297 Christmas gift, dinner, Pig’s Head Bar (6k3)

297 Christmas gift, dinner, Pig’s Head Bar (6k3)

Early the next morning, when it was still dark, Karan was woken up by Weier who flew back at an unknown time, and had to sit up from the warm bed.

He waved his arms unconsciously twice, trying to drive Weier away, but she stood on top of his head, and his wings were still flapping back and forth, looking very excited.

"Bad boy..."

Karan rubbed his eyes and said, "Another bad boy."

Weier didn't care about Karan's evaluation of herself. She grabbed a small package and threw it into Karan's arms.

It was an envelope. Before opening it, Karan guessed what was inside.

A photo floated out of the envelope, just like last Christmas. The photo was crowded with children of different ages, but the difference was that many of them were deliberately holding something, such as studying. Books, carpenter's tools, and some people dressed as newsboys.

Mr. Anthony's portrait still hangs high above everyone's heads, smiling at the camera.

Karan looked at such photos carefully, and once again recalled the scene he saw after taking the poison, and what Mr. Anthony said to him again.

[This is love, Karan, it is love. 】

Karan raised his eyebrows slightly, and Weier stood at the head of his station, staring at the photo curiously.

"Is this the package you got back?" Karan turned to Weier and asked, "Flyed all night without rest?"

Weier didn't look tired at all, and she even rubbed Karan's cheek with some reckless force, as if she was deliberately showing herself off.

Karan's face was tickled by the rubbing, and he couldn't help but tilt his neck, and Keweier quickly came close to her.

"Don't make trouble." Karan said: "The revenge you pecked on my finger has not yet been settled."

Weier was stunned for a moment, staring straight at Karan, but the next second she started rubbing against him more cheerfully, as if trying to please her, making Karan's messy hair even more messy.

So Karan leaned back hard, and Weier simply flew up, flying in circles around Karan, making two "sneak attacks" from time to time.

"I'm really scared of you."

In desperation, Karan had no choice but to compromise. He asked Weier to stop on the quilt and gently smoothed its feathers with his palms.

Then Karan's eyes moved to the photo, and he looked at Mr. Anthony in the photo silently.

He whispered again softly.

"I'm really scared of you."

This time, Karan did not burn the photo, but placed it on the bookshelf beside the bed.

After Weier went to rest, Karan saw that there were packages piled under the foot of his bed, all of which were his Christmas gifts.

Lily really gave him a book related to Transfiguration, which was a selection of articles from the magazine "Transfiguration Today". She also said that she had given "Callan's Defense" to Penny and wanted to This cut off all thoughts of Penny Dokaran, but Penny only read it as a fictitious novel.

Karan has also read the book "Karan's Defense". In order to avoid violating the provisions of the "Secrecy Act", a lot of the magic part in it was deleted. In the end, Karan was only described as a somewhat cool person. Cool guy, this is very different from Karan's usual image, and it is difficult to convince people who know him...

"Poor Lily."

Karan put the book aside and opened other gifts.

Steve gave him a high-end cushion (the high-end model that Steve had always wanted), and Guspard gave him a large jar of wind chime powder (so you don't have to worry about making a fire, despite your fire spell). It has always been used well. By the way, what are those powders? Karan chose to ignore it.).

Meadows gave him a snack package out of nowhere, along with a message: The helper's news is somewhat useful, but it will take a while for me to return to Hogsmeade. If there is anything urgent, just use the magic coin. contact me.

Meadows' grounding lifted?

Karan looked at the words on the card and blinked.

The reason why Meadows asked Callan to help solve the curse was actually a choice made out of desperation, because Dumbledore strictly prohibited her from doing anything risky again - the aftermath of the Egyptian experience was huge.

In this way, Meadows could not ask for help from other people he knew, because those people also knew Dumbledore.

Except Karan.

Even though he was a student and knew Dumbledore, at least he wouldn't tell.Moreover, the two still maintain secrets that only each other knows: the elder wand, and Meadows' original intention before going to Egypt - at that time, she had already made up her mind to die.

None of them ever told these things.

In addition, Karan has shown to be different from the beginning - whether it is the elder wand that has never recognized Meadows and regards Karan as its master, or Karan's natural talent as a closed-brained person, plus his role in... The level of wandless magic revealed in the principal's office, as well as Karan's initiative, made Meadows finally decide to try his luck.

Now his luck has paid off, and Meadows has really gained something.

But, she was suddenly no longer grounded?

Karan didn't know what this meant, and it wasn't an urgent issue, so he didn't use the magic coin now, but continued to unpack the package slowly.

The relationship between him and Meadows was very vague, but in front of Dumbledore, the two of them were like children working together to do bad things secretly, and they didn't want Dumbledore to know, which led to this "cooperation" , and maintain the weird attitudes of both parties towards each other.

I guess Meadows was still wary of Callan, but everything started to change after she got Antioch, making her no longer so rigid and ruthless.

Callan is also somewhat similar, but what changed him more was the meeting of Mr. Anthony, Lily, Snape, Steve, and Gaspard after taking the poison.

They all risked their lives to save themselves, which made Karan's heart tilt.

Just like when faced with Mr. Anthony's last words.

Karan can deceive others, but he cannot deceive himself.

Only this time, he no longer refused, but began to try to accept.

So, he got his first pet, a little guy who seemed to be in trouble - Weier.

"Save me from talking about me the next time we meet..."

This inexplicable thought came to Karan's mind. He raised his head and glanced at the location of the photo, then continued to lower his head to open the package.

In addition to the gifts that he was accustomed to, Karan also received a gift from Professor Kettleburn of a soundless bird feather, which is an expensive raw material for making truth serum.

This was the first time Karan received a gift from Professor Kettleburn, and he didn't know what he was doing now.Karan only knew that the other party refused to go to the hospital to recuperate. Instead, he locked himself in the house all day after the holiday and never came out once.

Karan opened many more packages one after another, many of which were sent to him by Hufflepuff students. Greta also gave him a cookie baked by herself.

During a Fire Crab Club party, Karan overheard Greta complaining about not being able to find the school kitchen, so he gave the task to Steve and asked Steve to tell Greta about it. This was used to wash away the negative impression of him yelling about not having any clothes on. (Chapter 253)

Now it seems that Greta has indeed learned a lot of food magic from the house elves, and even the cookies taste exactly like the ones she smuggled out of the kitchen.

While eating cookies, Karan suddenly thought that Steve's looking glass seemed to still be with him, and had never been returned after he cast the freezing spell.

Well......

After thinking about it, Karan simply put the matter aside and focused on the last package.

This was a gift from Headmaster Dumbledore to him.

After opening it, there was a large portion of strawberry pudding inside, just like last year's Christmas gift.

Karan remembered that Dumbledore loved sweets, but he didn't expect that he would still have the habit of drinking. The whole bottle of wine that disappeared when they first met him seemed to still be vivid in his mind.

Karan didn't think about it for too long before focusing on the gift.

There was an envelope on top of the pudding box.

Karan opened the envelope doubtfully, and the first thing he saw was an old square piece of parchment.

He checked it back and forth many times and found that it was the [Marauder's Map] parchment that he voluntarily gave to Dumbledore before the holiday.At that time, he regarded the same parchment in his hand as a hot potato because of the [treasure] parchment taken away by Voldemort. He did not want to be suddenly connected to Voldemort's mind one day, and these two identical parchments were the same. There is a problem if you look at it.

But Callan didn't expect Dumbledore to finish the inspection so quickly?He thought it would take a long time, and he was even prepared to give up on making the Marauder's Map just to be on the safe side.

Just as Karan became more confused, a card suddenly fell out of the envelope.

Karan quickly looked down and found that it was written on it:

【in case. 】

========

"Just in case? Why do you think it could be?"

In the kitchen of Gobstone's shop, Snape asked Karan while washing vegetables.

This was preparation for the Christmas dinner in the evening. Snape didn't want to see Mrs. Prince too busy. After all, she had just visited the store all day, so he pulled Callan to help.

Karan ate a strawberry leisurely, and Snape was so angry that he took the bag away, put the bright red strawberries in the sink, and continued to wash them.

Judging from the color, every strawberry seems to have been carefully selected by Mrs. Prince.

"These strawberries will be used to make pudding later. Don't eat them all." Snape said dissatisfied: "My mother has been looking forward to this Christmas for a long time, and she has long planned to invite you over. For this reason, she has made A lot of preparation.”

As he spoke, he grabbed a strawberry that floated up for no reason, and accidentally crushed it with too much force.

Snape raised his head and stared at Karan with a gloomy expression.

"Don't cause trouble," he said.

Karan quickly spread his hands and controlled a towel to float over for Snape to wipe his hands with.

"Sorry." Karan said: "It's just that these strawberries are quite delicious. Were they cultivated by Mrs. Prince using magic? Maybe I should also find a way to learn from it. It would be great if there was a house elf... ....”

Seeing Snape's face gradually becoming more gloomy, Karan smiled calmly and said: "I don't know what this [just in case] means, and the principal didn't explain it."

Snape snorted and silently stepped aside to let Callan help.

After a while, Snape couldn't help but asked in a low voice: "Is it because of the mysterious person?"

Karan shook his head again.

"I don't know," he said, "and what I'm really curious about isn't what was written on that card."

"Then what are you curious about...?" While speaking, Snape gradually slowed down the last part of his words, a thoughtful expression on his thin face.

"You mean the return time?" Snape finally asked.

Karan nodded slightly.

"Too fast," he said.

"The principal returned the parchment so quickly. It didn't take a few days in total."

"Before this, I clearly said that the parchment is exactly the same as the [treasure] taken away by the mysterious person. There is no way that the principal will not pay attention to it."

"Treasure..." Snape murmured in a low voice: "I really didn't expect things to develop like this. We actually found something exactly like the [treasure] in the Forbidden Lake."

He suddenly no longer was curious about Dumbledore, but instead focused on the unknown treasure.

"It's a pity that I haven't seen it with my own eyes. Lily and I were about to fall into coma after drinking all the poison in the stone basin." Snape whispered regretfully, and took a cautious look into the kitchen.

Until now, he has not told Mrs. Prince about this matter, just because he is afraid that she will feel more worried because of it.

"Even if it is possible to see it, we have to stay away from that treasure." Karan's tone was admonishing, and he also whispered: "Don't forget, that is an existence that makes even the mysterious people feel helpless. The whole face was ruined.”

Snape nodded with lingering fear. Of course he knew this - Voldemort first discovered the treasure when he was in school, but was unable to deal with it. This made him ruin his face, and finally he had no choice but to use it when applying for a job. The treasure is hidden in the secret room.

But just a few days ago, Voldemort successfully took away the treasure.Although Dumbledore stopped his final madness, he failed to keep him and regain the treasure.

"But......."

Snape hesitated and said: "Doesn't this mean that the mysterious man has become more powerful? Otherwise, how could he risk returning to Hogwarts and face the treasure again."

Karan nodded slightly, wiped his palms dry with a towel, arranged the strawberries one by one in the bowl, and whispered: "You are not the only one who thinks so."

"The principal said the same thing."

The brief silence did not affect the atmosphere of the subsequent dinner. Although there were only three people present, Mrs. Prince always showed a satisfied smile from time to time.Her whole appearance has completely changed. She is no longer the coward she was when she lived in Spider End Alley, but becomes more like a normal wizard and a normal mother.

Mrs. Prince liked to ask about school-related things, and this was one of the few topics she shared with Snape.

"How were your results in Potions?"

Mrs. Prince asked curiously after learning that Slughorn was also the Potions professor.

Snape nodded and said, "Fortunately, it's always been the same."

This is a perfect answer. Mrs. Prince has seen Snape's report card, and there are countless excellences on it.

Although there were only seven courses in total, Mrs. Prince could not help but count them silently many times, gradually becoming countless.

After answering, Snape looked at Kahlan nervously, fearing that he would say something related to the potion preparation room, such as the Living Hell Potion, Acromantula, Shrinking Potion, and a large group of terrifying Basilisk.

"I'm fine too." Karan raised his head from the pudding and said with a smile, "Only a little worse than Snape."

Mrs. Prince believed it, but Snape always felt that Callan's smile seemed to be mocking him.

Although Karan doesn't care much about potions, this is almost...

[Because, I am better than you. 】

Snape suddenly thought of what Callan had said, but in the end he chose to eat in silence and not talk too much, so as not to cause trouble.

The dinner ended in a peaceful atmosphere. From the radio came the singing voice of singer Cedina Warbeck. This was her new song called "Sober Sleeper".

"Sleeping pills make people sleep, but I want to wake up."

"You told me not to think too much, and I fell asleep with you."

"The potion is bubbling in the crucible, and the broom is flying in the sky."

"The world outside the glass bottle is awake or asleep..."

Hmm... It seems that this is Celina's transformation work, from the lyrical style she was originally good at to exploring the meaning of life.

Callan and Snape looked at each other speechlessly, but Mrs. Prince listened happily.

"I have to go now."

Karan said suddenly, still not planning to stay overnight.

"But it's already so dark..." Mrs. Price said hesitantly.

She knew Callan's life experience, and Callan was one of Snape's few friends.She didn't want Karan to live too hard or feel alienated in her home, so she deliberately prepared a guest room.

Mrs. Prince looked at Snape slightly unfamiliarly, trying to tell him to let Karan stay with her eyes.

But I don't know if it was because Snape didn't see it clearly. He just remained silent and didn't say anything.

In the end, Mrs. Prince compromised on the condition that Snape promised to send Callan away for a while.

After leaving the shop, Karan smiled and said: "I thought you would persuade me to stay overnight."

Snape mocked: "I would rather you leave quickly when you decide to leave, so as not to cause any trouble and let my mother find out."

"In that case, I would have kept the secret for nothing."

Apparently, Snape thought that once Callan made a decision, it would be a sign of something bad to come.

In fact, it is almost the same.

Snape tightened his collar and exhaled a large puff of white air. The further he walked, the more he felt that something was wrong with Karan's route.

Although he could also reach his home, he seemed to be deliberately taking a long way around.

Snape hid his doubts and did not ask, intending to see where Karan was going.

But it didn't take long for Karan to suddenly stop.

He stood in front of a closed witch robe shop, looking far away in the direction of the street corner.

There is the location of the Pig Head Bar.

Karan remembers one thing.

The original accommodation service of the Pig's Head Pub has been cancelled, and guests coming to Hogsmeade Village can only stay in the more expensive Three Broomsticks.

Of course, the price is completely worth it. The Three Broomsticks is more suitable for students than the Hog's Head Bar, and it also seems cleaner and safer. At least there will be no bed bugs.

"What are you doing here?"

Snape looked at a row of dark shops and finally couldn't help but ask: "You want to buy new wizard robes? This is not a suitable time."

As he spoke, he quietly compared Karan's height, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he found that Karan didn't suddenly become taller.

"I......"

Just when Karan was about to leave, he suddenly froze.

Snape looked even more shocked than he was.

A broomstick suddenly appeared from the corner at the end of the street. The broom flew so fast that it stopped in front of Callan and Snape almost in the blink of an eye.

And the man riding the broom was actually Albus Dumbledore.

"School... principal."

The two greeted each other in surprise.

Dumbledore is riding steadily on the hovering broom. Although he is very old, this scene does not seem inconsistent at all. On the contrary, it should be like this.

"Go home quickly, children." Dumbledore said briefly. He also looked at Callan with special attention and said, "It's best to live together."

After saying this, he quickly left on his broom, and soon disappeared completely into the dark night.

"The principal seems to be in a hurry..." Karan, still standing where he was, murmured thoughtfully.

"And he flies very fast!"

For some reason, Snape was still wide-eyed in surprise.

"That's Nimbus 1001!"

"What?" Karan didn't react for a moment.

"I mean the broom the Headmaster rides is Nimbus 1001!" Snape said excitedly: "I won't admit it. Ever since you gave me that broom, I have always taken good care of it... .Well, in short, I must have admitted it right! The principal actually has the latest broom!"

He couldn't help but sigh, as if he had discovered something extraordinary.

"I didn't expect the principal to be a broomstick fan, or even a Quidditch fan. I just don't know which team he likes best."

Snape said, grabbing Karan's arm and taking him back to Gobstone's shop.

The momentary excitement did not go to Snape's mind. He clearly heard Principal Dumbledore's instructions. Although the reason is unknown at the moment, Callan, who lives alone, is likely to be in danger.

"The latest broom..."

However, Karan seemed to be suddenly stunned. He suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction of the Pig's Head Bar.

Aberforth made a lot of money with him because of the Acromantula's venom, which was more like the broom Aberforth bought himself.

And Dumbledore seems to have come out of the Hog's Head pub - even on this special day of Christmas.

Vaguely, through the dark night, Karan saw a small figure flashing in the window on the second floor of the Pig Head Bar, which was very conspicuous against the lights in the house.

But within a few seconds, the figure looking out the window slowly walked away, and a taller figure appeared in front of the window.Then the lights went out completely.

"What are you looking at?" Snape asked. "Look at that window? Who are those two people?"

He also saw the figure in front of the window. When he noticed something strange about Karan, he turned his head away.

"do not know......"

Karan murmured quietly.

Then, Snape heard him say another incomprehensible word.

"The age... doesn't match up."