The New Trio and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 12: Christmas at Grimmauld

I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday! I was so very busy yesterday, and the fact that it was my update day completely slipped my mind! Here you go, though, the chapter, as promised.

Note: This chapter has a very small reference to the video game Monster Hunter. The Nibelsnarf, as it is called there, does not look anything like what I've described here, since the name gave me the inspiration for something that sounds that some sort of creature that Luna would believe in. This chapter is dedicated to my brother, whose fascination with Monster Hunter finally paid off.

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid, and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban (This prank had actually been inspired by Draco, who had complained that it was too cold outside for snowball fights). The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver post had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the draughty corridors had become icy, and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were the dungeons, where, during Snape's classes, their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

After much debating, it had been settled that Draco, the Longbottoms, and the Weasley kids would be spending Christmas at Grimmauld Place, with the Lovegoods popping over on Christmas Day, staying for dinner. The twins had been adamant about "properly meeting" their idols, although they'd known Sirius and Remus for most of their lives. So, since Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Ron's second oldest brother, Charlie, the twins would get their wish.

Draco had been melancholy, since this would be his first Christmas without his family, and had almost signed up to stay at Hogwarts over break, until Harry revealed that his godfathers were willing to take him. That had led to Draco launching himself at Harry, and later Sirius and Remus, almost crying in relief that he wouldn't have to spend the holidays alone.

Once the holidays had started, Harry and his friends were having too much fun to remember about the mystery behind the Cerberus. Thanks to Sirius and Remus (and their worshippers, Fred and George), there were pranks-a-plenty laid all throughout the house. You couldn't go more than ten metres without being hit by a trap, so they all gave up on going back to their rooms. Instead, they spent hour after hour sitting on comfy armchairs in front of the fireplace, spearing anything they could on a toasting fork-bread, crumpets, marshmallows-and plotting ways of breaking into Gringotts, getting Lord Malfoy arrested, and several choice students expelled, which were fun to talk about, even if they wouldn't work. Eventually, the pranksters agreed to a truce, and magically dismantled their traps.

On Christmas Eve, Harry, Draco, Neville, and Ron all went to sleep in Harry's room, as they'd done since the holidays had started, looking forward to the food, the fun, and the presents. When they woke up the next morning, however, it was to twin howls of horror. Draco and Ron wanted to race downstairs and see what was going on, but Harry and Neville advised caution. "Pads and Moony always set up a prank so that I couldn't see what my presents were ahead of time," Harry explained. "I wonder what the twins have been turned into."

As it turned out, they'd both been given full-size elephant trunks in place of their noses, and when Sirius and Remus were woken up by trumpeting and cursing, all four laughed uproariously.

"Boys, Ginny, it's safe now!" Remus called amidst giggles.

That made the boys rush out of Harry's room and down into the lounge, where huge stacks of presents, all colour-coded, lay under the beautifully decorated tree. Ginny and Percy padded out of their guest rooms and seated themselves in chairs close to the fireplace, which Sirius lit with a flick of his wand.