章節 17: Christmas at Hogwarts
25th Dec 1991
It's been a quiet seven weeks since the infamous Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match. Quirrel had made no further murder attempts on Harry or anyone else. My friends had taken no further action to investigate the third floor corridor or to protect the stone from Snape.
Hermione and Neville had gone home for the holidays, while Harry had no desire to visit the Dursleys. Now that Harry wasn't his best friend, Ron Weasley had gone back to the Burrow, although Fred, George and Percy had stayed. Harry literally had the first year dorms to himself as all the others had gone home.
The week before, Professor Flitwick had come asking who would be staying. I told him that I wanted to accompany Harry at Hogwarts, but that I also wanted to see my family. So, would it be possible for my family to visit the school on Christmas and spend the day with me? Professor Flitwick said there shouldn't be any problem with that, and went to consult the headmaster. He later told me that Dumbledore had happily agreed.
My reasons for doing so were multi-faceted. Though it had only been 4 months, the castle feels like a second home to me. I am confident that every student and every graduate of Hogwarts feels the same. Mom and Dad will enjoy spending the day in the castle, I am sure. So would Rachel. It was my Christmas present for my family.
And I believe Harry would like the present I got him too. Hermione's present had been a backpack that I had personally enchanted with feather-light charm, auto-cleaning charm and an internal expansion spell. On the other hand, I had gotten Neville a copy of a rare book on magical plants with mind-healing properties that Dad had acquired on a trip to Australia.
But my most important reason for staying was the Mirror of Erised. Whenever someone asks you: what do you want? The only true answer can be: so many things. Unlike our needs, our wants have no end. Which is why it's such a relief to be able to distinguish between what we really want, and what is just a passing distraction. This is why before Dumbledore booby-trapped the mirror with the stone, I wanted to gaze at it and know what my heart truly desired.
On Christmas morning, I woke up to find a small pile of presents at the foot of my bed. I received gifts not just from Harry, Hermione and Neville but from some of my housemates as well. Almost all of them were chocolate or candy. Interestingly, I had also received a present from Molly Weasley with a note thanking me for saving Ron from the troll. I opened the parcel to find her patented thick hand-knitted sweater, in royal blue with a silver eagle in the chest and some homemade fudge. I tried out the sweater and you know what, it felt really nice. Aww, now I will have to make sure Ginny doesn't suffer from voldemort's diary.
A few minutes later, I exited the empty Ravenclaw common room and almost ran into Harry, who was just standing outside.
"Good morning, Harry," I started, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Ben," said Harry, "Listen, I just got something as a Christmas gift, and I don't know what it is. Could you come and take a look at it?"
"Sure," I said, having a pretty good idea what he was talking about.
We both went up to the first year Gryffindor boys dorm, where Harry showed me the Deathly Hallow he had just received from the Headmaster.
"It's an invisibility cloak, Harry," I said, running my fingers through the soft water-like material of the cloak. "A magical garment that makes whoever or whatever it covers invisible. They are exceptionally rare and valuable." I said, giving the cloak back to Harry. "They are usually woven from the hair of a Demiguise, a magical creature whose coat allows it to become invisible at will. Although they can also be made by enchanting an ordinary cloak with an exceptionally strong Disillusionment charm or Bedazzling Hex. Do you know who gave it to you?"
Harry shook his head. "There was no name on the parcel. Just a note," he said, showing it to me.
"I guess it must be one of the professors. I doubt any student would give up something so valuable and useful," I remarked.
"I guess," he replied, looking pensive.
"Hey look, you got a sweater too," I pointed at his new emerald green sweater with a golden snitch in the centre. "She sent me one for taking care of the troll," I said, pointing at my own. "Such a nice lady. By the way, I didn't forget your present," I reminded him. "Mom and Dad are bringing it along with them."
"Your parents are coming to Hogwarts?" he asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I wanted to spend the holidays in the castle, but I also wanted to see my family and spend some time with them on Christmas." I explained. "So I talked to Professor Flitwick, who conveyed my request to the Headmaster and he agreed. Mum, dad, Rachel and Teddy will be here at 10:00. Come on, let's go get some breakfast."
We went down to the Great Hall, which looked spectacular. Festoons of Holly and Mistletoe hung around the walls, while 12 towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, which reflected the lights from thousands of candles. Truly, Professor Flitwick and McGonagall had outdone themselves.
After a lazy breakfast, we went to the grounds outside the school wards alongwith Professor Flitwick to receive my family. We did not have to wait long as Mum and Dad apparated with a crack-like sound, with Rachel and Teddy in tow. I started walking towards them but soon had to brace myself as both my little sister and my buddy came running and almost bowled me over.
"Hey there, sis. I would ask if you missed me but I think the hug answered that," I remarked, hugging her back.
"Woof, woof," Teddy kept jumping about and asking for attention.
"Teddy! Come here, boy. Oh, I missed you so much! How have you been, huh? Did you miss me?" I bent down and cuddled with him.
Meanwhile my parents exchanged plesantaries with Professor Flitwick before mum came over and hugged me and Harry.
"Merry Christmas, boys. I hope you had a good term so far." said dad, pulling out two small wrapped packages from his coat pocket and resizing them with a flick of his wand. "Here you go, Ben," he said, giving me one that I put away for later. He then rounded to Harry, "Harry, this is from all of us," he said, handing Harry his christmas present. "Go ahead, open it. I think you'll like it."
Harry alternated his gaze between his gift and us, before tearing open the wrapping paper. Inside was a leather-bound album. Harry opened it with a gasp to find moving pictures of his mum and dad on every page, smiling and waving at him.
"Ben told us that you didn't have any pictures of your parents," mum explained, putting her hand on his shoulder, "so we reached out to our old friends and colleagues. And they sent back all of these," said she, gesturing to the photos. "Merry Christmas, Harry."
Harry didn't say anything, but we all knew how he felt.
I spent the day in the company of Harry, Rachel and Teddy. Mom and dad went off to reminisce their school days by themselves, which left me with the task of chaperoning my excitable sister. I satiated her curiosity by showing her the highlights of the castle - the dormitories, classrooms, the Great Hall and the Greenhouses. We even went and spent some time in Hagrid's cabin. Teddy and Fang bonded well, while Hagrid delighted Rachel with tales of magical creatures found in the Reserve and The Forbidden Forest.
Christmas dinner at Hogwarts was as grand as any feast. A hundred fat roasted turkeys; mountains of roasted and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolates; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick rich gravy and cranberry sauce, and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. I pulled a wizard cracker with Rachel and it went off with a blast, engulfing us in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a pirate captain's hat and a parrot. My sister happily requisitioned both.
As we were digging into the Flaming Christmas puddings that followed the turkey, Dad started, "So Harry, I hear you are the new Gryffindor seeker. You must be very good. They don't usually allow first years on the team."
"I am alright," he said shyly.
"He's being modest," I interjected. "You should've seen him during the match. He's a natural."
"You know, your father only made the House team in his third year. He would have been proud of you, Harry," said dad.
"Your mother, on the other hand would have been beside herself with worry," said mum with a small smile. "Lily and I both thought that the bludgers made the game unnecessarily exciting."
"A sentiment I share," I stated.
"Oh, come on. The bludgers are half the fun." said dad, trying to defend his favourite sport. "Besides, a little concussion never hurt anyone."
"Concussions hurt people all the time, as you well remember," countered mom, "Or have you forgotten how many times I came to see you in the infirmary and you had no idea how you got there?" she said with a smirk.
We shared a laugh at that, and the rest of the dinner passed in jovial conversation. Soon after the family left, and I, too full of Christmas cheer and turkey, crashed into my bed without my usual nightly magic practice.
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26th Dec 1991
I woke up, had my morning workout, took a hot shower and came out of the common room to get some breakfast, and almost ran into Harry, who was just standing outside. I couldn't help having a sense of deja vu.
"Good morning, Harry. Did you find another interesting present?" I said.
Turns out, no, he didn't find another gift, but he did find a strange mirror while sneaking about the castle last night. He wanted to show it to me to get a second opinion. So after a quick breakfast, we set off in search of the unused classroom where it was being kept. It took us quite a while trying to retrace Harry's movements from last night before we found it.
As soon as we entered the room, Harry ran to the mirror and started staring at it with a hungry look. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'.
"See?" Harry whispered.
"I can only see you, Harry." I replied.
"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."
Harry stepped aside, and I took his place. But strangely, I saw nothing, not even my own reflection. Then I realised that I still had my glasses on, which prevented the mirror from showing me its magic. I took off my spectacles and looked at the mirror again to find a completely different sight.
It was me, only I looked older, maybe in my 30s, taller and with a more defined musculature. I was wearing a three-piece suit with a cloak on top. Around me were my friends and family - Harry, Hermione, Neville, Mum, Dad, Rachel, Teddy (who, for some reason was floating), but also Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.
The surprise was seeing a couple dozen boys and girls around us, dressed in what seemed like Hogwarts uniform, only it was subtly different. In place of black, the pants and cloaks were of a dark blue colour. Also, the clothes had a magical sheen, as if they were enchanted. I couldn't quite make it out, but the insignia on their clothes was also different.
Behind us loomed Hogwarts castle, only it couldn't have been the one I'm in right now. For one, there existed an entire city around the castle, one that looked oddly like victorian London.
So, this is what I really want? To open a school of magic in a city that I built? Well, that's not half bad. Certainly better than hankering after power or immortality, that's so boring. And judging by the presence of what looks like a young Anakin Skywalker standing beside a shiny C-3PO, I guess this school of mine will be open to kids from all over the Omniverse.
Satisfied with my vision, I turned back to Harry who was looking at me with an expectant look.
"I don't see your family in the mirror, Harry," I informed him. He looked a bit confused. "Look at the inscription on the top. If you reverse it, it says 'I show not your face but your hearts desire'."
I walked forward and held his shoulder with my hand. "The mirror shows you what you want to see, what your heart truly, desperately desires. You, who has never known your family and long for it, see them standing around you. But Harry, you know that your parents have already passed away. The magic in the mirror that shows you what you want cannot bring them back."
Harry looked crestfallen, like all his hopes had been dashed. "But hey, do you know the best thing about family?" I continued, "family is not defined by blood, its made of bonds. The bonds that you share with people that you care about, and who care about you. You decide who your family is, Harry. Besides, your mum and dad would always be with you. After all, they live right here," I said, pointing at his heart, "and here" and at his head.
Harry gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Ben. So, what did you see?"
"I saw myself, older, stronger, hopefully a bit wiser. I saw you, Hermione, Neville, my friends and family, and others I couldn't quite recognise. I saw a castle I built, that looks just like Hogwarts. I think I might start a school of magic someday." I told him about my vision.
Harry looked at me with a thoughtful expression, before standing in front of the mirror again. He let out a soft gasp. "The image has changed. My family is still there, but I am older and bigger. I have my friends with me, and I can see Hogwarts in the back." he said, looking happily in the mirror.
"Well, I suppose that means you're not brooding over the past anymore, but looking forward to your future. That's a good sign," I replied. "Come on, Harry. I think we have gotten all out of that mirror we could. Besides, you've got that album with your parents pictures in it. Let's go see if the Weasley twins are up for another snowball fight."
"Yeah," Harry said, taking one final look at the mirror, "let's go."
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