Chapter 8 - Christmas
Hermione, Kathy and Harry stood on Hogsmede train platform waving at Ron and Ginny.
"Bye, see you soon" Ginny shouted as the train pulled away. Ron took up her shout as well.
"Bye, have a nice Christmas" the trio shouted from the platform.
Well it was Christmas at Hogwarts Ron and Ginny had to go home even if they'd have rather stayed with their friends. Mrs. Weasley had decided that they were to have a family Christmas, with everyone she's even got Bill and Charlie to come home. It was going to be a strange Christmas without Ron, Harry thought to himself as they made their way back up to the castle, but at least Kathy and Hermione were staying.
Back at Hogwarts Hermione decided that she should make a start on the Potions essay that Snape had given them. Harry agreed that he should also get his done. Kathy grinned at them.
"He didn't give our class any homework" This made Harry even more annoyed. By the time they reached the library Harry looked at her and said,
"What will you do while we're in here" She smiled at them and thought a while,
"I'll go down and see Hagrid, I'll meet you in the hall for lunch."
They said their good byes and Kathy made her way down to the main entrance.
"Kathryn?" she spun around to see professor McGonagall standing behind her. "Why haven't you gone home for the holidays."
"I decided to stay, they didn't mind, my parents I mean." She stopped at this late comment and realised that she shouldn't have said it.
"Well as your here, can I have a word i have something that i want to pass on to you." Feeling intrigued Kathy followed her mum down the hall totally forgetting about going to see Hagrid.
When they arrived at Professor McGonagall's office they sat in the two comfy chairs by the fire. The room seemed very warm and welcoming, somehow Kathy almost felt at home there.
Professor McGonagall reached behind her neck and took off some sort of pendant then held it out in her hand in front of her. She offered it to Kathy who took it looking at it inquisitively. She turned the silver oval over in her hand, it was clearly a locket but only one half it seemed that the other half had been broken off. One side of the locket was glassy (this had once been the inside) it was a swirling green marble colour. The other side was shiny polished silver with an intricate carving of a snake.
She looked up at her professor before saying, "A snake..."
"Well...." Professor McGonagall said slowly, "I, personally, never really liked snakes, well actually I'm terrified of them, can't even be in the same room as one, but its a very old locket it's been passed down from generation to generation in our family and now it's your turn." Suddenly the broken bashed locket seemed so much more. Professor McGonagall continued, "It contains all the knowledge of our family every owner adds a replication of their own mind to it as it's passed on." She took the locket from Kathy's hand and placed it on the table. Kathy then looked rather startled as Professor McGonagall reached up and unpinned her hair. The long black locks reached about halfway down her back. It seemed to make her seem a lot less unkind and she looked a lot younger. She then carefully removed a strand of her own hair and placed it onto the swirling surface of the locket. A bright green light filled the room as the hair was suddenly swallowed. Then it turned back into the swirling green pattern from before.
Professor McGonagall picked up the necklace and placed it round Kathy's neck. "It will give you all the knowledge of our ancestors" as she said this she swallowed hard. "It will also help you, giving you courage, strength and a willing to succeed."
"Thank-you" Kathy finally voiced. She leaned over to the woman now standing over her and hugged her. Professor McGonagall was shocked at first but eventually put her arms around her and hugged her back.
"I think that you should head to the hall now lunch will be being served any time now" She gave a smile before adding "And do pop round on Christmas morning I would love to see you."
Kathy looked at her with a stone in her throat "Yes....Mum" she said. Professor McGonagall looked down at her and smiled lightly but Kathy could tell that she was grinning on the inside.
Christmas morning was, as usual, fun, the three friends opened their presents in the common room so that they could all sit together. They all opened their hand knitted sweaters from Mrs Weasley sweets from each other and Kathy was extremly surprised to see that they all had a small gift from her parents in the muggle world. Harry was a little shocked to see that Kathy hadn't recieved a gift from Professor McGonagall, he mentioned this to her quietly while Hermione was not listening. She grinned at him and pulled the locket out from under her robes.
"She gave me this the other day, it's been passed down through the generations of our family."
Once all the presents were opened the three gryffindors made there way down to the great hall. About half way there Hermione suddenly gasped. Excusing herself saying that she left something in her dorm rushed back to the common room. The two of them continued a little farther until Harry noticed that the door to an approaching broom cupboard was ajar. He looked at Kathy with a glint in his eye.
"Fancy a quick smooch before lunch" Kathy looked back with the same naughty twinkle in her eye that was becoming a familiarity.
They opened the cupboard door and stood their froze to the spot with looks of complete shock-horror on their faces.
Staring back at them from the cupboard with the same surprised looks on their faces were none other than Professor's McGonagall and Lupin. Lupin had his arms wrapped around McGonagall's waist and she had hers clasping the back of his neck. Her long black hair trailing down her back. Lupin instinctively let go and they both straightened up and brushed down their cloaks. Professor McGonagall gathered her hair up into her hand and uttering a quiet spell it wrapped itself around her wand and re-formed its regular tight bun. Both of the teachers had now gone a deep shade of magenta. Kathy spoke first.
"Ermmm......Yes.......Well....... I suppose...that we should errrr...get to the great hall for dinner." Lupin quickly agreed and they moved quickly to the great hall in silence.
When they arrived they saw that Hermione was already there.
"Where were you" she hissed at them.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled "We errrr.... got distracted."
Lupin's face started to go slightly red again. They were sat next to Harry and Kathy. Dumbledore had saved them a place. The rest of the meal went by without much incident but it still seemed extremely uncomfortable.
Hermione had sensed the tension as on the way back to gryffindor tower she decided to speak up. "Are you two gonna tell me what's going on or am i going to have to guess." Harry and Kathy giggled then explained everything to Hermione, the three of them decided to try and keep it a secret even from Ron and Ginny.
Hermione, Kathy and Harry stood on Hogsmede train platform waving at Ron and Ginny.
"Bye, see you soon" Ginny shouted as the train pulled away. Ron took up her shout as well.
"Bye, have a nice Christmas" the trio shouted from the platform.
Well it was Christmas at Hogwarts Ron and Ginny had to go home even if they'd have rather stayed with their friends. Mrs. Weasley had decided that they were to have a family Christmas, with everyone she's even got Bill and Charlie to come home. It was going to be a strange Christmas without Ron, Harry thought to himself as they made their way back up to the castle, but at least Kathy and Hermione were staying.
Back at Hogwarts Hermione decided that she should make a start on the Potions essay that Snape had given them. Harry agreed that he should also get his done. Kathy grinned at them.
"He didn't give our class any homework" This made Harry even more annoyed. By the time they reached the library Harry looked at her and said,
"What will you do while we're in here" She smiled at them and thought a while,
"I'll go down and see Hagrid, I'll meet you in the hall for lunch."
They said their good byes and Kathy made her way down to the main entrance.
"Kathryn?" she spun around to see professor McGonagall standing behind her. "Why haven't you gone home for the holidays."
"I decided to stay, they didn't mind, my parents I mean." She stopped at this late comment and realised that she shouldn't have said it.
"Well as your here, can I have a word i have something that i want to pass on to you." Feeling intrigued Kathy followed her mum down the hall totally forgetting about going to see Hagrid.
When they arrived at Professor McGonagall's office they sat in the two comfy chairs by the fire. The room seemed very warm and welcoming, somehow Kathy almost felt at home there.
Professor McGonagall reached behind her neck and took off some sort of pendant then held it out in her hand in front of her. She offered it to Kathy who took it looking at it inquisitively. She turned the silver oval over in her hand, it was clearly a locket but only one half it seemed that the other half had been broken off. One side of the locket was glassy (this had once been the inside) it was a swirling green marble colour. The other side was shiny polished silver with an intricate carving of a snake.
She looked up at her professor before saying, "A snake..."
"Well...." Professor McGonagall said slowly, "I, personally, never really liked snakes, well actually I'm terrified of them, can't even be in the same room as one, but its a very old locket it's been passed down from generation to generation in our family and now it's your turn." Suddenly the broken bashed locket seemed so much more. Professor McGonagall continued, "It contains all the knowledge of our family every owner adds a replication of their own mind to it as it's passed on." She took the locket from Kathy's hand and placed it on the table. Kathy then looked rather startled as Professor McGonagall reached up and unpinned her hair. The long black locks reached about halfway down her back. It seemed to make her seem a lot less unkind and she looked a lot younger. She then carefully removed a strand of her own hair and placed it onto the swirling surface of the locket. A bright green light filled the room as the hair was suddenly swallowed. Then it turned back into the swirling green pattern from before.
Professor McGonagall picked up the necklace and placed it round Kathy's neck. "It will give you all the knowledge of our ancestors" as she said this she swallowed hard. "It will also help you, giving you courage, strength and a willing to succeed."
"Thank-you" Kathy finally voiced. She leaned over to the woman now standing over her and hugged her. Professor McGonagall was shocked at first but eventually put her arms around her and hugged her back.
"I think that you should head to the hall now lunch will be being served any time now" She gave a smile before adding "And do pop round on Christmas morning I would love to see you."
Kathy looked at her with a stone in her throat "Yes....Mum" she said. Professor McGonagall looked down at her and smiled lightly but Kathy could tell that she was grinning on the inside.
Christmas morning was, as usual, fun, the three friends opened their presents in the common room so that they could all sit together. They all opened their hand knitted sweaters from Mrs Weasley sweets from each other and Kathy was extremly surprised to see that they all had a small gift from her parents in the muggle world. Harry was a little shocked to see that Kathy hadn't recieved a gift from Professor McGonagall, he mentioned this to her quietly while Hermione was not listening. She grinned at him and pulled the locket out from under her robes.
"She gave me this the other day, it's been passed down through the generations of our family."
Once all the presents were opened the three gryffindors made there way down to the great hall. About half way there Hermione suddenly gasped. Excusing herself saying that she left something in her dorm rushed back to the common room. The two of them continued a little farther until Harry noticed that the door to an approaching broom cupboard was ajar. He looked at Kathy with a glint in his eye.
"Fancy a quick smooch before lunch" Kathy looked back with the same naughty twinkle in her eye that was becoming a familiarity.
They opened the cupboard door and stood their froze to the spot with looks of complete shock-horror on their faces.
Staring back at them from the cupboard with the same surprised looks on their faces were none other than Professor's McGonagall and Lupin. Lupin had his arms wrapped around McGonagall's waist and she had hers clasping the back of his neck. Her long black hair trailing down her back. Lupin instinctively let go and they both straightened up and brushed down their cloaks. Professor McGonagall gathered her hair up into her hand and uttering a quiet spell it wrapped itself around her wand and re-formed its regular tight bun. Both of the teachers had now gone a deep shade of magenta. Kathy spoke first.
"Ermmm......Yes.......Well....... I suppose...that we should errrr...get to the great hall for dinner." Lupin quickly agreed and they moved quickly to the great hall in silence.
When they arrived they saw that Hermione was already there.
"Where were you" she hissed at them.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled "We errrr.... got distracted."
Lupin's face started to go slightly red again. They were sat next to Harry and Kathy. Dumbledore had saved them a place. The rest of the meal went by without much incident but it still seemed extremely uncomfortable.
Hermione had sensed the tension as on the way back to gryffindor tower she decided to speak up. "Are you two gonna tell me what's going on or am i going to have to guess." Harry and Kathy giggled then explained everything to Hermione, the three of them decided to try and keep it a secret even from Ron and Ginny.
