Dinner was cheerful, though far less elaborate than the day before. Barty excitedly shared his newfound knowledge of manipulative curses, while Tom parried the magic with "muggle" means of manipulation. It seemed that offering books for Christmas had been a good idea all around. At ten, Ron and Hermione flood in to share a night-cap with them. The four students entertained themselves with Exploding Snap in the middle of the floor, scorching not only their cards but also the light-yellow carpet they were sitting on. After the second explosion, Tom had growled and woven a protective charm into the fabric. Yet, the teenagers were having too much fun for him to tell them off.