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Christmas was right around the corner. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke from its sleep to find everything blanketed in several feet of snow.
The lake had frozen over with a thick sheet of ice. A snowy white gyrfalcon flew in through the window of Augustus' dorm room, landing on the windowsill and shaking off the sparkling snowflakes clinging to its feathers.
With the snow-covered world outside as a backdrop, the scene had an almost magical, delicate beauty.
Augustus got up, put on his black robe, and walked over to the window. The falcon flapped its wings excitedly. Outside, the Weasley twins were charming snowballs that chased Quirrell all around the courtyard, hitting the back of his turban.
In the Slytherin common room, a fireplace that Malfoy had always assumed was just for decoration suddenly blazed to life with roaring green flames.
Most students were counting down the days to the holiday break. Besides the cozy common rooms, the hallways were drafty and freezing, and the windows in the classrooms rattled loudly in the wind.
Worst of all, Professor Snape's classes were held in the dungeons, where even a single breath turned into a cloud of mist. Students huddled as close as they could to their bubbling cauldrons for warmth.
Ever since he beat Harry in a duel, Malfoy had been completely obsessed with dueling. Now, whenever Augustus had a moment to spare, Malfoy would eagerly pester him for tips and techniques, as if he were preparing to take on Harry and Ron by himself.
It was obvious that if a fight ever broke out, Crabbe and Goyle would only be good as meat shields.
Most students had already learned a fair bit of magic by now, and it'd take just seconds to deal with those two, who were basically human Bludgers. They used to be enough to intimidate Harry, but not anymore.
For Malfoy, they were quickly becoming dead weight.
After Potions class, Augustus returned to the Great Hall, which had been completely transformed for the holidays. It was buzzing with noise and excitement. Hagrid was struggling to carry a massive fir tree to the center of the hall, while Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy decorating on the other side. The place looked stunning. Holly and mistletoe garlands hung from the walls, and twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room. Some were covered in sparkling icicles; others glittered with hundreds of floating candles.
Over by the Slytherin table, Malfoy was bragging to a group of students. "I told him," he said smugly, "some people have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because their families don't want them."
A few Slytherins laughed awkwardly along with him.
"Malfoy, you're all talk. Seriously, what else are you good at? Grow up."Lilian, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up with a look of disdain. Malfoy clearly wasn't expecting anyone from Slytherin to defend Harry. He froze for a moment, then his face turned bright red.
But Lilian wasn't trying to defend Harry on purpose—she just had no patience for guys who talked big and did nothing. As a Slytherin girl who respected strength, she'd been sick of Malfoy's nonsense for a while.
At the entrance to the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared. As soon as Harry spotted Augustus sitting in the middle of the hall, his eyes lit up. The three of them headed straight for the Slytherin table.
"Mr. Augustus, we've got something important we need your help with again," Harry said a little shyly as they approached.
To be honest, he wouldn't be bothering Augustus again if it wasn't serious—after all, Augustus had already helped them out of trouble more than once.
"Oh? What is it? Tell me," Augustus replied with a gentle smile.
That smile seemed to have a calming effect—it immediately eased the tension in the trio's expressions.
"Well, we're looking into someone named Nicolas Flamel. The problem is, we have no idea where to even start. We couldn't find anything about him in Great Wizards of the 20th Century, or in Famous Modern Magicians.
He's not mentioned in Major Discoveries in Modern Magic or A Study of Recent Magical Development either."Hermione had gathered her thoughts and explained their situation.
"Nicolas Flamel? Oh, he's pretty famous, but most books about wizards don't cover him," Augustus said after thinking for a moment. "He's a well-known alchemist. His biggest claim to fame is that he supposedly created the Philosopher's Stone. Also, he's a friend of Dumbledore's."
Seeing the three of them suddenly look like they'd just figured out a huge clue, Augustus raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"So, why are you guys looking into him? As far as I know, he's over six hundred years old—you don't exactly seem like you'd have much to do with him."
"Remember that three-headed dog we ran into on the third floor?" Harry began. "We figured it must be guarding something, and that day Snape—"
He was cut off mid-sentence when Ron kicked him under the table. Following Ron's not-so-subtle glance, Harry noticed Malfoy nearby, clearly eavesdropping. He shut his mouth immediately and awkwardly turned to Augustus.
"We'll explain everything properly another time. Thank you again for your help—we really appreciate it."And with that, the three of them left the Great Hall in a hurry.
"I bet they're planning something big," Malfoy muttered to himself as he watched them leave. "That trapdoor under the dog... it's probably their target. And if Snape's involved, and I figure out what they're up to, I could tell the professors and get them all expelled.
Ha! "He suddenly felt like his life had a new purpose. After a quick goodbye to Augustus, he took off at top speed.
Even though Harry hadn't said much, Augustus had already pieced together most of what was going on. That three-headed dog was clearly guarding the Philosopher's Stone.
From the way the trio spoke, they seemed to believe Snape was after it. But as far as Augustus could tell from observing him, Snape didn't seem like the type to be interested in the Stone at all.
The real mystery, in Augustus' eyes, was Professor Quirrell. Always stuttering, always timid—why was he hiding so much? What was he really up to?
Back in the Great Hall, the holiday atmosphere remained warm and cheerful. But no matter how calm school life seemed on the surface, something deeper was beginning to stir beneath it.
Outside the castle, the wind was howling. A blizzard was on its way.
Things were definitely starting to get interesting.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Augustus' mouth.
"....."