The entire castle went to sleep early, hoping it would bring the next day faster.
Julian ended up waking around five thirty in the morning when his magical senses caught a sudden shift in the dorm. Seeing the piles of presents stacked at the foot of each bed, he realized it was only the house elves delivering Christmas gifts.
He checked the time and sighed. It was half an hour earlier than he normally woke.
Since he was awake anyway, he got dressed and made his way up to the top of the Astronomy Tower.
...
He arrived just in time to watch the sunrise. The sun crested the east and, for a brief moment, washed the land in red, purple, and yellow.
Always worth it to see the rising of the sun, just as it is to see it set, he thought, smiling faintly.
He took his time walking back, since there was plenty of time before everyone else woke.
On the way, he stopped by the workshop to wish Helena and Steve a Merry Christmas.
...
After that, he returned to the common room and headed into the dorms right as Ron, Neville, and Harry began to stir.
Julian transfigured a chair beside his own pile of presents, sat down with a quiet smile, and waited for the inevitable excitement to hit the boys.
Neville was the first to fully wake. He dove into his gifts without even noticing Julian was already up.
Neville didn't have many presents, but whatever he received hit him hard. Tears gathered in his eyes, and a wide, trembling smile spread across his face as he held up a letter attached to one of the four gifts.
Julian didn't like prying, but his vision caught a few words that told him enough.
{They awoke on...}
He looked away after that. Even though this was his doing, he refused to take credit for it. Knowing was enough.
What's the point of knowing how to help if you refuse to act? he thought, the smile lingering.
...
Ron and Harry woke properly at about the same time.
Ron was far more animated, tearing into wrapping paper like it had personally offended him.
Harry, on the other hand, looked genuinely stunned that he had presents at all.
"Will you look at this?" Harry said, surprised. "I've got some presents!"
Ron snorted. "What did you expect, turnips?" he said sarcastically.
Harry unwrapped the first gift and revealed a wooden flute. He blew into it, producing a sound much like an owl's call.
Next came the thick emerald-green sweater from Mrs. Weasley. Harry pulled it on immediately, smiling.
...
After that, Hermione's gift of chocolate frogs.
Then Tracy's, a box of every-flavored beans.
Daphne's present was a book on the pureblood Potter family.
Then Harry unwrapped the invisibility cloak, and Ron's jaw dropped so hard it looked painful.
"I've heard of those," Ron said, dropping the box of beans Hermione had given him. "If that's what I think it is... They're really rare and really valuable."
"It's an invisibility cloak," Julian said, finally cutting into the conversation.
Both boys jumped.
"Bloody hell," Ron complained. "Almost lost my skin just now!"
Julian shrugged. "If you'd been paying attention, you'd have noticed I've been here since you woke up."
...
"Besides," Julian added, nodding toward the parchment that had slipped free, "I imagine that note says who the cloak is from."
Harry picked it up and read it out loud, but his expression turned confused and surprised as he went.
"Must be Dumbledore," Julian said bluntly. "He's the only person who would've had it for so long."
The mysterious act, the lack of a signature, the whole performance, Julian didn't bother indulging it.
"My gift is below the cloak, by the way," Julian said, his tone softening with a smile.
Harry moved the cloak aside.
There it was.
The shimmering green bracelet, tied with a neat bow.
"Like your ring," Julian said seriously, "that's not just an accessory. It'll defend you if it needs to."
...
Ron looked jealous for about two minutes.
Then he unboxed the hand-forged dragon steel wizard's chess set Julian had made for him, and the jealousy evaporated the instant he saw the gleaming metal pieces.
He fell in love immediately, already looking eager to try them out.