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[ philosopher's stone ]
CHRISTMAS WAS COMING. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.
No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.
"I do feel so sorry," Draco Malfoy said, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Maya had flicked her wand under the table, causing Malfoy's ingredients to tumble ━━ but he was quick to order his goons to take care of it. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realised that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about how he wouldn't be able to spend Christmas with his God-parents this year.
Harry said that Remus and Sirius had gotten into some trouble with the ministry, saying that apparently Fudge had said 'no' toward Remus being given a job for a reason Harry had obviously avoided and Sirius had had a fight with the minister right in court.
Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.
Maya was still planning to head home for Priya, but she mentioned to the two that if anything came up, they were to send her a letter straight away and she'd try and write back if she found anything in the library around the corner.
When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.
