"Each is designed in some way to control you, or just flat-out poison you," instructed Cygnus. "Therefore, each is picked up by the ring you wear. For example, the Compulsion Charm could be keyed to make you sign a document; and a love potion, such as Amortentia, can be keyed to make you fall in love with someone. Combinations of what are otherwise pretty benign can become quite nasty. A Compulsion Charm keyed with a love potion can lead you to committing murder; something which happened almost a hundred years ago now.
"Thankfully, there are laws against these sorts of things, and the rings help. As you're an unattached witch, Hermione, such things can also be considered an attempt at Line Theft; which can see the perpetrator executed or just stuffed into Azkaban for the rest of their life.
"However, it needs to be caught before it has an affect on you. And you need to be ready to push charges against the culprit. That's why you must always wave your right hand down low over everything that arrives via owl or elf, whatever is handed to you, and anything not prepared specifically by your own elves. Especially, first check all the food and drink you're going to consume at Hogwarts before putting it in your mouth." Hermione nodded, recognising the severity of the matter.
"Good," said Cygnus with a nod. "Now, I believe Isabel will be waiting for you in the parlour."
"Thank you, Cygnus," she said, before darting off.
"I see what you mean about how she's an information sponge like you, but in a different way," said Cygnus looking at Harry.
"Hermione doesn't have my eidetic memory," said Harry. "But she makes up for it by studying even harder. I would have never, on my own, been able to get our little group of friends up to holding the top seven spots in school. That is a combination of Hermione's drive and the intelligence of our friends." "And of your leadership, Harry," said Cygnus with a smile. "Don't sell yourself short. You're the glue that holds that group together, irrespective of the House boundaries. And it's your leadership that makes your group excel in their studies.
On Christmas Day, Harry had a prank planned for Astoria.
He rose early and quietly got ready for the day. Then he put a mannequin head with a black hair wig that matched his own in the bed with the covers drawn up. And he made copies of his pillows and used them to make it look like he was still in bed and sleeping with his head turned away from the door.
When everything was ready he laid down on the floor on the opposite side of the bed from the door. And had a book or two out to read through while he waited. Sure enough, his door swung open, banging against the stops as Astoria charged in half-screaming, "Haaarrryyyy!"
As soon as the door banged open, Harry set aside the book he was reading and set himself into a low crouch, right up alongside the bed, wand at the ready.
As soon as he knew Astoria had jumped onto the fake Harry he stood straight up and hit her with a light stinking hex right on her behind.
The poor little girl first thought she's killed her future brother-in-law when his head seemed to fly off when she jumped on him; then was frightened further when she noticed movement off the side of the bed. The final straw came when she felt Harry's stinging hex strike her bottom.
With a scream loud enough to wake the neighbours - the closest were almost six miles away - she vaulted back off the bed and turned to face Harry where he was now standing alongside the other side of the bed, grinning like a loon.
"You - you - prat!" she screamed at him, her heart beating wildly in her ears.
Harry laughed and jumped onto the bed before he used his evil wizard laugh and started to quickly make his way towards her. Astoria took off running, screaming all the way; with Harry in hot pursuit.
In the parlour, the family had already gathered. Astoria came barrelling in and loudly declaimed, "Harry Potter is an evil, evil boy; and you should throw him out, Daddy!"
Harry came strolling nonchalantly in through the door with a smile on his face. "And that should teach you not to come barrelling into my room, in future, and attack me in my sleep."
"But you weren't asleep!" she snarled in a little girl fashion. "You were hiding on the other side of the bed and attacked me when I wasn't looking!
"Alright, you two," said Isabel. "That's quite enough. It sounds like Harry got the better of you, this time."
Astoria just frowned and pouted at her mother. However, her attitude completely changed when Cygnus, from where he was sitting on the floor, offered her the first gift.
Harry went and sat alongside Daphne and held her hand.
As a family, after the exchange of gifts, they visited the Grangers, then the Davises, then on to the Abbotts. The others were by special invitation during the afternoon round after they had lunch with the Abbotts.
Harry and Daphne visited a short time with Gran and Neville at Longbottom Hall, as they were due to visit Saint Mungo's to see Neville's parents. Then went on to Bones Manor to visit with Aunt Amelia and Susan, and finally to the Black House to visit Sirius and Remus. They returned well before dinner, with Sirius and Remus in tow as they had to be home before the older Greengrasses headed off to the Ministry Yule Ball.
Tracey, Susan, Neville and Hannah all had permission to overnight at Greengrass Estate because Sirius and Remus promised to oversee all of the kids including Astoria. Remus was able to visit because it was a day over halfway through the lunar cycle and was effectively a new moon. The eight kids spent the late afternoon and early evening talking about all the gifts they received. Harry was especially proud of the new trunks he bought each for Daphne, Astoria and Hermione. Each trunk was a match to his own with double compartments, a magical signature lock and each with their names and House crests on top next to the leading edge.
Astoria was a little sad it wasn't jewellery like she received from Harry the previous year, until she received a second gift from Harry. It was a fine silver necklace with the name Astoria, also in fine silver in a kind of Old English script, hanging from two points on the chain.
On seeing it, Astoria squealed and took it to Harry demanding he put it around her neck for her. As she sat on the floor with her back to him, he manipulated the tiny clasp until the chain was properly affixed. Later, Harry told Cygnus and Isabel it was an emergency portkey that would take her to Saint Mungo's. All she had to do was grasp her name in her fist and call 'Help!'.
The second gift he bought Daphne was a set of silver hairclips with Slytherin green inlays that she could wear with her Hogwarts uniform.
Harry received a set of Quidditch balls and two beaters bats in their own enchanted box, a stronger set of Quidditch armour, and a new broom servicing kit from Hermione. Most important of all, was a wizarding photo album from the group, except Hermione because she couldn't help, of photographs of himself and his parents they'd spent all last summer scrounging for from friends of his parents and the staff of Hogwarts.
While the late afternoon was spent playing a bit of Quidditch, he spent a lot of that evening going through the photographs and reading the little captions beneath them that said when and where the photographs were taken. It was his most treasured gift.
On the ride back to school, before Harry had a chance to lock the door to their compartment, they were again joined by Luna.
The Seven just looked at one another and shrugged it away. This time, Neville locked the door with the Door Sealing Charm. When it worked he grinned and said he'd been practicing it on his bedroom door at home.
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