December at Hogwarts was undeniably beautiful, and most of the students had gone home. Cyrus took Angus for a walk in the snow, finding an empty corner where she squatted down to touch the soft, cold snow.
She did not know why she felt compelled to do so, but she began building a snowman alongside Angus. Angus shoved a large mound of snow forward with his snout, and Cyrus packed the snow down to shape it. Soon, a somewhat lopsided snowman resembling Angus stood before them.
Cyrus compared it to the real thing with satisfaction. "Angus still looks the best." The hound beside her let out a bark of agreement.
"Well? Miss Sean... I didn't expect you to... build a snowman. I mean... hello."
Hagrid dragged a massive fir tree past them, greeting Cyrus somewhat awkwardly. Ever since that rather impolite first meeting, Hagrid had found it difficult to face Cyrus, especially noticing that she never seemed to have any friends around her—only a dog for company.
Although he also lived in the hut by the Forbidden Forest with his own pet, Fang, he still had many magical creature friends. Furthermore, Fang had no companions of his own kind, which made him pay extra attention to the wolfdog by Cyrus's side.
"Look... I'm sorry. About that day when I offended your friend without asking... I actually have a furry friend of my own named Fang. Maybe the two of them could be friends?"
In truth, Cyrus had never seen Angus interact well with other animals, and she could not help feeling a bit curious. She turned back to look at Angus for his opinion. Angus let out a puff of air through his nose, seeming somewhat disdainful of the friend Hagrid had mentioned. "It's fine, Mr. Hagrid."
"Haha, brilliant! Just call me Hagrid. Since it's the Christmas holiday, you're welcome to drop by my hut for a visit later, right by the Forbidden Forest. Fang would be thrilled to meet a new friend."
The giant shook the tangled beard covered in snowflakes, bade Cyrus farewell, and carried the fir tree into the castle. Angus let out a low, aggrieved whine, as if objecting to Cyrus's decision.
"But you've never spent time with any of your own kind. Won't you get lonely?" Angus leaped onto Cyrus, knocking her flat on her back, and began licking her face. "That tickles, Angus. Alright, alright, my mistake." Cyrus got up and gave Angus a hug. "Thank you, Angus."
When dinner time arrived, Cyrus saw Hagrid waving at her, with Fang trailing behind him. Cyrus fancied she could detect a look of helpless resignation on Angus's canine face. At that moment, Dumbledore, whom she hadn't seen in a while, sat down at the edge of the table.
"Ho ho, Hagrid said he found a new friend for Fang and was terribly excited about it. So it really is Angus! I'm sure they'll get along famously."
Very few students remained at school for the holiday—just three upper-classmen from other houses. Nearly all the professors were present, dining alongside the students.
Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were chatting about amusing incidents from the semester, and even Professor McGonagall, usually so stern, wore a softened, gentle expression.
As for that perpetually gloomy man, he seemed thoroughly annoyed by the social obligations required by the holiday. He sat at the very end of the table, broodingly sipping red wine.
Nearly everyone had taken their seats, except for the spot beside Professor Snape, which remained empty. Even the festive, warm atmosphere of Christmas could not mask the coldness in his black eyes.
Ever since their recent conversation in the dungeons, Snape and Cyrus had been actively avoiding each other. To the astonished looks of the others, Cyrus took the initiative and sat down right next to Snape. If one wished to avoid those pointless holiday socials, sitting with Snape was a remarkably sensible choice.
Seeing that Snape was still frowning with no particular reaction, Cyrus settled down comfortably. This time, Angus squeezed in between the two of them. Cyrus sensed that the professor thoroughly disliked Angus's... breed? Attracted by Angus, Fang trotted over as well, though he dared not get too close upon feeling Snape's formidable aura.
Seeing Snape's face darken like charcoal, Cyrus patted Angus on the head. "Go keep Fang company, will you?" Angus let out a huff in Snape's direction, then walked over to a spot where he could still keep Cyrus in view and sat down. He gave Fang the cold shoulder, acting as if he truly disdained him.
Hagrid was beside himself with joy, his eyes burning with enthusiasm. Cyrus could not fathom what was so exciting; couldn't he tell Angus was completely ignoring Fang?
"If one's eyesight isn't failing—then anyone can see that Miss Sean's friend is—male."
Snape's retaliatory voice rang out, and Hagrid's disappointment was visible to the naked eye. Dumbledore chimed in with a lighthearted remark to smooth over the atmosphere, "Ho ho, Hagrid, don't be discouraged. Having another friend can only be a good thing for Fang, isn't that right?"
Hagrid picked up the wine pitcher beside him with a dejected air and took a large gulp. "What a pity. I was hoping to find Fang a—"
"Please do not indulge in such vulgar jokes, Mr. Hagrid." Hagrid's words were cut off by a voice of absolute ice. Hagrid looked over at Cyrus, a flash of crimson crossing his gaze for a split second.
Cyrus looked back at Hagrid with a blank expression, the hint of crimson long since vanished. Hagrid chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, sorry, Cyrus. I just wanted to find a friend for Fang."
A hand rested on Hagrid's shoulder as Dumbledore looked over at Cyrus with a warm smile. "Hagrid is simply rather enthusiastic, Cyrus. If he inadvertently offended your friend, we offer our deepest apologies. Ho ho, now, let's unwrap our presents!"
Cyrus glanced back at Fang, who was wagging his tail incessantly behind Angus, and spoke almost to herself, "Angus could perhaps use a black leather collar."
A bewildered Hagrid missed the somewhat profound looks exchanged between Dumbledore and Snape, and laughed heartily. "No problem at all, Cyrus! I'm quite handy at making things myself. Look forward to your Christmas present!"
A wand tapped lightly against the top of Cyrus's head, and Snape glanced sideways at Hagrid, who was still laughing merrily without a care in the world. "I should think Miss Sean has no need to pay attention to someone lacking a brain."
Cyrus turned back to look at Snape. The man still wore an utterly cold expression, and she gave a silent, slight nod.
Dumbledore handed out a box resembling a candy wrapper to each person—a traditional British Christmas cracker. With a sharp tug at both ends, it would produce a sound like a small firecracker, and the mystery gift wrapped inside would drop out.
"Come on, everyone, open your presents!" Snape unwrapped an extraordinarily tall green top hat. Before the hat could even leap onto his head, a cold huff from him sent it flying with a swat. After observing how others opened their gift boxes, Cyrus followed suit and managed to open hers, revealing a headband with two upright brown furry ears.
She reached up and touched it; the texture was soft, just like Angus's ears. Then she placed the headband back on the table. Across from her, Professor McGonagall said in a gentle tone, "Child, this is your Christmas gift. Do accept it."
Cyrus was momentarily stunned. "Why?" McGonagall looked slightly surprised before gazing warmly at Cyrus. "This is a gift from Professor Dumbledore to everyone."
Cyrus was somewhat puzzled, but upon looking at the ears that matched Angus's, a glimmer of light appeared in her hollow eyes. Slowly, she picked up the headband again and put it on.
"Angus, look."
She turned back to look at Angus. Angus clearly noticed the ears on Cyrus's head as well, and barked happily in response. The people around the table were all more or less surprised; in their impression, Cyrus had never been so... normal.
She was no longer silent and expressionless. Instead, she resembled any ordinary young girl who would be excited upon receiving a Christmas gift. Remembering the scars on Cyrus's face, Professor McGonagall felt her eyes grow somewhat damp.
Dumbledore's bright blue eyes seemed filled with delight as well. Even the chilly aura surrounding Snape receded just a fraction. She looked towards Dumbledore and gave a slight nod of thanks. Dumbledore raised his goblet in a gesture. "Well then, everyone, Merry Christmas, let's eat!"
After dinner, the crowd gradually dispersed. As Cyrus prepared to leave with Angus, Dumbledore's voice sounded from behind.
"Cyrus, would you accompany me somewhere?"
The old man held out his hand. Cyrus gripped Angus tightly while placing her hand on Dumbledore's forearm. It was certainly convenient being headmaster—having the privilege of Apparition right inside Hogwarts. In the center of an empty classroom stood a grand, ceiling-height mirror. Cyrus recognized it as the Mirror of Erised that had appeared in her memories.
It could reveal the deepest, most desperate desire in a person's heart; yet what people desired most was almost invariably something they could never possess. The existence of such an object was undoubtedly a form of torture for anyone harboring an obsession deep within. Had Dumbledore heard about the conversation between her and Professor Snape in the office, and come to test her because of it?
The old man stood before the mirror, occupying the exact spot he had stood on for countless nights prior. A trace of imperceptible sorrow flickered in his eyes.
"Cyrus... please forgive me for being unable to place my complete trust in you. There are simply too many secrets surrounding you, and they are far too dangerous." As usual, Cyrus remained silent. She simply walked up to the mirror of her own accord and removed her bandages.
"I don't need your trust. If I had the choice, I'd only want to live with Angus in a place where no one would disturb us. And then... stay alive. Both of us staying alive... So what is this?"
"The Mirror of Erised. The happiest person in the world would see only themselves when looking into it. Whatever the mirror shows us is the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts."
Cyrus still kept her eyes closed, feeling a sense of resistance towards facing the cravings of her own heart. But finally, she opened her eyes. Dumbledore stepped up beside Cyrus, gazing somewhat transfixed at her deep-sea-blue eyes.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, is there a way you can tell what I saw in the mirror?" Cyrus did not seem curious about what the mirror had manifested, looking into it for less than a few seconds before wrapping her bandages back around her face.
It was only then that Dumbledore snapped out of his trance. "Actually, I rather hoped you would tell me yourself, Cyrus."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, what does giving gifts at Christmas mean? Are you supposed to give gifts to everyone? What sort of things should one give?"
"Ah... giving Christmas gifts to friends and family one cares about is a way to express one's affection and concern, and to thank them for accompanying you through the past year. As for what to give, it varies from person to person—mostly things the other party might like or find useful. You can go to the Owlery on the west side of the castle to borrow one of the school's public owls to send your gifts out. Just remember to give them a few biscuits as payment."
Dumbledore patiently explained to the girl, who seemed entirely incapable of perceiving the warmth of the world, showing no sign of impatience—rather, he looked quite pleased that the girl would ask such a question. Cyrus thought for a moment before setting off. "Thank you for the gift, Headmaster Dumbledore."
"Goodbye, Cyrus."
Not long after the girl left, Snape appeared in the corner of the classroom. He stood in the shadows where the mirror's light could not reach, watching Dumbledore as the old man reached a hand out toward the glass. "What did she see?"
Upon seeing the result, Dumbledore fell somewhat silent. "Severus, she is truly too much like that person. She cannot comprehend normal human emotions, and the lives of others mean nothing to her... yet she possesses abilities and secrets far more terrifying than his."
"Yet she is somewhat different. When facing Angus, she displays normal emotions, even if they are still far fewer than those of an ordinary person. But she also seems to be changing slowly. She does not understand love or joy, but she finds herself instinctively wanting to draw close."
"Have you noticed an interesting phenomenon, Severus? Cyrus displays an extreme possessiveness and protectiveness toward Angus. She never lets Angus out of her sight, but when facing you... her boundaries have relaxed."
"Perhaps the child herself hasn't even noticed. When experiencing kindness from others, even if she doesn't understand it, she tries to accept and learn from it. Perhaps, unlike that person, she isn't naturally incapable of understanding love, but has simply never experienced such a thing before."
Snape recalled the pile of beast carcasses stacked outside his office door, and let out an imperceptible, quiet scoff. "Hmph! Merely a self-righteous act. So, as she put it, her greatest desire is to... stay alive with that dog?"
"Her greatest desire... is death... Severus."
After leaving the classroom, Cyrus sat with Angus once more by the lakeside deep in the Forbidden Forest, and Angus quietly pressed against her side. He could sense that Cyrus was feeling very low, and the girl suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Angus, apologizing in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Angus."
Upon returning to her dormitory, Cyrus saw two gift boxes placed by her bedside, bearing the signatures of the Weasley twins and Hagrid.
The two boys had sent her a few strangely shaped round eggs: "If there's anyone you don't like, hurl these right at them! Guaranteed to make the stench of Dungbombs stick to them for three whole days!"
As for Hagrid, he had sent a collar woven from dundundragon leather: "Though Fang doesn't much care for wearing collars, I noticed you keep one on Angus. I'm sure Angus will look dashing wearing this!"
Angus had always worn the collar Cyrus made from wolf pelt, which was starting to peel and look rather old. Hagrid's gift unexpectedly won Cyrus's favor, while the twins' gift was as eccentric as their personalities.
Nevertheless, Cyrus took these things to heart. Using a public owl, she mailed a small self-defense dagger to each of the twins. She also sent Hagrid a food recipe; Cyrus had long acted as Angus's personal chef.
Though the variety wasn't vast, she could tell which kinds of magical creature meat Angus preferred to eat. She wasn't sure if Fang would also eat the meat of magical creatures, but just in case...
She then walked over to the entrance of the dungeons, right by Snape's office. She knocked on the door, and a brief, cold reply came from within. The Gorgon carved on the stone door tremblingly opened the way for her.
Snape was still sitting before his modest desk with a solemn expression, grading essays. A bitter black coffee brewed perpetually in the rarely washed teacup at his elbow. Every now and then, he would furrow his brow deeply, venting his irritation onto the parchment before him, paying no heed to Cyrus as she entered.
Upon entering, Cyrus walked straight up to the desk and, with some effort, pulled a giant glass jar out from her waist pouch. Snape's eye twitched at the sight of that familiar glassware. Next, a glass jar containing a massive, faintly glowing beast's horn was dragged out with some difficulty by Cyrus. She didn't stop there; jar after jar of specimens soon threatened to crowd the space right in front of Snape.
Cyrus had searched the Forbidden Forest for a long time that night until she finally managed to find a rather rare Erumpent, which she intended to use as a gift. The lethal venom on its horn could cause anything it pierced to explode, and the creature was massive and largely resistant to spells.
"Does Miss Sean have any idea that a single drop of venom from an Erumpent's horn—and you would be blown to smithereens in an instant!"
Cyrus shrugged. "There are ways to deal with it, though, sir."
Seeing that the girl did not appear injured, save for being somewhat paler than usual, Snape reached into his medicine cabinet and placed a bottle of nutritional tonic on the desk, his tone turning impatient:
"If Miss Sean is concerned with my previous act of treating your injuries, consider the debt repaid! In the future, please refrain from randomly dumping such precious materials on me!"
Snape intensely disliked this feeling, as if the debt had somehow inverted and he now owed a favor. Surely his potion ingredients didn't need to be supplied by a first-year student!
Cyrus paid no mind to Snape's words and carefully stowed the potion away. "Thank you for your Christmas gift, sir." With that, she left the office, leaving the sound of the heavy stone door slamming shut echoing behind her.
In the dead of night, Cyrus saw a rather scrawny, dust-gray owl tapping against her window. After flying into the room, it simply dropped a letter from its beak and flew right back out again.
The contents of the letter were brief:
"If you have the leisure to waste your life in the Forbidden Forest, you would do better to spend more time studying how to brew a potion that might actually save your life when your own arrogance gets you killed!"
"The Gorgon couldn't stop you from entering the office at all!" Was this his way of telling her she could come to him at any time to ask questions about potion-making...
Cyrus and Angus sat once more by the lakeside in the Forbidden Forest. She swapped Angus's collar for the one Hagrid had sent, then took out a batch of homemade meat jerky from her pouch—which she had prepared earlier using the Hogwarts kitchens—and handed it to Angus.
"I didn't know about giving gifts for Christmas, so I had to put these together in a rush. I'm sorry, Angus. Next year I'll make you a super extravagant, all-meat feast, how does that sound?"
Angus let out a bark, chewing the jerky in Cyrus's hand while wagging his tail. After finishing, he stepped forward to lick her cheek. "Haha, alright, Angus, you've got meat crumbs all over my face."