Chapter 263 - 263: An Apple

Words : 2129 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

After a long moment of silence, Dumbledore offered a gentle smile. "Let's not dwell on such heavy things for now. Enjoy Christmas tomorrow…and then, I suppose, it'll be time for you two to head back over there again." "Mm!" At that moment, Edward pulled out a gift box and handed it to Dumbledore. "Merry Christmas, Professor." Dumbledore unwrapped it with a smile. Inside was a pair of thick wool socks and the formula ingredients for Sequences 8 and 7 of the Mystery Pryer Pathway. "Oh, I absolutely adore these socks." His eyes twinkled with delight. "I'll wear them first thing tomorrow." "As long as you like them~" Grindelwald extended a hand. "And mine?" "Mm, shouldn't an old man like you give the younger ones a gift first before asking for one?" "Hmph, did Albus give you something too?" He grumbled under his breath and pulled out his pockets. "What do you expect an old man who's lived in a cell for decades to give you?" After thinking for a bit, he said, "Alright, how about this—I owe you one favour. No matter what it is you ask me to do…actually, forget the conditions—anything is fine." So long as it doesn't endanger Professor Dumbledore, right? Edward handed him another box. "Here, this is for you." Inside was a pair of socks identical to Dumbledore's, along with the formula and materials for the Hunter Pathway. "Mr. Grindelwald, are you sure you want to choose 'War'?" "Oh, absolutely." Grindelwald gave the formula a glance, then waved the socks at Dumbledore. "Albus, yours aren't nearly as stylish as mine!" Dumbledore burst into hearty laughter. The drowsy phoenix, Fawkes, was startled awake by the sudden noise and gave an annoyed squawk. ——— December 25th. Christmas. Edward woke up early and immediately sensed the festive atmosphere. Whether it was the common room, the corridors outside, or the Great Hall, everything had been decorated in vibrant, colourful displays. But in the face of all this joy, he felt as if he'd plunged into an icy abyss. A chill ran through his whole body. How…how was it already the 25th? Where did the five days between the 20th and 24th go?! "Waah!" Suddenly, a black blur launched itself into Edward's arms with a strange shriek. He was so startled he stumbled back several steps. "Hahaha! Miss Lilith pulled it off again!" Lilith looked smug and proud. Audrey stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong, Edward?" Edward asked in a low voice, "What day is it today?" "December 25th. Christmas," she replied with a bright smile. —— Everything seemed to play out all over again. They returned to the Headmaster's Office. Under Dumbledore's guidance, they retrieved the Time-Turner and made their decision. "Well then, see you in a minute." Tick. The moment Edward released the golden timer's dial, he vanished from the office. But before a full minute had passed, the door to the headmaster's office was knocked upon—and Edward stepped inside. "Long time no see, everyone." Lilith threw herself into his arms with a triumphant smile. "Miss Lilith didn't blow her cover!" "Impressive, very impressive!" "Hehe, of course I am!" Audrey stood with arms crossed, letting out a sharp hmph. "So, Edward…everyone else knew. But I was the only one left in the dark, wasn't I?" "I'm sorry. I was just worried that your concern for me might lead you to…well, lose your judgment." She put her hands behind her back and walked closer, her lips pressed into a line. "So you think someone who cares this much about you…wouldn't notice you'd been switched out halfway through?" "Huh?" She stepped even closer. "Even if it's still you…it feels different. Even Susie could tell. You think I couldn't?" "???" Edward was dumbfounded. "So in the end…I was the only one who didn't know?" "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to pretend I didn't know? I'm a spectator, not an actor." "…" "Hmph! Let's see if you dare keep something like this from me again." "I wouldn't dare. I really wouldn't." Dumbledore watched them, resting his chin on one hand, smiling gently. Ah…youth. How wonderful. ——— At noon, Harry had just returned from Sirius' place when Snape brought him to the Headmaster's Office. He was still confused when an elderly man with stark white hair and a frail figure slowly approached him, holding what looked like a magical version of a doctor's stethoscope, running it down his chest in small increments. "Professor Dumbledore, who is this gentleman…and what is he doing?" Harry asked in bewilderment. Audrey smiled. "Weren't you all just recently investigating information about him?" "Eh?" Harry froze. "You're…the creator of the Philosopher's Stone—Mr. Nicolas Flamel?!" "Oh, that's me, child." Nicolas Flamel spoke gently, "Are you feeling any discomfort?" "Discomfort? No…" Harry scratched his head—then suddenly realised something and hastily apologised. "I'm sorry, sir! I—I didn't mean to swallow your Philosopher's Stone. At the time, I just…I didn't want the Death Eaters to—" "I understand, I understand, child." Flamel patted Harry's head. "That's not why I'm here. I came to check whether swallowing the stone had any effects on you." "You're very brave, Harry." At that point, Dumbledore asked, "Well, Nicolas, what's the verdict?" "The Philosopher's Stone is gone." Snape frowned. "Gone? Impossible. I'm certain Potter didn't vomit or excrete it." Harry's eyes widened in horror and turned to stare at Snape. What the hell did you do to me while I wasn't looking?! Nicolas Flamel's voice held a note of uncertainty. "So I suspect…the Philosopher's Stone has been completely digested by this child." Snape asked grimly, "What consequences might that bring?" "I don't know," he shook his head. "In fact, over the past few centuries, I've used the Philosopher's Stone to brew many Elixirs of Life for myself—but I never once considered swallowing it whole." Before Snape could say anything, Dumbledore interjected, "Madam Pomfrey conducted a full examination on Harry. Her conclusion was…Harry is actually even healthier than before." Edward raised his hand as well. "My divination results also confirmed that ingesting the Philosopher's Stone is not only harmless to Harry—it's actually beneficial." "But…it's still an unknown, isn't it?" Dumbledore sighed. "But what's done is done. All we can do now is observe Harry carefully and hope that he remains unharmed." Nicolas Flamel looked at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry, Albus, that I wasn't able to be of more help." "No, I should be the one apologising. After all, you're the one who suffered the loss." "Heh, it's fine. I had already decided to embark on a new journey with Perenelle the moment I handed over the Stone." The worried expressions on the adults around him made Harry feel uneasy. He muttered nervously, "I…I didn't cause more trouble again, did I?" Dumbledore gave him a warm smile. "Oh, of course not, Harry. As Nicolas said, you were brave and decisive. Though reckless, your actions were commendable—and worthy of 50 points to Gryffindor!" Harry's eyes lit up at once. "However, since the consequences of ingesting the Philosopher's Stone remain unknown, we'll need to observe you more closely in the coming days to ensure your safety. Is that alright?" "No problem." "Excellent." Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Severus, I'm entrusting Harry's care to you." "What?!" Harry looked as though he'd been struck by lightning. "W-Wouldn't Professor McGonagall be more appropriate?" "I'm afraid not," Dumbledore said apologetically. "Minerva will be preoccupied with helping me manage the school. Don't worry—Severus will ensure your safety." "B-But…" Before he could finish, a shadow loomed over him. Snape loomed close, his face like a thundercloud. "What is it, Potter? You have an objection?" "N-No, sir!" Harry felt despair descend on him like a thick fog: This is the end. My life is over! ——— It was common knowledge that the witch hunts of the Middle Ages had been driven by the Church. Countless witches and wizards were killed during that movement, and since then, wizards and the Church had become sworn enemies. And yet, every year, wizards still celebrated Christmas—there was something almost darkly humorous about it. The Hogwarts Christmas Feast was even more extravagant than the Start-of-Term Banquet. Plump roast turkeys covered the tables, piled-high mounds of roast meats and boiled potatoes, platters of savoury little sausages, bowls of buttered peas, and thick, rich gravies and lingonberry sauces in dish after dish. Every few feet along the table, brightly colored wizard crackers lay waiting—inside them, little gifts that anyone could claim. As more of the students who stayed for the holidays arrived, Dumbledore raised his goblet high and proclaimed, "Merry Christmas!" After that, everyone was free to dig in. Audrey, Edward, and Harry sat together, listening to Harry complain about his bleak future under Snape's supervision. Ron was eating with both hands, tearing into his food with gusto, while Hermione leaned in to ask Edward about the great battle on the 20th. Lilith and Susie flitted around the Great Hall, popping wizard crackers one by one. If they found something they liked, they would tuck it away into the little pendants hanging around their necks. Not long after, Hagrid arrived. He was exhausted—after all, in the aftermath of the Death Eater attack, the surviving giants had been placed in his care. The golden trio immediately rushed over to chat with him. "Professor Edward. Miss Hall." At that moment, Emily Larsson from Durmstrang walked over. She handed each of them a small gift box, then turned to Edward and said, "I'm sorry, Professor Edward. I didn't mean to disturb you those previous times." Edward quickly responded, "No, I should be the one apologising. If I'd had more patience, maybe I would've realised you were trying to reach out for help." "I'm sorry…It was ultimately because of me that the Death Eaters were able to remain hidden for so long." Audrey smiled and chimed in, "Okay, that's enough apologies. What's done is done. The ones at fault were the Death Eaters—and Voldemort—not any of us." Emily nodded and excused herself, returning to her fellow Durmstrang students. "What's on your mind?" Audrey asked gently. Edward shook his head. "I'm just thinking…When I divined the Durmstrang students, I used three statements: 'The Dark Mark is related to them,' 'They are under the influence of the Imperius Curse,' and 'They pose a threat to Hogwarts.' All of them came back negative for Emily." "Emily wasn't under the Imperius Curse, and she didn't cause any harm to Hogwarts." "Exactly. But it's a reminder that—even with Genius on the Left—divination isn't omnipotent. The outcome depends entirely on the accuracy of the divination phrases. If your phrasing isn't precise, you can end up with misleading results—just like in Emily's case." It was like that time at the Malfoy Manor, when he divined Draco's "new backer." Even after using Madman on the Right to reverse the result, he didn't meet Ariana until days later—sandwiched between a time-travel event. As they spoke, Snape suddenly got up and left the hall. Moments later, he returned with someone—Igor Karkaroff. The Durmstrang students erupted in quiet murmurs of excitement. Karkaroff looked noticeably thinner than before. After exchanging a brief greeting with Dumbledore, he sat down stiffly beside him—though his arrival didn't seem to affect the feast much. Everyone continued enjoying the food, exchanging gifts, and lingering until around 9 p.m. before gradually dispersing and returning to their dormitories. ——— Edward and Audrey strolled side-by-side through the castle corridors. The walls were lined with festive decorations, and even the portraits had donned Christmas attire, lending the entire castle a bright and cheerful atmosphere. When they reached the fork leading toward the Slytherin common room, Audrey stopped. She raised her chin slightly and held out a pale hand. "Where's my Christmas present?" She wrinkled her nose. "Just because we don't celebrate Christmas in our world doesn't mean you can skip giving me one." Edward scratched his head sheepishly. "I-I wasn't sure what to get you…" "Oh~ so?" He hesitated for a moment, then took out a beautifully wrapped apple. "???" Audrey blinked in confusion. "Ahem, in my hometown…my real hometown…people give apples on Christmas Eve. It's a symbol of peace." ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 263 - 263: An Apple

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