The sediment was several feet thick, crunching underfoot and producing a puff of white mist when you breathed it out.
The castle was shrouded in pure white, even the wind seemed to slow down, and the quiet atmosphere revealed a gentle warmth that was not usually present.
The lake was covered with hard ice.
The large lawn outside the castle has become a natural snowfield.
Someone was sledding down the slope, screaming as they plunged into the snowdrifts.
The classroom was interesting too.
The windows are covered with frost flowers in all sorts of shapes and sizes. During class, some students would secretly draw little figures on the glass.
The professors watched, but pretended not to notice; it was only natural for the children to have some fun in this freezing weather.
As evening falls, the fireplace becomes the most popular spot.
The group huddled around the fire, warming their hands and talking about the Quidditch final, occasionally teasing Draco and Hermione.
Neither of them was annoyed; they simply listened, occasionally exchanging glances and noticing smiles on each other's lips.
With Christmas approaching, the owls at Hogwarts are suffering terribly.
The letters and packages piled up like small mountains, Accio day and night, until their wings were weak and their eyes were listless.
They must be handed over to Hagrid, given plenty of water and food, and allowed to rest for most of the day before they can continue their journey to deliver the message.
This scene is often seen on campus in the early morning.
Someone had just come out of the castle when he stepped into the deep snow, his leg sinking halfway in with a "plop," unable to pull it out. This caused the people around him to laugh so hard they almost fell over, and he himself blushed with embarrassment.
With the snow falling thicker, few students could concentrate on their studies in class; their hearts were already set on the holidays, eagerly anticipating packing their bags and going home.
Harry was the only one who was unhappy. It wasn't that he didn't want to have a holiday, but that he didn't want to go back to his uncle's house.
That place is deserted and devoid of warmth; going back there would only bring mistreatment.
Draco observed all of this and thought: Headmaster Dumbledore must have already made arrangements, and things should be looking up on Sirius's side as well.
If we can successfully rescue Sirius and give Harry a surprise, it will be a proper Christmas for him.
Hermione looked up, watching the snowflakes drift down gently, and became so engrossed that she unconsciously reached out her hand.
Snowflakes fell one by one into her palm, cool and refreshing. With a gentle kiss, they melted in the blink of an eye, leaving only a faint damp mark.
Snowflakes fell on her hair, specks of silver-white, making her originally plain hair look exceptionally beautiful.
Draco gazed at her, unable to tear his eyes away.
When Hermione finally noticed his gaze and turned around, he suddenly said softly, "Don't move."
Hermione froze, rooted to the spot in the snow.
Draco stepped forward and gently brushed the snowflakes from her hair, moving so slowly that he was afraid of disturbing her.
After he finished brushing, he smiled faintly and asked, "What did you think I was going to do?"
Hermione's face flushed, but she stubbornly refused to admit defeat, only whispering, "You were the one who told me not to move first."
"Let's try again," Draco said.
"No, thank you." Hermione turned her face away and said softly, "You've ruined the atmosphere."
Draco chuckled softly and stood quietly with her in the snow.
With a castle behind them and snow falling in front of them, the two stood side by side, creating a beautiful and tranquil scene.
Suddenly, a snowball hit Draco on the back with a "thud".
He turned around and saw Ron clutching the second snowball, grinning mischievously. "Stop feeding us dog food, okay?!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Goyle glared at him and shouted gruffly, "You dare throw my brother away? I'll teach you a lesson!"
He then threw a snowball at it hard.
Ron nimbly dodged, then swung his weapon back, hitting Goyle squarely in the face, laughing loudly, "Come on! Who's afraid of who!"
Goyle yelled in anger and chased after Ron, throwing snow at him. The two ran around in the snow, making a huge fuss.
However, Goyle was clumsy and could never throw accurately, ending up covered in snow. He lost nine out of ten times.
Draco looked at Hermione and smiled slightly, " Ron is bullying our people, we can't just stand by and do nothing."
Hermione's eyes lit up with a smile, and she nodded. "Okay, throw snowballs at him."
Ron was suddenly surrounded by three attackers, dodging left and right, crying out in distress, " Harry! Come help!"
This shout had no effect; both sides immediately called upon their friends and rallied their forces, and a massive snowball fight erupted.
The two brothers, George and Fred, were very cunning; they secretly buried magical snowballs in the snow.
Anyone who steps on it will be "poof" and their head and face will be covered in white fluff. They can't curse or laugh, they can only stare helplessly.
During the battle, Ron was running so fast that he slipped and fell into a snowdrift with a "thud," burying himself completely except for his head sticking out.
Seamus laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight, but Ron pulled him into the snow, and the two rolled around in a ball, covered in snow.
The snowball fight only gradually came to an end when everyone was panting and covered in snowflakes.
Although it was said to be a draw, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Draco and Hermione were completely clean, with almost no snow on them.
Even her hair was neatly arranged, showing no signs of dishevelment.
Looking around, everyone was covered in white fluff, their clothes soaked through, creating quite a lively scene.
Ron, panting heavily, wiped the snow off his face and glared at Draco, yelling:
"It's just playing with a snowball, and you have to secretly use magic? Isn't that just being a sore loser!"
Draco lightly dusted off his sleeves, smiled faintly, and replied unhurriedly:
"It's all your fault for not studying hard enough; your skills are lacking, yet you blame others."
Ron was speechless for a moment, puffing out his cheeks, unable to utter a rebuttal.
Draco stopped teasing him, raised his hand and waved it gently, reciting a simple incantation.
A faint, warm golden light silently spread out, gently falling on everyone who had just finished a snowball fight.
The group of people, whose noses had been red from the cold, were suddenly stunned.
Someone touched their collar, a look of surprise on their face.
My body, which had been chilled by the snow, suddenly felt warm and comfortable from the inside out, as if I were holding a small fire inside, and the chill was swept away.
Ron was stunned for a moment, then felt the warmth. The resentment on his face immediately disappeared, and he said casually:
"Hmph, that's more like it. At least you have some conscience."
Everyone laughed, brushing the remaining snow off their clothes and marveling at the sight.
The snow continued to fall, the wind continued to blow, but no one felt cold anymore.
Amidst laughter and cheerful conversation, the Christmas morning at Hogwarts felt exceptionally warm.
The next day, the snow stopped, the sky was pale blue, and the sunlight shone on the snow-capped peaks of Hogwarts.
Draco found a secluded spot and whispered to Hermione, "Let's hop on our broomsticks and fly up into the air to get a good look at the snow-covered castle."
Hermione shook her head, her face serious, and said, "The school has rules; you're not allowed to ride brooms without permission. If a professor sees you doing it, you'll definitely be punished."
Draco just smiled and gently advised her, "We'll just circle around nearby, fly low, and be completely silent; no one will see us."
He spoke gently, Hermione, unable to resist his insistence, nodded slightly.
Seeing that she agreed, Draco added, "No need to ride two brooms anymore. Flying separately is too conspicuous, and it'll be hard to explain if someone sees you."
Hermione looked up at him, a hint of teasing in her eyes. "What, are you afraid of being discovered?"
Draco smiled and bluntly stated, "It's not that I'm afraid of being discovered; I just want to ride with you."
Hermione immediately rolled her eyes at him, her face flushing red, and muttered in a low voice, "You're always saying such silly things."
Even so, she did not refuse again, but lowered her eyes, looking shy and submissive.