Christmas was fast approaching.
One morning in mid-December, Wang Yong awoke from a dream to find everything outside covered in several feet of snow. The lake had frozen solid, its surface a hard sheet of ice.
Such heavy snowfall was a rare sight in Wang Yong's hometown—unless it was a snow disaster. But here at Hogwarts, it was clearly the norm. Judging by the geography, Hogwarts was likely somewhere near Scotland.
Even with his winter cloak on, Wang Yong still felt the biting cold as he made his way to the library. The wind tore through the corridors, but thankfully, the library was magically insulated—warm and inviting.
All of Hogwarts had been swept up in a festive atmosphere. Every corner was adorned with Christmas trees decorated with fir branches and ornaments. Just last week, Professor Flitwick had posted the list of students staying over the holidays. Wang Yong, it turned out, was the only Ravenclaw student remaining. The thought of having that massive common room all to himself made him feel slightly uneasy.
"Well, it can't be helped," Wang Yong told himself. "My identity in this world is... a little complicated."
"Um, I'm leaving now," Susan said, looking down and scuffing the floor with her toe, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Wang Yong gently pulled Susan into his arms, stroking her soft hair. "It's okay. Go on. We'll see each other after Christmas."
"Mm-hmm," Susan replied in a whisper. She rose on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss on the lips, then buried her face in his chest, motionless. "Mmm~" She seemed shy about her own boldness.
Wang Yong kissed her gently on the forehead. "Go on now. Most of the other students have already left."
Reluctantly, Susan stepped back from his embrace, casting several glances over her shoulder before finally disappearing home via Floo Powder.
In the fabricated memories of his life, Wang Yong had often spent Christmas alone—sometimes with his Aunt Amelia. But this year, Amelia was celebrating with Susan's family, and joining them would've felt too awkward.
Wang Yong sighed and looked out toward the snow-covered mountains, suddenly finding himself missing his family and friends from his original world. It had been eight months since he'd entered the magical world—his longest separation without contact.
"Don't worry. In a few more months, you'll be able to return to the original world," Xiao Yi said in his mind. "And by then, you'll be able to travel freely between both worlds."
"Oh." The thought gave Wang Yong some comfort.
But it was just a passing sentiment. Wang Yong had always been a solitary person. The scenery merely stirred some emotions, nothing more.
He walked alone to the Great Hall, which looked magnificent.
The walls were draped with garlands of holly and mistletoe. Twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room—some adorned with sparkling icicles, others glittering with hundreds of candles.
Wang Yong stood quietly, taking it all in, until he noticed Hermione, Ron, and Harry entering together.
"You're not going home?" Wang Yong asked.
"No, the Weasleys went to visit Charlie. Hermione's leaving later. What about you?" Harry replied.
Wang Yong raised an eyebrow. "Same as you."
Harry's mouth fell open. "Oh—I'm sorry. I didn't realize you also—"
"It's fine," Wang Yong said. "It's all in the past. Don't worry about it."
With that, the group headed to the library together. Wang Yong couldn't help but be surprised. "Wait a second—you two never go to the library."
"We..." Harry tried to come up with an excuse.
Ron jumped in, "Yeah, we were hoping to ask you something. Do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?"
"Nicolas Flamel?" Wang Yong chuckled. "He's a legendary alchemist. Created the Philosopher's Stone. He's over six hundred years old by now, right?"
"Huh?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione gaped at him. After weeks of fruitless searching, Wang Yong had answered their question in seconds.
...
Wang Yong spent most of the holiday in the library. With the Ravenclaw common room completely empty, he would curl up alone with a book by the fireplace. The dancing flames reflected in his tired eyes. His magical progress was lagging behind his talent, especially with Ancient Runes—just too hard. Studying them made his head ache.
He sighed softly and fell asleep right there by the fire.
The next morning, Wang Yong woke to find several packages at his feet.
He unwrapped the top one—bright yellow paper. It was from Susan: a handmade chocolate she'd crafted herself. The next was a small green box from Aunt Amelia, containing an elegant new feather quill.
And then there was one more. Curious, Wang Yong picked it up: from Hermione Granger.
Surprised, he opened it to find a brand-new book—An Introduction to Egyptian Runes.
Wang Yong nodded. She really understood him. She must've noticed he was immersed in the study of ancient magical languages. Advanced magic was still beyond him, so he had focused instead on Ancient Runes—Babylonian, Egyptian, Minoan, ancient Indian, oracle bone script, and others from lost civilizations. It was an incredibly complex field.
Ancient magic also required very specific conditions for casting and wasn't always reproducible like a science experiment. And since the wizarding population was relatively small, research was slow.
...
Wang Yong attended the Christmas Feast for the first time. With no other Ravenclaws around, he sat with Ron and the others. One hundred plump roast turkeys, mountains of meat and potatoes, heaping trays of sausages, bowls of buttery peas, and thick gravies and cranberry sauces lined the tables. And every few feet—Wizard Crackers, ready to pop.
Wang Yong pulled one. It went off with a bang like a cannon, surrounding him in blue smoke. From it burst a Rear Admiral's hat and a few bouncing white mice. Wang Yong couldn't help smiling—it was his first time receiving such a hat.
At the head table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard hat for a floral bonnet. Professor Flitwick had just told him a joke, and he was chuckling heartily.
After the turkey came flaming Christmas pudding. Percy bit into a crescent-shaped silver charm hidden inside his portion, nearly chipping a tooth. Harry looked on as Hagrid downed mug after mug of mead, his face growing redder, until he leaned over and kissed Professor McGonagall on the cheek. To Harry's surprise, she giggled and blushed, her tall black hat askew.
For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, Wang Yong truly relaxed. Even after returning to the Ravenclaw common room, he was still grinning dreamily.