Thank heavens that it didn’t take long for people to start arriving or she’d have gone through all of the trouble for nothing! With a wide smile and the music playing in the background, Ingrid greeted the first arrival with a welcoming smile. “Ash! Merry Christmas! Thank you! I can’t take all of the credit though. The house elves have really been a godsend,” with a relived look across her face now. It made it so much easier that she wasn’t the only one there now and that the first person to arrive was in fact her dorm mate! Noticing Ash’s eyes drifting towards the food, she smiled before saying “Why don’t you go and help yourself? There’ll be enough here for everyone. Besides, if they wanted to eat, they should have arrived first?” a small tinkling laugh now slipping out. Obviously, Ash wouldn’t be able to eat all of the food mainly because of how much there was but she was welcome to try.

With her laugh still tinkling, Ingrid turned to see the door open again for the second time as another person arrived although this one was a lot younger (Olive). Seeing the magical look in her eyes as she took in the room and what it truly meant to experience a Hogwarts Christmas almost made it worthwhile to throw the party. Her first Christmas at Hogwarts almost felt like a life time ago but she still remembered the snow cascading down in the Great Hall and the Christmas trees decked out so festively that it practically filled you with Christmas spirit. In part, that’s what she’d been aiming for. A room so festive it couldn’t help but make you feel warm and festive in side no matter how you’re spending your Christmas. It was her present to Hogwarts. “Welcome to the room of requirement Olive. I’m so glad you could make it!” she replied, her eyes questioning if she had indeed been that small as a first year or if it was just Olive. “I’ve put mine under the tree but feel free to keep hold of it if you wish?” She hadn’t really specified any rules or guidance as she’d figured that secret Santa was a pretty straight forward concept. Maybe she’d over estimated everyone’s intelligence. “The person I bought my present for is actually in Hufflepuff too, actually. That’s why I put my present underneath the Hufflepuff tree. You can do the same if you want or keep it on you.”

Now the people were arriving thick and fast, almost too quickly for the seventh year to keep track. Why she felt like some kind of host was beyond her. It was only her idea after all. Did she have to host it as well? She almost felt as though there were some kind of spotlight on her and it was rather warm and uncomfortable. Adjusting her festive green dress, she gazed over at Evan first and flashed him a smile and a quick wave before turning towards the next arrival. “Merry Christmas!” she called back at Pablo, although what he said after that was news to her. “Help yourself to some food everyone!” she called out to the room in general. Better to start while it was fresh after all.

No sooner was she smiling over at Pablo was she then pulled in another direction by the sound of someone else complementing the room decoration. “Thanks Aria, it really does feel so festive in here, doesn’t it? Did any of you have trouble finding a gift at all?” she asked those around her (Ash, Olive and Aria). “I know I struggled a little although I guess that’s the fun of it.” Meeting new people and trying to buy for someone you don’t really know was honestly such a challenge for her, especially as she was a perfectionist but she’d managed…somehow! Just one look at the room would tell you there wasn’t a piece of tinsel out of place mainly because there wasn’t a piece of tinsel in sight.

She did briefly note the incoming of Freddie too, offering him a smile as a welcome as he turned towards Aria.