Hagrid brings in a large tree. Inside the great hall, students are leaving and ghosts are singing, "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas." Hermione approaches the empty tables, wheeling a cart.
She goes to Ron and Harry, who are playing chess. "Knight to E-5," Harry calls.
A piece moves across the board. Ron thinks for a moment. "Queen to E-5," Ron decides.
A queen walks over to E-5 and clinks the knight away. "That's totally barbaric!" Hermione cries.
"That's wizard's chess. I see you've packed," Ron notes.
"See you haven't," Hermione says.
"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there!" Ron says excitedly.
"Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel," Hermione assures.
"We've looked a hundred times!"
"Not in the restricted section Happy Christmas." Hermione leaves, dragging her suitcase behind her.
"I think we've had a bad influence on her."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Christmas morning. Hedwig is perched in the boys' room, and Harry is asleep in bed. Ron calls from downstairs in the common room. "Harry, wake up! Come on Harry, wake up!" Ron insists. Harry gets up and runs to a balcony overlooking the common room, where Ron is standing next to a tree. He is wearing a sweater with an R on it. "Happy Christmas, Harry."
"Happy Christmas, Ron. What are you wearing?" Harry asks.
"Oh, Mum made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!" Ron cries.
"I've got presents?" Harry questions, surprised.
"Yeah! There's one here and a note," Ron calls back. "We're supposed to go to Professor Snape's classroom after breakfast.
"Oh!" Harry runs down the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabella wakes up early that morning, before even Severus stirs. Rushing down, she smiles at the how festive the room looks. It's one of the few days her Papa decorates. Sitting by the tree she finishes wrapping her last presents for her brother before setting up the room. She had sent Harry a note saying to come by after breakfast.
Severus walks in a moment later. "Good morning, Isabella. Happy Christmas."
She smiles and hugs him. "Happy Christmas, Papa."
Severus sits on the couch, summoning a cup of tea. Isabella comes and sits beside him. "You're not opening your presents yet?" Severus asks. Isabella shakes her head. "Why not?"
"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Harry and Ron to join us," Isabella replies. "I sent a letter telling them to come to your classroom after breakfast."
Severus nods and smiles. "I should have suspected. In that case, we might as well sit down to our own breakfast."
The two eat, talking about latest potion discoveries. Just as they finish up, a knock rings through from the potions classroom. "That must be them," Isabella cheers, standing up. She rushes to the door and opens it, pulling them inside. "Happy Christmas Harry, Ron!" Isabella cheers, hugging them.
"Happy Christmas, Izzy," They smile back.
"Have you gotten what you wished for?" Harry asks.
Isabella leads them further in and sits them by the tree. "I've been waiting for you two. Come on!"
YOU ARE READING
A Potter Secret
FanfictionMy life is full of magic. I was barely a few months old when you-know-who came and killed my parents. My brother, Harry, was almost four. They sent him away but I was too weak from the attack. Papa has raised me since then, letting me run around the...
