The months passed, autumn turning into winter. Whenever they could Ember, Hermione and Peter went to the library to look for Nicholas Flamel. Unfortunately they weren't having any luck, much to the hybrid's annoyance. She knew that she'd heard that name before, she just knew it!
Soon Christmas was upon them and most of the students were preparing to go home for the holidays. Ember had opted to stay at Hogwarts and who could blame her? Christmases at the Dursley's wasn't exactly a fun time for her.
Currently, Ron was giving her a lesson in wizard chess. Honestly, she hadn't wanted to have anything to do with him but he just kept pestering her with this snazzy magical game until she agreed to play. Mostly just to shut him up. "Knight to E5", she said. The Knight moves to its destination.
"Queen to E5", Ron countered with a smug look on his face. Behind Ember, Hermione watched as Ron's queen goes over to Ember's knight and whacks the knight with her chair. The ginger haired boy grinned, triumphantly. Only for it to be wiped off of his face when Felix, who'd been perched on Ember's lap, suddenly leapt up onto the table and pounced on Ron's chess pieces! "Oi! He can't do that", the boy exclaimed.
"Apparently he can", the hybrid countered, scratching the kitten behind the ears as he battered Ron's queen in his tiny paws. Ron grumbled and glanced at Hermione who appeared to be already to leave.
"I see you've packed", he remarked, eyeing her trunk.
"See you haven't", the girl shot back.
"Change of plans, my parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother Charlie. He's studying dragons there", Ron explained.
"Hurray for me", Ember griped under her breath. Christmas in the castle wouldn't have been so bad except now she had to put up Weaslebee for the holidays. Upside, Hogwarts was so big it was highly likely that she'll be able to find a hidey hole away from him. At least…until she had to go back to the dorm for bed.
"Oh well…enjoy your Christmas", Hermione said as pleasantly as she could. The brunette gave Ember a sympatheic look before she departed.
"Now, how about another game?" Ron suggested "but we leave the pet out of it", he added, prodding Felix off of the board which earned him a not so playful nip from the feline.
"Yeah…no, I think I'll pass", Ember states standing up, taking Felix with her "enjoy finding someone else to play with" and with that, she walked away, leaving him alone.
"Well, you don't look so enthused anymore", Peter remarked, meeting her at the entrance, trunk in tow "you were excited about spending Christmas here. What happened?"
"Ron happened", Ember answered "apparently he's staying at Hogwarts for Christmas too".
The brunet pulled a face "that's bad luck", he comments "but hey, at least you can use the excuse to look for Nicholas Flamel to keep away from him".
"I would but…" the ginger sighed "I have scoured the library dozens of times as have you and Hermione. We've found nothing".
"Perhaps it's because we haven't checked the Restricted Section yet", Peter admits "and with everyone gone for the holidays…"
"I'll be able to slip into the Restricted Section unnoticed", Ember finished.
"Given that there'll will hardly be any students; fewer teachers AND your handy gift of phasing…I don't think it should be too much of a problem for you".
"Well, I suppose I'd better succeed in sneaking into the Restricted Section AND find out some information on Mr Flamel in the process", the hybrid declared.
"I look forward to hearing what you find out", Peter said "I'll see you after Christmas".
On Christmas morning Ember was woken by Ron shouting. "Ember, wake up! Come on Ember, wake up!"
"Ugh", the ginger groaned, pulling the covers over her head. Felix meowed "you said it buddy, its way too early", she mumbled "feel free to chase him to your heart's content". The hybrid felt the kitten jump off the bed and padded away. A couple of minutes later, the ginger smirked upon hearing Ron screaming through her duvet. "Atta boy", she murmured, proudly. The 11 year old closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off.
It was an hour or so later when the Potter girl awoke again, this time she actually got out of bed. Ember grabbed her robe and made her way to the balcony, laughing upon seeing Felix chasing Ron around the common room. "Atta boy", she repeats.
"Ember, help!" Ron shouts, spotting her "stop this crazy cat!"
"Let me think…uh…no", the hybrid said. She headed downstairs to get a better look at the shenanigans when she paused on the bottom step, catching something out of the corner of her eye…a faint red-gold glow hovering around a pile of presents. Ember went over to the Christmas tree and took hold of the nearest wrapped item.
It was small, labelled with her name and she noted that the glow was brighter around it. Ember ripped off the paper to reveal a jewellery box. Inside was a red crystal hanging from a silver chain. There was also a note with it.
Something to help with your inner fire
Curiously it wasn't signed with an anvil like the note that was with Felix, instead there was a flower. It made her wonder, who sent this necklace? And who sent her Felix? More importantly, why didn't they leave their actual names? She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. She had other presents to open. The 11 year old clasped the necklace around her neck, her eyes flared red-gold as she did so. The glow that surrounded the piece of jewellery also disappeared the second she put it on.
She picked up the next gift, it was soft, squashy and wrapped in silvery paper. Ember opened the accompanying envelope first, pulling out the card.
Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.
Ember set the little card aside and tore open the silver wrapped package. A bundle of material was inside. "What is it?" Ron asked, taking advantage of the short reprieve from Felix, the kitten having worn himself out from chasing the boy around for an hour.
The girl shrugged "some kind of cloak, I think", she replied.
"Well, let's see then, put it on", Ron urged. Ember slung the cloak around herself, making her body invisible. The boy's mouth dropped open in awe. "Whoa!"
"My body's gone!" Ember exclaimed when she looked down, half expecting to see her feet but they were not there!
"I know what that is. That's an invisibility cloak", Ron told her, standing up.
"I'm invisible?" the hybrid gaped down at her invisible body.
"They're really rare", Ron remarked "do you know who gave it to you?"
Ember shook her head "There was no name. It just said 'use it well'", she replied. The ginger looked down at herself again, a thoughtful look crossing her face. It looks like she had a way to sneak into the restricted section.
The hybrid set aside the invisibility cloak and turned her attention back to the presents. There was a gift from Peter, wrapped in the Ravenclaw's colours: blue and bronze. Inside the paper was something called a Sneakoscope which, according to the third year's card, whistled whenever there was an enemy nearby. No sooner had she unwrapped it, as it started whistling.
"Piece of junk", Ron muttered, glowering at it.
"Well, this 'piece of junk'…" she waved it at him "has got good judgement". The boy simply grumbled and then busied himself with his own Christmas presents. Whilst he was digging into a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Ember opened another gift. This one was a book, bound in red leather with the etching of some kind of bird on the cover.
The hybrid cracked it open and a piece of paper slipped out. Ember picked it up, gasping at what she read.
My dearest Ember,
If you are reading this it means that I'm no longer around to help you learn the truth about who and more importantly, what you are.
For that I am truly sorry.
These pages hold the history of my family going right back to the one who began it all: Idalia.
I hope you find solace in the knowledge that you are not alone, my darling daughter.
Love you, always
Your mother x
"What's it say?" Ron nosily enquired.
"Never you mind", Ember answered sharply, wiping away the tears that had escaped down her cheeks. She stuck the letter back into the book, closing it with snap. She then gathered up her presents and hastily retreated back to the girl's dorm to delve into the book in peace.
Felix followed her but not before taking one last non playful nip to Ron's ankles as he passed.