On Thursday, November 14th, 2019, Lily spotted a notice pinned up on the message boards in the Gryffindor common room.
The message read: Thursday, November 28th, 2019, Hogwarts will celebrate Thanksgiving for the first time. A Thanksgiving feast will be held in the Great Hall at 1 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and pumpkin pie will be served. After the feast a makeshift parade featuring some floats and balloons will take place on the sweeping lawns.
This made Lily smile. Lily had been disappointed when James's letters home to her when he was a first year had mentioned that Hogwarts hadn't done anything for Thanksgiving. She had asked her parents if Hogwarts had done anything for Thanksgiving when they were students and when the answer was no, she turned to Hogwarts, a History. She had been very disappointed to discover that the book's section om holidays at Hogwarts made no indication of Thanksgiving whatsoever.
Adding a Thanksgiving celebration this year was, in Lily's eyes, the correction of one of Hogwarts greatest oversights over the years.
Thinking about Thanksgiving Day, Lily was struck with a sudden idea.
Later that night around 11:30 p.m. , she went into Hugo's room.
"Hugo," asked Lily quietly, "Can we talk for a few minutes?"
"Yes," said Hugo simply.
"Let's go to the Room of Requirement and ask it to keep other people out while we talk," said Lily clearly.
"Okay," agreed Hugo and he and Lily set off for the Room of Requirement.
"Hugo and I need a place to talk undisturbed," said Lily clearly as she walked past the wall three times.
The door to the Room of Requirement appeared. Lily pulled the handle and held the door for Hugo and entered behind him. As Lily shut the door, they both heard a distinct locking sound.
"Alright, Lily," asked Hugo mysteriously, "What's on your mind?"
"Actually, I want to talk about Devon," said Lily matter of factly.
"What about him?" asked Hugo.
"You know how Devon has occasionally expressed sadness that he will never see his old friends from his muggle elementary school again?" mentioned Lily.
"Yes," replied Hugo, "I've always admired his honesty about that. He whole-heartedly believes he made the right decision in accepting his invite to Hogwarts and he cherishes his life and friends here. But he readily acknowledges what the cost of that decision was."
"Well, I want to give him the opportunity to see his muggle friends again," said Lily softly.
"How could we do that?" asked Hugo in a confused voice.
"Here's what I propose," said Lily, "We will talk to Professor McGonagall. We will ask her if she can talk to Dudley and see if he can make arrangements for Miles, Gary, and Todd to come to Hogwarts for Thanksgiving. Muggles can get into Hogwarts if a witch or wizard escorts them in. They could gather at the Dursley household and Professor McGonagall could bring them to Hogwarts for the day using Side-Along Apparition. This would give Devon a day with his old friends and maybe they could make arrangements then to meet up again in the future."
"And you wanted to talk about this in private because you want it to be a surprise for Devon?" guessed Hugo.
"Yes," confirmed Lily. "What do you think of the idea?"
"I like the idea, but I have a concern," said Hugo.
"That's why I wanted to run it by you before going to McGonagall," said Lily, "In case there was some complication I hadn't thought of."
"Well," said Hugo slowly, "You know that Devon attended an all-boys elementary school. Well, boys raised in such environments can develop sexist male superiority attitudes. I'm worried about the possibility that Miles, Gary, and Todd may have some of this sexist attitude. I'm concerned about how they would treat you, Samantha, Ainsley and Stephanie if they came here. I'm also uneasy about how they might treat Devon if they find out four out of his six best friends at Hogwarts are girls. That issue must be addressed if we are going to arrange for Miles, Gary, and Todd to come to Hogwarts.
"That is a legitimate concern," admitted Lily, "Nothing good comes out of gender segregation. Alright, when we talk to McGonagall, I will mention this issue. I will request that McGonagall talk with Miles, Gary, and Todd, and make it clear that four out of Devon's six closest Hogwarts friends are girls and that they are to treat Devon's female friends with as much respect as they do each other and Devon himself and that that is a condition of them coming to Hogwarts for Thanksgiving."
"Okay, I suppose as long as we make sure in advance that Devon's old friends are committed to treating all of his Hogwarts friends with respect when they come here then I guess it should be okay," said Hugo matter of factly.
"I hadn't thought about that issue," acknowledged Lily, "Of course, if any such issue were to come up, I know how fiercely Devon would defend me and the other girls. He has a fierce anti sexism attitude."
"When do we talk to Professor McGonagall?" asked Hugo simply.
"Tomorrow before breakfast," said Lily clearly, "We will get up at 5 A.M. and go to the head's office."
That next morning, Hugo and Lily went to the head's office and at 5:30 A.M. after showering, brushing their teeth and dressing.
"Potter, Weasley, to what do I owe this early pleasure?" exclaimed McGonagall breathlessly when Hugo and Lily entered her office.
"Lily had an idea last night and we need your help to execute it. It's about our friend Devon," said Hugo matter of factly, "Devon has, from time to time, expressed sadness over the fact he will never see his three close friends from his muggle elementary school, Miles Munson, Gary Coates, and Todd Murray, ever again. Lily wishes to give Devon an opportunity to see his old friends again by arranging for them to attend Thanksgiving at Hogwarts this year. They would only be here for the one day."
Professor McGonagall felt a tear flow down her cheek. She was very touched by what Lily wanted to do for her friend.
"Miss Potter is a wonderful friend," smiled McGonagall, "How is my assistance required?"
"What we need from you," said Hugo clearly, "Is to contact Dudley and see if he can make arrangements with the parents of Miles Munson, Gary Coates, and Todd Murray to allow them to spend Thanksgiving Day at Hogwarts. You would go collect them on Thanksgiving and bring them to Hogwarts via Side-Along Apparition. As they are muggles, Miles, Gary and Todd will only be able to enter Hogwarts via a witch's or wizard's escort."
"I will try," promised McGonagall, "If I am able to make the arrangements, I will send your head of house, Professor Longbottom, to the Dursleys' place on Thanksgiving morning to collect Mr. Dursley's friends as I will be too busy that morning to leave Hogwarts even for short periods."
"Don't tell him I've planned this," added Lily urgently, I want it to be a surprise."
"IF I am successfully able to arrange for Mr. Dursley's friends to come to Hogwarts for Thanksgiving, I will give you two a subtle thumbs up," explained Professor McGonagall."
"There are two things we want to make sure of," said Lily firmly," I want the moment to be right. I don't want Devon to find out his friends have come here for Thanksgiving by wandering into them. Any ideas, Hugo?"
"Well, "said Hugo confidently, "The best idea would be for the Side-Along Apparition to occur directly into the Great Hall just before the feast. I also think it would be good to bring them one at a time. In that way Devon and each of his three old friends could have an individual moment when each of them arrives and build up that meaningful emotional crescendo where Devon will be happy to see each of his friends individually and then have it sink at the end how all three of them have come."
"That's absolutely perfect, Hugo," said Lily happily.
"There is one other issue," said Hugo in a crystal-clear voice, "Devon attended an all-boys elementary school and sometimes being in that type of environment breeds sexism and male superiority attitudes. Lily and I want you to make sure that Miles, Gary, and Todd all understand that four out of Devon's six closest Hogwarts friends are girls and these girls are to be treated with the same level of the respect that they would treat Devon himself and each other as well make sure they won't see Devon any differently for having several female friends at Hogwarts."
"I will contact Dudley Dursley tonight and have him arrange for Miles, Gary, and Todd to meet up at the Dursleys tomorrow. I will go and explain the suggestions that you two have made and I will also make it clear to Mr. Munson, Mr. Coates, and Mr. Murray, that treating ALL Hogwarts students with respect is a condition of the offer."
"Thanks," said Hugo and Lily together, smiling.
"Miss Potter, for you to have that kind of thoughtfulness for a friend is a beautiful thing," said McGonagall weakly," If it works out for Mr. Munson, Mr. Coates, and Mr. Murray to be able to come reunite with Mr. Dursley for Thanksgiving at Hogwarts, I will award you house points for your thoughtfulness towards a friend but will not award them until the day after Thanksgiving to ensure this whole thing remains a surprise for Mr. Dursley. Look for my thumbs up on Monday if it works out."
Hugo and Lily left and were able to sneak back into their rooms and come out at the normal time. No one but themselves and McGonagall knew anything about the plans they'd made.
To Hugo's and Lily's great satisfaction, McGonagall passed by the Gryffindor table at breakfast Monday morning and gave them a thumbs up.
On the night before Thanksgiving, most students were looking forward to the feast and parade.
Hugo and Lily, however, lie awake thinking about how special this Thanksgiving was going to be for Devon. It filled both of their hearts with warmth to know what Devon was going to experience that next day.
