"Professor, may we leave Kit here for awhile?" In a rather large office, a man stood, looking at the old man in front of him with sad eyes.
"Of course. You do what you need to do.'
"Thank you, Professor." The woman next to the man said. The baby she carried on her hip was cooing happily. She hugged him hard and kissed him, crying. She handed the infant to her husband who then lifted him in the air. The baby laughed, and the man smiled tearfully.
"Goodbye. Goodbye, baby mage. See you soon." The man's voice wavered then. Handing the baby to the Professor, he led his wife away.
Professor Dumbledore looked at the baby in his arms.
"Now then, Kit. What shall we do with you?"
"Professor Dumbledore! You mean Kit has to stay here?" Minerva McGonagall asked.
The old man's voice was tired. "Yes Minerva, I am afraid that there is no other place for him. We can raise him here; it has worked so far. You and Remus can look after him, correct?"
"Yes, Professor. I suppose so."
"Good, good." Professor McGonagall walked down the stairs, down a few halls, and to the portrait of the young king Arthur.
Upon hearing the password, "Choc!" the portrait swung open to reveal a comfortable little room. A bed was just off to the side, and toys were both scattered on the floor and hurtling towards a year-old baby.
"Aun Irva!" He shrieked, as she lifted him.
"Yes, dear one. I am afraid Aun Irva and Uncle Remus and everyone else here are your family now," she said. That night, she carried him to the Great Hall. Most nights, he was fed in his room, but tonight was special. The children stared curiously at the highchair that was placed at the High Table.
A Ravenclaw third year cooed, "Look at him, isn't he cute?"
"Oh, he is adorable," others agreed readily.
Upon seeing Kit and Minerva, Professor Dumbledore stood and made an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kit Pu—er, Kit. He will be staying here for a while, since his family is no longer with us. His parents died while defeating the man who was feared by our kind. Luckily, he is now gone."
The students murmured at this mention of the Dark Lord, but the murmuring stopped when Kit began to scream. Everyone cringed, and Remus stuffed a spoonful of carrots in the child's mouth. During the meal, kids came up to play with the boy, but one girl, Ameber Puchassa, a first year Gryffindor, was around an awful lot. Kit had taken a liking to her. At the end of the meal, she approached Professor McGonagall.
"Um, Professor… um… you see, I really like Kit, and uh, would you want me, or rather, let me, if it would be okay…" Professor McGonagall had only known this girl for two months, but she knew her well enough.
"Spit it out, Ameber," she said, though not unkindly.
"Well, I was wondering ificouldbabysitkit."
"Pardon?"
"I was wondering," she took a deep breath. "If I could baby sit Kit sometime?"
"Yes dear that would be wonderful, Ameber." The professor knew the girl was calm and patient with others. She was smart and taught others well.
"Of course, but only if your studies stay the same."
"Yes, of course, Professor."
"In that case, would you like to start tonight?" The young girl nodded eagerly. "Okay then, if you could take Kit to his room, bathe him, and put him to bed, I'd be greatful. If you'd like to be with your friends, I can make you a magical monitor so that you could listen for him in the common room. Remus or myself will be there soon enough."
"Kit's room is fine, if you don't mind. I… er… I don't have many friends."
The professor had noticed this, but had thought it better not to mention it. She nodded. "Of course, his room is on the fifth floor, next to the statue of wizard Aleksey Romanov, and behind the portrait of King Arthur. The password is 'choc.'"
"Yes, ma'am." She walked over to Kit, and then stopped. "Choc?"
Remus turned to her and smiled. "Dobby usually looks after him, and he noticed Kit had started to call chocolate 'choc,' therefore…" Ameber nodded and lifted Kit up.
"You're a mess!" she said to him, in baby talk. "A mess! Yes oo are! Es!'
"Yeah, yeah!" Kit agreed. Ameber grabbed her bag and headed to the fifth floor. Kit yawned and laid his head on her shoulder.
"Hey now, you still gotta take a bath, little one," she whispered. As he lifted his head up, they passed a ghost.
"Nic!" he said.
"Yes, yes, young Kit." Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington agreed,smiling and pulling faces at the young boy. Ameber was slightly astonished at the normal depressed ghosts reaction but shook it off. Babies had that mystical power to warm hearts.
"Hi, Nick," Ameber said, "I have to get Kit in bed."
"Yes, of course, good night." Ameber took Kit into his room. She started running the water in the adjoined bathroom and undressed him.
"Can you say Ameber? Am-ber?"
"Amburger."
"No, Ameber."
"Ambear!"
"That'll work too." She laughed and sat him in the water. He splashed delightedly and she out her hands over her face.
"Pardon me! I'm wet here!" she laughed, making Kit giggle. She washed him and laughed as he tried to blow bubbles, only to get water in his mouth. She wrapped him in a towel and exhausted, he laid his head on her shoulder again.
Humming, she walked over to the dresser and found a red sleeper that brought out his bright green eyes.
She laid him on his bed that, astonishingly, had no rails. He yawned and rolled over. Just as Ameber began to panic and moved to catch him, magical rails sprung up to protect the baby. He curled around a brown teddy-bear and sighed.
The words "Ambear wuv" came from his mouth, just before he fell asleep. Ameber settled at the desk and worked on a homework report on different levitating spells.
She was about to start on her Potions homework when the door opened. She turned and saw Professor Lupin. He caught her eye and smiled.
"You did a good job with him," he whispered, not wanting to wake Kit up. "Have you had a lot of experience?"
Ameber shrugged, "At the foster homes."
He nodded, remembering what dumbledore had told him. Teachers were briefed on students who might have difficulty ajusting our Ameber had been one of them "You can go to your common room now."
"Pleas, sir. May I stay here until I finish?" He nodded again, and she didn't leave for hours. When she did, she looked at the peacefully sleeping Kit once more.
"Wish I could do that," she muttered, before giving him a kiss and leaving the room.