20demayo Chapter 286 Christmas Eve Activities and Sentiments
Chapter 286 Christmas Eve Activities and Sentiments
Chapter 286 Christmas Eve Activities and Sentiments
On the morning of Christmas Eve, Plymouth Harbor was shrouded in a thin, chilly fog, but the Hawthorne house was already warm and bright. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of roasting gingerbread, cinnamon, and roast turkey.
As is a long-standing Hawthorne family tradition, the whole family would go to the nearby church for Christmas carols in the morning. Karen changed into a well-fitting casual suit that his mother had prepared in advance, looking more composed than usual. Lily, on the other hand, wore her favorite velvet dress, looking like a little lady.
The church was solemn and dignified, yet filled with a festive atmosphere. The organ played melodious tunes, and the choir's voices were ethereal and beautiful. Community residents gathered, smiling and nodding to each other, praying and singing hymns. Karen wasn't a devout believer, but he respected and enjoyed the sense of community and peaceful atmosphere that this tradition brought. Standing beside his family, listening to the familiar hymns, he felt a sense of peace in this non-magical, purely faith-based and traditional ritual.
After the ceremony, back home, Emily began finalizing preparations for the evening's Christmas dinner in the kitchen. David was in charge of tending the yard and checking the house, while Karen and Lily were assigned the task of setting the table.
Exquisite porcelain, gleaming silver cutlery, pristine white napkins, and a central holly and pine cone decoration—everything was perfectly arranged.
Dinner was far more lavish than lunch. The main course was a giant turkey, meticulously roasted by Emily, with a golden-brown, crispy skin and stuffed with delicious herb filling, accompanied by roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, Parmesan cheese, and David's favorite, rich, thick breadcrumbs. Dessert was a classic Christmas pudding, served on a lit flame with brandy, the blue flames leaping and eliciting a soft gasp from Lily.
"For my family, for my health, for my safety," David said, raising his glass filled with fruit juice.
"For reunion," Emily added with a smile, her gaze gently sweeping over Karen.
"For Christmas presents!" Lily whispered impatiently, making everyone laugh.
"For magic!" Karen smiled and touched Lily's cup.
The dinner table was filled with relaxed and pleasant conversation. David inquired with great interest about the cleanliness of Hogwarts Castle, "With so many towers and staircases, how do you keep it clean? Doesn't it get dusty?" Cullen could only explain that there were cleaning charms and house-elves. Emily, on the other hand, was more concerned about Cullen's friends, carefully inquiring about Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto's Christmas this year. When she heard that Ernesto had chosen to stay at school, she even sighed softly.
After dinner, everyone sat in the living room, enjoying the post-dinner tranquility. Night deepened outside, but the room was warm and cozy. Suddenly, David, the father, stood up and went to the closet, rummaging through it as he searched. "Hmm—it's still early, and it's cold," he said. "How about we do something family-friendly? I remember we bought a Monopoly set a while ago; where's it—?"
Lily immediately perked up and jumped up from the carpet: "Monopoly! Great! I want to play! Mommy, shall we play Monopoly?" She ran to Emily's side, grabbed her hand and shook it, her little face full of anticipation.
Emily smiled and patted Lily's hair, then looked at David. "That sounds like a good idea, darling. It'll help with digestion. Karen, what do you think?" Her gentle gaze shifted to Karen.
Karen, seeing the expectant looks in his parents' and sister's eyes, deliberately made a slightly exaggerated, helpless expression, sighed softly, and shrugged, "Alright, alright, since you all want to play so much—I guess I'll have to go with the majority." His tone carried a hint of teasing grievance, but his eyes already betrayed genuine amusement. He actually thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of his family sitting together, engaging in this simple yet interactive game; it made him feel more relaxed and warm than any complicated magic experiment.
"Great!" Lily cheered and immediately ran to help David find the game box.
Soon, the Monopoly game box that had been sitting there for a while was found; Cullen had bought it before going to Hogwarts. They wiped off the dust. Together, they cleaned the coffee table, spread out the game board, and scattered brightly colored community cards, small metal tokens, thick stacks of counterfeit money, and dice, instantly creating a familiar and joyful competitive atmosphere.
"You all know the rules, right?" David took on the roles of referee and banker, skillfully distributing the starting funds, with a serious expression on his face that said, "The game has begun, and I won't hold back."
"Of course!" Lily exclaimed, clutching her "treasure" tightly.
"Same as always." Emily smiled as she sorted through her banknotes; she was usually the luckiest one.
Karen picked up the little boot token that represented him and smiled. "Do your best."
The battle was indeed as "intense" as expected. David displayed the shrewd calculations and strategic vision of an engineer, keen on acquiring every railroad and utility he could get his hands on, and began building red hotels on some high-end properties, attempting to construct his "business empire." "Toll fee, thank you." He always spoke calmly when collecting money, but his expression was quite smug.
Emily, on the other hand, seemed to be particularly favored by Lady Luck. She always managed to cleverly avoid the fee traps set by David, or unexpectedly draw a "bank error benefits you" welfare card. Her wealth grew steadily, and she always had a calm smile on her face.
Lily, on the other hand, played the game purely for fun. She always approached it with a sense of ritual, clenching her little hands tightly, blowing a puff of good luck before throwing the dice. Every time she bought a piece of land or drew a good card, she would clap her hands with joy. Her strategy—basically none at all, entirely based on her mood—was infectious, but her pure happiness infected everyone.
Karen calculated his optimal investment strategy while enjoying the relaxed and fun interaction with his family. He noticed Lily particularly wanted the orange-colored plot of land but couldn't seem to roll the correct number, and David would likely acquire it in the next round. A barely perceptible smile played on Karen's lips. When it was his turn to roll the dice, his fingers twitched extremely slightly under the table, and a faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation of magic swept across the dice.
The dice rolled and stopped, landing on exactly the number Lily needed.
"Wow! It's mine!" Lily screamed excitedly, almost leaping onto the chessboard to buy the piece of land, dancing with joy.
David raised an eyebrow, glanced at the dice, then at the innocent-looking Karen, and finally just smiled helplessly and shook his head: "Good luck, Lily."
The game proceeded amidst laughter and joy, and ultimately, thanks to a bit of "luck" and Emily's consistently good luck, the mother-daughter alliance unexpectedly emerged victorious. Watching his sister cheer and proudly boast to the "defeated" father and son, Karen felt a hundred times happier than if he had won the game himself. This harmonious family atmosphere was something he cherished most deep down.
By the time the game ended, it was already late at night. Then came the agreed-upon part: everyone could open a Christmas present beforehand.
"Mine! Mine! I'll go first!" Lily eagerly picked up the biggest one Karen had given her.
A beautifully packaged box.
She carefully tore open the wrapping paper, opened the box, and instantly let out a high-pitched, delighted scream: "Wow—!!!"
Inside the box was the "Little Witch Magic Toy Set" that Karen had described. The small toy wand, with a soft white crystal at the top, was taken out first. Lily gripped it tightly and instinctively waved it, and a string of colorful soap bubbles immediately shot out from the tip of the wand, sparkling under the light.
"Oh my God!" Lily was both surprised and delighted. She tried waving again, and a few shimmering, feather-like phantoms gently drifted down.
"Fantastic!" She put down her wand, then took out the magic bracelets that changed color and pattern with the rhythm of her clapping and put them on her wrist. Next was the stuffed animal book with the little unicorn that could walk and make soft hissing sounds. Finally, there was the soft, fluffy hat that supposedly changed color according to its mood, which was now a bright, excited yellow on Lily's head. She happily spun around the living room, trying out each toy, her little face flushed with excitement.
"Karen! Thank you! This is my absolute favorite gift!" She rushed over and hugged Karen tightly, then ran back to playing with her new baby. Emily and David looked at their daughter's happy face and smiled at each other.
"Alright, it's my turn." David picked up the rectangular, meticulously wrapped box that Karen had given him.
He was visibly stunned when he opened the packaging and saw the exquisitely detailed "Seagull" magic model inside, a perfect replica of every detail. He carefully took it out, held it in his palm, and examined it closely under the light, his face showing undisguised amazement.
"This—this is truly—" He couldn't find the right words for a moment, "The craftsmanship—it's practically the same as the real thing! No, it's even more perfect than the real thing!" He gently touched the miniature bridge and deck, even able to see the tiny rivets and cables. "It really—can it move on its own?"
“Of course, Dad.” Karen nodded, reaching out to gently touch a tiny rune on the bottom of the model ship’s cabin. “Touching this activation rune will allow it to sail on water for a long time.”
The model vibrated slightly, as if it had come to life. The miniature propeller began to spin slowly, emitting an extremely faint hum. David stared wide-eyed at the miniature boat "resurrected" in his palm, his face showing an almost childlike wonder and focus. He stared at the steadily rotating propeller and the magical propulsion method for a full minute before he couldn't help but exclaim, "Magic is indeed efficient in some ways—unbelievable—this endurance—what's the working principle behind it? It's truly amazing!"
He tried to understand it from an engineering perspective, but in the end he could only shake his head and exclaim, "Amazing, so amazing!"
"Thank you, son, this gift—it's very special." His tone was full of genuine affection and fatherly pride.
Next was Emily. She opened the gift, which looked like a flowerpot, with some curiosity. Karen stepped forward and explained, "Mom, this is a smart herb pot. You just put it on the windowsill and put a regular flowerpot inside. The runes at the bottom sense the soil moisture and the plant's condition. When needed, it automatically condenses tiny amounts of moisture from the air and releases very weak, beneficial magical fluctuations that promote growth. You won't have to constantly remember to water it, which is great for your herbs. If you try it and like it, I can buy some more."
He demonstrated by placing a slightly wilted basil plant inside, activating the runes on the base. The runes emitted a soft white light, and after a few minutes, the basil leaves seemed to straighten up a bit.
Emily looked on with delight. "Oh! This is so thoughtful, Karen! It's true, sometimes when the hospital gets busy, we really forget about taking care of them." She bent down to examine the faintly glowing runes closely, then looked up at Karen, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, darling. This is more useful than anything else." She hugged Karen.
Finally, it was Karen's turn to open the gifts his parents had given him. Although there were two gifts, seeing the ones his parents were holding, Karen didn't keep his promise to only open one. David handed him a rather heavy, carefully wrapped package.
Karen opened the box and found a set of hardcover books titled "Hogwarts: A History of the School," "Studies in the History of Modern Magic," and "Basic Rune Analysis," among others. They looked like advanced reading materials for Hogwarts students. Sure enough, the outer packaging said it was recommended by the Daily Prophet: "Essential Reading for Outstanding Hogwarts Students."
"Uh, thank you, Dad." Karen looked at the books, his feelings a mix of emotions. He had read these books long ago, and their contents were even somewhat simplistic to him. But when he looked up and saw the expectant yet uncertain look in his father's eyes, he immediately understood. His father didn't truly understand the knowledge system of the magical world; he was simply trying to choose a useful gift for his son based on information he had gleaned from the newspaper. This clumsy yet sincere gesture warmed Karen's heart, and his initial slight amusement instantly transformed into deep emotion.
"I like it very much, Dad," he said sincerely.
His mother, Emily, gave him a hand-knitted wool sweater, a comfortable dark blue, with the Ravenclaw College blue-copper trim carefully woven into the collar and cuffs.
"I hope the size is right," Emily said a little shyly. "I don't know if you guys often wear casual clothes to school, but I was thinking it might come in handy in winter. Do you like the color?"
Karen took the sweater; it was soft and warm to the touch, filled with a mother's love. "I love it, Mom."
"The color is perfect, and the size is definitely right. Thank you, it's very warm." He immediately put the sweater over his shirt, and it fit him perfectly. Emily looked at it, a satisfied and relieved smile on her face.
David looked at his wife and son and explained gently, "We—well, we know too little about the magical world, and we don't know what you young people like. We can only choose based on our feelings, and hopefully we didn't make the wrong choice." He patted the set of books. "It might be too easy for you."
"No, the gifts are wonderful, really," Karen said confidently, touching his sweater and looking at the set of books. "I really love them. Thank you." These loving gifts from family may be very ordinary, but to him they are more precious than any expensive magical item.
The gift-giving session ended in a warm atmosphere. Lily was still excitedly testing her new toys, Emily was starting to tidy up the wrapping paper, and David was still engrossed in studying his amazing model ship, even taking out a magnifying glass to examine the details.
Karen helped her mother tidy up, and looking at the harmonious scene in the living room, she felt a sense of peace and contentment.