The Crucible
by Jardyn39
Part Two of "The Apprentice Piece"
Chapter 8: Christmas Day
On Christmas morning, Harry woke slowly and rather later than he intended to. He thought back to Christmas a year ago when Sirius was with them. Almost at once he chided himself. He would not allow himself to be morose today. He had been looking forward to this day for weeks.
Eventually he roused himself to get up and dress, hurrying when he realised that Hermione and her parents were due within an hour.
He followed the delicious small of cooking down into the basement kitchen where he found Lupin sitting in the kitchen with two unexpected guests.
"Dobby! Winky!" Harry almost shouted.
After they had greeted him and, after much argument, Harry served them all fresh teas. They all sat.
"I'm sorry I slept in," said Harry apologetically to Lupin, "I intended to get up and help you out with all the food and everything."
"Well," said Lupin smiling, "I'm afraid by the time I got up most of it was already done."
"You really shouldn't have, you know," Harry said, "but thank you. You are going to stay, aren't you?"
"We would like to, Harry Potter," said Dobby rather sheepishly.
"I'd really love you both to stay," said Harry. "Come on. You are the first to arrive so you'll have first pick of the guest bedrooms."
"Bedrooms?" said Dobby and Winky at the same time, both with horrified expressions.
"Of course you must have bedrooms!" said Harry. "Look it'd really be doing me a favour. If Hermione found out I allowed our guests not to have bedrooms she'd never stop nagging me."
*
It took Harry quite some time before they found a room that was small and plain enough to satisfy Dobby and Winky.
Harry absolutely refused to allow them to use the broom cupboard but they eventually compromised with a small box-room upstairs. Harry transfigured two small beds and some matching furniture. He knew they were more than capable of doing these things for themselves but Harry enjoyed doing it and that way he would be sure that they would be comfortable.
Just as they were finished, Harry heard voices from downstairs. Harry turned and made for the door. Before he got there though, there was a loud pop from outside the door followed by a thump.
Harry opened the door to see Mrs Granger sprawled on the landing floor with a several large bags still clutched in both hands.
"Welcome to Grimmauld Place," Harry said smiling and offering her his hand to pull her feet.
Once upright again she quickly came to her senses and fixed Harry with a stare. She suddenly dropped both bags and threw both arms around him.
"Oh, Harry," she sniffed.
Eventually she pulled away, dabbing away her tears.
"May we take your bags?" asked Dobby and Mrs Granger looked down at him.
"Mrs Granger, may I present two friends who are also staying for Christmas. This is Dobby and Winky. Dobby and Winky, this is Mrs Granger, Hermione's mother."
"Please call me Jane," said Mrs Granger at once, smiling and bending down to shake both their tiny hands. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. Hermione has spoken of you often." Meanwhile, Harry gathered up the bags.
"Why didn't you arrive with the others?" asked Harry proceeding to the top of the stairs.
"Well I asked Professor Dumbledore for a favour," she said. "I wanted to thank you properly for what you did for Hermione. I kind of messed that up, sorry."
Harry smiled and said, "I'm just glad I was able to help."
"I'd like to ask you about what happened, if you don't mind?"
"I'll tell you what I can," said Harry quietly, "but Hermione mustn't know anything."
*
They got as far as the first floor landing when Harry was greeted with a bone-crushing hug from Hermione. She had been able to take a run at him too and Harry struggled to remain upright.
Laughing, Harry swung both bags around her in a futile attempt to return her hug.
"Happy Christmas, Hermione," he managed to say.
He heard a muffled, "Merry Christmas, Harry," in return.
"Merry Christmas, Miss," said a small voice from behind them and Hermione shot up.
"Winky! Dobby!" she cried, "How wonderful! Merry Christmas!"
"Winky has been choosing colours for her bedroom, Miss."
"Bedroom? Oh, I must see," exclaimed Hermione, "Will you show me?"
*
Harry dumped Mrs Granger's bags in the drawing room and ventured down into the kitchen from where he could here laughing.
Mr Granger was showing off his Christmas cardigan, a garment that would be certain of being regarded as simply dreadful in any company.
"Harry!" he said at once and went over to shake hands. "Happy Christmas! I trust you've survived from Jane's telling off."
"He hasn't had it yet," came a dry voice from behind Harry. He turned to see Mrs Granger smiling as she came through the kitchen door and proceeded directly to greet Lupin.
"Do you like my cardigan?" asked Mr Granger grinning. "If I make enough of a fuss, they usually let me open one present early!"
Harry nodded smiling, and praying that his cardigan wouldn't have quite the same number of reindeer with stupid expressions.
*
Harry thoroughly enjoyed Christmas lunch. Quite apart from the food, this was the first magical Christmas that Hermione's parents had experienced.
The looks of wonder that followed once they had recovered from the mini explosions as the crackers were pulled made everything much more special. Harry wasn't sure, but the bangs from the crackers seemed louder than usual. Indeed, once or twice he became concerned about the stability of his new brickwork upstairs.
They eventually managed to retire upstairs to the easy chairs of the drawing room for coffee. They chatted happily for a while but most dozed off after a while. All except Mrs Granger that is. She was keen to pester Harry with questions and he manfully struggled to stay awake to provide answers.
Hermione, who had shown distinct signs of irritation at her mother for dominating Harry during lunch, finally fell asleep in the comfortable armchair she was in.
Mrs Granger, seeing that she, Harry and Dobby were the only ones still awake whispered, "Harry, how about showing me the rest of the house."
Harry nodded and struggled to his feet. At the same time Dobby quietly got up and said, "Winky should go to bed, Harry Potter. She won't want any more to eat today."
"Would it be okay if I carried her up?" asked Harry. Dobby nodded and he gently gathered the sleeping house elf into his arms and they all proceeded upstairs.
*
Dobby gently tucked Winky into bed and Harry whispered, "Winky seems much better, doesn't she Dobby."
"Yes, Harry Potter," he replied smiling. "I will stay with her for a while."
"Maybe see you later," Harry said as he and Mrs Granger left.
They went downstairs but didn't speak in case Winky was disturbed. As they passed the new brickwork in the entrance Harry patted it again. Mrs Granger looked at him curiously.
"Is that some sort of custom?" she asked.
Harry laughed and said, "No. I did this with magic yesterday. Most magic isn't very permanent and I keep worrying it will vanish."
"I wish I could see magic being done," she said wistfully.
Harry looked around to see the coast was clear and whispered, "Well since you're already keeping one secret from Hermione, I don't suppose another would be too much of a burden?"
"Not at all," she smiled back.
*
Harry closed the door to the kitchen behind them and surveyed all the dirty dishes.
"Professor Dumbledore told me something before I left," Harry said drawing out his wand, "but he said not to tell the others."
Mrs Granger nodded expectantly.
"Colloportus," Harry whispered and they heard the door squelch. "He told me I could do magic here and not get caught by the Ministry of Magic."
Harry pointed his wand at the table and thought. At once the dishes jumped up and leaped into the sink. Soon the washing up was well under way and the table cleared.
Mrs Granger watched in fascination.
Harry picked up a discarded butter beer bottle and placed it on the table. When Mrs Granger had turned her attention back to him, Harry transfigured the bottle into a fine cut glass vase. She gasped.
Harry smiled and said, "I've been trying, but I've got a bit of a block for the next bit. You see it usually takes Hermione to drum the finer points home."
Mrs Granger smiled enquiringly.
"You see, I intended to ask you what your favourite cut flower was. There's no point in asking you that yet since I can only do one sort."
He took a raw green runner bean from the pantry and dropped it into the vase. Harry then waved his wand over the vase and transfigured the bean into a single wilted flower and a few yellowing leaves.
"Well that's still pretty impressive," said Mrs Granger, not wishing to dwell on the bedraggled flower.
"You have to finish it," said Harry. "Just move close and say the name of someone you love. Say it so the flower catches your breath and keep them in your mind as you say it."
She looked at him puzzled but did as he said.
"Hermione," she breathed over the flower but leaped back as soon as the flower began to glow. Small sparks shot upwards for a moment before a single beautiful fresh flower stood in the vase.
"It will last as long as a real flower and you can rejuvenate it as long as it doesn't die completely and it isn't damaged or cut at all."
Mrs Granger leant in to smell the fragrance of the flower. Harry was a little taken aback when he saw tears flowing freely down her face as she turned back to him.
After a while she composed herself and they sat down. When the washing up was finished and the dishes all stacked away, Harry suggested they remove the lock on the door.
"Hermione said you were a great wizard, Harry."
"I'm only good at most stuff after she shows me how to do it properly or makes me study for it," he replied smiling. "You know, it is a nice change to do stuff like this. Most of this year I've been learning how to duel properly."
"Hermione said she'd really upset you," Mrs Granger said, "Something about a tent?"
Harry nodded, "It was called an Auror Training tent. Hermione reprogrammed it to give me more of a challenge. It was what she made me face that upset me, not Hermione. I still managed to take it out on her again, though." He paused before continuing.
"I felt terrible after the tent was destroyed. I keep wondering if Hermione will ever truly forgive me."
"What happened?"
"The tent had different skill levels but the highest level has no restrictions and no safety features. I went in intending to face and use the killing curses."
"She was just afraid of what might have happened," she said gently. "She may have also been reminded about what may happen in the future. Personally, I can't help but feeling optimistic myself."
She smiled warmly at him but something inside him troubled Harry.
"What is it, Harry?"
"Has Hermione told you how dangerous it is to be my friend?"
"No, not directly. I surmised that much some time ago though."
They sat in silence for a short while. Harry was unsure what and indeed if, he wanted to tell Mrs Granger any more.
"Hermione and I have been talking about you, of course. She wanted my opinion on a number of matters."
Harry smiled and said, "My psychological profile, you mean?"
"Indeed. It was most interesting, actually. Well, interesting in what it didn't say about you."
Harry frowned slightly.
"For instance, Hermione said that your friend Neville knew what your greatest fear was, but had refused point blank to share it."
Harry leaned a little closer and hesitated before speaking.
"I can manage another confidence," she said smiling.
"It happened last year at the Department of Mysteries. Neville was with us when it happened. Hermione was attacked and fell unconscious. I … I just went to pieces. I just pleaded for her to be okay. It was only after Neville assured me that he could feel a pulse that I came to my senses enough to worry about betting us all out of there. My greatest fear is losing Hermione," he finished almost in a whisper.
Mrs Granger nodded thoughtfully.
"At the hospital, I could see something other than the state you were in," said Mrs Granger and Harry fought to give her his full attention. "I could see that you weren't the same as you are now, for instance."
Harry nodded, "Was it that obvious?"
"Yes. Even before you did the bed moving trick."
"Well, the part of me that can do those tricks is locked up inside the crucible, together with the darker side of my personality."
"Are you worried about what will happen when the crucible is finally broken?"
"Yes, a bit. I actually met the creature I left in the Department of Mysteries. I'm not that pleasant, I can tell you. I'm seriously afraid of turning into a dark wizard."
"That will never happen," she said emphatically. "Um, I have one other question, but I'll ask it later. Instead I'll tell you something Hermione told me."
Harry looked up, "You can ask me anything you want."
"I already know the answer," she said smiling in a way uncannily like her daughter, "It's you that doesn't know it yet."
"Er," said Harry, "okay. What did Hermione say then?"
Just at that moment the kitchen door burst open and a flustered looking Hermione dashed in.
"Hi," Hermione said a little too loudly. "I just wondered where you were."
Mrs Granger grinned at Harry and said, "I wonder if anyone is ready for some tea? I'll go and ask. Hermione, do you like my lily? It's my new favourite flower."