Christmas Mournings
"Top of the morning, Harry, except not really since it's mid-afternoon."
Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. He had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, gotten dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Freya, who was tossing a ball to the wall and catching it absent-mindedly, and Will, who had spread his homework over three tables.
"Where is everyone?" asked Harry.
"Gone, it's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Freya, with her brows raised as she looked at him, her hands working to catch the ball she continued to throw. "It's nearly lunchtime. Will was going to come to wake you in a minute."
"Will?" Harry slumped into a chair, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "Why not you?"
An odd expression crossed Freya's face, but it went away quickly for the moment she forgot to pay attention to the ball it rocketed off the wall and hit her in the face. She fell to the floor with a thump right next to Crookshanks who was spread out in front of the fire like a large ginger rug, cursing.
Harry, despite how awful he felt, couldn't help but let a bit of laughter escape. At the sound of it, Freya stopped cursing and Will stopped reprimanding her for her language as they turned to him.
"It's good that you can laugh," said Will, looking at him worriedly. "I was wondering, the way you looked since yesterday."
"I'm fine," said Harry.
"Harry, listen," said Will, exchanging a look with Freya. "You've got to be really upset about what we heard yesterday, and you have every right to be, but you can't go ahead and do something stupid because of it."
"Like what?" said Harry.
"Like going after Black," said Freya, twisting the end of her ponytail. "You won't, right?"
Harry looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.
"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?" Freya and Will shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And she wouldn't have had to scream or plead, my dad wouldn't have died, I wouldn't have become an orphan if Sirius Black didn't betray them. Sirius Black betrayed my par-"
"There's nothing you can do," interrupted Will with a serious look on his face as he stared at Harry. "The dementors will catch Black, send him back to Azkaban and he can pay for his actions there."
"You heard what Fudge said! Black isn't affected by Azkaban like the others, it's not a punishment for him like the others!"
"Harry, I think the fact that he's the sort of low life to betray his best mates and that he's the sort of man who can't be affected when all his happiness is taken away...I think that's punishment enough," said Freya with a frown. "The only reason he can be okay in a world where there's no happiness is that he's already used to the feeling, Harry."
Both boys blinked at her, before Harry's jaw clenched. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for him!"
"I won't tell you I feel sorry for him," said Freya with a shrug.
He glared as she looked back, her expression neutral.
He shook his head, "You don't understand."
"Maybe I don't understand all your pain Harry, but I do understand that Black isn't worth dying for!"
"My parents are worth dying to avenge!"
"And you were worth dying for in their eyes, so don't ruin it by jumping into danger, Harry!" her eyes flashed, "What did you say when my dad said don't go looking for trouble? You said trouble finds you, Harry, and that you don't go looking. You're going to become a liar for Sirius Black, is that what you want?"
Her words rang out in the empty common room. Freya had sat up and Harry was leaning from his chair, clutching the armrests as Will sat poised to spring up to defend either one of them at any moment...
"Malfoy knows," he said abruptly, sitting back. "In Potions, remember what he said? About if it were him, he'd hunt him down and get revenge?"
"Well trust Malfoy to say something stupid and plant an idea in your head that will get you killed," said Will, "And trust us to give you advice that's in your best interest and that will keep you alive."
A moment went by when he didn't answer. Then two.
Then-
"Trouble finds me," his friends blinked as Harry nodded slowly. "Well, the trouble right now is Black, isn't it? Then bring it on. I hope he comes up to me so he can see the ghost of my father when I run at him! I hope he stares me in the eyes of my mother and he realizes I should have been the last person he left Azkaban to find! God, I hope for just this once that trouble finds me because when it does, I'll be ready!"
He had stood up at one point in his rant and for a moment Freya and Will stared up at him silently.
"Wow, well, that's the spirit," said Freya, getting up as she dusted herself off. "Not the spirit of Christmas, mind you-"
"Freya!" Will pinched the bridge of his nose, "How can you joke at a time like this? Didn't you just hear-"
"Of course, I heard him, he was yelling up a bloody storm, wasn't he?" Freya shrugged as she covered her mouth letting out a big yawn. "Nothing we can do but be there with him just as ready when Black finds him, yeah?"
Harry blinked in surprise as Freya looked over at him and grinned the grin that he knew as 'you're an idiot, but I'll back you up anyway' and he felt oddly light as he realized that his best friend wasn't just sort of brilliant but rather pretty when she smiled too.
"So, let's say that this is the last of the yelling and the Sirius Black talk of the day and do something fun." Freya brightened, "We could visit Hagrid!"
"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, turning hastily away from her as he prepared to go out into the cold winds that would hopefully cool down his face that was a tad bit too warm. "I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!"
"Bloody hell, look, he's yelling and he's preparing to yell at Hagrid about Sirius Black. It's like he didn't hear a word I said, William."
Will grinned but it faded quickly as he saw Harry throwing on his cloak. "Harry, you're not even supposed to be out of the castle. So, why don't you cool down and we can do something else? Hey, want to get a head start on our homework?
"God, William." Freya stared at him aghast. "You're supposed to be helping me convince him to stay, but now I really want to leave too."
"Freya!"
Nothing they said could deter Harry from this new goal so in the end the three of them all got their extra snow gear and set off through the portrait hole, down through the empty castle, and out through the oak front doors. When they finally got to Hagrid's cabin, Freya knocked but there was no answer.
"H-He's not out, is he?" said Will.
"There's this weird noise," Freya looked slightly alarmed as she took her ear back from the door and started thumping the door. "Hagrid! Hagrid, Fang! Are you there!?"
There was the sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open to reveal Hagrid, his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.
They soon figured out why.
"Rubbish! Absolute rubbish! It's all that's-" Freya called Malfoy a string of words that Harry knew if her mother ever heard her say she would spend summers up to the age of fifty doing chores in the burrow. "-fault! We'll just have to-have to-"
"Have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid." Will finished, looking from Hagrid to Buckbeak with his mouth set to a determined line. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."
"Yeah, what William said. He can do the educational stuff and I'll even help! Harry will help too, I bet one of the judges is a big fan of him or something."
"Though I don't agree with that last bit, of course, we'll help you, Hagrid," said Harry, whose righteous anger on the Sirius Black thing had dissipated in the face of his crying friend.
Hagrid stared at them all in great shock and then he let out a sudden howl that rivaled Fangs as he sobbed. Harry and Will looked to Freya imploringly.
"Why are you both looking at me?" she hissed.
"Well, err, you're the girl," said Harry and it wasn't until the words passed his lips that he suddenly remembered her saying she couldn't go up to the boy's dormitories in the mornings anymore and realized why. Wow, was he an idiot, but he'd cringe about his stupidity later. "Don't you have a better understanding of what to do when someone's crying?"
"How sexist," Freya eye-rolled, though her lip quirked up slightly as she clasped her hands together and said, loudly, "Shall I make a cup of tea?"
Will and Harry stared at her.
"What?" she said defensively as she went towards the small kitchen, "It's what my mum does whenever anyone is upset..."
At last, after many more assurances to help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right, I can' afford to go to pieces. Gotta pull myself together..."
Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee.
"Havn' been myself lately. Worried about Buckbeak, an' no one liking' me classes-"
"We do like them!" lied Will at once, "I would have never learned about...flobberworms if it weren't for you!"
"Yeah, they're great!" Harry agreed, making sure to avert his eyes to the cup. "Very."
"How are they, actually?" said Freya, crossing her fingers under the table.
"Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce."
"That's...devastating news," Freya said solemnly, her lip twitching.
"And the dementors make me feel ruddy...s like being back in Azkaban when I pass them..."
Will, Freya, and Harry exchanged glances before they turned to look at Hagrid breathlessly. They'd never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban...
"Was it... terrible there, Hagrid?" asked Freya, the first time Harry had ever heard her so timid.
"No other place like it. Could've driven myself mad in that place, think'n only sad thoughts...like letting Nobert go...the day my dad died and I got expelled..." Hagrid's head lifted suddenly as he stared at them, pained. "I thought about letting Buckbeak go, ya know...letting him free? But I'm too much a coward...to scared of break'n the law..."
Tears spilled from his eyes.
"I don't ever want to go back to Azkaban."
The trip to Hagrid's though far from fun had the effect that Freya and WIll were hoping for. Harry by no means had forgotten about Black, but he couldn't brood about it constantly if he wanted to help Hagrid. The next day the three of them went to the library and returned to the common room laden with books that might help with the case. The three of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.
"There was a case in 1722...but, the Hippogriff was convicted-how could they do that to it?"
"This might help, look, a manticore got off after savaging someone in 1296...oh, but that's only because they were scared to come near it. Damn it, that'd be funny if it weren't for..."
"Look, this monster apparently was let out...but only because he lied his way out of it."
Interested, Harry and Will looked up. "What monster?"
"Oh, they call it a Lucius Malfoy-"
Harry erupted into laughter as Will, despite smiling, grabbed one of the chair pillows and threw it at her. "Be serious!"
"That was serious, there's a wild Malfoy on the loose!"
Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations were put up, despite that hardly any students had remained to enjoy them. The Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked a nose out of the shelter of Freya's pocket to sniff hopefully in the air.
On Christmas morning, Harry was nudged awake by Will who yawned. "We're supposed to meet Freya after opening our presents to keep looking for stuff for the case. Merry Christmas, Harry."
"Merry Christmas Will," said Harry as he reached out to put on his glasses before peering down to see a small heap of parcels had appeared. Will was already carefully taking off the tape of his presents as he opened them, saying it wasn't well to waste perfectly good wrapping paper.
"Hey, I've got a Weasley sweater this year." Will sounded pleasantly surprised as he took out a dark blue sweater with a WG stitched on in the front. "You think it's because I met them and all?"
Harry took out his own Weasley sweater with a grin at the lion, putting it on before going through all his other presents when suddenly he came across a long thin parcel at the bottom. Frowning, he ripped it open to see-
"Whoa."
In the package had been a firebolt.
"Who gave it to you?" Will said when Harry had stopped explaining to him why it was so brilliant and amazing that he had an actual firebolt in his hands.
"I-I don't know," said Harry, still looking over the broom, awestruck.
Will did the impossible in such a happy and fantastic situation. He frowned. "Harry, you don't know who-"
"Harry James Potter, is that what I think it is?!"
Harry grinned wider as he turned to see Freya in her own Sweater, maroon with small lions stitched around, as she gaped.
"Bloody Hell, it is, isn't it?" said Freya as she rushed forward beaming. "You always get the best things, don't you Harry? Is it from that muggle person you all go on about?"
"What muggle person?" asked Harry, confused.
"The fat one. Santa Clause."
Harry turned to Will to share an amused grin and frowned when he saw his friend was still frowning. "What's wrong, Will?"
"Oh, Harry, it's just..." Will shrugged, awkwardly. "Don't you find it convenient that you broke your broom and now someone not only sent you a broom but apparently the best broom money can buy?"
There was a pause.
"Oh, come off it," said Freya, waving her hand. "It's probably Dumbledore but he doesn't want to go around showing he has favorites! And besides, what's so fishy about someone sending Harry a gift on Christmas? From what I hear you muggles let this fat stranger trespass into your house and feed him cookies for it!" Freya smiled like she made a grand point before turning to Harry happily, "We have got to try it, Harry! William, you should try too, maybe we can make a flyer out of you yet and-"
"Freya, I don't think anyone should be riding that broom just yet!" said Will impatiently.
Harry and Freya exchanged bewildered glances as she turned back to Will. "Bloody Hell, what do you think Harry's gonna do with it then? Sweep the floor?"
Before Will could answer and Harry could laugh, Crookshanks suddenly sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Freya's chest. She let out an outraged scream as Crookshanks claws ripped parts of her sweater and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over the top of Freya's shoulders. Freya seized her rat by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks, hitting the trunk at the end of Harry's bed instead causing it to fall over as Freya hopped around cursing.
Crookshanks fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was setting off.
"Sorry, I usually never wear those socks," said Harry as he went over to shut the device up.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" said Will as he held Crookshanks tightly as it fixed its yellow eyes on Freya who was holding Scabbers close to her chest, glaring back. "I don't know why-"
"Well, I do know why! It's because your stupid stupid cat has it out for my rat!" Freya snarled as she shook her head, looking down at her ruined sweater as her shoulders slumped. "My mum...she worked hard on this sweater...she-"
Freya put a hand over her eyes, letting out a sigh.
Harry, Will and even the cat went still, for it was rare to see Freya looking so downcast.
"Keep that stupid cat away from Scabbers." Freya finally said, her voice monotone. "I'm going to go change into last year's sweater and maybe by the time I come out, it'll feel like Christmas again."
She turned and strode out, slamming the door behind her.
"Crookshanks is a good cat," said Will defensively after a moment. "But he really shouldn't have...I mean I'm really sorry about her sweater." Will looked down at his own looking as though he thought he didn't deserve it. "It's just natural instinct what my cat does."
"Yeah, but maybe you should train it to lessen its instincts," said Harry, his words coming out kind so his friend wouldn't feel hurt. "It was the first time I've seen Scabbers in months and he didn't look all good. Maybe Freya's on to something saying it's stress.."
Will seemed to ponder on that for a moment before a sudden look of outrage crossed his face as he turned to Harry. "She kicked my cat! I can't control Scabbers feelings, but she can sure control her own actions, and she decided to kick my cat! And she has the nerve to say I don't treat other people's pets well!"
Harry had the urge to say that Crookshanks did attack Freya first, but it would seem too much like he was picking sides so, giving a sigh, he deigned to say nothing at all.
Christmas morning came with a definite lack of spirit as Will was irritated he had to keep Crookshanks up in his dormitory and Freya was fuming about her new sweater and the fresh attack on Scabbers. Giving up on making them talk to each other halfway, Harry devoted himself to letting himself examine his new firebolt. Oddly enough this seemed to make Will even more agitated as he kept glancing at the broom as though it too was criticizing his cat.
Harry practically ran down to the Great Hall at lunchtime, hoping beyond hope that a good lunch would help his friends regain their festive moods. Walking in, they saw that the House tables were moved against the walls again and that a single tale, set for twelve stood in the middle of the room two first years, a sullen-looking fifth year Slytherin, and their Professors would join them to eat,
"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as they approached the table, saying the same to him as well. "As there are so few of us it seemed foolish to use the House tables...sit, sit!"
The three of them took seats at the end of the table.
"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noise maker to Snape who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed, witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.
Freya, who like Harry obviously remembered the boggart, let out a laugh.
"Something funny, Ms. Weasley?" asked Snape, his lips thinning as he pushed the hat to Dumbledore who swapped it at once for his own wizard's hat.
"Oh, you know, I'm just so jubilant. It's the holiday fever getting to me," said Freya seriously. "It had nothing to do with the vulture hat."
Harry pressed his lips together to keep from laughing and Will even smiled at Freya, one she returned. Harry supposed then that the holiday fever really was catching.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Ms. Weasley!" said Dumbledore beaming, "And there's only one thing left to do to make this a true celebration and that is to dig in!"
He didn't have to tell the table twice.
As Harry helped himself to some roasted potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Terwanley, gliding in as though on wheels with a green sequined dress on for the occasion that made her look more like a dragonfly than ever.
"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.
"I have been crystal gazing, headmaster..." she said in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "And to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary lunch to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate..."
As she continued, Will tsked. "She obviously didn't see anything in a crystal ball."
"Well, of course not, William. But for today, let her be," Freya chastised, glancing over at Terwanley with a familiar frown. Harry realized it was the same frown Mrs. Weasley gave him when she said he was far too thin. "Can't you tell? She was lonely."
They startled at a thud and looked up to see Dumbledore had magicked a chair in between Snape and McGonagall. Instead of sitting down, Terwanley uttered a soft kind of scream.
"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Never forget when thirteen dine together, the first one to rise will die!"
"Now she's uttering more conspiracies," muttered Harry.
"Didn't I say let's give her a break today?" said Freya, with a raise of her brow. "Besides, if Dumbledore told me to dine next to Snape, I'd scream and make excuses too."
Neither Will nor Harry could stifle their laughter that time as the table looked over at them with surprised expressions as they each began to laugh.
They continued to dine, watching a rather interesting fight between McGonagall and Terwanley until Dumbledore put an end to it. After that, Terwanley stayed normal through the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full and still wearing their party hats, Freya and Harry got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly standing up with a finger pointed at them, causing them to scream louder in return.
"My dears! Which of you left your seat first? Which!?"
"Uh," Freya screwed her face up though, "Don't know."
"I don't see why it makes a difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "Unless there's a wild axe-man waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first in the hall."
There was laughter but Freya, seeing Twerwanley's slightly affronted face, said. "How about this, Professor? Let's say Harry got up first since he's been supposed to die all year anyway."
"How kind of you," said Harry dryly.
Professor McGonagall's lips twitched as Professor Terwanley nodded, her eyes bright. "Yes! That would make the most sense, it would confirm it!"
"Um, please, let's not talk about Harry's death at the dinner table," said Professor Dumbledore, an odd expression crossing his face before he only looked amused.
Saying goodnight to the people still dining, Harry turned to Will. "You coming?"
"Ah, no...I've got to talk to McGonagall," said Will, haltingly. "I'll meet you guys upstairs."
Laughing together about how it was probably just Will asking for more classes, Harry and Freya went up to the common room in cheerful moods.
Ten minutes later, however, they were now in the common room, and the joy of Christmas seemed to have vanished along with his brand new firebolt that Will Francis Granger had gotten McGonagall to take away.