At King's Cross Station, James was already waiting. He had been tasked with picking up the children because Lily was too excited to meet her daughter and had cleaned the house for what felt like the twentieth time. They did have a house-elf, Dobby, who was willing to do anything since he was freed, but in this case, Lily just couldn't be stopped. It had been 10 years since she last saw her daughter. She wanted to make a good impression on her. Even Charlie had been instructed countless times by his parents not to reveal anything about Ellie's origin or play pranks...
"The whole day?" Remus raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked worriedly at Lily, who was constantly rearranging, polishing, and cleaning objects.
James nodded. He, too, was nervous about seeing his daughter again. What if his little Rose already had a happy family? Would they really want to risk disrupting Rose's life with chaos? Then again, if she had a family, she probably wouldn't want to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, would she? But what if his little Rose didn't like them?
James quickly pushed aside those thoughts. Rose would like her, love her - after all, they were her true family, her parents. "Darling," James said. The woman in her mid-30s ignored her husband and checked the dining table once again to ensure that all the knives and forks were properly arranged and equidistant from the table's edge.
"Lily," he pulled his wife into an embrace, "It looks very good," James smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Now, take a moment to relax. I'll pick up the children in a few minutes."
"I'm not finished yet... I haven't cleaned the shelves, the flowers need fresh water, and the carpet still needs to be vacuumed," she listed.
"We can use magic, remember?" James grinned. With a simple spell, the water in the flower vases was replaced, and the dust vanished from the upper shelves.
"My little baby is coming home today, James! I want everything to be perfect," Lily said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.
"It is perfect," he smiled, while Lily scowled and let out a shout, "Remus!" She now admonished the werewolf, "I said nothing is to be touched here!" He awkwardly returned his glass of water to the table. Apparently, he wasn't allowed a sip of water.
Lily promptly fetched a fresh glass, placed it exactly one millimeter on the coaster, just as Charlie stormed into the house with muddy clothes.
"Charlie!" Lily let out an even louder shrill scream, "Look at yourself! You're dirty! Don't you move a single inch forward, or I'll really send you to Petunia for Christmas!"
"There are spells for that too," James sighed. With a flick of his wand, Charlie was clean, and the mud on the floor disappeared. "I'll go get the children now," James said.
"Dad," Harry exclaimed with joy, embracing his father, "You surely remember Ellie, right?"
"Hello, Ellie," James greeted the girl with a friendly handshake, "We've had the pleasure of crossing paths twice already. Harry, this is the girl who disarmed me with an Expelliarmus."
Ellie nodded shyly but gave the man a small smile. "Yes, that was me," she replied softly.
"That's really impressive," Harry said, laughing. He had heard from the Gryffindor first-years that his father was defeated by a first-year girl. He should have realized that his father was surely lost in thought when it came to Ellie.
Ellie grinned awkwardly. Meeting the Potters was exciting but also somewhat intimidating. She followed the Potter family to the fireplace, curious about what would happen next.
"Have you ever used the Floo Network?" James asked curiously as they arrived at the fireplace. Ellie shook her head and listened attentively as James explained the Floo Network. Despite having learned a lot during her short time at Hogwarts, the Floo Network was something she had yet to try.
"The first time is really exciting," he said with a wink. "Just remember to speak loudly and clearly about where you want to go. Otherwise, you might end up in a completely different place than intended."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's essential to concentrate well. I remember my first attempts; it was quite chaotic."
"Chaotic?" James raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You ended up in Knockturn Alley."
Harry grinned cheekily, took a handful of Floo powder, and entered the fireplace. "Potter Manor," he mumbled. Green flames engulfed him, and the 13-year-old Harry disappeared.
Ellie recoiled, accidentally bumping into James. Her eyes were wide open. James noticed Ellie's unease and reassuringly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid, Ellie. The Floo Network is a lot of fun. It's a bit like riding a rollercoaster."
Ellie nodded slowly, trying to relax and take a deep breath. She was still fascinated by the magic of the Floo Network, but the idea of traveling through it herself was both exciting and frightening.
"Nothing can happen," James said confidently. "It's one of the safest means of transportation in the wizarding world."
"What if I end up somewhere else?" Ellie asked.
"Then I'll find you," James replied, swallowing hard. If only Ellie knew that he had been searching for her for a whole ten years.
Ellie nodded and tried to suppress her nervousness as she took the powder. Mentally, she repeated the words 'Potter Manor' over and over. Then, she stepped cautiously into the fireplace. Her eyes darted to James, as if waiting for his permission. He nodded with an encouraging smile.
"Potter Manor," Ellie spoke with a soft but clear voice. Green flames surrounded her, and she felt herself being pulled through a whirlwind of colors and sounds. It was a wild sensation, as if she was traveling through time and space itself. When the whirlwind finally subsided, she found herself in a different place. Ellie beamed with joy. She had done it!
"How was your first time?" Harry asked curiously.
"It was incredibly fast," Ellie replied. She looked around with fascination. The Potters' living room was inviting and cozy. The furniture was elegant but not overly grand, and there were small magical objects and moving pictures everywhere. She recognized one of the pictures as Harry's father and undoubtedly his wife, both of them smiling in front of the camera. It was a touching sight, and Ellie could well imagine how Harry had grown up.
"Come with me. I'll introduce you to my family," Harry said and led Ellie into the dining room.
Lily was already waiting impatiently. James was there too, as were their suitcases, Hedwig, and Tigger.
"Mom," Harry smiled and gestured towards his little sister, "May I introduce you to Ellie Lynch?"
Lily looked at the girl for the first time. She was truly a spitting image of a younger version of her mother, with only the hazel eyes reminiscent of James.
"Hello, Mrs. Potter. Thank you for having me for Christmas," Ellie thanked politely.
Lily felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't hold back anymore and pulled the 11-year-old girl into her arms. It was overwhelming to see her daughter again after so many years, even though Ellie knew nothing of her true heritage. Ellie stood motionless and didn't return the embrace. She found it unusual to be drawn into such a stormy hug, unless that was entirely normal in the wizarding world?
"Sorry, Mom is just really excited to meet you because my potion grades have improved so dramatically," Harry fibbed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overwhelm you," explained Lily and quickly let go of the hug, but she couldn't take her eyes off Ellie. Lily was filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Ellie was truly a perfect mirror image of herself, and it broke her heart that Ellie knew nothing of her true identity.
"And this is the most annoying little brother in the world," Harry said, gesturing to a young boy who was a spitting image of James Potter. Dark hair, hazel eyes. Only faint freckles adorned his face, reminiscent of Lily Potter.
"Charlie – I'm Mom and Dad's lifesaver," the boy introduced himself.
"Don't exaggerate, Charlie," James said with a roll of his eyes.
Ellie's gaze roamed the room until she spotted a familiar face at the dining table. "Professor Lupin. What are you doing here?"
"You can call me Remus during the holidays," Lupin spoke up, "Besides, I live here." Lupin had been living at Potter Manor for over 10 years now. He rarely found work and earned very little money. James and Lily had offered him one of the guest rooms to stay in. He had looked after young Harry and Charlie for years while Lily and James went about their daily work.
The dinner resembled a small feast. There was a Sunday roast with beef and Yorkshire pudding, crispy roast potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.
"Ellie, may I ask why you're so good at potions? It's rather unusual for a first-year to be tutoring a third-year," Lily asked.
The girl shrugged. "I guess I overprepared for school. I thought kids from wizarding families would be way ahead of me, but it turns out that's not the case."
Harry wanted to protest, but his father interjected, "What was it like growing up as a Muggle and then suddenly finding out you could do magic?"
"That was pretty crazy. At first, I got the letter, and I thought it was a silly joke, but then Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared at the door and performed magic."
"Ellie is probably the first student I know who gets good grades from Snape, just like that," Harry explained.
"I wonder why that is," James muttered just loud enough for Remus to hear. Remus took this as a cue to change the subject. "Do you have any siblings?" he asked curiously. He had the feeling that James and Lily would like to learn more about Ellie's life.
"Not really," Ellie replied shortly.
"Do your parents mind you spending Christmas with us?" James inquired.
"I... uh... I don't have parents," Ellie admitted hesitantly.
"If you don't have parents, who do you live with then?" Charlie asked curiously.
Ellie set her utensils down and stared at her plate, contemplating how best to explain that she lived in an orphanage. The Potters had welcomed her so kindly, and she didn't want them to worry about her or feel pity for her. After all, it was almost Christmas – the season of joy.
"I live in an orphanage in London," she said. When she looked up, she saw the astonished faces of the Potter family. The Potters and Professor Lupin appeared shocked, and sympathy reflected in their eyes.
"Oh, Ellie, we're sorry to hear that," Lily said sympathetically. Lily didn't know whether to be glad or sad about the statement. On one hand, they wouldn't be destroying a happy family if they chose to tell Ellie the truth, but the thought of her little daughter growing up all alone and never experiencing family life saddened her.
Ellie smiled faintly and tried to lighten her words. "It's okay, really. I don't know what a normal family life is like, so I don't miss it. The orphanage has its own rules and routine, and I manage just fine. We even get to watch TV for an hour a day."
James and Lily exchanged glances and seemed not entirely convinced. James took a bite of the delicious Sunday roast and turned back to Ellie. "So, you don't know who your parents are at all? You've never been told anything about your family?"
"Miss Clark says they died in a car accident when I was very young. Apparently, I don't have any other relatives, or I wouldn't be living there."
Charlie seized the opportunity to steer the conversation to a lighter note. With excitement in his eyes, he turned to his older sister. "What do the Hufflepuff common rooms look like? Is it true they resemble the Hobbit holes from 'The Lord of the Rings' books?"
Ellie smiled at Charlie's question and began to enthusiastically describe. "Oh yes, the Hufflepuff common rooms are so cozy! They're located deep underground, and you access them through a password and a small tunnel. Inside, everything is decorated with warm, earthy colors, round windows and doors. It really feels like the Hobbit holes."
Charlie's distraction worked well, and everyone enjoyed Ellie's Hufflepuff stories – even James, who usually only recognized Gryffindor as a house. However, for his daughter, he was willing to make an exception.
Late in the evening, Lily, James, and Remus sat together in James's office. The fireplace crackled, bathing the room in a warm, inviting light. Since Ellie had arrived that afternoon, the house had taken on a whole new liveliness.
Lily sighed and gazed into the flames of the fireplace. "I want to tell Ellie who we really are, James. She has the right to know."
James, who had sunk into a chair beside her, nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, Lily, but I think we should be cautious. We mustn't overwhelm Ellie, or we'll jeopardize our relationship with her."
Remus agreed and added, "I think it would be better if we give Ellie time to get to know us without worrying about who we really are. She's certainly not ready to understand the truth. Ellie may be a bright girl, but she can be just as fearful and shy."
Lily sighed again and nodded, even though it was difficult for her to suppress her curiosity and her desire to embrace Ellie and tell her that they were her parents. "It's just so hard to look at her without telling her how much I love her."
James gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "We will have the opportunity to tell her, Lily, but it has to be the right time. Nevertheless, we can give her the love and warmth she deserves." The love and warmth of Potter Manor would surely help provide Ellie with a sense of security and family, even if the truth remained hidden for now.
AN: In the next chapter, the Potter family celebrates Christmas.