https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-901-The-Headmaster-and-the-Free-Runes/13017523/
Chapter 902: Christmas, A Special Gift
Chapter 902: Christmas, A Special Gift
The following Sunday, Hogwarts was filled with a festive atmosphere from the morning onwards.
The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, a fated battle, had begun.
Especially for the Little Lion, they had been eagerly awaiting this moment for months, wanting to shake off the shadow Hufflepuff had cast over the pitch.
In this atmosphere, the lost 150 points didn't seem to matter as much anymore.
After all, their house points were already at the bottom, and compared to the House Cup, they were more determined to bring back the Quidditch Cup that had been away for seven years.
Since Harry joined the team, Gryffindor had been dominant on the pitch, except when facing Hufflepuff, where their championship dreams were shattered every time, for seven consecutive matches.
The first time they attributed it to Hufflepuff's high morale, the second time they said the new Seeker wasn't familiar with the pitch, and the third time it rained... But after seven consecutive losses, they struggled to find a convincing excuse.
This time, they were determined to reclaim what they had lost.
Hmm?
Wait a moment.
"The person sitting in the teacher's area looks a bit familiar," a third-year Little Lion whispered to his friend, "the one sitting next to Professor Hagrid."
His friend instinctively looked up, and his entire body froze.
"Kyle, didn't he graduate?"
As Kyle had graduated less than a year ago, many in the school still knew him, and they remembered his notorious reputation.
For a moment, everyone recalled the fear of being dominated by Kyle's Bludger.
There was a saying among the Hogwarts players... If your opponent is Hufflepuff, pray that the Seeker can catch the Golden Snitch within twenty minutes, as this is the only way to beat them.
Because Kyle could always score 150 points within twenty minutes, and if the match didn't end within this time, the point gap would only widen, making catching the Golden Snitch pointless.
It could be said that Kyle elevated the status of the Beaters, and made everyone aware that to win at Quidditch, the most crucial factor was not just catching that damn winged golden egg.
He wouldn't have come back specifically to stop Gryffindor from winning, would he...
The Little Lion shivered, what a grudge he must hold to return to the pitch!
"Hey, have you guys seen the notice on the bulletin board?"
At that moment, someone rushed in excitedly. "We're getting a new professor!"
"What, has Snape finally been arrested by the Aurors?"
"Or maybe he was trampled by a Boar."
When the new professor was mentioned, the first thing that came to everyone's mind was Defense Against the Dark Arts, as the fifty-year-old Professor Slughorn had experienced so many bizarre incidents that nothing seemed strange to him.
"Snape?" The person paused, then continued, "No, it's Professor Babbling."
"Professor Babbling, who is she?"
"The Ancient Runes professor," someone replied.
"Oh... What are Ancient Runes?"
"One of the third-year elective classes."
"There's such a class?"
"Please, take your head out of your ass, take another look at that damn class schedule, and then you'll know if there's an Ancient Runes class or not."
"Hey, that's not the point!" Someone interrupted their argument.
"The point is, the new professor replacing Professor Babbling is also named Kyle, could it be the one we know?"
"It must be," a soft voice replied,
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because he's already here." The person pointed to the teacher's area, where Kyle was talking to Professor Hagrid.
But he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It's good that professors can't participate in Quidditch matches...
More and more people came to the Great Hall for meals, and they also saw the notice posted outside the door, as well as Kyle on the teacher's area.
The Great Hall buzzed with discussion, and everyone found it fascinating that a graduate had transformed into a professor.
Among them were a few familiar faces.
"It's really you, Kyle!" Ginny exclaimed, staring at Kyle, "How come you never told me, or even Mom, about such a big thing! Not even a letter!"
"Actually, you know even earlier than her," Kyle smiled, "How do you feel, surprised or excited?"
"A little surprised. But I didn't choose the Ancient Runes class, so the excitement..." Ginny shrugged, the implication clear.
Of course, there was no excitement if you didn't take the class.
Kyle immediately retracted his smile, "You're just like your brother, not studying at all."
Ginny was infuriated by Kyle's words.
Her grades were easily O-level, and to compare her to Ron, who barely managed an E, was an insult! Kyle was becoming more and more unreasonable.
Ginny stormed off in anger, leaving Kyle feeling slightly better. He leisurely sipped his pumpkin juice and left the Great Hall with Hagrid.
At ten in the morning, the Quidditch match began.
Almost all the students went to the pitch, their deafening cheers echoing through the Forbidden Forest.
Kyle didn't go to watch the match, and neither did Hagrid.
Although he wanted to cheer for Harry, Christmas was approaching, and he needed to prepare the decorations for the Great Hall before the feast, including the twelve essential Christmas trees.
As the gamekeeper, even after becoming a professor, Hagrid never slacked off.
So, after breakfast, he bid farewell to the dragons in the garden and headed towards the Forbidden Forest.
As noon approached, perfectly shaped Christmas trees were placed outside the wooden hut, accompanied by holly and mistletoe decorations carefully selected by Hagrid.
By the time of the feast, they would adorn the walls and ceiling of the Great Hall, eliciting amazed exclamations from the young wizards.
However, this had nothing to do with Kyle, who didn't plan to spend Christmas at Hogwarts. That afternoon, he and Fox appeared on the streets of the French Magical Shopping Street.
Of course, Christmas was meant to be spent with important people, not with the clueless students of Hogwarts.
More importantly, their winning streak had come to an end.
Soon after his graduation, Hufflepuff had lost to Gryffindor on the pitch, and it was a quick ten-minute defeat... The thought of it made him furious.
Even a Niffler hanging a gold coin in front of a flying broomstick would have done better than them.
The Christmas atmosphere in France was equally vibrant, with almost every shop adorned with various decorations.
A massive Christmas tree stood in the middle of the street, so tall it resembled a second Eiffel Tower. It was clearly a product of magic, as ordinary trees couldn't grow that high.
Kyle easily found Conna's shop.
Odd, it was closed again. Kyle knocked on the door curiously.
Creak...
The door was quickly opened from the inside, and Fleur, full of excitement, opened her arms for a hug.
Kyle was surprised by Fleur's enthusiasm but also felt conflicted.
As a friend, he shouldn't avoid the hug, but with Conna there, it seemed inappropriate.
Kyle hesitated, standing awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
But the next moment, he no longer needed to worry.
"You're finally here... Damn, it's you."
Fleur came to an abrupt halt.
Her excitement and enthusiasm instantly turned into disdain.
Kyle was puzzled by how quickly her expression changed.
"What do you mean? Is France your private domain? Why can't I be here!"
"But you just left!" Fleur exclaimed.
With disdain, she looked at Kyle and said, "If you miss her so much, why not let Conna go back to Britain?"
During this time, many events had transpired: repairing the Time-Turner, traveling back to 1899 to find Dumbledore, saving Ariana, uncovering Death Eaters' plot in Cornwall, confronting Voldemort with Fiendfyre on the Hebrides Islands.
However, these were all events outside of the normal timeline, known only to a select few.
For Fleur, who was in the normal timeline, Kyle had indeed left France not long ago, only to return soon after.
How annoying!
"Mind your own business," Kyle retorted, perplexed by Fleur's sudden irritability, as if she had swallowed gunpowder.
(The original text can be found in Chapter 6, Section 9, of the book/online.)
Is she feeling unwell?
"Where's Conna?" Kyle asked, looking around.
"She's brewing potions in the basement. It's best not to disturb her," Fleur replied, her tone now calmer. She pulled open the curtains, letting more light into the room.
"Why didn't you open the shop?" Kyle inquired. "The last time I came, it was closed, and tomorrow is Christmas, the busiest time for business."
"Of course, it's because..." Fleur paused, "...because we received a large order from Beauxbatons, and with Christmas approaching, we're a bit pressed for time. So, we decided to close the shop."
"But why are you here? Is everything okay in Britain?" As she spoke, Fleur narrowed her eyes, her thoughts unreadable.
"The usual power struggles and paranoia, but it's definitely an improvement from before." Chris said.
This was true; since the Hebrides Islands, Voldemort has indeed been much quieter, with no news of Death Eaters except for the Gringotts vault incident.
Of course, it's also possible that they've been active, but the Aurors and Dumbledore haven't discovered them yet.
"It's almost Christmas, so I finally have time to come here..." Chris glanced at the entrance to the basement, "It's almost Christmas, so I finally have time to come here..." Chris looked towards the basement entrance, "When will Conna come out?"
"I don't know." Fleur replied, "Usually, she comes out at night, occasionally during the day."
"You guys are pretty busy then." Chris glanced at her.
"Yes." Fleur raised an eyebrow.
...
Chris waited until evening when Conna finally emerged from the basement, rubbing her eyes.
Upon seeing Chris, she paused, then rushed over excitedly.
Unfortunately, just as Chris opened his arms to embrace her, Fleur pushed him aside.
Conna hugged Fleur, who turned and flashed a malicious smile at Chris.
No wonder she was ostracized at Beauxbatons; she deserved it!
Chris gritted his teeth, wondering why Fleur was acting so crazy and opposing him when he hadn't provoked her.
And it didn't stop there; when Chris took Conna out for a Christmas dinner, Fleur stubbornly followed, showing no awareness of being a third wheel.
When Chris tried to stay at the inn that night, Fleur forcefully pushed him out.
Conna wanted to say something, but Fleur pulled her back.
"I can't sleep on the streets, can I?!" Chris argued outside, but all he got in response was silence and a key thrown out the window.
"Ninety-seven South Commercial Street, find it yourself!" Fleur's voice echoed from inside.
Chris had no choice but to take the key and follow the address Fleur had given him, which led to... a villa! Unlike Diagon Alley, the French Magical Shopping Street resembled Hogsmeade, with both shops and residential areas for wizards. Chris had never been there before.
He was also surprised by the luxurious residential area. Number 97 was a three-story villa with pristine white marble. If it were a little bigger, it would be a manor.
The key opened the door, revealing an interior filled with an opulent French decor.
Was Fleur this rich? But then again, Delacour was indeed well-off in France. Upon closer inspection, someone who could captivate a Veela couldn't be ordinary.
Chris sighed softly, lying in the hundreds of square meters of the villa. If given a choice, he'd still prefer the cozy Potion shop.
The lack of a room didn't matter; coziness was enough.
The problem was that Fleur seemed to have been possessed by Snape, guarding him vigilantly...
Wait a moment.
Chris suddenly sat up.
Fleur might actually be Snape in disguise, using Polyjuice Potion.
It wasn't impossible; her behavior today was indeed strange, as if she had become a different person. Moreover, with Christmas approaching, Hogwarts professors would be on vacation.
If Snape didn't have classes in the afternoon, he could have arrived in France before Chris.
Had he guessed that Chris would come looking for Conna?
Chris gazed out the window in deep thought, then shook his head.
It was probably his overactive imagination.
While Polyjuice Potion could change one's appearance, it couldn't alter bloodlines. For example, drinking a Polyjuice Potion containing Hagrid's hair might change one's appearance, but not height, as height is a characteristic of Giant bloodlines, beyond the capabilities of Polyjuice Potion.
When Chris saw Fleur, he still had the urge to stuff her back into the crate.
This indicated the presence of Veela blood in her, making it impossible for Snape to impersonate her.
But this made it even stranger... Why?
Chris pondered, but found no clues.
...
The next morning, he returned to the shopping street.
By then, a familiar figure, dressed in a square paper suit with a red ribbon on his head, was already standing in front of the Potion shop.
Bill Weasley.
This guy had apparently dressed himself up as a gift.
Shameless.
Chris rolled his eyes.
Fleur seemed to enjoy this, as the two of them acted as if no one else existed.
"Damn!" Chris muttered, his expressionless as he took out his camera.
"Click!"
(End of Chapter)
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