The Stubborn Old Headmaster
by Teddylonglong
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 bashing!
It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Reviews are very welcome, as they inspire my muse. Thank you so much for your kind reviews for the previous chapter!
Severus sighed. "Apparently, the Dumbledore ghost talked to the portrait of Eileen Blair, who is a relative of the Malfoys and has a portrait at Malfoy Manor. She told Lucius about our Hogsmeade visit."
"Where is that portrait?" Harry queried, trying to keep the anger out of his voice, causing Minerva to snort.
"Your friends, Hermione and Ginny, already took care of the portrait," Severus explained, smirking. "They burnt the portrait including the witch down mere hours after they were released from the hospital wing back in February."
ハリーと頑固な校長先生
The new school year began with lots of homework, and Harry and his classmates groaned, as all the teachers held monologues to them about what to expect being a sixth year and in the NEWT level classes. A few weeks into the new school year, Harry thought, 'We really need some fun. I have to think about something.' However, as much as he thought about it, he could not come up with a good idea, especially as he was very busy with his homework besides Quidditch practice and spending time at home playing with his brother every evening.
To his great amusement, it was his brother who finally gave him an idea. The five-year-old was still talking about the circus that had intrigued him so much, especially since he liked animals a lot. One day, he said to Harry, "Harry, I know what I want to be come when I'm big and finish Hogwarts." Seeing his adored big brother give him a curious look, he continued, "I want to become an animal healer, you know like Hagrid is helping animals, but I want to be a healer who can really cure them if they're sick."
"That sounds like a great idea, Felix! I'm sure you will make a great animal healer," Harry replied in surprise and amazement at his brother's choice.
"You think so?" Felix asked, excitedly jumping up and down with both legs. "Then I can also help the animals in the circus, and I'll have lots of money to watch the circus every day."
"That's a brilliant idea," Harry agreed, "and that reminds me of something. Uncle Godric, Uncle Tom and I should slowly begin practising if we want to participate in the circus in our Animagus forms next summer."
"Yay!" Felix shouted in excitement. "And I go and watch every day! Can I also watch your practice?"
Harry couldn't help laughing at his brother's enthusiasm. "I think so, but first of all I have to come up with an idea of what we are going to do. We have to plan everything out, before we can practise, don't we?"
Felix rolled his eyes. "That's easy. Uncle Godric is a unicorn or a dragon, something big anyway. Uncle Tom and you ride on it. Then all three of you transform into something else. That will be so funny!"
"What's going on here?" Minerva asked curiously, looking into Felix's room as she heard the boys giggling and chuckling.
Harry quickly filled her in on Felix's plan, causing the professor to smile as well. "I believe the idea is not bad, and at least it doesn't sound too dangerous. Maybe you could make use of the winter holidays to begin practising?"
"Yeah, I'll ask Uncle Tom and Uncle Godric later on," Harry said thoughtfully, just when another idea crossed his mind. 'Well, it's going to be a tad more dangerous than just riding on the back of Uncle Godric, of course,' he mused, absently listening to his mother telling Felix to go and get ready for bed.
"Harry? Harry! Harry, are you listening at all?" Minerva's voice suddenly penetrated his mind, and his mother was looking at him in clear exasperation.
"Oh, sorry Mum, I was thinking about the circus. I really like Felix's idea," Harry apologized quickly.
"Yes, it sounds interesting; however, please don't forget to be careful. Your safety is the most important thing," Minerva said softly as she stepped over to her oldest son and gently laid her arm around his shoulders. "Harry, are you feeling all right?" she asked worriedly. "You're very pale."
"Of course, I'm fine." Harry gave his adoptive mother an astonished look. "I've just been really busy lately, you know with lots of homework and such."
"All right, dear; nevertheless, your father and I would like you to remain here tonight. We hardly had time to speak with you outside of class the past few weeks, even if you came here to play with Felix every day."
"Okay," Harry agreed and skimmed his brother's bookshelf for a bedtime story, while his mother tucked the little tyke into bed.
Harry chose one of Felix's favourite animal stories, knowing from his experience that his brother, who looked very tired from his earlier excitement, would fall asleep within the first two pages. Grinning to himself, as he observed his brother's breathing even out, Harry quietly placed the book back into the bookshelf and headed out into the living room, stretching out on the sofa, while he waited for his parents to return.
When Minerva and Severus entered the living room ten minutes later, Harry was fast asleep as well.
"Severus, do you think Harry is all right?" Minerva asked as she sat on the edge of the sofa, observing the boy in concern.
"What makes you believe that he isn't?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.
"He looks so pale, and he seems to be tired all the time. Even Poppy noticed and asked me if he was getting enough fresh air and sleep."
Severus remained pensive for a moment, studying his older son's face, before he replied, "I believe that he's just fine, Minerva. He's just very busy with studying, Quidditch and still taking the time to play with Felix every night. You know the pressure we're putting on our sixth-year students."
"Yes, well, but not all of them look outright ill like Harry does."
"I believe, and Poppy shares my opinion, that Harry's health condition is still weak because of the injuries he suffered this past spring," Severus said thoughtfully. "They have probably taken a toll on his immune system. Why don't you suggest to him spending the weekends at home, so we can watch him more closely?"
"I'd feel much better if he stayed here over the weekends," Minerva replied. "Would you be willing to suggest it to him though? If I ask him, he'll think I'm overreacting."
Severus chuckled. "He won't, but, yes, I'll speak with him in the morning." Looking at Harry's sleeping figure, he sighed. "I believe he's already sleeping for the night. Let me put him to bed." With that he gently scooped the boy into his arms and carried him to his room.
"Is he all right?" Minerva queried, noticing that Severus cast a quick diagnostic spell on Harry after placing him onto his bed and tucking him in.
"Yes, my dear; he is fine. Now let me make sure you're fine too," Severus replied, smirking as he gently pulled Minerva out of their son's room and into their own bedroom.
In the morning, Severus spoke with Harry, and although the boy felt slightly annoyed at his parents' over protectiveness, he agreed to spend the weekends at home. Even if he mostly gave in to please his parents, he knew deep down that he was not as healthy as his classmates due to the incidents earlier in the year, and he was glad to have such a caring family.
Needless to say, Felix was over the moon with joy when he heard that Harry was going to spend the weekends at home again, and he immediately invented a new game, in which Harry should transform into an animal that was sick, and Felix would play the animal healer trying to cure the animal of whatever imaginary illness or injury the poor animal was suffering from. He even asked Poppy to teach him a few healing spells, which were likely to work on animals, and practised them with a toy wand the Weasley twins had given to him for his fifth birthday. Soon, the whole school knew that Felix wanted to become an animal healer after his NEWTs thirteen years into the future.
"What's so funny?" Severus queried as he heard a few of his colleagues laugh about his small son already saying he wanted to be an animal healer. "When I was three, I knew exactly what I wanted, and that was to become a Potions Master. Why wouldn't Felix know what he wants to do?"
ハリーと頑固な校長先生
Godric and Tom were all in for Harry's and Felix's ideas concerning the circus, and the three wizards spent a huge part of their winter holidays practising for the circus. While they could practise the first part anywhere, they needed a larger room for the second part.
"We could use the Room of Requirement," Harry suggested, "and we also need someone, oh well, at least six people, to help us. Perhaps we could ask Teddy and five of the other elf students or just friends of Teddy if they'd be willing to assist."
"That's a great idea," Tom agreed. "This way, we won't involve any humans, only animals and elves in our act..."
"Which is good, because we want the people to acknowledge that elves can do the same things as humans," Harry quickly interrupted the headmaster, "especially since I believe it's time to allow more than two elves in each class to attend Hogwarts."
"Just leave it to Harry to continue his fight for the elf rights at any time, including a circus," Godric chuckled. "Very well then, ask your elf friends."
Harry called Teddy right away, and, as could be expected, his friend was enthusiastic about the idea of helping with the circus. Teddy quickly gathered six friends, and the elves spent two evenings a week with the three wizards, secretly practising for the second part of their act.
Since Felix was allowed to watch the practice for the first part and enthusiastically told everyone about it, the whole Hogwarts staff as well as Harry's friends knew what the three wizards were planning; however, they managed to keep the second part a complete secret.
ハリーと頑固な校長先生
For Harry, with school work, Quidditch, play time with his brother, practice for the circus and dates with his girlfriend, on heavily guarded Hogsmeade visits, the school year flew by, and before he really became aware of the fact, the summer holidays had begun.
During the first weeks of the summer holidays, Harry, Godric and Tom intensified their practice, and as soon as the huge circus tent was put up on the Hogwarts grounds, they proceeded to practise in the tent where they'd put the act on when the circus opened.
Felix was very disappointed not to be allowed to watch any of the practices that were held within the tent, but Hagrid and Harry made it very clear that no one except for the participants were allowed into the tent before the first of July.
"But if one of the animals gets hurt during practice, they'll need an animal healer," he pouted, proudly waving his yellow toy wand at his brother.
"Well, in case we need a healer for one of the animals, I'll make sure to call you, dear," Harry promised, scooping the boy up and setting him on his shoulders. "Let's go to the lake and see if you remember how to throw stones."
ハリーと頑固な校長先生
Although Felix could not wait for the day to come, the first of July arrived, much too soon for Harry's liking, and the circus opened to the magical world. Over the last few days, the circus and the participation of three wizards and six elves from Hogwarts had been the main topic among the Hogwarts staff, and everyone, who had remained in the castle over the holidays, was expectantly sitting in the tent on this sunny summer afternoon, waiting for the show to begin.
"When are they going to begin?" Felix queried for the umpteenth time, causing everyone around him to laugh, while Minerva sighed in exasperation.
"Felix, I'm sure it's going to commence soon," she repeated to her son for the umpteenth time.
"The tent is completely full," Severus whispered, "and Hagrid told me that the circus is completely booked out for the whole season. Thank Merlin he gave us tickets for Felix and two adults in advance."
"Ah, but that's fantastic," Minerva replied in amazement. "I'm really happy for Hagrid."
"Shh, be quiet; it's going to start," Felix impatiently interrupted his parents' hushed conversation.
The circus began with Hagrid's show of magical animals, and the people watched in growing amazement how unicorns, hippogriffs and grindylows performed their intriguing shows.
While Hagrid and Madame Maxime took turns leading through the show, the Weasley twins acted as clowns, performing a small part between acts.
"They're hilarious," Minerva laughed, and even Felix enjoyed the twins' performance, for an instant forgetting about the fact that he was impatiently waiting for his brother to appear.
Finally, it was Godric's, Tom's and Harry's turn to perform their first act. Godric strolled into the arena in form of a small dinosaur with two griffins sitting on his back. Under huge applause, the griffins jumped down onto the floor and transformed into a lion and a tiger. The two animals ran around the arena for a moment, before they performed a mystical dance around the ring. The three animals continued changing their forms a few times, before the smaller animals turned into chameleons, and the third animal, now transformed into an elephant that used its proboscis to carefully pick them up and place them onto its back, where the two chameleons blended in with the elephant's tough grey skin. Finally, all three animals transformed into phoenixes and under huge applause left the arena by flashing away in a bright flash of fire.
Again, the Weasley twins performed a few tricks, before Hagrid once more led several kinds of magical animals into the arena. Only towards the end of the whole show, seven elves in rainbow coloured clothing entered the arena. The elves conjured three large rings that were completely surrounded by flames. Each ring was held by two elves, who positioned themselves in equal distances apart around the arena, while the seventh elf stood in the centre of the arena and whistled.
On the elf's sign, three griffins came running into the arena, higgledy-piggledy running around between the elves, until the elf once more whistled, causing the three griffins to jump into the air a few times. Each time, they jumped a bit higher, and it was apparent to the spectators that they were preparing to fly through the flaming hoops.
Neither Minerva nor Severus noticed Felix leave his seat between them. Only when the small boy stumbled into the arena, shouting, "Harry! No!" did everyone notice the small child, and Harry, who was just half-way through the hoop, looked downwards at his brother's panicked voice, causing him to lose his concentration and stumble on the ring of fire.