17
While Percy was staying for Christmas, most of his friends were going home for the holidays.
"It's not so much a home as a camp for kids with issues like ADHD and dyslexia." Luke explained.
Percy snorted as they walked through the doors of the entrance hall into the snow.
"Sign me up. Though I guess my little brother wouldn't be allowed in."
Luke seemed to falter a bit and looked back at his friend.
"What?" Percy asked, flushing slightly as he noticed the older boy's gaze on him.
"Nothing, just wondering if you would be someone for camp. All of us either don't know one of our parents or have a step-parent."
Percy tensed. There was no way for Luke to know that James wasn't his birth father.
"Uh, well I had James. I mean, my dad. And anyways, now I need to take care of my brother."
"Of course." Luke said.
The blond boy wrapped Percy up in a tight hug.
This is for you, he thought. To keep you safe.
Pulling back, Luke hesitated a moment. Looking at the younger boy, still small from years of malnourishment, Luke quickly took off his Slytherin scarf to put it on the Hufflepuff.
"Take care of yourself Percy, I'll see you in the new year."
Percy nodded.
"You too, have fun!"
Luke watched the brunette walk away through the snow.
"This is for you. For all of us." He whispered before getting into one of the carriages heading down to the train.
The snow started falling faster, obscuring the carriages and anyone who was out in the snow from view.
Cedric met Percy in the Great Hall for supper. Only about twelve students had stayed behind, Percy and Cedric were the only Hufflepuffs in the bunch.
The golden haired boy said it was because he wanted to experience the castle during the holidays, but Percy knew it was primarily to keep an eye on him. Though the two boys had to admit, the decorations were truly stunning.
A dozen giant Christmas trees lined the length of the great hall, each sparkling with silver and gold ornaments and tinsel. Conjured lights winked from within and along the branches.
Percy grinned. The Dursleys always used the same silver ornaments on the perfect fake tree that the Potter boys would have to set up. They would have the same meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, and rolls with butter followed by fruitcake for desert. It was very cold and impersonal.
This Christmas, here at Hogwarts, brought vague, blurry memories to mind. The scent of meat pie and mini quiches, the taste of peppermint and eggnog that he's pretty sure James had snuck to him, warm lights and stockings hung on the mantle.
"Wow!" Cedric breathed, eyes wide in wonder at the twinkling lights.
"Yeah."
"Potter! Diggory! What are you doing in the middle of the doorway?"
The Hufflepuffs jumped and spun to see Professor Snape glowering at them.
"Well?"
"Sorry Professor, we just hadn't seen the decorations yet." Cedric said, stepping out of the way.
Percy quickly followed suit.
The dour man just sneered and swept past them.
"Now if I didn't know better," Percy said, eyes lingering on the ominous billowing of those black robes. "I'd think his name was Ebenezer Scrooge."
"Who's that?" Cedric asked as they both continued on to the Hufflepuff table for supper.
"You don't know who Ebenezer Scrooge is? I've lived in a cupboard for most of my life and even I know that!"
"It must be a muggle thing."
"Yeah, honestly it makes me sad how much knowledge could be shared but isn't."
Cedric frowned.
"Well... it's for our protection though, isn't it? Both us magic folks and the muggles."
"I suppose. But just imagine. I'm sure that if more witches and wizards learned about muggles they could blend in better. And you don't nesesarily need to be magical to brew basic potions. There is so much we could do for muggles who are afflicted by supposedly incurable illnesses and diseases but don't because we are afraid."
"I would say you're starting to sound like Annabeth," Cedric started. "But even she knows that melding with the muggles is not a good idea."
Percy sighed.
"Well, still. We know about them, they don't even have to know about us. We could still use some of the things muggles have invented. If it weren't for magic we'd practically be stuck in a combination of the 1920s and 1800s muggle world technology wise. It's 1989."
The two boys sat at their table and started filling their plates.
"So who is Ebenezer Scrooge?" Cedric asked after a moment of silence.
Percy chuckled slightly.
"He's a grumpy, greedy old man who doesn't like Christmas."
Cedric seemed interested so he went on to describe "a Christmas Carol" and in the end Cedric agreed that it was very fitting.
"You know what the best gift to Fred and George would be?" Cedric said with a rare mischievous smile.
Percy met that with a devious smirk.
"If a certain teacher were to reenact a muggle Christmas tale?"
<><><>
On Christmas morning, Fred and George Weasley along with their little sister Ginny were the first ones awake.
Running down to the living room, they stopped short when they saw an owl with a muggle camera saying "to Fred and George".
"What's that?" Ginny asked as her brothers rushed over to untie it from the bird's leg.
Inspecting the handwriting carefully, George chuckled.
"It's a gift from two of our friends."
It was evident by Percy's careful writing that occasionally slipped into a different language that they couldn't recognize that was replaced partway through by Cedric's messier scrawl.
Turning it on with help from instructions Percy provided, they saw their friends faces smiling up from the screen.
"Today is the twenty-third of December. We're cutting it a bit short but something like this is very dificult to do." Percy said as he adjusted the camera.
"Yeah, no kidding. You two are the jokesters, not us." Cedric said with a wry grin.
"And now, without further ado, we present a reenactment of the muggle tale, A Christmas Carol, starring professor Snape."
Fred and George exchanged evil grins.
"Oh yes."
<><><>
Over in America as the clock struck midnight on December twenty-fifth, thunder rolled across the skies. The sea crashed against the land and monsters were let forth from the underworld.
Three gods were slighted. Two missing items of great importance, the third accused of betrayal.
Somewhere in the darkest part of the underworld, a young man stood at the edge of a pit.
"You have failed."
"I can fix it! Please just give me time!"
"The gods have declared war unless the bolt is returned by the summer solstice. Ensure it is not, and I will spare the boy."
The blonde glared into the darkness but bowed his head respectfully.
"Yes, lord Kronos."
As the boy returned to camp, a deep, malevolent chuckle echoed out of the pit.
It wouldn't be long now.