Magic? || Years 1-5

Merry Christmas!: Year 3

The next day all four of them were in and out of the library, lugging back books of creature cases up to the Gryffindor common room and pouring over them by the light of the fire.

"Here's something... there was a case in 1722... but the hippogriff was convicted -- ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting -- " Ron shoved away the book, a scowl on his face.

"This might help, look -- a manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the manticore off -- oh -- no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it..." Hermione's voice trailed off and she heaved a sigh, turning the pages of her book once more.

As they trudged through the heavy, relatively boring cases, the rest of the castle was glowing with Christmas.

Holly and mistletoe adorned the hallways, something Amisty and Harry took very careful steps around whenever they were together, and the suits of armor that were at every corner were glowing with a soft gold light.

As usual the Great Hall had the twelve Christmas trees set up, all glittering and shining with the golden stars they were decorated with, and the entire castle was filled with the scent of delicious food, the smell slowly growing stronger and stronger as Christmas day came closer and closer.

Amisty's mouth was watering when she went to bed on Christmas Eve.

"Good morning, Amisty!" Hermione beamed, throwing open the scarlet curtains around her bed to let in the bluish morning light.

"Good morning... Hermione," She yawned, rubbing her eyes and her voice slightly rough with sleep.

"It's Christmas, get up, you have gifts," Hermione ordered, chucking a pillow at her head before turning to her own pile of gifts and tearing them open.

Amisty rolled her eyes, tugging off her blankets and stretching before getting out of her bed properly.

There was a small pile of gifts at the end of her bed, all in varying colors and frilly bows.

"Which one's yours?" She asked, pushing around the gifts in order to look for her brown-haired friend's.

"The thin box with the yellow ribbon," Hermione replied, holding up Amisty's gift with a grin. "Is this what I think it is?"

Amisty nodded, smiling, "Yup, it's that model of Hogwarts you were drooling over in Hogsmeade. I bought it when you and Ron were bickering."

"Well, before I go off on my 'thank you' tangent, open yours so we're even," Hermione urged, setting the miniature castle on her bedside table.

"Right," Amisty rolled her eyes, picking up the box she had described and tearing off the wrapping paper carefully.

After she had opened the box underneath the paper, she saw the two things Hermione had gotten her.

The first was a book, leather bound with golden lining. On the cover was a brilliant crimson hood over the head of a raven-haired girl, her golden eyes glowing faintly underneath the shadow of the hood.

There was a forest behind her, a faint silhouette of a wolf deep within the trees, the only certainty Amisty had of it being the two gleaming circles of gold, the same color as the girl's eyes.

It was a wizarding book, judging by how the girl was blinking and the branches were swaying slightly, as if in a gentle breeze.

Swirling gold lettering made up the title in the trees: Little Red Riding Hood

"I don't know if I'm offended or not," Amisty joked, running her fingers down the spine of the book, feeling them dip into the creases of the worn leather.