Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Although the London chill was kept out by the magical barrier, the cold wind from the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron still made Lux shiver, and Dumbledore gently patted her shoulder.

"So, Miss Lux, I hope this fulfilling Christmas holiday will give you even more motivation for the upcoming Academy Cup competition?"

Dumbledore's eyes held a mischievous smile, clearly still vividly remembering Lux in the sewers.

"Remember to do your pre-class assignment for 'Intermediate Theory of Transfiguration'. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you do in the second half of the semester."

Lux cradled her golden head, forcing a sweet smile: "Of course, of course, Headmaster, don't worry, Gryffindor's hourglass will be overflowing soon!"

She stole a glance at Holmes, who was wearing a coat and studying the construction of a piece of honeydew melon, and at Vera, who was wrapped in a warm blanket and carefully held by a gentle female Auror.

"Mr. Holmes, the Ministry of Magic has granted you permission to stay at St. Mungo's to accompany Miss Vera during this time. The relevant Confusion Charms and confidentiality agreements have been put in effect. With the stabilizing agents generously provided by Mr. Nick Flamel, combined with the treatment at St. Mungo's, Vera's aftereffects will be well controlled." Dumbledore's tone was gentle yet solemn. "She is a brave child, and her grandfather will be proud of her."

Holmes looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He nodded slightly. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Dumbledore, Mr. Flamel, and... Miss Lacus. I will take good care of her."

"Well then, Merry Christmas," Dumbledore said with a smile as he said goodbye.

Then, the female Auror tapped her wand lightly, and Holmes and the female Auror holding Vera blurred into a blur as they Apparated away.

"Alright, little warrior, it's time to go home." Dumbledore turned to Lux, his tone more relaxed.

"Go back to the Woods Orphanage. Mrs. Cole is probably getting impatient. As for the Daily Prophet's interview..." He shook his head helplessly. "Amon will handle it. Hopefully, they won't portray you as some kind of 'Flying Kick Witch'."

Lux imagined the scene and her lips twitched.

She reached into the burlap sack, which was bulging from the expansion spell and filled with Diagon Alley souvenirs she had scavenged along the way—gifts from the orphanage children.

Of course, she used the bag of Galleons that Fenrir had "borrowed," which the Aurors generously rewarded her with as spoils of war.

"Let's go, let's go." Lux took a deep breath of the cold air. Although she was still confused about the newly unlocked rune system, it wouldn't hurt to study it slowly later.

Wu Family Orphanage.

When Lux pushed open that familiar wooden door with its paint peeling, a mixture of smells of disinfectant, stew, and cheap soap hit her, along with the excited screams of children.

"Lux! Lux is back!" Sharp-eyed Billy was the first to spot her and rushed over like a cannonball. Then, more children surged over like a tide.

Lux! Is school fun?

"Did you bring any candy back?"

The children surrounded Lux, chattering excitedly, tugging at her clothes with their little hands, their eyes shining like stars.

Mrs. Cole stood behind, hands on her hips, a hint of helplessness on her face, but her eyes were gentler than Lux could ever remember.

Dumbledore had come ahead of time to give her a heads-up, briefly mentioning that Lux had "done some work for the school" in London. Although Mrs. Cole was full of suspicion, she was relieved to see that Lux had returned safely and seemed even more energetic.

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse! Let Lux catch her breath!" Mrs. Cole finally spoke, her voice carrying its usual sternness, but less harshness. "Like a bunch of ill-mannered little monkeys!"

The children scattered a little, laughing and joking, but their eyes remained fixed on Lux and her large, seemingly spacious bag.

Tom, meanwhile, was sitting in his own old armchair in the corner of the hall, away from the noise, holding a thick encyclopedia that could be used as a weapon. Although most of the book was outdated, he was still pretending to read it.

His posture remained elegant, his back straight, but his eyes would occasionally and very discreetly sweep towards the bustling center of the entrance.

Tom returned almost a week earlier than Lacus, and was sent back by Dumbledore just a few days later.

Dumbledore simply told him that "Lacus is dealing with some minor troubles" and reminded him to study during the holidays.

The trip to Little Hangleton was clearly not as expected; the dilapidated state of the Gaunt mansion and the mad uncle Morfin Gaunt brought him only disgust and shame.

At that moment, looking at Lux, who was being fawned over by the children, and seeing the carefree, radiant smile on her face, a nameless anger surged within him again.

Why? Why does this crazy woman become the center of attention wherever she goes? Even Dumbledore treats her differently, while he has to rot in this damn orphanage!

He forced himself to fix his gaze on the pages of the book, as if they contained some great secret.

"Come on! Line up! General Lux is going to reward you all for your service today!" Lux didn't care about Tom's little schemes. Like a triumphant general, she slammed a large sack onto the old table in the center of the hall with a dull thud.

The children instantly fell silent, their eyes wide with anticipation.

Lux began magically pulling things out: boxes of beautifully packaged chocolates, popping candy, brightly colored wool yarn and several bamboo knitting needles, rubber ducks with cute patterns, and a bottle of premium hair oil for Mrs. Cole.

Lux said in a serious tone, "Madam, it's a new product from the London department store! The sales clerk said it works exceptionally well!" Mrs. Cole took it with suspicion, but her expression softened considerably.

The children's cheers, the rustling of unpacking, and the quacking of the rubber ducks... instantly transformed the hall into a sea of ​​joy.

Tom frowned even more, his fingers leaving marks on the pages. Childish! Foolish! All worthless garbage. Did Lux ​​get those points by cheating her out of such petty favors?

The gifts were quickly distributed, and each child hugged their precious gift, their little faces flushed, chattering excitedly. The hall was filled with an unprecedentedly warm and festive atmosphere.

Tom slammed the book shut, stood up, and prepared to leave this foolish clamor with a blank expression; he'd had enough.

"Huh? Tom!" Lux's clear voice rang out with a hint of laughter, successfully freezing Tom in his tracks. He slowly turned around, looking at Lux with icy eyes.

Lux magically pulled a last little box from her pocket. This box was more exquisite than the others, wrapped in silver-green wrapping paper and tied with a crooked bow.

"I almost forgot," Lux said with a grin, walking up to Tom and shoving the box into his hands. "Here, your Christmas present! Slytherin-themed, pretty cool, huh?"

Tom's body stiffened almost imperceptibly when his fingers touched the cold wrapping paper.

He looked down at the box in his hand, then looked up at Lux's incredibly familiar, slightly mischievous, bright smile, and alarm bells rang in his mind! Here we go again! This madwoman is definitely up to no good! This box either contains an exploding dung bead or a magical item with strange effects!

He almost reflexively wanted to throw what he was holding away.

"Hurry up and open it!" Lux urged, her eyes flashing with a light that Tom recognized all too well, a light that sent chills down his spine.

The surrounding children also gathered around curiously, wanting to see what gift Tom, who always had a cold face, would receive.

Tom took a deep breath and told himself that at worst, his clothes would get dirty or his hair would change color, just like before. It wasn't a big deal.

With an almost anatomical approach, he slowly and methodically unwrapped the packaging, revealing a cardboard box inside painted with an exaggerated red-nosed clown design—a standard scare box.

Tom's face darkened even more. Sure enough! Utterly childish!

He pursed his lips and suddenly ripped open the box!

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang was followed by colorful confetti spraying all over Tom's face!

At the same time, a springy clown doll dressed in brightly colored clothes and sporting an afro suddenly sprang out, almost touching Tom's nose, and burst into maniacal laughter in a shrill electronic voice: "Wahahaha!"

The children were taken aback at first, then burst into deafening laughter: "Hahaha! Stupid Tom!" "Clown! Clown!"

Tom's handsome face flushed crimson, his fists clenched tightly, his wand throbbing restlessly in his sleeve. He just wanted to use "Shatter to Piece" to blow that damned box and the madwoman away! Disgrace! Utter disgrace! He had actually been tricked by such a low-level trick in front of everyone!

Just as he was about to explode with rage, the clown doll that had popped out, still shaking wildly and emitting a piercing laugh, suddenly stopped. Its painted plastic mouth opened dramatically, and with a "vomit," it spat something out.

It wasn't the slug or bat spirit you might imagine, but a fist-sized, crystal-clear ball.

The crystal ball landed steadily in Tom's outstretched palm, feeling icy cold to the touch.

Inside the sphere, there was not the prank scene one might have imagined.

It was a majestic castle covered in snow, just like Hogwarts Castle during Christmas. Tom could even imagine Aug clearing snow from the Quidditch pitch in the castle courtyard, while the fireplace crackled in the warm common room.

He suddenly looked up at Lux.

The children around him were still laughing at the clown, and Mrs. Cole was yelling "Quiet!" in exasperation, but Tom's world seemed to fall silent instantly.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Cole's booming voice finally drowned out the noise. "An extra meal tonight! Thanks to... uh, Hogwarts for their generous support!"

Dumbledore apparently donated a generous amount of money to the orphanage for Christmas meals in the name of the school.

On the long table, a clean, faded tablecloth was unusually laid out. The rich, enticing aroma of meat wafted from the stew pot, large chunks of bread were piled in a basket, and there was even a small dish of butter and a jar of raspberry jam, things rarely seen elsewhere! The children cheered and pounced on the table like festive little animals.

Tom silently walked to the end of the table, to his designated spot, and carefully placed the clown box and the crystal ball beside him. He picked up his spoon, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Lux, who was surrounded by children and excitedly recounting "the flying staircase of Hogwarts," before returning to the crystal ball.

Lux was overwhelmed by the children's questions:

"Lux, are there really moving stairs?"

"Does the chocolate frog really jump?"

"Lux, do you really know magic? Tell me!"

As she stuffed soft, stewed carrots into her mouth, she made up stories on the spot, making the children laugh. Mrs. Cole didn't take them seriously, because she thought they were fairy tales made up by Lacus.

The children, however, firmly believed in it; they truly believed in the existence of magic.

Under the warm yellow light, the aroma of food, the smiling faces of children, and Mrs. Cole's unusually relaxed expression all made this Christmas Eve feel exceptionally warm.

Tom picked up a piece of bread and slowly spread the precious butter on it. He glanced at the deep night outside the window, then looked down at the serpentine shadow swimming in the crystal ball beside him. The cool touch through the crystal reminded him that the world of magic had never gone away.

This Christmas seems... a little different.

Meanwhile, in the warm, bustling orphanage, far away in Central Europe, in a similarly warm room in Nurmengard, Grindelwald's hand caressed today's Daily Prophet.

The headline on the front page was exceptionally eye-catching:

"Auror Office Announcement! The claim that Grindelwald has interfered in Great Britain is false!"

"A sensational case solved! Hogwarts students team up with a Muggle detective to thwart an evil werewolf's alchemy plot!"

"An Exclusive Interview with Albus Dumbledore!"

The accompanying image is a slightly blurry magical photograph: in a chaotic sewer scene, a blonde girl is kicking a fallen figure with a cool flying kick, and several figures in robes can be vaguely seen in the background.

Below the photo is a line of small print: "Exclusive reveal: Alchemist Nicolas Flamel was also involved in the operation! And he once again refuted the rumors about the Philosopher's Stone!"

"Ha, so our trust has crumbled to this point, Albus..."

Grindelwald rubbed his fingers together, creating a flame that burned the Daily Prophet to ashes. He was going to have a Christmas dinner with his saints, and starting tomorrow, these followers would travel throughout Europe to act for the greater good he spoke of.