After the attack on Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick, the school went from nervously whispering in the halls to full out panic. Students would flee when they saw Harry coming down the corridors, they would spread these awful rumors to "warn" other students about him, Jade could only imagine how Harry was feeling after weeks of ill-treatment from his peers. Jade was feeling a fraction of the backlash because people knew she was friends with him, the Slytherins took the opportunity to nag her about him whenever they caught her in the Common Room or the library.

"Has he told you who his next victim will be?" Marcus Flint had asked her and then immediately hit the boy next to him square in the chest and they'd both laugh at her.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely." Jade nodded, playing along. The two older boys were so stupid that they'd immediately stop laughing and stare at her.

"Well, go on, who is it?" He whispered as he leaned closer to her,

"Why would I tell you?" She'd left them at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall talking to each other in hushed tones.

"You shouldn't play with them like that." Another Slytherin boy had told her as she made her way out of the Hall. It was Theodore Nott, a boy in her year. She never really talked to him but he was walking at her side as if they'd been friends for years. "They're not smart enough to realize you're joking." Jade smiled at the thought of them lying awake at night.

"They deserve it." Jade told him and he smiled at her, "Need something, Nott?" She asked when he continued to follow her to their next class.

"No, just thought you'd like to talk to someone." He shrugged his shoulders but Jade narrowed her eyes at him,

"Why would I? Least of all to you?"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way." He said casually, not thrown off by her annoyed tone. Jade scoffed and as they reached Transfiguration Nott saw one of his friends and gently tapped her arm with the back of his hand, "I'll see you around, Maddex." Jade nodded before he left, she was confused by the conversation, why did it just happen? She'd never even been interested in speaking to the boy before, and she didn't think he was either. She boiled it down to her sudden rise in popularity. She didn't care much, as soon as the fear of Harry melted away, so would people's interest in her and she liked it that way. The constant stares and the people whispering when she entered a room was getting on her nerves. She was glad winter break was a week away, maybe people would get over it once they got back home.

When the day finally came for the students to board the Hogwarts Express to go home for the holidays, everyone practically ran to get their seats and to get out of the Hogwarts castle. Harry would be staying at the castle again for the holidays along with the Weasleys and Hermione. She hoped Draco wouldn't give them a hard time while she was gone, especially with Crabbe and Goyle to encourage his bullying. She didn't want to think about that though, as she boarded the train with Pansy and Blaise she thought of seeing her family again. Her mother made the best Christmas feast, a lot like the one at Hogwarts but only made for one family meaning Jade wouldn't have to share with other students grabbing at what she wanted.

"Watch out for your father this year." Jade laughed at the memory of Pansy's last Christmas and she rolled her eyes,

"Trust me, eyes open." She motioned to both of her eyes, "Once he brings up dancing, I'll run to my room."

"How's your stepdad?" Jade asked Blaise and he gave her a pointed look, "What?"

"Gerald is fine," Blaise said and Pansy and Jade both made a noise of understanding,

"Gerald. Got it. Happy to spend this holiday with your mum?" Jade asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she keeps talking about some sort of surprise she's excited to show me."

"What if she's pregnant?" Pansy blurted out and the color in Blaise's face drained, "I'm just saying."
"I doubt it. She said I'd like the surprise." Blaise turned to Jade, "What about you?"

"My mum's got a list of things she wants to do, I'm worried we won't get through it in two weeks." Jade enjoyed the ride with her friends, she'd promised to write to them during the break. When the train came into the station, Jade grabbed her chest in one hand and Ezekiel's cage in the other. She struggled to carry everything but as soon as she stepped off the train, her brother apparated next to her.

"God, Rodrick." She flinched, Rodrick grabbed her wooden chest from her and kissed the top of her head.

"Welcome back, J."