Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Danny Phantom, or the Grinch. Those are all owned by people a lot richer than me.
And so, here's wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, a Rockin' Ramadan, a Kickin' Kwanzaa, or an Awesome Other Holiday You May Celebrate. (Or, to be politically correct: Happy Holidays!) And Happy New Year!
Harry's Fright Before Christmas"I wonder where Harry is now?" Fred asked George.
It was Christmas Eve and they were sitting by the Christmas tree in their shop, which they had closed for the holidays, just having watched a Christmas special on Muggle TV: Danny Phantom's The Fright Before Christmas. The twins hadn't seen Harry since he left with Ron and Hermione. They had claimed they were returning to Hogwarts, but the twins had known better. They had gone off to defeat Voldemort, without even telling anyone.
"I don't know, but I bet his Christmas isn't merry," replied George, taking a sip of Butterbeer.
"We should really check up on him, Ron and Hermione," said Fred.
"Yeah," agreed his twin, "But how?"
Suddenly both of their faces lit up, both having had the same idea. They got up, went over to a shelf behind the counter, and each drank a bottle of potion. It was their latest invention: Ghost Serum. One only had to drink a bottle to become ghostlike for twenty-four hours. Of course, they hadn't followed the guidelines for traditional ghosts; the potion made them more like the ghosts seen in Danny Phantom, their favourite Muggle cartoon, meaning they could actually touch things and use ghostly powers.
When both twins turned invisible and intangible (and thus started sinking through the floor), they knew the potion had taken effect. Pulling themselves out of the floor they flew through the roof and soared through the crisp evening air towards their destination.
The trio was right where Fred and George had thought they might be: in the cheapest room at the Three Broomsticks. From the looks of it, they had piled their minimal luggage on the only bed in the room, and Hermione had conjured them each their own makeshift mattress. She really was getting the hang of the whole "conjuring stuff from nowhere" thing.
Fred and George stayed invisible as they watched the scene before them. Ron and Hermione were conjuring decorations to put on a miserable little tree in the corner. Or rather, Hermione was conjuring decorations, and Ron was placing them unevenly on the sorry looking tree.
Just then, Harry walked in the door.
"What was on top of the Christmas tree last year?" Ron asked immediately, suspicious.
"A garden gnome," Harry replied, surly. "Why?"
"Just making sure you're actually Harry," Ron replied, grinning. "Happy Christmas, mate."
"What are you two doing?" Harry asked, looking over at the tree.
"We're decorating a Christmas tree," Hermione answered brightly.
"Well, obviously," Harry replied, clearly in a bad mood. "But why are you bothering?"
"Because it's Christmas?" said Ron uncertainly.
"Well, yeah, but we're still on the run. We have work to do, 'cause we still don't have a clue where any of the Horcruxes are, and we're going to be leaving tomorrow morning anyway, so that no Death Eaters will find us. Why do you care if there's a tree?"
"Well, it's like Ron said, isn't it?" said Hermione. "It's still Christmas, and we thought we'd decorate."
"That tree's a pretty sad looking decoration," Harry replied irritably.
Ron just frowned, but Hermione shot back, "Well, fine, if you're going to be that way, then I'm not going to stay and chat." She strode towards the door. "Ron, you stay here with Scrooge, I'm off to see Madam Rosmerta about some Christmas dinner." She opened the door. "Merry Christmas," she said angrily, before slamming it.
There was silence for a few moments, during which Harry fumed, before Ron turned to him. "Who's Scrooge?" he asked.
Fred and George soared through the ceiling and landed on the roof.
"I haven't a clue what a Horcrux is, but I think our friend Harry could do with a little holiday cheer," said George.
"Right you are," said Fred. "He really shouldn't be so mean at Christmas."
Then, at the same time (of course) the twins got an idea. The twins got a wonderful, awful idea. They smirked at each other, raised their wands, and then cast a spell.
"I'm back," said Hermione,
As she walked through the door,
Finding that Harry was still,
Just as surly as before.
"Food!" Ron shouted,
And came forth to get it,
Smiling at the girl,
Full of holiday spirit.
"I'm not hungry," Harry said.
"But you've not eaten all day!"
Cried Hermione, "Please eat,
You'll make yourself sick this way!"
"Wait," said Harry,
"You're talking in rhyme!"
Ron frowned, and replied,
"And how's that a crime?"
Then all three teens froze,
They were rhyming again!
Then they looked at the ceiling,
Where the twins smiled at them.
"All right, what have you done?"
Harry yelled at the twins,
Who replied, "When you're grouchy,
Nobody wins!"
"So you're making us rhyme?
Just how is that fair?"
Harry yelled, glaring daggers,
At the twins in the air.
"It won't be forever,"
Said the twins, unconcerned,
"You'll stay in our poem,
Till your lesson is learned."
"Till my lesson is learned?
Well, that's a dumb reason,
So what if I don't have time,
For Christmas this season?"
The twins frowned right back,
"You're being a Scrooge!
You're friends can't help it,
If your problems are huge!
"It's Christmas! Be happy,
Relax, have some fun!
Cause you're stuck in this poem,
Till the lesson is done!"
With that they disappeared,
Leaving their brother in confusion,
While Harry fumed over,
This holiday intrusion.
"I'm going for a walk!"
He yelled, leaving the room,
Then roamed through the streets,
Full of un-festive gloom.
Then he looked up, surprised,
For from the corner of his eye,
He had seen presents,
From houses fly by.
As they flew through he air,
People ran to gather, outside,
And as they mourned the loss,
Of their gifts, came to decide,
That Harry,
Standing alone in the snow,
Was to blame for their,
Missing gifts, don't you know?
Now really annoyed,
Harry started to curse,
But very soon found,
Things could only get worse.
For, through the town,
Was heard a great noise,
And soon they all saw,
The Attack of the Toys.
The toys from the presents,
Of each little tot,
Had become huge monsters,
With scales and fang rot.
As people ran,
Our young hero proceeded,
Back to the inn,
Where he thought he was needed.
But when his friends saw him,
They felt not relief,
In fact, they decided,
To give him some grief.
"Christmas is ruined,
And it's all your fault!"
Hermione accused him,
Then she came to a halt.
For, right behind him,
She was now aware,
Was a ferocious, three-headed,
Killer teddy bear.
"AHHH!" Ron screamed,
As he ran out of sight,
While Harry decided,
To stay there and fight.
For here was a way,
To take out his frustration,
So he blasted the bear,
Right out of the nation.
He fought all the toys,
Till there were none left,
Then looked to discover,
Who committed the theft,
Of everyone's presents,
Leaving him to blame.
Then into plain view,
Our narrators came.
"It was you!" Harry cried.
"You two and your tricks!"
"Well, true," they replied.
"But you think it's for kicks?"
"We're trying to teach you a lesson!"
"Well, so?
All you're achieving,
Is a new Christmas low."
"Don't you see? You're the hero,
Of this holiday story,
It's up to you to save Christmas,
In all of it's glory."
"Well, I've had enough!"
Harry stomped on an orange –
"Wait, what rhymes with orange?"
"I must say, I don't know."
"I don't think there's anything!"
"Man, that fills me with woe!"
Harry ignored them,
As once more he fumed,
Down the street, where he saw,
People, consumed,
By sadness, as they searched,
Through the snow covered ruin,
For things left undamaged.
Harry started to clue in.
It was all his fault,
Or might as well be,
That Christmas was ruined,
For he had been angry,
With the people who,
Meant the most in the world.
He deserved to be blamed,
For how the story unfurled.
But how to do as instructed,
And save the day as a hero?
He looked at the damage,
His chances were zero.
"Well, aren't we looking glum?"
Came a voice from beside him,
"What, at Christmas,
Could make you so grim?"
Harry looked round,
And Death Eaters he saw.
He jumped in fright,
And his wand, he did draw.
"Don't bother," said Bella,
"It'd be of no use,
To fight us, besides,
It's our annual truce."
"You're annual truce?"
Harry asked them, confused.
"Why, of course! We'd hate,
To see Christmas abused,"
Replied Lucius, without,
His usual sneer.
"Now why are you alone,
When Christmas morning's so near?"
"I've ruined the holidays,"
Confessed Harry, "I'm a Grinch."
"Don't be silly," said Voldemort,
"This mess is a cinch,
"To clean up," he smiled.
Harry gaped. "You'd help me?"
"All villains and heroes,
Share the truce, don't you see?"
Then, each Death Eater,
Took out their wand,
And fixed the toys,
Of which children were so fond.
So, together these,
Mortal enemies mended,
All the buildings and lights
So they once more looked splendid.
They remade the Christmas trees,
Brought back the presents,
Seeming to undo the,
Unpleasant chain of events,
That had led him through disaster,
To this very time,
And to think, it had started,
By talking in rhyme.
Harry looked to the narrators,
Watching him from the sky,
They had helped him be merry,
He could not deny.
"Thanks, you guys," he told them,
"Although you made a mess,
Your goal to make me see,
My error was a success."
"Well, of course it was!
We never doubted,
But we're not the ones to thank!"
They shouted.
"Thanks," Harry told the Death Eaters,
"And although I'm floored,
Without your help,
Christmas would not be restored!"
"Not a problem," said Voldemort,
"We were glad to help out,
After all, if there's no Christmas,
We'd be without,
"A time to be merry,
And that wouldn't end well,
I fear my Death Eaters,
Would start to rebel.
"Very soon I will most likely
Try to kill you,
But I'll wait, at least,
Until Christmas is through."
Harry smiled as,
They all disappeared,
Glad, that, for once,
They were not to be feared.
He turned and saw his friends,
Staring in awe,
Unable to believe,
The scene they just saw.
"I just can't believe it,"
Said Hermione, "It's strange,
That they would care about,
Christmas and change,
"Their outlook on life,
For one day of the year,
To think, even Death Eaters,
Have holiday cheer."
"And I didn't," said Harry,
"I know I was dumb,
I'm sorry I ruined Christmas,
And made you so glum."
"That's alright, Harry,"
Said Ron, to his right,
"We all know you're on edge,
Because of the fight."
"I see now that circumstances,
No matter how dire,"
Said Harry, "Won't stop,
Even villains' desire,
"To celebrate Christmas,
So now that that's clear,
I finally feel,
Some holiday cheer."
Poof! Went the twins, as they appeared,
They said, "You have earned,
To be free of our poem, since
YOUR LESSON IS LEARNED!"
"Wow," said Ron, "They sure are weird. What were they talking about? And why were they talking in rhyme?"
Hermione sighed. "I have no idea."
"Wait," said Harry, "That didn't rhyme!"
"So?"
"We're not speaking in rhyme?"
His friends looked at him strangely.
"We're not speaking in rhyme!"
Merry Christmas!
(I love Christmas time! Man, it's really hard to stop thinking in rhyme!)
A/N: Okay, so some of my rhyming and syllable schemes were off, but oh, well.
Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it! Please tell me what you think in a review! Come on, it's Christmas!
…Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fright!