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Chapter 86: Christmas Break Begins
Chapter 86: Christmas Break Begins (Five Updates)
Ever since finding out who Nicolas Flamel was, nothing particularly unusual happened until the Christmas break.
Jerry continued his studies as usual, but his focus had shifted from spells to potion-making.
Most of his visits to the library were to read books on potions, and the questions he asked Snape were mostly related to potion-making.
This made Snape very pleased.
During this period, Jerry and Hermione took a day to visit Hagrid's hut at Harry's invitation, and they managed to become acquaintances with Hagrid.
Hagrid was quite surprised that Harry and Ron had brought a Slytherin friend, knowing how much they usually disliked Slytherins.
However, after spending time with Jerry, Hagrid quickly realized that Jerry was different from the typical Slytherin. Jerry not only appreciated Hagrid's rock cakes, which were notoriously hard, but also showed a keen interest in magical creatures. This instantly won Hagrid over.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were deeply impressed that Jerry could actually eat Hagrid's rock cakes, which were so hard they could chip a tooth.
Especially Ron, who felt this was even more admirable than Jerry's excellent magical abilities.
Jerry could only respond, "A healthy body makes everything taste good!"
Thus, the first day of the Christmas break arrived.
After breakfast, all the young wizards who were not staying at the school returned to their dormitories to pack their belongings.
Jerry was no exception. He would soon board the Hogwarts Express and leave Hogwarts Castle, just as he had when he arrived. However, his belongings were unusually few, as most had already been stored in the Little Box.
"Happy Christmas in advance!"
Jerry, who had already packed his things and was pulling his suitcase, paused at the door, as if remembering something, and waved to the Malfoy Trio, who were still packing.
The Malfoy Trio was clearly taken aback, not expecting Jerry, who usually spent most of his time reading and rarely interacted with them, to greet them so warmly.
For some reason, the three of them felt a small sense of happiness.
"Thank you, Happy Christmas!"
Jerry nodded and pulled his suitcase out of the Slytherin dormitory.
Reaching the ground floor, he did not immediately join the flow of young wizards heading to Hogsmeade Station. Instead, he went to the Great Hall first, as he had agreed to meet Hermione there to say goodbye to Harry and Ron.
Hermione had family to go home to, so she wouldn't be staying at the school for Christmas. Harry, on the other hand, didn't want to face his aunt and uncle's unpleasant faces and chose to stay. As for Ron, his parents were planning to visit their second son Charlie in Romania for Christmas, so he and his three older brothers would also be staying.
When Jerry arrived at the Great Hall, he found it more beautiful and grand than usual.
The walls were adorned with hanging garlands of holly and mistletoe, and twelve tall Christmas trees stood around the hall. Some trees were decorated with sparkling icicles, others with hundreds of flickering candles, and still others with golden bubbles created by magic.
"Jerry, over here!"
As Jerry was admiring the beautiful decorations, Harry and Ron waved to him from the Gryffindor table.
"Are you guys playing Wizard's Chess?"
Jerry stepped forward and saw that Harry and Ron were playing the popular Wizard's Chess among wizards.
Wizard's Chess is a magical version of chess where the pieces move on their own according to the players' commands. When a piece is captured, it is knocked over by the opponent's piece and dragged off the board.
Jerry wasn't particularly interested in playing Wizard's Chess, but he was very intrigued by the alchemy involved in its creation.
During this time, he had spent a lot of effort studying the basics and extensions of alchemy from the restricted section, which included the alchemy that grants ordinary objects sentience.
However, the content was extremely advanced, and he estimated it would take him a while to master it.
In fact, Jerry was deeply impressed by this alchemy that could grant ordinary objects sentience.
At first glance, it might not seem like much, but upon closer examination, it was truly mind-blowing and even a bit scary.
It was akin to creating a new race, a new form of life, a power on par with that of a god or a creator.
Of course, compared to true creation of life, it was still far off, but it was definitely moving in that direction.
For example, the pieces on the board were not only following commands but also arguing with each other, even offering their own opinions to Harry and Ron. Clearly, they had developed their own personalities, or even souls.
Then there was Arthur Weasley's magic car, which he had modified using alchemy and magic. Due to Ron's excessive use, it had become so annoyed that it ran into the Forbidden Forest and refused to return.
The Sorting Hat was perhaps the most outstanding example, with a lifespan of a thousand years, intelligence on par with humans, and special magical abilities.
"Don't send me there, can't you see his horse? Send him instead, his sacrifice won't matter."
On the board, Harry's bishop, upon hearing that Harry wanted him to move forward, immediately became furious and pointed at the nearby pawn, ordering it to go instead.
Harry scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
"These pieces belong to Seamus; they don't trust me yet!"
"Trust won't help you. I'm an expert at Wizard's Chess; even Hermione can't beat me."
Ron lifted his chin proudly. This was one of his few talents.
"Jerry, how about a game with me?"
After dealing with Harry, Ron's eyes lit up, and he turned his attention to the exceptionally talented Jerry. If he could beat Jerry at Wizard's Chess, he would have something to brag about.
"I don't have a set of Wizard's Chess. I'll buy one after Christmas and play with you when school starts!"
Jerry planned to practice alchemy after returning home, and Wizard's Chess was relatively simple. If he could successfully create a set, it would be a good start for his alchemy journey.
"Jerry, Harry, Ron, you're all here!"
At that moment, Hermione, wrapped in a large Gryffindor scarf and dragging a gigantic suitcase almost as tall as herself, approached the three of them with great enthusiasm.
"Hermione, the Christmas break is two weeks, not two months. How did you manage to pack so much?"
Jerry felt that Hermione had probably packed everything she owned, otherwise, the suitcase wouldn't be so bulging.
"But I think I'll need all these things during the break!"
Hermione blinked her eyes innocently.
(End of Chapter)
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