Cursed With Curious Minds | Hp Next Generation

26 - Cryptic Christmas Communication

Christmas day rolled around very fast in the Williams household, and according to Astrid's parents – it would be the most exciting yet.

Ever since Astrid had come home, finally being allowed to perform magic, her parents had wanted an example of almost every spell she had learnt since first year.

It started when they noticed Astrid using 'wingardium leviosa' to levitate her tinsel into the top corners of her room, where she couldn't reach.

"Oh my god, Charlie, come look at this!" Astrid's mum had called down the stairs. They both marvelled at Astrid's abilities, while she sighed in embarrassment.

"Mum, it's a simple levitation spell, I learnt it in first year." She had said, however this led to Astrid having to demonstrate every spell she could remember in front of her awestruck parents, over the course of the next two weeks.

Astrid walked down the stairs on Christmas morning to find a full English laid out on the table.

"Merry Christmas!" Her mum said, kissing Astrid on the forehead and heaping a load of bacon onto her plate.

"Merry Christmas, mum." Astrid replied, tucking in straight away.

"Astrid! Your dad isn't down yet." Her mum scolded her.

Astrid, with a mouth full of bacon, responded, "You put it on my plate!" She sighed, but didn't eat anymore. Instead, she put a pile of crumpets on her plate before her dad came down and claimed them all.

A moment later he came down the stairs.

"Merry Christmas!" he announced, immediately picking up a crumpet off the table. "Bit cold down here, innit?"

Without thinking, Astrid pointed her wand at the fireplace and whispered "Incendio."

"Marvellous!" her dad exclaimed. "I don't know what we're going to do without you when you go back to Hogwarts next week."

"You'll cope just as you always have." Astrid replied, relived to finally be able to eat her bacon.

Astrid was glad that the conversation that morning didn't revolve entirely around magic, and she actually learnt a little bit about what the rest of her family had been doing in her absence.

"Your grandparents asked you what you got in your GCSEs." Astrid's mum said.

Astrid looked slightly concerned. They couldn't very well have said she got ten O.W.L.s. "What did you say?"

"We said you got all A*s!" her dad said. Astrid had gotten eight Os in her O.W.L.s – but her E in Herbology, and A in potions still haunted her.

Astrid choked on a crumpet. "That's a bloody lie."

"Well, we already lied and said you took – what's the word – muggle exams, so why not stretch the truth a little more?"

"They were very pleased." Astrid's mum added. "They sent you some chocolate."

Astrid chuckled to herself. She loved being a witch, but not being able to tell half her family about it was quite frustrating.

Soon the food on the table was almost cleared, save for one last egg – which no one wanted and had gone cold – so Astrid's mum decided it was time for presents.

Astrid walked into the lounge to find a small pile of presents, wrapped in sparkly blue wrapping paper. She immediately reached for the one at the front, and unwrapped it hastily.

Underneath were three beautiful hand-stitched robes. One was a pearlescent blue-silver colour, embellished with silver stars; another was deep red, with a translucent red overlay decorated in small, stitched flowers; and the last was a sleek black, with a sewn-in, rose-type pattern that seemed to glow faintly with strands of magic.