Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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


Harry's newest acquaintance, Hermione Granger, was indeed sorted into Ravenclaw. Harry clapped, politely, together with everyone else.

From his friends, Neville was the first to be sorted, and the Hat put him into Hufflepuff, causing Harry to smile. 'That's good considering that Professor Sprout is his head of house then. It'll be easier for him to become her student assistant then.'

Draco was the next to be called to the Hat. Harry observed with interest how Minerva placed Sopho onto his head, knowing that Draco was certain to be sorted into Slytherin.

However, to Harry's surprise, it took the Hat a moment, before he shouted into the Great Hall. "Gryffindor."

'Draco in Gryffindor? Wow, I didn't expect that. Oh well, considering how he freed Dobby, it might not be too off though,' Harry thought, as he observed how Theodore made his way to the Sorting Hat.

"Slytherin." This time, Sopho was quick to decide.

'Oh, how cool,' Harry thought in annoyance. 'I have four friends, and three of them are in different houses.' He was almost sad, but also excited, when Minerva called his name.

"Harry Prince."

'Hmmm.' A soft voice penetrated his mind, when Minerva placed the Hat onto his head.

'What is hmmm? Did you really have to sort all my friends into different houses?' Harry thought back, more accusatory than intended.

'I am sorry. That is where they fit. You, however, would fit into any house. As you are the owner of Hogwarts though, I just cannot simply put you into a house. You should reside in…'

"… the founders' quarters." The last part, the Hat shouted for everyone to hear.

Harry pulled the Hat off his head and eyed it in bewilderment. "Really now?"

"That will help you keep contact to your friends." Sopho's response was smug, and Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Harry, just sit at any table you wish," Minerva advised him, and Harry nodded.

"Harry, here!" a voice called out to him, and Harry automatically followed it like in a trance, only to realise that he sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Hermione. He smiled, as he felt Lucy let herself fall onto his feet under the table. The thought 'I could have sat together with the twins at the Slytherin table as usual' crossed his mind, however, his smile intensified, when Teddy took the empty seat next to him a few minutes later.

Ronald was almost the last to be sorted, and Harry observed how the boy was sent to sit next to Neville at the Hufflepuff table.

HP

'Your brother is in Hufflepuff,' he thought to Ginny, his voice laced with amusement, as he considered how the boy had emphasized several times that all Weasleys belonged into Gryffindor.

'Really now? That's too funny,' she thought back, apparently sharing his amusement. 'Perhaps, it's because he follows whatever Mum says without questioning it. Let's see if Mum is going to send him a Howler, too.'

Harry smirked. 'I'd make a bet that you'll be sorted into Slytherin next year.'

'Everywhere will be fine. Where are you, by the way?'

'Founders' quarters,' Harry replied, only to admit, 'I'm not sure yet if that's good or bad.'

Ginny remained quiet for a moment. 'I think it's good, because you can be friends with the people you like and not only with those who have by chance been sorted into the same house.'

'That's true,' Harry thought, wondering if he could pop home and discuss the matter with his parents later on.

HP

"Harry, do you know why the Hat placed you into the founders' quarters?" Hermione looked at him with apparent interest.

Harry shrugged. "Probably because I am the heir of all four founders of Hogwarts. On the one hand, I think it's good, because I can change tables at every meal, but on the other hand, I'd have liked to stay in a dormitory with everyone else."

"As the heir of the founders, you'll probably be allowed to visit each of the common rooms whenever you wish though." Teddy smiled, reassuringly.

"Excuse me." Hermione stared around Harry, eyeing Teddy in silent question.

"Teddy is an elf and my best friend," Harry informed her causing two of the older students to begin a most annoying discussion about house-elves and free elves.

'Especially the older girls in Ravenclaw are quite annoying,' Harry thought, deciding to focus on his conversation with Hermione and Teddy. 'Perhaps, they will become friends, so neither of them is completely alone in Ravenclaw. I wonder with whom I'm going to attend classes. I must ask Severus later on.'

HP

The first-years were sent to bed right after dinner, and while the prefects led the other students into their houses, Harry made his way to the founders' quarters, feeling utterly relieved to have Lucy with him.

He exchanged a few words with each of the founders, stepped into the parlour to speak with Hogwarts.

"As much as I am happy to have you here in my founders' quarters, I believe that you must feel very alone here without your classmates." Hogwarts remained pensive for a moment, before she suggested, "Shall I make a shortcut from here to your parents' living room, so that you can de facto stay at home, although you officially live in these rooms?"

Harry smiled at the castle's kindness. "Hogwarts, that's very generous of you, but I don't know if my parents would want that." 'They'll be happy to be alone with Felix, and the other students don't have their parents nearby either,' he thought, letting out a deep sigh.

He remained deep in thoughts for a while, when suddenly Severus' voice penetrated his mind. 'Harry, would you mind popping home for a moment?'

HP

Harry quickly excused himself and popped right home together with Lucy, smiling, when he saw Regina and Severus sitting in the living room.

"Did you not have a house-meeting in Slytherin?"

"Yes, and I am sorry, I should have invited you to join us for the meeting, considering that you're part of Slytherin as much as of any of the other houses. We will have a house meeting every Friday evening thirty minutes before curfew, and you're welcome to join us whenever you wish."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Severus. I will."

Severus let out a deep sigh, before he quirked an eyebrow. "Harry, which part of 'You're our son and we love you' did you not understand?"

Harry uncertainly looked at the nearest bookshelf, which seemed extremely interesting right now.

"Salazar informed me that Hogwarts offered you to make a shortcut between our rooms and the living room in the founders' quarters, so that you won't have to remain just by yourself but could live at home. He said that you replied you didn't know if you were welcome to do so."

Harry shrugged, suddenly realising that it was complete nonsense. His parents had told him often enough that he was a proper member of the family.

"I'm sorry." He looked from his father to his mother, who both smiled at him. "I was stupid. Would it be all right if I continued living at home?"

"Of course."

"We'd be happy, son, and so would Felix."

"Please ask Hogwarts to make the connecting door later on. Let's have some tea first." Regina smiled, seemingly happy to have her family complete again.

Soon afterwards, Minerva joined them as well, and Harry felt happy to be able to spend time with his friends during the day but to return home afterwards.

Curfew had already begun, when he transformed into his canine form and together with Lucy strode through the empty corridors to the founders' quarters, hoping that Hogwarts would swiftly be able to make the shortcut, so that they'd be able to spend the night in their own room at home.

HP

Around curfew, Albus Dumbledore made his way to the kitchens. Minerva was busy with something that evening, so he decided to go for a stroll and help himself to some hot chocolate with marshmallows.

'Thank Merlin the house-elves are back,' he thought, wondering how and why they had changed their usual aprons to jumpsuits that were decorated with the Hogwarts crest. 'They fit them well though.'

When he was on his way back to his rooms, he was almost run over by two dogs, which then stopped running and stared at him, letting out a couple of barks.

'Dogs?' he thought in disbelief. "Who are you?"

Instead of replying in any way, however, the two dogs instantly vanished from the sight.

'Dogs which can turn invisible?' he wondered, searching his mind if he had ever heard of such a thing, but was unable to come up with anything. He waved his wand, only to realise that there was no dog or any other animal in the corridor before him.

'Did I imagine that? One could have been Harry's familiar, but he only has one dog, and it was too dark to properly see them.' In absolute confusion, he returned home to the headmaster's office, deciding to have Fawkes flash him to the kitchens the next time.

HP

In the morning after the welcoming feast, Harry chose to sit at the Gryffindor table together with Draco. Half-way through the meal, Minerva approached the house table to distribute the timetables.

"Mr. Prince, I've put you together with the Gryffindors and Slytherins for the time being, but I can change this at any time if you have other ideas."

Harry remained pensive for a moment. "Would it perhaps be possible to change this on a weekly basis? To, for example, attend classes together with the Gryffindors and Slytherins one week and then with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs the next week?"

"That's a wonderful idea. Yes, Mr. Prince, please do so. I will ask Professor Sprout to hand you a second timetable." Minerva seemed pleased, causing Harry to smile.

HP

Minerva had just returned to the high table, when the post owls swept into the Great Hall. Harry heard shouts of pleasure from all house tables, as the students opened letters and care packages from their families.

'Oh well, I have my family here,' he thought, happily, as he observed his father quietly converse with Minerva. Regina was not in the Great Hall. 'She's looking after Felix at home.' Harry smiled, as he thought of his baby brother, who was as cute as a button, especially now, as he recently had begun to look at Harry, whenever he was nearby.

All of a sudden, a voice, which he recognised as that of Molly Weasley, could be heard all over the Great Hall.

"How could you let yourself be sorted into Hufflepuff of all houses? That demands loyalty, and the only loyalty you have is to your stomach. You had one job to do, and you failed it. You're too cowardly for Gryffindor and too stupid for Ravenclaw, you brainless twit. You're as much a disgrace for the family as your twin brothers…"

Harry observed with a combination of surprise and pride how Teddy rose from his chair, turned around and banished the letter with a flick of his hand, causing Ronald to stare at the elf, wide-eyed.

"Thank you, Teddy!" Two voices simultaneously shouted from the Slytherin table.

'Really, thanks Ted,' Harry thought to his best friend.

HP

Knowing that breakfast would be finished soon, he strode over to the Hufflepuff table and motioned the first-years to follow him. With his classmates in tow, he approached the Ravenclaw table and introduced the group to Teddy.

"Teddy knows his way around Hogwarts as well as I, and he will guide your group. All Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first-years, please follow him to the classrooms today and tomorrow."

"Won't you attend classes with us?" Neville sounded disappointed.

"Sorry Neville, this week, I'm going to remain with the Gryffindors and Slytherins, and next week, I'll attend classes with you."

"Ah, all right, then all houses have someone who knows his way around this huge place. That makes sense." Neville nodded in understanding.

"Ah, but I had so many questions to ask you." Hermione gave him a look of pure displeasure. "Could you perhaps at least show me the library later on?"

Harry nodded. "Everyone who wishes to see the library, meet us here in the Great Hall right after the last afternoon class."

He then headed to the Slytherin table and asked the first-years to follow him to the Gryffindor table, where they picked up the other half of their group and made their way to the Transfiguration classroom with Lucy running ahead in apparent eagerness.

"Lulu, you'll have to be really quiet in class," Harry whispered to her, once he caught up with her in front of the classroom.

Lucy licked his hand in silent promise, before she stormed into the classroom, making Harry roll his eyes in annoyance.

HP

Harry followed Draco into the classroom, pulling Theodore into the first row with them.

"Don't I have to sit with the Slytherins?" The other boy cast him a questioning look.

"No, there is no rule that we have to sit with our houses in the classrooms," Harry replied, having confirmed that very point with his father first thing in the morning.

Hearing his words, the whole class finally sat in a completely mixed-up manner. Everyone was already seated, when Lucy finished exploring every corner of the room and finally approached the teachers' table, where a tabby cast was perched quietly observing its surroundings.

Quickly putting her front paws onto the table, Lucy reached out and gave the cat a quick peck on the mouth, causing everyone to laugh in apparent disbelief.

"Since when do cats and dogs kiss?" Draco stared between Lucy, who proceeded to let herself fall onto Harry's feet, and the cat.

"They know each other well." Harry could barely contain his laughter, before Minerva finally changed back into her human form, making everyone stare at her in apparent amazement.

"Lucy, don't you dare undermining my authority." The professor leaned down to glare at the canine, who simply licked the old witch's hand as response. "Twenty points to Gryffindor and Slytherin, by the way, for overcoming any possible house rivalries."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry's response was quickly followed by a chorus of "Thank you"s from all over the classroom.

HP

The Gryffindors' and Slytherins' second class was Potions. Harry inwardly smirked, when his father strode into the Potions classroom with his dark green robes billowing behind him and stared at the mixed up manner, in which the first-years were sitting.

'Was that your doing, having everyone sitting mixed-up?' he thought to Harry, while Lucy surprised everyone by storming up at the professor trying to eagerly lick his face.

'Well, I might have started it,' Harry admitted, before he quickly called Lucy back. He gently cuddled her ears, while everyone was listening to Severus' monologue about the fine brewing of potions.

When the professor finally made the first-years brew their first, simple concoction, Harry was assigned a much more difficult potion, the first on his way to the Potions mastery. At a certain stage, his father instructed him to put the liquid under a stasis charm and return to the classroom as soon as he had finished his homework after dinner to continue with the brewing process.

'The twins are going to brew the same potion during their class, so that you'll be able to continue together tonight.'

'Thanks, Dad.'

HP

While Harry and the twins were brewing their potion that evening under Severus' watchful eyes, Ginny Weasley was sitting in the living room of the Burrow together with her parents, badly missing her brothers.

'Even if Ron and Percy are gits most of the time, having them here was better than being alone with Mum and Dad. It's outright boring now,' she thought, when she was distracted by an owl knocking at the window.

Sighing, she rose from the sofa and opened the window, her eyes widening in surprise upon noticing that the old barn owl was carrying a red envelope. Before she knew what happened, her twin brothers' voices filled the room.

"Molly Weasley…"

"… Have the members of the ugly witches' coven…"

"… not taught you anything?"

"… The only reason why Ronniekins was sorted into Hufflepuff…"

"… was his loyalty towards you."

Suddenly, they continued in softer voices.

"Dad…"

"… can you please teach your wife…"

"… to behave herself…"

"… when acting in the name of Weasley…"

"… as we wish to be proud…"

"… to carry our family name."

HP

Late in the evening, when his roommates seemed to be fast asleep, Teddy closed the curtains around his bed and unobtrusively popped himself home to tell his parents about his first day as a student.

"It was so funny. Before our first class, which was Charms, Harry thought to me to sit with Hermione and pull Neville over as well and tell everyone to sit in a mixed up manner. The reactions of the teachers were extremely funny. According to Professor Sprout, it's more difficult for them to remember all names than if we sat according to our houses. Isn't that ridiculous? Professor McGonagall was the only one who awarded us house-points for it. Anyway, we had much fun."

"Did everyone simply accept you as a student?" His father cast him a concerned look.

Teddy shrugged. "The older Ravenclaw girls seem to be absolute bitches. They weren't even nice to Hermione, and she's human. She's muggleborn but seems to be very clever. I like her, and I think Harry does, too."

He recalled the reaction of his older male housemates after he had stopped Molly Weasley's Howler. They had gone as far as thank him and congratulate him for managing difficult magic. He decided to not bore his parents with too many stories though and instead asked after Lucky.

"Lucky is well. He spent some time with Felix today, and they're really cute together." His mother smiled in apparent happiness.

"You better return home though, before anyone misses you, son." His father pulled him into a light hug.

"Come to visit again soon though, especially if you need help with anything," Misty added and kissed him good night.

HP

Arthur Weasley cleared his throat. 'How to get through to Molly? The twins' letter surely hasn't,' he realised upon hearing her rant about their sons being disrespectful.

"Sorry, Mum, but I think the twins are right."

Arthur stared at his little girl with a combination of bewilderment and amazement.

"Ginny, you too?" Molly seemed close to exploding.

"Be quiet, both of you." 'I should have done this a long time ago,' Arthur thought, before he continued. "Molly, I have to agree with Ginny and the twins. Scolding members of our own family in front of hundreds of strangers is not adequate. If you wish to remain a member of the Weasley family, you will immediately stop writing Howlers to anyone. Otherwise, we will not have a future together, and you'll have to take on the Prewett name again."

'I said it,' he thought, inwardly groaning, as he greatly disliked any kind of fight.

Molly simply stared at him, open mouthed; however, refrained from speaking up. She then quietly left the room and headed upstairs.

"Well said, Dad."

Arthur smiled at his daughter, before he said, "Good night, Ginny. I'm going to spend the night in my office at the ministry."

"Night, Dad," Ginny replied, smiling.

HP

From his colleagues, Severus had already heard that not only the Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years stuck together but the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws as well. Nevertheless, he was surprised to say the least, when Teddy sat between Hermione Granger from Ravenclaw and Neville from Hufflepuff in the first row.

On the previous day, he had noticed in relief that among the Slytherins and Gryffindors there was no real dunderhead. 'Oh well, the Slytherins are usually taught to a certain degree by their parents, but one never knows with the other three houses.' He would observe both classes for a few weeks, before he was going to consider pairing them to have at least one good student work together with possible dunderheads.

Teddy seemed to know exactly what he was doing. 'Cicero must have taught him, and he even brewed with Harry a few times,' he recalled, when he realised that Neville seemed to have no clue what he was doing.

At one stage, Teddy suddenly pushed Neville under the table, just on time to prevent his friend from being hit by his exploding potion.

"Evanesco. Longbottom, detention with me tonight," Severus drawled, wondering if Harry was willing to help his friend brew the potion in his stead.

"Teddy, that was well done. Twenty points to Ravenclaw," he uttered, causing the Ravenclaws to cheer.

"Thank you, Professor." Teddy was grinning broadly.

"Thank you, Teddy," Neville whispered much too loud, as he stood from the floor and gingerly sat on his chair once more.

To Severus' relief, the class was over a few minutes later.

HP

At lunchtime, Harry was sitting at the Ravenclaw table between Teddy and Hermione, when his friends told him about the Ravenclaws' and Hufflepuffs' Potions class from that very morning.

"Ah, poor Neville," Harry whispered. "Perhaps, I can attend that detention together with him. I'll ask my father later on. In any case, that was well done, Teddy. Even if the potion was harmless, Neville could have been hurt."

"He seemed very unsure about the directions on the board, so I was prepared that he might fail his potion." Teddy shrugged, glancing over at the Hufflepuff table, where Neville was discussing something with Ronald Weasley.

"Harry, do you know what's on the third-floor corridor that the headmaster warned us about?" Hermione cast him a questioning look.

Harry looked up, startled. "No, I've no idea. Teddy, have you heard anything about that?"

Teddy shook his head. "No. Does it matter? We can simply stay away from whatever it is."

Hermione smiled. "Oh well, yes, we'll do that in any case."