A/N: We're getting really, really close to the end. I apologize if this ending seems a bit... rushed, but I just don't really have the time to stretch this out to a full first term, or even beyond, so I'm going to give them a happy ending at Christmas break. I do hope you've found this one enjoyable, and Harry finally gets a truly happy ending rather than a bittersweet one.

The first three months of Harry's first year at Hogwarts had flown by. Utterly flown by. It was already December, and the chilly Arctic winds have hit the Scottish highlands. The deciduous trees were stripped bare of all their leaves, and the evergreens looked even lovelier in the winter with light dustings of snow on the branches. There wasn't enough snow on the ground to have snowball fights or to make a snowman, but there's always a certain magic when the first flakes fall at Hogwarts.

The children grew increasingly giddy as Christmas break drew nearer and nearer – the scents of peppermint, gingerbread, and hot chocolate permeated the castle. Most of the students and faculty were in pleasant spirits – perhaps not Professor Snape, who rather resembled an oily-locked Ebenezer Scrooge with his gaunt frame, sharp nose, and permanent scowl.

The Monday morning before all the students were to be let out for the Holiday break, Harry got a most welcome surprise from Hedwig. She dropped a rolled-up parchment along with the latest edition of the Daily Prophet next to his breakfast plate. He eagerly unfurled the note, which turned out to be from his house head:

"Mister Potter,

First off, I want to thank you for your patience – but it seems to have paid off, as I have some most fortunate news for you. After many weeks of politicking and pleading on your behalf, we have finally gotten the green light to make Miss Darling's family your new guardians. I have spoken with Madam Trudy and she said that you have no preference, so we have continued with our recommendation with your being placed with the Darlings.

During your free period today, could you please stop by my office to sign some documents to make it official? From a wizarding standpoint, you are good to go, but as Miss Darling is a Muggle-born witch, we will need you to sign a few Muggle government documents. Don't worry, this won't take too long… I will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

I know you will be much happier with the Darlings, and from what I gather, the Grangers don't live too terribly far from them, so I'd imagine that the three of you will be able to get together during your holiday breaks. I highly encourage the three of you to spend time together merely as children, and not as witches and wizards. Friendship is a very powerful magic, but amongst you three, it's particularly potent.

I look forward to seeing you then, young man.

Sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall"

Harry's lip quivered slightly, and then he started sniffling. He buried his face in his hands and started to sob gently.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked gently.

Without looking up, Harry simply handed her the note. She read the parchment, and smiled at her friend.

"This is terrific news, Harry… are you not happy?"

Harry sniffled again, looked up, and dried his cheeks with his robe sleeve. "I'm ecstatic, Hermione," he replied softly. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time. I can't believe it's actually happening. It's... too good to be true, almost."

He cracked a slight smile. "Although part of me wishes it was with you… you mean just as much to me. I wish I could see you every day."

Hermione placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know, Harry. It's not like my parents live all that far away from Lilah's parents, we can see each other multiple times over the summer, and I'm sure we can phone each other a fair bit too. My parents are delighted to know that I've made honest-to-goodness friends here at Hogwarts, I'm sure they'll do what they can to help us get together." She smiled warmly at Harry. "Come on, let's tell Lilah."

The two friends made their way over to the Hufflepuff table, where Lilah was seated by Susan, Hannah, and Megan.

"Oh, hiya Harry! Hiya, Hermione!" Lilah squeaked as she embraced her friends. "How are you doing this morning?"

"Terrific," replied Hermione. "How are you?"

"Great," replied Lilah. "I got a note from Professor Sprout this morning… my parents are going to be Harry's guardians, pending signatures! Isn't that exciting?"

Harry beamed. "I got a similar letter from Professor McGonagall earlier this morning. I have to stop by her office to sign some Muggle documents to make it official."

"I was wondering if you were going to get something like that," giggled Lilah. "I didn't think you'd be left in the dark like that." She turned to Hermione. "Are you okay with that arrangement? I know you're very close to Harry too, and I feel bad that you won't get to see him every day."

Hermione nodded. "I'm okay with it now… I was expecting it anyway. A month or so ago, it was a tough pill to swallow, but I'm at peace with it. Besides, we'll be seeing each other a fair bit during the holidays, and we'll be phoning each other too, so that'll ease some of the pain." She cracked a big grin. "Besides, Harry's spending Christmas with my family… that'll be as much of a treat for him as it'll be for me."

Later that morning, Harry knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door.

"Ahh, yes, Mister Potter, do come in," the Transfiguration professor said in a friendly tone. "I have a few papers that you'll need to sign."

Harry entered the office and took a seat across from Professor McGonagall's desk. He saw a small stack of papers that looked like they were written by using a typewriter as opposed to quill and ink, so he figured these were the government documents that he needed to sign.

Professor McGonagall smiled. "This should take but a few minutes, Harry." She handed him the papers, which were held together with a paperclip. "By signing and initialing these papers on the highlighted lines, you acknowledge the termination of the Dursley's guardianship, and you also accept the Darlings to be your guardians, effective today. I've already taken the precaution to read all the fine print, which shouldn't be of any concern to you. That's all these documents are for, and once the Muggle government has processed them, we will let you know by owl. But once you sign those documents, for all intents and purposes, the Darlings are your family going forward. And it makes my heart smile knowing that you'll finally get to experience a true childhood."

Before Harry took the stack of papers, he gave her a rather puzzled look. "Erm... Professor? Do I need to sign these with quill and ink, or do I need to use a Muggle pen?"

Professor McGonagall chuckled. "That's an interesting question right there... I suspect either would work, but just to be safe..." She opened the top drawer of her desk, and produced a Muggle ball-point pen with a click-top. "Try that, Harry."

Harry nodded as he took the pen. "Thanks, Professor," he said, as he started looking for the highlighted lines to sign and initial. He went through each page and filled out each blank where prompted, and returned the small stack of papers to Professor McGonagall.

"Here you go, they should all be filled out," Harry said.

"Perfect, young man. Thank you," trilled the professor, as she went through the paperwork to ensure everything was filled out satisfactorily.

"Erm, I do have a bit of a concern... I'm just a little worried about Hermione," Harry said with a small sigh.

"Oh?" asked Professor McGonagall. "Is it about the guardianship arrangements?"

"It is," confirmed Harry. "I love her dearly... and I just feel a little bad for her because I won't get to see her every day... she means as much to me as Lilah does."

Professor McGonagall smiled at Harry. "I know, Harry. That little witch adores you. But take heart... I have spoken with Miss Granger about this previously, and while she admits that it was a bit hurtful that you were more likely to be placed with the Darlings, I have promised her that it was not meant as a slight against her or her family - who are about as wonderful as Muggles can be - and that the three of you will have plenty of opportunity to spend time together as children. I will work with both the Grangers and the Darlings to see if we can work something out as far as regular get-togethers go during your breaks... I would think once every week or two wouldn't be asking too much... you know, take in a movie, or go to a Muggle museum or a botanical garden or something along those lines."

Harry grinned. "That sounds brilliant, actually. Thank you for everything you've done, Professor."

Professor McGonagall chuckled. "It's my pleasure, young man." Her eyes glowed behind her octagonal spectacles. "Now, you will be dismissed for Christmas Break this Thursday morning, so just be sure you're fully packed and ready to board the Hogwarts Express."

Harry nodded. "I will, Professor. I'm looking forward to this more than anything in the world!"

"Very good, Mister Potter," replied Professor McGonagall. "And in case we don't see each other in person before you leave, I'd like to wish you a Happy Christmas, and I hope you have a safe and delightful holiday with your friends. And please mind Mr. and Mrs. Granger as you've minded me and your other professors - you've been been nothing short of a delight so far this term."

Harry beamed. "Happy Christmas, Professor McGonagall. And I'm beyond grateful to have you as my house head. Thank you for looking out for me this term. It means everything to me."

Thursday morning arrived, and Harry was giddy with excitement. He looked outside his dormitory window, and saw snowflakes falling from the steely grey sky. He quickly put on a sweater, some jeans, and some trainers, then bundled himself up in an overcoat, a scarf, and a watch cap. He then lugged his trunk and Hedwig's cage down the stairs to the Great Hall, where he said good-bye to some of his friends that were staying behind in the castle.

He gave Ron a quick handshake, and wished him a happy Christmas. Harry opened his trunk, and gave him a small box.

"It's not much, Ron, but I do hope you'll like it," Harry said. "I saw this in a catalogue... when I saw it, I immediately thought of you."

Ron opened the box to find a Chudley Cannons throw blanket. His eyes grew to the size of silver dollars. "Wow, Harry... this is bloody brilliant! Thank you so much, mate." He grinned. "Oh, I'll have a little something for you when you get back. Something from all of us Weasleys, really. It's... sort of a family tradition."

Harry smirked. "I can't wait, Ron. Happy Christmas." He gave Ron a bro-hug.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Ron replied with a big grin on his face. "Have fun with Hermione and Lilah."

Harry then got up to wish the twins and Percy a happy Christmas as well.

As Harry picked up his trunk and Hedwig's cage, he scanned the room for Hermione and Lilah, but didn't see either of them yet. Perhaps they still need a few minutes to get ready, he thought to himself.

He then decided to kill a few minutes and went to the Slytherin table, where he saw his friends Daphne and Tracey.

"Hiya, Daphne. Hiya, Tracey," Harry said with a smile. "Happy Christmas, you two."

Daphne wrapped her arms around Harry in a tight hug. "Happy Christmas, Harry," she squeaked. "So, you're staying with Hermione's parents I take it?"

Harry nodded. "That's right. We're planning to spend some time with Lilah as well... it'll be nice, just spending a bit of time together as regular children, you know? Not wizarding students."

Daphne smiled radiantly. "Her parents might not be magical, but they raised a sweet girl. I wish she came to see us a bit more... I promise, we don't bite!"

"She honestly likes both of you," Harry assured her. "She's just a bit self-conscious, and I don't think she can deal with the teasing that some of your housemates are prone to do." He cracked a big smile. "I'm proud of you for coming to see us at the Gryffindor table a couple of times... that's a pretty big deal. I know you're proud of being a Slytherin, but you really can be brave like a Gryffindor."

"Not as brave as Lilah," Daphne giggled. "That girl has some stones! I can't believe she took on a mountain troll by herself!"

"I heard," Harry replied with a grin. "She'd be a terrific Gryffindor." He opened up his trunk and produced a couple of small boxes. "Oh, I have a little something for each of you for Christmas." Like Ron's package, the boxes were small and brown - no fancy wrapping paper or ribbons - but they were small, about the size of Harry's hand. He handed one box to Daphne, and the other to Tracey.

Daphne opened her package, and pulled out a silver bracelet with a sizable teardrop-shaped green stone embedded in it. Tracey found the same thing in hers.

"Oh Harry, it's beautiful," Daphne said, giving him a gentle hug. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you, Harry," Tracey added. "It really is lovely. Where did you find them?" She also gave Harry a friendly hug.

"I found them in a mail-order catalogue," Harry replied casually. "Now, they aren't real emeralds mind you - it's green quartz - but I wanted to get you both a little something before I left... to show my appreciation for our friendship."

Daphne smirked. "Well, as it just so happens, we have a little something for you, Mister Potter. It's not much, but I think you'll put it to good use." She giggled as she produced a white envelope that simply said, "To Harry", and handed it to her friend.

Harry gently opened the envelope, and his eyes widened when he saw what appeared to be a Muggle Christmas card - it was a cartoon of what appeared to be a female reindeer chastising Rudolph. Harry grinned at the silly picture, and then opened it up - inside was a fifty pound note! Both Daphne and Tracey wrote sweet little messages for Harry as well. Harry wondered how in the world how they got their hands on a Muggle card, or Muggle money - at least that much - , but he decided it was best not to ask questions, and simply accept the gift... he knew it was a very kind gesture.

"Wow," Harry gasped. "You two didn't have to do that..."

Daphne cocked her head. "Harry, please. You know that it's impossible to put a price tag on friendship... that's the real gift that keeps on giving. Why don't you use it on... what is it that Muggles do on the weekends? Oh yes, why don't you take Hermione and Lilah and see a movie? Or take them out to dinner?"

Harry wrapped his arms around Daphne and Tracey simultaneously. "I will... and thank you. Happy Christmas, Daphne. Happy Christmas, Tracey. Enjoy your breaks... I'll be seeing you when I get back, okay?"

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Daphne and Tracey said.

As Harry got up to try and find Hermione and Lilah, his heart pounded furiously as he saw Professor Snape just a few steps away - who must have been standing there the whole time, watching him, Harry wagered.

Snape nodded toward Harry, then motioned toward the nearest wall with his head, which Harry meant that the professor wanted a private word with him. Harry felt a lump form in his throat, and prepared for the worst.

However, to Harry's relief, he was not in the slightest bit of trouble... in fact, he felt the encounter was quite... surreal.

"Potter," Snape drawled in his usual low, monotonous voice.

"Professor," Harry replied softly.

Snape's dark eyes peered down at Harry, but the corner of one of his lips twitched into a slight smirk. "I see you've shown some kindness to some of my serpents this morning. That is most... unexpected, to say the least."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied as respectfully as he could. "Miss Greengrass and Miss Davis are friends, of sorts."

Snape's nostrils flared slightly. "I find their choice of friends to be... unorthodox, but that is their prerogative, and not mine." His thin lips curved into a small smile. "Mister Potter, allow me to demonstrate that I am also not above providing charitable contributions..." His eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered into a reluctant-sounding creak. "Two points to Gryffindor."

Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly, but he quickly closed his mouth as he didn't want to offend the Potions master. "Thank you, Professor," he said quietly. "Happy Christmas."

Snape nodded curtly. "Stay out of trouble." He quickly turned around took his leave.