I woke on Christmas morning to my owl Phoenix tapping the window, I decided to buy her a few months ago after borrowing Hedwig a few times I figured it wasn't fair on Harry to keep using his owl. Phoenix is a completely black snowy owl, apparently she's some magical miracle her parents are both snowy owls just like Hedwig but she was born pure black. I fell in love with her instantly.
I get up opening the window and letting her in she's carrying a small note on her leg. I take the note before placing her on the perch and getting her some treats.
Meet us in the common room with your presents- F&G
I grab my pile of presents and head down to the common room where the twins are waiting for me. Harry, Ron and Hermione are there too.
"Finally" Fred shouts as he spots me, I place my presents on the floor next to his and sit down.
"Another jumper from Mum. Maroon again see if you've all got one" Ron says looking at us all. We all found the presents from Mrs. Weasley. Harry opened his first to reveal a scarlet jumper with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. I opened mine next to reveal a black jumper with a purple dragon, some christmas cake like Harry, some toffee and some sugar quills.
"I love your mum so much" I smile at the twins who are holding up their own jumpers. They both have green jumpers with their initial's on.
"What is it with her and putting our initial's on our jumpers. Do you think it's so she can tell us apart" George says.
"Maybe" I smile at him before opening the rest of my presents. I have 3 chocolate bars from Moony which is funnily enough exactly what I got him, a box of my favourite sweets from Fred and George as well as a box of sugar quills from Ron and Harry, Hermione got me a new quill set which I absolutely love and got her a notebook in return, Charlie got me another dragon book this time on Norwegian Ridgebacks and Ollie got me some new muggle books. I pick up the last one which doesn't have a note but I suspect it might be from Pad's. Opening it I find a beautiful locket with a rose on the front, opening it I find 2 photo's one of me with my mum and dad and the other is me with Pad's and Moony I smile at it before hearing Ron speak.
"What's that?" He says pointing to one of Harry's presents that s a long thin package.
"Dunno" Harry rips the parcel open and everyone gasps as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto the floor in front of him. Ron dropped his socks he was holding and jumped closer for a better look.
"I don't believe it," he said hoarsely. It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry kept going to see in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go it hung in mid air, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.
"Who sent it to you?" Ron said in a hushed voice. I had a very good idea as to who had sent it but I can't tell them anything yet.
"Look and see if there's a card," Harry said as Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings.
"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"
"Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."
"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously"
"That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just Passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this "
"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron.
"Ron the cloak was a bit different he was just giving it back to our family. I really don't think it was him" I say quickly.
"I know who it could've been, Lupin!"
"What?" said Harry, now starting to laugh himself "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."
"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you"
"Lupins presents there Harry so definitely wasn't him and also don't be a dick about his robes" I say pointing at a present that was the same as mine from Moony.
"Sorry Ror" Harry muttered before him and Ron started coming up with more theories.
"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," Ron said happily.
"Well who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?" Hermione piped in.
"Who cares?" Ron answered her impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" Hermione said shrilly. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it sweep the floor?" Ron spat back at her. But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang at Ron's chest. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" He bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pyjamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the table knocking it over and causing him to hop up and down, howling with pain. "You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," He said furiously, sitting on a chair nursing his toe. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage whilst me and the twins attempted not to laugh at him.
At lunchtime we all went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy looking tailcoat.
"Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore greeted us as we approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables. Sit down, sit down!" We all took a seat "Crackers!" he said enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witchs hat topped with a stuffed vulture. We all smiled after the memory of Neville's boggart that spread around the school. Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once. "Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.
As we all started placing food on our plates the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honour of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.
"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said standing up.
"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness" The woman was nuts but harmless I guess
"Certainly, certainly," Dumbledore replied his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair" And he did indeed draw a chair in mid air with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down, her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.
"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen!Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"
"We'll risk it, Sibyll," Professor McGonagall said impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold." Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen. "Tripe, Sibyll?" I tried not to laugh as Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more before speaking again.
"But where is dear Professor Lupin?"
"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again. Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day." Dumbledore told her
"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" Professor McGonagall said raising her eyebrows at her. Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.
"Certainly I knew, Minerva" she said quietly before continuing. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All- Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous"
"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly. Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty. Good old Minnie, I smile to myself catching her eye before sending her a quick wink as a small smile appeared on her face.
"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him"
"Imagine that," McGonagall said dryly.
"I doubt," Dumbledore said in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"
"Yes, Headmaster" The rest of dinner went by rather uneventfully. Before long we all stand to head back except Hermione who stays to talk to McGonagall.
"So that's it, is it?" McGonagall says walking over to the Firebolt "Miss Granger has informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter" Everyone looks at Hermione whose forehead could be seen over her book turning red. "May I" McGonagall picks up the broom "Hmm. And there was no note at all Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"
"No" Harry answers finally.
"I see. Well I'm afraid I will have to take this Potter"
"W -- what?" Harry said, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"
"It will need to be checked for jinxes. Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down"
"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.
"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," Professor McGonagall added. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" Harry said, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor "
"You can't know that, Potter," Professor McGonagall answered him quite kindly," not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed." Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.
"What did you go running to McGonagall for?" Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.
"Because I thought and Professor McGonagall agrees with me that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!" I mean she's not wrong. Grabbing the twins arms I decide it might be a good idea to leave them to it we head outside into the snow. I take a seat on the wall and decide to write some letters.
Dear Mrs Weasley aka my adopted mother,
I hope you and Mr Weasley are well.
Thank you for the presents. I absolutely love the jumper I think it's now going to be one of my favourite's. I hope you've had a lovely christmas and I can't wait to see you in the summer.
Love Aurora
I fold it before starting on one to Charlie.
Dear Charlie,
Thank you for the book I love it and can't wait to read it. I hope you had a nice christmas and avoided getting too many burns. How's Norberta? I feel like an update might bring Hagrid some happiness which he could definitely do with. He's got a hearing for Buckbeak attacking a student. I mean what did the stupid blonde ferret expect, Hagrid told them all hippogriffs are proud animals and easily insulted and did he listen no he called a hippogriff ugly. I hate that boy so much an animals most likely going to be killed because he's an idiot.
Anyway enough of my rant, how's Romania and how are all the adorable dragons? Are there any baby ones at the moment? If there are I want Pictures.
Hope to see you soon.
Love Nova x
Once I've finished I fold it placing it in my pocket to send later.
"Guys can we go in now I'm freezing" I call to the twins standing and waiting for them to follow which they do as we all head back in to the common room which is now empty.