69novels Chapter 83 Christmas Carols
Chapter 83 Christmas Carols
Chapter 83 Christmas Carols (Part 1)
The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the sheer curtains. Karen opened his eyes and found that the outside was covered with a fresh layer of snow. He stretched and heard Lily's excited screams and his mother's gentle scolding from downstairs.
"Karen! Get up!" Lily's voice grew closer with the thumping sound of footsteps climbing the stairs. "It's snowing! We can play in the snow with brooms!"
Karen had just sat up when the bedroom door was flung open. Lily burst in wearing fluffy reindeer pajamas, her hair disheveled from sleeping, and her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Slow down, Lily." Karen rubbed her eyes. "Broomstick flying requires the snow to stop, and Daddy has to be there."
Lily pouted, but quickly perked up again: "Mom said we're going to buy Christmas decorations today! Do you want to come with us?" She climbed onto Karen's bed and shook his arm. "Please! You haven't gone shopping with us in three months!"
"Of course I'll go." Karen smiled and pinched her sister's nose. "Let me wash up first."
Ten minutes later, Karen changed her clothes and came downstairs, where she found her father, David, making coffee in the kitchen, while her mother, Emily, was spreading jam on toast.
"Did you sleep well?" Emily looked up and smiled, pushing a plate of toast with jam toward him. "We're going downtown to do some shopping today, then we'll eat out for lunch and come back in the afternoon."
David handed Karen a glass of hot milk: "I checked the weather forecast, the snow will stop around noon. We can go buy some decorations first, then have lunch at that seafood restaurant at the harbor. You probably haven't had their lobster bisque in three months."
Karen took a bite of toast, savoring the taste of home. While the house-elves at Hogwarts were also quite skilled, her mother's jam toast always had a unique flavor.
"There's definitely going to be Santa Claus today!" Lily exclaimed excitedly, waving her little broom. "I'm going to tell him I don't want the puzzle anymore, I want the Quidditch set!"
"Santa Claus doesn't know anything about Quidditch, my little witch," David said with a smile, ruffling his daughter's hair.
"But we need to buy some new light bulbs," David said, flipping through the shopping list. "Several of the light shows in the front yard burned out last year."
"Karen, what do wizards use for lighting? You know, those little orbs of light that float in the air?"
"Lumos, or some alchemical tools like magic lamps—I've made one before," Karen explained. "But I can't use magic at home, so the magic lamp is in my bag. I can get it out if you want to see it."
Emily was clearing away the dishes: "Lily, go change into your thick coat. David, remember to take the coupons. Karen, could you help me get the shopping bags to the car?"
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An hour later, the Hawthorne family's car slowly pulled into the downtown parking lot. The shopping streets were bustling with people, every shop window decorated with Christmas-themed displays. Lily pressed her face against the car window, her nose twitching: "Look! Santa Claus! A real Santa Claus!"
"Those are actors hired by the mall, darling," Emily explained gently, but Lily wouldn't listen. Her attention was completely drawn to a display in a toy store across the street, where a huge electric train model was running around a Christmas tree. "Let's go to the home goods store first," David checked the map, "then to the toy store to buy Lily the puzzle she's always wanted, and finally to the supermarket to buy groceries."
The home decor store was filled with the aroma of cinnamon and pine. Lily, holding Karen's hand, strolled between the shelves, exclaiming frequently, "Karen, look at this singing snowman!" "Karen, will there be Santa Claus at Hogwarts?"
David picked up a string of LED strips and examined it: "The color can be controlled by a button, which is much better than last year's."
Emily picked out several wreaths adorned with pine cones and cinnamon sticks: "These can be hung on the porch and stair railings. Karen, which do you think is more suitable for a restaurant, silver or gold ribbon?"
"Golden," Karen answered without hesitation, "It has a more festive feel."
The shopping cart was soon filled with decorations: glowing snowflake stickers, a set of ceramic Santa Claus figurines, several new sets of tableware, plush reindeer slippers, and a crystal ball that "snows" that Lily insisted on buying.
"Last stop, the harbor restaurant," David announced, stuffing bags into the trunk. "I've reserved a window seat with a view of the entire bay."
Inside the restaurant, the warm air, mingled with the aroma of seafood, wafted through the air. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the sun shining through the sea, making it sparkle like diamonds, with several fishing boats quietly moored at the pier.
"I want lobster bisque and fish and chips!" Lily ordered impatiently, her little feet swinging back and forth under the chair.
Lunch ended in pleasant conversation. On the way home, Lily fell asleep in the back seat, clutching her newly bought crystal ball tightly. Karen gazed at the coastline rushing past the window, thinking of the Black Lake at Hogwarts; for some reason, the two seemed somewhat similar in his mind.
"An owl!" David shouted, pointing to the sky as soon as he reached his front door. A white barn owl was circling above their house, carrying a large package in its talons.
"Is that Phoebus?" Emily squinted and peered inside.
"No, it's the post office owl," Karen recognized it. "My order has arrived!"
The owl gracefully landed on the porch railing, placed the package down, and extended its right leg to indicate receipt. Emily carefully untied the receipt.
The owl immediately flew away and disappeared into the gray winter sky.
"It's heavy!" David picked up the package. "What did you buy?"
"Here are some things I've prepared for you, along with some useful items." Karen smiled mysteriously, helping to support the bottom of the package. "Be careful, there might be fragile items inside."
The package was placed on the coffee table in the living room. Lily was already awake and was circling around the package, asking, "Are my clothes? Is it? Is it?"
Karen carefully cut open the package with a letter opener, revealing several small parcels inside, each labeled. He found the one labeled "Lily": "Open it and see."
Lily tore open the wrapping paper, letting out a scream loud enough to shatter glass: "It's real! A real wizard's robe!" She unfolded the garment, revealing a children's robe in the style of a Hogwarts school uniform, with delicate silver star patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar. It also came with a pair of dragon-skin boots and a color-changing hairband.
"Try it." Emily helped her daughter put on the robe and was amazed to find that the fabric automatically adjusted to the perfect size. "This—this is amazing!"
Lily rushed to the mirror in the foyer and spun around, her hair ribbon changing from blue to silver and then to purple with her movements: "I'm a witch!"
A real witch!
Karen then took out two more packages and handed them to her parents: "These are for you."
David opened his package; inside was a well-tailored, dark gray wool coat with embroidered warm runes on the lining. "This is fantastic!" he exclaimed, immediately trying it on. "It's much lighter than a regular coat, but feels much warmer. I can wear this anytime."
Emily's gift was a dark green knitted cardigan and a matching scarf that automatically wraps around the wearer's neck to keep them warm. "I'm no longer afraid of the cold when I'm on night shifts in winter."
The package also contained several books, a newly released magical snack gift pack, an automatic stirring teaspoon, and a set of condiment bottles that would never tip over.
Then Karen went to the backyard. Phoebus was standing on an oak branch preening his feathers, which were strikingly white in the setting sun.
"I need you to make a trip, buddy." Karen patted Phobos's head and took out a package. "Take all of these to the Hogsmeade Owl Post Office, and they'll distribute them to everyone."
Phobos tilted his head, blinked his amber eyes, then gently touched Karen's fingers with his beak, picked up the bundle, and silently slipped into the twilight.
After dinner, the whole family decorated the Christmas tree together. Lily insisted on hanging every ornament in the most prominent position; Karen, on the other hand, quietly helped to secure the wobbly decorations.
"Look!" Lily took a few steps back, admiring their masterpiece. "This is the most beautiful Christmas tree in the world!"