Elixir for Christmas - My Advent's Calendar story 2015
by Healer Pomfrey

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC.

It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it.
If you don't like it, go and find something else to read or write your own story to your liking!

10 December (1991)

Hogwarts smiled to herself, thinking, 'I believe that I did well. Due to my meddling, Severus has discovered happiness for himself and his son, Nicholas has found a new purpose for his life, and Harry'... Her smile intensified, as she observed the soon to be a student, '...He has become an incredibly alert young man. I must help him again though.'

Once again, she called Lisa, happy when the small elf immediately popped into her Parlour right away. "Thank you for caring so well for Harry," she said, gently, before she gave her clear instructions to the elf.

"Lisa understands, Mistress Hogwarts. I wills sees to it," Lisa replied, seemingly happy about her newest task.

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"Don't forget to change your features back," Nicholas reminded Harry, when the boy was waiting to head to his godfather's shop to be taken to King's Cross, so that he could board the Hogwarts Express.

"Yes Granddad," Harry replied, smiling, and turned his outer appearance back to his own features after running around with red hair for a very long time.

"Come to visit us as soon as you can," Perenelle instructed him, gently placing a kiss on his forehead.

"We're very proud of you, Harry," Nicholas added.

"Harry, I'll see you at the school. Please remember to not call me Dad in front of anyone, and remember that I might have to say outright nasty things to you, depending on the house that you'll get sorted into," Severus reminded his unofficial son.

"Yes Dad, I'll do my best," Harry promised, smiling, before he gripped his luggage and stepped into the fireplace to travel to the broom shop.

"All right Harry, let's go. You're surely excited," Sirius spoke up as Harry entered the shop.

"Yes and no," Harry replied, feeling more annoyed than excited at the prospect of becoming a student.

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Twenty minutes later, Harry pulled his luggage through the corridor of the Hogwarts Express looking for an empty compartment. It was still early, and most students were either still standing on the platform or had not even arrived yet. He quickly settled into a compartment and made himself comfortable next to the window with a potions book, a parchment and his quill on his lap. 'I hope I'll find time to continue my research during the school year,' he thought, as he tried to focus on possible ingredients.

A while later, he was brought out of his studies, when a shy looking boy with brown hair opened the door to his compartment, seemingly hesitating.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Of course," Harry replied, smiling, waving his hand around the compartment to convince the boy that it was still empty.

"Thank you," the other boy replied, returning the smile, before he introduced himself as Neville Longbottom.

"Hello Neville," Harry greeted the boy, whom he immediately liked. "I'm Harry."

Neville cast him a curious look, before he said in clear excitement. "You must be Harry Potter then. Do you know that we're god brothers?"

Harry could not help staring at Neville in confusion. "God brothers?" he asked, incredulously.

"Yes," Neville explained eagerly, "your mother was my godmother and mine yours, which makes us close to brothers. I'm only six hours older than you by the way."

Harry smiled at the explanation. "Sorry Neville, I didn't know that, but I'm happy to have you as my god brother."

Soon, the two first-years were joined by a girl with bushy brown hair, and the three first-years chatted away, happily, before three red headed boys entered the compartment just when the train began to move.

"You're fairly late," the girl, who had introduced herself as Hermione Granger, lectured the boys, causing Neville and Harry to exchange a surprised look.

Two of the boys, who looked like twins, began to chuckle. "We're always late," they replied in a funny sing-song.

However, their brother set up an angry expression and explained, "We hadn't been so late if we hadn't been waiting for Harry Potter on the Muggle side of the platform. It's his fault that we almost missed the train."

"What?" Harry blurted out with a combination of surprise and anger. "I've been on the train for almost an hour, and I can't recall being told that I had to meet anyone on the Muggle platform. Why would I?"

The twins grinned.

"It was Dumbledore..."

"... who set up our mother..."

"... to help you onto the platform..."

"... and asked Ronald..."

"... to befriend you..."

"... since you were both going to be sorted into Gryffindor," they explained to a very upset Harry.

Harry shook his head in annoyance. "I have no idea where I'm going to be sorted, but I believe that it'll either be Ravenclaw or Slytherin, but surely not Gryffindor," he replied, resolving to find a few seconds to ask Hogwarts if she could prevent the Hat from sorting him into the lions' house. "Moreover, I am at a loss to understand why your mother should help me onto the platform? There must be a misunderstanding somewhere between Dumbledore and your mother."

"It's not," the younger boy insisted, causing Harry to see red.

"Well, I didn't ask for, neither do I need nor want your friendship," he replied in an angry voice. "I choose my friends myself."

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During the remaining hours of the train ride, Harry, Neville and Hermione eagerly chatted with the twins, who seemed to be outright funny, however, completely ignored the other red head, who was continuously mumbling to himself, casting Harry irate looks from time to time.

At one stage, a blonde boy appeared in the doorframe of the compartment. "Potter," he addressed Harry and introduced himself as Draco Malfoy. "Together with a bunch of blood traitors?" he then asked and held out his hand to Harry. "It's better to choose whom to friend, Potter," he added.

"Thanks, but I'm well able to choose my friends myself without interference from Dumbledore or others," Harry replied in a firm voice. While he did not take the offered hand, he smiled at the boy with the intention of speaking to him when they were at Hogwarts.

'Oh my, maybe it would have been better to come as Harry Flamel,' Harry thought in annoyance, however, quickly dismissed the thought, knowing that his real name was even more famous, especially among the students.

When the first-years hurried behind a half-giant to board small boats that would take them to Hogwarts, Harry efficiently managed to get behind a girl with light brown hair with the sole purpose of preventing Ronald Weasley from climbing into the boat with him and his new friends.

The girl introduced herself as Susan Bones, causing Harry to ask if she was related to Amelia Bones.

"Yes, she's my aunt and guardian," Susan admitted.

Harry smiled. "I know your aunt. She's one of the kindest witches I've ever met so far," he replied, honestly, recalling how Madam Bones had handled the matter with Sirius' trial and the werewolf elixir.

Susan gave him a sharp look. "My aunt told me about you, but didn't you change your name?" she asked, seemingly trying to remember something.

Harry unobtrusively shook his head, giving her a warning look, before he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

To his relief, Hogwarts came just into view and efficiently distracted everyone from the conversation.

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Thirty minutes later, Harry was waiting in front of the high table to be called forward to the Sorting Hat. Inwardly sighing, he realised that he was not going to have an opportunity to quickly speak with Hogwarts before his Sorting.

Suddenly, he noticed that the headmaster was looking at him and smiled when their eyes met, however, Harry did not feel willing to show any kindness to the old wizard, knowing that he had willingly ignored his parents' will and dumped him onto his relatives' doorsteps. 'I really owe Hogwarts,' he thought. 'Only because she brought me here and assigned me my grandparents and father, I was able to have such a wonderful childhood.' He quickly turned his eyes away from the headmaster and concentrated on the Sorting that had just begun.

'Please just call me Harry Potter,' he thought, while Professor McGonagall was calling the students from her long list, recalling what Severus had told him about said list.

He closely observed the deputy headmistress, knowing that his name had to be the next to be called, and noticed that her expression changed into one of clear disbelief, before she paled visibly and finally said, "Harry Potter."

tbc...

Thank you very much for your kind comments on the previous chapter!