The Magical World Exposed
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.
Warnings: COMPLETELY AU! If you don't like this, just stop reading and write your own story more to your liking.
On Saturday evening, Buckbean stepped out of the fireplace at Potter Manor to speak with the enlarged family.
"Before the children begin attending Hogwarts, I wish to tell you something that the goblins know about Harry," he spoke up, glancing at the boy, who had just barely recovered from his latest illness.
Seeing that everyone looked at him with interest, he told the surprised families about the prophecy as well as about the Horcruxes in detail. "We need to find and destroy them all, otherwise, Harry will have to kill the maniac at least seven times," he added, sighing, promising at the same time that the goblins were doing research about the matter.
"We knew about the prophecy," James threw in, "and apparently Voldemort, too. That's why he went after us."
"Harry," Lily spoke up in a firm voice. "I might have told you before, but I'm a Seer. Please take me with you to Hogwarts in the small photo frame. Maybe if I'm at Hogwarts, I'll be able to get visions, so that I can warn you about occurrences in advance."
"We'd love to take a larger photo frame than that with us and have you both in our rooms at Hogwarts if possible," Cillian replied, smiling, causing everyone to agree immediately.
"Will we be able to live all together like here?" Harry spoke up in a small voice, somehow feeling slightly uncertain about staying at the school overnight, although he knew that he could be lucky to have most members of his large family move to Hogwarts together with him.
"I suppose that all teachers are going to have their own quarters," Molly Wasley replied, pensively, "however, no one can forbid us to meet, for example, in your parents' rooms every evening."
"Yes, let's do that," Sirius agreed, immediately, grinning at Remus. "Moony, we're going to have so much fun at the castle," he added, pleasantly.
Harry and David chuckled in anticipation, while Hermione rolled her eyes in clear annoyance, however, unable to hide a small grin that crept onto her face.
HP
The time until the beginning of school on the first of September passed much too slow in the children's opinion. All the new teachers had to move to the school by the end of July, however, Hermione, Harry and David decided to remain at Potter Manor together with the Grangers and Cillian as well as the portrait of Lily and James during the remaining weeks of the holidays.
HP
On the big day, Cillian accompanied the children to King's Cross, where Mr. Weasley, who was already waiting for them together with his children, showed them the way to platform nine and three quarters.
"A red steam engine..."
"... It really looks like our toy train," David and Harry blurted out in excitement.
"That's true," Hermione replied, chuckling at the memory of how many hours they had played with the train sending animals from Hogsmeade to London and back.
Together with the Weasley twins, the five first-years boarded the Hogwarts Express, glad that they found a compartment together.
"We're already third years and big students," the twins told them, causing Hermione to let out a snort, while Harry and Daniel stared at their friends in amazement.
"So that means that you're going to stop playing pranks on people all the time?" Hermione asked, incredulously.
"Oh please don't..."
"... We're looking forward to the pranks you play at school," David and Harry threw in, quickly.
"With those pranksters, we're definitely going to have some fun," Ginny added, casting her favourite brothers a proud look.
'I just hope that we're going to be sorted into the same house,' Harry thought, even knowing that he was going to stay in his adoptive parents' quarters anyway.
HP
"Is that a giant?" Hermione whispered to Harry, when Hagrid ushered the first-years into the boats.
"No idea, but he's really large," Harry whispered back, pulling the girl into the boat, noticing contentedly that David did the same with Ginny. 'Such a pity that only four fit into a boat,' he thought, seeing that Ron remained on the shore muttering to himself. 'I really don't like him as much as the twins or Ginny,' he thought, shaking his head in annoyance.
The four first-years thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as they travelled over the lake, and once they got a good view at the castle, they just stared at the enormous walls and towers in admiration.
"Amazing," Hermione finally breathed, when they reached the castle and got off the boats.
'The boat ride was the best,' Harry thought, feeling very excited to have finally arrived at Hogwarts. Together with his family and his new classmates, he climbed up the old stone staircase, where a grumpy looking professor was waiting for them.
The professor shortly informed them about the four houses, before he told them that they were going to be sorted into their house shortly. While he was speaking, the teacher let his eyes wander over the group, and Harry had the impression as if he looked at him with clear disdain.
'He dislikes me,' he thought, sadly. 'I don't even know who he is.'
Before he could further ponder the matter or ask David or Hermione about it, they were ushered into the Great Hall. Even if Harry had read about the Great Hall in several books, the Great Hall was nothing like he had been able to imagine even in his wildest dreams. It was just amazing.
"This is gorgeous," Hermione whispered, and Harry could only nod his full agreement.
He glanced at the head table, where his mother, his godfathers and Molly Weasley were sitting on Professor McGonagall's left side, right in front of him. While Annette smiled broadly at him, David and Hermione, Sirius gave him a thumbs up, Remus nodded, encouragingly, and the headmistress smiled as well, before she introduced Professor Snape as the deputy headmaster and motioned him to commence with the Sorting.
Harry impatiently observed the Sorting, noticing irritated that it took the Sorting Hat much longer to sort Hermione than he had needed for some of their classmates. Finally, however, he shouted into the hall, "Ravenclaw."
'That's unexpected,' Harry thought. All magical people of their enlarged family were or had been in Gryffindor, and the children had somehow believed to automatically end up in the house of the lions as well. He observed how Neville Longbottom was instantly sorted into Hufflepuff and Draco Malfoy into Slytherin as soon as the Hat made first contact with the blonde boy's hair, before the deputy headmaster finally called David.
Again it took a little longer, before David was allowed to join Hermione at the Ravenclaw table and Snape called Harry's name. Harry once more had the impression as if the teacher was glaring at him. 'He doesn't even know me,' he thought, as he headed forward to sit on the stool to allow the Hat to sort him.
Suddenly, a faint voice penetrated his mind. 'Oh this is difficult. What am I going to do with you?'
'Why is it difficult?' Harry wondered. 'Ravenclaw please, together with the others,' he tried to think back to the Hat.
'That sounds like Hufflepuff,' the Hat replied, 'but you'd better fit into Slytherin.'
'No, please don't,' Harry thought back, hurriedly. 'The professor seems to dislike me from the beginning.'
Without further discussion, the Hat finally shouted into the hall, "Ravenclaw."
'Thank Merlin,' Harry thought in relief, as he handed back the hat to the professor, whose expression was schooled to a blank mask this time.
From his spot between Hermione and David at the Ravenclaw table, Harry observed with interest how a few minutes later Ginny was sorted into Ravenclaw as well and her brother Ron into Gryffindor. 'Yay,' Harry thought, unable to hide a grin at the thought that Ginny's always jealous brother had ended up in a different house than the rest of them.
HP
The first years introduced themselves to each other, and Harry had the impression as if his classmates were all very nice. He almost regretted to not being allowed to stay in a dormitory together with everyone else and felt very much reassured when David once again confirmed that he was going to spend the nights at their parents' quarters together with him.
"Why can't you stay with us?" one of the older students enquired, giving them a curious look.
"Since Harry's uncle tried to kill him, he's having some health problems," Hermione replied on the boys' behalf, causing Harry to give her a grateful look.
He had just leaned back, inwardly sighing in relief, as everyone's attention was diverted to the next first year student, when Madam Pomfrey strode behind the Ravenclaw table. "Mr. O'Brien, please come with me for a moment," she instructed him.
"Let's go together," David whispered and rose from his chair at the same time as Harry.
Harry felt extremely grateful that not only David, but even Hermione and Ginny followed them to the hospital wing.
"Now Harry," Pomfrey told him, "this is only a small check-up to make it official that you have to stay overnight in your parents' rooms, "nothing more. Even if the headmistress is aware of the matter, some of our colleagues aren't," she explained in a soothing voice.
"Excuse me, Madame," Harry spoke up, shyly, "will David be allowed to remain at home with me?"
"That we'll need to ask Professor Flitwick," Pomfrey replied, gently, before she began to wave her wand over Harry. "He's your head of house, and I'm going to call him here in a moment."
Apparently contented with her wand waving, the healer stepped into her office and leaned into the fireplace - at least that was what Harry imagined upon hearing her speak with someone, before she returned to his side with a tiny professor in tow.
"Excuse me, sir," Hermione spoke up, sounding very interested, "are you perhaps half goblin?"
The small professor began to jump up and down on his tiny feet in obvious excitement, before he replied, "Yes, Ms... ?"
"Granger," Hermione supplied, helpfully.
"Yes, Ms. Granger, I'm half goblin. Have you ever met other goblins? Perhaps at Gringotts?"
"Yes sir, Buckbean from Gringotts is our magical guardian," Hermione replied, eagerly.
"Buckbean?" Flitwick queried in apparent surprise, before he informed the children that Buckbean was one of the most important members of the goblin world. "He's not only extremely powerful but also owns high respect in the goblin world. I'm sure he is the perfect guardian for you." Turning to Poppy, he gave her a questioning look.
"Filius," Poppy replied to his unasked question, "Harry O'Brien won't be able to participate in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class and the Flying class due to lung problems. Perhaps he'll even need to miss a few Potions classes. I'll have to speak with Severus about the matter. He also must stay overnight with his parents."
"Is there anything you can do about his problems, Poppy?" Flitwick queried, looking at Harry in apparent concern.
Pomfrey sighed and admitted that she had already checked on Harry before and informed him about his problem that was an after-effect of his uncle's attempt to kill him more than two years ago.
"Excuse me, sir, may I please be allowed to stay overnight together with my twin brother in our own room in our parents' quarters?" David spoke up, once the healer finished her explanation, giving his head of house a pleading look.
"Very well," Flitwick agreed, glancing at the girls. "You're going to sleep in your dormitories though."
"Yes sir," Hermione and Ginny replied, smiling.
"Excuse me, sir," Hermione added, "Will we be allowed to visit Harry and David in their parents' rooms then to study together? We've lived and studied together during the last two and a half years, so they're very close to us and..." She slowly trailed off, giving the professor an uncertain look.
"Of course dear," Flitwick agreed. "Just see to it that you'll be back by curfew every evening."
"Thank you sir," Hermione and Ginny replied, grinning at the boys.
"Very well, Harry, you're free to go," Pomfrey informed the boy, instructing him to come back immediately when he had any problems whatsoever. "Do you know where your parents' quarters are?" she then enquired, causing the boys to shake their heads.
An instant later, Pomfrey accompanied Harry and David to the corridor leading to the teachers' rooms, while Flitwick showed the girls the way to the Ravenclaw common room and told them the password.
HP
The twins immediately liked their parents' quarters. When they entered the rooms, they immediately found themselves in a relatively large living room that was round and built around a fireplace. In front of the fireplace was an arrangement of comfortable looking sofas and chairs for their enlarged family to fit in, and right on the wall next to the sofas, a huge photo frame covered the wall, from which Lily and James were laughing at them.
"Congratulations sons, for getting sorted into Ravenclaw," Lily spoke up first.
"You'll do well in Ravenclaw," James added. "Just don't let yourselves get discouraged by whatever Sirius might say about the matter. He's very Gryffindor."
"I guess that's why Minerva made him the head of Gryffindor," Annette added, grinning.
HP
Just a few steps from the portrait was a door, which Annette informed them was the door to their room. The twins' room was smaller than that at Potter Manor, however, almost equally nice. One wall was completely covered by a large window that allowed the view onto the grounds as well as the lake.
"Oh that's where we rode the boats," David blurted out, excitedly. "The sight onto Hogwarts was absolutely beautiful."
"Yes, it was gorgeous," Harry added, smiling, happily, before his smile turned into a huge yawn.
"And now off to bed with the two of you," Annette said, smiling proudly at the boys.
HP
When Harry woke up in the morning, he felt very excited. "David, wakey wakey, we're at Hogwarts, and today's the first day of classes," he shouted at his brother, who was awake instantly.
"Oh that's great, and I'm so glad that we're all going to have classes together," David replied and immediately crawled out of bed to get ready for breakfast.
"Will you find the way to the Great Hall, or shall I accompany you?" Annette offered, before she explained that she was only going to attend lunch and sometimes dinner in the Great Hall and would have breakfast and occasionally even dinner together with Cillian in their own small kitchen.
"We'll be fine," Harry was the first to reply.
"I guess we only have to watch where everyone else is headed," David added, grinning at Harry.
"Mum..."
"... Do you know what classes we have today?..."
"... What books should we pack?" the twins suddenly remembered to ask.
"I'm sorry dears, but I don't know that," Annette replied, glancing helplessly at Cillian.
"Leave your book bags here," Lily advised them from the portrait. "You're going to get your time tables from Professor Flitwick during breakfast and can fetch your bags afterwards."
HP
Finally, Harry and David stepped into the empty corridor in front of the teachers' rooms and decided to just walk back from where they had come the previous evening. However, even when they stepped out into the larger halls, they could not see any other students.
"Are we too early?" David asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Or too late?" Harry added, questioningly, before he suddenly gripped his head in pain.
tbc...