Thicker Than Water: Year Six

Chapter 15 - Christmas

Suddenly, the Christmas holidays were upon them. Trunks were packed, Yule tidings exchanged, and students boarded the Hogwarts Express back to London. Harry parted with Luna at the Hogsmeade platform; she was meeting her father for a day of shopping in the wizarding village, and would not be taking the train. At the last minute, she leaned in for a small kiss. Flushing with embarrassment at being under the eye of the whole school population, Harry gave Luna a quick embrace and climbed into the nearest car. He looked back down at her as the train slowly pulled away from Hogsmeade station.

The train ride passed quickly. Harry spent some of his time sitting with Neville, Eloise, and several other Hufflepuff students. The remainder of his time he divided between Ginny and her friends, and Ron, Hermione, and the various D.A. members they sat with. Harry stepped off the Hogwarts Express, and said goodbye to his friends before they all dispersed to their respective families. Seamus and Dean called out their farewells, and the Parvati twins waved as they walked away. Ron and Hermione, hand in hand, stopped beside him.

"So we'll see you after Christmas, right mate?" Ron asked hesitantly, his voice belying his lack of confidence in Harry's answer.

"Of course," Harry assured him, then turned his head and locked gazes with Hermione. She gave him an expressive look, full of concern, but remained uncharacteristically quiet.

Harry smiled at her and said, "I'll be alright - I won't be alone for the holidays, don't worry."

With a sudden rush of emotion, Hermione threw her arms around Harry and he heard her choke back a sob. She pulled away quickly, teary-eyed, and dragged Ron off to the front of the train where most of the parents stood awaiting the students' arrival.

Neville walked over with Eloise at his side. "Merry Christmas, and I hope you have a nice holiday, Leo. We'll be seeing you back at school!"

As they walked away, Harry felt a warmth for the other boy; Neville had been his closest friend in Gryffindor throughout the first term. Though he knew Harry only as Leo, Harry appreciated the time Neville had taken to help him out and show him around. He tried not to contrast that with Ron's behaviour towards him, but it was hard.

At a distance, Harry caught sight of Sean and Remus preparing to leave the platform. Sean noticed him and waved goodbye; Remus merely acknowledged him with the slightest of nods. The crowds began to thin out a bit, and Harry saw Tonks leaning against a wall and watching him.

He walked over to the trim, black woman and said with an ironic smile, "Hi mom!"

"Wotcher, Leo!" she replied with a small wink. One of the security wizards walked over to them. Harry recognised Mad-Eye Moody before he even saw him, by the distinctive thunk! his wooden leg made on the platform.

"And who would you be, boy?" the old auror asked in his gruff voice.

"I'm Leo Evangy, sir," Harry answered.

Mad-Eye looked him up and down, and grunted his approval.

"Excellent job! Excellent job indeed, Tonks! I can't even see his scar! Now we just have to get you two home in one piece, and alive," growled Mad-Eye, his magic eye spinning suspiciously in its socket. "Remember, constant vigilance!"

Tonks rolled her eyes. Harry thought they'd stand a better chance of remaining inconspicuous if they didn't have Mad-Eye following them along the platform. Nonetheless, he accompanied them past the barrier of Platform 9¾, and flagged down a muggle taxi. Mad-Eye only left them after Harry and Tonks had climbed into the taxi and began to give the driver directions to the Leaky Cauldron.

From there, Tonks and Harry took a quick floo back to the Manor. Harry was still unpacking his clothes when he heard Remus' voice downstairs. When he came down, Tonks was commenting on a certain likeness she had noticed between Remus and his son, especially around the eyes.

"Have you taken Sean home already?" asked Harry.

"Yes," said Remus, "Actually, Sinéal met us in the village, so we just had to take the floo to the Carpenter's Den, and then I returned. We were talking about spending Christmas there, if that's okay with you."

"Yep, I'm game!" replied Tonks brightly.

Remus turned from Harry, gave Tonks a strange look and asked, "Don't you have any place to spend the holidays?"

"Yes, I do - I'm just kidding! I'm going to spend Christmas with my dad's extended family," Tonks smiled and lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. "They're a whole crowd of muggles, and they haven't a clue that I'm a witch! I show up for the occasional family get-together and they call me their dotty cousin Dora."

Tonks screwed up her eyes as though pained by the name, and buried her head into her hands. When she lifted it, the skin on her cheeks and chin had become pouchy, and there were red bags under her eyes. She continued to speak, declaring, "...Though why they call me dotty is really beyond me!"

Harry and Remus cracked up at her antics, while Tonks puffed out her cheeks and changed her hair into a vivid sky-blue colour.

The auror stayed for dinner, though Remus insisted she change her face back first; the blue hair remained. Later that evening, after Tonks left, Harry and Remus retired to the sitting room for some of Dobby's after-dinner eggnog and biscuits.

When Dobby had left, Harry looked over at his older friend and wondered if he should bring up a subject that had been weighing on him. Making up his mind, Harry asked tentatively, "Remus, do you know anything about the veiled arch that Sirius... the one in the Department of Mysteries?"

Remus' expression became pained as he replied, "Yes. After Sirius fell through the veil, I found out everything I could about that cursed archway. Its origins are unknown. It was already very old when we see the first mention of it, in the records of the Druids, almost a couple millennia back. In those days, the archway was both feared and revered; people believed that you could enter another plane of existence by passing through the veil. This couldn't be confirmed, because nobody who went in ever came back out.

"For a long time after that, there are no records of the archway. Some time between the tenth and fourteenth centuries, it was in the possession of a secret society in northern Europe. Well-concealed scrolls were discovered a few centuries later that told tales of dark rituals and muggle tortures, including throwing victims through the veil. It seems that the members of this dark society weren't immune to the Black Death, however. Its numbers dwindled sharply after 1348, probably due to the Plague."

Pausing to drink from the warm mug in his hand, Remus then continued his story. "Several other dark wizards have had possession of the archway, and it was the subject of many search missions by the wizard Grindelwald. Dumbledore doesn't believe Grindelwald ever got his hands on it, though. Somehow or other, in the course of his travels, Voldemort managed to find the archway and bring it back to England. He used it with increasing frequency during his first rise to power. Eyewitness accounts gathered after you vanquished him told tales of torture victims, weak from the cruciatus curse, sent to their demise past the veil.

"The archway was seized by the Ministry fifteen years ago, when Voldemort disappeared. Many of his smaller effects vanished, likely into the pockets of Death Eaters. What happened a few years back with the Chamber of Secrets shows just how much damage has been caused by the few of Voldemort's possessions that have resurfaced."

Harry stared down thoughtfully at his dark hands. It was amazing to think that the devastation caused by Voldemort was merely a succession to the evils that had thrived in the shadow of the death arch. So many innocent lives, so many souls cast casually aside into that unknown sphere beyond the veil...

Harry lifted his eyes to his guardian, who was watching him sadly. "Is there any way to contact the people who have gone through the archway? When I was there in June, I heard them whispering just beyond the veil, Remus."

The man shook his head gravely. "I'm afraid not, Harry. For over a dozen years, the brightest wizards at the Ministry of Magic have tried repeatedly to make contact. They tried again after Sirius went through, hoping his recent journey to that mysterious other side might make him more accessible. It doesn't work, Harry. No spell, no device has succeeded in reaching those whispers, and they remain annoyingly indecipherable."

Uttering a deep sigh, Remus murmured, "If there was any way... If their tests had shown any promise of communicating, I'd be the first one lined up to speak to him. To say goodbye..."

Though Harry had never seen his old teacher crying, he heard the tears that choked Remus' voice. A lengthy silence ensued as they each took counsel with their own thoughts.

Breaking the silence, Harry broached another subject that he had lingered over many an evening, and had not discussed with anyone yet. "Remus, at the Department of Mysteries, that prophecy..."

"Yes, Harry. I know about that." Remus' eyes flickered up to Harry's face.

"Did Dumbledore tell you?" Harry asked.

"No, Sirius did."

Harry looked surprised, and Remus continued. "Sirius heard the prophecy from James, when your parents went into hiding. He told me about it last year, when the members of the Order began guarding the Department of Mysteries. I don't think too many others know exactly what the prophecy says. We all just took it at face value when Dumbledore told us it was something worth guarding, which Voldemort was eager to find out."

Harry stared into the distance, and forced the words out of his mouth. "Have you ever killed anybody?"

The air of sadness that Remus sometimes wore enveloped him again, but his voice had a hard edge as he answered. "I don't really know, but wouldn't you say it's inevitable? After all, I'm a werewolf, and werewolves are vicious beasts.

"Besides, we're at war against a great evil, Harry, and I've fought that war before. Killing somebody is something you engage in when your opponent is unarmed or hasn't done anything to merit such a sentence. The Order of the Phoenix stresses disarming and restraining the enemy, but sometimes, bad people die; good people do, too. What you're asking about is defence: defence of family, defence of home, defence of all we hold just and beautiful in the world. Voldemort's tools are pain and intimidation; his minions are foul beasts like the Dementors, who feed on life and leave nothing but despair, madness - an empty void - in their wake. If you're worried that the prophecy means you have to kill somebody, don't. There isn't enough man left in that monster to kill."

Remus jumped up in agitation, and paced twice across the room. He then strode out, leaving Harry shaking with the intensity of his words and message. It occurred to Harry that he had killed in defence before, in defence of his life and of Ginny's, when he thrust the basilisk fang into the pages of Tom Riddle's diary. Riddle had, at that point, been an unfulfilled potential of the evil that Voldemort had since become. But that's exactly what it meant to take a life: to destroy the potential of a being to do great good, or devastating harm. And Remus was right, thought Harry; there wasn't enough of the man left in that snake-like monstrosity to regret killing. Nonetheless, that realisation did nothing to lighten the weight of the prophecy that sat upon him.

*

The following morning, Remus was mum about the conversation they had had the previous night. Instead, he admitted that he hadn't yet done his Christmas shopping and asked Harry if he would mind a trip to Diagon Alley. Harry had bought and sent most of his presents, but he was still missing a couple and didn't want to show up at Sinéal's empty-handed.

Harry agreed he could be ready to go mid-morning. This gave him time for a vigorous fly over the Manor grounds. He returned exhilarated and hot, peeling off his cloak and sweater and dropping them on a hall chair. Harry then went to find Remus, who was reading a book in the library.

Before they were ready to leave for Diagon Alley, a commotion in the kitchen caught their attention. They found Professor Dumbledore there, quarrelling with the excited house elf.

"Dobby is hearing things, and now Dobby sees for himself! Master Dumbledore is not taking proper care of his self!"

"I assure you, Dobby, I am taking all the care I can, under the circumstances," said Dumbledore, with a humoured wink at Harry and Remus.

"You is needing a good square meal and more rest!" insisted Dobby. On second glance, Harry had to admit the house elf was probably right: the Headmaster had bags of weariness under his eyes, and his face was pale.

Dumbledore finally pacified Dobby with a promise that he would accept a care-package to take home with him. Dobby immediately started to bustle around the kitchen, wrapping up choice meats and fruits. The other three went next door to the dining room, and sat down at one end of the long table.

"I just wanted to hand-deliver a couple of gifts before the holiday," said Dumbledore kindly. He reached into his cloak and pulled out two packages. The larger one - lumpy, wrapped in plain brown paper - he handed to Remus; the smaller package - square and flat - went to Harry. He quickly unwrapped it and found what resembled a compact disc. Mozart: Selected Works was printed on the front.

Harry pursed his lips into a semi-smile and chanced a look up at the Headmaster. "Thanks - I think! How did you know...?"

"The ghosts told me. That lot isn't used to seeing live ones down in the concert hall," replied Dumbledore. "Orbis musici, vade mecum semper fidelus; the world of music, my constant companion, always faithful. See here: you activate the different pieces by touching the titles with your wand and saying opus loqueris."

Harry shifted in his seat and began to scan the titles, wondering if the one that Luna frequently hummed was amongst them. His pendant, stark against his green t-shirt, caught the light. The cube was like a marble, swirling blue and violet, while the snowflake held a steady mint-green colour. Dumbledore reached out and lifted the pendants off Harry's chest for a closer look. "Where did you get these?"

"Oh, they're mood indicators. The ice cube shows what I'm feeling and the other is... my friend," Harry said, flushing with embarrassment. Recognising the snowflake, Remus leaned in curiously to examine the necklace as well.

"I'm assuming your friend has a matching set?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry nodded briefly, not meeting his eyes.

"Remarkable! May I ask who made these?" Dumbledore was still examining the pendant, closely following the continuum of colours as Harry's deepened into a darker blue.

"Erm... well... it was Luna Lovegood, sir."

Dumbledore looked up with interest, his penetrating gaze making Harry feel quite exposed. The old man nodded with a certain gravity, then let the pendants fall back onto Harry's chest. He said apologetically, "I'm afraid I must be leaving you gentlemen. I have to meet up with a few members of the Order to set up some holiday surveillance. Ah yes, and I mustn't forget Dobby's little basket."

When Dumbledore left, he was staggering under the weight of an enormous parcel of food that the house elf had prepared. Remus indicated the Mozart CD and asked, "What was that music thing all about?"

Harry launched into an explanation, describing the ghostly concert he had attended at Hallowe'en. Remus said appreciatively, "Dumbledore doesn't miss a trick, does he?"

"What did you get?" Harry pointed at the forgotten lumpy package that Remus still held.

Remus' fingers tore through the wrapping, and he looked up with a wry smile. "Six pairs of warm socks," he said, holding them up for Harry to see.

Harry retrieved his sweater and cloak from the hall, while Remus took the socks up to his bedroom. When he came back down, they approached the fireplace grate, Remus fumbling with a threadbare pouch that held his floo powder. Within moments, a green flame sent them spinning into the Leaky Cauldron.

Diagon Alley was bustling with last minute shoppers. They got through the first few stores, where Remus selected a couple of gifts with care; he had discarded several other options that proved to be too highly priced. Harry kept glancing impatiently across the alley at Quality Quidditch Supplies. Remus finally clued in, and reluctantly let Harry go off on his own, with the promise that he wouldn't wander farther than the third shop.

Harry bought Quidditch Through the Ages for Sean, and found a colourful set of gobstones for Liam. The next shop was men's apparel and Harry purchased a blue, patterned jumper for Dobby; he hoped Remus could help him shrink it down to the right size. He also found a small leather wallet with a robe clasp, which he bought for Remus. Harry expected it would make a good replacement for the old pouch that Remus used for his floo powder. He had already bought his friend a warm vest and a dark felt fedora.

Harry stepped outside the shop door only to have his arm immobilised by the strong grip of an unexpected hand. Reaching for his wand, Harry turned towards his assailant only to find himself peering at a familiar face.

Mundungus Fletcher, smelling of pipe tobacco and in dire need of a shave, thrust his face at Harry and said in a low voice, "Are you looking for a special gift? Maybe you need something for your father or grandfather?"

Mundungus reached into his robe and drew out a filthy cloth. He pulled open one side to reveal a collection of expensive, gleaming watches nestled in its folds.

"Surely a young man of obvious taste, such as yourself, must have a favourite uncle who would appreciate this fine time piece for Christmas." Mundungus picked up a Rolex and held it towards Harry. "Bargain prices, this close to the holiday!"

Happily taking the bait, Harry asked, "How much did you say it was?"

At that moment, Remus stepped up behind him and said, "I hope this gentleman isn't disturbing you, Leo?"

Quick as the blink of an eye, the material and watches had disappeared. Lupin looked over at the old crook, who said innocently, "Lupin! A pleasure to see you here!"

"Merry Christmas, Dung," Remus replied in acknowledgement. He pulled Harry away, asking, "Have you finished your shopping? Maybe we should go warm up with a butterbeer."

Mundungus faded into the crowd as Harry and Remus walked away. Out of the side of his mouth, Harry said in great amusement, "He tried to sell me a watch, Remus!"

"I'll remember that one next time I'm down on my luck and can't find any work," said Remus drily, "You never know, perhaps a career change would do me some good."

They were halfway to the nearest watering hole, when a spectre slipped up beside Harry and reached for his hand.

"Oh Luna! Hi!" exclaimed Harry, startled and delighted to see her. He withdrew his hand in embarrassment in front of his older friend, who had one eyebrow raised and was looking over with an interested smile. "Remus, this is Luna Lovegood. She's in fifth year at Hogwarts."

"Yes, of course," Remus replied pleasantly, "I remember you from my classes. You're Larry Lovegood's daughter, right?"

Luna smiled vaguely at him and said, "Yes, I am. Have you read the Quibbler, then?"

"Oh yes," Remus laughed. "In fact, I freelanced for him many years back - wrote an article or two about werewolves, using a pen name of course. Your mother was a few years ahead of me in school, if I recall correctly."

"She died accidentally six years ago," Luna told him in a composed voice. Remus said sympathetically, "I had heard about that. I remember that she was a very bright witch."

Luna nodded then changed the subject. "I've just bought Daddy an enchanted moonstone, to remind him of me while I'm away at school. I can put a few pictures of myself into it, and they will flash in sequence from within the stone!"

She opened a box, where an opaque whitish stone the size of a fist lay in a bed of tissue. Its mottled appearance was indeed reminiscent of the dark crater shadows on the full moon. Remus flinched momentarily at the sight of it, and Luna looked up in alarm. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. You probably don't like the moon very much, do you?"

She snapped the box shut. Harry asked her to join them for a butterbeer, looking over to see if Remus would mind. Remus repeated the invitation, and they all walked into the nearby FireDragon pub. Remus ordered three butterbeers, but Luna interrupted politely and changed her order to a tisane tea instead. Their server raised her eyebrow in surprise, but promised to see what she could do. "There's nothing like an infusion of steeped citrus leaves to warm you up!" Luna declared.

After their drinks and an animated conversation on magical beasts - of which both Remus and Luna seemed to know a lot - Remus asked Harry if he had any more presents to buy. Harry replied, "Just one - I thought I'd pick up a little something for Sinéal."

Luna joined them as they entered a small gift store across the way. Harry pored over the trinkets in the display case, and asked Remus, "What sort of things does she like?"

"Sinéal's fond of fairly simple things," Remus replied, "She prefers workmanship to excessive detail. Stay away from those shiny baubles, anyway."

Harry turned his attention to a tree of ceramic Christmas ornaments when Luna said decisively, "She'll really like that knitted shawl in the window."

Both Harry and Remus turned to her in surprise; Luna had never met Sinéal, but she sounded pretty sure of her choice. Harry said, "I don't know. This ornament is kind of nice - I think I'll get her that."

"No," said Luna, appraising Harry's selection with a frown. "It won't do at all as a Christmas gift if you're a guest in her home."

"Why do you say that?" asked Remus.

"Well, it's impersonal, like a box of chocolates. Trust me, she'll like the shawl."

In the end, Harry listened to Luna and bought the shawl for Sinéal. As they were paying, a clock struck four with a loud chime. Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, Luna started and said she would be late to meet her father. She turned to Harry and said, "Have a safe holiday! Stay away from mistletoe - you never know about those Nargles. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

Pressing her hand into Harry's chest, she fingered the pendants he wore under his robes and smiled at him. Then Luna floated away, and Harry flushed happily, unable to hide a goofy grin from his friend. Remus stared after the girl in amusement.

"You know," he said to Harry, "she reminds me a little bit of your mother!"

"Who, Luna?" Harry asked in surprise. Remus continued with a smile, "Yeah, it's exactly like seeing both your parents again, when they first started dating."

Harry turned a questioning look at the man. Remus explained teasingly, "Yes, this one is pretty adept at putting you in your place. I never saw anyone like Lily - she could put James in line simply by looking at him. The way Luna told you to buy that gift for Sinéal - looks like she has you whipped to her command!"

"Pardon me!" Harry puffed out indignantly.

Remus began to laugh heartily. "Just what your dad said when I told him he was whipped! Oh, Harry, even with all your features disguised, I can see James shining right through you!"

Remus put one arm around Harry's back and gave his shoulder a fond squeeze. Harry smiled in spite of himself, as he reached through Remus' words to form one more tenuous link with the parents he had never known.

*

On Christmas Eve, Remus and Harry packed their bags, and took the floo back to the small Irish village, stumbling into the festively decorated Carpenter's Den. The portly, balding man whose home they were intruding upon looked up with a start from his workbench at the opposite side of the room. He was using a scroll saw to carve an intricate pattern onto a long, narrow piece of wood. Harry looked over with interest, as the large man turned off the saw, and turned his impassive face towards them.

"Merry Christmas, Gerry," Remus said, moving forward with his hand outstretched. The two men gripped arms in a rough but friendly manner, and the carpenter returned the greeting, eyeing Harry briefly.

Remus reached into his pack and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey. He passed it to the other man, who broke out in a rare grin, chuckling hoarsely as he accepted the gift. "Oho! This is some of that fire-water you gave me last year! I thankee, Remus, me mates are still talking about that one!"

"Go easy on it, Gerry. Better men than you've been known to get into trouble when that goes to their heads!" Remus said with a smile, as the big man stowed the bottle on the mantle over the fireplace. "We'll just see ourselves out, mate; let you get back to your last minute Christmas gifts."

Gerry gave them a pleased nod, and returned to his woodworking as Harry and Remus stepped out of the den into the narrow corridor.

"Do you remember the vegetable patch at the side of Sinéal's house?" Remus asked in an undertone. Harry nodded, and his guardian went on, "I want you to apparate there. Keep a tight hold of your bag when you go."

Remus then randomly opened one of the doors along the hallway; the two of them apparated with a crack at the same time that Remus pulled the door closed loudly. The sound of the door opening and closing was supposed to cover the sound of apparition, and make Gerry believe that they had exited his house in an ordinary way.

Harry reappeared beside Sinéal's house a moment after Remus. As they walked around to the front of the house, he asked, "How come Gerry's house is connected to the floo-network? Is he a wizard, or a squib?"

"Sinéal's family had a handful of wizards in it, and a few of them still know about the wizarding world. Gerry's a second cousin of hers, once removed. What little he knows has made him fairly open-minded; he's also particularly discrete, and has given me permission to move through his home at any hour of the day or night. He's not a very social man, so his den is an ideal portal to arrive unseen. Gerry's fireplace was hooked up to the floo-network while Sinéal's great-uncle was still alive, but I'm the only one who uses it now."

The reached the front door of the house, and Remus rapped on it a couple of times. Harry noticed that, once again, an agitated look had crossed over his guardian's face as he approached his estranged wife's home. When Sinéal opened the door, however, she cordially invited them in but didn't meet Remus' eye. A brief hurt look passed over the man's face, but only Harry noticed.

Liam came bounding to the door to hug his father, as Sinéal took Harry's bag and led him to Sean's room. Sean looked up as Harry entered and gave him a brief nod, but appeared to be suddenly much more distant than he had been at school.

"Sean, your father's here. I would like you to come out and say hello while I prepare our dinner," Sinéal said in a firm tone. Sean gave her a somewhat sullen look, and followed them sulkily out into the living room.

Remus' greeting was met by an indistinct mumble from the boy. He looked appraisingly at his son, but Sinéal intercepted an exchange by insisting rather sharply that Sean set the table for their holiday dinner. The meal turned out to be less than festive: a tension had descended over the table, which Remus tried to alleviate by animating the conversation with various topics he thought would interest his family. He sought out Leo's opinions and, sensing his friend's discomfort, Harry pitched in and helped keep the talk going.

After dinner, Liam pulled Remus into the living room to show him the new ornaments he had constructed for the Christmas tree. Harry helped Sinéal clear the table, while Sean kept to himself, hanging back somewhere between the dining and living areas.

It was already getting late when they were interrupted by a crash at the door, as a stocky man with a thick grey beard entered the house and started stamping his boots on the mat. "Ho ho ho! How are my boys this holiday eve?" bellowed a deep, heavily accented voice.

"Grandpa! Come see! Dad's here, and he's brought me an origami dragon for my tree!" shouted Liam in excitement. Harry peered over to the folded-paper dragon that was hanging from a low bough, flapping its green paper wings. The older man had pulled off his snowy boots, and walked over to Remus with a hand extended.

"Remus, son, it's been a while since we met! Nice to see you could make it for the holiday," boomed Sinéal's father, before bending over to examine Liam's new ornament. He straightened and turned to comment to Sinéal about the beauty of wizard's toys when he caught sight of Harry. "And who is this? A friend from school? Another son? Maybe one of them vagabonds you've dragged in from the village?" he said with a wink.

"Pappy, meet Leo. He's a family friend of Remus', come to spend Christmas with us. Leo, this is my father, Patrick," said Sinéal in her mild voice. When he turned to shake the man's hand, Harry noticed a resentful look that Sean threw his way.

Patrick pleasantly made his acquaintance, then began talking to Remus about changes he had made to the property since the two men had last met. Liam's holiday excitement provided a constant interruption, though, and the older man eventually turned his full attention to his younger grandson.

"Maybe you boys would like to come and spend the night with me and Gran," he said, turning to include Sean in the invitation, "if your father can spare you, that is!"

Liam jumped at the chance and ran off to his bedroom to pack an overnight bag; Sean just shook his head and replied, "I'll just come in the morning for pancakes. Unless he'd like me to go!" Sean indicated his father. Remus - taken aback by the sarcasm and implication of the statement - looked as if he had been slapped. But Patrick didn't notice anything amiss and promised Sean that they would hold off breakfast until he arrived.

After setting a time for their Christmas luncheon the next day, Sinéal 's father left the house with Liam. Harry and Remus sat down on the sofa, and Sinéal curled up in an easy chair, staring awkwardly at the floor. Sean leaned against the sturdy, wooden television stand, staring at Harry. An uncomfortable silence fell upon them. Somewhat disconcerted by Sean's relentless gaze, Harry broke the silence to ask the boy a few questions about his lessons at Hogwarts.

Sean responded with short answers, and the silence fell once more. Suddenly, the boy blurted out, "Who are you, anyway?"

Remus looked up quickly, while Harry began to stutter, "What exactly do you mean...?"

"How come you're here for the holidays instead of with your mother?" asked Sean. "I saw you and your Mum together at the train station. You act like a best-mate of my dad's, but he pretended not to know you when the Hogwarts Express came in, he didn't even wave or say hello."

"Oh, well... Er, you see, I..." Harry began, but was interrupted again by Sean.

"You went on about not being a very good quidditch player, but last autumn I saw you flying better than anybody on the school teams. And at the beginning of the year, you said you had been in the Forbidden Forest a few times and didn't like it at all. I thought you were a transfer student from America?" Sean said accusingly. "And I heard my dad, twice last summer, call you Harry, not Leo. So who are you?"

Sinéal turned her eyes from Sean to Harry, looking puzzled. Harry caught Remus' gaze and held it for a while before giving an off-hand shrug of his shoulders. Remus took that for acquiescence and turned back to Sean and Sinéal to explain.

"Very astute, Sean, and I'm sorry you caught us in this lie. This is really Harry Potter - you know, from the Boy-Who-Lived story," he said to Sean. "He's a primary target of Lord Voldemort's so he's attending Hogwarts this year in disguise. We've been using the name Leo, because everybody else assumes he's dead. I've unofficially been appointed his guardian; his parents died when he was a baby, and the rest of his family was killed last summer."

"Hmm! So we have a lot in common! I also grew up without a dad," said Sean acerbically. The barb hit its intended mark, with more force than the boy could have expected. Harry felt himself once more enveloped in the pain of his losses, as though they had been inflicted anew. Remus sprang to his feet, his face turning red and his eyes blazing with a fury that Harry rarely saw cross Remus' mild countenance. He pointed at his son and bellowed, "How dare you talk to Harry like that! Take it back at once!"

Sean quailed under his father's anger, but then several years of resentment asserted themselves in his eyes, and he looked back at Remus defiantly. Remus shouted, "You know nothing about why Harry's here, who do you think you are, comparing yourself to him?"

Sean snapped, "Well, it's true. You're here and then you're gone for however long you like before you come and visit again! I've also grown up without a father, just like Leo!"

"You don't know what you're talking about! Apologise to Harry! Now!" said Remus furiously. He had inadvertently pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Sean. Turning his head towards Sinéal, Remus said, "Back me up, will you?"

Sinéal looked at the wand and then over at her son. In a meek voice, she said, "Sean."

"Sorry," mumbled the boy, half under his breath.

Remus turned towards Sinéal, who had resumed staring at the rug, and asked incredulously, "What? That's all?"

"Well, you know, Remus, he does have a very good point," she said quietly, but with an angry edge to her voice. "It would be nice if you decided once and for all whether you were coming or going."

At the admonishment, Remus seemed to deflate. He looked at Sinéal in shock, lowering his wand arm. It became dead silent and still in the room, Sean waiting fixedly for his father's response to his mother, Remus staring at Sinéal, and Sinéal looking pointedly down.

With the recent shouting still ringing in his ears, Harry felt the additional weight of the tension around him. He looked from Remus to Sinéal, then suddenly got to his feet and strode over to Sean. "I think it's time we went to bed," Harry said, steering Sean out of the living room.

Sean jerked away and stormed into Liam's room, slamming the door behind him. Remus had placed a silencing charm around the living room; either that, or he hadn't yet replied to Sinéal and their silence persisted. Harry turned and went to bed in Sean's room, with the prickle of a headache that had nothing to do with his maintained occlumency.

He was not yet tired, and wished he could have had one of his friends to talk to, about the unhappy family scene he had just witnessed. Harry really wanted to confide in Luna; he pulled out her pendant and began rubbing it distractedly between his thumb and his forefinger. After a while, her snowflake seemed to respond and changed from the yellow colour it had been into a blend of deep purple and rosy red that more closely resembled the colours on his cube.

Somewhere - in another manifestation of Christmas Eve - Harry liked to think that, perhaps, Luna was thinking of him. He envisioned her long, dirty-blond hair, her large eyes, the utter merriment of the way she laughed, and his cube turned a deeper red. Then he knew for sure that Luna was aware of him, too, as her snowflake also went red, a bright and happy colour.

*

Harry woke up abruptly the next morning. It took him a few moments to remember where he was, and the row that had taken place the previous night. When he had fully emerged from the haze of sleep, he got up and went to wash and dress.

Entering the living room, Harry found evidence of an obviously long conversation between Remus and Sinéal. Teacups and saucers sat forgotten on the coffee table, the easy chair had been moved, and two of the pillows from the sofa had been knocked to the floor and left there. The two adults were nowhere to be seen. Harry went on to the kitchen to get something to drink, and Sean appeared several minutes later, also dressed.

Harry poured another glass of orange juice and handed it to the boy. They sat in silence, nibbling at a plate of scones they found wrapped on the counter. When half an hour had passed and there was still no sign of Remus or Sinéal, Harry cleared his throat and suggested, "Maybe we should head over to your grandparents' place."

Sean agreed, and the two pulled on their coats and trainers and headed out into the cold Christmas morning. The crackle of frost beneath their shoes accompanied them as they headed up the road. The lightest dusting of snow fluttered down from the grey sky overhead.

After walking for a minute, Sean hesitantly admitted, "I didn't mean that stuff I said last night. I was angry at Dad. I hope you're not mad at me."

Harry shrugged moodily, thinking back to Sean's thoughtless words of the night before. He then thought of the boy's age, and remembered that he, too, had said some stupid things in anger. Harry replied, "It's okay. I'm... er... sorry we couldn't tell you who I really am - we're keeping that secret from almost everybody. You promise not to tell a soul, though?"

Sean nodded and - still hesitant - said, "You went out with Cho Chang last year, didn't you?"

Harry looked up sharply, as Sean continued. "She talks about you a lot, you know. In the Ravenclaw common room. She's always going on about how brave you were, and how you fought You-Know-Who with her other boyfriend, Cedric. Sounds like you and Cho were pretty close."

"Hardly!" snapped Harry, irritated that Cho had been talking about him and Cedric, as though their deaths conferred status upon her. He said, in a tone rather more vehement than necessary, "I'm going out with Luna Lovegood, actually."

Sean looked puzzled for a moment, then said, "She's that odd girl in fifth year, isn't she? Well, she seems okay. Doesn't talk as much as Cho, at any rate."

Though annoyed at Luna being referred to as odd, Harry was also aware that Sean had complimented her discretion. He decided to take the compliment, and replied, "She's not really that odd if you listen to her for a while. Just different, I suppose."

Sean shrugged and changed the subject. "I heard you were an amazing quidditch player. Do you think you could show me how to fly like that, the way you did last autumn?"

Harry smiled and said, "Okay, but not at school. I'll bring my broom here next time I come."

They soon arrived at Sinéal's parents' house, brushing the fine layer of snow off their jackets before entering. Sean's grandfather greeting them in a booming voice, Liam called excitedly for them to come see the presents under the tree, and a slim older woman with pepper-grey hair came over to take their jackets. Sinéal's mother reminded Harry of Sinéal: she was warm and kind, but in spite of her quiet demeanour, seemed to hold the reins in the house.

"And where are your parents this morning?" Patrick asked loudly. Sean looked uncomfortable as he muttered, "They're having a lie-in. We didn't want to wake them."

Patrick looked up with eyebrows raised, but didn't get a chance to say anything; Sinéal's mother, Maureen, invited them into the kitchen for breakfast. Despite having eaten already, Sean and Harry joined the others for another morning meal.

After second breakfast, Patrick took them to the living room to see an intricate train set he had set up around the tree. Remus' sons opened a box that contained tiny trees, houses and animals, and arranged them around the tracks. Harry entertained them all by retrieving his old wand from his jacket, and animating the set: Christmas lights blinked on the little trees, and the minute sheep were charmed to let out the occasional bleat. He then charmed the cows to bleat too, and tried to get the horses to belt out Christmas carols but that didn't work as well. Soon they were all laughing, and Patrick began to recount a few unusual holiday stories involving Sinéal's uncle the "Great Wizard".

While Patrick continued to tell stories, Harry moved to the living room window and looked out at the unfamiliar landscape. Though he was enjoying himself, he felt strangely disconnected from the scene, as though the merriment was only temporary and didn't really belong to him. The melancholy awareness of his prophetic fate inevitably crept in, underlying even the pleasurable moments.

As Harry stared out at the bare trees and fields, he saw two people coming up the road. As they drew nearer, Harry recognised Remus and Sinéal. They appeared to be laughing at something. Sinéal bent down and picked up a handful of powdery snow and tried to throw it at Remus; she broke into a run, and he chased her along the road. Catching her, Remus reached into his jacket and pulled out a large, bright flower that he presented to Sinéal. She accepted it, and Harry watched as they walked hand in hand up to the house. It looked as though they had worked things out quite nicely after the previous evening.

When they came in, Sinéal's cheeks were red from the cold, and her eyes bright. Remus wore a large smile and greeted his in-laws enthusiastically. He then walked over to Sean, who had noticeably stiffened when his father entered the house. Calling Liam over, Remus took the boys to another room for a private talk. Sinéal went into the kitchen to talk to her mother.

When the boys emerged again, Sean looked somewhat pleased, and threw a brief glance at Harry. Remus walked over to Harry and stood beside him, looking out over the living room where his sons had returned to the rearrange the train tracks. Remus said, "I'm sorry about last night, Har--Leo. I spoke with Sean, and he said he apologised this morning."

Harry nodded and muttered, "Yeah, that's alright."

"Sinéal and I spent a long time talking. We're going to try getting back together again. I'll see if we can work it out, around my work for the Order, and I'll go to Grimmauld Place as usual for my transformations." Remus smiled at Harry, and his pleasure made some of the careworn lines in his face recede, leaving a younger man in his place.

Harry smiled at his friend's plans. "I'm happy for you, Remus, I really am."

Remus let out a deep sigh and murmured, "I've been so stupid! I've been walking around dysfunctional, and everyone I know seems to be in the same boat... So much wasted time! But we're going to change all that."

"I'm sure you are," said Harry somewhat sadly.

Remus looked up at him quickly. "I said we, Harry! We will get through this mess, this war, and I need you to see that you're not alone in it!"

Harry looked at him, nodded, and looked away, the emotion catching in his throat. Roughly the same height as his former teacher, Harry derived comfort from him as they stood shoulder to shoulder at one end of the living room watching Sinéal's family interact. Remus' family, Harry reminded himself.

The morning passed quickly, with gifts exchanged and holiday songs sung. Sinéal was thrilled with the shawl Luna had picked out, and Harry was glad he had listened to her and bought it after all. Their late lunch lasted into the afternoon, and was hardly cleared when a few of Sinéal's cousins dropped in with their families. Harry noticed a balding man who looked very much like Gerry from the carpentry shop; he figured it had to be his brother. Though he was introduced to the new arrivals, Harry felt very much the stranger and kept to himself, perched on the seat near the window. Sinéal found him there and came over to talk.

"Leo, or I should say Harry; Remus told me a lot about you last night. I never met your parents, but Remus used to talk about them all the time when we first met. He also told me a bit about the war you're involved in - the kinds of things he's doing, and why you're in disguise." Sinéal looked earnestly at him, and continued, "I just want you to know, now that we're getting back together, that you've always got a home when you want one. You mean the world to Remus, and the boys really like you. I do, too. Just so you know..."

Sinéal smiled warmly, and Harry thanked her for her kindness. Liam came over, and pulled on his sleeve, eager to show him the snow Remus had charmed to fall on the train-track village. As he talked to Sinéal's family and watched Patrick horsing around with his grandsons, Harry thought that it really wasn't such a bad Christmas after all.