Chapter Ten

"Do you really have to leave?"

"Yes, I do. I'm visiting my friends and I must travel down the Tomorrow Road and build a snowman in the Today Road and dig for the remnants of roses in the Yesterday Road. But I won't forget about looking for Nicholas Flamel."

Nicholas Flamel, they had found, was a man connected to the strange "thing" that was hidden beneath the trapdoor and Fluffy, the three-headed dog. They had visited Hagrid and he accidentally let slip the name Nicholas Flamel and now that was all the children looked for. They had spent weeks in the library, searching for any mention of the man. But they found nothing.

Hannah was just leaving for the Christmas holidays and was standing by her trunks in the Great Hall saying goodbye to Ron and Harry. Hermione came in behind her.

"Hello all," she said, setting down a suitcase, "Now, Ron, you are going to help Harry search for more about Nicholas Flamel, right?"

"But, Hermione—

"—no buts, he's there somewhere, we haven't been looking hard enough."

"But we've searched a hundred times, Hermione!" Ron groaned. Hermione leaned forward.

"Not in the restricted section," she straightened back up, "Happy Christmas."

Then she left, heaving her suitcase behind her. Hannah looked at Harry and Ron and shrugged.

"Well, I'd better leave too. See ya and I will search for him too. I'll ask Sally and Mother. Don't worry. I'll try to come up with something."

"Happy Christmas!" the boys called and Hannah waved back, before disappearing into the Great Hall towards the line of students waiting for the Hogwarts Express.

Hannah arrived back home to a huge welcome. Mother was so happy to see her and the decorations around the house were magnificent.

"Oh, Hannah we missed you so much!" Mother had said, squeezing her daughter as she walked through the front door. The hall staircase was festooned with holly and greenery. Hannah dropped her things, after more hugs from the maids and a gasp over the decorations, and rushed out the back door. She ran over the porch and into the snow-covered path, all the way across the field to a little path that could barely be seen under of drifts of white.

Hannah slowed to a stroll along the Tomorrow Road and gazed out towards the coastline, all frozen and icy. She sighed and felt relieved to be back home. Hogwarts was all very well, but there was nothing like the comfort of home, even if she had only lived there a year. All of the recent happenings blew up in her mind, all tangled where she couldn't get them straight.

"I'd better go to the Yesterday Road for this," she retraced her steps and ran along the field's edge to the smallest garden.

Gasping for breath, she sat on a stone bench, covered in snow. Then Hogwarts came back into memory. Nicholas Flamel, Fluffy, quidditch, they all seemed so…like a dream somehow and she had just strayed a little bit too far into Tomorrow.

Who could Nicholas Flamel be and what was his business with Hagrid's secret object? Why was it so hush-hush? Did it have to do with that evil wizard Voldemort?

After a while, Hannah sighed and scratched her aching head. It was too lovely out to be muddling up her mind with serious and deep thoughts. She stood up and walked back through the little path, figuring she might as well take a stroll through the Today Road.

The Today Road was a splendor of crystal and ivory. Hannah loved the intricate little hills the snow made over the sleeping plants. She walked around the hedges a bit, shivering a bit in the biting wind.

All of a sudden, a snowball hit the back of her head.

"Hey!" Hannah whirled around and jumped. Melanie was standing in front of her, all bundled up in scarves. Hannah yelled out and hugged her.

"Where's the twins?"

"That's what you say to me, after not seeing me for a year? 'Where's the twins'?"

"Hey, sorry. How are you?"

"Good. We're staying Christmas here with you. Mrs. Foster let us and we just arrived not ten minutes ago."

"That's wonderful."

"Where are we now? Your mum said something about the Today Road."

"The Today Road? Why, you're standing in it. Isn't it beautiful?" Hannah looked around at her beloved garden. "It's really quite lovely in spring. It's full of smiling marigolds and—

"There you go again, with one of your fully detailed explanations. Come on, let's get inside this amazing house, I'm freezing and Sally is making us hot cocoa."

The two girls rushed to the back door, taking off their wraps. Katelyn and Sharon were waiting shyly, by the fire in the parlor.

"Hannah!" they yelled. The twins bumped into each other trying to get their arms around Hannah's waist first. Sharon pushed Katelyn over.

"Hey, don't push me!"

"I didn't push you. You're just a klutz!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Stop it, stop it!" Hannah picked up Katelyn and embraced the both of them.

"Now was that fair?"

"Yeah, yeah."

The Christmas holidays were splendid. Hannah couldn't believe it when Christmas had passed. She had a week left and Melanie and the twins were allowed to stay another couple of days.

She told them all about her adventures at her new school.

"Oh, it's wonderful! I saw a real fairy! And the people there are so different from muggles. The candy is delicious. I love Chocolate Frogs and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and Sugar Quills. There are several ghosts at Hogwarts too. Gryffindor's ghost is Nearly Headless Nick. His head is only nearly off because his murderer didn't do it properly."

She stopped for breath, trying to remember other things. They were sitting by the fireplace in the family room. Hannah heard a sniffle and looked up from counting how many players there were in a quidditch match. Katelyn and Sharon were crying on each other's shoulders.

"What's the matter?" Hannah asked, bewildered.

"W-we want to come to Hogwarts with you too!" they sobbed.

"I'm sorry. I won't talk about it anymore."

"No, do!" Melanie sat closer to Hannah, "I love hearing you tell stories."

"They're not stories! These are real!"

Melanie took Hannah away from the sniffling twins.

"You don't honestly think that I'd believe that little fairy tale you told to the twins. I think we're getting a little old for that."

Hannah's mouth dropped.

"How dare you! Never say you're too old for something! Where has your imagination gone, Melanie? Have I been away from you too long?"

"Hannah, we're eleven now! I think we should move on from childish fancies, don't you agree?"

"No I don't!" Hannah got up and stomped away. "Come on Katelyn and Sharon! I'll show you some magic!"

Melanie followed the angry Hannah into the parlor. Sally was dusting the grand piano. Hannah got out her wand.

"Hannah, remember the notice you got, saying you couldn't use magic over vacation." Sally warned.

"Oh, please, Sally, it's just a bit a fun," Hannah moaned.

"No, Hannah, now I want no more questions, all right?"

"Okay," Hannah sighed and put her wand away. All of a sudden there was a tapping on the window. Melanie screamed as Hannah let in a huge tawny owl.

"Hullo, Pandora! I see you have a letter for me."

The owl pecked Hannah on the nose in affection and flew out of the window again. Hannah raised her eyebrows at Melanie as she ripped open the envelope.

"Hi Hannah!

I was wondering if you weren't doing anything for the rest of vacation that you could come stay with me for a few days in London. My parents would be delighted to have you and afterwards we could take you to Kings Cross Station. Hope you can come!

Love,

1 Hermione

Another piece of paper showed Hermione's address.

"Oh can I go, Sally? Can I?"

"Go ask your mum."

Hannah brought her friends with her into her mother's study. She glanced at Melanie, who was watching her with her mouth wide open. Hannah smiled in a told-you-so grin.

Hannah was allowed to go to Hermione's and Melanie, Katelyn and Sharon left when Hannah did.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Hannah. You are an amazing girl. I will keep my imagination as long as I possibly can."

"Good to hear, Melanie. I'll come and visit you in the summer. See you, Katelyn and Sharon!"

"Bye Hannah!" they said in unison.

Hannah was sent on a train to London and spent a few merry days with Hermione. On the way back to Hogwarts, Hermione brought the subject of Nicholas Flamel.

"I've been thinking a lot about this and I think Snape has something to do with it. Remember when he was trying to jinx Harry's broom?"

"Yeah."

"Harry conquered the Dark Lord. Maybe Snape is in charge of He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named. Maybe he was trying to kill Harry for the Dark Lord."

"It sounds strange, but not impossible. We have a suspect. I'm Sherlock and you're Watson."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."