The Potter Timeline
Chapter 9 - Happy Christmas, Harry
They walked through the doorway and stopped.
"On!" the girl spoke while pointing her wand toward the ceiling. The candelabra lit and the two of them glanced around the space for the first time.
The empty classroom seemed perfect.
It wasn't large, but with the student chairs and desks stacked on one side and the professor's desk on the other, the room had plenty of space to practice spellwork. And the large desk could also double as a table. The ceiling was tall and the candelabra at its center wouldn't interfere if Harry and Hermione needed vertical room.
Professor McGonagall granted their request to practice spells and charms outside of class and provided this decommissioned classroom on the fourth floor. But she allowed this under the condition the pair not practice anything dangerous or too advanced for their abilities. She even offered to sit in and mentor from time to time when her schedule permitted. And Professor Flitwick offered the same when Minerva informed him of the pupils' intentions. It delighted both professors that the two first-years were eager to improve their magical abilities.
After stepping to the center of the room, Hermione turned to Harry.
"So, what do you want to work on first?" she inquired.
Harry thought for a moment.
"How about the unlocking spell you used on that door in the Hall of Reflection."
"Okay. You remember the incantation, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright. The first thing you should know, Harry, is that this spell won't unlock any doors, windows, or gates that have been charm-locked. You'd need a blasting spell or something similar to get those types of locks open. This spell only works on non-magical, mechanical locks."
"Got it," Harry said with a nod.
Hermione stepped up to him, turned him around, and guided him back out the door of the classroom. Harry turned around as the girl closed the door between them and locked it.
"Ready?" she asked from the other side of the door.
"Ready," Harry replied.
He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the lock on the door.
"Alohomora!" he exclaimed. There was a click and the door opened partially. He stepped up and fully opened it to find Hermione grinning at him.
"Easy enough," he told her. She nodded and the pair walked back to the center of the room.
"Okay," Harry said, "how about...the light spell you used in the chamber with the three-headed dog. It seems like one of the more useful spells we should learn."
"It is. I'm surprised they don't actually teach it until second term of our second year. You remember the incantation for this one too?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Hermione pointed her wand at the candelabra.
"Off!"
The light went out and the two stood in complete darkness.
"Okay, Harry. Give it a go."
Harry raised his wand.
"Lumos!"
The bluish-white light appeared at the tip of his wand and threw out just enough illumination to reveal the interior of the classroom, producing sharp shadows behind both them and the furniture. They grinned at each other.
"Good, Harry! Now, to turn the light off, you say 'Nox'."
"Nox!" he uttered, and the light went out, sending the room into darkness once more.
"On!" Hermione spoke and the candelabra relit. She continued.
"There are spells that make the wand glow really bright like a spotlight, but I haven't studied them yet. Maybe we can do that together at some point."
She walked over to one side of the professor's desk, pulled a small rectangular box out of her pocket, and placed it on the floor. Harry stepped over to look at it.
"Remember the reducing spell I used on my books?"
"Yes."
"Well, the reverse charm for that is 'Engorgio'. Try using it on the trunk."
Harry screwed up his eyes at the small object.
"That's a trunk?"
"Of course. And I put some random objects in it for us to use in our practice. For us to do so, you'll have to resize it."
Harry pointed his wand at the box.
"Engorgio!"
The object instantly enlarged to reveal itself as a luggage trunk. Harry threw Hermione a smile. She chuckled at him and then leaned down to unlock the trunk and open its lid. The brunette pulled out two small goblets like the ones they practiced with in Flitwick's class. She then set them a few feet apart from one another on the desk.
"Now, use the reducing spell on one of the goblets. Say 'Reducio'."
Harry pointed his wand at the golden goblet on the left.
"Reducio!"
The cup shrank to the size of a thimble. Harry walked over, picked it up between two fingers, and pretended to take a sip from it. Hermione laughed and Harry followed suit. He placed the goblet back in place and stood back.
"Engorgio!"
The golden goblet returned to normal size.
"Now, let's work on the moving spells from Flitwick's class and the levitation spell he taught us at Halloween."
The girl pointed her wand at the goblet on the right.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The object rose and floated in the air a couple of feet from the top of the desk.
"Remember, you have to pronounce this one correctly, Harry, or your wand won't understand you. Emphasize the 'gar' and the 'o' when you speak it."
Harry pointed his wand at the same gold goblet on the left.
"Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa!" he spoke with exaggerated pronunciation.
The goblet shuttered while rising, but eventually rose to the same height as Hermione's.
"Guess I'll have to work some more on the pronunciation."
"Yes, but you got the goblet to rise. That's good. Now, while your goblet is in the air, send it over to mine with the moving charm Flitwick taught us. Remember to flick your wand in the direction you want it to go immediately after the incantation."
Harry concentrated on the goblet.
"Locomotor Goblet!" he spoke, flicking his wand vigorously from left to right.
The object shot across and smashed into Hermione's goblet with force, causing the latter to fly off the table and fall onto the floor with a clang. The girl laughed.
"Oops!" Harry muttered with a scrunched-up face, "I forgot that Flitwick said the...amount of force in the flick is...equal to the amount of momentum the object receives in flight."
"Correct. Moving an object gently requires a gentle flick," Hermione filled in.
Harry's eyes lit up.
"That means we can use objects as weapons too."
"Of course, Harry. But that's more advanced magic, I think."
Harry's mind was intently working something out and his penchant for braving new things took over.
"Hermione, when I was thrown from the broomstick during my first practice, Oliver stopped me in the air with a spell of some kind. Do you know what it might have been?"
Hermione's face scrunched up in thought.
"It might be...'Arresto Momentum'. I'm not sure as I've never tried it before."
Harry grinned at the girl.
"Well? How about we give it a go? Try throwing your goblet at me."
Hermione frowned.
"But I don't want to hit you by accident, Harry," she said, "remember what Professor McGonagall said."
"Don't worry. I'll just duck if I can't do it right for some reason. Even if you do hit me, it couldn't be as bad as getting smacked by a Bludger."
Hermione threw Harry a concerned look.
"Okay. We'll do this carefully then."
She pointed her wand at the silver goblet on the floor.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The cup rose to about four feet.
"Locomotor Goblet!" Hermione spoke and brought the object to the center of the room, the levitation spell keeping it aloft. Harry stepped back almost to the door and Hermione moved to the back wall.
"Ready?" the girl asked with an uncertain look.
"Ready," Harry responded, placing his right foot forward of his left and holding his wand in front of him.
"Locomotor...Goblet!" Hermione shouted and flicked her wand at Harry. The cup shot at the boy's head.
"Arresto Momentum!" Harry spoke while pointing his wand at the flying object. The goblet instantly stopped in the air only a couple of feet from his face.
The eleven-year-olds threw wide-eyed grins at each other, pleased the spell worked. But then, Harry threw a mischievous grin at the girl.
"Locomotor Goblet!" he shouted and flicked the object back at her. At first, Hermione froze in surprise and Harry gasped thinking it might actually hit her.
"ARRESTO MOMENTUM!" she shouted quickly, and the goblet stopped mere inches from her face.
"Harry!" she scolded him with a mean look.
"Sorry!" he uttered while laughing.
"That isn't funny!" she complained, trying not to laugh herself.
"Great reflexes, though!" he complimented her while still laughing.
Hermione threw an annoyed smirk at him and quickly pointed her wand at his goblet on the desk.
"Locomotor Goblet!" she said while flicking her wand strongly at him.
The goblet shot toward Harry and the boy had to duck as he couldn't raise his wand fast enough. The cup slammed into the wall and fell behind the student desks. The two laughed.
For the rest of their first session, they played magical catch - one would throw an object at the other and the other would stop it, then throw it back.
"That was a lot of fun!" Harry told the girl with a big grin as they left the classroom, headed for Gryffindor Tower. She smiled back at him.
"It was fun, and I'm glad we both learned something new too."
"Definitely, and thanks for your help. You're a good teacher."
The girl blushed.
"You think so?" she replied with uncertainty.
"I do. This was a great idea and I look forward to doing it again."
"So do I," she responded with doe eyes at the kid.
~HP~
A couple of days later, Harry was headed for his dorm room to grab his One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi book he'd forgotten for Sprout's class.
"Harry!" Percy Weasley shouted from behind.
The boy turned to find the prefect running up the stairs toward him.
"Professor McGonagall asked me to find you. She needs you in her office, right away."
Harry's eyes went wide.
"Okay. Thanks," he replied with a gulp.
Percy headed on up to the Tower while Harry headed back down, concerned over what this might be about. Arriving at the professor's office, he knocked on the door and it opened of its own accord. McGonagall was seated at her desk.
"Come in, Harry," she said while motioning him forward.
Harry stepped inside, surprised to find the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team standing around her, Oliver sitting in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Everyone looked at the boy and smiled. Katie waved to him. He stepped up to the group and Angelina gave him a brief hug.
"Have a seat," McGonagall now told him and Harry sat in the chair next to Oliver, who reassured the kid with a brief pat on the shoulder. The professor started.
"Harry, the reason I summoned you here is that we have some news I'm sure you'll be interested in hearing. A student, whose name shall remain hidden, has come forward with information concerning the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin last Saturday. Specifically, it concerns the Bludger that struck you in the head."
The entire team looked at Harry, clearly having been told this ahead of time. The boy was puzzled. She continued.
"According to this person, a student from Slytherin House used a spell to cast the Bludger at you before you could catch the Snitch. In other words, Harry, had this student not cheated, you may very well have won the match for Gryffindor."
Harry's eyes grew large as saucers.
"Really?" he asked in astonishment.
"Remember when I said losing the match wasn't your fault, Harry?" Wood spoke, "well, I was more right than I knew."
McGonagall continued.
"Overriding the charms on a Bludger requires significant magical power. The person who informed us of this does not know who cast the spell, but we suspect it was one of the advanced students. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing exactly who did it. If we did, that person would be expelled from Hogwarts immediately.
However, I have confiscated the Bludgers and apprised Professor Dumbledore of the matter. He has authorized an investigation. We have means, Harry, of finding out whether a spell was cast on the Bludgers or not. You may not be aware, young man, that magic used on any object leaves a residue, an invisible mark, as it were."
McGonagall nodded at Oliver who looked at the boy.
"Harry, when significant cheating or interference occurs during a Quidditch match, the rules state that if the team who did the cheating wins, they forfeit the match automatically and a new match between the same teams is required."
"In other words, Harry," George threw in with glee, "we get another chance to show those Slytherins what for!"
"Yeah, Harry. And this time you can really show off your flying skills!" Fred added.
McGonagall, however, frowned.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Until the investigation is complete, the allegations remain unverified. But in the meantime, I expect all of you to work hard for your next match, with Hufflepuff."
"Professor," Harry spoke, "what's to keep Slytherin from cheating again, the next time?"
McGonagall smiled at the boy.
"We'll closely monitor the spectators in the stands to ensure no one tampers with the match, Harry. Especially since someone also let off a smoke spell among the faculty during the last match, no doubt as a practical joke. Though it's the first time I can't suspect a certain pair of redheads as being the guilty party."
McGonagall threw a knowing look at Fred and George and everyone snickered. But Harry's face went red, and he sank down in his seat. He wasn't about to inform McGonagall that it was Hermione who used the spell...to save his life.
"Very well," the professor spoke pleasantly, "unless any of you has any further questions, you're dismissed."
"Thanks, professor," Wood replied and everyone left the office to resume their classes.
But this information gave Harry a boost. He had been down on himself for failing his team. Now knowing someone deliberately tried to knock him out, Harry didn't feel so depressed about his performance. He'd remain true to his promise to Hermione about his studies but was eager to push his flying skills even more. Next time, he would definitely catch that Snitch!
"That's great, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed after he explained what happened, "I mean, it's bad that someone cheated and bad that you got hurt. But that also means you might have won the match!'
"I know. I certainly feel much better about it," he told her just as a plate of fish and chips appeared before him at the Gryffindor table.
"You should never have doubted yourself, though," Hermione said as she cut into her croque monsieur with a knife and fork, "I told you you were a natural. And think about it. Those Slytherin twats didn't beat you because they were better, they had to cheat in order to win. Clearly you're the one with the talent."
Harry stared wide-eyed at the girl.
"Wow! I didn't think about it like that."
She beamed at him before taking a bite of food. But then Harry recalled McGonagall's comments on the investigation.
"By the way, Professor McGonagall said something that has me curious. She mentioned they were going to examine the Bludgers to see if there was any magical residue from a spell being cast on them and if so, that could determine whether the Slytherins actually cheated."
"That sounds right, from what I understand," Hermione replied, "aurors from the Ministry of Magic use certain spells to examine evidence for magical crimes."
"Right. Well, it had me thinking. What if this..." Harry said while pointing to his scar, "...has magical residue in it and that's why it burns from time to time?"
Hermione's eyes went wide as she turned to him in surprise.
"Wow, Harry! I hadn't thought of that! Maybe it does. I mean, clearly the scar itself came from the curse Voldemort used on you. But what if there's more to it than that? I wonder what an auror or healer might find if they examined your scar for residue?"
"Exactly my thinking."
"We really need to get those books from the Restricted Section. They may yet have the answer we're looking for."
"Well, I'm still working on that..."
~HP~
THUNK! CRASH!
The fir tree shook, creaked, and fell to the ground with one fell swoop of the battle axe. Hagrid stood back with the enormous weapon and stared at his next green victim ready to be turned into one of many Christmas trees to be set up around the castle.
"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry chimed out as he and Hermione approached the man just outside the evergreen forest on the north end of the school grounds. The giant turned and smiled at the two kids.
"Well, hello, Harry, Hermione! What 'er you two doin' out on this fine Saturday mornin'?"
"We wanted to ask you something," the girl said.
Hagrid lowered the big axe to the ground. He threw the kids a stern look.
"If it's about You-Know-What and You-Know-Who, you can forget it. I told you not to stick yer noses into somethin' that don't concern you."
"No, Hagrid," Harry told him, "we were wondering what you know about Professor Quirrell."
"Oh!" the big man replied as his face changed to a pleasant expression. He looked off into the horizon in thought.
"Well, Quirinus is a smart chap. From Ravenclaw, if I remember correctly. Used to teach a muggle studies class before he went off to do some travelin' across the continent. When he came back, Dumbledore assigned him to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, as you know."
"Did he ever talk about his travels?" Hermione inquired.
"Not except for his supposed encounter with a vampire out East somewhere,"
"So that's what all the garlic is for," Harry noted with a look at the girl next to her. She nodded back. Hagrid continued.
"I reckon that's why he came back kind of funny too."
"Do you mean his stutter?" Harry asked.
"Well, yeah. That, his twitchy eye, and lookin' like he's afraid of somethin' all the time. He didn't used to be that way."
"And what about that purple turban he always wears?" Hermione asked.
"He said some African wizard gave it to him teh protect him against dark magic. But that's all codswollop, I say. Hats don't protect yeh against dark magic nor any other kind o' magic. Between you two and me, I'd say somethin' bad happened to ol' Quirrell and caused him to lose a few marbles back on the continent. Though what, I couldn't say."
The two eleven-year-olds looked at one another and Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay, thanks," Harry said, "and there's something else we wanted to ask you, too. You knew Professor Snape when he was a student, right?"
"Well, I wouldn't say I knew him. I was Hogwarts gamekeeper back in those days and I remember him. Kind of a strange fella back then, kept to himself a lot, though I remember him hangin' around yer mother, Harry."
The boy's eyes lit up.
"I thought so! Were they friends?"
Hagrid thought for a moment.
"Perhaps. I wasn't privy teh everything going on, but it seems like they might o' been...until Lily met yer dad, that is."
"What happened then?" Harry inquired.
"Can't say, precisely, though I did hear yer dad and some of his friends used to tease Snape somethin' awful. After that, yer parents were together a lot and I never saw Lily and Snape hangin' around each other. Whatever happened between them I couldn't tell yeh."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other again. Harry threw Hagrid a smile.
"Okay, thanks."
The giant smiled back at him then picked up the axe.
"Right then. Guess I better get back teh work. Professor Dumbledore is expectin' twenty trees fer the castle this year and that ain't includin' the big one goin' in the Great Hall."
"Alright, Hagrid. We'll see you later," Hermione told the man with a wave. The gamekeeper waved back at them then got back to work.
THUNK! CRASH!
The two kids headed back to the castle to get warm after the blistering cold outside. Harry looked at the girl.
"He really didn't have much information on Quirrell."
Hermione frowned.
"Not related to your scar, at least. The only thing that's clear is something bad happened to cause him to act funny. And that doesn't suggest a logical reason why he'd try to steal the Stone either, if he is."
"No, it doesn't. We'll have to find out more somehow. But knowing Snape and my mother may have been friends explains a few things."
"And based on what Hagrid said about your dad, it sounds like something bad did happen between them."
"Which is probably the reason he's always berating me. Though I can't believe it would have been so bad he'd try to physically harm me."
"No, neither can I..."
~HP~
November flew into December as Harry and Hermione found themselves buried under loads of classwork. They barely had time for their extra-curricular spellwork and could only put in a couple of hours per week. During one session, however, the two worked on a warming charm which would surround a person like an invisible blanket. Harry was particularly interested in this as Wood had the Quidditch team practice in near-freezing temperatures for the few weeks leading up to the end of first term.
The downside to the charm was that it didn't last long and would disappear immediately if Harry took off on his Nimbus at high speed. And further, he could only use it during practice as players were forbidden to carry wands during an actual match. But the few times he could use it, while hovering a hundred meters above the pitch in gusty wind, was worth the effort - his fingers didn't freeze as quickly.
Soon, the school was decorated for the upcoming holidays and looked like an enormous Christmas display inside and out. Banners on flag posts were now red and green. Hagrid's fir trees lined numerous corridors throughout the old castle, each decorated with magical tinsel that alternated between silver and gold along with tiny stringed crystals that glowed in multiple colors like electric lights.
The Great Hall was lined from wall to wall with wreaths and ribbons, giving off an evergreen scent. And each House table was ornamented with holly branches from end to end. Floating candles lit the Hall as usual and the ceiling was bewitched to look like falling snow which disappeared a few meters above the tables. And off to the side, next to the High Table, sat an enormous Christmas tree.
The number of decorations on the tree had the first-years in awe. Harry had never seen such a sight, and he was fascinated by glass globes hung in various spots on the branches. Each globe contained a Christmas-themed scene that magically moved: goblins counting mounds of Galleons while wearing Father Christmas hats, cartoonish witches or wizards levitating presents or feasting on a hearty Christmas meal, and even elves building a giant gingerbread house.
An air of excitement filled the school and the animosity between Gryffindor and Slytherin seemed to subside...temporarily, of course. Mostly it was due to students cramming for final exams as well as eagerness to spend time at home for the break...if they weren't staying at the school like Harry.
"I do feel sorry for all those students who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home," Malfoy commented out loud to his bodyguards during the final potions class of the term.
It was a clear jab at Harry who, upon hearing the snarky remark, threw a smile at Hermione. He had learned his lesson about flying off the handle and let it slide. Besides, the boy was excited about spending the holidays at the school - it would most likely be the best Christmas he ever had in his young life. Hermione smiled back at him. The pair were shivering in the slightly chilled air of the dungeon while warming their hands by their boiling cauldrons.
"I'd rather spend Christmas alone at Hogwarts, anyway, than with a bunch of miserable relatives in a dreary house," Hermione commented sarcastically while scratching notes on her parchment.
Draco spun around and glared at the girl.
"What did you say?" he asked her through gritted teeth with a mean look.
"She said she'd rather spend Christmas at Hogwarts than with a bunch of miserable relatives," Seamus threw at the blond-headed kid, "I thought Harry hit you in the eye, Malfoy, not the ear."
The class erupted with laughter. Draco gave Seamus a severe look though his cheeks burned red with embarrassment. Harry couldn't help but laugh too. He was amazed at his fellow Gryffindors who had seemed to develop extra courage ever since Harry punched the Slytherin in the face.
"Enough! All of you! Get back to work!" Snape snarled at the group. Everyone dutifully obeyed.
When classes were finally over, students were cheerily putting away their books and class materials, thrilled the school break had begun. The final night before most students went home, an end-of-term dinner was given in the Great Hall. Every House table was filled to the brim and Hogwarts faculty filled the High Table equally.
The clinging of a spoon against a glass got the attention of everyone and the noise of excited conversations quickly ceased. The headmaster stood from the table.
"Good evening, students and staff. Before we enjoy our final repast of first term, I have some important announcements to make. First off, I'm sure you're all interested to hear the present talley of House points."
At these words, Professor Flitwick stood and flicked his wand at one wall and a large banner unfurled to reveal the names of the four Houses. Dumbledore continued.
"In last place, Hufflepuff has 93 points."
The number 93 appeared beneath the House name.
"In third place, Slytherin has 112 points."
That number appeared.
"In second place, Gryffindor has 134 points. And in first place, thus far in the school year, Ravenclaw leads with 142 points."
Cheers went up from the Ravenclaw table and Harry realized that if he hadn't gotten in trouble over the row with Malfoy, Gryffindor would have been in the lead with an extra 25 points. But no one said anything about this at his table. The one consolation was that Slytherin itself was down by 50 points thanks to Draco.
"Now, I have something very serious to tell you and I want every student to listen carefully."
Nearly four hundred pairs of eyes were riveted on the man as an air of curiosity and apprehension filled the Hall.
"Information has come forward, and been verified, that a student from Slytherin House used a spell on one of the Bludgers during the recent match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The purpose of this spell was clearly to prevent Gryffindor's Seeker from doing his job and the result was not only that but injury to said Seeker."
Every eye now fell on Harry and his cheeks turned pink.
"Thankfully, the student recovered and has no further complications."
Dumbledore now looked at Harry with his own smile of gratitude. He then leveled a serious gaze at the rest of the students.
"In accordance with the official rules of the game, as established by the International Association of Quidditch, the recent match won by Slytherin House has been annulled..."
Cheers erupted from three of the Houses, interrupting Dumbledore, while the table of the snakes booed.
"SILENCE!" the headmaster uttered with a booming voice. The cheering and booing died instantly. The man continued.
"...the match has been annulled and a new match between the two Houses will be held next term. Furthermore, due to the serious nature of this incident, 50 points will be deducted from Slytherin's current talley..."
Dumbledore paused, expecting another uproar. But no student dared clap, cheer, or respond otherwise. The numbers on the banner now changed and everyone watched the House of the snakes fall to dead last with 62 points. The students from that table looked both disgusted and angry, though toward whom it wasn't clear. But Dumbledore wasn't finished.
"I wish to make two further points on this. We at Hogwarts take cheating very seriously, whether academically or otherwise. Any student found cheating will be reprimanded, punished, and considered for expulsion depending on the nature of the wrongdoing. Further, any students engaging in any activity which brings willful harm to a fellow student will be expelled immediately, no exceptions."
At this, Dumbledore glared expressly at Draco Malfoy who seemed to shrink in his seat with even more embarrassment. The professor continued with a sweeping gaze across the Hall.
"Do I make myself clear?"
Four hundred nods were returned to the wizard with recognition that the man was not to be trifled with. Dumbledore then smiled.
"And now that I've dispensed with that unpleasant topic, may I wish all of you a very happy Christmas and a bright New Year! For those going home for the holidays, I hope your time with family and friends will be most pleasant. And for those remaining here with us at Hogwarts, we will enjoy the finest Christmas day feast ever held at the school. I look forward to partaking of it with you. And finally, I have one last thing to say: bimble, porry, willikers, bleat..."
Enormous quantities of food appeared on the tables and the Hall set about devouring their meals once more with cheer...except for one House table, that is.
~HP~
Harry was excited.
Not only was this to be his first Christmas away from the Dursleys, but the kid relished the idea of having two solid weeks of no schoolwork and further, no Quidditch practice in the freezing cold. But also, with the wizarding money his parents had left him, Harry was eager to do something he'd never been able to do in his life: give nice presents and even buy something for himself.
During the last week of classes, Dumbledore permitted groups of students a day's visit to Hogsmeade, chaperoned by several professors, of course. This allowed them to buy Christmas gifts for friends, family, and even Hogwarts staff if they wished to. Harry and Hermione spent most of their allotted time wandering the streets of the quaint little wizarding village together.
Hermione bought gifts for her parents, for some of their professors, and she even bought Fang a magical bone that would hurl itself, allowing the dog to chase after it and then repeat the process over and over. Harry bought Hagrid the biggest scarf he could find at Dinwoody's Magical Thrift, though he figured it would still be a bit small for the giant. Both kids bought plenty of candy for some of their fellow Gryffindors from Honeydukes and then the two separated for a time, allowing them to buy gifts for each other.
Harry wanted to get something special for the girl who had been such a good friend to him and after scouring several shops, he found the perfect items. The boy had all his gifts wrapped in the village and both students had their packages directly deposited into their dorm rooms. With some of the money he had left, Harry bought himself an old spy glass that would magically zoom out to great distances. After a satisfying and fun day, everyone returned to the school.
The morning after the final dinner, Harry waited in the Gryffindor common room. Sitting in an armchair by the fireplace and gazing at the funny images inside smaller glass globes on the Christmas tree in the corner, the boy couldn't wait for Hermione to come down so he could give her his gifts. She finally arrived, her satchel over one shoulder and a suitcase in her hand. Her trunks and any bigger items would be teleported to Hogsmeade station just like all the other students' belongings.
"Hi," she told him with a pleasant, but slightly sad smile.
"Hi," he replied with the same, "about to head out, then?"
Hermione nodded.
"Well, before you leave, I wanted to give you your presents."
The girl breathed in deeply.
"Okay," she replied.
Harry turned and grabbed two boxes out from under the tree.
"Happy Christmas, Hermione," he said with a grin.
The girl's cheeks went pink as she took them.
"Thank you, Harry!" she uttered shyly while beaming at the boy.
Harry put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
"You're welcome," he answered meekly, but then was anxious, "so...go ahead. Open the big one first."
Hermione placed the smaller box on the sofa and began unwrapping the gift. When she finished, the girl stared wide-eyed at the box in her hands.
"Wow!" she exclaimed.
Inside was a set of five different writing quills. Before the girl could even read their descriptions, Harry jumped in.
"That one glows when you're writing something at night. The one next to it, you just tell what color you want and the ink changes. The one next to that is like a muggle highlighter. That quill there is a magical eraser, and the final quill writes on it's own whatever you tell it out loud."
Hermione threw the boy a surprised look with eyes glistening.
"Now open the smaller one," he said excitedly.
The girl placed the quill box on the sofa and picked up the other.
"It's heavy," she commented with a curious look.
After opening it, the girl stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the object in her hand. It was a pretty, brass cauldron with the initials "HG" engraved in its side.
"Wow," she uttered softly in amazement.
"Now look inside," he told her.
Hermione did this and shot an astonished look at him.
"Yep," he answered the questioning look on her face, "it's twenty gold galleons. I figured you could use them to buy whatever books you wanted at Flourish and Blotts, the next time you're..."
But the kid couldn't finish as Hermione dropped the cauldron on the sofa and wrapped him in a fierce hug, sniffling as she did.
"Thank you, Harry!" she muttered brokenly in his ear, "this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me!"
"I don't know about that, but you're welcome," he said with some amusement.
She stepped back and wiped her eyes while beaming at the boy. His cheeks turned red, but he was elated at her reaction - it would make his week.
"I left a couple of presents for you too, but I wanted you to open them on Christmas morning...so you'll have something extra."
"Okay," the boy answered with nod.
Harry then helped her pack the presents into her suitcase and they stood at the common room doorway before the girl departed.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" she said, "see you in two weeks."
"Okay. See you next term," he responded.
The girl leaned forward and gave him a brief peck on the cheek. The two smiled at one another for a moment before Hermione turned and exited the common room. Though he knew he'd miss her being there, Harry was glad to see Hermione so happy about her gifts. It made him feel good inside.
~HP~
On Christmas morning, Harry awoke to find a mound of presents at the foot of his bed. Excited and grinning from ear to ear, the boy plopped down and began rummaging through them, hardly believing they were all for him. The Christmas before, Harry had actually received two gifts from his relatives instead of the usual one: a pair of new socks and the empty goldfish bowl Dudley no longer needed after overfeeding his pet fish. But the pile of presents before him blew the kid away.
He received a large assortment of Honeydukes candies from various fellow students and well-wishers. He also received a knights and dragons boardgame from Dean, Seamus, and Neville complete with pieces that acted out what each player intended. The note from Dean inside the box indicated that the four of them would play it together when they returned next term. Harry looked forward to it. The eleven-year-old was astonished and pleasantly surprised to receive a beautiful book satchel from Professor McGonagall and an indestructible wand case from Professor Flitwick. But the last two presents in the lot Harry looked forward to more than any: the gifts from Hermione.
Harry opened the first one. It was a box of six chocolate Snitches that were charmed to actually fly. The note she left inside said only two words: "For practice". Harry chuckled then opened the final present and his eyes grew wide at the name on the box:
Periwinkle's No-Slip-Super-Grip-Gloves
"Wow!" the boy uttered in amazement. He then read the product's description:
Durable and great for any wizarding activity. Doubles as hand-warmers too!
Hermione's thoughtfulness continued to humble him, and he shook his head at such a nice gift. This would definitely help with his flying as he had commented to the girl how his hands would get sweaty holding onto the Nimbus handle for long periods, not to mention freezing in the cold weather. Harry determined he would send her a thank-you note via Hedwig later that day.
The boy then sat back and gazed over the nice things his friends and instructors had given him for Christmas. It made him teary-eyed. But before he could bundle up the gifts to store in his trunk, Harry noticed one more present that somehow wound up under the end of his bed. he pulled out the square package to find that it was something soft wrapped simply in brown parcel paper with twine holding it together. There was a small note on the top:
Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.
A Very Merry Christmas to You
There was no name to indicate who it was from. This made the package seem very mysterious. Standing up, Harry untied the twine. The paper unfolded and something silvery fell out of it onto the floor. When it did, the boy almost thought the paper was somehow holding water which had escaped when he opened the present. But feeling the object on his foot, he looked down and was stunned - his foot had disappeared!
The boy reached down and grabbed hold of the silky soft object. Bringing it up and stretching it out with both hands, he realized it was a blanket or cloth of some kind. When he turned it over, his right hand disappeared like his foot had! Wide-eyed in amazement, he moved to the dorm mirror and promptly threw the cloth completely over his head.
"Wow!" he exclaimed as his reflection disappeared.
It was an invisibility cloak!
He walked around the room and found the cloak to be breathable and see-through with enough glint on the inside to know the thing was present around him. And with this knowledge, a realization dawned on him: he could go almost anywhere unseen, including...the Restricted Section of the library!
Harry removed the object and stared at its silvery translucence while holding it in his disappeared hands. He was now eager to find out who gave it to him, or rather, who gave it back to him. The thought that this very cloak belonged to his dad brought forth deep emotion and Harry paused in sadness. But then he was happy to have one of his father's items in his possession. And the boy promised himself he would honor the request of the one who returned it - he would use it well. Harry placed the cloak and the rest of the presents in his trunk and headed to the common room before going to the Great Hall for the Christmas feast.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" Fred and George uttered cheerily just as soon as Harry entered the room, surprising him.
"Happy Christmas, guys," he replied with a smirk, watching the two of them attempt to juggle boxes of ginger snaps back and forth at each other. Harry's face then scrunched up.
"What exactly are you two wearing?"
The twins turned to face him and looked down at what appeared to be gnarled pullovers with threads sticking out of them, a backwards letter "F" on one and a backwards "G" on the other.
"Oh, mum likes to bequeath a handmade sweater to each of her dear children every year for Christmas," George told him.
"Yeah, and this year we decided to do something different," Fred added, "I'm wearing George's..."
"...And I'm wearing Fred's!" George stated.
"...And we're both wearing them inside out!" they shouted at the same time.
Harry chuckled and shook his head.
"So, you two didn't go home for the holidays?"
"Oh no," Fred said, "mum, dad, and the little sister are all off to Romania to visit our dragon-handling brother Charlie."
Harry's eyes widened.
"Your brother handles...dragons?" he asked astonished.
"Oh yeah, been doin' it for a while and amazingly only has twenty-two scars to show for it," George commented.
"I thought it was twenty-four, brother," Fred mentioned. George thought about it.
"Oh, that's right," he returned, "if you count the two on his bum. Well, anyway, Harry, we'll meet you in the Great Hall for the feast later, right?"
"Of course, guys," Harry replied.
"Great!" Fred spoke, "we're off to go grab our little brother Ronnie who's probably sulking alone in Hufflepuff Tower. See you later!"
The pair bounded out of the common room into the castle. Harry sat in one of the armchairs and simply enjoyed the Christmas morning atmosphere by the fireplace. Later, when his stomach started rumbling, he headed out for the Great Hall.
~HP~
The boy wizard returned to his dorm room that evening, completely knackered from the jovial feast held in the Hall for the fifty-odd students who remained at the school as well as most of the staff. After the feast, a huge snowball fight outside among the students, and a few daring professors, was in the offing. Everyone returned to the Hall later for a second Christmas course while listening to a choir of visiting ghosts regaling the merry participants with holiday songs. Afterwards, most every student parted while the staff remained for their own festive celebration.
It had been a nice Christmas day Harry would remember for a long time. But just after entering the room, he remembered the invisibility cloak in his trunk and the desire to use it shot to the front of his mind.
The boy no longer felt tired.
He opened the trunk, pulled the cloak out, and moved back to the stairs toward the common room. Along the way, Harry threw the cloak over his body and attempted to step across the common room floor as quietly as possible...for practice. Satisfied he could wander about in complete silence and transparency, the kid opened the fat lady's portrait and snuck out...