Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Thirteen: Home For The Holidays

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.