Return of the Stag :: Book One #wattys2016

Chapter 10 - Christmas pt. 1

EDITED

After the five had viewed the memories from Harry, Ron and Hermione's years at Hogwarts, they all struggled to forget the last year. For Harry, it was worse. He had had nightmares after the tournament and his fourth year for about a month or two. Now they were worse than before and causing him to wake up more in the night, only to find Ron watching him from next to his bed. Ron tried to wake Harry up from his nightmare's as much as possible, as he could tell that they were getting worse and that Harry was in more pain than before. Harry and Ron were reluctant to tell James about them because James had enough to worry about at the moment. He was trying to give Harry the best Christmas that he had had. One with a father, and more gifts than he had probably had in the past.

James was sitting in the living room where the tree that Molly had the twins set up for the holiday. James had let a few days go by from when they watched Harry's fourth year. He wanted to take Harry to his parents' house, and his childhood home. Hopefully, it hadn't been destroyed by death eaters in the past year or so. He hoped that the two house-elves that his parents had, that were free but chose to work, still kept it running. What were their names..... Puddle and... No, Penny and what was the other one..... He thought to himself. It was, in fact, the middle of the night. It was the 23rd of December and James couldn't sleep at all. No, he could sleep but the horrors of Harry's past kept him awake.

He was staring off into the fire but was jerked out of his daze by a loud and pained yell. He recognized it as Harry's. He quickly scrambled out of the room and up to where Ron and Harry's room. He opened the door to see Ron standing over Harry trying to wake him up. "Ron? What's wrong? Why is harry yelling?" James asked sitting down next to his son's writhing body. Ron looked up from Harry when James entered the room. "It's one of his nightmares. They've gotten worse since last year. I don't know why though." Ron says shaking Harry shoulders to try to get him to wake up. "Stop. Don't force him to wake up. It only makes them worse." James says. He watches as Ron slowly backs up. In the time that the two had had a small conversation, Hermione had joined them. "Ron, will Harry be okay?" She asks him worriedly. Ron shrugged his shoulders.

James held Harry's hand, gently yet firmly, throughout his nightmare. Once Harry stopped writhing around on the bed, James woke him up. "D-dad....?" Harry mumbled not being able to see without his glasses. James handed Harry his glasses and helped him sit up. Harry was pale and sweaty. "You okay?" James asks Harry. Harry nodded shakily. "Dad...Voldemort, he-" he faltered before continuing. "He's trying to break into the ministry..." Harry managed to say. Both Ron and Hermione had flinched at the mention of Voldemort. "Harry, the order knows this. The thing that he wants is in the Ministry." James says. He looks at his watch, checking the time. It was only 4 in the morning. James had slept until half-past three. "Harry, I want to show you something today. Do you two want to come along?" James asks Ron and Hermione turned to them. They both nod, Ron a bit too eagerly.

Soon it was about nine in the morning. The four of them had stayed in Ron and Harry's room worried that if Harry fell asleep again he would have another nightmare. Harry appreciated them for doing this, but couldn't sleep after his most recent dream. When the four walked downstairs to join the others for breakfast, they entered to see an ecstatic Molly cooking. "Molly? Everything okay?" James asked her. She looked up as they entered. "Oh yes. Mungos has cured Arthur and he's coming home later today." She says. Ron perks up at this news looking happy. "Really mum?" He asks her hoping it was true. "Yes Ron, would you go get your brothers and sister up? Breakfast will be ready soon." She said.

Ron nodded before standing up and walking out of the kitchen again. They could hear his feet on the stairs as he walked. There was a shout from above before more stomping on the stairs. The kitchen door opened again and this time a furious looking Ginny storms in. "Mum, Ronald has decided that dumping water on someone is an appropriate way to wake them up." She said complaining to her mother, who now looked mad for sending her son to wake them up. Harry and James had to suppress their laughter at Ron and Hermione looked at them disapprovingly at their reactions. Ron returns shortly after a wide smile on his face, which instantly disappears at Ginny's face.