18th December
The snow has arrived in time for Christmas. This morning, the Weasley twins got detentions for bewitching snowballs to follow Professor Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. I think Professor Quirrell completely overreacted, though... It was only a bit of fun!
Last week Professor McGonagall came round the common room to ask who would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. I gladly accepted the offer. Anything is better than Christmas with my family!
Due to this weather, Professor Snape's classes in the dungeon were so icy and cold... just like his personality. I could see my breath rise like mist before me. The class stayed as close as we could to our hot cauldrons. Draco decided to get up close and personal with me...
"I feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home!" his body orientated toward me, but addressed the class, looking a Harry. He was having a Hogwarts Christmas, too along with the Weasley's because their parents were going to Romania to see their second eldest son, Charlie.
"I'm one of those people too, Draco!" I defended myself; it was probably the first time I had voluntarily made conversation with him.
He raised his eyebrows at me, stating loud and proud, "You're welcome to spend Christmas at mine, Kathryn, there's plenty of room at ours, we have a manor, you see, we like a bit of class-"
BLAH BLAH BLAH! I couldn't listen to him droning on about he was 'more fortunate than the regular witch or wizard'. I don't even know why he bothers to try and impress me, he's vile. When he finished talking, he looked into my eyes, smiling. He was waiting for my reply, the time where he expected me to fall on my knees shouting, 'NO, MY LOVE, MY MASTER, FOR I AM NOT WORTHY OF YOUR GREAT-NESS'.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I'm going to have to reject your offer." I sighed and continued with my work.
He looked heartbroken, "Why?"
"If your cooking is anything like your potion-making, I'll not make it to new year..." I stated matter-of-factly. The Gryffindors let out a daunting 'Ooooooh!' directed at Draco.
Snape spoke next, looking up from the pile of parchment on his desk, "Come on, dream team, or I'll have to split you up!" I looked at him like Christmas had just come early. "Don't. Even. Think. About it, Miss Pink, or maybe you really won't make it through New Year."
"Is that a threat, Professor?" I replied in his exact pitch and tone. I smirked at him. He smirked back. HE SMIRKED? Oh dear goodness. Anyone else (other than Draco) would have got a DT for that! Wowzah! I mentally high-fived myself.
In the half an hour before lunch, Ron, Harry, Hermione and I went to the library. We had searched hundreds of books already, but we weren't going to give up. "Maybe you could go and ask Snape, Kathryn, he seems in a good mood, I think you actually made him smile earlier!"
"Shut up, you." I threw a book to him entitled, '100 Pointless things about Great Wizards'. Madam Pince shot a dirty look in my direction, "Sorry!" I shouted. She shushed me, how rude? We scanned the book and within those 20minutes, we had found absolutely nothing to do about any Nicholas Flamel.
At lunch Hermione assured, "You will continue looking when I'm away?"
"You could ask your parents if they know who Nicholas Flamel is!" Ron suggested.
"Oh, yes, of course!" Hermione laughed, "Since both my parents are dentists? Very useful!"
25th December
It was really lonely with Hermione away; I spent a lot of my time raking though books, with no luck! Harry and Ron sat in the common room toasting things on the fire and playing wizard's chess. Percy looked as fascinating to talk to as Professor Snape at the moment. Fred and George were nowhere to be found...
When Christmas morning came, I had originally planned to have a lie-in, seeing that I had the dormitory to myself. But my body clock woke me up as normal, so I got washed and dressed and skipped down the stairs. I saw Ron and half of Harry. Wait. Was my mind playing tricks? The two of them looked up, "Merry Christmas!" Ron greeted me.
"Merry Christmas! What's that you've got there, Harry?" I asked.
"It's an invisibility cloak! It came with a note, any ideas who's sent it?" Harry replied, handing over it to me.
On the note were the following words:
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.
"I haven't a bauldy notion, sorry." The writing was all curly, like an older man or woman had written it, but there were no other clues. I handed the note back, "Nice jumper, Ron!" I remarked genuinely.
"You can have it!" he started taking it off.
I felt bad for saying anything, "It has an 'R' on it, it was made for you! It's fine, honestly!"
"Aren't you going to open your presents?" he enquired. I didn't expect any presents this year, my parents are muggles and wouldn't know how to use owl post, and I don't suspect a post man would know where to come!
I walked over to the tree, under which sat three presents. "Are they mine?" the boys smiled at me, nodding. I opened the first, it was a 'Terry's Chocolate Orange' from my Granny, it was a tradition that I got one each year. The second present was also from my Granny, it was a knitted scarf, stripped with my favourite colours- blue and maroon. There was a short note from her as well.
I didn't suspect you'd get anything from your parents this year. They said that they are happy you stayed at Hogwarts and what more could you possibly want? There was no convincing them... I hope you are enjoying yourself, my little star. I can't wait to hear all your stories when you come to stay this summer!
Lots of love, Granny S x
I felt a tear running down my cheek as I opened my final present. It was a packet of the muggle sweets 'Magic Stars' from Hermione. My eyes started to flood.
"What do you have there?" Ron tapped my shoulder.
I quickly tried to wipe the tears away, "Some sweets and a scarf!" I said with a smile, but it was no use.
At this moment, Fred and George came running down the stairs from their dormitory, wearing matching jumpers, made by their mother. One had an 'F' and the other had a 'G' in bright yellow. "We lifted this present by accident; it was dark at 1am!" Fred said, pointing at what George was holding.
"It's for you, Kathryn! It's not much, but we told mum you were having a Hogwarts Christmas, too!" George walked over to me. I stood. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked, turning his head to one side.
I nodded, and accepted the present, sitting back down on the floor. I opened it up; it was a box of homemade fudge.
"It's not much," he said, sitting down beside me.
"No, its perfect, thanks!" George picked up the scarf and wrapped it around my neck. The note fluttered to the ground like a butterfly. I went to grab it, but he got there first and read it. I felt so embarrassed, crying.
"Oh." He whispered, only audible to me, "Let's make this a Christmas you'll never forget, then?" he stood as Percy came strutting into the common room with his new Weasley jumper scrunched up in hand.
"P for Prefect, oh Perce, you've got to put it on!" Fred started winding him up.
"You'll not be spending today with the prefects though! Christmas is for family, and those we care about, isn't it?" George tapped my foot lightly. I was blinking back the tears.
"You two seem to have the wrong jumpers on," I added, "George you're wearing Fred's and vise versa!"
"We're not stupid!" George raised his eyebrows, "We know we're called Gred and Forge!"
"How did you know?" Fred questioned.
"Intuition." I replied, grinning. The two of them looked at each other in disbelief.
At dinner, I sat between Harry and Percy, opposite Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. I had seen a lot of food in my time, but today was something else entirely! With 100 turkeys, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, peas, pigs in blankets- you name it! Another thing, wizard crackers are totally different than muggle crackers. George pulled his with me, they literally blast off like cannons into the air; letting off a cloud of blue smoke! Ours left behind a rear-admiral's hat and several live white mice, that part I didn't like so much as they scurried down the table. Fred got a pink lady's bonnet that clashed terribly with his hair, George received a blue French beret, Ron got a bowler hat and Harry placed on his head a straw hat. Percy refused to present his. I caught a glimpse of something that reminded me of a pair of Granny's knickers! Some got jokes, Harry got a wizard's chess board and others got many different gifts from the crackers. It was fabulous!
After lunch we could hardly move. We returned to the common room, Harry and Ron played with the new chess set. Percy stuck his nose into a new book he got. Fred and George circled around the room avoiding the balloons they had just released. I wondered why when one landed beside Percy and blew up. A startled Percy sprang into the air, re-fixing his horn-rimmed glasses to his face. I noticed Fred stealing his prefect badge, passing it to George who in time fastened it to my scarf.
He commented, "Fred and I aren't good enough boys to deserve one of those! Shhhh!" he pressed his finger to his lips. Hours of fun emerged as Percy was in hysterics searching for his precious badge. At 10pm, I left it sitting on the floor where he had so masterfully sprung earlier that day.
"Who put it there?" he exclaimed.
"I assumed you had checked under your nose, Perce? Or were you too busy blaming your brothers to notice your own mistakes?" I uttered across the room, pretending to be engrossed in a book borrowed from the library a few days back. Fred and George could hardly contain their laughter in the corner. It was only when I shouted, "Would one of you kindly whack that against the floor?" as I threw the chocolate over to them.
"What?" Fred called over, "Why?"
"It's a 'Terry's chocolate Orange!' Don't just tap it, whack it!" I was over-enthusiastic. They looked at me as if I had three heads, which reminded me then of Fluffy... "Trust me!" I smiled.
George stood and chucked the wrapper-covered chocolate at the floor. I lifted it, opened it up and shared the chocolate around. They were all filled with delight. "Muggle chocolate is so much better than Wizarding chocolate!" I proclaimed. The 5 of them nodded in agreement. I shouted to them as I headed up to bed, "My work here is done, Goodnight!"
27th December
Other than eating turkey sandwiches, playing games, talking and reading, nothing else has really happened in the past day. Except, last night when Ron had gone up to bed Harry stopped me and said, "Want to go on an adventure?"
"Why not?" I was slightly puzzled.
But all became clear as Harry took his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and said, "I'm going to take you somewhere I found last night, I want to know what you see!"
Confused, I followed him as he brought me into an empty classroom, which only had one object in it- an old mirror. Harry sat in front of it. The writing on the top said,
'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'.
At first I was confused, but then I remembered that if you see something in a mirror it is laterally inverted. Then it made more sense... 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'. Harry seemed too engrossed to care. I took a step back and stared into the mirror. I saw myself, but it wasn't my reflection. I gasped. The mirror's inscription didn't lie; it showed exactly what my deepest desire is. It was overwhelming. Harry told me that he saw his parents standing there, looking at him. I was about to tell him what I could see, but we got interrupted by Mrs Norris, Filch's cat and had to make a run for it.
When I got into bed that night, all I could think about were the people in the mirror. The smiles they had on their faces, beaming down at me. The smile I had. And those people I didn't yet know...
It was perfect.