Chapter 51: Chapter 51 : Christmas Gift
"Without proof, it's best not to suspect others lightly. What we should be focusing on now is how to handle what's about to happen," said Dumbledore, narrowing his eyes in thought.
Emmeline Vance listened silently to everyone's speculations, then said, "What are your thoughts, Professor Dumbledore? The points we need to defend are too scattered, and the Ministry of Magic won't have many people available at that time."
Dumbledore, as if he had just realized something, looked at Gideon Prewett and said, "In that case, I'll persuade the Longbottoms to spend Christmas with the Potters. I'll also ask Marlene what she thinks, perhaps spending Christmas together at the Burrow would be a good idea."
Gideon Prewett smiled softly and said, "I think Molly would welcome them warmly."
"Good, that way we'll only have two points to defend. We can even prepare an ambush in advance. They'd better show up, because if they make me stand out all night in the freezing wind for nothing, I won't let them off the hook," Moody said with a chuckle.
"That's good too, but it's probably best not to explain the reasons for this arrangement ahead of time. Maybe we'll get a chance to seriously wound the Death Eaters this time, and maybe even root out that traitor," Edgar Bones agreed, nodding his head.
Dumbledore saw that everyone was on board and nodded as well. "Then it's settled. Moody, Emmeline, please take care of the Potters and the Longbottoms. Edgar, the Weasleys are in your hands. I'll stay in the center to coordinate, in case the Dark Lord himself appears".
The others all nodded in agreement, then stood and left.
Dumbledore stayed where he was, as if recalling the prophecy he had heard months ago, and murmured to himself, 'Tom, can you really bring yourself to harm a newborn child? What terrible abyss has your heart fallen into?'.
Dumbledore wasn't just convinced that the Death Eaters would launch an attack this Christmas, he had even guessed which family might be their main target. Yet he still muttered in confusion, "Which one will it be? Potter or Longbottom? Snape, I hope you won't fail me when it matters most."
Meanwhile, Sirius Black, after bringing Anduin back home, flopped heavily onto the sofa, hands behind his head, his legs bouncing restlessly as he stared into space, probably still brooding over those Death Eaters.
Anduin, on the other hand, wasn't too worried. He had a lot of confidence in Dumbledore, and with all the precautions being taken, he wasn't overly concerned.
"Sirius, I need to go out," Anduin said to Sirius, who was sprawled across the sofa.
Sirius, hearing this and realizing Anduin still wanted to go out at such a tense time, quickly said, "Where are you going? At a time like this, you really ought to stay here. What if you run into danger outside?"
Anduin rolled his eyes. 'Why was this guy so nervous?'. He said, "I need to buy some Christmas presents. Besides, I'm not a member of the Order of the Phoenix, so don't get too worked up. If the Death Eaters are really planning to attack at Christmas, then before Christmas should be safe."
Sirius still looked worried and said, "You're just a kid thinking about Christmas. For all we know, Dumbledore might cancel the party entirely. Don't cause any trouble."
"Maybe the Death Eaters already know we're prepared for Christmas and will cancel their attack themselves. And anyway, I'm not going to Diagon Alley or any wizarding gathering place. I'm going to the Muggle shopping district, so relax," Anduin reassured him.
Seeing how determined Anduin was, Sirius sighed and said, "Alright then, but I'm coming with you. Don't even think about wandering off."
In the end, despite Anduin's reluctance, Sirius insisted on tagging along.
The reason Anduin chose the Muggle shopping district for his Christmas shopping was mainly to save money. He had plenty of Muggle currency, but wizarding money was used sparingly, so he had to conserve it.
First, Anduin took Sirius to Chinatown in London. He needed to stock up on Chinese seasonings—Hagrid ate like a giant (quite literally), and a box of spices would be gone within months. It was a pity it was winter; otherwise, he would have bought some seedlings to plant in Hagrid's garden. At the same time, he bought a large copper pot—the kind used for traditional Beijing-style lamb hot pot. Anduin was determined to prepare hot pot at some point; after all, it would be a shame not to enjoy one in the dead of winter.
After that, he purchased gifts at a nearby shopping mall. Following Vivian's advice, he picked up plenty of children's storybooks and a delicate music box that played a lovely lullaby when opened. The music box's lid also had space for a photograph. He chose a brooch engraved with a lion for Professor McGonagall and a finely crafted mechanical clock for Professor Flitwick. In England, giving a clock wasn't considered bad luck. For Headmaster Slughorn, he bought a bottle of aged whiskey, knowing how much the headmaster enjoyed his comforts.
For Hagrid, Anduin found a massive copper mug engraved with various magical creatures. Though sold as a decorative item, Hagrid would probably use it for drinking anyway. For Charles and Vivian, Anduin simply gave each of them a new set of mahjong tiles—so they wouldn't need to keep borrowing and lending. According to Vivian, the set he had lent out often made its way between Slytherin and Gryffindor.
As for Sirius, Anduin bought him a phonograph on the spot, not even bothering to wrap it, along with a stack of vinyl records. He thought this was perfect for Sirius. With his fiery temper, relaxing with music every now and then seemed essential.
Anduin also bought a stack of greeting cards, wrapping paper, boxes, and other supplies, preparing to wrap up some cheering potions as party favors for the other guests. He even purchased a set of formal wear and a casual suit for himself.
Anduin realized that having Sirius along was actually quite useful—it was great to have someone help carry everything. Sirius grumbled as he carried a large cardboard box full of gifts, muttering to himself as he trailed after Anduin out of the mall.
Over the next few days, Anduin stayed obediently at Sirius's house. Sirius was either out of sight, lazing around in the living room, or tinkering with the phonograph like an absent-minded bachelor.
During that time, Anduin asked Sirius about communicating via fireplaces. It turned out it worked on the same principle as Floo Powder, connecting fireplaces through the Floo Network. The fireplace at Sirius's house was specially linked to a private communication network belonging to the Order of the Phoenix. It couldn't be used for travel, but it allowed real-time conversations.
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