Harry Potter, Heir of Gryffindor

Hagrid's Christmas

When Harry awoke the next morning it was already fairly light out. Even though he couldn't see very well without his glasses he could tell, from the view from the Wizarding Window in his bedroom, that the sky seemed to be overcast and, if he wasn't mistaken, it was snowing lightly. "Well good morning, sleepy head," Ginny said from the entrance to his bedroom.

Harry scrambled and grabbed his glasses off the dresser next to his bed and quickly put them on. As his world came into focus he looked over at Ginny who was laughing at his antics. "How'd you get in here?" he asked sternly.

Ginny laughed and shook her head as she walked over and sat on the bed next to him. "Ron let me in. I gave Dobby and Winky the morning off so I could fix your breakfast and we could talk."

"About what?"

"About us."

"Us?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Yes, silly," Ginny said, smiling. "We are, after all, soul mates. And if Albus thinks that we have somehow combined forces to create something Tom can never destroy then I think we at least owe it to ourselves to explore a few of the possibilities."

Harry swallowed hard and began to blush profusely as his eyes grew wide. Hoping she wasn't suggesting what he thought she was suggesting he said, "Er . . . uh . . . um, okay. But can I take a shower and get dressed first?"

Ginny laughed as she stood up. "Of course you can, silly." Then bending down she kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Don't worry, Harry. I wasn't thinking about exploring those possibilities. Although I must admit that if things keep going the way they are I might be open to exploring a few of those possibilities after I graduate."

Harry let out a sigh of relief and collapsed back into his bed.

Ginny laughed again as she stood up. "Twenty minutes, Harry. Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes so I suggest you get a move on."

Harry groaned but as soon as Ginny had left the room he got up and stumbled to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later Harry walked into the kitchen area of his trunk and sniffed the air. "Smells great," he said. "What's for breakfast?"

Ginny jumped slightly then turned to face her boyfriend. "Eggs Benedict. Winky made the sauce but left the rest to me."

Harry walked over to stand beside her and looked down at the eggs as they reached the point of perfection. "Ah, yes." He sighed deeply. "Much as I despised doing it, this was the Dursley's Sunday morning ritual and one of the few meals I enjoyed preparing."

"I didn't know you could cook," Ginny said, turning to look at Harry with newfound interest.

Harry chuckled. "Oh yeah. I can cook. In fact, if nothing else, once I graduate I could always become a chef."

"You think you're that good, eh?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm nowhere near as good as your mum but I can cook well enough.

"Then dinner is on you," Ginny said with a mischievous smile. I'll give Dobby and Winky the rest of the day off and you can fix dinner."

Harry backed away from the counter with a horrified look on his face. "What? You've got to be kidding! Me? Cook dinner? Oh no. Not on your life."

Ginny flashed her puppy-dog eyes at Harry and stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "Its only once a week, Harry. I'll take Saturdays and you can take Sundays. We'll let Dobby and Winky have the weekends off and we can use those days to improve our cooking and baking skills."

"But . . . but . . . Oh, alright. But you had better watch the eggs because I think they are about done."

Ginny jumped and turned back to the Wizarding Range. When the eggs were finished she placed them on the plates, poured the steaming sauce over them and carried them to the table while Harry poured the juice.

"You know," Ginny said as she seated herself at the small kitchen table, "she's your mum too."

Harry looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"Well," Ginny said as if stating the obvious, "since they did adopt you, you are now a part of the family so you can call her 'Mum' now too."

Harry though about this for a moment then said. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But only at family gatherings and only around those who need to know, at least until Tom is defeated."

Ginny smiled to herself then nodded. "Alright then. But when its just you and me she is definitely 'Mum.' I want you to get used to saying it because now that we are soul mates I have a feeling you are going to be saying it for a very long time. And you are most definitely going to be taking cooking lessons from her next summer."

"Hey!" Harry said, taking mock offense. "I'm not that bad! And besides, you haven't even tasted any of my cooking yet."

Ginny giggled. "No, I haven't. But it would be a great bonding experience for the two of you. And you could help dad with all of his muggle contraptions."

"You have this all planned out don't you?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Mm hmm." Ginny nodded. "You're a part of the family, now, Harry, so you had better get used to it."

Harry groaned. "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into."

Ginny laughed. "Love, my dear Mister Potter. Love."

For the next two hours Harry and Ginny discussed their relationship and where they saw it going. It was agreed that, since they wanted to spend as much time as possible together, Ginny would move some of her clothes - mainly her dress and battle robes - into one of the closets in the bedroom and that one of the dressers would become hers as well. She would still sleep and bathe in the fifth-year girls' dormitory but she would spend most of her time, outside of class, in Harry's trunk. Harry was a little hesitant at first because he wanted her to have other friends but eventually gave in.

At around 1:30 in the afternoon they heard someone knock on the lid of the trunk and then heard Ron's voice calling out, "Oi, Harry! You in there?"

Harry stepped out into the sitting room and yelled up at the ceiling. "Yeah, Ron. We're here. Come on down."

When Ron opened the lid he looked around curiously. "Whose we?"

"Me, brother dear," came Ginny's voice from the kitchen area. "We gave Dobby and Winky the day off so I fixed Harry breakfast and he is preparing my dinner."

Ron shook his head and chuckled. "You had better watch it, Harry. Before long she will have you tied to the stove."

Harry glanced over at Ginny then looked back up at Ron. "Only on the weekends, Ron." Ron looked at him quizzically. "Dobby and Winky get the weekends off," he explained. "Ginny is going to do the cooking on Saturdays and I and going to do it on Sundays."

With a look of utter confusion on his face he turned around and climbed down the ladder. When he was safely down Harry led him into the kitchen. "So what's up?" Harry asked.

Sitting down with his back to the window Ron looked at his best friend and little sister and shook his head. "Soul mates," he said with amazement. "Albus explained it to the rest of the family this morning. You two really must love each other to use that kind of magic."

"We do," Harry and Ginny said in unison.

"Mum said it was the only way I could save her and it is a commitment I will never regret."

"You saw your mum?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded his head. "She appeared to me just before you and Neville landed and told me that it was the only way."

Ron laughed nervously. "Don't get me wrong, Harry. Its just that I've never had an experience like that."

Harry stood up and went to the refrigerator for a butterbeer for his best friend. "Don't worry, Ron," he said turning around after closing the door. "I understand."

Accepting the bottle Ron popped the top and took a drink then said, "Thank you. Oh, and that reminds me, I want to thank you for what you said to 'Mione's parents yesterday. Your timing could not have been more perfect."

"Were they really thinking about pulling her out of school?" Ginny asked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah," he said sadly. "I can't say as I really blame them because they really do love her but this is the safest place for her right now. I think Albus is talking to them about going into hiding until the war is over."

Harry chewed on his lower lip for a few seconds as he considered this news then decided to change the subject. "So who won the rematch last night?" he asked.

Ron smiled. "I did," he said, puffing out his chest. "It was close but I beat him."

Harry and Ginny both laughed.

"That brings up something else I wanted to ask," Ron said. "What time did you guys finally get in last night?"

"Sometime after three, I think. Why?"

"Just curious. Since you guys are soul mates I really can't say anything but I am kind of curious about what you were doing all night."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing, Ron. We didn't do anything. We just sat around the kitchen table with Bill, Charlie, Fleur, Remus and Tonks and talked."

"What'd you talk about?"

"Oh," Harry said with a slight yawn. "We're trying to find a curse that will make Tom pay for all of the pain and suffering he has caused."

Ron was taken slightly aback by this revelation and sat back in the chair. "Do you think it's possible?"

Harry nodded. "He's got my blood coursing through his veins so he is subject to the same laws I am. All we have to do now is figure out some way of using it against him."

"Have you come to any conclusions yet?"

"All we know for sure is that it is going to have to be a very powerful and very ancient piece of magic, possibly along the same lines as the charm Remus, 'Mione and I developed last summer. We also know that it is going to have to be unbreakable because I don't want him to ever be able to escape from it.

"Bill and Fleur are going to work on it in London and consulting with some of their friends while we work on it from this end. I know you and 'Mione already have your hands full but I'd sure appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes every once in a while."

Smiling, Ron stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. "Sure thing, Harry. Say, have you got your homework done yet?"

Harry grinned and Ginny shook her head. "Yes, Ron," Harry said knowingly. "I did it on the first two days of holiday. Why? Haven't you finished yours yet?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron said quickly. "Well, almost. I've still got a little work to do on my Charms essay but it shouldn't be too hard."

"Maybe you should go talk to Fleur," Harry said. "She probably knows more about charms than anyone here, except for Flitwick of course."

"Do you think she would be willing to help?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It never hurts to ask."

Twenty minutes later they met up with Hermione, Neville, Luna, Remus, Tonks and Charlie in the Weasley compound and began making their way down to Hagrid's Cabin with a large, leather-bound photo album with a picture of Norbert belching flames while in flight over the dragon camp framed on the front cover. Worked into the leather above the picture was "Hagrid's" and below the picture was "Norbert." Ginny sighed happily when she saw it and exclaimed, "Oh, Charlie, it's beautiful! Hagrid will love it!"

Charlie smiled and glanced over at Harry who was smiling as well. "That's the idea, Gin. Hagrid doesn't really have any family outside of Hogwarts and it's always nice to know that you are appreciated."

Five minutes later the nine were standing in front of Hagrid's cabin, Charlie hiding the photo album beneath his cloak while Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Tonks struggled to keep straight faces. Remus was standing quietly in the background while Harry knocked on the door. They waited and listened as Fang jumped up and start barking as he skittered across the floor and Hagrid scraped his chair back and lumbered across his one room mansion while telling Fang to be quiet. "Ge' down, Fang! Back, back! Wha' ye mean barkin' at any one wha' comes by fer a visit? Down I tell ye! Ge' down!"

When Hagrid opened the door Hermione was the first. "Happy Christmas!" she chirped.

Hagrid's face broke into a full, open-faced smile, his black eyes sparkling and his cheeks swelling with pride. "Well, 'appy Christmas to you too!" he laughed. "Come in! Come in!"

Holding Fang back with one hand and opening the door with the other the large half-giant ushered the nine visitors into his humble abode. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna sat on the edge of Hagrid's long bed while Harry and Charlie took the two vacant chairs and Remus and Tonks stood in the corner by the fireplace. As soon as he closed the door Hagrid turned loose of his large, black boarhound who immediately walked over and started sniffing Harry's chest and slobbering on his robes. "I'll never un'erstan' it," Hagrid said jovially. "Yer th' on'y one 'e does tha' to, 'arry. D' ye thin' me'be 'e likes ye?"

Looking down at Fang who was trying to lick his face Harry tried to back away but only succeeded in tilting precariously back on the chair's back legs. He would have fallen back if Charlie hadn't jumped up and caught the back of his chair. In the process, however, Hagrid's Christmas present slipped out from under his cloak and fell to the floor. "'ere, Fang," Hagrid scolded. "Go lay down." As the large boarhound plodded over to his basket in the corner by the door Hagrid noticed the photo album. "'Ere now, wha's tha'?"

"This," Charlie said as he knelt down to pick up the album, which had mercifully landed face down, "is your Christmas present. It's from all of us but it was actually Harry's idea."

Hagrid looked over at Harry and smiled. Then, looking back at Charlie and over at the others, smiled even more broadly. "'Ere now, ye shouldn' o' done tha'."

"But we wanted to," Hermione said happily.

"And you haven't even seen what it is yet," Ron added.

Hagrid looked around at all of the smiling faces then looked back at Charlie who was holding the book to his chest. "Well then, le's see wha' ye go' there, Charlie."

Charlie laid the leather bound volume on the table, turned it around and slid it across to Hagrid. Hagrid's eyes flew open when he saw the cover and his dark, bushy eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair. "Norbert!" he cried. "I ne'er though' I'd see 'im again! Than' ye, than' ye, than' ye!"

Harry smiled so broadly at Hagrid's reaction to seeing the photo album that his cheeks actually hurt. And the approving nods from his friend let him know that they thought he had made the right decision as well.

The next several hours were spent going through the photo album and listening to Charlie tell stories about Norbert's life on the preserve and how he had grown to be one of the camp's best flyers. Hagrid was as proud as any father could be and his eyes brimmed with tears of happiness and joy several times that afternoon. And when they turned to the last picture in the album Hagrid laughed out loud and pulled Harry, Ron and Hermione into one of his infamous bone crushing hugs that made Mrs. Weasley's hugs feel like a light pat on the back. The picture had been taken in the afternoon of their second day in Romania and showed Harry, Hermione and Ron standing in front of Norbert who had lowered his head to hover just above and behind the trio. Harry was standing casually on one end, calmly waiving with one hand while firmly holding Hermione in place with the other; Hermione was in the middle smiling pleasantly but occasionally glancing nervously over her shoulder at Norbert; and Ron was standing on Hermione's other side, one arm securely linked with Hermione's to prevent her escape. In the picture Ron was laughing, smiling and waiving as if posing for a picture while standing in front of a fully-grown, fire breathing Norwegian Ridgeback was a daily event.

That night Harry prepared a sumptuous dinner with a small loaf of freshly baked whole wheat bread, two steaming bowls of homemade vegetable soup and an expertly filleted Red Salmon. Ginny watched in amazement as Harry prepared the meal without using any magic and complimented him on his expertise. When she asked him why he wasn't using any magic he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I learned to cook the muggle way and, as Albus once said, old habits die hard."