A Doggy for Christmas - Advent's Calendar Story 2022
by Teddylonglong
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.
A few days later, the shock about the incident with Professor Quirrell and Voldemort was still at the forefront of Harry's mind. However, he became distracted, when his friends began to speak about the summer holidays.
"I asked Professor Dumbledore if I could remain at Hogwarts, but he told me that I had to return to the Dursleys over the summer." Harry felt annoyed, sad and concerned at the same time. "I don't think they'll treat Whisper well, so I think I'm just going to run away and perhaps rent a room somewhere. Perhaps at the Leaky Cauldron."
"Wouldn't that be the first place anyone would look for you?" Hermione cast him a worried look.
"Just come home with me. My parents told me to invite you anyway." Ron grinned. "We're going to have much fun."
"Won't your parents mind? And won't they give me away to Dumbledore?"
"We'll all help you convince Mum and Dad…"
"… to not give you away…"
"… to the old coot…"
"… Won't we, Percy?"
Harry cast the twins a grateful look.
Percy nodded. "All right, but we should probably speak with Dad first. I think that Mum is quite close to the headmaster, but Dad might be able to convince her otherwise."
"Thanks, bro." The twins grinned, broadly. "We have a better idea though."
"Oh Merlin, what might that be?" Percy glared at his twin brothers.
"You've finished your OWLs after all…"
"… Why don't you find a spell…"
"… which you can cast at Mum…"
"… to prevent her from speaking about Harry?"
Shaking his head in apparent annoyance, Percy finally nodded. "I'll see what I can find out until then. I will also write to Dad and send it to the ministry, when he's at work."
"Thanks, Percy…"
"… You're the best."
"Thank you, Percy," Harry turned to the fifth-year prefect. "I appreciate your help very much." He smiled, when Whisper gently licked the older boy's hand, her favourite sign of showing her approval for someone.
HP
A few days later, the leaving feast took place. The mood at the Gryffindor table was subdued, considering that all tables were decorated in the Slytherin house colours.
The headmaster rose from his seat. "Again, a school year has come to its end, and we are celebrating the leaving feast. While Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup, it seems as if Slytherin earned the House cup. However, I believe that a few last-minute points have yet to be awarded."
The Great Hall became so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop onto the floor, as Dumbledore continued. "I award one hundred points to Gryffindor for Whisper, Harry Potter's familiar. Not only has she saved Harry Potter's life the other day, but she has vanquished the spirit of Voldemort, who was possessing Professor Quirrell." He waved his hand over the Great Hall, and the decorations changed into the house colours of Gryffindor.
"Can pets gain house points?" Harry recognised Draco Malfoy's voice.
"No, pets cannot gain house points; familiars, however, can," Dumbledore explained, patiently, before he made an image of the hour glasses appear on the wall behind the high table. It showed that Gryffindor was in the lead by sixty-five points.
"Whisper, you're the best." Neville Longbottom's voice could be heard all over the Great Hall, causing the whole Gryffindor table to cheer, while Whisper gently nudged Neville's hand in obvious affection.
"Harry." All of a sudden, Percy was sitting on the seat to his left, where Ronald had been just a moment ago. "I just wanted you to know that my father has replied to my letter. You and your dog are very much welcome to stay over the summer, and he will make sure that my mother doesn't talk about the matter to anyone let alone the headmaster."
"Oh Percy, that's a relief," Harry replied, truthfully. "Thank you so very much."
"You're welcome." The fifth-year prefect, who often seemed very grumpy, cast him a small smile, before he returned to his original seat.
A moment later, Ron was back and questioned Harry what his brother had wanted.
HP
When he boarded the Hogwarts Express the following morning, Harry felt happy and excited. Happy because he had managed to finish his first Hogwarts year without problems and excited at the prospect of spending the summer holidays with his best friend and his family, together with his familiar.
'My life has become so much better, since we boarded the Hogwarts Express the last time,' he thought, as he looked around the compartment at Whisper, Ronald, Hermione, Neville and Ronald's twin brothers. 'Summer holidays, we're coming.'
HP
A few hours later, Harry stared around the kitchen of the Burrow in excitement. 'That's what a magical home looks like,' he thought in amazement. "It's totally cool, isn't it?" he whispered to Whisper. "You can deem yourself happy that we don't have to return to my relatives. The Dursleys are beyond horrible. Who knows what they'd do to you."
Whisper gently nudged him in obvious affection. =Thanks for being so considerate.=
"Dear doggy, no barking here in our home please." Molly Weasley suddenly stood in front of them. Apparently, she had finished distributing the most urgent chores to her sons.
"Sorry," Harry apologized on his familiar's behalf.
"Come, Harry, dear, let me show you to your room. You're sharing with Ron."
Harry smiled at the woman. "Thank you so much for having us during the summer. I hope that we won't be too much of a burden."
Mrs. Weasley stared at him in apparent surprise. "Why would you be a burden? Don't ever think so. We're happy to have you and your doggy, provided that he behaves."
'It's a she,' Harry thought in annoyance, however, he knew better than to contradict.
HP
The Burrow was loud and untidy in comparison with the house of the Dursleys, however, it felt lived in, and Harry felt as if he and Whisper were not only tolerated but even liked by most of the family members. Mrs. Weasley felt a little overbearing, and her daughter often fled from the room, as soon as Harry entered it. He really liked the twins. They were funny and always in a good mood.
HP
It was three days into the holidays that Harry received a letter.
"From Gringotts," Molly Weasley said in apparent surprise, as she handed him an envelope, which was sealed and bore the seal of the wizarding bank.
Harry looked at the letter from all angles, before he received a nudge from his familiar. 'Go on, open it. If it bites you, I'll kill it.'
Smiling at the canine, Harry carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a letter, which was written in meticulous writing on an official looking parchment.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
I trust that you are well and your gold is flowing. My name is Buckbean, and I am your Account Manager at Gringotts.
Ever since your parents' accident more than a decade ago, we have not been able to contact you. However, as we are able to get letters through to you at this time, I ask you to come and visit me at your next opportunity. Please do not bring any other wizard or witch with you, except for the persons explicitly listed in your parents' will, namely Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall or Severus Snape. To prevent others from meddling in your affairs as it happened during the last decade, this meeting will be confidential.'
May your gold flow and your enemies cower before you
Buckbean, Account Manager of the Potter and Black vaults'
tbc tomorrow...
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