Christmas in the Ravenclaw common room was quiet. It was no surprise that it was well after dawn before Eric awoke. As he started down the stairs, he found a tray with covered dishes. Although he was busy with Winter cleaning, Willy apparently made some time to leave Eric a Christmas breakfast. He had a few presents, too. Hagrid had gotten him a copy of Reecl Clawe's Draconian Lexicon, considered the reference book by which all others on the subject were measured. Professor Trelawney also sent Eric a present – a small armillary sphere. Even though it was probably inaccurate, Eric loved the clockwork mechanisms within it.
The presents from his family were slightly more welcome. Clareone sent some money, with a polite suggestion that Eric should consider his appearance. Lymeon sent along a selection of teas, along with a pouch of instant lemon slices. Naomi's gift to him, however, was the most confusing: a small box with a card that read "For when you think of me."
Inside the box was a pendant – a crystal held in a three-toed claw. Eric was rather relieved at it's appearance; at least it wasn't frilly. He hesitated for only a moment before putting it on. As he started to think of Naomi, the room suddenly shifted. He could no longer see the Ravenclaw common room. Instead, the Wainwright parlor room was slowly shifting about him. He could see Roger and Dorothy, who were entertaining a number of guests. He could smell Norman's cooking in the background, which left him longing for London. The room continued to shift uncontrollably until it settled on a small mirror. In it he could see Naomi looking back at him, smiling slightly.
It took a good deal of concentration and no small amount of regret to break the link. He sat for several minutes pondering the gift Naomi gave him; a path into her mind. Clearly she trusted him more than he ever imagined, for such items could be brutally abused. He'd have to protect it, especially now with Professor Umbridge getting into everything. Eric hoped that Naomi liked the gift he got her. He didn't know too much about buying gifts for people as it was, and he wanted hers to be special.
He bundled his gifts tightly, then set about making his way to the dungeons. Blue had spent several days in Slytherin's laboratory. With luck, it was now safe to enter. When he finally made his way to the Chamber of Secrets, he found the pixie pouring a thick, red mixture on the nose of Salazar's immense statue. It had already given the stone face green eyes and blue hair, with the result looking incredibly clownish.
Standing in one of the entryways, Eric cast every decoy spell he could think of. When nothing responded, he went in. True to a pixie's nature, things were mostly a shambles; but much of it was recoverable. In a few short weeks he'd have his own lab to develop new spells, potions, and magical items. He knew what his first project would be almost immediately: Sheena's cloak of invisibility. Although his research was fairly complete, he hadn't made any physical progress on it for some time, and the materials needed to cure.
He was two weeks into the project when everyone returned from break. It didn't take long for Eric to find Naomi, and to notice that she was wearing his gift; a new set of mirrored glasses.
She came up to him at once, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you – they're wonderful!"