Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

Jerry and Hermione strolled slowly across the lawn, their footsteps leaving shallow grooves in the snow, which was as fine as powdered sugar. The snowflakes fluttered down, inevitably dampening their socks and the hems of their robes, coating them with a thin layer of ice crystals.

The Forbidden Forest before them seemed to have been enchanted, each tree draped in silver finery, shimmering with a captivating light. The frozen surface of the Black Lake was like a giant mirror, reflecting the sky and the trees, its beauty breathtaking.

"Looks like everyone's come out!" Jerry said to Hermione beside him, glancing at the students on the frozen lake. "Don't worry, this is Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore won't let anything happen to Harry!"

"Yes, let's hope so," Hermione replied, silently praying that Hagrid could give Harry some good advice and dissuade him from obsessing over finding Black. Then, she banished these troubling thoughts from her mind, refusing to dwell on them any longer.

Just then, the Weasley twins came hurtling towards them on a sleigh, leaving graceful trails on the ice.

"Wow, where did you guys get that sleigh?" Jerry asked curiously.

"Heh heh, pretty cool, huh!" Fred boasted proudly. "It took us a lot of effort to transport this treasure from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts!"

"Actually, the sleigh is just a front," George whispered conspiratorially. "What we're really transporting is a box of stink pellets, a 'special' Christmas gift we've carefully prepared for Filch!"

Jerry: …

You two are invincible!

Jerry and Hermione enjoyed themselves immensely by the Black Lake until lunchtime approached, when they reluctantly left the snowy wonderland and returned to Hogwarts Castle. However, to their surprise, they didn't see Harry, Ron, or Neville at the lunch table.

"Maybe Harry and the others stayed at Hagrid's for lunch?" Hermione speculated, but then she remembered Hagrid's cooking and felt a pang of sympathy for their teeth—his food was always so tough!

The next day, Christmas Day, the castle was as beautifully adorned as ever with colorful Christmas decorations, though few students remained to appreciate the festive spectacle.

Garlands of holly and mistletoe hung in the corridors, and each suit of armor seemed to be illuminated by magic, shimmering with an ethereal glow. In the Great Hall, twelve Christmas trees stood as always, golden stars twinkling on their tips like stars in the night sky.

The corridors were filled with a rich and enticing aroma of cooking.

On Christmas morning, Jerry was awakened by the sound of a house-elf outside his dormitory door.

Yawning, Jerry squinted at the foot of his bed in the dim light, where he saw a pile of packages, all Christmas presents from others.

Over the years at Hogwarts, Jerry had received piles of Christmas presents every year. Some were from girls in Slytherin, some from girls in other houses, and some were even from older students who had already graduated. Of course, there were also gifts from some boys, but Jerry refused all but the ones from people he knew!

After all, in England, a strange boy who Jerry didn't even know, whose name he couldn't even remember, was giving him a gift… Merlin, what was that supposed to mean?

Hermione had given him an exquisitely crafted silver-white pocket watch this year. Jerry held it in his hand, examining it closely. The watch was larger than a typical watch, and it featured a photo of the two of them taken in Diagon Alley last time.

Catherine's gift was as extravagant as ever. In addition to various rare alchemical ingredients and potions, there was also a medal inlaid with various colored gems, which looked very gorgeous.

Fleur gave Jerry a bottle of perfume. He opened the cap and sniffed it gently. Although he couldn't accurately identify the specific notes, he felt that the fragrance was quite pleasant and refreshing.

The only difference this year was that Hermione's mother, Mrs. Granger, had also prepared a gift for Jerry. With curiosity, Jerry tore open the packaging and found a black turtleneck sweater. He tried it on, and the sweater fit perfectly.

"Jerry, Merry Christmas!" Hermione walked over to the Great Hall, wearing a comfortable morning robe and holding Crookshanks in her arms. She smiled warmly and said to Jerry, "Thank you for the gift you gave Crookshanks. He likes it very much!"

Crookshanks raised his head slightly, as if showing Jerry the delicate collar with his name engraved on it, which was Jerry's Christmas gift to him.

Before long, Harry, Ron, and Neville rushed over, their faces beaming with excitement.

"Merlin's beard, I can't believe it!" Ron's voice was a little hoarse with excitement. "Harry got a Firebolt! It's the broom used in professional Quidditch matches!"

"I bet that broom costs more than all the Slytherin Quidditch team's flying brooms combined!"

"Harry, who gave you such an expensive gift?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I don't know," Harry shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either. "But it's definitely not the Dursleys!"

"Could it be Professor Dumbledore? He anonymously sent you the Invisibility Cloak before," Neville speculated.

"But the Invisibility Cloak was actually left by my dad," Harry explained. "Professor Dumbledore just passed it on to me."

"But he really likes you," Ron said seriously, "Ever since your Nimbus broke, he may have wanted to get you a new broom. Maybe he really went to Diagon Alley to buy you this Firebolt!"

"Ron, really, stop joking!" Harry shook his head with a smile.

"Alright, alright, Harry, let's not dwell on this," Ron said impatiently, "Just imagine Malfoy's face when he sees you riding the Firebolt, he'll shrivel up like a sick pig!"

With that, the three of them couldn't wait to run out of the Great Hall and head straight to the Quidditch pitch to test fly the Firebolt.

"Could it be dangerous?" Hermione frowned, watching Harry, Ron, and Neville's hurried departure with concern. "After all, this is a gift from an unknown source!"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen!" Jerry said categorically. Although others didn't know where the Firebolt came from, he knew it like the back of his hand, it was Sirius Black's gift to Harry, how could it be dangerous?