Dumbledore’s voice overturned the commotion in the Great Hall. “Please be quiet and sit down. The castle’s wards are charmed to not let Harry pass through by Portkey. So I suppose that he is still in the castle. I would like to ask everyone willing to help to come and look for him all over the school.”

Seeing that nearly everyone jumped off their seats again, he continued. “Please don’t roam the grounds on your own but go in small groups or at least together with one other person. I shall wait in my office. If you find Harry, please take him to the Headmaster’s office immediately. You will have time enough to eat dinner afterwards. Thanks for your help.”

While everyone was spreading throughout the school, Remus ran to Filch’s office. Fortunately, the caretaker was there, talking to his cat. Remus quickly explained to him about a blank parchment, which Filch had confiscated from the Marauders about five years ago, saying that it was highly dangerous. He told the unfriendly man that an emergency had occurred for which he needed the parchment back urgently, threatening that otherwise Filch would be held responsible for a possible student’s death. It only took them three minutes to find the map in one of the drawers.

Remus activated the map and told it to show him the whereabouts of Harry. A small black point showed the boy’s name just next to the Hogwarts border on the Hogsmeade side. He quickly pocketed the map and ran down the street to Hogsmeade. When he reached Harry, he saw that he was lying on the ground, apparently unconscious. Remus pulled of his robes, draping them over the boy, before he gathered him into his arms and ran back to the castle. On his way to the Hospital Wing he ordered the first students he saw to run to the Headmaster’s office in order to call off the search.

-----

Poppy sat down in her office tiredly. Since it was so cold outside, many students had come down with colds or worse, and she had been busy tending to them for the last few hours. Suddenly Albus’ voice could be heard throughout the school.

“All students and teachers may return to the Great Hall for dinner. Professor Lupin has found Harry. Thank you for your help.”

‘Harry? What happened?’ she thought frantically, jumping up from her seat. She was just about to leave the Hospital Wing, when Remus stormed in, Harry in his arms.

“What happened, Remus? Put him on his own bed, please,” she said, following the teacher into the nursery.

Remus filled her in quickly and laid Harry down on his bed. Poppy immediately waved her wand over the boy and let out a relieved sigh, proceeding to wake Harry up. “He seems to have hit his head a bit, that’s all. However, we should try to wake him up so that I can give him a potion for his head.”

“Shall I wake him while you go and get the potion?” Seeing Poppy nod, Remus carefully laid a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry flinched a little but slowly opened his eyes.

“Uncy Moony?” he asked sleepily. “Where Aunt Poppy? Head hawt.”

“Yes, I know, my dear,” Poppy, who had just returned with a potions phial in her hands, said calmingly. “Drink this. It will help your head. You must take it easy for a few days, which means no running, no flying or such.”

“What happen?” Harry asked confused. He could remember entering the Great Hall together with Bill, when a bigger student he didn’t know offered him a lollipop. As soon as he reached for it, he had gotten a strange feeling in his belly and then he had hit his head, before he passed out. The next thing he knew was being woken up by Uncle Remus.

Remus told him the whole story. He could only imagine that the wards had pushed Harry back and that he fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground.

“So, how long was he outside before you found him? Twenty minutes?” Poppy asked. Seeing Remus nod, she sighed. “So Harry will at least get a cold, and you need some Pepper-Up Potion as well, Remus, after running around the grounds without your robes.” She made Remus drink a potion, and Harry had much fun when he saw steam coming out of Remus’ ears.

“Now, wait, little man. Now it’s your turn and I’m going to watch and laugh,” Remus threatened, when Poppy returned with the children’s version of the potion.

A few minutes later, Minerva, Albus, and Severus arrived, wanting to know if Harry was all right and where Remus had found him. Remus explained everything to them, while Poppy sat on the edge of Harry’s bed, quietly talking to the child. Suddenly, Harry’s stomach let out a loud rumbling noise.

“Oh my, are you hungry, Harry?”

“A wittew,” Harry replied, embarrassed. He threw a short glance to the others.

“Oh, yes, I’m hungry, too,” Remus threw in. “We were busy here chatting with you, Poppy, while everyone else had dinner.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Remus, Harry. I thought you had eaten before everything happened.”

“Twinkle,” Albus called his family house elf. “Could you please bring a light dinner for…” He turned to Poppy. “Have you had dinner yet, Poppy?” When she shook her head, he continued, “…dinner for three, and tea for everyone else. Thank you, Twinkle.”

-----

During the night, Poppy was woken by a small figure trying to climb into her bed. She instinctively reached out for the little tyke and pulled him up, noticing that he felt very hot to the touch. When she laid him between Aberforth and her, Harry whispered hoarsely, “Aun Poppy, Hawwy don feew good.”

Poppy tiredly took his temperature and was suddenly wide awake. 41.3 degrees – that was dangerously high. She quickly waved her wand over the boy and got the result that he had a lung infection. “Harry, please stay here and wait for a moment. I’ll get some medicine for you.” She hurried to get a phial of the pneumonia potion Severus had invented for Harry during the summer holidays as well as the strongest fever reducer she could give such a small child. Harry obediently drank both potions and relaxed a little. After a few minutes, his temperature had dropped a degree, and Poppy climbed back into bed, cradled Harry into her arms, whispering, “Now, Harry, let’s try to sleep some more. If you feel worse or can’t sleep wake me up. All right?”

“Yes, fank you, An Poppy,” Harry replied lazily and drifted off, snuggling into Poppy’s arm, his dragon safely under his own arm, thinking that never before he had felt so cared for.

Harry spent a few days in bed. When he started to feel a little better, the winter holidays had just begun, and the teachers had more time and took turns sitting with him. As much as Harry hated to be ill, he enjoyed the time the teachers spent with him. Each of them had a special method to entertain Harry. Poppy, for example, mostly cuddled him and talked to him about anything Harry was comfortable with. Severus used to tell him about ingredients for easy potions that he could brew with his toddler’s potions kit. Severus had already helped him brew a few simple potions that he could make with the kit, and Harry had enjoyed it very much.

Minerva had started to read a huge book to him. ‘Hogwarts – A history’ it was called, and Harry found it very interesting. Sirius, whom Harry had finally gotten used to, preferred to tell him about the jokes he played together with Harry’s father and Uncle Moony, while Remus thought Harry should know everything about magical animals. His grandfather chose to talk about the sweets the other teachers had brought for Harry. He picked up each single package from the night table and told Harry a story about it. Of course he had to try them as well, especially as Harry still didn’t want to eat anything that wasn’t forced into his throat, and Rolanda taught Harry everything a two-year-old could understand about Quidditch.

Harry was interested in everything he learned. However, his eyes twinkled most when Poppy, Minerva, or Severus were sitting with him. This, of course, nobody knew – except for Poppy.

-----

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Severus showed up in Harry’s room, when Poppy and Harry were just having breakfast together at the table. “Good morning, Poppy, Harry,” he greeted them with one of his rare smiles that he seemed to have reserved for Harry.

“Good Mownin, Uncle Sewewus,” Harry squeaked happily. During the last days, Poppy and Severus had practised speaking with Harry, so that his speech abilities had improved a lot.

“Professor McGonagall is forcing me to go to the Great Hall to help decorate the Hall and the Christmas tree. Unfortunately, decorating Charms are not my very best subject, so I believe I need an assistant. Would you be willing to help me, Harry, provided that Aunt Poppy lets you go?”

Harry’s eyes twinkled merrily. “Yes. Fank you, Uncle Sewewus. I want hewp you. Can Hawwy go, Aunt Poppy, pwease?”

Poppy reluctantly allowed him to go, knowing that Severus would watch him closely enough to know when it was time to bring the child back as Harry was still weak from his illness. She washed his face and laid out clothes for him to wear. When she helped him button his favourite green shirt Severus had bought for him a few weeks ago, Harry suddenly asked, “What kwissmis?”

Poppy and Severus threw him an appalled glance. “You don’t know what Christmas is?” Poppy asked softly, and when Harry slightly shook his head, Severus proceeded to explain to the little boy about baby Jesus being born on Christmas.

“Aunt Poppy come Gweat Haww, too?” Harry asked.

Poppy sighed. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but I have some things to sort out. But you can go with Uncle Severus, if you think you are well enough. If you feel worse, tell Uncle Severus or one of the other teachers, so that they will bring you back here.”

“Awwight,” Harry agreed and let Severus take him by the hand and walk him to the Great Hall.

When they entered the Great Hall, Harry suddenly stopped walking. He stood there, clinging to Severus’ robes, and stared in awe at the beautiful, huge tree that Hagrid had just finished putting up.

“Good morning, Harry and Severus. I see you have brought an assistant with you, Severus,” Professor Flitwick said, smiling at Severus and Harry.

Minerva came over as well, knelt in front of Harry and took his hand. “Hello Harry. You must be better today, if Poppy let you go. Are you going to help decorate?”

Harry threw her an anxious smile. “Hewwo Gwanny. Much bettew. I donnow if I can hewp but twy.”

“Oh, Harry, your speech has improved a lot, hasn’t it?” Minerva commended him, glad that he slowly seemed to catch up not only in his behaviour but also with speaking.

“Aunt Poppy and Uncle Sewewus hewp Hawwy a wot,” Harry replied with a hint of pride in his voice.

“All right. Severus, can you conjure baubles for the tree? Maybe Harry can advice you about the colours and patterns. You know,” she smilingly turned to Harry, “we don’t want them all to be green with bubbling cauldrons on them.”

Harry returned a mischievous smile. “Gwanny pwefew kittie, wight?”

Minerva snorted and replied, “Maybe you are spending too much time with your Uncle Severus.” When she saw Harry’s face turn sad, she patted his shoulder and added, “Don’t worry, Harry. That was a joke. You may spend as much time with Severus as you want. And yes, I like cats.”

Harry smiled relieved and Severus conjured a golden bauble. “Now, Harry, what pattern shall we put on it and in which colour?”

Harry thought for a moment before he replied, “fawst a kittie fow Gwanny pwease.”

Severus pointed his wand at the golden ball, and two grey cats decorated the ornament. Harry had a close look at the cats, and finally gave Severus a contented glance and said, “Das good. Fewy pwetty.”

“Very,” Severus corrected the child and suggested, “Shall we go and show it to Granny before we put it onto the tree?”

“Yes,” Harry replied, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Will this meet your expectations, Minerva?” Severus asked the older teacher, handing the bauble over to her.

“Oh, Severus, that’s beautiful. Two green cats playing with a red ball,” she said admiringly. “Thank you.”

“Wait. Green cats? A ball?” Severus threw a glance at the ornament in her hands. “Oh. That must have been my assistant’s work. I merely put two grey cats on it,” he countered astonished.

“Gwanny-cat pway baww wif Hawwy-cat,” Harry explained solemnly. “Hawwy do wong?”

“No, my dear, you did very well,” Minerva commended the anxious child.

“However, you must not do a lot of magic today, otherwise you will become too tired,” Severus told him sternly.

“Hawwy no use madshik. Hawwy no wand,” he insisted innocently. “Hawwy onwy fink kitties pway is pwetty. Next baww blue wif Forks and bawdie Hawwy pwease.”

Severus conjured a blue ornament and placed a phoenix like Fawkes on it, followed by a smaller phoenix. “Me make dem twill song?” Harry asked innocently, and before Severus or Minerva could protest the two birds on the bauble were trilling Christmas songs – fortunately in a very small voice.

Severus threw a worried glance to Minerva, mouthing, “so much magic?!”

“Yes, Severus,” Minerva replied. “Moreover, that’s not accidental magic but willingly applied magic. I’ll have to talk to Albus about it.” She turned to Harry. “You did a wonderful job with the two baubles, my dear. However, what you did was magic, and for the moment, you may not do any more of it. Otherwise, you’ll make yourself sick again.”

Severus noticed that Harry’s eyes were a bit too bright and put a hand on the child’s forehead, glad that he didn’t flinch. “You are still a bit warm, Harry. Maybe you should rest for a while.”

Hearing this, Minerva transfigured one of the chairs into a comfortable looking couch and motioned him to lie down for a while. When he complied, she conjured a warm blanket and tucked him in. “Now, Harry, you may watch us and tell us what to put on the ornaments, but you must not do anything at all. Do you understand me?”

Harry gave her a sad smile. “Yes, Hawwy undastand.” For a few minutes, he watched the two teachers decorating the tree, but apparently it wasn’t interesting enough, and Harry soon fell asleep.

-----

When Albus entered the Great Hall at lunchtime, Minerva and Severus immediately told him about the magic Harry had performed earlier. “Yes, I know that he is very powerful and also that he is capable of wish magic. Wish magic is an extremely rare form of wandless magic. As my grandchild he is the heir of Merlin, and Merlin could do wish magic as well. However, he is much too small to do much magic, especially as wish magic affords a lot of magic and would soon deplete his magical reserves. It’s too tiring for a two-year-old.”

It was obviously tiring. Harry slept through lunch and half the afternoon in spite of the commotion going on around him when the teachers continued to decorate the hall. When he woke up, Severus took him into his arms and showed him the decorations they had made for the huge Christmas tree. Harry was fascinated by the beautiful tree. “De twee is vewwy pwetty,” he finally said, looking at the tree in awe.

“If your Granny excused us, I would suggest that we go out onto the grounds for a short while. What do you think, Harry? Do you feel up to a bit of flying?”

“Yes!” Harry cheered happily, struggling to get down from his uncle’s arm.

“Slowly, sweetie,” Minerva told him. “You have to go to your room and ask Poppy if you may go out at all, and if she agrees, you’ll have to put on your warm coat, scarf and hat. It’s freezing cold outside.”

Severus and Harry walked up to Harry’s room. Poppy greeted them with a relieved expression. “I thought you’d return earlier. Didn’t Harry get too tired?” she asked worriedly but was immediately filled in that he had had a long sleep.

“Aunt Poppy,” Harry suddenly said, squirming a little, “Hawwy need go potty.”

Poppy threw him an astonished look but took him into the bathroom and helped him get rid of his nappy. When he was finished he told her, “Aunt Poppy, Hawwy now big boy, donneed nappy anymowe.”

Unfortunately, Poppy didn’t want to listen and put another nappy on him.

-----

On Christmas morning, Harry threw the first temper tantrum Poppy had ever witnessed so far. “No, Aunt Poppy! Hawwy don wan nappy! Nappy hawt Hawwy, and Hawwy hate nappy. No!”

“Little man, you will behave yourself and stop screaming immediately. Otherwise, I’m sure that Santa won’t bring you any presents today,” Poppy reprimanded the child sternly. However, his nappy had stayed dry so far, and even late in the evening he had woken up and gone to the toilet. So she decided to give it a try and just put normal pants on him instead of a nappy.

When Harry was finally dressed, he was astonished that they went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Apart from his birthday, they had never had breakfast in the Great Hall, at least not during the holidays. To his great surprise, many colourful presents were piled under the huge Christmas tree. He just couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful tree.

When finally everyone got up from the breakfast table and moved over to the tree in order to have a look at the Christmas presents, Poppy told everyone, “I’ve already received the best Christmas present I could have wished for.” Seeing that everyone threw her an expectant glance, she continued, “Yesterday, Harry decided that he’s a big boy now and that he doesn’t need a nappy anymore, and so far we haven’t had any problems.”

Harry blushed deeply and tried to hide in Severus’ robes. “Look, Harry, here is a present for you,” Minerva successfully tried to coax Harry into leaving his hiding spot.

Indeed, there was a huge present labelled ‘Harry’. Aberforth, Severus and Sirius knelt next to the boy and helped him open the box. “A twain!” Harry shouted happily.

“Yes, my boy, that seems to be a Hogwarts Express train set,” Aberforth agreed, and Harry’s eyes started to twinkle madly.

The few students, who had remained in the castle during the holidays – two Gryffindor first year boys, one Slytherin fifth year boy, as well as a second year and a third year Ravenclaw girl – proceeded to engross themselves in putting the train set up for Harry. The train set consisted of a huge amount of tracks, several shunting points, a bridge, a tunnel, as well as Kings Cross and Hogsmeade stations. The main attraction however was the Hogwarts Express with a few carriages.

In the evening, everyone helped Harry to carry the huge train set into his own room, and Harry spent the remainder of the holidays mainly playing with his new toy. It was so much fun and apart from books he couldn’t remember having anything so interesting ever before. Even the two Gryffindor first year boys loved his train set and visited Harry every day, playing together with the little boy.

-----

As much fun as Harry had with the two older boys, he was very disappointed that Draco couldn’t come and visit him during the holidays. Uncle Severus told him that Draco apparently had thrown a temper tantrum when his father told him that he couldn’t spend his holidays at Hogwarts because they were going for a trip until well into the New Year.

Aberforth had had a few conversations with Albus concerning the wards around the castle. Harry longed to see Ginevra, and Aberforth wanted to take him home to their house in Hogsmeade, however, the wards didn’t allow Harry out. Albus however stayed adamant and only promised that he would change the wards with the start of the summer holidays.

Very upset with his brother, Aberforth decided to bring Ginevra for a trip onto the Hogwarts grounds, so that Harry would be able to play with her for a while. On New Year’s Day, the weather that had been a mixture of rain and snow during the last days finally improved, and Aberforth brought Ginevra to Hogwarts, while Sirius and Remus took Harry out onto the grounds for a walk.

“Sineba!” Harry shouted happily when he saw the goat trotting next to Aberforth. During the next hour, the adults only saw Harry from behind – he was constantly running after the goat, chasing her all over the Quidditch pitch – until Poppy exited the castle and told him that he wasn’t allowed to run so much.

“What is wrong with running around?” Sirius ranted to Remus, totally fed up with the over protectiveness of the mediwitch.

“Normally nothing, Padfoot,” Remus replied, sighing. “However, Harry’s heart is a bit weak due to the neglect by the Dursleys. Therefore, he isn’t allowed to do any sports. He may fly or play ball, but that’s all. Probably, he won’t even be allowed to play Quidditch on the house team if Poppy or Severus don’t find a solution until then.”

Suddenly, Harry saw a few people entering the Hogwarts grounds. Apparently, there were two adults and a whole bunch of children, who seemed to make a lot of noise. All of a sudden, two of them managed to catch Ginevra’s tail and pulled it – something that Harry just couldn’t bear.

Everyone concentrated on the newcomers and proceeded to greet them. However, finally, Remus noticed that Harry wasn’t around anymore. “Where’s Harry?” he asked, astonished.

Everyone looked around frantically, but nobody could see the boy.

“Why didn’t you tell me that they have goats at Hogwarts?” one of the smaller children reproachfully asked, turning to the oldest brother.

“I didn’t know – that must be Aberforth Dumbledore’s goat; I don’t think they normally have goats here, right, Professor Lupin?”