Magical Miracle
by Teddylonglong

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


"Harry!" Before he could even enquire about her whereabouts, Ceridwen stormed up to him, as soon as he entered the healer's office. "What are you doing here on a Saturday? I'm so happy that you're here. Can you stay the whole day? Helga? May we go to Hogsmeade? I'd like to introduce Harry to Mum and Dad."

Helga turned around to view them, rolling her eyes in apparent exasperation. "Ceridwen, you're talking too much at once. How about letting Harry explain why he's here on a Saturday in the first place?"

Harry grinned at the sisters' antics. "I came here, because Severus asked me to bring him here, as he wanted to discuss something with Rowena. We agreed to meet again in our quarters at lunchtime."

"Oh, Sal will love having him here." Helga chuckled. "If you really wish to return to the future at lunchtime, we'll probably have to drag them out of the lab."

"Ah, Harry can simply stay here the whole day." Ceridwen grinned in apparent anticipation. "May we go and visit Mum and Dad?"

Helga let out a deep sigh. "Ceridwen, the other students mustn't return home during the weekends either."

"I met your parents on Christmas last year," Harry reminded her. "Heather and Heath Hufflepuff. I liked them very much."

"But you've never been at our home. Plus, Luna needs a walk. Did you not bring Inu?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't, because I thought I'd be right back anyway. I didn't even tell anyone but Hermione that I was coming here." 'And I thought that we might go Unicorn riding,' he thought; however, did not voice the idea. Instead, he agreed with Ceridwen's suggestion, when Helga asked him if he wanted to go to Hogsmeade and visit her parents.

"I'd like that. I'd also like to see Hogsmeade in this time," Harry said, eagerly. "I know the village from the future, and I'd love to see the differences.

HP

Ten minutes later, Harry, Ceridwen and Luna were running around the grounds towards Hogsmeade. While Harry had expected the village to be smaller, considering that it had only been built a few years ago, he was surprised to see that there were only a few dozen buildings, each quite small and with only one floor. Small children were playing on the street, and Harry immediately loved the village, which seemed to be very cosy in comparison to the busy town in the future.

Heather and Heath, who were as friendly as their daughters, told them much about Hogsmeade and the people living there. Heather was the healer at the village, while Heath was some kind of architect, who had even helped Helga and her three friends with the planning of Hogwarts' structure.

When Ceridwen and Harry devoured their third helping of freshly made bread by Heather, her parents began to question Harry about the future and how different life at Hogwarts was in the future.

"Mum, Dad, at some stage, I'd like to accompany Harry to the future and stay for a school year in his time. May I do that?"

Heather and Heath exchanged a look. "Perhaps, after you finish your OWLs, dear, provided that Harry's parents agree to have you there."

Harry smiled. "Of course, they will. Plus, we have our own rooms in the founders' quarters anyway, and if she gets homesick, I can take her back at any time…. Ahhh. Stop it."

Luna suddenly began to bark at Ceridwen, who had begun to mercilessly tickle Harry.

"It's all right, Luna. I won't hurt him," she said, giggling. "I am not going to get homesick." She glared at Harry, who could not help chuckling.

HP

It was already lunchtime, when they hurried back to the founders' rooms, only to realise that Severus was not there yet. However, Harry did not really mind, as he and Ceridwen spent the next hour playing with Luna in the otherwise empty living room.

"I am sorry. We completely lost track of time," Severus apologized, when he and Salazar finally showed up an hour later.

"Did you at least develop some interesting new prank?" Harry quipped, causing Ceridwen to look at the two potions masters in clear expectation.

"If we did so, you can be sure that we won't tell the two of you, Chatterbox and Thunderbolt." Salazar smirked.

"Oh well, Severus, shall we return to the future?" Harry asked, noticing that the older wizard seemed strangely contented.

"Yes please." He lightly inclined his head.

"All right. Bye Ceridwen, bye Salazar, bye Luna. I'll see you on Monday." With that, Harry opened the door to the time chamber and followed Severus into the room with the large tapestry.

"Severus?" Harry asked, tentatively, as he readied himself for the travel. "Did you have a good time? You seem very happy."

The older wizard smiled. "Can you promise me to keep a secret if I tell you the reason for my happiness?"

"Of course." Harry's voice was firm and apparently convincing.

"You might have noticed in the future that Roxana and I like each other."

Harry nodded. "Yes, I thought that you might be at least one of the reasons for her to remain in the future."

Severus sighed. "Frankly speaking, I am not sure if the feeling is mutual. Usually, in our time, I could simply ask her to marry me, and she could either agree or not, but as I didn't know how to do such a thing in this time, I asked her sister for an advice."

'Ah, that's why he wanted to come here,' Harry realised, however, did not interrupt the older wizard, who was admitting his secret to him.

"Anyway, Rowena said exactly what you voiced a moment ago and told me to just ask her. She said considering that we lived in the future, we could do it in our time's way."

"That's true." Harry shrugged. "Congratulations, Severus. I know that she'll say yes."

"I hope so, too. Please remember to not speak with anyone about this."

"I won't," Harry promised, feeling very happy for Severus, whom he had known well from when he had been a baby.

Distracted, he reached for Severus' hand, touched his picture on the tapestry with the other, uttered the date and the time, and they returned to the future.

When they arrived and turned to the door, they automatically looked at the display of date and time above the door, as Harry always did to confirm that he had arrived at the right time.

'Dec 2, 1990; 12 P.M.'

"I thought we were going to return to eight o'clock this morning?" Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh no. Sorry, I was so distracted by your story. Shall we return four hours to the past or shall we just get out here?"

"Let's just head to the Great Hall and attend lunch," Severus decided and opened the door, his ancient attire automatically changing into his clothes from the future. 'His green robes suit him much better than the white clothes of the past,' Harry thought, before he became distracted by Inu jumping up at him.

"I thought you were going to come back sooner." Hermione shook her head in annoyance, as she closed the book she had been reading on the sofa.

"Sorry, I messed up. Shall we go and have lunch?"

"Yes, but you should apologize to Mum. She was quite upset, when you didn't return this morning."

"I'll do that right away," Harry decided. As soon as they entered the Great Hall, he strode to the high table, only to realise that the witches were wearing unicorn horns and the wizards were spiking antlers. 'What happened?' he wondered, before he turned to his mother. "Mum, I'm sorry. I messed up in time and only now returned."

"It's all right, sweetie. At least, Hermione knew where you were. My only problem is that none of us would be able to go and fetch you from the past for whatever reason."

"Bellatrix," Roxana spoke up. "I will ask Harry to take me with him some time, and I will ask my brother-in-law to invent something that'll enable at least some of us, for example, Hermione or myself, to time travel."

"Harry and Severus, was that you?" Minerva pointed at the unicorn horn on her head.

Severus smirked. "For today, we have an alibi, but I'd suspect my student assistants, as they're the only students at Hogwarts, who I'd deem able to brew such a potion. Apart from Harry, but he was with me in the time of the founders."

HP

"I don't think Godric can develop something to allow you or Roxana to time travel," Harry whispered to his sister, once he took his seat next to her at the Slytherin table. "Let's ask Hogwarts if there's anything she can do to enable you to use the tapestry."

Hermione nodded with apparent eagerness, and right after lunch, the siblings once again headed to the founders' quarters and right into the Parlour to speak with Hogwarts.

The castle remained pensive for a moment. "Hermione, please put your hand somewhere against my wall."

Hermione immediately complied, and all of a sudden, Harry could sense a bout of strong magic coming from the direction, where the girl was touching the wall.

"Thank you so much, Hogwarts," she uttered, seemingly happy.

"That was very strong magic. I could even feel it here." Harry looked at his sister in amazement.

"You're welcome, dears. Hermione, you should be able to use the tapestry by yourself now," Hogwarts said in a soft voice, before she continued, sounding much stricter. "Please note that I will not do this for anyone else. I am counting the two of you to my founders considering that you helped building me, when I was still a baby. The same goes for Ceridwen. Therefore, I believe that you're entitled to some privileges such as the use of the tapestry."

"Thank you, Hogwarts." With that, the siblings happily returned home to tell their mother the good news.

"Mum really is a bit overprotective," Harry mused aloud.

"Yes, that's true, but you know that she values family more than anything else, probably because of her bad experiences with her own family," Hermione replied, seemingly thoughtful. "Auntie Drommie told me once that their parents wanted to kick them both out of the family, but they couldn't, because Grandfather Arcturus prevented it. He's the Lord Black after all."

"I suppose that's why we never go and visit them and mostly only know Grandfather Arcturus." Harry let out a sigh.

As soon as they entered the Black-Weasley quarters, they became distracted by a conversation between their mother and their brothers, because of a certain prank that the twins had played on all the professors.

"Never play a prank without providing an antidote."

"Ah, but Mum…"

"… isn't the prank absolutely harmless?"

"… Moreover, it's going to wear off in about twelve hours…"

"… and you don't even have to teach classes today."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes in apparent annoyance. "What if the headmistress had a meeting with the minister of magic, for example?"

"That's a pity then…"

"… but she could point out to the minister…"

"… how brilliant her students are."

Hermione and Harry burst into laughter, causing their mother to look at them in pure irritation.

"Anyway, twins, please listen to your mother and always provide an antidote, before you play a prank on someone." Their father's voice was firm and allowed no contradiction.

"Yes, Dad," the twins promised, unisono.

HP

At the same time, Severus and Roxana were having tea together in Severus' private rooms.

"Thank you," Severus uttered to Cicero, his personal house-elf, when he served tea and what he knew to be Roxana's favourite biscuits of their time.

'I can do this,' he encouraged himself, somehow feeling very much reassured by what Rowena and also Harry had told him. Even if the boy was only ten years old, he seemed very advanced for his age in comparison to Severus' first-years. 'Bella and Arthur and also the four founders have raised him well,' he thought, before he summoned his courage for the task at hand.

"Roxana," he addressed the witch, who was just a year younger than himself, in a soft voice. "I am sorry, I am not good at this, and it's my first time." Looking straight at her face, somehow relieved that she was smiling at him, encouragingly, he asked, "Will you do me the honour to become my wife?"

'I said it,' he thought in relief, as he averted his eyes in uncertainty.

"Severus, thank you so very much for asking."

Her voice was soft, causing him to look up again in expectation, when she continued, "I'd love to become your wife."

"Thank you," he uttered and leaned over to pull her into a much deserved, passionate kiss.

HP

Bella and Arthur along with their younger children were the first to hear the good news, when Severus visited them together with Roxana that evening.

"Congratulations, you two. I am very happy for you." Bella smiled and consecutively pulled them into light hugs.

"Congratulations," Arthur added before asking, "Do you need to observe some kind of regulations or customs in the past?"

"No." Roxana shook her head. "I am living here now."

Severus smirked. "In fact, this morning, Harry was so kind as to take me to the past, and I had a longer conversation with Rowena and received her permission in her parents' stead to ask Roxana for her hand in marriage."

"You did what?" Roxana smiled at him in apparent amazement. "Thank you, Sev. It means a lot to me that Rowena approves of our marriage. If we have her consent, my parents will agree as well."

"I can take you to see them at any time, and Hermione is now able to travel by herself as well. Just give us a shout if you want to go."

"Thank you, Harry." Roxana smiled. "Perhaps during the Christmas holidays."

Severus nodded. "Perhaps, we can celebrate Christmas twice this year, once in this time with our friends and family here and once in the past with your family."

"I think I'm going to celebrate Christmas twice again, too, just like the last few years. Hermione?"

His sister nodded, grinning in apparent happiness.

"Do you already have a date for the wedding?" Bella looked at him with apparent interest.

"At the beginning of the summer holidays," Severus informed her, somehow feeling happier than he had ever felt before.

"That reminds me…" Bella seemed pensive for a moment, before she asked, "Would the two of you be willing to become the godparents for our youngest? She is supposed to be born in June."

"With pleasure," Roxana promised for both of them.

HP

Lily Black-Weasley was born on June 16, 1991, the day between the leaving feast and Severus' and Roxana's wedding. She had inherited Arthur's red hair, of which she had surprisingly plenty for a baby, and it seemed to be of the bushy form as Hermione's and their mother's. Her eyes were baby blue, but Aunt Poppy informed them that almost all babies had blue eyes and that the colour might change during the first twelve months.

'She's so cute,' Harry thought, already loving the tiny being in his mother's arm.

"She's very cute, and her red hair is lovely." Hermione seemed over the moon with joy, just like himself.

HP

The wedding of the two Hogwarts professors was promising to be a large affair. Severus and Roxana were well-liked among the students, especially Roxana, who while teaching a subject, which most students found outright boring, often told them interesting stories about her own time. Therefore, many students from all houses had requested to be allowed to stay the two days until after the wedding, and Minerva had readily agreed.

It was still an hour before breakfast, when Harry slipped into Hermione's bedroom. "Mione?"

"Harry! What's wrong?"

"Sorry, no, nothing is wrong, but I just had an idea. I'll go to the past and invite Rowena and Salazar to come and attend the wedding."

Hermione stared at him, wide-eyed. "Harry, that's a brilliant idea. I hope they'll agree to come. Do you want me to come with you?"

Harry sighed, pensively. "Well, it would be easier if each of us travelled with one person, but…"

"They don't need us to travel you know. According to Hogwarts, all founders should be able to travel by themselves. It's all right though. They don't have the experience we have and might get lost at a strange time. Give me five minutes, and wait outside please."

Rolling his eyes, Harry left the room and impatiently paced the living room, before his sister arrived three minutes later. They decided to arrive at a time, when breakfast was still on its way, hoping to catch the two professors in the Great Hall, and they were lucky. The founders were not in the Great Hall, but in the living room of the founders' quarters.

"You should really be in Ravenclaw," Rowena quipped. "I thought you had the weekends off, during the holidays at that?"

Harry sighed. "Yes, Professors, sorry for intruding, but today is Roxana's and Severus' wedding, and we thought that Rowena and Salazar might wish to attend."

"Ah, Harry, you're so sweet. I'd love to attend Roxana's wedding. When do we need to go? Right away? I don't even have a present."

"We are not in a hurry." Hermione smiled.

"Perhaps, we could visit Ceridwen? Is she at home?"

Helga nodded. "As she did not expect you to come over today, she did not come here. She should be at home or at least not far.

"Be back at lunchtime. We'll go after lunch. I need some time to brew an adequate potion for Severus."

Seeing the older wizard smirk, Harry offered, "Shall I assist?"

"Thank you, Thunderbolt, but there is nothing to assist. Nevertheless, it will take about three hours, so we shall meet you again at lunchtime."

"Come Harry, let's go and see if we can find Ceridwen." Hermione eagerly left the founders' quarters with Harry on her heels.

'Ah, I should have brought Inu with me,' he thought, when they walked down to the Hufflepuffs' house, which was just behind the Hogwarts wards.

Ceridwen was playing with Luna in front of the house. Harry and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks, when she suddenly transformed into her chameguise form.

"You did it!" Harry said in amazement.

"Congratulations, Ceridwen!"

"Thanks," she replied, as she transformed back, while Luna was eagerly jumping up at them licking their hands in apparent happiness. "What are you doing here? Today is Saturday. I'm very happy to have you here," she added after hearing their story. "Let's practise the Animagus transformation for a bit. I can't wait for the two of you to be able to transform, too. And do not forget to invite me for the night of the full moon once you manage the transformation."

Harry smirked. "You'll even be able to travel by yourself, even if I don't recommend it. Hogwarts said that we could all time travel using the tapestry, because we belong to her founders."

Ceridwen's face brightened in apparent happiness. "Oh, that is brilliant. Nevertheless, I would prefer to travel with you the first time."

"You will." Harry nodded, reassuringly, before he tried to transform into his chameguise form. So far, he had already managed the complete transformation apart from his head, while his sister was still missing her left foot, which Harry found extremely strange.

They practised for an hour, while Ceridwen watched and played with Luna, before Hermione suddenly managed to transform the missing foot.

'Why are the girls always faster than me? I want to change my head now, too,' Harry thought in annoyance, feeling upset enough to let out a large bout of magic. An instant later, he noticed that his vision expanded greatly.

"Harry, you did it, too. Congratulations, Hermione and Harry."

During the rest of the morning, the three friends played in front of the house in their chameguise forms, before Heather Hufflepuff came to call them inside to have some home-made apple cake. She admired them greatly and looked at Harry and Hermione in their chameguise forms in amazement, when Ceridwen transformed back and told her that the chameguise would be able to change into any other animal.

"We haven't practised that yet, but we will. I think Luna and Inu can't wait to have a mock fight with all of us in doggy forms."

'That's going to be much fun,' Harry thought in anticipation.