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All Boxed In
By Jim McGuffin

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Category: Boxing Day Challenge (2004-6)
Characters:None
Genres: General
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 11
Summary: Because of some special circumstances, Hermione decides to bring back an old holiday tradition.
Hitcount: Story Total: 4229







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Disclaimer: Rowling, not me.

A/N: Sorry, still no beta! The front page of this site states that there'll be a beta list added to the site very soon. Until then, I still have no beta reader.

EDIT:Thanks for your comments! I made a few changes based on your suggestions.

It was late November, and there were many changes for the students at Hogwarts. The weather, which had been fairly mild, was starting to become cool and windy, and everyone was starting to wear jumpers whenever they walked outside the castle. It was also the middle of the term, which meant that the students were starting to feel overburdened by the homework in their classes. Most of them were starting to look forward to the Christmas holidays.

But for Harry Potter and his friends, November marked a return to normality. After all, they had spent most of the past two months setting up a Halloween maze on the Quidditch pitch. Now that the maze has been taken down, the Quidditch season would finally begin. Harry would finally be able to soar all over the sky on his prized broom, the Firebolt, and be able to take his mind off of his classes and troubles. He would be free once again.

As he woke up and rose from his four-poster bed, Harry suddenly remembered something. He had been banned from the Quidditch team his previous year. Professor Umbridge had forbidden him to play his favorite sport, and even though she was no longer at Hogwarts, it had been a lifetime ban. He would never play Quidditch ever again. Even if he could, he surmised, Umbridge had taken away his Firebolt and not returned it. He had no broom on which he could fly. As he realized his predicament, Harry slumped back down on his bed.

“Good morning, Harry,” said Ron Weasley as he stood up from the bed next to Harry.

“Morning,” Harry mumbled in return.

Ron dressed himself and left the dormitory for the Great Hall. Harry was still too upset at not being allowed to play Quidditch to leave his bed. He continued to lie prone on his bed feeling sorry for himself.

Fifteen minutes later, He heard his roommates Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas begin to stir. Harry remained on his bed without moving.

“Harry,” said Seamus, “wake up. You’ll miss breakfast.”

“Let him be,” said Dean coldly. “The more he sleeps, the less likely he’ll steal all my breakfast like he stole my girlfriend.”

As Seamus and Dean exited the room, Harry thought about Dean’s words. The Halloween maze had ended with a dance, and Harry had unwittingly danced with Ginny, Ron’s sister and Dean’s girlfriend. It had been over three weeks since the incident, but Dean was still angry at Harry, and for good reason. Dean and Ginny had started a row that ended with her hexing him. After Dean had recovered from the attack, Ginny refused to speak to him anymore. For all of this, Harry felt guilty. It was his fault that Dean and Ginny were no longer a couple. If Dean was still upset at him, it was likely that Ginny was angry at him as well. So Harry decided that it would be best if he avoided Ginny at all costs.

It was not until Neville Longbottom rose another fifteen minutes later did Harry finally muster the energy to leave his bed. He put on his school robes as quickly as possible and headed towards the Great Hall, hoping that there would still be some food left for him.

When he arrived, he saw that the Great Hall was nearly empty, with most of the other students having already departed for class. He sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped himself to a few muffins.

“There you are, Harry!”

Harry looked up and saw Ginny standing next to where he was standing.

“Harry,” Ginny continued, smiling. “Katie’s been looking all over for you.”

“Katie?” Harry asked in bewilderment.

“You know,” she said, “Katie Bell, the new Quidditch captain for Gryffindor? You should have heard what she said earlier.”

“What?”

“She said that the first Quidditch practice will be this afternoon and she wants you to be there.”

“But why?” Harry asked bitterly. “It’s not like I’m on the team anymore.”

“You don’t still believe that nonsense about a lifelong ban, do you?” asked Ginny flatly. “Umbridge isn’t in the school anymore, and both Dumbledore and McGonagall told me that you’re back on the team.”

“But what about the lifelong --”

“Harry, if Umbridge’s rules were still in effect, do you think there could’ve been a Halloween maze? I mean, more than three people regularly met to put the maze together.”

“You’re right,” Harry admitted with delight. Then he frowned. “But I still don’t have a broom.”

“Use one of the school brooms,” said Ginny. “Madam Hooch told me that it’s okay for you to use one for now, until you find a real broom.”

“Then it’s all good then.”

“We’d better go on to class,” said Ginny as she left for Ancient Runes. “See you at practice.”

Harry had only one class on Fridays, namely Transfiguration. He would have had Charms after lunch, but ever since the mysterious disappearance of Professor Flitwick, there had been no Charms lessons. Along the way to Professor McGonagall’s class, Harry thought about how grateful he was towards Katie for asking Professor Dumbledore to let him back on the Quidditch team. He would have to thank her, once he saw her that day at practice.

“Hurry, Harry,” said Hermione Granger at the door to the Transfiguration classroom. “If McGonagall sees that you’re late she’ll take off points from Gryffindor.”

Harry raced towards the classroom and arrived just in time. Then again, Harry could barely concentrate on the day’s lesson. He was too excited about finally being able to ride a broom and play Quidditch.

Once Transfiguration ended, and since Harry had no more classes that day, he returned to the common room, where Ron complained about the load of homework.

“I can’t wait until Christmas,” he said. “No more classes, no more books, no more Snape’s dirty looks!”

“Ron!” Hermione scowled. “You know that’s not what Christmas is all about.”

“Of course,” Ron replied. “It’s about opening presents and having parties all night. Then the next morning you’ve got such a hangover that you sleep all day, wearing nothing but your boxers. That’s why they call it Boxing Day, you know.”

“That’s not --” Hermione began, but stopped. She looked at Ron, then laughed slightly. Then the two of them suddenly embraced each other and gave each other a quick kiss on the lips.

This confused Harry. Ever since his two best friends had become a couple three weeks earlier, they would sometimes start to have a row each other, only to end up kissing.

Harry decided to go out to the pitch a little early. After going to Madam Hooch to pick up a school broom, Harry walked outside and finally stepped onto the playing field he had missed so much. Rather than care about how cold it was, or how hard the winds were blowing, or how cheap his broom was, he launched up into the air and flew for the first time in a whole year. He was without a care in the world as he flew up and down the pitch , back and forth between the goalposts, then up high as far as he could see.

Eventually the rest of the team arrived. There was the Keeper Ron and the Beaters Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper from the previous year. There were also new players who were trying out for Chaser. These included Natalie McDonald and the Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis. Also trying out for Chaser were those who had tried out for different positions in the past, namely Vicky Frobisher and Ginny. But there was someone notable missing. Katie, the Captain, failed to show up.

“Harry,” asked Colin, “when are we finally going to have the Chaser tryouts?”

“That’s it!” said Ron. “I’m taking matters into my own hands. I am a Keeper, after all, so why don’t those of you trying out for Chaser try to get the Quaffle past me? And Colin, you can go first.”

“Watch me, Harry!” said Colin as he mounted his broom. Ron threw him the Quaffle. Colin caught it and began to speed on his broom, making circles around Harry and the others who were still on the ground.

“Uh, Colin, I think you’re supposed to be aiming for those hoops over there,” Harry reminded him. So Colin shot the Quaffle, but he was far off the mark. Ron didn’t even have to defend the hoops as his Quaffle soared high and away from the pitch altogether.

“Next!” Ron called out after retrieving the Quaffle. But Dennis was even worse than his brother. He failed even to catch the Quaffle when Ron first passed it to him.

“You’re up, Vicky!” The third-year girl caught the Quaffle, then hovered back a distance from the hoops in order to prepare to shoot. Her aim was perfect as the Quaffle sailed through the center hoop. Ron gave her two more attempts, and each time she pushed the Quaffle past him.

“Not bad,” said Ron.

“That’s because you’re a lousy Keeper,” said Vicky sourly. “I should’ve been chosen for Keeper last year, not you! If it weren’t for your brothers being on the team, I would’ve been the Keeper last year!”

“That’s it!” Ron yelled. “You’re off the team!”

“Fine,” said Vicky angrily. “I wanted to be Keeper, not Chaser anyways!” She stormed back towards the Hogwarts castle.

“The nerve of her, saying that I only made the team because of Fred and George.” Ron sighed. “With such terrible candidates for Chaser, we might as well kiss the Cup goodbye. I guess it’s your turn, Natalie.”

But the third-year girl was much better than Ron anticipated. She made her first three attempts, then nearly had a fourth before Ron made a spectacular save. Harry could also see how Ron’s Keeping skills had improved greatly since that fateful first match against Slytherin the previous year.

“And our last candidate,” said Ron, passing the Quaffle to Ginny. “And don’t worry. After what Vicky said earlier, you can bet I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my sis--”

Ron never finished his sentence. The Quaffle had just blazed past his ear and zoomed straight through the center goal.

“And I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my brother,” said Ginny triumphantly.

“Then it’s settled,” Ron announced. “Ginny and Natalie are the new Chasers.” The other team members began to clap loudly for their newest teammates.

“I’m here,” came the voice of Katie from behind them. “Sorry I’m late, but Snape gave me detention for no good reason. Well then, let’s start the tryouts and see who’ll join me as Gryffindor Chasers.”

“Too late,” said Ron. “While you were in detention, the rest of us already chose Ginny and Natalie to be the new Chasers. The other candidates have already returned to the castle.”

“Good,” said Katie. “Well, seeing that it’s almost sunset, we might as well return to the castle as well. See you next Friday!”

Thus another Quidditch practice ended and the next wasn’t for an entire week. Harry realized that Katie was certainly no Oliver Wood.

Another week passed. On Friday, Professor McGonagall made an announcement to the class.

“Professor Dumbledore has finally found a new Charms professor,” she said. “So all Gryffindors enrolled in N.E.W.T.-level Charms should report to the Charms classroom after break.”

The announcement was unsettling to Harry. Surely someone should have determined the whereabouts of Professor Flitwick by now. His mood worsened when he entered the Charms room and saw none other than Professor Snape standing in front of the teacher’s desk.

“Snape!” Ron blurted out. “But --”

“Five points from Gryffindor for that outburst, Weasley,” said Snape sternly. “Apparently, nearly a month without classes have caused you Gryffindors to forget how to respect Hogwarts professors. Well, all of that is about to change soon enough. And now, let me introduce your new Charms professor, Bill Weasley.”

The Gryffindors breathed a collective sigh of relief when they learned that Snape wasn’t to be their new Charms professor.

“I hope that you will show Mister Weasley some respect,” said Snape as he left the classroom.

“Hello, class,” said Bill. Then he waved at his youngest brother. “Hi, Ron.”

“Bill?” asked Ron incredulously. “But shouldn’t you be working for Gringotts?”

“Don’t you read the Daily Prophet, Ron?” Hermione interrupted. She pulled out a copy of the wizarding newspaper and showed him the front page with the headline, “GRINGOTTS GOBLINS ON STRIKE!”

“Hermione is right,” said Bill. “It is just as Dumbledore feared. We wizards have mistreated goblins for so long, it was only inevitable that they’d all go on strike. They feel that they have been overworked and underpaid for centuries. There is even talk that the goblins may join You-Know-Who if the wizards don’t treat them better. So Gringotts is closed until the wizards and goblins can come to a labor agreement.”

Harry was grateful that he had withdrawn several Galleons from his account over the summer. But he wondered whether anyone else had had the foresight to take out any money.

“Let us begin our Charms lesson, then,” said Bill.

“Are you going to show us some tricks you learned in Egypt?’ asked Lavender Brown.

“What I do for Gringotts is top secret and a little too advanced for you,” he replied. Instead he showed the students the Protean Charm, an N.E.W.T.-level spell that allowed wizards to communicate through the use of various objects. Hermione earned five points for Gryffindor by demonstrating her mastery of the Charm, which she had used the previous year for calling D.A. meetings.

Bill assigned a three-foot-long essay on the charm. Then Harry and Ron headed for Quidditch practice. For once, Katie arrived at the pitch on time.

“I just found out the dates of the Quidditch matches this year,” she announced to the team. “As the season started a month late, the order of the matches has changed, but our first match is still against Slytherin, which will be played next week.” So the team practiced harder than ever for the first match.

“Too bad it’s not already Christmas and Boxing Day,” said Ron in the common room. “Three feet? How ridiculous! And from my own brother too!”

“Three feet is standard for a N.E.W.T.-level class,” Hermione commented.

December arrived, cold as ever. The first snow of the season fell on Friday, which was the day before the match against Slytherin. Katie cancelled practice that day because of the weather.

“Wood would never have cancelled Quidditch practice because of the weather,” Ron remarked.

“Especially not the day before the match,” Harry agreed.

“Especially not when the opponent is Slytherin,” Ginny broke in, even though she had never played for Oliver Wood.

The following day was 7 December, the day of the Quidditch match. But for the Gryffindor team, it turned out to be a total disaster. First of all, Katie was late again. For some reason, she had confused the schedule she had told them weeks earlier and believed that Slytherin was playing Hufflepuff, not Gryffindor. The match was delayed half an hour while Katie was sitting in the stands wondering why Hufflepuff wasn’t on the Pitch. Draco Malfoy, the new Slytherin captain, was just about ask Madam Hooch to call a forfeit until Ginny finally spotted Katie sitting in the stands and called out to remind her that Gryffindor was playing that day. Then, when the match finally began, a blizzard started. Harry had an especially tough time trying to spot the Snitch in the storm.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. Gregory Goyle had directed a Bludger at Ron. It hit the Keeper straight in his right leg, right above the knee. He could no longer sit on his broom and started to fall off. Although a soft blanket of snow cushioned his fall, there was still a large bruise where the Bludger had struck him.

The Chasers had played well up to that point, especially Ginny who had scored two goals. But now they were forced to defend their own goals as well as score on the other end of the Pitch. In the end, Gryffindor was so far behind that they lost even after Harry captured the Snitch, 270-190. Ron ended up being sent to the hospital wing.

“I can’t believe it,” said Ron as he lay on the hospital bed with his leg elevated that night, surrounded by his teammates and Hermione.

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Andrew Kirke.

“Yeah, unlike last year when you let in all those goals,” Jack Sloper added.

“It’s too bad you’ll be here for at least a week,” said Harry.

“Well, at least I get to miss all my classes next week,” said Ron brightly.

“But you’ll also miss the trip to Hogsmeade,” Hermione reminded him.

“Oh no!” Ron called out.

So the following weekend, Hogsmeade weekend, Harry and Hermione went to the hospital wing to say goodbye to Ron.

“Don’t forget to bring me back some Honeydukes sweets,” Ron told Harry.

Well, Harry thought to himself, Ron may be gone, but at least Hermione would accompany him to Hogsmeade this time. The two of them left the Entrance Hall and set off across the Hogwarts grounds. It was sunny, completely unlike the previous weekend, but still chilly. Hermione saw Remus Lupin standing just outside the Hogwarts grounds.

“Oh no, Harry,” said Hermione. “I forgot, I promised Remus that I would start my Apparition lessons today in Hogsmeade. I am scheduled to take the exam on 26 December. Normally the parents teach you, but since I am Muggle-born, Remus has promised to teach me.”

“Apparition?” Harry asked. “I thought you were only 16. Why didn’t you tell me you were 17 already?”

“You never asked,” Hermione replied. “We’ve known each other for six years, and yet neither you nor Ron have bothered to ask me what my age is.”

So Hermione followed Remus to the Shrieking Shack, where the lessons would take place. That meant that Harry would be alone on this Hogsmeade trip. Well, he thought to himself, at least he would be able to purchase some Christmas presents for Ron and Hermione.

He started out by going to Honeydukes to buy the sweets he promised Ron. He noticed that the queue inside the store was unusually short for a Hogsmeade weekend. When he left, his pockets were stuffed with the usual Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavor Beans.

He moved on to Scrivenshaft’s to buy Hermione some quills and ink, with another short queue. He continued on towards several other shops, to find each one nearly empty. The village was full of students, yet for some strange reason, no one was going into any of the stores. As Harry left Dervish and Banges, he nearly bumped into Neville Longbottom.

“Hi, Harry,” said Neville. “I saw you come out of one of the stores there. So you actually have some spending money?”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“Gringotts is closed, so no one can get any money,” said Neville. “Look around you. Not a single store is receiving any business. Zonko’s Joke Shop has shut down due to financial difficulties.”

“Well, I got this money out during the summer,” Harry said, frowning. He wondered that if the Wizarding economy was already starting to suffer with the goblins on strike, what would happen if they were to go to Voldemort’s side?

Harry handed Neville a Galleon, then said, “Go buy yourself something nice.” As Neville thanked him, Harry walked toward the Three Broomsticks, hoping that a nice drink would distract him from the troubles in the world. He saw Ginny there, having a row with Madam Rosmerta.

“Why can’t I come into your store?” asked Ginny.

“Because I say you can’t,” Rosmerta replied.

“It’s cold outside,” Seamus added. “I just want to come in and have a chat like I do every time it’s Hogsmeade weekend.”

“Can’t you read?” Rosmerta asked as she pointed to a sign reading TWO DRINK MINIMUM. “Now show me some money or you can’t come in.”

“But we have no money,” said Seamus as he and Dean started to leave.

Harry took out a Galleon and said, “I have some money.”

“Then welcome to the Three Broomsticks,” Rosmerta smiled, and so Harry entered the store, glancing quickly at Ginny. “Is this red-haired lady with you?”

Harry didn’t want another row between Ginny and Rosmerta. He sighed. “She is.”

Harry and Ginny were the only customers in the watering hole. As Harry ordered the requisite two butterbeers for each of them. Ginny asked, “I know that Ron’s in the hospital wing, but I thought that you’d at least be with Hermione.”

So Harry filled Ginny in on Hermione’s Apparition lessons, then explained that he was buying Ron and Hermione some Christmas gifts. Ginny explained how she had been turned away from every store because of her lack of spending money.

“What a boring day at Hogsmeade,” she concluded. “Why even bother if no one has any money?”

“I have one Galleon left,” said Harry. “You can have it. Consider it an early Christmas present.”

So Ginny walked to Gladrags, where one Galleon was just enough to purchase a new pair of red socks that she’d always wanted.

After spending most of the day together in Hogsmeade, in the evening, Harry and Ginny finally returned to Gryffindor Tower.

“Felix Felicis!” Harry called out to the Fat Lady.

When they entered the common room, Hermione said, “Harry, Ginny, where have you been. I’d tried looking for you after my Apparition lessons ended.” So Harry explained where he had been.

During the week, many students complained that with the Gringotts labor dispute, many wizards would be unable to access their accounts or buy any Christmas presents. Even Malfoy, normally the richest student in the school, was Knutless, as all of his money, even if the banks were open, was in the name of Lucius, who was now in Azkaban. Some students were so desperate that they even tried to ask Hermione and other Muggle-borns for Muggle money so that they could go to non-magical stores.

But finally Hermione had an idea. She discussed it with Professor Bill Weasley, and he agreed that it was an excellent idea. The night before term ended, she discussed it with her fellow students in Gryffindor Tower.

“We can still exchange gifts even if we can’t buy anything anymore,” said Hermione. “You see, there’s this tradition where we put old items into boxes and give them to the poor or lower classes. And this year, because of the strike, we’re all basically poor. So why don’t we exchange boxes this year?”

“We did something similar a few years ago,” said Bill, “back when I was a student here. But for some reason, the tradition died out.”

“The boxes would be exchanged the day after Christmas,” said Hermione. “And that, Ron, is why we call it Boxing Day.”

“I like my explanation better,” Ron, who had recovered from his injury, chuckled.

“But how do we know whom the box is for?” asked Harry.

“We don’t,” said Hermione. “That’s the fun of it.”

“I am familiar with the Portal Charm,” said Bill. “So I used Portus to make the boxes themselves into Portkeys set to go off between eleven and noon on 26 December.”

“So let’s come up with some ideas on what to put in the boxes,” said Hermione.

“We can put in some food, maybe some fruit, from the kitchens,” Harry proposed.

“Cheese is always good!” Ron added.

“And since I got some new socks, I can give away some of my old ones,” said Ginny, smiling at Harry.

“Great ideas, everyone,” said Hermione. And so every Gryffindor ended up staying at Hogwarts for Christmas in order to set up the boxes.

The following Thursday was Boxing Day. Bill directed each student, or group of students, to hold onto a boxes, and prepare for the Portkeys to go off.

“Where’s Hermione?” Ron asked.

“She went to take the Apparition test today,” said Ginny.

“I’m surprised,” said Harry. “You’d think they’d be closed on Boxing Day.”

“Muggle businesses are closed, but for some reason the Ministry is open,” Ginny explained.

“Let’s go,” said Bill. He gathered all of the boxes and placed them in a large sack. He then took out the first box and said, “Now guys, hold on tight!”

The first box-Portkey was activated, and Bill, Harry, Ron, and Ginny arrived at their first destination, which was Ottery St.-Catchpole.

“Hey,” said Ron. “We’re home. We can give the first box to Mum and Dad.”

He raced towards the Burrow, with Bill, Harry, and Ginny hurrying to follow. Ron knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Then a note appeared out of thin air on the door. “Out visiting Charlie in Romania,” Ron read. “Merry Christmas, Ron. Love, Mum and Dad.”

“But we have to give this box to someone,” said Bill.

“What about Luna?” Ginny proposed. “She lives here in the area.” Harry thought back to the Quidditch World Cup, a couple of years earlier, when he had learned that the Diggorys, Lovegoods and Fawcetts lived in the area.

“Hi, Gryffindors,” said Luna as she opened the door. “What brings you here?”

“We’ve come to deliver you a Boxing Day gift,” Bill replied. He handed Luna a plain white box. She opened it to find the most stinky Muenster cheese Harry had ever smelled.

“My favorite type of cheese,” said Luna with much delight. “I want to give you guys something Boxing Day gifts too.”

“Thanks,” said Ron, “but that won’t be necessary. Our Boxing Day celebration is for Gryffindors only.”

“I insist,” said Luna as she Summoned a few boxes filled with advance copies of the January Quibbler.

“Uh, thanks,” said Ron sarcastically as he glanced through articles about Pure-Blood Princesses, Emerald Flame Torches, Pillars of Love, and other nonsense. “Let’s go now.”

“I want to come with you guys,” said Luna. She brought one last box with her

“Let her come with us,” said Ginny.

“The more the merrier,” said Bill. “Come with us, Luna. But I wouldn’t touch that box if I were you.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“You might accidentally activate the Portkey too early. Now let’s all hold on to this box as soon as I finish counting to three. One, two, three, now!”

Harry, Luna, and the Weasleys grabbed the plain black box, but nothing happened.

“Are you sure that’s the right box?” asked Ron.

“Actually,” said Harry as he reached for a plain green box, “I think that this one is next. I’m quite cer --”

But as soon as he touched it, Harry was transported to a strange location. He wasn’t sure where he was, but since he was here, he might as well deliver the box.

He entered through a gate in a picket fence and walked up a brick path. Before he knocked on the door to the small green house, he overheard the wizards living there having a conversation.

“Hello dear,” a woman asked. “How was your day?”

“Fine, Gloria,” her husband answered. “I put some Regurgitation Charms on a few toilets, used the Cruciatus Curse on some defenseless puppies and kittens, and then my buddies and I went Muggle hunting. You know honey, the usual.”

“Why can’t I come Muggle hunting with you, Dad?” came a voice that was unmistakably Gregory Goyle’s, a voice that Harry was all too familiar with after he used Polyjuice Potion a few years earlier. Not wanting to knock on a Death Eater family’s door, he lay the box on the front porch.

Then came a cracking sound, and Bill Apparated in front of him. “Harry,” he said, “we must get back to where the others are. Portus!”

Bill pointed his wand at an empty box. “Now hold onto this box and don’t let go.”

So Harry and Bill grabbed the box, and they left the Goyles’ house before they were spotted.

Harry now saw that he was in front of another, dark house. It was surrounded by cold, damp bogs filled with ugly, brown toads.

“Don’t tell me,” said Harry. “This house belongs to --”

“Umbridge,” Ron and Ginny finished simultaneously.

“She burned the copy of the Quibbler I tried to give her,” said Luna. “For some reason she seems to hate that magazine.”

“Don’t tell me she still doesn’t think Voldemort’s back,” said Harry.

“And I gave her the box with the Scrivenshafts quills,” said Ron.

“Good idea,” said Harry. “After all, we know how had her other quill is,” referring to the quill with which he wrote messages in his skin. “I wonder what was in that box I left for Goyle.”

Ginny thought for a few seconds, then laughed. “It must have been my old frilly pink socks!”

“Goyle will look just marvelous in those,” said Harry.

Then suddenly there was a cracking sound, then the appearance of none other than Hermione.

“How did you get here?” Harry asked.

“I Apparated here,” she replied.

“So you passed the test!” said Ron. “Oh and here,” he added, handing her the last Quibbler box.

“It’s obvious Luna probably made that box,” said Hermione as she opened the blue-and-white box decorated with Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks.

“One last box,” said Bill. “Now it’s time for the black one.” So Harry, Hermione, Luna, and the Weasleys all reached for the black box and at the count of three, they all arrived in front of Hogwarts.

“Why didn't you just Apparate here?” Ron asked.

“How many times must I remind you,” said Hermione, "that you can't Apparate at Hogwarts!"

So Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys entered Gryffindor Tower. Harry handed the black box to Seamus, which was filled with several fruitcakes.

“So Harry and his girlfriend give me fruitcake," said Seamus. "Ever since I saw you at Hogsmeade that day, it’s obvious that you care for Ginny very much.”

Harry was bewildered, for he and Ginny weren’t a couple. Yet he thought he saw Ginny smile slightly at Seamus’s comment. But still, as he sat down with the others in front of the fireplace, it had been the best Boxing Day of his life. This was true especially compared to Boxing Days at the Dursleys, which consisted of Dudley putting Christmas toys he either broke the first day or just plain didn’t want anymore in boxes.

“And now that the celebration is over,” said Ron, “let’s go to our dormitories and sleep until noon tomorrow wearing nothing but my boxers. That’s one tradition I would like to start.”

Hermione laughed once more, and then she and Ron kissed each other one last time.
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