Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
"You simply told the headmaster that Teddy is going to become a first-year?" Severus eyed him in apparent amusement. "What a Gryffindor thing to do."
'What?' Harry thought, worriedly. 'I wouldn't want to be a Gryffindor, especially as Severus and Marvolo certainly expect me to become sorted into Slytherin.'
Regina chuckled. "In any case, it was a very gentle thing to do, Harry. I am not as acquainted with Hogwarts as Severus, but I believe that what you did for Teddy would rather be Hufflepuffish than Gryffindorish."
Harry inwardly groaned. "I wonder where I'm going to be sorted," he mused aloud.
Severus gave him a sharp look. "I doesn't matter where you're going to be sorted. You'll do well in any house. Remember that you're the heir of all four founders, which means that you have traits of all four houses. Just don't be disappointed if Teddy ends up in a different house from you, son. In fact, it is more likely that you'll end up in different houses than that you'll get sorted into the same house."
"What about Neville and Draco?" Harry absentmindedly played with Lucy's ears. "Will I be able to remain friends with them, even if they're in different houses?"
"If you wish to remain friends, you'll find a way. Did I not tell you that your birth mother was in Gryffindor, while I was in Slytherin, and we were still best friends?"
Harry nodded, feeling very much reassured by his father's words. 'Still, I'm going to miss being able to sit at any house table, where I just want to sit, during the meals,' he thought.
HP
Unlike the previous years, Harry did not have any classes during the summer holidays. Not only Remus, but also Poppy, Misty and Cicero decided that he should spend the summer just enjoying himself together with his friends.
When Misty asked if he was going to join them on the Isle of Elves again, Harry eagerly nodded, before he quietened, as a sudden thought struck his mind. "Felix. No, I think I can't go this year. I'll have to be here for Felix. Otherwise, won't he miss me? He won't understand when I tell him that I'll be back after a week or two."
"Harry, I advise you to speak with Regina or Severus about it, but I believe that Felix still sleeps through most of the day anyway, so that he won't miss you too much, and your parents will manage without your help for two weeks, especially as it's during the summer holidays and they don't have other obligations."
HP
To Harry's relief, Regina and Severus fully agreed with Misty and advised him to accompany the elves to the Isle of Elves for at least two weeks. To his and Teddy's disappointment, Ana and Nihil were not able to travel with them due to being Alice's and Neville's elves; however, Harry and Teddy were busy enough looking after Lucky. The four-month-old elf was just able to walk and was running all over the place on his little feet.
"Was I as bad as him, when I was four months old?" Teddy asked Harry, who shook his head. "No, Teddy, I don't think so. Do you think Granny Anastasia would be willing to look after him for a while? I'd love to go and visit Bandhu. He promised to introduce me to the big library."
Teddy's eyes widened in apparent eagerness. "May I come?"
"Of course." Harry chuckled, as he had not expected anything else from his best friend.
Hearing that they were heading to see Bandhu, Anastasia immediately agreed to watch Lucky, and from that time onwards, Harry, Teddy and Lucy spent every afternoon in the library. They were especially interested in the history of the Isle of Elves.
"I wonder why the relationship between elves and humans is so strange," Harry said after spending a whole week in the library. "How could they even think about enslaving the elves?"
"Let's ask Bandhu," Teddy suggested, and the trio quickly made their way to the office of the Elder Elves.
HP
"This is still a result of the human - elven war, which took place from 1252 to 1256." Bandhu's voice was laced with annoyance. "The wizards won the war and enslaved the elves, believing that the elves are their minors," the elder elf said, patiently. "It's even part of the wizards' law, written in the Statute of Supremacy made by the British Ministry of Magic. Maybe you have heard of that?" Bandhu gave them a questioning look.
"No, sir." Their response was simultaneous and genuine, causing Bandhu to smirk. He held out his hand, and a moment later, an old-looking tome floated down from the bookshelf right into his hand.
"Read this if you wish to know more. You may borrow it, but do not take it with you into the human world. It must remain on the Isle of Elves just like any of the library books."
"We won't take anything with us." Teddy nodded to emphasize his promise.
"Thank you, sir." Harry smiled at the gentle Elder Elf. "Please give me some time, before I will ask the Minister of Magic to rescind the Statute of Supremacy. Or perhaps better the Wizengamot. I'm not sure, but I'll ask my father and Marvolo how to best proceed."
"I will help." Teddy grinned broadly. Bandhu, did our Granny tell you that I am going to attend Hogwarts together with Harry and the other students?"
Bandhu nodded. "Yes, Anastasia told us, and we're all very proud of the two of you. Well done, Harry and Teddy."
The two weeks on the Isle of Elves passed in a blur, and before Harry realised how fast the time passed, they were back at Hogwarts.
HP
Harry was happy to be able to spend some time with Felix, who slowly began to remain awake for longer times, and also with Neville, who was delighted to have him back.
"Hogwarts was boring without you and the twins." Neville let out a deep sigh.
"Did you not help Professor Sprout in the greenhouses?" Harry queried in surprise.
"Yes, I did, and it was much fun, but still, I missed you all, and my father was busy preparing himself to teach Arithmancy, and my mother is pregnant and often feels unwell."
Harry nodded in understanding. "I'm here now," he reassured his friend. "I'd like Draco to come and visit like he did last year though."
Severus nodded in understanding, when Harry hesitantly voiced his wish. "I shall pay the Malfoys a visit and speak with them. I believe that Lucius is somehow disappointed in Marvolo, because he is not as dark as he was, when he was under the Imperius curse."
"What does that have to do with Harry?" Regina looked from Severus to Harry in apparent disbelief.
Severus let out a deep sigh. "All the followers of the Dark Lord are aware that Harry and Marvolo are good friends this time around. Perhaps, Lucius has not yet decided if he wants to remain on the Dark Lord's side or rather defy him for a darker path. I can imagine that if he wanted to defy the Dark Lord, he wouldn't be happy if his son were best friends with Harry."
'Draco's father is an idiot then,' Harry thought; however, knew better than to voice his thoughts about others, let alone about other members of the Wizengamot.
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.