"I hope you don't mind, Harry, that Ellie is sitting in. She has detention," Lupin said, gesturing to the Hufflepuff girl. Ellie sat at one of the tables, diligently working on her essay about the Impediment Jinx.
"No, not at all," Harry replied with a slight smile, watching his little sister with amusement. "What did you do to end up in detention with Professor Lupin, anyway?" It seems strange to him that Lupin would have such a strict side, unless he just wanted to spend time with his godchild. Harry does know that his parents asked Remus to look out for their daughter, but he doesn't think detention was necessary for that.
"I overslept. Again," Ellie said, rolling her eyes. "Professor Lupin is being completely unreasonable. I've only been late 8 or 12 times so far."
"Let's just say Monday mornings aren't Ellie's strong suit," Lupin chuckled and began the promised lesson on Dementors and the Expecto Patronum charm. Ellie found the lesson much more exciting than writing a boring essay, so she eagerly watched Harry attempt to repel a Dementor.
"Professor Lupin," she exclaimed in disbelief, "did you bring a real Dementor into the castle?"
"Not quite, Ellie. This is a Boggart," he explained as Harry simultaneously uttered the words 'Expecto Patronum' before collapsing unconscious.
"Whoa, Harry!" Ellie screamed and rushed to his side. Lupin wore a slight smile. If only Ellie knew...
"Professor Lupin, what's a Boggart? And why does it look like a Dementor?" the 11-year-old asked. Before Lupin could answer her question, he handed both children a piece of his Honeyduke chocolate. Ellie sat beside Harry as Lupin stood before them, explaining the characteristics of a Boggart.
"Does that mean my Boggart won't look like a Dementor?" Ellie realized after the explanation.
"Do you want to find out what your Boggart is?" Lupin asked curiously.
Ellie nodded nervously, not particularly eager to encounter an oversized spider, snake, or clown. Professor Lupin opened the wardrobe. Ellie held her breath as a man in black clothing and a long black cloak with a hood appeared. This man raised his wand and uttered the final words, "Avada..." In sheer terror, Ellie dropped her wand. Simultaneously, Lupin intervened, and a white orb appeared. Shortly thereafter, the Boggart disappeared back into the wardrobe.
"Who was that?" Ellie asked, her voice trembling slightly. She felt like she knew this person, yet at the same time, she couldn't recall ever encountering magic before her time at Hogwarts.
"Voldemort," Harry swallowed. Lupin also seemed shocked by the Boggart. It made it clear once again that Ellie must be Rose, and this scene could only be from that night when Voldemort tried to kill Harry.
"Voldemort?" Ellie inquired.
"You're not afraid to say his name?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Why should I be afraid of a name?"
"Because most people I know only refer to him as 'you-know-who,'" he explained.
"Oh," Ellie understood what Harry was getting at just now. "Voldemort is the one whose name must not be spoken?" she asked again. Harry nodded.
Harry now visited the library daily, where his sister diligently worked on her homework. After a few days, they had developed a kind of routine. Harry helped her with Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, and in return, she assisted him with Potions. Harry was certain that his grades would improve dramatically with how often he was voluntarily studying now, just to be close to his sister and get to know her.
"Are you going home for Christmas?" He looked at his sister, who seemed to consider it briefly before shaking her head. "I'm staying here at Hogwarts. Mrs. Sprout said it's simply magical to stay here."
"My parents have a very large house, and I'd love to invite you for Christmas," Harry said, looking at her nervously. Ellie appeared to be thinking about his suggestion, but before she could respond, Charlotte appeared and loudly dropped her books on the table. The librarian looked up from the Daily Prophet and glared at them.
"Save your invitation, Harry," Charlotte said. "I've already invited Ellie to come with Ced and me, but she really wants to stay at Hogwarts."
"Please, Ellie," Harry pleaded, "Christmas at my home is also very magical, and you'll get to experience how real wizarding families celebrate."
"I honestly don't want to intrude. Christmas is a family holiday."
"My parents love having guests," Harry lied, but Ellie stuck to her decision. Harry was disappointed. He had hoped they could spend the holidays together to get to know each other better, especially because his parents were eager to meet Ellie, especially his mom, who longed for the day when she could finally meet her. Nevertheless, he respected her choice not to leave Hogwarts during the Christmas break.
"Tables and backpacks to the side. You only need your wands," Lupin's voice echoed through the room. The first-year students immediately followed his instructions. It was the second-to-last school day before the christmas holidays.
"In the first half of the year, we learned self-defense. For today, I've invited James Potter, Head of the Auror Department, to conduct a practical exercise with us. During this session, you'll also have the opportunity to ask questions. As you know, Aurors are also known as 'Dark Wizard catchers.' They are tasked with protecting the magical society from threats and attacks."
The eager first-year students fired questions at James, their faces a mix of curiosity and excitement. James answered each question with a warm smile and a sense of pride in his work. He spoke passionately about the importance of protecting the wizarding world from dark forces and the rigorous training required to become an Auror.
Ellie, who had been watching James closely, noticed the way he spoke with such authority and dedication. As the questions continued, James scanned the room, his gaze eventually landing on Ellie. His heart skipped a beat, and a wave of emotion washed over him. Ellie noticed the intensity of James' gaze, and their eyes locked for a moment.
James continued to watch his daughter as she listened intently to his every word. He had been searching for her for years, ever since she had disappeared as a one year old. He had feared the worst, that she might have been taken by dark wizards or died at the explosion. But here she was, standing just a few feet away from him, completely unaware of their connection.
Throughout the lesson, James kept a close eye on Ellie, feeling an overwhelming mix of emotions. He longed to reveal the truth to her, to finally embrace her as his daughter. But he knew he couldn't do that without his wife in the middle of a class, surrounded by students who had no idea of their connection.
James Potter called out the names of the students with whom he would duel. Some students were quite skilled, while others, like Charlotte, didn't last even a minute in a duel against the Chief Auror.
"What were your three mistakes?" James asked. The other first-year students stood around James and Charlotte.
"I wasn't prepared. I hadn't thought of a curse to use," said Charlotte.
"What else?"
"I only made two mistakes," the 12-year-old replied, confused.
"Not learning from the first two mistakes," James chuckled. His Expelliarmus spell pushed Charlotte backward, but she landed softly on a mattress.
Next up was Ellie. James exchanged brief glances with Remus. Ellie held her wand with determination and tried her best to mimic his movements. James couldn't help but notice her dedication and natural talent, which reminded him of Lily. It happened in an instant. Ellie cast the Expelliarmus spell, and his wand flew out of his hand, landing between two students. James looked surprised at the young girl who had disarmed him.
"It seems you haven't learned from Charlotte's mistakes," the girl grinned mischievously.
"I congratulate you, Miss Lynch. You've made excellent use of my distraction," James said proudly.
As the class came to an end, James thanked the students for their enthusiasm and wished them a happy holiday season. Ellie, still caught up in the excitement of the lesson, couldn't help but approach him, "Sir, thank you for today's lesson," Ellie said with a bright smile. "It was really fascinating and you made it even more exciting to learn for defense against the dark arts."
James smiled warmly at her. "You're very welcome. It's been a pleasure teaching you… all. Enjoy your christmas holidays, and keep practicing. Who knows, maybe one day you'll become an exceptional witch." James watched her walk away, a mix of hope and uncertainty filling his heart. He knew that their reunion would be complicated, but he was determined to find the right moment to reveal the truth to Ellie and welcome her back into their Potter Family life.
The last day of school before the holidays had arrived, and Hogwarts was festively decorated. Ellie sat in the Great Hall, absentmindedly poking at her scrambled eggs with a fork. Charlotte couldn't stop raving about her fantastic Christmas plans with the Diggory Family, and Cedric rolled his eyes, saying, "Not everything she says is true," with a playful wink.
"There's our favorite Hufflepuppy!" George roared into her ear. Ellie jumped in surprise, sitting up straight. "Thanks, now I'm awake," she replied somewhat annoyed, reflexively covering her ear. Fred then sat down beside her, his arm around her shoulder. "My little sister is jealous of you," he laughed.
"Ginny thinks we're spending too much time with you," George grinned.
"Anyway, we heard you're staying here for Christmas," Fred continued, and George finished his sentence, "So we wondered if you'd like to celebrate Christmas with us?"
"Christmas with us will be a blast," Fred winked.
"Why does everyone keep asking me if I want to spend Christmas with them?" Ellie wondered.
"We're your favorite twins," George shrugged as if that were reason enough.
"And I'm your best friend," Charlotte chimed in.
Ellie sighed, "Then I should probably choose Harry, because he's neither my best friend nor my favorite twin," she said. After all, Harry had stopped pressuring her on the matter since his attempt in the library two weeks ago, while Charlotte brought it up daily.
"Christmas with the Potters, huh?" Fred teased.
"It won't be as legendary as Christmas with the Weasleys," George grinned.
"Well, I should go tell Harry that I'll be spending Christmas with him then," Ellie grinned and freed herself from Fred's embrace. Fred and George reluctantly let her go.
"At least come to visit us," George pleaded, and Fred added, "Please, our favorite Hufflepuppy, just drop by for a short visit."
"We'll see," Ellie winked.
Dear Mom, dear Dad,
I've invited Ellie to spend Christmas with us. I hope it's okay. I know how much you both want to get to know Ellie! Anyway, Ellie just came to me, and she accepted my invitation. I know it's all very last-minute, as we'll be coming tomorrow. Can we please send Charlie to the Dursleys or somewhere else for Christmas so that Ellie gets a good impression of us?
Harry