Chapter Nine - Christmas Holidays
BananaCarrot-Five
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment and J.K. Rowling.
December 21, 1991
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Gryffindor Tower was a bundle of excitement as most of its occupants made haste to finalize their belongings to bring with them back home for the holidays. In the boy's First Year's Dorm, you would see Neville and Harry in an animated discussion.
"Harry, my Gran said that it's fine if you join us for the Holidays!" Neville reminded him.
Harry shook his head sadly. "No Nev, I wouldn't fit there. Massive Manor and House Elf service, I would be really, really uncomfortable!"
Neville sighed sadly. "That's fine Harry. If you change your mind in the next few hours, let me know. Train leaves at noon, according to Professor McGonagall."
Nodding weakly, Harry looked down at his sheets. While joining his best friend for the Holidays seemed like a dream come true, Harry didn't yet feel comfortable leaving the walls of Hogwarts. He already knew he would have to return to the Dursleys at the end of June.
Ron was currently attempting to inhale three chocolate frogs while Dean and Seamus complained about packing. Seamus' parents were "dragging" him to a party hosted by the Minister, Cornelius Fudge. As per Seamus' attitude, he wasn't looking forward to that. Dean was joking around, telling Seamus to save him some of the expensive treats, and the Dorm filled with snickers and chuckles shortly after.
Meanwhile in the Girl's First Year's Dorm, Hermione was carefully wrapping up her two presents for Harry and Neville. Both would receive them before breakfast, and if she was lucky, could convince them to open their presents right there, in the Common Room. Hermione was excited to see how her friends would like her presents. As for the other girls in her Dorm, Lavender and Parvati's family were going to some wizarding festival, while Becca and Kelly were visiting their own families, much like herself.
Harry ended up dragging Neville down the stairs to the Common Room to wait for Hermione, who showed up several minutes later with two packages under her arms. She walked up to them, and with a bright big smile on her face, handed each boy a package.
"Happy early Christmas, Harry and Neville! I hope you enjoy your present from me!" Hermione chirped. Harry and Neville, with grins on their faces, carefully opened Hermione's present.
Inside Harry's present was Hermione's first painting of the sunrise that she had spent most of November working on. Harry looked at it with a massive smile on his face and noticed in the corner of the canvas were the initials "HJG" and the date, "11/23/91" under it. Harry put the painting down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Thanks, Hermione. This is the first and best Christmas present I've ever gotten."
Hermione pushed her way through and wrapped her arms around Harry, surprising both boys in the room, for different reasons. While she did feel Harry's body seize up, it relaxed a few moments later and about ten seconds later did she feel him hug her back. Harry relaxed himself enough to squeak out a "Thank You" before Hermione extracted herself from him.
In the background, Neville smiled at Harry's position. Not two months ago did Harry utterly refuse hugs and physical contact, and he and Hermione had been in their little disagreement. A lot had happened since then, and his friend's interactions in front of him told him that they were capable of change and forgiveness.
When Harry and Hermione composed themselves, Neville happily began opening his present. His consisted of the Astronomy Tower classroom, with stars peeking in through the lightly coloured windows. In roughly the same spot as from Harry's painting, the initials "HJG" were written with the date "12/19/91" Neville smiled brightly as Hermione nervously bit her lower lip.
"This is amazing, Hermione! Thanks a lot!" Neville exclaimed, prompting the girl to also hug Neville. Harry watched with awe and wonder. He was lucky to have two amazing best friends like Hermione and Neville.
\-0-0-/
The presents stowed safely in the boy's belongings; the Trio made their way to breakfast. The menu consisted of English Muffins, sausages, and eggs. Most of the student body who was taking the train home were in attendance in the Great Hall. He and Oliver would be the only members of the team still in the Castle, but Oliver had assured him that he wouldn't make him have practices. Fred and George were leaving to join the rest of their family, bar Percy, to visit their older brother. That meant that Harry had the Firsties Dorm to himself. About halfway through breakfast, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up to address the students.
"A simple reminder that all students heading home for the holidays must first check with their Head of House before boarding the train. Until 1992 for those students, Happy Christmas!"
Dumbledore smiled widely to the student population seated in the Hall before taking a seat himself to talk to the other staff. The volume of the Great Hall maintained an excited level, as students left, right, and center gushed to their friends about the upcoming Christmas Holidays.
All too soon did the trio split, Harry deciding in the end to the sadness of both Neville and Hermione, to stay at the Castle while they would spend the holidays with their families. He did accompany them to Hogsmeade Station, sharing a large carriage with some older Gryffindors. After helping Hermione lug her trunk onto the train, she made a last-ditch attempt to convince Harry to join them.
"Harry, why can't you come and stay with either of us over the holidays?" Hermione whined as Harry assisted Neville with his trunk.
"Because, Hermione, I don't belong there. It isn't for me." Harry replied, his voice growing quieter with each word. Hermione's whole attitude softened, and realization set in.
What do you make of me now?
A boy with no magical experience following a bad childhood.
Understanding his reasoning (as she hoped she did), she decided not to ask him anymore, and held his hand until the conductor and Station Masters started steaming up the train to leave. Hermione reluctantly let Harry go, but before he left, Hermione whispered something to him.
"Sneak into the Restricted Section over Holiday. Maybe we can answer either of our questions for our research! The Castle will be almost empty now!"
Receiving a nod from Harry, both Neville and Hermione watched as he hopped off the train and stood towards the back of the platform. As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of Hogsmeade Station, Harry sported a tiny smile and waved at their compartment window. Only when the Express was fully out of his sight did he board a carriage to head back to the Castle. Harry honestly had no idea what to make of the Christmas Holidays. He was gone from the Dursleys, and almost everybody was out of the Castle. Harry decided he made the right decision in staying at Hogwarts.
Upon returning to Gryffindor Tower, Harry relished the quietness of it. The cackling fire, and…
Were those footsteps?
And the last person Harry wanted to deal with this Holiday bounced down the stairs: Ronald Weasley.
\-0-0-/
As the Hogwarts Express travelled south towards London, Hermione and Neville were in animated conversation about Harry. To both, the conversation was as important as everything else. Plus, as Harry was currently not present, both friends could discuss why he didn't ultimately join him. As Hermione and Neville talked about it, she became increasingly upset.
"Well?" Neville looked at her.
Hermione sighed heavily. "It isn't because he didn't want to!"
Neville frowned. "I don't follow you, Hermione. Yeah, I'm sad he didn't want to go, but he said he would be uncomfortable, which I still don't understand."
"Neville, Harry didn't want to go because he didn't think he'd be welcome."
"Come again?" Neville looked at Hermione as she composed herself.
"Remember when… it happened?" Hermione nervously looked up.
"It depends on which 'it.' The first one or the second one?" Neville replied.
Hermione's silent finger answered that question. "When he yelled at me, he said something, and it's just been on my mind ever since. He didn't want to go with you or me for Holiday because he never did that at his own house."
Neville was puzzled. Sure, he knew Harry had a lot going on, but he was still puzzled at her statement. Neville's silence initiated her response, however.
"He had told me that he had a bad childhood. While that can mean a lot of things, the fact that he didn't want to be in your Manor this Holiday could mean a lot of things." Hermione explained.
Neville didn't understand it, so his jerky hand movements tried to tell her. "Can you explain it?"
"He's been lonely."
"Pardon?"
"Neville, Harry was lonely. That's why he didn't want to go. He's afraid that with everything there is to do, he would be lonely at your house."
"How do you know this?" Neville challenged.
"I've had a while to think about it." Hermione shrugged dismissively. "Plus, Harry hasn't exactly let much off. I didn't have much to compare to."
After that, the compartment went silent, Hermione deep in thought and Neville enjoying the Scottish countryside as a distraction. Neville pulled out his set of Wizards Chess after a while of silence, and the duo struck up a game. It took them three hours, through casual conversation, to realize that Ron was not on the train. Harry was on his own, with him. This would not be fun, for anyone.
\-0-0-/
"You!" Harry spat. "You're supposed to be with Fred and George, visiting your brothers or something!"
Ron shrugged. "I convinced them to let me stay here for the Holidays."
Harry squeezed his eyes shut, counted to thirty, opened his eyes up again, and climbed up the stairs, ignoring Ron's protests when he swept past him into his dorm.
"Peter Herring, by Merlin and Hogwarts, keep me away from Ronald Weasley!"
This Holiday might not be any better than the Dursleys after all.
\-0-0-/
As the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross, Neville and Hermione made sure that nothing was left behind as they carried their trunks off the train to their respective families. Neville walked towards one side of the Platform, where his Gran was waiting for him, a sharp eye on his attire.
"Hi, Gran," Neville greeted, smiling softly at the older woman.
"Neville. Glad to see you are here. Is Harry Potter with you?"
Neville shook his head. "He said it wouldn't be right, Gran. Me and Hermione really tried to get him to join us. He said no."
His Gran raised an eyebrow. "Hermione? Who is this Hermione?"
Neville suppressed a smile. "Hermione is me and Harry's best friend."
His Gran seemed to nod ever so slightly at that, before eyeing his trunk.
"Come. Let's get home. You need to freshen up."
Neville looked at his Gran. "Alright."
On the other side of the platform, Hermione made her way through the muggle barrier to meet her parents on the other side of Platform 9 ¾. Upon seeing her parents for the first time in nearly four months, Hermione plopped her trunk next to the barrier and ran to her parents, hugging them tightly. No words were exchanged for the several seconds the three Grangers were together. When they separated, Sam picked up Hermione's trunk and Helen started pulling the family towards their car.
The hour and a half hour long journey to Crawley was mostly silent, mainly because Hermione clammed up after her father asked her about Harry Potter. The apologetic look of her mother wasn't enough to get Hermione to talk though, as she busied herself with another book, but mainly used it as an excuse to ignore her parent's looks and questions.
\-0-0-/
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
That evening, Harry learned just how few people remained at the Castle over the Holidays. Fortunately, Draco Malfoy had the decency to head home for the Holidays. Slytherin's table was littered with a few Sixth and Seventh Year students.
As for his own House, only himself and Ron stayed in the Castle of the Firsties, while Percy and Oliver, Fifth Years, also remained. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws' Tables were about the same. All in all, about thirty students remained in the Castle for the Holidays. Not a bad number, if Harry was being honest with himself.
The only issue he had now was the constant face that he would not have an excuse for Ron to leave him alone. Ron literally stayed in the Dorm if he was there, followed him to the Common Room, then to the Library (Harry was surprised he did that) and finally to the Great Hall. All in all, not even eight hours after Neville and Hermione had left the Castle, the Holidays were already off to a bad start. Perhaps Oliver would want to do Quidditch with him.
December 22, 1991
Longbottom Manor, Somewhere in Great Britain
Neville was going to be alone for almost the entire day. His Gran had to go to the Ministry to attend a long and boring session that was not only required, but in some cases ended up being one of the only times in the year that anything regarding the Ministry actually happened.
Neville understood the structure of the session like the palm of his hand, thanks to his Gran teaching him early on. The session began at eight in the morning with a callout of every house by rank. When that was concluded, any Law that was not passed that calendar year gets reviewed and voted on before it is either passed into Law or completely vetoed. After that, any new Laws are introduced and voted on, with a similar setup to the prior part of the session.
When that finally was wrapped up, and mind you that could take a few hours on its own, a yearly traditional Confidence/No Confidence vote was taken for the Minister of Magic, in this case it was Minister Fudge. As far as his Gran could remember, there had never been a Minister that received a No Confidence result in this session over the years she had been serving.
When that concluded, the members would go over the budget from the year and the budget for the next year. Each committee that had a section of the Ministry budget had time to explain a set list of actions and promises from the year and for the next year.
As there were seven Departments, containing twenty-seven committees and forty-five sub-committees in total, this part was usually the longest part of the session. When all was said and done, the members were asked one by one if they had any final remarks, and after the meeting was concluded, the Minister of Magic, Chief Warlock, and each Department Head had to "allow" the session to be concluded.
It neared ten pm that evening when his Gran exited the Floo. She did not look happy. However, Neville didn't ask, for he didn't want to know nor face his Gran's wrath at this time of night. Thankfully, Trudy, one of the Longbottom's elves, put a Calming Draught in her tea, so it only took an hour for his Gran to calm down and fall asleep.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione's mood was still subdued as she woke herself up much later than when she did at Hogwarts. Part of the reason was to avoid her parents, after her father's rather rude questioning about Harry during the ride home stung her. Hermione wanted to spend the day walking around the neighborhood, to soak in the cold December breeze that would sweep Crawley every so often. There also was that tiny guarantee that Crawley would be covered in three inches of powdery snow. However, as she was changing to do just that, her mother softly knocked on her door. Hermione sighed and let her in, noting how her attitude was slightly cautious, if not noticeable to the normal eye.
"Hermione, your father didn't-"
Hermione interrupted harshly. "No, mum! Just no! Literally the first questions Dad asks me is about Harry! 'Hermione, was Harry Potter hurting you?' 'Hermione, did Harry Potter disrespect you?' 'Hermione, did Harry Potter tease you?' He didn't seem to care about school, or anything! Just about Harry Potter!"
Helen, properly chastised by her daughter, thought hard for a minute before asking, "Did he do something to you, Hermione?"
Hermione's head seemed to bounce between nodding her head and shaking it.
"Remember those books I bought last Christmas at Diagon Alley? Well, one of them was about Harry's early life. I took it as gospel, mum! When I finally met him on the train, I held back, partly because of..." Hermione hesitated under her mother's eye, for she had not divulged the true memories of Crawley Primary to her parents. "I didn't want to be used by some spoiled and famous wizard for his own means."
Her mother seemed to raise an eyebrow in suspicion.
Hermione huffed angrily. "I made a mistake that day, I assumed that the book was right, and I basically... guarded myself... from him..." Hermione was frantically trying to come up with a reason that wasn't the truth but was believable. In truth, she didn't want to be rejected again, or be humiliated again. The scars of Crawley Primary still stayed with her.
"I hurt him, mum. I deserved it when he did yell at me. There's a lot of his life that he hasn't told anyone, and it's made it frustratingly difficult to connect to him! Then, Halloween-" Hermione abruptly stopped, before speaking again.
"Halloween, some other boy insulted me, and Harry basically defended me. It was sweet of him, and that kind of jumpstarted our friendship, you know because he defended me." Hermione wanted to say, 'Because he saved my life from a mountain troll,' but she didn't want to alarm her mother.
After a small smirk from her mother, she seemed to back off a bit after that, and instead asked Hermione about the school's library, to which Hermione enjoyed a pleasant conversation with her mother for the next hour.
When lunch rolled around, both Granger women left the bedroom and made their way to the kitchen. Samuel was contemplating his past actions to his daughter when he was greeted by both women. The three ate lunch in silence, however Helen kept a steady eye on Hermione and a steady eye on her husband.
The Holidays were not starting out as joyful as was originally planned. Hermione debated whether or not she should have stayed at the Castle with Harry, or maybe even have joined Neville with his Gran. At least she had her books to keep her occupied this holiday should she want to get lost in them.
\-0-0-/
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry was beginning to wonder if anyone who remained at the Castle over the Holidays would notice if he took his broom for a quick fly around the Pitch. After all, school was out, Hermione wasn't there to be cross at him, and he could feel free, even if it was only for a few hours. Mind made up, Harry grabbed his Nimbus 2000, left Oliver a note in the Common Room, and made his way to the Quidditch Pitch.
The crisp cold air of late December cooled his body as he walked out of the locker room at the Pitch. Feeling the wind against his face put a small smile on the boy, as he took to the skies in the morning air around the Pitch. He allowed himself to close his eyes, to take a few deep breaths of this sacred moment. About twenty seconds later, he opened his eyes and started flying wherever his mind wanted to. He was relaxed and in his element, away from eyes and only with himself.
And that is where he spent most of his first day on Holiday, flying around the Quidditch Pitch and occasionally, intentionally, letting himself wander with his emotions. Hedwig joined him at some point, both companions happy to accompany each other in the air.
There was no one that would stop him. As the sun was starting to fall behind the Scottish mountains that surrounded the Castle, Harry took that as a sign to head back in. Casting Tempus, the time read 18:29.
Dammit, he was late for the evening feast.
Quickly cleaning himself up, he made a dart to the Great Hall, and fortunately the food was still out. He helped himself to some of the many chicken legs that were sitting out. After filling himself and his mood mostly lifted, he made his way back to the library. He supposed he could look a bit more in the library about the dog, or Nicholas Flamel.
On second thought, he just wanted to try to maintain his distance from Ron.
\-0-0-/
December 23, 1991
Longbottom Manor, Somewhere in Great Britain
Neville awoke in his room, momentarily forgetting that he wasn't at Hogwarts in his four-poster bed, before remembering what he was doing today. With a subdued mindset, he changed and chatted with Trudy before greeting his Gran who was waiting for him downstairs. After a silent agreement, his Gran tossed some Floo Powder into their fireplace and stepped through. Taking a deep breath, Neville followed. When he exited the fireplace, he sighed at the familiar sight of Saint Mungo's Visitor Atrium. It had been just under four months since he had last been here. The last time he was here was August 31, saying goodbye as he was heading off to Hogwarts the next day.
After the duo made it through security, Neville and his Gran made the normal journey to the Janus Thickey Ward, a journey Neville had made quite frequently since he could walk and talk. A journey to spend some time with his parents.
Even at his young age, the fact that his parents were simply living husks of their past selves stuck in a moment of time hit him hard. It was a painful reminder of what the War had cost his and hundreds of other families in both the Muggle and Magical world. Sometimes, his Gran couldn't spend more than fifteen minutes at a time in the room, but Neville would sit on a chair in between his parents' beds. He would spend hours and hours telling stories of his experiences to his parents. It hadn't mattered to him that they most likely didn't understand him. The eleven-year-old boy watched sadly as his mother seemed to lose focus of something every couple of minutes. His father was no different.
When his Gran excused herself after about an hour, Neville sat in silence. For him, these few hours of quiet were the most peaceful moments of his life. He was with his parents, and he was able to relax and cry if he wanted to. He cried for his parents and continued to reassure them that he would somehow heal them, even if it took him a hundred years to do so.
Closing his eyes in the room made him relive his worst nightmare, the night that his parents were tortured. He watched it happen through a hole in the closet his mother had hidden him in. Neville wept in pain every time he relived it. His Gran refused to tell him the Death Eater who had put his parents in this state, even after Neville had begged her to tell him. His Gran had replied with a harsh, "You will be told when you are old enough," and that was the end of that.
Neville calmed himself again, and eventually his Gran returned with some food for the pair. They ate in silence as Neville wearily watched his parents fiddle with nothingness.
As five rolled around, Neville and his Gran left the Ward, Neville saying his goodbyes to his parents. The pair made it back to the Fireplace connection, and Flooed home, where they would eat dinner, provided by Trudy, in silence.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione spent the day mainly decorating the Christmas tree Samuel had bought a week prior, when she was still at Hogwarts. Because of the minor rift between her and her father, Hermione opted to spend the time with her mum decorating the tree. While she could feel her father's sad eyes gazing on her, she paid him little mind as she occupied herself with the tree.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry spent most of the day in the Owlery with Hedwig and Crookshanks. The cat had been so adamant to stay in the castle that Hermione simply left the small cat to Harry's care. Fortunately, Crookshanks took pity on the young Wizard and wandered around the Great Hall, gathering food, when Harry would be busy doing something.
It was a happy surprise when Harry learned that Crooks and Hedwig were already friendly to each other. Dozing off several times in the Owlery was the meta for the day, and the owls present allowed Harry to remain comfortable. It was almost as if owls could read minds.
December 24, 1991
Longbottom Manor, somewhere in Great Britain
Neville was woken up by Trudy, the small Elf was too pure for her own good. Neville was exhausted from visiting his parents. It was hard to just see them, see them nearly motionless, not able to give him the love and attention his Gran was trying to give him. It was getting more difficult for the young boy, as realization had settled in over the years that his parents might be there until their natural deaths.
This was not what your typical eleven-year-old was balancing between everything in his life. For him, though, it was unfortunately natural. Neville allowed Trudy to serve him some food in his room, before he decided to head outside to their greenhouses. He always found peace in the greenhouses, even in the cold of Winter. It reminded him of his mum, Alice Longbottom had been given a mastery in Herbology shortly before the attack, and calmly tended to the various plants and creatures that lived in the greenhouses.
It was difficult to fathom just how massive the greenhouses on the Longbottom Estate were. In comparison to Hogwarts, these greenhouses were nearly twice the size of each of Hogwarts already massive greenhouses. It was an idea of his mother's, to contain common and rare plants and creatures that she can care for and learn about.
There were ten massive greenhouses sprinkled in the area, with the contents being distributed accordingly amongst each greenhouse. Neville had spent years of his childhood trying to memorize what and where almost everything in every greenhouse was. He found comfort in Greenhouse C, the one in which he spent the most time in, and consequently, the only Greenhouse whose contents he had fully memorized over the years.
This is where he was now, tending to his personal collection of plants that he'd not seen for several months. He was silent, letting the birds and owls flutter in and out of the greenhouses as they pleased. This day was peaceful. Neville wondered how his friends were holding up, especially Harry. Merlin only knows what will happen when Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are stuck in the same Dorm, alone, if a fight breaks out. Neville sighed and continued his working.
He was interrupted once, by Harry's owl, Hedwig, who brought him his present from Harry. Judging by the note, "Happy Christmas, Neville! From, Harry," Neville smiled in satisfaction as he had Trudy put the present under their large tree.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione was woken up by a tapping noise. Looking to her window, she saw Hedwig requesting entry. Smiling, Hermione let the owl in, and she ended up getting a rectangular package from Hedwig. The parchment tied to the package simply read, "Happy Christmas, Hermione! From, Harry."
Hermione grinned with excitement, and brought the package downstairs, Hedwig in tow. She carefully placed it under the Christmas tree and went into the kitchen to find something to feed Hedwig. It wasn't for about twenty minutes before Samuel Granger made his way to the kitchen, only to be met with his daughter petting an owl. Harry Potter's owl. Sam took in several deep breaths before making his prescience known.
"Hello, Hermione and Hedwig, how are you doing today?"
Hermione went from a smiling young girl adoring an owl to a slightly shocked girl focused on her father. After a moment, she responded. Over eggs and bacon, father and daughter would cross bridges that four months ago they wouldn't have wanted to approach.
An hour later, a calm Hermione and a slightly happier Samuel met Helen in their backyard. Hermione decided that the light snow in their backyard would make a nice snowman for Christmas.
"How did it go?" Helen whispered to her husband.
"Better than I hoped, hun."
\-0-0-/
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Christmas Eve was calm for Harry, with the exception of him finding zilch information on any topic he wanted to research. He was waiting for Hedwig to return, and Harry sported a smile at the thought of Neville and Hermione's reaction to his presents.
He had worked hard to get them both, and he hoped that both of his friends would be happy with the gifts they would receive from him tomorrow. Other than agreeing to play a few games of Wizard's Chess with Ron for the sole purpose of not being bored in the library again and to give Ron a reason to let him be later on, Harry's day was silent.
In case you were wondering, Harry won one of the six games he played. Tough luck.
December 25, 1991
Longbottom Manor, somewhere in Great Britain
"Master Neville! Master Neville! You must wake up! It is Christmas!"
The high-pitched voice of Trudy woke Neville up. Nearly falling out of his bed, he sat up with a smile on his face.
"Happy Christmas, Trudy! How are you today?"
"Trudy is well, Master Neville! Trudy thanks Master Neville for asking!"
Neville hugged the Elf before getting out of bed himself. Joining his Gran downstairs, Neville patiently waited for his Gran to open the first gift, which was from one of her colleagues from the Ministry. It was some sort of pin, and his Gran smiled happily as she pinned it on.
Neville grabbed his gift from Harry. Opening it up, he found he received a large encyclopedia, that while worn down, contained hundreds of unique plants and plant variants to study, some of them being in Hogwarts' Greenhouses and his home's own as well. Neville shook his head in enjoyment. Only Harry would encourage his love for Herbology. Hermione would debate his knowledge of Herbology, but that was just so… her.
Speaking of Hermione, he pulled the paining of the Astronomy Tower classroom they spend most of their nights in now and smiled. He truly made amazing friends at Hogwarts.
Some other gifts he received was a cork necklace from Luna Lovegood, according to her she had enchanted them herself. Neville smiled as he pocketed his friend's gift. He would add it to the collection of gifts she had given him in the past two years: a bead bracelet and now the cork necklace.
He also received a box of Bertie Bott's every Flavour Beans from the Weasleys and smiled. Christmas was great this year. He frowned. It would have been better if his parents could be healed.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione was woken up by the smell of Chocolate Cake. 'Weird, I must be dreaming or something,' Hermione reasoned. However, as she came more to her senses, she realized that someone had literally made a chocolate cake… at six-thirty in the morning! Holy Merlin! Hermione jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, where she saw her father attempting to cover a freshly cooked chocolate cake with frosting.
Hermione couldn't resist, and she grabbed the bowl of frosting and stuck her finger in, and then licking it clean.
"Yummy frosting dad, but why are you making Chocolate cake now? You know mum will have a fit if she sees you."
Sam, pleasantly surprised by his daughter's appearance, chuckled when she had swiped the frosting bowl. "Don't worry, Pumpkin, mummy is fine with me making cake. We're going to enjoy this while we open presents today. It is Christmas, after all."
Hermione groaned. "Dad, I'm twelve, I know mum by mum. I don't need you to call mum 'mummy' anymore, please? Also, yes cake please, and thank you!" Hermione smiled by the end of it.
"If you are getting cake, I will take a slice too. I want both of you to brush your teeth extra well tonight, though." Helen interrupted, clearly having just come down the stairs.
On that note, Hermione nearly dragged her parents into their sitting room where the tree and presents were located. She picked up the first present, which just so happened to come from Harry, and opened it up.
She frowned a bit as she received a notebook, but fortunately Harry had left a note for her.
Hermione,
This looks like a normal notebook, but it divides into three sections: One for schoolwork, one for our research, and one for whatever you want. It has infinite pages, and the notebook won't become heavier even if there are hundreds of pages in it.
Happy Christmas, Hermione. I hope you enjoy the notebook!
From,
Harry Potter
PS. There is a pen too that will never run out of ink included too. It looks like a quill. Just say, "I want to write" and the quill will appear. When you're done, say "I'm done writing," and the quill will disappear. I don't know the magic behind it, but I am interested in it too.
For real, from,
Harry Potter
Hermione smiled widely as she flipped the empty notebook and counted the two dividers that created the three sections. When she stated, "I want to write," a quill appeared in her hand. Hermione was so mesmerized by the gift she momentarily went into her "I want to know literally everything about this" mode and her parents simply watched as their daughter's expression changed thrice, once from questioned to joyful, second from joyful to determined, and finally determined to relaxed.
She smiled and put the notebook down, reciting "I'm done writing," not seeing the smirk that threatened to take over Helen's face, or the literal confusion on Sam's face. Neville had gifted Hermione with a Rememberall, a throwback to the early days of their friendship. Hermione would cherish these gifts for as long as she can think rationally. When she wouldn't be thinking rationally, she would simply start thinking rationally. Problem solved.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry was woken up by the incessant yelling from Ron, who was hollering for him to get downstairs to the Common Room. Harry got out to the balcony overlooking the Common Room where he saw Ron grinning like a maniac.
"We have presents! You have some too!" Ron exclaimed, bouncing on his feet impatiently.
"Presents?" Harry asked. He only expected to get one more present this Holiday, something from Neville. Alas, it was not to be. When Harry made his way downstairs, he ended up receiving five additional gifts.
The first was from the Dursleys. It, and quite literally, was a tissue wrapped around a 50p coin. So much for Christmas spirit or lots of presents from them. Harry pocketed the coin, willing himself to forget the place he called home.
From Neville, he got a box of Chocolate Frogs. Never having had one before, Harry curiously opened the box. Pulling out a hexagon shaped container, Ron started explaining what they were. Harry unintentionally ignored him as he opened up his card and a literal chocolate frog hopped away from the box.
Harry's sharp reflexes were the only thing that stopped the frog from hopping away, even if it only jumped once. The card had a name of a Wizard, Salazar Slytherin, and its little biography told Harry that Salazar was one of the four Hogwarts founders and the creator of Slytherin House.
Smiling, Harry happily ate the chocolate frog and set aside Neville's gift. The next gift he opened up was from Fred and George. Inside was a green sweater with a large "H" sewn on the front. The Twins left a note saying that their mum had sewn him a sweater for Christmas, and that he was an "honourary Weasley" now. Chuckling at their usual antics, Harry put the sweater on.
It was comfortable, fit snugly in all the right places, and made him feel warm. He didn't notice the angered look on Ron's face. Or maybe he didn't want to see it.
Pulling out a slim present, Harry opened it to find his gift from Hagrid. Upon further inspection, Harry realized it was a wooden flute. Smiling, Harry set aside the flute, and with a mental reminder to thank Hagrid, eyed the last gift.
The final gift addressed to him had no name. tearing open the paper, a large, light, and silky cloth flowed out onto his hands. It looked like a regular, black cloak, but at Ron's insistence to put it on, realized that it was an invisibility cloak.
Ron's reaction was shock and awe. "Invisibility Cloaks are really rare, Harry. I wonder who sent it to you?"
Harry shrugged. He picked up the parchment that came with the gift and read it aloud.
"Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time that it is passed down to you. Use it well." Harry stated.
"That's it? No name, no 'Happy Christmas'? That sucks. Still, I wonder who sent you that." Ron voiced in thin air.
Harry's head pivoted to Ron's and back to his new Cloak in half a second. Use it well. Does this mean what he thought it meant?
'Sneak into the Restricted Section over Holiday.'
Hermione's voice echoed inside Harry's head. He knew what he was doing that night. He was sneaking into the Restricted Section of the Library.
\-0-0-/
Sneaking into the Library would be hard as it was. Hell, getting out of the Common Room proved to be a nightmare. After the small feast, Ron insisted that they play more Chess, and Harry, wanting to be alone in the Common Room, accepted in the hopes that Ron would leave him alone after a few games.
That was the understatement of the year. Both boys played well into the night, even with Harry hinting at wanting to be over. Ron simply ignored him and played and played round after round after round. It was nearly one in the morning when Ron finally decided it was late enough, packed up his set, and bid Harry goodnight. The fire slowly continued burning as Harry picked up his wand, grabbed his new Invisibility Cloak, and walked out of the Common Room.
December 26, 1991
As Harry made his way through the empty halls of Hogwarts, he moved slowly and silently, trying to make as little to no noise as possible. Reaching the Library sometime later, Harry crept in and towards the back, the Restricted Section. As its entrance was behind Madam Pince's desk, she saw no need for a lock of some sort.
Entering the Restricted Section, Harry pulled out his wand from his Cloak. Incanting, "Lumos" allowed him to navigate his way towards the "F" section.
"Acromantuala, Dungeons, Flagrance, Flamel, Flamel, where are you?" Harry muttered as he made his way through the Forbidden Sections. The books were old, heavy, chained and dusty. The shelves themselves creaked as Harry's movement somehow moved them. Harry finally found a book on "Flame."
Shrugging, Harry unchained the book from the shelf, pulled it down, dusted it off, and opened it up. The book screamed and yelled and hollered for a good five seconds as Harry struggled to slam it shut. The book surprisingly tried fighting back, but Harry overpowered it and nearly slammed it on the shelf, reattaching the chain that was there not a minute before. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Harry heard a voice he really didn't want to hear at this time of night.
"Who's there? Show Yourself! I'll find you!" Argus Filch had opened the door to the Restricted Section and was glowing in anger. Harry quickly draped the Cloak over his head, snatched up his wand, whispering "Nox" to cancel the spell, and quietly brought himself closer to the door, further away from Filch's lurking manner.
After what seemed like forever, Harry made it out of the library, however in his haste, he lost direction of where he was going. Hearing a purr behind him, Harry saw Mrs. Norris wandering the halls. Harry freaked out and bolted away, up staircases and down hallways until he pushed open a door and locked it behind him.
When he took inventory of his location after outrunning Mrs. Norris, Harry noticed something tucked away in a corner of the room. Approaching it, Harry saw it was a very large and ornate mirror. Stretching across the top above the actual glass, was the text 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.'
Puzzled, Harry approached the mirror. Standing in front of it, he saw his reflection. But after a few moments, the mirror's surroundings began to change. What Harry saw shocked him. To his left was an older woman with flaming red hair and green eyes. To his right was a man that looked strangely familiar to Harry, same facial features, messy black hair, and brown eyes. When Harry clicked that he was seeing his parents, he nearly collapsed in shock.
For the first time in… really ever, Harry was face to face with his parents. He fell to his knees with that realization. His parents kneeled behind him, and his mother put a comforting arm on his. Harry closed his eyes, and imagined his mother was comforting him. Opening his eyes again, he saw the reflection of his parents smiling at him.
As tears started to fall from Harry's eyes, no words were exchanged on the other side of the mirror. Harry cried with joy, a smile breaking over his face, and he sat down, in front of this mirror for several hours, excited simply at being able to be with his parents. Harry wouldn't sleep tonight.
\-0-0-/
As the sun rose later that morning, Harry was back in his dorm, looking out the window, still thinking about the mirror he had seen his parents in. Over the course of an hour or so, he forced himself to memorize the route from the room to the Great Hall and vice versa. He had plans to go back to the mirror, but seriously doubted that Madam Pomphrey would give him a Pepper-up potion to stay sleepless another night.
Harry also watched that as the sun began to rise, snow began falling again. Smiling, Harry got himself changed, Ron was snoring in his sleep, and casually made his way to the Great Hall. After a hearty breakfast that Hermione would approve of, Harry made his way to the Library, the same place he had broken into not eight hours prior. When he arrived, He saw Mr. Filch rummaging through the Restricted Section of the Library, muttering incoherent thoughts. Madam Pince was calm, reading a book while watching the inhabitants of the room.
Calmly, Harry went to the normal table he, Hermione, and Neville regularly occupied and decided to see if he could, and most likely end up empty handed, figure out what animal was in the Third-Floor Corridor.
After a few hours of going through more dusted books near the roof of the library, checking off titles as he went and coming up empty handed as expected, Harry walked slowly to the Great Hall for lunch. Unfortunately, without Pepper-up, Harry's post morning adrenaline was just about spent. Nearly unseating himself sitting down, Harry opted for the cold fruits laid out. Looking out the windows of the Great Hall gave Harry another idea.
That afternoon, Harry walked around the grounds in a light snowfall that accompanied ten inches of snow. Let's just say that Harry's walk in Winter Wonderland woke him up.
Right after the evening feast, Harry bolted to his dorm, extracted his Cloak, and made his way back to the room with the mirror, to see his parents. He walked, invisible, past Mr. Filch and Professor Dumbledore before reaching his destination. Smiling widely at the sight of the mirror, Harry closed and locked the door before sitting in front of the mirror, where it took only a few moments for his parents to appear, and sit cross-legged behind him, comforting him and smiling at him. Harry must have lost track of time and sense because he was startled when he heard a voice behind him.
"Back again are we, Mr. Potter?"
Harry's head pivoted to the source. Standing not twenty feet away in the shadows, stood Professor Dumbledore, smiling softly. Harry was too stunned to speak so Dumbledore continued.
"I see that you, like so many others before you, have found the joys and delights of the Mirror of Erised."
Harry stood up. "Sir-Sir I can explain-"
Dumbledore cut him off with a raised hand. "My dear boy, do not worry. I ask you this: Do you know what this Mirror does?"
Silently, Harry thought. "It shows us what we want, whatever we want?"
"Yes… and no," Dumbledore answered. "The Mirror of Erised shows the person what their deepest and most dearest desire is. For you, I assume, are your parents, whom you miss terribly."
Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir."
With a knowing nod, Dumbledore continued. "I am sad to say that men have wasted their lives away trying to achieve what they desire the most of all. Suffice to say that this Mirror will be moved to another location. I must ask you, Harry, to not go looking for it again. It does not do well to dwell on dreams. They cloud our grasp of reality."
Harry nodded. "I'm sorry, Sir."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Nonsense, dear boy, you were curious. I do not fault you for that. However, it is after curfew, and I must implore you to return to your dormitory." In doing this, Harry swore he saw Dumbledore wink at him.
"Sir," Harry asked as Dumbledore turned away. "What do you see in the Mirror?"
Dumbledore smiled ever so slightly. "Family, sweets, and yellow woolen socks. Goodnight, young Harry."
"Goodnight, Sir," Harry replied. He turned to the Mirror one last time, his parents still in the frame. "Goodbye, Mum and Dad, I love you!" With that, Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and sadly walked out of the room.
\-0-0-/
December 27, 1991
Longbottom Manor, somewhere in Great Britain
Neville woke up in a fit of coughs. Trudy popped in with some cold reliever potion to which Neville thankfully downed in two gulps. He looked out his window and saw that it had snowed. The Greenhouses all had a soft layer of snow on their roofs, and the grass looked covered in several inches of snow. Looking back into his room, Neville smiled as Trudy laid out some of his extra coats and scarves.
"Master Neville must stay warm when he goes outside! Mistress Longbottom's orders!" The elf explained.
Smiling, Neville put on the extra layers over his winter gear. How he loved his Gran sometimes. Heading outside, the snow was slowly falling, and judging by how deep his feet went in the snow, he estimated there was about four inches of snow already on the ground. Entering Greenhouse C, Neville sighed in thanks to the warming charms built inside the buildings.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione woke up, and immediately slammed her eyes shut when bright light poured into her previously darkened room. When she adjusted her eyes to the light, she beamed brightly, it was snowing outside, hard. Running downstairs, she greeted her parents, who were making hot chocolate for the family.
After about ten minutes of pleading, Hermione convinced both parents to join her outside in the snow. Five minutes after that, the Grangers were three bundles of cloth as they went outside.
The snow drifts and powdery snow let Hermione's mind soar. She thought of Hogwarts, when they had first emerged from Professor Snape's class to see the grounds covered in snow for the first time. She saw how happy Harry and Neville looked. She smiled at the memory.
As the snow fell and the winds chilled them, the Grangers eventually decided to retreat to the toasty kitchen of their house and drink some hot chocolate until they warmed up again. Hermione couldn't agree more. While snow was fun, it was also really cold!
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry woke up with a pit in his stomach. Sighing, he remembered that he, for the last time, saw his parents. Getting out of bed, Harry looked out the window. It had stopped snowing, and the small group of students that remained played around in what was left. Sighing, Harry turned away from the window and crawled back into his bed. He cried himself to sleep.
When he awoke again, Harry sat up and pulled out his wand.
"Tempus"
The mist read "18:21."
Harry sighed. He should at least show up for the feast. His stomach agreed, as it growled in response. Reaching the Great Hall, he saw Dumbledore who looked at him with sadness and understanding. Harry decided to sit in the corner of the Great Hall, not caring which table he actually sat at. About twenty minutes later, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Third-Years and above, should you wish, you may take a trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Please let Professor McGonagall or myself know beforehand should you want to head to the village. That is all."
Said student's faces lit up immediately, and some went up there right then and there to put their name down. Harry paid them no attention, as he picked at his food. Percy, from the other side of the Hall, noticed Harry was isolating himself. When he went to confront him, Harry shrugged it off and replied with "I'm tired," and continued picking at his food. Percy nodded quietly and walked off, deciding to keep his eye on Harry for the remainder of break. Sure, he would miss spending some time with Penelope, but keeping the younger kids happy and safe were, after all, his priority.
\-0-0-/
December 28, 1991
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry was surprised when Percy Weasley sat down next to him at breakfast as the small group of older students who had signed up departed the Castle to visit Hogsmeade.
"Harry, are you alright?" Percy asked. He could see a mixture of sadness and loneliness. The only reason that Percy recognized those feelings was because he remembered how he looked when he thought about Penelope the past two summers.
"I'm fine, Percy." Harry replied, slightly forced.
Percy frowned. "I take it you and Ronald are still not on good terms?"
Harry didn't respond, instead he looked forward at his plate.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy asked.
Harry seemed conflicted between saying yes and no. Percy spotted this immediately and backed off.
"I mean, only if you want to. You know I'm here to help, if you want it."
Harry nodded. "Thanks, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders. He then stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. Percy sighed. He would have a lengthy chat with his youngest brother.
Said brother was pacing in his dorm, wondering why on earth Harry wasn't responding to him. His mum had promised that Harry would be a good friend, after all. He would've sent his mum a letter, but Errol was too unpredictable these days. Plus, Percy was using Errol for his own needs, whatever they were.
\-0-0-/
Harry kept to himself for most of the day, staying in the Library despite not having a single book that was relevant on him to read or research. He missed being with Hermione and Neville. At least they would be back next week.
December 29, 1991
Longbottom Manor, somewhere in Great Britain
Neville slept in that morning, not having much that day. He was going to visit his parents with his Gran tomorrow, so he could celebrate his own version of the passing to the New Year with his parents. It was a thing that Neville never gave a second thought of doing. Trudy worked around the Manor to clean his clothes for tomorrow's trip.
His Gran went to the Minister's Ball that evening and based on her attitude when she got back home, Neville assumed she did not like it at all.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
New Years was approaching, and Hermione had once again convinced her parents to stay up all night until Big Ben would chime its hellos to 1992. She smiled happily as she zoomed around her room, organizing her books and various belongings.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
There was a feeling of joy going through the Castle. A small contingent of students had made it their job to hype up every remaining being in the Castle for the New Year.
From his position in the Library, Harry didn't really notice much happening around him. He pulled his mood out of his bed and decided to try to be somewhat productive for the last few days of break. However, the only books Harry read were books he had read before: textbooks for Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions.
That is where Percy found Harry, around two in the afternoon. He was dozing off while his Potions book was out in front of him. Percy nudged the younger boy awake.
"Harry, I heard a rumor going around that there's a group of fifths and above hyping the Castle up for the New Year. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, right?
Harry couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious, so he shrugged.
Percy seemed to think for a minute. "Listen, Harry. Try to be happy. I mean, just because your friends aren't here doesn't mean you can't find joyful things to do around here. For instance, there's about a foot of snow outside. I remember the Twins coaxed you all into a snowball fight a few weeks ago.
Harry couldn't help but smile. The one thing he really remembered was the contagious laughing coming from everyone as Professor Quirrell stuttered his way back to the Castle while simultaneously being pelted by charmed snowballs, courtesy of Fred and George. Mind made up, he nodded his head.
"Sure, Percy. I would like to go out into the snow. I'll probably relax better that way."
Percy beamed. "That's the Hogwarts Spirit, Harry! Now, I have to go and find the students, so you go out there and enjoy yourself."
Harry nodded and smiled. "I will. Thanks."
"Anytime, Harry. Also, try to be back by five-thirty. Feast starts at six, and I know you have been late a few times."
Harry nodded mutely. Percy took this as acknowledgment and left him alone.
\-0-0-/
Three hours later, after building himself a small igloo in the snow, Harry made his way back up to the Castle to make it to the Feast on time, as he promised Percy he would. He enjoyed warm beef and some pumpkin juice. Percy nodded in approval.
December 30, 1991
Saint Mungo's Hospital, London
Neville was once again with his parents; his Gran was holding onto his mum's hand. Neville wished, again, that his parents could be healed by some breakthrough in the Magical aspect of medication and treatment. After about seven hours of silently being with his parents, his Gran walking out three times, Trudy took them both home. Neville trudged around the house into the late hours of the night, before finally retiring to bed when his Gran told him the time.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione was her own bundle of excitement. Despite her father having to go to their clinic (he was a dentist, you see), Hermione and her mum spent the day in the snow in their backyard. The women finished building a snowman as the sun started to set and by the time Samuel returned from the clinic, both women had made dinner. No matter what you wanted to say, all three Grangers, if not secretly, were preparing to stay up tomorrow night for Big Ben's chimes.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry had shown Percy and Penelope his igloo he made. Said igloo was simply an eight-foot-high snowdrift against the castle walls. Harry continually noticed both older students smiling and chatting to themselves, but the only thing they told him was "You'll see, Harry." Harry shrugged it off and went back inside. He wanted to write New Years letters to Neville and Hermione, and because of owls, in this case Hedwig's natural ability to locate residences based on their Signature, he could comfortably write his friends letters.
As the moon rose, Harry wrote his letters and slept with a smile on his face, even with Ron ranting about Holiday homework.
December 31, 1991
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry woke up early, and with a smile on his face he headed to the Owlery to greet Hedwig and to give her the letters he wanted to send and asked her to wait for a reply. The snowy owl hooted her happiness and understanding and flew off, both letters attached.
Arriving in the Great Hall with a smile on his face prompted Percy to shoot a thumbs up at Harry, to which Harry eagerly nodded. Harry ate breakfast in happiness and decided to follow Ron's advice and do his Holiday homework, which simply consisted of a Charms essay on Wingardium Leviosa and a Herbology essay on Ignis Lillium.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione was currently making a snow angel in their backyard when Hedwig carefully landed on the snowman the women had built the day before. Hermione beamed brightly as she removed the letter from Hedwig's outstretched leg.
"Can you wait for me to write a reply? It won't take long!" Hermione asked. Getting a head bob by Hedwig, Hermione smiled brighter and darted inside.
Hi Hermione,
Just want to say Happy New Years! Can't wait to see you next week at Hogwarts! You will have to tell me how you guys celebrate New Years, all I know is that music plays. The older years have been trying to excite the Castle all week, so I will tell you about that when you get back!
Crookshanks hangs around me at night before I go to bed, and I swear he and Hedwig communicate with each other somehow. Anyways I have to sleep, see you soon!
Harry
P.S. Did you like my present?
Smiling, Hermione pulled out some paper and penned her reply. Fifteen minutes later, letter in hand, she tied it to Hedwig's leg who with an affectionate hoot, flew away.
Longbottom Manor, somewhere in Great Britain
Hedwig flew to Neville's window, where said boy waved to the owl. Hedwig landed and stuck out her other leg, signaling to Neville that it was his letter.
Hi Neville,
Happy New Years! I sent a similar letter to Hermione too. You'll have to tell me what happens for New Years, all I know is that music plays. The older students have been exciting the Castle all week for today. Can't wait to see you back next week!
Did you enjoy my present? Also, thanks for the Frogs, I had one and it was good.
From,
Harry
Neville smiled. His book on plants from Harry was currently in Greenhouse C. Writing his reply and tying it to Hedwig's leg, Neville smiled.
That evening, Neville and his Gran sat outside and when Trudy announced that it was midnight, Neville and his Gran hugged each other in happiness. The three House Elves on the Estate joined them, so the Quintet celebrated New Years together. All hoped 1992 would be a better year for them.
18 Hempstead Avenue, Crawley
Hermione had made chocolate chip cookies with her parents for this special occasion. Samuel had turned on the telly about an hour before midnight, and Hermione's excitement grew with each passing minute. Finally, they were on the last minute.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!"
With that, Hermione hugged her parents tight while Helen and Samuel shared a loving kiss.
The radiant energy lasted another three hours, until Hermione had to admit defeat and sleep. Her parents chuckled at their daughter's attempt to last the night. Sam guided his wife to their bed, where they did too sleep.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Tonight's feast was filled with giggles, laughter, and excitement. Hedwig returned late with the replies, and Harry smiled to himself as he read them. Later that evening, with almost everyone bringing their pets, the small group made their way to the Quidditch Pitch. The older students and the teachers, including Dumbledore, counted down the time until midnight. Harry joined in and everyone's voices grew as they got closer to zero.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!"
At that instant, massive lights illuminated the sky over Hogwarts. Professor Flitwick charmed some fireworks, and they were currently doing an intricate waltz in the sky, lighting up everyone's faces. Hedwig hooted from Harry's head, and Crookshanks purred from his arms, and Harry smiled wide. Harry let himself go. The sky lite up with a variety of colours and shade, the explosions being in various sizes.
He was hugged by Percy and Penelope, and Harry even smiled at Ron, who was also in awe at the show. A few of the Seventh Years shared a few kisses amongst themselves, and the Professors were hugging each other and shaking hands. Harry noted that Professor Snape was the only Professor who didn't make an appearance.
When the fireworks ended about twenty minutes later, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were slowly pushing the students back to the Castle and to their dorms. Hedwig hooted a goodnight to Harry and flew off to the Owlery. When Harry got back to the Common Room with Ron, Crookshanks hopped onto a chair that was closest to the Common Room fire. Percy and Penelope entered the Common Room, and the four of them sat while they started to doze off. Eventually, the four went to bed happy and healthy, hoping for a fresh start to the New Year.
Author's Note: Happy New Years! Oh, wait. It's April. Oops. Thanks for reading! Until Next time!
BananaCarrot-Five