Me And My Dog And the Insufferable Know-It-All, a harry potter fanfic

Me And My Dog And the Insufferable Know-It-All
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.

With mixed feelings, Harry returned to Grimmauld Place for the two weeks of holidays until his Auror training was going to commence. He wearily entered the house, which seemed even darker and more depressing than usual, because it was lacking all the voices of his friends and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. 'I really don't like this place,' he mused. 'Maybe I should just leave everything behind and go somewhere. I don't even know if I want to become an Auror anymore.'

With these dark thoughts, he entered the kitchen to assess if there was any food left, when he stopped dead in his tracks. A large dog was spread out in front of the fireplace, lightly snoring. 'He looks like Sirius with his black fur, but still slightly different,' Harry thought, feeling tears well up in his eyes at the thought of his godfather. 'I think it's what they call a retriever.'

Apparently becoming aware of his company, the dog raised his head, giving him an assessing look.

"Hi there," Harry greeted him friendly. "Who are you, and why are you here? I don't mind at all, I'm just curious. Are you a friend of any of the Order members?"

The dog gave him a sharp nod, before he lay down again, apparently realising that Harry's presence did not mean any danger.

'At least I'm not completely alone here,' Harry thought. 'Maybe I should become a dog Animagus in order to be able to communicate with him. On the other hand, who knows how long he's going to stay here, considering that he surely belongs to someone.'

Something felt familiar about the dog; however, Harry couldn't remember having ever seen any other dog in the magical world but Sirius in his Animagus form.

Sighing, Harry began to make some soup, not really feeling in the mood to cook just for himself. 'Oh well, maybe the dog will eat some,' he thought and made a double portion of everything, filling the dog's half into a bowl, which he tentatively placed in front of the dog.

The canine let out a small series of barks, which Harry understood as a thank you, before he began to tuck in with apparent delight.

"I'm glad you like it," Harry said, smiling, before he began to eat as well.

Suddenly feeling tired and not in the mood to do anything, he just placed the dirty bowls into the sink and decided to just go to bed and get some sleep. 'Tomorrow I'll just go to Diagon Alley and look around. Maybe I'll be able to think of something better to do than the Auror training,' he thought, as he dragged his luggage into the first room on the second floor, a room, which Mrs. Weasley had already assigned him several times.

'Nothing has changed here,' he thought in relief, as he got ready for bed. 'Thank Merlin... and Hermione... that I got through the NEWTs,' he mused. In fact, ever since the battle with Voldemort, he was suffering from an almost permanent headache, which was resistant to all kinds of potions, probably due to being caused by a dark spell. However, only Hermione knew about it, as Harry had otherwise kept quiet about it, knowing that if Madam Pomfrey was aware of the fact, he would not have received a clean bill of health for the Auror training. Sighing, Harry let himself sink into bed, listening to the sounds of the Muggle town, as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

When he entered the kitchen first thing in the morning, he noticed two things. The dirty bowls from dinner last night had been cleaned up and properly put away, and the dog was still sleeping in front of the fireplace.

As soon as Harry put on the kettle, however, the canine woke up from his slumber and raised his head towards the boy.

"Good morning to you too," Harry said gently. "Did anyone come here during the night?"

Seeing the dog shake his head, he wondered aloud, "Since when are dogs able to clean plates?"

'I'm a magical dog,' the canine suddenly thought to him, explaining, 'I took the liberty of bonding to you, so you'll be able to understand my babbling.

"That's cool," Harry replied, feeling very happy to be able to communicate with his house guest. "Is it possible for me to think to you too?"

'No, that won't work, but I can understand you anyway,' the dog informed him.

"What's your name?" Harry queried, looking at the dog in expectation.

'Cerberos,' the dog explained, causing Harry to smile.

"I've never heard that name, but it sounds nice and fitting for you," he replied, smiling. "Do you like scrambled eggs with bacon?" he asked, as he swiftly began to make breakfast like in his times at the Dursleys'.

'Yes please,' Cerberos replied, slightly waggling his tail in anticipation.

Harry and the dog quietly ate their breakfast. Only after cleaning the dishes, Harry spoke again. "I'm going to go for a walk to Diagon Alley. Would you like to accompany me? Or were you told to remain here at all times?"

The dog shook its head and stood from the floor, stretching his legs as he walked out into the hall.

'It's nice to have a dog,' Harry mused as they strolled through the streets of Muggle London together. 'I just wonder to whom he belongs. It would be great if I could just keep him. At some stage, I'll need a new owl too, although I can't really imagine ever having another owl.' When they entered the Leaky Cauldron, Harry instructed the dog, "Stay close to me the whole time."

Cerberos gave him a short nod and obediently walked right next to Harry. They strode along the street, and Harry looked into one or the other window, before a new shop right opposite of the Magical Menagerie caught his eyes. Several Muggle devices, which he knew from Dudley's room, where displayed in the window, and bright blue letters announced the name of the shop as 'Wizardnet Cafe'. Harry curiously entered the shop together with Cerberos. 'What kind of shop is this?' he wondered, letting his eyes wander around the room. Three of the four walls were occupied by long tables with monitors on them, and under the tables, he could see computers like the one that Dudley owned. However, if he remembered correctly, Dudley needed a mouse and a keyboard to operate his computer. Here, there was nothing on the tables but the monitors. Half of the work spaces were occupied by, mostly younger, witches and wizards. The fourth side of the room held a smaller desk as well as some bookshelves.

"Excuse me, sir," he hesitantly addressed the man, who was sitting at the small desk.

"Hello sir," the man replied, eagerly. "Do you know about the Wizardnet?" When Harry denied, he explained, "The Wizardnet is the equivalent to the Muggle Internet. Feel free to try it out for free." He pointed to one of the empty work spaces and switched on the computer for him.

Harry bought a coffee for himself and asked for a bowl of water for the dog, before he let himself sink on the chair next to the computer, noticing that Cerberos sat next to him and eagerly looked at the monitor in front of him.

'Are you new to the Wizardnet?' the greeting screen asked him.

"Yes," he hesitantly whispered, and the computer began to display an introduction to the Wizardnet. 'Wow, this is absolutely awesome,' he mused, when the computer instructed him to register for the Wizardnet.

'User name,' Harry read, wondering what user name he should use. 'I don't want everyone to know who I am,' he decided and was just about to say Snitch, when the thought, 'Many Hogwarts students would be able to guess that it was me' crossed his mind and he finally replied "Headache."

'Password,' the computer continued to ask, and Harry quickly decided on "Murtlap".

'Very inventive,' Cerberos thought to him, causing Harry to blush.

"Yes, that's true," he whispered to the dog, "but that'll do. If you have a better suggestion, tell me in advance the next time."

'I will,' the dog thought back to Harry, and the boy smiled, as he began to engross himself in exploring the Wizardnet.

Four large buttons occupied the next screen. 'Moogle', 'News', 'Games' and 'Chat', and Harry spent the next thirty minutes reading the news in various magical newspapers like The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler. There were also links to magazins like Quidditch Monthly and Potions Quarterly; however, Harry decided that he had seen enough. 'I want a computer,' he resolved.

"Excuse me, sir," he hesitantly addressed the shop owner. "Where can I buy such a computer?"

"Here, we sell them here, as desktop PC like those or as notebook, with and without the Wizardnet option," the man replied in a friendly voice.

"With the Wizardnet please," Harry informed him, and after questioning the man about the difference between desktop PC and notebook, he decided on a notebook. "Will this work in the magical world?" he asked, just to be sure.

The man replied affirmatively, and a few minutes later, Harry was the proud owner of a dark blue notebook. In fact, it was only a slightly thick screen, and the shop owner explained that the computer itself was built-in behind the screen.

"If you ever have questions, don't hesitate to come back and ask," he instructed the boy, who gave him a grateful nod.

"Sorry this took me so long," he apologized to the dog, when they stepped out into the magical shopping street. "You must be hungry. Let's see if we can find something to eat for you."

The dog did not reply, and they quietly returned to Muggle London. 'Strange that I never heard that they got computers to work in the magical world,' Harry mused. 'I should tell McGonagall and also Hermione. They'd surely both love it.' Seeing a butcher on the right hand side, Harry quickly made Cerberos wait and walked inside to buy two sausages for the dog.

"Here my friend," he told his companion, placing the sausages in front of him.

Dark eyes looked up to him in question, before the dog finally began to tuck in, obviously enjoying his lunch. However, after devouring one of the sausages, the dog rubbed his snout against Harry's leg and, when the boy looked down, pointed his head towards the other sausage. 'Eat one too,' he then instructed him.

"Ah, no thank you, I'm not hungry," Harry replied, smiling at the canine's thoughtfulness. "Eat up, and then let's go home. I can't wait to try out the Wizardnet," he told him, smiling when the dog obediently devoured the rest of the sausages.

Back at Grimmauld Place, Harry sat at the kitchen table, somehow not wanting to miss the dog's company, and started the Wizardnet.

'Moogle'
'News'
'Games'
'Chat'

the welcoming screen suggested, after Harry had confirmed that he did not need an introduction to the Wizardnet anymore and had logged in with 'Headache' and 'Murtlap'.

'Hmmm, no idea what Moogle is, news I read already, chat doesn't make sense, since none of my friends actually has the Wizardnet, so let's try out games,' Harry thought and said, "Games."

'Welcome to the Wizardnet Games,' the screen told him, and displayed the following choice.

'Gringotts cart race'
'Animal rescue'
'The glibbery snitch'
'The exploding cauldron'.

Harry chose the game with the Snitch and spent a few minutes trying to catch the Snitch using his right hand, before he realised that the quick movement behind the screen aggravated his headache. 'Let's check out Moogle then,' he decided and emerged from the game section.

Moggle offered that he could search for something on the Wizardnet, and Harry instructed the computer to search for jobs in the magical world.

'Don't you have a job? Did you leave your school without anything?' the dog queried in disbelief, causing Harry to let out a long sigh.

"I'm supposed to begin Auror training in two weeks' time," he admitted in a small voice. "But I'm not sure if I'm still interesting in becoming an Auror, plus I was hit with some dark spell and have a permanent headache, which gets worse when I do magic," he explained, "and since I heard the Auror training is extremely hard, I'm thinking about looking for something else."

'Wait,' he suddenly realised. 'Since when can dogs read? Maybe it's not a dog but an Animagus.' He was just about to voice his thought, when he saw something that completely distracted him from the question.

'HEALER'S APPRENTICE WANTED'

a headline screamed in a bright red colour. Harry eagerly read the text underneath.

'With my 105 years, I wish to retire and am looking for a Healer's apprentice, who is willing to take over my practice after finishing the apprenticeship in two years' time. My practice is situated in the heart of the small wizarding island 'Inis Rún' (secret island) in the North of Scotland. Conditions for acceptation as apprentice are completed NEWT exams with 'O's in Healing and Potions.'

'That's it,' Harry thought with excitement. 'No one will know me on a small island, and no one will find me there. I can really begin anew. Thank Merlin I convinced Pomfrey to give me classes in Healing, even if I didn't find out anything that would help with my headache. I just hope I managed to get 'O's in both, Healing and Potions. Maybe McGonagall already knows. I have to Floo call her and ask.'

Turning to the fireplace, he was reminded of his earlier thought concerning the dog. "Cerberos," he addressed the canine, "Sorry for asking this, but are you a real dog or an Animagus?"

The dog let out something close to a snort, before he thought to him, 'What do I look like?'

"You look like a dog, but you behave like an Animagus," Harry gave back, dryly. "Oh well, it's all right if you wish to keep your secret. I don't mind; I was just wondering. Sorry, but I have to disturb you for a moment, because I need to use the fireplace."

Cerberos readily moved out of the way and proceeded to look at the screen of Harry's computer, while Harry leaned into the fireplace and called Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts.

"Harry," the Headmistress greeted him in surprise. "Are you already missing Hogwarts?"

"No professor," Harry replied, chuckling. "I merely have a question." He let out a long sigh, before he asked, "Do you already know the results of our NEWTs? I need an 'O' in Healing and Potions for something. Do you think...?" He unsurely trailed off, ignoring the strange sounds coming from his dog.

"Let me check the lists with the results," McGonagall said kindly. "They have arrived last night." She walked away from the fireplace, and Harry could see how she skimmed some parchments that were piled on her desk, before she seemed to have found what she was looking for.

"Yes Harry, you received four 'O's in your exams, in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions and Healing. Congratulations my boy."

"Thank you so much, Professor," Harry replied, smiling happily.

"May I ask what you need these results for?" McGonagall queried, giving him a confused look. "Are you not going to commence Auror training shortly?"

Harry let out a long sigh, before he admitted, "I'm not so sure if I really want that anymore. So I'm looking for something else, and I found something, for which I'd like to apply. Professor, do you know the Wizardnet?" he asked, efficiently changing the topic.

"Only recently, I've heard about it," the Headmistress replied, her voice laced with excitement.

"I bought a computer with the Wizardnet on it. If you're interested, I can introduce you to the Wizardnet," Harry offered, and McGonagall invited him to step through the fireplace and show her how to use it.

Harry spent a few hours at Hogwarts, speaking with the Headmistress about this and that, and finally returned home with the instruction to buy a computer equipped with the Wizardnet for Hogwarts the following morning.

When he stepped out of the fireplace in the kitchen, he almost stumbled over Cerberos, who was fast asleep at his favourite spot. However, to Harry's surprise, a large helping of Shepherd's pie was laid out for him on the kitchen table, along with a small phial that was labelled 'Headache potion'.

Harry's first thought was 'Snape. No one else could and would do such a thing, plus no one but the dog knows about the headache, except for Hermione, and she knows that potions don't work.' He looked at the dog, bewildered. 'I thought he was dead. I mean, I saw him dying,' he mused in confusion.

Not wanting to wake up the dog, he fetched parchment and a quill and wrote his application for the Healer's apprentice position, inwardly groaning in annoyance upon realising that he had no way to send his letter. 'I need to go to Diagon Alley and buy an owl,' he thought, just when he heard that the dog behind him was waking up.

"Excuse me, sir, but if you allow me one question," he hesitantly began, only continuing, when he felt the dog's onyx eyes turn to himself, "Why is it that you're living as a dog? Is it only in order not to be recognised, which I'd understand considering that you're a war hero, or does it have any specific reason?"

Had he expected the dog to ignore his question, he was slightly surprised at the reply. 'My condition is similar to yours, Mr. Potter,' the dog informed him. 'Due to my near-to-death experience, which I only survived with the help of a kind elf, I'm suffering from the Magica Influenza, an extremely rare magical disease. The effects are much more bearable in my Animagus form, which is why I prefer to remain as Cerberos, at least for a certain time each day. Not wanting people to know about my presence is another point of course.'

"I understand, sir," Harry said, slowly. "I promise that I'm going to keep your secret; however, I'm very happy to see you alive and here."

The dog rolled his eyes, before he lay back on the floor. 'I'm still brewing potions and selling them to the apothecaries; however, mostly during the night, so as not to meet anyone in my human form. Your friends, the Weasleys, come here from time to time,' he thought to the boy, adding, 'Thank you for allowing me to stay here,' before he drifted back to sleep.

'Snape,' Harry mused, as he retired to his bedroom. 'How strange that he's staying here with me. But he's really behaving civically. Without the phial that was labelled in his hand writing I wouldn't have guessed that Cerberos was him. It almost seems as if he enjoyed the company as well.'

In the morning, Harry once again headed to Diagon Alley to buy the computer for Professor McGonagall, feeling very happy that Cerberos chose to accompany him. 'I'm also going to buy two notebooks, one for Hermione and one for Snape,' he decided and ordered the desktop computer as well as one red and one green notebook, all three equipped with the Wizardnet.

"Kerboros," he addressed the dog, when they were back on the street. "I need to buy a bird in order to be able to send letters. Would you recommend an owl or rather a raven or something else?"

'Feel free to use my raven, Beelzebub. He resides on the top floor of your house, near the potions lab,' Snape replied, telepathically.

"If that's all right with you, sir," Harry replied, slightly hesitantly. "I wrote my application for the position on the Inis Rún, and I'd like to send it as soon as possible." A sudden thought crossed his mind. "Sir, if I got the position, would you be willing to accompany as my dog?"

'Don't call me sir. I'm a dog,' Snape replied, rolling onyx eyes in annoyance. 'A small, secret island sounds appealing,' he then communicated, thoughtfully. 'However, only if there's a potions lab available, which I could use during the nights.'

"We'll make one available," Harry promised. 'Strange, if anyone had told me in advance that I'd be happy about Snape's company, I'd have told the person he or she was delirious. But somehow it's nice to not be alone the whole time, and Snape is really behaving civically.'

On their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, he hesitantly asked, "Would you mind accompanying me to Hogwarts? I think Professor McGonagall would be very happy to see you, and she'll definitely keep your secret. Also Madam Pomfrey has been grieving about you very much."

'They'll already be over it by now,' the dog replied. 'In case we meet anyone, please just introduce me as your dog, provided that it's all right with you.'

"Of course it is, and as I promised, I won't give you out," Harry said in a soft voice. "Well, let's go home then."

Harry was just back from Hogwarts, where he had delivered the desktop computer and helped Professor McGonagall to register on the Wizardnet, and was reading the newspapers on his notebook, when suddenly the fireplace flared and Hermione stepped out.

"Hi Harry," she greeted him, smiling, before her eyes fell on the large, black dog that was peacefully asleep on his favourite spot. "You have a dog?" she asked, incredulously.

Harry couldn't help chuckling. "Hi Mione, nice to see you, and yes, this is Cerberos, my new dog. Oh well, it's not new, but he followed me the other day, when I returned home from Diagon Alley," he informed his friend, thinking, 'Well, that's not even a complete lie.'

"Cerberos?" Hermione queried, staring at the dog in disbelief. "The hell hound? How did he get that name?"

"I've no idea," Harry admitted. "He told me that's what he's called."

"He told you? Don't tell me you can understand dog language," the girl replied, rolling her eyes.

"He bonded with me, so we can communicate telepathically," Harry informed her, grinning. "I have something for you by the way." He handed her the red notebook, which he had bought in the morning, and - on her curious look - asked, "Have you ever heard of the Wizardnet?"

"No," Hermione replied in confusion, looking at the screen with excitement, when Harry switched on the notebook.

The two friends spent the next hour reading newspapers, searching with Moogle and trying out the chat function, before Hermione rose from her chair and hugged Harry. "Thank you so much for buying this for me. I absolutely love it."

"I didn't expect anything else," Harry said, smiling at the excited girl.

'Ahh, leave it to Gryffindor's insufferable know-it-all to make such a ruckus,' Cerberos suddenly thought to him, causing Harry to turn his eyes to the dog with amusement.

"Cerberos, this is Hermione, my best friend," he introduced the girl, grinning.

"He's gorgeous," Hermione said, staring at the dog in amazement. "And you are too, Harry. Again thanks a lot."

"You're more than welcome, Mione," Harry replied, suddenly feeling awkward talking with Hermione in front of the dog turned Potions Master.

"Oh no, I almost forget why I came here in the first place," Hermione suddenly blurted out, slapping her right hand against her forehead. "Ron and I thought about going to the zoo tomorrow, and I wanted to ask if you'd like to come with us, considering that both of you won't have much time anymore when the Auror training begins."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Mione, I'm probably going to skip the Auror training. I don't think I want to become an Auror anymore."

"What?" Hermione blurted out in shock. "But that's what you wanted to become for years. Oh well, it's not as if I thought that being an Auror was overly interesting, so I can understand your decision, but do you already know what you're going to do instead?"

"Not yet," Harry admitted in a small voice. "But I'm thinking about it. Can you do me a favour and not tell Ron about it before tomorrow night, so that we can enjoy the day without having him harass me about it the whole time?"

"Yes of course," Hermione replied, smiling. "Oh well, I really need to go. Again thanks a lot for the notebook. It's absolutely awesome. I'll try to send you a chat message later on."

"Okay," Harry said, returning the smile. 'I wished she was not together with Ron,' he mused, absentmindedly observing his friend shout "The Burrow" and vanish in the flames.

'She and Weasley won't last long,' a voice suddenly penetrated his mind, turning his attention back to the dog in front of the fireplace.

"I hope so," he replied, before he even noticed in shock that he had spoken aloud.

'Their intellectual levels don't match at all,' Snape explained, causing Harry to nod, deep in thoughts.

While he spent some time cooking dinner, he thought about his relationship to Ginny, which he had never renewed after the war, as well as Hermione's and Ron's liaison. 'I don't love Ginny. I love Mione,' he mused, 'but I can't ever tell anyone, because Ron would never forgive me. Oh well, I'll just have to live with it. I hope that I'll get the Healer's position on that small island, so I won't have to see any of them again.'

"Professor," he quietly spoke up, when dinner was ready. "Would you perhaps transform, so that we could eat dinner together? Only if you want though," he added as an afterthought.

'Are you sure that you don't mind?'

"Of course not," Harry replied, smiling at the dog. 'Awesome,' he thought, as he observed Cerberos morph into the Potions Master. 'I really need to practise becoming an Animagus too.'

"Are you trying to find a cure for the Magica Influenza, sir?" he queried, as he sat on a chair opposite the Potions Master.

Snape sighed. "I'd like to do that, but I don't have much time, since I can't remain in my human form too long and also have to brew the supply for the apothecaries," he admitted.

"Maybe I could help you, sir," Harry replied, thoughtfully. "I could at least prepare the ingredients for you, if you tell me exactly how you need them."

The Potions Master quirked an eyebrow. "You'd spend your free time in the potions lab?"

"Why not?" Harry returned the question. "At the moment, I have lots of time anyway, and even if I managed to get the post that I applied for, I'll still have a few hours each day to assist."

Harry and the former professor spent two hours sitting at the kitchen table talking about the war, potions, and Hogwarts, before Harry rose from his seat and began to clean the dishes. "I completely forgot to tell you that, but the green notebook is yours, sir," he finally remembered to inform his guest. "I thought you might want to have your own account on the Wizardnet."

Snape cast him a surprised look, before he thanked the boy profusely.

"Please wake me up when you head to the potions lab," Harry said firmly. "In the meantime, I'm going to get some sleep."

"Is your headache bothering you?" Snape queried, having noticed how Harry unconsciously rubbed his forehead multiple times.

"Yes, but it's bearable since I didn't do much magic today," Harry replied, smiling at the older wizard. "It gets worse with magic, and no potions help, not even the really strong one you gave me yesterday. Good night, sir, and please wake me up. I'll assist."

"Good night, Mr. Potter... and thank you," Snape said, gratefully, before he transformed back into his dog form and stretched out in front of the fireplace.

Harry woke up to a cold, wet snout licking his hand. 'Mr. Potter, are you still feeling up to assist in the lab?' the dog's voice penetrated his mind.

"Yes, of course, sir," Harry mumbled, lazily reaching for his glasses.

'You don't have to do this,' the dog reminded him, before he strode out of the room, heading upstairs to the lab.

'I hope there's anything I can do to help him,' Harry mused, remembering the many occasions, on which the professor had kept him safe before and during the war.

"What can I do, sir?" he queried, as he stepped into the lab, where the Potions Master was already busying himself in his human form.

"You can prepare these ingredients," Snape replied, laying out a recipe on the table in front of Harry.

The two wizards spent several hours in the lab, where Snape brewed one potion after the other from the ingredients, which Harry diligently prepared. Only when the first morning light fell through the window, the Potions Master cleaned the lab with a flick of his wand.

"Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Potter," he thanked the boy, before he insisted that Harry should go back to bed to sleep for a few more hours.

"Will you accompany us to the zoo, sir? As my dog?" Harry enquired, giving the older wizard an assessing look.

Snape smirked. "Do you believe a visit to the zoo would be an adequate occupation for a Potions Master?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"No, but for a dog," Harry replied, grinning.

'Ask me again before you leave.' The answer came telepathically, causing Harry to give the dog a concerned look. 'His illness must be really bad if he transforms back so quickly,' he thought, as he retreated to his room, wondering if he should speak with Hermione about the magica influenza. 'Maybe she can help me do some research,' he mused.

However, Harry did not have a chance to discuss the matter with Hermione, since Cerberos finally decided to accompany the boy.

"I hope dogs will be allowed in the zoo," Harry said in concern, when they approached the zoo, right on time for Harry's appointment with Hermione and Ron.

'If not, I'll be able to find my way back home,' the dog informed him, and Harry could envision the view, which the older wizard would have cast him if he had been in his human form.

"Oh well, that's true," he replied, chuckling.

"Harry!" his friends called out, simultaneously, when he reached the zoo entrance.

'Don't say anything about me. I'll find my way inside,' Cerberos instructed him, and Harry nodded unobtrusively.

"Did you not bring your dog?" Hermione queried, once they went inside, causing Ron to gape.

"A dog?" he asked in confusion, looking from Hermione to Harry. "You have a dog?"

"Yes," Harry replied, smirking. "Ah look, there he is." He smiled at Cerberos, who was slowly coming in his direction.

"Such a huge dog?" Ron queried, bewildered. "But what are you going to do with him during Auror training? Mum said you can't leave a dog alone for hours, when Ginny once begged her to get one."

Harry let out a long sigh, before he replied, "Ron, I'm not going to attend Auror training. I don't want to become an Auror anymore." 'All right, now he's going to go nuts, but if it becomes too bad, I'll just go home,' he thought, readying himself for the outburst that was sure to come.

"You what? Harry are you mad?" Ron shouted in disbelief. "But we decided to become Aurors in our fifth year."

Harry sighed again. "Yes, but after finishing the NEWTs, I decided otherwise. I'm sorry."

"Harry, there's no need to apologize," Hermione through in, kindly. "It's your decision, and you're completely free to do as you like."

"Thanks Mione," Harry replied, smiling at the girl.

'Weasley is ignorant and selfish. None of the Weasley children is as thick as him,' his dog thought to him, causing Harry to grin inwardly.

"Oh well, shall we go?" Harry asked, hoping to distract his friend from the matter.

However, unfortunately, Ron could not easily forget about the topic and began to speak about it multiple times - to Harry's great annoyance. When he finally managed to change the topic to the Wizardnet, about which Hermione and he talked animatedly for almost half an hour, Ron became jealous.

"What's so interesting about that stupid Wizardnet?" he growled, causing Hermione to sigh.

"Your father found it quite interesting, when I showed him mine last night," she informed her boyfriend. "What's wrong with you today? Since we met Harry, you've been fighting with him."

"Leave it, Mione," Harry threw in. "I think I'll go home. I couldn't sleep last night and am very tired."

'Tell them you had to brew a stomach potion for me, because I was unwell,' Cerberos instructed him, and Harry inwardly smiled.

"Plus I had to spend a while in the potions lab brewing a potion for Cerberos, because he was unwell, so maybe it's better if I'll take him home anyway," he added. "I'll see you some other time."

"Okay Harry," Hermione was the first to reply, sounding disappointed.

"You? Brewing a potion?" Ron queried in apparent disbelief."

"Why not?" Harry queried and informed them, "I got an 'O' in my Potions NEWTS."

"The results aren't even out," Ron countered.

"But I know them, because I asked McGonagall," Harry replied, groaning inwardly.

"Really?" Hermione blurted out, excitedly. "What about your other tests?"

'Typically Mione,' Harry thought, smiling. "I only know that I got four 'O's, in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions and Healing. Other than that I have no idea." Looking at Hermione, Harry knew that she was intensely thinking about something; however, not wanting to reveal anything else, he quickly excused himself.

"I'll message you," he said to Hermione, who nodded happily.

"Don't forget that she's MY girlfriend," Ron hissed at Harry, glaring at his supposed to be best friend.

While Harry mumbled something that sounded like "Who knows how long," Hermione leaned down to Cerberos and whispered, "You have beautiful eyes. They're unique."

Inwardly groaning, Harry strode back to the entrance, closely followed by Cerberos.

'Mr. Weasley seems even more jealous and stupid than during your time at Hogwarts,' the dog thought to him, making Harry sigh in annoyance.

"Maybe it's because he's afraid that I might try to take Hermione from him," he said, thoughtfully.

'As I told you yesterday, it's only a matter of time before she realises that they don't match at all and to whom she really feels attracted. You might not be aware of it just like she isn't either, but to me it's obvious.'

'I'd have never thought that Snape is so understanding and emphatic,' Harry mused. 'It's really easy to get along with him, be it in his dog form or in his human form. I'll write Mione an email later on,' he resolved.

'I believe that Ms. Granger knows my identity,' Cerberos suddenly thought to him, bringing Harry back to reality.

"Really?" Harry asked in concern. "I noticed that she was very thoughtful, but..." He trailed off, because they had reached Grimmauld Place.

When the two wizards entered the kitchen, a very excited little owl was sitting in front of the kitchen window, holding out a parchment to Harry, as soon as he opened the window.

"Oh, it's from the Healer on the Inis Rún island," Harry told the dog, as he opened the parchment with excitement.

'It's just Inis Rún,' Cerberos corrected him gently. Inis already means island.'

"Oh all right," Harry agreed, before he engrossed himself in his letter.

'Dear Mr. Potter,

Thank you very much for your interest in becoming my apprentice and successor, and I would like to meet you as soon as possible. As you can imagine, I am a curious, old witch and have many questions to ask you. Can you come to the Inis Rún tomorrow afternoon? Just apparate to the island and ask for Healer O'Brien. I'll be waiting for you and looking forward to meet you.

Regards

Mary O'Brien'

"Wow, I have to go and meet her tomorrow," Harry spoke up, happily. "Maybe I have a chance to get the job."

'You surely will,' Cerberos reassured him, lazily raising his head.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't intend to wake you up," Harry apologized, before he quickly scribbled a reply and handed it to the owl."

Seeing that the dog lay down again, Harry sat in front of his notebook and logged into the Wizardnet.

'A message from McGonagall,' he noticed in surprise and quickly clicked on the envelope.

'Harry,
this is just to let you know that Healer O'Brien Floo called me to confirm that you received 'O's in your Potions and Healing NEWTs and to ask a little about you. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey was just in my office, and she has highly praised and recommended you for the position. I wish you good luck for your meeting with the Healer. She told me that she intends to meet you as soon as possible. Please let me know about the result, and don't forget to officially cancel your Auror training.
Minerva McGonagall'

'Well, it's very kind of them, but so much about going anywhere incognito,' Harry thought, before he sent a reply to his former Head of House, thanking her and Madam Pomfrey profusely for the recommendation. 'I should really change my name on the Wizardnet,' he mused, 'but what would be adequate?'

Unable to come up with a quick solution, he decided to first write a message to Hermione.

'Mione,
I'm sorry for fighting with Ron the whole time. Somehow, I really have problems with his attitude. Sorry. I hope you still had some fun at the zoo.
By the way, I have applied for an Healer's apprenticeship, and tomorrow I'm going to meet the Healer. Hopefully, I'll get the job and will be able to move away from this large house. I can't say that I'm lonely, as I have Cerberos for company, but I don't like this dark place. I'll message you again after the meeting tomorrow afternoon.

Harry'

Hermione's reply came in the evening.

'Hi Harry,
yes I'm really getting upset at Ron. I think I'm going to look for a room to live in, so that I can have some space for myself, at least when university is going to begin in September. There is also something that I'd like to speak with you about, but in private, without Ron or anyone else with us. Oh and by the way, is your pet dog by chance an Animagus and not a real dog?

Good luck for your interview tomorrow. I am so excited for you. Message me right when you're back home.
Hermione'

Right after lunch the following afternoon, Harry apparated to the small wizarding island Inis Rún, looking around in surprise, when he arrived at his destination.

The spot that seemed to be the Apparition point for visitors on the small island Inis Rún was situated on the flattened top of a dune. Two small paths were leading downwards on two sides, one of them equipped with a road sign, stating 'to Bally Sideways'. In the other two directions, Harry could see the sea, only separated by a few lower dunes. 'Wow, this is beautiful,' he thought, looking at the sea in amazement. He chose the path leading to Bally Sideways, wondering if that was the town, where he was suposed to meet the Healer.

After a few minutes' walk through the dunes, he could see the first roofs, before he suddenly found himself on a small square that was surrounded by two storied buildings, which were beautifully decorated with flowers outside the windows and thatched roofs.

One side of the square was occupied by a seemingly old church built in an interesting style with several heights of roof. Harry could not help thinking 'Hermione would love this place,' before he reminded himself that his best friends were going out together.

'How am I supposed to find the Healer's house?' he wondered. Mrs. O'Brien had told him to just ask for her; however, even if quite a few people were walking around, Harry preferred to find his way alone than to address anyone.

'This seems to be the main place here,' he thought, seeing a tiny branch of Gringotts, a small bookshop and a slightly larger store that seemed to be selling every day needs on the next side of the square.

'There,' he suddenly thought, noticing a plate in the front garden of a with house decorated with lots of red flowers opposite of the church. 'Healer O'Brien' was written on it. Next to the Healer's house was a building that was slightly bigger as it was stretched to the side with a large plate standing in the front of the building: 'For Sale'.

The fourth side of the square was occupied by what seemed to be several holiday homes as well as a playground. 'I wonder if a lot of tourists come here,' Harry thought. 'I've never ever heard the name of this island before.'

"Hello Mr. Potter," a soft voice suddenly penetrated his ears, causing him to turn around quickly.

"Hi Healer O'Brien," he replied, smiling at the old witch with the bright smile. "This place is just awesome," he blurted out, still admiring his surroundings.

"I'm glad to hear that," the Healer said, before she motioned him to follow her into her house and immediately began to explain. "On the ground floor are the practice rooms as well as a small potions lab, and on the second floor are the private rooms. During your apprenticeship, I could offer you a room upstairs, and by the time you will take over the practice, I will of course move from these rooms and completely leave them to you, provided that you wish to become my apprentice and successor."

"I'd love that," Harry replied, smiling.

"Why do you want to live on such a small island? You're famous and a hero in the British magical world. And you're still very young. Wouldn't it be more interesting for you to live in a larger town? Here most of the people, apart from the tourists, probably don't even know your name," the Healer said, giving him a concerned look.

Harry smiled. "That would be absolutely awesome. I hate the attention, which I always had since my first day at Hogwarts. In fact, I had planned to become an Auror; however, when I finally finished school, I realised that I don't want to do anything with any kind of war anymore; however, I'd still like to help people, and I'd love to become a Healer, especially on such a wonderful, small island." Seeing that the Healer nodded in understanding, he added, pensively, "When the war was over and I saw all those at Hogwarts, who had been wounded in the war if not worse, and that all because I had been there putting them in danger, I decided to ask Madam Pomfrey to give me Healing classes, so that I'd at least be able to help such people in the future."

"It was not your fault, Mr. Potter," Mrs. O'Brien said in a soft voice. "If you had not been there, many more would have died, that's for sure. As to your classes with Madam Pomfrey, she highly recommended you for the position here and said that you would make a wonderful Healer both from the professional as from the human point of view."

Harry could not help blushing at the unexpected praise. However, he slowly relaxed when the Healer explained what she expected from him and what she intended for the two years of the apprenticeship. By the time they finished their conversation two hours later, Harry was certain that he absolutely wanted the position, and when Mrs. O'Brien asked if he wanted to become her apprentice and successor, he immediately agreed.

"You don't have to decide this now," she said gently. "It's all right if you send me an owl during this week."

"No, I am sure," Harry replied, smiling, and added, thoughtfully, "As to the private rooms, why don't you just continue living here? I just saw that the house next to this is for sale, and I could buy it and live next door."

The Healer cast him a surprised look, before she replied, "If you're sure that you want to do that, I'd happily accept the offer. I love this house, in which I have lived since I was born. My father was the Healer before I took over from him. But it's not necessary, as I'm sure I'd find something nice during the two years."

"No, it's all right, Madame. I would like some space for my pet and maybe a friend anyway," Harry replied in a soft voice. "Would you mind introducing me to the person selling the house?"

"Of course not, my dear. It belongs to Mr. Fisher. He recently moved to the north. You know, Bally Sideways is the only small town on Inis Rún, and apart from this, there are only small villages on this island. Bally Sideways has a population of a little more than 4,000 people, and the rest of the island has about 200. Anyway, let me Floo call him and see if he has time to come over and show you the house."

To Harry's luck, Mr. Fisher was very eager to sell his town house, and he came right away to give Harry a tour through the house, which was very bright and in a good condition. 'We'd even have space for a potions lab on the second floor as well as a room for Hermione if she wanted to visit, plus we could consider having an apothecary on the first floor.' Mrs. O'Brien had told him that they had to order all potions from Diagon Alley, which would arrive with delivery owls in the evening or even the following morning, which was quiet inconvenient, but she didn't have time to fill the need, and no good Potions Master would be willing to settle into a small nest like Bally Sideways. 'Maybe Snape would like to have his own apothecary, even if only in this small place,' he mused.

Harry immediately decided to buy the house, and he and Mr. Fisher agreed to meet at Gringotts the following morning to put up with the formalities. Healer O'Brien he promised that he would begin his apprenticeship from 1 July onwards, which was just ten days ahead.

This time, Harry took the Floo back to Grimmauld Place and let himself sink on a chair, looking at Cerberos with excitement.

Seeing the dog's eyes looking at him in expectance, he blurted out, "It was awesome, a very nice small town, Bally Sideways, the practice is just in the middle of it, and I bought the house right next to it. It looks as if it was new, although it isn't, has two floors with about five rooms on each floor, so space enough for a potions lab on either floor. Plus, I thought maybe you could open your own apothecary there, as they have none on the island, but the Healer told me they'd really need one. We'd just have to make some changes in the first floor, but that shouldn't be a problem. After signing the contract tomorrow at Gringotts, I can go and speak with an architect, provided that you'd be interested in having your own apothecary there."

'Harry,' the Potions Master thought to him. 'I'm afraid I can't accept that. You're doing too much for me already.'

"Nonsense," Harry replied, sharply. "If I had known that you were alive, I'd have never accepted the Order of Merlin without you getting the same award as well. Also it should suffice to say that I wouldn't even be alive without your help. Voldemort would still be here killing lots of people."

'Are you sure that you don't want to move alone without having the burden of taking a dog with you?' the former professor queried, causing Harry to glare at the dog.

"You're not nor will you ever be a burden, sir," he replied, firmly. "I thought about something though," he continued, pensively. "Healer O'Brien is really nice, and I like her a lot. Plus she's a Healer with one hundred years of life experience. I think... only if you're all right with it of course... we should tell her about your problem. Of course we don't have to reveal your true identity, but maybe she could help us find something for the magica influenza. We can ask her to swear a witch's oath to keep it to herself. Oh no, she's bound to her Healer's oath anyway."

The dog let out something close to a snort, before the telepathic reply came. 'I'll think about it, although I don't expect much from it, as the only thing that could help me is likely to be a potion.'

"We'll find a way," Harry reassured the Animagus. He glanced at his wrist watch and, seeing that there was enough time left to message Hermione before he had to cook dinner, switched on his notebook.

'Hi Mione,
it was just awesome. I accepted the job, and I'm going to begin next week. Right next to the Healer's house was a house for sale, which I bought. It's big, but not as overlarge as this one and much prettier and brighter. So if you want to have your own room and don't mind mine and the dog's company...'

"Professor," he spoke up, absentmindedly, "Hermione wrote that she wanted to live alone for a while, not together with the Weasleys, while she attends university. Would it be all right for you if I offered her a room in the house? It's ok if you don't want that, sir. She could as well stay here then..." He trailed off, giving the dog an uncertain look.

'As long as Mr. Weasley is not included in this, I don't mind having Ms. Granger stay at all,' Cerberos thought back to him, causing Harry to chuckle.

"You really despise Ron, sir, don't you?"

'I believe that's a mutual feeling,' the dog growled, making Harry look at him with amusement, before he returned his view to the notebook in front of him.

'... you are very welcome to stay. You could easily apparate from there to the university and back. Whenever you can get away from your current residence, we can meet to talk.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Harry'

From the following morning, everything went very fast. After his meeting with Mr. Fisher at Gringotts, Harry went to see an architect, who agreed to come to his house later the same afternoon. Deciding to take Snape to the house first, he convinced him to apparate to Inis Rún together, where he led the dog into the newly bought house.

'Harry, this is a fantastic place,' the older wizard informed him after thoroughly inspecting the house.

Harry smirked. "Well, then you only have to instruct the architect how to build the potions lab and the shop, and as soon as they're done, we can move in," he replied, pleasantly.

To his relief, the architect promised to have all the changes done by the end of the week, and Harry and Snape prepared themselves to move houses during the weekend.

"Did you hear anything from Ms. Granger?" Snape asked colloquially, while they were busily packing the content of the potions lab at Grimmauld Place into wooden boxes.

"No, I haven't heard from her since the evening of the day when we went to the zoo," Harry replied, sadly.

"Oh well, if she contacts you, please tell her that I'd like to speak with her about something," the Potions Master said, pensively.

Seeing that Harry cast him a curious look, the Potions Master stated, "I was wondering if she'd be willing to become my assistant."

Harry stared at the older wizard in surprise. "You want to reveal your identity, sir?"

"She knows it anyway. She's too clever for her own good," Snape replied, smirking. "You know that I can't remain in my human form too many hours, and I can neither sell potions as a dog nor brew in my Animagus form."

"I'm sure she'd love to become your apprentice, and as far as I know she doesn't have any concrete plans yet, except for the fact that she wants to study 'something interesting'," Harry replied, amused. 'I just hope Ron didn't forbid her to keep contact with me,' he mused, unable to keep his thoughts away from the girl.

It was only late on Sunday evening, when they had finally managed to move all their stuff to their new residence in Bally Sideways, that Harry received a reply from Hermione. The two wizards had made themselves comfortable in the huge dining kitchen, which the architect had made for them from the former kitchen and the original living room. It was built around a huge fireplace, and the spot on a dark green carpet in front of the fireplace had immediately become Cerberos' favourite place.

'Harry, go to bed. This was a very strenuous weekend, and your apprenticeship is going to begin in the morning,' the Animagus instructed him, causing Harry to absentmindedly nod.

"Yes sir, I just want to check if there's a message from Hermione," he replied, tiredly, as he switched on his notebook.

'Harry,
I am so sorry that I could not write back earlier. Can you believe that Ron is even jealous of my notebook? I can't stand it anymore. Thank Merlin his Auror training is going to commence tomorrow. Anyway, the last few days I have been very ill and Mrs. Weasley would have had a fit if I had done as much as open my notebook. Oh well, have you moved already? Where are you? Where and when can we meet?
I am eagerly awaiting your reply!

Hermione'

"I just received a message from Hermione," Harry told Cerberus and read the message aloud. "Shall I ask your question or just tell her that you want to speak with her, sir?"

'No sir, Harry. I'm a dog,' Cerberus replied, rolling his eyes, before he decided, 'Just ask her please. Thank you.'

'Hermione,
I was so worried, when you did not reply. I'm very relieved now, although I'm sorry that you were ill. Are you all right now?
By the way, my dog is going to open his own apothecary here, and he told me to ask you if you would want to become his apprentice, as he really needs someone to work with him, and I can only help so much. Please think about it, and if or even if not, our place is big enough so that you can have your own room here. We'd both be very happy to have you here.
Tomorrow morning, my apprenticeship is going to begin. But you could come here in the afternoon. Usually, I don't have to work in the afternoon, but if anyone needs me, I have to go and look after them, so I can't make hundred percent promises. But in such a case, I would sent Cerberos to fetch you from the Apparition point. It's not difficult to find anyway. We live just opposite the church in Bally Sideways. The house has no name on it yet, we still have to think of a good one, but I thought you might have an idea.
Just tell me the time, when you will arrive, and Apparate to Inis Rún.
Looking forward to see you!
Harry'

He pointed his hand at the SEND button and was just about to switch off his notebook, when a small 'seen at 22:37' writing automatically appeared under the message. 'She's still online. Maybe she's been waiting for my reply,' he thought, suddenly feeling very excited.

A few seconds later, a reply appeared under his text.

'Please tell him YES!'

Harry could not help laughing and did not even stop, when the dog let out an upset growl.

'What's so funny at this time of the day? We really need some rest.'

Harry sighed, happily. "Yes, but maybe it interests you that Hermione just agreed to become your apprentice?"

Within an instant, the dog was at his side and looked at the screen with interest.

'Thank Merlin,' he thought to Harry. 'That's awesome, and now you're going to go to bed. Don't forget to set an alarm.'

"All right," Harry agreed, seeing that another message from Hermione had just appeared.

'I'll be at the Apparition point at 3 p.m. tomorrow.
If no one has time to fetch me, I'll just go and find you.
I can't wait to see you.

Good night.
Hermione'

Harry was exhausted but also very happy, when he let himself sink into bed in his bedroom. The room was large in comparison to any other room that he had occupied in the past and had a huge window with the view onto the square. It was kept in various shades of blue and was equipped with a most comfortable four poster bed, a wardrobe, a small table with two chairs as well as a bookshelf.

'If I only didn't have this stupid headache,' he thought. 'I did way too much magic today, but it was inevitable. Thank Merlin that I asked the architect to equip the whole house with furniture instead of bringing anything with us or having to arrange everything by myself.'

In the morning, Harry did not have a free minute to think about Hermione.

Healer O'Brien introduced him to Ms. Mahony, a middle aged witch, who was her assistant and greeted him friendly.

"Welcome to Bally Sideways, Mr. Potter. We're glad to have you here," she said, before she informed the Healer and his apprentice that the waiting room was relatively crowded this morning.

"I'm not sure if they're all really ill or if they just want to take a look at our future Healer," she explained, smirking.

"I can imagine," Healer O'Brien agreed, grinning at Harry, before she took him into the treatment room and instructed Harry to not cast spells during the first week but mainly watch and ask if he had questions or speak up if he had any suggestions.

'Thank Merlin I don't have to cast spells,' Harry thought, as he still had a splitting headache. He observed how Healer O'Brien treated her patients, who apparently had not all come just to see Harry but were all suffering from different diseases. The Healer introduced everyone to him though, and everyone greeted him in a very friendly way, apart from one old man, who was very irritable.

"Mr. Barney is always that grumpy," O'Brien told him, after the man had left. "It has nothing to do with you dear."

When Harry was finally able to go home at two o'clock in the afternoon, he found the Potions Master busying himself in his lab, unpacking boxes with ingredients. To his surprise, the older wizard was not wearing his usual black attire but was dressed in blue jeans and a dark green turtle neck shirt. He had also managed to cut his hair short.

"Professor, please leave it for now," he said in a firm voice. "You should spend as much time as possible in your Animagus form. The unpacking can wait until I can help you or Hermione arrives to help you. Don't take stress by thinking you have to do all by yourself, because you don't."

"I have to apologize, I was going to make lunch, but I seem to have completely lost track of time," Snape replied, glancing at his wrist watch.

"It's all right, I'll make something quickly," Harry said. "We don't have much time, since Hermione is going to arrive in an hour. If you intend to spend some time in your human form in order to speak with her, maybe you should better transform now."

The Potions Master agreed and followed Harry out of the lab into the dining kitchen, already changing into his Animagus form as he went.

Accompanied by his dog, Harry walked up through the dunes to the Apparition point. "Isn't it beautiful here?" he asked, while they were waiting for Hermione to arrive. "I think we should go and explore the island as soon as we have time."

'Any time,' Cerberos replied in obvious amusement.

"What's so funny, sir?" Harry queried, quirking an eyebrow.

'Who calls his dog sir?' the dog thought to him, rolling onyx eyes in apparent annoyance.

"Harry! Cerberos!" Hermione's voice suddenly penetrated their ears.

"Mione," Harry replied, happily, while the dog raised his head to lick the young witch's hand.

"Is it really you, sir?" the girl enquired, causing Harry to blurt out laughing and the dog to once again roll his eyes.

'Tell her,' he instructed Harry, who grinned and explained about their previous conversation.

"Why can't I call you sir, sir?" Hermione replied, chuckling. "Considering that there are people who call their cat Mrs..." She glanced around, suddenly interrupting herself. "Oh my, this is a beautiful place."

"Over there's our house," Harry informed her, feeling slightly proud as he pointed to his new house.

"Awesome," Hermione said, amazed. "And this is where you work?" she asked, pointing to the Healer's house.

"Yes," Harry confirmed, smiling. " Are you feeling all right?" he then asked in concern. "You don't look really well yet."

Hermione sighed. "I'm all okay now, just still feeling a bit weak. I caught the gnome pertussis, which was not exactly fun."

Harry and Hermione spent the whole afternoon talking about the Weasleys, Ron, Hogwarts, Inis Rún and their own plans for the future, while the Potions Master rested in his Animagus form.

Only when Harry readied himself to cook dinner, he woke up the dog, who immediately changed into his human form and took a seat at the table opposite of Hermione.

"Ms. Granger," he greeted the young witch in his soft voice, which he had always used towards Harry recently. "Mr. Potter told me that you agreed to become my apprentice?"

"I'd love to," Hermione replied, eagerly, before she began to bombard her former professor with questions.

Harry tuned out their conversation and concentrated on dinner, deciding on a menu that Petunia Dursley had usually ordered him to cook when she expected guests.

"Harry, this was absolutely delicious," Hermione commended him, happily looking around. "I love this place. Thank you so much, both of you, for inviting me here."

While Snape merely slightly inclined his head, Harry grinned. "So I guess your first job will be to find a name for your apothecary," he said, jokingly.

"I already know one," the witch replied, surprisingly fast. "How about Potter's Potions Paradise?"

Harry shot her an incredulous look. "Potter's?" he queried in disbelief. "I'm not the Potions Master, not even his apprentice."

"But Professor Snape surely doesn't want to use his own name," Hermione replied, smirking. "Or did I misunderstand your change of colour in your clothes and your new haircut?"

"No, you're right as usual, Ms. Granger," Snape confirmed. "Harry, I believe that Ms. Granger's idea is good. Potter's Potions Paradise sounds good, and since in two years' time, you're going to be Healer Potter, having an apothecary with your name next door is more than adequate."

"Oh well, whatever you decide," Harry replied, feeling very happy at the prospect of living together with Hermione and Snape, who had recently turned out to be very agreeable company.

"All right then, Harry, Professor Snape," Hermione suddenly spoke up. "I need to go back to the Weasleys and inform them that from tomorrow I'm going to live in my own place. I also need to break up with Ron, but I'm not sure if I'm going to do that tonight."

"There's no need to separate from him," Harry said, surprised, although he was inwardly feeling very happy at the prospect.

"And even if you intend to do so, you should wait until your condition improves," Snape threw in.

'That's true,' Harry thought, noticing that Hermione was not her usual self. "Sir, if Hermione used the fireplace, would the Weasleys know where she came from? Is it better for her to apparate back?"

"It would be better to apparate back," Snape replied, pensively, "or to take the Floo from here to, for example, the Leaky Cauldron and then from there to the Burrow."

Hermione gratefully agreed to take the Floo and promised to come back and move in together with the two wizards the next morning.

"I just hope Ron will take it well if I tell him that I want to live alone for the time being," she whispered into Harry's ear, pulling him into a hug, before she stepped into the fireplace.

"I'd be willing to make a bet that she'll be crying when she comes back," Snape said dryly, before he transformed into his Animagus form and made himself comfortable in front of the fireplace.

Harry did not even have to wait till the morning to see how right Snape had been. Feeling absolutely exhausted and bothered by his headache, Harry had gone to bed early. He woke up, feeling that Cerberos licked his hands like he used to do, when they had been brewing potions together during the nights.

"What?" he asked, sleepily. "Can't brew now, have to work tomorrow."

'Harry, Ms. Granger is already back, crying. She needs you now,' Snape thought to him, causing Harry to jerk awake.

"Oh, I thought it was a dream," he replied, reaching for his glasses. He trailed downstairs behind the dog, seeing Hermione sit in the seat that she had vacated a few hours ago, crying.

"Mione," he spoke up in a soft voice, taking the seat next to her. "What happened?"

"Ron," she replied, sobbing, "he's such an idiot. When I returned to the Weasleys earlier, Mrs. Weasley wanted to make me eat dinner, and when I told her that I had already eaten, because I was really full... I mean I ate so much here, because it was so delicious... Anyway, Ron asked right away if I had gone to see you. I didn't reply, but I told them that I've decided to live alone for a while. Oh well, here I'm not living alone either, but I don't have the impression as if I was being watched around the clock, plus I have my own room, which I didn't have since I was eleven."

"I understand," Harry whispered, gently rubbing circles into the girl's back with his right hand.

"I know you do," Hermione sobbed, "but Ron doesn't. He shouted at me, we should rather marry soon and have children, especially now since he has started Auror training and earns his own money. And when I told him that I can't marry him now, because I want to study some more first before marrying and having children, he went totally nuts. Oh well, long story short end. I broke up with him and left."

Harry said nothing. He merely sighed, continuing to rub circles into her back, sensing that the gesture seemed to calm her.

Hermione sighed too. "You know I wanted to break up with him," she whispered. "I realised that I don't love him and that I can't tolerate his stupid jealousy anymore. But I wanted to talk with him in peace and separate on a friendly basis. But now..." She let out another sob, "We fought and separated. Thank Merlin his siblings and parents were all on my side, except for Mrs. Weasley maybe, I don't know. But still."

"At least that's something," Harry replied in a soothing voice. "Ron has always been the thickest of his siblings. Oh well, Mione, just try to sleep over it for now. Let me take you to your room." Seeing his friend nod, he led her to her room, which was next to his own room and was equipped in an equal way. He inwardly smiled upon seeing two small phials on her night table, one labelled as 'Dreamless sleep potion' and the other as 'Calming draught'. 'It was nice of Snape not only to wake me up but to give us some privacy tonight,' he thought, before he excused himself for the night.

"If you can't sleep and want to talk or anything, just come and wake me up," he offered, smiling at his best friend.

"Thank you so much for everything, Harry," Hermione replied, returning the smile. "But you need your sleep, and I think I'm going to accept Professor Snape's offer and take the dreamless sleep potion. Good night, Harry."

During the next few days, Harry slowly became used to Healer O'Brien's way of working, and he felt more and more confident that he had made the right choice to become her apprentice. He also liked Mrs. O'Brien as well as Ms. Mahony very much, especially since they were both always very nice and usually in a good mood. While he quietly watched the Healer examine her patients, he tried to think what might be wrong with them and how to help them, before hearing her answer to the patient, realising if his guess had been right or wrong. In spite of knowing that his headache would worsen if he did magic, he could not wait until he was finally allowed to cast his own diagnostic spells at the persons. On one day, however, his headache flared, although he had not used his wand since the previous night, when he had helped Hermione and Snape with the setup of the potions lab and the apothecary room, like he had been doing every afternoon and evening.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Healer O'Brien suddenly asked, giving him a sharp look, when they were both just going to retreat home from another tiring morning of treating patients.

"Of course," Harry replied in surprise, although he had to admit to himself that he was not feeling overly well.

"You don't look well," O'Brien said in concern. "Get some rest anyway. I know you're in good hands with your friend and the Potions Master."

"True," Harry replied, smiling, before he left. 'I should convince Snape to talk to her about his problem,' he mused on the way home. 'She just thinks he transforms into the dog form because he wants it. Maybe she'll know if there's anything we can do about the magica influenza.'

To his relief, Hermione had already prepared lunch, so that he did not have to cook for a change. He took off his Healer's robes and let him sink into his chair, absentmindedly listening to Hermione's and Snape's conversation. Not feeling hungry at all, he forced himself to eat some bits and pieces, before he pushed his plate away.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione queried, worriedly, seeing how few he had eaten.

"Yes, sorry, it's just this stupid headache," Harry replied, sighing.

"I don't believe that it's only a headache this time," Snape threw in. "You look ill."

"I'm fine," Harry said, crossly. "No need to make a fuss. All right, are we going to continue with the lab?"

The Potions Master and his apprentice exchanged a glance, before Hermione spoke up, "No Harry. I think Professor Snape already spent too much time in his human form today and needs to have some quality time in his dog form, and you look as if you needed some rest. Why don't we go to the beach for a while?"

"That's a great idea," Harry agreed, giving Snape a questioning look.

"It's fine with me," the Potions Master replied, "just do me a favour and don't call me Professor or Sir, especially not when I'm in my dog form. Just call me either Cerberos or Sev. I was thinking about changing my name to Sev Evans."

"I'd like that," Harry said warmly, remembering the memories about Snape and his mother, which the older wizard had given him when he was almost dying.

"Only if you call us by our given names too," Hermione replied firmly and, seeing the Potions Master nod his agreement, instructed him, "Very well Sev, then please transform into Cerberos now." Seeing the Potions Master obey, Hermione cast Harry a concerned look.

However, Harry chose to not wait for her to begin making a fuss and left the room in order to go and change his clothes for the afternoon on the beach.

A few minutes later, Hermione, Harry and Cerberos left the house and walked along the path through the dunes to the beach, which they reached after mere three minutes.

Harry stared at the waves in clear amazement. "I love the beach," he blurted out. "The sea's just awesome."

"Have you never been to the seaside before?" Hermione asked in a soft voice, sighing when Harry shook his head in denial.

"The Dursleys always left me with Mrs. Figg, when they took Dudley to the seaside," he explained in a small voice.

"Look there," Hermione pointed out, "Wind surfers. Harry, maybe you're going to be called to help one of these sometime. Can you swim?"

Harry cast his friend a horrified look. "Oh well, remember in our fourth year, I had to swim for the second task. But apart from that, I've never been swimming. Maybe I should come here again and practise."

"Yes, you should," Hermione agreed and suggested, "Let's go for a swim right away."

Seeing Cerberos make himself comfortable in the sand on a spot that was so close to the shore that he could stretch his limbs in order to feel the cold, wet water, Hermione consecutively pointed her wand at Harry and herself, exchanging their clothes with swimming attire. "Let's go," she said, running ahead into the shallow water.

Harry followed her slowly, noticing in relief that he still remembered how to swim. He swam around for a few minutes, however, then felt that he was absolutely freezing and quickly left the water, letting himself sink into the sand next to the dog.

Before he knew what happened, Cerberos transformed into his human form and cast a drying spell at him, before he transfigured Harry's clothes back to normal.

"Thank you so much," Harry said gratefully. "The water was icy."

Suddenly, a cold hand found its way to his forehead, causing Harry to shiver.

"Harry, you're ill. When we're back home, I'll give you something at least for the fever you're running," the Potions Master stated, before he changed back into his dog form.

'At least he doesn't make a fuss like Mione would do,' Harry thought in relief, observing how Hermione slowly came out of the water looking for him.

"I still remember how to swim," he informed her, before he waved his wand over her casting a drying spell and magically changed her clothes back to normal.

"Thank you Harry," Hermione said, smiling.

Suddenly becoming aware of the fact that Cerberos had fallen asleep and was slightly snoring, Harry suggested, "Let's take a nap here too."

It was already dinner time, when the two friends and the dog headed back home.

'Harry, go to bed and let me check on you,' Sev thought to Harry, who vehemently shook his head.

"No, it's all right, Sev. I'm going to make dinner first," he replied firmly.

Hermione and Sev exchanged a glance, before Hermione offered, "Harry, shall I make dinner tonight?"

"No Mione, it's fine," Harry said, already heading to the kitchen.

"Well then I'm going to continue in the apothecary room," Hermione decided, instructing the dog, "I'll do that alone though. You stay in your dog form please."

Cerberos nodded and sat in the door of the apothecary, watching his apprentice's every move - not because he could not trust her, but to reassure himself that she did everything exactly the way he wanted it.

They both looked up in surprise upon hearing a nod at the apothecary door. "Healer O'Brien," Hermione said, astonished, and went to open the door. "Good evening, Healer O'Brien," she greeted the older witch, who was smiling and curiously looking around.

"Please excuse my curiosity," O'Brien replied, "but you're doing an awesome job here. I'm looking forward to having an apothecary next door." She was carrying a plate with fruits, which Hermione had never seen before. "These are Mirais," she informed the girl, a speciality of Inis Rún. They grow nowhere else. It's a mixture of some kind of lemon and berries."

"Thank you so much," Hermione said, excitedly looking at the fruits as she accepted the plate.

"How is Harry by the way?" O'Brien queried, causing Hermione and Sev to exchange a glance.

"We think that he isn't well, but he barely ever admits it if anything is bothering him," Hermione replied, thoughtfully. "Harry is a very private person and he usually doesn't want anyone to make a fuss about him. He was raised by his relatives, who did a very bad job at that," she explained, feeling that the Healer really wanted what was the best for her friend.

'Invite her for dinner,' Sev telepathically instructed Hermione, who immediately repeated the invitation aloud.

"Harry is just cooking dinner though, and he's a very good cook. Why don't you stay for dinner, Healer O'Brien?"

"Thank you so much for the invitation; however, won't Harry mind having me here, after seeing me the whole morning?" their guest asked politely.

Hermione chuckled. "If you don't mind seeing him, he probably won't either, considering that such feelings are in most cases mutual."

"That's true," O'Brien agreed, smiling at the younger witch, just when Harry appeared in the doorframe and announced that dinner was ready.

'Why is Healer O'Brien here?' Harry wondered, hurriedly placing another plate, glass, knife and fork on the table.

"I'm sorry for intruding, my boy," the Healer apologized, "but your friend was so kind and invited me for dinner."

"That's fine," Harry replied, although he felt anything else but confident having dinner together with his teacher, considering that he felt miserable enough to want to just curl up in bed.

To his relief, the attention was diverted to Sev, who chose that instant to enter the room in his human form.

"Healer O'Brien," he addressed the guest, "please accept my apology for my impoliteness."

"You're not impolite, sir," Hermione threw in quickly, shaking her head.

"I trust that as a Healer you have heard of the magica influenza?" Sev queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh Merlin," Mrs. O'Brien said, clearly shocked. "Don't tell me that's why you spend your time in your Animagus form."

"Exactly," Sev replied, smirking.

"I'm not up to date, since I never had such a case in my practice, but have you contacted St. Mungo's to hear if there's any new potion or other remedy?" O'Brien queried, looking at the young wizard in concern.

Harry sighed. "Healer O'Brien, Professor Snape is the best Potions Master in Britain. The Potions Masters of St. Mungo's come to him when they need a new potion," he explained in a small voice.

"Oh I am sorry," the old witch said, apologetically. "You are Severus Snape, the famous Potions Master?"

"Yes, but please keep this to yourself," Sev replied, thoughtfully, before he explained about not wanting to be recognised by people, especially since he was assumed dead since the war. He also told the Healer about his research for a potion that would help himself, which had so far remained unfruitful.

O'Brien stayed thoughtful for a moment, before she enquired, "Have you ever heard of jellygrapes?" Seeing everyone look at her with curiosity, she explained, "We have a potions ingredient here around this island, which only grows here: Jellygrapes. Jellygrapes are a bit like sea weed; however, they look like small grapes made from jelly. Their juice can be used as a potion ingredient and has enormous healing power. You can add it to any potion in order to double the effect. Perhaps you could use it for a potion that might help for the magica influenza."

"Thank you so much for this information," Sev replied, sounding uncharacteristically excited. "Where would I be able to obtain jellygrapes?"

"We have several fishermen here around Ballysideways," Mrs. O'Brien said, pensively. "I'll introduce you to Mr. Turner and his son, whenever you have time and feel well enough to change to your human form for a while. I believe that the Turners are the most competent when it comes to harvesting jellygrapes." Seeing that everyone was finished with their meal, she turned to Harry.

"Harry, thank you so much. This was absolutely delicious. Your friend was right, you're a wonderful cook. Now my boy," she continued in a much sterner voice, "I want you to either accompany me to my house for a moment or lead me into your room and allow me to check on you."

"I'm fine," Harry protested weakly, causing his teacher to let out a snort.

"Harry," Hermione spoke up, warningly. "Are you aware of the fact that since you're Healer O'Brien's apprentice, she's close to being your guardian in the magical world, even if you're an adult by age. Therefore, she doesn't need your permission. It was merely a kind gesture to ask. Now accept the offer and let her check on you. It's obvious that you're ill and not only suffering from your usual headache."

'Oh thanks Mione for throwing that in now,' Harry thought, groaning inwardly. However, he obediently led his teacher into his room and sat on the edge of his bed, rolling his eyes in annoyance realising that his friends had followed them into the chamber.

The Healer pointed her wand at his head, making orange numbers appear from the tip of her wand, before she waved her wand over him, casting a different diagnostic spell than that, which she used to cast at her patients. Just when Harry wondered, why she did not use the normal spell, a small parchment emerged from the tip of her wand.

O'Brien let out a sigh, before she explained, "It's common that young Healers every now and then catch diseases from their patients. Therefore, I already expected you to fall ill. However, you have managed to catch three different illnesses, a light case of the flobberworm pox, a throat infection and the brombylow fever. Each of them we had in our practice during the week, and each of them alone is not so bad; however, the combination causes your high fever."

"What potions does he need?" Sev enquired, nodding contentedly at the reply, knowing that he had everything in stock that was needed.

"Harry, I don't want to see you in the practice, before your fever is completely gone, which will take a few days," O'Brien said in a gentle but stern voice. "Otherwise you'll just catch something else on top of it." Turning to the others, she instructed them, "Fetch me if his fever goes up any more, otherwise I'll just come by tomorrow afternoon to check on him."

During the first three days, Harry's condition remained bad, and he mostly spent the time sleeping due to the effects of the potions. However, whenever he woke up, either Hermione was sitting on the edge of his bed reading, or Cerberus was sleeping next to his feet.

One day, he woke up from a nightmare, just having seen Ron and Hermione getting married. "Mione," he whispered, reaching for the girl's cool hand. "Don't marry Ron, become my wife. I love you."

"Harry," Hermione leaned over, giving him a sharp look. "Do you really mean that or is it your fever talking? I love you too, but I need to hear it from you when you're not delirious anymore."

"Kay," Harry replied, sleepily. "Please ask me then."

'I'm not delirious,' he thought, as he drifted back into a potions induced slumber. 'It's just that I normally wouldn't have the courage to ask such a thing.'

A few days later, Healer O'Brien finally allowed Harry out of bed, however, instructed him to not come to the practice before Monday morning, just to be sure that he was recovered enough to not catch the next bug that was going around.

Harry grudgingly obeyed and spent the time helping Sev and Hermione in the potions lab.

"Oh, are these the jellygrapes that Healer O'Brien told you about?" he asked with interest, noticing a jar with tiny, green grapes inside.

"Yes," Sev replied, sighing. "Unfortunately, I haven't made as much as one step forwards using them. However, I brewed a very strong headache potion for you, adding some of these, so I hope that it'll help you. Unfortunately, I can't give you any of it now, since it would interfere with the other potions you're still taking."

"Oh all right," Harry replied, disappointed. "Thank you so much for brewing it for me though."

Giving him a sharp look, the Sev decided, "Very well then, you go back to bed for now, and Hermione and I am going to take a break too. We'll continue here later on."

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Harry followed Hermione back into his room, noticing that the Potions Master also transformed into his dog form. 'I wished we could help him in any way,' he mused, feeling very sorry for the older wizard.

"Harry," Hermione spoke up, as she sat on the edge of his bed, pulling him out of his thoughts. "The other day, you asked me something, and I told you I'd like to hear it again when you weren't delirious anymore. Did you really mean what you said at that time?"

Harry couldn't help blushing deeply. "Yes, I meant what I said. I wasn't delirious..." He slowly trailed off, giving his friend a pleading look; however, realising that she was not going to help, he summoned his entire courage and asked, "Would you be willing to become my wife?"

Hermione smiled, making Harry think, 'She's beautiful when she smiles.'

"Yes Harry, I'd love to become your wife. However, only after taking my Potions Mastery in two years' time."

"Of course, whenever you're ready," Harry replied, feeling incredulously happy.

Later the same day, when Hermione was busy in the lab under Cerberos' watchful eyes, Harry snuck out and apparated to Hogsmeade, where he remembered having seen an interesting looking jeweller's shop during his seventh Hogwarts year.

He entered the relatively small shop and told the shopkeeper that he needed an engagement ring for a Potions Mistress.

"Ahh, I might just have what you're looking for," the older wizard replied and led Harry to a small back room. "Here I have a ring for a Potions Mistress or a Healer. It's decorated with the Aesculapian serpent, a snake, which represents the healing profession."

Harry closely inspected the ring. It was golden with the pattern of a snake woven around it with beautiful ornaments. 'Very pretty,' he thought, knowing immediately that Hermione would like it. "Would it be possible to equip this with all kinds of safety protections?" he asked, feeling very excited at the task of buying an engagement ring for Hermione.

The old wizard nodded and eagerly explained which kind of protections he was able to apply, like for example against spells, charms, potions or viruses. "These last two are typical protections for a Healer's or Potions Mistress' ring, as it protects them from potions accidents and illnesses. Of course it is not a one hundred percent protection," he admitted truthfully; "however, the protection level lies between eighty and ninety percent."

"I take it," Harry decided. "Please apply all possible protections to it."

The shopkeeper looked excited as he gave Harry an assessing look. "With all the protections included it costs fifty Galleons though. This is a very rare and powerful exemplar."

"That's all right," Harry reassured the man. "Please take the money from the Potter vault."

While he was waiting for the wizard to apply the protections to the ring, he made a small excursion to Flourish & Blotts, where he closely inspected the healing shelf and bought a couple of books, which he thought might help with his studies for the Healer's exam.

Back at Bally Sideways, Harry immediately set to make dinner, before he called Hermione and Sev out of the lab, announcing that the meal was ready. When everyone was seated at the table, he placed the small blue box, which he had received from the jeweller, next to Hermione's plate.

"I'm sorry, Mione, that I chose such an unromantic moment to propose to you," he spoke up in a small voice. "I hope that this will make up for it, at least a bit." He hesitantly turned his eyes to the young witch.

"Harry," Hermione said in exasperation, before she curiously opened the box and let out a gasp at the beautiful piece of jewellery.

"Show me," Harry said, holding out his hand, and carefully slid the ring over the ring finger of her right hand. "It's a Healer's and Potions Mistress' ring with all protections," he explained, inwardly grinning at Hermione's amazed expression.

"Oh Harry, thank you so much," Hermione finally stammered. "It's absolutely amazing. There was no need for that though."

"Oh there was," Harry contradicted firmly and explained what the jeweller had told him about the protections.

'Deem yourself lucky that your fiancée has no idea that this ring must have cost you a fortune; otherwise she'd already kill you,' Sev thought to him, only to add, 'It's a wonderful piece of jewellery, and the protections are worth their money.'

Harry unobtrusively nodded at the older wizard, feeling very much comforted by his words.

Just two weeks later, it became obvious how far the protection went. Hermione, Harry and Sev were just having breakfast on a Saturday morning, when an owl tapped against the window of the dining kitchen.

"I think that's the Weasleys' owl," Hermione spoke up, thoughtfully. "I'll go and get her."

'At least it's not a Howler,' Harry thought, as he observed how Hermione opened the window. However, he soon realised that Hermione was unable to approach the owl close enough to receive the letter, and before he knew what happened, Sev raised his wand and stunned the owl.

"Go back and sit down," Sev instructed Hermione, before he waved his wand over the owl a few times and finally took the letter off her. "The owl had a tracking spell on it, and your ring prevented you from approaching the owl and activating the tracking spell."

Hermione hesitantly accepted the letter from Sev and carefully opened the parchment.

'Dear Hermione,

Where are you, and what are you doing? Auror training is great. It's much fun. Can you come here for lunch on Sunday? Ginny suggested you come and spend Sunday with us. Everyone is missing you. Have you heard anything from Harry? Where is he? Mum went to Grimmauld Place to check on him, but he seems not to be living there anymore.

Looking forward to Sunday,

Ron'

"Should I just write back 'If the tracking charm that you placed on your owl worked, feel free to visit me here?' Hermione queried, chuckling. "Oh Merlin, Ron doesn't understand anything. Will he ever grow up?"

"Yes, write that," Harry agreed, laughing. "He won't know what happened to him."

However, Hermione decided to just ignore her former boyfriend's letter.

Unfortunately, the Weasleys seemed not willing to easily give up on Hermione, and for her birthday, she received a cake from Molly Weasley that was laced with a love potion. Fortunately, her ring prevented the young witch, who was very sceptical towards the cake anyway, from even cutting a piece off the it.

While Harry felt more and more confident in his apprenticeship and loved his work together with the kind, old witch, Hermione and Sev were slowly building up their apothecary under the name 'Evans' Enchanted Elixirs'. Apart from directly selling potions to all the inhabitants of Inis Rún, who were happy and grateful to have their own apothecary in Bally Sideways, Hermione and Sev had made an exclusive contract with Headmistress McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey for the complete potions supply for Hogwarts, and they were still supplying Sev's former customers, mostly the apothecaries in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Especially their extra strong potions with the valuable ingredient jellygrapes sold extremely well at Diagon Alley.

Unfortunately, the jellygrapes did not help Sev in the slightest, and Hermione and Sev still spent a few hours every day in order to search for a cure for the magica influenza. For Harry, Sev had altered the headache potion in a way that the jellygrapes' effect was even stronger, and this potion efficiently worked for his headache. On the other hand, Harry found that his stomach did not overly like the potion and thus only used it when his headache was extremely bad.

To his relief, Healer O'Brien had never asked him about the matter, although he was sure that Hermione had given him out when he had been ill in the summer. One day, however, Harry was suffering from an extremely bad headache but had decided not to take a potion, afraid that his stomach might revolt during work.

"Harry," Healer O'Brien kept him back, when he was just about to call the next patient, "is your headache bothering you so much this morning?"

Feeling too bad to deny anything, Harry replied, "Yes Madame, I'm sorry, but may I quickly go home and take a potion please?"

"Of course you may go, but afterwards we're going to have a stern conversation about the matter," O'Brien replied in a strict voice that made Harry cringe.

For the rest of the morning, he had a hard time concentrating, not only because he felt nauseous and his stomach hurt, but also because he was wondering why the Healer had sounded so upset. 'I just hope she won't kick me out,' he thought, noticing that his headache slowly returned in spite of the potion.

When the last patient was gone, O'Brien told Ms. Mahony that she had to speak with Harry in private for a few minutes, before she again closed the door. "Harry," she spoke up in an friendlier voice than earlier, "we've known each other now for almost a year, and I must say that I'm very happy working together with you. I can only hope that this feeling is mutual."

"Of course it is," Harry replied in confusion. "Thank you so much for everything."

O'Brien sighed. "Then I can't understand why you don't feel comfortable enough to speak with me about your problem with headaches. Remember, I've been a Healer for more than eighty years and have some experience. Maybe I could help you."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Just before the end of the war, I must have been hit with a dark spell, and ever since then I have that headache. It gets worse when I use magic." He explained about the headache potion and its after effects.

The Healer remained quiet for a moment, before she slowly spoke up. "Harry, do you remember the old Mr. Tampir? He's about twenty years older than me and lives together with his daughter and son-in-law in the north of Inis Rún." Seeing that Harry cast her a questioning look, she said, "He came to see us with the mermaid pox some time in the winter."

"Ah ok, yes I remember him," Harry replied, recalling that they had treated a very old man with a relatively dark, scarred face.

"Mr. Tampir is an expert on the area of dark spells," O'Brien said, thoughtfully. "I'd like to take you to him and let him check on you if you don't mind."

"Will you go with me?" Harry asked, somehow feeling stupid at his own question. 'I sound like a small child,' he thought, inwardly groaning.

"Yes my dear; however, seeing that you look like a ghost, I suggest that you go and lie down for a while, and when you feel better in a few hours, come here and we'll just apparate there together."

Harry followed his teacher's advice, glad that Hermione had made lunch, like she did every day, when he had to work. He quickly excused himself from lunch and asked his friends to wake him up in two hours, unaware of the concerned looks he received. 'I better not tell them about Mr. Tampir; maybe he won't be able to help me anyway,' he mused, as he walked upstairs to his room.

However, when Hermione woke him up, she demanded to know what was wrong and why he had to be woken up in the middle of the afternoon, so that Harry had to tell her the story.

"That's awesome, Harry; I hope he'll be able to help you," Hermione said, smiling, before she carefully pulled him into a passionate kiss.

"Love you, Mione," Harry mumbled, when she finally released him.

"I love you too, Harry," she replied, seemingly happy.

Healer O'Brien gave him a sharp look and asked, "Are you ready to go and see Mr. Tampir?"

"Yes please," Harry replied, slightly hesitating, "if it's not too much of a bother for you."

"Nonsense," the Healer said, resolutely. "Grip my arm, and I'm going to apparate us together."

An instant later, the couple found themselves at the far end of the island, in the middle of the dunes. 'Does anyone live here?' Harry wondered, when O'Brien informed him, "Mr. Tampir and his family live right next to the sea." She showed the way, and after the next curve, Harry could see one of the old fisherman's houses, which could be found all over the island.

The door of the house was standing open, which the Healer seemed to not find strange, and Harry hesitantly followed her inside, where they found an old man, dressed in worn-out dark blue robes.

"Mr. Tampir, how's the fishing?" Healer O'Brien greeted him, causing the old man to nod contentedly.

"I'm fine, Healer, and you? What brings you here?" he queried, obviously surprised at the Healer's visit.

"I don't know if you remember Mr. Potter, my apprentice," O'Brien replied, sighing. "He seems to have been hit with a dark spell during the war, and I thought you might be able to help him."

"Ohh," Tampir said, nodding at Harry. "Yes, I can try to help. What exactly are the effects of the spell?"

"Just a headache," Harry informed the old wizard in a quiet voice.

"A bad headache, which is resistant to all common potions," O'Brien corrected him firmly.

Tampir led them into what seemed to be the living room. 'Wow, this is an awesome place,' Harry thought, looking through the large window out onto the sea.

"Sit down," Tampir instructed them, before he pulled his wand. "All right, let me cast a few spells on you," he then said and began to wave his wand over Harry.

However, after ten minutes, the old wizard was still casting spells at him, muttering to himself from time to time, and Harry wondered, 'Will this never end?'

After another five minutes, the old wizard finally let his wand sink. "I found the curse," he announced, sighing. He stepped over to a bookshelf and pulled out a very old looking tome. After a few minutes' search, he said, "Yes, there is a counter curse; however, there is not much known about possible after effects, since the curse has been rarely used in the past. Personally, I believe that it can't be much worse than what you've been experiencing now though."

"Then please go on if you don't mind," Harry replied, giving his teacher a questioning look.

"Yes please," Healer O'Brien agreed and closely observed how Mr. Tampir cast the counter curse at her apprentice.

'Wow,' Harry suddenly realised, 'my headache is gone.' He informed his colleague and profusely thanked Mr. Tampir.

"Do you by chance know anything about the magica influenza?" Healer O'Brien asked, but the old wizard replied that he was only a curse specialist and knew nothing about illnesses.

Once again the Healer and her apprentice thanked Mr. Tampir, before they finally left the old fisherman's house.

"Is everything all right, Harry?" O'Brien queried, giving him a piercing look.

"Wonderful," Harry replied, happily. "I haven't felt so well in two years. Thank you so much for bringing me here." A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "Would it be all right if I gave Mr. Tampir a 100 Galleon voucher from Evans Enchanted Elixirs?"

O'Brien cast him a surprised look, before she replied, "I don't think that Tampir wants anything for the favour he did you, but he'll surely be happy about it. If you allow me one question, Harry..." She trailed off, giving her young apprentice a questioning look.

"Of course," Harry replied, eyeing the Healer in surprise.

"A year ago, when you were making plans for the apothecary, you were talking about naming it Potter's Potions Paradise, but then by the time it was finished, it became Evans Enchanted Elixirs. Is it because Sev changed his name to Evans?"

"Yes, since the owner's name is Mr. Evans, we thought it would be the best to use that name. It's my mother's name by the way. My mother was his best friend, so that's why he came up with that name." Seeing the Healer nod her understanding, he added, slightly hesitating, "This is only between us, as I haven't spoken with Hermione about it, but I'm considering taking on the Evans name as well, when we get married at the latest. Both of us really want to live in peace, which would not be possible using the Potter name."

"Harry," Healer O'Brien replied, gently, "Your ancestors would want to kill me for this, but I believe that it is a very reasonable idea. As you already know, the people here on Inis Rún don't care much about our names. They just call us Healer. Of course they know my name, and they surely know yours, but, as you have seen, they don't make a fuss, even knowing that you're Harry Potter, the so-called saviour of Britain's magical world."

Harry let out a snort. "That's true," he agreed though, "and that's why I like this island so much. I'm really glad that I came here, and I think my friends are happy here too."

"I think so too," his teacher concurred. "I just wished there was something we could do to help Sev," she continued, sighing. "I have many Healer friends all over the world, and I contacted all of them on this matter through the Wizardnet; however, none of them had any advice except for one idea, about which I should speak to Sev in private though." Seeing that Harry cast her an incredulous look, she explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, and I know that I'm not bound to my Healer's oath when speaking with you; however, this is about the last thing he could do if nothing else works."

"All right, Madame, no problem. Shall I tell him that you'd like to speak with him in private?"

"Yes dear, please do so. It's not urgent though," Healer O'Brien replied, just when they reached the centre square of Bally Sideways.

'We're here already,' Harry thought in surprise. 'I didn't even realise that we walked all the way back.'

"Harry, if you encounter any problems due to the spell Tampir cast on you, you will come over and inform me immediately," O'Brien ordered him in a stern voice, before they separated in front of their houses.

"Mione, Sev, I have good news," Harry blurted out, as he let himself sink on a chair in the dining kitchen, where Hermione was cooking dinner, while Sev as Cerberus was resting in front of the fireplace.

"Harry! What happened?" Hermione asked right away, turning around to view him. "Did the man you went to see find out something?"

Harry smiled. "Mr. Tanpir not only found out, which curse I was under, but he cast the counter spell for it. I haven't felt so well in ages." In a slightly subdued voice, he added, "Unfortunately he told us he didn't know anything about the magica influenza though."

Sev chose that instant to transform into his human form. "Thank you for asking about it and congratulations for getting rid of your headache. That's really good news." His expression grew slightly sterner, when he warned Harry, "Counter curses to dark spells are said to weaken people's immune systems. Therefore, you should try to be very careful, at least during the next few months."

"I will," Harry promised. "Oh by the way, Healer O'Brien wants to see you, Sev", he remembered and told the Potions Master about the Healer's efforts. "Oh and one more thing," he recalled, "I'd like to buy a 100 Galleon voucher from Evans Enchanted Elixirs in order to give it to Mr. Tampir."

"Of course, Harry. You'll get it right after dinner," Hermione assured him.

After dinner, Harry and Hermione went for a walk to the north of the Island, where Harry handed over the voucher to a very surprised but grateful Mr. Tampir. On the way back, they took the longer route over the beach, where they walked bare feet and hand in hand.

"I really love this island, Harry. It's not only beautiful, but the people are all very friendly and relaxed. In comparison to the main land, life is very stress free here," Hermione said, thoughtfully, looking very happy.

"Yes, I think so too, and with the kindest and most beautiful witch at my side, there's nothing else I could wish for," Harry agreed, smiling contentedly.

In the meantime, Sev visited their neighbour; however, as curious as Harry was, he was not going to learn about the content of their conversation for a long time, as neither Sev nor Healer O'Brien uttered as much as a word about their private conversation to anyone.

The following months passed quietly and uneventfully; however, both Hermione and Harry were extremely busy. Hermione not only had to brew the full supply of potions for their apothecary, even if Sev helped for several hours each day, until she ordered him to transform into Cerberos, noticing that he was in too much pain, and Harry assisted every afternoon and evening. However, both of them also had to study for their exams the following summer, and if there was a free minute, they spent some time on the Wizardnet, searching for a cure for the magica influenza. Healer O'Brien also helped with the research, which in spite of all efforts still remained unfruitful.

It was in the evening after their last exam, when Hermione, Harry and Cerberos went for a long walk along the beach, that Hermione suddenly suggested, "How about beginning to make plans for our wedding?"

Harry looked at his fiancée in surprise. "Really? Are you ready for it?"

"Yes my dear, provided that I'll be able to continue brewing and..."

"Mione," Harry groaned. "You may do as you wish of course. Yes, I'd like to have children at some stage, but even then we can take turns taking care of them."

"You might become very busy now," Hermione warned him, giving him a worried look.

"Yes, I know, I'll be alone in the practice from next month; however, Healer O'Brien told me that she'd like to still take over in the afternoons and on the weekends, so that I can continue to assist you. I think she's very happy to be able to remain in her own house but that she still wants to do some work, even if it's only occasionally in the afternoons and weekends. She'd surely also like to babysit our children," he added as an afterthought.

"Yes, she'd make a lovely grandmother," Hermione agreed, smiling. "Somehow it's as if she belonged to the family."

"I think so too, just like Sev and Cerberos," Harry confirmed.

Cerberos quietly walked between them. Somehow, Harry had the impression as if he was intensely listening though, as he turned onyx eyes up to view them from time to time. However, he did not voice his thoughts.

Harry and Hermione decided on the 30th of August for their wedding. They invited Sev and Healer O'Brien to become their witnesses and asked Amelia Bones, the Minister of Magic, to perform the ceremony on the square in Bally Sideways. If the weather was too bad for an outside wedding, they had received permission to hold the ceremony in the old fisherman's church opposite of their house. Apart from the Minister, they only invited Neville and Luna as well as Headmistress McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey from the mainland. However, all inhabitants of Inis Rún had received an invitation to the wedding ceremony of Hermione Granger and Harry Evans, and there was no one living on Inis Rún, who was not eager to watch the wedding of their Healer and one of their apothecaries. For the hour after the ceremony, they ordered a huge buffet from the party service company in Bally Sideways, deciding to make the whole matter a local event and not to rely on outside sources.

"I just hope everything will go well," Harry mused aloud, when he, Hermione, Sev and Healer O'Brien sat together for his birthday dinner on the 31st of July.

"Maybe not if you accept this," Sev replied dryly, pointing to the window sill, where just an owl had arrived carrying a huge box that was labelled 'WWW'.

"Harry, let me check it first," Hermione spoke up and headed to the window. However, her ring did not protest, and she could take the box from the owl, while Sev waved his wand over the owl to confirm that there was no tracking spell attached.

"It's from the twins," Harry stated the obvious, before he explained to the Healer that the twins were old friends who owned a joke shop. Inside the box, he found an assortment of the twins' newest inventions along with a small parchment.

'Hi Harrykins,
where are you and what are you doing? Don't mix us up with Ron. He's a git, but we aren't, and since you own one third of our shop, you're obliged to remain in contact with us. We won't give you away to any other Weasleys, who're not twins. Have a happy birthday, and if you're together with anyone we have the pleasure to know, tell them we said hi and use our newest prank potions on them. Have fun!
Gred and Forge'

Harry could not help laughing as he finished reading.

"You own one third of their joke shop?" Sev asked, incredulously, causing Harry to smirk.

"Oh well, I merely gave them some money to get started, that's all," he explained. "Are you interested in selling prank potions in addition to your usual stock?"

"It would be worth a thought," Sev replied, pensively. "Not many though, just a few selected items. Why don't you invite the twins here once for a business talk?"

"We could invite them to our wedding in any case," Harry said, thoughtfully. "I'm sure they won't give us out to the other Weasleys."

Hermione agreed, and they sent out an invitation the same evening, only to receive an enthusiastic reply the following morning, announcing a huge fireworks display for the end of the wedding.

It was on a sunny Tuesday morning at the end of August, a few days after Harry and Hermione had officially received the results from their Mastery exams, and a few days before their wedding, that Harry looked out of the window, while he was waiting for Ms. Mahony to call in his next patient and saw a well-known figure walk over the square. 'Ron?!' he thought, alarmed. 'How did he find Mione here?'

Just a second later, his next patient, an older witch, stepped into the treatment room. Harry motioned her to take a seat and excused himself for a minute, before he left the room and told Ms. Mahony, "Could you please go and inform my fiancée that Ron Weasley is out on the square looking for her. Please tell her to be very careful."

"I'll do that," Healer O'Brien threw in, who just came downstairs and had heard his words.

"Thank you so much," Harry replied and returned to the treatment room. 'Thank Merlin that was a good timing,' he thought, knowing that Healer O'Brien was aware about Ronald Weasley and his possible intentions. Pushing all thoughts about his former best friend away, he concentrated on his next patients, inwardly sighing in relief when the Healer returned ten minutes later, wearing a huge smile. By the time he released his next patient, she was waiting for him downstairs in order to tell him what had happened.

Flahsback: 10 minutes earlier at Evans Enchanted Elixirs

"I went to the apothecary, and Sev came out as Cerberos. When I told him that you had seen your former friend, he immediately transformed into his human form and informed me that he had relayed the warning to Hermione through telepathy.

Just then, the young man came inside and said, 'I'm looking for Hermione Granger. Is she here?'

Sev asked back in an absolutely threatening voice, 'What do you want from her, Weasley?'

Before the visitor could even think of a reply, Hermione entered the apothecary and enquired, 'How did you find me here?'

'Yesterday, there was an article in the Daily Prophet listing you as the youngest Potions Mistress of all ages, and there your place of living was mentioned.'

Hermione frowned and asked, 'What do you want?'

'Hermione, I want to marry you. I love you,' Ron replied, giving her a pleading look.

However, Hermione sighed and informed him that she was going to be married next week. 'I'm sorry Ron, but it's too late,' she said firmly.

Then your friend saw red and tried to grab Hermione's arm, saying that it wasn't too late. However, due to the protection charms on her ring, he was flung back into the wall. I enervated him, and he looked around, however, he neither knew where he was nor did he recognise your friends, so I suppose that Hermione's ring made sure that he doesn't even remember her anymore. I sent him to St. Mungo's with a Portkey, but I don't think that they'll be able to do much about it."

"Wow," Harry uttered, torn between relief, amusement and shock. "Thank Merlin I bought the ring at that time."

"Yes Harry, and now I'm going to take over here for the rest of today," O'Brien said firmly. "You go home and speak with your fiancée. She'll be at least as shocked as you."

Harry sighed. "I really don't like to bother you all the time, but all right, Hermione might need me, even if Sev is there for her. Thank you so much for taking over yet again." Casting the Healer an appreciative look, he strode home.

However, for the time being, Hermione was less shocked than utmost relieved that Harry had been so thoughtful to buy her such a protective ring, at least until the evening of their wedding day.

On Saturday morning, Inis Rún showed itself from its best side under blazing sunshine and a slight wind that made the temperature agreeable for a whole day outside. The Minister of Magic, Professor McGonagall and Healer Pomfrey came through the Floo, while Luna and Neville as well as the Weasley twins arrived at the Apparition Point, from where Cerberos brought them to the Evans house, where everyone spent some time chatting, until the beginning of the reception.

At the same time, Healer O'Brien was assisting Hermione getting her hair done and putting on her dress robes in the old Healer's house, while Ms. Mahony helped Harry getting dressed in his own room.

"Is Ron not here today?" Neville asked in surprise, causing the twins to explain what happened to their brother.

"He wouldn't be here anyway..."

"... because he behaved like a real git..."

"... towards Harry and Hermione..."

"... but something happened to him recently..."

"... and he lost all of his memory from his first day at Hogwarts onwards," the twins informed the others.

"The Healers at St. Mungos kept him for three days..."

"... trying to restore his memory..."

"... but it was impossible."

While everyone sat there in clear shock, Sev changed back into his human form, causing McGonagall, Pomfrey and Luna to let out huge gasps.

"Severus, is that really you?" McGonagall was the first to find words.

"I am Sev Evans," Sev drawled in a voice that showed no recognition to anyone who did not know him as well as his long time friends Minerva and Poppy. "Come and visit us another day," he whispered, only for his two friends to hear.

The whole island seemed to have assembled on the square in Bally Sideways, when Healer O'Brien and Sev led Harry and Hermione to the first row of seats, where they came to stand right in front of the Minister of Magic. Huge applause came up when the spectators took in Hermione's wedding robes, which had a pattern of large flowers in light blue on a white ground. Her hair was brought up with a similar kind of light blue flowers woven into it.

Glancing around, Harry saw that his friends were all sitting to both sides of them. 'Everyone, whom we invited, came,' he thought, happily, 'and the people of Inis Rún are awesome.' Deep in thoughts, he missed most of Minister Bones' speech, while Hermione next to him was crying her eyes out.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, giving her a concerned look.

"Nothing. I'm just so happy," she whispered back, smiling under tears.

Before Harry could reassure her that he was happy too, Minister Bones asked her if she wanted to marry Harry Evans.

"Yes," Hermione replied in a firm voice.

Harry answered in the same way, before they were allowed to exchange their new rings and kiss each other.

Later on, when they were back in the Evans house after a huge firework display arranged by the Weasley twins, Harry thanked Healer O'Brien, Ms. Mahony and Sev profusely for their help with the organisation and everything.

"You're so very welcome dears," Healer O'Brien said gently, pulling the young couple into a light hug. "Are you sure that you don't want to go on a honeymoon?"

"Thank you for asking, Madame, but now that we've finished our Masteries, we finally have time to enjoy being here on this beautiful island, and we just want to enjoy the rest of the weekend, maybe on the beach," Hermione replied, smiling.

Later on, when Hermione and Harry retreated to their new room, which Sev had made for them from their old single rooms, Harry asked, "Did the twins tell you what happened to Ron?"

"No," Hermione replied, flabbergasted. "Do you know anything?"

"Yes," Harry said, letting out a long sigh, before he told his wife the story of their former best friend. "The twins are now supposed to teach him everything that he needs, so that he can help in their shop."

Seeing her shocked expression, he lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry my dear, first of all because it happened because of the charm that I had placed on your ring, and secondly for telling you this on our wedding day."

"You don't have to be sorry, sweetie," Hermione replied gently. "It was not your fault but his own, and of course you have to tell me everything. You know that you mustn't keep anything secret from me."

"I won't," Harry promised in a soft voice. "Let me make up for it," he then whispered and gently began to caress her body to make her forget about the matter for now.

Now that Harry and Hermione both had more time, they made it a habit to regularly invite Healer O'Brien for dinner on Sunday evenings, knowing that it had to be boring to always have to cook and eat alone. Each of them, even Sev, liked the old Healer a lot and thoroughly enjoyed her company.

One day at the end of November, when Harry had just pulled Sev into a conversation about a possible potion involving a combination of the wolfsbane potion and a jellygrape concoction, Hermione unobtrusively motioned the Healer to follow her upstairs for a private conversation, from which the two ladies returned seemingly happy.

"Harry," Hermione spoke up, smiling. "Healer O'Brien just told me that I'm pregnant."

"Wow, awesome," Harry replied, happily. "Mione, you're just the best."

"Congratulation," Sev said, smirking, as he turned to the Healer, "I hope you'll teach them how to change a nappy, Healer O'Brien."

"Ah I'm sure they're going to require your assistance, my boy," the Healer replied, grinning.

"It can't be so difficult," Hermione threw in, rolling her eyes.

"No, it's not," O'Brien reassured her in a soothing voice. "Oh well, I'll leave you to the good news. Good night my dears, and thanks Harry for the delicious meal."

"Thank you for coming, Madame," Harry replied, smiling.

During the following weeks, Harry, Hermione and Sev slowly prepared one of the second floor rooms that were going out to the sea side as a nursery. Healer O'Brien had informed them that they were expecting a little lady; however, Hermione absolutely refused to have the room painted in pink.

"We should rather put some bright wall paper like white or yellow and then add some moving animals, like for example cats or dogs, to it," she suggested, and Harry and Sev tried their best to comply to her wishes.

Three days before Christmas, the two wizards finished the nursery, while Hermione was busying herself in the potions lab.

"Shall we do the next room right away?" Sev queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"Do you think she wants to have another baby so quickly?" Harry asked with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "But oh well, why not?" He glanced at his wrist watch. "Okay, but we should continue tomorrow evening, as it's already late enough for you to transform and for me to go to bed, considering that I have to work tomorrow."

'Are you not going to take Christmas holidays?' Cerberos queried, again making Harry look at him in concern upon realising how fast the older wizard had transformed after he was told to do so.

"No, if people need me, they may come," he replied, slowly. "But over Christmas I'm going to put up a parchment asking that they come here if they need me. Ms. Mahony is on holidays now till the beginning of the New Year."

It was in the morning of Christmas Eve that Harry entered the dining kitchen to make breakfast and stopped dead in his tracks, when he looked at the fireplace, where Cerberos was often sleeping at this time of the day.

However, instead of the dog that could be expected, a baby was lying on his spot, only barely covered with large, blue robes. 'What the...' Harry thought and strode towards the child, horrified. When he picked up the small boy that had black hair, onyx eyes stared into his own, and the baby squealed, "Dada".

"Oh no, Sev what happened to you?" Harry asked in shock. He hurriedly conjured a nappy along with a dark green jumpsuit with yellow ducks that distracted the baby by their quacking, before he carefully dressed the child, noticing that the boy was shivering from the cold air. Only when he sat down on his chair, wondering what might have happened and what to do, he noticed a parchment, which was lying in front of the fireplace, just where he had found the baby. With a feeling of foreboding, he leaned down and picked up the parchment, surprisingly unsurprised that it was written in Sev's meticulous handwriting.

'Dear Hermione and Harry,
please forgive me for being and especially becoming such a burden to you. There is no cure for the magica influenza, and not even the slightest remedy is in sight. Since it is unbearable for me to continue living like I did so far, two possibilities remain for me. One would be to end my life, which - according to Healer O'Brien - the two of you would never forgive me. The other option, which I chose, is to de-age myself to an age under three years, as the magica influenza will be reduced to the percentage of my magic at that time. Healer O'Brien can explain the details. Anyway, please become my mum and dad. I know that you're going to be awesome parents. Do not try reverse the de-aging potion, as I don't have the memories of my older self!
If I managed to cast the charm correctly, which I applied to the de-aging potion, I should have my memories of the two of you as my parents and of Healer O'Brien as my granny. I also should have all my knowledge about Potions up to the Mastery level, so that I'll be able to help you with Evans Enchanted Elixirs from an early age onwards. Apart from these, I also remember about my Animagus form, so if you ever want to get rid of me, just make me transform into my dog form. Other than that I don't have any memories.
Finally, one suggestion for the name of my little sister: Lily.
Love

Sev'

"Oh no," Harry blurted out, swallowing hard in order to not begin to cry in front of the child. 'I have to check how old he is in order to know what I can give him to eat,' he thought and pulled his wand, quickly casting a diagnostic spell at the child. To his relief, all data turned out extremely satisfactory - average height, average weight, exceptionally strong magic - except for a slight cold and the magica influenza with a percentage of one percent. 'When I last checked on him, it was 98 percent,' Harry remembered, sighing in relief. 'He's one year, three months and twenty days old, so that means his birth date is the fourth of September.'

He glanced at his wrist watch, realising that he urgently had to leave for the practice, and carried the baby upstairs along with the parchment.

"Mione, I'm really sorry to wake you up, but Sev has de-aged himself. He is one year, three months and twenty days old, has caught a cold and needs breakfast. Sorry, but I really need to go to the practice. Come over if you have any problems."

"Harry," Hermione asked, sleepily. "Are you delirious?"

"No my dear, unfortunately not," Harry replied, sighing as he laid Sev into his wife's arm. "Here, say hello to Sevvy."

"Mama," Severus said and contentedly nestled into Hermione's embrace.

Smiling at the sight, Harry left the room to head to work. To his relief, not many patients came to the practice on Christmas Eve, and after seeing those, who had arrived early, he decided to just put up a parchment and return home, knowing that his wife and Sevvy would surely need him.

However, when he returned home, he found his two family members in the potions lab. While Hermione was brewing, Sev was lying in a playpen, where he had fallen asleep over a couple of picture books. His right thumb was tucked in his mouth, while he held a stuffed dog that looked like Cerberos firmly in his left arm.

"He's so cute," Harry blurted out, smiling at the sight. "Mione, can I assist? Do you still have much work? It's Christmas Eve," he turned to his wife.

"No dear, I'm going to finish up here now," Hermione replied and waved her wand to bottle the potion that she had just finished. "I only brewed some Pepperup potion and fever reducer for babies," she explained, spelling one sip of the Pepperup potion into the baby's system.

"Harry, if you're here now, I'd like to go to Diagon Alley for some last minute Christmas shopping," Hermione said, questioningly. "Or do you want to come together with Sevvy?"

"I'd like to come, but maybe it's better for Sevvy if he can get some rest today," Harry replied, pensively.

"All right then, I won't be long," Hermione promised and went to get ready, while Harry raised his wand at the playpen and together with all its contents made it float into the dining kitchen, where he placed it in front of the fireplace, on the spot that had always been adult Severus' favourite place.

While his wife was away, Harry began to prepare dinner, for which they had invited Healer O'Brien. 'Hopefully, Hermione is going to like her new neckless,' he mused, wondering if his wife would buy a toddler's potions kit for Sevvy. 'Oh well, she knows him at least as well as I do,' he thought. 'Maybe we should ask the Weasley twins to become his godfathers, considering how nice they talked about him at our wedding. And he knows enough about potions to not become endangered by their prank potions.'

A small wail brought him out of his musings. "Sevvy, what's wrong?" Harry asked, immediately heading over to the baby.

However, Severus merely continued to whimper, while his small mouth changed to a whiny form.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked, scooping the boy up on his arm.

However, Sevvy did not show any reaction but just continued to whimper. "Oh well, let's change your nappy and see if that's the problem, won't we?" Harry decided and carried the boy upstairs into the second nursery, which they had just finished the previous evening.

Ten minutes later, they were back in the dining kitchen, where Sevvy chose to sit on the floor right between Harry's feet playing with his stuffed dog, while Harry had to carefully step around the boy as he continued to cook dinner according to the menu, which he had usually had to cook for Christmas Eve at the Dursleys. 'I hope they'll like it,' he thought, in spite of knowing that everyone loved his cooking.

By the time Hermione returned from her trip, Sevvy followed her back to where the fireplace was, as she conjured a large Christmas tree right next to the fireplace and began to decorate it with colourful baubles.

Harry inwardly grinned upon hearing Sevvy's excited squeals, whenever Hermione charmed a new bauble with another magical animal.

"Mama, doggyyyyyy," he finally shouted, and his lower lip began to quiver dangerously, when Hermione still had not made a bauble with a dog.

"It's all right, son, I'm going to make you a doggy one," Hermione replied and did Sevvy the favour.

When Healer O'Brien arrived for dinner, Sevvy happily toddled over to the old witch and happily hugged her legs, shouting, "Gwanny."

"Hello Sevvy," the Healer replied, smiling at the small boy. "I see you did it my boy, and you did it well of course. I hope your parents don't feel too troubled by the whole matter."

"Healer O'Brien," Harry joined the conversation, glaring at his colleague, "Was that your idea?"

"Harry, Sev must have been convinced that it would be the best, otherwise he wouldn't have done it," Hermione threw in, reasonably. "Anyway, Healer O'Brien, come in please. Merry Christmas."

Knowing that Sevvy would probably fall asleep soon, Hermione motioned him to look under the tree for his presents, as soon as he was finished eating. The three adults observed with amusement how he tore off the paper of his toddler's first brewing kit and happily busied himself brewing his first potion.

However, all of a sudden, Hermione noticed that Sevvy was gone.

"Stay here, I'll go and search him," Harry said soothingly, already leaving the room. He did not have far to go, as Sevvy just came out of the potions lab, carrying several ingredients in his small hands.

"Sevvy, what do you think you're doing?" Harry asked, slightly upset, as he followed his son back into the dining kitchen.

"Sevvy make Amagus poshun fow Wiwi," Sevvy replied, looking absolutely happy.

"You what?" Harry queried, staring at the child.

"You're going to brew the Animagus potion for your little sister, so that she can change into an animal and play with you?" Hermione asked, giving the child a loving smile, when he nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, Sevvy doggy and Wiwi don' know," he replied, unsurely, looking from one adult to the next.

"That reminds me that I have to fetch my present for you all," Healer O'Brien suddenly spoke up and left, only to return a few minutes later with...

"Doggyyyyy," Sevvy shouted, excitedly, and before anyone knew what happened, he changed into his Baby Cerberos form and begun to cuddle and play with the new baby dog that followed him all over the room.

"Let's call him Fluffly," Harry suggested, causing Hermione to glare at him, before she finally nodded.

"Yes Fluffy fits Cerberos very well," she agreed, smirking, and said, "Thank you so much, Healer O'Brien, for making enormous changes to the Evans family."

"You're very welcome," the Healer replied, grinning at the thought of what the young family was going to expect soon - with one baby girl, one baby dog and one baby, who could change between his boy and dog forms.

THE END