Author's note: It's mid-November now, and I figured it's close enough to Christmas that I bring out a new installment of this story!
The clock's hands ticked to two. This time there was no brilliant light or spirit floating in the room. Instead a light switch flicked on in the kitchen, and Percy woke when a loud clatter came from the other room.
Blinking in the light, Percy stumbled forward to see his meager kitchen piled high with food, every available surface covered. A turkey in the middle of the table, surrounded by blocks of cheese, loops of sausage, a great bowl of salad, miles upon miles of bread and rolls, a vat of mashed potatoes, and the Yorkshire puddings. The countertops were piled with desserts: treacle tarts, pies of every sort, chocolate frogs, peppermint toads, sugar quills, and even a few cockroach clusters. "What is all this?" Percy muttered.
"Come in!" The spirit boomed from behind a pile of vegetables. "Come in and know me better, man!"
"Ok." Percy muttered. "Are you the ghost of christmas present?"
"I am! I am the very youngest of nearly two thousand brothers!" This spirit took the form of a very large man, so large he had to bend over to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. He had long, wild hair and a full beard to match, and reminded Percy a little bit of Hagrid.
"Well what are we going to do?" Percy asked. "See Christmas present?"
"Indeed. We shall see this Christmas present. Take my hand!" He held out his hand, and as Percy took it the room vanished. They found themselves in the street outside Percy's apartment building. It was morning and a weak sun even peered through the clouds.
"Come, come!" The spirit grabbed Percy's hand and dragged him down the street. All the shops were closed, but still the streets were alive with activity. They passed a group of carolers, decked out like tropical birds in their red scarves and mittens, all carrying songbooks. A group of children threw snowballs at each other, while pensioners tossed handfuls of seed to birds. The windows of the houses were brightly lit, and inside they could catch glimpses of Christmas trees, presents, and families.
Percy shivered slightly. Even though no one could see him, he felt self-conscious standing on the street in his threadbare pajamas.
"Ah, but of course!" The spirit waved his hand and Percy's pajamas were replaced with a smart set of robes, complete with a warm cloak. "Are you having fun?"
"Eh. It's not as bad as the last ghost, who was intent on torturing me. But it's not terribly exciting."
"Ah, of course. We have been looking at the Christmases of random people. But you have people you want to see this Christmas, no?"
"Erm, no, actually." Percy was dreading the visit to the Burrow.
"Let's check in on them, shall we?"
"Well, if you insist."
The streets of London faded away, replaced by the dining room at Percy's childhood home. The Burrow was full to bursting, people passing in and out of the kitchen. Molly Weasley was in the center of the hustle and bustle, cooking a Christmas lunch. A new dark blue wizard hat and a necklace Percy had never seen before adorned her usual Christmas attire.
Percy stood in the middle of the kitchen, watching people pass by. Here was Bill, with some girl hanging off his arm. Wait, was that Fleur Delacour? Trwizard champion Fleur? How had Percy not even known that Bill was dating her? "Spirit?" Percy asked. "How long has Bill been dating Fleur Delacour?" He frowned, trying to calculate the age difference. Fleur was younger than Percy by a year!
"Dating!" The Hagrid-spirit crowed. "You mean engaged! They've been engaged since summer!"
"Since summer?" Percy yelped. How had he not known? He watched Bill and Fleur as they poured cups of eggnog, laughing. Bill had a Weasley sweater but Fleur didn't. Molly had made her estranged son a sweater, but not her future daughter-in-law.
Ron and Harry were entering the kitchen now, both wearing new sweaters. Ron was complaining about something to Harry, rolling his eyes and grumbling, but Harry wasn't really listening. He was looking at Ginny, no, staring open-mouthed at her as she helped set the table. Percy glared at him, even though Harry couldn't see that. He didn't think Harry was a suitable match for his sister.
Charlie shuffled in on Harry and Ron's heels, grinning broadly and wearing a new sweater. He pinched a bread roll from a platter when Molly's back was turned, then winked at Ron and put a finger to his lips.
Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks—had they stayed overnight?—came into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas, Weasleys." Remus said.
"Since when did Remus stay over for family Christmas?" Percy asked. "I mean, we all liked him as a professor, but he's not a family friend or anything."
"Order of the Phoenix business!" The Hagrid-spirit boomed. "Surely you know that your family has joined the Order!"
Percy did know that. His parents had tried to convince him to join the Order just before he'd gotten promoted, but he'd declined. It sounded like a whole lot of nonsense that he didn't want to get involved with. Now, of course, the family was inviting Order members over for Christmas instead of him.
The family sat down, platters of food were passed around, and lunch began. Percy heard bits and pieces of conversation here and there: Charlie asking the twins about their joke shop, his parents talking with Remus about Order business, and Ginny telling Harry and Ron about how Fred had turned a garden gnome into a Christmas decoration.
"What were you planning to do this Christmas?" The spirit asked Percy. "Do you have your own gathering with family or friends that we must see?"
"Err, no, actually. I'm working this Christmas."
"Working this Christmas!"
"Yes, I'm working this Christmas!" Percy was starting to get tired of the Hagrid-spirit's sing-song voice. "It's for the greater good! Scrimgeour simply must speak with Harry Potter, so that we can get the inside scoop on the Dumbledore situation! And before you ask, no, I intended to spend the rest of Christmas alone!"
The Hagrid-spirit shook his head. "Here you come now." He pointed to the window, where present-day Percy descended Stoatshead hill, the minister at his side.
He wasn't the only one to have seen the new arrivals. Molly leapt from her chair, one hand over her heart. "Arthur! Arthur, it's Percy! And the minister's with him." The other Weasleys looked at each other apprehensively as Other Percy and the minister drew up to the back door.
Molly opened the door. "Minister Scrimgeour! What a surprise! Please, come in. Oh, Percy, how good to see you!"
"Merry Christmas, Mother." said Other Percy quietly as he stepped inside.
"Percy and I were in the area and thought we might come and make a visit." Scrimgeour's voice boomed in the Burrow's tiny kitchen, much to the displeasure of the Weasleys gathered around the scrubbed wooden table.
"Minister! Please, sit down, have a little purkey, or some tooding, I mean—"
Other Percy's face flushed as the minister waved Molly aside. Ron and the twins were giving him cold looks, and Bill, squeezed between Fleur and Ginny, looked like he desperately wanted to be somewhere else. This wouldn't end well.
"Harry and I will just be off for a little stroll around the garden, eh?" said Scrimgeour. "I'll leave you all to catch up." He exited through the back door, taking Harry and any hope that this meeting would go to plan.
"How have you been Percy, my dear?" Molly asked as she began filling another plate with food. "Please, sit down."
"No, that's all right, Mother. I'm afraid I can't stay very long. We've much important business to attend to, even on Christmas, and I've got other friends I want to see as well."
"Last I checked, Percy didn't have friends." said Charlie as he shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth.
"You know that's not fair, Charlie." Other Percy snapped. "I have coworkers."
"Coworkers aren't friends, you pompous twat." Ginny's voice was hard and cold like iron. "Let's cut the crap. You're here so the minister can spy on us and spy on Harry."
"No, I'm not. Look, can't I visit my own family on Christmas?"
"Last fall you disowned the lot of us." Fred snapped.
"You sent back your jumper last year." George added.
"Well, I know we don't all see eye-to-eye. And I know that some members of this family would disown their own offspring on mere ideological disagreements"—Other Percy threw a pointed look at his father—"But I am here to ensure that Mother is all right. I know I have caused her some pain."
"Water under the bridge, sweetheart." Molly said as she tried to force him into a chair.
"Do you always speak like you're reading from a thesaurus?" Charlie asked.
"I'll have you know that when one works for the minister, a certain level of professionalism is required!" Other Percy snapped. "Forgive me if my intellect is a touch beyond yours, brother dear. I daresay there isn't much need for it on your little dragon range."
Charlie turned beet red and began to rise from his chair, but Bill threw him a warning look and he sat back down.
"You stupid twat." George yelled. "You can't say you care about us and then brag about working with the minster in the same breath! Admit it, you're here under the guise of visiting us so Scrimgeour can interrogate Harry! You're using us!"
"So maybe I am killing two birds with one stone!" Other Percy shouted. "Dumbledore's the most powerful wizard in Britain, the ministry needs to know what he's doing! This is for the greater good!"
"You're a monster." Ginny spat.
"A social climber." George added.
"I am nothing but a man who wishes to keep his job! I'm trying to advance my career by helping the minister! Who knows, maybe one day I might even be able to adequately provide for my children! And my family won't have to live in poverty because I'm too idealistic to give them what they need!"
"Get out!" Arthur had risen from his chair. "I won't have you bringing this nonsense into my home! Get out and take your minister with you!"
"Arthur!" Molly screamed. She was about to say more when a handful of mashed parsnip splattered across the front of Other Percy's robes. No one was sure who threw the first handful, but Ginny, Fred, and George were all on their feet and flinging more at him.
"No one likes a traitor!" Fred bellowed. "Get out!"
"Go to hell!" Other Percy shouted. He slammed the door so hard that a picture fell from the wall and shattered. There was silence for a moment before Molly ran upstairs sobbing and the others went back to eating in an awkward silence.
"That went well." Percy muttered.
The Hagrid-spirit shrugged. "I think that went about as well as it could have gone, all things considered."
Percy sighed angrily. "Everyone's always telling me I need to make up with my family, but when I so much as visit them on Christmas, it only takes five minutes for food to be thrown at me!"
"But were you intending to patch things up?" The spirit looked at him shrewdly. "Or were you merely using them as an excuse to make sure Scrimgeour could talk to Harry?"
"I mean . . . maybe my motives weren't very good . . . but is this how it's always going to be? Will I ever be able to come back here and have a nice time, without being shouted at and having food thrown at me?
"I am the ghost of Christmas present, not the future." the Hagrid-spirit said. "My realm is the here and now. But I can see certain shadows . . . I see an empty chair at the table, a clock with only eight hands. I see a kind woman's heart hardened against a son who never came home. If these shadows remain unaltered, I believe you will not be welcome here again."
"What shadows?" Percy asked. "What do you mean, if these shadows remain unaltered? And what's that about me not being welcome here? This is my parents' house! My mum would always welcome me back, even if it goes like that conversation went."
"My time grows short." The ghost wheezed. Already, his hair had faded from red to grey. "I must leave soon. The only thing we have time for is preparing to meet the last spirit."
"The last spirit? We're not gonna do the thing where I go back to bed and the last spirit comes and gets me there?"
"No, not this time." The dining room faded away and was replaced by the top of Stoatshead hill.
"Before you leave, what's this about shadows?" Percy cried.
"No time!" the Hagrid-spirit cried. His hair had faded to white now. "Watch for the next spirit. It will show the way." He faded away into nothingness."
"No!" Percy wailed. "You've got to tell me! What are these shadows? How can I alter them? What's happening?" He looked around, but the spirit was gone. He was alone on the windy hilltop. The sky was beginning to darken and a strange mist was billowing across the grass. Now the strange mist contorted, forming a black hole. And out of this whole glided a horrible, hooded dementor-like spirit. It raised its right hand and pointed at Percy.