Helga's plan was simple: she intended to soothe Salazar's temper while also presenting generous gifts to his students. With both approaches working together, how could she possibly fail to win over that old snake?
As the Christmas holidays approached, Helga began to take action. But before she attempted to placate Salazar, she decided to reward her own excellent pupil first.
It was the last day before the Christmas break. After breakfast that morning, the students would pack their bags, board the Hogwarts Express, and return home to enjoy a wonderful holiday.
While the young witches and wizards were happily discussing their vacation plans, the owls came flying in.
That was a normal sight at Hogwarts—but unlike usual, six snowy long-eared owls stood out among the flock today. Together, they were carrying a long, narrow package.
All the students paused, forks and knives frozen midair, gazing up at the owls.
Some of the older students were reminded of Harry two years ago, when he had received a similar package during breakfast in his first year. Inside had been the best broomstick available at the time. Rumor later spread that the broom had been a gift sponsored by Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House.
Judging from Harry's later performance, he had certainly lived up to that exceptional broom.
With that precedent in mind, everyone could already guess what might be inside this new package. The only question now was—who was it for, and what kind of broom did it contain?
Like the other students, Cedric was eager to know who the package's recipient was. To his astonishment, the six owls circled lower and then landed right in front of him. The long, narrow parcel knocked over several cups, leaving the edge of the Hufflepuff table in chaos.
After causing the commotion, the six owls flapped their wings and took off again—only for another owl to swoop down, dropping a letter onto the parcel.
Cedric was stunned. Is this for me? Should I take it back to the dorm before opening it?
He tore open the letter first. It read:
[Open the package. This is my Christmas gift to you—looking forward to the day you lift the House Cup.]
Cedric looked toward the staff table, where Professor Hufflepuff raised her goblet toward him in a toast.
Realizing who had sent it, Cedric no longer hesitated. He tore open the long package, and a beautiful, gleaming broomstick slid onto the table.
Quick as a flash, Cedric grabbed it before any porridge or pumpkin juice could stain the flawless masterpiece.
Then he examined the broom closely—and gasped. He recognized it immediately. It was the Firebolt he had seen in Diagon Alley! There was no mistaking it.
His mind seemed to freeze.
The nearby members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team abandoned their breakfasts and crowded around Cedric, staring in awe at the world's top broomstick—the Firebolt, which had already proven its excellence during the recent Quidditch World Cup qualifiers.
"I can't believe it," chaser Zacharias Smith said hoarsely.
"Neither can I," Cedric replied blankly. He could feel the broom trembling faintly in his hands, so he let go. The Firebolt floated weightlessly in midair, allowing him to trace his eyes from the golden serial number at its top all the way down to its perfectly smooth, streamlined tail.
"Merlin's beard!!!"
…
At the staff table, the professors were equally stunned. Professor Sprout, this generous? Giving away a Firebolt?
Professor McGonagall fell into thought. She had once believed that her gift of a Nimbus 2000 had been unmatched—something no other teacher would ever surpass. Yet here Pomona had gone and outspent even her.
But Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, was utterly bewildered.
Pomona: Who could it be? Who's so generous as to give away something this expensive? The Diggory family certainly couldn't afford such a broom!
Then she noticed a subtle exchange between Professor White and Cedric. Her mind buzzed—and in that instant, she understood exactly who had sent the broom.
"Professor White—it was you?!" she exclaimed, her voice unable to hide her astonishment.
Hufflepuff only smiled silently and gave a small nod.
The other professors: !
"Why not have it delivered on Christmas Day?" Professor McGonagall asked, suppressing the emotion rising in her chest as she turned to the smiling Professor White beside her.
"Something this special should be opened in front of everyone! If it's unwrapped at home, it loses all the excitement," Helga replied, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she laughed. She wanted Cedric to bask in the shock, admiration, and envy of everyone watching. After all, what fun was there in opening a gift at home with no audience?
Seeing Professor White's cheerful expression, McGonagall immediately understood.
Of course—at this point, Professor White hardly cared about money anymore. The orders for her dolls were likely already queued up through next year; she had more than enough gold to buy all of Hogwarts if she wished.
Just as everyone's attention was still fixed on Cedric and the Firebolt beside him, another flock of owls swooped into the Great Hall, also carrying a long, narrow package.
Students and professors alike: ???
This time, the package was delivered to the Gryffindor table, landing right in front of a completely bewildered Harry.
Could it be…?
With trembling hands, Harry tore open the wrapping—and out rolled a broom identical to Cedric's.
The second Firebolt!!!
"""What the fuck is happening!!?"""
The entire Great Hall erupted into chaos.
At the same time, inside a hidden mansion on Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black slammed a letter onto the floor in fury.
"Bloody hell—bloody hell! Why did they ship it now?! I distinctly told them to have it delivered during the Christmas holidays! What good is an apology?!" Sirius was livid with the Ellerby and Spudmore Broom Company. They had somehow botched the delivery date, sending the broom a day too early.
Taking a few deep breaths, Sirius quickly sat down at his desk and began writing a letter to Harry—one he had originally planned to send on Christmas Day, but now had no choice but to send ahead of schedule.
What Sirius didn't know was that, at that very moment, Harry's head was buzzing with excitement. He couldn't care less that his Christmas gift had arrived early.
It was a Firebolt! With this broom, Harry was confident he could crush Malfoy in a match. From the look on Draco's face at the Slytherin table, the boy was already so envious it looked like his soul might leave his body.
"I'm writing to my father right now! When the holidays are over, I'll definitely come back with a Firebolt of my own!" Draco declared with absolute determination.
_______
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