Please read all previous chapters or else you might be lost in what follows. This is NOT The Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone.

TTTTTTTTTTT

Chapter 32: Snow and Turkey.

Harry didn't see Snape through all of Christmas Eve which he found frustrating because he was hoping to ask him about what he had said in the corridor. That morning at breakfast, Dumbledore announced that he and the other teachers had been into the forest late the previous night and added wards to protect the inhabitants but that they wouldn't take direct action until the prefects were back in school.

'That and I've contacted an old friend who is experienced in such matters and he's agreed to pay us a visit when he gets back from his cruise to Jamaica on the fifth of January. He'll be coming back with the rest of the student on the Hogwart's Express.' Dumbledore said, before tucking his beard into his robe and devoting his full attention to the bowl of porridge before him.

'That's interesting.' Harry said to Ron who was building a Seamus-esque four layer breakfast sandwich.

'I wonder who he means?' Ron answered, smearing the final round of toast with butter, 'It'll be a bit of a shock coming up here after Jamaica.'

Harry smiled and spooned more honey into his own bowl of porridge. 'I wonder what it's like, seeing all those places. I've never been on holiday.'

'What, like never?' Ron asked, mouth agape.

Harry nodded, 'Nope, my aunt and uncle always leave me with Mrs Fig down the road when they go away.'

Ron pressed his sandwich gently, wiping away a runner of ketchup that escaped and licking his finger. 'Y'know Harry, if you ever wanted to get away from the muggles for a couple of weeks next summer, I'm sure you could come stay with us.'

Harry frowned, 'Really?'

'Yeah, course. I mean our house isn't anything special or anything and you'd probably have to either sleep on the couch or in my room but… well… you're obviously not happy with them.'

Harry felt a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. The idea that he might actually be able to spend time doing what he wanted for a few weeks was tantalising. 'Thanks, I'll think about it. I don't know if I'm going back to the muggles though, I'm going to ask Dumbledore if I can stay at Hogwarts year round.'

'Oh, okay, well if he won't let you let me know and I'll send an owl to mum and dad.'

'I will.'

The rest of Christmas Eve was divided between a teacher vs. student snowball fight; a game of doubles chess with Harry and Fred against George and Ron; half an hour flying practice on the twins' brooms and an evening of experimenting with levitating charms to make objects fly around the common room.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

Christmas day dawned cold, clear and blindingly beautiful.

Harry woke to Ron's shouts of glee and sat up to find him tearing into a large pile of brightly wrapped presents at the foot of his bed. To Harry's astonishment there was a small stack of wrapped gifts at the foot of his own bed too.

'Merry Christmas!' Ron called, beaming from a cloud of wrapping paper.

'Merry Christmas.' Harry said, picking up the nearest parcel which was wrapped in thick brown paper and tied with coarse string. 'I have presents?'

'Of course you do numpty: it's Christmas!' Ron cried. 'There's one there in what looks like my mum's wrapping paper.'

Harry picked up a large, squashy parcel with a tag that read:

"Dear Harry,

Hoping you and Ron have the Merriest of Christmases at school,

Love,

Molly and Arthur Weasley."

Harry found an edge of the paper and tore it carefully. Inside was a thick, warm Gryffindor red jumper with a large yellow H on the front. He stared at it.

'You don't have to wear it.' Ron said, lifting a matching jumper up to show Harry, this one emblazoned with a large R. 'She makes them every year.'

'I...' Harry's throat was suddenly very thick and words didn't want to come out. He pulled the jumper over his head, taking a moment to clear his throat. The jumper was warm and cosy and had been made for him. He had only met Ron's parents a couple of times but they actually cared enough to make him a jumper for Christmas. 'I love it.' He said eventually, pulling his head through.

Next he opened the brown package and inside found a flute that had been carved from a single long branch of pale wood. There was also a note: "Dear Harry, Merry Christmas, Hagrid."Harry inspected the flute which fit his hands perfectly. As he looked over the finger holes, he noticed that tiny runes were carved into the edges of the small circles.

Next, he found a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages from Angelina Johnson, some toffees and a Chocolate Frog from Hermione and a Ollivander's wand care kit from Faye. Last of all, there was a tiny object wrapped in newspaper that turned out to be a fifty-penny piece from the Dursleys with a note reading: "Merry Christmas, do you have to come back in the summer?"

'What's that?' Ron asked, only half way through his own pile.

Harry held the coin up then flipped it over to Ron who caught it.

'Is this muggle money? Weird. Why's it such a funny shape?'

'I dunno, you keep it. Merry Christmas.'

'Keep it, really? Cool. Tell you what then, you have this.' Ron said, climbing out of bed and handing Harry a tin full of homemade mince pies. 'Mom always makes about a million of them.'

Harry was about to respond when the door to the dormitory burst open and Percy fell in, wrestling furiously with Fred and George who were trying to force him into a violently orange jumper with a P on front.

The three fell to the floor followed by Ron who, with a scream of joy, belly-flopped into their midst followed by many cries of pain and roars of complaint. Almost a minute later the four brothers stood, sweating, gasping for breath and laughing. Percy had his head and right arm though the correct holes, but his left arm was utterly in the wrong place.

'Merry Christmas!' Cried Fred and George, each taking a seat on the end of Ron and Harry's beds.

'Good morning.' Coughed Percy, apparently recovering from Ron landing right on him.

'Merry Christmas guys.' Harry said. 'Sorry I've not bought you any presents or anything. I… I'm not really used to it.'

'Don't worry, we didn't get you anything either!' Fred laughed from Harry's bed.

'Yeah, we're a bit broke at the minute; Boris took five galleons off us in a bed on the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff match.' Finished George.

'Gambling again? I really do give up with you two… Happy Christmas Harry, Ron. Lunch is at half past one.' Percy grumbled, storming out of the dormitory, pulling the jumper on properly, apparently resigned to his fate.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

The morning flew by in a haze of a breakfast of Chocolate Frogs followed by a guided tour around the grounds by the Headmaster who had huge bags under his eyes and looked for once very pale and fragile as did many of the other staff. Ron and the twins thought that the teachers had overindulged at a party the previous night and were all hung-over which Percy vociferously denied.

By the time they had returned to their dormitories, washed and come back down for Christmas Lunch, the great hall was transformed. The house and teachers table had vanished and been replaced with a single table in the middle of the room.

Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, Snape, Sprout, Trelawney and Vector were already seated at the table along with Hagrid and Filch who had exchanged his normal brown work coat for a dilapidated and tired looking tailcoat.

The tables, as before each meal, were empty except for empty plates, cutlery and empty glasses.

'Take a seat wherever you like.' Professor Flitwick said as Harry, Ron and the other Gryffindors arrived, hot on the heels of a couple of Slytherins.

Harry, sitting down, couldn't help but stare as Snape who seemed to be purposefully avoiding his eyes.

When all were assembled at the table, Dumbledore wished them all a Merry Christmas and Yule for the fourth time and clapped his hands upon which a dozen fat, glistening turkeys appeared, alongside every imaginable festive food from spice-stuffed yams to chipolatas wrapped in bacon.

Harry had never in all his life eaten such a meal. He tried but failed to try a piece of everything on offer, giving up when confronted with Icelandic gerdy roots stuffed with some delicious yellow stuff.

They all pulled a massive pile of crackers and drank eggnog then, despite being full to bursting, managed second helpings of Christmas Pudding before dragging themselves back to their dormitories.

Eventually recovered, they went back down to the great hall for a party with more food and drink followed by an incredible illusion show performed by Professor Vector who taught Arithmancy and along with MacGonagall, Conjuration. Those watching it were taken out of themselves, utterly absorbed into the story of Taliessin the Gifted – the greatest bard in the age of heroes – during the time he spent with the King Who Never Is and Always Was and Will Be Arthur as they fought Great Dragons and conquered lands where magic was oppressed by evil muggle emperors.

Eventually they made a final journey back to their dormitories where they collapsed on their beds unable to move or think any more.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

Read and review please, don't pull any punches.

CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS WELCOME