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Harry, Ron, and Hermione made great progress after their visit with Hagrid, gathering information about Nicolas Flamel from every possible source.
Meanwhile, Aiden was completely absorbed in practising his duelling skills.
Time passed quickly as everyone kept busy, and before long, Christmas was just around the corner.
"Aiden, Mum and Dad are taking Ginny with them to Romania to visit Charlie this year, so we don't have to go back home for Christmas," Ron said, slinging an arm around Aiden's shoulders, looking a little excited.
"Oh, so spending Christmas away from home makes you happy?" Aiden asked, an amused smile on his face.
"Of course! It's my first time celebrating Christmas anywhere else," Ron replied, his eyes shining with excitement.
Ron pulled Harry over, and the two of them started a game of Wizard's Chess. Ethan watched as they played, while Hermione arrived, dragging her luggage behind her.
"The queen moves to E5," Hermione announced. The piece glided forward and knocked over one of Harry's pawns.
"This is too brutal," Hermione said, frowning.
"Wizards are always different from ordinary people," Ethan replied with a small smile.
"Alright, Ethan, Ron, I'm heading home for Christmas. Maybe you two can help Harry look for more information on Nicolas Flamel during the break," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.
Ethan smiled and said nothing, but Ron replied, "We've already checked everywhere."
"Perhaps you haven't checked the Restricted Section yet. Happy Christmas!" Hermione said, giving them a meaningful look before walking off with her luggage.
"It looks like she's about to become a true Gryffindor," Aiden said, raising an eyebrow before heading off as well.
***
With Christmas coming tomorrow, Aiden still had gifts to prepare for his teachers, family, and friends. He found his way to Hogsmeade through a secret passage.
"First, Dumbledore. For the old man, I'll send a few pounds of cockroach clusters. Oh, and some wool socks," Aiden said as he browsed the shops.
[Ding, do you want to send him off early with diabetes?] The System chimed in.
"Maybe not then. Next is Professor Snape. I'll send him a few bottles of shampoo. Look at this, Potter family special shampoo," Aiden said, paying for the bottles without hesitation.
"What about Professor McGonagall? I'll buy some wool and knit her a scarf. I haven't used the knitting spell Aunt Molly taught me yet," Aiden added, picking out some soft yarn.
"Of course, there's our old Head of House. I'll have Sibby send him some good wine from home. And for Professor Sprout, I'll buy some magical plants," Aiden continued, jotting down notes as he shopped.
"As for Harry and Ron, those two need to improve their skills, so I'll give them some books," Aiden decided, diving into the bookshop and selecting a few advanced spell books.
"Hermione reads enough as it is. I'll get her a box with the Undetectable Extension Charm. Now that I've learned Runes, I can start experimenting with alchemy," Aiden mused, picking up a few more boxes.
"Oh, I almost forgot about the others in my dorm. I'll get more yarn and knit a scarf for each of them," Aiden thought, adding extra yarn to his basket.
[Ding, doesn't that make Professor McGonagall's gift less special?] The System poked at Aiden's conscience.
"That's why I'll embroider hers. Her scarf will have a lion on it," Aiden replied, rolling his eyes.
***
After buying all the gifts and materials, Aiden packed everything up and returned to Hogwarts.
He carried the boxes to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor and requested a room for alchemy.
"I feel like I'm turning this place into my personal base," Aiden muttered.
[Ding, other transmigrators do the same thing.] The System replied, sounding smug.
Aiden poured out the materials, waved his wand, and conjured knitting needles. The needles began knitting scarves under the effect of magic.
Aiden selected a box and began carefully carving runes on the inside. The runes he used were Othala (ᛟ) and Fehu (ᚠ). The combination of ᛟ with other runes was a unique alchemical technique of the Dumbledore family. This rune was closely tied to the continuation of family traditions and symbolised the inheritance of bloodline and culture.
The Dumbledore family's alchemy was especially skilled in the art of continuation. Their special techniques could extend the magical effects of other runes for a long time, allowing their enchantments to endure across generations.
While researching, Aiden suspected that the Dumbledore family used a rune combined with the blood of a phoenix, allowing their bloodline to receive help from a phoenix in times of need.
Maybe the blood of a phoenix really does run through that old man's veins, Aiden thought to himself.
Thanks to the use of ᚠ, the space inside the box enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm was astonishingly complete—even featuring its own patch of land and sky. With the runes in place, the box was soon finished, its interior transformed into a fully realised magical world.
Now you see where Mr Newt Scamander's famous suitcase really came from, right?
***
The next morning, Aiden woke up early, went to the Owlery, and sent out all his gifts.
Back in the dorm, he took out the scarves he had knitted and handed one to each of his roommates.
"This is a scarf I knitted myself," Aiden said, handing them out.
[Ding, yourself.] The System grumbled.
"Oh, a scarf! Thank you, Aiden," Oliver said, grinning as he tried to wrap it around his head like a turban.
"Nice scarf," Ethan said, immediately tying his in a knot that looked suspiciously like a pretzel.
Edmund spun around dramatically. "Thank you, Aiden! Finally, I can join the secret society of stylish wizards."
Aiden stared at the three of them, utterly baffled. "Wait… Are you guys starting a scarf cult or something?" (._.?)
Soon, owls arrived with return gifts for Aiden.
He sat on the floor, unwrapping presents one by one.
"A big jar of sweets from Dumbledore, a Pepperup Potion from Professor Snape, Transfiguration insights from Professor McGonagall… Oh, it looks like a copy. I guess I have to write one myself, is this my Christmas homework? Professor Sprout sent a cushion. That's actually useful," Aiden said, smiling.
His roommates and friends, including Harry and Ron, also sent him gifts.
***
Outside the Ravenclaw tower, heavy snow fell, turning all of Hogwarts into a silver wonderland.
"Shall we go out and have a snowball fight?" Aiden suggested.
"Let's go," the others agreed.
They hurried out to the courtyard. The snow was falling thickly, and there were only a few young wizards outside.
Aiden scooped up a ball of snow and lobbed it at Oliver, who retaliated immediately. Edmund built a snow wall for cover, and Aiden did the same.
Their laughter and shouts soon drew others, and more students joined in.
As the crowd grew, students from all four houses joined the fun. Before long, everyone's firepower seemed to be focused on Slytherin.
Eventually, one Slytherin wizard lost his temper, pulled out his wand, and began using magic to create snowballs.
Wizards from the other houses did the same, and the snowball fight quickly escalated into a magical battle.
The Gryffindors, skilled in Transfiguration, gathered snow into a majestic lion that charged at the Slytherins. The Slytherins used Shield Charms and Obstacle Spells to defend themselves. The lion and the barrier collided with a loud bang.
Ravenclaw wizards used their wands to turn snow into flocks of birds, which swooped down on the Hufflepuffs. The Hufflepuffs responded by turning snow into twisting vines, capturing any lone wizards they could find.
The magical snowball fight raged on while Aiden and his friends, who had started it all, quietly slipped away from the chaos.
The four of them exchanged a look, their cheerful laughter echoing through the corridor.
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