When he woke next morning, there was a blissful moment when Harry had forgotten about last night; then the soreness in his joints and where he had been scarred reminded him. Luckily, they had no classes or such today; soon after breakfast, the carriages would take them all to the station to take the train back for Christmas break. Harry waited until the others had left for breakfast before he changed clothes, hurrying to change shirts just in case. When he was ready to leave, he sat down on his bed instead, still completely thrown off-balance by last night.
It had been perfect with Ginny for the first half, but then... Harry could feel the frustration and anger returning. With some effort, he did his best to push it away. Everybody would leave soon anyway, he would not be getting any revenge soon; his attackers had planned it well. But he would have the next two weeks to think everything through, and he would be patient.
Harry had learned patience early on living in the Dursley household, and he could easily wait. He would push this from his mind, he would enjoy the holiday, and he would make them all regret once he was back at Hogwarts. Standing up, Harry practised smiling a bit and then went to the great hall for breakfast.
Harry was usually fairly quiet at meals, so nobody noticed anything wrong. Only the Weasley twins were the wiser, and Harry knew they would not tell anybody; they kept more secrets than anybody else, and they would not deprive Harry of his revenge by being open-mouthed and spoiling things. A few times he caught them looking at him, and he shook his head slightly to indicate that he was not going to do anything.
When he finished his very short breakfast (his body was still feeling uncomfortable and having an appetite was out of the question), Harry walked over to Fred and George and muttered "after the break" to them, which they understood. Then he walked up to his room and pulled out his trunk, which he had packed a few days earlier.
A noise announced somebody else entering the room, and Harry looked back to see it was Ron, which made him quickly face forward again. Ron in turn walked past Harry without a single glance and pulled out his own suitcase. Looking at his back, Harry was on the verge of saying something, but stopped himself. With everything that had happened, he just couldn't deal with arguing with Ron; he couldn't think straight, and right now he could hardly even care about their broken friendship. Too much else was broken right now, too much else needed fixing. Grabbing the handle of his trunk, Harry left without a word.
At the train, Hermione expressed some brief displeasure at the stupidity that they would have to sit in different parts of the train rather than sit together like they always did. She did not try to force though that the three of them should sit together, and since Harry was going to be her guest for the next two weeks, she chose to stick with him. Neville sat with them too, of course. Soon after, Fred and George joined them; if Hermione was surprised that the Weasley twins sat with her and Harry rather than their siblings, she did not reveal it.
Harry guessed the reason why; underneath their nearly permanent veneer of jest and jokes, the twins were loyal beyond anything and fulfilled the duties of friendship to the limit. If there was the slightest chance anybody wanted to repeat last night's incident with Harry, they would have to get past two red-capped sentinels first. They positioned themselves strategically, one by the door, one by the window, so they had full vision of the surroundings and covered each other's blind spots as much as possible.
They did it naturally and with ease, and Harry only noticed it because he knew something was amiss; it did not fail to impress Harry, who would never have guessed that the incurable jokers Fred and George Weasley could take on such hardened demeanours. Hermione did notice they were tight-lipped and too distracted for their usual cheer, but apart from a few raised eyebrows she made no mention of it.
She talked as usual, carrying most of the conversation by herself as she often did and without being bothered by the unresponsive people around her. Harry welcomed it though, it kept him from thinking and gave things a small semblance of normality. Neville noticed nothing; he was reading a book about botany, enjoying the one subject at Hogwarts he really excelled at.
Of all the times that Harry had travelled between London and Hogwarts this seemed like the longest duration, but finally they pulled in at King's Cross. Harry wished the Weasleys and Neville a merry Christmas, and then said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They practically exuded a mundane, ordinary, non-magical aura that Harry enjoyed to the fullest. The magic that made Hogwarts so amazing also made it frightening at times; being greeted warmly by a pair of dentists and driven to their house in an ordinary car was exactly what Harry needed.
In the car, Hermione talked rapidly about everything that had happened lately at Hogwarts, and described some of the duels to her parents - Harry noted though that she left out the more dangerous aspects, and for instance the injuries he had sustained himself. It was only then that Harry realised that to the Grangers, being reduced to communication via owl mail was an extreme oddity. They were used to simply picking up the phone if they wanted to talk to somebody. To have to write a letter, send it and wait for the other person to write a reply and send it back by owl was so strange to them; hence now when together, Hermione made up for it by talking about every detail, and her parents dutifully asked her about every aspect.
Harry had never considered this separation from modern appliances and comforts; it was not like there was anybody in the Muggle world he would want to phone from Hogwarts to talk about his day. He tried to imagine how it was for the Grangers; being told about this whole other, literally magical world they could not be part of, but only experience vicariously through their daughter.
Harry was more grateful for having magic than anything else. Despite everything and having just been relieved at leaving Hogwarts and magic behind for a few weeks, Harry knew he owed everything in his life to magic. It had freed him from the Dursleys, given him strength and power to stand on his own, given him respect among others and friends he could rely on. It was his weapon, his independence.
When they arrived, the guest room was waiting for Harry much like he had left it in the summer. And after depositing his trunk there, he put on some warm clothes and went for a walk in the forest with Hermione. The snow had not yet arrived, but there was frost in the air and the cool, fresh atmosphere of the woods revived him from last night's tribulations. Back at the Grangers' house, Mrs. Granger had hot chocolate for them; something Hermione took for granted, but which amazed Harry. Sitting across the table from his best friend, a mug of steaming hot cocoa in his hand, Harry could not have wanted more.
The next day they drove back to London to do shopping for Christmas gifts. Harry had quite a sum of English pounds on him as emergency funds, so he spent a little on that with Hermione buying gifts for her parents. That was done in normal, ordinary shops (porcelain for Mrs. Granger's collection of fine china, the latest Ken Follett novel for Mr. Granger), and then they went to Diagon Alley to buy gifts for each other. When you were usually surrounded by magical objects, you also wanted that as presents. They agreed though to keep it discreet for the sake of Hermione's parents, though, and not open presents in their presence that acted like the monstrous book of monsters for Hagrid's school subject, for instance.
They split up and Harry wandered around without any particular destination, looking through windows and reading signs. He could always get some book for Hermione, he knew she would appreciate it; but it seemed like too ordinary a present. They were not just exchanging gifts, he was spending Christmas with her family, and it called for a little extra. Plus, it was rare Harry got to spend his Galleons, so he welcomed the opportunity.
"Harry? Fancy seeing you here, mate," a familiar voice called out. Turning around, Harry saw Fabian Prewett, with his brother close by.
"Hey mates," Harry waved and smiled. "Shopping for presents too, I wager," he said, looking at the gift-wrapped items in their arms.
"Nothing obvious escapes the observant eyes of a Gryffindor," Gideon said. "Your harvest seems low," he added, gesturing towards Harry's empty arms.
"Oh, somebody else is holding my things. I just need one last gift and I'm done, but I am out of ideas."
"Unburden yourself, Master Potter, let us counsel you," Fabian said in a most solemn voice.
"Well, it's for Hermione," Harry said, knowing he was exposing himself to their taunts.
"Ah yes, say no more, say no more, another gift for the girl who is only your friend. More fancy jewellery, Master Potter?" Gideon said in a mocking tone, while keeping his face straight.
"Cut it out, you two," Harry grinned. "You know her from our little duelling club, any ideas?"
"Of course, good sir, of course. Why, Fabe and I have counselled many a young lad with woes on how to woo," Gideon said.
"Maybe I should first buy two muzzles for each of you," Harry retorted, but still grinning.
"You wound us, my good man, but as you wish. There is a sale down at Hartford's shop; old Hartford is selling everything, including the store, though that may be a bit heavy for a Christmas present."
"We were going there ourselves just now, why don't you come along," offered the other Prewett twin.
"Sounds good. What does Hartford sell?" Harry asked.
"Little bit of everything."
The Prewett twins were pretty close with their estimate. Hartford's shop was an emporium filled with curiosities and oddities, gathered from all places. Many of the labels had warning signs written upon them, or very specific instructions on how not to use them. There was a full starting kit from India for any would-be fakir (Warning! Snake may bite; rope may entwine around user's neck and strangle him. Flute not included), a shaman's bag from Siberia with ground powder from a mammoth (Warning! May cause allergies to break out), a witch doctor's mask (Warning! Smells funny), and much more. All of it curious and odd, and funny in a weird way, but nothing that quite said Christmas present.
The Prewett twins disappeared into different sections, each of them having a mental list of quaint objects they were keen on. Finally he found this little replica of the original golem from Prague (Warning! Does not actually defend the Jewish quarter in Prague - at sign of danger, it does the robot dance). Harry could recall Hermione being interested in the now lost art of creating golems and had wanted to go to Prague to learn more; and it only cost a few Sickles. It was a start, so Harry bought it, but he needed something else, something less curious and odd and more - earnest. He spotted Gideon and told him he would be off, looking elsewhere.
Wandering down Diagon Alley again, Harry looked at his watch. Still half an hour before he would meet Hermione at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Then he spotted a little shop, he remembered well. Ragnuk Smithy - Artificer since 981. Most items in there were rather pricey, but if nothing else it was an interesting store. Harry entered and saw the same goblin as last time.
"Harry Potter. Welcome back to my forge," Ragnuk said.
"Thank you, Ragnuk," Harry said. "I am looking to buy a present for a friend. Thought I would look in here as well."
"A paying customer is always valued here," Ragnuk said. "Look around. It must be an important friend if you are willing to buy goblin-made presents."
"She is," Harry said absent-mindedly, turning his head around as he glanced at the many display cases. There were wondrous items with many clever features; although he had not really used it, Harry was fond of his own telescope and how well-crafted it was. He did not want to buy a practical gift, though. All his gifts to Hermione had been that; books, or even the necklace for her birthday had been with an enchantment; and it had been a present to sue for peace.
I need - a token of my appreciation, Harry thought. Something that's just nice, pretty, nothing else, something she'll like. He had already bought her a necklace, one more of those would not really work. Something else. Then his eye was drawn to a small object that reflected the light in the shop. It was a small gem, an emerald, cut with so many facets that it refracted the light brilliantly. It was set in a ring of black onyx that complimented the gemstone beautifully. Looking at it, Harry knew he would not find anything better.
"How much for the ring?"
Again, Harry felt that Ragnuk was sizing him up, measuring him like a rough slab of marble he was going to sculpt. "50 Galleons," the goblin said.
"Done," Harry said. It was the most expensive gift he had ever bought anybody, but his gold was lying useless in his vault. Who knew if he would ever get a chance to spend it again? Ragnuk produced some goblin parchment and wrote down the details. A tap of the wand, and Harry's name was signed, authorising Gringotts to transfer the payment. Ragnuk wrapped the box with the ring for Harry; and with his affairs in order, the young wizard walked up Diagon Alley to Fortescue's.
Hermione was already waiting for him, and he placed his gifts in her bags. Then they got an ice bomb from Fortescue's because even in late December, one did not stop by Fortescue's and not buy his ice cream. They ate it inside the parlour though, sitting by the window and looking out. Everybody in Magical Britain went to Diagon Alley now and then, and it was the most amazing location for people-watching. Not to mention their pets; there were the usual owls and cats and such, but also more exotic creatures. One tall, gaunt man had a snake that had curled itself around his throat and used it as a lookout post.
"Maybe he's a Parselmouth," Hermione whispered, even though there was no chance they would be overheard. Harry felt a pang of guilt at having left Hedwig at Hogwarts, but dragging the owl cage and everything was just so cumbersome; plus she was well looked after at Hogwarts, and Harry was not sure the Grangers would approve of him bringing his pet along. He could not care less about the Dursleys' protestations against Hedwig, but he did not want to do the slightest thing to upset Hermione's parents.
Harry looked at his watch. "We better go, it'll take us a little time to get out of the Alley and meet up with your parents." Hermione scraped her spoon against the bowl, gave it a last lick and then they left.
When Christmas Day came, it was as good as Harry could have hoped for. The Christmas dinner was delicious in every way, the Christmas tree was cosy and pretty with its ornaments, the mood was jolly and pleasant. It felt like the Christmas cards Harry had seen of other families, snapshots taken of moments on this day, and for once he was part of the picture.
And gifts were exchanged to everybody's pleasure; Harry gave Hermione her golem first, which caused some amusement with its dance routine. Then she gave him her gift, a small box that he quickly unwrapped and opened. Fastened to the inside was a compass, beautifully carved and looking antique.
"When I saw it, I remembered our trip into the forest where we met Firenze. I thought if you want to learn camping, you should be able to find your way," Hermione said, and then pointed at the carvings while adding some explanations. Besides the four standard signs showing the corners of the world, there were other, various symbols, whose meaning Harry could not decipher.
"Under normal circumstances, the needle acts like an ordinary magnet and points north. But the seller claimed that if the bearer channelled their emotions through the compass, it could be used to point the direction to other things. Somebody or something you care about or are looking for, or such. I tried it a bit when I was waiting for you, couldn't get a reaction though," Hermione finished saying.
"It's great, thank you, that was a really good gift," Harry said, and thought he might have made her blush a bit.
"I guess it's time for the last one," Harry said, pulling out the small present he had bought from Ragnuk. Hermione opened it slowly, finally pulling the lid open to reveal the black ring with its green gem.
"Oh Harry," she whispered, and for a moment he was unsure if he had done the wrong thing. "It's so beautiful," she continued, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She picked it up and slipped it on her finger.
"I'm glad you think so; it was made by a goblin and was the prettiest thing in his store, so I figured it was the right present."
"Tha - thank you," Hermione said with difficulty.
"Hermione, are you - you're not," Harry said without finishing the sentence. Was she on the verge of tears? She quickly hit his shoulder with her fist.
"Of course not, I was just - overwhelmed for a moment," she said dignified, and they both laughed a bit.
"Thank you though, really. It's perfect," she continued and leaned over to kiss his cheek, though to his surprise it was so close to his mouth, he almost felt her lips on his.
"You're welcome," Harry said modestly, looking down a bit, feeling almost shy at how happy she seemed with her gift. He picked up the compass again to occupy his hands, and looked at the symbols once more. He would have to find out more, it promised to have lots of potential. When Harry looked up, he saw Mr. Granger reading the first few pages of his new book, Mrs. Granger placing some of her china in her cabinet and Hermione admiring her ring, sending him a smile when she noticed his gaze. This was Christmas with your family, Harry thought. Nothing spectacular was going on, it was just that mood that permeated the scene.
The next day snow began to fall, and by afternoon Harry and Hermione had their gloves on and were building a snowman. To Harry's surprise Mr. Granger joined them, but his nefarious motives for doing so were soon revealed when a snowball hit Hermione in the back of the head. Turned out in his spare time he played team handball and he had a powerful throw and great aim.
Harry and Hermione teamed up against him, using their snowman as an impromptu fortress, but after a lengthy siege they had to surrender and beg for mercy. Mr. Granger proved to be a gracious victor and he accepted their surrender, inviting them inside for round of hot chocolate.
The next day they drove around the countryside, with Mr. Granger serving as a guide; another of his hobbies was local history, and he knew a great deal about the villages, old estate, churches and such that lay dotted around the landscape. In this and other ways they spent the days after Christmas, until New Year drew close.