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Chapter 190: Snape's Good Intentions
Chapter 190: Snape's Good Intentions
Just as Sniffle can silently take away shiny objects, owls seem to possess a similar ability.
On Christmas Day, Kyle woke up to a mountain of gifts piled high beside his bed. However, what was surprising was that with so many presents delivered, he hadn't noticed a thing.
Kyle rubbed his eyes and curiously said, "Landon, do owls have some hidden ability...?"
Landon, who was resting on the wooden rack with his eyes closed, lifted his wings and let out a weak hoot.
Although Kyle had sent most of his Christmas gifts through the owl post office, he still entrusted Landon with the gifts for his friends, professors, and professors.
Kyle had quite a few friends.
To save time, Landon had flown almost non-stop all night and had just returned, exhausted to the point where he could barely lift his wings. He had no mood to respond to Kyle's trivial question.
"Sorry, you've worked hard."
Kyle awkwardly walked to Landon's side and poured a bottle of owl tonic into the bowl, adding a small piece of dragon jerky as a treat.
Dragon jerky was a more suitable pet snack than Mot's rat jerky, but it was expensive. A small piece, the size of a Felix Felicis bottle, cost sixteen Sickles.
It was almost like they were robbing him.
The piece of dragon jerky Kyle prepared as a gift for Landon cost ten Galleons.
To be honest, even Kyle had never indulged in such luxury.
After Landon ate a few bites of the dragon jerky and drank some tonic, he finally felt a bit more energized.
Afterward, Kyle returned to his bed and started unwrapping the gifts, most of which were chocolates and candies, even more than last year.
"Kyle, something's wrong!"
A few minutes later, a scream suddenly echoed through the common room.
It was Conna's voice.
Kyle quickly put down the half-unwrapped chocolate bar and rushed out of the dormitory.
In the common room, Conna stood there anxiously, holding an opened box in her arms.
"What...what happened?" Kyle asked hurriedly.
Conna bit her lip, looking flustered, and said, "I...I lost a Galleon again. It couldn't be Pochi..."
Due to last year's incident, Conna's first thought upon realizing she had lost a Galleon was the witch who had turned into a rat.
"What are you thinking? That's impossible."
Kyle waved his hand and reassured her, "She's probably busy making breakfast for Dementors right now. She doesn't have time to come to Hogwarts.
You probably just forgot where you put the Galleon."
"Oh...that's right..."
Hearing Kyle's explanation, Conna breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest, saying, "Then I'll look for it again. The Galleon isn't important, but I quite liked that crystal hairpin."
"Wait...a crystal hairpin?"
Kyle paused for a moment, frowning as he said, "Did you lose anything else?"
"Nothing else, I think..."
Conna tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Some Galleons, a crystal hairpin...oh, that's right, and a silver brooch. I had just unwrapped it as a gift, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye."
Galleons...crystal...silver brooch...
Kyle's eyes twitched a couple of times, as if he already understood what had happened.
"Wait a moment."
Kyle took a deep breath and took out the "Philosopher's Stone."
The next second, a black owl rushed straight from the corner of the common room.
Kyle seized the opportunity, grabbing it by the back of its neck, and quickly reached out to scratch its belly twice.
Amidst a chorus of jingling sounds, a torrent of items tumbled out of Sniffle's pouch—Galleons, hairpins, brooches, stones, flower pots—like a torrential downpour, causing Sniffle to wail in distress.
"Is this Sniffle?" Conna exclaimed in surprise.
She had encountered this magical creature a few times before, covered in black velvety fur, with a duck-like flat beak, and of course, the distinctive pouch.
"It's definitely Sniffle," she confirmed.
"But..." Conna puzzled, "Shouldn't Sniffle be living in the Forbidden Forest? Why is it here in our common room?"
"Well... his name is Jerry, and he's my pet," Kyle explained.
Gathering the scattered items from the floor, he sheepishly added, "I think he sneaked out of the dormitory last night when I wasn't paying attention."
The correct edition is available at 69 Book Bar, the exclusive publisher of this novel.
"Merlin's beard!" Kyle recalled that he had put the little creature back in its box before going to bed last night. How did it manage to escape?
He wondered if he had forgotten to lock the box. Regardless, he was relieved to have discovered it early; otherwise, the loss might have been more significant.
This was the first time Conna had interacted with Sniffle up close. She approached eagerly and asked, "Can I touch it?"
"Of course," Kyle replied, handing Sniffle to Conna. "But be careful; watch out for any shiny objects on your body. Sniffle might steal them."
"Okay, okay," Conna agreed, then gently rubbed Sniffle's head, marveling at the soft, fluffy sensation.
Kyle, seeing this, returned to the dormitory to continue unwrapping his gifts.
It's worth mentioning that this year, aside from candies, he received a plethora of books—from specialized magical theory to Quidditch-related technical guides, biographies, and more—a diverse collection.
Among them was even a book titled "Sniffle's Postpartum Care," which Kyle realized was a gift from Newt.
Dumbledore had sent him a pair of hand-knitted woolen socks adorned with elegant gold-red patterns and Kyle's initials.
Kyle scrutinized the socks, confirming that the patterns were crafted from the feathers of a phoenix... and not just any feathers, but tail feathers.
Using precious phoenix tail feathers to knit socks... Kyle couldn't fathom Dumbledore's reasoning.
It would have been better to make gloves; at least others could appreciate the craftsmanship.
As for Kyle's gift to Dumbledore, it was more practical—a book titled "300 Ways to Knit Woolen Socks."
This was an advanced version from last year, featuring an additional two hundred methods. It'll keep you busy for a while," Kyle thought.
However, the most surprising gift Kyle received this year was from Professor Snape.
A single piece of parchment, a plain piece of parchment.
Kyle understood the message—a reminder to diligently take notes during lessons and to study hard.
If one's mind remained empty, it would become as useless as this blank parchment over time.
Kyle couldn't help but admire Professor Snape's thoughtful gesture.
Only a truly dedicated professor deserved two gifts in return.
In addition to the customary shampoo, Kyle had also selected a book—a bestseller among wizards, frequently topping sales charts—a book titled "Walking with Giants."
(Chapter End)
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