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.
Even if it worked out well for Harry to give Hogwarts his magic during classes that afforded much wand magic, the professors insisted on teaching both Harry and Ceridwen wand magic. However, it remained difficult for both students, who had spent the last few years casting all spells wandlessly.
'I like our private classes with McGonagall and Snape though, especially as they give me the opportunity to have at least one lesson together with Ceridwen every day,' Harry thought one day, when he tiredly followed the girl to the Great Hall for dinner, toying with the thought of using a shortcut. 'I can't do that in front of the professors,' he reprimanded himself. 'Maybe one day I'll tell Professor Snape about those within and to Slytherin.'
マジック世界の秘密に至る本
Even if Harry and Ceridwen were very careful to not let anyone know about the secret, glad that Professors McGonagall, Snape and Pomfrey knew the truth, during the first-years' first flying class, Harry completely forgot about the matter.
When Madam Hooch instructed everyone to sit on their brooms, take off from the ground and land again right away, Neville did not manage to control his broom and was helplessly taken upwards.
'Oh no,' Harry thought, horrified. 'I need to help him.' Without further thinking, he placed his broom onto the ground, transformed into his griffin form and took after his Gryffindor classmate. Upon reaching the other boy, he instructed him, =Sit on my back, and I'll take you back to the ground,= not considering that Neville would not be able to understand his griffin talk.
Nevertheless, the frightened boy seemed to comprehend what the griffin wanted, and carefully climbed onto the magical animal's back, letting out a relieved sigh, when they safely reached the ground.
'Oh no, I just hope no one realised that the griffin was me,' Harry thought, as he quickly hid behind his housemates to change back.
"Harry," Blaise's voice penetrated his ears the instant he stood behind his housemates in his human form, "was that a griffin, and how did you manage such a transformation?"
Not wanting to draw any attention onto himself, Harry merely shrugged and happily took into the air, when Madam Hooch chose that instant to allow all students who could already fly to go on and try to catch the Snitch, which she had just released.
Thirty minutes later, Harry caught the Snitch for the fifth time, and inwardly groaned, when the Gryffindor head of house stepped over to him, asking, "Madam Hooch, may I borrow Mr. Potter for a moment?"
Once they were far enough away from the group to not be overheard, McGonagall gave him a look of pure excitement. "Harry, would you like to play Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team?" she blurted out.
Harry stared at the professor in surprise. "Professor, I'd like that, but I don't have a clue how to play Quidditch," he admitted.
The professor cast him a rare smile, gently patting his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mr. Potter, you'll manage without problems. All you have to do is to catch the Snitch before the other team's Seeker does. I'll speak with Professor Snape later on. As far as I know, they urgently need a new Seeker anyway."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied, smiling, noticing from the corners of his eyes that the flying class was just over. He quickly joined his classmates and told Blaise and Draco about the professor's suggestion.
"That's amazing," Blaise blurted out in clear admiration.
"I hope Severus will accept you, although you're a first-year and first-years aren't allowed to play on the teams," Draco spoke up, grinning, "as you're really good, and I hope we can win the Quidditch cup seven years in a row."
Feeling very happy about his friends' kind words, Harry returned to the common room, looking forward to tell Ceridwen about his success.
マジック世界の秘密に至る本
To the Slytherins' relief, the teachers made an exception for Harry from the first-year rule, and he was allowed to become a member of the Quidditch team.
On Saturday morning, the Slytherin Quidditch team trained their new Seeker. Marcus Flint, the captain, took his time to patiently explain everything that Harry had to know about the game, before everyone took into the air, and Harry was instructed to catch the Snitch.
By the time he had caught the Snitch for the tenth time, just about two hours into the game, everyone was convinced that their house was going to win the Quidditch cup as long as Harry was going to remain on the team.
"You're brilliant," Marcus told him, when they returned to the dungeons. "I'm glad that we've got you on the team."
"Thank you," Harry replied, feeling happy at the praise, however, uncomfortable at the same time, as he still even had to win his first match.
"Don't worry, you will manage," Hermione, who had become good friends with Ceridwen, told him after the last afternoon class on Monday. "Your father and also your grandfather have their trophies in the trophy room."
"Really?" Harry asked in surprise, resolving to look for the trophy room together with Ceridwen at the next opportunity.
'Hermione is really nice,' he thought. 'I'm glad that Ceridwen found such a nice friend in Ravenclaw, even if I'd prefer Hufflepuff having classes together with Slytherin instead of Ravenclaw.'
マジック世界の秘密に至る本
However, during their evening lesson with Professors McGonagall and Snape, Harry completely forgot about Quidditch.
After practising wand magic for an hour, his head of house suddenly asked, "Harry, tonight is the night of the full moon. Do you know, by chance, at what time the full moon dew drops should be harvested for the best effect?"
Harry looked up in surprise. "Salazar always went around three o'clock in the morning. I've accompanied him a few times. May I perhaps go with you?" he offered, causing McGonagall to cast him a seemingly horrified look.
"No Harry," Snape declined in a firm voice. "Since it's the full moon, there might be werewolves in the forest, and it would be much too dangerous for you."
"And for you it's not dangerous?" Harry enquired, giving the professor a sharp look.
"I'm a snake Animagus, and in the worst case, I could easily transform and get away," the professor admitted.
"Harry could also transform into his griffin form," Ceridwen spoke up, pensively. "I believe that there weren't werewolves in our time, since Salazar cured them, but I don't think that they'd be dangerous for griffins."
"You're a griffin Animagus?" McGonagall blurted out, while simultaneously, Snape enquired, "Professor Slytherin had a cure for lycanthropy?"
"Yes to both," Ceridwen beat Harry to his response, before Harry quickly transformed into his griffin form and back.
After confirming that yes, he was able to fly and run and even take a person with him on his back and that yes, he was able to brew the wolvescure potion, but that it would take twenty hours, so that they should brew it during the weekend, Snape finally agreed to take Harry with him to harvest the full moon dew drops.
"Would it be all right for you if I woke you up at three o'clock in the morning?" Snape queried, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yes sir," Harry replied, eagerly.
"Well, considering that you need to get up so early, you better go to bed right away," Ceridwen instructed him, once the teachers had left.
"All right, good night," Harry replied, sighing. "I just wished we could spend more time together," he mumbled.
"Maybe we could ask Hogwarts for an advice," Ceridwen suggested.
"Oh that's right," Harry agreed, smiling. "She always has the best ideas."
The two first-years decided to postpone their talk to Hogwarts to the following evening, and Harry stepped right into his dormitory and went to bed.
By the time the professor woke him up in the morning, Harry was well rested and eager to accompany his teacher into the forest to harvest full moon dew drops.
Harry was just about to follow the professor though the main dungeon corridor, when a sudden idea crossed his mind. "Professor, can you see this door?" he enquired, pointing to the door leading to the shortcut to the entrance hall.
Noticing that the professor merely quirked an eyebrow in silent question, Harry quickly opened the door only to close it again right away.
"Now I can see it," the teacher confirmed, giving him a questioning look.
"Shortcut to the entrance hall," Harry explained shortly, causing the Slytherin head to nod in surprise, when they stepped into the entrance hall mere seconds later.
"There are lots of shortcuts at Hogwarts, especially in the dungeons," Harry explained, "but I can only show them to you, when no one else is around."
The professor profusely thanked him, when they hurried towards the forbidden forest, making Harry smile. 'I'm the one who has to thank him for all that he does for Ceridwen and me,' he thought, when the howl of a werewolf penetrated his ears.
Fortunately, they did not meet a werewolf nor any other obstacles and safely returned to the castle two hours later. Without being asked, Harry followed the professor into his private lab, where he assisted the Potions master preserving their harvest.
"Did Professor Slytherin preserve them in the same way?" Snape enquired, only to nod, contentedly, when Harry confirmed.
"Harry, seeing that we have an hour left before breakfast," the professor spoke up, once the full moon dew drops had been taken care of, "would you mind writing the recipe for the wolvescure on a parchment, so that I can confirm that we have all the ingredients in our time?"
Harry cast the professor a horrified look. "Oh no, I haven't even thought about that," he admitted and readied himself to write the recipe down. "Oh well, if not, we can just go and take them from Salazar's lab, provided that it's still there," he added, pensively.
He was only half through the recipe, when Snape let out a long sigh, informing him that there were already two ingredients missing. "We neither have mangrove berries nor birch fern in this time."
Harry rose from his chair and quickly stepped over to the wall. "Hogwarts," he asked, urgently, placing his hand against the wall, "does Salazar's lab still exist and is accessible?"
"Yes my boy," Hogwarts replied in a soft voice, only to add, "and I believe that Amaterasu would be very happy if you visited her. You should re-cast Salazar's charm first though."
"All right, thank you Hogwarts, but I don't know the charm," Harry replied, feeling terrified at the thought.
"I will teach you the charm, before you go and cast it, perhaps together with the professor," Hogwarts replied, gently, causing Harry to profusely thank his old friend.
"Harry," his head of house spoke up, questioningly. "Who in the world is Amaterasu?"
Harry chuckled. "She's Salazar's familiar and a total cutie. She's a basilisk," he explained. "If you'd like to accompany me, we could go after the last afternoon class, so that we can retrieve the missing ingredients to begin brewing tomorrow. Maybe we could just simply use Salazar's lab," he added, pensively.
"You're full of surprises," Snape commented, shaking his head in what seemed to be annoyance.
During the day, Severus informed Minerva that they once more had to postpone their private lessons with Ceridwen and Harry to the time between dinner and curfew, as he had an errand to run together with Harry.
The two wizards met after the last afternoon class in Harry's room, where Hogwarts taught them the spell, which they had to cast over the grounds to keep everyone save from Amaterasu's eyes, and explained exactly, from where they had to cast it.
"I think I know where Salazar cast it," Harry replied in determination, before he profusely thanked the castle for her help.
They were just about to leave, when Ceridwen entered Harry's room, giving the two wizards a questioning look. Upon hearing Harry's explanation, she smiled. "I'm going with you. I want to visit Amaterasu as well," she stated in clear determination.
The two wizards exchanged a glance, before they nodded in understanding.
"Let's go then," Harry said, eagerly, motioning his head of house and his best friend to a nearby shortcut leading to the entrance hall.
After Harry and Severus cast the spell together, hoping that it would be strong enough to at least last a year, Ceridwen and Harry led the professor into the Chamber of Secrets, where Amaterasu greeted them with apparent enthusiasm.
"Ccceridwen and Harry, it'sss so nicce of you to visssit me again," the basilisk told them, before giving Severus a questioning look.
"Thisss is our Potionsss professor and Slytherin head," Harry informed the basilisk, noticing that the teacher swiftly transformed into his snake form.
Unable to converse with Amaterasu, Ceridwen proceeded to gently caress the large animal's head, causing the basilisk to let out noises that displayed clear contentedness.
After speaking to Amaterasu for a few more minutes, Harry told her that they'd like to visit the Potions lab, before he instructed the smaller snake to follow him.
"Harry, could you please switch on the fireplaccce?" Amaterasu asked him. "It'sss sso cold here, and it never hasss been switched on sssinccce my Salazzzar'sss time."
"Of course, I will do that," Harry replied, pleasantly.
HP
While Ceridwen remained with Amaterasu, who made herself comfortable in the now warm and comfortable, large fireplace, Harry and Severus headed into Salazar's private lab.
Harry could not help smiling at the sight of the meticulous lab, which looked exactly like it had looked in the time of the Founders, where he had helped Salazar preparing ingredients and brewing potions many times.
"These ingredients shelves are all self-replenishing," he explained to the Potions master, who was looking around in apparent amazement.
"This is just gorgeous," Severus finally stated, unable to take his eyes off the ingredients shelves. "They're not only self-replenishing, which is going to be extremely helpful, as there are several ingredients, which we don't have in this time, but they're also being kept under a refreshment charm," he added, carefully examining one or the other ingredient. "Let's come back here to brew the wolvescure potion during the weekend."
Harry agreed, smiling, feeling very happy at the Potions master's uncharacteristic excitement. 'Thank Merlin. He helped us so much, when we came here. I'm glad that we can give something back for once,' he thought, as he stepped out to where Ceridwen was cuddling with Amaterasu, while the professor still examined the lab.
マジック世界の秘密に至る本
During their evening lesson with Minerva and Severus, Ceridwen spoke up, hesitantly. "Professors, would it perhaps be possible to make a first-year study room, where we could study together with all the other first-years from the other houses?"
"Oh, yes please," Harry agreed immediately. "We've become good friends with Hermione from Ravenclaw, Neville from Gryffindor and Blaise and Draco from Slytherin. It would be great if we could meet them out of class to play or study together."
While Minerva stared at her Slytherin colleague in clear surprise, Severus looked back in what Harry interpreted as clear amusement.
"Leave it to Potter to work on overcoming the house rivalry," he said, smirking. "In fact, I believe that this is a very good idea, and I suggest that we speak with Albus about the matter later tonight."
"Let's do this," Minerva agreed, nodding her consent. "Twenty points to Hufflepuff for a very good idea towards a good relationship between the houses."
"I hope the headmaster will agree," Harry thought aloud, casting Ceridwen a comforting smile.
By the time Harry and Ceridwen returned to their dormitories late the same evening, they wondered if the professors would provide study rooms for them and where. However, in the morning, something happened that made both of them forget about the matter for the time being.
tbc...
Thank you so much for your kind comments on this story. Please continue letting me know what you think.