57 Chapter 57 "Christmas Gifts"
In the prefect lounge of Slytherin College, a tall female prefect with light brown straight hair sat in a classical tall armchair carved with two giant snakes entwined with each other.
Her face was as delicate as a sculpture, but her demeanor was frosty.
If Daphne were present, she would recognize the female student as Irina Selwyn, the new prefect of the fifth grade and the eldest daughter of the Selwyn family.
Two boys were also in the secret room, their expressions marred by the overwhelming presence of Irina.
One was Gallup Lestrange, who had been defeated by Skyler, and the other was the Quidditch team's goalkeeper, Miles Black, both fifth-grade students.
Irina spoke, her tone as cold as her demeanor, "Skyler Malfoy's influence is growing rapidly. You've witnessed his performance on the Quidditch field today. Support for him extends beyond Slytherin. Even Ravenclaw is backing him. What are your thoughts on this?"
Gallup struggled to respond, "While the Malfoy family's status has waned in recent years, it's still one of the most powerful families. Little Malfoy's strength is unpredictable. The last time we tried to challenge their arrogance, it backfired. He seized the opportunity to consolidate his standing in Slytherin. Confronting him directly won't work, and employing heavy-handed methods could strain Snape and Mr. Malfoy's friendship. We can't think of an effective approach..."
Miles Bletchley nodded in agreement, "We must admit that this kid is resourceful. His calculated moves have boosted his reputation faster than wildfire. Look at his actions over the past three terms – defeating giants, slaying a Basilisk, even contending with Merlin himself, and the savior even offering him more power on a silver platter. Recently, he organized a spell exchange event and sold a bestselling book in Diagon Alley. He confronted over a hundred Dementors in full view of the public—"
At this point, he sighed, "He's gained immense momentum, and he's on a roll. I suggest we lay low for now and wait for a better opportunity."
Irina subtly flashed a scornful smile, "Is this the extent of your ambition and determination? I'm beginning to wonder why our families accepted you as their vassals in the first place..."
Gallup raised an eyebrow, "Irina, what do you mean by this?"
Despite the Lestrange family's unfavorable circumstances, they hadn't fallen to the point of being belittled.
Their uncle was still alive, and there was no knowing whether he might leave Azkaban successfully, just as Blake had.
Irina responded calmly, "I mean to say that it seems you've lost the courage to face Malfoy and your strategic acumen is lagging. You may not yet be aware—the Higgs family, through Terrence Higgs, has established a strong connection with the Malfoy family. Along with his close friend, Adrian Pucey, these two students from Slytherin's fourth grade hold considerable prestige in Skyler's year."
She paused, allowing the two individuals to absorb the information, and then continued, "Even in our fifth year, Cassius Wallington and Graham Montage have shown signs of wanting to collaborate. The Malfoy family's intentions are evident. Cassius, a mixed-blood with no prominent lineage, was selected to participate in Merlin's trial, and then he seized the position of Slytherin prefect from you, Gallup. It raises many questions..."
"If we also consider Quidditch Captain Marcus Flint, who wrested the Nimbus 2000 from the Malfoy family – at the very least, his allegiance won't lean towards us. With this in mind, the entire Quidditch team consists of seven individuals and at least five of them align with Malfoy, leaving us with only Miles' support..."
"If we opt for the 'bury our heads in the sand and do nothing' approach, as you've suggested, I dare say that soon, not only Quidditch but also the position of Slytherin prefect and other resources will gradually slip from our grasp, and then it'll be too late!"
Miles furrowed his brow, "Even if what you're saying makes sense, what concrete steps should we take? The other side currently has the upper hand in momentum, strength, and influence..."
Irina's red lips, as beautiful as a rose, curled into a slight smile. "Taking advantage of the fact that four out of the six prefects are on our side, we still have plenty of opportunities. Moreover, I believe... it's time to involve the Ghost Society in this matter."
Skyler, engaged in secret discussions in the Slytherin common room, was unaware of these developments.
He only knew that there were two weeks remaining before the end of the first semester.
The castle was already filled with a festive Christmas atmosphere. Students excitedly discussed their holiday plans, with many going home for Christmas due to fears related to Sirius Black.
Draco, Daphne, Astoria, and Meredith had all decided to return home for the holidays, but Skyler had opted to stay at school.
While Narcissa initially expressed some dissatisfaction, Skyler privately arranged special favors from the professors, which appeased his mother.
She couldn't help but appreciate his resourcefulness.
He had contacted Nicholas and successfully exchanged three bottles of eight-eyed spider venom for a sample of Sniffing Grass.
He also asked Dobby to sell the Beating Toadstool on the black market, which fetched him 60 Galleons.
With basilisk venom, Sniffing Grass, and the other potion ingredients collected by Dobby from various apothecaries, he had all the materials needed to brew the magic potion.
Skyler intended to spend the two-week holiday making the potion at school.
Both Ron and Hermione had chosen to remain at Hogwarts this year.
Ron jokingly claimed he couldn't bear two weeks with Percy, while Hermione insisted that she was heading to the library.
But deep down, Harry knew they stayed to accompany him, for which he was incredibly grateful.
In the final week of the semester, everyone looked forward to their trip to Hogsmeade, except for Harry.
On the morning of their visit to Hogsmeade, Fred and George gave Harry an early Christmas present – a Marauder's Map.
It was one of the happiest moments for Harry since the Quidditch game.
Using the map, he managed to sneak into Hogsmeade Village, find Ron and Hermione, and eavesdrop on Black's confession regarding his parents at the Three Broomsticks.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep, consumed by thoughts of seeking revenge against Black.
His determination worried Ron and Hermione, who understood him better than anyone.
They knew that Harry was ready to do something reckless if given the chance.
Meanwhile, Skyler overheard that Hagrid was going through a difficult time.
He had received a letter from the school board regarding Buckbeak's attack on Blaise.
While Hagrid wouldn't face punishment, he and Buckbeak had to attend a hearing with the Dangerous Animals Committee.
Hagrid feared that Buckbeak's fate was sealed, as no one besides him seemed to care for the falcon.
Hagrid's depression led to occasional bouts of drinking to numb his sorrows.
On Christmas morning, Skyler realized that he was more popular than the previous year.
He received nearly a hundred gifts, with more than half coming from girls who barely knew him, spanning all seven years of Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw.
Most of the gifts were snacks and chocolates.
Dobby sent him another pair of socks, Kreacher presented a wooden carving, Draco gifted him a toy from the Zonko's Jokes shop, and Narcissa provided a practical pair of duel gloves.
The gloves were engraved with an anti-disarming spell charm, creating an invisible and strong magical connection between the glove and the wand.
Unless the owner lost consciousness or passed away, the wand would never leave the glove.
Few wizards of Dumbledore's caliber could disarm the glove's enchantment.
Duel gloves obtained!
As in previous years, Daphne and Meredith gifted him a valuable collection of books from their family.
Astoria followed her sister's lead, also opting for books, which Skyler carefully placed in his portable library.
His collection was already impressive, comprising over 400 books, including those he had the House-elves copy from the Malfoy family.
Murray gifted Skyler a scarf that she had handwoven.
Though it was simple in style and craftsmanship, Skyler could feel the warmth and thoughtfulness woven into it.
He cherished the scarf greatly.
Even Luna offered her quirky gift – a pair of unusual-looking glasses.
These glasses, according to Luna, could reveal hidden Nargles and even detect troublesome Wrackspurts.
However, the most surprising Christmas gift came from Hermione.
In addition to expressing gratitude for his guidance at the Patronus Charm exchange meeting, Hermione thoughtfully provided her comprehensive notes for exam preparation.
This gift considerably lightened Skyler's exam preparation burden for the year.
Skyler also received a generous gift from Ellerby and Spudmore Broomsticks as a major shareholder – a Firebolt.
Although the Firebolt was highly valuable, Skyler had neither the time nor interest to use it for Quidditch.
He decided to gift it to Draco and requested him to keep it a secret.
Draco was thrilled with the Firebolt and promised Skyler that he would give his all to secure glory for Slytherin and the Malfoy family in the upcoming Quidditch competition.
Meanwhile, many events were unfolding for Harry and his friends.
Harry received an anonymous Christmas gift – a Firebolt.
While Harry and Ron were elated, Hermione insisted on having it checked by the professors.
A dispute broke out between Hermione and Harry over this matter, further straining the already uneasy relationship between Ron and Hermione.
Hermione brought Professor McGonagall into the mix and temporarily confiscated Harry's Firebolt, leading to a rift with her friends.
Hermione withdrew from the Gryffindor common room and spent most of her time in the library.
Skyler occasionally encountered her there while searching for materials to craft the potion.
She was often seen disheveled, rummaging through books in frustration.
The day before the school term began, Skyler found himself in his suitcase space laboratory.
He held a bottle of light green potion in his hand, wearing a satisfied smile.
Thanks to Skyler's relentless efforts, he had successfully created a potion!
Skyler opened the seal and consumed the potion.
Initially, he felt little effect, but as it traveled down his throat, it felt as if he had ingested a potent poison.
It was as if a blazing fire was burning in his throat.
He coughed violently, clutching his neck.
Soon, his body temperature surged.
He grabbed an ice pack and placed it on his forehead to cool down.
His heart rate increased significantly, with blood coursing through his veins.
It felt like he was engulfed in a burning blaze. He couldn't help but roar like a wild beast.
This intense sensation persisted for about ten minutes, gradually waning and returning to normal.
Skyler's body and clothes were soaked in sweat.
The next day, Skyler woke up full of energy and immediately used his magical sight to assess himself.
He discovered that his magical power had significantly improved, reaching the level of senior students.
He was now on par with elite students like Percy and Penelope in the seventh grade.
Skyler was highly satisfied with the potion's effectiveness.
With his biggest problem solved, he could now focus on practicing higher-level spells.
He had already planned a series of spells to learn and was proficient in their theory, requiring only practical practice.
