Arthur Weasley, Head Boy of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, went down to the entrance hall early on the morning of Sunday, December 17, to help oversee the departure of the Hogwarts students for their Christmas holiday. Arthur took his Head Boy duties very seriously; he felt as if he were in the role of a junior father to an extremely large brood, most of whose names he did not know, but for whom he felt great responsibility. Today almost all of them would be leaving; fewer than a dozen students and a handful of staff would remain for the atypically long holidays. Christmas fell on a Monday, so the holiday would last from December 17 through January 3.

Arthur did not have to stay. He could have gone home with his brothers, but, anticipating the N.E.W.T. exams that awaited him at the end of the school year, Arthur looked forward to two quiet weeks of studying and library access, especially since his Head Boy duties, even more so that his prefect duties of the previous two years, occupied a lot of his free time during the school year. But at the same time he intended to organize some entertaining activities for the students who were remaining at the castle. After all, he did not want them to become bored.

By 10:00 a.m. the entrance hall was filled with black-robed students, short and tall, with their trunks and owls, a restless crowd of chattering voices, eagerly looking forward to an unusually long break. Staff members held lists of departing students and checked them off as they began to pass through the doors to board the coaches that would take them to the Hogsmeade train station. As could have been expected, there were a few younger students who suddenly remembered that they had left some critical item of personal property behind and had to run back to their dorm rooms to fetch it. Arthur kept track of how many and which houses, so as to ensure that the final coach did not depart until all of these students had returned to the entrance hall.

He waved good-bye to his brothers as they passed him. “Give my love to Mum and Dad. Don’t get into trouble.� They answered briefly, but cheerily, as they were in high spirits, and soon disappeared out the door. Arthur glanced around swiftly, scanning the crowd for other Gryffindors and wishing them happy holidays. He gave a special wink and smile to Molly Prewett, to whom he had given a more extensive goodbye the evening before, and a little gift to carry home.

As the students were eager to leave, the hall was soon empty, the doors closed behind the final departees, and suddenly the noisy bustle was transformed into stillness. Arthur turned and went back upstairs to the Gryffindor common room.

At noon the eleven remaining students and seven staff members gathered in the decorated great hall at two tables for lunch, the first time these students had been together as a group, but they all sat next to their own housemates.

We are like a newly-formed family, Arthur thought, and he was reminded that this was the first year when his own family had not all been together for Christmas, by his own choice, of course, but he could see the beginnings of their eventual dispersal, as he and his siblings grew ever older.

There are more Christmas trees than students in this hall, he thought, and he said, “Let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Arthur, from Gryffindor. Rupert, you next.� Rupert, the third-year Gryffindor sitting next to him, said, “Hi, I’m Rupert,� and one by one the others followed suit: Evan, Sophie, (the other Gryffindors), two Ravenclaw girls, a lone Slytherin boy, and four Hufflepuffs, two girls and two boys.

“I know a silly game we can play to help remember names,� Sophie said suddenly with a grin. She turned to the Ravenclaw girl sitting next to her and said, “Your name is Lucille, right?� The girl nodded, and Sophie began to recite, “I love my friend with an L because she is…lovely. I hate my friend with an L because she is …lazy. Her name is Lucille. She took me to London and bought me some lemons. You see how it goes? You use the initial letter of the person’s name to say something good and something silly about them, then where you went and what you bought.�

“I get it,� Lucille exclaimed. She turned to her Ravenclaw classmate, a shy-looking first-year. “I love my friend with an M because she is…� Lucille hesitated, but finally came up with “…miraculous. I hate my friend with an M because she is maddening. Her name is Marisa; she took me to Manchester and bought me some mangoes.�

To Arthur’s surprise, the rest of the students, even the Slytherin, participated whole-heartedly and creatively in Sophie’s game, and it seemed to break the ice with this random aggregation of individuals; by the end of lunch they were smiling and chatting with one another in an unusual display of inter-house camaraderie, and Arthur was feeling very optimistic about the success of this two-week holiday.

Over the next few days Arthur tried to strike a balance between his own studying and the organization of things for the students to do. He didn’t realistically expect them to study very much, and he knew that hanging out in a common room with only a few (or in the case of the Slytherin boy, not any) housemates would eventually cause time to drag. The younger ones, especially, would soon be complaining, “There’s nothing to do!� So Arthur cudgeled his brain to come up with ideas for interesting things that the students could do as a group, and he solicited ideas from Rupert, Evan, and Sophie in their common room in the evenings.

They went outdoors and built an army of snowmen, decorating them simply at first, with carrot noses and walnut eyes, and then each student tried to outdo his fellows in creative embellishment, so that the decorations became ever more elaborate, far beyond typical snowmen.

The next day Arthur took them out to cut greens, holly and mistletoe and pine, which were laid on the tables in the great hall to be fashioned into wreaths and swags with cutting and sticking charms to decorate their common rooms and dorms, and Arthur showed them how to use the leftover sprigs to make little leafy figures of deer and bears, which he could animate with suitable charms, to their delight.

He obtained leave from Professor Dumbledore to take the students down to the kitchens, where the house elves allowed them to decorate gingerbread cut-out cookies with colored icing for later tea.

He even conspired with Professors Flitwick and Sprout to select a simple Latin Christmas carol in two-part harmony, the upper register for the girls and the lower register for the boys, which they could sing as a surprise for Professor Dumbledore on Christmas; this would require daily brief practice sessions in an out-of-the-way classroom to make sure they mastered the music sufficiently.

As the days approached Christmas, the weather became unseasonably mild. The temperature rose, the snow dropped rapidly off the branches of the trees, the elaborate snowmen began to look emaciated, and occasionally there would be a sudden rumbling followed by a crash, as whole sections of snow precipitously slid off a sloping area of roof and fell to the ground, forming heaps of snow along the sides of the buildings. By Saturday, December 23, the temperature was up to five degrees Celsius, and Arthur lobbied Professor Dumbledore unsuccessfully to allow another Hogsmeade excursion for the older students.

On December 24 the temperature remained mild, but there was unsettled weather, changing rapidly and repeatedly from sun and patches of blue sky to dark gray clouds and spates of rain. Arthur stayed indoors, spending most of his time studying in the deserted library, taking breaks only for meals and a scheduled final rehearsal of the the surprise Christmas carol which he and the other students would sing for Professor Dumbledore the next day at dinner. He sent his final pre-Christmas messages by owl to his family and to Molly, describing what he had been doing and ending by saying, “I wish you all a very happy Christmas, and you can be sure that we will have one also, here at Hogwarts.�

After dinner he went up to the Gryffindor common room with Rupert, Evan, and Sophie, who eventually went to bed at around 9:30 p.m., leaving Arthur by himself, sitting on a sofa near the fire, holding a lukewarm cup of tea in his hands and staring at the fire, now burning low, thinking how odd it was to be alone like this on Christmas Eve and wondering if this was part of becoming an adult. He finally went to bed in his room near the top of the tower at about 10:30 p.m.. The wind seemed to be picking up a little and he could hear the rain beating more heavily on the window panes, but it did not prevent him from quickly falling asleep.

Hours later, Arthur stirred in his sleep. There was noise in his room that intruded into his dreams and finally brought him to wakefulness. He lay in his bed, the thick red curtains drawn around it, eyes opened in the dark, trying to fathom the incomprehensible sound, which was an ever-increasing roaring, as if a train were running at top speed outside his window, but overlaid with sounds of cracking and popping. What in Merlin’s name? Feeling very disoriented, he groped on his bedside table for his wand, commanded Lumos!, and looked at his watch: 3:00 a.m.

It’s Christmas, he thought incongruously, and he parted the bed curtains and shone his wand-light into the room, walls, floor, furniture, no one there, nothing unusual except the ceaseless roaring noise.

Suddenly, with an ear-splitting crash, the window imploded, splattering glass fragments all over the room, and instantly a gale of icy wind was pouring into Arthur’s room through the destroyed window, flapping the bed curtains wildly, accompanied by a torrent of rain, drenching everything on that side of the room. Arthur sprang out of bed, pointing his wand-light at the place where the window was supposed to be, and saw a gaping hole containing only twisted fragments of the metal muntins that had formerly held the panes of glass in place. Wet glass fragments covered the floor.

As fast as possible, Arthur put his feet into shoes and threw on his dressing gown, then grabbed his cloak. As Head Boy, he had to see to the other students immediately, but it was hard to move because the wind pouring through the broken window threatened to knock him off his feet.

Reparo! he shouted, pointing his wand at the window, and the glass fragments rose up from the floor, but as they approached the window, the irresistible wind flung them back again. In desperation, Arthur tried again, gripping his wand more firmly and shouting more loudly over the din of the wind, as if he could thus make the charm stronger, but to no avail; the storm was too fierce.

I need to get the kids out of the tower. Clutching his flapping cloak around him, he staggered toward the door, wrenched it inward with a massive effort and squeezed through the opening onto the landing. Behind him, the wind slammed the door shut again with an echoing crash.

Thankful to be out of the wind for the moment, Arthur ran down the spiral stairs, pausing to hammer on the doors of Rupert’s and Evan’s dorms.

“Wake up! Get up!� he shouted. He rousted them from their beds, ordering them to put on shoes and cloaks and come downstairs to the common room as fast as humanly possible. “Grab your wand and a blanket!�

“Huh, what? What’s going on?� they protested sleepily.

“Just do it! Now!� Arthur yelled and continued down the stairs to their base. Sophie was upstairs in the girls’ dorm. But Arthur knew that if he tried to run up those stairs, they were charmed to transform into a slippery slide. “Merlin curse it!� he exclaimed. Apparently no one had foreseen this possibility. How could he get up there?

He knew that Glisseo would transform a stairway into a slide. But what would undo the established charm? Maybe Contra-glisseo? In his daily life Arthur often tried to guess words that logically might be spells and try them out, and occasionally they worked, but unfortunately this was not one of those times � the stairs turned into a slide when he set his foot on it.

“Pedes adherentes,� he tried desperately, and sure enough, his shoes stuck to the floor, but unfortunately he could not lift his feet and take steps, effectively obviating his hope to walk up the slide like a gecko.

“Finite incantatem� freed his feet, and “Sonorus� magnified his voice.

“Sophie!� he shouted, with a voice that filled the tower. “This is Arthur! Get out of bed and come down to the common room right now. Wear your shoes and a cloak. Bring your wand and a blanket. Sophie! Do it now! This is Arthur!�

Up in the dormitory tower there were sounds of other windows breaking and the roar of the wind became even louder. Sophie’s frightened voice floated down the stairs. “Arthur! What’s happening?�

“It’s a really bad storm, like a hurricane,� Arthur called back. “We need to get out of the tower. It’s for our own safety. Wear your shoes and cloak. Bring a blanket. Hurry!�

Turning towards the boys’ staircase, he called, “Rupert! Evan! Get a move on!� In a minute they appeared, stepping rapidly down the spiral staircase, the glowing light of their wands preceding them, into the common room.

“Arthur, what’re we going to do?� Evan asked. Their eyes were round, their faces pale and frightened.

Arthur terminated the Sonorus charm and said in his normal voice, “As soon as Sophie gets here we’re going down to a lower level of the castle. It will be safe there.� The two boys huddled together in the dark, their wands lighting their faces from below and creating a ghoulish effect.

A moment later Sophie’s light appeared as she came down her stair. She had wrapped her blanket around herself and her hair straggled around her face.

“Okay, we’re getting out now,� Arthur told them, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of the wind.

“I’m scared, Arthur,� Sophie said in a shaky voice. “What’s going to happen?�

“We’re going to sleep downstairs tonight, Sophie. We’ll be safe there,� he reassured her. Then to all three of them, “Let’s go,� and he began ushering them toward the common room door.

“Look at that!� Rupert exclaimed, stopping abruptly.

“What? What?�

“That window!� Arthur looked where Rupert was pointing, and in the dim wand-light Arthur could swear that the tall window was bulging inward.

“Run! Run for the door!� he screamed. Behind them there was an enormous crash, and suddenly the noise of the roaring wind was deafening and freezing air swirled around them in an icy gale. They slammed into the back side of the fat lady’s portrait and tumbled out into the hall, Evan and Sophie falling onto the stone floor.

The fat lady woke up suddenly and began exclaiming in broken disjointed phrases, but Arthur totally ignored her complaints.

“Are you okay? Is anybody bleeding?� He helped Sophie and Evan to their feet and did a rapid, cursory inspection with his wand-light, looking for obvious bleeding of cuts from flying glass.

“I � I don’t know.. I don’t think so,� Evan stammered.

Rupert had a wide grin on his face. “That was wicked!�

“Why are the windows breaking, Arthur?� Sophie asked, almost crying.

“It’s just a really bad storm, sweetheart.� The worst I ever saw. “The wind is strong enough to break windows but that’s all. There’s nothing to be scared of. Boys, wrap your blankets around yourselves like Sophie is doing.�

“Why?�

“To protect yourselves from flying glass. Pull your blankets up over your heads, kids, and come on now. We have to get down to the main floor.�

As they trotted along the dark, deserted corridor, where the wind could still be heard but not quite so loudly, Evan asked, “Are we going to the great hall?�

“It’s got windows too, doofus,� Rupert reminded him scornfully.

“We’re going to the entrance hall. It doesn’t have windows,� Arthur told them.

They continued for a few minutes without speaking, walking rapidly but not running. The dark, empty classrooms on either side of the corridor buffered them from the shrieking of the wind and the occasional crash of breaking glass.

“Is the castle going to fall down, Arthur?� Sophie asked as she trotted along beside him.

“It can’t fall down,� Rupert interjected. “They have protective wards around it. Isn’t that right, Arthur?�

“Then why are the windows breaking?� Evan challenged his older housemate.

“I don’t know,� Arthur said. “We are only human beings, after all, and we can only do so much. The forces of nature are stronger than anything we can do, even utilizing magic.�

“I thought magic could do anything,� Evan remarked, panting, as they hurried along.

Live and learn, Arthur thought to himself.

“Slow down, Arthur. You’re going too fast,� Sophie begged.

Down the final staircase they hastened, to the entrance hall. The great wooden doors were rattling as though an angry mob were pounding on them from the outside. Instinctively they backed away from the doors until their backs were against the hourglasses, chattering nervously.

“Is someone trying to get in?� “Who would come?� “People from Hogsmeade?� “They’d never make it here; they’d be blown away.� “No, they’re staying in their own homes; that’s just the wind.� “Maybe it’s Hagrid. We should open the door and check.� “We’d never get it shut again. Isn’t that right, Arthur?�

Then, through the howling of the wind they heard footsteps and voices � Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. “Maybe they have come here; it’s a logical meeting place.�

“Professor Dumbledore,� Arthur called out, “I have brought the Gryffindors down here because our windows are breaking in.�

The two professors appeared, coming down the stairs, making pools of light with their wands. With a flick of his wand, Professor Dumbledore illuminated the torches in the entrance hall and the shuddering of the great doors became easy to see.

“You did right,� he said. “I have told Professor Flitwick to bring the Ravenclaws down too. They can’t stay in their tower tonight.�

The sound of the wind suddenly became infinitely loud, and there was a continuous crashing as if a thousand china plates were shattering on the steps of the castle. Professor McGonagall looked at Professor Dumbledore. “Roof tiles,� she said.

Sophie put her hands over her ears and cried out, “I just want it to stop!�

Arthur put his arms around all three children and held them close. “Where do you want us to go?� The entrance hall was apparently safe, but very cold.

Professor McGonagall spoke to Professor Dumbledore. “I imagine we should send them to the Hufflepuff common room. It’s less exposed than the hospital wing.� Then, to Arthur, “Can you wait here until the Ravenclaws arrive and then take charge of getting everyone down there?�

“Yes, Professor, I can do that, but how will we get in the door?�

“Oh. I’ll send Professor Sprout to open it.�

From the security of Arthur’s arms, Evan piped up. “What will you be doing?� he asked.

“We will keep busy,� answered Professor Dumbledore cheerfully, “strengthening and augmenting the wards around the castle.�

“Be sure to put wards around Hagrid’s house too,� Sophie urged worriedly.

The two professors hustled up the marble stairs again, discussing with each other the logistics of deploying the staff members around the castle. After they had gone, the wind continued its shrieking and howling, punctuated by the breaking of dislodged roof slates, as the four Gryffindors stood huddled in the entrance hall waiting for the arrival of the Ravenclaws, until Rupert left the proximity of the hourglasses to inspect the rattling, shuddering doors more closely.

“Don’t try to open the doors,� Arthur warned him.

“I’m not that stupid,� Rupert replied scornfully “but it would be wicked to see how it looks outside.�

“You wouldn’t see anything; you’d be blown away,� Evan declared from the safety of the hourglasses.

“Look!� Rupert said suddenly, pointing his wand-light at the base of the door.

“What do you see?� Arthur asked sharply, striding over to the door.

“Water.�

The water was seeping in under the door and spreading out in a puddle onto the stone floor.

“Where’s it coming from?� Sophie asked in a shaky voice.

“It’s just rain water,� Arthur reassured her. “It’s really pouring down rain outside, and the wind drives the rainwater under the door. It’s only a little bit.� He pointed his wand at the puddle and said a drying charm; the puddle disappeared, but he knew it would form again. The storm might go on for hours.

A few minutes later they heard running footsteps approaching, and Professor Flitwick and the two Ravenclaw girls came hastily down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.

“What took you guys so long?� Rupert greeted them cheerily.

“Marisa had to go back and get her cat,� the taller girl said, emphasizing her companion’s name, and pointing to the gray cat in the smaller girl’s arms.

“Did your windows bust in?� Evan asked eagerly.

“We have had some minor breakage,� Professor Flitwick informed the Gryffindors calmly, “nothing that we can’t repair.�

“We had a big window smash in our common room. It bulged in before it broke. I’ll bet it’s a big mess up there,� Evan went on, gleefully. Arthur just sighed.

“Professor Dumbledore asked me to take all the children down to the Hufflepuff common room and supervise them there while the staff strengthens the wards around the castle. So with your permission I will do that now.�

“But Arthur, what about Edward?� Sophie reminded him, referring to the Slytherin student.

“He’s probably asleep in the Slytherin dungeon at this very instant,� Professor Flitwick opined. “I doubt he can even hear the hurricane down there. But don’t worry; Professor Slughorn will keep an eye on him. Do you know where the Hufflepuff common room is?�

“Yes,� Arthur answered, “but not how to open the door. Professor Dumbledore said that Professor Sprout would come and open it for us.�

Professor Flitwick nodded and then addressed Lucille and Marisa. “Go with Arthur and stick close. You mustn’t try to return to the tower for any reason. If there is anything you need, the Hufflepuffs will share. And obey Arthur as you would obey me.� His serious and solemn tone provoked a similar response in the two girls; they nodded wordlessly, unsmiling, with wide eyes.

“Come on, kids,� Arthur ordered them, motioning with his arm, “time for us to go downstairs. If you see Professor Sprout,� he added to Professor Flitwick as they started down the stairs, “tell her we’re waiting by the kitchen.�

The Head of Hufflepuff House soon appeared and escorted them into the underground common room.

“This is very unusual,� she said kindly. “I can’t remember the last time we Hufflepuffs had visitors in our common room.�

“Too bad it couldn’t have been under better circumstances,� Arthur joked, “but thank you very much for your hospitality. I don’t know where else we could go.� Down here, in this dim and cozy room filled with upholstered armchairs and sofas, the hurricane could hardly be heard, there were no rattling doors or splintering windows, no rainwater being driven in. There was also no sign of the four Hufflepuffs who were spending their holiday at the castle.

They must be asleep in their dorms, Arthur thought.

“Are you all okay? Is there anything you need?� Professor Sprout asked solicitously.

“Only a place to sleep,� answered Arthur, even though he doubted that there would be any more sleep for his charges that night. “But we can sleep on the sofas.�

“I will leave them in your very capable hands, Arthur,� Professor Sprout said briskly. “I need to get back to the rest of the staff.�

When she was gone, Arthur turned to the younger children. “Pick a sofa, each of you, and try to get some sleep. It’s only…� He look at his wrist watch. “It’s not even 4 a.m. yet.�

“Aw, Arthur, we can’t sleep now,� Rupert complained. “It’s too exciting.�

“Yeah,� Evan concurred.

“At least lie down,� Arthur ordered them, “and keep the noise down. We don’t want to wake the Hufflepuffs.�

“Those poor stiffs,� Rupert chortled. “They’re missing all the fun.�

Sure, Arthur thought. Some fun.

The five students did lie down on sofas, however, pulling their blankets over themselves and whispering excitedly at first, but as time went by, the whispers quieted and one by one they went to sleep. Last of all, sitting in an armchair, Arthur slept also.

He was awakened a few hours later by Professor Sprout, who had returned to the common room. She looked tired and haggard, Arthur thought. He stirred in his armchair and asked in a low voice, “What’s been happening?�

She sank wearily onto an adjacent chair and said, “The storm has passed. It’s just raining now.� She slumped in the chair, her forearms lying like dead weights on the arms of the chair and her shoulders sagging.

“Did we lose any more windows?�

“We lost a lot of them; I don’t know how many. I’m not sure what helped us the most, whether it was us strengthening the wards or if the storm finally just blew itself out.�

“I tried to fix my window up in Gryffindor tower when it first blew in, but the wind was so strong, I couldn’t make the pieces go back in place. I’ve never seen anything like that before.�

“At least nobody’s injured; we have that to be thankful for. And the fact that it happened when the building wasn’t full of students.�

“That’s right!� Arthur exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “I forgot. It’s Christmas. Merlin’s beard, what a Christmas! Here we are, sleeping like refugees on sofas and chairs, when we should be sleeping in our own beds and waking up to a heap of presents, not a heap of broken glass, and looking out the window to see a blanket of sparkling snow.’’

“I shudder to think what we’ll see when we look out the window today,� Professor Sprout said.

“You haven’t looked out yet?� Arthur asked.

“Not really. It’s still dark; it’s only 6:30 in the morning. That revelation still awaits us.�

Arthur leaned back in his armchair and was silent for a few minutes, imagining the devastation that must be present outside the castle � damage to the building itself, damage to auxiliary structures, broken branches. In his mind’s eye he traveled the road towards Hogsmeade; were the gates damaged, or the village itself?

He turned his head and looked towards Professor Sprout. “What’s the next step?�

“We’re meeting upstairs to decide our priorities. I came down to see if you want to attend.�

“Of course I do! But who will oversee the students?�

“Liam and Eleanor can take charge here,� she said, naming the two oldest Hufflepuffs, who were fourth and fifth-years respectively. “Do you know if they’re awake?�

“I haven’t heard a peep out of any of the ‘Puffs,� Arthur said, “but they should be up soon. They still think it’s Christmas.�

“It is still Christmas,� Professor Sprout said, reaching over to pat his hand. “I’m sure we can salvage the day.� I hope so, Arthur thought.

She stood up and disappeared through a door which Arthur assumed led to the Hufflepuff dormitories, and returned a few minutes later.

“I explained things to them. We can go now.�

Arthur went over to Rupert and shook him awake. “Rupert, I’m going upstairs to a meeting with the staff. Liam and Eleanor are in charge until I get back.�

“Uh huh,� Rupert responded groggily.

As they left the Hufflepuff common room, Professor Sprout showed Arthur how to access the door, and then they went up to the great hall, where the candles were lit, revealing one broken window, but the glass was already swept away from the opposite side of the room. The other six staff members were already there at a table � Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn, Pomfrey, and Hagrid, who looked none the worse for having ridden out the storm in his house.

“Thank you for joining us, Arthur,� Professor Dumbledore said as the last two arrivals took seats at the table. “By the grace of good fortune, the storm has passed without irreparable damage, I believe, and no loss of life or serious injury. Our task now is to identify what must be done and who will do it and to set priorities. For one thing, we must immediately assess the castle for damage and ensure the integrity of the windows, walls, roofs, and chimneys.�

Professor McGonagall spoke up. “No one has reported any roof leaks, so even with the loss of roof tiles, I believe the roof is still sound. The most critical damage is the windows; they need to be sealed immediately. I propose that Filius and I begin that job as soon as this meeting is over. It may take all day; we will have to check the entire building, room by room.�

Arthur interjected, “In that case, I suggest that you start with the residence towers. I know that Gryffindor is a wreck, and the students need someplace to live, Right now they’re camping out in the Hufflepuff common room with only the clothes on their backs.�

“You’re quite right,� Professor Flitwick agreed. “We’ll start at Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers, then do the great hall. Is the hospital wing damaged, Poppy? I was hoping that, being lower down, it was more sheltered from the wind.�

“If anything it was worse,� the matron replied. “ Flying debris. Branches torn off trees. But speaking of the hospital wing, a priority for me is examining everyone, students and staff, for injuries, lacerations, embedded glass slivers, and so on. I want to document that everyone is unharmed, or ensure that injuries are treated, beginning with the students who were relocated during the night. And it must be strictly enforced that everyone wear shoes at all times, no bare feet or bedroom slippers until further notice. I don’t want glass and shrapnel embedded in people’s feet.�

“Let that be done immediately,� Professor Dumbledore replied. “It will be necessary to send owls promptly to the families of all the students, assuring them that their children are safe and unharmed, and the children should be examined before the owls are sent.�

“I’ll help with that,� Arthur volunteered. “All the students except Edward are in the Hufflepuff common room. I’ll get them to the hospital wing, and if it needs repair I can try to start doing that also. Hopefully I’ll have more success than I did last night. And I’ll check the owlery to see if we have any owls.�

“Merlin’s beard,� Hagrid murmured. “D’ye suppose they’re all blown away?�

“I will send Edward over to the hospital wing,� Professor Slughorn offered. “But in all this emergency action, we need to continue some basic functions. Meals, for instance. I suggest we set regular meal times and stick to them. It won’t help us if we’re all starving.�

“Horace is quite right,� Professor Dumbledore declared heartily. “Today is Christmas, after all, and we mustn’t forget that fact. I propose Christmas breakfast at eight and Christmas dinner at noon, on schedule. Despite this little setback, we still have much to be thankful for.�

“One more thing,� Arthur suggested. “Where the windows broke, things got really wet. They will need drying charms too.�

“You’re a veritable fountain of suggestions, Arthur,� Professor McGonagall observed drily. “Do you think you can take care of that for Gryffindor?�

If there was a touch of sarcasm in her tone, Arthur refused to be abashed. Getting Gryffindor dried out was more important than defending his ego. “As soon as the windows are repaired, I’ll be right on it, Professor McGonagall.�

“I think we all know what we are doing until breakfast,� Professor Dumbledore concluded. “Horace, you and I can proceed with other window repairs, and when day breaks we will go outside to assess the exterior and the grounds.�

“By yer leave, I’ll go see to th’animals,� Hagrid said, and following Professor Dumbledore’s lead they all rose and dispersed. Arthur hurried throughout the cold halls to the Hufflepuff common room, where he found the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws regaling the Hufflepuffs with vivid stories of their nighttime experiences.

He quickly told them of the morning’s decisions and shoo’ed them out the door to go to the hospital wing. “We need to get these exams done before eight o’clock because that’s when Christmas breakfast will be served.�

“This is dumb. I don’t need to be examined. I’m fine,� Liam grumbled.

“I’m sure you are,� Arthur answered, “but that’s the rule. No exceptions.�

“Are you getting examined too?� Evan asked.

“I guess so.�

“When do we get our clothes? Sophie asked. “I feel silly walking around in my nightgown.�

“Pretty soon, after breakfast.�

“This is a dumb Christmas,� Lucille remarked. “We don’t even have any presents. I wish I could have gone home for Christmas. Don’t you?� she added, turning to Marisa.

“Did you get any presents?� Rupert asked George, the younger Hufflepuff boy, who nodded but did not speak aloud, apparently not wanting to emphasize the fact that the Hufflepuffs had been able to sleep in their own dry beds in their own dorms, put on daytime clothes and open gifts, while the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were effectively displaced persons.

They arrived at the hospital wing and went in. The lights of the wall sconces glimmered off glass fragments scattered on the floor and other surfaces, and plant debris � twigs and small branches � was everywhere. Madam Pomfrey stopped them just inside the doors.

“Children stay back. Arthur, you can help me. We need to get this glass up, starting at the edges.� She pointed her wand at a broken window and said “reparo�. Pieces of glass flew up from the floor and settled into their places, and the twisted muntins straightened out and rejoined, so that the window became whole again. Obviously it would be dangerous for anyone to be in the path of the moving glass.

This is going to be a huge job, Arthur thought, considering the whole castle.

“I’ll take the right side; you take the left,� he said, and together they slowly worked their way down the long narrow ward to the far end. Finally only the woody debris was left, which Madam Pomfrey eliminated with a dispersing charm.

“I need to run up to the owlery and see if we have any owls left while you guys get examined,� Arthur said as he walked rapidly toward the door. “Then I’ll run up to the tower and check our windows. Hopefully I can get this done by eight.�


“Be sure to come back here and get your exam, Arthur,� Madam Pomfrey insisted. “You were out in the dangerous places too.� As he hesitated, she added, “You need to be a good example.�

“Right,� he agreed hastily and headed for the owlery. Running up the stone stairs, he was out of breath when he finally reached the top, but the circular room he was so familiar with, from many previous visits, was strikingly changed. The layer of straw coated with owl droppings and regurgitated pellets had vanished; the hurricane had scoured the room to its stone walls. He looked left and right with his wand-light, checking the roosting posts that normally held dozens of owls, but they were bare, empty. Then in one corner, low down in the dark, he spotted two small owls, so motionless that at first he thought they were dead, but when he approached them they turned their heads a little, to his great relief. I’ll have to tell Dumbledore they’re almost all gone, but maybe not dead. Maybe some of them will return later. Maybe much later, depending on where they got blown to.

With his eye on his wristwatch, he then ran down the steps and headed for Gryffindor tower. Which tower did they work on first? Let it be Gryffindor, he prayed. Arriving at the portrait of the fat lady, he breathlessly pronounced the password.

“You’re still in quite the hurry,� the fat lady said petulantly. “I’m still bruised from where you ran into me not that many hours ago.�

“I’m very sorry. It was an emergency,� Arthur panted. “We’ve been through quite an ordeal.�

“I know,� the fat lady returned. “The professors told me all about it when they arrived.�

Arthur’s heart leaped. “Are they still inside?�

“No,� she replied, “they left a few minutes ago.�

“That’s wonderful news!� Arthur exclaimed. “I love you! Can I go in now?�

The portrait swung open and Arthur climbed in and looked around. The common room windows were all intact again, but the floor and furniture were soaking wet. It would take a long time to dry out all the rooms; he didn’t even know how many dorm rooms had been affected. Why do things like this happen to me? he wondered, silently counting on his fingers how many days of holiday were left; the cleanup would definitely cut into his study time.

He needed to get back to the hospital wing; it was almost eight o’clock. Reluctantly turning his back on the Gryffindor common room, he returned for his physical exam. Madam Pomfrey was finishing her assessments of the students who had not been relocated; these exams went very fast and soon it was his turn.

“Is everyone okay?� he asked as the the matron examined his hands and arms, legs and feet, and scrutinized his face and scalp.

“Evan has a skinned knee and Sophie skinned up the heels of her hands, that’s all,� she replied. “There, you look okay. Any areas that are painful?� He shook his head. “Let’s go to breakfast, then.�

Until now, they had all been using two tables for meals, staff members at one and students at the other, but this morning the tables had been pushed together and everyone was eating together. At least the kitchens had not been damaged, and the house elves had gone out of their way to prepare an especially festive breakfast, which seemed almost incongruous in the midst of the disaster and damage.


“You see,� said Professor Dumbledore heartily, “today we still celebrate Christmas, even if our decorations have got slightly askew,� gesturing with his hand toward the twelve Christmas trees, whose ornaments had been rearranged, and not for the better, by the winds swirling in through the broken window during the night. “So eat heartily, and strengthen yourselves for the work ahead.�

As they tucked into the sausages, eggs, bacon, breads, and fruits, the professors gave reports of what they had discovered and accomplished, beginning with the window assessment and ending with the health exams. Arthur reported the absence of the owls, whereupon Professor Dumbledore suggested that other methods might prove necessary for communicating with parents if the owls did not return.

“I beg your permission to leave the table now and return to Gryffindor tower,� Arthur said at about half past eight. “I’m anxious to dry it out so my housemates can get dressed. It’s starting to get light out, and we need to go outdoors and check things out.�

“By all means,� Dumbledore said, and Arthur practically ran up to the tower, desperate to see what state things were in. There were fourteen dorm rooms in all, with potentially soaked bedding, curtains, rugs, and personal possessions, plus the bathrooms and the common room. In the worst case scenario, it would all be sopping wet.

Actually, it proved to be not that bad; the majority of the rooms had been spared. He started on his own room first, and discovered to his huge relief that thin materials, such as a coat hanging on a hook, could be dried in one passage of his wand, while the thicker materials, such as throw rugs, needed only two or three passes. Items in closed trunks had not got wet at all, and the thick wooden floor planks, sealed by centuries of oiling, did not absorb any water. After drying his room he changed his clothes, feeling infinitely better now that he was properly dressed, and then made short work of Evan’s room, the only other one that needed to be dried immediately.

Back in the great hall, he summoned the Gryffindors from their task of setting the tree decorations aright and sent them upstairs to get dressed.

“When will we got our presents, Arthur?� they asked.

“When all the work is done,� he answered.

By nine o’clock it was getting light outdoors, and they all went outside. The devastation that greeted their eyes was unbelievable. Trees were uprooted, lying on their sides with their branches all over the ground and their great root balls rising higher that the height of a man. Standing trees were defaced with breakages of major branches, which hung at crazy angles, and the lawn had almost disappeared under a carpet of broken limbs. Shattered roof tiles littered the ground for quite a distance all around the castle, and there were mountains of debris, including unrecognizable stuff that might have originated in Hogsmeade, piled up in windrows along the castle and in depressed areas of the ground, which was utterly saturated with water so that the soil squished and oozed with their every step. It did not seem possible that the earth could absorb the light rain that continued to fall.

They all stood there, speechless, as if paralyzed, scarcely able to comprehend the scene before them. Arthur intensely did not want to look at Hagrid’s house, or see what was left of the Quidditch pitch or Professor Sprout’s greenhouses. He suddenly realized how calm she had been during the crisis hours, even as she must have known that her greenhouses were being destroyed.

People began murmuring under their breath, “Merlin’s beard!� and “Oh, my Lord�.

“Look at that,� whispered Professor Slughorn, raising a shaky hand toward the Forbidden Forest. “It looks like a tornado went through there.�

We’re lucky to be alive, Arthur thought to himself, lucky to be alive.

“Well, we won’t have to worry about running out of firewood for a long, long time,� Professor Dumbledore suddenly announced.

“What shall we do?� Madam Pomfrey asked.

“Professor Slughorn and I shall go into Hogsmeade within the hour to learn how well they have survived this disaster and whether they need any help that we may be able to supply,� Professor Dumbledore said. “I suggest that the rest of you carry on. We must not allow this horrible sight to paralyze us into inactivity. We all have important tasks to do.�

He fell silent again. They were brave words, but nothing could match the incredible power of the storm. Everyone stood in the misty rain, staring and whispering “look at that� and “look over there� to the person standing adjacent.

Arthur felt someone move up next to him; it was Evan. Arthur put his arm around Evan’s shoulders and said in a low voice, “Now you see something stronger than magic: the force of nature.�

He could not stand to look at it any longer. With a tightness in his throat he announced, “Come on, kids. I’ll teach you how to do drying charms. We have a lot of work to do.� He turned and started trudging back to the main doors, picking his way around downed branches. One by one, the students began to follow their Head Boy, pausing from time to time to look back over their shoulders.

It was better inside the castle, where he didn’t have to look at the wounded earth and could concentrate on the cleanup. Christmas presents had appeared at the feet of the Gryffindors’ beds while they had been outside, and opening the gifts had distracted them briefly from the debacle of nature, but soon Arthur redirected their attention, trying to turn the work into a game, doling out candy as each section of wet territory was restored to its former state.

“You get extra if all of Gryffindor is dry by noon,� he promised. He told them funny stories about his early mishaps in learning to do spells as a younger student, and praised their efforts to utilize the drying charm. But all the while, as they progressed steady toward their goal, they sneaked peeks out the window, sometimes staring for minutes at a time before Arthur called them back to the task at hand.

By 11:30 a.m. all of Gryffindor was dry again, and as Arthur gave Evan, Rupert, and Sophie their promised extra candy, he suggested that since they had mastered the drying charm so well, they should offer to help Ravenclaw dry out its tower also.

“Nooo,� the Gryffindors chorused, and Arthur just laughed, because he had already made the offer to Professor Flitwick earlier in the morning, and the Ravenclaw Head of House had graciously declined, saying he thought he could deal with it himself.

It was good to be able to joke a little, to laugh a little, after the shock and horror of the storm. The castle would slowly be put to rights, the downed wood would be cut up for several years’ worth of firewood, and the forests would grow. It had probably happened before and would doubtless happen again. Can we learn to predict these storms? he wondered. So far as he knew, no one used divination to predict the weather. I wonder how the Muggles do it, he thought. If we could be better prepared…

“Let’s get down to the great hall,� he suggested. “I gotta get the students together.�

By noon everyone, staff and students, had reassembled in the great hall from their varied activities. In this space, at least, the signs of the storm were all gone and the tables, still pushed together, were set with gleaming silverware and shining crystal. Sparkling glass decorations and little vases of red flowers adorned the centers of the tables. Gazing at the tables, Arthur almost felt as if he was shaking off the remnants of a bad dream.

The staff members took their seats, but the students lingered on their feet moving restlessly a little.

“Come, come, sit down,� Professor Dumbledore invited them. “We’re all ready to feast. It’s Christmas!�

“We’re not quite ready to sit down yet,� Arthur said. He motioned to the ten other students to arrange themselves as they had rehearsed over the last seven days, boys on one side of the group and girls on the other. Professors Flitwick and Sprout smiled broadly because they already knew what the students were going to do, but the other staff did not.

From his pocket Arthur took a pitch pipe that he had borrowed from Professor Flitwick and softly blew a note. All the staff were smiling now in expectation. Arthur raised his hand and gave the downbeat.

Tempus adest gratiae
Hoc quod optabamus
Carmina laetitiae
Devote reddamus…

Their sweet voices filled the air and trailed off into the reaches of the great hall. The time of grace has come, what we have wished for, songs of joy let us give back faithfully…