Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

The warm aroma of grapes mingled with a cheap, intoxicating scent, quietly fermenting and permeating every corner of the car.

Amidst the bumps, the calm red surface inside the disposable paper cup rippled slightly, blurring the reflections of the two faces above it.

“What are you planning to treat me to today?”

Inside Charlie's car, Ryan didn't feel overly restrained. He casually tossed his down jacket aside, leaned back against the seat, and looked at his equally relaxed brother with a smile.

Charlie, who had just raised his paper cup for a sip, paused, considered for a moment, and then replied gently,

“I had Russell buy a twenty-three-kilogram turkey—it's roasting in the kitchen right now. By the time we get back, it should be fresh out of the oven.”

“Twenty-three kilograms!?” Ryan widened his eyes in disbelief, scrutinizing the other man.

“Are you joking? Even with Russell, the two of us probably couldn't finish it…”

“Who said it's just the two of us?”

Charlie shook his head, glancing at Ryan with amusement before turning to look out the window.

The still-warm red wine, with its subtle flavor, quietly dispelled the chill that had clung to him when he got out of the car, making him feel comfortable from the inside out. ♦ ♦     ♦ ♦

“Huff…” Charlie exhaled softly, watching the street scene blur past the window, and continued at a leisurely pace,

“I didn't just invite you this time… I'm guessing the other guests should be on their way to the feast by now, too?”

“You said… other guests?”

Upon hearing this, Ryan, who had been lounging lazily in his seat just a moment before, was taken aback. Then, as if he had heard some incredible yet serious news, he slowly straightened up, the smile on his face fading slightly.

Ryan considered himself to be extremely familiar with this brother of his, who was only a few months older and had even shared a dormitory with him in school.

In his opinion, although Charlie put on a perfect facade in front of others, maintaining an amiable elegance and a smooth, sophisticated demeanor, in his heart, Charlie's pride was never less than that of any other pure-blood aristocrat, and perhaps even more so due to his unparalleled talent.

This led to the fact that, during his seven years of school, despite his great fame and countless admirers, the number of young wizards who could truly call Charlie Black their friend was less than the fingers on one hand…

In the past, he would never invite so-called guests to a holiday like Christmas. Even Ryan was being invited for the first time. So, when he received Charlie's message, he was surprised for quite a while.

Now, Charlie was telling him that, besides himself, there were other guests coming to the factory on this special Christmas day.

Ryan couldn't help but wonder if the nature of this gathering was not as private as he had previously imagined, but had risen to a level that required serious consideration…

Therefore, without waiting for Charlie to say more, Ryan continued to ask,

“Who else did you invite?”

However, Charlie did not answer. His gaze remained fixed on the scenery outside the window, and his tone was still unhurried as he said softly,

“You'll find out when the time comes.”

“You… you…”

Looking at Charlie's particularly annoying demeanor, Ryan couldn't help but click his tongue. But helplessly, he could only drink down the remaining red wine in his hand, which had already lost most of its warmth, suppress his impatience, and quietly await the upcoming dinner and that twenty-three-kilogram turkey.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Privet Drive, Little Whinging

Unlike the cheerful holiday atmosphere of the surrounding neighbors, the Dursleys' home was now shrouded in a sense of immense oppression.

Vernon and Petunia sat stiffly on the sofa in the living room, their eyes blankly staring at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, their hearts having already fallen to the bottom of the valley.

The hands of the clock on the wall ticked rhythmically, but in their ears, they had lost their usual crispness, adding a bit of inappropriate noise, like an out-of-control train that couldn't stop, taking them to the abyss of death.

“What do we do?”

After a long silence, Dursley spoke first.

His eyes were filled with mournful emotions, and even his tone was extraordinarily weak as he turned his head stiffly to ask his wife,

“Her sister is coming over soon.”

Petunia seemed to be startled… Although Vernon spoke very slowly, this question that she was trying to avoid still gripped her heart, squeezing her until she almost couldn't breathe.

“I… I locked Dudley in his room,” Petunia said softly.

“Maybe we can tell Marge… say he went to a classmate's house, or a winter camp or something…”

“Can we hide it forever?!”

Vernon Dursley's thick eyebrows furrowed deeply, forming a knot, and the dense mustache below his nose also curled up on both sides, floating almost imperceptibly up and down in the air as his cheeks trembled.

He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and was about to say something when suddenly, a series of urgent and almost shrill braking sounds outside the door instantly erased all the courage he had managed to muster.

Immediately afterward, the sound of high heels on the ground; the sound of a car door slamming shut; and the sound of “huffing and puffing” like a monster… entered their ears one after another through the door.

“She's here!!!”

Petunia's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she looked at her husband, covering her mouth tightly and shouting in terror,

“Calm down… dear.”

Vernon licked his chapped lips, his gaze looking towards the direction of the sound, as if he could already see his sister, Marge Dursley's figure slowly approaching through the door.

For a moment, although he muttered to calm down, his hands still clenched tightly into fists.

“Knock, knock, knock… … … …”

Soon, the door was knocked on, and Marge's voice, like a scythe of death, arrived as promised.

“Vernon! Petunia! It's me, hurry up and open the door!”

After speaking, she added,

“I can't wait to see my dear nephew Dudley! Dudley, your aunt is here!”