“Harry!” he suddenly heard his father’s voice calling him over and over. He wanted to open his eyes but everything hurt so much that he couldn’t. He couldn’t even hear properly, the sounds around him just were a blur, and he felt as if his head had exploded. Suddenly he could feel something cold pressed against his lips, and he instinctively opened his mouth and swallowed. Fortunately, the blur cleared up a bit and he even managed to open his eyes a little bit before he closed them again quickly as the light was too bright and it hurt.

“Now, Harry, Mummy has dimmed the lights, try to open your eyes again, please,” Severus’ voice penetrated his ear.

Harry tried to open his eyes again but immediately felt his stomach roll and he and couldn’t help getting sick all over himself several times. He finally managed to slowly open his eyes; the room was much darker now. His parents and his godmother were gathered around his bed in his own room, watching him worriedly.

Harry caught Severus’ glance and looked pleadingly into his eyes, inviting his father to enter his mind. Severus carefully cast the Legilimens spell, trying not to aggravate his son’s condition further. When he finished the spell five minutes later, he looked at his son, concerned.

“Poppy, do you remember the vision Albus sent Harry years ago in his first childhood, the one that caused Black to lose his life?”

Poppy looked worriedly at Severus, nodding her head. “I remember that he sent him a vision forcing him to break into the Ministry in the middle of the night.”

“That was a vision showing Harry his mother, his sister, and himself being captured and tortured by Death Eaters,” Severus explained to the others.

“I have the impression that the recent attacks are not as frequent as they were in the past but that they are much worse and affect Harry much more,” Poppy stated and waved her wand at Harry, concerned. “It’s just like last year,” she then confirmed. “He has a horrendous headache and a fever in spite of the potion you gave him.”

“I believe it’s getting worse, too,” Severus agreed, taking his daughter from Lily in order to make her burp.

“Have you been hit with any spells?” Poppy asked Harry softly.

“I don’t know,” Harry mumbled tiredly. “I think they hit me with something to make my head explode.”

“We have to think about something to prevent Dumbledore from doing such things to Harry,” Lily said, horrified.

Poppy made Harry drink two more potions, and a minute later, Harry was sound asleep.

Just like the year before, Harry missed Christmas Day, being sick in bed. This time, however, Lily brought Isabella to his room, because she hadn’t stopped crying for her big brother. The child pulled herself up at Harry’s bed and threw up her arms in order for Harry to pull her onto his bed. Harry, who couldn’t resist the onyx eyes that resembled those of his father so much, gave in and pulled the baby up, cuddling and tickling her. When Lily returned twenty minutes later, her children were both fast asleep next to each other.

-----

Two weeks later was the night of the first full moon of the New Year. Harry was very excited and told himself that he would stay up late enough to be able to speak with his father when he gave his mother the important phone call or Fire call. Harry wasn’t exactly sure how his parents used to communicate on these evenings. However, sitting on the sofa next to his Mummy waiting for his father to call made him so tired that by the time Severus called with the best news they could have hoped for Harry was deeply engrossed in his dreams.

Harry received the good news in the morning when he woke up in his own bed, wondering how and when he had gotten there. He had just crawled out of bed and dressed in the clothes his mother had laid out for him when his father entered the room, picked Harry up, and pulled him into a strong embrace. “Harry, we did it! It worked! Not one of them transformed!” he shouted happily.

Harry couldn’t help laughing at the excitement that was so uncharacteristic for his father. “Congratulations, Daddy, that’s really good news!” Harry replied while returning the embrace enthusiastically, and his eyes started to twinkle happily.

Just then, Isabella crawled into the room, her teddy safely tucked under her right arm. “Ha-ha,” she addressed Harry, and pulled herself up by his legs and threw both arms into the air, certain that her adored big brother would pick her up before she fell backwards.

“Hi, sweetie, good morning,” Harry told her softly, picking her up. He held the baby up to his father and instructed, “Now, say ‘Daddy’.”

“Dada,” the girl repeated slowly, and a small smile played on her lips. Then she held out her teddy for Harry.

Harry took the teddy into his left hand and threw a wandless spell at him, which made the teddy’s eyes twinkle like his own. Then he handed the teddy back to its owner and asked, “Is that better, hmm?”

The little girl laughed and wiggled her way down onto the floor, crawling away quickly in order to show her teddy’s eyes to her Mummy.

“So, what are we going to do, Dad? Do we have to test one more month to be really, really sure? Or do we just make the potion for everyone at the Ministry…”

“No, Harry,” his father interrupted him. “We don’t have to do anything. Everyone has already taken the new potion the last time, so everyone should be all right. The Ministry should keep everyone overnight just for this one time to be on the safe side, but that’s not our problem but the Ministry’s. I’ve arranged a meeting with the Minister today after my afternoon classes at four o’clock, and I hope that you’ll accompany me to the Ministry.”

“Of course, Daddy,” Harry replied, giving his father a huge smile. “I’m so happy for Remus!”

“And I’m glad that all the research and everything wasn’t we’ve done hasn’t been in vain,” Severus answered.

-----

In the afternoon, Harry accompanied his father to the Ministry of Magic. Severus and the Minister agreed quickly that the Ministry would order the werewolves to stay a night at the Ministry, so that everyone would be safe even if something happened and one of them transformed for some reason. However, that was most unlikely to happen, and the Minister invited Harry and Severus as well as their family to a huge party at the Ministry, which all werewolves, actually former werewolves, as it seemed safe to say, were invited.

“This party will probably be held in conjunction with a press conference, which I’d like you both to attend. We have to make this achievement public in order to reach any werewolves we’re not aware of. We will invite them to contact the Ministry in order to receive your potion to be cured. I will contact you a week before the full moon next month and tell you if we need any more potions. Would that be all right for you?” the Minister asked Severus.

Harry was the first to reply, “Yes, of course, sir.”

-----

The party took place two weeks after the next full moon when it was confirmed that all werewolves, who had taken the potion, were completely cured of Lycanthropy. Along with Harry and Severus, the whole Hogwarts staff had been invited to the Ministry, and on February 28th, Severus, Lily, Harry and Isabella, Tom, Poppy, Minerva, Luna, Neville, and Hermione took a Portkey to the Ministry together. Due to the huge amount of batches Harry and Severus had brewed of the new potion they had expected a lot of people to attend the party but the number of people present at the party exceeded all expectations. When they arrived in the huge Hall, Harry clung to his father, frightened.

“Daddy, do I have to stay here? Can I flash back home?” Harry asked anxiously, trying to keep his shaking hands hidden in his robes.

Severus gave Harry an astonished glance. “What’s wrong, Harry?” he asked, concerned. “Are you afraid of the people?”

“I don’t know, Daddy. Dumbledore can’t do anything to me here, can he?” Harry asked, obviously panicking.

“What’s wrong?” Minerva and Poppy, who had noticed that Severus and Harry weren’t following the others, came back to them.

“Harry is afraid because there are so many people,” Severus explained shortly and the two older ladies worriedly took in Harry’s shaking hands.

“Here Harry, drink this,” Poppy told her godson softly, pressing a Calming Draught against his lips.

“Harry, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It’s no problem to ask someone return home with you,” Severus said calmingly.

“No, Daddy, it’s all right,” Harry replied, now much calmer. “Thank you, Aunt Poppy.”

When everyone had taken their seats, the Minister greeted them and explained the reason for the event before he asked Harry and Severus to come over to him. Harry gave his father a horrified glance and quickly gave Isabella, who had been sitting comfortably on his lap, to his Mum.

Isabella, however, didn’t take that change well at all and wailed after Harry, “Hawwy no!”

Part of the hall erupted with laughter and Harry quickly turned back to his sister. “Sorry, sweetie, I’ll be right back.”

When they arrived at the small stage on one side of the hall, the Minister introduced Severus first and then Harry. When Scrimgeour told the people that Harry was eleven years old and would be starting Hogwarts this autumn, a huge gasp filled the hall. Harry’s face turned white. He hated this kind of attention. He hesitantly put his small hand into his father’s larger hand, and his father’s long fingers, the ones that his Mummy found so pretty, wound themselves safely around his hand.

“Yes,” the Minister addressed the Hall again. “Mr. Snape is only eleven but he grew up at Hogwarts and learned everything about Healing potions from when he was…” he turned to Severus, “…four years old?”

“Six years,” Severus corrected, smirking.

“All right, he has been studying Healing Potions from the time he was six years old, taught by his father, our most famous Potions Master. Today, I would like to award both, father and son, with the Order of Merlin, first class.”

A huge applause accompanied the Minister handing over the awards to Severus and Harry. Afterwards, they could finally return to their seats.

“Hawwy!” Isabella shouted immediately, seeing that her adored brother had returned.

“She is already speaking?” The Minister, who had followed Severus and Harry in order to greet the Hogwarts staff, asked in astonishment. “How old is she?”

“Isabella will be a year in three weeks, but ‘Harry’ is her first and so far only properly spoken word except for ‘no’,” Lily explained, laughing.

“Oh, I see, the young lady adores her big brother,” the Minister said, noticing that the child had already climbed back onto her brother’s lap. “You’re right, young lady, your brother’s a very fine big boy,” he told the little girl, who squealed happily.

After a huge dinner, the journalists were allowed to ask questions, which Severus mostly answered. Harry only had to answer a very few questions, which were directed at him personally.

“Why do you like Potions? Isn’t that completely uninteresting for a small boy like you?” Rita Skeeter asked. Harry disliked her immensely although he couldn’t place why he would have that feeling towards the woman.

“I love learning new things, and my Daddy is very good at teaching Potions, so he has always taught me a lot about them and it’s very interesting,” Harry replied calmly.

“Are you looking forward to being a student at Hogwarts, and which House do you think you’ll be sorted into?” Mr. Lovegood, whom Harry had been introduced to as Luna’s father, asked.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to being a student, but I don’t care in which House I am in, because I already have friends in all Houses and I’m not going to stop being friends with them only because I’m in a different House. For two years I’ve played Quidditch for all House teams, and I can say I dislike the House system a lot. Everyone should be able to be friends with everyone they like and eat together with whom they want and not just because they’re in the same house. Maybe if I become Headmaster in a hundred years or so, I will abolish the House system.”

“Thank you, Harry, for a very interesting statement,” Mr. Lovegood replied, while the hall erupted with laughter, and Harry sat down again.

-----

A few weeks later, it was Isabella’s first birthday. Lily had allowed Harry to invite his friends, who arrived after breakfast. Fortunately, it was a Saturday, so no one had to attend lessons. In the morning, Harry and his friends played with the birthday girl and helped her open her presents. Just to be sure everything was all right Harry had asked Fawkes to check each present first before he let his little sister have the presents. Afterwards the children were allowed to take Isabella out on the grounds in order to play with the new green ball she had received for her birthday.

While the children were playing outside, Harry had the idea to show his sister how to fly. “Oh, yeah, let’s play Quidditch,” the twins shouted immediately.

Harry shook his head. “No, I can’t play Quidditch with her on my broom. When I play Quidditch I have to fly really fast. But with Isa sitting in front of me I can’t fly too high or fast. But we can just fly around a bit,” he suggested and pulled six school brooms out of the shed.

In fact, Harry felt a bit unsure, not about flying of course, but about not asking his Mummy before going to fly. However, the presence of his friends let him forget his worries and he mounted a broom, put his sister in front of him, and took off. Harry was very careful. He didn’t fly too high, and he flew quite slow, holding his sister close all the time. The small girl enjoyed flying very much and squealed happily.

Suddenly however, one of his friends approached him quickly from behind. “Harry, your father!” Frank shouted anxiously.

Harry threw a glance down only to see his father looking up at him with a menacing look on his face. He quickly turned around and flew down, landing directly in front of his father.

Severus immediately picked the child up from the broom and glared at his son. “Harry! How could you take your little sister flying? And without an adult being here and without even asking Mummy or me beforehand? Fortunately, I’ve seen that you’ve been very careful with her. However, have you even thought about what would happen if Dumbledore decided to attack you when you were up in the air with Isabella? You could transform, which is the only reason we allow you to fly at all, but what would happen to Isabella?”

Harry couldn’t hold back his tears and started to cry. “Sorry, Daddy, I didn’t think about that. I’m so sorry! How could I be so stupid? Sorry, Isa, I didn’t mean to put you into danger. I love you so much, sweetie.”

Severus saw that Harry was really sorry for doing something so stupid, and he was sure that Harry would never do such a stunt again. He sighed. “Harry, what you did was very dangerous and stupid. Can I be sure that you will never, ever do such a thing again?”

“Yes, Daddy, I’m sorry,” Harry cried.

“All right, son. In that case, I won’t tell your mother about it this time because I don’t want her to worry unnecessarily. However, if you do such a thing again, you will be punished severely, which means that you won’t be allowed to play Quidditch anymore.”

“All right, Daddy, thank you,” Harry whispered gratefully.

-----

One day during the summer holidays, when the teachers met for a staff meeting, Minerva kept the four Heads of House, Lily, Severus, Luna, and Pomona afterwards, motioning Poppy to take Harry with her.

“I don’t know which House Harry will be sorted; therefore, I want to speak to all of you. I believe it’s clear that he cannot only attend normal first year classes or he’ll become too bored. Therefore, I have thought about letting him attend Ancient Runes and Arithmancy with the third years as he didn’t take these two subjects during his first childhood. He also should have some free hours in order to keep on his computer and Internet studies.”

Seeing that everyone was listening interestingly, Minerva continued, “Since the other first years will be wondering why Harry doesn’t have to attend certain classes, we have to think about what to tell them. My suggestion is that Harry’s Head of House should go into the Common Room after the Welcoming Feast and explain to the first years that Harry has grown up at Hogwarts and therefore has attended many classes from since he was six years old onwards. The students should know that Harry doesn’t have to attend all classes because he already knows the content and has already taken the end of year tests in the respective subjects. We can make Harry take the specific tests at the end of the summer holidays every year.”

Everyone agreed to Minerva’s suggestion immediately, and the meeting was adjourned. During the last few days of the summer holidays, Harry took the first year tests in several subjects, especially his least favourite subjects like History of Magic, and passed all of the tests without any problems. Harry was very excited and couldn’t wait to finally become a student.

---

The evening before the beginning of the school year, Harry sat on the sofa between his parents and thought about being a student. On one hand he was looking forward to it because he would be able to see his friends every day, but on the other hand he liked his home so much and he didn’t know if he would be able to come home whenever he wanted. On top of everything else he was worried because all his aunts and uncles would be his teachers, and he would just be a normal student to them.

“Mum, Dad?” Harry asked hesitantly. “Um… you know… I’ve got to be sorted tomorrow, right? Do you mind what House I get sorted into?”

Lily and Severus exchanged a glance before Severus answered, “I believe that you’re completely right about the House system. It shouldn’t prevent students from being friends with others from a different house. You’re our son, and we love you. Nothing will change that, and surely the matter of what House you get sorted won’t either. There’s a huge possibility you’ll follow in our footsteps and probably end up in one of our Houses since we’re your parents. But I suppose, you may best fit into Ravenclaw, since you love books and studying so much.”

“It doesn’t matter at all to us what house you are in, sweetie, nothing will change.” Lily confirmed.

Harry went to bed very consoled and looking forward to seeing his friends the next day.

-----

Finally, September 1st arrived. Lily and Severus had agreed to let Harry travel on the Hogwarts Express, provided that Fawkes travelled with Harry in case Dumbledore should try to attack him again.

Although Fawkes would have been able to flash Harry to the platform, Severus Apparated Harry to London right on time to board the Hogwarts Express. His friends were already assembled on the platform and greeted him excitedly, glad that Harry had come to ride the train with them. Harry quickly gave his father a hug, receiving a kiss on the forehead, and the six friends boarded the train, glad they were able to find a compartment together.

The train ride was a lot of fun for the friends, and while they were talking about Hogwarts and their plans for the school year, time passed in a blur. Too soon, the train arrived at Hogsmeade station.

The day before, Severus had spoken to Harry and asked if he wanted to ride the boats with Hagrid together with the other first years, and Harry had agreed reluctantly. Although he didn’t remember the event itself, he had heard the teachers speaking about what happened to him a few years ago when Dumbledore had put the Imperius Curse on him, so that he had jumped into the ice-cold water in order to drown him. Harry tried not to think about it, but still he couldn’t help his fingers from starting to shake. He only relaxed when they finally reached the castle and Hagrid led them up the stairs, where his father was waiting for them. Harry watched amused as the Muggle born students stared in awe at the moving portraits along the halls. ‘Wait until they see the ghosts or watch Peeves play pranks,’ he thought gleefully.

---

After a short talk from Severus, the first years were led into the Great Hall. Harry anxiously waited to be sorted while the Hat sang something Harry was much too excited to listen to. He threw an unsure glance over to the Head table from where Poppy and Lily gave him comforting looks. Suddenly, Isabella had caught view of Harry and a small shout penetrated the Hall.

“Hawwy!” Harry couldn’t help smiling while his mother tried to keep his sister safe in her chair and his father called the first students to be sorted.

“Bones, Enid,” Severus read.

Enid stumbled hesitantly over to the chair and sat down, while Severus placed the Hat on her head. After a short while, the Hat shouted, “Hufflepuff.”

“Bones, Frank,” Severus continued.

A minute later, the Hat said aloud, “Gryffindor.”

Harry groaned inwardly. His hope that they’d all be sorted into the same House was already destroyed. ‘Good that we have the secret place as well as my own room at home where we can meet anytime,’ he thought and waited impatiently for his name to be called.

A few minutes later, Severus finally said, “Snape, Harry.”

Harry anxiously shifted in the chair when Severus put the Sorting Hat onto his head. It took a few seconds until he could hear a small, ‘Hmmm.’

‘Hm?’ Harry thought. ‘What was that?’

‘Hmmm,’ the Hat made again.

‘What? I’m sorry, am I supposed to do something?’ Harry thought feverishly, starting to panic.

‘Hmmm, no. Just… hmmm,’ the Hat made again, and before Harry could ask anything else, the voice continued, ‘I’m not sure…’

‘What are you not sure of? What’s wrong?’ Harry asked, trying to hide his shaking hands under his legs. He wanted badly to make eye contact with his father in order to confirm that nothing was wrong with him, but the Hat was so large that he couldn’t see out from underneath it. ‘What is it now? Can you sort me or won’t you?’ he finally asked impatiently, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.

Suddenly, he heard a ‘bang’ sounding through the Hall but couldn’t see anything from underneath the Hat.