After dinner that evening - one that only had the four Grangers and two of their aurors attend - the family broke up to head to their own rooms to finalise the wrapping of Christmas presents and to make an early night of it.
Harry didn't need to, as he'd done all his wrapping and tagging within two days of having purchased the gifts. Instead, he organised for all those outside of the Granger Residence to be delivered. Then called Dobby to take them and place them with the gifts for each in their own homes.
He smiled as he knew there would be those who wondered how he'd accomplished it, but he didn't rightly care.
'Let it be a puzzle for them to work out,' he thought. 'If they don't, they can always ask me.'
He wondered how long it would take them to do just that.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Christmas morning was finally upon them and Harry still tried to beat Dobby to breakfast that morning.
Sneaking in under his invisibility cloak, yet again, it was to find the little rugrat happily working at making breakfast for the household. There were pots on the stove, simmering; bacon and hash browns in two frying pans, sizzling; the tea' decanted and steeping; and plates in the oven, warming.
Without even turning around, Dobby, who had his back to him, quietly said, "Master Harry be getting better! But, Master Harry still not be beating Dobby!"
"Damn it!" Harry quietly exclaimed.
He shucked his invisibility cloak, bundled it up and stuffed it into his pocket as he turned and stomped off.
As the Grangers planned not to leave the house that day, dress was very casual. However, they at least had to dress. While they did not plan on going anywhere, with not just the aurors in attendance they knew there was a likelihood of folks turning up just to wish them a Merry Christmas, if for nothing else.
So, Harry quickly returned upstairs to his room and took a shower. As it was Christmas Day he wasn't as quick as normal. He actually stretched it out to almost fifteen minutes between walking in his bedroom door and walking back out again. However, even then, he was still the first down.
Making it to the dinette, Dobby quickly had a breakfast plated before him and, knowing the 'rule' of the house was not to wait for the rest of the household to join him at breakfast, dug in with gusto.
About halfway through his first plate he was joined by Monica, who didn't say a word other than a quietly muttered, "Good morning... and Merry Christmas."
Between mouthfuls Harry gave a smile and returned the compliment.
Next down was Wendell. Hermione finally came down about ten minutes later.
"Unusual for you to be down so late on Christmas Day, of all days, Princess," her father gently rebuked her.
Hermione blushed a little but gently smiled back. "I don't know why, but..." she gave a little side-long glance at Harry before turning back... "I think I've already got everything I need or want."
That had Wendell give the slightest of frowns while Monica's knowing smile turned into a widely beaming one. Harry, still eating, appeared oblivious.
"As soon as you've eaten we'll get into the giving of gifts," she said, taking a sip of tea from her cup. "That is, if Harry's also already filled that hungry beast he has in his tummy."
Pushing his plate slightly away, signalling he thought he'd eaten his fill from it, Harry reached for his own teacup and said, "Actually, I think the potions have finally stopped doing that to me. I think they might even have stopped yesterday, and all this is just... 'padding'... or my stomach shrinking back down again.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The Grangers and Harry were just rising from the table to walk into the parlour where the tree and the gifts were 'displayed', when Harry felt the alert ward on the Doghouse ping four times in quick succession.
He took a quick look out the dinette window to see Sirius lead the Tonkses towards the house.
'Who is it, Harry?" asked Wendell.
"Sirius, Ted, Andi and Dora," he immediately replied. "Ted's carrying an armload of wrapped gifts."
Wendell gave a sigh and almost muttered, "I'm glad Monica made sure we bought gifts for them; just in case."
Suddenly realising, he spun to the two teens and asked, "Did you―?"
"We did," Harry immediately cut in and replied. "Actually, I made sure gifts were bought for the entire extended Black clan... including the Malfoys... plus the Weasleys, the Longbottoms, the Boneses, the Abbotts, the Greengrasses, the Ogdens and Madam Marchbanks to include all the main families of the Alliance, especially those with heirs at Hogwarts.
"I also bought gifts for Remus, the aurors, the Lovegoods and a few generic spare ones, just in case."
At first relieved, Wendell just looked back in shock at how many Harry listed out. "Wow!" he quietly exclaimed.
That was when Sirius and the Tonkses came in.
Sirius immediately took one look at the tableau and immediately asked, "What'd we miss?"
Harry blandly replied, "Breakfast."
By then, Wendell had managed to shake off his shock. And was quick to greet their guests before he said, "We were just about to open gifts in the parlour. Why don't you join us?"
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
With the conclusion of the gift-giving and opening 'celebration' Monica was then quick to invite the Tonkses to morning tea.
Andi replied before Ted could. "We can do that, thank you. But, I'm sorry to say, we have to be somewhere after that."
Thankfully, and as per usual, there was plenty to go around. Dobby had cooked more than enough scones and made more than sufficient finger-cut sandwiches.
The Tonkses left a little while later. Sirius stayed behind.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
From where he was taking a closer look at his gifts, especially the very nice fully mechanical wristwatch the Grangers had given him as a gift from the entire family, he asked, "Wendell, Monica; do you mind if Hermione and I duck out for about an hour? I'd like to do a quick round of the Heirs of the Alliance to wish them a Merry Christmas, in person."
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