The Exchange Student

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Third year; first term; September - December 1991

There were two things that kept Nicolás the most excited about the start of the school year. First, he had decided to take on the Apparition training, after his success on the Animagus training. And secondly, this was the year Harry Potter would finally start at Hogwarts. 

Nicolás and Caelum had quite the tormented past with Harry. Not directly with Harry, but more likely, with the situations around the boy. 

He had been born the morning of July 31st of the year 1980, when Nicolás Caelum a few months short of turning three years old each, that December. 

The first thing they noticed, was how Aunt Lily had gotten fat. Like, each visit, her belly would be bigger, and rounder, and the small boys were left perplexed and without explanation. 

When they started to ask, their parents tried to explain to them that it was because a baby was growing inside Aunt Lily’s stomach. But that didn’t make sense, why would she want to grow up a baby in her stomach? Weren’t there more comfortable places to grow a baby? And how on God’s evergreen Earth had she gotten the baby to be inside her belly?

And of course, when debating all the endless possibilities, their still small and infantile minds came to the most logical and fool-proof conclusion… Aunt Lily had eaten the baby!

And then, suddenly, the baby was out! And it was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen —the only one, mind you—, with his messy hair, like Uncle James, and his gorgeous emerald eyes, like Aunt Lily, challenging Caelum’s silver ones for the most beautiful. 

The night they met him, they had sworn to protect him, to take care of him, so Aunt Lily wouldn’t eat him again, but that oath was broken the night they left the U.K., as they never again saw little Harry. 

Nicolás knows his parents and Aunt María had taken periodical trips (almost religiously, one of them would go at least once every two or three months) to Hogwarts. They wanted to know where Harry was, but Albus Dumbledore, the school's headmaster, always refused to disclose that information. 

He always reassured them that Harry was fine and that he was happy where he was, growing up just perfectly cared for. And that he was kept there because of his own well-being. But they didn’t trust that, not when they all had met, at least once, Lily’s sister, Petunia.

Nothing worked, no matter how much they traveled, how many letters they tried to send Harry, to locate him, it seemed like the house he lived in was simply hidden or didn’t exist. 

And so, the years passed, with Nicolás and Caelum sporadically sitting on the worn bench by the lake to cry for hours, remembering Harry and dreaming about how Harry would be. But now it was different because  Harry was starting Hogwarts!

The first letters of the year that Nicolás sent were to Caelum. Asking about some potions incident, in which Caelum’s cauldron exploded, and about Harry, because the doubt was eating him alive.

And the response didn’t disappoint, with a wide smile, Nicolás read Caelum’s words. 

“But yes, Harry’s here! And he was sorted in Gryffindor!!! God, he’s adorable, I almost melted when I met him, you’ll probably die when you do… He’s so small, I swear, the first years are normally small, but he was just a smol bean. And he wears these round spectacles that make him look like a little baby owl. And those are the same Uncle James used to wear!... I swear he’s like a rejuvenated photograph of Uncle James with his tanned skin but with Aunt Lily’s eyes.” 

And so, Nicolás wrote his very first letter to Harry.

Dear Harry,

You’re probably wondering who the hell wrote to you. I just want to say that I wrote a few times before, asking if my family and I could take you to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies, but you never answered. I’m gonna stretch and assume it was because of that muggle family you live with, so, I don’t think you even knew there were letters for you. 

Now that I’m sure you’re in Hogwarts, and if you want to, I’d like for us to keep close communication.

I’ll just introduce myself. My name is Nicolás, I live in Colombia, and I attend Castelobruxo. I’m currently in my third year, I’m 13 y/o, but I’ve known you since you were born. You see, your parents and mine were very close friends. 

Caelum, my cousin, already told me he introduced himself to you. He’s a fellow Gryffindor of yours, your parents would be really proud of you to have been sorted there. As I don’t go to Hogwarts, I can’t really give much advice, except for beware of Snape and his classes, he’s said to be a total git, and don’t stoop yourself to other people's levels, like that Malfoy boy.

I know you must be wondering why you never heard of us, but just know that you were taken from us, I’m not gonna delve into much detail about that, but we could never visit you because we didn’t know where you lived, Dumbledore made sure to keep that from us, ever since your parents died. 

I don’t wanna turn this letter into a sobbing paper, so I’ll keep it short and tell you that I love you, Caelum does too, and our family does too. So please, if you want to keep communicating, make sure to write back, if you don’t, we’d understand. 

With love,

Nicolás Cardona-Lupin

P.S. I was told you have no photos of your parents, so I asked mine to send me a couple of them. We ended up with a bunch of your parents’ things, we can talk about that another time. There’s also a very special photo of mine that I want to gift you, you’ll find it last. It’s of your very first best friends.

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As Harry happily scrolled through a seemingly endless sea of photos, capturing moments from his parents' lives and a handful of adorable baby pictures of himself, he finally discovered the snapshot that Nicolás had mentioned. 

It depicted his infant self, nestled between the legs of another boy, a couple of years older, whose skin tone closely matched his own. It was probably Nicolás, he realized. 

An open book lay before them, and beside them was Caelum, radiating his usual enthusiasm, though he too was a child in the photo. He pointed at the pages, sending baby Harry into fits of laughter.

On the back of the photo, an elegantly handwritten caption read, “Harry's BFFs.” This early-years picture stirred up a warm feeling in Harry, one he’s longed for, pulling at his heartstrings.

A nearly instinctual smile began to grace Harry's face as a rush of emotions overcame him. A comforting warmth filled his chest, a sense of belonging he'd never quite experienced. 

Fueled by an unexplainable urge, he let his instincts guide him through the Gryffindor Tower corridors, with his destination becoming crystal clear. His heart raced as he made his way to the common room, where he spotted Caelum engaged in conversation with the Weasley twins.

As Harry approached, he couldn't help but notice the genuine warmth in Caelum's eyes as they locked onto his. In response, a smile played at the corners of Harry's lips. It was as if a secret message passed between them, acknowledging the true emotions conveyed in Nicolás’ letter.

With Ron and Hermione at his side, Harry drew nearer, and Caelum subtly distanced himself from the twins, signaling his intention for a private chat with Harry.

Without delay, Harry extended the photograph to Caelum, his eyes a mix of curiosity and anticipation. “Can you tell me more about this?” he inquired, his voice carrying a hint of hope, as if the photo held the key to forgotten memories and untold stories ready to be shared.

With a curious glint in his eyes and a warm smile, Caelum delicately accepted the photograph from Harry's outstretched hand. As he gazed at the moving image, a wave of memories washed over him, like gentle ripples of nostalgia rocking the boat of time.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, a sound that seemed to echo their childhood adventures. “Of course, he'd send this one,” Caelum said with a playful grin.

Seeing the perplexed expressions on the faces of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Caelum decided to fill them in with more details.

“So, this here,” Caelum continued, his voice brimming with fond memories, “was the first thing Nico convinced his father, Uncle Remus, to buy for you – a children's illustrated copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' I still remember how excited Nicolás was, hoping you'd share his obsession with magical creatures.”

Caelum's words carried the weight of bygone times, filled with laughter, unity, and the simple joy of being young wizards exploring the magical world together. “And if my memory serves me right, it was Aunt Lily who took the picture.”

With a knowing smile, Caelum passed the photograph back to Harry.

Harry's smile remained fixed on his face, and he decided to dedicate the rest of the day to deepening his connection with Caelum. With genuine excitement, he engaged Caelum in a heartfelt conversation about the photos, his curiosity and enthusiasm shining through in every word and question.

Nicolás’ words echoed in Harry's mind, etching themselves into his heart. It had been far too long since someone had not only shown such genuine care and interest in him, but had also openly expressed their love for him. It was like a soothing balm to his soul, a healing touch that began to slowly mend the invisible scars left by years of loneliness and the hardships of growing up with the Dursleys.

As the afternoon progressed, Harry found solace in the tales and memories shared by Caelum. These weren't just stories; they were the embodiment of love and kinship, a lifeline reigniting the flickering flame of hope within Harry's heart that he might finally be part of a loving family.

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Nicolás had never been ashamed of crying, and he most definitely did cry, an awful lot, with Harry’s response. 

The rest of the term went on seamlessly like any other, with the same big homework load. The Apparition training was pretty much the same as the Animagus one, with a whole lot of endless essays. 

The only remarkable thing didn’t even happen to him, but almost gave him a freaking heart attack. Because apparently, Harry, his Little One, fought a bloody Mountain Troll! 

Once they met, they really needed to have a talk with him about self-preservation. 

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Christmas 1991

Dear Harry,

Hello, Little One. I don’t know if you like being called that. You never said anything about it, so I’ll just keep calling you that.

Caelum told me you had decided to stay at the castle for the Christmas break, I hope he’s making the times merrier for you.

Personally, I’m back at the reserve. I really hope soon we can bring you here, I think you’ll love it here. A bunch of green landscapes, desert lands, and a great lake. Not to mention the incredible creatures we house here. Also, lots of space for you to practice Quidditch with Caelum!

Who knows, maybe you could come for the summer, if your muggle family allows it. Or we could just kidnap you, however you choose it.

I wish you the merriest Christmas you’ve had until today, with the hope the next ones will be even better.

Alongside this letter, you’ll find a package. The package contains something your father left you. It’s something he used to the limit in his time at Hogwarts. He left it here with us in hopes of coming.

Now, I spent days convincing my parents it was time it was passed on to you. I think it will maybe make you feel more connected to him. You better take great care of it, it’s a family relic.

Enjoy it, and make wise use of it, for it will serve you well.

With love,

Nicolás Cardona-Lupin

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Snuggled in Mrs. Weasley's cozy, hand-knit sweater, Harry sat comfortably in a corner of the room. Holding Nicolás’ letter, he felt his heart beat in tune with it, like the anticipation of a thrilling soundtrack pumping through his veins.

Outside, the world lay under a blanket of snow, a peaceful backdrop to the storm of emotions inside Harry. The warmth he felt wasn't just from the sweater; it came from the knowledge that he was cherished, cared for, and remembered by the family that, even if he couldn’t remember, had chosen him.

This warmth was so intense it felt like it could melt not only the snow outside but also any lingering doubts or fears within him.

Sitting with the mysterious package on his lap, Harry's excitement was off the charts. Nicolás’ letter, tucked safely in his mind like a treasured secret, served as a bridge to his father's past, a connection he'd longed to uncover.

With utmost care, Harry began to unwrap the package. His movements were deliberate, each fold and crease in the material reflecting his deep respect for what lay within. As he unveiled layer after layer, he committed every detail to memory.

With a growing sense of curiosity mixed with a touch of disappointment, Harry finally revealed the contents. Unfolding the fabric, he found what appeared to be a cloak. A seemingly ordinary cloak, lacking any immediate signs of its magical properties or family legacy.

Upon closer inspection, Harry couldn't help but feel slightly underwhelmed. While the golden and silvery patterns over the red backdrop on the cloak were undeniably pretty, they didn't scream “extraordinary power” or “family heirloom.”

At first glance, it seemed like an everyday piece of clothing, quite different from what one might expect from a “family relic.”

A whirlwind of questions swirled in Harry's mind, and a sense of bewilderment added an air of mystery to his thoughts. Could there be some mistake? Were there hidden secrets within the cloak that he had yet to uncover? Or maybe, upon closer inspection, he'd unveil the magic that made this seemingly ordinary garment a treasured family heirloom.

“Let's see. Try it on,” Ron encouraged, his voice filled with curiosity.

With Ron's nudge, Harry felt determined. There had to be more to this cloak than met the eye. With anticipation, he draped it over his shoulders, letting the fabric fall gracefully around him.

Harry had half-expected a magical tingle or a dramatic transformation, but to his surprise, he felt entirely normal. No mind-blowing sensations, no dazzling changes. He couldn't help but notice the utter shock on Ron's face. It was as if Ron's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

Confused, Harry looked down and, instead of his body, he saw an empty space where he once stood. He had vanished, becoming invisible. It was both thrilling and eerie, though he mostly looked like a floating head.

“Where's my body?! It's gone!” Harry exclaimed, his voice a mix of amazement and concern.

“I know what that is,” Ron declared, leaning in to inspect the cloak. “It's an Invisibility Cloak. Those things are rare,” he explained, his tone filled with wonder and admiration, recognizing its significance in the wizarding world. He was curious about its origin. “Who sent it to you?”

“Nico sent it. It belonged to my dad,” Harry said, grinning widely. The connection between the cloak and his family history filled him with pride and a deep sense of kinship with his father.

With newfound determination, Harry set out to craft a letter. Words flowed onto the parchment as easily as the cloak had wrapped him in its magic.

The letter, expressing his gratitude and excitement, marked the beginning of a thrilling new chapter, one filled with mystery and discovery.

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