Disclaimer: I, SuperNerdMDizzle, own nothing in this story. NOTHING. Well, except for the idea of this story in particular, but DEFINITELY not Harry Potter. Harry Potter rights go to the almighty J.K. Rowling. Thanks for reading.
Neville had his hands wrapped awkardly around Alice's eyes. It could only be described as "awkwardly" because Alice was also being carried by Luna, and since the staircase was narrow, Neville had to stand behind and reach around Luna to blindfold the dwarf. He carried a slight blush on his face, while Luna had a pleasant smile playing across her lips.
"Alright," said Harry. He could hardly contain himself and was grinning from ear to ear. "We're at the door. You only have to be blind for a little more, Alice."
Alice nodded. Even though she couldn't see through Neville's clammy hands, she still squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
"Troll bogies," said Hermione. Ginny giggled at what the password was while the portrait of the fat lady swung open.
"Okay!" said Ron excitedly. "We have arrived at our destination!"
"You're such a dork, Ron," said Ginny happily.
Neville removed his hands from Alice's face. She opened her eyes and blinked.
The room she was was in was dimly lit, and yet somehow bright instead of dreary. The windows of the Gryffindor common room were glazed over with frost, and yet the room was somehow delightfully warm. Just like Alice's insides. She let out a high-pitched squeal and jumped out of Luna's arms. She ran over to the pine tree in the middle of the room, which was adorned with red and gold garland and ornaments. She stopped when she noticed that the tree had boxes wrapped in colorful paper in place of tree roots like she had expected.
She pointed to the presents questioningly and turned to the six wizards behind her. Harry smiled and said, "They're gifts. If you'll wait a minute, I think we have something for you, as well."
Alice's face lit up and she squeezed her eyes shut. She heard footsteps of two people rush off somewhere and whisper furiously back and forth between the two of them, followed by giggles. It must be Hermione and Ginny.
There was a rustle of paper and a muttering of some incantation. "Okay," said Luna. "Alice, you can open your eyes now."
Alice did so and noticed a box half as tall as she was sitting at her feet. She looked at it in it's green wrapping and red bow and smiled. There was some sort of tag on it with symbols she didn't understand on it (it said "To Alice, From Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville"). She looked up at the others and smiled brightly. "Thank ye all!"
Neville laughed. "Open it, Alice! Just rip the paper aside and open the box!"
Alice carefully peeled the paper and ribbon off of the present and opened the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
"Now you can always remember us," said Luna warmly.
Alice cautiously picked up a photograph. On it was a moving picture of the group of friends she had just made--Neville was waving vigorously; Luna, next to him, was smiling dreamily to herself, probably thinking of some fantastical creature; Ron and Hermione were arguing, but then they noticed the camera and smiled; and Ginny was squeezing Harry tightly in a hug, and they were both laughing.
Alice smiled. She picked up a murky gray sweater and woolen hat that was underneath it. "Um," said Hermione, a bit embarrassed. "I used to knit things for the house-elves that work for Hogwarts. I though they might help keep you warm."
Underneath the sweater was a bottle of butterbeer. "Just drink that if you ever get tired of gulping down snow," said Ron with a wink. Alice thanked him and gingerly placed it on top of the sweater from Hermione.
There were other things, too. When Alice picked up a picture book of strange animals, Luna piped up and said, "That's a bunch of articles my dad's magazine wrote about. It has lot's of pictures, so, even if you can't read, you can still enjoy looking at it."
There was a small golden ball. It was Harry's turn to explain. "I played Quidditch when I went to school here, and sometimes we would get a Golden Snitch that was a dud. I put a spell on this one so that it follows whoever opens it around...I'm glad that I decided to wait to activate it."
Alice picked it up and gave it a light squeeze. She could barely fit her hand around the tiny ball, and yet she felt some sort of mechanism in it lurch. The Snitch lit up brilliantly and tiny wings beat to and fro. It fluttered around Alice's head and she laughed. The others smiled at her child-like tendencies.
Next to where the Snitch had been was a thick green scarf with violet stripes on it. "I know it doesn't quite match your other...clothes," said Ginny. "But at least it'll keep you warm, like Hermione's hat and sweater!"
The last thing in the box was an even tinier box. Alice opened it and found a glass ball filled with white smoke. It was around the same size as the Snitch. Neville spoke up now. "That's a Rememberall! It was mine once. If you pick it up and the smoke in it turns red, then that means you forgot something." Neville started to look embarrassed. "I know this is a bit corny to say, but... Just try not to FORGET us, okay? Try to REMEMBER us ALL." He looked around. "Does anyone else get that joke? Huh? See, it's called a Rememberall, and I said 'try to REMEMBER us ALL' and 'don't FORGET us'...? Oh, forget it. Merry Christmas, Alice!"
Everyone joined in. "Merry Christmas, Alice!"
"Oy, yer all so sweet!" Alice sniffled. She got an idea. "Wait here, ev'ryun, 'lright?"
She ran off and didn't come back for a while. When she DID come back, she wore a smile and the clothes Hermione and Ginny had given her...but she seemed weaker somehow. She pointed out the window. "Ev'ryun, look! Look!"
The six wizards and witches rushed to the window. Luna gasped. "It's beautiful, Alice...!"
Floating directly above where Alice had been caught by Neville was a sculpture that kept changing. It was made out of either ice or crystal (nobody could tell which); it started out as a statue in the likeness of Ron; then it looked like Hermione; then Luna; Neville; Harry; Ginny. Finally it expanded itself and stopped. It's last form was of the six of them laughing together with Alice sitting in front of them, smiling. It was more than beautiful; it was gorgeous.
They all turned back to thank Alice. Ginny screamed.
Alice was laying on the floor. Dead.
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Everyone was in tears as they kneeled over Alice's lifeless form.
"N-no..." whispered Hermione. "She-she-"
"She used up her magic," said Ron.
"Yeah," said Neville, the words barely escaping his mouth. "To give us this gift."
Luna and Ginny were too overwhelmed with tears to say anything.
Harry could barely speak through his choked throat. His neck felt as if it had collapsed in on itself. "She didn't have to go so far to make us ha---" His eyes went wide. "LOOK!"
Everyone looked up from their grieving. Alice's body was turning into...snow. Luna noticed that the gifts had turned into snow as well.
"Oh, no!" shrieked Hermione. "She's going to melt, she's going to melt!" Her hands fluttered in panic.
Luna, who was obviously the closest to Alice, silently stood up and scooped up the snow that now lay on the common room's carpet. She walked over to the window and unhooked the latch. The group was greeted by a sudden blast of cold air that calmed itself in moments.
Luna lifted Alice's remains above her head, and let the snow be carried off in the wind like some sort of sparkling white sand.
"Goodbye, Alice," she tried to form the words, but nothing came out of her moving mouth. "I'll never forget you...I expect you to do the same."
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The group visited Hogwarts again over the holidays of the following year. Alice's statue still remained. It was snowing, and Luna's feet were tired.
"Go on without me," she said to Neville. "Tell everyone I'll catch up with you all later."
He nodded and waved good-bye.
After a few minutes reating by herself in the snow, Luna felt a snowball hit her back. She looked in the direction of where it had come from and felt herself overcome with joy.
Standing there was a gloopleflargin, wearing a green and violet scarf, white boots, and a sweater that was the same shade of murky gray as the hat she wore. She grasped a glass ball in one hand, a photograph clutched in the other, and a bottle dangling from her waist. A golden ball flitted back in forth around the gloopleflargin's head. It grinned.
"I di'n frget, Luna." Alice was back.
Alice...was reborn.
Author's note:...PLEASE!!!! READ...and...REVIEW! OR RATE, or SOMETHING!!!! I'm BEGGING YOU! Thanks. Also, I hope everyone enjoyed my Harry Potter Christmas special. Especially since it's FINALLY OVER!!!