Christmas was approaching, the weather going cold. 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 bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. 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 common rooms 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.
Harry was trying his best to help Neville with their potion. But the poor boy was still deadly nervous around the potion professor. That was one of the things Harry disliked most about the dungeon bat. He treated both him and Neville like they were nothing but dirt beneath his shoes for no reason whatsoever. If Harry hadn't come prepared for their lessons, and didn't have years of experience brewing vanquishing potions, he had a feeling Snape's treatment would only be worse.
''How are you not shivering,'' Neville asked him, warming his hands by their cauldron. ''How are you not cold?''
''I just don't get cold,'' Harry shrugged. ''Most people back home like to say that that I adapt to animal abilities since I spend so much time with them.''
''There are some plants that can do that,'' Neville said. ''Never get cold, I mean.''
''Krinos has always liked you for a reason,'' Harry chuckled. ''Plants only ever come second to me and Melody.''
Neville slightly laughed at that. He saw the way Krinos behaved in the greenhouses. The care he put into Herbology class. There are few people he's ever met with the same type of love for nature that he's only seen with himself.
''Shame the twins have to stay here for the holidays,'' Harry says. ''They, and Percy, had seemed excited to be with their family for the holidays.''
Neville nodded in agreement. All the Weasleys had to stay at Hogwarts because their mother had decided to visit their older brother, Charlie, who was working at a dragon reserve in Romania. Fred and George both seemed a little angry that their mother didn't think about including the rest of the family besides her, their sister Ginny, and their father.
What they had been told by the twins, during their angry rant about their mother, was that if they could afford an international portkey to Romania, then all of them could have gone. Not just the three of them. Course, Percy then had to explain to the Greek mages what a portkey was since they had no idea. Afterward, they all agreed with the prankster twins.
The three had considered giving them invites to Crystal Rose, but didn't want to expose their secret. But they were gonna make sure to send them extra special gifts to brighten their holiday. And maybe a little something-something to Mrs.Weasley to let her know what they thought about her excluding her sons like that. While they didn't care about Ron in any way, shape, or form, the twins and Percy were really good friends of theirs.
''You going home for the holidays,'' Neville asked.
''Course,'' Harry smiled. ''We can't wait. Yule has always been our favorite time of the year. Though, the Feast of Spes is a close second.''
''So you celebrate Yule, not Christmas,'' Neville asked.
Harry simply nodded in response. It didn't bother Neville, though. As a pureblood wizard, himself, his family also celebrated Yule instead of Christmas. His Gran had preached it enough how much she hated families celebrating holidays that weren't their own. And now that he's thought about it, the reasons why the Gardna trio hate Halloween are probably the same ones they use when celebrating Yule.
''We do modernize a little,'' Harry admitted. ''We keep to the most sacred traditions, but there's a lot more than just a feast, the Yule bonfire, and giving offerings. We have to keep up with the times, or we'll be stuck in the dark ages. Like most of magical England.''
''Should I be offended,'' Neville asked.
''Oh, Neville,'' Harry patted his arm. ''Sweet, innocent, little Neville. You will never be thrown in with the rest of the medieval times wizards of this little country.''
Neville had to grin at that. But said grin vanished when the dungeon bat decided to bring his sneering face over to them and try to find fault in the perfectly made potion.
----------------------------------------------------------
The Gardna trio was enjoying themselves on their walk to the Great Hall for lunch. It was early in the afternoon and there were few students already in the hall. Most had wanted to go to the library to return books or wanted to make sure everything was ready to be packed when they left.
"Hello, Hagrid," Harry greeted.
" 'Ello, 'ou three," the half-giant greeted back.
He had been dragging in a large pine tree to put up in the Great Hall. The three figured the headmaster was having him bring the trees in for decorating.
"Ah, the last tree," speak of the devil. "Just put that in the last corner, my boy."
Dumbledore had a festive twinkle in his eyes as the tree was dragged into the hall. It wasn't surprising to the siblings that the man loved the holidays. Especially going by the green and red robes he was wearing.
"We take it you like Christmas, headmaster," Harry snickered.
"Even muggles know the magic of Christmas," Dumbledore was beaming, clearly enjoying himself.
"Even as those who celebrate Yule, to each his own no matter our personal feelings," Melody says.
"You know, headmaster, next time you want to decorate, we would be happy to help," Krinos offered. "My powers alone could cut all this work more than half. It also would save you the trouble of cutting down poor innocent trees."
"I am starting to see why you are Jiwe's favorite students," Dumbledore chuckled.
"Headmistress Jiwe doesn't play favorites," Melody stated, then smirked. "At least, she doesn't make it obvious when she does."
"Now, Mr.Gardna," Dumbledore faced Krinos. "What was that you were saying about making less work for us? We are getting quite old."
The Gardna trio could see that he really just wanted to see mystic soul magic in action. Of course, they didn't mind. Krinos did a quick look around to make sure they weren't being watched and to see how much he'd need to do. The only things that had been done, so far, was putting up trees and Flitwick had just started decorating them. There weren't many students in the Great Hall, and they weren't paying attention to them, so he did a little magic.
''Nature's beauty,'' he cast.
Opening his hands, four balls of green mist came out. They left trails of their mist behind them. The mist traveled around the hall. Everywhere it went, festive plants grew. Along the walls grew pine branches with some white in the needles, like frost. They grew in the traditional up and down wavelike pattern. Mistletoe and holly berries and leaves danced onto the edges of the tables. Each of the mist balls swirled around each of the trees Hagrid had brought in. Large red berries grew as makeshift ornaments, glowing star blossoms as lights, and a bright star blossom on top of each one. And mini illusion Christmas trees floated around the candles to finish off the show.
"Beautiful," Dumbledore said in awe.
"Nature can be as beautiful as a rose's thorns are dangerous," Krinos says. "And vise versa. I represent that more than anything else."
"I am suddenly jealous that you're in Pomona's house and not mine," Flitwick chuckled at his own joke.
"Mámá and Bampás would always have music playing during this time of year," Melody remembered fondly. "From December first to thirty-first, they never turned off the music. Their favorite was always 'I Believe In Christmas.' It played almost three to four times every day."
"If we didn't go to school, we'd probably have been driven crazy by that song before the actual vacation started," Harry laughed.
"Your parents sound like lovely people," Dumbledore softly smiled.
"There is no other way to describe the people that took me away from the mundanes that made me think my own name was 'Freak," Harry told him.
That seemed to really give Dumbledore an insight into how much the Gardna's meant to him and how much they did for him. There are few families in Britain that would do that. Taking in an orphan is one thing, but going out of their way to rescue said orphan from their abuser was a different story.
"We still carry on the Yule tradition," Krinos said.
Melody snapped her fingers. The end on her wand lit up purple. Music filled the air around her. A soft harmony with a keyboard making most of it. Krinos smiled as the siblings sat at one of the tables. Much to everyone's surprise, Krinos started to sing.
" Didn't know what to get you
Ordinary just wouldn't do
But I just found the perfect gift
For you."
The other teachers in the hall looked toward the siblings at the sound of Krinos' voice. Even with the song originally sung by a mundane actress, Krinos sang it rather beautifully.
" Now I got it already
But it's not wrapped in red or green
Come and sit down beside me here
Underneath the Christmas tree."
Students now started to notice the performance going on. Students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor sat around them, listening. Those from Ravenclaw and Slytherin kept more of a distance, but still able to hear the music. Music was rare in Hogwarts beyond the school song at the beginning of the year and the school choir. But it was never anything like the soft and pop tone Krinos possessed.
" We got mistletoe
And firelight
On this cold December night
The snow outside
Will set the mood
As I sing my song for you."
"I hear church bells are ring-ing-ing-ing
Charles are singing
Harmony with me now."
"You are looking so lovely yeah!
Even if the lights go out."
More students began filing into the Great Hall. It was almost like Krinos had a Pied Piper effect with his voice. Luring them all toward the music. Melody might be the music mage, but Krinos grew up singing with their mother when they were little. He would still sing to the plants in his garden to help them grow. Most people would talk to their plants, not Krinos. It's like the saying most mystic souls say. 'Normal is vastly overrated.'
" We got mistletoe
And firelight
On this cold December night
The snow outside
Will set the mood
As I sing my song for you."
"Your so beautiful
I only hope you see what I see
See yeah!
Everyone is meant to
Show you how much you mean to me."
"We got mistletoe
And firelight
On this cold December night
The snow outside
Will set the mood
As I sing my song."
"We got mistletoe
And firelight
On the cold December night
The snow outside
Will set the mood
As I sing my song
Sing my song
Sing my song for you."
The crowd that had gathered burst into cheers and applause. Krinos blushed under the attention of the crowd that he had been completely unaware of getting. Sure he enjoyed singing and knew from a lot of comments that he was talented, but he hated attention almost as much as Harry did.
"Melody," he growled at his sister.
"What, I had to," she tried to act innocent. "Hogwarts deserves to hear that festive and talented voice of yours."
"You are very lucky that you're my sister and that I love you because I have a very handy spell that can turn you into a tree," Krinos said. "And no, Granger, you can not have any information on it. What is learned in Greece, stays in Greece."
Some of the crowd slightly laughed at the huff Hermione gave off. It was not exactly a secret that she hated the three siblings. Even without Melody and Krinos showing her up in the shared classes with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Harry would do better than her in Gryffindor classes while Slytherin students Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini were also better than her.
And unlike the siblings, she was the most unpopular person at Hogwarts, other than Ron Weasley that is. She was often referred to as the Gryffindor Harpy, as she was always harping to everyone else in the house of lions. Hermione literally seems to believe that everyone has to do as she says and how she wants it or they will fail. A superiority complex to the extreme.
Not to mention that on All Hallows' Eve, they discovered that she's just about as obsessed with Harry as Ron is. When Harry had knocked the ogre/troll out by knocking it through the door, Hermione had come out of one of the stalls. Apparently, that was where the girl had disappeared to after Ron had insulted her. She tried to lie to the teachers and say they were trying to protect her, aka trying to make Harry look more like the boy she read about. It failed when Flitwick and Sprout pointed out the twin's desire to celebrate their own holiday. And with the siblings admitting that they didn't even know she was in there, her lies went up in smoke. McGonagall took ten points from her for lying before giving each sibling twenty points for stopping the monster.
"Another reason to love that we're going home tomorrow," Harry says, walking with his siblings to the Gryffindor table. "We get away from her."
The three laughed together.