Second Chances
Chapter 17: You're welcome
It was a sad group of people that was sitting in front of the Headmaster in a homely room adjacent to his office. Tears were still falling free as the McGonagalls mourned the death of their beloved Grandmother. Jeanne was perched on the back of the sofa on which Severus and Lily were seated, bemoaning her old human friend in her own way. The children were clinging to their father in deep emotional pain, though their suffering was a silent one, making them seem older than their years. Lily was holding tightly onto Severus, at least as tightly as she was able to in her semi-conscious state of exhaustion, while the Potions Master filled Albus in on what had happened at the DarkWood. He talked and talked, and his silver-haired friend didn't interrupt him once, just listened attentively to his words. When he was finished, the usual twinkle in Albus' eyes had dimmed, and his expression mirrored the grief on the others' faces.
"Who would have thought... after all these years," he said softly, shaking his head, "... if only she had told me..."
Heather looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and said hoarsely: "She wanted to, but after your defeat of Grindelwald, Voldemort was watching you very closely, knowing you were probably the only danger to his rise to power, and then he would have found out about the DarkWood and all would have been in vain."
The Headmaster raised one silver eyebrow gently at the girl. "As things are, he has found out now. What makes this situation different?"
This time it was Holly who answered. "The time is right," she said simply, meeting the older wizard's gaze calmly.
Albus kept their locked eyes for a moment, and the twinkle returned to the blue depths. "Then there is still hope," he stated.
"There always is," Harry replied in a low, but firm voice.
His siblings nodded in agreement.
"Grandma ... has planned all of this. What happened was her choice, not fate or bad luck. We... we have to accept that. It is at us now to do everything within our powers to continue her efforts and put an end to the menace of Voldemort and his followers once and for all," Holly told her family sadly, but with great confidence.
James reached for his children and pulled all of them into an even tighter embrace. "And that is exactly what we will do. I am so very proud of you, my cherished little flowers, you are handling this in such an adult manner... Grandma... ," he took a deep, shuddering breath, "Grandma would be very proud of you, too."
"But what are we supposed to do?" Lily whispered in a broken voice.
Severus kissed her temple very tenderly and continued to stroke her back in soothing circles. "You are staying here, of course. And you will learn how to use your powers, all of you. And when we are ready, we will face the red-eyed bastard, together, and together we will bring him down."
Holly flashed him a grim smile. "Congratulations, Professor, you seem to have caught a glimpse of the same that my gift showed me."
The Slytherin returned her smile wearily. "I think in consideration of the circumstances we can cease the formalities. You may call me Severus when we're in private. Just don't let my students hear it, okay?"
"Yes, Severus. Thank you," was the reply from the three adolescents.
"Professor Dumbledore ..." Harry started, but was gently interrupted by the silver-haired wizard.
"Please, my dear child, I wholeheartedly agree with Severus that the situation puts us beyond such titles. Call me Uncle Albus, if you will. I may be in fact your grand-uncle, but somehow being constantly reminded of that makes me feel old. But we are of one family, and I'm truly looking forward to getting to know all of you better." He beamed mildly at the family before him, and they returned his smile.
"That's the same with us, Uncle Albus. Well, what I wanted to tell you is that Grandma... when she packed Aunt Lily's things, she included a bag containing a letter as well as several items meant for you. It is in the dark green bag," Harry added in direction of his aunts.
"Lily," Severus said softly, and the redhead sighed and fumbled for the shrunken bags in her pocket. Pulling one of it, a dark green one, out of it, she handed it to her love wearily and laid her head on his chest in complete exhaustion. The dark-haired man gave the item over to the Headmaster, then leaned back again cuddled her closer, while Fawkes, the phoenix, started to sing a soft, soothing song on his perch behind the old wizard.
Albus nodded his thanks, took the bag and enlarged it. In it were a thick envelope, a pensieve and some other things. The letter was addressed to My dear brother Albus and had a short note pinned to it that said:
'Don't worry, this will make some things much clearer,
but I think it's better for you to read it in private.
So make sure my beloved children are cared for
as they will certainly be very exhausted by now,
and then come back and satisfy your curiosity.
It will take you half of the night anyways.
Love,
Aurora'
The white-haired wizard smiled sadly, as he realized how his sister managed to arrange affairs even when she was gone. A look at the gathered people, however, only served to confirm the wisdom of her words. They really looked worse for wear, and his face softened.
"My dear children," he addressed them gently, "you have been through terrible events today and more than deserve a bit of rest and peace. You are welcome to stay at Hogwarts for as long as you wish. As Severus has said before, you will need to learn much more about your abilities before you can venture out to face Lord Voldemort. But we can talk about all of this after a decent night's sleep."
Looking at his Potions Master, he continued: "If I recall correctly, the chambers of your predecessor are still located next door to yours, my dear boy. Knowing the House-Elves, they will have them ready by the time we arrive there."
He clapped once, and one of the Hogwarts House-Elves appeared with a 'pop'.
"Iffy is at Headmaster's service, sir," the creature squeaked, bowing politely.
"Iffy my dear, " He gestured to the McGonagalls. "This is the McGonagall family. They will be staying here for an infinite time. Would you please see to it that the old Potions Master's Chambers are prepared to house our guests? I'm sure you know how to help them feel themselves at home."
Iffy smiled proudly. "Sure, Headmaster, sir. Iffy knows what to do. The chambers will be ready in no time. Does the Headmaster need anything else?"
Albus smiled mildly back at the little House-Elf. "No, thank you Iffy, that was all."
"Then Iffy sets off to prepare the Chambers, sir." And with another 'pop' the creature disappeared.
"Albus," Severus spoke up quietly as a thought struck him, "Mr Potter should be introduced to Lily and the others as soon as possible. If he meets them on his own without being prepared to, it will surely hurt him, considering their strong resemblance to his parents."
The Headmaster raised a brow at him in wonder, but his eyes twinkled brightly and an instant later he beamed proudly at the younger wizard.
"It is very kind of you to think of Mr Potter's welfare in such difficult circumstances, my dear boy. I will call him first thing tomorrow and introduce them to him before breakfast. We can see then if all of you feel up to joining the rest of the staff and the ten students that stayed over the holidays in the Great Hall or prefer a more private meal in your chambers. For now, I think, we should start our journey to your lodging, before any more of you fall asleep here in my office." He cast an amused glance at Lily, whose even breathing indicated that she was fast asleep in Severus's arms.
The Slytherin chuckled warmly, cradled her gently in his arms and rose from his seat, the others following suit. Jeanne hopped onto his shoulder and settled there, strangely light-weight.
Albus accompanied them down to the dungeons, and once he had made sure that the chambers were indeed ready and everything was to their liking, he bade them goodnight and returned to his Office.
The McGonagalls, however, were way too tired to examine and appreciate their chambers properly and it was Severus who realized first that there were only four beds: two in a room for the twins, one in another, smaller one for Harry, and one in the main bedroom for James. He felt himself blushing and swore under his breath, which went unnoticed by the children, who hurried into the bathroom one by one to wash and change.
'I have absolutely no idea how he managed that when he has been with us all the time, but I bet that was Albus, the old meddler!' he thought slightly annoyed and scowled.
James noticed his queasiness, and grinned wearily. "No need to be embarrassed, my friend. Lily is a big girl and both she and I would trust you with her life. I'm sure you will take good care of her, eh?"
The stern Potions Master's face softened when he looked down at his sleeping partner and up at her brother again.
"I would do almost anything for her," Severus whispered earnestly.
James' face mirrored his expression when he gently answered: "I know."
Both were silent for a moment, then the blue-eyed man smiled and ushered him out of the chamber. "Go and find some sleep. You're going to need it if you want to put up with us for the next time. And make sure my dear sister takes her rest, sometimes she tends to ignore her own needs. Goodnight."
"I will remember that. Goodnight," Severus replied and crossed the corridor to his own chambers.
After muttering the password and discerning the wards, he entered his sanctuary, the woman he loved in his arms. Contrary to popular belief he neither lived in some kind of torture chamber nor did he collect more of the weird objects in jars that decorated his office. His rooms were dark, sure, they were deep under the earth, but the House-elves had lightened many candles and their soft light complimented the ancient furnitures. Just as he charmed the door close behind him and reactivated the wards, Lily stirred in his arms.
"Severus?" she murmured sleepily, "where are we?"
He kissed her gently on the forehead. "We are in my chambers. It seems our dear 'Uncle Albus' decided for you to stay with me."
She smiled up at him. "I told you I like him," she replied and kissed him softly on the lips. The kiss soon deepened and she slid slowly out of his arms to stand very close to him, her arms around his neck, caressing his black hair, while he rested one of his hands between her shoulders and the other on her back caressing her tenderly. When the need for air finally became too much, they broke apart and she laid her head on his chest while he held her close.
"As much as I would like to continue this, I promised you brother to take care of you and make sure you would rest, so I think you should go take a shower and get ready to sleep," he murmured gently.
"Bloody Jamie and his older-brother-attitude... I'm a big girl, I don't need a babysitter. I'd much rather... " What she would rather have done was cut off by a huge yawn, and Severus chuckled softly.
"I see...," he teased amiably, and gently led her to the bathroom. It was fairly big, with a huge tub and a nice shower that had easily enough space for two persons. Everything was in different shades of blue and the walls were painted in a way that made you feel like you were under water, with colourful fish swimming around, passing through beautiful coral riffs. Embedded into the ceiling was a layer of crystal which divided part of the light that was carefully directed down on it from above into the colours of the rainbow, sparkling all around the room when the sun was shining. As it was already dark outside, the light was dim, but here too the little servants had lightened several candles to illuminate the darkness and they made the crystal glitter like a thousand stars. Lily gave a contented sigh when she was finished with looking around the room and her eyes had a dreamy expression.
"Very nice," she commented with a longing look towards the shower.
Severus couldn't help but laugh. "Off with you, I hereby officially postpone the tour around my chambers until tomorrow. I see the House-Elves have already prepared everything, so have a nice shower."
He kissed her lovingly, but broke the contact before it could become too intense. Giving her lovely face a brief caress, he smiled once more and left her to herself.
Before soon, she was cleaned, dried and wearing a cozy nightdress. Severus put her into bed and tucked the blankets around her tenderly, kissing her softly. He seemed to do that a lot lately, but then he just loved to feel her lips on his, she tasted so sweet...
"I love you, Severus," she whispered tiredly and bestowed a loving gaze upon him.
"I love you, too, Lily," he replied, strangely touched by her words, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, love," she murmured and smiled contentedly.
Lily was asleep almost instantly and he smiled at her trust. Severus sat with her for some time, until he was certain she wouldn't wake for several hours. Then he left his chambers and headed for the hospital wing. It was still just early evening and he had to ask Poppy for a few favours. He grinned mischievously while he strode through the empty corridors, his black cloak billowing behind him. Oh, his dear colleagues were in for a rough morning. He chuckled as he tried to imagine the faces they would make. Hopefully, it would serve to lighten the McGonagalls' mood and draw a bit of the collective attention away from them. But it would at least be a hell of fun when his students saw him...
In the meantime, the Headmaster had arrived back at his office, fetched the green bag and sat down behind his desk. He regarded the letter thoughtful for a moment, before he broke the seal and began to read.
'My dear Albus,...'
The old wizard's eyes grew wider and wider while he read on, and by the time he had finished the letter, his silver eyebrows nearly touched his hairline.
"Merlin!" he exclaimed faintly, "And they call me an old meddler...!"
He shook his head in wonder. "I just hope that you know what you do, my beloved sister. But it seems I have no other choice than to trust you."
At that, he started to smile. "But I would have done so anyway."
And still sorting through things in his mind, he settled back in his armchair and caressed Fawkes absentmindedly, which made the phoenix close his eyes in contentment.
It would be a long night indeed.
When Lily woke in the morning, she was filled with a feeling of ... peace. She didn't know where it came from until she recalled the dream. It was strange. She tried to remember it, but the details just kept slipping out of reach. The only thing that remained clear in her mind was that it had been about her grandmother and that it had somehow comforted her immensely. Gone was the empty, aching void caused by Grandma's death and instead there was an instinctive knowledge that the old woman had not really left her. It was then that she remembered her words: 'My dear child, you know I'm always with you, even when you can't see me.' and 'Just remember that I can never be truly separated from any of you.'. She felt as though somehow her dream had confirmed these words and told her that she was not alone.
'But I'm not alone at all,' she thought, her heart dancing with love as she became aware of the strong arms that held her tenderly. 'I have my family and I have Severus!'
Turning carefully as to not disturb him, she looked at her sleeping love with incredible happiness. Glancing at him as if she would see him for the first time, she spotted all the subtle differences to when she had watched over him at his first day in the forest. He looked definitely better. The shadows under his eyes were gone and his harsh face was relaxed in sleep, the lines of pain and worry smoothed out. His sallow skin had gotten a healthier tan due to the days spent out in the winter sun and... -wait. She narrowed her eyes in wonder. His nose was straighter! Where before a huge beak of a nose had been was now a nowhere smaller, but distinctly straighter, more aristocratic, roman nose. Unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, she raised her hand and cautiously, softly touched his face. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards almost instantly and before she could draw back her hand in surprise, he had caught her by the wrist and kissed her palm tenderly.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked with faked sternness.
His smile turned into a slight smirk. "Long enough to wonder what possibly could have made you look at this ugly face for such a long time."
She sighed in annoyance, sat up and cupped said face in her hands in a loving gesture.
"First, it is NOT an ugly face, second, it never was, and third, it is the face of the man I love, so how could I not love it, too?" Lily looked down at him with an earnest expression. "I love you, Severus Snape, no matter what. You'd better get used to that." She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "And what is this thing about your nose, anyway?" she demanded, following its outline with a featherlight touch of her finger, "It is different, more yourself. I like it."
"Really?" he asked with a boyish anxiety that Lily thought was absolutely cute, before he broke into a smug smile that revealed even, white teeth.
"Severus," she exclaimed, "what have you done?"
The Slytherin pouted, which made him look even more boyish, and the redhead feared her heart would burst with love for him.
"Why, don't you like it?" he asked with mock disappointment.
"Sure as hell I do, but... you know my love for you doesn't depend on such superficialities, don't you?"
He pulled her down to him and kissed her gently. "I know."
Before soon, the passion of their kisses grew, and would perhaps have led to more intimate activities, had not just at that moment a knock sounded on the door to the bedroom and a tiny voice squeaked: "Is Professor Snape awake, sir? Sir? Sir?"
"Yes," Severus growled in his best I-will-kill-you-if-you-open-this-door-!-voice.
"Sir, Professor Dumbledore said to tell Professor Snape he is waiting for him in his office in forty-five minutes. Cally has already prepared everything for Professor Snape. Shall Cally stay and wait for further orders, sir?" the House-Elf asked timidly.
The Potions Master scowled at the closed door, when he felt a calming hand on his arm. Looking at his love, who smiled good-naturedly, his anger vanished all of a sudden.
"No, that won't be necessary. You may go, Cally," he said considerably calmer.
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," the small creature squealed and all was silent again.
"Albus and his bloody timing," Severus huffed, but Lily just put her arms around him and nuzzled his cheek.
"Oh, my poor Severus. How about a shower to lighten your mood?" she whispered in his ear.
He raised an eloquent eyebrow at her. "Excuse me, but I fail to see how such a common thing as a shower should raise my spirits."
She pulled back slightly, and smirked at him. "That sounds like you used to shower alone."
"Do you suggest that... " he let the sentence trail off, his obsidian eyes wide with comprehension.
Raising an eyebrow in an exact imitation of him, she nodded. "Yes, I do."
And before he could say anything else, she grinned, took him by the hands and led him to the bathroom.
Half an hour later, Lily was sitting on the huge four-poster bed and brushing her long hair, while Severus was standing across the room, closing the many buttons of his clothing. The bedroom was donned mainly in black, with tiny silver spots spread over the walls, thus giving the impression of floating in endless starlit space. The black and silver sheets and bedding made the red-haired witch in her emerald gown glow like a star of her own, alive with colour, lightening the black-clad, dark-haired man who now eyed her approvingly.
"So this Sirius broke your nose and you left it as a reminder?" Lily repeated what he had just told her.
"You could put it that way, yes," he answered after a moment's hesitation.
She snorted amusedly. "Boys!"
"Well, it might have had something to do with Lily's comment about it looking cool," Severus admitted and she chuckled heartily.
"Should I braid my hair or leave it like this?" she asked him, changing the topic.
"I like it better when you leave it down," he replied, "the lovely highlights are brought out better that way."
She smiled happily. "Then I'll leave it, my love."
Smiling back, he strode over to her and enfolded her in his arms.
"I take it you are feeling better, then?" he demanded gently.
She frowned slightly. "Better than when?" she asked, then understood what he wanted to say. "Oh, you mean last night? Yes, that's right. I... I had a dream tonight. I can't remember the details, but I know that it was about Grandma. And now, I feel like... she is still with me somehow. This may sound weird..."
He kissed her briefly to shut her up, and caressed her sweet face. "It doesn't. You were not the only one who dreamed tonight."
"Oh!" was all she said, then she smiled and cuddled close against him. They stayed like this for several moments, before he sighed.
"We better go now. Albus will probably tease us mercilessly anyway, but it's better not to provide him with extra excuses."
"I guess you are right. Well, then here we go."
The pair left their chambers, just to be greeted by the rest of the McGonagall family who was also exiting their quarters at that precise moment.
Severus' raised brows were met by a grinning Holly. "Good morning, Uncle Severus. What a nice coincidence!"
"Uncle? Coincidence? I think I should go back and get some more sleep... " the Slytherin growled in amusement.
"Morning, Aunt Lily, Uncle Severus," Heather greeted, ignoring the 'Uncle?'-remark, while Harry just nodded and smiled at them.
"Good morning, Lily and Severus," James said cheerfully, closing the door behind him. "According to Harry, you had the Dream, too?"
"Yes, we did," Lily replied, "It was a great relief."
"That it was," her brother confirmed. "We'd better be on our way then, otherwise we'll be late. -Nice change, by the way, ShadowBoy," he added with a smile.
"Thanks," Severus grumbled and the six of them ascended the stairs to the Headmaster's office.
As always, the door to Albus' office opened before any of them even attempted to knock, and his cheerful voice called merrily out to them:
"A wonderful morning to you, my dear children. Did you sleep well? Did the arrangements suit you?" That last question was added in direction of the dark-haired Slytherin who was torn between glaring at his old meddling friend and smiling at the bright mischievous twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes. Admitting defeat, he settled on pulling the redhead at his side nearer to him and smirked.
James, who had followed the exchange with amusement, grinned. "I think that is a definite 'yes' to both questions. Good morning, Uncle Albus."
Echoing his greeting, the children entered the room. Albus smiled kindly at them all and came over to them.
"As you may remember from our last conversation, there is someone I would like to introduce you to. I already took the liberty of filling him in on a few things, and now it's your turn. What do you know about Harry Potter?"
James frowned in thought. "He alone survived the Killing-Curse when he was one year old and Voldemort came to murder him and his parents, leaving the boy with the scar and the Dark Lord without a body. He was raised by his muggle-relatives and knew nothing of our world until he got his Hogwarts Letter. He attends this school now and managed to survive his first four years, despite several attempts of the dark side to kill him, culminating in the events of last year when Voldemort was restored to a body of his own. Oh, and his godfather is a convicted murder on the run, who's in fact innocent of that crime." He resumed his grin, when he saw the Headmaster's raised eyebrows. "Remus Lupin's older brother Romulus is my best friend. He shared the information Remus passed on to him in his letters with us. You see, we were not really that isolated from the rest of the world."
"Splendid," Albus beamed at him, "this makes my task much easier. The reason for this private introduction is that you, Lily and James, not only bear the same first-names as Harry's parents, but in addition also look very much like them. So as Severus was kind enough to remind me, it will be easier for Harry to meet you here for the first time, prepared and sheltered from public view."
"We fully understand the need for this and we will try and help the child as good as we can," Lily replied and smiled friendly, while the others nodded their assent.
"That's more than I could ask for," the old wizard said with a pleased expression. "Well, I think we should proceed into the other room then."
He set off in direction of the door, and the others followed him suit, that is all but one.
"Severus?" Lily asked in a confused voice, "What are you waiting for?"
"Ahem," he began, aware that the rest of the McGonagalls and Albus had stopped and were now looking back at him, "I think you should go without me. Mr Potter already knows me, it's you he is meant to meet."
His partner snorted. "Nonsense, love. We go in there as a family, and you're part of that family now. Or," she lowered her voice so that her words were for him to hear alone, "are you... embarrassed to be seen with us by a student?" Her eyes had darkened a shade with uncertainty, but were also filled with love and understanding.
"I will never be embarrassed about you and me being together," he answered firmly and kissed her lovingly to prove his point. "It's just... ," he took a deep breath, "There have been several, no, I admit it, there have been many misunderstandings between Mr, Potter and me, because I was unable to let go off the past and my enmity with his father. I therefore thought it would be wiser for you to get to know him without my... disturbing presence at first, to prevent the boy from jumping to conclusions and enabling him to act his true self."
"That is quite noble from your side, ShadowBoy, but as you may have noticed by now," James smirked, " we tend to be rather straight-forward-people. What better point to start a new relationship with Harry Potter than now?"
"Well, ..." the Slytherin let the sentence trail, then came to a decision, "Alright, I will try."
His love smiled at him sweetly. "Then we shouldn't let the poor boy wait any longer."
And Albus opened the door and led them into the next room.
Upon entering, the dark-haired teen who was waiting for them rose from his seat and turned to face them. His emerald eyes grew round as they flickered from Lily to James, and with a gasp he sank back down on the sofa, visibly pale.
'Poor lad,' James thought, his own surprise at seeing a boy who could easily pass as the twin brother to his son quickly overcome by a flash of sympathy for the kid. 'Lily told me how hard it was for her when she first met Severus, and he doesn't even look much like Dominick.'
"Harry," the Headmaster said gently to his student, "needless to say, these are the people I wanted you to meet. Lily McGonagall, her brother James and his children."
Harry Potter swallowed hard, nodded and recollected himself with a visible effort, before he left the sofa and came over to them.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs McGonagall, Mr McGonagall," he greeted them hoarsely.
James felt the same protectiveness that he held towards his own children rush through him, and he smiled warmly at the kid, his eyes leaving the tall, skinny youth before him just briefly to meet those of his twin. The two needed no words to make their decision. This child's eyes spoke all too clearly what was in his heart, and they would be the last in the world to deny him his desire. If the kid wished so badly to have a family, then a family he would get! All they had to do was see if he fitted in with them, but James had few doubts about that. This was special, and it would work. They would make it work, if it was what Harry wanted. All this passed between the twins in a matter of seconds, and both nodded barely perceptible. A quick glance behind him showed equal expressions on his children's faces, and they, too, nodded their approval.
"Please, child," Lily replied in the same soothing tones Grandma and Albus so often used, "if it is not too painful for you, just call us Lily and James. The Headmaster told us about our resemblance to your parents, and while it is sad for us to make your acquaintance due to so grim circumstances, we should all be aware of the possibilities the situation holds."
Harry watched her with wide emerald eyes, so similar to hers, so full of grief and mourning, that the McGonagalls' hearts flew out to him and James suddenly realized that unless Harry didn't want them, he had already been accepted into their midst.
"What Lily means is that you are welcome to get to know us better. Though we are not your parents, we are more than willing to help you in their stead as good as we can. I suggest you spent as much time with us as you like and we see how it goes from there." He saw the kid's eyes widen even further and for a moment, they were glittering with tears, the raw emotion in them nearly breaking his heart. Then fear washed over his face like a shadow, just for an instant and his expression became guarded. "Please don't get me wrong," James added softly, "this is not an obligation, just an offer. It's entirely up to you, and we won't think less of you should you decline it. The past is difficult to overcome, we all know that."
Harry nodded, uncertainty obvious in his bearing, and started when the Potions Master spoke up in a low voice.
"Mr Potter, I recommend that you do what your heart tells you. As to your hesitation: Although I never got along well with your father, your mother was a good friend of mine. Believe me when I tell you that both of them would want nothing more than to see you happy, and accepting the McGonagalls' offer of being there for you does not mean that you don't honor their memory or their love for you, nor will it put the McGonagalls in any more danger than they already are. You know, "he added gently, pulling Lily tenderly closer to him, "sometimes life offers us second chances."
The dark-haired youth's eyes grew as wide as they possibly could and his jaw dropped, while the remaining colour rushed from his face.
"Does that... does that mean... you... and... my mother?!" he croaked in disbelief.
"Yes," Severus replied softly, calmly, "there was a time when your mother and I were a pair, before I was forced to take the Dark Mark and serve Voldemort. After that, the danger to her life would have been too great to risk staying with me, so she went to your father. Perhaps you can imagine now why seeing you doesn't necessarily wake the most content memories in me. If it hadn't been for Voldemort, you could have been my son."
He paused a moment, probably to give the boy some time to process the information, and then squared his shoulders, took a breath and continued a bit stiffly. "Mr Potter... , ... Harry, I know now that I had no right to treat you as I have done these last four years. I made you suffer for things long past, events that took place before you were born and that you bear absolutely no responsibility for. I cannot change that, I can only offer you my sincere regret and hope you can accept my honest apology."
Harry stared at his teacher several moments longer apparently just now realizing the altered appearance, before he shut his mouth and narrowed his eyes.
"Alright, who are you and what have you done to Professor Snape?"
Severus stared back at the boy for an instance, before he broke out laughing. Lily and James joined him when they saw the kid's face. His confused expression was priceless. Even Albus had to cover a chuckle with a coughing fit. When they had calmed down again, the Slytherin shook his head softly, still chuckling with amusement.
"Despite Voldemort better attempts I can assure you, Harry, that I am indeed Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts. Many things have happened in these few days, and it seems facing certain death and finding the love of your life count to those who can change a man." He sighed contentedly as Lily snuggled closer. "They certainly made me see some things in a different light and are still continuing to do so. I am not the same man I was, I am no longer a spy for example."
Harry nodded at that. "I know."
Severus raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "How so?"
The boy shot the the Headmaster a brief glance, and the old wizard nodded slightly.
"I saw what happened. I ... have dreams, visions of what Voldemort does sometimes. They showed me the fight and your escape, but nothing after that. So when you didn't come back that night we feared for the worst," he whispered, eyes cast down.
"Really?" Severus asked dryly and the kid looked up at the sarcastic tone and carefully concealed pain in his voice.
"Yes, sir! I ... you may have been a mean git in class, but Voldemort's wrath is something I wouldn't wish anybody. We really were concerned about you," he stated firmly.
James saw Severus swallow and close his eyes briefly, while Lily squeezed his hand lovingly.
"I... would never have thought that there could be students who would miss me should I not return," he said in a low, slightly shaken voice.
The boy seemed to realize by now that there was distinctly more to his Potions teacher than he had been aware of, and seemed to search for something comforting to answer, but a voice from behind the adults saved him from that.
"Well, now you know," Heather told him warmly, before she slid past her father to stand in front of the group. "Uncle Albus, I don't want to be rude, but could we complete the introduction now? If I understood Holly correctly, we have a lot to do today."
The silver-haired wizard smiled kindly at his niece. "You and your sister are right, like you are so often. Come on then, my dear children and let me introduce you to Harry."
The youngsters obeyed without hesitation, and the poor lad was in for another round of wide eyes when the other Harry came to stand directly in front of him.
"Harry, these are James' children Holly, Heather and Harry... " Albus blinked, and chuckled. "Oh dear, it seems that could be a bit difficult. Two Harrys who in addition also look like twins..."
But Harry Potter was oblivious to his words, as he was eying Harry McGonagall with rapt fascination.
"You look exactly like me!" he exclaimed in wonder.
His 'twin' chuckled. "I could say the same from you," he answered dryly.
His sisters giggled at the boys. "Your faces!" Heather said, grinning.
"Priceless!" Holly agreed.
He snorted, shot them a typical older-brother-look and told the other boy: "Don't worry, they may seem a bit girlish at the moment, but most of the time they're pretty normal. And moreover, they have fourteen years worth of ideas how to have fun with people being unable to distinguish identical twins, since that kind of prank never worked with members of our family. I'm quite sure they'll share some of them with us, if we ask nicely."
Harry Potter looked at the two girls with an eagerness that made Severus roll his eyes, and Holly chuckled lightly.
"Sure we will do. I see a lot of fun coming our way," she replied with a smile.
The Gryffindor returned the smile warmly. "Same here," was all he said.
The Potions Master groaned, and eyed the lot who tried to look innocently with mock sternness.
"Is there a problem, Professor Snape?" Heather asked sweetly.
Severus opened his mouth to scold them, but couldn't find the will to do so.
"Oh well, you little brats, I trust you will have an eye on him and keep yourself out of serious mess. Just make sure it isn't me you get caught by, for I know you are smart enough not to get caught at all and will see to it that stupidity will be punished, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the teens said together.
"Harry... ," he continued, and the two boys looked up at him, " ... You are right, Albus, this is really a bit confusing with two Harrys."
James sighed. "Alright, it seems the time has come then for me to finally become James and pass the Jamie on to Harry."
Severus nodded. "That will make matters much easier. So, Harry, what I wanted to say is, could you take care of these three, you know, show them the castle, introduce them to your friends, something like that?"
Harry smiled timidly at his teacher. "Sure, sir. I'd love to."
Albus beamed at them. "Splendid, then this is settled. Now I'm sure you'd all like to know how we go on from here. As I have already told you, you are free to either have breakfast with the rest of us in the Great Hall or at you chambers. I would, however, recommend you to come with Harry and me into the Great Hall, so that you can become used to being in the presence of a greater number of people, as you will go to Diagon Alley after breakfast to purchase your equipment."
"Diagon Alley, Albus?" Severus demanded, frowning, "Is it really necessary to take the risk of leaving the school grounds?"
His old friend smiled benignly. "Holly, my dear, what do you say?"
The red-haired girl closed her eyes and furrowed her brows in deep concentration. "I can't say for sure as I'm still struggling with controlling the gift, but from what I see, the Death Eaters are still recovering from the raid yesterday and there will be no imminent danger to us outside Hogwarts." She opened her eyes again. "Furthermore, I'm fairly certain that Aunt Lily would have had a presentiment if it was otherwise."
Albus looked from Holly to her Aunt and Lily shook her head softly. "No, there wasn't anything beside the Dream."
The Headmaster nodded knowingly and turned his gaze back to his Potions Master. "Does that suffice to sooth your concerns?"
Severus scowled darkly. "Not really," he growled.
That made the silver-haired wizard beam merrily at him and his bright blue eyes twinkled as he answered: "Well, then I will just have to come with you, my dear boy and hope that will serve to keep harm from our family, what do you say?"
His family beamed back at him at his words, and Heather exclaimed happily: "That would be great, Uncle Albus!"
Harry glanced from her to Dumbledore in confusion. "Family, sir?" he asked timidly.
Again, the Headmaster nodded. "Lily's and James' Grandmother was my sister, but that is a longer story. I suggest you accompany us today, Harry, so that Jamie and the twins can tell you a bit more about their family. I trust you have enough experience by now to judge wisely with whom you can talk about it and with whom not." His friendly wink clearly suggested that the 'Uncle-Albus'-thing also fell under that kind of judgement.
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore. I would never willingly betray your trust," he replied earnestly.
"I know that, my dear boy," he beamed kindly at him. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am rather hungry by now. Who wants to go down into the Great Hall with me for breakfast?"
A chorus of "Me" answered him and after a quick look around, James stated chuckling: "I think we will all accompany you, Uncle Albus. I can't speak for the others, but I'm really looking forward to meeting new people after all these years in the wood."
Nods of affirmation came from the others and Albus smiled friendly. "Then we should take our leave."
And with him in the lead, the McGonagalls and Harry set off for the Great Hall.
The adolescents had stayed a bit behind the adults, and were talking in low voices.
"Don't worry Harry, you will get used to it soon," Holly said to the Gryffindor in sympathy.
"Yeah, I guess I will. Shouldn't be too difficult, after all that happened these past years. And this isn't even something bad, it's just.. well, it was a bit much all at once," Harry replied faintly, still in shock.
Jamie chuckled lightly. "Just think of the fun we can have together. Unless you really want to, you'll never have to be alone anymore from now on. And we don't care for Voldemort or your scar. People deserve better than to be judged by their past."
Heather nodded empathetically. "The past is something to remember, but must never take control over the present or the future."
Heaving a sigh of relief, Harry eyed the other teens with apprehension. "You know, you three are... peculiar. But really cool. I begin to think that this term can really turn into a happy one for a change."
The McGonagall kids chuckled, and Holly took one of Harry's arms in hers. "My dear Harry, we would be severely disappointed should it be different. And you wouldn't want to see us disappointed, now would you?" she said, batting her eyes at him.
Harry couldn't help but grin at her attitude. "Not if I can help it, my dear lady," he replied.
"Then it's settled," Jamie stated, and they spent the rest of their way to the Great Hall with the relaxed banter of siblings.
When they entered the Great Hall, all eyes seemed to turn upon them. Severus felt Lily beside him stiffen, and tensed as well. He was definitely not used to showing open affection in front of others, and the presence of the people at the large table made him feel uncomfortable. Resisting the urge to let Lily's hand drop at once, he looked into the face of his love. He saw uncertainty there and distress, and the protectiveness that surged through him pushed every negative feeling aside. Hellfire, this woman belonged to him, and he would be damned if he let others make him deny her the comfort he could give her. Determination on his face, he put an arm around her slender waist and pulled her close to him in a gesture of clear possessiveness. Lily relaxed almost immediately and let him lead her to the table.
The staff stared at them with wide eyes, but before anyone could say something, Albus spoke.
"My dear staff and students, these are Salvia McGonagall's children Lily and James, as well as James' daughters Holly and Heather, and his son Jamie. I know some of them bear a great resemblance to people you know or remember, but I trust you will come over that as soon as possible and make our new residents feel welcome in our beloved school. Thank you."
With this said, he took his usual seat at the table, and let the McGonagalls choose their own seating arrangements. James sat down on Albus right, next to Minerva McGonagall, while Lily stayed next to Severus who chose two seats beside Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, whereas the children followed Harry to the rest of his friends.
The teachers continued to stare at Lily and James for another few moments, while the Headmaster introduced everyone to them. Minerva McGonagall looked at them with a heartfelt smile and tears in her eyes, while Rolanda Hooch smiled proudly and nodded at them. Pomona Sprout beamed and padded Lily's hand warmly, and tiny Filius Flitwick snuffled into a large handkerchief, trying to hide his tears. Albus told them that there were six more teachers who were not present, Professors Sinistra and Vector who would return from holidays at home after lunch, Professor Binns who was a ghost and thus didn't attend the meals, Professor Trelawney who preferred to eat in her tower, and Professors Lupin and Hagrid who were out on missions and had yet to report to him.
Lily and James returned the staff's greetings politely, and helped themselves to some breakfast. The mood remained strange, until Severus made one of his typical sarcastic remarks to Lily ("You know, love, they do know how to talk, I guess they just don't want to scare you off so soon...") , and relieved the tension. After that, comfortable conversation ensued, and the adult twins relaxed bit by bit.
Albus' mentioning that they were Salvia's children helped matters a lot. Though they couldn't escape some comments about how much they resembled the Potters, it was easier for the teachers to accept they were not related to them. Minerva for one didn't mention the Potters once, but instead told them many things that she knew about their mother. Although Salvia had been several years behind her, she had got to know her rather well when she returned as an assistant teacher, both being in Gryffindor House and sharing a love for the same subject. The rest of the staff soon followed their example, and the mood at the table was back to normal again. When Minerva, being the first to notice the change in the Potions Master, began to tease her Slytherin colleague subtly, the talk even turned into a happy chat.
While the adults grew accustomed to the McGonagalls presence, the students had their own way in dealing with the situation.
"Hey mate, where have you been?" asked Ron, who had been deep into conversation with his brother Fred and was totally oblivious to the Headmaster's announcement. He had gotten tall and lanky during the summer holidays and still moved slightly awkward as if he wasn't quite aware of where his longer limbs ended. Having been chosen as Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Ron was still a bit unsure of his own abilities though he had done a very good job so far. But with their next match being against Slytherin, his initial nervousness had now returned full power. So naturally, his talk with Fred had been about Quidditch, and he didn't realize he was speaking not to Harry, but to Jamie who raised a brow at him, smiled, and sat down next to the redhead.
Before he could say something, however, Ron frowned and looked at him critically. "Harry, where did you leave your glasses? And... ," his eyes skipped on to the other boy's forehead, "Wait! I don't see your scar! What the hell...!"
Sparkling emerald eyes made him halt his words, and Jamie finally managed to answer him.
"The reason for that is quite simple: I'm not Harry, as I would have already told you had you given me a chance to do so. My name is James McGonagall, Jamie for friends. I take it Professor Dumbledore introduced us a minute or so ago if I recall correctly."
Realizing the rest of the student were looking at them, most of them grinning, Ron turned beet-red, but Jamie just continued to smile his serene but infatuating smile and chuckled.
"No need to be embarrassed, you'll certainly not be the last one to fall for that particular joke, you merely had the bad luck to be the first. I hope you don't mind so much you won't tell me your name?"
Ron shook his head, and, unable to resist the dark-haired boy's quiet charm, grinned back at him. "No. I mean, no I don't mind. I'm Ron Weasley and these are my sister Ginny, my brothers Fred and George, and Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in the school."
Now it was Hermione's turn to blush, and she shot her friend a brief glare, hissing: "Ron!"
Harry who had taken a seat next to Holly chuckled softly. "Don't scold him, it's not his fault that it's true."
Their brown-eyed friend blushed even deeper at that. Like the boys she had grown over the summer and finally found a way to control her hair somehow, so that it streamed in many curls down her back now. She looked definitely more female than last year and poor Ron had a hard time around her, confused by his feelings for his best friend.
Eventually, Heather took pity on Hermione. "Manners, boys, manners. Although it may be fun to make a girl blush, it's not considered nice to do so in front of so many witnesses. I'm Heather, by the way, and this is my twin sister Holly."
"Nice to meet you, Heather, Holly and Jamie," Ginny said from her place between Fred and George, not quite a girl anymore, but definitely not yet a woman, with her long red Weasley hair and warm brown eyes. "Are you here for a visit?"
"No, we will be students here, just like you," Holly replied with a smile.
"But it's almost mid-term! I didn't know you can change schools during term," Hermione exclaimed.
Heather nodded calmly. "We were taught at home until recent events convinced Dad that it would be safer for us to go to Hogwarts."
"But I think that is something to talk about in a more private setting," her twin added.
"I'm glad you are here now. The mood in the school has been way too dark this year," Harry said softly.
Fred and George nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it's about time for a bit of fun," Fred stated firmly.
"And since Fred and I are in our last year, there is always the question of our successors..." George added thoughtfully.
"Successors to what?" Heather asked curiously.
"Another thing we should rather discuss in private," Harry interjected hastily with a tell-tale glance toward the teachers.
"I can only agree with you on that, Harry, my friend," George nodded with a wink in their direction. "Now how about you three, do you like Quidditch?"
That led to a relaxed conversation about Quidditch, the school and several other things. The McGonagall kids learned a lot about Harry's friends and they in turn made some interesting discoveries. One of the first was that the McGonagalls were related to the Weasleys, their mother being a cousin to Mr Weasley, which led the family-loving Weasleys to the instant decision to call them cousins, and be called the same by them in turn.
When that was settled, they discussed the similarities between Harry and Jamie, and after having Harry pursued to let Madam Pomfrey finally correct his eyesight with magic - "Believe me, my friend, you may find yourself in a situation where you can't afford relying on glasses only too soon, just think about your next Quidditch match in a storm," Holly said earnestly – they found that although the two boys had much in common, there were some distinct differences between them, the most outstanding being that Jamie had almost no interest in Quidditch and flying, but instead really enjoyed Potions, with others yet to be discovered when they got to know each other better. The two dark-haired boys, however, got along more than well, and when they were finished with breakfast it would have been hard to see that they were anything other than real brothers.
The youngsters could happily have spent the whole morning talking, but after a while the adults rose and Albus, Severus, Lily and James came over to them.
"Hey my little mischief-makers, are you ready to go?" James asked with a grin.
"Sure, Dad," Holly relied, and turning to the others added: "We have to go purchase some things in Diagon Alley, but I hope we can resume our conversation when we are back. Is that alright with you?"
Harry's friends smiled at the McGonagalls and nodded.
"Of course," answered Hermione," we're looking forward to that. There are still a lot of stories to tell."
"Then we will see you later," Jamie said softly, and rose from his seat to join the adults, and together with his sisters and Harry, he followed the Headmaster to his office.
Once inside, Albus led them to a large fireplace where orange flames were dancing happily.
"Do you know how to travel with Floo powder?" he asked the McGonagalls.
James' mouth curled into a lop-sided grin. "Only in theory. You throw some powder into the flames and speak the name of your destination loud and clearly. But none of us has ever done it."
His Uncle beamed merrily back at him. "Then it's about time you tried. Here is the Floo powder. The destination is 'The Leaky Cauldron'." And he did as he said and vanished.
James looked at the pot with a slight grimace, then shrugged, threw some of the powder into the flames, stepped into the now green flames and called out: "The Leaky Cauldron!" The fire flared and he was gone. Lily looked at Severus slightly uneasy about the procedure, but he pressed her against him in a comforting gesture and she sighed and relaxed. When the teens were gone, she followed them without protest and Severus was the last to leave the office.
Tom greeted them warmly when they stepped into the pub, but Albus just exchanged a few words with him before he took them into the backyard and tapped the third brick from the left above the dustbin with his wand. The archway into Diagon Alley opened, and they passed it one after the other.
When they were inside, the silver-haired wizard let his children some time to accommodate to the strange sight. Rose had told him in her letter that save for Lily's trip to Hogwarts, none of them had ever left the wood, so this had to be rather overwhelming for them. Their faces accurately confirmed his assumptions. Adults and youngsters alike were staring with wide eyes at the colourful, crowded alley with its strange shops and even stranger people.
Lily's eyes were a bright emerald, and she cuddled close to Severus for comfort. Albus had to smile at that. Who had thought that his stern Potions Master would yet get a second chance to find the love of his life? Oh, he was so happy for the boy! The poor child certainly more than deserved it, after all he had suffered through. She was definitely good for him, he already looked more at ease, younger, more like he had before the time with Voldemort had made him age too early. And Lily. She was definitely calmer, more balanced than the fierce FireChild in the description her Grandmother had given him. And that was all for the good, when what Rose had seen would come true.
The children had recovered from their shock by now, assisted by Harry, and were bombarding their friend with questions, which made him chuckle heartily. Albus face softened. It was good for Harry, too, that the McGonagalls were now at Hogwarts. Their offer to accept the boy into their family might have come a bit rushed, but he didn't in the least doubt that it was thoroughly genuine. Quigley had also been like that. An extremely good chap and loyal to death, a true Gryffindor. He sighed as he thought of his passed-on best friend, whose sacrifice he could only now fully comprehend. 'I owe you, Quigley, and I will do what is necessary to make sure that what you did was not in vain!' Shaking himself out of his memories, he noticed that Lily and James had also overcome their surprise by now, and were questioning their Slytherin friend just like the youngsters Harry.
Harry. The poor boy had had a hard summer. Albus wished he wouldn't have been forced to make him go back to his Muggle relatives during the holidays, but the protection a blood relative could grant him was the greatest that existed. Still, three months with them had let Harry return angry, full of guilt and shame, which soon turned him into a quiet, detached, almost dark boy, afraid to let people become dear to him lest it put them in danger. And the occasional visions of Voldemort's doings had definitely not improved his mood. Seeing him now, Holly at his side, Heather teasing him heartily, Jamie backing him up in the friendly banter, lightened the old wizard's heart.
"Albus," Severus finally asked him, "shouldn't we get going?"
"Sure, my dear boy. The Apothecary first?" he replied and twinkled at them.
"Oh yes!" Heather squealed, "That would be great!"
The Slytherin rolled his eyes. "I see a hard time coming," he growled.
"Don't be a spoilsport, Uncle Severus," Holly said teasingly, and before he could reprimand her or even set his death-glare into place, they were gone, dragging a very surprised Harry along. Albus chuckled inwardly when he saw his protégé trying hard to keep a straight face at Harry's look of disbelief.
The adults followed the teens at a much more leisurely pace, and after having spent quality time in the Apothecary, the moved on to buy the rest of their supplies. Harry was still shaking his head at the others who had discussed their Potions equipment with Severus most animatedly, each of them being totally in their element. Before they had purchased anything, however, they had asked Albus how they would pay what they needed, but he could calm them down. Rose had included the key to her Gringott's vault in her letter, which he had taken to remove the sum they would need for their shopping and a bit more than that. Assuring them that there was still plenty of money left and that he would sort through it with them on one of the next days, he handed them the key and the money and took them on to Madam Malkin's. While the McGonagalls had some robes fitted, Albus was once again glad that he had managed to take the morning off to spend it with his new-found family. Granted, he had many grandchildren of his own by now, but these were Rose's children and they would always remain special to him. So he continued to enjoy himself and teased his Potions Master a bit. Merlin, he couldn't help it, it was so funny to make the Slytherin blush!
They went on to Flourish and Blotts, where all the McGonagalls sighed with contentment at the sight of the many books, but Albus had already prepared a book list for each of them and ushered them out of the shop before they could get lost in enthusiasm. He sighed deeply over the lingering fascination on their faces, he could remember another face all too well bearing the same desire for knowledge as they had shown, and he wondered for what had likely to be the hundredth time since he had read Rose's letter how much like their father they would turn out to be.
The twins' voices brought him back to the here and now, and together they continued their shopping. Quills, parchment, ink, cauldrons and several other items later all that was left to buy were their wands, so they set off for Ollivanders.
The bell rang somewhere in the depths of the small shop as they entered and gathered in the tiny place. They remained silent for several moments, looking around in timid awe.
"Good morning," said the soft voice of Mr Ollivander before them, and everyone except Albus, Lily and Jamie jumped. The old, silver-haired wizard smiled warmly at his old friend, and shook his hand heartily.
"Good morning, Mr Ollivander," he replied, "I hope you are well?"
The old wizard with the large, pale eyes shrugged indifferently. "As well as one can be in these dark times, Professor Dumbledore." He turned his moon-like gaze on Severus. "Ah, Severus Snape! I haven't seen you here for a very long time, not since you bought your last wand, in fact. Ebony and Peruvian Vipertooth heartstring, 13 inches, wasn't it?"
The Slytherin nodded darkly. "It was, with emphasis on the past tense. I'm afraid Voldemort burned it to coal."
Mr Ollivander shook his head softly. "Always a dark wand that was. A pity though that it was destroyed. But it seems to have served you well despite its destruction if I see you standing here safe and well."
Again, Severus nodded. "It was a fine wand, and saved my life with the very last spell it worked. Now I am here to find a new one, as are my friends."
"Yes, I thought so. Lily and James McGonagall, Salvia's children. I can still remember her when she came to purchase her first wand. Oh, she was so excited, a bright little girl with sparkling emerald eyes and hair the colour of fire. Rosewood her wand was, and Welsh Red heartstring, 12 and a half inches, inflexible. Quite a unusual combination, very contradicting, but nice for Transfiguration. So now you have come to follow her to Hogwarts? Well, well, then let's see which wand finds you suitable."
Albus saw Jamie and Heather look at Holly expectantly and smiled when the girl sighed and cleared her throat.
"Ahem, Mr Ollivander, sir?" she asked timidly.
"Yes, Miss McGonagall?" he said kindly.
"Uh, well, I ... I assume that you'd really like to test the different wands to find the right one for each of us, but would you mind if I sped matters up a bit?"
She blushed slightly and looked down, but the old wand-maker just chuckled friendly and replied: "I do not only not mind, Miss McGonagall, I am very curious as to how you mean to accomplish that task."
"Oh, that's just a matter of concentration," she told him confidently, sat down on the single chair in the room, closed her eyes and did exactly that. Her expression became calm and detached, as she sank into the kind of trance Albus himself knew so well and had seen uncountable times at his sister's face. After a short time, she heaved a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Knowledge beyond her age shone in the astonishingly blue depths for a moment, before they became the eyes of a fourteen- year- old once more. Determination in her movements, she rose and walked to the high shelves, bending down to fetch one narrow box there, stretching to catch another one from a higher shelf on the other side, and in that way gathering six boxes all in all. Handing one of them to Lily, James, Severus, Jamie and her twin sister each and keeping one herself, she smiled comfortingly up at them, obviously quite tired, but her beautiful eyes twinkling brightly.
"Well, now we shall see if I found the right ones. Who wants to go first?" she asked with exhaustion, and James opened the box and took the wand out of it.
"I trust your judgement, little flower. Let's see how this works," he said with a grin and gave the wand a wave.
Scarlet and silver sparks shot from the end and rained down at once.
Mr Ollivander eyed the wand and nodded, slightly impressed. "Willow and unicorn mane hair, 11 and a half inches, swishy, nice for charm work. A good choice."
"Me next," Lily exclaimed in excitement, and Albus couldn't help but smile at her eagerness. She really was a lot like Salvia.
Taking her wand out of its box, she flicked it graciously, and was rewarded instantly by a shower of emerald and golden sparks.
Again, the pale-eyed wizard nodded, not in the least surprised. "Mahagony and phoenix feather, 12 inches, pliable, just the right wand for Transfiguration."
"Alright, now I want to know if you got mine right," Severus growled and brought it swishing down. Green and silver sparks streamed from the tip to the ground.
Mr Ollivander raised his brows at him. "That is a pairing I wouldn't have guessed in the first place. Blackthorn and phoenix feather, 12 and a half inches, flexible. That's a powerful combination for Defense against the Dark Arts."
The Potions Master snorted, but seemed to approve the choice. "It's not like I wouldn't need it only too soon," he replied dryly.
"Moreover, the feather in your wand and the one in that of Miss McGonagall are from the same phoenix, so your wands are brothers. You might keep that in mind regarding some of the special effects it features," the wand-maker told him.
Severus appeared to be speechless for a moment, then nodded, sighed, and laid his arms tenderly around his love. The red-haired witch just smiled at him happily and snuggled into the embrace. Albus beamed merrily at the both of them.
Heather and Jamie, who had watched the adults' behavior in amusement and patiently waited for their turn, raised their wands simultaneously now and produced twin fountains of crimson and golden sparks.
"That's indeed really amazing! All your guesses were right so far. You have very accurate senses, young lady. Perhaps you should consider a carrier as a wand-maker once you have graduated from Hogwarts?" the old wizard said to Holly, deeply impressed.
The girl smiled wearily back at him. "Thank you, sir, I will think about that."
Mr Ollivander nodded earnestly, then turned to the two teens. "Maple and Welsh Red heartstring, 11 inches, quite whippy, it is for you, Mr McGonagall, and Silver Fir and unicorn forelock hair, 13 and a half inches for you, Miss McGonagall." He turned back to the last remaining customer and eyed her expectantly. "Now I'm really curious as to which wand chose you. Are you ready to reveal the secret?"
Holly nodded tiredly and gave the wand in her hand a brief flick. Emerald and silver sparks flowed from the end and threw dancing spots of light on to the walls.
The old wand-maker, however, became very sober all of a sudden and fixed the redhead with his pale stare.
"Curious, curious indeed, that fate held this wand in store for you. Yew and phoenix feather, 13 and a half inches, very powerful in its own way. The same combination as in the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I can only hope you will use it wisely, regarding what its cousin has done and is still doing."
Holly met his eyes fearlessly. "Do not worry, sir, I will."
Mr Ollivander held her gaze a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well. I think, Mr Potter, you are not the only one who will leave his impression on the wizarding world. With this family, the things you will be fit for together will without doubt be great indeed."
Harry seemed to consider this for a moment and then broke into a lop-sided smile. "So I guess I'm really not alone anymore."
Heather and Holly grinned knowingly and Jamie snorted. "So you got it at last. Took you long enough, little brother."
The Gryffindor raised his brows at him, but waited until they had paid for the wands and said their goodbyes to Mr Ollivander before he asked Jamie: "Hey, how do you know I'm younger than you? When is your birthday anyway?"
His 'brother' rolled his eyes at the other boy. "31st of July 1981, if you have to know, early in the morning."
"Hah, then we're exactly the same age! I was born on 31st of July, too," Harry retorted triumphantly.
Albus cleared his throat delicately, and the two boys looked at him at once.
"As much as I would have liked to remain uninvolved, I have to throw in the fact that you have been born around six o'clock in the evening, Harry."
The green-eyed teen huffed at that, but Holly patted his arm warmly. "Don't worry, Harry, you will soon realize the joys of having an older brother, and be thankful that you are not the oldest. Jamie has a lot of trouble behind him because of the two of us, even though he prevented us from doing at least twice as much. Being a younger sibling, you can relax and pass the responsibility part up to him if need be and he will sort it out for you. Believe me, he has very much practice in that."
"You can say that again," Jamie confirmed dryly, and Harry grinned at his 'siblings' banter.
Albus inwardly sighed with relief. It was so good to see Harry smile again, be so much like himself again. He just hoped at least one of the McGonagall kids would be sorted into Gryffindor that evening, but he doubted that something like mere House rivalries could keep them apart.
Smiling contentedly, he glanced down at his watch. "Excellent, thanks to Holly we are early and have still time to visit the Menagerie."
"The Menagerie? What for?" asked Lily.
"To buy you a pet or two," Albus replied like it was the most logical thing to do.
"But we already have Jeanne," Heather reminded him.
"A phoenix is a familiar for one person only, and I strongly assume she will choose among you soon, if she has not already done so. With whom was she this morning?"
"With me," Holly said, "She was already there when I woke up, but left when we went out."
The silver-haired wizard nodded knowingly. Rose had already thought so. "Moreover, a bird for correspondence might come in handy."
"My ravens can see to that, Albus. It's about time they finally earn their food," Severus suggested.
Lily looked him in mild surprise. "You have ravens, Severus?"
"Yes, they roam the towers most of the time. Voldemort thought they were too obvious to use for messengers and ordered me to send owls instead."
"Anyways, let's go and have a look. Maybe you find a suitable companion in there, and if not, we will still be back at the school in time for lunch," Albus gently put an end to their discussion and set off for the Magical Menagerie.
When all of them were inside, the place was quite a bit crowded just with them, so they quickly separated to look around and see the different animals the Menagerie held. But as it turned out, before they could find any pets, their pets found them.
A loud hiss in the back of the shop made them jump, and Harry was only thanks to his Seeker-reflexes able to dodge the white blur that shot through the dim-lit room. Heather was not so lucky and the impact that followed knocked her into the shelf behind her.
"Ouch, that hurt!" she exclaimed, but came over her shock in a few heartbeats and looked down on the source of the agitation which she had instinctively caught in her arms. Bright red eyes in a white-plumaged, slightly owlish face glanced up at her, and the bird ruffled its feathers, disentangled itself from her grasp and settled on her left arm. It was white with dark-grey wings, shoulders, back and tail and a purplish gloss on the shoulders and upper-back, and resembled a large falcon except for the forked tail. The strange bird gave her a searching look, clicked its beak and climbed swiftly up her arm to settle on her shoulder.
"Merlin," Heather said in surprise, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Seems like it wants to stay with you," James commented in amusement.
His daughter shot him a half-glare. "Thanks, Dad, I would never have guessed. What kind of bird is this anyway?"
"I think it's a Kite, little flower. But certainly the lady behind the counter knows for sure," he replied with a smile, "So we should..."
But what he thought they should have done was cut short by a loud hiss of the bird on Heather's shoulder and an answer right beside him that made him jump and look down. A large, cat-like creature, obviously a Kneazle, met his gaze with intelligent eyes and mewed. It had silky midnight-black fur and silver eyes, and was now sniffing at him gracefully. Apparently satisfied with what it found, it mewed again, and rubbed its pretty head on his leg.
"Merlin," James echoed his daughter's words, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
The Kneazle just circled his legs once, and then looked up at him with a request in its eyes. The blue-eyed man sighed, and bend down and petted the creature, which started purring instantly. Finally admitting defeat, James sighed once more, and scooped the Kneazle up carefully. It didn't seem to mind at all, but closed its eyes in pleasure and continued to purr contentedly. Taking a closer look, he saw that its shiny coat was not purely black as he had first thought, but was speckled with tiny white dots, like stars in the night sky.
"Mhm, a pretty one you are," he told the Kneazle, but it merely opened one eye and gave him a Tell-me-something-I-don't-already-know look.
The bird on Heather's shoulder had watched the seen cautiously, and now fluffed its feathers again before it made a sound that sounded like a huff.
James shook his head softly and grinned at his daughter. "I think we should go and talk to the lady behind the counter. It seems our pets have found us."
"Looks like that, Dad," Heather replied and returned his grin, and together they walked back to the front of the shop where they met Albus, Severus and Lily.
"Oh, no, not you two again," said the witch when she saw them coming, "How often have I told you not to scare the customers with your silly games?"
Both the bird and the Kneazle managed to look very guileless and innocent, and the witch snorted.
"Don't you give me that look, Stardust, Silkswift, I know you better than that."
Turning to James and Heather she said: "I hope they didn't bother you too much. They are quite the pair, always playing catch to scare away people who might want to take them. But I see you get along rather well with them, that's amazing!"
"Well, actually we didn't do much, they just came to us and now they seem to have decided to stay," James replied, chuckling.
"They are a Kite and a Kneazle, aren't they?" Lily asked curiously.
"Yes, as you can see, Stardust is a Kneazle. She came in here quite a while ago and seemed satisfied to stay and wait for the right witch or wizard to come across her. But then, last summer, Silkswift arrived. She's a Swallow-tailed Kite and has the ability to become invisible when she flies during dusk or dawn or in dull weather, but remains plainly visible in sunlight. Ever since their first encounter, they settled on their peculiar game, and some days, the Kneazle would chase the Kite through the shop if anyone comes near them, other days it's just the other way around. You are the first people they have accepted so far! Please, will you take them? They've already been here way too long!" the witch asked them hopefully.
Four pairs of pleading eyes turned on James who laughed at their expressions. "Oh, alright! It would take a tougher man than me to resist all those puppy-dog eyes. If they want to come with us, we will take them."
Stardust just rubbed her head gracefully against his chin and purred, and Silkswift flapped her wings and chirped enthusiastically.
"Then it's settled," the witch stated happily. "Do you have a license for Kneazles?"
James frowned. "No, I haven't. Is that a great problem?"
"Well,.." the witch started, but Severus cut her off.
"No need to worry, I have one. I will purchase the Kneazle so that it's legally right, but no-one can expect me to keep her from strolling around in the castle, if you get my meaning," he said with a wink.
James smiled at him warmly. "Thank you, Severus. I owe you for that one."
The Slytherin made a dismissive gesture. "Consider it a sign of my gratitude for making me see reason."
"Thank you all the same."
"You're welcome," Severus replied and Albus felt very proud of the young man. He really seemed to have overcome the past and his more than unpleasant memories of James Potter. Granted, James had really been a royal brat most of the time, personifying several of the faults the Gryffindor traits can turn into when taken too far, but at least he had seen reason when Severus had been almost killed by Remus. It had been too late to cease his enmity with the Slytherin then, but it had put him on the course that had finally led him to the Order of the Phoenix, together with his friends.
The silver-haired wizard sighed. The past was indeed a troublesome affair.
It was his Potions Master's voice that eventually interrupted his thoughts again. "Now has anyone seen Harry, Jamie and Holly?" he asked.
"I think they're back on the other side," said the witch.
"I'll go get them," Holly volunteered and went to the far corner of the shop.
A short time after she was gone, Holly and Harry came back, laughing and joking.
"Jamie and Heather are still back there, he wanted to show her something and she would like to stay behind with him because she still has several questions about how to take care of Silkswift properly, so Harry described them where the Quidditch supply is and they said they would meet us there in ten minutes, if that's okay by you," the red-haired girl told her father.
"What do you say, Uncle Albus? Is it safe enough?" he asked the old wizard.
"I should think so. Quality Quidditch Supply is just on the other side of the street. You can go in and I will keep an eye out for them," he suggested.
"Then go tell them it's okay."
Harry hurried back to the other two while the adults paid for the Kneazle and the Kite, and they were just finished when he joined them again. Together, they left the shop and crossed the street to the Quidditch Supply, and on the way Harry told them the story about how Hermione had found her cat Crookshanks in the Menagerie. Fortunately, any uncomfortable questions regarding the rat involved were cut short by Harry's enthusiasm when he was faced with his favorite sport. He explained Holly the basics and when she started asking questions, they were already joined by Heather and Jamie.
Both had a gleam in the eye that soon found its echo in Harry's and Holly's eyes, and Albus sighed once again, knowing that had to mean they were up to something. He cast a questioning look at Holly, and the girl nodded slightly. 'Later' she mouthed, and he nodded in turn, even though he already had a fairly good idea what she would tell him. Well, as long as she did tell him, it would be alright.
He looked back to the others, Severus who was talking quietly with Lily and James, discussing magical creatures with them, Harry, who was trying to illustrate his Quidditch explanations with gestures now, much the amusement of the others, who were nevertheless listening to him with fascination, and happiness warmed his heart.
This was the way things should be. And he would do what had to be done to ensure the success of what his sister had started.
Determination suddenly making him feel years younger instead of weighing him down as it used to do before the McGonagalls had entered his life, he straightened and set off to take his family home to Hogwarts.
***************
A/N:
Thank you for the reviews!!! From what you wrote I take it that I'll just continue as I planned until you tell me you don't like it, okay?
Oh dear, I'm tired right now! And exams are drawing nearer and nearer...
Alright people, let me put one thing straight: I don't like the fifth book and I will continue to write this story as if it never existed!!!
Furthermore, I had to divide this chapter, because I realized it grew way too long. So I rather posted the first half of it now, and I will add the second part later. Sorry about that, but the characters took over the plot once more... I hate it when they do that. It makes me feel like having no control about them...
Anyways, I hope to have the other half out soon, part of it is already written.
So please be patient, and I will deliver you the afternoon and the Sorting as soon as possible.
Thanks to the one who invented the Welsh Red Dragon.
Greetings,
Scheckie