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antly on revenge if he wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the mittee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures。 He； Ron； and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty mon room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak。 The three of them sat in front of the roaring fire； slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases If marauding beasts； speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant。
〃Here's something。。。 there was a case in 1722。。。 but the hippogriff was convicted…ugh； look what they did to it； that's disgusting …〃
〃This might help； look…a manticore savaged someone in 1296； and they let the manticore off…oh…no； that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it。〃
Meanwhile； in the rest of the castle； the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up； despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them。 Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors； mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor； and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees； glittering with golden stars。 A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors； and by Christmas Eve； it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air。
On Christmas morning； Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him。
〃Oy！ Presents！〃
Harry reached for his glasses and put them on； squinting through the semi…darkness to the foot of his bed； where a small heap of parcels had appeared。 Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents。
'Another sweater from Mum。。。 maroon again。。。 see if you've got one。
Harry had。 Mrs。 Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front； also a dozen home…baked mince pies； some Christmas cake； and a box of nut brittle。 As he moved all these things aside； he saw a long； thin package lying underneath。
〃What's that？〃 said Ron； looking over； a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand。
〃Dunno。。。〃
Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent； gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread。 Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look。
〃I don't believe it；〃 he said hoarsely。
It was a Firebolt； identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley。 Its handle glittered as he picked it up。 He could feel it vibrating and let go； it hung in midair； unsupported； at exactly the right height for him to mount it。 His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle； right down to the perfectly smooth； streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail。
〃Who sent it to you？〃 said Ron in a hushed voice。
〃Look and see if there's a card；〃 said Harry。
Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings。
〃Nothing！ Blimey； who'd spend that much on you？〃
〃Well；〃 said Harry； feeling stunned； 〃I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys。〃
I bet it was Dumbledore；〃 said Ron； now walking around and around the Firebolt； taking in every glorious inch。 〃He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously。。。〃
〃That was my dad's； though；〃 said Harry。 〃Dumbledore was just Passing it on to me。 He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me。 He can't go giving students stuff like this …〃
〃That's why he wouldn't say it was from him！〃 said Ron。 〃In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism。 Hey； Harry〃…Ron gave a great whoop of laughter…〃Malfoy！ Wait till he sees you on this！ He'll be sick as a pig！ This is an international standard broom； this is！〃
〃I can't believe this；〃 Harry muttered； running a hand along the Firebolt； while Ron sank onto Harry's bed； laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy。 〃Who …？〃
〃I know；〃 said Ron； controlling himself； 〃I know who it could've been…Lupin！〃
〃What？〃 said Harry； now starting to laugh himself 〃Lupin？ Listen； if he had this much gold； he'd be able to buy himself some new robes。〃
〃Yeah； but he likes you；〃 said Ron。 〃And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed； and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you …〃
〃What d'you mean； he was away？〃 said Harry。 〃He was ill when I was playing in that match。〃
〃Well； he wasn't in the hospital wing；〃 said Ron。 〃I was there； cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape； remember？〃
Harry frowned at Ron。
〃I can't see Lupin affording something like this。〃
〃What're you two laughing about？〃
Hermione had just e in； wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks； who was looking very grumpy； with a string of tinsel tied around his neck。
〃Don't bring him in here！〃 said Ron； hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket。
But Hermione wasn't listening。 She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared； open…mouthed； at the Firebolt。
〃Oh； Harry！ Who sent you that？〃
〃No idea；〃 said Harry。 〃There wasn't a card or anything with it。〃
To his great surprise； Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news。 On the contrary； her face fell； and she bit her lip。
〃What's the matter with you？〃 said Ron。
〃I don't know；〃 said Hermione slowly； 〃but it's a bit odd； isn't it？ I mean； this is supposed to be quite a good broom； isn't it？〃
Ron sighed exasperatedly。
〃It's the best broom there is； Hermione；〃 he said。
〃So it must've been really expensive。。。〃
〃Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together；〃 said Ron happily。
〃Well。。。 who'd send Harry something as expensive as that； and not even tell him they'd sent it？〃 said Hermione。
〃Who cares？〃 said Ron impatiently。 〃Listen； Harry； can I have a go on it？ Can I？〃
〃I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet！〃 said Hermione shrilly。
Harry and Ron looked at her。
〃What d'you think Harry's going to do with it…sweep the floor？〃 said Ron。
But before Hermione could answer； Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed； right at Ron's chest。
〃GET…HIM…OUT…OF…HERE！〃 Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder。 Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed； knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down； howling with pain。
Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end。 A shrill； tint；； whistling was filling the room。 The Pocket Sneakoscope had bee dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor。
I forgot about that！〃 Harry said； bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope。 I never wear those socks if I can help it。。。
The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm。 Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it。
〃You'd better take that cat out of here； Hermione；〃 said Ron furiously； sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe。 〃Can't you shut that thing up？〃 he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room； Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron。
Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into his trunk。 All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage。 Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands。 It had been a while since Harry had seen him out of Ron's pocket； and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers； once so fat； was now very skinny； patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too
〃He's not looking too good； is he？〃 Harry said。
〃It's stress！〃 said Ron。 〃He'd be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone！〃
But Harry； remembering what the woman at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years； couldn't help feeling that unless Scabbers had powers he had never revealed； he was reaching the end of his life。 And despite Ron's frequent conplaints that Scabbers was both boring and useless； he was sure Ron would be very miserable if Scabbers died。
Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor mon room that morning。 Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory； but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him； Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers。 Harry gave up trying to make them talk to each other and devoted himself to examining the Firebolt； which he had brought down to the mon room with him。 For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well； she didn't say anything； but she kept looking darkly at the broom as though it too had been criticizing her cat。
At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall； to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again； and that a single table； set for twelve； stood in the middle of the room。 Professors Dumbledore； McGonagall； Snape； Sprout； and Flitwick were there； along with Filch； the caretaker； who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldylooking tailcoat。 There were only three other students； two extremely nervous…looking first years and a sullen…faced Slytherin fifth year。
〃Merry Christmas！〃 said Dumbledore as Harry； Ron； and Hermione approached the table。 〃As there are so