Holidays with Sadie, Draco and Cora
Harry told his friends about the Mirror of Erised the next morning.
"Snape says it can drive you mad? Cool!" said Theo.
"You wouldn't need it," said Draco, sticking out his tongue.
They started playfully prodding each other.
"If you were feeling bad last night, I wish you'd come to me," said Sadie, folding her skinny arms. "Wondering around the castle in the middle of the night is dangerous. You know that."
"Our dorm is boobytrapped, darling," said Tracy, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Remember the founders and their silly rule."
The lips of Sadie's green mask formed a wry smile. "Thanks dear, yeah, I remember. Boys can't come into our dorm. That kind of double standard is silly in the magical world though – witches date raping muggles and wizards is not even uncommon."
"You going to lecture us about Dark Magic and double standards and stuff, Sadie?" said Pansy sticking out her tongue.
Sadie blew her a kiss. "No, I'm gonna get you alone and lecture you, Pansy." She slipped her arm in Harry's. "Seriously though, Harry. You know how I feel about you going on these midnight adventures."
"But it wasn't pointless," said Harry. "I – I know Snape is innocent now. He lost someone he loved. He could see them in the mirror. He was so sad."
Sadie gazed at Harry through the eyeholes in her mask. "Aww. Poor guy. I never knew. Wish I could hug him."
"He could've just been faking, you know," said Draco annoyingly. "It's not like no one's ever faked seeing stuff in a mirror."
"Draco's a dreary old cynic's head on young shoulders," said Nott, poking Draco.
00O00
Sadie and Harry paid Cora a visit in one of the empty bathrooms she was cleaning on the first floor.
The candles cast a shimmering light on the wet surfaces and the green faces of Harry's mother and friend. Sadie smiled at the hag. "Cora – my mother and I would like it very much if you'd stay with us for Christmas. Both you and Harry."
"Ooh, sweetie, that's so nice," said the hag, grinning from ear to ear. "I just know your mother is an amazing person too. I can't wait." She put her arms around both of them at once. So far, so good. The problem as to whom Harry would spend the holiday with and when seemed to have sorted itself out.
Hand in hand, the kids walked back to the Slytherin common room. As they past a girl's toilet, they heard the sound of whimpering inside. They stopped.
"Are you OK in there?" called Sadie.
"No. Leave me alone." It was Hermione Granger's voice. She did sound upset. Harry followed Sadie into the tiled room. This one was also lit by candles, but they were burning low.
The flickering light shone off Sadie's green nose and cheeks. "What's wrong, Hermione?"
Hermione was sitting on a little wooden bench near the sinks. She had obviously been crying. Her hair was even messier than usual and her cheeks were stained with tears. She glared at them. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not." Sadie sat down beside her. Hermione put a hand over her eyes, but Sadie took hold of her arm in both her small arms and tugged it away. "Tell me what's wrong."
Sadie certainly believed in being direct. Harry hovered there. Draco probably wouldn't approve…
Hermione looked down slightly into the blue eyes of the shorter girl. Sadie gazed at her steadily through the eyeholes in her green mask.
"I – You wouldn't understand – I hate it here!" said Hermione in a rush. "I thought I would finally belong and have friends for the first time in my life, but no one likes me here. No one likes me anywhere." She choked and fresh tears came to her eyes.
Sadie cupped Hermione's face in both her hands. "That sucks. No wonder you're upset."
Harry sat down on Hermione's other side. He hesitantly patted her shoulder. "Yeah."
"Watch this," said Sadie. She raised her wand in the air and a stream of rainbow lights issued forth, forming a cloud of multi-coloured butterflies.
Hermione sniffed and smiled. "That's quite good. I mean, very good," she amended hastily.
Harry was feeling a bit awkward and hoped Sadie could handle things.
The green faced girl brushed her purple hair away from her eyes. "I wish I could help."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Why? You're in Slytherin."
That was a silly thing to say. Sadie's features moved weirdly beneath her mask to form an annoyed expression. "And I'm the one who wants to help, so don't be stupid." She breathed through her nose, then touched Hermione's cheek. "Can't you see we want to listen."
"You're both too nice to be in Slytherin," said Hermione, hiccoughing. "I – I mean… not that Slytherin is worse than Gryffindor… that is, Ron Weasley is so mean to me. You've seen it before."
"Oh we know what he's like. Don't we just?" said Harry.
Hermione turned to him and smiled.
"I hadn't had friends my own age before coming to Hogwarts," said Harry. "But it's been wonderful here."
"Lucky," said Hermione with a sigh. "Ron's right. I think I am a nightmare and that's why no one like me."
"Don't believe his mean lies," said Sadie. "Haven't you talked to Professor McGonagall about him?"
"Wouldn't do any good. What if he found out I'm a snitch? The Weasleys are scary, especially the twins."
"True. I suppose no one dares taunt them about the twins having jumpers with their initials," said Harry. "Not even in the house of the brave. No one says stuff like, 'your mum squeezed out such a huge litter, she can't tell you apart.'"
"No…" Hermione pushed her mane of bushy hair away from her face. "It's not just the Weasleys. I don't belong anywhere. Everyone would be happier if I wasn't at Hogwarts. If I wasn't in the magical world… If I wasn't in the muggle world. If I wasn't anywhere."
"Don't talk like that," said Sadie, agitated. "There is stuff we can do."
"Thanks, you're sweet," said Hermione. She leaned down and kissed Sadie's shiny green nose. "I feel better now I know two sweet Slytherins."
"I wonder why there's no class for muggleborns to it in," said Harry. "That would be useful. It could only help."
"Yeah. There definitely should be," said Sadie, stroking her green cheek pensively. "Really, Dumbledore doesn't know how to run a school. I could teach you stuff, Hermione. In fact, I will. I'm gonna write a list of useful things and get it to you before we break up, Okay? Stuff about etiquette that we purebloods know."
"You are very kind, truly," said Hermione. "But, no offence… I still wouldn't prefer to be in Slytherin. That Malfoy…"
"He's not so bad if you get to know him," said Harry truthfully.
"And then there's that Crabbe. Don't deny he's as bad as Ron."
"Mmm," said Harry uncomfortably. She might be right about Crabbe. "Enough of that. Be positive."
"Yes, don't backbite. And think of the solution, not the problem," said Sadie.
"There's a pureblood coined phrase," said Harry. He and Sadie reached round Hermione and gave each other high five.
00O00
Harry and Sadie had resolved to befriend Hagrid. Millie had come along once, but the Slytherins were mostly scornful of the idea. So the two of them trudged through the snow to Hagrid's cabin. Harry had to help Sadie, because the snow was so deep it reached up to the small girl's waist.
Harry knocked on the door and they were greeted by the booming barks of Fang the boarhound. "Alrigh' I'm comin'." Hagrid unbolted the door. "Come in, come in."
In the cabin, Fang bounded up to Sadie and licked her mask, almost knocking her over in the process.
"Hi Fang. Good to see you too," said Sadie.
Hagrid's cabin was one room. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt on it.
Hagrid had a plate of cakes, but they'd already experienced that he was a terrible cook, so politely declined. Sadie smiled at the half-giant with the lips of her mask. "So Hagrid… it's cool that Dumbledore trusts you enough to help guard a valuable artefact. Who else would he trust so much? I honestly can't think of anyone."
Hagrid puffed up visibly. "Well, some of the teachers are helpin' ter keep in safe. McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, naturally. Dumbledore himself did something of course. That's the mos' important. An' then there's Quirrell and Snape."
"Hmm." Sadie cupped her green face in her little hands. "You really don't think Quirrell could be lying? I know Dumbledore's brilliant, but could Quirrell fool him?"
"Not still on about that, are yer? Listen, Quirrell couldn' fool the likes of Dumbledore."
"I suppose not…" said Sadie, rubbing her shiny green nose. "Quirrell doesn't come across as that smart."
"Quirrell comes across as an idiot," said Harry, remembering that day in the Leaky Cauldron when Quirrell acted like he was scared of Harry's mother.
His friend ran her fingers through her purple hair. "So, what's really going on?"
After that, Sadie gave that topic a rest and steered the conversation to dragons. It turned out Hagrid had a personal interest in them.
"That's amazing, what you say about dragon poop having different magical properties depending on its diet," said Sadie, gazing up at Hagrid through the eyeholes in her green mask. "And that dragon poop from dragons who ate magical people is for dark spells. Give yourself credit where it's due. You know your stuff where it's important." She scratched behind Fang's ear. "Like with dragons."
Hagrid's beard bristled with pride. "Thank ee, Sadie, yer clearly a great gel. Yer in the wrong house."
The light off the setting sun streaming in through the window lit up Sadie's green face framed by purple hair and shone off her green nose. "No, I'm not. Listen, Hagrid… Draco Malfoy loves dragons too. He knows stuff about them. He'd be able to tell the difference between a Hungarian Horntail and a Norwegian ridgeback."
"Tha' a fact?" said Hagrid. "Well a boy who knows about dragons can' be all bad."
When it was time to leave, Harry decided to leave the goodbyes to Sadie.
"Thank you so much. Your house is so charming," she said, shaking his huge, banana sized finger in her little hand.
"Come again," said Hagrid as they left.
On the way back to the castle, they trudged through the snow, arms linked, laden with rockcakes they had been too polite to refuse. Sadie pondered what they had found out. "Quirrell helped guard this artefact. Whatever it is. So he would be in a really good position to steal it. Wish I knew what it was. Finding Flamel will be the key."
"Hagrid certainly likes dragons," said Harry. "Why'd you want to know so much about their poop?"
She smiled with the lips of her mask. "Well, dragon poop is a poison, and you have to know about poisons to know about antidotes."
00O00
The two of them were due to travel by Floo to Sadie's House. Harry had never travelled this way before. They were in a queue in the Great Hall. Individual students and groups of students had to leave at the appointed times.
"Just hold my hand, dear," said Sadie.
With her small hand in his, they stepped into the fireplace. The fire now felt like a warm breeze. "Hillside House!" said Sadie. Harry had the sensation of being whirled around in a vortex of blurred fireplaces, soot and ash, until finally they came stumbling out of another fireplace. They were greeted by a witch with long, red hair. Sadie's mother, Jamie.
She hugged and kissed them each in turn. "So good to see you, Harry so good." She had a bold, freckled face.
She held Sadie tight to her and her daughter laid her green cheek against her chest. "Oh, Sadie, how could you do this to yourself? You were such a pretty little thing."
Sadie sniffed. "I know! I used to have freckles. I actually miss having freckles. But I have to push boundaries to be the greatest healer ever, mum. I'm bound to fail sometimes."
"I know," Jamie kissed the top of her purple head. "Now I have to go back to St Mungo's in an hour. Cora should be here soon, by Floo. Sadie darling, why don't you show Harry your room?"
Sadie's room was weird. Like a little potion lab, but with just one wooden bench with a tiny purple cauldron and rack for jars. There was a tank in the corner, for Paddock, Sadie's toad.
She lifted the toad in both her little hands and kissed his warty head. "Back again, Paddock." She put the amphibian in the tank then sat down on her bed and grinned at Harry, patting the duvet beside her for him to sit down next to her.
Sadie had a wireless set. Witches and wizards are old fashioned, so they still use wireless. Harry and Cora had lived very simply, so they hadn't even had a wireless in her cave.
Sadie switched on the Polyjuice Program – something like the muggle TV show Dead Ringers, that makes fun of politicians and celebrities. There was a comedian mimicking Cornelius Fudge being interviewed by a reporter. This is how his sketch went:
Fudge: I've been left a difficult legacy for my second year in office, you know.
Interviewer: Are you still referring to Millicent Bagnold's legacy?
Fudge: No, my own legacy from my first year in office has left me with a difficult legacy in my second year.
Sadie chuckled.
Harry was fascinated by the wireless set. "Cool. Never seen one of these."
Sadie gazed at him and rubbed her green cheek. "Would you say you really want one?"
"Sure."
They shared a cup of nachos and melted cheese and started messing about, nibbling on the same nacho.
"I got more than you," said Harry.
Sadie's shiny green nose crinkled as she smiled. "Didn't know it was a contest."
"Well you don't see the point of Quidditch. I think I'm the one who gets contests. Hang on…" she'd got some warm cheese stuck on her mask and probably couldn't feel it there. He wiped it off her nose and mouth for her. "There. Perfect." She gazed at him with unblinking blue eyes. Her staring expression could be disconcerting sometimes.
Next, Sadie wanted to show him one of her experiments. He couldn't very well refuse. "See, Harry… I'll extract an insane amount of toxin from this mushroom, mix it with different catalysts and use it to invent a brand new Revitalising Draught with Dark Energy. It'll cure most illnesses." She stuck a syringe into a pink mushroom on her workbench and then poured a glowing pink liquid from the syringe into a bowl. Then she snapped her fingers. "Paddock. Please help Mummy."
The toad lolloped onto the table. Some glutinous green poison leaked from the wards in its back, and Sadie scraped it off with a little brush and trickled it into the bowl. Gross.
"Now firewater and brimstone." Sadie poured a bottle of pungent smelling liquid into her concoction and adding brimstone. At that moment, the toad leapt into the bowl and there was a pink and purple flash followed by the reek of sulphur…
The kids staggered back. "Oh oh…" said Sadie, putting her hands to her mouth.
Paddock leapt out of the bowl and blew a gout of flame from his gaping mouth.
Sadie reached to grab him, but Harry grabbed her. "Don't be stupid."
The toad blew another gout of flame. "Paddock…" said Sadie, "It's alright, Mummy's here."
But the fire-breathing toad leapt from the bench and lolloped off out of the room.
"Your experiment's a failure," Harry observed.
"My little Paddock must be scared," said Sadie, wriggling free of Harry's grip and scampering onto the landing, her purple hair streaming behind her.
Harry sighed and followed her down the stairs as she pursued her toad, which was hopping along and breathing gouts of flame.
"Sadie… you do realise you've lectured me about doing stupid, dangerous things."
"My little Paddock's not dangerous," she said, turning to him and wrinkling her shiny green nose.
Paddock leapt onto the mantelpiece above the fireplace and blew a gout of flame, singeing the ends of Sadie's long purple hair.
Jamie swept into the hallway. "What's going on? Sadie, are you performing some crazy experiment?"
Paddock took a flying leap onto the table near Jamie.
"No! Paddock, stop!" Her eyes staring wildly through the holes in her mask, Sadie flung herself forward and grabbed the toad and snatched it away before it could breathe flame at her mother.
At that moment, the flames in the fireplace flared and the silhouette of a woman appeared. Then Cora strode from the fireplace, brushing ash from her long red hair.
"Hello, darlings! Thank you so much for the invitation. Why, what's going on?"
Paddock slipped through Sadie's fingers while she was distracted by the hag and leapt across to the green skinned woman. Cora glared at it. "Stop, magic toadie. Don't you dare attack me."
Her words sounded different from her normal voice somehow, but Harry could understand them. Sadie and Jamie stared. Paddock flopped onto the stone floor, docile now. Cora picked him up in her green hands. "There, there, I won't hurt you."
There was a silence. "It's alright," said Harry. "Mum just told Paddock to not attack her."
Sadie gazed at him with wide blue eyes. "You're a Parselmouth, Harry? You can talk to snakes and toads like hags can? Not many wizards can do that. But it's what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. There's a legend that he persuaded a toad to hatch a chicken egg to create a basilisk. Wish I had some basilisk venom to experiment on."
"Didn't know it was that unusual," said Harry.
"Of course my boy is special," tutted Cora.
"Now, Sadie, if you can't be sensible, I won't bring you with me on my volunteer work at Christmas. You won't be allowed to heal sick Muggle kids this year."
"Oh, please don't be angry, mum," said Sadie. She looked at the floor and her dark green bottom lip stuck out. The smell of her singed hair was overpowering. "I love helping you..."
She looked so forlorn that Cora and Harry both moved to hug her.
"Alright, but you're on your last warning," said Jamie.
Time passed very pleasantly with Sadie and Cora, but Jamie was nearly always busy in her work as a Healer. The time to visit Malfoy Manor was drawing near. Sadie was invited too, but the Malfoys did not of course know about Cora. The hag put her arms around both Slytherin kids. "Enjoy your visit." Was that a tear in her eye? Harry supposed she wished she could come with them. They both kissed her on the cheek and then stepped into the fireplace to travel by Floor to Malfoy Manor.
Harry wobbled on his feet, feeling faintly sick as he emerged from the fireplace, and smoothed a hand down his front to make sure he was all there. He really didn't like floor travelling.
"Are you OK, dear?" asked Sadie, peering anxiously into his eyes.
"Fine," said Harry.
His eyes darted around the room and he let out slow breaths at how opulent things were.
"Isn't it grand?" said Sadie with a grin.
There was a pop and Harry jerked back in surprise at the sight of a large-eyed, short creature with long fingers and drooping ears. The thing bowed politely and introduced itself as Dobby, the Malfoy's main house elf. Harry had never seen a house elf before, and was torn between poking Dobby to make sure he wasn't an illusion and flinching away in disgust. He must have given a little start, because Sadie laid a calming hand on his arm. Dobby gave a weird cry and leapt into the air.
"Harry Potter, Sir!"
Draco came strolling into the hall, the crystal chandelier lighting shining off his white blond hair.
"Take their coats, Dobby." He aimed a kick at the elf.
"Draco, please treat him gently!" said Sadie.
Draco shrugged and desisted.
Dobby took their coats. "Thank you!" Sadie beamed at the strange creature, which just disappeared with another pop.
"OK, I'll show you both the guest room."
Draco tugged lightly on Harry's arm and they followed Draco. Harry's eyes roamed over the walls at the various pictures and paintings on the wall.
"Watch out for the -"
"Ouch!"
"-false step."
"Oh dear, let me help." Sadie helped Harry free his foot from the false step and rubbed his shin for him.
Harry glared at Draco. "A little more forewarning would have been nice."
Draco shrugged and continued up the stairs, the other two following quickly behind. They got off on the second floor, above the "extra drawing rooms, the library and Father's study". Draco swept down a winding hall before pausing in front of a door. He knocked on the door twice and then turned the knob, pulled the door towards him before pushing in. The door swung open and Draco stepped inside and they followed.
The room, which judging by the shining placard on the dark wood door was Draco's, was not what Harry expected for Draco's personal room. Instead of deep, dark colours, it was a pleasant shade of reddish brown, slightly lighter than a rust colour. The borders along the floor-line were taupe while the moulding on the ceiling was eggshell white. Together they made the room look homey, and gave it a comforting atmosphere, something soothing that seemed unlike Draco.
Various posters lined the walls, the same group of people were on several posters. From the state of them, they looked to be a musical band, Harry approached the poster closest to him, watching as one witch, who was sprawled on a couch scratched his nose. The name of the group - Weird Sisters - was shimmering above their heads.
Above the bed was a poster for Quidditch, a chaser for the team was zooming around on his broom. Harry moved to look at the team name, he twisted his head and peered up. Vestra Vultures was a sleek black at the very bottom.
"Where're they from?"
"Bulgaria. They play hard. No holds barred. Not like Puddlemere, who believe in morality and integrity so much it costs them games."
"Puddlemere sound like a great team," said Sadie smiling with the lips of her mask.
"You would think that," said Draco, rolling his eyes. "Shows what you know about Quidditch."
"I've never seen professional Quidditch before," said Harry.
"We should go sometime. Alright, let's get you to the guest room."
They exited Draco's room and entered the guest room. It was cool grey with hard black borders that popped. It was sparsely decorated with modest, tasteful furniture, a large, oval shaped standing mirror in one corner and several paintings of rural scenes. Harry smiled softly, the room was larger than the boys dorm, and all just for him and Sadie. The beds looked soft, so soft he could sink into them. Harry had to fight the childish urge to fling his things aside and leap on it with a cry.
Sadie clapped her hands together. "This looks wonderful, Draco. Thank you so much for inviting us."
"Well... I'll leave you to it." Draco left them alone.
Harry watched the door for a long moment before winking at Sadie and running for the bed. He leaped and landed on it with a laugh, practically swimming in the bedding that collapsed on top of him with the force of his impact. Rolling onto his back, Harry grinned up at the ceiling.
Sadie's mask of a face split in a wide, watermelon grin and she ran up and hopped onto the bed as well.
"I just have to fall asleep now, with a bed like this" said Harry, smirking. "Forget what else we had planned."
She leaned her green mask close to him. "Really?"
"No. Gotcha!" He sat up and grabbed his friend, tickling her mercilessly and making her scream with laughter, flailing her skinny arms. After she'd calmed down, she kneeled on his lap and gripped his shoulders with her little hands. They sat, noses almost touching, breathing heavily.
"What a place. I could get used to this," said Harry. "I used to live in a cave in the sewers and I thought Hogwarts was luxury. But it's nothing like Malfoy Manor. I want to spend Christmas here."
"Spend Christmas here? What about with Cora? And don't you wanna come help with our volunteer work?"
Harry wondered… what should he do? Spend Christmas at Malfoy Manor in the greatest luxury in magical Britain, or with Cora, so they could take part in Sadie's charitable work?