Chapter 20: Christmas and Lao Gan Ma

John watched with delight as the Weasley twins enchanted snowballs to relentlessly pelt Quirrell's head. While Quirrell had dropped his façade around John, he had to maintain his persona around other students, wearing a bitter smile as if weak and cowardly. In reality, he was already plotting the demise of the Weasley twins. 

The fierce cold wind battered the windows of Hogwarts classrooms, and the Great Hall was ablaze with roaring fires as the weather turned colder. John rubbed his hands together, exhaling white breath onto the glass. 

Watching Malfoy spar with Harry even before the holidays, John quipped, "They say kids bully those they like. Malfoy definitely has a crush." 

Hagrid was dragging a fir tree through the corridor, intended for Christmas. 

Ron was first to be enraged, as Malfoy had insulted his family. But Snape seemed to have been waiting for this moment. Despite Hagrid's plea, he didn't hesitate to deduct five points from Gryffindor. 

Malfoy left triumphantly, deliberately scattering fir needles everywhere. 

"I want to teach him a lesson, just like John did!" Ron fumed, wishing he could punch Malfoy's smug face like John did. 

Harry nodded in agreement. Malfoy and Snape were the two people he despised most at Hogwarts. 

Hagrid poured cold water on their enthusiasm. "That's going to be tough. John's the best duelist I've ever seen. Come, let's check out the Great Hall. John, you should come too." 

Ron's mood dipped instantly, but Hagrid's invitation to see the nearly decorated Great Hall lifted his spirits. John was also curious about how wizards celebrated Christmas. 

The Great Hall was transformed into a stunning spectacle under the guidance of Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. The walls were adorned with garlands of holly and mistletoe, and twelve towering Christmas trees stood around. Some trees were decorated with shimmering icicles, while others glowed with hundreds of candles. 

Hagrid arrived with the final tree. Once it was decorated, the hall was ready. 

Hagrid, eager for Christmas, asked, "How many days till the holiday?" 

"Just one day," John reminded. "And in half an hour, we can head to the library." 

Hermione, still focused on Nicolas Flamel, invited John, "Do you want to join us, John?" 

"Alright, I'm curious too," John agreed. 

Hagrid, puzzled, asked, "Studying over the holiday? You all work too hard." 

He was in good spirits, anticipating Christmas. 

But Harry quickly dampened his mood, saying cheerfully, "We're not studying. We're trying to find out who Nicolas Flamel is." 

"I told you to stop. That thing the dog is guarding doesn't concern you." 

Joy turned to alarm as Hagrid tried to dissuade them from their dangerous pursuit. 

But he underestimated the Gryffindor spirit. His warning only spurred the trio on. 

However, the name was elusive. Despite extensive searching, they couldn't find it in the library. Hermione made a list to help their search. 

As dinner time approached, the four left the library. Hermione, determined, instructed them to continue searching over the break and send her any findings by owl. 

… 

The holiday began. 

John ate his turkey, noting how it seemed to be all size and no substance. 

Using a knife and fork to slice off a piece, John felt an urge to wrap it in a tortilla. 

Meanwhile, his owl Basil had flown off, presumably to fetch the gifts his parents were sending. 

"The postal service is so efficient. If I could start an owl delivery company, I'd make a fortune." 

John wondered what his parents might send, hoping Mr. Wick wouldn't send a rat or a black widow spider. 

During the holidays, John tried his hand at wizard chess. The rules were similar to chess, but much more entertaining to watch. Seeing his queen get shattered by Ron's knight, John merely chuckled. 

Previously doubtful of his chess skills, John felt relieved after watching Harry lose eighteen consecutive games. 

Outside, snow began to fall, but John didn't neglect his training. As his magical power increased, so did the potency of his spells. 

It made sense—magical power was like a faucet, with the water inside determining the flow. Before, his lack of power meant his spells were weak. After reaching level 3, his spell power increased significantly, allowing him to learn more offensive spells. 

However, the first spell he chose to learn was a defensive one. 

"Protego," he muttered. 

This spell, designed to shield against attacks, could deflect most offensive spells. It was highly practical. 

Leaving the Room of Requirement, John returned to his dormitory. The next morning, he awoke to find Basil, his owl, back with gifts. 

Opening one from Mrs. Wick, he found a pair of warm gloves, hand-knitted by her. The second gift, from his father Watson Wick, was a cube-shaped package. Shaking it, he figured it couldn't be a mouse. 

Unwrapping it, John discovered a bottle of hot sauce. Confused at first, he read the label: "Lao Gan Ma!" 

(A fun fact: Lao Gan Ma was established in 1984.) 

Along with the gift was a letter from his father. It explained that knowing his son's fondness for food from the mysterious Eastern country, he had gone to great lengths to get a bottle of Lao Gan Ma. 

Eagerly, John opened the sauce and dipped a fork in, tasting it. The familiar flavor after eleven years almost brought tears to his eyes. The gifts from Hagrid and Hermione paled in comparison. 

In the Great Hall, Harry curiously asked, "What's that? It smells strange." 

"It's chili sauce. You can try it," John said, dipping everything in Lao Gan Ma. 

Ron, wearing a new hand-knitted maroon sweater, tried the sauce. The complex flavors from the ancient Eastern country exploded on his taste buds. 

"The taste is strange—spicy and odd," he said, but still dipped a chicken leg in the sauce. 

The moment he tasted it, it was as if a new world had opened up. 

Seeing Ron's reaction, Harry tried it too, soon sharing Ron's mix of curiosity and addiction. 

Ron gave John some fudge, which was deliciously sweet. John opened Hermione's gift of a chocolate frog, which almost jumped away. The twins were wearing matching hand-knitted blue sweaters, each with a different letter. 

At the Christmas feast, John's Lao Gan Ma drew more attention. Even Dumbledore, wearing a flowered hat, tried a bit but seemed disappointed it wasn't sweet. 

After the feast, both professors and students were in high spirits. 

... 

In the Room of Requirement, John took a rare moment to rest. He opened Hermione's chocolate frog, biting into it. A wizard card fell out, featuring Dumbledore. 

John glanced at it, then did a double-take. 

"Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts, recognized as the greatest wizard of the age. Known for defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling." 

Staring at the card, John's gaze locked onto Nicolas Flamel's name. 

"Alchemy?" 

Rubbing his chin, John remembered reading about a legendary alchemical object. What was it called again... the Philosopher's Stone?