Clue 1
Ronald Weasley looked up at the sky from underneath Harry's invisibility cloak. It looked as if it were about to snow. Good, he thought, at least I don't have to erase my footprints.
"Can anyone tell me what Repello Muggletum does?"
Hermione Granger's hand shot up automatically.
"Yes, Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick chirped.
"It is the Muggle Repelling Charm," she stated with great satisfaction. After all, she had done the very same spell every night when she, Harry, and Ron were camping. "It keeps Muggles away from a certain target or spot."
"Correct! Thank you Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor."
It felt good to be back at school, she thought. Hermione was not a person meant for war. She was perfectly happy curling up in her favorite squashy armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room and study for a test.
The bell rang, bringing Hermione back to the present.
"We shall practice the Muggle Repelling Charm tomorrow," said Professor Flitwick. "No homework. Miss Granger, come talk to me."
Gathering her books, Hermione wondered what he could possibly want.
He handed her a red envelope with Hermione written on it in a messy scrawl that undeniably belonged to her boyfriend.
"I was told to give you this by a certain Mr. Weasley," he said, with a wink. "You certainly are lucky, Miss Granger."
Hermione smiled and thanked him as he left to go to the staff room. Why would Ron possibly need to make Professor Flitwick a messenger? Had he never heard of owls? She carefully opened the envelope, whose color greatly reminded her of the Weasley hair.
Hermione,
I'm sure you're relieved to have exams over with. It's almost Christmas break, so relax. I have a little game for you. A treasure hunt, of sorts. So follow the directions and you'll get a small prize at the end. Here's your first clue:
In first year,
a couple hours
before we became friends,
we were partners
in Charms class.
You, as usual,
excelled on your first try.
I was jealous
and I'm afraid
I hurt your feelings.
You'll need to go
to the tallest tree
in all of Hogwarts.
Love,
Ron
"The tallest tree in all of Hogwarts?" Hmm, well, there was the Whomping Willow, but that was outside. What was a tree that was inside? Of course! The Christmas trees in the Great Hall.