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.
To Harry's relief, they arrived in their quarters in the morning of the first of January like planned.
"It's only nine o'clock, so we have the whole day to get used to being back in the future," Ceridwen said, smiling. Making Neko sit on her lap, she took her front paws into both hands, looked into the kitten's eyes and explained, "During the school year, we're going to live one thousand years in the future. We still live at Hogwarts, so nothing much changes."
"Everything probably smells quite differently from our own time though," Harry added.
'As long as you're here with us and we're at Hogwarts, it's no problem,' Hygieia replied, and Harry quickly informed Ceridwen and Neko what his familiar had told him, glad when Neko began to purr in apparent consent.
"Now, when you're finished talking with your pets, shall I call Professor Snape over?" Salazar suddenly spoke up from the portrait of the founders.
"Yes please, Salazar," Harry and Ceridwen replied, simultaneously.
"Godric, could you please inform Professor McGonagall that we're back…"
"… and ask if she would mind coming to see us for a moment?" Harry completed Ceridwen's question, nodding contentedly, when the founder left the painting.
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A few minutes later, the Gryffindor and Slytherin heads stepped into the living room, where they were introduced to Neko and Hygieia, much to the two professors' excitement.
"A Hygieian griffin?" Severus asked, incredulously. "I've heard of them, but they're extremely rare. I'm sure that there's not even one in Britain at this time."
"I've never heard of an Aesculapian Kneazle," Minerva admitted, looking at the kitten in apparent amazement.
"They might be extinct in our time, too," Severus replied.
"Would you mind," Minerva spoke up, sounding uncharacteristically excited, "me transforming into my Animagus form for a moment to speak with Neko and Hygieia if she's able to understand me?"
"Of course not," Harry chuckled, giving the professor an encouraging nod.
After a second, the three felines made themselves comfortable cuddling against each other in front of the fireplace.
"Oh good, now that we've efficiently occupied the professor and our familiars, shall we speak with Severus about Quirrell?" Ceridwen suggested in a small voice, making Harry ponder the matter.
"Perhaps we should tell them together," he contradicted. "Why don't you hand Severus his letters? While he reads them, we could go and unpack."
Ceridwen immediately agreed and handed letters from each of the founders to Severus, who smirked and engrossed himself in his reading. The children headed to their own rooms unpacking their bags, which mostly contained of their Christmas presents, as it was not worth bringing their clothes from their own time to the future anyway.
'Thank Merlin, we have our own rooms in both times, where we can just leave everything,' Harry thought, gratefully.
When Harry returned to the living room, almost at the same time as Ceridwen, the three felines were still curled up in front of the fireplace, which was now bigger than before.
"I took the liberty of enlarging your fireplace a little. I hope that was all right," Severus spoke up, giving the first-years a questioning look.
"Of course…"
"…. That's fine," the children replied in amusement, images of two griffins and two cats comfortably cuddling in front of the larger fireplace in their minds.
They made themselves comfortable on the sofa, waiting for Minerva to transform back. To Harry's relief, she seemed to notice that the children needed to speak with them and swiftly changed back into her human form.
"Sorry for that," Minerva apologized, causing the children to shake their heads.
"No Professor, that was fully all right, and I'm sure that Neko and Hygieia enjoyed your company very much," Ceridwen replied, smiling.
"Please feel free and come to cuddle with them at any time," Harry added.
"There's something we need to speak about with the two of you though," he continued, while Ceridwen handed Minerva her letters from the founders.
Minerva thanked her and motioned for Harry to go ahead, pocketing the letters in her robe pocket.
HP
"According to Rowena's visions, Professor Quirrell is possessed by the one who gave me my scar," Harry began to speak and shortly explained about the spells, which they were supposed to get rid of the spirit.
"We shall set him up accordingly and cast the spell together," Severus decided, glancing at Minerva.
"Of course," his colleague agreed in apparent determination. "We could call him to the staff room and have the children there under layers of invisibility spells," she suggested.
After a short discussion, during which the professors agreed to refrain from spending a few weeks of their own research and instead trust Rowena Ravenclaw, they decided to pull through with the plan as soon as possible.
"We need to see what events the headmaster is going to come up with, before we'll be able to fix a date," Severus informed them. "I'd suggest a Saturday morning, when you're well rested instead of casting such an important spell after using magic in class. However, we can't do it today, as the headmaster isn't supposed to be aware of your presence at Hogwarts. Next weekend, we have the Quidditch match Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor, which Minerva can't miss, and the following weekend is the first Hogsmeade weekend, and one of us might have to attend as chaperone."
"However, we'll try to make it happen as soon as possible," Minerva promised. She remained pensive for a moment before adding, "I'll speak with Poppy and have her come up with a reason to exempt you from your Defence Against the Dark Arts class for the time being."
"Please go to see Madam Pomfrey right after the welcoming feast tonight," Severus instructed him. "She'll afterwards inform the headmaster, who in turn will inform Quirrell."
Ceridwen gave him an encouraging nod. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey, so you don't have to explain anything to your housemates."
Harry let out a sigh of utter relief. "Thank you all so much for your help. I'd really prefer to not attend any classes with Quirrell anymore, knowing the company he's in."
The professors nodded in confirmation. "Harry and Ceridwen, one thing concerning your familiars," Severus changed the topic. "Please do not tell your classmates or anyone about their special abilities. The fact that you have a griffin alone will allow people to speculate where you were able to obtain an animal which is supposed to be extinct at this time. Since Neko looks like a normal cat, that won't be a problem as long as no one knows about her powers."
"Yes sir," Ceridwen and Harry replied, simultaneously.
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The first few weeks of classes passed uneventfully. When his classmates asked Harry in apparent concern why he was exempt from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, he told them something of a muscle problem, on which he had agreed with the healer.
To explain where he had received his griffin was much more complicated. However, Harry merely said that it had appeared in his room on Christmas Day and that he did not have a clue where it had come from. Even if he had the impression that no one really believed him, he stuck to his explanation, merely shrugging at the disbelieving looks he received.
One day at the end of January, Minerva and Severus told the children that they wanted to try casting the spells on Professor Quirrell on Saturday morning. Even if Harry and Ceridwen had somehow got used to getting their overflowing magic in grip when using a wand, the professors still kept up with their evening lessons for the two first-years. They did not necessarily practise during the hour between the last afternoon class and dinner, but also spent much time discussing the time of the founding of Hogwarts, the time of Harry's parents as well as the current situation of Hogwarts. They also confirmed that Hermione owed both of them a life debt, however, emphasized that the girl, since muggleborn, was probably not aware of the fact, and Harry and Ceridwen had promised not to do anything about it anyway.
Severus conjured a dummy like the one, which he had seen in Harry's memory of Rowena's practice with the children, and motioned the children to practise their spell once again, only to vanquish the dummy quickly upon realising that the two first-years could cast it flawlessly.
"The other spell we can't practise, but are you sure that you know how to call him to the front?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow at Harry.
"Yes sir, I'm certain," Harry confirmed.
HP
On Saturday morning right after breakfast, the two friends followed Minerva and Severus to the staff room, where the professors cast an invisibility charm at them, which made them invisible to everyone but the four of them, and instructed the first-years to sit on two comfortable chairs, which stood separated from the table.
"It'll give you some space and also ensure that you won't be too close to Professor Quirrell, so that hopefully your headache won't become unbearable," Severus said, giving invisible Harry a concerned look.
'I hope Quirrell will come soon,' Harry thought, impatiently, 'before the professors are going to go through the whole procedure again. They seem to be more excited than Ceridwen and me.'
At last, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor stepped into the staff room and took a seat opposite of his colleagues. "You wa… wa… wanted to speak with m… m… me?" he enquired.
Although he was automatically tempted to hear the teachers' response, Harry immediately forced himself to cast the spell, which was going to give him an immense headache, unobtrusively nodding his head, as he felt the immediate effect.
"Kill the boy, before he kills me," a strange, high pitched voice shouted. "He must be nearby, invisibly. I can sense him," it continued, causing Quirrell to turn into Harry's direction.
However, before the professor could even reach for his wand, Harry began to cast the well-practised spell, together with Ceridwen and the professors, only to sigh in relief, when the professor slumped on his chair, unconscious, and the headache subsided.
"I think it worked," he breathed, letting himself sink back onto his chair in exhaustion.
He barely noticed when Minerva called the headmaster and the professors told him the story, on which they had agreed beforehand.
"The children got to know that Quirinus was possessed and researched a spell to vanquish the spirit?" Dumbledore asked, incredulously.
"Well, they asked us for help, and we made them practise the spell often enough, before we allowed them to try it," Minerva explained, before she, seemingly impatient, asked the headmaster to check on their colleague and possibly take him to St. Mungo's.
"The headmaster seemed disappointed that we did not come to him for advice," Ceridwen spoke up, once Dumbledore had left with the still unconscious professor.
Harry let out a snort. "Why would we do such a thing?" he enquired. "He was the one who placed me with the Dursleys. I wouldn't trust him to have our best interests in mind."
"Exactly," Minerva replied, grimly.
"Don't worry, Ceridwen and Harry. The headmaster listens to Minerva. If he ever calls you to his office, please inform Minerva and me. You won't have to speak with him on your own. Even if he won't harm you, he might question you or even cast Legilimency.
Harry chuckled, as he replied, "Salazar is a Master Occlumens and has taught us since we were eight. I don't think that Dumbledore would be able to see much in our minds if he tried."
"That's good to hear," Minerva said, smirking. "It's Professor Dumbledore though."
"Did you, by chance, speak with Hogwarts about the curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position yet?" Severus queried.
"Oh no, sir, I'm so sorry; I completely forgot about that," Harry apologised. "I'll speak with her right away."
"That would be good, as I don't deem Professor Quirrell able to teach again and would like to offer the post to Remus Lupin as soon as possible," the deputy headmistress informed him.
"Shall we go to our own rooms for that?" Harry suggested, and Ceridwen and Severus quickly followed him, while Minerva headed to the headmaster's office to wait for Dumbledore to return and give his consent for her to call Remus Lupin.
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Harry placed his hand against the wall. "Hi Hogwarts, do you know something about a curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position?" he asked, urgently.
"Hi Harry, that was a wonderful job you did over in the staff room," the castle commended him, before she pondered the matter and said, "There is a curse. Do you want me to try removing it?"
"Yes please," Harry said, giving the wall a hopeful look, "if that's possible."
"Please give me a moment," the old lady's voice instructed him.
Glancing at Ceridwen and Severus, who were both looking at him in clear expectation, Harry waited, before Hogwarts spoke again a minute later.
"There was a curse on the position, but I've cleared it," she informed Harry. "If they hire a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, he should be able to remain on the position as long as he wants."
"Thank you so much, Hogwarts," Harry replied, letting out a deep sigh. "You're the best."
"Only as good as the six founders who built me," Hogwarts replied in a soft voice. "You're very welcome, dear. Speak to me soon, Harry."
"I will," Harry promised, before he slowly removed his hand from the wall.
HP
At dinner time, the headmaster shortly explained that Professor Quirrell had been possessed by Voldemort and that two of his colleagues had destroyed the spirit of Voldemort. "Professor Quirrell was harmed by the possession and is now recovering at St. Mungo's. I don't believe that he will come back to Hogwarts to teach," the headmaster informed everyone and introduced Remus Lupin to the student body as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
'He probably doesn't even know that the curse is broken,' Harry thought in amusement, as he carefully fed Hygieia and Neko, who were cuddling next to his feet, some small pieces of chicken.
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Lucius Malfoy sat at the desk in his office, putting Draco's letter onto the desk after reading it five times.
'They destroyed the Dark Lord's spirit,' he mused. 'That means that he isn't dead as many assumed. However, since this spirit is gone, he needs help. I shall be the one to assist him back to full glory, and I'm going to be his right hand. Draco should have told me much sooner, considering that this seems to have happened almost three months ago. I'm going to tell him as much in my letter.'
"Dobby," he called one of his most trusted house-elves. "There's a black book in the cellar. Fetch it and show it to me."
"Yes Master Lucius," the elf replied promptly and popped away, only to return with the desired object an instant later.
'Good,' Lucius thought and instructed the elf what to do with the object. "Remain invisible and don't let yourself be discovered," he demanded.
"Yes Master Lucius," Dobby replied and popped away with the Horcrux.
tbc...
Thank you so much for your kind comments on this story! Today, I have a question, as I am just at a point, where I need to decide this: Whom should I pair Harry with? Ceridwen? Ginny? Anyone else? Please let me know - thank you :)