𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗭𝗞𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗡 [𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍]

Chapter Fifteen: Use It Well

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid December, Hogwarts woke up to find itself covered in several feet of snow. And Sirius couldn't wait for winter break to start.

He'd already decided to spend the holidays at Hogwarts. So have James, Peter and most of the first years. But Remus needed a little convincing.

Sirius, James and Peter begged him to stay, saying things like they need his help with their assignments. But the real reason was they just wanted him to stay. They've seen how his absence affects them from those few days they spent without him. It's not that he joked around with them or contributed much to a conversation but his presence is just comforting and they liked having him around.

"Oh, alright. I'll stay." he had said after they pestered him about it for three consecutive days. "I'll just write home and let my parents know." he said and got up. "Can I borrow Zephyr?"

"Sorry, Remus. But I've sent her home with a letter." Sirius said. He'd sent his father a letter telling him he was staying for Christmas. Sirius didn't see the point in writing to Walburga seeing as there was a huge chance she wouldn't reply.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

On the last day of classes before their Christmas break started, the students left the sides of their warm cauldrons in Potions to walk in the frigid corridors, headed for dinner in the Great Hall.

Sirius thought the decorations for Halloween were impressive but they were almost nothing compared to what the professors cooked up for Christmas.

Twelve huge Christmas trees stood around the Hall at intervals, their branches heavy with silver and gold bells. Angles with wings so big they defied gravity sat atop the trees. Professor Filtwick perched on top of a three legged stool as he made golden bubbles come out of his wand and adorn the strings that hang from the ceiling and pillars.

Even older students who've been at Hogwarts for years gazed at the dazzling effect with wide awestruck eyes.

"Aren't you happy we made you stay?" said James as he nudged Remus.

"Very happy." said Remus and smiled but his smile faded and he furrowed his brow like he just remembered something unpleasant.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

"MERLIN!"

"Someone better be dying." groaned Remus from his bed.

It took Sirius a few seconds to untangle himself from his sheets and rip open the curtains of his four poster. "What in Merlin's saggy left-?" Sirius started but there was no blood or bodies.

James was sitting on his bed, his mouth wide open and in his hands he was holding . . . an Invisibility Cloak.

Sirius leapt out of bed and stumbled over to James's bed. James was still too star struck to say anything.

There was a small card attached to the discarded glittery red wrapper the Invisibility Cloak came in and Sirius picked it up.

"Guess this is why you didn't get an owl." Sirius said and flicked the card at James. It bounced off the side of his head but if James felt it, he did it show it.

"Invisibility Cloaks are so rare." said Remus from the other side of James's bed, looking at the Cloak in awe. "Why would he give it to you?"

"Dad can do Disillusionment Charms." said James, finally tearing his eyes off the Invisibility Cloak to look at Remus. "He doesn't need it anymore, I guess."

"Wow." sighed Remus, with the kind of curious gleam in his eyes that only bookworms get. "Can I touch it?"

"Yeah. Sure." said James and handed him the Cloak, albeit reluctantly.

"Is it morning already?" grunted Peter from his bed.

Sirius himself is a strong believer in sleep but the amount of things Peter misses because of it is just astronomical.

They finished unwrapping their own presents and went down to breakfast but not before having to wait for James to carefully fold and put the Invisibility Cloak in his trunk with the care of someone tucking in a baby.

The boys put on half the sweaters they owned and spent the whole day outside, having extreme snowball fights. At least Sirius, James, Peter, Blake, Marlene and Alice had an extreme snowball fight. Remus and Lily sat a little way off and poured over a book Lily brought with her.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Standard Hogwarts dinners aren't what most would call simple, to begin with, but the Christmas dinner was just phenomenal. The four house tables and teachers' table groaned under the weight of a hundred fat roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of gravey and cranberry sauce and more. For dessert, they had flaming pudding but Sirius lost his appetite when James pulled a sickle out of his mouth with bits of food still attached to it.

Afterwards they returned to the common room, their pockets and eyelids heavy with trinkets they pulled out of wizard crackers and sleep, respectively.

"Fairy lights." said James to the Fat Lady and she swung aside to let them through.

"Merry Christmas, ma'am." said Remus before entering.

The Fat Lady looked a little taken aback but smiled. "Merry Christmas to you too, darling."

The boys didn't sit to talk in the common room or in their dorm and all turned in for an early night.

But it didn't feel like Sirius had closed his eyes even for a minute before he was woken up by something that sounded like a blast-ended skrewt running on broken class.

Sirius pulled back his curtains to see what was going on and saw the door close after a disembodied slipper went through.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

It's September first in Wakanda, so . . . early update.
R. I. P. Chadwick Boseman. You shall be missed. Wakanda Forever.