It was amazing how quickly time could pass when you were busy. Without realising it, thanks to each and every one of their activities, Christmas arrived almost without them noticing, and very soon you could see how the corridors and the Great Hall were decorated. Most teachers were clearly in the Christmas spirit, allowing things they would have outright forbidden before.
The students forgot for a few moments where they were and fantasised about what they would do once the holidays began, without taking into account, of course, the obvious Christmas homework. Harry, for his part, had other things to worry about... such as the fact that the teachers examined him on the material for the fourth year, as he had previously been informed. Thus, the boy found himself locked in different classrooms, taking exams that would have made more than one pale, while his classmates had fun in the playground or the grounds making snowball fights or enchanted figures.
Of course, he didn't care, because although he liked to have fun, it was also true that he enjoyed learning, and doing the courses in such a compact way allowed him to learn more than if he did it in a normal fashion. So he enjoyed the period he had off as much as he could and tried his best in everything else. In this way, Harry found himself just two days away from the start of the holidays, completely free of any kind of task to be done and with no prospects for the period that comprised the holidays.
It was not a surprise when he was called to the office of his Head of House... At that point, he was already well known from all the times he had had to go for whatever reason. After saying goodbye to his friends who were planning a new snowball fight, he went to Professor Sprout's office.
He had always liked that office. From his point of view, it perfectly showed what the Herbology teacher was like; The first thing you would see would be a wide variety of magical and Muggle plants, all well cared for and full of life. Then you could see several (if not many) photos of students, all of them smiling and proudly showing off their Hufflepuff badge. Also, you saw a certain disorder, or at least it was for anyone who didn't know it well, because if you looked within all that disorder there was a pattern, an almost natural way in which they were arranged, and therefore there was such an order.
When he entered, he was not surprised to find the witch tending to one of her countless plants, and even talking to them. She smiled when she saw him.
"Did you call me, Professor?"
"Ahh! Mr. Potter... I wasn't expecting him so soon," the teacher apologised when she saw him, at the same time smiling embarrassedly.
"Thank you."
"Do you want some biscuits? They're very good," the woman offered, but Harry didn't accept. "Well, I don't have to tell you why I called you, do I?"
"My marks."
"Exactly. This is a fairly repetitive situation in itself, but here you go."
The witch gave him an envelope containing the parchment where his marks were, and Harry took it and began to put it in his rucksack; after all, it was inconsequential, the official results would be sent to his parents.
"Aren't you going to open it?" The teacher asked curiously.
The boy stared at her for a few moments before tearing the envelope open and beginning to read his results. Honestly, he didn't care what grades he had gotten, but convinced that his friends would have been pestering him until he told them his grades, he looked at them. They were excellent, like all the ones he had obtained so far; all 'Outstanding'.
"You must be very proud, Mr. Potter. Your marks are magnificent; never in the entire history of this school has there been a student like you," said the teacher, full of pride. "The next year will be really important, so I hope that you make as much effort as with the ones you have done so far."
"Yes, Professor."
After that conversation, the boy left the office and went to his secret room... Very soon it would be a full moon (on New Year's), and Remus would need his dose of Wolfsbane Potion, so he would have to have it ready as quickly as possible and send it to him by owl... He had all the holidays ahead of him to be able to do it.
When Professor Sprout had left the list for the students who would stay for Christmas, Harry had decided to sign up for it. He had thought about it a lot, and despite the desire to see Remus, he knew that if he returned home, he would only have a bad time, so his name became part of the total list. Despite what he might have thought, he wasn't completely alone, as Draco also stayed, something related to his parents going on a trip or something like that, so it wouldn't be too strange if they spent a lot of time together.
When the young Hufflepuff woke up on the first day of vacation, he felt a strange sense of freedom; all his year-old companions had gone on holiday, so he had the whole dormitory to himself. He knew that a first-year and two or three sixth and seventh-years had stayed, but otherwise, the House was deserted, so he could perfectly well experiment quietly in his bedroom if he wished, although it was not going to be the case... There was always the possibility that someone would decide to come in to say something to him.
The first thing Harry decided to do as soon as he got out of bed was to do his holiday homework, so that, in this way, he could enjoy the rest of the festivities in peace. After giving Night a little affection behind his ears, he grabbed his rucksack and made his way to the Great Hall and then to the library... for once he would do his assignment there. Obviously, Draco wasn't thrilled by the idea of spending the rest of the day (that is, all of it) locked up in Madam Pince's domain, surrounded by books and doing his homework like a good wizard... but since it was Harry who was in charge, he had no choice.
While the young Slytherin struggled with his own homework, Harry was completing his with a speed and ease unheard of in any student; even any adult would have serious difficulties in being able to perform the same work with the same ease as the young Hufflepuff... although very soon his work was interrupted by Draco's whining.
"Do you have to go on? We've just started the holidays! Harry, there's time!"
"It's alright... We'll leave it for now." The boy said with resignation.
He already knew that trying to study with Draco by his side was practically impossible; he should have known beforehand, but he had hoped against hope that it wasn't the case. Looking at his Slytherin friend, he knew what the proposal he was going to make to him was, but he still allowed him to do it, better not to let him know how readable he was... Not only would he get angry, but he could also use it in the future to find out whatever he wanted from him.
"Let's fly!" exclaimed Draco excitedly.
"It has snowed, it would be madness to go flying."
"But what are you saying? It would be fantastic... come on, go... Please."
"It's alright..."
Anyone could have seen how the blonde boy's expression changed, since a big smile appeared on his face; and it was no wonder, his father had bought him a Nimbus 2001, identical to the one Harry's parents had given him for his birthday, and despite his attempts, he had not managed to get into the Quidditch team and therefore had barely been able to fly. Harry, for his part, would have liked to fly more in his phoenix form, but he could not risk Dumbledore seeing him and trying to link him with Brian; A silly idea because for that the creature has to be totally willing, but that didn't mean that he couldn't try.
The sensation of flying, even with a broomstick, still gave him a strong feeling of freedom, and for that reason, despite being complete madness, he completely enjoyed the experience no matter how much his mind told him that he would also enjoy the cold that he was surely going to feel in a couple of days.
On Christmas morning, Harry woke up earlier than usual, probably due to the feeling of a rough tongue and a cold, wet nose against his cheek: Night had decided to wake him up early. Seeing that it was more or less a normal hour, he decided that he could do useful things such as read one of his books, although that idea changed when he saw at the foot of his bed a whole series of gifts: his Christmas presents. With an enthusiastic smile, he sat cross-legged at the end of his bed and prepared to open his presents.
The first one he took was Jonathan's... Wondering what he could have given him, he opened the package carefully, only to discover a Muggle fountain pen, white in colour but with small green lines. The note indicated that it had been enchanted to be able to refill in a normal inkwell just by wetting the tip, something very practical.
The next was from Athenea. He smiled trying to imagine his friend, in a shop, trying to buy her Christmas present. Knowing that it would be something very well thought out and surely very necessary or very practical, he opened the gift, discovering a blank notebook, covered in white leather and with runes engraved all over its surface. Next to the notebook, there was a note that told him that it was for him to write about his dreams, since he had seen that the other one was running out. That was a gift, very typical of Athenea...
With a smile from ear to ear, he took the next gift, which was from Draco. It wasn't too hard to imagine that the blonde Slytherin would have chosen something expensive and luxurious... although the year before he had given Night a gift, after that he had made it very clear what kinds of things he liked to buy for others. He opened the package very carefully, and looked with surprise at what his friend had given him: a bracelet... but not just any bracelet, but a bracelet of Osiris... It was Egyptian, very expensive and very scarce; they were a very powerful protector against dark magic.
"Merlin, Draco..." You've gone too far." He murmured as he placed it on his wrist.
The next gift made him laugh a lot; it was from the twins and logically he knew what it was... jokes. And he wasn't wrong, there was a box completely full of jokes. Terry, Hermione, and Neville's gifts were very similar: books; all of them on different topics but more or less the same, since they were complicated texts that were more designed for scholars than for students, but he liked them all the same.
Perhaps the one he liked the most, perhaps because of who sent it to him and because of the sentimental value it had, was Remus's. He had made him a photo album, but with photos in which he was happy, not just looking like it. He was pleasantly surprised to find that there were many of his early years of life and that in them, his parents also seemed happy to be with him. He caressed the cover with affection, before putting most of the things in his trunk, and going downstairs to breakfast... It was inconsequential to look for any gift from his parents; they had forgotten about him again.
In the end, by the time he finished putting away his gifts, it was too late to go to breakfast since in a very short time, lunch would be served in the Great Hall. Harry had heard how students who had stayed in last Christmas had praised the food at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays, and the truth was that the Christmas Eve Dinner had been magnificent; he was sure that lunch would be just as good or maybe better.
The Great Hall was as well decorated as usual: large Christmas trees, floating candles, and mistletoe branches adorning everywhere. He saw Draco sitting at the Slytherin table eagerly waiting for the banquet to begin, probably because he wouldn't have had breakfast either, and without thinking much about it, he sat down next to him and immediately began to comment on his morning, as well as thank him for the bracelet, and tell him that he shouldn't have given him something so valuable, to which the blonde downplayed it with a simple gesture of his hand.
The lunch was as magnificent as he had assumed; the food was delicious and there was both quantity and variety, making everyone enjoy. It was obvious that the house-elves had tried as hard as they could to make it memorable for everyone.
Despite all the celebrations, Harry had not forgotten how important his homework was this time, since the next year would be when he would have to perform his OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels), and therefore he would have to be as well prepared as possible. For that reason, the young Hufflepuff spent much of his time between his room and the school library, looking for as much information as possible to complete his different tasks and projects.
It was during one of his stays in the library that he overheard a conversation that made him think a lot. He was looking at one of the shelves about Potions when he heard Professor Snape enter the corridor behind that shelf, probably to look at something in his field, when he heard his Head of House come in too.
"Ah, Severus, I find you at last."
"Pomona..."
"I wanted to tell you that you have the Wolfsbane ready. I wanted to know if I pick it up now or, on the contrary, I wait a little longer."
"Pick it up now. I need it for a few potions."
"Very well."
She heard how her Head of House was about to leave when she stood up and turned back to the Potions Master. Obviously, she had some doubts and wanted her colleague to solve them as soon as possible.
"Tell me something, Severus... Is it true that you have to pay for the Wolfsbane Potion at 35 Galleons a monthly dose? Isn't it too expensive?"
"Unfortunately not... on the contrary, I would say quite cheap."
"That's crazy!"
"Maybe... but you must keep in mind that there are very few Potions Masters available who know how to make very complicated potions, and even fewer who can perform the Wolfsbane to the required perfection; that, whether you like it or not, makes it more expensive. The teachers know this and already sell it dearly to the apothecaries, and these, since they must make a profit, make it even more expensive..."
"You talk as if you weren't a Potions Master..."
"Of course I am... but I do not consider that behaviour ethical, and for that reason, I do not even do it, unless someone asks me for it as a personal favour. If someone decided to sell it cheaper, believe me, they would keep the entire market."
A seemingly unimportant conversation made Harry think about many things. He wanted to help the twins set up their joke shop, but neither they nor he had the cash to get started; For quite some time, the young Hufflepuff had been thinking about what he could do, and now that simple conversation made him realise a way to achieve his purpose.
With a smile from ear to ear, he left the library to run to his room; he had several letters to write to different apothecaries in case they were interested in some of his potions.