Sirius, pleased by Anduin's rare display of genuine interest, retrieved a hefty tome from a dusty, enchanted compartment beneath his sofa. "Here," he said, handing it over with a dramatic flourish.
"My gift to you, before Dumbledore cancels Christmas. It's called 'The Practice of Linking Runes'. It delves deep into the theory of continuous magical connectivity—the very framework that underpins the Floo Network."
Anduin's eyes widened. He had been quietly researching advanced ancient runes and their modern applications, and this book, which detailed techniques for constructing and maintaining a 'Flying Bird Network'—a system for secure, low-power message transmission—was an absolute goldmine. He felt a thrill far greater than any standard magical artifact could provide.
"Thank you, Sirius," Anduin said, accepting the gift with genuine respect, already running his fingers over the diagrams on the first page.
"And speaking of ancient history," Sirius continued, pulling out a thick, leather-bound photo album. "Let's review the enemies. You need to know their faces." He flipped to a page displaying a smiling group of late-teenagers, clearly taken at some lavish social event, not a formal school photo.
"So this is Snape?" Anduin asked, leaning closer, his gaze fixed on the youth in the photo.
"Right," Sirius confirmed, tapping the image. "This was taken at one of Professor Slughorn's infamous 'Slug Club' gatherings. Look: this is Avery, utterly arrogant. This is Dolokhov, already looking like a maniac. And that greasy-haired shadow is Severus Snape." Sirius described the faces and characteristic features of the young Death Eaters in detail, urging Anduin to commit them to memory for his own safety.
Anduin was most concerned about Snape. He knew the teenager in the photo would become the man who signed the Advanced Potion-Making textbook as "The Half-Blood Prince." Anduin had discovered the 'Shadowless' spell—Snape's own invention—scrawled in the margins of that book.
The sheer sophistication of the notes confirmed Snape possessed a formidable, possibly world-class, foundation in Potions and Dark Arts even then. In the photo, Snape looked intensely young, his dark hair falling slightly past his collar, his expression melancholy and strangely serene. It was impossible to imagine him smiling.
The next day arrived with a crisp, seasonal chill. Anduin, determined to present an image of poised professionalism, had dressed meticulously. He wore light gray pin-striped trousers, a deep French-style dress shirt, a sleek silver-gray waistcoat, and a narrow tie striped in silver and black.
Over it, he wore a close-fitting, long-haired light gray coat. His hair, usually simply shoulder-length, was carefully styled and pomaded, lending him a sharp, energetic look. Despite his slight height, he looked every inch the handsome, self-possessed young man.
Sirius, in stark contrast to his usual sloppiness, was also wearing a fine suit, though he had deliberately rejected the tie and left his shirt casually unbuttoned. He achieved the look of a handsome, rakish middle-aged man who had wrestled with formal attire and won on his own terms.
"You're joking, right? We have to ride that to the party?" Anduin asked in disbelief, pointing at the large, battered motorcycle Sirius was proudly polishing in the yard. Anduin had assumed they would use the quick, discreet Apparition or the secure Floo Network.
"Ah, but this is the star of the show!" Sirius crowed, lovingly stroking the chrome. "I simply must show James and Remus my little darling. And don't worry about the gifts; the sidecar is enchanted with a Perfect Extension Charm. All your tedious shopping is secure." Sirius roared with laughter, utterly delighted with his machine.
Anduin resigned himself to his fate, sitting stiffly on the back seat. "I finally managed to style my hair," he muttered under his breath, leaning closer to Sirius. "It's fine if I'm cold, but if you ruin my hairstyle, I will not let you live it down."
With a roar that announced their presence to the entire neighborhood, Sirius ignited the motorcycle's magical engine and they lifted off, soaring into the icy winter sky toward Godric's Hollow. Anduin spent the entire, uncomfortable flight frantically casting silent Barrier Charms around his head, trying desperately to shield his carefully constructed hairstyle from the relentless wind.
Godric's Hollow, situated in the southwest of England, was a picturesque community characterized by its harmonious blend of Muggle and wizarding residents. Unlike Hogsmeade, which was entirely magical, this community required its wizarding inhabitants to maintain the Statute of Secrecy.
Sirius finally brought the motorcycle down with a theatrical skid on the street in front of a substantial, well-maintained house. He dispelled the vehicle's Muggle-repelling and cloaking charms, parking it prominently.
Anduin, however, was already in despair. Despite his best efforts, the constant wind had compromised his defenses. He tried to smooth his hair back with his hands, only succeeding in making it fall back into his standard, slightly longer, messy style. He shot a look of pure murder at Sirius.
Sirius merely shrugged, grinning widely. "Stop fussing, kid! Look at you now! You look wonderful! Free-spirited and effortlessly handsome—just like me!"
"That's precisely the aesthetic I was attempting to avoid," Anduin thought bitterly, choosing to swallow his irritation rather than waste more energy arguing with the incorrigible wizard.
Sirius Black lifted his hand and rapped loudly on the Potters' front door. It opened almost instantly to reveal Lily Potter, her long, dark red hair flowing gracefully over the shoulders of her festive dress.
"Welcome, Sirius Black and Anduin! You are fashionably late," she said, her smile warm and genuine. "Everyone is already here, we were just waiting for you two rogues."
"Haha, well, it doesn't matter when we arrive, just that we make an entrance! Long time no see, Lily, you are absolutely radiant," Sirius declared, sweeping her up in a quick hug.
Anduin offered a more formal, polite greeting. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Potter. Thank you sincerely for extending your invitation."
Lily's gentle green eyes met his, and her smile deepened. "Please, call me Lily. I felt such an instant connection to you when we met. And given that you saved Sirius from being permanently glued to a pitch, you are absolutely a friend of this family. Come inside and thaw out by the fire; it's terribly cold out there."
"Will you please stop telling everyone that the kid saved me?" Sirius grumbled good-naturedly, though he didn't fight Lily's assessment, which was a tacit admission of the truth.
Lily simply laughed, leading the two into the brightly lit, warmly decorated interior. Magical candles floated near the ceiling, casting soft, enchanting light over the living room.
Seated around the roaring fireplace was the full gathering. Anduin immediately spotted James Potter, chatting animatedly. Beside him was a young man in a well-worn, slightly old-fashioned suit—Remus Lupin—who offered a kind, shy smile. The third of the original Marauders, a short, stocky young man who looked slightly nervous, was Peter Pettigrew.
Across from them sat the married couple Anduin had been anticipating. The man was Frank Longbottom, the Auror who had guided Anduin out of Knockturn Alley months ago. Next to him, holding a sleeping infant, was his wife, Alice Longbottom.
"James! Remus! Peter! Ha, a Merry Christmas, boys!" Sirius roared, opening his arms and engaging in a round of boisterous hugs, his boisterous energy filling the room.
"Frank and Alice! A wonderful surprise! I hadn't expected you both here, but this is fantastic," Sirius greeted the Longbottoms next.
Frank and Alice rose, shaking his hand with equal warmth. "Dumbledore suggested the arrangement," Frank explained, his usual Auror-like seriousness softened by the holiday atmosphere.
"He thought it would be a lovely idea for our two families to spend this Christmas together. Since Harry and Neville were born only a day apart, it truly is the perfect opportunity for the little ones to meet. Alice and my mother were delighted with the suggestion, so here we are, together."
Anduin's internal alarm bells went off instantly. The reason Dumbledore gave was innocuous and plausible: a holiday gathering of families whose children shared a birthday.
The true reason, however, was strategic consolidation—bringing two of the Dark Lord's potential target families under one roof, specifically for maximum defense. Dumbledore's foresight was impressive, and Anduin realized he was sitting directly inside the eye of the brewing storm.