The Nice School of Magic
by Healer Pomfrey
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
This story is COMPLETELY AU. If you don't likt it, don't read it!
After lunch, Poppy asked Harry if he would be willing to give his classmates a tour through the school, and Harry happily agreed.
"Of course, Professor Pomfrey," he replied, before he rose from his chair and led his classmates out of the room, closely followed by Barkymort. He showed them the library and explained where the classrooms were situated, before he led them to his favourite spot, the beach, smiling when the others showed surprise and enthusiasm at the sight in front of him.
"This is beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione spoke up, causing everyone to voice their agreement.
"Are we allowed to swim here?" a boy, who had introduced himself as Cedric, asked Harry.
"Yes, we're even going to have swimming classes with Rolanda Hooch, our swimming and flying instructor," Harry replied, eagerly. "We can also play Quidditch here on the beach."
"Are we going to have a proper Quidditch tournament..."
"... like at Hogwarts..."
"... between the houses?" the Weasley twins asked in a light sing-song, each of them finishing the other's sentence.
Harry chuckled, before he answered, "Probably yes. The teachers have discussed it, and they're going to set up something. It's a bit difficult though, because we have nine classes here, so if they want to have each of the classes play against each other, we'll have Quidditch matches every week.
"That doesn't matter," the twins replied, simultaneously for once.
"Let's beg the teachers..."
"... until they give in," the twins suggested, causing the others to agree.
Finally, Harry showed the others the portal and told them about the magical shopping centre in Marseille. "From sixth year onwards, students are allowed to go there without a teacher," he informed them. "I can't wait. The place is so interesting."
"Yes, it's just brilliant," Hermione replied with apparent enthusiasm, even if she had only been there once, when the teachers had taken her, Susan and Neville to get their wands a few days ago.
HP
Finally, Harry showed his classmates the huge park behind the school. He led them through one of the greenhouses, in which the Herbology class was going to take place, and pointed out that Hagrid, the caretaker, had built himself a hut at the far North East end of the grounds.
Suddenly, the twins pointed to a copse of trees at the North West end. "Do you see that tree over there?..."
"... It seems predestined for a tree house..."
"... Let's build one just for our class," the twins suggested, making everyone laugh at their way of speaking.
"That's a brilliant idea, but do you know how to build such a thing?" Lee asked, giving the twins an incredulous look.
"We'll just have to go to the library and search for the necessary spells and charms," Hermione suggested, causing Harry to laugh, nodding his head in agreement.
"We could also ask one of the adults, maybe Hagrid," Harry suggested. "He'd probably notice if we built something here anyway, and I think he won't give us out to the teachers."
After a longer discussion, the first years decided to wait a few months and see if they'd learn any useful spells or charms for their project in class, before they would decide how to begin and if they should ask Hagrid for help.
Harry inwardly groaned. 'Of course we need help. None of us can do any proper magic yet,' he thought.
Finally, Harry led his classmates to the first years' common room and showed them the dormitories, only to notice, happily, that his name had been added to the last door together with Neville, the Weasley twins and Cedric. 'They're all very nice,' he thought, smiling, as he showed Barkymort where his bed was. 'I wonder if he'll come into my bed here as well,' he thought, cuddling the puppy close.
HP
At dinner time, Pomfrey handed the first years their time table, and Harry noticed in surprise that the four six-year-olds had only one class of Defence, while their classmates had Defence three times a week. During the others' Defence class, the six-year-olds had a special class with the headmistress.
"It would be too strenuous for you to have Defence together with the older students, since not only their magic but also their power in general is already stronger than yours," their head of year informed the younger students in a kind but no-nonsense voice. "During your free periods, you will go to the headmistress' office and have classes with her."
'That's cool,' Harry thought, who liked his Granny Minerva a lot. 'She'll surely teach us something interesting.'
Harry noticed soon that the Healer's assessment had been correct. Even if his magic was very strong for his age and he was able to use a normal wand instead of a children's wand, his body could barely keep up with all the magic that the students had to cast in class. After their Healing class in the afternoon, during which they practised taking a dummy's temperature, he felt absolutely exhausted, and a glance into his three friends' faces told him that they were equally tired. This of course did not go unnoticed by the Healer, and from the next class onwards, she only made the smaller students practise during the first half of the class and had them sit down and watch afterwards.
Nevertheless, Harry liked all of his classes and was very happy that he was allowed to attend them instead of having to wait for two years. His classmates were all very nice, and although the students knew that they were younger, no one ever did as much as ridicule them because of their age.
During their special classes with Professor McGonagall, the headmistress taught them various things. Sometimes, she just made them practise writing or reading, which Harry found very useful, as he still was not able to write as quickly in class as his older classmates. At other times, she taught them a little French or practised spells with them that had been difficult for them in their classes.
HP
On the first day of the winter holidays, when all the students apart from Harry and Susan had gone home, the teachers held a staff meeting to discuss the pros and contras of their own school in comparison to Hogwarts.
"Most importantly, I believe that it's good that we don't have different houses," McGonagall was the first to speak. "It's amazing how well even the older students, who have known and practised house rivalry before, are able to get along with their classmates now, even with those who have been in different houses before."
"I fully agree," Severus concurred, glancing at his son, who was sitting at a children's table together with Susan playing wizard's chess.
"It's also a good thing to have them commence their magical education at the age of eight," Bill added. "At that time, their knowledge about the magical world is not as different as it would be at the age of eleven, depending whether they come from a pureblood, a Muggle family or else."
"I agree," Poppy threw in. "However, with the exception of a teacher's ward, we should never again accept six-year-olds into our school. It takes a toll on their small bodies to keep up with the older students' conditions."
The teachers nodded their agreement, and several of them glanced over to the two children, who both seemed to be very happy with their situation.
HP
Smiling, Harry followed his father to their private quarters that evening. 'It's strange to be here again, but also good,' he thought, as he looked around his own room, which was absolutely gorgeous in his opinion.
"Harry, what do you think Father Christmas is going to bring you?" Severus asked, colloquially, quirking an eyebrow at his son.
"I don't get Christmas presents," Harry mumbled in a barely audible voice. "Father Christmas never brings me one, because I'm not a good boy."
He noticed, horrified, that his father's expression changed to a very upset one and automatically held his arm in front of his face as if to protect himself. Only when Severus mumbled something about hexing the Dursleys into the next millennium did he realise that his father was angry at his relatives and not at himself.
"Get ready for bed," Severus instructed his son, and Harry already assumed that the matter with Father Christmas was already forgotten, when his father brought up the topic again.
"Harry," Severus began to patiently explain after gently tucking his son into bed. "In fact, it's not Father Christmas who brings the presents. People receive Christmas presents, just like birthday presents, from their family and their friends. Therefore, the fact that you never received presents doesn't have anything to do with being a good or a bad boy. It was only because the Dursleys are abnormal people."
Harry stared at his father with a combination of disbelief and relief. "If people give presents to their friends and family, I need to give everyone a present too," he thought aloud. "But what can I make?"
Severus chuckled at his son's fast change of mood. "You could make fruit drops for your friends and also for my colleagues if you wish to give them something," he suggested, causing Harry's eyes to shine, happily. "Very well then, I'll show you how to make fruit drops tomorrow," he promised, smirking. "Good night, son."
"Good night Dad," Harry replied, still smiling when he drifted off to sleep a few minutes later, Barkymort snuggled against his stomach as usual.
HP
In spite of the explanation from Severus and in spite of spending a whole weekend brewing various kinds of fruit drops for his friends, his classmates and the teachers, Harry was completely surprised upon realising just how many gifts were labelled with his name on Christmas morning. He received several kinds of books from the teachers and toys from his friends as well as a watch and some funny Potions books from Severus.
Even Barkymort got two presents, a red leather collar with his name on it from Severus as well as a stuffed dog from Hagrid, and the puppy absolutely loved his new toy. While Barkymort was not interested whatsoever in playing ball or fetching sticks, he had much fun trying to protect his stuffed dog from Harry who made it a game to try taking the toy from him.
HP
In the evening, Severus seemed uncharacteristically excited, when he told his son that he intended to go to Marseille in the morning.
"Yay, I was hoping that we could go during these holidays," Harry replied, happily, before he enquired, "May I take Barkymort with me, sir?"
"To Marseille you may take him, just not when we go to Nice or any other Muggle place," Severus replied, smiling, before he let out a small sigh.
"Harry, would you mind if we took someone else with us?" he finally queried, quirking an eyebrow.
"Of course not," Harry replied in surprise, wondering who was going to accompany them. 'Maybe Aunt Poppy or Granny Minerva,' he thought, as he contentedly snuggled against Barkymort.
tbc...
Thank you very much for your kind comments for the previous chapters!