Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl Christmas Parties
DISCLAIMER: Daria is the creation of Glen Eichler and is the property of MTV Viacom. Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling and is the property of JK Rowling, Wizarding World and Warner Brothers. I own neither franchise and neither expect nor deserve any financial compensation for this work of fiction. I am writing for my own amusement and ego gratification.
Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl* Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl* Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl
Daria remembered the next few days for a shopping trip to Diagon Alley and the Christmas parties. She was very impressed with the Christmas decorations she saw in the Alley: whatever the private beliefs the shop-keepers there might have had, their decorations and displays showed a level of care and artistry that she'd never seen back in Highland. In Highland, store owners might put up decorations that they'd bought somewhere else, but these people not only decorated, but they made their own, something that Daria was forced to give them credit for. It was truly magical. She tried shopping for her parents and sisters back in Texas, but most of what she saw was either too magical for her to stay within MACUSA secrecy guidelines or didn't quite fit anyone in her family. She did get a deal on some angel and Father Christmas figures: the magical charms had worn off, leaving them silent, inanimate, but marked down and suitable as gifts for non-magical friends and families.
She also attended several Christmas parties: three along with the Warings, and one that the Warings threw at home. Despite her lack of enthusiasm about volunteering in general, she felt obliged to assist with Mrs. Waring's preparations instead of hiding and reading a couple of the intriguing books she'd seen on the family bookshelves. As she helped Mrs. Waring and her daughters decorate the house, she quickly learned that she had a long way to go before she could match Mrs. Waring's skill with transfiguration and charms work, but she was able to help using the Leviosa charm and a couple of the transformational charms she'd learned at Hogwarts and with the ghostly Herr Sackl back in Highland.
The first party was the night before Christmas Eve. The Warings set off for the party by Floo dressed in Christmas finery while Daria was wearing a borrowed green dress that Anahita and Mrs. Waring had obtained from family friends whose daughter had grown out of several years ago. Daria sensed that the dress was a bit out of fashion but was still considered acceptable. Embarrassment, here I come, she thought. Looking around, Daria noted that most of the girls her age dressed in wizarding fashion, and that wizarding styles more often than not lagged decades behind Muggle contemporary styles. She was amused to see that a lot of her near-contemporaries' outfits looked like something out of a fashion catalog from when Warren G. Harding was in the White House, howbeit with longer sleeves and lower hems. Despite her disinterest in becoming a fashionista, Daria made a note to herself to buy one or two dressy outfits the next time she went shopping.
Mr. and Mrs. Waring introduced her to several adults and teenagers: Daria hoped that she would remember their names. She recognized a couple: the Coombs, the Stokes, also the Hedges. The Lenoirs were at the party: Mr. Lenoir seemed OK, but Mrs. Lenoir acted like she shared her daughter's blood snobbery. Daria felt a bit like an exotic: most of the guests were British, a couple were from the Continent, while Daria was the only American present. She soon learned that North American wizarding visitors weren't unknown, but most of them were from the eastern US, not from Texas or the southwestern US. After conversing with the adults, Daria felt like someone from the back of beyond. Well, Morgendorffer, it's like this, she told herself after one exchange. You are from the back of the beyond.
Having greeted the adults, Daria and the Waring sisters drifted over to where the younger wizards and witches had congregated. Daria was a little surprised to discover that she knew most of them from Hogwarts; if this was a Muggle party in, say, Midland, she doubted she'd know anyone. The Waring sisters were greeted with smiles, while Daria was treated with curiosity. The only person to give Daria an unpleasant look was Drusilla Lenoir. Drusilla made a couple of catty remarks about Daria and was ignored, leaving Daria to wonder just how widespread Pureblood snobbery really was.
Not that Daria was ignored. "Hallo, Daria! Merry Christmas!" said Galan Coombs. Daria was a little surprised to see Galan there. She'd shared some classes with him but they weren't really close. Galan was dressed semi-formally in wizarding style, in a forest green suit with a floral-pattern vest and a green cravat. Daria had no interest in fashion but had to admit that he looked pretty good for a guy.
"Thanks," she said, trying to put on a smile.
"So you're still in Britain for the holidays," said Galan.
"Yes, I'm staying with the Warings," Daria replied.
"How do you like it?" he said.
"It takes some getting used to," Daria replied. "I grew up with electric lights and Muggle gadgets. Using magic is—different."
Galan chuckled. "I suppose it does," he said. "I hope you're adapting."
"Slowly," Daria replied. Galan laughed again before moving on to talk with a boy Daria didn't recognize.
Daria turned to talk with the Warings and the other kids. She soon discovered that there were two girls from Beaubatons, the French wizarding school. Neither spoke English very well, although one of them was fluent in Spanish. Most of the conversation centered around Hogwarts, teachers, people they knew and, inevitably, Quidditch. Most of the conversations was friendly and civil. Despite being in an unfamiliar environment, being away from Hogwarts felt a bit freeing. Daria hadn't realized just how much house membership affected her social life. Being away from school allowed them to relax and talk to each other in a place where being a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin didn't matter so much.
As this was not a dinner party, the Warings prepared to leave, but not before Daria got cornered by Mrs. Coombs, who asked Daria some questions about her genealogy. Daria was surprised to learn that the mother of another woman who married one of her Barksdale ancestors had also been a Coombs, howbeit from a squibbed-out line. Mrs. Coombs was amused to learn that Daria was the only witch in her family for the past three generations. She asked Daria if anyone else in her family was a witch or a wizard and Daria gave her an honest answer: nobody she knew of.
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if your family produces any more," said Mrs. Coombs.
The next party was held on Christmas Eve. The Warings arrived fashionably late. It was similar in form and tone to the first one: Daria was again introduced to the adults and older kids. Some of the adults she'd met at the previous evening's party and she thought she remembered seeing one or two of the older teenagers at Hogwarts. The second party had one difference: a small orchestra and a space cleared out for a dance floor. The band mostly used stringed instruments and was entirely acoustic. The empty space did not go unused, and Daria got to watch Mr. and Mrs. Waring and other couples move around the dance floor. Daria watched them dance and decided that this was the way things ought to be.
Back in Highland, Daria knew that Christmas Day was one of those days of the year when she was not going to get to sleep late. It was no different at the Warings': both Anahita awoke early and were already showering and were dressing before sunrise. Anahita had left the glow-bulbs on so Daria wouldn't stumble around in the dark: a blessing in Daria's book. Since she'd be eating breakfast with the Warings, she knew she wouldn't have to dress up, but the fact that she lacked dressier clothes embarrassed her. I am going to have to get nicer clothes for the holidays if I come back to Hogwarts next year, she thought. An evil voice whispered in her ear that she might have to do the same if she decided to transfer to Ilvermorny. She told it to shut up.
After showering, dressing, and combing her hair, Daria went downstairs to join the Warings for breakfast. She was startled for a moment to see Anselem at the breakfast table, then realized that he had every much right as she did to be there.
"Good morning, Daria!" said Mrs. Waring. "Happy Yuletide!"
"Good morning," said Daria. "Merry Christmas." She looked around the breakfast room and saw that it was wonderfully decorated for Christmas: far less than some of the tacky commercial displays she'd seen at a couple of Highland's furniture stores, but far more than what her parents did at home.
"So here's your houseguest," said Anselem. His voice sounded playful. Daria hoped he didn't have any mischief up his sleeve. "How is she working out?"
"She's working out fine," said Mrs. Waring. "If she's not the life of the party, she's definitely curious, polite, and has an interesting perspective."
"Anahita tells me that you're Muggle-born," said Anselem. "So you're learning about the magical world."
"At least the British magical world," said Daria. "I was beginning to learn stuff about the magical world in the southwestern US and learned just enough to realize that we have differences from the magical world here in the UK."
"Could you tell us the differences that you've seen thus far?" said Anselem.
"I don't think I'm an expert," said Daria. "I only had about ten months between when I discovered that I was a witch and when I came over here to go to Hogwarts."
"So what can you tell us?" said Anselem.
"Well, most of the wizards and witches in my town speak Spanish, which I don't, and most of us dress like our Muggle neighbors," said Daria. "Some of the grown-ups have Muggle jobs."
"Is that typical?" said Anselem.
"What?" said Daria.
"Taking jobs in the Muggle world?" said Anselem.
"I don't know," said Daria. "There aren't that many jobs around. Highland isn't all that big and things could be a lot different in the bigger towns."
"You're a good deal more cautious than many of the younger girls I've met," said Anselem.
"There are times I think that I've learned there are far more things I don't know than things I do know," said Daria.
-(((O-O)))—
Table-talk turned away from Daria's views of the magical scene in West Texas to families. Mr. and Mrs. Waring started talking about a lot of relatives that Daria didn't know. Daria learned that while many of the Warings had been Slytherins, others had been in other houses. She also learned that many of them worked for themselves, others worked for the Ministry, and some did work for Muggles. Daria got the impression that the population of Wizarding Britain wasn't that big. Despite that, Anselem told her that working in the Muggle world was looked down upon, particularly by many of the Purebloods, causing Daria to roll her eyes. What were they supposed to do if they couldn't work in Magical Britain? Panhandle? Starve? That was messed up. She told herself that after she graduated from Hogwarts, she'd try to get a high school diploma and then go to college.
Listening to the Warings talk about family reminded Daria that there was also something else that she wanted to talk about. Tomorrow was going to be a Wednesday and her Mom and Dad were likely to be going back to work.
"I've got a question," said Daria.
"What about?" said Mr. Waring. "If it's about the presents, we don't open ours until Boxing Day."
"Actually, no," said Daria. "Would you guys mind if I walk up to the store again? It's Christmas Day and I'd like to call home when all my family is there."
"I think we can do that," said Mr. Waring. "It is Christmas after all."
"I'll go with you," said Anahita.
"So will I," said Anselem.
Daria's second trip to the convenience store went better than the first one. Mrs. Wiggams stopped by with her daughter Jane around noon to say hello and to drop off a small pie. Jane was a Hufflepuff a couple of years older and taller than either Daria or Anahita. Jane brought over what Daria thought was a wonderful gift, a pair of rubber boots in Daria's foot size that she'd long outgrown. Daria tried them on and saw that they not only fit, they were still waterproof. The only objectionable thing about them was that they were shocking pink. Daria decided that if it was a choice between having her shoes covered in mud and wearing pink rubber boots, she could tolerate it. Briefly.
They set off about 1:15. Despite postcard images of snowy British Christmases, it was cool outside, but above freezing. It looked like it might rain: Daria hoped that it would hold off until after she got back. A couple of the neighbors were out: Anselem and Anahita walked over to say hello. The neighbors wished them a Merry Christmas, asked about Daria and were surprised to learn that she was from Texas, then told her that they hoped that she was enjoying her stay.
The walk was much like it was the previous time: a trudge down a long, unpaved driveway. Daria nearly fell when she stepped into a slippery mud patch but was caught in time by Anselem. They were well along their way when they heard the sound of a car engine then a series of cheery honks behind them.
"That's Mr. Danier," said Anahita. "He owns a car."
Mr. Danier's car was a neat four wheel drive machine of a make that Daria didn't recognize.
"Hello, Merry Christmas!" said Mr. Danier. "Where are you lot headed for?"
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Danier," said Anselem. "We're headed for that store at the crossroad. Out friend here wants to telephone her parents."
"Well, let me give you a lift," said Mr. Danier.
"We'll take it," said Anahita.
Mr. Danier gestured and Anselem opened a door. Anahita got in, then Daria and Anselem got in on the opposite side. Anahita made quick introductions. The car started up and the trudge to the store was cut short. The trio got out at the garden supply store, thanking Mr. Danier and wishing him a Merry Christmas.
From there, it was a short walk to the convenience store. Anselem and Anahita followed Daria inside and watched in amusement as Daria bought two more legal pads, a couple of bottles of soda, and a Muggle newspaper for herself and a couple of comic books for Dana.
She then went back outside to the phone and smirked as she put coins in the slot to get a dial tone. Southwestern Bell, Hah, she thought. She dialed the number for her home in Highland, told the operator that it would be a credit- card call, and waited for the call to go through and for someone at home to pick up the phone.
It only took two rings before someone picked up in Texas.
"Hello?" said her Dad.
"Hello, Dad!" said Daria. "Merry Christmas!"
-(((O-O)))-