Chapter 66 - 65: Christmas Gifts

"Merry Christmas, Ed!" "Merry Christmas, son!" The smiles on Ann and William's faces were full of warmth and love. This was already their eleventh Christmas together. For parents, watching their child grow day by day feels so heartwarming and fulfilling. "Selene's already sorted your gifts over there," William said, pointing to a small pile of presents to the right of the Christmas tree. Truth be told, Edward's gift pile was quite substantial, but it looked "small" only in comparison to the towering stacks belonging to William and Ann. Their piles were practically reaching the ceiling. They didn't leave all the work to the house-elf. After all, if you're too lazy to open your own gifts, you might as well not bother. As they unwrapped, they muttered to each other. "Is there any way to stop these fans from sending me weird photos? Nude pictures and chocolates obviously laced with love potion!" William groaned. "Witches are one thing, but why are there guys too?" He looked like he'd seen something revolting, using a Levitation Charm to sweep a pile of letters into the nearby trash. "Oh? Witches' nude photos? Can I take a look, dear?" Ann peeked out from behind her own mountain of gifts. Edward glanced over. His mom's gifts were far more normal—some snacks, luxurious-looking clothes, and a good chunk of cosmetics and jewelry. William immediately cast a spell to set the photos on fire. Edward couldn't help but chuckle. Finally, he turned his attention back to his own pile of gifts. The most eye-catching was a dazzling, ornate box with "To Edward, from Draco" written in elegant gold lettering. It looked both expensive and over-the-top. Inside was a model of a flying broom, decorated with emerald snakes, that could automatically circle its base. "I was going to get you a Nimbus 2000, but my dad says the new Nimbus 2001 is about to go into production. You wouldn't want an outdated broom like Potter's, would you? Merry Christmas — Draco Malfoy." Edward grinned, setting the broom model aside. He had to admit, he and Malfoy were oddly in sync when it came to gift-giving. His gift to Draco was a pair of dueling knight figurines. Below Draco's gift was a smaller, less flashy package, tied with an elegant green ribbon bow. Daphne had sent him a dark green cloak, its fabric incredibly soft and smooth. It looked identical to the one she wore on the first day of school. "It adjusts to your height and build automatically and regulates its fabric based on temperature. I hope the famous Slytherin celebrity won't go out looking so shabby anymore. Merry Christmas — Daphne Greengrass." Edward vaguely recalled that on his first day, he'd worn Muggle sportswear to avoid standing out. Shabby, huh? At least it's not a personal attack. He remembered sending Daphne a sword-shaped pendant with an emerald, the same design as the one he'd conjured in Transfiguration class. It was Ann's design, and Edward was certain Daphne would love it. All the Slytherin first-years had sent gifts. Pansy gave a pile of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and treacle toffee, Crabbe and Goyle each sent half a wizard chess set, Blaise sent a crystal Gobstones set, Theodore sent some potion ingredients, and so on. Below those were gifts from others. Gemma sent a book called Magical Landmarks and Monuments. Harry and Ron together sent a knight's helmet, but it was too small for Edward to wear. William gave a set of Roman-style knight armor, and Ann gave a book titled A Complete Guide to Practical Curses—last year, it was 100 Essential Minor Hexes. At the very bottom of the pile was a grubby little paper package, its delicate handwriting completely at odds with its scruffy appearance. "Though I don't know why you'd send me such an impractical robe, it does fit decently. You should know the side effects of the gift I'm giving you. Use it carefully. Merry Christmas — Severus Snape." The less-than-forthcoming Head of House had given Edward a small vial of potion that shimmered like molten gold. A bottle of Felix Felicis. "Wow, Snape actually sent you a gift? And Felix Felicis, no less?" William, spotting the potion vial in Edward's hand, excitedly called Ann over. After a quick inspection, they confirmed it was high-purity Felix Felicis, far superior to the diluted, overpriced versions sold on the market. After Edward had recounted how Snape's "detention" was actually private tutoring, receiving a gift from him wasn't that shocking. "One day, you'll get a gift from Dumbledore himself," William and Ann said, patting Edward's shoulders with pride before diving back into the painful task of sorting their own gifts. Though Edward had grown up in a loving family and enjoyed ten warm Christmases, he felt this one was the happiest yet. What could be more joyful than the sincere friendships he'd gained? And so, Edward's Christmas holiday began in this warm, festive atmosphere. But for him, it didn't feel much different from his days at school. Morning workouts were non-negotiable, and Ann had finally stopped charming his bedroom door to keep him inside. On top of that, there were all sorts of assignments. Professor McGonagall required a literature review on the history of Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick asked them to practice the Water-Making Charm. Snape demanded first-years memorize the twelve uses of dragon's blood, with one point deducted for each one forgotten during a pop quiz. And so on. These assignments weren't particularly hard, but few eleven-year-olds had the focus to finish them quickly. Most would play for an hour, study for ten minutes, or just wait to copy someone's work right before school started. For Edward, though, he'd finished most of them on the first day of the holiday. He wanted to free up time for other things, like practicing the Knight's Breathing Technique to advance from Tier 2 to Tier 3 and continuing to uphold chivalric values to enhance his blessings. After all, there wasn't much room to practice chivalry at home. Beyond that, Edward wanted to visit one particular place. Glastonbury Abbey. More precisely, the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey in the real world.