After the spell class concluded, a group of friends headed to the restaurant to grab a bite together.
"Hey, Luke, over here!"
Luke, just stepping out of the classroom, heard a familiar voice calling out to him. With a swift motion, he pulled Hermione slightly to the side, narrowly dodging a snowball that whizzed past his face.
Ron, following close behind, wasn't as fortunate. Unable to evade in time, he could only watch as the fist-sized snowball smacked him squarely in the face.
Boom!
Ron hit the snowy ground with a thud.
"Pity."
George and Fred, sporting snowy attire, approached Luke with a hint of remorse.
"You two!" Ronald brushed the snow off his face, standing up with Harry's assistance.
"If you're looking to blame someone, blame Luke. If he didn't duck, you wouldn't have gotten hit!" Seeing Ron's mild anger, Fred promptly distanced himself from the situation. They had no desire to return home and face their mother's scolding over this minor incident.
Luke, standing on the sidelines, couldn't help but shake his head at the scene.
"Did you two just fend off Professor Quirrell?"
Luke inquired, suppressing a smile, as he held Hermione's hand even tighter.
The two in front seemed oblivious to what lurked on the back of Quirrell's head and responded with excitement.
"Do you know that Quirrell might be a vampire?"
"A vampire?" Luke glanced at the all-knowing Miss Hermione, who also shook her head in bewilderment.
Observing the puzzled expressions of the younger siblings, Fred decided to enlighten them with some basic knowledge. He explained how Quirrell returned a few months after leaving school, seeming like an entirely different person with a peculiar odor, leading many to speculate about him being assimilated by vampires.
"The turban on his head is a clue. No one pays attention to their turban when fleeing," Fred offered a straightforward hypothesis.
Well done, one step closer to the truth, Luke silently applauded Fred.
While there was no concrete evidence of vampires beneath the turban, the scarier prospect was Senior Tom, far more terrifying than vampires. Luke couldn't help but wonder what would happen when these two finally discovered the truth.
"By the way, tomorrow is Christmas. Are your gifts ready?"
Both George and Fred dropped the hint, and in unison, Harry and Ronald confirmed, "I'm ready!"
"Mine has been sent," Hermione said softly, taking Luke's hand.
Harry looked at Hermione suspiciously. "Why didn't I get it? Did you get it?"
Several others shook their heads in confusion. Only Luke chuckled.
"I got her gift."
"Alright, alright, stop talking!" The twins quickly grasped the situation, realizing that the two were here for gifts, not candy.
"Are you coming for a snowball fight?" Fred asked, picking up a bundle of snowballs and addressing Luke.
"OK," Luke raised his eyebrows and chuckled.
After a while—
"You're cheating! Who uses a wand for snowball fights!" Fred shouted from behind the snow wall he had built with the Transfiguration Charm.
Outside the snow wall, Luke and Hermione were in a group, and behind them, snowballs floated. Like a barrage, under the command of the magic wand, the snowballs hit Harry and Fred's teams one by one.
"Don't you use magic too?" Luke shrugged as he looked at the solid snow wall.
"It's not fair; both of your teams use magic!" Harry and Ron, not proficient in magic, could only flee in the snow and rain.
"Who made the two of you not listen well in class?" Hermione used her wand to control a snowball and threw it towards protesting Ron.
"This is not something a first-year wizard can learn!"
The snowball fight in the square quickly attracted a large crowd of wizards, including Malfoy and Crabbe.
"Harry Potter, here comes the snowballs!" Malfoy arrogantly threw a few snowballs at Harry, his arch-enemy.
"Damn it, Malfoy!" Harry, angered by the one-sided attack, removed his glasses. "I must make you pay!"
As more wizards joined, Luke sensed something amiss and quickly pulled Hermione away. Meanwhile, the Weasley brothers showcased their skills, dominating the snowball fight.
Little did they know, a tabby cat was silently observing them.
.....
The following day, Luke woke up to news from a dejected Malfoy. Gryffindor had lost a whopping thirty points, while Slytherin suffered a deduction of ten points for their involvement.
And Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff weren't spared either, losing more than ten points each.
Now, everyone had to hand in a Transfiguration lesson assignment to Professor McGonagall.
All thanks to him leaving early yesterday!
Observing the frustrated Malfoy, Luke couldn't help but smirk.
Little did he expect that Gryffindor would be the house with the most detentions, implying that in yesterday's snowball fight, half of the participants were Gryffindors.
Truly, a house of brave little lions, indeed!
As Christmas day unfolded, Luke tossed a beautifully wrapped gift box into a different space.
Surrounded by festive cheer, he joined the ranks of friends exchanging presents.
Sporting a scarf, Luke exited the dormitory only to find Slytherin's chilly common room adorned with various dazzling decorations. In the Lukenge's center stood a small Christmas tree, adorned with hanging red socks.
Luke briefly contemplated taking a pair to gift to Dumbledore but decided against it; after all, the little snakes were all tucked away in their dorms.
Spotting an unsightly impact, he made his way to Hogwarts' square, where the towering Hagrid was wrestling with an enormous Christmas tree.
Luke, wielding his wand, approached to lend Hagrid a hand. As the tree suddenly lightened behind him, Hagrid shot a grateful glance at Luke.
"Thank you, Luke."
"You're welcome, Hagrid!"
Luke waved off his assistance and made his way toward Hogwarts' Great Hall, which had transformed from a mere restaurant into a grand auditorium for the occasion.
Hagrid chuckled, watching the dashing young wizard depart.
.....
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