It's Christmas Time Again: A Time-Traveling TMS Holiday Extravaganza

Christmas Holiday, 2011 (Part One)

I was up, packed, and in the Great Hall for breakfast, ready to get going to the train in Hogsmeade, before most of the other students in the castle were even awake. Mr. Filch was still mopping the floor of the entrance hall, eyeing me beadily as I ran from the Hall to the front steps of the castle to see the horseless carriages arrive. I was the first student waiting on them - so early that even Hagrid came lumbering up the hill from his hut yawning widely as his dog trotted by his side.

"Well g'mornin' ter yeh, Teddy!" he said as he came up to the road before the castle, pausing by the nearest carriage. "In a rush ter get onter the Express are yeh?"

"Just excited to go home is all," I answered.

Hagrid chuckled and climbed into the front carriage. "Don't suppose yer wantin' ter accompany an' ol' groundskeeper off ter the station now, do yeh?" He patted the seat beside him in the carriage.

I scrambled aboard and he grinned behind his beard, his eyes lighting with excitement.

The cart rumbled along the path and Hagrid rubbed the boarhound's ears merrily, muttering compliments to the dog as he did. The carriage rolled through the gates of the castle and on toward the station, and Hagrid smiled and leaned back, taking a deep breath of the cold air as I rubbed my palms together trying to warm up.

"So whatsit that yer wantin' fer Christmas?" Hagrid asked me, looking up from the dog.

I shrugged.

"Yer got ter be lookin' forward ter sommat?"

I shrugged again, fiddling with George Michael a bit. "I dunno," I replied. "Gran was asking me too and I just gave her a list of books I'd like."

"Woss that there yeh got?" Hagrid asked.

I looked up at him and realized he was looking at George Michael. "It's a Tamagotchi," I answered. "It was my Mum's."

"Ain't that summat!" Hagrid leaned closer to look. "Looks like a wee duckie dunnit?"

I nodded.

"Woss 'is name?"

"George Michael."

"Ah jus' like that singer yer Mum liked, isn't it?"

I nodded. "I listen to 'em all too."

"Do yeh?"

"Yeah, they sound like happiness."

Hagrid smiled at that.

We made small talk the rest of the way to the station and when we arrived, Hagrid let me help him prepare for the other students. He opened the luggage hold and walked through the train opening up the compartment doors and making sure the heat was regulated on board. The sweets trolly was checked on to be sure it was fully stocked and ready with holiday treats - and I was given a pack of peppermint ice mice for my efforts of helping the witch get a box of them out from the bottom of the little golden cart.

"Yeh got yer pick o' the compartments," Hagrid said, winking, barely able to move in the corridor of the Express, ducked down nearly doubled to keep his head from hitting the lamps that hung from the ceiling. "If I might make a suggestion o' one to yeh?"

"Yeah?"

He lumbered to one toward the end of the train car we were on and patted the frame of the door.

"Why this one?" I asked.

Hagrid pointed to a spot on the wall where an indelible mark had been burned into the wood.

Initials.

"What is that?"

"The Marauders initials," he said solemnly. "Burnt right into the wall by Sirius Black. No one's been able to remove it - an' not from a lack of tryin'. We 'spect the Express herself wishes it stay. Ev'ry one from Dumbledore hisself on down ter me tried at fixin' it over the years an' its there as clear as the day he burnt 'em!"

I squeezed around and into the compartment and stared at the letters on the wall.

Hagrid looked around the little compartment. "Been a good bit since this compartment had a Lupin or a Potter in it but feels about right it should have both again now, dunnit?" He smiled.

I didn't know what to say.

Hagrid reached a hand in and patted my back, "Yeh be havin' a happy Christmas, Teddy, and tell Harry that old Hagrid sends his love wi' yeh, eh? Tell him ter visit me an' we'll go fer a pint at the ol' Broomsticks or sommat."

"Happy Christmas Hagrid," I murmured, and listened as he lumbered off the train.

I sat on the bench under those letters, shoulder pressed to the wall of the train, both wanting to be closer to the letters and further away from them. My father was here, in this very compartment, perhaps in this very seat for all I knew. My fingers moved over the velvet that covered the seat cushion.

I'd left the briefcase in my trunk in Ravenclaw tower. I realized as I sat there that I'd never opened it to check the pocket like Harry had told me to. I'd been afraid to open the briefcase again because the first time I'd done the smell of werewolf had escaped and filled my nose and nightmares for days afterward.

Other students were boarding the train by then, and I could hear laughter and conversation outside and in the corridor. I kept waiting for Victorie or Violet to pop in the door to sit with me, but as it turned out there were so few students going home for the holidays that year that the train wasn't full. Several compartments were completely empty, even. I was alone in mine.

"Just me and you," I whispered, pulling George Michael from my key ring as the train started moving. I looked out the window at Hagrid waving us goodbye, at a light shower of snow flurries falling around him, and the school far beyond poking up over the trees.

Harry was waiting on Platform 9 3/4 when the Hogwarts Express rolling into King's Cross. It was dark outside, despite only being 18:00. Harry had on a Santa Claus cap, tilted to one side, holding up a sign that read TEDDERS on it, grinning as I stepped from the train.

I've never been so relieved to see anyone in my entire life. I ran over to him, nearly tripping on my shoe laces that had come untied and half fell into him.

Harry laughed and hugged me tight, dropping his sign to the floor in the process. Harry stood, holding on until I let go, and he took a deep breath as I took a step back, his hand still on my arm. "Alright, Teddy?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to look in my eyes. I nodded and he smiled and bent down to pluck his sign up from the floor. "Excited for Christmas?" he asked.

I nodded, though honestly now that I was home I didn't care much about Christmas actually coming - in fact, the longer it took to come, the longer I would be home and NOT at Hogwarts, so I sort of wanted it to take it's sweet time.

But Christmas was always Harry's favorite holiday.

He swung an arm about my shoulders as we walked to the far end of the platform, where disapparations were allowed.

"Not that I'm not excited to see you," I said, "But how come Gran didn't come for me?"

"Oh I volunteered," Harry said, smiling. "Begged her to let me fetch you, rather. I wanted to spend some time with you before all the hullaballoo of the holiday."

"Yeah?" I lit up. I felt special for the first time in months. Harry had wanted to spend time with me?

"Yeah. Thought we might go and do a spot of shopping, what do you think? You can get something for your Gran. I wanted to pop into Diagon Alley and see about getting Lily a cat - Ginny doesn't know, but it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes, hey?" His eyes twinkled with some old mischief.

"A cat!" I said, "Lily wants a cat?"

"I think she'd like one." Harry grinned, "So what do you say?"

"Sure," I answered.

"Not too tired from the journey?" Harry pressed.

"Not at all," I answered. In fact, I'd fallen asleep re-reading Oliver Kent's biography for the third time on the train after eating my peppermint mice.

"Very good," Harry said, and he grabbed my hand. "Mind the gap," he joked, winking, and then twisting - disapparating us out of King's Cross with a loud CRACK!