Harry Potter and The Jade Dragon

Chapter 27 ~ Chinese New Year

Harry found himself sometimes thinking about the exchange programme over the next few weeks, and wondering if Shan and Robert were managing to talk things out. At night, he would lie in the dark and somehow, he would imagine himself back in the Astronomy Tower again, watching the meteors. He often lay awake in bed, looking at the images of his parents on his palm, and when he closed his eyes and went to sleep the images persisted in his mind, as if they were there with him, keeping watch over him.

Shan and Robert appeared in the Gryffindor common room shortly after breakfast on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. Something seemed different about them, but Harry couldn't figure out what. They looked the same as usual, Shan cheerful, and Robert placid. Shan, after greeting Harry, spent a while smiling and saying hello to the others. Robert, spotting Hermione in a corner doing her homework, took a rather battered book out from his robes, looked at it for a few moments, and then went over to her.

"This is for you," he said, holding the book out.

Hermione looked surprised.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get a new one," said Robert, as she took the book from him, "But it's a good book. One of my favourites."

Hermione was examining the book, an odd expression on her face.

"Are you sure you want me to have it?" she asked slowly.

Robert nodded.

"I've read it so often, I practically know all of it by heart, anyway."

Hermione turned the book around in her hands, looking thoughtful. Then, she took her quill out and handed it to him.

"Will you write something inside? Something I can remember you by."

Robert looked surprised, but took the book and quill. He thought for a few moments, then began writing. Hermione stood by, looking over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll write the English translation out, as well," he said, when he saw her expression.

Shan, seeing that Robert was busy, came over to Harry.

"Come and see Chien-Mei with me, Harry," she said, "and you can watch an old Chinese custom ... who knows, you might come away slightly richer, as well."

She grinned mischievously at him, then turned and climbed out of the portrait hole. Harry followed, feeling curious, but pleased that she was going to see Jeanne at last.

The minute Jeanne opened the door, Harry knew she wasn't well. She looked pale and tired, and appeared to have lost some weight. However, she was very pleased to see Shan.

Shan greeted her prettily in Chinese, and then reached inside her robes and took two large Mandarin oranges out, and offered them to Jeanne.

Jeanne looked surprised, but smiled and accepted the oranges. She then took several small envelopes made of bright red paper out of her pocket.

"Here you are, and you might as well take Robert's for him, too," she said, handing the envelopes to Shan. She smiled at Harry. "And there's one for you too, sir."

Harry took the red envelope and looked at it; a picture of a dragon was embossed on it, in gold. Opening it, he saw a bright gold Galleon inside.

"Thanks," he said, rather surprised.

Jeanne smiled in response, but then suddenly held one hand up to her mouth, and retched. She turned, and ran into the bathroom, and was violently sick.