The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 1: Chapter 11

"Willow! Pst! Willow, wake up!"

Groaning, Willow sat up. "What do you want?"

"It's Christmas! There's presents under the tree in the common room!"

Willow sat bolt upright. "Oh my goodness! You're joking!"

Harry and Ron raced into their dormitory with Willow directly behind them. They scrambled to get a good position on the tree rug and started opening presents. Ron had a rather large pile of boxes while Harry and Willow had almost small ones, but Harry seemed shocked to see any presents with his name on them. She filed that information away for a later discussion. It was Christmas, for God's sake! She couldn't dwell on sad, trivial things on such a holiday. Glancing over her gifts, Willow decided to begin with the ones from her least favorite people on up, which meant the one from her mother's parents was first.

"Here goes nothing..."

Willow tore the wrapping paper off, discovering a tiny box inside. She opened it to reveal a skull ring.

Well, that's better than last year's present, Willow thought to herself.

Putting the ring back in the box and tossing it aside, Willow grabbed her mother's gift to her. Her heart rate quickened. From year to year, her mother's presents would change. It all depended on her mood: if she was reminiscing on the good times she had with Willow before she went crazy, the gift would be thoughtful and heartwarming, something Willow would have received had her mother not been through what she had. If her mother was her usual self, however, the gift would be terrifying or worrying. Willow sucked in a breath.

God help her.

Slowly, almost putting the hastily wrapped present down, Willow agonizingly tore off the paper. A handwritten note fell out, along with another brown parcel. Willow scooped up the letter and unfolded it. Pausing for a moment to take another deep breath, Willow's eyes hungrily lapped up the content of the parchment.

Dearest Willow,

Merry Christmas, darling! I hope you're having a good time at Hogwarts. May your holidays be filled with joy and cheer! Have fun with your friends in the snow!

Love, Mummy

Tears brimmed Willow's watery eyes as she put her hand over her fluttering heart, smiling. She couldn't even begin to describe how happy and sad she felt at the same time. A single glimpse of her mother had found its way through that Christmas, bringing Willow a brief, but nonetheless super important, ray of hope. She wanted to curse herself for getting that way every time her mother would do that, but it was impossible and insignificant in the face of all the good memories that came flooding back. Willow clutched the note close to her chest. She would cherish it until the day her mother that lived in those words came back.

Wipe your eyes, you emotional fool, she chided herself. No need to get sappy just because it's the Holidays.

"Wow, look at that!" Ron said.

Willow's attention was directed to a hooting sound coming from Harry. He held a brown whittled wooden flute in his hands, and every time he blew on it, Willow swore there was an owl hooting from somewhere in the room. She laughed, which made Harry stop.

"What do you have there, Willow?" he asked.

"Oh, I haven't opened it yet," she replied, realizing the box was still sealed in her hand.

"Go on, then, open it!" Ron encouraged.

Willow gently removed the tape from the sides of the box, then lifted the lid and removed the object inside. She gasped and slapped her hand across her mouth when she realized what it was.