Chapter 8: A Slice of Life and Lovely Holidays
Harry found himself in a new position. When he first arrived at Hogwarts, he had just been another student. Sure, he'd proved himself proficient at his classes, but he hadn't stood out that much. But now, he'd killed a troll and won the first Quidditch match of the year. Not to mention, he had contributed quite a bit to Gryffindor's lead towards the House Cup at the end of the year.
Four large hour glasses stood outside the great hall. One for each of the four houses of Hogwarts, decorated in each's house colors. Red and gold for Gryffindor. Blue and bronze for Ravenclaw. Black and yellow for Hufflepuff. Green and silver for Slytherin.
Each hour glass had a store of stones at the top: rubies, sapphires, yellow diamonds, and emeralds. And the Gryffindor hourglass held quite a large number of rubies. Slytherin wasn't too far behind, but the gap was noticeable. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff kept leapfrogging one another for third place.
The youngest seeker in a century. A troll slayer. Harry was hopeful the attention would die down soon, but for now, he could barely walk through the halls without other students whispering or stopping to talk to him.
Even worse was Draco Malfoy. He wasn't sure if it was jealousy, house rivalry, or the fact they hadn't gotten along since he'd knocked Hermione off her broom, but the other boy had become an even bigger annoyance of late. From snide remarks in the halls to Hermione, tripping Neville whenever they passed, or bumping into him and Ron, Malfoy seemed to have made it his goal to be the biggest nuisance he could.
He'd been smart about it so far, always sticking with his group of friends, and only acting when there wasn't a teacher nearby.
Even around Professor Snape, Malfoy kept his cool. Evidently, his aptitude for potions had seemed to ingratiate him a bit with the dour potions teacher. And Professor Snape was a great teacher. Every now and then as he made his observations, he'd stop and watch Harry's progress, offering criticism and advice on how to improve. Unfortunately, this also meant he continuously held Harry to a higher standard, but Harry had so far been glad for the challenge.
It seemed as though all the professors had increased their work loads. Which, Harry supposed, had to do with the approaching end of the first term. Roughly a month remained, and while Harry had done well to maintain his grades, the quantity of work was keeping him busy. Thankfully, Oliver Wood had reduced their Quidditch practices, since Gryffindor wouldn't play again until after the holiday break. Harry was looking forward to the upcoming Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw match.
For the first time all year, a sense of normalcy came over Harry. A part of him didn't like it, but after Hermione called him paranoid, she had helped him laugh it off. They spent a lot of time, just hanging out in the clubroom with Neville and Ron. Hermione had improved greatly at her spellcasting, though Harry and Neville continued to dominate the first year duelist. Ron was quickly catching up to them, having found his Arithmancy studies quite helpful. Harry was now even able to beat the second years of the club, though he began struggling against third years.
Daphne Greengrass had kept her distance since the troll on Halloween, but Susan often joined them for dueling. Tulip often joined as well, offering advice and pointers. She may have average amongst the seventh years, but she more than proved herself to be an excellent teacher and coach. She was convinced that Harry would be read to begin studying more advanced spells by the middle of next term.
The Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw match proved to be far more interesting than anyone anticipated. Ravenclaw also had a new seek this year apparently. A second year girl of Asian decent named Cho Chang. Hufflepuff's seeker was the older boy whom Harry remembered had run into the great hall at Halloween shouting about the troll. Cedric Diggory was his name, and he was really good. He managed to lead Cho on a wild goose chase around the pitch, often faking dives or making sudden turns. By the end of the match, she was glaring at him out of pure frustration. Not that she was a bad flyer either. Despite all of Cedric's maneuvers, she had kept pace with him. The way she was able to match his movements. Harry made a note of that tactic for when Gryffindor would face off against Ravenclaw. In the same way, he had tracked all of Cedric's movements, the way he dove. The way he always kept an eye on the rest of the game while keeping an eye out for the snitch. Harry wasn't surprised when Hufflepuff won, but he was quite surprised how close the game ended. Had Cho reacted just the tiniest bit faster, Ravenclaw would have won.
Two hundred and fifty to one hundred and ninety. That placed Hufflepuff in first, Gryffindor in second, Ravenclaw in third, and Slytherin in last. Malfoy had been particularly nasty after that, but next would be the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff match, followed by the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor. Then it would finish with the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff and Slytherin versus Ravenclaw.
The ghosts of Hogwarts were particular fond of betting on which team would come out on top. Especially three of the four House ghosts. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington the Gryffindor ghost, otherwise known as Nearly Headless Nick, could be heard arguing with the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff on whether Harry stood a chance against Cedric. The Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron, had sided with the Fat Friar.
The weather had grown colder, and so had the corridors between classes. Hermione had discovered a solution: bluebelle flames. It was a curious spell. It produced small blue balls of flame that produced heat, which they greatly took advantage of, yet the flames wouldn't burn them if they touched it. The flames did singe a sleeve of Ron's robes, but that seemed the extent of damage they could directly do. Hermione usually scooped the conjured flame into a glass jar, which they could stand around to warm their hands.
When their final exams of the term came, all four of them passed with high marks. Hermione had come out ahead, with Harry just barely behind. The fact that both of them had gotten the top spots drew even more of Malfoy's ire, though he had backed off with the approach of the winter holidays.
"I've been meaning to ask, but do wizards celebrate Christmas?" Hermione asked.
Ron laughed. "Of course! Well, many wizard families do. There are others that celebrate Yule, or a couple of the other holidays this time of year. Yule is considered the more traditional, but it's mostly just considers another form of Christmas."
"My family celebrates a weird mix of traditional Yule and Christmas." Neville said. "We're a long line of pure-bloods, but we really support muggleborns. Least, that's how my dad explained it once."
"Mine celebrated Christmas." Harry smiled. "My mom's a muggleborn, but the Potter family has always been supportive of muggles and muggleborns. It's why they're not considered part of the whole 'Sacred Twenty Eight'."
Ron chuckled. "It's a bit bullocks, if you ask me. I mean, Hermione just scored top spot for the first years!"
Hermione held her head high and glanced at Harry. "Well, I couldn't sit aside and let Harry get a big head by being top student. And it was worth it to see the fury on Malfoy's face when he barely made the top five. Can you believe it? He even called me some weird insult. Mudblood." She scoffed. Silence fell over the compartment, and she looked at them in surprise.
"He did not!" Ron said leaping to his feet as did Harry.
Neville grabbed them both before they could bolt from their compartment and forced them back down. "Don't you two dare!" While his two friends spluttered in anger, he turned to Hermione. "Are you sure he called you that, Hermione?" She nodded, and he sighed in anger. "Hermione, that's one of the worst slurs to call a muggleborn. 'Dirty blood' it basically means. It's just…well it's a revolting idea."
"That git." Harry muttered. His hand twitched like it wanted to clasp his wand. "If Malfoy keeps talking like that, I want you to come straight to us, then we'll go to McGonagal."
"Honestly." Ron seethed. "We should just curse him ourselves, Harry."
"And land ourselves in detention?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "How would that help Hermione? Other than leave her on her own for a while?"
Neville scoffed. "I doubt Malfoy would actually attack her, Harry. He's mostly all talk. Even when he knocked her off her broom, it was by accident. Though he was messing around for it to happen. Nah, he'll just keep trying to get a rise out of you so you'll be the ones getting trouble!"
Harry crossed his arms and settled back in his seat. He met Ron's eyes and shook his head. "Nev's right, Ron. Much as I'm with you."
Ron tapped his knee. "…maybe we could get Daphne to prank him for us? I mean, she is a Slytherin on our side, yeah?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "You've really changed your tune about Greengrass."
"Well…" Ron shifted uneasily in his seat. "She's not that bad, really. I mean, she's still not said anything about what's she's really up to, and I haven't asked her. But she really got told off by her parents. Made worse cause she's had trouble sleeping since the incident too."
"Me too, to be honest." Hermione said quietly. "Once I calmed down…seeing Tulip hurt that bad…"
Harry let out a breath. "I know! This past month has honestly been…good. A bit of normalcy. Like this is how the year should be going all the time."
Hermione shot him a sly glance. "Still feeling a bit paranoid?"
Harry grinned at her and shrugged. "A little. Not as much after you called me out on it."
"Well, I can't really say I've not felt it myself. But that's why the holiday will be good!" She sat back in her seat. "Besides, if Quirrel or Voldemort," she ignored Ron's shudder, "was close to getting the Philosopher's Stone, I'd figured you'd have another dream. Least, that seems how it's gone so far."
"I'd agree with you, but I don't rightly know. Like I told you, the Sage was even surprised I was having visions. But he also seemed to think it meant something. Not that he said as much, or even why." Harry replied. "Speaking of, when we get back, I'd like to try experimenting with the Room of Requirement. The Sage mentioned it could be used for all sorts of things."
"I wonder…" Hermione tapped her chin. "If we we really needed a library, for books we couldn't find in the school's library, could the Room form one? What about books from the restricted section?"
"Or our own private garden. To grow our own ingredients and plants." Neville mused.
"Maybe even a place we could train? Though we already have the clubroom for that." Ron sat upright, snapping his fingers. "Oh! Maybe the Room of Requirement could create our own obstacle course!"
"That's what I mean! Who knows what the Room can do!" Harry grinned at them.
"Well, I don't think it would be able to conjure food out of nothing. Professor McGonagal explained that our first day of Transfiguration." Hermione said.
"Right. So it could create a kitchen, but not the ingredients we'd need." He thought for a moment. "Though I bet we could get those from the house elves in the kitchens."
"House elves? What are they?" Hermione asked.
Harry froze and shot a look to Ron and Neville. Ron blinked at him, but Neville squirmed in his seat. Harry took a breath and sighed. Then he began the lengthy explanation of house elves to Hermione, and promptly listened to her expected outburst and rant. Well, at least he saw this coming. He only hoped she wouldn't do something too crazy about it. The last thing he wanted to do was anger the Hogwarts house elves.
Hermione had calmed down immensely by the time they arrived at Platform nine and three quarters. Harry gathered his things, making sure Hedwig was secured in her cage, while Ron wrangled an overexcited Pigwidgeon back into his. Hedwig made sure to sit prim and proper in her cage, clearly showing how an owl was supposed to properly behave.
He stepped off the train and was promptly tackled by a head of red hair. Miriam gripped her brother fiercely for several long moments, Harry shuffling to get out of the way of others leaving the train. She finally released him and grabbed the other side of his trunk.
Their mother stood some distance away, standing next to Hermione's mother. Persephone stood next to them fidgeting. As they approached, Hermione set her things down and pulled her sister into a warm embrace. The girl didn't resist, sinking into the hug.
Harry turned away to give them privacy, going up to hug his mother. "Mom!"
Lily Potter leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "You've had quite the term, Harry."
He managed a grin up at her. "Well, the last month was mostly normal. I did really well on my exams! Hermione just barely beat me!"
His mother smiled down at him, cupping his cheek. "Well, come on. Let's grab our things. Need any help, Emma?" She looked to the other woman, who had grabbed one side of Hermione's trunk.
The woman shook her head with a smile. "I've got it, Lily. Thanks."
Harry glanced between them. "Their coming with us?"
Lily gave him a grin. "We thought we'd invite the Granger's for Christmas. Get them introduced a bit more to the wizard side of things."
Hermione and Harry shared a grin and quickly bade goodbyes to Ron and Neville. The twins and Percy were already recalling Ginny with tales of their exploits. Neville hurried over to his parents, sharing a warm embrace with them.
Once the car was loaded up, Harry, Miriam, Hermione, and Persephone all climbed into the backseat. Emma got into the passenger seat, while Lily got behind the wheel.
As soon as the car began moving, Hermione stared out the window, mouth opened. Then she turned to Harry before looking to Lily. "How are we moving this fast?"
Emma Granger laughed nervously. "I couldn't believe it the first time I experienced it myself. But magic really does have its uses, doesn't it?"
Hermione worried her lip. "Is this even ok?"
Lily chuckled as she took a right turn. "Oh, perfectly. So long as you have the proper permits and charms in accordance with Ministry bylaws. A bit of a pet project of Ron and Harry's dad, along with Harry's uncle Sirius. You met Sirius didn't you, Hermione? He was at Harry's first Quidditch match. Which by the way, Harry, that last dive was truly spectacular! Your father let me view his memory of it in the pensieve."
Hermione frowned. "What's a pensieve? Is it magical?"
"It is!" Lily said. "It's a special artifact basin that lets you view memories. Your own memories of someone else's. They were fairly rare until a few years ago. The original recipe for their creation was lost, but it was rediscovered. Fairly easy to make too, so they've become common to find. Real useful. Got to watch the game. And hear your conversation afterwards."
Harry flinched. "Yeah. I, uh, figured dad was going to talk to you."
"I'm not mad, Harry. Just a bit surprised that you honestly thought I'd send a Howler." She adjusted the mirror for a second to look at him. "You know very well that I would show up in person before sending a Howler, mister."
"Mum didn't let Patrick and me see that part. She kicked us out. But we got to see the match! The way you flew was just so cool!" Miriam excitedly exclaimed.
Harry noticed how Mrs Granger glanced at his mother, but she didn't say anything. Had his mum told her anything? He could tell that they'd become friends, though he hadn't expected the Grangers to be invited for Christmas. It would be fun to spend the holiday with his new friend!
Soon enough, the village of Godric's Hollow rolled into view. Lily drove them through town to the far side, just outside on the outskirts. He saw old Bathilda Bagshot heading home with groceries. He'd been glad growing up listening to her stories. The knowledge she'd given him had really come in handy for History class, considering she'd been the one to write his textbook!
Hermione wheeled on him. "You grew up as the next door neighbor of Bathilda Bagshot?!"
Harry managed a sheepish grin. "Did I not mention that?"
She pouted. "No wonder you always score higher than me in History. And you barely even study!"
The car turned into a nondescript drive, and Hermione stared in amazement, while Harry felt the most relaxed all year.
The Pottery had been the Potters' home for the past eleven years. No longer the simple, small cottage Voldemort failed to approach, it had been added to as the years went on, and two new Potters had joined the original three.
In the forefront, the original cottage structure was still there, almost like a foyer. Behind and above, the rest of the house rose up over the top, more than doubling the original space, yet nothing overly large.
The yard stretched out almost impossibly, and Harry could tell Hermione was eagerly restraining herself from running off to explore it all.
The front door open, and a small boy came running out and slammed into Harry's middle. Harry nearly fell over from the impact, hugging his brother back. James Potter exited alongside Hermione's father, David.
David scooped Hermione up into a bear hug, while Harry extricated himself from Patrick's fierce grip to greet his own father. David set his daughter back onto her feet.
"So, how were your exams? Didn't fret too much, did you?" He gave Harry a wink.
Harry grinned. "She only triple checked her notes and books five times after each exam. Only to find she scored the highest in almost every class."
"I still can't believe you beat me in History of Magic. Defense, Potions, and Charms, sure. But you're always so bored in class!" Hermione said with a mock scowl.
Harry jerked a thumb towards where Ms Bagshot's house was. "I grew up next door to the author of the book we use. I've about heard it all."
Lily laughed and shook herself. "Alright, enough. Let's head inside and get settled. Miriam, show Hermione to your room. There's a cot set up for you there. There should be room for your trunk at the end of it. Later, if you could please bring any dirty laundry, I'll make sure it gets washed and ready for the new term."
Patrick immediately grabbed the other side of Harry's trunk and helped his brother to his room. As Harry began unpacking a few things, he sat down on the bed. "So how is Hogwarts, Harry? I wanted to come with Dad for your Quidditch match, but he said I couldn't go this time. Was really unfair!"
Harry grinned at his brother and pulled out his wand. "Well, how about I show you some spells?" Patrick's eyes alighted with glee, but Harry quickly tried to hide his wand as James walked in with a chuckle, shaking his head.
"About that, Harry. Some ground rules. I know what the teachers said at school, but as long as your here at home, your mother and I are fine if you perform some spells. However, I only want you using spells if either your mother or I are home, alright?" James said, looking sternly at his eldest.
Harry's grin returned fiercely. "Lumos!" He said, and a light formed at the tip of his wand. It shone brilliant and bright.
James shielded his eyes a bit. "Excellent form! And the brightness is good. Your magic reserves have grown well! Good job, Harry."
"Nox." Harry said, and the light faded. "I wish we had a dueling room. Then I could really show you what I've learned."
"Well, it's a good thing we do, then." James grinned at his son. "We've added onto the basement. A whole training area is down there now."
Harry's face lit up light a Christmas tree. "You built a training room?"
Patrick shrugged. "Yeah, but Miri and I aren't allowed down there.
Hermione stepped in with a quiet knock on the door. "Would I be allowed to use spells too?"
James let out a gentle laugh. "Well, that is part of the idea, Hermione." He gave her a smile. "You're welcome here anytime you want."
She grinned and looked around. "Wow, Harry. You really keep your room neat and tidy when you're at home. Ron and Neville both said your space was always messy." She giggled. "Not that I think theirs was any better."
Harry shrugged and pointed at Patrick. "He'd come through and clean and organize if I didn't. Miriam would just hide something important so I'd be forced to clean to find it."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Huh, valid points. If they're just going to clean or make you clean, keep it clean so they won't be able to. Crafty."
James rolled his eyes. "Which is why I half expected Harry to be sorted into Slytherin. If Miri isn't a Ravenclaw, I'll be immensely surprised."
Patrick smiled and shrugged where he sat. "I don't really care which house I'm sorted into. So long as I can study Alchemy in third year!"
James sighed. "Have you been going through
your mom's old books again? You know she only studied it for a year."
"But it's such a fascinating concept! The art of altering matter on a permanent scale rather than the temporary of transfiguration!" The boy replied.
Hermione blinked at him. "We can sign up for classes in third year?"
James nodded. "Third year is when you're first able to select elective classes to study. There's several different subjects to choose from, but you won't need to worry about that till the end of next year."
Miriam poked her head into the room. "Mum's making hot chocolate and fresh cookies, then we're gonna decorate! She's says your free to relax for about an hour."
James chuckled. "And that's my cue. We'll call you kids in an hour." He left the room and made his way downstairs.
Miriam stepped into the room, and Harry saw Persephone behind her. "So, how has school really been? I've overheard mum and dad talking at night a couple times when they think Patrick and I have gone to bed."
Harry shook his head. "Honestly, it's mostly been classes and Quidditch."
Miriam raised an eyebrow at him and folded her arms. "Just classes and Quidditch? Then how come Uncles Remus and Sirius have been over more than usual, all hushed up with Dad in his home office?"
Persephone shuffled nervously up to Hermione. "Hermione, they have a whole room full of books upstairs! About magic, and beasts, and all kinds of stuff! Patrick and Miriam were showing me! You should see it!"
"If you think our library is cool, Persephone, just wait till you see the school library at Hogwarts. It's massive!" Harry said with a grin. "But come on. I want to check out the new training area."
Patrick, Miriam, and Persephone ran ahead out his room. Harry and Hermione followed them out and headed down the stairs. Another set of stairs later, and they entered the Potters' basement.
At first, Harry couldn't see anything different. He just saw the same old basement they'd always had, with a few shelves of boxes off to the side, some junk piled in a corner. But along the wall on the left, he found a door that hadn't been there before.
The door opened easily enough, revealing a spacious…space. Training dummies lined one wall, pads and mats were stacked in a corner, and the feeling of dormant magic raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He had a feeling there was a lot more to this training room than he initially thought.
Harry grinned at Hermione. "Feel like showing our siblings what we've learned? We already got permission."
Hermione thought for a moment, then looked at her little sister. "Well, Sef? Would you like to see some magic?"
The girl fidgeted for a moment before nodding. "Healer Tonks showed me a few spells, just to convince me magic really was real. She said people often used it to duel to. For fun. None of the spells…they won't…hurt you…will they?"
Hermione spluttered for an answer, but Harry spoke up. "Well, we won't be using any spells that are dangerous. Tell you what, we'll just show you how we disarm each other. Would that be alright?"
Persephone nodded. Hermione smiled at Harry and stepped into the large space. The younger kids lined up along the wall.
Harry pulled out his wand as Hermione clasped her own. They stood facing one another, then both shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Hermione's wand flew up into the air, and Harry caught it with practiced ease. She pouted. "Thought I'd had you that time."
"You almost did. You really are getting better." Harry said.
"Well yeah, but so are you." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.
Miriam and Patrick were cheering, while Persephone was mock glaring at them. They watched as Harry tossed Hermione her wand. She caught it easily, and the two faced each other again. Her eyes narrowed in focus as they both went into stances.
They sent disarming charms back and forth for a minute, ducking and weaving around each other's spell. The sound of clapping caught their attention during a lull where they caught their breath.
"The two of you have been learning a thing of two. Well done. Your wand movements are still a bit sloppy, but you're doing great! Now, let me show you something." Lily said as she stepped into the space. The two Granger parents and James took positions with the other children. Lily stood across from Harry and had Hermione take a position to the side so she could watch. "Alright, Harry. Send a disarmer at me."
Harry sent a disarming charm at his mother. At the very last second, she flicked her own wand, and with a small spark of purple, his own spell rebounded off into the ground. She grinned at her son, twirling her wand. "That was a Counter. Nearly any spell cast at you can be Countered, though there are exceptions. Some spells just can't be Countered or blocked. The trick to a Counter is to let the spell come at you, then knock it away. You have to focus that in your mind because there is no incantation. It is purely a wordless spell."
"I think that's enough wand practice for today." James said. "We tried calling you that the hot chocolate is ready. Come on, let's get our mugs and get to decorating."
The younger kids ran up the stairs with shouts of glee, but Miriam held back. She looked thoughtful. "Is a Counter easy to learn?"
James rubbed his chin. "Yes. And no. It's an easy idea to understand, but it does take a lot of practice to actually get down. Some wizards don't bother with it because it means not firing your own spell at your opponent. You have to let them cast first. When the spell gets close, you have to concentrate on deflecting it away from you. It's possible to even deflect a spell directly back to your opponent, but aiming it is far more difficult than simply batting it away."
Hermione's parents came up to her. Her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about learning magic to fight each other." He spared a look to James. "But I'm glad to know you'll be able to defend yourself at least. Perhaps, you can show us some other spells later? Like how to make things float?"
Hermione beamed at him. "Of course! Oh! The levitation charm could be useful for decorating!" She rushed forward and grabbed Harry's arm, dragging him upstairs with her. As the Grangers followed them up, James and Lily shared a small look before walking after them.
The rest of the evening was spent decorating the house and putting up the Christmas tree. Following this, the Potters and Grangers had an easy supper, before heading off to bed.
On Christmas morning, Harry awoke to the hushed sounds of Patrick and Persephone trying to sneak downstairs. He stretched and reached for his glasses, then got up and pulled on his robe. He opened his door and made to take a step.
"Oh!" Hermione quietly jumped, startled. "Happy Christmas Harry!"
Harry gave her smile."Happy Christmas Hermione. Oof!" The wind was nearly knocked from him as Miriam gave him a shove in the side.
"You're blocking the hall! I don't want Patrick trying to nick any of my gifts again!" She hissed quietly. He laughed quietly and led them down the stairs.
Lily and Emma were already up and sitting on the couch, sipping from steaming mugs as they watched the two younger children already sorting through the presents.
Miriam rushed forward to check her pile, making sure all of her gifts were accounted for. Patrick gave her an offended look, before handing her a small gift box with a grin. She blinked at him before taking it with a laugh.
As they settled into their piles, James and David entered with steaming mugs of their own.
Harry ripped the packing of the first gift he pulled out. It was from his parents. His pile was a little smaller this year, which he expected. They had gifted him with a Nimbus 2000 broom for his birthday, and then his father had given him his invisibility cloak. Yet he was not expected this gift. It was a leather holster for his wand. It had two straps, one upper and one lower, which could be adjusted for either his arm or his leg.
Hermione let out sounds of delight as she opened her gifts: almost every one was a series of books. Though he saw that she'd also gotten a holster for her wand as well.
His mother winked at him and flicked her wrist. Her wand appeared in her hand. She flicked her wrist again, and it slipped back into her sleeve. "They're awfully useful, especially once you get the hand of summoning and banishing spells. But you might not yet be ready for them. They can be quite complex and tricky to master."
"I don't know, Lils. Harry's mana pool seems developed enough. Won't really know till he tries." James smiled and took a sip from his mug. "Not to mention wandlessly. I mean, you're much better than me. Never was able to do it as smoothly as you."
"So there are spells that are more difficult to cast?" Emma asked. "I know you've tried explaining it before, Lily, but I'm still trying to grasp my mind around it."
"Aura exists within all that live. For some it lies dormant within. For others, it burns like a flame. What happens when a flame spreads?"
Harry blinked and shuddered. It had been some time since he had heard it, but he now recognized the Sage's voice. And if he could whisper to him…did that mean the Dragon Mirror had reopened?
Lily had caught his look and raised an eyebrow. "What is it Harry? Looked like you thought of something."
He shrugged. "Just…something I heard once." He said. "Aura exists within all that live. For some it lies dormant within. For others, it burns like a flame. So what happens when a flame spreads?" He shook his head. "No idea what it means though."
James had sat up and set his mug down, staring at his son. Lily turned to him, eyebrow still raised. "Well…" he began. "That's been theorized before, though no one's ever confirmed it. But to answer your question, Emma, magic is more than simply knowing a spell exists. A lot of it comes from understanding how a spell works. Like being able to levitate an object," he pulled his wand out and made his mug levitate, "helps give you the understanding that you can also move it around." The mug slowly moved up and down before settling back onto the table. "A part of that also depends on a wizard's personal capacity for magic. Think of it as a pool within a wizard. Casting a spell uses an amount of what is available within that pool. For Patrick and Persephone, their pools are still small. But sometimes, they can tap into that small amount to do things. As they grow older, their pools grow deeper, and their able to cast more spells, or a more powerful spell."
As the adults fell more into the talk of the workings of magic, Harry went back into his pile of gifts. Ron had given him a very nice pair of Quidditch goggles, while Neville had gotten him a pair of Quidditch gloves. Hermione had given him an advanced book of spells used for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. He flipped the through the book. "Oh this will be neat! Thanks Hermione!"
"You're welcome." She smiled, as she wrapped the scarf, in Gryffindor gold and red, he had given her around her neck. "Oh! It's got a heating charm? Thanks Harry! I love it!"
"You're welcome!" He said, reaching for one of his final gifts. He held up the small bottle. "Wand polish. Thanks Miri!"
"I know you probably haven't been polishing it like you should be, so I gave you something to help remind you." She stuck her tongue out at him before giving a smile, holding up the small necklace. "And I love this charm necklace!"
Patrick held up his small tool set. "Sweet! Thanks, Harry! I was needing this."
"Just don't go taking apart my watches again, please. Had to pay for it to be put back together properly." James muttered.
Emma laughed. "There's not a spell for that?"
Lily shook her head. "Not quite no. If it were just broken, a simple repair spell could be used. Taking it apart piece by piece? Need to know how it's supposed to go together for any spells to be used."
Harry opened his last gift, from his little brother. It was a small box containing a small, mechanical owl made of what looked like brass or copper. Patrick grinned. "Tap it three times with your wand!"
Harry did as instructed, and the owl took off, hooting and flapping around the room until it returned to his hand. "This is incredible!"
Miriam held out her own mechanical raven. "Do mine, do mine!" They watched the birds flap about with the quiet sounds of steam and metal.
Hermione looked them over with awe. "These are incredible!"
"He had a bit of help, of course, since he doesn't have a wand yet." Lily said. A mechanical doe stood on the table beside a stag.
Harry and Miriam set their birds down next to the stag and doe. Patrick placed a brass squirrel that he had made for himself to match the rest of the family. As they settled in for a day of fun with their gifts, relaxing with friends and family, Harry didn't spare a thought for mirrors or dark lords.