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Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Dylan. What are your plans?"
"Yes, I think we need to do some further research on how to use spirit servants more flexibly."
When the entire auditorium was almost fully decorated, Professor McGonagall lowered her head and spoke to Dylan.
Hagrid walked in through the great hall doors, carrying a large Christmas tree.
Professor Flitwick glanced over and said, "Just put it over there."
He pointed to a corner of the auditorium.
Dylan waved his wand, summoning several red and gold Christmas ornaments that floated through the air before landing gently on the tree.
"Hey, Dylan, aren't you going home for Christmas?"
Harry, Ron, and the others followed Hagrid inside. When they saw Dylan, they approached him in surprise.
"No." Dylan shook his head and waved his hand. Under the soft glow of pink starlight particles, a piece of chocolate candy appeared in the palms of Harry and the others.
"Avocado chocolate? Hey, I like this flavor!" Ron unwrapped the candy, popped it into his mouth, and his eyes immediately lit up.
Seeing Ron's excitement, Dylan conjured a few more chocolates and handed them to him.
"This is probably the first time you've been away from home for so long. Don't you want to visit your parents?" Hermione asked.
"Well…"
At her words, Dylan couldn't help but take a deep breath.
When he first arrived at Hogwarts, he and his parents kept in touch regularly through letters.
But as time passed, with his financial support and various ideas, his parents' business flourished. They started earning more money and living more comfortably.
Twice, Dylan had asked Luna to help deliver letters home, but after waiting for days, no reply came.
It seemed that, without him around, his parents' lives had only grown more prosperous.
He hadn't even told them his decision about whether he would return for Christmas this year.
But before he could, his parents sent him a letter.
At the beginning of the letter, they wrote words of longing and affection, making Dylan think about putting his spell research on hold for Christmas and going home to be with them.
But near the end of the letter, they changed the subject.
They told him not to come home for Christmas—because they were planning a trip during the holidays.
"Wow, that's great! Then we can spend Christmas together in the dormitory!" Harry's glasses gleamed with excitement.
He had no desire to return home and face his aunt.
"My parents are going on a trip too, so I'll be staying at Hogwarts as well," Ron added, stuffing another piece of chocolate into his mouth.
Harry grinned even more.
As long as he didn't have to spend Christmas at his aunt's house, he was happy.
Dylan blinked and said, "When I come back from the library, we can spend Christmas together in the evening."
At that moment, Ron swallowed his chocolate and suddenly said, "Dylan, are you going to the library again?"
Dylan nodded slightly.
Ron continued, "Then let's go together later."
"Oh?" Dylan raised an eyebrow. "You're going to the library too?"
What was wrong with Ron?
Not only did he suddenly want to visit the library, but he also wanted to go right before the holidays?
Ron waited until Professor McGonagall and the others left with the Weasley twins before whispering, "Remember when Hagrid mentioned Nico? Let's go to the library together and find out who he is."
Dylan suddenly understood.
Hagrid happened to be passing by as Ron spoke. Hearing his words, Hagrid's eyes widened.
"You're still trying to research that? Oh! Stop it. You don't need to know what Root is guarding."
Hermione looked up. "We can't help it. You clearly know something, but you won't tell us. So we have no choice but to find out ourselves."
Hagrid's face stiffened. "You know I can't possibly tell you this."
"Then at least tell us—who is this Nico?" Harry pressed.
Hagrid remained silent.
"It doesn't matter. Hogwarts' library is huge. We can find the answer ourselves!" Hermione declared before turning and marching out.
Harry and Ron quickly followed.
Hagrid watched them leave, feeling a headache coming on.
These little Gryffindors were always so stubborn.
Glancing at Dylan, who hadn't left yet, Hagrid looked around nervously before lowering his voice. "Tell me, you've been keeping that thing a secret, right?"
Dylan smiled. "Of course."
Hagrid breathed a sigh of relief.
Dylan reassured him, "Don't worry. Their curiosity will fade soon enough."
"Oh, I hope so."
Dylan followed Harry and the others to the library, but he simply read his book quietly.
Meanwhile, Harry, Hermione, and Ron gathered a large pile of books and started searching for information on Nicolas Flamel.
Naturally, their search led nowhere.
By the time they realized they hadn't found anything, it was already dinnertime.
After dinner, Hermione prepared to go home for Christmas.
Harry, Ron, and the other students had so much fun playing in the common room that they completely forgot about their research into Flamel.
Dylan, however, did not join their games.
After returning to his dormitory, he put away his belongings, fed his pet Coal Ball, and then grabbed his notebook before heading to Professor Flitwick's office.
Although students had a break during Christmas, most of the professors remained at Hogwarts.
This made it easier for Dylan to seek private lessons.
"It's Dylan—come in and warm yourself by the fire," Professor Flitwick called as Dylan arrived.
The fireplace in the office burned brightly, its orange-red flames casting flickering shadows across the room and radiating warmth.
Dylan stepped inside, feeling the comforting heat.
"What brings you here?"
Professor Flitwick had been reading a book. Looking up, he asked, "Do you remember what I mentioned to you during our tutorial today?"
Dylan walked up to his desk.
Flitwick thought for a moment. "You mean... about counter-curse magic?"
"That's right." Dylan nodded. "I want you to teach me Defense Against the Dark Arts. We can start with countering the Fiery Blaze curse."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts…" Professor Flitwick was momentarily stunned.
Then, he frowned slightly. "If I remember correctly, Professor Quirrell didn't cover the Fiery Curse in class, did he?"
Dylan smiled. "Yes. You know how terrible Professor Quirrell's teaching is. I had to try learning Defense Against the Dark Arts on my own, but it's barely mentioned in the textbook."
"So, I had no choice but to come to you for help."
(End of Chapter)
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