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"Impervius!" Harry cried, tapping his wand on the sole of his left shoe. The spell was supposed to keep anything from sticking to the sole of his shoe so it wouldn't leave tracks. Unfortunately, just like the others, it was doing nothing at all. |
"I'm sorry, guys," Harry told the Twins. "I don't think I'm good enough to cast this one yet, either. Looks like your work was for naught." |
"Don't worry, Harry," George said. "We'll put our heads together and see what we can come up with." |
"I'm sure we'll think of something," Fred continued. |
"Thanks," Harry said. "Well, you've kept up your end of the bargain, so if you need to borrow the Cloak, just let me know." |
Both boys grinned devilishly. "We will," they said in unison. |
Snow was beginning to blanket the grounds a week later when Harry and his friends found their study session turning into a chat about holiday plans. |
"...going to Romania to visit my brother Charlie, so Mum asked us to stay here over Christmas," Ron said. "I figure I'll have the run of the common room, at least. How about you guys? And what is the Horklump juice for?" |
"It makes the lionfish poison affect plants," Neville mumbled. "I'll be back at Longbottom Lodge with Gran and my great-aunts and -uncles. At least they won't be trying to get any accidental magic out of me this time." |
"I'll be heading home too," Hermione said. "Mum and Dad are anxious to see me again. I don't think they slept a single night under a different roof from me since I was born, and it's been nearly four months now. Harry?" |
He shrugged. "I guess I'll go back to Privet Drive." |
"You could stay here," Ron said. |
"No," Harry said. "I'm getting a bit stir-crazy. Need to visit someplace that isn't made of stone." |
Hermione gave him a look. "Well," she said suddenly, closing her books, "I think I'm going to pop down to the library to look up a reference on the properties of flobberworm mucus." |
Ron looked at her like she was mad. "Why? This essay is just supposed to be about the Horklumps and lionfish spines, isn't it?" |
"Well, I thought I'd add some additional background," she said. |
Ron shook his head. |
"I'll come with you," Harry said. "I wanted to look some stuff up for Transfiguration. Just let me finish this sentence..." |
A few minutes later, they stepped through the portrait hole. |
"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Harry asked. |
"A few things," Hermione said. "First, you asked whether they could change the rule to ban heirloom weapons. It seems that due to a political power struggle, it's impossible to change the Hogwarts rules." |
"What?" Harry asked. |
"In 1706, the Board of Governors signed an agreement with the Ministry of Magic to make Hogwarts tuition free to all wizards and witches in the British Isles. In exchange, the agreement required that the government ratify all changes to the school rules, and be able to create new rules by decree." |
"Well, for most of the time since that agreement, that's been interpreted to mean that the Wizengamot and the Minister both have to approve the changes. But in 1979, at the height of the war, Minister Bagnold wanted to decree that all students should be checked for the Dark Mark and turned over to the Ministry if they ... |
"Sounds sensible," Harry said. |
"The Wizengamot didn't agree. They refused to approve it, whereupon Bagnold claimed that "the government" really meant "the Minister', and ordered Hogwarts to implement the rule. Dumbledore refused to do it." |
"He was the head of the Wizengamot already then, wasn't he?" |
"Yes," Hermione said. "Ever since, there's been a standoff—the Minister refuses to consent to any "illegitimate" rules passed by the Wizengamot, and the Headmaster refuses to implement any "illegitimate" rules passed by the Minister." |
"And while they bicker over who's in charge of what, none of them can close that loophole," Harry said. "Excellent." |
"As for the other thing..." Hermione took his hand, pulling him into a side corridor. "Harry, are you looking forward to seeing your relatives again?" |
He sighed and shook his head. "You heard what I said on Halloween. There's no love lost between us. But if I stay here, I can't get to Knockturn Alley." |
"What if you could go somewhere else?" Hermione asked. "Not your relatives" house, and not Hogwarts, but somewhere else you could get to Knockturn." |
Harry's eyes widened. "That...that would be brilliant," he said. "What do you have in mind?" |
"I asked my parents if I could invite you to join us for Christmas break," she said. "So...would you like to join us for Christmas break?" |
"I would, but...would your parents let us go to the Alley alone?" |
"I have a plan for that," she said. "Mum and Dad always spend the last day of the month on cleaning, inventory, and restocking. For December, they do it on the 23rd. They never miss it. They've even sent me on errands alone because of it." |
"So if I made an appointment for that day, they wouldn't be able to come?" |
"Right," Hermione said. |
"Then I guess I'll be spending Christmas with you and your parents." He paused for a moment. "What were their names again?" |
Hermione giggled. |
And so it was that, when Malfoy mockingly lamented the fate of those who had to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, Harry answered, "Me too. But even worse are the ones who, after all these years, still haven't received an ounce of subtlety for Christmas." |
The points Snape took were well worth it to get Malfoy to sputter like that. |
"I told you to do it last night, Harry," Hermione said from her perch on his bed. |
Harry grunted, collecting a stack of books from his nightstand. "I'm just about done," he said, "and breakfast hasn't even started yet. We'll be fine. I'm not Seamus, you know." |
"Oi!" Seamus said as he hurriedly stuffed dirty laundry into his trunk. "I resent that." |
"Why?" Dean said from his bed, where he was deflating a football to make it small enough to fit. "He has a point. You didn't start packing until this morning." |
"I resent it because it's true," Seamus said, and everyone laughed. |
Ron groaned. "S'too early f'r noise. Go back t" bed." |
"Some of us have a train to catch, Ronald," Hermione said. |
"An" some don'," Ron mumbled, turning over and putting a pillow over his head. |
Hermione shook her head, and Harry opened his trunk's library compartment, shelving the books within it. |
"Oh," Hermione said, "I've been meaning to look at that one." She was pointing to one of Harry's books, a green volume with the title Secrets and Lies in white on the spine. "Mind if I borrow it for the train?" |
"Sure," Harry said, and he handed it to her before closing his trunk and standing. "I think that'll do it..." He frowned, looking around the room. "Am I forgetting something?" |
Hermione shrugged. "I don't see anything. There's a drawerful of toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss at home, and if you forgot anything else, you'll be back in a couple weeks." |
"True," he said. "Oh well. Ready, Neville?" He looked around. "Neville?" |
Harry heard a groan from the direction of Neville's bed, and he looked down to see a pair of legs sticking out from underneath it. "Trevor's lost again," Neville said, his voice muffled. "You two go on without me." |
On the way down, Harry asked Hermione to get in some practice. "Okay, show me confident," he said, and she was suddenly all smiles and good posture—smiles that widened when they were returned, when she saw that this was really working. |
"Looks good," he said. "Now do aggressive for me." |
She tensed up and started stepping more heavily, but it wasn't quite right. |
"Bring your eyebrows in a bit," Harry said. "Convince me you're bloody hacked off." |
"Language, Harry," she spat, and he almost took a step back. |
"That-that's great!" he said, and she giggled before forcing herself back into anger, delighting every time a student gave them a wide berth. |
"So can I come with you on Monday?" Hermione asked as they entered the Great Hall. |
"I think you'll be ready," Harry said, and she beamed as they sat down. |
A plate of eggs, bacon, beans, and toast later, McGonagall stood up at the head table. "Those of you taking the Hogwarts Express today, it is time to proceed to the entrance hall. Mr. Hagrid will be taking the first years; the rest of you, please form a queue for the coaches. Your luggage will be taken to the platform—... |
Harry dropped his napkin on his plate, but Hermione started picking up slices of toast and putting them in a napkin. "Still hungry?" Harry asked. |
"Neville didn't make it for breakfast," Hermione said. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up." |
Harry headed out to the hall and gathered with the other first years. Hagrid was doing a head count. |
"Thirty-two, thirty-three...where's "Ermione an" Neville?" |
"She's in the Great Hall—she'll just be a moment," Harry said. "Neville was still packing when I left, but I'm sure he'll be—" |
"Here!" Neville shouted from the grand staircase. |
"A'righ', we'll give her a mo'...so, Lav'nd'r, wha're you doin" fer Christmas?" |
Harry was distracted from her response when a voice nearby said, "Psst! Harry!" |
Harry turned. Behind one of the columns was a Weasley twin. |
One Weasley twin. |
His hair was wet; his uniform shirt, which had a couple small stains near the bottom, was plastered to the left half of his chest by water; one of his shoes was untied. He was carrying a bag marked Zonko's. "Come here!" he whispered. |
Harry spared a glance at Hagrid, then walked over to him. "You're looking spiffy this morning." |
The older boy grinned. "Stylish, "ent it? Heard the birds go wild for the "just hopped out of the shower" look." |
"Where'd you hear that?" |
"Fred. He might've been taking the mickey, though." |
"You can never trust that one," Harry said sympathetically. "So, what's so important you couldn't towel off before you got dressed?" |
"Well, Fred and I were talking in the showers, and we have a stupendously brilliant idea," George said with a grin. "We'll need a pair of trainers, though." |
"Yeah," George said. "New ones, if you can manage. Don't want to have to stick my wand in someone else's stinky shoe." |
"So make Fred do it," Harry suggested. |
"That might work," George mused. |
"You're not going to prank them or something, are you?" Harry asked. |
"And lose access to that lovely Cloak of yours?" George asked. "No, fun as it would be to make lightning crackle from your scar or something, we'd best tread lightly." |
"Thanks," Harry said. He hadn't expected immunity from pranks when he offered the Cloak, but it was a nice perk. "Actually, lightning from my scar would be kind of cool." |
"I'll see what we can arrange, then. Oh—as long as I was coming down, I figured I'd give you this now instead of owling it." He held out the bag. "From the various Weasleys. Ron put in something for your friend Hermione too." |
"Thanks," Harry said genuinely. Since Ellie left, he hadn't gotten any Christmas presents he hadn't extorted out of Vernon. "I wouldn't have thought Ron would think to arrange this." |
"He didn't," George said. "Fred and I nicked a couple Sickles from his trunk and picked up a few things in Hogsmeade on his behalf. Been doing it since he was seven." |
Harry chuckled and turned. "Well, I'd better get back to—" He stopped. Hagrid and the first years were gone. |
"Oops," George said. "Not to worry, I'll catch you up. Follow me." |
That turned out to be easier said than done. George ducked behind a tapestry, slipping into a passage Harry hadn't even known was there. He then jogged through a maze of twisty passages, taking turns seemingly at random. Twice they cut through dusty old storerooms; once they even slid down a tarnished fire pole. |
"So why didn't Fred come with you, anyway?" Harry asked. |
"Well, no use having both of us jump out of the shower in a rush," George said. "So I tossed a bar of soap, and Fred called "logo'. Okay, should be right here..." |
"...gettin" big, they are," Hagrid was saying fondly. "Now "en, four to a boat, an" be careful, tha" lake is colder'n a yeti's backside this time o" year..." |
Harry waved to George and hurried up to Hermione, who was looking around in alarm. "Harry!" she whispered. "Where were you?" |
"Got sidetracked," he said. "Did I miss anything?" |
"Just Lavender emitting the loudest squeal on record," Hermione said as she, Harry, and Neville clambered onto a boat together. |
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