Brian had always loved Hogwarts, but the castle was at its best at Christmas time. There seemed to be just as many trees—huge ones that Qbeus had dragged in—as students. Brian and Nick had decorated their four-poster beds with garland and Howmione had enchanted the ceiling with fairy lights that fluttered around. They clapped on and off so that they could still sleep at night.

One odd thing that Brian noticed was how excited all of the girls were acting. There was a lot of whispering and giggling in the corridors. Brian was receiving many more “hello’s” than usual. He hadn’t felt this popular since the beginning of the school year, when an assortment of first and second years would come up asking to see his scar.

On Saturday morning, Brian headed to breakfast with Nick. As they neared the Great Hall, Brian pointed out something sitting on a stool at the doorway and laughed. The Sorting Hat had been enchanted a deep, crimson red with a white trim.

“Santa Claus left his hat,” Brian joked.

“It’s Father Christmas over here, mate,” Nick corrected, grimacing at the sight of the hat.

“What?”

“Not looking forward to putting that thing on my head again.”

Brian asked, “Why would you have to? You’ve already been sorted into a house.”

“Well, that’s its job for students coming in. But it’s also there for students going out of the school. It sorts the graduating class each year.”

“Into what?”

“Employed and unemployed,” Nick said.

Brian suddenly had the mental image of a 30 year old Nick Weasley still living at home with his mother, using his wand to change the channel on the TV. He managed not to laugh out loud.

“Hi Nick,” Lavender said as they passed by her table.

Nick’s face turned red but he managed a wave. They sat down and began to eat. Howmione appeared.

“Where have you been? You were already gone when we woke up this morning.”

“Nick, it’s noon,” Howmione said. “Anyway, I was in the library.”

“It’s Saturday!” Nick exclaimed.

“Yes, but there’s so much to do before the holidays. My parents and I are going skiing in France, so I won’t be able to pack all my schoolbooks for the trip.”

“Why would you pack any schoolbooks for the trip?”

“I don’t want to forget anything when classes start again,” Howmione said.

Brian couldn’t wait to spend Christmas in Kentucky with his family. On their last trip to Hogsmeade, he’d picked up the Witch Washer 2000 for his mom that included a self-dishwashing scrubber. He’d also found a “Quidditch Bloopers” movie for his dad.

“You lot heard the news?” Alex appeared next to Brian. AJ was suddenly on his other side, stealing a pasty from his plate.

“Hey!” Brian snapped. He’d already been disappointed that he’d missed the breakfast food, which was his favorite, but he wasn’t about to give up all his cornish pasties, too.

“What news?” Howmione asked.

“They’ve decided to give a holiday Yule Ball. Last weekend of the term,” AJ said. “Time to turn on the charm for the ladies.”

“Right, who’s going to go with you?” Nick smirked.

A moment later the Keeper for Ravenclaw walked by. She was tall and had long, black hair and a reputation for practicing prank charms on Slytherin Quidditch players when the professors weren’t looking.

“Hey, Katerina,” AJ called. “Do you want to go to the dance with me?”

Katerina smiled. After thinking it over a second, she nodded before continuing to the Ravenclaw table.

“Easy. As. Patronus,” AJ crossed his arms and gloated to Nick. “Sorry, all the good looks in the family got used up before you were born.”

“Alright, my turn,” Alex said, scanning the long tables. Alex and AJ wandered off in the direction of a blonde Hufflepuff.

“Who are we going to go with? I can’t let them get the gorgeous dates... We need to find two girls before they’re all taken,” Nick said to Brian.

“What about me?” Howmione said.

Nick ended up snorting some pumpkin juice out of his nose. He continued to grin as he wiped it off his face. “Who would you ask? The librarian?”

Howmione rolled his eyes and stormed away from the table.

“That was a little harsh,” Brian mentioned. But Nick wasn’t paying attention.

“She’s sort of pretty...”

“Brian.”

His heart jumped a little at the name. “Yes?”

“McGonagall asked me to give this to you. It’s from Dumbledore.”

“Thanks Leighanne.”

She joined a group of her friends at the other end of the table. Brian thought of the Yule Ball, then quickly changed his attention to the letter in his hand with Dumbledore’s now familiar slanted writing.

“He wants to see me.”

“Dude, he always wants to see you,” Nick corrected.

Nick walked with him to Dumbledore’s office. Brian said the password, and Nick promised to wait in the corridor for him.

“Ah, Brian,” Dumbledore said when he walked in. “Please, have a seat. Peppermint?” he offered.

“Er, no thanks Professor,” Brian said.

“Well then, down to business, I suppose.” Dumbledore sat down and Brian noticed that he was looking everywhere but into Brian’s eyes. He stroked his long, black beard. “I am regretful that this meeting was not for a more pleasant reason. I was hoping to avoid having to say this.”

“What, Professor?”

“As you know, most of the students will be spending the holidays with their families. I believe you were planning a visit to see your parents.”

Brian didn’t like the use of past tense.

“Have you heard anything of the wizard who has escaped from Azkaban?”

He nodded. Brian really didn’t like the sound of this.

“Despite the ministry’s best efforts, Sirius Knight has eluded capture. He was recently spotted in Hogsmeade.”

“What does he have to do with me?”

Dumbledore paused. “Well, he was one of Voldemort’s supporters. The night he escaped, the Minister of Magic informed me that he may be trying to find you.”

“Me? What did I do to him?”

Dumbledore gave him a small smile. “Well, according to the Minister, he is seeking revenge for his former master. He seems to think that you are the reason Knight decided to escape, now that you have come out of hiding to attend school.”

Brian noticed that he kept quoting the Minister of Magic. “Do you believe that?”

Dumbledore finally looked into Brian’s eyes, looking impressed. “I think that the Ministry often... misinterprets information. Nevertheless, your safety is of utmost importance.”

Brian could see the Christmas with his family slowly fading away.

“I was instructed that you not be privy to this information, but I feel that you have proven yourself capable of hearing the truth. Again, I was hoping that he would be located and I would not have to do this, but I must ask you not to return home for Christmas. A killer with Knight’s history is not to be taken lightly. I worry that you would be putting your family in danger.”

Brian had to hand it to him. He hadn’t told Brian to stay. Dumbledore had asked Brian to make the decision, although in a way that Brian really had no choice. He wasn’t going to lead a dark wizard to his parents. “I’ll stay.”

“Hopefully the situation will be taken care of soon. There is not enough protection in the muggle world, so although I know you will miss seeing them over the holiday, I know that they will understand. I will personally send them a letter explaining that it is in your best interest to remain in the school.”

“What if he still goes after them?”

Dumbledore shook his head. “Given the locations of where he has been spotted, you seem to be Knight’s main priority. If you stay in the country, then I believe he will, also. Nevertheless, we do have a witch who has been keeping an eye on them. Do not worry, Brian, we are taken every precaution to protect the school, as well.”

Brian wondered if he should tell him about what he’d seen in the woods, the day that he and Nick... Nick. Brian suddenly frowned.

“Is there anything else?”

“No, sir.”

Brian didn’t explode until he got into the hallway.

“How’d it...” Nick began to ask.

“You knew! Sirius Knight is after me and you didn’t tell me!” Brian shouted.

Nick’s eyes widened with guilt. “Oh.”

Brian began to walk down the hall towards the Common Room. This was all Nick’s fault. Brian would be spending Christmas alone. At school. If Nick had told him, then...

Well Brian could’ve done... something. He would’ve figured it out.

“I wasn’t allowed to tell you! I wasn’t supposed to know! I can’t believe Dumbledore told you.”

“He wasn’t supposed to, either, but he did,” Brian said pointedly. “How did you even find out? Does everyone know?” Brian started thinking about the attention he’d been receiving lately. They were probably pity greetings from people who didn’t think he’d live to see the new year.

“My dad works for the ministry, and he overheard a conversation. He told me so that I’d make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“Like what?”

Nick shrugged. “I’m sorry, mate, but I didn’t want my dad losing his job.”

Brian’s scowl softened a little bit but that didn’t stop him from locking himself in his room the rest of the day.

It was Monday before Brian was talking to Nick again. Partly, he missed the person who he had started to consider his best friend. Also, though, he didn’t think he could spend another weekend with Howmione. Brian had spent Sunday afternoon in the library helping Howmione create study scrolls. Although come to think of it, he’d never found a History of Magic test as easy as the one he’d taken this morning.

In Defense Against the Auto-tune Arts, they were practicing how to counter hexes. Howmione had successfully countered each one; Nick, however, had a face covered in green, oozing spots.

“I bet that’s what he looks like first thing in the morning,” Timberlake sneered to his two sidekicks. Chris Crabbe pointed at Nick with a big grin, as if to make sure Nick knew who Timberlake was referring to.

Draco continued. “No wonder he hasn’t got a date to the Yule Ball. It’s not like he has the money to make up for his looks...”

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed noisily.

This joke served to distract Nick further. He not only messed up on his counter curse again, but he tripped over his own robes and ended up on the ground, the whole class laughing.

“You can’t let him get to you,” Howmione said to him when class was almost over.

This comment didn’t improve Nick’s mood. “I’ll show him...” he mumbled and grabbed his books, hurrying into the corridor.

“Nick, wait!” Brian called. But Nick was out of sight.

The whole class was heading towards the doorway now. By the time Brian came out, Nick was talking to a popular sixth year who was in Hufflepuff. Brian couldn’t make out all of the conversation, but he had the sinking feeling that Nick was asking her to the dance. Sure enough, as he got closer, he heard Nick stuttering about it.

“So... will you... will you go with me?” Nick asked nervously.

The Hufflepuff was holding her hand over her face, trying not to laugh. “Um...” she could barely contain her amusement. “Sorry, but I don’t think so.”

She hurried back to her friends who were waiting for her. They didn’t try to hide their giggles as they headed towards their next class.

Nick hung his head. “It’s officially laugh at Nick day,” he said to Brian.

“Um, Nick... you forgot to go to McGonagall at the end of class... you didn’t get her to remove the hex on your face.”