Chapter 49
Chapter 49
The familiar pressure descended, accompanied by a faint milky scent.
Suer struggled awake in the darkness.
Angel’s face filled his vision, a trail of drool beside her mouth. The clock hand had barely reached halfway between seven and eight.
Suer sighed and expertly lifted Angel by the back of her collar, carrying her outside.
“Hee, hee. Bwother, Angel loves you so much.”
Now accustomed to being carried by her collar, Angel looked up and made a heart with her hands.
“I would love you too if you didn’t interrupt my sleep.”
Suer’s face darkened. He set her down and returned to his room.
Having been awakened, he was no longer sleepy. When he emerged from the bathroom, Angel was standing obediently on a stool beside his desk.
Very well.
Suer had intended to eat a special Christmas breakfast downstairs before opening presents, but the sight forced him to move the ceremony forward.
He began with the package on top, from the Ellisons.
Mr. Ellison’s gift was an extravagantly wealthy man’s cheque for five thousand pounds.
Very Mr. Ellison.
Suer gave it a thumbs-up, tossed the cheque into a drawer, and continued.
Mrs. Ellison had knitted a yellow-and-black jumper. A remarkably lifelike badger was embroidered on the front, every detail revealing her care.
Suer suspected Amelia had suggested the design. How else would a Muggle know that Hufflepuff’s symbol was a badger?
“Angel has one too. Mine is a unicorn.”
Angel lifted her red jumper to show him.
“Very pretty.”
Suer gave another thumbs-up and pulled on his jumper.
It was warm and thoughtful.
Morn and Justin appeared to have coordinated. Each sent Suer a box of soft sweets, with no repeated flavours.
Sweets were a common present.
To Suer’s surprise, Hagrid had sent something too. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and labelled in enormous, sweeping letters:
To Suer Bones, from Hagrid.
Inside lay a complete golden horn, exquisitely beautiful.
A note accompanied it.
You seemed interested in unicorns. I happened to acquire this horn and thought you should have it. Merry Christmas.
The gift was extraordinarily valuable.
Yesterday, while passing the apothecary in Diagon Alley, Suer had seen the price of powdered unicorn horn written on the window: twenty-one Galleons a bottle.
He did not know how many bottles this whole horn would produce, but certainly no fewer than one.
After storing it with great care, Suer encountered a second precious gift, this one from Professor McGonagall.
It was a thin, somewhat worn notebook.
These are my notes from studying transformation spells as a student. I hope they help you. –Minerva McGonagall
Hermione would faint from envy if she saw it.
Knowledge was difficult to measure in money. Notes embodying the experience of one of the wizarding world’s foremost masters of Transfiguration were plainly beyond price.
Most surprising of all, Headmaster Dumbledore had sent a gift as well.
No–not for Suer.
For Angel.
It was a tiny, moving unicorn figurine.
Please give this to the adorable little angel for me. –Albus Dumbledore
I will, Professor!
It was kind of him to remember Suer had a sister.
Angel’s eyes shone. She accepted the trotting unicorn from Suer and planted several loud kisses on his cheek.
“Angel has two unicorns now!”
She was beside herself with happiness.
She did not know the white-bearded old gentleman had sent it. Suer unashamedly took all the credit.
Ron had sent a present as well.
Hm.
Judging by the familiar smell of the biscuits, house-elves in the kitchens had baked them. Ron had merely borrowed flowers to present to Buddha.
Harry’s gift was a bag of sweets bearing the Honeydukes emblem. Suer had no idea where he obtained it.
The Weasley twins sent a box of biscuits with a note attached.
These Canary Creams are for you. After many experiments, they are our most successful product. Eat one, and you will temporarily transform into a canary. One minute later, you will become human again.
Please note: do not fly too high during the transformation. George suffered a terrible fall.
We have many more interesting ideas, but lack the funds to develop them. We look forward to the next time you make us rich. –George and Fred Weasley offer their sincerest holiday greetings.
The remaining gifts were ordinary sweets. After checking them, Suer put them all in an empty box and gave them to Angel.
Hermione’s present was conspicuously absent.
Suer looked forward to it.
For now, however, breakfast mattered most. His stomach had already lodged a formal complaint with his brain.
…
Suer had only just set down his fork when someone knocked on the Ellisons’ door.
Angel still loved opening it. She slid nimbly from the back of the “unicorn” and ran away carrying the unicorn figurine Suer had claimed credit for.
“Amelia!”
Her cheerful call soon rang out.
The first thing Amelia saw upon entering the sitting room was Angel’s gift. Admiration crossed her face.
“Bwother gave Angel this Christmas present,” Angel announced proudly.
“Oh, sweetheart. Your brother is wonderful.”
Amelia cooperated fully, then looked at Suer with pride.
“You inherited my brother’s talent for Transfiguration. Very few first-years can perform a complete transformation. Excellent layered Transfiguration and a fine transformation spell, though it lacks one thing.”
“It cannot move.” Suer wiped his mouth.
“Yes.” Amelia nodded. “It lacks a spark of vitality.”
Suer’s eyes brightened.
“How do I add it? I asked Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, but they said it was a mysterious sensation.”
“Hermione and I studied it for a long time without making the horse move.”
“It is a mysterious sensation. I did not understand it until shortly before graduation.” Amelia smiled. “You cannot learn it in a few minutes.”
“Very well.”
Suer pursed his lips. Another riddler.
“Before we leave, we must visit the Ministry of Magic. I have some work to handle,” Amelia said gently.
“All right.” Suer nodded.
“Bwother, where are you going?”
Angel abandoned the “unicorn” and hurried over to seize Suer’s clothes.
“Can Angel come?”
Suer looked at Amelia, but she gently shook her head.
Very well. Their destination was unsuitable for Angel.
Suer had already guessed that they were going to the valley.
He crouched to face Angel.
“Your brother will return this afternoon. I still have another present for you.”
“And the ‘unicorn’ I made will disappear tomorrow, just like the previous two.”
Angel tilted her head and considered.
Riding the unicorn for as long as possible was clearly more important.
She nodded obediently.
“All right.”