The Mysterious Heir

Chapter 8, Book 1, "Christmas at Hogwarts"

Harry's POV

Christmas is coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts wakes up to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake is frozen solid and the Weasley twins and Polaris are punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they follow Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that manage to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail have to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they can fly off again. Nobody can wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall have roaring fires, the drafty corridors have become icy and a bitter wind rattles the windows in the classrooms. The worst of it is Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where our breath rises in a mist before us and we keep as close as possible to the hot cauldrons. "I do feel so sorry," says Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He looks over at me as he says this. Crabbe and Goyle chuckle. I am too busy to react. Malfoy has been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that Slytherin lost, he tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing me as Seeker next. Then, when he realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way I had managed to stay on my bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, has gone back to taunting me about having no proper family. When we exit the class an hour later, we find a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a large puffing sound tells us that Hagrid is behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asks, sticking his head through the branches. "Nah, I'm all right, thanks."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" comes Malfoy's cold drawl from behind us. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to become gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's probably used to."

Ron's ears go red.

Ron then dives at Malfoy just as Snape comes up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron lets go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," says Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family." "Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," says Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle push roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking. "I'll get him," says Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -"

"I hate them both," I say, "Malfoy and Snape." "Hope you don't hate me, Harry." Polaris' voice comes from behind us "Oh, no, not you, just your cousin." I clarify "Just checking." Says Polaris "Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," says Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."

So the four of us follow Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick are busy with the Christmas decorations. "Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looks spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hang all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stand around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.