Home was the place where you could finally sleep without keeping one eye open. Roger lay comfortably in his own bed, wrapped in familiar warmth, and drifted off with a peace he rarely felt at Hogwarts. The castle might have been safer in the strictest sense, protected by ancient magic and watchful professors, but this villa gave him something deeper: the feeling that he belonged.
Outside the window, snow fell thickly through the night. Yumi came back from playing in the garden with flakes clinging to her fur, shook herself off with great dignity, and sprang onto the bed as if Roger existed purely as a heated cushion. She padded around until she found the most comfortable spot, curled into a soft ball against him, and began purring in lazy satisfaction.
The next morning, Roger hurried down to the living room. Presents were piled beneath the Christmas tree in bright, uneven heaps, and owls kept landing outside the windows with more parcels clutched in their talons. The whole house smelled faintly of pine, warm pastry, and fresh snow.
"Merry Christmas, Mum," Roger said.
"You too, kid." Jessica smiled and handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box. "Open it and see."
Roger carefully peeled back the paper instead of tearing it. Inside lay a thick magical book and a pinky ring that looked old enough to have passed through several generations. The ring was simple at first glance, but its surface carried a quiet weight, the kind of weight only family heirlooms had.
"Mum, I love it!" Roger opened the book and found the pages covered in runic script. The moment he touched the parchment, faint traces of old magic stirred beneath his fingers.
"It is written in runes and contains many ancient incantations," Jessica said gently. "The ring is the symbol of the Travis family. I hope you like it."
"Of course I do!" Roger nodded happily, then gave her the present he had prepared.
Jessica took it eagerly, though she still unwrapped it with careful hands. Inside was a thick photo album, its cover embossed in gold cursive with the words Roger Travis and Hogwarts. The letters shimmered softly whenever the firelight touched them.
"This is wonderful!" Jessica said, delighted. "I cannot wait to look through it."
She sat down on the sofa at once and began turning the pages. Bubble brought over the photographs Roger had sent home earlier in the term, and Jessica tucked them into the album one by one, treating each picture like a treasure. Roger sat close beside her, leaning lightly against her shoulder as he told her about life at Hogwarts.
He pointed out the Slytherin common room and described the cool green light beneath the lake. Then he mentioned the kitchens, explaining that he had found the entrance near the Hufflepuff common room. Jessica laughed softly at that, her expression turning nostalgic.
"It is across from Hufflepuff," she said. "I used to go there often when I was at school."
As she looked through the photos, joy and surprise crossed her face again and again. When Roger talked about the troll, however, her smile vanished, and she scolded him sharply for being reckless. Even so, beneath the worry, there was unmistakable pride in her eyes when she heard he had killed it.
Jessica eventually closed the album with visible reluctance and put it away carefully. Then she urged Roger to open the gifts his friends had sent, clearly eager to see what kind of people surrounded her son at school.
"Hey, this one is from Erwin," Roger said.
The small box at the top of the pile had come from that shabby little shop. Inside was a twenty percent discount card and a roll of parchment, and Roger's mouth twitched when he saw it. Old Erwin was stingy enough to turn even a Christmas present into an advertisement.
Still, it was a kind gesture. Roger had not expected anything from the old wizard at all, so the surprise softened his irritation a little.
"Fine," Roger muttered. "I'll buy something from your shop again next time."
Snape's gift came next. It was a potion Roger had never seen before, sealed inside a small bottle that seemed far too plain for the magic inside it. The moment he held it, he felt the dense, powerful energy contained within, and he knew at once that his teacher had spared no expense.
Daphne had sent him a black crystal pendant. It was clearly an artefact from some old ruin, probably something her family had found with Marcus at an underwater site. Hermione's scarf, meanwhile, was genuinely beautiful, woven in silver and green with a neat diamond pattern that showed far more care than he had expected.
The entire morning slipped by while Roger unpacked presents. Almost every Slytherin in his year had sent something, even Malfoy, despite their earlier clashes. When Roger saw the Malfoy family crest on one of the boxes, he remembered Lucius once mentioning an ancient magical alliance, though there had been no news about it since.
Perhaps Lucius had simply forgotten. Or perhaps the Malfoys were waiting for a better moment.
"So what exactly does this potion do?" Roger murmured.
He lifted Snape's potion carefully and held it toward the light. The liquid inside shimmered like molten gold, flowing with a brilliance that seemed almost alive. He searched the box again and finally found a single line of writing hidden along the inner wall.
Phoenix Tears.
"Phoenix tears?" Roger frowned. "Could the main ingredient really have come from Dumbledore's Fawkes?"
Phoenix tears possessed astonishing healing properties and could cure both magical and ordinary injuries. Any ingredients stable enough to be brewed with them would have to be just as extraordinary, at least rare herbs on the level of unicorn materials. If that was true, then this gift was far too precious.
Roger carefully removed the stopper. A sweet fragrance rose from the bottle at once, carrying traces of evening primrose and water hyacinth. His body tensed instinctively, but his curiosity was stronger than caution.
At last, he gathered his nerve, gently swirled the potion, took a deep breath, and drank the Phoenix Tears in one gulp. The moment it touched his tongue, a strange flavour spread through his mouth, bitter and sharp at first, then warm with the sweetness of evening primrose. It slid down his throat like flowing gold.
It was unlike any potion he had ever tasted. A warm current spread through his body, gentle as spring sunlight and yet impossibly powerful. Then a deep, indescribable peace rose from the bottom of his heart, and all the anxiety, fear, and pressure buried inside him vanished in an instant.
The force erupted through him like a volcano. It rushed through his limbs, surged into his fingertips, and lit every nerve with fierce vitality. Roger's eyes widened as though golden lightning had struck him from within, and a faint radiance shone beneath his skin.
He felt as if he had been reborn. His body and mind overflowed with strength, his physical condition and magical power rising together under the effect of the potion. For a brief moment, he almost understood what it meant for a phoenix to rise from its own ashes, remade and burning with life.
The tranquil galaxy that had accumulated within him was stirred awake again. Roger's magic and physique surged violently, nearly doubling in strength.
Roger TravisMagic: 50/50Mental Strength: 25Talents: Dark Affinity, Strong Will, Night VisionSkills: Wandless Spellcasting, Nonverbal Dark Magic, Advanced PotionsSpells: Sectumsempra Lv3, Illusion Charm Lv2, Patronus Charm Lv2...Potions: Mermaid Potion, Blue Moon Essence, Magic Accumulation Potion...
"Two to one," Roger said softly as he let out a long breath. "My magic is finally back to normal."
He slowly opened his eyes. The damage left by eleven years in Azkaban had vanished in that instant, wiped away so cleanly that he could hardly believe it. He stared at the empty potion bottle in silence, suddenly unable to say anything.
This was Snape's Christmas gift to him. Phoenix Tears, a healing elixir that truly seemed to carry the miracle of rebirth from ashes.
At that moment, gratitude toward Snape surged through Roger like a tide. No matter how many bottles of Blue Moon Essence or Tranquil Starry Sky he drank, he knew those potions had only ever been temporary measures. They could delay the problem, soothe it, and patch over the cracks, but they could not repair the foundation.
As the years after Azkaban continued to pass, the damage inflicted on his body would have become increasingly obvious. His magical growth would eventually stagnate, and even with exceptional talent, a wizard without sufficient magic was like water without a source or a tree without roots. In battles against other wizards, his only strategy had always been to defeat the enemy with lightning speed.
After that, the Sword of Damocles still hung over his head. Once his magic was exhausted, that blade would fall regardless of victory or defeat.
But now that he had Phoenix Tears, the hidden danger waiting in his future had been resolved.
"Thank you, Professor," Roger said solemnly.
He put the empty bottle away with care. He did not know how he would face Snape once school began again, but this was a debt he would remember.
"Roger, we should go to the shop," Jessica called.
She came in carrying a brown leather bag and holding a magical instant camera, while Bubble followed behind with a large suitcase. When Roger was not paying attention, Jessica lifted the camera and took several pictures of him. The photographs developed almost at once, sliding out into her hand.
"It is so convenient," Jessica said happily as she admired them. "The picture appears immediately."
"Mum, the black-and-white version still is not quite right," Roger said, studying the photograph in her hand. "I'll keep improving it. Next time, I should be able to make a colour version."
"Good boy, you do not need to work so hard," Jessica said, her face full of pride. Once Shadow Golem House opened, the camera in her hand would surely bring the wizarding world a surprise.
Diagon Alley was covered beneath a thick blanket of snow. The shopfronts on both sides of the street were decorated with glittering reindeer antlers and colourful lights, while Christmas trees stood behind frosted windows, their branches hung with festive ornaments. In some displays, exquisitely crafted gummy dolls performed silly little movements to amuse passing customers.
The air was filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine. Wizards dressed as Father Christmas moved door to door along the street, selling holiday gifts and snacks from bright wooden trays.
.....
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