Jack's POV

It's Christmas day and things have been heptic since the trip to Hogsmeade. Hagrid has kept his job, but now Buckbeak is on trail. Harry, Hermione, Ron and I have been researching old hippogriff cases in hopes of helping Hagrid. But so far no luck. So far the old hippogriff that got off of being executed, was because everyone was to afraid to go near it.

But today we can forget everything and just have fun. Open presents, have hot chocolate, have a snow ball fight and just be together. I wake to see a small pile of presents under my Christmas tree. Uncle Snape thought I deserved one in my room. It's not big, just four foot.

I sit down cross legged and start to open my presents. Starting with my Weasley jumper which is maroon with a golden J. I put it on and set the fudge aside. I continue to open presents. I thought I was finished as I'd gotten presents from everyone I know. But then I notice a long broom shape package behind the tree.

I frown in confusion as I pull it towards me. I unwrap it and my jaw drops. Someone had sent me a firebolt, a real firebolt. It hoovers in front of me as I run my hand along the handle. Just then there's a knock at my portrait door. "Yes?" I call.

"It's Hermione, I'm going to Ron and Harry's room. Do you want to come?" she asks.

"Sure" I say and get up. I leave my room to see her holding Crookshanks. "You know Ron isn't a fan of Crookshanks" I tell her as we head downstairs to the common room.

"Well he'll have to put up with it, it's Christmas and Crookshanks is staying with me. This is our first Christmas together" she tells me. I nod my head and we go up to the boy dorms.

"Don't bring him in here!" Ron shouts snatching up Scabbers and placing him in his pocket. As soon as we enter the room with Crookshanks. Hermione dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed. As we both stare, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt in front of Harry.

"You got one two? Do you know who sent it to you?" I ask my brother.

"No idea, we were just brainstorming people" he tells me. "You have one to?" he asks and I nod my head. Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news like Ron and Harry. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asks her.

"I don't know" she says slowly. "But it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?" she asks us.

"Hermione it's the fastest broomstick in the world" I tell her. "Harry we have to race" I tell him and he nods his head in agreement.

"Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I? After the race" Ron asks Harry.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet! Or Jack's" Hermione says shrilly. We all looked at her confused.

"What do you expect us to do with them Hermione?" I ask her.

"Sweep the floor with them?" Ron suggests and I chuckle. But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest. "GET -- HIM -- OUT -- OF -- HERE!" Ron shouts throwing him off. I grab him and hand him to Hermione.

"We'd better take Crookshanks and leave, Hermione" I tell her. She agrees and we leave the room together. "I'm gonna go change, I'll meet you back here and we'll go to breakfast together" I tell her. I go up to my room and changer before putting back on my Weasley jumper.

I meet Hermione in the common room. As we head to the great hall she told me how she shut Crookshanks in her dorm. After breakfast we went outside with and I threw a snowball at her. We had a snow ball fight, that I won. We returned to the castle and had warm showers, before putting on dry clothes for lunch.

At lunchtime we went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only two other students, one extremely nervous-looking first year and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.

Hermione and I sit down, Harry soon joined us with Ron. "Merry Christmas! As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables" Dumbledore tells us. "Crackers!" he says enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

I chuckle as Ron and Harry grin at each other. Dumbledore swapped his hat for the stuffed vulture one. "Dig in!" he tells the table, beaming around at all of us. I put food on my plate as Trelawney appears. "Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore says standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster" she tells him. "I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness" she says.

"Let me draw you up a chair" he tells her.

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!" she tells him.

"We'll risk it, Sibyll" Professor McGonagall tells her. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold" she adds. Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

When Harry and I finished we both stand up together. "My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?" Trelawney asks us.

"We got up at the same time" I tell her. "Come on Harry" I say and Ron gets up to leave with us. "You coming Hermione?" I ask her.

"No, I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall" she tells me. I nod my head and leave with the other two. Harry and I brought our firebolts down into the common room to compare them.

Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. I looked at Hermione who walked around us. She sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it. "So these are it?" McGonagall asks looking at the firebolts. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you both have been sent a broomstick each, Potters" she states. "May I?" she asks and I hand her my broom.

She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potters? No card? No message of any kind?" she asks us.

"No" Harry and I answer.

"Well, I'm afraid I will have to take these, Potters" she tells us.

"W what?" Harry stutters.

"Why?" I ask her.

"They will need to be checked for jinxes" she tells us. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip them down" she states.

"Strip it down?" Ron asks her.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks" she assures us. "You will have them back if we are sure they are jinx-free" she states.

"There's nothing wrong with them!" Harry exclaims.

"You can't know that, Potter" she tells him kindly. "Not until you've flown them, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that they have not been tampered with. I shall keep you both informed" she adds before leaving with both firebolts.

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?" Ron demands looking at Hermione. Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.

"Because I thought -- and Professor McGonagall agrees with me -- that those brooms were probably sent to Harry and Jack by Sirius Black!" she exclaims.

"Come on Hermione" I say and lead her out of the common room. "They're just upset, they'll get over it" I tell her. "I'm not mad, you were only looking out for Harry and I" I add. She gives me a grateful smile.

A/N

Picture above of Jack's Weasley jumper and on the external link of Jack's Firebolt.