A pearly moon shone in the night sky, the only source of light for miles to come. It was a particularly freezing night, towards the end of December, and the grounds were covered in a brilliant white that contrasted beautifully with the dark sky. The silence was absolute. There was no dawn chorus, no symphony of sound, no animalistic orchestra. The world was entombed in a dome of silence. Winter's deadly clutch had suffocated all life from the outside world. All life but one.
A nearby forest protected the creatures from the glacial temperatures, but it too had been affected by the hurricane that was winter. Stripped of its leaves, it lay naked to the harsh world. Inside it was a wolf of sorts. Its thick blanket of fur wasn't enough to shield it from the lacerating winds. The fearful beast had been defeated by nature's deadly powers. The creature whined and howled to the moon as if begging it for help. Its cries were heard, if not by the moon, then by all living animals nearby, and a half-man half-horse being approached it. The wolf snarled, but the other animal didn't look wary.
"Return, child," it said to the wolf, "The moon may shine, but when dawn breaks you will transform back and drown in the snow. Your body will not resist." The wolf growled, baring its teeth menacingly.
"Return."
The wolf howled once more, but it understood the message. It turned and ran out of the forest, towards a castle. The first rays of sunshine broke the seemingly impenetrable darkness, and the wolf stopped abruptly, panting hard. The sun was having a strange effect on the animal. It was transforming. Its fur disappeared almost completely, hiding under the beast's now exposed skin. Its bones were forcibly decreasing in size and width. Its slanted spine straightened with a snap. Each paw molded into a hand. No longer did it have a snout, or fangs, or eyes as sharp as an eagle's. The whole process was torturous. The wolf let out bestial whimpers and then human screams. Its whole body trembled and shook wildly until with a last weep it turned into a she- and passed out.
It was only hours later that Maribella Piccinni woke. The first thing she noticed was that she lay in a bed, not the snow, or on hard ground. Thankfully, she had been moved. Once noticing Maribella was awake, Madame Pomfrey came over with Maribella 's monthly dose of Invigorating Draught.
"You look exhausted, dearie," said the Healer kindly as Maribella took small sips of the potion. "Thank goodness for that Wolfsbane Potion, or you would look worse," She then muttered softly to herself, "And to think he went through all of it without the potion. Poor, poor dearie."
This grabbed Maribella 's attention. Thrice had she heard of that other werewolf. Twice had she heard and done nothing. But this time, maybe driven by exhaustion, maybe by curiosity, maybe by the need to have someone to relate or look up to, she decided to look.
Ever since hearing about Nicolas Flamel, Maribella and her friends had been going to the library every other day, looking for information on him- even more so for the past few weeks, since holidays were approaching and both Maribella and Hermione would interrupt their research to go home. When they went to the library today, Maribella decided, she'd start looking for the other werewolf, beginning with the student records.
The Infirmary door opened, snapping Maribella out of her thoughts. In came Hermione, stumbling slightly under the weight of all the enormous books she was carrying.
"Morning, Mari," Hermione said, pulling a chair and sitting down heavily. "I brought you your homework."
Some things never change, Maribella thought, thinking of the morning she woke to a similar situation months ago.
"Also brought you this," Hermione continued, pulling out a bar of chocolate and handing it to Maribella . "Always makes me feel better," she said warmly, and Maribella smiled at the girl's generous actions. "How was your night?"
"As horrible as you'd expect," she answered, taking the chocolate bar and pocketing it for later. "Did Ron and Harry ask?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded. "They haven't got a clue, so don't worry. You know how thick they can be."
"Let's thank Merlin for that," Maribella said, and the two girls shared a grin. Hermione then stood up. It was half an hour till lunch, and it was time to go to the library. Maribella threw her covers off her body as well, feeling a whole lot better.
"Are you sure you want to come today?" Hermione asked, looking worried.
"Yeah," Maribella said. "Let's go find the boys."
They found them in the Great Hall, which was being decorated for the Christmas party. It looked splendid, with mistletoes and garlands all around the walls and no fewer than twelve Christmas trees standing tall and proud, all impeccably adorned with candles, holly berries, and even hooting golden owls. They towered over everyone, including the ginormous Hagrid. The man himself stood with Harry and Ron in the far corner, looking deep in conversation.
"Morning," said Maribella as she and Hermione approached.
"Mari, you're back!" said Harry.
"Has your brother recovered from Dragon Pox?" asked Ron.
"Huh?" Maribella asked, confused. Hermione gave her a pointed look. Oh. It was the excuse Hermione had used to throw them off. "Oh- oh, yes, he has, thanks Ron," she said quickly.
"Right. Ron, Harry," said Hermione, "we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron.
"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the Hall. "A day before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"
"It's not for homework," said Maribella , chuckling at the unlikeness of that thought. Homework? So close to the holidays? As if.
"Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is," Harry told him brightly.
"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked.
"We've been trying to-"
"I heard yeh the firs' time. Listen here yeh four, it's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."
"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione, unapologetically.
"Well, I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.
"Just have to find out ourselves then," said Ron, and they hurried off to the library.
Usually, Maribella and Ron spent their time in the library together, looking through the weirdest titles they could find and betting chocolate frogs on who could find the funniest-sounding name or the oddest-looking beast, while Harry and Hermione took things more seriously. This time, however, as Ron meandered through the shelves, pulling books off at random, Maribella strode right past him into the section where she'd find the student records. She was set on discovering who had been infected with lycanthropy during their time at Hogwarts. She pulled out the records from the 80s, the 70s, the 60s and decided that that was enough for now. She moved to sit with Hermione, who had a pile of manuscripts to her right, and a list of the titles scribbled on a notepaper to her left, and was slowly going through all of them. Harry sat nearby, looking bored as he flipped through A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.
"Mari," Ron said, holding a book under his arm, "you won't believe what I- Are those student records?" he asked, taking the papers from her hands.
"Uh, yes. I'm trying to see if I can find anything about Flamel during his time at Hogwarts," Maribella lied nervously.
"In the seventies?" Harry asked suspiciously, eyeing the records.
"I'm- I'm just a very... thorough researcher, checking every possible date," Maribella replied and swiftly grabbed the papers back.
"What makes you think Nicolas Flamel even attended Hogwarts?" Hermione raised her eyebrows quizzically.
Maribella glared at the girl. Why, they were meant to be on the same side.
"I'm just making sure." she grumbled finally, letting her eyes wander over the names.
"There's nothing in this!" Harry moaned a few minutes later, slamming his book shut.
Maribella looked up briefly from reading Lupin, Remus (1971-1978)'s file and rolled her eyes.
"Find another book, then," she said, licking the tips of her fingers and turning the page.
"We've already looked everywhere!" the boy complained again.
"Not in the Restricted Section," Ron quipped. Harry took the suggestion seriously and wandered over to the section.
"Harry," Hermione called after him.
"Just let him go Hermione," Maribella said, looking back at the papers. "Who knows. Maybe he'll find something that gets us going." And happy to finally have some silence, she focused her attention and efforts on the names. No more than five minutes later, they heard Madam Pince, the librarian, angrily chasing Harry out of her library.
"Funny, isn't it? She loves the quiet, but whenever she's the one who makes a sound, it's like Seamus trying to turn water into rum all over again," said Ron, and the girls chuckled.
"This should be enough for today, then," Hermione said, looking defeated. "Put the books away and we'll go to lunch," she ordered, and the trio stood up. They met Harry outside in the corridor, who looked as disappointed as they felt.
The next day marked the start of the holidays, and Maribella and Hermione would be going back home.
"You will keep looking while we're away, won't you?" said Hermione. "Send an owl if you find anything."
"Have fun having Christmas dinner with Snape," Maribella said with a grin. "I'll see you after the holidays."
"Happy Christmas," the boys replied.
Maribella and Hermione followed the line of students down a path to the small station where the Hogwarts Express waited.
"Do you think the boys will find anything while we're gone?" Hermione asked once they boarded and the train started moving.
"Maybe," Maribella said. "We haven't found anything so far, though."
"Oh, I don't know," Hermione said. "They could find something."
"Let's hope so. I'm getting sick of all this searching."
"It's a good thing we're leaving for holidays," Hermione said.
They decided they deserved a break from Nicolas Flamel and Fluffy, so they spent the rest of their journey comparing Wizard-Christmas traditions to Muggle ones. Soon they arrived at King's Cross station and spilled onto the platform eagerly.
"Happy Christmas, Mione," Maribella said.
"See you after the holidays, Mari," Hermione said. The two girls hugged and parted ways.
Now Maribella just needed to find her parents. She stood on the tip of her toes, trying to see over the crowd. Suddenly she felt a pressure on her legs and looked down. Clinging to her bottom half like she'd float away if he let go, was Marco the youngest member of the Piccinni family.
"Marco!" Maribella exclaimed and let go of her trunk, picking up the boy in one rapid move.
"Mari!" he beamed, rolling out the r and hugging her neck. "Missed you."
"I missed you too, fratellino," she said, affectionately petting the back of his head.
"Marco," said a breathless voice behind them, and Maribella turned. Running towards them was Mr. Piccinni. "Mari!" He smiled once he saw her, enveloping the two siblings in a big bear hug. "I was going crazy looking for you, and I let Marco out of my sight for two seconds and next thing I know he's found you… I swear, Marco is like a tracking Crup, he can find anything," he said, letting out a chuckle, and then more seriously, "Don't tell your Mama I said that."
"I won't, Papa." she grinned at him.
"Thanks, sweetheart," he said, ruffling her hair, and then once again embraced her. "We missed you at home. The Grotta isn't the Grotta without its little monster."
"Thanks," Maribella said, rolling her eyes but smiling all the same. "Where are Mama and Anna?"
"In the car!" Marco offered excitedly.
"What's that?" Maribella questioned, not recognizing the peculiar name.
"Oh, it's like a Muggle version of a broom, only slower, you'll see once we get there." Mr. Piccinni took Maribella 's trunk in one hand and her hand in the other. "Mama insisted I learned how to drive. Said I was rotting up inside the house with no work to do."
During winter and fall, Mr. Piccinni's wine-making business took a slow turn, as the tree branches frosted and gave no more fruit.
"Speaking of Anna, she has big news for you," he went on. "Just try and humor her, yeah, Mari?"
They passed through the Platform 9 ¾ barrier discreetly. Luckily, no Muggles looked. Other magical families attracted more attention, what with their screeching owls and eccentric clothing, so the Piccinni family passed overlooked by all. They stopped finally in front of a Muggle vehicle. It was painted in faded red, and though it looked cramped with only Mrs. Piccinni and Anna to begin with, Maribella forced her body inside. Not a second had gone by since she sat herself down before being smothered by Giovanna.
"I missed you so much, Mari!" the little girl said in a rapturous voice.
"Hello, tesoro," said Mrs. Piccinni, leaning back and kissing Maribella 's forehead.
"You have to tell me everything," Giovanna, said excitedly as the car started moving with a jolt. "How's Hogwarts? Did you make any friends? Do you like them better than you like me?" she finished with a pout.
"Amazing, yes, and definitely," Maribella nodded, grinning at Anna's facial expression. "You'll never guess who I met-" She paused for dramatic effect. "Harry Potter!"
"Like the war hero?" Mr. Piccinni asked as he clumsily moved around a circular object, which supposedly was helping steer the car? Maribella wasn't sure.
"Like the one in my storybook?" Giovanna asked at the same time.
"Yeah, Papa," Maribella answered her father, then directing herself to her little sister: "He has his own storybook?"
"Yeah, and it comes with the cutest pictures," Anna gushed. "I'll show you once we get home."
A few minutes of silence in which the family cherished being reunited.
"Did everything work out fine?" Mr. Piccinni asked softly, "the potion and the transformations... ?"
"Yes, Papa," Maribella answered, side-glancing at Giovanna and Marco. She hated discussing that subject in front of them. Giovanna, however, looked strangely excited at the change in subject.
"I have news," she announced. "I know what I want to do when I grow older."
"And what would that be, Anna?" Maribella asked.
"I want to cure you!" Anna said excitedly. "I'm going to cure werewolves!"
A pause. What was Anna thinking?
"Don't be daft, Anna." Maribella rolled her eyes. "You can't cure lycanthropy."
"Can too!" The young girl crossed her arms. "You'll see."
And Maribella did. Throughout the holiday, Anna seemed invested in the whole healing ordeal. She compiled a series of facts about werewolves and even tampered with Maribella 's January Wolfsbane Potion, which got the young girl in trouble with both her sister and her parents. Still, she wasn't discouraged. Anna read Maribella 's potion books during the holiday, learning about all the different ingredients that made up the potion. Maribella herself only read one thing during the holidays: The Harry Potter Storybook for Younglings; A Simplification of History, which was so hilariously inaccurate, she immediately decided Harry Potter himself needed to read the novel.
Christmas itself was wonderful. The decorations were beautiful, with fairy-lights, everlasting icicles, and enchanted snow falling from the ceiling. In every few corners were hidden mistletoes (only for show, of course. No one wanted to see their Great Grandma locking lips with their little brother.) Like your typical Italian family, the Piccinni family was huge, and the Grotta found a group of at least fifty relatives to accommodate on Christmas Eve. It was a simple party, as the real celebration would be the next day. The meal was awash with an abundance of self-replenishing fried fish and roasted vegetables (never meat during la Vigilia, or Christmas Eve), and Mr. Piccinni's fine wine. Having the miracle of never-ending wine was a deed to the adults, and by the end of the evening, everyone drunkenly stumbled home, with a full belly and a tired smile.
Everyone was back the next day for the Christmas lunch, which, unlike the previous evening, was mostly meat-based. The Natale lunch began with a classic antipasto spread featuring dry cured meats, salumi, fine Italian cheeses, briny olives and artichokes. Then, of course, came the pasta dishes: lasagne, ravioli, and farfalle for the kids, with no less than three different types of sauces. The event lasted for the better part of the afternoon.
Maribella enjoyed herself immensely, always taking joy in seeing intoxicated adults (a hilarious sight). When her Great Aunt Donatella approached, speaking fast Italian (never mind that Maribella didn't actually speak the language), Maribella threw her off expertly with quick "sì, grazies" and "Buon Natales". The day was spent out in the snow with her siblings and cousins, building snow goblins and having snowball fights. Tesoro was in a particularly bad mood all day from it, constantly being made a target for the kids' snowballs. Later in the day, the children got a right laugh when Maribella snuck up on her parents and exploded a Christmas cracker in their faces. As the sun set, she crowded around the table with the other children, longing to have a slice of panettone, a delicious sweetbread filled with candied fruits and chocolate chips, definitely the highlight of the day.
At night, when everyone had already departed and Mr. and Mrs. Piccinni were swaying to Celestina Warbeck's You Charmed the Heart Right Out Of Me, Maribella received letters and presents from her friends. She got a box of chocolate frogs from Ron and a note saying : Now you'll be able to pay me properly when I win our bet next time we go to the library -Ron. She chuckled, appreciating the present even more when she remembered Ron's financial condition.
Hermione gave her a book called Hairy Snout, Human Heart, describing the heartrending account of one wizard's struggle against lycanthropy, which the entire family found to be fascinating, and Anna insisted that Maribella lent it to her sometime. Unfortunately, Maribella would only be able to give her friends their presents after the holidays, because the Piccinni family didn't have an owl. She spent the rest of the night curled by the fire with Tesoro, devouring the book.
The festivities didn't usually end on December the 25th, continuing on until January 6th, the Epiphany day, where children would either get candies or coal and the family would exchange presents. This year, however, Maribella wasn't able to participate, as school started soon after New Year. She didn't let that fact bring her down, always excited to see her friends.
All in all, it'd been a very good holiday.
Honestly? Coolest chapter ever, to me anyways. We got to see a little of how a typical Italian Christmas would go (that required a lot of research, I'll tell you that)! As always, thanks for reading, and reviews are always welcome!