The Thestral carriage did not return to its starting point, but landed near Hagrid's hut.

"I was just wondering when you would come back."

Hagrid came over and patted the Thestral's wings. "How do you feel?"

"It can completely replace the train as a means of transportation during school hours and holidays," Kyle said with a smile.

"The school board won't agree to that," Hagrid said with some regret. "It's a huge expense to keep a Thestral. It's much more expensive than a train."

"That's true." Kyle nodded.

The Hogwarts Express is not as fast or comfortable as the Thestrals, but it is economical and can be used when needed to transport all students at once.

It is definitely impossible for the school director to be replaced, and Kyle was just saying it casually.

Before returning to the castle, he gave Hagrid a small bottle of dragon's blood as fare for the Thestrals.

Although the bottle was sealed, the Thestrals' keen sense of smell still allowed them to smell the scent of dragon blood and they immediately became agitated.

Hagrid tried to control them, but to no avail, and was soon surrounded by three Thestrals.

But by this time, Kyle had already returned to the castle.

There was only one person in the Hufflepuff common room, frantically catching up on homework.

"Long time no see, Winstie." Kyle greeted.

After hearing the noise, Wensty looked up and asked in surprise, "Is the train arriving so soon this year?"

"Oh, no, I didn't come by train," Kyle said. "Connor and Cedric are."

"Connor is in the library," she said. "I don't know about Cedric. He went out early in the morning. He might be with some of the Gryffindors."

"Thank you. I see."

"You're welcome," Winsty said and continued to lower her head.

The price of having two weeks of crazy fun during the holidays is that she now has homework for five courses to do, and she doesn’t know if she can finish it today.

Kyle gave her a sympathetic look and turned to walk into the dormitory.

The small room was filled with all kinds of gifts. Kyle picked out some that interested him and opened them.

This year, Professor Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley gave the same gift, sweaters.

Mrs. Weasley gave a reddish-brown one, while Professor Dumbledore's was light yellow with brown stripes, and the style was also more novel, obviously having been specially researched.

It looks like he really wants to open a store in Hogsmeade.

As for other gifts, they are basically various books, candies and the like.

Halfway through the demolition, Kyle heard a knock on the door.

Then Kanna opened the door and walked in.

"I heard from Winsty that you're back."

"Yeah." Kyle said, "I came back early because I didn't take the train."

"Do you need help?" Kanna asked, looking at the gifts around her.

"Of course, you're just in time." Kyle made room for him.

"Where did you go on vacation?"

Kanna found a place to sit down and unpacked the packages while curiously asking, "Cedric said that the letters we wrote to you were finally delivered to your dormitory, but you were obviously not in the dormitory."

"I'm at Nicolas Flamel's house," Kyle explained. "The owl couldn't find me."

"You're in Paris?" Connor asked.

She remembered that Kyle had been there once before during his vacation and stayed there for a month.

"Not that far, this time it was in Devon," said Kyle.

…

With Kanna joining in, the gifts were soon almost all opened.

Connor picked up the last box. There was no signature on it, but she recognized it at a glance. It was Snape's handwriting.

She opened the box with some curiosity...

Kanna looked up, and while Kyle wasn't paying attention, she calmly threw the broken quill under the bed.

"Kyle, Professor Snape sent you a bottle of joy potion."

"What?" Kyle looked up in surprise.

Snape actually gave him potions? That was quite unusual.

He had thought that Snape would give him a broken quill... just enough to pair with last year's moldy parchment.

"Look." Kanna handed over the potion bottle.

The bottle is not big, and the potion inside is a beautiful peacock blue color. When placed under the sun, you can see some bubble-like things.

"It's a real cheerleader?" Kyle whispered.

It has to be said that all the characteristics match, but he still finds it a little hard to believe it.

That shouldn't be the case. Could it be that Snape drank the potion that Mikkel brewed?

"Of course it's true."

Connor said happily, "When I gave Professor Snape the Christmas present, he said he wanted to give you a surprise."

"What did you get him for Christmas?" Kyle asked.

"A set of potion-grinding tools," said Connor. "And the very sweet coffee from Madam Puddifoot's tea shop."

Kyle's heart tightened.

"So you didn't intend to give the coffee you bought to Professor Dumbledore?"

"No." Connor said as a matter of course, "Didn't you say before that the headmaster and Professor Snape recommended that kind of sweet pudding? I thought he should like that kind of sweet things too."

"So does he like it?" Kyle asked.

"He should like it." Kanna thought for a moment and said, "He came to ask me where I bought it the next day."

"You said that?"

"Yes," said Connor. "I told him we had it at Madam Puddifoot's tea shop in Hogsmeade."

…

Kyle took a deep breath and silently put away the bottle of "joy potion".

There's no need to think about it, this thing is definitely fake, and there's no way he would drink it anyway.

Kyle wants to live to graduate.

Moreover, he had to stay away from Snape for some time, and he also had to prepare more bezoars for detoxification.

This thing is sold in Hogsmeade and the price is not expensive. Kyle plans to stock up on a hundred dollars first.

It’s better to be prepared.

Not long after we opened the gifts, it started to get dark.

The other students also returned, and walked into the common room with excitement about the holidays, talking and laughing.

The opening banquet was as sumptuous as ever.

Dumbledore, dressed in purple robes, walked briskly into the hall.

"Kyle, have you noticed that the principal seems very happy?" Cedric asked softly, holding a baked potato.

Not only him, almost everyone noticed that the principal looked much happier than usual.

"Maybe I received some good news."

Kyle glanced up.

Dumbledore seemed to have said some witty remarks to Professor McGonagall next to him, making her laugh continuously.

…

(End of this chapter)