magitech, ShadowCub: Jen used a Muggle because 1) they're less likely to fight back if surprised with magic, 2) it's more common for Muggles to disappear and never be seen again, and 3) while magic extends a person's time alive, it just supplements – not increases – the amount of lifeforce already present, so the extra risk isn't worth it.

obsidian-fox: While you seem to have forgotten that Jen is confronting Zabini because an awakening incubus is a danger to every girl in Hogwarts, I agree that she can be quite wicked. This shouldn't come as a surprise, though; you've known since chapter 13, 16 at the latest, that practicing Voodoo makes her a serial killer! No, Jen will be alive and well at the end of the story.

apAidan: As a fan of yours, I'll say right now that I enjoy the insane amount of detail in your stories. A big part of why I find writing this fic so much fun is that I get to dance on the line between sympathetic and repugnant.

Disclaimer: Is the Wizarding World an extremely conservative society that also appears to be entirely atheist? If so, I don't own the Harry Potter franchise; it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, Warner Bros., and whoever else she sold the rights to.

Chapter 23
Which Holiday Are We Celebrating, Again?

What in the world are they doing?, Jen wondered as she walked down the stairs to the kitchen. She had been working on her winter assignments in the library when she noticed Cissy, Andi, and Dora trimming the lamps and setting up a number of candles. She attempted to subtly read their minds to satisfy her curiosity, but her aunts had taken to keeping mental shields up whenever she was in the house – to be fair, it could just as easily be that they had their defenses raised at all times – and her cousin was equally as clueless as she. That left only one other route to discover what was going on: join them and ask her question directly.

She opened the door in time to hear Dora's voice. "So, will you two eventually get around to telling me what in Merlin's name we're doing, or should I just start making assumptions?"

"You don't know?" Cissy asked, clearly surprised. "Ah, Jen, we were about to come get you. Andi, did you just decide one day to teach your daughter nothing at all about our culture?"

"You know I've never been the biggest fan of Solstice traditions. Besides, Ted and Dora both prefer Christmas because of his Muggle roots."

Jen cleared her throat. "And the difference between Solstice and Christmas celebrations is…?" When she trailed off, Cissy turned expectantly to her sister.

"Well, there are quite a few, the timing being a relatively minor one. Solstice isn't as much of gift-giving holiday, so rather than a multitude of small presents, an entire family gives a single item to each member, generally something useful or expensive."

"Which is why we purchased only a few things when we were shopping, Jen," Cissy cut in. "We may be opening them on Christmas rather than today, but I convinced Sirius to let you have a taste of the Old Ways at least once."

"Quite. May I continue now, sister? There is also a Ministry ball that all Heads of Houses must attend, hence why Sirius is not here. Beyond that, each family has its own practices, such as the one we are about to begin.

"You see, the winter solstice is the day when the Dark Powers are at their strongest, allowing them to reach out from their twilight realms and influence our world. Doing so weakens the Veil, and though the divide is not as thin as it is at Halloween, the dead can still hear our messages on this day. Our family's custom is for the women of the House to light candles for our deceased friends and family if we could not do so earlier in the year and wish them peace and good fortune in the afterlife."

"Quick question, Mum," Dora interjected. "What are you talking about, 'Dark Powers'? It sounds almost like you believe in gods of some kind."

Andi paused for a moment before answering. "I do not personally consider them gods, per se, but I recognize there exist entities with far greater abilities than any human has ever possessed. The leader of the Wild Hunt, Nyarlathotep, the Unseelie Queen, Tiamat the Grand Wyrm… beings that pop up here and again throughout history, rarely to the benefit of the person they interact with. According to the Old Ways, our world cycles back and forth throughout the year between their grasp and that of the Light Powers."

"Whether you choose to worship them is your own decision, but that is not the point right now," Cissy chided.

"You're right, it's not. Since you're so impatient today, why don't you do the honors and start us off?"

The younger sister harrumphed at her sibling's retort and pulled four tapers closer to her. Lighting them with her wand, she spoke softly, "I light these candles for Arcturus, Orion, Walburga, and Regulus Black, who have none of their line to remember them on this day."

"Do this with me, Narcissa," Andi murmured. They added two more to the row and said together, "We light these candles for our parents, Cygnus and Druella Black."

"…What can it hurt? I light these candles for Rebecca and Obadiah Stonewall."

Andi lowered her head in sympathy. Cautiously, Jen asked, "Who were they, Dora?"

"Rebecca entered the Auror training program the same day I did, and we spent a lot time getting to know each other those first few months. She quit when she found out she was pregnant, but we stayed friends. She even asked me to be her son's godmother. Her cottage caught fire in the middle of the night last year; neither of them made it out." Dora brushed a hand over her face to wipe away her tears.

"I'm sorry," Jen said. She hesitated briefly before dragging a ninth candle into line. "I light this candle for Elspeth Durand."

Cissy came up behind her and laid thin hands on her shoulders. "She was the mentor you told us about, wasn't she? Elsie?"

"Yes. She was a cunning and frightfully intelligent woman, but she was also prideful. One day she decided to try something exceedingly foolish, and her experiment fell apart almost immediately, destroying her with it. Still, it takes an amazing teacher to turn even her own demise into a lesson, and she certainly did that."

Curious despite herself, Dora voiced the question plaguing both older women. "What lesson was that?"

"Death will always claim what is His."

Sirius beamed as the last of the extended Black clan entered the sitting room on Christmas Day. "Now that we are all finally here," he looked pointedly at Narcissa, who retaliated with a roll of her eyes, "we can get started. Let's hope none of you wrapped anything that was going to go bad."

"Yes, yes, I'm late. Some issues concerning the party Lucius and I are hosting tonight sprang up, and they had to be settled right then. You'll have to forgive me. Incidentally, he and Draco both apologize that they are unable to join us this afternoon." She plopped next to Ted and motioned with her hand for him to get on with it.

Well, who was he to deny such an invitation? He grabbed the first gift from the far too small stack and read the label. "Dora, catch!"

"Wha— Hey!" She ducked under the package as it flew through the space her head had occupied a moment earlier. "Watch it, Sirius!"

"Stop whining and open your present."

She glared at him for a moment before picking it up suspiciously. "If this is something silly, I swear I'm going to hex you all the way to the Hebrides and back." Ripping the paper off, she opened the box and pulled out a thick, dark vest. "Merlin's beard, is this…?"

"Dragonhide armor. Rather appropriate threat considering that came from a Hebridean Black."

"But… how? It's illegal to sell these to anyone who isn't an Auror or a Hit Wizard."

He shrugged his shoulders. "There was a stone or two of parchmentwork to complete and I had to make a magical vow to Amelia Bones that I would only give it to you and not keep it for myself, but overall the process wasn't too difficult, just time-consuming." He grinned at her still-incredulous expression. Reaching for the next parcel, his smile widened. "And we have another Tonks. Ted?"

The fair-haired man raised his hands in front of his face. "Are you going to throw it already, or should I grab another cuppa while you get your act together?" Sirius may have flung the box a little harder than absolutely necessary. "One of the new notepads that automatically cross-reference what's written in it? I've been wanting this since they came out."

"I would have preferred these portkey and resort reservations not hurtling at me," Andi remarked dryly a couple of minutes later, "but we will enjoy them nonetheless. Ted, dear, when did you tell Sirius we wanted to go to the Maldives?"

"He didn't tell me anything," Sirius denied.

Jen lifted her head up. "Don't look at me. I was in Hogwarts this whole time."

"I knew, but it never crossed my mind, Mum." The resident metamorph turned to the only other person in the room. "Which just leaves you."

Narcissa smiled in mild embarrassment as she absently stroked the new niffler-fur stole laying across her lap. "He told me during one of our lunches that you dreamed of having a second honeymoon there. Considering how I've pretended you didn't exist since your wedding, this seemed like a good way to start making it up to you."

"I appreciate it, Cissy, I truly do. Of course, I have to ask; one of your lunches?" She flicked an amused glance between Narcissa and Ted. "Should I be worried that my baby sister and my husband seem to be arranging private trysts behind my back?"

Jen outright cackled at that.

"It's nothing like that; I just figured that after twenty-some years, it's long past time for me to get to know my brother-in-law. You know well that I'm not a fan of Muggleborns generally, but I'll admit that if you had to marry one of them, he is probably the best you could find."

"…Thank you?" Ted responded warily.

Deciding that was more than enough blind prejudice for the moment, Sirius grabbed the next parcel. He smiled when he saw that the small box had his name on it and shredded the paper in his haste to see the contents. Once he opened it out, though, he frowned. "Bad Dog: 30 Surefire Tricks to Curb Your Incorrigible Crup. Why is it that after none of you let me plan a prank with the presents, I'm the one who's the butt of a joke?"

"I think you just answered your own question," Jen answered. "Why don't you take it out of the box before you start complaining?"

He followed her advice, and his eyes widened as he spotted his real gift underneath it. "Tickets to all the Hollyhead Harpies' spring games!"

"We figured you'd like that. If you ever turned down an opportunity to ogle women without consequence, we would have an impostor in the room," Andi said with a grin.

"You know me so well. Now, last but… no, last and least, we have Jen's— Ow!" He rubbed the side of his leg where the girl had shocked him.

She held up one hand, a small arc of lightning crackling as it hopped back and forth between her thumb and index finger. "Don't throw that at me."

He sighed and slid the large package over to her. "Take all the fun out it, why don't you?" She just smirked in reply.

Every member of the family smiled when she pulled on her present. Reaching down to her ankles, the duster was a brilliant white, though tiny streaks of blue, green, and red gleamed where the light hit it at just the right angle. He couldn't see them at this distance, but he knew that a closer inspection would reveal a faint pattern of scales. It normally took much longer than a few weeks to produce a specially-tailored dragonhide coat like this one, but the hideworkers who had bought that part of the Opaleye Jen killed were effusive in their gratitude and had put a rush on the order. When asked, they explained that they rarely received any skins not from dragons that had died of old age or were rent to pieces while fighting; this one was in near perfect condition and would, supposedly, be a joy to work with.

Jen turned her head as she faced each of them in turn. "You know, there are days I really hate being blind. What do I look like that has you all so pleased?"

"Here, let me show you." Narcissa made herself comfortable on the couch, and then they froze in place.

Dora sidled up to him as the two relaxed. "Is it just me, or is them doing that just a little creepy?" Sirius nodded; even as close as he had gotten to Narcissa over the previous half year, he still would not want to poke around in her head or permit her into his. That they would exchange memories without a second thought showed a disconcerting degree of trust and reminded him of their previous 'relationship', not a subject he enjoyed dwelling on.

"Oh, my," Jen murmured.

He cleared his throat and called his goddaughter's attention back to him. "Don't get cocky and think you can just shrug off any curses that come your way. As Dora said, only Aurors and Hit Wizards can own armor; while it looks good on you, it won't protect you any better than if it were made out of normal leather." Considering how little time they had had to get this ready, it was a good thing it wasn't armor. The specifics were a closely-guarded secret, but he knew from his time as a Hit Wizard himself that hide meant for protective vests had to soak in a variety of potions to soften the scales without ruining its defensive qualities and that that tanning process could take anywhere from four to ten months depending on the particular breed.

"Not being armor doesn't make me love it any less. Thank you, all of you." She pulled the coat tighter around herself and smiled; for some reason, Padfoot felt a nigh-irrepressible urge to dig a hole and hide. "Now I'm actually kind of disappointed that the Yule ball is formal wear only. I can't wait to show this off."

Tossing a plum up and down in one hand, Jen pondered on how to phrase her letter. "'Fraulein Eberhardt, I enjoyed watching you dance last night…'; no, no, that makes it sound like it's from a stalker or a student, neither of which I want. 'I hope you have had a Merry Christmas…'? Maybe, but probably not." She took a bite and lifted it to shoulder level to share with Loki. "I don't want to sound too friendly. If I do, she might get the idea that she can ignore my 'requests'.

"Maybe a middle road between those two openings? 'Hopefully you enjoyed your Yule ball last night. I do not come bearing Christmas gifts—'. Definitely not the second part."

Loki snapped his beak twice, then let out a repetitive series of rough coughing calls.

"Too long? Actually, you have a point. Short and sweet might be the best route to go." She summoned her DictaQuill to a sheet of parchment floating mid-air in her bedroom. "'Fraulein Eberhardt, Hopefully you enjoyed your Yule ball last night. However, I now have a job for you to complete.'" Levitating the quill, she asked, "How seedy should this false persona be?"

The raven shrugged his wings before clambering down her arm to get to their plum. She sighed and tossed the half-eaten food onto the dresser where Loki quickly descended upon it. "Baron bless me, but there are days I wonder if a better name for you wouldn't have been 'Flying Stomach'.

"'As should be expected, there is considerable attention on who will win the upcoming wandless duels, and it is a matter of no small amount of money. The next Task is in shortly less than a month, so you have two weeks to discover all you can about your opponents' strategies. Obviously, you should not neglect to include your own as well. I will contact you again to give you the address to which you will send your information.' That should do it."

"Jen! It's six o'clock!"

"Just a second, Auntie!" Grateful for Andi's reminder, she pulled a bit of ink from the well on her desk and spread it at the end of the letter. A moment of effort had it shaped into a bird track. "Come on, Loki. I know you don't like staying up that late, but I need you to wait until little Ingrid either falls asleep or doesn't show up in her room tonight before delivering this. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow." There was silence from the dresser, so she continued, "I'll get you some honeycomb."

A pause, then he croaked sullenly and glided to her shoulder, eliciting a smile. Her familiar adored honey, but she refused to give him nearly as much as he wanted. She had let him gorge himself on it only once, and he had been so sick for the next several days that she refused to do it again. Now it was just for special occasions or bribes.

"Jen!"

She dried the ink on her letter and slipped it into her pocket. Grabbing the bag containing her dress for the ball, she hurried downstairs to the drawing room. She only had two hours to travel to Hogwarts and get ready.

Luna knocked on the door sharply. "Jen, it's almost time for the party to start. Are you nearly done?" The door swung open. Shrugging, the blonde poked her head into the room. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes, Luna, I heard you. Come on in."

She entered fully and couldn't help but admire the dress her best friend wore. Bright tracery, likely real silver thread, danced on a resplendent background of midnight blue crushed velvet; the dark color made Jen's pale shoulders positively glow in comparison. With her deportment and charm, she would be the belle of the ball.

The younger girl barely withheld a wistful sigh; that outfit had undoubtedly cost more than the Quibbler could make in months. The Black heiress may be far richer than any of her friends bar Susan Bones, who was also a member of an Ancient House, but each of them came from at least some money, even if Kenneth's family was only middle-class and Justin's was all-Muggle. Luna, on the other hand, was just the daughter of a poor newspaper printer. On days like this, she couldn't help but feel incredibly out of place, a pebble polished half-heartedly before being forgotten next to a box of pearls.

"Are you all right?" Jen asked softly, turning the chair at the desk around to face her while running hands through dark hair to straighten the kinky strands.

She blushed at being caught woolgathering. "I'm fine, just thinking."

"About the ball? It's not right that you can't come. I mean, you're only a third year because your birthday is in October; the dance should be open to anyone fourteen or older."

"I told you, I don't have a problem with it. It'll be fun to have run of the Tower since all the upper years will be in attendance. I think I'll just stretch out on the couch by the fireplace and read in peace for a couple of hours. Speaking of which…" She pulled a palm-sized wad of color out of her pocket and enlarged it to its full tie-dyed glory before handing it over self-consciously. Jen unwrapped it to find an old leather-bound book. "It's The Collected Stories of Beedle Lovegood, the… less child-friendly version of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I thought you'd like them since you were so interested in the story about the three brothers Peverell."

Jen smirked like she was enjoying some private joke. "I was, indeed; thank you for this. Did you like your present?"

Nodding, she pulled her sleeve up to display the golden chain around her wrist. Three charms already dangled from it: a puppy, an open book, and a shield embossed with the Blacks' distinctive coat of arms. She couldn't help but wonder what they meant; her first guess was that Jen was publicly claiming some kind of ownership over her, though the older girl's words and actions had never given that impression before. And why doesn't the thought of her doing so upset me? Maybe the adolicky-repelling charms around my bed need to be recast if they are twisting my thoughts around like this. "If you don't mind, could you explain them?"

"Well, my family's crest should be fairly obvious. The book represents you due to your wealth of esoteric knowledge; I couldn't find any heraldry for your family, I'm afraid, or I'd have used that." Now pleased with her hair, Jen ran a finger over her lips and colored them an icy blue; her wandless magic left Luna unsure whether it was a glamour or more complex human transfiguration. Such a spell was seventh year material, but it wouldn't surprise her to find that Jen already knew it. Anyone who had mastered wandless magic by fourteen should have no issues learning difficult magic ahead of schedule. "As for the puppy… Ruby's Jewels simply didn't have any creatures with nine legs in their collection."

The blonde dropped her eyes bashfully as her face flared brighter. She knew they were friends, and Jen had affirmed that in words before, but such a permanent, physical reminder was very touching.

Jen gave a gentle tug on her fringe, transfiguring it to a shorter length, and looked up at Luna with eyes just a shade or two lighter than her dress. Standing and spinning once in place, she asked, "How do I look?"

"Beautiful. If I were in Zabini's place, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you." Luna slapped said hands over her mouth, shocked at what she had just unintentionally uttered. Morgana's soggy knickers, why would I ever say something like that? What is Jen going to think? Maybe… maybe she wasn't listening.

Her meager hopes were dashed when the other girl cocked her head in silent invitation to continue. She didn't, and strangely Jen just grinned wickedly. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" Her friend walked – no, that's not walking, that's slinking – closer; since she couldn't seem to uproot her feet from the floor, they were side by side in a matter of moments. "I thank you for the compliment, Lu-na Love-good." The syllables rolling off Jen's tongue like she was tasting each one individually, the older girl leaned in and delivered a cool, feathery kiss to her burning cheek. With the way this evening had been going, she'd be lucky to not have her entire face melt off.

Hot breath on her ear indicated that her luck fairy had, in fact, taken the night off. "Blushing from so little, my sweet moonchild? You are just too precious." Finally granting her mercy, or perhaps merely setting her aside to play with later like a cat would a crippled mouse, Jen stepped past her. "I have no idea when I'll be back tonight, so don't wait up for me."

The door snapped shut, and she could at last relax. That had been simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating, and Luna was sure she could do without such a strange combination of heady emotions for the rest of the night. Shivering for reasons she could not put a name to, she waited a minute before exiting the dorm and making her way to the common room.

Yet even there she could not find peace. A traitorous voice in the back of her mind, the same one that doubted her father's claims of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks' existence and whispered to her that cowering before bullies would do nothing but prolong her pain, giggled softly. You are in so much trouble.

"Simply stunning, but I have to ask: did you choose a dress to match your eyes, or glamour your eyes to match the dress?"

Jen smiled pleasantly and falsely at Zabini's question. Because she could not wear her blindfold tonight, Andi had cast an illusion on her eyes prior to her Flooing back to Scotland. If anyone noticed that something was off with them, she could play it off just as he had fallen for and imply it was to fit in with the rest of her color scheme. "Now, now, you should know you can't just ask a lady to give up her mystique. Besides, isn't drawing our secrets out one by one more fun?"

Before he could respond, McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall. "Champions over here, please!"

Only after everyone else had entered the room did they line up next to their partners. Let's see; get through dinner and an evening of dancing without allowing anyone to see through the illusion, confront an incubus, and avoid making a fool of myself in a social situation I have never experienced before. Piece of cake. She took a subtle breath as she linked arms with her escort, letting it out when the champions began moving forwards.

Showtime.

The only "Dark Power" that isn't from mythology is Nyarlathotep; he (it?) belongs to H.P. Lovecraft.

If The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the magical world's fairy tales, The Collected Stories is the original Brothers Grimm. Not something you want to read to your kids at bedtime.

Silently Watches out.