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!

20 December

The first item arrived after a short moment, however, it was only a couple of hours later that four other Horcruxes showed up at the designed spot. To Daphne's and Harry's horror, one of them was very much alive in form of a giant snake. Harry immediately stunned the snake, before he turned to his girlfriend.

"This is a huge problem," he said, pensively. "That snake won't fit into my cauldron, and I suppose that just killing it won't do the trick."

"No, but the adults can use the same spell which they used for the Horcrux behind your scar," Daphne suggested, eyeing the large snake with anxiety.

While Severus and Nicholas cast the spell at the stunned snake, Harry levitated the other items into a large silver cauldron. He took the cauldron back into his lab and under Nicholas' and Severus' supervision carefully poured the potion into the cauldron until all three items were completely covered by the liquid.

"Now step back," Severus ordered him, before he cast a couple of safety charms around the cauldron, even if only for precaution.

From the far end of the room, the three wizards observed how the potion let out a couple of angry hisses, before a black cloud emerged from the liquid with a huge shriek that stopped an instant later when the cloud vanished into thin air.

"That was it," Nicholas spoke up, seemingly contented.

Harry quickly banished the liquid, before he carefully examined the items in the cauldron. "They don't feel as weird as they did before. Can we be sure that the Horcruxes are really gone?"

"Yes," Nicholas confirmed, smiling.

Harry sighed in relief, before he remembered to ask, "And do you know for certain that all Horcruxes are gone?"

"Yes Harry," Nicholas reassured him and admitted that he had cast the spell to summon the Horcruxes three times just to be really sure that there was none left.

"What are these objects?" Daphne enquired, now that Nicholas allowed her and Perenelle with Astoria into the lab.

Nicholas and Severus leaned over the cauldron with interest.

"This is the locket of Salazar Slytherin," Severus speak up, sounding uncharacteristically excited. "And this must be Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Here, look at the writing on both."

Nicholas cast a spell at the ring to read the very small letters to him, which made it clear that it was the ring of Marvolo Gaunt. "Tom's grandfather," he explained.

"So this must be from Rowena Ravenclaw or Godric Gryffindor," Daphne said, eagerly pulling the diadem out of the cauldron.

"It's Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem," Severus spoke up in clear amazement. "It's said to have been lost for centuries."

"So these items all belong to Harry as the heir of the founders anyway," Perenelle spoke up, causing Harry to shake his head.

"The Gaunt's ring belongs to Tom, the items from Salazar and Helga should be Severus', and Rowena's diadem Nicholas'," he contradicted.

"Harry," Nicholas spoke up, patiently, "one and a half years ago, Severus and I have decided to declare you the sole heir of all four founders. Therefore, it's up to you what to do with these."

"I already know what to do," Harry replied, smiling. "I'll give them all to Hogwarts to be displayed in a safe case in the entrance hall for everyone to see. I need your help to make that case though."

"I'll help you to achieve this very early on Christmas morning," Nicholas promised, smirking.

"Do you intent to give the headmaster a heart attack?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm sure that he knows about the Horcruxes, but he didn't tell me anything," Harry complained. "He surely intents to destroy them all by himself. Tough luck. Oh well, I don't care about him. I'm going to present these items to Hogwarts for Christmas then."

Everyone chuckled at Harry's outburst and were only be brought back to reality when Perenelle suddenly said, "Oh Merlin, it's almost seven o'clock. The Greengrasses should arrive any minute now."

メリークリスマス

Harry liked Adrian and Samantha Greengrass from the instant they arrived at the Flamels' house - a fact that seemed to be based on reciprocity.

Adrian was very interested in Nicholas' and Harry's research, although he admitted that he had no clue about potions let alone the building of broomsticks.

"We can build one together in the morning," Harry offered.

However, Astoria contradicted immediately. "No Harry, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we all need to go to Diagon Alley to buy Christmas presents," she said, grinning broadly.

"Oh right, that we need to do," Harry replied, inwardly groaning at himself how he could have forgotten about the matter. 'I could have brewed something for them, but it's too late now,' he thought.

メリークリスマス

Christmas shopping turned out to be much fun though. While Harry first went with Adrian, Samantha and Astoria to buy presents for Sirius and Remus as well as his father and grandparents, they met again two hours later, and Harry joined Remus and Sirius to shop for Astoria and her parents. Finally, they made their way into Gringotts to visit Harry's vault and see if there was a necklace or broach that matched their friendship rings. To his relief, he was lucky and found two matching items, which he both pocketed, the necklace for Daphne for Christmas and the broach for some other time. 'Maybe for her birthday,' he thought, when they headed back to Flourish & Blotts to meet with the others.

Christmas Eve was spent in the Parlour, where Harry introduced Adrian and Samantha to Hogwarts, before Lisa served a wonderful meal for the large, extended family.

It was very late in the evening, after they had spoken about Voldemort's return, the Horcruxes and many other things concerning the war against Voldemort, when Adrian suddenly suggested, "Can you perhaps invent a potion that makes the Dark Mark appear all over people's face, so that the Aurors can easily arrest them? If it comes to a final war against Voldemort, now that his Horcruxes are gone, you'll be glad the less supporters he has."

"That sounds like a good idea," Nicholas was the first to reply, thoughtfully.

"But only after we have invented an antidote as well," Harry, who was sitting on a sofa with Daphne nestled into his embrace, spoke up. "Severus also has the Dark Mark, because he was a spy for Dumbledore," he added an explanation.

Seeing his father unobtrusively shoot him a grateful look, he smiled and allowed Daphne to pull him into a kiss, completely ignoring Astoria who mumbled something sounding like "Disgusting."

"Astoria, I believe it's time for you to go to bed," Samantha spoke up, smirking.

"Yes," her daughter surprisingly agreed before threatening, "Harry, I'm going to wake you up very early tomorrow, and then I want my Christmas present."

"Good luck with that," Harry replied, grinning, knowing that Nicholas and he would be heading into the castle at four o'clock in the morning.

メリークリスマス

Just on time for breakfast on Christmas morning, Severus entered the Flamel's dining room, grinning broadly.

"Congratulations Nicholas and Harry, you've succeeded in driving Albus completely nuts," he spoke up.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Dad," Harry replied, grinning, before he asked, "What happened?"

"Albus called me into his office at seven this morning," Severus explained. "Apparently, he went to the kitchen for some hot chocolate as early as six, and when he crossed the entrance hall, he noticed the glass case with the displayed items of the founders. As far as he told me, he asked Hogwarts how they got there, and she told him that she had received them from a good friend for Christmas." Smirking, he continued, "As it seems, Albus is aware of the fact that they were Horcruxes, however, he doesn't know that we got rid of the evil parts, and he called me to receive my help in getting them out of the glass box or help him find out how to destroy them inside the box."

"Thank Merlin I wasn't with you," Harry said dryly. "I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face."

"And? What is he doing now?" Astoria enquired with apparent interest.

"Oh well, I unobtrusively spelled a strong calming draught into his system and, as soon as I left his office, instructed Cicero to put Harry's gift for him right on his desk. I hope that'll please him for the time being."

"What was your gift for the headmaster, Harry?" Astoria asked, curiously.

"A very colourful pair of woollen socks with small bells attached to them," Harry replied, grinning, an image of Dumbledore walking through the Great Hall in his new socks according to the melody of Jingle Bells popping up in his mind.

tbc...

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