Like A Flower Blooming

Chapter 16

The month passed quickly and soon Christmas Break started. I had signed up as soon as the clipboard had gone around for staying at school during the vacation period. I spent the days, trying not to be hit by snowballs, enchanted by Fred or George or Amy Jordan, their best friend and fellow prankster or, as Filch called them, hooligan. 
I was spending my time with Ron and Hermione trying to find out who Flamel was. The name sounded vaguely familiar and when we told Hagrid, he growled at us and slapped his forehead for ever giving us this clue.

I skimmed through the books, Most Magical Names of This Century, ancestry books and many others just trying to find the name ‘Flamel.’
One day, during breakfast, Ron found out I’d never played or heard about wizard chess. So the next few days me and Ron spent together with Ron teaching me the rules and then kicking my butt when we advanced to actually playing it.
Percy tried to help me and I got better and better over time. As Christmas got closer, you could see Hagrid dragging in giant pine trees as easily as if it was a sled. People were spending more time, helping decorate the school than actually doing their break work. 
I was one of these people. And so was Ron. We spent more time throwing snowballs at, mostly, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle ( with the help of Fred and George). Hermione prefered curling up to the warm fireplace with a good book while I liked being outside, probably a trait from long-dead Dad. From the little I’d found out about him, he had been an amazing Seeker, a huge troublemaker and had definitely hated Snape( which I didn’t blame since he didn’t make it hard). 
The Christmas feast was incredible with twenty-six Christmas trees lined around the Great Hall. The four long tables had been replaced with a few big round tables around the Great Hall. Me, Ron and Hermione sat at one of the tables, waiting for everyone else to come in and have dinner start. 
A few minutes later, everyone was sitting down and the food appeared. The food was three times as amazing as usual. There were the usual party tricks except these were three times better.
When you pulled the string, it didn’t shoot confetti. It went off with a BANG!! and engulfed you with smoke and when it cleared, you were holding a gift. Soon, I had my own wizard chess set, a makeup set, coloring pencils and a few more drawing notebooks, some more art supplies and some jewelry.
Professor Dumbledore had traded his pointy wizard hat for a flower bouquet and was listening to a joke that Professor Flitwick was telling him, chuckling merrily. 
The food was amazing with huge turkeys and ice cream scoops that rose to the ceiling. I need to stay here during Easter. The less I stay with the Dursleys, the happier I am!! 
I hadn’t thought about the Dursleys in a while. I guessed that Dudley was going to Smeltings, hopefully had his tail removed and was bullying every kid in the school.
He probably had gotten fifty birthday presents so far. I wondered where all the old birthday presents were by now: in the trash can, in my old cupboard or in my room.
After eating to my heart’s content, I walked upstairs, carrying all the presents and put them in my trunk, feeling that this was the best Christmas of my life.
The next morning, I woke up to Hermione’s shaking. 
“ Come on! Presents!” she screeched. I groaned and turned over. I felt the flip and opened my eyes as I flew in the air and landed on the floor, head first.
“ Hermione!!!!” I groaned, massaging my sore head. 
“ Come on!!” she grabbed my arm and pulled me, in my PJ’s, to the front of my bed where there was a large stack of gifts. 
I grabbed my the first gift on the top and ripped open the envelope:
Dear Ari,
Merry Christmas! Just a present from all the Weasleys! I hope school has been fine and that everyone has been nice! Again... Merry Christmas!
Love, 
Molly Weasley 
I reminded myself to write a note to her, thanking her for the present as I ripped open the package. There was a green knitted sweater with an A on it. Underneath the sweater was a small Merry Christmas cake! 
I cut myself a small slice and smiled. It tasted really good! The next present was from the Dursleys. They’d sent a ten cent piece and a toothpick as a present. There was no note and I didn’t really care about that.
The next gift was from Hermione. She’d given me some jewelry, seeing that I didn’t have any. There were a few pairs of earrings, a necklace with an A on it, another necklace with a witch riding a broomstick charm hanging off it. When I touched the charm, the witch came to life, smiling and waving at me as she rode her broomstick around. 
I caught the necklace as it flew away and the witch reverted to her frozen form at my touch. Ron had given me a fuzzy blue hat and matching gloves probably because I got so cold at winter time. 
Hagrid had given me a flute that looked like it’d been carved by him. The last gift was light but was wrapped pretty sturdy with a lot of twine. I cut off the twine and undid the paper wrapping. On top was a note written in cursive:
Your father left this in my possession shortly before he died. Use it well. 

There was no signature, nothing. I set aside the note on the ground, filled with torn gift paper and random presents. In the package was a silvery, light cloak. Hermione gasped as I lifted it up and wrapped it around me, fastening the clasp. 
“ Ari.. Your body’s gone!” 
I looked in the mirror and all I saw was a head floating in the air. 
“ Jesus Christ!” I flipped up the hood and my head vanished. 
“ Ari... That’s an Invisibility Cloak! They’re extremely rare!” Hermione gasped.
“ Really? I’m invisible while wearing a cloak that I just got for Christmas. Hermione, I’m not Ron!” 
Hermione giggled. I pulled it off and put it safely in my trunk. 
“ Who sent it?” she asked.
“ No idea. All the note said was that was my dad’s and I should ‘use it well’.”
She grabbed the note, lying on the ground.
“ No name,” she said, disappointed.
“ Hermione... This person wanted to stay anonymous obviously and tons of people have cursive handwriting so that’s not a clue. Just let it go!” I answered, rolling my eyes.
Hermione pouted as I pulled on the sweater that Mrs. Weasley had sent me and walked into the common room. Ron turned bright red as he wore a maroon sweater.
“ She made you one too?” he asked.
“ She made me one,” added Hermione. Ron’s ears flared bright red.
“ Come on. Let’s have breakfast!” I said, trying to distract Ron. He nodded and the three of us ran downstairs.