Wish Upon A Star

Christmas in the Closed Ward

Harry stayed in his room all day. Ashlyn was waiting for Hermione to arrive.

Everybody else spent the following morning putting up Christmas decorations. Sirius was in a great mood, he was actually singing carols, apparently delighted that he was to have company over Christmas.

"Harry isn't coming down, is he?" Ginny asked sadly at lunch.

"I think he's not well," Mrs Weasly said, sounding worried.

Ashlyn sighed. Harry was going through a phase. And they'd have to talk some sense into him and he'll be back. Of course, he's feeling guilty. But he needs to stop assuming that everyone hates him and that they are avoiding him when he was the one avoiding them. But then again, it was justified that he felt this way.

It was around six o'clock in the evening that the doorbell rang and Mrs Black started screaming again. Ashlyn ran over to pull the curtains over Mrs Black's portrait.

"Mrs Black, you need to chill,"

"MUDBLOODS! SCUM-!!!!!!!!" She pulled the curtains blocking Mrs Black's screams.

"I said chill, woman," Ashlyn said moving towards the door.

"Hey, Hermione," she said opening the door, quickly letting Hermione in. "How was skiing?"

"Not really my thing. And I heard what happened. I came by the Knight Bus," Hermione said quickly, shaking the snow out of her hair, her face pink with cold.

"Right, there's a lot more to know. The others will fill you in, and then you'll have to talk to Harry," Ashlyn said.

"Why don't you do the talking?" Hermione asked almost hopefully.

"I'm not sure, but I don't want to. My style is talking at the end, you know," Ashlyn shrugged. "More like tell him he is being a prat. If I do the at the beginning itself, you know it's going to be a disaster,"

Hermione sighed.

It didn't take long for the others to tell Hermione what they heard from inside the ward about Harry, and it didn't take much for her to go hammer at his door, either.

"I know you're in there," said Hermione's voice. "Will you please come out? I want to talk to you."

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked her. "I thought you were skiing with your mum and dad."

"Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not really my thing," said Hermione. "So I've come for Christmas."

Hermione brought Harry to Ron's room where Ashlyn, Ginny and Ron were waiting.

"How're you feeling?" asked Hermione.

"Fine," said Harry stiffly.

"Oh, don't lie, Harry," she said impatiently. "Ron, Ginny and Ashlyn say you've been hiding from everyone since you got back from St. Mungo's."

Ashlyn sighed.

"They do, do they?" said Harry, glaring at them. Ron looked down at his feet but Ginny seemed quite unabashed.

"Well, you have!" she said. "And you won't look at any of us!"

"It's you lot who won't look at me!" said Harry angrily.

"Maybe you're taking it in turns to look and keep missing each other," suggested Hermione, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Very funny," snapped Harry, turning away.

"Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood," said Hermione sharply. "Look, the others have told me what you overheard last night on the Extendable Ears -"