DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, Doctor Who or the Chronicles of Narnia. I own this plot only, and any OCs. My depictions of real life characters are based on stereotypes or suppositions and no insult is intended. I have no desire to own the series this story is based on, although if anyone could give me either a wand, TARDIS or wardrobe portal into Narnia I certainly wouldn't say no.

IMPORTANT: This is a rewrite of my story, You Are Not Alone and, as such, any resemblence to that story is intentional. No offence is meant by my portrayal of the Royal Family. I have the utmost of respect for Her Majesty the Queen and her wider family.

Chapter Seven: Merry Little Christmas

'Merry Christmas! Long live the True King!' Father Christmas, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, HarperCollins

Location: Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Earth
Time: December 1991 CE

The first term at Hogwarts had ended for Harry and his eight friends and Harry and Lucy were now staying at Balmoral Castle in Northern Scotland along with Harry's Uncle Charles and Aunt Diana. It was two days before Christmas and Harry and Lucy were riding horses through the expansive estates surrounding the castle, Harry pointing out several landmarks to Lucy, when Harry's horse (ironically called Lucy) was spooked by a grinding sound that Harry would recognise anywhere. Harry watched on as the Doctor's TARDIS materialised before them.

'Hello, Harry, Lucy!' The Doctor said jovially as he almost bounded out of the TARDIS. 'Early Christmas present for you, Harry, and I thought Lucy could use it as well.' He reached into his jacket and produced a matchbox sized miniature trunk which he threw to the ground where it rapidly resized. The trunk looked much like his school trunk, but with seven lock holes.

When the Doctor produced a keyring with six old style warded lock keys and a seventh ordinary Yale lock key, Harry's eyes lit up. Lucy looked on in momentary confusion as Harry inserted the Yale key into the seventh lock and as the trunk lid swung open, Lucy gasped as Harry jumped down inside the trunk, before she remembered being told about the "bigger on the inside capabilites" of a TARDIS and after the Doctor assured he would return the horses to the stables, followed her best friend.

Location: Harry's TARDIS
Time: Unspecified

'So the Doctor's given you your own TARDIS?' Lucy asked her best friend as she landed noticing the room had a very clinical outlook compared to the Doctor's TARDIS, with what had to be the original console, a silver metal hexagon covered in various coloured lights, buttons, switches and screens.

'Yeah!' Harry replied happily as he surveyed his very own TARDIS. 'Now, let's see what we can do about this desktop layout.' Harry said as he surveyed a small screen and bank of buttons on the furthest side of the console from the door.

Lucy watched quietly as Harry fiddled with the bank of buttons as he looked for the console design he liked, muttering to himself as he did so. 'Hmmm no...none of those are quite right...wait...here we go...custom...' Harry continued muttering about various features and colours and pieces of furniture before Harry released a triumphant cry and pressed a green button on the console, and Lucy watched in awe as the new design faded into place, and the new console room reminded Lucy a lot of both Gryffindor Tower and Harry's bedroom at Buckingham Palace.

Harry now looked around in satisfaction. The console room now contained three levels, much like in the Doctor's TARDIS. On the centre level was the console, now appearing to be made of mahogany wood, but looking strangely reminiscent of the console and dash of a luxury car. The time rotor was made of blown glass and extended all the way to the roof. The floor of this level appeared to be made of flagstone, three staircases extended away from this central level, one down to the lower level, and two to the upper level which covered around three quarters of the middle level. The walls of the room were still covered in strange roundels, now coloured a dark brown and there were maroon wall hangings. 'It looks amazing!' Lucy said in awe.

'You ain't seen nothing yet!' Harry said cheekily, pulling Lucy by the hand to show her the lower level of the new extended console room. This level was taken up by a kitchen area also with a flagstone floor. The benchtops were marble and the fittings weren't particularly modern. Harry then showed Lucy a small door which led through to a laundry room, and another door which Harry mentioned was linked to the TARDIS's internal garden, before leading her back through the kitchen and up to the third level of the console room.

This upper level was taken up by a combined library and sitting room, Harry mentioning offhandedly that this library was linked to the main library and had access to any book in history, before pointing out the warm fireplace and the maroon loveseat placed on a Persian rug in front of it. Lucy was surprised by the portrait above the fireplace, smiling as she realised it appeared to be a portrait of Harry and Lucy how they had been dressed on the Dawn Treader, in the pose they had so often found themselves in, Lucy's head on Harry's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her in a one armed hug. As Harry led her back back to the main level of the expansive room, she noticed the filing cabinets against the wall.

'Now what say we go for a little trip?' Harry asked with a lopsided grin, widening to a massive one when Lucy agreed. Not telling her where they were going, Harry set the TARDIS in flight before leading Lucy through a hidden door to show her the bedroom he had made for her...

...the TARDIS landed with a dull thud. 'So where are we?' Lucy asked.

'Take a look.' Harry encouraged, nudging Lucy towards the door.

Location: Winchester Road, Chawton, Hampshire, England, Earth
Time: December 1815 CE

Lucy stepped out of Harry's TARDIS, vaguely noticing it had taken the shape of a park bench, looking around in awe, having never travelled by TARDIS, only having seen it leave and arrive. 'So where are we?' she asked her best friend, taking in the ambiance of the small country village.

Lucy did a double take as Harry nonchalantly said 'Chawton in 1815.'

'Did you say Chawton, as in Jane Austen Chawton?' Lucy asked.

'Yes I did. Chawton, Hampshire. It is December 1815 and the Prince Regent has just asked Jane Austen to dedicate Emma to himself. The Doctor gave me my TARDIS as a Christmas present so I'm using my TARDIS to give you a Christmas present.' Harry said with a smile, knowing just how much of a Jane Austen fan Lucy was.

Harry and Lucy had found Jane Austen walking through the countryside, and Harry had somehow, through some sweet talking, and even a claim that Lucy was a Queen (he said of some far flung country, not a lie, but a bending of the truth), convinced the most famous romantic author of all time to sign a first edition copy of Pride and Prejudice, Lucy's favourite of all Austen's works, which he had produced from a pocket in his jacket.

Lucy had stared in awe at the now autographed first edition of Pride and Prejudice the whole time Harry had guided her back to the TARDIS, she finally broke out of her reverie long enough to pull him into a bear hug, or a Lucy-hug as he and Caspian had taken to calling them while on the Dawn Treader, and kissing him on the cheek before entering the TARDIS smiling widely all the time.

Location: Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Earth
Time: December 1991 CE

Harry's TARDIS faded into existence in Harry's suite at Balmoral Castle and took the shape of a seven compartment magical trunk.

Location: Harry's TARDIS
Time: Unspecified

Lucy made to leave the TARDIS as soon as she heard the dull thud of the landing, but was stopped by Harry. 'Lu,' Harry held out a Yale key on a chain. 'This is for you, anytime you want, feel free to come in here and read. Think of it as a frequent flyer's privilege. You may not be one yet, but you will be.'

Lucy beamed at Harry and kissed him on the cheek again before skipping out the door. Harry stood in front of the console for a moment, stunned, his fingers lightly touching the place that Lucy's lips had touched, before he shook himself out of his stupor and followed his best friend.

Location: Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Earth
Time: December 1991 CE

Christmas Day arrived, and Lucy experienced her first royal Christmas. The Family were in Balmoral for Christmas, and surprising as it may be for any outsiders, the Royal Christmas Dinner was a raucous affair, with all the royal grandchildren in attendance, as well as all the Queen's children, Diana, Princess of Wales, Sarah, Duchess of York the Queen Mother and the Princess Margaret. Banter crossed the table back and forth, and the casualness of the meal was a sight to see.

The ever observant Elizabeths, both the Queen and the Queen Mother, noticed that Lucy seemed down, it was her first Christmas without her family after all, and that Harry was offering her silent comfort, resting his hand over hers as he ate with his left hand, somewhat awkwardly, but he rarely lifted his right hand from Lucy's left.

Dinner finished, the Christmas pudding polished off, and the family of royals retired to a cosy room within Balmoral, a piano sat in the corner and the family continued their tradition of singing Christmas carols after dinner. Zara took her place at the piano, playing requests as each member present took their turn to choose and sing a carol. Lucy remembered hearing a carol on the radio days before by Judy Garland, an actress she thought she remembered from her life in the 1940s, and when her turn came, she asked Zara to play by whispering in her ear, and as the first notes started, Lucy began to sing.

'Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.'

Lucy's gay and happy voice sung the 1940s classic carol, even while she had a look of sadness on her face. Harry came forward and wrapped his friend in a hug, even as she continued to sing, and the whole family joined in.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

Once again the Queen and her mother noticed once again just how protective of and concerned for Lucy that Harry seemed to be, and they realised, even if no-one else did, that Harry and Lucy would most likely be a couple when they were older.

Location: Riding Trail, near Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Earth
Time: December 1991 CE

'So where are we going?' Lucy asked from the back of her slightly smaller, yet dignified, bay stallion she had named Trumpkin after her dear little friend, a gift from the Royal Family.

'Patience, Lu. It's another surprise, but you'll love this. I didn't even know about it until a few days ago.' Harry answered from his excitable chestnut mare named Lucy as he steered his horse across the A93 away from Balmoral and up a narrow but not particularly steep mountain trail away from the road.

The trail continued to rise gradually, winding up into the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park and over time, it reached a plateau and the trail flattened out. After about an hour of riding, Harry swung down off his saddle just as Lucy did and led her over to the edge of a cliff.

There below them spread the collected magical establishment of Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village, separated by Hogwarts Lake and the wide expanses of the Dark Forest. Lucy looked on in awe at the expanse of the grounds backing right up against the cliff in place of one part of the castle wall.

'Can we go down to Hogsmeade?' Lucy asked, having heard much about the village from upperclassmen at Hogwarts, looking down at the village in wonder.

'I suppose we can.' Harry said, remounting his horse just as Lucy did hers and they set off down another ponderous and winding path which made its way down the cliff and around the castle and lake and into the village.