A/N: I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I've been hitting writer's block after writer's block.
Chapter 12: Research and Parties
One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts was covered in several feet of snow. The lake had frozen solid and Cassia found out that the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs to bounce off of the back of Quirrell's turban.
The few owls that managed to make their way through the stormy sky had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid.
Cassia knew that she won't be welcomed back on Number 4 for Christmas, so when Professor Sprout handed out a list wondering which students were going to stay behind, Cassia signed it as quickly as possible when it was passed to her.
Cassia couldn't wait for the holidays to start, although she wished it was summer so her allergies could go away. She was fine in the common room, especially with its nice, roaring fireplace. The drafty corridors and Snape's classroom down in the dungeons was reigning hell on her allergies.
Malfoy seemed to have been in a fouler mood than usual because, in Potions, he said, "I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
Cassia didn't need to look up to know that he was looking at her and Harry. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry ignored them as he measured out powdered spine of lionfish. Cassia was stirring the potion and had to stop so she can sneeze and blow her nose on the handkerchief that Terence had given her.
Cassia didn't care about Malfoy's taunt, because she had Harry. He was plenty of family for her.
Ron and his brothers were staying behind because their parents were going to visit Charlie in Romania.
However, Lily and Sally-Anne were going home for the holidays, so Cassia was going to be left alone in the dormitory. It was even more saddening because Terence was going home, too, along with Adrian Pucey, who Cassia still hasn't met yet. The only thing that Cassia was looking forward to, was the midnight feast that she, Lily, and Sally-Anne planned. They had planned to go to the kitchen at night the night before Lily and Sally-Anne left, take some food to take back to the dormitory to have a small party. They just had to find out how to get into the kitchen first.
After class, they left to head to the Great Hall, however they stopped in their tracks.
"Is it just me, or is there a large fir tree blocking the corridor?" Sally-Anne asked.
"No, there is a tree blocking the corridor," Cassia said.
"I think that tree has feet," Lily said, pointing.
The tree was also puffing.
Ron stuck his head through some branches, "Hi, Hagrid, want any help?"
"Nah, I'm all right," replied Hagrid, "thanks, Ron."
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Malfoy drawled from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose—that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."
Ron and Cassia both dived at Malfoy, causing Lily and Sally-Anne to grab at Cassia.
"Weasley! Potter!" shouted Snape.
Ron had grabbed the front of Malfoy's robes and Cassia had grabbed a fistful of Malfoy's hair. Lily had grabbed the back of Cassia's robes and Sally-Anne had a hold on Cassia's arm.
It was probably a sight to behold.
Ron let go of Malfoy's robes and Cassia reluctantly let go of Malfoy's hair.
"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," replied Snapek. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more." He looked at Cassia, and seemed to size her up. "Ten points from Hufflepuff, since you weren't 'provoked'. Move along, all of you."
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle smirked, and pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere, while Snape wandered off.
"I'll get him," said Ron. "One of these days, I'll get him."
"I hate them both," replied Harry. "Malfoy and Snape."
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."
The first-years followed Hagrid and the fir tree into the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the decorations.
Cassia gasped at the sight before her. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls. There were twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some of the trees were sparkling with tiny icicles and some were glittering with hundreds of candles, while warm snow was falling from the enchanted ceiling. It truly looked like a winter wonderland.
Sally-Anne said, "It's beautiful."
Lily nodded.
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" asked Hagrid.
"One more day," Lily stated.
"And that reminds me," said Hermione, looking at the others, "We've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
"Oh, yeah, you're right," said Ron.
They started to walk away from the Great Hall into the entrance hall.
"The library?" asked Hagrid, sounding confused. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"
"Oh, we're not working," stated Harry.
"We're just looking up on who Nicolas Flamel is," Cassia said.
"You what?" demanded Hagrid, looking shocked. "Listen here—I've told yeh—at least yeh three," he looked at Harry, Hermione, and Ron, "drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."
"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" added Harry. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere—just give us a hint—I know I've read his name somewhere."
"I'm sayin' nothin'," replied Hagrid in a flat tone.
"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," replied Ron.
They left a disgruntled looking Hagrid behind as they went to the library.
"A little hard-work never hurt anyone," replied Sally-Anne.
"You're Hufflepuffs, you're supposed to enjoy hard work," Ron said.
Lily scowled at Ron.
They had searched multiple books, looking for any clue of Nicolas Flamel, moreso the three Hufflepuffs.
There was thousand of shelves with tens of thousands of books, and hundreds of narrow rows. Hermione took out a list of subjects and Ron went over to a row, and pulled books off at random.
Cassia, Lily, and Sally-Anne went to the Plant Section.
"I found out to get into the kitchen," Lily whispered.
"What?" asked Cassia, surprised.
"I found out how to get in the kitchen," Lily whispered. "I talked to Gabriel and he said that the kitchen is behind that painting of the giant pear. He said that if I tickle it the right way, it will turn into a door handle and I can pull it open."
"Okay," Cassia said.
"Someone should keep watch," Sally-Anne said. "I'll do it."
Cassia nodded, "All right."
"We just need a few cakes and some pumpkin juice. How hard can it be?" Lily stated.
"Probably easier than looking for Nicolas Flamel," Cassia muttered.
"Millions of times easier," Sally-Anne agreed.
After the brief search in the library, they didn't find anything, Cassia promising to keep looking for Nicolas Flamel over the holidays. Hermione would ask her parents since it was safe because they were dentists.
The next night, they waited for the common room to clear out. Around eleven, the three girls crawled out of the tunnel, with Cassia's bag.
They left the barrels and walked around to find the portrait of the pear. They stood at the entrance while Cassia tickled the pear, which squirmed and chuckled, before the pear turned into a door handle. Lily pulled on the handle and Cassia followed her in.
They stood in a high-ceilinged room, that had mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end of the hall. There were five tables, all lined up like the ones above in the Great Hall. On one wall, there were shelves lined with ingredients, there were two sinks against the wall with the fireplace, and countertop. There was a few ovens.
"Hmm," Lily murmured. "Not what I was expecting."
"What were you expecting?" Cassia asked, looking around. She wasn't sure what she expected.
Lily started, "Let's just get some—"
A few strange looking creatures ran up to them. They had large, bat-like ears and wore black tea-towel togas that bore the Hogwarts crest.
"Hello, miss and miss," one creature greeted them in a high-pitched shrill voice.
"Er, hello?" Cassia replied, confused.
"Yeah, hi," Lily replied.
"What brings miss and miss down to the kitchen?" one house-elf asked in a lower pitched sounding voice. Cassia was sure that one was a male, but she couldn't tell.
"Actually, we came from the Hufflepuff common room," Cassia replied.
"You were sorted in Helga Hufflepuff's house?" the third house-elf asked. The house-elf had a squash-shaped nose.
Cassia nodded and Lily said, "Yeah. Why?"
"We knows of Sweet Helga Hufflepuff," the male house-elf said.
"You do?" asked Cassia.
"Yes, she brought we's here to work at Hogwarts when it first opened," the squash-nose house-elf said. "She wanted we's to work here without being harmed."
"That's very nice of her," Lily said, looking proud.
"Yes, and she's even given we's recipes to use," the female house-elf said. "We still uses them."
"To this day?" Lily asked, looking excited.
The squash nose house-elf nodded, "To this day."
"That's amazing," Cassia said in awe.
Lily nodded.
"Is there anything that miss and miss needs?" asked the male house-elf.
"Oh," Cassia started, looking at Lily.
"Er…we just wanted to get some sweets," Lily said.
The house-elves ran off and returned with trays of cream cakes and sweets.
Cassia blinked and smiled, "Thank you." She took a few cream cakes and Chocoballs, putting them in her bag.
"What about some pumpkin juice?" Lily asked.
The house-elves ran off and one returned with a jug of pumpkin juice. Lily took the jug and smiled, "Thanks."
When the Hufflepuffs got to the entrance of the kitchen, the house-elves bowed and curtsied to them as they left, whispering thanks to them.
"What took so long?" asked Sally-Anne. "Did you two get lost?"
"We were talking to the house-elves," whispered Lily as they walked back to the barrels.
"House-elves?" Sally-Anne asked.
"Yeah," Lily said. "Helga brought them here to be safe from harm while they work and they still use her recipes."
Sally-Anne tapped the barrel with her wand and the barrel opened up.