December came in a flash, despite the less-than-peaceful atmosphere, and Christmas was finally just around the corner.
Both teachers and students breathed a sigh of relief.
Many students eagerly signed the list of those leaving school. After all, they all felt that the school really wasn't safe.
As far as Harley knew, more than half of Gryffindor had chosen to leave, and the other houses were much the same.
Hermione had wanted to invite Harley to spend Christmas at her house. She was very worried about Harley's safety.
And the Granger couple were also happy to have Harley as a guest. After hearing Hermione tell them about Harley's experiences, they felt deeply sorry for her.
But Harley wasn't willing to leave school for Christmas, so Hermione had no choice but to give up on the idea and decided to stay behind to keep her company.
The professors were also glad to have a relaxing holiday.
"Just thinking that Christmas is two weeks away, that most of the students will go home, and that nothing much is happening during this time makes me feel so relieved."
In the professors' common room, Professor McGonagall took a sip of goji berry tea and spoke to the other teachers with a contented look.
Professor Flitwick nodded in agreement, while quietly using magic to conceal his dark circles.
But the professors soon realized they had celebrated too soon. They didn't seem to have as much free time as they'd imagined.
After pestering Professor Dumbledore for a full three weeks, Professor Lockhart had successfully secured himself a new chance to show off—
He'd finally gotten permission to start his own club, and had decided to put on a little event before Christmas.
As everyone knew, the professors all had their own clubs, such as Professor Snape's