The Foundation for the Future
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.
COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC. Dumbledore/Weasley bashing! It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it.
If you don't like it, go and find something else to read or write your own story to your liking!
After a long monologue, the professor allowed the students to brew their first potion. It was the basis for most healing potions, and Harry noticed in surprise that the recipe slightly varied from the version that he had brewed in the past. 'If Snape remains nice, maybe one day I can ask him why they add moon fern before the birch bark and not afterwards and why they skip the step of stirring three and a half times anti-clockwise before the finishing step,' he mused, as he easily brewed his potion, thoroughly enjoying himself. 'It's great to be able to brew again,' he thought, recalling that the last time he had brewed, he had had to make the wolvescure potion over and over to cure all the werewolves in the past.
HP
Unbeknownst to the boy, Severus was observing him closely. His mother Lily had excelled at brewing, and he was eager to assess if the boy had inherited the ability. However, he was in for a huge surprise. Harry Potter was not only extremely adept at brewing, he even knew exactly how to brew. He prepared the ingredients with an accuracy that he had not seen with any first-year since his own time at Hogwarts. 'Hard to believe that he grew up with Petunia,' he thought. 'He and also his sidekick must have been taught by a professional,' he finally realised.
He was brought out of his reverie when Potter suddenly hissed at Longbottom, "No, you must cut these much smaller or you'll make your cauldron explode."
'Thank Merlin, otherwise, the potion would indeed have exploded,' Severus realised, observing how the boy put his own, almost finished potion under a stasis charm and guided his neighbour through the brewing process, before he swiftly finished his own concoction.
'Thanks Potter from saving us from a Longbottom desaster,' Severus thought to himself, for once regretting that he wasn't been able to award house points. He toyed with the thought of giving the boy detention in order to question him about his brewing abilities, however, he dismissed the idea again, knowing that he wouldn't tell him the truth anyway. 'I need to gain his trust, before I can ask him,' he resolved.
HP
'We really need to help Neville with Potions,' Harry thought to Hermione, who had been contentedly observing Blaise's brewing from the corner of her eyes.
'We'll do that,' she thought back, just when the professor instructed everyone to bottle one phial and place it on his desk.
Harry almost jumped in surprise, when the teacher suddenly towered over his cauldron, looked intensely at his potion, sniffed at it and finally took a small spoon out of his robe pocket to taste it.
"Potter, do you know how to magically bottle a batch?" he then asked in a soft voice.
"Yes sir," Harry replied in confusion, glancing at Hermione.
"Then bottle the potion for use in the hospital wing," the professor instructed him, unexpectedly. "I shall take it to Madam Pomfrey later on."
"Excuse me, sir, do you use first-year potions in the hospital wing?" Ronald Weasley spoke up in clear bewilderment.
"Yes Weasley, only first and second year potions," Draco Malfoy replied, causing several students to chuckle.
"Only Harry's," Hermione added in a soothing voice, "because he's very good at brewing."
HP
On their way back to the Great Hall for lunch, Harry instructed the Gryffindors to come to the Slytherin table after the meal, so that they could walk to the greenhouses for their Herbology class together.
Their meal at the Ravenclaw table was as enjoyable as at all the other tables, and Harry and Hermione immediately liked their classmates.
"It's a pity that we don't have classes together," Hermione spoke up, causing Harry to nod.
"Maybe we can think of something that enables all first-years to spend some time together, indifferent of their houses," he added, pensively.
"Yes, that would be a great idea," Mandy Brocklehurst, who was sitting next to Hermione, immediately agreed. "I'd like to get to know the Gryffindors and Slytherins."
"Since you both seem to know your way around the castle so well, could any of you perhaps show us the way to the Potions classroom, please?" Mandy then asked.
"Yes please, we keep being late for classes, as we don't know where everything is," Terry Boot added, and Harry agreed immediately.
"Hermione, please lead our class, I'll join you on time," he said, knowing that his wife would understand that he was just going to apparate from the dungeons to the greenhouses.
HP
It was after the last afternoon class that everyone gathered around Harry and Hermione, apparently wondering what they were going to do now.
"It's too bad that we're confined to our houses instead of being able to study all together," Blaise spoke up, and Neville and Lavender voiced their agreement.
'Room of Requirement?' Harry thought to Hermione, who nodded, smiling.
"We know a room, where we could spend some time all together," Harry then told the others, who eagerly followed his lead to the seventh floor, where he made them promise to not tell anyone about their secret room. "Probably not even the teachers know about it," he explained, causing everyone to grin in expectation.
"If you want to come here without me, you can just pace in front of the wall three times and think 'Harry's study room,' Harry informed his classmates, as he led them into the room. The room was a cosy chamber filled with comfortable looking sofas and chairs in various colours as well as tables, which were small but just the right size to study in small groups.
"This is gorgeous," Millicent Bulstrode blurted out. "Come Lavender, let's sit here."
"Maybe we should invite the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs here too," Harry spoke up, as he lowered himself in a chair between Draco and Hermione, motioning Neville and Blaise to join them.
"That's a good idea," Draco agreed, smirking, "even if my father would kill me for studying together with other than Slytherins."
"He doesn't have to know," Hermione replied, smiling.
HP
Ten minutes later, when they were just half-way through their Potions homework, a house-elf popped up in front of Harry.
"Master Harry, I am Twinkle, the headmaster's house-elf," he introduced himself, before he explained that the headmaster wished to see Harry.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to speak with Professor Dumbledore alone, as I don't trust him to have my best interests in mind," Harry replied in a firm voice. "Would it perhaps be possible to ask Professor McGonagall to join us?"
"The four heads of the houses are with the headmaster anyway," Twinkle replied, crisply. "The password for the gargoyle is 'Mars bars'," he informed the boy before popping away.
"Oh well, I better go and see what he wants," Harry groaned, as he packed his book bag. "I'll see you at dinner."
HP
To Harry's surprise, not only the four heads of the houses were gathered in the headmaster's office, but also Ron Weasley along with his parents. 'I didn't even notice that he wasn't in the Room of Requirement with everyone else,' Harry thought, when Fawkes suddenly nestled down on his arm greeting him with a series of happy trills.
"Hi Fawkes," Harry whispered back, smiling.
If the headmaster was surprised about Harry's ability to communicate with his familiar, he did not show it but came straight to the point.
"Mr. Potter, the Sorting Hat requested your presence here. Since Mr. Weasley's school fees are going to be paid before Christmas, I asked the Hat to sort him, so that he'll be able to properly attend Hogwarts from the beginning. However, he told me that it was up to you to decide if Mr. Weasley will be allowed to enrol as a student in spite of the delay in payment."
Harry inwardly rolled his eyes, before he spoke up, slowly. "Excuse me, sir, but why exactly can his school fees only be paid by Christmas? I am sure the goblins at Gringotts would help Mr. and Mrs. Weasley out in such a case."
While Dumbledore was still considering how to reply without giving himself out in front of everyone, McGonagall spoke on his behalf. "Professor Dumbledore promised them to pay the fees for Ronald, however, he got himself into discredit with the goblins and won't be able to provide the money earlier than Christmas."
"Oh, I see," Harry replied, inwardly grinning, as he glared at the headmaster. "Well, since none of this is Ronald's fault, I believe that the Sorting Hat should sort him. If the fees haven't been paid by Christmas, I'm sure that Hogwarts herself will see fit to punish the responsible persons adequately."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Potter, for not holding grudges against my son," Mr. Weasley spoke up, sounding extremely relieved, while his wife rose from her chair and tried to hug Harry - an attempt that failed miserably, as Harry escaped from under her arms and crossed the room in a fast speed.
"Molly!" Mr. Weasley immediately scolded his wife. "Leave Mr. Potter in peace. You've already done enough harm."
Harry just kept quiet, patiently petting Fawkes' crown feathers, as he waited for the permission to leave the headmaster's office.
It was the deputy headmistress who finally did him the favour. "Thank you very much, Mr. Potter," she said, gently. "You may leave now or remain for Ronald's Sorting. It's up to you."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied, smiling at the Scottish lioness, before he promised Fawkes to visit him again and left, resolving to meet with Fawkes for a flight around the lake at the first opportunity. 'I wonder if he'll come if I call him,' he thought, as he walked to the Great Hall, knowing that dinner was going to commence any minute now.
HP
From the Hufflepuff table, Harry observed how a thoroughly annoyed looking Ronald Weasley followed the professors into the Great Hall and took a seat at the far end of the Slytherin table, away from all the other first-years.
'Slytherin? He who even complained sitting next to a Slytherin in class?' Harry thought in surprise, causing his wife to cast him an amused look.
HP
After dinner, all the first-years, except for Ronald Weasley, who was unaware of the matter, met at the Ravenclaw table and under the watchful eyes of their heads of house left the Great Hall together, heading to the Room of Requirement.
In front of the wall, Harry wished for a new, bigger study room with always five seats together in one group as well as a comfortable corner for talking and playing, before he advised his classmates to include at least one member of each house in their group if possible.
To Harry's and Hermione's surprise and delight, their classmates complied, and only when everyone was seated, they slipped into the empty seats that Neville and Susan had kept for them.
Unaware of the fact that their older housemates were wondering where the first-years were spending the evening, the whole class remained in their new study room, doing homework, talking and playing Wizard's Chess with each other until they had to return to their houses on time for curfew.
HP
In the morning, Harry and Hermione were the first of their class to enter the Great Hall for breakfast. They took their seats at the Gryffindor table, from where they observed, smiling, how the other first-years appeared in the Great Hall together with their classmates, instead of arriving alone or in pairs like their older housemates.
"It's amazing how the first-years seem to stick together," Harry heard McGonagall say to her colleagues, sounding truly impressed by the fact.
Harry was just about to think his opinion to Hermione, when the post owls swarmed into the Great Hall and an old barn owl landed on the table in front of him with one foot in his meal, scattering cornflakes everywhere.
Shaking his head in annoyance, Harry took the offered parchment from the owl and offered her a piece of bacon, before he unfolded the letter. 'It's from Mrs. Bones,' he telepathically informed his wife.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
I am very glad to be able to inform you that our employees of the Department of Magical Mysteries have been able to capture Peter Pettigrew alive - thanks to the invaluable information which you provided.
Mr. Sirius Black will have a trial tomorrow morning, to which I would like to invite you. I have sent an owl to Professor McGonagall as the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts and asked her to excuse you from classes tomorrow and allow you to use her fireplace to travel to the Ministry of Magic. Please come to my office at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.
I am looking forward to meeting you!
Best regards
Amelia Bones'
Handing the letter to his wife, Harry turned his eyes towards the high table, from where Professor McGonagall cast him a reassuring look, nodding in confirmation.
'My godfather is going to have a trial tomorrow, how cool is that?' he thought to Hermione, who cast him a genuine smile.
'Let's write to my parents. Maybe he'll need help,' she thought back. 'They'll surely be willing to return to Potter Manor to help him get adjusted to normal life again.'
'Let's apparate to your parents' home and speak with them tonight. That's better than to just write a letter,' Harry replied, causing her to nod in agreement.
HP
It was not before curfew that Harry and Hermione had the opportunity to secretly leave Hogwarts. All of their classmates seemed to like the idea of spending their time together in Harry's study room instead of their own common rooms, especially since most of them by now had made friends with students from other houses, and Harry and Hermione did not want to be missed by the others.
"All right dear, let's leave. We can apparate right into the living room," Hermione instructed Harry, once they had returned to their rooms.
"Maybe we should inform Helena, so that she can cover up for us just in case anyone is looking for us," Harry contradicted, before he called out to the ghost, knowing that she usually spent the evenings in her parents' quarters, which were magically connected to Helga's and Salazar's.
"Don't worry, I'll tell them you were asleep," Helena promised, grinning. "Have fun."
"Mione, shouldn't we transform into our phoenix forms and flash?" Harry suddenly asked. "Your parents will probably be less shocked if we arrive as birds than in our human forms."
Seeing Hermione transform into her phoenix form and flash away in spite of responding, Harry followed her example and concentrated on Emma's and Dan's living room in their Muggle residence. However, when he arrived at his destination, the room was laying in the dark, and he could not sense any other being except for his wife nearby.
They both transformed back into their human forms, and Hermione switched on the lights. "Mum, Dad," she called out, before she headed into the adjacent kitchen.
"They're not here," she said, seemingly distressed. "It doesn't even look as if they had been here recently."
Harry gently laid his arm around her back. "Don't worry, love. Maybe they're still at Potter Manor," he said in a soft voice. "Let's just apparate this time." With that, he firmly gripped her hand, before they both apparated to Potter Manor.
tbc...
Thank you very much for your kind comments!