Charlie got out of the Ford Anglia as Dani ran into the training grounds. "Like it?"
Dani had been told about Mr. Weasley's car, but seeing it in person put her in awe. "That's so cool, Charlie!"
"I figured I couldn't let you miss Christmas with us," said Charlie.
"Did your dad let you fly the car here?"
"No, he's pulling overtime at work, there was an incident with a Christmas tree that ran away." Once both of them were done laughing, Charlie continued, "I actually slipped out. All the younger kids came down with the flu and Mum and Bill have been taking care of them. Not easy with five of them."
"On Christmas Eve? Bummer."
"So I came to get you!" Charlie said happily.
"Thanks, Charlie," said Dani. "I'm not sure Christmas would've been fun over here."
"That's what us Weasleys do!" grinned Charlie. "Anyway, go grab your trunk, and probably find a present too. I'll just stay here a bit longer..."
************************************
A while later, Dani was hauling her trunk downstairs to the common room as she thought about what she could get the Weasleys. She didn't have books she didn't need, or any sort of dragon merchandise... She could donate some of her spare Zonko's products to the twins...
Dani remembered the Weasley jumper she got from Mrs. Weasley the year before. Rowan had several balls of woollen yarn she used to connect her notes, but had since abandoned the practice for thick notebooks, but the wool was still tucked under her favourite chair in the common room... Knowing her best friend probably wouldn't mind, Dani dove under said chair, pulled out a purple ball of wool, and jammed it into her trunk before climbing out of the portrait hole for the last time in the 1980s. (That is, if I did the math correctly.)
Dani went back down to the training grounds to find it seemingly empty, save for the Ford Anglia. Dani decided to just stash her trunk in the magically-expanded boot and sit in the car to wait for Charlie, away from the freezing cold. Charlie soon came back with a limp gnome in hand.
"...What and why?"
"It's a gnome," said Charlie. "I was just waiting for one to show up, because they apparently love all the think snow out here, then I chased this guy all the way to the courtyard before I got a stupefy in. This is the angel for the top of the tree."
"OK..."
"Anyway, let's hit the-"
Charlie tried to start the car, but it made a weird sputtering and wouldn't move.
"That sounded like a sick Ukrainian Ironbelly," grumbled Charlie. "I think we should ask Hagrid if he knows what's wrong. He has a flying motorbike."
************************************
"Ah," said Hagrid, staring at the open car hood. "Yeh haven't touched these parts, have yeh?"
"No," replied Charlie. "Did a part fall out while I was flying or something?"
Hagrid shook his head. "I dun think so, tha' be pretty unsafe... No, someone doesn't want yeh gone."
Hagrid gestured to Merula, who had been watching their every move from behind a wall.