The Daily Prophet was covered in photos of the dark mark in the sky the next day. It absolutely dominated the breakfast conversations. Fear and concern was settling in throughout all the houses and students.

Students in Hogsmeade during the incident had been gathered by the professors in the area. Somehow they had managed to bring everyone back within the hour. The area was searched, but nothing was found to help determine the orgin of the mark. Thankfully, there were no reports of anyone being hurt.

Tyler sat next to Frank, looking across the great hall with worry at Josh. The Gryffindor was still shaken from the event. Josh was looking down at the table with a tormented look visible even from across the room. Tyler looked at Frank with concern.

"He wouldn't say what it was." He whispered, "He just froze."

"It's been years since someone casted it, even as a hoax, and I can remember the panic..." Frank sighed as he looked down at his toast, "Some people think it's funny, but it meant deviation to so many families when he who must not be named was in power... I just can't believe someone would do this at Christmas."

"Professor Howell nearly had to carry him out." Tyler added, looking back across the hall at Josh. "How have I never heard of that guy? The moldy or whatever it is."

"Because History of Magic takes ages to move along in subject matter, and it's been so long that he's not a threat anymore." Frank answered. He looked down the table at his fellow housemates, who were either sharing newspapers or speaking with fear. "At least, he wasn't..."

Tyler looked down at the table. Underneath it, Frank noted Tyler's thumbs twiddling to no end. Frank was unsure how to comfort his friend. He was considering possible ways when Tyler spoke softly again.

"He doesn't want to go home for Christmas anymore." Tyler whispered, "I was going to stay anyway, but now I'm staying for him."

Frank offered him a weak smile. "You really care about him, hu?"

Tyler let out an airy laugh. "Yea... He can be a bit of an airhead at times, but I wouldn't change him."

Frank looked back down at the space in front of him to see a Daily Prophet. The moving mark stared back at him, but he quickly covered it with his piece of toast. He looked back up with a glance towards the Hufflepuff table.

Gerard was sitting between Patrick and Melanie as they looked over their own copy of the paper. Frank began to wonder how this would affect how many students stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas. It depended on how scared their families would be... It was debatable how safe Hogwarts could be at times...

Frank knew he wanted to stay. Christmas at home was just so different now. Frank knew he should be there for his family, but the travel that had been planned for this year on top of the holiday was just something Frank didn't want to deal with. He wanted to be home for Christmas, and if he couldn't be in his actual home, Hogwarts was a fine substitute.

Although Gerard was a half blood, the magical side of his family may have no affect on his decision. Gerard loved the break in the year where he could go home for the holidays. His eyes always lit up at the prospect of it. He loved being with his family for the holidays, and he almost always opted to leave for the holiday break.

"Blimey, You got a howler!"

Frank and Tyler turned their heads to see Jamia looking wide eyed at a scarlet envelope in her hands. She jumped up from her seat as she pressed the letter against her chest. She ran out of the hall as people began to turn and laugh. Frank couldn't help but feel a bit bad for her, but that didn't stop the smirk that spread across his lips. Even if there was that pinge of sympathy, it was still funny.

"What do you reckon it's for?" Hayley asked with a frown as she turned to her friends.

Frank shrugged. No one had the chance to say anything further, however, because the headmistress was rising from the front of the great hall.

"Attention, students!" She held her hands up as the student's voices died down, "As I'm sure you are all aware, there was an incident in hogsmeade yesterday. As a result, classes will only go to Tuesday before we go into our holiday season."

The murmers of the students began to rise again, this time with excitement. Holidays weren't meant to start until Friday. Now, they had only two more days of lessons. Frank and Tyler high fived.

"Students!" Another hush as McGonagall spoke again, "These next two days of lessons will be to turn in last minute work, finish exams, and distribution of any work seemed fit by your professors for the holiday break." She said as her eyes trailed over all the students before her. "I hope you all take care of yourselves. Find comfort in each other, if you need it. Talk to a teacher, because we are only here to help. Don't let this horrible mark of the past affect how you will move forward in the future." Her gaze seemed to lock on Josh, who had only looked up at the start of her words. She offered him a smile, receiving a weak one in response.

She sat back down, getting caught in conversation with professor Flitwick. Back amongst the student tables, Gerard looked between his friends. "Does that mean we get free days before the train leaves on Friday?" Gerard asked.

"Are we going home for Christmas?" Mikey asked, spinning around from his spot at the Ravenclaw table to face his brother.

"I'm not missing a holiday at home." Gerard replied with a grin, "Mum said we could visit family in the states this year."

Mikey's eyes lit up with excitement, "Floo powder or portkey?"

"What the hell is a portkey?" Patrick asked with the scrunch of his nose.

"Sometimes I forget you grew up with muggles." Melanie responded, "I'm going to make a book of all the magical things I can think of, that we don't learn about, and give it to you for Christmas."

"Good thing I'm staying here this year then." Patrick grinned at her before letting out a small laugh.

"You're not going home this year?" Gerard inquired.

Patrick's cheeks reddened with the question. "I want to spend the holiday with my friends this year." He shrugged as a paper plane flew into his hair. He hastily patted his head to grab it before looking back behind him. Pete was smirking at the strawberry blond, blowing him a kiss when they made eye contact. Patrick turned forward, quickly, looking about as red as a tomato.

"Festivity with friends alright." Dallon smirked from the Ravenclaw table as a small branch of mistletoe fell from the paper airplane.

"What about you, Dallon?" Gerard asked as Melanie hugged a very red faced Patrick, "Have you got plans?"

Dallon nodded, "I'm staying at Hogwarts. I don't prefer to leave all the magic here... Or the books."

"Spoken like a true Ravenclaw. You nerd."

"Ray, we are in the same house."

"Doesn't change my position in the argument."

"I won't miss this at Christmas." Mikey commented with an eye roll as the two began to bicker next to him.

"You'll just have to listen to mum and aunt Marie." Gerard shrugged, to which Mikey groaned.

---

Jamia ripped apart the already shredded pieces of the howler she had received. She roughly wiped tears away from her cheeks with a shakey breath. She needed to work faster.

Jamia stood up from where she sat on an isolated stairwell and took a moment to regain her posture. She nodded to herself before setting off to one of the higher points in the castle.

The howler had gone off for a very long time. It had hushed towards the end, but continued in harshness. She had tried to do this on her own, but that howler had pressured the fact that she needed to move faster.

She sighed as she came upon the portrait that concealed the Ravenclaw common room. She held her hands politely in front of her while the portrait considered a riddle.

"The more you have of me, the less you can see. What am I?"

A small smile crossed over Jamia's face. "Darkness." She replied. The portrait nodded, allowing her access.

Inside the common room, several students were scattered. The one that Jamia needed to talk to, however, was laying across the ground with his head in the lap of a girl with dark hair, in front of the fireplace. He was asleep with a book flaired open over his chest while the girl pushed her fingers in a massaging method through his hair.

"Dallon?" Jamia questioned, earning a look from the girl.

"I'm sorry, he's a bit out at the moment." The girl responded for him, "He didn't sleep last night because he was studying, so he crashed after breakfast."

"Oh..." Jamia felt a bit awkward as she looked down at the two, "Well, ah, could you tell him that Jamia wants to talk to him? I need potions assistance, and he's head of the class."

"Sure!" The girl nodded. She held out her hand, "I'm Breezy, by the way."

Jamia replied with her own name, reaching out to shake Breezy's hand. "Are you his girlfriend, by chance?"

Breezy shook her head with a soft laugh, "Oh, no. I'm not really the relationship type; I prefer the more platonic, nonromanic side of things."

"Oh." Jamia response held a tone of surprise. She had never heard of a perspective like that on the romantic side of things. She had only ever known about gay or straight, occasional bisexuality. It was interesting. "Alright, that's cool, I suppose."

Breezy smiled. "I'll let him know for you once he wakes up."

"Thank you." Jamia nodded, "Happy Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Breezy waved before picking the book from Dallon's slowly rising and falling chest to read it.

Jamia turned and quickly left the common room. She let out a breath of air once she was back in the hall. She could feel her heart beating nervously in her chest. She really hoped it was soon that Dallon would wake up; she wanted to get closer to her goal sooner rather than later.

She tugged at her hair before turning away from the common room. She started moving down the hall, but ducked behind a suit of armor when she heard voices.

"I don't get it, just because I'm a Gryffindor?"

"It's not just that, Ryan..."

"You're really going to do this before Christmas!?"

Jamia peaked from around the armor to see Ryan and Brendon. Ryan had a hurt expression on his face and Brendon looked guilty.

"I'm not-Ryan I mean..." Brendon bit his lip as tears brimmed in Ryan's eyes. Jamia frowned from her hiding spot; what had she stumbled upon?

"I ran away with you for the summer." Ryan spoke lowly with a shake to his voice, "We... I thought..."

"Ryan, we still have so much time-"

"THEN GIVE ME MORE TIME!" Ryan yelled as tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. The Gryffindor was shaking, but stepped back when Brendon attempted to reach out to him. "If we have so much of it, why take a break?.."

Brendon looked down without response. Jamia watched a bit of hope drain from Ryan's eyes with his tears.

"I'm going home for Christmas then." Ryan spoke so softly that it was barely audible, "When I get back, don't talk to me anymore... You can have all the time you want." Ryan backed away a few steps with his last words before turning and moving down the corridor with his back to Brendon.

Brendon stood perfectly still for a moment after Ryan disappeared. He seemed frozen in place. Jamia pulled her wand from her pocket, keeping her gaze on him. Before she could do anything, however, he back stepped. He was gone from the corridor.

Jamia stepped out of her hiding spot with a frown. Those two had seemed so happy together... Even just yesterday, she had witnessed them getting scolded for one of their borderline explicit common public displays of affection. How had that shifted so quickly?

Jamia turned in the direction Brendon had gone. She was curious to know more, but she couldn't be sure where he went. Instead, she decided to continue down to the Slytherin common room. She was nearing the turn off when she heard a soft sniffling. She rounded the corner, curiously, to see Brendon sitting against the wall just next to the common room entrance.

"Brendon?" Jamia asked with a soft tone, "Are you alright?"

Brendon didn't answer at first. He shook his head, looking at the ground. "Forgot the password..." He finally mumbled.

"It's toadstool, honey." Jamia said, looking at the entrance as she said it so that the door would open. She looked back down at Brendon, offering her hand. "What's wrong?"

Brendon took her hand to stand himself up. She draped her arm over his shoulder and lead him into the empty common room. Brendon was remaining quiet. Jamia slid the hand that wasn't holding Brendon's shoulder into her pocket and slyly pulled out her wand.

"Brendon, you can talk to me." She spoke lowly as she flicked her wand behind her back.

Brendon looked up as a soft yellowish green haze flew up towards his eyes and disappeared in the earthy brown iris. "I broke up with Ryan." He spoke softly, "The dark mark yesterday reminded me that I have death eaters in my family. If they try to rise again, I don't want him hurt because he was raised by muggles..."

"Aw, honey, I'm so sorry." Jamia frowned, sliding her wand up her sleeve. She stood in front of him, placing her other hand on his shoulder. "He didn't take it well at all, though, did he?"

"I wouldn't give him a straight answer." Brendon replied.

Jamia nodded, "But to never want to speak to you again? Doesn't that upset you?"

"It hurts."

"Wouldn't you like a bit of payback for that?" Jamia whispered.

As Brendon blinked at her, a bit of the yellowish green haze that had sunk into his iris puffed into the air. "I do." He nodded, although, the look on his face was uncertain.

Jamia smiled sweetly at him. "Just stay for the holidays and we can help arrange it." She said, "Alright? Just don't forget how he hurt you... Or how I'm helping you." She pulled her hands off his shoulders and reached up to ruffle his hair. "Go get some sleep."

Brendon still had a perplexed expression, but nodded. He made his way over to the boys dorm while Jamia stayed standing in the common room. She let out a breath of air, pushing her fingers through her hair.

"Just a test." She nodded to herself, "To be sure it works."

---
A/N~ as celebration to most of you guys getting out for the holidays, have a bonus chapter! (YaY) if you aren't out yet, hold on! You can make it!!

Expect two more before Christmas! Wizard Christmas is fun ;)

Hope you have a lovely day/night!

~Skittles Out~