Card the moon
Chapter 28 – Christmas present
…
"Harry! Wake up! It's Christmas!"
A smile spread across a half sleeping face. It was Christmas.
"Come on Harry, get up!"
It amazed him how energetic his friend could be on Christmas morning, while never being even half so motivated any other morning of the year. Truly it was a magic greater than anything taught at Hogwarts.
It must have been contagious too; Harry bounced out of bed, then bounced back to find his glasses. The pile of presents at the foot was a sight to behold, each and every one precious beyond words.
All his life he'd longed after 'things'. Not because he really wanted them but because he never had any and everyone around him did. At some point he'd gotten it into his head that things were the source of the happiness they all had that he didn't but desperately craved.
It all stemmed from his deep-seated desire to be like everyone else, silly now that he thought about it. He wasn't like everyone else. And in that moment, he was grateful for that. Would everyone else have been able to accomplish all he had? Would everyone else have survived?
In the end, it didn't really matter. There were presents to unwrap.
The pile wasn't huge, but each gift meant something. Mrs. Weasley of course had sent him another sweater, scarlet red with a Gryffindor lion on it, along with a dozen mince pies, Christmas cake, and nut brittle.
He was surprised, when shuffling his packages around, to find a small baby blue box tied with a neon pink ribbon and a tiny card that stated it was from Luna. It didn't take a rocket broom scientist to guess it must be from the girl. The cat would never have used such mismatched colors.
This however was nothing compared to the long slender parcel. The contents falling out when he unwrapped it sending the whole room into silent awe.
"Is that?"
A Firebolt, just like the one he'd seen in the window in Diagon Alley, and his dreams periodically throughout the term.
"Who sent it to you."
A quick search revealed no card.
"I'll bet its from Dumbledore. He sent you the invisibility cloak."
"Yeah, but that belonged to my dad. He was just passing it along to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of galleons on a student—I mean, people'd say it was favoritism." And worse if they thought they could get away with it.
"Probably why he didn't send a card. That way no one like Malfoy can accuse—cor, Malfoy, can you imagine the look on his face when he sees you on this. He'll probably puke."
It wasn't much of an image, but Harry couldn't deny there was a certain appeal to it.
Their continued worship of his new flying rod of ultimate awesomeness was interrupted by Hermione coming in to wish them a happy Christmas. Ron didn't have a problem with that; the inclusion of Luna however had him nearly throwing a hissy fit, grabbing Scabbers and stuffing him in his pocket for safety.
Luna, hanging helplessly from Hermione's arms, was for once not taunting his ginger friend. Not that she needed to at this point. Her mere presence was taunt enough.
"What's that you've got there?"
The Firebolt was quickly explained, but rather than share in their enthusiasm, Hermione seemed concerned. "Seems a bit odd, don't you think? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom."
"Quite a good—this is the best broom in the world!" exclaimed Ron.
"Even more strange then, it must be very expensive."
"Probably cost more than all the Slytherin teams brooms combined."
"Then who would send Harry something like that, and not even bother sending a card so he knew it was them?"
"Who cares! Ey, Harry. Can I have a go on it. Please."
"I don't think anyone should ride it. Not yet."
Stares of incomprehension met this statement, but it was at that moment Scabbers decided to make a break for it. The rat scrambling on the floor startled Hermione who accidentally dropped Luna, practically on top of the rat who course corrected at the last second to avoid the feline.
There was much flailing and moving about all at once, somewhere within Ron wound up kicking something and saying several words his mother would have been horrified to hear and quick to remedy with a bar of soap in his mouth.
Hermione and cat were promptly thrown out over the sound of Ron cursing his poor abused phalanges. He'd mostly calmed down by the time they went down for Christmas dinner, though Harry noted Hermione still seemed concerned about something.
Given everything on her plate, and the fact they came down to find her with her nose in a textbook, he thought he had a good idea. The work was piling up on his brainy friend. She'd likely be using the holiday to catch up on some of it. With any luck the youma would be on vacation as well and she could get down to it.
He made a mental note to talk to Luna when they got back to the tower, but that was mostly forgotten by the time they made it down the stairs.
The big tree that had been growing up the tower the other day was still there, now fully decorated for the holiday. Most of the roots had been removed as had the trees outside the great hall, several of which had been moved inside the hall to replace the one he'd destroyed to cover up the origin of that particular calamity.
There hadn't been a lot of questions asked. They'd all been working to clear the mess out when Dumbledore came back, and he'd seemed more interested in getting the whole thing cleaned up than in finding someone to blame for it.
A single table was set up where everyone left in the castle was sitting. A boy from Hufflepuff who'd remained, sat awestruck next to Dumbledore, which made Harry want to chuckle. It reminded him a bit of how he'd been the first time he'd been in the man's presence as well.
Things were a little tense with Snape sitting at the same table, but it looked like the headmaster would keep the old grump busy and Hermione blushed rather amusingly when she found herself seated next to Professor Jade.
Harry and Ron refrained from teasing her only because they both had some respect for this professor who was not at all like Lockhart, the last professor Hermione had been swooning over.
That she would have been teased over. Mercilessly.
Everyone received a surprise when who should join them at the last second but Sybil Trelawney.
The only one who seemed genuinely happy to see her was Dumbledore. McGonagall spent several minutes trading catty barbs with the divination teacher, while Professor Jade just looked at her with what Harry could only call inquisitive interest, though he refrained from speaking to her; he had his plate full with Hermione.
The arrival of the food, which was standard Hogwarts magnificent, broke off the catty argument and drown any thought of the absence of Lupin, yet again ill, in favor of stuffing the face in the grand old Christmas tradition.
The first to leave was Professor Jade, begging off for a previous engagement.
"I hope to be back in a few days, if not, I'll see you all after the holiday."
It was a good hour before everyone else began wandering back to wherever it was they were going. Harry and Ron meandered up the tower in no real hurry. Hermione had stayed behind to talk to Professor McGonagall.
"You think we'll see any of her for the rest of the holiday?" wondered Ron.
"Not unless you're planning to go to the library," said Harry.
"Not on your life."
The two of them laughed, casually throwing the latest password at Sir Cadogan who was enjoying an ale with several others from different portraits. Even his fat pony seemed to be getting into the holiday spirit, or perhaps better to say the holiday spirits were getting into the pony.
While Ron flopped into the nearest chair, Harry went upstairs to retrieve his Firebolt, bringing it down and setting it on the table so they could both admire it.
They were still basking in the glow of full bellies and magical broomsticks when Hermione came in, looked guiltily at the broom before disappearing into the corner. Ron hadn't even asked, "What's her problem," when McGonagall came in.
"So, that's it then," she said, pointedly looking at Harry's new broom.
Harry didn't know what to say, he didn't know what was happening, only that it was bad. He was immediately proven right when he heard the word 'confiscate'.
"I understand your concern," she said, referring to Ron who had immediately roused to Harry's defense while he was still too shellshocked to do so himself.
But apparently understanding did not mean giving in. Needed to be checked for safety. Return it as soon as they know.
She was gone before he'd regained the ability to speak, at which point Ron was already laying into Hermione, the dirty little snitch.
"Why'd you do it? Why couldn't you just leave it alone!"
"Because!" she shouted back, "I believe, and Professor McGonagall agrees with me. The person who sent him that broom, was Sirius Black."