The Christmas holidays had arrived.
The students of Hogwarts packed their bags and left the ancient school.
It was another white Christmas that year, and the cold had already driven the students into their winter clothes.
Fourth and sixth years were among the few who could relax, while the other students were busy preparing for exams and graduation.
Stella would be spending Christmas at school that year.
He lived as though both his parents were dead, with his father, Percy, occupied by affairs in the Wizarding Kingdom.
His mother, too, had to travel back and forth between the Wizarding World and the Muggle world, dealing with the trouble wizards caused.
Alice boarded the train out, and Stella said goodbye to her.
Lewis kept saying how much he would miss Stella, yet he left faster than anyone.
Stella thought that might be because Lewis's study schedule was leaving him barely able to breathe.
Hopefully, he wouldn't do badly on his exams that year.
"I really hate to leave you, but if I don't go home, my mom will send me piles of Howlers by owl."
"You'd better watch out for Snape," Lewis said. "He's been acting all mysterious lately. He even ran out in the middle of our last lesson."
At that, Lewis shuddered. "He looked terrifying when he came back. I think he might secretly be keeping a basilisk at school, ready to get rid of disobedient students."
Stella was speechless. "It's because you keep saying things like that about him that he singles out Gryffindor."
"Not at all. I heard he hated Gryffindor even before." Lewis wanted to say more, but the train was about to leave, so he could only hurry through his farewell. "Have a merry Christmas. I'll send your present by owl."
"Bye."
Stella said goodbye