1,057Santa Paws
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1.
In case you have not read yesterday's chapter yet, please go back and read chapter 33 first :)
Twelve years later…
Together with her brothers in everything but blood, James Black and Alexander Snape, as well as her familiar Santa Lily, eleven-year-old Lily Potter stood in the headmaster's office staring at her father with apprehension.
After the trio had put a chocolate frog, which was equipped with a self-multiplying charm, into her father's office, Santa Paws had found out who the culprits were and had given them away to her father.
'Too bad that Granny Minerva retired just before our Sorting,' she mused, recalling a memory.
Beginning of memory
"Harry," Minerva addressed the young man and father of five energetic children. "Considering that the Junior Marauders of Lily, Jamie and Alex is going to go to Hogwarts from September onwards, I wish to become a resident of the retirement home, which you so kindly built for Poppy and Rolanda last year. You will make a wonderful headmaster and your wife a fantastic deputy headmistress. If you wish to go on holidays together, I will still be ready to take over for the two of you."
"Minerva, are you sure?" Harry enquired, giving the old witch a concerned look.
"I am certain, and I will still visit you here on the North Pole if I'm still welcome," Minerva replied, smiling.
"Ah Minerva, you'll always be welcome here. You can even move here as a permanent resident if you wish," Santa spoke up.
"Thank you, Santa. I will consider it, but right now, I'm not ready to completely part from Hogwarts."
End of memory
"Since I became the headmaster," her father's voice brought her back to the present, "this is the first time that I have to punish students, and – as you hopefully can imagine – I am not pleased to see the three of you here."
"We're sorry," the three of them muttered, simultaneously – something that they had perfected over the years.
Lily Paws went ahead and licked Harry's hands, causing the headmaster to gently pet the canine, before Santa Paws pulled the puppy into a mock fight.
'Now that means that Dad can't be too upset,' Lily thought in relief.
"What do you suggest for your punishment?" Harry enquired, slowly letting his eyes wander over their group.
"Perhaps," Alex was the first to reply, "we could help Uncle Draco and Uncle Dudley brew potions for the hospital wing?"
"No," Harry replied in a firm voice. "You're going to write an essay – and I mean each of you. I want three different essays – why it was a stupid thing to prank one of the professors."
"But the leaving feast is going to commence in an hour," Lily protested, receiving a glare from her father in return.
"What does the leaving feast have to do with it?" he enquired. "I believe that you'll find out that we have plenty of quills at home, and it will suffice if you hand in your essays on Christmas morning."
"But…" James began to protest, when Lily Paws gave him a small bite into his hand that made him interrupt himself.
"Lily Paws," Lily lightly scolded her familiar, who proceeded to sit in front of her, glaring at her.
'That was a warning. He never knows when to shut up,' she thought to her, causing Lily to nod her agreement.
"You may leave. I'll see you at the leaving feast," the headmaster informed them, and the trio plus their dog hurried to get out of the office.
HP
"Thank Merlin Uncle Harry is the headmaster now," Alex spoke up, when they walked down in the direction of the Great Hall.
"That's true," James agreed, nodding his head in confirmation. "Granny Mina would have given us a much harsher punishment."
'They're right,' Lily had to admit to herself. 'Dad is much nicer.'
"It still sucks to have to write such a thing," she complained.
"Ah, that's not a big deal," Alex said, shrugging.
James smirked. "We can ask Merlin to help us. He's always happy to have something to do," he quipped, and his siblings agreed immediately.
HP
The leaving feast was much fun, and Lily enjoyed herself greatly. It was only when the dessert was going to appear on the tables that her father rose from his chair and addressed the students.
"Just a short notice, before we release you into the Christmas holidays. From the new year onwards, my wife, Professor Luna Potter, is going to become a student advisor apart from being the deputy headmistress. If you ever have any problems or questions concerning classes, private matters or anything else, you're welcome to turn to her. Her office will remain the same, as we have decided to abolish the Divination classes. Either you are a Seer like my wife or you are not, and there is no way to study becoming one."
Huge applause followed his explanation, however, her father still continued. "Please note that from now on, all products from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes are forbidden at Hogwarts," the headmaster spoke up. "I know that three of our first-years have livelong vouchers for said shop, but please believe me that if I send my Santa Paws out to look for the items, he's going to find them all."
'Thank Merlin I have that secret pocket in my trunk,' Lily thought to Santa Lily, who looked up from where she was rolling over the floor together with Santa Paws and Santa Moon.
'My father is still going to find everything,' Santa Lily replied, matter-of-factly.
"Santa Paws," Lily whispered, "can we make a deal?"
Santa Paws let out a small growl, before he turned around and let out some magic to add some multi-coloured chocolate frogs that were hopping around to the Christmas decorations in the Great Hall.
The End
A huge thanks to the kind readers who kept my muse entertained throughout this story by your kind reviews. I hope you had as much fun reading this story as I had writing it.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas!
p.s. My new story will be up soon - under the title "The Mutt who Lived".
