Introduction

For those of you who are unfortunate enough to have never read any Harry Potter books. Here is an introduction to help you enjoy this story more.

About Hogwarts

This story takes place at Hogwarts, a magical school for witches and wizards. At Hogwarts, Paintings and Pictures move and talk. There are four towers in Hogwarts. Every witch or wizard is sorted into these different houses in their first year. The sorting is done by a magical hat that when you put it on your head knows everything about you and places you in whichever house best suits you. Harry lives in the house called Gryffindor, which is known for producing the very bravest wizards. Gryffindor is where Harry sleeps and does his homework. Gryffindor is guarded by a painting. The painting is of a fat lady and you must tell her the correct password to get in.

The Characters

Harry Potter is a well known wizard. He has a lighting bolt scar on his forehead, bright green eyes and untidy black hair. Ron is one of Harry’s best friends. He has red hair, brown eyes and freckles. Hermione is Harry’s other best friend. She has bushy brown hair, brown eyes and is a all around know it all. Hedwig is Harry’s owl. She is a snowy white owl used to deliver letters. Sirius Black is Harry’s Godfather. Buckbeak is a hippogriff, that lives with Sirius Black. A hippogriff is part eagle and part horse. Hagrid is the Hogwarts Gamekeeper. He is a half giant. Malfoy is one of Harry’s enemy’s. He lives in the house called Slytherin, which is known for producing dark wizards. Neville is a bumbling wizard who rarely ever gets anything right. Professor Snape is head of Slytherin. He is also the Potions Master. Professor Dumbledore is the head master of Hogwarts. Professor Mcgonagall is the transfiguration teacher and the head of Gryffindor. Lilly and James Potter are Harry’s parents. They were killed when Harry was small.

Other stuff

Muggle is the wizard word for human. Quiditch is a wizard game played on broomsticks. House elves are elves that do house work.

HARRY POTTER’S UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Early on Christmas Eve Harry woke up with a surprise. His owl, Hedwig, was pecking at his nose. “Hedwig!”, Harry said loudly. Harry glanced at her empty bowl. “Hungry?”, he said to Hedwig. Hedwig hooted very loud. “I guess that’s a yes”, said Harry as he walked over to her bowl and dumped some Owl Treats into it. Hedwig hooted and flew over to her bowl. Harry remembered that he had a letter to send. “Come here Hedwig”, he said softly. It was a letter to Sirius Black, his Godfather. The letter read:

Dear Sirius,

How is Buckbeak doing? I’ve sent Buckbeak this

Present because I know he will need it.

Are you Ok? It’s very cold this winter.

This present is for you. It will keep you warm.

Your Friend,

Harry

Inside the letter was a box, which held a “Taking care of your hippogriff”, book. It came with a rein, a saddle, hippogriff shampoo, and a brush. It also held a sweater. “Hedwig! Come here”, said Harry loudly. Hedwig gave Harry a stare then she flew over to him, lifted her leg, closed her eye’s and waited. Harry then tied the letter to her leg. Hedwig flew out the window and disappeared into the snowy treetops. Then Harry went over to Ron’s bed. “Ron are you there?”, said Harry. Harry pulled open the curtain dividing the room. Ron was not there. “I guess he’s down at breakfast”, Harry said to himself.

Harry went out of the room down the steps and into the common room. He pushed open the portrait hole and walked out. “Hello”, said the fat lady on the painting. “Hi”, he answered. The halls were glistening with icicles. Harry did not like them because they made the halls very cold. Harry walked down to breakfast where he saw Ron. “Hello”, said Harry. “Hi”, said Ron. When they were eating, Professor Dumbledore walked out and said “There will be lessons today. I hope you have all studied because today you will have tests. I hope you enjoy your Christmas tomorrow at Hogwarts. Goodbye”, and with a flash of light, Dumbledore was gone. “We have lessons?” said Ron in disbelief. “I’ll give $400.00 in muggle money if their serious”. Harry said “Ok I’ll take it”. Ron stared at him with an I was just kidding look. “Sorry”, said Harry. Right then Hermione came over. “I can’t believe it! It’s Christmas Eve and we have lessons!” she said. Then she started to mutter about it. “Well I think we should get going or we will be late for Potions”, said Ron. Harry grumbled about it, but he got up and started to class with Ron and Hermione.

Professor Snape the Potions Master was loathed by just about everyone who wasn’t a Slytherin. The Potions chamber was always freezing. Harry just thought about how cold it would be and shivered. They arrived to class just in time to hear Professor Snape telling Neville what a bumbling idiot he was. “You can’t even produce a simple garden potion” hissed Professor Snape. “I don’t know why you are even here!” Professor Snape was too busy ranting and raving to notice that Neville’s potion was popping and fizzing and purple smoke began to pour out of it. Neville and the other students watched in horror as the fizzing potion slowly crept over the edge of the cauldron. Professor Snape had worked himself up into such a state that he didn't even notice that the students were all hiding under their desks. Professor Snape continued “You probably can’t even tie your own shoe’s without assistance!” Just when Neville was sure that Professor Snape was going to tell him that he was expelled from Hogwarts, his potion exploded into a fantastic firework display splattering Professor Snape from head to toe with the stuff. Harry looked at Snape who was now sprouting sweet smelling flowers of every kind and color and tried desperately not to laugh. Malfoy caught a glimpse of Professor Snape and began yelling “Neville turned Snape into a flower garden!” He said it so loudly that you could hear it in the highest tower at Hogwarts. All of the teachers came running down to the Potions chamber. “What’s going on here!” said Dumbledore. Malfoy told Dumbledore what happened. “Bring him to the hospital wing now!” ordered Professor Mc Gonagall. Malfoy hurried along with Professor Snape. He had to hold Professor Snapes arm and guide him now because his face was covered with tulips and daffodils. It was only after they arrived at the hospital wing that Malfoy noticed the pink and yellow daisy’s sprouting on his own arm. Just then Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, came in and said, “Just what have you two been into? I don’t know if you need a nurse or a gardener!”

Meanwhile back at the potions class, everyone was snickering about the incident. Poor Neville was beside himself with worry about what Professor Snape was going to do to him once he got all of the tulips and daffodils off of his face. Hermione walked over to him and said ”I am so sorry. If I would have gotten here a few minutes earlier I could have helped you with your potion. ”Neville blushed as red as one of the roses on Professor Snape. “Alright now, there is nothing more to see here. All of you go to your towers” said Dumbledore.

They stayed in their towers. Their food was delivered by house elves. The night seemed long in the common room. Everybody was sick of talking about what happened in Potions. Harry decided to go up to his room. Hedwig was waiting at his window. Harry opened the window and she flew in hooting very loudly. It was freezing outside. She had a letter that read:

Dear Harry,

Thank you for the present. Here is one for you. Open it now. I have heard what happened to Snape. This potion will return him to normal. It is called Zimbore. Give it to Dumbledore. Maybe then Professor Snape will like you.

Your Godfather,

Sirius

Harry hurried over to Hedwig and opened the present. I will give it to Dumbledore now thought Harry. He walked off and gave it to Dumbledore. Then Harry went to sleep. In the morning Harry awoke to find several presents. His friend Ron had gotten him a Quiditch poster. Hermione gave him a potions book. Hagrid gave him an invisible book of invisibility and Dumbledore gave him a picture of Harry’s parents when they were in Hogwarts. Just when he thought he had opened all of his gifts. Harry saw another present. Harry stared in disbelief. It was from Professor Snape. Harry opened the card. It read:

Dear Harry,

Thank you. The potion that you gave me was brilliant. You may borrow this until the end of the year.

Your Potions Master,

Professor Snape

Harry opened the present. It was a book. After examining it for some time Harry realized that the book contained all of the tests that Professor Snape would be giving for the rest of the year and to his amazement it also contained the answers. Was it possible that his least favorite teacher had now become his most?

That day everyone was happy. The feast was good and Harry had made a new friend.....or had he?