Once Rozier left, Alex sat back, thinking. His instincts were spot on—Wilkes and his group were ying low, likely because Professor Burns had been keeping a closer wat Hogwarts tely. Still, it seemed Burns wasn’t aware of Alex’s ret as ihroom, which meant the professor’s focus was elsewhere—probably on the older students.

  "I o speed up my pns," Alex thought, his eyes narrowing with determination. "They’re not going to back down, so her I. The few months will be critical."

  When the Christmas holidays arrived, Alex chose to stay at Hogwarts, deg to use the break to train and gather resources. His resolve tthen himself only deepened as he prepared for what y ahead.

  During the break, Alex spent much of his time at the in the Forbidden Forest. Through letters exged with Augusta Longbottom, he learned more about what had happeo Frank and Alice. They had endured horrific torture, leaving them with devastating injuries and almost plete memory loss. Now, they were in St. Mungo’s Hospital, with little hope for recovery. Augusta’s letters carried an undercurrent of heartbreak, but her strength shohrough—for Neville’s sake, if nothing else.

  "They think they’re untouchable," Alex muttered to himself, his eyes glinting with a dangerous resolve. "But if they e for me, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise."

  Hagrid was thrilled to have Alex around during the holidays, even though Alex spent most of his time in his room. From within, the sound of hammering and crafting echoed through the forest. When Alex asked Hagrid for a piece of Chimaera skin as a Christmas gift, the half-giant happily obliged, handing over a thick, durable piece of leather he’d been using as a pillow cover. The Chimaera skin—tough aant—erfect for Alex’s purposes.

  One evening over dinner, Hagrid couldn’t help but ent when he saw Alex p over a book on wizarding families. "Readin’ about pure-bloods, are yeh? Never figured yeh’d be ied in that lot."

  Alex shrugged, not looking up. "Just doing some homework. You know the saying—know yourself and know your enemy. It never hurts to be prepared."

  Hagrid frowned, an uneasy feeliling in. "Prepared for what? Somethin’ dangerous, I’m guessin’?"

  Alex gave a small smile, brushing off the . "Nothing specific," he said, then added thoughtfully, "Did you know that wheernational Statute of Secrecy was introduced, a lot of pure-bloods opposed it? They wanted an open war with Muggles."

  Hagrid grimaced. "That’s a horrible thought."

  "Over time, though, most of those families ged their minds," Alex tinued. "Now they go out of their way to support the secrecy w. That’s part of why they don’t all back the Death Eaters."

  "Why’d they ge their tune?" Hagrid asked, curiosity lighting his features.

  "Money and power," Alex said dryly. "Plenty of them have made fortunes mingling with Muggles—marriages, business deals, buying up nd. Some have even wormed their way into Muggle high society. It’s in their best io keep things quiet instead of letting the Death Eaters wreck it all."

  "Greed, as usual," Hagrid muttered.

  Alex tilted his head thoughtfully. "There’s another reason. If wizards and Muggles ever went to war... who do you think would win?"

  The idea of an emergency device felt innovative, especially in the wizarding world, where there wasn’t any instant way to call for help. Alex had drawn inspiration from a rune applications in a book Sirius had sent him. He’d modeled the ’s meics loosely on the Floo work, though its range was limited to Hogwarts. He’d made several and giveo friends like Vivian and Charles as Christmas presents.

  Hagrid beamed, clearly impressed. "So now, if I need you, I just use this! Alex, that’s brilliant!"

  Alex chuckled, pleased with the rea. He pulled out a small notebook—another alchemical creation—that was desigo receive messages from the s he’d handed out. This way, he could tray alerts immediately.

  The evening passed with ughter as they tested the over a hot pot dinner. Outside, snow fell softly, and the warmth of the hut made the holiday feel cozy and bright.

  In the following days, Alex kept busy i, w on spells and crafting alchemical tools. Owls flew in and out, deliveriers and gifts from friends. Charles and Professonagall sent him Quidditch memorabilia, while Vivian, knowing his love of books, sent him rare magical tomes. Professor Bones went even further, sending three ounces of goblin silver and a set of fine carving knives.

  Through Professor Bones’ letter, Alex learhe grim truth about the Longbottoms. Their dition was worse than anyone had feared. They couldn’t remember anyone, not even family, and were uo care for themselves. Their future was fio the hospital, where they’d need stant care.

  The letter alsht news of a raid in Surrey. Led by Moody, Aurors had discovered the Lestrange family’s hideout. After a fierce battle, Beltrix Lestrange and her followers were captured ao Azkaban, though two Aurors were seriously injured in the fight. Professor Bohanked Alex, noting that the information he’d provided had beeo log the stronghold.

  Alex sighed, shaking his head. "They need better strategies," he muttered. "Why don’t they pn their attacks in stages? Cover all angles? Instead, they just charge in like kids in a schoolyard fight."

  As the holidays drew to a close, a package arrived for Alex, delivered by a dignified owl. Inside, he found a pair of boots made from Chimaera hide, a gift Hagrid had given him. He’d spent five Galleons at Diagon Alley to have the boots ade, and they didn’t disappoint. Sturdy and well-crafted, they were perfect for his project.

  "It’s time to start building my tactical gear," Alex said, a smile spreading across his face.

  He envisiohe gear in his mind: it would handle five funs—sensing, jamming, movement, prote, and offehe boots would cover movement, enhanced with runes for Shock Absorption, Silence, Energy Absorption, and Speed Boost. Since his broom-flying wasn’t reliable in a fight, these boots would give him the quick mobility he needed.

  Alex’s mind raced with possibilities as he turhe boots over in his hands. It was just the beginning.

  Hagrid scratched his head, mulling over the question. "Well, wizards know magic, so I re they’d have the upper hand," he said with a shrug.

  Alex shook his head. "Not really. If an actual war broke out, the wizarding world wouldn’t stand a ce against a full-scale Muggle attack. Muggle ons are far more advahan most wizards realize. Holy, it’d be a miracle if wizards could even escape unscathed from a Muggle raid. Some pure-blood families uand this—they’ve had enough dealings with Muggles to know. That’s one reason they avoid pushing for a war that could wipe them out."

  Hagrid looked stunned. "Are Muggles really that dangerous? I’ve met plenty of them—they ’t do magic, ’t make things vanish or turn mito teacups."

  "You’re right, they don’t have magic," Alex admitted. "But when it es to raw destructive power? There’s no parison. Have you ever seen a spell that destroy aire isnd in one go?"

  Hagrid’s eyes widened. "Blimey! You’re joking. There’s no magic that strong, is there?"