Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
Every Sunday morning since the beginning of the year, Augusta Longbottom travelled to Hogwarts to visit her children and grandson for a few hours.
"Alice, don't you mind Mother coming over every Sunday?" Frank cast her a questioning look.
Alice stared at her husband in shock. "Of course not. It's fine, especially after she stopped questioning our allegiances at every visit."
Frank chuckled. "I wonder how long she's going to remain on Albus' side, before she'll be ready to listen to us."
Alice smirked. "Don't put any pressure on her, love. I am so grateful to her for raising Neville for us. I know that he did not exactly have a happy childhood, but he is a well-educated and lovable boy. The two of us couldn't have done better. Regina told me that he was very shy when he first came to visit Harry, but that he has completely changed since then."
"He looks very happy to me."
"That he is." Alice smiled. "He loves attending classes with Harry and the elves, and he thoroughly enjoys assisting Professor Sprout in the greenhouses. Did you know that Nihil always joins him in the greenhouses? He seems equally interested in Herbology as Neville."
"Do you remember that it was my favourite subject at school?" Frank grinned broadly.
"Of course. Had Professor Sprout been of the age that she is now, you might have become her successor." Alice smirked.
"No dear, I would have had to take the mastery, before I'd have been able to teach."
Alice nodded. "That's true." 'He'd have done so then,' she thought, letting out a deep sigh. "On the one hand, I am looking forward to Felix being born soon. As Neville and Harry are so grown up already, I can't wait to be the godmother to a baby again. On the other hand, I have become used to having Ana help me around our quarters, so that I'm going to miss her badly." She shrugged. "It's not because of the work, but she's nice to talk to. I understand why Harry and Neville are so fond of their elf friends."
Frank remained thoughtful for a moment, before he suggested, "Let's speak with Harry about it. He seems to be the organiser for everything concerning elves. Perhaps, he can find us another elf or even find one for his brother if Ana agrees to become your elf. On a different note, what would you think about becoming a mother to a baby again?"
Alice's eyes widened in surprise and enthusiasm. "I'd love that. Are you ready though?"
"Whenever you are. Albus asked me if I wished to become the new professor for Arithmancy from September onwards, so that we'll have an income again and these quarters will be our permanent living quarters." When he held out his hand to her, apparently ready to retire for the night, Alice thought that he was as remarkable as he had been before their nine years of absence. 'Beautiful inside and outside,' she thought, happily. 'Just like my oldest son and godson are.'
HP
On March 8, Felix was born. When Harry woke up in the morning, he felt that Alice was sitting on the edge of his bed, and from Lucy's noises of apparent contentedness, he realised that she was cuddling Lucy.
"Good morning, Aunt Alice, is Felix born?"
Alice chuckled, apparently realising how excited he was. "Yes, Felix was born during the night. Your parents are both in the hospital wing together with Misty. Her baby Lucky was born about an hour before Felix, and your mother and Misty decided to stay in the same room together.
"Teddy!" Harry shouted in excitement. "Have you already visited your baby brother?"
"Yes, I visited Lucky and also Felix, but they were both asleep. Come, I will show you the babies."
"Aunt Alice, could you please magically exchange my clothes? I can't wait to visit Felix and Lucky."
To his relief, his unofficial godmother simply chuckled, before she waved her wand. Harry felt the magic, nodding in relief, when Lucy showed him his new outfit.
"Thank you, Aunt Alice, Lucy, are you ready?"
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Teddy's hand with his left hand and Lucy's paw in his right hand and simply popped over to the small teachers' room behind the hospital wing, where he could sense Regina and Misty.
HP
Felix was as cute as a button but very small, and Lucky looked exactly like Teddy but was even tinier.
Poppy ushered them both into chairs, before she gently laid Felix into Harry's arms and repeated the process with Lucky. The proud fathers were hovering on the other side of their wives' beds.
"Hi Felix, hi Lucky." Harry was the first to speak. "We're Teddy and Harry, your big brothers, and this is Lucy, the best dog ever. Welcome to Hogwarts. You're both very lucky indeed."
Lucy carefully sniffed at Felix, before she gently licked his face all over and then walked over to Teddy's other side to sniff and lick Lucky. While Felix simply continued to sleep, Lucky began to cry.
"Please give him to me, Teddy. I think he must be hungry."
Harry and Teddy observed in amazement how Misty fed Lucky, and it did not take long for Felix to become restless as well. Harry observed in amazement how his tiny mouth bent to let out a small wail of apparent unhappiness.
"I believe that not only your younger brothers but also your mothers need some rest." Severus nodded at Harry and Teddy. "Let's return home for a while. According to Poppy, we may come back in the afternoon to pick up Regina and Felix.
"Teddy, we will return home, too." Cicero added.
"I will go with Harry. Our class with Remus will begin soon."
"Only in about two hours. It's only seven o'clock in the morning," Cicero informed his overexcited son, before they all took their leave allowing the new-borns and their mothers to sleep.
HP
Remus' and Miranda's son James was born just a week after Felix and Amelia's and Sirius' daughter Lily at the end of the month. While Alice and Frank were Felix' godparents, the Lupins and the Blacks had asked Severus and Regina to become godparents to their babies.
"They're lucky, because all three of them can attend Hogwarts together," Harry said, when he and his parents returned from the Black house at Grimmauld Place with Felix and Lucy, where they had visited Baby Lily and her parents.
"Harry." Severus gave him a sharp look. "Last night, Marvolo called me. He asked me for a couple of potions and invited us for the first of May to celebrate the Beltaine festival."
"Another ritual?" Harry asked in anticipation.
"Well, the Beltaine festival is another Celtic holiday to celebrate the beginning of summer, and he wants to have another ritual to pray for Felix's health and happiness."
"May I accompany you?" Harry felt excited at the idea of another ritual.
"Of course, Harry," Severus replied, gently ruffling his hair, before he carefully took Felix from Regina with the instruction to make him burp.
tbc tomorrow...
Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. I appreciate it very much, and my muse really needs the feedback. Thank you.