Restoration

Chapter Twenty-Six

***

The annual winter break had always been anticipated with strong emotions. It was the first time in months since the first years were allowed to go home, living away from home for the very first time. The train journey in December was joyful, filled with children who sang Christmas songs, running up and down between the carriages. There were a lot of students who stayed behind, saying goodbye to their friends as they had the whole of Hogwarts to themselves.

The professors which were allocated to take care of these students, 'the leftovers' - as they called themselves, did their very best to make it as memorable as possible. There were no set curfews, nor waking up times, even the dress code disappeared as students paraded around in their pyjamas for the first few days. And no matter where you were, you could always hear the sound of carols filling up the hallways.

The most fascinating part was the Great Hall, which was an experience in itself. The morning after the train left with the majority of students, the 'leftovers' were greeted by a winter wonderland once they opened the doors to the Great Hall. The house tables had disappeared and were replaced instead with one glorious and extravagantly decorated table, which already had all sorts of delights placed on it. But the most heartwarming sight of all was the giant Christmas tree with dozens of blankets and pillows underneath it - allowing students to relax and even have sleepovers there should they wish.

Even though Elara had been counting down the days till she was able to see her parents again in her first year, she didn't blame them when they send a letter to her, letting her know that they will be out of the country on a job-related business.

When she told her prefect, that she would be staying behind, she gave her a frivolous smile, whispering to her, "You won't ever want to go home for winter break ever again!"

And she was right. And when the following winter her parents told her they were again be spending Christmas apart from each other, she jumped in joy, knowing she would get to experience the most magical Christmas again.

When she was allowed to rest in between her interrogation, she dreamt of her previous Christmases, and how she hoped this nightmare would all be over soon. She had lost the track of time, but she could just feel that the start of the winter break was now mere days away, and she was running out of time.

The process had been delayed, as the Ministry had to find Elara a law representative, as she was still a minor. But that proved to be difficult because no one wished to represent someone who Togrus had their eyes set on, backed up with a lot of proof. She had been locked inside Dumbledore's study for nearly a week, with at least five other Aurors protecting her at all times, which she found amusing.

With the interrogation getting more exhausting day by day, Elara had no energy nor the will to shift her reality. She hadn't even dreamt. And when she could finally see the sight of the familiar staircase one afternoon, she was violently woken up by Togrus, who had finally gotten the approval to relocate the young girl to be interrogated at the Ministry.

Thinking she had finally been allocated a lawyer, Elara smiled to herself, believing it would all be over in a matter of hours. Powered by the adrenaline, she proudly walked outside the study for the first time in a week, only to be greeted by the sound of silence.

The hallways were adorned with garlands and wreaths, which were magically floating in the air. As her eyes adjusted to the strong light coming from the atrium, she observed piles of snow and a few snowmen.

"What day is it?" Elara observed the silent hallway.

"December 23rd," one of the Aurors yawned.