Author's Note: It has been a long time ). My humble apologies to all those people who kept demanding of me when the next chapter would be posted, this delay was completely unintentional. This chapter is again dedicated to my friends because without them I would never have posted any of these chapters and never seen my life for what it truly is. Thanks a lot guys, you all rock!
Apologies on the Raven from Ravenclaw cliché that was a typo and hence has been replaced by Thorn. Thanks for letting me know Penguin!
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Cathy was woken up by loud screaming. "PRESENTS!"
Evie pulled her away. "Here Lessa have a candy cane and leave Cathy to sleep".
"SUGAR!" Lessa pounced on the candy cane. "CANDY!"
Cathy pulled a pillow over her head.
A few minutes later something was poking into her side. "WHAT?"
She threw the pillow away so that she could see who was poking her but accidentally sent it flying into Char's face. "PILLOW FIGHT!" Lessa picked up a pillow and threw it at Cathy".
"OW!" The pillow hit Cathy square in the nose with an odd clunking noise. "That hurt!"
Evie started laughing. "Oops sorry Cathy that must have been the pillow that Lessa kept the boggle pieces in".
"I HATE BOGGLE PIECES!"
"We know, you said that last year at your sleepover".
"Boggle pieces?" Char looked confused. "Lessa why do you keep boggle pieces in your pillow?"
"But it's a John Lecompt set of boggle pieces! I can't hurt him!"
"Yeah I gave her them for her birthday in October Char, I spelled them for her but it's not a boggle set. It's one of those cube puzzles".
"You gave Lessa a puzzle?" Char was even more confused.
"Didn't she show you Char? I thought she could enjoy putting John's face together".
"John has many faces". Lessa had retrieved the pieces and were sobbing over them. "I'm sorry John, I'm so sorry! Lessy wouldn't mean to hurt you!"
"Anyway Cathy seeing as you're awake Merry Christmas!" Evie threw a couple of presents onto the end of her bed. "One's from me".
"And here's one from me". Char handed her a slightly larger present.
"LESSY HAS PRESENTS TOO!" Lessa picked up another present and gave it to Cathy. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
"Um… Merry Christmas?" Cathy sat up properly and looked them over. "Hey who's this one from?" She held up a dark blue wrapped present.
"Not from any of us". Evie frowned. "Nicola went with Alexis and Amy to the room of requirement to make sure the party ended but theirs aren't wrapped in that shade of blue".
"Open it and see Cathy". Char stopped from unwrapping Evanescence cd's to watch.
"Maybe later". Cathy was aware of everyone watching her.
"No now!" Lessa came to sit on her bed. "Lessy want to know".
"Char does too!" Char came and sat on the other side.
"Cathy I think you were overruled!" Evie laughed.
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Cathy opened the present slowly.
"YAY!" Lessa cheered.
"Knock, knock, knock! Anyone awake yet besides Lessa?"
Char called her in. "Yeah it's ok Nicola, we're all awake now".
"Oh good". Nicola opened the door and came in. "I would have been asleep still but someone had to wake me up!" She glared at Lessa.
"But it's Christmas". Lessa replied.
"It's still too early in the morning!" Nicola walked over to her own pile of presents.
Cathy had seen her chance and had hurriedly hidden the note that came with the present before anyone realized what she was doing. As soon as the note was tucked away in her binder the attention was all on her again. "You want me to finish opening it don't you?"
"Yes!" Lessa started jumping up and down excitedly again. "YES! YES! YES! OPEN NOW!"
Cathy threw the last of the paper onto the floor and stared at what was in her hand.
"WOW!" Char's eyes widened. "A replica ring! Someone must like you a lot!"
"That is, are you sure there isn't a note anywhere?" Evie was frowning.
"No, there isn't a note". Cathy tried to keep an honest face. "I wonder who sent it."
"Well it's really great, must have been from someone who knows you well. I mean how many people know that you obsess over lotr?"
"You'd be surprised". Cathy muttered as Char returned to her own presents. "You'd be surprised".
Lessa had opened another one of her presents. "IT'S FROM AMY! CHAR IT'S FROM AMY AND LOOK JOHN SIGNED THE CHRISTMAS CARD!" She started screaming and dancing strangely around the room; Char looked at the card before joining her.
Evie stopped from putting on a pair of striped socks "Here we go again, now she has John's signature!"
Nicola laughed. "Yeah now we have to listen to more of her screaming about John!"
"JOHN! OH MY PRECIOUS JOHNSEXYLAH!"
"Did she just say my precious Johnsexylah?" Evie gave her a worried look.
"Um yes, I think she did". Cathy reached over for some of her presents from home.
"She worries me sometimes". Evie pulled out some of her already un-wrapped presents. "Look Mum and Dad sent me some special owl treats to give to Merlin! I better give them to him tonight before he goes out for his late-night flight".
Nicola was reading the backs of a pile of books that she had just un-wrapped. "Yeah he won't want to miss them".
"Nope!" Cathy ripped off the paper. "FRODO!"
"Frodo what?" Evie discarded the owl treats and came over to see what Cathy had got. "Hey cool a hobbit traveling set complete with backpack and lembas bread. Very er nice Cathy." Evie patted her friend on the back. "There, there it's alright!"
"It even has the recipe so I can always make more!" Cathy started grinning madly. "Hobbit!"
"What does lembas bread taste like anyway?"
Cathy shrugged before pulling off a piece and handing it to Evie. "Why don't you tell me?"
Evie bit into the lembas and smiled. "Mmmm like honey only heaps better!"
Cathy sniffed at a piece before deciding it was edible then she popped it into her mouth. "It's nice!"
"I want some!" Lessa had ceased to be crazy and was begging Cathy. "Pretty please!"
"Alright!" Cathy handed her a piece. "Anyone else want some?"
"Thanking you!" Lessa devoured it.
"Yes please!" Char held out a hand as Cathy filled it with a bit of lembas.
Nicola took a piece that was handed out to her before Cathy packed it all away.
Evie didn't feel hungry anymore. "I'm not sure if anyone will want breakfast anymore".
"I still want pancakes!" Lessa started drooling. "Mmmm pancakes!"
"I'd better take her downstairs for some before she covers her new laminated John Lecompt in slobber". Char led Lessa out of the room.
"I definitely could go for some orange juice right about now". Evie slipped off the bed. "Anyone else coming?"
Nicola yawned. "I might come down a bit later".
"Hobbit!" Cathy was too busy staring at all her hobbit related presents to reply.
Just as they walked past the first year's dormitory a head poked out. "Evie where are you going?"
"Merry Christmas Laura, we're going down for breakfast".
Laura grinned. "Merry Christmas everyone!"
"Presents!" Lessa started dancing wildly again. "Mmmmm John!"
"Hey you!" Char poked her in the ribs. "Get moving! Now! Walk now!"
"If you guys are going now I'll come with you". Laura closed the door silently behind her. "There's a wrapping paper war zone in there right now and I don't think I want to get any in my eyes".
Evie laughed. "Sounds like fun!"
"Not when Amanda gets into it!" Laura shuddered. "Then it's dangerous!"
"Got a good pitching arm has she?"
Laura nodded. "Once she gets going she lets them fly!"
They entered the Great Hall and sat in their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. Lessa heaped her plate with pancakes.
"Want some juice?" Evie poured all her friends a glass before filling her own goblet.
"Here's to Christmas!" Laura raised her glass in a toast.
"To Christmas!" They all joined her in the toast.
"This has to have been the best Christmas ever!" Char commented a few minutes later.
"Made even better by the good company!" Evie smiled.
"Aww shucks!" Char started grinning.
Laura agreed with Char. "This is definitely the best Christmas I ever had!"
"Last night was excellent! I had the most fun, everyone said it was brilliant Evie and we have to do it again next Christmas!"
Evie smiled at Char. "Let's make it a new tradition shall we?"
"Definitely!" Laura replied. "You guys have to keep this thing alive!"
Lessa grabbed Char's shoulder. "Have to play Evanescence!"
"Of course they will play Evanescence, they can't not play it!"
"Best Christmas ever!" Laura changed the subject.
"Here here!"
Several hours later they all found themselves outside fooling around in the snow.
Donna, Alexis and Joel came out to join them in a big snow fight which ended up becoming quite dangerous when some of his friend's came out as well.
What started as a friendly team match became a sudden free for all with nearly everyone taking cover behind trees.
"This is painful!" Evie commented to Laura as they stood behind a tree. "Everyone is hiding!"
"Duck!" A snowball came flying in their direction and Laura had only just seen it before it hit.
They peeped around the branches to see Char collapse on the ground in front of their hiding place. "CHAR!"
Char looked up to see Evie beckoning her to come around.
Laura kept her eyes on the fight. "We have to do something to fight back!"
Char managed to crawl over to where they sat huddled. "This is becoming deadly!"
"Char we were wondering how to fight back, any ideas?"
"Erm we could make a dash for it and run into the castle, other than that no sorry!"
"What about magic?" Laura pushed them both down as another snowball came their way. "You could charm some right?"
"Good idea!" Char grinned. "Who has their wand?"
"I don't!" Laura checked her pockets.
"I do!" Evie pulled hers out. "What do we do?"
"Here let me!" Char borrowed her wand and cast a spell on a nearby cover of snow. At once the snow rolled itself into snowballs and went hurtling off to hit Joel in the back of the head.
Laura and Evie started laughing uncontrollably as snowball after snowball went to hit their targets.
Char handed Evie back her wand. "How was that?"
"Real cool, look they're all running away from the snowballs now!"
"Serves them right!" Laura giggled as a snowball stole some guy's beanie and went flying off with it as the owner chased it.
"Help!" Lessa came half running, half staggering towards them. "Snowballs everywhere!"
"Lessa you're freezing!" Evie pulled her down to sit with them. "Here you need some warmth!" A blue fire erupted from her wand tip to hover in the air around them. Lessa stopped her shivering after a few minutes.
"Where's Cathy, Amanda, Donna, Nicola and everyone?" Char couldn't see any of them from behind the tree.
"Cathy is behind one of the trees over there with Nicola and Donna. I didn't see Amanda!" Lessa held her hands up to the fire.
"I'm going to make a run for it and see where they all are, you guys stay here. Do you have your wand Lessa?"
Lessa nodded. "Right here!"
"Let Char teach you the snowball charm, I'm going to go help the others!"
"Wait Evie!" Laura pulled her back before she could run off. "I'm coming too!"
"Alright come on!" They both ran in the direction of some nearby trees.
"Get down!" Laura saw one coming and they fell onto the ground. The snowball nearly clipped their heads.
"Go, go, go!" Evie helped her up and on they ran.
They reached the line of trees before another snowball came sailing over towards them. This time it got Evie on the back; she slipped and fell onto the ground.
"EVIE!" Laura tried to help her.
"Laura get back to the trees I will be there soon!"
Laura ran and hid behind a tree. She peeped around to see Evie get up off the snow and run to join her.
"Any sign of Cathy?"
"No, not yet".
"Keep looking". She peered cautiously around the other side of the tree. "I can see movement!"
"Where?"
"Over there!" Evie pointed towards a fir tree not far off. "I think it may be Nicola!"
"Run for it!" Laura started off in the direction of the tree; Evie was hot on her heels.
They reached the tree narrowly missing being hit by another random snowball.
Nicola pulled them both out of the line of fire. "Careful!"
"Nicola!" Evie grinned. "Good to see you!"
"Cathy is here". Nicola pointed at a dark shape on the ground. "She's not dead by the way so don't be alarmed".
"Cathy?" Laura came over and gave the body a poke.
"OW! Quit that!"
"Sorry Cathy, was just making sure!"
Cathy sat up and glared at them all. "Can't I get any rest around here?"
"Nope!" Nicola tried to hug her. "We love you too much!"
Cathy screamed and tried to push her off. "No! Get off! Please get off! Someone help!"
A nearby shout told them that someone had heard them. "We have to run!" Evie looked around the tree. "Someone's coming!"
"Run for it!" Laura was already on her feet and making a run for it. Evie came behind with Nicola. Cathy came last behind all of them.
"That sure was a great snowball fight!"
"Yeah it was!" Char had to agree with Evie.
"It was cold!" Lessa sat on the end of her bed and hugged her pillow case with the John puzzle still in it.
Evie changed into her green velvet Christmas robes. "Was funny when they all ran off shouting curses at us!"
"Made even funnier by the fact that they were being chased by flying snowballs!" Nicola laughed at the memory.
Evie reached for her comb. "Are we going to the Black Lilly tonight?"
"Yes". Lessa hugged her pillow case tighter. "John will be there!"
Cathy lay flat out on her bed. "Do I have to come?"
"Yes". Lessa glared at her. "I will rip off Frodo's head if you don't!"
Cathy screamed and reached out for her Frodo plushie. "Don't hurt Frodo!"
A knock at their door announced the arrival of Donna, Alexis, Amanda and Laura.
"Come in!" Char called out to them.
"You guys coming or what?" Alexis was impatient.
"Coming!" Evie put down her comb and walked over to the door.
Lessa got off her bed and hid her precious John under her other pillow. "John will be safe there".
Char poked Cathy on the way out which sent her into more screaming but worked in getting her to sit up.
"Nice trick!" Evie gave Char a wink.
"Works every time!"
They arrived to find all the house tables had been replaced by the one really big table in the center. Dumbledore waved them to vacant seats next to a girl with long black hair and black clothes.
"Ahh girls I'd like you to meet Thorn! She's a new addition to Ravenclaw!"
"Nice to meet you!" Evie sat next to her and offered a hand.
The new girl, Thorn, took it and mumbled a hello.
"Do you like Evanescence?" Lessa asked her.
Thorn nodded. "I think they're cool!"
"Come with us tonight!" Lessa whispered. "We're going to see them live!"
Thorn's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"
Lessa nodded.
"OH MY GOD!" The whole table looked up at her, Thorn smiled before they all looked away. "I would totally love that!"
"We go to this place called the Black Lilly". Evie explained. "It's a Goth club and tonight Evanescence play live!"
"There's a Goth club here!" Thorn's eyes were nearly popping out of her head. "That's incredible!"
"Yep!" Char grinned at her. "The place is amazing!"
"Meet us at Midnight". Evie whispered how to get to the corridor. "Don't be caught by Filch!"
"No problem! He'll be scared of me, I'm so psychotic!"
"Really?"
"Yup!"
"Er cool I guess". Evie didn't know whether or not that was a good thing.
"Crackers!" Thorn held an end up to Evie. "Help?"
Evie pulled it and it went off with a loud crack and a haze of purple smoke.
Thorn pulled on a black bowler hat that had a fake crow attached to the top. "This is awesome!"
Evie pulled another one with Lessa and got herself a green hat that had silver stars all over it as well as a handy little bottle of nail polish that would look clear in the bottle but came out a colour that went with whatever you were wearing.
Lessa was happy with a new black lipstick and self applying mascara.
"Turkey Miss Crikman?" A hufflepuff guy handed her a plate.
"Yes thank-you!" She put some onto her plate before offering it to Raven.
"Well here's to a much deserved feast!" Dumbledore raised his glass in a toast before several people started singing Christmas songs.
"Roast potato!" Evie took a couple of pieces to sit on the plate with her turkey. "I love Christmas!"
Thorn agreed with her. "Yeah Christmas is the best!"
"When did you arrive here? Yesterday?"
"No this morning actually, my parents had to catch a plane back overseas".
"That's a bit rough".
"Yeah well I was supposed to come over at the beginning of the year but things happened to prevent that".
"Well it's good you're here now, do you like Hogwarts?"
"I haven't seen it all yet but I like what I've seen so far! This castle is really cool!"
"Watch out for the staircases, they like to move around".
"Yeah I was warned about that one!"
Evie grinned. "I'll show you around after if you like".
"Really? Cool! Thanks a lot!"
Everyone had a great time at the Christmas feast. When the last of the puddings had been eaten everyone went back to their common rooms to laze about by the fires except for Evie who took Thorn on a tour of the whole castle.
"I can't get over how magical this place is and how nice everyone is!"
"Well Snape isn't but that's to be expected. I wouldn't worry about him too much".
"Who was he?"
"The teacher who looked very depressing and evil".
"Oh I wondered what was with him, what does he teach?"
"Potions down in the dungeons".
"Oooh you have dungeons!"
"Yeah, I'll show them to you!"
"Ok!"
End note: Just before you all go on to read some other fan fiction let's just give a birthday bash to all these people.
Firstly Lyradi (Char) who's birthday was in July which is when I should have had this posted.
Nicole (Nicola) who's birthday was in October! )
Lessa whose birthday is still on it's way, the countdown is on!
Hobbit (Cathy) who's birthday comes up in November (p.s Good luck with 82 (Sam), wait until you see the end!)
I never tire of people giving me good feedback on these stories, I take the good with the bad all comments are welcome (cept death threats). If anyone here has an idea about a character or an event to take place send me a note and I'll see what I can do for you!
Also this story is going to end when the year finishes but the idea has been given to me that I should write another story as the final year at Hogwarts (Evie and friends) and give it a higher rating. Tell me what you all think about this idea and I'll get back to you on that one.