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


Each of their friends had listened to Severus and seen to it that none of the wives became pregnant before Easter of the year, in which Harry had originally been born. Even Petunia and Edgar had joined in their plot, and the friends had excessively discussed if they should warn Alice and Frank.

However, Albus advised them to not tell the Longbottoms about the prophecy.

"If their boy is the only child that's going to be born at that time, it's predictable that Voldemort will go and look for the child, which will make it easier for Harry to go there and kill him," the old wizard reasoned and promised, "I will still advise Augusta Longbottom to place her manor under the Fidelius charm, perhaps with Minerva as the Secret Keeper. They've been good friends since their first Hogwarts year."

By the time Harry's original birthday approached, Neville Longbottom was born.

Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Amelia, Lily and Petunia were already pregnant at that time, and they expected their babies to be born at various times in December.

HP

Luna's and Remus' baby was the first to be born on December 3. During breakfast in the Great Hall, Luna informed Minerva that she was only going to teach her first morning class, as her baby was going to be born shortly afterwards.

Minerva instantly cancelled Luna's and Remus' classes for the day and sent both of them to the hospital wing. Ginny, who was in her third year of her healer's apprenticeship with Poppy, ushered them into one of the small, private teachers' rooms and prepared everything for the birth under Poppy's instructions.

The baby boy was cute as a button, and in recognition of both their bear Animagi forms, Luna and Remus decided to name him Teddy.

Apparently remembering what had happened to Harry in their previous timeline, Luna convinced Remus to name Ginny, Hermione, Amelia, Lily and Petunia godmothers and Harry, Severus, Sirius, James and Edgar godfathers for the child – much to everyone's amusement.

Nevertheless, their friends all agreed and decided to make everyone else godparents to their own children as well.

Hermione's and Severus' son was born on December 6, and they decided to name him Hector in recognition of Hermione's great grandfather, who had perished a few weeks before and had left them his manor and the lordship over House Granger.

"Once this war is over, I want to visit my parents and tell them the truth about me and ask my father if I may add him back to the Granger family," Hermione told Severus, smiling, as she lovingly looked at the baby. "He is gorgeous," she whispered in amazement. "He's got your eyes."

Amelia, Lily and Petunia had boys, who were all born within the third week of December, followed by Ginny's and Harry's girl on Christmas Eve.

"She looks like you. She's absolutely adorable," Harry said, as he lovingly took the baby from his wife. "Why don't we name her Molly? She meant so much to both of us."

"Really?" Ginny asked, eagerly. "I'd love that very much. Mum wouldn't mind now, would she? I mean, she's alive. All my brothers must have been born already."

"Once this stupid war is over, we're going to meet them," Harry promised, gently placing his sleeping daughter back into her mother's arm."

"Hopefully, it'll be over by this time next year."

Harry nodded and swore to himself that he would see to it that Voldemort would be dead by Halloween at the latest.

HP

Harry, Sirius and the other members of Team 5 extensively planned the event, hoping that Voldemort would choose Halloween to seek out the Longbottoms like he had previously done with the Potters.

Halloween was a Saturday and a Hogsmeade day; however, due to all the Death Eater attacks all over the country, Albus and Minerva had decided that none of the young parents should chaperone but that Minerva and Filius would oversee the Hogsmeade day. Sirius and Severus still went to the village in their Animagi forms, just to make sure that the students and their colleagues were all right. Fortunately, everyone returned unharmed in the afternoon.

HP

As soon as the sun went down early that evening, Harry, Sirius, Nicholas, Charlus and Arcturus headed to Longbottom manor under their Unspeakable robes as well as invisibility charms. Casting warming charms on themselves, they hid in the front garden, unbeknownst to the Longbottoms.

They had to wait for about an hour, but then Voldemort approached the front garden and raised his wand towards the entrance door.

Before he could cast a spell, however, Harry pointed his wand at the evil wizard in determination, a spell, which Severus had invented and taught him a few years ago on his lips.

He cast silently, squarely hitting Voldemort in the chest. Noticing that Voldemort sank to the ground, as the effects of the spell became visible, Harry turned away and began to sob. 'I killed someone,' he thought to his wife. 'I'm evil.'

'No, you're not,' Ginny replied. 'Is he really dead?'

"Harry," Charlus gently put his arm around his shoulders. "You did it, Grandson. Let's go home."

An instant later, Harry found himself being taken care of by Dorea and Gina, who placed a huge mug of hot chocolate in front of him in the kitchen at Potter manor.

"Drink," Dorea instructed him, as she lowered herself into the seat next to her husband.

"Is he really gone?" Harry eyed his grandfather in concern.

"Yes. You did it. Congratulations, Harry. The other three rang the bell, so that Frank and Alice will call their Auror colleagues and take care of him. You fulfilled the prophecy."

"Thank Merlin." Harry let out a deep sigh. "It still feels horrible to have killed someone." 'I wonder why I'm not more upset,' he thought, before he realised that Dorea had most likely spiked his cocoa with a calming draught. 'She's not a potions mistress for nothing,' he thought, smiling at his grandparents, looking up in surprise when Ginny entered the room carrying ten-month-old Molly in her arms.

"Good evening. I heard we could join a celebration here," she said, smiling, pressing Molly into Dorea's arms, before she pulled him into a bear's hug. "My hero," she whispered into his robes. "You're finally free of that stupid prophecy, plus you helped us all fulfil Fate's request. I love you so much."

tbc tomorrow...

Thank you so much for your kind feedback!

Merry Christmas!