After the meeting, Dumbledore said little before leaving the castle that belonged to his former lover. He had tried his best to ignore the Wizard Purist Party members who kept glaring at him with naked hatred, but being in his enemy's stronghold under all those hostile stares clearly made him uncomfortable.
Aside from Dumbledore, Roy and the others would stay at Grindelwald Castle until Operation Day on the 25th, when they would act together.
Once Dumbledore was gone, the servants and followers of Grindelwald House grew much friendlier toward them. They arranged a luxurious private suite for each of them and served an extravagant feast at noon, celebrating the end of the first half of term for the students who had just begun their holiday.
The days before Operation Day passed quietly. Every morning, Roy gathered everyone involved to refine their tactics and go over the operation's key details. In the afternoons, Aislin practiced magic and combat with Cedric and Tonks. At night, the four students held little parties together, sometimes in the castle gym, sometimes in a garden pavilion, and sometimes in one of their rooms. In less than a week, Cedric and Tonks had grown much closer to Aislin. Roy, of course, had already been through life and death with her.
The days slipped by. Their holiday had begun on the 19th, and before long, Christmas Eve arrived. With the operation due the next day, Roy scheduled no training and gave everyone the day off. The servants of Grindelwald House had been busy, though. In a single night, they had transformed the castle. By the time Roy came out that morning, the great hall was decked out for Christmas.
Christmas trees covered in ribbons and gifts lined both sides of the hall. Roy counted sixteen in the hall