Hello readers! Here's chapter 10! I issue the regular thank you's!
I do not own Harry Potter!
The month following our discovery, it was time for another Full Moon. Remus had been irritable and short-tempered in the days leading up to it. He would snap at us over the smallest thing and then apologise profusely for it. We didn't mind. I was probably just as bad!
The night passed in the usual fashion: a war between girl and wolf that basically meant constant, relentless pain. This time, I had James, Sirius and Peter. I stayed in their dormitory, and their presence gave me the encouragement my mother would usually provide.
The cries and howls of agony from outside melted my heart as I now knew who the werewolf was.
The morning after the Full Moon, we visited Remus in the Hospital Wing. He had so outdone himself this time. Apart from the usual level of cuts and bruises I recognised from my father's wild night, Remus had a huge chunk of flesh missing from his thigh and had almost bitten of a finger.
"How are you, Wolfie?" Sirius asked joking yet dead serious at the same time.
"I've told you again and again, Sirius, it's Moony!" James interrupted before Remus could open his mouth. Remus shot me a quizzical look.
"Don't ask!" I replied, "Now really, how are you?"
"Been better", he groaned as he shifted slightly, "Peter, will you pass me that potion, the red one." Peter's face lit up with the 'honour' of passing Remus a blood replenishing potion and almost fell over in his eagerness to comply. He practically threw it at the werewolf who caught it easily and took a swig, swishing it around in his mouth several times before swallowing. "Bloody hell! Tastes like troll toenails", Remus commented pulling a face.
"How do you know what troll toenails taste like?" Sirius asked curiously. Remus threw him a look and we all laughed.
Several weeks later it was Christmastime. The vast majority of the student population went home for the holidays. Peter went home and so did the girls in my dormitory. Sirius stayed to avoid his dreadful family for as long as possible, James stayed to keep him company and Remus stayed as there would be another Full Moon shortly and Madame Pomfrey could heal him even better than his mother could. I stayed to experience Hogwarts at Christmas.
There was a pleasant atmosphere in the school (James said that this was due to the lack of Slytherins!). The shining suits of armour were charmed to sing carols, and we decided to modify that charm so that they would shout other more-colourful-words instead!
Our good friend Hagrid had a dozen of the largest Christmas trees I had ever seen placed in the Great Hall, each heavily decorated with spinning, shining baubles, candles that wouldn't flicker or set the tree alight and sparkling fairies.
"Amy! Amy! Amy! WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!"
I yawned, turned over in my bed, and uttered a loud snore. Suddenly, something leapt on to my bed and jumped on it, squishing my legs in the process. Sirius and James were jumping on my bed. I was about to thank Remus for restraining himself from joining them when he grabbed my arm and pulled. I screamed and was dragged from my warm and cosy bed, taking my duvet, Sirius and James with me.
Well, that was the last time I was going to stay in their dormitory!
I groaned as I landed on the hard floor with a 'thud' and grabbed Remus's legs. I pulled them from under him and he fell onto his bottom! We all glared at each other before bursting into peals of laughter. I wouldn't be surprised if we woke up the entire school. James was the first to get to his feet and he pulled me up with him.
"PRESENTS!" Sirius squealed like a two year old and he skidded down to the common room where piles of presents awaited us. We raced after him and dived into the stacks of gifts lay.
I handed the boys their presents from me and bit my lip, desperately hoping they'd like them. James gasped in delight at the Quidditch jersey I had given him and immediately threw it over his head, thanking me repeatedly. Sirius laughed when he saw the jar of Merlin's Beard and Hair Gel I had gotten him (he's highly protective of his hair!) and thanked me for the beater bat. Remus pulled me in for a warm hug for the vouchers for Flourish and Bott's and Honeyduke's and immediately began reading one of the books I had gotten him.
James gave me a broomstick repairs set, Sirius handed me a book called 'The Guide to Seeking' and a miniature flying chocolate snitch that must be caught before eaten. Remus handed me a book that he recommended for handling the Full Moon as well as a load of herbs and remedies that he found useful.
We all loved our presents from both friends and families but without a doubt, James got the best present out of us all. He opened the package from his parents, carelessly tossing the wrapping paper aside and when he saw what it was, his jaw dropped. We watched in curious silence as James unfolded the cloak and threw it over his shoulders. His torso instantly vanished.
"An invisibility cloak!" Remus mused in wonder, and he delicately stroked the rippling cloak.
"It's Dad's!" James explained, "It's been in the family for centuries!"
"Is there a note?" I questioned. James nodded and Sirius dived into the pile of wrapping paper to fetch it like a dog. Sirius silently (for once in his life!) passed James the note.
"Dear James", James read aloud, "It is time for you to obtain your first family heirloom, the Potter's invisibility cloak. It has been in the family for as long as we can trace the family name back. Take good care of it. Use it well, Mum and Dad."
"This will be the greatest asset to our pranking!" Sirius declared.
"Yeah, it practically exterminates the odds of being caught!" James gushed. We spent the rest of the morning trying on the invisibility cloak and causing Peeves worthy chaos around the school.
After the incredible Christmas feast, we sauntered back to the Gryffindor common room.
"Look! Outside! It's SNOWING!" Sirius exclaimed and we quickly pulled on hats, scarves, gloves and coats before bounding outside. Hogwarts looked positively picturesque, the turrets and battlements covered with snow, looking like icing on a cake. The lake was frozen over, and a decent three feet of thick white snow blanketed the grounds.
"Me and Sirius against Amy and Remus!" James bellowed, before bending over to scoop up a large ball of snow and throwing it at my face. I spun to the side, laughing as it hit the ground two feet to my left.
"Is that really the best you've got?" I cackled, hurling an even larger snowball at Sirius, who got it straight in the face. His expression turned stony.
"You're on!" James and Sirius confirmed. I laughed as Remus shoved snow down James' back, but the laughter died on my lips and was replaced by a shudder as Sirius landed a throw at the back of my head, causing my hat to slide off, soaking my hair in freezing ice.
Although Remus and I put up a good fight, in the end we begged for mercy as the opposition had us tackled to the ground, piling snow on top of us.
It was the best Christmas ever!