Christmas Secret Satan
"Dad?" asked Harry softly as his Dad was sitting at his piano, getting ready to play.
"Yes, Son?" said Lucifer, enjoying the fact that he was a beloved Dad more than he could explain to anyone. No one had been alone as long as he had, and his family really helped fill up that lonely hole in his heart.
"Dad, I have lots of money, right?" asked Harry, sounding a little unsure.
"Yes, Son, but you know that I will provide all that you desire if I can," said Lucifer gently, thinking he better make sure to put in a caveat because Harry had a lot of imagination and he didn't think they could bring a flying horse into the Lux.
Harry came and leaned up next to his Dad. Harry had been learning piano, and guitar, which pleased Lucifer mightily. He liked the feel of the small boy's trust and how sweet it was to be trusted for answers.
"Dad, I want to be a secret Satan for some of the poor people in Los Angeles."
Lucifer was impressed. This was bigger than a flying horse. And he and Harry didn't like the commercial Santa Claus. The Dursley's never gave Harry anything for Christmas and he has some small resentments towards the men in the mall who dressed as Santa.
"Do you want to feed all of them?" he asked.
"Well, yeah, but I don't want it to be just around Christmas. They all get fed at Christmas. I want to do something all year, but it would be nice to start at Christmas, if it doesn't offend you.
Lucifer smiled. Harry was so careful not to make him think of his celestial family and how they had hurt him. He had actually changed Amenadiel's whole point-of-view, and now he actually had a beloved celestial brother again. He put an arm around his son and hugged him.
"I think it's a nice idea. They forget the homeless most of the time, except Christmas when if they want to help they have to do it all the time," he said, thinking of Harry's time on the streets.
"I don't want any of them to know it's me. I want to give them clean blankets and socks. I want to give them hot meals, but also food they can take with them. I want to make little homeless shelters in a place that the police won't roust them out of, but that bad people can't hurt them in."
"Tall order," said Lucifer silently, "and it's obvious you've been thinking about it."
"Remember at Thanksgiving I told you I wanted to run a restaurant," said Harry and Lucifer noted he sounded a little more sure of himself, "well, I could try that and use part of the profits for the restaurant, but part to help the homeless."
"Well thought out," said Lucifer. "We must go to our friends, the goblins, and see if you own property in Los Angeles, and then discuss ways of doing this, where the homeless are safe, but also where we don't get the people who prey on other homeless, or people who are completely insane and hurt people and don't realize they are doing it." he said and hugged his precious son again.
"In Hell, we had people who were broken. I sent them upstairs for healing, and they never sent any of them but a few back, so it worked well."
Harry smiled at him, "You are a good King. I love you, Dad."
Lucifer pulled his son on his lap and hugged him, and kissed his hair and snuggled him. Harry wiggled and hugged his Dad back.
Lucifer Harry, Lucifer, Harry, Lucifer Harry
The next day, they went to Gringott's in Los Angeles and met with Scar, Harry's account representative for the Potter holdings.
It turned out Harry owned several old and respected businesses in Los Angeles, and also several houses and properties.
They owned one large lot by a large park that had lots of homeless people. Scar pointed this out on a map and explained a few things. "If you want to make homes for homeless people, we can do magic on these properties and make them untraceable and forgotten to the humans. As long as we continue paying taxes and fees, they will be great places to build shelters. You also need someone to manage these properties and screen your applicants."
He looked thoughtful, "Because of the homeless people in the area, the lot is worth much less, and represents a business loss. You will be putting it to good use."
Harry explained his idea of using profits from a small business as a way of funding food for homeless people, but he wanted a place where some of them could live and get better.
Scar approved. "I understand many humans have full time jobs and just can't afford a place to live. Others are kicked out of facilities that take care of them after their money is exhausted. Humans can be bloodthirsty against their own."
Harry then asked if Account Manager Scar knew of anyone magical that needed a job like this. Scar knew of a few people with very low magic who were out of work, and Harry arranged to have his Dad interview them. One of them was a thin kind of sad man who seemed really frightened of Lucifer until he met Harry and then suddenly he perked up. "You are a father," George Knightly said quietly to Lucifer. "Your son is healthy and happy and while I cannot read your aura, his is that of a magical child who is much loved. I would love to help him and you."
"So you were afraid of me because you couldn't read my aura?" asked Lucifer.
"We have heard you are the original Lucifer Morningstar, Sir, and that you created magic. I don't know anything about you and I have very little magic, so I felt afraid I might offend you or you would be a very stern employer. But this young one glows with love, and I feel much of it from you. So yes, I was afraid. I hope I don't offend you."
"What kind of stern were you concerned about?" asked Lucifer, "I expect honesty from my employees."
"Oh that I give gladly," said Mr. Knightly, "Some people want their employees to cheat customers or do things that are unethical."
Lucifer smiled.
So Lucifer and Harry and their new employee Mr. Knightly went to the property closest to the park where the homeless lived. Harry watched his father do various types of magic on the property to protect it and noted the magic already there meant the lot was completely vacant.
Lucifer thought for a bit and then held out his hands and a huge pile of junk appeared before him. He nodded at it thoughtfully.
Mr. Knightly and Harry exchanged glance and shrugged.
Then the junk changed and changed, from garbage and paper, and iron and glass into bricks and windows and steel pipes and it all looked new.
Lucifer stared at it and then small hut style houses sprung up, identical, with doors and windows. Each one looked like a nice small house. Then flowers and trees grew and pathways with more flowers and even some food plants growing in planters. The trees were mostly fruit trees with some shade trees.
Harry jumped up and down. He couldn't help it. Dad's magic was so wonderful.
He and Mr. Knightly followed Lucifer into one of the houses. The furnishings were nice wood. There was a small stove, refrigerator, an air conditioner/heater, toilets and running water. The sinks had hot and cold running water. There was a washer dryer combination too. Harry was excited. There were chairs and couches, and comfortable beds.
"How Dad?"
"First of all I transformed the base material of the junk into new base material and rebuilt it into cloth, wood, stone, bricks, copper pipes and all sorts of things. It was easier than from nothing. The water appears by magic. The utilities are also by magic, so you won't have bills. The transformation is temporary. It will only be good for a thousand years, at which time I will have to redo it."
"A thousand years works," said Harry.
"Mr. Knightly, does this meet with your approval?" asked Lucifer.
This is wonderful. I was homeless, well, actually, I'm living in a wizarding tent right now, and this would have been exceptional if I had no magic."
"Do you want to park your tent here and be our manager?" asked Lucifer.
"Oh yes!" said Mr. Knightly, blessing magic, the goblins and Lucifer mentally. Lucifer gave a little start and looked at him. "Did you just pray?" he asked.
"Um, well I was feeling really thankful."
"That's really nice of you," said Lucifer and shook his head. Harry grinned at his Dad.
XXX
Next was the hardest part, finding people who really wanted help but who weren't predators. Harry knew a lot from his time on the streets being hungry and hunted. Some people seemed really nice and were evil. Some of the evil seeming people were not evil, just abused. Harry knew how to read their auras, and the surface emotions and attitudes that would let him find people who really needed help and could be helped. He didn't know how to heal addiction or alcoholism or the mentally ill, although he hoped in future to do that. He wondered if he could do that with magic.
He and Mr. Knightly and Dad put a Notice-me-not glamour on themselves and left his new home area and walked to the encampment. There Harry opened his heart to magic and asked it to lead him to someone he could really help. A tingle of magic touched the back of his head and he turned. There was a woman and a little girl fighting with a big man.
"She can bring me lots of money. You owe me," the big bully said, and Harry's heart filled with rage. He knew what the money would come from. The woman was fighting too.
"This one," he said to Dad and Mr. Knightly. Dad smiled and walked up to the man and said, "Get away from her,"
The man started to answer and then stared into Dad's red eyes and screamed. He ran like a bunny. Harry cast wandless spells after the man that would keep him from approaching the woman or girl again, and fill him with terror at the thought of ever doing something like this again.
"Thank you," said the woman, fear still in her eyes, as she grabbed her little girl in her arms.
Harry walked up to her and smiled into her eyes. "Do you have a job?" he asked.
"Yes," she said in an exhausted voice, "but we can't find a place to live. We were sleeping in our car and someone towed it away and I don't know where Joan can stay while I'm at work."
Harry looked at the dark-eyed child who already looked street-wise. He could tell from magic and now their aura's that they had no ill intentions towards anyone, and that the Mom was sick and so was the little girl.
"I have a house just for you, with locks that no one can break in. It has heat and a washer and dryer and a kitchen and a bed. Grab your stuff and come with us."
The woman looked suspiciously at Dad and Mr. Knightly.
"I have no money, and I'm not trading anyone's body for a place to stay."
Lucifer looked at her and said softly, "I know, Darling. I am a police consultant and George here was just hired from being homeless to be our manager at a property where you will be safe. My son here was on the streets before I found and adopted him, and he has made a special project on a property he owns so we can help some people. Seeing you bravely fight for your daughter, makes you person number one on our list. I promise you we will never hurt you or do anything against your will."
The little girl patted her Mom's cheek, "They are good Mom," she whispered and Harry found himself grinning. She stared specifically at Lucifer and seemed to see more than she normally would.
The woman slowly nodded. They walked with her and found her shopping cart and gathered everything up and carried her things while the tired woman followed them, her daughter encouraging her.
"He's an angel," said Joan softly, "I could see his wings."
When they walked through the hidden entrance the woman gasped. The trees and flowers completely cleared away the stench from the area and left a fresh fragrance. "Is this heaven?" she asked weakly.
"This is Harry's sanctuary, come let us get you moved in," said George Knightly proudly.
They walked into the bright little house, and the woman burst into tears. Harry used magic to bring food to the refrigerator sight unseen and Lucifer had already made a few utensils. The washing machine had detergent and there was a stock of toilet paper and paper towels. Harry noticed his Dad had made wonderful bath towels.
The first thing the woman did was pick up Joan and kiss her and dance around the kitchen. They both raced around the house and peeked at things with wonder in their eyes.
"Now you can go to work, and Mr. Knightly is here if Joan needs help. I can give you my phone number if you need help from work."
"You have some kind of super technology going here, because this is right next door to the park and I never saw it," said the woman, then she blushed.
"I'm Jean MacKenzie," she said, "My husband left us six months ago and took everything. We lost our house, because he sold it under us, and then I lost one job, and it's just terrible finding a place to live. We were sleeping in the car, and someone had it towed."
Lucifer handed her keys to the house, and to the gate that opened onto the property. Harry noticed that both men were careful not to touch either the woman or the girl and to keep distant enough so they would feel safe. He felt so proud and so happy.
"So what are your needs now?" he said.
"This place has more than I could have dreamed of," said Jean MacKenzie, "I can keep Joan safe and next year she can start school. Does this place have an address I can use for mail?"
Lucifer smiled, and used magic to make mail boxes appear that could only be seen by the postal office workers, so they would be safe from thieves. Jean's was Unit #1, their first helping.
"Yes," he said and gave her a card with his phone number and name, and their unit address.
"All utilities are paid for," said Lucifer and the woman's face lit up again. "Our hope is that you stay here until you are ready to move or your circumstances change."
"Let me give you our phone numbers. I suppose it seems odd we have phones," she said, flushing a little.
Harry shook his head. "No, only the ones who give up hope don't use phones. That shows you are trying to keep your daughter safe and to find new jobs."
"You really do know what it's like," she said softly.
Harry nodded. Lucifer smiled at his son, and said, "Do you know your license plate and do you still have papers on your vehicle? I may be able to find it."
When they were done getting the information, Lucifer now asked if they needed anything.
"We have enough to eat, and I can wash our clothing and I'll nap with Joan and then go to work. Oh this is wonderful. Thank you!"
They left with Mr. Knightly, who seemed happy.
"That was fun," said the man who had been so frightened before, "I feel wonderful."
"Yes," said Lucifer, "I too feel very pleased. To think of that poor woman fighting people like that great bully infuriates me. And his plans for her spawn were evil."
"I spelled him Dad, to feel the fear he felt when your eyes turned red every time he thinks of doing that to a woman or child."
"Well done, Son," said Lucifer quietly.
"Yes," agreed Mr. Knightly, "very well done."
Harry hugged his Dad happily, "This was so great Dad. Thank you for everything you did. You are the best Dad ever."
His Dad looked pleased and then a sad look flitted over his features.
"Dad, what did you just think?" asked Harry, who knew Dad could be melancholy at times.
"I was thinking how selfish I was before I found you, and how I have so much now that I have you and Your Mum and Sister in my life. I would never have thought of helping someone like that yet it gave me pure joy."
Harry hugged him. "You had a hard life, Dad; don't blame yourself. You just did a wonderful thing."
"And I believe with your guidance, I'll be doing more," said Lucifer with a sweet smile.
"Good, because both of them are sick and need medical attention. I think they both have low grade infections from being on the street so long."
"As I recall, you had that problem too," said Lucifer, still smiling. "We will find someone who already works with the homeless and help them by paying them. That way we help your new friends and also help the ones who help the homeless people."
"Wow, Dad, that's a great idea."
So a new legend grew in Los Angeles, that sometimes homeless people were helped by an angel.