A Doggy for Christmas - Advent's Calendar Story 2022
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Remus led the friends into his private rooms and invited them to make themselves comfortable, before he called Lila and asked for ice-cream for the seven of them. Two minutes later, everyone was enjoying a huge bowl of ice-cream with chocolate and cream, while Whisper busied herself over a small bowl with fruits. 'Typically, Remus,' Harry inwardly grinned. 'He really likes chocolate.'
"Now, what do you know about the elective subjects?" Remus looked at them in apparent expectation.
"Divination seems a complete rubbish." Hermione sighed. "But perhaps, it would still be worth trying it out."
"No." Daphne's voice was firm.
"The Weasley twins always make up all kind of fake dreams and stories for their homework. I don't think trying out has any merit." Neville shook his head.
"Care of Magical Creatures is more or less feeding flubberworms," Blaise supplied, causing Harry to stare at his Slytherin friend in disgust.
"So far, your impressions seem to be quite adequate." Remus chuckled. "Muggle Studies won't be of interest for any of you I believe. If Miss Greengrass or Mr. Longbottom had any questions, they could simply ask Harry or Hermione."
"True." Harry nodded.
"Considering that all of you are very studious, I'd recommend Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."
"They should set up more electives," Daphne spoke up, "such as Occlumency or Healing, for example."
Remus smiled. "That is a point you would need to discuss with the headmaster or with Professor McGonagall in her function as the deputy headmistress. I don't know how willing they are to make these kinds of changes though, even if both surely had their merits, especially Healing." He remained pensive for a moment. "If you're interested and your parents agree, you could spend a few weeks together at Harry's and my home during the summer, and we could hire someone to teach you in any subject that interests you."
"Oh, that would be amazing." Hermione was the first to reply with obvious eagerness.
"Thank you so much, Professor," Daphne agreed. "We'll discuss the matter and decide on a subject."
"Cool." Harry smiled, feeling very happy at the prospect of studying something interesting together with his friends.
HP
During the summer holidays, Hermione, Neville, Daphne and Tracey visited Furry House for a few hours each weekday. Only Blaise's mother did not allow her son to participate in their private studies. Using Sirius' connection to the Unspeakables, with whom he occasionally worked together in his position as an Auror, Remus hired two Unspeakables to teach the students during the holidays. Unspeakable Ra taught them Occlumency in turns, while Unspeakable Asclepius taught all five of them together in the fine art of Healing. Harry did not overly like Occlumency, even if he understood that it would be good if he was able to occlude his mind against intrusion from people such as the headmaster or Professor Snape. However, he loved the Healing classes, and he and Daphne decided to try convincing Madam Pomfrey to teach them once school was going to commence again, even if Healing was not an official subject at Hogwarts.
To their relief, with Professor McGonagall's help, they managed to convince Madam Pomfrey to teach Hermione, Daphne, Harry and Neville Healing, and the deputy headmistress assured them that they would even be able to take their OWLs in the subject if they wished to do so.
The four friends still took Ancient Runes and Arithmancy together with Tracey and Blaise. However, as happy as they were with their electives, Hermione still worried that she was missing anything of importance by not taking the other classes as well.
During the first week, she kept questioning their housemates about Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and even Muggle Studies, before Daphne convinced her to let go of the matter.
"I have the impression that you believe to have to make up for being muggleborn," she told Hermione one day. "Rest assured, you're doing well enough in class. With three electives including Healing, we're already studying more than any of our classmates." She remained pensive for a moment. "There's one class you'd really need though," she said, only to add, "And Harry needs it as well, even more than you."
"What might that be?" Harry stared at Daphne in surprise.
The Slytherin girl let out a deep sigh. "Considering that you grew up in the muggle world, I assume that no one has ever told you about customs and traditions of the magical world, in other words all the things that every magical child learns during their childhood. These things are important for you to know as an heir to one of the old houses. Am I right, Neville?"
Their friend smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's true."
"Who could teach us and when?" Harry asked in determination.
Daphne looked at Neville, who shrugged, helplessly. "While we are both quite firm, neither of us has any experience teaching. My mother or Neville's grandmother would both be able to teach you. We could ask Professor McGonagall if, for example, my mother could come to Hogwarts during the weekends to tutor the two of you in private." Turning to Tracey and Blaise, she smirked. "I take it that neither of you is interested in the matter?"
"No, thanks." The two friends smirked.
'They'd need it, too,' Harry thought in surprise, knowing that while Tracey was muggleborn, Blaise was a pureblood, however, grew up with his mother who according to Daphne did not show any behaviour worth of a pureblood witch. "Shall we speak with Remus first?" he suggested.
To the friends' delight, Remus was still teaching Defence this year, and everyone assumed that they had managed to break the curse on the position by changing the name of the class as well as the location of the classroom, the professor's office and his living quarters.
"Only by Christmas, we will know if we really managed to break the curse," Remus had told them.
'He has completely changed, since he was cured from lycanthropy,' Harry thought. 'I only knew him as a werewolf for a short time, but he was much more insecure.'
He was brought back to the present, when Daphne rose from her chair in apparent determination. "Let's speak with him."
HP
Remus was all for it and informed Professor McGonagall about the matter. The two colleagues agreed that it would be the best to use Remus' rooms for the private lessons, so that they did not have to involve Professor Dumbledore in the matter. "Considering how he wronged Harry, I believe that it's for the best to keep the matter private," McGonagall said in obvious displeasure at the headmaster's behaviour towards her little lion.
From that time onwards, Roxana Greengrass, Daphne's mother, and Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother, took turns teaching Harry and Hermione about the traditions of the magical world in Remus' quarters at Hogwarts every Sunday morning. Daphne, Neville and Remus eagerly listened in as well, even if Daphne and Neville were already very firm in the matter. They spent the time cuddling with Whisper on the sofa.
"I like all our electives," Hermione spoke up, when the six friends spent the evening of her birthday in Remus' quarters celebrating, "but our private lessons with Lady Greengrass and Lady Longbottom are the most interesting."
Harry full heartedly agreed.
tbc tomorrow...
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