Chapter Text
Christmas break just started and the usual noisy and busy Hogwarts was now even more chaotic, especially the school's exit as the students were continuously going out to go home to celebrate the Christmas holidays and have fun.
The majority were leaving while some were left behind to finish the schoolwork that was assigned. 'Christmas yet home works were given? It's bloody mental!' Harry thought then shook his head in annoyance.
'Having fun, huh' Harry rolled his eyes and then felt the unfairness of life as that choice wasn't given to him. If going home and having fun meant watching Dudley receive a pile of gifts but having none for himself and preparing food that he won't be able to eat, then Harry doesn't wanna have it.
He was sitting in the great hall eating when Hermione and Ron went up to him with baggage in their hands.
"Hey, Harry, you sure you're gonna be alright here?" Ron asked him with obvious worry plastered on his face. "Of course, Ron. You guys go and enjoy your breaks. I'll be fine, no need to worry about me" Harry replied with a grin trying to assure his friends.
"Well, I'll be sending you a letter and you better send me too. Like it or not, I worry about you" Hermione said with a hint of authority in her voice.
"Course, Hermione. I'll be fine, I'm a careful person, y'know" Harry said making Ron snort and Hermione raised her eyebrow. "Ermm, you're not, Harry. Anyway, we'll be going now. Enjoy your holidays" Hermione said then hugged Harry. Ron joined the hug, too.
The red-haired boy will miss his green-eyed and bushy-haired friends. "Write me a letter too, Harry," Ron said then smiled at his friend as Hermione dragged him away.
Both of them started walking away and Harry couldn't help but stare at their backs and at the students that were leaving the school. Harry sighed and looked at his fidgeting hands when he heard rushing footsteps coming towards him. He looked up and saw that it was Hermione and Harry couldn't help but be confused.
"Restricted section" was all she said before leaving once again.
It was now Christmas but Harry was not happy at all. Well, for him, Christmas is just like other normal days. Boring. He yawned and stretched his thin body.
"Merry Christmas to me" he mumbled before getting up to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. Feeling a little cold, he grabbed his things and decided to go to the common room to warm up with their house's fireplace.
As he went down, he noticed several boxes under the Christmas tree. Harry was sure that other than Neville, he was the only one left in their house. Out of curiosity, he went to the Christmas tree and sat down.
"Maybe these are for Neville?" he mumbled before reading the notes.
"To Harry Potter" he read out loud before his eyes widened. 'Someone sent me a gift? No, GIFTS?' he thought with an astounded look after knowing that the other presents were for him also.
It was the first that he'd received Christmas gifts, three at that. Harry couldn't but smile at the sight, and then the smile turned into a grin as the first one he grabbed was from Ron. He took the letter attached to the gift.
To Harry,
Happy Christmas, mate! How are you doing? I hope you're enjoying you're enjoying your holidays. There's plenty of food and I hope I get to eat these with you. Mom wants to say Happy Christmas, too, Harry. Anyway, here's a gift from me and Mum! It's simple, really, but I hope you like it. See you, mate, and be careful there. Don't go adventuring without me, 'kay?
Sincerely,
Ron(and Mum)
Harry smiled at the letter and then folded it neatly. He's gonna keep the letter as he believes that the letter itself is a present too. He began opening his present as gently as possible. Opening the box, a red fabric welcomed him. He took it and laid it in front of him. It was a red jumper with a big 'H' in front of it.
He smiled once again before putting it on, warming him up. He looked at the box again and saw a pair of socks that was hidden under the jumper. Harry chuckled upon realizing that this was Ron's gift and made a mental note to thank them later.
Harry looked at the presents once again and then grabbed another, taking his time to enjoy every second.
"Use it well" he read then raised an eyebrow a little when the note didn't mention who it was from. The note screams mischievous. He shrugged and then opened the present. It was another piece of fabric. A large piece of fabric.
Then, Harry mistook it as a blanket then put it around his neck. 'Hmm, that's nice' he thought then turned around and saw Neville walking in.
"HARRY!" Neville shouted with a scared expression. Harry furrowed at him. "Hey, Neville...? Happy Christmas" Harry then greeted the boy who stepped away from him. "HARRY! Where's your body?" Neville frantically asked before passing out and Harry just watched him fall in confusion. Harry frowned and then looked at his blanket-covered body.
He gasped at the sight. Out of amusement and confusion, he did not know. His body isn't visible at all but Harry can feel it. He wiggled his toes and shook his legs. "This is awesome! I'm invisible" He managed to blurt out and took the blanket off him and on on repeat. "I have an awesome cloak" he stated then giggled before taking it off. 'I'll use it well' he thought with a smile while looking at the note on the floor still trying to figure out who gave it to him.
Harry looked at the passed-out Neville on the floor before giving attention to his last present. "To Potter," the note said and just like the prior gift, this one didn't have a note from the sender either. Still, Harry smiled at the thought that someone- whoever it was- had given enough effort and attention to give him a gift. He'd cherish it for sure.
This one is wrapped in a black wrapper and has a rope around it. If it wasn't Christmas, Harry would think that this gift might have a trap and somehow would hex him. There's one thing Harry is sure of though, that whoever it was from, he couldn't wrap a gift that well as the gift isn't cleanly wrapped and has wrinkles everywhere and a slight tear at one corner. Harry chuckled at the thought of someone struggling to wrap the gift but giving their best to make it presentable and attractive as possible.
Harry was about to open it when he realized that it was breakfast time. He grabbed his presents and then rushed upstairs and onto his bed then placed the presents there. Rushing down, he found Neville regaining consciousness and groaning.
"Hey, Nev. Happy Christmas" he greeted with a smile. He was filling up with joy and he didn't even try to hide it. Neville looked at him and then widened his eyes.
"H-harry. What happened with your body back then? It was gone! I couldn't see it at all!" Neville began panicking again but Harry looked at him curiously then tilted his head, pretending that he couldn't recall such an event. "I don't know what you're talking about, Nev. C'mon, let's have breakfast" Harry said then began leading the way. Neville grimaced but followed the boy. He's not hungry enough to start hallucinating.
"But really, back there, only your head I could see!" the boy insisted but Harry just shook his head. "Your eyes are deceiving you" Harry also insisted, biting back a chuckle that's attempting to escape from his mouth. Neville couldn't help but groan.
"My eyes weren't deceiving me. I mean, you're the one who has glasses, not me" Neville said innocently but Harry felt attacked and offended. Harry just looked at the other boy and then smiled but didn't say a thing.
_____________
It was past bedtime now before Harry remembered one last present waiting to be opened lying in his bed. He sent his thanks and regards earlier to his friends, putting everything he could to update his friends.
"To Potter", he read once again the note before untying the rope around it carefully. After placing the rope beside him, he now began unwrapping the black wrap and let out a soft chuckle. The box was small. 'Even the box is black!' Harry thought in amusement. Seems like the sender of the gift is somewhat obsessed with the color.
Harry opened the box slowly and he gasped at the item inside. It was a necklace with a miniature golden snitch as a pendant. It was so small and cute for Harry. The tiny little detail made the necklace stunning as the wings spread wide, the chain attached to it. Harry's heart melted.
The sender must've known his love for Quidditch. He had hoped that whoever gifted it to him, gave the present in person so that they would put the necklace on Harry themselves.
He simpered at the necklace dangling around his fingers before carefully putting it on himself. Harry had a second thought about wearing it as he was worried it might snap accidentally or get hanged wherever.
After putting it on, he hid it under his pajama. Grinning to himself, Harry grabbed his cloak under his bed and then tip-toed downstairs carefully to not wake the snoring Neville.
Before going out, he grabbed a lantern, lit it, and then put his cloak on. Silently, he made his way to the library, nervous that he'd encounter whoever was patrolling.
Harry arrived at the library successfully before stopping to catch his breath. Walking somehow became tiring. Taking a deep breath, he finally headed to the restricted section. 'Is it really worth it to be called a restricted section when it's not locked properly? Seems like they're just attracting unwanted visitors' Harry stupidly thought to himself as he started wandering through the sections.
"Famous Fire-eaters. Fifteenth-Century fiends" Harry whispered softly while reading the titles of the book he came across. "Flames. Nicholas Flamel, where are you?" He continued before stopping in a chained books section. Looking around, he placed the lantern on the table and then dropped the cloak that was a little heavy for him. Grabbing one book, he opened it impetuously.
A few seconds later after opening it, a face started emerging from one of the pages and then began screaming. With widened eyes, he hurriedly shut the book and then put it back before he heard Filch's voice.
He let out a gasp before snatching his cloak, knocking the lantern in the process.
"I know you're in there. You can't hide" he heard Filch's voice as another lantern's light started making its way in his direction. He didn't need to think twice. He put his cloak on and then started sprinting albeit quietly to the exit. He saw Mrs. Norris outside the room, meowing in his direction making him wonder if the invisibility cloak lost its power with the cat's visions.
Taking a turn in the corridor, he almost shrieked when Snape pinned Quirrell to the wall with a scowl on his face. He stopped in his tracks for a moment before circling his way around them.
"Severyus, I-" Quirrell stammered and Snape cut him off. "You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell" Snape coldly said with his hands on the stuttering professor's collar. "I don't know what you mean-" Quirrell said before Snape cut him once again. "You know perfectly well what I mean," Snape said then froze and Harry imitated his potions professor's action.
It was then Snape turned around that made Harry snap back to reality. Snape was holding his hand out about to grab onto nothingness when Harry decided to sprint away and enter the nearest room he could find.
Harry entered the room enervated. Snatching the cloak off him, he started wandering the room sedately. Wandering his eyes, he found a large mirror in one corner of the room. The mirror looked old and had patterns on its border or whatever. Cobwebs and dust all around the mirror. The boy decided to walk in front of it and watched himself.
"Oh- I look so short" he mumbled to himself before seeing figures start to appear on both his sides. Then, an image of a woman and a man was clear and a single tear fell out of Harry's eye. "Mum, Dad" was all he could mutter, and both the figures of his parents smiled at him. His mum gave him a small smile as well as his dad.
"Mum, Dad. Is there any way that I could be with you guys?" he heavily asked trying to hold his tears back. His parents only smiled at him once more before James patted his head on the reflection and Lily put her hand on Harry's shoulder before disappearing. Harry whimpered, pain evident in his voice.
He stood there in front of the mirror for a few minutes hoping that they would appear again and answer Harry's question this time. Even hearing their voices would be enough for Harry, least of all of his Mom. Lily's screams were Harry's first and last memory of his mother and he wishes to change the latter.
Finally calming down, Harry took a deep breath and grabbed his cloak, preparing to exit the looming room and head back to their tower. Exiting the room, Harry was about to put his cloak on when he heard a deep voice that Harry never once liked.
"Potter," the grumbling voice said and Harry couldn't help but shiver whether because of the chilling air or out of fear of his professor. Harry mentally cursed himself for not putting the cloak on before exiting the room, though Harry doubts that that would work.
Seeing a door open by itself isn't a very fitting sight. Slowly turning around, he greeted the man back with an awkward smile. "S-sir," was all he could mutter, not even knowing whether to greet the potions professor a good night when it's being unpleasant for the both of them.