A Christmas in Godric's Hollow with Draco, Harry, Snape etc

Harry Potter: A Christmas in Godric's Hollow

O Holy Night Lyrics
Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining

...

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

Deep in the heart of a small Muggle village stood a quaint two-storey cottage. It had been lovingly rebuilt by heartbroken witches and wizards after having been the scene of tragedy over 16 years past. It was now a landholding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Smoke curled out of the chimney into the cold winter air.

A black-haired teenager lay on the sofa in a deep sleep. A redheaded girl sat on the floor, curled up against the sofa with a worried look on her face.

The door to the cottage swung open and four more teens came through the door.

"How is he?" asked Hermione as she brushed snow off her sleeve.

"Thankfully still in a peaceful sleep. Did you find what you needed?" Ginny asked, looking specifically at Neville. The gangly boy nodded, throwing a worried glance at the black-haired wizard on the sofa. "I'm going to cut up the plants right now and then brew them."

Ron and Luna followed the other two through the door.

"Shouldn't one of us at least try to find Madam Pomfrey?" Ron asked.

"I heard she went to Ireland. There are leprechauns in Ireland - maybe she's looking for a pot of gold," Luna chimed in.

"If he doesn't improve we're going to have to take him to St. Mungo's," Hermione stated.

"NO! Harry said they wouldn't be able to help. No-one can know what he's been doing!" Ginny responded vehemently.

"Well, we can't just let him continue to suffer like this!" Hermione argued.

"Do you think I enjoy seeing him suffer? It's torture when he's in so much pain!" Ginny shrieked.

"Bloody hell, would the two of you stop screeching? We're all worried about Harry; let's see if Neville's paste will help," Ron interjected.

"Harry needs Professor Snape," Luna suddenly said.

"How can you say that? He killed Dumbledore, he's a Death Eater, he's totally evil!" Ron shouted.

"Shhhh, you'll wake Harry." Ginny glared at her brother.

Harry heard voices and he realized it was his friends. He knew they had been terribly worried about him ever since he had destroyed a Horcrux. They had come together at his parents' renovated cottage. The time had been bittersweet. Although he had no real memories of it, he immediately felt at home in Godric's Hollow. It was quaint and charming, with honeysuckle arbours and hedgerows. He had gone alone to visit his parents' graves, laying a bouquet of lilies he had bought at the flower shop, on his mother's grave. It felt odd looking at their graves. Sometimes they felt so close, like they were somehow near him, yet here in front of him was the callous truth, the cold gravestone bearing their names. He had sat out in the cold for over an hour, talking to them, telling them that he loved them and wished they could have been a part of his life. When he went back to the cottage, all his friends tiptoed around him. They knew how hard it had been for him. Hermione had hugged him gently, Ginny had hugged him fiercely. Ron had patted his shoulder, Neville had smiled sympathetically and Luna had proceeded to talk about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack as a way of distracting him.

He realized how much he cared for them all. Somehow, in all those years at Hogwarts, he had found himself a family.

With help from all of them, he had found one of the Horcruxes that Mundungus has stolen from Grimmauld Place. When he had destroyed it, a flame had leapt out and shot into his chest and out of his back. With it came an unbearable pain. Ron and Neville had carried him back to the renovated version of his parents' cottage.

He had been barely able to move for over a week now. His days were spent guzzling large amounts of pain-relieving potions that barely took the edge off. The other time he spent sleeping heavily on dreamless sleep potions.

"It's ok, I'm already awake."

"Are you feeling any better?" Hermione knelt down beside him, running her hand over his forehead.

He attempted to sit up but the pain flared so ferociously that he bit his bottom lip as tears filled his eyes.

"Oh Harry..." Hermione half-sobbed.

"He's going to be all right!" Ginny said fiercely. "Neville, have you got the paste to try yet?"

"Yes." He handed it to Ginny. "Careful - it's still warm."

Ginny gently pulled the blankets back. Harry's hand was over his forehead as he grimaced. She unbuttoned his pajama shirt, blushing slightly. Carefully, she lifted the bandage over his chest and then applied the paste as lightly as she could over the blackened burn mark. Ron lifted him so she could apply it on his back. She put the bandage back on and rebuttoned his shirt. Ron then held a glass full of pain potion to Harry's lips.

Harry felt terrible; he hated having everyone take care of him. It was humiliating when he couldn't even use the bathroom without Ron or Neville's help. When the pain was at its worst he ended up vomiting and that was one of the most embarrassing moments of all as Ginny usually held his head and attempted to comfort him. He hated being so helpless and in so much pain.

He couldn't afford to be immobilized when there were Horcruxes to be found. Any day now the Death Eaters could attack and kill the people he cared about. He had to stop them and Voldemort. He thought briefly of Snape. The evil wizard who had killed the headmaster, Dumbledore being the one man who could have helped him. Yet he remembered Dumbledore's withered hand. He remembered the headmaster saying that he had almost died after destroying that Horcrux, Snape had apparently saved him. Harry snorted. Snape the murderer. He would destroy him along with Voldemort. He hated Snape as much as he hated the wizard who had killed his parents.

"Is it any better now?" Luna asked, her blue eyes worried.

Harry shook his head.

"We will find a way to heal you," Hermione stated, digging through her bags, looking for another medical book she had taken out from the Hogsmeade library.

Ron sat on the edge of the sofa looking at him concerned. "Harry, I know you don't think it will help, but we need to do something. St. Mungos..."

"No, I want to stay here. It feel like I need to stay here."

"The healer will find Harry," Luna stated patting his hand.

Ron rolled his eyes, bringing a faint smile to Harry's face.

"I have to find the other Horcruxes," the dark-haired teen stated.

"Absolutely NOT; you are in no condition to go anywhere!" Hermione shrieked.

Ginny nodded. "Don't be a fool, Harry; you'd be toast if a Death Eater got you now."

Harry was feeling a tiny bit better now that the pain-killing potion had taken effect.

"How am I going to get the one in Nagini? She's a snake and I can speak Parseltongue," he mused.

"Nagini is loyal to Voldemort, just like the Basilisk was. You couldn't command that so I highly doubt you can do anything of value to Voldemort's familiar," Hermione argued logically.

"I still have to destroy the Horcruxes."

"Forget about that now. Try and eat. I made Mum's famous brown sugar and milk oatmeal," Ginny offered.

He shook his head but could do nothing to stop the spoon heading towards his mouth. The redhead had such a determined look on her face that he didn't dare refuse. He took a mouthful. He had forgotten how good Mrs. Weasley's oatmeal was.

He felt rather sleepy after eating and drifted off to sleep again.

He was up in the tower,immobilized. Snape burst in, Dumbledore quietly pleaded, Snape hurled the Avada Kedavra...

He awoke with a start and realized he was alone. He wondered where everyone had disappeared to. Fear entered his heart as he tried to sit up but with a strangled moan he fell back as the stab of pain once again shot through his burned chest.

"Here, Harry, take the painkiller," he heard a voice say, a familiar voice.

His eyes sprang open; there, crouched down beside the sofa, was Professor Dumbledore.

His mouth fell open.

They stared at each other for a moment. Harry was the first to break the silence. "This is a dream."

The headmaster smiled softly and chuckled. "No, dear boy, it is not. I'm sorry to startle you so. I owe you an explanation and I promise I will explain it all to you soon. Suffice it to say I am alive." His light blue eyes twinkled.

Harry shook his head. "I saw Snape kill you."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I know this makes no sense to you at the moment but that is not important. You have sustained a serious injury and you need to be healed. I am assuming you obtained this injury upon destroying a Horcrux?"

"Yes ... but how did you - I mean, how could you survive? I thought I was the only one who ever survived the Avada Kedavra?"

"All in good time, my boy. Right now you need to rest. I will bring assistance and we will heal you so you can truly have a happy Christmas here in Godric's Hollow with your friends." He lightly brushed his hand over the mussed black hair.

It was at that moment that Harry noticed his hand was no longer withered. "Your hand! How did you heal it?"

Again Dumbledore smiled. "I will explain everything, I promise. Right now, Harry, I want you to relax. Don't worry - everything will work out. Here, drink the potion to help with the pain."

He helped Harry lift his head so he could drink it down. After the cup was empty the green eyes stared at him intently. "This really isn't a dream? You are really alive?"

"Yes. Happy Christmas, Harry. Trust me, all will be well."

Harry's eyes drifted shut again to the sound of those comforting words. He felt the blanket being pulled up around him.

When he next opened his eyes, a beautiful glistening tree stood in the living room. His friends were busy decorating it. He eagerly looked around. "Where's Professor Dumbledore?"

They all froze and looked at him startled.

"Er, Harry, mate, he's dead, remember? Snape killed him," Ron stuttered awkwardly.

"No, he was here, he's not dead. I talked to him." Harry insisted.

"You were just dreaming," Ginny said soothingly.

Hermione went over to him. "It's the strong pain potions you're on."

Frustrated, Harry attempted to sit up but then with a cry fell back again.

"I wasn't dreaming, it wasn't the painkillers, he was here! He said he'd come back and explain everything. He was alive, his hand was healed. He said 'Happy Christmas'!"

"Calm down, I'll mix up some herbs and make you a tea," Neville offered.

"I believe you, Harry," Luna assured him.

"Thanks," he murmured, unsure if Luna believing him was a good thing.

"Do you like the tree we bought?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," he replied.

"We also bought lots of food. I'm going to cook us a Christmas dinner tomorrow with everyone's help."

"Dumbledore said he'd come back with someone who could heal this wound," Harry stated.

He could see the confusion on all of his friends faces. He knew they thought he'd gone nutters but he was sure he had talked to Dumbledore. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, struggling against the pain once more. He wondered if the headmaster's hand had hurt this much before Snape had healed him. He couldn't help smiling softly at the thought that Snape had failed, that somehow Dumbledore had outsmarted him.

He felt his mood lighten. Even if his friends didn't believe him right now, they would realize soon enough that he was sane, as soon as Dumbledore came back.

Luna brought him a cup of eggnog, which he sipped while they decorated the tree. The smell of the fir tree was wonderful and he found himself humming along to Luna cheerily singing that she wanted a Crumple-Horned Snorkack for Christmas.

The pain was bearable because of the potion and the fact that he didn't move. Ginny had moved into the kitchen and had started baking cookies. She came out every so often holding one to his mouth to taste. Her face was slightly flushed from the hot oven, her eyes sparkled and he realized that despite his injury this was rapidly becoming one of the best Christmases he had ever had.

The sky soon grew darker and he realized with a disappointed start that Dumbledore had not returned. He started to doubt that he had been visited by him. Perhaps it really was just a dream. He joined in with the singing but his heart felt just a little heavier. It had been so wonderful knowing that darkness had not defeated the greatest defender of the light.