When Maca, Luna, and Hermione walked through the doors of Hogwarts with a large group of elves, the students were already preparing to go home.

This year is quite a coincidence, after a day off, it is the turn of the Christmas holidays.

However, during the three-week Christmas break this year, Hermione's little wizard class will not enjoy much free time. Training courses, Hogwarts academic arrangements alone have to be thought about.

Because, when this holiday is over,. The LS exam came directly to face to face, and there was a hand-to-hand battle with blood and tears.

"I'll have to take Lark and his people to see Professor McGonagall first, and you should get ready! If there's anything going on after the holidays, write to me......" Marca looked at Hermione and Luna, "If you get into any trouble, let me know with fake gold coins - Luna too, remember?" ”

"Okay." Luna nodded dryly, "Merry Christmas." ”

Seeing that Maca was about to leave, Hermione stopped him.

"Hey!" She called softly, "Hmm...... I mean, Christmas...... Where will you be? ”

"Oh, yes...... Christmas ......" Maca thought for a moment as if she had just begun to think about it, and then said, "I will probably go to Black's house!" There are also some homeless children out there, and I think they deserve a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas too. ”

"Those kids you brought back from the United States?" At first, the children were sent to Hogwarts, and Hermione had a glimpse of them from afar, "What did they go through?" That must have been terrible for what I saw that day......"

"In any case, there is an unfortunate past," Maka shrugged, "some of them have already contacted their families through some connections, and there are probably few who are still left in the old mansion." ”

"Oh......," Hermione said with some reluctance, "I think I should go and see them too...... When the time comes, I'll ...... on Christmas Eve."

"No, I think you'd better stay home and spend time with your parents." Maca immediately stopped, "Every family needs to be accompanied by their children for Christmas, otherwise your parents will lose the meaning of decorating the Christmas tree." By the way, you'd better act like you still believe that Santa Claus is real...... I'm sure your parents will be happy. ”

"Oh...... I haven't believed in Santa Claus since I was six years old," Hermione shook her head helplessly, "and it was all because Daddy's elbow was ...... when he was squatting on the snow he had sprinkled while he was faking Santa's footprints."

She stopped as she spoke, as if she didn't want to relive that terrible memory.

"What happened to his elbow?" Luna on the side asked in a trance.

"Hmm...... You won't want to know......" Hermione looked at Luna and Maca hesitantly, and when she saw that they were both curious, she couldn't help but purse her lips in embarrassment, "Okay, okay...... Daddy's elbow slammed down on my stomach and almost squeezed a belly of stake cake and Christmas pudding out of my throat! ”

"Oh-" Maca and Luna looked at each other in horror.

"That's enough!" Hermione blushed and stamped her foot, "Still, I think you're right - I should spend Christmas with my mom and dad, and I miss them a lot, and they definitely miss me more." ”

"Yes, that's it!"

Maka nodded slightly, and beckoned the elves to walk towards the headmaster's room amid the bewildered gazes of the little wizards passing nearby.

"What's 'Christmas'?" Old Luck asked curiously, "Sounds interesting!" ”

"It was a day of good food, fun and reunion with friends and family." As she walked, Maca casually said, "Anyway, there will be a lot of laughter that day!" I think you'll like it......"

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

"House-elves?" A voice came from inside, "You...... Not...... Where did you get all those poltergeists? ”

Upon entering the Headmaster's office, Markadam saw Snape. The big bat was still the same as usual, as if he was dissatisfied with everything, with a look of disgust on his face.

"Merry Christmas, Professor Snape." Maca casually greeted, "They're not house-elves, huh...... At least, it's not quite the same. ”

"Hmph, whatever! You're just in ......," Snape said, flicking his greasy hair, "I'll go to the United States with Tia for clues during the holidays...... You know, then I'll see you later. ”

"Oh, really?" As Maca spoke, Snape passed by him, waving his sleeves to drive away the elves in his way, and walked outside.

He looked at Snape's back, thought for a moment, and shouted at the other party, "Be careful over there, although the first trouble has been cleared, it may not be completely safe there!" ”

Hearing this reminder, Snape turned around, only to see him go over the heads of the elves, looking at Maca and pausing slightly.

"Got it," he said, nodding his head with a blank face, "but I think you should be more careful than I am." ”

Maca couldn't help but think that Snape was right, because what Snape was going to do had nothing to do with Voldemort or Greenwald, but he was the number one enemy of the two.

After seeing Snape leave, Maca turned to Professor McGonagall and gestured to her chin.

"Professor, these elves will be with us in the fight against Voldemort. With them, I think Hogwarts will be even more powerful. He said.

In fact, Professor McGonagall had been watching the elves ever since. There were so many of them that not only did they cram the headmaster's room, but they all stretched out the door.

And judging by their lively expressions and movements, and the incessant chatter of that moment, McGonagall already felt that they were clearly different from the house-elves.

"They...... Is it a house elf? Professor McGonagall hesitated, "It looks similar, but it's ......."

"Hmm...... They are supposed to be descendants of the ancestors of the house-elves," Maka explained, "You can see - they are a tribe that has not experienced defeat and submission in the first place, right...... How so? A group of 'free elves'? ”

"'Freedom'?" Old Lack, huddled next to Maca, said, "That sounds good, old Luck likes it......"

"What is he talking about?" Professor McGonagall wondered.

"He says he likes 'freedom,'" Maka translated slightly, adding, "His name is 'Lack,' and he's the oldest of these elves—maybe the professor doesn't understand their language, but they can roughly understand what you're saying." ”

"Hey, young wizard," said Old Lack, tugging at the hem of Marka's robe, "the elves need to work!" The elf has to complete Fieri's mission! What should I do? ”

"Of course, there's no need to rush." Maca looked at him and said, "I'll tell you about the clues I got in a moment, you won't be idle." But before then, I'll have to get you somewhere to stay, won't I? ”

He reassured Old Luck a few words before turning to Professor McGonagall, "There are plenty of places to live in the castle, but I'd like to let them meet the house-elves in the kitchen or something...... What do you think, Professor? ”

As Marka said, Hogwarts Castle is quite large, and it has never been able to use all of this space since its inception.

If nothing else, even the underground level of the castle has too many spare rooms.

"Take them to the kitchen? I think it must be a mess," Professor McGonagall thought for a moment, then nodded, "but if you were with them, it wouldn't be a big deal." ”

"Thank you, Professor." Maca nodded at McGonagall, "I think Hermione will be very happy with your permission!" ”

That being said, Marka didn't plan to call Hermione with her. They should leave school and go home in a moment, and if they call her over, she won't have time to pack her bags.

It wasn't long before Maca led the elves up the spiral staircase to the underground hallways of Hogwarts Castle, stopping in front of a still life of fruit.

Under the curious gaze of the elves, Maca reached out and scratched the pear in the painting.

Suddenly, Pear, who had been motionless, suddenly writhed and giggled. With this movement, the other fruits that were in the fruit bowl rolled a little, and an apple fell from the edge of the plate to the table, and let out a soft "ouch" cry.

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

In the past, when he was a Hogwarts student, he would often come to the kitchen late at night as a Hufflepuff. Now, of course, it's quite familiar.

Without further ado, Maca reached out and twisted the handle and pulled the frame open.

"There's the kitchen inside, and some of your people live here......" he said, turning to old Rucker, "but remember what I told you?" You don't seem to care, but I think it's better to be reminded—"

"What you will see next is what your compatriots outside the island are like now—in fact, life here is good, and it may be worse elsewhere."