It was an early October day, the day we were matched. I was already excited to be participating in a HP Exchange, which has to be the best sort of exchange for a girl like me. Raised on Harry Potter, one time pilgrim to the WWoHP and owner of a boxful of memorabililia, I clapped my hands in glee when I received a message almost straight away, titled Wait till my father hears about this!

Oh, I knew then I was going to absolutely adore this person and anything they sent. We were drawn into conversation almost immediately. We had good chats, they were going to visit HPWW soon, and we were exchanging pilgrimage notes and revelling in the awesomeness of both of us being proud Slytherins.

I was also lamenting the loss of my beloved Slytherin bottle while I was out doing CSR, and they had lost their jammies somewhere too, so we were commiserating. We had (and still have) a lot to say.

Today, their gift arrived. This great big shoebox-sized parcel which made me go "WOAH". Queue the unboxing. Holy jumping frogs, I thought. What a haul, and what beautiful penmanship! For you see, nestled in this chest with a Slytherin emblem was SIX individually wrapped parcels. She'd clearly been to Diagon Alley for a spot of shopping - there was a brown package from Ollivanders, and one from Madam Malkins.

My Hogwarts letter was there too - in a red wax seal, and parchment paper and green ink with an original ticket to the Hogwarts Express!

And curiously, a package marked Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus which we all know is the Hogwarts motto. Whatever could it be, I thought. Included also, was an unmarked, soft package. Curious and curiouser.

Contained were the following, though I'm sure you can guess what item came from what package: a Slytherin tie, a Harry Potter wand with stand, a Ron plushie, and beautiful mini replica of the Hogwarts castle with flickering lights. The Hogwarts castle provided its light so beautiful and I knew it'd keep it in my home wherever I go henceforth. I was already over the moon with all these gifts.

But then... do you know what caught my attention? A package that said “Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.”

Oh. I didn't know what exactly lay within, but I knew it's nature. As I opened it to reveal a Hogwarts tumbler, my Santa brought tears to my eyes - no way could they have known the true heartbreak of losing your prized possession - except that she did know, and in that moment, all was well.