Chapter 1042
Christmas Dinner
Chapter 1042 Christmas Dinner
On Christmas afternoon, the sun shone brightly, casting glittering light on the snow in the yard, like countless tiny diamonds falling from the sky.
Wade and his parents stood at the doorway. In the distance, the church bells had just rung, and the faint sound of children singing Christmas carols drifted over.
Listen! The angels are singing loudly.
Glory to the newborn king!
Peace on earth, and abundance of mercy.
God reconciled and rejoiced with sinners…
"Boom! Boom!"
The sound of a cane tapping the ground came from afar, growing louder as it approached. Ferdinand stepped forward, opened the door, and said happily:
"Alastor, you've come! I'm so glad you accepted my invitation!"
Moody walked into the courtyard from outside, snowflakes still clinging to the hem of his cloak. His demonic eye and his normal eye simultaneously swept over Wade, then he gripped Ferdinand's hand tightly and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you for inviting me to your Christmas dinner, Ferdinand."
Then he turned to Fiona, nodded and said, "Fiona, you've done a perfect job of creating a festive atmosphere."
“Thank you, Alastor!” Fiona said with a smile. “Come in, dinner is ready!”
Moody nodded to Wade again and said, "It's been a while, Wade."
Wade smiled and said, "Welcome, Professor Moody."
But after taking two steps forward, Moody did not immediately go inside. Instead, he stood on the path, leaning on his cane, his eyes quickly scanning the fence, rooftops, windows, rose bushes, and even the drainpipes on the courtyard wall.
He squinted and said in a gruff voice, "This house... is different from before."
“Of course!” Fiona said. “We put a lot of thought into decorating for Christmas this year! Look at all those lights and stickers, the whole family did it together.”
Moody stared at the eaves and said, "It is indeed beautiful, but Fiona, I'm not talking about these decorations."
"Huh?" Fiona tilted her head in confusion.
"I added some protective measures to this house," Wade explained.
Moody immediately looked at him and snorted, "No wonder... I felt something was off when I was outside the door. But if you ask me, you should have done this a long time ago!"
He glanced around again and muttered, "Not bad, kid, really not bad! If I were still at Hogwarts, I'd give you an extra fifty points!"
Although his tone remained firm, this was already a rare and high compliment for him.
Stepping inside, the warm air instantly envelops you, the Christmas tree lights gleam brilliantly, and the aroma of food seems to permeate every pore.
As Moody took off his cloak and hung it on the hanger, the Demon Eye darted around in its socket.
When he saw the three tiny, decorative puppets on the clock above the fireplace, his lips twitched involuntarily, and the muscles in his shoulders stiffened for a moment.
He sat down in the chair with a tense expression and somewhat unnatural movements.
Dinner was more lavish than I could have imagined: golden and crispy turkey, roast goose surrounded by chestnuts, fragrant honey-glazed ham, golden Yorkshire pudding, glistening roasted potatoes, and creamy baked spinach.
A wide variety of appetizers, salads, and dipping sauces were on display, and the desserts looked incredibly tempting, with Christmas pudding, mixed fruit tarts, cream muffins, various cookies, and chocolates piled high on the table.
Apart from the turkey, which is basically just for show, none of the other food items are there just to make up the numbers.
Even though Alastor Moody's material desires were almost completely depleted by years of vigilance, a long-lost longing honestly welled up in his stomach as he faced the Christmas dinner in front of him, and he subconsciously swallowed.
Beyond the rich and mellow aroma, what's even more moving is this long-lost scene of life—
There was no scheming, no testing, no need to doubt safety, and no need to calculate the cost. Everyone around me was full of goodwill, with gentle smiles in their eyes and brows.
Moody's eating style is just like him: direct and efficient. He hardly speaks, but carefully savors each dish, and has an astonishing appetite.
After the meal, instead of staying for a couple of drinks, he stood up, gripped his cane, and said:
"Thank you for your hospitality, Fiona. Your cooking is superb."
Fiona smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, Alastor."
Moody nodded to Fiona, then looked at Ferdinand and said, "I have to go, I have some things to take care of." Ferdinand said, "I'll walk you to the door, Alastor."
“No need.” Moody waved his hand, looked at Wade who had also stood up to see him off, and said, “Let this kid see me off. I’d like to have a chat with him anyway.”
"Okay, Professor Moody," Wade said softly. He stepped forward and offered to take the cloak from Moody.
The two walked out of the warm and bright living room and into the porch, their breath forming puffs of white mist in front of them.
Moody didn't immediately descend the steps. He stood in the doorway, his demonic eyes openly scanning the area, and muttered gruffly:
"Tsk, standing here now makes me feel uncomfortable all over, like I'm being watched by eyes everywhere... You did a great job, kid."
Wade smiled. "I knew you could see that... Professor Moody, in your opinion, what level of enemy can these measures I've arranged stop?"
"Block them?" Moody curled his lip and said irritably, "I'd like to know how many of them can crawl out alive!"
He then turned around and stared at Wade.
A gust of wind blew by, and snowflakes fluttered down from the treetops and rooftops, landing on Moody's gray hair and scarred face.
He leaned down slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "Dumbledore gave me a heads-up—I heard he's temporarily putting a lot of responsibility for things in England on your shoulders?"
"Not really," Wade said modestly. "I just know a little more than others."
"A little too much?"
Moody snorted, muttered a curse at Dumbledore, and then said:
"Fifteen years old... Normally, I would have cursed that old man for being crazy! But since it's you... Back in America, you managed to patch up a hole in the sky, so I believe you can do well here too."
“But don’t push yourself, kid!” He reached out and patted Wade on the shoulder, saying, “If you can’t hold on, just ask Dumbledore for help; don’t be afraid of making mistakes, and don’t think that just because Dumbledore has entrusted you with the responsibility, you have to do everything right.”
“Yes.” Wade smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Professor Moody. I know what to do.”
"You know what's going on?!"
Moody glared at him and demanded, "When America was thrown into chaos, how much of that was your doing? We were sent by Dumbledore to work with you, and all you did at the end was ask us to help protect a few mirrors?"
Moody's one normal eye widened in annoyance as he said, "Do you think we're useless, or can't be trusted? Are you worried we'll hold you back?"
“How could that be?” Wade said seriously, “On the contrary, it is precisely because I know the abilities and importance of each member of the Order of the Phoenix that I have always felt that the critical moment to use your power has not yet arrived.”
Moody stared intently at him and pressed, "So when is what you consider the 'critical moment'?"
Meeting Moody's scrutinizing gaze, Wade said, "Of course... when a real war is about to break out, and I cannot, and dare not, face it alone."
"You sharp-tongued brat!"
Moody snorted, seemingly unsure whether he was satisfied or not with the answer, then turned and walked down the steps without looking back, saying:
“Remember what you just said! Just like last time, kid, contact us whenever you need us. We’re ready to go anytime! Don’t let me die in a daze before I even get to pull out my wand!”
"It won't be long, Professor Moody," Wade said calmly.
Moody, who was about to step out of the courtyard, suddenly stopped as if pulled back by something, and turned to look at Wade.
He sized up the still somewhat slender boy, his gaze sweeping over Wade's slightly puzzled face, his straight back, and the house behind him that resembled a lurking beast.
Finally, there were those calm eyes, as if reflecting a gray sky.
Moody said in a hoarse voice, "You know what, Wade? The way you are now... this look of seeing through everything, knowing everything, and wanting to shoulder everything yourself... you're becoming more and more like Albus Dumbledore."
After a pause, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he said:
"But don't learn from that old guy... there's nothing to learn from him, and of course... neither am I!"
“We have been robbed of everything by the past. But you are different. You are still young. Don’t live like a ballast stone too early and forget how to love and be loved.”
Wade never expected that such words of advice would come from Moody, who was supposed to be "always on guard," and he stared at him in astonishment.
Moody, perhaps unaccustomed to speaking such things, strode away with his cane as soon as he finished speaking, leaving only the crisp sound of the cane striking the ground.
(End of this chapter)