Sunlight Shimmer
Early December encroached upon Hogwarts, and with it came the first, belayed snowfalls. As sheets of pearly white gathered outside the castle, and children departed to play in the chilly air, Harry was on watch, thoughtful and disturbed. He wasn't that popular now anyway - his acceptance was frayed, given the events of the last school year.
"Are you good, mate?" Ron asked, coming up from behind. He'd put on a pair of woolen mittens and a heavy cloak. Harry dressed more lightly, in a simple jacket, and kept periodically heating himself with muttered spells and Warming Charms. "You're out here sulking and stuff."
"I've been thinking."
"Yeah, I can tell," Ron answered, "It really shows when you do. You get quiet and broody."
"I don't brood," Harry harrumphed. That was Geist's schtick!
"You do." Ron laughed. "What's been eatin' away at you? Some argument with Nev over demons again?"
Harry simply shook his head, contemplating how to respond. He chose pointedly not to question how Ron possessed knowledge of his demons - Ron seemed to have ways of knowing the most inconvenient things, and usually escaped solid answers whenever questioned. If he pushed, Ron would surely reveal the truth, but there was no grounded reason to do so. Harry trusted Ron to reveal his sources should they ever become even in the slightest chunk relevant in some manner. Until then, Harry would allow him to keep those secrets to himself.
If there was one thing that Harry could say he'd learned at Hogwarts - aside from harnessing the magical abilities latent within him - it was that everyone had their own secrets. Secrets they didn't want other people to see. Even people like Dumbledore or McGonagall had dark or interesting secrets.
"It's... the basement stuff."
"Oh, that stuff."
"I've been thinking about finding that Dementor and squeezing the answers out of it."
"Gonna use your Dark magic to beat it into compliance?" Ron snorted. As soon as the words left Ron's lips, Harry looked nervously around. The other boy snorted again, and said, "Relax man, I've warded us. No sound getting through. It seems the Auror's got you on edge."
"Yeah. It's been riskier than ever to practice my usual stunts," Harry answered. It didn't keep him from summoning demons to complete his homework assignments. Maybe the Auror's Office, and wizards in general, truly were as incompetent as Geist claimed? It was a hard pill to swallow, especially given some of the feats of competence he'd observed firsthand. It seemed like there were gaps, or maybe even spots in ability that didn't entirely add up. It was like half the Wizarding World was sandbagging its capabilities, especially the adults. He frowned in thought, but decided to contemplate on that sometime later. "I wish there was some fast, easy way to get a Dementor to behave. I don't want them sucking my happiness out."
"Have you considered a Patronus Charm?"
"A Patronus?" Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he recalled, through the murk of information, the small details he'd read of the advanced magic. It seemed like a stretch to be able to learn a Charm that powerful, but he smiled - if there was anyone who could master it in their Second Year, it was Harry Potter. "Good idea, Ron."
As December went on, Harry practiced the Patronus Charm in private every night. To his frustration, even in his best attempts, he couldn't produce more than a couple of sparks of errant light. After some weary observation, Geist stepped in and began to instruct him directly, but even then, the tired ghost's directions were limited in puissance. They were also occupied with training Harry's Occlumency up to another level and Harry was occupied with preparing for the last of his midterm exams. However, as school went out, and the Aurors, save Ms. Nettlebane, packed up and largely returned to the Ministry of Magic, Harry found himself with a bunch of free time.
And finally, a couple of nights before Christmas, he managed it. Sadly, there weren't any Dementors left in Hogwarts, as it went against Ministry regulations to leave deadly, soul-sucking monsters in the vicinity of school children without appropriate measures put into place towards protecting the children from them.
In absence of anything better to do, Harry decided to handle the Christmas present arrangements. A number of gifts had to be given out, and Harry relished in the task of finding appropriate presents for his acquaintances and loved ones.
Among them, the most difficult was probably Draco's and Snape's - the former because reading half a year into the future, even in the vaguest way, was a trial and a pain; the latter, because it felt shudderingly unnatural to send anything to Professor Snape, even though the gift was simply a piece of parchment veiled with sarcasm and smugness. He genuinely hoped that Snape wouldn't perceive it as some attack on his authority and dock more points from House Hufflepuff. The Potions Master was fond of doing that.
Another gift he'd come up with was the First Year Beret - the hopeful beginning of a new Hogwarts tradition, potentially, assuming that nobody down the line happened to accidentally misplace or lose it. He was planning on gifting it to a young girl he'd seen and vaguely spoke with during breakfast; Luna Lovegood. Among the First Years, she and Ron's younger sister were probably the only ones who hadn't put much stock into Harry's new reputation and shied away from him like from the plague.
And, of course, Neville's sword - the project began ambitiously, but Harry eventually realized that while awesome, the idea of metal absorbing magic so readily wasn't as easily realized as in his mind's eye. As a matter of fact, stacking that many enchantments on a sword was a trial of its own.
And the last gift was the most important. And ironically, it also cost him the least in effort and money.
Gently, Harry stacked the Muggle book on permutation theory on top of the Rubik's cubes, then wrapped everything together. He penned a short handwritten letter, and put the gift away, planning to deliver it personally on the day of Christmas.
Dearest Sirius,
I think that we've made it through some hard times, and I know that it can be even more difficult when all you have left is work. I know that you aren't fully healed, and I doubt I ever will be either. But we have each other, and that's what matters. It's really important to have engaging hobbies to keep one's mental health keen, so I dare you to master this by next December - it'd make me really happy to see you solving it!
Sincerely, Harry
He smiled and leaned away from his chair.
---
Animal forms, such as those of an Animagus and displayed by the Patronus, are dependent on the same aspect of a soul: the Spirit Animal. Although it's often said that such animals are equal, some are undoubtedly more equal than others. Select your Spirit Animal - you've got 22.5 Gnosis to spend.
[ ] Wolf - The intelligent, playful wolf. He is a pack hunter, devoted above everything to his family, ever in service to his loved ones. The wolf fits you exceptionally well.
[ ] Raven [5 Gnosis] - The cunning and wicked raven, freely patrolling the skies in search of adventure and secrets. Its calls of greed are familiar to you already.
[ ] Stag [7 Gnosis] - The indomitable and brave stag, a guardian of the forest, is associated with protection and majesty. It's also your father's very own.
[ ] Chimpanzee [14 Gnosis] - The empathetic and versatile chimpanzee: feels as humans do, and its workings may be arranged in a similar manner.
[ ] Phoenix [25 Gnosis] - The resplendent phoenix: eternal and immortal, its very presence bends the cosmos towards the aspects of justice.
And what are some of the more notable gifts that Harry might've received this Christmas? You may select three (3) or pay a sum of Gnosis equal to the additional options past that amount; one Gnosis per.
[ ] Magical Toothpaste - Apparently, Hermione's been trying to get into enchanting dental and hygiene products. She's managed to produce her first batch of effective toothpaste recently, and claims it can whiten your teeth almost immediately - a good amendment for your caffeine habits, or so she claims. Let's put that hypothesis to a good, hardy test, shall we? (She also wishes you Merry Christmas, of course.)
[ ] Mistletoe Wand - It's from Neville, oddly enough. These are illegal in most Wizarding countries, including Magical Britain. Mistletoe's almost no good for any proper Charmwork or spellcasting, but it can do a whole lot of Dark Arts and "meaner spells" just fine. However, its most notable and favorable attribute is that its spells generally can't be picked up by the Trace, save for especially powerful workings cast in especially public areas. You should be fine, though - just don't go summoning Azathoth or conjuring Reality Marbles out in the middle of the street.
He wishes you Merry Christmas and tells you to keep your secret practices secret.
[ ] Magical Broom - A good flying broom. It doesn't have the newest Charms on the market, but it's still a good piece of work, and it'll serve you faithfully. It came from Ron, alongside a short note, "I know you aren't as big on Quidditch as you pretend to be, but flying's a useful skill. Maybe try to get into it? Merry Christmas, mate -- Ron"
[ ] Jar of Peanut Butter - A whole goshdarn ounce jar of peanut butter. It came from Dumbledore - his initials were carved into the side of the jar, alongside a scratchily-written 'Merry Christmas.' It's odd how the glass seems to reflect the light... Huh.
[ ] Wiggenweld Potion (x6) - An entire batch of very high-quality healing potions, made from the finest available ingredients.
It came with a note, "As I seem to have recovered unusually quickly, I decided I may well put my new time to some good use. And I know that you, of all my students, will sadly need it the most. Attempt not to get into too much trouble this year, Potter: I've got my eye on you, and I remember. Merry Christmas, -- Severus Snape."
[ ] A Letter from D - An odd letter signed by someone calling themselves 'D.'
