The full moon cast an unearthly glow across the dark forest, the singular beams of light flitting between the leaves and bouncing from branch to branch. What little light made it down to the forest floor showed a twisted mass of roots and fallen leaves, of nearly a foot of debris from the trees above that would fall periodically. The moon also illuminated a small clearing in the middle of the forest, innocuous in the middle of nothingness and a mass of plant life around it.
The clearing was a perfect circle of twenty feet across with nothing more than high grass. All of the trees and other plants had been removed and even branches that once reached out into the pristine space were cut off at the edge, leaving a browning stump. The grass that the clearing was comprised of was cut away near the center around a small ring of stones. The ring was approximately six inches high and two feet in diameter across. Within a roaring fire gave off flickering orange light to the four human occupants of the clearing.
Seated on stumps of trees and various large rocks around the roaring fire were four friends. Two men and two women sat around the fire in perfect harmony with one another and with their surroundings, not giving any thought to the dangers that might lurk just beyond the protected borders of their clearing. One man poked at the fire with a stick, stoking the flames higher as another set a spit to roast with a large plucked bird.
"Must we eat that thing? It's barbaric." One of the women spoke in a haughty tone, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at the offensive animal.
"We are out in the wilderness, dear." The man stoking the fire smiled.
"Don't you go calling me that again, it was bad enough when our apprentice was among us….such disrespect…"
"He did promise to return someday. Maybe by then he'll have some new insults for you." The other woman smiled and pulled back her bushy hair a little to stare into the flames of the fire.
"You only liked him for what his father could do." The man at the spit quipped as he rotated the bird a few more times, making sure the meat was nice and brown on the outside.
"Is it so bad that I enjoy a good conversationalist? And think about what he did for us…."
"We were never to talk of that night again, sister dear." The haughty woman spoke in a small hushed tone, her eyes glancing at the border of the clearing for a moment and then focusing on the others present. "You remember what he said…."
"Yes, yes, we all remember that night very well indeed." The man with the stick poked the fire again and then set it down, leaving the end to fizzle out in the dirt. "It really hasn't been that long ago, but my we change much in those intervening years."
"I sometimes wonder if what he said was true." The second woman pulled her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth on the stump she was sitting on.
"I'm sure it was, he seemed very knowledgeable about everything." The man at the spit rotated the bird a few more times and then pulled it off the flames. "Dinner's ready."
The other man rubbed his hands together and then blew into them creating a small vortex of wind. The vortex slipped from his fingers and levitated the spit off the fire and out of the other man's hands. The spit slowly revolved in the air in the vortex as pieces of the carcass came off and landed in the laps of those seated around the fire.
"Stop showing off." The haughty woman took her wing and started to peel away pieces of the meat while the others took up their bits as well to feast on.
"Is it really so bad that I like doing things the easy way?" The man smiled as he dug into a leg, gnawing on the meat and the bone savagely.
"I just don't want us to become complacent, using magic here and there for everything. We can still use our hands and do some good old fashioned labor." The first woman ate primly as she spoke between bites.
"Good old fashioned labor? Who are you?" The second man smiled as he dug into a wing of his own, peeling off scraps and tossing them over his shoulder periodically.
The second woman giggled a little at the hurt look of the first. "He's just teasing, but you have to admit that you appear to be the last woman that would ever get her hands dirty." The other nodded and sighed a little.
"I'm not so bad…am I?"
The first man set aside his piece of meat on the rock he was sitting on and came to kneel by her side, gently taking her hand in his. "Listen, we've all come a long way from what we were before all this started. You remember a few years ago when you absolutely refused to even look at the three of us as equals, now we're out here eating a bird and we all live together in harmony." The other man snorted slightly and the others had to smile. "Well, relative harmony anyway."
"And what about you, P…" The second man started to speak only to be cut off by the second woman covering his mouth with her hand.
"Hush, you. The trees have ears, you know that as well as I." Sitting back down she sighed a little. "Yes, I admit that we were all vastly different then we are all now. I never imagined myself out here with you three for companions."
"Tell me about it. At any rate, we're all here together and we're doing exactly as he said that we would." The second man tore into the meat of the bird surveying the other three over the flickering light of the fire.
The first woman went rigid for a moment and then her eyes went out of focus. She seemed to be staring at the edge of the clearing just over the left of the other's shoulders, but the other three didn't turn to look. "All is falling into place as it should. The lonely god will return and bring with him the son. The companions will come together in the place that no longer exists." She shuddered and tipped forward into the arms of the man at her feet.
The man gently cradled her body for a moment and then picked her up completely. As he stood his other two companions did as well. The woman waved her hand and a bout of water sprouted from her fingers, dousing the fire to dust while the other man formed a fist and pushed it into the air. When he moved his hand the earth under the fire pit swarmed up and around the dying embers, slowly swallowing them completely.
"It's a good thing she's out, or she would be on us for using our abilities for such childish things." The man looked down at the woman he cradled in his arms against his chest and smiled as the others laughed.
Together the four friends moved to the edge of the clearing and slipped out into the wilderness beyond. As they passed the border between the two worlds the clearing seemed to flicker for a moment and then fade away, the gnarled roots of trees encroaching into the glade coming clear now as well as tree branches pushing at the borders. The perfect circle was no more, marred by the years of non-usage and simply waiting for the four friends to return.
As the moonlight was peeling away from the small scene of the four friends, it lit upon something else. Only a few hundred yards away from the small haven that had been created within the forest, the moonlight found something else to light upon. It was a small collection of stones, a large courtyard and battlements were just coming up and the unfinished towers could still be seen. By the light of the moon the still unfinished, and yet thriving, school of Hogwarts shone.
XoXo
The winter chill was now firmly established as it blew down from the mountains around the ancient castle of Hogwarts. On the wind were the smell of snow and the changing of the leaves, but as well as the harsh reality of a winter in the mountains and in the north of the country could be. It was the time of year that most everyone at the venerable school dreaded for the drafty hallways and the unbearable chill that permeated the very air. Most especially was the absolutely barbaric wait between the Halloween feast and the start of the winter holidays near the end of December.
"I think that the Christmas holidays should be pushed up to the middle of December, maybe even include the entire month all the way through to the New Year." Neville grumbled one afternoon.
The small quartet of friends had become even closer after the incident with the troll only a few weeks prior. The staff had questioned them naturally, but no one had actually seen anything bar Harry and he wasn't saying a word. In private he did tell the others that he had merely called on someone that took care of the troll and he didn't do anything to it. The others were placated by this, but it was still interesting to hear the rumors surrounding the entire incident.
On par with most of the Hogwarts gossip about ninety-eight percent of what went around was pure speculation and fantasy, but there was still a kernel of truth buried under all of it. Even if most of the students perpetrating the rumors had no idea of that kernel of truth. The professors were trying to spin their own version of events saying that the troll never was in the castle and that it had simply been a shadow that had spooked the poor stuttering professor.
The students of course didn't take to this story and instead weaved stories of their own involving intrigue and their own cast of characters. The most interesting story so far had been that a group of seventh years from all four houses had teamed up to defeat the troll, dumping the body in the lake for the squid to feast on. Of course, this got the most play simply because of the impossibility of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin seventh year to really work together. A smaller rumor had also gotten some circulation about Harry Potter going up against the troll single-handedly, but this soon died out in favor of the more theatrical version of events.
"There's so many things that we have to get done before the holidays. I couldn't possibly take an entire month off of school work." Hermione clutched her books to her chest as the foursome walked to the Defense room where three of their number had class.
"Relax, Hermione, if break ever was a month long the professor would just assign double the amount of work." Daphne smiled as the two boys of their group groaned. The pair of girls had gotten closer over the few weeks since the Halloween incident and had talked about what had happened in even great depth.
Reaching the door to the defense classroom Daphne, Harry and Neville slipped into the room as Hermione went off towards her charms lesson. As the bell rang signaling the start of the class period the three friends found their seats and prepared for another long and annoying class period. It had become a joke to most of the school that Quirrel could still teach after stuttering through most of his lessons and generally afraid of his own subject.
This class period wasn't any different, however halfway through it, Harry's eyes started to droop and almost fall asleep. As he brought his focus back on the present his eyes were resting near the floor and the hem of the Professor's robes. Focusing more on the robes Harry could see a small collection of blood on the bottom of them, and indeed when he looked up the Professor winced as he moved around the classroom.
Harry watched as the Professor winced and limped a little around the room, finally settling on sitting down behind his desk. The class didn't seem to notice anything, but most were trying not to pay attention to the stuttering professor, or attempting to just stay awake through the garlic fumes permeating the classroom. When the class finally let out, Harry hurried next to Neville whom was still shaking off the effects of the garlic.
"Neville, did you notice anything off about Professor Quirrel?"
"No more so than usual, why, did you see something?" Neville leaned against one of the walls for support as he took long slow breaths.
"Yeah, he looked like he was limping a little and I thought there might be blood on the bottom of his robes."
"You think we should tell one of the other teachers? McGonagall might listen to us if we approach her in the right fashion."
"I'm not sure it is really all that important, sure he's injured, but if it was really bad he would have gone to the hospital wing, right? I think we should look into it ourselves for the time being." Harry smiled a little and grabbed his friend's arm, pulling him along towards the Great Hall for lunch.
The Great Hall was as chaotic as it always was, students rushing to and from class, a few with some books propped up on pitchers to study and even more taking a mid-afternoon snooze in their food. Harry pulled Neville past all of this to a small isolated section of the Gryffindor table towards the end nearest to the doors. Seating himself down on the very end he pulled his friend down beside him before going into what he had seen the night of the troll incident.
"I think, as we were running, I saw Professor Quirrel heading up to that third floor corridor."
"The one that's supposed to be restricted to students?" Neville picked up on as he started to load his plate with various bits of food on the table.
"Yes, and that's something else that bothers me about this whole affair….." Harry started, but was cut off by the arrival of their dorm mate, the thick headed red haired one.
"Harry, how are you doing, mate?" Ron clapped him on the shoulder and attempted to push Neville out of the spot next to Harry.
"Weasley, for the last time, I'm not your mate, and Neville was enjoying lunch with me just now." Harry pushed the offense redhead out of the way, and Neville resumed his seat as both stared up at the third person.
"Ah, come on, Longbottom doesn't mind, do you?" Not waiting for a response he continued. "Plus I was going to ask if you wanted to come to my house for the holidays, I know it's still a little ways off, but I thought you would want to have a good family Christmas."
"Not really. I usually spend my Christmas' with my dad traveling around. He did promise me that we would stay within the vicinity of England this year, but I can't be sure of that." Neville gave him an odd look as Harry smiled a little.
"Come on, please? Mum always makes the most wonderful food and plenty of it as well, plus I know my family would love to have you over." Ron had his hands clasped before him and was on the verge of falling to a kneeling just to get an answer.
Harry was saved in the form of his Ravenclaw friend coming up behind the small trio and putting a hand on Harry and Neville's shoulder. "Actually, I think both boys might be spending the holidays with me. I asked my parents and they were thrilled to hear that I might have friends visit, so I'm sorry that I already asked them, Ron."
Ron pouted for a moment and then turned away from the new trio of friends, seating himself a little ways down the table from the others with his brothers. The pair of twin boys were lively enough to get by on and Harry found himself liking the two regardless of whom they were unfortunately related to. Harry smiled up at Hermione as she slid down across from them, blending in with the rest of the students.
"I thought you two could use an out. I saw you trying to turn him down, but with how pathetic he looks sometimes its really hard. I heard that he's even starting in early on some of the girls." She picked up an apple off the table and bit into it, keeping up with her monologue. "Anyway, what I said was true; you're both more than welcome to join me and my parents on Christmas day, Daphne as well."
Neville shifted a little, staring down at his plate for a moment. "I usually have plans with my Gram for the actual day, but I might be able to swing by a little later though."
"My dad and I always have a rather eventful Christmas; you might not want us around." Harry smiled a little and then slipped a piece of fruit into his mouth, swallowing before he continued. "But I will ask him when we get back to the station in London if he wants to swing by."
"Of course I'll want you around, Harry. You're one of my best friends, my only…" Hermione paused and stared at the plate before her, a small tear starting at her eye. Harry started to reach across to comfort her, but Neville beat him to it, gently placing his hand over the girl's.
"Hermione, we're your friends now and it doesn't matter what happened in the past. I'm just glad that we're friends now, and truth be told I didn't have many before starting school either." Harry smiled at Neville for a moment and then nodding.
"Friends to the end, no matter what. I'm just glad it didn't take some stupid incident like the troll for us to be friends." The other's laughed for a moment and he grinned. "Can you imagine it, being friends just because we were all run off by a troll together?" He shook his head and smiled again. "At any rate, I would like to spend the holidays not being chased or attacked for once."
Hermione furrowed her brow for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak. "Attacked…what have you…" She was stopped in mid-question by the arrival of the last member of the group.
Daphne looked around slightly as she approached the Gryffindor table. She wouldn't stay and sit with them, she never did, but she would stand there and talk to them for a few minutes at a time. It was one of the main reasons that the group took the end of the tables, no matter which one they sat at. It was by unspoken agreement that sitting at the end of either the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor tables allowed for their wayward friend to have a space to talk, but still duck out if need be.
"Hey guys. Discussing Christmas plans already?"
Harry smiled and looked up just as the owls came into the Great Hall. Hedwig was easily spotted in the sea of brown feathers as she flitted down to her master and landed on his shoulder, thrusting out her leg to show how proud she was of the letter attached.
"You're such a good owl, you know that Hedwig?" Harry preened her feathers for a moment as he untied the letter. The owl cooed and nipped at his fingers affectionately while he pulled the scroll off.
"Who keeps writing to you, Harry?" Hermione asked in between bites of eggs and toast.
"My dad for one, I get letters from him as well as a few others every so often. My Aunts and Uncles aren't used to owl post so Hedwig goes to them when they need her." Harry unrolled the parchment, looked it over and smiled, Hedwig seeming to read it along with him over his shoulder.
It was here that Harry first noticed that several other owls were hopping up and down on the table before the small group of friends. The owls ranged from the impressive eagle owl down to the smallest tawny brown owl; even an old owl that listed slightly back and forth and seemed to be ready to fall over into the goblet of orange juice at any moment. Harry started to untie the letters from each of the owls as the others started to do the same.
"This one is an invitation to spend the holidays with some family named Diggle." Neville announced after unrolling one of the scrolls.
"Here's one from the Weasley family." Hermione had helped the old owl get down off the table and relieved of the scroll it had flopped down next to her in a light doze.
"Macmillan….Zabini….Edgecomb…Chang…wow, even Malfoy." Daphne was flipping through several of the invites at once, each owl hopping up and down to be the next to be relieved of it's burden.
"All of these people want Harry to visit them for Christmas?" Neville asked, scratching one of the owls behind a wing joint.
"No, these families want The-Boy-Who-Lived to come to their houses for Christmas. I doubt I've said a handful of words to any of their children here at Hogwarts, and no offense to Slytherin, but some of those are rather dark families." Harry sighed a little and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I plan to spend the holidays with my family, thank you very much."
"I won't take offense to it because my mother wrote to me this morning asking about you. It seems she forgot about the encounter with your father in Diagon Alley and wants you two to visit at some point." Daphne sighed and scooped up the nearest goblet before downing the pumpkin juice.
"Oh, that reminds me." Hermione smiled as she turned to her new female friend. "You're invited to my family's house for Christmas as well. Harry said that he might be able to come, but Neville already has plans. I was hoping that you could stay for a while and we could…" Hermione flushed slightly and looked down at the floor.
"Do girl things?" Daphne smiled. "I've had a few sleepovers, Hermione; I know the usual protocol for these things. I'll bring the ever-lasting tubs of ice cream if you want to get some cheesy muggle romance movies." Both girls smiled as the boys shook their heads at the pair of them.
"Anyway, what do you think I should do with these?" Harry had collected the various invitations and waved them around.
"I think you should do the proper thing and decline them in person; it might have more of an impact to the family if you do." Neville thought it over for a moment. "At least that's what I've been told I'm to do with marriage contracts I don't like."
"Marriage contracts, you're only eleven?" Hermione looked at Neville with wide eyes as Harry gathered up the notices to look over the individual names.
"I think it's supposed to be for the future. I am from a prominent pureblood family, and most families still do it like that. I imagine Harry might start getting them soon, if not already." Harry groaned and shuddered a little.
"My last birthday was nightmare of post, you have no idea." He said a little offhanded as he pulled a notice out. "I don't even think there is a Diggle in school."
"Does no one marry for love?" Hermione sighed a little staring down at her plate.
"Hermione don't worry, it's not really like that. No one really expects a marriage contract to go through. A few of the older and more dark families still use them to gain political power, but I know that many matches are still made the old-fashioned way."
"It's easier for some of the purebloods to use contracts to secure a political ally then trying to do it themselves. I've heard horror stories in the common room about seventh years having to find boyfriends just to get out their contracts." Daphne shivered a little.
"Got it." Harry held up the small stack of invites that he planned to turn down. "I've ordered each by house, as well as I can figure it out, and I'm going to take care of this right now."
Standing up, Harry went down the Gryffindor table and handed over two invites to the Weasleys and another boy with blonde hair. Both seemed to be ok with the turn down and after a few short words Harry smiled and moved down to the Ravenclaw table, handing over invites there as well. Chang looked offended for being turned down, but accepted it nonetheless with a completely red face; her friend Marietta laughed about it and smiled when she got hers back.
The most interesting by far was when Harry had to go down the line of Slytherin house and hand out the invites that he had turned down. Under the baleful glare of their head of House, Slytherin was treated to a smiling and nice Harry Potter walking among them handing out slips of parchment. The first went to a striking black haired first year girl that smiled upon receipt of the letter and the words and then went back to eating. Malfoy looked completely incensed that his father would do such a thing and indeed stormed out of the hall with the parchment in hand followed by his two bookends Crabbe and Goyle.
XoXo
The red and black steam engine of the Hogwarts Express easily slipped into the hidden platform of nine and three quarters. The students were already ready to go, most of them lining the interior hallways of the train with their things packed and ready to go. The four friends were the only one's still seated and were discussing what they were going to do for the next few days that they would have off from school. As the train came to a complete stop and the people started to pile out, however they moved fluidly out of the compartment and down off the train as a group.
"You are coming over for a few days, aren't you?" Hermione asked to Daphne as the two girls stepped off the train and onto the platform.
"My mother wouldn't even notice that I'm gone." Daphne looked down a little and then back to her friend with a soft smile. "Plus, I can't wait to see what the muggles do for the holidays; I've never been with some for it."
"Oh, you'll love it." Hermione slung an arm comfortably around Daphne's shoulders as the two walked towards the barrier and into the muggle world. Before leaving however they turned and hugged their two male friends, Daphne getting Harry and Hermione getting a blushing Neville. "You two will have to visit sometime, all right."
Harry was stopped from replying when a large mass of red hair came moving through the throngs of people towards him. At the head was the portly woman that he had seen earlier in the year asking about him before he had gotten on the train. She was leading a man in a tattered robe by the arm and he seemed to be protesting under his breath.
"Ah, there you are, Harry dear, Ron told us that you might be traveling with your other friends." The woman looked over the girls with disgust and Neville with pity. "Come along, it's a good trip to the Burrow, so we best get started."
The men around her looked at the platform ground, all except for Ron whom was looking at Harry with wide eyes. "Ma'am, I'm not sure if your sons have told you yet, but I turned down your invitation. I'm spending the holidays with my guardian and my friend, Hermione here." He waved to indicate his friends around him.
"Oh, that silly thing, Arthur told me it was a bad idea, but I had to keep up pretenses. Professor Dumbledore himself wrote to me and said that you were adamant about spending the time with us, but couldn't say so in public. I mean, it makes sense what with you and Ron being such good friends and all." Here she ruffled the hair of the young man standing next to her, missing the dark looks passing over the four friend's faces and scowling at the eleven year old before them. "He asked us personally to come and collect you from the platform when you arrived of course."
"Ah, Mrs. Weasley again!" The booming voice came across the emptying platform as a man in a great brown coat that swept the floor came towards them. He was wearing a prim looking brown suit with a tie and red trainers as he came across the platform. Striding up towards them he slipped on a pair of brown glasses and smiled. "Mrs. Weasley, so nice to see you again."
"Oh, Auror Smith, I didn't see you there." The woman smiled at the newcomer and bowed her head. "Still undercover I see." She whispered to him.
The man smiled and turned his side towards Harry and his friends, giving him a wink. "Why of course, ma'am, there are all sorts of unsavory characters around here today." He moved and put his arm around Harry's shoulders. "Speaking of which, I was asked to escort young Mister Potter here outside the barrier to his guardians whom are waiting for him outside."
"I was told by Professor Dumbledore to expect him at our home this holiday." Molly Weasley looked a little put out as she glanced back and forth from the older man to the small boy next to him.
Smith moved forward and produced something from under his coat and showed it to the woman. It was a black leather pad of paper that he showed her and smiled confidently. "Here are the orders from the Ministry itself stating that I'm to take Harry into my protective custody to see that he is delivered to his guardians in a timely manner."
Misses Weasley looked over the pad of paper and then sighed, waving the rest of her family to move behind her. As the sea of redheads moved away, Harry caught sight of the only girl in their mix. She was staring intently at him and he shivered a little as she broke eye contact to scurry after her mother. Harry hid his laughter as he turned to the man in the coat once the group of witches and wizards was out of earshot.
"Auror Smith?"
"Well, I had to tell her something. When I got your call I headed back to the platform and this wild woman…well, I'll explain later. For the time being I think we should get the rest of you to your parents and such." The man smiled and looked at the others.
"Uhm….Harry…" Neville and Hermione turned towards their other two fiends whom were smiling at them.
"Don't worry, guys, its cool. This is my dad; he just has a strange way of making friends." Harry laughed as the man looked a little hurt.
"Oi, pulled you out of a few scraps or two, if I remember right; saved your hide a few times as well."
"Don't pay any attention to those two." Daphne smiled and hugged her three friends as she rushed off through the crowd towards a stern faced looking woman. The witch looked over the collected group for a moment before pulling Daphne by the arm away from the platform and towards the public Floo connections.
"I see my Gram down a little ways. I'll send word if we can do something on Boxing day if you want." Neville hesitated for a moment and then gave the other two a hug, lasting longer on Hermione. When the two parted both were blushing slightly as Neville moved away with his trunk towards an older woman with a vulture perched up on her hat.
"Come on, you two, get the lead out." Mister Smith led the way through the crowd on the platform towards the barrier and vanished through it before the two children had even gotten there.
On the other side of the magical barrier between London's King's Cross station and the magical corridor that would get students back and forth to school was a drastic difference. On the muggle side there were smells, sounds, and even a few feelings in the air as people moved from one place to the other. Mister Smith was already standing against the brick column across from the barrier with his hands in the brown coat that he wore.
"Amazing things, you know." He smiled and said as he pushed off the column.
"What do you mean, sir?" Hermione asked, pushing the trolley before her as they started to walk away from the small space between platforms nine and ten.
"I mean all of this." Smith spun in a circle to take everything in. "I mean, when people normally see a group of people seeming emerge out of nowhere, what you think their reaction would be." He paused for a second and smiled. "Absolutely nothing, they just move on with their lives, it's the same if they see something they might think is out of place."
"As I remember, Uncle Jack said you used the same argument for…" Harry broke off as they had come around a corner and Hermione had rushed ahead.
A man and woman stood at the end of the main platform waiting for the arrival of their daughter. The pair didn't look out of place at all with the man wearing a beige cardigan over some jeans and black polished shoes. He had the same brown hair that his daughter had, but was more manageable, lying flat against his head and falling down the back in smooth waves. Perched on his nose was a pair of glasses as he twisted around his wife to see their daughter arriving.
The woman was a more mature looking version of Hermione complete with the bushy mane of hair. Her hair was more of a black color than her daughter or husband, but still frizzed out slightly and was pulled back into a small ponytail to keep it manageable. She was also dressed more comfortably with black slacks and a yellow blouse. Peeking out from under the hem of her pants, however, were the points and sharp heel of some pumps.
"Mum, Dad!" Hermione flew into the arms of her parents, each getting in a good hug from their enthusiastic daughter before turning to the newcomers approaching. "I would like you meet my friend Harry and his Dad…oh….I didn't catch your first name, sir." Here the little girl blushed, but the man smiled.
"Oh, I've used lots of names, but I'm Smith, John Smith, or Doctor Smith depending on whom I'm talking to."
"What a coincidence, my parents are also Doctors."