The others looked at each other, horrified. It must be really bad. Nobody except for Minerva, who had known Poppy from their first school year onwards, had ever seen the calm Mediwitch crying.

“We have to do something. We can’t let that happen!” Luna was the first to speak between sobs.

“But what? If Poppy can’t help Harry, how can we?” Hermione cried, unaware of the tears that were running down her face.

“Now, first of all stop crying please, everyone,” Severus ordered his colleagues, trying to stay as calm as possible. “We don’t know what Harry is able to hear, and it won’t help him to hear everyone crying.”

“Of course, you’re right, Severus, we’re sorry,” Tom apologized, wiping a tear off Rolanda’s face.

“I have an idea!” Hermione suddenly spoke up excitedly. “Minerva!”

“Yes?” the Headmistress asked, unobtrusively wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Do you remember in my third year I had a Time Turner, right? We have to borrow one again, and one of us has to go back in time and prevent the house elves from putting the virus potion into their drinks!” Hermione suggested.

“Minerva, please go, talk to Scrimgeour about it immediately. I will be going back four weeks into the past. I’ll tell your younger self about it and ask her to take care of the house elves right in time,” Severus agreed immediately.

While Minerva went to the Ministry in order to borrow a Time Turner, Hermione carefully admonished Severus how to use the Time Turner. “The most important thing is that nobody except for Minerva sees you,” she insisted firmly.

“Just ask Minerva to provide you with an apartment, let the elves add a potions lab, and then you can very well stay in there for a month, right?” Tom threw in.

Severus smirked. “Yes, of course, Tom, especially when I know that my wife and son will be fine.”

Two hours later, Hermione and Luna helped Severus count the turns of the Time Turner in order for him to return exactly four weeks and one day into the past. Before Severus left however, he quickly walked up into the Headmistress’ office in order to arrive at the correct place where nobody except for Minerva could see him. In the meantime, Minerva had written a letter to her younger self explaining everything.

--- Four weeks into the Past ---

Severus was more than glad to have the letter when he showed up at the Headmistress’ office out of nowhere four weeks earlier with the younger Minerva glaring daggers at him.

“Where do you come from, coming to my office like out of nowhere, Severus?”

“Please, Minerva, don’t curse me, listen to me first,” Severus pleaded, handing his colleague her older self’s letter.

Minerva admonished Severus to sit down before she carefully read what her older self had written. “Oh my!” was her horrified reaction. “So the only thing we have to do in order to save Harry is that I have to bind the house elves to me by oath and tell them to bring anything straight to me that Albus might leave with them?”

Severus gave his colleague a confirming nod. “Yes, Minerva, that’s all. Unfortunately, I have to stay here in the past now, and nobody except for you should see me.”

“You can stay in my guest quarters, Severus, that’s no problem. I will tell Dobby the whole story, and he will care for you while you’re here. He will also make a small Potions lab for you.”

Severus spent the four weeks testing several variations of their wolves cure, longing to see his family. Although he knew that the house elves had brought the phial to Minerva, so that nothing could have happened to Lily and Harry, he was still very worried about them, and the pictures of a small fragile Harry with a much too pale face lying in his bed and of Poppy crying into Minerva’s robes just didn’t want to leave his mind.

--- Back in the Future ---

Finally, the four weeks were over, and Severus watched himself going into the past with the Time Turner through a slightly ajar door in Minerva’s office. As soon as his other self had vanished, Severus thanked Minerva for her help and returned home. When he arrived, Lily and Harry were cuddling on the sofa. Lily had obviously just told an excited Harry about her pregnancy.

During the four weeks, which Severus had spent with only Minerva to talk to, the two colleagues had often spoken about what had happened during the four weeks and had compared the two timelines. On the first day when Severus was officially back from the past, he accompanied Minerva to the Ministry in order to speak with Scrimgeour and thank him for letting him use the Time Turner. At that opportunity, Severus also told the Minister about the mobile phones Harry had charmed for the Ministry and for St. Mungos in the previous timeline, aware of the fact that it didn’t happen in this timeline because Poppy didn’t go to St. Mungos to speak with the Head Healer, using her mobile phone during the talk. The Minister listened interestingly and immediately ordered the phones from Harry, glad that Severus had told him about the matter.

On their way back to Hogwarts, Minerva and Severus made a short trip to Muggle London and bought a hundred mobile phones, which Harry could Charm and sell throughout the magical world as he saw fit.

A few days later, Poppy and Harry travelled to St. Mungo’s to speak to Healer O’Brien about the phones. The Healer was eager to have twenty mobile phones as well and thanked Poppy and Harry profoundly for including him in their thoughts.

On their way back to the Floo, Harry smirked at Poppy and when she gave him an enquiring look, he asked frankly, “Aunt Poppy, do you like Healer O’Brien?”

Poppy nearly chocked but managed to hide it behind a cough. “Why Harry, he seems to be a very nice person, don’t you think so?”

“Yes, I think so,” Harry admitted, smiling at his godmother.

-----

A week later, someone had obviously told Rita Skeeter about the mobile phones as an article about them appeared in the Daily Prophet. The article informed the wizarding world that Harry Snape was not only the inventor of the secret Charm but also the only person to be able to produce the phones due to the patent the Minister had granted the boy.

During the next weeks, Harry received many owls from all over the magical world with orders for one or even more mobile phones. As the newspaper article had mentioned the price the Ministry had paid Harry for Charming the phones. Everyone was willing to pay the same price in addition to the expenses for the mobile phones. Harry couldn’t believe his luck. It only took him a minute to Charm a phone; nevertheless he received twenty-five Galleons for each phone for doing the little task.

“Now, think about it, Harry,” Severus told him one day. “Even if it only takes you a minute and a bit of magic, try to remember how much time you spent trying to invent the spell to get the phone to work at all. You have to consider that time as well, your time as well as Mummy’s time. So, don’t you ever think you’re receiving too much for it, do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Harry replied obediently, chuckling. “It’s good to have the money in case I need to buy another notebook or something in case I’m able to get it to work as well.”

“Exactly,” Severus agreed, giving his son a proud look.

-----

During the Welcoming Feast, five students approached Harry at the Head table in order to ask if he would be willing to make mobile phones for them. Before Harry could even reply, his father jumped into the conversation, telling the students that the teachers had to think about the matter first and would make an announcement later. This led to a lively discussion at the Head table throughout the feast.

Finally, Minerva stood up. “Due to several requests for mobile phones we have decided the following. For those interested, Harry Snape is willing to provide everyone with a mobile phone. You only have to bear the costs for the phone, which are five Galleons at the moment. Harry has agreed to Charm them for you for free. You may use the mobile phones throughout Hogwarts, with a few exceptions. They may not be used in the classrooms, in the Great Hall, in the library, in the Hospital wing, and in your Houses. They have to be switched off as soon as you enter one of these five places. Mobile phones used in these places will be confiscated immediately.”

Ignoring the huge commotion starting among the students, Minerva continued, “The students, who want to have a mobile phone, please hand your Head of House a parchment with your name and the colour in which you want your phone as well as the five Galleons. One of our teachers will buy the phones, and then Harry will start Charming them. However, he cannot Charm all phones at once, so it might take a few weeks until you get yours.”

When Minerva sat down again, Severus stood up, throwing the students a menacing look. “When I hear anyone pestering my son about hurrying up, I will see to it personally that you won’t get a phone. Moreover, consider yourselves very lucky that Harry offered to Charm the phones for free. Everyone else in the wizarding world has to pay twenty-five Gallons just for the Charm.”

Harry, whose face had already taken a deep red colour while his father spoke, embarrassedly hid his face into his mother’s robes, when a few students started to clap and finally all students joined in. Luckily, the Feast was nearly over, and Harry hurriedly transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home before anyone could talk to him. Nearly every student wanted a mobile phone, and it was nearly Halloween when Harry had finally finished Charming all the mobile phones for the students.

-----

A few days after his tenth birthday, Harry finally managed to invent the Charm he had been searching for so long. Harry and Lily were sitting on the sofa in front of their fireplace trying different Charms, when the notebook suddenly started. The two hopefully stared at the screen, afraid that the computer would shut down itself any minute. However, when they returned from dinner in the Great Hall, the notebook was still working and didn’t cease to function until Harry shut it off.

Harry gave his mother a hopeful look. “Do you think that was it, Mum? Will this work tomorrow, too?”

Lily threw Harry a fond glance. “We’ll see that tomorrow, but so far it looks good. Congratulations, sweetie!”

“Um, Mummy?” Harry asked hesitantly, and when Lily gave him a curious glance, he continued, “I don’t want anyone to know about it. I mean, I don’t mind Daddy, Uncle Tom, Aunt Poppy, Granny, and Luna and Hermione to know about it, but nobody else please. You know how it was with the mobile phones.”

Severus chuckled and Harry jumped startled. He hadn’t noticed that his father had entered the room. “You mean you don’t want to Charm two thousand computers earning lots of money?” Severus asked his son teasingly, and Harry vehemently shook his head.

“No, definitely not; at least not yet. Um… I’ve already thought about it, and I’d like to learn some more about computers first and then maybe I can give people lessons operating a computer as well as I can’t imagine they want to learn from Muggles, at least many wizards would prefer to learn from a wizard. I also want to research the Internet and try to get the notebook connected first. Then maybe we could also make magical pages. Anyway, I have to do a lot of research before anyone can know about it.”

Lily and Severus, who had been listening intently, threw each other a proud look. “Um… I’ve thought about something,” Harry said hesitantly. “Um… you know, after a year and a half I’m going to start Hogwarts and I’ll be sorted into a House and have to stay there. Will I still be able to come here sometimes?” he asked anxiously.

“Of course, sweetie,” Lily replied immediately. “This is your home, Harry. The other students can’t go home easily of course, but as your home is here at Hogwarts, you can come here anytime. And as long as your dorm mates and your Head of House know where you are, you can even stay here overnight from time to time, during the weekends if you want to.”

“Of course, Harry,” Severus assured the child and pulled him into a firm hug, noticing that Harry eased immensely.

-----

Lily’s stomach grew bigger quickly now, and she soon noticed that the baby was as agile as Harry had been. Harry loved to sit next to his mother on the sofa, putting his hand on her stomach in order to feel his little sister moving and kicking around.

One day, when Luna and Hermione took Harry to the library in London, Harry asked the two teachers if they could accompany him to a toy shop.

“Do you need a wizarding or a Muggle toy shop, Harry?” Luna enquired.

“Hmm, I don’t know exactly what the difference is,” Harry admitted and explained that he wanted to buy a plush animal for a baby that could make music. Somehow, he could remember that Dudley had had a teddy bear that could play music for him whenever he was sad or frightened, while he himself had never had such a toy.

The two adults decided to take Harry to a Muggle toyshop, where he finally purchased a cute teddy bear, which could play a nice baby song. When Harry, Luna, and Hermione arrived back at the Hogwarts gates, Harry thanked the two teachers, transformed, and flashed back home before the two girls even noticed what he intended to do.

Harry went straight into the living room, where his parents were sitting at the table, grading papers. “Look, Mummy. Look what I’ve bought for my little sister,” he shouted excitedly and pulled the teddy bear out of his pocket. He put the teddy onto his mother’s stomach and made it play music.

“Hey, little sis, can you hear that? That’s a teddy… um… it’s brown and has a nice red scarf with small yellow stars, and he has the same red and yellow on his ears, and he has a yellow string to fasten him somewhere and a white string, which can be pulled so that he plays music. The teddy’s for you. I’ve bought him so that you can hear music,” Harry eagerly told the baby.

Lily pulled him into a bear’s hug. “Thank you, sweetie, that was very kind of you,” she told Harry, who noticed with astonishment that tears were threatening to run down her cheeks.

-----

A few weeks later, Minerva started to take over Lily’s classes, which she was going to do until the beginning of the summer holidays. Hermione took over the position as Gryffindor Head of House for the rest of the school year. As his mother was staying at home the whole day, Harry had decided to stay with her instead of taking private lessons with the teachers and attending classes from time to time. At home, he could proceed with his computer studies, and – as he had proudly promised his father and his godmother – he would be able to look after his mother.

One day, Harry was sitting at the table in the living room, trying to connect his notebook to the Internet, while his mother was sitting on the sofa, reading a book.

Suddenly, Lily let out a small cry. “Oh, Harry, you have to call Daddy quickly. He has to take me to the Hospital wing immediately,” Lily told him urgently.

When Harry went over to the sofa, he saw that everything was full of blood. Somehow he knew that there wouldn’t be enough time to call his father. “Mummy, grab my tail feathers, I’ll flash you, that’s faster,” he quickly instructed his mother and transformed into his phoenix form an instant later.

Lily obediently grabbed his feathers, and in a flash she found herself on a bed in the Hospital wing. Harry quickly flashed himself over to Poppy, hovering in front of her, so that she immediately understood she had to grab his feathers to be taken to where she was needed. When she saw Lily, her face turned white. Ignoring Harry, who remained on the floor next to his mother’s bed, completely exhausted, Poppy ran into her office, grabbed her mobile phone, and phoned Healer O’Brien.

“I have to perform a very urgent C-section here, and I need at least two people to help,” Poppy told the Head Healer of St. Mungo’s. Receiving the promise that help would arrive within minutes, she switched off the phone and returned to Lily’s side in order to prepare everything for the section.

When she noticed Harry still sitting on the floor, she picked him up and put him on the next bed. “Now, sweetie, I must urgently see to your mother and your sister. Stay here and rest, transform back if you can but stay here; you may not stay with your mother at the moment.”

Harry worriedly watched the commotion until Poppy finally drew a white curtain all around his Mummy’s bed. Finally, five people from St. Mungos arrived and took over for Poppy. Poppy came over to Harry and told him, “Harry, are you all right? Can you transform back, please?”

Harry sighed inwardly and transformed back into his human form. “Will Mummy be all right?” he asked his godmother anxiously.

Poppy sighed. “She will be all right and she has you to thank for that. If you hadn’t brought her here so quickly, it might have been too late. You did very well, Harry.”

“What happened?” Harry asked, still frightened.

“I don’t know,” Poppy admitted. “I’ve heard of something like that but it is a very rare complication with child birth. But the Healers in there are professionals. Healer O’Brien sent the best Healers, who work at the hospital. They have much more experience in this area than I have.” She gave Harry a piercing look. “Harry, you look completely exhausted. Are you all right?”

“Yes, Aunt Poppy, I’m just tired. I’ve never flashed people, it was the first time and then I did it twice, so…”

Poppy handed him a phial. “Here, drink this; it’s Pepper-up Potion. And then try to rest for a while; I’ll wake you up when we know more.”

Harry lay down and tried to sleep, which was just impossible. Somehow they had forgotten to throw a Silencing Spell around Lily’s bed, so that Harry could hear everything that was going on, and it was not very calming.

Suddenly, Harry heard a small cry as if it came from a very small being. But then he heard scraps of conversations.

“Inhaled too much blood, should be fine…”

“Now, we need you here, just give the baby to Pomfrey!”

“Won’t stop, be careful, or we’ll lose her!”

Hearing this, Harry became very frightened. His whole body started to convulse, and slowly the voices faded into non-existence. The last thing he realised before he drifted into unconsciousness was that his godmother stood next to his bed with a tiny baby in her arms, her face white like a sheet and her eyes full of tears.