I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Holidays
Alex knocked on the door to Hagrid's hut and he pulled it open, smiling instantly, greeting him, Ginny, and Luna and letting them in.
"I'll get some tea going," Hagrid said as soon as he'd closed the door.
"Thank you," Alex smiled, then looked over to Buckbeak, who tilted his head to the side at them from the corner he was laying in. "Luna, Ginny, allow me to introduce you to Buckbeak. He's the one I told you about."
"Yeh told 'em?" Hagrid asked.
"They're helping us try to save him too," Alex said. "Would it be alright if we went and petted him?"
Hagrid hesitated before nodding. "Alright. But yeh gotta be careful. Never insult a Hippogriff. Very proud creatures. Has Alex explained to yeh how ter introduce yerself?"
Both girls nodded and Hagrid nodded, walking over with them where he could try and intervene if Buckbeak decided he didn't like one of them. All three held eye contact as they bowed low and Buckbeak watched them for a moment before lowering his head nearly to the floor in a bow. The three of them walked over and knelt around him, stroking his beak and feathers. Buckbeak let out a small, warbling squawk of appreciation, leaning his head toward Ginny and Luna, who both smiled.
"Are the other Hippogriffs still at the paddock, Hagrid?" Alex asked. "I wanted to see the one who hit me again."
Hagrid smiled sadly. "I let 'em off the chain after that class. Most of 'em flew away, o' course. But a couple of 'em might've stayed. Mind you, it's a bit cold ter go looking for 'em."
"I see," Alex nodded. "Well, at least they can meet Buckbeak. Don't worry, boy. We'll find a way to save you."
Buckbeak squawked again and brushed his head against Alex's torso and Alex smiled.
"He likes yeh," Hagrid smiled. "Yeh seem ter be a natural at gaining Magical Creatures' trust."
"Probably because I'm half Magical Creature myself," Alex said. "So, how about it Ginny, Luna. Want to go see if we can find the other one? Does that one have a name, Hagrid?"
Hagrid shook his head as he poured them all a cup of tea. "Only named a couple of 'em. Only those that'd let me. Didn't want ter insult 'em by giving 'em a name without their permission, see."
Alex nodded, accepting his tea. The three of them remained sitting with Buckbeak as they drank their tea, then said goodbye to Hagrid before leaving, Alex leading them to the paddock. Alex hopped over the fence and promptly slipped on a layer of ice under the snow, both girls dissolving into giggling fits. He pushed himself up, dusting the snow off his rear before helping them both over the fence. Just as he turned, however, there was a heavy thud as the golden-brown Hippogriff he'd been hoping to find landed hard and promptly slipped on the ice, landing on its stomach with its horse legs straight back and its bird legs out at angles before it, skidding forward and spinning slightly. Alex curled his lower lip into his mouth and bit it to keep from laughing, not wanting to offend the Hippogriff, but a single snort slipped out despite his best efforts. The Hippogriff stared at him for a second before its wing snapped out, sweeping his legs out from under him, dropping him onto his bottom again, both girls laughing. This time however, a series trilling, warbling squawks joined them, sounding specifically like laughter, the Hippogriff's beak open and its throat vibrating as it laughed.
"It's nice to see you again, too," Alex said, standing and dusting himself off again before bowing, Ginny and Luna climbing over the fence and doing the same.
The Hippogriff bowed, then began to try to stand, only to slip and drop heavily back to the ice. Alex chuckled and walked over, gripping the Hippogriff around the middle and lifting the creature back to its feet and hooves. Then, he and the girls began to stroke his feathers, both girls absolutely beaming with delight as it wrapped its wings around them like a sort of hug.
"I think he likes you," Alex smiled.
They stayed for a few more minutes before they began to get too cold. Alex promised the Hippogriff to come visit again when they could and they turned, heading back to Hagrid's hut to let him know that Hippogriff was still around, then headed up to the castle. They stopped by the library to drop off the books Alex had in his enchanted bag, then picked up a few more before leaving and heading back to their dormitories, promising to spend Christmas Eve together as much as they could tomorrow. As they reached the common room, Fred and George met them at the portrait, Fred holding out a small, clear circle of plastic.
"We've already place the other," Fred said.
"You just need to place Malfoy's," George said.
"Then we'll go activate them from the one we placed earlier," Fred said.
"And it'll be beautiful," George said.
Alex grinned widely. "You two are truly amazing. How're the dungbomb chocolates coming?"
"The what?" Ginny asked.
"Nearly ready," Fred said.
"Just need a few more weeks to perfect," George said. "And it gave us a great idea for a new product."
"Skiving Snackbox," Fred said. "Magic sweets to make you sick so that you can skip class. Eat the first half to get sick. Eat the second to recover."
"Hours of fun and skip out on classes you don't want to go to," George said. "Like Potions."
"It'll take a while to perfect, though," Fred said.
"I'm not playing guinea pig," Alex said.
"I'm offended you would assume we'd do that to you," George said.
"No faith in his business partners," Fred said.
Alex snorted. "I do have faith in you. Which is why I'm going to compile a list of illnesses that would be the least painful or unpleasant while still getting you out of class without a trip to the Hospital Wing."
Both twins grinned. "Knew we could count on you."
They both walked away, and Alex chuckled, slipping his hearing aid out of his pocket and putting it in.
"You there?" Alex asked, walking over to the window where Mouse was hopping up and down and opened it, allowing him to fly out and relieve himself outside before darting back in and flying into Ginny's lap, making her laugh.
"I'm here," Luna said.
"If Fred and George offer you any chocolates from now on, don't accept them," Alex said, dropping his voice. "They're developing dungbomb chocolates. I doubt they'd test them on you, but I figured I should still warn you."
"Thank you," Luna said brightly. "And thanks for introducing me to our two friends. They were amazing!"
"I thought you might like that," Alex smiled, opening the spell book someone had slipped into his bag without him noticing, doing so for the first time since he'd gotten it, only to stop, finding a new note inside of it.
"Well done with the Wandless Severing Charm and Incineration Charm," the note read. "Very clever. I Believe I underestimated your skill with spells. I believe your heritage may help with it, but it was still very impressive. I haven't seen a trick that creative since my own years in Hogwarts. Feel free to check page two hundred thirteen. I believe you'll find that particular spell quite entertaining. Moony."
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, get over here, now!" Alex said urgently, the three of them, being the only ones in the room besides him and Ginny, all hurrying over.
He handed the note to Harry, who read it, eyes widening as he reached the name at the bottom. Moony was one of four names on the magic map Fred and George had given Harry, the secret to him reaching Hogsmeade. The other three names were Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.
"Moony's here?" Harry asked. "But who is it?"
Alex glance at Hermione, seeing she'd guessed the same thing he had.
"I think it's Professor Lupin," Alex said, Harry and Ron staring at him in confusion.
"Lupin?" Ron asked, sounding incredulous.
"Hear me out," Alex said. "McGonagall said that Sirius Black and your father were trouble makers even worse than Fred and George, and we're all in agreement that the Marauders were definitely a group of troublemakers. With something like that map, they'd have been damn good ones. So if they're two of them, that means leaves two. We know Peter Pettigrew was one of them, since he was one of your father's friends. That leaves one spot. Since two of them are dead and Moony says he's here, but most likely hasn't been up until now, that means it has to be Lupin. Unless Sirius Black has been sneaking up behind me and sticking notes in my book."
"But when would Professor Lupin have done it?" Hermione asked.
"Hell if I know," Alex shrugged. "But it makes sense."
"Well, if you're right, that means he's bound to realize Harry's got the map if Harry keeps using it," Hermione said.
"I'll be careful," Harry said. "I'm not about to be caught with the most useful thing I've ever had besides my Invisibility Cloak."
Hermione wasn't happy, but accepted his promise. Alex, on the other hand, wanted to go and thank Lupin for the book, but he wasn't entirely certain he was correct about him.
"Who's Moony?" Luna asked, Alex grimacing.
He had forgotten Luna could hear what he was saying.
"Sorry," Alex said. "Can't tell you that."
"That's alright," Luna said. "I'm a little surprised he's the one who gave you the book, but it explains why he was the first to say you couldn't possibly be able to cast Wandless Magic. He was using his authority to cover for you."
"You're not saying this in front of anyone, right?" Alex asked realizing that Moony would have had to be in the room to know that Alex had cast both a Severing Charm and an Incineration Charm. The part about him burning the clothes hadn't been circulated.
"Of course not," Luna said.
"Okay," Alex said.
He stayed up, reading the spell Moony had directed him to, the Disillusionment Charm, and on the other page was a cloning spell that would make a tangible copy of the caster, which they could control with their thoughts, for one hour or until they were incapacitated or killed, at which point the copy would disappear. The incantation was "Duorum Hominum," and the spell was listed as one of the most difficult in the book. However, it was also probably one of the most versatile spells Alex could think of. He didn't bother trying it, since he knew he'd never get it right as a third year. He needed more experience with harder spells. The Disillusionment Charm, however, he began to practice immediately.
Alex stared at the several presents on the floor at the foot of his bed. Normally, he would get sweets from most of the others, then something from his family, and that would be it. This time, no box was smaller than half the size of his torso. He threw his blanket off just in time for the water in the glass beside him to spray out of it. He raised his hand, catching his letter and a bracelet of fishing line and magically protected seashells, which he instantly, and correctly, guessed was for Luna, according to the letter. Apparently they'd worked a charm on the shells to keep them from breaking. His own present was in the envelope. A small bundle of water hemlock, which the letter said was to lace with his cigarettes, giving them a distinctly minty flavor and making them toxic to anyone besides him, making smoking them a bit problematic. He resolved to get rid of the water hemlock later and put it in his bedside table, putting his hearing aid in before magically sealing the drawer and turning to the pile of boxes.
"Are you awake?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Luna said. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Alex smiled, opening the first, a box around the size of his abdomen, and finding it absolutely filled with chocolate frogs.
He caught one that tried to hop out and put the cover back on, using his wand to seal it as well to keep any from escaping. He looked at the tag and saw it was from Hermione and smiled. Perfect gift as always. Especially with the Dementors around. The next box was from Ron and was a working miniature broom about two inches long and would hover a couple inches over whatever it was over. Below it was a variety of different sweets from Honeydukes. As soon as he'd taken the tiny broom out of the box, Mouse hopped onto it, flapping his wings to steady himself, then hooted excitedly as he began to fly around the bed on it. Alex laughed, Harry and Ron both looked over from their own presents and also laughed.
"Not what I had intended you to do with it," Ron laughed.
Alex picked up a wrapped piece of clothing and pulled out a dark blue, hand-knitted sweater with no decorations. He looked over at Ron in surprise and Ron nodded.
"I thought Mum might send you one this year," Ron said. "Try it on."
Alex pulled it on and smiled. It was perfectly sized ad warm. It also had a turtle neck that still covered his gills when he folded it down over itself, unlike Ron's maroon one and Harry's scarlet one, which was decorated with the Gryffindor lion, both of which had low collars. Alex opened a present from Harry next and found it full of cigarettes neatly stacked and filling half the box. He grinned and thanked Harry. The present from Ginny was next, and a complete set of Wizard Chess pieces began to cheer from inside the box. He scooped them out, along with the board, the pieces arranging themselves before looking at him expectantly.
"Ron and I will play with you later," Alex said. "For now, you play each other and I'll use whichever side wins."
Again the pieces cheered and began a game with the kings directing the other pieces personally. As they did, Alex picked up one of his last two presents, this one from Hagrid. Inside the box, he found a tiny, brown Hippogriff with a white head, the Hippogriff looking up at him the moment the box opened. It looked full-grown, but it was only about as long as his palm. He picked up the note and read it.
"Found this in Hogsmeade last time I was there," Hagrid's note had said. "I remember you really liked that one Hippogriff so I thought you might like this. It's just a model that was animated by a spell, and it's supposed to eat insects it catches or crumbs from food. Probably should stay away from candy. I recommend meat if you're going to feed it."
Alex smiled, scooping the tiny Hippogriff out and it instantly bowed to him. He smiled, stroking the back of its feathered head and neck, marveling at how life-like it was, and how soft its feathers were.
"Whoa!" Ron said. "What is that thing?"
"A model that got animated with a spell, apparently," Alex said.
Just then, a fly flew past and the tiny Hippogriff let out a soft squawk and took off, soaring after the fly for a few seconds before managing to catch it and eating it quickly, then swung around, landing back on Alex's bed. Mouse flew over on his tiny broom and hopped off, looking down at the slightly smaller creature, then stepped forward, beginning to rub his head against the tiny Hippogriff's, hooting cheerily.
"You're collecting tiny pets," Harry noted.
"So it seems," Alex nodded.
"What kind of model?" Luna asked.
"Hippogriff," Alex said. "I'll bring it down to breakfast to show you. Oh, and Ron gave me a tiny broom that Mouse has claimed and likes flying around on."
Luna laughed. "That's cute."
Alex opened Luna's present and groaned. It was an entire box filled with nothing but milky white Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"Really Luna?"
She laughed. "You're welcome."
"My family sent you a present, too," Alex said. "I'll bring it down to you."
"Aw, that's so sweet of them!" Luna said. "What is it?"
"A seashell bracelet," Alex said.
"Ooo!" Luna said excitedly.
Alex stood, picking up the bracelet and pocketing it before scooping up both of his tiny pets, Mouse clutching the broom in one hand. However, just as he did, Harry unwrapped a long thin parcel, and out rolled a brand new Firebolt, sleek, shiny, and hovering at the perfect level for Harry to mount it. Alex's jaw fell open, as did both Harry and Ron's.
"I don't believe it," Ron said.
"Let's see if there's a card," Harry said.
Ron ripped apart the wrapping paper that had been around the broom. "Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"
"Well, I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys," Harry said, stunned.
"I'm betting it was Dumbledore," Ron said. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously."
"That was my dad's though," Harry said. "He was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't go spending hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students something like this."
"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him," Ron pointed out. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. Hey!" Ron said, letting out a whoop of laughter. "Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an International Standard Broom, this is!"
"I can't believe this," Harry said, running his hand along the broom. "Who..."
"It might have been Lupin," Alex suggested. "If we're right about him being Moony, he was friends with your dad. And he knows you need a new broom."
"If he had this much money, he'd be able to afford new robes," Harry said.
"Maybe he likes his robes," Alex shrugged. "He's had a tone of experience, judging by how much he knows. Maybe he just prefers robes that show he's actually done things other than teach rather than new robes that make it look like he's only ever been in a classroom. His dirty robes certainly make him look more the part of an experienced teacher than Lockhart's robes did, even without the git inside of them."
"That's true," Ron said. "You know, I still can't believe we weren't allowed to tell anyone that git was a fraud."
"That's fine," Alex said. "Hey Harry. I have an idea to go with that broom."
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"A mascot," Alex said, holding out Mouse, who began to fly in tight circles on his new broom over Alex's palms, using his wings to keep himself upright when needed and hooted excitedly.
Harry and Ron laughed.
Just then, the door opened and Hermione walked in with Crookshanks, who looked very grumpy wearing a string of tinsel around his neck.
"What are you two laughing about?" Hermione asked, just as Alex's mini Hippogriff flew over and landed on Crookshanks' back, rubbing his head against Crookshanks, who began to purr instantly. "Oh, he's adorable!" She looked over at Mouse and began to laugh instantly. Then, her eyes fell on the Firebolt and she stopped, eyes widening. "Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?"
"No idea," Harry said. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."
"Are you ever going to tell me what he got?" Luna asked.
"Oh, sorry," Alex said. "Harry got a Firebolt with no note to say who it's from."
"He what?" Luna gasped. "That's amazing!"
"I know," Alex agreed. "Don't tell anyone."
"I won't," Luna promised.
Alex returned his attention to the others' conversation, realizing Hermione seemed worried for some reason. Just then, Scabbers leapt across the room at Ron in an attempt to get to Scabbers, the Hippogriff catching himself in the air with its wings, squawking indignantly and flying back to Alex's free hand. After a moment of Ron trying to kick Crookshanks, ending up hitting the trunk at the end of Harry's bed and freeing the sneakoscope Harry had kept inside a pair of socks to quiet it down, Hermione finally left with the cat and Harry stuffed the sneakoscope away again. Alex excused himself to go to breakfast and headed down to the common room, finding Fred and George playing with the palm-sized ball Alex had bought them which bounced endlessly until it hit a hand, allowing it to be caught, and that would swear and shout random offensive phrases as it bounced.
"This is the best gift ever," George said.
"Not quite," Alex said. "I got this," he held up the tiny Hippogriff, "and a broom for the new Gryffindor Quidditch Team mascot," he held out his other hand, Mouse still doing circles over it, causing the twins to laugh and clap appreciatively, their ball still bouncing around the room, "and Harry got the best present ever, but it's a surprise, unless he tells you."
Both twins nodded approvingly.
"I'm headed off to breakfast," Alex said. "You coming?"
"Of course," Fred said. "By the way, nice sweater."
"Thanks," Alex said. "Let you Mum know I really appreciate it, would you?"
"Sure thing," George said.
The three of them walked down to the Great Hall and found Ginny and Luna sitting together. Alex sat beside Luna and she instantly squealed in delight as the tiny Hippogriff hopped down onto the table and bowed to her. Ginny reached out to pet him for a moment as well before laughing as Mouse began to zoom up and down the table on his broom. As Alex expected, as soon as he gave Luna the bracelet his family had made for her, the three Weasleys around them all "Ooo"ed loudly.
"Piss off, all of you," Alex said. "It's not from me, it's from my family."
"That's awful nice of them," Fred said.
"How come they don't give us presents?" George asked.
"Because they don't like you," Alex said. "They think you're bad influences. Not Ginny though. They adore Ginny almost as much as Luna."
"Well you better not start giving me jewelry, too," Ginny said. "This is, what, the second piece of jewelry you've given her?"
"Second?" Fred asked, he and George both adopting shit-eating grins.
Luna lifted the crystal necklace he'd given her. "He gave me this one last year."
Again the twins "Ooo"ed, and Alex glared at them.
"You can go ahead and scratch him," he said, looking to the Hippogriff, who George was petting.
It swiped at George's hand instantly, scratching his hand shallowly, barely more than a papercut, but he yelped in pain, yanking his hands back from it.
"Ooo, he's very obedient," Alex said as the Hippogriff walked forward, rubbing his head against George's hand again, George returning to stroking the back of its head.
"Hey, get away from my food, you little feathered rat," Ron said as he sat down at the table, waving his hand at Mouse to shoo him away from Ron's plate.
"Hey, be nice to our new mascot," Fred said.
Ron rolled his eyes and they all turned their attention to their food. Alex looked around, as he ate, realizing for the first time that hardly anyone was there at all. In fact, there were only two nervous-looking Gryffindor first years and a single Slytherin fifth year. Once they'd eaten, they all headed outside for a snowball fight, Alex's two tiny pets burrowed into his sweater for warmth. After about thirty minutes of that, they headed inside and back toward their common rooms. As they walked, Alex glanced at Luna.
"Think it'd be okay if Luna came to our common room?" Alex asked, everyone looking at him sideways instantly. "What? She's the only Ravenclaw here, and all of the prefects are gone." When they continued to stare at him, he rolled his eyes. "Just think how mad Percy would get if he found out."
"That's hardly a convincing-"
"Right this way!" Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny all said, taking the lead.
Hermione was fuming instantly, but didn't argue against it. Luna smiled happily, and after a protracted argument with Sir Cadogan that a password he came up with while they were away was stupid because they wouldn't know it, and also that Luna should be allowed inside, Alex finally stepped forward.
"Sir Cadogan, Luna's entire house is gone," Alex said, making his voice sad and sympathetic. "She'd be all alone all day. A good knight wouldn't leave a young girl all alone on Christmas, surely."
Sir Cadogan sputtered before standing up straighter and puffing his chest out. "Certainly not! Come right in, my fair lady!"
He bowed and swung his arm out, as though to offer to let her past him, only for his portrait to swing outward, hiding him from view. They all climbed through and Luna looked around, smiling brightly.
"He's so mental," Ron said once the portrait had swung closed again.
"Easy to trick, though," Alex said as his Hippogriff and Mouse began to race each other around the common room, Alex keeping Mouse's broom for the moment. "So, welcome to our common room, we'll have to modify your memory when you leave."
Luna giggled. "I'm not afraid. You can't do Memory Charms."
"True," Alex said, walking up to his dormitory and finding the black pieces of his new chess board sulking and the white ones jeering at them. "Hey, be nice. All of you shake hands with your counter parts, then whatever pieces you took."
There was a couple moments of the pieces shuffling around to shake all the hands they had to, Alex finding one of his knights shaking a surprising number of hands, then scooped all the pieces onto the board, folding it along the central seam slightly to hold them there and walked back down to the common room, finding Luna, Fred, George, and Ginny all admiring Harry's new Firebolt.
Alex set up the chess board, all of the pieces obediently taking their places. A moment later, Ron sat across from him and the pieces on both sides hunkered down like they might simply charge into a brawl rather than playing by the rules. They began to play and the others all sat down around them to watch once they'd gotten done admiring the broom. After a few minutes, Alex's Hippogriff flew over, beginning to chase the pieces that had been taken around the table off to the side, everyone laughing, including the pieces still on the board. After a few more minutes, Ron won and Alex swapped out with Harry, leaving the white pieces with instructions to try and help Harry as best they could. As they played, Alex walked back up to the dormitory and returned with the Chocolate frogs, eating a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean on the way past just because they were there. He didn't even want to know how Luna had found hundreds of that specific flavor.
When he got back down to the common room, he passed everyone a chocolate frog before closing the box again, eating his as he watched Ron destroy Harry four games in a row. Finally, Fred and George took over for Harry, playing together and alternating turns, actually managing to give Ron a hard time before losing once both sides were down to only three pieces each. Hermione took a turn, doing almost as well as they had. Luna passed on her turn, so Ginny went, actually managing to nearly beat Ron before making the wrong move by accident and losing. Alex sat down behind the white pieces again and rubbed his hands together. They began to play, and after a few minutes, Ron began to take a definite lead. Alex grinned wickedly.
"Hippogriff to black king," Alex said.
Ron glared at him as the Hippogriff charged, beginning to chase Ron's king around the table, the other pieces scattering out of their way. "Cheater."
"Hey, I just brought in a mercenary to help my kingdom," Alex shrugged.
The white pieces laughed, as did the others, and Luna finally walked over, dropping into Alex's lap and holding out a chocolate frog. Alex ate it, ignoring the others' looks as Luna reached out, stroking the Hippogriff's head to get him to stop chasing the king, allowing the pieces to reset. Ron and Luna began to play, and for a long while, it seemed like Ron was winning. Then, out of nowhere, Luna moved her last knight and said, "Checkmate," Ron staring at the board incredulously, as did the others. Ron still had more than half of his better pieces while Luna was down to a pawn, her knight, and a castle. However, she'd managed to bait Ron into a corner where he couldn't to the side because of the rook, couldn't move forward because of the pawn she'd snuck through, and the knight had the king in check, all of his pieces too focused on trying to capture her own king to take out the knight.
"Wow," Fred said. "Just wow.
"I did not see that coming," George nodded.
Alex glanced at the clock and saw it was time to head down to the feast and they all got up, heading back out through the portrait, Luna taking a moment to thank Sir Cadogan, calling him an unsung hero to inflate his ego, then walked down to the Great Hall with the others. However, this time, all of the tables were pushed up against the walls and in place of it was a small table set for seventeen was sitting in the middle of the room.
"Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore greeted them as they entered. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables. Sit down, sit down!"
They all sat around the table, Alex winding up between Luna and Harry, and Dumbledore instantly held a noisemaker out to Snape. He pulled it reluctantly and with a sound like a gunshot, a large, pointed hat topped with a stuffed vulture dropped onto the table. Alex instantly thought of the Boggart, as did Harry and Ron, who grinned at each other, but as soon as Alex's thoughts shifted to the Boggart, they shifted to his botched attempt at facing it. Snape shoved the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his own hat instantly.
"Dig in!" Dumbledore smiled around the table, then paused, looking to Alex. "For today, if you feel the need to smoke, you may do so wherever you please."
Filch scowled instantly, but Alex smiled as the Boggart was forced out of his mind when he caught a glimpse of the shell bracelet peeking out of Luna's sleeve. He shook his head.
"I think I'll be okay, Professor," Alex said. "Thank you, though."
Dumbledore nodded, smiling proudly, and they all dug in. The food was excellent, as always, and after a couple of minutes, Professor Trelawny arrived in a glittering green dress, making her look a bit like an oversized dragon fly, thanks to her glasses magnifying her eyes several times over.
"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore greeted her, standing.
"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," she said in a faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness."
"Certainly, certainly!" Dumbledore smiled. "Let me draw you up a chair."
And he did just that. He waved his wand in the outline of a chair and one formed in mid air, revolving for a moment before landing between Snape and McGonagall with a thump. She sat down and began to ask after Professor Lupin, who was, in fact, absent, and Dumbledore informed her that he was ill. Professor McGonagall challenged her that she should already know that, as a Seer, but Alex didn't bother to listen to their argument. He was too busy laughing as his mini Hippogriff ran along the table, dodging between dishes and goblets with his wings folded back along his body as he chased Mouse, who was flying his tiny broom along the table, using the food and drinks like a sort of obstacle course, both of these much to Dumbledore's amusement and Snape and the Slytherin fifth year's ire.
"Is this one of your Christmas gifts?" Dumbledore asked as Mouse looped around the Hippogriff, making it skid six inches before stopping just shy of knocking a bowl of gravy to the floor.
"He is," Alex nodded.
"Have you named him?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not yet," Alex said. "I haven't thought of one yet. Do you have any suggestions, Professor?"
Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully, holding his hand down on the table, the Hippogriff stepping onto it obediently and bowing to him, Dumbledore's eyes twinkling merrily. "Snow, I think, for the color of his head's feathers."
The Hippogriff squawked approvingly, rearing up excitedly before bowing again.
"Snow it is," Alex smiled.
Dumbledore set him down again and the Hippogriff took off after Mouse again. Two hours later, Harry, Ron, Alex, and Luna finally left the Great Hall, Luna saying goodbye to Alex and splitting off partway there. Alex began to play the black pieces directly as soon as he got back while Harry and Ron admired the Firebolt some more. However, after a few more minutes, Hermione arrived with Professor McGonagall behind her, then an extremely angry Ginny behind them both.
"So this is it, is it?" Professor McGonagall said as Hermione sat down off to the side, hiding her face behind a book. "Miss Granger's just informed me you'd been sent a new broom."
Harry, Alex, and Ron all looked over at Hermione, able to see her pink forehead over the book, which was upside-down.
"May I?" Professor McGonagall asked, taking it without waiting for their answer and beginning to inspect every inch of it. "And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"
"No," Harry said.
"I see," Professor McGonagall said. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."
"W-What!?" Harry gasped, scrambling to his feet. "Why!?"
"It will need to be checked for jinxes," Professor McGonagall said. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down."
"Strip it down?" Ron gaped at her like she'd gone mad.
"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," Professor McGonagall said. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" Harry said, voice trembling slightly. "Honestly, Professor-"
"You can't know that, Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "Not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we're certain it hasn't been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."
She turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her, and Alex rounded on Hermione instantly.
"You snitched!" Alex accused. "Harry got a brand new broom, the best in the world, to replace the one that got smashed because of the Dementors, and you snitched and got it taken away!"
"What did you go running to McGonagall for!?" Ron demanded.
Hermione snapped her book closed, face still pink, and stood. "Because I thought-and Professor McGonagall agrees with me-that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"
"And if it wasn't you just got it ruined for no reason!" Alex snapped.
"Ruined?" Ron asked.
"The Firebolt is incredibly difficult to enchant to that level," Alex said. "To check it for jinxes, they'll have to remove every spell on the broom, check it manually, then re-enchant it. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I doubt Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch have much practice with enchanting brooms to the level of a Firebolt."
Both Harry and Ron's faces flushed with fury.
"Are you happy now!?" Harry asked. "Probably the best present I've ever gotten, and before I can even use it once, you get it ruined!"
He turned, storming off, Ron following without a word, and Hermione burst into tears, running to her dormitory. Alex felt a pang of guilt, but he didn't care. Hermione, even meaning well, really had just ruined Harry's Christmas, and the Firebolt probably wouldn't fly like it was supposed to again. He walked up to the dormitory, Harry and Ron not even bothering to lower their voices as they ranted to each other angrily. Alex used a Severing Charm to open a hole in the window so that Mouse and Snow could go outside to relieve themselves, then fixed it once they returned. He lay down, both of his pets curling up on his pillow, and drifted off to sleep within a couple of minutes. The next day, when he went to breakfast, still with the small table, Hermione jumped up as soon as she saw him and ran out of the room in tears again. Harry and Ron didn't even leave the common room except for lunch every day for the rest of the holidays, and Hermione spent almost all day every day in the library. Alex went there later the first day to apologize to her, and he and Luna spent time with her as well, keeping her company, but Harry and Ron continued to be angry. When the rest of the student body arrived after New Years, Woods went to tell Harry he was being kicked off the team only to change his mind after Harry told him that Lupin had promised to teach him to fight off Dementors. Then, once he'd heard about the Firebolt and what was being done with it, he promised to talk to Professor McGonagall about it.
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