On Christmas morning, Bella woke with a jolt as something heavy landed on top of her, knocking the air from her lungs. She groaned loudly and Freya giggled from above her.

"Get off me." Bella tried to push her away but couldn't as her arms were trapped under the covers.

"It's Christmas!" Freya squealed.

She climbed off of the bed and Bella rolled out from under the covers, falling to the floor on her bum. The girls donned their thickest jumpers, slipped their feet into their fluffiest slippers and joined the boys in the common room by the fire. The space around the Christmas tree was filled with presents and the boys were tearing wildly into their gifts, wrapping paper lying in shreds all over the floor. Bella rifled through the large pile of presents and built a small pile of her own. As always, Bella was beyond pleased with her gifts and couldn't ask for anything better.

"Freya, can I talk to you, just quickly?" Fred asked as he appeared in the living room, one arm hidden behind his back.

"Sure." Freya smiled, getting up from the floor and following him out of the common room.

"I wonder what's going on between those two." Ron said dimly, following them with his eyes.

Bella, Emily and Hermione shared a small smirk but said nothing. Bella had known there was something going on between the two ever since Freya had shown her the kitchens and the two of them had spent significantly more time together since then. Freya returned shortly after, alone, but with cheeks as red as Bella's hair. A small, silver pendant hung from her neck and she tucked it under her jumper when she noticed everyone's eyes on her.

"Hey Harry." Bella said, emerging from behind the Christmas tree with a long, thin parcel in her hands. "This is for you."

She handed it to him and Harry sat it on the floor, tearing away the wrapping paper gently this time. Harry gasped sharply as a broomstick rolled out of the paper. It was a Firebolt, the same Firebolt the boys had been admiring all those months ago in Diagon Alley.

"Who sent that to you?!" Ron asked eagerly, scooting closer to get a better look.

"I - I don't know." Harry replied softly, a look of bafflement on his face.

"Malfoy is going to have a fit when he sees you with this!" Ron cried gleefully.

"Who would spend so much money on a broom for you, Harry? No offence." Emily said.

"Well, it wasn't the Dursley's, that's for sure." Harry replied.


"I really don't think it's a good idea for you to ride that broom." Hermione said quietly at the feast later that evening.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Well, you don't even know who sent it to you." Hermione replied.

"What does that matter?" Ron asked.

"Who's going to spend all of that money on a broom and not even say it was from them?" Hermione replied.

"She's right, you know. It could be dangerous." Bella added.

"Can we not talk about this here?" Harry said.

No more was said about the Firebolt lying on Harry's bed for the rest of the evening.

"So, did you give Diggory his present?" Ron asked when they were back in the common room.

"No." Bella replied. "I'll give it to him when he comes back."

"You really bought Diggory a gift?" George sniggered.

"Yes, I did." Bella replied. "What's up with that?"

"Nothing." Fred chuckled.

Bella rolled her eyes as her brothers laughed. As she lay back against the sofa she felt her eyes begin to get heavy and she let her eyes fall closed as she drifted off to sleep, a sleepy grin on her face.


A few days after Christmas, Hermione was still on edge regarding Harry's anonymous Firebolt.

"Do you think I should speak to Professor McGonagall?" she asked Bella one after noon they were sitting in their dorm.

"Oh I don't know." Bella replied. "You know what Ron's like."

"Yes but what if something happens to Harry?" Hermione said shrilly.

"You're right." Bella said. "You're absolutely right."

"I'm going to go and see her now." Hermione said, standing from her bed.

"Do you want me to come?" Bella asked, following after her into the hallway.

"No, it's okay." Hermione replied.

She crossed the common room with a quick goodbye and disappeared through the portrait hole.

"Where's she going?" Freya asked Bella as she sat down beside her.

"Away to speak to McGonagall." Bella replied.

Not long after Hermione disappeared, she re-appeared through the portrait hole, behind Professor McGonagall. She stepped around their Head of House and dropped onto the sofa beside the girls, hardly able to look at Harry or Ron.

"I would like you to go and fetch your new broom, Mr Potter." She said sharply.

Without a word, Harry left the common room while Ron turned his sharp glare on Hermione who cringed back into the sofa. Harry returned, the broom in his hand and a sad look on his face.

"May I?" Professor McGonagall asked but she didn't wait for an answer before she took the broom from his hand. She examined it from the handle to the twig-ends. "And there was no note, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

Harry shook his head.

"I see -" she said softly. "Well - I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this, Potter."

"What?" Harry said, "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes." McGonagall said. "I'm no expert but I daresay Professor Flitwick or Madam Hooch will be able to strip it down -"

"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, an expression of horror on his face.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks." she continued. "You'll have it back once we are absolutely certain it is jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it." said Harry, his voice quivering. "Honestly, Professor -"

"You can't know that, Potter." she said softly. "Not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are sure it hasn't been tampered with. I will keep you informed."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the common room. Harry stood staring after her but Ron rounded on Hermione.

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?" he seethed.

Hermione, cheeks still scarlet, stood to face Ron defiantely, a look of fury in her eyes.

"Because I thought - and Professor McGonagall agrees with me - that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

Hermione stormed off upstairs and Ron's face had gone even redder than his hair. He was brething deeply in his fury and Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"Why has she always got to be such a teacher's pet all the time!" he yelled.

"She was right. Who knows where that broom came from." Bella said, getting to her feet.

"Oh don't you start." Ron hissed.

"You ought to get a grip of yourself, Ronald Weasley." Bella yelled. "You had no right -"

"She had no right!" Ron yelled back.

"It's not even your broom!" Bella cried.

"That's not the point!" Ron bellowed.

"Would you two stop yelling!" Harry cried.

"Grow up, Ron, and apologise to Hermione. She was only looking out for Harry and she didn't deserve that." Bella said.

She brushed past the boys and climbed the staircase to the dorm. Hermione was lying on her bed, face covered with her pillow as she cried in to it. Bella sat down on the edge of the bed and eased the pillow slowly away from her face.

"Hermione, why are you crying over what Ron says? He can be a little brat sometimes." Bella said gently.

"I know, I was only trying to do good by Harry. I was worried about him." Hermione said tearily.

"I know you were and I've just had a screaming match with Ron trying to tell him that." Bella replied.

"You didn't have to do that." Hermione said, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting postition.

"Yeah, I did." Bella replied, leaning forward to wrap her arms around Hermione. "Don't worry, I'm on your side."