„Christmas decorations had been put up  despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armour and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors , and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron’s pocket to sniff hopefully at the air. 

On Christmas morning Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him. 

‘Oy! Presents!’

Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi- darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents. 

‘Another jumper from Mum… maroon again…see if you’ve got one’

Harry had. Mrs Weasley had sent him a scarlet jumper with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front , also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake and a box of nut brittle. As he moved all these things aside , he saw a long, thin packaage lying underneath. 

“What’s that ? said Ron , looking over , a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.

‘Dunno…’

Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent , gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread. Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look.

‘I don’t believe it’ , he said hoarsely.

It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating, and let go; it hung in mid-air unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle right down to the perfectly smooth , streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

‘Who sent it to you?’ said Ron in a hushed voice.

‘ Look and see if there is a card’, said Harry.

Ron ripped apart the Firebolt’s wrappings.

‘Merry Christmas!’ said Dumbledore, as Harry Ron and Hermione approached the table. ‘As there as so few of us , it seemed foolish to use the house tables… sit down, sit down.

Harry Ron and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table.

‘Crackers!’ said Dumbledore enthusiastically. Offering the end of a large silver one to Snape  who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot , the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch’s hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Harry remembering the Boggart , caught Ron’s eye and they both grinned ; Snape’s mouth thinned as he pushed the hat towards Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard’s hat at once.

‘Tuck in!’ he advised the table , beaming around.

As Harry was helping himself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding towards them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honour of the occasion, making her look more than ever like glittering, oversize dragonfly.’

***

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

‘Me dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?’

‘Dunno,’ said Ron . looking uneasily at Harry.

‘I doubt it will make much difference,’ said Professor.(…)

Professor Trelawney however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table and she suddenly uttered a kind of a soft scream.

‘I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table , we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky ! Never forget that when thirteen dine together , the first to rise will be the first to die!’

‘We’ll risk it, Sybill’, said Professor McGonagall impatiently. ‘Do sit down, the turkey’s getting stone cold’. 

p. 165  and other parts - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

To string …..

To glitter ….

To poke your nose….

To sniff …..

To reach …..

To squint ….

To rip the paper …… the parcel ……

To knit ….

To move things …

Long halls, especially at schools, hospitals, hotels –

To take off the paper -

To cook food in an oven -

To spread through and be noticeable in every part of sth –

the ….. of bed            the ….or armour             the …..of parcels         the …….of mistletoe

IV. Find two different types of gleam (synonyms) :                                                                                1.                                                                                                                                                                     2. 

V. What in the text is :

smooth                                                                                                                                                    long,  thin                                                                                                                                              golden
vibrating                                                                                                                                                scarlet                                                                                                                                            magnificent and gleaming
hushed                                                                                                                                                powerful and delicious
closer                                                                                                                                              mysterious

nouns                                                                                                                                                                1.                                                                                                                                                                        2.                                                                                                                                                                        3.

adjectives                                                                                                                                                          1.                                                                                                                                                                        2.                                                                                                                                                                        3.

Now try to draw a Firebolt.

***

Dumbledore said                             

Snape took it                                   

Professor Trelawney was                                                                                                                  Snape’s mouth                            as he                                 

Harry was                                                                                                                                                    He (Dumbledore)                                             

Harry, Ron and Hermione                                                                                                                            Harry and Ron                                       

 

Have a nice Christmas prep period! 

I've asked my group and they voted - most of them for Silent Night. Maybe we could do carol voting?  I will tell you mine just before Christmas but you can write about yours until let's say 20.12.2018.

                In Poland our Christmas holidays are connected with many traditions and I will try to introduce a few of them. Holidays start on 24^th December which is actually the most festive day during this time. We often spend Christmas in our family homes. 

                The preparations usually start a week before Christmas Eve. At this time, we are making aromatic and delicious gingerbread cookies which are going to be hanged on a Christmas tree. The tree is decorated most often in the morning on a Christmas Eve, with many glimmering baubles and colorful chains as well. Rest of the day is spent tiding up a house and preparing the supper for evening. The dinner by tradition should have 12 dishes which do not contain any meat, for example steamy dumplings with potatoes and white cheese or warm beet root soup with another type of dumplings. When finally the supper starts, everyone begins with sharing a Christmas wafer and making wishes for one another. During dinner on Christmas Eve everyone should try every and each one of 12 dishes and this is supposed to bring luck next year. There is also a lot of talking and singing melodic Christmas carols. On that day everything ends with children getting presents wrapped in beautifully colorful packagings. 

                Even though I don’t really enjoy Christmas I still think it’s very magical time that should be spent in the presence of our families. Each of them has maybe slightly different traditions but that’s what makes everyone’s holidays a little bit more special. 
K.Wawrzyk

             Christmas starts at the end of December (when it’s also snowing – it’s a beautiful time). We celebrated it on 25th and 26th December, but in Poland everything began on Christmas Eve. A few days earlier we decorated Christmas tree with bubbles, made cakes and gingerbreads (I love this custom – it’s enjoyable to draw new designs in familial climate. It helps to feel this time very well.) 

            On 24th December my family is very busy. My mum and sister cooked meals and finished cleaning of house. Usually I decorated Christmas cookies this day. In the evening, when it’s dark outside, all members of my family met up and ate together special dinner. Traditionally we should eat 12 dishes, but in my house we had some of them ( borstch with „ear-shaped” little dumplings,  carp and some local meals like pasta with poppy and cabbage with peas). Before eating we shared wafer and made wishes to each other. After dinner we sang carols and gave presents everyone. 
I think it is magical time. People are happier and full of joy to each other then. That is a good moment to spend a while with our families without any worries. But I don’t really like crazy shopping in the malls before holidays, because for me it shouldn’t be time to get additional stress. 

decorations in rooms or in other places. As those decorations they use some kind of a stars, Christmas trees, oranges with cinnamon (which also smells great) . In summary, everyone should decide about where they are spending Christmas. I think that all places are good if you have Christmas in your heart and spend them with people you love. If you don't feel those Christmas magic-no matter where you would go-  you just wouldn't spend them well. [G. Poparda]