OLD MAGIC

Chapter 25: A Fabulous Christmas

Through the partly open curtains, brilliant sunshine heralded the beginning of a beautiful, yet cold day. It's light fell across the sleeping figure. Harry blinked his eyes open sleepily, wincing at the bright light until he realized what day it was. With a broad smile, he reached for his glasses, threw off his bedding and got up. Running to the bathroom, he paused long enough to knock hard on Draco's door and shout, "It's Christmas Day! Get up!"

Inside the quiet room, Draco bolted up in bed, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked around wildly before his brain caught up and reminded him he was safe and it had been someone shouting that had rudely awakened him. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, he yawned and stretched before pushing his blanket off.

He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment just thinking. How strange and wonderful it is to wake up in a house that smells and sounds so warm and inviting, he thought, bemused. In my house we'd be gotten up by the house elf, served a formal, stiff breakfast, then go to look at the tree the elves put up. There would be only a few brightly wrapped packages under the tree (only about two per person), father didn't hold much with the holidays but did it because it was expected. That always left Draco feeling empty somehow. At school he would listen with envy at all the excited chatter around him about how Christmas was celebrated in all the other houses. Slytherin students weren't so fortunate. Except for a few rare exceptions, his house had only special dark ceremonies to look forward too each year. Christmas was given lip service for appearance sake and was never enjoyable.

Except . . . he dimly recalled a time when he used to thrill at the sight of the Christmas Tree set up in the parlor, gifts piled beneath it and a warm smiling face that urged him to go open them. It had been his mother when he was very young but soon, around his sixth year, the fun and joy ended. Though a tree was still put up and presents were exchanged, the occasion had become a more solemn event always followed by the frightening ceremonies he would attend in the evenings that gave him nightmares.

No, Christmas wasn't something he looked forward to any more but this year, for the first time in so long, it was different.

A broad smile split his face and he jumped to his feet. Putting his robe on, he hurried to the bathroom. Harry was just leaving, grinning from ear to ear. Draco smiled warmly back then ducked into the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, the two boys, dressed in their nice clothes, rushed down the stairs, excitedly. Pushing through the parlor door, they halted at the sight of a huge tree near the windows that looked out over the lake. The tree was magnificent and beautifully decorated. The decorations were handmade and small lit candles had been carefully placed on the ends of many of the upper branches. Beneath the tree was a pile of brightly wrapped packages.

"Oh wow! It's fantastic!" Harry shouted, running forward to hug his foster parents.

Standing near the fireplace with a hot drink in his hand was Snape. He smiled warmly at Draco's happy, excited face. His mind went back to the few times he managed to have Christmas at the Malfoy's manor. It was a cold and uninviting place, the holiday even more so. He went so Draco would have someone else there that cared about him besides his mother even though he couldn't truly show it. Lucius wouldn't stand for the boy to be 'cuddled' as he called it.

Christmas hadn't been a happy time for him either. His own father had been a cruel and vindictive man, not interested in such things as Christmas or any other holiday so they never celebrated. His mother, though, would secretly hold a private Christmas ceremony, just the two of them, in the attic when his father went out to do business neither wanted to know about. He cherished those times. They were all he had of his mother that reminded him of better days. After her sudden death, Christmas only meant pain and fear even after he attended Hogwarts.

Well, not completely . . . Lily Evans always seemed to know when he was sad and mistreated, especially around the holidays, and would make a special effort to do something nice for him. That is, until he did the unforgivable and lost her friendship. That had left an ache in his heart that had never gone away. But when he looked into Harry's green eyes, he could see the woman he had cared so deeply for and was reminded of happier times. It helped his spirit immensely.

His reverie was interrupted by Draco racing over and hugging him warmly. Smiling, he set his cup down on the mantle and returned it.

Draco looked up, unshed tears shimmering in his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Severus!"

"Merry Christmas, Draco," Snape murmured warmly. They hugged a moment longer then Draco went to the tree when Harry called to him.

They dropped to their knees and began reading the packages. Draco found one for Severus and hurriedly raced over to the man.

"Look, there's one for you!" Draco said, pleased and surprised. Snape looked equally surprised as he gingerly took it from the boy who turned and raced back to the tree.

"I wasn't expecting anything . . . " Snape said confused, glancing over at the other adults in the room.

"We couldn't exclude yeu there, Professor. I know the holidays haven't been kind to you so we made sure this one was very special," Hagrid told him, warmly.

Snape felt his cheeks flush with heat. Emotions he kept buried, rose to the surface and threatened to undo him. Swallowing he managed a shaky, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Agatha said. A cry of joy from near the tree drew her attention away.

"It's a laptop!" Draco shouted in amazement. "But how can I use it?" He asked, suddenly deflated as he caressed the shiny surface.

"I have a way," Harry said, smiling mysteriously.

Draco frowned at him in confusion.

Laughing, Harry said, "Hagrid has the internet secretly hooked up in his cabin. Whenever we can get away, we can store and use our laptops there."

Draco's mouth dropped open. "You're joking?"

Harry shook his head. The blond could only shake his head in disbelief. "But, if I'm seen making frequent trips to his cabin . . . "

"You won't," Harry said more seriously. "You more than anyone are too aware of being under constant surveillance especially by your Slytherin classmates. You won't make that mistake and will be very circumspect just as I will be. Remember? That's how we can be friends at school without anyone being the wiser."

"You're right but it's still a huge risk."

"Certainly but life is full of risks. However, you and I have a mission that requires us to continually monitor what's going on in the muggle world."

"Oh! You're right."

"Does that mean I will also be welcome to use your devices?" Snape interjected, his tone partly amused but serious at the same time.

"Of course, Professor. You're part of the team," Harry said, firmly.

Snape bowed his head, thanking the boy. It was a strange feeling to be considered part of such an endeavor by someone he knew. If he and Harry survived the next few years, he had no doubt they would do great things together. He felt humbled by the boy's trust in him.

"Come on Harry, open something . . . " Darius urged, pulling everyone's attention back to the tree.

"Oh sure . . . " Harry searched the packages and picked up several then stood up. "...but first I want to make sure everyone has one . . . " He handed a package each to Agatha, Hagrid and Darius.

They all grinned and very much appreciated Harry's good manners. Soon everyone was opening their packages and oohing and aahing at what they'd received.

Snape tore the paper off to reveal a small casket. Opening it, he stared at the many vials inside. Pulling one out, he read the label and almost dropped it. Hurriedly, he checked all the vials then closed the casket carefully, his face stunned and amazed. Glancing over at Hagrid, he said, "These are the rarest ingredients known to wizard kind. How did you manage to obtain them?"

Hagrid smiled. "With a little help from my friends and family. Weren't hard and we were glad to do it. Yeu may not be the best teacher but yeu are the greatest potion's master alive today. Yeu deserve the best supplies. Let me know if there be anything else yeu need and I'll get it for yeu."

"I . . . thank you . . . no one's ever done something so nice for me before and I'm very grateful," Snape managed to say, overwhelmed by their generosity.

"Yere welcome."

The great morning's start was followed by a terrific breakfast. When everyone was stuffed, it was decided to go outside and work off the great food as well as get the animals fed. No one shirked the chores, not even Draco.

It took about a couple of hours to get their tasks done then all returned inside to have some cocoa. The boys left the adults to go upstairs to Harry's room and play with their new gifts.

Snape enjoyed sitting in the parlor and discussing various topics with Hagrid and Darius. Agatha was busy manning the kitchen preparing for the huge Christmas dinner she was serving that evening. She ordered the house elves to prepare rooms and help her setup for all the guests they were expecting to arrive after lunch and that would be staying until the morrow.

Lunch was a light repast, served in the parlor as the dining room was being used as baking space. Pies, cakes, cookies and other desserts were being laid out on the huge table. Agatha pretended not to see the boys snitch a few cookies later in the day. After lunch, the guests began to arrive.

Harry and Draco went out to greet them. There were two half giants, an elf named Alier, a vampire name Sanguini and his wizard friend Eldred Worple (a small, stout, bespectacled man with a friendly manner), centaurs ... Ronan, Magorian (leader of the centaurs) and Firenze (some time teacher at Hogwarts), three goblins: Ragnok, Gornuk, and Gringott, and, surprisingly, a Veela (who didn't have a name they could understand so everyone called her Vee).

Draco wondered how such an eclectic group could sit down at dinner together but everyone seemed to get along well. But where were all these people supposed to eat dinner at? He got his answer when Harry dragged him out to the huge barn behind the house. Stepping into the space he gaped at the scene before him.

To accommodate their guests, Agatha and Rubeus had converted their large barn into a fantastic Christmas wonderland.

On the cleared floor huge wooden trestle tables had been set up and decorated with beautiful tablecloths, mini-Christmas trees, and china place settings. Chairs had been brought out from the house though at one table there were no chairs to accommodate those that stood to eat. Around the walls, garlands of fresh green with big red bows had been hung filling the air with their pine scent. Another Christmas tree stood at the back wall with more packages beneath it.

"Wow! This is soo cool. The gifts are for the guests?" Draco asked, looking around in admiration.

"Yes . . . "

"Harry!" Agatha's voice sang out from the house.

"Oh . . . she must have something for us to do, " Harry said turning to hurry off for the house with Draco on his heels.

"Ah, there yeu are lad. Here yeu go . . . yeu know what to do," Agatha said handing Harry and Draco two huge bowls a piece. One was filled with seed, fruit, grains of all types and little waterproof bags. The other held raw meat.

As they turned away, Draco frowned down at what he carried. "What's this for?"

Harry gave him a secret smile. "Wait and see." He hurried off toward the lake. Stopping at the shore, Harry set the bowls down then picked up the little bags. Puzzled, Draco copied him.

Harry threw the bags out into the water. The moment they hit, webbed hands reached out and snatched the packages then vanished. He laughed at the expression on Draco's face.

"We always send a treat down to the merfolk. They're friends of the family."

"Oh, that's really nice," Draco said, surprised, then hurled his bags out into the water too. When they were done, he looked down at the bowls. "Now what?"

Harry picked up his bowls and started off. Draco followed as they walked along the shore and reached the edge of the forest. The black-haired boy gave a sharp whistle then dumped the bowl full of dry goods onto the ground. Draco did the same but no one came to the call.

"They won't show up until we're gone. It's for the unicorns and other creatures," Harry told him then put the empty bowl beneath the meat one and took off again. This time he went up the tree line then entered and walked for about ten minutes before halting. Here, in a small clearing, he gave a weird hooting call then dumped the meat on the ground. Confused, Draco did the same.

Harry didn't move or make a sound at first then, suddenly, he raised his hand and made a soft cooing sound but there was nothing there at least nothing Draco could see though Harry was definitely petting something.

"What are you doing and what's eating the food?" He asked seeing meat disappearing from the ground.

"You haven't seen death yet, huh?" Harry asked softly.

"No."

"Only those who have witnessed a death can see a Thestral," Harry explained. "They are gentle creatures and very magical but they don't look pretty. I'll show you a picture of them in my Care of Magical Creatures book. They pull the carriages at Hogwarts besides give rides to those in need."

"Have you ever ridden one?"

Harry smiled. "Yes, many times. It's almost as much fun as riding a broom."

"Wow. I'd loved to do that but not if I can't see one," Draco said, fascinated.

"We'd better be getting back in case mum has something more for us to do," Harry said, picking up his bowls and heading back to the house.

Draco stared as the last piece of meat disappeared, then shook his head and hurried after Harry. This was turning out to be the most fascinating and fun Christmas of his life.

Dinner was an amazing affair. The air was filled with voices talking and the soft strains of Christmas music playing in the background. The conversations were fascinating and interesting to Draco and Snape. They learned many new things and enjoyed some truly amazing food. There were two geese and four turkeys, many types of potatoes and vegetables, and different fruits and other sides.

As for dessert, the Apple Fool might have been amazing but tonight's centerpiece surpassed it and there was no word to describe it. Despite all the pies, cakes, cookies, and other delicacies, the Trifle, a familiar British concoction, took center stage. Agatha Hagrid's special family recipe had made it a glorious burst of flavor and richness in Draco's mouth, something he couldn't remember ever having before. He gave the hostess a blissful look as he spooned another mouthful in his mouth.

Harry was savoring every bite as well. His foster mum had a fantastic way with dessert. It was a wonder he hadn't turned into a blimp from all the good food she'd served him over the years.

"This is to die for!" Darius sighed as he finished his helping. Many a cheerful agreement was added to his comment. Magorian was on his third helping . . . this being his favorite dessert and the reason he loved Christmas with the Hagrid's every year.

Agatha beamed with pleasure at all the happy sounds reaching her ears. Though she had many excellent skills in various areas, cooking was the one she took the most pride in.

Snape shook his head. It looked so amazing that he had to try a little despite his aversion to most sweets. His first bite made his eyes nearly cross with delight. He listened as Agatha explained how the dessert was made to a rapt crowd.

In several crystal bowls, she'd filled the bottoms with sponge cake that had been soaked with a little bit of fire whiskey then added a layer of chopped fruit and gelatin and set it outside to chill. Once it had set, Agatha poured a layer of rich egg custard in then added a thick layer of whipped cream that had been mixed with sugar, ginger and rose water. The top was decorated with tiny bits of chopped apples, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries then sprinkled with colored sugar that sparked and danced on each bowl. It was dazzling.

After everyone had finished, the house elves cleared the tables with a snap and the gifts for the guests were handed out. Harry did the honors with Draco willingly carrying the packages for him.

A round of drinks followed, as well as some dancing and fancy displays of magic by several of the guests in thanks for the food and gifts. The centaurs and elves brought Harry gifts as well. He received a new bow with arrows and a sword and knives.

Draco eyed them in amazement. This was the first time he learned that Harry had been taught other forms of defense that didn't include a wand. Considering what Draco had learned the past week, perhaps he should learn such things too. Maybe he could get Harry to teach him. He'd keep that in mind when they were alone again.

The day drew to a close and a beautiful moon rose in the sky casting its light on the lake. Some of the guests went home while others sought the comfort of the lodgings Agatha had set up for them.

As Draco went to bed at last, he couldn't help but sigh and smile. This had been the most wonderful Christmas he'd ever had in his life. He was grateful to Harry for giving him such a fantastic gift. He would never forget it. He doubted his Godfather would forget it either.