CH 75 : Going home
"Crooaaackkk---"
Harry opened his eyes suddenly, springing up from his warm bed, panting heavily as he scanned his surroundings.
"Huh…" He let out a long sigh of relief. Thankfully, it was just a nightmare about frogs.
The white mist he exhaled dispersed quickly as he wrapped himself in his quilt. After a while, he finally mustered the strength to leave its comforting embrace.
The weather was getting colder by the day, and the humidity in the underground lounge had noticeably increased. While it was bearable in the lounge thanks to the fire, the dormitory was another story—it was much damper and colder.
Harry feared he'd end up soaking wet.
But activities were a necessity!
Once dressed, he ventured outside the castle onto the first floor, only to find the world transformed—thick white snow blanketed the ground, with snowflakes continuing to drift from the sky.
The sky remained a dull gray, refusing to brighten until after eight in the morning, enveloping the world in silence.
In the distance, Hagrid's hut glowed warmly with yellow light, smoke billowing gently from its chimney.
Harry couldn't help but feel that this scene was something out of a painting—a pristine beauty he hesitated to disrupt.
Oddly enough—
He leaped into a nearby snowdrift and rolled around.
After some playful antics, he began his morning exercises. It wasn't until dawn broke that he spotted a figure emerging from the white expanse.
Felix, holding a golden cane topped with an octopus head and clad in a black woolen coat, made his way towards the castle. Despite the thick snow, each step he took seemed to part the snowdrifts, clearing a path before him.
Initially contemplating a scarf, Felix concluded that his own scarf was superior to any other.
Spotting Harry, he greeted him first before announcing, "Mr. Granger has invited us to spend Christmas at his house."
It was the letter Felix had received the previous night. Hermione, in her correspondence with him, had utilized a Hogwarts barn owl to extend the invitation.
"Is that so?" Harry exclaimed in surprise.
"Why not," Felix replied, nodding. "There's not much to do otherwise, but of course, if you prefer to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, that's entirely up to you. Although leaving all the cleaning until June break might prove daunting."
He was referring to the tasks at Moonlight Keep. Despite spending most of his time at Hogwarts now, it didn't mean that Moonlight Castle would maintain itself.
After all, Felix was a lazy creature—no, a lazy cat!
"No, I've been looking forward to it," Harry grinned, eager for the opportunity.
Back in the lounge, Draco finally roused from his slumber. Observing Harry selecting his attire for the day, Draco remarked, "Oh, damn. I overslept again."
"Can't say I'm surprised. The bed's too cozy," Harry quipped, still focused on his task.
Draco had been discussing the need to rise early as the weather cooled.
In theory, at least.
He scratched his head irritably. "No, damn it. Harry, you're supposed to wake me up."
"I could always give you a kick," Harry offered.
He expected Draco to dismiss the idea, but to his surprise, after a moment, Draco nodded. "That might work."
?
"Otherwise, I'll never get up," Draco admitted helplessly.
Harry could only respond with a silent chuckle.
"By the way, where are you spending Christmas?" Draco inquired.
"Christmas?" Harry replied. "I'm going home!"
...
...
On the fifth floor of the castle, Felix strolled leisurely. With nothing much happening lately, aside from answering queries from young wizards, he found himself with ample free time.
Having restored most of the books, Mrs. Pince had also begun to realize something.
This Mr. Jones wasn't here to fulfill the role of a librarian at all. This realization brought a mix of relief and disappointment. Relief because she had initially feared for her job security, but now it seemed her concerns were unfounded.
Disappointment because the issue of students damaging books remained unresolved.
Yet, at least some of the mischievous students were gravitating towards the reading room.
This endeared Felix even more to Pingsi, who was now contemplating what Christmas gift to bestow upon him.
"Mr. Cat, good morning," Sindel greeted him. "Is it snowing outside?"
"Yes, winter is upon us," Felix nodded, gazing at the lively girl in her evergreen dress, feeling a twinge of fondness.
"Do you feel heat and cold?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," she replied, shaking her head, much like she did with his previous inquiries.
"Could you show me winter?" she suddenly requested. "The real winter, not just what I've seen in other paintings."
Felix was momentarily taken aback before nodding. "Certainly."
With that, he removed the picture frame, carried it to his office, and opened the window.
From the fifth floor, Hogwarts appeared even more breathtaking than from below. However, Felix didn't stop there. Holding the frame with both hands, he floated slowly into the air.
The winter wind in the sky howled fiercely, carrying swirling snowflakes that seemed to threaten to engulf anyone caught in the midst of the tempest.
Felix expanded a protective barrier around his body to shield himself from the biting wind as he made his way to the highest spire of the castle.
He even exchanged greetings with Dumbledore, who had just risen, through the window.
Observing Felix's figure gradually ascend, Dumbledore's aged eyes then focused on a distant owl.
Not long after, a letter from Austria landed in his hands.
Since their discussion after Halloween, it marked the first time in many years that he had penned a reply to Grindelwald...
At the pinnacle of Hogwarts, Felix came to a halt, gazing out at the frozen black lake, the white sky, and the smoky huts below.
In the distance, a flurry of dense black dots emerged—owls delivering today's mail to the teachers and students of Hogwarts. Afterwards, they would retreat to the owlery for a brief respite before setting off once more.
For those afflicted by the cold, Hagrid would see to their well-being before resuming his tasks.
Emerging from his hut, Hagrid hoisted a massive axe, tucking his pink umbrella deep within the folds of his coat as he headed towards the Forbidden Forest.
"What's he up to?" Sindel asked curiously.
"Hagrid," Felix glanced over with a smile, "He's likely off to the forest to select a fine fir for the Christmas tree."
"This is winter," he remarked. "The colder the world becomes, the warmer people feel."
"So, this is winter," Sindel echoed, though her tone lacked enthusiasm.
Felix lowered his head, gazing at the picture frame in his arms. "Is it any different from what you've seen in other paintings?"
Sindel maintained her cheerful demeanor. "Certainly."
"What sets it apart?" Felix inquired curiously.
After a moment of contemplation, the girl could only offer a smile and a shake of her head. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it's because I can't truly feel it."
"Fair enough," Felix conceded, deciding to abandon the line of questioning as he departed with Sindel.
Before long, Christmas arrived as promised. Hogsmeade bustled with activity, and the scarlet express train sounded its whistle once more, ferrying the jubilant young wizards home...