Father Christmas' Gift
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.

After profusely thanking the cat lady for giving his letter to Father Christmas, Harry obediently held on to his Aunt Rose's arm, so that she could apparate them to his new home.

'What was that?' Harry wondered at the strange movement, as he hurried to get to his feet and took in his surroundings in surprise.

"That was apparition, a magical travel method," Rose informed him, as if she had been able to comprehend his silent question. She made Harry sit on the sofa, knowing that she had to explain some matters to the child.

Harry looked at his new aunt in expectation. 'I'm allowed to sit on the sofa,' he thought, amazed, 'just like at the cat lady's place.'

"Harry," Rose began to speak. "From about the time when you were born, I've been living here in hiding. No one except for Mrs. Figg knows that I'm still alive. I'll explain about the reason when you're older." Seeing that the boy followed her words with apparent interest, she continued, "I'm working as a Potions Mistress and sell my potions to the magical apothecaries. Potions are magical medicine," she added, apparently realising that Harry could not know such a thing.

"I only have this one room," she continued, pointing around the room, "as well as a bathroom and a potions lab. So there's not enough space for the two of us." She let out a small sigh, before she continued in determination. "However, I have the key to your grandparents', my parents', house, and I think that we should move there. The only problem is that it'll be much work to transfer everything including the potions lab there," she added, more to herself than to the boy.

"I can help," Harry offered, smiling. "If you tell me what to do, I'll help."

Rose smiled back at the child. "Thank you Harry. I'm really happy to have you with me now. I'm so sorry. I should have come to get you much earlier, but I thought that you were having a happy childhood with Petunia's family."

Harry shook his head. "Aunt Petunia hates me, because I'm a freak," he explained. "I'm so happy that you're like me."

"You're not a freak, Harry. You're a fine little boy. All right, Harry," Rose said in a firm voice. "Shall we go and visit Granny's and Granddad's house and see if we want to live there?"

"Okay," Harry replied, unsurely, wondering if his granny and granddad were living in that house, too.

HP

Ten minutes later, aunt and nephew explored the Evans' house. In the first floor, there was a large kitchen like that of the Dursleys, then there was a living room with a door leading out into the garden. The garden was not as pretty as Aunt Petunia's, but Harry nevertheless liked it, because it looked so natural and wild.

"We could even plant herbs and other potions ingredients here in the garden," Rose spoke up, more to herself than to the boy.

"I'd like that. I always had to do the garden work so far," Harry replied in a small voice, happy that he would be able to help his nice aunt.

On the second floor, there were four bedrooms and a bathroom, and there was a large attic.

When they explored the attic, Rose remained thoughtful for an instant, before she told Harry, "This is just the right size for a potions lab. I think I'm going to install the lab up here."

"Can I help?" Harry asked in excitement. "I can already cook."

"I'll teach you, so that you'll be able to assist soon," Rose promised, smiling at the eager child. "The question is how long it's going to take me to transfer everything here," she added, thoughtfully. "Maybe we'll need a house-elf."

HP

During the following hour, they continued exploring the house, before Rose decided that she was going to live in her own old room and suggested to Harry to choose a room for himself.

'Hmm, I like them all,' Harry thought, when he remembered that one of the rooms had been Aunt Petunia's, while another one had belonged to his mummy. "I'll take mummy's room," he decided, giving his aunt a questioning look.

"I'd do the same," Rose agreed, pointing out that it was the room right next to her own. "The other two rooms, we'll just use as guest rooms for the time being. Maybe when you're going to attend Hogwarts in a few years' time, you'll have friends come over and stay during the holidays."

Harry eagerly followed his aunt into his new room. 'This is where my mummy lived,' he thought, letting his eyes wander around the room with interest.

"Now let's clear out the room and take everything out that you don't want here," Rose suggested and with a flick of her wand cleared the room of everything that was not interesting for a small boy, leaving only the furniture along with a shelf full with books.

"A whole shelf with books!" Harry blurted out in absolute delight, causing Rose to chuckle.

"Yes, Lily loved books," she replied and stepped in front of the bookshelf to choose some titles that could be interesting for a six-year-old boy who was as alert as Harry.

"Hogwarts: A History," Harry deciphered a title, recalling that Rose had mentioned that name earlier. "Excuse me, but what's Hogwarts?" he asked in a small voice, uncertain if it was all right to ask questions.

His aunt's explanation lasted a whole hour, because she ended up telling him everything about her and Lily's days at Hogwarts, making Harry think that he seemed to be allowed to ask questions.

"Now what's your favourite colour, Harry?" Rose suddenly asked, causing the child to stare at her in surprise.

"I don't know," he replied, uncertainly. "Maybe blue."

His surprise turned into disbelief, when Rose waved her wand around the room, decorating his new chamber in different shades of blue.

"This is cool," Harry blurted out in amazement. "Thank you Aunt Rose."

"You're very welcome my boy," Rose replied, gently.

HP

Rose and Harry spent the rest of Christmas day making themselves comfortable in their new home. Under a very excited Harry's eyes, Rose conjured a Christmas tree in the living room, before she transfigured tissues into colourful baubles.

Harry could not see enough. 'She really is a freak like me, but it's too great what she can do,' he thought. "Aunt Rose," he hesitantly spoke up. "Can I do such things too?"

Rose smiled at the eager boy. "Yes dear, at Hogwarts, you're going to learn how to do such things. If you're interested, I can even teach you easy charms and spells sooner. We'll see that we get a children's wand for you."

Feeling contented with her first attempt at making a Christmas tree, she apologized to Harry. "I'm sorry that I don't have a Christmas present for you, sweetie. If I had known..."

"But you ARE my Christmas present," Harry interrupted her, smiling happily.

Harry could not believe his luck. He did not only have his own room with a real bed and a fantastic bookshelf, but he was allowed to go into all the other rooms too, sit on the sofa, read books and eat at the kitchen table together with his aunt. 'This was the best Christmas ever, and I'm the happiest boy in the world,' he thought, when he slowly drifted to sleep in his new bed, amazed that his aunt had even come into his room and gently tucked him in.

HP

Very early in the morning, Rose and Harry visited Gringotts. Knowing that the goblins were famous for their secrecy, Rose had decided to speak with the goblins, as she had a couple of topics, for which she needed help. She hesitantly addressed one of the goblins at the bank, informing him of their names in a quiet voice.

After a few minutes' wait, another goblin stepped in front of them. "Good morning," he addressed them. "I'm Buckbean, and I will take care of your matters. Please follow me into my office."

Harry listened quietly, when Rose told the goblin how she had taken in Harry and that she wanted to become his guardian in the magical and the Muggle world without alerting anyone in the magical world to the matter. Further, she informed the goblin that she'd like to have a house-elf and asked if the goblins would be able to connect her old Muggle fireplace to the Floo network.

"I understand," Buckbean replied, thoughtfully. "First of all, I wish you to know that we goblins respect our customers' wishes. Therefore, no information will leave this room. Yes, I can make you the boy's guardian in the magical and the Muggle world," he confirmed, while he skimmed a thin folder. "As to the house-elves, I suggest that you visit Potter Manor, one of the houses that Mr. Potter owns. At least a dozen house-elves are waiting for him at Potter Manor, and I'm sure that some of them will be willing to follow you to your residence. If you wish, I'll accompany you there after once going to your house in order to connect the fireplace."

At first, Harry had been afraid of the goblins in the entrance hall, however, by the time Buckbean finished his explanation, Harry realised that he liked the goblin a lot. 'He's very nice,' he thought, as he absentmindedly observed how his aunt signed a few parchments.

"I hope that Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall won't mind that I made them Harry's godparents," Rose said to Buckbean, as she returned the parchments. "Pomfrey is the only person in the human magical world knowing that I'm alive."

Buckbean gave the young witch a comforting nod and produced an old teapot. "This Portkey will take us to your home, from where we can then use the fireplace," he informed his customers. "Before we leave, I'd like to show you one of Harry's vaults. It's the only one which he'll be able to access at this age even without having his guardian with him."

Buckbean showed Rose and Harry to the vault, explaining that Harry's parents had left enough money for him to last for a lifetime. "Since you're now caring for Harry, you're very welcome to take the money needed for him from his vaults," he explained, sensing that the woman could not possess too much considering that she was living in hiding.

HP

By the end of the day, Rose and Harry had three house-elves living with them in the old Evans' house, who moved everything from her old apartment including the potions lab to their new residence. Their fireplace was connected to the Floo network, and Rose was officially Harry's guardian, although this information was locked at Gringotts and not accessible to magical people who were not already aware of the matter.

"I suggest that you inform the godmothers in case something happens to you," Buckbean suggested to Rose, who nodded her agreement and resolved to inform Poppy, as soon as Harry had gone to bed.

HP

Rose waited patiently until Harry was asleep, before she stepped in front of him, pointing her wand at the boy. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I need to do this," she whispered and cast a spell at him that would prevent him from mentioning her name to anyone who did not know about her anyway. Sighing in relief, she once more waved her wand casting a diagnostic spell at the child. 'He still needs potions,' she thought and strode to the attic, happy to see that the elves had already finished transferring the lab including all the ingredients shelves. 'I need to keep a small stock of potions that Harry might need,' she resolved and swiftly brewed a children's fever reducer along with a light pain relieving potion and a salve for his ear.

When she spelled a small phial of the two potions into the boy's system, she noticed that the child seemingly relaxed in his sleep, although he did not wake up. The thought 'I really have to get used to having a child all of a sudden' played in front of her mind, when she leaned into the fireplace to ask Poppy Pomfrey if she had time to join her.

HP

An instant later, Poppy stepped through the fireplace, looking around with interest.

"This is my parents' house," Rose admitted. "I've decided to live here with Harry. The house-elves have placed a charm on the front side to make it look unused like it was before." She nervously let her right hand run through her long, red hair, before she asked, hesitantly, "I made you and Minerva McGonagall his godparents. Do you believe that Minerva will keep the secret if we inform her?"

Poppy nodded, reassuringly. "Minerva will keep your and Harry's secret, and it'll be good for Harry if two of us know about his situation. Shall I ask her over? I believe that you owe us an explanation, which Minerva would surely appreciate to hear as well."

"All right," Rose hesitantly agreed, wondering if she should tell the two old witches the truth about her motives. 'I will,' she finally decided. 'I've nothing to lose, and they're both very trustworthy and won't tell my secret.'

Both witches listened patiently to what she told them about the reasons for her to leave the magical world. "I wanted nothing to do with the magical world anymore," she admitted. "The only exception are the apothecaries. I have exclusive contracts with the apothecaries at Diagon Alley. They don't know who I am though, because I've been using a fake name."

The old witches remained pensive for a moment, before Minerva was the first to break the silence. "You could have come back after Harry vanquished Voldemort."

Rose shook her head. "No. I was much too hurt that he left me for such a stupid reason. Oh well, it's too late anyway. I'll come back to the magical world now as much as is necessary considering that I'm raising a magical child, however incognito."

"Whatever you do, we'll be here for you," Poppy said, warmly.

"I've often babysat Harry, when he was a baby. If you ever need help or need someone to watch him, contact me," Minerva offered, causing Rose to smile.

"Thank you very much. I'm glad that I made the two of you Harry's godparents," she replied, teary-eyed, before she changed the topic to speak about Harry's schooling and other matters.

"I'm thinking about sending him to the primary school, which is just around the corner, however, only if he likes it," she said, thoughtfully. "He's been called a freak, and I never want him to make that experience ever again. Otherwise, I'm just going to home school him. I intend to teach him potions as well as some matters about the magical world anyway," she suggested, and Poppy and Minerva immediately agreed.

The three witches spent the whole evening speaking about this and that, and Rose was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to get advice from two ladies who were much more acquainted with children's needs than herself.

It was almost midnight when the two witches returned to Hogwarts.

"Consider what we spoke about earlier. Some matters can still be remedied even after a few years," Poppy advised Rose, before she stepped into the fireplace to return to Hogwarts after her best friend.

tbc...

Thank you so much for your kind reviews for the first chapter!