"I hope it is not too much of an imposition upon you," said Ambrose. "But I have a few other guests arriving today to join us for the festivities tomorrow."
It was breakfast time the following morning, Christmas Eve. They had convened a little later this time, about half past nine. Everyone had been tired after the previous day's trampolining. After breakfasting they had stayed to chat about many things and it was now late morning.
"What time are they getting here, Uncle?" Lydia asked.
"About lunchtime," he said. "If you wish to be about your business for an hour so I shall call you to greet them when they arrive."
The youngsters thanked him, Lydia and Sophie hugged Catherine, and they set off for their rooms.
Freddie, leading the way, turned and grinned." So, trampolining or flying?"
"Can we go to my room?" Lydia suggested. "I think it's time we had a talk with Sophie."
"About why you're… different?" asked Sophie.
Lydia stared at her. "Yes. Why, what have you heard?"
"Nothing," Sophie shrugged. "It's just that you hang out with the teachers, or they seem to be on your side or something. And you know Harry Potter. And there was that time Professor Hagrid said something about 'before you were magical' or something."
They had reached Lydia's room. Lydia opened the door and ushered Sophie through. Lydia glared at Freddie. He shrugged, wide-eyed.
"OK, before we talk, I want to know one thing," Sophie demanded. "Freddie, you've got to tell me and you've got to tell the truth. Did Lydia save my life when Bulstrode and Midgen flew me into the goalpost?"
Freddie grinned. "Oh, yes! And you're right: she would never have told you."
After that they sat Sophie in a chair. Lydia and Freddie sat on the bed facing her and Lydia told the story of how she had come into her powers. She told of the mission to find Alorea Rakissen, how she had been Professor Lee and how they had caught her. She explained how her powers were different and how she seemed not to need a wand, even though hers was particularly fine.
"Wow," Sophie said at last. "And I thought being born a witch and my dad running away was weird."
"I didn't know your dad had run away," said Freddie.
Sophie looked down and gave a nod. "He couldn't handle it when I started doing impossible things. He tried to get the muggle authorities to fix me or lock me up. The Ministry of Magic had to send someone to explain. He got so angry he ended up making them take away his memories of me and mum. And…"
Sophie had to stop. She burst into tears. She sobbed and sobbed. The three of them found themselves kneeling on the carpet in a mutual hug.
Eventually Sophie let go of them and sat back. "I've got mum and Nana, though."
Freddie looked at the girls one after another. "You two have got no daddies. You can share mine any time you want. He's brilliant and he's got ice cream, as well!"
"Oh, Freddie," said Lydia and they all cried and hugged again.
There was a knock at the bedroom door.
Lydia got up and walked to the door. On the other side was Fenton.
She smiled at him. "Hello, Fenton. Why didn't you just apparate into the room?"
He looked shocked. "Miss Lydia didn't call me, Mr Ambrose sent me. It would be rude to appear in your room if you hadn't called me."
"I suppose that make sense," she said wiping her eyes. "Are the guests here?"
"Due any moment, miss," Fenton said. "If you would join the others by the living room fireplace, please?"
Freddie helped Sophie to her feet and the three of them followed Fenton down a flight of stairs and into the living room.
"Ah, not a moment too soon," Ambrose smiled. "Nor, indeed, a moment too late. Here they come."
"Mum!" Freddie squealed, as Penny Fortescue stepped out of a flash of green fire which appeared in the huge living room fireplace.
She stepped out of the way and there was another green flash.
Sophie ran forward. "Nana!" she shrieked, hugging the old lady.
Ambrose gently guided them away from the fireplace to make room for the next visitor, Selina Inkwood. Sophie hugged her, as well. Ferdi Fortescue was the last to arrive, carrying a large sack of presents. Lydia felt a furry form winding around her ankles. She picked Xander up and cuddled him while he rubbed his cheeks on hers.
They all had to take a tour of the house again. Nana Inkwood, whose real name was Kaleisha, became confused. Two rooms could be a hundred metres apart down a straight corridor when you went one way, yet right next to each other on the way back. She was very taken with the ballroom, though. She danced a quickstep with Uncle Ambrose and went into the ball pool for ten minutes with Freddie. By the time they reached the guestrooms they had decided that Fenton, at his suggestion, would accompany Nana whenever she wanted to go anywhere in the house.
After everyone had seen their rooms and had the opportunity to freshen up, they reconvened at the huge table in the breakfast kitchen. The table and, in fact, the room were larger than before. They had a light meal of platters they could pick at. There was hummus and dips with breadsticks, crackers, flatbreads and vegetable crudités for dipping. There were cold meats, pickled vegetables, salads and artichokes. There were spiced lamb or vegetable samosas and a dozen different cheeses. There were coleslaws, bean salads, potato salads and beetroot salads. There were pies, quiches, pithiviers, flans and pastry rolls. They spent the rest of the evening grazing on the food. They swapped stories of different places, different times and different cultures.
Eventually, Ambrose clapped his hands to make an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a toast to the gathering of old friends and new at this festive time. After which I suggest we toddle off to our rooms and partake in a good night's sleep, for I suspect we shall rise early on the morrow."
They toasted and rose to go to their rooms.
"So, if I got this right," said Nana Inkwood. "If I go out this door, across the hall, and up the stairs, I will find my room?"
"My dear Kaleisha," said Ambrose, "if that is where you expect to find it, then the house will make sure that is exactly where it is."
She looked sidelong at Ambrose for a moment. "A house that does as it is told, right?"
Ambrose smiled and nodded.
She grinned. "Hee he he hee! That is exactly how a house should be. I like my houses like I like my men – obedient!"
Freddie was the first of the students to rise on Christmas Day. He wandered around for a while, looking for someone else who was awake. He finally came across Ambrose in the kitchen. The old gentleman was wearing a white apron with pink flowers.
"Ah, my dear Fredlington," Ambrose said, turning to see Freddie. "A very Happy Christmas to you. It appears only you, Fenton and I are awake."
"Merry Christmas, Ambrose," he said. "That smells nice. What are you making?"
"Ah, well. You have caught me in something of an act of contrition. I suddenly remembered at this unearthly hour of the morning that I had not thought to order a vegetarian dish for you. Rather than give you a bowl of Brussels sprouts I decided, as a penance, to make you a mushroom, nuts and cranberry Wellington. This is the filling."
"Wow!" Freddie enthused. "That sounds spectacular, and it smells amazing."
"A friend taught me it some years ago. I enjoyed it immensely. I do hope it turns out well. I'm not sure the presentation will rank as 'spectacular' but I will do my best."
Freddie thought for a while. "It doesn't really matter how it turns out, sir. Just to have someone remember that I'd prefer vegetarian and take the trouble to make something for me is a Christmas present."
Ambrose smiled. "People are important in life, good people are doubly important and good friends are paramount. You have been an exemplary friend to Lydia. So, I believe it is important for me to honour, in this small way, the manner in which you have supported her. It is my way of saying 'thank you' to make this myself, rather than ask Fenton to do it."
Freddie nodded. "She's really important to you, isn't she? Lydia, I mean."
"Yes, Freddie. She is. One day I shall tell you why. But today is Christmas. If you will keep me company while I prepare this filling, then we shall go to rouse those slugabeds together. The pastry work needs to wait until we are cooking dinner."
A few minutes later Ambrose had finished. They went to make a nuisance of themselves and wake the girls. While the girls were getting ready, Freddie showed Ambrose his trampoline. Lydia and Sophie found the two of them practising somersaults. Ambrose was surprisingly good for an older fellow, but no less embarrassing to Lydia for his skill. By the time they reached the breakfast kitchen Catherine, Penny and Ferdi were there and having coffee. Nana Inkwood was drinking rum and coconut water and professing that there were no rules on Christmas Day, other than enjoying oneself. Ambrose heartily agreed and joined her.
Christmas proceeded with the exchange of gifts in the living room. The room had acquired a Christmas tree and a comprehensive array of decorations. These were the result, Ambrose admitted, of Fenton's efforts, not his. The Free Elf joined them in the living room for a while. He received a warm winter coat from Catherine and a superbly gaudy waistcoat from Ambrose. It was more than the elf had expected and he became rather tearful. Fenton had baked gingerbread caricatures of each of the others, as presents. They were surprisingly recognisable and everyone applauded his artistic skill. Fenton became tearful again.
Xander and Elsa had joined the gathering early on, mostly to demand food. After eating they had retired to their daybeds up in Lydia and Sophie's rooms. As the humans had a breakfast of mince pies, they told tales of Christmases they had enjoyed over the years. Ambrose and Nana Inkwood told increasingly preposterous stories of their respective childhoods. This culminated in Ambrose telling how he had once spent Christmas with Pharaoh Amenhotep II. The pharaoh had become embarrassingly drunk on Panehsy's best wine. Nana Inkwood challenged the authenticity of this story. Her gripe was that the pharaohs were around too long ago for there to have been a Christmas. She pointed out that it also meant that Ambrose was older than she was. The very idea of this she dismissed as 'foolishness'. At this point, Ambrose and Fenton had left to prepare Christmas dinner.
As they were leaving there was a ringing of the doorbell. The others heard Ambrose answer the door and welcome someone in. There was some whispering, then Ambrose appeared in the living room doorway.
"I am delighted to announce that we have an extra guest to join us at dinner."
He stepped aside and Professor McGonagall, dressed in green satin robes, stepped into the room. Ferdi and the three students leaped to their feet. Catherine rose less guiltily and welcomed her.
"Minerva! I'm so glad you could make it. Kaleisha, Selina. This is Minerva McGonagall. She is the headteacher at Hogwarts school. Penny, Ferdi. I imagine you know Minerva from your own schooldays?"
"They certainly do," McGonagall said. "And Ferdinand I have seen many times since, in Diagon Alley."
McGonagall joined them and drank a small cup of tea very correctly while they told her of the things they had been doing in the Ward's new house. Ambrose had excused himself to help with the dinner preparations. The others moved to the dining room to be ready for the feast. Xander and Elsa, who had returned only recently, took this as their cue to go somewhere for another nap. They visited the kitchen on the way, in case there were tasty snacks to be had.
Dinner was a success. Fenton had finally relented and sat with them at the dining table "just this once". The mushroom, nuts and cranberry Wellington that Ambrose had made for Freddie was popular. Indeed, it was so popular that Fenton duplicated the remaining half of the first one so that they could all try some. The meal went on for a considerable time. Those still able to stay awake afterwards played party games, admired their presents, and told more tall tales. Those who had taken to napping joined them when they were able. Penny and Ferdi Fortescue left to return home mid-evening. They had other celebrations planned with family and friends. Freddie was torn between wanting to go with them and longing to stay. In the end, schoolmates and the trampoline won and he said goodbye to his parents.
Those still present settled down by the living room fire with drinks. Ambrose gave a wholly unreliable account of his childhood as a member of the Baker Street Irregulars. They were a group of street urchins who helped Sherlock Holmes with gathering information about his cases. Lydia was sure the tales included characters created by Charles Dickens and Phillip Pullman. But it was all very entertaining and nobody complained. The evening ended with Selina telling a ghost story, with frequent corrections and additions by her mother. It seemed odd to Lydia to hear ghost stories now that she actually knew several ghosts on a first-name basis. She managed to get into the atmosphere of it after a while. By the end of the story she, Sophie and Freddie were huddled together under a throw from one of the sofas.
The end of the ghost story became the signal for the youngsters to retire for the night. They said their farewells and left, going straight to bed.
5