Magical Miracle
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
During the following months, the founders taught Harry, Hermione and Ceridwen everything that they deemed necessary for a student to know by the time they entered Hogwarts.
On Friday afternoon every week, however, they did not have lessons but were allowed to help the founders with the construction of the castle.
The outer walls including all the towers as well as the main staircases were already built. However, Slytherin was still lacking its common room as well as the dormitories and bathrooms and Ravenclaw still needed the staircases within the tower among other things. The founders also wanted to make a huge number of shortcuts throughout the castle, so that they would be able to reach every single spot of the school within two minutes from any other spot.
Hermione shook her head in apparent confusion. "I don't think there was as much as one shortcut in our time. The students in the future really seem to have to hurry to get from one classroom to the next."
"That's because we're not going to tell anyone about the shortcuts. They are only for the seven of us to know." Godric cast them a pointed look. "While you're here, you're going to learn many secrets about Hogwarts, but you must not talk about them to anyone, neither in this time nor in the future."
"Yes sir." Harry and Hermione for once replied simultaneously.
"Of course." Ceridwen nodded in confirmation.
HP
"Before we allow you to assist with the construction of the school, I wish to introduce you to Hogwarts as the assistants of the founders." Godric motioned the children into what he called the parlour. "This is the only room, in which you can simply talk to Hogwarts. When she has accepted you as our assistants, you will be able to speak with her throughout the school if you place your hand on the wall. Harry as our heir should be able to do so anyway." He motioned them to take a seat on one of the sofas, the only furniture the room was equipped with.
"Hogwarts, I wish to introduce our assistants to you. This is Harry Potter, the first heir of all four of us. This is Hermione Black-Weasley, Harry's sister, and Ceridwen Hufflepuff is Helga's sister. The three of them will assist us with the completion of your walls, rooms etc. As you know, Harry and Hermione come from one thousand years in the future to study with us and assist with your construction."
"Hello Harry, Hermione and Ceridwen. Thank you for helping the founders building me. I am very big, and it's much work for just four people, even if they are powerful witches and wizards." Hogwarts' voice was very childish, and Harry reminded himself that she was only a few years old.
'I wonder how she will sound in our own time,' he thought, realising that the castle sounded very friendly.
"Thank you, Hogwarts, for allowing us to assist with your construction." Hermione smiled. "Harry and I know you from the future, and you're even bigger and really complete in that time."
"Feel free to speak with my older self in the future. I am sure that I will be very happy about it."
HP
When they left the parlour, the other founders were already waiting for them.
"Oh Merlin, Hogwarts sounded so cute." Hermione chuckled.
"Thunderbolt, I want you to help with my house." Slytherin cast Harry an assessing look.
"Yes sir." Harry smiled in anticipation, as he followed the older wizard in the direction of the dungeons. While Slytherin appeared very grumpy in general, Harry had made the experience that the man became much friendlier, when they were working on something, such as a potion.
"In the future, the common room and the dormitories are under the lake. Uncle Severus once showed me the dormitories."
"Under the lake?" Slytherin smirked. "Now, that seems like a good idea. Why not make the dormitories adjacent to the lake with windows that allow the view into the lake though?"
Harry remained pensive for a moment, absentmindedly observing how Salazar cast a spell that made torches in certain distances along the wall of the dungeon corridor. "So that the students can watch the fish swim by when they're in bed?"
Salazar quirked an eyebrow. "I haven't seen any fish in the lake so far yet, but that's the plan."
"Can we do that, sir, although we know that it's different in the future?" Harry cast the older wizard a questioning look.
Salazar smirked. "Of course, we can do it. After we make the first dormitory, you can return to the future and take a look. It will have changed by then."
Before they could begin making the dormitories, however, they had to finish the dungeon corridor, Salazar's office as well as the Potions classroom and a store room for the ingredients with a secret connecting door to Salazar's private lab.
He taught Harry the password for the connecting door, smirking. "Is the Potions professor in your time a good professor?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, he is very nice and is said to be the youngest Potions Master of all times and the best after you."
"If that's so, you may show him to my private lab and tell him, but only him, about this shortcut."
"Thank you, sir." Harry grinned in excitement. "Uncle Severus will be delighted, sir. Perhaps, I should show him your lab on Christmas. It'll probably be the best Christmas present for him."
Salazar grinned in apparent amusement. "Perhaps, you'll be able to beat him as the youngest Potions master of all times. I shall assist with that."
Harry grinned, happily. "Thank you so much, sir."
HP
On the day before Christmas Eve, the founders informed Harry and Hermione that they would not have lessons over the holidays but should spend some time with their family in the future.
'It's almost as if the founders were our family as well,' Harry thought, feeling very happy to have two families at the same time.
"Thunderbolt, if you're bored during the holidays, you can always try to proofread this text." Salazar handed him a stack of parchments, which were written in meticulous hand-writing. "It might be difficult for you, because it's the Potions book for the seventh-years."
"Thank you, sir. May I ask Uncle Severus if I have a question?"
Salazar nodded, even if he seemed slightly grumpy at the idea. "We can always discuss anything, as soon as you will be back in this time."
Harry smiled, as he accepted the parchments, which seemed to be kept together by a charm. He also received the first-year Charms book from Rowena, while Rowena asked Hermione to proof-read her first-year Runes book.
'Thank Merlin we brought books from the future for each of them as Christmas presents,' Harry thought. They had bought the book 'Most Potente Potions' for Salazar, the not self-updating version of 'Hogwarts: A History' for Rowena, a compendium of magical illnesses for Helga and 'Transfigurations for fun' for Godric. While they had entrusted Ceridwen with the gifts for the professors, Harry and Hermione had given their friend's present, the first two books in the series of 'Five magical friends', which they both loved dearly, to Helga.
When Harry readied himself to return to the future with his sister, he was unaware that he was going to return to the past, before Christmas would be over.
HP
In the morning of Christmas Eve, Harry found the thought of just remaining at home for two weeks strange. Even if they usually spent the weekends at home together with their parents and their older brothers, two weeks seemed to be a long time.
He was just about to settle in the living room beginning to read Salazar's script, when Hermione brought him back to reality.
"Mummy, can we have some wrapping paper, please? They don't have wrappings in the founders' time, and we need to wrap our Christmas presents for everyone."
"Oh right." Harry nodded, eagerly, putting the bunch of parchments onto the table. With Salazar's assistance, he had brewed fruit drops for his siblings, Nymphadora, Charlie, Bill, Neville and Draco. In fact, he had made some for Percy as well, although he did not like the first-year Gryffindor, but at dinner on the previous evening, he had learned that the boy had returned home over Christmas. For the adults, he had brewed several kinds of flavoured or spiced liquids, which they could add to their tea of coffee.
"You can either ask a house-elf for some wrapping paper or ask them to wrap your presents for you." His mother smiled. "Pucky," she called the elf, who seemed to have been her favourite elf from when she had been a child, and asked him to assist them.
"Of course, Little Master Harry and Little Mistress Hermione. What can Pucky do for you?"
Casting a longing look at the parchments, which she had received from Rowena, Hermione asked the elf to provide wrapping paper for their presents.
"Excuse me, Pucky, would you perhaps show me how to wrap these phials?" Harry gave the elf a pleading look.
Pucky nodded and handed colourful wrapping paper to him, before she patiently showed him how to magically wrap a phial. Harry profusely thanked the elf and happily cast the same spell at each of the remaining phials, finding that they looked very pretty. He was so engaged in his process of wrapping presents that he only noticed that the twins were studying Salazar's parchments with obvious eagerness, when they let out simultaneous shouts of surprise.
"The wolvescure?"
"If that's what it seems…"
"… Salazar Slytherin has a cure for lycanthropy."
"What is lycanthropy?" Hermione's eyes narrowed, as she eyed her brothers, seemingly sceptical. "Be careful with these parchments. They are only borrowed and probably Salazar's only copy."
'I don't think so,' Harry thought, knowing that Salazar would not easily trust him to take his sole copy to the future. However, he knew better than to inform his mischievous siblings about the matter.
His mother stepped over to them, looking at the pile of parchments with apparent excitement. "Lycanthropy is the illness affecting a person to become a werewolf," she informed them.
"Like Uncle Remus?" Harry enquired, looking up, wide-eyed.
"Yes." Both twins' heads bobbed up and down in confirmation.
"That would be amazing beyond belief!" Their mother took the parchments into her hand, only to be taken aback by the paragraph written in Parselscript. "Can you read this?" she asked the twins, who shook their heads.
"I can read it." Harry's voice was barely audible; however, his mother had heard him.
"Can you translate this paragraph into plain English onto an empty parchment then, please? I'm going to call Severus over to take a look at this."
"Mum." Harry felt inclined to lightly protest. "Believe me, I want to cure Uncle Remus, but Salazar only gave this to me to read. No one else must know about it."
His mother nodded in apparent understanding. "I know, sweetie, and I am certain that Uncle Severus will keep it a secret as well. I'd just like to make use of his expertise as a Potions master."
Two minutes later, Uncle Severus elegantly stepped out of the fireplace. "Bellatrix, Hermione, Harry, Fred, George. What have these insufferable twins done now?"
From the smirk crossing his face, Harry assumed that he was joking; however, he still felt inclined to lightly protest. "They have found something very interesting, sir."
HP
During the following two hours, Harry busied himself translating the part, which was written in Parselscript, into modern English. He found it very difficult to translate, considering that he was lacking knowledge about several of the ingredients. However, with Severus' assistance, he somehow managed to translate it.
"Thank you, Harry." Severus skimmed the recipe, only to let out a sigh of apparent resignation. "Unfortunately, there are three ingredients, which we don't have in our time."
Harry grinned. "That's not a problem, sir. Let's head to Salazar's lab. It should still be there in this time, and he has all of the ingredients under a refreshment charm. They should still be good. Come, sir."
"Harry, are you sure that Professor Slytherin wouldn't mind you taking me with you into his private lab?" Severus quirked an eyebrow.
Harry nodded. When a sudden idea crossed his mind, he stepped over to the nearest wall. "Hogwarts, can you hear me?"
It was the voice of a kind, old lady that replied this time. "Hello Harry, how kind of you to speak with me. Happy Christmas, my child."
"Happy Christmas to you, too, Hogwarts." Harry smiled. "Wow, you sound so much older than the last time I spoke with you." He felt the wall lightly vibrate, as Hogwarts chuckled at his observation. "Is Salazar's private lab still intact, and do you think that I can take my Uncle Severus and my bothers with me to get some ingredients?"
"Harry, Salazar has long been gone, and you are the owner of Hogwarts in this time. Of course, you may take Professor Snape and the twins with you. You may even visit Amaterasu, as Salazar has diligently travelled to all times between the year, when you have first met him, and nowadays to renew the charm, which he cast over my grounds, so that her view will not be deadly to anyone within my boundaries. I believe that he is going to teach you the charm, so that you will be able to cast it in the future."
Harry nodded in understanding. "He already told me about it, even if he hasn't taught me the spell yet. Thanks, I'm going to visit Amaterasu later on. She must be very lonely."
"That she is, even if Salazar visited her once in a decade, when he came to renew the charm. She will be very happy to see you in any case."
"Thanks, Hogwarts," Harry replied, before he pulled his hand off the wall. Turning to Severus and the twins, he motioned them to follow him.
HP
Harry led Severus and the twins into the founders' quarters, introducing them to the founders in their portrait at the entrance. Harry listened in amazement, as Severus greeted Salazar with obvious respect, before he stated the purpose of their visit.
To Harry's relief, Salazar refrained from showing his usual grumpy behaviour and greeted Severus equally politely. "Harry informed me that you are a worthy successor of mine as the Potions professor and head of Slytherin. Therefore, I grant you access to my private potions lab. If you have any questions concerning the organisation of my lab, please ask Harry. He knows everything about it."
Harry felt himself blush, knowing that the words coming out of Salazar's mouth meant the highest praise that Salazar might be willing to give. 'Only last week, he told me that I was a dunderhead,' he thought in surprise, before he dismissed the thought, realising that the older wizards were waiting for him to guide them.
"All right, let's go." He walked in the direction of Helga's and Salazar's bathroom, where not only the entrance to his private chamber was situated, but also his potions lab, only to notice that Inu ran ahead, however, in a different direction.
"Sorry, Inu, but we won't go to see the founders today," he called out to the canine, who sat in front of the door leading to the time chamber.
Inu let out a small growl. "Sorry, Inu, but as it's Christmas, we're going to remain at home."
Inwardly sighing, he ignored the canine for the time being and led his companions into Salazar's lab, which, to his relief, appeared exactly as it had looked in the past. It only took him three minutes to show Severus the required ingredients, assuring the older wizard that the shelves were self-replenishing.
"Harry, I can't thank you enough for bringing me here," Severus finally said after carefully pocketing the ingredients.
"You're welcome, sir." Harry smiled.
"Err, Severus…"
"… why don't we use this lab…"
"… to brew the potion right away?"
"… We'll be here…"
"… if you wish for two handsome assistants…"
"… to prepare the ingredients."
Severus looked at the twins in apparent surprise, before he cast Harry a questioning look.
Harry let out a deep sigh. "Before brewing the potion, you should check the recipe with Salazar. I am not one hundred percent sure if my translation of the part in Parselscript is correct."
Severus nodded in apparent understanding and waited for Harry to lead the way back into the living room, where he left it to the potions master to confer with what he already thought of his mentor after studying five months together.
To his relief, his translation was correct, and Salazar encouraged them to brew the potion and heal all the werewolves in their time.
"I have never published or patented any potion. Feel free to take full credit for it." Salazar smirked.
"Please do so." Harry shrugged, leaving the three over-excited wizards in Salazar's lab. "In the meantime, I'll go and visit Amaterasu. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
HP
With a last glance at Inu, who was lying in front of the door to the time travel chamber in apparent resignation, he made his way to Salazar's chamber.
'I am not going to assist with that potion,' he resolved in amusement. 'If they manage to cure Remus and in extension other werewolves, they'll surely receive the Order of Merlin, something that I definitely don't want. I've already got more fame in this time than I ever wanted to have.' He inwardly grinned upon realising that his thinking was absolutely Slytherin. 'Oh well, it's still five years, before we're going to be sorted. Perhaps, until then, I'll be able to find a method for Mione and me to get sorted together.'
