“Dad, wake up; it’s Sunday and I feel better; may I play Quidditch?” Severus didn’t reply but shoved the thermometer under Harry’s tongue, while Harry tried to say ‘dooababouwidich’, and said,

“Harry, shut up for a moment and wait please.” Harry waited very nervously until his father took the thermometer out, which flared yellow and told with Poppy’s voice ‘you may get up but not do anything strenuous’. Harry glanced at his father and begged,

“Please, Dad, Quidditch is not strenuous, may I?” Severus scowled and replied,

“I really don’t appreciate it Harry, Quidditch is very strenuous, but if you promise not to tell your mother what the toy told you, you may play. But you also have to promise to come down immediately when you encounter the slightest problem. Can you promise me that?” Harry looked at his father with a serious face and said,

“I promise Dad.”

Just before they left for breakfast, Severus gave Harry the newly invented potion to drink, in a slightly changed version, now having a faint lemon taste. He also handed a phial of the strawberry potion to Lily and said,

“As you are not playing, could you keep this in case Harry needs it during the match?” Lily nodded and asked,

“Do you really think it’s wise to let him play today?” But Severus sighed and countered,

“Lily, do you remember our 6th and 7th year? Harry was ill very often, but he never missed a match; he always managed to come around Poppy or Minerva in order to play. Even if we forbid him to play, I’m sure he would find a way; so I prefer to let him play with our consent.” Lily nodded; that was true.

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Mr. Potter who had been refereeing the students – teachers’ matches now for 19 years, had already arrived, when they entered the Great Hall. When Harry saw him, he asked Lily, who was walking next to him,

“Do you think he remembers me? Or has he been obliviated too much?” Lily smiled softly and said,

“Come with me my dear, I’m sure he remembers you.” She dragged him to the Head Table where Mr. Potter pulled him in a big hug.

“Harry, I’m so pleased to see you again! Although somehow in this time line you managed to have a different father; but for Luisa and me you’ll always be our grandson; so whenever you can, come and visit us!” Harry nodded happily and said,

“All right Granddad, I would like that very much, if James doesn’t mind.”

“Harry, you must go and eat breakfast; otherwise you cannot play Quidditch,” he could hear McGonagall’s stern voice, excused himself and nearly ran over to Merlin table, where Ginny and Anna greeted him happily.

“So are you allowed to play today?” Harry beamed.

“Yes. My dad allowed me to.” Ginny eyed him suspiciously and whispered so that only Harry could hear her,

“After correctly checking on you?” Harry grinned and whispered back,

“Do you think Quidditch is strenuous? I don’t think so; but my mom mustn’t know”. Soon they hurried to the Changing rooms to get ready for the match.

As soon as both teams had appeared on the pitch, Mr. Potter gripped the microphone and began to speak. “Welcome to the first ‘Students against Teachers’ game of the season.

Here come the players of the students’ team: Ronald Weasley (Hufflepuff, Keeper), Blaise Zabini (Slytherin, Beater), Dean Thomas (Gryffindor, Beater), Susan Bones (Hufflepuff, Chaser), Cho Chang (Ravenclaw, Chaser), Ginny Weasley (Merlin, Chaser and Deputy Captain) and Harry Snape-Dumbledore (Merlin, Seeker and Team Captain)

And here are your teachers: Remus Lupin (Keeper), Pomona Sprout (Beater), Albus Dumbledore (Beater), Rolanda Hooch (Chaser and Deputy Captain), Minerva McGonagall (Chaser and Team Captain), Poppy Pomfrey (Chaser) and Severus Snape (Seeker)

I wish both teams good luck and hope for a fair and nice Quidditch game.”

With this, he released the snitch and the game began. Harry immediately concentrated on his search for the snitch; as it was the first game of the season, he didn’t have to care about the goals, he just had to catch the snitch before his father did. But there was no way he could even think about fooling Severus, who had been his Co-Captain in the past and knew all the tricks Harry knew. He just had to be fast. However, that was easier said than done. He just couldn’t find it, and after two hours of flying and searching he suddenly felt that he wouldn’t be able to keep up much longer. All of a sudden, he noticed Severus calling his name. When he turned around his father asked,

“Harry, are you all right? Shall I ask for a break?” Harry sighed shivering a little.

“I’m not all right, but I want to continue. I would like to have a break and get the potion from Mom, but will they let me continue to play?” Severus thought for a moment and nodded.

“It’s all right. Come down with me.” Severus asked Mr. Potter for a small break and pulled Harry in Lily’s direction when they heard the whistle announcing the break. As soon as Harry had downed the potion, he felt better and went back up in the air immediately, while his father told Mr. Potter they would be ready to resume the match. Potter blew the whistle and the game started again. In the meantime, the teachers were leading the game with 100 points, so from now on Harry had to make sure to care about the goal situation before catching the snitch. After another hour, when the teachers were leading with 140 points, Harry finally saw the snitch and raced over the pitch, when his father who was straight on his heels, nearly crashed into him.

But Harry’s hand had just gripped the struggling golden ball. He tumbled for a moment but could get a grip on his broom and managed to glide down to the ground, very tired but happy. As soon as he made sure that his father had landed safely as well, he showed the snitch to Mr. Potter, who blew the whistle and announced,

“Harry Snape-Dumbledore has caught the snitch – the students win 280 – 270. Congratulations for the Hogwarts Students team!” Dumbledore took the microphone from him and stated,

“Although we have lost the game again like every time since Harry has joined the Hogwarts team, I would like to invite everyone to a buffet party instead of our normal lunch in the Great Hall! You are free to sit together with your friends wherever you like.” A huge applause accompanied the last words, and the lot of people moved towards the castle.

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When Harry emerged from the shower, his father was already waiting for him and asked immediately,

“Harry do you want to attend the party, or would you prefer to go home? I will come with you, I don’t mind where.” Harry thought for a moment and said,

“I would like to go to the party, but only for a short time, not for the whole afternoon.” They walked through the huge Entrance doors and were stunned when they entered the Great Hall. The whole hall was decorated like a huge Quidditch pitch with charmed Quaffles, Bludgers and Snitches flying around. It was just really ‘well done’. Who could have managed this? Harry immediately thought of the Weasley twins. But they had already left Hogwarts in the summer, hadn’t they? He was dragged out of his thoughts, when Ginny came and pulled him into a hug, kissing his cheek.

“Harry, are you all right?” she whispered, and Harry nodded.

“Yes Ginny, I’m only tired. Listen, Ginny, who did this? I mean… the hall. Are the twins here?” Ginny laughed.

“Does this have a finger print of my brothers?” Harry smiled fondly at her and said,

“Yes, it definitely has.” Then he looked at one of the charmed snitches and wished ‘Accio snitch,’ only to grip the struggling golden ball, which had arrived just in front of him, and hand it to Ginny. She glanced amazedly at him and then at the beautiful golden snitch in her hands.

“Is it a real one?” she asked, but Harry shrugged.

“I don’t know; maybe it’s just a charmed sock of Fred or George” he teased her, and she threw a murdering look at him, before she said,

“Harry, we should get something to eat; what do you want?” They found two empty seats at a table obviously reserved for Weasleys and their girl- or boyfriends. Next to Ron and Hermione, whom Harry met for the first time after coming back from the past, were Fred and George; to their right side was another pair of Weasley twins which Ginny secretly introduced as her cousins Fabian and Florian Weasley, who were 3rd year Gryffindor students.

“Harry!” Hermione said amazed and stood up to give Harry a hug.

“How are you Harry? When did you come back? I haven’t seen you at all. Ron told me you came to Quidditch practise, but only once or twice?” Harry sighed.

“Yes Hermione, sorry for not contacting anyone; I’ve been a little sick recently, but I hope I’ll be better now.”

“When will you return to classes then?” ‘Hermione is really the same as in my old time line; she can only think about classes’ Harry thought and answered,

“I don’t know; did anyone tell you what exactly happened to me?”

“Yes Harry, your mother invited us to her office one day and told us everything. And she told us you had to get your memories back before you could remember anything of this time line. Is that true?” Harry groaned inwardly.

“Yes, but you were my best friends also in my old time line, so I remember you very well. But I still have to get other memories back, and that affects me so that I get ill from it.”

“So you can’t go to classes in the near future?”

“I might be able to go, but I don’t know in advance, and I don’t really have to because I’ve already taken all my NEWTs in the past.”

“You’ve WHAT!” Hermione exclaimed before Ron could hold her mouth shut.

“By the way Harry”, Fred and George drew his attention to them, “We have brought some new items for you to test and would be glad for a re-evaluation from your side.” Harry frowned and looked questioningly at his friends. Fred handed him a small box and warned,

“Please be careful and read the description and warnings before testing anything!” Harry nodded and replied,

“Yes, of course.” Fred and George looked at each other and said,

“You know Harrykins…,”

“…the work at the ministry…”

“…is so boring…”

“…that we just need to do…”

“…something reasonable…”

“…from time to time.” Harry laughed at them and asked,

“Why are you working at the ministry in the first place? Why aren’t you having a joke shop in Diagon Alley?” The twins looked at each other and groaned,

“That should have been our idea!”

“But we would need money…”

“…to do such a thing…,”

“…and we don’t have any.” Harry whispered something to Ginny, stood up and motioned the twins to come along for a moment. He led them out of the hall to an empty classroom and threw a strong silencing and locking charm at the door.

“I don’t know if someone has told you, but I have recently spent two years in the past – in the time of my parents. By this, I have changed the time line very much. Anyway, in my old time line, you had a joke shop in Diagon Alley, and I had given you 1000 galleons to start the shop. When I was in the past, I have translated several books of Salazar Slytherin, which were written in Parsel script, I have published one book, and my father has published several potion books in our both names. And Dumbledore made a vault for me in which all the money I got when they sold one of the books went. I also have gotten lots of money when I received the Order of Merlin in the past for killing Voldemort. So there is a lot of gold in the vault, and I would be more than happy to give you 1000 galleons to start your joke shop. Even if we don’t live in a war as we did in my old time line, we can always use a good laugh. Just do me one favour and do not tell anything about my connection to your shop to your mother – she would kill me!” The twins were stunned by his suggestions, and it took several minutes until they managed to mumble at the same time,

“That’s the best idea we’ve ever heard of since starting Hogwarts.”

“So can I take that as an agreement? Do you have your own vault at Gringotts?” They nodded.

“Yes, we have an account together.” Harry acknowledged it contently and said,

“All right. Tomorrow I will send an owl to Gringotts and will have 1000 galleons transferred to your vault; it should arrive sometime during the week. Moreover, I am really looking forward to your joke shop! And as I know it from my old time line, I can assure you that you will be very efficient and make a lot of money; you even founded a branch at Hogsmeade!” The twins looked at him in awe.

“All right”, Harry said, “I have to go back, otherwise my girlfriend or in other words your little sister will be searching frantically for me.”

“Wait!” The twins stood in his way. “Our little sis is your girlfriend?” Harry smirked.

“But all right, let’s say it’s a deal – our sister for the joke shop; anyway better you than anybody else!” Harry shook his head and laughed at the attics of the twins, before he cancelled the spells and left the room to return to the Great Hall and sat down next to Ginny. A few minutes later, the tables were cleared, before he could manage to even take a piece of the food. At the same time Dumbledore announced,

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“This does not mean the end of the party. We have tea and biscuits over here – please come and help yourself. A few minutes later Lily came over to Harry and sat on the empty chair next to him.

“How do you feel Harry?” she whispered, and Harry mouthed, ‘fine’.

“Are you well enough for a discussion with Granny and me?” Lily asked and Harry shrugged and replied,

“Mom, I don’t know. All I can say is we can try it.”

“All right Harry. Shall we go now and have tea at home, or do you want to stay here?” Harry frowned.

“No Mom, let’s go immediately. I don’t know how tired I’ll be in an hour or later. Um… Mom?”

“Yes Harry?”

“What is this important discussion about?”

“About your classes.”

“Classes? You and Granny will decide anyway, won’t you? You don’t have to ask me you know.” Harry said a little annoyed. Lily shook her head.

“No Harry! This is too important to decide over your head; therefore we will talk about it with Granny.”

Harry excused himself from Ginny and the others at the Weasley table and followed his mother and great grandmother down to their quarters in the dungeons. They sat down in front of the fireplace, Harry of course in his favourite corner on the sofa. Then he looked expectantly at his grandmother.

“Harry, I want to discuss something with you. Please let me finish everything and don’t interrupt me, all right?” Harry nodded and listened curiously.

“Albus would like to retire from his Headmaster’s position in order to look after Marina and start to teach her certain things. Therefore, he keeps asking me when I would be ready to take over as Headmistress. However, I cannot do that as long as I am Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor. I have discussed this problem extensively with your mother, as well as Severus, Albus, Remus, Amelia and Poppy, and I would like to suggest something to you.

You have already taken your NEWTs, so you do not really have to visit classes again. However, if you agree, I would like you to take only the Transfiguration class and apart from that be my assistant for the younger classes; assistant means watching each class and helping the students where necessary as well as helping with the grading of homework, tests and so on. If you do this and think you like it – I remember that you told me in the past you like grading essays – I would like to have you as new Transfiguration teacher from the next school year onwards.

One more point is the Head of House question. You could take over from me because you have spent five years in your old time line as well as one and a half years in the past in Gryffindor, but only a very few people know this. Everyone else would wonder why you were made Head of House, although you did not even attend Gryffindor. Therefore, I have come to an agreement with your mother. She would take over Gryffindor from me, and you could become Head of Merlin from the beginning of the next school year. Now, what do you think of my suggestion?”

Harry was much too stunned to reply at once. ‘What should he say? Of course, he would like to, but… He couldn’t even think properly; maybe he should sleep for a while.’

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His grandmother noticed that his eyes were unnaturally bright and his cheeks were flushed and whispered to Lily,

“Are you sure he is all right? He looks very feverish to me.” Lily sat down next to Harry and felt his forehead.

“Harry, you are very warm. You should go to bed.” Harry nodded and said,

“Yes, Granny, I am sorry, may I sleep for an hour and think about it?” Minerva nodded and said to Harry,

“Harry let me take you to your room and put you to bed.” Harry nodded and threw her a grateful glance, when she went after him over to his room, transfigured his clothes into comfortable pyjamas and tucked him in.

“Granny, I’m sorry, wanted to talk, but…” he mumbled, “I don’t know if I can teach but would like to…”

“Harry, I know that you can. You have already taught students in your old time line, but we don’t have to talk now. Think about it, and we will talk again when you feel better. All right?” Harry gave her a slight nod and closed his eyes. Minerva conjured a wet towel, put a cooling charm on it and placed it on Harry’s forehead.

“Hmm, feels good; thank you,” he murmured. A few minutes later Severus entered his room, helped Harry to drink a potion, before he asked,

“Was it a memory again?” Harry shook his head; he hadn’t seen any new memory. Severus frowned and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t have played Quidditch today.”

As soon as Harry felt better, he talked to his parents about Minerva’s suggestion. “What do you think, Mom and Dad? Will I be able to teach and do all the other work?”

“Is it a question of CAN or WANT Harry? You can; that I know; whether you want to is a question you have to decide by yourself,” Severus suggested and Lily said,

“Harry, I have to agree completely with Severus. You are very good at Transfiguration, and teaching is quite funny. You already have experiences, haven’t you? I didn’t have any when I started to teach.”

“And the Head of House thing?” Harry asked anxiously. “And isn’t it crazy, when three of the five Head of House teachers come from the same family?” Lily and Severus laughed.

“Who cares about that? At least our names are different as in Snape, Evans-Snape and Snape-Dumbledore; so students won’t mix us up,” Severus said. Harry snorted and Lily asked provokingly,

“Or would you prefer she asks Remus to be Head of Gryffindor?” Harry sighed.

“No, of course not; I would like to be Head of Merlin.”

“All right. So you should talk to Granny as soon as you feel better,” Lily suggested.

“But I have another problem. You know she told me I had to take Transfiguration again this year and even have to assist her. But how can I do that if I just manage to get up for half a day only to be stuck in bed for days afterwards?”

“You’ll become better Harry. Don’t forget: The more memories you get now, the sooner it will be over!” his father told him.

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Before he went to breakfast the next morning, he was told not to attend Quidditch practise, and his father made it very clear, that he would not bend certain rules only for training, which Harry did not even need. As soon as they arrived in the Great Hall, he made a Bee-line to the Head table and said to McGonagall,

“I’m sorry Granny for interrupting our talk yesterday. Do you have time today?”

“Of course Harry. I will come with you to your room after dinner, if you don’t mind.” Harry looked very relieved and answered,

“Of course not. Thank you Granny.” When he sat down at Merlin table, Ginny gave him a kiss and asked,

“What happened to you yesterday? I missed you at dinner, and then your sister said you were ill.”

“Yes” Harry said. “You know, memory visions, and playing Quidditch with a fever didn’t help so much either. But you know that they know you’re my girlfriend, and you can come visit me any time.”

“Do you think I could come over tonight after Quidditch practise?” Ginny asked timidly. Harry thought for a moment and answered,

“I would like that very much. After dinner, I have an appointment with McGonagall; but after Quidditch practise will be fine.

“All right Harry, then I’ll come over tonight.” Harry turned to Anna and said,

“Anna, can you please hold the Quidditch practise this evening, as I’m not allowed to attend?” Anna smiled at him.

“Of course Harry.” Harry added,

“Anna, you know that you’re also always welcome to visit me, don’t you?”

“Yes Harry, but my parents told me you were ill and I couldn’t see you, when you didn’t come to the Great Hall.” Harry snorted and insisted,

“The next time, don’t believe them, just come down to our quarters and ask if you can visit me; probably Dad is much less strict than Mom – just as a hint in case you can choose whom to ask. Maybe I should have a word with my Godparents about the importance of a best friend’s visit,” he added grinningly and went up to the Head table to exchange a few words with Amelia and Remus as soon as dinner was finished.

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Harry and his grandmother went into Harry’s room to be able to talk undisturbed by Marina who was running around climbing on everyone and everything. Minerva took the chair of his desk, while Harry sat down on his bed.

“Um… I have thought about what you told me yesterday,” Harry started the conversation and his great grandmother looked expectantly at him. “Anyway, I would like to teach, and yes, I have of course the experience with the DA in my old time line, and it went really well, but it was Defence and now it’s Transfiguration. I don’t know if I can teach transfiguration, especially as I do a lot with wish magic which I cannot teach. But I’m quite sure I’d like it.

As to the Head of Merlin House, I can only say I don’t know exactly what a Head of House has to do, but I don’t think that’s the problem. However, about assisting you during the next months might be a problem because of my memories. They can come back anytime, and then I’ll be really sick for the rest of the day; so I’m not reliable at all at the moment.” Minerva let the air out she hadn’t even noticed she was keeping and relaxed. She even looked as if she were relieved.

“Harry, that’s not the problem. I only thought, as you cannot start teaching before the new school year starts in ten months, you should have something to do during the time left in this school year, and I thought a review in Transfiguration maybe would not be so bad. However, it is not a condition or a necessity. If you were fine enough, it would be nice if you could act as my assistant because the experience might help you when you start to teach on your own, but your health is the first priority of course. And concerning teaching I am sure that you will be able to. Furthermore, if you have any questions about how to teach this or that, remember I am not far away; I am staying here in the castle, as well as Albus who has been Transfiguration teacher before becoming Headmaster. Therefore, you will not be all alone. Don’t worry.”

“All right. Then I think I will give it a try.”

“Fine Harry, thank you. I am very glad to have you as successor as well as having your mother as successor of Head of Gryffindor.”

“I’m glad you asked me. Thank you Granny!” A second later, he was thrown into a new memory.