Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 29 - The two gifts

After Britt and I left Hagrid's Hut, we went back up to the castle and to our dormitory to change for the Christmas Eve feast. We didn't dress up alot but a little more than usual. 

Britt put on a black dress that fell to her knees and I put on a black skirt with a blouse tucked in. When we finished we met Adora in the hallway to go down to dinner. 

Everyone else was already there and I took a seat between Britt and Jacob near the teachers. 

The entire hall seemed to glitter; the candles flickered pleasantly, radiating a soft glow, the thirteen trees were covered in golden balls and snow blanketed the branches. 

Professor McGonnagal, who was again sitting at the head of the table waved her wand arm and plates upon plates of mouth-watering delicasies appeared before our eyes.

We piled our plates high with our favorite dishes and talked light-heartedly for a long time, the sky above us was dark and specled with stars when she flicked her arm again and the desserts appeared. 

I was getting full but I managed a few bites of pie before I gave up. It was quite comfortable to just listen to the soft lull of voices around me as everyone talked about random and mundane things. 

Next to me, Jacob was talking to Professor Longbottom about his time in Hogwarts and the many times that the professor had gotten stuck in uncomfortable situations. The two chortled loudly when Professor Longbottom explained when Cornish Pixies had carried him up to the chandelier and left him dangling there.

"Cornish Pixies?" Jacob choked. 

"Yes, indeed! I was quite mortified," Professor Longbottom laughed at his foolishness.

Professor Trelawney and Hagrid were talking about animals and wether or not they should be used to help divine. 

It was all very comfortable and I wished that it could have lasted the whole night but Proffessor McGonnagal thought better, "Well you should all get off to bed as it is Christmas day tomorrow and you all probably want as much sleep as you can get!" 

We scooted back the benches and got up, the dishes clearing themselves away for us. I was not at all in the mood to go to sleep. 

When we got to our dormitories, the house elves had lit a fire and set eight tall glasses of hot chocolate for us to have. 

We grabbed ours and moved over to the sofas and chairs when I halted, Britt bumping into my back. 

"Harry?" 

A man in the chair got up and turned, it was indeed Harry, "What are you doing here?" 

He smiled and held out to parcels, "I have a gift for you from the family but it is much to valuable to send by owl so I delivered it myself."

I grasped the two gifts, "But I must go, Ginny is waiting for me." 

We hugged and then he left, just as he had come, suddenly and out of the blue. 

I sat on the couch, the others hovering next to me. I first looked at the card adressed to me;

To Charlotte

DO NOT OPEN IN FRONT OF ANYONE ELSE! I guess Britt could see it but NO ONE ELSE. Inside are two gifts. Instructions are also enclosed. Use them well and DO NOT LOSE THEM! They CANNOT get into the wrong hands. 

I sighed, I was looking forward to opening them but I guess I would have to wait a little longer, "Guys, I am gonna wait until tomorrow to open, on Christmas." 

They sighed but sat down in the chairs around the fire.

For the rest of the night we talked more and drank our hot chocolate but it kept magically refilling. I kept wondering what Harry had meant when he had written "They cannot get into the wrong hands". That meant that they were important whatever they were. 

I wondered, as I walked up to the dormitories, what Professor McGonnagal had planned for us tomorrow, she had mentioned during dinner that she had a special treat for us.

I curled into my heated bed and thought of what I might get in those two packages and thoughts of new broomsticks and other wonderful gifts circled in my mind. 

__________________________

I woke up to the sound of Britt's voice calling from the dormitory.

"Wake up!!!"

I got out of bed and went downstairs to see what she wanted when I remembered. It was Christmas. 

I bounded down the stairs, a new spring in my step and found Britt next to the Christmas tree. 

She handed me a few wrapped gifts and I sat on the couch. 

I tore open the paper on the first one to reveal a new red and gold knit sweater from mom with a 'C' on it. 

"I also got one, " Britt held up her sweater which had a large 'B' on it. 

I opened up the rest which contained a few boxes of stuff from Honeydukes, a box of joke stuff from the joke shop from George and weirdly, a leather sack of galleons from mom and dad. All that the note on that one said is "Have fun, and don't spend it right away!"

I carried all of my gifts up to my bed and grabbed the two gifts from Harry. 

I checked that no one was in the hall and locked the door. I sat on my bed and Britt sat on hers right next to me. 

I carefully opened the first, much differently than how I opened the gifts downstairs.

After peeling the paper back, I revealed a blank scrap of parchment. My heart sunk but when I took it out, the note fell out.

Say the words, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'

Once done with what you needed to do say, "Mischief Managed", that way no one can read it.

I complied with his directions, pointing my wand at the paper and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

All of a sudden, words began appearing on the parchment. At the top it read, The Marauders Map 

So it was a map.. of what?

I opened it to get my answer, revealing what looked like Hogwarts but it was speckled with tiny dots, each labeled with a name, sure enough, up in the Gryffindor dormitories there was a dot labeled with the name, Charlotte Weasley, and Britt Woods. 

"It's a map of Hogwarts!"

Now excited,  I opend the second present much faster to find a cloak but it felt like it was made of water. 

I pulled it out and swung it around my shoulders. This required no explanation from a note.

I looked in the mirror and saw that I was invisible. Completely invisible.

"You're invisible!" Britt exclaimed. 

I had gotten the Marauders Map and a cloak of invisibility, what beats that?

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FINALLY! The invisibility cloak and the map have come into play (yay!) 

This may make things more interesting ;)

Well anyways  

❤ Rose

KEEP READING ☞