Christmas Break Ends

The two weeks spent at home flew by, and soon it was time to go back to school.

Since Xiwen had already signed an application to stay at Hogwarts Castle, he should have been there at that time.

So he no longer needed to open a portal to King's Cross Station and then take the Hogwarts Express back to the castle. This time, he only needed to calculate the train's arrival time at Hogsmeade Station, open a Dimensional Gate directly to his bedroom, and return to that dimly lit room.

After returning to his dormitory, Xiwen walked from his room to the Great Hall to attend the opening banquet held once every semester. In the Entrance Courtyard, he ran into Abraxas and Mobley, who were coming from the teaching area north of the castle.

"How was your Christmas at Hogwarts, Xiwen?" Abu called out from afar.

"Hmm... it was alright," Xiwen said somewhat hesitantly, considering he hadn't spent more than a few days at Hogwarts. "There was a bit of an accident during the Christmas dinner; the Great Hall almost burned down."

"I've heard about it too!" Abu said with great interest. "My dad heard about it from other parents, but he doesn't know the details. You have to tell us all about it today!"

After the banquet, Xiwen was summoned to Dumbledore's office.

"Xiwen, I heard from Flamel that you obtained a magical artifact that can wield the power of time?" Dumbledore considered his words carefully before asking softly.

Xiwen nodded naturally, took the Eye of Agamotto out of the inner pocket of his wizard's robe, and showed it to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore, hesitated for a moment, and then asked Xiwen, "Then can you tell me what its specific power over time is?"

"This artifact functions differently from the Time-Turner," Xiwen explained to Dumbledore, stroking the rune-covered surface of the Eye of Agamotto. "Its primary function is to reverse or transform the state of matter within a region, accelerating or rewinding it to a different point in time."

"Can it work on people?" Dumbledore's eyes lit up.

"Okay." Xiwen nodded slowly and said to him.

Then, Xiwen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked Dumbledore, "I guess you want me to use this artifact to restore Nagini to her pre-wild state, right?"

"Yes, that's right, I do have that idea." Dumbledore nodded. "We simply can't find a way to restore Maledictus to normalcy, who has been almost completely consumed by her animalistic instincts. So now our focus has shifted to finding a way to help her regain her human consciousness."

"Furthermore, I've observed that Nagini's remaining humanity is almost completely dissipating. If we don't act soon, we may completely lose the chance to restore her to human form. Coincidentally, during my conversation with Nico a few days ago, I learned about the time-travel artifact you obtained."

"So, are you willing to help us one more time, Xiwen?" Dumbledore asked, looking intently at Xiwen.

Xiwen's eyes flickered, he glanced at Dumbledore, then grinned, "Of course, no problem, Professor!"

"Let's not delay, let's set off immediately." Dumbledore stood up and said with a light laugh.

"Okay, Professor. Where are we going?" Xiwen took out his wand and naturally prepared to open a Dimensional Gate.

"You don't need to trouble yourself with the journey this time, Xiwen." Dumbledore waved his hand to interrupt Xiwen, and said with a smile, "I suppose you haven't experienced the Phoenix's ability to travel yet?"

Dumbledore stretched out his arms, Fawkes, which was standing on the shelf against the wall, gracefully landed on it.

"Xiwen, you can grab a hair from Fawkes' tail, and he'll lead us to our destination," Dumbledore said.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Xiwen curiously grabbed one of Fawkes's tails.

Fawkes gave him a disdainful look, but since it was Dumbledore's request, he didn't object. He spread his wings, transformed into a dazzling streak of fire, and disappeared from Dumbledore's office.

Xiwen felt as if he were enveloped by a warm flame. Although the flame was bright, it did not feel hot. It was like being immersed in warm water of forty or fifty degrees Celsius, a feeling similar to taking a bath.

The next second, the flames dispersed, and Xiwen found himself inside the Hog's Head.

He watched in amazement as the bright flames faded from his body, were absorbed into Fawkes's body, and disappeared, feeling utterly astonished.

"The Phoenix can control the temperature of its flames, using them both as a weapon against enemies and to protect those it cherishes," Dumbledore smile. "So, how was your experience with the Phoenix's spatial teleportation abilities?"

"It's truly amazing," Xiwen exclaimed, while he couldn't help but compare the Little Cat's ability to move with that of the Phoenix, finding that the Phoenix's seemed to be more comfortable to the touch.

Of course, Xiwen changed his mind as soon as he said it, "Professor, when you have time, you should experience my Little Cat's agility; it's no less than Phoenix's!"

"Alright, I'll definitely experience it when I have the chance," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. At the same time, he stroked Fawkes's feathers, soothing his slight agitation at Xiwen's words.

"Albus, have you found a way?" Aberforth heard the noise and came out of the inner room.

"Don't worry, we've found a way." Dumbledore gestured to Xiwen beside him and said to Aberforth, "Xiwen has a way to reverse Nagini's condition."

Looking at Xiwen's youthful face, Aberforth couldn't help but show a suspicious expression.

"Why is it this kid again?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you getting senile? How could such a little one do something that none of us can?"

"Mr. Dumbledore, have you ever heard the old saying, 'Everyone has their own expertise'?" Xiwen said, a slight smile playing on his lips as he crossed his arms and looked at Aberforth. "Besides, this doesn't sound like someone asking for a favor."

Aberforth stared in disbelief at Xiwen before him, then asked Dumbledore, "Isn't this your student? What's wrong with him?"

"Aberforth, if you really want Mr. Rozier to help us, I suggest you apologize properly," Dumbledore said, shaking his head Aberforth. "He can indeed do many things that we cannot."