Holidays & History
MADAM POMPFREY INSISTED ON keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. He didn't argue or complain, but he also wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand.
"You're not being stupid," Freya insisted when he confided in her that it felt rather foolish of him to keep something so broken. "That broom was rather good to you; it'd be weird if you weren't sad..."
Other than her and Will who, together, practically stayed with him until it was time to leave back into the common room, Harry was sent a bunch of earwiggy flowers from Hagrid and Colina came in with a singing valentine that he admittedly didn't care for but also something he cared very much about.
"Um, here ya go, Harry. I thought you might want this too." Colina handed it to him, blushing fiercely, before walking hurriedly out.
The trio suspected that ever since he saved her last year, she ended up having a bit of a crush on him.
He wished she hadn't left so quickly however, because when he realized what she had given him, he wanted to thank her a thousand times over.
For it was a moving photograph of Harry in the rain flying past Cedric in perfect clarity, riding on his Nimbus Two Thousand for one last time.
***
Despite how much he needed the rest-though he'd never admit it-Harry considered it a relief to return to the noise and the bustling of the main school on Monday, even if he was forced to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages and was celebrated having full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom.
Anytime you looked at him he was making fun of Harry, in the dining hall, in the hallways, even outside on the field. So, by the time they got to Potions, Harry was red with embarrassment and Freya was just as red from anger.
"Hey, Malfoy, I'll have you know," Freya said annoyed, "I just took Divination."
Malfoy paused in his antics to raise an eyebrow at her, "Wow. And I needed to know that, why?"
"I just thought you should know that I just saw in my teacup that unless you stop being...you-" Harry snorted as Will smiled a bit and Malfoy narrowed his eyes, "Something awful will happen."
"You hear that, guys?" Malfoy rolled his eyes to his Slytherins as they laughed. "How lucky am I to have been forewarned?"
They went to their seats and Will frowned at her. "In Divination, all you did was make jokes about Professor Terwanley. You didn't even glance at your cup."
"Well, William~" Freya closed her eyes, putting her fingers to her temple as she said, ominously, "Maybe I just have the inner eye..."
And though both boys highly doubted that she had 'the inner eye' they couldn't deny the fact that her prediction to Malfoy came true. They also couldn't deny the fact it didn't really count as she was the one who caused the awful thing to happen for when Malfoy started doing Dementor imitations from across the dungeon, Freya snapped and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face.
"Weasley!" both Malfoy and Snape yelled.
Freya held up her hands as the other Gryffindors had to try very hard not to laugh, "Wow, how utterly insane. That crocodile heart sure was slimy, just slipped out of my hands. Weird how accidents happen, huh?"
"Yeah, sort of like your birth, Weasley," Malfoy hissed.
Freya gasped. "You complete and utter-"
"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" Snape announced, interrupting whatever Freya was about to call Malfoy which was both a disappointment and a relief as Harry was sure the name could have only lost them more.
"Hey, Malfoy said something rude to me on purpose!" Freya accused, "Take points away from him!"
"Are you trying to tell me how to teach, Miss Weasley?" Snape asked cooly.
"No, I am literally telling you how to teach." Freya snapped harshly, "Guess we need to make the act of listening a lesson too."
His eyes sparked with anger and Freya sighed. "Let me guess, detention?"
"Now that's a suggestion," Snape said icily as he turned to the board, "That I'm actually willing to follow."
* * *
"Rubbish," Freya hissed when they were let out of class, shaking her head. "If Malfoy hit Harry in the face with a crocodile heart, he'd be rewarded a hundred points for Slytherin, betcha anything. If Snape's teaching Defense I'm skiving off, check who it is, would you, William?"
Will peered through the classroom door.
"It's all good."
Professor Lupin was back. The Gryffindors all ran over to his desk as the Slytherins skulked to their desk, looking rather disappointed, and the Gryffindors began shouting out everything Snape had done wrong.
"TWO ROLLS OF PARCHMENT!" Seamus roared above the chattering, obviously very pressed about the matter.
Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on their faces.
"Do not worry, I shall speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."
"Damn it," Freya and Harry glanced at Will who looked a bit put out as he shrugged. "I'd already done it."
"Wait," Freya looked alarmed, "and you didn't tell Harry and me?"
"Why would I have to tell you I finished my assignment?"
"Well, so Harry and I could copy it of course!"
Will gave a disgruntled sigh. "Harry, tell her she's being an idiot."
Harry didn't say anything.
"Harry?"
"Oh, sorry," Harry glanced up from the parchment paper he was writing his name on as Lupin started putting up the Hinkypunks lesson notes. "I was just so momentarily dazed with shock that you didn't let us know in advance there was an essay of yours to copy. I assumed our friendship meant more to you..." Harry closed his eyes, "But I guess not."
Freya clasped a hand to her mouth to keep her laughter at bay and Harry fought to keep his trembling lips still as Will hit him lightly on the arm. Opening his eyes, he smiled at Will who gave a grudging one back.
Really, with good friends and a good teacher at the front, he could almost completely forget the fainting antics of those clad in green and silver in the back.
Almost.
***
Two weeks later after his happiness for the lack of Dementors on school grounds and the promise of Professor Lupin's private lessons was momentarily darkened by the arrival of another Hogsmeade trip he couldn't go on, Harry Potter was reminded of one of the many reasons why he really did love the Weasley family.
Using the map that Fred and George had bestowed upon him, Harry quickly and silently hurried through the secret passage to the Honeydukes shop, ducking and hiding as he left the entrance and then casually walking in through the crowds. He edged among the people, breathing in the delightful mix of peppermint and chocolate and caramel, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where he was at now.
Squeezing himself through a crowd of sixth years, he saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (Unusual Tastes). Freya and Will were standing underneath it, examining the trays Freya had a mischievous grin on her face and Will seemed to be trying to suppress a smile.
"Freya, no. Harry won't want those; I expect they're for vampires anyway."
"Come on, we'll tell him it's cherry flavored. Maybe Harry will even like the taste of blood," Freya grinned as she set down a BloodSucker and picked up a jar full of dead cockroaches. "Cockroach clusters? How about it, we'll beat them to crumbs and tell him it's bacon candy."
"It makes me incredibly sad how you make plans to trick me behind my back," Harry noted. "But, in a way, I should have expected it would come to this one day."
Freya nearly dropped the jar.
"Harry?" said Will aghast. "What are you doing here? How-How did you-?"
"No way," said Freya, looking rather impressed. "You've learned to apparate?"
"You can't apparate from Hogwarts!" said Will exasperatedly.
"Yeah? And people can't survive the killing curse but here Harry James Potter is!"
"Hey, stop." Harry said, waving his hands to stop the beginning of another bickering match, "Look, I didn't apparate. Fred and George, see..."
After he finished explaining, Freya looked outraged. "How come Fred and George never gave it to me? I'm their sister! Actually, I think that may be the reason why..."
"Doesn't matter, they should have never given it to anyone in the first place for they shouldn't have had it in the first place!" said Will, with his brows raised. "Harry's going to go and hand it into Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"
"Actually, no," said Harry.
"Yes, of course, the answer is no! Are you mad?" said Freya, goggling at Will. "This map is the most brilliant thing ever and he's supposed to give it away?!"
"Of course, because it's practically illegal!"
"Which is an even better reason why I should keep it, I don't want to get Fred and George in trouble," Harry countered as Freya pointed to him, nodding her head.
"But what about Sirius Black?" Will demanded, "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle!"
Harry hesitated. What if that were true?
Freya came to his defense instantly, pointing to a notice on the wall. "I'd like to see Sirius try to get in here when there are Dementors swarming the place at night!"
"Like there weren't dementors swarming Azkaban?" Will asked.
Freya's ears reddened. "Okay, whatever fine. You have a point. But speaking the weather is how it is, there are crowds of people, and the fact Harry has his cloak should be safe. He's a lot safer right now than he's been before, right? Besides, it's Christmas and Harry deserves a break."
Will closed his eyes tightly, looking pained. "But..."
"Will," his friend opened his eyes and Harry grinned. "Are you going to report me?"
"No, but-"
"But nothing. The fact that Harry is here is pretty much a Christmas miracle so let's go have some fun." Freya grinned and glanced over at the cockroach clusters thoughtfully. "You think Fred and George would eat those if I said they were bacon bits?"
Soon after Will and Freya had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside. After an attempt to point out all the brilliant things Hogsmeade had to offer, Freya finally said, her teeth chattering, "Tell you what, how bout we go get butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks?"
Harry was more than willing; the wind was fierce, and his hands were freezing, so they crossed
the road and in a few minutes were entering a tiny inn. The warmth, the delightful first taste of butterbeer, and his friends at his side when he thought that he'd be spending the day alone in the castle-it was one of the best moments of his life.
This was why it shouldn't have been such a shock when the minister came in accompanied by his schoolteachers, preparing to converse the topic of the betrayal of Sirius Black on his parents, right where Harry could hear them.
Trouble never did fail to trail far behind his happy times.