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Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 1 – Possibility

In everyone’s lives, there were moments that would impact them deeply.  Moments that were points of clarity, that would be major driving forces to direct their lives forevermore.  Sometimes, the person would not even know how important that moment was, not until later.  Not realizing that their life had changed.

For some, they could feel the moment as it is happening, realizing what the moment was and what opportunities it had revealed to them.  Sometimes the feeling is more than that, something to be seen.

Or tasted.

Harry Potter, at the age of just 11 years, was staring at the cart before him with wide-eyed wonder. 

Within the last few weeks, his life had been turned upside down in many ways.  Most people of any age would be surprised at the existence of a literally magical world that was also a very large secret.  Not only that, he was told that his parents were actually a part of that world, before he lost them when he was a baby.  Now he was returning to the secret magical world, something that was exciting and anxiety-inducing in equal measure.

He was currently on a large train, that was also probably magical, surrounded by children and older young adults.  He was being taken away from the only world he knew these last 10 years and going to somewhere completely new and unknown.  Everything would be strange and different to him. 

He had sat in the train compartment, chatting to someone who was very friendly, which was new and wonderful to him, when a trolley stopped outside the compartment.  The woman who pushed it, the witch he remembered, had smiled and asked if he wanted to purchase anything.  Ronald Weasley, who went by Ron, the very friendly person, had deferred but Harry had gotten up to look.  He had heard that some passenger trains had people who brought around snacks and sweets for people to buy and now that he had some money of his own, another wonder, he wanted to see what was available.

Which led to the current moment where he was gaping at the cart with wonder.  The large cart had so many options laid out before him, and all of them were new.  He saw sweets and candy that were clad in different colors and covers, things he had never seen before.  He had hoped for candy but the array laid out before him was far different than what he was used to. 

“Muggleborn?” the witch asked with a kind smile.

“Pardon?” Harry asked, tearing his eyes away from the treats to look up at her.

“He wasn’t raised around magic,” Ron said helpfully.

“Oh same thing more or less,” the witch said with a soft smile.  “So you haven’t had any magical sweets, have you?”

“There are magical sweets?!” Harry asked, a smile growing.

The witch laughed and it was a kind and happy sound.  “Of course there are dearie!” she exclaimed.  “All the ones here are!”

Harry looked over the cart and was about to turn and ask Ron what he would recommend.  He then noticed Ron looking at the cart wistfully and Harry thought for a moment.  “Could I get some of everything to try, please?” he asked the woman.  “Enough for two?”

“Oh, uh,” Ron sputtered, his ears red.  “I’ve got sandwiches, it’s fine…”

The trolley witch looked at Harry with a soft expression.  “Of course you may,” she said and put together a tray for Harry.  She picked out the best of her offerings for him, looking through the packages and seemingly picking one over the other for reasons known only to her.  She then counted out the bill and took the coins from Harry.  “I hope you enjoy,” she said, her smile soft and sweet.

“Thank you!” Harry said, taking the tray from her with barely restrained eagerness.  He sat back down in the compartment and put the tray on the small table between him and Ron. 

“I’m really fine,” Ron repeated, looking embarrassed and wistful still, looking at the large pile of sweets and treats.

“You can trade me some of the sandwiches,” Harry said, feeling happy at the moment.  It felt nice to be able to share.  He recognized the look that Ron had and knew it all too well.  “Plus you’ll have to explain to me all the sweets.  Since I’ve never had them before.”

“Really?” Ron asked, hopeful.

“Go on,” Harry encouraged.

“Thanks!”  Ron’s smile was almost as wide as Harry’s and he opened the wrapped sandwiches and put them on the table.  “Mum made them.  They’re corned beef.  I don’t love them, but they’re still good.”

“They are!”  Harry munched on one readily without reservation.  “She’s a good cook.”

Ron beamed.  “She is!  Corned beef isn’t my favorite though, never liked it all that much.”

“That’s fair,” Harry nodded.  He and Ron swiftly polished off a sandwich each.  “So what should we start with?”

“My favorite are the chocolate frogs,” Ron said eagerly.  “They’re really tasty and they have cards in them.”

Harry picked up the purple and gold package and opened it, shouting with alarm as the chocolate frog within jumped at him.  He managed to catch it in mid-jump while also ducking.

“Sorry!” Ron exclaimed.  “Forgot to warn you, but that was a really good catch.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, eyes wide as he looked at the now inert chocolate in his hand.  It looked very much like a frog, as if it was once one and now was covered in chocolate.  “It’s not a real frog, is it?”

“No, don’t worry,” Ron laughed, opening a package but not all the way so the frog did not jump out.  “There’s something called croakoa in it and that’s what makes them tasty and act like a frog.”

Harry tentatively bit into the chocolate frog and his narrowed eyes popped open.  “It’s really good!” he exclaimed, chewing happily.  “That’s really nice chocolate!” 

“They’re my favorite,” Ron said, smiling wide.  “And the cards are really cool.  They’re about famous witches and wizards and you collect them.  I have a lot of them.”

“Oh wow.”  Harry took out the card in the package and looked at the wizened wizard within.  “Albus Dumbledore, oh the Headmaster.  Wow, he has a card?”

Ron nodded.  “He’s really famous and a really important wizard.”

“The picture moved!” Harry gasped as picture Dumbledore scratched his nose and smiled kindly up at him.

“Well of course they do,” Ron said.  “They can’t hang around all day.  They’d get bored or something.”

“Pictures normally don’t move at all unless it’s on the telly or a movie,” Harry said, “where I grew up.  Usually photographs are still.”

“Now that’s weird,” Ron said with wide eyes.

“What are these?” Harry asked, opening a box that was red and white striped.  “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans?”

“Oh they mean every flavor,” Ron warned.  “There’s the usuals like apple and peppermint and marmalade, but then there are ones like tripe and liver and spinach.”

“No way!” Harry said, pouring the beans out onto the table and examining them.

“George reckons he had a bogey-flavored one before!”

“How would he know what bogeys taste like?” Harry asked.

Ron blinked.  “That’s a good point.”

Harry picked up a red one and bravely bit it.  “Mmm, cherry!”

“Nice!”  Ron popped a brown one into his mouth.  “That was gravy,” he said with the smallest grimace.  “It’s good gravy, but not what I was expecting.”

“Wow!  This tastes like sprouts!” Harry laughed, chewing a green one.  “How did they do this?!  That’s incredible!”

“Magic I suppose,” Ron said, enjoying Harry’s obvious enthusiasm.  “Never thought about it really.”

“This one is pickles!” Harry said, eating another. 

“I’m glad you’re liking even the bad ones,” Ron laughed.

“They’re not so bad,” Harry said.  “Just weird and fun!  Mmm, lemon!”  The boys finished the pack with the wildest bean being medium rare steak, and decided to wait to open the other one. 

“So these aren’t really mice then either, right?” Harry asked, looking at the mice in the wrapping.  Much like the chocolate frogs, they looked very much like real mice though they were colored bright blue and white.

“Nope, they make your teeth chatter and squeak because they’re really cold,” Ron explained. 

Harry shivered as he ate one.  The ice mice were very cold like Ron said and dissolved in the mouth, much like sherbet ice cream.  They were very sweet and they did make Harry’s teeth chatter and squeak as advertised.  “These are nice too,” he said.  He turned his head and smiled as two very large amber eyes looked very intently at the ice mice.  “Would you like one?”

Hedwig, his snowy owl, nodded eagerly, opening her beak wide.

“Actually, can owls have sweets?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know honestly,” Ron said.  “Never tried to feed one any.  Not even Errol but he’s really old and has a sensitive stomach.”

“Your rat is eating sweets,” Harry pointed out, looking at the large old grey rat that was Ron’s pet who was in fact eating some of the sweets and the last of the sandwiches.

“Scabbers eats anything,” Ron said.  “But if he can, your owl probably can too.  Magical animals are different after all.”

“Makes sense to me.”  Harry fed an ice mouse to Hedwig and he laughed when Hedwig shivered and fluffed her feathers up, hooting happily.  Hedwig licked her beak clean of sugar and nuzzled Harry lovingly.  She danced in place when Harry opened another chocolate frog box for her, nabbing the frog in mid-jump and chewed daintily.

“Candy wands?”  Harry looked at the slim box showing a chocolate wand.  “I’m pretty sure they’re not real wands, right?”

Ron grinned.  “Not really, but you can wave them and the tip lights up.”  He opened a box and waved the wand and the tip glowed.  “More for little kids who don’t have their wands yet.  Though with enough accidental magic, you can do all sorts of things.”  He bit into the candy wand, showing a biscuit core that was covered in chocolate.  “They’re good too, I haven’t had one in a long time.”

“Everything’s been wonderful,” Harry said happily as he munched on the candy wand.  The biscuit was crisp and crunchy and the chocolate was sweet and smooth.  He opened another one and offered it to Hedwig, laughing when she waved it around in her talons and poked him playfully with it before nibbling on it.  “Don’t do that to my wand though please.”  He laughed again when she gave him a flat look and poked him with the candy wand again, barking at him.

“There are Pumpkin Pasties,” Ron said, pointing at the golden-brown pastry.  “They have a sweet pumpkin filling.  And those are Cauldron Cakes.  They’re really nice too.  A nice soft cake, some are vanilla and some are chocolate.”

Harry ate one of each with enthusiasm.  The pasties had crisp exteriors that were almost flaky, and the filling was pumpkin and cinnamon and other sweet and tangy spices.  The cauldron cakes were very soft and moist, pleasantly sweet and not overly so.  They were in the shapes of small cauldrons, much like the one he bought to use for his potions class back in Diagon Alley.

“I like how colorful these are,” Harry said, opening the next package.  “Sugar Quills.  Do they write like other quills?”

“Some do,” Ron said.  “They look like regular quills so you can eat them while in class but I heard a lot of the professors at the school can tell the difference.  One time, Fred replaced Percy’s regular quill with a deluxe Sugar Quill and Percy got mad because by the time he realized it, it made his hand and parchment sticky.  And made the ink go funny.”

The sugar quills were sweet and while sturdy to the touch, dissolved easily in the mouth.  The fine filaments that made the vane of the feather dissolved swiftly while the center rachis or spine dissolved much more slowly.  The one Harry was eating was plain and looked like a common quill but apparently the colored ones were different flavors. 

“What do you think?” Ron asked when they finished trying one of everything.

“They’re incredible!” Harry said.  “So much more fun than the candy I’ve had before.  The candy I’ve had, Muggle?  Am I saying that right?”  He continued at Ron’s nod.  “Muggle candy doesn’t do anything really.  They are gummy sweets that are in fun shapes and of course chocolates too, but they are just that.  And there are bars and small wrapped sweets too.  But it’s so much fun that magical candy is like this.”

“I like all sorts of candy and sweets,” Ron said.  “There are bars and small things that don’t do anything like the frogs and the mice, but sometimes it’s more fun having them than not.  And of course the beans can be a bit dangerous.”

Harry nodded and stopped, turning thoughtful.  “And people really made these?  I mean, of course they did, but people make magical candy like this?”

“Well yeah,” Ron said, looking at Harry with a quizzical expression.

After another moment, Harry noticed and blinked a few times.  “Oh sorry, just had a thought.  What are some other kinds that we didn’t get here.”  He listened to Ron with interest and petted Hedwig while listening, but the small thought in the back of his mind stayed there, waiting patiently.

-0-

Hours later, Harry sat on his bed in Gryffindor Tower, in the dorm room he shared with the other boys in his year. 

Even though it had only been a day, he had experienced a lot.  Much more than one day should hold.

He rode a magical train, leaving London and arriving to somewhere in Scotland.  He met several people, and maybe made at least one friend which was very new and nice.  He met a very unpleasant person, for the second time technically but still.  He saw real ghosts and learned that they existed too.  He wore an enchanted hat that Sorted him into one of the four Houses of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  He then ate more food than he ever had before at a truly wonderful feast, eating without stinting and worry.  Then he went through a gigantic magical castle, seeing moving paintings and other forms of magic that existed out in the open.  Now he was in a bed that was many times bigger and more comfortable than any place he had slept in up until now.

It was late but he was still wide awake, still going over everything that had happened that day.  The other boys had fallen asleep but Harry sat on his bed and looked out the window, drinking in the sights of the castle and the surrounding grounds and countryside.  He chose the bed beside the window, wanting to be able to look outside and enjoy the sights. 

For a while he had sat there alone before he noticed a snowy white form flapping to him.  He eagerly opened the window and smiled when Hedwig landed on the sill and hopped daintily in the room, hooting softly to him.  The boy was just thinking about her and just like magic, she had appeared.  Despite having only known each other for a few days now, she was a gift given to him by Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and school Groundskeeper.  Harry adored her and liked to think she felt the same about him.  She had made the remaining days at Number 4 Privet Drive more tolerable for him while they were there, before leaving for school.

“Hi girl,” he whispered softly, smiling as she hooted warmly at him.  He closed the window and started petting her when she installed herself on his lap, feeling better at her happy cooing and how she fluffed up comfortably.  “I’m sure you can stay here,” he said softly.  “Scabbers does after all.”  He took one of his blankets and made a nest for her at the corner of his bed beside his head.  She cheeped happily at the sight, helping him twist it around and she fluffed up inside of it with approval.

The boy sat against the headboard and continued to pet her, running his fingers through her soft feathers, enjoying the way she nibbled and gnawed on his fingers with obvious affection.  “What a day,” he mused and she hooted in agreement.

In the quiet dorm room, that thought he had earlier rose to the surface, drawing his attention.  He rolled the thought around in his mind, only realizing he had gone still when Hedwig cheeped at him, butting his hand with her head and she looked up at him with large amber eyes full of intelligence.

“I was just thinking,” he said slowly, grinning when her eyes widened with faux shock and surprise.  “Remember when we had the candy on the train?”

Hedwig bobbed her head, licking her beak.

“Wasn’t it wonderful?” he asked softly.  “And people made it.  So different from the candy and sweets I’ve seen before.  I’ve never heard of…wait.”

Harry hopped off the bed and Hedwig followed him with her eyes, blinking slowly as she watched him open his trunk and rummage about within.  The trunk at the foot of his bed held his belongings.  There were some clothes that the Dursleys, his Aunt and Uncle, had given him but those were old and beyond well-worn.  They once belonged to Dudley, his cousin, and were much too large for Harry, but they were all he had until he went shopping for school things with Hagrid.  There were new clothes bought for school, there were books and other things like school equipment.  There was one thing, however, that had belonged to him before he bought the rest from his trip to Diagon Alley.  It was something he had earned a long time ago and had hid from the Dursleys for good reason, knowing they would have taken it from him for no other reason than that they did not want him to have it.

He sat back on the bed and gently patted it.  It was a book, also very old and well-used.  The pages were curled from copious flipping, the cover and binding thin and peeling from continued use.  Unlike the clothes, the book was worn from time and constant reading, from being read time and again and again and again.  It had the feeling of something loved, something cherished.

Hedwig recognized the book, Harry had read some of the chapters to her in their short time together, and she nodded with understanding, barking softly.

“They really are alike,” Harry agreed, running palm and finger gently over the cover.  “I always thought it was just…fantastical before.  But now that I know magic is real…”

He looked down at her as she leaned over and laid on his hand.  She looked up at him and blinked very large eyes and cheeped at him.

“You think so?” he asked, his mind racing.

Hedwig nodded emphatically.  She barked softly.

“That would be wonderful,” he agreed.  He thought some more and his smile was full.  “Yeah, I really do want to do that.”  He looked back at Hedwig who was fluffed up.  “Thank you, Hedwig.” 

He gently put the book back into his trunk and laid down, settling to sleep.  Hedwig had fallen asleep as well, her soft snores joining the louder ones of the other boys.  Harry laid there for a few more moments, his mind still going, before he finally put his glasses onto the nightstand and closed his eyes. 

The moon shone through the window, bathing the owl and boy in argent light and the smile on the boy’s lips did not fade until morning’s light.

 -0-

The smile did fade in time, though for no truly bad reason until later in the week when Harry found himself in a situation that was not smile-inducing in the slightest.  If anything, it was the opposite of that.

The irony of the situation was that Harry had been looking forward to the class, having gone as far as to read a little of the textbook because it seemed interesting as well as thinking it would be pertinent to his newfound goal.

Ron had done his best to warn Harry beforehand, and while Harry believed his friend, he seemed to have underestimated the warning considerably.

Severus Snape, Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin, was quite the sight and experience. 

Harry had seen him during the Welcoming Feast and had asked Percy Weasley who the man was.  At the time, Harry had thought him very intimidating because the man had shot a complicated look at Harry during the feast, a look that was unpleasant.  Percy had explained that Professor Snape taught Potions and was the Head of Slytherin, much like how Minerva McGonagall was their Transfiguration professor and Head of their House, Gryffindor.  He also mentioned that Snape was very strict.

He neglected to mention that Snape was strict to the degree of harshness. 

Also, Harry also seemed to have underestimated his initial gut feeling too because the man was more than a little unpleasant to him.  He was quite unpleasant and was veering more into true hostility.

From the moment Snape entered the classroom, he had commanded their attention.  He was not bubbly and happy like Filius Flitwick, Charms Professor and Head of Ravenclaw.  Nor was he warm and approachable like Pomona Sprout, Herbology Professor and Head of Hufflepuff.  McGonagall had the air of strictness as well, but it was the type where the woman expected the best of them and was more stern and proper.  Snape spoke in a low tone that cut the air effortlessly and his eyes did not twinkle nor shine.

Snape had taken one look at Harry and sneered, making Harry squirm a little in his chair. 

“Tell me, Potter,” he said in his cold voice, “what would I get if I added a powder root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

“Wormwood is used in some medicine?” Harry said hesitantly, missing Snape’s surprised look.  “I think it's in some alcohol?  I don’t know for sure.”

Snape blinked a few times before he continued.  “Where would you find a bezoar, should asked?”

“Oh I read that the other night,” Harry said, feeling more confident.  “In a goat’s stomach.  I was reading a little of the textbook and I remembered that because it was weird.”  His confidence faded when Snape looked even more irritated instead of pleased.

“And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Snape asked acidly.

“Uh…I don’t know, Sir,” Harry said weakly.  He looked to his side at Hermione Granger, a girl from their House who had raised her hand at Snape’s first question and kept it up the entire time, looking eager to be called upon.  “Maybe she knows?”

Others started to chuckle but the sound died swiftly when Snape glared at them.  He snapped at Hermione to lower her hand and answered his own questions, then took a point away from Harry that made him feel some righteous indignation.

The class had barely gotten better after that.  After lecturing them on basic potion techniques, Snape had shown them directions written out on the board and had them start working on a potion.  Harry, hoping not to draw more attention or ire from the man, had worked swiftly with Ron.

“Have you brewed potions before?” Ron whispered, looking at Harry with surprise.  “I thought you didn’t do anything magical before.”

“I haven’t,” Harry said as he finished grinding some potion ingredients in the mortar and gently stirred the contents of his cauldron.  “I’ve done a lot of cooking and baking though, and it’s actually kinda similar.”

“Oh, I guess so,” Ron conceded.  The boys did not notice that Snape stood behind him and the man was listening in on the conversation.  Snape’s eyes narrowed as he watched Harry work.  Before he could comment, a commotion drew his attention and he was forced to deal with a situation as one student had caused a minor reaction that made the potion sputter and spill all over.

Towards the end of the class, the students brought up vials of their potions to be examined and graded.  Snape looked at Harry and Ron’s offering with a look of displeasure.  The displeasure deepened when he swirled the potion in the vial and looked at it critically.  He had also noticed that Harry had managed to prevent another accident from occurring with their neighbor, fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom. 

“Barely acceptable,” Snape said, pushing the vial to the side.  “Now clean and leave.”

“Barely acceptable?” Ron hissed very quietly as he and Harry cleaned their table.  “It looks loads better than most people.  He gave Malfoy points and our potion looked like his!”

Harry shrugged mutely and the boys finished cleaning and fled the classroom.  Harry chanced a look back and blanched when he saw Snape giving him yet another very complicated look, it giving him more encouragement to leave faster.  “I was hoping he wouldn’t be as bad as you said, but he was worse,” he said after they put a safe distance between themselves and the classroom, well out of the earshot of the professor within said classroom.

“Snape hates everyone but his own House,” Ron said.  “Everyone knows it.  Been like that for years.  Bill and Charlie, my two oldest brothers, said he’s always been like that.  He really hates the twins but to be fair, they cause a lot of trouble.”

Harry smiled softly.  He liked hearing about Ron’s brothers and sister.  “I don’t think he likes me at all,” he said.

“I don’t think he likes anyone,” Ron snorted. 

Harry was thinking as they walked, listening to Ron complain with half an ear.  He had looked forward to the class, hoping it would be like the others but now it seemed his hopes would be dashed.  For a moment, he felt his recently determined goal feel slightly shakier, no longer solid or steady.  He had done some thinking and knew potions would be very important to his goal and now it was in some peril.

Harry took a deep breath and shook his head.  No, it was far too early to be discouraged.  Now that he knew what was possible, he knew he could still figure it out.  If he was being completely honest, he was not that discouraged by what just happened.  He was well used to being looked down upon by others.  He was well used to being faced with cold rudeness.  He was well used to having his best looked down upon while being insulted.

He could endure and overcome.  He always had before.  Especially now that he knew what was possible.  What could be.

“You don’t agree?” Ron asked, giving him a look.

Harry flushed guiltily.  “Sorry, was thinking about something.  No, I agree with you.  It would be nice if Professor McGonagall favored us too.”

Harry took a look around the castle as he and Ron continued to walk.  Seeing all the moving paintings and statues, seeing paper airplanes fly through the air easily, watching an owl flap around the corner and seeing a cat saunter pass, observing lanterns flare into brilliance as they walked past and then put themselves out when not needed, standing on a staircase as it moved beneath them, taking them to where they needed to go, all of those reminded Harry where he was.  He not only saw the magic, he felt it.

He nodded once more, still resolute. 

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 2 – Basically

Percy’s eyebrows rose slightly.  The day started as it normally did for him.  Rising with the sun, spending a few moments reading something more leisurely before getting out of bed to beat his roommate Oliver Wood to the bathroom.  Not that Oliver took too long in the bathroom, but he enjoyed singing while showering and while Percy would never say it out loud, Oliver was an awful singer.  Therefore, Percy tried to be out of the bathroom whenever Oliver showered. 

He would then get his things ready and change into his school robes, making sure his prefect’s badge was affixed securely and was clean and sparkling, before walking down into the common room.  He was usually one of the earlier ones to leave the dorm rooms, and more often than not, the common room was empty of others. 

The first surprise was seeing someone there before him.  The second surprise was seeing that someone was waiting for him apparently.  Harry had risen from one of the couches when Percy appeared, waving shyly and walking up to the older boy.  Harry was also accompanied by his owl, who was currently sitting on his head, and that was a third surprise for Percy.

“You want to ask me some questions?” Percy repeated, the fourth surprise of the day.

“If that’s okay,” Harry asked slowly.

“Oh of course it is,” Percy said, still somewhat wrongfooted but did not mind in the slightest.  “I am just surprised you would want to ask me questions.”

“Well you’re a prefect,” Harry said matter-of-factly.  “That and Ron said you knew a lot of things and so I thought it’d be okay to ask you.”  Now it was Harry’s turn to be surprised when Percy snorted softly and looked equal parts wry and resigned.

“Really, Ron said that,” Percy said, a corner of his mouth twisting slightly.

Harry shrugged sheepishly.  “Well, he did say you were kind of a ‘know-it-all’.”

Percy laughed, a sincere sound.  “Ah yes, that sounds more like Ron.  But yes, please feel free to ask me your questions.”  He blinked at Harry’s smile, a sincere expression.

“Thanks!  Oh, uh this is my first one, is it okay if Hedwig sleeps in the tower here too or does she have to be in the owlery?”

Percy pondered for a moment.  “I do not think it will be a problem,” he said.  “It is not against the rules as far as I know.  Owls have always stayed in the owlery per tradition and their choice.  I do not see why she cannot as long as you clean up after her and your dormmates are fine with it.”  He blinked at the very flat look the owl in question was giving him.  If anything, she looked offended.

“Thank you,” Harry said with a big smile.  “I will but Hedwig is very clean normally.  Also no one has said anything but I’ll be mindful.  Hedwig isn’t interested at all in Scabbers either, we checked.”

“Very good,” Percy said, smiling at Hedwig’s emphatic nodding.  “And your next question?”

“Is there a place to practice things outside of class?”

“Yes and no.  Typically one goes to the professor outside of class times with questions and they will aid you in that regard.  For spells, well, many practice in an unused classroom but it is usually better to do so under observation.”

He noticed Harry’s glum look.  “Are you having some trouble?” he asked with some concern.

Harry hesitated for a moment.  “Well, uhm, it’s more like I don’t know if I can approach the professor outside of class.”

Percy winced.  “Potions?” he asked and sighed when Harry nodded.  “Professor Snape can be…difficult to deal with, but he generally will respond to questions and the like.”

“He seems to really hate me,” Harry said softly.  “I’m sort of used to that but I also have a lot of questions and things and well, it’s awkward.”

Percy frowned.  “Hate you?  I cannot believe you would do anything to deserve that.  I know for a fact that you cannot be any worse than Fred or George and...” he winced again, “Professor Snape does seem to dislike them.”

“Ron said that too,” Harry grinned.

Percy smiled a little.  “They have that effect on people.”  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  “Well, sign-ups for clubs are coming and there is a potions club.  It is sort of seen as a study hall type club where people go to practice on their work.  Upper years, ones selected by the professor, go and act as teaching aids.  I can also recommend some books to you for when I was having difficulties with certain procedures and things.”

“Really?  That’d be great!  I’d really appreciate it!”

Percy smiled back at the boy.  “My pleasure,” he said and found that he meant it sincerely.  “Oh, also, do not tell anyone I said this.”  He lowered his voice slightly despite it only being him and Harry and Hedwig in the room.  He smiled again when Harry leaned in eagerly with Hedwig doing the same.  “Some of the other professors are very approachable and are more than willing to answer questions, even if it is outside their subject.  For example, Professor Sprout has helped me on a few potions questions before.  She has more than passing familiarity with the school of magic since she is a Herbology Mistress.”

“That’s a great idea!  Thank you so much,” Harry waved with more confidence and left the common room.  Percy watched him go, feeling slightly bemused when Hedwig waved a wing at him too.  Percy shook his head slightly and left the common room as well, heading to the prefect offices.

So that’s what it’s like, he thought to himself.  It’s nice to be genuinely respected.

-0-

“Alright class!”  Sprout looked over the assembled first years with a beaming smile.  The witch was a jolly person, smiling more often than not.  She wore soft yellow robes with a thick and heavy apron tied over it, all sorts of tools and gloves poking out from various pockets.  A broad hat covered her soft grey hair and she rubbed her hands together eagerly.  “Today, we’re going to be working with thistle feather plants!”

She showed the first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs several planter boxes that were covered with a net frame.  The plants had long green stems and had crowns of white feathery protrusions that seemed to wave in the air without any need for breeze or wind.  “Does anyone know why we keep these under cover usually?” she asked.  She pointed at a student who raised his hand shyly.  “Mister Longbottom!  Go ahead.”

“The thistle feathers can float in the air,” Neville said, voice quavering slightly.

“Quite right, a point to Gryffindor!”  Sprout smiled as the other Gryffindor students smiled at Neville, making the boy smile as well.  “As you can see, even without the wind, the thistledown can move and if jarred, the thistle feathers can break off and fly through the air.  That’s how they spread their seeds about too when it’s time to do so.  In fact, sometimes the thistles are so strong, they can uproot the plant and the whole plant floats through the air, landing somewhere else and then the roots grow deep again, spreading the plants around.”

She pointed to the planters as some of the thistles on one of the plants broke away from the plant’s crown and they drifted lazily in the space above the planter but were kept contained by the netting.  “They are rather aggressive, and can choke out other plants by growing too much and too thickly.  But they are useful!  The thistles can be harvested and prepared for many different uses.  Typically in solutions that are used for things that need to float.  It can also be used in a featherlight solution to make things weigh less.”

Harry looked up at that, smiling as he remembered something and he looked at the thistle feathers with new appreciation and wonder.

By the end of the class, the thistle feather plants had been repotted into a different planter.  There had been an accident, Seamus Finnegan and Zacharias Smith having collided while moving, and a cloud of the thistle feathers had burst into the air, flying about the greenhouse.  Sprout had given the students small nets and they managed to catch them all, putting them in a large bottle she conjured to hold them.  After setting some homework, she released them from class and she busied herself with cleaning.  After a moment she realized that she was not alone and someone was helping her tidy up.

“Why thank you Mister Potter,” she said warmly.  “You’re not trying for extra credit, are you?” she teased.

He flushed a little and shook his head.  “No Ma’am.”

“I was teasing,” she smiled.  “You scored very well on your essay from last week.  Did you have any questions about it or about this week’s assignment?”

“Not exactly,” Harry said.  “But I did have some questions, if I could ask.”

“Ask away,” Sprout encouraged as she continued to move things back to their resting places, smiling when Harry did the same with her. 

“Are students allowed to use plants from the greenhouses?”

“Depending on what for,” Sprout said.  “For potions I assume?”  She continued when he nodded.  “Generally, you should be using what is in the potions general storeroom.  Those ingredients have been properly prepared.  Depending on the greenhouse, there are many things that can’t be used because of lack of preparation, and many are rather dangerous if used incorrectly.”

She gave him a curious look.  “Why do you ask?”

“Well, there are some things I’ve read about and would like to try,” Harry said slowly.  “And some ingredients aren’t in the general storeroom.” 

Sprout nodded.  “Personal project, or for potions class?”

“More personal.”

“Have you spoken to Professor Snape?”

Harry hesitated.  “Uh, sort of.”

She sighed knowingly.  “Let me guess, he was less than enthused by it.”  She sighed more when Harry nodded.  “What kind of project?” she asked instead.  “Forgive me for saying, but you are first year.  You really shouldn’t have any sort of personal projects and well, many first years and other younger years want to brew potions that are usually far too complicated, or inappropriate.”

“I don’t think they’re inappropriate,” Harry muttered.

Sprout looked at him again.  She had so far, found Harry to be quite diligent of a student.  He paid attention in class and his homework had been more than satisfactory.  He was quiet and not disruptive, as far as the vast majority of the teachers were concerned.  She also knew that Snape was difficult to approach by any of the students normally. 

She frowned slightly, unseen by Harry who busied himself with stacking the empty pots.  She had also noticed that Snape seemed to be even harder to deal with when it came to Harry.  In the teacher’s lounge and at the table in the Great Hall, the man had let his dislike for Harry show and already there had been arguments between him and McGonagall.  Sprout and Flitwick and the others had disagreed with Snape’s assessment, with only Quirinus Quirrell, the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, abstaining from commenting.  Cuthbert Binns, the ghost professor who taught History of Magic, could not remember who Harry was and also had no opinion.

“What did he say?” she asked, looking at Harry sympathetically.

“He said I had no business wasting his time with potions he wasn’t actively teaching,” Harry sighed.

Sprout growled low in her throat, just low enough for Harry not to hear.  “What was the potion?” she asked kindly.

“I wanted to make a bubbling potion,” Harry said, looking up at her.  “And now when you mentioned the floating potions, I’d like to make that too.”

Sprout hummed.  “Well, those aren’t really inappropriate,” she said, seeing how his eyes lit up.  She smiled in response.  “May I ask why you want to make them?”

“You’ll probably say it’s for a dumb reason,” Harry said morosely.

She blinked at his response before she rested a hand on his shoulder.  “I will not,” she promised, her eyes meeting his.  “Anything you do for the sake of practice and learning will never be dumb.”

He looked at her with open shock, completely unprepared for her reaction.  After a moment, he cleared his throat.  “I, uh, want to make them to make sweets with them,” he said shyly.

“Sweets?”  Sprout blinked again.  “Like candy?”

Harry nodded.  “And baked things, confections really.”

“Have you done that before?” she asked, frankly astonished.

Harry nodded enthusiastically.  “Oh yes Ma’am, I’ve made lots of baked things before and can make simple sweets.”  He rubbed his hands together and Sprout looked at them closely, frowning slightly.  “But I grew up not knowing magic was real and had my first taste of magical candy on the Express on the way here.  I really love them and want to try and make my own.”

Her head nearly swam with that bit of information.  Harry Potter had grown up not knowing magic was real?  Not only that, at such a young age, he was apparently well used to making sweets and baking things?  She tried to take a closer look at his hands again, thinking she recognized old scars and burns, but the boy kept them clasped before him, seeing her look closely at him.

She took another look at him once more, and not just his hands.  She saw that he looked earnest now, honest.  He did not look like someone who said something false, or provided a half-truth to hide the other half.  He did look like someone who wanted to know those things for the purpose he stated.  He had the conviction of someone that really wanted something and believed in it.

Seeing someone so young have that kind of look and demeanor made her smile.

“I don’t think that is dumb at all,” she said warmly and was rewarded by his biggest smile yet.  “I love sweets,” she said, patting her generous middle gently and she smiled at his laugh.  “I think it’s never too early to find what you want to do and be passionate about it.”

“Thank you,” Harry said with utter gratefulness, something she did not miss.

“Well then,” she said after a few moments’ thought.  “I can easily see Professor Snape reacting to that in such a way,” she said, shaking her head.  “Students can brew and work on potions on their own, but usually when they’re older and can be trusted after learning the basics.  I would recommend the Potions Club for you to be able to brew things under older student and teaching aid supervision.”

“Percy told me about that and I’m looking forward to it,” Harry said.

“Good!  I’m glad.  As far as obtaining materials and things for that sort of thing, I suppose if you help me between classes, I can let you take some extra material here and there,” she said.  “Only if you promise me two things.”

“Yes Ma’am!”

“First, that you will always be honest with me what you are making and why.”  She smiled at his happy nods and winked at him.  “Second, I’d like a bit of whatever you make.”

“Of course, thank you!” Harry said happily.  “Actually, is there a way for me to use a stove, like hobs and an oven?”

Sprout hummed.  “I can try to figure out how to make that work.  Generally, students don’t really cook here for many reasons but as long as you are careful, I believe we can make something happen.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Harry said, eyes shining.

Sprout smiled back.  “Happy to help, Mister Potter.”

-0-

Harry looked up and smiled when he heard triumphant barking. 

He loved breakfast time at Hogwarts.  Owls came flying into the Great Hall while breakfast was served and it was a riot of flapping wings, hooting and barking and screeching, and many different sizes and shapes and colors of owls.  Even though Hedwig mostly spent the nights in Harry's dorm room, she would sometimes hop out the window as he was getting ready and then arrive at the Great Hall with the other owls to join Harry at breakfast.

Until now, he had not exchanged any kind of messages or post with anyone so Hedwig had not brought him any letters of the like.  However, Harry had thought of an idea and sent Hedwig out the day before.  She was back now, swooping in and carrying a large box with her talons.  She flew gracefully through the air, keeping the box level, and flapped around the other owls and came to a stop in front of Harry, landing delicately and barking with smug self-satisfaction.

“Hi girl!”  Harry smiled when Hedwig bonked her head against his.  “It wasn’t too heavy, was it?”  He sighed with relief at her snort, shaking her head.  “Just making sure,” he laughed when she tugged on his hair.

“What’s that?” Ron asked, looking at the box.

“Just some extra potion supplies,” Harry said.  “Ingredients and things.”

“Huh, didn’t think we used enough of our own stuff to need all that much,” Ron observed.

“Well, some personal stuff too I guess,” Harry said, feeding Hedwig some bacon.  The owl munched on the rashers with gusto.  “But doing stuff with potions too.”

Ron rolled his eyes.  “You do too much extra work.  You’re already good at potions.”

“Just want to try stuff,” Harry shrugged.  “Just like you like to play a lot of chess to try new stuff.”

“But chess is fun,” Ron protested, scandalized.

“I find this fun,” Harry grinned.  “Plus if it works, it’ll be good.”

“If you say so,” Ron said.

-0-

Later that day, Harry found an unused classroom near the Gryffindor common room.  Classes were over earlier that day and Ron had gone to the Quidditch Pitch with the twins to watch people play and he was hoping to play too.  Harry had deferred when asked, saying he wanted to catch up on something.  Ron had shaken his head again but left with his brothers, saying he’d see Harry later at dinner.

Harry put his potion kit down on the largest table in the small classroom along with the box that Hedwig had brought earlier.  He felt a little bad about doing something that was not quite allowed by the rules.  He looked over at Hedwig who had come into the room with Harry, riding on his head, and hopped off daintily to land on the table. 

“I mean, I’ve done this back at Number 4,” Harry said.  “Just usually with a hob.  But I’ve made several potions now in class and know how to use a cauldron and the small burner.  That means I’ve done it before, right?”

Hedwig tilted her head and looked thoughtful before nodding.

“And you’ll watch me just in case, right?”

Hedwig opened her eyes wide, blinking one than the other, and then leaned close and stared at Harry, her eyes narrowing slightly in focus.

“Should be fine then,” he grinned and Hedwig hooted in agreement.

He set up the small burner and hung his cauldron over the flame, after washing the cauldron several times.  He then poured in a measure of water along with a measure of caster sugar and stirred it slowly as the sugar dissolved.  Every so often he would move the cauldron away from the heat, ensuring the developing syrup did not boil.  Once the sugar was completely dissolved, he centered the cauldron over the small flame and watched it closely as it came to a boil.  When it started to bubble, he gently wiped the edges of the cauldron with a small brush, brushing down developing sugar crystals.

“I was a little worried,” he mused as he continued to work.  “Thought it might not work in a cauldron over a flame but it’s actually not bad at all.”

Hedwig watched with interest, blinking her large eyes as she watched Harry work.

“Wish I brought a thermometer though,” Harry said.  He periodically poured a few drops of the bubbling sugar mixture into a bowl of cold water he had beside him, watching how the drops reacted.  Once the latest drop hardened in the water, creating hard brittle strings, he removed the cauldron from the heat entirely.

“Wow!” he exclaimed, opening the small vial.  The air was suddenly rich with an intense citrus scent.  “That’s the best lemon extract I’ve ever smelled!”  He wafted in front of Hedwig who barked brightly, licking her beak.  He poured a measure of the extract into the syrup and some yellow coloring, then stirred the syrup with a glass rod.

“That’s a really pretty yellow too,” Harry said.  “I wonder if it’s because it’s made by magicals and it’s not a Muggle product.”  After the mixture was fully yellow, he poured the hot syrup into a specimen plate he had prepared with parchment paper.  He then tilted the pan carefully, making sure the mixture flowed evenly and making a smooth layer.  Once finished with that, he lightly dusted the top with icing sugar through a sieve.

“It’s nice that the stuff we use for potions is actually similar to what I used back at Privet Drive,” he said with a small smile.

Hedwig barked a question at him, looking up at him.

“Now we wait until it cools,” Harry said.  “It’s been a while since I made this.  Used to make it a lot for the Dursleys.”  He rubbed his hands together.  “I actually did a lot right before I found out I was a wizard and went to Diagon Alley.  There wasn’t a lot of time after that.”  He looked at his hands.

He noticed Hedwig staring at his hands and she looked back at him, frowning.

“Oh, these are from a long time ago,” he said, rubbing an old burn scar on his palm.  “When I wasn’t used to doing this sort of thing.  It’s okay.”  He smiled when Hedwig nuzzled his hands and cooed at him.  He daubed some of the icing sugar on her beak and smiled when she cheeped happily, licking it up.

After the candy cooled, Harry gently broke it with small hits of a wooden spoon.  The sheet of candy cracked pleasantly, making all sorts of shapes as he dotted it at random, then lifting the parchment paper and dropping it back down to break it more.  He then picked up a small piece and held it up, admiring the clear quality and the pleasant bright yellow hue. 

“I think it looks better than I hoped,” he said.  He held it out to Hedwig.  “Here you go Hedwig, first piece for you.”  He looked on nervously as Hedwig delicately picked it up from his fingers with her beak and then snapped it up.  “Well?”

Hedwig shivered pleasantly, her feathers curling and then fluffing out.  She danced up and down, flapping her wings and hooted happily, bobbing her head.

“Really?”  Harry popped a small piece into his mouth and he smiled, tasting the rush of sugar and lemon across his tongue.  The sugar was not cloying and the lemon was bright and tart, just shy of being truly sour.  The candy melted in his mouth slowly and when he bit the last of it, it cracked and crunched pleasantly, releasing more sweet and tart flavors.  “It’s great!” he exclaimed and smiled when Hedwig flapped her wings, barking loudly.

“It’s even better than I remember it being,” Harry said, eating another small piece and feeding Hedwig another one too.  “It shouldn’t be though…  I didn’t have a thermometer and it’s got to be harder to cook it over a flame.  But it’s good.”  He looked at his owl.  “You’d tell me if it wasn’t good, right?”

Hedwig nodded emphatically.

He stood there in contemplative silence before smiling again.  “Maybe I can do this then!  Maybe this isn’t so silly after all!”  He looked at the ingredients on the table as well as the equipment.  “Maybe it’s the magic too,” he mused.  He clapped his hands.  “Well, whatever the reason, I can still make it and it tastes good.”

He looked over and laughed when he saw Hedwig looking at the tray of candy and back at him, her eyes going back and forth.  “One more piece,” he said and fed her another one while taking another for himself.  His smile was from ear to ear as he watched and listened to her noisily enjoy the treat.  His eyes then drifted over to the pile of books that he had put there at the start: the potions text, the herbology text, and the book with worn pages and covers.

Time passed as he continued to make more lemon hard candy with Hedwig helping.  His smile remained and his thoughts continued to boil and simmer just behind the smile.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 3 – Sweet and Sour

“Wow, this is really good,” Ron said, eating a piece of the lemon candy.  “And you made this?”

“I did,” Harry said, looking a little proud.  “You really like it?”

“Yeah!  And I eat a lot of sweets,” Ron said.  “I didn’t think people could make sweets like this.  I mean, Mum makes really good fudge and bakes a lot of awesome things, but sweets and candy like this is something else.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Harry said, smiling more openly.

“Oh is this what you meant before?  During Potions?” Ron asked.  “You’ve made stuff like this a lot?”

Harry nodded.  “Hard candy like this, can’t really do anything more fancy because I don’t know how or didn’t have the equipment.  The Dursleys wouldn’t get the things for it.  But I can do some others and baked a lot of small things like biscuits and cakes and things.”

“And they never told you how good it is?” Ron asked, looking confused.

“No, not really,” Harry said quietly.  He waved as someone walked into the common room.  “Hey Percy!  I have something for you.”

“Oh?”  Percy walked over and took the small parchment paper pouch from Harry and opened it.  “Oh, these look very nice,” he said, admiring the irregular shaped but crystal-clear pieces of hard candy that had a dusting of sugar on top.  “Where did you get these?”

“He made them,” Ron said.

“You made these?” Percy asked, sounding surprised.  “Here?”

Harry nodded.  “They turned out well.”

Percy popped a piece in his mouth and his eyes widened with surprise.  “Better than well, these are wonderful,” he said, licking his lips.  “Thank you, Harry.”

“I wanted to thank you for your advice and those books you recommended,” Harry said.  “I also talked to Professor Sprout and she was really helpful too.”

“Glad to be of aid,” Percy said with a small smile.

“Speaking of, I need to go find her.  See you later.”  Harry left the common room with almost a skip to his step and a broad smile on his lip.

“Apparently he’s used to making them,” Ron said to his older brother.  “Made a lot of them and baked a lot.”

Percy frowned slightly.  “He’s rather young for that,” Percy mused.  “Mother always had us help but she would never expect us to do more than that.”  He snorted softly.  “That and none of us like to cook all that much.  And bring other problems.”

“Charlie eating it all first,” Ron said, grinning.  “And Fred and George doing something to the food.”

“Precisely,” Percy said, also smiling.  He frowned and closed the pouch when Ron reached for a piece.  “Excuse me, Harry generously gave these to me.”

“I’m your little brother,” Ron gasped.

“Yes, I know,” Percy said with a stern expression, smiling at Ron’s flush and groan, finally relenting and giving him a piece.

-0-

“This is wonderful!”  Sprout resisted the urge to lick the sugar and candy dust from her fingers as she savored the tart and sweet treat.  “It’s not sour, it’s not too sweet, just right!”  She smiled down at Harry who looked very happy.  “And you really made this?!”

“Yes Ma’am,” Harry said with some pride.  He winced a little.  “Now I know you said I shouldn’t be doing anything new on my own but in my defense, I’ve done this before.  Not with a cauldron admittedly but still.  And I did have someone watching me too.”

Sprout gave him a mock glower before she winked.  “Well, I suppose we can overlook the splendid loopholing and you did fulfill your other end of the bargain.  Thank you, by the way.  This is the perfect treat to perk one up.”

“It worked out a lot better than I thought,” Harry said.  “Is it because I was using a cauldron?”

“That may certainly be the case,” Sprout nodded.  “I have tried simple potions in a cooking pot before over a hob and stove and while it worked, it wasn’t as efficacious or successful as one would normally get from a cauldron.  Where did you obtain the sugar and extract?”

“From the apothecary at Diagon.  Hedwig got me an order form and I sent it in and she brought it back.  I didn’t get the magical kind though.”

“Just because it is not magical inherently doesn’t mean it wasn’t processed or created via magic,” Sprout said.  “There are ingredients that are not magically normally, say normal lemons, that can be treated to be more magically sensitive so they react more smoothly in magical preparations.  Also, it is not unheard of for mundane ingredients to pick up a bit of magical feeling if stored with magical ingredients.”

“That’s so cool!”  Harry’s eyes shone.  “How can you tell?  If the ingredients are magical or not?”

“You will learn a charm for it eventually,” Sprout said, enjoying his eager look.  “Also, as you get older and more experienced, you can develop a sense for magic around you.  Like a feeling.”

“I can’t wait,” Harry said.

After eating another piece, Sprout put the pouch into one of her apron pockets and clapped her hands.  “Well then!  Since you have held up your end, albeit with a small modification,” she winked again, “time for me to do the same.  It’s actually time to do a harvest of the thistle feathers and you can take some of the seed feathers with you.  I’ll also give you a recipe for the feather float potion and it might be a bit tricky for you now, so I want you to promise to try it during the Potions Club that is starting this week.”

“I will, thank you so much!”

His smile was infectious and Sprout found herself smiling like him.

-0-

“Draco, are you listening?!”

Draco Malfoy looked up and scowled.  “What?!  Of course I was.”

“Of course you were not!”  Pansy Parkinson flicked her long dark brown hair over her shoulder and glared back at the boy who shrank ever so slightly.  “What was I just saying then?”

“That you do not think it’s fair either that Potter got away with it!”

Pansy rolled her eyes.  “No, I did not say that at all!  You were saying that and I did not say anything because why does it matter?  Why did you try and steal Longbottom’s Remembrall anyways?”

“I was just having a bit of fun and Potter had to ruin it,” Draco seethed. 

“Why are you so obsessed with him anyways?” Pansy pouted.

“I am not obsessed with him!” Draco protested a touch too loudly.

“So what if he didn’t accept your invitation?” Pansy said, huffing at Draco’s angry look.  “He lost his chance.  What is the problem?”

“The problem is that he didn’t accept it, obviously,” Draco said scathingly.  “And now he keeps getting away with things.” 

“And is that all?” Pansy asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes,” Draco said hurriedly, eyes flicking back and forth.  He turned away when Pansy opened her mouth.  “If you’re not going to support me, then you can leave me alone.”

“Fine!”  Pansy stomped away, leaving the Slytherin common room and walking down the hallway that led to the girls’ rooms and dormitories.  She opened the door to her room and just barely managed to refrain from slamming it shut behind her.

Her roommate, Millicent Bullstrode, looked up from her desk.  “Is he still being pissy?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Pansy replied frostily, sitting on her bed with a huff.

“You’re being a little pissy,” Millicent said, turning back to her work and smiling at Pansy’s louder huff.

“I don’t understand it,” Pansy said, her irritation fading slightly.  “I don’t understand why he’s so obsessed with Potter’s reaction to him.”

“You know that Draco gets incredibly pissy when he doesn’t get what he wants,” Millicent said.  “So when Potter refused to be his friend, Draco took it personally and is now in a snit over it.  Which I guess he should take it personally but still.”

“Millie,” Pansy said, trying to fight a smile.

“And Potter doesn’t even know Draco like we do,” Millicent continued, smiling more. 

“Millie, please?” Pansy said, looking at her friend plaintively.

Millicent sighed.  “Alright, sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“No I’m not.”

Pansy sighed.  “I think Draco is taking it personally too that he’s not constantly beating Potter in Potions either.”

“That tracks,” Millicent agreed.  “He can’t even beat Granger either.  That must really stick in his craw too.”

Pansy gave Millicent a look that she ignored.  “What’s a craw?”

“I don’t know.  Something Mum said before and I liked the sound of it.”

“Well, I hope he gets over this soon,” Pansy sighed.

“And then pick the next thing to be pissy about,” Millicent nodded.  “Hey!” she exclaimed when a pillow bounced off her head.

-0-

Surprisingly, at the same time, several floors above in the castle, a remarkably similar conversation was taking place.  The weekly staff meeting between the core classes had ended and it transitioned into the weekly meeting between the Heads of House and the Headmaster.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, liked to have these meetings to ensure that major problems at the school were handled in a timely manner, as well as following up on previous problems.  They also discussed other things during the meetings and Dumbledore was also able to enjoy hearing the drama that occurred between the students.  He very much enjoyed hearing about the little things that went on in the castle.

He sat behind his desk and watched McGonagall and Snape argue with one another, vaguely wishing for a snack, with Flitwick and Sprout also surreptitiously enjoying the argument as well.

“Blatant favoritism,” Snape hissed.

“How very rich of you to accuse me of that,” McGonagall hissed back.  “Tell me, what was Mister Malfoy’s punishment for also flying when he should not have been?”

“At least he is not being rewarded by giving a spot on the Quidditch team,” Snape shot back.  “Then again, perhaps that is a fitting punishment for ignoring the rules.”

McGonagall glowered at Snape and the man feared for a moment that he overstepped, forgetting how seriously the woman took Quidditch.  “First of all, no spot is guaranteed and it will be between him and Captain Wood.  Second of all, if we are talking about ignoring the rules, how about the rules where a student should not steal from another?”

“I’m sure Malfoy was going to return the bauble-“

“If you actually believe that, then I have a rather large piece of land to sell you.”

Dumbledore coughed and then sighed softly when both teachers stopped arguing and looked at him.  “Sorry, just a tickle,” he said, sipping his tea and feeling slightly disappointed.  He waited for them to continue but when they continued to look at him, he sighed again.  “I believe what is done is done in this case and if one is not punished for breaking the rules, so should the other.  Both boys could have come to harm and punishment for the infractions, but let us let it go for now then.  All’s well that ends well, so they say.”

Snape turned his head and muttered something under his breath.

Sprout, standing closer to him, caught what he said and she tilted her head slightly before she sniffed.  “Actually, a question, Severus.  Is there a reason that you seem so opposed to be aiding Mister Potter?”  She continued, ignoring his glare while the others looked on with interest. 

“What has he lied about?” Snape asked in a cold voice.

“Oh I don’t know about lying,” Sprout said demurely.  “But he did mention he went to you and asked about some aid in potions and you refused due to some sort of childish excuse.”  She smiled as he bristled.  “Not that you were being childish per se, but said he was?”

“He wanted to make potions that are not part of the current lesson plan,” Snape growled.  “For no discernable reason.  My time is precious and he has no business doing that yet.”  He looked at the other professors.  “And I know all of you have refused to entertain such nonsense in your respective schools of magic.  Do not lie and say otherwise.”

Dumbledore coughed again and this time it was deliberate.  “That has always been the right of the instructor,” he said calmly.  “That being said, it is also the duty of the instructor to answer questions honestly or at least provide a path forward.  Those that ask for more learning should be cherished and nurtured.”

“I mentioned the Potions Club to Mister Potter,” Sprout said mildly.

“An excellent compromise,” Dumbledore nodded.  “Do you need a cough drop, Severus?” he asked mildly.

Snape shook his head.  “No, Headmaster,” he said coolly.  “If that will be all?”  With a short nod, he left, his cloak robes billowing out in his wake.

“He does seem to have a strange dislike for Mister Potter,” Flitwick remarked after Snape’s footsteps faded away.  “I personally find him to be pleasant and a fine student.  Though I do know that some students treat different instructors differently of course, but I can’t imagine him doing that.”

“I think it is for a more…base reason,” McGonagall sighed, her irritation turning into melancholy.

“Ah, you might be right,” Flitwick said after a moment’s thought, his merry countenance also fading slightly.

Sprout snorted, a deep and earthy sound.  “I do hope that isn’t the reason,” she said, shaking her head.  “The boy is nothing like his father, save for appearance.”

“How is he?” Dumbledore asked, looking at them inquisitively. 

“He seems just fine,” Flitwick said with McGonagall and Sprout nodding in agreement.  “Does well in class.  Has not caused any sort of trouble, aside from the incident on the broom apparently,” he added, winking at McGonagall who huffed slightly but looked faintly proud and disapproving in equal measure.  “He’s actually an eager student I find.  Asks questions and while he has asked me a few questions not exactly pertaining to the immediate subject, nothing I’d find concerning.”

“He has?” McGonagall asked, looking interested.

“He has,” Sprout nodded.  “He’s been helping me in the greenhouses here and there after classes.  He also has a hidden talent that is quite delightful.”

“He does?” McGonagall asked, looking wounded. 

Sprout opened the pouch of candy she took out from her robe pocket, revealing the bright yellow candy that looked like shards of crystal.  “He made this,” she said, giving the other three a piece.

“Delicious!” Flitwick exclaimed, licking his lips.

“Oh my, that’s wonderful,” McGonagall said, surprised.

Dumbledore smiled as he enjoyed the tart and sweet treat.  “Better than the lemon drops I normally get,” he praised.  “And he made them?  Here?”

“So he says and I have no reason to not believe him,” Sprout said.  She noticed Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix companion, looking at the candy with undisguised want.  After a nod from Dumbledore, she fed him and piece and smiled, watching the magical creature enjoy the sweet with evident pleasure. 

“Now that is something wonderful,” Dumbledore smiled.  He noticed a look on Sprout’s face.  “Unless it is not?”

“Well, yes and no,” she said slowly, thinking.  “He has mentioned that he was very used to making all sorts of things a lot like this.  Not in a boatful way, but in a strange matter-of-fact way.  As in he was used to it and it was a common thing.”

Dumbledore hummed softly while Flitwick and McGonagall exchanged a look.  “Something to be mindful of,” he said at last.  “Perhaps he will share more in time.”

“Of his thoughts or his sweets?” Flitwick asked.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said, making Flitwick snort and the witches shake their heads.  “How did he make this, did he say?”

“With his cauldron,” Sprout said.  “Which I was surprised to hear it.  He did ask about other means too and I said I would inquire for him.”

“I do not suppose it will be unreasonable to have a small space for him to do so,” Dumbledore said.  “As long as his classwork does not suffer.  That might actually allow us to observe him more and help him in the future.  We can discuss that more later.”

Later, after the other three left, he turned his chair to look out the windows behind his desk, looking out over the grounds.  He popped a lemon drop into his mouth, one of the ones he usually kept on his desk.  He sucked on it thoughtfully and looked over when Fawkes helped himself to one as he normally did.

“Not as good, is it?” Dumbledore asked and smiled when Fawkes nodded.  “There was something really nice about the sweets that Mister Potter made.”  He smiled again when Fawkes nodded emphatically, singing sweetly in agreement.

Dumbledore looked out over the grounds and lapsed into silence, his thoughts as expansive and heavy as the clouds that hung overhead.

-0-

“Hey, how was the practice?” Ron asked, sitting beside Harry in the Gryffindor common room.”

“Fine, I think,” Harry said.  “I never played a sport before really, so don’t really have anything to compare it to.”

“Are you going to play?” Ron asked eagerly.

“Maybe?” Harry said, smiling weakly at Ron’s look of disbelief.  “Don’t get me wrong, flying is brilliant and I really like it.  Quidditch seems fun but not sure how I really feel about it yet.”

“I’d jump at the chance to join the team early,” Ron said, sounding deeply envious.  He looked more closely at Harry.  “You weren’t like, completely rubbish were you?  I know you haven’t played before, and I’ve heard how Oliver can get.”

“Oh no, he was really nice,” Harry said honestly.

Oliver Wood, the fifth year captain of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team had been really nice.  After Harry caught Neville’s Remembrall during their first flight lesson, he was taken to Oliver by McGonagall and was given a crash course in Quidditch.  Harry had flown around outside at the school’s Quidditch pitch with the upper year student and it was fun and an educational experience.  Oliver was very enthusiastic and taught Harry a lot in a short time.

Even when Harry had shown slight reservation, Oliver had remained very kind.  They talked about it more and Harry would practice with the team to get a better feel of things before deciding if he wanted to formally join it or not.  Harry did say he would like to fly with them though and Oliver had accepted that easily.

“Is it about how Potions was earlier?” Ron asked sympathetically.  “Snape really had it out for you today.”

Harry sighed and nodded.  “I really don’t know why.” 

“He was practically hovering over you the whole period,” Ron grumbled.  “Commenting on everything you did.  And you still brewed something decent.  That and Malfoy kept being a giant prat.  Making faces and saying dumb shite.”

“I actually met at Diagon Alley before he came into the compartment on the train,” Harry said.  “At Madam Malkin’s.”

“Really?”

Harry nodded.  “And he was snooty and not nice there too.  So when he was rude to you in the compartment, I didn’t really care to be too friendly with him there.”

Ron flushed slightly but looked pleased.  “It was so funny when Hedwig chased him and Crabbe and Goyle out.”

Harry grinned.  He could still remember quite clearly the moment where Draco, incensed at being brushed off by Harry, had tried to take their candy.  He had also insulted Harry during the process and Hedwig had taken that rather personally.  She flew at Draco, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe in a rage, barking loudly and cuffing at them with her wings.  The three boys had crashed into each other in their haste to get away and the owl had chased them out of the train car entirely before flying back to the compartment, hooting with disgust.  Harry and Ron had laughed uproariously at that and he had of course showered her with affection that she happily accepted.  “She’s the best.”

“I guess try to ignore them then,” Ron said.  “Him and Snape.”

“Yeah, you’re probably not wrong,” Harry nodded. 

-0-

Later that night, with the curtains drawn around his bed, Harry looked at the letter in his hands with a blank expression.  He sighed deeply as he read it again and sat there in silence.  Hedwig’s soft cooing drew him from his thoughts and he smiled wanly at her when she looked up at him with concern.  “I’m okay,” he said insincerely.

Hedwig narrowed her eyes at the letter and growled, her beak clacking in a threatening way.

“No, it’s okay,” he said, folding the letter and putting it on his nightstand.  He smiled more sincerely when the owl hopped onto his lap and even laughed when she headbutted him, head-to-head, nuzzling and fluffing up while barking gently.  “Thank you,” he said, hugging her.

“They treated you okay, right?” he asked, looking down at her with concern.

She nodded but glowered once more, clacking her beak sharply.

“Yeah, I bet they don’t dare treat you otherwise,” he said with relief.  He hugged her again and enjoyed the way she tugged on his hair with her beak.  “At least it’s a lot better here.”

His smile grew when Hedwig hopped off the bed and came back carrying the well-used book gently in her talons.  “Great idea,” he said, taking it from her.  Time passed pleasantly with Harry reading and Hedwig sat fluffed up in his lap and he felt much better before finally falling asleep.

-0-

Millicent looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow.  “What now?” she asked, seeing Pansy’s look of weary exasperation.

“Draco got in trouble,” Pansy hissed, sitting down on her bed and crossing her arms with a loud huff.  “I told him not to do it!”

“What did he do?” Millicent asked with an eager smile.

“He challenged Potter to a Duel,” Pansy said with disgust.  “They were supposed to meet after hours in one of the corridors.”

“Huh, I’m guessing it didn’t happen then?”

“No, because Draco had no intention of meeting him and had told Filch that Potter and Weasley would be out after hours.  Gave him the time and location.”

“That’s actually not bad,” Millicent said begrudgingly.

“Save that it didn’t work!” Pansy exclaimed.  “Filch went and found the Weasley prefect waiting who informed Filch that he had been lied to!  Filch was furious and told Professor Snape and Draco got into trouble and has detention and lost points!”  She ground her teeth as Millicent laughed loudly.

“Sorry,” Millicent giggled, trying to quash her open enjoyment.  “But that’s incredible.  So Potter flipped it on Draco.  Amazing.  Guess Potter is smarter than Draco thinks he is.”

“I told him it was stupid,” Pansy sighed, deflating and leaning against the wall glumly.  “It was too risky.  But he didn’t listen to me and now he’s mad at me.”

“For what?!” Millicent asked indignantly. 

“For not trying harder to keep him from doing it,” Pansy sighed.

“That’s stupid,” Millicent snorted.  “And he’s stupid for saying it.”  They sat in silence for a moment.  “I guess he’s not getting over it anytime soon huh?”  She giggled at the look Pansy threw at her.  “Come on, you know it’s funny.  He deserved it for not listening to you.”

“Except he’s mad at me now because of it,” Pansy pouted.

“You know you don’t deserve that,” Millicent said softly.

“I know,” Pansy said, her voice a whisper.

“Just saying.”

Pansy nodded glumly.  After a few moments she looked over and frowned, seeing Millicent shaking silently.  “What now?” she asked, frowning deeper.

“Just imagining what Draco would do in a Duel,” Millicent giggled.  “Or anyone our age really.  It’d be pathetic.”

Pansy tried to scowl but she too started to shake from repressed mirth.  “I don’t know,” she said, trying to fight a smile, “I remember the time you dueled with him.”

“Oh yeah that was a great day,” Millicent said, smiling wide.  “Punched him right in the face.  Didn’t even get in trouble,” she added smugly. 

“Because Lord Malfoy and Aunt Cissa didn’t believe him despite him having the mark on his face,” Pansy said, her smile finally breaking free and the two friends laughed out loud together.

“Surprised you’re the one to bring it up,” Millicent said, still giggling.

“Well, like this time, he deserved it,” Pansy sighed.  “He shouldn’t have said awful things to you then, he shouldn’t have done something stupid now.”

Millicent nodded.  “Hey, want to work on our Charms paper together?”

Pansy nodded, grateful for the change in subject.  They passed the rest of the afternoon doing homework together in peace.

-0-

“Thanks Harry,” Neville said gratefully.  He and Harry were working on homework together and had just finished. 

“You’re welcome, thanks for the herbology help,” Harry replied.

“Herbology is my favorite,” Neville said shyly.  “Grandmother always had to go to the greenhouse to find me.”

“You have a greenhouse?  That’s amazing,” Harry said, sounding and looking sincere.  “I used to do garden work a lot but nothing magical.  Just maintaining the flowers and the shrubbery, that sort of thing.”

“Is that why you like herbology too?”

“Not really,” Harry said.  “But I do like it and Professor Sprout is really nice and helpful.  Helps with other stuff too.”

“She is really nice,” Neville agreed.  He looked down at his essay and sighed glumly.

“Yeah, it’d be nice if he was nicer,” Harry said, also looking down at his own essay.  “Come on, it’s done with.  We can work on something else.”

Neville brightened and nodded, the rest of the time passing pleasantly as the boys worked together.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 4 – First Steps

Harry approached the Potions Clubroom with some trepidation.  He knew that he was allowed to attend of course, but he was also nervous about who would be there.  Despite his best efforts, Snape continued to treat Harry with ill-concealed contempt adjacent to dislike and Harry was beginning to think nothing would change that.

He was more or less used to that to be honest.  The Dursleys would tell anyone who would listen about Harry’s supposed manners and behavior, and many people drew their own conclusions from that.  People he had never met in person before already had well developed pre-conceived notions of Harry and when they finally met, nothing Harry said or did would dissuade them.

Even the teachers at his primary school were no different.  A few seemed to think positively of him, but then any concerns that Harry brought up about dealing with Dudley and his friends would be twisted by Vernon and Petunia during meetings, and then somehow it would become Harry’s fault once more.

After a while, it was easier and less disappointing to him to not try and fight it anymore.  Which made the fact that the Dursleys gifting and selling his baking and sweets to others all the more ironic to him.  How willing others were willing to take what he made and praise the Dursleys for it despite him being the one that made them. 

Then again, perhaps the people receiving never knew exactly how much Harry was responsible for it all.  Which was to say, all of it save for buying the ingredients. 

There were times when Harry had thought about not doing it at all and he had tried to do that before.  To simply not bake or make the sweets.  The consequences of those brief periods of rebellion were very harsh, however.  And at least he could guarantee some degree of comfort for himself while doing them.  Something that was never guaranteed before he started baking and making sweets.

Despite his complicated feelings, he would never waste food however.  The idea of making bad food or wasting it was anathema to him, something not to be considered, ever.  He knew what it was like to have nothing at all, when even the worst would be the best to him.

He was grateful, though, since arriving to Hogwarts and learning of magical sweets.  Tasting all the treats on the Express had sparked an intense feeling deep within, a desire and a joy that he had not felt in a long time.  It was similar to the feeling he had when he first started baking, years and years ago.  Now seeing all the possibilities, he was inspired.  Not to mention, at least while at Hogwarts, he had the freedom to try new things and to be happier about it. 

He would continue to make the basic things, the non-magical versions, as he was supposed to.  But now he knew he could try to make magical sweets in feeling and taste and presentation.  Just knowing that made him happy.

Which led him to joining the Potions Club.

He figured that potions would be very important in imparting magical effects to sweets, same with understanding what products from magical plants and sources could do.  Hence his high hopes for Potions in general, hopes that were very neatly and completely crushed by Snape’s attitude.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the club room and saw that Snape was not there.  In fact, not many students were and he was the only first year.  Others were older years and were already clustered around tables and things.  One student, wearing a Slytherin tie along with more casual clothes looked over at him.  She approached him, dark brown eyes looking him up and down.

“Firstie?” she asked, her voice as confident and striking as the way she stood there, arms crossed.

Harry nodded, looking up at her with a hint of nervousness.

“Right then,” she said.  “Don’t fuck around.  You clean up any mess you make.  Don’t try anything illegal or you’ll get banned.  I’m in charge and what I says goes, as per Professor Snape’s orders.  Understand?”

Harry nodded again. 

“Alright, go on then,” she said and nodded towards a free table in the corner.

With a third nod, Harry went to the free table, letting out a sigh of relief.  The girl watched him walk away with a curious look before she shrugged and walked away to the other side of the room.

Harry sat at the table and set up his potion making equipment, including the textbook and the recipe that Sprout had given him for a featherlight potion.  He read the recipe several times before he got to work.  He measured out the water carefully in his beaker and poured it into the cauldron to simmer.  He then prepared glasswort and daisy petals, crushing the former and plucking the latter.  He then gently wetted some cotton bulbs and set them aside and began adding the ingredients in order, stirring his cauldron slowly. 

He watched as the potion started to come together, the liquid slowly turning opaque and white, much like the cotton that he put it.  He then carefully poured some of the thistle feather seeds into his mortar and started to crush them, trying to keep them from flying out of the mortar.  He finally was able to crush some into powder and carefully poured it into the cauldron, turning his stirring stick a certain way to encourage the crushed seeds to fall into the cauldron.  He stirred slowly, watching the potion thicken and the materials dissolve.

“What are you doing?”

Harry practically jumped in his seat, startled by the voice that appeared right behind him.  So engrossed in his task, he had not noticed when the Slytherin girl had walked up to him and looked over his shoulder at what he was doing.

“Aren’t you supposed to be brave?” she asked, one eyebrow raised and a look of amusement on her face.

“What?” Harry asked, heart pounding.

“Aren’t you in Gryffindor?” she asked.

“Oh right, yeah,” Harry said.  He was still wearing his school clothes and he flushed at her chuckle.  “I didn’t hear you.”

“Yeah, clearly.”  She looked at the bubbling potion in his cauldron and at the other ingredients on the table.  “So what are you doing?  That doesn’t look like one of the current potions for firsties.”

“A feather float potion,” Harry said.  “And I was given the recipe by Professor Sprout.”

“Why are you making one of those?” the girl asked, intrigued.

“To try it out,” Harry said, giving her a look.

She snorted at the look.  “So you’re just brewing something for the fun of it then?”

“Maybe,” he said.  “Why?”

“I’m in charge and I’m allowed to ask what you’re doing and why,” she said, scowling at him now.  “So why are you doing this?”

“To make something float.”

“Well obviously, since you’re making a feather float potion,” the girl snorted. 

“Isn’t that enough of a reason then?”

The girl grinned.  “Okay, maybe you are brave.  Not many people will sass me back.”

“To be fair, I don’t know who you are,” Harry said.

“That’s fair.  Bianca Zabini,” she said, introducing herself.  “Fourth year, Slytherin obviously.”

“Oh, I think there is someone in my year named Zabini,” Harry said.

“My little brother, Blaise, who’s also in Slytherin,” Bianca confirmed.  Her eyes flicked up to Harry's forehead.  “You must be Potter then?”

“Harry Potter,” Harry nodded, extending a hand.

Bianca looked at it with surprise for a moment and then shook it with a firm grip.  “So why are you making a feather float potion?”

Harry hummed.  “You’re going to think it’s for a stupid reason,” he said at last as she continued to stand and stare at him.

“In the interest of continued fairness, I think a lot of things are stupid,” she said, smirking when he laughed.  

“I want to make things float, like you said.”

“What are you trying to make float?”

Harry looked around and saw that the room was empty, it was just him and her there.  She noticed him looking.  “Everyone else left and I got bored.  Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone unless it’s really stupid and really funny.”

Harry looked at her for another moment and then shrugged slightly.  “I want to make floating sweets.”  He flushed when she laughed loudly.

“Oh wait, you’re serious,” she said, seeing his pawky look and pink cheeks.  Her laughter faded and she felt vaguely bad about her reaction.  “Like, you want to make magical sweets.  Like chocolate frogs, ice mice, that sort of thing?”

“Yes,” Harry said defiantly.

“Actually?”  Bianca blinked a few times.  “You’re not messing with me?”

“No,” Harry said shortly.

“Huh, alright then,” she said after a moment. 

“That’s it?” he replied, looking at her.

“Well, I clearly wasn’t expecting that,” she said.  “I thought it’d be for a prank or something equally stupid.”

“You don’t think making sweets is stupid?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly.  “Never thought about it before.  Sounds kind of silly and childish now that I am thinking about it.”

“You don’t like eating sweets?” Harry asked, giving her a cool look.

“Never said that,” she retorted.  “Next you’ll be saying you’ve made sweets before.”  She blinked when he nodded.  “Really?”

“Not magical ones but yeah.”  Harry opened his bag and pulled out a parchment paper pouch and opened it, revealing the lemon-flavored hard candy within.

“You made this?” she asked, looking at the candy closely. 

“I did, here at school, with my cauldron,” Harry said.

“Huh, that’s actually pretty interesting,” she conceded.  Her eyebrows rose when he continued to hold the open pouch to her.  “You want me to take one?”

“If it helps you believe me,” Harry said. 

“You know Gryffindors and Slytherins are typically enemies and don’t trust one another, right?” she said, half serious.

“Gee, with how you’ve been treating me, I can’t guess why,” Harry said dryly, making her laugh.

“So it’s my fault if something happens to me when I eat this?” 

Harry looked at her with complete and utter seriousness.  “I won’t ever waste food or make bad food,” he said quietly.

His expression, his change in tone and demeanor, made her look at him seriously and she nodded.  “Good enough for me,” she said, once more feeling vaguely disquieted for some reason.  Committed, she picked up a small piece and delicately put it in her mouth.  After a second, when the sugary lemony flavor spread over her tongue, her eyes widened and she smiled.  “Hey, this is great!”

Harry smiled, more at ease.  “Glad you like it,” he said.

“No really,” she said, licking her lips and crunching on the candy enthusiastically.  “This is actually good.  And you made it here?  Wow, that’s nice.”  She brightened when he offered the pouch once more and without hesitation, she picked up a bigger piece.  “So you want to make floating hard sweets like this?”

“Maybe, or something fun and tasty,” Harry said, feeling more at ease.

Bianca licked her fingers clean.  “I hope you know that typically, potions don’t taste very good.  They’re usually not designed to taste good.”

“Oh, didn’t really know that,” Harry said, looking at the bubbling potion in his cauldron.

“Still, good job,” Bianca said.  She reached over and dipped a ladle into the potion and tilted it.  The potion poured back into the cauldron lazily, separating into drops that seemed to float through the air before hitting the surface of the solution with barely a splash.  “That’s better than most people.  Especially since this potion is more advanced.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said, looking a little bemused.  He was not used to being praised for his potion work aside from Ron.

Bianca dripped a drop of potion onto the back of her hand and licked it, grimacing.  “Yeah, kinda of a cottony after taste.”

Harry mimicked her and sighed when he agreed with her.  “Don’t think sugar will cover that,” he said, rubbing his tongue with his teeth.

“No and you have to be careful.  Some things like that will render the potion inert or worse, mess up the intent,” she warned. 

Harry sighed before nodding.  “Well, guess I can try something else.  Professor Flitwick said we would be learning the Levitation Charm soon.”

“That’s a good one and pretty easy once you get the hang of it,” Bianca mused.  “Of course, making you cast it on all the candy wouldn’t be as efficient either.  Or I assume.  Not sure what animates a chocolate frog or an ice mouse.”

She flicked her wand and the lid for the bottle that Harry used to hold the thistle feather seeds popped back on.  Some of the feather filaments were floating out of the bottle.  “Those things are so annoying sometimes,” she said, twirling her wand to suck in some of the ones that did make it out of the bottle.  “All it takes is a bit of cool air and they fly right up.”

“The crushed seeds seemed to fall down fairly easily,” Harry said, looking at his mortar.

“Yeah, but you need to make sure you use all you crush or they’ll float everywhere too and they’ll get everywhere,” she warned.  “And if enough coats something, it’ll float too.”

Harry nodded then stopped, looking at the mortar for a long moment before brightening. 

“What?” Bianca asked, seeing his change in expression.

“I got an idea,” he said.  “Thank you!” 

“You’re welcome?”  She blinked as she watched him clean swiftly but thoroughly. 

“You did say we had to clean up after ourselves,” he said at her bemused expression.

“Right, I did.”  She blinked again when he gave her a few more pieces of candy after finishing cleaning.  She waved as he left and shook her head after the door closed behind him.  “What a weird kid,” she said to herself as she popped another piece of candy into her mouth.  “Not in a bad way though.”

-0-

“Thanks Hedwig,” Harry said, petting her.  He smiled sheepishly at her thunderous expression.  “Don’t worry, it’ll be a bit before you go back to the Dursleys and we had to get some of the things I needed.”

Hedwig hissed with evident displeasure but calmed down as Harry petted her and scratched her head and belly.  She sighed and nuzzled Harry, her feathers smoothing out.  After due attention, she watched as he set his things up on the table, including some bowls and trays and other things.  The pair were back in the classroom near the common room, ready to put Harry’s newest idea to testing.

“Also I did do this before, again,” he said as he continued to prepare his materials.  “Just…with something a little new.  But it counts and you’re still here to watch me.”  He smiled when she nodded eagerly and blinked slowly and stared at him with her large amber eyes before winking cheekily.

He poured powdered sugar into a large bowl and opened a container of sweetened condensed milk, pouring the thick fluid over the sugar along with a measure of peppermint extract.  He then started to mix the sugar and milk together with a wooden spoon.  “I’m really surprised that they had this at the apothecary,” he remarked as he mixed.  “Must be used in some potions, which is kind of fun to think about actually.”

It was hard going but he kept at it, slowly adding more sugar until a thick smooth dough formed.  He pulled off a small piece of it and molded it with his hands, making a slightly elongated shape with it, a fat rounded shape at one end and a very thin piece at the other.

“Wish I had a freezer or ice box,” he mused softly.  “Or whatever I’ll be able to use instead with magic.” 

He then poured water into his cauldron and set it over the fire.  As the water came to a boil, he filled two more bowls with chocolate, one with white and the other with milk.  When the water in the cauldron boiled, it released steam and he put one of the bowls with chocolate on top of the cauldron.  The steam melted the chocolate and he stirred, making the chocolate smooth.

“Right,” Harry said.  “Now for the new part.”  He gently sprinkled some crushed feather thistle seeds over the piece of shaped dough and then with a fork, he dipped the dough into the white chocolate.  He carefully tilted the dough, making sure it was evenly coated and the excess dripped back into the bowl.  After setting it down carefully on a parchment paper lined tray, he dipped a long thin metal rod into the milk chocolate and then carefully drew a line down the large part of the dipped chocolate before drawing small lines branching off the center line at an angle. 

“Normally I’d wait for this to cool too,” Harry said as Hedwig watched with interest.  “But I wanted to test this and see how it works.”  When he finished, he took the tray and put it by the wall where it was cooler.  “Now we wait a bit,” Harry said as Hedwig flapped over to join him. 

He petted her as they waited and his eyes looked at nothing, his thoughts elsewhere.  After some time, he looked down when Hedwig nipped his hand to get his attention.  “Hmm?”  He looked at the tray when she pointed with her wing.  His eyes widened just like hers.  “No way!”

The piece of chocolate candy was floating over the tray and paper, suspended delicately in the air.  As he leaned close, it spun a little, moved by the displacing air from his movements.  Harry stared at it with a wide-open jaw before he laughed loudly.  “It worked!” he nearly shouted. 

Hedwig danced up and down, hooting happily and flapping her wings.  The candy floated away, blown by her wings, and Hedwig chased after it, gently flapping her wings again and the candy drifted back to Harry.  He caught it, handling it gently, and then cupped his hands, smiling from ear to ear as the candy floated just above his palms.

“It really worked,” he said, smiling happily.  He looked at Hedwig who was fluffed and plump, looking at him proudly.  “You can have the first bite.  I modeled it after you after all.  I tried to make it look like one of your feathers.”

Hedwig blinked a few times before she sprung into the air, flapping hard and colliding with his face.  She cooed and cheeped happily, wrapping her wings around his head, making him cough and laugh against her soft feathers.  After a few moments, she hopped onto the table and delicately took the candy from the air, but with a snap of her beak, broke it two.  One half fell into Harry’s hands and she held the other half in her beak, looking up at him and barking around it.

Harry popped it into his mouth while Hedwig snapped her head, deftly doing the same with her piece.  The boy and owl chomped and chewed together.  “It’s good!” Harry said and Hedwig barked in agreement, flapping her wings.

Harry licked his lips.  “Can’t really feel the crushed seeds, so it doesn’t change the texture.  And they don’t change the flavor any actually!  Not that I think so.”  He went back to the table and quickly made a small ball with the dough and dipped it into the white chocolate.  By now the chocolate had cooled some, but he was still able to coat the candy.  He cut it in half and shared it with Hedwig.  “Yeah, I don’t think the taste is any different really,” Harry said with Hedwig nodding. 

Harry sat back and smiled as Hedwig danced on the table top.  “We really did it,” he said, still giddy with excitement.  “A magical sweet.”

He looked at the table before him, at the materials and ingredients, at the equipment.  “Maybe I can do this,” he said in a whisper, half hopeful, half in disbelief.

Hedwig barked loudly and nodded, her head bobbing up and down.  She flapped her wings and puffed her chest out, giving him a look full of pride and encouragement. 

Harry smiled again.  “Let’s see if mixing the seeds into the chocolate works too!”

After more time passed, Harry sat back, looking at his notebook.  He had taken a spare one from his school supplies and scribbled down notes and observations.  He and Hedwig discovered that mixing the seeds into the peppermint filling did not work at all, the candy did not float.  Mixing it into the white chocolate before coating pieces of dough worked well, but the candies would float too much, especially when they used a lot of the crushed seeds.  What worked best was a good dusting of the crushed seeds on top of the shaped candy before dipping into the chocolate.  The resulting cooled candy would float at a good height but not be too sensitive to the air or movement.  The cooler the candy got, the higher they would float as well.

“When I get an ice box or something that really cools them, we’ll have to see how they react,” Harry said.  “But it works!”  He smiled at his jubilant owl.  “And I’ll get better at drawing your feathers too.”

Hedwig nodded, opening her wings wide and shaking her tail feathers, proudly displaying them.

“Very beautiful,” Harry praised, petting her.

She preened at his praise and barked happily at the latest of Harry’s work, floating in the air above the table.  She held her wing up and compared one of the chocolate floating feathers to one of her snowy wing feathers, nodding with approval.

The sound of ringing bells filled the air and Harry looked up.  “Wow, time passed fast,” he said and hurried to clean up.  Hedwig helped him as well, gathering loose wrappings and general trash and piling them together while Harry cleaned everything else.  He had been pleasantly surprised to find a small water fountain in the corner of the room, something he was not sure if it was there the last time or not.  Not questioning it, he used it to full effect to clean his things, stacking them neatly. 

“Good thing I was able to not have any go to waste really,” Harry said, putting the candy in a clean towel.  He smiled, seeing tiny bumps appear in the towel as the candy floated while contained.  He left the room carrying everything and with Hedwig sitting on top of it all, barking a spritely tune.

-0-

“You’re in trouble.”

Bianca looked up from her desk and frowned at her roommate.  “What do you mean?”

Viola Selwyn grinned at her.  “I mean, I think you’re in trouble.  Which, knowing you, isn’t an impossibility.”

“Sure, but what for?” Biana said, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know.  But one of the Gryffindor prefects is in the hall and wants to see you,” Viola said, hiking a thumb over her shoulder.

Frowning, Bianca got up from her chair and left their dorm room, walking down the stone hallway and into the Slytherin common room.  She walked through the large room, nodding to a few people in passing while ignoring others, threading her way past the many chairs, couches, and desks that filled the space.  Lanterns gleamed and provided much needed light in the slightly dim common room, reflecting off the glass at the one end that looked out into the Black Lake.

She walked through the door that led into the castle and she saw a tall and thin red-headed boy standing there, looking perfectly calm.  He turned and saw her walk towards him and nodded genially.  “Miss Bianca Zabini?”

“That’s me,” Bianca said, narrowing her eyes and giving the prefect a suspicious look.  “What did I allegedly do?”

Percy blinked.  “I have no idea,” he said truthfully.

Her eyes narrowed more.  “Then why do you want me?”

“I was asked to bring you something,” Percy said, surprising her further.  He held out a folded pouch made of parchment paper.

Bianca looked at it for a moment, before realizing it looked vaguely familiar.  “Wait, really?”

“Really,” Percy said dryly.

“From the firstie?”

“Harry Potter, yes,” Percy said, his voice slightly stern. 

“Since when do prefects make deliveries?” Bianca asked, still not taking the pouch.

“I have no idea,” Percy said.  “I, however, was asked to bring you this when I left on patrol and when told why, I saw no reason not to do it.  That said, if you do not want it, I will take it back to Harry and tell him that you refused it.”

“Didn’t say that,” Bianca said.  She reached out but did not take it.  “What is it?”

Percy’s smile surprised her.  It was a genuine smile and not for her benefit.  “Something rather wonderful,” he said instead.

Bianca nodded and took it.  “Sorry,” she said with some sincerity.  Her eyes flicked up to his hair.  “Your brothers like to mess with us.”

Percy sighed and looked somewhat sympathetic.  “I am not immune to them either,” he said wearily, a very familiar tone.  He shook his head.  “If it makes you feel any better, they mess with pretty much anyone and everyone.  And I would not aid them in any of their nonsense.”  He nodded at the pouch.  “This was for Harry’s sake.”

“Just like that?”

Percy shrugged slightly.  “Like I said, he asked and I had no reason to refuse.”  With a nod, he turned and left, leaving a slightly confused Bianca behind him.

Bianca watched him leave before she looked at the pouch.  It felt oddly light in her hand and yet she could feel that there was something within.  After a moment, she opened the top of it and gasped when a few pieces of chocolate floated into the air, escaping the package.  They twirled slowly as they rose, showing off the white covered exterior and the brown lines and small speckles of more chocolate dotted on, creating a speckled appearance. 

“No way,” she said, smiling broadly as she bit into one and recaptured the others.  The chocolate was sweet and smooth; the peppermint filling was soft and sweet with the burst of fresh peppermint.  She chewed happily admiring the rest of the feather in her hand before eating that too.

After a glance up at the stones above her, looking up at the direction of Gryffindor tower, she went back into the Slytherin common room.  She made her way through the room once more, paying no attention to anyone though the few that glanced her way noticed that she seemed happier, something that made a few look again before looking away so they did not attract her attention.

“So, were you in trouble?” Viola asked when Bianca returned to their room.

“No, surprisingly,” Bianca said, crossing the room and sitting back down at her desk.

“Then what did he want?” Viola asked, crooking an eyebrow.

Bianca hesitated for a moment before she opened the pouch and gently took out a chocolate feather.  Then she threw it at her friend.  Viola opened her hands and went to where she thought the feather would go but stopped, eyes widening as she watched the chocolate drift lazily across the room, just like a feather floating in the breeze.  “My goodness!” she exclaimed with delight, waiting for it to eventually reach her.  “What is this?”

“A sweet,” Bianca said, chewing on another piece.

“This is delicious,” Viola exclaimed, chewing happily.  “Where did you get this?  He brought it to you?”

“He did and it’s from someone else.  And get your mind out of the gutter.  Not like that or for anything like that,” Bianca said.

Viola blinked a few times before shrugging.  “Well whoever sent that to you is very nice, surprisingly.”

“They really are,” Bianca agreed, chewing thoughtfully.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 5 – Delving Deeper

Sprout smiled with delight at the floating chocolate feathers.  “These are wonderful,” she said, her smile growing when she saw Harry smile too.  Her smile thinned slightly and her eyes narrowed.  “And you’ve made this before as well?”

“Well they didn’t float before, but yes,” Harry said.  “I spent the majority of the afternoon testing how the seeds worked and the best place to put them into the sweet.”

“Often?” she asked.  “The normal ones, I mean.”

Harry nodded.  “It was part of my duties but I do like it, usually.”

“Duties,” she repeated.  “Does your family own a sweet shop or a business of some sort?”

“No Ma’am,” Harry said, shaking his head.

Sprout looked at him thoughtfully.  The boy was still smiling but it was a guarded expression now.  After a moment, Sprout smiled more fully again.  “Well, it shows.  You have a knack for it, and it shows from hard work.”  She gently gathered the chocolates and put them in the paper once more.  “Right then, follow me.”

She led him back into the castle and they went down a staircase, down into the depths of the castle.  Instead of going towards the dungeons and the potions classroom wing, they went down another passage that was more brightly lit.  She stopped at a door and opened it, ushering him inside.

Harry’s eyes lit up as he looked around.  It was a very small room but neat and clean.  A small stove sat against the wall next to a table and there was an ice box there on the opposite wall.  Lanterns hung on the walls and were clean and bright, giving the space a cheery feeling. 

“This was one of my small store rooms but I don’t really need it for that anymore,” she said to a delighted Harry.  “Officially, this will be a testing and practice room of sorts.  I feel a little better about you doing things in here where it’s safer.” 

She looked at him directly.  “Using this room is a privilege, Mister Potter.  It can be closed should the need arise.  Do you understand?”  She relaxed when he nodded sincerely.  “I expect you to maintain high marks and complete your classwork.  I do not want your schooling to suffer for what you do.”

“It won’t,” he said eagerly.

“Good.  Also, do not stay out after curfew or do anything you shouldn’t in here.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Harry said.  “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!  Oh, and I promise to always make something for you too.”

Sprout laughed heartily at that.  “Glad you remembered,” she said with a wink.

-0-

She heard the door open but remained focused on her work, any deviation in attention would be detrimental to both her and the work.  After another moment, she set the vial and dropper aside and gently patted the large stump in front of her and the stump quivered at her touch, rustling leaves and twigs.  She turned and nodded at the person standing there patiently.  “Oh hello Albus.”

Dumbledore nodded back and looked around the greenhouse before looking past her.  “And how is he?” he asked, genuinely interested.

“Oh he’ll be fine,” Sprout said, patting the stump once more.  “He just doesn’t like to take his medicine so I had to coax him into it.”

“I can relate,” Dumbledore said with a smile.  “The thistle feathers are flourishing, such lovely seeds this year.”

“They are,” Sprout said happily.

“And how is he?” Dumbledore asked again.

“Well, I think,” Sprout said, knowing who Dumbledore was referring to.  “Very happy for the space and the continued opportunity.”  When Dumbledore nodded, Sprout reached into her pocket and withdrew the small bag she kept there.  She then threw one of the chocolate feathers into the air and Dumbledore smiled broadly as he watched the treat float through the air towards him.

“This is wonderful,” he said, watching it flitter and flutter through the air to him.  He held his palm out and the feather floated right above it, spinning slowly.  “This goes beyond simple familiarity.”

“Agreed,” Sprout said.  She crossed her arms.  “I’m sure he tested it a few times, well he said as much, and he has the motivation and the inspiration which is always wonderful to see.  But he knows his business, far more than someone who only occasionally does it.  He looked around the space with an eye that knows what works.”

She looked at Dumbledore.  “He said something about duties.”

He looked away from the floating feather and his eyes met hers.  “Duties,” he repeated. 

“And his family don’t own a sweets store or a related business,” Sprout continued.

Dumbledore hummed softly.  “Well, hopefully we will learn more in time.”

“Well I for one am eager to see what he comes up with,” Sprout said, changing the subject.  “For his first foray into magical confectionery, it is a very strong start.  It’s lovely and tasty.”

“Agreed,” Dumbledore said, chewing with a smile.  “This is quite nice.”  After some more conversation, he left the greenhouse, making his way back to the castle.  He nodded at passing students, exchanging a word here and there with them, and continued to walk, descending into the castle.  He hummed softly as he did before stopping at a door in the dungeons and knocking on it gently.

“Enter.”

Dumbledore did as directed, walking into the office and closing the door behind him.  The room was dim, the lights from the lanterns small but not flickering nor feeble.  The walls were lined with books and various things encased in glass jars and containers.  Snape looked up from his desk but at Dumbledore’s gesture, continued to write before finishing, setting the parchment aside.  “Headmaster,” he greeted.

Dumbledore nodded back while walking around the office, wandering over to a rack that had many containers and vials upon it.  “This looks like it is maturing well,” Dumbledore said, inspecting a jar of thick fluid that was equal parts blue and green.  “One year?”

“One year and three months,” Snape said, seeing the jar in question.  “It should reach full maturity and efficacy within two more months.”

“Well done,” Dumbledore praised.  “Not easy that.”

“No, but worthwhile,” Snape said, his voice still cool and measured.

“Were you able to get samples of the gemfish scales?”

“Yes, they should arrive soon,” Snape said, eyebrow raised. 

“Harvested I assume?”

“Yes, I had no desire to glean it from the fish myself.”

Dumbledore nodded.  “And how is he?”

“Still suspicious,” Snape said.  His eyes narrowed slightly.  “There is still something strangely familiar with him, something that was not there before.”

“Has he let slip anything else?”

“Not exactly.”  Snape paused for a moment.  “I think he is looking for the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Dumbledore turned, his eyes wide with surprise.  “Really?”

Snape nodded slowly.  “He had checked out many books on alchemy and the like from the library.  Well, not directly.  He set an assignment for the upper years and they went to the library to get books out for it, including some in the Restricted Section with his permission, and he kept them in his room and office after the students were finished with them.”

“That is actually quite clever,” Dumbledore said softly. 

“He was curious about your meeting with Flamel not too long ago,” Snape continued.  “Perhaps he thinks you have the Stone here.”

“Why would I have the Stone?” Dumbledore asked, shaking his head.  “I have no need for it, nor want.  And while Nicolas would trust me, trust only goes so far.”

Dumbledore frowned.  “More importantly, why would Quirinius want it?”

“Why would anyone want something that creates infinite wealth and immortality?” Snape asked dryly.

Dumbledore chuckled.  “Fair enough.  That is enough to entice many people.”  After some contemplative silence, he shook his head.  “Thank you, Severus, for your continued vigilance.”

Snape inclined his head.  “I will continue to observe him.”

“Ah before I go, examine this for me, will you?” 

Dumbledore handed a vial to Snape who took it.  The potions master looked at the thick cottony solution within the vial and shook it gently, observing the bubbles move languidly in the vial.  He then opened the vial and spilled a drop out onto his hand, rubbing thumb and pointer finger together to test the texture of the potion.  He finally spread some of the thick potion onto a stirring rod he had on his desk and watched the rod float into the air and stay suspended securely, as if sitting on an invisible desk.  “Well made feather float potion,” he said.  He spread another drop onto an ink bottle and was able to lift the heavy bottle with his pinky finger, balancing it on the tip. 

“I am glad you approve of it,” Dumbledore said with a smile.

Snape looked at him curiously.  “Would I not?”

“Well it was made by Mister Potter so, perhaps.”  Dumbledore sighed when Snape frowned mightily and set the rod and ink bottle onto his desk with a heavy thump.  “He made it during the Potions Club.  By himself with a recipe from Pomona.”

“Good for him,” Snape said coldly. 

“I imagine you would be more interested if it were any other student,” Dumbledore said lightly.

“Your imagination would be unfounded in this case, and even more esoteric than normal,” Snape replied. 

“I would like to know why you are like this to him,” Dumbledore said conversationally.  “It would be one thing if the boy were like, say Misters Fred and George Weasley who delight in causing a bit of trouble.”

“I am performing my duties adequately,” Snape said acidly.  “I do not have to like him or give him any more than he deserves.  The other professors are doing that as it is.”

Dumbledore shrugged lightly.  “Give the boy a chance,” he said as he turned to leave.  “Appearances can be deceiving after all.”  He nodded at the irate man and left the small office.

Snape glowered at the closed door and then at the vial of potion on his desk.  He slammed the floating rod and ink bottle back onto his table and went back to work, the harsh scratching of quill on parchment filling the air.

-0-

It seemed like Halloween crept up on Harry like it always did, but it was more jarring this year.

Time had passed very pleasantly for Harry since coming to Hogwarts.  It was wonderful learning about magic, not just the act of doing it, but the how and the why to different degrees.  The history of it was very dry, in content and delivery, but the rest of it was very fun for him. 

For the most part.  Potions continued to be a bit of a disappointment with how hostile Snape was to him, but he was grateful that Sprout had continued to help him, as well as learning more about magical plants from her.  Flitwick was an enthusiastic teacher and charms were a lot of fun and accessible.  Transfiguration greatly interested him and while she was strict, McGonagall was a very good instructor as well. 

Quirrell and his class were a bit of a disappointment as well.  The man frequently went off on tangents and sometimes his stuttering would derail things.  Harry also felt that the man seemed wary around him and if he was being honest, it was mutual.  Harry always felt a bit odd around the professor.  There was a bit of pressure in his head and it made him feel like had a small headache afterwards.  He attributed it to the difficulty of the class material however, though transfiguration was a little harder to him.

Harry was really enjoying his time at Hogwarts.  He had friends for the first time in his life: Ron, Neville, Percy, and the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were very friendly to him at least, same with Bianca.  He was able to make sweets in the small test room that Sprout set aside from him, which was good considering he had to fulfill his duties for the Dursleys.  He sent back batches when he could and made sure to spoil Hedwig when she returned.  She was always in a bad mood when she went to the Dursleys.  He loved to spoil her though so it was no hardship for him.

For the first time in his life, he felt genuinely happy and at peace.  Which made the arrival of Halloween all the more impactful to him.

Harry could still remember his first Halloween memory.  He had seen Dudley leave the years before in a costume and return with bags of candy.  He always asked if he could go but the three Dursleys had always refused, locking him in his cupboard.  Then one year, Petunia had decided he could.  He even had a costume that he made and was so excited to go.  Of course not with Dudley exactly, the boy refused to let Harry go with him, but Harry was able to go out and enjoy the holiday.

That was, until Petunia had remarked that it was strange that Harry wanted to do that on the anniversary of the death of his parents.  Something Harry had not known. 

Any joy and excitement Harry had evaporated in an instant and Harry had felt incredibly bad about it.  Petunia, seeing his change in expression, had scolded Harry for wasting her time and effort and had swore to never help him with something like that again.  Then, to really drive the point home, in the ensuing years the Dursleys would host a Halloween Party and Harry would be forced to clean the house before and after it, while also cooking and making all the sweets they served.

For a while, Harry had not liked sweets at all.  The sight of them made him feel somewhat ill but he also did not want to give the meager few he collected to Dudley, nor did he want to throw them away.  It was not until some time later after that fateful Halloween, when he was locked in his cupboard and hungry, he found the candy he secreted away.  He ate them, silently begging his parents for forgiveness.

Oddly enough, the sweets still tasted good to him.  They should have been stale and not as good, but they were still in fact, good.  The taste soothed him and he thought that perhaps he had been forgiven.  When next he baked small cakes for the Dursleys, he ate the scraps like he learned to do when he made food, and they still tasted good to him. 

So he continued to enjoy them when he could, continued to do his best, thinking that it would be okay to do so.

Still, he was feeling a little out of sorts when he woke up on Halloween and got ready for class.  The prospect of the Feast that night did sound nice, and would be something to look forward to.  He just had to make it through the day first.

-0-

“You shouldn’t say that,” Harry said quietly, after leaving the Charms classroom.

Ron gave him a look.  “But she is a nightmare!” he insisted.  “Being all pushy like that.  She’s a know-it-all!  She has to know it, she has no friends.”

“Not everyone is lucky to have them,” Harry said, still quiet but firm.

“What does that mean-hey!”  Ron glared after the girl with bushy hair as she pushed past.

“I think she heard you,” Harry said, having seen how upset Hermione looked.  The girl had rushed past them with tears in her eyes.

“Well, she is,” Ron said stubbornly but looked a little awkward, wincing slightly.

Harry also winced, after seeing how upset she looked.  He knew what it felt like to be in that position.  To hear what people said about him, as if he was not there or worse, not caring that he was there.  He looked at Ron who continued to look sheepish.  “Maybe try to be a little nicer?” Harry suggested.  “I know you can be.  You were with me on the train when we haven’t met yet.”

Ron looked away.  “Alright,” he mumbled. 

“Thanks, Ron.”

“Alright,” Ron repeated, looking a little better.

Hermione did not show up for their next class however and when Ron left back for the tower, Harry went to the small room to check on a batch of candy he had set before.  He checked the clock on the wall and rushed out, wanting to go back to the tower to drop things off before the Feast.

As he made his way through one of the upper floor hallways, he paused, tilting his head.  He could hear something and it made him stop.  It was a very familiar sound and it twisted his insides a little.  It was the sound of someone crying, letting out their pain and emotion in a torrent because it could no longer be held back.

He had done a lot of that himself through the years.

He recognized the one crying and his insides twisted more.  It was Hermione and she was crying hard enough to be heard from outside in the hall.  It was a little muffled, but definitely clear enough to hear the pain and misery.

Harry shuffled his feet, unsure what to do.  He did not think he was all that close to Hermione.  If anything the girl wanted to compete with him in classes since he was doing well in them.  He did not mind, and while he did agree with Ron a little about Hermione being a little pushy, he was not as bothered by her. 

That did not mean he liked hearing her cry.  He never liked hearing anyone cry like that.  It reminded him too much of himself in similar states of distress.

He also knew he could not enter the room she was in currently, it being a girls’ bathroom.  He looked up and down the hall, but it was currently empty with the Feast being mere moments away.  Then someone appeared at the end of the hall and when Harry recognized them, he breathed a sigh of relief and waved a hand.

Bianca returned the wave, looking surprised at herself in doing so, and approached.  “Potter,” she greeted.  She glanced at the door that Harry was standing beside.  “You really have to go, huh?”

“What?  Oh no, not really.  But uhm, actually, could you help me?” Harry asked nervously.

Bianca raised an eyebrow.  “I’m not sure I want to hear this,” she said, smirking at Harry’s flush.  She frowned and turned her head, looking at the door.  She too heard the sounds.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d help me with,” Harry said.  “I think that’s Hermione Granger, she’s in my year and in Gryffindor too.”  He gulped a little.  “Ron, my friend and in our House too, said something rude and…yeah.”

Bianca grunted.  “Yeah, that happens,” she said with some sympathy.  She looked back at Harry.  “So what do you want me to do?  Go get a Gryffindor prefect or a teacher?  You can do that too.”

“I was hoping you might…go in and…talk to her?”

Bianca snorted.  “Oh, you’re serious.”  She blinked at Harry’s sincere look.  “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re helpful.”

Bianca snorted again, a deeper and rougher snort.  “Barely, and that’s only during Potions Club, when I have to.”

“Well I’ve seen you be less helpful to others,” Harry said diplomatically, earning another snort.  “But you’ve been helpful to me.  And I always appreciated it.  So I was hoping you’d help me here, if you don’t mind of course.”

“Why?”

Harry shrugged weakly.  “I know what it’s like to hide and cry like that, with no one to come help.”

There was something in his voice and his expression, his entire posture, that made what he said incredibly real and painful to her.  She felt something twist inside of her and she looked at him with sharp eyes.  After a moment, she rubbed the back of her neck.  “Potter, remember me saying Gryffindors and Slytherins are usually enemies and don’t trust each other?”

“I never thought you and I were,” Harry said honestly.  “Despite how you were sort of treating me when we first met.”  He smiled at yet another snort but it was a softer sound.  “And you’ve been really nice since and I thought you like a friend after that.”

She blinked at him.  “You have?”

He nodded.

Bianca stared at him for a long moment before sighing deeply.  “You owe me for this.”

“Oh, I just finished this.”  He pressed a wrapped parcel into her hands.  “Thank you!  You’re the best and I really appreciate it!  And I’ll make more for you.”

“What do you expect me to do?” she asked but took the parcel from him readily.

“Help her like you did me,” Harry said with a small smile. 

Bianca shook her head and shooed him off with a slightly irritated hand gesture.  “You still owe me,” she said.  She walked into the bathroom, hearing Harry walk off.  “Getting soft,” she muttered.  With another sigh she took a deep breath.  “Hey, Gryffindor firstie.  Uh…Ganger?  Grunger?”

The sniffles stopped.  “Granger,” Hermione said, her voice quavering a little.

“Right, that, sorry,” Bianca said and was surprised she meant it.  “I wasn’t making fun of your name; I should have checked properly.  In my defense, I was only just told it and the once.”

The door to a stall in the corner opened and Hermione poked her head out.  She rubbed at red tear-stained eyes and she blinked slowly at Bianca.  “Who are you?” she asked warily.

“Bianca Zabini, Slytherin,” Bianca said conversationally. 

“Hermione Granger,” Hermione replied, still looking at the older girl with some suspicion.  “What do you want?”

“I was asked to help you, somehow,” Bianca said with the slightest eyeroll.

“Really?” Hermione asked, sounding surprised and even more suspicious. 

“Apparently.”

“Who asked you to?”

“Potter.”

Hermione blinked a few times, even more surprised.  “He did?”  Her brow furrowed at Bianca’s nod.  “Why?”

Bianca frowned again, looking back where Harry went but this frown was less annoyed and more thoughtful, and something else.  “He said he knows what it’s like to cry and need some help.”

“He does?” Hermione asked in a whisper, looking shocked.

“Apparently,” Bianca said again before shaking her head.  “So, uh, mind you I’m not the best at this.  I normally tell Blaise to just get even when someone upsets him.”  She hurried on at Hermione’s look.  “So…what’s got you like this?”

Hermione looked down at the floor.  “Someone in my class said something very hurtful.”

“Oh right, Potter mentioned that.  Rob?  Roy?”

“Ron,” Hermione provided.  “Ronald Weasley.”

Bianca snorted deeply.  “Another one of them.  Listen girl, just ignore them.  The Weasleys are annoying and collectively are arseholes.”  She shrugged.  “Well, the prefect is alright.  Stuffy but alright, I guess.  I barely remember his older brother, just remembered him thrashing us in Quidditch.  But the twins are giant pains in both halves of the arse so it doesn’t surprise me that the latest one is a prick.  Don’t give them the time of day.”

Hermione goggled at her.  “Oh.”

“What did he say anyways?”

“That I’m a know-it-all and a nightmare,” Hermione mumbled.

“Well are you?” Bianca asked.

Hermione glared at her before her expression subdued once more.  “Maybe,” she conceded.

“Then own it,” Bianca said matter-of-factly. 

“Own it?!” Hermione repeated, narrowing her eyes.

“Yeah, own it.  Do you know how many times I get called a bitch?  A lot.  And it might have bothered me once but now, it doesn’t really.  There’s always going to be someone that’s going to insult you for some reason or another and it’ll bother you as much as you let it.  If you hate it, make a change.  If you accept it, own it.”

“I don’t like it,” Hermione confessed, sniffling again.  “I was called that a lot and never really had friends.  But I just want to do well and be good in my classwork and learn all I can.”

“So just rein it back some,” Bianca said.  “Temper it a bit.  But only if you want to, not because someone thinks you should.”

“Just like that?” Hermione asked, her voice pawky.

“Just like that,” Bianca said, grinning at Hermione.  “It’s always better to do something for yourself as yourself instead of someone else forcing you to.  Or trying to anyways.”

Hermione looked at Bianca for a long moment before nodding.  “I’ll think about it.”

“Good.  Thinking for yourself is good.  Merlin knows people love to tell us girls what to think most of the time.  It’s better for you to do it yourself.”

Hermione nodded before looking up at the older girl once more.  “Why are you talking to me?  Not that I’m being ungrateful, the opposite really, but we’ve never interacted before.”

“Like I said, Potter asked me to and while I didn’t necessarily want to, and that’s no slight to you,” she added at Hermione’s look, “more that I don’t like getting involved if I don’t have to.  But he’s nice enough and well, yeah.  Guess I also know what it’s like to get looked down on for things.”

“How do you know Harry?”

“He comes to Potions Club to do stuff and I’ve helped him.”  Bianca opened the parchment paper parcel and took out a piece of hard candy and popped it into her mouth, enjoying it with a smile.  “Plus he gave me this so, there’s that too I guess.”

“Oh, I’ve seen some people eat those,” Hermione said, looking at the pieces of candy.  “He made them?”

“He did,” Bianca said, “and they’re good.”  She wrapped up the candy.  “These are mine, I got given these to help.  You want some, ask him yourself.”

“Just like that?  Just ask for something like that?”

“Why not?” Bianca said.  “You say you don’t have friends, but he cared enough to get someone to make sure you’re okay.  That’s got to be close enough.”

“Oh.”  Hermione looked at her feet for a moment before looking up again.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Bianca said before leaving the bathroom.  She sighed as she walked down the hall and popped another piece of candy into her mouth.  “Getting soft,” she said to herself. 

-0-

Harry looked around the Great Hall with interest and delight.  It was decorated for the Halloween Feast and it was quite fun and thematic.  Hundreds of glowing jack-o’-lanterns floated in the air, replacing the usual candles.  All sorts of faces were carved into them and they flew about, emitting colored smoke and bright lights as they flew.  There were also other root vegetables like turnips and rutabagas as well as the usual pumpkins.  The castle ghosts flew through the air too, making patterns through the smoke as they did.

The tables were covered in good food, as per usual, but there were more sweets and treats than usual.  Cakes and pastries and other sweets sat around bowls of all kinds of candy.  More savory foods were islands in the sea of sweets to break things up in both appearance and flavor. 

The Feast had just started and the students and staff applied themselves hungrily and happily.  Excited chatter filled the air, along with laughter and other noises of merriment.  Harry started to serve himself a few different things when an awkward cough drew his attention.  “Oh, hello,” he said, seeing Hermione standing there, as awkward as her cough.

“Hello,” she said, fidgeting a little.  “May I join you?”

“Sure.”  Harry scooted down a little and Hermione sat beside him.  Ron who sat opposite, swallowed his current mouthful of food and looked at Hermione with equal awkwardness.  “Sorry,” he said after a moment.  “I was being rude.”

Hermione nodded.  “Thank you,” she said.  “I’ll try to rein it back a little.”  She and he shared awkward smiles that were sincere in feeling.

Harry looked between them and felt more at peace with everything.

“Thank you for asking her to talk to me,” Hermione said softly to him.  “She was kind and helpful.”

“She is,” Harry nodded.  “I’m glad she helped.”

The treats that Halloween tasted very nice and sweet to him and he enjoyed them more than ones he had on the day in years past.  As he ate and chatted, he thought about his parents like he did before and while the thoughts were laced with complicated feelings, they seemed softer somehow.

Sweeter.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

6 – Pleasantly Confused

“Are you feeling better?” Hermione asked.

Harry nodded.  “I am, thank you.”

“I still think you should stay on the team,” Ron said.  “That was a brilliant catch.”

“Ron, Harry almost choked!” Hermione said, giving him a look.

“I mean, next time catch with your hands instead,” Ron said, flexing his hands to prove his point and ignoring Hermione’s look of exasperation.  “So you won’t choke.”

Harry grinned at that.  “I’m still going to help the team train by flying with them,” Harry said.  “But I guess I don’t like Quidditch as much as others do, sorry.”

It was the day after the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the first game of the Inter-House Cup.  Harry, playing the role of Seeker, had played with the team and while he did not regret playing and seeing what a game was like, it was more than he wanted to deal with. 

The days leading up to the game were more stressful than he liked, with the behavior from Slytherin students that made Harry remember the times when Dudley and his friends hunted him and would bully him relentlessly.  Then, there was an incident where it felt like he was losing control of the broom he was using.  It did not last long and when he fell into a nearly uncontrolled dive, he had nearly choked from accidentally swallowing the Snitch.

The fact that they ended up winning from said swallowing and choking was the best part that came from it.

Oliver, while disappointed, had understood and was glad that Harry gave it a chance as did the others on the team.  That and Harry saying he would still help with practices and things when he could was a positive for the team.  Oliver had said Harry was a good flyer and having his help in that regard would still be a good thing.  The rest of the team had been sad to see Harry go but had respected his decision. 

“You tried it and know for sure,” Hermione said.  “Flying terrifies me.”

“I still love flying,” Harry said.  “And the game is fun, don’t get me wrong.  Just not something I’m that enthusiastic about.  You should try out for it next year though,” he said to Ron.

“I think I will,” Ron said thoughtfully.  “Even with Fred and George still on the team though.”

“Well you said you don’t want to play Beater though.”

“That’s true but you know them, take the mickey on everyone and everything.”  Ron shrugged.  “Did they ever figure out what was going on with the broom you were using?”

Harry shook his head.  “They figured it’s because it’s an older school one.  They’re putting it away for now.”

The trio walked past a group of Slytherin students and Draco suddenly started swaying around, as if trying to ride a broom without control.  He then croaked loudly at Harry and he and his friends laughed uproariously at Harry who only rolled his eyes and kept walking.

“Doesn’t he realize that he’s making fun of you for something you did that was cool?” Ron said, throwing Draco a rude hand gesture and the other boy scowled and threw one back.

“Don’t know, don’t honestly care,” Harry said.  “I’ve had worse treatment thrown at me.”

Hermione looked at him for a moment before looking at the Slytherin students and shaking her head.  “Doesn’t look like all of them think it’s that funny,” she remarked, seeing a few appear unamused compared to the ones laughing sycophantically with Draco.  A taller boy with dark skin rolled his eyes and a girl with long dark hair glared first at Draco then at Harry for some reason. 

Harry shrugged.  “Like I said, I’ve had worse.”

“Right, see you two later,” Ron said as the trio got to the castle foyer and he started walking towards the grounds.  “I’m going to go work on trying out for the team next year.”

“I thought he said he hadn’t done his potions work yet,” Hermione said with the faintest eyebrow raise, watching Ron leave the castle and make his way towards the Quidditch pitch.

“He hasn’t, but he will,” Harry said with a grin.  He and Hermione walked deeper into the castle and made their way to the Potions Club room.  They walked in and he waved to Bianca who was talking with a few others and she waved back with less reservation than before, nodding to Hermione who also waved shyly.

“Oh you already finished your essay?” Hermione asked when she watched Harry set up his equipment and gather materials for a potion.

Harry nodded.  “Did it earlier during free time.”

“I’ll get right on it then,” Hermione said, taking out quill and ink and parchment, setting her textbook on the table.  She looked at the things he was gathering.  “What are you making?”

“A bubbling potion,” Harry said, checking the recipe in the textbook.  “It’s something we will learn later, I think.  But Professor Sprout said it’s comparable to the feather float potion so I think I can make a decent attempt.”

“And you’re really making all these to make sweets?” Hermione asked, smiling.  She had taken Bianca’s advice and had shyly asked about Harry’s candy the day after Halloween.  Harry had happily shared with Hermione both the lemon-flavored hard candy he made as well as the floating feather chocolates.  Hermione had been really interested in how Harry made the chocolates and Harry had just as enthusiastically shared how he did with her, showing her his notes and the process in making them.

She also enjoyed the taste of them.  She mentioned that she did not eat a lot of sweets on the regular due to her parents being dentists.  Something Harry had easily understood.  It was fun trying to explain dentists to Ron and Neville who had thought there being Healers, what the Wizarding World called doctors, just for teeth being very strange.  

“That’s the hope,” Harry nodded. 

“It’s like Willy Wonka,” she giggled.  Her eyes widened with astonishment when Harry beamed at her, smile from ear to ear.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is my favorite story!” Harry said enthusiastically.  “I loved it the first time I read it!”

“It is a lot of fun!” Hermione said with a big smile too.  “I personally really like Matilda more.  But now that I think about it, a lot of the sweets in the chocolate factory are like the sweets in the Wizarding World.”  Her eyes went round.  “I wonder if Roald Dahl was a magical!  But then he’d be breaking the Statute of Secrecy, so I guess not.”

“I hope he isn’t because I wouldn’t want him getting into trouble,” Harry said.  He began to mix different materials together in his cauldron, keeping the heat to a bare minimum.  He followed the recipe in the book, adding sugar and yeast along with powdered bubblefruit and chopped ginger.  He stirred the mixture together and then added little brownish-green dried fronds of bladderwrack seaweed.  The water turned into a light brown color and began to bubble as it simmered.

“What are you making now?” Bianca asked, walking over and peering into the cauldron with undisguised interest.  

“Bubbling potion,” Harry said. 

“Looking pretty good,” Bianca said, pouring out some of the potion from a ladle and seeing the top of it develop a foam made of many small bubbles.  “It’ll bubble more after it comes together and cools.”

“Oh like how the crushed thistle feather seeds float more when cool,” Harry said.

“Do lots of magical things react differently because of temperature?” Hermione asked.

The older girl nodded.  “Yup.  Sometimes the complete opposite depending on if they’re hot or cold.  Even the shape and state of it, like powdered versus crushed versus whole and everything in between, will matter.”

“How do you remember all that?” Hermione said, making a face.

“You don’t,” Bianca snorted.  “Well some things share qualities so if you remember the generalities of them, you’ll be fine.  Otherwise keep an index handy.  No one can remember the reactions and states of everything, and you shouldn’t.  Waste of time and brain space.”

She looked at Harry.  “What are you going to do with the bubbling potion?”

“I had a thought on the Express,” Harry began before the door to the clubroom opened and they turned to look to see who entered.

A tall boy wearing his Slytherin tie walked in.  He had a brutish air to him, in size and expression, and he looked around the room some before seeing Bianca.  He scowled a little, seeing Harry and Hermione and it seemed to sour more when he focused on Harry.

“What do you want, Flinty?” Bianca asked, looking up at him without any hesitation or fear at his size and expression.

Marcus Flint walked over, towering over the other three.  Harry gulped a little, recognizing the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and it was clear that the recognition was mutual.  Hermione shrank back a little too and looked at Harry worriedly.

“Oi, stop being you,” Bianca said, noticing how nervous Harry and Hermione looked.  “You’re scaring the children.”

Marcus scowled at Bianca who glared right back at him.  He looked expressively at her, looking to another part of the room and sighed when she deliberately ignored the signs and rolled her hand in a ‘hurry up’ motion.  “I need help,” he said, his voice low and grating and sounding slightly embarrassed.

“With Potions stuff?” Bianca asked.  She tilted her head when he shook his head and she snorted deeply.  “What now?  Oh no.  You forgot!”

“I didn’t forget!”  Marcus flushed and he looked embarrassed fully now, as well as irritated.  “I got the gift ahead of time and was going to make sure she got it first thing, but then she told me that she now hates fudge!  And I got her the nicest ones at Honeydukes!  What am I supposed to do about that?”  He threw his arms up in exasperation.

“And you didn’t have a back-up?” Bianca asked, shaking her head.

“Why would I have needed a back-up?!”

“Because she’s a little girl, Marcus!  They change their minds on what they like and don’t like on the passing on the hour!  I still do it myself based on my mood at the time.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Marcus muttered.

“Don’t cheek me when you come to me for help,” Bianca said, kicking him, making him glower.  She rubbed her foot while Marcus looked like the kick did not register to him at all.  “It’s a normal thing for girls.  I bet Granger did that all the time, right?”

“What?”  Hermione looked vaguely panicked at being drawn into the conversation.  “I mean, uh, well, I did change what my favorite book was a lot when I was younger.  Depending on what I was reading at the time.  But otherwise, I was fairly consistent, as far as my mother and father have said.”

“See?  Even Granger was like that for something,” Bianca said, looking at Marcus with a superior expression.

“Her birthday is tomorrow and I don’t have time to look for anything else and I know Professor Snape won’t let me go to Hogsmeade right now.”  Marcus buried his face into his hands.  “What do I do?!” 

Harry looked at Marcus with a shocked expression.  Marcus did not look this bothered or harried during the Quidditch match.  Seeing and hearing how the older and larger boy was acting was a genuine surprise to him.  Bianca fought a smirk as she patted him on the shoulder with insincere sympathy.  “Did she tell you what she does like now?”

“Apparently she still likes sweets,” Marcus said with much suffering in his tone.  “Just not fudge.”

“I have some here.”  It took a moment for even Harry to realize it was he who spoke, flushing when Bianca and Hermione looked at him with surprise and Marcus looked at him with suspicion.  He opened his bag and took out the lemon hard candy and a small amount of the floating feather chocolates.  “Sweets, I mean.  Not fudge ones.” 

“Where did you get those?” Marcus said, looking at the sweets, tilting his head a little when he saw the chocolates float into the air.

“I made them,” Harry said.

“You made them,” Marcus repeated, eyes narrowing. 

“He did,” Bianca said, giving Harry an odd look before turning back to Marcus.  “I’ve had them too.  They’re really good.”

“They are,” Hermione added in a small voice.

“What do they do?” Marcus said, still suspicious.

“Nothing, they just taste good, aside from the feather chocolates floating as you see,” Bianca said.  “You’d think I’d eat them if they did something?  You see he doesn’t have red-hair, right?”

“He’s still a Gryffindor,” Marcus said, quailing a little at Bianca’s look.  “Why would he be nice to us?”

“He’s nice to me because I help him with Potions stuff,” Bianca said with a trace of smugness.  “But that’s a good point.”  She looked at Harry.  “Why are you offering to help Flinty?  You two just went against each other on the pitch too.  And your team beat his.”

Harry gave her a flat look, making her smirk more, and he shrugged as he turned back to Marcus.  “I don’t know,” he said honestly, flushing again when Bianca snickered and Marcus glowered more.  “But it’s obvious you care a lot for who you are talking about.”

“His little sister,” Bianca provided.

“Hey!” Marcus exclaimed.

“What?  You’re the one asking for help,” Bianca retorted.  “Eat a piece if you’re that suspicious.”

Marcus looked at the yellow hard candy for a moment before picking up a small piece.  With one last questioning look, he put it gingerly in his mouth.  After a moment he brightened.  “Wait, this is actually good,” he said.  He looked at Harry and he was no longer intensely suspicious, more wondering.  “And you made this?”

Harry nodded again.

“She does like lemon things,” Marcus said.  “And yellow is her favorite color.”  He glared at Bianca’s giggle.  “Well if you’re offering,” he said at last and took the hard candy and the chocolates.  “What do you want for them?”

“Oh, didn’t think about that,” Harry said, brow furrowed in thought.

“A bag of hard candy and some chocolates like that would be about 10 Sickles at Honeydukes,” Bianca offered.  “Maybe for the cheaper stuff that honestly isn’t as good.”

“I paid more for the fudge too,” Marcus said. 

“That sounds fair,” Harry said.

“You have the advantage,” Bianca said, looking at Harry.  “Charge him more.  He can afford it.”

“Whose side are you on?!” Marcus complained.  “Are you getting a cut?”  He ducked a stinger she shot at him.

“No,” Bianca said coldly, making Marcus shiver.  “But I’m not letting you take advantage of him either.”

“No really, that sounds fair,” Harry said.  “And maybe not being so…rough with the Quidditch team?  Our team, as in Gryffindors.”

“Hey good one,” Bianca praised.  “You’d be a right dick being rude to the team of someone helping you,” she said with a big smile as Marcus ground his teeth.

“I’m not playing on the team anymore though,” Harry said.

“Really?” Marcus said, his eyebrows raised from surprise.  “You’re a decent flyer.”

“It’s fun but not for me,” Harry said, surprised at the compliment.  “But I’ll still be helping them train.”

Marcus looked at Harry for a moment longer before he nodded.  “Deal.”  He reached into a pocket and counted out 10 silver coins and handed them to Harry.  “Thanks,” he said gruffly.  “I…appreciate it.”

“Wrap them in the cloths that Honeydukes use so they look nice,” Bianca said.

“Yeah yeah, I know,” Marcus said, taking the sweets and wrapping them in more parchment paper securely.  “I better go now and get to the owlery so they’ll get to her before midnight.”  He nodded awkwardly at Harry and left the clubroom with a rude hand gesture thrown over the shoulder at Bianca.  He closed the door hurriedly as a jinx bounced off the closing door.

“Prick,” Bianca snorted with fond familiarity.  “He’s built like a troll and acts like one, but he does love his little sister.”  She turned and looked at Harry thoughtfully.  “That was good of you.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, cheeks pink.  “And thanks for helping me think of a cost.”

“You’ve never charged anyone before?”  Bianca shook her head when he did.  “You just gave it away?”

“Well I never got anything for making them before,” Harry replied.

“How do you get the money to buy the ingredients then?” Bianca asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They were given to me before,” Harry said.  “Before I started coming here.  For the stuff I made here, I bought it.”

“That’s not sustainable,” Bianca said.  “You need to get enough money to buy the ingredients so you don’t dip into your own funds, or else you run out and can’t make more.” 

“True,” Harry said slowly.  “I kind of feel odd charging people I like and are nice to me.  Or friends?”

Bianca and Hermione looked at him for a moment before the older girl cleared her throat.  “Then charge the people you are willing to sell things to and don’t necessarily dislike.  And if they’re actually your friends, then they won’t mind chipping in to help keep you going.”  She smirked again.  “Not me though.  You still owe me.”

“Sure,” Harry grinned.

She snorted but it was an amused and fond sound.  “Also where are you getting the ingredients?”

“My owl picks up orders from Diagon.”

“Too far and too expensive depending on the place.  There’s a smaller apothecary here in Hogsmeade.  That’s the village outside of the school.  They’re smaller but have the usual stuff and will order different things for you and it’ll still be affordable compared to some Diagon places.  Here.”  She scribbled a name on some parchment and gave it to him.  “That’s the name for the local grocery too.”

“Thanks!  And is Honeydukes a big store?  The one you were talking about?”

“It’s the candy and sweets store in Hogsmeade,” Bianca nodded.  “They make their own fudge and some things and carry loads of others.  You’ll get to visit starting third year.”

“Can’t wait,” Harry said with a smile.  “Thanks, uh, do I call you Zabini?”

She hesitated.  “I guess you can call me Bianca,” she said.

“Okay, thanks Bianca!  You can call me Harry too.”

“Alright Harry,” she said.  She left them when others walked into the clubroom and asked for her help.  As she did, she heard Harry clearly say, “See?  I told you she’s nice and helpful.”  For the rest of the afternoon and well into the night, a small smile stayed on her lips, not quite going away.

-0-

Harry looked up, hearing a knocking sound.  He was in the small room that Sprout allowed him to use and he first looked at the clock before looking over to the side.  “No, you’re here,” he said and Hedwig fluffed up and cheeped at him.  “And you don’t have to knock.  Come in?”

The door opened and Dumbledore leaned in slightly, looking about.  “Hello, Mister Potter,” he said warmly.

“Oh, hello Headmaster,” Harry greeted slightly nervously.

“May I come in?” Dumbledore asked.

“Of course.”  Harry watched as the older man stepped into the small room and close the door behind him. 

Dumbledore looked about and nodded to himself before looking at Harry and Hedwig.  “And nice to meet you,” he said to the owl.

“This is Hedwig,” Harry introduced and Hedwig barked a greeting, extending a leg.

Dumbledore shook it with utter sincerity.  “A pleasure to meet you,” he said genially.  He looked at the cauldron on the table with interest and at the pans on the other table, each filled with yellow hard candy cooling.  “I was taking my daily walk and found myself outside your door.  I have been meaning to visit, Professor Sprout has of course kept me informed of you using this room, and I confess that the smell drew me here.”  He tapped his long nose with a smile.  “It smells rather wonderful in here and right outside.”

Harry smiled.  “Thank you, Sir,” he said happily.

Dumbledore looked at the trays of candy.  “Rather industrious of you,” he said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s actually pretty easy to do batches like this,” Harry explained.  “And I’ve been studying too while doing it, I haven’t been neglecting my studies, Sir.”  He gestured to the side of the table that Hedwig sat on and she nodded in agreement, nodding at two piles of cards with things written on them.

“I am glad to hear it,” Dumbledore said warmly.  “Professor Sprout told me of the arrangement and I approve of it.  I actually had the pleasure of trying a piece the other day and it was delightful.  Lemon sherbet drops are my favorite sweet.”

Harry beamed at that and then he turned and quickly started hitting one of the trays with a large wooden spoon, breaking the candy into pieces.  After a quick dusting of sugar, he then wrapped it all up in parchment paper and handed the full pouch to him.  “Here you go, Sir!”

“All for me?” Dumbledore asked, reaching out and taking it eagerly. 

“I made extras, I’m glad you like it,” Harry said, still smiling.

“Thank you,” Dumbledore said, matching his smile.  “I truly appreciate it.”  He ate a piece with obvious enthusiasm, enjoying the open pleasure on Harry’s face.  “You have a talent for it,” Dumbledore said.  “And skill attained through hard work as well.  I can tell.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Harry said again, feeling warm.

“May I ask why you made so many?” Dumbledore asked, noticing several more cooling trays.

“Oh for Professor Sprout and to have on hand,” Harry said honestly.  “And I need to send some as well as part of my duties.”

Dumbledore frowned slightly at that, also noticing how Hedwig suddenly turned angry, digging her talons into the table.  “Duties,” Dumbledore repeated softly.

“An arrangement with my aunt and uncle,” Harry explained, somewhat evasively.

“I see,” Dumbledore said, somewhat insincerely.  He looked at Harry for a moment longer before smiling once more, putting Harry at ease.  “Well, seeing how you are maintaining your marks and upholding your end of the agreement, I have no reservations currently.”  He looked over at the bubbling cauldron.  “And what are you brewing?”

“A bubbling potion,” Harry said.  “I’m hoping to make it work with something.”

“May I?”  At Harry’s nod, Dumbledore scooped up some of the potion and poured it into a vial, admiring it.  The potion bubbled and fizzed in the vial with a cheery air.  “Well made,” he praised.  “The bubbling potion is a deceptively simple potion.  Easy to make but difficult to make well.”

He winked at Harry.  “May I inquire what you are hoping to do with it?  Do feel free to tell a nosy old man to keep his nose out of it however.”

Harry smiled.  “I’m hoping to make something bubble with it.  I read that you combine the potion with something else to make it fizz and bubble too.”

“Quite right and that sates my curiosity,” Dumbledore said.  “I will ask no more, save ask to hopefully see your final product in action.”

“Of course Sir!”

“I will take my leave then.  Make sure you do not stay out after curfew.  And thank you again, Mister Potter.”  He left the room and closed the door behind him, walking down the hallway.  He looked down at his hands, the pouch of candy in one and the vial of potion in the other.  His thoughts matched his gait, methodical yet meandering, and he walked slowly back to his office, high in the castle.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 7 – Exploring

“Hey Harry!  Do you have a moment?”

“Sure.”  Harry waited for Parvati Patil, one of the girls in his year in Gryffindor, to catch up to him.  Classes were done for the day and as they were leaving and going off in different directions, he heard her call out to him. 

“Thanks!  I had a question if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll answer it if I can,” Harry said honestly.

“So since you know how to make some sweets,” Parvati said, “have you ever fried stuff?”  Hermione had told Harry that Parvati and Lavender Brown, the third girl in their year in Gryffindor, had seen the sweets that he had given her and she had shared some with them.  Harry had not minded and was happy to hear that the other two girls had liked them as well. 

“Fried candy?” Harry asked, shaking his head.  “No, but I’ve seen a chip shop near where I grew up fry candy bars.  Always wanted to try it if I’m being honest.”

“That sounds awful and I want to try one now,” Parvati said before shaking her head.  “I meant like fried sweet things in general.”

“Oh!  Like doughnuts?  I’ve done that,” Harry said, nodding.  “I’ve baked things too.”

“That’s great!  If I get a recipe and maybe some of the trickier ingredient things, do you think you could make something?” she asked.  “I assume you have a place here since you made the other sweets.”

“I might need to ask permission from who owns the space,” Harry said, thinking.  “Shouldn’t be a problem though.  Will have to make extra for them too.  And you’ve made them before?  They want someone who knows what they’re doing close by to watch.”

“I’ve helped before,” Parvati said somewhat evasively.  “Never made them from beginning to end by myself, technically.”

“That should be fine then,” Harry said.  “Oh and sure, if that wasn’t obvious,” he added sheepishly, making her smile.  “What are they?  Something fried I assume since you asked.”

“Yeah!  They’re called jalebi.  You make a batter and fry them in ghee or oil and then do a sugar syrup sauce thing on them.”

“They sound great and yeah, I’d love to try it,” Harry said enthusiastically.  “Is it one of your favorite snacks from home?”

Parvati hesitated for a moment before nodding.  “They are and uhm, well...”  She looked up and down the hall and lowered her voice.  “It’s for Pads too, Padma, my sister.  She’s in Ravenclaw and she’s been having a tough time of things.”

“Aww, I’m sorry to hear that,” Harry said.  “Is she okay?”

“For the most part yeah.  She’s just not making a lot of friends right now and Ravenclaw apparently is super cliquey and she’s been a bit down.  She likes reading and school stuff so she’s still been mostly fine but…well,” Parvati shrugged a little.  “Just wanted to cheer her up some, I guess.”

“I think that’s really wonderful of you,” Harry said sincerely.  “It’s really nice that you want to help your sister like that.”

Parvati flushed a little but smiled.  “Just don’t go telling everyone.”

“That you like your sister?”

“Hey, no one said anything about me liking Pads,” Parvati gasped.

Harry smiled but there was a trace of confusion in it.  “Okay, well I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks!  I’ll write a letter and send it with one of the school owls later.”

“You can see if Hedwig will fly for you,” Harry offered.  “She likes going to new places so she might send the letter for you and bring back the other things.”

“That’d be great!  You don’t just tell her to do something?”

Harry shook his head.  “Not really.  I prefer to ask her and she hasn’t ever said no to me but she’s refused to listen to people before.  Like really ignore them.  If you really irritate her, she’ll go after you.”

“I like her already,” Parvati grinned.

-0-

“What are you doing?” Snape asked, his voice an irritated hiss.

Harry looked up from his cauldron and fought the urge to flinch while also thinking how to respond.  He finally decided to do what worked for him in the past: be literal.  “Working on the potion…Sir?”  He gulped when he saw his reply had done the opposite of what he had hoped for.  “I’m adding the bladderwrack in now.”

“Can you read, Potter?” Snape asked, glaring down at the boy.

“Yes Sir,” Harry said, looking at the board.

“Why are you adding whole bladderwrack instead of crushed then, if you are able to read.”

“I thought since the end product is making a burn soothing potion with a foam top, the whole bladderwrack would be better because when it’s whole, it foams and bubbles more,” Harry said, looking at a second book he had opened on the table.

Snape looked at it too and he bristled slightly when he saw it.  “Where did you get that index?”

“It was recommended to me and I bought it,” Harry said.  He sat up a little straighter and looked at Snape directly.  “From the teaching assistant for the Potions Club, Sir.  She is really helpful and nice.” 

Blaise Zabini looked up at that, giving Harry a curious look.  Pansy looked at Blaise with mild surprise too before turning to look at Harry while Draco and his closest friends snickered and made faces at Harry from behind Snape.  The potions professor stared down at Harry for a long moment.  “In the future, Mister Potter,” he said with a trace of heat, “you are to ask me before you make any modifications to the instructions.  Your actions, however correct you think they are, could impact the rest of the potion and cause disaster.”

“Yes Sir,” Harry said stiffly.  “I have tried asking you questions before, though, Sir.”

Muffled gasps could be heard from the other students and some looked at Harry with surprise and awe while others winced while Draco and his friends looked positively gleeful at Snape’s thunderous expression.

Snape bit back a retort.  “I know what I have said, Potter,” he finally said.  “And as long as you ask applicable questions during class, I will answer them as I see fit.  5 points deducted for your cheek.”  He walked away from Harry’s table and others instantly looked down at theirs to avoid making eye contact and draw attention.

Harry gritted his teeth but went back to work, carefully reading the instructions on the board and following them to the letter.  He ignored the muffled chuckling and laughter from Draco and the others and soon finished his potion, pouring out a sample into a vial.  He took it up to Snape’s desk and was gratified to see that his vial had a thick layer of foam on top where the vast majority of the others did not.

Snape took a look at it and his countenance soured more.  He made an irritated hand gesture and turned away when Harry put his sample there.  Harry said nothing else and went back to his station, cleaning up after himself and left the classroom, walking down the hall a little before stopping and letting out a deep sigh of frustration.

“He really does have it out for you,” Ron said, joining Harry along with Hermione. 

“It’s not fair,” Hermione said, frowning back down the hall.  “And your sample looked really good too.”

“Should give you points for it but no, takes points away and rewards Malfoy for making something that doesn’t look as good,” Ron grumbled.

Harry sighed again.  “Not much I can do, is there?”

“He’s refused to answer your questions before?” Hermione whispered, looking scandalized.

Harry nodded.  “I did ask him outside of class and it was technically about an unrelated potion, to be fair.”

“Why be fair, he isn’t,” Ron said.

“Just saying,” Harry shrugged.  “But yeah, said he didn’t have to answer questions that wasn’t the immediate material.”

“I’m glad the other professors don’t think like that,” Hermione said.  “They like it when I ask more questions.”

“It is so satisfying to see people taken down when they deserve it.”  Draco appeared with Crabbe, Goyle, and Theodore Nott beside him, all four of them grinning happily at Harry and Ron and Hermione.  “About time you were reminded of your place, Potter.”

“I don’t need help with that, thank you,” Harry said blandly.  “But I appreciate your ‘help’.”

That took some of the wind from Draco’s sails and he sputtered for a moment before he sneered.  “You should have taken my help on the train.”

“Still don’t think I need it,” Harry said, narrowing his eyes back. 

“Hanging with the wrong sorts still,” Draco said, looking Ron and Hermione up and down, making them bristle. 

“Not from where I’m standing and looking,” Harry said coolly, looking directly back at Draco.

Draco’s pale features flushed.  “You pathetic-“  A loud grunt drew his attention and he whirled.  “What-?!”  He stopped and looked up, realizing that he was first looking at someone in the chest before he craned his head back, going pale once more.

Marcus looked down at Draco and looked at Goyle, Crabbe, and Nott with an equally cool disinterested expression, making the Slytherin boys shrink slightly.  “Go on,” he said in his deep voice, nodding down the hall away from Harry and his friends.

“What?”  Draco blinked slowly, as if having trouble understanding what Marcus just said.

“Go. On,” Marcus repeated slowly, looking down at Draco.  He stood there with arms crossed, looming over the boys.  After some more sputtering, Draco walked away, trailed by the other three first year Slytherins.  He shot a hateful look back at Harry and Ron and Hermione but said nothing further.  Even when Ron smirked at him and gave him the salute.  A loud grunt from Marcus made the boys scurry away, disappearing around the corner and their footsteps fading.

Marcus snorted deeply before he looked back at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  Ron looked up at the big burly boy with a gulp and Hermione did not quite quail like she did the other day, though she still looked at him with some trepidation.  Harry returned the nod from Marcus, causing Ron to gape at his friend.  “Alright, Potter?” Marcus asked gruffly.

“I’m alright,” Harry said, a little surprised by the turn of events but not upset by it at all.  “Thank you.”

“Malfoy thinks highly of himself and is annoying,” Marcus said in a low voice, snorting again at Harry and Ron’s delighted looks.  “Ignore him when you can, that’s what I do.”  He reached into his robes and pulled out a bright yellow envelope and gave it to Harry, making Ron and Hermione both look at it with surprise.  “From my little sister,” Marcus said with a hint of embarrassment in his expression.  “She wanted me to give it to you.”

“Oh, that’s very nice of her,” Harry said, accepting the envelope.  “Did she like them?”

Marcus softened.  “She did,” he said fondly.  “Wanted to know where I got them and wants more.  Didn’t say I’d get her more though.”

“I don’t mind making more when I can,” Harry said with a smile.  “And I guess for the same price?”

Marcus looked at him for a moment before nodding.  “Alright, but not too often.  She eats too many sweets as it is,” he said, shaking his head.  He coughed gruffly.  “But yeah, wanted to pass that along and say thanks.  She really liked them and said it made her birthday better.”

“I’m really glad to hear it,” Harry said with a wide smile. 

Marcus nodded awkwardly.  “Right then.”  He walked away, leaving the three Gryffindors behind.

“What was that?!” Ron gasped.  “You’re friends with Flint?!”

“Friendly, I guess,” Harry said, looking at the envelope in his hands.  “Sold him some sweets for his little sister.  Talked to him in the Potions Club room.”

“But he’s the enemy!” Ron said.

“No he isn’t,” Harry said, shaking his head.  “Well, maybe on the pitch but we aren’t on the pitch and he was nicer in the clubroom, and he helped us now.”

“He was surprisingly nice in the clubroom,” Hermione nodded.

Ron stared down the hall where Marcus went.  “That’s so weird,” he said.

“Yeah, but at least it’s a nice kind,” Harry said, opening the envelope and pulling out the card within.  He read it and smiled. 

“Aww, a thank you card?” Hermione asked, smiling too.

Harry nodded and tucked the card away in his school bag carefully.  “See?  He can’t be that bad if he’s that sweet with his little sister.”

“So weird,” Ron repeated, shaking his head.

-0-

“I appreciate you asking for permission first,” Sprout said with a smile, chuckling at Harry’s sheepish expression.

“Didn’t want to assume,” Harry said weakly. 

“Again, I appreciate you asking first,” Sprout repeated, winking at him.  “And yes, you may use the room for that purpose.”

“Thank you!”

“I look forward to seeing what you will be making,” Sprout said eagerly. 

“Me too, I love learning about new things like that.”  Harry hesitated for a moment.  “Professor, you don’t mind when I ask you questions about other things, right?”

“Not at all,” she said, looking at him questioningly.  “You haven’t asked me anything inappropriate or completely outside of my expertise, so there’s that.”  She thought for a moment before she winced a little, nodding with understanding.  “Ah.  Uh, well, I’m sure you are fine, Mister Potter.  Don’t fret.”

Harry nodded, remaining quiet.

Sprout rested a hand on his shoulder.  “How about you come and help me with the flutterby plants?  Their flower petals flap and can fly about too, much like the thistle feathers.”

“Oh, yes please,” Harry said with genuine enthusiasm. 

Sprout led him to one of the greenhouses, half of her mind on the task before them and the other half thinking of the other task behind them.

-0-

Bianca nodded.  “Yes Sir, I did suggest the index,” she said, looking at Snape without remorse or reservation.  “It’s a good one and one you typically recommend to older students anyways.  I figured it would be worth recommending now.”

“I see,” Snape said, seething slightly.  “Generally, it is more information than they need right now, and can incite delusions of competency.”

“But he didn’t do anything wrong, did he?” Bianca asked, just barely able to keep from flinching slightly at the look of displeasure on his face. 

“Not this time.”

“And was his potion decent?” she pressed.

“It was adequate,” Snape said begrudgingly. 

Bianca hesitated for a moment before she decided to try her luck.  “Then I don’t see what the problem is.  He seems pretty decent for a firstie and a Gryffindor.  If he was a Slytherin, I doubt we’d be having this-“  This time she did flinch when he turned and glared at her.

“Careful, Zabini,” Snape warned.  “You can be removed from the role and that would have an impact on your future here at Hogwarts.”

“Yes Sir,” Bianca said crisply, schooling her face into a bland mask and standing at attention.

“That will be all,” Snape said, turning away.  He did not turn back, listening to Bianca turn and leave his office.  For a while longer, he sat and stewed in his chair, his emotions and thoughts bubbling just beneath the surface.

-0-

Harry looked up, smiling when he heard happy barking that cut effortlessly through the sounds of the other owls.  Hedwig soared around the other owls with expert ease, barking at them in passing.  She swooped down, wings wide to glide gracefully and landed right in front of Harry without upsetting a single thing on the table.  She pirouetted daintily, striking a pose and cheeped smugly, looking at Harry with a very satisfied expression.

“Well done,” Harry praised, applauding as she bowed and curtsied before he undid the latches on the harness she wore.  Harry had found the harness in one of the catalogues that Hedwig had brought him when school started.  They were designed for owls to carry more than a few articles of post at once, especially things like boxes and packages.  Larger parcels were placed within the enchanted pocket, shrinking slightly as well as making the load lighter.  He had felt much better when he knew she would not be as over encumbered while wearing one.

“Oh hey,” he said, seeing the name written on top of the package.  “It’s for you.”

Parvati took it from him eagerly.  “Yes!  That was fast.  Thanks Hedwig!”  She smiled when Hedwig opened her beak expectantly and fed her a piece of bacon.  The girl opened the package and looked inside the box.  “Looks like what we need is here.”

“Brilliant,” Harry said, excited.  “We’ll try it this afternoon then.”  The afternoon eventually came and after finishing their last class, Parvati followed Harry down into the lower parts of the castle. 

“Wow, you have your own private spot?” she asked when she followed him into the small test room.

“It’s Professor Sprout’s,” Harry said.  “She lets me use it for things like this.”

“That’s cool.  And I’m kinda surprised you do this sort of thing too.  Thought I shouldn’t be, the sweets you’ve made are tasty.”

Harry beamed at that.  “Thanks!  What are we making?”

“They’re called jalebi like I said,” Parvati explained as she opened the box and took out the ingredients as well as a recipe written on paper.  “They’re a popular snack and treat.  You make a batter and fry them in oil, then put the sugar syrup on it.  They’re crispy and sweet and awesome.”

“Sounds good to me,” Harry said, rubbing his hands together.  With Parvati reading the directions, he poured sugar into a pot and set it over the stove, adding water to it.  He stirred slowly as the mixture slowly melted into a smooth syrup.  When it reached the consistency they wanted, where a string would form between fingers, he took it off the heat and added some lemon juice and cardamom pods to it, setting it aside.

They then added flour, corn starch, and turmeric into a bowl and mixed it, before adding yogurt and mixing that as well, until a batter formed.  Water was slowly poured in as they mixed until they made a smooth batter.  A bit of lemon juice was added too before it was done.

“Now we heat up the oil and add a little ghee for flavor,” Parvati said, spooning in some solid yellow ghee into the oil.

“What is ghee?” Harry asked.

“It’s butter that you’ve cooked for a while,” she explained.  “Cooking out water and other stuff.  We use it a lot for all of our cooking.”

“Oh I think I’ve read about that,” Harry said.  “It’s clarified butter.”

“Sure?  I didn’t really pay attention when Mum and Grandmum and the Aunties explained it forever ago,” Parvati said, laughing with a slightly flush.  “I care more about eating than making.”

“That’s fair,” Harry grinned.  “I like both.”

“What got you into making sweets?” Parvati asked curiously.

“Oh, well, sweets are tasty and fun,” Harry said, shrugging.  “And it’s satisfying making something.”

“I guess so,” Parvati said, nodding thoughtfully. 

“But now that I know magic is real and there’re magical sweets, I really want to learn more magic so I can make more magic sweets,” Harry said.

“You didn’t know magic was real?” Parvati gasped.

“No, I was, uh, raised by family that are Muggles,” Harry said, looking away a little.

“Wow, never would’ve guessed with how good you are in class,” Parvati said, blinking.  “But those floating feathers you made are so cute and tasty.”  She looked up when the window at the top of the door opened and Hedwig flapped in, barking musically.  “She hangs out here too?”

“Sure does,” Harry smiled when Hedwig landed on his shoulder and nuzzled him. 

“That’s nice,” Parvati smiled.  “Oh, did you make your chocolate feathers look like hers?”

“I did!  She was the inspiration,” Harry said as Hedwig opened her wings wide and displayed her feathers proudly.

“That’s cute,” Parvati giggled.

After a while, they poured tiny drops of batter into the oil and watched how the oil crackled, frying the batter quickly.  Then with a ladle that had a spout on one side, Parvati demonstrated pouring some of the batter out into the oil and made a circular shape with strands of batter overlapping itself.  The round shape fried, spreading itself out thinly and flatly.  She fished it out with a long skewer and examined it with Harry.  “I think that means the batter is too thin,” she said.  “And if that’s the case, we add some more flour.”

“Makes sense.”  Harry added a spoonful of flour to the batter and mixed it until it was smooth once more before he poured some batter into the oil, mimicking what Parvati did.  This time the jalebi did not become as flat, puffing up and crisping.  “Oh it’s browning really fast, we have to turn down the heat a little,” he remarked and did just that.

“You usually then turn the heat down more to cook it a little more to make sure it stays really crisp,” Parvati said.  “But since this is the test one, we can wait.”  She watched as Harry fished it out with the skewer and after letting it drain slightly on some kitchen paper, he put it into the bowl of sugar syrup, flipping it for even coating.  “Mmm, it smells like the real deal!” Parvati said happily.  She took it out of the syrup and broke it into pieces and popped it into her mouth.

“Well?” Harry asked eagerly.

Parvati’s smile was from ear to ear and she puffed a little but held both thumbs up.  “It’s good!” she said.  “Just like it should taste!”

Harry happily popped a piece into his mouth with Hedwig doing the same to the last pieces, both of them chomping down.  Harry savored the new treat.  The sugar syrup was sweet but also had a nice earthy taste from the cardamom.  The jalebi was crispy and delicious, a wonderful fried flavor that was well coated with the sugar syrup.  It was not greasy nor oily and it tasted delicious.  “That’s so good,” Harry praised with Hedwig flapping her wings and barking in agreement.

He and Parvati worked on the rest of the jalebi, using up the batter to the last drop and making several batches of it.  The sugar syrup had to be made again to coat all of them and he showed her how to make the parchment pouches he used to make separate bundles.  “There,” he said with satisfaction after finishing wrapping them all up and tying the ends with cord.  He gave the biggest one to Parvati.  “I hope Padma likes them too,” he said.

“She will,” Parvati said confidently.  “She likes to pretend she doesn’t have the biggest sweet tooth sometimes but she does.”

“Just like you pretend you don’t like her when you do,” Harry grinned.

Parvati snorted and gave him a mock-glower.  “I didn’t say that!” 

“I know, I said it.”

She rolled her eyes.  “What are you going to do with those?” she asked, pointing at the smaller ones Harry wrapped.

“One is for Professor Sprout,” Harry said.  “One will be for me and Hedwig and I’ll probably share some of the last one with Ron, Neville, and Hermione and maybe a few others.”

“I really appreciate you doing this,” Parvati said as they left the small room together with Hedwig sitting on Harry’s head. 

“Thanks for sharing the recipe with me and helping me,” Harry said happily.  “Let me know when you want to make more in the future and we can do that.  It’s important to have something nice to eat for comfort.”

“It is,” Parvati said, nodding with agreement.  “I better go find Padma.  See you later!”  She waved merrily as she walked down the hall, nearly skipping as she did. 

He watched her walk away with a complicated expression, one laced with wistfulness.  He smiled when Hedwig cheeped lovingly at him and tugged on his hair playfully.  “Let’s take this to Professor Sprout and find Ron and Hermione,” he said.  “They’ll be so excited.”

He walked down the hallway, feeling better with Hedwig tugging and pulling on his hair gently, as if steering him about.

-0-

“Hello.”

Harry turned from the table and looked up a little, seeing someone standing behind him.  He wiped his mouth with his napkin and swallowed his mouthful of food hurriedly.  “Oh, hello,” he said.  “Padma, right?”

Padma Patil smiled.  “Yes, that’s me.  I wanted to thank you for the jalebi.  They were really good.”

“I’m glad to hear it!  Parvati told me about them and thought they sounded wonderful.”  He dropped his voice.  “Are you feeling better?”

Padma blinked a few times.  “Parvati told me that you asked her to help you make them because you read about them,” she said, speaking softly as well. 

“Oh, uh, yeah, that’s what happened,” Harry said, smiling weakly.

Padma snorted but her expression softened.  “They really did help me feel better,” she said, smiling again.  “You made them really well.”

“Parvati helped.”

“Lies and slander!”  Parvati appeared at Padma’s shoulder and gave her and Harry a deeply suspicious look.  “What are you two doing, talking about me?!”

“I said you helped with the jalebi,” Harry said, giving her a bemused look in return.

“Oh, well, maybe a little,” Parvati conceded.  “I did eat most of them yesterday too since I helped.”

“She shared them equally,” Padma said with a small smile.  “Thanks,” she added, hugging Parvati.

“Ahhh what are you doing?!” Parvati squealed.  “You’re touching me!”

Harry smiled, watching the Patils starting to argue in a different language.  “Is that what it’s like at home for you?” he asked.

Ron shrugged.  “Less hugging and more punching, but actually, not too different,” he said.

“Sadly, he is not wrong,” Percy sighed.  “That was not permission!”  He buried his head into his hands when George and Fred immediately turned to each other and punched each other in the opposite shoulder, starting another fight, amusing everyone around them.

“You miss a lot as an only child,” Hermione said, shaking her head but smiling.

“I think it’s nice,” Harry said softly.  Then it was his turn to smile when Hedwig headbutted him directly and playfully buffeted him with her wings, barking happily as he laughed.

Chapter Text

Threads of Sweetness

Chapter 8 – A Lovely Holiday

“Finally, we’re all done,” Ron said as they left the Potions classroom.  “Figures that was the last exam of the term.”

It was the end of the first term and the winter holiday was about to commence.  The students pushed through the end of term exams and homework assignments and now there was palpable relief in the air, as well as the general anticipation and excitement for the break from school. 

The castle had been fully decorated to match the festive energy.  Garlands of holly and winter greenery hung from overhead as well as running along the tops of the halls.  Trees decorated with dancing fairy lights and colored ornaments stood at intervals throughout the castle, with statues and suits of armor also decked in festive finery.  Some even wore hats ranging from top hats to bonnets to Father Christmas hats.  Icicles hung down from banisters and along awnings from one hallway to the next, shining in torch and lantern light.

“I can’t wait to go home,” Hermione said.  “I’ve missed my Mum and Dad.”  She smiled at Harry.  “Though it’s been very nice with Hedwig delivering post for us.  I thought I wouldn’t get to speak with them at all until breaks.”

“I’m glad,” Harry grinned back.  “Hedwig likes the trips.  Especially since your family has a roost and food and water dish for her there now.”

“Mum and Dad like her a lot too,” Hermione said, beaming.  She started to laugh.  “Did I tell you what happened when she flew to their dentist practice that one time?”

“No, what?” Harry asked eagerly.

“So one day she didn’t find them at our home and flew to their dentist office,” Hermione said as Harry and Ron leaned in to listen.  “While waiting for Mum to write a reply, she was seen by someone who thought she shouldn’t be there and they tried to shoo her away.”

“What an idiot,” Ron grinned.

Hermione nodded.  “Hedwig obviously ignored them so the person called an animal control officer who tried to do the same, even going to try and catch her.  Hedwig then chased the animal control officer around and wrapped him in his own net!”  Her laughter joined the boys’ laughter.  “She chased him away and later the officer returned with help but she had already left.  Mum and Dad pretended to not know what they were talking about and the officers left very annoyed and confused!”

“Hedwig’s the best,” Harry laughed.  “Hope that didn’t cause any trouble though.”

Hermione shook her head.  “Not at all.  Mum and Dad thought it was hilarious and didn’t mind at all.”

“That’s good,” Harry said with relief.

“Are you heading home too?” she asked.  She blinked as Harry’s good mood evaporated, something she and Ron noticed.

“No,” Harry said at last.  “I, uh, my Aunt and Uncle and Cousin are going elsewhere for the holidays and I wasn’t invited.”

“That’s not nice,” Hermione gasped.

Harry shrugged limply.  “Well, I also didn’t meet my duties so there’s that too.  It’s okay, I’m used to it.”  Harry had tried to bake and make enough sweets to send back as per the agreement he had with the Dursleys, but with him wanting to do well in school, he did not do as much as they wanted.  He had thought he made enough to satisfy them, but like times before, it did not meet their imposed standards.  Therefore, they said he had to stay at school.

A part of him, a rather large part of him if he was honest, was fine with that.  More than fine if he was completely honest.  He was a lot more comfortable and happy at Hogwarts.  He had a full bed, plenty of food, friends, things he did not have at Number 4 Privet Drive.  The part of him that was a little unhappy, again being completely honest, was the tone of it.  The letter the Dursleys had sent him asking about what they wanted him to make over the break when he returned was scathing and accusatory.  He knew he should not have thought otherwise, but he had nurtured a small hope that they would be more pleasant to him with him being gone for months and that he did still make the demanded sweets.

The hope had disappeared while reading the letter.

He shook his head and tried to quash his feelings, noticing how Ron and Hermione were looking at him.  “What about you Ron?” he asked, shifting focus.

“Don’t know yet, actually,” Ron said.  “Mum and Dad were talking about visiting Charlie in Romania.  I don’t really feel like going if that’s what we’re doing but they hadn’t decided yet.  Oh hey there’s Percy-HEY PERCY!”

Percy stopped and raised an eyebrow at Ron.  “Yes Ron?” he asked mildly, waiting for Ron to approach with Harry and Hermione.

“What are Mum and Dad doing for Christmas?” Ron asked 

“They decided to go to Romania with Ginny,” Percy said.  “And if any of us wish to go too.  Bill is meeting them there.”

“Are you going?” Ron asked. 

“No, I rather stay here and prepare for O.W.L.s,” Percy said.  “Mother and Father understand.  Ordinary Wizarding Levels,” he explained to Harry.  “They are very important exams and you will take them in fifth year.”

“I already started preparing for them,” Hermione said in a very matter-of-fact tone, narrowing her eyes when both Harry and Ron looked at her with worry and askance respectively.

Percy smiled a little.  “You need not prepare that early,” he said.  “But sooner is better than later.”

“What are Fred and George doing?” Ron asked.

“I believe they are staying too,” Percy said.  “Apparently staying at school is the lesser of the evils.”

“Bill and Charlie like to act like the older brothers and push us around sometimes,” Ron explained when Hermione and Harry looked at the two Weasleys.

“Well they are the eldest brothers,” Percy said with dry amusement.  “But yes, they do do that.  Do you wish to go?”

“Not really,” Ron said.  “Romania is cool but not that cool.  Guess we’re staying and hanging out with you Harry.”  He turned to Harry who suddenly felt a lot better about the coming holiday.

“You are staying as well?” Percy asked.  “Wonderful.  You can help me entertain the twins,” Percy said with a wry smile.

“I’ll do my best,” Harry smiled back.

-0-

The holiday break came and the vast majority of the students left the school, with only the four Weasleys and Harry being in Gryffindor tower.  It was as fun as Harry hoped and then some.  Fred and George were even more exuberant than usual, taking the more quiet tower as a challenge to make up for the absence of all the other students.  Percy had tried to rein them back some but relented soon after, accepting the inevitable.

For once in his life, the holiday was a merry and joyous time for Harry.  Here were people who actually seemed to enjoy his company, going so far to include him.  After years of being excluded, ignored, pretended that he did not exist save for when he was making something for them, it was a stark change and was overwhelming at times, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.  He played chess with Ron, flew with him and the twins braving the wind and snow, and enjoyed talking to Percy about magic and studies in general. 

“Oh that’s a really neat way to think about it,” Harry said one night.  “I was wondering how most people remembered the general reagent reactions.”

Percy nodded.  “There are far too many to remember normally, and they are finding new combinations all the time.  Therefore, it is much easier to group reagents and ingredients with others based on commonality, or what they share in common.  They tend to react the same way and as long as you remember that, then that will get you most of the way there.  Much more efficient and possible.  Then you rely on indexes for the details.”

“So thistle feathers, bladderwrack, flutterby leaves, bubblewort pods, and some of the other things that float, all react to temperature like this because they all share lighter than air properties,” Harry said.

“Precisely,” Percy praised with a smile.

“But they all act differently based on their states,” Harry said, frowning slightly.  “Like whole thistle feathers don’t act like whole bubblewort pods.”

“That is the trouble too,” Percy said, nodding.  “In that case, I tend to remember the exceptions to the rule because they are more rare, while generalizing the rest.”

“That makes sense,” Harry said.  He turned and looked at his friend.  “What?”

“Harry, we don’t have to worry about O.W.L.s for years,” Ron said, shaking his head at Harry.

“I’m not learning stuff just for O.W.L.s,” Harry said with a sheepish smile.  “I genuinely find this interesting.  Like you are with chess.”

“Chess is fun!” Ron protested. 

“People can find different things fun, Ron,” Percy sniffed. 

Fred grunted.  “Fred have fun when hit ball with stick.”

“George fun have when hit ball with stick too,” George grunted.  “George fun hit other thing with stick too.”

“Fred fun hit other thing too!”  Fred and George flailed away at each other with their bats but instead of the usual sharp crack of hard wood hitting iron ball, they made loud animal sounds and the bats bent and flopped as they swung and smacked.

“Gerroff!” Ron shouted when George and Fred jumped on him and started hitting him with the floppy bats.  Ron swung a pillow and soon a brawl erupted between them.

Percy shook his head but there was a warm smile on his lips as he went back to his reading while Harry laughed.  “I apologize for my brothers,” he said to an amused Harry.

“I’m not bothered,” Harry smiled.

“At least one of us is not,” Percy said, his smile removing the sting from his words.  He flicked his wand and a pillow deflected away from them.  “If either of us gets hit with a bat or a pillow, I will confiscate it and return the gesture.”

Fred and George gasped loudly.  “Harry, we apologize for our brother!”

“Percy!  Threatening your brothers?” Fred continued.

“What would Harry think?!” George wailed.

“He must already think poorly of us!”

“With Ron representing us!”

“What does that mean?!” Ron shouted.

“It means what it means,” the twins shouted back.

“I think you all are really great,” Harry said, smile from ear to ear. 

“Even Percy?” the twins gasped again, eyes wide and jaws open.

“Even Percy,” Harry laughed.

Percy’s smile faded when a thrown pillow from Ron bounced off his head when the twins ducked.  He turned and stared at his three younger brothers who all paled and gulped.  “Well, it seems I must show that I do not make threats, but statements of consequence.”  He shot out of his chair and the twins and Ron fled from him as Percy flicked his wand, charming the bats and another pillow to chase after them and belabor them energetically.

Harry laughed more and continued to pet an equally amused Hedwig who sat fluffed in his lap, watching with merriment.

-0-

Even with all the fun in the tower with the Weasleys, Harry still spent time in the small office down in the dungeons.  He still enjoyed making some sweets there as well as practice with potions he wanted to use for making more sweets.  He had a general idea for his next project, but he was seeing what he could do with the bubbling potion that he had started working on towards the end of the previous term.

He looked up at the gentle knock on the door.  “Come in,” he said out loud, turning to see who it was.  “Oh hello Headmaster!”

“Mister Potter,” Dumbledore said, leaning in and smiling softly.  “May I come in?”

“Of course.”  Harry moved some things around and Dumbledore entered, nodding a greeting to Hedwig who returned the gesture with magnanimous grace. 

“And how are you enjoying your holiday?” Dumbledore asked, sitting down on a spare stool.

“It’s been wonderful,” Harry said honestly, making Dumbledore smile.  “I really like it here.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Dumbledore said, his smile broad and warm.  “I had hoped being here over the holiday would not be a hardship for you.”

“Oh, no Sir, not at all.  It’s actually been really nice,” Harry said enthusiastically.  “Probably the nicest holiday I can remember having.”

Dumbledore’s smile slipped slightly and he coughed when Harry looked away.  “Well, I am glad to hear it.”  He looked over at the bubbling cauldron.  “Still brewing the bubbling potion?”

“Yes Sir, I’m trying some new things with it.  The original version didn’t quite stand up to what I wanted it to do.”

“May I ask what you want to do?  I know I have asked you before, but I confess I am still nosy and if I know more, perhaps I can aid you,” Dumbledore said, winking at Harry.

Harry smiled.  “Well I want to make something bubble, with the potion of course, but I discovered that when you heat up the potion after it's done brewing, it doesn’t bubble as well anymore.”

“Ah yes, a known limitation,” Dumbledore said, nodding.  “And it must be heated?  What are you intending to do?”

“It’d be easier,” Harry said.  “I want to make a filling of sorts and it’d be in a baked sweet.  I could pipe it in later, after the baking is done.  But I was wondering if I could do it without having to pipe it in after.  To save a little time and effort.”

“Pipe it?”

“Oh when you put the extra filling or frosting on or in the sweet with a piping bag or something like that.”

“Oh I see.  Hmm.”  Dumbledore leaned back, humming in thought.  “There is a charm for cooling something or keeping it from being heated.  It is a bit tricky, however.  But I believe you might be able to learn it early and cast it well.”

“Really?” Harry asked, looking surprised.

“Why yes, I do think so,” Dumbledore said, also looking surprised.  “You are a very good student.  All the professors say you are.”  Well, maybe not all of them, he thought wryly.  He coughed when he saw Harry think what was probably a very similar thought.  “The bubbling potion you made before was very good and not many would try other means to a similar end,” he added, looking at the table once more.

“I’m being careful and using the index and book,” Harry said, feeling warm from the praise.

“Very good,” Dumbledore said with approval.  His smile took on a melancholy feeling.  “I am not surprised,” he said, “actually.  Your mother and father were very good students in their own ways as well.”

“They were?” Harry asked, leaning forward.

Dumbledore blinked at the expression of pure longing on Harry’s face.  “Very much so,” Dumbledore said, warming to the subject.  “Your father was talented in transfiguration and more than acceptable at the majority of the other subjects, not to mention a talented flyer.  Your mother loved charms and potions and performed very well in her classes too.  High up in the student rankings.”

“That’s cool,” Harry said, looking wistful.

“Have you not heard much of them?” Dumbledore asked, frowning slightly.

“No Sir,” Harry replied sadly.  “Just that they died on Halloween and…pretty much that.”

Dumbledore’s frown increased.  “Well I am more than happy to share what I remember of them,” he said, softening at Harry’s happy look.  “In fact, I have something for you.”  He whistled and a sudden burst of fire and light startled Harry, making him shout.  “Ah, my apologies,” Dumbledore said sheepishly.  “I should have warned you.  Harry, this is my phoenix, Fawkes.”

“Hi,” Harry said, calming down.  He looked at the phoenix who landed on one of the tables with wonder.  The magical creature had orange and red feathers that looked like they were constantly shifting in hue, much like cinders and flames in the hearth.  Long feathers trailed from his head and tail and he sang merrily, bobbing his head at Harry and doing the same to Hedwig who looked unimpressed but hooted a greeting back politely.

Dumbledore picked up a wrapped bundle that Fawkes brought with him and gave it to Harry.  “I borrowed this from your father some time ago, and have held it ever since.  It is time it is returned to you.”

Harry opened the bundle and unrolled the cloak within, admiring it.  It was very light yet sturdy, but when he wrapped it around his shoulders, he looked down and gasped when he saw through his own body.  “What’s this?!” he said with wonder.

“An invisibility cloak,” Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry’s joy.  “It belonged to your father and if I recall, he used it well when he was a student here.  I have been waiting to return it to you.”

“Thank you, Sir!”

“Now, the educator in me begs you to use it correctly while you are here at school,” Dumbledore said solemnly but his eyes twinkled.

“I will!” Harry said.  He took it off reverently and folded it carefully, putting it on his school bag.  He then reached for a pile of neatly wrapped packages on the table and gave one to Dumbledore.  “This is for you, Sir.”

“Oh, why thank you,” Dumbledore said, accepting it and feeling warm. 

“Extra large supply of lemon candy,” Harry said proudly.  He poured some more into a spare cloth bag and then offered it to Fawkes.  “For you too.”  He laughed when Fawkes sang brightly, nuzzling Harry happily and taking the bag and flashing away with it.

“I better make sure he paces himself,” Dumbledore chuckled.  “He gets rather energetic when he has too much sugar.”  He rose to his feet.  “We will meet more and I will share more memories and stories with you, Mister Potter.  I promise.”

“Thank you, Sir!” Harry said, eyes bright and shining. 

Dumbledore nodded to him and Hedwig and began to leave.  “Have you tried mixing the bubbling potion with other substances?” he asked, stopping for a moment.  “There is a type of potion that is temperature resistant.  Perhaps that will work with your idea.”  He flipped through the pages of the potion textbook and stopped at a page.  “Here.  Tricky, but with your fine skills, I believe you can do it.”

“Oh, I haven’t done that yet but will try it.  Thank you!”

Dumbledore nodded and with a smile and a wave, left the small room.  He walked slowly through the halls and could not resist opening the package, taking out a piece of the lemon candy.  He held it up to the lights and admired how clear it was before he popped it into his mouth, enjoying the sugary lemony flavor.  He did not flinch when a burst of fire and light heralded Fawkes’ return, the phoenix landing on his shoulder with accustomed ease.  The magical bird was also noisily enjoying a piece of candy, warbling through a full beak.

“He is very kind,” Dumbledore agreed.  “And very good at making this.”  He continued to walk, his thoughts slow and measured like his footsteps, echoing in his mind as his gait echoed in the halls.

-0-

Harry woke with a yawn, feeling warm and comfortable.  He squinted myopically at the clock on his nightstand and debated wakening further, rolling in his sleep and tugging on his covers.  He felt something shift at the end of the bed and that woke him up, sitting up and squinting at the pile of things at the end of his bed.  “What’s that?” he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his glasses.  By the time he put them on, Hedwig had dragged one up the bed to him, hooting softly at him.

“No way,” Harry said breathlessly, seeing the package she pulled to him, resplendent in brightly wrapped paper.  “I’ve got presents?!”

Hedwig looked up at him and tilted her head before nodding, barking gently and lovingly at him as she flapped her wings.

“Thanks Hedwig!” Harry said, hugging her.  He enjoyed how she fluffed up and headbutted him back, barking at him.  Only after that did he pull the package closer and open it with slightly shaking hands.  It was from Hermione and she had sent him a book about candy making, making him smile broadly.  He happily flipped through the pages before hugging it and setting it aside.  He hoped she liked the quill care set he sent her as well as some treats.

He recognized Ron’s messy scrawl on the next package and opened it eagerly.  It was a book about the Chudley Cannons, Ron’s favorite Quidditch team, and about Quidditch in general.  Harry had gotten Ron a hat with the team’s emblem on it and knew he’d like it as much as Harry would enjoy the book.  He admired one of the moving pictures of a game before setting it aside.

The next package was from Bianca, really surprising him, and it was a few more potion indexes and books.  He also excitedly flipped through them swiftly before setting them aside carefully.  He was glad that he had sent her a box of sweets he made as well as a nice metal measuring beaker that he had found in a catalogue.  One day during the club she had complained hers was breaking and found a replacement for her.

Neville had also gifted him a book, a very nice herbology one that had more of a potions focus.  There were many pictures and diagrams, showing how plants were harvested and how to use them as ingredients.  Harry added it to the pile of books happily.  He hoped Neville liked the gloves that he had sent.  One of the snaggletooth stumps had torn one of Neville’s on their last day of class before the break and while Neville had not been upset by it, he knew he needed new ones.

Parvati and Padma had sent him a set of nice scales, much like the one he had for potions.  This set had more opposing weights and had multiple trays and plates you could put on it.  He knew it would be very useful for both his potions and his treat making and he adored it.  He had heard that Parvati liked astrology from Padma so got her a book on that.  From Parvati, he learned that Padma also liked quills and got her a nice quill maintenance set, a different one from Hermione’s of course.

Rubeus Hagrid, the gentle and gigantic groundskeeper sent Harry a large box of Wizarding sweets and treats and Harry had sent him a big box of ones he made in return.  He regularly visited the large man, enjoying his company ever since they met that fateful day when he delivered Harry’s letter, took him shopping, and got him Hedwig.

Speaking of the owl, she was currently sitting in his shirt with her head poking out of the collar, barking musically and happily.  Harry had gotten her a bright red and gold ribbon for Christmas, one that was charmed to stick to her or her harness securely, and the owl had danced around happily after he tied it into a bow and put it on her.  She nuzzled him happily and was now cuddled against him, plump and happy.

Harry opened the last box and gasped when he looked inside.  There was a dark green jumper nestled within and a tin of fudge.  The fudge was delicious, almost decadently sweet and incredibly smooth, melting away in his mouth and utterly enjoyable.  He held up the jumper and admired it, feeling how warm and soft it was.

He heard rustling and moving outside the curtains and he opened them.  “Happy Christmas Ron!”

Ron smiled back, already wearing the bright orange hat that clashed fantastically with his hair.  “Happy Christmas!  Thanks for the hat!”

“Thanks for the book,” Harry said, his smile matching his friend’s.

“Oh that’s from Mum by the way,” Ron said, looking slightly embarrassed, pointing at the jumper Harry held.  “I mentioned that you were spending your first holiday away here and she insisted.”

“I like it very much,” Harry said, pulling the sweater on.  Ron smiled at how obviously happy Harry was.  “It’s so warm and nice and the fudge is really tasty.”

“Yeah, Mum’s a great cook,” Ron said proudly.  He looked at his own maroon sweater but after the briefest moment of hesitation, pulled it on too.  “Maroon isn’t my favorite color,” he said, “but they are really nice and comfortable.  She does have a lot to do though, so she probably just forgot.”

“Maybe mention it next time you talk to her, but say you still like them,” Harry suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll do that.  Thanks,” Ron said, nodding.

The door to their dormitory banged open and Fred and George bounded in, wearing blue and yellow jumpers with a G and a F knitted on as well.  “Hey Harry got one too!” Fred said, smiling broadly.

“Now we match,” George smiled.  “Though we have to get letters on because we forget our names a lot.  You know, Gred and Forge.”

“Thanks for the sweets and the new gloves,” Fred said to Harry.

“And for the bat kit and sweets,” George added. 

They tilted their heads identically.  “Why different things though?” they asked in tandem.

“Well Fred said his gloves were falling apart and George said he needed new bat repair things,” Harry said, bemused.  “Why would I get you both something one didn’t want or need?”

The twins looked at each other then back at Harry, their smiles warmer and sincere.  “It’s much appreciated,” they said.

“And from us to you,” Fred said, bowing with a flourish and handing Harry a wrapped package.

“As a fellow inventor and thinker,” George said, looking down at Ron who threw a salute back, “intellectual property is a precious thing that should be protected.”

“So here’s a handy dandy little notebook we made,” Fred said when Harry opened the package, revealing a notebook with leather covers and a cord to tie it shut as well as a quill tucked into the cover.  “No one can read it unless you let them to, and you can only write in it with that quill, well technically the small binding around the quill connecting it to the notebook.”

“And when you are done with the notebook inside, you replace it by moving the cover,” George continued.  “Now once the pages are out, anyone can read it, so be careful there.”

“That’s amazing!” Harry gasped.  “Thank you so much!”

“You’re so welcome!” the twins replied warmly.

“We didn’t make you one because we weren’t sure if you knew how to write,” Fred said to Ron. 

“At least not until school started,” George added.  “Also wasn’t sure if you could read.”

“Still not sure about that,” Fred finished.

“Ron,” Percy said, looking at Ron sternly as he entered the room, seeing Ron make very rude gestures and throwing his pillows at the guffawing twins.  “It’s Christmas, save it for tomorrow.”

“Shouldn’t you be saying not to do that at all?” the twins asked, throwing things back at Ron.

“Please,” Percy snorted.  “If mother cannot keep us from doing that, there is no way that you lot will listen to me.”

“Fair,” the other three Weasleys said and exploded into laughter at Percy’s flat stare.

Percy shook his head and sat in the chair between Harry and Ron’s beds and places in their dormitory, turning to face Harry, his expression mellowing.  “Thank you for the quill holder and ink pot,” he said to Harry.  “I like it very much.”

“I’m glad!  The ink pot can hold two different kinds of ink too,” Harry said.  “I remembered you saying you wish there was something like that for when you take different notes.  I found it in a catalogue that Hedwig brought me.”

“I did say that, well!  That is very handy,” Percy said, his smile warm.  “This is for you.”  He gave Harry a wrapped bundle.  “Since you and I wear glasses, I figured you would like this as well.  It is a glasses holder.  You put them on and the holder will stay upright and protect the glasses some.”  He smiled at Harry’s delight. 

“It looks like Hedwig!” Harry exclaimed and Hedwig barked happily, seeing the small wooden owl that was painted white with speckled feathers.

“Indeed!  I thought you would like that,” Percy beamed.  “You perch your glasses on the owl’s beak like so,” he demonstrated with his own glasses.

“I like it a lot, thank you!” Harry exclaimed, putting his glasses on the little owl holder and squinting at it, smiling when Hedwig cooed over it.

“You’re very welcome,” Percy said, enjoying Harry’s happiness.

Harry could not remember a happier Christmas and would always remember that day and keep it near and dear in his heart and memories.