Christmas holidays arrived in a flurry of excitement, and Roy packed his luggage early, standing near the Hogwarts Express with quiet patience.
Within minutes Astoria arrived, practically skipping.Daphne followed her, elegant as always.Hermione came next, hugging two books at once.Cassandra waved enthusiastically, and Cho arrived last, pulling her suitcase with graceful ease.
Meanwhile Ginny and Luna had chosen to remain at Hogwarts for the break, promising to keep an eye on the castle—and also on Umbridge, whom they now called The Toad Queen of Pink Doom.
The group boarded the train together and slipped into a large compartment reserved just for them.
Inside, the girls immediately fell into conversation—Astoria chattering about potions ingredients,Daphne teasing Cassandra over a failed love potion experiment,Hermione and Cho discussing Quidditch tactics,Cassandra showing everyone a new charm she learned,and Roy listening quietly, smiling like the calm center of a storm.
For once, life felt normal.
Arrival in England
When the train reached King's Cross, the mothers were already waiting:
Mrs. Greengrass welcoming Astoria and Daphne,
Mrs. Vole embracing Cassandra tightly,
Mrs. Chang smiling warmly at Cho,
Mrs. Granger hugging Hermione,
All of them greeting Roy with teasing smirks.
"Headmaster Roy Valvas," Mrs. Granger teased with a sparkle in her eyes."You'll be grading their homework next, won't you?"
"All of you… stop bullying him," Daphne said—but her smirk betrayed she was enjoying it too.
Roy coughed lightly, cheeks pink, and after polite goodbyes, he left the station with dignity only slightly damaged.
Back to the Valvas Mansion
Arriving at the England Valvas Estate was like walking into a storm of teasing.
Standing in the entrance hall were:
Venelana Bael
Rem & Ram
Albedo
Grayfia
Nagini
Bela White
Narcissa Black
Penelope
Rowena Ravenclaw's projection
And a few house retainers standing respectfully nearby.
The moment they saw Roy…
"THE HEADMASTER HAS RETURNED!"
Rem yelled dramatically.
Grayfia smirked. "Should we bow, Lord Headmaster?"
Albedo clasped her hands. "Should we start calling you 'Our Beloved Supreme Scholarly Majesty'?"
Even Nagini hissed in a way that suspiciously sounded like laughter.
Roy stood frozen.
"…I hate all of you."
They laughed even more.
After a warm lunch with the entire mansion bustling around him, Roy finally escaped—only to begin an even bigger task.
The Christmas Shopping Marathon
Roy spent the entire afternoon going through magical shops, Muggle stores, artisan markets, and even a few secret wizarding lanes in France and Japan through portal stepping.
He bought gifts for everyone—students, professors, family, friends, mentors, creatures, and ancient beings alike.
His list:
Friends (Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Cho, Cassandra, Daphne, Astoria)
Professors (McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Hagrid)
Rowena Ravenclaw
Penelope
Albedo, Grayfia, Rem, Ram, Nagini, Bela White
Narcissa Black
His parents, grandparents
Nicolas & Perenelle Flamel
Fleur & Gabrielle Delacour
Newt & Tina Scamander
Aberforth
Dumbledore
Grindelwald
The shop owners whispered stories for weeks about the "young man who bought enough gifts to supply a small country."
He returned late at night, wrapped everything elegantly, and used magic constructs and delivery elves to send them to every destination—Hogwarts, France, Romania, America, and beyond.
The Next Morning — A Mountain of Presents
Roy woke up to find his room overflowing with boxes.
Beautifully wrapped, color-coded, enchanted parcels covered his bed, desk, bookshelf, and even part of the floor.
Every single person he sent a gift to… sent one back.
Hermione sent him a book she annotated with notes.
Daphne sent a magically charm-proof scarf.
Astoria baked cookies shaped like chibi Roy.
Cassandra sent rare potion reagents.
Cho sent a special commemorative Quidditch badge.
Luna gifted him a handcrafted charm to "ward off Nargles."
Ginny sent a training quaffle.
Hagrid gifted a giant sweater (three sizes too big).
McGonagall sent a tartan cloak.
Snape, very awkwardly, sent a precision stirring rod.
Sprout gifted a rare protective herb.
Flitwick sent an advanced charm book.
Dumbledore sent a box of honey water candy.
Grindelwald sent a silver ring engraved with prophecy sigils.
The Flamels sent alchemy notes.
The Scamanders sent a creature care kit.
His parents and grandparents sent a massive collection of personal items.
And Penelope, Grayfia, Albedo, Rem, Ram, Nagini, Bela, Narcissa—each sent sentimental, handmade, or enchanted gifts.
Roy stared at the mountain of presents, speechless.
For once, he felt overwhelmed.
And then, quietly…
he smiled.
Because for all the battles, curses, conspiracies, and ancient enemies—
—this was a reminder that he wasn't alone.