Hi guys sorry it took so long trying to get use to the new life at uni, and I like to be two chapters ahead of what posted online. Read and review.

-Doublesims

Chapter Twenty-Three: Friends are good to have.

Ravenclaw beat Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, catching the Snitch first got Ravenclaw enough points to beat Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff were winning before it was caught. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they couldn't afford to lose another match. But it was funny to see Jack and Aster watching the game together. Jack was dressed in his blue hoodie clearly cheering on Ravenclaw but still supported his brother as he blocked goals throughout the game.

He was asked at one stage from a boy in Slytherin; "Which side are you going for?"

"Ravenclaw mostly for my own team of cause, but I still can cheer on my brother can't I?"

Wood become repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. There was no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to keeping them at their stations at the entrances, but it might have been Toothiana's anger more than Dumbledore's.

Two weeks before the end of term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning in glittering frost.

"Can't wait for the first Snow Day" Jack exclaimed to the twins on the way down to breakfast, which Aster overheard.

"I can I hate the cold."

"No surprise there, Kangaroos can't handle the cold."

Fred and George laughed, as Aster took after Jack for calling him a Kangaroo. Let's just say there was frost inside and out side the castle that day.

Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, had already decorated his Charms classroom, but North's was filled with wonder, joy and just made all five of Guardians feel like they were back at the Santoff Claussen. The spirit of Christmas would not be out done. But it was all of matter of time, before it would start. Jack was sitting at the Gryffindor table early, real early, the early Ravenclaws weren't even there that's how early, playing with his food.

Today was supposed to be fun and happy, one it's a Snow Day, two it's the last Hogsmeade trip before the Winter Holidays. But he knew it would happen it always dose every Christmas and Easter. The night before he had fallen asleep in the Hufflepuff common room after working on the essays for Charms and for Muggle studies, Muggle legends Jack didn't know to do it on himself or the Sandman, he was getting help from Sandy for the Charms one, and woke up to Aster grumbling and pacing in front of the fire, about North and Christmas. The Christmas Vs Easter thing, he hated it, and because he was the winter spirit North, thinks he should be on his side, and Aster believes it as well.

Jack was wearing his trademark Hoodie, with the hood up and shadows covering his face. Besides Christmas day he hated December. He was just glad that none of the others have seen or heard about the fight, that's something he would have trouble covering up. Slowly the hall begins to fill with other students, Fred and George walked in talking and planning for the visit, when they caught sight of Jack.

"Hey what's wrong with you?" asked George as he sat down beside his new friend.

"Wha... oh hey guys." Jack sighed, "It doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter?" said Fred with disbelief "Look at you, you look like someone had just died. Um they haven't have they?"

Jack gave a small smile "No. No-one has died."

"Then why the sad face?"

"It's … just a family thing, a stupid fight they get into at least twice a year."

Jack sighed and played with his food, scrambled eggs. "It's silly they can't see that both are important and neither is more significant than the other."

"So your family has fights whose doesn't?" said George.

Jack gave a small chuckle "Most I believe do. But with this one I would be fine with, it if North didn't drag me into in as well."

"Oh so you don't want to be apart of it but they make you…" said Fred

"You said North who else?" asked George

"Aster."

"Just those two?"

Jack nodded "Snow day and a Hogsmeade trip and I can't go and enjoy it."

The twins looked at each other over Jack's head and gave a nod; they were going to Hogsmeade with their friend Lee Jordan but maybe one more couldn't hurt. It took a bit but they were able to convince Ana and Jack, to let the boy go with them to the village.

As Jack was getting his things from the dorms, chocolate and what not, as the Twins when to fine someone else that could cheer up, unknowingly returning something back to one of the rightful owners.

After being in Honeydukes and Zonko's, Jack worked his magic of Winter and Fun. The snowball fight as two against two, Lee and Jack vs. the Twins, then an all-for-one, when Fred hit George. But by the time George and Lee dragged Fred and Jack away from the game to Three Broomsticks there were about fifteen teenagers all up. Including Draco after Jack hit him with one of his special snowballs of course.

"Well that was fun," puffed Lee with a really big smile on his face.

"I never thought, I would have that much fun that didn't involve pranking," said Fred the smile on his face made him look like a carefree five year old.

"I can't believe you got Malfoy to join in," exclaimed George looking at Jack. Jack laughed glad that his magic let the child spirit to come out to play on others.

"Come on lets go find a table." They found a table by the window for the four of them, Jack was disappointed they didn't get the cold wind from the door when it opened, where they were sitting but they did get a good view of the street. Being hungry from the snowball war they just, they had they ordered a light bar meal each.

"Hey" said Jack eating his bowl of chips, "Who's with Ron and Hermione?"

"It looks like Harry." Lee said when he saw what Jack saw.

"But it can't be, he can't leave Hogwarts."

Fred and George looked at each other, "We might have-"

"Had a hand in that."

Lee looked at them oddly before, he understood what they did and he rolled his eyes. "The Map."

'Map what map?' Asked Jack to himself 'oh right the Marauder's Map' but asked out loud. "The Map?"

"Oh right you wouldn't know about it," said Lee, picking at his fish and chips.

"It was a Map of the school we found," said Fred before taking a drink of his Butterbeer.

"We found it in Filch's office, it was made by the Marauder's." added George with a proud smile before he took a bite of his Bangers and mash.

"The Marauder's? Aren't they the past pranksters that professors still talk about?" asked Jack but knowing exactly who they are, he, himself, watched as they made the map and set up pranks when he came for winter when they were at school. "North told me you two get compared with them a lot by the Professors."

"WE get compared to the Marauder's?" asked the twins together with wonder.

"All but Tooth, North and Snape."

"I understand Professors Toothiana and North," said Lee "But why Snape?"

"From what I heard," started Jack 'let's see if they believe me' "Snape and the Marauder where in the same year. Snape was the target for a lot of their pranks and one of the pranks endangered his life. I over heard him say he likes your pranks because yours are for 'kicks and giggles'…" Jack rolled his eyes when he saw they didn't understand what 'kicks and giggles' meant. "Just for a laugh and don't harm anyone and that you don't target anyone particular, you get everyone; friends, family or not. That's why he doesn't compare you guys together."

"Did they mean it?" asked George

"To hurt Snape?" added Fred

"I believe at least one of them did," Jack said with a small sad nod.

Lee deciding they needed a topic change, and ask what they were doing for Christmas. The Twins were going back home for the holidays, Jack was staying but he said North was going back a week before Christmas.

"North owns a Toy Workshop back home. It's insanely busy for the week before Christmas and Phil won't be able to do it all on his own."

"Wow so he is kinda like Father Christmas then?" asked Lee, Jack looked at him with surprise. "Sorry I overheard you say to the Ron, Hermione and Harry that you call him St Nicholas."

"Yer it's one of the reasons, the workshop I mean, we call him St Nick."

The left the Three Broomsticks so they could do a little Christmas shopping, well the three 'older' boys did, Jack sat outside with his sketch and worked on idea he got while we was at Quidditch training. 'Hope North thinks it a good idea and helps make it, if not I'll need to change what I'm getting the twins for Christmas. I wonder why the hat put me in Third Year but the age I'm playing a fourteen year old so I should be a year below the Twins and Bunny.' Jack thought as he added another detail. 'But it did say I have a task to complete so to help me it must put me in third year so the shadow has got to do with the third year. I wish Bunny was talking to me so I can talk to him, maybe Sandy when I get back or Tooth. No, Sandy. Yep Sandy will help.'

"Hello Jack" Jack looked up to see Hagrid look down at him.

"Oh, hi Hagrid. Here for some Christmas shopping?"

"No, here tar see some of the professors, see that ya using the sketchbook ah gave ya."

"Yep so much easier to have my own." Hagrid nodded "When ya get back to the castle, ya mind coming down?"

"Course not, meet you there."