Christmas at Hogwarts

In honor of the approaching Christmas holiday, I thought I’d give a quick run-down of Christmas celebration at Hogwarts, 12 Grimmauld Place, and the Weasleys’ (um…don’t you Harry Haters find it odd that witches and wizards are celebrating Christmas?).

J.K. Rowling doesn’t let a Christmas pass without something happening that is key to the plot. Adventures, merriment and tragedy have surrounded the Christmas holidays during Harry’s 6 years of Wizarding school. Here’s a brief look at each year.

Sorcerer’s Stone

In the first novel, despite Draco’s ridiculing of those who stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, Harry had his “best Christmas day ever.” He received real Christmas presents for the first time in his life, including the legendary Invisibility Cloak from Dumbledore, which led him to the Mirror of Erised and his first glimpse of his deceased parents. At Hogwarts, the Great Hall was decorated with twelve large Christmas trees brought in by Hagrid and decorated by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick in various ways. A tremendous feast was held in the Great Hall on Christmas day.

Chamber of Secrets

Despite his jeering in book one, Malfoy, along with Crabbe and Goyle, remained at Hogwarts for Christmas their second year, leading to the Polyjuice Potion incident that turned Hermione into a large cat for some time. Along with the regular twelve Christmas tress, streams of holly, and mistletoe, “an enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling” of the Great Hall during the Christmas feast. Dumbledore led them in his favorite Christmas carols as part of the celebration, and Hagrid had a little too much eggnog.

Prisoner of Azkaban

Through the use of the newly-acquired Marauder’s Map and, of course, his invisibility cloak, the Christmas season brought troubling (and mistaken) news to Harry that Sirius Black had betrayed his parents. “Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card,” fully decorated with a Christmas tree even playing into the plot for Harry to discover what he could about Sirius.

The Great Hall’s usual decorations were as “magnificent” as ever, and “mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor.” Once again, Harry received an anonymous present – a Firebolt broomstick, which turned out to be from his godfather Sirius. Hermione’s suspicion of the Firebolt, as well as the continuing Crookshanks/Scabbers drama, made the Christmas spirit “thin” between the three friends. Christmas dinner this particular year was very small – only twelve people, including professors and students – and become rather awkward with the addition of Professor Trelawney (who was very frightened at the prospect of being the thirteenth guest at dinner). You could hardly find a more awkward dinner party: Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Filch, Trelawney, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and three other students.

Goblet of Fire

In contrast to the small Christmas gathering in year 3, the whole school, as well as a large number of students from two other schools, were present for Harry’s 4th-year Christmas, due to the Triwizard Tournament. The Yule Ball brought a multiplicity of awkward and painful moments for the young kids making their first attempts at romance. Even Hagrid was unable to escape a painful night of attempted romance when Madame Maxime denied her heritage as a half-giant. Harry received a nice pile of presents, along with a pair of mismatched socks from Dobby, who was now employed at Hogwarts.

Order of the Phoenix

Harry’s 5th-year Christmas was eventful, difficult, and in many ways, bittersweet. Just prior to Christmas, he had received his first kiss under the mistletoe from the pretty Cho Chang. But not long after, he found himself in a dream that put him inside a snake (Nagini) which attacked Arthur Weasley. The rest of Christmas was spent either at 12 Grimmauld Place or in St. Mungo’s Hospital visiting the snake-bitten Mr. Weasley. It was filled with confusion (Was Harry being possessed by Voldemort? Why wouldn’t Dumbledore talk to him?), eventual relief at being able to spend the holiday with the Order, a new encounter with Gilderoy Lockhart, the revelation of the fate of Neville’s parents, and a very happy Sirius (who, at one point, was singing “God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs”).

As an aside, I looked for but could not find the one other reference to a specific Christmas carol (I vaguely remember that it might have been a suit of armor? or ghosts? And they were singing, if I recall properly, “O Come All Ye Faithful”). If you can find this reference, please add it in the comments (Update: the reference was found by Dana C. and posted in the comments). I wanted to make the point, of course, that with all the secular Christmas carols JKR could have selected from (Rudolf the Red-nosed Hippogriff?), she chose instead blatantly Christian carols about the birth of Christ.

Half-Blood Prince

After learning about the Unbreakable Vow the night of Slughorn’s Christmas Party, the Christmas holiday in Harry’s 6th year was spent at the Weasley household with several members of the Order. Harry, trying to figure out the identity of the “Half-Blood Prince,” as well as what Draco and Snape were up to at Hogwarts, tried his theories on Mr. Weasley and Lupin, neither of whom accepted the idea that Snape was evil. We also learned of Fenrir Greyback and the werewolves’ allegiance to Voldemort.

Christmas day saw the return of Percy to the Weasley household, but only for Ministry business. Rufus Scrimgeour, newly-appointed Minister of Magic, was there to convince Harry to “stand alongside the Ministry” to give it credibility in its bumbling attempts to fight the war against Voldemort. Harry, being “Dumbledore’s man through and through,” wouldn’t oblige the Minister’s request.

Of the three questions Harry pondered on Christmas Eve night – the identity of the Half-blood Prince, Draco’s evil mission, and Snape’s loyalties – we await only one answer. Is there any chance that Snape is still a good guy? Are we to follow what Lupin said on Christmas Eve – that since Dumbledore trusts Snape, so should we – even in the midst of evidence to the contrary? That remains a key question for the final installment.

Christmas always seems to be an eventful and magical time, wherever it is celebrated in the Harry Potter novels, and I’m sure we can expect the same in Book 7.

Merry Christmas to all, and may the unfathomable, mysterious “magic” of the incarnation of the Word of God, Jesus Christ, capture your hearts and make this Christmas a magical one for you.

Tagged as: Christmas