The following days after the visit to the headmaster's office were filled with Linus attending class and after checking his potion and going to the training hall. This wasn't all that uncommon behavior, but he had grown distant. He didn't talk much with his group and didn't really sit together anymore to eat and if he did he finished eating fast to leave.
"Do you think he is angry." Niko asked Sigrun who was standing beside him in the training hall, they were watching Linus from a distance shooting spells at dummies.
Sigrun shock her head. "No, if he was angry, he would say that." She knew Linus, he wasn't the type to go around quiet when he was angry.
The dummies blew apart into pieces with a thunderous bang. one the dust settled he stood looking at place where the dummy had stood. Deep in thought he looked at the dummy.
The book laid on the bench behind him, the one thing that had made him think more than anything before. he looked at the black book.
As the hall became quiet around him, he aimed his wand towards the book and a torrent of fire erupted from the tip. The book and bench took fire. And in a few seconds only ash remained.
Professor Volkov who stood at the other end of the hall looked at the spectacle and gave a nod. But Linus didn't return the feeling and only gave him a cold look before returning to blow up dummies.
The book had given him a new sight, but not one to follow. But maybe explore and change, the idea was brutal but not wrong, the only thing that was wrong was the idea that wizards should rule over everyone. A superior race, that's what Grindelwald was thinking. Linus didn't think that was fitting, but one thing he agreed with the Dark lord about was not to hide from the normal world. The problem with this idea was that both wizards and muggles would find a way to use it for their own benefit turning it into a hell.
The days after that passed in a blur as he followed his rutin. Going to classes ching his potion, training on spells and curses. The hallways looked the same each day that passed.
"Alright snap out of it, what is wrong with you" Sigrun asked while Linus sat in his armchair by the fireplace. The others around quietly left the room.
He looked up to see Sigrun standing over him with her arms crossed and a annoyed expression on her face.
She waited for his response.
"I just have a lot on my mind right now." He answered casually.
While everyone was thinking about school and homework and Christmas that was just around the corner. Linus had other things, his house was right now going through a big expansion, shops opening up and operations being planned. You would think he would think about the book and Grindelwald but that wasn't at all what he was thinking about. The book had been interesting yes, but it didn't really change how he would be or anything. And the potion took up a lot of his thinking, it had recently begun becoming clear, 4 months too early, even during his last check he thought it would take at least two or three more months.
Many kids his age right now had parents overlooking their own houses but, Linus had to do that. Sure he was assisted by Astrid who could run the House 75% when he wasn't home, but the 25% still had to be managed at the same time during school and training.
Sigrun still wasn't happy with the answer and it was visible on her face.
"Well you better tell me about what's on your mind then." She picked the book he was holding and threw it onto the ground before sitting down in his lap facing him. She put her face very close to his and once again said. "Tell me". Her tone was serious.
Linus thought about it for a moment, then thought how light she actually was before answering. "Its just the house need to be managed at the same time as school and the potion." He stopped and looked her eyes, she wanted to know more. "I promise that's it." he finally said.
This seemed to have made her relax a little.
Linus looked over the whole situation right now, "Why did you decide that sitting in my lap would be the best way to have this talk?" he said, he had almost this smirk on his face.
After just a moment of her thinking about it, her face exploded into a red color and she darted out of the room and slammed her dorm room shut.
The room stayed silent for a moment until it was broken by the fireplace which made a pop. And Linus couldn't hold in a little laugh.
'This girl is something else' he thought as he waved his hand making the dropped book return to its spot in the bookshelf.
Footsteps returned to the common room in ones and twos, people drifting back in once they sensed the tension had passed. Someone asked what they had missed. Someone else shrugged and said nothing important. Linus stayed where he was, leaning back in the armchair, one arm resting along the side as he stared into the fire.
He was still smiling, faintly.
Christmas went passed in heavy snowfall and Christmas wrapper. Linus didn't go home for Christmas, he instead chose to stay and look over his potion. But he made sure Astrid has gotten everyone presents that he wanted to give to. Even to people far away.
In the Castle that was Hogwarts, Harry and Ron sat around the Christmas tree in the commonroom. They had already opened their presents from everyone else but saw that there were still packages left.
"Who is this from?" Ron took out one of the presents and looked at it, "It's from Linus Gray, Harry!"
Harry's expression turned from confused to happy in an instant.
He looked at the present for a bit, almost hesitating. "Open it!" Ron told him loudly.
Harry tore up the wrapping and opened the box. Inside laid a book. "a book?" he took it out of the box and looked at the cover. "spells of the wizard" he looked at the cover where there was a simple rose depicted.
"I've never heard of such book, maybe we should ask Hermoine when she returns." Ron said. He the looked again under the tree and saw another package. "He even gave one to me!" he exclaimed tearing up the wrapping.
What he saw was beautiful chessboard made from hardened ice, and the figures were made of iron with delicate details. "That is really nice Ron" Harry said looking at the pieces.
Ron looked the pieces and was almost sweating. "This must have cost a fortune…" the two continued to talk and played the chessboard.
Inside a home in London sat Hermoine Granger with her parents' opening presents.
"Here is another package for you dear, it was delivered this morning." Monica said as she held out a present.
Hermoine stretched out to grab it and put it down on the floor. she carefully read the note on the package and smiled slightly. She opened the package and inside was a mix of things, books, magical quills and some Swedish treats.
She carefully looked at the books, and almost jumped.
"What is it dear?" her mother asked.
Hermoine didn't answer as she looked through the pages of the books that had been gifted. She had been given a lot of Durmstrang specific books, like potions and spells. This would help her get an ever deeper understanding of the magical world.
Inside a manor in the British countryside.
The Greengrass family sat around the dinner table eating after having finished opening their presents.
"Did you like your new broom Astoria?" Lady Greengrass asked as the ate.
Astoria finished chewing her food and nodded with a smile. "yes mother, thank you again."
Daphne looked at the now empty Christmas tree, she was feeling a little down as she had expected a present from Mr. Gray. but soon turned to the door of the dinner hall, a butler came in carrying a package. And she got excited, and when she saw the butler going over the her, she felt that her heart could jump out at any moment.
The butler stopped beside her chair and placed the package gently on the table, as if it were something fragile. Daphne stared at it for a second longer than necessary before touching it, fingers resting lightly on the paper.
"There you are," Lady Greengrass said calmly, continuing her meal. "Seems you were not forgotten after all."
Daphne nodded, a little too quickly. "It appears not."
She lifted the package and turned it over. The wrapping was simple, dark green paper tied with silver string, neat and careful. No excess. No flourish. Very much like Linus himself. Tucked beneath the string was a small card with her name written in precise handwriting.
She slid a finger under the string and untied it slowly, almost deliberately, as if she wanted to stretch the moment. The paper came away easily. Inside was a narrow wooden box, polished smooth, warm to the touch despite the winter air.
Astoria leaned forward. "What is it?"
Daphne opened the lid.
Inside laid a golden chain necklace, and hanging from it was a beautiful snowflake with a light blue stone in the middle, just like her rose she had been given.
For a moment, she did not speak.
Lady Greengrass paused, her fork hovering. She looked closer. "That is not ordinary work."
"Put it on" Astoria said, her eyes almost sparkling.
Daphne hesitated, then lifted the necklace from the box. The chain slid easily through her fingers, cool at first, then warming as it touched her skin. The snowflake charm caught the light from the candles, the pale blue stone at its center reflecting softly against the tableware.
She fastened it around her neck, fingers steady despite the slight tension in her shoulders.
Astoria smiled broadly. "It looks perfect."
Daphne glanced down at it, then up again, a small smile forming before she could stop it. "It really does."
While everyone was celebrating Christmas. Linus who didn't leave the school was sitting in the training hall on the cold floor, dummies around him were smoldering, burning, covered in ice or even gone completely. There were barley anyone still here at school, no one he usually talked with at least.
And he didn't mind that he was alone right now, he actually kind of enjoyed it. the silence calmed him, he heard the wolf howling in the distance and the cold seeping in through the cracks in the walls and windows.
But he also very much wished he could be with someone right now, 'Sigrun… Daphne…' wow I really am hopeless. He thought as he stood up and stretched.