Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 284 The Journey Home and a Heartwarming Reunion

Chapter 284 The Journey Home and a Heartwarming Reunion

The holidays arrived quickly. On this day, the Hogwarts Express, puffing out white steam, lay quietly at Hogsmeade Station. The platform was bustling with people, filled with the hustle and bustle and energy of the upcoming holidays. Students dragged their suitcases, saying goodbye to their friends loudly, wishing each other a Merry Christmas, the air thick with a mixture of excitement and reluctance.

Karen, Wesley, and Fabian found an empty carriage, put their luggage away, and opened the window. Ernesto stood on the platform, wearing a thick coat and a scarf pulled high, his gray eyes watching the three people inside the carriage.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with us?" Wesley asked one last time, leaning against the car window, his face full of sincere invitation. "You might still be able to buy tickets now! My house may not be as magical as a wizard's house, but it's definitely warm, and my mom's Christmas roast is absolutely amazing! Plus, you can see how we Muggles celebrate Christmas, it's really interesting, there are lots of Christmas specials on TV!" He tried his best to attract the other party with the novel experiences of the Muggle world.

Ernesto shook his head, a faint, slightly arrogant smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for the invitation, Wesley. But I'd much rather enjoy the peace and quiet of Hogwarts than savor delicious roast meat and watch noisy Muggle television programs. The library will practically be all mine then, and the house-elves are said to be preparing a twelve-course Christmas feast, from smoked salmon to flambéed Christmas pudding—nothing will be missing." He paused, adding with his usual, but now harmless, teasing tone, "Besides, I suspect the volume you hear while watching football matches might cause irreversible damage to the quiet I need for my research on ancient rune."

"Hey! The atmosphere at a football match is great!" Wesley protested, but knowing the other was joking, he smiled and added, "Besides, our team has been doing well this year, so we'll only yell a couple of times while watching the game, it won't be too noisy!"

You've really missed a great opportunity to learn about the mysteries of the Muggle celebration!

Fabian adjusted his glasses and said gently, "We'll miss you, Ernesto. Remember to use the communication quill if—well, if you find it too quiet and boring."

"I will." Ernesto nodded, then looked at Karen. "Give my regards to your sister. Also, don't get too caught up in family life and forget about our research. I'll send you data from the monitors in some secure locations; remember to check them regularly."

Karen smiled. "Don't worry, I won't forget. I've also given you partial access to the alchemy workshop. I've put a lot of alchemy books there. If you need any materials or tools, feel free to go there anytime. Keep in touch."

A long whistle signaled that the train was about to depart.

"Alright, let's go." Ernesto took a step back and waved. "Merry Christmas, everyone. Don't go too wild, especially you, Wesley. I hope you remember what the Spellbook looks like when you come back."

"You too, Griffith! Don't get moldy in the pile of books!" Wesley shouted back.

The train slowly started moving, and Enesto's figure outside the window gradually shrank until it disappeared into the crowd on the platform. Wesley sat back down and sighed, "Actually, it's quite pitiful that he stayed. Last year, Karen, you still had the two-way mirror."

“Everyone has their own way of life to choose,” Karen said, looking at the snow rushing past the window. “For him, at least that kind of Christmas is much better than attending a boring party filled with pure-blood rhetoric.”

"That's true." Wesley quickly perked up again, turning excitedly to Fabian. "Hey, Fabian, tell me more about the ice dragon sculpture in Romania? Just how big is it?"

Fabian was immediately ignited with enthusiasm, gesturing wildly as he described the scene he'd learned of from his grandmother's letter. Karen listened to her roommates' conversation, her gaze drifting out the window. The snow-covered Scottish Highlands were vast and serene, and her thoughts drifted back to her home in Plymouth. After a year, she could finally spend Christmas with her family again, especially Lily. She felt a mixture of anticipation and a pang of guilt; last year, because of Quirrell and Voldemort, she had chosen to stay at school, and during the summer, she'd spent less than ten days at home researching Horcruxes.

He subconsciously touched the package he carried with him, inside which were carefully wrapped gifts for his family. The "Seagull" magical model for his father had been repeatedly tested to ensure stable navigation and long-lasting power; a small, exquisite rune array, similar in origin to a quill pen, with a slow, automatic mana regeneration mechanism, was enough to keep the model running for weeks. The intelligent herb pot for his mother had had its sensing runes optimized, allowing it to make subtle adjustments to the condition of ordinary plants. The toy set for Lily was the result of combining his own ingenious alchemy and protective spells—absolutely safe and fun. He hoped these gifts would make up for some of the regret of not being able to be by his side more often.

The train traversed fields and crossed bridges. Inside the carriage, Wesley and Fabian had gone from discussing football to the Quidditch World Cup qualifiers, and the potential changes brought about by the "Quidditch Eye," or now renamed the "Hawk-Eye System." Karen occasionally joined the discussion, but mostly listened, enjoying the leisurely pace of the journey.

After a long journey, the train finally slowly pulled into Platform 9 of King's Cross Station. The air in London carried the familiar dampness and urban atmosphere. Students poured off the train, eager to rush into the arms of their families.

Karen, carrying her suitcase, had just passed through the partition when she heard a clear, excited voice.

"Karen! Over here!"

He looked up and saw his younger sister, Lily, wearing a red Christmas sweater, waving her arms and jumping around like a happy little red and white lark. His father, David, stood behind her, wearing a thick, dark wool coat, a steady and reliable smile on his face, his eyes filled with contentment. His mother, Emily, wearing a warm knitted scarf, had a bright smile on her face, a mixture of concern, longing, and joy, and she hurried to greet him.

"Mom, Dad, Lily!" Karen quickened her pace, put down her suitcase, and was immediately embraced by her mother.

"Oh, Karen, let me see." Emily stepped back slightly, cupped his face in her hands, and examined him closely. "You seem to have lost a little weight. Is the food at Hogwarts not good? Or is studying too hard?" The concern from a mother who always thinks you've lost weight is so heartwarming.

"No, Mom, I'm perfectly fine," Karen reassured her with a smile. "My classmates always say I should exercise more."

At that moment, Lily rushed over and hugged his waist: "Karen! You're finally back! How was Hogwarts? Did you really find the treasure? Did you read everything I wrote to you with the quill pen? Have you prepared my present?" Questions came out like a machine gun, her little face flushed with excitement.

Karen ruffled her hair. "Slow down, Lily, ask them one by one. Hogwarts is great, and the treasure thing—it's not that exaggerated. I saw what you wrote, and I even returned some to you. As for the gifts—" He deliberately dragged out his words, and seeing Lily's eyes widen, he smiled and said, "Of course, they're all prepared."

David stepped forward, patted Karen on the shoulder, and said with his usual pragmatic tone tinged with a hint of humor, "Looks like the magical world hasn't made you thin; you've certainly grown quite a bit taller. Is this all your luggage? Let's go, the car's parked outside, or London's traffic will be paralyzed."

Karen picked up her luggage, and the family walked through the bustling station toward the parking lot. Lily held Karen's hand tightly, chattering incessantly as they went, talking about everything from funny things at school to the pea shoots she grew at home, and her endless curiosity about magic.

Sitting in her father's familiar car, Karen felt a sense of peace in the familiar atmosphere. Lily, however, insisted on squeezing next to Karen in the back seat, refusing to be quiet for a moment.

"Karen, tell me more about that new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the one with the curly hair and the bright teeth in the book's picture. Is he really as amazing as the book says?" Lily asked, shaking his arm.

Karen, suppressing a laugh as she recalled Lockhart's various embarrassing moments in class, selectively shared some harmless anecdotes: "Well—he really is—quite special. I remember once he tried to cast a cleansing spell on his armor, but it made them all start tap dancing, and it attracted Mr. Filch."

Lily giggled incessantly: "Really? That's so much fun! What else? What else?"

Emily turned around from the front seat, smiling gently as she reminded him, "Lily, let Karen rest for a bit. He's been sitting in the car for a long time."

“It’s okay, Mom,” Karen said, and he told Lily a few more stories about how Peeves played tricks on Lockhart and the twins’ latest pranks, which made Lily laugh.

David, while driving, occasionally chimed in: "It sounds like the faculty and staff at your school—well, they're quite individualistic. But, Karen, that 'Eye of the Quidditch Record' project you mentioned with the communication quill sounds a bit like the instant replay system someone proposed for sports events. I saw it in the newspaper. I didn't expect the wizarding world to be reforming so quickly in this area. And you're just a student who proposed it; how did the Ministry of Magic actually adopt it?"

“Yes, Dad.” Karen nodded. “Professor Flitwick is in charge of the liaison, and the Department of Magical Sports is said to be very optimistic about its prospects. Moreover, it can capture more details than the replay system that Muggles are currently planning, such as the trajectory of magic and subtle fouls.”

David shook his head, but in the rearview mirror, Karen could see the admiration and pride in her father's eyes: "Unbelievable—to transmit and process information in that way. But good technology solves practical problems. By the way, that quill pen is indeed convenient, even faster than the pager in your mother's hospital, but it can't write too many words at a time, and it feels quite inferior to the two-way mirror we used at your teacher's place last year."

Emily chimed in, "Yeah, it's not as convenient as a phone or two-way mirror, but it's much faster than an owl. It's just that it's still a bit unbelievable to see the quill pen move and write on its own every time." She shook her head with a smile.

Hearing his parents talk about and use the magical items he made, Karen felt a surge of warmth and pride. "The overheating problem is due to excessive load on the magic circuits. I have some new ideas recently, and the next upgrade should solve it. As for the other problems, I'm still researching them." He paused, a few thoughts flashing through his mind. A two-way mirror was indeed a better choice, but it was difficult to obtain; he wondered if Professor Nico had any extras.

The scenery outside the car window gradually changed from the cityscape of London to suburban roads, and finally to the highway leading to Plymouth. Lily finally said she was tired, leaned against Cullen, fiddled with the buttons of his robe, and gradually fell asleep. The car became quiet, with only the hum of the engine and the warm sound of the heater. Cullen watched the scenery rushing past the window, feeling the warmth of his family beside him, a simple yet genuine sense of happiness filled his chest. The adventures at Hogwarts, the mysteries of magic, the hidden dangers—all were temporarily pushed aside by this warm sense of belonging. He was home.