Albus Dumbledore (unknown date)
Albus Dumbledore looked at the pile of presents under his christmast tree, it was a nice number this year, like the ones before. Albus was sure that most of the presents were more of a courtesy that the loving act of giving someone a well thinked gift. Albus was sure that most of them would be the standar of every year. Don't take him wrong, he was always looking forward to read a new book, and you never had enough quills, but he would prefer something else. Something like a pair of wool socks, something to keep his foot warm in the cold scotish winter, and that everytime he wore them he could feel that a part of them was with him. The impersonal gifts while well recived didn't feel like Albus would like, nothing won in his mind something handmade by a love one.
Albus Dumbledore (1991)
Another year and another pile of presents. There were of course the tipical books and the tipical quills. That was until he found Hagrid's present, Rubeus always gifted Albus something that he had made himself, and it was one of his favorite present every year. This time there was a beautiful carving of a phoenix. It didn't took long for Fawkes to land in his shoulder and thrill happily at the small wooden figurine. Albus would made sure to tell Hagrid that Fawkes had loved the present as much as he had.
It was a couple of weeks later, after Christmas has pass, and an interesting conversation with young Mr. Potter had ocurred, that another gift appeared under his tree. It was past the time to recive a present, and Albus was cautious about it, usualy the elves looked that nothing was cursed but an anormality like this could have pased the normal precautions. The parcel was clear of any malicious spells, it was actualy clear of any magic bar the normal charms of the enchanted paper that cover it.
Albus opened the small parcel, and saw what was inside it. It was a pair of socks, they weren't handmade or even wool, but they were of good quality, warm and colorful, just like he liked. There was a small note inside, writen with what resembled more a chicken scrawl that letters,
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I won't wander anymore looking for the mirror, or any adventures, don't worry.
I brought this socks after our conversation, their bright colors remind me of your cloaks. You said that noone ever gifts you socks, so I found a pair so this year you could have them
Kindly,
Harry Potter.
Albus was moved by the young boy, he had a great heart and a dark future ahead. Albus could only hope that his destiny wouldn't change him too much.
Albus hadn't been lying when he said he saw himself with a pair of socks. He just omited the part that they had been handmade by his sister, that was still alive, and that he was with his brother, who had recived the same present, and that the three were together and laughing. Knitting had been an idea of his mother, to keep her sister focused on the task of knitting something, calmed the younger girl and made her magic outburst less frecuent and dangerous. Ariana was calmer and focused when knitting and her hand always made the best socks that Albus had ever wore.
Harry Potter (1991)
Harry knew that he wasn't the best at present giving. It was actually the first time that he had the money to buy something, he had give some candy to his friends, and at eleven he though that he had made a good job.
It wasn't after he had seen Dumbledore that he thought that maybe he could do better next year. He bowed to paid more attention to his friends, Ron and Hermione, and gift them something more personal than candy, that he would left to give to his roommates.
Harry thought that it was sad that the headmaster hadn't gotten something that he wanted, specialy something as small and simple as socks. Harry was sure that there was soemthing more behind it, but he was eleven and didn't know the older man enough. Still he got one of the mail order cataloges that still layer arround the common room, and looked through it searching for a pair of socks for the Headmaster. Harry knew that it would be late, and nothing that the man would spect, but he had probably safe Harry from insanity. Finally he found the perfect pair, it was a pair of simple socks but as colorful as the cloack Dumbledore liked to wear, they weren't enchanted in any way but that would cost more that what he had at hand. He send the money and the order, and once it came back a couple of days later he wrapped it some charmed paper that he still had from his presents, put a note inside the parsel and sent it with a school owl.
Harry Potter (1992)
Harry wondered if the Headmaster would get more socks this year, or if he would be the only one to remember. He was twelfe now and even if he doubded that any other student gift something to the headmaster, or any professor, Harry knew that gifting the man a pair of socks was just a small gesture especially after having been saved by them man.
Harry had some muggle money that he had exchanged last year, enough to buy some snacks in some shops at the other side of the town, where rumors about him hadn't reach, to help him not being to hungry during the summer. During one of those times he saw a pair of colorful wollen socks, they were discounted heavily because they were from last season. So Harry brought them, he would send them to the headmaster, as extrange that it would seem to anyone.
Albus Dumbledore (1992)
Another year and another pile of presents. But this year, Albus noted, there was one more parsel under the tree. It was easy to notice, because for the last year he had recived rhe exact same number of presents, all the teachers always gave him something and some old friends and colleges too. For the last ten or so years the same exact number, but this year there was one more.
Albus open the presents one by one. First he looked for the ones from his friends, then his older colleges and finally the rest of the teacher. When all was done he pick the last parsel left. It was brightly colored paper, it looked as if it had lost a battle of paintball, just like Albus loved. Inside they were a pair or wollen socks as colorfull as the paper that covered them just seconds ago. There was a short note to, indicating that it had been young Harry who had brought them at a muggle shop, the boy wondering if he had recived any other pair.
Harry Potter (1993)
Having the unpleasure visit of one Margorie Dursley had more inconvenients that Harry would have expected. For the first time that he could remember he wasn't allowed to be outside the house during the visit, usually he was encourage to stay away as much as posible. That meant that Harry was unable to buy extra food and as such he was more hungry and his magic was more excitable, so when Marge insulted his parents she turned into a good imitation of a ballon. Another thing was that he wasn't able to get a new pair of socks for Professor Dumbledore. The older man had confided in private that he had loved the present, and that once again he had been the only one to remember to give him socks. Harry wanted to gift him another pair, he had done much to him and wanted to give him back something to show how much he apreciated it.
Harry walked Diagon Alley up and fown a couple of times. He hadn't found any colorfull pair of socks for the headmaster, and had resigned that this year it would have to be a simple designe. That was until something caught his eyes, in the back of a shop, mostly kept outside the public were customizable socks, between other clothes of the MAGIC ME brand. Those could be personalized, the person who broght them could aply the basic color charm to them to change its appereance and once that was done a simple charm (contained in the instructions) would lock the result. Harry brought some pairs, and spend the afternoon playing with the coloring charm until he good a result that he liked and locked the design. Luckily the clerk had told him that a coloring and the locking of the design charms would not be picked in the proximity of Diagon Alley, or he would have to do it back at school. After finishing he wrote a short note to the headmaster and wrapped the socks in a colorful paper.
Albus Dumbledore (1993)
Albus looked under the heavy decorated christmas tree, searching for Harry's present.
As the previous year he left Harry's for the end, to end with a happy note. The one from Harry were the expected pair of colorfull socks, with a simple note of gratitud.
There were a good pair, and Albus recogniced their origin, he usually brought his clothes from there as noone made the as he liked and loved expending hours charming them with color patterns and scenes. The socks were colorful as he liked, with a simple pattern, and Albus knew that Harry had charmed them himself.
Such a fine young boy, he thought, and promised himself to try to find an way to safe him, for what was shapping a not very nice future.
Harry (1994)
After the exit of the previous year with the charmed socks, Harry decided to use another pair this year. This year the pattern was more complex and Harry thought that maybe next year he would be able to charm them with moving pictures. Instead of a simple christmas patern, he had painted a real christmas tree, with lots of ornaments like the ones at hogwarts. It wasn't as detailed as the real ones that decorated the castle but Harry was proud of his work, and hoped the headmaster would like them.
Albus (1994)
Albus looked with trepidation the mountain of gifts under the tree. Like the previous years there were more presents that expected, one more than even the previous year. A neatly colorfull packet from Harry and another from Dobby, the recently hired house elf.
Albus noted that Harry's socks had a christmas tree in them, instead of the more simple pattern of the previous year (that resembled a clasical christmas sweeter) there was a christmast tree full of ornaments that if Albus wasn't mistaken were similar, and probably inspired, than the Hogwarts' trees.
Dobby had send him socks too, a suprising circunstance. They were hand made, knitted by the little elf himself, and miss matched, one light blue with planet and the other dark purple with stars and galaxies.
Albus loved both presents and sent Dobby a extra galleon for expenses with a pair of small sturdy boots, as a late gift of appreciation. After all Albus had send Harry a nice box of chocolates as a thank you, and he couldn't give something to the boy and none to the elf
Dobby (1994)
Dobby was the happiest house elf ever. Not only the wonderfull and great Harry Potter had gift him socks for christmas, he had loved his present.
And the great and powerfull Albus Dumbledore too. The older man had gift Dobby a pair of boots, something that Dobby had never had. And a full galleon, with that Dobby could buy more and better wool to made socks for great Harry Potter and great Albus Dumbledore.
Harry Potter (1995)
Harry had owl order a couple pairs of socks to peesonalice this year. One pair would be for Dumbledore and the othe for Dobby, with a mismatched design that the little house elf preferend.
With the nightmares plaging his night, he spend those sleepless nights drawing the designes. He had thought of one pair for the headmaster with a phoenix (Fawkes) flying over the school grounds, with the trees over the forest moving slightly with unseen wind, for the headmaster. He was still working on the animatiln charm and thought that something simple will work better with his current ability. For Dobby, Harry made one red with flying birds and another purple with moving dogs. He didn't know very well the elf, but he seemed to like them if they weren't the same design.
But it wasn't until he went to Sirius house that he was able to start painting them, and wasn't able to finish them until a couple of weeks before Christmas.
Albus Dumblerode (1995)
Albus was, once again, looking forward to open his christmas presents. He had noticed that after seen Harry's, and then Dobby's gifts he was looking forward to them. Even if they didn't know the story behind, he was very thankfull of the time that they spend thinking of him and preparing the socks. It showed their gratitud more than anything else, spending time looking and preparing a gift was for Albus more important that the material object. A book or other thing just took time to buy, but something hand made, or just personaly decorated with someone in mind, was for Albus a greater show of love.
Albus opened the gifts and was greatly surprised with what he saw. They showed Fawkes flying over Hogwarts grounds, and with a close inspection he saw that Harry has aplied a animation charm at the trees, that moved slightly. Fawkes having saw them too, amd recognicing himself chrirped happily in his perch.
Dobby had decidded to send him another pair of hand knitting socks, of mismatched patterns. There were even fluffier than the previous year, and more colorful and detailed too. The elf seemed to coordinate with Harry, even if Albus doubted that they had even talk this year. One presented Fawkes in his perch in his ofice in his adult form, the other presented a baby Fawkes surrounded by ash as if he had just reborn.
Dobby (1995)
Dobby was again the happiest house elf in the world. Great Harry Potter had gave him socks, and these ones were correct, one of each color. A perfect present Dobby thought.
And great Albus Dumbledore too. Dobby was over the moon. A pair of socks too, very colorful with a scarf to match for the cold winter.
It was the best Christmas ever Dobby thought.
Harry Potter (1996)
Harry found himself another summer at the Dursleys, and beeing forced to stay inside gave him plenty of time to work on the design of his socks for both Dumbledore and Dobby. What had started as a show of apreciation and gratitud had turned into a yearly tradition. Harry had with the years passing change his oppinion in the old man, at first he was the headmaster of his school, but years of adventures and misadventure had turned the man into an honorable grandfather. Dobby had turned into a somewhat friend and a more or less trusty allie.
With the war bubbling Harry had decided that this years the more colorful designs the better. The darkness wouldn't win and a little of bright in the current times would be wellcomed.
Albus Dumbledore (1996)
Albus was almost relieved to be able to see the presents under the tree, there had been moments the past year were he had thought that he wouldn't be for the holidays. This year the world was more dark, more sad and less colorful. It filled the old headmaster with joy the colorful wrappings of the presents, the bright lights and ornaments that decorated the tree. Albus apreciated it more this year, as he knew that it would be the last.
The looked at the piles of presents under the tree, the begining of the war had made him lose more people and close friends that he had though. A feeling of sadness filled for a moment, but he pushed it down, it wouldn't do any good to think about it. It was his last christmas and he would enjoy them the most he could.
Harry had outdone himself this year, there was a level of detail that wasn't there the previous year. He had mixed the color delightfully and the animations were not only sutil but full movement of the figure. There was the castle like last year, but more detailed, the siluet at the distance got closer sometimes as if he was flying over it and the grounds of the school. He could see the windows and the armors in the corridors, the gigant squib came out of the lake to say hi with one tentacule and dive inside again. There was Hagrid's hut with his dog outside, and a herd of unicorns close to it at the outskirt of the forest. Then you got close to the castle again an the animation started again.
Dobby for his part had gave him another pair of socks, one resembled the shights of the lake and the forest at day in the summer, the other at night in winter with the snow covering everything. There was a pair of long globes to pair them too.
Dobby (1996)
Dobby was still a happy elf working in the best place in the world, but he was a bit sad this year. Dobby knew what was happening and he had seen jow sad the great Harry Potter was. Dobby knew that the great headmaster was close to depart.
But when he saw the presents that he had recived for both great Harry Pltter and the great Albus Dumbledore he felt a bit better. The old man might not be there for much longer but Dobby would be able to remember him with the presents that he had gave him.
Harry Potter (Years after the war)
Harry reflected back to his years at Hogwarts. So much had passed since he had first enter the ancient castle, he had lost so many people, but he had won a great family. He had married and had three little children to share the joy of christmas.
He couldn't believe that so much had passed since the last time that he had gifted the Dumbledore or Dobby a pair of socks. The headmaster had died in 1996 and Dobby a year later, but with the war he hadn't been able to get a gift for the little guy.
When Harry opened the gift that he had recibed from his children, with the help of Ginny no doub, he was took back to thos times. A pair of colorful socks, wrapped in colorful paper, with the hands of his children painted on them.