HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005 expected post Feb 18, 2021
John was having a lovely time at Hogwarts. The other teachers turned out to be interesting people, some of whom he had met before and others who were new to him. Mearle White was an old friend he had not seen in a few years. Discovering they both had girls to Court gave them something interesting to discuss. Mearle could not actively Court his interest because she was going to become his Apprentice soon. It was not unusual for a Master to marry an Apprentice once she finished her course, but it was considered to be inappropriate to obviously Court her while you were still her Master. He would also be carrying on this relationship under the eye of his employer, her Aunt Minerva, as a chaperone. John was carrying on a long-distance courtship, so he was doing it the old fashioned formal way, with traditional gifts and letters.
The fly in the potion was that there was still a remnant of the old Pure Blood thinking. Some of the parents – and thus some of the children – were still less respectful to Wizards who could not prove generations of family. Both John and Mearle were young men without known family, so many older Wizards tended to dismiss or ignore them automatically. As teachers they held respect, but they were 'nulls', unimportant faces to many.
John discovered all four of Sybil's Elemental students were in his classes. Each presented a different challenge. Earth was an Irish lad with rhythm in his bones, who played drums. Water played the harp, and sang with a lyrical voice. Wind played Jazz Saxophone as though born to it. The new little Fire was hardest. His almost-new wand already bore scorch marks from being clutched so tightly. John started the mundane born boy on guitar, usually a popular choice. The child turned out to be nearly tone-deaf! John called him into the music room and set him to try every single instrument. While he sat there, thinking, several others came in and began practicing in the nooks. Several students began dancing – and Fire joined them! Fire could Tap, Clog, Jig. When the pianist switched to old show tunes, Fire could do Soft-Shoe! A Cello tuned up, and Swing took over the room. John was completely forgotten as the children relaxed. John quietly made the notation on the Teacher's terminal. This child was switched from Instrumental to Dance class. Music was a strong way to focus Magic, but there was more than one way to use it.
His afternoon and evenings were free. John stopped in Hogsmeade, hanging his teacher robe and dropping the shoulder bag of papers on the settle in the cottage Minerva was renting to him. John was naturally neat, a habit of long standing. Years of being a nomad, living out of his bag and being ready to run if the drunks in the bar got rough, left him skittish. He liked this cottage above the Loch. He thought his girl would like it for a newlywed nest, so he was trying to set it up for her. The sunny back bedroom he had filled with a desk and shelves for her books and antiquities. His own sheaves of sheet music and most of his instruments were always in his bag, but he had hung a few of the oldest on the walls. Tonight he was going to a tryout with a small orchestra. John didn't usually play such formal group music, but this group was trying to branch out a bit. Specifically, they wanted to add some Island music this season. John wasn't black, but he knew the music. It was fun to play. Perhaps he would teach some to the students at Hogwarts?
HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005 HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005 HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005
Samhain
The ghosts of Hogwarts had multiple reasons for lingering instead of moving on. Binns, who had died in his sleep in front of the staffroom fire, had never realized he was dead. He had lived to teach, and continued the same series of lectures in Death. He had happened to be teaching the Goblin Rebellions at the time. Dumbledore had found this useful, and pocketed the salary.
After the Battle of Hogwarts, new ghosts kept appearing for years. Apparently not all ghosts woke up right away. Not all the dead became ghosts, which was a great relief to everyone. Some appeared when younger siblings were sorted. Some appeared because they needed to make amends, or to haunt someone so as to force them to correct a mistake. Some appeared only long enough to indicate where their bodies lay hidden, so they could be properly laid at rest and their families find closure.
Minerva expected something like this when the Baron appeared in her office the morning after Samhain. It made sense that the doorway had been thin, and someone slipped over. She was sad, because if it was someone from the Battle of Hogwarts she probably knew them and their family. She hated making that kind of call, bringing fresh pain to mourners struggling to go on. Some ghosts had been convinced to go home, or to allow themselves to be exorcised, and about half a dozen child ghosts who had no family left had been adopted by their original House Ghosts, following them around.
The newest ghost lay on the stair in a pile of ghostly rubble. Ghosts were usually pale, silver and transparent, but those were the oldest ghosts. New ghosts had enough of their original coloring to look almost normal, though still transparent. Children sometimes played, unknowing, with ghost children, until something impossible happened. There was no question who this ghost was. Red hair, plaid shirt, and a green dragon hide jacket showed Fred Weasley stirring.
"Mister Weasley! Explain yourself!" Fred sat up to a familiar sight. Minerva McGonagall was staring down her nose at him. For the moment he didn't register her red hair or modern suit. Her face and eyes were enough.
"I'm sorry, Minnie, really I am, but I can't quite remember how I got here? Did someone prank me? Where's George? I know I have something to tell him, once I remember it."
Minerva sighed, "Come along to my office, child. I'll call your brother and we'll sort you out." She waved her wand at the pile of rubble, exorcising it as she went. There was no point in having anyone stumbling over rocks that weren't there. As they climbed the stair, the only word for it was that Fred 'faded' out, growing thinner and more confused, until he was gone. She noted how far they had come. New ghosts often could not get far from their place of death, or some significant person. Fred seemed to be tied to the stairs for now.
She called George at his shop, fortunately catching him in, and asked him to come see her as soon as possible.
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Yule was held at the Burrow, as always. This year there were seven for dinner the night before, because they brought James. He was too small to be bothered by being at Grandma and Grandpa's house instead of home. He was here almost as much as he was home.
Arthur lit the great Yule log out in the garden with the piece saved from last year. It wasn't exactly a Pagan tradition, nor was it entirely Christian. Everyone seemed to use it. Harry had brought the tall candles of Gold, Blue, and Green, and the whole log was spread with leaves and acorns. Once it was going well, they floated it into the fireplace in the house. The fire would be tended to last through January 6, and the last piece carefully saved for next year.
Arthur had brought in the great Balsam tree, somehow wider and stronger than before but always a perfect fit. Molly had knit a gold blanket to swaddle the trunk where it appeared to grow right out of the floor.
James, at 17 months, was still running. He also had a larger vocabulary of words the family could actually understand. He had given up his bottle in favor of rubber sippy cups. Rubber, because he often informed you he was done by throwing it across the room at you. He used a small rubber spoon by himself, though he spilled half of what he tried to eat. He didn't care. Either he could pick it up with his fingers, or he couldn't. He only allowed someone to feed him when he was very tired and sleepy. He was still wearing diapers, though Harry was convinced it was only because he was too busy to stop playing. He had proved he could use the child size potty in training sessions. Harry calmed Ginny, who worried. "Did you ever see a child at Hogwarts in diapers? Did you ever see one on the train? He will be just fine!" He adored the lasagna, though once again he slept through the visit from their friends Nicolas and Pernelle.
The next morning was the beginning of the usual Weasley mayhem, as families began arriving. Molly's huge cinnamon rolls were enjoyed by all, including covering the arriving children completely in icing.
Ron was extremely careful with Hermione, filling her plate with lemon crepes, tiny crab quiche tarts, and sliced fruit, keeping her tea filled. "Really Ron, I'm not fragile! This is normal!"
"I know, I know, but I'm so happy and I want to!" Finally satisfied she had everything she needed, he served himself and sat next to her. Her parents arrived by car a few minutes later, shaking snow and carefully leaving their wet boots by the door. They were taking a two week Winter Holiday, and trying to remember why they had liked snow so much that they had actually gone skiing. Australia was sounding better and better.
Rolf, who was quite a large man, followed them through the door, wearing a double backpack. Luna's father had their baby bag, and Luna followed with a box of gifts. "My grandfather and Tina are in the colonies with Queenie and her family, playing no-maj and celebrating Christmas. Queenie and Jacob are expecting their second grandchild any day now. My folks are trying to talk them into moving here, or Australia or something, but his bakery is doing wonderfully, very popular. It's tricky, since they are supposed to be obliviated."
Dan picked up on that. "Supposed to be obliviated? Why?"
"Well, back after the Grindlewald War, which the Americans call World War 2, the magical government called Mac-USA declared that if a magical married a mundane they had to be obliviated and their magic bound. Queenie already loved Jacob, and he her – they have quite a story. Eventually they did marry and pretend to be obliviated. They had a child, a squib, and now are having their second grandchild. The problem is that though that law was reversed, previously obliviated people cannot have their memory or magic restored."
"How did they pretend?"
"Two ways. Jacob had been dosed with Murtlap essence before he was obliviated. Murtlap only removes bad memories, so when he saw Queenie again his memories returned. She can't be mind-magiced. She's probably the world's strongest Legimens, born that way, and that means she's also an extremely strong Occulems. That's the protection. Her mind is her own, and anyone poking into it can be misdirected. However, getting their memories back would break all kinds of laws, even leave Queenie facing some criminal charges from the War. She can't even 'remember' that Tina is her sister, instead of an old friend. Talking them into moving to a warmer climate 'in their old age' is the current plan. Mundanes think 70 is getting old, and don't realize they are past 90. Their daughter is in her 30s. She and her husband work in the bakery and can take over easily."
Babies Louis, Molly, Lorcan and Lysander were only crawling, but they followed Fred, James and Lucy like puppies the moment they were set down. Since James followed Teddy, who was usually chasing Victoire, Dominique, and Roxanne it made quite a hurricane. The adults adjusted by holding their cups high. Babies Gideon and Fabian were still in baskets, but they cheered the whole steeplechase on!
Harry gave each household of children a copy of the DVD "The Sword In The Stone." Arthur got one, too!
Yule dinner was wonderful. A huge ham was brought in, spiral-cut in the American way, though you could not tell because the entire thing was covered in pineapple rings, cherries, and brown sugar glaze. Beside it lay a huge baked fish, a salmon, filled with onion dressing and completely re-covered in sliced cucumber 'scales'. A maize casserole with bacon, onion, and broccoli was great hit with the men.
Dessert was a huge cake roll, covered in chocolate bark and marzipan decorations to look like a fully decorated Yule log, complete to the lit candles. The children cheered to see the tiny animals hidden in the leaves and acorns (all of marzipan).
The lights went down, and the traditional Plum Pudding was brought in, flaming brightly. This had been curing in the stillroom since 'stir-up Sunday' at the dinner the month before, when each member of the family had taken a stir and made a wish. The adults had dropped in the silver tokens. Molly had deliberately removed the silver baby from the jar, keeping it in her apron pocket. She loved babies, but this was getting silly. The huge glazed pottery basin had been lined with buttered linen, and the spicy mixture poured in, filling it to the very top. The linen had been folded over the top, and the basin set in a pan of water in a huge oven to steam for a day. It rose, forming almost a ball. Then it was placed in the cold room to allow the flavors to meld, tender and moist. Turned out on the matching platter, it had been decorated with tiny marzipan holly sprigs, complete with tiny red berries and white ribbons. The real holly sprig and ribbon were at the top. Arthur always pinned that in Molly's hair, making her laugh. The flaming ball was cut in thin slices, laid next to the sliced cake, and passed around. The children were served a forkful of their parents pudding, and the cake.
Feeding the babies took up quite a lot of the conversation, but everyone was always watching to see who got the prizes. Harry got the sickle. "I guess your new broom is going to be a hit!"
Arthur got the anchor, as he did most years. Aubrey got the thimble, and Hermione the ring (to much laughter.) Charlie got the wishbone this year. "You're going to get a Wish granted! Make it a good one!"
Charlie said, "I already had one! I can't imagine any wish I ever made as hard as when I needed help with Norberta!"
With the prizes 'won' and passed back to Molly, everyone settled to eating in peace - until Ginny hit her tooth! She spat back on her spoon – the silver baby! Molly snatched it, calling for "Winky! How did this get in the pudding?"
Winky appeared, with her ears down. "I found him in your apron pocket when I was doing the washing after the stir-up dinner. I knew you must have missed him, so I popped him into the pudding in the oven."
Harry smiled. "No harm done, Winky. That was very thoughtful of you! It just surprised us all, because Molly thought she had not put it in!"
Winky sighed a great sigh of relief, and popped back to her own dinner.
"Well Ginny, I guess we had better prepare for an addition to the family!"
The supper that night was sandwiches, the ham and fish sliced thin, and with the addition of bowls of sliced fruit or cubed bread, with pots of hot fondue cheeses. The children loved those, especially the pizza or chocolate pots, but had to be stopped from stabbing each other with the forks. Ron spent quite a lot of time feeding Hermione strawberries dipped in Chocolate. The bone from the ham was already simmering, and dried Navy beans were soaking. Tomorrow there would be wonderful ham and bean soup for Boxing Day.
HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005
The season of Balls was approaching fast. Ginny had been making plans for months, and was sending out brightly colored Invitations. She was cold. Her Quidditch games and practices were in huge, drafty stadiums. Yes, they were magical – high invisible domes kept the snow and rain out, but nothing seemed to keep the wind out. Gusts swirled in every door and gate. Every hallway was drafty, with bits of litter skittering along the edges. Yes, she was a Witch, and knew plenty of warming charms, which she applied liberally to every bit of clothing. Weren't pregnant women supposed to be hot all the time? She wasn't. The whole team eagerly anticipated trips to France, Spain, and Portugal. Win or lose, at least they got some time on the beaches in the Sun.
Her Balls so far had been Winter themes. Forget that – this year she was having a Summer Islands theme, and everything was going to be hot! She was going for Exotic! Hot colors, tropical plants, plenty of fruit. Put your drinks in a coconut or a pineapple, with little umbrellas, and no one could tell who was drinking fruit punch instead of Champagne. The orchestra she had hired was already practicing. They had promised her Calypso, Salsa Dancing, Tangos, and of course Quadrilles in the Jamaican Mento style, to be mixed with more traditional dances. She had a dance tutor come to the Manor once a week to be sure all of them including Harry knew the moves. Harry was turning into quite a good dancer!
Jamaica was well known to the British magical world. Jamaica had once been part of the British Empire, and the Magical communities had a long history together. They were quite friendly to British Witches, slightly less so to Wizards. It was a popular vacation or Honeymoon destination.
HLN Ch 29 Yule 2005 expected post Feb 18, 2021 Next chapter, The Ball 2006, expected March 4
