Friday, December 24, 1993
(Gilderoy Lockhart)
Almost two months have passed, and nothing much has happened.
Which, in our current situation, is both a relief and a source of constant frustration.
Things have been unexpectedly quiet.
Far too quiet.
I stood by the window of our room in the Three Broomsticks, watching pale winter light stretch across the frost-covered hills outside. Snow had fallen during the night, leaving the landscape buried beneath a thick white blanket that glittered faintly under the weak morning sun.
Normally I would have appreciated the peaceful view. But today, it only reminded me how little progress we had made.
Despite our efforts, we still haven't been able to find Tom or the escaped Death Eaters.
Not a single confirmed sighting. No magical disturbances or suspicious activity.
Nothing at all.
Which tells us one important thing.
They didn't leave Britain using Portkeys or Apparition.
The Ministry keeps extremely close track of both methods when it comes to crossing international borders. The unauthorized use of Portkeys is almost impossible to hide, and illegal long-distance Apparition beyond the country's wards always leaves magical traces that the Department of Magical Transportation monitors carefully.
Yet no such traces had been detected.
Which meant Tom had used a different method, or he had planned his escape far more carefully than we expected.
Neither possibility was comforting.
I rubbed my temple slowly.
Behind me, I heard the faint clink of porcelain.
I turned slightly.
Aurora was seated near the fireplace, calmly stirring her tea while reading through a stack of students' Astronomy homework. The firelight reflected softly off her eyes as she worked.
Rosmerta, meanwhile, leaned comfortably beside me with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, watching the snowfall through the window with an amused expression.
The warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the cold outside.
The fireplace crackled softly.
The scent of cinnamon and freshly baked bread lingered in the air.
For a moment the tension in my shoulders eased slightly.
At least I wasn't facing this situation alone.
On another note, we had received an invitation a few days ago.
Nick and Penny had invited us to celebrate Yuletide at the Flamel cottage.
The letter had made it very clear that I was to bring my fiancées with me.
Even now the word still felt slightly surreal in my mind.
Fiancées.
Plural.
Not exactly the kind of life I imagined for myself years ago.
Then again, a lot of things in my life had turned out very differently than expected.
Aurora finally lowered the parchment she had been reading and looked up.
"You're thinking about the escaped Death Eaters again," she said calmly.
It wasn't a question.
I sighed faintly.
"Unfortunately," I admitted.
Rosmerta snorted softly. "Well, that's a very cheerful topic for Christmas Eve."
She took a sip from her mug before glancing toward me.
"Try not to brood too much, hero. You'll ruin the holiday mood."
I raised an eyebrow. "Brooding builds character."
"Brooding builds wrinkles," Rosmerta replied immediately.
Aurora hid a small smile behind her teacup.
I shook my head slightly, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Despite everything, the atmosphere in the room remained comfortable and peaceful.
For now, at least.
And later tonight we would be celebrating Yuletide with the Flamels.
Which, knowing Nick, would probably involve far more ancient magic, strange experiments, and philosophical discussions than any normal Christmas gathering.
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
But at the very least, it would be a welcome distraction.
And perhaps, just for one evening, we could set aside thoughts of Dark Lords, escaped Death Eaters, and the growing shadow slowly gathering beyond Britain's borders.
Though knowing my luck…
That peace probably wouldn't last very long.
…
Later that evening, I apparated the three of us to the Flamel cottage in Devon.
The world twisted for a brief instant, the familiar squeezing sensation of Apparition pressing in from all sides, and then the cold winter air rushed back into my lungs as the ground solidified beneath my feet.
Snow crunched softly under our boots.
The Flamel cottage stood a short distance ahead of us, warm golden light glowing from its windows like a welcoming beacon against the dark winter evening. Thin trails of smoke curled lazily from the chimney into the clear night sky.
Aurora tightened her grip slightly on my arm as she looked toward the warmly lit house.
"I hope we are not too late," she muttered quietly.
I glanced at my watch before shaking my head.
"Relax," I said calmly. "We're barely a few minutes late."
Rosmerta, who was holding my other arm, suddenly pinched my side.
"It's all your fault for taking so long," she said accusingly.
Thanks to my ritually enhanced physique, I barely felt the pinch, but experience had taught me that reacting appropriately was important for domestic harmony.
So I winced dramatically.
"Ah," I groaned, clutching my side. "Such cruelty on Christmas Eve."
Rosmerta rolled her eyes.
"You deserve it."
I straightened my posture with exaggerated dignity.
"You wouldn't understand," I said solemnly. "Looking this fabulous is an arduous task. It's not something that can be accomplished in a short time."
I gestured toward my carefully styled hair and perfectly tailored robes.
"It takes hours of dedication."
Aurora snorted softly.
"You spent most of the time admiring your reflection in the mirror," she muttered.
I ignored the comment with the ease of long practice.
Instead, I gently freed my arms from their grasp and stepped forward toward the cottage door.
Even though it wasn't technically necessary thanks to the wards surrounding the property, I raised my hand and knocked politely.
Protocols must be followed.
Barely a second passed before the door swung open.
Penny stood on the other side, smiling brightly.
Considering the timing, I strongly suspected she had been waiting behind the door the entire time.
And knowing her, she had probably also been listening to our conversation.
"Gilderoy!" the old lady greeted warmly.
She leaned forward and gave me a quick hug before stepping back.
Then her sharp eyes immediately shifted toward the two women standing behind me.
She looked them up and down with a slow, evaluating gaze that reminded me uncomfortably of a mother inspecting potential daughters-in-law.
After a few seconds she nodded approvingly.
"And these must be your lovely girlfriends," she said cheerfully. "You didn't tell me they were this beautiful."
Aurora smiled politely, and Rosmerta looked highly amused.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"I could swear I mentioned it multiple times…"
Fortunately, Nick appeared behind Penny at that exact moment like a perfectly timed rescue.
"Penny," he said patiently, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "aren't you going to let our guests in?"
"Oh! Right," she said, immediately stepping aside.
Nick looked toward me and smiled.
"Gilderoy, long time no see."
He extended a hand which I shook enthusiastically, almost dislocating his fragile shoulder.
"How are your studies going?" he continued. "Do you have any doubts you need my help with?"
Seeing my oldest mentor again instantly brightened my mood.
My eyes lit up.
"Actually, yes!" I said immediately.
"There's a catalytic stabilization problem I've been working on in transmutational alchemy. When using a phoenix feather as a reaction focus, the magical resonance becomes unstable after the third stage…"
Nick's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Ah, yes. That's a classic issue," he said as we stepped inside the cottage together. "Did you try modifying the sigil matrix to redistribute the energy flow?"
"I did," I replied eagerly, already pulling a small notebook from my coat pocket.
"But the problem is that doing so weakens the binding circle."
Behind us, the three women watched the two of us instantly fall into an animated alchemical discussion.
Aurora shook her head slowly.
Rosmerta laughed quietly.
And Penny simply smiled with clear amusement.
"Men," Rosmerta said.
Aurora chuckled softly.
"At least they're happy."
…