The Founding of Happiness
by Healer Teddylonglong
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.
COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC! Time travel!
It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Reviews are very welcome, as they inspire my muse. Thank you very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter!
On their way to the Headmaster's office Professor McGonagall enquired, "Harry, do you by chance know how to dance?"
Harry cast the teacher a terrified look. "Do we have to dance, Professor?" he asked incredulously thinking to himself, 'I'll look like a fool and just embarrass myself if I must dance.'
"Well, a ball is normally an occasion used to dance, although you not require to, but it will allow for a more enjoyable time," the teacher replied firmly, smiling down at the boy and his girlfriend. "I assume that the way to dance in your time will be quite different from our time, Ms. O'Connor, and I suggest that both of you join my Gryffindors tomorrow evening for a dancing lesson, which will be held in the common room."
"Oh, that's good," Harry breathed in relief. "Thank you Professor. Sorry Godiva, but I've no idea how to dance."
"Nor do I, Harry, but we'll learn together," Godiva replied gently, casting Harry a fond smile.
"Yule Ball," McGonagall told the gargoyle, and an instant later Harry and Godiva found themselves in the Headmaster's office.
"Oh, you brought a beautiful young lady with you," Dumbledore acknowledged Godiva's presence, offering her and Harry a lemon drop at the same time.
Harry politely declined, "No thank you," before he introduced her, "This is Godiva O'Connor, my girlfriend, whom I brought with me to attend the Yule Ball. Professor McGonagall told me it was all right to bring a guest if I had a girlfriend."
"This complicates everything of course," Dumbledore mumbled into his beard but said thoughtfully, "Yes of course, Harry, that's perfectly acceptable. I was just surprised to never have heard of a family O'Connor in the British magical world."
"Oh, my family originally comes from Ireland, but my ancestors moved to Australia a long time ago. I attend a small wizarding school called Shannon School for Magical Sciences," Godiva lied easily according to her understanding with Harry.
"I see," Dumbledore said with a merry twinkle in his eyes that diminished just a little bit when he turned back to Harry. "Harry, the reason why I was looking for you is that I need you to accompany the daughter of the minister to the Yule Ball."
"Acc... what?" Harry asked incredulously. "Professor, I'm sorry, but that's impossible. I just told you that I brought my girlfriend to attend the Yule Ball with. I can't accompany two people at the same time."
"I know, my boy, but it is essential for Hogwarts that you go to the ball with Ms. Fudge," Dumbledore replied gravely. "The ministry wants to achieve more influence at Hogwarts, and to prevent that I have to agree on Fudge's private wishes."
"No, Professor, you should have talked to me before agreeing to the minister that I would accompany his daughter. I will attend the ball together with my girlfriend," Harry replied firmly. "We came all the way back from Australia, because Professor Snape told me I had to attend the ball, but I will only do so with Godiva. I'm sorry, Professor. Maybe Blaise or Draco would agree to accompany her."
"Harry, I can understand your wish to attend with your girlfriend, but I'd like you to think about this matter further, and I will ask you again tomorrow morning to see if you change your mind."
"In that case Godiva and I will return to her home right away, and I'll be back when school begins again in January," Harry gave back, slowly getting angry. 'I'm the heir of all four Founders. Therefore, Hogwarts technically belongs to me. I have to ask my parents to come up with a solution that assures me more power over the school, for example to dismiss the Headmaster or to abolish the board of governors,' he resolved.
"Easy, sweetie," Godiva spoke up in a calming voice, placing her hand on Harry's arm. "We'll still be able to spend some time together, even if you accompany the other girl to the ball."
"Definitely not, that is not going to happen, I will attend with you or we will go back to your home for the rest of the holidays," Harry seethed. "Was that all, Professor?" he queried snappily, standing up from his seat.
"Yes my boy," Dumbledore replied tiredly. "I'll speak with the minister. Please come to my office again tomorrow after breakfast."
"I don't think that'll be necessary. Good night, Professors," Harry said upset, pulling Godiva with him out of the room.
Back in Harry's room, he turned to his girlfriend with a stern expression on his face. "Listen Godiva, I'm going to flash home right now, and I'll ask Dad Godric to write a statement that allows me to have some control over political matters here at Hogwarts from 1995 onwards. I'll be back by the time you wake up in the morning."
"Harry, are you sure that you'll be okay? You told me you could better flash in the morning when you are well rested," Godiva replied in concern, causing Harry to sigh.
"Yes, but since I don't have to take anyone with me I'll be all right. Please go to bed and sleep. I'm going to sleep a bit before I come back, so you don't have to worry about me. Good night, my dear," he said softly, before he lightly pressed his lips against hers.
After a few minutes of cuddling and kissing Harry transformed into his phoenix form, let out a few calming trills for his girlfriend, and flashed away, concentrating on the day, on which he had left, but just a bit later in the morning.
ハリーと幸せの願い
Fortunately, Harry managed to arrive at the correct time. In spite of feeling absolutely exhausted, he dragged himself to his father's office.
"Leo!" Godric said in surprise. "What are you doing here? You only left an hour ago."
Harry quickly filled his father in about what happened, causing Godric to remain pensive for a moment.
"Yes Leo, I think we could set up a declaration that states that you and your heirs to be the legal owners from the year of your birth, 1980 if I remember correctly, onwards. We'll also state that the legal owner has full power over the school as well as over the Headmaster and the Board of Governors, and that the Ministry of Magic can't have any influence over Hogwarts whatsoever. However, I need your mothers and your Dad Salazar for that as well since it takes all four of us to make a declaration." He turned to his familiar. "Fawkes, could you please call the other three?"
Fawkes let out a comforting trill and flashed away only to return a minute later.
"How do they understand what Fawkes wants?" Harry asked curiously. He had wondered about the matter earlier but hadn't had the opportunity to ask.
"He sings a special melody, which the others recognize, and they know that it means to come here to my office urgently," Godric explained, while he already prepared the declaration for his colleagues to sign.
While the Headmaster explained the problem to his wife and friends, Harry let his eyes wander around the office. The room was exactly the same as it was in the future; however it was much plainer and the fine glass devices assembled in Dumbledore's office were missing. 'I prefer the room as it is now; it displays the interesting structure of the room so much more,' he thought. 'I wonder what happened to the charmed window in the future though. I'll have to check that out sometime in the future, perhaps when I'm a teacher at Hogwarts.'
To Harry's relief, Rowena, Helga, and Salazar fully agreed with Godric's suggestion, and twenty minutes later, Harry held the declaration in his hands. "We'll also place a copy in the library, another one into our vault at Gringotts, and one here in my office," Godric told Harry, before he laid his hand on the wall, mumbling something in old English.
"What was that?" Harry queried in complete astonishment when Godric finally finished his mumbling after an infinite time.
"That," Godric chuckled, "was a charm, which I placed on the castle. If a Headmaster tries to harm the school or if a member of the Ministry of Magic tries to gain influence over Hogwarts, the person in question will sadly meet an unfortunate fate."
"You know, Lufu, that the walls of the castle are filled with an immense amount of magic, don't you? Twelve years ago, when you still were a baby, we introduced you to the castle by placing your hand on her walls and telling her that you were our rightful heir. Therefore, Hogwarts will always recognize you as her owner in the future. You only have to put your hand on an empty part of the wall in order to speak with her," Rowena explained gently. "That way, you can also ask the castle to make an additional room or add a door at a certain spot."
"Thank you so much," Harry sighed, feeling very reassured and relieved. 'That's absolutely cool,' he thought, resolving to add a room for Godiva right next to his own.
"Does the castle understand my modern English though?" he asked as an afterthought.
"We'll make sure to charm her so she'll be able to understand and speak your English," Rowena replied calmingly.
"Now Leofost, since your problems are fixed you'll go and get some sleep," Helga spoke up in her no nonsense tone of voice.
"Yes, I'll do that, and afterwards I'm going to flash back right away. I'll probably be back tonight," Harry replied and obediently followed his mother back to his own room, smiling when she gently tucked him in and sat on the edge of his bed until he drifted off to sleep.
ハリーと幸せの願い
Harry was pulled out of his sleep when his sisters Lily and Helena decided he had slept enough, especially as it was the middle of the day, and began to jump on him.
"Oh no," Harry groaned. "Let me sleep!"
"No Harry, wakey-wakey, it's time for dinner," the girls shouted, causing Harry to jump in surprise.
"It's already dinnertime?" he asked incredulously, knowing that he had to have been asleep for six hours. He cuddled the seven-year-old and the three-year-old close for a few minutes, before he told them, "I'm sorry, sweeties, but I have to go back to the future. I'll try to be back before you go to bed tonight."
"Okay," his sisters replied and watched as Harry transformed into his phoenix form, giggling when a small splash of sand tickled their skin as he flashed away.
ハリーと幸せの願い
Harry arrived back in his room at six o'clock in the morning. After taking his usual headache potion, he sat down on the edge of his bed, pondering where he should add a room for Godiva. 'Isn't the room, where she stays now, perfect for her?' a small voice spoke up in his mind, causing him to dismiss the thought for the moment and speak with Godiva about the matter later on and let her decide if she would like her own room.
"Thank Merlin you're back," his girlfriend's voice pulled him out of his musings. "Did everything go well with your parents?" she queried, eyeing him in concern.
"Yes, my dear, everything is all right now. Dad Godric made a declaration that fixed everything," he replied, smiling, and told her about the measures his parents had taken earlier. "This means, we don't have to worry that anything might happen to Hogwarts because of the ministry. I'm taking you to the ball and not anyone else."
"Thank you, Harry," Godiva said happily as she sat down next to him and let herself be pulled into an embrace.
They spoke quietly for a few minutes, before they decided to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast, even if it was still a bit early. "Let's see if any of my friends are already there," Harry told her as they entered the Great Hall. "Oh look, Hermione and Blaise are sitting at the Gryffindor table," he cheered, pulling her over to his friends.
"Hello Hermione, Blaise, this is my girlfriend, Godiva O'Connor," he introduced the girl.
"Hello Godiva, welcome to the future," Hermione said quietly, just in case someone walked in they would not be able to overhear her.
"Harry has already told us a lot about you and it's great to finally be able to meet you in person," Blaise smirked, causing Godiva to blush deeply.
Harry motioned Godiva to sit down next to Hermione, taking a seat right on his girlfriend's other side. They had just begun eating when McGonagall entered the room, causing Harry to jump from his seat. "Sorry Godiva, I'll just go and inform Professor McGonagall about my short trip to the past," he mumbled, before he headed to the Head table and asked the professor if he could speak with her in private for a few minutes.
"Yes of course, Harry," McGonagall replied and led him to a small room right behind the Head table.
"Harry, I'm sorry, if I had known what Professor Dumbledore had wanted to speak to you about, I wouldn't have taken you to see him last night, and also I would not have talked Godiva into accompanying you," the professor apologized in a soft voice.
"No Professor, I know that you only had the best intentions in mind, and in fact it was for the best as it was. After our conversation with Dumbledore, I went to talk with my parents, and they made a declaration and also charmed the castle in a way that it makes impossible for a headmaster to harm the school or for the Ministry of Magic to gain any influence over Hogwarts." He showed her the parchment his parents had handed him earlier.
Minerva sighed in relief as she handed the parchment back. "Harry, that was the best decision you could make. This will save us from the ministry's influence. Don't you think that it was time you told Professor Dumbledore the truth about where you are from and your time travel ability?"
"No," Harry gave back vehemently, "not after how he behaved last night. I'm very disappointed in Dumbledore."
"Professor Dumbledore, Harry," Professor McGonagall gently corrected. "I very well can understand that you are disappointed in the headmaster, and frankly speaking I'm as well. Nevertheless, you should consider filling him in on your secret at some point."
"I will consider it but not right now," Harry replied, uncertainly turning his eyes to look into the teacher's face that held an expression of warmth and understanding.
"I am very proud of you, Harry. Thank you for telling me the truth," the teacher said in a soft voice.
"Thank you for listening and understanding, Professor," Harry replied sincerely, before they headed back to their respective breakfast tables.
Harry had just resumed eating when the post owls entered the Great Hall and to everyone's surprise an old barn owl landed right in front of Godiva.
"Who would write to me? I mean who knows that I'm here?" she asked incredulously as she took the letter from the owl and curiously opened it. She pulled a parchment out of the envelope only to find that it was completely void of any writing.
"Show it to me," Harry demanded, but before Godiva could hand him the parchment, it vanished into thin air along with the envelope, causing the four friends to gasp, wondering what this could mean.