Rose:
Christmas was coming. We could all feel it in the air; it was infectious. Wherever we went in the castle, we could see the signs. Two weeks before the end of term, the Prefects, teachers and their helpers began the decoration of Hogwarts Castle for Christmas. Real, unmelting icicles hung from the corridor ceilings, wreaths of holly and ivy filled with nests of doves were draped along the walls, and the suits of armour were bewitched to sing Christmas carols. In the Great Hall, twelve massive Christmas fir trees were decorated in the hall, brightening up the room, and in the Entrance Hall and intertwined along the marble staircase were multicoloured fairy lights (with real fairies, obviously). Peeves the poltergeist was more of a hindrance than a help in this process â“ heâd be constantly shouted at by Bastian Jones, the school caretaker. It was all very festive, anyway.
Ever since the fiasco at Halloween, the five of us â“ Al, Adam, Claudia, Scorpius and I â“ had been as close as ever. Adam seemed to forgive Claudia and me easily, and we were all virtually inseparable. Throughout November, nothing bad happened. Classes were interesting and fun now that weâd mastered the basics (everyone scoffed at me when I said this), and nobody was mean to anyone. Weâd been very suspicious about Ninaâs involvement in Claudiaâs accident at Halloween, but when we had asked Claudia, sheâd told us she didnât remember much, sheâd been too drugged up afterwards.
As December came around, Scorpius had started becoming moody and depressed. Nobody could work it out until one morning when Neville came around with a sign-up sheet for those whoâd be staying at Hogwarts over the winter break. Scorpius was just about to wave Neville over when Al realised why heâd been so miserable.
âYouâre not going back home for Christmas, are you?â he said, not as a question but more like a statement. Scorpius nodded.
âI just donât think I want to face my dad yet,â Scorpius replied. âIâm not ready for that one yet. I think Christmas at Hogwarts would be a whole lot more pleasant than a Malfoy family affair.â
âHang on a second, donât sign up yet! Come stay with me!â said Al excitedly. âYou can come to the Weasley family Christmas at my grandparentâs house â“ Rose will be there too!â he said, gesturing at me.
âNo offense Al⌠but would your parents really want a Malfoy spending Christmas with them? I donât know what your father has told you, but from the way mine tells it, they HATED each other.â
Al just waved his comment away. âNah, Dadâs into the whole âforgiving past rivalries and wizarding world peaceâ thing now. And my mum wouldnât care if you had five ears and two noses, sheâd still treat you the same as anyone else.â
Scorpius looked hesitant. âWell⌠if youâre sure thenâŚâ
âCourse I am,â said Al, his mouth now full of scrambled eggs. âIâll write home tonight.â
Three days later, Aunt Ginny wrote back to Al, who confirmed that theyâd be happy to have Scorpius for Christmas and the whole winter break. Scorpius looked delighted at spending the holidays with his friends, and not his family.
Personally, I couldnât wait to see my family. I was missing Mum, Dad and Hugo terribly; it was a shock to be without my family every day. Actually, scratch that â“ there were so many Weasleys at Hogwarts that it seemed like Iâd never left home. And⌠well, Hogwarts was becoming more like home with every passing day.
Claudia was also very excited to be going home, to âthe normal worldâ as she dubbed it. I knew that she couldnât write home as much as sheâd like, mostly because that too many owls flying into her street and dropping letters at her doorstep would cause unnecessary problems for her mother. She said that she was going to catch up with some of her Muggle friends and do Muggle things. Iâd gone to a Muggle primary school too, which my mother had insisted upon, so I could understand what Claudia talked about, unlike Scorpius, ever the pureblood, who asked us one day why Muggles had telephones. Only he pronounced it âfellytoneâ. Needless to say, we all got a kick out of that one, even Adam and Al who hadnât attended a Muggle school. When we asked Adam what heâd be doing he told us that his family were going to Spain after the New Year.
Finally, the last bell of the term rang, and we were free! We stampeded out of the dungeons, leaving a disgruntled Zabini in our wake. Iâd begun to detest Zabini along with the rest of the Gryffindors. Stupid, prejudiced git. And he made me pick up a spider three days ago.
The next day, with our trunks, owls (well, owl â“ Marmite, Adamâs bird, looked a bit put-off to be in his cage again) and other bits and pieces, boarded the Hogwarts Express. We claimed a carriage together, and chatted happily while playing several games of Exploding Snap.
âI canât wait to show my mum the Wizarding World!â exclaimed Claudia as we played. Along with Adam and his family, theyâd been invited to the Potterâs big New Yearsâ annual party at Godricâs Hollow. I loved going to those, it was one of the highlights of the holidays. And this year, itâd be especially fun, because all five of us would be there! Hundreds of witches and wizards, all friends of the Potterâs, would turn up. And obviously, the whole Weasley clan.
âYour mum will love it, trust me,â I said. âSo, youâll drive over to our house, and weâll all Floo to the Potterâs?â
âYep,â she replied. Because Claudia only lived half hour from me, and her mum wouldnât be able to drive to Godricâs Hollow (it was Unplottable), they were going to come to my house, which was in a Muggle suburb. I think Claudiaâs mum was nervous to do just that.
As it got darker, the surroundings of the landscape became more and more suburban as we edged nearer and nearer to London. As much as I loved Hogwarts and the countryside, there was something about London that I loved â“ and not the wizarding half of it either. Magic couldnât touch the chaos of the city, and thatâs what I loved.
The train started slowing down, and a voice acknowledged this, magically magnified to carry across the carriages. âWe will be pulling up at Kingâs Cross Station in five minutes. Please disembark with decorum. Have a lovely winter break!â
Albus:
The five of us all got off the train, subject to the chaos that was now happening on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Students, parents and trunks were flying left and right, and through it all, we were trying to find our parents.
âAlbus!â cried a voice to my left. Suddenly, I found myself enveloped in a smothering hug from Ginny Potter, my mum. I hugged her back, happy and relieved to see my mum again.
âWhereâs Dad?â I asked when we broke apart, âand Lily?â
âHe had to go into the office unexpectedly,â Mum replied. âApparently Cormac McLaggen arrested a Muggle in Wiltshire for use of the Imperius Curse.â Her distaste for the man was evident in her tone. âSo your Dad, along with the Obliviator Squad, had to smooth things over. I hope Harry fires thatâŚâ
âMum,â I said hurriedly, âthis is Scorpius,â I introduced Scorpius to my mum, who had been standing by my side awkwardly.
âHello, Scorpius,â she grinned.
âMrs. Potter,â he said formally, holding out his hand. I smirked.
âPlease, call me Ginny,â she said, shaking Scorpiusâ hand. âMrs. Potter makes me feel old. And in response to your other question, Al, Lilyâs at Nana and Popâs house. She and Hugo are spending the day there.â
âOh, Mum, this is Claudia,â I said, realising that Claudia was still there. Rose and Adam had gone off to find their own parents. But obviously, Claudiaâs mum would be waiting outside in the Muggle platform.
âHi, Ginny,â she grinned.
âSo youâre the one who my son and my niece and their friends saved in the Forbidden Forest?â she grinned. Crap, they told her about that?
âYes, Albus, the school told me,â Mum said, laughing as she saw the look on my face. âProfessor McGonagall sent a letter to your father and I, and also one to your aunt and uncle. Merlin, youâre getting more like your father every day! Always saving the world!â
I smiled as Claudia and Scorpius laughed with Mum, but I was pretty fed up, to tell you the truth. I wasnât like my father â“ why did everyone assume this? Was it the hair, or the eyes? James was more like Dad â“ we needed more than one hand to count the number of times James had been in trouble with the school. However, my brother looked different to Dad; his hair was lighter and heâd inherited Mumâs eyes, a cinnamon brown colour. Anyway, I tried to let none of this bother me.
James joined the reunion party, and after Mum had smothered him in a hug as well (James had kept checking behind his back to make sure none of his friends were watching), we joined the queue of families waiting to get back to the Muggle world, and said goodbye to Claudia, whoâd found Ron, Hermione and Rose to cut in the queue with. None of us really understood why the Granger-Weasleys (itâs easier at times to group our Weasley relatives like that) had decided to live in the heart of Muggle London, but they seemed to love it.
Thirty minutes later (the line was long), I stepped into the sitting room of our family home at Godricâs Hollow. James was already there, and he had already sprawled himself across one of our beige lounges, his trunk lay forgotten beside him. I couldnât see this scene, however, until Iâd taken my glasses off and cleaned them quickly against my travelling cloak. Not a day went by when I cursed my father for giving me his poor vision gene to me. I dragged my trunk away from the fireplace just in time as ten seconds later, Scorpius appeared there in a blaze of green flames.
âThis is the sitting room,â I said, gesturing around the room, which was decorated rather simply, but nicely. Mum had gone for a more modern look when sheâd decorated this room. We had a large beige lounge suite at the back of the room, accompanied by a few matching armchairs. These all centred a glass coffee table. A Quidditch book, entitled Quentinâs Quidditch Collection, sat on top of it. A small Japanese Zen garden was placed in the middle. When I was little, Mum had had to hide the Zen garden from James and I as weâd spill sand everywhere on the carpet. Now that the three of us were older, sheâd deemed us more trustworthy. Lily had never touched this without permission â“ she was the golden child of us.
On the cream-coloured walls, assortments of family photos were displayed. There were three baby photos, one for each of us Potter children. There was a picture of Mum and Dadâs wedding, where the happy couple, the maid of honour, Hermione, and the best man, Ron, waved happily at the camera. There was a photo of the five of us last year on Jamesâ first day of Hogwarts, and a large one taken three years ago at the Weasley family Christmas, with all of our relatives in it together. And last, but not least, my favourite â“ a collection of three small photos. The top one was a photo of the First Wizarding Warâs Order of the Phoenix, and the Second Warâs group at the bottom. In the centre was a photo of Dumbledoreâs Army, the rebel group that Mum, Dad and their friends started at Hogwarts. I constantly marvelled at how young my parents looked in that photo and how much Dad really did look like me at that age. Anyway, back to Scorpius.
âThank you, Captain Obvious,â Scorpius said, rolling his eyes. âI can tell that this is the sitting room.â
Ginny Potter appeared behind me, stepping out of the fireplace much more gracefully than us. âWhy donât you show Scorpius up to the guest room, and let him have a chance to unpack?â she said.
âMy roomâs up this way,â I said, pointing up the staircase, as we stepped into the hallway. It was quite a struggle for us to get our trunks up the staircase. I really wished that we could magic them up.
âMuuuuuuuuum!â I hollered, âCan you levitate our trunks upstairs, please?â
âNo, some Muggle labour would do you good,â she replied, equally as loud. âIâm going to start making dinner.â I sighed, and took the other end of Scorpiusâ trunk as we lifted them up, one by one.
We visited the spare bedroom first. Nothing special about it; it just contained basic timber furniture, cream walls and beige carpet. The bedspread was a moss green colour, and Scorpius just chucked his things on his bed, with the promise of âIâll unpack laterâ.
âOkay, letâs go to my room,â I said.
For the first time in nearly six months, I opened my bedroom door. My bedroom was spacious, just like every other room in the Potter household. Our house was one of the largest in Godricâs Hollow, but we werenât that rich. Not as rich as Scorpius, anyhow. But seeing his reaction to my bedroom, youâd think that he lived in a housing commission.
âWow, your roomâs so cool, Al!â he exclaimed.
It was, actually. Iâd decorated it in sky blue and navy, the colours of the Tutshill Tornadoes, my favourite Quidditch team, much to the dismay of certain members of the Weasley clan. Ron once joked that he was going to disown me because Iâd told him that the Tornadoes were my favourite team. I cried for a week because I thought heâd been serious. I had simple, timber furniture â“ a bed, a matching beside table, a chest of drawers and a desk. The walls were painted blue, matching the theme. However, every inch of the walls was covered in Tornadoes posters of their star players and team game play. Aries Kashia, the Tornadoesâ star Seeker, zoomed around in his picture, almost invisible with the speed of the Firebolt.
âTornadoes supporter then, Al?â said Scorpius, clearly stating the obvious.
âYep, the coolest team in the world!â I replied proudly. âSecond on the league, too!â
âYeah, but theyâre not as cool as Puddlemere United, who are winning!â
âYou have the worst Seeker in the world! Devon Bentleyâs only made two catches out of six this season, and if it wasnât for their new Chasers, theyâd still be at the bottom of the table like a few years ago, where they belong!â This Quidditch talk continued for a good hour or so. We were still discussing Seeking tactics when Mum called us down for dinner.
âAl, can you set the table for dinner?â said a new voice. I turned around to face my father, who held his arms open as I gave him a hug. âItâs good to have you home.â
A nine year old witch stood behind Dad, her flaming Weasley hair hanging down to her waist.
âLily!â I exclaimed as I saw my baby sister, and rushed over to hug her too. She looked delighted to see me, which was always nice.
âAl! Iâve missed you!â she said. âGuess what? Hugo and I made a cubby at the Burrow! Itâs so cool; I canât wait to show you it at Christmas!â
I laughed. âSounds great. Lily, this is Scorpius, a friend from school.â
âHey, Scorpius! Can I call you Scorpy?â
âNo.â
Scorpius:
I had to give to give the Potters credit â“ everything they did, whether it was their interested, but not intrusive questions about my life that Harry and Ginny asked, or simply letting me have the last roll at dinner, made me feel more at home. Lily was the cutest little thing; I could tell that Al and James simply adored her. James was nice to me as well; I had thought that he mightâve had a grudge against me, but instead he laughed, talked, joked and played backyard Quidditch with me and Al. It was nice to have company with people my own age, anyway. Iâd always resented the fact that my parents had only chose to have one child. It was a lonely life.
âScorpius, do you want second helpings of spaghetti?â Ginny asked me at dinner the night before Christmas Eve. I noticed that her plate was barely touched, her food growing cold.
âMum, are you alright?â James asked, worried. Al looked up from his plate, anxious also.
âYeah, just not feeling that hungry,â she replied. James and Al looked happy enough with that answer and returned to their meals, but I noticed the knowing look that Ginny Potter gave her husband. Something was up.
âAlbus! James! Look at you, youâve both grown so much!â cried an old womanâs voice as we arrived at the Burrow, Alâs grandparentâs family home, the next day. Weâd all brought overnight bags with us; weâd be staying the night as a family tradition. I felt a little nervous, being the newcomer, but Alâs Nana Molly was welcoming enough.
âAnd you must be Scorpius,â she said after sheâd stopped smothering her grandkids in hugs and kisses. She hugged me and then held me out armâs length, studying me critically. âMy god, do you ever eat? Youâre skin and bones!â
âJust a family trait,â I replied, shrugging.
âWell, no matter, weâll feed you up while we have the chance!â she replied. âAnyway, George, Angelina and the kids are the only others here, and theyâre in the sitting room. Kids, put your bags to the side in the sitting room. Youâll be sleeping there tonight, of course, as per usual.â
We went inside, for which I was grateful for, as the chilly air was starting to get through my thick cloak to my body. It had also begun to snow.
âA white Christmas!â exclaimed Lily in delight. âRace you guys!â James, Al and I had no choice but to follow the redhead to the front door at a sprint. We werenât going to let our pride be beaten by a little nine year old girl.
Fred and Roxanne Weasley were sitting on the old sofa, looking bored and clearly waiting for some of their cousins. Fred greeted me with a grin, but Roxanne, who was ten and wasnât at Hogwarts yet, looked at me quizzically. âWhoâre you?â she said, staring up at me.
âRoxy, this is Scorpius. Heâs my friend from school.â
âYou have friends?â she said teasingly at her cousin, who playfully whacked her over the head while I laughed.
âShut up, Scorpius!â he said, seeing my grin. I was already starting to love these Weasleys already.
âYoohoo!â cried an annoying womanâs voice, and a lavishly dressed woman appeared in the sitting room. She had far too much make-up on her face, dangly earrings and was hanging her leopard-print cloak and matching witchâs hat up on the stand. âWeâre here!â
âHello Audrey,â replied Al mechanically as he was subjected to the womanâs kisses, along with the other Weasley children. Two shy-looking girls stood behind their mother, both with blonde, curly hair similar to Audrey.
âScorpius, this is my aunt, Audrey, whoâs married to my uncle, Percy,â Al introduced. âAnd this is Molly and Lucy, their daughters. You might know Molly, sheâs a second-year Ravenclaw?â
Truthfully, I didnât, but I waved hello to Molly, who ducked behind Audrey in fright, and her sister did the same when I greeted her in the same way. Talk about shy.
âWhereâs your parents?â she asked Fred, Roxy, James, Lily and Al. They all pointed to the kitchen, where voices were coming from and dishes, pots and pans were clanking loudly.
âUrgh,â Fred grumbled as soon as Audrey had left the room, the girls trailing behind her. âSheâs a little overbearing, isnât she?â
âBit annoying, actually,â I replied. âBut sheâs just like my mother, mention Beauford DâAubigne, the robe designer, and sheâll probably squeal too.â
âThatâs a good one, Scorpius,â grinned Rose as she came into the room as well, her overnight bag and little brother in tow. Hugo Weasley looked mortified to be found holding hands with his sister, and quickly dropped her hand as if it were on fire.
Another woman entered the Burrow. She was older; about the age of Alâs nana. Her long, flowing black hair was recognisable anywhere. I hadnât seen her for years; Grandmother Narcissa and her hadnât spoken much in years.
âMy word, itâs Scorpius Malfoy!â cried Andromeda Tonks as she dusted off her snowy jacket. I gave her a hug. She was one of the only Malfoy relatives I could actually stand. My other great aunt, Bellatrix, was currently one of Britainâs Most Wanted wizards and witches. I didnât know why Aunt Meda was here though. That was to be explained later.
Two hours later, the entire Weasley clan had arrived. All in all, there were twelve Weasley kids. Not only were there James, Lily, Al, Fred, Roxy, Molly, Lucy, Rose and Hugo, but there were also the French Weasleys, the Delacour-Weasleys. They arrived much later than everyone else.
âBlasted traffic,â grumbled Bill Weasley as his family was ushered inside by Molly, who was fussing over the lot of them. The family looked cold, wet and disgruntled; the snow was falling fast and thick now, leaving a pretty white carpet over the lawns outside.
Victoire Weasley, or Tori as she preferred, Iâd already met. She was extremely pretty, just like her mother, Fleur. Her long, silver hair flowed as she spoke, swishing it around. She was the Head Girl at Hogwarts, much to her parentâs delight. Toriâs eyes swept the room as soon as she entered, apparently searching for someone. Aunt Meda gave her a knowing, kind look.
âHe and Charlieâs flight got delayed, theyâll be here later this afternoon,â she told her. I had no idea what they were referring to, but the rest of the Weasley clan did - Molly beamed proudly at her first grandchild, while Dominique caught Fredâs eye and rolled her own.
Dominique, or Dom as most people called her, was Toriâs sister, and she couldnât be any more different to her. She had the flaming Weasley hair instead of the silver Delacour kind, and was hardly the girly, goody-two-shoes type that her sister was. Dom was one of the Gryffindor Beaters on our house team, the other one being her cousin and fellow third year, Fred. She was notoriously known as a rebellious tomboy with no regard for the rules, and she and Fred were known as the biggest pair of troublemakers to hit Hogwarts since Fredâs father and his namesake. Her hair was just as flowing and pretty as her sisterâs, but she wore it no further than her shoulders, her hair sticking out in all directions.
Louis Weasley was a little pest of a seven year old, just like every other boy his age. He was the baby cousin of the family, and resented it. His hair was silver also, but he had a real Weasley look to his face. He followed his older boy cousins â“ James, Al and Fred â“ everywhere. And me, of course, although I wasnât a Weasley.
Arthur Weasley cleared his voice loudly as soon as everyone was sitting comfortably. âAlright, we have a lot to do before we can celebrate, so why donât you listen to â“â
His wife cut him off and took charge. âOkay, I want all the men outside, setting up the outdoor area â“ tables, chairs, the lot! You know where to find them!â She pointed outside as Harry, Ron, Percy, George and Bill trudged out the door, grumbling. Arthur smirked at them until Molly wagged her finger, instructing her husband to follow as well.
âAnyway,â she continued, âI want Meda, Fleur, Hermione and Victoire in the kitchen with me.â
âWhy not me and Angie?â asked Ginny, her nose flaring.
âGinny, dear, do you remember what happened last year?â she sighed.
âHey!â she cried, âthat was all Angieâs fault!â
âWas not!â replied Fred and Roxyâs mother.
âYou were the one who enchanted the turkey!â
âGirls!â cried Molly, although the two women were far too old to be considered âgirlsâ, âyou can do the outside decorating.â They left, smiling at their good fortune not to be stuck in the kitchen.
âWhat can I do to help, Molly?â Audrey asked chirpily.
âUmm⌠whatever you feel like, Audrey dear,â replied Molly half-heartedly.
âAnd, kids â“ you know the drill!â
âCHRISTMAS TREE TIME!â cried Lily as the younger children all squealed.
âFred, James â“ go and get the stuff from the attic. Dom, go help them.â
We all set to work, decorating the sitting room and the Christmas tree. âI know you probably think this is lame and stuffâŚâ said Al nervously.
âNo, this is fun! Iâve never done this before! At home, we normally get house-elves to do the work for us.â
It was starting to get dark by the time we heard another knock at the door. Molly opened it to reveal two men, standing in the cold.
âHey, Mum,â greeted one of them, as he was kissed and hugged by his mother. This was Charlie, Alâs cool dragon-taming uncle. I could see a fresh scratch mark on his face as he stepped into the light of the warm, cosy room. The other man was now being given the Molly Weasley greeting, and had barely stepped into the sitting room when Tori had jumped up from where she had been sitting, ran over to the young man, who looked fresh out of Hogwarts, and kissed him full on the mouth. Wolf whistling and averting eyes followed this public display of affection.
âScorpius, this is Teddy Lupin,â Al said, introducing me to him after he and Tori were done. âHeâs Medaâs grandson, and Toriâs boyfriend. He just graduated Hogwarts and is studying dragons in Romania. Teddy, this is my friend, Scorpius Malfoy.â
I did some quick thinking in my head. âSo, youâd be myâŚâ
âSecond cousin, I guess,â replied Teddy, and grinned and held out his hand, which I shook. Up close, I realised that Teddyâs hair was a bright shade of purple. But I could have sworn that two seconds agoâŚ
âYep, Iâm a Metemorphagus,â he said, smiling at my puzzled expression.
âHe inherited it from his mum,â said Aunt Meda proudly as she got up to greet her grandson, who bent down to kiss her.
âDinnerâs ready in twenty minutes!â cried Molly, her voice slightly frantic. âAlright, I want everyone everybody setting the table. Outside, now!â
âAre we eating outside?â I asked Al, confused.
âCourse we are â“ can you imagine us fitting all of us in the dining room?â he said, shaking his head as if I was stupid.
âBut itâs snowing outside!â I cried.
âThank you, Captain Obvious,â he replied. âNo, weâve enchanted it so the eating area outside is thermal controlled; in other words, itâll be just as warm out there as it is in here.â
âCool!â I exclaimed. Merlin, I loved magic.
Exactly twenty minutes later, we were all seated at the longest table Iâd ever seen. The twenty-eight of us sat down, which was groaning in Mollyâs Christmas dishes. My stomach rumbled loudly, and believe me, mine wasnât the only one.
The area had been done up very festively. Fairy lights (Muggle ones, not the type that Hogwarts had) were draped around every possible wall and post. Candles were lit as well, and wreaths of holly and mistletoe were hanging from the invisible ceiling, similar to Hogwartsâ. A floating Santa, enchanted by George Weasley, was drifting above our heads, shouting random Christmas phrases, such as âMerry Christmas!â and âHo Ho Ho!â I felt very much at home here as well. As we all ate the lovely courses, everyone chatted about absolutely everything â“ Hogwarts, Quidditch, family friends, Quidditch, Georgeâs shop and⌠you guessed it, Quidditch.
Arthur Weasley stood up after the last of the pudding had disappeared. âIâd like to propose a toast,â he said. âTo family â“ may we always be together.â
âTo family,â replied everyone, and we raised our glasses. I saw Harry shoot his wife a look, who got up slowly.
âEveryone, I have an announcement to make!â she said. Everyone looked surprised; even her own children had no idea what was going on.
âItâs really unexpected, and we didnât exactly plan it, butâŚâ
âOh, spit it out!â grumbled George.
âIâm pregnant.â