[A/N: Big shocker coming for anyone who still hasn't figured out that I dislike Ronald Weasley with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. TRIGGER WARNING: slight bullying and assault of male to female.]


Chapter 13: I'll be home for Christmas…

It was two weeks before the end of term and everyone was in high spirits. Word on the student grapevine was that Harry Potter was going to be putting together something special for the last culinary demonstration before they all went home. It was a mark of how much Harry's cooking talents influenced the minds (and stomachs) of the rest of the school when it wasn't uncommon to find clusters of kids of varying years and Houses discussing the latest technique or recipe in depth. A few of the more adventurous had even managed to get permission from Tiny to have their own public workstation to try their hands at making some of the simpler, snack or dessert recipes.


Father,

I am pleased to report that my inclusion into the House of the Lions is producing unexpected yet desirable results. Even as I write this letter, two of my House mates are discussing their family's upcoming plans to invest in several businesses (see attached list). I offer this as a possibility for you to 'get in on the ground floor' as they say. These past three months have been a real eye-opener in that I was wrong to assume that being a Gryffindor was an insult or waste of my time. I have kept up a correspondence with a few acquaintances from the old families still in Slytherin and they have stated that nothing noteworthy has occurred within the 'Snake Pit.'

As you might recall, you instructed me to keep an eye on Harry Potter and potentially recruit him to our views. I can now certify that it would not only be impractical but a foolhardy attempt to do so. Harry Potter has his own agenda and can claim our current Goblin Headmaster/High Inquisitor as in loco parentis and confidant. This is the same Goblin who managed to get Albus Dumbledore ousted from the castle. Additionally Father, Harry Potter has stated that he does not wish to undertake any serious political aspirations at this time, or as he's put, "I'm only eleven. I have plenty of time in the future to make a political name for myself."

That being said, it is another talent of Harry Potter's that should be taken into account for his future political name. He cooks; you read that correctly Father, Harry Potter is a culinary master. I had the opportunity to witness and also sample his cooking demonstrations he puts on every week or so (homework permitting, he says.) I would think that if you were of mind, you should come up and see him in action. You won't regret it.

Your Son and Heir,

Draco


Wednesday 4 December, 1991 During Lunch outside of the kitchens

"Hey! You shouldn't be in there," Pansy admonished Ron Weasley as he stepped through the portrait guarding the entrance to the kitchens. She had made a detour up to the Great Hall for lunch when she spotted the portrait swing open. She saw the red-haired idiot stuffing his pockets with what looked like biscuits and part of a sandwich.

Ron growled at her, his breath rancid and shoved her up against the wall, "You'll keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for ya. 'M tired of being told what to do and what and when I get to eat. If you say anything to anyone about what you've seen here, I'll hunt you down and make you regret it!" He gave her one hard slap to the face and stalked off.


Wizarding Studies class, after lunch

Harry was sitting in his Wizarding Studies class listening and taking notes on how to present oneself in a business setting when Tiny popped in front of him.

"Harry Potter! You must be coming with Tiny! There is being trouble in the kitchens!" She grabbed his hand and popped the two of them out of the room.

When they reappeared, he saw with growing horror that his workstation had been practically torn apart. The now empty cooling cabinets had been wrenched open and one door was hanging from a single hinge. The spice canisters were strewn across the floor and their contents either mashed together or piled high in the sink's drain. There were bits and pieces of food and other ingredients leading away from the station and towards the door. Even the raw ingredients were heavily damaged; a couple of hams looked like they'd even been gnawed on.

Harry sank to his knees with tears in his eyes and a heart-wrenching sob escaped his lips, "Why? Wh…who did this?"

Tiny only shook her head, "We elves is not be knowing. It was like this when the afternoon shift came in to start preparing for dinner."

The portrait door opened as Pomona, Minerva and Daggerclaw came hurrying in; the two women stopped suddenly in shock and gasped. Daggerclaw made a beeline towards his charge; he knelt down and put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mr. Potter. It's not the end of the world and anything broken or stolen can be replaced." Harry solemnly nodded once and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"Who would do this? Why would they do this? I thought everyone loved my cooking show."

Pomona came up to the two of them, "Harry? Was there anything of value in your equipment?"

Harry shook his head forlornly, "No, all the equipment was from the school's supplies. I take my cookbooks with me when I'm done with each show."

"Can you think of anyone who might have a grudge against you?"

Harry silently shrugged and sniffed, "No one I can think of."


Great Hall, twenty minutes later

A school wide assembly was called for to be held in the Great Hall in order to deal with this travesty quickly. The rest of the day's classes were canceled and those who were out on the Quidditich pitch were called in.

Daggerclaw stood upon an elevated platform so he could address the crowd, "A tragedy has occurred today not half an hour ago. Some person or persons decided to destroy Harry Potter's workstation in the kitchens." Loud gasps and shouts of disbelief were heard, "There was extensive damage and nearly all of the edible food was stolen or partially eaten on site. If the guilty party, whoever he, she or they are, would step forward; we can begin the process of understanding their motives. Rest assured to everyone, we WILL find out who performed this heinous deed! If no one comes forward, either with information on who did the act or the guilty party themselves, then there shall not be anymore demonstrations for the foreseeable future." He stood there and glared at all present. No one moved or said anything.

Daggerclaw looked immensely disappointed, "In that case then…" he paused as soon as he saw a trembling hand rise from over at the Slytherin table, "Yes? You have something you wish to share, Miss Parkinson?"

Pansy looked like she was about to shake herself to pieces, she was trembling so much. Her face was pale and her eyes were red rimmed from crying, "Not here. Perhaps in a side room?" Daggerclaw led the girl from the room to a side antechamber. Whispers and muted accusations were heard throughout the Hall as the door closed behind them.

When they returned, Daggerclaw's face betrayed no sign of emotion while Pansy's hands were still shaking as she hurried back to her seat and sat there with her eyes and head down. Millie put her hand comfortingly on her friend's shoulder. At the other end of the table, Ron glared at the girl with murder in his eyes as he stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.


Daggerclaw resumed his position on the lectern platform and cleared his throat, "Will Mr. Ronald Weasley step forward?" A ripple of murmuring spread out amongst the students, some of it laced with words like, 'pig,' 'unconscionable 'or' dead git walking.' Ron looked up from his seat and wiped his mouth of the crumbs from some treat, "Huh?"

"Get up here, Weasley! NOW!" Daggerclaw bellowed angrily.

A Slytherin Seventh year Prefect grabbed the youngest Weasley by his robes and hauled him up to the front of the school.

Daggerclaw glared at the red-haired boy, "You, Mr. Weasley, were witnessed leaving the portrait that guards the entrance with your arms loaded with the very same foods reported to have been stolen from Mr. Potter's cook station. When confronted by the witness you threatened bodily harm. What do you have to say for yourself?" Several eyes swung over to Pansy.

Ron weakly tried to deny any involvement, "Wasn't me. You don't have proof." The Headmaster waved his hand and Ron's pockets emptied themselves onto the floor. Contained within were several handfuls of partially eaten biscuits, a gnawed-on ham steak, and a half empty box of homemade watermelon flavored gummy bears, the box was clearly labeled with Harry's name on the side.

The whole room broke out in angry mutterings and jeers at the red-headed walking stomach. Calls for his expulsion were heard, wadded up parchment was thrown at him and even a couple of hexes were cast. Daggerclaw held up his hands for silence; his face stormy with emotion.

"Ronald Weasley of Slytherin House, for your blatant disregard for other people's property, theft of said property, destruction of school equipment, threatening harm to another student and deliberate lying to the headmaster; you are hereby suspended from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for three months. Now go pack your trunk, your father shall be called."

Severus stood and forcibly escorted Ronald from the Hall. Harry stood and raised his arms to get everyone's attention. When they'd settled, "Given the state of my supplies and workstation, that special menu recipe I had planned and that everyone was looking forward to will no longer be possible." There were moans of despair and calls for the mutilated head of Weasley on a pike, "I know, I know but the elves told me that they can have the equipment repaired in short order and I can easily find a replacement menu using what's still in the main pantry."

The Hall erupted into raucous cheers.


An hour later…

Arthur Weasley stepped out of the floo in the Headmaster's office and dusted himself off. He looked around and took in the Goblin sitting in the chair that Albus had, until recently, occupied. He then saw his youngest son sitting on a chair with the deepest scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. Severus stood quietly behind the chair.

Sighing deeply in frustration, "Headmaster Daggerclaw, Professor Snape. What has he done now?"

"Ronald here broke into the kitchens and destroyed school equipment, stole food belonging to another student, namely Harry Potter; in addition, he lied to my face regarding his actions in front of the entire student assembly and threatened another student who witnessed what transpired. It is my decision that young Ronald is to be suspended from the school for a period of no less than three months. Should at that time, he wishes to return, it will be decided by a panel consisting of myself, the senior teaching staff as well as members of the Board of Directors," Daggerclaw replied. "I have a pensieve loaded with the memory if you care to see it?"

Arthur was staring dangerously at his youngest son before turning and sticking his finger into the pensieve. His eyes glazed over as soon as it was activated; the memory didn't take very long and when he returned to himself, Arthur growled angrily at his youngest son. In his calmest (yet still heavily tinged with anger) voice, he pointed to the floo, "Take your trunk and head home. I will deal with you when I return." Ronald paled and scurried to the floo, dragging his trunk behind him. A spoken word and a rush of green flames later, he was gone. Arthur turned to the other two in the room, "What can…what sort of restitution will be demanded?"

"That remains to be seen. The amount of food that was taken is still largely salvageable, the equipment on the other hand will be need to be evaluated to see how much it will cost to fix or replace. We will send you a bill later. As for the threatened student, she is recovering with her friends."

Before Arthur left, he shook his head and apologized once more for his son's actions, "You know? There are times where I wonder what went wrong with him. I blame my wife for coddling him too much and myself for not cracking down harder on the both of them. I'm also wondering if he's even mine; none of my other children are as food greedy as he is. Headmaster, Professor; I shall see you in three months."

With that said, he flooed out of the office.


Two days later…

The kitchens had been repaired, the food replenished and once again Harry was getting ready to put on a show. He'd made the determination that he wasn't going to stop holding the demonstrations just because of the actions of one greedy boy. If anything, it made Harry (and those who attended) feel closer to one another.

"Hello everyone and welcome to another stomach expanding episode of 'Yes, Harry Potter Cooks!' I wanted to thank everyone here today for your show of solidarity in light of the events two days ago." There was a loud round of applause and cheering. "And I see that we have some guests to the show as well, Minister Cornelius Fudge and Lord Lucius Malfoy. I thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedules, gentlemen. So let's crack on, shall we?"

Harry flipped over the cover hiding the recipe of the week, 'Mini Chicken and Leek Pies.'

"So let's begin shall we? Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the chicken and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about ten minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remember, any pink in the chicken is a risk for salmonella poisoning!"

A couple of kids made gagging sounds. Lucius was surprised to see Draco diligently taking notes.

"Remove the pan from the heat and let the chicken stand in the stock for an additional ten minutes. Remove then chop finely. Reserve about 60 milli-liters of the liquid and discard the rest." Tiny was seen adjusting the charmed mirror to best show off how Harry finely chopped the chicken. Cornelius was stretching a bit to see closer.

"Now, once you've chopped up the chicken, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the leek and celery, stirring until the leek softens. Add the flour and half the thyme (no jokes please, I've heard them all). Cook and keep stirring for one minute. Gradually stir in the reserved liquid and cream until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the chicken and mustard, season to taste. Remove from the heat and cool for about ten minutes."

Harry heard some groaning from the kids who were going to attempt making some lame thyme jokes and cut it off before they could get going. He returned their groans with his signature lop-sided smirk, the girls in the audience mock swooned while the rest giggled.

"Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius and oil up eight holes in each of the two 12-hole deep flat-base muffin pans. Cut sixteen 7cm rounds from the puff pastry and press one round into each of the prepared holes, recombine the remainder of the pastry and re-roll it flat. Spoon one tablespoon of the chicken mixture into each pastry case. Cut sixteen 6cm rounds from the remainder of the pastry and top the chicken pies with the lids. A little tip here, keep a shallow dish of water handy and dip a couple of fingers into it to brush along the seam line of the pastry cups and lids, sealing them closed."

Draco nodded to himself as he scribbled down the tip to making the pies look perfect.

"The last step is to brush the lids with egg yolk, sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds and the remaining thyme. Using a sharp knife, make two small slits in each lid in the shape of an X or something, they will act as vents to let out escaping steam. Bake uncovered for about twenty minutes or until browned lightly. Once they're cooked, pull them out of the oven, let them cool slightly and serve. These pies are great for those busy mornings when you don't have time to stop and sit down for a meal. Just wrap up one or two with a napkin and eat them on the run. The filling can even be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge."

When the timer dinged after twenty minutes, Harry pulled out the trays and let them sit for a minute as he and Tiny lined up little paper napkins across the counter. He used a pair of tongs to scoop out the pies from the pan and placed them on the napkins. Tiny then enlisted the aid of another elf and began distributing the treats.


Cornelius nibbled on the mini pie and nearly lost himself in the tasty sensations. He glanced over to where Lucius was in a similar state, "Lucius? This…this is fantastic! Why didn't we have cooking shows like this when Dumbledore was in charge?"

"You just answered your own question, Minister." All eyes swung to where Harry was standing with a smirk on his face as he swept his hair out of his face. "Our former headmaster was apparently against a great many ideas he didn't hold value with. Besides my cooking shows, he was also the one behind the closure and denial of the third floor ballroom, pool, sauna and exercise rooms according to Daggerclaw. This is something I wanted to speak with you about. You see how popular my shows are yet I'm not qualified as a teacher to be holding these shows. I'm only eleven and it would be beneficial to not only myself but also the future generations of students if we could get a regular class where everyone learns how to cook and do other domestic sort of tasks."

"But Mr. Potter, that's what elves are for," Cornelius commented as he wiped the corners of his mouth and crumpled the napkin.

Harry gestured to a bulk of the students who remained, "Not everyone here is blessed to be able to afford elves. Even the elves that work here in the castle attend my shows because they get to learn something new. According to Tiny, the Head Kitchen Elf, before I arrived they were still using the same tired old recipes from Helga Hufflepuff's time because the headmaster didn't feel the need to experiment yet as you can plainly see, the students and staff here clearly like what they've been eating."

"What sort of new meals have you eaten here that the elves have made?" Lucius inquired.

"Well, just last night we had BBQ chicken pizza, rigatoni pasta with a meat sauce and antipasto salad."

Draco grinned and rubbed his stomach, "That was heaven, wasn't it? I never knew you could do that with pizza."

Lucius' eyebrow quirked up, "When have you had this… pizza before?"

"Here at the castle. I've had pepperoni, sausage, Hawaiian, veggie, dessert…"

"Dessert pizza? What's involved with that?"

Harry chuckled, "It's a chocolate chip biscuit crust topped with melted fudge and sprinkled with chopped soft candies. Throw it in the oven for a couple of minutes to let everything slightly melt and combine then serve warm with a couple dollops of French Vanilla ice cream."

Cornelius grunted, "I think my waistline just expanded from the description alone." Both Harry and Draco laughed lightly.

"Have you had anything from the other students?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder and crossed his arms, "Occasionally. The most adventurous of them had me try out this spiced carrot and sweet potato soup he'd made. It wasn't bad, I like a sharper bite to my seasoning but it was definitely worth sharing on a cold day."


After finishing up in the kitchen, Harry headed back to his dorm to get started on his Potions homework. Meanwhile, Cornelius and Lucius, at the urging of Draco, were escorted by Argus Filch to the third floor to see this newly discovered and in progress renovation ballroom. Both men had their eyes truly opened as they took in the grandeur and overwhelming stunning beauty of the main room. The corridor opened up to a balcony that overlooked the nearly completed restored Grand Foyer. Argus was explaining what they were looking at.

"We only have a couple more touch-ups left to go in here. Just some paint that needs to dry on the left hand mural and install a couple of potted plants. The lighting, the heating and cooling are all done. The acoustics have been checked; there's no annoying echo you usually find in a large vaulted room."

Lucius was stunned silent by what he observed and could only shake his head, "If only this were available in my own time here at school. Just think of the society parties that could be held here. I'd imagine my wife would be most interested in seeing this place."

Argus nodded sagely, "I know, right? That's one of the topics that will be covered by the Wizarding Studies professor. I'm sure your wife would be welcome to visit during the grand opening. Now, if you'll follow me…"


Argus escorted them from room to room, commenting on the little things that still needed doing or remarking to which rooms were completed. When he showed the two statesmen the indoor Roman pool, Cornelius was nearly overwhelmed.

"Who is paying for all this? The scope and incredible quality can't have been cheap."

Argus shrugged a shoulder, "Not my department. My job is merely to oversee the elvish construction crews and keep the students from getting in here before the official ribbon cutting."

"All told, how long before you think everything will be ready for the ribbon cutting?"

Argus crossed his arms and thought about it, "I think that at this current pace, we can have it all done by the time the students come back from the Yule break."


Headmaster Daggerclaw's office

Lucius was sitting in one of the richly padded chairs sipping on a glass of firewhiskey that had been offered to him after he and Cornelius arrived to discuss the school's finances with Daggerclaw. It never failed to amaze him just how used to the way things were done when Dumbledore had been in charge. This Goblin was like a breath of fresh air in comparison and the irony wasn't lost on him as well.

Cornelius was leaning over the desk examining the ledger that contained the finances used to cover the cost of the third floor restoration. His finger slowly sliding down the records, "Excellent job you did here, Headmaster. Where did you find the money though?"

Daggerclaw sighed briefly and leant back in his chair, "The elves found it actually. They say there's a deep storage room filled with just about every imaginable sort of thing and some of it is actually worth quite a good deal of money. They brought out a couple of baskets of jewels and jewelry for my examination. I was informed that there's more where that came from; one of these days I hope to see for myself."

"Impressive. So we heard that it was Albus' idea to seal off that corridor long ago. Do you have any idea as to why?"

Lucius snorted, "It probably went against his lofty 'Greater Good' nonsense."

"Actually, you're not too far off the mark there Lord Malfoy." Daggerclaw turned and pulled a journal from a bookcase behind him and handed it over, "That is the compilation of the old man's rantings, plots and what-have-you regarding some of the things he wanted to change within the school. He believed the best way to get the purebloods to start actively rallying against the incoming muggleborns was to take away their ability to socialize in a proper setting and to shut down the classes that taught etiquette."

Cornelius was confused, "But why?"

"He believed that in order for him to lead the impressionable youth towards the future that he foresaw, they needed to be stripped of what made them…them. Without the old ways taught and limiting what information was available, he would be able to shape their worldviews. He was trying to get everyone to view him as the next coming of Merlin as evidence in the way he dressed, his knowledge of events and magic, that grandfatherly attitude and that ridiculously long beard of his. He's even stated in there that it was all for show, complete theater if you will."

"So all the substandard classes and teachers over the years?"

Daggerclaw nodded sagely and gestured, "Exactly. Binns is a shining example of that. Keep the ghost on staff in the same position for eternity to ensure that no one learns the real history. Everyone treats his class as naptime, only those who bring earplugs are capable of staying awake."

Lucius put down his now empty glass, "Have you done anything to rectify this?"

"Binns was released from his teaching duties at the beginning of the year. Well, I should say that the students were reassigned to a new teacher. Binns is teaching to an empty classroom, completely unaware of any changes. I've also discovered where his paycheck was going, I'll give you one guess as to where." He said the last with a smirk. The other two men shook their heads in disgust.

"What of the supposed curse on the Defense professorship?"

Daggerclaw snorted in derision, "A simple rune anchor array engraved into the castle stones around the door. That was one of three anchor points with the main Wardstone as the power source. I think it took the cursebreaker teams all of about fifteen minutes to deactivate and dismantle the curse."

Cornelius shook his head at that information, "Albus could've easily dealt with it yet never did. I'm assuming this was another part of forcing the future generations to see him as some kind of savior?"

Daggerclaw dropped his head and cocked his finger, "Exactly. He wrote that if each of the successive 'professors' were to become utterly useless, future students would turn to him to solve their defensive problems."


A moment of silence passed through the room as the scope of the manipulations that Albus Dumbledore had pulled on Magical Britain over the years hit them.

"Whatever happened to the forbidden side of the third floor corridor? I recall my son writing to me that Albus had made some sort of comment that everyone should stay away unless they wished to die a most painful death."

Daggerclaw growled at that, "The old goat actually had a series of traps and tests in that section. Behind a simple locked door that any first year could open, he had a Cerberus lying in wait and guarding a trapdoor. From there, it was a list of other 'traps' that in my view, any child over the age of thirteen could've figured out. An infestation of Devil's Snare, a room of charmed flying keys, a life-sized version of Wizard's Chess, it went on. I think the final test of sorts was to be a mirror of some repute. I was told what the final prize was supposed to be but I swore an oath of silence not to reveal it. The owner has since come back to retrieve it."

Lucius shook his head at Albus' reign of stupidity then stood and straightened out his robe, "Well, Headmaster I think you're doing a fine job here. I'm looking forward to attending the grand opening of the third floor. Any idea as to what to name it?"

Daggerclaw gave an exaggerated shrug with his hands, "Not really. I think I'll let the students pick something.

Both the Minister and Lord Malfoy gave their farewells and left via the floo.


Monday 23 December, 1991 Hogwarts Express, heading south

Hermione was wandering up and down the carriage aisle greeting various friends that she'd made over the past three months. It didn't matter which House they were in, they all still greeted her with joy and wishes for a happy Christmas. She paused at the door to the compartment that held the Twins before finally gathering up the gumption to knock.

The door slid open and Fred (she thought it was him) peered up at her, "Hello, Hermione. What's up?"

"Just wanted to wish you a happy Yule or Christmas and to remind you that Moony will be stopping by your place to take you to Harry's."

George (again, she wasn't sure) smiled beatifically at the mention of Moony's name, "Our hero come to rescue us from the nightmare that sure to be awaiting our presence. I'm wondering if we're going to find a filled in gravesite?"

Hermione grimaced at the thought, "You don't think your father would do something like that?"

Both twins shook their heads, "Nah, dad might yell and threaten with death but we doubt he'd actually go through with it."

"Well, again, I'll see you both after Christmas Day."

"Um, how is Harry…does he hold us with any…" one trailed off uncertainly.

"As far as I know, Harry doesn't hold any blame with the rest of your family. That was entirely on Ronald."

The Twins sighed in relief as she waved goodbye and headed back down the aisle.


Dursley Residence

After a loud and warm greeting at King's Cross and a quick stop to pick up something from a Thai restaurant, Harry entered his room and flopped down on his bed and sighed in relief. There was absolute silence for the first time since before he left to go to Hogwarts back in September. The castle was a constant source of hustle and bustle; it was such a pleasure to just…not move.

There was a light tapping on the door, "Come in!" The door opened to reveal Dudley standing there smiling and digging in his mouth with a toothpick, "Glad to be home?"

Harry smiled contended, "Yeah…"

"So, I've heard you got your own cooking show?"

"Yup. It's nice, I get to demonstrate to the others great recipes, inspire others to learn how to cook and all." Harry picked his head up and looked over at his cousin who had now parked himself on Harry's armchair, "What about you? I got a letter from Aunt Petunia that you won some sort of contest at your school?"

Dudley ducked his head and blushed, "It was a talent show and I entered with my guitar."

"What song did you play?"

"Freddie Mercury, Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

"Oooh, good one. I bet the girls swooned at you shaking like the Queen."

Dudley threw a pillow at his cousin who caught it and laughed. Pretty soon the two boys were engaged in a full on pillow fight.


Wednesday 25 December, 1991 Dursley Residence

It was cold, dreary and overcast that Christmas morning when Harry bolted out of bed. He was eager to open his presents and just barely remembered to put on his fuzzy bunny slippers and grab a robe from his trunk before thumping his way down the stairs. He skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the living room. The tree that Vernon had put up the night before had been completely decked out with twinkling lights, ornaments and mound of wrapped presents around the base. He crept forward and inspected one of the lights. To his surprise, there was a tiny fairy sitting amongst the branches!

"Harry?" He spun around and spotted his aunt staring curiously at him.

Pointing at the tree, "There's fairies in there!"

Petunia came over and peered closer, "Well, I'll be! There is a tiny creature there. How? They weren't there last night. Do you suppose this has something to do with you being a student at Hogwarts?"

Harry shrugged, "Dunno, anything's possible."

"Do they eat anything? Is there anything we can give them to thank them?"

Harry dashed back up to his room and dug through his trunk before finally finding his Fantastic Beasts textbook and thumping back into the living room. He plopped down onto the couch out of breath, "Whew… Ok, let's see. Fairies…"

"It says that they feed on happy, positive emotion magics like if you hold a celebration of some sort. I guess Christmas would count; um…they're vain creatures who communicate via high pitched buzzing. Their wings are used in many personal care potions…ouch."

"What ouch?"

"The wings are pulled off of the fairy during harvesting. The book says it doesn't hurt or kill them but still…"

"Okay so beyond holding a happy Christmas, there's nothing we need to give them to eat or drink?"

Harry closed the book with a clap, "Not according to this. I could try whipping up something sweet and offer it?"

Petunia looked torn, "Only if it's easy. Today is going to be a lazy day at least until later. I'm making this year's dinner."

Harry pouted a bit, "You sure? I could help."

Petunia sighed and brushed her fingers through his hair, "I appreciate that. How about you make the side dishes? Just the usual sort of thing, nothing fancy."


The morning and early afternoon were spent just lazing around the house and (in the case of Harry) the greenhouse. It was too cold and wet to go anywhere plus Sirius and Remus were going to be apparating in later to have dinner with them as well as pass out their gifts. Dudley was commenting morosely that it was a shame that they couldn't have snow.

"If you were up in Scotland with me before the term ended; you would've seen your fair share of snow, Dudley." Harry quipped.

"It gets bad up there?"

"I've seen drifts as high as Hagrid."

Dudley's face scrunched up as he tried to remember who Hagrid was. Harry helped him out, "Remember me writing in the first couple of days where I was describing all that was in and around the castle? The groundskeeper is this guy that I swear is part-Giant or something! He's something like twelve feet tall and built like a bear!" Harry held his arms and hands out as far as they could go. Dudley's eyes grew wide, "Wow! How does he get into the castle if he's so big?" And so the boys were off in their own world of describing the things and people in Hogwarts.


Around 5 pm-ish…

The double cracking sounds heralded the arrival of Sirius and Remus to the Dursley Residence. Harry opened the sliding door and graciously welcomed his godfather and uncle to their home. Remus smiled warmly at his nephew and said he'd be right back to give hugs, the packages he held needed to be dealt with first. Sirius ruffled Harry's hair then pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"How're you doing, pup?"

Harry beamed at his godfather, "Pretty good. This term's been good to me. I finally figured out what I had been doing wrong in the written side of Charms and my cooking show has gotten the attention of the Minister himself! I pitched the need to have a proper class and teacher to teach the others how to cook and whatnot. I think I may have at least planted the seed of an idea in his mind so…" he shrugged at the end. They joined the others in the living room and got comfortable on the couch.

"Are you getting along with everyone? Did you ever clear up that problem with the Malfoy and Weasley kids?" Remus inquired.

Harry made a face, "Everyone else seems to at least like me if not love me. The girls like to mock swoon whenever I get near them while the boys think I'm either some kind of returning king or conquering hero. Draco Malfoy has actually been pretty decent this past term, dunno why though. Hermione thinks it has to do with the fact that he's not in Slytherin where mentioning his father name would get him whatever he wants. He even attended my last two demonstrations!"

Sirius looked pensive at that, "What about the youngest Weasley boy? I remember you writing about how jealous he'd become."

Harry harrumphed, "It'd gotten really bad by the time that December rolled around. Two weeks ago, he broke into the kitchens and nearly wiped me out of all the food and destroyed all my equipment and spices! Tiny told me about it and got the senior staff involved too, probably. I'm not sure of the all the details but another student saw him and she reported him to the Headmaster. After that, I don't know what happened and if he's going to come back or not." He shrugged exaggeratedly with his hands, "His twin older brothers will be here in a couple of days, I bet they'd tell you if you asked."

Remus patted him on the knee, "It'll be a family matter and that's not the sort of questions you ask of the children. If it was super important, I would make inquiries to the Head of House but it's not worth it in this case. The youngest was caught and most likely dealt with so it's over."


They finally got around to opening presents, much to the boys' evident relief (and a bit of whining). Harry had received a 'SodaStream' device that would turn ordinary drinks into soft drinks and a complete set of books on magical culinary tips and recipes from Sirius. Remus had gone a similar route, Harry got a Cuisinart Food Processor complete with all the attachments.

"Wow, thanks Uncle Moony and Uncle Padfoot! This is awesome, I can't wait to try this out."

Remus took the Cuisinart back from him and opened up the back where the power cord plugged into. He showed him a panel that had a metal plate attached to the inside, "This is a rune plate that will allow you to take this to Hogwarts and operate it within the castle. The plate substitutes the need for a power cord."

Vernon was puzzled, "Doesn't that interfere with the Statute of Secrecy?"

Remus shook his head as he handed the processor back to Harry, "No, if I had removed the cord and a muggle outside of this family saw it being operated then, yes that would violate the Statute. By leaving the cord attached it will still work even if you were to sell it later. Anyone not aware of what the plate represented would think it was a manufacturer's mark."

Dudley had gotten a couple of sheet music books as well as a box of high quality guitar picks made from Opaleye Dragon teeth and Goblin made guitar strings. Dudley's eyes widened comically at the sight of the guitar picks, they shimmered with an otherworldly quality. "Whoa… thank you sooo much!" He immediately got up and raced upstairs to grab his guitar. He came back, plopped back down on the couch and immediately began unstringing his guitar.


The adults smiled benevolently at the two boys who were totally engrossed with their respective areas of interest. Sirius had just returned from the kitchen to retrieve another cup of coffee when he noticed one more package under the tree.

"Hey, there's one more package here." He bent down and retrieved it, "Huh, looks like Daggerclaw's writing. Harry, it's addressed to you." He handed it off to Harry who took the package carefully.

"Dear Harry," he began, "Years ago when your Uncle Remus first got our investigation started into Albus' misdeeds, an invisibility cloak was discovered. When I took over as Headmaster, I went through his former office to make sure there wasn't anything dangerous left behind. There was a journal entry that referenced it so I've had the cloak removed from storage and delivered to you. This cloak was found in Albus Dumbledore's office under a rather heavy enchantment and I've already had it checked over for anything illicit, there was a thread that shouldn't have been (I suspect it was put there by Albus) and it was enchanted with a tracking charm. According to the journal entry, he would've wanted to be the one to give it back to you as a way to ingratiate himself in your mind. Enjoy your holidays and I shall see you when you return. Daggerclaw…" Harry untied the bundle and everyone gasped as the fabric poured out like a scintillating cascade.

"Harry, this cloak has been in your family since who knows when," Remus commented as he examined the note for himself, "While it is nice to have something that belonged to your father, I would recommend that you leave it with your aunt and uncle or put it in your vault for safe-keeping." Harry had stood up and draped the cloak over his body causing it to disappear from sight.

"I agree with Remus. You will be handing it over as soon as you're done playing with it tonight," Petunia instructed her nephew. Harry took it off and immediately handed it over.

"It's fine. There's not much I could do with it since I don't plan on pulling any pranks or stuff."

Sirius whined in dismay, "Pup! You're breaking this old dog's heart; no pranks?"

Harry got this sly look on his face, "Padfoot, you misunderstand me. I don't plan on pulling any pranks; I will however be planning the pranks. I'll leave it to whomever I contract with, like the Weasley Twins, to actually execute them."

Remus, Petunia and Vernon rolled their eyes while Sirius barked out laughing, "Ah, Pup! Now that's just like your mother! I… you had me worried, whew!"

"Padfoot, I've been wanting to ask but why is it every time you laugh or make some sort of reference to Harry as 'pup,' I get the impression that you were raised around dogs?" Dudley asked, pausing in his restringing efforts.

Both Remus and Sirius grinned wickedly, "Maybe it's because of my initials? S. O. B; or maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm a dog animagus."

Both Harry and Dudley tilted their heads in confusion so Sirius got to his feet and…changed. Standing before them was this shaggy black-haired, lanky-legged dog. Vernon and the boys yelped and scooted back in their seats. Petunia chuckled, "I take it that this is what you used as reference when you came up with the idea for 'Padfoot'?"

Remus grinned happily, "Yeah, it was."

"Cool! That's awesome! Can you do that, Uncle Moony?" Harry and Dudley exclaimed.

Remus shook his head as Sirius changed back to human form and retook his seat on the chair, "No, I'm not able to become an animagus. The werewolf in me prevents the ability to take form."


Two days later…

With the swirl of unimaginable magical energy, a portkey delivered Sirius and Remus along with Fred and George Weasley to the backyard of the Dursleys. Harry was sitting on a chair just inside the enclosed patio sipping on a soft drink. He waved to the arrivals and opened the door, "Welcome all to Casa de Dursley!"

"Harrykins!" Both twins greeted in stereo.

Harry ushered them in and showed them around a muggle kitchen. Fred commented that it didn't differ too much from their mother's.

"Let's face it, aside from a few time-saving devices; a kitchen is just a place to make food. No major explanations are really needed. I mean, you would need to be taught how to light the stove but that takes like ten seconds. I think the most complicated thing in here would have to be the microwave and that's because it has a couple of preset buttons."

From there it was into the living room where Dudley was camped trying out his new guitar strings. A distracted nod in their direction and he went back to what he was doing. When Harry was done showing off the 'fun muggle devices' they headed back into the kitchen where Petunia was putting out snacks.

"Thank you, Mrs. Dursley," Fred said as he reached for a loaded potato slice.

"You're welcome, dear. So? What's on your agenda?"

Remus pulled out a set of ancient looking journals, "These are the journals from Godric Gryffindor I mentioned when we visited the school. I need you to wear these gloves; they'll protect the pages from any oils on your fingers." He passed out the thin cotton gloves to everyone and carefully opened the cover.

"Now, I used a translation spell to change it from the original Germanic languages prevalent in the UK at the time. So, let's see…"


While the Marauder's were entertaining the Weasley Twins at the Dursley's…

Hermione was enjoying her Christmas as well. Her parents had gifted her more books as well as a new football. She giggled at the pink and white checkered ball, 'The others at school are going to squeal when I show them this. I might even be able to get a footie club going as an alternative to Quidditch.'

The day after Christmas, Hermione wrote again to Sally-Anne and wished her new friend a happy Christmas and asked if they could take a trip to Diagon Alley to hang out if it was okay with her parents. The reply back was short and sweet, 'Heck yeah! Let's go!'

Emma Granger took Hermione via the Underground from Surrey to Victoria Station then walked to Sally-Anne's home address. The Perks lived in the working class council housing in Lillington Gardens; their flat was nicely appointed in an eclectic sort of way in a sort of 'whatever was available and easily transported' design and even had a balcony garden. In Sally-Anne's bedroom, the walls were painted a cheery purple with white trim, a basic 'renter's brown' carpet covered the floor with her magical textbooks and cauldron stacked up on a bookcase next to her bed. The girl had boy-band posters hanging on her wall and a collection of stuffed animals on her bed.

After a round of greetings and sharing a quick spot of tea, the Perks and Granger girls took the Tube again to Charing Cross and walked into the Leaky Cauldron pub. Sally-Anne's mother commented how she wished there was another way in that wouldn't require her to use her daughter as some sort of key.

"Excuse me, madam but there is," Tom the bartender interjected, "Sorry but I couldn't help overhear your comment. The other side of Flourish and Blott's is a muggle bookshop, you can enter and leave through there too. Not sure on the particulars, but I'd bet Frank at the bookshop would be able to help you."

"Thank you, sir that helps a lot."


Magical Menagerie

The rowdy calls of the various animals were heard before the shop front was seen. After taking a moment to allow their eyes (and noses) time to adjust to the interior, Hermione led Sally-Anne off to look at the owls and other animals while their mothers stayed back to chat.

Row after row of display cases containing small reptiles, amphibians, and rodents got barely a look in. Sally-Anne and Hermione cooed over the puppies and kittens before winding up in the owl section.

"So how did you find Hedwig?" Sally-Anne asked as she read off the information tag of a particularly handsome Tawny owl.

Hermione giggled, "It was more along the line that she found us. She swooped down from wherever she was perching and settled herself on Harry's shoulder."

Just then they heard a flutter of wings, Sally-Anne let out a short squeak when she saw something flapping its way over to her and landing on her shirt. It was the cutest yet strangest looking bat they'd ever seen. It had giant ears and an elaborate nasal crest. A thick, fluffy mane covered its neck and peered at her with the most adorable green eyes that seemed to twinkle in the light. The body was covered in thick, downy sort of feathers akin to what a penguin sported; the wings were feathered and in a bright multi-colored plumage. The whole creature managed to fit within her hands with only the long-ish tail draped over her wrist.

"Aww! It's so cute!" Sally-Anne whisper-squealed. The creature reached up and booped Sally-Anne's nose with its own.

"Where did it come from?" Hermione wondered. The shopkeeper came around carrying a bag of some kind of wood shavings and spotted the creature hanging off of Sally-Anne's shirt.

"Och…it got out again. I'm sorry miss, let me take that and I'll put it back in its cage."

Sally-Anne looked hurt, "It's not dangerous is it? What is it?"

The shopkeeper shook his head, "It's not dangerous, well maybe to lemon biscuits but no, it's not really dangerous. It's a dragon actually."

"A dragon?!" both girls yelped loudly which caused their mothers to come around to see what the commotion was about.

The keeper nodded as he reached for the dragon who had hidden itself in Sally-Anne's hair (only the tail was sticking out), "Yes, it's a rare breed of dragon that will not get bigger than that of a Rottweiler puppy. Its species is called, 'Aeoptera Micro' or 'Teacup Dragon.'" The keeper gave up trying to grab it.

"What does it eat, besides lemon biscuits?" Hermione asked as she playfully wiggled her finger at the dragon which was now peeking out of Sally-Anne's hair and making little noises.

"They're omnivores though this one seems to have taken a liking to fruits like apples and berries. Here, let me get you the information booklet."

"Sally-Anne, you're not thinking that this…dragon is the pet you want?"

Sally-Anne shrugged, "I'm just curious right now though it is growing on me. It's cute, don't you think?"

Her mum smiled a bit wearily, "Yes, dear. It is cute but what if you get it? Where would we be able to keep it at home or afford whatever foods it eats? What about the medical costs? I seriously doubt there's any veterinarian that is trained to handle dragons."

The shopkeeper came back and handed off the information booklet before returning to his duties.

"Ooh, look at this! It says here that they are 'automimetic' which means they instinctually mimic the intelligence level and habits of those around them."

"So, raise it around cats and begins to respond like a cat?" Sally-Anne theorized, "What else?"

"Umm…If they're raised around people, they'll eventually display human intelligence…cool. Let's see, what else… they have very long, almost perfect memories. They tend to live in one place and can amass decades of historical knowledge, becoming a 'living record' of past events. Their memories are invaluable to historians…if you can figure out a way to communicate with them. They become very attached to their companions. If they've been around someone for an especially long time, they may start to 'remember' events from that person's past as if the events actually happened to them. According to some stories, these dragons have also been able to 'connect' with their companion in a sort of 'low level' telepathy through their companion's dreams."

Sally-Anne was wide-eyed as she raised the dragon up to her eye level, "Are you really telepathic? I have a problem with my head that you might be able to help with. Can you see what I'm thinking?" The dragon reached out and gripped her nose before leaning in and giving Sally-Anne a kiss with an impossibly soft tongue.

"What about medical care? How expensive is that?" Mrs. Perks asked Hermione who looked in the book again.

"Umm…it says that the care is akin to what any ordinary reptile would need."

Sally-Anne looked at her mum with a pleading look. Mrs. Perks sighed, "We'll discuss it with your father when we get home."


Back at the Dursleys…

Having finished with the journals; Harry, the twins, Remus and Sirius were discussing what the twins had in mind for a future career. The boys wanted to open up their own joke shop like Zonko's but stock it with things that Zonko's never carried. George brought out their bag which contained a sampling of their products. Sirius was examining one card that had a beaded bracelet tied to it.

"So what's this one do?"

George responded, "That is a daydream charmed bracelet that allows the wearer to pretend that they're in a world of their own making. That there is just a prototype; it's still got a few things we're working on like the sounds of waves crashing. Right now, it's more like large rocks dropping on a metal bin." Sirius put on the bracelet and his eyes glazed over.

Petunia was examining a brown-wrapped toffee rather delicately, "What will this do?"

Fred looked up, "Cause you belch uncontrollably until you eat a green-wrapped toffee." Petunia immediately set down the toffee and shook her head in exasperation.

Remus and Harry were looking at the twins' journal when Sirius came out of his daydream with a snort.

"Boys, that was incredible! Realistic except for the crashing waves problem you mentioned but once you got away from the shoreline, it was rather peaceful. How'd you do this?" George started explaining about the runes embedded within the stones while Fred picked up the narrative on how the potion was created.

Vernon had come home and joined in the conversation, "So what about a back-up plan for employment should the joke shop not happen? Is there anything within the Ministry that's caught your eye?"

Both twins grimaced, "Mum wants us to go into the Ministry like dad. She wants us to get nice boring jobs and settle down."

Remus glanced over at Sirius who nodded once then twitched his head, "Boys, we have a suggestion but it will require some further discussion with your parents and an agreement on your part with a lot of hard work. I would like to suggest that Padfoot and I partially help fund your plans to open this joke shop of yours but only if we can write out a contract that will include requirements such as that you both receive at minimum of Exceeds Expectation grades on your OWLs and NEWTs. The other half of the funding will be from you getting a part-time job in a shop in either Diagon Alley or in Hogsmeade. The details will be figured out when we speak with your parents."

The twins were staring goggle-eyed at their heroes before they dropped to their knees and started chanting, "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"

Harry, Petunia and Vernon burst out laughing at the twins' antics. (In Scotland, Minerva McGonagall suddenly shivered with dread.)

Recipes:

Mini Chicken and Leek Pies (Pinterest)

Dessert Pizza (Personal)

Spiced carrot and sweet potato soup (Personal)