Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick her, meanwhile Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers.

But Jenna was mad at both of them; angry with Ron for trying to kick her and still defending that traitorous rat, and at Hermione both for locking her up, and also for discouraging Harry upon receiving the Firebolt.

Although Jenna was glad to know that Harry was as happy as be could be with his Christmas present. So she took the opportunity and snuck out of the dormitory once that it was open and went into the common room, where Ron and Harry sat, still admiring the Firebolt.

Although just then their attention was caught when the next moment the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione stepped inside with Professor McGonagall right behind her.

With that, Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book, and hid her face behind it.

"So that's it, is it?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter."

Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione. Jenna had to control her temper, scared that her furs woulds turn red. They could see Hermione's forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside down.

"May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

    Jenna watched her warily, her heart beating hard in her chest. She didn't like where this was going.

"No," said Harry blankly.

"I see..." said Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."

Crookshanks suddenly leaped up from shock, though no one seemed to notice her.

"W — what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down —"

"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall had gone mad.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor —"

"You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Jenna watched him, feeling her heart break for him.

     Through his life, Harry had been denied presents from those Dursley cows, and once when his godparents had sent him his dream broom, it was taken away from him.

     Ron, however, rounded on Hermione. "What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

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 that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

***

It was extremely hard task for Jenna to not lose her temper in the days that proceeded. After spending almost a thousand Galleons on Harry's Christmas present — which had made him the happiest he'd ever been — they had taken it away from him.

It only made matters worse that Jenna couldn't pay her usual visits to Sirius or Remus, because Hermione was keeping Crookshanks up in the dormitory at all times and kept a close eye on the cat so she wouldn't sneak out and go after Scabbers.

Although with Ron and Harry both now ignoring Hermione, Jenna felt extreme pity toward the girl, seeing as she spent the nights crying herself to sleep.

Jenna really wanted to comfort her, but all she could to was to curl up to her side at nights as a way of comforting her, to show her in a way that she wasn't alone.

Although other than her studies and homework, Hermione also spent the majority of the Christmas break trying to help Hagrid with his case. The Ministry of Magic was holding a trial for Buckbeak, Hagrid's Hippogriff who had supposedly attacked Draco Malfoy.

Hermione read any book that she could find useful in the library and spent late hours in the night, reading through in search for something that could help Hagrid with his trial.

Although Jenna couldn't understand the cruelty of the Ministry, which had given the Hippogriff a trial, but not Sirius.

Soon, the holidays came to an end and the students returned back to school from the break. With the dorm full and Hermione leaving the common room for her classes for the majority of the day, Jenna finally found herself free to leave the common room again after a long while.

On their first day of classes, Crookshanks waited until all the four girls had left the dormitory before returning back to human form so she could open the room's door. But she still had her wand in her hand, just in case someone burst in and she had to make them forget.

Although before Jenna could make her way toward the door, her eyes fell upon Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet which lay on her bed. What caught her attention was the moving picture of Sirius, looking so pale and thin that reminded her of a vampire.

So Jenna immediately went forward and picked the newspaper up, for a second worrying that they had captured him. But what she read through the article made her feel so much worse.

The Ministry had given the dementors permission to perform the kiss if they found Sirius. The fate that awaited him was much worse than death.