The Book of Seals to the Magical World
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. Ceridwen belongs to me :-)
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, time travel.
Glancing around with interest, Harry mused, 'Where am I?' He found himself on a small, snowy street with houses on both sides of the street. There weren't any cars to be seen or heard, and several children were playing in the middle of the street. 'Everything looks so different here,' he thought, noticing that the houses were much smaller than the buildings in Little Whinging and were built from wood or large, irregular stones.
Suddenly, a girl, who seemed to be about the same age as Harry, came over to him. "Hello," she said friendly. "Who are you, and why are you wearing those strange clothes?"
Harry shyly looked at the girl, noticing that she and the other children, who were slowly coming nearer, were wearing long coats, and even the boys were wearing skirts under their coats. "Hello. I'm Harry," he said shyly, quickly sliding the book into the pocket of his jacket. "I have no idea how I ended up here."
"I'm Ceridwen Hufflepuff, and I'm six," the girl replied, smiling, and Harry noticed that she had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen before. Ceridwen had light blue eyes that were twinkling with joy and were surrounded by light brown hair. She gently introduced her friends, before she realised that Harry was shivering in his jeans and jacket. "Harry, you're cold, aren't you? Let me take you home and ask my Mum for something to wear for you. Or maybe she can cast a warming charm on you. She's a healer," Ceridwen explained proudly and waved at her friends. "We'll see you later on."
Before Harry could process what was happening, the girl was pulling him along the street towards a very cosy looking little house. "Mummy! Daddy! Helga!" she shouted, causing her mother, a plump middle-aged woman with the same bright smile as Ceridwen's, to appear at the entrance door.
"What happened, Ceridwen? Oh, you brought a visitor," she said in surprise and extended her hand to Harry. "Hello, I am Ceridwen's mother, Heather Hufflepuff. I don't recall having seen you around before, has your family just arrived here?"
"Hello Mrs. Hufflepuff," Harry said shyly. "I'm sorry; I'm not exactly sure how I managed to get here. Where are we?"
"We're in Hogsmeade, the only wizarding village in Britain," Heather explained gently. "Come in, sweetie; you must be freezing without a proper cloak."
Seeing that Ceridwen took her shoes and her coat off, Harry followed her example, before he pulled the book out of his pocket and entered a very comfortable looking room behind Ceridwen and her mother. It seemed to be the kitchen and the living room combination. A middle-aged man, who sported a neatly trimmed beard, and a young woman that resembled Ceridwen and her mother a great deal, except for her slightly red hair, were sitting around a wooden table in front of the fireplace.
"This is my husband Heath and my daughter Helga," Heather explained softly, motioning Harry to sit on the seat next to her own, while her family members cast Harry inviting smiles.
"I am Harry," he said, as he hesitantly took the offered seat. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."
"Now now, sweetie; you're not disturbing us at all," Helga said soothingly, causing Harry to give the kind young lady a grateful smile.
Harry unsurely laid the book on the table in front of him and explained how he had been in a bookshop with his aunt and cousin and had found the book. "I couldn't read anything, because it was written in strange letters or symbols I don't understand, but on the second page, I found a picture, and when I touched it to see if it moved like the animals on the cover, I ended up here. Out on the street it looked just like the picture."
"Show me the book," Heath said in a deep voice, slowly extending his hand.
"Dad, be careful not to touch any pictures. We wouldn't want you to be taken anywhere else. Harry must come from far away, considering how strange his English is," Helga admonished him, sounding very worried.
"Yeah, Daddy, be careful," Ceridwen agreed with her big sister.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Heath promised and cautiously opened the book.
The others observed how he stared at the first page in disbelief. "Harry, in which year are you born?"
"1980," Harry replied in surprise. "Why?"
"1980!" Heather and Helga shouted simultaneously, eyeing Harry in disbelief.
"Excuse me, but...?" he stammered in a hardly audible voice, anxiously averting his eyes to the wooden floor.
"Harry, everything is all right, sweetie," Heather said soothingly, gently patting his left arm. "It's just that the date here is the twentieth of December, 986. You travelled one thousand years into the past."
"I... WHAT?" Harry asked incredulously. "But how..."
"This book is an object that possesses a very strong magic," Heath said thoughtfully. "On the first page, it explains that this book is a self-updating and unique edition of a chronic of Britain's magical world from the founding of Hogsmeade onwards..."
"This village here is Hogsmeade, and it was founded by Hengist of Woodcroft about thirty years ago," Helga quickly interrupted her father.
"There is also a warning, which says not to touch the pictures; otherwise, the book will take you to the scene you just touched," Heath continued his explanation. "The picture that obviously brought you here is attached to a text about the founding of Hogsmeade as the first magical village in Britain."
"Magical?" Harry asked frightened. "There is no such a thing as magic. At least, that's what my relatives have always told me," he added in a small voice, realising that everyone was looking at him.
"Of course there is magic, Harry," Heather explained softly. "It was magic that allowed you to come here, and you're a wizard."
"I?" Harry asked, terrified. 'I'm a freak, I know that, but I can't be a... wizard,' he thought incredulously. "That must be some mistake, Madam. I can't be a wizard," he said hesitantly, causing the others to laugh.
"Of course you are, Harry," Helga said softly. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to make the book bring you here. You needed your own magic to initiate the book's magic, right Dad?"
"Yes my dear," Heath confirmed, smiling. "This book is very interesting. According to the explanation on the first page, you can even create your own pages in case you want to travel to a specific time or place not covered in the book. With that, you'll even be able to travel back to the future, if that's what you really want."
'I don't think I want to go back,' Harry thought. 'Everyone is so friendly here, and I really like this family. On the other hand, they'll throw me out as soon as they notice what a freak and a burden I am.'
"If you touch a picture and at the same time think of a specific date, the book will take you to that exact date," Heath continued to read from the book. "Otherwise, you can add a date by writing it directly on a picture."
"Harry, don't go back. Stay here with me," Ceridwen suddenly spoke up. "I always wanted to have a brother or a bestest friend, and I like you. Since Helga is going to move to the new castle sometime, I'd really love you to stay here."
Harry felt very happy at the girl's kind words. "I'd love to stay, but I don't want to be a burden to your parents," he said in a barely audible voice, unconsciously playing with a loose thread at the bottom of his jumper.
"Harry, you won't be a burden to us and you're very welcome to stay," Heather said softly. "However, won't your family be very concerned about your disappearance? They have no idea where you went and will be beside themselves with worry."
"No." Harry shook his head. "My parents are dead, and my relatives, who I'm living with, hate me," he explained sadly. "They'll be glad that I'm gone."
"Oh my poor sweetie," Heather cooed as she stood up and pulled Harry in a bear hug. "In that case and if you're really sure that you want to stay here, you may live with us. Our home is small, but we'll surely find some space for you."
"Really?" Harry asked in disbelief. 'They're willing to take me in,' he thought, unable to believe his luck.
"Of course, sweetie; if that's what you want," Heather said gently, causing the others to nod their heads in agreement.
"Harry, if you stay here, we can attend Hogwarts together," Ceridwen shouted in absolute excitement, causing Harry to cast her a questioning look.
Helga laughed and explained, "My three best friends and I are building a magical school just outside of the village. Actually, it's really tough work, because we're building a huge castle. It needs thick walls, and we're proceeding quite slowly, because it affords a lot of magic, but we hope to be done in about a year's time. Then we're going to teach magical students from the age of eleven onwards. Oh well, considering that Ceridwen can't wait to enter Hogwarts, we might consider making an exception and allow her in at the age of eight. Of course you'll be granted the same privileges," she added, smiling at Harry.
"Wow, a magical school, and you're building it by yourselves?" Harry said in amazement. "Is there anything I could do to help with your work?"
Helga laughed. "Ceridwen always wants to help, too; however, it affords a lot of magic. You may help, provided that you let Mum or me check on you beforehand. We don't want you to collapse because you have depleted your magic."
"All right," Harry said softly, having no idea what Helga was talking about.
"Do you want to go for a small trip to the castle, Helga?" her mother asked gently. "If so, you should go right away. It's going to get dark in two hours at the latest."
"Oh, all right," Helga decided, knowing that her mother did not want her to take the children up to the castle in the dark because the animals, who lived in the forest, could be very dangerous. "Harry, let me quickly cast a diagnostic spell on you. All right?" she asked in a very soft voice.
"Okay," Harry replied anxiously, glancing at Heather.
"It's all right, sweetie. Helga has been my apprentice for years, and she's as good a healer as I am. She won't hurt you," Heather said soothingly, causing Harry to relax.
Helga quickly waved her hand over Harry and frowned, muttering to herself. "Mum, he's all right, and his magic is extremely strong for his age, but I don't think his relatives treated him very well. It looks as if he has several injuries that remained untreated and aren't properly healed yet."
Heather turned to Harry, noticing that he was very frightened. "Are you feeling all right, sweetie?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Harry replied uncertainly.
"In that case, leave it for the moment, Helga," Heather decided. "We can still think about these injuries at a later time, considering that they don't seem to currently be bothering Harry. Now, bring me the clothes you were wearing earlier, Harry."
Harry obediently fetched his jacket and handed it to Heather. "Hmm, that's what clothes one thousand years into the future look like," she stated, smiling as she waved her hand over the jacket, causing it to turn into a winter cloak like those the other children had been wearing earlier. "That's a robe, sweetie. All wizards wear robes, and it should be much warmer than your old one."
"Thank you so much," Harry said gratefully, admiring his new robe that held a beautiful green colour that matched his eyes. "This is very pretty."
"You're welcome, Harry. Now, try it on, so we can see if it fits," Heather instructed him, gently.
Harry obeyed, and Heather once more waved her hand, causing the robe to shrink until it fit him perfectly. 'Wow, magic is absolutely cool,' Harry thought in amazement.
"All right then; Ceridwen, Harry, shall we go?" Helga asked, and the three excitedly left the living room, pulled their robes over and headed into the snow. "Are you warm enough?" Helga asked gently, causing Harry to throw her a huge smile.
"I've never felt so happy and warm. Thank you," he replied gratefully. "It's amazing. This is one thousand years into the past. So I suppose you don't have cars yet? That's why children can play on the street. I like that," he said in a small voice, looking around with a great deal of interest and amazement of the differences from his own time.
"You'll have to tell us a lot about the future, Harry. I already know that my friends will be very interested in your stories," Helga replied, before she warned him, "Harry, this might feel a bit strange for an instant; we're going to pass the wards."
'Thank God she warned me,' Harry thought as he felt a bout of magic flash through his body. "Uh, wow, that felt very tingly," he said in surprise. "What was that?"
"That was the wards we built up around the castle. They make sure that muggles, non-magical people," she added after seeing Harry's confused expression, "can't see the castle, and they prevent unauthorised persons from entering the grounds. The wards only allowed you in, because you were with me. Now they have registered your magical signature, and from now on you'll be able to enter the grounds even if I'm not with you."
Harry did not understand everything of the explanation; however, he was glad that he had been allowed inside the wards and looked at the pieces and bits of wall in front of him with interest.
"Harry, you must not go into the forest," Helga said in a strict voice. "There are many magical and non-magical animals in the forest, and some of them are very dangerous. You may only enter the forest if an adult is with you. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, I understand," Harry said firmly, making a mental note to never ever set a foot into the forest without an adult. However, the forest somehow seemed to be very intriguing, and he couldn't take his eyes off of the front row of trees, hoping to see one or more of the magical animals that made the forest their home.
Quicker than expected, they reached the outer walls of the castle that so far consisted of two large towers and a whole lot of lower walls. 'Wow, these walls are as thick as my cupboard was long,' Harry mused, looking at the huge stones with interest. "These walls are so thick," he said in amazement, causing Helga to chuckle.
"Well, they're going to be the part of the foundation and base walls of a huge castle that is supposed to accommodate a school full of children. The walls have to be thick," she explained, motioning Harry to place his right hand on the wall. "You can talk to the castle by the way. She is called Hogwarts, and you'll be able to speak with her if you put your hand on the wall. Just tell her who you are and that you're going to help build her with your magic, and she'll recognise you in the future."
"That's true, Harry," Ceridwen threw in, eagerly. "I've been talking to her from time to time. She's very funny, although she's still a baby."
Harry smiled and hesitantly placed his right hand on the stone that felt very warm in spite of the fact that it was extremely cold out, now that the sun was just about to set. "Hello Hogwarts," he said softly. "I'm Harry, and I'll try to help Helga and her friends build you. How come that you're so warm, although it's so cold here?"
The wall remained quiet for an instant, and Harry was just about to pull his hand away in disappointment, when a female, childish voice penetrated his ears. "Hello Hawwy. Fanku fow coming to help de Founders. It's wawm because I'm made of mashic and lobe. The combination of mashic and lobe keeps me wawm."
"You sound very young," Harry said, smiling, noticing that the castle's voice sounded like that of a very small child.
"I'm fibe momfs old," Hogwarts replied in her high, childish voice. "And you?"
"I'm six years old," Harry replied. 'She is very cute,' he thought and was just about to ask another question, when a deep voice from behind caused him to flinch back badly and hurriedly pull his hand away.
"Harry Potter," the voice hissed in a menacing tone. "What do you think you're doing here?"
Harry quickly tried to hide behind Helga, throwing the man that was towering in front of them an anxious look.
"I... I came here with a book and then Helga brought me here and told me I could help build the castle," he stammered, noticing terrified that several other men, who were all wearing similar black robes, appeared from behind the man with the evil look on his face. 'What's wrong?' he mused. 'Who are they, and how do they know who I am?' he thought, suddenly realising that it was strange that they knew his name. 'I didn't tell anyone my last name,' he remembered, 'not even the Hufflepuffs.'
tbc...
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