The Provisional Laws of Acquired Behavior or Learning
Authors Note: Because I've made the Christmas release I'm taking a break to build up my writing archive again so it might take a while before I post again, Merry Christmas everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't at this time own any published work of Sega or JK Rowling, if I did I'd gut the current Sonic fandom and only allow literate people to contribute cutting the fandom back by 90% and improving the quality by the same percentage. Nor do I own any musical works by John Lennon.
December 1st Ravenclaw Common Room
A lone Ravenclaw, with frizzy brown hair, eyes a faded puffy red from shed and dried tears reached for the notice board searching for one particular notice "Who dies from a broken heart anyway?" the cryptic remark full of resolve further illustrated by her fresh signature on the sign up sheet for the Frog Choir.
Gryffindor Common Room
"Angelina Johnson, you can't do this to me!" Wailed Oliver Wood loudly at the third year, tears of grief streaming down his face "You can't leave Hogwarts! It was hard enough to replace George as a beater!"
Alicia Spinnet smacked Oliver hard over the back of his head causing him to yelp "Get a grip Oliver! What would you do if your father took ill? Abandon him for Quidditch?" Oliver slumped "Fine, Abandon us, your beloved captain wishes you all the best in your-" Oliver shuddered "-Quidditchless world"
Alicia shook her head in disbelief as she and Angelina stared wordlessly at their 'beloved captain' as he slumped his way depressed up the stairs to the dorm room. "Such a drama queen that one, anyway are you okay with this?"
Angelina nodded "It's okay, besides I'm not leaving until the morning after the Christmas holidays when dad gets out of St Mungo's"
"How will this affect your schooling?"
"I'm signed up to a correspondence course so I'll be taking my O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S at the Ministry when I'm ready."
"You'll keep in contact right?"
Angelina smiled warmly "I promise"
Hogwarts Library
Neville Longbottom grimaced as he cast the revealing spell for what seemed like the thousandth time on the semi-transparent book "Revelio!" each casting seemed to make the book marginally less transparent. Neville sighed and straightened himself and stepped back as he cast "ReveliooooACCK!-" and promptly tripped over another book at his feet, the spell lashed out in a wave of blue revealing a wide-eyed and slightly spooked Blaise Zabini in the next aisle holding a book on advanced warding. Neville squeaked "Oops Sorry!" Blaise stepped forward and offered the cringing Ravenclaw a hand "No problem, is that The Invisible Book Of Invisibility?" Neville nodded shyly "I'm learning charms but I need to be able to read it first" Blaise smiled self-depreciatively gesturing to his now visible self "Yeah I noticed"
Neville gathered his courage to ask "So why were you hiding?"
Blaise smirked, "Warding isn't a standard subject at Hogwarts thus by remaining invisible I can read in peace without nosy librarians sticking their noses in."
Neville grimaced "Sorry"
Blaise had an idea "No trouble, you seem to be good with charms how would you like to meet a group of friends I know? Right now we're learning some warding which is related to charms I think"
Neville tried to muffle the rising hope "Like a study group? I wouldn't want to be a bother"
"You aren't" Blaise reassured Neville not at all happy at the way the first year seemed to sink in on himself, pulling the boy as he walked to the as of yet unnamed clubhouse.
The Secret Clubhouse – Name Pending
"I don't know Sue…" Maurice drew out a sigh as he leafed through the sketches then to the blank canvases. "Something less suspicious might be better" Susan looked at the sketch Maurice held out "A landscape of circus tent? In Hogwarts? I can see your point, the guardian painting for the hideout needs to be more subtle"
Susan looked at the sketch and sighed "Maybe you should grab some more of those art books from the library-"
*Crash!*
Susan was jarred from her observation of the painting and looked around "Maurice?!" walking to the entrance where the sound had come from Susan was joined by Bunnie who stuck her head out of the room she was renovating "What in tarnation was that?"
"I should have expected this" muttered Susan staring at something on the ground, Bunnie saw it was a shoe or rather the shredded remains of one. "Maurice? Are you okay?" a pained groan from beyond the entrance was audible.
Outside The Secret Clubhouse – Name Pending
Blaise blinked at the entrance to the clubhouse and the missing portrait that was formerly on the opposite wall before pulling the clueless Neville Longbottom through the doorway with a shrug.
"Does that feel better Maurice?" spoke Susan quietly dabbing Maurice's head with a cold compress "Bit better" mumbled Maurice laying limp on one of the many salvaged couches.
"What happened here?" asked Blaise making Susan and Bunnie jump.
"Whozat?" mumbled Maurice
"I asked first" Blaise retorted mildly.
"Sugars shoes died" spoke Bunnie vastly amused for some reason.
"Poor shoes" mumbled Maurice.
"He needs to go to the hospital wing" noted Blaise.
"He's already been" Susan shook her head rolling her eyes "Apparently he's mildly allergic to a ingredient in a healing potion so it makes him giggly" Susan shrugged.
"Whozat?" Maurice pointed to the person behind Blaise again.
"And absent-minded" amended Susan.
"This is Neville Longbottom, He's skilled at charms and I've been told his portraiture work it quite excellent"
"My shoes died" Maurice repeated woefully sad.
Susan took a deep breath "We'll get a better pair, a magic pair that won't fall apart at the speed you run"
"But they were magic" mumbled Maurice.
"Then you can order a new pair"
Maurice frowned "No I can't"
"Yes, you can" spoke Susan exasperatedly.
"No I can't, I made them"
"Then you can make them again"
"I wished them" Maurice nodded sagely.
Making the logic leap Neville spoke up this time looking part awed part horrified "You've been holding a pair of non-magical shoes together in a highly saturated magical environment with wish magic the entire time you've been here?"
"My shoes died" Maurice chirped in agreement, Susan facepalmed and quietly counted to ten.
Neville interjected "I can fix them for you, I'm learning charms from one of the upper years"
"But my shoes died…"
"We know Maurice"
Bunnie cackled in the background.
21st December
Ministerial Solstice Ball
"May I have this dance milady" spoke Tiberius Ogden in a dignified rumble to Minister Amelia Bones.
Emmeline Vance leader of Wizarding Army of National Defence otherwise known as the newly founded W.A.N.D employed a Herculean amount of will in an effort to not waggle her eyebrows suggestively at Amelia Bones as she was asked to the dance floor by the redheaded man collectively and informally known amongst the older witches in the ministry as Lord Dishy.
"Certainly" Spoke Amelia praying that her colleague would behave herself.
As he led her to the dance floor a slow song started up they could sway to "I trust you have a reason to break tradition like this Lord Ogden" Not that tradition really mattered these days, but the illusion was important.
"I merely wished for an opportunity to talk without prying ears"
Amelia smiled wryly "And prying eyes are so much better?" Various people at the ball were indeed surveying them though not as subtle as they thought they were.
Ogden raised a brow "In this case yes I wanted to inquire as to what you intend to do with your unlimited power as of this moment"
Amelia recounted something she'd said many times before "After the crisis is over-"
Amelia inhaled sharply as Ogden pulled her close to sway closer speaking quietly to not be overheard "Don't take me for a fool, Amelia, I read my non-magical literature enough to see someone consolidating their power for the long haul"
Amelia met his piercing blue eyes calmly "And if I am?"
Ogden smirked lightly "Temper, temper, I'm no fool like those antiques in the so-called Wizengamot, I fully intend to ride the wave of change firmly into our shining future." He led Amelia into a twirl pulling her close again.
"And what do you see in the future as my lord?"
This time Ogden smiled "No doubt the same as you, my fair lady, full equal rights, incentives to young couples to have families and general competence across all sectors, of course, what I'm interested in is how you're going to keep these changes in place, when the Wizengamot regain power."
Amelia's calm visage was the picture of serenity with the smile of a shark "They won't"
Ogden nearly missed a step at the change before correcting himself "Well done and when you're gone?"
Amelia's now steely eyes met his "I'm confident my daughter can handle it"
For a moment that caught Ogden off guard before he realized what she meant. "Daugh-? Ah! your niece, she's your next in line. I've heard nothing but positive things concerning her, I suppose this country is in good hands then My Queen"
Worried eyes cast about "Don't-"
"Don't what? Call it what it is? You Amelia Bones are setting up a dynasty and unlike every dictator in the world you are doing it for good reasons, to keep the corrupt former leadership out of power." Ogden laughed lightly truly smiling now.
Amelia challengingly met the eyes of this man who was so sharp. "And what do you intend to do about it?"
"Marry me, Amelia"
It was Amelia's turn to nearly miss a step in the dance unable to speak from shock.
His sharp knowing smile and kind eyes were searing in their sincerity as he spoke casually of taking over the country in a bloodless coup "Between us, you and I, we have the outright adoration of the people, together we can solidify our rule in a way we cannot do separately and to be honest I could do worse than the woman who coined my very flattering nickname when she was a still a senior Auror on patrol."
Amelia blushed red even as she frantically considered her reply.
Hogwarts, 25th December
Maurice, Susan, Bunnie, Neville, Fred, and Blaise made for a well-balanced group, alone they remained in the castle which meant that exploring the castle became a priority especially as this meant they could each enter each other's common rooms with impunity leaving only Hufflepuff untouched and no one to gainsay them. Fred went to the castles kitchens and a food delivery system was set up regarding the room's secret clubhouse. The day before Neville had finally hit a breakthrough regarding Maurice's disintegrating shoe problem and created shoes that could stand up to nearly anything. Since then Maurice had been skidding all over the icy castle and somehow managed to wrangle his way out of detention from Professor Quirrell for rail grinding down the banisters in the stairway. All six had forgone house boundaries and camped out together in the Gryffindor Common Room together staying up late with a small Christmas banquet in the warmest common room, the teachers upon hearing the plan had made their own party in the staff room and sent the catering house elves to keep watch on the students.
Fred had borrowed the chess set his younger brother had left behind and had tried to teach Maurice to play before giving up to play against Susan who proceeded to soundly thrashed him with a smile.
So this is Solstice
Fred wore his yellow striped green jumper with the bold blue F on the chest proudly jokingly dragging the protesting Blaise into an enthusiastic waltz around the common room to the wizarding wireless's thinly veiled John Lennon music edit, having opened his present first.
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Maurice laughed as he pulled a cracker with Susan which exploded in her favour to reveal a red velvet cape.
He won the following one with Bunnie which revealed a blue surfboard.
And so this is Solstice
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
Neville smiled as he examined the full set of Beaters armor the group had chipped into to buy him knowing that he'd have fun enchanting it.
The old and the young
A very Merry Solstice
And a happy New Year
In an unknown location
Albus Dumbledore toasted the stars with a glass of mead and fellow ICW mages.
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Solstice (war is over)
The Burrow
Ron Weasley laughed as his father and eldest brother told funny stories from the past wearing his mauve jumper with gold R on the front proudly.
Ginny Weasley played with the odd blue and yellow kitten sized creature George had given her and laughed as it chirped happily.
For weak and for strong (if you want it)
For rich and the poor ones (war is over)
The world is so wrong (now)
British Library, Magical Section
Lee Jordon contentedly hummed a random Christmas jingle as he cross-referenced maps and magical geology books in the warm alcove, a bowl of grapes within arms reach.
And so happy Solstice (war is over)
For black and for white (if you want it)
For yellow and red ones (war is over)
Gryffindor Common Room
Bunnie clapped as she examined the book of clothes editing charms she'd unwrapped.
Fred grinned wildly at the Sherlock Holmes expanded omnibus edition that Maurice and Susan had gotten the aspiring detective.
Blaise admired the carefully wrapped box of shuriken and kunai Maurice had somehow gotten him.
Let's stop all the fight (now)
A very Merry Solstice
And a happy New Year
Maurice's mouth gaped in sheer pleasant surprise at his present a triple necked guitar, running a hand over the chords revealed it was perfectly tuned.
Susan blushed as Maurice fastened the clasp of the silver necklace around her neck the small engraving of a stylised S shining in the firelight.
Maurice was unprepared for Susan to kiss him on the cheek and excused himself for a quick run or at least until his blush went away.
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Solstice (war is over)
Romanian Dragon Reserve
A large hairy half-giant and a red-headed Weasley knocked tankards back, cheered on by fellow dragon keepers whilst dragons roared in the distance.
And what have we done (if you want it)
Another year over (war is over)
A new one just begun (now)
At the Ministry
Emmeline Vance and other employees marveled over the large diamond studded engagement ring on Amelia Bone's ring finger and the new sigils of House Bones and House Ogden engraved in the metal signifying the merger of the two noble houses into one.
And so happy Solstice (war is over)
We hope you have fun (if you want it)
The near and the dear one (war is over)
The new house motto "Small Beginnings" the new sigil a bronze acorn on a golden field.
The old and the young (now)
A very Merry Solstice
And a happy New Year
Smeltings Academy, South East England
Soaking wet and red with fury Dudley Dursley was led away in handcuffs by grim looking police from Smeltings Academy as teacher Joyce Haddock looked on with a thunderous scowl.
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
Maurice hollered in exhilaration as he finally reached that boundary and blew past it with a long-awaited sonic boom in the crisp winter air, rattling the windows of the castle. A brilliant flash of light caused Maurice to skid as it blinded him forcing him to a halt.
War is over now
Expecting pain and feeling none Maurice got to his feet under the summer sun to look around and froze-
Happy Solstice
-meeting the equally surprised eyes of his identical doppelganger.
