"Merry Christmas, Harry," Ron says to me.

I sigh and wipe the sleep from my eyes. Christmas. I never used to get excited about Christmas-or holidays in general- since the Dursleys only get presents for Dudley, but today I am determined to be happy. Ron doesn't know how bad it is at Privet Drive, and he never will.

"Merry Christmas, Ron," I say.

We sit beside the tree and look at our presents. Presents: there's another thing I can't expect from the Dursleys.

"It's nice isn't it? Just us, and no Draco," Ron says.

"Ron, you like Draco. He's your friend. You do understand the word friend?" I say.
He hands a parcel to me.

"It's from Mum," he says, "Yes, but he keeps you to himself and I feel.. left out. You're like George and Fred. I can't compete with that."

I pull my hair over my head and look at Ron with a grin.

"He likes you better, Ron. If you liked him better, it'd just be me and Hermione," I say.

"Merry Christmas ickle firsties!" George yells as he bounces into our room. Fred pops behind me and sticks a quill in my ear.

"Be cheerful! Be merry, Harry," Fred says.

"Oh, alright," I say.

We stand and I shove the invisibility cloak I unearthed earlier inderneath a bed with my foot. Fred and George line us up into an odd sort of line, like a party dance Dudley's friends would do, and usher us to some unknown destination.

-Night-

I double check to be sure that Ron is asleep while slipping my invisiblity cloak over my head. The Restricted Section is no match for me while I'm invisible! I slip through the rows of bookshelves and pull a book down. Once opened, it starts screaming like a small girl being tortured. I back into a pile of books, which fall, and then I run from the room. It is then that I realize the biggest flaw in my plan. Just because I cannot be seen doesn't mean that I can't be heard or felt. I don't glide like Peeves and I can't walk through objects. Much to my disappointment as Peeves comes through the hallway cackling madly.

I'm rather dense.

"Invisible thing, I know you're there!" he yells loudly.

I hold my breath and tiptoe past him. How well can a poltergeist hear, do you think?

"Maybe Filch should find you. Students out of bed!" Peeves says.

He can't see me so I swallow my breathless pants and press myself against the wall. He walks towards me and stares at me as though he can see me and for a moment I feel as though he can and yet I resist the urge to gasp. I barely allow myself to breathe at all. Snape's cloak flutters loudly as he approaches and heads towards Filch.

"I've seen no one, but I feel as though some presence lurks outside of our senses," Snape says.

"The intruder was in the restricted section, sir," Filch says.

They whisper things I cannot hear and sweep off together. I cautiously walk around the corner and listen. They aren't far away. I run inside of a room with an open door and turn around. There's a man standing there, and at first I jump, but I realize he's inside a mirror. He looks like me, but he doesn't have green eyes like mine. He waves eagerly.

A small woman with bright hair and emerald eyes appears beside him and she smiles at me.

"Mom, Dad?" I stand in front of the mirror and stare at them. My dad puts his hand on my shoulder and the mirror begins to fill with other people. My family. I look at them and see myself: my knees here, my messy hair there. I force myself to leave.

"Where were you?" Ron asks.

"I saw this mirror. It showed me my family," I say.

Ron seems mildly interested but distracted.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Nothing, Harry. I'd love to see your family," he says. He stares at the floor. I nudge his shoulder.

"Who's Elijah?" he asks. His voice sounds oddly hollow.

"You read my things!" I say.

"Who. Is. Elijah. Harry?" Ron asks through clenched teeth.

"The first and last friend I had from before. Dudley made sure to beat it out of him," I whisper.

"It?" Ron asks.

"My... friendship. And then he moved away. Why would you read my journal," I say.

"I wanted to be sure that you didn't like Draco more than me..." he says. He seems a little sad. What did I write about them?

I sit up and look into his eyes. "Whether I do or I don't, please never do that again," I say.

Ron smiles at me with a sad look in his eyes.

I turn around and shut him out.