I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

A Taste of Magic

9th Course – A Different Kind of Holiday

"Are you sure this isn't bothering you?" Rubeus Hagrid asked worriedly. "You can tell me the truth now."

Harry shook his head. "Not at all. It doesn't bother you with me about, does it?"

"Not at all," Hagrid echoed. "I like it when you visit. Just that," he looked at the hanging boar carcass, at his dog Fang gnawing on some bones and offal, "this ain't exactly normal for little kids to be around, you know?"

"I'm not that little," Harry disputed. He looked up at the giant figure that was Hagrid with a wry smile when Hagrid snorted richly. "I mean, physically I am, but I know where meat comes from and I've been to the butcher before."

"Well, if you're sure," Hagrid said. He went back to butchering the large boar. His breath steamed in the freezing air as he broke the boar apart into primal cuts.

"One of the few things I watched on the telly was about breaking meat down. Uncle Vernon once had a program on about a slaughterhouse but he and Dudley couldn't keep watching it." Harry shrugged. "It was pretty gross but informative."

Probably couldn't stand to watch something that looked like them go through it, Hagrid thought unkindly. He still remembered how the Dursleys reacted to him, remembered how they treated Harry in front of him.

Hagrid had gone to Privet Drive after a few days of no reply from Harry for attending Hogwarts. His appearance had sent Petunia into hysterics and no number of threats from Vernon kept the big man from entering the house looking for Harry. When Hagrid learned that they treated Harry like a personal cook, treating him coldly and rudely, he had grown angry. His anger reached a peak when they said they convinced Harry to ignore the letter, saying that the school would prevent him from cooking and enjoying food and the like.

Hagrid had explained that the school would help him in the future for any number of careers. When he told the boy that his parents were alumni, that was the real draw. Then Vernon and Petunia threatened to punish him for wanting to go, while greedily eating the food Harry had prepared to add further insult and indignity. After some choice words from Hagrid, as well as some promises to have Dumbledore come among others, the Dursleys had relented and 'allowed' Harry to attend and leave for his school supplies.

"It can be a bit gross," Hagrid said instead, pushing his bad thoughts aside. "But it's natural. It's life. Things eat things to live. You just have to do it right and be good about it. Don't waste things if you can help it. Be respectful."

"I agree," Harry said. "Do you hunt in the Forbidden Forest a lot?"

"Oh sure, it's part of my duties as groundskeeper," Hagrid said proudly. "I help the grounds stay orderly and help maintain the Forest some. Usually the parts closest to the castle but also with the other parts when asked. Lots of wild animals are in the Forest, magical and not." He patted the boar. "These ones like to eat all sorts of things and will even get into the gardens and things of the folk in Hogsmeade. So I help hunt when needed."

Harry nodded in understanding. "And you keep the meat?"

"Always do some. Others I sell to people in Hogsmeade or give a good portion to the kitchens here." He gestured to the castle and at distant trails of woodsmoke that curled in the air. "It's nice to give as much as I get. Not all are as lucky as me to get such good food."

"Can I go hunt with you in the Forest one day?" Harry asked eagerly.

Hagrid hummed. "Let's see about that for the future. The Forest's called the Forbidden Forest for a reason."

The rest of the day passed pleasantly for them. Harry helped with some of the preservation that Hagrid did: smoking and salting. Then the pair spent the afternoon cooking in Hagrid's hut and while Hagrid had tried to dissuade Harry, the boy was a guest after all, he also liked seeing Harry happy so he relented. As he chewed on a very delicious bit of roast pork, watching Harry be buried under a very affectionate Fang that had also received some cooked meat and bones, Hagrid decided he was happy that Harry convinced him to cook some things a bit differently.

-0-

"Look at those sparkling eyes," Daniel Brown said. He looked at his daughter fondly. "Someone looks very happy."

"I'm really happy," Lavender confirmed, her smile from ear to ear. "Look how beautiful this is!"

Daniel looked at the gift with interest. A large polished wood case lay open revealing rows and rows of colored thread on one half. In fact, there were more spools of thread than he thought possible, they seemed to sink into the half of the case when they should not have been able to, going well beyond the dimensions of the case.

The other half was filled with all sorts of sewing related things. Rows of gleaming silver needles of all shapes and sizes lined the length of the case, sitting above shears and scissors, measuring tape and rulers, a magnifying glass, soft clothes, and all sorts of things.

"It really is," he smiled. "A good gift. Who gave it to you?"

"Harry," Lavender said happily.

Daniel immediately went on guard. "Harry? Harry who?"

"Harry Potter," Lavender said, rolling her eyes at her father's expression. "He's my best guy friend at school."

"Oh okay, that's good then." He narrowed an eye at her look. "What? I am your father and can you blame me when I get worried?"

"If you read my letters, you might've already known Harry's name," Lavender said pertly.

"I do read them!" he protested. "I'll admit that I might forget a detail here and there. I don't remember hearing Harry's last name though."

"Oh I might not have written it," Lavender shrugged. "Harry's really nice."

"Oh right, the nice cook friend. Still a bit odd that he can cook so well at his age."

"A little, but he likes it and he's good at it," Lavender said firmly. "Besides, you have to be nice to him. Hedwig is his owl."

"Your father is still afraid of owl post." A smiling woman sat next to Daniel, curling into him comfortably.

"I'm not afraid," Daniel sniffed. "I was startled."

Leena Brown snorted. "Hedwig came flying through the window as your father opened it the first time she visited. She 'startled' him so much I heard him scream from across the house."

Daniel tried to glare at his laughing wife and daughter and failed miserably as they lost themselves to hysterics. "I shouted in startled alarm, thank you very much."

Leena whistled softly as she looked at the sewing kit. "My, this is some lovely magic work. It holds more than it looks."

"Harry said it'll protect the things inside and it'll be light to carry," Lavender smiled.

"That's a very thoughtful gift," Leena smiled. "That kind of enchantment work isn't simple and can be costly."

"Sounds useful. Think I can get a bag for my tools like that?" Daniel asked.

"Well at least I know you'll like your Christmas present," Leena sighed with mock disappointment. "Way to go, ruining your own gift like that." She smiled when he kissed her cheek.

"Well be sure to thank Mister Potter for the lovely gift," Daniel said. He felt Leena stiffen slightly against him and he gave her a curious look.

Lavender snorted. "He's my age Daddy, only the professors call him Mister Potter."

"My apologies, Miss Brown," he said and he laughed at her rolling eyes and heavy sigh.

"I'll write him a letter later. I'm going to go show Marigold and Clover my new kit." Lavender hugged and kissed them and ran off.

"Is everything okay?" Daniel asked Leena quietly.

"Mister Potter? Her friend is Harry Potter?" Leena asked just as quietly.

"I knew she never wrote his last name in her letters and I didn't forget it," he muttered. "That's what she said. Why? Is he a bad person?"

"No, not at all. He's the Boy-Who-Lived," Leena said softly. "I didn't think that he'd be at Hogwarts too now."

"Why's he called that?" Daniel asked.

Leena hesitated. "Well, remember I told you that there were some troubles in the Wizarding World years back? Well, he basically was the one that put a stop to it."

"Wait, if he's the same age as Lavender, how did he put a stop to it years ago?" Daniel frowned slightly.

"No one really knows," Leena said. "All we know is that one day the dark times just stopped and he was responsible. He then disappeared from the public eye and while people were thankful, they never really found out what happened to him and how things ended. I think people were told he was somewhere safe and that was it."

"Somewhere safe? I don't like the sound of that."

Leena looked sad. "His parents died. They were killed."

"Oh. Damn." Daniel rubbed his neck. "That must have been hard, growing up without his parents like that. He must have turned out okay if Lavender says he's nice." He wrapped his arms around Leena and rubbed her back as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I know you don't like thinking about those times either."

"They were bad," Leena sighed. She dabbed at her eyes. "I'm thankful I made it through and found you though."

"And I'm thankful you came into my life and into Lavender's." He kissed her. He released a breath. "Do we need to worry about Lavender and this Harry?"

"I don't think so. From what I know, his parents were good people and like you said, if Lavender says he is nice, then we shouldn't have to worry. He clearly thinks highly of her to get her a gift like that." She smiled. "She's a good person, like her father."

"Thank goodness," he said and grinned at Leena's laugh.

-0-

"I can't remember the last time you willingly read a book like that," Padma teased.

Parvati grinned. "Me neither honestly. But this is so interesting!"

Padma leaned over and lifted the cover to read the title. "Where Astrology and Astronomy Converge: Muggle and Magical Interpretations and Explorations. That is a perfect subject for you."

"Right? Normally you're the one that gets a book as a present," Parvati said. "What did Harry get you?"

Padma proudly showed her gift. "It is a wax tablet, like the ones the ancient Romans used! This one is enchanted so the wax won't melt and can clean itself with a built-in charm. You can only write on the wax with this stylus and the coverings are extra durable."

"That's neat! Really handy when you need to scribble something when you don't have ink or quill."

"We were talking about how inconvenient it was sometimes. He was always used to having a pen or pencil with paper in the kitchen. Quill and parchment is more finicky."

"Yeah they are. Harry got us something different that we each like and didn't get us the same thing but in a different color like most people do."

Padma nodded as she sat down beside Parvati. "He's very nice and thoughtful. I'm glad you convinced me to help with making curry and joining Household Charms."

"I'm glad he became friends with Lavender so I could, and then you," Parvati said. She took a closer look at the tablet. "Are you writing some recipes down to take back with us?"

"Grandmum actually told me these. She's happy that we can eat proper food while away and has promised to send us spices when we ask."

"Really? That's surprising."

Padma nodded before starting to giggle. "Cousin Sita got really upset. She said Grandmum didn't do it for her boyfriend and it wasn't fair."

"Well that's because he kept confusing our curry with Thai curry, complaining that our curry wasn't sweet like he was used to." Parvati snickered. "I thought Sita was going to die from embarrassment."

"After he died from Grandmum Cursing him," Padma laughed.

"She does love Cursing people or telling people they'll be cursed or Cursed," Parvati said. "I never thought about it until she wrote it in that letter she sent us. She usually threatens other people."

"She loves us the most," Padma said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What did Grandmum say to Sita?" Parvati asked.

Padma started laughing harder. "She said it was a good thing Sita's boyfriend has some taste, meaning them being together, and that it's just too bad he didn't have a sense of taste to tell what proper curry was." She continued as Parvati howled with laughter. "She also said she should reteach Sita how to cook because she obviously failed if her boyfriend couldn't tell the difference between right curry and wrong curry!"

The twins fell over laughing and they laughed all the louder when someone hammered on their bedroom door. "Stop laughing at me!" Sita Patil yelled. "I know you two are laughing at me! Grandmother!"

"It's not their fault your boyfriend has no sense of taste!" the Patil matriarch shouted back.

Sita's shriek of outrage made Parvati and Padma cackle from delight.

-0-

The ballroom was the epitome of opulence and refinement. The marble floor shone; the pillars gleamed. The ceiling was enchanted to reflect the night sky outdoors, the beauty without the cold atmosphere. Music came from several instruments floating in the corner, playing themselves for the entertainment of others. The people that danced and chatted were dressed in very fine dress robes of all sorts of shapes, materials, and colors. Food floated around on trays, glasses of alcohol and other drinks also carried by magical means.

Pansy used to adore the Winter Soiree that the Malfoys hosted every year. She loved dressing up in something new and beautiful. She loved the atmosphere, the food, the music and dancing. Seeing the most influential families in Wizarding Britain was always exciting, even if she barely understood all the intricacies and what went on beneath the surface. It was fun to see her friends and for them to act like their parents, to watch and think about when it was their turn to be the adults.

This year, it was hard for her to enjoy herself.

She had enjoyed seeing her family of course. She loved her parents and her siblings and being away from them during the school year was difficult. Letters only did so much. She did not begrudge her family from being excited for the Soiree, she just did not share in the excitement for once.

Ever since the altercation with Draco earlier that year, she had been in a different mood. She never told her parents of course, though they did notice that she was not as excited this year for the party. She told them that she was just a little tired and they seemed to accept that. She kept replaying the events of that night, of what happened before, and what happened after.

The 'apology' that Draco gave her after the incident felt hollow to her. He had said it was not his fault, something she did not understand fully. He had pushed her after all. She was still unhappy with how he treated her, and the way he treated her leading up to it, and the insincere apology rankled her.

"And what are you doing here, standing by yourself in the corner?"

The cool voice cut through her thoughts and Pansy immediately straightened. She looked up and smiled. "Hello Mrs. Malfoy," she said pleasantly.

Narcissa Malfoy was a very elegant woman. Her hair was pulled back in a stylish bun and bright blue eyes peered intelligently about. She smiled a little back at Pansy, a grin on any other woman's face. "I hope you are enjoying yourself?"

"Yes Ma'am," Pansy lied. "The ballroom is as beautiful as it always is," she said honestly.

Narcissa's smile did not waver though she did look more closely at Pansy, as if she saw the lie and the truth. "Thank you," she said. "One must keep up appearances of course." She looked around and exchanged nods with those that caught her eye. "How has your first term of school been?"

"It's been well," she lied again. "Mostly. Some of the classes are very difficult."

"To be expected. You are quite clever, however, so I am sure you will do well," Narcissa said pleasantly.

"Thank you," Pansy said, relaxing just a little.

"Draco says you two are getting along well," Narcissa said. "As you two did prior to leaving for Hogwarts."

Pansy tensed up more than a little. "Did he?" she asked.

"Yes, in his last few letters." A slim eyebrow rose on Narcissa's face. "He did mention an unfortunate misunderstanding but said it was resolved."

"I'm sure he thinks that," Pansy said after thinking for a moment.

Narcissa looked at her closely. "And what do you think?"

"That it was resolved," Pansy said.

The older woman hummed softly to herself. "Good. I would hate to see your friendship suffer for no reason." The small smile returned. "I hope you are not too big to give your Auntie Cissa a hug."

"I'm not," Pansy said, relieved. She willingly hugged the older woman. "I love your dress robes."

"Thank you dear," Narcissa said warmly. Her voice dropped. "If you ever need to speak with me on things, do feel free to do so," she whispered and broke the embrace. "Now I must be off to mingle with the guests. A hostess' duty is never finished after all." She left Pansy there, her dress robes swirling artfully around her.

I don't think I can talk to you about this, Pansy thought sadly. She stumbled slightly when someone bumped her from the side. She breathed easily, recognizing Millicent. "Hi Millie."

"Hi Pansy." Millicent held up a plate. "I managed to get the last of the fruit tarts before my brother could."

"Thanks." Pansy took one and nibbled on it.

"Are we still on for Boxing Day?" Millicent asked, eating her own tart. "I need your help in burying Nate into the snow."

Pansy smiled. "I wouldn't miss it. I need to get him back after last year too." She felt a little better, standing against the wall with Millicent, thinking about what was to come instead of what had happened.

At least until she saw Draco walk past, barely giving her a look before he joined a group of other younger guests. When Millicent pulled her away, she followed willingly, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

-0-

Harry blinked slowly, still in the realm between dreams and wakefulness. He was warm and comfortable and was loath to fully wake. He rolled onto his side, tugging on the covers. As he did, he heard some clattering and felt things shifting on his bed.

"Ow! Hedwig!" He woke up fully, pecked by an indignant Hedwig. With a yawn he sat up and squinted at her form. "What was that for?" he asked.

She hooted severely at him, fluttering to the floor and flying back up, carrying the things that fell off the bed when he shifted.

He hurriedly put his glasses on and stared at the small pile of things at the foot of his bed. "Are those presents?"

Hedwig nodded.

"I've got presents?!"

Hedwig tilted her head at him before nodding once more, cooing softly.

Harry was shocked. He never received any presents of his own before. In years past, the Dursleys had gotten cookbooks but they made it clear that the books belonged to them and that letting Harry look at them was his present. He had been ecstatic this year when he had the means to give presents and had gleefully and carefully selected presents for his few friends and people he wanted to give things to.

He never expected to receive any though.

His smile was the biggest he ever had as he watched Hedwig carry each package to him. She walked daintily over the bed to him, proudly depositing each one into his lap. The first one he opened was from Hagrid and it was a book about magical animals and how they compared to Muggle counterparts. Hagrid had remembered the book Harry bought about plants. He paged through it briefly, excited to read it fully later. He was glad that he sent Hagrid a nice multi-purpose axe for his groundskeeping duties.

Hermione had sent him a selection of chocolates. He had sent her an array of quills since he heard that her parents were dentists and did not approve of too much sweets.

"Oh wow," he breathed when he opened the gift from the Patil sisters. They had gotten him a mortar and pestle. It was carved from stone but enchanted to be as light as wood, as well as enchanted for durability and easy to clean. The pestle felt like it was made for his hand and he knew it would serve him well for both potion brewing and cooking. He put it on his nightstand and liked how handsome it looked.

He saved Lavender's for last and he was glad he did. She had gotten him an apron but had sewn his initials into the bottom right corner of the hem, as well as a small white owl. The apron was made of a soft black material but the outside of it felt nice and heavy. The strings and the collar were grey and the front also had a few pockets of various sizes.

He had worn aprons before. The Dursleys had gotten one for him to wear when he would be seen by guests but once again, he was told that the apron was not his. That he was borrowing it and woe betide him if he ever ruined it or stained it.

This apron had his initials on it. It was his and only his.

He hugged it to his chest, feeling warm. Unable to resist he put it on and tied the strings around the front, making it snug and neat. He turned to Hedwig. "What do you think?"

Hedwig puffed up when she saw the tiny white owl embroidered into the hem and barked approval.

"Right? Lavender's so talented. Oh and I have something for you too." With a flourish he revealed a crimson and gold ribbon. "Now you can be a Gryffindor too!"

Hedwig cheeped happily, dancing up and down. When he tied it around her neck in a bow, she nuzzled him lovingly, looking quite festive and happy.

"We're both dressed up for Christmas," Harry smiled. He sat back onto his bed and Hedwig sat in his lap, fluffed up and nibbling on his fingers.

"Best Christmas ever," he sighed, completely content.

-0-0-0-

poka - I'm trying to do some different things in this fic. Namely, explore a lot of facets that I haven't done much of in my other stories as well as explore parts of the magical world and that will come more in the future. A part of that is challenging myself in making a decent Dumbledore. I want this one to feel better than the others like you've mentioned, but in a good way. Not completely good for goodness' sake, not a paragon, but eventually someone you can see that is good though might act a little differently here and there. Hopefully by the end, it'll be good and make sense.

I will be exploring more magical food and situations as the story progressed. I'm going to try and bridge that gap to try and capture some of that magical feeling with a basis of familiarity. It's still a little isolated right now, being the beginning, but I hope to introduce more elements when they feel right.

WriternotAuthor - I'm trying not to bash anyone, though Seamus might appear that way. I'm trying to make people feel like people, rounded characters. And this fic will be my ode to a good Dumbledore, spoilers sort of.

odonnellzoo99 - Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how they are growing and changing. I think they still feel like canon depictions more or less, just with a bit more energy. I'm in the middle of second year right now and am pretty amused at some of the dialogue that has happened. Now that'll be a fun idea to play with one day. Which bird can prey on food more better.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Yup, he is being a bit more observant so far.

alix33 - Hope it warms up for you soon. It's progressing into Summer here but we just got hit with a very odd cold snap.