A certain broken Hogwarts

Chapter 94 A Daily Tip for Getting Rid of Yourself

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, the little wizards are eagerly awaiting their break, and they're even starting to lose focus during Potions class.

Snow was falling from the sky outside, and the underground Potions classroom was so cold it felt like it was about to freeze. The young wizards rubbed their hands together, pressing them against their steaming cauldrons, their breath turning into white mist.

Owen, draped in a warm black cloak with silver buttons, casually waved his wand, his pale face and even his lips appearing almost white. A cauldron before him burned with a roaring flame, its orange glow illuminating a small section of the dimly lit underground classroom and warming the surroundings.

Snape had sadly grown accustomed to Owen's habit of warming himself by the fire during Potions class, because the young wizard always managed to complete the class assignments perfectly or even exceed expectations, and the fire he lit was indeed warm... cough. So he just glanced over and then wandered around behind Neville until Neville shakily knocked over the cauldron before he left, satisfied with deducting points.

Draco shivered as he huddled closer to Owen's fire for warmth. He had dressed rather lightly to look cool, and now his nose was practically running from the cold, so he insisted on teaming up with Owen.

"They say you learn from your mistakes, but why don't you remember to wear more clothes?" Owen felt this scene was somewhat familiar; wasn't it just like that at the Ghost Festival?

"Stop talking, I just didn't expect it to be this cold here," Draco said matter-of-factly, but his voice trembled slightly.

"You're all going home for the Christmas holidays..." Harry said somewhat dejectedly as he added herbs to the cauldron. None of his friends had stayed behind, which made him feel like a lonely old man.

"Yeah, although my parents aren't too keen on me going back." A hint of a smile played on Owen's eyes. They were afraid he'd cause some trouble or mishaps if he went home.

"Me too, but I'm planning to go out and have some fun during Christmas," Blaise said nonchalantly. His family situation was complicated, and he wasn't very close to his parents.

"Harry, if you beg me, I can allow you to come to my house. I think my mother wouldn't mind preparing food for one more person." Draco raised his chin demurely.

"...Let's forget about it," Harry said sullenly. Judging from his usual boasting, he thought Draco's father, the school board member, seemed like a difficult person to get along with.

"Tch." Draco curled his lip, raising his chin even higher.

The group chatted casually until Crabbe burned a hole in the bottom of his cauldron, spilling scalding hot potion onto the floor. The entire Potions classroom was instantly engulfed in billowing steam.

Professor Snape angrily waved his wand to clean the classroom, deducted some points from Crabbe, and assigned everyone a pile of homework that could only be described as hopeless, before letting the students leave the classroom.

The last class before the Christmas holidays ended, and the little wizards, like birds released from their cages, filled the campus with laughter and joy.

Irving stuffed his luggage into his suitcase while also preparing birthday gifts for acquaintances.

For example, he prepared a copy of "3000 Questions on the Theory of Charms" for Harry, which the book-obsessed young wizard would probably cry tears of joy. Blaise received several fright balloons, magical trick gifts from the Weasley twins as a way of thanking their benefactor. There was also a beautifully designed lamp for Daphne, several small models for Draco, and candy for Crabbe and Goyle, among other things.

In addition, Owen also prepared gifts for several professors he knew well, such as a brand new set of potions equipment for Professor Snape and a large jar of catnip for Professor McGonagall. He thought that both Professor McGonagall and her group of cats and raccoons would like them.

And, a green hat for Professor Quirrell. I don't know what got into Quirrell, but he actually believed Owen's nonsense and started changing his appearance, though Owen was happy to see it. Even villains need to pay attention to their image, no, I should say, villains need to be even more charismatic, otherwise how can they lure people into their trap?

Thinking about it, Owen realized that there was one guy he had missed. Didn't the dear Professor Voldemort deserve a Christmas present?

Although the Dark Lord didn't need it, and Owen was reluctant to give it to him, he was, after all, the professor who taught him a little trick to get into Azkaban every time, and he even thoughtfully gave him a flying spell gift package. It would be impolite not to give him a gift, right?

Yes, politeness is very important.

"But what should I send? A swarm of cockroaches endorsed by Dumbledore?" Owen's mind wandered. Hmm, sending that... while it might not get him Avada Kedavra, it might get him ripped out of his heart, right?

"Tell him he can add a few real cockroaches and then give it to Dumbledore?" He'd probably still get his heart ripped out...

"Or maybe I could give him a life-size Harry Potter figurine, so he can smash it to relieve stress when he's angry? Hmm, then fix it in a second with a healing charm, reusable, super value..." Owen's gaze was unfocused, staring at the ceiling. "Or maybe I could give him a copy of 'The Villain's Self-Cultivation,' to teach him the importance of looks. He can go without hair, but he can't be without a nose..."

Ah... this would definitely get me arrested by Avada Kedavra, right?

"A little trick to court death every day." Owen smirked, finally deciding to give up. "Fine, I'll just give you a pure gold cauldron..." Handing over the cauldron happily when the Dark Lord wanted to mold him, isn't that what a normal, loyal believer would do?

Haha, Irving is really gearing up to give the Dark Lord a big surprise.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts has been newly decorated, with towering Christmas trees standing all around and colorful ribbons made of holly and mistletoe hanging on the walls, creating a festive Christmas atmosphere everywhere.

The young wizards arrived at the platform that morning along the snow-covered road and boarded the train home amidst cheerful laughter and conversation.

Owen and his friends had a private box and were enjoying a table full of candy that Draco had generously provided. Halfway there, Blaise accidentally lit a huge bundle of fireworks, only to have his hair singed by the flying sparks, turning him into an afro, and also setting Draco's hat on fire.

Draco jumped up and grabbed Blaise by the neck. Pansy rushed over to take his side, and chaos erupted in the carriage. Daphne stood to the side, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and secretly reached out to press a chess piece on the wizard chessboard in front of her.

Irving coughed lightly, watching the little girl pull her hand back as if she'd been electrocuted, staring at him with her bright, innocent eyes.

"It's your turn to get off..." Daphne said, blinking, her body swaying slightly as a cover.

Owen smiled and directed his pieces to capture Daphne's king.

"Okay, I lost again." Daphne puffed out her cheeks slightly; she was so devastated by the defeat that she was questioning her very existence. Her confidence had been shattered, and she would probably need to play a few rounds with Draco to recover.

The train chugged to King's Cross Station, where the platform was already packed with parents who had come to greet them. Owen and his group disembarked and searched for their family members in the crowd.

Most of the young wizards had changed into Muggle clothes, but Owen and his friends didn't need to. Their families never interacted with Muggles, and they never kept Muggle clothes in their wardrobes.

Irving wore a dark green robe with silver embroidery along the edges, looking understated yet luxurious. He carried his black suitcase, his gaze sweeping across the bustling crowd, and soon spotted two figures standing quietly at the edge of the crowd.

"I saw my dad! I'm off!" Draco excitedly waved to Mr. Malfoy in the crowd, then quickly coughed lightly to cover it up, not wanting to appear childish in front of his friends.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy was practically a grown-up Draco. He wore a dark gray robe, carried a serpentine silver cane, nodded slightly to them, and then left with Draco.

Owen walked over to his parents, who were both there talking to Daphne and Blaise's mother, and waved in their direction.

"You seem to have grown a little taller, but hopefully you won't grow as tall as your grandmother, who was less than 1.6 meters tall!" Mr. Albert Shafik said with a playful smile, comparing Owen's height to his own.

He wore a dark blue robe and a black bowler hat, and looked to be around thirty years old. He was tall and thin, with slightly pale skin, handsome and dashing features, and his straight black hair was tied back in a low ponytail. His black eyes, like Owen's, always carried a hint of cynical amusement.

Ms. Adeline Shafik stood quietly to one side, a faint smile playing on her bright and dignified face. She wore a fitted black robe, her figure tall and perfect, her skin snow-white, her slightly wavy black hair simply styled in a bun at the back of her head, topped with an understated dark blue hat. Standing there, she resembled an elegant and mysterious black rose.

She glanced at Owen with her deep green eyes, a gentle look softening her otherwise calm gaze, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Welcome back, Owen."

"Yes, I'm back." Owen smiled and gave me a hug.

"Owen, see you after the holidays!" Daphne walked away with a beautiful blonde woman.

Blaise, looking impatient, was pulled by the hand by a voluptuous and slender witch. He waved hastily to the crowd, then broke free and walked away alone. His mother, looking exasperated, smoothed her radiant golden waves of hair. Every smile and gesture exuded a natural allure, captivating charm that made many men on the platform stare. She said goodbye to Adeline, then blew a kiss in their direction before leaving with captivating grace.

Owen stared at the famous and beautiful witch, speechless. No wonder she was a serpentine beauty who had been widowed six times; he wondered how long her current husband could hold out.

"Pretty, isn't she? But the prettier the woman, the more dangerous she is." While Owen was slightly distracted, Albert patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"So, in your eyes, Dad, how dangerous is Mom?" Owen raised his eyebrows, throwing out a potentially disastrous question.

"Ah, it's earth-shattering, otherwise how could it have captivated me so completely?" Albert said calmly, taking Ms. Adeline's hand. Adeline glanced at him with a smile, her deep, dark green eyes seemingly possessing a mysterious magic that could see through everything, yet carrying a calm and serene composure as if nothing concerned her.

"We should go back." She held out her hand to Owen.

The family first used Apparition to enter the Leaky Cauldron, and then used the fireplace there to travel directly back to their manor in Gloucestershire using Floo Powder.

Shafiq Manor is located on a hill outside the village of Nobulwick in southern Gloucestershire. The manor is surrounded by lush forests, and because of a Muggle expulsion spell, Muggles walking in the forest will unconsciously turn back to the foot of the hill, and in their eyes, the hill is nothing more than a barren mountain.

The manor is a pale yellow Tudor Gothic building, perpetually surrounded by a garden filled with white roses. The white rose bushes twine around the wrought iron railings surrounding the manor, and by some magical power, they bloom from spring until autumn, only falling into slumber during the snow-covered winter, hence the manor's name, White Rose Manor.

However, the rose bushes had lost all their leaves in winter, with only black, thorny branches clinging to the manor walls, looking as if they were covered in black thorns.

As soon as the family emerged from the fireplace, Mrs. Adeline waved her wand, cleaning the ashes from their clothes and the floor. The house was already decorated for Christmas, with two Christmas trees, as always, adorned with colorful lights and ribbons, standing in the hall without being ostentatious.

The industrious house-elves served the meal, including several stir-fries that Irving had once taught them to cook. Receiving those familiar, long-lost flavors, Irving's mood lightened and brightened.

The Shafiq family now consists of only three people. Owen remembers his grandparents dying when he was five years old in an accident caused by a magical experiment, which destroyed part of the mansion's outer wall. It must be said that only a small percentage of wizards live to a ripe old age; accidents during magical experiments, attacks by magical creatures and dark wizards, and incurable wizarding diseases can all be fatal.

"Have you gotten into any trouble at school, Owen?" Albert winked at Owen after dinner.

"...No." Owen paused before speaking. He never caused trouble; trouble just came to him.

"Never been put in solitary confinement?" Albert said with a look of disapproval.

"It's been shut down...twice."

"That's more like it, just like my son." Albert patted Owen on the shoulder heavily. "However, a smart person should learn not to make the same mistake twice. Since I started fourth grade, I haven't been caught breaking the rules."

Adeline sat gracefully in her chair, watching the father and son talk with a slight smile. She glanced at Albert with amusement, but said nothing. This mother, seemingly gentle, dignified, and meticulous, was actually far from being a conventional person; Owen suspected she knew more dark magic than his father.

Melett peeked her little head out of Owen's pocket, her golden eyes staring innocently at the two of them, and let out a soft, sweet cry.

"Is this your takin?" Albert clicked his tongue. "A rather cute little thing."

"Come here," Adeline said with a smile, beckoning him over.

Melete glanced at Owen, and after Owen nodded, she jumped onto her lap, meowing affectionately at her. Adeline gently stroked Melete's soft fur, her slender fingers slowly caressing the little cat's head and nape, a gentle smile on her face.

"Have you encountered any difficulties in the past six months?" She looked up at Owen, his image reflected in her deep green eyes.

"I can handle it." Owen smiled and shook his head. It's just being targeted by the Dark Lord, nothing serious...right?

"Including almost being killed by a chimera?" Adeline said with a half-smile, a hint of displeasure in her expression. Allowing such a dangerous monster into Hogwarts to hunt down students—how could Dumbledore, the headmaster, be a good headmaster?

"At least no one has died, which is better than Durmstrang, where one or two people die every few years," Albert said. "The reason we chose to send Owen to Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang with his Rozier cousin was because it was safer there, right? Although Hogwarts' teaching style is too conservative, he's still so young, it's right for him to be exposed to dark magic later."

Owen glanced at his father, not wanting to admit that he had already mastered enough dark magic to stay in Azkaban until he died. Who told him to be unlucky enough to encounter a professor who was a dark magic fanatic?

The family chatted for a while about their fun experiences at Hogwarts. Owen went to the greenhouse to check on his magic pigeons and rabbits, fed them some food, and then went back to his room to rest.

On Christmas morning, a small silver bell popped out of the black wooden clock on the bedroom wall, its tinkling sound waking Owen from his sleep. With his eyes still closed, he picked up his wand from the bedside table and waved it. The curtains opened gracefully, and the cool winter sunlight illuminated the luxurious carpet on the bedroom floor and the exquisite carvings on the walls.

The ebony clock stopped chiming after he got up and put away its bell. Owen climbed out of the comfortable four-poster bed, changed into a warm robe, and stood by the window looking at the still lush gardens and endless, smooth lawns of the manor, as well as the fountain with the twelve constellation sculptures standing in front of the main gate.

Under Melete's languid gaze, Owen unwrapped his Christmas presents one by one.

Mr. Albert gave him a beautiful silver dagger, while Ms. Adeline's gift was a brooch that could reflect curses back at the caster, seemingly having some tracking effect.

Blaise gave him a long string of special fireworks, Draco's diary that would spray a foul-smelling liquid in the face of anyone who peeked, Hermione's hefty spellbook, and Neville's suspicious plant that seemed to be breathing softly.

Harry's gift was a Muggle puzzle toy that looked like a nine-linked ring; he probably thought Owen would like something like that. Daphne, on the other hand, gave him a beautiful pointed hat, dark green in color, with silver flecks around the edges.

"Tsk, is this what they mean by 'the one who gives a hat gets another'?" Owen chuckled, putting the hat on his head and continuing to unwrap the rest of the gifts. In fact, green hats don't have any special meaning in this country; the color is quite popular.

After sorting through all the Christmas gifts, he stretched and enjoyed a leisurely and peaceful Christmas with his family.

(End of this chapter)