After dinner, Wade greeted Michael and the others before heading alone to the seventh floor of the castle, and he paced back and forth in the empty corridor.

"I need an alchemy lab... I need an alchemy lab... I need an alchemy lab..."

In a nearby wall painting, Barnabas the Barmy was still entangled with a few trolls. Sometimes, he forced them to dance; other times, he got beaten up. Most of the time, he remained motionless and showed no reaction to someone pacing in the corridor.

Wade felt that the moment when Barnabas had suddenly spoken to warn him before now seemed somewhat unreal.

The door to the Room of Requirement appeared. Wade glanced at Barnabas once more before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

It was an enormous circular room. Shelves along the walls were filled with books on alchemy, and countless crystal bottles contained various alchemical materials—some ordinary, some emitting strange glows, and some even bouncing around inside their bottles.

On the workstation, a long row of tools was neatly arranged. Oddly shaped glass containers held green liquids that bubbled continuously, while a cauldron simmered with multi-colored minerals.

Where a fireplace should have been, there were two smelting furnaces. One of them was currently burning, with a trunk-like copper pipe extending from the top that was connected to a nearby round container.

At that moment, two people were already inside the room—

Fred and George were sprawled on the floor and were sketching on a giant blueprint. Nearby, there were several items that didn't quite belong there, such as knitted hats and old vests.

"What are you guys doing?"

Wade walked over and sat down. And then he picked up the blueprint from the floor to take a closer look.

Fred rubbed his nose and grinned. "Hey, look! This is why we wanted your help."

"Isn't it a neat little gadget?" George said excitedly. "Hats and vests that can defend against minor curses! They might not be super useful, but they work well against small hexes!"

"But our Ancient Runes knowledge isn't great. We've got ideas, but there are a few things we don't know how to implement..." Fred explained why they needed Wade's help.

"Also, I think it'd be even better if it could also protect against Muggle weapons!" George added.

"Hmm... Let me take a look first..."

Wade said as he carefully studied the twins' design ideas on the blueprint.

In fact, he had considered something similar to a Jinx-Off long ago. Even if he didn't sell it, it would be great to give his friends a little extra protection.

However, he eventually abandoned the idea after realizing that such items could only block minor spells that weren't particularly dangerous. They had little practical significance.

Moreover, for the Jinx-Off to work, its wearer needed to actively participate—it required them to stare directly at the spellcaster as they got hit so that the curse could be reflected back.

This made its usefulness even more limited.

So, in the original story, this item was just a joke product for the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes joke shop.

However, most people in the wizarding world are rather weak, and only a handful can cast the Shield Charm. As a result, during wartime, this product actually sold quite well.

The blueprint in front of Wade at this moment wasn't much different from the Jinx-Off in the original story in terms of effectiveness. There were some flaws in the rune design, which Wade quickly corrected.

But this kind of protective gear had rather disappointing results, and its defense against Muggle firearms was barely better than nothing.

Originally, this was why Wade had abandoned the idea. However, after his experience on the island, he had new thoughts.

"This kind of defense is too basic, but maybe we can do something with the materials?" Wade suggested.

The twins exchanged a glance before asking in unison, "How?"

Wade asked, "Have you ever looked closely at a beehive?"

"Of course!" George said. "Every hive I've seen has the same structure, the same pattern—it's absolutely perfect, almost mesmerizing."

Fred nodded in agreement. "I've heard that beehives on the other side of the world look exactly the same, as if some kind of god designed them. It's almost unreal."

"Exactly." Wade casually sketched a hexagonal honeycomb on the paper. "The honeycomb structure uses the least amount of material to create the largest possible diamond-shaped container while remaining extremely strong."

"Moreover, this mesh-like structure can evenly distribute external forces from all directions. It has excellent stability, as well as soundproofing and heat insulation properties. And because it saves material, the overall weight is relatively light."

Wade was very familiar with honeycomb structures because his Undetectable Extension Charm wardrobe space remained stable precisely due to this structure, which he had used to design magical runes.

Now, he was applying the same concept to Jinx-Off gear. His thoughts flowed seamlessly as he explained, all while jotting down runes and diagrams on the paper.

"So, look—if we make the Jinx-Off hat or vest—preferably the vest, since it offers better defense—using a titanium-copper alloy in a honeycomb structure and then enchant it with the Shield Charm, we can…"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Fred raised his hand. "What's titanium-copper alloy?"

Wade paused for a moment before explaining, "It's an alloy made by adding a small amount of titanium to copper. It has high strength, great elasticity, and excellent ductility. It's widely used in Muggle society."

George looked at his brother. "I've never heard of that… Have you?"

Fred shook his head. "Nope, me neither."

Wade thought back to some magazines he had read at home and said,

"I think this alloy was invented a few decades ago. It's even used in aerospace technology… Probably no wizard has thought of using it for alchemy yet."

"Aerospace?" Fred whistled and said excitedly, "Cool! A new material! Let's use it!"

Wade: "…"

To him, something that had been commercially used for decades wasn't exactly "new material," but considering how isolated the wizarding world is, it made perfect sense.

Fortunately, the Weasley twins weren't the type of wizards who stubbornly clung to old ways, nor did they reject something just because it came from the Muggle world.

However, George was a little worried. "If it's a new material, will it be expensive?"

Originally, they had planned to experiment using the hats and vests Mrs. Weasley had knitted for them long ago—items so worn out that they were beyond repair, to the point that even Ron wouldn't take them back to wear.

Wade was speechless. "…You two are making plenty of money now, and you're still hesitant to buy materials? Besides, how much would the inner lining of a vest even need? A single piece of alloy can make several Jinx-Off vests."

George suddenly realized. "That's true! And the rarer the material, the higher the selling price!"

He raised his hand and high-fived Fred, looking extremely excited.

Wade shook his head to himself and continued refining the design of the Jinx-Off vest.

In reality, the twins were getting a decent share of profits from the Aslan Magic Workshop, but perhaps because they had grown up in a financially tight household, they still maintained a frugal mindset.

Come to think of it, most of the older Weasley brothers—except for Percy—were earning money. Bill and Charlie had respectable jobs with good salaries, and Fred and George were making even more.

Yet, their family's living conditions hadn't noticeably improved. At the very least, Ron was still wearing hand-me-down robes and using a secondhand wand.

Wade didn't quite understand the financial dynamics of their family, but he wasn't about to comment on it. Before long, they were all deeply engaged in an enthusiastic discussion.

…

On Monday, Wade didn't see Dumbledore at school. However, during breakfast, Harry switched seats to sit next to him.

"Wade, did you sign the stay-at-school list?" Harry asked while cutting his steak.

"No, I'm definitely going home for the holidays." Wade glanced at Harry's expression and asked, "Are you planning to stay?"

"Yeah, I probably will." Harry poked at his steak with his fork and looked a little frustrated.

"Remus and Sirius seem to be busy—you know, with that island business… They might not have time during the break, so they suggested I stay at school."

Back in his first year, Harry would have happily signed the stay-at-school list. He would rather be alone at Hogwarts than return to the Dursleys' house on Privet Drive.

But now, home was so close, yet he couldn't go back, which made it all the more frustrating.

"What's the big deal?" Michael, sitting nearby, chimed in. "If you want to stay at school for the holidays, then stay. And if you don't want to, can't you just go home whenever you feel like it?"

He blinked, subtly hinting that Harry could use the Vanishing Cabinet to go back anytime.

Last year, they had frequently used the Vanishing Cabinet to sneak off to Hogsmeade for fun. But this term, their coursework had suddenly increased, and Lupin's house was often empty, so they hadn't used it much.

Harry sighed. "How is that the same?"

Michael looked puzzled. "Aren't you trying to go out and have fun?"

Harry silently shook his head.

Hogsmeade, which had once seemed mysterious and exciting to him, was now a place he had walked through so many times that it had lost its charm.

When he first lived there, he could have wandered around eight times a day, but now the novelty had completely worn off.

Once that sense of freshness was gone, he realized that the shops there barely changed over the years. That's why, even on Hogsmeade weekends, people usually just went for a stroll or picked up necessities.

By comparison, at least Hogwarts still had the maze, which was far more interesting.

Harry wanted to go back—not because of the place itself, but because of the people who should have been there.

But Sirius was always too busy and he even ended every message in a hurry. As for Remus, ever since he had recovered, he was rarely around. Even the messages in the Book of Friends took a long time to get a response.

Wade thought for a moment and asked, "Harry, do you want to come to my house for the holidays? My mom and dad would love to have you as a guest."

When Fred and Fiona first met Harry, they didn't know about his past or reputation. But after learning about various events in the wizarding world, they become extremely curious about the "Savior of the Wizarding World."

Fiona, in particular, felt deep sympathy for Harry. As a mother, she was especially moved by his tragic childhood—losing his parents so young and enduring a difficult life.

Harry hesitated for a moment, but before he could answer, Michael protested. "Wade, are you only inviting Harry? Are we not best friends anymore?"

Wade laughed. "Of course I want to invite you too."

"As you should!" Michael thought for a moment and added, "I've been inviting you to my house forever, and you still haven't come!"

"I just haven't had the time… Next time, for sure." Wade then turned back to Harry. "So, what do you think? Want to come?"

Harry's slightly tense shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. "Yeah, I'd love to!"

—This way, Ron and Hermione wouldn't have to stay at school for my sake.

If Harry had been forced to stay, they would have stayed with him too.

Ron would claim it was because he couldn't stand being around Percy, and Hermione would say she wanted extra time in the library—but Harry knew the truth. They would have stayed just to keep him company.

But everyone had been away from their families for months. Unlike Harry, who could sneak home on Hogsmeade weekends, Ron and Hermione didn't have that option.

He didn't want them to miss the chance to celebrate Christmas with their families just because of him.

"Wade, is there anything fun to do at your place?" Michael asked curiously. "What do you usually do during the holidays?"

"Hmm…"

Wade thought about it.

Most of his past holidays had been spent reading. In the last couple of years, his Christmas breaks had become more eventful—but they still didn't exactly revolve around fun and games.

If he was hosting friends, of course, he couldn't just do nothing.

"We can go to the movies, watch an opera, or go ice skating…"

Wade recalled all the events Fiona had insisted on taking him to. "There are also light shows, Christmas markets, winter amusement parks with lots of activities, and in the evening, a circus performance…"

"That sounds amazing!" Michael said longingly.

Even though he is a half-blood, after Michael's Muggle mother married his wizard father, their family had fully embraced wizarding traditions.

They lived on the outskirts of a village and had little contact with the nearby Muggle residents—let alone traveled to big cities to experience various Muggle celebrations.

To Michael, Christmas had always meant exchanging gifts, eating a turkey dinner, and decorating a Christmas tree. While getting presents was fun, the rest of it was rather unremarkable.

Harry's eyes also lit up slightly.

To be honest, he had only ever seen those kinds of activities on television. He had secretly longed to experience them for a long time but had never had the chance.

As they excitedly discussed their Christmas plans, a large group of owls suddenly swooped into the Great Hall. Students quickly shielded the long tables, but stray feathers still landed in their food.

Late risers could only sigh in frustration as they gave up on their roast meat and pumpkin juice, settling for a couple of baked potatoes instead.

At this point, the only things still being delivered en masse by owl post were various magazines and The Daily Prophet.

The owls, still carrying the chill of the morning air, dropped the rolled-up newspapers in front of the students before flapping their wings and flying off again.

"Why can't they change the timing of these deliveries?"

Michael grumbled as he unfolded his newspaper. "I could get my mail when I wake up in the morning or on the way to class—why does it always have to be during breakfast…"

His voice suddenly cut off.

Michael stared at the front page for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. "Wade, Harry, take a look at this."

Wade had also received a newspaper but hadn't had the chance to open it yet. He glanced over at Michael's paper and immediately noticed the bold black headline—

"Heroic Action by the Ministry of Magic: Rescuing Muggle Children from Danger!"

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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters

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