After the conversation, Lockhart left the castle. He couldn't appear in front of Marcus and Jericho now.
Xiaolong Xmas was also taken away by Lockhart, and they would wait for Moriarty's instructions in a safe place.
That evening, Moriarty held a Christmas dinner in the castle hall.
Jericho, who had always been out of touch, had become more disciplined at this time. He was deeply influenced by the free and undisciplined American culture, but in the face of the profound and solemn heritage of the Slytherin family, he felt a sense of awe.
This mood continued until the Christmas dinner. Moriarty told a few jokes to lighten the atmosphere, and Marcus was especially happy since he entered the castle.
Marcus was glad that he had bet against Moriarty, lost to him, and learned some knowledge about magical animals according to Moriarty's instructions.
After dinner, Jericho visited the castle accompanied by Luke, while Marcus was called to the tower by Moriarty.
Under the guidance of the house elf, Marcus entered the tower and saw Moriarty standing in front of the window.
With his hands behind his back and his eyes looking at the sky, Marcus spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing him, "Sir, I'm here."
"You have performed very well during this time," Moriarty's voice was also soft. He said lightly, "Therefore, you will face your ultimate test. You have seen what lies within the castle. Everything here can save the Flint family, provided you pass the test."
Marcus scratched his scalp and said earnestly, "I will definitely pass your test, sir."
Moriarty nodded, and then the two separated. In fact, the three of them hadn't been together since dinner.
Returning to his bedroom, Moriarty seemed to have a lot of work to do. That evening, he decided to develop the magic spells and potions left by Salazar Slytherin's ancestors and add runes to the karaoke boots.
"Ingo!" He called the goblin. "I want you to change into a human form and go to Borgin and Burkes to buy some Dark Magic alchemy items."
"Luke! Get the potion ingredients ready. Then come to my room. I want you to be my test subject!
Oh, right, don't forget to send Christmas gifts to my friends."
Moriarty stayed up all night and finally developed a flying spell before dawn and successfully brewed a transformation potion.
However, he did not succeed in adding the "bounce" function to the karaoke boots. Even after dismantling and studying the alchemy items from Borgin and Burkes, he couldn't apply that knowledge to the boots.
"Alchemy is sometimes similar—the principles are the same—but each alchemy item is unique!" Moriarty concluded.
Then, he wrote down his conjecture in a notebook: "On the evening of December 25, three dismantled Dark Magic alchemy items were cursed with doom. Since they belonged to the same category of alchemy items, there is reason to infer that different cursed alchemy items can be linked together…"
Moriarty wrote three notes in one go. When he looked up, he realized that it was already completely bright outside. Stretching, he asked Luke to lead him to Jericho and Marcus's bedrooms.
"Get up!" Moriarty woke Jericho and Marcus by tossing a pillow at them. "Come outside. I've prepared Christmas gifts for you!"
The two, still sleepy, instantly jumped up as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.
"I thought I wouldn't receive any Christmas gifts this year. After all, this is Slytherin Castle, and the owls can't find it," Jericho said as he quickly dressed and ran out of the castle.
On the lawn outside, Moriarty and Marcus were already talking. Luke directed the house-elves to bring some sofas and chairs to the lawn, while Ingo conjured a long blanket made of flowers.
"What are we doing?" Jericho asked with a grin as he approached Moriarty. "I was expecting a big gem as a gift."
"Just one big gem?" Moriarty pretended to be disappointed. "Looks like I don't need to teach you the Flying Charm. Luke, go give Mr. Blanche a gem and send him away."
"Hey, no!" Jericho quickly waved his hands. "Wait! Did I hear that right? A Flying Charm? That's amazing! Gems are common, but not everyone can use a Flying Charm. I choose the Flying Charm!"
"Sir, are you sure it's the Flying Charm?" Marcus asked doubtfully. "That one—you know, the one they don't even dare to mention—the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters use it…"
"Relax," Moriarty smirked disdainfully. "Voldemort's Flying Charm is Dark Magic, and the Death Eaters? What they do in the air is mere gliding at best.
The Flying Charm I want to teach you is a spell that Salazar Slytherin himself spent years researching."
Moriarty spoke loudly to them, "Put down your wands and repeat after me: 'The commandment to liberate the sky, let the stars call our minds and bodies, Dimoaka!'"
"The commandment to liberate the sky, let the stars call our minds and bodies, Dimoaka!"
Jericho and Marcus repeated it, feeling a strange sensation pass through them.
"Very good. Now, take out your wands." Moriarty held his cedar wood wand and deliberately demonstrated for them. As he chanted the spell, he suddenly shot high into the air, maneuvering with perfect control as he soared above them.
"Oh! That's so cool!" Jericho shouted, waving at Moriarty. Then, he excitedly tried the spell. His feet barely lifted off the ground before he plummeted back down. Luckily, Ingo conjured a tapestry to catch him just in time.
The three of them spent the entire day practicing the Flying Charm. Clearly, Marcus and Jericho were thrilled with their Christmas gifts.
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Christmas gifts for Moriarty were piling up in the Slytherin dormitory. Since no one could find Slytherin Castle, they had sent them there instead.
At the beginning of January, Moriarty and the others returned to Hogwarts. As they entered the dormitory, Jericho froze for a moment before letting out an envious shriek. "Did they move Hogsmeade in here?!"
Moriarty used the Floating Charm to lift all the gifts to the ceiling, checking them one by one.
The largest gift box was from Jericho. Inside was a model castle that could store memories and remind the owner of forgotten things. Moriarty wasn't sure why Jericho had chosen a castle shape—perhaps just to sell it at a higher price?
Lilith had given him a wizard hat, seemingly handcrafted by her. When he put it on, he looked rather dashing.
Marcus, Keith, and Ralbo each gifted him books. Interestingly, Tolohart of the Foley family also sent a book titled Twenty-Eight Saints and Salazar Slytherin's Origins—clearly fabricated by Old Foley. Moriarty handed it to Marcus.
Tonks gave him a small wooden figure that told jokes, while Gemma sent a large bag of candy.
William and Leon seemed to have planned their gifts together—one gave him a sword. Percy also sent a gift—a notebook summarizing his experience as a prefect.
Moriarty's favorite gift, however, was from Lockhart. He had made a badge with Moriarty's face on it, stating that as their group grew, they needed an emblem for identification.
Then came the professors' gifts: Dumbledore sent three pairs of wool socks, Snape gave him a copy of Asian Anti-Poison Encyclopedia, and Flitwick included notes about the All-British Wizarding Duel Tournament, hoping Moriarty would participate.
The adult wizards had sent so many gifts that it did feel like Hogsmeade had been moved into his dorm. There were too many to open all at once, so Moriarty decided to check them later.