human again / hp.

Chapter 14

The chill of Christmas morning seeped into the Gryffindor dormitory, but it was nothing compared to the warmth spreading across the castle. Snow blanketed the grounds, and the smell of roasted chestnuts wafted faintly through the air. I stirred under my blanket, reluctant to leave its warmth, until a loud, excited voice pulled me out of my dreams.

"Celeste! Wake up!"

I groaned, blinking against the dim light spilling through the curtains around my bed. Ron's freckled face peeked through, grinning widely. His hair was an unruly mess, as usual, and he wore a bright maroon sweater with a large golden R stitched on the front.

"Come on, sleepyhead! It's Christmas!"

Harry appeared behind him, his sweater bearing an H, looking both amused and a little bashful. "Ron's mum made us these," Harry said, tugging at the hem of the sweater. "Guess she didn't know you'd be here, or you'd probably have one too."

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "They're... festive," I said with a small laugh, which only made Ron puff out his chest proudly.

"They're brilliant, that's what they are," Ron said, flopping down on the end of my bed. "Come on, let's go open presents!"

As they dragged me down to the common room, the atmosphere was electric. Only a few students had stayed for the holidays, I didn't because our Parents told us they had to do something, but Gryffindor Tower felt alive with the hum of excitement. A pile of presents lay waiting under the tree, twinkling with the light of enchanted candles.

Ron was the first to dive in. He tore through the wrapping paper with the enthusiasm of someone who had clearly been waiting all night. He unwrapped a Chudley Cannons scarf from his dad and a bag of homemade fudge from his mum. "Yes! More food!" he cheered, already unwrapping a piece.

Harry went next, unboxing his gifts with a mix of curiosity and awe. He opened a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, a tin of treacle tart from Hagrid, and finally, a long, silvery package that made both Ron and Me confused.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

Harry unfolded the object in his hands "It's some kind of cloak."

"A cloak, let's see, then. Put it on." I said in exitment.

As Harry put it on and his body disappeared, I quickly realised that it wasn't just any cloak, it was an Invisibility cloak.

Harry held it up, the fabric shimmering like water in the firelight. "It was my dad's," he said quietly, reading the note that had come with it. "No idea who sent it, though, it just said "Use it well"."

"It's amazing," I whispered, reaching out to touch it. The fabric felt like liquid silk under my fingers, and my mind immediately began racing with possibilities.

"Just imagine all the stuff we could do with this," Ron said, grinning wickedly.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," I teased, though I couldn't deny the cloak's allure.

I turned back to my own small pile of gifts, suddenly feeling nervous. Most of them were from home—well, not my home, but from Narcissa. She always sent elegant, impersonal presents: books on wizarding etiquette, silver hairpins, a set of enchanted quills. They were beautiful but cold, just like her.

But then I spotted two smaller packages wrapped in slightly lumpy paper.

The first was from Ron. Inside was a Gryffindor scarf, slightly frayed at the edges but warm and soft. A note was tucked inside: Thought you might need this—welcome to the family. Ron.

I felt a lump in my throat as I pulled the scarf closer. "Thank you, Ron," I said, my voice soft.

"Ah, it's nothing," he said, his ears going pink.

The second package was from Harry. It was a small, leather-bound notebook with an elegant golden clasp. Inside, the pages were blank but charmed to shimmer faintly, as if waiting for secrets.

"For your thoughts," Harry said, looking a little awkward. "Or, you know, notes for class. Whichever."

"It's perfect," I said sincerely, running my fingers over the cover.

I handed them their gifts—small but thoughtful. For Ron, a set of enchanted chess pieces I'd saved up for after seeing how much he loved playing wizard's chess. For Harry, a quill charmed to always correct spelling errors, something Hermione had mentioned he might appreciate.

"This is brilliant!" Ron said, already pitting the chess pieces against each other in a mock duel.

Harry smiled, turning the quill over in his hands. "Thanks, Celeste. Really."

The moment was warm, a snapshot of genuine joy. For a few minutes, I forgot about Draco's threats or my father's disapproval. Here, in this room, I was just another Gryffindor celebrating Christmas with my friends.

The calm didn't last long.

"Right," Ron said, breaking the quiet as we lounged near the fireplace. "We've got work to do."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ron leaned closer, lowering his voice. "The dog. The one on the third floor. I think we've almost figured out what it's guarding."

I blinked. "You have?"

Ron nodded eagerly. "Hagrid let it slip the other day. He said it's guarding something to do with Nicolas Flamel."

The name rang a faint bell, but I couldn't place it. "Nicolas Flamel?" I asked.

"Exactly," Ron said, his voice brimming with excitement. "And that's where the invisibility cloak comes in."

Harry frowned slightly. "You want to break into the library on Christmas?"

"Not just any part of the library," Ron said. "The Restricted Section."

My heart raced at the thought. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious," Ron replied. "If we can find out who Flamel is, we'll know what the dog's guarding."

Harry hesitated, glancing at me. "What do you think, Celeste?"

I hesitated. The thought of sneaking into the Restricted Section terrified me, but curiosity burned just as brightly. If the dog was guarding something as important as they thought, wouldn't it be worth the risk?

"I think," I said slowly, "do we all even fit under it?"

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." Ron groaned. 

"Well it's only fair if Harry goes since he actually got the cloak." I insisted

"Okay so we've got a plan." Harry stated.