Harry Potter and the Spirit of Christmas

The halls of Hogwarts were quiet, their festive decorations shining down on the handful of students who had not already left the school to enjoy their winter holidays at home. Harry Potter found that he rather liked the quiet…especially since irritations like Draco Malfoy had left and the tensions of mid-term examinations had faded…as he and his best mate Ron wandered the halls leading to the grand library. A good number of the school’s ghosts were out and about, quite happy for a respite from the student body of rambunctious young wizards.

Harry was to spend the holidays with Ron’s family, the Weasleys, and he was anxious to get going. He gave nary a thought to his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin on Privet Drive whom, he was quite sure, were just as pleased to not spend the holidays with him as he was thrilled to not be spending the holidays with them. They would have departed already but for Hermione, who was also going to spend part of the holidays in the cozy Weasley home, who had insisted she had to do some last minute extra credit research before she could enjoy her holidays.

“I swear, Harry,” Ron said with exasperation dripping from every syllable, “that girl spends so much time reading that we oughta just lock her in the library and throw away the key!”

Harry smiled. “It’s not that bad, Ron,” he said solicitously, “you know Hermione just needs to be on top of things or she just doesn’t feel right.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Well, I won’t feel right until I’ve ‘ad a cup or two of me mum’s holiday cider!”

Before Harry could reply, Hermione Granger, loaded down with texts and scrolls as usual, came out of the library. “I got a note from Hagrid,” she said dispensing with the bother of greetings, “he wants us to come to his place before we leave.”

Ron sighed. “But the last train…”

“…won’t be leaving for an hour or so,” Hermione said sternly. “We have plenty of time.”

Harry nodded. He was not at all upset about having another chance to wish their friend “happy holidays” one more time before he left. “Too right,” he said, reaching out to take some of Hermione’s load. “We’ll put this stuff in your room and go right over.”

Ron rolled his eyes half-heartedly and sighed once more. “Well then, let’s get a move on.”

Presently, the trio made its way to the door of Hagrid, the affable half-giant who was their teacher, their confidant, and, most importantly, their friend. There was a note pinned to the door written in the expansive, child-like scrawl they all recognized as Hagrid’s handwriting.

“Go round back,” Harry read aloud. He shrugged and walked around the house with his friends following behind. The three of them were wary since one never knew what kind of amazing and monstrous creature Hagrid might have tied up back there. Harry’s eyes went wide with amazement as he looked upon the creatures he did find. “Wow.”

Hermione’s face brightened with a broad smile and she stepped past Harry. “They’re beautiful,” she said. And indeed they were. The eight majestic reindeer, tethered two by two to a gleaming sleigh, were an amazing sight to behold.

Ron, still wary, hung back. “Careful now, Hermione,” he cautioned. “Knowing Hagrid those beasts might be man-eaters or fire breathers or some such!”

It was Hermione’s turn to roll her eyes. “Don’t be daft, Ron,” she said, fearlessly reaching out to stroke one of the reindeers’ downy fur, “they wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Harry noticed another note addressed to the three of them in the driver’s seat of the massive sleigh. “Look here,” he said, “another note from Hagrid.” He picked it up and tried to open it but the seal wouldn’t give. The writing on the envelope began to glow and then dance until the words…now gleaming blue…formed a new message. Harry read the message out loud. “Cannot be opened until all three of you are seated in the sleigh.”

“Well then let’s see what this is all about, shall we?” Hermione said resolutely climbing into the sleigh. “Come along, Ron, we don’t have all day.”

Ron started to protest but he knew that it would fall on deaf ears so he cautiously circled the back of the sleigh and got in on the other side of Harry. (He wished that they hadn’t packed their wands already; he would have felt safer if he had his wand under his robes.) Once Ron had sat down, the seal on the envelope vanished into thin air. Harry pulled out the note frowning as he read it.

“What’s it say, Harry?” Ron asked impatiently.

With a puzzled look on his face, Harry looked at the note again. “It just says: “Hang on”.”

And with that, the reindeer suddenly started moving as one, galloping towards the forest at amazing speed. And then, before the children knew what was happening, the reindeer and the sleigh left the ground and soared gracefully up into the brisk winter’s air.

“Blimey!” Ron exclaimed, stealing a look over the side at the grounds of the school becoming smaller and smaller as they rose higher and higher. “How do we stop this thing!?” he said, trying desperately to hide his burgeoning hysteria.

Harry and Hermione said nothing. Despite the fact that they were soaring higher and faster than any broomstick could ever go, Harry and Hermione were strangely calm. Ron, despite his rapidly pounding heart, took some strength from his friends and bit his tongue to keep from giving voice to the fears and misgivings he felt.

The sleigh soared, fast and true, northward but the trio of youngsters remained warm despite the ice and snow expanding out as far as they could see. Suddenly, the reindeer veered upward as if they were planning to run to the moon. Harry, Hermione, and Ron didn’t even have time to scream as gravity grabbed them bodily and pulled them out of the sleigh and into the cold night air.

They tumbled down gracelessly, each of them sure that they were about to die, and, instinctively they reached out for each other. Hermione took Harry’s hand and, in turn, Harry reached out for Ron. They looked at each other without saying a word and then, just as suddenly as they had fallen out of the sleigh they found themselves nestled in a thick blanket of welcoming snow, alive and unharmed much to their collective surprise and delight.

Harry helped Hermione up and then looked up in amazement. Hermione followed his gaze.

“What the bloody ‘ell was that all about?” Ron complained indignantly as he picked himself up. “I knew this was a bad idea!”

“Ron…” Harry said.

Ron continued to dust off his robes. “I’m not ever getting into another strange sleigh again, I tell you that much…”

“Ron!” Hermione said sharply. “Look!”

Ron followed Hermione’s pointed finger and his mouth fell open. There, just a hundred or strides away was a large complex of wooden buildings, quaint and welcoming, shining warmly as though the sun were out. A sign on the path leading to the building read simply “North Pole”. Ron rubbed his eyes with his fists and then looked again. “No way,” he said, “I must have bonked my head harder than I thought…”

“Come on then, you lot,” Harry said, trudging off towards the buildings.

“Hold on a sec!” Ron protested. “We can’t just walk up to that place. We don’t know who lives there!”

Hermione sighed heavily. “Of course we do, Ron,” she said. “Everybody knows who lives at the North Pole!”

Ron paused and then looked up again. “Don’t be daft, Hermione,” he said resolutely. “That’s just a kid’s story!”

“You know that magic exists, for goodness sake!” Hermione said. “Are you telling me that you believe in witches and dragons and dementors and everything we’ve learned…but you don’t believe in him?”

Ron blushed and frowned. “…no, I don’t…” he said in a small voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such an idiot today, Ron,” she said in exasperation, turning on her heels to follow Harry.

“Why should today be different from any other day?” Ron replied petulantly, pausing before he reluctantly followed behind his friends.

Presently, the three of them were at a window of the great building their noses pressed against the glass. Inside there was a flurry of activity, tiny little men and women were bustling around making and collecting and putting bright wrapping paper on toys and games and dolls of all kinds and sizes.

“Elves,” Harry said, a bright smiled plastered on his face.

“You’ve seen elves before,” Hermione said.

“Yes,” Harry agreed, “but not these elves…”

Ron started to say something but his words were lost as the ground underneath them…actually doors hidden under the snow…suddenly gave way and the three of them found themselves tumbling down a long dark shaft. Their fall was cushioned once more…this time by an expansive cluster of large teddy bears.

“No more falling please,” Ron said shaking off dizziness.

“Here now,” a small gruff voice said, “what’s all this then?”

Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked up to see the elves gathered around them. “Sorry about that,” Harry said sheepishly, “we didn’t know the door was there.”

“No harm done, lad,” one of the elves said.

Before they could say anything, another deeper voice intervened. “What’s the commotion over here?” a startlingly familiar voice said. “We’re on a schedule here, people,” the voice said in low, vaguely menacing tones. “I don’t want to be here all night.”

A cold chill shot through Harry. He knew the voice all too well and he was none too happy to hear it. He looked up at the tall man, reptilian and thin, all dressed in black (save for an incongruous furry red and white hat on his haughty head.)

The man’s eyes went ice cold as he recognized Harry and the others. He glared at Harry and snarled, “Potter? What in the name of creation are you doing here? Granger? Weasley? Explain yourselves.”

The last person Harry would have ever expected to find in this place was Professor Snape, Hogwart’s foul-tempered Potions teacher who held a special contempt in his black heart for him. “I…”

But before Harry could say anything else, another figure came into view. This figure was tall and stately with gentle, omniscient eyes and a long flowing white beard. “It’s quite all right, Severus,” the old man said in a quiet, authoritative voice, “the young ones were expected.”

Harry looked up at Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts’ headmaster, with gratitude and surprise. “We were, sir?”

“I thought this yearly excursion was something we had agreed to keep totally secret from any and all students?” Snape said, suddenly remembering the hat on his head and snatching it off with one fluid, self-conscious motion.

Dumbledore held up a hand. “Hagrid asked if these three could be given a special dispensation and I agreed.”

Snape rolled his eyes. “Hagrid,” he spat. “I should have known. That fool will be the death of me yet.”

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all had to repress the urge to say “We can only hope.”

Snape shot another icy glare at Harry and then turned on his heels. “Come along, elves, these blasted toys won’t get into boxes by themselves.”

The elves, all used to Snape’s gruffness, just chuckled and got back to work.

“Professor,” Harry asked, “Does this mean that you’re…you’re Father Christmas?”

There was a deep chuckle behind them and the children turned round. “No, lad, he’s not,” said the newcomer. “I am.”

And indeed he was…round of cheek and body with twinkling eyes and downy white hair and beard. He had on his red pants and black boots as well as a white shirt and bright red suspenders stretched over the expanse of his round belly.

“Ah, Kristofer,” Dumbledore said, “allow me to introduce…”

Father Christmas chuckled again. “I know who they are, Albus,” he said kindly. “I know every child in the world.”

Dumbledore blushed a bit. “Yes, of course you do.” Dumbledore turned to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. “Well, I’ve much to do before Kristofer begins his rounds, so you will have to excuse me,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Happy Christmas, children.”

“Happy Christmas, sir,” they responded as one. And Dumbledore slipped away, fading away in a crevice of soft light.

“Well then, Hermione…Harry…Ronald…” the old man said jovially. “How do you like my home? It’s not always this hectic, of course, but we are in the season…”

“Hold on, sir,” Ron said skeptically. “I…”

“You’re not sure you believe in Santa Claus,” the old man said without rancor. “That’s okay, not everybody does…”

“Well, sir,” Harry interjected sheepishly, “I have to admit that it’s hard to believe that you can visit every home on Earth in one night…”

“It’s magic, Harry,” Hermione said shyly. “Why else would Professor Dumbledore and Snape be here?” Harry found it hard to believe that Snape had a sentimental bone in his evil body and he chose to believe that Dumbledore had forced him to help out. “You just have to believe,” Hermione said with more unguarded serenity than Harry could ever remember seeing in her. Harry and Ron regarded their friend with amazement, they would have expected her to be the most skeptical of the three of them and yet here she was standing in the toy factory at the North Pole and blithely accepting it all.

“Just so, Hermione,” Father Christmas said proudly. “You just have to believe in the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of Christmas will always come to you.”

Harry and Ron nodded. Father Christmas took them on a tour of his workshop and home. He gave them cookies and hot chocolate and spoke with them of their most secret wishes.

And in time, Father Christmas…Santa Claus…took them to the door. “Well, children, I must reluctantly bid you farewell as I must get back to work and you must get home to your loved ones.”

Harry frowned, his mind flashing on the Dursleys. “You know what I wish most, sir?”

“Yes,” the old man replied knowingly. “And one day you’ll understand why things happened as they have….and as they will…”

“I just have to believe…” Harry said dryly.

“Indeed,” Father Christmas replied, chuckling knowingly, kindly. “You just have to believe, dear ones.” And with that he waved his hand in a motion the students could swear looked like a magical incantation.

Bright light danced around the eyes of Harry, Hermione, and Ron and they felt themselves growing sleepy…dreams of friends and family and Christmas mornings filling their beings. Slumber took them and as it did they heard gentle laughter that made them feel warm…and loved…and watched over.

“Here now,” a booming, familiar voice said, “what’s all this then?”

Harry’s eyes opened slowly and he was pleased to see the bearded but most welcome expanse of Hagrid’s face looming over him. Harry and Hermione and Ron found themselves on the ground behind Hagrid’s cabin.

“Hagrid?” Harry asked, the journey north seeming more and more like a lovely dream as the moments passed. “How’d we get back here?”

Hagrid, a terrible liar, hemmed and hawed and then said, “I don’t rightly know but if you don’t hurry you’ll miss the last train…”

“The train!” Ron cried out leaping to his feet. “My mom’s cider! We have to go get our stuff!”

“Easy there, lad,” Hagrid said as he helped Harry and Hermione to their feet. “Your belongin’s are already aboard. You’d better get a move on.”

Ron, needing no further prompting, sprinted away. “Happy Christmas, Hagrid!” he called back as he ran.

Hagrid laughed. Harry and Hermione each had a hundred questions but Hagrid gave them no opening to ask even one. “Off with you now, you two. The holiday won’t wait forever, y’know?”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then up at Hagrid. There was no time for questions, they agreed silently. The events of the journey were almost completely lost to them but they still held on to the lingering feeling just the same. They both hugged Hagrid and then dashed off after Ron. “Happy Christmas, Hagrid!” they called out as they ran.

“Happy Christmas!” Hagrid boomed out affectionately. And when he was sure they were gone, he turned to the shadows and nodded. “Come on then, you lot,” he said and the team of reindeer came out of the shadows and into the clearing. “We’d best get back to the North Pole,” he said as he stepped into the sleigh. “We’ve all got a lot of work to do.”

And with that the great sleigh soared up into the sky and headed north straight and true. Hagrid, the reins firmly in his hands, laughed happily and shouted, “And to all a happy Christmas…and gentle good night!”

Climbing onto the stairs of the Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter heard the laughter and the greeting and he smiled a smile that warmed his very soul. “You’ve just got to believe,” he said softly before boarding the train and riding on to a warm and loving Christmas holiday with his best mate’s wonderful family.

with gratitude …and apologies…to J.K. Rowling