Don't be a silent reader.
Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for be-
witching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.
Aishi tried to ice skate for the first time with Harry but she ended up face down in a pile of snow and then won a snowball fight against him.
The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Hufflepuff common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. Percy had to give them hot chocolate at intervals.
"I do feel so sorry," said Kris Puecy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He was looking over at Harry as he flashed a look at Aishi who he has grown to hate as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.
Harry, who was measuring out the powdered spine of a lionfish, glared at them. Puecy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed Tree Frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking
broomstick.
So Puecy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family and Aishi as well. Her Uncle took her in when her dad and mom died fighting in the wizard war. Her uncle is a muggle Indian soldier so he has to be his base for the holidays which she is fine with since she can meet him in summer.
Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Aishi had signed up at once.
Percy had to break the news to Harry that they have to miss Christmas at her mom's place cause she got a book tour to attend last minute. Harry was a bit sad but he got to spend more time with aishi and learn more about her. this would probably be one of the best Christmas he'd ever
had.
Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches. "Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Puecy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you
leave Hogwarts, I suppose that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to." Ron dived at Puecy just as Snape and Percy came up the stairs.
"WEASLEY!" Ron let go of the front of Puecy's robes. "He was provoked, Professor Snape...Professor Jackson," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree."Pucey was insultin' his family." "Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you as well as Five points from Slytherin each"
Malfoy was surprised as Pucey, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and grumbling. "Snape took points from his own house," Draco said " A Christmas miracle" "I say the magic is Hari's mom....oh snowflakes!!!" Aishi runs out to the snowfall but Harry grabs her collar and pulls her back.
Snape and percy left after she winked at her son who looked confused."I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Puecy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -" "I hate him," said Harry "Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat." So the five of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. "Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"
The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.
Harry looked at in amazement and then he felt a kiss on his cheek. He turned around and blushed as aishi looked at him and pointed up. "There was a mistletoe...always kiss the person standing under it with you. That is the magic rule...sorry if you didn't like it." She said
"ahmdhfhied" Harry lost his voice as his cheek reddened and the others chuckled as aishi remained oblivious and looked away to see the decorations. "How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked."Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library." "Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.
"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"
"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is. Mom will not tell us saying it will be fun to find out ourselves" "You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'." "We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione. "Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere." "I just enjoyed new books...there were a lot of new stories" Aishi smiled
"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly."Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library. They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows. Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron and Draco strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one even from his mom till he was 14.
These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. "What are you looking for, boy?" "Nothing," said Harry. Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.
"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!" Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. Aishi joined him chuckling as she dusted the feathers off his hair
The gang had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk anyone hearing what they were up to. Harry and Aishi waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks. Five minutes later, Ron, Draco, and Hermione joined them, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.
"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything." "And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron to Draco. "It'd be safe to ask them." "I will try but my parents should never know we are friends or it will be horrible," Draco said "They are proud purebloods if you know what I mean. Mostly my father"
Once the holidays had started, Ron, Aishi, and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. Both Hufflepuff had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - bread, English muffins, marshmallows.
Aishi also started teaching Harry Ludo and Snake and Ladders. It was quite fun to play and Aishi cheered winning after losing to Harry twice in snake and ladders. Then at night, they sometimes head to Percy's room for hot chocolate and Greek mythology stories. Other times, Aishi will tell Indian stories of mythology by the fire....he was hooked on the Ramayana and the small adventures of Shree Krishna she told on Christmas Eve.
When he woke early the next morning, however, the first thing he saw was a large pile of packages at the foot of his bed. Aishi bragged into the room happy and holding all her presents "Merry Christmas," she said as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe." You, too," said Harry. " come on let's take them all and go to mom."
She nods and they head to percy who welcomes them smiling as they place their presents under the tree and starts opening them as she places blue cookies and hot chocolate for them to drink. Harry picked up a parcel that was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl.
The second was a very lumpy parcel. he opened to see two bracelets with pearls and a shell. It was from his godly family from the sea. He read the note and blushed before tossing the note. Percy chuckled and sipped her drink
"Cool bracelets," Aishi said holding a beautiful peacock quill from Hermoine in her writing kit. " thanks do you want one...they are the same so I can spare one"
"Sure...I love it!" she said wearing it and smiling. Harry wore his as well. 'those are soulbond bracelets, they help strengthen the soulbond of two people. I should have not told Dad but oh well' Percy thought as she smiled. Harry got many gifts from his other aunts and uncles, a large box of chocolate frogs, a huge box of inidan baked sweets from Aishi, a book of Indian unique magic from her uncle, and a globe of sea creatures which moves from percy. This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it. Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Percy gasped as she recognized it.
She immediately grabbed it and checked it for charms which she removed."Mom, what is it?" Harry asked curiously. Percy looked at him and smiled softly. "Harry, there was a heirloom from your father which was taken away. I tried to find it but I could not but it is here." she said "This is your family's invisibility cloak which is passed down from generation to generation."
"woah....." Harry said taking it. Aishi picked up a note which fell from it and read it out loud "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you.....there is no signature" Aishi said "Weird"
"yes very...I hope you will use it wisely?" Percy said "You know me well enough Mom that it's a half-kept promise" Harry said and percy tackled him into a hug.
Aishi smiled and took a picture with her new insta camera from her uncle. "Scrapbook memories!" She said
Aishi vows she had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. Harry chuckled as they joined Ron and his brothers who were all dressed in their Wesley sweaters.
Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it
went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud
of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat
and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Percy had swapped her crazy pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet from the firecracker and was laughing at a joke gift of an ugly sweater she made snape wear.
Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly
broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.
When Harry and Aishi finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and
Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs Norris's Christmas dinner.
Harry, Aishi and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds which percy joined when she got hit with Fred's snowball. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Hufflepuff common
room, where Harry broke his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Aishi who was more than a match for Ron.
After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch the snowfall snuggled in blankets as he heard more stories from Aishi.
It had been one of Harry's best Christmas days ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed
into bed was he free to think about it: the Invisibility Cloak and
whoever had sent it.
Aishi, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother her, fell asleep almost as soon as she'd drawn the curtains of her four-poster which she took for the holidays. Harry leaned over the side of his bed and pulled the cloak out from under it. His father's . . . this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, his mom had said.
He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.
Use it well uh?
Bonus
"OK, one foot in front of the other...You almost got it Aishi" Harry said holding her hands as she tried to skate.
"Why do people on TV make it look easy?" She said as she tried to move and slip before falling into his arms cheeks red from the cold air
Bonus Bonus
"Hey James check it out, your son is in Aphrodite's show of Couple to be" Hades said.
"She is adorable.....I wonder what she looks like when older...." James said
"I think I might know her mom. She was a Ravenclaw." Lily said "And her dad was a..."
" IS THAT MY DAUGHTER?!" A man yelled
"She is your daughter Karan?!" James said "Holy shit..."