Harry had not expected Christmas to be this quiet. When he woke, Hogwarts was nearly empty. Only he, Hermione, and Ron remained in Gryffindor House; even the other Weasley children had gone home.
The thought of such a lonely Christmas put Harry in a bad mood. Then he remembered Wood had gone home, which meant no training over the holiday, and he smiled. Remembering that he would get a new broomstick when the break ended made him happier still.
At Hogsmeade Station, Will and Sylvia boarded the train. Plenty of students were going home for Christmas this year, and the two of them shared a compartment with Draco and Pansy Parkinson.
Sylvia joked, "What a surprise. Draco isn't with his two little bodyguards."
Pansy blushed. Pansy Parkinson was not particularly pretty, and Will suspected that was what came of pure-blood families marrying among themselves.
Sylvia knew her fairly well. Pansy had always believed in pure-blood superiority, but she was notorious for her arrogance, spite, and domineering manner. After Pansy had repeatedly talked about Will and expressed her prejudice against him, Sylvia had kept their acquaintance at arm's length.
Pansy felt awkward now. She knew Will was the center of the small group at the High Tower, the one who called the shots. Even Draco, from an old noble family, followed this Muggle-born boy's lead. And Will had caused quite a stir in the Wizarding World this year, cementing his reputation as a top-tier genius.
Her family had once told her to get close to Will. Lately, they had insisted she build as good a relationship with him as possible. She was not alone: Daphne Greengrass's family had made the same demand of Daphne. Neither girl was willing. Both were extreme blood purists.
Pansy assumed Will must have a poor opinion