The next day, it was once again Christmas Eve. Christmas ball lights adorned every house, and there were numerous gifts and decorations on the lawns, while small fir trees were planted.
As Harry stepped outside, he was surprised to see Uncle Felix clearing away the snow with a snow shovel.
Approaching closer, Harry overheard Uncle Felix muttering to himself.
"I wonder if St. Nicholas could hold his own... If he were in this era... I'd snatch all his packages..."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry greeted him. "Uncle Felix."
Felix looked up and nodded. "Happy Christmas Eve," he said, handing the snow shovel to Harry with a smile. "Sorry, no holidays."
"I understand," Harry replied, smiling as he took the shovel and began working.
"Clear the snow quickly, and we'll decorate the house after breakfast," Felix said before heading inside.
Shortly after, he reemerged dressed differently, informing Harry at the doorstep, "I'm heading to Diagon Alley."
With that, he vanished from Harry's sight.
Half an hour later, he returned with various Christmas decorations commonly used by wizards, along with plenty of candies.
...
By evening, the entire castle had been transformed. Perched atop a hill, it gleamed with festive lights, while snowflakes continued to fall gently, adding to its charm.
Inside, warmth and tranquility enveloped the space. The aroma of roast chicken filled the air, complemented by an array of delicacies adorning the table.
"To magic," Felix toasted, raising his cup and clinking it with Harry's.
"By the way, Uncle Felix, we've been journeying towards the castle for quite some time now. Where are we headed?" Harry inquired.
"Loland Village," Felix replied. "It's a half-wizard, half-ordinary village nestled in the Scandinavian mountains."
Lucifer chimed in, "We're nearly there, about a day's journey left."
The castle moved at a leisurely pace, akin to an old man strolling leisurely, mirroring Lucifer's laid-back demeanor. Nevertheless, there was no rush.
"What's the purpose of our visit?" Harry asked, intrigued.
Felix smiled. "Legend has it that the village holds a millennia-old history. There might be remnants of ancient runic inheritance."
Upon hearing this, Harry recalled his studies on runes.
Runic symbols constituted a significant aspect of ancient magic. In the elective class on ancient magical texts during his third year at Hogwarts, runes were a focal point.
According to legend, in Germanic mythology, Odin, the Allfather, sacrificed his eye to gain the wisdom of the runes, delving into profound meditation for nine days and nights, suspended from Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Upon descending, he possessed an understanding of the runes, granting him profound magical prowess.
"Of course, it's merely a possibility, not a certainty. Originally, I intended to head south for the warmer climate, but this village lies along our route," Felix added.
At that moment, Lucifer abruptly stood up.
Before Harry could react, the castle door burst open!
The serene atmosphere within the castle shattered as the howling wind and snowflakes invaded the space.
"Who dares breach my master's threshold?!" Lucifer roared, flames surging forth, engulfing the castle in fiery tendrils.
"What manner of magical creation is this?" A sharp, elderly voice echoed from the darkness beyond the door.
"It's freezing out here! Can we come in and warm ourselves?" Another voice, discordant and unpleasant, followed.
Before anyone could respond, figures emerged from the darkness.
They were a troupe of goblins, their pointed noses and long fingers distinguishing them.
"This is peculiar," Felix remarked, perplexed, as he observed the goblins at the doorway. "Are you an unauthorized group of goblins?"
"Unauthorized? Haha, you have the head of a cat. I have little desire to engage in conversation with you," one of the goblins retorted, regarding Felix with a mixture of confusion and disdain.
"Who are they?" Harry asked, casting an uncertain glance at Felix.
Felix raised a brow slightly and gestured for Harry to observe their hands.
Though they were goblins, they held human wizards' wands in their grasp. Harry immediately grasped their intentions.
Since the conclusion of the Second Goblin War, some goblins had aligned with the Ministry of Magic, establishing Gringotts. Meanwhile, certain goblins roamed in the gray areas, asserting their freedom.
However, there existed another faction...
An illicit goblin coalition emerged with aspirations of reclaiming their sovereignty. In truth, they had been recruited by Voldemort, alongside giants, werewolves, vampires, and other demihuman groups, with the aim of destabilizing the wizarding world.
Harry frowned, regarding the goblins entering with disdain.
Felix's nostrils flared subtly, detecting the scent of blood emanating from their adversaries.
"Are you from Loland Village?" Felix inquired, addressing the goblins.
Unexpectedly, a goblin pushed through the throng from behind, his countenance contorted with fury and malice.
"Enough idle chatter! The Vikings are closing in. Secure this location and cast the invisibility charm. Let's lie low for a while," the goblin commanded tersely.
Before anyone could react, a curse was hurled directly at Harry.
"It appears they're extremists," Felix sighed, then vanished.
Reappearing instantly, he positioned himself in front of the curse, extending his hand slightly. An invisible shield materialized, deflecting the curse.
With a swift motion, Felix unleashed a powerful force, sending the goblins sprawling.
By the time Harry regained his senses, the room was empty.
Outside the castle, atop the mountain summit...
Amidst the blizzard, Felix's robes billowed in the wind, his eyes narrowing to vertical slits. For him, the night was as clear as day.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A beam of green light streaked toward Felix. It was the same goblin who had attacked earlier, his expression twisted in ferocity and pride.
Felix shifted his stance mid-air, assessing the fairies surrounding him.
"I was wondering why you didn't teleport away," he mused softly, shaking his head.
"But never mind... It just so happens that some of the discoveries from the Thales manuscripts we've been studying haven't been put into practice yet..."
As he spoke, Felix raised his hands, orbs of dark energy coalescing between his palms.
Thales, the first of the Seven Sages in ancient Greece, was the inaugural wizard whose name graced the annals of Greek magical history. He founded the School of Miletus, also known as the Ionian School.
In an epoch where spellcasters fervently probed the cosmos' laws, Thales pioneered the identification, analysis, and anchoring of a singular set of principles amidst the boundless stars.
[Water]
He posited the radical theory that "all things originate from water."
Felix's eyes darkened, resembling an abyss. Above, the snow paused momentarily, yet the ominous clouds persisted, and the wind intensified, akin to a blade scraping bone.
Several goblins quivered in place, their legs shaking, while others, bolder, attempted escape or aggression.
Felix closed his hands, dissolving the swirling clouds. Nevertheless, the storm loomed, evident to all.
As he pressed his palms downward, he intoned the incantation:
[Βαίηκαταίγδα]
The storm—