December 12th, 1888 — Gamp Estate, Wales

Huddled on the window seat in her room, Hesper leaned her face up against the ice-cold window pane, her nose met the glass and disturbed the halo of condensation that had formed there. She should be excited it was nearly Christmas but she wasn't. Christmas with her great aunt was not the happy experience it had been with her parents. If she was honest she couldn't remember much of those Christmases anymore but she could remember the excitement it had once filled her with. It had only been her first Christmas there that she'd felt any excitement but disappointment had put an end to it. Sometimes when she shut her eyes tightly she could picture her parents and sister opening gifts around a great big fir tree but she wasn't sure anymore if that was a real memory or one she had made up. Great Aunt Jessamine didn't believe in Christmas, or rather she felt it was a muggle holiday that was beneath her dignity to acknowledge.

Hesper traced the shape of a Christmas tree in the condensation on her window. Next year would be different at least, next year she'd be at Hogwarts. Did they celebrate Christmas at Hogwarts?

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