Chapter 7: Christmas
As it turned out, the Fat Lady had been replaced with a really hyper night. He jumped around wielding his sword and calling you a scurvy nave whenever you walked by. Not to mention that he changed the password at least twice a week.
It also turned out that Christmas was coming soon. I had been so busy with visiting Sirius and watching Peter to even notice what month it was. This being the case, Sirius wanted to buy Harry a present because, "I'm practically his father, it only makes sense." (that was his reasoning.)
Sirius had also noticed Harry's crushed broom under the tree. He thought that he should get him a new broom, and he suggested a Firebolt. Now, I'm no expert on brooms, but a Firebolt was supposed to be a really good broom. Like insanely good. I had heard Harry and Long-and-Gangly talking about it.
I meowed to show that was a good idea.
But how is Sirius going to get a Firebolt?
"But how am I going to get a Firebolt?" Sirius asked, voicing my thoughts. Good question.
I wasn't as though a notorious mass murderer could just walk into a store all casual, like, "Hello, I'd like a broom, please."
Also, Sirius didn't have any money. And even if you did, Harry had mentioned once that the only Firebolts in stores are displays. Apparently, you have to specially order one.
"I know!" Sirius exclaimed as he paced back to the couch, "You can take the order form for me. The Owl Office is in Hogsmeade, where we went to get into Hogwarts. It's a store with lots of owls in it."
A cat ordering a Firebolt? Sure. Totally normal.
Sirius scribbled something down on a torn piece of paper while muttering to himself, "Firebolt… Harry Potter…vault #711."
He picked it up and gave it to me. I held it in my mouth, ready for instruction.
"Alright. Owl Office, remember?"
I nodded and lept off the couch. I climbed out of the tunnel and trotted off to Hogsmeade.
The journey took me about half an hour, but I finally reached the welcoming street of Hogsmeade. I scampered down the road, looking for a store with owls and dodging Hogwarts students. Everywhere, there were posters of Sirius looking down at me and store owners grumbling something about Dementors.
I finally found it. It was one of the larger buildings. The outside looked like any other store, but through the window, I saw hundreds of owls sitting on shelves, fluttering in and out of the windows.
I waited until a woman opened the door, and then I walked in with her. It looked like a regular Muggle post office, except for the owls. I waited behind the same woman who had opened the door for me. She wanted to send some Dungbombs to her nephew.
When that was sorted out, I lept onto the counter, which startled the wizard behind the desk. He smiled at me as I dropped Sirius's order form. He picked it up and raised an eyebrow at me like, how in the world did you write this, you have no thumbs.
I meowed pleasantly at him and jumped off the counter. I stood by the door to see if he would actually send it. To my delight, he walked over to an owl, who flew off with the order form attached to its leg.
Christmas came soon after that. Hermione and her roommates woke up happily as they began tearing open gifts at their feet. Hermione received many things, but the strangest was a toothbrush from her parents. She and her friends giggled happily as they chatted and looked at each other's presents. Unfortunately, one named Lavender got the idea of tying tinsel around my neck.
Eventually, Hermione decided to go visit Harry and Long-and-Gangly. Maybe I could see this legendary Firebolt.
She took me into the boy's dormitory, where I was greeted warmly: "Don't bring him in here!" Long-and-Gangly said as he stored Peter in his pocket.
But Hermione just put me on an open bed and stared at the broom in Harry's hand.
"Oh Harry! Who sent you that?"
"No idea," Harry replied, "There wasn't a card or anything with it."
Hermione's face fell as though she was having a surprising thought.
"What's the matter with you?" Long-and-Gangly said.
"I don't know…" Hermione answered, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"
"It's the best one there is, Hermione," Long-and-Gangly sighed.
"So, it must've been really expensive…"
"Probably cost more than all the Slytherin's brooms put together," Long-and-Gangly answered happily. That thought seemed to make him happy.
"Well…who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd send it?" Hermione contemplated.
Uh-oh. Did she know?
"Who cares?" Long-and-Gangly said impatiently, "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" Hermione squealed.
Harry and Long-and-Gangly gaped at her. "What d'you think Harry's going to do with it—sweep the floor?"
Before Hermione could answer, I lept at Peter. 1) I wanted to avoid any further discussion on this subject. Hermione was like a genius, she probably guessed Sirius sent the broom. 2) It was Christmas, so I figured, what the heck?
"GET—HIM—OUT—OF—HERE!" Long-and-Gangly yelled as I ripped his pajamas trying to get to Peter. Peter wildly jumped over Long-and-Gangly's shoulder. Long-and-Gangly grabbed him and tried to kick me, but I darted out of his way and he hit a trunk. And suddenly I stopped.
A shrill, piercing whistling sound was filling the room. A spinning top was spinning on the floor.
"I forgot about that!" Harry bent and picked it up. "I never wear those socks if I can help it…"
I hissed at the thing as Harry held it.
"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," Long-and-Gangly said. Then he added to Harry, "Can't you shut that thing up?"
I glared at Long-and-Gangly.
Harry was looking at Peter. "He's not looking to good, is he?" he said.
"It's stress! He's be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone!"
Hermione scooped me up and headed back to her dormitory.
"I'm sorry Ron tried to kick you," she said softly, but I could sense the anger in her voice. That made me happy. Hermione was mad at Long-and-Gangly too.
And she left me on her bed to wonder if she knew Sirius had sent the broom and what would happen if she did.
A/N: Hope you liked it! There are only going to be three more chapters after this, so…yeah.
Review and let me know what you think. :P