After the holidays began, Harley had a wonderful time. Most people had left the school, and most of those who stayed behind were people who didn't want to go home and listen to their parents nag.
In other words, they weren't particularly fond of studying.
So there were hardly any people in the entire library, let alone the group of chattering young wizards who liked to watch her.
What made Harley even happier was that Professor Snape and Hagrid hadn't left the school for the holidays.
That meant Harley could keep mooching ingredients from Hagrid, while also receiving private lessons from Professor Snape.
The only thing Harley regretted was that, with so few people in the library, Madam Pince especially liked to sit beside her and read together.
That was a good thing, of course. Madam Pince loved reading, too, and knew plenty of obscure magical lore.
But it also meant Harley couldn't scout out the area around the Restricted Section and prepare for her break-in.
Her life continued like this until Christmas Eve. That night, Harley gave herself a quick Divination reading and decided to break into the library's Restricted Section the following evening.
After all, once everyone had enjoyed Christmas dinner, they probably wouldn't have much energy left to keep watch!
The next day, Harley was woken by the sound of owls hooting.
Still bleary-eyed, she pulled back the curtains around her bed and discovered that a huge crowd of owls had gathered outside her window.
She had no idea what was going on, but Harley opened the window on instinct.
The owls immediately squeezed inside. After dropping off one parcel after another, they angrily tried to peck her a couple of times.
But Harley was quick on her feet and didn't give them the chance.
In the end, Harley gave up a large bag of nuts to appease the owls. She also figured out what had happened.
Wizards always used owls to deliver Christmas presents, and she'd forgotten to leave a crack in the window the night before to let them in!
It wasn't really Harley's fault. She hadn't known this was a wizarding custom and had assumed the presents would arrive with the usual mail at breakfast.
After a quick wash, Harley began opening her Christmas presents.
Harley had expected to receive quite a few gifts, but she hadn't imagined there would be this many.
Lavender had given her a pair of delicate hair clips and matching earrings, while Parvati had sent her a bottle of Potion.
According to Parvati, the Potion had been made with Ganges Water and could cure every illness.
But when Harley looked at the murky, ochre-colored liquid in the glass bottle, she decided it was probably best not to try it.
Hagrid had given Harley a good number of Potion ingredients, including Unicorn Hair, which moved her deeply.
Of course, it also made Harley resolve to teach Hagrid some basic Herbology, since the Spirituality in many of the ingredients had dissipated.
Hermione had given Harley an elegantly wrapped box containing a bottle of perfume.
Harley didn't recognize the brand, but her instincts told her it must have been expensive.
The perfume wasn't overpowering. It had a faint, delicate scent that reminded Harley of Hermione's own fragrance.
Quite a few other classmates had sent her gifts, too, including Hufflepuffs Hannah and Susan.
There were a few classmates Harley hadn't prepared presents for, which left her feeling a little awkward. She decided to make it up to them as soon as possible.
At the very bottom of the pile of presents lay a paper parcel and a large box.
Harley opened the large box first. Inside was a bottle and a note.
She picked up the note and read it, her expression turning odd.
Professor Snape had given Harley a specially made cosmetic Potion. Anyone who drank it could change their hair color at will for a week.
Professor Snape had also suggested that Harley turn her hair burgundy.
"It goes better with Christmas!" Professor Snape had written on the note.
Muttering that Professor Snape was surprisingly thoughtful, Harley opened the last paper parcel.
It was light, and inside was a silvery-gray fabric that looked like liquid.
Harley picked it up. It felt strange to the touch, as if it had been woven from water.
After studying it for a while, Harley figured out what she was holding.
It was an Invisibility Cloak, an extremely precious magical item that could make whoever wore it invisible.
But Harley couldn't shake the feeling that something about the Invisibility Cloak was off. She just couldn't put her finger on what.
Her Spirituality kept reminding her to be wary of the curious garment.
There was also a note that had come with the cloak. Its writing was thin and looping.
"Your father left this with me before he died.
It belongs to you now.
Use it well.
Wishing you a very merry Christmas."
"Something Dad left behind?" Harley murmured. She put the Invisibility Cloak away and tucked it deep into her trunk.
She decided to use the cloak sparingly. It had belonged to her father, so she ought to take good care of it. Besides, Harley had a feeling that wearing it too often would lead to something bad.
In any case, once a Demoness on this Pathway reached Sequence 7 Witch, she gained the ability to turn invisible, making the cloak's power redundant.
What was more, Harley's own invisibility was more reliable and could be activated at any time, making it far more convenient.
After sorting through all her presents, Harley picked up the bottle of Potion and examined it carefully.
A quick Divination reading confirmed that the Potion posed no danger to her. She pulled out the stopper and drank it in one gulp.
The Potion was cold, but once she swallowed it, it felt like a ball of flame roasting her stomach, leaving her feeling warm all over.
A little while later, Harley suddenly felt as though she could change her hair color.
She stood in front of the full-length mirror she'd bought and tried out one color after another, finally settling on burgundy.
Harley nodded with satisfaction and started getting ready.
After putting on perfume and changing into her Gryffindor uniform, Harley set off toward the Great Hall with a spring in her step, ready to enjoy Christmas dinner.
The Great Hall was already piled high with all kinds of delicious food. With so few people staying at the school, the spread seemed especially extravagant.
Professor Snape was sitting at the High Table.
But he wasn't eating or taking part in the discussion nearby between Professor Flitwick and Professor Dumbledore about how the split in the Soviet AI magical faction would affect the magical world.
Professor Snape stared fixedly at the side entrance to the Great Hall. The staircase closest to the Gryffindor dormitory lay just beyond that door.
At last, the person he'd been waiting for arrived. Harley pushed open the door and walked in, her burgundy hair swaying with her cheerful steps.
The Gryffindor robes, the emerald green almond eyes, the delicate features...
Tears slid from the corners of Professor Snape's eyes...
Professor Dumbledore had clearly noticed, too. He instinctively patted Professor Snape on the shoulder.
"Severus!" Professor Dumbledore said sternly. "I hope you haven't forgotten what you promised me before the start of term."
"No, I haven't..." Professor Snape replied softly, but his voice held not the slightest hint of confidence.
Professor Dumbledore sighed and shook his head, saying nothing more.
After all, in a way, he could understand Professor Snape's anguish.
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