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Thinking back to the gifts he had given his professors over the years, they had generally cost less than one Galleon.
Many of them were handmade by him, so they didn't cost any money.
For example, Professor McGonagall received a small wooden tabby cat that he had Transfigured himself. He had even modeled it after a lucky cat, making its tiny paws move up and down continuously.
"I hope the professors won't dislike my gifts," Dylan thought.
Even if they weren't expensive, he had put his heart into preparing them.
Dylan carefully placed all the gifts he had received into his system panel before looking at the next one.
Professor Flitwick had given him a notebook filled with spell-fighting experience.
It was an incredibly valuable item—essentially a handwritten collection of the professor's wisdom. The insights contained within could easily be worth over 10,000 Galleons.
"Better put it away before I lose it."
Next, Dylan turned to the gift from Professor Snape.
Opening the box, he took out a small bottle and examined the shimmering amber liquid inside.
"This is…"
He shook the bottle slightly, watching tiny particles of magical light flicker within the liquid.
"A Vitality Tonic?"
Dylan was momentarily stunned.
This was an advanced potion, capable of rapidly restoring a wizard's magical power and physical strength. It was incredibly rare and useful in many situations.
More importantly, it was difficult to make—partly because one of its key ingredients was dragon heartstring.
Even though only a tiny amount was needed, dragon heartstring was classified as a high-tier magical material, making it extremely hard to obtain.
Dylan pursed his lips and smiled.
"Looks like Professor Snape doesn't completely see me as just an annoying little lion."
Maybe he wasn't Snape's favorite student, but he had at least earned some recognition.
Feeling both touched and a little guilty, Dylan sighed.
"I only gave Professor Snape a potion I made myself. He probably won't like it, right?"
Well, it wasn't like he could afford to give Snape something extravagant.
And he definitely couldn't just Avada Kedavra the man and be done with it.
"One day, when I have enough money, I'll give the professors something truly valuable!"
As for how much money that would take…
Dylan opened his next gift.
Candy, chocolate…
Wait.
"Isn't this the avocado chocolate I conjured up with magic?"
Sure enough, the tag read From Ron.
Dylan chuckled helplessly.
There was also a set of magical chess pieces and an enchanted football.
The football had come from Seamus and Dean.
Apparently, Seamus had been testing a new spell when he accidentally destroyed eight out of nine footballs.
This was the sole survivor.
Seamus had dubbed it "Good Luck Football" and hoped it would bring Dylan some luck.
Even though it wasn't particularly useful, Dylan still appreciated the thought behind it.
A gift, after all, wasn't about value—it was about intention.
Among the presents, Dylan also found a brand-new set of magical feather quills.
"These are expensive…"
Checking the tag, he saw that it was from Harry.
After gathering all the gifts, Dylan felt warmth spread through his heart.
He glanced over at Harry and Ron, who were still fast asleep.
Smiling, he quietly climbed out of bed.
"I hope they won't dislike the gifts I gave them."
After breakfast, he made a quick visit to the Owlery to check if there were any letters from his parents.
Nothing.
"Hmph. Not like I was looking forward to it anyway."
Instead of heading to the library, he returned to the Gryffindor common room, carrying a pile of snacks.
Curling up on the soft sofa, he flipped open the journal that Professor McGonagall had gifted him.
"Wow, this professor has a deep understanding of Transfiguration spells."
He quickly became engrossed in reading.
Until—
"Good morning, and Merry Christmas!"
Dylan turned to see Ron and Harry approaching.
Harry's face was practically glowing with happiness—this was his first Christmas spent with friends.
He plopped down onto the sofa beside Dylan, sighing in satisfaction.
Ron grinned and winked.
"I saw the gifts on your bed are gone. So? Did you eat the chocolate I gave you?"
Dylan glanced at him.
"Avocado chocolate? I didn't eat it."
Ron's expectant expression instantly deflated.
"Oh, why not? You do know it's actually chocolate, right?"
Harry stifled a laugh.
"I told you not to disguise it in the same packaging as Dylan's!"
Ron huffed.
"Come on, Dylan, just try it!"
Dylan eyed him suspiciously.
"Wait… You didn't turn this into some kind of prank chocolate, did you?"
Ron's smile twitched.
"Of course not! It's just normal chocolate."
Harry quickly nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, he gave me a box too. I already ate mine—it's really good!"
Dylan narrowed his eyes, watching the two of them.
Then he smiled sweetly and pulled out a handful of candies from his pocket.
"I'll try it later. But hey, I got this milk candy from your brothers. I think it tastes pretty good. Wanna try some?"
Ron immediately looked wary.
Harry, however, didn't notice Ron's hesitation and eagerly grabbed a candy from Dylan's palm.
Peeling off the wrapper, he popped it into his mouth.
Then—
His face froze.
The next second, a colorful ribbon burst out of his mouth.
"Mmmph!?!"
Panicked, Harry clamped his hands over his mouth, but the ribbons kept coming, pouring out in a never-ending stream.
"Wha—?!"
He tried to speak, but all that came out were more ribbons, scattering across the sofa.
From the other side of the room, loud laughter rang out.
"Hahahaha! I can't believe Dylan didn't eat my chocolate, but Harry fell for it first!"
Two figures rushed over—Fred and George.
"Dylan's always been too sharp!"
(End of this chapter)
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