.All.those.poor.elves.I.haven.t.set.free.yet,.having.to.stay.here.over.Christmas.because.there.aren.t.enough.hats!..
Harry,.who.had.not.had.the.heart.to.tell.her.that.Dobby.was.taking.everything.she.made,.bent.lower.over.his.History.of.Magic.essay..In.any.case,.he.did.not.want.to.think.about.Christmas..For.the.first.time.in.his.school.career,.he.very.much.wanted.to.spend.the.holidays.away.from.Hogwarts..Between.his.Quidditch.ban.and.worry.about.whether.or.not.Hagrid.was.going.to.be.put.on.probation,.he.felt.highly.resentful.towards.the.place.at.the.moment..The.only.thing.he.really.looked.forward.to.were.the.DA.meetings,.and.they.would.have.to.stop.over.the.holidays,.as.nearly.everybody.in.the.DA.would.be.spending.the.time.with.their.families..Hermione.was.going.skiing.with.her.parents,.something.
that.greatly.amused.Ron,.who.had.never.heard.of.Muggles.strapping.narrow.strips.of.wood.on.to.their.feet.to.slide.down.mountains..Ron.was.going.home.to.The.Burrow..Harry.endured.several.days.of.envy.before.Ron.said,.in.response.to.Harry.asking.him.how.he.was.going.to.get.home.for.Christmas:..But.you.re.coming.too!.Didn.t.I.say?.Mum.wrote.and.told.me.to.invite.you.weeks.ago!..
Hermione.rolled.her.eyes,.but.Harry.s.spirits.soared:.the.thought.of.Christmas.at.The.Burrow.was.truly.wonderful,.though.slightly.marred.by.Harry.s.guilty.feeling.that.he.would.not.be.able.to.spend.the.holiday.with.Sirius..He.wondered.whether.he.could.possibly.persuade.Mrs.Weasley.to.invite.his.godfather.for.the.festivities..Even.though.he.doubted.whether.Dumbledore.would.permit.Sirius.to.leave.Grimmauld.Place.anyway,.he.could.not.help.but.think.Mrs.Weasley.might.not.want.him;.they.were.so.often.at.loggerheads..Sirius.had.not.contacted.Harry.at.all.since.his.last.appearance.in.the.fire,.and.although.Harry.knew.that.with.Umbridge.on.constant.watch.it.would.be.unwise.to.attempt.to.contact.him,.he.did.not.like.to.think.of.Sirius.alone.in.his.mother.s.old.house,.perhaps.pulling.a.lonely.cracker.with.Kreacher..
Harry.arrived.early.in.the.Room.of.Requirement.for.the.last.DA.meeting.before.the.holidays.and.was.very.glad.he.had,.because.when.the.torches.burst.into.flame.he.saw.that.Dobby.had.taken.it.upon.himself.to.decorate.the.place.for.Christmas..He.could.tell.the.elf.had.done.it,.because.nobody.else.would.have.strung.a.hundred.golden.baubles.from.the.ceiling,.each.showing.a.picture.of.Harry.s.face.and.bearing.the.legend:..HAVE.A.VERY.HARRY.CHRISTMAS!..
Harry.had.only.just.managed.to.get.the.last.of.them.down.before.the.door.creaked.open.and.Luna.Love.good.entered,.looking.as.dreamy.as.usual..
.Hello,..she.said.vaguely,.looking.around.at.what.remained.of.the.decorations.
.These.are.nice,.did.you.put.them.up?..
.No,..said.Harry,..it.was.Dobby.the.house鈥恊lf...
.Mistletoe,..said.Luna.dreamily,.pointing.at.a.large.clump.of.white.berries.placed.almost.over.Harry.s.head..He.jumped.out.from.under.it...Good.thinking,..said.Luna.very.seriously...It.s.often.infested.with.Nargles...
Harry.was.saved.the.necessity.of.asking.what.Nargles.are.by.the.arrival.of.Angelina,.Katie.and.Alicia..All.three.of.them.were.breathless.and.looked.very.cold..