A Weasley Christmas

The instant Hogwarts set its students free for the Christmas holidays, the premises of Diagon Alley's Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes became packed with scurrying mischief-makers. Even days later, it remained remarkably full. The students were fresh from the pressures of constant homework and eager to get their hands on a little trouble. Nervous little first years took shifty glances at the good old standby pranks while daydreaming of all that they wouldn't have the courage to do with them. Other students, who remembered the great Weasley Escape of the previous year milled around the centre of the store on their tiptoes hoping to catch a glance of the legendary twins.

Leaning over the counter, Fred Weasley grinned and yelled (due to the noise of so many people) to Lee Jordan, "I've never seen the place so bloody packed! Not even during the summer!"

Lee shouted, "I bet the word spread at Hogwarts! So what have you been up to?"

"We've been--" He cut out when he saw the confused look on Lee's face. The noise was intense; Lee couldn't hear him. "Come to the back!" he yelled while jabbing his thumb at the backroom door behind the counter. Apparently, Lee got the idea because he started trying to work his way through the mob of people. Failing in this, he climbed over the counter while Fred placed a "Back in 5 Minutes" sign by the till.

In the backroom, the hustle and bustle of the main shop reduced itself to a faint buzz. Ginny sat on a stool giggling as George struggled desperately to hold onto a toad in one hand and stir whatever was in his cauldron with the other. At this point, he was clinging onto the toad's leg while the potion splashed all over his robes.

"We use this room for our experiments so we had it sound-proofed," said Fred. Then looking at his brother, he added, "Are you sure you want to be getting that all down your front?"

Briefly looking frustrated and then regaining his composure, George said, "You might have the right idea there! Ginny, take this bloody frog!"

"He's not a frog, George; he's a toad, and he has a name. His name is Trevor," said Ginny as she took Trevor from her brother. "And, anyway, it was so much fun watching you trying to multitask!" Then, turning to Lee, she said, "He's Neville's toad, from 6^th year. Neville's always losing him."

George excitedly said, "We're using him to test our new product: Never-Ceasing Grease (For Pigs and Such). Ginny found him behind a dustbin. We just need to coat him evenly and set him loose in the Alley. The grease will make him nearly impossible to catch."

Ginny blushed. "I feel a little guilty about taking him. Neville always worries so much when Trevor is gone."

George grinned, "Well, if you feel that bad, you can have the dirty part in our little operation. All you have to do is release Trevor, call Neville's attention to him, and then get as many people as you can to help chase him. That's the key. Create pandemonium."

(_) (_) (_)

"Neville! I just saw Trevor over by my brothers' shop!" shouted Ginny.

"Oh no! I thought he was right here in my pocket," answered Neville as he searched his empty pocket. He mumbled, "I'm really sorry about Trevor. He's always getting away from me," as he sped off in his toad's direction.

"I'll get some help!" Ginny yelled after him. She headed toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor: she knew Ron was meeting his friends there, and they were always ready to help save Trevor. "Hey, Ron, Hermione, Harry! Neville's lost Trevor again! Can you help us catch him really quickly?" asked Ginny, hurrying toward Neville to help herself.

"Well, my week just wouldn't be complete if I didn't chase that bloody toad," said Ron.

"Oh, poor Neville. He must be terribly worried. He really should learn to control Trevor," said Hermione as she jumped out of her seat.

Ron hurried after her saying, "Come on, Harry. Hurry up."

(_) (_) (_)

"Oh, look! Here they come!" Fred, George, and Lee watched the alley below from the second floor storage room in their shop. They peered out over the windowsill with only the tips of their flaming red hair visible from the street below.

"Now, the fun begins!" whispered Fred.

(_) (_) (_)

Neville caught his first glance of Trevor as the toad dived behind the shoe of a middle-aged witch dragging her child toward the Apothecary. Unfortunately, the child was pulling in the other direction so strongly ("I don't like the smell in there!") that he blocked Neville's path.

"Neville!" shouted Hermione as she pushed her way through the Christmas rush crowds. She was breathless and leaning on her knees as she asked, "Have you seen him? We're here to help." As she spoke the other three pushed their way through the crowd behind her.

"I just saw him duck behind a person over there. He's a devil of a toad, that Trevor." Suddenly, he saw Trevor rounding another person. Before he could make a move, Ginny was diving after him. In the process, she knocked over a wizard, and when she grabbed Trevor, he shot straight out of her hands into the back of another person's head. The person abruptly turned around glaring as the wizard she had knocked over brushed himself off. "You lot should learn to be more responsible!"

Ginny got up off her hands and knees and said, "I didn't know he was so hard to hold onto!" as nearby witches and wizards looked on disapprovingly.

"It's not that hard to catch Trevor, Ginny. You just need to have a firm grip," explained Ron. He leapt for the toad and almost had Trevor secured, but when he stood up, he squeezed too hard and the grease caused Trevor to fly out of his hands. The shock made him trip over himself and fall down.

Hermione was laughing. "Ron, Trevor's outsmarting you!" she said. She pulled the bag she was carrying off and emptied out the books that were in it. "Hold these," she told Ron, handing him her books. She circled around, bag in hand, to the opposite side of the passerby that Trevor was behind. When Trevor leaped, she caught him in mid-air in her bag and smiled triumphantly.

Ginny looked amazed and asked, "Can I look at him?"

Hermione, flattered at Ginny's admiration, opened the bag to take Trevor out, and he jumped back to the ground. Ginny hid her grin.

(_) (_) (_)

Fred and George exchanged high fives while Lee whispered, "Ginny's quite the little trouble maker, isn't she?"

George grinned, saying, "Been training that one for years."

Fred continued by saying, "We hope she might carry on a bit of the legacy."

(_) (_) (_)

Chasing Trevor lasted for quite some time before the group decided to put up any sort of organized effort. Harry took command; "Okay, Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, you four surround him on all sides and then I'll come in from above."

The plan worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, the twin's Never-Ceasing Grease worked well, too, and once again Trevor flew out of his captor's hands. He flew right into the bucket outstretched in Fred's hand. "We saw your dilemma while we were up in the store room. I'll just get this little guy washed up so he'll be easier to handle," he said with a chuckle. Walking back toward the storefront, he grinned as he saw George, and whispered, "This will be brilliant, won't it? The best Christmas ever."

(_) (_) (_)

The Burrow during the Christmas season was a creative sight indeed. The first thing you noticed walking toward the house was the mammoth amount of Christmas lights draped from every one of the several roofs of the house. They were not draped particularly well. The lights were another one of Mr. Weasley's numerous Christmas projects (and perhaps the most successful of his ventures). After hours of watching their father fumble and drop the lights, Bill and Charlie had surreptitiously attached them where their father was trying to hang them. Otherwise, the house was perfectly festive. (Mrs. Weasley had taken care of the rest of the decorations.) There were elegant Christmas wreaths on every door and big red bows on the windowsills.

Currently, Mr. Weasley babbled excitedly about what he planned for the day, "I'm taking Bill and Charlie into the forest and get a Christmas tree! Just like the Muggles used to do!"

Mrs. Weasley said, "Arthur, just go and buy one. You can get one that already has its lights and snow on the branches. You don't have to do any work," while she busily fried bacon and eggs for breakfast.

"It'll be more fun to find my own tree. It's more personal," he answered. His wife set a plate in front of him, and he dug in.

"Bill! Charlie! Hurry up! Your father wants to get an early start!" Mrs. Weasley shouted up the stairs.

Charlie was the first one to stomp down the stairs. He finished pulling his shirt down just as he reached the ground floor, and said, "What's the hurry, dad? It's not like anyone else is going to be looking for a tree back there."

Finishing his eggs, Mr. Weasley answered, "You never know! I want plenty of time to get the perfect tree!"

Bill followed Charlie shortly. He sat down quickly and started in on his breakfast.

Once they had all finished breakfast and been given a packed lunch ("You lot take forever to pick a tree!"), Mr. Weasley eagerly left with his saw, ready to get started. Before Bill and Charlie left, their mother pulled them aside and said in a low voice, "Now, don't let your father use that saw. You know how he gets with Muggle things."

"Don't worry, mum. I won't let dad hurt himself," answered Bill, leaving.

"I'll do my best to keep him away from the saw," said Charlie before rushing after his brother and father.

(_) (_) (_)

It was well after noon (with many wrong turns and double backs) before Mr. Weasley stopped before his chosen tree. He had been walking in a generally straight line before he came to one that looked dead. Its needles were brown and falling, and ice had broken a lot of the branches. Mr. Weasley looked dismayed. "What happened?!" he shouted. "This tree was perfectly healthy last week! It was perfect!"

"Dad? How much time did you put into finding this tree?" asked Charlie.

Mr. Weasley's ears turned red. "Just a little," he mumbled.

"Well, the thing's dead now, dad. We'll just have to find another one," said Bill. He looked around, but all he saw were old pines and very un-Christmasy oaks.

"You're right! Let's get going!" said a suddenly cheerful Mr. Weasley. He studied all of his options carefully before wandering off. He seemed very confused.

Bill looked at Charlie and said, "We're hopelessly lost, aren't we?"

Charlie chuckled and replied, "Dad may not know where we are, but I do. You can just make out the main road through those trees." He pointed, and just as he'd promised there was the unmistakable glimmer of pavement.

(_) (_) (_)

Back at the Burrow, the twins were finally waking up. George sat up groggily and said to his brother, "We've got to start going to bed at a reasonable time."

Fred didn't even bother to open his eyes when he replied, "We'll never be finished with our project in time if we don't stay up late. Those gnomes are little devils."

George stood up and said, "We'd better hurry up. Mum's already going to explode about how we're sleeping our lives away."

Several minutes later, the twins were downstairs and watching their mother clean up the remnants of breakfast. She looked unapologetic as she said, "If you can't wake up on time, I'm not making you breakfast. I've got better things to do. You two need to be more responsible. Look at Ron and Harry; they're making themselves useful by de-gnoming the garden."

Fred looked aghast. "They're what? Why are they de-gnoming the garden?"

"This place is an absolute pigsty. Harry's already here, and we have more guests on the way! Someone needs to do it!"

Fred ran out the door not even bothering to listen to his mother's lecture. George followed in hot pursuit.

Out in the garden, Harry (who had decided to forgo Christmas at Hogwarts) was preparing to fling a gnome over his head when George grabbed it.

"Fred, go upstairs and get the cage!" he said. As Fred ran into the house, George glared furiously at Ron and Harry.

Ron looked defensive. "Look, George. I was only doing what mum told me to do. What's so wrong with getting rid of the gnomes, anyway?"

George merely glared. When Fred arrived back with an old owl cage, George placed the gnome he was holding inside it.

Harry picked another gnome from the ground and stared at it, wondering what was so special. He jumped as he realized that on the gnome's belly a "B" had been carefully painted. "Fred? George? What are you planning?" he asked.

Fred snatched the gnome out of his hand and said while winking, "He's one of our basses. That's the only hint you're getting. It's going to be a surprise!"

(_) (_) (_)

"Dad, will you just choose one?" asked Charlie. The group was walking between three different trees, all of them good choices, while Mr. Weasley examined each from every angle.

"I need the perfect tree. Your mother already wanted one of those perfect trees they sell at Diagon Alley, and she'll be very upset if the tree I pick isn't just as good," explained Mr. Weasley. "This one's it," he said as he sat to cut it down.

"Oh no, Dad," said Charlie, "You're not doing the sawing. I am."

Bill grinned, "Let the man have a little fun."

Charlie looked aghast, saying, "Bill! Mum specifically asked us to keep Dad away from the saw!"

Mr. Weasley stood there quietly.

"Mum will never know if no one tells her," answered Bill.

"But, Bill... She'll know if he cuts his arm off."

"He won't cut his arm off," said Bill exasperatedly.

"I won't cut my arm off!" said Mr. Weasley.

Charlie stared back and forth between the two. His older brother and his dad. He felt like he was eleven again, wanting nothing more than to impress his dad and his big third year brother. As he looked between the two, he felt his resolve weakening.

He said, "Okay, Dad, but be careful." This was, perhaps, not the smartest decision he ever made.

Mr. Weasley sat on the ground and started to saw. It took him a few tries but he finally made a groove deep enough for the saw to rest in. He was starting to get excited. "This is so much fun!" he said as he moved the saw faster and faster.

"Dad, you need to slow down," said Charlie. Even Bill was starting to look worried.

Their father wasn't paying attention. He was getting toward the end of the tree's trunk and the saw was becoming increasingly erratic. He giggled excitedly.

Charlie glanced at Bill and asked, "We're not getting out of here without an injury, are we?"

Without looking at his brother, Bill answered, "Err--probably not. Your medical magic is ace though."

Charlie seemed worried, saying, "So now we're relying on my magic... uh-oh!"

Then it happened. Everyone knew it would happen; it wasn't a surprise. In a split second, the tree fell and the lack of resistance led to Mr. Weasley cutting a gash up his knee and thigh. It turned red instantly.

"Why do we even bother?" asked Charlie. He pulled out his wand, thought hard for a minute, and waved it clumsily. The blood disappeared from his father's leg. "The pain won't go away," said Charlie, "but you won't loose anymore blood. I'm not a bloody nurse after all. You'll have to grin and bear it; it will go away eventually."

Bill grinned seeing everything was okay. He said, "Smile, Charlie. Somebody always gets hurt at Christmas, at least we got it out of the way." He grabbed the tree around the trunk. "Can you get the top?"

(_) (_) (_)

Mrs. Weasley knew instantly that her husband had been using the saw. However, since no one was seriously hurt (she took a little pleasure in the knowledge that he still felt pain) and the tree was so beautiful, she didn't yell at them. Fred and George had smuggled the gnomes up to their room unnoticed by their mother (this took a considerable amount of skill), and everybody in the house was fast asleep on the night before Christmas.

At least as asleep as anyone ever is the night before Christmas. The twins paced around their room planning and plotting. Harry and Ron discussed when Hermione would be arriving tomorrow (after she had opened her presents with her family). Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stuffed stockings and laid presents under the tree. But, excluding Harry, Ron, and the Twins, the Weasley family slept peacefully with dreams of Santa Claus and Christmas presents.

(_) (_) (_)

Something happens to any household on Christmas morning. It glows so brilliantly no one can help but grin. The family room on Christmas morning makes everyone happy. "Santa Claus" has nestled the presents under the Christmas tree with ornaments glowing and tiny lights like fireflies. It is something that no one ever forgets. It is a memory of joy and peace, and the Weasley house was no different. Everyone was in his or her pajamas and bathrobes. The twins were running around the house trying to herd everyone to the tree to start opening presents. Ginny sat on the counter with a Santa hat on her head. She watched her mother making breakfast, and her mother kept telling her to get off the counter. Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley sat around the table discussing light politics and happy topics. Harry and Ron shook the presents when no one was looking.

"Boys! Ginny! Listen carefully!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Percy is coming over, and everybody had better be on their best behaviour. No pranks, Fred and George!"

"Check! We won't prank little Percikins!" Fred yelled back.

"Mum, look at the clock!" shouted Ginny, surprised. Percy's hand blinked to traveling.

Mrs. Weasley bustled faster, putting things in order. He arrived in the kitchen the next instant. His shirt was clean and pressed. His robe was deep black with no trace of fading. His hair fell perfectly in place, and he looked all the better compared to his family in pajamas.

Ginny ran up and hugged him around the waist, promptly wrinkling his flawlessly pressed robe. She shouted, excitedly, "Percy! It's nice to see you again! How have you been?"

Percy smoothed the wrinkles and replied, "I've been quite well. Thank you."

"Percy! Pull up a chair!" shouted Bill at the table. "Did you hear that Japan has been selected to host the World Cup?"

Percy sat with his spine straight and his hands folded neatly in his lap. "Yes, I had heard. You hear these things when you work at the Ministry."

"Good old Percy," said Bill. He chuckled as he ruffled his brother's perfect hair.

Fred and George jumped on him from behind, grinning. "Percy, how we missed you, our favourite Headprick of all time," they sang together, off tune. Fred screeched to the highest notes he could manage; his voice kept cracking while George went so low he sounded like a dying frog.

"Yes... I've missed you terribly," replied Percy sarcastically.

(_) (_) (_)

"Presents!" shouted Ron. He sprinted to get the best seat in front of the tree after he had finished breakfast. Ginny shoveled her last few spoonfuls of scrambled eggs into her mouth and ran after him. The twins and Harry followed. Eventually, everyone was sitting around the tree except Mrs. Weasley and Percy.

"Would you like any more bacon, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Everyone stared intently at the pair.

"No, thank you, mother," said Percy.

"Hurry up, Percy!" shout Fred.

Percy glared.

Fred glared.

"Fred..." said Mrs. Weasley warningly.

Fred glared harder but sank deeper into the couch in a huff.

Percy stood up to bring his plate to the sink when Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, "Percy, dear! I'll take care of your dishes!" She snatched the plate and utensils from his hands and busied herself at the sink.

Fred whispered to George, "How come we had to clean our own dishes?"

Bill leaned over and whispered to Fred, "Calm down. Mum just doesn't want to loose her boy."

With the living room overflowing, Percy couldn't find a chair, and he didn't want to sit on the floor. Mrs. Weasley came up behind him, wiping her hands on her apron. "Percy, please take a seat," she said.

"I'll just stand. Thank you," he replied coolly.

"Come now," she said. "Fred, let your brother sit on the couch. You can sit on the floor."

Fred frowned deeply and opened his mouth to snap back. Sensing imminent explosion, Bill worked to soothe his brother by suggesting, "You know what? I'll sit on the floor, and Percy can have my seat." Fred shut his mouth quickly and tried to calm himself by focusing his thoughts on the presents.

Mr. Weasley picked up the first lumpy present from the pile and read, "To Harry Potter. From Dobby."

Ron nudged his friend with his elbow. Chuckling, he asked, "Ready for some mismatched socks?" The package jingled as it passed from hand-to-hand to Harry. "Sounds like you've got some bells on your socks!"

Harry blushed as he ripped open the wrapping paper. "What has Dobby done?" he groaned. There, in his hands, was a pair of red and green boxers with jingle bells hand-sewn on.

Fred roared with laughter, grabbed the boxers, pulled them over his head, and started dancing around like a fool to cheers and applause of the entire family (mainly Ginny and George, Harry hid his face in shame). Even Percy stifled laughter when Fred started mocking Peeves with his bell-covered hat. He suddenly broke into a rousing rendition of "Weasley is our King," while pointing to the boxers as his crown. The tune of the song was whistled and hummed for much of the rest of the evening. All of the earlier animosity was lost to Christmas cheer.

(_) (_) (_)

There is a long-standing tradition in the Weasley family in which mistletoe is hung over the kitchen counter while Mrs. Weasley makes the big Christmas feast. In order to get dinner, all of the Weasley children have to give their mother a kiss on the cheek. It was their way of showing appreciation for all she did during the year. As soon as Mr. Weasley started chopping up the potatoes, Ginny, Fred, and George kissed her right away.

Fred said, "I'm not missing out on dinner! No way!" It was a little known fact that one year Bill had forgotten this particular custom, but had been given dinner anyway. This rite, unfortunately, led to a sticky situation for any visitors on Christmas Day.

When Hermione arrived, she and Ron kissed Mrs. Weasley right off. They tried to get Harry to go with them, but he blushed and shuffled his feet. Later, he asked Hermione about her experience, saying, "Isn't it a little... awkward?"

Hermione answered, "Mr. Weasley is a wonderful cook, and I'm not taking my chances. It wasn't that uncomfortable..." She turned scarlet.

Harry spent much of the remainder of the day agonizing over what to do until Fred and George confronted him. "Harry, old chap, we've noticed you're not respecting our custom. Don't you appreciate good ole Mum? She made you this beautiful sweater," said Fred.

"You're practically a member of the family," George continued. "You spend more time here than you do with the Dursleys."

"Is it really that big a deal?" asked Harry nervously.

"It's the most sacred tradition we have!" said Fred vehemently.

Harry looked anxiously at Mrs. Weasley, who was diligently mashing potatoes. He looked back at Fred and George. They scared him. He shuffled into the kitchen and stood there for a while. Then, he very quickly pecked Mrs. Weasley on the cheek and started to run.

She was too fast for him, and she pulled him into a big bear hug, saying, "You're just another one of my boys, Harry dear." She let him go, and he promptly made his exit.

Once outside, Fred threw his arm over Harry's shoulder. He chuckled and said, "See, Harry, that wasn't that bad, and now you're guaranteed a feast!"

Hermione walked up to the group and said to Harry, "So you finally worked up the courage. I told you it was nothing to worry about!" She dragged Harry over to where she and Ron had been.

Ron glanced conspiratorially at Harry. He whispered, "Fred and George are up to something. What do you think it is?"

Harry shrugged, "He said that gnome was a 'bass.' Maybe that means they're making a pyramid of gnomes and that gnome is at the base."

Hermione shook her head. "Why would Fred and George do that?" she asked.

"Why do Fred and George do anything?" asked Ron.

(_) (_) (_)

The tables were laid out with white tablecloths in the Weasley's back garden. Bill, Charlie, and Percy had placed heating spells on all of the chairs to keep the person sitting on them warm. Platters of food weighed everything down, and Fred, George, and Ginny had already seated themselves staring longingly at the food. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood discussing the finer points of the evening meal. "That turkey looks delicious!" said Harry.

"No, not the turkey, Harry, the dinner rolls are what you should be drooling over," said Ron. "They're delicious!"

Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, and Percy made their way to the garden and sat at the table. Seeing this, Ron hurried to sit down as well. ("I don't want them to start without me!" he said.) Harry and Hermione followed him. Finally, Mrs. Weasley made her way out and sat at the head of the table. "It's so wonderful to have everyone together for Christmas. I really couldn't be happier!" she said.

Bill grinned and reached for the nearest thing to serve himself with. The entire table had come alive and everyone was reaching this way and that for something to pile on their plates. Fred suddenly stopped and shouted, "Wait!" Everyone stopped and stared at him. "Did everyone give mum her kiss?" Everyone nodded except Percy, who blushed and said, "Oh, I forgot about that silly old tradition." He promptly stood up and kissed his mother on the cheek.

She said, "It's quite alright, dear."

Fred frowned and said, "It's not a silly tradition, Percy."

Percy looked at him and said, "I'm sure it's not to you."

Bill looked between the two and then eagerly at his food. "Come on, the food's getting cold," he said. And for a while, the conflict was forgotten.

(_) (_) (_)

The Weasley family (plus Hermione and Harry) sat full and contented around the table. Hermione moaned, "I couldn't eat another bite."

Ron agreed.

Fred grinned around the table. He suddenly stood up and bolted into the house, beckoning George to follow him. "We'll be right back," said George. Ginny giggled.

Moments later, Fred and George re-appeared carrying a platter covered with one of their old school robes. Ginny rushed to clear off a spot in front of their mother, and the boys placed the platter down. With a grand sweeping motion, Fred removed the robe, revealing a dozen or so gnomes. Mrs. Weasley looked aghast.

George held up his wand and began conducting. The gnomes sang on cue in their high-pitched, squeaky voices. (In all fairness, due to the hard training of Fred and George, some of them sang slightly lower.) The gnome's version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" rang through the garden until Mr. Weasley started laughing. "That's a great trick you taught them boys!"

Mrs. Weasley was not nearly so happy. She watched Percy anxiously as he scowled. "All I asked was that the garden was de-gnomed, and this is what I get!" she shouted. She lunged at one of the gnomes, but it popped out of her hand.

George grinned, saying, "Never-Ceasing Grease (For Pigs and Such)! Coming soon to a Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes near you!"

Percy stood up abruptly, glared at Fred and shouted, "This is exactly why I don't come here. You think you're so funny with your joke shop and singing gnomes. There's more to life than practical jokes. There are more serious matters that need to be attended to."

Fred shouted right back, "You wouldn't see the beauty in a well executed prank! Bet you'd die if you thought of something funny!"

"Percy, I'm so sorry!" said Mrs. Weasley. Then she turned to Fred and shouted, "Fred, I told you no pranks! How could you do this to your brother! If Percy leaves, and you destroy my family, I will never speak to you again!"

"Calm down, dear" said Mr. Weasley.

"As though you're any better! You never listen to what I say, and you only get yourself hurt! Nobody in this family cares that we are a FAMILY! We have to look out for each other! PERCY IS IN THIS FAMILY!"

Fred looked dangerous. Harry had never seen Fred this dangerous. "YOU ALWAYS TAKE HIS SIDE! PERCY THIS AND PERCY THAT. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS FAMILY!" yelled Fred. He pulled something out of his pocket and he threw it at Percy. "It was supposed to go in your stocking, but I took it out for our dear mother!" he shouted. It was a chunk of coal.

Percy glared at him and threw the coal right back.

Fred sat in his chair, still glaring at his brother. He drank a sip of wine.

Percy sat in his chair, still glaring at his brother. He drank a sip of wine.

Fred drank.

Percy drank.

No one spoke.

(_) (_) (_)

As often happens when people are not paying attention to what they are drinking, Fred and Percy slowly sank into a drunken stupor. Neither of them was making any attempt to make peace with the other. The family moved into the front room and George, who seemed positively dismayed that his prank had turned out so badly, sulked in the corner. Mr. Weasley was petting the no-longer singing gnomes in his big armchair. Most of the group (Hermione had returned home) relaxed on the couch and various chairs.

Percy looked over at Fred lazily. He said, slurred, "You need do follow the wules more."

Fred responded, "You should welax, -hic- 'Ercy." Then, he added, "You nevah sing. Id's fun." He broke into a drunken rendition of the gnomes' "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," complete with screeching and terrible singing. The gnomes joined in, and the room exploded in sound. Very, very bad sound.

Percy soon brought the noise to an end by hitting Fred over the head. He said, "I sing beddah than you-u." He soon broke into the same song, with the same result: a very, very bad sound.

The sober boys just laughed. This brought Percy's attention to Ron, who was closest to him and was laughing the loudest. "Well ad least I'm beddah than you-u," Percy mumbled to Ron. He reached over to the coffee table and picked up a large photo album. He flipped to the middle and searched through the pages until he found Ron. There was Ron being picked on by Fred and George, Ron watching his brothers play Quidditch, and Ron naked in the bathtub. "Ad least that's not mee."

Harry roared with laughter. "If only Hermione could see these!" he said with his eyes filling with tears. Ron's ears turned red.

Fred clapped Percy on the shoulder. "You've done good, 'Ercy," he said, laughing.

Percy beamed and said, "That was pretty good, huh?" He starting singing and Fred joined in.

Charlie laughed and shoved them out the front door. "At least we don't have to hear them anymore," he said. Their singing could still be heard coming through the walls.

"They seem to have patched things up for now. At least they're friendly when they're drunk," said Bill.

Maybe the world's problems were not solved and no real conclusion came, but Christmas is just one day out of the year, and there are other days for the big events that shape lives. On Christmas, people can sit and laugh, forget their worries, and have a very Weasley Christmas.