Chapter Fourteen

Christmas

The next two weeks went by in a blur, Slytherin rose to 3^rd in the Cup after crushing Hufflepuff 200-30 and most the students were occupied trying to get dates for the Winter Ball on Christmas Day. Harry wasn't worried about getting a date for the Ball, he had asked Ginny several weeks before and he knew that Ron and Hermione were going together.

One of the funniest parts of the preparations for the ball was watching Roger trying to get a date with Peter; she was trying to claim that she didn't want to go, but Harry knew that she was only doing it because she wanted to keep insisting that she didn't like him, which of course she really did. Tom was going with Sonja, and Babs and Jane were going together.

Harry's circle had met in the Library on the last day of term, they had intended to study but only Hermione, Ron, Peter and Roger were actually getting any work done.

The others were having too much fun watching other students trying to get dates. Two Ravenclaw fourth year boys had just been rebuffed after asking Babs and Jane to the dance. “Don't these guys get it?” asked Ginny, sniggering. “Babs and Jane didn't go with any boys to the dance last year, why should this year be any different?”

“Male ego, Ginny.” said Harry. “Us boys can't accept that there are some girls that just don't find us attractive.”

“Well, that's something you don't need to worry about Harry. This girl loves very much.” she said and tilted her head to one side so that Harry could dip his head down and kiss her on the lips, Harry encircled her with his strong arms. They stayed like that for several minutes.

“Breathing would be a good idea, my friends,” commented Roger after a while.

Harry and Ginny broke apart, “Allirog Monk!” screamed Ginny, earning a scowl from Madame Pince from her post at the main desk.

Roger held up his hands in an 'I surrender' pose. “Sorry, I'm only saying!” Madame Pinch glared at him too.

Ron looked at his watch, “Lunchtime!”

Most of Harry's circle rushed to pack up their bags so they could go down and get some food. Ginny disengaged herself from Harry and went over to Roger, she pointed a slim finger at him and tapped his broad muscular chest. “I'm going to get you for that.”

“Really?”

“Really.” said Ginny deadpan, narrowing her eyes at she spoke.

“You are sooo dead.” declared Ron over his shoulder as he walked out.

Ginny went to Harry. She looked back at Roger. “Let's eat.”

Roger laughed under his breath, “Are you coming?” he said, and bounded off.

Harry looked at Ginny, “You know Ginny, Roger didn't mean anything by it.”

“Harry, are you trying to persuade a Weasley not to play pranks?”

“Of course not. Just remember, Bird would so disappointed if he wasn't available for the Christmas Ball.”

“Well, we wouldn't want to stand in the way of their feelings would we?”

“We?”

“Okay. Me and a bag of the WWW's best.”

“You are sooo bad, Virginia Weasley.”

“I've learnt from the best.” she replied, picking up her bag and heading for the door. “Hurry up. If we don't get there soon, my brother and that big ape will have eaten all the good food.”

“Well if they do, we can just send Dobby down to the kitchens to get some more and we can have a private lunch.”

“Let's go Harry, our friends will be waiting.”

Harry smiled and picking up his own bag and jogged after her, slipping his hand around her waist when he caught up. “Well we can't have that. Can we?”

----

After that Friday's Double Potions lesson with Sirius, Harry was free from lessons for a fortnight. There was a Hogsmeade visit the next day so that the students could buy presents for their friends and family, Harry was worried that there might another attack, he asked Sirius about it after the lesson.

“Don't worry Harry, Evelyn, Alastor, Mundungus, and I are coming down to the village with the students. There are also six Aurors and thirty Ministry Hit Wizards on patrol around the village, and another twenty covering the access routes, including the tracks from London. Everything will be okay this time. Besides, Dumbledore and McGonagall have something for the students who are going.”

“What?”

“Emergency Portkeys, if you touch one -- which is in the shape of a Muggle pin-badge with the Hogwarts seal on it -- and say the words 'Tempus Reditus' you'll be Apparated back to the Entrance Hall. Remus and I tested them yesterday, they work fine.”

“Neither of you can Apparate, can you?”

Sirius shook his head. “I never bothered, neither did Remus. We prefer to trust a good solid broomstick, or a Hippogriff if it comes to it. Though flying on Buckbeak isn't the most comfortable way to travel.” He decided to change the subject. “Have you got all your presents?”

“Nope, and I won't tell you what yours was even if I had.”

“Spoilsport.” said Sirius with a grin, as they walked out of the classroom, Ron and Hermione had gone a head with the other Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

----

The next morning Harry got up later than usual, so when he got down to the Great Hall most of the students who wanted to go down to Hogsmeade had already left, however his friends had waited for him. “Are you coming with us today?” Harry asked Roger.

“I need to get some of my Christmas presents.” Roger admitted with a nod.

Harry ate his breakfast quickly and it was barely ten minutes later when the seven teenagers returned in the Entrance Hall. Bill handed the cousins and Roger their Portkeys without comment but when he came to Harry, he paused. “Dumbledore said to give everyone who's going down to the village a Portkey, but there doesn't seem to be much point in giving you one. You can Apparate back through the wards anyway.”

Harry shrugged, “Give me one anyway Bill. I might need to bring casualties back.”

The eldest Weasley nodded and surrendered the badge. “Touch your wand to it and say your name, then it's keyed to your wand only and no-one else can use it.”

Harry pulled out his wand and touched it to the badge. “Harry James Potter.” It glowed green for a moment and then returned to normal. Harry pinned it on and walked out the door with the other students, hurrying to catch up with his friends. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had also been given Portkeys, even though like Harry they could Apparate back to Hogwarts if necessary without them, though Ginny and Hermione weren't licensed yet.

Contrary to Harry's fears, the day past smoothly, there were no attacks by Voldemort's forces that day and despite the presence of the large contingent of Ministry security people, all the students enjoyed their time in the village. About six hours later, Harry burdened down with packages, met up with his friends in the Three Broomsticks, which had been repaired since it took damage in the last attack. After five Butter Beers -- and several hours of jokes and story telling, mostly by Ron -- Harry got up and looking around the bar. It was empty apart for Rosmerta, all the other students had returned to the castle. He checked his watch, it was almost dinnertime. “We'd better head back. It's almost time for dinner.”

The others nodded and got up with him. They waved goodbye to Rosmerta and headed up the path back to Hogwarts, they had only gone about ten metres down the path when they came in sight of the group of Ministry wizards who were guarding the path, “Halt, identify yourselves!” ordered the Auror in charge of the group.

Harry looked at him, he was a tall, wiry Afro-Caribbean with dreadlocks. “I'm Harry Potter, I'm a Quidditch Captain and the Head Boy up at the school.” The Auror raised his lighted wand and peered at Harry. Harry suspected he was checking for his scar. He put down two of his bags, and pointed to his friends, identifying them one by one. “Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Tom Aquanis, Peter Falco, Roger Monk. We're all Hogwarts students.”

“You may proceed.” said the Auror, and indicated to the guards that they should make way for them. Harry picked up his bags and continued up the path.

As soon as they came through the gates, Harry sent a telepathic message to Dumbledore asking if there had been any trouble. <No Lion. Everything was fine. The extra security that the Ministry sent after the first attack was obviously enough to dissuade Voldemort from attacking the village at the moment.>

<Only for now, he'll attack again.> said Harry with deadly certainty

<Yes, he will.> agreed Dumbledore grimly. <But in the meanwhile, we must continue as normal, dinner starts in ten minutes. You might as well go straight into the Hall when you get in.>

<I'll see you in a few minutes, goodbye.>

Just as Harry was about to open the doors to go in, he looked up towards the battlements, he could see a figure dressed all in black, standing watching the Hogwarts approaches. <Daywalker, is that you up on the roof?>

Blade's reply came clear over the mind-link, <Yes Lion, it is me.>

<Noted.>

Harry reached out and opened the door, once inside he crossed quickly to the door into the Great Hall and entered. The Hall was about half-full; some of the students were still doing other things. Harry walked along the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, glancing over his fellow students as he did. Everybody seemed fine and indeed many were rosy-cheeked from the strong winds that had been blowing that day.

When he reached the head of the tables, he slipped into the last spot on the inside of the Gryffindor table, Ginny sat down in her usual seat beside him and the others arranged themselves as much as possible into their usual positions. Harry helped himself to some chicken and mushroom pie and began to eat. There was some light conservation about Christmas plans going around the table; most of the older students were staying for the ball on Christmas Eve, even Neville had managed to get a proper date for this year's ball, thanks to his new status as one of Madame Pomfrey's assistants.

Once they were finished their meal, the students all got up and headed back to their dormitories. After the usual sweep of the corridors around Gryffindor Tower and placing the Gatekeeper Charm, Harry and his friends retired to the sitting room at the top of the Tower and talked, read books or played games as was their fancy for a couple of hours, and then by common assent they headed off to bed. Harry and Hermione gave their partners a good night hug and kiss before going into their own rooms, the others opened the doors to the staircases down to the student's rooms on the floors below and left.

The next morning, Harry woke early, he was going to give the team a call for practise, but then he remembered it was a Sunday and Christmas Day. Grinning in anticipation of the happy day ahead, culminated in the ball that evening, which from his experience of the previous two years would be much more fun than the Yule Ball, because he had Ginny, he wasn't being pressured into taking someone he didn't want to just so he had a date, instead he was with someone he loved and admired.

Out of habit, he reached for his glasses which still lay beside Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland on his nightstand, but he stopped himself, he hadn't needed to wear his glasses since a month or so after he became an Animagi. The lion's sharper eyesight had over time corrected his own blurred vision, something Harry was thankful for although he sometimes forgot, the glasses had often been more trouble than they were worth. Opening the telepathic link to his friends, Sirius and Remus, he called them all to the sitting room to open their presents together. There were a few mumbled complaints, notably from Peter, but they all agreed to come.

Ten minutes later, they were all gathered in Harry and Hermione's sitting room. After handing out presents to his friends, his godfather, and his favourite professor; Harry sat down beside Ginny on one of the sofas to unwrap his own presents, Ginny had got him a Golden Snitch, which he thanked her for, he had got her a snowy owl. Errol the Weasley's family owl had died that summer and Ginny had borrowed Hermes to send Harry his letter over the summer, Percy hadn't been pleased.

A large rectangular package labelled in Hermione's neat script turned out to be a book called Famous Quidditch Players of the 20^th Century from her and Ron. Sirius and Remus' present to Harry was another book called the Leonine Codex, which turned out to be a genealogy and spell book belonging to the Gryffindor Family, of which upon inspection Harry discovered he was a member. The cousins had clubbed together to get him Aids to Aquatic Adventure by BG Carp, a third book which contained various spells and charms for breathing and fighting underwater. After he opened it, he turned to them to them with a grin. “Is this your way of asking me to visit over the holidays?”

Tom laughed, “Did it work?”

Harry nodded, and bent to pick up another package, which turned out to be the usual jumper and sweets package from Mrs Weasley, which was followed by Hagrid's present of another large box of sweets. His last gift was a book on potions and antidotes from Roger, who received a special pair of padded magical gloves from him. Ron thanked Harry profusely for the signed Chudley Cannons robes Harry had given him. Harry confessed that although he had bought them, Smythe had got them signed for him.

The highlight of the morning however, was when Sirius opened his present from Harry: it was a small picture frame with a constantly shifting scene. First it was a picture of the room they were in, Ron and Hermione were sitting beside each other on one of the sofas, with Crookshanks curled up at their feet, and Sirius, in his Animagus form, was looking up towards the door, his head had been resting on Ginny's lap, she was sitting in one of the soft armchairs near the fire. The caption of the photo read 'My VIPs'. Then the picture changed to a shot of the Gryffindor changing rooms before the last Slytherin match, titled 'The Team'; then it shifted to 'Victory', an image of Harry being held up by the Gryffindor Quidditch team after their narrow victory over Slytherin in third year; then to 'the Sorting', Harry's view as he came into the Hall for his Sorting. This was followed by 'Midnight, July 1^st', Harry's first sight of Hagrid; and then 'The Moment', a view of Ron crouched over Ginny after she had been attacking by the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley. The presentation ended with 'Harry and Prongs', a picture of Harry standing with his Patronus in the Forbidden Forest.

“How… what?” asked Sirius, confused.

Harry smiled, “It's called a Recordestra, you can transfer memories onto its canvas and make a presentation. Hermione and Ginny helped make it. Most of the memories are mine, but 'Victory' is Ginny's, and Hermione gave me 'Harry and Prongs', it was just after I'd conjured my Patronus to drive the Dementors off you, Hermione, Ron and I in third year.”

Sirius considered this for a moment, “How were you in two places at once?”

Harry grinned, “Hermione and I used a Time Turner to jump back after you were captured, that's also how we saved Buckbeak.”

Sirius nodded, “Thank you, Harry.” he said getting up and walking over to Harry. Harry got up from his seat and allowed Sirius to hug him, after a moment they broke apart.

“Let's get some breakfast.” Harry suggested as he was about to sit down again. The group approved the suggestion and hurried down to the Great Hall, Sirius and Remus staying at Harry's side until he and the other students sat down, then breaking away to sit down between Evelyn and McGonagall at the Staff table.

The rest of the day passed very quickly for Harry and his friends, after what seemed like only a few minutes, it was 8 pm and they were waiting outside the Great Hall for Professor McGonagall to open the doors so they could go into the ball. Harry looked around at the people gathered around him, custom dictated that the order in which you entered the Hall was determined by your status, so as Head Boy and Head Girl, Harry and Hermione formed the head of the procession with their partners, behind them were Ernie MacMillian with Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff, Malfoy and Pansy from Slytherin, and Padma with her date, Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and seventh year prefect, Terry Boot.

Harry scanned the front rank, assessing them: Hermione was very pretty in a periwinkle-blue dress which were an interesting counterpoint to Ron's dark brown robes, Harry also noticed she was wearing the earrings he had given her for Christmas only a few hours before; Malfoy was wearing high-collared green and black robes with a silver trim and Pansy wore a frilly green dress similar in style to the one she had worn three years previously to the Yule Ball; Ernie wore black robes with a yellow trim, while Hannah wore a dark smoky grey robes, and Padma and Boot both wore robes in Ravenclaw blue, Boot's robes were also trimmed with bronze.

McGonagall opened the doors and they trooped in. Harry escorted Ginny into the middle of the dance floor as the band stuck up a slow tune. They stayed on the dance floor for about an hour, dancing according to the type of music, though Harry preferred the slow tunes that allowed him to hold Ginny close. Finally, pleading lack of breath, Ginny pulled Harry towards one of the empty tables. Ron, Hermione, Tom and Sonja soon joined them.

Tom excused himself to Sonja and went to the bar to get some drinks. After a couple of Butterbeers, Harry was ready for another dance, but Ginny was still out of breath so he asked Hermione if she wanted to dance, she agreed. Ron was about to object when Sonja pulled him to his feet and asked him to dance with her. Harry looked at Ginny, who offered a shooing gesture. Grinning, Harry escorted Hermione back onto the dance floor as the band struck up their fastest tune yet. After a couple of dances with Hermione, he swapped places with Ron and danced with Sonja. That wasn't as much fun, so he only had one dance with her before he switched places again, this time with Roger so he was dancing with Peter, he danced two fast tunes and a slow one with her, before leaving her with Tom as he took Ginny back onto the floor.

After another six dances with Ginny, he suggested they take a break. Nodding gratefully, she allowed him to escort her to the buffet table, after piling their plates high with food and helping themselves to a couple more Butterbeers, they joined Ron, Hermione and the cousins at their table.

After they ate, Harry danced with Hermione and Peter for a couple of dances, and then returned to Ginny. He stayed with her for the rest of the night, they danced occasionally but often just sat there enjoying each other's company watching the other partygoers. Eventually, at two am, they mutually decided that it was time to head up to bed. Tom, Ron and the other girls had already gone up to bed, so they said goodnight to Sirius, Remus and Roger -- who was still eating -- and headed up.

Harry kissed Ginny goodbye outside the room she shared with Peter and the other two sixth year girls, “I had a great night to-night Ginny.” Harry told her, taking hold of her chin and tilting it up to face him.

Ginny blushed, “Me too. Good night Harry.” Harry lowered his head down to hers, and kissed her full on the lips. They held their kiss for almost a minute before they broke apart, Ginny opened her door to go in.

“Night Ginny.” said Harry. He waited until she had closed the door behind herself and then walked slowly up the stairs, passing the seventh year girls room and then coming up into the sitting room above. He noticed a light still showing under Hermione's door and grinned. It looks like Hermione's party's not finished yet, he thought to himself and then went to his own room. He quickly shed his dress robes, put on his pyjamas and collapsed on his bed. He was so exhausted he just managed to pull the covers around himself before he fell asleep.