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𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀'𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑. She had always thought Christmas at Hogwarts was the most magical of seasons. The turrets covered with snow, as well as the cobblestone courtyard and the vast treetops. The Black Lake was frozen over, the ice thick enough to allow students to skate.
The halls were always alive with cheer as everyone prepared for the break from classes for the holiday break and returning home to their families. Harry always stayed on the grounds and Ron often stayed with him. The previous years, Ella and Hermione would return home together to celebrate the holidays with their brother and parents.
This year, however, Atlas was going on a trip to the Americas with some of his friends and their parents decided to book a week-long cruise across the Mediterranean. Ella wouldn't be staying at Hogwarts this year, unlike her sister, who chose to have Christmas with Ron and Harry. Cedric had invited Ella to join him and his father on a trip to France during the holiday. She had originally declined, feeling guilty at the mere thought of abandoning her baby sister, but when Hermione found out she ran to Cedric and accepted on her behalf, more than happy for her sister to go.
It was late Friday evening and Ella would be departing with Cedric early the next morning. She knew she should go to bed so she could be alert for the trip, but she was too busy finishing her gifts. She had already finished packing and her last task before leaving was to leave them out for her loved ones. The process was taking slower than usual as Crookshanks was hanging out with her that evening – Ron having screamed at Hermione for the hundredth time that year for him going after Scabbers – and was trying to steal her packages and containers of food she was wrapping.
She already had wrapped a new winter coat for her sister, a new tie for Percy, a pair of dress shoes Ginny had been eyeing for her, extendable Mary Poppins-style pouches for the twins, a Bulgarian Quidditch team scarf for Ron, and a Quidditch broom cleaning kit for Harry. She had already sent Atlas's gift home earlier that week – a package of magical candies that he was only allowed to open in the privacy of his room.
She was currently packing up two large goodie baskets full of treats for her two furry friends (though she suspected if Remus heard her call him such would never speak to her again). She was packing a closed picnic basket with a soft yellow blanket both with a heating charm to survive the freezing temperatures for Wolfie, and a smaller basket with red tissue paper for Remus.
She had begged Snape to use the potions lab that previous weekend. Originally, he had refused immediately, but when he realized he would not have to make wolfsbane potions that month during his break, he conceded. He didn't have a soft spot for the girl by any means, but he was glad to be rid of the task for a month. Lovella was a skilled student, and he was confident she could make the potions perfectly. She had made a batch of six wolfsbane remedies, all in matching thin vials with a purple ribbon tied in a bow at their caps. She also bought some snacks and sweets from Hogsmeade, hoping they would make him feel better as he recovered from the next full moon – including chocolate, of course.
