Faux Bravery

Christmas in the Castle

Christmas was fast approaching and the world agreed. It was getting colder and colder until one day mid-December when the Castle awoke to a couple feet of snow. The Black Lake was frozen over and I spent most of my free time helping Hagrid nurse Owls back to health before they braved the snow again. Aquila stayed in the safety of the Gryffindor common room, perched next to the fire for as long as she could. The halls of the castle were chilly, and almost froze my legs every time I went to my next class. I managed to catch up with Hagrid, Harry, Hermione and Ron in the Great Hall, which looked amazing. Decorations lined the walls and at least twelve large Christmas trees dotted the exterior, laden with decorations such as icicles and candles. "How many days you got left until 'yer holidays?" Hagrid asked us.

"Just one." Hermione responded. "And that reminds me, Harry, Ron, Kenzie, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh yeah, you're right." Ron realised.

"The library?" Hagrid questioned as he followed the four of us out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? But keen, aren't 'yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working." Harry told him with a grin. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel, we've been trying to find out who he is."

"You what?" Hagrid's face fell into one of shock. "Listen here, I've told yeh, drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is." Hermione told him.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry asked slyly.

"We've been through almost every book in the library at least twice." I told the half-giant. "My brain is going numb. Do you think you'd be able to give us a hint or something? Tell us something to nudge us in the right direction."

"I'm sayin' nothin'." Hagrid huffed.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then." Ron stated. And with that, we left a disgruntled Hagrid alone as we continued to the library. Our only problem was not knowing where to start. Hermione had us looking through books from every section of the library. He wasn't in any books that related to important Wizards and we had to even branch out to other subjects. Harry had to leave, ordered to by the librarian Madam Pince. Even so, we weren't able to find anything before it was time to head for lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" Hermione asked. "And send me an Owl if you find anything."

"And you can ask your parents if they know who Flamel is." Ron said to her. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists." My eyebrows pinched together.

"What's a dentist?" I asked her.

I admit, because of the holidays, Harry, Ron and I were more focused on fun rather than research. I was the only girl in my year who stayed so I had the entire dorm room to myself, the common room was practically empty every day so the good chairs by the fire were almost always free which Harry, Ron and I crowded around roasting everything that could be over the fire. Ron taught Harry Wizards Chess, I was never good at it so every time my brother and I played, I always lost to him. Harry seemed to pick it up easily but the Chessmen he played with didn't trust him at all. When Christmas rolled around, I was pleased with the presents that were gathered at the end of my bed. I grinned at the first one, a lumpy parcel with Mum's intricate handwriting. I unwrapped it and pulled on my jumper. It was black, with a 'K' stitched in the middle of my chest in gold. I pressed my nose into it and smiled, the smell of home warming my heart. Mum's fudge was wrapped in the fabric as well which was a slice of heaven. Hagrid had managed to get me a book on Magical Creatures which I loved, Hermione got me a book on Muggle animals that she said her parents had no use for and a book on dentistry that both my Dad and I would enjoy. Ginny even managed to send me a gift, a handmade card with mini fireworks that exploded when you opened it. Bill sent over an enchanted scarab from Egypt and Charlie managed to send over some Dragon Scales from Romania. After opening my presents, I found Fred and George in the common room, donned in their own Weasly jumpers and we went up the stairs toward Ron and Harry's dorm. "Merry Christmas!" I greeted as we walked in. Ron's maroon jumper was tossed to the side and even Harry had one, his in emerald green with a large 'H' in the middle that was sitting on his bed.

"Hey look, Harry's got a Weasley jumper too!" George said happily.

"Harry's is better than ours though." Fred commented as he picked up the garment. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

"Mum makes them all with love." I reminded him, snatching the fabric out of his hands and offering it back to the glasses-wearing boy.

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George questioned. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."

"I hate maroon." Ron groaned as he reluctantly pulled it on,

"You haven't got a letter on yours. I suppose she thinks don't forget your name, but we're not stupid. We know we're called 'Gred' and 'Forge'."

"What's all this noise?" A voice demanded from the doorway. We turned to see Percy sticking his head through the door with the most displeased look on his face. He had his own jumper thrown across his arm which Fred noticed immediately. He seized it and alongside George and tried to force it over Percy's head.

"'P' for Prefect!" Fred ordered. "Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one!"

"I-don't-want!" Percy started to protest, but the twins managed to pull it on him, making his glasses lopsided.

"And you're not sitting with the Prefects today." George added. "Christmas is a time for family." And with that statement, Fred and George forced our older brother to frog-march out of the room.

We had an early Christmas dinner and it was an extravagant affair. Massive roast turkeys, potatoes cooked in any way you can think of, peas, carrots, gravy and cranberry sauce, and there were large stacks of Wizard Crackers across every table. Aquila had come down for the feast and was happily munching on treats offered by teachers and students alike. She especially liked the mice that Harry won in his cracker with Fred. After the main meal disappeared, it was replaced by flaming Christmas pudding. I felt sorry for Percy as he almost broke a tooth on a silver sickle in his slice. Hagrid was getting drunker by the minute and I could tell a couple of the professors were a little tipsy too.

That afternoon we had an epic snowball fight out in the grounds and after getting both sweaty and cold, dripping with melted snow, we returned to the common room. We ate our fill of tea, crumpets and sandwiches, Harry lost spectacularly to Ron in a game of Wizards Chess with his new chessman, and then we watched as Percy chased Fred and George around the Common Room after they stole his Prefect badge. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow