harry potter book of crimes

When Maka, Luna, Hermione and a large group of elves stepped into the gate of Hogwarts, the students had already begun to prepare for going home.

It's a coincidence that this year, after a day of rest, it's the Christmas holiday again.

However, during the three-week Christmas holiday this year, little wizards like Hermione did not have much free time. Not to mention the R.A. training courses they created themselves, the academic schedule at Hogwarts alone had to be increased.

consider.

Because, when this vacation is over, they will have to face the O.W.Ls exam directly in a hand-to-hand battle with blood and tears.

"I have to take Lark and his tribe to see Professor McGonagall first. You should prepare as soon as possible! If you have anything after the holiday, just write me a letter..." Maka looked at Hermione and Luna and said

, "If you encounter any difficulties, just use fake gold coins to notify me - Luna too, remember?"

"Okay." Luna nodded simply, "Merry Christmas."

Seeing that Maka was about to leave, Hermione called out to him.

"Hey!" she called softly, "Well... I wanted to say, where will you spend Christmas...?"

"Oh, yes...Christmas..." Maka seemed to have just started to think about it. After thinking about it for a moment, she said, "I'll probably go to the Black Mansion! There are also some homeless children there.

, I think they should also have a relaxed and happy Christmas."

"Those children you brought back from the United States?" Those children were sent to Hogwarts first, and Hermione had glimpsed them from a distance once. "What exactly have they experienced? Just what I saw that day.

I mean, that must be too bad..."

"Anyway, they all have an unfortunate past," Maka shrugged. "Some of them have contacted their families through some relationships. There are probably not many who are still in the old house now."

"Oh..." Hermione said unbearably, "I think I should go and see them... On Christmas Eve, I too..."

"No, I think it's better for you to stay at home and spend it with your parents." Maka immediately stopped him, "Any family needs their children to accompany them on Christmas, otherwise your parents will lose their decorations.

Remember the meaning of the Christmas tree. By the way, you'd better show that you still believe that Santa Claus is real...I believe your parents will be very happy."

"Oh...I haven't believed in Santa Claus since I was six years old," Hermione shook her head helplessly. "That was all because my father slipped on the snow he dropped when he was forging Santa Claus's footprints.

His elbow..."

She stopped as she spoke, as if she didn't want to recall the bad memory of that time again.

"What's wrong with his elbow?" Luna on the side asked in a daze.

"Well... you don't want to know..." Hermione looked at Luna and Maka hesitantly, and seeing both of them looking curious, she couldn't help but pursed her lips in embarrassment, "Okay, okay...

…Dad’s elbow pressed hard on my stomach, almost forcing the pile cake and Christmas pudding stuffed into my belly out of my throat!”

"Oh——" Maka and Luna looked at each other in horror.

"That's enough!" Hermione blushed and stamped her feet, "But I think you're right - I should spend Christmas with my parents. I miss them too, and they definitely miss me more.

"

"Yes, that's it!"

Maka nodded slightly, then greeted the elves to go to the principal's office under the doubtful eyes of the little wizards passing by.

"What is 'Christmas'?" Old Luck asked curiously, "It sounds very interesting!"

"That's a day where you can have delicious food and fun, and get together with friends and family." Maka said casually as she walked, "In short, there will be a lot of laughter on that day! I think you will

like……"

Not long after, when Maka led a large group of chirping little guys to the door of the principal's office, he found that the door had been opened.

"House elf?" A voice came from inside, "You...um...where did you find all these poltergeists?"

As soon as he entered the principal's office, Macadam saw Snape's figure. The big bat man was still as usual, as if he was dissatisfied with everything, with a look of disgust on his face.

"Merry Christmas, Professor Snape." Maka greeted casually, "They are not house elves, well... at least, they are not the same."

"Hmph, whatever! You came just in time..." Snape shook his greasy hair and said, "During the holidays, Tia and I will go to the United States to look for clues... You know, see you later.

"

"Oh, really?" Maka was saying, and Snape passed by him, waving his sleeves to drive away the elves blocking the way, and walked outside.

He looked at Snape's leaving figure, thought for a moment, and shouted to him: "Remember to be careful over there. Although the main trouble has been eliminated, it may not be completely safe there!"

After hearing this reminder, Snape suddenly turned around and saw him looking over the heads of the elves, looking at Maka and paused slightly.

"I know," he nodded, expressionless, "but I think you should be more careful than me."

Maka couldn't help but feel that Snape was right, because what Snape wanted to do had nothing to do with Voldemort or Grindelwald, but he was the number one enemy of those two people.

After watching Snape leave, Maka turned around and nodded to Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, these elves will fight with us against Voldemort. With them, I think Hogwarts will be more powerful and stable," he said.

In fact, Professor McGonagall has been observing these elves since just now. There are so many of them that not only the principal's office is crowded, but they even extend outside the door.

And looking at their lively and comfortable expressions and movements, as well as their non-stop chattering, McGonagall could already feel the obvious difference between them and house elves.

"They...are house elves?" Professor McGonagall said hesitantly, "They look very similar, but..."

"Well... they should be regarded as another line of descendants left by the ancestors of house elves," Maka explained, "You can understand - their group has not experienced the original defeat and surrender, so... how

What do you mean? A group of 'free elves'?"

"'Freedom'?" Lao Lak said, squeezing next to Maka, "This word sounds good, Lao Lak likes this word..."

"What is he talking about?" Professor McGonagall asked doubtfully.

"He said he likes 'freedom'," Maka translated briefly, and continued, "His name is 'Lark', and he is the oldest of these elves - maybe you don't understand their language, Professor.

, but they can roughly understand what you are talking about."

"Hey, young wizard," Old Lark tugged on the hem of Maka's robe and said, "The elf needs to work! The elf has to complete Ferry's mission! What should I do?"

"Of course, there is no need to worry." Maka looked at him and said, "I will tell you about the clues I got in a while, and you will not be idle. But before that, I have to arrange a place for you to stay.

Isn’t it?”

He comforted Old Lark for a few words, and then said to Professor McGonagall: "There are still many places to live in the castle, but I want them to meet the house elves in the kitchen first... Professor, what do you think?

How about it?"

As Maka said, Hogwarts Castle is quite large, and since the school was first established, it has never been able to fully utilize the ample space.

Not to mention other places, even on the underground floor of the castle, there are too many spare rooms.

"Take them to the kitchen? I think the scene must be very chaotic," Professor McGonagall thought for a moment and nodded, "But if you go with them, then there shouldn't be a big problem."

"Thank you, Professor." Maka nodded towards McGonagall, "I think Hermione will be very happy for your permission!"

Having said that, Maka had no intention of calling Hermione together. They would leave school and go home soon, and if she was called here now, she wouldn't have time to pack her luggage.

Not long after, Maka led the elves through the spiral staircase and all the way to the underground corridor of the Hogwarts main castle, and stopped in front of a fruit still life painting.

Under the curious eyes of the elves, Maka reached out and scratched the pear in the painting.

Suddenly, the originally motionless pear suddenly twisted and giggled. Its movement caused the other fruits that were placed in the fruit plate to roll a little, and an apple fell from the edge of the plate.

On the table, there was a soft cry of "Ouch".

Immediately, the giggling pear changed silently and turned into a green doorknob.

In the past, when he was a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts, he would often come to the kitchen late at night to visit. Now, he is naturally quite familiar with it.

Without saying much, Maka reached out and turned the handle, pulling the picture frame open.

"Inside is the kitchen. Some of your kin live here..." He turned his head and said to Lao Lak, "But do you still remember what I told you? Although you don't seem to care, but I

I think it’s better to remind you——”

"What you will see next is what your compatriots outside the island are like now - in fact, life here is pretty good, but other places may be even worse than this."