I spent the whole weekend studying and then the last week before the Christmas holidays arrived, exam week.

I had already got through my fear subject Potions on Monday and left the exam with a not entirely bad feeling.

The other subjects also went well.

Neville and I only saw each other at lunch and he and Hannah didn't see each other all week.

Of course, there was no kissing because of that and I knew I had to do something about it before they left on Saturday morning.


Care of Magical Creatures was my last exam subject on Friday and I watched intently as the students ahead of me took the exam.

Instead of going alphabetically, Professor Hagrid started at the end of the alphabet, so I was quite far back and Malfoy was ahead of me.

When he was called, I stood so that I could see what he was doing.

He was looking at his hands and from here it looked a bit like they were shaking.

He turned around again and our eyes met.

I smiled at him and nodded slowly.

His exhalation was clearly audible and then he stretched his right arm forward so that his palm was facing the dragon.

It was a Norwegian Ridgeback, with a body temperature of 67C.

If he could bring its temperature to at least 55C with his hand, it would be no problem to get some scales off it.

Slowly he walked towards the dragon.

It did not retreat.

When Malfoy was standing directly in front of the dragon, he finally raised his eyes, which had been fixed on the ground the whole time, and looked at the dragon.

It eyed him sceptically but did not react.

Malfoy's hand carefully rested on the dragon's back and paused for a moment.

Nothing happened.

Slowly Malfoy stroked his hand over the beast's back and when he had a few scales in his hand he slowly withdrew it.

He walked backwards, still with his arm outstretched and without breaking eye contact with the dragon.

As he closed the grate in front of him again he took one deep breath and looked to me.

I underestimated you Malfoy, that was very good.

I could have sworn I saw the faint hint of a smile but as quick as it had come, it was gone again.

Professor Hagrid clapped his hands and took the scales from Malfoy.

"Very nice Mr Malfoy, expectations exceeded."

He had passed and not just sort of but with an exceeded expectations .

I was about to clap too but I held back.

I could have climbed into that dragon cage. Getting the scales was a breeze.

The dragon shook itself and some scales fell right into my hand after I put my hot hand between its eyes.

Hagrid was thrilled and I passed my test with flying colours.


It was the last day of school before the holidays and we were off after exams.

The results of our exams, if we were not told directly, would be posted after lunch.

Since I had spent all the last time studying, there was no time left to think about the upcoming Christmas holidays.

But now that I was sitting with Neville at lunch and we were both eating in silence because we were both exhausted from the exams, I had time to think about it.

I would be the only student to stay here over the holidays this year, but that was only to be expected.

Professor Hagrid, Mr Filch and of course Min would be staying too.

Madame Pomfrey wanted to stay too, but Min insisted that she take time off at least until the end of the year.

If I got sick she would deal with it herself or send an owl. She had reluctantly agreed.

I would have gladly done without Mr Filch, especially his cat Mrs Norris.

She had already hissed at me a few times and really didn't seem to like me.

And Professor Hagrid stayed because of the magical creatures that needed looking after.

I was glad he was staying so I could help him a little and I wouldn't be so bored.


"Are you coming to see the results?", Neville interrupted my thoughts.

I gulped down the last bit of food and nodded.

A cluster of students had already gathered in front of the blackboard and we tried to squeeze through.

When I could finally see the results, I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

I had come here to be able to concentrate on my degree. If I failed one subject all my efforts would be for nothing and Min would surely send me back to Ilvermorny.

I will make my grandma proud.

I opened my eyes and scanned the parchments for my name.

Passed. I had passed every one of my exams.

A huge weight fell from my shoulders especially when I read 'Exceeded Expectations' on my Potions grade.

The studying had really paid off.

I squeezed back in and waited until Neville emerged from the crowd of students again.

He grinned at me and gave me a hug.

"We passed everything," he whispered softly in my ear and I nodded cautiously.

"I'm going to go find Hannah", he said happily as he pulled away from our embrace.

"I'll be in the library if you're looking for me" I added.

"The exams are written Daisy, you don't need to study anymore."

"Not studying, just reading, novels.

I don't get to do that often enough since I've been hanging out with you", I laughed and turned towards the library.


I wanted to go to the library, that was true but I didn't want to read novels.

I was looking for a specific spell.

Neville and Hannah still hadn't kissed and knowing them, they weren't going to do so any time soon without help.

I had to search a bit but in the end I found what I was looking for.

« Magical mistletoe

An ordinary mistletoe is needed, which is covered with the spell.

This branch is attached to an elevated position, preferably doors or archways.

The mistletoe becomes invisible until two people who love each other stand under it or walk under it.

Both persons are then unable to go further until a kiss has taken place.

The branch can't distinguish where the kiss is given.

A kiss on the cheek would also release the spell.

After the kiss, both parties can move freely again and the mistletoe becomes invisible again.

To note: This is a simple spell, it cannot distinguish romantic love from friendly love.

This has often led to problems and misunderstandings in the past.»

This was exactly what I was looking for.

I wrote down the spell and the wand movement and went to the greenhouses, because I was sure I had seen mistletoe there.


I did indeed found it there and when no one was in the corridors late at night, I hung the enchanted mistletoe up in the large entrance gate.

That's where Neville and Hannah would go through together tomorrow and not only them, maybe I could elicit a few more Christmas kisses that way.

Actually, I should feel at least a little guilty but I was just looking forward to Neville's face tomorrow when he realised that he would have to kiss Hannah if he wanted to move again.


Hannah had breakfast with us today and told us all about what she wanted to do with her father this Christmas.

It sounded really nice and I couldn't help but envy her.

The big hall was more restless than usual today because all the students were already excited about the holidays.

"You write to me though Daisy, I don't want to go two weeks without hearing from you", my best friend admonished me with a grin.

"I promise," I assured him.

Of course I would write to him, otherwise I would be bored to death.

Besides, he was still getting his Christmas present.

I would go to Hogsmeade and buy the expensive liquorice from honeydukes, which Neville always stopped in front of but never bought because it was too expensive for him.

It was the first year I gave a Christmas present to someone outside my family and I was very happy about it.


When it was finally time to say goodbye and we were just outside the big front gate, I held Neville back for a moment.

Hannah took two more steps and then stood directly under the mistletoe that I had hung but was invisible at the moment.

I hugged Neville and whispered a soft "You'll be fine" in his ear and pushed him next to Hannah.

He looked at me confused and was about to come back to wish me another Merry Christmas but his feet didn't move an inch.

He looked confusedly at the floor, then at me and then followed my gaze to the ceiling where the mistletoe was just becoming visible.

His gaze moved from the ceiling back to me and then to Hannah.

She too had noticed the branch and they both blushed.

Neville reached out and grabbed Hannah's hand with his.

They looked into each other's eyes for another moment and then both bridged the distance between them almost simultaneously.

It wasn't a particularly long kiss but it wasn't a fleeting one either.

It was just the right length for a first kiss and it felt a little strange to have witnessed that.

"Thank you", Neville formed silently with his lips in my direction.

"You're welcome," I said back silently.

"Merry Christmas to you both, see you after the holidays."

I waved goodbye to both of them.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Daisy", they both said simultaneously, laughing when they realised.

The two of them were just perfect together.


Half an hour later, the castle was deserted.

All the students were on their way home to their families to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Eve was tomorrow, so I went straight to Hogsmeade to buy the present for Neville.

I had already sent Grandpa's off a week ago.

He got butterbeer spice from me.

I had told him about my first and only butterbeer and he said he missed good British butterbeer.

So I bought him the spice so that he could make his own.

For Min, I found two bookends in the shape of lions in a small antique shop and thought it was very appropriate for her as a Gryffindor.

With the bookends and the liquorice, I made my way back to the castle.

It was snowing again and I was glad to be back in the warmth of the castle.


I had really got into the Christmas spirit in Hogsmeade but when I got back to the flat it quickly faded.

It looked the same as always, a bit chaotic with books everywhere and quite nicely furnished but not at all like Christmas.

That was my mission the next morning, to make this flat Christmasy and surprise Min with it.

Yes it wouldn't be the Christmas I wanted but that was no reason to skip it.

At first I had wanted to just skip Christmas this year but when I thought about how much my mother had loved Christmas, I couldn't bring myself not to celebrate it this year.

I let the books fly into the bookshelves, fluffed up the cushions and changed their colour from blue to dark red.

The green-checkered blanket on the sofa became a red-checkered one, which I folded neatly and put back on the sofa.

The table was now decorated with a dark red table runner and a golden candlestick with dark green candles.

I transformed the houseplant into a magnificent little fir tree and with a few apples turned into Christmas balls and a string of lights from my room, it became a radiant Christmas tree.

It wasn't a real Christmas without home-baked cookies, and since I didn't want to hire one of the house elves to do it for me, I went into the kitchen and started baking all kinds of cookies.

Meanwhile, I sang Christmas carols the whole time.

It was already early evening when everything was finally just the way I wanted it.

Exhausted but satisfied, I looked at my work.

It wasn't perfect but it was beautiful.

It was different than usual but it was Christmas.


For my grandmother, dressing up was always part of Christmas.

So I exchanged my flour-white clothes for a dark green knee-length dress with long sleeves.

I wore black knee socks and my black winter boots.

My curly black hair, which I usually wore in a bun, disappeared today in a simple braided hairstyle.

I didn't like to wear it open because then I looked too much like my mum and that always made people, especially Min, sad.

I tied bow in my hair and then looked at myself in the mirror.

I didn't look so bad dressed up.

I tried a grin but Malfoy's words were in my head again.

This makes you ugly

The grin gave way to a slight smile and I was reasonably pleased with myself.


I was on my way to Min's office to finally get her away from work so we could have dinner together when I heard a scream.

It wasn't loud, anyone else would have missed it, but not me.

It had been there, I could rely on my ears.

I hadn't imagined it.

I turned on my heel and ran down the corridors in the direction I thought I heard the scream coming from.

I had already run down to the third floor when I almost ran through Nearly Headless Nick.

"Thank Merlin," he groaned. "Follow me, quickly."

As fast as I could I followed him.

He flew down the corridor into the prefects bathroom.

"Here".

Nick pointed to a figure on the floor.

I couldn't see who or what it was, but judging by the pool of blood on the floor, it was definitely badly injured.

I knelt down in the puddle of blood and water and could at least tell it was human.

The body was huddled together and the chest was rising and falling only very slightly.

The blood loss must have been quite devastating but at least I could not see any major injuries on the back.

The shirt was deeply wet and was therefore slightly transparent.

Normally it would hide the scars I saw there on the back but in its wet state they were completely visible.

The scars, devastating as they might look, were not the reason for the bleeding, because they had already healed.

I had to turn him or her over to see more.

Carefully I tried to turn the person and when that didn't work, I crawled around him or her once and tried to find the reason for the bleeding there.

I had expected bleeding from the abdomen, given the amount of blood I had found, but it was not from the abdomen.

It came from an arm.

A snow-white arm with a dark mark.