Chapter 463

The night after the little wizards came home from vacation was Christmas Eve.

Maka and the children sat at the long kitchen table in black's old house and looked out the window at the darkness. The huge snowflakes were falling slowly.

Tonight's kitchen is decorated with all kinds of Christmas decorations.

Colorful ribbons are flying freely under the ceiling, or red or white bubbles are everywhere. A Christmas tree whose top is bent by the cupboard is stuck in the corner by the fireplace, gently sending a Christmas song to everyone's ears.

On this important day, Maka put a silent curse on the portrait of Sirius mother, so that she wouldn't ruin the rare atmosphere by swearing all the time.

The children sitting on Maka's right hand are still silent, but at least they seem to be interested in today's kitchen and peek around from time to time.

By the way, werewolf sister Lenny is here too! Yes, no matter how you look at it, she can only be regarded as one of the so-called "children".

"Bastard Maka, why don't you start? Lord Lenny can't wait!"

She has been saying similar things since early this morning. Lena, who is always used to this baby sister, will give her something delicious or fun every time - which can make her stop for a few minutes.

But Maka is not Lena. How can she have the patience to appease the little girl?

Seeing that he was only staring at the dark window, knowing that he couldn't help his Laini, he ran to the inner room of the kitchen with another impatient face.

Just then, the wooden door of the kitchen was gently pushed open from the outside, and lupin and Mundungus came in one after another from the outside.

Not many people stay here tonight, because the homeless are always in the minority.

Charlotte Witt, Marca's sister, can actually count as one, but this time she stayed in Hogwarts. It is said that she is preparing lessons with Professor spraot now, and it is unknown that she may become a professor assistant in Hogwarts in the near future.

Of course, although she is also working hard in her own way. But Maka estimated that she could not be a professor, because her grades were actually average.

"Marca, Sirius is over?" lupin asked casually as he sat down at the table with Mundungus. "I don't seem to see him."

Maka looked back and smiled.

"Yes, it's over," he replied. "He said he wanted to surprise Harry and show me... Hey, he's really going to do a good job for Harry's parents."

"It's not a duty. It's not a 'task' for him." lupin shrugged. "He's more enjoying - enjoying being a good father."

"He's not going to get married at all?" Marca said and thought a little more. "Can he capture the hearts of many women just by his face? How can he be willing?"

Lupin couldn't help laughing when he heard it.

"Ha ha... He won't care," he paused, as if he remembered something, "but seriously... The girl from America seems to be interested in him."

"Abigail?" Marca said clearly, "I think so, but she and her sister have gone back together, and maybe they won't come back here again..."

"It's a pity." lupin spread his hand, but then he couldn't cry or laugh again. "Hey! I don't think it's right to tell you this... I said, Maka, when can your appearance catch up with your precocious heart?"

"Oh --" Maka leaned innocently on the back of the chair and stretched her waist, "don't count on it. Maybe... Hoo... Maybe she can't catch up with it all her life."

While lupin and Maka chatted casually, Mundungus couldn't help taking out his cigarette. It seemed that he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to take another sip.

"Hey, dung!" lupin patted off the cigarette in his hand and glared at him. "There are several children here! Don't take out your thing and burn it again."

"Oh, come on! Not even one bite?" Mundungus hurriedly picked up the cigarette from the ground again. After a moment of hesitation, he finally put it back into his dirty pocket.

"Don't complain," Marca waved her hand and said angrily, "today is the children's Christmas. Are you going to smoke Santa Claus away with the smell of your burnt leather boots? If you really want to smoke, I'll hang you upside down under the eaves outside and let you smoke enough alone!"

"Oh, I know..." Mundungus said with a smile. "I still want to stay and eat turkey! Besides, it's too cold outside to hold cigarettes!"

At this time, Lena, who finished the last meal in the kitchen, also came out with a big dinner plate, followed by her sister Lenny with fried chicken legs in her hand.

"It's all right. I'll add a strong permanent paste curse to you!" lupin said, then stood up and said in a loud voice, "then let's start quickly!"

"All right?" Maka asked Lena. Seeing her nodding, she immediately patted her palm.

In the blink of an eye, a variety of Christmas delicacies appeared on the originally empty long table. The steaming heat wafted from the plate, and the aroma overflowed. Everyone couldn't help taking a deep breath.

"Listen to Lena, you've been eating separately these days?" Marca said, looking at the children. "Take your favorite food by yourself. If anyone doesn't have a round stomach when he walks out that door tonight, I won't let him go - you know?"

All the children nodded silently and honestly began to add food to the plate in front of them.

"Alas, your words still work..." lupin looked at the children and said helplessly.

"Give them more time!" said Marca, glancing at Lenny again. "Although I don't expect them to become as unscrupulous as her, I believe they can somehow find some of their own characters."

At the moment, the "unscrupulous" Lenny in his mouth was holding up two big chicken legs, biting from left to right, eating greasy all over her mouth.

"Lenny, don't just eat meat! Eat more vegetable salad!" I can see that Maka is in a good mood today.

The Christmas Eve dinner lasted more than two hours. During this period, every child listened to Maka's words and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Although they did not focus on their own wishes, at least they really had a good meal.

After the meal, Maka held a cup of fragrant eggnog and began to think about the journey after that.

As for the children, they went back to bed one by one after a short rest and digestion.

"Get up early tomorrow morning and come to the Christmas tree to get gifts, remember?" lupin told them behind them. "Santa Claus will secretly put it by the fireplace at night. Everyone has it!"

After returning the children to the room upstairs, he came down again and sat back in his chair.

Tonight is a rare rest day for the order of the Phoenix. Although there is only one night, it is enough for everyone to relax their nerves.

"I haven't been so leisurely for a while. I've forgotten how I spent my time when I was free..." lupin shook his head slightly and picked up his cup with a wry smile.

"How to pass the time?" Maka quipped. "Isn't it enough to stay in the screaming shed and howl?"

"That's more than that!" lupin immediately missed the tunnel. "Although the memory after transformation was always vague, I vaguely remember some - James and Sirius always turned into Animagus form, and then fought with me. Peter would only shrink in the corner and watch."

"That sounds good," Marca nodded. "You can actually --"

Before he finished, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the wall on the side of the kitchen. The next moment, a translucent figure came out of the wall.

"Ghost?" Marca said in surprise. "Who are you?"

Black's old house has been cursed with loyalty. Without the permission of Maka, a Secret Keeper, no one can find this place - not even ghosts.

"Who am I?" the white translucent guy looked around blankly and said vaguely, "I'm John Crich... This living friend, can you tell me where this is?"

"Where?" Marca frowned. "Don't you know where you are?"

"Oh... Sorry," said ghost John apologetically. "I'm always lost... I'm really sorry!"

"John Crich?" lupin seemed to think of something and couldn't help thinking.

"Don't think about it!" the nearby Mundungus laughed, "he is the 'John on Christmas Eve', hahaha... Are you looking for the way home again?"

When Mundungus mentioned this, Lupin immediately showed a sudden expression.

"Oh, isn't it!" ghost John sighed. "Without the directional curse, I can't find it... Even if I'm no longer afraid of being stuck in the wall..."

"Directional spell?" Maka said curiously. "What's the matter? It seems that you all know?"

"Yes! He's been lost all his life," lupin joked. "It was like this before he died, but it's still like this after he died. Mr. Creech, I think you should go that way!"

"Oh, thank you! Kind sir..." ghost John thanked and floated to the opposite wall, "... By the way, I wish you a merry Christmas!"

Marca watched him drift away slowly with a blank face.