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CHAPTER NINE: Holiday Bonding

"So,"Harry mused,"any tips?"

Hermione gave him an odd look. "On what?"

"On Viktor. You know him better than me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, I went on a few dates with him over forty years ago! That doesn't give me some deep psychological insight into him!" She paused, thinking. "But since you asked…he's confident."

"Well, yes, I figured that out."

"I mean, he goes into a situation seeing himself as being in complete control of it. And he's usually got good reason to. He'll have prepared, trained, mastered every spell he'd need."

"I can see why you two got on so well."

Hermione gave an awkward smile. "Well, yes, I suppose those are traits that we share. So, you're going to do the same? Train hard so you can beat him?"

Harry thought for a moment. "No."

Hermione gaped at him. "No?"

"At least not yet. We didn't come all this way just to beat Viktor Krum at a duel. Think about it. It's Christmas holidays, right? Most of the students have left but a few of the Durmstrung students are still here and a few of the Hogwarts lot as well."

Hermione wasn't exactly following his reasoning. "So?"

"So…I've got an idea."

Harry paused as he was about to enter the communal area. He could hear two voices…both of which he knew very well. The first one was Lily. "So are you having a good time with your dad?"

The other one was her daughter Amy. Harry stole a look and saw Amy's head sticking out of the floo network. "Yeah, it's great. Tracey and Joshua are here too, since you're all over there."

Harry felt a momentary pang at not getting to spend Christmas with his grandchildren, with James' children back home as well. It was clear from her next comment that Lily felt the same. "I wish I could be with you."

Amy's smile disappeared for a moment. "I wish you were here too." Then she brightened. "But at least Dad's place is hooked up to the floo network so we can talk all the time!"

"I've spoken to Professor Longbottom at Hogwarts. He says your teachers are very pleased with you/"

Amy nodded eagerly. "I'm really enjoying Transfiguration and Charms. I wish Grandad was here to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts though. It's a bit dull."

"They never teach you any of the really good spells in first year. Martin and I liked the chocolates you sent us."

"That's okay." Amy glanced over her shoulder. "I have to go now. Dad's calling. Love you!"

"Love…" Lily began, but Amy was gone.

Harry stepped fully into the room. "You all right?"

Lily looked round and gave a brief bitter laugh. "Well, I think me being in another country has worked out well for everyone."

"Not easy, is it?"

"On my worst days, I have visions of her calling someone else Mum some day."

Harry helped his daughter to her feet. "I've got a proposal I want to put to Headmaster Vrancic. You feel like joining me?"

There were, indeed, very few students left at the school. Harry counted twenty-two of them. The Hogwarts students included Nymphadora, Bradley and Beverley. Nymphadora had stayed there with her parents and the other two had stayed with her.

The students had lined up at either side of the main hall, facing each other. Somehow, even though no-one had told them to, the Hogwarts students had lined up on one side and the Durmstrung students had ended up on the other.

Harry and Lily stood against one wall, at right angles to the two lines of students. "A little fun for the holidays,"Harry announced. "I want each of you to partner with someone from the other school."

Nymphadora shot a look at Bradley, disappointed they weren't going to be partnered, then picked out Ilana Petrova. "You and me?"

Ilana nodded. "As you say."

Harry waited until everyone had paired up and noticed two Durmstrung students left over. "You can partner us,"he told them, gesturing to himself and Lily.

One of the pair, a boy, gaped at them. "We have to duel you?"

Harry smiled, a slight twinkle in his eye. "Who said anything about duelling?" He nodded to Lily.

Lily stepped forward and gestured with her wand. A box appeared in the middle of the room. Inside it were a set of white plaster birds. "Each pair take one." The students did, slightly mystified.

"I want you, as partners, to decorate them,"Harry explained. "And then animate them."

It hadn't been what anyone had been expecting, but they threw themselves into it. Using their wands, they added colours to the plaster birds, then began conjuring until they were flying around the room. The students all laughed and pointed, picking out their distinctive birds.

"Nicely played,"Lily said quietly.

Harry smiled. "All about making friends."