Chapter Sixteen.
Love at Christmas.

Harry couldn't sleep at all that night he tossed and turned but couldn't get Aberforth out of his head. What right did he have to tell him that he could be a horcrux anyway, If Dumbledore didn't want to tell him it can't have been that important. But then a voice popped into his head 'yes but Dumbledore put off telling you about the prophecy for five years. Maybe he kept this from you like he kept the prophecy from you' but that couldn't be right, Aberforth had said Dumbledore didn't believe that Harry was a horcrux, maybe that's why he wasn't told. Harry's scar prickled again and he felt immense anger, it wasn't his feeling it was Voldemort's feeling. He was getting that a lot recently. Ron was snoring loudly above him, which made it even harder for Harry to sleep. When Ron finally woke up around 8am, which was early for Ron on the holiday's Harry, closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He didn't feel like having to go down to breakfast with Hermione bothering him to tell her about what Aberforth had said. He waited till he heard Neville and Seamus leaving the room half an hour later and finally got up and dressed. He walked slowly down to the common room saw it was fairly empty, except for a few second years playing exploding snap at a table in the corner.

"Morning Harry." He turned around and saw Hermione at the bottom of the girl's dormitory stairs and he sighed. He had felt bad for shouting at her but he wasn't in the mood to be interrogated again. He hadn't slept all night and was feeling very agitated. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?" She asked him with narrowed eyes. "And where's Ron, still asleep I suppose."

"He went down to breakfast already, where's Ginny?" Harry asked yawning.

"She's still asleep. Are you still having those nightmares, is that why you're tired?" Hermione asked him again.

"Ok, I guess I'll see her later then." Harry said ignoring Hermione and turned to walk out of the common room towards the great hall.

"Harry." Hermione called after him and he spun around feeling very irritated.

"What Hermione?" He said angrily. She looked taken aback but calmly carried on talking.

"I was just going to say I think Ginny Is doing something to help Luna today." Hermione said casually.

"Sorry Hermione." Harry mumbled feeling guilty.

"That's quite allright, But if you are still having those nightmares…" Hermione stopped talking at the look on Harry's face.

"I'm not having the nightmares Hermione, well ok I still am. But I just couldn't sleep last night that's all." Harry reassured her.

"Because of what Aberforth told you?"

"Drop it." Harry told her firmly trying not to lose his temper with her again. He walked with Hermione down to the great hall and she didn't mention Aberforth again, Harry knew she was dying to keep asking him but didn't want to push it.

"I was thinking we should go visit Hagrid again today." Hermione said coolly.

"Yeah good idea." Harry said hoping Hagrid would be there this time. When they arrived in the great hall Harry saw Ron sitting with Neville and Seamus at the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to Ron and started loading eggs and bacon onto his plate.

"Have you seen the prophet?" Ron said grimly tossing it at Harry. Hermione who was sitting opposite Harry leaned over to read it. Harry looked at a big picture of Lucius Malfoy, the headline read: Death Eater Outbreak From Azkaban Prison.

"Then why was Voldemort angry early this morning…surely he should be happy." Harry said unaware that he was thinking aloud. Ron and Hermione looked at him alarmed.

"What?" Ron said bewildered.

"I've started feeling what he's feeling again." Harry said throwing it into the conversation casually. " It doesn't make sense…unless he broke out Malfoy because he's angry with him." Harry said again more to himself. Ron nudged him and glanced at Seamus and Neville who seemed to be listening in on the conversation.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived at Hagrid's hut they half expected him not to be there, they hadn't seen him eating in the great hall for a few days now. They knocked and seconds later Hagrid opened the door and he looked pleased to see them. They stepped in from the cold (it was still snowing) and sat themselves down with fang jumping excitedly all over them.

"How 'ave yeh bin you three?" Hagrid said making a pot of tea. "I s'pose yeh bin gettin in ter trouble."

"No not us Hagrid." Ron said sarcastically.

"Where have you been recently Hagrid?" Hermione asked him.

"Forest with Grawp. He's improvin can almos' say full sentences now. Reckon he migh' even be able ter come outta there soon." Hagrid looked delighted. "Olympe's bin ter visit me a lot, helpin me with Dumbledore's death an everythin, fine woman." Hagrid gazed into thin air for a moment until Harry spoke.

"You seen the Daily Prophet today Hagrid?"

"Azkaban is nothin withou' the dementors, no punishmen' fer scum like Malfoy anymore." The four of them talked for a few hours until Hagrid had to go and patrol the grounds for duty to the order and Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the rest of the day in the common room. Hermione caught up on Homework while Harry and Ron played chess. Ron beat Harry at every game. The next day Harry spent most of the day with Ginny walking around in the snow until they got too cold and went back to the common room. That night when Hermione and Ginny had gone to bed Harry and Ron were left sitting by the fire.

"You have a good day with Hermione?" Harry said looking into the flames of the fire.

"Yeah…we actually argued most of the day." Ron said gloomily.

"Why?" Harry asked him startled.

"Don't worry it's nothing serious." Ron reassured Harry. Harry thought he knew what Ron was talking about but didn't say anything. The next day at noon Harry, Ron and Hermione were once again walking towards the hog's head to meet Aberforth. They entered the pub and once again went through to the back room. Aberforth had moved the table to make space and they got started.

"Imperius curse is extremely hard to resist. If we tried that it could take months for you to be able to throw it off. But Harry I hear you can do that anyway. The most important one first then, with the killing curse it gets easier the more you practice. Concentrate hard on what you are doing, killing is about hate. You have to bring up your most powerful hateful memories to bring out the emotion. As I said it get's easier every time. A bit like with the patronus Harry." Aberforth told them. Harry knew he had plenty of hateful memories to last him a lifetime, Umbridge, Malfoy and Bellatrix to name a few.

"What are we practicing on?" Hermione asked anxiously as if she didn't want the answer.

"Rat's, Spider's, things that don't really matter." Aberforth told her. Hermione looked disgusted and Harry was strongly reminded of Moody practicing on the spider in their fourth year.

"Spiders…we don't need to get practice on them." Ron said hastily looking around the room as if looking for spiders to be there. Hermione laughed at him and he glared at her.

"We can practice for a bit now, but all you really need is me telling you how. Then you can keep practicing anywhere until you get it." Aberforth said enthusiastically. Harry tried the first time on a small beetle. He tried to remember all his hateful memories and it was working as soon as he pictured Bellatrix Lestrange's face in his mind. He got nothing out of his wand for half an hour and he was starting to get frustrated, with Aberforth helping him along the way. Ron and Hermione didn't do any better but Aberforth said he hadn't expected them to be able to do it instantly.

"Avada Kedavra" Harry yelled for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He still didn't feel comfortable with what he was doing but he knew it would be better if he knew how to do it. Suddenly a small green spark came out of his wand and the beetle stopped moving for a second, but then walked around on the table slowly again.

"Well done Harry, that is rare. You didn't kill it, but you got something." After they had finished practicing Aberforth told them to practice until they got it, and he would contact them soon. Hermione still strongly disapproved of what they were doing and Harry and Ron sensed she also disapproved of Aberforth.

That afternoon Ron went to the kitchens to get food for the Christmas party. Hermione and Ginny were decorating the common room with a Christmas tree and various decorations. When they were done they sat down in the armchairs as people were starting to pack into the common room. Later on Ron returned from the kitchens as he was getting food for the Christmas party. He came into the common room followed by at least a dozen house elves carrying food and bottles of butterbeer on trays.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded him when she saw the house elves and Ron leading them towards the table to place on the food.

"I can't carry all the food by myself." Ron said defensively now sitting down next to her as she rolled her eyes at him. The celebrations went on for a while; Harry had eaten so much food he thought he would explode. As it struck midnight Harry turned to Ginny.

"Merry Christmas." He smiled at her. Hermione had gone up to the girl's dormitory to get something and when she came back she sat down and turned to Ron.

"You can open this now." Hermione said smiling at Ron and handing him a present. He took it looking at her curiously and slowly unwrapped it. There was a note with it and as Ron read it he grinned. His face turned ecstatic when he saw that she had bought him a bottle of firewhisky.

"I suppose you are of age." Hermione said looking pleased at Ron's reaction.

"You know what? I love you too." He grinned at her and Harry and Ginny laughed.

"How long has that taken you to say, a week?" Ginny said to Ron. Ron's ears turned red and Hermione kissed him.

"Do you want to go find a classroom?" Harry muttered to Ginny. She nodded and Harry grinned leaving Ron and Hermione who still had not surfaced. On their way they passed Neville and Luna who were sitting together holding hands and in deep conversation.

"That's my work." Ginny said looking proud of herself.

"Are you a matchmaker now?" Harry asked her playfully. They left the common room and found an empty classroom. Harry had known what he was going to say to Ginny, it had been an obstacle in their relationship for a while now, and he knew he could sort it out. As they entered a classroom, Harry knew he was going to tell her everything.