Christmas (Thanks to zhen9 for the tip)

The Hufflepuff Magic Research Society got off to an excellent start.

Jon sat in his seat, watching Professor Sprout standing at the podium, and suddenly felt as though he were attending a presentation on some magical achievement.

Jon had attended many academic presentations before. Just like now, he would sit below and watch the person delivering the report at the podium.

Professor Sprout carried herself like a true Archmage. Though she usually taught everyone in the greenhouses, she made no effort to hide her favoritism toward Hufflepuff students when she stood at the podium. She even told the Hufflepuff students present outright—so long as they performed well enough, she would not be stingy with awarding points to her own House.

This excited the students who had joined the Magic Research Society. Professor Sprout gave them the illusion that they were scholars, so every one of them tried their best to look serious—as if they were attending a United Nations youth conference.

Stephen and Scaly, seated beside Jon, were the funniest of all. Fren had at least seen the news on television, so his imitation of those politicians did not look too out of place.

The large classroom soon became Hufflepuff House's public study room. Professor Sprout cast a large-scale temperature-control spell in the classroom, making it as warm as a greenhouse. Right outside was the Hufflepuff Common Room, so the students did not need to worry too much.

Nearly all Hufflepuff students joined the Club, with the older students—especially those in their sixth and seventh years—being the most enthusiastic. They desperately wanted to win a House Cup before graduating.

The younger students did not lag far behind either. The advanced magic displayed by the older students in the study room sparked a great deal of interest in magic among them.

However, there usually were not many students in the study room. After all, the Club was not a class, nor was it like a club that needed to hold activities at fixed times. It was much more fluid by comparison.

Apart from a large meeting every Saturday night where everyone showed off new discoveries or strange ideas, the rest of their time was free.

Jon, Stephen, and the others always did their homework in the study room. They could ask students from other years questions at any time, and everyone consciously kept their voices down and did not disturb one another.

With Jon's support, Stephen demonstrated his improved Lumos at the Saturday meeting before Christmas. The low-level spell was not noticeably stronger after the improvement, but it was more suitable for younger students to use.

Professor Sprout was delighted with Stephen, the first student to come up with an innovation. After signaling for Stephen to teach the improved spell to everyone, she awarded Hufflepuff fifteen points—five for the spell and ten for Stephen's innovative spirit.

This greatly encouraged the students.

As Christmas drew closer, everyone eagerly awaited the holiday.

Though roaring fires burned in the Hufflepuff Common Room, the drafty corridors were bitterly cold, and the classroom windows rattled under the fierce winter wind.

Christmas fell on a Tuesday, so they still had classes on Monday.

Monday's final lesson was Snape's Potions class, which was truly not good news. Professor Snape taught in an underground classroom, where the low temperature made a cloud of white mist form before them whenever they breathed. They could only try to stay close to their steaming Cauldrons.

Fortunately, Professor Snape's expressionless face became a little gentler on Christmas Eve. Jon even saw the professor smile for once. He discovered that Professor Snape actually looked quite handsome when he smiled, but the smile lasted so briefly that Jon thought his eyes had played tricks on him.

With the end of the final Potions class, the Christmas Holiday began.

Early the next morning, Jon and his three roommates took a carriage to the station. Bella, whom they had not seen in a long time, finally remembered her dear little brother during the holiday. She insisted on sharing a compartment with the four boys and casually brought along a first-year Ravenclaw girl as well.

Marietta Edgecombe, the snitch Jon remembered.

At this point, she had not yet become the witch who would later break her oath. She looked a little shy and was quite a pretty girl.

Stephen had the most outgoing personality among the four, and within a few sentences, he was chatting happily with Bella. Fren and Scaly talked on either side of her, Marietta occasionally shyly chimed in, and Jon was happy to enjoy the peace.

His small trunk contained the portrait and materials for the magic array, so he had to be careful not to let some student's parent at the station notice the unusual magical fluctuation inside it.

Stealing things from Hogwarts seemed like quite a serious crime.

By afternoon, the train finally arrived at King's Cross Station.

The students, now changed into ordinary clothes, prepared to leave Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Fortunately, quite a few students had chosen to remain at school over the holiday. Otherwise, there would have been even more people here.

Small streams of people quietly passed through the wall. Jon and the others blended into the crowd without drawing attention. Only when they reached the station entrance did the six split up to look for their parents.

"Didn't Uncle come?"

Bella carried her suitcase and stood with Jon at the station entrance, searching for Mr. Smith.

"I told him he could come a little later. He has a class today, and to make it up to us, he decided to treat us to McDonald's."

Jon waved the envelope in his hand. It held several pounds.

"Oh? What a surprise that we can't go home right away."

Though she said that, there was not the slightest surprise in Bella's voice. Jon could even hear a hint of laughter. "Let's wait in McDonald's. It's far too cold outside."

Mr. Smith had given Jon plenty of money. While waiting for their food, Jon also ran to the bookstore nearby and bought two copies of Selected Medieval Literature.

"Why did you buy this?"

Bella took a sip of cola and flipped through the books, then placed them back beside Jon. "Are you planning to become a reporter for The Daily Prophet?"

At the mention of reporters, Jon thought of Rita Skeeter's image from his memories and decisively shook his head.

He had no interest in Western journalists. He was a wizard, not a reporter.

Especially with that Old Lady in Britain.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard his father's voice from the entrance.

"Hi, my dear son. Merry Christmas."