No need to ask, such a lavish gift of high-grade Magic Potion could only have come from that proud Old Snake King, Professor Severus Snape.
Who else but this professor could have gifted him such a valuable, high-level Magic Potion?
"Looks like he really was close friends with my mum and dad." Harry inspected the bottle of Blessing Potion carefully, the shining glow inside was pretty mesmerizing.
Inside the box, there was actually a note.
Harry reached in and pulled out the note, unfolding it. It read:
[Keep this safe and don't let your clueless Little Giant friend knock it over—S.S.]
"What's this?" Ron, the clueless Little Giant himself, asked at just the right time.
Harry didn't say a word. He handed the note to Ron.
Ron took it, and his whole expression just fell apart.
"That's so insulting!" he fumed. "But, it's a Blessing Potion—this kind of magic potion is top-tier… just this bottle could sell for several hundred Galleons!"
He paused, then asked, "S.S.? Who's that?"
"Professor Snape." Harry carefully tucked the Blessing Potion into his pocket. "Severus Snape—of course, S.S."
Ron let out an "Ah," and said to Harry, "He's actually this generous? I guess you were right, he really is your parents' good friend. That photo was the perfect gift!"
"Yep." Harry grinned at Ron and speared a piece of beef from his plate.
"So where are we headed in a bit?"
Ron picked up his drumstick again, looked as if something was missing, and grabbed another drumstick with his other hand. Only then did he flash a fully satisfied smile.
"Let's go to the Room of Requirement." Harry swallowed his beef slowly and said, "We're taking a break from magic practice today. I've found a new use for the Room of Requirement."
"A new use?" Ron perked up instantly. "Now I *have* to check it out—"
...
Just as they got back to their dormitory, a mysterious guest arrived at the Headmaster's Office.
It was a fairy, with sparse hair atop its head and rather unpleasant looks—not to mention a pair of cross-eyed eyes.
"Principal Dumbledore, Merry Christmas." The fairy bowed stiffly to Dumbledore, his voice a bit rough.
Dumbledore nodded politely and asked, "Same to you, Bodrick. It's already late—if there's something urgent, please say it directly. Forgive an old man's bluntness; at my age, I need my sleep."
This fairy wasn't a stranger; his name was "Cross-eyed" Bodrick, spokesman for the Elf Brotherhood.
"There's been a vicious incident in Diagon Alley. A Dark Wizard was turned into a Flubber Worm and crushed underfoot—I saw the remains, truly grisly, brought back some very unpleasant memories." Bodrick said.
"I don't really see a Dark Wizard being killed as a vicious incident, or something that should stir up bad memories." Dumbledore said offhand. "Besides, I'm only Hogwarts' Principal, not Minister of Magic. I'd think you should speak to Cornelius, not an old man like me."
"No, you don't get it yet, Dumbledore!" Bodrick nearly growled, "It's him! He's back! That… that fiend whose name can't even be spoken!"
"Voldemort?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly, but he had doubts.
No, Voldemort preferred just casting Avada Kedavra, not all the fuss of turning someone into a Flubber Worm and then stomping them.
"No, it's another You-Know-Who—" Bodrick shivered, "Harry Potter!"
"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore froze for a second, then realized 'Cross-eyed' Bodrick meant that senior Harry Potter from a century ago.
"Yes, Harry Potter!" Bodrick whispered, "He's back, really back. Back then, he did the same thing to the fairies—turning them into little animals, dragging them underfoot for a stomp… Principal Dumbledore, I know there's a new student at Hogwarts called Harry Potter. Please, let me meet him, I suspect he—"
"Bodrick!" Dumbledore's normally kind face went stern at once: "I won't allow you to harass my students! Besides, a hundred years ago, it was the fairies who rebelled first. That Harry Potter did nothing wrong!"
"I know, I know…" Bodrick shivered a little and spoke quietly, "I just want to see him, make some sort of agreement… It's been a hundred years; we fairies aren't about to start anything like that again. Please, don't let that gentleman misunderstand—too many of our kind have died, we can't afford more losses…"
"But he's just a Hogwarts student, not that person from a century ago. You need to accept that." Dumbledore said coldly. "No matter what, as Hogwarts' Principal, I won't stand for you pestering my students!"
"Really not possible?" Bodrick took a deep breath. "It's not only for the fairies—it's for Hogwarts, too. I'm sure a sensible Hogwarts Principal wouldn't refuse this request…"
Dumbledore said nothing, but a flash of annoyance passed behind his half-moon glasses.
"Dumbledore! You'll regret this!" Bodrick shot up in anger.
"Bodrick, I'm the Principal here." Dumbledore's voice was steady.
Bodrick snorted in frustration and turned to leave the Headmaster's Office.
As he went, he purposely slammed the door hard, making a huge "BANG!"
Dumbledore sat in his chair, eyes glinting behind his half-moon glasses.
Bodrick's words just now had indeed stirred a ripple in his heart.
But as for suspecting Harry is that Harry from a hundred years ago, he found it completely far-fetched.
Still, come to think of it, Harry… Harry did seem to be a bit unusual.
Before the holiday, when Gryffindor and Slytherin clashed, Dumbledore watched from the Headmaster's Office.
He'd personally seen Harry use magic to defeat several senior students, including Slytherin's Class Prefect, Miss Fari.
By rights, a first-year student shouldn't be so exceptional. Even he himself, back in his first year, was never this capable.
Maybe it's because of that Ancient Magic Spell from Lily? Dumbledore wondered.
Either way, he needed to keep a closer eye on this child, and check if he'd been influenced by any Dark Magic Items.
Thinking this, Dumbledore made up his mind and stood up, ready to act.
He knew kids Harry's age, especially after getting an Invisibility Cloak, would be eager to play around with it the moment they got it.
(Looking for monthly votes, and some investment, ahhhh)