I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
A Taste of Magic
65th Course – A Festive Festival
"You made a deal with Rita Skeeter?!" Neville exclaimed; eyes wide.
"You know you did something when Neville acts like that and it's not about plant stuff," Parvati remarked.
They were making the finishing touches on the clothing that Lavender was sewing as well as a few small things she wanted to sell: handkerchiefs, bandannas, scarves, and other small things. Harry had finished his recipes and did all the preparations he could do before the Festival itself, and had thrown himself fully into helping Lavender along with the others. Harry, Lavender, Parvati, Hermione, and Neville were working together in the clubroom and Harry had mentioned the name to the others, wondering if they knew of her.
Hermione and Lavender did not while Parvati was somewhat familiar with Neville being very familiar.
"Is she really that bad?" Lavender asked worriedly.
"She's terrible!" Neville said. "She's ruined people with her writing and half of the time, it's not completely true!"
"How does she get away with it?" Hermione asked. "Aren't libel laws a thing in the Wizarding World?"
"Oh I know the answer to that, it depends on the country," Parvati said. "It also depends on how powerful the publication is as well if they can ignore the complaints or not or how willing people are to settle outside of a court."
"She's popular too," Neville said, uneasily. "She's really dangerous. She was going to write something that involved my family a while back but she backed down when Grandmum hunted her down and publicly challenged her to a duel."
"Oh wow," Lavender breathed. "She did that? She seems so sweet."
"She does seem sweet," Neville said in a knowing tone. "But yeah, you don't mess with her at all."
"Your grandmum or Skeeter?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Neville replied.
The door opened and Sue, Padma, and Luna walked in. "Hey, do you remember someone named Skeeter?" Parvati asked her sister.
"The journalist? Mum always said to never talk to her if we could help it. Grandmum said we could but only if it involved a Curse," Padma said.
"Oh that's who they were talking about? Why don't I remember that?"
"Probably because we were giggling over her name," Padma said. She flushed at the amused looks from the others. "We were kids, okay? Skeeter is a funny name."
"You have to be very careful with her," Luna said in a very firm voice.
"Oh wow, for you to say that, that's something," Sue said, shocked.
"She can be very nasty," Luna said. "She and Daddy have had words before and even Daddy won't always publish what she writes."
The Slytherins arrived then and Neville looked at Pansy. "I can't believe you made a deal with Rita Skeeter."
"It'll be fine," Pansy protested, ignoring the look from Daphne. "I'm sure it will." She looked away. "I think," she said under her breath and stifled a yelp when Millicent kicked her.
"That's rather brave of you to trust her," Luna said. "I was just saying Daddy doesn't publish everything from her."
"Look, I'm fairly sure it might work out in our favor," Pansy said, holding her hands up. She definitely ignored Daphne's accusing look. "At best, she writes about our teamwork and Harry's cooking and things will work out well. At worst, she writes her usual biased drivel that the masses will lap up and we might have some discomfort in public for a bit of time and then it all blows over when she sinks her claws into something new."
"And we have an alleged failsafe," Blaise snorted. "So says they," he added, first pointing at Millicent and Pansy before pointing at Harry.
"What am I failing now?" Harry asked, confused.
"I said that if we needed, we probably could have you ask your godfather or the Flamels to keep her in line," Millicent said guiltily.
"Oh they probably would," Harry said easily. "Sirius takes his safety and mine very seriously. We were out in Diagon one day and someone took a picture of us and he destroyed the camera and obliterated the film in front of the person that took it. Then said something about burying them in a deep hole legally before physically burying them in a shallow hole."
"See?" Millicent said, feeling much better and seeming impressed.
"I don't know what grandfather or grandmother would do honestly, but I'm sure it'd be something impressive and mildly concerning," Harry continued. "And Auntie Andi and Dora would probably get involved too. They're super nice and really protective."
"Well, that's good then," Daphne said, slightly mollified.
"Speaking of, they're going to visit during the Festival. Parents and family have been invited." He grinned at Lavender and Hermione. "They're bringing your families."
"They are?!" the girls said together excitedly.
Harry nodded. "Sirius told me about it when I got a letter from him the other day. Said he reached out to them as soon as the announcement for the Festival came up and when I told him we were doing something for it." He coughed slightly when the two girls hugged him excitedly, squeezing the air from him but he hugged them back just as happily.
"That means we'll get some definite votes then," Parvati said happily. They all worked together to finish up the sewing and clothing preparations, taking turns to do them while helping each other with their homework.
"Thanks everyone," Lavender said when they finished the last one. "Whew, we really took it to the end, didn't we? Glad we got it all done."
Tracey was admiring herself in a large mirror that Inky brought for them, holding the hem of her skit out and taking a couple of steps in it. "You do really nice work, I really like how it looks and feels." She scowled when Blaise pushed her to the side with a hip bump to admire himself in the mirror next. "If you weren't my partner for this, I'd cut you."
"In your dreams," he said placidly as he smoothed out the cuffs in his sleeves and looked pleased with his ensemble. "This is really well done though, I agree. Thank you, Miss Brown."
"You all can call me Lavender," Lavender said, happy with the praise at her work.
"Very well, Lavender," Blaise said and he made a courtly bow.
"Stop that," Daphne said irritably.
"What, being polite?" Blaise asked, miffed.
"No, being a damn peacock and showing off."
"You might as well ask me not to breathe."
"Stop breathing," the four Slytherin girls said together and immediately burst out laughing.
"You know, I was somewhat hesitant about this whole venture but I now see it as a boon," Blaise sighed wearily. "I clearly am in need of kinder friends."
"That's us, much kinder," Parvati said with an insincerely sweet smile.
Harry nodded when Blaise gave him a questioning look. "Everyone here is nice to different degrees."
"What a positively diplomatic answer," Blaise laughed.
"And it's true," Harry said brightly.
-0-
It was a very blustery day. The wind was cheerful and fast, driving the winter air deep into the bones. Snow swirled and danced all over, building up in places where people did not walk or gather. It daubed the rooftops of Hogsmeade, adding that charming winter-time aesthetic that made you want to admire it from indoors with a cup of something steaming hot and layers of clothing or blankets in front of a fire.
The stalls were being finished up with last minute touches, a riot of colors and designs. Students from all the schools ran about, getting ready and trying to finish preparations. Some were rather plain and unassuming, the owners of the stalls choosing not to focus on decoration, at least obvious ones. Others were grand and showed a lot of thought and effort.
One looked like a perfect French bistro. A high counter of polished white and black material, shining in the snow. Small tables dotted the space in front and an awning covered the front. Even the ground in front of the stall looked like polished tile, cheery and bright. Large braziers in front roared with fire, emanating heat and light. A small Eiffel tower stood on the roof of the stall but in a clever way to evoke a sense of distance and a pretty facsimile of the Parisian skyline was before it, making the stall look like a bistro was plucked out of the city and deposited in Hogsmeade.
Another stall was painted in shocking orange and magenta with a very large W sitting on top. It gleamed and glittered in the snow and the light and to the eye; it looked like it was shaking from anticipation and barely suppressed excitement. Or it looked like a very tightly packed explosive about to go off which looked remarkably the same to one another. The back of the stall had racks and racks of things also colored brightly and invitingly, evoking a sense of wonder and danger like a brightly-hued insect or snake.
One stall looked like it was torn from an English castle and put there, but the idea of a castle and not the functions of one. The white stone was cold and clean, looking impressive to the eye. Potions equipment filled the back and racks held expensive looking ingredients and reagents. The high arch of the front of the stall was tall and imposing, and the fixtures gleamed from gold and silver.
Harry looked up at the DragonFyre Stew stall, looking very pleased. The outside looked like a charming cottage: the outside made of stone and whitewashed, the roof made of thatch. The front of the stall even had a propped window and the main counter looked like a window shelf where one would set a pie to cool after baking. A chimney peeked out the side and a small fire crackled in the hearth, releasing sweet scents as well as smoke from the chimney
"Amazing job," Harry said, hugging Luna.
She blushed prettily and hugged him back. "Thank you! Professor McGonagall helped me transfiguring the rooftop and the front. It's rather pretty and she said she remembered many cottages like that growing up and was happy to help."
"It's so cute," Lavender said, looking up at the stall.
Harry walked into the stall and took a look at the kitchen they set up in the back. It was open to the front so people could look in. All the stalls had some help from the professors and some of the local Hogsmeade residents willing to help with the setup. He had a large stove set up to keep the stew simmering and hot while another was at the back for active cooking. A large table would hold the baked goods and an oven was installed at the back for the biscuits and soda bread. Plenty of wooden cups sat on the side to be filled with stew and a simple cashbox sat on the front counter.
With Pansy's, Millicent's, and Daphne's help, they determined a cup of stew would cost two Sickles and adding a slice of bread would be an additional five Knuts. A bundle of five biscuits would go for twenty Knuts, or ten if you purchased them with a cup of stew. They also had tea and water for sale for Knuts each.
Everyone was continuing to help with running the stall too. Harry was cooking, obviously, and running the kitchen. Lavender and Hermione would be in front working the orders and the till. Parvati and Sue would help run the orders up and serve them while Padma, Luna, Millicent, and Luna would be in the back helping Harry with mixing the soda bread dough and rolling out biscuits and watching the ovens and stew pots. Daphne would be playing music and Tracey and Blaise dancing to said music with Pansy acting as attractor and barker. They were all dressed in the clothes that Lavender designed and they helped make with more examples of her things tied to the eaves and awnings with little notes with how much they cost.
"That is a lot of people," Hermione said all of a sudden. She looked out past the other stalls and gaped at the sheer amount of people waiting outside of the square.
"I'm more than a little nervous now," Tracey said nervously.
"Don't be, you've done recitals before," Blaise said.
"But that was a contained area and for a distinct performance," Tracey argued.
"Just see it like I do," Blaise said. "They are watching in awe of your hard work and natural grace and ability. They envy you for what you do. That and you will have me with you and they will envy you for having me as a partner and they will stare at me and admire me all the more."
"Do you really go through life thinking like that?" Parvati asked.
"Yes," the four Slytherin girls said together while Blaise nodded with lordly mien.
"Oddly enough, that does help a little," Tracey said with a small smile.
"I know my worth," Blaise said comfortably and inspected his nails. "And what I bring."
"Wow, I might need your help on self-confidence," Harry said admiringly.
"Oh please no," Pansy and Millicent said together, making everyone laugh, even Blaise.
"You're fine," Lavender praised and hugged him.
He smiled. "Thanks. Oh and everyone make sure you enjoy the Festival too during the day. I'm sure we have more than enough people to run things for people to take breaks and all. It'd be a shame if you couldn't."
"Very kind of you to say that," Daphne said. She flexed her fingers and also looked nervous. "I wish I had more time to practice."
"You'll be fine," Pansy said. "I've seen you play far more complicated things in front of critics and other experts in the setting with far less worry."
Daphne smiled a little. "If only my parents could see and hear me play such uncivilized music in an uncivilized place. Perhaps that is what I am worried about too. This goes against how I was raised."
"I know, but remember the prize," Pansy said softly.
Daphne nodded. "A chance at freedom, a bettering of self, and an angry Draco Malfoy."
"And plenty of Harry's food," Pansy added.
"Yes, that has been very pleasant," Daphne said sincerely.
"Just make sure you don't mess up," Blaise said. "Messing up my steps would be a tragedy."
"Yes, it would be tragic," Daphne said, her voice dripping sarcasm.
"Okay calm down, Princess," Blaise said, smiling blandly at her look of fury. "Never thought you'd be so fiddly about a fiddle."
"This is a proper violin, not a 'fiddle'!" Daphne said angrily. "Keep calling it that and I will fiddle with your head!"
"You know, I feel like Blaise is the Parvati of that group," Lavender said.
"I am not that vain!" Parvati said indignantly and kicked Lavender.
"No, but you like to tease people when they're nervous to take the edge off," Harry smiled. "It's really good of you."
"Oh, well, then yeah I guess," Parvati said with a small flush but hugged Harry gratefully.
"And she's a little vain," Padma said afterwards and yelped when Parvati kicked her, kicking her back.
"Too bad we're really close to that French stall," Sue said quietly, looking down the way a little at the skyline bistro stall. "And of course it's Fleur and her friends running it. Competition is going to be stiff. I wonder what they're selling."
"Crepes," Hermione said. "I recognize those round flat top griddles from when I visited Paris. They're tasty when made well."
"We'll be fine," Harry said confidently. "Completely different foods and tastes."
Pansy had wandered over and heard the conversation. "Actually, it might be good for us," she said after some thought. "Many will be attracted to that stall and we might be able to entice a few over here because of it." Her face scrunched up a little. "Actually…I have an idea. Let us wait for a bit after the Festival starts before we open."
"Why?" Luna asked.
"It is only going to get colder," Pansy explained. "We let people wander about, let the cold set in a little, then we open up, letting out all the savory stew smells. That will definitely bring people over."
"But we need to have people vote and buy from us," Hermione argued. "If we wait too long, people might already be full and are too enthralled by others."
"We have until late afternoon," Pansy argued back. "No one will vote too early and I am not saying we delay for hours and hours, only for one at most. We can spend the time building up more things and let some of us wander about taking a look at the competition." They looked at Harry.
"Why is everyone looking at me?" he asked nervously.
"You're in charge," Pansy huffed.
"I am? I thought this was a group thing," Harry stammered.
"You're the head of it and you make the last decision," Lavender said.
Harry thought for a moment. "Okay, how about close to an hour? Do you think that will work?"
"I do," Pansy said. "I think. Hey!" She pinched Parvati back. "What was that for?!"
"Every time you said 'I think' lately usually had someone pinching or poking or kicking you and Lavender said I could do it this time," Parvati said.
"I don't remember saying that," Lavender smiled.
"May I do it next time?" Luna asked.
"Alright, let's save it for later," Harry grinned when Parvati and Pansy got into a pinch and push fight.
"You're in charge," Parvati said cheekily, making him groan and the others giggle and snigger.
-0-
"Thank you all for coming!" Dumbledore said happily, his voice booming out from the Sonorous Charm. "First, I would like to thank Hogsmeade for hosting this Winter Festival and allowing the students from the thre- I mean from the four schools to set up stalls and showcase their talents." He smiled as people applauded and cheered. "It is wonderful to see people from all over meeting one another, experiencing other cultures, and enjoying what others have to offer and share."
"Remember, there is a competition going on. Everyone will be given a token and whenever they like, please put the token in the bin belonging to the stall that you liked the most. This part of the Festival will conclude in the late afternoon and the tokens will be counted and see who received the most votes and therefore become the winner."
He waved his wand and bright lights filled the air. "Enjoy everyone!"
People streamed into the square. Their voices filled the air, joined by the voices of the students running the stalls. None of the Hogsmeade stores were running any stalls out of deference to the students, the owners wanting to be patrons and enjoy themselves too. In short order the place was packed full of people and students who were not running a stall, eager to join the fun and support their friends as well as see what the other students did.
Harry did not go out, choosing to stay behind to do extra prep and to check on the simmering stew and the baking biscuits and bread. Almost everyone else left to go wander about first save for Luna who was content to stay behind with Harry. She rewarmed the stone warmers and tucked them into the blankets that Hedwig, Sunny, and Crookshanks were using. The kneazles had stayed pretty close to them for the warmth while Hedwig would flutter about and come back to sit on them to warm back up.
"There's so much stuff," Parvati said when she returned. "Not a lot of food stalls. It's us, a few from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang each, and Hannah's running one with Cedric."
"Oh I wish them luck," Harry said. "What are they making?"
"Basically a bakery. Muffins and cupcakes and biscuits and things. The biggest French one is the one we see and it's being run by Fleur. They're making crepes. Already have a huge crowd. The nicest Durmstrang one is doing pretzels and sausages."
"Oh that sounds good." Harry smiled when Parvati and Padma revealed a bag with a flourish. "For me?!"
"Of course!" they said together.
"We figured you want to try them," Padma added. She smiled when Harry eagerly took out the large soft pretzel and tore it into pieces for them to share and he cut the sausage up.
"We didn't bother with Hannah's because she's your nemesis," Parvati said through a mouthful of food. "And didn't want to wait for the crepes and also they're bitches."
"Thanks for this," Harry said, munching on the pretzel and the sausage. The pretzel was pleasantly dense and chewy with a scattering of coarse salt on the crackling crisp exterior. The bratwurst was bursting with flavor, meaty and salty and delicious. "Mmm, that's good."
"I think our stew will still be a hit though," Padma said, dabbing at her lips with a napkin. "It's so good and I think people will like the fire-breathing."
"It's not gimmicky?" Harry asked.
"It is but in a good way," Parvati said, licking her fingers. "And Daphne's not wrong. Lots of stalls are leaning into obvious magic and things. It's good that we are too."
"I thought she was princess?" Luna said, nibbling on her pretzel piece.
"Only to her face," Parvati laughed.
Eventually the others returned to the stall. By then there were even more people and many had walked past theirs with looks of confusion since the cover was still down. Despite the mass of people and the braziers all over, the air was feeling colder and the wind rose in strength, sending snow all over.
"Okay, I think we can open," Pansy said. She took a few steps away from everyone. "I think."
"Before we start, thank you," Harry said softly, making everyone turn to him. "None of this would be possible without all of you here. Everyone helped and made this real and that makes it amazing. I'm really glad all of you came to help." He looked at Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise directly. "It doesn't matter if we win or lose the competition. We still came together and created something wonderful and delicious and fun and I'm really happy with that. We all did this, together."
"Thank you," Daphne said very quietly, looking at him with wonder. Tracey and Blaise shared the look.
Harry suddenly grinned. "But if we win, I won't be upset over it." Everyone laughed and cheered at that. "Alright, let's do this!" Harry clapped his hands and the others went on their way.
"Look at you, giving a speech like that," Lavender said admiringly.
"Chef wasn't one for big speeches but he taught me it was important to show appreciation to the crew," Harry smiled. "And I meant every word."
Lavender hugged him hard. "That's what made it better," she said sincerely.
Pansy walked outside the stall and looked around. She nodded at Daphne who nodded back, violin ready and at Blaise and Tracey beside her. Pansy turned to the stall and nodded and Harry and Neville pushed the cover up and secured it while Padma and Parvati blew the smell of the stew out into the open air with Wind Charms. Pansy quelled the sudden nervousness that bubbled in her stomach and took a deep breath.
"Hello and thank you for waiting!" she shouted, immediately drawing attention. "We apologize for the delay but wanted to make sure everything was perfect for you! Come one, come all and try some of our very best DragonFyre Stew!"
Daphne started playing a sprightly Scottish folksong and Blaise and Tracey began to dance, arms up and out and kicking high, leaping sprightly about each other. People began to gather, drawn by the music, the dancing, and the smell of the food.
"Made from a traditional Scottish recipe with good Scotch Beef and dragon meat from the Scottish Rarebit, our stew will warm you up and fill the belly to brave the cold! And there is a special chance for a treat! You see, our stew is so good, it might help you breathe fire! If you are so blessed by the dragon essence of the stew, you'll receive a free biscuit as well! What fun!"
Pansy pointed at a man that stood closest. "Surely you would like to give it a try?"
The man flushed a little, put on the spot but nodded. "Sure, why not? How much for a cup?"
"Only two Sickles!"
"Hmm, alright, sure. One cup please." He handed her two Sickles and Pansy took a cup of stew from Harry and she surreptitiously dropped a firepeppercorn into the top of the stew without anyone seeing. She handed it back with a flourish. "Careful, it might be hot," she said with a wide smile.
The man took it and sipped it. "Mmm, that's actually really good and it hits the spot-" Something crunched and he coughed for a moment before a gout of flame shot from his mouth. He shouted in alarm and others watching did too. He shook his head, looking dumbfounded, and looked at the stew before smacking his lips. "That was wild! And it's still good!" He smiled when Lavender gave him a biscuit in a napkin. "I thought that was a joke and that it would be spicy!"
"Dragons never joke, even when in a stew," Pansy said with faux slyness. "So, what do you think?"
He drained the cup. "I'll have another and I see there's bread too. Some of that please!" His enthusiasm was the catalyst and soon a large line was in front of the stall, all wanting their own cup of stew.
-0-
"Wow! Look at all this!" Daniel was already having a very momentous day. It was not everyday that you could step through a fire without being burned, sent through a magical pipe or connection, then come out of another fire without being burned in a completely different place after all. Granted, the not getting burned part was soured by the getting violently ill part, but win some and lose some. At least he was not alone, the Grangers were there and shared in his excitement and dread.
He had visited Diagon Alley before with Leena and his daughters so being around obvious magic was not completely new to him. Leena had been pretty open with using magic at home after helping Lavender as a little girl and the twins were born. However, here at the Festival, it was much like Diagon Alley where the scale of open magic was a wonder. It was always a bit funny to him when he saw magicals accept it easily for obvious reasons. He was not sure he ever would treat it as something simple or mundane.
He was glad to be here with Sirius, Remus, and the Tonkses too, on top of his family and the Grangers. He had struck up a close friendship with them, especially Ted who had been a genuine blessing of a friend. The Muggleborn wizard was more than happy to share experiences and answer questions in terms of Muggles. His wife was very nice in an intimidating way and Dora was frankly hilarious even with her shape-shifting always making him pause. Sirius was a good man too and was eager to meet and visit with Daniel and the others on their terms, looking almost indecently comfortable in a Muggle leather jacket as he did in robes.
Cokie had come too and the dog barked happily having caught a familiar scent. She pulled him along and led him to the DragonFyre Stew stall and he gaped at the sheer amount of people outside of it.
"Daddy! Mum!" Lavender cried happily, waving from within. After a quick word, Padma took her place at the till and she came out, hugging her little sisters and then her dog and then her parents. "It's so good that you're here!"
"It's been wild," Daniel said, kissing her forehead. "Glad I could come too. This is amazing!"
"You guys are running a booming stall," Sirius said proudly. "Look at this crowd!"
"It's been mad," Lavender laughed. "But amazing! We've had to make so much more food. Good thing we had a lot of supplies but Harry's been cooking nonstop and we haven't stopped either." She smiled widely when Harry waved from the back door. She dashed over and came back holding a large tray carefully. "He says he'll talk later if that's okay."
"More than fine," Andromeda assured. "I would not want him to be too distracted and imperil his chances." She picked up a cup and breathed deep of the aroma. "This smells wonderful." She took a sip and chewed on the meat and vegetables. "Absolutely delici-" She coughed and breathed fire, making the others exclaim with delight and Dora and Ted howling with laughter at her shock and surprise.
She thwapped them irritably and lovingly, shaking her head ruefully. "Now that was a surprise! Mmm, delightfully peppery!"
"How much are they?" Sirius asked. He dug into his purse and pulled out two Galleons. "Here, we'll make up for the rest by eating more."
"We don't charge family," Lavender protested.
"It's only right," Sirius said firmly. "Go on."
"They did a real good job," David said proudly as he sipped and munched. "The stall looks really good and the music and dancing is fun. Plus the food is amazing but I expected that."
"Really put their hearts into it," Jean nodded. She smiled as people breathed fire all around them punctuated by laughter and cheers. "What a fun idea!"
"I'll have to ask them how they thought of it," Ted said eagerly as smoke wafted out of his mouth.
Sirius chuckled but when he saw who just left the stall he stiffened. "Oh fuck me," he muttered. "Miss Skeeter," he said when the woman approached.
"Hello Lord Black," Rita smiled. "And how are you doing this fine day?"
"Pretty well, thank you for asking." Sirius' eyes glinted dangerously. "A word of warning for you, Miss Skeeter. Harry is my godson and I take his safety and privacy quite seriously."
"Oh I've heard. Peters still hasn't replaced his camera and he's still a bit shaky," Rita said with a broad smile. "Not a loss really, his pictures weren't very good as it was. But don't worry, I made a deal with that charming young lady and your godson."
"And what were the parameters of this deal?" Andromeda asked sharply.
"That if they won this little competition, I'll write something based on what actually happened and the merits of it all." She sipped her stew and chewed blissfully on her slice of soda bread. "And I'll be the first to admit that I'm quite impressed by all of this." She gestured with her slice of bread. "It's so small and quaint and yet…delightfully sincere."
"As long as we have an understanding," Sirius said politely.
"We do," Rita said. She nodded congenitally and wandered off.
"Who was that?" Daniel asked, looking at Andromeda and Sirius.
"A journalist and I use that term lightly," Andromeda said, "she is very dangerous."
"Imagine a tabloid writer but a lot worse," Ted said shortly.
"My goodness, that bad?" David asked.
"Usually, but that was weird behavior, even for her," Sirius said, looking thoughtful. "She usually is a lot more belligerent and sneaky."
"I wonder why she was less so now," Andromeda mused.
-0-
"How are things?" Maxime asked.
"Busy but manageable," Fleur said. She looked around with self-satisfaction. Their bistro hummed and moved things along at a smooth but slightly harried pace. Sophie and Aimme made the crepes, using their wands to mix the batter, pour it onto the griddles, smooth it out, then fill them before folding them to be served. Colette and Fleur ran the front with other classmates helping prepare ingredients and serving as well.
Business had been fairly steady since the opening of the Festival, though Fleur did notice that they lost some of their business when one of the stalls down the way from them opened later. She also noticed people walking past with cups of stew and slices of bread and she had been confused when people were breathing fire here and there and laughing about it.
"How vulgar," Maxime sniffed as someone released a gout of flame to shared laughter from their friends.
"You know what they say, one person's vulgarity is another's hilarity," Dumbledore said, smiling brightly.
"And you know what those are?" Maxime asked.
"I do."
"And how they are being done?"
"I consider myself fortunate in knowing that, yes."
"I don't suppose you would be so kind to share the information then?"
"I recommend you trying some first before I divulge the information. If I do so anyways."
"That's not like you," Maxime said with a trace of irony, "normally you are one so eager to gossip."
"Only on inconsequential things," Dumbledore smiled, not offended in the least.
"You don't find it inconsequential…" Maxime's voice faded and she looked deeply astonished. "No, surely not."
The crowd had died down a little and people were parting, letting someone pass without delay. That someone turned out to be someones and Maxime gasped when she recognized them. They were both dressed immaculately in long robes and overrobes and cloaks. He held a cane in one hand, silver-shod with a gleaming red stone at the top, the rest of the cane made of dark brown wood that gleamed. Members of the ICW trailed after them, looking on with wonder and barely-concealed interest.
"Master and Mistress Flamel!" Maxime greeted and all the French magicals in the area immediately turned and gasped and whispered, the students straightening their clothes and robes and looking attentive.
"Maxime! Good to see you," Nicolas greeted warmly. "Albus, I have a complaint with you."
"By all means, make it," Dumbledore said with genial weariness.
"Why the bloody hell are we doing this outdoors in the middle of winter! It is freezing! I am fairly sure I have frostbite this time and we are in fact outdoors!"
"Because it is a Winter Festival and it is fun to have it outdoors," Dumbledore smiled. "Besides, it's not so bad. It's actually fairly warm for this time of year."
"Why does this blasted country exist?!"
"There are colder places," Dumbledore snorted.
"Bah! At least they have cute animals to make up for the atrocity," Nicolas sniffed.
Maxime had looked back and forth between Dumbledore and Nicolas for long moments while the others looked on with frank astonishment. She finally shook her head. "Are you here to support our school then?"
"Oh yes, somewhat," Nicolas said. He looked at the bistro with interest. "Well done. It looks just like that charming little place on the corner of the Champs-Elysees, by the stuffed animal store."
"Oh yes it does," Perenelle agreed. "Lovely work ladies," she said to the girls at the stall who preened at her praise.
"Wait, what do you mean somewhat?" Maxime asked.
"Well we will not withhold our support," Nicolas said. "But supporting Beauxbatons was not the main reason we are here. We are here to visit and support another."
"What?! Who?!" Maxime gasped.
"Our grandson of course," Nicolas said airily.
"Grandson?! Wha, who?! What grandson?!" Maxime sputtered.
"Have you not met? I will introduce you two later. I tried to get him to come to Beauxbatons years ago by speaking of the cooking class but he sadly could not be convinced." Nicolas shook his head. "But what can you do?"
"Ah! Hello my pretty!" Perenelle smiled when Hedwig came fluttering down and landed neatly on her head, plumping down. Most of the onlookers gasped at that, eyes-goggling at the sight but Perenelle paid them no mind. "Thank you, my head was feeling a bit cold. Are you here to lead me to my boy?" She smiled brightly when Hedwig nodded. "Then let us go!" She set off when Hedwig hooted and flapped her wings and pointed with one of them.
"I've seen that owl before," Fleur said, shocked. "Surely not…"
"I guess there really is more to Harry," Sophie said as she watched the Flamels walk away towards the thatched roof stall.
-0-
"Harry!"
"Grandmother Penny!" Harry smiled when Perenelle reached over the counter and hugged him, nearly dragging him over. "I didn't know you and Grandfather were coming."
"Surprise!" Nicolas said warmly, waving to the others. "Good to see everyone! Oh and you have some new friends, hello hello." He waved to Daphne, Blaise, and Tracey.
"Who are they?" Daphne asked as she nodded back distractedly, still playing.
"The Flamels," Millicent said. She chortled when Daphne's fingers slipped and she stopped playing, looking shocked and the sudden screech of the violin made Blaise miss a step and stumble, nearly falling into the snow. "Yeah, the Flamels. Told you."
"What is that?" Harry said after hugging Nicolas.
"Do you like it?" Nicolas flourished his cane. "I made it myself. Magically treated wand quality wood, silver-iron shod with a core of the same. Blood bound to me and Perenelle only. Toughened, protected, and comes with a very important enchantment." He spun the cane and slammed the bottom into the ground. A gust of wind swirled around him and blew his cloak and overrobes around him in a dramatic way and the stone at the top pulsated with light. A halo of light and colors wound around him and he struck a dashing pose. "Is it not grand?" he asked with the widest and smuggest smile.
"Feel free to speak your mind," Perenelle said.
"That's so cool," Harry exclaimed.
"Boys," Perenelle huffed.
"I am glad you think so! I made you a similar one for your Christmas present," Nicolas grinned. "Now please, feed me and your grandmother before we freeze to death." He accepted his cup of stew and inspected it critically before he downed it in one go. He chewed and made appreciative noises before puffing his cheeks out and pursuing his lips. He opened his mouth and breathed out and the fire formed a shape of a dragon that flapped lazily into the air much to the delight and wonders of people watching.
"Show off," Perenelle said and she spat a ball of fire right into his grinning face. "This is delicious!"
"Agreed! Keep it coming please," Nicolas chuckled and handed a Galleon to Lavender. He and Perenelle joined the other families that were visiting off to the side. He waved his cane like a wand and chairs were conjured and a small crackling brazier appeared in the center. "There, that is better."
"Is that a wand too?" Sirius asked with interest. "Or is it more of a stave with that length?"
"Neither." Nicolas twisted the stone at the top and revealed his wand within the body of the cane. "I did learn that using the same wood as your wand and using a magically metallic core would allow me to use it as an extension of sorts. Not good for anything picky or needing finesse but for some things, it works rather well."
"Very interesting," Andromeda said. "May I?" She took the cane body from him at his nod. "I can feel the enchantments. How many layers do you have?"
"Oh you can feel the layers? I have six."
"Threaded together I assume, through a weave?"
"Ooh you know your enchanting," Perenelle said warmly. "Yes, our own weave array."
"It's wonderful," Andromeda said reverently, handing it back.
"I will teach you," Perenelle said. "I am the better enchanter between Nicolas and I and I'm always happy to work with other talented enchanters."
"I would greatly like that," Andromeda said, shocked.
"How are they doing?" Nicolas asked, slurping loudly at his next cup.
"Really well, they've been busy since we've arrived and even before," Remus said. "The stew is a hit."
"Splendid. And he's added a few more people to his little group of companions."
"That was a surprise too," Sirius said wryly. "Never thought I'd see other Slytherins and ones from the older Purebloods too, besides Parkinson and Bulstrode mind. But maybe I shouldn't be surprised because of that."
"And it looks like they're having fun," Jean said. "We walked around for a while and some are doing well while others aren't as well. That joke stall is a real hoot."
"Ooh, joke stall?" Nicolas asked with interest.
"Yeah, ran by the Weasleys. They got good stuff," Sirius grinned.
"I will have to go take a look later," Nicolas chuckled.
-0-
Pansy was enjoying herself and it surprised her a little.
She never thought she would ever work in the same way as her father did. She never thought about her future that way at all. That said, after seeing and hearing her father work for so many years, listening to his stories, seeing him in meetings, she appreciated his job and liked it. And as it turned out, she was rather good at it. She knew she was responsible for attracting a lot of people to visit the stall and she was proud of that.
Her self-satisfaction became self-apprehension when she saw someone approach. "Mrs. Malfoy," she gulped.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. "Pansy," she greeted in an oddly bland tone. She looked at the crowd in front of the stall and both eyebrows rose when she saw Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise. "I am…surprised to see you over here."
"I am surprised to see you here too," Pansy said.
"Well as Deputy Headmistress of Sanguis Verus, I came to support our Champion." She looked at Pansy and a very pointed question went unasked and unanswered between them.
"I'm sure Draco appreciates that," Pansy said, unsure of what else to say.
"Quite." Narcissa's eyes widened when she saw Andromeda standing to the side talking to the other parents and Perenelle. With a complicated expression, she turned away and focused back on Pansy. "It seems you learned well from your family's business."
"Thank you, it's fun and rewarding," Pansy said truthfully.
Narcissa nodded. After a long moment she looked back at Pansy and she looked a little pained. "What happened?" she asked, her voice soft.
Pansy hesitated. "A lot," she said at last. "Draco…hasn't been kind to me in many years. I tried, I tried for so long. But…" She shrugged limply and miserably before straightening. "My friends supported me and told me I didn't deserve it."
The older woman was quiet for a long time before she nodded. "I think I understand, and I would like to speak to you about it another time."
"Yes Ma'am," Pansy said. "Yes…Auntie Cissa?"
Narcissa smiled sadly. "Of course." She hugged Pansy fondly and firmly.
"Would you like some stew?" Pansy asked.
"Why not," Narcissa said after a moment's thought. She accepted the cup and sipped and looked at it appreciatively. "That is quite delicious."
"I'll be sure to pass the praise on."
"Yes, that is only fair. I will speak to you soon," Narcissa said and she slowly left the stall, lost in thought.
-0-
A loud gong filled the air, causing everyone to look up. A large banner rose into the air over the square and the names of the stalls appeared, glowing as they did. People murmured and chatted as numbers started to appear beside the names of the stalls.
"We will all discover the winners together," Dumbledore said in his magically enhanced voice. "We have the categories for different kinds of stalls and the names are groups. As you see, the tokens are being tabulated and when they glow once more, the count has stopped."
Groans and cheers could be heard as the numbers stopped for each of the categories. The Weasley Wizarding Wheeze stall exploded both literally and metaphorically when they won their category. The students there cheered and clapped and shouted while the giant W burst into, allegedly, controlled fireworks.
Then the ones for the food stalls started counting and everyone watched with baited breath.
"Not many food stalls at all," Pansy murmured. "That's good for us."
"Come on, we worked hard for this," Padma muttered.
One by one the others stopped counting, driving up the tension.
"Oof, I'll have to make sure Susan and Hannah are okay later," Sue said when Hannah and Cedric's stall stopped counting while two of the Durmstrangs, Fleur's, and Harry's stall continued to rise in numbers.
"Look! We're still going and one of the Durmstrang ones stopped!" Hermione exclaimed, pointing at the banner.
"Hey, the other one stopped too!" Neville shouted. "It's just us and the Beauxbatons one!"
"Come on! Stop counting them!" Parvati shouted as the numbers were neck and neck, rising at the same speed. The numbers started to slow, and everyone strained to look at them, nearly counting along with them.
"We did it!" Lavender shrieked when Fleur's Bistro stopped rising and DragonFyre's kept increasing. "WE DID IT!"
"It's still going!" Pansy shouted and their numbers were still counting. When they finally stopped, DragonFyre Stew was ahead by a clear one-hundred votes.
Lavender and Pansy jumped on Harry, hugging him and shouting wildly while he smiled from ear to ear and shouted and laughed, hugging them back. Daphne jumped onto a low table and began playing a fast-paced bright tune, also smiling broadly while the others danced and hugged and whooped in victory. The families clapped and cheered too and applause filled the air while all the festival attendees and students all clapped along.
"We did it! Good job everyone!" Harry shouted and everyone joined in a large group hug, arms about their shoulders and smiles on every face. "We all did it together!"
Harry had been attacked by the herd of pets after the victory, bowled over by Cokie and set upon by Sunny and Crookshanks while Hedwig danced on his head. As he clambered to his feet, he noticed his friends looking behind him and he turned.
Fleur stood there with Sophie, Colette, Aimee, and the others they worked with. Fleur was giving him a wry look, partially amused at the animals around him while Aimee looked at the animals with undisguised delight. "It appears we underestimated you," she said slightly stiffly. "Congratulations are in order."
"Thank you," Harry said and offered his hand easily. "I was smelling your crepes all day and they smelled and looked amazing."
After a beat of awkward silence, Fleur took his hand and shook it sincerely. "We have been smelling your stew all day as well and it smells quite good," she said, relaxing slightly. "I would like to purchase some, if you have any remaining."
Harry looked at Fleur and her friends before looking back at his. "Well, how about a trade? We were both really busy and my friends said your crepes look really good and authentic. I've never had any before. If you have any left and don't mind making some for us, I still have a good amount of stew left. I'd be happy to trade and try each other's food."
"They said that?" Sophie asked softly.
"It does look good, but looks can be deceiving," Pansy said with a broad smile.
"Be nice," Harry whispered, making her flush. "They came to us first."
"You learned French?" Lavender asked.
"No, but I've learned when Pansy's being a smidge impolite," he said, smiling, making the others snicker and Pansy flush more.
"We don't have to be gracious in victory," Pansy hissed back, cheeks red.
"Doesn't it make us look better if we are?" he whispered back.
"He's got a point," Millicent giggled.
Fleur laughed, sounding genuinely merry. "Then allow us to try and encourage you to say they look and taste good. Yes, I believe that will be very nice." She and her friends left and soon came back with the griddles and the rest of their ingredients.
"Oh my," Fleur said as she sipped the stew. "This is so rich and delicious yet not too heavy." She shrieked when Colette belched and breathed fire into her face. "COLETTE!"
"Excuse me," Colette said, wiping her lips daintily. "This is rather good," she agreed, dodging a blow from Fleur.
"Harry is rather good at making friends," Remus said fondly as he watched the two groups of students mingle. "That group of Beauxbatons students are rather prickly as well. They've sat in on classes and can be a bit…what's the polite word for confrontational?"
"French," Perenelle said pertly, making them laugh.
"Well, she is the Champion and has a lot to prove I suppose," Remus said, referring to Fleur.
"Which just goes to show that Harry's heart is extraordinarily kind," Dumbledore said proudly. "Capable of withstanding the prickliest of hearts and the most Frenchest of attitudes."
"A fine example here," Nicolas said proudly, referring to himself and Perenelle.
"Quite," Dumbledore chuckled.
"He had most of my customers liking him after the second day," Aberforth said as he sipped his stew. "And that ain't easy. Most of my clientele are arseholes."
"Much like the owner," Ariana said as she took his soda bread and munched on it. "Hey!" She gasped when he ate her biscuit.
-0-0-0-
iamshinydragonmist - You'll get to see some of them yes, but there will be other oppportunities in the future.
odonnellzoo99 - I tried to make sure they wouldn't win out of plot needs. I wanted them to work hard, utilize their strengths, and earn their win. I do like it when things are more believable. Funny you mention that. I did read a fic once where Hedwig ate beetle Rita and it was amazing.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - No, no ferret form but he will be humbled in other ways. We will see how the deal with the devlish quill works out. Thanks for reading.
Arnie1701 - Indeed.
pillpushr - Glad you are liking the story. Thank you for reading.
poka - I hope people like the change here in that. I legitmately enjoyed the way I made it work in Defiance so I'm hoping to have it be believable here as well and enjoyable.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - I thought a stew that makes you breathe fire would be a lot of fun. Something tells me that this Rita may become a little different, but we will see.
alix33 - Spite is very useful when used correctly.
61394 - That is a very good quote.
DarkRavie - Thank you.