One concern was about what would be with Luna during that time. She and Luna had formed quite a bond over the past few months — and surely being separated from Rosemary for over two weeks would be stressful for Luna. This would be so even if she could find arrangements for someone else to take care of Luna in the meantime — which she couldn’t even be sure was possible. Not to mention — after the role Luna had played in thwarting her recent abduction attempt, Rosemary was, even for her own sake, hesitant to travel without Luna.
Another concern wasn’t just about the trip to Rafi and Elisa, but about leaving school for winter break in the first place. This concern was about her regular check-ins to the infirmary. She was concerned that if she missed a check-in time due to being away from school, she might be moved out of the room she now shared with Sarah and put in her own solitary room again.
She couldn’t think of anything she could do to put to rest her concerns about Luna — except write to her parents about it, which she wasn’t really prepared to do. However, her concern about missing a check-in over winter break was another story. Late afternoon the following Monday when she went to the infirmary for her next check-in, she expressed that concern to Madam Sutton, the head school nurse.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Madam Sutton. “Winter break only lasts sixteen days. By that time, you should be able to go plenty longer than that between check-ins. Just come in here the day before you leave, even if you ain’t due yet — and you should be good.”
“That’s all?” asked Rosemary.
“Yep,” said Madam Sutton. “And even if winter break happened before your intervals were long enough, we’d work something out.”
“Like what?” asked Rosemary.
“Something,” insisted Madam Sutton. “But we don’t have to worry about that, ’coz you’ll be able to go long enough between check-ins by then. Just come in the day before you leave, and don’t worry.”
* * *
Rosemary’s concern about missing her check-in to the infirmary was for the most part set to rest. She still obsessively worried about what backup plan might be in place just in case she did miss her check-in — but at least on an intellectual level she was content that this concern was addressed. Her concern about Luna, on the other hand, was completely unresolved.
As the week progressed, another issue began weighing more heavily on her mind — a thought that was a cause not so much for anxiety as for dread. She realized that she would be far away from home for Hanukkah. Hanukkah, the annual Jewish festival of lights that was every year a time of wonderful celebration. Rosemary’s family wasn’t particularly religious, and only occasionally would go to the synagogue. However, they always lit the candles every night of Hanukkah. On years when Hanukkah and Christmas coincided, her parents would even throw a joint Hanukkah Christmas party and invite all their friends, no matter what holidays they celebrated. This year, however, Hanukkah was nowhere near Christmas. As a matter of fact, this year Hanukkah would be over nearly three weeks before winter break — so Rosemary wouldn’t be able to celebrate any of it with her family.
Her dread about missing Hanukkah weighed heavier on her each day. And it was weighing on her on Wednesday when she went to the North Wing Needle Tower to visit Marsh. At some point every week, Rosemary would grab some granola from the Great Hall at breakfast time in a makeshift bag folded from a piece of parchment. Later in the day, she would give it to Marsh, one of the hobgoblins at Misty Peaks. She had met Marsh on the day of her arrival when he had brought her suitcase to her from flight storage. At the time, Rosemary was unfamiliar with most things of the magical world, including hobgoblins. As a matter of fact, at that time she hadn’t even been able to tell the male hobgoblins apart from the female ones. This inability to distinguish, of course, had cleared up with time.
Hobgoblins were very useful creatures to have around. They would be deeply offended if anyone did anything that seemed like paying them for their helpful work — but they appreciated certain gifts if given as a gesture of good will. Natural foods like granola were a favorite of theirs.
This week, as there was no assembly, Rosemary decided that Wednesday after homeroom was a perfect time to visit Marsh. She got to the ground floor room of the Needle Tower and pulled out of her satchel the bag of granola. Within moments, the hobgoblin showed up.
“What’s eatin’ you?” asked Marsh, as he took the bag from Rosemary.
“Eating me?” asked Rosemary.
“Yeah,” said Marsh. “It’s written all over you. Something’s got you down.”
“Oh, just that I am upset about being away from home this time of year,” she answered.
“What’s so special about this time of year?” asked the hobgoblin.
“It’s almost Hanukkah,” said Rosemary. “And I’ve never been away from my family on Hanukkah before.”
“Oh, Hanukkah,” said Marsh. “I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that something Jewish people do?”
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“Yes,” answered Rosemary. “My family’s Jewish.”
“Well I’m sorry you can’t be with them,” said Marsh. “But can’t you call them — and do that candle-light thing Jewish people do on Hanukkah here?”
“You mean light the menorah?” asked Rosemary.
“Yeah,” said Marsh, sitting down on the bench next to Rosemary.
“Well, I would,” said Rosemary. “But back in August, when I was packing to come here, Hanukkah was the last thing on my mind — so I didn’t bring it.” She brushed her hair from her eyes with her right hand. “I mean, I’ll probably call my parents,” she continued, “and I’ll probably get a card from them. Maybe even a present. But other than that, I’m gonna miss Hanukkah.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said Marsh.
The two continued talking as Marsh ate a bit of the granola Rosemary had brought for him. Then, Marsh got up and disappeared. He hadn’t gone into oblivion, but merely vanished into the scenery. As Rosemary knew what to look for, she could probably find him if she looked hard enough — but right now, there was no need for that. She got up herself and headed back for Hemlock Tower.
* * *
Regarding her concerns about Luna, Rosemary finally accepted that she had to bring up the issue with her parents. That afternoon, after Study Hall, she finally decided to do so. When she got back to Hemlock Tower, she got out a sheet of parchment and wrote:
Dear Mammy and Daddy,
I am excited about our trip to see Rafi and Elisa and Sarah and Itamar and Yoav. But I am afraid of leaving Luna while we go on the trip.
Because she is a familiar and not a regular cat, I don’t think we can get any of our neighbors to take care of her, and I don’t know if there is anyone I can leave her with at school either.
Also, even if I can do one of these things, I am afraid she will miss me. And also she helped protect me when that man tried to take me away, so I am afraid to go on a trip without her.
I really want to go on the trip, but I am afraid to go without Luna.
Love,
Simon
As soon as she was done, she folded the letter up into an envelope, addressed it to “Naphtali and Miriam Corbin — Oak Ridge, Tennessee”, and sealed it. She cast the spell to send the letter and watched it float away.
It was at dinner in the Great Hall when she received her response. An office supply store envelope floated down and landed next to her plate. The envelope was addressed only to “Simon” in her mother’s handwriting. Rosemary immediately opened the letter and read:
Dear Simon,
Don’t worry about Luna. Karen Lawson told me everything we need to do to take care of Luna on the trip, and I got everything we need. All you need to do is bring her with you on that necklace, the way you brought her to school. And bring your wand. Everything else is taken care of. And if there’s anything we might have trouble explaining to you, she will explain it to you when you arrive in Knoxville, because she will be there too to pick up Clara.
Love,
Mom & Dad
Rosemary wasn’t sure exactly what her parents had planned for Luna on the trip — and immediately her head filled with concerns. What if there was something important about taking Luna on the trip that both her own parents and Clara’s mother had forgotten to take into account? What if Clara’s father came alone to pick Clara up at the Sunsphere and he wasn’t as willing and able as his wife to explain whatever needed to be explained about the arrangements for Luna?
Still, however uneasily, Rosemary decided to try her best to trust her parents. She folded the letter back into the envelope and placed it in her purse. And though she naturally obsessed over all kinds of what-if scenarios, her mind gradually shifted off of those concerns and toward her dread of not being able to celebrate Hanukkah that year.
The following evening, about an hour before dinner, Rosemary got another letter from her parents. Again she opened it up and read:
Dear Simon,
As you may know, tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah. Unfortunately, you will not be able to light the candles because you forgot your menorah here in Oak Ridge. However, in case you wish to be with us remotely while we light the candles, we have arranged for you to have time tomorrow evening on the correspondence mirror and will be home tomorrow after 6:30.
Love,
Mom & Dad
Rosemary finished reading the letter and put it in her desk drawer. She wondered whether it would be worse to have no access to menorah lighting at all or to be stuck watching others light their menorahs while being unable to light her own.
All day the next day she fretted how she wouldn’t be able to celebrate Hanukkah that year. She didn’t even go right away to Hemlock Tower after Warding Basics, her last class of the day. Instead, she aimlessly wandered the wall walks for a while, until she started to feel cold. Then she went inside and sat down on a cozy chair in the common room, sulking — staring at all the now nearly-leafless trees in Drippidy Falls.
She sulked until Sarah walked by.
“Something wrong, Rosemary?” asked Sarah.
“Yes,” said Rosemary, starting to cry. “Tonight’s the first night of Hanukkah, and I won’t be able to light the candles because I forgot my menorah at home.”
“You know, Rosemary?” suggested Sarah. “Come with me to our room. There’s something there that might cheer you up.”
Rosemary was not sure what could lift her spirits in this situation, but she got up and followed Sarah as instructed. She wasn’t expecting to actually have her spirits lifted, but as soon as she opened the door to her room, she was surprised.
On her table sat a metal menorah. It wasn’t a pretty one, but it clearly was a menorah — with a row of eight candle holders near the bottom, and slightly to the right at a slight distance, a much more elevated candle holder. Each candle holder had three metal prongs pointing slightly inward with balled tips.
Next to the menorah was a cardboard box. Rosemary couldn’t see what was in it until she was close — but then she could see that it was full of candles.
“But — how?” she asked Sarah in amazement.
“I don’t know,” said Sarah, “but it looks like it was made by hobgoblins.”
Rosemary felt around the menorah, almost trying to confirm to herself that it was real. “You say hobgoblins made it?” she asked.
“Looks like it,” confirmed Sarah. “I wonder how they knew you needed it. I didn’t even know you were Jewish until I saw it.”
“Must be Marsh,” said Rosemary.
“Marsh?” asked Sarah.
“Yes, Marsh,” affirmed Rosemary. “He’s one of the hobgoblins. I mentioned the holiday to him this past Wednesday when I went to give him some granola. I gotta go thank him, and maybe make something special for him.”
“Now be careful,” said Sarah. “Hobgoblins don’t really like overt compliments the way humans do. And they surely don’t appreciate it if something comes across as payment.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot,” said Rosemary, “but can I just give him a Hanukkah present?”
“You can,” said Sarah, “as long as it is obviously a Hanukkah present and doesn’t seem like it’s in exchange for something like the menorah.”
“Yeah,” agreed Rosemary. “I probably should wait until next week when I visit him anyway.”
“That’s a good idea,” nodded Sarah.
“Anyway,” said Rosemary, “I can’t wait till when I talk to my parents after dinner. It will be so good telling them that I can light the candles this year.”