Magical Miracle
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.


Amaterasu was over the moon with joy to see him, and Harry promised to come and visit his old friend at least once every weekend from now on. They talked about this and that, before Amaterasu asked him to switch on the large fireplace for her. Harry gladly complied, recalling how Salazar had told him that it had taken him two months to properly get the fireplace installed in the enormous size that Amaterasu required.

'He should have simply taken Rowena with him. She'd have been able to efficiently assist,' Harry thought, as he observed how the basilisk made herself comfortable on the spot that Salazar had explicitly made for her. He then swiftly returned to the surface of the castle to pick up Severus and the twins. 'Salazar is the most private person I know.'

HP

Severus and the twins had just finished brewing and had already cleaned up the lab, when Harry arrived to return home with them.

"Inu, come, we're going home," he called out to the canine, who returned a small yowl.

=Are we not going to meet with Ceridwen today? I like her. She's always nice and funny.= Inu gave him a puppy eyed look.

"That's true, she's always nice and funny," Harry agreed, smiling, as he thought of the girl who had quickly become his best friend over the last five months. "Perhaps, later on," he replied, lightly, hoping to distract Inu for now.

"Harry, if you intend to travel to the past sometime during Christmas, please give me some time to prepare an adequate gift for Professor Slytherin."

Harry nodded. "Sure, Uncle Severus," he confirmed and informed the older wizard that he had given Salazar 'Most Potente Potions' for Christmas.

"Does he have any special interests?" Severus quirked an eyebrow, causing Harry to chuckle.

"Apart from remedies for all kinds of magical illnesses, he loves to brew prank potions," he admitted, recalling how Salazar, Godric and he had pranked Rowena, Helga, Ceridwen and Hermione before.

"That's good to hear…"

"… as it gives us lots of possibilities," the twins quipped, making Harry roll his eyes at them.

Severus nodded. "I wouldn't mind giving him a compendium of all the prank potions we developed ever since these infernal twins began to pester me in my lab on Sunday evenings."

"Ah, but professor…"

"… it was you who invited us…"

"… to brew together on Sunday evenings."

Two identical redheads glared at the older wizard, who merely smirked, when they reached the Black-Weasley quarters.

HP

Bella could not help pacing the room in excitement.

"Mum." Hermione cast her a reproachful look. "Calm down please. If anyone will be able to brew that potion, it's Uncle Severus and my three brothers. If they can't get the ingredients here in this time, Harry can simply go to the past and get them."

Bella nodded. "I know, dear. You're right. It's just that I've known Remus since he was eleven, and I know just how much he suffered due to being a werewolf. So, alone the thought that there might be a possibility to heal him makes me very happy."

"It would be the best Christmas of all times for him." Arthur smiled, knowingly.

Just then, the door opened and the remaining members of her family including Severus strode into the room. "And? Did you get the ingredients?" Bella greeted them, unable to hide her excitement.

Severus held out a small phial to her. "Your sons even assisted me in the brewing of the wolvescure potion. Can you please summon Remus here?"

"Of course." She headed to the fireplace and called Remus, before she made another call summoning Poppy as well.

When everyone was assembled, had made themselves comfortable on the sofas and Inu dashed around the table to properly greet Poppy and Remus by licking their hands, she explained everything to Remus and Poppy, staring at Harry in surprise, when he demanded to be left out of the story.

"I don't want any more fame," he informed her in a small voice.

'Still, you will get what you deserve,' she thought, exchanging an unobtrusive look with Severus, which showed her that the younger wizard fully agreed with her own assessment.

Receiving Remus' permission, Poppy quickly cast a spell at him, before Severus handed him the small phial, which he gulped down without further ado.

"The lycanthropy doesn't show up on my spell anymore," Poppy announced, causing everyone to cheer, while tears welled up in Remus' eyes.

"Thank you all so much," he sobbed. "I still can't believe it, and I'm still going to spend the night of the full moon in the Shrieking Shack, but I am so happy. Thank you, Harry, Fred, George and Severus."

"Just know," Bella spoke up, grinning in happiness, "that we need you to become an Animagus, as we're still going to spend the nights of the full moon on the grounds anyway."

"Will I be able to become an Animagus at all?" Remus' expression was clouded with apparent doubt.

"Of course, Uncle Remus." Harry spoke up, grinning. "Let's study together. I want to become an Animagus, too."

"I'm going to join you." Hermione looked from Harry to Remus in apparent determination.

"You don't think…"

"… that you'll be able to do such a thing…"

"… without a handsome couple of twins…"

"… such as us?"

"I will teach you all on Saturday evenings," Bella decided. "Please consider which animal you wish to become."

"I want to become a cat." Hermione was the first to voice her opinion.

"Just a normal cat?" Harry cast her a look of apparent disbelief. "Why not some kind of magical cat? Godric told me that all magical animals are able to communicate with each other."

"A kneazle cat then," Hermione relented. "Have you decided already?"

Harry shrugged. "I intended to become a griffin or the kind of dragon that Mum and Dad have, but Salazar recently told me that he'd recommend a chameguise for me. I still haven't found out what it is though. I need to ask Professor Scamander or look for it in the library, but I didn't get around to do so yet."

"I suggest asking Professor Scamander." Bella smiled, as she recalled how the professor had helped her with the choice of her own Animagus form.

HP

Everyone was happy hearing that Remus was cured from lycanthropy, and dinner on Christmas Eve turned out to become a huge celebration.

Minerva let out a small sigh. "I believe that this achievement is too big to keep it a secret. Severus, Harry, Fred, George, are you willing to brew many doses of the potion to cure all the werewolves in this time?"

Receiving a quadruple "Yes," she nodded in apparent contentedness and promised to contact her friend Millicent later the same day. 'The Minister of Magic,' Harry thought in surprise. 'I'd rather thought she'd contact St. Mungo's.'

HP

At breakfast on Christmas morning, Severus handed Harry a parcel wrapped in dark green wrapping paper with a potions pattern. Various types of ingredients flew into a golden cauldron only to be spat out in what appeared to be fireworks. "Will you please take this to Professor Slytherin?"

Harry remained pensive for a moment. "Uncle Severus, would you perhaps like to accompany me?"

His sister immediately protested. "Harry, you know that we mustn't take anyone with us."

"I know, but this is an exception." Turning to Severus, he promised, "I'll head to the founders' quarters and ask for permission. I'll be back in a few minutes."

'Too bad that I can't apparate yet,' he thought, as he dashed through the empty halls of the castle together with Inu. Godric had told him that he as the heir of the founders would be able to apparate within Hogwarts; however, he insisted that Harry was too young to teach him Apparition.

"Salazar, my Uncle Severus would like to visit you in your time. He wants to thank you in person for allowing him to cure Uncle Remus from lycanthropy. May I please bring him with me?"

"Just this once, you may," Salazar grudgingly agreed.

"Uncle Severus, I can take you with me." Harry somehow felt excited at the idea of introducing Severus to Salazar. He liked them both a lot, and he found that they were similar in many ways. 'Perhaps because of being the Potions professors,' he thought, as he impatiently waited for Severus to abandon his breakfast and join him.

Together, they headed to the founders' quarters with Inu dashing ahead in apparent pleasure. When they reached the portrait of the four founders, instead of stepping into their rooms, Severus cast Harry a questioning look. "Will it be adequate to just go in our normal attire? Are they used to our robes by now?"

Harry smiled, looking at Severus' favourite green robes, before he explained. "Rowena cast a charm at the door of the time room, and it automatically changes our clothes to the time, where we arrive."

HP

When they arrived in the past at eight o'clock on Christmas morning, just two days after Harry had last visited his ancient family, the founders' quarters were deserted.

"They're probably just having breakfast." Harry smiled in expectation, as they walked back to the Great Hall with Inu dashing ahead as usual.

When they entered the Great Hall, Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "They don't have a Christmas tree," he blurted out in surprise. "Oh, and we've totally forgotten to open our Christmas presents," he added, noticing small piles of what seemed to be gifts lying on a table, which had been added to the Great Hall.

"Harry! Inu!"

Ceridwen stormed up to them and pulled Harry into a firm hug, before she greeted Severus.

"Come, let me introduce Uncle Severus to everyone," Harry replied, sharing Inu's happiness at seeing the girl.

"Good morning everyone and Happy Christmas." He said, suddenly feeling uncertain. "Salazar in his painting allowed me to bring Professor Severus Snape with me for once. He's Salazar's successor in our time, and he wants to thank Salazar for the wolvescure."

"Good morning," Severus spoke up. "I am sorry for intruding, on Christmas day at that."

"Ah, nonsense, please take a seat and have breakfast with us. If Thunderbolt decides to bring you here, you are of course very welcome."

"Thank you, Professor Slytherin."

Only when a woman, whom he had never met before, rose from her seat, did Harry notice that some people, who seemed to be the siblings of the four founders, were present. 'She must be Rowena's sister,' he realised.

"Professor Snape, I am intruding here as well, so please feel very welcome and take a seat," she spoke up, pointing to the empty chair next to her. "I am Roxana by the way, Rowena's sister. I trust that you already know my sister and her friends?"

"I know them from the portrait in the founders' quarters." Severus lowered himself into the offered seat, giving Harry a questioning look.

Harry sat between Ceridwen and Helga, who had hurriedly made space for him. "Rowena, why don't you have a Christmas tree?" he could not help himself asking.

Everyone stared at him in apparent surprise. "Harry, what exactly is a Christmas tree?" Godric sounded amused but also interested, and Harry quickly explained what a Christmas tree was.

"We shall have one by lunch time," the headmaster promised, instructing his brothers to join him in the forest to get a large tree immediately following breakfast.

As soon as everyone had finished eating, Severus handed Salazar his gift, and the ancient wizard opened it with apparent interest, before he stood in obvious determination. "Severus and Thunderbolt, follow me. I believe that we have a potion to brew."

"Ah, Salazar, you're mean. Harry came to visit me and not to brew potions with you." Ceridwen glared at the older wizard, causing Harry to inwardly chuckle, especially when Inu added a series of small woofs to her little tirade.

"Well then, Chatterbox, come with us." Together, they headed to Salazar's lab, where the older wizard said in apparent excitement, "Let's choose a potion to prank the ladies."

"If I may suggest something?" Severus quirked an eyebrow at Salazar, who returned an almost identical look. "Considering that we have this insufferable canine with us in the lab, I suggest potion 17."

Salazar eagerly skimmed the book. "The barking potion," he read, seemingly amused. "Makes the consumer bark upon seeing a dog. Very well, Thunderbolt and Chatterbox, fetch the ingredients, Inu keep out of the way, Severus, do you wish to prepare the ingredients for me?"

Severus lightly inclined his head, and everyone set to work. Thirty minutes later, a colourless liquid was simmering in the cauldron, and Salazar bottled a batch of small phials. "I shall spell these right into Helga's, Rowena's and Roxana's stomach. See to it that Inu will be around for them to see him."

"That's not a problem. He loves to sit on my lap." Ceridwen grinned broadly. "Now, shall we go unicorn riding?"

Harry cast Salazar a questioning look; however, realised that the older wizard seemed keen to have some time in private with his fellow potions master.

"Be back on time for lunch," Salazar advised them.

HP

Of course, they were punctual, as neither of them wanted to miss their prank, especially knowing that Inu's presence was required. Harry smiled happily upon realising that a huge Christmas tree was standing in one part of the Great Hall. It was covered by snow that was coming down from the ceiling, however, did not reach the floor.

"Uncle Severus, the tree needs some colourful baubles. Can you perhaps make some?"

With a flick of the potions master's wand, the Christmas tree was decorated resembling the one which they had in the Great Hall in their own time.

"This is beautiful." Roxana was the first to admire the tree from all angles. "Thank you so much for making our Christmas so much more enjoyable."

Severus lightly inclined his head in silent response.

Harry and Ceridwen could not help laughing, when the three adult witches began to bark at them and at each other, as soon as the meal began.

'Are they really saying something?' Harry asked Inu over their bond, causing the canine to reply affirmatively.

'What are they saying?'

'Helga said Salazar is corrupting you, whatever that means, and Roxana said she finds Severus interesting and wants to visit us in the future for a while.'

"Really?" Harry stared at Inu in surprise. However, instead of a response, Inu busied himself stealing a small piece of carrot from Ceridwen's plate.

They had just barely finished eating, when the ladies decided to get their revenge.

Harry suddenly felt very strange. His body seemed to somehow shrink but expand at the same time. 'What happened?' he wondered in shock, only to realise that he found himself to be an animal. Looking around, he noticed that Ceridwen, Severus, Godric and Salazar were in the form of some kind of monkey as well.

=Baboons.= Salazar growled. =How dare they!=

=Ah, Sal, let's just have some fun,= Godric replied and jumped up onto the table, where the house-elves had just cleared the table and brought tea for the three ladies. He did a strange dance on the table, stepping onto plates, biscuits and whatever was on the table, and the others swiftly followed. Only one of the baboons remained on the ground together with Inu, who lightly growled at the larger animal. 'Probably Severus,' Harry thought. 'He wouldn't dare do such a thing.'

Only when the three witches abandoned their tea and left the Great Hall in obvious annoyance, the baboons jumped down from the table and Godric swiftly transformed into his phoenix Animagus form and back into his human form.

"That was fun," he chuckled, before he waved his wand and transfigured each of them back, receiving a quadruple "Thanks Godric."

HP

Only after dinner, Harry, Severus and Inu returned to the future. "Harry, that was my best Christmas ever. Thank you so very much for taking me with you."

"You're welcome." Harry grinned, happily. "That was really lots of fun today. Will you follow Salazar's invitation to spend the summer holidays in their time?"

Severus cast him a pensive look. "If Minerva lets me go and you don't mind taking me with you again, I'll do so. Studying with Salazar was really interesting."

Harry nodded in understanding. "For him too I suppose. He sometimes asks me if we have potions for this or that in the future."

"He spoke very highly of you and said that he will probably make you take your Potions OWL before you're going to become a student in our time."

Harry grinned, feeling very happy at the unexpected praise coming from Salazar who very rarely ever commended him. "He always tells me I'm a dunderhead."

"Does he now?" Severus sounded amused.

"I can't wait for classes to begin at Hogwarts in the past, but it's only in the summer next year." By now, they had reached the Great Hall, where everyone was just opening their Christmas presents. Harry dashed over to the high table with Inu following swiftly.

"Granny Minerva, Salazar invited Uncle Severus to spend the summer holidays with him. Will you allow him to go?"

Minerva smiled and nodded, as she stepped over to the time travellers. "I suppose that your meeting went well then?"

"It was brilliant." Harry beat the older wizard to a response and told the headmistress about the pranks they had played in the past.

"Baboons?" Andromeda chuckled. "I'd have loved to see that. Any chance that we're going to get to see a memory?"

Harry and Severus exchanged a glance, before Severus replied for them both. "No."

HP

From that time onwards, Severus invited Harry to participate in his Sunday evening meetings with the twins, during which they specifically developed new prank potions.

"Severus, are you going to use some of them during the summer holidays?" Harry asked in anticipation.

"Only if Salazar agrees to brew them. I am not going to misuse their hospitality by pranking them."

"Ah, that's true, but Salazar will happily brew them together with us. He just loves pranks." 'Too bad that it's still many months till the holidays,' Harry thought.

However, the following months should pass faster than he had anticipated. On New Year's Eve, the front page of the Daily Prophet shouted in a red headline, 'A cure for lycanthropy. Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts as well as his assistants, Fred and George Weasley and Harry Potter, receive Order of Merlin first class!'

"Minerva, did you fail to tell us something?" Harry heard Severus speak up at the head table and inwardly chuckled, even if he felt annoyed at the fact that his own name was mentioned as well.

"Mum will be thoroughly pissed," Charlie said to the twins, who used to take their meals at alternating house tables just like Hermione and Harry. "She always complains that you're good for nothing failures."

"Sorry to say this, but your mother must be incredibly stupid. The twins are the best big brothers someone could wish for, and Harry and I are very proud of them, aren't we, Harry?"

"Yes. They're annoying," Harry quipped, "but brilliant."