Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts

"On such an occasion as this,

All time and nonsense scorning,

Nothing shall come amiss,

And we won't go home till morning."

J.B. Buckstone

Chapter 1.

August 1^st, 2011.

Hogwarts was still standing. Just as solid as when the four Founders first had it built. Just as large and magnificent as ever. No war would ever manage to break down the walls of Hogwarts School of -Witchcraft and Wizardry, no war, Muggle or magical, ever had. Godric, Salazar, Rowena and Helga had intended for it to last, and it had.

The castle still had that nearly indescribable touch of fairy-tale to it. If Harry Potter hadn't known better he would have expected Sleeping Beauty to appear any moment in the window of what he knew to be the Astronomy tower. As they walked on the pathway towards the entrance he could feel the memories coming to him. Memories of a time long gone by, but not entirely forgotten. Happy memories and sad memories that were pretty much jumbled together. He couldn't think of the happy ones without remembering what end they had come to.

He could practically hear their laughter as they used to come back from Hogsmeade. It was just the eight of them, Neville, Ron, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, Hermione and himself. So young, so happy, so... alive. He could remembered the day that they had walked out of Hogwarts as fully certified witches and wizards, each one brimming full of hopes for the future. They had all known Voldemort was alive and kicking, but were so young that they hadn't taken it too seriously. They had had to grow up fast. Nowadays there were just four of them left. Four of the eight seventh years from Gryffindor that had graced them with their presence through seven years of school had left the world of the living forever.

Hogwarts had reopened in September 2002. They had needed the time from the armistice until then to get order in the affairs, which had been neglected for a time before the war. New staff had to be hired, new people had to be responsible for each of the houses, most of the school had to be refurnished and there had to be a rebuilding of the library. Even if the school itself stood, looking just as magnificent as before, it had been the head quarters of the light side and it showed. Harry hadn't seen it after the war, but he had been part of the inner circle and frequented Hogwarts a lot during the war. He knew that the place had been more worn down after a few years of war than it had been after centuries of peace.

Harry grabbed the two hands on his sides and started to walk closer to the school. They had sent their luggage ahead, so he didn't need to bother with dragging that along as well. The two children he held in each hand were more than enough.

The boy looked somewhat like Harry himself would have to have done when he was four, although not quite as thin. He had dark, messy hair that Harry distinctively remembered having combed before leaving the inn that morning, but he did not have Harry's green eyes. He had eyes that were a dark chocolate kind of brown; they were hiding behind a set of glasses. The girl was older than the boy, perhaps by four or five years. Her hair wasn't messy, mainly because Harry had braided the brown hair into two pigtails after combing the boy's hair. Her eyes as they were gazing out on the world were green.

"Aren't we going to go in, Daddy?" The boy looked questioningly at Harry. The girl also looked up at him. "Why don't we go in?"

He grinned down at them. He would have carried David, if he would have let him, but he had wanted to walk all by himself from Hogsmeade, like his big sister.

"Are you tired, David?" David shook his head. "No. In? Please?" They were growing up so fast. It didn't seem longer than yesterday that his sister had been born, and now he was determined to do everything by himself.

"All right then. Come along, kiddie winkies."

Together they walked the last stretch to the castle, slowly because David had much shorter legs than Harry. As soon as they entered Hogwarts Hermione Granger came running towards them and threw herself at Harry.

"Harry. You're back. Where have you been for so long? I have missed you." He hugged Hermione for a long time.

"I have missed you too. How have you been?" He avoided the question of where he'd been.

"I've been fine. I am teaching Transfiguration and going out with Charlie Weasley." She let go of him after a while and looked at the children.

"And who are you two?"

"I am David and I am four years old. That is Aimée and she is my sister. She is nine. She is allowed to stay up longer than me in the evenings.

Harry smiled at Hermione over David's explanation. David had always envied his sister the advantage that she was older than him, and therefore knew more of the world than her. But most of the time, when he weren't in one of his moods, he liked having an older sister who played with him and read him stories. Aimée liked having a younger brother who, just for now was too young to contradict her every word, but Harry dreaded the moment when he grew old enough to do it. He would never have a moment's peace.

"Are they yours?" Despite being a grown up Hermione was still a know-it-all, who hated to be left in the dark.

"Yes. They're mine. Hermione meet my two children David Nicholas Potter and Aimée Kathleen Potter. David and Aimée, this is Miss Granger. She is an old friend of mine, from when I went to school here. It is miss, Hermione?"

"Yes, it is. But let's not stand out here and talk. I expect you are hungry? Dumbledore only told me that the new Defence Against Dark Arts were coming. He didn't say a word that it was you, that old sneak. I am so glad to see you again after all these years."

"It is good to see you to. The headmaster did not say anything, because I asked him not to. Hermione, I don't want to announce my presence here at Hogwarts before necessary. I want to teach, not give interviews." They both instantly thought of Rita Skeeter.

"She was horrid, wasn't she?" Hermione was the first to voice it out loud. Harry nodded his approval and felt a tug in his left arm. "Who was horrid, Daddy?" The joys of being a parent came into the air, he had to remember what he said around his children, they were growing up so fast and he did not want them to start off with the wrong view on life. As far as David and Aimée were concerned nothing bad ever happened in their lives, because their father did not want it to. He not want them to have the same childhood that he'd been having.

"Don't say horrid, David. Miss Granger only meant that for a long, long time ago, before you and Aimée were born, a lady lived that was not very nice. She used to write bad stories about children, and one day one of the children she had been writing stories about made her change into a bug. Then she caught her in a glass jar, and if she hasn't let the bug out yet it is probably still there." David sighed a content sigh. He loved it when his father told him stories of before he was born.

"That's all right then. I won't say horrid, Daddy." Harry smiled at Hermione over David's head. "Sorry about that." She smiled guiltily back. "I guess I just have forgotten how easily small children absorb what is in their surroundings. I don't really have all that many children their age around me." Harry bent down to scoop David up in his arms as their reached the first staircase in spite of his protests. "I can do it on my own, Daddy." They walked quicker once Harry carried David and his short legs did not hold them back anymore and they were quickly at the top of the stairs. Hermione paused.

"Are you ready to return fully and wholly to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter? Remember it won't be as it once was, the students are not the same and most of the teachers have been replaced." Hermione opened the doors to the Great Hall for them and they walked in together.

"Wow."

"I know Aimée. It is kind of like the sky outside, isn't it?"

"Yes, dad. Where are we supposed to sit and eat?" She had begun to realize that she was hungry. It had been a long while since they had eaten their breakfast at the inn and she wanted some food. There were just so many tables; she didn't know where she would get something to eat.

"Why don't you go up to the staff table and sit down, I'll tell the house-elves that you're here. What do you want?"

"Still house-elves at Hogwarts, Hermione? I think we'll take some hot supper right now. Something easy, how about chicken Aimée?" She nodded. David was too tired to move his head from Harry's shoulder, where he had placed it after he'd picked him up.

"The house-elves will probably stay here longer than any of us Harry, despite what I happen to think of it. Besides, as I am living here with them closer than when I was a student I understand what I didn't when I started SPEW, they truly are happy even if they are living like this." She smiled at them. "I'll go tell them you want some chicken. I expect Dobby will be thrilled to hear of your return. He'll probably spoil your children rotten, you know." She left them.

Harry put David down in a chair, Aimée seated herself in another and Harry had no other option than to sit between them. "Daddy, what is a Dobby?"

"Don't you remember when I told you of Hogwarts? What I did when I was here?" She nodded. "Well, do you remember the big competition? Dobby helped me there." David looked so tired, but he was paying attention to their discussion. "Dobby. Egg. Water." He sometimes returned to a more childish mode of speaking when he was tired.

"That's not Dobby, that was Moaning Myrtle. Dobby gave me the gillyweed that helped me breathe under water."

"Myrtle. Ghost."

"Here I am with your food. Dobby insisted that you'd come down to visit h in the kitchen later, Harry. Hurry up and eat while it is still hot." Hermione had brought some of the house-elves back up with the food and Aimée was staring fascinated at them. She had never seen a house-elf before in her life. "Aimée, it is not polite to stare."

"Is that a house-elf, Daddy?" Hermione grinned. "Yes it is. That is Flonny and there is Clobbie. Eat your food now." David needed some help to eat, so Hermione seated herself beside the little boy to give Harry some time to himself.

"How many teachers are there here now?"

"Let me think. You teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, I teach Transfiguration, Terry Boot teaches Arithmancy, Sinistra teaches Astronomy, Charlie has got full control over the Magical Creatures, Eleanor Branstone, remember her? Hufflepuff three years behind us, teaches Divination, which I must say has got slightly more believable after the old fraud disappeared even if Eleanor is a tad young." She winked at Harry before she continued.

"Oliver teaches Flying, Lavender Herbology, Binns bore the students in History of Magic, Justin Finch-Fletchley teaches Muggle Studies, Draco Malfoy teaches Potions and Padma Patil teaches Charms. We've also added two extra courses this term after Dumbledore deemed it necessary, and Ancient Runes will once more be on the timetable like it was in the good old days. The new professors will arrive tomorrow. They are supposed to be K. Montanus who's teaching Latin, S. Quentin teaching Magic Law and Everyday-life and E. Parker will teach Ancient Runes. As you probably know the handymen are gone now, so we hired a new caretaker as well. I hope H. Ash won't be as ghastly, ops sorry Aimée, as Filch was. At least one good thing came out of all the losses in the war. We lost Mrs. Norris. It was a real tragedy. She choked on Scabbers after yous appeared."

"Real shame. I am really going to miss that cat. We had such a close and intimate relationship. I would go to the Astronomy tower, and like she'd read my thoughts there she was."

"Yuck. Harry, you shouldn't talk like that. It makes me want to lose my supper. Anyway. You probably don't know the librarian either, since you've been away for like ten years. Her name is Astrid Munch, and she's Scandinavian. Just as careful about the books as Madam Pince used to be, but she's younger so she's letting much more slide when it comes to students making noise in the library. Probably a good thing." Harry was still stuck on one thing even though they had been making jokes.

"Padma?"

"Yes, Patil. I don't know what happened to her twin. Terry is the head of Ravenclaw, Justin of Hufflepuff, Draco of Slytherin and I of Gryffindor."

"Congratulations, Hermione. Head of Gryffindor. Well. We should have guessed. You reminded us so much of McGonagall at times that it was plain scary. But Charlie? How could you date him without getting my approval?" Hermione smiled wryly. "Well. It doesn't seem like you got my approval when you fell in love either... it just happened. But lately... I don't know. Let's talk about it later." She didn't want to talk about it in front of his children, but neither did he. "Yes, let's. What is it, Aimée?" He was being pulled in his arm. "Shush. David's sleeping. Don't wake him up." Harry's youngest child was indeed asleep over the table, his head lying on the table, next to his plate. It wasn't all that late in the evening, but they'd all had a long and eventful day already and David hadn't napped, like he normally did.

"If you could show us all to our chambers that would be wonderful, it is your bedtime too Aimée." Hermione grinned at the sour look on the young girl's face when her father mentioned bedtime. "If you'll follow me. Do you want to hold my hand, Aimée?"

"Yes, please. Dad said there are ghosts here. And a poltegris."

"A poltergeist. Although Peeves, that's his name, doesn't fool around quite as much as he used to. Somehow the war seems to have calmed him down, just a teeny bit, thank Merlin. If he gives you any trouble just come to me. I'll yell at him for you. Dumbledore put you in chambers overlooking the lake and the Quidditch pitch. Do you play Quidditch, Aimée?"

"No. I am afraid of heights, besides my m..." Her eyes filled with water, but she continued in a shaky voice. "My mum didn't like for me to play, she said dad had risked his life more than enough when he played, she wasn't going to let me risk my life."

"What she told you was true. While we were students here at Hogwarts, more than thirteen years ago, your father was the best seeker. Everybody knew it, but the Slytherins refused to acknowledge it. In fact I think he is one of the best seekers of this school ever. But then he also has had the most accidents. Remember the time when you completely lost all the bones in your arm, Harry?"

"Yeah, Lockhart did not seem to have quite control over his own powers. It hurt more when Madam Pomfrey grew back the bones than the actual break did. Unless someone's a fully certified nurse or medi-witch/wizard I am not letting him or her near any of my broken bones again. Word of advice Aimée, ask to see the certificate of anyone who is going to treat your maladies." They had finally reached the portrait to their rooms. "The password is Hagrid, you might change that whenever you want to. I am down the corridor here. I'll come and get you for breakfast tomorrow. The newcomers will probably arrive just after breakfast. And there is also a staff meeting then. I am so glad to have you around again Harry. You two as well. Good night, sweet dreams." Hermione left them alone after giving Aimée a goodnight hug.

Aimée looked at Hermione as she left, then looked up at the painting at the wall. "Is it like the Fat Lady that you and mum told me stories about?" Harry smiled down at his daughter. "It isn't her, but the rest might be quite similar, yes. This looks like a maiden from about the dark ages. Hagrid." The maiden winked at Harry before she let them through.

"Gosh. Dad, this is even better than home." A nine-year-old girl is more than easily impressed with new furniture and nice wallpapers. Especially if they happened to be in her favourite colour at the moment, a pale shade of violet. Her father, on the other hand, was not quite as easily impressed, pale violet did not happen to be his favourite colour. "Home was different Aimée. Home was furniture that we'd used since we bought the house, and most of it was used. This is more like they have never used it, just bought it to fill the rooms, in case someone should need them. But I'll admit it is nice."

They were standing in what Harry suspected was intended to be their common room; it had three doors and four windows. The windows were all facing towards the lake and that area in general. "Would you please open one of the doors? I have to find a bed to put your brother in. He might be only four years old, but he is heavier today than the day he was born."

"Which one?"

"Honestly? I don't care. He is heavy and he is your brother. Choose one."

"This one. Come on, put him on the bed. Night David. Sleep tight."

Harry put the covers around his son and kissed him good night before he left the room. One of the other doors was open, and he guessed that was the room Aimée had claimed as hers. He was right.

"Dad. This is great. I am so glad that we came here. After Mum died home isn't home anymore. She is around, but she isn't around at the same time. Now I don't have to come in with dirty Wellingtons and wonder why Mum isn't yelling at me." She sat down on the big bed. Harry was glad that she had accepted the move and apparently was happy about it. He thought too soon about that one.

"But what if I forget her, dad? What if I wake up tomorrow morning and can't remember what Mum looked like? What if I forget what Mum used to say on my birthdays? David is going to forget about her for sure. I don't want him to. I don't want to forget Mum. I want to remember when we went shopping together for your birthday present last summer and Mum wanted to buy you underwear and I wanted to buy you a Snitch."

"I got a book. A very nice book. Darling, you are not going to forget your mum. She will always be your mum and you will always remember her. For David it will be harder, but as long as he has you to remind him he is going to be fine." Harry sat down next to her. She just sat there staring into space. "You remember when the two of us went to visit your mum at the hospital after David was born? You were so worried that since we'd got a boy now that you were going to having to find a new place to live. You even asked the doctor if you could live with him. I think he thought we were crazy."

"Dad, you are crazy. Besides I would have liked to live with the doctor. He smelled nice and he didn't have any children. But you wouldn't let me go and live with him."

"You are born into a family. You do not join them like you do the Navy. That I wouldn't let you live with him, that's a good thing right?"

"A very good thing. I think I would've missed Mum and you. Maybe I would have missed David as well, sometimes. But I miss Mum, Dad, I miss her so much it hurts."

"It hurts for me too, Sweetheart. Hurts so much. Not quite as much as it did in the beginning, but it still hurts nevertheless."

Aimée threw herself on Harry, weeping. "Why did she have to die? There are tons of evil people out there who deserved it much more than Mum."

"Aimée it isn't about evil people. Mum just got sick, it happened just like that. Nobody could stop it. It isn't fair; there is no reason behind it. If we start to think about the whys and the what-ifs we'll go crazy Aimée. Mum is dead. She was a wonderful warm person, but she is dead. No matter how much we miss her she won't be able to come back. We are just three now."

"Was it like this when you lost Grandfather and Grandmother?"

"No, because when I lost them I was too young to really understand what was going on. When I was your age I was living with my aunt and her family, not knowing about magic at all. When I got my letter to Hogwarts I also learned more about my parents. I was alone after my mother died, you aren't."

"I know. You might be a crazy dad, like Mum said, but you're my crazy dad. I love you dad."

"I love you and you know what? Mini-me, you complete me."

Harry spluttered. "I am being silly? Is it bed-time for silly people all ready?"

"Yes it is. Besides the one sane person in this room needs her beauty sleep."

"Good night. Darling. Sleep tight."

"Night Daddy."

As Harry closed the door to the room after him he couldn't see clearly where he was going. The tears were running freely down his cheeks. He didn't try to stop them.

~*~*~*~*~*~