Harry Potter and the Christmas Present Failures Quiz

Answer: A 50-pence piece

The Dursleys clearly never made much of Harry at Christmas, preferring to shower affection on their exceedingly spoiled son Dudley, so Harry is far from surprised at this meagre offering. However, Ron is fascinated by the 50-pence piece, especially its shape. Harry is much amused by this, and offers the 50-pence piece to Ron to keep.

At least Harry's other Christmas presents that year were much better! He received a wooden flute from Hagrid and a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts is also the Christmas he receives his Invisibility Cloak, which we eventually discover was given to him by Dumbledore, who had borrowed it from Harry's father, James.

Answer: His jumpers are always maroon

Mrs Weasley hand-knits jumpers for her children every Christmas. Since beginning at Hogwarts, Harry has received the same gift from her as well. Ron despairs that his jumpers are always maroon, insisting that his mother knows he doesn't like the colour. Harry's Weasley sweater (in emerald green, not maroon!) for his first Christmas at Hogwarts is accompanied by some home-made fudge.

Answer: A toothpick

In addition to the toothpick, the Dursleys enclose a note telling Harry to find out if he can stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays as well! Luckily, Harry's other Christmas presents that year are much more satisfactory: from Ron, he receives a book titled "Flying with the Cannons", which contains interesting facts about Ron's favourite Quidditch team the Chudley Cannons. From Hermione, he receives a luxury eagle-feather quill and from Hagrid, a tin of treacle fudge. Kind-hearted Mrs Weasley sends Harry another Weasley jumper, this one accompanied by a plum cake.

Answer: It is soon confiscated

Harry is thrilled to be sent a new Firebolt for Christmas, especially as his trusty Nimbus 2000 had been essentially pulverised by the Whomping Willow earlier in the school year. However, no note comes with the Firebolt to tell Harry who has sent it to him.

This worries Hermione, who thinks that the Firebolt could have been sent by Sirius Black, who at the time is still an escaped prisoner suspected of murder. Hermione ends up reporting the Firebolt to Professor McGonagall, who confiscates the Firebolt in order to run numerous tests on it to ensure that it had not been enchanted to harm Harry (which it hadn't).

It turns out that Hermione was right, though - Sirius (as Harry's godfather) did send Harry the Firebolt, but only as a big present to make up for not having been able to give him Christmas presents before then.

Answer: A tissue

Even Harry acknowledges that the tissue is an "all-time low". Harry's other presents that year more than make up for this utter failure of a present, though. He receives a big bag of Dungbombs from Ron, a pen-knife from Sirius and a box of sweets from Hagrid.

The jumper Mrs Weasley sends him that year has a dragon on the front - she had clearly found out about the Hungarian Horntail Harry defeated in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!

Answer: The colour and patterns on them don't match

After being set free by Harry from the Malfoy family in "The Chamber of Secrets", Dobby eventually starts working at Hogwarts. He presents Harry with a pair of socks he has knitted himself - one sock is red with broomsticks on it, and the other is green with Snitches. Dobby seems to think that having two socks the same is some sort of mistake! Dobby is incredibly proud that he is paid for the work he does at Hogwarts and tells Harry that he buys the wool used to knit the socks out of his wages.

Answer: A painting

Harry is always touched to receive gifts from Dobby, but even he has to admit that the painting is really not at all good (it appears that Dobby painted it himself)! He tries turning it upside-down to see if it looks better that way, but no luck. It's not until George comes in and discovers some writing on the back of the painting that it's revealed that the painting is of Harry! Harry is much happier with the other presents he receives that year, including a model of a Firebolt from Tonks and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from Ron.

Answer: A homework planner

With OWLs fast approaching at the end of their fifth year, Hermione wants to make sure Harry and Ron are organising their revision properly. Ron discovers his homework planner first, and Harry finds his soon after. When opened, the planner says aloud helpful tips such as "Do it today or later you'll pay!" Harry receives another book-related Christmas present that year - a set of books called "Practical Defensive Magic and its Use Against the Dark Arts" from Sirius and Lupin, which Harry thinks will come in very handy for planning DA sessions.

Answer: They're laced with a love potion

Romilda has her eye on Harry all year, and is angling for Harry to take her with him to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. She gives Harry the Chocolate Cauldrons (which contain Firewhisky), saying that she received them from her gran, but doesn't like them. Harry is rather taken-aback, and puts the Chocolate Cauldrons to one side.

It's not until March the following year when Ron (thinking they're a birthday present for him) finds and eats them that the Cauldrons are found to contain a love potion. Unfortunately for Ron, love potions can increase in strength with age, and he finds himself hopelessly infatuated with Romilda! Harry takes Ron to Professor Slughorn, who is able to provide Ron with an antidote.

Answer: Maggots

Harry is very surprised to discover that Kreacher has given him a Christmas present, and wonders if he should give Kreacher a gift in return. Thoughts of that disappear very quickly once Harry discovers the maggots inside Kreacher's parcel! Ron thinks that Kreacher's present is hilarious, until Harry points out that he would rather have maggots than a gold chain with "My Sweetheart" hanging from it, which was the Christmas present Ron received from Lavender Brown that year! Harry's other Christmas presents that year are much nicer, including a box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from Fred and George and another hand-knitted sweater from Mrs Weasley (with a Golden Snitch on its front).