You Are Always On My Mind

Disclaimer: As always JKR owns the canon...I own only the plot and anything extra. :(


Summary: A Yule gift to Harry from Bill Weasley redefines what the word 'strange' means. Can Harry and Hogwarts deal with what comes next? Pranks, mayhem, and love triangles abound, but will those involved learn to accept the chances Fate is giving them? (HP/DM, RL/SS/SB)

As for pairings, my eventual outcome is what's above. I think there is never enough trio fics out there, and I've been wanting to write one for a long time now. Actually in Deny Thy Father I also have a 'trio' pairing, and I do love them so. I have written now two fics with Sirius/Peter, hence why now I need at least two with the adorable sexy, snoggable and shaggable trio. However during the fic things won't be as they seem. Pairings will fluctuate at the authoress's (that being me of course) whims :chuckle:

Now to pacify my muse Scabbers who is crying now because I was going to turn this into a SB/PP fic, I just want everyone to know I still adore Petey and my next fic after this will feature him again, don't worry. (waves hi to the Protection of Peter group!). He is adorable, and I will miss Petey in this fic :sniffs: ah well....

Just as a pre warning for those going to wonder what's going on. A lot is virtually is the same, but you'll soon find out things aren't all they appear to be. Different circumstances, different places and very different aspects of AU/canon will give you a few clues hopefully as to what might be going on. It shouldn't be confusing, in fact this fic will be probably far less confusing then most of my fics. I'll try anyway :P


For those that don't know me by now a word on this issue. I am a Jewish/Pagan raised person. Raised fully in both religions, therefore the idea of using 'Christmas' or 'Easter' over the Pagan or Jewish hols I have issues with. I usually try to keep mainly to the Pagan view of things far as witchcraft goes being that I am a witch meself, however you're going to find in this fic things change a slight bit. I put people into whatever 'religions' I can actually 'view' at the moment for them...as to what I mean however you'll find out...it's a bit of a twist in the 'normal' ways. I just can't see that every single witch/wizard at Hogwarts or in the wizarding world is Christian based! :chuckles:

Chapter One: It's Not Always A Happy Holiday


~PROLOGUE~

'Haaaaarry, oi mate...wake up! It's Yule morning! Come on, get up already!' Ron Weasley, seventh-year Gryffindor, said happily whilst shaking his best friend awake.

'Georff Ron...don' wanna ge' up yet...' Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world, Hogwarts seventh-year student, and best friend to the very annoying at the moment Ron Weasley, said with a groan, then tried to pull the duvet back over his head. That was until his fog-filled brain finally realised what Ron was saying. Throwing off the duvet he sat up quickly and said excitedly, 'It's Christmas morning?'

Ron nodded his head vigorously whilst beaming. 'Yup! Sure is, Harry, so do get up...we've got presents! I already peeked downstairs...so come on!' he said scrambling out of the dorm room the boys shared and heading down towards the Gryffindor common room.

Harry rubbed his eyes to clear them of sleep then reached over to put on his glasses whilst trying to stifle a yawn, but his emerald green eyes shone brightly. Even though he was now seventeen years of age, Christmas, or Yule as Ron's family called it, still had a way to make him awed and excited like a child. Mainly because in his short seventeen years of life, only the last six years had he really been allowed to experience what having a Christmas was really like, let alone get presents.

Harry James Potter had not had your typical growing up sort of life by any means. Orphaned when he was only a year and some old, he was sent to live with his aunt, uncle and cousin, and from that moment forwards life had ended far as he saw it. That the Dursleys, for that was their name, hated him was an understatement, hate was too nice a word. They despised him, and all because in their mind he was simply...a 'freak'. It wasn't until Harry's eleventh birthday that he had found out why they called him a 'freak', he was a wizard.

Not just 'any' wizard either, but a very famous wizard, and all for something he didn't even remember doing. A lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead was a constant source of both torment and recognition for young Harry Potter, for it was a scar that was created by a deadly curse. A curse that had killed both his parents James and Lily Potter, though when it had been turned on him at that tender young age instead of killing him too, it had gotten rid of a powerful dark wizard named Lord Voldemort.

Whilst the wizarding world celebrated for the next ten years, since Harry had supposedly destroyed Voldemort, Harry himself had not been celebrating. In point of fact, he had been living the worst sort of life a 'saviour' could...a very unhappy, tormented life. His uncle and aunt mistreated him to the extent of almost child abuse, even making him sleep in a cupboard underneath the stairwell as some sort of punishment. On his eleventh birthday however, precisely at midnight, all that changed. His salvation had come in the form of one Rubeus Hagrid, Half-Giant and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

On that fateful night Harry found out what he was, what his parents were, and the fact he was not a 'freak' but a true blue wizard. Again he was not just any wizard either, but one who now shouldered the responsibility of defending the entire wizarding world from the newly re-risen Lord Voldemort. With his arrival at Hogwarts, Harry began to form his own weapons against this evil lord, part of that being in the shape of his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Ron was a pure-blooded wizard with red hair, tons of freckles, a very mischievous side and having that famed Scottish quick temperment. Hermione was the complete opposite, a Muggle-born, which meant that her parents had no wizarding blood, incredibly clever, intelligent, and was Head Girl of Hogwarts this year. She was sort of the gum that kept them all together, and rarely lost her temper, however if you got her angry you were best to very wary, she could pack a punch in both fist and wand.

Harry loved Ron and Hermione equally, they were his extended family as far as he was concerned. As well as Hagrid whom he had come to truly care for over the years, and finally, the Headmaster of Hogwarts...Albus Dumbledore. He had been like a second father to Harry over the past six years, giving advice and always being there when Harry needed him the most. Even when Harry didn't feel capable or much like the 'hero' everyone made him out to be, Albus Dumbledore had never lost faith in him, and for that Harry was grateful.

There were two people though that Harry honestly called 'family', for in his mind they were nothing less. The first of the two was his godfather, an escaped convict from the wizarding prison Azkaban, imprisoned for twelve years for a crime he didn't commit. Sirius Anthony Black was Harry's parents best friend in the whole world, and as of the last three years he was Harry's 'father' in every sense of the word. Sirius was also Harry's protector, friend, mentor and confidant in almost everything these days. To Harry, Sirius was the father he never had, even though he had only found out about his godfather, and his innocence three years ago, it had been more than enough time for Harry to feel close to him, and call him family.

The second person in the duo was one Remus J. Lupin, werewolf, ex-Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Sirius's constant and long time friend. Best friend now since Harry's father was gone. Remus had gone to school with James and Sirius, and he had also been Harry's third-year DADA Professor. It didn't bother Harry in the least that Remus was a werewolf, even if it might have bothered other people, but thanks to the modern day Wolfsbane Potion that wasn't even an issue, or at least Sirius made sure it didn't become an issue. Harry thought how good it was for Sirius to have Remus back in his life the last two out of the three years since he'd escaped, and they were now unseperable even though Sirius was still on the run from the Ministry.

The only thing though that his friends, his mentor, nor even Sirius or Remus could give him was the one thing he really wanted the most...true happiness. Not that he wasn't 'happy' with his life, in respects he was. But there was far more to just being a 'saviour', 'friend' or a 'son', and now at seventeen years of age he really wanted the type of happiness others round him seemed to enjoy. The worst thing about about it all was almost too simple...he already had a pretty good suspicion of what he did want...and that realization scared him even more then his worst nightmares.

The main drawback to the little problem of what he wanted was...mainly that what he was pretty sure of what he did want was really a very big problem, for a lot of reasons. He had been raised in the Dursley train of thought all his life, and now also in the wizarding world thinking, which meant he had been subjected to every sort of bigotries and hatreds one could pretty much get. Even though he himself didn't always have those feelings, it still made him afraid to go against what was considered 'normal'. Even though Harry thought of himself on a whole as 'unnormal' as one could get, considering he had survived the Avada Kedavra or killing curse as an infant, which was the sole reason he was so famous, he still didn't want to add fuel to the fire in being even more 'unnormal' then he already was.

The fact was that thanks to several incidences a few years back, everyone in the school and half the wizarding world even, now knew that not only was he a Parselmouth and could speak to serpent-like creatures, but that he had 'episodes' on occasion and was somehow 'linked' to Voldermort. It was also known that Sirius Black was his godfather as well, and that only made things worse for him since he couldn't see Sirius or Remus often these days. They had to also be very careful when posting each other most times just incase the post fell into the wrong hands, not even Voldemort but the Ministry as well.

Harry's yearly rounds trying to destroy Voldemort, the expectations from everyone else, his overnight maturity for his age, and the fact that he was the 'Boy Who Lived', had only given people like that git of a reporter Rita Skeeter more to use against him. He didn't even want to think of what it did to him amongst his school mates...or worse...his enemies at school, especially one in particular. A Slytherin who just had nothing better to do it seemed then to make his daily life pretty much a miserable hell. Then again, Harry was a Gryffindor, and Slytherin's and Gryffindors never did get along anyway, or hadn't for 1000 years now.

The worst of it now was that the one person he suspected he did want to attempt happiness with...was the last person on earth he should have wanted. It had been exactly a year ago during Christmas hols that he'd realised his true feelings for this particular person, and since then he'd tried everything he could think of to stop the feelings but to no avail. The more he tried to forget and bury his feelings deep down, the more of the person he wanted, and things had begun to take it's toll on him. Hiding his true feelings, pretending to be what was expected of him...was getting way too much.

'HARRY LET'S GO ALREADY! YOUR PRESENTS WON'T OPEN BY THEMSELVES!' Ron yelled up from the common room now.

Harry sighed and got out of his bed, slipping on the pair of Snitch slippers that Hermione had given him for Christmas last year. At first he was totally embarrassed to be seen in them, but after his old slippers mysteriously vanished last year before hols ended (and he suspected they had deliberately 'vanished' at that) he'd been forced to use the Snitch ones, and finally had gotten used to the ribbing about wearing them. Made of warm terry cloth they were in red and gold, the Gryffindor House colours, and had a golden Snitch sewn to both of the toe areas.

Hermione had thought they were cute but had stormed off after Ron had nearly cried from laughter. Harry found her later however and did thank her, apologising for Ron's usual 'I-always-put-my-foot-in-things' attitude. Even though he had felt the same way, he didn't want to lose a friendship with Hermione over some silly slippers, that would have been utterly stupid far as he saw it. He seriously hoped now though that this year she had gotten him something a bit more useful, or at least nothing quite as embarrassing.

Getting out of bed he headed downstairs to the common room and as always, once he saw the tree and the presents his heart did a flip flop. Someone had set up a small wireless on the fireplace mantle and the Weird Sisters were playing one of their seasonal hits 'On This Merry Ole Yule'. The fireplace was lit filling the room with a warm coziness, and the sparkling morning sun was pouring in through the giant stained glass windows, putting everything into a festive mood. The smell of incense that was hidden in the tree, the way the star was magically enhanced to blink on and off, and the presents underneath was enough to put his spirits right again. He dashed over to where Ron and Hermione were now sitting and plunked himself on the floor next to them, a silly grin on his face.

'It's about time, Harry! We waited for you even though Ron wanted to dive right in,' Hermione said, giving Ron a slight glare. Ron and Hermione had stayed behind this year being it was their last time they would share a Hogwarts Yule/Christmas together, and they were taking full advantage of it at that.

'Aw, Hermione, don't start with me on Yule morning! You know I just love the hols is all,' Ron said sheepishly, and turned halfway as red as his hair.

Harry chuckled. 'Teaches you not to mess with Hermione, eh mate? Now come on, let's see what we got!' he said grinning widely.

For the next half hour they had a grand time opening their gifts. They all got their traditional jumpers from Ron's mum; Ron's as always in maroon, Hermione's this year was a nice dark blue rather then the pink she'd gotten last year, and Harry's was an emerald green. Mrs. Weasley always sent him green ones saying it brought out the colour of Harry's emerald eyes, and Harry still loved them even though it was the Slytherins house colour.

Ron had gotten Harry a Chudley Cannons shirt, Hermione got Harry a new updated copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which she said was much more interesting then the previous version. Thumbing through it Harry had to agree, it really was pretty cool, and he saw they had added in a few newly found creatures and beasts. Harry and Ron added in a few footnotes of their own again in this new copy on certain monsters they had personally come across. They had a good laugh over some of the creatures, and groaned at the mentions of others that reminded them all too well of their beloved Hagrid.

Harry in turn had gotten Ron a new set of dress robes, he figured it was past time. Ron's old mouldy one had practically withered away to nothing, and Harry knew that with the New Year's Dance coming up Ron had vowed to not even go because of lack of dress wear. For Hermione, he had gotten her a few out-of-print books that he knew she'd been pining over, and a brand new quill. Her old one had gotten nibbled down to nothing by Ron's owl Pigwidgeon last month after Ron had forgotten to feed him. Hermione had gotten Ron a new wizards chess set, knowing that he'd finally lost the last of the pieces of his old set last year in a match against Dean Thomas, one of the other seventh-year Gryffindors. He'd been pining for one he'd seen in Diagon Alley that Summer, made of coloured crystal and came equipped with pieces that had quite an attitude. It was truly the perfect set for Ron she had said at the time, attitude to match attitude.

Hagrid had sent his yearly 'rock cake' which was put off the side for fear of losing a few teeth. Professor Dumbledore had sent them all a bag of Honeydukes sweets, which also were put aside for later, though to be eaten rather then avoided. The Dursleys of course had sent nothing, not that Harry was surprised. Hermione got an autographed Snitch from Viktor Krum which made Ron nearly throw a fit in jealousy. She wasn't dating Viktor or anything close to that, but Ron still was leery of the Bulgarian seeker to this day. Harry didn't even want to remember the fourth year Yule Ball for fear of dredging up memories of that whole fourth year in which his life had taken a decided turn for the worse.

Hermione's parents sent some new toothbrushes, typical of dentists Hermione had muttered under her breath. Her parents sent them all new brushes every year with notes to make sure they all brushed their teeth before bed and after every meal, as if of course they wouldn't. They also had sent her a copy of Shakespearean Sonnets, along with a book of his plays. She'd fallen in love with Shakespeare's work two years ago, after finding out he had been a wizard and not a Muggle. From Ron's twin brothers Fred and George, who were now quite successful in their mail-order joke business, they all got enough prank materials to last for months.

'Hey, we can put those to good use in potions class!' Ron grinned as Hermione unwrapped a set of dungbombs.

'Right and get detentions from Snape for the next two months?' Harry grimaced. 'Thanks but no thanks, Ron. You do it if you want, but I've had enough detentions with Snape to last me a century.'

'Honestly, don't you think putting dungbombs in Malfoy's cauldron is growing a bit oh...stale by now?' Hermione asked petulantly, then suddenly grinned. 'However, this bottle of Invizishrink might be just the ticket for a great prank!'

Ron and Harry laughed and nodded at her. 'For being Head Girl this year, Hermione, you're really turning into a Marauder you know. Won't that spoil you're well built reputation?' Ron asked mischievously.

'Not unless I get caught! 'Sides, with you two pulling the actual pranks it makes things far easier doesn't it. I'm quite content being the mastermind behind them thank you very much,' she said grinning back. 'Now let's see here...what else is left?' she wondered whilst sifting through the remaining gifts.

Charlie, Ron's second oldest brother who worked with dragons in Romania, had sent each of them tiny miniatures of specific dragons. Ron got a male Chinese Fireball, Hermione got a female Antipodean Opaleye and Harry got a male Hungarian Horntail.

'Just wonderful, like I needed another one of these!' Harry groaned, and eyed his tiny dragon wearily.

'Oh I think mine's just lovely though! Opaleyes are the most beautiful of the dragon breeds I think. She's dreamy...aren't you little girl...' Hermione said happily, and began to scratch the back ridges of the tiny dragon who was now rubbing it's head against her hand in approval.

'You would think that!' Ron grumbled, mainly because his dragon miniature was attempting to bite him instead. 'All right you, enough of that. Shoo!' Ron said miserably, and seconds later the dragon snorted a tiny flame towards Ron then walked it's way over to where Harry's dragon was. It sniffed at Harry's dragon a moment, then strangely enough the two tiny dragons wrapped their tails together and walked over to Harry's jumper, settling down on top of it, and apparently were very happily snuggling up together.

'Now that has got to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen,' Ron said in an odd voice.

'Well I think it's adorable. Maybe their in love,' Hermione said dreamily.

'Oh gross, Hermione...they're dragons! Dragons can't fall in love...and besides they're both male dragons,' Ron muttered.

'Yes, they are male dragons, and what's wrong with that, Ronald Weasley? Love doesn't care if you're male or female,' Hermione said sternly.

'But it's just so...I don't know...wrong, Hermione. I mean boys are meant to be with girls. How else are you going to have babies and carry on the blood-lines?' Ron asked.

Hermione glared at Ron for a moment then made a tsking sound. 'For a pure-blood, Ron, it astounds me how you know so little of the world you come from sometimes. This is the wizarding world, I'm sure there's a spell or potion or something to have babies without it being a male and female couple. And it's not wrong to love someone of your own gender you git. The Muggle world has tons of people that way. Love is love, you can't help who you fall in love with,' she said firmly.

'Well fine, so the Muggle world doesn't have a problem with it. It's just not...I don't know...that common in the Wizarding World, Hermione, that's all,' Ron argued.

'Oi you are so dense, Ron! Forget it, talking to you is worse then talking to a brick wall,' Hermione muttered.

'Err...can we umm...not have a row about this right now? Can't we just...um...finish opening our gifts instead?' Harry cut in, wanting fully to get off this topic for reasons he wasn't about to go into at the moment.

'Oh sorry, Harry! Sure we can, here...this is from Sirius and Professor Lupin, have a look!' Hermione said brightly, and handed Harry a huge oddly shaped gift.

'Merlin this thing is heavy, what on earth did they send me?' Harry asked puzzled. He shook the box a bit but it didn't help in the least as nothing seemed to rattle round inside.

'Well open it and see, Harry, it's not going to open by itself,' Ron said inching closer to Harry and the gift.

'Oh...right...' Harry said fussing a bit then proceeded to untie the giant red and gold bow that adorned the top of the box. Taking off the wrapping he took off the top of the box and peeked inside, only to be taken by complete surprise. Giving a low whistle of shock he now stared into the box completely dazed.

'Well? What is it Harry? What'd they send you?' Ron asked, trying to peek into the box himself.

Slowly, almost reverently even, Harry lifted the item from inside the box for the others to see. 'I don't believe it...is it real?' he half whispered.

Ron looked at the gift in stunned silence before whistling himself. 'Merlin, Harry...is that...what I think that is?' he asked in an awed voice.

Harry nodded and his face glowed with happiness. 'It is! But....how on earth did they get one? I thought they were still experimental?' Harry asked Ron bewildered.

Hermione meanwhile had pulled the box over to her and was looking through the rest of the things inside when she found a note. Picking it up from inside the box she said, 'Harry, here's a note from them, maybe this will tell us something.'

Harry took the note from her and opened it up, scanning the contents first before reading it out loud.


Dear Harry,

We hope this finds you well this Yule morning, we know how much you love this holiday above all others. It was always your parents favourite holiday too, so it's not surprising you also like it so much.

By now you've found the biggest of the gifts, and you're probably wondering how we got it. You have to promise though you won't say how to anyone else (though we know Hermione and Ron are with you so you don't have to hide this from them!). Make up whatever story you want, just don't tell anyone the truth okay? Well it's kind of simple really how we got hold of one...or call it pure dumb luck as Minerva would say. (And we hope she won't give you trouble of this either, if she does tell her to talk to us alright?)

Anyway, it turns out we ran into an old friend of ours recently who happens to be a production designer for the company Flyte and Barker. Well I should say Remus ran into him, along with his trusty 'dog' at his side. Anyway, after catching up on things with Harvold, that's the bloke's name, Remus just happened to mention that you were using an old Firebolt. Harvold then jumped up and dragged us off to his factory where he spoke at great lengths to his boss. They both decided that the 'great' Harry Potter shouldn't belittle himself by being seen on such a thing as 'that piece of rubbish made by a bunch of gits' as they put it.

Henceforth is now why you are the proud owner of one of only three models in existence at the moment of the latest and in our opinion...after err...slightly testing it...at my insistence of course to make sure it really was safe ahem...anyway you now are the owner of the latest model of the Twigger3000. Far as Remus and I see it, this will blow away not only the old Nimbuses, but all of the Firebolt series as well. Use it well, and you have our full permission to flatten the Slytherins with it! (That'll put a sock in old Snape's gob eh?)

The rest of the gifts are minor; a new Broomstick Cleaning Kit is included (courtesy of Flyte and Barker mind you and top of the line), as well as a new copy of Quidditch Through The Ages for Ron. I know his got mysteriously err...'lost' last summer and umm...well actually I was the one who 'borrowed' it when he wasn't looking whilst you were at his house...sorry bout that...hope this makes up for it. For Hermione, we hope she'll enjoy the copy of Moste Potente Potions, we know she's been wanting it for a while now. Whatever you do though do NOT let that greasy git get hold of it, Remus doesn't want to go back to Knockturn Alley again anytime soon for another one!

Other then tha, .if you can slip out through the passage via the willow, meet us tomorrow in the shack at noon. There's something very important Remus and I want to discuss with you Harry, though Ron and Hermione are welcome to come along with you as well. It might make things easier for you anyway to have them along. If you need us we'll be spending the next few days at the Three Broomsticks, only if it's important though, as we still have a few things to take care of before school starts again.

Meanwhile, enjoy your Yule and hopefully we'll see you all soon, we miss you!

Love always,

Sirius and Remus


'Wicked...' Ron said, still in total shock over the broom.

'I know...wicked is right, Ron. This broom is supposed to have a ton of neat extras built-in over the Firebolts and Nimbuses...I can't wait to try it! I wonder though what he wants to talk bout?' Harry wondered whilst rereading the note.

'We'll know tomorrow when we see them. We are going to meet up with them aren't we?' Hermione said holding her new potions book tightly, still beaming over having received it. 'I want to thank them personally for the book, this is the best present they could have ever gotten me! To think Professor Lupin went all the way to Knockturn Alley for it too,' Hermione said blushing slightly.

'Oh no...first Lockhart and now Professor Lupin? You're not seriously going to have a crush on him too are you, Hermione? That's just...well...gross! He's old 'nuff to be your dad!' Ron huffed.

Hermione glared at Ron for a second then snorted at him. 'I don't have a crush on him, Ron. I just think it was really sweet of him to get the book when it's considered restricted. That's all, nothing more...even if...he is a bit...umm cute...' Hermione said blushing again and gazing at everything but the two boys. 'And is anything ever good enough for you, Ron? Honestly! At the rate you're going you'll never find a girl who wants to be with you for more than one day!'

'Oi, that's not true! Lavender and I were together for - ' Ron began but was cut off by Harry.

'One week. A new record for you, Ron,' Harry said with a grin. Privately he always thought his two best friends would figure out how much they liked each other, but it would have to probably take a miracle for them to ever act on that fact. Harry had vowed though years ago never to play matchmaker, nor put himself in the middle of his two best friends. He did hope that one day they would figure it out, because far as he saw it, they really were perfect for each other. 'Aw let Hermione alone will you, Ron? I mean come on...this is Remus we're talking 'bout here. 'Cute' isn't exactly what I'd call him.'

'You're right, Harry, he's not 'cute'...he's just handsome, full stop,' Hermione said with an all out blush now, and oddly enough she could almost swear she saw Harry nod in agreement, but decided to definitely pass on commenting on that.

'Oi...enough of that will you? Cripes...we have got to get you to sort out your priorities, Hermione. First it's dragons, then a crush on your teacher, or rather ex teacher, who's old. What next...Snape? Honestly!' Ron muttered and shook his head. 'We've got to find her a decent bloke soon or we'll never hear the end of this, Harry!' Ron whinged whilst turning to Harry for confirmation.

Harry chuckled and halfway nodded at Ron, wondering again just how dense his friend could be at what was in front of his face. 'Agreed, though let's get back to opening our gifts before Christmas is over eh? What's that package over there, Hermione?' Harry asked, and pointed to a small box way in the back that was almost hidden.

Hermione gave Ron another slight glare before she reached for the box Harry mentioned and pulled it out, giving it an odd look. 'Oh, it's for you, Harry, it's...it's from Bill!' she exclaimed in surprise and handed the small box to Harry.

Harry took it and stared at it puzzled. 'From Bill....for me? You sure it's not for Ron?' he asked and rechecked the tag on it. Sure enough it read 'To Harry Potter, From Bill Weasley'. Giving Ron an odd glance and a shrug he said, 'Guess not, sorry mate.'

'It's s'okay, but why is Bill sending you something and not me?' Ron asked puzzled.

'Well open it, Harry, so we can see what it is!' Hermione said impatiently.

Harry nodded and took the lid off the small box, then reached in to pick up a small note that was lying on top addressed to him. Opening the note he read out loud,

Harry,

Happy Yule to you...and to Hermione, as well as that brother of mine. Hope everyone's doing all right though I'm sure you are or mum would have owled me by now. Egypt's hotter then usual this time of year making my work even more difficult. It drives people towards the places I'm supposed to be disenchanting, which can be a right pain. Anyway, not that you want to hear about my work, but I'm sure you want to know about what's inside this package.

What's inside is called a 'Heka Pensieve Stone', something Ron might remember from his visit to Egypt a few years back. In the short gist of it, it's a type of magic stone, though I doubt there's much magic left in it. From what I can tell it's over 3000 years old and they are very rare these days to find, the Ministry of Magic Egyptian Branch has confiscated almost all of the ones found over the years. They were the first original 'pensieves' of wizards, and when Muggles would get hold of them the results were sometimes disastrous.

Anyway, the tomb I found this in I can't go into right now, but I can say I have a very good suspicion the people in the tomb may not have been Muggles after all. It was really strange for me to find this, that much I can tell you. One night I was sitting in the tomb doing some work in the offering chamber and the floor, for no apparent reason I could find, cracked in front of my eyes. It was as if a giant hammer or some type of heavy animal hooves had hit the stonework. The Heka Stone came to the surface as if someone had just pushed it up. That old bat Trelawney probably would call it some 'horrible omen', though I doubt you'll die from it anytime soon Harry.

Normally I turn in valuable finds like this to Gringotts, the Goblins love these old wizarding treasures, but something convinced me you might enjoy it more. I know Hermione might appreciate it, and that maybe even Ron might too, but when I was holding it and thinking over who to give this to, your name practically screamed at me Harry...so here you go. After all these years I trust my instincts more than anything else, and if something calls to be given, I give it.

Not sure exactly if it's still active, I didn't try to test it for myself or anything. I know the old 'pensieves' didn't work in the same way the modern day ones do, perhaps you'll be able to figure out exactly how to get it to work. If not owl me and I'll do my best to find out. I do ask of all of you not to mention the stone to anyone, I'm not exactly supposed to just 'give away' stuff like this, and I don't want to risk any type of retribution from either Gringotts or the Egyptian Ministry.

Oh...and Ron...will you owl mum and dad for me and tell them I'm all right? I have a heavy schedule this Yule, and won't be able to send more than this one owl, so would appreciate it, cheers brother! Happy Yule to everyone meanwhile, and let me know if you need anything!

You're friend,

Bill Weasley


'Cool! Figures though he'd send it to you...he never sends me anything like that,' Ron said a bit put out.

'Oh, Ron, you heard what Bill said, it called for Harry...don't feel bad,' Hermione said sympathetically.

Harry put the note down and pulled the stone out of the box without saying anything, just looking at it oddly. It was beautiful in an strange sort of way; made of pinkish red clay with ancient hieroglyphic runes etched round it. He didn't know what they meant of course, but he was determined to find out at some point. What he could tell at least, from the limited knowledge he had studied of ancient Egypt in his pre-form years at state school, some of it looked like a cartouche. Which meant it held the names of whoever had owned it last, and possibly a clue as to where Bill was.

As Harry held the stone in his palm, suddenly the oddest sensations starting running through him. Feelings of peace, tranquillity, security and serenity enveloped him list a misty blanket. However as soon as those feelings started to make him feel almost giddy, another set of emotions hit him like a ton of bludgers. Fear. Panic. Anger. Then a sadness, combined with a longing for something...or a someone...that Harry related to completely.

Before he could put the stone back in the box though something even stranger began to happen. The stone started to glow, and he could hear voices suddenly, almost familiar voices, and before any of the three young adults knew what was happening a flash of light emanated from the stone. Harry yelped and tried to drop it back into the box but the Heka Stone took on a life of it's own instead.

Floating off Harry's hand it landed with a soft thud onto the carpeting of the common room, and seconds later as the light began to fade away, it was obvious something more than unusual was going on. Three misty figures were being forced out of the stone, and a moment or two later, to the astonishment of the three Gryffindors, three solid people were now standing before them. People that Harry, Ron and Hermione knew all too well, though not quite the in way they were seeing them now. Harry suddenly had a funny feeling things were suddenly going to take a drastic turn in his life...and maybe several lives...though whether for the better or worse he wasn't quite sure yet.

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A/N: Heka will be further explained in the upcoming chapter, I promise :) However it is a real thing, that much I promise you.

The broom company and broom name is pure canon, comes right out of Quidditch Through The Ages.

Again, Harry/Hermione call the holiday 'Christmas' in speech/thought being raised by most likely Christian or Christ based Muggle religions. The Weasleys, Siri and Remus and all 'pure-bloods' in the fic will refer to the hols as Yule in speech and thought. When it gets to different hols, we'll go from there :P


August 22, 2002 10:17 PM ©Piriotessa/Piri Lupin-Snape