

Su Yu could barely hold back his laughter. The corners of his mouth twitched several times, and his shoulders shook slightly. Sister Ka covered her mouth beside him, her eyes curving into crescents. Su Yu casually waved a hand and quickly turned his head away, afraid Harry and Ron would notice.