Harry's Oblivious Winter Holidays
by Healer Pomfrey

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

Seeing that Harry looked unsurely from Poppy to him, Severus suggested, "Why don't you invite Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley here for New Year's Eve? If they'd like to stay, they can remain at Hogwarts until school begins again; otherwise, they can return home again whenever they want."

"Yes, I'd like that," Harry replied, smiling in spite of feeling very uncertain about the matter. 'I don't even remember them,' he thought when he went to bed that night.

HP

Hermione and Ron punctually arrived with their Portkeys, looking around in confusion. "Where are we mate?" Ron finally queried.

"We're in my room at Hogwarts," Harry replied, causing his friends to let out a simultaneous gasp.

"Your room? Why do you need your own room at Hogwarts?" Ron asked in confusion.

Hermione stared at her friend, wide-eyed. "Oh no Harry, don't tell me it's because of the spell," she groaned. Seeing Harry nod, she enquired, "What exactly does it do?"

"What spell?" Ron wanted to know.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, don't you remember that Malfoy cast a spell at Harry just before we went home for Christmas?" she asked, impatiently.

Harry let out a long sigh and began to tell his friends the whole story, noticing that both of them seemed to be shocked. "I think that Draco was too harshly punished," he finished his explanation.

"No why?" Ron threw in, indignantly. "He always behaved badly and now this, and on top of everything you don't know when you'll again forget everything. Thank Merlin you at least remembered us," he finished his tirade.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a quick look, before Hermione replied on his behalf, "No Ron, he didn't. I'm sure that the professors informed Harry that we're his best friends. By the way, I think that Draco's punishment is a bit too harsh too. But there's nothing that we can do about it."

HP

Severus agreed as well, when he showed Harry in the evening how to put memories into a Pensieve and instructed him to spend a few minutes every day saving his most important memories.

"Don't worry sweetie, it's just a precaution," Poppy said in a soothing voice, knowing that Harry was afraid that he would once again find himself alone in a room not knowing where he was.

During the remaining days of the holidays, Hermione taught Harry everything that the first-years had learned since the beginning of the school year, and by the time the holidays ended, Harry felt comfortable enough to not panic anymore at the thought of having to attend classes together with his classmates, whom he did not even remember.

Epilogue

It was during the summer holidays between Harry's second and third Hogwarts year that the Potions Master was sitting on the edge of Harry's bed when the boy woke up in the morning.

"Good morning Harry and happy birthday," Severus said, smirking.

"Thank you so much," Harry replied, smiling happily at his guardian.

"Harry, I'd like to give you my gift here and now, while we're still alone," the professor informed him, holding out a small phial.

"Thank you sir, but what is it?" Harry asked curiously, eyeing the small phial with interest.

The Potions Master returned a genuine smile, as he explained, "It's the antidote to the illness that Draco Malfoy caused you when he cast that spell on you during your first year. From now on, you won't have to place memories into the Pensieve every night anymore."

Harry's eyes widened and he thanked his guardian profusely, before he gulped down the liquid without hesitating at the foul taste. 'No more worrying about losing my memory again,' he thought, feeling very happy.

"Sir," he spoke up, "that means that I'm completely healed, right?"

Severus gave him a sharp nod. "Yes, that does it mean. You won't be able to retrieve the memories that you lost at that time, but at least you can be sure that it won't happen again in the future. At least not from that spell," he added, quietly.

"All right sir, I understand," Harry replied, thoughtfully. "Now since I'm healed, won't it be possible to see to it that Draco will get a wand again?"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes sir," Harry replied in a firm voice. "During the summer holidays last year, when no other children were at the school, we often talked and really became friends." Seeing that the professor cast him an incredulous look, he apologized, "I didn't know if I was allowed to become friends with him, so I didn't tell anyone about it, but yes, we're friends now. I often go to meet him somewhere and we talk about several things. I've also lent him my notes, which I took in class, so he could study during his free time. I know that he missed one and a half year of classes by now, but I'll help him catch up quickly."

The professor remained thoughtful for an instant, before he stood from the bed and said, "Let's speak with Professor Dumbledore. As the Head of the Wizengamot he'll be able to arrange another trial for Draco."

HP

Three days later, Draco Malfoy was a free wizard and soon to be third year student at Hogwarts, and Harry and Draco spent the following month revising their first and second Hogwarts year in order for Draco to catch up quickly.

"Thanks for what you did for me," Draco told him, when they were waiting in the Great Hall for the other students to arrive back from the holidays.

"You're welcome Draco," Harry replied, smiling. "I'm glad that we're friends and you're back in class."

"I wonder if everything had become different if you hadn't denied my friend request right at the beginning of our first year," Draco said, thoughtfully, causing Harry to look at him in disbelief.

"Did I do such a thing?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow. Seeing the other boy nod, he explained, apologetically, "Sorry Draco, but I don't remember the beginning of our first year."

The End

Thank you very much for your kind support throughout this story.