"W–Why… why would you do that?" Ron asked, looking completely stunned.
Harry, standing beside him, was surprised too—but not nearly as shocked as Ron. Hermione had already told him before heading home that Alice needed their help with her flying-sword research, and she'd also mentioned that she had prepared a great Christmas present for Ron.
What Harry didn't expect was that the present would turn out to be a brand-new wand.
He'd assumed Ron would get something similar to his own gift—a parchment enchanted with a spell.
The parchment had been created jointly by Professor Flitwick and Alice as a brand-new teaching tool. Harry's own Christmas gift was a parchment based on Alice's understanding of the Disarming Charm, specially crafted by Flitwick. At the bottom, Alice had written him a short message:
"I hope that when you face an enemy, you'll have enough strength to fight back—so you'll never feel powerless again."
Harry understood exactly what she meant. They were both smart enough to know the person who left that lightning-shaped scar on his forehead was still out there somewhere. And because of that, Harry was genuinely grateful for Alice's gift.
But he had truly never imagined that Alice would give Ron something as extravagant as a completely new wand.
And he could already predict Ron's response.
"Er… no matter what your reason is, I really shouldn't take this gift, Alice. It's too valuable," Ron said, recovering from his initial shock.
"But I can help with the experiment. I just can't accept the new wand."
Ron shook his head firmly.
Harry wasn't surprised at all. He'd once considered giving Ron the money to buy a new wand himself, but he'd given up on the idea in the end. Ron had a lot of pride, and if Alice handled this wrong, things could easily backfire—not only failing to help Ron but also damaging her friendship with him.
Harry was ready to step in if things got tense.
But Alice didn't seem upset by Ron's refusal. Instead, she pulled out a sheet of parchment, listing the amount of mithril and dragon-tendon cords that Tristan had already burned through during the flying-sword experiments. She handed the parchment to Ron and asked him to take a look.
Ron was surprised by the numbers—but also confused. His expression sharpened.
"You're trying to tell me that compared to the amount you've already spent, this gift means nothing to you at all? Are you mocking me, Alice Norton?"
By the end, Ron's voice had risen noticeably.
Harry immediately wanted to jump in to smooth things over—but Theodore's hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Trust Alice," Theodore whispered. "Trust Hermione. Trust Ron. And trust the friendship between all of you."
Harry hesitated, then stayed silent. He decided to see how Alice would handle this.
"Ron Weasley," Alice began softly, "compared to the friendships I already share with your other friends, I admit I don't know you as well. But I believe you know I'm not the sort of witch who bullies others or flaunts her family's wealth. Isn't that right?"
Ron, still scowling, gave her a stiff nod.
Alice smiled, satisfied, and continued:
"Good. If we agree on that, then we can talk properly."
"I showed you that list for one reason—to explain how much has already gone into the flying-sword project. I won't allow unnecessary issues to jeopardize the experiment."
"And you… actually have a lot of strengths you don't see in yourself. Loyalty. A quiet sort of courage. Kindness. And a clear understanding of who you are."
As Alice listed those traits, Ron's ears began turning red.
"Don't misunderstand," she added. "I didn't come up with these on my own. Hermione and Neville did."
"I've decided to invite someone with all these qualities to join the flying-sword team. But there's still one unpredictable factor—your wand."
"Your wand is old, isn't it? There's nothing wrong with using an old wand—but that doesn't mean it's the right wand for you. And what I need is Ron Weasley with the wand that suits him best… not Ron Weasley with a wand that holds him back."
"I'm not giving you a wand as charity or pity. I'm giving it to you because I want us walking on the same path—properly."
"You're free to refuse the gift. But if you do, I'll have no choice but to keep you out of the project. Ron… would you really let stubborn pride cost you the chance to stand beside your friends on the right path?"
Beautiful.
The moment Harry heard that final line, he knew the situation was resolved. Alice had gone straight for Ron's greatest "weakness."
Ron would never abandon his friends—not Harry, not Hermione. Even if it required some difficult humility, Ron would choose to stand with them.
And just as Harry expected, Ron finally nodded.
"I'm not sure why Hermione and Neville recommended me so strongly," he said quietly. "But… thank you. All of you."
Then he shot Harry a glare—still held back by Theodore.
"I'm not thanking you," he grumbled. "You and the others kept this from me."
Harry could only smile weakly under Ron's reproachful stare.
Alice happily accepted the small box of seven Galleons from Theodore—apparently payment for something—and looked surprised to find the coins neatly packed inside a tiny gift box.
She raised a brow at him.
"Hm?"
Theodore looked a bit embarrassed. "Well… doesn't it feel more ceremonial this way? It's better than just handing someone seven loose coins, right?"
Merlin only knew how many un-ceremonial things he felt he'd done today.
"If it makes you happy, then that's fine. And—thank you as well," Alice said. She turned to Ron, who was holding the tiny gift box awkwardly. "That's for you. Consider it my answer to your thanks earlier."
Harry clapped Ron on the shoulder, grinning at the now-resolved tension.
"Well? What are you waiting for? You're getting a new wand!"
"Right… a new wand," Ron echoed. "But how are we supposed to get there? They're not going to let a bunch of students leave Hogwarts during the holidays, are they?"
"You can ask Hagrid," Theodore said matter-of-factly. "Have him speak to Professor McGonagall. She can let you use the Floo Network from her office."
"That's brilliant! Problem solved, Ron!" Harry said excitedly, already tugging him toward the door.
Alice and Theodore had made it clear they weren't going along.