After weeks and weeks of tedious class work and boring study sessions with Hermione, (Y/N) was finally allowed to enjoy the winter holidays. At the Malfoy's invitation to return to the Manor, she politely declined. (Y/N) simply didn't have the nerve to face Lucius after the sorting incident, and now that she felt more at home with her fellow Gryffindors than she ever felt at the Manor, she didn't want to have the inevitable conversation about how she truly belonged in Slytherin.

Draco decided he would stay, as well. He didn't want (Y/N) to spend the holidays by herself, he'd said, even though (Y/N) told him more times than she could count that she'd have Harry and Ron to keep her company. It would have been a nice offer, but (Y/N) didn't think he was staying with her to be kind. She thought he just didn't want to tell Lucius he'd failed to befriend Harry Potter after (Y/N) managed to so quickly. He'd told his father that he would make friends with the boy in an attempt to impress him. However, (Y/N) thought if Lucius found out she was friends with Harry, with the company they kept, he would be far from impressed.

Hogwarts at the holiday break was quite wonderful. The hallways were always empty, so no one was in (Y/N)'s way. They had no classes, so it provided her ample time to spend with Ron and Harry. Essentially, they had the whole school to themselves, as the majority of student's went home, so they spent all the time they wanted in the great hall, playing wizard's chess or just chatting with each other about what they might do now that they had an entire castle at their disposal.

Soon enough, Christmas morning rolled around, and (Y/N) woke up just as the sun began to rise. She was never one to wake so early, but Alcestis had flown in through her opened window with a parcel in her talons, screeching to rouse (Y/N) from her peaceful sleep.

The young girl sat up, rubbing the tired from her eyes. "Al, quiet down," Her voice was heavy with sleep, but when she saw the large package her owl had brought for her, (Y/N) hurried to get out of bed. She took the parcels from Alcestis and sat down on the floor, giving no time to see who the gift was from. She only knew one wizarding family outside of school. "Thank you very much, Al!" The parcel contained two packages and a letter. Narcissa always told (Y/N) to read the letter before she opened her presents, but Narcissa Malfoy was not there, so (Y/N) reached for the smallest package and got to work.

When she finished unwrapping her gift, she found they'd purchased her a beautiful white quill. The nib was a fine, shining silver with wonderful designs carved into the metal. With it was a crystal inkpot filled to the brim with ink, and when (Y/N) turned it gently in her hands, the light caught on the fractals and created magnificent colors in the glass. She imagined how smoothly it would write her notes and began to grow anxious for classes to resume so she could try it out.

Her next gift came in a larger box and when she tried to pick it up, she found it was quite heavy. She wasted no time to get it unwrapped to find that it was a new potions kit, equipped with a new cauldron and the freshest ingredients. There was even a small pamphlet filled with different recipes for various brews. (Y/N) wondered if she would be able to get Crabbe and Goyle to be her testers of whatever concoctions she managed to make.

Finally, (Y/N) opened the letter. She noticed Narcissa's familiar script, how it flowed and looped gracefully. After skimming, she was relieved to find no traces of her god father, and she brought herself to read.

Dearest (Y/N),
Merry Christmas! I hope you like your gifts, and I hope you read the letter first as I always instructed you! You're too eager.
How are your classes treating you? Draco writes to us quite often complaining of professors who seem quite unfit to be teaching. I hope it doesn't interfere with your education. You're a clever girl, so I'm sure you can manage anyway.
Please do not forget to write to me. I know you're wrapped up being a grown up now, but it's nice to get to hear from you once in a while.
I love you dearly.
Narcissa.

(Y/N) began to feel guilty. It was already Christmas time and she'd only written to Narcissa once, and it was to tell her she wasn't coming home. But, just as she got out her parchment and her new quill, she heard a loud commotion downstairs. It was Ron, shouting loud enough to wake the entire castle.

"Harry, wake up! (Y/N)! Come on, wake up!"

She felt herself grin and hurried out of her dormitory to see just what he was so excited about. Upon leaving, she nearly ran into Harry, who was running just as quickly as she was to see what was happening. He was in his pajamas, much like (Y/N) and his hair was messy from a restless night's sleep. The two of them smiled at one another, Harry beaming with excitement. "Happy Christmas, (Y/N)!" He said, and for some reason she felt her smile grow even wider than before.

"Happy Christmas!"

Ron, from where he was standing downstairs rolled his eyes. "I'm here, too, you know,"

(Y/N) laughed, leaning on the banister. "Happy Christmas, Ron,"

"Yeah, happy Christmas,"

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion, and his little nose crinkled in distaste. "What're you wearing?"

"Oh," Ron looked down at his sweater. It was a deep shade of red and had a big, yellow "R" right in the center. Though (Y/N) couldn't deny it was quite ugly, it looked rather cozy and warm. "My mum made it." He turned to the tree and picked up a gift, holding it out to Harry. "It looks like you've got one, too!"

Harry's face brightened. "I've got presents?"

The way he inquired of his gifts in such a surprised manner struck (Y/N) as quite odd. Didn't he always get presents during holidays? If not, she decided she would definitely have a talk with those Muggles he was living with.

"Yeah! And (Y/N), I think there's something here for you, too."

"Me?" (Y/N) smiled, hurrying down the steps with Harry close behind. The ground was cold against her bare feet, but she hardly minded. There were much more important things at hand!

She and Harry sat just before the tree and got to work. Upon closer inspection, she found that her gift was from Draco, and after she'd forgotten to get him a gift. She made a note to ask Narcissa to buy him something the next time she went into town in her letter. Then, she opened up her gift. There, in all their glory, sat two chocolate wands. (Y/N) was always very fond of the sweet, and she liked to say that each wand had a very distinct taste. She'd never found anyone who agreed; everyone said they just tasted like chocolate, but (Y/N) always tasted hints of mint or strawberries in certain wands.

"Chocolate wands!" Exclaimed Ron. He was already making his way to her. "Can I have one?"

(Y/N) snatched them away. "No! You have your own candy, just there!" She nodded towards his vast array of treats, ranging from chocolate frogs, to Fizzing Whizzbees. He would be set for months.

Harry'd finished unwrapping most of his presents, too. Hagrid sent him a flute, and his Muggle family were so kind as to send him a fifty pence coin. At first (Y/N) and Ron thought it was a large sum of money, but Harry explained it was barely worth anything at all. He even gave the coin to Ron, who hadn't ever seen Muggle money before. (Y/N) hadn't either, but she didn't know what use she'd have of Muggle money in the wizarding world.

As Harry began to open his last gift, Ron reached for his box of Every Flavor Beans and (Y/N) began snacking on one of her chocolate wands. She tasted the faint hint of caramel. The pair sat next to each other on the couch, watching with interest as Harry got to work.

He pulled out a letter, opening it up and beginning to read. "'My father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.'"

(Y/N) and Ron exchanged curious looks, each of them looking to the other for an idea of what his gift might be. Ron only shrugged, and (Y/N) eagerly turned back to Harry to see what he got.

Just as she looked, Harry stood up, pulling an old cloth with it. It looked very dirty, and quite unlike the family heirlooms she'd seen tucked away at her home.

"What is that?" Asked Ron.

"Some kind of cloak," Harry held the cloak up high, showing the wrinkled fabric off.

"Well, let's see then, put it on!"

Harry slipped the cloak around his shoulders, and just like that, his entire body disappeared. (Y/N) nearly choked on her chocolate wand and Ron hurriedly set down his box of Every Flavor Beans. All that remained staring back at the two first years was Harry's expectant eyes. He looked as if he were a floating head.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Ron, getting to his feet.

Harry looked down at himself, finding that the rest of him had disappeared. Then, with eyes wide with excitement, he looked to his friends. "My body's gone!"

(Y/N) got to her feet and circled around Harry. She couldn't see a single thing! Not even the wrinkles of the cloak that were there moments before.

"I know what that is!" Said Ron. "That's an invisibility cloak!"

Harry spun around himself, trying to see all around. "I'm invisible?"

"No, Harry," (Y/N) said sarcastically. "Your entire body just went off somewhere."

He gave her an annoyed look, but she spied a hint of amusement somewhere behind his glasses.

Ron approached the two, trying to find any flaw of the cloak, but there was none. "Invisibility cloaks really rare!"

"Yeah, who gave this to you?" (Y/N) inquired, picking up the letter Harry put aside.

His head floated over beside her and he looked along with (Y/N). "There was no name. It just said 'use it well.'"

And use it well they did, for late that night, (Y/N) and Harry decided to test the cloak out. Hermione, before she'd gone home for the holidays, suggested that they search in the Restricted Section of the library for any information on Nicolas Flamel. After a very fruitless search, they didn't think that they would get anywhere, but Hermione more often than not, was typically right about where to look, especially when it came to books.

So, with a lantern in hand, they started down the corridors. (Y/N) was not very fond of sneaking out after hours to go to the restricted section. She'd already been in enough trouble as it was, and she always found Hogwarts to be unsettling at nighttime, especially when no one else was around. However, (Y/N) found the adventure was more fun than she expected, for when she was under the cloak, she got to stand quite close to Harry, and she thought such a proximity was very comforting when threatened with the prospect of getting caught.

They arrived at the library in good time, avoiding any wandering professors that could have gotten them in trouble. She and Harry didn't feel safe enough to speak until they wandered all the way back to the restricted section without seeing a single authority figure. Harry slipped the cloak off of them and placed it on a tabletop, placing the lantern just beside.

"Remember," Harry whispered. "Hermione said he'd be in the 'F's."

(Y/N) nodded and got to work skimming the aisles. There were works ranging from Famous Fire-Eaters to Fifteenth-Century Fiends, but she could not find anything on Nicolas Flamel. As she continued her search, Harry pulled a book off of the shelf, its chain clattering loudly in the silence. He opened the book up, but he didn't have any time to read, for as soon as the book was open, there was a horrible scream that echoed through the library. Harry hurried to slam the book shut and tucked it safely onto the shelf.

Just when (Y/N) thought they were safe, Filch's familiar gravelly voice broke the restored quiet. "Who's there?"

She and Harry exchanged a frightened look, both of them looking to the other for a plan. (Y/N) pointed to the invisibility cloak, and knowing what she meant, Harry hurried to grab it. The lantern fell to the ground at the quick commotion, making a loud shattering noise to alert Filch of their whereabouts.

Without much thought, and eager to get away, (Y/N) and Harry took off running. She had no plan in losing house points and she did not want to serve any kind of detention. If they got out of the situation without being caught, (Y/N) vowed to never sneak out late again. So much as she could help, at least.

Just as they rounded the corner, they saw the warm glow of an approaching lantern. Harry came to an abrupt stop, causing little (Y/N) to run straight into him. Just when she was going to shout at him for being so unaware of his surroundings, she saw Filch's shadow along a bookcase. "I know you're in there. You can't hide!"

(Y/N) snatched the invisibility cloak from Harry's hands and draped it over the both of them, standing as close as she could to the boy. Her heart raced as she began to recall the stories Draco told her about Filch and his impractical methods of punishment. She would not wish for anyone to have to endure his cruel tactics, and especially not herself.

As Filch approached, (Y/N) and Harry shrunk back into an aisle to avoid any run in. The stood quietly, not even allowing themselve to breathe too terribly loud. (Y/N) latched onto Harry's arm tight, looking over his shoulder at Filch passing their aisle without even looking their way. They gave it a moment, then two, and then finally they crept from their hiding place and raced as quickly as they could out of the library.

They rounded a corner, narrowly missing Professor Quirrell and an angry looking Snape. Harry and (Y/N) staggered backwards, careful to keep their footfalls light.

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," Snape warned, pressing Quirrell hard up against the wall.

"I-I-I don't kno-ow what you m-mean." He managed, looking everywhere but Snape's eyes.

Harry and (Y/N) rounded them, and were perfectly free to duck behind a brazier until they left, but they lingered. Such a conversation was strange for first years to see, and when they were already curious of Snape, it seemed a chat like that one would prove any suspicions, so long as they stayed around long enough.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." Snape countered. He looked like he had more to say, but he paused, turning his head to look in (Y/N)'s direction.

Her breath caught in her throat; it seemed his eyes were right on her and Harry. But that couldn't be, she assured herself, for they were underneath the invisibility cloak and there was no way he could see them.

Then, to her horror, Snape reached out a hand. She and Harry backed away from his touch quickly, falling just out of his reach as he grabbed the air. The cloak moved from the proximity of his movements, but did not fall. And soon enough, Snape turned his attention back to Quirrell.

"We'll have another little chat soon. When you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie."

(Y/N) looked to Harry, who was looking over his shoulder to her the same way. She could tell they were thinking the same thing: Snape was definitley part of something, and it didn't sound too particularly good.

Just then, Filch appeared around the corner, holding the shattered remains of the lantern that (Y/N) and Harry left behind. "Professors, I found this in the restricted section." He held the lantern up for the pair to see. "It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed."

They needed nothing more. In a hurry, Snape and Quirrell took off, and Filch hurried to keep up. As the professors left, (Y/N) and Harry went into the room at the end of the corridor, shutting it safely behind them, and keeping their questionable professors far out of reach.