With the arrival of Christmas Eve, the tall Christmas tree in the center of the Dumbledores Old House living room was covered in colorful fairy lights, twinkling with a charming glow like scattered stars; these lights intertwined with the surrounding red and white decorations, forming a brilliant curtain of light that made the entire living room look dreamlike.
In the dining room adjacent to the living room, the rich aroma of food filled the air.
Adelaide, Alice, and Edward sat around a dining table laden with a sumptuous Christmas feast, enjoying roast turkey, honey-glazed ham, creamy mashed potatoes, smoked salmon, and other delicacies.
Adelaide was the first to pick up her knife and fork, cutting a piece of tender, juicy roast turkey and putting it into her mouth, savoring the wonderful flavor; Alice, on the other hand, had a particular fondness for the honey-glazed ham, chewing large mouthfuls with grease on her lips, completely unconcerned.
Only Edward, pale-faced and sporting two large dark circles under his eyes, showed no interest in the bountiful meal before him.
He absent-mindedly cut a small piece of tender salmon with his fork, chewed it a few times before quickly putting down his utensils, then picked up a wine glass to take a small sip, quietly waiting for Albus Dumbledore's return.
Seeing Edward's lack of appetite, Adelaide, sitting next to him, couldn't help but urge him, "Edward, eat a few more bites, otherwise you'll be back at the Ministry of Magic in a few days living on fish and chips every day again."
Edward shook his head and replied somewhat tiredly, "No need, thank you. I can wait for Mr. Dumbledore to return and enjoy some delicious desserts with him."
Adelaide raised her eyebrows and mumbled while stuffing a piece of roast chicken with skin into her mouth, "Are you sure? I received word that Great-Granduncle plans to be 'critically ill' tonight; Albus might not be back until the early hours of the morning at the earliest."
Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Edward's face, and he sighed helplessly, saying, "Even so, I must continue to wait! You have no idea, the interior of the Ministry of Magic has been a complete mess these past few days... In short, I urgently need Albus Dumbledore's guidance and advice, otherwise I fear I won't be able to handle the current complex situation."
After saying this, he turned his gaze back to the door, his eyes filled with expectation and anxiety.
Hearing those words, Adelaide lowered her head somewhat guiltily, focusing her attention entirely on the food in front of her, hurriedly ending the conversation that made her feel awkward.
After all, the source of the chaos currently facing the Ministry of Magic was the riot in Chinatown that she had caused—she should probably keep a low profile for the next few days.
At the same moment, far away at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore was in the middle of a grand banquet.
However, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere of the Great Hall was soon broken by the sudden arrival of an Owl.
This Owl from St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries plunged headfirst into Albus Dumbledore's plate, bringing him a shocking yet expected message: Gellert Grindelwald was critically ill, and Albus Dumbledore was urgently needed at St Mungos!
Albus Dumbledore sighed; the banquet had officially started at seven o'clock, and the Owl reached Hogwarts at seven-ten—he wondered if he should praise Gellert's thoughtfulness for knowing to leave him ten minutes for a pre-meal speech.
With an apologetic look, he stood up and apologized to the surrounding Professors, then quickly walked over to Professor McGonagall, who was black-faced and on the verge of exploding, and whispered a few quick words in her ear.
Before she could react, Albus Dumbledore hurried out of Hogwarts like a gust of wind.
There had been too much going on outside lately, and it seemed he hadn't handled Hogwarts' internal affairs for a long time; no wonder Minerva was unhappy—luckily he slipped away fast just now, or he would have definitely been lectured.
Albus Dumbledore breathed a long sigh of relief; with the reliable Minerva holding the fort at Hogwarts, he wouldn't have to worry about the various school matters before the start of the term.
Well, this was definitely not to escape Minerva's resentment and the mountain of documents; it was just that his affairs were too busy, and he truly had no time to return to Hogwarts during the holidays.
Thinking of this, his steps became even lighter as he sped straight toward Gellert's hospital room.
When Albus Dumbledore arrived outside the intensive care unit, Gellert Grindelwald had just passed the so-called "critical period."
Albus Dumbledore's lip twitched; Gellert's "critical illness" was certainly intelligent!
What made him even more speechless was the scene inside the room; Gellert Grindelwald's face was as pale as paper, and he looked incredibly weak, as if he might breathe his last at any moment—yet despite this sickly appearance, he didn't forget to direct his subordinates to busily decorate the room.
In a short while, a dining table covered with a white tablecloth appeared in the intensive care unit.
On the table were not only scented candles emitting a charming fragrance but also a basket of delicate red roses; combined with the various medical supplies in the St Mungos room draped with rainbow ribbons, the entire ward looked like a beautiful yet eerie painting.
Several simple yet elegant light dishes were placed on the table: two Blue Dragon Sashimi, a plate of oysters, a plate of steamed fish, and scallops.
Beside these delicacies sat a chilled bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne made from Chardonnay, looking exceedingly elegant.
"Albus, it was so dangerous; I almost didn't wake up just now... I know my time is running out—"
Gellert Grindelwald's words were interrupted before he could finish; Albus Dumbledore's face was as calm as water, but his eyes revealed a hint of undeniable mockery and playfulness as he said slowly: "Mr. Grindelwald, you truly are an eye-opener! In all my years, this is the first time I've seen such an elegant critically ill patient."
"Look at this magnificent Wizard's ceremonial robe you're wearing, so bright and beautiful; where do you look like someone who just came back from death's door? Furthermore, as soon as you were resuscitated, you couldn't wait to invite an acquaintance to enjoy this sumptuous Christmas dinner—judging by your posture, you even seem to intend to drink a few glasses of fine wine; can a critically ill patient's physical condition withstand the stimulation of alcohol?"
It had to be said that Adelaide still had much to learn from her Great-Granduncle; at least Gellert Grindelwald's thick skin was far beyond what Adelaide could currently compare to.
Even though Albus Dumbledore had made his sarcastic words perfectly clear, he still managed to shamelessly pretend he had just been rescued from death's door, his consciousness seemingly still in a state of chaos, as if he found it difficult to understand what others were saying.
After Albus Dumbledore finished speaking, Gellert continued unhurriedly, "I hoped that while I am still in this world, I could spend what might be the last Christmas of my life with you..."
In truth, Albus Dumbledore's mind was as clear as a mirror; he knew full well that the so-called "last Christmas of his life" was purely a narrative deliberately fabricated to win his sympathy and soften his heart.
However, when these words were actually uttered from Gellert's mouth, Albus Dumbledore's heart still couldn't help but twitch violently, pain instantly spreading through his entire body.
At this point, faced with such an earnest request, even knowing it contained false elements, Albus Dumbledore could not find the heart to flatly refuse.
Fine, since he was already here, he might as well have a meal.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!