The weather was so bad that the few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. No one could wait for the holidays to start. While all the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires, drafty corridors had become icy, a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. But the worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons."I do feel so sorry," said Henry Potter, one Potions class, "For all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Ron, Seamus and Dean chuckled, although Harry suspected Seamus and Dean only went along with the other two as to stay in their good books, as when they were alone or only with each other they ignored Slytherins and kept to themselves. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them, rolling his eyes at Hermione. Potter had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match, disgusted that the Slytherins had won, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a howler monkey would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. When he had realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. He got jealous and angry, and started taunting Harry and Hermione about having no proper family, all because he thought their parents didn't bother to show up to his first game just because he hadn't seen them, and because the letters from home stopped. They found this funny, because they knew how much their Father risked to come see the game, and he had also asked them to use the 2 way mirror more as he was paranoid that eventually their letters would be intercepted.