The Darkening of Your Soul

Chapter 30

Theo was next, and then Daphne, and Harry sat back and listened patiently as everyone introduced themselves. And while Harry had started the Culture Club mainly to sneak rituals and traditions back into Hogwarts’ curriculum, he quickly realized there was a genuine need for a cultural exchange club. Harry had felt lost in the wizarding world, and sometimes still did, and as he listened to those around him he knew others felt the same way.

Why had Dumbledore wanted to suppress clubs like this so badly he did away with the rulebook entirely? If Harry had to take a guess it was to give purebloods no chance whatsoever to share their views of the wizarding world with the incoming muggle-born and -raised children and thus lessening their power as they never gained any influence over these new kids. But the enormous downside to this approach was that the muggle-born and -raised had a hard time fitting in, which led to more resentment from the purebloods, which in turn assured the gap between both sides would only grow with each new generation to come through Hogwarts.

And all the while Dumbledore could play the benevolent headmaster, so tolerant of muggle-borns while pointing an accusing finger at all those intolerant purebloods and their desire for segregation.

“Thanks, everyone,” Harry said when all students had their say. “I’m happy you’re all here, eager to learn and share. And seeing as we’re only a few weeks away from December and the holidays I thought we’d start exchanging information about Christmas and Yule.”

“Why is it called Christmas at Hogwarts if wizards call it Yule elsewhere?” Megan Jones asked. She was a half-blood whose wizard father had died in the war and who’d been raised by her muggle mother and had little contact with the wizarding world until her Hogwarts letter came. She’d known she was a witch, had read some of her dad’s books he’d left behind, but that was about it.

“Excellent question.” Harry beamed at her and gestured to some of his pureblood friends. “Susan, Neville, Daphne? Can any of you give us the answer?”

“I think it was done to accommodate the muggle-born and raised here at Hogwarts,” Susan said quietly. “I know it’s a fairly recent development.”

“That seems silly,” Dean said with a frown. “How are we to learn about this new world if they won’t show us the differences?”

There followed a brief discussion on this subject and Harry crossed his arms and listened and was incredibly happy to see the kids around him using their brains, questioning things and trying to work out the answers. Gosh, he really was getting old, wasn’t he, when his feelings turned almost paternal while observing his young club members.

“I thought we could exchange Christmas and Yule items and traditions over the coming meetings until the holidays,” Harry suggested once the discussion came to a natural end. “Decorations, songs, food. Perhaps some of you can ask some family members at home to send you some specific things to share.” This got him an enthusiastic response and at once almost every student offered to arrange to bring along something for the next meetings. Once that was settled Harry checked his watch and realized an hour and a half had passed already and since curfew for first years was nine o’clock they should wrap things up.

“Let’s leave it here,” Harry said, his cheeks glowing with satisfaction over their successful first meeting. “Thank you all for coming, I hope you enjoyed it and we’ll see you again same time next week.”

Students got up while chatting about their plans for upcoming lessons. Unsurprisingly, Hermione made a beeline for Harry. Neville, who’d been sitting beside Harry, stuck to his side with a worried look. During the meeting itself Hermione had participated enthusiastically, but no more so than other kids. She had apparently learned not to dominate every social gathering even if she was obviously eager to share her knowledge. Now it seemed she had a few things she desperately needed to share with their erstwhile leader.