On December 23rd, most of the Hogwarts students dragged their trunks and flooded toward Hogsmeade Station.
The population density inside the castle dropped at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Seventy percent of the noise in the corridors vanished.
The cutlery on the Great Hall’s long tables automatically shrank to a third of its usual amount.
Hagrid dragged a twenty-foot-tall Christmas tree through the front entrance, leaving a trail of pine needles all over the floor.
Professor Flitwick stood at the top of a ladder, directing small golden angels to fly up to the treetops.
An angel tilted twice and smashed three glass baubles.
Evelyn leaned against a stone pillar in the Entrance Hall, her canvas bag slung across her shoulder, the Galleons inside clinking softly.
She still hadn’t secured the signature to purchase salamander blood.
She had gone to Severus Snape’s office three times last week.
The first time, the moment Snape saw her, he slammed the door shut!
The second time, the door was locked straight away.
The third time, a parchment note was stuck to the door: “Valentine, if your visit has nothing to do with your schoolwork, kindly crawl back to your badger hole!”
Evelyn peeled the note off, folded it into a paper airplane, and launched it into the Black Lake through a Dungeons window.
…
Fred and George ran down the stairs, each dragging an old leather trunk stuffed to bursting.
One corner of Fred’s trunk lid jutted up, revealing half a striped scarf and a packet of Nosebleed Nougat.
“Little Evie!” Fred dropped his trunk onto the floor with a thud and jogged over.
“You two leaving?”
“Train leaves at eleven.”
George propped his trunk against the pillar and pulled out a four-folded piece of parchment.
“Orders from Hogsmeade.
Over the break, Mundungus will meet you at the Hog’s Head Inn.”
“The code phrase is: *Nice weather today, perfect for selling bouncy balls.*”
Evelyn took the parchment and tucked it into her robes.
Fred: (ˇ᷄ωˇ᷅;)
“Little Evie, are you really not coming back with us?
Mum knitted six sweaters—one more won’t kill her.”
“I have quests to grind.”
“What kind of quest do you grind over Christmas?”
“Grind points, buy items, stockpile gear.
Fewer people during the break means double the efficiency for causing trouble!”
Fred stood with his hands on his hips, his expression as conflicted as if he were stumped by a Potions essay.
George walked over and leaned toward Evelyn.
“I picked the color for the sweater Mum made you.
Yellow—canary yellow.”
“I don’t wear sweaters.”
“You’ll have to wear it when we get back!”
George pulled out another small parcel and shoved it into Evelyn’s canvas bag.
“Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Christmas limited edition.
New flavors this year include snot and earwax.
If you pull one, you can keep it to feed someone.”
“Feed who?”
“Up to you.” George smirked and picked up his trunk.
Fred took two steps, then suddenly turned back around.
“Little Evie.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t go to the third-floor corridor on the right side alone.”
His voice dropped half an octave, his playful grin vanishing.
Evelyn tilted her head at him.
Fred said nothing more, merely exchanging a glance with George.
Dragging their trunks, the two joined the stream of people heading toward the station.
…
Evelyn closed her status panel and turned to walk toward the Great Hall.
Hermione was waiting by the long table, her trunk already shrunken to the size of a matchbox and stowed in her coat pocket.
She handed Evelyn a handwritten list.
Evelyn scanned it.
Twenty-three rules and reminders were densely written on it, in handwriting neat enough to be printed straight into a textbook.
Evelyn: (ꐦ⊙ᗜ⊙;)
“Hermione, are you assigning me holiday homework?”
“It’s a safety guide!
You’re staying at school alone, and there’s no one to hold your reins!”
“I don’t have reins.”
“Which is why I’m using a checklist instead!
Rule Fourteen: You are not allowed to harass Professor Snape under any circumstances!”
“He’s staying behind to grade essays over the break, so his mood will be three times worse than usual.”
“How do you know he’s staying?”
“The staff staying list is posted on the noticeboard.
Didn’t you look?”
“I only checked the student list.”
Hermione sighed and pulled up her coat collar.
“Evelyn, Merry Christmas.”
She turned and walked briskly toward the Entrance Hall, her red scarf flicking through the air.
After three paces, she stopped again and called back, “Rule Twenty-Three!
Do not feed anything to Filch’s cat!”
“Last time Mrs.
Norris ate your crisps, she stalked you for three whole days!”
“That’s because the crisps were delicious!”
…
The Great Hall gradually grew quiet and deserted.
After the twelve o’clock chime, the remaining students only filled two of the long tables.
Harry and Ron were playing Wizard’s Chess.
Ron’s knight had just chopped Harry’s bishop into two pieces, sending shards splashing into the pumpkin juice.
Over at the Slytherin table, Crabbe and Goyle sat side-by-side, gnawing on drumsticks.
Draco Malfoy sat alone, poking at a roast potato with a fork.
He stabbed it seventeen times until the potato turned to mash.
Evelyn sat down with her food tray.
She was the sole Hufflepuff at her table.
The system interface floated quietly before her.
[Current School-Stay Chaos Environment Assessment: Extremely low population density, faculty vigilance dispersed, usable space increased by 280%!]
[The Christmas Special Task will automatically unlock at midnight on December 25th.]
Evelyn speared a piece of roast beef, her gaze sweeping past the Slytherins.
Draco Malfoy was staring at her.
The second their eyes met, that blonde head whipped back around.
He guzzled a huge mouthful of pumpkin juice, coughing as he choked on it.
“Malfoy, are you all right?” Crabbe asked, looking over.
“Shut up and eat your drumstick!”
…
In the afternoon, the castle felt as deserted as a museum.
Nothing remained in the corridors except the whispering of portraits and the soft rustle of falling snow outside the windows.
At five forty, Evelyn left the library clutching three Potions reference books.
“Valentine!”
Draco stood at the corner of the stairs, one boot resting on a step.
His hair was combed immaculately, and he wore a tailored black cashmere coat.
His hands were tucked behind his back, his chin raised high.
He had held this posture for at least five minutes; melted snow beside his boots had formed a little puddle on the flagstones.
Evelyn stopped.
“Malfoy.”
“I’m not leaving until next week.”
“Oh.”
“My father told me to stay until the twenty-fifth before heading back.
He said he has business.”
“Oh.”
“Can’t you say anything else?”
“Mm.”
Draco Malfoy: (ꐦ ///Д///;)
He tucked his chin in slightly, then raised it back to its original position.
He shifted his hands behind his back, placing his left hand over his right.
“You’re staying at school because you have nowhere else to go, right?”
“I’m staying because I want to stay.”
“Who’d believe that?
Those two Weasley paupers went home, and Granger left too.
You’re here all alone without a soul to talk to.”
“I’m talking to you right now.”
A flush bloomed across Draco’s neck, spreading upward from his collar.
“I didn’t come here to talk to you!”
“Then why are you standing here?”
Three seconds of silence passed.
The snoring of a portrait echoed from the stairs above.
Outside the window, snowflakes were blown slantwise by the wind, melting into wet marks on the stone floor.
Draco pulled a box from behind his back.
It was wrapped in dark green velvet, bound with a silver ribbon.
The bow was intricately tied, its ends trimmed perfectly neat.
He pushed the box half a foot toward Evelyn.
“A Christmas present.
Valentine, don’t get the wrong idea.
This is Malfoy family social etiquette.
Everyone I know gets one.”
“Do Crabbe and Goyle get one?”
“Theirs are different!”
“Different how?”
The tips of Draco’s ears turned rose-red.
He shoved the box into her hands.
“Stop asking!
Just take it!”
He let go with lightning speed, flinching as his fingers brushed against Evelyn’s fingertips.
He whipped around, his coat hem swishing in a wide arc, and stomped up the stairs.
After seven steps, he paused and glanced back over his shoulder.
Evelyn was still standing in the same spot, holding the dark green box.
“The sweets are a limited edition from Honeydukes!
Don’t waste them!”
Draco blurted out the line before his back vanished around the second-floor corner.
Evelyn: (ˇ᷄⌓ˇ᷅;)
She looked down at the box.
The velvet felt exquisitely smooth, and a subtle letter ‘M’ was embroidered on the silver ribbon.
Inside, twelve amber-colored toffees were neatly arranged, each individually wrapped in gold foil.
Stuck to the inside of the lid was a small card, written in silver-gray ink: “Don’t feed these to the cat, either.
— D.M.”
Evelyn stared at those words for two seconds.
A low meow echoed from by her feet.
Mrs.
Norris crouched on the flagstones, her lantern-like eyes fixed intently on the sweet box.
Evelyn unwrapped a toffee.
The amber candy gave off a warm, glossy sheen, spreading a sweet scent of honey and caramel.
Mrs.
Norris’s pupils dilated.
Evelyn placed the candy on the floor and nudged it toward the cat’s paws.
Mrs.
Norris leaned down, sniffed it, snatched it in her mouth, and crunched away.
[Mischief Points +30!
Reason: Draco Malfoy’s limited-edition Christmas gift was fed to Filch’s cat!]
Evelyn unwrapped a second one and set it down.
Having finished the first, Mrs.
Norris pounced on the second without even lifting her head.
A third piece, a fourth piece.
The cat chewed faster and faster, her tail swishing contentedly.
Evelyn unwrapped the twelfth piece.
Mrs.
Norris sat among a small pile of gold foil, licking up the last crumbs as a loud purr rumbled in her throat.
The empty box lay by Evelyn’s feet, leaving only that tiny card.
“Don’t feed these to the cat, either.”
Evelyn flipped the card over; the back was blank.
She stuffed the card into her pocket, stood up, and patted down her skirt.
Mrs.
Norris rubbed against her boot, her tail curling around Evelyn’s ankle.
Evelyn: (⊙ω⊙;)
“Don’t follow me.
Your boss will get the wrong idea.”
Mrs.
Norris flicked her ears and followed steadily behind Evelyn, her paws stepping on her shadow.
[Mrs.
Norris’s Favorability has slightly increased!
Current Relationship: Candy Supplier.]
…
Evelyn passed the noticeboard and caught something out of the corner of her eye.
A fresh notice was pinned right at the top, the edges of the parchment still showing traces of wet ink.
“Notice: Curfew during the Christmas holidays is adjusted to 10:00 PM.
Students staying at school are strictly forbidden from entering the third-floor corridor on the right side.
Violators do so at their own risk.
— A.P.W.B.D.”
Evelyn stared at the words “third-floor corridor on the right side” for five seconds.
Fred’s words floated back from her memory.
Rustling footsteps sounded behind her—Mrs.
Norris.
Further off, another set of footsteps rose from the direction of the Dungeons.
Steady, even, with a rhythm as precise as a metronome.
The hem of Severus Snape’s black robes billowed up into view.
He was carrying a steaming mug, and the moment he saw Evelyn, his pace faltered for half a beat.
His gaze swept over Evelyn, past Mrs.
Norris, and finally landed on the empty velvet box.
Severus Snape: (ꐦ눈_눈;)
“Valentine, why are you feeding Filch’s cat in the corridor?”
Evelyn turned the empty box around so the Honeydukes crest faced him.
“Social etiquette, Professor.
Merry Christmas!”
Snape’s mug paused in his hand for two seconds.
He walked past her without stopping, his robes sweeping right over Mrs.
Norris’s head.
After four steps, his voice drifted back from ahead.
“Valentine, the Restricted Section of the library has special open hours during the break.”
“Eight in the morning until six in the evening.
A teacher’s signature is required.”
Evelyn froze in her tracks.
“My office opens tomorrow morning at nine.
Come by once.”
“You are permitted to bring nothing except the application form—no items that make noise, emit odors, or are colored pink!”
His retreating figure turned into the Dungeons corridor, the steam disappearing into the cold air.
Evelyn clutched the empty box, the corners of her lips curling up slowly.
[Christmas Special Task Countdown: 47 hours and 12 minutes.]
[Additional Intel: Abnormal magic fluctuation detected behind the seventh bookshelf in Section D of the Restricted Section!]
Mrs.
Norris rubbed her head against Evelyn’s calf, the tip of her tail curling into a question mark.
Evelyn looked down at the cat, then looked up toward the third floor.
Outside the window, the snow fell harder and harder.