Chapter Fifteen: Christmas
'Wake up you lazy.person,' Harry heard, and then grinned as he opened his eyes.
'Morning to you too,' he said to Ginny, knowing that Ron or Hermione would have called him something else entirely. 'The others downstairs already?'
'Yeah, we've moved all the presents down there, we're just waiting for you!'
'What, everyone?'
'Not everyone, we're the only people here remember - unless McGonagall joins us. Even Fred and George woke up for once.'
'Give me a second,' he said, then pulled on his robe and ran downstairs with Ginny to where everyone else was clustered in the common room, all still wearing their pyjamas beneath robes.
'About time,' Fred remarked indignantly. 'I mean, we know you're Harry Potter, but that doesn't mean you can delay Christmas!' Harry laughed, and on an unseen agreement everyone began tearing into the parcels that lay about the room.
True to form, everyone had a Weasley jumper, Ron scowled at his usual maroon fiasco, but it was replaced by an approving grin when Hermione swapped it for hers. Harry's was a dark blue with a silver broomstick on the front, while the twins each had crossed bats with a Bludger on their tops. Ginny's was a similar red to her hair with a medieval looking 'G' pattern on the front in blue.
Moving on, Harry opened a letter with familiar handwriting on it. It was from Sirius.
Hi Harry,
I left this with Dumbledore to deliver to you as I won't be back for another couple of weeks. However, I am going to be in the fireplace at 11:00 on Christmas morning, Ron and Hermione are going to clear out the room somehow. I'm going to give you your present after Christmas, so you'll have to wait a while, other than that I'll see you soon.
Sirius
Checking his watch, Harry saw it was nearly eleven and that Ginny was right, he had been lazy. That was when Ron and Hermione suggested everyone should take their stuff back up to their rooms, and also when Harry saw the gifts that most of them had received from Sirius.
Each of them had been given a small charm, even the twins and Ginny who had never met Sirius, but by now knew enough about him from Ron, Bill and their parents. Saying he would be up in a minute, Harry caught Ron's broad wink as everyone else disappeared upstairs. A few seconds later, as Harry glanced at his watch, the flames flickered in the fireplace and Sirius's head appeared.
'Merry Christmas, Harry,' he said, a wide grin on his face.
'And you,' Harry returned, aware he must also be grinning comically at Sirius. 'Where are you? Or can't I ask?'
'Well you have asked,' Sirius replied, 'but it's okay - I'm down in London, staying with friends until I can get back to Hogwarts safely.'
'The thing for Dumbledore went okay then?' Harry stated rather than asked, but was relieved when Sirius nodded confidently in reply. 'Are you doing anything for Christmas or not where you are?'
'There's going to be a dinner, but not much else as I can't go out in public still. I suppose you've got a mini-feast with everyone.'
'Yeah,' Harry replied. 'And thanks for sending them the others presents by the way.'
'What?' Sirius said sharply. 'Harry, I haven't sent anything to anyone.'
'Then who.?'
'Go and stop them!' Sirius shouted, abruptly vanishing in the flames as he and Harry moved away at the same time.
Running quickly, Harry sprinted up the stairs to his room and flung open the door in time to hear Ron yell in pain. His heart hammering he ran to Ron's bed where blood had dripped onto the sheet, ashen-faced, Ron was staring at his bloodied hand. The Chudley Cannons motif lay on the bed, and was now jagged, with blades sticking out of it. 'The others,' Harry gasped, then turned and ran with Ron on his heels.
Running back down the stairs, they both sprinted up the steps leading to the girls' dormitories. As Ron slammed open the door to Hermione's room, Harry keep on running up to the floor where Ginny's dormitory was. Flinging open the door, he saw her lifting the charm to her face so she could examine it more closely.
Without thinking he took out his wand and cast the Banishing Charm, continuing his run towards Ginny. She let out a short scream as the charm flew away from her, but it was cut off when Harry grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to the floor under the cover of her bed. A second later there was a loud bang, and Harry heard afterwards the sound of several objects hissing through the air.
'Stay down,' he whispered to Ginny, giving her shaking shoulders a squeeze of reassurance. He sat up slowly, peeking over the top of the bed with his wand ready, but there was no need. The charm had exploded into thousands of fragments of metal, each one had torn through an area of the room and embedded itself in the wall.
The door flew open and Harry spun to face Fred and George, both of whom had burst in with their wands ready as well. 'If that was Sirius's idea of a joke,' George began until Fred elbowed him in the stomach.
'Where's Ginny?' Fred asked, paling slightly as he saw the tattered damage to her room.
'I'm here,' she replied, sitting up from behind the bed, 'Harry got to me before it exploded - what about you two?'
'They're in the walls,' George replied, rubbing his stomach where his brother had elbowed him. 'Of course, they were there before the blades came out of them.'
'Everyone okay?' Ron asked, running into Fred and George in the doorway. He was followed by Hermione who also appeared to be unhurt by her charm. 'What the hell is going on?' he demanded of Harry when it appeared everyone was okay.
'Sirius didn't send the charms,' Harry explained, telling them about the interrupted conversation he'd had with his godfather, only to be interrupted himself. For the third time in a minute the door swung open, this time more steadily as Dumbledore stepped through, taking in Ron's hastily bandaged hand as he did so.
'I see you managed to get to everyone in time,' he commented to Harry, his glittering eyes passing over everyone in turn. 'I am sorry this has happened, I should have foreseen something like this in Voldemort's plans,' shaking his head Harry once again saw the lines of age in the headmaster's face. 'Nonetheless,' Dumbledore continued, a smile taking over his weariness, 'I expect you all to enjoy the rest of Christmas without exception. I will have this cleaned up while we eat the dinner, you can all return to the tower in the evening.'
With this, he gestured for them to leave. Before Harry could say another word he found himself among the group as they walked down to the Great Hall. All the other teachers waited at the table, smiles on their faces as they talked, and the other students who had remained behind sat at a table that had been put alongside the head table. As they sat down, Harry saw Madam Pomfrey pass Ron a proper bandage across the table, making sure none of the other students saw the quick action.
A few minutes after they sat down, Dumbledore walked into the hall with a large smile on his face. 'I see I'm just in time,' he commented. 'Let's eat.' And with a wave of his hand the food from the kitchens was summoned to the plates. Once again there was more food then Harry could remember, and the same explosive wizard crackers that sent white mice scurrying around the table.
After a couple of hours enjoying the food and company, Harry and the others had forgotten the earlier scare and were enjoying themselves as Dumbledore had wished. When they left, they all went outside for another snowball fight, which was made even more perilous than usual by Hermione's use of the Levitation Charm to send a squadron of snowballs after Ron. Eventually, they tracked him down when he dove behind a wall of snow, only to find them hovering on the other side waiting for him.
That evening they returned to the tower looking like snow creatures where it remained stuck to their clothes. Changing into dry clothes, they all met up again in the common room where they talked into the night, until only Harry, Ginny and Ron were awake. Staring into the fire, Harry felt his own eyelids begin to fall slowly when Ginny's giggle made them open. Off to his right he saw that Ron had fallen asleep first, his head resting against Hermione's where she leant on his shoulder.
'They belong together,' Ginny said softly, her eyes gentle in the firelight, 'don't they?'
'Yeah, when do you think they'll really notice it themselves?' Harry replied, grinning at her.
'I think they each know, but they don't know if the other knows.'
'How nicely complicated,' Harry laughed. 'I just wonder how long it will take one of them to do something about it.' They sat in silence a for a few minutes, just watching their friends sleep as the fire bathed them in all in a soft orange glow.
'Before I forget,' Ginny said. 'This is for you.' In her hand she held a small bag with a chain of dancing snowmen on it.
'You didn't have to Ginny,' he said, catching the bag as she threw it to him.
'Yes I did - or had you forgotten my birthday?' with a smile, she watched him open the bag, disrupting the conga line of snowmen. Inside was a familiar gem, and Harry recognised the outline of a Liefgema. Taking it out he saw it was on a silver chain, with a blue stone set into the tear. Looking into the gem Harry saw whirls of azure and white mixing together as he ran his fingers over the smooth stone.
He opened his mouth to say thanks but, in the warmth and comfort, Ginny had joined the rest of the sleepers. Watching the firelight play over her face, Harry put the Liefgema around his neck, letting the gem rest on his skin. Like his, he felt a sensation of heat spreading out from the stone as he slowly fell asleep.
'Wake up you lazy.person,' Harry heard, and then grinned as he opened his eyes.
'Morning to you too,' he said to Ginny, knowing that Ron or Hermione would have called him something else entirely. 'The others downstairs already?'
'Yeah, we've moved all the presents down there, we're just waiting for you!'
'What, everyone?'
'Not everyone, we're the only people here remember - unless McGonagall joins us. Even Fred and George woke up for once.'
'Give me a second,' he said, then pulled on his robe and ran downstairs with Ginny to where everyone else was clustered in the common room, all still wearing their pyjamas beneath robes.
'About time,' Fred remarked indignantly. 'I mean, we know you're Harry Potter, but that doesn't mean you can delay Christmas!' Harry laughed, and on an unseen agreement everyone began tearing into the parcels that lay about the room.
True to form, everyone had a Weasley jumper, Ron scowled at his usual maroon fiasco, but it was replaced by an approving grin when Hermione swapped it for hers. Harry's was a dark blue with a silver broomstick on the front, while the twins each had crossed bats with a Bludger on their tops. Ginny's was a similar red to her hair with a medieval looking 'G' pattern on the front in blue.
Moving on, Harry opened a letter with familiar handwriting on it. It was from Sirius.
Hi Harry,
I left this with Dumbledore to deliver to you as I won't be back for another couple of weeks. However, I am going to be in the fireplace at 11:00 on Christmas morning, Ron and Hermione are going to clear out the room somehow. I'm going to give you your present after Christmas, so you'll have to wait a while, other than that I'll see you soon.
Sirius
Checking his watch, Harry saw it was nearly eleven and that Ginny was right, he had been lazy. That was when Ron and Hermione suggested everyone should take their stuff back up to their rooms, and also when Harry saw the gifts that most of them had received from Sirius.
Each of them had been given a small charm, even the twins and Ginny who had never met Sirius, but by now knew enough about him from Ron, Bill and their parents. Saying he would be up in a minute, Harry caught Ron's broad wink as everyone else disappeared upstairs. A few seconds later, as Harry glanced at his watch, the flames flickered in the fireplace and Sirius's head appeared.
'Merry Christmas, Harry,' he said, a wide grin on his face.
'And you,' Harry returned, aware he must also be grinning comically at Sirius. 'Where are you? Or can't I ask?'
'Well you have asked,' Sirius replied, 'but it's okay - I'm down in London, staying with friends until I can get back to Hogwarts safely.'
'The thing for Dumbledore went okay then?' Harry stated rather than asked, but was relieved when Sirius nodded confidently in reply. 'Are you doing anything for Christmas or not where you are?'
'There's going to be a dinner, but not much else as I can't go out in public still. I suppose you've got a mini-feast with everyone.'
'Yeah,' Harry replied. 'And thanks for sending them the others presents by the way.'
'What?' Sirius said sharply. 'Harry, I haven't sent anything to anyone.'
'Then who.?'
'Go and stop them!' Sirius shouted, abruptly vanishing in the flames as he and Harry moved away at the same time.
Running quickly, Harry sprinted up the stairs to his room and flung open the door in time to hear Ron yell in pain. His heart hammering he ran to Ron's bed where blood had dripped onto the sheet, ashen-faced, Ron was staring at his bloodied hand. The Chudley Cannons motif lay on the bed, and was now jagged, with blades sticking out of it. 'The others,' Harry gasped, then turned and ran with Ron on his heels.
Running back down the stairs, they both sprinted up the steps leading to the girls' dormitories. As Ron slammed open the door to Hermione's room, Harry keep on running up to the floor where Ginny's dormitory was. Flinging open the door, he saw her lifting the charm to her face so she could examine it more closely.
Without thinking he took out his wand and cast the Banishing Charm, continuing his run towards Ginny. She let out a short scream as the charm flew away from her, but it was cut off when Harry grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to the floor under the cover of her bed. A second later there was a loud bang, and Harry heard afterwards the sound of several objects hissing through the air.
'Stay down,' he whispered to Ginny, giving her shaking shoulders a squeeze of reassurance. He sat up slowly, peeking over the top of the bed with his wand ready, but there was no need. The charm had exploded into thousands of fragments of metal, each one had torn through an area of the room and embedded itself in the wall.
The door flew open and Harry spun to face Fred and George, both of whom had burst in with their wands ready as well. 'If that was Sirius's idea of a joke,' George began until Fred elbowed him in the stomach.
'Where's Ginny?' Fred asked, paling slightly as he saw the tattered damage to her room.
'I'm here,' she replied, sitting up from behind the bed, 'Harry got to me before it exploded - what about you two?'
'They're in the walls,' George replied, rubbing his stomach where his brother had elbowed him. 'Of course, they were there before the blades came out of them.'
'Everyone okay?' Ron asked, running into Fred and George in the doorway. He was followed by Hermione who also appeared to be unhurt by her charm. 'What the hell is going on?' he demanded of Harry when it appeared everyone was okay.
'Sirius didn't send the charms,' Harry explained, telling them about the interrupted conversation he'd had with his godfather, only to be interrupted himself. For the third time in a minute the door swung open, this time more steadily as Dumbledore stepped through, taking in Ron's hastily bandaged hand as he did so.
'I see you managed to get to everyone in time,' he commented to Harry, his glittering eyes passing over everyone in turn. 'I am sorry this has happened, I should have foreseen something like this in Voldemort's plans,' shaking his head Harry once again saw the lines of age in the headmaster's face. 'Nonetheless,' Dumbledore continued, a smile taking over his weariness, 'I expect you all to enjoy the rest of Christmas without exception. I will have this cleaned up while we eat the dinner, you can all return to the tower in the evening.'
With this, he gestured for them to leave. Before Harry could say another word he found himself among the group as they walked down to the Great Hall. All the other teachers waited at the table, smiles on their faces as they talked, and the other students who had remained behind sat at a table that had been put alongside the head table. As they sat down, Harry saw Madam Pomfrey pass Ron a proper bandage across the table, making sure none of the other students saw the quick action.
A few minutes after they sat down, Dumbledore walked into the hall with a large smile on his face. 'I see I'm just in time,' he commented. 'Let's eat.' And with a wave of his hand the food from the kitchens was summoned to the plates. Once again there was more food then Harry could remember, and the same explosive wizard crackers that sent white mice scurrying around the table.
After a couple of hours enjoying the food and company, Harry and the others had forgotten the earlier scare and were enjoying themselves as Dumbledore had wished. When they left, they all went outside for another snowball fight, which was made even more perilous than usual by Hermione's use of the Levitation Charm to send a squadron of snowballs after Ron. Eventually, they tracked him down when he dove behind a wall of snow, only to find them hovering on the other side waiting for him.
That evening they returned to the tower looking like snow creatures where it remained stuck to their clothes. Changing into dry clothes, they all met up again in the common room where they talked into the night, until only Harry, Ginny and Ron were awake. Staring into the fire, Harry felt his own eyelids begin to fall slowly when Ginny's giggle made them open. Off to his right he saw that Ron had fallen asleep first, his head resting against Hermione's where she leant on his shoulder.
'They belong together,' Ginny said softly, her eyes gentle in the firelight, 'don't they?'
'Yeah, when do you think they'll really notice it themselves?' Harry replied, grinning at her.
'I think they each know, but they don't know if the other knows.'
'How nicely complicated,' Harry laughed. 'I just wonder how long it will take one of them to do something about it.' They sat in silence a for a few minutes, just watching their friends sleep as the fire bathed them in all in a soft orange glow.
'Before I forget,' Ginny said. 'This is for you.' In her hand she held a small bag with a chain of dancing snowmen on it.
'You didn't have to Ginny,' he said, catching the bag as she threw it to him.
'Yes I did - or had you forgotten my birthday?' with a smile, she watched him open the bag, disrupting the conga line of snowmen. Inside was a familiar gem, and Harry recognised the outline of a Liefgema. Taking it out he saw it was on a silver chain, with a blue stone set into the tear. Looking into the gem Harry saw whirls of azure and white mixing together as he ran his fingers over the smooth stone.
He opened his mouth to say thanks but, in the warmth and comfort, Ginny had joined the rest of the sleepers. Watching the firelight play over her face, Harry put the Liefgema around his neck, letting the gem rest on his skin. Like his, he felt a sensation of heat spreading out from the stone as he slowly fell asleep.
