DECEMBER 13 FRDAY
With the snow man finished, James and Sirius needed to figure out how to bring it to life.
"How indeed," said James. "If only there was a place you could go, to learn things."
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "A place that had people that knew more than you about stuff, that you could ask."
They thought long and hard about where such a place might exist, if it did at all.
Professor Flitwick stood on his desk.
"Nice work everybody! I've never seen so many flying Mistle Traps!"
Mistle Traps were going wild in the classroom. Sirius couldn't take one step without bumping into somebody hoping to be trapped with him. He had to tell them he had headlice. And Remus "helped" by pouring aphids in his hair. Sirius's admirers stepped back, went: Oh is that the time?, and ran out of the classroom faster than something fast.
"Bubblegum, not so useful after all," said Sirius and plucked an aphid from his nose and put it on Peter.
Remus put some gum in Sirius's hair. Aphids started getting stuck there. Sirius grabbed a passing Mistle Trap, and tried to reach for Remus, but he was out of the classroom faster than something fast.
"I was going to get him trapped with Hot Heidi but do I ever get a thanks?"
"Shall we go to the library then?" James suggested.
"Sure."
At Flitwick's desk, James turned to Flitwick.
"Sir," he said. "Do you know how to animate stuff?"
"Sure I do!" said Flitwick and made a quill fly around. "Don't you?"
"No, we mean, like, bring it to life," said Sirius.
"Oh. That falls under Dark Arts I think."
"Why?"
"Bringing stuff to life is just one of those Dark Wizard things. You better ask Professor Olivier."
The classroom door stood open. As if luck would have it, Professor Olivier was just passing by, carrying a tray with a newly cooked turkey wrapped in tin foil.
"Just lovely. Gorgeous," he said to himself.
"Excuse us Sir," said James. "Do you know how to animate objects?"
"Sure I do, that's basic charms, innit?" Professor Olivier replied.
"Bring it to life we mean," said Sirius.
"Oh, that. No."
"Like not even a little? Do you know any good authors?"
"Depends on what you're bringing to life and what you mean by it, dunnit?"
"A snow man, let's say. That we made."
"Still sounds like charms to me. Ask Flitters."
"But he said it was Dark Arts."
"Did he? You did say 'bring to life', not 'bring back to life' ? Tell you what, ask Professor Derwent. Animating paintings and other craft is more his area."
Helpful. If only there really was a place where a chap could go to learn things, and where he could ask people that knew more than him. A chap could dream.
X
After some searching the chaps managed to find an animation enchantment that promised not to damage their souls too much.
It was eleven at night. James, and Sirius, and Remus, and Peter, were at the snow man. They were pleased to have been able to make it this far with little to no fussing. It had all gone so smoothly, and fuss free.
Then it happened. James and Sirius had almost believed he was gone forever. Then he returned. The were-nag!
"I don't think-"
"-we should do it!" Sirius finished the sentence for Remus. "Here we go with your fussing! You are so fussy! You know what you are? A fusser. Fuss fussy fuss fuss!"
"This enchantment could severely drain our magic."
"For a few days! There are supplements!"
"There are!" said Peter. "I take them!"
"Maybe we don't all have to partake in the enchantment," James suggested.
"But the more the better!" Sirius argued. "Not as draining!"
"We should have just put a dress on a zombie..," Remus mumbled.
Now something actually worth considering.
No really, that would be awesome!"
"I don't want to go to the yule ball with a zombie!" Peter objected.
"That is insensitive to even suggest it," said Sirius.
Next year perhaps.
James would have loved to dig up a zombie as much as the next person but he was freezing.
"Can we please just do this?"
"So you are game, then? " Sirius asked.
"I am game and I also want to do this now, please."
Sirius was game, and so was Remus, but clearly unenthusiastic. Perhap reading this enchantment would be more draining than they thought.
"I really wouldn't mind if at least one of us have their magic intact," said James.
"It's just for a few days, isn't it?" said Remus.
"I just don't think we will be a lot less drained if we all do it."
"So you step out then."
"I don't want to step out! You're the one who were fussing before!"
"I know that, but since I am more powerful than you, I will have more power left."
"You're not more powerful than anyone, Fussy McFusscake!"
Was he?
"How great we can all agree then," said Sirius. "Ok let's be done with it!"
The chaps sans Peter huddled together to read the enchantment. Peter couldn't participate, because he couldn't even make a feather levitate.
Holding their wands, they recited the enchantment.
The stone inside the snow man began to glow. The light spread throughout her body. The chaps began to feel weak and flu-like and their wand-arms burned.
The eyes on the snow man, or snow witch, began to glow. She looked human now, like a human of extraordinary beauty. Certainly a lot more beautiful than she had been made. Her dress wasn't the dress from the costume chamber, he dress was a blue veil-like creation sparkling like billions of stars.
The chaps were out of words.
Then the snow witch spoke.
"Well?"
James turned to his chums.
"What do we name her! Anybody have a fitting name?"
"Walburga," Sirius suggested.
"Why isn't you mum called Vega or Lyra or Cassiopeia Padfoot why?"
It was as mysterious as the wings of a bumblebee.
"Because the priest threw up when he saw her face."
"What about Michelle? Or Julia? Or Rita? Or Joan!"
What other names from Beatles songs were there?
"Prudence!" Sirius suggested. "Eleanor!"
"Penny Lane!"
"Maxwella!"
"Don't be stupid! Nobody's called Maxwella!"
Right?
They threw out more suggestions, Sirius mostly naming his aunts and grandmothers.
"Vindemiatrix?"
"Pot-calling-the-kettle? Stop naming women relatives!"
But somehow, after a few more suggestions, they managed to settle for Wendy.