The Tales of Beedle the Bard
When Xiwen arrived at Professor Kettleburn's shed, the professor was squatting beside a burnt-out fire outside the yard, holding a small stick and seemingly playing with something.
"Professor, what are you doing?"
Xiwen quietly approached him from behind and asked.
Professor Kettleburn was startled and quickly stood up to block the things in the fire.
"What are you doing here without saying a word?" he asked, glaring at him with displeasure. "I have important props for the Christmas dinner play here; you can't see these Sickle."
"I think that's how I usually get it..." Xiwen's lips twitched.
He glanced at the fire behind Professor Kettleburn and saw some large, thin, grayish-white insects.
Xiwen didn't think a play would use such an ugly thing as a prop; it was probably just that this professor of Care of Magical Creatures had come up with some strange animals to keep as pets and didn't want anyone to see them.
"I remember Professor Birley is rehearsing a play this semester called * the Fountain of Fortune *, right?" Xiwen asked casually. "I'm a little curious about what kind of story it's about."
"Ah, you've come to the right person!" Professor Kettleburn excitedly pulled a light gray-covered book from his pocket and said to Xiwen, "Although I can't show you the script, I've diligently read the original story of 'The Fountain of Fortune' many times in order to understand the plot of the play as much as possible."
"The Fountain of Fortune is the third story in this collection. I recommend you read it carefully; it's quite interesting." Professor Kettleburn shoved the book into Xiwen's arms and patted Xiwen's shoulder with his only remaining right hand.
"I've memorized this collection of stories perfectly, which means I no longer need it. So, from now on, this book is yours!"
"Thank you so much, Professor." Xiwen glanced down at the book that had been shoved into his arms and said helplessly.
"Alright, you go first! I still have some things to pack here, and I can't let you see them." Before Xiwen could say anything else, Professor Kettleburn impatiently pushed him by the shoulder and shoved him outside the low fence surrounding the shed.
Xiwen felt he had reason to suspect that the professor had given him this storybook simply to get rid of him...
Therefore, he glanced curiously at the bonfire, which had long since died down and was now just ashes—only to find Professor Kettleburn still standing in front of the fire, nervously watching the direction where Xiwen had left.
After seeing Xiwen turn around, he even waved his hand, pretending to be calm.
Seeing the professor guarding the fire so closely, Xiwen completely abandoned his idea of uncovering the secret and silently focused his attention on the storybook the professor had just given him.
This is a thin book with a light gray cover decorated with a dark blue design: a circle of vines, a tree stump, and a skull. The text on the cover is also dark blue—the title is "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," and the author is the Beedle the Bard.
Turning to the table of contents, you'll find only five stories listed in order: <The Warlock's Hairy Heart>, <The Wizard and the Hopping Pot>, <The Fountain of Fortune>, <Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump>, and <The Tale of the Three Brothers>.
Xiwen wasn't interested in the other stories for the time being; he simply flipped to the page number for "The Fountain of Fortune" in the table of contents, intending to see what kind of props Professor Kettleburn was preparing.
The story of "The Fountain of Fortune" is short, only two or three pages long.
In this story, there is a legend about a fountain that can grant good luck to others. On the longest day of the year, only one person who has experienced misfortune has the chance to come to the Fountain of Fortune before sunset, bathe in its water, and receive lasting good fortune.
In the story, three witches and a knight overcome numerous trials and tribulations before finally reaching the Fountain of Fortune. However, upon arrival, the four who had shared hardships realized their own true feelings and no longer needed the Fountain of Fortune's help. Ultimately, the three witches granted the knight the Fountain of Fortune's blessing.
The four of them lived happily for a long time, but none of them knew, and none of them ever suspected, that the Fountain of the Fountain of Fortune actually had no magic at all...
In Xiwen's view, this is just a very ordinary fable, telling everyone that everyone has misfortunes, but as long as you strive to pursue happiness, you can eventually find your own "The Fountain of Fortune".
There are many such stories in the Muggle world. Xiwen couldn't understand why the Fountain of Fortune was so beloved by wizards for so long, and why Professor Birley even turned it into a play.
Are wizards really so lacking in entertainment?
The snow in December fell intermittently, continuing until just before the Christmas holidays.
On Friday, December 23rd, after the last class, the Hogwarts students, carrying large bags and small packages, headed towards the main gate of the castle. There, a row of carriages waited for them, parked beside the warthog statue at the entrance.
On this very day, the snowmelt that had accumulated in the sky for half a month finally fell, as if celebrating the upcoming Christmas.
"Xiwen, are you really not going back for the holiday?" Abraxas asked. He now also possessed a storage container, so he was able to travel light, carrying only an umbrella, a stark contrast to Mobley beside him who was carrying large bags and bundles.
"No, Professor Kettleburn invited me to see this year's theatrical performance, and I'd also like to experience Hogwarts' Christmas dinner," Xiwen said with a smile, shaking his head.
Of course, he wouldn't tell the two that he was just going to see a theatrical performance, fulfilling his promise to the professor, and then opening a portal to go home and spend Christmas Eve with Sandrine.
If it weren't for discussing this arrangement with Sandrine, Xiwen probably wouldn't have gotten his parents' permission to stay at school during the holidays at all...
Abu and Mobley were among the last to leave. After they left, Hogwarts Castle became empty, and the noisy sounds of the young wizards playing and frolicking gradually faded away.
The faint cries of the Peeves could be heard in the distance.
Now, Peeves' only two fears— Bloody Baron— have locked himself in his little dark room and refuse to come out for a long time; and Stephen Strange has left the castle to travel the world. So he has once again let loose and started playing pranks everywhere.
However, only Peeves' voice echoed in the empty castle, which only served to accentuate the strange silence.
Xiwen's mood calmed down along with the surroundings. He silently walked through the corridors of the teaching area and arrived at the bridge in the southeast that connected the Entrance Courtyard and the teaching area.
He gently brushed the snow off the marble railing, then leaned against it, admiring the frozen surface of the Black Lake and even the thick white snow covering the distant islands...