A few days before Christmas, the professors began the important task of decorating the castle in full swing.
Since they had guests from other schools this year, they were especially thorough.
They started with the Great Hall. Hagrid personally cut down twelve sturdy pine trees from the Forbidden Forest to serve as Christmas trees.
Professor Flitwick cast a number of spells on them, making sure they stood firmly in the corners of the Great Hall.
Under Professor Flitwick's spells, the trees were enlarged even further.
A star adorned the top of each Christmas tree, carved with the crest of a different school.
The trees were covered with all kinds of candy, crystal balls, and little toys.
Harley also clearly spotted a cross hanging on one of them, and desperately wanted to ask if the professors were serious.
Fortunately, the vampire professor who had gone almost entirely unnoticed gave Harley one last Alchemy lesson before Christmas, then left Hogwarts to deal with an urgent matter.
Otherwise, who knew what Professor Babbling would have thought when she saw this?
Wait, that vampire seemed to have no problem hanging a cross made of pure silver on the lid of her coffin as a decoration.
Never mind, then. Professor Babbling probably wouldn't object at all. She might even be happy to conjure a few bat designs onto the crosses.
Right beneath the walls where the house banners hung, Professor McGonagall conjured four ice sculptures, one for each house.
The sculptures looked like diamonds and showed no sign of melting. They glittered in the Great Hall.
The idea had come from Pheobe. According to her, Beauxbatons always filled its Great Hall with ice sculptures at Christmas.
Harley thought it was a great idea and passed the suggestion along to Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall seemed to