Chapter 420: A Suspicious Christmas Gift
Chapter 420: A Suspicious Christmas Gift
The sky remained overcast on Christmas Day, and snow had been falling throughout the night, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of white.
The room was dimly lit, with heavy curtains blocking out the chill that seeped through the window cracks, along with the outside light. On the desk lay a book that had kept Albert up reading the night before. He was still asleep.
Before long, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and a pajama-clad Nia rushed in to confront Albert. She had woken up early, upset that she hadn't received a Christmas gift from Albert this year. Her face wore a scowl.
A fat cat named Tom slipped into the room as soon as the door opened, as if sensing something amiss. He looked up at the birdcage hanging by the window.
Inside the cage, Shella bobbed her head, eyeing the uninvited intruder. She raised her claw and chattered her beak, her gaze fixed on Tom with malicious intent.
"Get him, Tom!"
Nia pointed at Albert's bed, signaling for Tom to be locked up there.
The chubby cat sprinted forward, launching himself at Albert on the bed. Whether due to his plump frame or some other reason, he failed to make the jump and almost crashed into the bed frame.
Shella, a witness to this comical scene, let out a "Gugumiao," as if mocking Tom.
"You clumsy Tom!" Nia bent down to pick up the cat, placing him next to Albert's bed. Tom immediately started rubbing his tail against Albert's face, soon rousing the sleeping boy.
"Knock it off, Tom," mumbled Albert sleepily. As he opened his eyes, he saw Nia standing above him with her hands on her hips and a displeased look on her face.
"Where's my Christmas present?" she demanded.
"How could I forget?" the girl grumbled. "And put on a robe! You'll catch a cold."
Albert grabbed a coat from the rack and draped it over Nia's shoulders. As he did so, he ruffled her hair, earning him a glare from the girl. He then opened a box and took out a woolen scarf, which he handed to her.
"How many scarves did you buy?" Nia asked, pleased with the scarf's style but slightly miffed to see several more scarves in the box.
"I bought one for everyone in the family," Albert replied with a smile. "Luke and Sana already had Shella send theirs yesterday."
"Oh," Nia said, her mood brightening a little despite the deviation from her expectations.
"No fighting, or I'll cut down your treats," Albert warned, turning to the two pets on the table who were about to square off.
At the mention of reduced treats, Tom leaped off the table and began rubbing against Albert's legs, pleading for his snack. Shella, on the other hand, stared at the fat cat with contempt, letting out another "Gugumiao."
"Alright, I'll give it to you later," Albert assured them.
He bent down to pick up Tom, smiling at Nia as he asked, "So, do you have my Christmas present ready?"
"Of course," the girl said proudly, puffing out her chest. "I'll get it for you in a moment."
"Go put on some clothes. You don't want to catch a cold," Albert said, reaching out to ruffle Nia's hair again, only to have her dodge his hand successfully this time.
"Stop messing up my hair, I hate it," she grumbled, disappearing in a flash.
As Albert made his way downstairs, he was astonished to find a mountain of gifts piled next to the Christmas tree.
"Son, I had no idea you were so popular at school," Herbert said, wrapping the scarf Albert had just given him around his neck. "I woke up this morning to find all these presents addressed to you."
"Hmm," Albert murmured in agreement as he rummaged through the pile of packages. He found gifts from Daisy and Herbert—a handsome brown woolen sweater and matching socks.
He took off his coat and tried on the new garments.
"It looks good on you," Daisy commented with satisfaction.
"Well, it was your choice of gift," Herbert boasted.
"You picked the socks," Daisy reminded him.
"But you're my wife," he said without a hint of embarrassment, kissing her cheek. He then tied the scarf around her neck and added, "I bet Albert got the same scarf for all of us."
Albert ignored the couple's early morning display of affection and focused on unwrapping his Christmas presents.
Luke and Sana had sent him the latest edition of "Economics" and the bestselling novel "The Oddity, Fornod."
Izabel gave him a pair of woolen gloves—the same ones they had bought for each other in Hogsmeade before the Christmas holidays.
Hermione's gift was a box of sugar-free chocolates and a greeting card expressing her gratitude for Albert's help—help that Albert was well aware of.
The Weasley twins gave Albert a book called "Twelve Secrets to Winning Over Witches," which was undoubtedly meant for flirting. Whether or not it would be useful remained to be seen, as neither of the twins had found a girlfriend yet.
Lee Jordan's gift, as always, was a large box of Chocolate Frogs, which would surely last Albert a long time.
Trueman also sent a book as a gift.
In addition, he received a stack of greeting cards.
The remaining books and notes were mostly from old friends, and Albert was surprised to find a gift from Nico Flamel—a two-way mirror.
"Why does everyone like to give you books?"
Nia asked, her eyes widening as she took in the pile of books and notes. She couldn't help but voice her curiosity.
There was simply no denying it; the unwrapped packages contained enough books to form a small mountain.
Nia's sharp eyes immediately landed on "Twelve Secrets to Winning Over Witches," and her expression soured.
"Where's my gift?" Albert asked.
"Here!"
Seeing the new gloves in Albert's hands, Nia reluctantly handed over her gift—another pair of gloves, and indeed, they were the same style as the ones she was wearing herself. The color was a bright, light brown.
"I really like them!" Albert took off his gloves and put on the new ones.
Seeing this, Nia smiled with satisfaction. Just as she was thinking about how to destroy the book "Twelve Secrets to Winning Over Witches," she noticed that Herbert had already picked it up and was flipping through it.
"Is it useful?"
Daisy asked, placing a plate of fried steak on the table and looking at Herbert.
"It's quite interesting," Herbert said with a smile. "However, I'm a little doubtful that our son needs this."
"Have you found a girlfriend?" Daisy asked bluntly. She felt that Albert should find a witch girlfriend.
Upon hearing this, Nia pursed her lips and stared intently at Albert, waiting for his answer.
"I plan to look for one in a couple of years," Albert replied without hesitation.
"If you see someone you like, make your move quickly, or someone else might beat you to it," Herbert advised with a smile. "If you need more money, I can give you an advance. Also, this book is quite good. Take a look when you have time. I think you'll probably find someone over there. There aren't that many witches and wizards to choose from, so the pickings might be slim. But remember, if you see someone you like, make your move first. After all, with your outstanding qualities, you'll surely be able to win them over easily."
Albert was momentarily speechless and had not expected Herbert and Daisy to have such an attitude. In truth, he had already "won over" someone.
Of course, he had no intention of revealing this to his family. If he admitted to having a girlfriend, he imagined his family would be shocked to their core. Herbert and Daisy would undoubtedly ask for photos or invite her over to their house.
"Albert is so outstanding that he doesn't need to worry about such things at all," Nia huffed. "And even if he can't find a suitable one, it would be fine to choose someone from our side." She glared at the book "Twelve Secrets to Winning Over Witches" and added, "It's best not to read this kind of nonsense. It will only corrupt your mind."
With that, Nia confiscated the book.
Herbert, however, didn't seem too concerned. He had great confidence in his son. If Albert truly wanted to find a girlfriend, he was sure it wouldn't be difficult, given his many admirable qualities. There was already a queue of people pursuing him.
"In a couple of days, I'll buy you another bookshelf," Herbert said, looking at the pile of books on the coffee table. "At this rate, I think you'll need more shelves in your room before you graduate."
"Yeah, I definitely need to buy another one," Albert agreed.
As he sorted through the books, he felt a bit helpless. While he did enjoy reading, receiving so many books as gifts felt a bit overwhelming.
He certainly didn't want to end up like Dumbledore, known for his vast collection of books: "People insist on giving me books."
After unwrapping a plethora of gifts, Albert's hand suddenly paused as he noticed that one of the packages was from Snape. Could it be that candy was about to rain from the sky?
There were several Hogwarts professors with whom Albert had a good relationship, and they often sent him Christmas presents. For example, Professor McGonagall had given him a shape-shifting notebook about Animagi this year.
But Albert had never received a gift from Snape before.
"Should I open it?"
Albert hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against it. He felt that it probably didn't contain anything good. After all, just a few days ago, he had made Snape quite famous, and he didn't believe for a second that Snape wasn't holding a grudge.
In addition, there was another package with no sender's information, and it seemed highly suspicious no matter how he looked at it. In the end, Albert chose not to open these two packages, intending to bring them back to school and share the contents with his friends.
(End of Chapter)
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