December 21st
Christmas was just around the corner, and Hogwarts had officially entered the winter break. The holiday would last for two weeks, during which most students chose to return home. This year, David's entire dormitory had decided to leave for the holidays, and they had submitted their leave requests a few days prior.
After packing their gifts, David and his roommates headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
By now, the hall was fully decorated for the season. Colorful ribbons draped across the walls, and twelve towering Christmas trees lined both sides, their twinkling lights casting a warm glow over the room. Everything was prepared for the students who would be staying at Hogwarts over the break, celebrating Christmas with the professors.
"David, bring your roommates over!"
At the Ravenclaw table, Penelope Clearwater called out to him. A few first-year students sat beside her, carefully reading some documents in front of them.
"One per person—you can't leave school until you sign this," she explained, handing each of them a piece of parchment stamped with the Ministry of Magic's official seal.
Terry Boot picked up his parchment and immediately groaned in dismay.
"Notice of Prohibition of Underage Magic Use Outside of School? What is this?!" he complained.
He had been looking forward to showing off his magic to his Muggle parents over the holidays, but now it seemed impossible.
"Everyone has to sign it," Penelope said with a shrug. "Unless you don't plan on leaving Hogwarts until you turn seventeen, in which case, you don't need to worry about it."
She smirked at Terry's crestfallen expression before adding, "And just so you know, this isn't just a simple contract. It's a spellbound document with detection magic. If you cast a spell outside Hogwarts, the Ministry will know. Every year, a few students forget and end up getting into trouble. Of course, if you're in a fully magical household, the trace won't trigger."
David glanced down at the parchment:
Notice of Prohibition of Underage Magic Use Outside of School
Wizards under the age of seventeen are considered minors and are prohibited from using magic outside of Hogwarts.
Any violation of this rule is illegal and will result in Ministry intervention. Serious cases may lead to expulsion.
The use of magic must comply with the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
There were a total of nine prohibitions listed, all reinforcing the restriction on underage magic.
David signed his name without hesitation. He was well aware of the Trace—a magical detection system placed on young wizards to monitor spell usage. However, he also knew its biggest flaw: it could only detect magic being cast, not who had cast it. If a spell was performed near a minor in a magical household, the Ministry couldn't pinpoint the actual caster.
For David, though, this restriction didn't matter. His unique abilities allowed him to bypass detection altogether. He could use magic freely without worrying about the Ministry tracking him.
After breakfast, the students leaving for the holidays gathered near the entrance. Unlike their arrival at Hogwarts, they didn't have to walk the Founder's Path this time. Instead, carriages were arranged to take them directly to Hogsmeade Station.
As David made his way to the carriages, he noticed a familiar figure among the crowd.
"Harry, you're going home for Christmas?" he asked.
He distinctly remembered that last year, Harry had spent Christmas at Hogwarts with Ronald.
"Yeah," Harry said, looking pleased. "I have you to thank for that. What you told me last time made me think things through. I sent a letter and some gifts to my aunt last week, and a few days ago, she actually wrote back! She invited me home for Christmas and even got me a present."
There was a hint of emotion in Harry's voice. He hadn't received a Christmas gift from the Dursleys in years, and the idea that they were acknowledging him, even slightly, was overwhelming.
David nodded, then lowered his voice. "Don't forget to ask about Snape."
Harry's expression darkened slightly.
David was curious to see how Harry would react when he discovered that Snape and his mother had been childhood friends—until his father, James Potter, had come along and won Lily over.
"I will," Harry promised. "I need to figure out why Snape's been acting so… weird. He's been worse than usual lately."
Just as the conversation shifted, Harry suddenly asked, "By the way, David, do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?"
David raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you buy a bunch of chocolate frogs from George last time?"
Harry looked confused.
"The cards inside have his information," David explained. "If I told you now, all your effort searching for him would be wasted."
Harry groaned in frustration. "You're kidding. Ronald and I have been going through the library for weeks."
"Should've checked your chocolate frog cards," David said with a smirk.
Realization dawned on Harry's face. "Ronald does collect them… I'll check when I get back."
The carriages soon arrived at the station, where the students boarded the Hogwarts Express. David shared a compartment with Hermione, Cassandra, and Cho Chang.
As they settled in, Hermione looked around the carriage, fascinated.
"Is this a self-driving magical carriage?"
David chuckled. "Not quite. It's being pulled by Thestrals—magical creatures classified as XXXX-level. If you've read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, you'd know them. Only people who have seen death can see them."
Hermione, Cassandra, and Cho exchanged puzzled glances. Clearly, none of them could see the creatures.
"I saw a farmer slaughtering a sheep once," Cassandra said, frowning. "But I still can't see anything."
David shook his head. "It has to be human death—someone you personally witnessed dying."
Hermione fell into deep thought. "So that's why no one ever questions how the carriages move…"
The conversation eventually shifted to holiday plans.
"David, do you want to spend Christmas at my house?" Cassandra asked casually. "You signed the underage magic contract, so you can't use spells outside of school. But at my house, you can."
Before David could respond, Hermione interjected, "My dad's taking me to Santa Claus Village in Finland this year. You should come with me!"
Cho simply smiled, staying out of the sudden tug-of-war.
David sighed. "Isn't it possible for me to just spend Christmas at home?"
Hermione huffed. Cassandra folded her arms, looking smug.
"What about you, Cho?" Hermione asked. "Do you celebrate Christmas?"
Cho nodded. "We do, but not as extravagantly. My parents are both Chinese, so we mostly follow local customs—exchanging gifts and having a nice meal."
Hermione looked intrigued. "Have you been back to China?"
"Yeah, I visited my grandfather last summer."
As they chatted, the train ride passed quickly, and soon they arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Cassandra was the first to spot her mother waiting. As she approached, she turned to David. "I'll find the fire magic you wanted—no matter what."
David smiled. "No pressure. If you can't find it, it's fine."
Cassandra's mother, Belinda Worley, watched her daughter pull David over. She raised an eyebrow, amusement twinkling in her eyes.
"So this is David Adrian," she said warmly. "Cassandra has mentioned you quite a bit in her letters."
Cassandra blushed. "Mum!"
Mrs. Worley gave David a knowing smile. "You should visit us sometime, Mr. Adrian."
David coughed awkwardly. "Uh—next time, for sure."
He wasn't sure what was more surprising—Cassandra's forwardness or her mother's blatant approval. One thing was certain: this Christmas break would be eventful for everyone.
-------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007