Advance Arrangement
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.
"Let's check what the other children tell their parents," Lily said to Remus and Merlin and swiftly switched the screen to display the Weasley twins.
"Fred…"
"George…"
"Do you think what I'm thinking?"
"That we should try to get the other twins…"
"… to work on some interesting projects together?"
Just then, their father stepped out of the fireplace.
"Hello boys, how was your day?"
"Absolutely brilliant."
"Did you know…"
"… that Headmaster Merlin is…"
"… the Great Merlin…"
"… and that he has been alive for a long time…"
"… and is the grandfather of Salazar Slytherin?"
"He wrote a book about the founding of Hogwarts…"
"… and Remus made us read it."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Are you calling your teacher Remus?"
Two red heads bobbed up and down.
"Yes, he told us…"
"… to call him Remus."
"That's fine then. Now, I'm going to fetch your siblings."
"Ah, Dad, do you have to?"
"Can't Charlie bring them home…"
"… so we can have some more time just with you?"
"'Cause we want to know…"
"… how to change into doggies."
While Arthur stared at his twins in apparent shock, Santa laughed resoundingly and the other adults followed swiftly.
They observed how Charlie arrived with his three younger siblings in tow. 'Next year, he should be off to Hogwarts as well,' Lily thought, as she watched the ten-year-old deal with Ronald and Ginny. 'He's a nice boy just like Bill.'
The twins quickly informed their siblings about their day at their new school, constantly taking turns speaking. 'Oh Merlin, this is annoying. I just hope that our twins aren't going to pick up this habit,' she thought in slight annoyance.
"Daddy, I wanna go to that school, too," Ronald complained, stomping his foot in anger, when his father explained that pupils could only attend the school on special invitation.
"Luna said we go soon," two-year-old Ginny piped up.
"Really?" Ronald cast her a look of disbelief and hope.
"Luna and I. Not you." Ginny glared at her brother.
"Luna knows nothing," Ronald complied.
Ginny shook her head. "Luna knows much."
"No, Ginny." Arthur shook his head. "We can't have the twins, Luna and you attend that school, while Ronald remains at home just by himself, once Percy will go to Hogwarts. You will remain here with Ronald, at least until he'll be off to Hogwarts as well."
Sighing, Lily changed the screen to display Neville's home, only to change it again upon seeing that he was quietly eating dinner with his grandmother.
"Poor Neville. I believe that our school will do him good," Remus said, before his attention was drawn to Draco, who was just telling his mother everything about his day in obvious excitement.
HP
During the following months, Lily taught the children Toddlers' Potions once a week, and she was contented with their performance, especially realising that her own twins seemed to be very adept at brewing. She also taught the Weasley twins twice a week and fairly soon proceeded to teach them more difficult brewing.
However, after seeing on the screen by chance that the twins put up a cauldron in their own bedroom to brew what seemed to be a prank potion for their siblings, she took them aside at the next opportunity and scolded them, vehemently.
"Potions are extremely dangerous, and many people have lost a limb or worse in private brewing. If you badly wish to brew something, you may visit us here on the North Pole and brew under my supervision."
"Thank you, Fluffy…"
"… but may we also brew prank potions…"
"… for our siblings?"
Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Lily promised, "I shall help you find adequate prank potions, which are funny but harmless. Is that a deal?"
"Yes!" the twins shouted, simultaneously, before they began to profusely thank her.
From that time onwards, the twins travelled to the North Pole every Saturday morning, where a newly made Portkey from Santa made them arrive right at the entrance to his workshop. At first, Lily taught them herself, but seeing that they were both diligent and seemed to be as reliable as any studious five-year-olds could be, she introduced them to Polly.
"This is Polly. She has studied Potions under Salazar Slytherin and has much more experience than myself, even if I am a Potions mistress. Polly and I will take turns teaching you from now on."
'I really need more time for myself, for my work for the Unspeakables and especially for our children,' she thought in determination.
HP
It was on a Friday at the end of May, when Lily as Fluffy taught the twins' class in Potions, that she noticed four white puppies lying under the tables, where there only two were supposed to be. A glance at her twin sons confirmed that they were both in their human forms sitting at their table with Paws and Claws lying on their feet as usual.
The two other puppies were perched on Draco's feet, who occupied the adjacent table together with Neville.
She almost let out a grown, when one of the puppies in question looked at her from very familiar emerald eyes.
"Angelica! What are you and Lucy doing here?"
"They're my familiars." Draco was wearing a very innocent expression that almost made her heart melt.
"Fine familiars you have," she said in a soft voice, smiling, before she continued, strictly. "The brewing of potions is very dangerous. Therefore, I ask all familiars to leave the classroom and play out on the grounds, until the class is over."
Needless to say that it required much persuasion from the children to make the four puppies leave.
HP
During the following months leading up to the summer holidays, Lily should realise that while the twins seemed to have inherited her kindness, Angelica seemed to have received her stubbornness.
"I want to go to class, too. I am big, too," she told her what felt like every other day.
"Perhaps, we could have a second class with younger children, such as Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Angelica and, for example, Daphne's younger sister Astoria. She is just a few months older than Angelica," Remus suggested.
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Ginny Weasley isn't allowed to attend the school. Remember that Mr. Weasley said so at the beginning of the school year. Who is going to teach the second class anyway?"
"Why don't we ask Pandora if she would be willing to teach at our school? We could allow Luna, Ginevra and Ronald to attend our school, and Percy could join his twin brothers."
"That is a good idea. Lily, please speak with her. I already have someone else in mind, by the way." Merlin suddenly joined their conversation. "I have already sent him an offer and am waiting for his response. It is Professor Ito, who teaches Laser Magic at the Mirai School in Japan. And Gwenlin told me that she was ready to teach more classes. She will be very good with the little ones."
"Laser magic for four-year-olds? I'd rather have him teach the adults," Sirius quipped, before he offered, "I could teach one or the other Defence class per week if that'll help."
"No." Bobby shook his head.
"Padfoot…"
"… can you please teach our friends…"
"… how to become an Animagus?"
tbc...
Thank you for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please continue feeding my muse. Any ideas, suggestions or opinions are welcome.
