Chapter Fourteen; The Best Christmas Ever
On their way back to the castle they ran into Hermione. "Harry!" Hermione exclaimed after she caught sight of him and quickly threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Thank God you're alright." She told him a moment later before she let go.
"Uh hullo? Remember me? I was the one who was almost eaten." Ron pointed out before Hermione turned to look at him.
"Oh c'mon Ronald, you know I'm glad to see you." She told him and then glanced back at Harry. "I have to admit, I had no idea that Ginny's plan would actually work." She said happily with a sigh of relief and a warm bright smile.
"With all due respect it was Luna's plan, not mine." Ginny told her before she grabbed ahold of Luna's hand. "She saved our lives and we couldn't have done it without her." She explained. "Even after I was acting like such a jerk to her." She added.
"Well isn't that what The Cheetah Girls are all about? Being there for each other?" Luna questioned as Ginny grinned at her.
"You bet it is." She told her.
"Hey, that reminds me, I want to show you guys something." Hermione said. "Particularly you Harry, you'll never believe what I found." She told him as they all followed her back to the castle. Hermione waved her hand back at them to hurry them along and then she led them out into the yard by the whomping willow. "C'mon, this way!" she cried as Ron gulped.
"Well alright, but we better keep our distance. I don't want that thing to try having a go at me again." He said nervously when finally Hermione came to a stop and led them to a big old black trunk with a bunch of rusty old chains and locks on it. "I saw this buried in the ground on my way to find you guys. I already unlocked it." She explained. "Open it Harry." She told him.
Harry couldn't understand why Hermione was asking him to do this, but in the end his curiosity won him over and he took a step towards it and opened the lid. All five of them started a coughing fit as they waved the puff of smoke away from their eyes which started to water immediately afterwards.
"What is that thing!?" Ron exclaimed. "It looks like it's been underground for two hundred years!"
Harry waited until he regained his vision and that's when suddenly he felt like he couldn't breathe. For the chest had turned out to be a time capsule. Harry looked around and saw a pink flowery poster of a young girl with red hair just like Ginny's but had Harry's eyes. Up a crossed the top of it had the name;
Lily Evans
"I don't believe it," Harry began. "this was my mother's." he finished.
"I know." Hermione said softly as she smiled at him while he continued to look around inside the box. There were CD's, T-shirts, and concert tickets all pertaining to her.
"She was a famous singer, that's why my parents had so much money." He said as he felt his eyes tear up while he saw the image on the poster smiling up at him and folding her arms proudly. Then all of a sudden she did something unexpected. She pointed over at the side of the box. Harry reached down and grabbed an envelope out of it.
Harry started to open it after he realized that it had his name on it. Then he removed the letter that was inside of it and unfolded it inside his hands before starting to read it to himself.
Dear Harry,
If you are reading this I just want to say that I'm so glad that you found my time capsule. However I have a feeling that if you have, that means that I am no longer with you, in physical form anyway. You see I buried this as to hope's that someday when you go to Hogwarts that you would find it and have something of me to hold onto. I just had enough to bury it before we went into hiding. I just wanted to say that from time to time you might get angry with me if it really does come to me having to sacrifice my life for you.
I just wanted to let you know that it's alright for you to feel that way sweetheart, but please know you were worth it. You have such a great and important life ahead of you Harry, and even though I'm young I've pretty much lived mine out as you can see inside the trunk. However, the greatest thing that I have ever done in this life is bring you into this world. You were brought here for a purpose just like everyone else.
In time you will figure out what your purpose is (if you haven't already) and I hope you will fulfill it in every way that you possibly can until the day comes when it is time for us to see each other again. Please know that I love you with all of my heart and soul and it hurts me deeply that even though I will able to see you grow up, I won't be able to be a part of your life. However that doesn't mean that I won't always be with you.
Always remember to follow your dreams whatever they may be, because if you do that, you'll find me close by.
All my love,
Your mother Lily
Harry felt his eyes stinging with tears as he read and reread the note silently to himself. "Harry?" Ginny questioned. "Are you alright?" she asked him as he sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve before folding the letter back up again.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just the cold night air, that's all." He lied when suddenly he felt a comforting hand on the top of his shoulder.
"C'mon mate," Ron began. "let's go back inside." He told him as Harry stuffed the his mother's letter into his pocket before following the others back into the castle.
The next couple of months flew by and before they knew it the autumn rain had turned to snow and then before they knew it Christmas had arrived. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had decided to stay with Harry at the castle. All The Cheetah Girls and The Dragons spent Christmas morning together down in the Gryffindor common room.
Ginny had even invited Neville and Luna to spend it with them. Everybody was so excited to open their presents. Harry had given Ginny a string necklace with her first initial on the bottom of it in solid silver while Ginny had given him a bag of some Droobles blowing gum, pumpkin pastries, and chocolate frogs. Ginny grinned back at Neville and Luna as they exchanged their presents and bent down to grab a bright pink bag out from under the tree.
"Hey Luna, I've got an extra special Christmas present for you." She said as she stood up and walked over to her and set it down in front of her.
"Thank you Ginny, but you know you didn't have to." She said as she started to remove the brightly colored pink tissue paper.
"Well I figured that since The Cheetah Girls have their own costume for the talent show that you would need one too." Ginny explained as she grinned as Luna's jaw practically fell open when she saw what was inside. She slowly reached in and picked up a beautiful soft and white spotted furry jacket and raised it into the air.
"I'm sure you'll look tight!" Ginny exclaimed.
"This is for me?" she questioned with complete and utter disbelief and astonishment.
"Well yeah, you're one of us now aren't you?" Ginny asked her.
"You mean that? I'm really a Cheetah Girl?" she questioned.
"Yep," Ginny began with a nod. "I mean even though it shouldn't be any surprise to you that you have talent, you also are there for your friends when they need you and you're willing to help out your sisters. Trust me girl, you're a Cheetah now and forever both inside and out." She told her as Luna quickly got to her feet and hugged her tightly as she felt tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
"Thank you, thank you so much." She told her as Ginny hugged her back.
"You're welcome." She whispered before they broke out of the embrace. "Now c'mon and try it on and make sure that it fits!" she exclaimed eagerly and excitedly as Luna sniffed and wiped away her tears before Ginny placed the jacket around her shoulders and then watched as Luna slid her arms in and zipped it up.
"Ooh,.. totally Cheetahlicious!" Ginny remarked with a squeal as Luna laughed.
"Yeah that is a lot of growl power right there." Amber said as Luna giggled before she thanked Ginny again with another hug as Harry and Ron smiled at them. It was truly the greatest Christmas that they had ever had.
One quick note; the original content in chapter fifteen has been deleted. It was basically about them performing Cheetah Sisters and winning the talent show.