The seasons passed into Winter. Eric continued to improve his clairvoyant abilities, shocking Professor Trelawney. With diligent practice and a lot of concentration, he could now bring up an image of someone he was familiar with, about one time in four. Although he was extremely frustrated with it, the professor was beside herself with glee over his 'rapid progress'. She even had him demonstrate some of the simpler clairvoyant tasks to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster, as well as for Professor Flitwick. Although McGonagall and Flitwick seemed more than a little annoyed at the demonstrations, Dumbledore was very complimentary to Eric and openly commended Professor Trelawney for her diligent work.

Another thing that was developing at an alarming rate was the evening discussion group, which eventually evolved into a gathering called the Twilight Circle. Although Eric initially balked at naming the group, it did have an advantage or two. Firstly, rooms could be reserved when the weather turned cold. Second, Dorian had taken on the organization of the group, which basically meant occasionally printing fliers listing current topics being discussed, as well as handling all the arrangements. He and Tylena were having a wonderful time with the details. The only thing that fell to Eric and Naomi was to remind them on a regular basis that the group thrived from a lack of rules.

While all this was going on, Eric continued to develop essays. His Transformations term paper was a long dissertation regarding the ethics of transformation magic. Professor Flitwick gave a rather complementary grade to his work on alternative magical disciplines. His work on ward and sentinel spells received top marks from Professor Lupin. Meanwhile, although he was now Hagrid's student, he continued to help with the labor work involved with Magical Creatures, which secured his grade.

There were times when he wished that he could just take classes like everyone else. It was the one drawback to growing up in a school of magic – the expectations were much higher than for everyone else. There was, however, one class that Eric was doing dismally in: Muggle Studies. It was worse than sorting out the behavior of magical creatures, since most creatures have straightforward patterns that were consistent from one to the next.

Muggles, it seemed to Eric, were very much like wizards: each one was unique. This would normally suggest that they'd be easier to sort out, except that it seemed that anyone who bothered to write a textbook about muggles tended to be rather biased about their social preference. No matter what the textbooks said, Eric could never approach the subject by assuming that muggles were 'inferior'. His studies in history indicated that every time someone made their decisions based on relative superiority, the outcome was most regrettable.

He was pondering this question in the Ravenclaw common room while the coaches were boarding for Hogsmeade and the winter trip. Dorian offered to bring him back something, but Eric turned him down. At least, he didn't offer any suggestions. If Dorian wanted to get him a Christmas present, that'd be different.

As he looked over his textbooks again for a better lead, he felt a tingle in his spine – he was being watched again. Turning about, he saw Naomi standing by the hearth. "You're not even seeing Dorian off?"

"He'll be back soon enough. There's no sense in torturing myself."

She suddenly looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. I'd do it again in a minute if you needed help." He was suddenly grateful for the dim light, as he could feel himself blushing at the admission. "I see you've packed to go home."

"So have you. I thought this was your home."

"Hagrid's sending me to Mrs. Peal's for Christmas this year. He says it'll do me some good. Personally, I'm worried about him and Buckbeak. I've asked Willy to make sure he's cared for while I'm away."

"Good idea." She turned her attention to the books in front of him. "Looks like you have a problem."

Eric explained the course, and his feelings about the information in front of him. Naomi nodded to him. "It's much the same in the muggle world. People become ambitious, thinking that they're better than everyone else while those around them underestimate the threat. The result is a big mess for everybody. You've got the right idea. Why not pursue it?"

"Because I need a good grade in Muggle Studies. Potions is already a drag, and I don't need two bad grades on my records."

Naomi paused for a second. "Well, maybe you could spend New Year's with us?"

Eric was momentarily stunned. "You're inviting me over?"

"Sure. New Year's at our house is usually pretty quiet, and Norman can take us both to the train station the next day. I'm sure mum and dad won't mind; they'd be more than thrilled that I'm becoming social."

They spent the rest of the evening making plans. Eric would come over that day. They'd spend a part of the day with Naomi teaching Eric the basics of muggle life, with the evening set aside for some kind of entertainment ( something called a 'movie' ). Before they turned in for the night, Eric checked with Mrs. Peal.

"My dear, that would be a wonderful idea, and if Mister Wainwright doesn't agree, Naomi is invited over here and you can show her about how wizards live their home lives."

Eric grew embarrassed at the idea. "I think she gets enough of that here, but I'll extend the offer."