In the blink of an eye, mid-December had arrived, and the students at Hogwarts were eagerly ting down the days until their holiday break began.

  Snow had started falling a few days ago, and now it bed every exposed surfa thick yers, piling up several feet deep. Even the dark and foreboding Forbidden Forest was covered in a pristine yer of white, making it appear slightly less intimidating during the day.

  The Potions , however, remained as cold as ever. But what did that matter to Glenn and Hermione?

  Their alchemic heating device was w perfectly.

  “Well, that cludes today’s lesson,” Snape announced with his usual sneer. “I hope that when you return from Christmas break, your intelligence hasn’t dropped below that of a troll.”

  This was their st css before the holidays, marking the start of a three-week vacation.

  The Gryffindors couldn’t be bothered by Snape’s sarcasm. They cheered loudly, shouting “Woo-hoo!” as they bolted out of the one by one.

  After all, who would willingly stick around to see the old bat after css?

  Glenn and Hermione would.

  “Professor! You’re not pnning to give us potions as Christmas gifts again this year, are you?” Hermioeased as she dragged Glenn to Snape, who was tidying up his desk.

  Snape g her briefly and smirked. “Oh? Does Miss Granger have an issue with my gifts? I didn’t expect Gryffindors to be so rude. Treating a gift-giver like this... Hmph. My suggestion is that you both stay behind for detention instead of going home for Christmas.”

  Glenn blinked. Both of us? Professor, what did I do to you?

  Hermione was unfazed by Snape’s venomous tone aed boldly, “Of course not, Professor. You’re my beloved Potions Master. How could a humble little witch like me dare to question your choices? I was just curious, that’s all. Those potions are quite precious, after all. How could I possibly dislike them?” She then switched to a different tone and tinued, “You already know what Glenn’s gift for you is. Why don’t you take a guess at mine?” Hermione raised an eyebrow at Snape, her expression pyful and challenging.

  “Do I eveo guess? Knowing you, Miss Know-It-All, yift is probably a book. What else could it be?” Snape replied dismissively, clearly ued in hum her.

  “Not this time! This year’s gift is something I made myself. Holy, Professor Snape, you thinking so little of me is quite hurtful.”

  Snape didn’t look up, but his ears perked up ever so slightly.

  Hermione pouted. “Fine, I’ll just tell you. This year’s gift is…”

  She deliberately paused for a long moment, leaving Snape waiting.

  Irritated, Snape finally looked up. “If yoing to say it, then say it. If not, leave at once.”

  But his gaze only met the sight of ay Potions .

  “…” Snape’s lips twitched, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.

  He really, truly hated that brat!

  “Happy Christmas, Professor Snape!” Hermione’s head popped out from behind the doorframe, her face glowing with a mischievous grin.

  Glenn’s head appeared above hers, and he added sincerely, “Happy Christmas, Professor Snape.”

  The two waved at him before disappearing from view.

  Surned his back to the door, the ers of his mouth curling upward ever so slightly.

  “Hmph.”

  “Was it really necessary to get back at Snape before leaving?” Glenn asked as he walked alongside Hermione in the corridor. During css, Hermione had raised her hand to answer a question, only to be deliberately ignored by She girl, who never fot a slight, had taken out her notebook, flipped to a specific page, and began scribbling furiously while muttering under her breath.

  “December 23rd: Professor Snape ignored my answer for the 53rd time.”

  She she notebook shut with a huff and tucked it bat.

  This grudge, she would remember.

  “Of course it was necessary! Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. We still o decide how we’re going to spend the hree weeks. There are a few days we haven’t pnned yet, and we o finalize everything tonight!” Hermione waved a hand dismissively, signaling Glenn not to worry about such trivial matters.

  “I’m not too ed about the details. I’m fih anything, as long as I’m with you. You decide everything.”

  Hermione blushed and punched him lightly on the arm.

  Glenn blinked, fused. Did I say something wrong? Was it the part about leaving the decision to her? Or could it be the part about being fine as long as we’re together? Well, sidering our parents aren’t around, it’s only natural for me to stay by her side to ensure her safety.

  He couldn’t figure it out.

  “Glenn, look ahead,” Hermione said, tapping his shoulder and motioning for him to focus forward.

  Hagrid, carrying a massive tree, was walking toward them, apanied by Harry and Ron.

  “Hello, Hagrid! Is that a Christmas tree on your shoulder? Do you need any help?” Hermione greeted Hagrid cheerfully, apparently not notig the two boys hidden behind his enormous frame.

  Glenn and Hermione had a good retionship with Hagrid. Hermione, in particur, had bee quite fond of him after sampling his infamous rock-hard rock cakes. Retly, she had even started bringing recipes to Hagrid, joining him in experimenting with cooking.

  After all, she couldn’t ht tell Hagrid that his cooking was terrible, especially since her own cooking wasn’t much better. She had beely practig in the Room of Requirement whenever she had free time.

  Glenn had discovered her secret.

  Once caught, Hermione decided there was no point in hiding it anymore, especially since she was learning to cook for him in the first pce. Still, she felt embarrassed about her ck of skill.

  Evehought her cooking was awful.

  But ever since Glenn found out, every dish she made ended up in his stomach.

  This touched Hermione deeply and strengthened her resolve to one day cook something truly delicious for him.

  Glenn, however, simply thought it would be a waste to throw food away. In his previous life, during tough times, he had been grateful for anything edible, regardless of taste or texture. To him, wasting food was shameful.

  And so, Glenn became the official taste tester for both Hermione and Hagrid. His evaluations were always ho and straightforward. While most of his feedback was still ive, both chefs were improving noticeably, and Glenn’s ents were being increasingly positive.

  Of course, this progress artly thanks to Glenn’s occasional guidance.

  To Glenn, cooking was no different from brewing potions. As long as you uood the properties of the ingredients, you could bihem effectively.

  Naturally, his theory was rejected by the two chefs, who insisted that the best food was made with heart and soul.

  Glenn stared at the two ptes of charred food in front of him, expressionless, as he ate them.

  “A bit more bitter than st time, but overall, an improvement,” he ented.

  Sure, sure. Whatever you say.

  Back to the corridor.

  Before Hagrid could refuse Hermione’s offer to help, she had already raised her wand, standing on tiptoe to point it at the fir tree on his shoulder.

  “Wingardium Leviosa,” she said gracefully, her small hand flig her wand with the elegance of a ductor. The tree immediately became weightless, floating effortlessly. Hagrid felt the burden on his shoulder vanish.

  “Oh, thank you, Hermiohat was some fine spellwork,” Hagrid said, chug as he scratched his head.

  It was only then that Hermioiced Harry and Ron standing beside Hagrid.

  “Oh, it’s you two. I didn’t see you there,” she said, her tone casual as she greeted them. Though she had fiven Ron for his hurtful words during Halloween, she had since kept her distance from their little group, maintaining only a polite, friendly retionship.

  Harry and Ron, however, hadn’t noticed the ge. They assumed Hermione had moved past the i.

  Ron had never apologized for his behavior, but since Hermione no longer brought it up, they figured it was water uhe bridge. Besides, Glenn had already scolded them thhly back then.

  To them, it was all in the past.

  What they were more ed about now was asking Hermione if she knew anything about Niel.

  Yes, even after all these chapters, they hadn’t let it go.

  They had tried searg the library for information, flipping through thick, heavy tomes, but found nothing. After failing to uncover even a trael, they had given up.

  With their homework already ing all their energy, they simply couldn’t spare the time to dig through more books.

  Since Hagrid refused to tell them anything, they doubted any other professor would, either.

  Their only hope was Gryffindor’s brightest witch, Hermione Granger.

  But to their frustration, they could only catch glimpses of her during css or at meals, where she always sat with her dormmates—and Glenn. They couldly approach her with Snape’s favorite student sitting right there. He’d probably sell them out in an instant!

  Day after day, they found no opportunity to ask her. But now, by some stroke of luck, they had run into her after css. Harry and Ron’s eyes lit up.

  Finally! A ce to ask!

  They failed to notice Glenn standing beside Hermione, partially obscured by Hagrid.

  “Her—” Harry begaedly as he stepped around Hagrid, only to freeze in horror when he saw Glenn.

  What the—why are you here?!

  “Her… hehe… What a nice day it is, don’t you think, Ron?” Harry stammered, scratg his head awkwardly. He quickly turned around, cmped a hand over Ron’s mouth, and dragged him away.

  “?” Hermione was baffled. What oh were those two up to? She had heard from her dormmates that Harry and Ron had been trying to find her retly. But since she had been sneaking off with Glenn after every css, she hadn’t had time to deal with them.

  “They probably have something to say to you,” Glened.

  “Hmm, probably nothing important. If it were urgent, they could’ve just called me during meals.”

  “Fet it. Let’s go, Hagrid.” Dismissing the i, Hermione guided the floating fir tree toward the Great Hall.