"Then what should I give him?" Sirius leaned back on the sofa with a helpless expression, looking utterly lost.
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask then..." Kasenhis spread his hands. "Though who knows, you could just head straight to Durmstrang, shove Karkaroff's head in a toilet and drown him, then come back and munch on Peter Pettigrew like a snack. That way, you can come clean with Harry and tell him the truth—though you'd have to survive his frame-perfect opening move, and then eloquently explain all the complicated truths and details."
"But at least from my perspective," Kasenhis continued, "Harry finding the last remaining relative he has in this world on Christmas Day… that's probably... the best gift he could ask for, don't you think?"
Sirius still looked gloomy. "Dumbledore already has a plan. Once Karkaroff sets foot in England and steps onto Hogwarts grounds, then he'll close the net... "
"Uhh… fine," Kasenhis sighed helplessly.
"What gift are you giving Harry this time?" Sirius asked.
"I gave him a special pair of earplugs. They automatically filter out mockery, sarcasm, and verbal abuse. Comes in handy when he's dealing with his uncle and aunt," Kasenhis said.
"That's actually genius... Should I just give him some Galleons then?"
"He's not short on money."
"...I've got it!" One second Sirius was slumped on the couch, and the next he sprang up, eyes gleaming.
"Even if you've thought of something, can you not bounce around like a monkey or a dog? Can you, I don't know… act a little more like a human?" Kasenhis said, utterly speechless.
"But I really did think of something! You know, back when we were students, the four of us once… no, actually three of us. That coward didn't know a damn thing—he was just riding on our coattails. Ugh! That filthy rat, I'm gonna.."
"Ok, what are you talking about?"
"It's something called the Marauder's Map. I should've thought of it way earlier! James, Remus, and I made it back then. It charts all of Hogwarts—including all the secret passageways. It was perfect for sneaking around at night. Harry would definitely love this as a gift!"
Sirius looked positively thrilled as he spoke.
"You still know where that map is? Or did you take it back home with you?" Kasenhis asked.
"We left it at Hogwarts. Shouldn't be too hard to find. Right now… are there any students who are particularly mischievous? Ones who sneak out a lot at night and somehow never get caught?"
Kasenhis thought for a moment, and within seconds, two very familiar faces came to mind.
The Weasley twins.
With personalities like theirs, if you told him they didn't sneak around at night, he wouldn't even need to think twice—he'd call you a liar on principle. And yet, they'd rarely ever been caught, let alone docked points for it.
In fact, he couldn't remember a single time they'd been punished for it. Coincidentally, they were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas break.
"You mean to say those two have been relying on the Marauder's Map all along to outmaneuver Filch during their nightly escapades?" Kasenhis asked.
"At the very least, it's worth asking. Can't hurt, right? You could even ask them to gift the map to Harry—as a favor, maybe. It'd be a meaningful gesture."
"Not necessarily. The twins might not have it. And even if they do, whether or not they give it up depends on their willingness, I ain't forcing them." Kasenhis said.
He pulled out a magic slate that recorded the names of every student, tapped on one of the Weasley twins' names, and before long, the two of them rowed their way into his office.
As for Sirius, he had already transformed into a dog and was lying on the carpet, eyes half-closed, ears perked up, occasionally letting out little whimpers.
"Is something the matter, Professor?"
Kasenhis blushed a little. Honestly, asking students for alchemical items was already kind of embarrassing—worse still when the item wasn't even for himself but for another student. This felt a bit like scamming children.
Thankfully, the twins were easygoing. Most students wouldn't take this nearly as well.
"Ahem, well, this is a little awkward to bring up… But do you two happen to have an item called the Marauder's Map?"
The twins looked at each other. "We think you might mean this."
One of them pulled out a slightly worn piece of parchment from his robes and laid it flat on the desk. The other drew his wand and tapped the map as he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
In an instant, ink marks began to spread across the old parchment like they were appearing from thin air.
Footprints began to form one after another, each with a little label indicating whose footsteps they were.
"Professor, why are you suddenly asking about this thing?"
"Let me guess—you want to use this to get up to no good too?"
"Trying to steal Professor Dumbledore's liquor?"
"Hehehe~ That's bloody wicked!"
"Please," Kasenhis said with a snort, unable to hold back. "I don't need the map for that. I could do it blindfolded."
"...Professor, did you just say something you weren't supposed to?" the Weasley twins asked awkwardly.
"...It's nothing. Uh... I called you two here because I want to purchase this map from you. Christmas is coming up, and one of Harry's relatives asked me to give him a present on their behalf," Kasenhis said, a bit embarrassed.
The twins exchanged a glance. "Mm-hmm. We think Harry would really like this gift."
As they spoke, they pushed the Marauder's Map across the desk toward Kasenhis.
"No, no—my own gift for Harry is already prepared. As for this map, the relative who wants to gift it to him doesn't care about getting credit. So, you two should give it to him in your names," Kasenhis explained.
"...Oh... that works too."
Kasenhis nodded and pulled out a small pouch filled with Galleons—The one Sirius gave him—from under the desk, placing it on top.
"Help me get a glass of brandy from the Three Broomsticks. The rest is your delivery fee."
One of the twins picked up the pouch and weighed it in his hand. "Gotta say, Professor—"
"With the sound of this coin, you're looking more handsome by the minute."
Kasenhis coughed. "Keep sweet-talking and I'll just keep the stuff for myself."
"No need for that, really," the twins quickly refused, then dashed out of the office.
"Mm-hmm. That's how simple things are," Kasenhis said toward Sirius.
"Will they really give the map to Harry?" Sirius asked, transforming back into human form.
"Oh, come on. Even if you don't trust Kasenhis, you have to trust the Weasleys, right? Don't you believe in their family values?" Kasenhis replied, deadpan.
"Uh… well, when you put it that way." Sirius scratched his head a little awkwardly.
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