Michael's eyes lit up, and he quickly rummaged through the pile of gifts he received, finding a gift box signed "Vid Gray."
"Haha, he can still send out gifts; it seems his situation is better than I thought!"
Michael said happily, as Harry began tearing off the wrapping paper beside him.
Inside the gift box was a small Firebolt model. Harry took it out and was about to examine it closely in his palm when the broom model "whooshed" out, trailing blue flames on its tail.
After flying around the room, it returned to Harry's palm.
"Brilliant."
Harry was very pleased; this unique alchemy object must be Vid's handiwork and not something sent by someone else in his name.
"Quick, see what Vid sent you as a gift?" Harry asked Michael curiously.
Michael tore off the last layer of wrapping paper and found inside a palm-sized...
"Cat house? No, it should be a fox house." Harry looked closely and said to Michael, "Maybe it's for your poppet?"
"It shouldn't be that simple."
Michael held the "cat house" and examined it, finding a button-like protrusion on the side, which he lightly pressed.
With a "bang," the "cat house" instantly expanded, floating lightly in the air like a cloud, with a soft indentation in the center that looked perfect for a lazy nap.
Harry burst into laughter: "Vid must be saying you're too lazy!"
Michael shrugged: "Alright, now we don't have to squeeze onto one bed!"
The two joked with each other, then eagerly went on to open their other gifts, the worries weighing on their hearts seemingly dissipating over the day.
Since Vid could send gifts, he could also send letters, so the person who took him was probably not an enemy, just an eccentric wizard?
"Oh no!"
Harry, having dug out the hooded leather jacket Mrs. Weasley had sent, remembered something and his face changed immediately.
"I didn't send the gift to Vid last night! I thought he wouldn't be able to receive it!"
Michael was stunned, then immediately jumped up: "Quick, quick, I didn't send mine either!"
The two hurriedly retrieved the package from the suitcase, coaxing Hedwig in a good-hearted manner, and finally got the temperamental lady to fly out with the parcel.
This time, the owl did not return swiftly.
...
However, contrary to what both thought, the Christmas gifts would be sent to Vid, Hedwig flew into the previous house in Westminster District, dropping the package by the bed.
Looking at the empty bed, the owl tilted its head, "hoo hoo" called twice, thinking Christmas gifts should be delivered to the bedside, it reassuredly headed back home.
By the bed, a Cube Poppet, resembling a square cabinet, wobbled slightly, "bang," and two antennae topped with eyes popped up, then two metal claws extended from the side, with four wheels emerging below.
It rolled over, tidied up the newly arrived two gifts, and looked up at the tall pile of presents, dazed for a moment.
Outside the window, the sound of owl wings flapping could be heard again.
The organs extended by the Cube Poppet quickly retracted, leaving only a single spinning eye, observing the surroundings.
Following the owl appearing outside the window were two wizards riding broomsticks.
An owl's flight speed is only 45 kilometers, nearly all Flying Broomsticks can easily exceed this speed, but flying fast in the high skies in the dead of winter on broomsticks is not a very comfortable thing. The two wizards were frozen blue, with thick frost on their eyebrows and eyelashes.
They passed through the window, landed in the warm bedroom, and instinctively sighed in relief, but looking at the neat bed and pile of gifts in the room, their faces showed disappointment.
"I should have guessed. No matter who took Vid, they couldn't possibly give him this level of freedom."
Lupin said gloomily: "The gifts were probably sent out before he disappeared, with a scheduled delivery time."
The Owl Post Office can also provide this timed delivery service, but before they came, they still held onto a one-in-a-thousand chance.
Lupin waved his magic wand, placing the two gift boxes back on the cabinet, Sirius asked: "How are Vid's parents?"
"Alastor is protecting them," Lupin said, "I told them Vid is spending Christmas with friends this year, but I think..."
"Hmm?"
"Vid's father seems to have figured something out," Lupin said.
Sirius fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "Even if he guessed, there's nothing he can do... But as long as we can keep it from them, let's do so for a while longer. After all, they are Muggles, even if they worry... it doesn't help at all."
The remark was somewhat callous, but Lupin understood, such was the reality.
"This year has really been tumultuous," Lupin frowned and said, "That Obscurial named Mabel hasn't been found, three people improbably escaped from Azkaban, and we can't find their whereabouts; Dementors are flying everywhere, Grindelwald escaped as well..."
Sirius brushed his messy black hair and frowned: "Dumbledore believes Grindelwald is the one who took Vid... If the poppet is used by the Witch Pure Party, won't Europe fall into chaos again?"
"Not necessarily... Currently, there's no Muggle leader capable of collaborating with that person..."
"With Grindelwald's abilities, controlling one or two Muggle leaders isn't impossible..."
The two discussed lowly for a while, the more they talked, the heavier the pressure felt, like a mountain on their chest, making it hard to breathe.