Christmas was coming as fast as the summer had ended. Hogwarts was
covered in holiday decorations. The stone castle walls were cold from the
blizzard that violently thrashed outside. A group of Slytherins were
crowded around Draco Malfoy and his oversized goons at the Slytherin House
table.
"The Fat Lady?" shrieked a Slytherin girl.
"Yup! That is the entrance to the Gryffindor house." Draco said excitedly.
"How would you know?" another Slytherin spat.
"I got it out of Neville Longbottom. That Wizard-wannabe practically gave in before I even reached him." Draco said behind a wide grin.
"But how do we get past her and into the common room?" a skinny girl asked behind her beverage.
"That's just the thing. We won't have to. Don't you know how easy it is to fool a Gryffindor-especially one that has such a big head like the famous Harry Potter?" Draco snickered while all the Slytherins burst out in cruel laughter.
Draco Malfoy grabbed the wrapped gift from his bed and left the Slytherin dormitory with Crabbe and Goyle. They searched the corridors looking for the Fat Lady. It took them hours because of the forever- changing staircases. But once they reached it, they just set the wrapped box on the corridor floor, in front of the Fat Lady.
Professor McGonagall stopped at the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, glaring suspiciously at the box wrapped in red paper and a golden bow. She picked up the box and read the small piece of parchment stuck to the package by a corner of the bow. It read: Happy Christmas, Harry.
Hmm. Must be from another student. She thought.
She entered the common room and placed the package under the huge tree that stood in the middle of the Gryffindor dormitory.
Harry woke up bright and early on Christmas morning. He got up and shook Ron from his dreamy sleep. They both ran down the staircase and into the common room only to see Hermione buried behind a book her parents sent her.
"Hey, Hermione. Got and early start, did ya?" Ron said sarcastically.
"Hey you guys, it's about time you got down here. I'm nearly done with my new book!" she said as she turned another page of her book.
They tore open their gifts, clawing at the paper with happy faces. They received the usual sweater from Mrs. Weasley and the usual book from Hermione.
"Harry, there's something for you under the tree." Ron said anxiously.
Harry looked up with a surprised look at about the same time that Hermione finished her rather oversized book.
"Who's it from?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't say." Ron answered as he handed Harry the beautifully wrapped package. Harry read the piece of parchment attached to the box. He opened it slowly as Hermione eyed it suspiciously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I'm not sure." Harry responded as he withdrew a bright green ornament-looking sphere.
"Wait, there's more!" he said while he tossed the object aside. In the box was a huge sweatshirt. It had a large face on it-well, parts of a face. Large yellow eyes glared back at him and thin lips grinned up at him. Harry withdrew it from the box and began to try it on.
"I wouldn't do that!" Hermione began to say but was cut off by Ron's encouragement. Suddenly Harry regretted that he didn't listen to Hermione because as soon as the sweater was completely on the large yellow eyes blinked and the lips parted.
"Petrificus Totalus!!!" it yelled as the hideous lips parted. Hermione shrieked and Ron gasped for air as Harry's joints all locked and he hit the ground with a loud thud.
"Malfoy!" Ron blurted out as they all left the common room and headed down the corridor.
"How did you know that taking off the sweater would counter the spell?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I read about it in Perfect Gifts for your Foe." She responded.
They made their way to the Dining Hall, getting rid of the cursed sweater on their way. They totally forgot about the green sphere they left in the common room that was now slowly rolling down the corridor following them to the Dining Hall with an unusually packed Slytherin table. For some reason almost every Slytherin stayed for the holidays. Harry had a feeling the reason was going to be revealed very soon.
He was right. Halfway through breakfast he noticed the green ornament rolling across the table. It suddenly stopped and hovered ten feet above the Gryffindor table. All the Slytherins looked anxiously from their table as if counting down to a fireworks display. Then it happened. It exploded into the air and from it came a singsong voice that strangely sounded like Malfoy.
"Potter Stinks, Potter Stinks!!!" it sang over and over again.
The Slytherin table roared in laughter with victorious looks on their faces. It was the happiest moment the Slytherin House had all month.
Severus Snape just grinned from behind his pumpkin juice at the staff table. He felt as if the Slytherin House had just been awarded the House Cup!
"The Fat Lady?" shrieked a Slytherin girl.
"Yup! That is the entrance to the Gryffindor house." Draco said excitedly.
"How would you know?" another Slytherin spat.
"I got it out of Neville Longbottom. That Wizard-wannabe practically gave in before I even reached him." Draco said behind a wide grin.
"But how do we get past her and into the common room?" a skinny girl asked behind her beverage.
"That's just the thing. We won't have to. Don't you know how easy it is to fool a Gryffindor-especially one that has such a big head like the famous Harry Potter?" Draco snickered while all the Slytherins burst out in cruel laughter.
Draco Malfoy grabbed the wrapped gift from his bed and left the Slytherin dormitory with Crabbe and Goyle. They searched the corridors looking for the Fat Lady. It took them hours because of the forever- changing staircases. But once they reached it, they just set the wrapped box on the corridor floor, in front of the Fat Lady.
Professor McGonagall stopped at the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, glaring suspiciously at the box wrapped in red paper and a golden bow. She picked up the box and read the small piece of parchment stuck to the package by a corner of the bow. It read: Happy Christmas, Harry.
Hmm. Must be from another student. She thought.
She entered the common room and placed the package under the huge tree that stood in the middle of the Gryffindor dormitory.
Harry woke up bright and early on Christmas morning. He got up and shook Ron from his dreamy sleep. They both ran down the staircase and into the common room only to see Hermione buried behind a book her parents sent her.
"Hey, Hermione. Got and early start, did ya?" Ron said sarcastically.
"Hey you guys, it's about time you got down here. I'm nearly done with my new book!" she said as she turned another page of her book.
They tore open their gifts, clawing at the paper with happy faces. They received the usual sweater from Mrs. Weasley and the usual book from Hermione.
"Harry, there's something for you under the tree." Ron said anxiously.
Harry looked up with a surprised look at about the same time that Hermione finished her rather oversized book.
"Who's it from?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't say." Ron answered as he handed Harry the beautifully wrapped package. Harry read the piece of parchment attached to the box. He opened it slowly as Hermione eyed it suspiciously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I'm not sure." Harry responded as he withdrew a bright green ornament-looking sphere.
"Wait, there's more!" he said while he tossed the object aside. In the box was a huge sweatshirt. It had a large face on it-well, parts of a face. Large yellow eyes glared back at him and thin lips grinned up at him. Harry withdrew it from the box and began to try it on.
"I wouldn't do that!" Hermione began to say but was cut off by Ron's encouragement. Suddenly Harry regretted that he didn't listen to Hermione because as soon as the sweater was completely on the large yellow eyes blinked and the lips parted.
"Petrificus Totalus!!!" it yelled as the hideous lips parted. Hermione shrieked and Ron gasped for air as Harry's joints all locked and he hit the ground with a loud thud.
"Malfoy!" Ron blurted out as they all left the common room and headed down the corridor.
"How did you know that taking off the sweater would counter the spell?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I read about it in Perfect Gifts for your Foe." She responded.
They made their way to the Dining Hall, getting rid of the cursed sweater on their way. They totally forgot about the green sphere they left in the common room that was now slowly rolling down the corridor following them to the Dining Hall with an unusually packed Slytherin table. For some reason almost every Slytherin stayed for the holidays. Harry had a feeling the reason was going to be revealed very soon.
He was right. Halfway through breakfast he noticed the green ornament rolling across the table. It suddenly stopped and hovered ten feet above the Gryffindor table. All the Slytherins looked anxiously from their table as if counting down to a fireworks display. Then it happened. It exploded into the air and from it came a singsong voice that strangely sounded like Malfoy.
"Potter Stinks, Potter Stinks!!!" it sang over and over again.
The Slytherin table roared in laughter with victorious looks on their faces. It was the happiest moment the Slytherin House had all month.
Severus Snape just grinned from behind his pumpkin juice at the staff table. He felt as if the Slytherin House had just been awarded the House Cup!