Fred shook his head: "I don't have it either."
Vid tried hard to recall the magazines he'd read at home before and finally said:
"This alloy seems to have been invented decades ago, and is used in the aerospace field... I guess no wizard has used it for alchemy yet."
"Aerospace?" Fred whistled and said excitedly, "Cool! New material! We'll use this!"
Vid: "..."
To him, something that's been commercialized for decades doesn't count as "new material" at all, but considering the closed-off nature of the Magic World, it's completely understandable.
Luckily, the Weasley Twins aren't the kind of wizards who stick to old ways or oppose using Muggle stuff just because it comes from them.
George, on the other hand, worried a bit: "This new material, will it be expensive?"
They originally planned to use Mrs. Weasley's old hats and vests for their experiment; they were worn to the point of no repair, and even Ron wouldn't want to pick them up again.
Vid was speechless: "...You guys earn quite a bit now, aren't you willing to buy materials? And how much can you use for inner linings? A piece of alloy can make a lot of Anti-Curse Vests."
George suddenly understood: "That's true! And the rarer the material, the higher the price when sold!"
He raised his hand and high-fived Fred, looking extremely excited.
Vid shook his head secretly and continued to ponder the design of the Anti-Curse Vest.
Actually, the dividends from the Aslan Magic Workshop to the Twins aren't insignificant, but perhaps due to growing up in economic struggles, the Twins still maintain a frugal habit.
Speaking of which, the older sons of the Weasley family, except Percy, are all earning money; Bill and Charlie have decent jobs and salaries, Fred and George even have substantial income.
Yet, their family's living conditions haven't improved because of it; at least Ron still wears old robes and uses an old Magic Wand.
Vid didn't understand this family economic relationship, but he didn't plan to comment either as they soon engaged in heated discussions.
...
On Monday, Vid didn't see Dumbledore at school, but Harry sat beside him at breakfast.
"Vid, did you sign the staying list?" Harry asked while cutting his steak.
"No, I'm definitely going home for the holiday." Vid glanced at Harry's expression and asked, "Are you planning to stay?"
"Yeah, probably will." Harry said, annoyed, poking his steak with a fork, "Remus and Sirius seem to be busy, you know, because of that island business... They might not have time during the holidays, so they suggested I stay at school."
If it were his first year, Harry would have signed the staying list happily, preferring to stay alone at Hogwarts than return to Privet Drive and the Dursleys.
But now, his home is so close, yet he can't return, which is frustrating.
"What's the problem?" Michael said from the side, "If you want to stay at school for the holiday, stay; if you don't want to stay, can't you go back anytime?"
He blinked, hinting that Harry could go back anytime through the Disappearing Cabinet.
Last year, they used to sneak out to Hogsmeade through the Disappearing Cabinet often, but this semester, with increased coursework and Lupin's frequent absence, they've used it less.
Harry sighed, "It's not the same."
Michael was puzzled, "Don't you want to go out and have fun?"
Harry silently shook his head.
Hogsmeade, initially mysterious and interesting to him, could be explored multiple times a day when he lived there, but it's lost its mysterious veil now.
After the novelty fades, the shops are seen as unchanged year-round, so even during Hogsmeade weekends, people mostly go for walks or buy necessities.
In contrast, at least the school has the Maze, which is much more interesting.
Harry wants to go back, not for the place, but for the people who should be there.
But Sirius can't make time; every message he sends ends quickly. As for Remus, after recovering, he's often not there, and even messages in the Friendship Book are replied to infrequently.
Vid thought about it and asked, "Harry, how about coming to my house for the holiday? My parents would definitely welcome you as a guest."
Back then, Ferdinand and Fiona, when first meeting Harry, didn't know his deeds and identity. Later, after learning about various Magic World news, both became extremely curious about the "Star of Salvation."
Especially Fiona, as a mother, she sympathizes greatly with Harry, who lost his parents and had a challenging fate early in life.
Harry hesitated a bit, and before he could speak, Michael protested, "Vid, are you only inviting Harry? Aren't we good friends anymore?"
Vid laughed, "Of course, I also want to invite you to my house."
"That's a must!" Michael thought for a moment and said, "I've been inviting you to my place for a long time, but you haven't been!"
"I didn't have time before... Next time, for sure." Vid asked again, "How about it, Harry, want to come?"
Harry's slightly tense shoulders relaxed, and he smiled, "Alright!"
—This way, Ron and Hermione wouldn't have to stay at school for him.
If Harry had to stay, they would choose to stay as well.
Although Ron said he couldn't stand being with Percy, and Hermione claimed she wanted to go to the library to read, Harry knew they stayed for him.
But everyone hadn't seen their families for months, and though Harry could reunite during Hogsmeade weekends, Ron and Hermione didn't have that chance.
He didn't want them to miss the chance to celebrate Christmas with their families because of him.
"Vid, are there interesting things near your home?" Michael asked curiously, "What do you do during the holiday?"
"Hmm..."
Vid thought about it.
In the past, he spent most holidays reading books, but in recent years, the Christmas holiday has become more colorful, though not related to fun.
If hosting friends, of course, it couldn't be like that.
"We can watch movies, see operas, or go ice skating..."
Vid recalled the activities Fiona insisted on taking him to, "There's also light shows and Christmas markets, winter amusement parks with many projects, and circus performances in the evening..."
"Sounds good!" Michael said, full of longing.
Although half-blood, after Michael's mother married his wizard father, their family's lifestyle has followed wizard traditions.
They lived on the village's edge and rarely interacted with nearby villagers, let alone attended various Muggle celebrations in big cities.
Michael's past impressions of Christmas were gifting, turkey feasts, and Christmas trees; receiving gifts was delightful, but beyond that, not much excitement.
Harry's eyes also slightly brightened.
Truthfully, he'd only seen those activities on TV, secretly longing for them, but never having the chance to participate.
They were still discussing their Christmas plans when a flock of owls suddenly flew in from outside the hall; students hurriedly protected the long tables, but still, feathers scattered over the food.
Latecomers sighed and abandoned the roast meat and pumpkin juice, opting for baked potatoes instead.
Nowadays, only magazines and the Prophet Daily are sent in bulk by owls.
These chilly messengers dropped rolled-up newspapers in front of students and flew out in a rush.
"Why can't these owls change their delivery time?"
Michael grumbled as he opened his newspaper, "I can receive them in the morning when I wake, or on the way to class, but why always during meals..."
His voice suddenly stopped.
Michael scrutinized the headline content and suddenly sneered, "Vid, Harry, take a look at this."
Vid received a newspaper too but hadn't unfolded it. He tilted his head and glanced; the paper had large black words that read—
"Brave Actions by the Ministry of Magic: Rescuing Muggle Children from Danger!"