Spellbound → Hermione Granger [1] ✔

I 09 I A Jinxed Broom

~*~

As they entered November, the weather turned chilly. Every morning, the ground donned their jackets of ice sequins. There was a biting chill in the air that brought a crispness to the leaves, bejewelled with frost, that crunched underfoot. Winter was Alexander's favourite season; wearing jumpers, drinking hot chocolate, and feeling soft snow. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver-skin boots. It made him appear even more like a giant.

When the 19th of November rolled around, Alexander turned twelve years old. It was his first birthday without Grandfather and Eliot, but Alexander didn't allow himself to feel too disheartened. He had his friends with him after all. The rest of the boys in the dormitories sang him happy birthday when he woke up. It was the first time they were all awake before him. Alexander chuckled at Ron's off-tune voice which sounded like a warthog trying to sing.

'I don't think singing is a career to explore, Ron,' he smirked.

Ron narrowed his eyes at him while the rest laughed.

'Yeah, yeah, whatever - shut up, you lot,' scoffed Ron teasingly, then grinned while pointing to a pile near the end of Alexander's bed. 'Come on, mate, get up - you've got presents.'

Alexander felt a jolt of surprise. Feeling much more alert, he shoved the covers off and walked towards the pile.

'Go on, Alex,' encouraged Neville. 'Open them.'

'Yeah, before Ron does it for you,' Dean joked while Seamus snickered.

'Oi!'

Ron's present was a packet of chocolate frogs, Harry's was a collection of wizard sweets. He thanked the two and, to his amusement, Ron's cheeks turned red while Harry scratched the side of his neck and refused to look at him. Neville gave him a book on Herbology which was very useful.

'Thanks, mate,' he grinned. 'This will help me a lot.'

Neville smiled bashfully.

Dean got him a notebook and Seamus, an ink set.

'Thanks, guys, I'm grateful for all of this.'

Fred sent him a single sock and George sent him the other pair. Alexander laughed at the twins' ingenuity. Ron groaned at his brothers' joke and muttered something under his breath.

'At least they didn't give you a present that makes your voice sound like a canary,' said Ron.

Alexander smirked. 'Let me guess, they did that to you?'

Ron scowled and the tips of his ears turned scarlet. 'Yeah, on my tenth birthday. Mind you, mum was furious with them.'

The dormitory rang with playful laughter. Alexander felt his heart swell as he stared at his friends. He couldn't have asked for a better birthday. Most of the other presents were books and sweets from his classmates. He even received a woolly hat and scarf from Nia and Helen. He internally promised to write handwritten thank-you notes to everyone later.