Magical Miracle
by Teddylonglong

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


During the summer holidays, the trio was once again taught by the professors in private. This time, the adults added new subjects to their curriculum. Godric gave all three of them a first insight into Sword fighting enlisting one of his brothers' assistance, however, told them that he was only going to teach them to make their own swords in a few years' time.

Salazar taught Harry in Occlumency and Legilimency. "Both are very important, especially if you don't want people to know that you're a time traveller."

"Wouldn't it be important for Hermione, too?" Harry hesitantly voiced his opinion.

"She has other priorities of study than you, so right now, I am going to teach you."

However, Harry had a hard time keeping Salazar out of his mind, and when his mother noticed that Harry seemed uncharacteristically annoyed one evening and asked what was wrong, Harry told her about the Occlumency class and that he just could not do it.

His mother remained pensive for a moment, before she suggested, "Shall I ask Uncle Severus to try teaching you during the weekend? Perhaps, he can use a different approach to that of Professor Slytherin."

Harry nodded, somehow feeling relieved at the idea. "Thanks, Mum. Please ask Uncle Severus." 'Uncle Severus is much more patient than Salazar,' he thought, when the reflected the conversation with Bellatrix later the same evening.

To Harry's relief, Severus was indeed able to better teach him how to produce some kind of barrier to keep him out of his mind. "You need to decide on something, which you really like, such as, for example, catching the Snitch in front of the blue sky or the Giant Squid playing in the water or such."

Harry grinned. "I could have Amaterasu slither around the lake," he said, wondering if that image was good enough to keep people out of his mind.

Severus smirked. "I believe that might shock people enough to fail entering your mind."

"Uncle Severus? What is your memory?"

"I have a simple image of a bubbling cauldron in front of a black wall. It works with any image you choose. The important point is that you concentrate on not letting anyone come behind the image."

Harry nodded in understanding, before he remained quiet and slowly produced an image of Amaterasu at the front of his mind. He had the basilisk slither around the lake with Hogwarts in the back.

"Severus, will you please try to get behind it?"

Seeing the older wizard raise his wand, he concentrated on the image and tried to completely lock his mind to Amaterasu and the lake.

Suddenly, the image of his father receiving a Howler from his first wife played in front of Harry's mind.

'No! Amaterasu, where are you?' he feverishly thought, and an instant later, Severus was flung out of his mind and ended in front of the image of Amaterasu.

"That was very well done, Harry." Severus commended him greatly.

Harry shook his head. "No, you still managed to get through."

"But only for a moment. We'll try again tomorrow, and if we practise this for a few days, no one will be able to enter your mind anymore."

"Not even Salazar?"

Severus reassuringly shook his head. "He might be better than me, but I don't think that he'll be able to get behind your image if you practise to keep it up for a few days."

HP

By the time Harry had his next Occlumency lesson with Salazar, he was proficient at keeping Severus behind the picture, and Salazar's eyes widened in surprise, as he, too, ended up in front of a scene that involved his familiar.

"Well done, Thunderbolt, really well done. Now, what do you think of doing some potions research together with me and Severus?"

"Of course. Will he come here with me?" 'Cool,' Harry thought in excitement.

"Please ask him if he'd like to come. I sure hope he will." He handed Harry a folded parchment. "Please give him this invitation."

"Yes sir," Harry replied, grinning in anticipation.

HP

It was on a Sunday evening shortly before the end of the summer holidays. Their four children and the dog were all in bed, and Bella and Arthur relaxed in the living room enjoying the peace and quiet of the holidays.

'Tonight, I'm finally going to tell him,' Bella resolved, when all of a sudden, the fireplace flared, causing her to inwardly sigh.

'Thank Merlin, it's only Severus,' she thought in relief and motioned the young wizard to step through. Severus had been close to a son to her ever since he had been a student at Hogwarts and spent the holidays with her to not have to return to his abusive home, just like Sirius.

"Good evening, Severus. Would you like a glass of wine?" Arthur smiled, as he showed their colleague the bottle, which he had opened just a few minutes ago.

"Thank you, Arthur. I'd like that. I am sorry for disturbing you at this time."

"Severus, you will never disturb us, and you're welcome to join us at any time." Bella's voice was firm.

"Thank you, Bella and Arthur." Severus remained pensive for a moment, before he began to speak.

"Earlier tonight, I asked the twins if they would perhaps like to become my student assistants considering that they have already taken their OWL in Potions and are very adept, just like Harry."

"Student assistants?" Bella looked at her younger colleague in surprise. "I've never heard about such a thing."

Severus smiled, as he explained that professors who held multiple positions, such as in his case being the Potions teacher, Potions Master, Slytherin head and deputy headmaster, were allowed to occupy a student assistant. "I will ask them to assist with the brewing of potions for the hospital wing. I might even ask them to teach the occasional class of one of the younger years or help me grading homework of the lower classes. In return, they may either receive privileges or money."

"What kind of privileges would that be?" Arthur seemed to listen as interested as herself.

"That could be, for example, a later curfew or the permission to participate in the Hogsmeade days. Anyway, before asking Minerva to make a contract with the twins, I wished to receive your consent."

Bella and Arthur exchanged a glance, before Bella motioned Arthur to reply. "Severus, I can't thank you enough for giving our sons this opportunity. I suppose that they accepted your offer?"

Severus smiled. "Yes, they did, and they chose money over privileges."

"Really?" Bella asked in surprise. "I'd have believed they'd love to get the chance to participate in the Hogsmeade visits earlier."

Severus smirked. "I believe that they have already intentions for a time after Hogwarts. They did not tell me anything, but I overheard bits and pieces of conversations revolving around their own combined apothecary and joke shop. Well, considering that they're not even first-years…" He slowly trailed off.

Bella scoffed. "Oh, I trust these two to pull through with any plan they make together, considering how well they did so far, not only in Potions but also at the Unspeakables' office."

"They're sons to be proud of." Arthur smiled, before he added, "just like our other children."

Bella nodded happily, as she lightly let her hand wander over her stomach, resolving to tell Arthur that she was pregnant again, as soon as Severus returned home. 'I hope he'll be as happy as me,' she thought, smiling.

HP

It was on the day before the welcoming feast in the past and the future that Harry and Hermione debated where they should seat during the Sorting ceremony.

"Where do you think the twins are going to be sorted?" Harry cast Hermione and his parents a questioning look.

"Bella, do you think they have more traits from you or from me? Perhaps, they'll be Gryffindors like Bill, Charlie and Percy." Their father smirked.

Their mother let out a small scoff. "Do you really think so? Even if I'm not their real mother, I've been raising them since they were three, so they should have a sufficient dose of Slytherin and Ravenclaw traits… Oh well," she interrupted herself, "due to their training with the Unspeakables, they're surely going to be Ravenclaws. Does it matter at all though? Arthur?"

"No, my dear, it doesn't."

"Of course, it doesn't," Hermione agreed. "We're just considering where to sit tomorrow night.

"I think they might end up in Slytherin, considering that Severus made them his student assistants."

Bellatrix shook her head. "They can work as his student assistants while being in any house."

Just then, the twins entered the room. "Are you discussing our Sorting?" They spoke together for once, their voices laced with apparent bewilderment.

"The only thing we care about…"

"… is being sorted together."

HP

In the end, the Sorting Hat did them the favour and sorted both of them together into Slytherin. Harry and Hermione were watching from the Gryffindor table, where they had decided to join their half-brother Charlie for the evening.

"Oh Merlin, I just hope that my mother won't send them a Howler." Charlie looked over to the Slytherin table in apparent concern.

"Why would she do such a thing?" Hermione cast him a look of pure bewilderment.

"Because she has nothing to do and too much time ever since Percy began to attend Hogwarts two years ago."

Harry unintentionally managed to distract everyone, when he absentmindedly tried to transform his left hand into his chameguise form and for the first time manage to spike fur.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, causing the headmistress, who had just raised from her chair to greet the students, to look over to the Gryffindor table in clear annoyance.

"Is there a problem, Miss Black-Weasley?"

"No, Professor, sorry," Hermione quickly replied, before she set to study Harry's left hand in detail.

'We should have skipped the whole Sorting ceremony,' Harry thought in annoyance. 'Once a day is enough, considering that we already watched the one in the past this morning.'

HP

Their second Hogwarts year in the past passed almost like the first year did; however, the professors were much stricter and more demanding. Harry, Hermione and Ceridwen usually did their homework together in the living room of the founders' quarters right after the last afternoon class; however, it became more and more difficult to finish their homework before dinner.

"Perhaps, we should ask the professors if we may stay until the beginning of curfew," Hermione said one day, putting down her quill in exasperation. "Otherwise, we'll have to take everything home with us and begin working on our homework again, which would be extremely annoying."

Ceridwen grinned in apparent excitement. "I'd love for you to remain longer. Come, let's go and ask Helga. The doggies will be happy as well."

Her older sister listened to their worries in surprise. "Of course, you may stay over dinner and continue studying in the evening, provided that your parents will be all right with it. When we made the agreement with them, you were only six. Now, you're nine and have been students here for a year, which makes a big difference. Harry, will you please take me with you to the future and take me back to this time later on?"

"Of course." Harry grinned, knowing that his parents and several of their colleagues would be delighted to meet Helga.

HP

Harry chose a time to arrive with his guest around thirty minutes earlier than usual. 'Otherwise, the halls would be full of students heading to the Great Hall.'

He quickly guided Helga home, glad that his parents' rooms were not far from the founders' quarters.

"Mum, Dad, this is Helga Hufflepuff."

His parents, who were sitting in the living room grading homework, immediately rose from their chairs, and his mother held out her hand in greeting. "Professor Hufflepuff, what a nice surprise. I am Bellatrix Black-Weasley, and this is my husband, Arthur Weasley."

"Good evening, Mrs. Black-Weasley and Mr. Weasley. I am sorry for accompanying Harry here without forewarning, leaving Hermione and Inu in the past."

"We are very pleased to meet you. I hope that nothing happened to Hermione and Inu?"

"No, Mum, they're fine." Harry beat Helga to a response, knowing that she was very protective of all of her children including himself.

"Your children asked me if they might be allowed to remain in our time until curfew each evening," Helga explained in a soft voice. "Apparently, the work load in second year is too much for them to finish their homework before dinner, and as they usually study together with my younger sister, the three of them would like to have more time to complete their homework together."

"Ceridwen, I suppose," his mother replied, smiling. "I've heard a lot about her. Harry always tells me that she was friendlier and brighter than any of our students here in this time."

Harry inwardly rolled his eyes at his mother, as he felt himself blushing. 'Did she really have to say that to Helga?' he thought in annoyance.

"If they don't cause problems and you don't mind having them in the evenings, we do not have a problem with it. We're happy if they are happy," Bellatrix continued.

"I fully agree with my wife. We are very happy for them to have the opportunity to study in your time, and they seem to feel as if Hogwarts in your time was their second home and family," his father agreed.

Turning to Harry, Bellatrix added, "Harry, we expect you to be back by nine o'clock every evening at the latest."

"All right, Mum, thanks." Harry smiled, glad that his parents were so understanding.

"Professor Hufflepuff, do you have a few more minutes? I'd love to introduce you to Poppy Pomfrey, the healer in our time. She'd be absolutely thrilled to meet you in person."

"If Harry doesn't mind staying here for an hour, before we return to my time?"

"That's fine. I'll just attend dinner in the meantime. I'd like to talk to my twin brothers for a while anyway."

"Ah, dinner would be an option, too. That way, I could introduce you to all of my colleagues." Bellatrix cast Helga a questioning look.

Helga agreed, and together, they attended dinner in the future.

HP

From that time onwards, Harry and Hermione felt much more relaxed, knowing that they had time enough to finish their homework together with Ceridwen after dinner. They even had the opportunity to visit one or the other common room, once they had completed their assignments.

It was only a little more than a year later that another problem arose.

HP

"Harry, wake up, I need to talk to you."

"Hmm?" Glancing at the time display on the ceiling above his bed, Harry realised that it was only five o'clock in the morning. "Mione, what happened?"

"Nothing really, but…" Hermione let out a deep sigh. "As you know, from next year onwards, we'll have to attend classes in the future."

"Ah, yeah, there was something," Harry replied, letting out a deep yawn.

"But Harry, don't you mind?" Hermione sounded devastated. "By then, we'll have finished our third year in the past and can't even take our OWLs. I mean, we studied for three years but don't even have a certificate. I'd love to finish all the years until our OWLs first before beginning to study in this time. Do you understand what I mean?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. Let's discuss this with the professors in the past. Perhaps, they have an idea. Maybe, we can study during the holidays or they can simply give us assignments, which we can do here in our time. I'd really like to continue all the way through Hogwarts in the past, too. Up to the NEWTs."

HP

"Let's speak with Helga after classes." Ceridwen appeared as pleasant as ever, grinning happily upon hearing that they wished to study more in her time.

As soon as on Monday after their first afternoon class, the trio went to see Helga, thinking that she was the easiest of the professors to talk to.

Hermione quickly explained what was bothering them, and Helga nodded in apparent understanding.

"I see. You wish to study seven years in our time or at least five and then seven years in the future, however, wish to remain at your age, so that no one in the future will notice that you're in fact older. Is that correct?"

"Yes please." Hermione cast the healer a pleading look.

"That would be amazing," Harry added, grinning happily.

"I'd like that, too. Perhaps, I can then accompany you to the future and again attend Hogwarts together with you."

Helga cast her sister a reassuring look. "If Harry promises to take you back here every now and then, I don't think that Mum and Dad would refuse to let you go. Well, I shall speak with my colleagues and ask if any of them has an idea how to best proceed. Please give me some time."

"Thank you, Helga," Harry and Hermione replied, simultaneously, while Ceridwen hugged her sister in apparent gratitude.

HP

During the rest of the week, the children impatiently waited for Helga to come and present a solution to them; however, by the end of the week, they still had not received a response. However, Harry became distracted by a different matter.

On Sunday evening, Harry, the twins and Severus had their traditional prank potions time, which they even continued during the school year. They mostly invented potions with the intention of pranking either all the students or the teachers; however, at the same time, Severus filed the parchments with the recipe in a thick folder with the intention to share their recipes with Salazar when the opportunity arose.

When he dismissed the twins on time for curfew on this Sunday in early December, he kept Harry back.

"Harry, would you mind taking me to the past for an hour during the next weekend?"

"Of course." Harry smiled, giving the older wizard a questioning look.

"I'd like to speak with Professor Ravenclaw about something."

"All right, sir. Shall we go on Saturday morning right after breakfast?"

"Yes please."

'Perhaps, I can go unicorn riding with Ceridwen,' Harry thought in anticipation of spending a Saturday morning in the past. 'No one will even have to know,' he decided.

HP

On Saturday morning, Harry took Severus to the past. He usually travelled exactly one thousand years into the past and to the same time, where he had come from, which prevented him from getting confused by the different times. While he had expected everyone to be in the founders' quarters right after breakfast, their rooms were deserted.

"Perhaps, Rowena is in her office. Let's go and have a look."

"Thank you, Harry." Severus nodded in apparent appreciation.

"No problem, Uncle Severus," Harry replied and led the older wizard to Rowena's office, which was situated in a nearby corridor that was not used anymore in the future.

Knowing that Severus and Salazar would be happy to spend some time together after Severus' conversation, Harry agreed with him to meet at the founders' quarters again at lunchtime, before he headed to the hospital room to ask Helga if she had seen Ceridwen.