The Christmas spirit permeated the grounds of Hogwarts. A heavy snowfall overnight added a special touch to the festive atmosphere.
Zhang Dong, Harry, and Ron were walking on the school lawn together. Harry was complaining about his Christmas experience at the Dursleys'. He had to wake up early to clean his room, brave the cold to polish his Uncle Vernon's old car, and when the family gathered in the evening, he could only hide in a corner and eat bread, trying not to disturb their merriment.
Ron, siding with Harry, chimed in with his own complaints, while Zhang Dong simply smiled and listened without comment.
The Dursleys were a complicated bunch. It was hard to say whether they were bad or good. They had raised Harry, but they also often mistreated him.
In the end, Zhang Dong could only understand that they were just ordinary people. After all, raising a child was expensive. There was no reason for them to shoulder that burden, but since it was their nephew, they couldn't send him to an orphanage. Thus, the situation became what it was.
Hearing Harry's complaints, Zhang Dong smiled and offered a suggestion,
"Actually, when you come home for the holidays, you could exchange some Galleons for pounds from Gringotts. You don't need much, just enough to cover your own expenses so that you don't need to rely on them. You can buy some snacks and toys for your brother, a small piece of jewelry for your aunt, and a tie for your uncle. It wouldn't hurt to show some goodwill. At least for the duration of your break, they shouldn't give you any trouble."
Money may not be everything, but it is definitely essential. It is a reality that many families fall apart due to disagreements over caring for the elderly. In Harry's case, he was essentially an outsider.
Zhang Dong's words lit a spark in Harry's eyes. This was the simplest form of human interaction, but with Harry's relationship with the Dursleys, it had never occurred to him.
"Can you really exchange Galleons for pounds at Gringotts?" Harry asked again.
Zhang Dong nodded. "Of course. One Galleon can be exchanged for five pounds. Ten Galleons should be enough. Don't exchange too much though, it's easy to exchange Galleons for pounds, but the opposite is much harder."
It was 1991, and fifty pounds was a significant amount for many families, even an entire month's income. Harry could easily get by for his holiday with that. Harry nodded, relieved. Zhang Dong was always the most reliable.
A snowball splattered against Harry's face with a thud.
"Fred! George!"
Ron yelled, looking towards the direction the snowball had come from. His anger wasn't directed at the snowball itself, but the fact that his brothers had ambushed them!
Fred, delighted, shouted, "Ron, Harry, Zhang Dong, come join in!"
George chimed in, "We're not bullying, it's two against three, the advantage is on your side. How about that, fair enough?"
"Fair, very fair! Zhang Dong! Take them down!" Ron shouted, pulling Harry into the fray. As George had said, it was two against three... Well, not exactly.
The moment Ron and Harry charged, Fred and George pulled out their wands,
"Wingardium Leviosa!" X2!
With the levitation charm, snowballs shot towards Ron and Harry like machine gun fire, forcing them to dodge and duck for cover.
"Zhang Dong! Save us!!"
They had no choice but to call for Zhang Dong's help.
"So you can get some good practice with the levitation charm."
Zhang Dong sighed, then pointed his wand at the ground.
Boom!
A thirty-foot-long snow dragon emerged from the ground! The dragon twisted and turned, radiating a chilling aura. Even in the sunlight, Fred and George could make out the individual scales on its body.
Transformation Charm + Levitation Charm!
"Now this is what a wizard's snowball fight looks like!"
Zhang Dong shouted, leaping onto the snow dragon's head. He rode the dragon towards the Weasley twins.
The twins turned tail and ran, seeing a dragon bigger than both of them combined.
Snowball fight? Ha!
Zhang Dong chased them, his laughter echoing throughout Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall, looking out the window, couldn't help but clap quietly for Zhang Dong.
"After all these years, finally someone can manage those two troublemakers. Speaking of which, Percy will be a sixth year next year and become Head Boy. Maybe we should give the prefect position to Zhang Dong."
Prefects were usually only fifth years, but McGonagall felt that Zhang Dong could definitely handle the responsibility.
That Transformation Charm and Levitation Charm combination was just too cool!
Professor Quirrell, witnessing the scene, was speechless.
That was a Transformation Charm a first year could use? He didn't even have that level of skill yet!
Zhang Dong was having a blast riding his snow dragon. If the Weasley twins hadn't wisely shielded Professor Flitwick, Zhang Dong might have gone even wilder.
"Merry Christmas, Professor Flitwick."
Zhang Dong quickly reversed the Transformation Charm and hopped off the snow dragon. He even glared at the twins, implying they were in for it next time. He would turn the snow into ice swords, levitate them, and just swing them around, ready to poke them with them. He was sure they would learn their lesson.
Professor Flitwick was still recovering from the shock of Zhang Dong's snow dragon. After a long pause, his eyes shone brightly as he looked at Zhang Dong and asked,
"The snow dragon... you did that?"
"I... have a bit of a talent for Transfiguration."
"Excellent!" Professor Flitwick pulled Zhang Dong close and used his wand to create golden bubbles to hang on the Christmas tree before asking, "Can you do this?"
"It's... not difficult, intermediate Transfiguration should be enough."
"That's great. Come help me."
"Professor Flitwick! That's your job!!"
"Five points for Gryffindor!"
"Ahem, Professor, I'm just a student! And it's the holidays!"
Seeing Zhang Dong's protest, Professor Flitwick felt a pang of guilt. It wouldn't be right to make a child do his work during their vacation. That would be immoral.
With a sigh, Professor Flitwick said, "Alright, alright. I won't bother you anymore. I'll finish up in an hour anyway."
Professor Flitwick turned to continue decorating. However, as he did, he noticed his arm being grasped by two small hands.
"Zhang Dong, is something wrong?"
"Professor! I mean, I'm just a student! And it's the holidays!"
"Yes, and?"
"I need extra pay."
Professor Flitwick...