Courage

-22-

Book: Courage
Chapter 22
Word Count: 4461

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry, Layla, and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and I think Parkinson is also staying to try and get Malfoy to notice her some more. She's desperate for his attention, that one. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

"The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready," said Hermione. "We'll be getting the truth out of Malfoy any day now."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Layla found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that she, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private.

Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr and Mrs Weasley, which Layla loved, happy to spend the summer with the twins and the girl who was practically her little sister by the way they instantly clicked and formed that sister bond.

Percy, however, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Hermione had woken up at six o'clock and woke Layla up, much to her annoyance. It was Christmas, after all. She just wanted to sleep in.

Ginny had been staying in Layla and Hermione's dorm since all of the young girl's roommates had gone home for Christmas, and so had Parvati and Lavender, so there were two extra beds in the dorm. Ginny didn't want to stay in a dorm alone when there was a monster hidden within the school, so Layla had offered her to come stay in their dorm.

As soon as Layla woke up, she was greeted with some Christmas presents at the foot of her bed. She and Hermione opened their Christmas presents quietly so they didn't wake up Ginny, who was silently sleeping in Parvati's bed until the Patil girl returned.

Layla got a wizard's chess set and a Quidditch jersey that was personally made since it had the words 'Layla Lupin' on the back of it from Remus (and the usual white chocolate exploding bon bons, of course) and Layla reminded herself to wear the jersey for Quidditch tryouts next year. She got a large tin of treacle fudge from Hagrid, some homemade gingerbread cookies along with a pink and purple knitted scarf from Mr and Mrs Weasley, a pack of non-explodable luminous balloons from Ron, a book on the New Theory of Numerology as well as a homework planner, a luxury eagle-feather quill, and a pair of ruby red earrings from Hermione, and then Layla also got a replica of a snitch, some fizzing whizbees, and a Christmas jumper from Harry, some chocolate frogs, some gloves, a charm bracelet from Ginny, and then Fred and George had worked together for their gift, getting Layla some dungbombs, Bertie Bott's Ever Flavour Beans, and some Chinese fortune sticks.

After Layla and Hermione had opened their Christmas presents, Layla slid into her own personalized Quidditch jersey that her dad had got her, thinking that it would be best to wear it sooner rather than later to show off her passion for Quidditch.

She and Hermione then raced to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Layla simply watched as Hermione started adding lacewing flies to the potion.

An hour later, the potion resembled black mud, bubbling slowly and billowing gray smoke, just as the book said it should. Grinning with pride, Hermione stood up and grabbed Layla's hand, pulling her up as well. They then ran back to the common room.