Harriet Lily Potter

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

This Christmas was definitely Harriet’s favorite one, mainly because she was spending it with her long lost brother, she found it a bit sad thought that Uncle Remus was not feeling all well because of his transformation the night before.

She visited him and gave him his present right after she got herself fixed after opening her presents inside her dorm. Mrs. Weasley, who had sent her children and Harry homemade sweaters, sent Harriet one too. She found it quite sweet.

At lunch time they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House Tables have been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only two other students, a extremely nervous-looking First Year and a sullen-faced Slytherin Fifth year.

“Merry Christmas!” said Dumbledore as Harry, Harriet, Ron and Hermione approached the table. “As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables…. Sit down, sit down!”

Harry, Harriet, Ron and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table.

“Crackers!” said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch’s hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry, Ron and Harriet grinned. Obviously remembering the boggart.

“Dig in!” Dumbledore advised the table, beaming around.

As Harriet drank her pumpkin juice, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly. Harriet always worried about her mental capacity.

“Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!” said Dumbledore, standing up.

“I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster,” said the Professor in her mistiest, most faraway voice “and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…”

“Certainly, certainly,” said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. “Let me draw you up a chair –“

And he did draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall, Harriet laughed silently to herself at McGonagall’s annoyed expression.

Professor Trelawney however, did not sit down. Her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

“I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing can be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!”

“We’ll risk it, Sybill,” said Professor McGonagall impatiently, “Do sit down the turkey’s getting stone cold.”

Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as thought expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Harriet found the next events quite funny because of McGonagall’s’ obvious annoyance at the Divination teacher; she did her best not to laugh of course. When Uncle Remus was brought up by one of the teachers though, Harriet felt extremely sad that he wasn’t able to be there. Harry of course told her to cheer up and they’ll visit him later.

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of the Christmas dinner two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their party hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

“My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?”

“Dunno,” said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.

“I doubt it will make much difference,” said Professor McGonagall coldly, “Unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall.”

Even Ron laughed, Harriet did too as she got up. She couldn’t help but give Professor Trelawney a cold look who looked highly affronted by McGonagall even though McGonagall was always quite strict and all, Harriet found her cool and actually one of her favorite teachers, especially now that she just practically insulted a fellow teacher.