"I can only give you two gems if that's all you've found, though," Adam said, reaching out to scratch the Niffler's soft belly.
The creature let out a series of frantic squeaks, its small eyes blinking pitifully as they focused on a single red jewel.
"It's just not enough to get what you want, unless…"
Before he could finish, the little Niffler frantically plunged its paws into its tiny pouch. With a triumphant clang, a cascade of trinkets spilled out onto the pile of coins. Among them were a slightly rusty peeling knife, three silver spoons, several silver-plated decorations pried from candle holders, a pair of emerald earrings, and a peacock-blue enamel pocket watch.
Adam let out a sigh and looked at Amy the cat, her brow furrowed in concern. The cat immediately let out a few meows, explaining that all the items had been taken from a camp in the Forbidden Forest and that she had never touched anything from inside the castle.
"Alright, I'll take a loss this time and trade you these gems for all this stuff," Adam said, "but you have to bring more next time, or I won't trade with you again."
The little Niffler nodded eagerly, cradling the gems as if they were priceless treasure, staring entranced at the glittering crystals within them. Adam put on a show of great reluctance, wiping a tear away as he scooped up the dozens of Galleons and other items into his small pouch.
Sitting at his desk, Aiden watched the whole scene with a dumbfounded expression. He tried to speak but held back, finally unable to help himself.
"Don't you feel bad, tricking a Niffler that young?"
"Who says?" Adam replied, "I'd trick them even if they were grown-up."
He patted the Niffler's plump stomach and considerately put its little adventurer's hat back on its head. Then he leaned against his bed, looking over the replicated Marauder's Map. Ever since Snape's and Hogge's names had mysteriously vanished and then reappeared, Adam had been puzzling over it. The map hadn't shown any trace of their movements during that time; it was as if they'd just ceased to exist within the castle.
However, Adam knew that Apparition wasn't possible inside Hogwarts. He had confirmed this with Professor Flitwick in Charms class two weeks ago, who had explained that the castle was protected by a variety of spells to prevent intruders. Other than Headmaster Dumbledore and that incredible phoenix of his, nobody could just pop into the castle.
So, this situation was different. It seemed like some kind of power had hidden their presence, much like how Hogge had previously vanished from everyone's memory.
And there was the matter of the people the Niffler had mentioned. According to Dumbledore's description, the pure-blood families behind them were already trying to get back in the Ministry's good graces. They could have left a long time ago, but they remained hidden in the Forbidden Forest even after winter began, suggesting their purpose was more than just smuggling magical creatures.
He thought of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, whose identity was in question, a man with ties to the "Saints" who often traveled to Albania and seemed to possess near-eternal youth. Then there was the group of illegal smugglers, perhaps representing the resurgence of the Death Eaters. And the Aurors who were always hanging around Hogsmeade, a sign that the Ministry was willing to turn a blind eye to certain things.
It seemed that everyone was focused on Hogwarts, and on the old wizard who sat at the very top of the wizarding world. Adam rubbed the ring in his pocket, his mind racing. He had been visiting the Otherworld frequently, hoping his teacher, Rowena, could help him make sense of it all. Unfortunately, the door to the lakeside cottage was always shut, and even Ariana didn't know where she had gone.
The only one who showed up was a shameless red-haired figure, who would sneak out of a corner brandishing a stick. Even if Adam sensed him coming, he couldn't avoid the tree branch landing a solid smack on him. After getting his licks in, the scamp would snatch the snacks from Adam's pocket, munching on a handful of Every Flavour Beans while shouting, "Your teacher doesn't want you anymore!"
Just then, Cedric pushed open the dormitory door, a broom in his hand, and brushed the snow from his robes.
"It's really cold out there. The Quidditch pitch is covered in snow," he said. "It looks like Slytherin is going to try and postpone the game again."
He turned to Adam, who was still lounging on his bed. "Don't you have anything to say?"
"What is there to say?" Adam yawned. "Isn't that just a typical Slytherin trick?"
"Last time, they even used the excuse that their Beater was sick to force the game against Gryffindor to be moved to the next day, so they could play against Ravenclaw instead."
Cedric shrugged helplessly. "What can you do? It's your fault for earning so many points for Hufflepuff lately. It's made the whole Slytherin house desperate. This is about their fifth consecutive House Cup, after all."
"Even though we Hufflepuffs don't really care about the Cup, it's hilarious to see Snape's face as he walks past the Great Hall, especially when he sees the hourglasses. His expression is just priceless."
"Haven't you noticed? Fewer people are going for late-night snacks these days. Everyone's worried about losing the points you worked so hard to get us."
Aiden put away the envelope on his desk and, listening to Cedric, finally caught on.
"So, Snape helps them switch games around just so they can get Quidditch points!?"
Cedric ran a hand through his hair, giving Aiden a look of pity. He lowered his voice. "Something like that. Also, a word of advice: don't just believe everything Adam says from now on…"
After some playful roughhousing, Cedric sealed their truce with two boxes of Every Flavour Beans. The two of them happily put aside their differences, leaving Aiden to follow them out of the dormitory, looking utterly bewildered.
When they left the common room, a crowd was gathered around the notice board by the marble staircase, looking at the latest announcement. Shirley and Cho were nearby, whispering about what was on it. When they saw the boys, they waved them over.
"We get to go home for Christmas break in two days! Are you guys going home for the holidays?"
"Huh? Don't we have a Quidditch match in two days?" Cedric asked, confused.
Cho pointed to the announcement. "It's canceled, apparently. A senior student said that usually, we don't get the break until the day before Christmas Eve, but this year it's two days early."
Hearing this, Cedric squeezed into the crowd, where he was surprised to see a few other teammates. Their heads were huddled together as they nervously and quietly discussed the match schedule. A few sneaky Slytherin students crept over, craning their necks and straining their ears to listen. The Hufflepuffs, however, were quick to notice. They exchanged knowing glances and quickly formed a protective circle, completely enclosing Cedric and his teammates. Shoulders to shoulder, they stood defensively, watching the approaching Slytherins with wary eyes, not giving them any chance to eavesdrop.
Shirley tugged on Adam's sleeve and whispered in his ear. "Why aren't you going over to discuss it with them?"
"I don't really get all the pre-match arrangements," he said, shaking his head. "I'd just be in the way." But in his mind, Adam was thinking about a different question: whether this early Christmas break had anything to do with the recent string of events.
"You're definitely thinking about something else again," Shirley said, poking his cheek lightly. "Can't you tell me?"
"Alright, alright. I'm just a little confused. Why do wizards celebrate Christmas? Isn't that a Muggle holiday?"
Adam's casual question made the small group of witches and wizards who had been excitedly talking about Christmas vacation suddenly fall silent. The Slytherin students in particular furrowed their brows, wanting to retort, but they couldn't think of anything to say.
Cho, feeling everyone's eyes on them, grabbed Adam and Shirley's hands and pulled them toward the Great Hall.
"Don't ask questions like that again," she grumbled, covering her face. "Didn't you see the look on those pure-bloods' faces?"
"It's fine," Adam said, unfazed. "As long as I get some Christmas presents, that's all that matters."
"I think this year I'll get a Comet 1700," he mused. "I heard the company is coming out with a new model next year, but I wouldn't mind it."
Cho shot him a disgusted look, her usual good manners almost slipping. "Do you think you're making a wish on me?"
Adam shrugged his small shoulders helplessly and turned to Shirley. "What do you want for Christmas this year?"
The young witch tilted her head, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. She looked at him cautiously and asked softly, "Would you come with me to the old Black Manor? I want to go back and see if my father left any personal effects behind."
"Of course, I will. If Grandma Tina agrees…"
Adam's words abruptly stopped. He stiffened and looked at Shirley, his eyes fixed on her.
"Could you repeat what you just said?"
Shirley's face flushed slightly, and she looked at him, confused. She repeated in a small voice, "Come with me to the old Black Manor?"
"No, the next part," Adam interrupted, leaning forward instinctively.
"I want to go back and see if my father left any…"
Just as Shirley said the word "relics," the ring in Adam's palm began to tremble violently again.
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