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Chapter 254: The McDougall Family
Chapter 254: The McDougall Family
Early in the morning, the snow outside had ceased. Isabelle, having just woken up, felt a chill in the room and burrowed her head back under the covers. From the kitchen downstairs, a cacophony of noises drifted upwards. With a soft sigh, the young girl quickly got up, dressed, and made her way down to help with breakfast.
"Mom, don't you have to work at St. Mungo's today?" The red-haired girl, clad in casual attire, walked into the kitchen and directed her question to Mrs. McDougall, who was frantically preparing breakfast.
"Dear, it's your birthday today." Mrs. McDougall gestured for her daughter to wait a moment, "So, I took a half-day off to make you a hearty breakfast."
"The beef is burning!" Katrina called out as she made her way downstairs, having caught a whiff of something scorching.
"Let me handle it!" Isabelle sighed softly and, with a swish of her wand, took over the cooking from Mrs. McDougall.
Perhaps there was truth to the saying that everyone had their own strengths. Their mother, aside from her exceptional talent in healing, always managed to make a mess of other things. Even with extensive practice, her culinary magic remained lackluster, unable to produce tasty meals with any degree of proficiency.
Who would have thought that the renowned head of the Spell Damage department at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries would be so inept at everything else! "Oh well," Mrs. McDougall said with a hint of disappointment, but quickly regained her cheerfulness. "By the way, I just counted the number of gifts. You received fifteen birthday presents this year."
"Great, Mom. I think we can open them after breakfast," Isabelle suggested as she skillfully plated the beef with her wand. Katrina, on the other hand, focused on frying eggs and sausages, as well as preparing a vegetable salad with tomatoes and other fresh produce. Her culinary magic wasn't as adept as Isabelle's, requiring her full attention during the cooking process.
"Good morning, Dad," Isabelle murmured, glancing at the photo of the young man placed nearby. The man in the picture smiled warmly at them.
"Katrina's improved a lot in household magic!" Mrs. McDougall was generous with her praise, knowing that she herself lacked any talent in the culinary arts.
"I've been practicing," Katrina replied. In truth, she had been helping out with household chores regularly, as their mother was often occupied with her duties at St. Mungo's.
During breakfast, the McDougalls chatted about various amusing incidents that had occurred at school. In fact, the two sisters had always been a source of pride and comfort for Mrs. McDougall.
After finishing their meal, it was time to open Isabelle's birthday gifts. Most of the presents were ordinary trinkets from fellow Ravenclaws, but if there was one gift that stood out, it was the latest edition of Runic books sent by Uncle Mog.
"I don't think many people at Hogwarts can understand this book!" Katrina exclaimed as she flipped through the pages of the Runic book, unable to suppress her skepticism.
While she had some knowledge of ancient runes, they were not her forte.
"There will always be someone who can," Isabelle replied calmly as she tucked the book away.
"Is Robert Hilliard pursuing you?" Katrina inquired, noting the sender's name on one of the packages. She tilted her head, looking at Isabelle with a curious expression.
"Why do you say that?" Isabelle countered.
"Just a hunch," Katrina replied, raising an eyebrow at the rather exquisite pair of white gloves. "He has good taste, I'll give him that."
"What's he like?" Mrs. McDougall asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Haven't paid much attention, why?" Isabelle handed the unwrapped package to Katrina, "If you like them, they're yours."
"No, thanks. I'd rather not," Katrina declined. After all, they were a token of Robert's affection, and she knew that if she took them, the poor boy would likely be heartbroken.
"Thank you, the hat looks wonderful!" Isabelle exclaimed as she donned the black wizard's hat, adorned with a vibrant Streeler feather, adding a touch of elegance befitting for any formal occasion.
"You're welcome," Katrina smiled, "Besides, it's not like I paid for it."
Mrs. McDougall eyed her two daughters, sensing that they were keeping something from her.
"Hmm, I'm surprised Albert even sent you a birthday gift," Katrina remarked, noticing the sender's name on one of the parcels.
"The last time we met, I traded a spell with him for this," Isabelle said as she opened the package, only to freeze upon seeing its contents.
"What is it? Some sort of wooden carving?" Katrina asked, puzzled. "Although, it does look rather exquisite."
"A talisman?" Mrs. McDougall examined the unicorn carving, intrigued by its intricate craftsmanship. "I must say, I'm surprised to see such a finely made talisman."
"A talisman? Indeed, there's also a card inside." Katrina picked up the card and handed it to Isabelle.
Isabelle glanced at the card and passed it back to Katrina. "Shall I read it out loud?"
"Go ahead," Katrina urged.
Isabelle took a breath and read, "'May it help you through the impending doom that awaits—Albert Anderson.'"
"Impending doom? What doom?" Katrina's confusion deepened. Had something transpired between them? Isabelle briefly recounted the incident with Professor Trelawney's divination using the rune stones.
"I don't mean to speak ill of Professor Trelawney behind her back, but as you know, many people believe she's a fraud. Divination is a talent, and it's clear that Professor Trelawney lacks it," Katrina stated, expressing her skepticism about the professor's abilities.
"It seems to have something inscribed on it," Mrs. McDougall said as she took the talisman for a closer inspection. "I dare say, this talisman must be quite expensive. You know, those sold in the markets are mostly scams."
"Do you think it works?" Katrina asked, still doubtful.
"It should. And look, it's even carved from Mandrake," Mrs. McDougall noted, her eyes narrowing in recognition.
As a skilled healer, Mrs. McDougall was also proficient in potion-making, and she immediately identified the type of wood used for the carving.
"The Mandrake plant?" Katrina's eyes widened as she recalled an incident. "Didn't someone steal a Mandrake from the Hogwarts greenhouse recently? Could this be..."
"This talisman requires mature Mandrake for carving, and the Mandrake at school hasn't reached maturity yet," Isabelle said, as if reading her sister's mind.
"Also, I believe Anderson made this talisman himself. He's quite adept at ancient runes and alchemy," Isabelle added, pointing to the intricate ancient runes carved on the talisman. "As for the price, it's definitely not as expensive as your hat."
"Albert Anderson? I think I've come across that name in the latest issue of 'Mastery of Potions'," Mrs. McDougall mused, trying to recall where she had heard the name before. "If I remember correctly, Anderson is a potions genius, and his improved potions have even garnered praise from Mr. Dagworth."
"That guy is indeed a genius," Isabelle readily admitted. "However, if you want more details, you'd have to ask Katrina here. They're from the same year."
"That Mr. Anderson is from Katrina's year?" Mrs. McDougall's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes, he's from my year, and he's acknowledged as a genius wizard in school. Many believe he'll be the next Dumbledore," Katrina said after a brief hesitation. "In fact, he's already published several papers in academic journals."
(End of Chapter)
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