Thanks sooo much to vampcamp and Me who reviewed and a huge thanks to
vampcamp for putting me on your favs. :-) Glad you like it! I know that the
spelling of some of the things in the earlier chapters are pretty bad, but
later in the summer I'm going back to correct all that. I'm going to be
updating so much more often now because there is only eleven days until the
book comes out. That's my target, so in eleven days this story will be
complete! Enjoy :-)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Chapter 25
Harry woke early on Christmas day. He rubbed his eyes and looked blearily around. Ron was sitting up in the bed next to him, the rest of the room was empty as Neville, Seamus and Dean had gone home for the holidays. There was a mound of presents at the end of his bed. Harry yawned and bid Ron a "good morning, Happy Christmas" before putting his housecoat and slippers on. He grabbed the presents and him and Ron descended down the stairs to meet Hermione, who was already awake and standing facing the fireplace, in the Common room.
"Morning, Hermione!" Ron said happily, wide awake. Smiling Hermione turned around. Her own pile of presents sat on a chair near by. The Common room was completely empty except them.
"Happy Christmas Ron. Happy Christmas Harry." Harry and Ron returned the greeting and sat down on the floor by the fireplace to open their presents.
Harry opened his present from Mrs. Weasley, as usual, and got a Weasley sweater. He smiled as he touched the golden fabric. Hermione and Ron had also unwrapped their sweaters. Hermione's was a midnight blue and Ron's was, surprisingly, not burgundy. Instead it was a rich purple. They all put their sweaters on and turned to their next presents. From Sirius, Harry got a practise Quidditch set. There was a note:
Harry,
I don't think your uncle and aunt would let you play Quidditch at home so these are for when you come to live with me in the future. The balls don't fly too high or far, they are bound to the box and can only go a certain distance. They are used for practising in the summer times when you don't have the team to practise with. Have fun! Happy Christmas and see you later!
Sirius.
Hermione put up with their "oohing" and "ahhhing" for about five minutes before she demanded attention. Harry then opened his present from Lupin. It was a miniature Foe-Glass, like the one Mad-Eye Moody had the year before. The shadows of people around him in the mirror would become clear if they were foes. The mirror was pocket size. From Ron Harry got a game of what looked like marbles. However, the marbles only came in four colours: blue, grey, red and yellow. There were four of these marbles of each colour, so sixteen in total. The colours inside the marbles were swirling around, like storm clouds. All colours, even the yellow, were dark and every once in a while a flash of light would erupt from inside the marble. He read the tag.
'Storm Balls are hand made from the very rocks found in Iceland. The colours are added by hand. We here at Storm Inc. pride ourselves on the truly unique delicacy of these Balls. Each is different. Not one Storm Ball is exactly the same size, shape or colour.
Storm Balls can be used for the game "Storm Attack" in which two or four people can play. In order to play "Storm Attack" a circle is drawn at an equal distance from all players. A small "X" is placed in the middle of this circle. Person one rolls their Ball over the floor/table/ground and tries to place their Ball in the centre, on the "X". Person two rolls, then person three, then person four. If the Balls come in contact with one another they can use the energy locked up inside the Ball to explode the other one. This can be very useful if you are tied with another player and on the last game you both get your Balls on the "X". Unfortunately, you do not know which Ball will be quicker to blow up the other. There have been cases where both explode at the same time and both Balls are lost.'
Harry looked up from the tag and grinned at Ron.
"These are really cool. Thanks Ron!" Ron smiled back and was telling Harry what happened once when his cousin wasn't fast enough to get out of the way when two Balls exploded, when he was interrupted by Hermione.
"Come on! Come on! You guys can talk later!" She seemed inpatient and Harry knew why. So he opened his last present, Hermione's. In a cardboard box and wrapped in layers upon layers of tissue paper was a small statue. The statue was of a lion. The lion was raised up on its hind legs, his front paws clawing at the air, his mouth open in mid-roar. The lion was entirely a golden colour, except its eyes, which were fiery red gems and its teeth and claws, which were a sparkling ivory colour. Harry knew it was definitely not ivory, though. Hermione would never purchase anything made from animals. The lion was surrounded by glass in a globe. The bottom of the globe was a bronze vine, which crept up the glass from its supporting hold at the bottom to the arching, thin veins at the sides. Harry slowly turned it around, watching as the light caught the blazing red eyes and prominent teeth and claws.
"This is awesome, 'Mione. Thanks so much." He breathed as he turned the glass. Hermione looked pleased at his awe of the lion. Hermione opened her presents from her parents and finally Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron had put their money together and got Hermione the orb they had seen at Hogsmeade. The one that recorded memories and replayed them whenever you wished to relive a good memory. She was ecstatic when she opened it and hugged them both tightly saying that every memory that was going into the orb would have them in it. Finally the time in which Hermione had been so anxious to get to was here. For Ron Harry and Hermione had also pitched they money together to get Ron the new broomstick on the market. Ron had been doing really well with his old broomstick, but it was slow and Ron often got frustrated with it. The new broomstick was even better than Harry's was and much better than Malfoy's. Ron would have the broomstick for when they played against the Slytherin's in March. Harry thought Ron was going to collapse in shock when he unwrapped the Aglia.
"Wa? What's th-? I mean- Gosh you guys- I don't know what to- How to- Thanks." Ron stuttered as he ran his hand gingerly over the broomstick. Harry and Hermione grinned at each other. They didn't think they had ever seen Ron so flustered or happy. Ron, Harry and Hermione cleaned up and took their presents to their room and got dressed for breakfast.
Breakfast at Hogwarts was even better than usual. The festive feeling was in the air and even though Harry, Ron and Hermione had been feeling out of the mood the other day, they couldn't help being dragged into the Christmas hype after they had opened their presents, listened to the excited chattering around them and seen the decorations in the Great Hall. Harry felt his heavy heart getting lighter as he got more and more into the Christmas feeling. The feeling of dread he had been carrying around since he had had that dream in Potions and since he had made up with Ron and Hermione was disappearing slightly.
Harry met Snuffles at breakfast and he thanked Snuffles profusely for the Quidditch practise set. Snuffles nuzzled him as though to say "your welcome" and to thank him for the present Harry had got him. After breakfast Harry met Professor Lupin and thanked him for the mini-Foe-Glass. The also bid many teachers and ghosts a Happy Christmas.
Dinner was terrific, as it always was. There were few students who had stayed at the school for Christmas, like in their second year because of all the attacks and rise of Voldemort. So, Dumbledore had them push two tables together. The teachers and the fifteen students left at the school. Fred, George and Lee Jordan were the only other Gryffindor's who had stayed for Christmas. Harry broke a cracker with Ron and Hermione. By the end of the dinner Harry felt too full to even move and he began to feel very drowsy. Harry hadn't spoken to Professor Dumbledore since he refused to tell him what was going on. He never even looked at Dumbledore throughout the dinner. Harry always felt that Dumbledore could read minds and so he kept his eyes averted. Professor McGonagall knew what had happened and Snape was studying him more than usual.
By bedtime Harry was exhausted and the festive feeling was leaving him. As he got ready for bed he felt as though a stone had re-attached itself to his heart.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Chapter 25
Harry woke early on Christmas day. He rubbed his eyes and looked blearily around. Ron was sitting up in the bed next to him, the rest of the room was empty as Neville, Seamus and Dean had gone home for the holidays. There was a mound of presents at the end of his bed. Harry yawned and bid Ron a "good morning, Happy Christmas" before putting his housecoat and slippers on. He grabbed the presents and him and Ron descended down the stairs to meet Hermione, who was already awake and standing facing the fireplace, in the Common room.
"Morning, Hermione!" Ron said happily, wide awake. Smiling Hermione turned around. Her own pile of presents sat on a chair near by. The Common room was completely empty except them.
"Happy Christmas Ron. Happy Christmas Harry." Harry and Ron returned the greeting and sat down on the floor by the fireplace to open their presents.
Harry opened his present from Mrs. Weasley, as usual, and got a Weasley sweater. He smiled as he touched the golden fabric. Hermione and Ron had also unwrapped their sweaters. Hermione's was a midnight blue and Ron's was, surprisingly, not burgundy. Instead it was a rich purple. They all put their sweaters on and turned to their next presents. From Sirius, Harry got a practise Quidditch set. There was a note:
Harry,
I don't think your uncle and aunt would let you play Quidditch at home so these are for when you come to live with me in the future. The balls don't fly too high or far, they are bound to the box and can only go a certain distance. They are used for practising in the summer times when you don't have the team to practise with. Have fun! Happy Christmas and see you later!
Sirius.
Hermione put up with their "oohing" and "ahhhing" for about five minutes before she demanded attention. Harry then opened his present from Lupin. It was a miniature Foe-Glass, like the one Mad-Eye Moody had the year before. The shadows of people around him in the mirror would become clear if they were foes. The mirror was pocket size. From Ron Harry got a game of what looked like marbles. However, the marbles only came in four colours: blue, grey, red and yellow. There were four of these marbles of each colour, so sixteen in total. The colours inside the marbles were swirling around, like storm clouds. All colours, even the yellow, were dark and every once in a while a flash of light would erupt from inside the marble. He read the tag.
'Storm Balls are hand made from the very rocks found in Iceland. The colours are added by hand. We here at Storm Inc. pride ourselves on the truly unique delicacy of these Balls. Each is different. Not one Storm Ball is exactly the same size, shape or colour.
Storm Balls can be used for the game "Storm Attack" in which two or four people can play. In order to play "Storm Attack" a circle is drawn at an equal distance from all players. A small "X" is placed in the middle of this circle. Person one rolls their Ball over the floor/table/ground and tries to place their Ball in the centre, on the "X". Person two rolls, then person three, then person four. If the Balls come in contact with one another they can use the energy locked up inside the Ball to explode the other one. This can be very useful if you are tied with another player and on the last game you both get your Balls on the "X". Unfortunately, you do not know which Ball will be quicker to blow up the other. There have been cases where both explode at the same time and both Balls are lost.'
Harry looked up from the tag and grinned at Ron.
"These are really cool. Thanks Ron!" Ron smiled back and was telling Harry what happened once when his cousin wasn't fast enough to get out of the way when two Balls exploded, when he was interrupted by Hermione.
"Come on! Come on! You guys can talk later!" She seemed inpatient and Harry knew why. So he opened his last present, Hermione's. In a cardboard box and wrapped in layers upon layers of tissue paper was a small statue. The statue was of a lion. The lion was raised up on its hind legs, his front paws clawing at the air, his mouth open in mid-roar. The lion was entirely a golden colour, except its eyes, which were fiery red gems and its teeth and claws, which were a sparkling ivory colour. Harry knew it was definitely not ivory, though. Hermione would never purchase anything made from animals. The lion was surrounded by glass in a globe. The bottom of the globe was a bronze vine, which crept up the glass from its supporting hold at the bottom to the arching, thin veins at the sides. Harry slowly turned it around, watching as the light caught the blazing red eyes and prominent teeth and claws.
"This is awesome, 'Mione. Thanks so much." He breathed as he turned the glass. Hermione looked pleased at his awe of the lion. Hermione opened her presents from her parents and finally Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron had put their money together and got Hermione the orb they had seen at Hogsmeade. The one that recorded memories and replayed them whenever you wished to relive a good memory. She was ecstatic when she opened it and hugged them both tightly saying that every memory that was going into the orb would have them in it. Finally the time in which Hermione had been so anxious to get to was here. For Ron Harry and Hermione had also pitched they money together to get Ron the new broomstick on the market. Ron had been doing really well with his old broomstick, but it was slow and Ron often got frustrated with it. The new broomstick was even better than Harry's was and much better than Malfoy's. Ron would have the broomstick for when they played against the Slytherin's in March. Harry thought Ron was going to collapse in shock when he unwrapped the Aglia.
"Wa? What's th-? I mean- Gosh you guys- I don't know what to- How to- Thanks." Ron stuttered as he ran his hand gingerly over the broomstick. Harry and Hermione grinned at each other. They didn't think they had ever seen Ron so flustered or happy. Ron, Harry and Hermione cleaned up and took their presents to their room and got dressed for breakfast.
Breakfast at Hogwarts was even better than usual. The festive feeling was in the air and even though Harry, Ron and Hermione had been feeling out of the mood the other day, they couldn't help being dragged into the Christmas hype after they had opened their presents, listened to the excited chattering around them and seen the decorations in the Great Hall. Harry felt his heavy heart getting lighter as he got more and more into the Christmas feeling. The feeling of dread he had been carrying around since he had had that dream in Potions and since he had made up with Ron and Hermione was disappearing slightly.
Harry met Snuffles at breakfast and he thanked Snuffles profusely for the Quidditch practise set. Snuffles nuzzled him as though to say "your welcome" and to thank him for the present Harry had got him. After breakfast Harry met Professor Lupin and thanked him for the mini-Foe-Glass. The also bid many teachers and ghosts a Happy Christmas.
Dinner was terrific, as it always was. There were few students who had stayed at the school for Christmas, like in their second year because of all the attacks and rise of Voldemort. So, Dumbledore had them push two tables together. The teachers and the fifteen students left at the school. Fred, George and Lee Jordan were the only other Gryffindor's who had stayed for Christmas. Harry broke a cracker with Ron and Hermione. By the end of the dinner Harry felt too full to even move and he began to feel very drowsy. Harry hadn't spoken to Professor Dumbledore since he refused to tell him what was going on. He never even looked at Dumbledore throughout the dinner. Harry always felt that Dumbledore could read minds and so he kept his eyes averted. Professor McGonagall knew what had happened and Snape was studying him more than usual.
By bedtime Harry was exhausted and the festive feeling was leaving him. As he got ready for bed he felt as though a stone had re-attached itself to his heart.