It was the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts, and Hermione had decided to stay at school for break with Ron and Harry. She was the only female left her dormitory. When she awoke that morning and found a pile of presents at the bottom of her bed, she threw on a robe and planned to take them downstairs to meet Ron and Harry to open all of their presents together in front of the fire. Until she noticed a note on top of all of them.

She stooped to grab the note. It was very short, and not signed. She could not recognize the handwriting.

Hermione,

I would like to meet you later tonight at midnight in the unused classroom down the Charms corridor. I have a present to give you personally.

Merry Christmas

Hermione stared at the note, not knowing what to make of it. Maybe it was a prank. Maybe it was a teacher praising her for her good job as a prefect…but that seemed odd and a little disturbing. But who else could the note be from? The only people left in the school right now that she talked to were Harry and Ron, and she could talk to them any old time.

She shoved the note into her robe pocket and put it out of her mind. She grabbed her gifts and carried them down to the common room to meet up with Harry and Ron. The only other people there were two second year girls and fourth year boy.

She happily opened her presents. Her parents had given her a few novels, one mystery and one romance. They had stopped giving her informational books a few years ago, because they felt she spent too much time on them and thought it would be nice for her to curl up and just enjoy a book. Hermione didn't mind, she liked most kinds of books, anyway. Harry had bought her a planner that would write in itself and change monthly, and all Hermione would have to do is talk to it to tell it what she wanted written in. Ron had given her a new pair of pink fuzzy slippers, because (as Hermione put them on) she realized hers had been rather beat up. The only difference was, these slippers would change color based on whatever Hermione wanted them to be at the time. He said he had bought regular slippers, and did the spell himself. Hermione tried it out.

"Umm… I would like Purple slippers." And sure enough, they instantly faded from pink to purple. "That's really cool, Ron! I'm really proud of you for doing the spell yourself!" She hugged her two friends. "Thanks, both of you!"

"You would think I was a complete idiot and couldn't do magic at all…" Ron mumbled to Harry. Then he said louder, "Anyway, I think we should head down to breakfast. I'm starving!"

Breakfast was a nice occasion. However, she was reminded of the mysterious note when she had gone to change and it fell out of her night robe. During breakfast, she looked around the hall. There were some Hufflepuffs that were older that she had never talked to. The Slytherins just had Draco Malfoy, his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle, and a few first and third years that she didn't know. At the Ravenclaw table, she noticed that there were two boys in some of her classes that she had spoken to a few times, but didn't know very well. She wondered if it was a secret admirer from one of them. She felt unusually flattered, but at the same time couldn't help feeling that Ron or someone set it up as a joke. Again, she tried to forget about it and ate her breakfast with her friends, laughing and talking.

Later that day, they did the usual and had a snowball fight. Hagrid appeared and Ron threw a ton at his back, who didn't notice. The rest of the day went by and with laughter and hot cocoa.

"Hey, it should be about time for the Christmas feast," said Harry. Ron jumped out of his seat as though he had been stung.

"What are we still sitting here for, I'm starving!"

"You're always starving, Ron!" Hermione laughed.

Dinner went much the same as breakfast, except the food was incredibly delicious. Hermione didn't think she had ever tasted anything like it. The house-elves outdid themselves this time, but Hermione just enjoyed it. Dumbledore had a large table in the center, so the remaining students sat around it instead of their house tables. She talked briefly with the Ravenclaw boy from her class, who she found out was named Philip. She pulled crackers with Harry and Ron, and watched Hagrid get a little tipsy, which was pretty entertaining. Finally, after a delicious red and green mint pudding, Hermione, Harry, and Ron decided to head back.

They hadn't realized how long they had stayed at the feast; it was rather late by the time they returned to the common room. Harry and Ron played one game of wizards chess, in which Harry lost so bad the pieces stomped away in anger. Hermione just watched, and afterwards decided to go to bed and read one of the books she had received from her parents.

When she reached her dormitory and picked up a book from the edge of her bed, she lay down on the bed and reached over to turn on her lamp. She noticed the note from this morning sitting innocently on her bedside table. She frowned and reread it.

Hermione,

I would like to meet you later tonight at midnight in the unused classroom down the Charms corridor. I have a present to give you personally.

Merry Christmas

Hermione sat still for a moment. She decided she would go. After all, she was a prefect, and if it was a prank she would catch whoever it was. She looked at her watch. It was already eleven o'clock. She decided to begin her book and read just a little before she left.

She sat there for about twenty minutes, not comprehending a single line of her book. She was too busy thinking about the mystery person she was going to see. Finally she gave up, threw on jeans and a tee-shirt, and headed out. Luckily, there was nobody in the common room. As she left, she saw that the fat lady wasn't in her frame, either. She must still be celebrating with Violet, Hermione thought.

She took her time heading to the Charms corridor. She didn't want to be too early. However, when she finally got to the empty classroom, the mystery person wasn't there yet. She turned on the light, and went and sat on the empty desk at the front of the room. All the school desks had been pushed together in a jumble to one side of the room. She waited. About five minutes went by, when someone else came into the room. Hermione's jaw dropped.