Eternal Despair (Harry Potter/OC)

𝟞: Not So Holly-Jolly Christmas

Christmas, the holiday Enzo had been dreading, was fast approaching. It was a harsh reminder of his family's disregard for his well-being which was a much visible contrast to the happiness surrounding others, except for Harry, who found himself in a similar situation with the Dursleys.

Harry wasn't returning to Privet Drive for Christmas. 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 immediately. Enzo hadn't given it a second thought either.

This would probably be the best Christmas Harry had ever had. Enzo was staying, and so were Ron and his brothers, since Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were visiting Charlie in Romania.

Now, in mid-December, the chill in Professor Snape's dungeon classes was palpable. Their breath rose in misty clouds, and they huddled as close as possible to their hot cauldrons for warmth.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

He directed his sneer at Enzo and Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly. Harry, measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them, while Enzo, glaring daggers at Malfoy, contemplated various ways to humiliate him.

Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that Slytherin had lost, he'd tried to make everyone laugh by suggesting that wide-mouthed tree frogs would replace Harry and Enzo as Seeker and Chaser. Realizing nobody found this funny, as they were all impressed by how Enzo had scored and Harry had stayed on his broomstick, Malfoy reverted to taunting them about the only thing he could: their lack of proper families.

After the unpleasant lesson, they headed to the Great Hall for dinner.

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe adorned the walls, and twelve towering Christmas trees sparkled with tiny icicles and glittering candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

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

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who was trailing golden bubbles from his wand over the branches of a new tree.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

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

"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "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, that's all," said Enzo.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere-just give us a hint-I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

"Wait! Are we actually going to spend our break looking for Flamel? I thought this was just a scheme to make Hagrid feel bad for us and give us the answer!"

They ignored him as they reached the library.

"Guys!?"

Later, Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search.