"Christmas was here."
That was the first thing Harry heard in the dormitory after staying up late the night before, sleeping until after nine in the morning, and fumbling to put on his glasses.
"—I'm planning to ask Percy to make a trip to Hogsmeade and bring back some sweets. Want to come along?"
It was Ron speaking. Just like last year, Ron had not gone home this Christmas either.
In his words: "Vaughn definitely won't be going back this year. He's practically worked himself crazy, and now no one can even find him. Ginny won't be going back either. Yes, I specifically asked her. Guess what she said? She said she wanted to keep that lunatic Luna company. Merlin, I swear, when we were at home, she never played with that mad girl."
"Goody-two-shoes Percy needs to wear his badge properly and make sure his prefect position is secure. He wouldn't bear to go home. Fred and George? Don't even start. They definitely won't go back. Those two troublemakers held up Vaughn's project for ages, and now they wish they could split every minute in two—this year, I'm the only one with any freedom, but I'd rather not have it. Why go back to that empty house? So Mum can focus all that crushing motherly love on me alone?"
So Ron had not sent an application home at all. He had even used Harry as an excuse, writing to Molly that he was worried Harry would feel lonely at Hogwarts—
What a great friend!
Seamus, Dean, and Neville were equally "great friends." Yes, none of them had gone home, and they had used the very same excuse in their letters to their families.
That was right—worried that the great Harry Potter would feel lonely!
Many thanks to those kindhearted