Mountain Fold (Oliver Wood)

Chapter Fifteen

"Anna, wake up!" Her father shouted, jumping up and down on her bed.

"Huh?" She said groggily, looking around in confusion. Her sleepy brain not able to keep up with what was going on.

"Get up! It's Christmas!"

Her brain took a while to process this before she smiled at her father. She loved Christmas, her whole family did but her father seemed to be the most excited. They both raced down stairs where her mother was waiting on the coach, next to the Christmas tree with presents underneath it.

Every year they had the same routine, open presents in the morning, then breakfast, lunch and in the afternoon, they relaxed and sometimes had a nap. They never had anyone over, her Dads parents had died before she was born, and her mother didn't talk with her family anymore. Anna knew that they didn't like that her mother had married a muggle.

They all started opening their presents. She opened a rectangular present first, she suspected it was a book and she was right. Darian had gotten her a book on transfiguration, the only subject she enjoyed doing extra reading on. Zinnia had gotten her cake decorating supplies and a small cactus, the top part of it was yellow. Anna thought it was adorable, she wasn't the best at herbology, but she would be able to keep a cactus alive.

From her parents she got her usually origami paper and clothes, two shirts and a pair of jeans. They also got her a book and her father had done a painting of her, Darian, and Zinnia. It looked amazing and Anna decided she would put it on her wall.

Anna heard a tapping on the window and looked over to see an elderly owl. She opened the window and the owl flew in, getting a glare from Emeric. The old owl dropped an envelope on her lap then rested for a few minutes before making the journey home.

She opened it. A photo and a letter fell out and quickly read it:

Dear Anna

I wanted to thank you one more time for the lion that you made for the Gryffindor quidditch team, they love King. And also wish you a Happy Christmas. It means a lot to me that I was able to give something to the team since I won't be coming back to Hogwarts. I only came back this year because my parents wanted me to finish my education but after hearing all the teachers talking about NEWTS I knew there was no point in staying.

I already know what I want to do, and I've gotten a job I applied for, so I don't see any reason to stay. But it was nice to know that I could give something to the team before I left. Hopefully it will boost their spirits and they'll be able to win without me. Oliver will be a good captain and I'm sure he'll find an amazing Seeker.

I'll not bore you with anymore details, I just wanted you to know why I was so grateful. Hope you have a good year at Hogwarts.

Charlie Weasley

She looked at the photo and saw that it was of the whole Gryffindor quidditch team with King the lion. Somehow, they had gotten the lion to sit still long enough to take the picture. Her mother looked over she shoulder curiously.

"Who are they?"

"They're the Gryffindor quidditch team, I made a lion for them."

Her father gasped dramatically and teased her, "betraying your House Anna?"

She groaned, "don't you start. I've got enough of that from Dare."

Her mother snorted, "well he is very proud of his House."

"It did take him a while to get used to the idea that you were in Slytherin."

"I don't think that most people realise how little your House matters once you leave school."

She hummed in agreement. They spent the rest of the day in happy contentment. They all helped make lunch and after they decided to put a movie on in the afternoon. Her father loved Disney movies, he had been watching them since he was little. He had managed to get Anna and her mother into them as well.

He said he often felt sorry for wizarding children who missed out on so many amazing muggle things. Like Disney movies. And pens. Something Zinnia had refused to give up on since coming to Hogwarts and over the years she had convinced Anna to use them too. The teachers didn't mind, especially since it meant the Anna wouldn't knock her ink pot over during exams. She usually panicked in exams and try to rush which led to many accidents.

Her father picked the movie, he chose the one of the presents they had gotten him, The Aristocats. He told them about it once and said that he had watched it ages ago, he couldn't remember what it was called but Anna and her mother had eventually been able to figure it out with the help of a shop assistant. The movie was twenty years old but they all still loved it, her father's favourite bit was the catchy songs.

Anna felt sleepy after the movie was finished, she noticed that her parents felt the same way as they headed off to have a nap. Anna decided to fall asleep right on the couch. She quickly drifted off to sleep, content with how she had spent her Christmas.