Christmas morning arrived quietly at the Chen household.
Snow rested peacefully outside the windows while Alexander opened the stack of gifts waiting for him.
The first present came from his parents.
When he opened the box, Alexander froze for a moment.
Inside lay a pair of Magical Adjustable Dragonhide Combat Gloves.
They were made from young dragon hide, dark and slightly shimmering in the light. The leather felt both flexible and incredibly tough when Alexander carefully slipped them on.
The moment he moved his fingers, the gloves adjusted perfectly to his hands.
Alexander's eyes widened.
"These are amazing…"
Dragonhide was already rare.
But items crafted from young dragons were even rarer because the hide was both strong and flexible—perfect for combat gear.
His father explained the enchantments.
The gloves were:
Resistant to most fire spells
Resistant to cutting curses
Improved wand grip during rapid casting
Protected the hands when channeling large amounts of magic
Alexander clenched his fists slowly.
He could feel the quality instantly.
"These are incredible."
But his parents weren't finished yet.
His father handed him another gift.
Inside the box was an old but beautifully preserved book.
Alexander carefully read the title.
Foundations of Transmutative Alchemy
Written by none other than Nicolas Flamel.
Alexander's eyes widened again.
He had been researching ways to efficiently use the Philosopher's Stone, but he still hadn't discovered a good method.
Maybe this book would finally give him some real insight.
Before leaving the room, Mr. Chen paused and gave him a calm but serious look.
"Power without knowledge is dangerous."
He tapped the book lightly.
"Study carefully."
Alexander nodded respectfully.
"I will."
He hugged his mother and thanked his father sincerely.
Both of them smiled warmly.
Seeing their son happy was more than enough for them.
Soon after, they left for work.
Alexander stood by the door and waved goodbye.
Working at the British Ministry of Magic meant long hours.
Overworked and underpaid.
Alexander shook his head slightly.
He returned to the living room to continue opening gifts.
The next present came from Cho, who was at her grandparents' home.
Inside the box was a beautiful blue raven feather bookmark.
The feather shimmered softly, and delicate silver runes were engraved along the shaft.
Alexander channeled some magic into the feather.
Cho's beautiful and sweet voice came out.
"Don't forget to rest."
"Miss you a lot."
"Let's go on a date."
"Study hard."
Several other sweet phrases followed.
Alexander chuckled.
She had clearly put a lot of thought into this gift.
Inside the box was a letter.
The letter thanked him for always supporting and thinking about her.
Alexander understood what she meant.
This year has been difficult for her.
Some people were no longer friends with her.
Negative gossip about her at Hogwarts.
And sometimes the world seemed to turn upside down overnight.
But through all of it, they had supported each other.
Alexander smiled softly.
He was glad they had each other.
From his roommates and other friends, Alexander received several boxes of chocolates and sweets.
He didn't mind at all.
Not everyone was as wealthy as he was.
And gifts were never about price.
They were about thoughtfulness.
Next, Alexander opened a suspiciously labeled package.
It came from Fred and George Weasley.
Before opening it, he read their letter.
It proudly declared:
"Our latest invention!"
Alexander raised an eyebrow and opened the box carefully.
The moment the lid lifted—
BOOM!
Fog exploded out of the box.
Fireworks shot into the air.
Confetti blasted everywhere.
Alexander didn't even flinch or move until he heard a click.
A small dissolvable camera inside the box snapped a picture.
The camera instantly melted into the photo itself.
Alexander picked up the photograph.
He stood calmly in the middle of smoke and confetti.
No surprise.
No panic.
Just his usual calm, handsome, composed self.
Alexander stared at the picture for a moment, and he laughed.
"They're going to be very disappointed when they see this."
"Though I have to say, they are using Steve's products correctly."
The small dissolvable camera was one of Steve's prototype inventions.
Since last summer, he has watched how Silver and Copper enjoyed taking photos. He got the idea to make a dissolvable camera to take one or two photos.
Steve sent some to Alexander to critique, and he gave them to the twins as random gifts.
Alexander smiled at the twins' gift as he opened the gift from Dumbledore.
He already guessed what it was before opening it.
Hand-sewn socks.
Alexander smiled.
"Of course."
From Professor Flitwick, he received a small flying device.
It moved around like a golden shield
Similar to a Golden Snitch, but flat and slower.
Flitwick had included a note.
For dueling practice.
Focus on accuracy, not power.
Alexander activated it.
The small device zipped around the room.
He flicked his wand several times; every Stupefy spell hit the flying golden shield precisely.
"This is actually a great training tool."
He began to think of ways to improve the golden shield flying device, but after a few minutes, he stopped. He realized that there were still other gifts to open.
From Professor McGonagall, he received a Transfiguration Practice Cube.
The cube was made from a strange, magical metal.
Whenever Alexander transfigured it into something else, it automatically reset itself after a few seconds.
He tested it briefly.
A teacup.
Reset.
A bird.
Reset.
A chess piece.
Reset.
Alexander looked impressed.
"This is extremely useful."
He carefully placed it back in the box.
He also received several small gifts from other professors—mostly sweets and books.
Some of them even included suggestions for future events or shows next year.
Alexander smiled.
Clearly, his celebrations had become popular among the staff as well.
The final gift surprised him the most.
The sender was Peeves.
Alexander blinked in confusion.
"Peeves sent me a gift?"
Inside the package was a fancy-looking enchanted photo album.
It contained Peeves' favorite moments of the past few years.
Alexander flipped through the pages.
Photos of him beating up the Sorting Hat.
Exploding fireworks.
Lee in different costumes.
Several perfectly timed embarrassing moments of random students.
Alexander laughed loudly.
"Peeves really does have talent."
Not only had he captured incredible moments—
He had somehow always found the perfect angles for every photo.
Alexander smiled as he looked around.
He was happy with how many people sent him Christmas gifts.
Christmas had been a success.
But he knew something important.
Once the break ended…
Life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would become chaotic again.