"Do you know?"
"Know what?" Confusion written clearly across Rapunzel's flawless face as she looked up from the essay she was working on. They were in the library, the afternoon sun streaming in from the window beside the table they had claimed to work on their Potions essay.
"How winter came to be," Merida whispered mysteriously.
"Guys, can we just finish our homework first?" Hiccup exclaimed exasperately, throwing his hand up in the air, "First Jack thought it was funny to jinx my quill, then Merida kept muttering while she scribbles, and now you guys are telling each other stories? We'll be lucky if we finish this by the next full moon!"
Merida rolled her eyes, "I don't mutter!"
"Sure you do. You always mutter when—," Hiccup was interrupted by a loud "SHUSH" followed by a death glared from the strict, vulpture-like librarian. The girls immediately pretended to be very invested with their essays while Hiccup feigned innocence.
The librarian gestured pointedly to the sign " No Talking in the Library" that was apparently pasted on every bookshelf before she stalked off.
Hiccup waited until she was out of earshot before hissing, "Three rolls of parchment on the Oculus Potion is not exactly easy to come up with."
Merida turned to gaze out at the window. "Oh, loosen up. I feel so cooped up in here."
The landscape of Hogwarts was covered entirely in ten inches of snow. Snow covered the towers, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch fields. They were lucky to get any sunlight and warmth today, yet the day had to be spent in the library working on some extremely difficult essay the cruel Potion master had set them.
Rapunzel put her hand on her friend's and said, "I know you want to be flying out there, doing some kick-ass Quidditch action, but you heard what the captain said. No Quidditch until the snow has all melted. The weather's berserk, you don't know when it will be blizzarding all over again."
" I know," the fiery red-head sighed.
A moment of silenced passed as the three of them attacked their homework again before Rapunzel asked, " So, where's Jack?"
Merida glanced at Hiccup.
Hiccup didn't look up as he replied, " Probably playing pranks on the first-years again, you know how he is. He always copy mine after I'm done."
The blond-haired girl scowled as she fiddled with her hair. "I thought the Hufflepuffs were knowned for their fair play and hard work."
"Jack is Jack," Hiccup replied simply, "He's different."
Before Rapunzel could open her mouth and retort, however, something wet and extremely cold zoomed in her vision and hit her on the face. She gasped.
"What—," was all she could manage as she heard the snorts of laughter from her friends before two more snowballs flew around the corners of the bookshelves and accurately shutting them up.
"Agh!" Merida screamed as Hiccup spitted snow out of his mouth and yelled, "Jack!"
"Like the entertainment?" The culprit appeared from who-knows-where and leaned casually against the bookshelves, his wand in his hand. A teasing smirk was on his handsome face. "I thought you guys looked bored."
"Very considerate, Jack," Hiccup said shrewdly as he looked down and saw the soggy mess on his parchment, "Now I may have to rewrite the whole thing! Don't expect to turn to me for help later."
Merida glowered as she looked around for her wand, "You are so dead, Frost." Some clunks off snow was still stuck in her untameable explosion of hair. She looked like she walked head first into a snowstorm.
Jack's smirk widened. "Calm down, hothead. I was just trying to bring you guys a little bit of fun."
Merida found her wand hidden under her parchment. "I'll show you fun. How do you like a little flame, Frost boy?" She snorted as she pointed her wand at him.
"You wouldn't dare," Jack said as his cobalt eyes widen at the sight of her wand. He readied his wand. Tension rose between the four of them.
"Guys, stop it— ," Hiccup held his hands out feebly. Nothing can ever stop these two from bickering. The whole school knows Merida and Jack Frost spelled trouble. "We're in a libra— "
"Jack!" Rapunzel intervened, desperately trying to divert their attention. If Merida set the library on fire... "Do you know the legend of how winter came to be?"
Jack looked stunned. "D-Do I what?"
"You know, the legend. We were just talking about it." Rapunzel looked nervous. "Winter is just a splendid season, I want to hear the story about it."
"Sure, you do," Hiccup murmured under his breath, "Anything to keep these two out of trouble." Merida snorted.
Jack pretended not the hear them. "You mean the muggle legend?" He raised an eyebrow and had the nerve to look amused.
"Y-Yes! The muggle one. I've never heard of it before." Rapunzel said, fiddling with her long, blond hair. "Tell us."
Jack looked closely at each of his friends, especially Merida's, trying to decipher any hints of a trick. Hiccup looked exasperated yet his green eyes glinted with a little amusement. Merida looked stunned and intrigued at the same time, her sky blue eyes gazed his before looking away. Rapunzel showed interest and a...a little bit triumph? Her emerald eyes prompted him to say yes.
"Okay," Jack relented, "Just wait a minute." He bounded off.
"Where is he going?" Merida whispered for fear Jack might hear her.
"I don't know," Rapunzel answered her friend back, "But at least I kept you two out of detention! Merlin knows what would have happened if you cursed Jack with fire spells!"
"Hey, I'm good at fire-oriented spells, he's good at ice! It's only fair!" Merida said.
"That's why you two never get along for more than three minutes," Hiccup said wisely, "You're polar opposites!"
Merida opened her mouth to retort. However, Jack had already came back, tucked under his arm a very large and heavy leather-bounded book. He slammed the book on the table. Bits of dust flew in every direction. All of them covered their mouths and noses, except for Rapunzel, who was a bit late to cover and inhaled a big mouthful before she could do anything.
"Jack!" She coughed.
"Sorry, Rapunzel." Jack grinned.
Merida stared at the title: Legends Around The World: Magical, Muggle, And Much Much More. "You actually read, Frost?"
"Of course I read," Jack feigned hurt, "It looked interesting. Good book. Now shut up and let me begin the story."
Jack flipped open to the index, found what he was looking for and began.
"Once, a long long time a ago, probably in the Dark Ages, there used to be no winter."
Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel all drew closer to Jack.
"All year round the sun would shine its rays relentlessly on the backs of the people, who all day works hard, without rest, to bring food to the family. At night the darkness would fall and terrorize the people with unknown monsters and nightmares. Nobody dared to venture outside, everyone lived in fear."
"During these hard times there lived a boy. His father had died from illness when he was a mere child. He had wanted to bring home some apples he found by the edge of the forest, the very edge. It was a dark place where even the beasts seldom cross. Rumours has it that the place was cursed by witchcraft of a young maiden whom died there while waiting for her lover. The maiden waited long into the night, though the lover never came. A beast found her and devoured her alive. While she died, such hatred was in her heart that she cursed anyone else whom ever comes across this place shall never return to see their beloved. Her blood seeped through the earth, and the very next year a tree bearing ominously red fruits sprang from its place."
"But what does this have to do with winter?" Merida interrupted, perplexed.
Jack looked up from the book.
"Shhhh," Rapunzel said, "Let him finish."
Hiccup nudged Jack to signal him to continue with the story. They were all entranced now.
"But the boy's father didn't believe in magic. He thought the rumours were rubbish, told only to fighten the fools! All he thought, when he found the precious ruby fruits, was to bring some back to his wife and son. Apples were a rare treat. And as he thought about their surprised and delighted faces, he plucked the apples into his arms and went home.
He was right, his son was astounded by the apples and chewed happily. His wife, though suspicious about where he got them, didn't question further when he said he found them by the lake near their cottage. He didn't want her to be alarmed for such petty nonsense, for he knew she believed in magic.
The next day, however, the man began to feel feverish. The was no cure, and the village doctor couldn't find out what was the problem. The man still didn't tell his family the truth about the apples, and he soon passed away.
A few moons later, the wife found out she was pregnant, and a beautiful sister was born to the young son. The son knew he was now the man of the house, he has to do his best protecting his mother and his newborn sister. Day by day, night by night he worked hard in the fields, bringing food home to his family. On some days when he was allowed to rest, he would try and entertain his sister. They play hopscotch. His sister, though young, was beautiful with lush brown hair and luminous ruby eyes. It was her eyes that scared the villagers, saying she was the child of Satan himself! Or possessed by ghosts! Some even accused her of killing off her father! A bad omen! These insults kept his sister indoors, where he knew she was miserable and craved true freedom. The brother was mad, but being mad can not change the villagers' minds. So at night, he prayed to the moon. Prayed to the moon that somehow bring joy to his sister's life and prove her innocence. Night after night, he secretly prayed.
The one night, after he prayed and tucked his sister to bed, the moon answered his prayers. The next morning to brother couldn't believe his eyes! The air was no longer hot, instead there was a chill. And the entire landscape was covered with something white!"
"Snow," Hiccup chuckled. Merida elbowed him.
"He yelled for his sister to come out, and together they touched the whiteness. It was wet, it was cold, and it was amazing. His sister was laughing, her delight warming his heart, and he was glad. Work was postponed, every villager went out of their houses stunned at the abrupt change in their life. Children were running all over the place, throwing the white stuff at each other. For the first time in his life, the brother was having fun.
The fun did not last long. The adults, too fearful by the sudden change, blamed witchcraft, and all accusations fell on his sister. His mother tried to protect her, but her feeble attempts were no match for the crowd's fury. Scared and sad, his sister ran away. The brother ran after her, calling her name, yet the sister was to deep in her misery that she did not respond. Soon they had reached the lake, frozen due to the cold, yet not enough. His sister, mind clouded, ran straight onto the ice, never stopping to notice the crackings under her feet. The brother did, however, and yelled at her to stop.
She stopped, her red eyes widened with fear at the dangerous predictament she was in, and she looked to her beloved brother. He bit his lips, and thought hard.
'Don't be scared,' he said, ' We're going to have some fun instead.'
'No,' She answered, 'No, we are not!'
The brother saw a branch that could use as a stick beside him. He edged cautiously towards it, and propelled it to him with his left foot.
'Would I lie to you?'He said to his sister.
'Yes!'She said, almost hysterically as the ice beneath her cracked even more, 'You always play tricks!'
The brother stretched towards his sister with the hooked end of the stick slowly, trying not to crack the ice any more.
'Not this time," The brother promised, 'You have to believe in me.'
The sister hesitated. Then she nodded slightly.
'We are— we're gonna play hopscotch, like we always played..'
The brother feigned laughter as he mimicked to lose his balance as he carefully hopped towards his sister, and despite her danger the sister smiled.
'Now you try,' The brother held the stick towards his sister.
'I'm scared.'
'Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you.'
His sister's ruby red eyes met his for a moment, and stepped forward clumsily.
The ice cracked. He struck out with his stick, hooked his sister around the waist and threw her to a safer spot.
Forgetting that he himself is thrown back to the cracked ice by his force.
The brother and sister, their eyes met for one last time, their grins not even completely formed, when he fell into the freezing darkness.
Darkness. It was dark. It was cold. And he was scared.
But then, then the boy rose out of the water and saw the moon, bright in the sky. He knows who he is. He is Jokul Frosti, the spirit of winter and snow. And, as the moon told him, he brings winter and snow and fun to the world."
Jack closed the thick book, and for a minute nobody said anything.
"Wow," Hiccup said, breaking the silence. "That is just...," he trailed off.
"Heavy, angsty and awesome," Merida finished for him. She looked sad and a bit shakened.
"It is beautiful, Jack," Rapunzel said, her emerald eyes glittering with tears. "I didn't know winter had such a sad story behind it. Muggles, they love their tragedies."
"Yeah," Jack cleared his throat, " Well, now you know the legend of Jokul Frosti, the selfless brother who sacrificed his life and now brings us winter. Are you alright, hothead?" Everyone turned to look at Merida, who was secretly trying to wipe her tears on the sleeves off her robes.
"Of course," she snapped. Hiccup looked dumbfounded, Rapunzel surprised but concerned. This was not a scene you'd see everyday.
Jack raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Too much angst for your frizzy hair to handle? I'm sure you can hide a lot more emotions in there."
"Shut up," Merida muttered, angry at getting caught crying.
"So much for your tatic for them to get along," Hiccup said to Rapunzel, who shrugged and said, "At least they stopped fighting for ten minutes of the story. That's like, a record!"
"You're right," Hiccup sighed as he looked at his two friends now bickering over who got more feels from the legend of Jokul Frosti. " They will never get along like normal people, would they?"
Rapunzel smiled her knowing smile and said, " I think they get along great abnormally, just the way they are now."
" Jack Frost, YOU GET BACK HERE!" Merida screeched and chased after Jack for he frozen her hands together in a block of ice.
"Third-years already and they never change," a passing fifth-year Ravenclaw muttered to her friend.
Rapunzel giggled, Hiccup rolled his eyes and smiled, until he saw his unfinished essay and the knives-and-daggers glare from the librarian. "Get out," she whispered, "PUT THAT BOOK WHERE BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM AND GET OUT NOW!"