Leaving Hogwarts

"It's not perfect yet, but with more practice, I'll be able to fly properly... faster, higher." Alex's grin widened as he imagined the possibilities waiting for him.

Feeling satisfied with his discovery, Alex turned away from the Forbidden Forest and headed toward Hagrid's hut, eager to share his latest discovery with the friendly groundskeeper..

Since his epiphany in the snow, Alex made it a habit to spend more time outdoors. He no longer confined himself to his room. Instead, He spent his days strolling through the snow, chatting with Vivian, or simply watching the peaceful winter landscape. But soon, the Christmas holidays arrived, and Alex packed his things, preparing to leave Hogwarts for the holiday.

On the Hogwarts Express, Alex and Vivian shared a compartment, watching the snow-covered landscape whiz by. Charles had decided to sit with his own friends from Gryffindor, leaving the two of them alone.

"Alex, what are you scribbling in that notebook?" Vivian asked, leaning over curiously. "And where are you headed after Christmas? My dad's taking me to France for a vacation. Apparently, they have amazing perfumes there. I hope he buys me a bottle!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Alex glanced up from his notes, realizing how, despite her pure-blood family, Vivian still had strong ties to the Muggle world. Maybe that's why they got along so well—there wasn't the same kind of distance or prejudice between them.

"France, huh? Take some pictures for me," Alex said with a chuckle. "As for me, I'm just planning out some Christmas gifts. Speaking of which, what do you want for Christmas?"

Vivian raised an eyebrow, rolling her eyes. "If I tell you what I want, it won't be a surprise, will it? What about you? What do you want for Christmas, hmm?"

"Well," Alex said, grinning, "I wouldn't mind a complete set of Magic Symbols. It's pricey, though. If that's too much, a set of 200 potion bottles would be perfect." He looked at her with hopeful eyes, knowing she came from a wealthy family.

Vivian blinked, speechless for a moment, then shook her head with a playful sigh. "Hmph, you're way too direct!"

Alex shrugged, genuinely not sure whether she'd take him seriously or not. He wasn't great at subtlety when it came to social interactions. "Well, what about a family that just had a baby? What should I get for them? My original plan was to give some children's toys, but now I'm not so sure."

Vivian sighed, shaking her head at his cluelessness. "Toys? What would a newborn baby do with toys? Their parents probably already bought everything they'd need anyway. If I were you, I'd go with something more thoughtful—like bedtime storybooks or a music box that plays lullabies."

Alex listened carefully, realizing her suggestion made a lot more sense than his original idea. "That's actually really good advice," he said, quickly scratching out his earlier ideas and jotting down new notes. Vivian watched him, half-amused, half-exasperated.

She thought that while Alex was smart, he still had a lot to learn about understanding people—especially girls.

As the train arrived at platform nine and three-quarters, Alex and Vivian made their goodbyes. They promised to stay in touch during the holidays, then went their separate ways. Vivian met her family, who were waiting to pick her up, while Alex walked towards the exit, expecting to leave alone. However, as he scanned the crowd, he spotted a familiar face.

"Sirius? What are you doing here?" Alex asked, unable to suppress a laugh.

"Haha! Thought you'd be all lonely coming off the train by yourself, so I figured I'd swing by and pick you up. What do you say, are you surprised?" Sirius replied, dressed in a brown coat with his hair tousled as usual, grinning like a carefree rogue.

"I think you're just bored and had nothing better to do. You probably decided to pick me up just to kill time," Alex said, raising an eyebrow, easily seeing through Sirius' thinly veiled excuse.

Sirius chuckled. "My good intentions are wasted on you! You don't even appreciate me looking out for you. By the way, who was that girl you were with? Should I assume she's your girlfriend?" he asked with a teasing smile.

Alex rolled his eyes. ""Didn't you ever talk to girls in school? If you're that desperate for a girlfriend, I could introduce you to Madam Pince from the library. You know, your friends already have kids; you being alone is starting to look a little tragic."

Sirius burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I'm meant to be free, my boy! A lifelong bachelor among the flowers, not tied down to any one person. You wouldn't understand, you're too young."

As the two bantered and teased each other, they left the station. Sirius led Alex to the parking lot where an old motorcycle with a sidecar was parked.

"Well, what do you think? Pretty cool, right? This is my baby. I don't let just anyone ride it, but you're in luck today." Sirius tossed a helmet to Alex with a grin.

Alex stared at the motorcycle in disbelief. "You're taking me on this thing in the middle of winter? You're not worried the cold wind will freeze your brain? But since you went through the trouble of picking me up, I guess I'll have to suffer through it," he said, accepting the helmet reluctantly.

"Come on, don't look so miserable. This baby doesn't just ride on the ground—it flies and goes invisible," Sirius boasted, patting the motorcycle affectionately.

"Oh, it's enchanted?" Alex's curiosity piqued as he sat down in the sidecar, unable to resist inspecting the magical modifications on the bike.

"Hey, careful! Don't touch anything! If you break it, you can't afford to fix it. Now, where are you staying? I'll take you there," Sirius said, starting the engine.

"Diagon Alley. I usually stay at the Leaky Cauldron," Alex replied, pulling his hand away from the motorcycle's enchanted parts.

Sirius frowned slightly, surprised. "You're spending Christmas at the Leaky Cauldron? Alone?"