In the Apocalypse, I Can Enter Hogwarts

Chapter 99 Christmas Invitation

The bitter cold and blizzard outside could not penetrate the thick castle.

Compared to other houses, Ravenclaw's hawks, in this kind of weather, always like to gather in the common room, with a roaring fire in the fireplace, and then get together to read and chat, or play wizard chess in pairs.

In winter, enjoying the warmth of a fireplace, listening to the crackling white noise of firewood in the flames, and watching the howling wind and snow outside the window—staying in such an environment can effectively improve one's happiness index.

However, the owls are the ones who work the hardest, even in the face of wind and snow. Especially with Christmas just two days away, many students are paying several times more to hire a mail owl from the owl pen than usual.

It's worth mentioning that the owls at the school aren't entirely free to use. Although theoretically they are, these clever little guys have a keen understanding of business and have mastered the art of raising prices on the spot.

They would always ask the little wizard for extra rewards, either a bag of owl nuts or a few copper nuts, so that they could exchange them for a treat from the caretaker after delivering the message.

In this kind of weather, the old price lists are completely obsolete. Now they hardly go out to take jobs anymore, preferring to huddle together in the shed for warmth. Of course... unless you offer them really enough, they won't move.

In contrast, private owls haven't been so lucky. They used to be the envy of public owls, but now...

Thinking of this, Ian glanced back at Lily, who was squatting on the shelf, half-asleep with her eyes half-closed.

"You're almost a round ball... You never seem to know how to fly out and move around."

Perhaps sensing that her master was speaking to her, Lily lazily opened her eyes, looked at Ian with an innocent and naive gaze, spread one wing, symbolically flapped it twice, and then closed her eyes again to pretend to sleep.

"Um... whatever you want... I can afford to support you anyway." Ian reluctantly gave in to his owl's reaction.

He turned and walked towards the common room door. He loved sitting quietly in a corner of the common room, watching the other young eagles having a lively and joyful time. Although he had been living at Hogwarts for several months, this immersive experience still captivated him.

……

Ian sat quietly on a single sofa in the corner, holding a copy of "Transformation Today" magazine, seemingly reading but not really.

"Should I buy a cat? I always feel that reading a book while petting a cat in this kind of atmosphere would be the most pleasant." He thought to himself, resting his chin on his hand.

"Do you enjoy the feeling of being hidden high in the sky, yet overlooking everything?"

Suddenly a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head and saw it was Penelope, whom he hadn't talked to in a long time. He said casually:

"Dear prefect, I enjoy lively gatherings, but not the kind of lively gatherings that are just for me. So, sitting here and watching without participating is the greatest enjoyment for me."

Penelope didn't say much upon hearing this. She simply pulled over a chair and sat down next to Ian without being invited, before finally speaking:

"With your personality... you have no idea how many girls have been heartbroken because of you, especially these past few days. You've been wandering around the castle all day with a camera. I don't know about the other houses, but there isn't a single girl in Ravenclaw who doesn't want to take a picture with you. It's just that because of your cold and heartless politeness... no one dares to ask."

Ian chuckled self-deprecatingly at this, "Since when has politeness been interpreted as indifference and heartlessness?"

"Heh! Only you know exactly what you're thinking." Penelope rarely showed such girlish emotion. "Professor Flitwick asked me to count the students staying on campus during the Christmas holidays. So, what about you?"

"I have my own plans for this period of time, so I will not be staying on campus, but I will still attend the Christmas dinner."

Ian does have a lot to do for Christmas, not only the publishing business he agreed to with Ivy, but also he plans to take advantage of the holiday to go to Diagon Alley to buy some potion ingredients.

"Alright! My task is done. The Ravenclaw girls always gave me excuses when you didn't make a decision. Now that I have an answer, my job will be much easier."

Ian then realized that he had been wondering why Penelope would make such a trip for such a small matter. It seemed that some people wanted to wait and see before making a decision.

The Hogwarts Christmas holiday actually begins on the afternoon of December 23rd and lasts until January 5th, but coincidentally, the holiday ends on a Friday, so this year's holiday lasts for 15 days, which is the most anticipated holiday for young wizards besides summer vacation.

Some students are used to spending their Christmas dinner at school and choose to leave on December 25th. Ian also made this choice, since he was all alone and it was better for him to stay at school for the dinner.

……

However, things often don't go according to plan. On the afternoon after Ian and Penelope finished talking, Hermione stopped him in the Great Hall.

"Want to come home with me for Christmas?" Hermione extended a generous invitation.

If you ignore her slightly trembling ears, it's hard to tell that this girl's mood might not be as calm as she appears on the surface.

Ian, however, fell into thought. His long-standing lifestyle, or rather, the differences between East and West, made him hesitant. After all, this was a day for their family to reunite, and it felt inappropriate for him, an outsider, to suddenly get involved.

Seeing Ian hesitate, Hermione decisively took out a letter and handed it to him.

"Here! Take a look. My dad also wants to invite you to our house for Christmas. I'm sorry, Ian, I told them about your past..." Hermione said, lowering her head somewhat embarrassedly.

Looking at the contents of the letter, with its sincere invitation and polite wording, Ian really couldn't refuse this time.

As for Hermione telling her family about her past, Ian didn't see it as a big deal at all. It wasn't anything shameful; it was the truth, so why shouldn't people talk about it? Besides, after so much time, his past was no longer a secret.

Others might not know, but Old Tom of the Leaky Cauldron knows, and if Old Tom knows, it means that the Iron-Hat Heir, Hannah, knows... So, by that reckoning, almost half of Hogwarts knows.

"Haha, it's nothing, everyone knows about it anyway, you don't need to apologize. On the contrary, I should thank you for the invitation, otherwise I would have had to stay at school for the banquet," Ian said casually.

Perhaps realizing that Ian truly didn't care, Hermione finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked up with a hint of joy...

-------------

(P.S.: New book, please add to your favorites, recommend, invest in, and vote with monthly tickets.)

A heartfelt thank you to all the readers! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The seedlings need your help and support!

(P.S.: New book, please add to your favorites, recommend, invest in, and vote with monthly tickets.)

A heartfelt thank you to all the readers! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The seedlings need your help and support!

(End of this chapter)