After a few minutes, the pain receded slowly, and Harry began to look at his body. What had hurt so much? Suddenly he realised that he had managed to transform his complete body into his phoenix form from his neck to his toes – everything except for his head. What an immense progress!

He spent a few minutes in this form, before he transformed back. He would have liked to spend more time in this strange form, but he was too afraid that he would fall asleep and be found in the form by someone in the morning. Fortunately, tomorrow was Friday, and he had a private lesson with McGonagall today during the fourth lesson.

When that hour came, he found, to his delight, that he was able to transform into it once again.

The professor watched his beautiful bird’s body from all angles, before she said, “Congratulations, Harry. Very well done. Now, you won’t have problems with the rest.”

-----

From Monday onwards, they had to take their first End of Term tests, and Harry was very excited. However, he soon noticed that his tests were very easy, except for the Defence Against the Dark Arts test Severus gave him during their lessons. The theoretical part and the practical part were both difficult, but somehow, he managed to get through them. At their last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson on Friday, which was the last day before the holidays, Severus told him that the Defence Against the Dark Arts test had in fact been the second year’s test. Nevertheless, Harry had managed to get an E on the advanced test.

“Very good, Harry,” he commended his student with a hint of pride in his voice. Harry felt very happy. Hopefully he had done well in his other tests, too.

In the House Meeting later in the Slytherin Common Room, Severus wished his students enjoyable holidays and told them that he expected them to send him an Owl at least once during the holidays, so he would know they were all right. Harry briefly considered taking Hedwig with him but decided against it. She was comfortable here at Hogwarts, and he would be able to use Draco’s owl anyway.

Back in the dormitory, he asked Draco what he should take with him, and Draco gave him a bit of advice. Suddenly, Harry felt very uncomfortable and asked his friend, “Do you think we could go to Diagon Alley for a few hours? You know, I don’t have proper clothes, and I would like to go and buy some.”

“Of course we can go to Diagon Alley, and I will help you choose proper attire that will actually fit a pencil person like you,” Draco replied happily.

-----

During the night, Draco woke up to strange noises coming from Harry’s bed. He jumped out of his bed and ran over to his friend’s bedside, noticing that he was obviously having problems breathing and that his cheeks were flushed. “Harry!” He tried to wake the other boy, but Harry was already awake.

“Get Severus,” he croaked, and Draco ran to get his godfather.

“Severus, come quickly! Harry can’t breathe!” Draco yelled urgently.

Severus threw Floo powder into the fireplace, ordered Madam Pomfrey to floo to the Slytherin Common Room, and then hurried there himself. In an instant, they were standing next to Harry’s bed.

Poppy held an inhaler in front of Harry’s face and, when his breathing became more natural, she put his hands around the inhaler, so that he could hold it by himself. Then she began to check on him and frowned.

“Pneumonia, maybe from too many Quidditch practices in the snow,” she diagnosed and ordered a few potions from Severus. While he went to get the potions, she talked softly to Harry, “I am sorry, Harry, but you will have to stay here at Hogwarts during the holidays. We will wait a few minutes until you have taken the potions and feel well enough to move, and then I will take you to the Hospital Wing.”

After they had moved Harry to the Hospital Wing and he was finally sleeping peacefully, Poppy and Severus spent a while in Poppy’s office, animatedly talking to each other.

“Severus, he cannot stay alone in a dormitory, neither in Slytherin nor in Gryffindor. He has to stay in the Hospital Wing with me.”

Severus thought for a moment, before he replied, “How long do you think he will have to stay in bed? I will feel sorry for him. No one should have to stay in the Hospital Wing over Christmas. Maybe I should take him in. He could stay in my guest room. You would come and check on him every day, even if he stayed with me, wouldn’t you?”

Poppy thought for a moment. That would be a good solution. In fact, she felt very sorry for Harry. However, none of his friends or his dorm mates, who could look after him, stayed over the holidays. Therefore, he just had to stay in the Hospital Wing. But if Severus was going to take him in, Harry would be able to enjoy his holidays, even if his condition was unfavourable. And, with Severus, she could be sure that he was in good hands.

“I think that is a very good idea,” she said finally. “And, yes, of course, I will come twice a day to check on him, and I don’t want you to take him immediately. As long as his condition is so bad, he has to stay in the Wing, where I can monitor him all the time. However, after the first few days, it would be much nicer for him to spend the holidays in your quarters. Thank you, Severus.”

The professor sneered and replied, “I am sure we will both survive it. However, I have to talk to Albus tomorrow morning to get his approval.”

The Headmaster, of course, did not mind at all, and his eyes were twinkling madly when he heard what Severus had to say.

When Pomfrey told him that he had to stay at Hogwarts during the holidays, Harry felt very sad. He had been so happy that his friends had invited him to stay over the holidays, in a wizarding home, with a real family, but now he could only hope that someone would invite him again next year. Anyway, he consoled himself by remembering that staying at Hogwarts was much better than going back to the Dursleys.

In the morning, all of Harry’s friends came to visit him for the last time before they left for the holidays. Hermione cried when she heard that Harry had to stay at Hogwarts during the holidays.

“But, Harry, no other first years are staying. You will be on your own. Can’t you go to visit Draco later?”

“I don’t know, Hermione. I don’t even know how long I have to stay here in the Hospital Wing. However, in two weeks time all of you will be back, so it really is not such a problem.”

During the next two days, Harry’s condition was steadily getting worse. However, on Monday morning, Poppy noticed that the potions finally seemed to have worked, and his condition had improved a little. She called Severus and told him that he could take Harry with him, provided that Severus was near the boy at all times.

Severus went over to Harry and sat down on the edge of his bed. “Good morning, Harry. Do you feel a little better today?”

“Yes,” Harry answered tiredly. “Sorry, Professor, I don’t want to bother you, but could you perhaps bring me a book when you come here again? I would like to read a bit.”

Severus pulled something out of a pocket in his robes and held it to Harry. “I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t think you would be well enough to read, so I only brought this.”

Harry looked at the thing the teacher had brought him and blushed terribly. It was the teddy bear he had transfigured in the Transfiguration lesson a few weeks before. However, he took it and held it close in his arms. “Thank you, Professor,” he said in a small voice. “I really appreciate it.” He felt himself getting red all over the face. This was just too embarrassing.

“You are welcome, Harry,” Severus replied. “However, I came to discuss something with you. Madam Pomfrey told me that your condition has improved to some degree. However, it is still not good, and you may not return to either of your dormitories during the holidays. You can either stay here in the Hospital Wing or come to live in the guest room of my quarters during this time. As you know, I am capable enough to look after you, and Madam Pomfrey has already promised to come and check on you twice a day.”

“But that would be very inconvenient for you, wouldn’t it, Professor? I don’t mind staying here; I don’t want to be a burden to anyone,” Harry whispered. Of course, he would like to stay with Severus, very much so, but he didn’t want to be anyone’s burden.

Severus frowned. How could the boy assume that he was a burden to anyone? He put a cool hand on Harry’s arm. Trying to keep his anger at Harry’s relatives out of his voice, he admonished his student, “Harry! Look at me, and listen very well. You are not a burden, neither to Madam Pomfrey, to me, or to anyone else. However, you are still a child, and an ill child to that. You still need someone to look after you. Everyone here at Hogwarts would be willing to do this. Would you like to come with me?”

Harry looked anxiously at his teacher. Even if Professor Snape talked like this now, he would soon find out that he WAS a burden and regret taking Harry in. However, Severus had always helped him so far and had never hurt him once. Very hesitantly, he said, “If you are really sure that you wouldn’t mind, I would like that very much, but…” The rest ended in a coughing fit, but Severus already knew him well enough to understand what he wanted to say.

“All right, Harry. Get up slowly, and then we will walk down to the dungeons.”

-----

When they arrived at the teacher’s quarters, Severus took Harry to his guest room, which Harry liked immediately. It was decorated in green and silver and it held a huge and comfortable looking bed on one side, a desk with a chair and a wardrobe next to it on the other wall. The wall opposite the door was charmed to show the view onto the lake – Harry’s favourite view at Hogwarts.

Severus pointed to a door next to the wardrobe. “This door leads to your washroom. Now, I suggest that you go to bed and rest for a while. We will discuss other things later.”

“Yes, Professor, thank you very much,” Harry answered. He was quite tired but very delighted at the same time. Never before had he had a room just for himself. Even Dudley’s spare bedroom, in which he had lived for a month, had always been Dudley’s spare room and not his own. But here, the teacher had called the place ‘your room.’ – Even if it only was his for two weeks, it was more than he had ever had. He lay down and was asleep within seconds. He didn’t even notice when Severus carefully tucked him in and placed a cool towel on his forehead.

When Harry woke up, it took only a minute for Severus to show up. Severus sat on the edge of his bed.

“Harry, do you feel well enough to come to the kitchen for lunch? Or do you prefer to eat in bed?”

Harry groaned. He wasn’t hungry at all. “I can try to come to the kitchen, but I really don’t want to eat right now.” He crawled out of bed and shivered immediately.

“Tipsy has brought your belongings from the dormitory. You’ll find your clothes in the wardrobe. Do you have a warm sweater?” Severus asked in his soft, silky voice.

Harry went to look for something to put on top of his pyjamas. He pulled the warmest sweater he possessed out of the wardrobe and put it on. Seeing the exasperated look he got from Severus, he proceeded to search for a robe to put over the sweater. He would have to ask Severus or maybe Hagrid if one of them could take him to Diagon Alley one day in order to buy some proper clothes.

However, Severus told him in a soft voice, “No, Harry, you don’t need anything else. That will do for the moment. When you are well enough to go to the Great Hall, you can wear a robe on top of it.” He ushered Harry into the kitchen, called Tipsy and asked for lunch.

After Harry had eaten a few spoonfuls of chicken broth, Severus escorted him back to bed, checked on him and fed him a few potions. They talked for a few minutes, but it didn’t take long for Harry to fall asleep.

As soon as he was sure that Harry was fast asleep, Severus went to the fireplace and Floo-called Minerva. “Could you come here for a few minutes, please?”

Professor McGonagall stepped through the Floo into Severus’ living room. “Is something wrong with Harry?” she asked, worried.

Severus raised an eyebrow. “What would not be wrong with him? No, he is all right at the moment. However, I had a look at his clothes today and discovered that he does not own even one piece of clothing that fits him except for his school clothes. Everything seems to be rags. Therefore, I would like to go to Diagon Alley and buy some appropriate clothes for him that I can give him for Christmas; however, I need someone to look after Harry while I am gone for maybe an hour or two.”

“No problem, Severus. I can stay here. Let me just get some parchments to grade from my office, and I will sit down here until you are back. Does Harry need anything when he wakes up? Are there any potions I have to give him?”

Severus shook his head. “No, I have just given him everything he needs, and he should be all right for a few hours.”

When Severus returned after two hours, he was accompanied by Hagrid, who brought a huge Christmas tree and put it up in a corner of Severus’ living room.

Minerva couldn’t help grinning inwardly. Who would have believed that one day Severus Snape would have a Christmas tree in his quarters for the benefit of a student, moreover the son of his worst enemy? “Do you need help decorating the tree?” she asked innocently.

Severus sighed. His former teacher just knew him too well. “Yes, please, Minerva. I’m not good at such things. However, I would like to do it tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Harry will be well enough to join us. He will surely like that.”

-----

The next day was Christmas Eve. In the morning, Harry was stunned when he saw the huge Christmas tree. ‘How is the Professor going to decorate it?’ Harry mused. He had never been allowed to help decorate the tree at the Dursleys, but he had often heard Dudley’s shouts of excitement when the Dursleys got their tree and could imagine that it had to be a lot of fun.

Harry was just resting on the sofa in the living room, when suddenly the fireplace flared and Minerva stepped out. Harry was very happy to see her.

“Now, Harry, do you feel up to decorating the tree?” Minerva asked him, and Harry beamed at her.

“I don’t know if I can do a lot as I have never decorated a tree, but if you could teach me, I would like it very much.”

Minerva sat down on the edge of the sofa and took a tissue out of her pocket. She pointed her wand at it and incanted a spell to transfigure the tissue into a pretty Christmas ornament.

Harry looked at the bauble in awe. Would he be able to do this as well? He took the tissue Minerva was holding out for him and used his wish magic to produce a white – gold bauble with a green wind phoenix on it. The phoenix was slowly flying around. Then he looked at the beautiful ornament in admiration.

“Very good, Harry,” Minerva commended him. She took the bauble into her hands and showed it to Severus, who stood up and put it on the Christmas tree.

Harry took another tissue from Minerva, and this time, he transfigured it again into a white – gold bauble. However, this time it didn’t have a phoenix, but two black snakes with a green pattern playing together.

Minerva gasped. “Severus, look!”

Severus inspected the ornament and gave Harry a small smile. “Thank you very much, Harry. It’s beautiful.”

Harry smiled back and said, “You’re welcome, Professor.” He wanted to make two more baubles for McGonagall and Dumbledore, but he was too tired. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Warily he noticed that Minerva took his glasses off, tucked him in and placed something cool on his forehead. “Mmm, feels good. Thank you,” he murmured while he was falling asleep again.

When Harry woke up, he noticed that he was alone with Severus, who was reading a book, and that the Christmas tree was decorated beautifully. Harry couldn’t stop the thoughts about Christmas at the Dursleys from popping up in his head. He always had to do a lot of cooking beforehand, and when he was lucky enough, he was left alone in the kitchen, so that he could try the food while he was cooking. When he was finished, Aunt Petunia had given him a sandwich or something and let him use the bathroom, before Uncle Vernon locked him into the cupboard.

He had always spent Christmas in the cupboard wishing that Santa might bring him a present. However, he had never received one. Uncle Vernon had often talked about bad boys, who wouldn’t get Christmas presents, and Harry had tried so hard to be a good boy, but it had never been enough. From the cupboard, he had heard them enjoying Christmas and tearing off the wrappings of their presents. He had listened to Dudley’s joyful cheers as he received his many presents.

How would Professor Snape handle Christmas? Would he, Harry, have to spend the whole evening in his room? Or would he be allowed to be here, on the sofa, to look at the beautiful tree? Most likely not. Probably Christmas trees were only something for good people, not for bad boys like him. Harry sighed deeply and closed his eyes again.

Severus threw him a concerned look. The boy seemed worried about something. Was it because he missed his friends? Or did he feel even more unwell than he should? Severus took his wand out of his robes and unobtrusively did a quick check on Harry, noticing that his temperature was much higher than before, in spite of the strong fever reducer he had given the child just a few hours ago.

“Harry, is something wrong?” he asked finally.

Harry turned his head to face him and said, “No, Professor. The tree is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Harry,” Severus replied with a hint of a smile on his lips. “It’s very picturesque. I like your baubles very much.”

Harry frowned. “Oh, yes, I wanted to make two more, one for Professor McGonagall and one for Professor Dumbledore. Do you have anything I could transfigure?”

Severus handed Harry a tissue, putting another on the table next to him. Harry looked at the tissue, and a minute later, Harry held another pretty white-gold bauble in his hand. It had a design of several small cats playing with a Snitch.

Severus nodded his approval. It was beautiful. He raised his wand and put an Unbreakable Charm on the ornament, explaining to Harry what he was doing. “Harry, this is really well done! You could wrap it in Christmas paper and put it under the tree for Professor McGonagall to open in the morning,” he suggested, and Harry threw him a small smile.

“Yes, Professor, I’ll do that. Um… where could I get paper to wrap it? Shall I transfigure another tissue?”

“You could either do that or we can call Tipsy and ask her to wrap it for you or to bring paper in case you want to wrap it. I am sure she will be able to see to your needs.”

Harry sighed and leaned back into the cushions. He would care about the baubles later when he felt better.

“Harry,” Severus said quietly, “I shall call Madam Pomfrey to let her check on you.” When Harry didn’t protest, he went to the fireplace and talked to the Healer, who stepped through the Floo a few minutes later.

Poppy turned to Severus. “While I’m checking on Harry, could you brew a batch of Headache Potion for me?”

Severus looked astonished for a moment, but then the look faded and he agreed. “It will take about an hour though.”

“That’s not a problem. I’ll stay with Harry.”

Severus gave her a knowing glance and left for his private lab.

Poppy sat down next to Harry and checked his temperature, before she asked, “What happened in the afternoon to worsen your condition so much? Are you worrying about something?”

Harry sighed and told her, “I only slept for a while, talked to Professor Snape for a moment and transfigured a Christmas bauble. Nothing more.”

Poppy frowned. “Have you been talking to Severus about something unpleasant?”

Harry shook his head. “No, Madam Pomfrey. However, I have been thinking about Christmas at the Dursleys, which was not too pleasant,” he admitted.

The Healer threw him a surprised look. “Can you tell me about it?”

Harry snorted. “There is not much to tell. After I was finished cooking for them, I was always locked in my cupboard, and I had to stay there until Christmas was over.”

Poppy now had a shocked expression on her face.

“Harry,” she said softly, “try to forget your relatives; you are staying with Professor Snape, and he would never lock you in anywhere. Everything is all right now.”

She gave Harry a worried glance and continued, “Our only problem now is to get your fever down quickly, so that you will be able to open your presents and attend Christmas dinner tomorrow.”

Harry shook his head and said quietly, “I never get Christmas presents anyway. I’m not a good boy.”

Poppy was now staring at Harry. “Excuse me?” she finally voiced, a hint of anger sounding in her voice.

“For many years, I’ve tried to be really good, so that Santa would bring me a present,” Harry explained in a small voice. “But I never got one, and my uncle always told me only good boys would get presents.”

Madam Pomfrey had to try hard to keep the anger out of her voice. “But you have been a very good boy since you were here at Hogwarts, haven’t you?”

Harry shook his head and confided, “No, I have twice slept through my History of Magic lesson. Once I have skipped the lesson and slept in my dormitory. So, I know that I haven’t been good.”

Poppy could not help laughing at the innocent child. “Harry, dear, you have been very good. Sleeping instead of going to a lesson because you need the sleep due to your poor health condition is not bad. However, you should have come to me instead of just skipping the lesson, but it was not bad enough to make you lose your Christmas presents. I am sure you will have a nice surprise tomorrow morning. Your relatives are very mean people, telling you that you’re not good. You are a very good boy!”

Harry, however, was not so sure. If skipping lessons or sleeping during lessons was not bad enough to miss Christmas, what was it that he had done at the Dursleys that had been bad enough?

Pomfrey made a mental note to talk to Severus, Minerva and Albus later tonight. For now, she changed the topic and talked to Harry about Hogwarts, about his classes, and about her own time at Hogwarts, when she was a student together with Minerva McGonagall and Rolanda Hooch.

-----

Severus lay awake for a long time that night. He thought about Harry. What a poor child, having to assume he was not worth a Christmas present. As he had witnessed Harry’s strange behaviour, he was more than tempted to go and pay the Dursleys a visit. However, the thought that Harry would need him here and not in Azkaban made him abandon this urge immediately. What could he do to help the child? He didn’t even completely understand why he felt so inclined to help the boy. Was it only because he seemed to have so much in common with the eleven year old Severus? Then his thoughts wandered to Lily, the only true love he had ever had and suddenly an idea popped up in his head. However, this would entail a lot of research.