"WAKE UP IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!" I heard and my blanket was pulled away from me. I shivered and curled in a ball. "COME ON IZZY!!!" I yawned and rubbed my eyes. I checked the clock nearby and groaned.

"Zoe, it's 5am." I mumbled.

"Well get up!! It's Christmas!!" Zoe danced around the room with my blanket. "We have a big day today!!"

"5am."

"I got you books!!" My eyes shot open.

"I'M UP!!!" I jumped and looked at the presents at the end of my bed. "Where are the books??" Zoe laughed and sat beside me.

"Works every time. And I did get you books. Also, Merry Christmas." I looked at her and smiled.

"Merry Christmas. Have you opened any of your presents yet?"

"Nope! I'm pretty sure I know what you got me though." I grabbed all my presents and placed them on the floor. I sat down on the floor behind them. Zoe did the same.

I grabbed my first present. "Open at the same time?" Zoe asked. I grinned and nodded. For some reason, we would always open presents at the same time at Christmas.

"Three." I started.

"Two."

"One." We said in unison and ripped the wrapping paper off our presents. I gasped. It was a book. But it was a book with strange runes on the cover. And it looked rather interesting. I remember when we were passing a bookstore in America. I saw this book through the window, but I had no money...

"Zoe it's that book that we saw in that bookstore!!" I exclaimed, opening the book and flipping through the pages.

"Is this a brush?!" Zoe asked. "Hang on: curl, straigten or dye your hair with one simple brush." Immediately she opened the box and grabbed the brush. She looked at it before brushing one section of her knotty hair. Her hair was now perfectly curled. "Oh my Merlin this is so cool!!"

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it! Do you like yours-"

"Yes!! I love it!! Now next presents."

I got a Roman Mythology book from Alice, a jinxes and hexes book from Marlene which had a little note that said: If James ever annoys you, oh and Sirius too. And from Lily, a new, fancy, blue quill. After we finished opening all our presents, we headed downstairs for breakfast. My parents already were eating, they said Merry Christmas to Zoe. I sighed and we started eating. After we finished, Zoe and I back to our room to get change. I put on a long, dark grey sweater, matching black gloves and beanie, and black jeans. Zoe wore a pink sweater, matching peach gloves and beanie, and black jeans.

"Come on! Let's go outside!" Zoe grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. We ran to the backyard, which was covered in snow. I looked around.

"Zoe, what are we meant to be doing-" I was cut off by a snowball which had hit my back. I turned around and saw Zoe grinning, her hand in the air like she had just thrown something. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Come on Iz. I would win a snowball fight anyway." She said. I grinned.

"Keep dreaming honey." I bent down and grabbed a handful of snow. I made a snowball and threw it at her. It landed on her shoulder.

She threw another one and I dodged it. I grinned and threw two at her. She dodged the first but almost fell down. She threw one towards me and it hit me in the nose. I threw another one and it landed in her hair. Soon there was thousands of snowballs in the air and two girls laughing. Eventually we were both on the floor. Snow covered both of us.

"I won!" Zoe yelled.

"No you didn't! I did." I said.

"I did!"

"I did."

"I did."

"I did!"

"Tie?" I grinned.

"Okay!" We both got up and rubbed off the snow. I smiled and tried not to think that she would be leaving the next day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sighed. Zoe was about to leave. She stood in front of the fireplace with her luggage.
"Don't forget to owl Izzy." Zoe said, forcing a smile. She looked like she didn't want to leave and I didn't want her to leave either. But she had to... unfortunately.

"I won't. Thanks for coming." I said. She nodded and hugged me again.

"Hope it doesn't get too bad." She whispered in my ear.

"Me too..." She broke the hug and walked over to the fireplace. Zoe took a handful of Floo Powder and stood in the fireplace.

"Carwin Manor!" Green flames erupted from the fireplace and when the flames cleared, she was gone.

"Now let's go eat." Mum said. I nodded and sat on the table, sadly. I picked at my food and didn't eat much. We ate in silence.

"Why didn't you owl us Isabel?" My father asked suddenly.

"I was busy. I told you that." I mumbled, not looking at him.

"Busy with what?" I sighed.

"Studies and a few other stuff." If I mentioned Pranks, they're going to kill me.

"I heard lots of students sent a letter to their parents." My mother added. "Why didn't you?"

"If I wasn't studying I was eating, if I wasn't eating I was sleeping and if I wasn't sleeping I was studying. They gave us a lot of homework Mum, considering it's OWLs this year."

"And have you been getting good marks?"

"Of course."

"As in an Outstanding?"

"Yeah." I lied. I only got Acceptable in most of my classes and Outstanding in Charms.

"That still doesn't give you an excuse to not send letters!" Father shouted and I winced slightly. "And what about this Prank War?! Were you Pranking people?!"

"That doesn't matter!!"

"Yes it does!!"

"It doesn't matter!!"

"You're getting into trouble!! Thank goodness Sophia didn't live to learn your troublemaker ways!!" Father stood up. My jaw dropped and my heart broke.

"This has nothing to do about her!!" I stood up as well.

"We taught you not to prank people Isabel!! And you're Pranking people!!" He raised his hand and swung it towards me. He slapped me and I screamed, falling off my chair.

I got up quickly as he stormed towards me. He grabbed my arm and shoved me against the wall. I screamed. He let go of my arm and I fell to the ground. My hand formed a fist and without thinking, I had punched my father in the face. He gasped and placed a hand on his cheek, squinting in pain. He moved closer to me. I whimpered and walked away from him. He grabbed a rope on the couch and untangled it.

"W-what are y-you doing?" I stuttered.

"That was a bad idea Isabel." He hissed and I moved backwards. He grabbed my hand and shoved me against the wall. I tried moving away but I couldn't move. Quickly, he grabbed both my hands and tied them behind my back. He tightened the rope and I gasped as he shoved me towards a chair. I screamed and fell right in front of the chair. I tried to get up but he growled and he forced me onto the chair.

I tried to move but I couldn't. My father raised his wand and pointed it at me, I tried desperately to move but nothing. I shut my eyes and bit my lip, ready for the pain that would come.

"Crucio!" He said and a thousand knives were being shoved into me. I screamed and thrashed around. The pain subsided and I steadied my breathing. My father slapped my arm creating a bruise. He grabbed my hair and shoved me to the floor. He kicked me in the stomach and said the Cruciatus Curse again. I screamed and thrashed around. He continued to kick and punch me until I was sure I had new bruises on my arms. He grabbed my hair again and forced me onto the chair. He then used the remainder of the rope and tied me to the chair. "Crucio." I screamed and black spots filled my vision.

Father punched and kicked me again. I found myself looking at my mother, who was watching the whole thing. She didn't do anything. She just watched, no expression on her face.

"H-help me..." I begged to her. "Help m-me... p-please." Mum looked at me then at her husband, before walking away and upstairs, without another word.