got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you --" 

"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."

 "Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?" 

Harry frowned at Ron. 

"I can't see Lupin affording something like this." 

"What're you two laughing about?"

 Hermione had just come in, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck. Sharptooh looked just as grumpy, wearing a red Christmas sweater with a mouse wearing antlers on the front.

 "Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket. 

But Hermione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt. 

"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?" 

"No idea," said Harry. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."

 To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

 "What's the matter with you?" said Ron. 

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?" 

Ron sighed exasperatedly.