Santa Paws
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1.
In case you have not read yesterday's chapter yet, please go back and read chapter 28 first :)
'Somehow, I still feel strange,' Albus thought in annoyance. 'I wonder what that feral dog did to me. Yes, I know that he saved my life,' he thought, impatiently, 'but still.'
'Santa Paws has saved your life before and even protected you from Lockhart's memory spell,' a small voice spoke up from the back of his mind. 'You should be grateful.'
'Yes, yes,' Albus replied to himself, helping himself to another lemon drop, 'but I'm sure that it's the dog's fault that I feel strange and can't even properly do magic. I just hope that he did something similar, or better yet worse, to Tom. I really don't want Tom to pull the magical world into a second war.'
For a while – just like every day recently –, he pondered what to do with his time in the future. On the one hand, he was definitely old enough to retire, however, on the other hand, he was not used to not playing any important role in the British magical world.
'Perhaps I should put my name in for the position of the minister of magic,' he suddenly thought. 'My magic will surely recover, and I still should have some supporters on the Wizengamot who might be willing to elect me.'
Making a decision, he sent an owl to Amelia Bones, demanding that his name be put onto the list of the applicants for the position of the Minister of Magic.
HP
Tom was sitting in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor, feeling satisfied with his old friend Lucius Malfoy, who had always kept a loophole for him in the wards surrounding the manor, so that even if the Malfoys were absent, he could always access the house.
Barty Crouch Junior had told him about his faithful follower's untimely death, and Tom felt extremely upset about it, as the aristocratic man had been useful to him to say the least. It was just pure luck that Narcissa and Draco Malfoy resided at Hogwarts during the school year, so that he could access the building and thoroughly put the library to good use, before he retired to the dungeons, when the boy and his mother came home for the holidays. Thankfully, his old house-elf, Balthasar, was still alive and more than willing to provide everything for him that he needed, whilst he had obliviated the Malfoy house-elves about his presence at the manor.
While he could have simply stayed at the old Riddle house, he had chosen Malfoy manor because of its library. The fight against Dumbledore had left him unable to do any magic whatsoever. While he very much hoped that it was merely a temporary deficit, he spent his time researching the matter – without much success so far.
'There was that dog and some kind of elf or whatever creature that was,' he recalled. 'They said they represented the Potter boy. Perhaps, they've done something to me. On the other hand, a dog and an elf wouldn't be able to cast such a powerful spell at me,' he consoled himself. 'I need to recover quickly, so I can go and free my faithful servants out of Azkaban,' he resolved, somehow feeling lonely without their support and devotion.
HP
Even if Harry's friends had come to visit him on the North Pole for his birthday with the intention to stay for two weeks as usual, Harry had to attend the Wizengamot meeting on the first of August, when the new Minister of Magic was going to be elected.
"I'd prefer Amelia Bones," Santa said, frankly. "Mr. Weasley is a nice wizard, however, he is already in the position of secret adviser to the Queen. I believe that's enough. The magical world should avoid having people in multiple positions like it was the case with Dumbledore, who held just too much power for one person."
"I will vote for her," Harry agreed, smiling, causing Sirius to nod his thanks.
"Even if she'll have less time for me, I believe that she's the best for the position," he replied, seemingly excited. "Knowing that it was the Queen who suggested Mr. Weasley, he might get more votes than Meli though," he added in apparent concern.
"Don't forget that Dumbledore is on the list of applicants as well," Santa spoke up in apparent amusement.
"Dad, do you really believe that he'd get more votes than Madam Bones or Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked in bewilderment.
"Oh well, it's time for us to go and vote in any case," Sirius replied matter-of-factly, and they quickly took their leave, knowing that their extended family as well as Harry's friends would remain glued to the screen during the meeting of the Wizengamot.
"Thanks for voting for Auntie," Susan spoke up, right before Sirius' and Harry's Portkey activated and they were whisked away.
HP
To Harry's relief, however, Amelia Bones was elected with a broad majority. Mr. Weasley received about a third of the votes, while only very few members voted for Dumbledore. Everyone had been contented with Amelia's actions as the interim minister, especially considering the inactivity which ex-minister Fudge had displayed during his tenure.
Right after the Wizengamot meeting, a press conference took place, and while Harry would have preferred to return home, he decided to keep Sirius company, who was impatiently waiting for Amelia to finish work for the day.
"Sirius, why don't we take Madam Bones with us to the North Pole for a proper party?" Harry suggested, while Amelia answered one or the other question for the journalists.
"Won't Santa and Claire mind?" Sirius asked in concern, causing Harry to chuckle.
"Sirius, Santa's workshop is my home as well, and I can bring home whom I like to bring," he replied, grinning. "Shall I ask Holly to bring a sleigh?"
"Oh yes please," Sirius said in clear excitement. "So far, she doesn't know anything about me living on the North Pole, so it's going to be a real surprise."
"Maybe Susan told her, as she's been visiting now for the fourth summer," Harry warned his much too energetic godfather, who shrugged in return.
=I'll go and ask Santa. I'll have Luna translate for me,= Santa Paws offered and activated his Portkey without waiting for a response.
A few minutes later, the canine was back. =Anyone already knew about the party from listening in here. Holly is going to park the sleigh in the hidden sleigh port at the Leaky Cauldron,= he informed Harry and Sirius, who thanked the dog profusely.
HP
Amelia Bones stared at the sleigh in apparent amazement. "Sirius, Harry, are you kidding me?" she asked, glaring at the two wizards, just when Holly approached them.
"Minister Bones," he greeted the new minister, "I am Holly, one of Santa's elves. Congratulations to your nomination as the new minister. Please accompany us to the celebration, which is going to take place on the North Pole."
"Good afternoon, Holly," the minister greeted the elf, before turning back to Sirius and Harry. "What have you done now?" she enquired in a stern voice.
=Come on, let's get onto the sleigh,= Santa Paws woofed and eagerly ran ahead.
"Susan will be happy to see you, Minister," Harry added, causing the witch to stare at him in obvious surprise.
"All right then," she finally replied and accepted Sirius' hand to guide her onto the sleigh.
HP
Santa, Claire, some of the elves, all the puppies, several Hogwarts teachers as well as all of Harry's friends waited outside, when the reindeer landed on the ground.
"Minister Bones," Santa shouted in a booming yet pleasant voice, "congratulations and welcome to the North Pole."
"Auntie, congratulations!" Susan shouted over all the applause that her aunt received upon leaving the sleigh together with Sirius.
"Thank you, everyone," she replied, smiling happily.
Harry noticed in surprise that the room in front of the screen, which had become the extended family's favourite chamber by now, was beautifully decorated. For once, the decorations had nothing to do with Christmas, but mostly consisted of flowers, hearts and stars that covered the walls, windows, while candles in the forms of bouquets were sitting on the table. Between these decorations, large letters read 'Congratulations Minister Bones'.
Suddenly, the minister let out a small gasp. Following her look, Harry realised that on the screen, the office of the new minister of magic was displayed. However, the most noticeable thing were the Christmas decorations that illuminated the office.
"Excuse me," the minister addressed Santa, "what date do you have on the North Pole?"
"It's the first of August," Santa replied in apparent surprise.
"Oh all right," Amelia replied, smiling. "I was just wondering why my office is decorated as if it was Christmas."
Santa smirked, glancing at Harry, who nodded and called out, "Santa Paws."
Just a moment later, his familiar stormed into the room, followed by half a dozen of his siblings.
"Did you decorate Minister Bones' office?" Harry asked in a soft voice.
Santa Paws nodded, before he walked up to the minister and gently licked her hand.
"Thank you for decorating my office," Amelia said to the canine. "That was very thoughtful of you."
=You're welcome,= Santa Paws woofed, before he strolled away with his siblings in tow.
"Now Meli," Sirius spoke up, pleasantly, "tell us, what's going to be your first task as the new minister?"
Amelia let out a deep sigh, before she replied, pensively, "My first task will be to find a new undersecretary. While Percy Weasley is very eager and certainly a good worker, I wish for someone with whom I can work together more efficiently.
"How about Cedric?" Harry blurted out before even thinking about it. "I don't know if he already has a job, but if not, he would be brilliant."
"Oh Auntie, that's right. Cedric would be really good," Susan immediately agreed.
"Shall we call him here?" Professor Sprout spoke up.
Harry realised how the minister, whom he had always thought to be very calm and cool, seemed to become more excited by the minute.
"Yes please, if that's possible," she said in apparent appreciation.
"Shall I?" Harry offered, giving his head of house a questioning look.
"Yes please," Sprout replied, smiling at him.
"Cedric Diggory," Harry told the screen, sighing in relief, when he found Cedric alone in a room, sitting at a desk, obviously writing a letter.
Casting the communication charm, he addressed his friend. "Hi Cedric, please listen, you won't be able to see me, you can only hear me. It's Harry."
"Hi Harry," Cedric replied in apparent surprise. "Now tell me, how are you doing this?"
"I will," Harry promised. "Now, a sleigh is going to collect you in fifteen minutes. It's going to take you here to me. We're having a party for the new Minister of Magic, and she'd like to talk to you for a moment," he informed his friend, hoping that the older boy would agree to come.
"Harry, this is not a trap or a joke, is it?" Cedric asked in apparent suspicion.
"No, I promise, and I'll send Santa Paws with the sleigh to fetch you," Harry promised and quickly informed Santa Paws and Holly through telepathy.
HP
Cedric spontaneously agreed to become Minister Bones' undersecretary and thanked Harry profusely for suggesting him.
During the evening, he then told Harry that he was in job negotiations with the Kenmare Kestrels, a professional Quidditch team from Ireland, but that he preferred the offered ministry position by far.
"I'm glad to hear that," Harry replied, smiling, as he really liked his former housemate. "It'll be sad at Hogwarts without you," he added, letting out a deep sigh.
"Ah, there are many nice students," Cedric replied, grinning.
"By the way, Harry, there's something that I'd like to discuss with you," Sprout suddenly addressed him.
When Harry gave her a questioning look, she said in a small voice, "I am thinking of making you either one of the fifth-year prefects or the Quidditch captain, but I'm not sure if that's not too much to ask considering that you're also Severus' student assistant."
Harry looked at his head of house in surprise. "I'm not sure," he replied, sighing, "as I'm assisting Severus during most of the evenings. While I'd like to help, I wouldn't be able to do prefect rounds in the evenings. Oh well, perhaps after curfew," he added, shrugging. "Perhaps it would be better to choose Neville though. He'd make a good prefect, too," he then suggested.
"Neville is going to be my student assistant," Sprout admitted. "I will speak with the head girl, who is one of our house this time, and I'll ask her to not involve you in the evening patrols. Perhaps I can make both of you prefects, so that you can share the tasks."
"All right. That would be fine. Thank you so much, Professor," Harry replied, smiling. "I feel very honoured." He hesitated for a moment before enquiring, "May I ask who the girls' prefect is going to be?"
"Hermione is going to be prefect, as I would need Daphne to become the Quidditch captain. I hope that'll be all right with her," Sprout admitted, smiling.
"I'd like to be the Quidditch captain, provided that Harry helps me though," Daphne added, smiling broadly.
"Excuse me, Professor, did I hear that correctly?" Hermine suddenly spoke up from the other side of the room. "I am going to be a prefect?"
When Sprout nodded in confirmation, Hermione immediately dashed away in obvious exhilaration to write a letter to her parents.
HP
It was during the third week of August that Severus fulfilled his duties as the deputy headmaster – with the assistance of Regina, whom he had married in a very quiet wedding at the beginning of the holidays –, so that Minerva could spend another week on the North Pole.
"We have a problem," she told the extended family during the first evening, when everyone was having tea in the screen room. "Due to the questioning of the captured Death Eaters under Veritaserum, the Aurors received information about other Death Eaters, whom they arrested and equally questioned, and many followers of Voldemort have been sent to Azkaban.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Remus spoke up, questioningly.
"While that is a good thing per se," Minerva replied, letting out a deep sigh, "several of our Slytherin students have lost both parents to Azkaban and all children who don't have other relatives who could take them in have been put into muggle orphanages. In most cases, even if they have relatives, they're Death Eaters themselves and are in Azkaban now." She remained quiet for a moment, while everyone stared at her in expectation, before she continued.
"Harry, I was wondering about something. We have several unused parts in the castle. Do you think that we could re-activate one of these wings and use them as a kind of orphanage for magical children from the age of elven up to seventeen, meaning our Hogwarts students?"
"Of course," Harry replied immediately. "I wouldn't want to have Death Eater wannabies at Hogwarts though. Would it be possible to have them swear an oath that they won't support Voldemort in case he appears in the open again?"
McGonagall nodded in agreement. "We'll do that," she concurred in a firm voice.
"You don't have to do that," Luna spoke up, smiling. "Just have Santa Paws check them out before accepting them."
"Oh, that's right," McGonagall agreed. "Would that be all right with you, Harry?"
"Of course," Harry replied, shrugging. "Santa Paws?" he enquired, looking under the table, where his familiar was spread out on his and Luna's feet.
=Of course,= Santa Paws echoed.
The headmistress turned to her colleagues. "Pomona, Alice, Frank and Remus, would you be willing to take turns with the other teachers looking after these children during the holidays?"
"Of course," the four professors replied, simultaneously.
"I'm not a professor, but I can also assist," Sirius spoke up in a no-nonsense voice.
"Thank you all," McGonagall said, sounding relieved. "We're only going to need the orphanage during the summer holidays, but we still need to take the children out of the muggle orphanages. I suggest that we apply for a combined guardianship over them."
"Hogwarts will probably be willing to look after them, too," Harry spoke up, promising to talk with the castle upon his return to the school.
The professors immediately agreed, much to Harry's relief. 'Even if some of them are really unpleasant,' he thought, thinking about Crabble, Goyle, Theodore Nott and some of his Slytherin classmates, 'they're still not adults and haven't done anything bad yet. Plus, there's no need for them to stay in muggle orphanages.'
HP
Their fifth Hogwarts year passed fairly uneventfully. Daphne made a good Quidditch captain with Harry's assistance, while Harry – using the input from the four Quidditch captains – continued training the Hogwarts team.
On multiple requests and considering that there were students at Hogwarts who did not have a home to return to, the teachers decided to have another Yule Ball that year and provided Portkeys for everyone who wished to attend. This time, however, the Yule Ball took place on Christmas Eve, so that the students could celebrate Christmas Day with their families.
Like during the previous year, Harry and his friends decided to remain at Hogwarts until Christmas Eve, although Harry and Luna spent a couple of hours each day on the North Pole to assist Santa, Claire and the elves.
HP
It was just a few days before Christmas that Amelia Bones, who frequently spent her evenings with Sirius on the North Pole, suddenly addressed Santa and Harry.
"Albus Dumbledore has officially accused Santa Paws of making him a Squib."
"He what?" Harry asked in shock, while Santa blurted out in laughter.
The minister, however, continued in a no-nonsense voice, "I've checked all our options, and I believe that there are no other options and Santa Paws will have to undergo a trial in the new year. Your presence will probably be required."
=Please ask your undersecretary to translate for me,= Santa Paws barked, and Harry quickly translated.
"Is Mr. Diggory able to understand you?" the minister enquired.
"Yes, he is, and Susan is, too, if you prefer for her to translate," Harry replied, honestly.
'What can happen to Santa Paws?' Harry wondered, however, noticed that the canine did not seem bothered at all. 'Oh well, no one can come to the North Pole to abduct him,' he consoled himself.
tbc...
Thank you so very much for the many kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and what you expect from this story. Any ideas or opinions are welcome.
Next chapter: "Santa Paws' trial".