"Happy Christmas!" shouted Sara in Erin's ear.
"Go away," she muttered, burying her head under her pillow. Sara and Blaise promptly stripped the covers off her bed.
"Oh, cold, cold - "
"Then get up," said Blaise brutally. "Come on, we and Calvin have been up for a quarter hour already."
"Fine, fine, I'm up."
They went to their corner of the commons room to open the presents. Erin's haul was a good one, including a beautiful set of pale green dress robes from her Gryffindor friends, a warm sweater and a box of chocolate from Mrs. Weasley, a joke book from Calvin, a pretty necklace from Sara, an old book on wand-making from Blaise, and a hollow book from Severus. This last one was especially fun, since it could only be opened if you said a special password. There was a riddle in the Christmas card to help them guess it, and she and her friends spent a lively half hour before they finally figured it out.
There were only two presents left, quite small ones. Erin reached for one wrapped in silver. She opened it to reveal a small, shining crystal. It sparkled brilliantly in the light as Erin held it up.
"Ooh," said Sara, "I know about those. It's a Questcryss. When you look at it in the right light, it'll show you things, if you have Sight. Who gave it to you?"
"Draco," said Erin, reading the card. Blaise looked disgusted.
"Polaris, a Questcryss, will he give you anything you desire?" she asked. "Come on, forget about him, open the last one."
Erin decided to open the card first this time.
Dear Erin, it read.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you in some time. Dumbledore has been keeping me busy in the Dark Forest. How are you doing? I'm glad to hear that you have recovered, and I hope I'll be able to visit you soon.
But Erin, be careful. I've been hearing rumors from some of the werewolves in the Dark Forest. I've heard that some of your fellow Slytherins are getting restless. They want you to be a Voldemort supporter, and if you don't concede, they may think about challenging you. Like it or not, you do have status in Slytherin -
How does he know my thoughts? thought Erin, startled.
and you need to maintain it, whatever the cost.
Your present is from the unicorns and from me. The youngest member of the our herd, Little Prince, is shedding his horns as he grows, and I made an instrument out of one. I thought you might like it, since you enjoy music, and if you ever need me, just blow on the horn and the unicorns will hear you.
Good luck, and Happy Christmas,
Bryan Quirrell
Erin held up the horn. It was a shimmering gold and delicately spiraled. On the surface of the horn several small holes were drilled. She put the narrow end to her mouth and her fingers over the holes, then put it back down. She would play it later, when she could be alone.
She missed Bryan suddenly, like a hole in her heart. He had always known what to do, what she was thinking. Her fingers traced the spiraling pattern of the horn. Knowing how Erin felt, her friends did not interrupt her moment of reverie. Then Erin straightened, sighed, and tossed her hair out of her eyes.
"All right," she said, "who's up for breakfast?"
Severus appeared to be reading the letter of recommendation, but he was in reality studying Xavier Fallan's face. His features were hard and cold for a boy of sixteen. Not all that surprising, given the conditions of Durmstrang.
Severus tapped the parchment in front of him. "You seemed to have done well in Durmstrang, Mr. Fallan, and I'll be pleased to have you in my House. Have you reviewed last semester's books?"
Fallan nodded curtly.
"Then go on to the Common room - the password is "Parselmouth." I'll formally announce your transfer to Hogwarts in the afternoon."
Again Fallan nodded shortly, and he was gone. Severus fingered the parchment he was holding. He could tell that this boy was going to be trouble.
"Go away," she muttered, burying her head under her pillow. Sara and Blaise promptly stripped the covers off her bed.
"Oh, cold, cold - "
"Then get up," said Blaise brutally. "Come on, we and Calvin have been up for a quarter hour already."
"Fine, fine, I'm up."
They went to their corner of the commons room to open the presents. Erin's haul was a good one, including a beautiful set of pale green dress robes from her Gryffindor friends, a warm sweater and a box of chocolate from Mrs. Weasley, a joke book from Calvin, a pretty necklace from Sara, an old book on wand-making from Blaise, and a hollow book from Severus. This last one was especially fun, since it could only be opened if you said a special password. There was a riddle in the Christmas card to help them guess it, and she and her friends spent a lively half hour before they finally figured it out.
There were only two presents left, quite small ones. Erin reached for one wrapped in silver. She opened it to reveal a small, shining crystal. It sparkled brilliantly in the light as Erin held it up.
"Ooh," said Sara, "I know about those. It's a Questcryss. When you look at it in the right light, it'll show you things, if you have Sight. Who gave it to you?"
"Draco," said Erin, reading the card. Blaise looked disgusted.
"Polaris, a Questcryss, will he give you anything you desire?" she asked. "Come on, forget about him, open the last one."
Erin decided to open the card first this time.
Dear Erin, it read.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you in some time. Dumbledore has been keeping me busy in the Dark Forest. How are you doing? I'm glad to hear that you have recovered, and I hope I'll be able to visit you soon.
But Erin, be careful. I've been hearing rumors from some of the werewolves in the Dark Forest. I've heard that some of your fellow Slytherins are getting restless. They want you to be a Voldemort supporter, and if you don't concede, they may think about challenging you. Like it or not, you do have status in Slytherin -
How does he know my thoughts? thought Erin, startled.
and you need to maintain it, whatever the cost.
Your present is from the unicorns and from me. The youngest member of the our herd, Little Prince, is shedding his horns as he grows, and I made an instrument out of one. I thought you might like it, since you enjoy music, and if you ever need me, just blow on the horn and the unicorns will hear you.
Good luck, and Happy Christmas,
Bryan Quirrell
Erin held up the horn. It was a shimmering gold and delicately spiraled. On the surface of the horn several small holes were drilled. She put the narrow end to her mouth and her fingers over the holes, then put it back down. She would play it later, when she could be alone.
She missed Bryan suddenly, like a hole in her heart. He had always known what to do, what she was thinking. Her fingers traced the spiraling pattern of the horn. Knowing how Erin felt, her friends did not interrupt her moment of reverie. Then Erin straightened, sighed, and tossed her hair out of her eyes.
"All right," she said, "who's up for breakfast?"
Severus appeared to be reading the letter of recommendation, but he was in reality studying Xavier Fallan's face. His features were hard and cold for a boy of sixteen. Not all that surprising, given the conditions of Durmstrang.
Severus tapped the parchment in front of him. "You seemed to have done well in Durmstrang, Mr. Fallan, and I'll be pleased to have you in my House. Have you reviewed last semester's books?"
Fallan nodded curtly.
"Then go on to the Common room - the password is "Parselmouth." I'll formally announce your transfer to Hogwarts in the afternoon."
Again Fallan nodded shortly, and he was gone. Severus fingered the parchment he was holding. He could tell that this boy was going to be trouble.