Chapter 52 - Christmas Break (1/2)
Christmas is just around the corner as Mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in knee-high and higher snowdrifts. The owls that had battered their way through the stormy skies to deliver their mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid, before being allowed to fly off again. Not to mention, that the lake had frozen solid during the storm. However as soon as the storm ceased, Potter and the rest of the Marauders were once again caught skating on the ice, but this time during the middle of the night. And though they weren't strictly punished, they did lose several Gryffindor's a good chunk of points.
The school is abuzz with holiday delight as the Slytherin common room is filled with delightful snacks and great holiday cheer. The surprisingly usually elegant Slytherin common room is filled with lavish ornaments as almost every day the overworked 5th and 7th years lead in the merrymaking. Quite a few times, Professor Slughorn was even forced to come down into the common room and tell them to all go to sleep as common hours were long over!
The great halls are filled with roaring fires hot enough to singe one's eyebrows off. But even so, the icy, bitter winds rattled through the hallways and windows. But that wasn't half as bad as the dungeons for just as predicted during Professor Slughorn's potion class one could even go as far as see one's breath turn into mist as they all struggled to press themselves as close as possible to their hot cauldrons without burning themselves.
During such an icy class, Lily with teeth chattering says, ”It can't possibly get any colder.” Severus grunts in agreement as are lips are pale violet and frozen stiff at the chill.
”It's not even January or February,” Rowan muttered through frozen lips, unable to even feel her numb face. ”I've heard it gets worse than.”
Lily's face fills with despair and with trembling fingers tries to not rattle the measuring scale to properly measure the powered spine of lionfish. Severus does the same as Rowan's eyes the lionfish with despair. ”One, this is an endangered species! And two, how I envy its former life in the tropics,” Rowan gloomily thought to herself.
Thankfully, Potions class soon ended as Professor Slughorn said, ”All Slytherins not returning home for the Holidays, please stay behind.” Professor Slughorn in particular eyes a first-year student, who guiltily glanced away. With a wave of his hand, Potions class is dismissed as they all stagger upstairs including Severus and Rowan, to warm their numb limbs, before heading back down into the freezing dungeons and making a run for the Slytherin common room.
”Are you excited to go back for the Holidays?” Severus asked Lily.
”Mm, it'll be nice to be with mum and dad again,” Lily happily said.
”Achoo!” Rowan sniffed at the frostily cold as they come to a halt at seeing an enormous fir tree blocking the corridor in front of them.
Two enormous feet stick out of the bottom as a loud huffing sound is made as Hagrid pauses to wipe the sweat off his face. ”Hi, Hagrid need any help?” Lily sweetly asked.
”No, I'm fine, but thank ya, Lily,” Hagrid replied.
Rowan's eyes gleam at that subtle communication. How did Lily know Hagrid so well to be a first-name basis? They weren't taking Care of Magical Creatures to be out on the grounds. And even then, the professor for the said class would be Silvanus Kettleburn, not Hagrid. So, beyond a general recognition of Hagrid, there shouldn't be much of an interaction with the first years.
Rowan slightly frowns to herself as she recalled that the only person James ever listened to was Lily. Maybe something had already happened during one of the Marauder's adventures and Lily happened to save them? It certainly explained a lot when Rowan looked at it that way.
Hagrid lets out a grunt as he grabs the tree with all his strength and with heavy steps makes his way into the Great Hall. The three of them follow largely because the Great Hall was one of the few places that is still warm. ”Hagrid put that last tree down in the far corner,” Professor Flitwick instructed as he and Professor McGonagall decorated the Great Hall with Christmas decorations.
The three of them gape as the Great Hall simply looks fantastic. Streamers of holly and mistletoe hang on the walls, with no less than twelve towering great fir trees elegantly placed throughout the room. The decorated Christmas trees are all slightly different from each other, some spark with tiny non-melting icicles, other with strings of burning candles-.
”Why is there a burning hazard that screams a fiery death in the Great Hall?” Rowan thought to herself and made a personal note to stay as possible from that Christmas tree, lest an accident occurs, and she is set on fire! But then again, this is Hogwarts…...Where safety is an afterthought.