Thanks for your reviews, O'Malley the Alley Cat and dreamcatcher386!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
I'll admit that this chapter isn't the best that I've written so far, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. The next chapter should be better. :-)
~*~
A few days later, it was Christmas morning, or afternoon, rather. Harry and Mark had fallen asleep on a couple of couches in the common room the night before, so when they both woke up, they were still in their clothes from the day before. Harry yawned and stretched.
"Afternoon, cousin," Harry said. "Merry Christmas!" Harry sat up.
"Merry Christmas, Harry," said Mark, also sitting up.
Next to the couches that Harry and Mark had slept on lay a pile of presents.
"Well," said Mark, eyeing his pile of gifts, "let's get started on opening these."
Harry lit a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mark began to open their presents.
Harry reached for the present at the top of his pile of gifts, which was from his best friend Ron, and opened it, which revealed a box of Weasley's Wildfire Whiz bangs. Harry smiled and put these aside, and reached for the next gift, which was from his other best friend, Hermione. She had given Harry a book called Advance Defensive Spells for Young Wizards. Harry thought that it would very useful as he put it aside and reached for the next present.
"Cool!" Mark suddenly exclaimed, who had just opened his present from Harry. "Thanks! IÕve always wanted to read Lord of the Rings! I've heard that they're very good! Thanks!"
Harry smiled. "You're welcome."
By the time that Harry and Mark were done opening their presents, Harry had opened gifts from Tonks (a book called International Quidditch Teams), Lupin (a knife that could undo any lock, and untie any knot, like the one that Sirius had given him a couple of years before), Dumbledore (a book about Occlumency), and from Mrs. Weasley, he received the usual sweater (red and gold, with a Gryffindor lion on it) and homemade sweets. He didnÕt receive anything from Luna, which he thought was a little strange, but he put it at the back of his mind.
"Good presents?" Mark asked.
"Yeah. My friend Ron gave me some fireworks," said Harry.
"Cool."
"Hey," said Harry, "Maybe tonight before we go to bed, I can set some of these off outside as a kind of fireworks display."
"That'd be great!" said Mark with excitement. "Would the teachers who are left watch it?"
"Of course."
Harry and Mark finished talking so that they could get dressed in fresh clothes. Harry put on a pair of jeans and his new sweater, and met Mark down in the common room, who had also received a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, which was green, and some homemade sweets.
"Nice sweater," said Harry to Mark.
Mark smiled. "You too."
Harry and Mark walked down to the Great Hall, which, despite the lack of students and most of the teachers, was decorated as always. There were twelve Christmas trees all along the walls which reached to the ceiling, and they were decorated with live fairies, pop-corn balls, little red bows that wiggled whenever they were touched, and tiny, golden hooting owls. There were boughs of holly strung throughout the Great Hall, and in the middle of the table where Lupin, Dumbledore, Tonks, and Professor Trelawney now sat, there lay a pile of the wizard-crackers.
Harry and Mark walked over to the table, and took the two empty seats in between Lupin and Dumbledore (Harry was sitting next to Lupin).
"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore at the same time that the food appeared on the table (roast turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, and rolls with butter). "I thank you kindly for the Christmas gift you gave to me." DumbledoreÕs eyes twinkled, and he took a bite of his turkey.
"What did Harry get you?" Lupin asked with interest, drinking some of his pumpkin juice.
"I remember telling Harry in his first year, that I would like nothing more than a pair of socks for Christmas-" here Harry blushed "-and he very kindly remembered, and got me a pair of red and gold socks."
Everyone smiled at this.
"What did Harry get you, Remus?" said Professor Trelawney.
"A most ingenious device. A wizard camera that produces the pictures the second you take them."
"That's really neat!" said Tonks, eating about half her mashed potatoes (which wasn't much) in one bite, while Harry reddened with embarrassment even further. "He got me a book on spells to use for tidying up one's house, which, of course, I really needed, seeing as how my house is such a mess all the time."
Harry, Dumbledore, and Lupin laughed loudly at this.
About a half hour went by, with everyone talking, eating, and pulling a Wizard-cracker every now and then, which cause a bang ten times louder that a canon going off to sound.
By the time that everyone was done eating their Christmas lunch and desert, the people at the small, round table in the middle of the Great Hall had a small pile of surprises lying in front of them from the wizard-crackers.
Harry had received a miniature model of a Firebolt that really flew (he now had two of them, and he thought that he and Ron could have races with them), a few Chocolate Frogs, and a Skiving Snackbox. Mark got a few Chocolate Frogs also, and a Wizarding Chess set. Harry agreed to play chess with him, so that Mark could break in his chess pieces.
Dumbledore got a tall green hat, not unlike the one the Cornelius Fudge always wore, and put it on at once. He also got some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which he promptly gave to Harry, and a pair of grey, woolen socks.
From the wizard-crackers, Tonks received an auto-answer quill and some tooth flossing stringmints. Lupin got a goblet that, whenever you asked for a certain drink, appeared inside the goblet, and he also got a nose-biting teacup. Professor Trelawney didn't pull any wizard-cracker, because apparently she was afraid them. Harry wondered at this, but didn't say anything about it.
"Well," said Dumbledore, getting up and gathering his new things in his arms, "Let's all go and enjoy our Christmas today.Ó
Everyone else got up from their seats, and gathered up the things that they had received from the wizard-crackers.
"See you all at dinner!" said Harry, as he and Mark walked out of the Great Hall.
"So, Harry, when we get back to the common room, let's put this stuff away, and then we can play chess," said Mark, as he and Harry walked up the marble staircase in the entrance hall.
"All right," Harry replied. "But after I put my things away, I'm going to get dressed in my pyjammas."
"Why?"
"Well, it's Christmas, and, well, I want to be as comfortable as I can today."
"You're not going to down to dinner like that, though, are you?" Mark said, looking at Harry.
"I was thinking about it."
"You're starting to remind me of Dumbledore."
Harry let out a laugh, and then he smiled.
Harry and Mark finally reached the entrance to the Gryffindor tower, and after they had said the new password ('socks'), the portrait of the fat lady swung open, and Harry and Mark went into the Gryffindor common room, and up the staircase into their dorms.
Once Harry got to his bed, he deposited his new things from the wizard-crackers in the cabinet beside his bed. He then got his pyjammas out of his wardrobe on, took of his robes, and slipped on his pyjammas (blue and grey striped). He put his new sweater from Mrs. Weasley over his night shirt. Then Harry put on a pair of dark grey, fuzzy socks, and slipped on his new, fluffy slippers that he had gotten over the summer (they were green). Harry stretched out his arms, rejoiced at the thought that he had already finished all the homework that had been assigned to him for Christmas break, and he got his chess pieces for wizard chess and headed out of the dormitory.
When Harry got to the common room, he saw that Mark had already set up the chess set, and was now sitting down on a comfortable arm chair. Harry went over to his cousin, and sat down in the arm chair opposite him, and set his chess pieces on the board.
"You ready to play?" Harry said.
"Sure am!" replied Mark.
"Well, all right then."
Harry, who had the white pieces, moved one of his pawns forward a couple of spaces, and the game began.
~*~
It was about a couple hours later, and the game was almost over. Harry's King was being chased around the board by Mark's Queen and Castle, and Mark's King was being pursued by Harry's Knight and Bishop.
"Hey, that's not fair!" said Mark indignantly, for Harry's Knight had just come up unnoticed behind Mark's Queen and taken it down.
"What's not fair?" Harry said with a smile.
"Your winning."
Harry suppressed a snort.
"That's chess for you-"
"Checkmate," said Mark with a smirk.
"Wha-?" Harry's mouth dropped open. "How did you do that?"
"That's chess for you, cousin," Mark said with another smirk. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Well, that was a game well played," said Harry, gathering up his chess pieces. "Let's put our chess pieces away," he added. "And then we can go visit the kitchens, if you want."
"But won't we ruin our dinner?"
"Dinner's in a couple of hours, so I don't think we have anything to worry about," said Harry.
"Oh, all right."
Harry went up to his dorm and put his chess pieces away. He performed a tricky little charm that Hermione had taught him on himself that would keep him warm all day long, no matter how cold it got outside. He went down again into the common room and waited a few minutes for Mark. Mark finally came down, and he and Harry set off for the kitchens.
"Aren't you cold, Harry?" said Mark, shivering.
"No. Hermione taught me a charm that would keep me warm all day, despite the temperature. I'll perform the charm on you, if you want."
"Thanks, that'd be great."
Harry did the Warming Charm for Mark, and they reached the kitchens in no time at all, for they had raced eathother.
Harry went up to the painting of the fruit, and tickled the pear. A door appeared, and Harry opened it, and he and Mark went inside the kitchen.
Harry and his cousin stayed in the school Kitchens for about a half hour, chatting with Dobby and some of the other house-elfs, and all the while eating food that the house-elfs brought them.
"I really like those house-elfs," said Mark, as he and Harry headed towards the Great Hall for dinner, "I want to get one for myself."
"Well," said Harry, "You practicall will have one for yourself, seeing as how we"re going to be living here, because of..." Harry fell silent. He didn't really want to bring up the fateful night where all those people had died. Harry pushed the thought to the back of his mind, and he remained silent the rest of the way to the Great Hall.
Harry was slient as he sat down to dinner in his usual spot next to Professor Lupin.
"Nice pyjammas, Harry," said Tonks. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Why so quiet, Harry?" Lupin asked.
Harry sighed. "I'm still sad over what happened that night when McGonagall and Snape, well, you know..." Harry trailed off as the food appeared on the table and everyone began to eat.
"I still feel sad about it to," Lupin said, as he put some mashed potatoes and gravy on Harry's plate for him. "But they would have wanted us to enjoy this."
Harry smiled. "Like Sirius would have wanted us to enjoy this."
Lupin smiled too. "Yes, Harry, like Sirius."
Harry remained in a thoughtful silence all throughout dinner. When everyone was done eating, Dumbledore stood up.
"I hope you have all had a good Christmas," he said. "And I hope that you have all gotten what you wanted."
Harry instantly remembered the fireworks.
"Er...Professor?" Harry said. Dumbledore looked at him. "I got some fireworks for Christmas, and I was just wondering if any of you here-" Harry looked around the table, "-if any of you here would be interested in watching a fireworks display before we all go to bed."
"Are you sure you wonÕt be cold in your pyjammas?" Dumbledore asked, smiling, with a twinkle in his eye.
Harry smiled. "Hermione taught me a charm that would keep me warm. no matter how cold it is."
"Most ingenious," said Dumbledore. "Well, let's go outside!"
Harry summoned the box of Weasley's Wizard Wildfire Whiz-bangs from his dorm, and he followed Dumbledore, Lupin, Mark, and Tonks (Professor Trelwaney had remained in her tower) outside and down to the Quidditch Pitch where he would set off the fireworks.
~*~
Now go to the little purple box that says 'review' and click the little purple button that says 'go'. :-)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
I'll admit that this chapter isn't the best that I've written so far, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. The next chapter should be better. :-)
~*~
A few days later, it was Christmas morning, or afternoon, rather. Harry and Mark had fallen asleep on a couple of couches in the common room the night before, so when they both woke up, they were still in their clothes from the day before. Harry yawned and stretched.
"Afternoon, cousin," Harry said. "Merry Christmas!" Harry sat up.
"Merry Christmas, Harry," said Mark, also sitting up.
Next to the couches that Harry and Mark had slept on lay a pile of presents.
"Well," said Mark, eyeing his pile of gifts, "let's get started on opening these."
Harry lit a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mark began to open their presents.
Harry reached for the present at the top of his pile of gifts, which was from his best friend Ron, and opened it, which revealed a box of Weasley's Wildfire Whiz bangs. Harry smiled and put these aside, and reached for the next gift, which was from his other best friend, Hermione. She had given Harry a book called Advance Defensive Spells for Young Wizards. Harry thought that it would very useful as he put it aside and reached for the next present.
"Cool!" Mark suddenly exclaimed, who had just opened his present from Harry. "Thanks! IÕve always wanted to read Lord of the Rings! I've heard that they're very good! Thanks!"
Harry smiled. "You're welcome."
By the time that Harry and Mark were done opening their presents, Harry had opened gifts from Tonks (a book called International Quidditch Teams), Lupin (a knife that could undo any lock, and untie any knot, like the one that Sirius had given him a couple of years before), Dumbledore (a book about Occlumency), and from Mrs. Weasley, he received the usual sweater (red and gold, with a Gryffindor lion on it) and homemade sweets. He didnÕt receive anything from Luna, which he thought was a little strange, but he put it at the back of his mind.
"Good presents?" Mark asked.
"Yeah. My friend Ron gave me some fireworks," said Harry.
"Cool."
"Hey," said Harry, "Maybe tonight before we go to bed, I can set some of these off outside as a kind of fireworks display."
"That'd be great!" said Mark with excitement. "Would the teachers who are left watch it?"
"Of course."
Harry and Mark finished talking so that they could get dressed in fresh clothes. Harry put on a pair of jeans and his new sweater, and met Mark down in the common room, who had also received a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, which was green, and some homemade sweets.
"Nice sweater," said Harry to Mark.
Mark smiled. "You too."
Harry and Mark walked down to the Great Hall, which, despite the lack of students and most of the teachers, was decorated as always. There were twelve Christmas trees all along the walls which reached to the ceiling, and they were decorated with live fairies, pop-corn balls, little red bows that wiggled whenever they were touched, and tiny, golden hooting owls. There were boughs of holly strung throughout the Great Hall, and in the middle of the table where Lupin, Dumbledore, Tonks, and Professor Trelawney now sat, there lay a pile of the wizard-crackers.
Harry and Mark walked over to the table, and took the two empty seats in between Lupin and Dumbledore (Harry was sitting next to Lupin).
"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore at the same time that the food appeared on the table (roast turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, and rolls with butter). "I thank you kindly for the Christmas gift you gave to me." DumbledoreÕs eyes twinkled, and he took a bite of his turkey.
"What did Harry get you?" Lupin asked with interest, drinking some of his pumpkin juice.
"I remember telling Harry in his first year, that I would like nothing more than a pair of socks for Christmas-" here Harry blushed "-and he very kindly remembered, and got me a pair of red and gold socks."
Everyone smiled at this.
"What did Harry get you, Remus?" said Professor Trelawney.
"A most ingenious device. A wizard camera that produces the pictures the second you take them."
"That's really neat!" said Tonks, eating about half her mashed potatoes (which wasn't much) in one bite, while Harry reddened with embarrassment even further. "He got me a book on spells to use for tidying up one's house, which, of course, I really needed, seeing as how my house is such a mess all the time."
Harry, Dumbledore, and Lupin laughed loudly at this.
About a half hour went by, with everyone talking, eating, and pulling a Wizard-cracker every now and then, which cause a bang ten times louder that a canon going off to sound.
By the time that everyone was done eating their Christmas lunch and desert, the people at the small, round table in the middle of the Great Hall had a small pile of surprises lying in front of them from the wizard-crackers.
Harry had received a miniature model of a Firebolt that really flew (he now had two of them, and he thought that he and Ron could have races with them), a few Chocolate Frogs, and a Skiving Snackbox. Mark got a few Chocolate Frogs also, and a Wizarding Chess set. Harry agreed to play chess with him, so that Mark could break in his chess pieces.
Dumbledore got a tall green hat, not unlike the one the Cornelius Fudge always wore, and put it on at once. He also got some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which he promptly gave to Harry, and a pair of grey, woolen socks.
From the wizard-crackers, Tonks received an auto-answer quill and some tooth flossing stringmints. Lupin got a goblet that, whenever you asked for a certain drink, appeared inside the goblet, and he also got a nose-biting teacup. Professor Trelawney didn't pull any wizard-cracker, because apparently she was afraid them. Harry wondered at this, but didn't say anything about it.
"Well," said Dumbledore, getting up and gathering his new things in his arms, "Let's all go and enjoy our Christmas today.Ó
Everyone else got up from their seats, and gathered up the things that they had received from the wizard-crackers.
"See you all at dinner!" said Harry, as he and Mark walked out of the Great Hall.
"So, Harry, when we get back to the common room, let's put this stuff away, and then we can play chess," said Mark, as he and Harry walked up the marble staircase in the entrance hall.
"All right," Harry replied. "But after I put my things away, I'm going to get dressed in my pyjammas."
"Why?"
"Well, it's Christmas, and, well, I want to be as comfortable as I can today."
"You're not going to down to dinner like that, though, are you?" Mark said, looking at Harry.
"I was thinking about it."
"You're starting to remind me of Dumbledore."
Harry let out a laugh, and then he smiled.
Harry and Mark finally reached the entrance to the Gryffindor tower, and after they had said the new password ('socks'), the portrait of the fat lady swung open, and Harry and Mark went into the Gryffindor common room, and up the staircase into their dorms.
Once Harry got to his bed, he deposited his new things from the wizard-crackers in the cabinet beside his bed. He then got his pyjammas out of his wardrobe on, took of his robes, and slipped on his pyjammas (blue and grey striped). He put his new sweater from Mrs. Weasley over his night shirt. Then Harry put on a pair of dark grey, fuzzy socks, and slipped on his new, fluffy slippers that he had gotten over the summer (they were green). Harry stretched out his arms, rejoiced at the thought that he had already finished all the homework that had been assigned to him for Christmas break, and he got his chess pieces for wizard chess and headed out of the dormitory.
When Harry got to the common room, he saw that Mark had already set up the chess set, and was now sitting down on a comfortable arm chair. Harry went over to his cousin, and sat down in the arm chair opposite him, and set his chess pieces on the board.
"You ready to play?" Harry said.
"Sure am!" replied Mark.
"Well, all right then."
Harry, who had the white pieces, moved one of his pawns forward a couple of spaces, and the game began.
~*~
It was about a couple hours later, and the game was almost over. Harry's King was being chased around the board by Mark's Queen and Castle, and Mark's King was being pursued by Harry's Knight and Bishop.
"Hey, that's not fair!" said Mark indignantly, for Harry's Knight had just come up unnoticed behind Mark's Queen and taken it down.
"What's not fair?" Harry said with a smile.
"Your winning."
Harry suppressed a snort.
"That's chess for you-"
"Checkmate," said Mark with a smirk.
"Wha-?" Harry's mouth dropped open. "How did you do that?"
"That's chess for you, cousin," Mark said with another smirk. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Well, that was a game well played," said Harry, gathering up his chess pieces. "Let's put our chess pieces away," he added. "And then we can go visit the kitchens, if you want."
"But won't we ruin our dinner?"
"Dinner's in a couple of hours, so I don't think we have anything to worry about," said Harry.
"Oh, all right."
Harry went up to his dorm and put his chess pieces away. He performed a tricky little charm that Hermione had taught him on himself that would keep him warm all day long, no matter how cold it got outside. He went down again into the common room and waited a few minutes for Mark. Mark finally came down, and he and Harry set off for the kitchens.
"Aren't you cold, Harry?" said Mark, shivering.
"No. Hermione taught me a charm that would keep me warm all day, despite the temperature. I'll perform the charm on you, if you want."
"Thanks, that'd be great."
Harry did the Warming Charm for Mark, and they reached the kitchens in no time at all, for they had raced eathother.
Harry went up to the painting of the fruit, and tickled the pear. A door appeared, and Harry opened it, and he and Mark went inside the kitchen.
Harry and his cousin stayed in the school Kitchens for about a half hour, chatting with Dobby and some of the other house-elfs, and all the while eating food that the house-elfs brought them.
"I really like those house-elfs," said Mark, as he and Harry headed towards the Great Hall for dinner, "I want to get one for myself."
"Well," said Harry, "You practicall will have one for yourself, seeing as how we"re going to be living here, because of..." Harry fell silent. He didn't really want to bring up the fateful night where all those people had died. Harry pushed the thought to the back of his mind, and he remained silent the rest of the way to the Great Hall.
Harry was slient as he sat down to dinner in his usual spot next to Professor Lupin.
"Nice pyjammas, Harry," said Tonks. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Why so quiet, Harry?" Lupin asked.
Harry sighed. "I'm still sad over what happened that night when McGonagall and Snape, well, you know..." Harry trailed off as the food appeared on the table and everyone began to eat.
"I still feel sad about it to," Lupin said, as he put some mashed potatoes and gravy on Harry's plate for him. "But they would have wanted us to enjoy this."
Harry smiled. "Like Sirius would have wanted us to enjoy this."
Lupin smiled too. "Yes, Harry, like Sirius."
Harry remained in a thoughtful silence all throughout dinner. When everyone was done eating, Dumbledore stood up.
"I hope you have all had a good Christmas," he said. "And I hope that you have all gotten what you wanted."
Harry instantly remembered the fireworks.
"Er...Professor?" Harry said. Dumbledore looked at him. "I got some fireworks for Christmas, and I was just wondering if any of you here-" Harry looked around the table, "-if any of you here would be interested in watching a fireworks display before we all go to bed."
"Are you sure you wonÕt be cold in your pyjammas?" Dumbledore asked, smiling, with a twinkle in his eye.
Harry smiled. "Hermione taught me a charm that would keep me warm. no matter how cold it is."
"Most ingenious," said Dumbledore. "Well, let's go outside!"
Harry summoned the box of Weasley's Wizard Wildfire Whiz-bangs from his dorm, and he followed Dumbledore, Lupin, Mark, and Tonks (Professor Trelwaney had remained in her tower) outside and down to the Quidditch Pitch where he would set off the fireworks.
~*~
Now go to the little purple box that says 'review' and click the little purple button that says 'go'. :-)