A Very Frosty Christmas (HBP)
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A Very Frosty Christmas is the sixteenth chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Contents |
Peeling sprouts
At The Burrow, Ron pressures Harry to confirm over and over again that Snape said he'd promised Narcissa to protect Draco (HBP2). Harry does, adds that it was an Unbreakable Vow, and asks Ron what that means.
Ron replies that one cannot break an Unbreakable Vow, to which Harry retorts, "I'd worked that much out for myself, funnily enough. What happens if you break it, then?" Ron says that death is the consequence, and narrates an episode of his childhood in which Fred and George convinced him to make one; Arthur found them just in time and went ballistic ("Fred reckons his left buttock has never been the same since.").
Just then, the twins enter the kitchen, and mock the two for cooking using knives to peel sprouts. Ron points out that his birthday will be in a bit over two months, and happens to cut his thumb, with some help of his brothers' magic. They then proceed to interrogate him over the subject of Lavender Brown: Ginny has informed them that Ron is dating the girl. Ron turns pink. When the twins ask him whether Lavender has had some sort of accident to cause such brain damage, he throws a knife at them; Fred Transfigures it into a paper airplane at once.
Molly arrives in time to see what happens, and berates Ron for throwing the knife. She then announces to the twins that Bill will have to share a room with them, because Remus is arriving tonight. Since Charlie isn't coming home, Harry and Ron can share the attic; Fleur can stay in Ginny's room ("That'll make Ginny's Christmas," Fred mutters).
Fred asks whether Percy will show up. Molly turns away and replies that she presumes him to be busy at the Ministry; she leaves. Ron asks his brothers for help, so that he and Harry can be free of their chores. Fred seriously tells them that learning to peel sprouts without magic is "character-building stuff," and that it "makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs."
George chucks the paper airplane at Ron and recommends that he not throw knives at people whose help he is about to require. The pair leaves off to the village, to see a pretty girl who works at a paper shop; she believes George's card tricks to be wonderful—"almost like real magic."
Harry points out that he wouldn't leave even if the twins had helped them; he made a promise to Dumbledore. Ron asks whether Harry will tell the headmaster what he overheard—he will. "Pity you didn't hear what Malfoy's actually doing, though." "I couldn't have done, could I? That was the whole point, he was refusing to tell Snape."
After a brief hesitation, Ron warns Harry that Arthur, Dumbledore and the rest of them will simply say that Snape is pretending. Harry retorts that they didn't hear the man: not even Severus is that good an actor. Ron believes him, but everyone else is convinced that Snape is loyal to the Order.
Harry knows Hermione, for instance, would be the first to object to his conclusions. He hadn't had a chance to tell her; she disappeard from Slughorn's party (much to Cormac's anger), and went to bed before he did. The next day, he wished her merry Christmas and said he had something to tell her; she probably did not pay attention, because Ron and Lavender were snogging just behind him.
Nevertheless, Draco is definitely up to something. Harry triumphantly says "I told you so" to Ron several times.
Hot, strong love
Harry does not have an opportunity to talk to Arthur before December 24. Ginny has decorated the living room lavishly. A gnome bit Fred on the ankle while he was collecting carrots for dinner, and he Stunned it, painted it gold and stuffed the creature in a miniature tutu with wings glued to its back.
They are all supposed to be listening to Celestina Warbeck, Molly's favourite singer, who is making a special broadcast over the large wireless set. Fleur, however, finds the music dull, and is talking loudly; Mrs. Weasley constanly makes the wireless sing louder to try to drown out her words.
When a jazzy song called A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love begins, the twins and Ginny start playing Exploding Snap. Remus, looking thinner and more ragged-looking than ever, sits by the fire.
Oh, come and stir my cauldron, And if you do it right, I'll boil you up some hot strong love To keep you warm tonight.
Molly's eyes moisten as she reminds Arthur that the two danced to the song when they were eighteen. Peeling a satsuma and almost falling asleep, he absently agrees with her. He glances at Harry and apologises for the music, saying that it will be over soon. Harry grins, and asks how things are at the Ministry.
Arthur sadly admits that the three people arrested made over the last two months are not, in all likelihood, Death Eaters. Albus even tried appealing directly to the Minister about Stan Shunpike, but the Ministry's keen on showing some progress.
Celestina starts a ballad called You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me. Harry asks Arthur if he's taken the boy's warning at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters seriously. Arthur replies that he did, and checked the Malfoy manor, finding nothing inappropriate (HBP11).
Harry then narrates the conversation he heard between Malfoy and Snape. Lupin turns his head to listen as well.
Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone? It's left me for a spell...
Arthur believes that Snape was simply pretending. Lupin agrees; trusting Snape is Dumbledore's choice, and that should be good enough for the rest of them. "People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgement. I do; therefore, I trust Severus."
Harry points out that even Albus acknowledges that he can make mistakes; can Remus truly like Snape?
"I neither like nor dislike Severus. No, Harry, I am speaking the truth. We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfsbane Potion for me every month, made it perfectly, so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at the full moon (PA8)."
Harry angrily retorts that it was Snape's fault that Remus had to leave the job (PA21).
Remus shrugs. "The news would have leaked out anyway. We both know he wanted my job, bue he could have wreaked much worse damage on me by tampering with the potion. He kept me healthy. I must be grateful."
Harry suggests that he wouldn't dare messing with the potion with Dumbledore watching.
"You are determined to hate him, Harry," Lupin smiles. "And I understand; with James as your father, with Sirius as your godfather, you have inherited an old prejudice. By all means tell Dumbledore what you have told Arthur and me, but do not expect him to share your view of the matter; do not even expect him to be surprised by what you tell him. It might have been on Dumbledore's orders that Severus questioned Draco."
...and now you've torn it quite apart I'll thank you to give back my heart!
The song ends, and loud applause echoes out of the wireless. Molly joins in. Fleur relievedly asks if it is over; before she can criticise the song any further, Arthur loudly asks if anyone wants eggnog.
Werewolves
While Arthur fetches the eggnog, Harry asks remus what's he been up to. Lupin replies that he was underground—almost literally. He's been living among werewolves, most of whom are on Voldemort's side. Albus wished for a spy, and Remus is, as he bitterly puts it, "ready-made." He smiles, and adds that the work is necessary.
It is difficult to win the werewolves' trust, however, because Remus has clearly tried to win among wizards, and most others have shunned society, and steal or murder to eat. They believe that, under his rule, there will be a better life for their kind: Fenrir Greyback, the most savage werewolf alive, makes a powerful case for the Dark Lord.
He thinks it is his mission in life to bite as many wizards as he can, and Voldemort promises him prey in exchange for his services—that is, the Dark Lord threatens people's sons and daughters with the possibility of setting Greyback against them, and it works most effectively.
Remus reveals that it was Fenrir who bit him when he was a child; Mr. Lupin offended the Death Eater for some reason. His child did not know for many years the identity of who had contaminated him—felt sorry for him, either, believing the creature incapable of controlling itself under the full moon—but Greyback, he now knows, deliberately stays close to victims on the full moon.
Among his fellows, Fenrir campaigns that werewolves deserve blood and revenge against the normal population. Remus' reasoning is not gathering many followers against such arguments.
"But you are normal!" Harry says. "You've just got a — a problem —"
Remus laughs. "Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my 'furry little problem' in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit."
He takes some eggnog from Arthur. Harry remembers to ask him something: "Have you ever heard of someone called the Half-Blood Prince?"
Lupin smiles. "There are no wizarding princes. Is this a title you're thinking of adopting? I should have thought being 'the Chosen One' would be enough."
Harry indingantly replies that the Prince is someone who went to Hogwarts, and whose old Potions book he has. He invented spells like Levicorpus; at last Remus shows signs of recognition, and says that there was a great vogue of that during his time at Hogwarts. For a few months in his fifth year, it was hard to walk around without being lifted up in the hair by the ankle.
Harry points out, trying to appear casual, that James used it against Snape (OP28) and that it sounds as though the hex was invented while the foursome were at school. Remus understands the underlying line of questioning, and smiles again, repeating that James wasn't the only one: it was a popular spell ("Jinxes go in and out of fashion like everything else."), and James was a pure-blood—and he never asked the Marauders to call him 'Prince'.
Harry asks Remus to confirm that the Prince wasn't him or Sirius, either; Lupin confirms it. The werewolf suggests that Harry check at how old the book is in order to find out when the Prince was at Hogwarts.
Fleur decides to imitate Celestina singing "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love"—Molly seems furious, and everyone hurries to bed.
Up in the attic, Ron soon falls asleep. Harry finds his copy of Advanced Potion-Making and sees the publishing date is in the front of the book: it was printed almost fifty years old. He is disappointed; the Marauders weren't at Hogwarts back then.
He drifts off to an uneasy sleep.
Presents
Harry wakes up with Ron saying, "She's got to be joking." Lavender has sent him a thick gold chain, with letters dangling from it, spelling the words "My sweetheart." Harry is amused, and recommends that he wear it in front of the twins.
"If you tell them, I — I — I'll —"
"Stutter at me?" Harry grins. "Come on, would I?"
The idea that Lavender thought him capable of wearing such an item is despairing. He admits to Harry that they don't talk much—it's mainly snogging. After some hesitation, he asks whether Hermione is still with McLaggen, to which Harry replies that the couple was at Slughorn's party, but that that didn't go very well.
Ron cheers up a bit with that information.
Harry's presents are:
- A hand-knitted Weasley sweater with a large Snitch on the front from Molly
- A large box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from the twins
- A damp parcel ("D'you reckon this is safe to open?" "Can't be anything dangerous, all our mail's still being searched at the Ministry.") that turns out to be full of maggots, from Kreacher
While opening the package, Harry ponders whether people give their house-elves presents for Christmas. Ron shrugs that Hermione would, and laughs when he sees the contents of Harry's present. "Nice! Very thoughtful."
"I'd rather have them than that necklace," Harry retorts, shutting his best friend up at once.
Lunch
Everyone wears their sweaters to lunch, with the exception of Fleur, who didn't get one, and Molly, who is wearing a midnight-blue hat glittering with starlike diamonds, and a golden necklace—Fred and George's presents ("We find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks.").
Ginny cheerfully informs Harry that he has a maggot in his hair. When she leans across the table to get it off, he feels goosebumps.
Fleur shudders affectedly. Ron offers her gravy, and in his excitement knocks it over; Bill returns the gravy to its boat with a wave of his wand. Fleur kisses him in gratitute, and tells Ron that he is as clumsy as Tonks. Molly glowers at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law and mentions that she invited Tonks to lunch. She asks whether Remus has been in touch with her, and he replies that he hasn't—but Tonks probably has her own family to go to. Molly says that she got the impression that Nymphadora would be alone for Christmas.
She throws Remus an annoyed look. Fleur feeds Bill turkey off her own fork.
Harry remembers to ask Remus about Tonks' Patronus, which changed shape, according to Snape (HBP8). He inquires his old professor why such a thing could happen.
It takes Remus some time to chew and swallow before he says, "Sometimes... a great shock ... an emotional upheaval ..."
Harry says that it looks big and had four legs. He is interrupted before he can guess what it could be.
Percy
Suddenly, Molly raises from her chair, pressing her hand over her heart. She sees Percy out the window. Everybody looks and sees the young man, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, striding across the yard; his mother is the first to notice that Rufus Scrimgeour is limping alongside him. Percy enters through the back door.
After a brief silence, he wishes his mother merry Christmas. She throws herself into his arms, with moistened eyes. The Minister warmly says that the two of them were nearby, working, and Percy wanted to see his family. That does not appear to be true; Percy is stiffly and awkwardly standing at a corner, does not meet anyone's eyes, and does not greet anyone else.
Arthur, Fred and George show no reaction. Molly offers turkey to the Minister, who refuses politely (Harry believes him to have asked Percy her name shortly before entering) and claims to want to have a stroll around the yard while Molly and Percy catch up. "Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden... Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"
The atmosphere changes at once. The Minister's jovial façade does not convince the Weasleys; Ginny, Fleur and George had also finished eating, and it would be highly strange for Scrimgeour not to know Harry's name.
Harry agrees, but the pretence doesn't fool him—this stroll was certainly the reason for Rufus' presence at The Burrow. On his way out of the table, he quietly reassures Remus and Arthur, both of whom were about to interfere. Scrimgeour cheerfully leaves the room with Harry.
I must not tell lies
Harry walks across the yard towards the garden, with a limping Scrimgeour at his side. The Minister looks tough and battle-scarred. He says he's wanted to meet Harry for a long time, ever since he gained office, but Dumbledore's been very protective of the boy and prevented it.
The Gryffindor feels as though the reason for Rufus' visit is becoming clearer as the Minister starts questioning him about the stories regarding that "the Chosen One" business. Scrimgeour asks him whether Albus has discussed the matter with Harry; the boy isn't sure whether he ought to lie or not, and thinks about the matter while examining gnome prints on the floorbeds, near the spot where Fred grabbed the gnome that is now atop the Christmas tree wearing a tutu.
He ends up admitted that they have discussed it. When Rufus asks him what, precisely, was discussed, Harry stares at a gnome that has poked his its head from under a rhododendron and says that that is between him and the Hogwarts Headmaster. Scrimgeour shrugs it off: does it really matter, he wonders, whether Harry is or not the Chosen One? Naturally it does to the boy himself, but to the wizarding population what matters is what people believe.
Harry continues staring at the gnome, which is now digging for worms at the roots of the thododendron.
Scrimgeour says that people believe Harry to be the Chosen One—a hero, which he is, regardless of the hypothetical prophecy. He is a symbol of hope for many: "the idea that there is somebody out there who might not be able, who might even be destined, to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named — well, naturally, it gives people a lift. And I can't help but feel that, once you realise this, you might consider it, well, almost a duty, to stand alongside the Ministry, and give everyone a boost."
The gnome grabs a worm, and tries to remove it from the frozen ground. Rufus looks down at it and calls gnomes "funny little chaps," and presses Harry for a response. The boy asks him to clarify what he means. Scrimgeour replies that it's nothing onerous: Harry has only to be seen at the Ministry from time to time, perhaps talking to Gawain Robards (the new Head of the Auror office); it would be easy to arrange a career for Harry as an Auror as well (Umbridge has told Rufus that Harry would like that, OP29).
Harry feels angry, and plainly states that Rufus would like to have it seem that he is working for the Ministry. Rufus seems relieved, and agrees, saying that "it's all about giving people hope".
The boy strives to keep his voice calm as he says, "But if I keep running in and out of the Ministry, won't that seem as though I approve of what the Ministry's up to?"
Scrimgeour frowns. "Well, yes, that's partly why we'd like—"
"No, I don't think that'll work. You see, I don't like some of the things the Ministry's doing. Locking up Stan Shunpike, for instance."
Rufus' expression hardens. "I would not expect you to understand. These are dangerous times, and certain measures need to be taken. You are sixteen years old —" Harry hurries to point out that Albus does not agree with the arresting of Stan either: "You're making Stan a scapegoat, just like you want to make me a mascot."
At last Scrimgeour concludes: "I see. You prefer — like your hero, Dumbledore — to disassociate yourself from the Ministry?" Harry confirms that he does not wish to be used, and the Minister replies that some would say that that is his duty.
"Yeah," Harry says, "and others might say it's your duty to check that people really are Death Eaters before you chuck them in prison. You're doing what Barty Crouch did. You never get it right, you people, do you? Either we've got Fudge, pretending everything's lovely while people get murdered right under his nose, or we've got you, chucking the wrong people into jail and trying to pretend you've got 'the Chosen One' working for you!"
Rufus takes the opportunity to try to confirm that Harry is not, in fact, the so-called "Chosen One".
Harry laughs bitterly; hasn't Scrimgeour said that it didn't matter? The Minister quickly says that that was tactless. Harry retorts that it was honest: one of the few honest things Rufus has said in the conversation. "You don't care whether I live or die, but you do care that I help you convince everyone you're winning the war against Voldemort. I haven't forgotten, Minister..." he raises his fist, showing him the scar Dolores Umbridge forced him to carve into his own flesh, reading "I must not tell lies" (OP13). "I don't remember you rushing to my defence when I was trying to tell everyone Voldemort was back. The Ministry wasn't so keen to be pals last year."
The gnome succeeds on extricating the worm and sucks on it. Rufus aggressively asks Harry what Dumbledore has been doing; the boy replies that he does no know, and that he would not tell Scrimgeour if he did. The Minister states that he will therefore have to find out by other means.
"You can try," Harry shrugs. "But you seem cleverer than Fudge, so I'd have thought you'd have learned from his mistakes. He tried interfering at Hogwarts. You might have noticed he's not Minister anymore, but Dumbledore's still headmaster. I'd leave Dumbledore alone, if I were you."
They are silent. Scrimgeour says coldly, "Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on you. Dumbledore's man through and through, aren't you, Potter?"
"Yeah, I am. Glad we straightened that out," Harry retorts, turning and walking back to the house.
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