That winter brought something Hogwarts had not seen in decades. For the first time anyone could remember, not a single student wanted to go home for Christmas.
Normally the castle emptied the moment the holidays began. Even during the Tournament, third-years and below had been sent home while the older students stayed for the Ball and the chaos that followed.
This year, nobody left.
Dumbledore watched the castle fill with life and made the sort of decision only Dumbledore would make. If the school insisted on staying together for Christmas, then Hogwarts would host the largest celebration it had ever seen.
Invitations flew across the world. And people actually came.
The Flamels arrived first. Behind them came Maxime. Fleur walked beside her, while Gabrielle hurried several steps ahead, already scanning the hall for Cassian so she could annoy him.
Master Ji strode in soon after, wearing an enormous smile. He spread his arms wide.
"CASSIAN!"
Several students flinched.
Cassian broke into a dramatic run. Ji ignored the theatrics and dragged him into a crushing embrace.
"You look thinner," Ji declared.
"That's because you're here."
Ji laughed so loudly the fake ceiling rattled.
Bathsheda walked over, laughing. "Master Ji."
He pulled her into the hug as well. "Bathsheda."
The Headmistress of Uagadou, Ekwensi, arrived not long after. Two guests came with her. Amara, the Uagadou champion. Kenneth followed behind her, carrying a suitcase that looked far too heavy. He waved cheerfully at anyone who glanced his way.
Sabine entered with Coriolanus. The moment he stepped into the hall, he leaned toward Cassian and whispered loudly.
"Did you see DragonHeart?"
Cassian shook his head. "Any good?"
Coriolanus beamed. "Not bad at all."
Tonks came with a grin. Of course she did.
Moments later the Weasley twins burst through the doors with their usual disaster energy. Fred had Angelina on one arm. George walked beside Alicia, eyes shining already.
Lee Jordan followed behind them, narrating his own entrance.
"...and the legendary alumni return to Hogwarts, looking suspiciously like trouble."
McGonagall closed her eyes briefly.
Marcus Flint arrived later that evening. He stepped through the doors wearing a proper coat. The job Cassian had recommended for him had turned out well. Flint now worked on historical digs, often taking notes and documenting sites.
Most people had no idea he enjoyed studying dig sites and uncovering the habits of long-extinct cultures. Cassian had noticed that over the years, so he recommended him to one of Bagshot's friends, who had been happy to mentor the boy.
His grandfather's betrayal of Voldemort two years earlier had been largely because of that.
The Flint patriarch was grateful his grandson had found a passion. Cassian's recommendation had fixed more than just a career.
Clearwater had been far less certain about her own path. The idea of working at the Ministry had never sat right with her. In the end, she accepted a post as a Master Spell Tester in South Asia. The work suited her far better than the Ministry ever would have.
Every few months she wrote to Cassian about strange spellwork, curious cases, and the occasional frustration. It was her way of keeping him in the loop.
Lupin entered with Septima. Kingsley arrived not long after, joining Charity.
Families gathered along one side of the Great Hall, where parents and relatives talked over drinks and plates of food.
Ginny sat stiffly away from her parents, arms folded, staring down at the table.
Ron did not look much better. He slouched in his chair and kept glancing around the hall, hoping nobody noticed that Arthur Weasley was currently explaining the inner workings of a Muggle toaster to two fascinated Ravenclaws.
"Dad," Ron muttered under his breath, "please stop talking about plugs."
Arthur waved a cheerful hand.
"But it's brilliant magic!"
Ginny buried her face in her hands.
Blaise Zabini had problems of his own.
His mother had arrived dressed like the castle existed purely to admire her. Elisabetta Zabini drifted from group to group with a glass in hand, smiling warmly at anyone within three steps.
Sirius had already been caught in conversation. He looked truly startled when she laughed and touched his arm.
Aurora nearly drew her wand before Septima stopped her.
A few minutes later Elisabetta had moved on to Kingsley, who fortunately only smiled politely. Charity watched the interaction with a narrow squint.
Marcus Flint nearly dropped a plate when she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
Blaise sat with his back perfectly straight, staring at the far wall like a man hoping to become furniture.
Cassian leaned against one of the pillars, watching the entire circus while trying not to laugh.
Teenagers pretending they had never met their parents before.
Parents pretending their children had not been embarrassing them since birth.
"Fascinating," he murmured.
Dumbledore stood among the visitors, speaking with Nicolas, Perenelle, Ji, Coriolanus, and Sabine. From a distance he looked entirely respectable. But every so often his gaze flicked toward the chaos around the room. Toward the twins demonstrating a product to Tonks that fizzed bright green. Toward Gabrielle chasing Fawkes.
Each time the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched under his beard before he carefully smoothed his expression again.
Cassian chuckled softly.
That old man had grown the beard to hide the chaos-loving grin.
Snape stood in his usual place along the wall, arms folded, looking like the entire celebration had personally offended him.
Gabrielle darted past him at that exact moment.
"Professor Snap!" she chirped, waving a biscuit.
Snape blinked.
The girl ran off before he could answer.
Fred and George saw the exchange and nearly choked on their drinks.
Gabrielle then spotted Cassian across the hall and immediately changed direction at full speed.
Cassian watched her approach with one eyebrow raised.
"Started the school, yeah?"
Gabrielle planted her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at him.
"I did."
Cassian hummed like he was considering something deeply tragic. "Poor Maxime. She's got a troll in her school."
Gabrielle's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not. You're a troll."
Fleur arrived just in time to hear that. She stepped beside her sister and rested a hand lightly on Gabrielle's shoulder.
"Gabrielle," she said calmly, "don't insult your elders."
Cassian waved a lazy hand. "Let her. She's copying insults anyway. Hardly offensive."
Gabrielle flushed bright red.
"I can do much better in French."
Cassian laughed, pushing himself off the pillar.
"I don't understand French, so go ahead. Do your best."
Gabrielle didn't even hesitate. She launched into a rapid stream of French that poured out of her like a machine gun. The words came fast with full of dramatic gestures and exaggerated expressions. Several nearby students turned to stare.
Fred leaned sideways toward George.
"Is she swearing?"
George squinted thoughtfully. "Hard to tell. Sounds professional though."
Lee tilted his head. "Pretty sure she just compared him to a moldy baguette."
Angelina snorted into her drink.
Cassian stood there listening with complete calm, nodding occasionally like someone reviewing a lecture.
"Mm," he said when she paused for breath. "Excellent pronunciation."
Gabrielle blinked. "You... you understood, didn't you?"
Cassian laughed, then answered in smooth, effortless French. "Every word of it."
Gabrielle froze. The colour in her face rose so fast it looked like someone had cast a warming charm on her cheeks. Her eyes snapped to Cassian, wide with betrayal. Then she whipped her head toward Fleur.
Fleur was giggling. Not even trying to hide it.
Gabrielle's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
Cassian folded his arms, thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Very creative, by the way," he continued in French. "Comparing me to a grumpy old..."
Lee clutched his chest. "The betrayal. The drama. Ten out of ten entertainment."
Cassian switched back to English.
"And I'll be telling your mother, of course."
Gabrielle's eyes widened in pure horror. "You wouldn't!"
Cassian's smile grew more wicked. "Oh, I absolutely would."
Gabrielle gasped like someone had stabbed her dignity. Then she spun around and bolted across the hall.
"BULLY!" she shouted while running.
Several people turned to watch her sprint straight toward the Flamels. Perenelle looked up just in time to see a small blonde blur racing at her with righteous fury.
Bathsheda arrived beside Cassian just as Gabrielle launched into a loud, outraged complaint in French while Perenelle tried, and failed, to hide her smile.
Bathsheda shook her head slowly. "Really?"
Cassian leaned back against the pillar again, laughing harder now.
"You heard her," he said. "I'm apparently a slug brain."
Bathsheda pressed her lips together, sighing. "You baited an eleven-year-old."
"She started it," Cassian said immediately.
Bathsheda snorted.
Gabrielle was now gesturing wildly in Cassian's direction while speaking rapid-fire French.
Nicolas leaned over slightly. "What did he do this time?"
Perenelle giggled. "Oh, nothing unusual."
Fred appeared suddenly at Cassian's side like a man drawn by chaos. "Professor R, quick question."
"That sounds dangerous already." Cassian glanced at him. "Go bother your brother Percy."
The twins lit up instantly, both wearing identical expressions of wicked inspiration.
They didn't even answer, just vanished into the crowd together.
Cassian watched them go and sighed like a man who had just released two trained ferrets into a chicken coop.
"Someone should warn Percy," Bathsheda murmured.
Cassian tilted his head. "Why ruin the surprise?"
Percy had only just entered, adjusting his glasses and already looking nervous.
Cassian shook his head.
"Poor Percy."
Cedric had settled near Harry and the others, with Cho tucked against one side and a drink in the other hand.
Harry leaned on the table beside him. "Enjoying peace?"
Cedric smiled. "If by peace you mean 'people asking what I'm exactly doing every five minutes,' then yes."
Cho rolled her eyes. "You could always say you're becoming a mysterious wanderer," she suggested.
Ron snorted. "Yeah. Carry a cloak. Speak in riddles."
Cedric looked thoughtful. "That might actually reduce the questions."
Hermione shook her head. "Or increase them."
Theo Nott sat comfortably in a chair that he had somehow dragged over without anyone noticing.
"Diggory as a wandering sage," Theo said thoughtfully. "I give it three weeks before someone asks him to bless a goat."
"Four," said Pansy.
Tracey shrugged. "Depends on the goat."
Susan was trying very hard not to laugh. Hannah failed completely.
Harry glanced around the table. "When did this become a Slytherin-Hufflepuff alliance meeting?"
Theo gestured vaguely. "Shared survival instincts."
"Also," Daphne said, "none of us wanted to stand near the twins."
Everyone instinctively looked across the hall.
Fred and George were currently whispering to Kenneth.
Kenneth nodded very seriously.
Ron groaned. "Oh no."
Ginny followed his gaze and immediately understood. "Oh no."
Luna tilted her head dreamily. "I think they're planning something with glitter."
Hermione frowned. "Why glitter?"
"Because glitter spreads," Luna said calmly. "It's very difficult to remove once released."
Ron looked horrified. "That's wicked."
Fred clapped Kenneth on the back. "You're doing Merlin's work."
Cho followed their gaze. "Should we stop them?"
Theo considered that. "No," he said.
Meanwhile Neville had spotted something else entirely.
He leaned toward Harry. "Is Professor Snape hiding behind that pillar?"
Harry squinted.
Snape was indeed standing half behind a column, clearly trying to avoid being dragged into any conversations.
Astoria smirked. "Smart man."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Please. He's just avoiding Blaise's mother."
Daphne nodded. "Fair."
Hermione was still watching the twins. "This is going to end badly."
Luna smiled faintly. "Oh, definitely."
Kenneth finished the charm Fred had shown him. Nothing happened. He looked confused.
Fred frowned dramatically. "Hmm."
George scratched his chin. "Might need a bit more enthusiasm."
Kenneth nodded seriously. "Okay."
He raised his wand again.
Percy Weasley suddenly froze.
Everyone nearby stepped away instinctively.
"Why," Percy said carefully, "do I suddenly feel like someone is aiming a wand at me?"
His shoulders went rigid. His eyes widened slowly behind his glasses. A bright pink flash shot across the hall. It missed Percy completely. Instead it smacked straight into a floating blur that had just swooped down behind a group of students.
Peeves.
The poltergeist jerked mid-air like someone had yanked his tail. For half a second he just hovered there, blinking. Then the spell triggered. Peeves exploded in a burst of pink confetti. Streamers wrapped around his head. Glitter clung to his coat. A paper party hat appeared on his head with a loud pop.
The Great Hall went silent.
Peeves slowly looked down at himself. Then up. His face twisted.
"WHO DID THAT?"
Fred collapsed laughing. George grabbed the table to stay upright. Lee pointed dramatically.
"Direct hit!"
Kenneth lowered his wand slowly.
"...that wasn't Percy."
Peeves spotted him immediately. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Oh you LITTLE wand-waggling wallaby!"
He zoomed across the hall and stopped inches from Kenneth's face.
"You confetti-cursed cabbage!"
Kenneth blinked politely.
"Sorry."
Peeves puffed up like an angry balloon.
"Sorry? SORRY?"
He shook glitter everywhere.
"I was about to drop three buckets of frogspawn on the Ravenclaws!"
He pointed accusingly.
"Now look at me! I look like a birthday cake!"
Fred wheezed. "You do."
George was laughing on the ground.
Peeves whipped around toward them.
"I know YOU two stinkers helped!"
Lee held up both hands.
"Allegedly."
Peeves began spinning in the air, shrieking.
"Oh you'll PAY for this! Pay with pies! Pay with slime! Pay with spectacularly humiliating trousers!"
He pointed dramatically at Kenneth again.
"You especially, Towler! I'll haunt your socks! I'll curse your shoelaces! I'll replace your pudding with TURNIPS!"
Kenneth looked really alarmed.
"...not pudding."
Peeves cackled wickedly.
"YES PUDDING!"
Then he spun upside down and zoomed toward the ceiling.
But not before shouting one last promise across the hall.
"REVENGE FOR PEEVES!"
He vanished through the rafters, trailing glitter.
For a moment the hall was quiet.
Then Fred slapped Kenneth on the back. "Brilliant work."
George nodded. "You've made an enemy for life."
Suddenly an armour behind them exploded. The helmet popped off. The gauntlets began clapping. And the entire suit started singing loudly in a baritone voice.
"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS-"
"UNEXPECTED ENTRY FROM THE LEFT!" Lee announced.
Students started laughing.
Percy stared at the armour in absolute horror.
"WHAT is that?"
The armour clapped harder.
"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS-"
McGonagall's voice cut across the hall. "Mr Towler."
Kenneth jumped. "Yes, Professor?"
McGonagall stood with her arms folded, staring at the singing armour. "…why."
Kenneth raised his hands, "That wasn't me. I only glittered Peeves. Though, that's an accident too. I was aiming for Percy."
Fred whispered helpfully, "Festive spirit."
McGonagall closed her eyes.
Behind her Snape looked like he had just discovered a new reason to hate humanity.
The armour kept singing.
"AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR-"
With a sharp flick of her wand McGonagall silenced it. The armour froze mid-clap. Confetti drifted slowly to the floor.
McGonagall opened her eyes and looked directly at Fred. Then George. Then Lee. Then Kenneth.
"You four," she said calmly, "will be cleaning this mess."
Fred raised a finger. "Worth it."
George nodded. "No regrets."
Lee saluted. "Okay."
Amara walked and dragged Kenneth away. As soon as he saw her, Kenneth's face split wide with a smile.
Percy looked like he might actually scream.
Ginny patted his shoulder. "Cheer up, Percy."
He looked at her slowly. "I hate this family."
Tonks had slipped behind one of the pillars by then, shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle laughter. A snort escaped her anyway. She clapped a hand over her mouth.
Cassian stepped around the pillar.
Tonks froze.
He leaned one shoulder against the stone and looked at her with complete calm. "I know it's you."
Tonks slowly lowered her hand. "...you saw that?"
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "You've been laughing like a broken kettle for thirty seconds."
Tonks grinned. "Had to take that opening."
Her nose was slightly too long. Cassian flicked it with a finger. It snapped back to normal with a soft pop.
"Honestly," he said, "This is what you do with your training?"
Tonks shrugged. "I used it responsibly."
Cassian rubbed his temple. "You're an Auror now."
Tonks grinned wider. "Best job perk. No homework."
Cassian shook his head slowly. "I regret everything."
Across the hall the laughter kept rolling. The hall stayed loud. People talking. Students laughing. Old friends greeting each other. Someone near the Ravenclaw table had started arguing about spell theory with Master Ji and was losing badly.
It looked like a proper celebration.
But Cassian could feel it. Bathsheda could too. That tension sitting under everything.
They both knew what it was. Call it intuition. Call it paranoia.
The Marauder was moving. Somewhere out there things were already shifting.
Maybe Dumbledore wanted the castle to breathe before everything began.
Maybe he wanted people laughing in the halls while they still could.
Or maybe he simply understood something most of them preferred to ignore.
The dreaded day was coming.
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