Although Ralph had already inspected the remaining gift boxes, Wade still remained on full alert—
He directed two magic dolls to move all the Christmas gift boxes into the wardrobe space, while he sat to the side reading a book and letting the dolls handle the unwrapping.
A half-man-tall jellyfish doll floated up from the basement, and its dozens of tentacles moved deftly as it opened boxes while also sorting and recording them.
Books, candies, magical items of all kinds… the most ridiculous was that someone had actually bought him a Daydream Quill as a gift, leaving Wade completely speechless.
The quill's shaft even had a label stuck on it that read: Inventor: Wade Grey!
By now, Wade had become something of a brand name for the Aslan Magic Workshop—Marchionne wished he could print Wade's name on every single product.
Human gifts were all the same, but the ones from house-elves were each quite unique.
Dobby gave him a pair of mismatched socks, with crooked cauldron and owl patterns that Wade suspected Dobby had knitted himself;
Zoe sent him a picture made from mermaid scales, shaped like the outline of Hogwarts Castle, shimmering in rainbow colors under the light;
Happy's gift was a few fluffy yellow chicks, which immediately scattered chirping as soon as the box was opened—the Cloak flew over and scooped them into a cage.
Phil gave a box of herbs, clearly foraged from the Forbidden Forest, still glistening with a few drops of dew.
As for Maggie, Wade suspected he had somehow gotten wind of the second challenge's content, because his gift was a jar of gillyweed!
After tidying up all the gifts and checking his list to make sure he hadn't forgotten anyone he needed to give gifts to, Wade stretched his slightly stiff shoulders and stepped out of the wardrobe space.
The bed in the bedroom was already neatly made, the air still warm, though a little stifling.
Wade casually picked up the broom leaning against the bed, swung his leg over with a smooth motion, and flew out the window. With a snap of his fingers, the open window shut with a bang, shaking down a sprinkle of snow from the sill.
The broom cut an arc through the cold air, streaking toward the snowy ground before the castle like a falling star—only to stop sharply just before touching down.
Wade had barely set foot on the snow when a sharp pop split the air—
The house-elf Maggie apparated to his side, stretching out both hands expectantly.
"Merry Christmas, Maggie."
Wade smiled, placing the broom in his hands, entrusting the elf to return it to the dormitory.
"Maggie, you rascal!"
A shrill voice called out from not far away. Zoe had arrived a step late. Stamping her foot in frustration, she had no choice but to huff and storm back toward Ravenclaw Tower.
Maggie stuck out his tongue with a cheeky grin, showing not the slightest embarrassment about stealing Zoe's task.
After chasing Zoe off, he hugged the broom tightly with his thin arms, looked up at Wade, and said: "Thank you for the gift, Mr. Grey. Maggie likes it very much!"
Wade couldn't help but chuckle. "You've already read it, haven't you?"
"I read part of it," Maggie admitted. "The life of human Muggles is so interesting!"
The gifts Wade gave to the house-elves were humorous comic books popular in Muggle society. The stories were lively and witty—so much so that even without words, they could be easily understood and make anyone laugh out loud.
"Reading allows people to see worlds they can't reach themselves. Of course, comics can do that too."
Wade noticed that Maggie was barefoot, standing directly on the snow. He frowned and said:
"It's too cold outside. Hurry back to the castle… Would you like to accept a skein of wool as a gift? Dobby can knit socks—maybe you can too? The school doesn't forbid you from making clothes for yourselves, right?"
"Maggie's fine. Maggie's not cold!"
All of a sudden, Maggie threw himself forward and hugged Wade's knees, almost knocking him over with the force.
The little elf lifted his head, his eyes glistening like raindrop-soaked glass beads.
He said, "The Black Lake is as dangerous as the Forbidden Forest, but Mr. Wade will definitely win! The gillyweed will help you!"
"Thank you, Maggie. If the second task really takes place in the lake, then you'll have been a great help."
Wade didn't mention that he had long since mastered the Bubble-Head Charm. Instead, he patted the elf on the head gently and said:
"Go back quickly… Oh, and remember to share the comics with Zoe and the others. Make up with them, all right? Christmas isn't a time to quarrel with friends."
Maggie nodded vigorously, then vanished with a pop with the broom in hand.
…
The day slipped by in a flash, and soon the sky had already darkened.
Wade finally finished all his homework and even took the time to write an alchemy paper. Professor Murray now required him to publish at least one paper in a journal each month, and Wade had already prepared his submission for February next year.
"For Merlin's sake, put down that quill already!"
Michael leaned against the bookshelf with a bottle of hair oil still in his hand. His freshly styled curls carried a faint scent of cedar.
He urged, "Wade, if you don't change soon, we'll have to wear our school robes to the ball!"
Harry and the others in the Umbrella Room chuckled, while the girls had been missing the whole afternoon, busy preparing for the ball.
The boys then returned to the dormitory to change into formal clothes.
Wade opened his wardrobe. A silver-gray silk shirt shimmered softly, and beside it hung a deep-blue dress robe, its hem draping smoothly with barely a wrinkle.
This was the set he had custom-ordered from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions more than a week ago—it had only just arrived yesterday at noon.
After dressing, Wade stood in front of the mirror for a final check. He felt fairly satisfied and went down to the common room, where he found Michael leaning on the railing.
"How do I look?" Michael spread his arms and spun in place with a showy flourish.
He was wearing a crimson robe with gold trim around the collar and cuffs, decorated with golden buttons and cufflinks. Hanging from the silver chain were several magical trinkets that looked both ancient and mysterious—a silver hourglass, a serpent biting its own tail, a string of coins engraved with old runes, and more.
Wade couldn't help but glance at them with his magic sight ability. As it turned out, they were purely decorative—less magical than even the enchanted serving plates in the kitchen.
"You look like you're ready to sweep three girls off their feet at the ball," Wade commented honestly.
Michael clicked his tongue and wagged his finger. "Half, thank you. Half the girls will be drawn to me."
"…You should share a little of your confidence with Harry," Wade said speechlessly. "Even just one percent would spare him the headache of asking someone to the ball."
"Well, what can I say—charm is something you're born with." Michael flicked his bangs aside and winked proudly.
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