Advent's Calendar 2023 - Fate's Fairy Tale
by 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.

Warnings: Completely AU! Partly OOC, time travel, soul bonds

"I don't think I'm going to transform tonight," Remus said after a while. "I can't even feel the moon."

Just when the first sunrays flooded the park, which was especially appreciated after the everlasting rain of the previous days, Hermione and Severus stormed into the park and, as their friends were nowhere in sight, headed to the large oak tree, under which they had left them last night.

Severus was the first to reach them and began to laugh out aloud. Remus was lying under the tree in his human form, sandwiched by two dogs, and all of them were sleeping peacefully.

"I believe that we manged to develop an at least temporary wolvescure," he said to Hermione.

"Remus, Harry, Sirius, wake up," Hermione shouted in excitement. "Remus, did you transform at all?"

"No," Remus replied, as he slowly sat up. "I didn't transform."

Harry and Sirius swiftly transformed back. "You cured him." Harry grinned from Remus to Hermione and Severus. "Congratulations!"

"Ah, wait and see," Severus warned them. "Don't get your hopes up that it's a permanent cure. We'll have to wait out the next full moon." Looking at Remus, he added, "And that's without taking any potion whatsoever."

"That's fine. I'll do that," Remus agreed. "Even if it's not permanent, I am very happy with your newest achievement. Thank you so much for your efforts."

HP

To Hermione's, Severus', Damocles', Dorea's and Hector's relief, the wolvescure was indeed a permanent cure for lycanthropy.

During the leaving feast before the Christmas holidays the same year, the headmaster announced a rare guest: the Minister of Magic, Harold Minchum. Huge applause greeted the minister, and Dumbledore waited for it to recede, before he explained.

"Minister Minchum has come to Hogwarts to award the Order of Merlin first class to three potioneers, one of them a former student and two of them Gryffindor fifth years, for their wolvescure potion. The wolvescure potion is a cure for lycanthropy, something that Potions masters inefficiently tried to invent during the last millennium. Only now, three young potioneers have managed what they could not. Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Severus Snape and Mr. Damocles Belby, please join me here at the high table.

Under tremendous applause from all four house tables, Hermione, Severus and Damocles received their awards.

'That's why Damocles joined them during the leaving feast. I was wondering,' Ginny thought to Harry, who gently squeezed her hand.

'I am so happy for them and also for Remus of course,' he thought back.

'Can this school year still get better?' he wondered. Just a few days ago, Ra and Oji had destroyed another Horcrux, and Sirius, who had participated in a couple of Death Eater meetings together with Lucius Malfoy during two consecutive summers, had reassured them that it was probably the last that Voldemort had made so far.

However, not everything should go as smoothly as Harry expected it on that day.

HP

Just one year later, the five time travellers plus Severus remained at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays as usual in spite of the invitations which the group had received from the Potters, the Evans and Hector Dagworth-Granger to join them for the holidays.

As tempting as it was to spend the holidays with one of their families, they had decided otherwise. One reason was that they simply loved Christmas at Hogwarts. Another incentive was Petunia's and Edgar's shop in Hogsmeade, which they wanted to visit before Christmas. Right next to Honeydukes, Petunia and Edgar had bought a small building and turned the first floor into a shop. While Petunia sold her own paintings with enhanced magic, Edgar was buying and selling second-hand books. The grand opening had been a week ago, unfortunately right after the last Hogsmeade visit before Christmas.

"I can't wait to see the shop," Hermione gushed, as she all but dragged Severus through the main street, while everyone else followed at a lower speed.

Harry stared at the name of the building in surprise. 'Bones' Book & Brush' was written on the front of the roof in elegant handwriting. The letters slowly changed between various shades of blue.

"Bones' Book & Brush?" He cast Edgar a questioning look. "I thought you owned the shop together."

Edgar smiled. "Well, I have good news. Petunia agreed to become my wife, and we're planning to become a married couple, Petunia and Edgar Bones, in spring."

'How cool is that?' Harry thought to Ginny, feeling delighted at the idea that they had managed to make Petunia love the magical world enough to become an active participant in it.

'Absolutely,' his wife agreed, smiling. 'It's going to be the first of several weddings, which we'll have to attend during the next few years. I almost feel sad that Fate just magically bonded us without as much as a wedding ceremony.'

Harry chuckled. 'I'm sure your parents would have loved me marrying you at the age of ten, many years before you were even born at that.'

'Prat,' Ginny replied, playfully slapping his arm.

HP

The wedding took place shortly before the end of their sixth Hogwarts year, and to their relief, the friends were allowed to attend the ceremony on a warm and sunny Sunday at the end of May.

When they returned to Hogwarts, Sirius seemed strangely subdued, and Harry eyed him in concern.

"Sirius, what's wrong?"

Sirius let out an uncharacteristic sigh. "Ah, the Dark Lord expects me to join Lucius for a meeting during the summer holidays and take the Dark Mark on that occasion. So… I'd really like to end spying on the Death Eaters now."

"Do that," Harry replied, empathically. "You really don't want to take the mark."

"True, but will Dumbledore accept that I'm not going to spy any longer?"

"Of course," Harry replied in a firm voice. "It wasn't even him who asked you to do that but our colleagues, and you told them that you were going to stop, as soon as they wanted you to take the Dark Mark. It's all right to stop now."

Sirius nodded, slowly. "Yeah, I'm going to do that then. I just hope they're not going to kill me."

Harry shrugged. "You need to be careful for a while. Don't let them catch you at places such as Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Shall we go and inform Dumbledore?"

Sirius agreed, and before breakfast, they informed the headmaster, who decided to call everyone for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix that evening.

tbc tomorrow...

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