Disclaimer: Pretty sure everyone knows by now that the BBC and J.K. Rowling own the originals. If not...well, you do now.

Author's Notes: Life and writer's block happen. And while I did have half of this chapter written ages ago, I simply could not make any progress on it at all until just recently. At any rate, there are intriguing developments, followed closely by Christmas...and a surprise present to beat all surprise presents. And egads, the Doctor actually got the Rani to take a trip with him! Oh, and a teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy little spoiler for The Infinite Quest...but if you've never seen that animated DW adventure, I did sum up the spoilery bit so it should be understandable. :)

Also, Rumour of an Alchemist kindly informed me via PM, ages ago now, that the author Wrexscar had, in a fic titled 'The Time of Consequences', also had a Cerberus vs Troll occurrence. So I'm not as original as I'd thought. Still, it's very definitely not a commonly-used tactic for First Year's Halloween excursion and I'm still pleased with having thought of it. :D

Final note: Spit-take warning for this story's version of the Mirror of Erised scene. Seriously. Do not drink when you get to that part - I don't want to be responsible for drowned laptops, keyboards, or monitors. :D

Love to all my reviewers and readers!

Chapter 14: Christmas Surprises

"A troll." The Rani looked up from the three letters she'd just finished reading, kindly delivered by the impossible bird that hung about with that twit Dumbledore. "Harry. Went playing about. With a TROLL!"

"Did he?" The Doctor looked up from the contraption he was fiddling with, a worried frown on his face. "Well that wasn't very responsible of him, was it? Did he say why?"

"Does it matter?" She glared at him and stood abruptly, which made him set his contraption on the coffee table, for safety's sake. "He went chasing after a TROLL! I knew I shouldn't have ever let him talk me into letting you hang about! He's turning out just like you!" The letters got crumpled, then thrown at the Doctor.

He fielded the wad of parchment, then started unravelling it while watching the Rani pace and fume. Fortunately she ended up by the French doors, glaring out at the snow-dusted patio, so he had a bit of time to try and find out what had happened. And, thankfully, Fawkes had hung about and was trilling softly. Maybe that would calm her down - magnificent creature, that phoenix. Even if he would keep refusing to be scanned, much less studied. "Just give me a moment to read the letters so we can be on the same page in this argument, all right?"

"Does it matter? How could he be so irresponsible?!" She huffed and spun round, and glared at him, arms folded, until Donna came down the stairs, hair a tousled mass and wrapped in a housecoat.

Donna sneezed, then gave them both a bleary glare. "Could you pair kindly SHUT UP? I'm trying to sleep off this cold!" She sneezed thrice more, wiped her nose with a tissue, then stumbled her way to the kitchen. She was up, she might as well have a cuppa.

"No I can't," the Rani hissed. "Harry went chasing a TROLL!"

"No!" Donna forgot her goal in her astonishment and worry. "Is he all right?"

"Harry's fine," the Doctor said, having had just enough time to finish all three letters. "He's got two weeks detention for disobeying instructions and chasing the manky thing, that's his words, by the by, but considering it was roaming freely around the castle, I'm pretty sure he saved more than the Weasley kid's life by making it chase him instead."

"He went chasing a troll," the Rani growled. "And it's all your fault!" She stalked toward the kitchen, and slapped the back of the Doctor's head en route.

"Ow! That hurt!" The Doctor rubbed the back of his head, then glared at Fawkes for making a sound like a snicker. "Not funny. Not funny at all."

In the kitchen, Donna flicked the kettle on, then rubbed her itching eyes. "Seriously, is Harry all right? Other than driving you bonkers by chasing a troll?"

"He's fine, save for a twisted ankle that was healed before we got the letter." The Rani glared at the kettle, attempting to use her ire to make it heat faster. "He also has detentions with Severus for the next two weeks."

"I'm guessing the firebird brought the letter letting you know?" With the Rani watching the kettle, Donna felt free to flump into a chair and rest her head on the table.

"A letter from that twit, one from Severus, and one from Harry. He's waiting quite patiently for us to write a return letter. Or possibly three. It's impossible to tell with that impossible bird."

"What I find most interesting," the Doctor said from the safety of the kitchen door. "Is that neither Severus nor Dumbledore so much as hinted as to why the troll was there for Harry to encounter."

"Oh, it's probably to do with whatever that wretched three-headed dog is there for," the Rani snapped as she set about making tea, dosing Donna's heavily with lemon and honey. "If the presence of that thing, and the announcement that was made at the welcoming feast don't spell out 'lure' in blazing obviousness, I'm sure I've completely lost all ability to discern tricks and traps."

Donna propped her head up with one hand, and cupped her mug with the other. "Should - achoo! - probably make sure Harry doesn't go fiddling about with it, then. I'm sure he'll remember his Greek Mythology sooner or later...didn't Orpheus get past a Cerberus with music?"

"He did indeed," The Doctor agreed with a nod as he finally deemed it safe enough to enter the kitchen. "And we should warn Harry off from it...problem is, how to do it without provoking his curiosity?"

"I understand, from the tales of your friends, that it was entirely your idea to pursue the troll." Dumbledore looked at Harry over his half-moon glasses, twinkle completely absent for once.

"Well, it wasn't exactly chasing the troll, sir." Harry stared back at him, and wondered exactly how many weekends of advanced discussion he'd miss because of this incident. "I mean, that's how it ended up, but in all fairness, it was chasing us."

"I quite understand your desire to keep a fellow student from harm, even if you don't like him. However, you ought to have informed a prefect at the very least."

"Sir, his own brothers didn't appear to realise he was gone. And time was of the essence." Harry heaved a sigh, then smiled ruefully. "Still, I probably shouldn't have let Dean, Hermione and Neville come along with me. That was reckless."

"Indeed." The Headmaster folded his hands on his desk, regarding Harry steadily. "And while you, like your friends, will be awarded ten points for chivalry, you, like your friends, will also be serving detention."

"Yes sir. Might I ask the terms of my detention?"

"I believe two weeks with Professor Snape will be appropriate. That will be two entire weeks, weekends included."

Harry was going to protest - he knew he'd lose some time, but two sessions?! Still, if he protested, he'd probably lose more, so after the first indignant moment of opening his mouth, he shut it again and murmured "Yes sir."

Finally the twinkle returned to the Headmaster's eyes, and Dumbledore even quirked a small smile as he said. "Come now, Harry, it won't be that bad. Imagine all the questions you'll have stored up."

"Well there is that, sir," Harry smiled at him, then fidgeted a bit. "So, I should be going now, yes?"

"I believe your friends are awaiting you to share their own tales of woe, yes." A hand waved toward the door, and he chuckled as Harry almost bolted for the door. "A final word, Harry?"

Harry paused at the door and turned about. "Yes sir?"

"I believe you deserve another fifteen points. For ingenious use of available resources in dispatching a threat."

"Thanks sir!" Harry beamed, then left the office, eventually to wend his way to the smaller west courtyard where his friends had promised to wait for him. Weasley was there too, but Harry barely noticed as he flopped down on one of the stone benches.

"Well?" Dean gave Harry a curious glance. "How bad was it?"

"Two weeks - full weeks, including weekends - with Professor Snape." Harry sighed and looked up at the sky. Oh, to have wings...or his own broom, that would do as well.

"Two weeks!" Four voices chorused, although Weasley was the most irate.

"I only got a week. With Madam Pince," Hermione said, frowning.

"Same with me, only with Professor McG," Dean said.

"Harry probably got two because he was the ringleader," Neville said, thoughtfully. "And I find it odd that we've all got detention with professors - or librarians - that we like."

"What'd you get, then?" Weasley asked, still frowning. "And it's not right that you lot got detentions for saving me."

"A week with Professor Sprout," Neville replied, shrugging. "And if you look at it from their point of view, we did break a lot of rules."

"Rules are made to be broken sometimes," Harry said with a smile. "And yes, it is odd that we've got detentions with professors we like. Although Professor Snape's probably going to make me gut things and clean cauldrons. And you can't forget, we didn't get points taken away."

"Huh," Dean said with a thoughtful look. "I actually got points. Ten for 'attempting to curb recklessness'."

"Me too!" "And me." Hermione and Neville said, simultaneously.

Four pairs of eyes looked at Harry, who mysteriously had Quaiz on his lap when the cat hadn't been there a moment ago.

"What?" Harry said, looking up from scritching his cat behind the ears.

"Did you get any points?" Weasley asked.

"Mmhmm. Ten for chivalry...and fifteen for 'ingenious use of available resources'," he said with a grin.

"Use of available resources?" Hermione frowned momentarily, then the confusion cleared. "Oh, of course! For leading the troll to the Cerberus!"

"Yup. So!" Harry clapped his hands and stood, barely noticing Quaiz climbing up to his shoulder. "What are we going to do in our last free hours today?"

Harry spent the first half of November thoroughly exploring the castle floor by floor, after his detention with Professor Snape every night. Who could sleep after having to prepare rat spleens? Or scrub out manky messes that had been left to congeal in cauldrons? And besides, sleep was boring. Why sleep when he could be making a map of the castle?

Not that he expected anything but the gross details to remain constant - he could feel that the castle was alive and likely to change things about a bit, just like his parents' TARDISes - but it was helpful in a general sense, and he was learning quite a lot about the school. And he kept finding all sorts of brilliant old books and other odds and bobs. Good thing the dimensionally transcendental pockets bit didn't go askew like the mobiles. Although the latest attempt at least let him send texts. Finally!

At any rate, this particular night he was mapping out the floor the library was on, and he slipped from room to room, noting down sizes and condition of each. One particular room, though, got his special attention and curiosity that particular night. It was completely empty, save for a large, ornate mirror, and that was very odd. His gaze flicked over the frame first, and he frowned at the inscription on it. "Figures it'd be a magic mirror," he muttered as he peered at the words. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

He frowned in thought at the utterly odd inscription, as he'd been used to at least his mum's TARDIS translating anything odd he came across. Then he tilted his head and stared at it a moment more...and laughed softly. "Oh. Oh, clever! Disguise your purpose in mirror script - I show not your face but your heart's desire."

He rubbed his chin a moment, remembering his dad's tale of when he'd been travelling with Martha and they'd got stuck on a quest to find a ship that gave one the heart's desire, then shook his head. Doubtful there was a Great Old One involved in making this mirror, and it wouldn't hurt to see what magic would say his current heart's desire was...would it?

Naaah. Besides, if he walked away now, he'd always be wondering just what the mirror would show, and that would drive him completely 'round the twist and make him battier than his dad. So he walked closer until he was stood in front of it and stared at the sight. "But that's not...but...but...how?"

He stood and stared, jaw agape, at what the mirror showed him. Himself, jaw not agape, and a few years older. Two strangers stood to his mirror-self's left; the man had his messy hair, and the ginger woman had his green eyes, and they were both smiling wistfully. They were probably his birth-parents, but he couldn't be sure because he'd never seen pictures of them. And to his mirror-self's right stood his mum and dad, his mum's hand on his mirror-image's shoulder, his dad's arm wrapped around his mum's shoulders. Aunt Donna was to his mirror-dad's right...but since when did he want Aunt Donna to have a boyfriend? He didn't remember wanting that at all!

And who was this short, blonde, blue-eyed young woman stood in front of his dad, his free hand on her shoulder, and the pair of them beaming away? And why was Mum letting Dad stand there with his other arm around her? And smiling about it! Yeah, it was a tiny one, but Mum was smiling! With Dad in close proximity!

And why, when this blonde girl was a complete unknown, was she clear and perfectly perceptible while he could barely tell that the man with his arm around Aunt Donna was a man?

Harry frowned and tilted his head completely to the right, studying the image, then repeated the process with his head completely to the left. Then he did a handstand and studied it upside-down. But nothing changed, except a bit of difference in perception - it was still the same image. Oh, for his very own sonic screwdriver! This mirror was going to drive him completely insane and make him get himself sectioned!

The familiar sounds of Mister Filch making his rounds shook him from his puzzling over the image, and he deliberately kept his back to the mirror while he waited for the caretaker to go on his way. The last thing he needed was to be spotted out way after curfew in a room with a mysterious mirror.

On his way back to Gryffindor Tower, he consciously didn't think of the image at all - it wasn't safe to do so when he had to keep an eye and ear out for Professors, Prefects, Mister Filch and Mrs. Norris. But the moment he reached the safety of the common room he started thinking about it again. He thought about it all the way up to his dorm room, while he changed into his pyjamas, and even while Quaiz and Hedwig purred and chuffed him to sleep.

Even in his dreams he kept puzzling about it, and when he woke the next morning to the sound of the other boys getting ready, he heaved a frustrated sigh. That mirror was driving him bonkers with what it'd shown him! And maybe that was the point of it - a sneaky, subtle, surreptitious way of finding out who was wandering around after curfew by watching who drove themselves bonkers for no apparent reason.

So he'd probably best not write home about it either. Mum would have kittens, and write irate letters, and then he'd be in detention until the school year ended. So, with all his will, he shoved that image to the back of his mind. He wouldn't worry about strange blonde girls or shadowy, indiscernable men snuggling his Aunt Donna.

He'd even make himself stop hoping he'd get his parents properly together, the way that mirror had shown him. Cruel mirror.

Besides, it'd be impossible to Mum-proof everything if Dad got her pregnant like the mirror showed, anyway.

On the last day in November, Harry got a letter from home. That, in itself, wasn't unusual - text messages did have space limits, and Mum hated text shorthand. That Hedwig was also carrying three boxes and not fluttering over to Hermione or Dean was quite out of the ordinary. So, after divesting his owl of her burdens, he flashed a quick smile at Ron for passing over some bacon and sausage for her and opened the letter. It was a lot shorter than usual, and he frowned as he read:

My dear son,

Your blithering nitwit of a father has finally convinced me to attempt a trip with him. I undertake this trip with quite a lot of trepidation; however, as much as it galls me to admit it, he is right. I am quite bored without you here, and undertake this potentially dangerous excursion to keep him from worrying that I might do something he would find immoral and upsetting whilst he was gone.

She's also threatened me with severe bodily harm if we miss picking you up for Christmas hols, so don't worry about that, Harry. You're still coming back home for Christmas. This is going to be brilliant, having your mum and Donna with me! Oh, yes, the boxes. Two of them are stuffed full of Donna's magnificent treats, the other one has some heavily insulated scanners. I still want to know what's so odd about Hogwarts that won't let mobiles work properly, since they work fine in Diagon Alley, so if you'll take readings on the ambient energy that'd be brilliant!

It's Donna now, sweetheart. This is going to be one of the more...ah-hem, interesting trips I've taken with your dad, what with your mum coming along too. I just hope they don't start fighting all over the place again. Especially if we end up somewhere that frowns on arguing, and don't say that's impossible! Anything's possible when you've got all of time and space you might pop up in! I'll make sure they stay intact, and we will be back to pick you up from the train if I have to tie them both up and beg the Old Girl to get it done. Anyway, have fun, stay safe, try not to chase anymore trolls, and we'll see you when the train drops you off! Love, Aunt Donna.

That's the one thing wrong with your aunt Donna, my son. She tends to the melodramatic; it is unthinkable that I should ever need to be tied up. And with both of us at the controls, I'm quite certain we shan't miss the date. If we do...well, no matter. We shan't miss and I shall be quite pleased to see you home again.

How distressing, I've become maudlin again. I shall end the letter now lest I do something dreadfully embarrassing.

Love,

Your mother.

And your dad. We'll try to bring you something brilliant home for Christmas!

And if they don't manage that on this trip I doubt it'd matter, what with all the other presents we've been picking up. Anyway, enjoy the goodies and we'll see you soon! Love, Aunt Donna.

It took a moment for the letter to really sink in, but once it did, Harry smirked and chuckled. "About time. Can't wait to find out where they're going."

"What's that, Harry?" Hermione looked up from her breakfast reading.

"Mum's finally going on a trip with Dad," Harry replied, grinning. "It's going to be brilliant!"

"But didn't they say where they were going?" She frowned. That was weird, but then again, so were his parents. Hers had said geniuses of that calibre tended to be a little weird...

"Probably couldn't say, secret squirrel stuff and all that. They'll tell me all about it over the Christmas hols, I'm sure." Harry grinned and fed Hedwig some more bacon, covering his sudden sense of uneasy anxiety. He wouldn't be able to write his family for two whole weeks! Or probably even text them, given Hogwarts' weirdness and the whole time-travel bit. Anything could happen in that time, and they wouldn't be there. He'd gotten used to them always being there...oh, why did Mum have to agree to go with Dad? He was going to be awfully lonely, even with his friends.

Harry was a bit puzzled when he got to the other side of the platform and only saw his aunt Donna waiting for him, but he grinned and dashed over to give her a big hug. "Aunt Donna! Where's Mum and Dad?"

"They stayed at home, squirt. They couldn't leave your early Christmas present alone, so I came by myself. I've had lessons on Bessie though, so no worries there." She ended the hug by holding him at arms' length and looking around them. "No trunk?"

"Nope. It wasn't necessary, cos I've got clothes and presents in my rucksack, and Quaiz where he always is," he raised his hand to pet his living fur stole. "So no need for the trunk. Hedwig already flew other presents home, and I've got more coming by owl-order, plus someone's going to take me shopping, right?"

Donna laughed at his cheeky grin. "Well I suppose we could squeeze in some shopping, yeah. Looks like you grew, too, so I'll have to measure you at some point."

"Only measure, right?" He waved at Hermione and her parents as they walked through the station, then at Dean and his parents. "I mean, we don't have to do clothes-shopping, right?"

"Only measuring, cos it's harder to get you to hold still for clothes-shopping than it is your dad when he's spotted some new gadget he wants to take apart."

"Good. Clothes-shopping is boring!" He grinned though as they walked outside into the crisp cold December air.

He plunked his rucksack and Quaiz's basket in the boot and hopped in the back of Bessie, fastening his seatbelt tightly. Dad and Mum he trusted driving Bessie, and the old car was in one piece so Aunt Donna did okay with her...but better safe than sorry.

Donna's mobile rang then and she answered it, then spent a minute on a very cryptic conversation before hanging up. "Sorry to delay the shopping, Harry, but that was your mum and she wants us back soon's we can manage without getting in a crash."

"Figured. I mean, we haven't seen each other in months and months!" Left unspoken was that he really, really missed his mum and would have been fidgeting the entire time they were shopping.

"Yeah, she misses you too, kiddo. So, let's get the top up, cos there's supposed to be snow before we get you home, then we'll see how fast we can get from here to Ockham."

"Oh no, don't tell me you're going to try and be Speed Racer!" Harry palmed his face as the top went up and Aunt Donna started the car. At that, Quaiz squeaked and slithered down to Harry's lap, where he threaded his claws into Harry's jeans.

"As if. Do I look like I want a speeding ticket in my personal past?" Donna scoffed and put the car in gear, then cautiously pulled out into traffic.

"Whew!" Harry mimed wiping worried sweat off his forehead, and stroked Quaiz until he relaxed. "I was a bit worried there, for a minute."

"Yeah, I know. Besides," Donna said with a wicked grin as she navigated London traffic. "Dangermouse is more my speed, anyway."

"Oh no." Harry groaned, and winced as Quaiz dug his claws in again. Donna plus any sort of speedy driving equalled terrifying!

She just snickered and asked him about how his year had been going so far, and if he'd made any more friends he hadn't mentioned yet. And, despite all his attempts to find out about it, she wouldn't tell him even a single tiny little tittle of information about what had happened when Mum had gone travelling with them.

All the way to Ockham, she kept that up, and all he had to show for his efforts was a mention that they'd gone two places before they decided to call a halt so as to not miss Christmas.

When they got home, Harry barely allowed Bessie to come to a stop before he was unbelted and dashing toward the house. It had been four whole months since he'd seen his mum and dad, and he wasn't going to waste another minute!

Once he was properly inside, though, he skidded to a halt before his parents could tell him to not run in the house. There, sitting on the sofa next to his dad, was the blonde girl with blue eyes that he'd seen in the mirror! He stood there, eyes bugged and jaw agape, just staring until his mum cleared her throat.

He went to her and hugged her tightly - after all, four months! But he couldn't take his eyes off the girl, and finally he managed to ask, "So...who's she?"

His dad cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well...this wasn't intentional at all, but...happy early Christmas, Harry. This is your sister, her name's Jenny."

Harry stood there for a whole minute, mouth opening and closing without a peep, until he finally managed to squeak out, "You got me a WHAT for Christmas?!"

Ending AN: *snickers* I could not resist. I just could not resist at all, one bit. This means that the Whoniverse is up to The Doctor's Daughter...even though it's even more AU than ever now, because I have a Saving Jenny thing :D