The goblins at Gringott's were somewhat relieved at the arrival of Severus Snape, Alastor Moody, and Bill Weasley. The proper forms were presented, signed and examined before Sev and Moody were taken to the vault. The goblins left them with a bell to be rung when they wanted to leave. What they found was unsettling.
The vault was full to the roof with rolled parchments, trunks full of golden galleons, and odd objects that resembled the strange instruments in Dumbledore's office. In one corner was a smaller replica of the Time Tunnel gateway. A thick parchment was rolled into a scroll and rested in a groove on top of it. Sev took the scroll and tucked it into his robe pocket. He looked around and spied a smaller trunk underneath a tapestry. He threw the tapestry aside and flung open the small trunk. It was partially filled with potion ingredients. These, Sev set aside and he piled the scrolls from the room into the trunk after miniaturising them. When the last scroll had been placed into the trunk, he asked Moody to ring the bell to bring the goblins back.
The vault was relocked before the goblins transported them back to the lobby. Bill Weasley was waiting for them outside the doors.
"Severus, you must know the goblins are scared to go near that vault. They say there are strange sounds coming out of there. I take it you found some things of interest?"
"Scrolls, Bill, and a working model of the Time Tunnel Gateway. I am taking the scrolls with me to study. Thank you for coming and keeping them out of my hair."
"Oh, they wouldn't have bothered you. They are too intimidated right now. One of them, Griphook, was showing the rest the Sword of Gryffindor when suddenly it just disappeared right out of his hands. They asked if a wizard had summoned it. I told them I had not seen anyone Accio it, which is true, and that I did not know where it is now, which is also true. They did not ask me if it had suddenly appeared in the hands of a Gryffindor student when he needed it most." His wide grin gave away his thoughts on Neville's performance.
Alastor chuckled at the way Bill had neatly sidestepped the issue of the Sword of Gryffindor. The three of them walked back to the Leaky Cauldron where Bill took his leave of the other two. Sev suggested they take the floo to Grimmauld Place. When they arrived back at the house, Sev requested everyone to take a scroll or two or three and look for anything relating to the Time Tunnel Gateway. We spent the next few hours poring over scrolls until Sev called a halt.
"This cannot be right. The notes I saw were at Hogwarts and within the last year. Thera, we must search the office and the headmaster's quarters. Pardon us, Harry, but we must go. Viktor, Hermione, do you wish to assist? Harry, you are welcome to come along. I am not asking you, Alastor, because I know you are coming with us."
In the end, we all used the floo to return to the school. Sev searched the rooms the headmaster was supposed to use. Hermione and I searched the bookshelves. Harry searched the Pensieve cabinet and the small tables scattered around. Viktor took the desk to search as well as the cabinet in back of it. Alastor had gotten Minerva involved in the search as well. After about twenty minutes of searching, Viktor let out a triumphant whoop. "Here, Severus, it was in the annotated calendar for last school year!"
Sev ran into the room and took the notes from Viktor. He scanned them quickly, "Yes, this is it; both Flamel's and Dumbledore's writing. Thank you, Viktor, in fact, thank you all. I must read through these. Thera, please take them to Hogsmeade for a late luncheon. I should be done soon."
"You heard him, we are off to Hogsmeade. Come along now." I urged them all out the doors for the walk to the village.
On the way, Minerva was asking Harry if he was coming back to the school for his NEWTs.
"I don't know. Maybe I will. After all, I did a lot of studying and reading while we were camping, thanks to Hermione. She brought along all of the texts and there was nothing else to read, was there?"
Hermione promptly punched him in the arm and we all laughed.
I mentioned that I thought we had no problem with the seventh years' proficiency at Defence against the Dark Arts, since almost every seventh year had fought and survived.
"They did a fine job at Charms and Transfiguration during the battle, too." Minerva observed.
"And didn't I see Neville throwing Devil's Snare and Snargaluffs at them?" Moody chimed in.
We walked into the Three Broomsticks and asked for a table. Rosmerta immediately led us to the centre of the room and transfigured the small table into a larger round one. She brought tea and cider as well as sandwiches and little cakes. One by one, the other shopkeepers in the village wandered in. They all had a word for Harry and a pat on the back. Aberforth shuffled in and handed Harry a box of things.
"This is all the stuff Dung took from Grimmauld Place. I made him give it to me. You did a man's job, Harry. We are all very proud of you. Come on, you lot, give him the things you all wrote down."
One by one the villagers came to Harry and handed him scrolls. Bewildered, Harry tucked them into the box Aberforth had given him. He sat down after they had left and picked up his cider.
"Well, lad, aren't you curious as to what those scrolls are all about?" Alastor asked.
In response, Harry picked up the one on top and opened it. His eyes filled with tears as he read. Viktor grabbed it away from him and glanced at it.
"They wrote about the times his parents came to the village. They shared their memories with him."
"Harry, are you all right?" I asked.
"Yeah, sure, I'll read these later. Let's finish and head back."
Just then, Sev opened our link and asked me to send Alastor back to the school.
"Alastor, he needs you. Can you go?"
"Tell him I am using the floo from here."
I told Sev to expect Alastor through the floo and asked what was up.
His reply was concise, to say the least. "Be at Grimmauld Place within the hour. Bring Poppy."
When I told everyone what he had said, Harry perked up. We paid the bill before separating into two groups. Harry, Viktor and I Disapparated to Grimmauld Place while Minerva and Hermione went back to Hogwarts to fetch Poppy Pomfrey.
Harry immediately went to the attics to retrieve all of the clothes that had been packed away two years ago. When he yelled for Kreacher, the house-elf appeared but seemed uncertain as to obeying Harry.
That, in itself, cheered Harry immensely. "It means that Sirius is alive. Kreacher is not sure who his master is now. His conflict means Sirius is back."
Hermione, Minerva and Poppy arrived just after that pronouncement. Some twenty minutes later the front bell rang. Outside stood Severus and Alastor on either side of a weak looking Sirius Black. Harry carefully helped Sirius into the house and up the stairs and into his room. Poppy took over immediately to check over the returned Marauder. She dosed him with several different potions before leaving him to rest for awhile.
Her report was cautious. "He seems to be suffering no lasting effects. I would suggest he rest and eat something when he rises. Otherwise, he is as fit as he was before he went into that contraption. Now, may I get back to school? I have an abundance of potions to find places for, Headmaster."
She was teasing Sev because we had brewed so much extra of every conceivable potion.
"And, you, young lady, let me check you over while I am here. Those three babies are going to start giving you some problems soon." She pointed her wand at me as she did a diagnostic spell.
The look on Harry's face was priceless. He looked from Sev to me to Poppy before laughing.
"Congratulations, Professor. You are sure going to have your hands full."
We all laughed at that. Poppy left through the floo shortly thereafter. An impatient voice sounded from up the stairs as Sirius demanded we all come up there.
"What the bloody hell is with that damn house-elf? I am gone for a couple of hours and he goes bonkers. He dithers before obeying me. What has happened? And what are you doing in my house, Krum? Did we get them out of the Ministry? Where is Dumbledore?"
Sev answered for the rest of us. "Black, Kreacher is confused. For the past two years he has thought of Harry as his master. Now you are returned and he is unsure of who owns him. You were in the Time Tunnel for almost exactly two years. Time stopped for you. The war is over. Harry killed Riddle. Dumbledore is dead. Your cousin Bellatrix is dead. The battle was fought at Hogwarts. The light lost not one life, but Riddle and his followers were nearly all wiped out. The only two survivors are the Carrows, who are in custody. Viktor is here because he is engaged to Miss Granger, as well as being my wife's cousin. If I had known exactly what had happened to you sooner, I could have gotten you out of there. Oh, by the way, Kreacher rallied all of the house-elves at Hogwarts to fight Riddle's people. He was extremely courageous."
"You are serious, aren't you? I have been in that thing for two years? And everyone thought I was dead. That is why Kreacher has a problem. I left everything to Harry, so the elf cannot decide who the master is really. Let me bathe and change and I'll come downstairs. We can discuss this rationally."
Harry stayed in the room when the rest of trooped back down the stairs. I sent Viktor and Hermione out to the store to buy food stuffs and for bottles of cider and mead. Minerva and I hurriedly raided the garden for flowers to brighten up the house. Viktor and Hermione had only just arrived back when Sirius and Harry came back down the stairs.
Sirius Black looked thoroughly ashamed of himself and Harry looked grumpy. With a sidelong glance at Harry, Sirius moved to stand in front of Sev.
"I owe you a debt so large I can only hope my abject apologies pay a portion of it. I am sorry for being such an arrogant ass, Severus. I should never have been so cruel when we were at school, nor should I have taunted you when we were members of the Order. Harry has informed me of everything that has happened since I went into limbo. Can you find it in your heart to accept my word that I will never taunt you again?"
And he stuck out his hand. Sev was aghast. Never had he expected this. He gingerly took the hand held out to him and shook it. They even half smiled at each other.
The doorbell rang again and Sirius noticed the lack of racket from his mother's portrait.
Viktor had opened the door and ushered in Remus and Dora Lupin with their son. When Remus saw Sirius he hugged him tightly.
"Poppy said you had been retrieved. I could not believe it, so we had to come. Welcome back, old man."
"Hullo, Tonks, Remus, is this young man yours? Must be, his hair keeps changing colour. I am glad to be back. But I am still a bit bewildered. Severus tells me he has a wife. Has everyone married during my time away?"
I spoke up because I knew Sev still held a jaundiced view on my interactions with Sirius.
"We married the Christmas before the incident at the Ministry. This year will mark our third anniversary, Sirius." Sev squeezed my hand in recognition of my words.
Alastor chose that moment to inform Sirius that his name had been cleared when it had become apparent that Pettigrew had been the traitor and was still alive.
"Of course, he died earlier this year. But you should be glad to know your cousin Narcissa changed sides during the battle. She and Andromeda have reconciled and Draco fought with our side, too. The Black family isn't nearly as Dark as they were."
Minerva pinched him for the bad pun.
"Will somebody please tell me how the devil they got that awful portrait of my mother off the wall and quiet?" Sirius asked.
Sev answered him, "I simply cast Langlock on the portrait and removed the sticking charms at the four corners of the portrait. It is now residing in the broom closet off the kitchen which, I believe, is Kreacher's new room. And I did it only in the interest of peace and quiet, Black."
"You have made my return to the living much more enjoyable, Severus. I would ask you all to stay but I think your wife is not feeling quite the thing. She is fidgeting."
"One of the babies is stretching, probably." Hermione added as she and Viktor prepared to leave with us. Alastor and Minerva used the floo to return to the school.
Harry said he would stay and keep Sirius company. The rest of us used the floo back to the Chelsea flat. Hermione had retrieved enough clothing to last her for a while and was packing for the trip to Australia. Viktor was going through the kitchen cupboards before suggesting we order dinner in.
I was astonished. "You cannot be hungry again? We had a late luncheon in Hogsmeade. Viktor, you are absolutely out of your mind."
"You ate nothing except tea, little cousin. You need to eat for the babies. Severus, she must eat." Viktor sent Sev a pleading look.
"Thera, have you eaten since breakfast?"
"There was much to do, Sev. I had part of a sandwich at Grimmauld Place and some fruit. I drank tea there and at The Three Broomsticks."
"All of you put on Muggle clothes. We are going out for dinner. Where was that Greek place you were raving about, Viktor?"
I hurriedly transfigured a floral print top into a dress and grabbed sandals from the closet. Hermione and Viktor both were wearing jeans and light jackets. Sev emerged wearing a green shirt and carrying a leather jacket. We walked along Cheyne Walk and then up Lower Sloane Street to King's Road where Sev hailed a taxi. Viktor gave the driver the name of the restaurant and we were on our way. The ride wasn't long. Viktor paid the taxi and led us into the small cafe.
The young waiter nodded to Viktor and brought menus for the four of us. Sev, Viktor and Hermione ordered wine and Dolmades while I opted for water and Spanakopita and a Village Salad. Viktor added a request for some tsatziki with whole wheat pitas. Sev took pity on me and poured some of his wine into my water for a toast.
"To the cessation of numerous hostilities." Sev laughed.
"To the gentlemen we hold most dear." Hermione and I answered, in unison.
"To our ladies, whom we hold in love and honour." Viktor and Sev replied.
When we had finished with dinner, we caught another taxi which left us at the door to the flat.
The four of us decided to walk a bit on the embankment, talking. We found two benches close together and all sat down.
Sev asked Hermione and Viktor what their plans were for the next few months.
Viktor answered first. "I am going to join the Aurors. Moody has asked me to come on board and start working with a squad of recruits. And I plan on looking for a place for us to live."
"After I get my parents back from Australia, I plan on looking for a job. Why, Severus?"
"Because I am going to have to do double duty this year and I will need all possible help. Just before I left the school today, an owl arrived offering me a unique proposition. Durmstrang will be closed for one year, due to a shortage of teachers and a Headmaster. It has been proposed that the students come to Hogwarts for that year and that I train new teachers and a Headmaster. I wanted to lay this before you for discussion."
"Oh, Sev, to have Durmstrang closed..."
"Do not worry, love. I will not allow it to be closed longer than one year. And I have in mind the perfect headmaster, if he will listen to me. He is incredibly good with children, patient, kind, and looking for a steady job. All I have to do is show him how to become an administrator. Then, in a few years, I think an Auror may want to go back to his homeland take over the position made so outstanding by his uncle."
"You think I could become Headmaster? And perhaps, my Hermione could become a teacher also."
"Viktor, the Aurors job is going to bore you very soon. There are no other Dark wizards to capture or fight, now. You'll be chasing petty crooks like Mundungus Fletcher. I also think Miss Granger might like to see which subject she would most like to teach. She could do her practice teaching by helping out some of her favourite teachers this coming year. If she is interested she would be able to choose by the holidays. I believe some of our teachers are giving thought to retiring."
"Not Minerva, Sev, please tell me she is not leaving." I cried.
"Hush, love. No, not Minerva, but Sibyll had expressed a desire to get away from teaching. And Binns suddenly has come to the realisation that he is dead and deserves a rest. Pomona was approached about a job at Durmstrang and I think she will take it after this coming year. We already have a candidate for her job. I have in mind to fill certain positions with students presently in their last year or next to their last year. Miss Lovegood would do admirably at Sybill's job. Seamus Finnegan will find himself right at home in Filch's old job. Draco Malfoy should be able to take on History of Magic with a minimum of trouble. Neville certainly will fill Pomona's shoes with a decided zest for the job."
"I know for a fact that we need to replace Horace Slughorn. He is undoubtedly the worst Potions teacher I have ever seen." I said.
"I do have someone in mind for that position. They have the fiercest determination to brew the most potions in the shortest amount of time. Would you take the job, Thera?"
"Are you planning on remaining Headmaster? If so, I will definitely take the job. Of course, I will need to accommodate three hungry babies who need feeding during the day."
"That can be arranged quite easily. Filius and Minerva are staying on for a while longer. Since Alastor is rejoining the Ministry, he can commute through the floo. At this time, I am unsure of Aurora Sinistra or Septima Vector. They may stay on. However, Batusheda Babbling is definitely leaving. She said she wants a quieter atmosphere. So, that leaves the Ancient Runes position open. Hagrid is going to Beaubatons. But Grubbly-Plank can take over his classes. We can put Finnegan in Hagrid's cabin, and the Krums in the cabin Remus has been using, Miss Lovegood in Sybill's rooms and Neville in Pomona's rooms after she leaves.
Hermione asked the question that I had just been about to ask. "Who do have in mind as the next Headmaster of Durmstrang?"
"Lupin is the candidate I had in mind. And I am going to suggest to Kingsley that he put Black in as head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. That will keep him occupied."
"I'm tired and these two are off to the other side of the planet tomorrow. Let's go home." I suggested.
When we walked in the door, Viktor and Hermione made a dash for his room to take their showers before getting ready for bed. She won the race and he came back in the living room to talk to us.
"I will be sleeping on the couch again. I do not plan on consummation until our vows are said. You did the same, no?"
"Yes. It was very hard to wait, but there were extenuating circumstances back then. It shows you are showing her that you respect her first and foremost." Sev told him.
"I am proud of you, Viktor. I know you are very old world about marriage. It is sweet that you are being noble."
"I am taking many cold showers, little Thera." Viktor laughed.
We said good night and went off to our room.
In the morning, Viktor and Hermione left for Australia and we went back to the school.
The school Governors called a meeting about the Durmstrang dilemma. All of Sev's suggestions were accepted with alacrity. Lupin was to be brought in as the second Deputy Headmaster. He would be taught everything necessary to run Durmstrang by the following year. Neville was apprenticed to Pomona Sprout. I was approved as Potions teacher. The decision to bring Draco Malfoy in as History of Magic teacher drew some discussion until it was pointed out that he had fought on the winning side during the last battle. Seamus Finnegan was to fill the caretaker position once Hagrid was gone and Lupin moved up. Wilhemina Grubbly-Plank was to take Hagrid's classes. Firenze was taking the divination classes until Miss Lovegood graduated.
The OWL and NEWT tests were scheduled for the morning of the 16th. Allowances were made for Granger, Potter and Weasley to take their NEWTs at that time.
There was a list of candidates for teaching positions at Durmstrang that were gone through with only minor changes. The new teachers would help with teaching duties at Hogwarts for their first year and Durmstrang would re-open for the Millennium.
Things ran very smoothly right up through the OWL and NEWT testing. June was a month of teacher conferences and schedule planning.
July turned very hot and humid and I was having a lot of trouble with getting around. The triplets had grown so much that I had trouble getting out of a chair or walking. We had scheduled Harry's eighteenth birthday party for the thirty-first of July in Petersburg. It would also mark his and Ginny's engagement.
The night of the twenty-ninth I started having labour pains. Minerva sent for Poppy and Sev sent for Viktor and Hermione to come in a day early. Harry and Sirius came in also. Alastor showed up before anyone else though. He and Sev started walking me around the gardens, one on each side of me. When Harry and Sirius got there, I was turned over to them to do the same routine. They had total nonsense to say to me. It was to keep me occupied and get the triplets into alignment for being born. Viktor and Hermione were the next duo to take over. When I suddenly had a much sharper pain Viktor picked me up and ran for the house. Sev met him at the door and took me in his arms. He placed me on the bed in the dressing room for Poppy to run her diagnostics. She said I was in hard labour and it would now be a matter of waiting. Sev went for Mother and Hermione came to sit with me. The pains went on for the rest of the night. In the early hours of the thirtieth, the first boy was born. The second followed him by twenty minutes and the third boy came another ten minutes after that. I nursed each of them after they were born. I was exhausted but jubilant.
My poor Sev was astonished at the feeling of holding his own children in his arms. He named them as they were born, Sergei Grigori was firstborn. Dmitri Alastor was the second and Alexei Remus was the last. I slept for about two and a half hours before they needed feeding again. Viktor had taken the precaution of marking the heels of the babies with their initials so we would not get them confused. As they went back to sleep for the second time, Sev sat on the bed next to me. He kissed me and whispered, "Thank you for my sons, my love. They are perfect, as are you."
I teased him about the fact that they shared a birthday with Neville Longbottom.
"Neville is no longer afraid of me, love. He is now a confident, happy young man who has regained his parents finally. The fact that the boys share a birthday with him is unimportant. Let me bring you some food. I will lay down with you so that I can assist when it time to feed them again."
He brought me an omelette and juice. I was very hungry and he laughed at me. I napped again until the boys were hungry. Sev had brought the large wingback chair into the bedroom and he brought the three babies to me in the bassinet Molly Weasley had given us. He sat in the chair and pulled me down onto his lap as I picked up the first baby to nurse it. He cradled me against him as the child suckled at my breast. It was so like him to want to experience the intensity of the mother-child bonding. The house-elves were there to change the first one before handing me the second baby. Sev had one arm around me and the other supporting the child as it nursed. He carefully cradled the small head in his large hand, running a finger over the tiny ear and cheek.
"They are so perfect in miniature. I see Igor in the shape of this one's head. The first, Sergei, is going to have my nose, I fear. I never thought I would see resemblances when they were still this young."
"You are learning fast, Sev. They change as they grow. The resemblance you see today may never be there again. Or it could strengthen with time. They will look very alike but not be identical, I think. We will treat them as individuals so they will know they are separate entities. I think Molly had her hands too full to do that with the twins. So they became almost the same person in two bodies. I want ours to be different."
Author's notes: One more chapter to go and then an epilogue. I make no money from these characters as they are the intellectual property of JKR. But I sure have fun writing them!