Chapter 15


The Death Eaters roll with laughter as the Dark Lord explains what he accomplished the other day.
"Silence," Voldemort orders. "I agree that Potter was pretty stupid, but now we have things to do with him out of the way. Some unfinished business to attend to. Wormtail, come here!"
A scrawny man bows before his master. "Y-y-yes M-master?"
"You know what to do, go now!"
"Y-y-yes sir."
Peter Pettigrew takes off, Hogwarts bound. "As for the rest of you-"
****
The Common Room that night was quieter than usual, no one in a cheery mood, given the information they just heard. Some just figuring out how unfair and scary the world really is. Everyone is in bed early that night, no one really caring to stay up late.
****
Still wearing her daily Hogwarts robes, a slim figure walks silently down the halls of Hogwarts, carefully avoiding well lighten areas. Constantly checking over her shoulder at the teeniest sound, making sure no ones near her. She slips through a door, paranoid as it makes a big 'creeeeak'. Luckily, no on pursuits her. She walks over to a figure lying in bed a few feet from her; she's in the Hospital Wing.
"So Potter, you've finally got what you deserved, or almost," she mutters quietly to herself, "You've finally realized what you've done."
"Miss Chang, have you realized what you've done?" a voice booms from behind her. She spins around and becomes face to face with Severus Snape. " Now Cho, it was you wasn't it?"
"Was wh-what?"
"You blame him, don't you?" Snape gestures toward Harry's sleeping figure. "You think he killed Cedric, don't you?"
Cho stays silent.
"You fool, Potter wouldn't be able to do that to. Now, do you know what it feels like to be blamed for a death you never committed? And almost feel like life is not worth living for anymore? Do you? Answer me!"
"N-n-no, sir."
"It's a horrible feeling. Now, I want you in the dungeons tomorrow night, 8:00, detention for a month. Now get out of my sight before the headmaster comes, he'd be furious with you, but that wouldn't be enough for what you did. Now go before I take away more points from Ravenclaw than I already plan to do!"
Tears coursing down her face, Cho Chang runs away from Snape's icy glare.
****
The next morning, as Ron and Hermione are walking down the corridors, they notice that everyone is in a sort of stupor, excluding a few uncaring ones. Harry has had no improvement. The day goes by in a blur. Day by day, there is no difference with Harry.
November ends and December slowly starts, and still no sign of Harry ever waking up. The teachers become more and more anxious and worried by the minute, along with Ron and Hermione.
Finally, Cho's excruciating detention is over, yet she still has no change of heart and doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon, for Harry and Snape. Neither will Snape's new disgust for Cho and never-ending hating of Harry ever change soon either.
Soon enough, McGonagall comes around with the sign up sheet for those who will be staying over the Christmas break. Hermione and the Weasley's sign up, wanting to stay with Harry.
The first day of holidays December 23 arrives. Apart from Harry's friends, the Hall was completely deserted, the other students not wanting to be alone now, especially now that Voldemort has risen. Normally, Hermione and the Weasley's would be thrilled at being the only ones in the castle, being free to do anything they want. The day goes by slowly. They attempted having a snowball, but it ended up not being very fun.
The morning of December 25 rolls around and even the presents at the foot of their beds wouldn't cheer them up. For the past four years Ron had opened his gifts with Harry and he really didn't feel like breaking tradition.
They end up spending the most part of the day by Harry's side. At around five o'clock that afternoon, they decide to leave Harry.
"Dumbledore said that supper would be at 6 o'clock, so maybe we should go get ready," Ginny says, looking around at everyone's uncombed hair and her twin brothers, still wearing their nightcaps.
As they head out of the Hospital Wing a yawn escapes the figure lying in the bed.
****
Harry groans and rolls over. On instinct, he grabs his glasses off his bedside table. He takes a look around, puzzled. "This isn't our dorm, why am I in the Hos-"
Memories of the last night he was awake flood back, as he remembers everything, including hearing Voldemort mutter 'Imperio'. "He tricked me."
A solitary tear, of sadness, anger, misery, and embarrassment in one trickles down his cheek.

****
"Come on you guys, let's go," Ron yells at the others. It's 6 o'clock and they were heading off for the Great Hall. Despite the fact that they weren't in the cheeriest mood, as they enter the Great Hall they stand transfixed in awe at the sight. They really went all out this year with the décor. The whole Hall was illuminated by the silver starred candles from the dozens of Christmas trees. The ceiling was a golden orange glow like the sunset outside. Garlands hung from the walls, it was incredulous. Their attire fit well with the decorated Hall, all of them wearing their dress robes, on Hermione's persistence. Ron's were of a deep-sea blue and he looked outstanding in them, it appears that the twins had good taste. Ginny's were of a deep scarlet, bringing out a tinge of red in her cheeks. Hermione, dressed in a lighter shade of blue than Ron's, her was up with blue and silver streamers dangling from her hair.
On the other hand, the twins were stood out so well with their jolly green and red polka-dotted robes, 'dressed for the holidays,' so they explain.
They go and take a seat at the long table in the center of the floor, the Order and other Hogwarts teachers already seated. Dumbledore had not yet arrived.
****
Harry, finally getting up after deciding not to show his misery and embarrassment for his foolishness, glances at the calendar on the wall.
"DECEMBER 25!" He then notices a pile of gifts at the foot of his bed. "Everyone will be sitting down to dinner right now- the castle therefore deserted." Harry's eyes light u as the greatest idea ever to cross his mind enters his head. "I need my wand."
He heads off for Gryffindor Tower. Luckily, they hadn't changed the password yet. He goes up to his dorm and finds out that his wand isn't there either. Stumped, he looks over by Ron bed and notices his wand on his bedside table.
"Well, maybe it'll work."
'ACCIO WAND'
Halfway across the castle, a wand is gently pulled out of Albus Dumbledore's cloak.
****
The delicious aroma of Hogwarts food fills the air as Harry crept in unnoticed as the Christmas chatter carried on. Harry withdrew his wand from under his robe without letting his beloved invisibility cloak slip. Chuckling slightly, in a better mood then when he first woke up, he silently says 'Wingardium Leviosa'
A plate, fork, knife, spoon, and cup, floats across the room and lands on an empty sot on the table. Everyone falls silent. A chair follows and is set by the plate and utensils. After a minute of silence, the chatter slowly starts up again. Unnoticed by all but Alastor Moody who was watching Dumbledore, he slowly slips his hand into his pocket to find only his wand in it. He smiles and motions for Alastor to scan the room. Everyone in the Order knows that Dumbledore kept Harry's wand after finding him.
Just as Harry was about to perform his next trick, he got the feeling of being watched, as if someone was staring at him.
"Moody's magical eye! Oh no!"
Moody silently smiles at the headmaster who motions for him to be quiet. Secretly, Dumbledore was quite enjoying the thought of this. No one noticed the exchange between the two.
Harry waits for Moody to move or do something, but he continues to eat as if nothing happened. Confused, Harry decides to continue. He walks up to the table, between his two friends.
"Ron, stop that!"
"What?"
"Oh, come on, quit blowing in my ear, it's cold."
A startled and bewildered Ron goes as red as Santa Clause's suit and the others begin to laugh uncontrollably. Harry was having trouble restraining himself.
As peas and mashed potatoes 'mysteriously' fly into Snape's face, Filch stands up and yells "PEEVES! It must be him, I am going to go find that prankster!"
"Argus," Moody replies, "It's quite possible that peeves is behind this, but why settle this now? It is Christmas after all."
Quickly, Harry mutters 'robo orangio incertainus' knowing that his way out would soon be coming.
Without a word, Filch gets up and walks over to the door of the Great Hall with Harry trailing not that far behind. As he opens the door widely, Harry scurries past him as the others notice that Snape's robes were an unusual shade of orange." Harry hurries up to Gryffindor Tower.
****
Once Harry was alone in the Common Room, he bursts out laughing, tears welling up in his eyes. The look on Snape's face was priceless. He quickly gets himself together, changes into his emerald green dress robes, combs his hair, and heads back to the Great Hall.
Luckily, Filch left the door open just enough so that Harry could slip in. He silently creeps in, and moves close to the table. He says quite loudly, grabbing everyone's attention, "Sorry I'm late guys, but thanks for setting me a place."
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkle as Harry takes a seat at the place he set for himself. Everyone (excluding two) were astounded by Harry's 'sudden' appearance.
"Harry, you're awake. You're still alive!"
"Good to have you back mate."
"How are you?"
"Hungry actually," he replies as he casually serves himself some potatoes. Despite everyone being there, Sirius comes over and gives Harry a great big fatherly bear hug, fighting back tears. It pained Harry to imagine the grief that his godfather must have been going through all that time. He quickly replaces the thought, not wanting to ruin one of the happiest night's he wanted to have.
He looks over at Snape, hides a smile and tells him, "Professor Snape, you missed a spot." Everyone bursts out laughing anew as he motions to a spot on his cheek, but he doesn't stop there. " Oh and I really love your robes, orange truly is your color.
Snape confusedly looks at his robes and is quite surprised by them. Harry, not being able to contain himself any longer, laughs along with the rest.
Lupin and Sirius share a thought, now knowing what happened. That spell is all too familiar, the number of times they've used it with James. It changes the color of ones roes without them knowing until someone mentions the color to them. Also, the victim cannot change his robes back, he must get someone else to do it or wait until the spell wears off. In some cases, it can take up to a week.
Hermione's book had and will serve Harry well.
They talk the night away, well after the stars come up on the enchanted ceiling, until the candles begin to fade. They bid farewell and the students make their way to bed.
"Good to have you back mate," Ron sleepily says as they drift off to sleep, to the end of a perfect evening.

A/N- Hehe, poor Snape! That was so much fun to write, I think the peas had an added touch...lol! Anyway, hope you like. If you didn't, well say so! You reviewers are the greatest ever! I love you all! Thanks again to my beta! ^_^

Also, I've got a friend, pamela-potter-24, who is just starting her own fanfic and needs some advice. Could some of you be nice and go review hers? Thanks!
Laterz~didihoulio