A/N: Yea what shall I say now that it rained some and the damned pollen are out of the air I'm in a writing flow. The first part is something Everrose808 wished for. It's a small side story that plays during the Barbie Girl prank in chapter 6 suggesting that it was Sam's laptop Harry got to work with (in the continued story Harry got his own so not that you get confused).

So and onwards with it. Hope you like it.

Somewhere in America in a shabby motel

"Dean have you seen my laptop? It stood right here on the table."

"Sam why would I take your damned laptop?"

"To watch your porn…c'mon where is it?"

Dean made a face that this was a possibility.

"Dude, how often did I tell you to keep your fingers of my stuff? Now give it back" Sam growled.

"I told you I don't have it."

"So it suddenly decided to grow legs and walk away…"

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps it had enough of all that research and just walked away to a place where it could have more fun" he grinned.

"Sure and I'm Santa Clause…"

"Oh so you're the reason I never got presents but I have to admit that you took quite the diet. The last time I checked Santa Clause was round as a ball."

Sam glowed at him. "Bitch. You know you owe me a new laptop."

"Jerk and I don't owe you anything..." Dean retorted while leaving the motel room.

"This discussion isn't over yet" Sam shouted after him.

Chapter 11: Merry Christmas

The result of his gift to Snape Harry got to know in the next potions class. Snape didn't sneer at him anymore and even gave him some advices how to do things better. After class most of the Gryffindor half cornered him outside the classroom.

"What did you do with Snape?"

"Yes…he was actually nice to you."

"How did you tame him?"

They let it sound like Snape was some big bad monster that was untameable.

"Woa, the only thing I did was being nice to him and thanking him for some help he gave me. It also seems to help that I'm quite good at potions" Harry replied.

Loki coughed which sounded conspicuously like `bribery´.

With that Harry was the new hero of Gryffindor. It spread like wildfire that he was the one and only of them to be able getting Snape being actually nice.

Time flew by. Days went into weeks and soon the first snow fell.

It was the last History lesson before they had their test in order to see whether Loki was able to teach them properly. So Loki decided to not confuse them with more information and do something else instead…he gave them a Q&A in the last lesson to eliminate any confusion and they were prepared a good as possible. Therefore he told everyone that they would meet on the grounds this day and that they should wear warm clothes.

"Since you're well prepared for the test on Thursday and I don't want to confuse you with unnecessary information I thought why not doing a practical test about what you learned" he told them with a grin.

Some looked at him in utter confusion while others had an inkling about what was to come.

"Snowball fight! Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor. Let's see what you remember about war tactics" with a snap of his fingers two snow fortresses appeared behind him.

The Gryffindors had a ferocious grin on their faces before they started to attack the Ravenclaws who quickly sought shelter in their own fortress before starting a counter attack. A few minutes later and the war was in full swing while Binns and Loki stood at the side watching them. This was until Harry threw a snowball straight at Loki's head who looked into another direction at that time.

"Oh attacking the judge? That calls for revenge" he said wiping the snow of his head before rapidly shooting back three snowballs at each team because some of the Ravenclaws started to attack him to.

Loki quickly conjured up a third smaller fortress for himself before starting attacks on both teams.

Half of the lesson was over and there seemed to be no end to their little mock war. Even some of the students who had a free period joined them. That was when McGonagall who also had a free period came around to see what was going on and what that ruckus meant. She stood right next to Binns when suddenly a stray snowball that originally was meant for Loki hit her.

Neville who was the one who threw it took a sharp breath when he saw who he hit before quickly ducking down because McGonagall shot a ball back with a flick of her wand. After that she was fair game for everyone. Though being the transfiguration teacher she was she did neither hide behind a fortress nor did she use ordinary snowballs. She transfigured the snow around her into different snow-animals that attacked the students from any possible angle and when a snowball flew into her direction she quickly transfigured it to and sent it back. Some of the students later admitted that they only threw balls at her in order to see what she would do with them.

Loki on the other hand took that as a challenge and quickly he and McGonagall found themselves in a match about who could come up with the most creative snowballs. McGonagall even transformed a snow-dragon that instead of breathing fire shot snowballs while flying over them. Loki countered that with the Balrog from Lord of the Rings. The thing made quick work of the dragon with its whip. She snickered while transfiguring a bridge with a small Gandalf who in proper style shouted "You shall not pass" before slamming down his staff so that the bridge crumbled and he as well as the Balrog ended as a pile of snow on the ground.

They all would have missed lunch hadn't McGonagall at some point put an end to their fight and told them that the lesson was long over. So they all went back to the castle a bit exhausted and wet to the bones but all around happy.

Loki left the fortresses be and only dismissed his which earned him a questioning look from McGonagall.

"Aren't you going to dismiss the others to?"

"Why? They don't bother anyone and others can use them in their free period or during breaks" he replied on which McGonagall nodded.

"I thought you were supposed to teach them history?" she continued while they walked back to the castle.

"But that was a lesson. Practical usage of theoretical knowledge. I have to admit that you're a true master of your art" he said and it wasn't only sweet-talk. "Nice dragon you transfigured."

"You're not that bad yourself. The creatures you made were quite impressive to. Though I have to admit that I didn't recognise all of them."

"Perhaps you should attend my lessons about supernatural beings then" Loki laughed.

He had attacked the others with the various creatures he told them about. He even let them mostly behave like the real ones but that actually hadn't helped the wendigo that attacked Harry…the boy was simply faster.

Loki wished her a farewell before he went to Harry and Neville.

"Mate, that was probably the best lesson we ever had" Dean commented still having a red head from the cold.

Again Loki made it to the top topic of the day.

McGonagall later sat in her office pleased with herself and the day. The snowball fight had been a pleasant distraction and she had to admit that Loki gave her quite a challenge. It had been a long time that she could show of like today and she liked it. Teaching was nice and all but from time to time one needed the proof of their abilities and to be honest it was fun.

This evening Neville approached Loki with a request.

"Uhm Loki…I have a question" he began but was interrupted before he could continue.

"I think I know what you want and all I can say about it is that I will have a look into it but I cannot promise you anything."

Three days later was the History exam everybody looked forward to and dreaded the same time. But when they got the sheets some even banged their heads on the table. Loki had been right those questions were so easy that even a stupid idiot who didn't pay attention could have answered them.

In the end everybody baring one…Ron who made out of Ug the Unreliable, Ug the Reliable…got a perfect score and only to distinct him for this one mistake Ron got an E except the O he would have gotten even with the one mistake.

With that the first year History class got the best scores ever recorded in Hogwarts' history.

McGonagall would have been proud didn't that bring the consequences that now the entire rest of the school, this time even including Slytherin, again stormed her office and demanded Loki as their teacher since he now obviously proved that he was competent.

So now on Saturday after the students who went back home left she stood in Dumbledore's office.

"Albus we have a problem" she began.

"You're right we have a problem Minerva…how could you let that happen? Do you know how that looks in front of the School Board? A first year takes over the lessons and in the end the entire class gets perfect scores…" he rambled but McGonagall only pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Are you insane? How many times did I tell you that Binns is a bad choice as a teacher? I told you again and again but did you listen to me? No! This is entirely your own fault. What should I have done in your opinion? The entire class refused to go to his lessons and yesterday every single prefect stood in my office demanding that Mr. Laufeyson teaches them. Every. Single. One!" she retorted.

"You could have talked to me. We would have found a solution."

"Solution? You had years to find one and what did you do? Nothing" McGonagall growled.

"And what do you suggest should I do?"

"Let Mr. Laufeyson teach History. He more than proved that he is competent."

"He is a child for Merlin's sake."

"Then see how you clear this mess up because I'm not going to help you" she retorted before leaving Dumbledore's office. She had to talk to Loki.

A day later she and Loki sat in her office. She told him about the problem and that Dumbledore would more likely to bury his head in the sand than doing anything.

Loki thought about it before an idea struck him.

"I have an idea but that would only work when Binns plays along…"

McGonagall rose an eyebrow and so Loki explained his plan and how to arrange it best so that Dumbledore would have no other possibility.

It was Christmas morning. Harry and Neville were still sleeping while Loki raided the chocolate stocks in the common room. While normally Neville would have gone home he decided to stay and so he told his granny that he was in a special learning group and to study further he wanted to stay. It wasn't a complete lie but also not entirely true but that he wouldn't tell her. His granny who supported everything that would make her grandson the powerful wizard she hoped he would be gave her permission. Would Neville have been honest he would have said that he simply had no interest in the boring social meetings over Christmas.

So they were both asleep as well as Ron who also stayed because his parents were on a vacation with his sister when Loki suddenly burst into the room obviously on a sugar high.

"Uh…Loki did you eat the entire chocolate in this castle?" Harry groaned while Neville only grunted.

"Pretty much, yea. Now come on it's Christmas and there are presents for you" Loki piped overly joyful.

Harry who figured that Loki wouldn't let him sleep anymore sat up while Neville pulled his sheet hover his head only to get it pulled away by the trickster.

"C'mon I wanna sleep…we've holidays" he mumbled.

"Grinch" Loki turned around and rushed back downstairs.

Harry looked after him shaking his head while he got up himself. He didn't bother getting changed yet and so he followed Loki in his pyjama. Reaching the common room he looked with huge eyes at the pile of presents.

"Woa, who got that many presents?"

"Well some of them are for you" Loki replied while tossing one of the presents at Harry who caught it out of reflex.

"I get presents? But I never get presents…" Loki gave him a very strange look but Harry didn't see it because he was fully occupied with the present in his hand.

A few minutes later he sat in a small bunch of things he got from several people and had still three presents to go. He had gotten a potions book from Neville, sweets and joke articles from the twins and strangely enough another potions book from Hermione. It wasn't that they didn't talk to each other but to call her a friend would be too much. He would have to think about something he could get her even when she would get it after the holidays.

He was about to open one of the last three parcels when the twins came downstairs both wearing nearly identical jumpers only that one had an F and the other a G on the front.

"Oh finally…a way to tell you two apart" Harry snickered.

"Hadn't they swapped them" Loki commented after a look on the two.

"You know-"

"-we always wondered"

"~Why you're the only one to tell us apart."

"Believe me it took me three days to figure that one out…even your souls are identical" Loki huffed which let the twins grin broadly. "And I doubt that anyone who doesn't know where to look would be able to tell you apart."

"~Ah we see you got a jumper from mum to" the called out when Harry opened the parcel.

Out came a handmade jumper in emerald green with a silver H on the front.

"But I don't even know your mum…"

"We told her about you-"

"-and it seems that since we met you the complaints she got about us decreased"

"~so perhaps she thinks you're the reason and wants to thank you for making us behave."

That earned them a laugh from Loki. "I think that is more because McGonagall uses me as an excuse to not send letters to your mum every other day by claiming that I was the culprit and not you."

"~As long as we get less howler we don't care" they grinned.

It was true since the start of the year they only got the amount of howlers they normally got in one week and those they still got banished Loki quickly before they had a chance to go off. Ms. Weasley will be in for a very nasty surprise when the twins go back home over summer and she learns that they don't even need a wand anymore to pull of their pranks.

"Though we wonder why our mother-"

"-was so surprised that we befriended you"

"~and not our brother Ron."

Harry huffed upon that. "Did she think that I would touch him with a ten foot pole especially after what he did on Halloween?" the twins looked at him in confusion. "He was the reason Hermione hid in the girl's toilette the entire afternoon…"

Unfortunately for him Ron came down from the dorms right at that moment. The twins both looked at him with narrowed eyes and the result was that Ron suddenly looked like a rainbow. Loki doubted that he would get rid of the colouring before school continued with how much power the twins put into it. But he was proud of them never the less because they did it entirely wandless.

When they were finished with their brother they left the common room probably to set up some pranks while Ron fled back to the dorms.

Harry in the meantime continued with the next present. When he opened it out came a wooden box with a silver writing on the top. It read:

Trickster apprentice equipment

He flipped open the lid and found three items in it. A pouch, a smartphone and something that looked like a golden muggle credit card. Harry rose an eyebrow.

"Some things you will need later for your real present. It's a mobile that you don't need to recharge and that also works in magical areas like Hogwarts coming with free internet and calling, a bottomless pouch with a weightless charm and a credit card without limits" Loki supplied with a smile.

First Harry was confused when realisation hit him. "You don't mean…a vacation?"

Loki could only nod once before he was tackled with a hug from Harry.

"Thank you" he exclaimed.

Loki wondered about that reaction. When he reacted like that to such a simple thing as a vacation what would he say when he got to know what he really planned? There really was something off with Harry and Loki was determined to find out.

Neville came down just at that moment looking strangely at Harry and Loki before diving into his own presents. He got a rare Herbology book from Harry and a bag full of sweets from Loki. They quickly found out that while Neville also played minor pranks from time to time he was more into Herbology. Loki once gave him a cutting from a plant he grew himself and that was a bitch and a half to cultivate as a test. Neville had asked Sprout whether he could hold her in one of the green houses and now about a month and a half later it was a nice little bush much to the surprise of Loki. So he now taught Neville also magic that was useful for gardening.

After calming down again Harry went on with his last present. It was quite a large package wrapped in simple brown paper, a simple tie around it and a small note attached to it. Harry read the note.

"Huh, that is strange."

"What's the matter?" Loki asked.

"This present. It only has a handwritten note on it but no signature" he handed Loki the note.

Your father left this in my possession before he died.
It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.
A very Merry Christmas to you.

"You're right, this is strange and it radiates Dumbledore's magical signature. What's in this package anyway?"

Harry untied and unfolded it and out came a silvery-grey silky piece of cloth.

"What's that" he asked curiously holding it up.

Loki looked at it with wide eyes. "Can I have a close look please?"

"Sure."

The trickster took and unfolded it completely. "That can't be…I thought it was lost a long time ago."

"What is it?" Harry was not only curious but also a bit cautious.

"It is Death's cloak" Loki answered in awe but Harry looked at him confused. "What do you know about the Peverells and the entity called Death?"

"Uhm nothing to be honest."

"I know something about the three Peverell brothers actually" Neville spoke up having listened to their conversation. "They crossed a river most drowned in and then Death gave them three powerful items as a reward but it was actually a trick. If I remember correctly it was a cloak, a wand and some kind of stone that could resurrect the dead. Those are also known as the Deathly Hallows. But this is a child story, isn't it?"

"Yes and no. while the version you know is indeed only a story it is based off an incident that happened a few hundred years ago. You have to know that Death is the ultimate neutral party. He doesn't judge but only guides the souls of the dead to their afterlife with the help of the Reaper who are bound to him.

A few hundred years ago though some very powerful and dark wizard threatened to destroy the balance of the world. Said wizard developed a ritual to actually enslave Death. The Peverell brothers could stop him and as a way of thanking them he gave them the three items. His cloak, a very powerful wand and a stone. The stone as you said is told to resurrect the dead but that is not true. It is only a way to communicate with them" Loki explained before giving it back to Harry.

"What I don't know is why the cloak ended up first with your father and now as your Christmas present."

"But it isn't dangerous?"

"No but I would advise you to store it in the pouch I gifted you. I tuned it to your magical core so that you are the only person to access it and should you happen to lose it just call for it and it comes back to you. This cloak is one of the most powerful objects in the world and it would be safe in there" he could only hope that not the wrong people got to know that Harry had it or otherwise they would initiate a manhunt on him.

Harry did as Loki said and picked up the pouch finding out that it had three compartments. One stocked with clothes, one with sweets and one was empty. He placed the cloak in the empty one and his new mobile and the card in the first one before closing it but he didn't know where to put the pouch so that it was with him but couldn't get lost. Loki helped him with that problem by showing him that he could wear it either around his wrist or ankle.

After Neville also finished unpacking his presents they got changed and went down to the great hall for breakfast.

A/N: Yay another chapter done but I have to warn you: Winchesters inbound, prepare for impact! 'til next chapter!