Title: Champagne and Chocolate
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Year 2 Assignment:1
Task:Dance, task 2
Prompt:write about following a tradition of someone else
Gotta Catch 'Em All:number 668, Pyroar, fire
Prompt: [title] Champagne and Chocolate
Jurassic Park:enclosure, extra security
Prompt:[genre] friendship
Disney Magic:frozen, number 4
Prompt:[action] knocking on a door
Diagon Alley Adoption Centre:Leonardo the turtle
Prompt:[restriction] only canon Gryffindors
Fandom Frenzy: A Very Potter Musical, number 3
Prompt: [dialogue] "I love you all… except you, [name]. I can't stand you."
Bucket List: number 23
Prompt:write a story set in the trio era
Birthday Bash: games, number 1, snowball fight
Prompt: [character] Fred Weasley
Mini Pinatas: pinata 8
Prompt: [trait] redhead
Fireworks Display: peony, number 2
Prompt: [theme] celebration
Manhunt: 20) nestled in the trunk of the castle Christmas tree
Prompt: [setting] holiday party
Writing club
Character Appreciation:number 2
Prompt: [appearance] dark hair
The Forecast says: 27th, sunny
Prompt:Harry Potter
Music Mayhem:number 11, homeward
Prompt:[theme] friendship
Room of Requirement:number 9
Prompt:[character] Angelina Johnson
Little Shop of Genres: number 16
Prompt: [plot point] reuniting with an old friend
Word count: 1131
"Will you come to my Hogmanay party?" Oliver asked Harry. "I'm trying to get the old Gryffindor team together and Hogmanay is the perfect time for a reunion party."
"Hog my what?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Hogmanay," Oliver repeated. "It's what the Scots call New Year's Eve. Traditionally, it was the biggest celebration in Scotland. It's still a pretty big event. The Muggles do big parties and there's always a piper and fireworks at Edinburgh Castle. I'll be making the traditional steak pie for dinner and we can all ring in the bells together. So, will you come?" Oliver looked hopefully at Harry. There was the same gleam in his eye that Harry could remember seeing there in his third year when they stood a chance of winning the Quidditch cup.
"Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun," Harry agreed.
Harry slid his chair back from the table and sighed contentedly. That was the best meal he'd eaten in a long time. Oliver made a really good steak pie. Harry looked about the table at his old Gryffindor team mates assembled there. Everyone looked really full and really content.
"Well, who knew that Oliver could cook?" Fred said with a grin in Oliver's direction.
"I thought the only thing he knew was Quidditch, but that meal was as good as any of our mum's," George added. "Don't you agree, Harry?"
"I can't remember when I last ate such a good meal," Harry agreed.
"Are you sure you made it, Oliver?" George asked.
"He can't have," Fred quipped. "He must have had someone else make it. No way Oliver can cook something that good."
"I love you all…" Oliver deadpanned, glaring at Fred and George, "except you, Fred and George. I can't stand you."
There was a moment's silence before they all burst out laughing.
"So, what's this Hogmanay thing all about?" Angelina asked. "I never understood what you were talking about."
"He told me something about feet!" Alicia added.
"He was going on about a lump of coal to us," Fred remarked.
"He told me something about feet too," Katie concurred.
"He told me something about doors opening," Harry stated.
"I never said anything about feet!" Oliver protested. "I was trying to tell you about some of the Hogmanay traditions. Some of them are more traditional and not everyone follows them nowadays. Let's take this to the living room and I'll get everyone a drink."
"I want to know more about these traditions," Angelia protested.
"I'll tell you when we're somewhere more comfortable," Oliver assured her.
They made their way through to Oliver's living room which looked exactly like Harry had pictured it would be. There was no style or cohesion to the living room. Rather there was a mixed assortment of comfortable armchairs and sofas in front of the fireplace. It rather reminded Harry of the Gryffindor common room. They all made themselves comfortable. Oliver's television set was on in the corner of the room, the volume down low, playing what Oliver told them was the usual Muggle Hogmanay programmes. Oliver handed everyone a drink, placed several boxes of chocolate on the coffee table and took his own seat.
He had no sooner sat down when Angelina turned to face him.
"Well?" she demanded. "What's all this about feet?"
"It's not about feet!" Oliver laughed. "It's called first-footing. First footing is where you're the first person to visit someone's house in the new year. People often go and visit friends or family on Ne'erday, New Year's Day, but it's considered bad luck to visit empty handed. Of course, nowadays probably less people consider it bad luck unless they are superstitious and it's more impolite to visit empty handed when you're the first visitor. It doesn't have to be anything big: a houseplant, a packet of shortbread, a box of chocolates; just so long as you bring something."
"I can understand that," George said. "You visit a friend and you bring a gift, but what has a lump of coal got to do with anything?"
"Traditionally you would have brought a lump of coal for their fire as a gift. It was something quite practical, but not many Muggles still have real coal fires anymore so bringing a gift of a lump of coal would be more symbolic now. Sometimes the people visiting your house on Hogmanay would leave just before the bells so they could be your first foot after the bells."
"We'll do that," Fred volunteered.
"Erm… no it's alright," Oliver said, avoiding eye contact with Fred and George.
"Why not?" George asked, looking slightly offended. "We can respect your traditions. We can do this."
"Well, it can't be you," Oliver explained. "Despite the prevalence of red hair in Scotland it's considered unlucky for the first foot to be a redhead. Ideally, for the best luck for the following year it should be a dark-haired man."
"Why a dark-haired man?" Alicia asked.
"It goes back to the Vikings when a light-haired man was considered bad luck."
"What about the doors?" Harry asked.
"Before the bells you open the front and back door of the house, to let the old year out and the new year in."
"I suppose if you've had a particularly bad year that would be a nice way of hoping for a better new year," Harry conceded.
They all passed the time in easy conversation, occasionally watching the Muggle Hogmanay programmes on the telly. At five to midnight, Oliver opened his front and back door before he popped open a bottle of champagne and poured out a glass for everyone. He handed one out to everyone but Harry was nowhere to be found.
"Has anyone seen Harry?" Oliver asked. "It's almost time."
"Perhaps he went to the toilet?" Angelina suggested.
The Muggle on telly announced that the countdown to the bells was about to begin and the audience at the Hogmanay celebration began counting down.
"Five, four, three, two, one. Happy new year everyone," Oliver said, raising his glass and taking a sip of champagne.
"Happy new year," Fred, George, Katie, Alicia and Angelina said as they all took a sip of their champagne and everyone shook hands or hugged.
They all stopped as they heard someone knock on the front door three times. Oliver made his way to the door to find Harry standing on the doorstep outside.
"A happy new year and good tidings to you and yours," Harry said as he stepped over the threshold and handed Oliver a lump of coal and shook his hand.
Oliver grinned broadly and fetched Harry a glass of whisky and offered him a slice of black bun.
"Happy new year to you, Harry. Lang may yer lum reek," Oliver said as Harry took a swig of the proffered whisky.