Besides exams, this week also saw the heads of each house compiling lists of students staying at school for Christmas.
George, Fred, and Ron all chose to stay for the holidays.
Ron thought they were all worried that Mrs. Weasley would give them a severe telling-off if they went home.
After all, the twins had ambushed a professor at the start of term, while Ron had flown a car to school, resulting in Mr. Weasley being investigated by the Ministry of Magic.
What he had not expected was that the twins had another reason: they had accumulated a whole term's worth of research plans, which detention had delayed indefinitely, so they wanted to use the three-week holiday to do some proper research at school.
Thus, only Ginny and Percy from the Weasley family chose to go home for the holidays.
Especially after Percy received the Christmas invitation Mrs. Weasley had sent for Douglas on Friday.
George and the other two were even more thankful they had not chosen to go home for the holidays.
After all, no student liked a teacher visiting their home, except the good students.
Along with Mrs. Weasley's invitation, Douglas also received a notice and a poster from Slane.
Yes, another damned notice.
The poster featured a photograph taken by the Daily Prophet back then, with text underneath.
From novelist to Hogwarts professor
Professor Holmes: A themed lecture
Obscurus Books & Daily Prophet & Flourish and Blotts
Time: Christmas Eve (December 24), 11 a.m.
Address: Flourish and Blotts, north side of Diagon Alley, London
A decade-old classic, reprinted in a collector's edition...
Let us follow in Professor Holmes's footsteps and experience another magical world...
[Douglas, see you at Flourish and Blotts at ten on the morning of December 24!]
Douglas pursed his lips and casually set