Chapter 215: Christmas
A unicorn habitat!
Unicorns—creatures of extraordinary purity—have long been pursued by wizards for the magical properties of their materials and the symbolic value they hold. However, in recent times, all unicorn-related products in the wizarding world have become increasingly rare. No wizard has ever officially discovered a unicorn habitat.
Perhaps someone did find one, only for it to vanish shortly thereafter. Greed drives people to secrecy, and the temptation of profit can make anything possible.
It's safe to say that true unicorn habitats are nearly impossible to locate today. Naturally, Phineas has no intention of leaking the location he discovered. Unicorns are practically walking treasures—comparable to dragons in value. Moreover, their deep connection to nature makes them darlings of the magical world. For Phineas, earning their favor is nothing but beneficial.
But the habitat offered more than just a source of rare magical materials. It gave Phineas reason to speculate.
Helga Hufflepuff, the founder most associated with a love of nature and life, was also a woman—a factor that may have earned her the unicorns' trust. The habitat's proximity to the centaur tribe raised a strong possibility: Hufflepuff's treasure might lie hidden within the unicorn territory, or perhaps inside the nearby cave.
In any case, Phineas had made up his mind. He would visit the centaur tribe. It was just a matter of when—and how.
The Forbidden Forest was too dangerous to venture into like some casual school adventure. The centaur tribe lay deep within the forest, far from Hogwarts, and the route passed through the territories of Acromantulas, trolls, and even manticores. Danger lurked at every turn.
Asking Puff to escort him would risk provoking the centaur tribe. That particular tribe had long-standing enmity with the house-elves. If war broke out, even with Phineas's current strength—comparable to that of an average adult wizard—there were still risks.
Phineas had never been one to throw himself blindly into danger. He always preferred careful planning and well-timed action.
Sighing, he looked at Puff and said,
"Puff, stick with your previous idea. Go to the old house and bring Egg Rolls and the others. I want the centaur tribe taken out—quietly. Within three days. You don't have to destroy them completely, but make sure they won't be able to threaten you when I pass through."
Puff bowed deeply and replied,
"Understood, Master. Puff will carry out your orders."
Phineas smiled and waved, saying nothing more. Puff vanished, ready to be summoned again at a moment's notice and always prepared to defend Phineas from danger.
Although Puff was frustrated with how today's mission had gone, believing she had failed her young master, Phineas was actually quite satisfied. Puff had successfully mapped out the terrain and magical creature distribution around Hogwarts in the Forbidden Forest. That alone provided valuable clues Phineas could use later.
After sitting for a bit, Phineas returned to bed and closed his eyes.
The past few days had been filled with fun and chaos, mostly thanks to George and Fred , leaving him little sleep. Tomorrow was mercifully free of obligations. He intended to sleep in and wake up naturally.
That night, Phineas slept soundly. Following his habit, Puff transferred the Christmas presents from the Slytherin common room to beneath the Christmas tree in the Room of Requirement.
As a Black family heir—though few believed he would inherit the estate after Sirius's release—Phineas still received many Christmas gifts. Only a handful were from his true friends. Most came from heads of pure-blood families, influential wizards, and political figures.
The gifts were piled beneath the Christmas tree in the Room of Requirement, waiting for him.
The next morning, Phineas sat cross-legged on the carpet and began opening his gifts.
As expected, there were many rare books—valuable due to scarcity, not price. These came from other pure-blood families. Just as Phineas had given them similarly rare, low-value books, their intent was not in the content, but the gesture of goodwill.
Among the more personal gifts:
A handmade necklace shaped like an airship—from young Luna Lovegood.
Last summer, during one of Pandora's magical experiments, an accident had nearly killed both mother and daughter. Luckily, Phineas had sent Puff ahead of time, saving them both. The Lovegoods were already close to Phineas, but this event deepened their bond.
A single Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean—from Jordan. His yearly tradition.
From George and Fred: a prank set including a quill that sprayed ink all over the user's face, a fake wand that could only cast a few ridiculous spells (including one that emitted green sparks like the Killing Curse), Dungbombs, and quick-acting truant candy.
A photo of the Black family, taken before Phineas was born—from Sirius.
A Quidditch magazine—from Harry, still trying to spark Phineas's interest in the sport.
A bag of inexpensive sweets—from Ron.
A Muggle Encyclopedia Britannica—from Hermione, along with a letter explaining she wanted him to understand more about the Muggle world. She also invited him to visit her home in the future.
A book from Lucius Malfoy on behalf of the Malfoy family, and from Draco, a toy model of a moving fire dragon—not useful, but entertaining.
Of course, Phineas had prepared return gifts:
To George and Fred: two books on magical beasts and magical herbs to aid in their prank development.
To Jordan: a collectible Quidditch star figurine he had long desired.
To Harry: a photo album filled with pictures of James and Lily Potter—at Hogwarts, post-graduation, and during their brief married life.
To Sirius: the latest model of a Muggle motorcycle. Sirius had lost his old one (now Hagrid's), and Phineas planned to let him customize the new one himself.
To Hermione: a massive, thick tome on wizarding world general knowledge.
To Luna: a curated exhibition box filled with magical creature specimens from around the world, all miniaturized with Shrinking Charms—his most thoughtful gift.
To Draco: a real, living dragon egg.
While not shocking for the Black family—owners of a dragon reserve—it was still highly valuable. Phineas knew that raising dragons privately was illegal, and Lucius had only ever acquired a "symbolic" dragon for Draco. By gifting an actual egg, Phineas wasn't just indulging Draco's interest—he was making a political move.
The gift sent a message. Outsiders would see it as an uncle doting on his nephew. But those who understood pure-blood politics would know that this gesture signaled an alliance between the Blacks and the Malfoys—putting pressure on Lucius to break from the Death Eaters and side with Phineas's more neutral faction.
Phineas was also interested in Tom Riddle's diary, still in Lucius's possession. It was the first Horcrux—unlike the others, capable of growing Voldemort's soul into an independent form. Phineas intended to claim it eventually—but only once Lucius made a clear choice.
Dumbledore's gift was simple: a pair of woolen socks—symbols of family and warmth. The kind of gift that might quietly sadden the old Headmaster.
And of course, Molly Weasley's annual hand-knit sweater—with the initials "P. B." on it. Perhaps to distinguish him from Fred. The Weasley sweaters traditionally had only one initial, but Phineas's had two. He had gifts for the Weasleys, too: a copy of Household Magic for Molly, and for Arthur, a magical guidebook to Muggle appliances and transportation—written specifically for wizard use.
He pulled a candy cane from the tree, popped it in his mouth, and began sorting his gifts.
The pure-blood books were quickly handled—he sorted them, filed duplicates for re-gifting, and stored the rest in his personal library.
The twins didn't come to disturb him today. Harry and Ron had gone to spend the holiday with Sirius, while Percy remained in Gryffindor Tower, brooding.
Hogwarts was unusually quiet. Students mostly stayed in their dorms, playing with new presents.
That night, however, the Great Hall came alive once more. Though less grand than the official Christmas feast the night before, the dinner had a warm, familial atmosphere.
There were over a hundred roasted turkeys laid across the long house tables, along with mountains of potatoes, sausages, peas, gravies, and jams. The hall smelled heavenly.
Wizard crackers—different from Muggle firecrackers—were piled high. They exploded with cannon-like bangs, not tiny pops, and released streams of colored smoke and little toys. Laughter echoed through the hall as students wandered the tables, eating and playing.