Chapter 231 The Firebolt
By the time Evan returned to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione had already come back. She sat at the bar, absentmindedly listening to Harry beside her.
In front of the two individuals sat two large glasses of orange juice, constantly fizzing.
It looked very delightful, but neither seemed to have the mood to drink juice.
Hermione blushed, unconsciously fiddling with her glass, recalling over and over how Evan had kissed her under the mistletoe.
She hadn't expected them to actually kiss that night!
It seemed to have felt good. Hermione still remembered Evan's scent.
Of course, despite the sweetness of that moment, she now had to compose herself and reflect on it. That behavior was too embarrassing, too scandalous.
The more Hermione thought about it, the more flushed she became, her mind a whirl; completely oblivious to what Harry was saying, seated beside her.
She didn't know how to face Evan again, if things would continue as they were, or...
Due to her shyness, Hermione rushed back to the Leaky Cauldron without a second thought. She thought Evan would return soon, but now that she had been there for so long, and didn't see Evan's figure, she started to feel restless again.
She wasn't sure if she should go out to look for Evan. He might still be waiting for her in that alley, or be upset because she left suddenly.
Perhaps she should explain herself...
In contrast to Hermione lost in thought, Harry was in good spirits.
He looked around excitedly, laughing happily all the while. This was Harry's first Christmas party. He was surrounded by Lupin, Sirius, Evan, and Hermione. He felt completely free, without any inhibitions. There was no need to abide by so many rules.
In his past thirteen years, this kind of situation was simply unimaginable.
Every Christmas at the Dursleys', he sat gloomily beside Dudley, eating the awful food Aunt Petunia gave him, gazing enviously at Dudley showing off his Christmas gifts, or hiding alone in a cupboard under the stairs.
Even having spent the Christmases at Hogwarts for the last two years, he never felt something like this.
In Harry's opinion, this Christmas was the best. And to make everything even better, he had just received a Christmas gift from Sirius.
Initially, he thought Sirius had forgotten him, and felt a bit downcast.
He knew it wasn't Sirius's fault. So much had happened today, especially after the Regulus incident, Sirius must be heartbroken.
It never occurred to Harry that Sirius hadn't forgotten him, and had carefully prepared a Christmas gift for him.
And this gift was a genuine Firebolt, the same one he used to look at and dream about every day when he was in Diagon Alley during the summer holidays.
This was truly incredible, and Harry couldn't believe it until now.
He knew the price of the Firebolt, which was astronomical. As Evan said, a Firebolt could be more expensive than all the brooms of Hogwarts students combined, and not even Malfoy would receive such a valuable Christmas gift.
The Firebolt had surpassed the category of a common gift, and this astonishing world-class broom, with an astounding price, was in every sense a work of art.
Only professional Quidditch players were entitled to own it.
And now, he himself had a Firebolt!
Harry had dreamed of it countless times, but always woke up to a harsh reality. He thought he would be content with his beloved Nimbus 2000.
When his Nimbus 2000 was shattered by the Whomping Willow during the match against Hufflepuff two months ago, Harry thought his life in Quidditch had lost its meaning.
But now, Sirius had gifted him with a Firebolt.
Harry would never forget the scene in his life, even though Sirius had explained to him on several occasions that this Firebolt was compensation for Harry's involuntary slip up when Black appeared on the Quidditch field in his animagus form, scaring him.
But Harry knew it wasn't his fault. He just wanted to see how it performed in the game. It was the Dementors who ultimately destroyed his Nimbus 2000.
Watching Sirius anxiously, Harry had no idea what to say.
He simply embraced him, exerting all his strength, and tears of joy and excitement flowed uncontrollably.
From Sirius, Harry felt the lost familial affection long gone.
He sat in front of the bar, excitedly staring down the passage to Diagon Alley, waiting for Evan to return. He would first take him to see his Firebolt.
Evan had just opened the door and stepped into the Leaky Cauldron when Harry and Hermione came running towards him, both in a hurry as if they had something to say.
He stood there, wondering what was happening.
In his mind, there were only thoughts related to vampires. He was going to gather some magic books on those bloodsuckers, and learn more about their magic.
If he ever met that girl named Elaine again, he wouldn't be so passive.
Evan's thoughts were forcefully drawn away from vampires and he looked at Harry and Hermione, who had strange expressions on their faces. He didn't know what was happening to them!
Harry was smiling, and it seemed something pleasant had occurred.
Hermione, standing behind him, was flushed and was looking at Evan in a very unnatural way. The girl must still be thinking about what had happened between them.
Evan just looked at her, and she quickly averted her gaze.
As if aware of her awkward behavior, Hermione apparently took a deep breath and moved her clenched fist through the air.
The next moment, her gaze returned, and she mustered the courage to look back at Evan.
Hermione's expression returned to normal, looking as usual except for her flushed face.
Indeed, Hermione's face seemed calm, but deep in her heart, it was pounding hard.
When Evan finally stopped staring at her, she silently sighed in relief.
Evan didn't know Hermione's true state. Deep down, he was somewhat disappointed.
If it weren't for the vampire girl who appeared out of nowhere, he was going to confess to Hermione tonight.
This was a unique opportunity, and now he had missed it!
Though it was a pity, Evan carefully considered it. This was the usual Hermione.
There will be other days. Suddenly, he was looking forward to the next Christmas...
Beside them, Harry didn't notice anything unusual about them. He said cheerfully, "Come on, Evan, I'll show you something..."
He ran up the stairs with Evan, Hermione followed them.
"What do you want to show me?" Evan asked curiously. "What's up, why are you so happy?"
"I just received a gift from Sirius. It's incredible. Guess what Sirius gave me," Harry said, turning to look at Evan.
"I know. It's a Firebolt!" Evan realized why Harry was so excited.
He already knew. If it weren't for so many things happening today, Sirius would have already brought out this gift and wouldn't have waited until now.
"How did you know that?" Harry looked at Evan surprised.
"Did you forget that on the last day of the Christmas holidays, I secretly accompanied Hermione to Hogsmeade. I saw Sirius, who was a fugitive there, risking being caught. He went to the Post Office to order the broom," Evan explained. "I thought you had already received it!"
Upon hearing Evan's explanation, Harry thought Sirius had done so much for him. He was even more touched.