Malfoy Manor.
Lucius sat beside the fireplace and read his daughter's reply once more.
Talented, diligent in practice, willing to listen to advice. Draco had written about Potter's study habits in considerable detail.
Clearly, she understood the Chosen One better than the reporters in the papers did.
But what held Lucius's attention longest was the few sentences that followed.
"I don't want him to feel that he has to do something for the Malfoy family just because he accepted our help, either."
"Potter is my friend first."
"What did she write?"
Narcissa entered the study and took the letter her husband handed her.
When she reached the end, she couldn't help smiling.
"It seems Draco really treasures this friend."
"And she's already learned to consider her friend's feelings." Lucius nodded gently. "That's a good thing."
He placed the two selected volumes of Charms notes at the edge of the desk.
"We'll do as she wishes. Potter won't need to make any additional promises to borrow the notes."
Narcissa gave him a satisfied look, then suddenly asked:
"What about this year's Christmas presents, then?"
"Already prepared, of course."
"Oh?"
A hint of amusement appeared in Narcissa's eyes.
"It seems you've finally learned to be a considerate father."
"And I've noticed you seem more confident lately, and more cheerful than before, Lucius."
At that, Lucius elegantly straightened his cuffs.
"Have I?"
The corners of his lips lifted in a rather mysterious smile.
(There's nothing so bad about being a Death Eater. But the Order of the Phoenix offers me wider seas and skies.)
"In fact, my dear."
"I've always been this way."
Narcissa: "..."
A few days later, heavy snow arrived at Hogwarts.
The Forbidden Forest turned silver-white, and thin ice formed along the shores of the Black Lake. Countless jumbled footprints already marked the steps outside the castle.
Harry stood by the common room window, watching snowflakes drift past the towers.
Since coming here, he had seen many magical sights.
Yet an ordinary snowy day like this still made him happy.
The fireplace was warm, and there was still plenty of time that afternoon to-
"Harry!!!"
A sudden shout came from behind him.
Ron charged into the common room, snow clinging to his hair and the tip of his nose red from the cold.
"Quick! Gryffindor needs the help of us Twin Stars!"
Harry slowly turned around.
"...What stars?"
"The Gryffindor Twin Stars!" Ron thumped his chest, then pointed at him. "Us!"
"Since when have we had that title?"
"Just now!"
Harry looked at him, silent for a moment.
What a title steeped in history.
But Ron had already grabbed his arm.
"There's a snowball fight outside! Fred and George have practically taken over the courtyard!"
"Wait, at least let me get a coat."
In the courtyard, snowballs were flying in every direction.
Behind a low snow wall, several Hufflepuff students poked their heads out, only to be driven back by incoming snowballs before they could aim.
Not far away, Fred waved his wand, lifting a row of soft snowballs.
George was in charge of sending them toward different targets.
Ron immediately grew excited.
"See that? Now that's what I call-"
Smack!
A snowball struck him squarely in the face. Before Ron could finish, he had a little snow in his mouth.
"Welcome back, little Ronny!"
Fred waved with a grin.
George winked at Harry.
"Did we just hear some terribly impressive title?"
"The Gryffindor-"
"Twin Stars?"
Both of them grinned at once.
"Harry, you've actually betrayed us!"
Harry: "..."
I haven't even agreed to join yet!
Ron wiped the snow off his face and fiercely scooped up a handful.
"You're the Weasley Twins, and we're the Gryffindor Twin Stars! That's completely different!"
"Fair point." Fred nodded.
"Which makes a showdown all the more necessary," George added.
Another snowball came flying over.
Ron hastily ducked.
Harry dodged along with him and finally couldn't help laughing.
Not long after the free-for-all began, Harry saw the twins suddenly crouch behind the snow wall.
They exchanged glances, their wands quietly pointing off to one side.
Professor Quirrell was walking along the edge of the courtyard.
Several snowballs skirted the crowd and floated after that purple turban.
Smack!
Smack!
They struck the back of the turban one after another.
Quirrell abruptly hunched his neck.
"Who-who's there?!"
Behind the snow wall, the two red heads had already vanished.
Harry's snowball-holding hand stopped in midair, his expression gradually turning strange.
Wait, do you two know who you just hit?!
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"Nothing."
Harry looked in the direction the twins had fled.
"I just think your brothers might become heroes who defeat the Dark Lord someday."
Ron: "Huh?!"
When Draco passed the courtyard, the first thing she heard was Harry's laughter.
The boy stood beside the snow wall, his shoulders covered in white snow, waving his wand to deflect an incoming snowball.
Ron seized the chance to counterattack, throwing so hastily that he nearly toppled himself.
Harry reached out to catch him, laughing so hard that even his wand shook.
Draco couldn't help slowing her steps.
That idiot.
"Miss, shall we go over?" Goyle asked.
The girl suppressed the smile at the corners of her mouth.
"I'm here to discuss serious business with him, not take part in this childish-"
Smack!
A snowball struck her cloak.
Snow scattered.
Draco lowered her head, then slowly raised it.
Not far away, Ron still had his arm outstretched from throwing the snowball.
"Uh... Malfoy?"
The girl smiled.
"Weasley."
"Wait! I wasn't aiming at you!"
"Oh?"
Draco handed her schoolbag to Goyle and drew her wand.
"What a coincidence." Two snowballs rose from beside her feet. "I'm not doing this on purpose, either!"
Ron turned and ran. Beneath the covered walkway, Crabbe watched with shining eyes.
"Miss, do you need help?"
"No." Draco lifted her chin. "I'm quite enough on my own."
Harry approached, holding back his laughter.
"What brings you here to-"
"Potter." The girl suddenly turned toward him. "You were laughing quite happily just now."
Harry glanced at her wand.
"Wait, I didn't throw-"
A snowball was already in front of him. He hastily tilted his head, and white snow brushed past his hair.
Draco finally laughed.
"Why dodge? Weren't you having a wonderful time just now?"
"You didn't say we were starting!"
"Now I have!"
Another snowball flew toward him. Harry bent to dodge it, scooped up snow from beside his feet, and threw it back at her.
The girl nimbly stepped back, her cloak billowing behind her.
"Too slow, Potter!"
She had barely finished speaking when a little loose snow landed on the tip of her nose.
Harry waved the remaining half of the snowball in his hand.
"How about that?"
Draco froze for an instant, then narrowed her eyes.
"You're finished!"
When Hermione entered the courtyard, this was the scene that greeted her.
Ron's head was covered in snow, and he was trying to circle behind Draco.
While keeping her eyes on Harry, Draco still had enough attention to spare to send a snowball toward Ron.
As for Harry... why did he look happier than anyone else?!
"Ron!" Hermione clutched her textbooks. "Didn't you say you were only coming out for a little while, and that you'd finish your homework as soon as you got back?"
"Hermione! Help us first!"
"Why should I-"
A snowball landed beside her feet, splashing loose snow onto her shoes.
Hermione stopped. Ron stopped too.
"...That really wasn't me."
Hermione slowly raised her head.
Behind the snow wall, Fred waved at her.
"Welcome aboard!" George grinned brightly. "Now there are four of you."
Hermione set her textbook down beneath the covered walkway and drew her wand. "All right."
"Fancy a match?" Fred asked. "The four of you against the two of us."
"You're on!"
Ron agreed at once, but when he turned and saw Draco, he stopped.
Wait, why am I teaming up with Malfoy?
The girl had clearly had the same thought.
"I'm not teaming up with a Weasley-"
"I didn't want to team up with you either-"
"You can discuss it while you dodge," George reminded them kindly.
A dozen or so snowballs had already begun rising slowly behind the twins.
The corner of Harry's eye twitched as two wands thrust forward at once.
"Christmas Snowball Storm!"
"Protego!"
A faint barrier spread before the four of them, and the snowballs crashing into it one after another burst into clouds of snow.
Ron's mouth fell open.
"Harry, you use the Shield Charm even in a snowball fight?!"
"Should I drop it, then?"
"No!"
The moment the word left his mouth, a snowball slipped around the edge and struck his hat.
Ron hurriedly crouched down, while Draco raised her wand and knocked another snowball aside.
"Potter, left!"
Harry immediately adjusted his aim, and the barrier neatly blocked two snowballs flying in from the left.
"They aren't throwing them at the same time." Hermione watched the other side. "That row on the left is always a little slower."
"Because Fred's deliberately drawing our attention." Ron poked his head out, took one look, then quickly ducked back. "George must be getting ready to circle around. I know them too well!"
Draco looked toward the right side of the snow wall. No one was there for the moment.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. They're my brothers!"
Another clump of snow burst overhead, and Ron shook the snow off his scarf.
"At home, whenever they grin like that, I know I'm in for it!"
Draco glanced at him.
"All right. I'll trust you this once."
Ron froze for a moment.
"But if you guessed wrong, you're the first one I'm hitting."
"...Got it!"
Hermione quickly gathered several clumps of loose snow beside her as reserves.
Ron grabbed a snowball and began firing back toward the left, throwing with plenty of enthusiasm but rather poor aim.
Sure enough, Fred poked his head out. "Ronny, you'll have to put a bit more strength into it!"
Harry shifted his defense slightly to the left. Behind the snow wall, a corner of a robe quietly appeared.
He immediately tapped Draco's arm.
The girl did not turn, but her wand hand was already rising.
"Now!"
Hermione lifted a large clump of loose snow over the snow wall.
Fred instinctively looked up.
At the same time, George had already circled out from the right and was about to aim his wand at them.
Two snowballs, prepared well in advance, shot out, one to the left and one to the right.
Smack!
Smack!
Fred was struck on the shoulder, while George took a solid hit to the chest.
Before either could react, the clump of snow Hermione had lifted broke apart and showered down over their heads.
For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.
Ron suddenly leaped up.
"We won!"
Hermione put away her wand and could not help laughing. Harry could not stop laughing either.
On the other side of the snow wall, Fred wiped the snow from his eyebrows.
"George."
"Yeah."
"We seem to have run into some very unreasonable opponents."
George looked at Ron and Draco, who were still arguing, and nodded solemnly.
"Four people, and somehow there are two pairs of twin stars."
After the childish snowball battle ended, as they were getting ready to return to the castle, Goyle and Crabbe brought their schoolbags over, then went ahead to save seats in the Great Hall.
Only then did Draco remember the important matter.
"Oh, right, Potter." She opened her schoolbag and took out two wrapped volumes of notes. "Dad sent them."
Harry's gaze immediately settled on the books.
"Those two volumes of Charms notes?"
"Yes. Dad said he's lending them to you as we agreed before. You don't have to promise anything extra."
Harry wiped the snow from his hands and carefully took them. "Please thank Mr. Malfoy for me."
"Wait!"
Malfoy suddenly called him back indignantly.
"I'm the one you should be thanking! Not that I care in the slightest!"
Once they entered the castle, Ron was still excitedly going over their victory.
He also announced that he would be staying at school for the entire Christmas holiday.
"Fred and George are staying too. We can have a few more matches!"
"I hope you still remember your homework," Hermione said. "I'm going home, so there won't be anyone to remind you during the holidays."
Draco did not join the argument. She looked at Harry.
"What about you?"
"I'm staying too."
"For the whole holiday?"
Harry nodded.
The girl touched the clasp on her cloak. Doesn't that mean we won't be able to practice together for ages?
We've only just started again a few days ago.
She was quiet for a moment, then suddenly spoke. "Potter, if there's a chance sometime, you could come and visit Malfoy Manor too."
Harry blinked in surprise, and the girl hurriedly added, "Of course, I'll have to ask Mum and Dad first! And you can't go around touching things in the house."
"Sure."
"...You're agreeing?"
"As long as you're willing to invite me."
Draco lifted her chin, but she could no longer hide the curve of her lips. "Then that's settled for now."
She turned her head, her golden hair brushing lightly across her shoulder.
A soft jingle came from the corridor to the side.
Harry stopped walking. "Did you hear that?"
Ron was still talking and turned at his words.
"What?"
Jingle.
This time, all four of them heard it clearly.
At the end of the corridor stood a tall fir tree.
Silver bells hung all over its branches, and a thin layer of snow rested among its needles, but its top was bare, without a star.
"A Christmas tree?" Ron glanced at it. "No room left in the Great Hall?"
"That's not right." Hermione frowned. "This spot was empty when I came to find you just now."
She walked to the corner and looked beside the fir tree as well.
"And Hagrid already moved all twelve trees into the Great Hall this morning. I even helped him count them."
Draco stopped too.
"Perhaps a professor prepared an extra one."
"What about these, then?"
Harry pointed to the floor, where a trail of tiny wet footprints led from the corner of the wall all the way to the foot of the tree.
There, the footprints vanished.
Hermione was about to take a closer look when she suddenly raised her head.
A patch of snow among the branches gently floated up.
Tiny snowflakes slowly swirled around the bells, rising little by little toward the ceiling.
Ron immediately tilted his face up.
"Merlin's beard... what is that?"
Harry watched the snow drifting upward in the wrong direction and tightened his grip on his wand.
Hogwarts has Christmas decorations like this?
"We'd better find a professor," Hermione said quietly.
"All right."
Harry nodded and was just about to turn away.
Jingle-
Every silver bell on the tree rang at once.
A soft glow lit up along the trunk, tracing the outline of a small doorframe.
All four of them stopped in their tracks. A wooden door slowly appeared in the center of the trunk.
The doorknob turned gently. Then a faint voice drifted out with the cold wind through the crack in the door.
"Help..."
"Help me..."
Draco's smile vanished, and Hermione stepped beside her.
Ron opened his mouth but made no sound.
Harry stared at the little door as it gradually opened, his eyes widening slightly.
Beyond the door, fine snow was falling past layer upon layer of treetops.
Hidden inside that fir tree was an entire silvery-white forest.
Before you continue