At Hogwarts all the Christmas decorations had been taken down except for the one colossal tree at the far end of the Great Hall.

 “It will have to be taken down tomorrow,” Dumbledore said regretfully as he, Harry, and Severus entered the Hall that evening.  “But I do like to leave it up through New Year’s.” 

Harry grinned at him.  It wasn’t really funny, but he was just so happy that he couldn’t stop smiling.  He had been joyous all through the amazing miraculous day and he had never felt more like celebrating than on this New Year’s Eve. 

He, his father, and the house elves had arrived a few moments earlier, Flooing into Dumbledore’s office where the headmaster had been waiting for them.  Norie and Zan had been reluctant to come, but for Harry’s sake they had finally agreed.  They had followed along, looking ill at ease, as the group had gone downstairs to the Great Hall, their eyes wide with wonder as they gazed about.  Now at the wide arched door leading into the Hall, they stopped and stood frozen, staring at the large room and the crowd of people assembled inside.   

“It’s all right,” Harry tried to reassure them.  “You know a lot of people here already.” 

“We are just not accustomed to large crowds anymore, Master Harry, and it is not common for house elves to be guests at a party with wizards,” Zan said quietly.

 “Well, it needs to be more common,” Harry said firmly. 

Severus nodded in agreement.  “Indeed.  Norie, Zan, there is no need to worry.  Just stay with us, if you wish.” 

“My friend Dobby is supposed to be here, too,” Harry told them.  “I think you’ll like him.” 

He scanned the cavernous Hall, searching for Dobby, but with so many others milling about it was hard to spot one small house elf.  Much of the Weasley clan was there, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the twins, Ron, and Ginny, as well as Bill and Fleur Delacour.  Hermione was there with her parents, as was Neville and his grandmother, Luna and her father, and most of the Hogwarts professors.   Harry was pleased to see that Hagrid had finally returned and was there, too, towering head and shoulders above the rest.  He had hated not being on good terms with Hagrid lately and vowed to himself that as soon as possible, he was going to speak with him and get everything settled between them. 

Draco was there too, standing beside Neville, of all people.  Though, now that Harry thought about it, perhaps it wasn’t too surprising after all.  Neville was fiercely loyal to his friends, but he was also very forgiving and not the type to hold grudges.  Once he had accepted that Harry had forgiven Draco, and that the blond boy really had changed and wanted to make amends with them all, he would be willing to give Draco a second chance, Harry was sure.              

Just then everyone caught sight of Harry, Severus, and Dumbledore in the doorway and rushed over to greet them.  Various Weasleys, Hogwarts professors, and friends hugged Harry, shook his hand, and clapped him on the back.  From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick surrounding Severus and offering him their congratulations.  Harry grinned even further at the slightly startled expression on his father’s face.  It was about time Severus realized that he had friends, too, who liked and appreciated him. 

With everyone greeting him and talking to him at once, Harry hadn’t had a chance to make his really big announcement about the slavery spell being broken.  Before he could, Dumbledore’s voice, obviously under a sonorous charm, boomed through the Hall.  Somehow he had wormed his way through the crowd up to the dais and now he called for everyone’s attention. 

“Welcome, everyone.  We are all happy to celebrate the New Year with Severus and Harry as they officially became father and son today.” 

At this point, everyone began to clap and cheer and Dumbledore paused for a moment, smiling. When the noise had begun to die down, he continued. 

“And we have a particularly joyful reason to celebrate tonight.  Harry, would you like to tell everyone the news? 

Public speaking had never been one of Harry’s strengths.  He hesitated, but was too happy and excited to worry.  “Um, well, today at the adoption ceremony …there’s a part where it shows if you’re under any binding spells, and when we got to that, we found out that the slavery spell is broken.  So I’m not a slave anymore.  I’m free!” 

Everyone stared and fell silent for a moment before asking questions all at once. Ron happened to be standing right beside him.  He grabbed Harry’s arm.  “Really?  You’re sure?” 

Harry nodded.  “Dumbledore checked several times.  It’s really true.” 

Hermione rushed over and flung her arms around his neck so tightly she almost choked him.  “Harry, that’s so wonderful!  But how?” 

Harry tried to explain it to them and Hermione was especially intrigued by the idea of some new branch of magic. 

“That’s amazing.  Just think of the implications,” she began, her eyes shining with excitement.

 “Well, Dumbledore said it could be really dangerous,” Harry cautioned.  “But it did work out well for me this time.” 

Neville, Luna, Ginny, and the twins hurried over next and of course, they had to hear all about how Harry had been freed so he repeated the tale to them.  All in all, it was several long minutes before Harry realized that Draco was standing off to the side by himself, looking pale and stunned. 

Harry frowned in concern and left the others to go over to him.  “Draco, are you all right?” 

Draco swallowed hard and spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.  “The spell is broken?  You’re free?” 

A smile spread across Harry’s face as he nodded.

To Harry’s shock, Draco’s face crumpled and he pulled Harry close in a fierce hug.  He didn’t say anything but his thin frame shook with silent sobs.  Harry hugged him back and tried to think of something to say.  Before he could, Draco stepped back, swiping surreptitiously at his eyes, and started to speak, but then stopped when his voice choked.  Draco just shook his head and spun on his heel, slipping out a nearby door. 

Harry went after him and found that they were in a small antechamber with a table and a couple chairs.  Draco stood beside the table, his back to Harry, taking deep gulping breaths. 

Like the other teens, Harry wore a warm shirt, a jumper, and trousers.  He fumbled in his pockets, pulled out a handkerchief…Severus believed a gentleman should always have a handkerchief…and gave it to Draco. “Here.” 

Draco took it and mopped at his face.  After a moment he cleared his throat.  “Er, thanks.  I don’t know why…I’m just….” 

Again he stopped abruptly and pressed his lips together, but not before Harry noticed that his chin wobbled and his eyes were bright with tears. 

He touched Draco’s arm lightly.  “You’re a good friend, Draco.”  

Harry hesitated, but then decided that it would be best to give the other boy a few minutes alone to compose himself.  He headed back towards the Great Hall, but paused at the doorway to add, “Um, you can keep the handkerchief.” 

Draco gave a shaky laugh and nodded at him.   

Harry slipped back out to the party in the Great Hall.   

*** 

In the next little while, it seemed to Harry that everyone present came by to offer him congratulations and tell him how happy they were that he was free and that he and Severus were legally father and son now.          

One of the first was Hagrid.  To Harry’s relief, Hagrid obviously felt remorseful about his behavior at the beginning of the school year. 

“Ah, Harry, will ye ever forgive me?  An’ you too, a’course, Ron and Hermione?”  Hagrid asked as he approached, holding out his hands.  His black eyes were anxious and sorrowful.  “I’m a right fool, I am, to have acted so about the classes.  I know you’ve got ter be thinking of yer futures now and I was jus’ bein’ ridiculous.  I see that now.  I felt tha’ bad, I did though, once I heard abou’ all yer troubles.  Woulda written to yer, Harry, but I only got back to Hogwarts yesterday.” 

Harry smiled at him.  “It’s all right, Hagrid.  I’m just glad you’re back and that you’re not upset with us.  I hate fighting with you.” 

Ron and Hermione agreed and Hagrid beamed at them.   “Yer the best, all of ya, and I sure don’ deserve to have friends like you neither.  Harry, it sounds like everything’s worked out proper now, but are ya sure you’re all right?” 

Harry nodded.  “Everything’s perfect now.” 

Hagrid patted him on the shoulder (Harry had to brace himself to keep from falling to his knees).  “I’m right glad for yer, but I’ll ne’er forgive myself for not bein’ here when you needed me.” 

“Really, it’s okay,” Harry reassured him.   

“But, Hagrid, where have you been all this time?”  Hermione wanted to know.  “Dumbledore said you were away on personal leave, but you were gone for so long.  We were worried about you.”

“Ah, well, see Grawp was gettin’ a bit lonely in the Forest and I jus’ didn’t have as much time to spend with him, what with me classes and takin’ care of everythin’.  So Dumbledore helped me to find a giant colony in Wales that we though’ would accept him and I wen’ ter help Grawp get settled in and ter make sure tha’ he’d be happy there.”    

“Is he all right?”  Ron asked. 

Hagrid nodded, looking relieved.  “Yeah, took him a bit ter make friends.  I wasna sure about it a’ first, but then he started gettin’ along better.  Happier than a bowtruckle inna tree, he is now.  I’m goin’ ter visit him again this summer.”  

They talked with Hagrid for a bit longer, making plans to go down to his cabin for tea once classes had started again. 

“I’ll have ter make some me rock cakes for ya, too,” Hagrid promised.

“That sounds lovely,” Hermione said bravely while Harry and Ron tried not to grimace. 

The evening passed quickly.  Draco returned to the Hall and the teens all helped themselves to plates of hor’doeuvres and sandwiches that were sitting on the tables. 

“Wish we could have champagne too,” Draco remarked, nodding to the glasses that some of the adults were drinking.  “But I suppose we have to make do with pumpkin juice.” 

Pumpkin juice notwithstanding, the food was delicious and they all cleaned their plates.   

Harry was glad to notice that Norie and Zan had indeed met up with Dobby and the three of them seemed to be getting along famously.  He would have liked for them to have mingled more with the wizards, but at least they seemed happy and relaxed.

The adults all seemed to be having a good time, too.  Even Severus looked pleased to be discussing lesson plans and schedules with the other professors. 

Two people were missing though, Harry had noticed, and when he got a chance to speak alone with Draco, he had to ask.  “Hey, Draco, where are Remus and Tonks?” 

Draco sighed.  “Dora had to work tonight.  She’s one of the younger Aurors in the Department and that means she has to work all the holidays.  And Remus said he wasn’t feeling well.” 

Harry frowned.  It wasn’t time for the full moon, but he supposed that Remus could catch ordinary illnesses too.  “Well, I hope he’ll feel better soon.” 

Draco nodded, “Yeah.  He said to tell you and Severus that he was happy for you.  I can’t wait to tell him about your being free now.  Unless you want to tell him yourself?” 

“You can go ahead and tell him.  I don’t care,” Harry replied. 

“Harry, Draco, come on.”  Ginny called to them.  She and the others were crowded together at one of the long tables.  “We’re playing Gobstones and I need some more people on my team.”  

*** 

Before Harry knew it, a giant gong sounded for the midnight hour, ushering out the old year and ringing in the new. 

“Happy New Year!”  Everyone called out. 

Hagrid and a few other brave souls belted out a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.” 

The Weasley and Granger parents shared a quick kiss with their spouses, as did Bill and Fleur.  Ron let a whistle at that and then quickly dodged as his older brother half-heartedly swiped at him.

“Watch it.  I can put you in detention next week, remember,” Bill joked. 

Everyone moved about, wishing the others a happy new year.  Harry had been so busy with his friends that evening that he had scarcely spoken to his father since they had arrived, but now he went to his side and leaned against him. 

“Happy New Year, Dad.” Severus slipped an arm around his shoulders.  “To you as well.” 

Harry was quiet for a moment, thinking of all the changes in his life that had happened over the past year, some of them difficult and tragic, others magnificent and joyful.  He thought of the new year that lay ahead and wondered what it would bring.  Hopefully only good things. 

It surely couldn’t be as eventful as the past, he was sure of that. 

Well, almost sure.