Harry Potter and the Prince of the Enchanted Forest

Chapter 8: In Which It's Christmas and They All Lose Their Temper

"What? No!" Hermione cried.

"But these potatoes are bland," Daystar said in a fake whine.

"He can't expel you like that," Hermione continued. "Didn't you say Dumbledore gave you permission to use that spell?"

"Yes. That's why I'm not expecting any trouble, so don't worry. I'm going to have a hearing in a couple of days because of my special circumstance. Until then, my biggest job will be to convince the school that I'm not evil."

"I'm warning you, that's going to take something pretty big," Harry muttered.

"Well, you know, it's probably died down some, since everybody saw Draco yesterday," Hermione reasoned.

"I have to admit, seeing him in that post-melted state was kinda funny," Ron giggled.

"Well, it was even funnier watching Draco go down," Harry laughed. "That look on his face when Crabbe pointed it out to him, that was priceless."

"And get this," Daystar said. "Mr. Malfoy isn't as concerned that I melted his son as much as I insulted the Malfoy name. Well, it's his fault! He named his son after the word for dragon and didn't teach him any manners or courtesy. Dragons never curse. Mother would have a fit with Draco's conduct."

"Why your Mother?" Ron asked.

"Mother always taught me to be polite to dragons."

The hearing was no problem. Despite Lucius's arguments, Dumbledore and Daystar convinced the council that Daystar only used the spell to teach Draco a lesson. He would not use that spell on a regular basis. As for Daystar's reputation, Morwen took time at the beginning of one of her classes to lecture against gossip. Then she asked Daystar to use the spell against her. Daystar soaked her with the same concoction, and nothing happened. In case there was an agnostic, he also soaked a student at random. The student just got wet.

"Then how come it works on some wizards and not on others?" Lavender asked.

"We're not exactly sure, but I believe it has to do with motives," Morwen answered. "Those who use magic for evil ends or greed are susceptible. That's just my theory though. A friend of mine just happen to stumble on this secret, and we haven't really learned the ramifications yet."

After class, some students came up and apologized to Daystar. "I'm glad this is over," he told Harry and his friends. "Now I can just enjoy Thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. You know, the final Thursday of November? We have such a feast at home. All kinds of creatures come from miles around."

"Daystar, that's an American holiday," Hermione said.

"America had a magic grail too? You learn something new every day." The three of them just laughed.

Christmas came soon. Harry stayed behind, of course, and so did Ron, Hermione, and Daystar to keep him company. Most everybody else left in case the wizards tried to attack again. Hedwig woke Harry up by dropping a present at the foot of his bed. "Happy Christmas, Harry!"

"Happy Christmas, Hedwig. Come down here, let's see what we got." Ron also woke and joined him.

The Dursleys sent a moldy heel of bread. "Want it, Hedwig?"

"Gross! What do you take me for, a sparrow?"

"I'll throw it out, then. That's what I was intending anyway, but I thought I'd offer."

"Well, I appreciate the thought, I guess."

Mrs. Weasley sent her yearly sweater. Sirius got Harry a color-changing paperweight, probably in response to Harry's complaints in his letters about keeping all his notes together. Ron got Harry an assortment of Zonko's prank stuff. Hermione gave him a novel of Star Wars Episode One. Hagrid got him lots of candy, like Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavor Beans, telling him to make sure he shared not only with Ron and Hermione but with Daystar as well. He wasn't sure what to get a prince.

Morwen and Telemain sent gingerbread and cider, with a note, "You have really made our first semester enjoyable and successful. We appreciate teaching all of you. Merry Christmas! P.S. Here's a gift for Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, Crookshanks, and Genie too." It was blue (?) catnip for the cats and mice for the owls.

"Yes! That's more like it!" Hedwig said. Pig very merrily chirped. "Calm down, let's eat," Hedwig told Pig.

"Great, more cider!" Ron cheered. "Wanna wake up Daystar and have some?"

Harry looked around Daystar's bed. "That's odd. He didn't get a whole lot. You'd think at his home he'd--" He pulled the curtain from Daystar's four-poster to see the prince holding some kind of sack. "Where'd that come from?"

"Sure didn't see him go to bed with a bag," Ron shrugged. "We'll give him a few more minutes, then."

They went down to the common room and shared their goods with Hermione. Daystar came down a few hours later, carrying that sack.

"Happy Christmas, Daystar!" Harry called up.

"Happy Christmas? I thought you say 'Merry Christmas' in England, like we do. At least, that's what it says in this book." He held up A Christmas Carol. "By the way, Hermes, I really like this so far."

"Thought you would," she answered.

"Well, anyhow, Merry Christmas!" He handed everyone a small, purple gift. "This is from me as well as Mother, Father, and Kazul."

"Who's Kazul?" Harry asked.

"Oh, a friend," Daystar answered uncomfortably.

"Good things come in small packages," Ron said shaking the present at his ear.

"Go ahead. Open it."

So they did. Immediately, a crystal glass full of a chocolate and cherry dessert, with a silver spoon, popped out of the box. Daystar smiled. "It's Mother's famous cherries jubilee. You can have some now, and whenever you want some more, Father bewitched the cup so that when you tap it three times on the rim with the spoon it'll fill up. Hermes, what are you doing with your wand?"

"It's cherries jubilee. I'm going to set it on fire!"

"You don't need to," Daystar laughed. "There's a magic flame in the glass already."

"Oh. Interesting."

The three of them had cherries jubilee and cider in place of breakfast. It was certainly a sweet Christmas.

Afterwards, Daystar took up the bag and walked toward the portrait door. "I'm going to give out the same gift to all my teachers. Would you all like to join me?"

They decided they would, for they had nothing better to do. Daystar went to find many teachers in their offices, but sometimes he had to lead the others to the teacher's personal wing, a place Harry had never been before. Most of the teachers were pleasantly surprised. Dumbledore had a long conversation with the four of them afterwards, nothing serious just fun. Flitwick squeaked with joy. Other teachers seemed skeptical. Filch took his without saying a word and kept glowering at Daystar. If Professor McGonagall weren't talking with Morwen about animagi, Harry would have expected more of the same from her.

"That only leaves Professor Snape," Daystar said as they neared the end of the tour.

"You got a gift for him?" Ron said in disbelief.

"Now Ron, don't forget Christmas is a time to remember a Gift we didn't deserve."

"Yeah, but still, Sna--ah--ah--achoo!"

Everyone froze. "Tell me that was just dust," Harry muttered.

"Achoo! I don't--achoo!--think--achoo!--so. Ah--ah--ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh--chooooooooo!"

Hermione screamed, and Harry backed away in fear. "What?" Ron asked.

"Ron, your hair!" Hermione cried.

Ron turned and looked in a window to see his head on fire. "Whoa! That's never--achoo!--happened before. It doesn't even--achoo!--feel hot."

"We'll worry about that later," Daystar said. "Hermes, you and Ron get Morwen and Telemain now! Harry, you come with me."

Daystar pulled invisible strings from his sword and followed where they led. They lead closer and closer to the dungeon. As they drew nearer, Daystar started making pulling and twisting motions in the air.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a weapon."

Harry felt that rope being pulled out of his soul once again, but this time Daystar grabbed it and added it to his magic ball. Harry winced. "Oh, is that yours? Sorry." He pulled it out and tied it to the sword's hilt so it wouldn't be absorbed.

Daystar stood by the doors, holding tightly to his invisible ball, and shouted inside, "I know you are in there, wizard! In the name of the Enchanted Forest and in my father Mendanbar, I order you to come out or suffer the consequences."

"Very well, Daystar," a dark voice answered. The door opened to reveal a hand holding a staff. Harry expected someone like Zemenar standing there, but the owner was more sinister.

It was Snape.

Daystar was really taken aback. One of his own teachers whom he trusted was the cause of all this trouble?

"What are you gawking at?" Snape snapped at him. "Surely you've seen more impressive things in your lifetime than an old walking stick."

Daystar was searching for words, but nothing was coming out. "You, you, you fool!" Snape looked at him sharply, and Daystar checked himself. "I am sorry. I meant no disrespect. Please let us in, and we'll have a little talk. Leave your staff at the door."

Snape gave him one more, hard glare then allowed Daystar and Harry in. Once he let go of his staff, that horrible pulling feeling in Harry's soul ceased. Snape offered a chair to each of his guests and sat at his own desk. Harry stared at Snape with increasing anger. Snape gave Harry a particularly nasty look before Daystar spoke up.

"How long have you had the staff?"

"Since last night."

"You were not responsible for what happened at the Quidditch match?"

"I am not."

"Do you swear it?"

"Yes. I had nothing to do with it."

"You have seen what this thing does then, what damage it has cause to this school."

"Do you know for a fact that it was a staff?"

"Of course. There is nothing else it could have been. I know this is new to this world, but where I'm from they're common unfortunately, and they are a nuisance. So one question remains: Why would you put your own school in jeopardy by accepting this?"

"Because I was elected." Snape handed Daystar a letter, which the prince read aloud:

Dear Professor Severus Snape,

Congratulations! Since recent developments and discovers, we have been investigating your work at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We have reviewed your record and are impressed with your credentials. We are an elite Society of Wizards in another dreamension, and we have nominated you for our new Head Wizard. Enclosed is a gift we wish for you to take to consider joining us. We wish to meet with you in your dungeon to discuss initiation on the evening of--

"There they are!" Hermione ran in, followed by Morwen, Telemain, and Ron. Ron's hair looked frizzled and singed in some places. Telemain inspected the staff by the door.

"Well, is it?" Morwen demanded.

Telemain turned, his face full of concern, disbelief, and fear. "Yes, it is from the Society of Wizards."

Morwen threw her hands up and sighed in exasperation. Harry had never seen Morwen so angry. She had been strict, yes, but now she looked like she would blow her top.

"All right, Severus, put it away!"

"Make me."

"Severus, do you know our school's motto?"

"Of course, 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.' It's a common sense phrase: 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon.' So?"

"Well, you might as well be tickling a dragon's nose with that thing! Listen, the Dark Lord has returned, and the Society of Wizards has given you a tool to drain this school and all that dwell within it dry of all its magic!"

"That's where you're wrong, Morwen. It has an on/off function; it has to. They know what environment I live in."

"Negative," Telemain answered. "I had such a staff in my possession for years. The only method to cease its absorption function is to cause the staff itself to dematerialize."

"Meaning?" Ron said impatiently.

"In order to make it stop soaking up magic, the staff needs to disappear," Hermione explained.

"That's what I said!" Telemain yelled.

"With as much as Telemain knows about figuring magic things out, you should know this is tricky magic," Morwen added. "The Society does not like those staffs turned off."

"Hear me out, woman! I have never been the head of anything, never head of my class, head of the school, not even head of a household!" He looked at Morwen jealously.

Telemain sensed this and seethed with anger. "You are head of Slytherin house. Isn't that enough for you?"

Snape ignored him. "These wizards are practically giving me the chance to be the very top of something. You think I would pass this up?"

At that moment, Dumbledore ran into the doorway. "Severus, there you are. You too Morwen, and Telemain I've been looking all over for you. The Christmas feast is about to start."

"Albus, I'm glad you're here," Snape said standing up. "I'd like to announce that at the end of this year, I, Severus Snape, am resigning from Hogwarts."

Dumbledore looked flustered. "Resigning? Dear me, this is rather sudden. Are you sure?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, how in the world are we going to replace you, especially in these turbulent times? We need you, Severus. I'll give you that Defense Against the Dark Arts position you have wanted so badly if you stay."

Snape walked up to Dumbledore so that they were standing crooked nose to crooked nose. "You have allowed me to be candid before, so let me do it again. I hate teaching. I hate my students. And most of all, I hate this school. It's nothing personal in that I have nothing my colleagues, but I want out. I have been called to loftier things. It is time for me to move on. And I do not care whom you get to replace me. Indeed, I don't care anything you do in this world. Just let me go."

Dumbledore paused, looking hesitant. "Very well. We shall meet later, try to make this final. For now, come to the feast. Let us have a happy Christmas."

"I will be there shortly."

Dumbledore turned and left. Morwen walked after him, but first she grabbed Snape's arm and turned him around. "I thought you were supposed to be fighting evil," she hissed. "Very well, do as you wish, but I'm warning you: as long as you have that staff, Hogwarts is going to be a city without walls." She turned away, refusing to look at him. Telemain walked after her, giving Snape a hairy eyeball all the way.

"I almost forgot. This is for you." Daystar tossed a gift to Snape and said the most un-merry "Merry Christmas" that Harry ever heard. He promptly got up and left. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed.

The rest of the day was a very somber Christmas among the four of them. Daystar was infuriated and paced in front of the fireplace in the common room. Harry and Hermione were arguing with him what the best plan of action would be to take. Ron was more worried about something completely different.

"I'm really a firewitch?"

Hermione seemed annoyed. "Don't you have any notes from when Morwen taught that lesson? Yes, all the clues of late show that you are a firewitch. Actually, it's rather amazing that I didn't think of this before. It's rather bizarre that an entire family would have such read hair. And most of you seem to have a short temper at times."

"I'm really a firewitch? Why didn't Mum and Dad tell me?"

"Didn't you already speculate that your mother was a firewitch?" Harry spoke up.

"I was kidding! I didn't want Mum or anybody in my family to really be a firewitch. Oh, I bet that's why we're so poor and why we aren't respected."

"What do you mean? Morwen didn't say firewitches were really bad, and Daystar's going out with one."

"Well, that's in his world. Firewitches are in our world, but they're often seen as loons. They have so much magic in them, even proper training can't tone it down. They're a danger to Muggles and wizards alike. Most of them are institutionalized."

"Now, you're not being rational," Hermione said. "Sure, you can control your magic fine."

"Yes, there are some firewitches that have no trouble. Most of them joined You-Know-Who. They're still seen as crazy, often evil."

"Ron, please," Daystar said. "Firewitches are people, like everybody. You're sister is as sweet as they come, from what little I've seen of her, and you and your brothers are clever and funny. Shiara has no sense of humor, save for maybe some sarcasm she uses when she's really angry. Besides, I'm not sure whether or not you could be a firewitch. You and your brothers are very allergic to wizard staffs, and firewitches are not. In fact, if you are really a firewitch, you will be a great asset to us."

"How?"

"That's what I'm trying to decide."

"I keep telling you," Harry yelled, "let's all just go down, melt Snape, and break his staff in half."

"No!" Daystar said. "I can't do that to a teacher, even though he isn't much of one. And staffs don't just break like that. The spells on them are too strong."

"Should we talk to Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Dumbledore knows. He saw Snape's staff in his office, didn't he?"

"What would Morwen and Telemain do?"

"Well, they tried to negotiate, we saw that. Telemain's probably devising a spell to protect the castle right now. Who knows how long it will be before it goes up?"

Daystar heaved a sigh. "There's only one thing left to do. I must go home and tell Mother and Father." He then stopped pacing and looked his friends in the eye. "And I want you to come with me."