Wes's face showed a trace of surprise, and his brows furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected to be invited to the Weasley household for Christmas.
"You're inviting me to your home for Christmas?" he repeated, uncertainty in his tone.
The twin brothers, Fred and George, beamed at Wes's question.
"Mum heard about how we behaved at school this year," Fred said excitedly.
"No pranks at all," George added proudly.
"She knows we've been learning alchemy from you," Fred continued.
"She wants to thank you," George concluded.
After they finished speaking, the twins looked at Wes in unison, eyes full of anticipation as they awaited his response.
Having spent some time with them, Wes had grown used to their rapid-fire style of conversation.
"Christmas, huh?" Wes murmured to himself.
He had always lived a solitary life, wholly devoted to magical research and never forming deep connections with others.
This was the first time in his life someone had invited him to join them for the holidays. To him, it was a novel and unique experience.
Besides, Wes had always been curious about Mr. Weasley's creatively modified car.
"All right. Why not?"
Wes finally agreed. He looked at the twins, who jumped up with excitement, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile.
He then asked, "Is there anything I should prepare?"
"Nothing at all," the twins replied in perfect unison, their smiles growing even brighter.
"Mum's going to be over the moon."
Chattering as they went, the two of them skipped away like two energetic little birds.
They couldn't wait to bring the good news to Mrs. Weasley.
Wes, however, had no intention of arriving empty-handed. He spent quite a bit of time carefully selecting gifts.
Each one was chosen with great thought, meant to reflect the Weasley family's preferences while also expressing his own gratitude.
Finally, the Christmas holiday arrived.
Wes shared a compartment on the train with the Weasley kids and Hermione.
The compartment was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Wes had bought a pile of sweets for the kids, and the colorful candy wrappers shimmered in the sunlight.
Ginny was a bit shy. She sat quietly in a corner, occasionally sneaking glances at Wes, the unfamiliar guest.
Percy, on the other hand, was quite enthusiastic. He took the initiative to chat with Wes, though his words and demeanor came off as a bit "pretentious."
Percy was trying hard to act grown-up, his every move aiming for maturity and steadiness, but to Wes, it only revealed his youthful naivety.
Hermione was like a walking encyclopedia, firing off one question after another at Wes.
Ron couldn't help but complain, "Can't even candy shut you up?"
After receiving a glare from Hermione, Ron quickly shoved a piece of chocolate into his mouth in panic, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Soon, the train arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
As soon as they stepped off the train, Wes saw Mrs. Weasley waving warmly at them.
Her face radiated kindness and warmth.
Ginny jumped off the train gleefully and rushed into Mrs. Weasley's arms like a bird returning to its nest.
It was the longest she had ever been away from home, and she was overwhelmed with emotion.
Mrs. Weasley gently stroked Ginny's little head over and over, her eyes glistening with tears.
"We meet again, Wes."
Arthur strode over and gave Wes a warm hug—firm and sincere. "Fred and George must've given you plenty of trouble."
"Hello, Mr. Weasley," Wes replied politely.
"Call me Arthur…" Arthur said with a smile.
"Arthur," Wes corrected himself, prompting an even bigger smile from Arthur.
"Fred and George are brilliant kids. They have extraordinary talent in alchemy."
Hearing the praise, the twins proudly raised their heads, putting on deliberately smug expressions.
Their exaggerated acting made everyone laugh.
Hermione also reunited with her parents. After exchanging warm wishes, the groups parted ways.
Wes had originally wanted to try out the flying car, but unfortunately, it had already been confiscated by the Ministry of Magic, which left him slightly disappointed.
When they arrived at the Weasleys' home—the Burrow—a four-story, crooked house came into view.
The building looked like it could collapse at any moment, giving off an air of barely-contained chaos.
Outside was a large garden, and Wes spotted a few gnomes bustling about among the flowers, adding a sense of life and energy to the place.
There was also a shed filled with various tools and miscellaneous items.
As soon as they stepped inside, everyone eagerly took off their coats. The warmth inside the house sharply contrasted with the cold outside.
But there were so many Weasleys that the house was a bit chaotic.
Ron rushed to be the first upstairs but was blocked by the twins.
They pushed and shoved at each other, grinning mischievously.
Ginny, small and agile, squeezed between her three brothers, her nimble movements bringing a smile to everyone's face.
After a round of chaos, everyone finally got their luggage sorted.
Mrs. Weasley busied herself preparing dinner, and the children hurried over to help.
However, their clumsy hands did more harm than good—plates were knocked over, spices spilled—only increasing Mrs. Weasley's workload.
Arthur stood to the side, looking helpless. He shrugged in resignation.
He wasn't any good at cooking and could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.
Wes felt much the same. The busy kitchen left him unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, he had a jack-of-all-trades butler. Whenever he needed help, his butler always had a solution.
Wes opened his suitcase, and Jandy stepped out.
No one was surprised to see Jandy. House-elves weren't uncommon in the wizarding world.
The Weasleys were far more interested in Wes's magical suitcase, especially Arthur and the twins.
They gathered around it, examining the unusual magical artifact.
Arthur, who had a deep love for magical items, looked at the case with admiration.
Fred and George were even more curious. They took turns running their hands over the surface, trying to discover more of its secrets.
Seeing their interest, Wes handed over the suitcase so they could get a better look.
"Merlin's beard! This is dragonhide!"
Fred's exclamation immediately drew everyone's attention. He gently ran his fingers over the case's surface, the texture and temperature confirming his hunch.
"Dragonhide??"
George, who was nearest, snatched the suitcase to examine it up close.
The others crowded around too, captivated by the magical case.
Arthur took a more professional approach. He pulled out a pair of glasses and carefully inspected every corner. He knew dragonhide was a rare and valuable material, and to use it for a magic suitcase required extraordinary skill.
"This really is dragonhide," Arthur concluded after some time.
"Just imagine how many Galleons this is worth!" Ron's eyes sparkled, practically drooling.
He pictured heaps of gold, fantasizing about having such wealth.
"Even if we sold the whole house, we couldn't afford it," Percy said in awe. "Professor salaries are that high?"
"Professors don't make that kind of money." Wes shrugged. "The funds came from treasures I collected on my adventures."
"It took a lot of effort to gather the materials to make this suitcase."
Wes winced a bit at the thought of how much money he had poured into creating it.
"Professor, what's inside the suitcase?"
Everyone was curious about what could be stored in something so expensive.
"Secret," Wes replied. Seeing that he didn't want to reveal it, the Weasleys didn't press him.
They understood everyone has their secrets, and respecting others' privacy is a virtue.
"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.
The dining table was packed. Laughter and chatter filled the room with warmth.
The family was delighted to have a guest this year, though Mrs. Weasley felt a little sad that Bill and Charlie couldn't make it home due to work.
Dinner was plentiful, loaded with all sorts of delicious dishes—clearly an effort to welcome Wes.
But even the feast was no match for the appetites of four teenage boys.
They devoured everything like starving wolves.
Mrs. Weasley beamed. "Looks like I'll need to make even more for tomorrow's Christmas dinner."
°°°
A/N: Would really appreciate it if y'all would give me some reviews, comments and of course stones as well, really helps :)
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