Here comes a quite relevant chapter. I think all us school kids are counting down to the days left before the holidays! Thanks once again DSCWin for your encouraging reviews and also huge shout out to EnderBlazeHybrid for following and favouriting! I haven't had one of those in a while, so thank you *hugs you*
It was December and the Christmas holidays were getting closer and closer. It started snowing and I couldn't wait to go outside. Inside the Hogwarts castle, the Professors had decorated. Not one but twelve huge trees were in the Great Hall, decorated with all kinds of ornaments. There were decoration everywhere and even the ghosts seemed more cheerful. Even the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost.
Slughorn asked us to write down our names if we wanted to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, in case our parents weren't going to pick us up. Danus said that we should all stay, the whole group and spend the holidays together. We all agreed that it was a great idea, so we signed our names. But Zaria said that her parents had already planned something.
"They've been planning this holiday to Russia forever," she said "And they've invited the whole family. I can't not go. Sorry."
We forgave her, it was alright. But the next big worry was Christmas presents.
I knew I had to get something for Mel, Teddy, Janet, Danus, Marius, Zaria and Dominic, but was there anyone else I had to think of? I thought that maybe I should get something for Liam, Charlotte and Rey, Teddy's friends, but I didn't really know them. I decided that I wouldn't get them something, but if they did, I would find a way to make up to them.
Things were pretty normal until something very weird happened. So Slughorn walked into the classroom one morning and announced that he was going to hold a Christmas party for the members of his Slug Club. I honestly had never heard of the Slug Club before. But Teddy had. He said that Slughorn invited students with famous parents and had little parties with them. He had been forced to enter the Club last year, due to his Auror parents.
When I told my friends they started panicking. Janet cursed her father for working in the Ministry and Dominic wanted to run into a closet and hide because his mother was a famous potion maker. They seemed to be as excited as I was. But I didn't think he would ask me to join the Club, he had been almost terrified at the thought of my parents being who they were. He would probably ask Mel since her parents were also Aurors, but lucky her, she would be away.
On our second to last Potions lesson, Slughorn told me, Janet, Dominic, Mel, my dorm mate James Candon and some other students I didn't know to wait in the classroom after we were finished. I saw Janet tense next to me. We were fearing this. But why did he have me wait?
My worst fears were confirmed when he said that he was inviting us to his Slug Club Christmas party on Christmas Eve, because Professor Snape won't allow him to keep us away from our friends on Christmas day, and that we were the new members of the Club. So yeah, that won't be exciting! When we left the classroom, Janet looked like she was going to throw up. Mel was skipping because she was going to be away. I joked teasing her until Dominic said something and I had to pay attention to him.
The day after that, soon after the owl post arrived, Mel came to our table. She had bright red hair, almost as if she was trying to match the occasion that was coming up. Zaria, Janet and Danus were talking about something that I can't even remember, but it was so funny hearing them talking about it. I was laughing so hard my stomache was hurting. So Mel came to my rescue.
"Danny," she said "My parents just sent me a letter. They're saying that I can bring you home for the holidays too. They really want to meet you. And Teddy's going to be there too."
I felt bad then, because spending Christmas with Mel and Teddy and their families sounded like so much fun, but I couldn't due to arranging with my friends from Slytherin. And she seemed so eager to introduce me to her family. Merlin, they must know my life story by now. And perhaps I would like to meet everyone too.
"It sounds great," I answered "But I already have plans. We're gonna stay here and spend Christmas together with the guys and Janet. Sorry."
"Oh," Mel seemed a little disappointed "Maybe next year."
"Yes," I said to encourage her "Definitely next year. I promise!"
"Okay," she said and skipped back to her table. I watched her until she was back there and then turned back to my breakfast.
Luckily it was a Saturday, which meant that we could hang out in our dorms and look through Christmas presents. Marius got hold of the closest thing the wizarding world has to catalogues and we decided that we would go to our dorm after breakfast and look through it. Then we would give it to the girls because they also shared a dorm and then to Dominic.
It was only us three in the dorm. James wasn't here and it made me wonder where he was. He didn't appear to talk to anyone, what's more have friends, so it seemed weird that he wasn't in the dorm. But then I guess he was probably in the library. I've seen him read so many books he most likely ran out. It's strange that I've never even talked to the guy and we share a dorm.
But Danus was clicking his fingers in front of my face, snapping me back into reality. I smacked his hand when he kept doing it and he faked being in pain and his feelings being hurt. Marius got up and hugged him, stroking his hair, and telling him that he was going to keep the bad boy away, while Danus pretended to cry. I pretended to be offended. But then again, I was the heir of Slytherin. How more evil can someone be?
"So who are we getting presents for?" Marius asked after five seconds and we switched back to serious-mode. We all sat down on his bed, looking at the catalogues.
"I'm getting for you, Janet, Zaria, Dominic and my family," Danus told me "I think that's everyone." He added that last part smirking. Marius punched his arm. Those two could honestly be so ridiculous sometimes.
"I'm getting for Dom, Zaria, Janet, Danny, you and my family," Marius said to him.
"I'm going to get something for Mel, Janet, you two, Zaria, Teddy and I don't have a family," I said lastly. They looked at me almost sadly, like they felt sorry for my parents dying, which I suppose they did.
"I already know what I'm getting you!" Danus told me proudly "Pyjamas. You can't go around wearing those rags."
"You just helped boost my self-esteem," I answered sarcastically.
"I think I'll get Janet something for her hair," Marius said as if he hadn't heard us "You know how she loves styling it every morning. Zaria says she waked up an hour earlier to do it. I'm thinking I'll just get Zaria some Every Flavour Beans, but I'm getting Dominic Chocolate Frogs for his card collection. She might get cranky thinking that I didn't get her something more creative."
"Get her something from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," Danus proposed "They may be blood traitors, but they sell great stuff and Zaria loves a good prank."
"Maybe I will, I'm getting my brother a Reusable Hangman from them anyway," Marius agreed "You know her well, I should be asking you what I should get her."
"She's my best friend," Danus teased and I scolded them for acting like girls. That earned me a pillow to the head by Danus.
"I know that I'll buy Mel a scarf," I said "It's been kind of a tradition. I always got her a scarf for Christmas since I was six years old. For Teddy I'm going to get a copy of 'Quidditch Through The Ages'. He loves Quidditch and he strangely enough doesn't have that book. I just hope Mel and I don't have the same idea. For Janet I was thinking maybe a notebook where she can write down what she has to do. She keeps saying that she forgets everything. I was thinking of getting Dominic Chocolate Frogs as well, but now that you're getting them for him, I have to think of something else. Perhaps something Falmouth Falcons themed?"
"Yeah," Danus told me "He'll love that! And Zaria?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," I admitted "I hope I'll think of something while looking through these. And there's no way I'm telling you two what I'm getting you!"
Danus told us his ideas and in less than an hour we had everything sorted out. All we had to do now was order the things via owl mail and send the money with it.
Halfway through September, Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress, called me to her office and told me that my parents had a bank account in Gringotts, the wizards' bank. She asked me if I would like to start using it, so I said yes and was now equipped with bronze Knuts, silver Sickles and golden Galleons. Now I could pay for my Christmas presents.
We were about to close the catalogues when I thought of something. "Don't you think we should get James something?" I asked my two friends. They looked confused.
"Who's James?" Marius asked me.
"The boy who we share the dorm with," I explained and they looked at me surprised.
"You actually know his name?" Danus asked surprised.
"I heard it at the Sorting," I said and realised why they had been surprised. James had probably never talked to them.
"I don't know," Marius told me, running a hand through his hair "The kid never talks to, as far as I'm concerned."
"But it would be weird if we get him nothing," I pressed. I recalled being the boy who spoke to no one in the dorm, back at the orphanage, and I knew there was always a reason behind it. It was never because you didn't give a shit about your dorm mates. In my case, it had been because they were bullies.
"Just get him candy," Marius shrugged "Say that it's from all of us. I'm not going to waste too much on someone I don't even talk to." Danus nodded, agreeing. I thought it wasn't the best way to see things, but didn't say anything. I added some Every Flavour Beans on the list.
We decided to send Azriel, since he hardly ever got out of the Owlery, due to the fact that I had no one to send mail to. He even looked excited when I walked up to him, envelope in hand. He let me attach it to his leg before flying away.
Mel, Teddy and Zaria left the next day. I said goodbye to all of them. Mel promised to send me a Christmas card and a cool present. Teddy said that his friends also wished me a Merry Christmas and I said to tell them that I wish them one as well. Zaria made us swear we would pull a good Zara during the Christmas Feast.
We decided on something more harmless than our Halloween prank. Even the girls had taken a break after that one. We thought that next year we would do something less extreme. No need getting detention again. Same went for the Christmas prank. It didn't take too long to agree on just a simple spell.
We spent the rest of the day outside in the snow. We threw snowballs at each other and built a snowman. It was so much fun. I was glad I'd stayed behind and hadn't missed all of this.
Our Christmas presents arrived just the next day, which was really exciting. We had to be in the dorm at different times so we could wrap the presents without revealing them to one another. It got even funnier when Danus and I were outside and he suddenly needed to go to the bathroom really badly. He claimed that there was no way he could make it to the boys' bathroom and he had to go to the one in the dorm. Marius wasn't hearing it and wouldn't allow him to go in. He almost peed himself before Dominic let him into his dorm.
On Christmas Eve we had Slughorn's party, which was just horrible. He asked everyone about their parents and what they were up to now. I honestly didn't have something to say and he never asked me anything. James Candon looked pretty tense when Slughorn asked him about his father and he gave the smallest response possible. I heard his voice for literally the first time.
Slughorn asked Janet about her father and if he was doing something in the Ministry now. She said that indeed he was working on a new law that might come out in a few years, but it was secret and she wasn't allowed to talk about it. Dominic was asked how his mother was and how her brewing was going. He had admitted to me that he had absolutely no idea, but he told Slughorn that she was doing something quite interesting.
Apparently James Candon's father turned out to be working with the Minister for Magic. According to Slughorn, he had for years. Nero Candon wasn't going for Minister, he only worked as his assistant. I must have been the only one thinking that this was unusual.
There were supposed to be two other first years, Diana Zine from Ravenclaw and another Gryffindor named Michael, but they had gone home as well as many others, much to Slughorn's displeasure. Everyone else was second year and over. And everyone had important parents.
And after we talked about our family, he had invited some band and they played while we just talked to each other, an occasional Slughorn appearing. Some other kids were actually serving us food and drinks, so that was quite awkward.
The party finally finished and I swear I have never been more relieved to be back in my common room. Danus and Marius were probably asleep, so it was only me, Janet and Dominic. And James, but he wasn't really part of the group.
We said good night to each other before each one went to their dorm. James and I walked through the same door, but it felt like we weren't in the same room. He went into the bathroom, came out a bit later and then went to his bed and pulled the drapes around him.
I brushed my teeth, changed into my pyjamas and went to bed, thinking that tomorrow was Christmas.
So are you excited for the holidays? I know I am. I went Christmas shopping for my family a month ago! I think I might be a little too excited :) Anyway review please!