A Whole Different World

Chapter 25 - Christmas

Christmas at Hogwarts was a beautiful thing, and Mackenzie was happy it had finally arrived; it was a nice change in discussion from dementors and escaped prisoners to presents and kisses under mistletoe. Mackenzie loved Christmas, she had so many memories of Christmas every year at home, her family gathered around the Christmas tree, her brother and sister just wanting to open their presents, her mother singing Christmas carols in French, and Mackenzie and her father sitting by the fireplace, her father listening to her talk excitedly about Santa Claus and telling her that she was Santa's favourite kid to visit. It wouldn't be like that this year, Mackenzie was staying at Hogwarts, and her parents were still travelling. She would go back with Eden and her family, but she didn't want to impose. It wasn't as if she would be alone at Hogwarts anyway, Laura and Aneesha were staying. Laura told her parents she was behind in some schoolwork, but Mackenzie knew she was well ahead on her schoolwork and just did not want to see her family. Aneesha's parents didn't have enough money for her to come home, so she stayed at Hogwarts, which she didn't really mind.

Mackenzie was the only person sitting in the library when a small owl flew over her head and dropped a small parcel on her lap. She picked it up, it was just a small brown paper wrapped parcel, and there was no name on it, and it was so small it couldn't possibly have a card in it. She glanced around the library. No one was around, so it couldn't have possibly been for someone else. She could hear voices outside, but they were so faint they would not have been coming from outside the library. She put the parcel to the side and tried to focus on the letter she was writing to her sister.

Dear Georgia,

Merry Christmas! I ho-

She couldn't concentrate. She kept glancing at the package, as if staring at it would somehow make it open. She didn't know why she was so hesitant to open it, after all it could just be some sweets from Amy. But then it could also be some practical joke that will explode in her face from Keira. She snatched it up from the table and felt it. It was solid, probably not sweets. She put it down and continued writing.

-pe that you have a fantastic Christmas and-

"What's this?" Mackenzie's head snapped up to see Laura standing there holding the package with Aneesha by her side.

"I have no idea." Mackenzie answered.

"Who's it from?" Aneesha asked,

"No idea." Mackenzie said again.

"Well Mackenzie, maybe if you opened it you'd know what was in it." Laura said. Mackenzie could sense the really Mackenzie? tone that Laura liked to use on her.

"I'm scared to open it." Mackenzie answered; she shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

"Why are-" Laura was interrupted as Aneesha excitedly said – more like squealed – "I'll do it!"

"Go ahead, it's probably some exploding crap from Keira." Mackenzie said.

"Can't be," Aneesha said as she started peeling off the sticky-tape from the wrapping, "her mum's not letting her send out presents to everyone because they don't have enough money."

"Oh." Mackenzie said.

"It is-" Aneesha's expression went from excited to confused as she took the present out of the package, "-a rock."

Laura started laughing. Mackenzie's head cocked to the side.

"Why would someone send me a rock?"

"I don't know, here." Aneesha placed it in Mackenzie's hand.

"Does a rock mean anything to you?" Laura asked Mackenzie. Mackenzie studied the rock and then gasped. Laura raised her eyebrows.

"It's not a rock you idiot!" She said looking up at Aneesha, "It's my birth stone!"

"That's so cute! Do you know who sent it?" Laura asked.

Mackenzie shook her head, "None of you know my birthstone. Except...Ella! She has the same one as me. Maybe she sent it?" Aneesha and Laura nodded in agreement. Mackenzie pushed aside her letter to Georgia and grabbed a new piece of parchment to write a letter to Ella.

Dear Ella,

Hi! Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a lovely time. Did you sent me a parcel without a name on it? The only person I could think of who would have sent me it was you. I hope your Christmas is magical (get it?). Say hi to Anna for me.

Love from Mackenzie.

"Come on, we'll go to the owlery." Laura said. All three of them were curious to know if the present really was from Ella.

*****

The tree in the great hall was huge and carols could be heard being sung under the breaths of many students. Mackenzie was humming her favourite Christmas song 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas' under breath when she sat down in the great hall for the Christmas feast, which Laura was getting very annoyed with. Since there weren't many kids remaining at Hogwarts the three friends sat together at the Hufflepuff table. They had all decided to wear 'ugly Christmas jumpers', and had exchanged presents that morning. Laura had gotten Aneesha a Kenmare Kestrels bed spread, and gotten Mackenzie a '1001 ways to make cupcakes with magic' cooking book. Mackenzie had gotten Laura a yellow dress, and had gotten Aneesha a pair of black boots. Aneesha got Laura a small model of Santa's village that she enchanted to have movement and real snow, and got Mackenzie a miniature Christmas tree that she had enchanted so the leaves changed colour.

Mackenzie missed Christmas with her family, but Christmas at Hogwarts was something she was glad to experience. It was so beautiful – even with dementors around the castle. Mackenzie could see how happy everybody was, and she wished that people would be that happy all year round.

There was so much food at the feast; Mackenzie ate so much pudding she felt her stomach bloat a bit.

"I wonder if anyone gives the house-elves any presents." Aneesha said sadly.

"Can we even go into the kitchen?" Laura asked,

"I know how," Aneesha said, "can we go after dinner?"

"Yeah, but let's not get caught." Laura replied, Mackenzie nodded in agreement.

*****

Mackenzie waited outside the Hufflepuff common room for Laura and Aneesha. They had gone to grab presents for the house-elves. Mackenzie had grabbed a stuffed toy she had gotten for her brother when she thought she would be home for Christmas, before her parents told her they were going away. She heard footsteps and turned to see Laura and Aneesha walking over to her. Laura was carrying a tambourine and Aneesha was holding a snow globe.

"Nice." Mackenzie said to the other girls, gesturing to their presents.

"I know." Laura replied. Aneesha walked her eyes and walked up to the kitchen.

"I've seen the twins do this before." She reached up and touched, no, tickled the pear. The door swung open. Aneesha turned around and gave the other girls a proud smile, then walked into the kitchen.

*****

They left the kitchen happy. The elves had thanked them over and over for their gifts and kept offering them food (which they declined after the feast they had just eaten). Mackenzie could see that Aneesha cared about the house-elves, and she even noticed that she had gotten emotional in the kitchen.

The three girls had sat outside the Hufflepuff common room talking until a prefect came and told them off for being up and about the castle so late. Laura and Aneesha walked back to their common rooms, and Mackenzie got up and went into hers. As she got into bed that night, she was thinking that even with all the scary things happening in the world, she had never been happier.

*****

When she woke up in the morning she found a letter on her bedside table. Ella. She opened the letter up.

Dear Mackenzie,

Merry Christmas! Anna says hi back! No, I did not send you a parcel. What was inside it? Maybe it was from someone inside the castle. See you soon.

Love from Ella.

Mackenzie sighed. Now she had a perfect gift and she had no idea who sent it to her.