Two's Company Chapter 5: Baby Steps becoming Giant Steps, a harry potter fanfic

Two's Company
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am merely borrowing the characters to play with them.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, magically powerful Harry.

The following day was New Year's Eve, and right after breakfast, Amelia and Sirius accompanied Susan and Sandra to Minerva's quarters, where Harry and Henry greeted them in obvious excitement.

Minerva observed in amusement how Sirius occupied the children. He transformed into his dog Animagus form and allowed them to take turns riding on his back – much to the children's pleasure, before he proceeded to entertain them with funny stories.

'He's a wonderful godfather,' Minerva admitted to herself, wondering why Albus had not wanted the man around the twins. 'I never realised just what a meddling old coot he was,' she thought.

During the following months, Sirius became a fixed figure in the twins' life. He moved in with Amelia and her two girls and took back his position as an Auror.

While during the weekdays, Theresa still took care of the four children, on Saturdays, Amelia, Sirius and the girls remained for themselves, as did Minerva and her grandsons, and on Sundays, the four children spent the day with Amelia and Sirius.

To Minerva's relief, Albus had not mentioned the twins' living conditions anymore and did not interfere in their education either.

'Thank Merlin,' Minerva thought. 'I wouldn't want to openly fight him.'

The question why Harry and Susan had suddenly gained a twin brother and sister still remained unanswered, as – to everyone's disappointment – Sirius only knew about their existence but not why no one else had been aware of it before a certain Halloween night.

During the summer, Amelia and Sirius married in a small, private wedding ceremony and afterwards took the four children with them on their honeymoon, which was spent in one of the Black houses at the seaside. The twins' second birthday fell into this time, and Minerva sent Malcolm over with a huge birthday cake and many colourful presents.

When Harry and Henry turned three, their birthday was completely different. Sirius arranged for a huge party for them at Hogwarts, to which he, Amelia and Minerva invited some of the children from the light families as well as Sirius' best friend, Remus Lupin.

To Minerva's relief, the twins got along well with all the other children, even if she noticed them stare at Ronald Weasley in apparent disbelief, when he wolved down his third piece of cake.

Sirius, however, got in a verbal fight with Severus upon realising that the Potions professor had invited his godson, Draco Malfoy, for the party.

"Do you really wish three-year-olds to become biased already?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"I simply want to protect them from evil wizards and traitors," Sirius replied, shrugging.

"In the twins' parents' case, that went really well," Severus sneered, "considering that it was a Gryffindor who betrayed them."

The twins, however, did not bother to listen to the conversation but stepped over to Draco, who was just a few months older than themselves, and greeted him in their usual friendly way.

"Hi Draco…"

"… We are Henry and Harry."

"Come eat cake with us," they invited him and – to Minerva's surprise – offered him to sit in the spot in between them.

'They must have realised that he might feel out of place among all the children from the light families,' she realised, feeling extremely proud of her grandsons.

By the end of the day, the twins had become good friends with Neville and Draco and informed Minerva that they did not want to play with Ronald again.

"Granny," Henry spoke up, quietly, "how can we help Uncle Moony?"

"He is sad," Harry explained, only for his brother to add, "and lonely."

Before Minerva could even think of an adequate response, Harry continued, "Will Uncle Severus teach us Potions now?"

Minerva smiled, as she looked in the two eager faces of her grandsons. "As he gave you the Potions kits for toddlers, I suppose that he's going to teach you, provided that you want it."

"We want it," Henry confirmed, and Harry nodded in apparent excitement.

A few hours later, Minerva had tea together with Poppy, Theresa, Pomona and Severus, like the five colleagues often did, even during the school year, and she discussed the matter with them.

"Yes, I will teach them, but how could we help Lupin?" Severus was the first to respond. "The problem is that he's a werewolf and that Potions Masters have tried in vain to invent a cure for lycanthropy. I already conferred with Salazar about the matter. You know that his portrait is guarding my private quarters," he interrupted himself. "He has invented many potions, which he never published, but even he did not have a cure. I could brew the Wolfsbane potion for Lupin, but it takes a lot of time to brew and has to be made anew on a monthly basis."

"When are you going to begin teaching the twins?" Theresa enquired. "I know that they're only three, but they're extremely alert for their age. And they seem to be completely smitten with the girls," she added as an afterthought.

"Well, they're almost growing up as siblings, aren't they?" Severus replied, smirking.

Theresa shook their head. "I don't think that they have a sibling relationship. Oh well, they're only three in any case," she added, chuckling.

"Perhaps we could set a primary school from the age of four or even six onwards," Severus suggested, "and have Lupin teach one or the other class in addition to you?"

Theresa remained pensive, while everyone looked at her in clear expectation, before she replied.

"On the one hand, I agree that it would be a good idea," she admitted, "however, on the other hand, I believe that the four of them are very advanced for their age."

"May I suggest setting up a monthly playtime event like the one today, where the children from different families can meet, while we'd be able to compare their abilities?" Pomona spoke up, questioningly.

"That would be a brilliant idea," Theresa agreed, smiling.

"Perhaps it would be advisable to consider inviting children at least from neutral families such as, for example, the Greengrasses as well?" Severus added, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Minerva agreed. "While I am not overly keen on having the kids play with children from dark families, we should at least give all children a chance."

"Shall I ask the members of the Wizengamot, who have children of three of four, to send their children to Hogwarts on, let's say the first Saturday every month? We could tell them that it is an experiment to consider if we should set a primary school class at the age of four or six," Sirius suggested.

"We can't do that without asking Albus for his permission beforehand," Minerva disagreed. "He's the headmaster after all."

Unfortunately, the headmaster vehemently refused. "Harry and Henry are the boys who lived," he told the four heads of the houses, when they approached him together. "We cannot have them get used to the children from dark families. We need to make sure that they remain on the side of the light."

Severus let out an uncharacteristic snort. "Albus, Minerva is raising these kids. Do you believe she'll educate them to anything but little lions?"

'I'm not sure about that,' Minerva thought, knowing that both twins were very stubborn and had their own sets of minds. 'I wouldn't put it beyond them to let themselves be sorted into Slytherin just to get back to Albus,' she thought in amusement, however, knew better than to voice her opinion in front of the headmaster

From that time onwards, Severus instructed the twins in the basics of Potions every Saturday morning. Harry and Henry were eager to brew the easy concoctions from their Potions kit, and when Severus taught them to brew fruit drops as Christmas present for their granny and their many aunts and uncles at Hogwarts, the two were ecstatic.

In the afternoons, they were joined by Susan and Sandra, when Minerva, Sirius and Severus invited other magical three-year-olds in turns, so that the two pairs of twins would come into contact with other children than just their quartet.

"Too bad that the headmaster won't allow Granny and Uncle Severus to make a primary school for us," Harry said to Henry one day in summer, after they had spent the whole day out on the grounds together with Theresa, Remus and the girls. Only after dinner, Susan and Sandra had returned home. "That would be so much fun."

"Yes, I'd like that, too," Henry replied, thoughtfully, before he asked, "Do you also want to learn a lot of things?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed, eagerly. 'He always has the best ideas,' he thought, eying his brother in expectation.

"I'll tell you something," Henry replied, smirking, "but let's wait for our birthday."

"Will we have a birthday party again?" Harry enquired.

Henry shrugged. "Why not? The headmaster can't forbid us to invite our friends," he replied.

Harry nodded. "We can ask Granny later, when she comes to say good night," he agreed, sleepily.

After their birthday party and a discussion with their Granny about the fact that they were now four years old and big boys and needed a later bed time, Henry whispered to Harry, "Harry, don't fret. I will go somewhere, but I will back shortly. Don't tell Granny or anyone else."

"Okay," Harry replied in obvious disappointment. "Can I go with you?"

"Not now," Henry replied, letting out a deep sigh.

"Kay," Harry uttered, before he drifted off to sleep, not even noticing that Henry would be absent for approximately thirty minutes.

"Stupid," Henry muttered, as he, too, followed his brother into sleep, dreaming of things that Harry would never know.

By the time Minerva accompanied her grandsons to the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning, Sir Nicholas was roaming the halls together with Peeves, causing the Gryffindor head to inwardly groan. 'Oh well, so far, they've never harmed or even pranked the twins,' she recalled, feeling somehow relieved at the fact.

To her immense surprise, the twins addressed the ghost, who once again bowed in front of them.

"Sir Nicholas," Henry spoke up, "will you and the other ghosts please teach my brother and me?"

"We want to learn many things, but the headmaster doesn't allow Granny and Uncle Severus to set up a primary school," Harry added.

Minerva stared from one boy to the other and then to the ghost, who – to her shock – merely smiled at the more than strange question.

"We ghosts would be honoured to teach you. I will speak with the others. Meet us in the entrance hall after lunch."

"All right," one of the twins agreed, swiftly.

"Thank you, Sir Nicholas," the other added.

Minerva stared at the four-year-olds in shock. "What exactly do you want the ghosts to teach you?" she enquired in curiosity.

"What they can teach us," Harry replied, seeming absolutely excited at the prospect.

"Whatever they liked most, when they were human," Henry added with apparent eagerness.

"All right," Minerva agreed, only to ask, "Do you think that my colleagues and me would not be able to teach you?"

"You would…"

"… but you would need the headmaster to say yes," the twins replied in apparent determination.

"Oh well, that's true," Minerva had to agree, inwardly chuckling, as she recalled that as much as Albus tried to get them to call him 'Grandfather,' the twins never said anything but 'Headmaster' to the old wizard.

From that time onwards, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington taught them in Transfiguration, which had been his favourite subject, when he was alive during the fifteenth century. He was mischievous and funny, which explained his good relationship to Peeves. He even told them everything about Animagi and how to possibly achieve the Animagus transformation.

"You will not be able to transform at such a young age, but you could think about what animal you wish to become," he informed them. "I suggest a Miniature Obsidian Magic Dragon," he added, advising the twins to speak with Newt Scamander, the professor for Care of Magical Creatures, about that specific animal.

The Fat Friar, the house ghost of Hufflepuff, who had lived in the time of the founding of Hogwarts and had been trained by the founders themselves, taught them in all kinds of ancient magic, as far as it was possible for a ghost. He was a very kind ghost, and even if all the ghosts were extremely friendly and polite towards the twins, the Fat Friar was the most understanding and gentle.

Helena Ravenclaw, whom the students used to call the Grey Lady, was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw. Even if she was also polite to the twins and did her best to teach them in Charms and showed them a myriad of secrets within Hogwarts, which were unknown to the professors and students, she was not overly talkative. Still, due to the secrets they were able to learn, the twins found her quite interesting.

For the twins, the Bloody Baron, the ghost of Slytherin, was the most stimulating, even if they noticed that not only the students but also Peeves seemed to be afraid of him. He instructed them in Potions in addition to the tutoring, which the children received from the head of Slytherin house. He was also the most talkative of the ghosts and told them many interesting stories.

"Do you know why Professor Binns has been the History of Magic teacher for such a long time?" he asked them one day and explained, when both boys shook their heads, "Once, someone played a prank on him and he did not find the way out of his classroom. When he died, he had the same problem and didn't find the door to the afterlife. This is why he is teaching History of Magic."

"Bill Weasley said that his classes were boring," Harry replied, causing the Bloody Baron to chuckle.

"Apparently, all students sleep through his classes, and I believe that it's time for the headmaster to replace him with someone who is alive," the ghost replied, letting out a deep sigh.

Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, who was known as Moaning Myrtle, had only been fourteen years old, when she died, so that she did not know any extraordinary magic; however, she told them that she had a special interest in housekeeping spells in order to help her muggle mother at home, once she would finish Hogwarts and would be able to cast magic outside of the school. She told them several interesting spells such as all kinds of cleaning spells, which they could use when exploring one of the many unused corridors all over the castle.

Whenever the twins were in their own room without Susan and Sandra and without supervision by Theresa, Minerva or some other staff member, the ghosts took turns visiting them for additional lessons. The twins simply loved the ghosts and their teaching, and were outright happy to learn new magic.

To Minerva's relief, the ghosts seemed to be careful enough to only teach the children spells and charms, which their small bodies could handle – especially as they did all the spells wandlessly, since they were not in the possession of children's wands yet.

In spite of being outright happy with Theresa's, Severus' and especially the ghosts' teaching, which they found even more interesting, the twins' conversation still returned to the idea of having a primary school, where they could study together with their friends.

It was during the party for their sixth birthday that Harry and Henry addressed Unspeakable Ra, who, ever after helping them to free their godfather, used to visit at least for their birthdays.

"Uncle Ra…"

"We think…"

"… that the headmaster is mean…"

"… because he doesn't allow Granny…"

"… to make a primary school for us," the informed the old Unspeakable.

"Do you think that's mean, yes?" the old wizard replied, smirking.

"Yes," the twins replied, simultaneously.

"We want to learn as much as possible…"

"… and we want to study together with our friends."

"Let me speak with your Granny and your Uncle Sirius," their great uncle promised. "Perhaps we'll be able to do something about it."

The twins stuck their heads together with Susan and Sandra and informed their best friends about the matter, before they observed how Unspeakable Ra exchanged one or two sentences with each of their friends.

Five days after her grandsons' sixth birthday, Minerva received an invitation for a Wizengamot meeting from Unspeakable Ra that was going to take place at eight o'clock the following morning.

'Dear Minerva,' the small letter accompanying the invitation said,
'as this concerns the possible setup of a primary school at Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore's attempt to prevent it, I would advise you to attend the meeting and bring your grandsons.
I hope to see you there.
Best regards
Unspeakable Ra'

"I wonder if Albus will be able to remain the headmaster," Theresa said, pensively, once they gathered in Minerva's quarters for tea later that evening.

"Why would he not?" Severus enquired, quirking an eyebrow.

"Severus, have you not noticed how fond everyone is of the twins?" Pomona spoke up.

Minerva nodded in just a little bit of exasperation. "Unspeakable Ra would move trees for them it seems, considering that he called for a Wizengamot meeting, just because they asked him to do something. The ghosts are already teaching the two of them in private."

"I've even seen them bow before the twins," Pomona said in apparent surprise.

Minerva nodded.

"They're extremely behaved and diligent indeed," Severus said, seemingly pensive, "and they're as adept at Potions as their mother was."

Everyone stated at the Slytherin head in apparent disbelief that Minerva could only understand all too well.

"That coming from Severus is hilarious indeed," Filius commented in apparent amusement.

"I agree," Minerva commented, smirking. "Oh well, let's see how the members of the Wizengamot decide," she added, inwardly groaning at the prospect of having to attend the meeting. 'Well, if they'll be able to convince Albus to agree to the setup of a primary school, it'll definitely be worth it,' she thought with a feeling of foreboding.

tbc...

Thank you for your kind comments on the previous chapter. Please tell me what you thought about this chapter and what you expect from this story. My muse appreciates the feedback.

Next chapter "The Wizentgamot".