The birch logs in the fireplace burned fiercely, emitting crisp, dry crackles that bathed the entire living room in a warm, orange-red glow.
The air carried the fresh scent of pine needles mingled with the rich aroma of roasted goose and the sweet steam of Christmas pudding, creating a uniquely festive and comforting atmosphere.
A massive Christmas tree stood in the corner, its branches adorned with twinkling lights, crystal-clear glass ornaments, and golden ribbons. The star atop the tree reflected the firelight, scattering tiny, dazzling sparkles across the room.
The moment of opening gifts was always the children's most eagerly anticipated time.
A small pile of presents had already accumulated in front of Alan.
He picked up the first package. It was rough to the touch yet warm—a sweater hand-knitted by Mrs. Weasley. Unfolding it, he saw a large, slightly crooked letter "A" covering the entire chest. From the familiar, imperfect stitching, he could feel the kind witch's generous care.
The second package came from the Weasley twins. The wrapping was haphazard, and it rattled oddly when shaken. Alan unwrapped it to find a fist-sized, seemingly ordinary gray stone. A parchment attached in flamboyant handwriting read: "Latest creation—Portable Swamp! Just toss it lightly, guaranteed to surprise Professor Snape's office!"
A faint smile curved the corner of Alan's lips as he carefully set aside this dangerous prank.
Penelope's gift, however, was a square box wrapped in thick dragonhide. When he opened it, an ancient scent of parchment and ink wafted out. Inside lay a heavy, well-worn book—Dictionary of Rare Ancient Magical Runes. Its pages were yellowed, corners frayed, clearly a precious, aged copy.
Alan's fingertips brushed the rough cover, and he paused to take a breath. This was not just a dictionary—this was the most crucial piece of the puzzle on his path to mastering magical programming.
"Alan, look at mine!"
His sister Lilia's excited shout broke his reverie.
Alan looked up, noting the small package she had thrown toward him.
"This is for you, Lilia."
All eyes in the family gathered around.
Curious, Lilia opened the box. Inside were no jewels, no flashy magical toys—just a small figurine carved from birch wood, lying quietly on the straw lining.
It was only palm-sized, extremely simple in design. The body was square, the head round, and its spherical joints clearly visible. The surface was polished smooth and warm to the touch.
It looked… almost too ordinary.
"Wow, it's so cute!"
Lilia's delight was genuine. She cradled the tiny figure carefully in her hands, lightly touching its rounded head.
"Does it move, Alan?"
"It won't move on its own."
A mysterious smile appeared on Alan's face. He leaned close to his sister's ear and whispered a short, oddly pronounced spell that only she could hear.
"Try saying to it: 'Move forward two steps.'"
Lilia's eyes filled with doubt, but she trusted her brother completely. She placed the little robot upright on the dining table, covered with a deep red cloth, cleared her throat, and imitated Alan's tone to quietly recite the command.
"Move forward one step."
The living room fell silent, save for the crackling fire.
One second.
Two seconds.
Just as her father, Robert, was about to intervene, a miracle occurred.
"Click."
A faint, dry wooden scraping sound rang out.
The motionless wooden robot, without any external force or flicker of magical light, stiffly lifted its right leg and then took a small, heavy step forward.
The movement was awkward, even a little comical, but it moved.
Lilia's eyes instantly widened, and her small mouth formed an "O."
"Oh my gosh!"
Her mother, Carla, instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes full of disbelief. She could sense that this was not ordinary magic—it was a response cold, precise, and unlike anything she had ever seen.
Alan leaned closer and whispered a few more instructions into his sister's ear.
"Raise your left hand." Lilia's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Click."
The little robot stiffly lifted its left arm, pointing straight at the ceiling.
"Turn around."
"Click, click…"
The robot spun in short, halting motions, completing a full rotation in a comically jerky fashion.
Lilia was completely ecstatic. It was as if she had discovered a treasure so vast it could never be fully explored in a lifetime. She issued new commands again and again, directing her little robot to move forward, backward, raise its hands, and spin. That awkward figure, in her eyes, was endlessly charming.
Laughter echoed through the warm living room.
"Alan, what on earth is going on?"
Her father, Robert, finally could no longer contain his curiosity. A meticulous scholar of magical history, he had never encountered anything like this. He leaned in to examine the little robot, trying to sense any hidden alchemical core or magical energy.
"Is this… magic?"
"Yes, but not entirely."
Alan watched his sister play with the robot, a warm feeling rising in his chest. He turned to his father and began explaining his concept.
"I call this the preliminary result of 'magical programming.'"
"Programming?" Robert was unfamiliar with this term from the Muggle world.
"You could understand it that way," Alan said, carefully choosing words his family could grasp to explain this cross-era concept. "Inside this robot, there is no complex alchemical core, and no potion gives it life. Its power source is the most basic Transfiguration spells.
He picked up a silver fork from the table and wiped it with a napkin.
"For example, if I want this fork to become soft, I cast a specific spell." He murmured the incantation, and the fork's tines immediately softened and drooped. "If I want it to return, I cast the reverse."
The fork returned to its original state.
"At every joint of this robot, I pre-programmed a few basic movements using Transfiguration: bend, straighten, rotate. These spells remain dormant, waiting for a specific 'key' to activate them."
Alan pointed to Lilia.
"The 'commands' I taught Lilia, those strange-sounding words, are actually the keys to activate different Transfiguration spells. They are not spells themselves—they only trigger the spells already embedded in the robot."
He paused, then presented the core concept.
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