LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 23: Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Harry had never paid much mind to the Christmas holiday before. It was always the time of year that all his friends went home to their families, while he was stuck in the castle alone. But waking up on Christmas morning in Godric's Hollow was a magical experience. Harry was shaken awake early by Dahlia, who insisted that he get dressed and come downstairs, practically dragging him down the steps.
His bleary eyes widened when he reached the landing and saw the Christmas tree in the corner, holding dozens of wrapped gifts beneath its folds. Enchanted snowflakes were falling from the ceiling, disappearing when they reached the floor, and festive lights were strung up all around the room, bathing the space in vibrant color. James and Lily were snuggled in an armchair by the fireplace, looking exhausted but nonetheless pleased as their children marveled at the sight.
Usually Harry was pleased enough with just a Weasley jumper and perhaps some sweets from Ron for Christmas. But he felt a bit like Dudley in his excess that morning, tearing open gift after gift from his parents. A wireless radio. A new wool jacket for the winter. A scarf and beanie, emblazoned with the blue-and-bronze emblem of Ravenclaw. And from his father, box seats to watch Puddlemere United play against their league rivals, the Tutshill Tornados, during his next spring break.
Dahlia herself was quite pleased with her haul, including a brand-new winter wardrobe, a starter makeup kit (from a reluctant Lily), and a book on magical plants called Flesh-Eating Flora of the British Isles. Harry had never met anyone besides Neville who cared so much about plants, but as always, Dahlia's own interest in the subject took a rather more chaotic undertone.
After a lazy afternoon consisting of napping and messing with the thousands of stations on his new radio, Harry was pleased when Uncle Sirius and Remus arrived for family dinner. "Wouldn't spend it with anyone else!" Sirius laughed as he pulled Harry in for a hug. "If you'd met my mother, you'd understand why." Harry had in fact met Sirius' mother, in a sense, and if her portrait at Grimmauld Place was any indication, she was not worth getting to know in the flesh either.
The six of them settled around the dinner table, where Lily had set out a delicious-looking spread of baked ham, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and a candied yam. Harry had never known home-cooked meals to be quite so satisfying – in his prior life, the Hogwarts feasts were far preferable to whatever scraps Aunt Petunia left for him after giving Vernon and Dudley the lion's share of her cooking. He ate to his heart's content, eventually left in a pleasant stupor once he could not stomach another bite.
Meanwhile, the three former Marauders were drinking heartily and sharing uproarious tales of their past adventures. They laughed about their late-night excursions at Hogwarts, only stopping once Lily chastised James and suggested that he oughtn't give his children any bright ideas. Sirius shared a few sordid tales from his brief stint in the Auror training program with James after the war, including a brief fling with a fellow female trainee that got them both kicked out of the force. (Not that Sirius seemed too torn up about the lost job opportunity.)
Remus seemed more subdued than the other two – he laughed along with their stories that he was involved with, but seemed only to humor their hijinks mildly. Harry watched the three of them carefully, trying to gauge their dynamic – it was apparent that James and Sirius were as tight as brothers, inseparable, while Remus was more of a third wheel, always on the periphery of their adventures. What did that make Peter, then? The wobbly fourth wheel barely clinging to the vehicle?
"So Harry, tell us all about Hogwarts," said Lily, steering the subject elsewhere after yet another Sirius tale that probably shouldn't have been shared in the presence of children. "How are you enjoying yourself?"
"It's going pretty well," Harry shrugged. "I'm second in all my classes, only behind Hermione Granger, who's brilliant."
"Yes, we were very proud of your report card," Lily beamed. "Though your Charms professor, Flitwick, mentioned something about your wandwork needing refinement?"
"It's not always obeying me," Harry lamented. "I know what I want it to do, but it doesn't always do it right."
"Well, practice makes perfect," James reasoned. "Professor McGonagall always stressed the importance of intent when casting magic. Wands can have minds of their own, and you have to be very clear with what you want them to do."
"They're a lot like witches in that way," Sirius winked. "You just gotta bend 'em to your will every once in a while." That quip earned him a snicker from James and a reproachful glare from Lily.
"Are you making many friends, Harry?" Remus asked. "Who you spend your time with can be just as important as your studies."
"A few," Harry shrugged. "My dorm mates are nice enough, even if they're a bit uptight. Hermione sits in lessons with me sometimes, though she has new friends now after the troll incident."
"The what incident?" James asked, eyes narrowing.
"Someone let a troll into the castle during Halloween," Harry said casually. "It attacked a group of first-years in the dungeons."
There was a loud clatter as Lily dropped her fork to her plate and stared at her son, aghast. "What?" she gasped. "A mountain troll, in Hogwarts?"
"Yeah," Harry shrugged. "But no one got hurt, thankfully. Hardly the most dangerous thing that's happened in the castle, right?"
But no one at the table seemed to think so. Even James and Sirius looked appalled by this revelation.
"Dumbledore didn't report any such incident to the Ministry," James muttered darkly. "This is highly disturbing to hear, Harry."
"Why didn't you mention it in any of your letters?" Lily asked worriedly.
"Didn't think to," Harry admitted. It was far from the most perilous situation he'd been in at Hogwarts, and he hadn't expected such a strong reaction to the news. He could only imagine how they'd react to tales of his original second year, including Petrified students and a basilisk bite to the arm…
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