Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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


'Of course, you should talk to them,' Lucy thought back, firmly.

"Okay," Harry said, tentatively. Due to not using his voice for a long time, it merely came out as a whisper; however, the elves seemed to understand how much of a challenge this step had been for him.

"Thank you, Harry. That was very well done." Misty's voice was warm and comforting, and Harry smiled, feeling very happy at the unexpected praise.

"Now, are you ready to attend the morning classes with the elf children? The first morning class is going to commence in ten minutes."

'A whole class full with children?' Harry thought, horrified, barely noticing that Lucy gave him a nudge into his side.

'Come on, let's go,' she instructed him, reassuring him by keeping close to him.

"There are only two children in the six-year-old class, Nina and Tony, and they will be happy to have you in their class. Barney, the head house-elf at Hogwarts, is teaching them. Their class has begun back in April, but I'm sure that all three of them will be happy to help you catch up."

Just when they entered the classroom, Lucy sent him an image of a bright room that was occupied by a large table with a couple of chairs around it as well as various kinds of small playgrounds in each of the corners of the roo. He suddenly felt himself being pulled into a bear hug, while excited sounding voices penetrated his ears.

"Hello Harry, welcome to our class."

"We is Nina and Tony…"

"… and we are happy to have you in our class."

"With three elves, we is going to have so much fun."

"Easy Nina and Tony," Misty spoke up in a firm voice. "I believe that Harry is not used to hugs. He comes from an unfriendly home. Feel free to show him how good hugs are, but do it slowly."

"And it's we are, not we is, Toni," Malcolm added, strictly.

"Good morning, kids."

Harry felt grateful, when Lucy showed him an image of the elf, who had suddenly arrived in the room.

"Harry, this is Barney. We told you about him," Cicero said.

"Barney, this is Harry. He wishes to attend this class together with Nina and Tony. However, he is not used to talking, and he cannot see," Misty explained. "He will only attend the morning class; in the afternoon, Cicero, Malcolm and I are going to give him private lessons."

"Very good. Welcome to our class, Harry."

When Lucy gave him a nudge, Harry obediently whispered, "Hello, sir."

"Very well done, Harry," Misty commended him, gently, before the three elves took their leave, leaving him with Barney, Nina and Tony.

"Yes, it's good that you learn to speak, however, Barney is not a sir, Barney is just Barney," the teacher informed him. His voice was strict, however, not unfriendly, and Harry quietly nodded, uncertain if it was expected from him to again answer aloud.

HP

Harry found out very soon that his class with the elves was the most interesting thing that had ever happened to him. During the first hour, Barney taught them writing numbers and letters. Harry could not believe that he would be able to write; however, with Lucy's assistance, it was no problem at all, as she permanently displayed the table in front of him into his mind. After a few minutes of orientation, he diligently wrote on the parchment in front of him, his small tongue slightly sticking out from his lips in eagerness. By the end of the first class, Barney gently commented all three of them.

"Now, as you did so well, we're now going to try to pop. Lucy, please show Harry this part of the room for a minute."

Lucy immediately complied, and Harry observed with interest how the teacher suddenly vanished from the spot only to reappear at a different spot.

'Wow, that's cool,' he thought, raptly listening to Barney's explanation.

"This is the elven way to pop. It is different from the human method of Apparition. They are not able to apparate within Hogwarts, but we can pop. Harry, please do not tell the humans about elven knowledge which you learn in this class. You must keep our elven secrets from the humans. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Harry whispered, softly, remembering just on time that he was supposed to speak aloud and that Barney did not wish to be called sir.

Barney taught them how to summon their magic and simply wish themselves to a different spot. It took the three children the better part of the morning, and Harry was already beginning to feel tired, when he finally succeeded in popping just over to Lucy's other side. He profusely thanked Lucy for displaying the room in front of them for him the whole time.

"Tomorrow, we will try again, and by the end of the week, you'll be able to pop yourselves all over Hogwarts," Barney promised, much to the children's excitement. Turning to Harry, he added, "Nina and Tony have already learned to turn themselves invisible. Before you pop anywhere in the human area of Hogwarts, you must learn to become invisible, too."

Harry quickly wished himself to be invisible, just like he had done so many times in the past, and the teacher greatly commended him.

"Very well done, Harry. However, you forgot something."

'What did I forget?' Harry wondered.

"Nina, Toni, any idea what Harry forgot?"

"He forgot to turn Lucy invisible, too." Nina was the first to reply. "Is she able to turn herself invisible by herself?"

'That's true, but how can I do that?' Harry wondered, sadly shaking his head to show them that he did not have a clue.

"I suppose that you simply wish yourself invisible. Is that true?" Barney enquired in a soft voice, causing Harry to nod in relief upon realising that the teacher was obviously going to help him.

"Well, then it's easy. You simply have to wish both of you invisible. Please try it out if you're not too tired."

Harry nodded in understanding and quickly wished himself and his familiar invisible.

Nina and Toni began to cheer, and he hurried to change both of them back.

"That was very well done, Harry. Now try to remember to always turn both of you invisible, before you pop to the human part of the castle. You must also learn to pop Lucy with you."

He did not know if Barney could somehow sense how clueless he was, however, the elf gently explained, "Instead of wishing both of you invisible or trying to pop both of you, you could simply touch any part of your doggy. That way, she automatically becomes invisible if you do, and you will pop both of you together."

Harry inwardly sighed in relief, giving the teacher a grateful nod, before he reached out to his familiar to practise again, glad when she laid one of her front paws into his hand, before he could even consider where to touch her.

Finally, it was lunchtime, and before Harry could ponder if he should return to the Great Hall for the meal, Nina and Tony grabbed his arms and pulled him over to the elves' dining room.

"You is going to have lunch with us," Nina informed him in a no-nonsense voice, making Harry wonder if it would be all right to have lunch with the elves.

He felt very much reassured, when he felt Misty's magic nearby. "Harry, is everything all right? Did you enjoy yourself?"

Harry nodded, eagerly. 'Yes, it was much fun,' he thought back, completely forgetting about Misty's request that he should speak aloud.

"That's good," the elf replied, gently. "Eat lunch together with your friends, and afterwards, I will teach you for a while."

HP

After lunch, where Harry was only able to stomach a small amount of what a kind elf had placed on his plate, Misty taught him. She conjured a dummy of a human and, while Lucy showed him an image of the dummy, explained what the different parts of the body were called and what their purpose were.

"A natural healer is something very special and wonderful, and you will be able to help many people, whom even powerful healers with much experience can't cure. I love being a healer, because I can help people, and I possess very strong elven magic, but you as a natural healer will be much more efficient. Even if you're still very young, you should consider studying healing. Although it is not a subject at Hogwarts, I am sure that Mistress Poppy will be willing to teach you, perhaps even in exchange for one of the other subjects which you don't like."

Harry listened raptly. His thoughts went haywire. 'I am a freak, but I'll be able to help many people? Just like Lucy is helping me?' he wondered.

"Do you understand what I mean?" Misty enquired, gently.

Harry nodded, still feeling unsure about the matter. 'Will everyone think that I'm a freak?' he asked, somehow trusting the kind elf to not become angry by him asking a question.

"Of course not. You're not a freak. You're a very powerful wizard with a wonderful gift, which makes you very precious," Misty replied in a soft voice. "Of course, you don't have to decide anything now. It's still two years, before you'll even become a student at Hogwarts, but I want you to keep in mind that you have a very special gift, which no one else has. To use it efficiently, you should allow Mistress Poppy to teach you. I can teach you as well, although I am only a house-elf," she added, sounding slightly hesitant.

'Please teach me,' Harry thought back. 'I learned a lot this afternoon, and I liked it very much.'

He heard how Misty chuckled a little, before the elf replied. "Harry, I will teach you under one condition."

'Oh no,' Harry thought in disappointment. 'It would be too good to be true, but in the end, I'm still only a freak.'

"Under the condition that you speak with me aloud. I know that you can do it, and I promise that I won't tell anyone about it, neither the other elves nor Mistress Poppy, but I wish you to speak with me."

'You can do that,' Lucy thought to him, forcefully kicking her snout into his stomach.

"Okay," Harry said, tentatively, as he busily cuddled the canine's ears, and Misty commended him greatly.

"From tomorrow onwards, you will study with me after lunch every day, and later on, Cicero will tell you about the herbs that Master Severus uses for his potions. You should know much about potions if you wish to become a healer."

"Okay," Harry whispered his agreement.

"Thank Merlin Lucy's magic is so strong that she can show you images over longer times. She's really able to efficiently support you."

'Lucy, you're the best,' Harry thought to his familiar, smiling happily.

The canine replied by gently licking Misty's and then his hands.

HP

After a short while, Cicero entered the room and Misty informed him about her agreement with Harry. The two elves decided that it would suffice if Barney taught the three children primary school things among other matters, so that they could share the afternoon between themselves without involving Malcolm. Harry listened, feeling very much contented by the elves' decision.

"Very well, Harry. We will now visit Master Severus' herb garden, and I will teach you about two or three different herbs each day. I want you to remember everything I tell you, and we will revise these herbs shortly on the following day. If Master Severus does not mind, I will also show you how to prepare these ingredients in the potions lab. I shall ask him later today. Is this procedure all right with you?"

Harry nodded, smiling. 'Yes please,' he thought to the elf. He was the first elf, whom he had ever met, and he instinctively knew that he could trust him.

They said good-bye to Misty, and Cicero popped the three of them right into Severus' herb garden.

Enlisting Lucy's assistance, the elf showed him a moon fern plant. He told him, where the herb usually grew, how and when to harvest it, how to prepare it as a potions ingredient and listed a few examples of concoctions, for which it was needed.

Harry found everything very interesting and was almost disappointed, when Cicero informed him that dinner in the Great Hall was going to commence soon. He took Harry and Lucy back into Severus' quarters, so that Harry could wash his hands and then walk to the Great Hall. Cicero then took his leave, however, Harry continuously felt the elf's magic, as he unobtrusively followed him and Lucy all the way to the entrance hall.

'Did he just want to make sure that we'd find the way?' Harry wondered in surprise, as he entered the Great Hall, flashing Lucy a thanks, when she immediately sent him an image.

"Harry here!" he heard Charlie's voice and happily followed Lucy to the Gryffindor table, where Charlie and Tonks had yet again reserved the seat between them for him.

HP

After dinner, they met with Severus in the entrance hall.

"Now, Mr. Weasley, Miss Tonks, I do not wish to see any stunts, dives or the like." Severus' voice was strict.

"Of course not," his friend reassured his guardian. "I will do my best to keep Harry safe."

"And I will keep the cutie safe," Tonks added, sounding happy.

Harry could not help feeling frightened, however, intrigued at the same time. 'Flying on a broomstick?' he thought, incredulously. 'I wished Aunt Petunia could see us.'

'Give me a moment to settle onto the broom, then I will send pics,' Lucy thought to him, and an instant later, he saw himself standing next to Charlie, who was sitting on his broom invitingly holding out a hand. Severus was standing a few steps away watching them closely.

"Come Harry, sit in front of me," the boy instructed him, and Harry hesitantly climbed onto the broom. "Now, firmly hold on to the broom with both hands," he was told and immediately complied.

Shortly later, he sensed that they rose into the air, and he could feel a fresh breeze on his arms. 'This feels cool,' he thought and thoroughly enjoyed himself. As Lucy was riding on a different broom, the images she sent him did not exactly match the scenery around him, which he noticed, when he felt the magic of the trees from the forbidden forest nearer than the forest appeared in the images. However, he did not mind but felt extremely grateful to Lucy.

He was outright sad, when Charlie gently landed the broom on the ground again.

"Did you like it?"

Harry nodded, fiercely. 'That was the best thing that ever happened to me,' he thought to his friend. 'Thank you so much. I loved it.'

To his relief, Lucy seemed to like flying as well, and they eagerly agreed, when Charlie and Tonks invited them to go flying again the following evening.

HP

"You seem happy," Severus commented, when they returned to their quarters.

'Yes, very,' Harry thought back. 'I've never been so happy before. I had a wonderful day.' He told his guardian everything about classes with the elves, with Misty and with Cicero. 'I loved flying with Charlie. It felt cool.'

Severus nodded in understanding, before he told him that he'd love to teach him brewing a simple potion, however, that it was not possible, because Lucy had to sleep. "Dogs usually sleep about twenty hours a day, which she did not, because you needed her. However, now, she must sleep. I can offer to tell you some more about potions ingredients if you're interested. Alternatively, I can read to you from Hogwarts: A History."

'Potions ingredients please,' Harry quickly decided and intensely listened, until a large yawn escaped his mouth.

Severus immediately rose from his chair. "I believe that it's time for you to go to bed as well."

HP

The whole week passed in a similar way, and Harry felt happier than he had ever felt before.

On Friday, he learned that the elves' children did not have classes on Saturday and Sunday and that he would not have afternoon classes with the elves either. However, before he could become disappointed, Minerva and Severus informed him that they would be able to spend some time with him.

On Saturday morning after breakfast, he and Lucy followed Charlie and Tonks out onto the grounds.

"Harry, I will write to you, and I'll ask my mum to invite you together with Professor Snape to visit us for a day," Charlie promised, before he boarded one of the carriages that were going to take the students to Hogsmeade.

'I'd like that,' Harry thought, feeling very sad that Charlie and Tonks were going to return home for two full months.

When Severus instructed him to board the carriage together with his friends, Harry hesitantly complied. Apparently noticing that he was nursing dark thoughts about possibly going to be sent away, his guardian quickly explained, "We're going to see the students off at the station and then make a short excursion into the village, before we'll walk back to Hogwarts. I am sure Lucy will appreciate the exercise."

'Oh, that's true,' Harry thought back in relief. He spent the short trip to the station listening to Charlie, Tonks and two of their Gryffindor classmates with amusement. 'They're really funny,' he thought, grinning. Too soon for his liking, they arrived at Hogsmeade, and he separated from his friends, following Lucy over to where the professors were standing. 'Thank Merlin that Lucy always knows when to send me an image; without her, I'd be completely lost,' he thought for the umpteenth time that week, gratefully caressing the canine's fluffy ears.

HP

Severus, Harry and Lucy headed to Flourish and Blotts, the Hogsmeade branch of the largest magical bookstore in London.

"You told me that with Lucy's help, you're able to read, is that correct?"

'Yes sir.' Harry somehow felt very happy about this achievement.

"Very well." Severus remained pensive for a moment, before he continued. "As Minerva is already reading 'Hogwarts: A History' to you and we have enough books about potions, herbs and so on, I'd like to buy a children's book for you. There is a series, which I read, when I was your age. It's about the only children's book I read besides Potions books."

Harry felt that he was amused, and he nodded in understanding.

"It's called 'Five Magical Friends'. Would you like to try reading the first book of the series?"

'I'd love that,' Harry confirmed, smiling happily. 'I'm going to get a book, just for myself,' he thought in delight. 'Lucy, will you help me read a book?' he thought to his familiar, who immediately licked his hand in clear confirmation.

'Of course.'

A few minutes later, Harry was happily carrying his book in his hand, while he walked along the Hogsmeade main street between Severus and Lucy.

"Harry, I am sorry, but I need to run a small errand at the apothecary, where Lucy will not be able to accompany us. Will the two of you please wait outside? It won't take long. Five minutes at the most."

'Of course, sir,' Harry replied, smiling.

He patiently waited in front of the shop, gently caressing the canine's ears, which Lucy seemed to enjoy immensely. From the different strings of magic penetrating his senses, he noticed that many witches and wizards passed along the street next to them. To his relief, it did not take long before Severus returned, and they swiftly made their way back to Hogwarts, where they arrived right on time for lunch in the Great Hall.

"Why, I thought you'd have taken Harry to the Three Broomsticks for lunch?" Minerva greeted them, when they lowered themselves into the seats next to her.

Severus let out a small sigh, before he countered. "Minerva, do you really believe butterbeer an adequate beverage for an eight-year-old?"

"Anyway, it is nice that Harry joins us for a change, after we recently lost him to the Gryffindor table." The headmaster sounded pleasant, and Harry cast him a shy smile around Minerva's back.

"Professor Dumbledore was a Gryffindor himself," Severus informed him. "I believe that I'll need to introduce you to some of my Slytherins once school begins again in September."

'I'd like that,' Harry thought to his guardian, although he had become good friends with Charlie and Tonks and could not imagine sitting together with any other students.

"Will the elves' classes continue during the summer months?" Minerva enquired, causing Harry to nod.

'Thank Merlin,' he thought, happily. 'At least, I'll be able to meet Nina and Tony on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to miss Misty's class either.'

tbc...?

Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please tell me what you liked or disliked in this chapter and what you expect from this story. Any ideas are welcome, and my muse appreciates any constructive feedback.