-Chapter Ten-

Christmas Holidays

The gang spent the day before the Christmas holidays researching in the library. They were determined to find out who Nicholas Flamel was. Hermione slammed down a stack of dusty books, making Meredith sneeze at the resulting dust.

"I'm so jealous," Meredith said to Harry between sneezes, "I wish I was staying at Hogwarts with you and Ron- my sister is going to be unbearable."

"At least you've got only one sibling to compete with," murmured Ron. Meredith scoffed but couldn't help but agree.

"She said that you only had to avoid each other at school," said Hermione, "maybe at home things will be better."

Meredith had told them eventually about the conversation she'd had with Mafalda- they'd been supportive, with Ron threatening to jinx Mafalda for it. Although that could have been because she'd also told them what she'd said about the Weasleys. The only part she left out was the bit about Hermione- not having the heart to tell them.

Later that evening they sat together in the great hall, enjoying their last meal together for the next two weeks.

The great hall was decked in holiday cheer. In every corner there was a giant Christmas tree covered in crystal baubles, sparkling like ice.

"Merry Christmas, Meredith!" called out Neville.

"Ah, Merry Christmas Neville," said Meredith, though not as loudly.

Ron and Harry laughed into their hands.

"I think it's cute how much he likes you," Hermione said.

"He doesn't like me- not like that," said Meredith, exasperated. "He just thinks I'm his toad's greatest hero."

Ron and Harry laughed harder at this, Ron almost spitting out his drink. Meredith aimed a kick at him under the table but got Harry's shin instead.

Meredith was dishing up some more mashed potato on her plate when Harry and Ron went silent, glaring at a person behind her. Hermione and Meredith whipped around, ready for a fight- but stood behind them was Mafalda. Meredith noted that she didn't look happy to be standing there.

"Just wanted to get you to sign mum's card for her present." Mafalda handed over a small card with a robin wearing a jingly hat on the front. They decided against a magical moving card- just in case it landed up freaking their mother out.

Meredith took it reluctantly, not entirely believing this wasn't a trap of some sort- but when she opened it there was nothing but a short message from Mafalda.

"Okay," Meredith said, "I'll write in the card and keep it until we're home so you can go back to ignoring me now."

"Yeah, we'd hate for you to be seen talking to us," Ron added acidly, "especially since I'm a Weasley and all- wouldn't want your Slytherin friends to think you're one of us."

Mafalda sniffed, and with her head thrown back she stormed away without a word.

"She's a real piece of work, your sister is." Ron had turned back to his food, already dismissing the experience.

"Ron, you can't say that- she's still Meredith's sister," Hermione said.

"Meredith doesn't mind," Ron argued back.

"That's not the point," snapped Hermione.

Meredith and Harry decided to stay out of it, as they always did when the two of them got into an argument- which was often.

They sat around the fireplace in the common room, chatting late into the night about Nicholas Flamel and Fluffy- and of course Snape.

"You promise to keep searching for Flamel, don't you?" asked Hermione.

The boys promised.

On the train back to London, Hermione and Meredith managed to find a compartment all to themselves.

"So, you know they're not likely to find anything," said Meredith. "Especially without you there to force them into it- I bet they're playing a vicious game of wizarding chess as we speak."

"You're probably right. But I hope they try anyway," Hermione said, not looking up from her book.

Meredith got bored of having half a conversation with Hermione- who was too busy reading a transfiguration textbook- and decided to take a walk down the train to see if anything interesting was happening. For a while all she saw was other students either sitting with their friends or running up and down the corridors. Then she paused outside a compartment where she heard a sinister laugh. She peeked through the glass and saw that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were surrounding Neville. Meredith was angrier when she noticed Mafalda and Pansy crammed in a corner, laughing at whatever Malfoy had just done to Neville.

Neville had tears streaming from his eyes as he seemed to be convulsing in an uncontrollable laughing fit. Malfoy must have done Titilando, the tickling hex, thought Meredith.

Just as Malfoy raised his wand again, Meredith jumped into the room with her wand raised, pointed at Malfoy's head.

"That's enough, I think," she said. "You've had your fun, now you can leave him alone."

"That's bold considering there's just you against all of us," said Mafloy. "Although maybe your sister will save you." He smirked at Mafalda.

"I doubt it," Meredith scoffed.

Mafalda scowled but forced a laugh. "If she wants to have this fat crybaby all for herself, why should I care if she gets herself hexed over it?"

Meredith wasn't even surprised by her sister's words. Instead she raised her wand again, fixating it on Malfoy's face- thinking she'd try the bat-bogey hex Fred had told her about.

She didn't consider that someone else would jinx her first because suddenly she was flying back and hitting into the compartment opposite them. A red welt already forming on her cheek, with little antennas forming around it. She felt dazed because of how hard her head had cracked against the door.

Worried about getting into trouble, the Slytherin's fled the area, laughing loudly about Meredith's now mutated face. Luckily in the compartment Meredith had flown into was an older Ravenclaw student who took pity on her and Neville and did the counter jinxes. Neville helped Meredith stand up.

"I can't do anything for the bump on the back of your head but at least you don't look like a creepy bug anymore," the older student said. He introduced himself as Hugo Mattingley, a second year, who seemed to know quite a bit of jinxes and hexes, which he explained came from being bullied in his first year for having muggle parents. Although he looked nothing like him with his light brown hair and grey eyes- Meredith thought he reminded her so much of Silas back home.

After thanking Hugo profusely, Meredith and Neville found their back to Hermione- who took one look at their ruffled muggle clothing and disgruntled expressions and demanded to know what happened.

"Oh, I hate them!" she said crossly once they'd finished telling their story.

They spent the rest of the journey describing just what they'd like to do to the Slytherin's for revenge- all farfetched plans but they made Meredith feel better.

In no time at all the train pulled into the station at platform nine and three quarters. She knew her parents would be waiting outside the platform, since they didn't want to come through the wall. Meredith had decided not to bring a big bag back home with her since it was only for two weeks and she had loads of clothing to wear at home so all she had was the books that were necessary for the homework they'd been set. Hermione on the other hand had brought every book she could manage as well as extras from the library that she'd convinced Madam Pince to let her borrow. Meredith helped Hermione drag the trunk off the train, happy when Hugo saw them struggling and came to help.

"Thanks again," Meredith said. "This is Hermione Granger."

"Hi."

"No introduction needed," he said warmly, "every Ravenclaw knows the smartest witch among the first years- we're all in shock that you're not in Ravenclaw."

Hermione smiled widely and looked very proud of herself.

Hermione saw her parents and waved them across the platform. It seemed that they were at least confident enough to make it through the wall- even though they stared at everything around them in awe.

Meredith gave Hermione a hug and promised to call- at least the two of them could communicate over the holidays without owls. Meredith made her way to Mafalda, who stood impatiently to the side waiting for her.

"Let's go," sighed Mafalda.

Meredith ignored her, angry that she let Pansy hex her and didn't even ask if she was okay.

The drive from London to their home in New Forest had been awkward at first. No one had known what to say until Mafalda forced a conversation about their classes, then the family melted slightly into their usual routine together. Meredith was grudgingly grateful that her sister knew how to charm people- that way she could miss her friends without her parents noticing that she wasn't happy to be home. At least she'd be able to see Silas, she thought.

Meredith felt like she was going back in time when she tossed her bag onto her bed. Mafalda ignored her as she flopped onto her own bed. It felt weird to be in the same room for this long, it felt like they didn't know how to move around each other anymore.

The next few days were spent in civil silence between the sisters and awkward small talk with their parents. It seemed that the distance hadn't made them any more accepting of their daughters but instead, seemed to have caused more of a rift. Their mother would flinch whenever they mentioned anything related to magic. Their father was slightly better but instead changed the subject immediately to something trivial like the weather or his job.

It went on like this until one day Meredith decided she needed a break.

"I'm going to go see if Silas is home," she said one morning at breakfast. "Want to come with, Mafalda?"

"No, thanks," she said.

"Oh, dear- I really think you should," interjected their mother, "it really would do you good to see one of your normal friends."

"Normal," repeated Meredith and Mafalda in unison, both offended by the comment and for once, it seemed, on the same page.

"Are we abnormal then?" snarled Mafalda. "Do you think we're freaks, mother?"

Mafalda got up angrily, shoving the chair back so hard it hit the counter. She stormed from the room.

"That's not- I just meant… I'm sorry, I just-" Mrs Prewett rambled.

"Just leave it, mum," Meredith said sadly. "I think we understand you loud and clear. I'll be back in time for tea."

Meredith quickly made for the door, pulling her warm jacket on as she left. The walk to Silas's house wasn't very long, considering he lived just across the road- but Meredith wished it could be longer so that she had more time to hide her wet eyes.

Silas's mother opened the door for her when she knocked and sent her up to his room, where she found him drawing in one of his many sketchbooks.

"Hey dummy," Meredith said, making him jump in fright.

"Meri!" he leaped off of his bed and pulled her into the room.

They jumped around and hugged each other. Meredith was so happy that everything felt the same between them- even though she was completely changed.

"How's the new school- made friends? None cooler than me, I bet," Silas gushed. "I hope it was worth it going off to your mysterious boarding school, because I should let you know that the village school is so exciting."

Meredith rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, "I have made some friends. They're really cool- there's Harry and my sort of Cousin Ron-"

"How is someone a sort of cousin?"

Meredith scowled at the interruption but continued, "And Hermione is the smartest wi… ah… wicked girl at school."

"Wicked?" asked Silas doubtfully, noticing her word stumble.

He laughed at her bashful face but let it slide. Meredith was thankful but felt the urge to tell him everything- but she worried that he wouldn't believe her.

Meredith sat next to him and looked at his sketches. They were all mysterious animals and wild plants. They spent the day playing video games and Meredith listened as Silas told her all about school and his new friends.

The next day was Christmas Eve so she wasn't allowed to escape to Silas's house but instead had to be indoors all day with a grumpy Mafalda as her mother prepared the Christmas dinner and their dad was up in his study.

Mafalda and Meredith decided grudgingly to keep each other company- and after a few hours it started to feel a little easier. They even managed to watch their favourite muggle shows together and laugh like they used to.

That evening everything felt well again for Meredith- her family felt whole again.

On Christmas morning Meredith ran down the stairs to the Christmas tree- her parents already up and waiting for her, just like every year. Mafalda joined them, grinning at her own pile of gifts. Meredith opened the present from her parents first- running her hands over the soft pajamas. She noted that Mafalda got the same set just in purple instead of blue. Next she opened her gift from Silas and smiled at the drawing of a cat curled on a window seat. Her gift from Ron was a box of red liquorice wands which she started eating right away- her mum scolding her for not sharing. Harry had gotten her a feathered quill that changed the colour of the ink from black to red and gold, she loved the Gryffindor colours. Hermione had gotten her a notebook that corrected bad spelling and had encouraging headings at the top of each page. Both she and Mafalda had received baked goods from Mrs Weasley. Her final gift was from Neville and she stared at it in apprehension before opening it.

She unwrapped the box and saw a small, ribboned bracelet box. Inside it was a little silver charm bracelet with a tiny, silver tree frog.

"Who sent you that?" Mafalda asked with jealousy.

"Neville- the boy who loses his toad all the time." Meredith said, putting the bracelet on her wrist. "I guess a tree frog is easier to get than a toad."

"Well look what pansy sent me," Mafalda said as she showed Meredith an expensive brooch.

"That looks very expensive, dear," Mrs Prewett said nervously- she hated when people spent too much money on gifts, it made her feel in debt.

"Don't worry mum, Pansy and her parents are purebloods and have more money than they can count," Mafalda said happily- showing off that she had wealthy friends.

"Pureblood?" asked Mrs Prewett to Mr Prewett.

"Don't bother with it," Meredith said urgently, giving her father a pleading look. He nodded and changed the subject.

Meredith shared a nice moment with her dad after dinner, they washed up all the dishes while Mafalda helped Mrs Prewett with tidying the living room.

"I'm sorry, Meri," Mr Prewett said softly, "I'm sorry that your mother and I have been so unsettled recently. We're not very adaptable people but you must know that we love you and your sister very much and we're proud of you both."

Meredith hugged her father, wetting him with soapy dish water.

"I love you too, dad."

That evening they all sat cozily in the living room watching cheesy Christmas films and for the first time since the holidays began she was happy to not be at Hogwarts.

Meredith didn't remember falling asleep but she woke up the next morning in bed and smiled sleepily at Mafalda.

"Dad must have carried us to bed."

"He carried you to bed- I'm not a baby," responded Mafalda- but she said it in a tone of light teasing instead of hurtful.

"We go back to Hogwarts in a couple days- we should probably make sure we have everything packed," Meredith said. Already pulling things messily into her bag- somehow she had managed to spread all of her belongings across the room.

"I can't wait, Hogwarts feels like the one place I can be myself."

Meredith frowned but didn't push her sister to explain what she meant. Instead she helped her gather up her things- talking instead about their presents and which class they were dreading returning to.