Christmas?
Ivan's expression turned awkward as he listened to Alicia. This was the first time he had seen her during the Christmas holidays.
However, even this time, he came with a purpose…
Ivan couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the thought. He immediately suppressed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and said with a smile, "You've said it so many times, I can always remember it once…"
"Yes, that's rare… but you'll be able to apply for graduation this year, won't you?" Alicia laughed, and led Ivan inside.
In her opinion, with Ivan's current level of magic, he would be able to apply for graduation after this year's O.W.L. exam, and would not waste any more time at Hogwarts.
If he had to get an N.E.W.T. certificate, he could get the Ministry of Magic to approve an exam…and then he could make a big deal out of it, highlight Ivan's reputation as a genius, and prepare him for taking over the wizarding world.
"Well… probably. If nothing else, it's the last year," Ivan replied uncertainly. As Isiah had said, the lessons taught at Hogwarts were meaningless to him.
The only reason Ivan stayed at Hogwarts was to earn some GPA.
However, as he grew stronger, his GPA became less useful to him.
The two of them chatted all the way into the living room. Alicia pulled out a chair for Ivan to sit down and wait patiently, then went straight into the kitchen, where the sound of kitchenware clanging like a symphony could be heard.
About half an hour later, Alicia appeared with a lavish turkey feast.
"It's been a long time since I've made one. I hope my skills haven't deteriorated…" said Alicia, placing her plate on the table.
She hadn't done much housework since Ivan brought Dobby the elf home, but now that Ivan was finally back on Christmas Day, Alicia was glad to cook for once…
Ivan didn't want to spoil Alicia's fun, so he put aside his doubts for the moment and began to enjoy his meal.
As they ate, they avoided the more serious topics of conversation, Ivan chatting about the interesting things that had happened at school, and Alicia, who was very interested in Hermione, asking about the status of the young witch and looking for information about her.
Ivan's head was spinning, and he could only respond patiently to Alicia's questions.
The meal ended in an atmosphere of harmony, and when Isia began to clear the dishes, Ivan was busy helping her, wondering if he should speak now.
"Tell me, what is the main purpose of your return?" Alicia had already known that Ivan was not here to see her, so she did not wait for him to hesitate before asking.
"No, I want to know something about my father…" Ivan said, no longer hesitating.
The look on Alicia's face froze. She stared at Ivan for a long moment, then sighed.
"I suppose you're right. It's time I told you…"
As she spoke, she put down her plate and gestured for Ivan to sit down.
"Your father's name was Orlando Hals, and he was once a Gryffindor student like you. He was very talented in magic… and very brave. In his seventh year, he became the President of the Hogwarts student body…"
It was a slow recount of the events that led up to her meeting Orlando.
At the time, she was just a mischievous, dark-magic Slytherin girl who liked to tease people… and who teased the Gryffindor house students more than the wandering ghosts.
As a result of Lord Voldemort's infestation, Slytherin House had a poor reputation and was almost isolated from the rest of the world.
Sometimes, she was targeted or dragged into trouble by her friends, but her magic was not weak, and she did not suffer any losses after several confrontations.
Orlando was the only student in her year who was able to counter her magic and defeat her.
"We fought for three years, until we became familiar with each other and no longer viewed each other as enemies… then, on the day of his graduation, he found me and took me to the roof of the castle…"
"And he confessed to you?" Yvonne guessed.
"Yes, it was very sudden…" Alicia nodded. She still remembered how shocked and flustered she had been, and the nervous look in Orlando's eyes when she pretended to hesitate…
With a slight curl of her lips at the memory, she said, "I didn't dislike him very much, so I set a test, and if he managed it, I agreed to go out with him…"
Ivan looked at Alicia, eager to find out what the test was, but she had no intention of revealing it, so he skipped the subject.
In short, they officially started dating soon after graduation, and their relationship became closer and closer. The three years of fighting did not cause any animosity between them, but instead, it caused their relationship to deepen…
However, the British wizarding community was very tense at the time, with Death Eaters running amuck and Lord Voldemort terrorising every wizard.
Alicia was not particularly interested in the wizarding war, as her family was not part of the British wizarding community, and her friends were not involved in either side of the war, so she preferred to avoid the danger and even leave the country for a while until the storm had passed.
"But your father, Orlando, didn't see it that way. He wanted to stay, to fight, to be with his friends…" Alicia sighed at their first disagreement.
She could understand Orlando's choice, as he was not as understanding and unscrupulous as she was, so she acquiesced and stayed with him.
At that time, a secret wizarding organisation was expanding, and Orlando, who was talented and had a strong sense of justice, was invited.
And the head of that magical society was Albus Dumbledore!
The most powerful white wizard in the wizarding world, and the only one who could possibly defeat the Dark Lord!