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Chapter 25: The Whole Holiday
🕑 Added 2025-02-11 08:36:46 +0000 UTC
To be honest, the timeline Noah was in felt a bit awkward.
At this point, neither the Avengers nor the X-Men had truly emerged, and Noah hadn't found anything particularly interesting in the UK.
Of course, this might have been due to his young age—otherwise, he might have been tempted to track down a certain 007 agent just to see if all those spy stories were true.
But that was just Noah’s personal complaint. If he had been this age and strength in the 2000s, he would probably have cried out in frustration.
After the turn of the millennium, the world began experiencing unimaginable changes.
First came the rise of a certain genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Then, the reemergence of mutants led to the X-Men coming into the public eye.
After that, all sorts of inexplicable beings appeared one after another, disrupting the relative peace of the 1990s.
By that time, Noah would have had no chance to train himself properly.
"It seems the system was actually kind to me," he mused. "At least it gave me about ten years to prepare. If I can’t make the most of that, then I really should just hide in some safe corner and wait for the storm to pass."
---
Accompanying Hermione back to the Muggle world, Noah suddenly felt a strange sense of displacement.
Though everything looked familiar—after all, he had lived here for ten years—Muggle technology and infrastructure felt outdated compared to the memories from his past life.
This feeling made him reluctant to remain outside the academy for too long.
At Hogwarts, he could always immerse himself in the power and wonder of magic. Compared to that, the mundane world seemed dull.
"Maybe I was born to be part of the wizarding world," he thought wryly.
After politely declining Hermione’s invitation to visit her home, Noah made his way straight back to the orphanage where he had spent his childhood.
The orphanage was located on a quiet street in Westminster. It was said that the only reason it was able to exist in such an area was due to the influence and capability of its director, Ms. Haifin.
After all, Westminster was the heart of London, home to the Palace of Westminster and the British Parliament. Running an orphanage here required significant connections.
Otherwise, it would have been relocated to East London long ago.
---
Noah’s return immediately caught the attention of the children and staff.
Although he had been somewhat withdrawn as a child, this wasn’t unusual. Many orphans were hesitant to form friendships, knowing they could be adopted at any time and taken away from the people they grew close to.
Moreover, most children here had suffered some kind of misfortune, making them more introverted. Compared to others, Noah’s behavior had actually been quite normal.
"Long time no see, Ms. Haifin."
"It has been a while, Noah—two months and twenty-nine days, to be exact."
Ms. Haifin smiled warmly at him.
Noah had never known her first name. In fact, very few in the orphanage did.
She appeared to be in her thirties—elegant, dignified, and strikingly beautiful. Noah had often wondered why someone like her had chosen to run an orphanage instead of pursuing a different path in life.
But that was her own business, and he had no right to question it.
What he did know was that Ms. Haifin came from a wealthy family. Their orphanage never struggled for funding, never had to seek donations, and never had to pander to rich families looking to adopt.
Unlike many other institutions, there was no pressure on Ms. Haifin to entertain suitors who visited in hopes of winning her favor.
The orphanage was peaceful, stable, and free of the usual struggles. For that, Noah was deeply grateful.
---
"How’s your school? What’s it called again—Hogwarts?"
Ms. Haifin still wore a gentle smile, the gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose making her seem all the more refined.
"It’s great," Noah replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "The headmaster, the professors, the students—everything’s been good so far."
"That’s good to hear. I looked into it and found out Hogwarts is a prestigious private school with an exceptional faculty. It’s not easy to get in. Congratulations, Noah."
"No, I should be the one thanking you, Ms. Haifin. Without your help covering my tuition, I wouldn’t have been able to attend."
"Don’t mention it. It was just a bit of money."
She paused, then smiled knowingly.
"By the way, Noah, have you made any friends?"
Noah felt a little flustered at her amused expression but quickly regained his composure.
He had been quite reclusive at the orphanage, but that had been intentional. Most of the kids were too young and immature for him to relate to.
In truth, this feeling had persisted when he first arrived at Hogwarts.
But he had quickly realized that his future depended on building connections, and Evan and the others had proven to be great companions.
They were intelligent, curious, and driven—qualities Noah appreciated.
As for Hermione?
She could be childish at times, but she was usually mature beyond her years.
With her immense potential and strong personality, she fit in naturally with Noah and his group.
"Of course, I’ve made plenty of friends."
"Oh? Really? Let me guess—they’re mostly your dormmates?"
"Well… I’d love to deny that, but you’re not entirely wrong."
"That makes sense," Ms. Haifin said with a chuckle. "I’ve watched you grow up, Noah—I know your personality well. But I’m glad. You’ve finally made friends of your own."
She reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately.
Noah wanted to dodge, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided to let it be.
It wasn’t like he’d get many chances like this in the future.
Even though he knew he would return to visit often, Ms. Haifin would always remain the woman who had taken care of him as he grew up.
"By the way, Noah, how long are you staying this time?"
"For the whole holiday."
"Really? And in the future?"
"In the future?" Noah smiled. "I’ll come back every holiday—so long as you don’t get tired of having me around."
