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.
"Are you sure that you wish to accompany me?" Minerva asked her grandsons, when they headed to the fireplace to leave for the Ministry of Magic. "Wizengamot meetings tend to be extremely long and boring."
"No, Granny…"
"… we're sure…"
"… that we want to go…"
"… and tell them…"
"… that we want a primary school."
"If they manage to convince Professor Dumbledore," Minerva warned them, "everyone will be able to attend, not only your friends."
"Even Pansy Parkinson…"
"… and Ron Weasley?" the twins asked, exchanging a look of pure disgust.
"Yes, even them," Minerva replied in amusement.
"We go," the twins decided in apparent determination, causing Minerva to once again wonder if their behaviour was normal for six-year-olds nowadays.
HP
By the time they reached the Wizengamot chamber and Minerva motioned her grandsons to take their seats in the audience, she should soon realise that many of the twins' classmates were as alert and eager as Harry and Henry.
Most of the twins' friends were sitting in the audience together with their mothers, and her grandsons greeted them in apparent happiness. 'They do not even seem surprised that everyone is here,' she realised, as she observed the two boys take their seats next to Susan and Sandra. 'Oh Merlin, Poppy was right when she said that the two couples of twins were going to turn Hogwarts upside down by the time they'd become students,' she thought, inwardly groaning at the prospect of having to teach these children in a few years' time.
A sudden thought crossed her mind. 'How and when did these kids even agree to meet here this morning? I only heard about this meeting last night,' she thought in confusion. Only when Albus opened the session and immediately gave the floor to Unspeakable Ra, realisation set in. 'He must have organised everything. He would indeed move trees for the twins.'
HP
"We have gathered today to discuss the pros and contras of having a primary school at Hogwarts," Ra immediately came to the point. "Our now six-year-olds wish to study together and have classes at Hogwarts from September onwards instead of having to study separately and wait for another five years. This is what the children told me, when we attended a birthday party together the other day," he added, before he proceeded to read from a parchment.
"Unspeakable Ra, we want to learn as much as possible.
We want to study together with our friends.
We already like Hogwarts very much. We don't want to wait for five more years to be able to study magic there.
We want to have children's wands and be able to use them. At home, we would not be allowed to use a wand.
The twins showed us some magic, and we want to be able to do the same.
The headmaster refuses to let us have a primary school, but we think that's mean.
We want to make friends with other children of our age, before we will be sorted into houses at Hogwarts.
Please give us a primary school. Allow us to study together."
He let the parchment sink. "I motion for a primary school to be set up at Hogwarts for magical children from the age of six onwards – against the current headmaster's wishes."
Lord Greengrass rose from his chair and spoke up, "I can imagine which of these words came from my daughter," he said, smirking. "Anyway, I second the motion."
"I agree," Madam Longbottom spoke up, and several others nodded their consent.
"Our children request to be able to study together. That's what Draco told me after the Potter twins' birthday party at Hogwarts last week," Lord Malfoy spoke up. "Who are we to deny our children to make friends and study together?"
"Headmaster," Unspeakable Ra addressed the wizard, who was even older than him. "What is the problem with such a primary school? As your deputy has assured me, there are more than enough unused classrooms to simply change them into rooms, which would be adequate for six-year-olds. She already has two teachers at hand, who will be capable and willing to teach the children."
"Unspeakable Ra," Albus replied in the soft, grandfatherly voice, which he always displayed in front of her grandsons, causing Minerva to inwardly groan. "There are reasons, which I cannot openly declare in front of this audience; however, I ask you to believe me that there are valid reasons of concern for the safety of the boys who lived and that my decision is solely for the greater good."
"Bullshit!" Lucius Malfoy roared, before he excused himself. "I apologize for my outburst; however, I believe that Dumbledore is becoming senile and should be ripped of his many positions."
"I second the motion," Lord Nott raised his voice. "If we, for example, replace him as the head of the Wizengamot, he will have more time for his position as headmaster."
'But that won't help us at all,' Minerva thought in annoyance. 'This meeting solely had the purpose of convincing him to set up a primary school.'
However, Ra nodded in apparent understanding and said, "Very well. Those in favour of choosing a new head of the Wizengamot to replace Albus Dumbledore, send out green sparks. Those who wish Albus Dumbledore to remain in his current position, send out red sparks."
Deciding to neither vote in favour nor against her old friend and colleague, Minerva contented herself to watch, not surprised when the green sparks outnumbered the red sparks by far.
Consequently, Albus was stripped of his position as the head of the Wizengamot.
"As a representative of the school board," Lucius Malfoy spoke up, "I strongly request that you allow the primary school to be set up by your deputy; otherwise, I shall complain to the Board of Governors and request a change in personnel at Hogwarts, too."
Albus nodded in apparent defeat, and Minerva could not help noticing that the children in the spectator seats were cheering in apparent happiness.
"Thank you, Lord Malfoy," Ra spoke again. "Now, as to the election of a new head of the Wizengamot, do you have any suggestions?"
Minerva raised her hand and, when Ra called up on her, said, "I suggest Sirius Black. We have wronged him badly almost five years ago, when he was put into Azkaban without any proof and as much as a trial. I know him well, as he is the godfather of my grandsons, and I believe that he would make a wonderful head of the Wizengamot."
She was unable to hide the smile that appeared on her face upon hearing the group of children in the audience cheer in apparent agreement.
"Seeing that my grandson is among the children cheering for Mr. Black, I agree," Augusta Longbottom spoke up. "I suppose that he knows him better than me due to being the Potter twins' friend."
"Yes Gran," the timid voice of a six-year-old could be heard, followed by a wave of applause coming from the spectator seats.
"Sirius Black," Ra addressed his grandson, and only then did most of the members of the Wizengamot realise that Sirius was, in fact, sitting between his adoptive daughters in the spectator seats.
"Yes?" Sirius replied, questioningly.
"If chosen, would you agree to become the head of the Wizengamot?" Ra queried, quirking an eyebrow.
Yes sir," Sirius replied, causing the children to cheer again.
'I really need to ask Ra and Raros to tell Sirius who they are,' Minerva thought. 'He would be incredibly happy knowing that his grandfather and his brother were alive. It would also explain why he wasn't able to take over the Lordship for the Black family a few years ago.'
This time, she also let out a green spark, and a few minutes later, Sirius was declared the new head of the Wizengamot.
HP
During the three weeks before the beginning of the school year, Minerva sent out invitations to all six-year-olds and placed an advertisement into the Daily Prophet in addition. At the same time, the Hogwarts elves busied themselves preparing an unused wing behind the Ravenclaw tower for the primary school.
"Will there be muggleborns, too?" her grandsons asked her, causing Minerva to let out a deep sigh.
"No," she replied. "While I was all for inviting them, the headmaster as well as some of my colleagues convinced me that it would be too much hassle at this time. Therefore, we have decided against it."
Her grandsons nodded in understanding, exchanging an unobtrusive smirk that Minerva did not notice.
Theresa and the two couples of twins went by the new rooms once a day and assisted as much as possible, noticing that the elves were much happier than usual during the summer holidays.
"They probably find the summers boring," Henry told the others.
"That's understandable," Sandra added. "Usually, they have to care for so many students, and during the summer, they have nothing to do, because everyone is just gone."
"Apart from us," Harry quipped, causing Susan to chuckle.
"You easily keep them busy," she added in apparent amusement.
"We also help them," Harry replied with feigned indignance.
Even the ghosts came by to inspect the new rooms and give the elves one or the other advice.
HP
Harry could not wait for classes at the primary school to begin. While Theresa was a wonderful teacher and the ghosts were not only extremely competent and able to teach them many interesting topics from various times, he was looking forward to seeing his friends on a daily basis.
'Most things I learn from Henry anyway,' he thought, knowing that his brother was much cleverer than himself, even if his brother had denied the fact, when Harry had addressed him on the matter. 'He is just brilliant,' he thought, feeling extremely happy to have such an ingenious brother. When Harry sometimes did not understand what the ghosts told them, Henry would explain it to him afterwards, and he never ridiculed him for being slower or more stupid than him, like Harry had seen some of the children do to others.
"I hope that Pansy and Ron won't come," he said to his brother, who nodded in agreement.
"Ron probably won't, because his mother teaches him and his siblings like Granny said the other say, but Pansy, I don't know. She's a bitch."
"Henry!" their grandmother scolded him, as she chose that instant to enter their room.
"Sorry," Henry mumbled, casting him a look that told Harry that his brother was not sorry at all.
"We just don't like her," he explained, unnecessarily.
"I understand that," Granny reassured them, before she continued in a stricter voice, "Please see to it that you at least get along with all children. I do not wish to hear any complaints about the two of you."
"We will," Harry promised.
"You won't," Henry added, sincerely, and Harry nodded.
HP
Finally, August 31 arrived, and the twins went to bed in excitement, knowing that their classes at the primary school would commence in the morning of September 1. Unfortunately, their sleep should not remain undisturbed.
Five-year-old Harry Potter, who had been living in the streets of London for more than three years, sat on the ground staring at the large Christmas tree in front of Flourish and Blotts in amazement. Some time ago, he had accidentally stumbled over the entrance to Diagon Alley, and ever since then, he had lived in some kind of stable. It was warm and soft and seemed to be a storage for broomsticks. Only sometimes, one or the other person came to fetch one of the broomsticks, but just like Harry wished to remain unnoticed, no one ever noticed his presence. During daytimes, he usually ventured into the shopping street, unnoticed by the many people hurrying along the street. There was only one creature, whom he allowed to see him, and that was Lisa, the house-elf of the Leaky Cauldron, as she had told him. Every morning and late in the evening, she handed him food, which the guests had left over, and it was always more than sufficient to fill his small belly.
'My life has so much changed for the better, since I came to this place,' he thought, happily, as he stared at the large Christmas tree in amazement.
All of a sudden, a woman wearing strange clothes stood in front of him, and Harry shrunk back in fright, in spite of knowing that no one but the elf was supposed to be able to see him.
However, the woman turned out to be well able to see him, worse even, she addressed him in a small voice. "Harry Potter?" she enquired.
"Yes," Harry whispered back, frightened, knowing that the name Harry Potter was familiar.
"Don't fret, child," the woman said. "Do you wish to come and study with me?"
Harry's eyes widened in excitement, and he jumped up, happier than he could recall having been ever before.
"Yes please," he all but shouted back in excitement, causing Henry to jerk awake.
'Nightmare again?' a soft voice penetrated his mind.
'Yeah,' he thought back. 'First time in a while. Sorry for waking you up.'
'That's fine,' she told him. 'Remember we're together in this.'
'And everything,' he replied, feeling grateful at the fact. 'Thanks.'
HP
At five o'clock in the morning, the twins were sitting in the living room, ready to leave for breakfast in the Great Hall, as soon as their grandmother would be up and about.
All of a sudden, they heard Godric Gryffindor, whose portrait was guarding their Granny's private rooms, argue with someone outside the entrance door.
"No. I forbid you to enter Professor McGonagall's quarters. You're not a Gryffindor after all."
"Godric?" Henry addressed the portrait.
"Who is it, and what do they want?" Harry added, questioningly.
"The good for nothing Bloody Baron is here and wants to abduct you to Slytherin house," Godric replied, seemingly grumpy.
"Please open the door, so we can speak with him outside if you can't let him in here," Henry replied in a firm voice.
"Which is strange, because he visited us in our room before," Harry added.
"He was only being polite trying to enter through the door," Henry replied, glaring at the portrait.
"Good morning," they greeted the ghost who was hovering outside the door.
"Good morning, boys," the ghost replied, slightly inclining his head. "I heard from the elves that you were already up and about, and when I informed Severus about the matter, he sent me to tell you that you were welcome to assist in the lab if you so wished.
"We'd love that," Harry was the first to reply.
"Thank you so much for fetching us," Henry added, smiling at the ghost.
HP
During the following two hours, Severus occupied the twins in his private lab, having them brew a batch of Pepperup potion as well as a headache potion for the hospital wing. Both of the potions were concoctions from the second-year curriculum, but Severus knew that the twins' brewing capabilities were rivalling those of the better fifth-year Hogwarts students.
"Who wants to prepare the ingredients, and who wants to brew?" he enquired, knowing that they were equally competent.
While he concentrated on the preparation for his morning classes, he unobtrusively observed the twins, feeling contented, when they managed to flawlessly brew the requested concoctions, taking turns with the preparation and brewing processes.
"Thanks, Uncle Severus…"
"… for letting us brew with you," the twins said, once they finished their potions and looked at him in clear expectation.
'Perhaps it's time to teach them how to clean their workspaces with magic,' he thought.
"Now, are you going to clean the muggle way, or do you want me to teach you a spell?" he enquired, smirking, causing the twins to chuckle.
"What?" he wondered aloud; however, the twins' smile only intensified.
"We already cleaned up," Harry informed him, causing Severus to look behind the boys, only to realise that their workspaces were as clean as could be.
He quirked an eyebrow in silent question.
"Myrtle has taught us some cleaning spells," Henry admitted, grinning.
"Very well," Severus replied, for once regretting that the twins had not be sorted into a house, so that he could award house points, yet. "Well done. Please relay my thanks to that insufferable ghost for achieving something useful for once."
"We will," the twins replied, grinning, before they excused themselves from his private lab.
'They already know me too well,' Severus thought, as he bottled the batches with a flick of his wand.
HP
During breakfast in the Great Hall, all the teachers seemed to feel it necessary to give them their advice for the beginning of primary school classes.
"Remember to behave yourselves and be nice to the other children, even if there are some, whom you might not like," their grandmother told them in a strict voice.
"Yes, Granny," they chorused.
"Don't forget to have much fun, and perhaps we will be able to set up a regular Flying class soon," the Flying instructor said, grinning.
"Oh, Aunt Rolanda, please," the twins replied, returning happy smiles.
"Be patient with your classmates. Not everyone is as alert and powerful as the two of you, and some might be outright dunderheads," the Potions Master warned them in a soft voice.
"Yes, Uncle Severus," the twins replied, nodding in understanding.
"Please make your parents proud. They were outstanding Gryffindor students and head boy and head girl during their time at Hogwarts," the headmaster reminded them of what he had told them before.
"Yes, Headmaster," the twins confirmed, trying to keep their emotions at bay.
'We're not our parents. We're going to go our own way,' Henry thought to his twin brother, who had long become used to the fact that they could exchange silent thoughts.
HP
After breakfast, the twins headed out onto the grounds in excitement. They had asked their Granny who of their friends were going to attend the primary school together with them a couple of times, however, the old witch had merely smirked and told them to wait and see.
By now, they had reached a point, where they just could not wait any longer.
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 Primary School".