Author: Drusilla Dax (drusilladax@free.fr)

Rating and notes: R18. This is an impossible crossover between Harry Potter (through most of Half Blood Prince) and Star Trek - The Original Series (after the end of season 3, before the films). This mix is going to twist canon - evidently. Since it's taking place at Hogwarts, I'll type in British English. This is what you get when my beloved brother and I start talking about Star Trek - and Severus hops into the mix.

Warning: Character death (a witch). Have tissues near the keyboard.

Main pairings: Spock/McCoy, Severus/Harry

Summary: Is it a new kind of magic that changed history for the British magical community, or is it a twist in time, or... is Q so bored that he's playing a game? Or could it be something entirely different?

Disclaimer: I'm just playing with other people's toys and nothing you recognize is mine. May I be forgiven in my next incarnation! Flamers will be adopted by my family (if you don't believe it's a threat... too bad for you!).

Editor: Mikee. The remaining mistakes are all mine, and I apologize for those.

Manip made by Mikee

Time Warp

Harry Potter was immobilized against the wall of the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts, the British school of witchcraft and wizardry, and his life was just one huge nightmare right now.

When he was just a baby, Harry had lost his parents because of a bitter man, Lord Voldemort, who'd blown a fuse, and decided that he wanted to rule the magical community and rid their world of non-magical people, also known as Muggles to the magical folks.

James and Lily Potter had joined the Order of the Phoenix - a resistance group founded by the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, when the Ministry of Magic refused to acknowledge the threat that Lord Voldemort represented for their community, and the Muggles.

The Potters had not been out of school long, and had just barely become parents, when Lord Voldemort targeted them. The Dark wizard killed James, and then Lily, in an attempt to assassinate their one-year old baby, Harry James Potter. Voldemort had heard a piece of a prophesy that made him fear that the baby had inherited some strange power that would allow the child to defeat him.

The irony of it all was that by trying to kill Harry, Voldemort started a process that would eventually lead to his own death.

Before her death, Lily Potter protected her son, and Harry survived the Killing curse that Voldemort cast on him. The Unforgivable curse backfired, and Voldemort spent longer than a decade between life and death, borrowing bodies and looking for a way to regain strength.

In the meantime, Harry was shipped to horrible Muggles, the Dursleys. They were the only family he had left after Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, was accused of betraying the Potters.

Harry Potter survived in spite of the Dursleys.

When he turned eleven, Harry was told that, just like his parents, he had magical powers, and he went to read at Hogwarts. The young boy had to adapt to an unknown world, and face Voldemort, and several atrocious people, but Harry did a good job with only the few crumbs of information he was given sometimes.

Harry got to experience some happiness after he discovered that his godfather wasn't guilty of betrayal, but that it was another friend of his parents, Peter Pettigrew, who had sold the Potters to the Dark Lord. Sirius escaped from the wizarding jail, the dreaded Azkaban, when he discovered that Pettigrew was in hiding close to Harry. As an Animagus, Pettigrew was a wizard who had the ability to transform into an animal, and he was hiding with the family of Harry's best mate, Ron Weasley. The Weasleys never suspected that their youngest son's pet rat was in fact a wizard who worked for the Dark Lord. However, once Albus Dumbledore was told about the rat, Sirius started working for the Order again.

Sirius was Harry's family - the one guardian his parents had given him.

Things were far from being perfect as Harry was drawn more and more into an adult war while he was still just a teenager, but he had good friends, he had Sirius, and he had the other close friend of his parents, Remus Lupin.

Even when Harry was trapped and used in a Dark ritual to restore Voldemort's body, and the young man lost a schoolmate, he went on fighting bravely.

Harry's life was turned upside down when, during a battle against Voldemort and his supporters - the Death Eaters, Sirius disappeared behind a magical Veil inside the Ministry of Magic.

Because of the curse Voldemort used on baby Harry, the link between them was a constant threat. Harry was gifted, and a promising wizard, but Voldemort had decades of experience over him. Headmaster Dumbledore told Harry that he must master the art of Occlumency, the technique that allows one to close one's mind to a magical prodding using Legilimency. Voldemort was a master Legilimens, and with the link between them, Harry could always become the victim of Voldemort's inquisitions.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore didn't explain why he couldn't risk being the one to teach the special magical skill to Harry - otherwise Voldemort would have used the connection to fight against Dumbledore. Harry was to be taught by his least favourite professor, Severus Snape. Snape had loathed Harry's father, and he'd hated Sirius. Besides, the professor was a former Death Eater turned spy, and Harry had a hard time believing that Snape worked for the Order and not for Voldemort.

Finally, Dumbledore told Harry how to destroy Voldemort, and they'd worked together to find one of the pieces of Voldemort's soul that the Dark Lord had hidden to protect himself. Harry understood that his mentor was dying because of one of the curses that protected the magical devices that Voldemort used to store bits of his soul, the horcruxes.

After retrieving one horcrux, Harry and Dumbledore came back to school only to find the place being attacked by Death Eaters. They didn't know yet that the one they'd found was a fake - the real one having been taken already by someone else.

Now Harry had been petrified by Dumbledore as he was hiding under James Potter's old Invisibility Cloak. No one could see Harry, but he could do nothing to help his mentor.

It was one of Harry's schoolmates who had been ordered to attack and kill Dumbledore; Draco Malfoy was the son of a Death Eater, and he was being forced to obey the Dark Lord. However, Draco didn't want to become a murderer. He was a brat and a pain in the neck; he wanted fame and recognition, but the young man was not ready to kill to please a Dark wizard who had too many bats in the attic.

Even though Dumbledore knew he was dying, he tried to find a way to help Draco. The young man knew that he was trapped by Voldemort, and if he didn't obey and kill Dumbledore, Draco's parents would be killed - possibly after having been tortured viciously.

Dumbledore was working on convincing Draco that there might be a way out for him without endangering his relatives, and Harry was beginning to hope he wouldn't witness the cold-blooded murder of his mentor, when four Death Eaters arrived. One of them was the werewolf who had contaminated Harry's dear Remus Lupin, and the man was a twisted, vicious creature.

The Death Eaters were pushing Draco to obey their master and kill Dumbledore, but the student was most reluctant to take the old man's life.

Other Death Eaters and supporters of Dumbledore were still fighting downstairs, inside the castle, when Harry saw Snape arrive.

Harry didn't know the spell that bound Snape to Dumbledore, and when in an apparent supplication, the Headmaster ordered Snape not to let Draco be the one who'd kill him, Snape had no choice but to push Draco out of his way.

Snape's wand was already drawn when something happened, and the course of time was altered.

There was a bright light, and three men appeared out of thin air.

From then on, everything happened very fast.

Two of the three men looked rather surprised to find themselves on the tower of an old castle. The third laughed heartily as he took a wand from his sleeve and started casting spells. He used something in a foreign language on Snape, and he petrified Draco, and he threw curses at the Death Eaters.

Voldemort's minions were forced to take flight, thanks to the intervention of the students, the members of the Order who had come to protect the school in secret, and the newcomer.

Snape rushed to Dumbledore's side and wrapped an arm around his old friend.

'Don't do that to me ever again, Albus,' Snape said in Dumbledore's ear.

'I'm sorry, Severus. I'm dying, and we both know it. We must save Draco,' Dumbledore answered softly.

'I'll take you to my lab. I have a new potion for you,' Snape said.

'We must take Draco with us, and I petrified Harry. He's behind the door,' Dumbledore said.

'There's no one behind the door,' one of the strangers said.

Albus Dumbledore looked at that man and his companion. Even for Muggles, they looked strange.

They were both tall and lean, and wore something that looked like a uniform of some sort. It was simple black trousers with a blue top with a matching insignia.

The one who had spoken was dark-haired and blue-eyed, and from his accent, Dumbledore knew that he wasn't a Briton. The other was extremely pale, almost greenish, and he had strange eyebrows and pointed ears.

'You are wrong, Doctor,' the elfish one said. 'There is someone hiding behind the door. He must be using some kind of cloaking device, which is astounding if Black didn't lie about the century from which he comes.'

'Spock! It has to be some kind of hallucination,' the other objected.

'We no longer are on Ardol, and for whatever reason we were sent along with him through the Temple's portal,' Spock retorted.

'Gentlemen,' Dumbledore intervened, 'I would like to invite you to follow us. You arrived in the middle of a war, and I must say I'm curious to know how a non-magical man can feel someone hiding under an Invisibility Cloak.'

'There's no such thing as magic, only science,' Spock declared. 'However, I have good ears, and can hear someone breathing over there.'

With a flick of his wand, Snape freed Harry, who rushed to Dumbledore's side.

Harry pushed his cloak away from his face and shoulders, and he started crying.

'There, there, Harry,' Dumbledore said gently, 'You know the curse is killing me.'

Dumbledore was between Snape and Harry.

The student and the teacher looked at each other, and something beyond magic happened. The feelings and respect they both had for Dumbledore made them forget all their past disagreements; their friend and mentor was dying, and there was nothing they could do. Then and there, they buried the hatchet.

Snape scooped Dumbledore up and said, 'Take care of Draco, Potter, and follow us with our guests.'

'Yes, sir,' Harry answered obediently.

Harry freed Draco, and the Slytherin started crying, and he needed help to stand up. Harry wasn't strong enough to carry his schoolmate, so it was Spock who came to the rescue and carried the blond, who was too shaken to even think of protesting.

Snape walked downstairs, followed by Spock with Draco in his arms, then Harry and the doctor.

'I'm Leonard McCoy,' the doctor introduced himself to Harry.

'Harry Potter,' the young man said. 'Your friend is carrying Draco Malfoy, and the Headmaster of this school, Albus Dumbledore, is in Severus Snape's, one of our teachers, arms.'

'Where and when are we?' Spock asked Harry.

Harry looked at McCoy and blinked because of the unusual question.

'Mr Spock is our First officer, but he's mainly our Science officer,' McCoy explained. 'Be as precise as you can, and he'll be happy.'

'We're in Hogwarts, a magical school in Scotland. We're in May, the 27^th, I think,' Harry said.

Spock sighed.

'1997,' Draco sobbed.

'Thank you, Mr Malfoy,' Spock said.

McCoy looked at Harry and said kindly, 'Don't mind, Spock. He's a Vulcan.'

'A what?' Harry inquired.

'We are from a different time, Mr Potter, and my father is from the planet Vulcan. Had we had time up your tower, I could have shown you which dot in the night sky is my homeworld,' Spock explained. 'We rescued a man during one of our missions, and that person told us he was coming from your time and community. He was looking for a portal to come back to his own time, and we've been brought here with him for an unknown reason.'

Snape slightly turned around to look at Harry.

'Didn't you see who was with them?' Snape asked very gently.

'No, sir, I thought I was going to faint. I feared you'd have to kill the Headmaster. I didn't see who it was,' Harry admitted.

'Harry, you really must pay attention, even on a battlefield - especially on a battlefield. Your godfather found a way to come back from beyond the Veil,' Snape said.

'Sirius?' Harry gasped.

'If Sirius Black is your godfather, then he's definitely the man who dragged us along with him,' Spock said coldly.

Snape looked at Spock, and they didn't need words to express their respective dislike for Black.

Just then, the unregistered Animagus ran back towards them.

Harry whispered his godfather's name, and passed out.

Harry woke up because someone was yelling, and he opened his eyes to see Black about to start a fight with Snape.

They were in Snape's lab; the headmaster was sitting on a bench, and Harry was perched on a worktable, in Draco's arms - no less.

Dr McCoy was taking care of Dumbledore, and he really looked as if he were deeply annoyed with the screaming and insults that Sirius Black was shouting at the teacher.

McCoy and Spock knew how much Black hated Snape, but they were surprised to see him screaming at his old schoolmate for not taking better care of Dumbledore and Harry, when it was obvious - even to strangers - that Snape was doing his best, given the circumstances. On top of that, Dumbledore, Harry, and Draco needed attention, and Black's childish display was preventing Snape from doing anything.

'Spock, would you do something, please?' McCoy asked his friend.

'My pleasure, Doctor,' Spock said.

The alien walked up behind Black, placed his hand on the wizard's neck, and pinched. Spock caught Black as if he were a rag doll, and placed him on the bench next to Dumbledore.

'Very useful,' Snape declared.

Spock bowed slightly.

McCoy had his emergency medikit with him, and he took his tricorder out. He scanned Draco, Harry, and Dumbledore very fast, and he started mumbling.

'Doctor?' Spock said.

'The kids are an inch from a severe breakdown, and the Headmaster shows one of the worst cases of poisoning I've ever seen,' McCoy answered.

'It's the result of a curse, Doctor,' Albus told McCoy, who snorted and rolled his eyes.

McCoy took his hypospray, combined several drugs, and injected the mixture in Albus's shoulder.

'Merlin! 'Albus gasped.

'Albus? 'Snape asked as he took his mentor's injured hand in his.

While Severus checked what the doctor had done, McCoy took another drug, and gave a dose to Draco and Harry.

Draco took a deep breath, and smiled at the Muggle.

'I feel great! Thanks, Doctor! What did you give us?' Harry asked.

'I don't know what it was, but that Muggle thing is efficient! I no longer feel as if McNair had turned me into his doormat!' Draco exclaimed.

'It was something to give you balance,' McCoy said.

'What did you give Albus? I've been trying to fight the curse since it hit him,' Severus said. From the tone of his voice, it was clear that the teacher, who was a gifted Potions master, was in awe.

'Dear God! We find ourselves once more in the Middle Ages!' McCoy growled more to himself than for the benefit of the others. He looked straight at Severus and explained quietly, 'Your friend's muscles were decaying because of an intricate and rare poison that I never heard mentioned outside of the Beta Quadrant. I stopped the poisoning, and repaired the damage with what I have here. I could do much better if we were in sickbay, but maybe your doctors can do something now - unless they're even worse than I fear,' McCoy said.

Severus looked at the Muggle doctor, and he was clearly surprised to hear such a declaration. However, he recovered fast, and smirked as he cast a Diagnosis spell on Albus. The result of the spell was visible as letters floating in the air.

McCoy was gaping, and Severus went to get a phial of potion that Albus swallowed obediently.

Severus cast another spell on his mentor, and the old man was fully healed.

Another Diagnosis spell from Severus, and another scan from McCoy, confirmed that Albus was as fine as possible for a man of his age.

'Thank you, I feel much better,' Albus said, smiling widely.

'What did you do to have the diagnosis be visible? I'm not a historian, but I don't remember ever reading anything about such a technology in your century,' Spock said.

Instead of being as aggressive as McCoy about their differences, Severus felt a strange link with the alien, and he tried to explain by saying, 'Our community can't mix with yours. I don't know much about your science; we have spells that work, thanks to the magical abilities some of us were given at birth. We are different, but we do have magic, and we use spells and potions.'

'There has to be science and chemistry in this,' Spock countered Severus.

Severus shook his head. The pointed-eared alien was stubborn, but his friend had just saved Albus, and Severus was too grateful to argue - and Spock had knocked Sirius out, which was a nice bonus.

'Do you think you come from our future, or from another dimension?' Harry asked the two newcomers.

Draco blinked at Harry, who said, 'It's a Muggle thing, Draco. It's called science-fiction.'

'Muggle things may not be as bad as I've been taught to believe,' Draco said softly.

'Do not worry, Draco. We're going to protect your mother, and we'll help your father if he'll let us,' Albus promised.

Draco looked at his Head of House, and Severus nodded.

'I don't want to serve him, you know who,' Draco said, 'but they threatened Mother. I had to obey.'

Albus placed one hand on Draco's shoulder.

The young man looked at the Headmaster and said, 'I couldn't have done it, sir. I couldn't have killed you.'

'I know,' Albus murmured kindly.

Harry looked at Spock pointedly and asked, 'So?'

'If Black told us the truth, we might be from your future. That is to say if Dr McCoy didn't change said future by treating the three of you,' Spock declared.

'Do I have to remind you day in and day out that I took an oath to heal people - even those with hideous ears and green blood?' McCoy barked.

'Did it occur to you that your intervention may have altered the future so much that we have no place to return to?' Spock retorted.

'Severus, could we go to your parlour so that our guests can tell us how they reached us with Sirius?' Albus asked.

'Of course, Albus,' Severus said.

'Would you like me to carry Black, Mr Snape?' Spock offered.

'I'd rather leave him here, but when he wakes up, he'd turn the school upside down to find and join us,' Severus said.

The Potions master petrified Sirius and made him float after him.

'Follow me,' Severus said.

Harry and Draco walked with Albus; and Spock and McCoy followed.

'Interesting technique,' McCoy whispered to Spock, pointing at the floating Sirius.

'I must say I'm curious to investigate the science behind that,' Spock admitted softly.

'Once and for all, Mr Spock, it's magic,' Severus said with the voice he used to warn Neville Longbottom when he'd made a mistake in his brewing.

'Whatever you call it, Mr Snape, I'd like to understand how you make it work,' Spock said.

'And I wonder why Black couldn't use his wand when he was with us on the Enterprise,' McCoy added.

'Many things could explain why Sirius could do no magic,' Albus intervened.

'Such as?' Spock inquired.

'We don't really know what lies behind the Veil through which Sirius fell, but some think that what is behind it is different for each person going through it. Maybe something took his ability to do magic from Sirius, maybe our community was completely destroyed in your time and there was no magic left for him to tap into, maybe you found him too far from whatever allows our magic to exist, or something else,' Albus said.

'Logical,' Spock granted Albus. 'I wish he'd have allowed me to search his mind to understand what happened to him, but he always refused.'

'I gave him a thorough check-up. Body and mind seemed to be fine, but when he told us he was a wizard, I thought I'd missed something. When he refused to allow Spock to search his memories, I admit I thought he had something to hide. I was surprised to see his wand work after the portal brought us here along with him,' McCoy said.

Severus deposited Sirius on one of the carpets in his parlour, and he snapped his fingers to have a house-elf bring tea for his unexpected guests, and then he invited them to sit down.

When the sofa expanded itself to welcome the two strangers, the two students, the Headmaster and Severus, Spock's eyebrow rose; McCoy thought that it was normal for his friend to be as surprised as he, himself, was.

There had to be a logical explanation for what McCoy was seeing, but he'd have to rely on Spock to understand it all, and then share the logical explanation with him - hopefully in simple terms. What was good, McCoy reflected, was that after so many years working together, Spock now knew how to explain things clearly and efficiently - just the way McCoy knew how to make clear medical data that the Vulcan needed to understand when they were working together.

McCoy knew that in due time Spock would share his conclusions with him. The doctor remained silent, and observed their hosts.

'Excuse me, but how can you search someone's mind if you have no spell for that? Did you invent a device that can do that?' Harry asked Spock and McCoy.

'Excellent question, Harry,' Albus said.

'Indeed,' Severus added softly.

Harry looked at his professor and gave him a small smile.

'Well, it occurred to me to mention that because of Muggle science fiction, sir. I'm the only one here who knows a thing or two about that,' Harry pointed out.

'We're not aliens from some Terran science fiction novel, Mr Potter,' Spock protested. 'We're a temporal mistake.'

'I wouldn't push the "alien" issue if I were you,' McCoy chuckled.

Spock glared at his friend.

'My Vulcan friend knows how to link his mind to someone else's. It's called a "mind-meld". It's a natural ability his species possesses,' McCoy explained.

'We have spells for Occlumency, the art of closing one's mind to magical intrusions, and spells for Legilimency, which allows those who know the spells to search someone's mind,' Albus explained.

'Then maybe some of your people have the same telepathic abilities my people have, and you attribute this to what you call magic,' Spock declared.

'Would you allow me to cast a Legilimency spell on you?' Albus asked Spock.

'Only if you let me access your mind with my method afterwards,' Spock said.

'Fair enough,' Albus granted.

The Headmaster remembered that Draco had spelled his wand off the Tower, and he sent a thought to Fawkes for the phoenix to bring him it.

A house-elf appeared in the parlour, apparently out of thin air, and McCoy tried to remember what the technology was supposed to be like on earth in the end of the twentieth century, and when transporters had been invented exactly - and yet at the same time, he saw that the creature had not beamed into the room. Besides he'd never heard of such creatures on earth.

'You may leave the tray on the table, I'll serve our tea,' Severus told the creature.

It flapped its ears, bowed, and disappeared.

'You're unusual Muggles,' Draco commented.

'It's true that most people would freak out because of our magic, but I imagine you've got stranger things in your time,' Harry added.

'There has to be science behind all of this,' Spock insisted.

'My friend Hermione will be delighted to talk to you. She's a witch, but her Muggle parents are doctors, and she likes science, too,' Harry said.

Draco chuckled, which prompted Harry to swirl to face him.

'If Mr Spock doesn't believe in our magic, it might be explosive to introduce him to Granger,' Draco pointed out.

Harry blinked several times, and chuckled, too. 'You may be right,' he granted Draco.

Severus poured tea and distributed the cups.

'This is just tea, but you can use whatever device you want to make sure it's only what I say,' Severus told his two alien guests.

'Spock?' McCoy asked.

Spock smelt the contents of his cup.

'British Earl Grey, with real cream, and real sugar,' Spock announced.

'Real cream? Can you have that?' McCoy asked.

The doctor was slowly realizing that in whatever that was really happening to them, his main concern should be that he had only a few drugs with him, and they didn't have the ship to back them up in case of an emergency. All of a sudden, he didn't fancy having to treat Spock in an emergency - for anything.

'Mother never found cream this good on Vulcan, but this is exactly how she made it. I'll quite enjoy this, Doctor, I can assure you,' Spock answered in a way that was so friendly that it almost made McCoy wish he could check Spock's vital signs in detail.

Then and there, McCoy remembered their adventure when Spock was influenced by the nature of his ancestors. They'd both gone through a portal - then as well - and Spock had been forced to react in a way that was illogical and unnatural for the man he usually was. McCoy didn't fancy going through something similar - if he were honest with himself, that mission had traumatized him slightly.

Spock noticed McCoy's frown, and reached the only logical conclusion.

'I can assure you that our travel in time is not affecting me, Doctor. However, finding myself in my mother's world might make me react in a slightly un-Vulcan way,' Spock said.

McCoy nodded, but added, 'I trust your judgment, but I want you to tell me if you feel anything unusual.'

Spock nodded.

Through the fireplace, Fawkes flew into Severus's parlour, dropped Albus's wand on the old man's lap, and flew out the same way.

'What was that?' McCoy inquired.

'My phoenix,' Albus said as if it were the most natural thing.

McCoy decided that they might be in the past, on Earth, but they had to be in a parallel dimension. It wouldn't be the first time - as well.

'May I cast the spell?' Albus asked Spock.

The Vulcan placed his cup on the table in front of the sofa, and nodded.

McCoy took his tricorder to monitor the whole procedure.

Albus said the spell, but he was too tired to have it work normally.

'Would you let Severus do it?' Albus asked.

Spock turned towards the other man.

Both shrugged, but nodded.

'Legilimens!' Severus said.

He found himself inside Spock's brain.

"Shall I show you my homeworld?" Spock offered to the Potions master in a welcoming thought.

Severus's positive thought prompted Spock to show him memories of Vulcan.

Severus ended the spell.

'Fascinating,' Severus whispered.

'Dear God! Only a few seconds in his brain, and you already sound like him!' McCoy joked.

'Could you block the spell?' Albus inquired.

'Of course, it's a question of mental discipline,' Spock said.

'Would you allow Severus to try?' Albus asked.

Spock turned to Severus and asked, 'Would you let me link with you afterwards?'

Severus was nearly as curious as Spock, so he agreed.

Spock blocked Severus's spell very easily, which impressed Harry deeply.

'I wish I could do that,' Harry whispered.

Spock linked his mind with Severus's, and they shared thoughts for about a minute.

'You have a very logical mind, Professor Snape,' Spock praised the wizard.

'We have much to learn from each other, Commander Spock,' Severus pointed out.

'Are you all right?'

Albus and McCoy had asked the same question at the same time, and it made them laugh.

Spock nodded, and took his cup of tea from the table.

Severus looked at Albus, and then Harry. 'I'm fine, and I think Commander Spock might help me show Harry what he needs to know to block the Dark Lord from entering his thoughts.'

'If you want me to help you show Mr Potter the logic behind the spell, thanks to my telepathic ability, I'm at your disposal,' Spock told Severus.

'Provided that whatever sent us here with Black doesn't take us somewhere else without warning,' McCoy pointed out.

'Of course,' Spock declared.

''Where did you find Sirius?' Harry asked.

'And when?' Draco added.

McCoy waved one hand to invite Spock to speak for them both.

'If we are, indeed, from the same dimension, we come from your 23^rd century,' Spock began.

Harry squeaked, but just one look from Spock encouraged him to be extremely quiet. The young man may be a wizard, but there was something about the stranger from another planet that made Harry wish not to persuade Spock to do to him what he'd done to Sirius.

'Sirius fell behind the Veil last year. How long was he with you?' Albus inquired.

'His story was not exactly consistent,' Spock said.

'I'm still not convinced that his brain-scan was accurate, because of all the things he told us,' McCoy snorted.

Severus had to admit - even if only to himself - that he was beginning to like their unexpected guests quite a lot.

'Why?' Draco wondered.

'First, he told us he was a wizard, and since it's something we do not have in our world - or at least we never heard of such a community as yours - you can easily imagine that we thought he was mentally deficient or something,' McCoy said.

Severus snorted and said, 'He's a wizard, but you may still be right about his brain.'

'Professor, please,' Harry said sadly.

Severus looked at the young man, and sighed deeply.

'I'm sorry, but he was more eager to yell at me than to take care of you, just a moment ago,' Severus said.

'I know, sir,' Harry said with a sad and monotone voice. He sighed and added, 'He's my godfather.'

'Your mother wanted Lupin to fulfil that duty, and you should consider becoming closer to the werewolf,' Severus said.

'Mum wanted...' Harry's voice trailed off. He couldn't end his sentence.

Albus was looking at the carpet pointedly.

'What happened?' Harry asked.

'Even if your parents were Black and Lupin's friends, your father must have found a way to convince your mother that Black was a better choice because Lupin could die with each new full moon,' Draco explained.

Harry sighed.

'You can decide to include Lupin even more in your life now. You'll be a certified wizard next year, and even though I haven't found a cure yet, Lupin can be your friend for many years,' Severus said.

'If Tom doesn't kill me,' Harry murmured.

'Tom?' Spock asked.

'A werewolf?' McCoy asked at the same time.

The wizards looked at one another.

'Tom Marvolo Riddle is the Dark wizard we're fighting. He wants to control our community and kill those who don't have magic. He...' Harry paused and looked at Draco and Severus before saying, 'I apologize beforehand, but they need to understand what's going on here.' The two wizards nodded, and Harry went on, 'He rearranged his name, and called himself Lord Voldemort. He and his followers, the Death Eaters, have been fighting our community, and they killed many people. A lot of people are so afraid of what he can do that they don't say his name aloud.'

'But you do,' McCoy stated.

'He heard a prophesy that made him think that I would be a threat. He decided to try something when I was a baby, and he killed my parents. He tried to kill me, but my mother had done something to protect me. Now there's a link between us. I've fought him several times already. I'd be a fool to say I'm not afraid of him, but I'm not afraid of his name,' Harry explained.

'Black mentioned a few of these events, but he has memory problems, and we didn't fully believe him,' McCoy said.

'His memory loss must be due to the time he spent in wizarding jail,' Albus intervened.

'He told us about it, but there was no mention of such a place in any of our history databanks,' Spock explained.

'He told you the truth. Dementors, the guards of Azkaban, are creatures that feed on happy memories,' Harry said.

McCoy sighed and said, 'Now I see we may have been unfair with Black.'

'He didn't fully cooperate with us,' Spock pointed out.

McCoy was forced to nod in agreement.

'So, you do have creatures in what appears to be our past that we never heard of,' Spock said.

'We've met several strange entities, but in other worlds. I find it difficult to believe werewolves exist,' McCoy declared.

Severus paled and said, 'I can assure you that werewolves do exist.'

Spock saw that the Potions master tried not to show how frightened he was, but he heard Severus's heart beat faster. 'What happened to you?' he asked kindly.

'When Potter, Black, Lupin, and I were reading here, I noticed that there was something strange about Lupin. He spent his time secluded on full moons, but Black told me how to reach him. I saw Lupin transform, and he would have killed me if Harry's father hadn't come to my rescue. I perfected a potion which allows werewolves to keep their human consciousness during their transformations, but I'm still uncomfortable around werewolves,' Severus explained.

Spock looked at Severus and said, 'I could help you if you trust me to show you a Vulcan technique.'

'I feel that I can trust you,' Severus said.

'And you probed my mind to make sure your feeling was accurate,' Spock added. 'I can share this technique with you when we have time to do so.'

'Thank you,' Severus said.

McCoy was glaring at Sirius.

'I think Black is awake,' Draco announced.

'He can stay where he is until we've finished our tea,' Severus declared.

'Dr McCoy?' Harry said barely above a whisper.

Leonard McCoy smiled warmly and said, 'If Professor Snape agrees, I could try to do something. What the Headmaster had...'

Albus interrupted him and said, 'Albus, please.'

McCoy nodded and went on, 'Albus was poisoned according to the medicine I know, but it's a curse for you. Maybe what affects the creatures you call werewolves is a poisoning, or an infection. To conclude, maybe I can help.'

'Leonard,' Spock sighed.

The doctor took his tricorder and scanned his friend.

'Why are you checking my vitals?' Spock inquired.

'You seldom use my name, Spock,' Leonard pointed out.

'I promise I only feel more in touch with my mother's heritage. There is no imbalance... Leonard,' Spock said.

'If you feel anything weird, I really want you to tell me. I don't want anything bad to happen to you,' Leonard said.

'I promise,' Spock declared.

'Excuse me,' Draco said.

'Yes, Mr Malfoy?' Leonard asked.

'We have spells to make sure that someone is going to keep his or her word. How can you be sure he'll tell you if there's anything wrong? Is it because you're friends?' Draco asked.

'We are friends, and Vulcans never lie,' McCoy said.

'But he's not fully Vulcan,' Draco pointed out.

'True, but our Spock never lies,' McCoy declared.

Spock smiled, which made McCoy chuckle.

'What's so funny?' Harry inquired.

'When we're back where we belong, I can threaten him to contact his mother to tell her I've seen her son smile,' Leonard joked.

'It'll work better if you threaten to contact my father. You'd make my mother's day by telling her that,' Spock explained.

'Noted,' Leonard said with a warm smile and a wink.

'You're really good friends,' Harry stated with warmth in his voice.

Leonard remembered their arguments, and all their talks. He said, 'That we are, I hope.'

'Yes, we are friends,' Spock said.

On the carpet, Sirius managed to roll his eyes.

'So, how did you find Black, and what happened to him? I must say he looks better than the last time we saw him,' Severus said.

'He told us about your war, and how he fell behind the Veil. According to what he told us, he was somehow rescued from whatever dimension he was stuck in by a very powerful entity,' Leonard explained.

'However, he couldn't tell us who or what that entity was,' Spock added.

McCoy nodded in agreement and went on, 'You see, our mission is specifically to explore space and discover new worlds. We've met strange people and entities, but we've never met someone as powerful as Black said.'

I wouldn't put it past him to have exaggerated,' Severus declared.

'Severus,' Albus scolded him feebly.

Severus didn't say another word, but he traded a look with Spock.

The connection between both men amused Leonard, and he smiled.

'Black said that the entity took him to his domain, where he met the companion of the entity, and their son. The couple was arguing ceaselessly, and their son helped Sirius go where his parents wouldn't bother him,' Spock said.

'Apparently, their son promised Black that he'd find a way back to his world and time,' Leonard added.

'Black was captured by slave-traders on some planet, and brought to a space station. Our Security officer thought he was a citizen of the Federation, and we rescued him. We kept him on our ship for three months until he convinced our Captain that he could join an exploration team. We were visiting a temple on Ardol when Black said he could feel magic,' Spock said.

'And the next thing we know, we were on your tower with Black,' McCoy said in his turn.

'And you didn't walk through any kind of portal, or arch, or doorway,' Severus said.

'No,' Spock said.

'Commander Spock, would you help me search Black's mind while he's still bound and can't protest?' Severus suggested.

'Severus, you can't do that!' Albus protested.

'Headmaster, we need to know what happened to Sirius. Commander Spock and Dr McCoy need to know how they ended up here, as well,' Harry pointed out.

Spock and Severus were already crouching next to Sirius.

They looked at each other and nodded. The logic behind what they had to do seemed obvious to them; Spock first created a link with Sirius through a mind-meld, and then Severus cast the spell that allowed him to join the consciousness of the two other men.

"You're such a bastard, Spock!" Sirius was telling the alien in a thought when Severus joined them.

"Even though I am of mixed heritage, I can assure you that I am legitimate - at least as much as you are. My lineage is highly clear - certainly more than yours in spite of what you may think. Now, I'm sorry if I'm taking advantage of your position right now, but I need to understand what happened to us," Spock answered in another thought.

"I'm back to my time and space, back where I belong," Sirius barked.

"What about us? Leonard wouldn't stand being stranded in your time; seeing people suffer and being unable to use what he knows would kill him. I won't even mention what your people would try to do to me, Black," Spock pointed out.

Sirius said nothing, and Spock and Severus felt that he didn't give a damn about the future of the two men who'd been taken with him to Hogwarts.

"How do you think Harry would react if whatever brought you back here takes you from our world again?" Severus asked his old enemy.

They felt Sirius shiver mentally.

"Wherever you were, did you get to feel how devastated he was after your disappearance? Can you imagine how he felt?" Severus insisted.

"Show him," Spock suggested Severus.

After only a few seconds of Severus's memories of what Harry went through, Sirius begged him to stop.

"Do whatever you need to do. I don't want to leave again," Sirius said.

Spock and Severus searched Sirius's memories, and they saw the entity who rescued him.

Both were somewhat amused to see that Sirius had been snatched from a dimension behind the Veil only to be turned into a pet of some sort for the entity's son. Sirius was lucky that the son was a good person.

The young man explained that he had a human godmother. He called her Captain Kathryn Janeway of Starfleet, but it wasn't a name Spock knew, and he could only assume that either the young man was lying, or that his godmother was from another dimension, or another time.

They saw where Sirius was brought, and how he ended up on the space station.

They saw the moment Black disappeared from Ardol to reappear on the Astronomy Tower.

"The entity's son was behind the temple portal," Spock declared.

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked.

Spock and Severus growled mentally.

"Look!" Severus snarled, showing Sirius, in his memory, where to look.

Sirius groaned, but was forced to admit that they'd spotted something he'd missed entirely.

"I think that entity considers himself linked to you, or maybe he thinks you're his pet - it is a situation we've encountered on the Enterprise. From what we saw, I think you should try to contact him. It will certainly be the easiest way to understand why we were brought here with you. It would also be wise; it would let you know if he's planning anything else for you," Spock said.

"And he might be able to send our guests back to their own time," Severus added.

Sirius growled, but agreed.

"I'll stop the spell, and then Commander Spock can stop his mind-meld," Severus said.

"Snape!" Sirius spat.

Spock mentally rolled his eyes at the hostility.

"What?" Severus sighed.

"I don't want you anywhere near my godson, and I don't want you to refer to him as 'Harry', do you hear me?" Sirius growled.

Spock gave Sirius the equivalent of a mental laugh, which disturbed the man under the spell tremendously. Sirius had had several months to observe the Vulcan, and from what all the crewmembers had told him, Vulcans do not laugh.

"Spock?" Sirius inquired.

"Your godson is an adult. He's fighting in your war, and he found an ally in Professor Snape. He thought he'd lost you, mourned you, and kept on living. You can't expect him to act as the child he was never allowed to be. He doesn't belong to you. His parents trusted you with his well-being; it is a pity that you were betrayed and couldn't take care of him, but now you must make sure that he has powerful allies," Spock said.

"Snape is a follower of the Dark Lord," Sirius retorted.

"No, he is not," Spock declared calmly.

Sirius was about to start arguing on that topic, but Spock stopped him with a thought.

"Professor Snape, would you leave us alone a moment? Now that I have the opportunity to have a word in private with Black, I would like to do so," Spock said.

Before Sirius could even protest, Severus answered, "Be my guest!"

'Sir?' Harry asked softly when Severus stood up.

'Black was rescued by some entity, as he said. The entity's son was present when he and our guests were transported here. Commander Spock and I both suggested he try to contact him,' Severus answered.

'Good idea,' Harry said, nodding fervently.

'What is Spock doing still linked with Black?' Leonard inquired.

'Black said something unpleasant, and your friend is having a little chat with him,' Severus explained.

'Do you think it's wise?' Albus asked, massaging his healed hand.

'Those of us with magic in this room would sense anything bad happening to Black, and I think Commander Spock deserves an opportunity to talk with Black,' Severus said.

'Professor Snape,' Spock said, as he withdrew from Sirius's mind, 'you may free him now.'

'You and Dr McCoy may use my name if you wish,' Severus said as he freed Sirius with a mere flick of his wand.

'Please, Snape, I'm going to barf,' Sirius said as he sat up.

'Very elegant, Cousin,' Draco said icily.

Sirius glared at the young Slytherin.

Severus looked at Harry, and he saw that Sirius's childish reaction had hurt the young man - and yet, now that whatever that had been eating Severus each time Harry was involved was gone, he could see how mature Harry had become. He was still only almost seventeen, but the war had made him grow up.

'Thank you, Severus,' Leonard said ceremoniously.

The Potions master bowed slightly.

'Only Harry doesn't have a Latin name. Is there a tradition of some sort in your community?' Leonard inquired.

'It's just a tradition in a few Pureblood families,' Draco said. 'Harry's family preferred Saxon names.'

Harry smiled at Draco. For the first time in their lives, they were civil to each other.

'Pureblood?' Spock asked.

'So-called nobility,' Harry explained.

'Is Leonard a usual name in your century?' Draco asked the doctor.

'It's a family name, and my mother loved it,' he answered.

'It's a very good name,' Spock said warmly.

Leonard grinned and said, 'It's so unusual to see you so human.'

'It's another exploration and adventure we'll have to share with Jim, my Brave Lion,' Spock joked.

'Brave lion?' Harry asked.

'That is what "Leonard" means,' Spock explained.

'Then you should be an honorary Gryffindor,' Albus chuckled warmly.

'Black told us everything about the four houses,' Leonard added.

'And he said I should be a Slytherin,' Spock said.

'A mind like yours would be the pride of Slytherin - if you were a wizard,' Severus said.

Sirius murmured something that sounded like "cold-blooded snake". He stood up finally, and went to Harry to give him a hug.

Leonard was about to retort something when Draco came up with an interesting question. 'What does your name mean, Commander Spock?' he asked.

'Spock is only the element of my full name that human tongues can manage to pronounce fairly well. My full name gives the references to my clan, family, and position within the family,' he said.

Draco smiled and said proudly, 'Definitely a Slytherin.'

'Why?' Leonard asked.

'Your friend answered and didn't answer at the same time,' Severus explained.

The Potions master and the officer sipped their tea in synch.

'Uncanny,' Leonard said.

'What?' Albus wondered.

'Look at them! If Spock didn't have a Vulcan father, and if we weren't from a different time, I could easily believe that they're brothers or cousins,' Leonard pointed out.

They all looked at the pair, who was quietly sipping tea.

Harry was about to agree when Sirius snorted.

'Thank Merlin! Snape is never going to have a child that could end up being one of the elf's ancestors!' Sirius said.

Severus paled.

'Hey! First, you may have some powers here, but Spock could nevertheless kick your miserable ass and send you into orbit. Second, I'm the only one who's allowed to say he's an elf! Got that?' Leonard growled.

'It's his exclusive privilege,' Spock deadpanned.

'Don't be nasty, Sirius, please,' Harry begged.

Sirius hugged Harry tighter and added, 'You're right, Harry, the Dark Lord's sex toy isn't worth our time.'

Harry became paler than a shroud almost instantly, but no one paid attention because someone was pounding on the door.

A spell was used, and the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, came into the room.

'I apologize, Severus,' Minerva panted.

Severus was too stunned to react, and Minerva was too shaken to notice.

'I had to use my link with the castle to locate you,' she began to say. She saw Sirius and squeaked.

'Yes, Minerva, Sirius found an astounding way to come back to us,' Albus said.

'To say the least! It's got to be the first time someone has come back after falling behind the Veil,' the witch said.

'I'll tell you everything as soon as possible, but what brings you here? The castle would have warned me if intruders were still around,' Albus said.

'The castle?' Leonard whispered to Spock.

'Maybe what they call magic can be used as a security system,' Spock suggested in a whisper.

Leonard nodded.

Minerva looked at the strangers.

'Sirius came back with guests from the future,' Albus told Minerva.

She blinked - too much was happening too fast.

'What's going on?' Albus asked her kindly.

'Bill's probably dying. Tonks went to tell Molly; they should be in the hospital wing now. I sent Remus to the Ministry. Arthur's working there on you-know-what for the Order, but Remus will know how to find him,' Minerva said.

'What happened to Bill?' Harry asked with a small voice.

'Greyback bit him,' Minerva sighed.

'The werewolf?' Sirius asked. Minerva nodded.

'Is Bill the only one injured?' Albus inquired.

'Poppy already mended Filius and Mr Longbottom, who were slightly hurt, but Bill's injuries are not healing,' Minerva explained.

'I have a salve that might help since he was bitten by a wizard, who's a werewolf as well, but who wasn't transformed,' Severus said.

The Potions master stood up, only to collapse on the floor. He was clutching his Dark Mark on his left forearm; apparently, Voldemort had been informed that Draco had certainly failed to kill Albus Dumbledore, as was his mission, and the fact that Severus had failed to report yet must be adding fuel to the Dark Lord's anger.

'I must go to him,' Severus told Albus.

Draco rushed to help his Head of House up and said, 'Don't go, sir! He'll kill you because I failed.'

'I know how to survive his wrath,' Severus said.

Sirius opened his mouth, but Harry stopped him by saying, 'Be careful what you're going to say, Sirius. I love you, but you don't know what has happened since you died for us.'

Sirius snapped his mouth shut.

Severus went to pick a jar on a shelf, and he gave it to Albus. 'Poppy will know the spell to use with this. What shall I tell him to explain Draco's failure?' Severus asked his true master.

'Tell him that beings of unknown origin managed to join the Order, and you were trapped alongside Mr Malfoy. The beings were not present when you put a memory spell on me, and I'm too exhausted to resist you now. Mr Malfoy is in trouble for being out after curfew,' Albus said.

'Farfetched enough for him to believe me. I'll come back as soon as possible,' Severus said.

'Make sure you come back. You and Commander Spock have something to teach me,' Harry said.

'Harry!' Sirius yelled.

The young Gryffindor sighed deeply and said, 'I love you dearly, but keep your mouth shut, will you?'

Sirius glared at his godson, but the combination of James's look and Lily's eyes - especially the fury in Harry's green irises - forced Sirius to remain silent.

'Bring Narcissa back with you, and Lucius if he wants. This has to be the last time you go back to Vol... to Riddle,' Albus corrected himself, not to make Severus flinch by saying the Dark Lord's pompous name.

'Albus, he can kill me through my Mark if I don't go to him the next time he calls,' Severus said.

'There's a way to undo it.'

They all turned to look at Draco, who'd just spoken, as if he'd transfigured himself into a panda or a koala.

'There's no way to un-weave the magic in it as long as he's alive,' Severus pointed out.

'There's one way - and since it involves Parseltongue, maybe Potter will help. I'll give you all I've found and gathered when you're back,' Draco said.

Harry, Draco and Severus all paled, but nodded at one another.

Severus left.

'Let's go and see Bill,' Albus said.

'Should I go back to my dorm, sir?' Draco asked Albus.

'Not yet, my dear child. I want to make sure that you're going to be safe, and the only way to do that is to keep you with me. You shall accompany us to the hospital wing,' Albus said.

'Are you sure it's wise, Albus? Molly could try to hex him for helping Greyback enter the school,' Minerva pointed out.

'No one would blame her,' Sirius spat.

'You know, Sirius, you're beginning to be seriously annoying, and nearly as arrogant as Lucius,' Harry told his godfather. He turned to Draco and said, 'No offence.'

'None taken,' Draco answered, waving his hand in dismissal.

Sirius opened his mouth, but Spock prevented him from saying anything by speaking first, 'He did his best to protect his mother. You told us several times what you'd be ready to do to protect Harry when you'd have found a way to go back to your time, one would think that you'd understand this young man's position and what he tried to achieve.'

'He's a Slytherin, and the son of a Death Eater, maybe a Death Eater himself!' Sirius objected.

'Merlin, Sirius! What happened to you?' Harry asked sadly. 'You sound so harsh and intolerant.'

'Just the way he was before he was sent to Azkaban,' Minerva pointed out.

'We may have done too good a job when we mended him,' Leonard explained.

'Were you able to erase the damage caused by the guards of Azkaban?' Albus inquired.

'The zones of his cortex linked to his memory were severely damaged, but I was able to restore the connections fully,' Leonard declared.

'Astounding,' Albus whispered.

'Poppy is going to wish to scan you,' Minerva told Sirius.

Sirius shrugged.

'I'll stay near Draco, if you want,' Harry offered.

Sirius took a deep breath to try and say something - again.

'If you say just one word against him, I swear I'll ask Hermione to find a way to have you no longer be my godfather,' Harry declared seriously. 'I was petrified under Dad's Cloak, and I saw that Draco didn't really mean to hurt the Headmaster. He was looking for a way out. Had it been any true follower of Volde... of Riddle, we'd be mourning now.'

'I really couldn't have...' Draco could say no more, or he knew he'd start crying.

'If there is one thing I'm sure of about Narcissa, it's that she loves you. She'll be proud - and sad - that you had to help Death Eaters to protect her,' Albus said.

'If you want, I'll help you protect Draco,' Spock offered.

'Thank you, Spock,' Albus answered.

'Spock?' Minerva said.

'I'm forgetting my manners tonight!' Albus scolded himself.

'You said you'd explain later, but maybe you could start on our way to the hospital wing,' she suggested.

Albus nodded.

'Spock can do nothing against our magic!' Sirius protested.

'I have a phaser,' the Vulcan countered the Animagus.

'Like that Muggle thing is going to work in here!' Sirius snorted.

'Dr McCoy's equipment is working fine,' Draco pointed out.

'So the odds are that whatever Commander Spock brought with him is working, too,' Harry added.

Sirius blinked.

'Sirius, you'll walk in front of Minerva and me, then Harry and Draco will follow, and our guests will close our ranks,' Albus suggested.

They left Severus's parlour, and went to the hospital wing together.

By the time they reached the main staircase, Albus had told Minerva what happened after Harry and he landed on the Astronomy Tower up to the point when she joined them in Severus's quarters.

The fact that Sirius was back was so extraordinary that it didn't take Minerva too long to accept that Spock and Leonard McCoy were visitors from the future.

The stairs started moving, but they were going in the wrong direction.

'It's always like that when there's an emergency!' Sirius complained.

'Do you really believe that the castle is somewhat sentient?' Spock asked Draco.

The two students had been explaining bits of their lives to their guests while Minerva had been talking with Albus.

Draco nodded.

Spock placed his hand on the stone handrail, and felt the conscience of Hogwarts. Using telepathy, the Vulcan told the castle that they needed to bring a cure to the hospital. Spock was surprised to feel that something wanted to know who was injured. The name of Bill Weasley prompted the stairs to rearrange themselves in a way that would bring them to the hospital faster.

'Fascinating,' McCoy murmured.

'Simple Vulcan telepathy, Leonard, I can assure you,' Spock objected.

'I don't know how long we're going to stay here, but I can't wait to read your report about it all when we're back to our time and ship,' McCoy declared.

Spock merely raised one eyebrow, and then he encouraged their party to use the now cooperating stairs.

What awaited them in the hospital wing was heart wrenching.

The mediwitch, Poppy Pomfrey, had ordered Bill's parents, fiancée, siblings, and friends to stay on one side of his bed, so that they wouldn't prevent her from working quietly.

Poppy was casting spell after spell on Bill, but she looked rather desperate.

Bill Weasley, who was certainly Arthur and Molly's handsomest son, was now one huge wound. There were a few cuts on his arms and hands, but Greyback had bitten Bill's face so much that he was now mostly disfigured.

Hermione Granger, Harry's best friend, was holding Harry's other best friend, Ronald Weasley, who looked to be in shock.

Ron's younger sister and Harry's girlfriend, Ginevra, was paler than a shroud; in fact, she looked so shaken that she might well faint any moment now.

Remus Lupin was present, but he was standing as far as possible from the Weasleys. Remus had been turned into a werewolf by Greyback before he even entered Hogwarts. He was a victim, just like Bill, and yet the good soul couldn't help himself from feeling guilty; he felt as if he should have tried something against Greyback long ago, or maybe he should have done a better job to help Bill tonight and protect him from Greyback.

Nymphadora Tonks, a cousin of Sirius's and a member of the Order, was standing by Remus, trying to offer him comfort.

Arthur and Molly were silently crying in each other's arms. They feared that they'd been called to their eldest child's death bed.

Bill's fiancée, Fleur Delacour, looked stunned and furious at the very same time.

'Worse than the Middle Ages,' Leonard McCoy growled when he saw Bill's condition.

Tonks ended up in Remus's arms when she looked at the people joining them, and she saw her cousin - her cousin who was supposed to be dead, or something, behind the Veil. Remus decided to cling to the young woman in his arms, because right now she was making the world look real - and if she was squeaking and pointing at Sirius Black, well, then Remus was not hallucinating.

Albus walked straight to his mediwitch, and he gave her the pot Severus had got from his supplies.

'Severus said you knew the spell to go with this,' Albus said.

Poppy read the label, and she blinked.

'Merlin! It may well save Bill!' she exclaimed.

Poppy started working on Bill's wounds again.

'Go comfort your girlfriend, Harry. She looks like she could do with a hug,' Draco told Harry.

Harry was torn between his promise to Albus to protect Draco and his wish to hold Ginny.

'Go, I can protect Draco,' Spock told Harry.

'It's silly, we should join them,' Harry suggested.

Draco shook his head and said, 'Granger punched me once; I don't want to repeat that, or even know what the Weasleys or Delacour could do to me.'

Hermione was observing the scene and analyzing the evidence. She took Ron and Ginny's hands, and dragged them to the side of the hospital wing where Harry was with Draco and the two guests from the future.

'Rough night, isn't it?' Hermione said as she pushed Ginny into Harry's arms.

Ginny immediately clung to her boyfriend as if her life depended on their being in contact, and Harry wrapped his arms around her.

'What happened on your side?' Hermione asked Harry.

'What happened on yours?' Harry asked.

'Death Eaters found a way to attack us; we fought, and then someone - apparently Sirius - joined the fun and helped us get rid of the intruders. The bastard who attacked Professor Lupin mauled Bill, as you can see. Your turn now,' she answered.

'The Headmaster explained quite a lot tonight. Things about this year, and about the past, and about the future. He was dying because of a curse placed by Vol... by Riddle in an item that is going to help us defeat him. I'll tell you more later, when we have more time, and when we know what's going to happen to Bill,' Harry said.

'Dying?' Ginny almost sobbed.

'He's fine now. Dr McCoy saved him,' Harry said, nodding towards Leonard.

'Dr McCoy?' Hermione said. She was observing the two visitors, and she just knew that they were no ordinary Muggles.

'Yeah, so to make it short, I went out with the Headmaster, looking for one of the items we'll need against Riddle. When we came back, we saw that Hogwarts was being attacked. We flew to the Astronomy Tower, but there the Headmaster petrified me when he heard someone coming. It was Draco,' Harry said.

'I knew he was with the Death Eaters!' Ron spat.

'He is not,' Harry said coldly, quieting his friend instantly.

'Is Voldemort threatening your mother?' Hermione asked the blond.

'You're too smart for your own good, Granger,' Draco said.

'So,' Harry went on, 'while Draco was trying to find a way out with the Headmaster's help, more people came up to the top of the tower.

'Draco?' Ron spat, looking at his best friend as if he'd just stabbed him in the back.

'For God's sake, Ron, grow up. Draco has been fighting alone against the Dark Lord! I know what it's like. If Harry says he's on our side, then we should believe him!' Ginny growled from Harry's arms.

Ron shut his mouth. He remembered the time when his sister had found herself under a curse that had forced her to obey the Dark Lord.

Harry pecked Ginny's cheek, and it made Leonard smile.

'Things were about to get nasty when Sirius appeared out of thin air. It was no magic as we know it. Apparently an entity rescued him from whatever is behind the Veil, and he found himself in our future, where he met Commander Spock and Dr McCoy, who were brought to the tower with Sirius,' Harry explained.

'Whoa!' Ron exclaimed.

'Muggles from the future?' Hermione said.

'They're not wizards, but Commander Spock is a telepath,' Harry said.

'Just Spock will do, you're not a Starfleet cadet,' Spock said.

'Are you really a telepath, sir?' Ginny asked him shyly.

'All Vulcans are,' Leonard answered for his friend.

'Vulcans?' Hermione said.

'The planet Vulcan, my homeworld,' Spock explained.

'Whoa!' Ron said again.

'Where's Professor Snape?' Hermione asked. 'Why didn't he bring the cure himself? Was he summoned?'

Harry sighed and nodded.

'It's not going to be pretty,' Hermione declared sadly.

'Do you think You-Know-Who might torture him?' Ron asked.

'No one is ever summoned only for tea, you know,' Draco answered sadly.

'We really must find a way to get rid of him,' Hermione said.

'We're on to something,' Harry declared confidently.

'Spock, could you stay with them? I'd like to see if I can help their healer,' Leonard said.

'She's a mediwitch, not a Healer, and make sure you ask her before you try anything,' Hermione warned Leonard kindly.

'Leonard knows how to deal with native healers; we're explorers,' Spock declared.

Leonard shook his head and whispered, 'I'll pay good credits to read the official report about this.'

While Harry had given a summary of his night to his friends, Albus and Minerva had been trying to cheer up Molly and Arthur. They told the frightened parents that Severus's cure might well make the difference. In between spells, Poppy had explained how rare this cure was, and how incredibly lucky it was that Severus had it in store. Within minutes, the Weasleys could see that Bill's wounds were closing at last, and they started hoping that their son might survive.

Sirius had hugged his cousin and Remus, his last remaining friend still alive. Tonks was sitting on one of the unoccupied beds as Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus's neck.

'It's good to be back, Remy,' Sirius said.

'It's great to have you back, Siri. I'm sorry, but I'm too shaken to express my feelings. It's always hard to see Greyback, but what he's done to Bill is vicious,' Remus said.

'Since you're here with us at night, and it's not a full moon, then that bastard didn't contaminate Bill,' Sirius pointed out.

'The poison wasn't fully active, but what makes a werewolf is always there, dormant. Bill won't be the same,' Remus said sadly.

Everybody had been rather ignoring Fleur up to then. 'Do you theenk 'e will 'ave werewolf traits?' she asked Remus.

No one looked at her.

The beautiful young woman with Veelan blood was beginning to be very frustrated.

'Even zough ze wizard who bit 'im wazn't transformed, 'e could still become a werewolf,' Fleur said softly.

'There's no way to know how he's going to react to the attack,' Remus answered honestly. 'The way his wounds weren't healing a moment ago may indicate either a full contamination, or the fact that his blood was fighting against the poison.'

Fleur nodded. She was pale and stunned.

'You can Floo back to the Burrow if you want,' Molly suggested.

'Why would I want to do zat?' Fleur wondered.

'There's not much we can do here,' Molly said.

'You can go home all you want. I'm staying by 'is side,' Fleur said. 'I'm not afraid - not even if 'e's a werewolf.'

'His wounds will never fully heal you know,' Molly explained cautiously.

'So what?' Fleur inquired.

'He'll understand if you'd rather leave,' Molly said, digging herself in even deeper.

'It's not because we're not married yet that I will not stand by 'is side. Even if 'e ends up being a werewolf with a few scars, 'e's still my Bill inside,' Fleur barked.

'But I was thinking that with this accident...' Molly began.

Positively furious now, Fleur took position between Bill and Molly.

'Even if 'e has scars and is cursed under the full moon, 'e's mine! As soon as 'e wakes up, we're getting married. Do you 'ear me?!' Fleur almost yelled.

Molly sagged against her husband, flabbergasted. She thought that her future daughter-in-law was a selfish and conceited witch, but apparently she'd been mistaken.

'You love my baby that much?' Molly asked.

Fleur nodded once. She was ready to fight against anyone trying to separate her from the wizard she loved.

Molly took a deep breath and said, 'Maybe I could Fire-call our Great-Auntie Muriel; she's got a tiara that would look lovely with your hair. I'm sure she'll lend it to you for the wedding.'

Fleur shrugged and declared, 'It might be nice, but it's not important.'

Molly nodded several times, and Arthur beamed at his future daughter-in-law.

'She's not that bad,' Ginny whispered against Harry's shoulder.

Harry held her tighter.

Tonks sobbed, and Remus turned towards her.

'See! Fleur doesn't care. Why should it be different for us?' Tonks asked, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Now, that makes sense,' Harry whispered to no one in particular.

Tonks had been miserable for the past few months - not because she'd lost her cousin, but because Remus didn't want to date her.

Hermione nodded, agreeing with Harry's statement.

'I'm too old, I'm a werewolf, and I'm poor. You deserve someone better!' Remus protested.

'But it's you I want,' she wailed.

Sirius patted his old friend on the shoulder. For Sirius, it was just as if they were back in school discussing a potential date on a Hogsmeade weekend - it was casual fun. However, for Remus it was the possibility of a dream coming true, with a loving wife, a family - a home; it was acceptance.

'Life's too short, my friend,' Arthur told Remus kindly.

'She deserves better,' Remus sighed.

Tonks sobbed again.

'Even if it's just for one day, it's better to have had love. You can't reject her because of an unknown future. Anything can happen,' Ginny intervened.

'You're a brilliant man, Professor Lupin. Don't make me hex you for hurting our dear Tonks,' Hermione added.

'And I bet she'd do it,' Draco said just loud enough for Remus to hear him.

'Oh! For the love of God, marry the lady!' Leonard intervened. 'Your bio-signals show that you're most probably in love with each other.'

It was only then that Hermione noticed that the "Muggle" doctor had a Muggle device that was working within Hogwarts and she squeaked.

Sirius pushed his friend towards Tonks and said, 'Say "yes" to my cousin, and we'll really be family.'

Remus sat down next to Tonks and took her in his arms. 'This is pure madness,' he said in a whisper.

She looked at him with pleading eyes and said, 'Please.'

He kissed her brow, and she melted against him. Her hair, that had been mousy grey for the past few months, turned bright orange instantly.

'Someone's feeling better,' Remus chuckled.

Tonks held him even tighter.

'They're cute,' Ron said fondly.

Hermione pecked his cheek, which caused him to blink several times with surprise.

Ron looked at his parents to make sure they weren't watching him, and he briefly kissed Hermione's lips.

'What a night!' Ginny said.

Harry caressed her back to soothe her, and she was grateful for the love.

'You don't seem too surprised by our magic,' Ron told Spock.

'I've seen stranger things in space,' Spock explained.

Hermione was about to start asking Spock questions, but Leonard exclaimed, 'Got it!'

The doctor had scanned the hospital wing's supplies and Bill with his medical tricorder, and he'd found what he needed to help Bill.

'You're right to refer to this thing as a poison,' Leonard told Remus. He turned to Poppy and asked, 'May I offer to help you? In our time, we invented something to get rid of such a poison, and with what you have in your pharmacy, I can prepare the counter-poison.'

'Really?' Poppy asked.

'Ma'am,' Spock said seriously, 'I can assure you that our Chief Medical Officer never jokes about what he can achieve.'

'What do you need? How can I help you?' Poppy asked.

Leonard started working with the mediwitch, but soon all those who were present were given something to do.

In thirty minutes, a bluish liquid was ready to be injected into Bill, and Leonard offered to do it with his hypospray.

Poppy was curious to see the device work, and so was Hermione.

'Would you like me to spell the cure into your syringe?' Poppy offered Leonard.

Leonard handed her one of the small translucent containers he used with his hypospray.

'It would save a lot of time. I have what I need to do it in my bag, but your equipment isn't designed to work with mine,' Leonard said.

Poppy filled the container, and Leonard inserted it in his hypospray.

'Time to check if this thing reacts like a Bemaglyn poisoning,' Leonard said.

'Is it going to be painful?' Fleur asked worriedly.

Usually, Leonard had brisk bedside manners, but there was something about Fleur that made him soften a bit.

'If this works as expected, he's going to shiver as the particles of poison are hit with the cure, but it shouldn't be painful per se,' Leonard told her.

Leonard looked at the mediwitch, and she nodded. They were both professionals and were ready to help their patient.

Leonard injected the cure into Bill's carotid.

Bill started shivering almost immediately, but the shivers weren't too severe. It looked as if Bill was fighting off the flu.

Leonard was monitoring Bill's reactions with his tricorder, and he showed Poppy what the signals meant.

The two healers were sharing information about the way they practised while the others in the room held their breath for Bill. Spock was delighted to see that Leonard was reacting rather well to their latest travel in time - their last ones hadn't been exactly pleasure cruises.

It took the cure only ten minutes to rid Bill of the few particles of werewolf poison that had made it into his blood stream.

'There, no more poison,' Leonard declared with a happy grin.

'If you really healed him, I should be able to cast a Healing charm on his wounds,' Poppy said.

'He's your patient,' Leonard told her.

Molly was holding Arthur's hand so tight, that Poppy might well have to mend a few of his bones soon.

Poppy took a deep breath and chanted the spell that could heal Bill's wounds and repair the damage to his face.

This time the magic worked, and except for a few faint scars, Bill was as handsome as he'd been just a few hours before.

'Maybe a more powerful Healer can erase the last scars,' Poppy declared.

Leonard checked the contents of his bag and cleared his throat.

'Did you bring a derm-regenerator?' Spock asked his friend.

'With all the things that happened during our last missions, I've taken to packing one,' Leonard admitted.

'Could you heal these scars?' Poppy asked.

'They're very faint. I think I can. May I try?' Leonard asked.

'Dr McCoy,' Poppy said with a chuckle, 'I think you proved you're an astounding Muggle physician. We don't have the same methods, but I must say I find your techniques interesting. If you can do something for Bill right now, it would be good. If I don't have to contact another fellow, then we may keep his involvement in tonight's attack relatively secret.'

'Then I'll show you what non-wizards can do in our time,' Leonard said.

A few minutes later, Bill was fully healed, and he looked as if he'd never been attacked and practically disfigured.

When Bill stirred and began to wake up, they all sighed with relief.

Leonard scanned Bill once more, and grinned. 'Good as new,' he said.

Hermione almost whimpered.

'Hermione?' Ron said softly.

'I don't get how his Muggle devices are working here. It shouldn't be possible. It's impossible to have them working with our magic around. If there was a way, Fred and George would have found it, I'm sure!' she exclaimed.

'Miss Granger, we are an impossibility from your future. We should not be here, and yet we are - alive and well. It is possible that whatever twist in quantum physics that allows us to be here allows Leonard's equipment to work,' Spock declared.

Hermione looked at their alien guest. 'It is so strange, sir. It's not logical,' she complained.

'I can assure you that I understand your distress. I fail to understand how we ended up here when none of us messed with any alien device - not even Black,' Spock said.

Sirius was too busy pestering Remus about Tonks to notice Spock's insult.

'Maybe the time frame has something to do with it,' Hermione conceded. 'I'm still puzzled. I wonder if there's more magic in your time - something that could explain that.'

'Black was the first to officially mention magic aboard our ship, and he could do absolutely no magic in our time. There's no record of any magical community on Earth, that Starfleet heard of, at least,' Spock said.

'But if we're hidden now, maybe we're hidden in the future,' Ginny intervened.

Spock looked at Ginny in such an intense way that it made her shiver in Harry's arms. For one second, she had the feeling that this tall, strange man was in awe, and there was a kindness in his eyes that she hadn't seen before.

'Highly logical,' Spock agreed with her.

She gave him a bright smile, and he nodded slightly.

'What happened?' Bill asked.

Fleur and Molly cried in each other's arms while Arthur told his eldest son what happened after he was attacked.

'So you were saved by a Muggle doctor from the future,' Ron told his brother with a warm chuckle.

'And we're getting a new sister as soon as you leave this bed,' Ginny added.

'I can perform the ceremony if you want,' Albus offered.

'And I can have your wedding registered at the Ministry,' Arthur added with a grin.

'What about Fleur's parents, guests, flowers - everything?' Molly asked.

'Mama,' Fleur said as she was still held by Molly, 'it iz not important. We can 'ave a party with our two families and our friends later.'

Molly started crying when Fleur called her "Mama", and she nodded several times, spilling her tears on her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

'Maybe you could marry Remy and Nymph, too,' Sirius suggested.

Tonks cuffed the back of Sirius's head.

'Ouch!' he protested.

'You should let them go at their own pace,' Harry told his godfather.

'And it's a bad thing to have two weddings at the same time,' Ginny added.

'We have the same belief in my family,' Leonard said. Since everybody was looking at him, he went on, 'My ex-wife absolutely wanted us to get married the day her twin sister did. Her twin is still happily married, and we had the weirdest divorce ever.'

'I want to get married in the small wood behind my parents' house. There's a runic circle there,' Tonks said in a whisper.

'For protection,' Remus stated.

She looked at him and nodded.

'I agree,' Remus said.

Tonks's hair turned bright pink.

'Interesting phenomenon,' Leonard pointed out.

Tonks blushed, and Remus hugged her.

Poppy tapped Leonard's arms lightly and asked, 'Would you happen to have something to cure what we call werewolf infection?'

'It reminds me of a combination of conditions. I might have to work with you and Severus,' Leonard answered.

'Are you sure it's wise to find a cure?' Spock asked his friend.

'Whatever that variety of poisoning does, I can't decently do nothing to help them - especially since I have the means to work on a cure. Besides, for all we know, we may have been meant to come here and help them with that,' Leonard pointed out.

Spock looked at his friend and tilted his head. 'You may have a point,' Spock conceded.

Leonard winked at him, and Spock gave him a small smile which made the doctor very happy.

Bill stretched and got up from his hospital bed.

'Shall I bring a scroll of legal parchment?' Albus asked happily.

Bill looked at his fiancée and asked, 'Are you sure?'

'I feared I'd lost you. A big wedding izn't important. I just want to be with you - for one minute or two centuries,' Fleur said.

'All right, then,' Bill said. 'Let's get married right now.'

'Are you sure?' Molly asked her eldest son.

'Mum! I almost died tonight. I love Fleur, and I want to spend my life with her. We can have a party or something later,' Bill pointed out.

'It's not good not to have flowers,' Molly said softly.

Fleur had been about to growl something at her future mother-in-law, but she understood that Molly only wanted to have at least one magical symbol for the ceremony.

'Padfoot!' Minerva ordered, 'While Albus is going to get a scroll in his office, you and I will run to the greenhouses.'

Sirius nodded. He transformed into his Animagus form and turned into a huge black dog, while Minerva turned into a tabby cat.

'Please, tell me you wizards have whiskey,' Leonard whimpered.

'If you have a headache, I could massage your neck,' Spock offered.

'I'll take that and a whiskey,' Leonard said.

'I thought gluttony was a sin,' Spock joked.

'It's all in the dose, Spock. I call that hedonism, my green-blooded friend,' Leonard said.

'We've seen weirder things in our missions,' Spock declared.

'Yes, but in space. This is supposed to be home, Spock!' Leonard objected.

Poppy put three drops of a potion in a glass of water, and she gave it to Leonard.

'Allow me to show you what we can do with our magic,' she said.

He drank the liquid, and thanked the mediwitch.

'I'll be happy to help you when you're ready to administer a cure to Remus, but you'll have to work with Severus mainly. On a few points, he's better than mediwizards and Healers,' Poppy told Leonard.

'From what I could see of him - and the way Black hates him - I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to work with him,' Leonard said.

Poppy asked her colleague from the future many questions, while Molly spelled Bill and Fleur's robes to be a bit more presentable for their own wedding.

Tonks was in Remus's arms, and she knew she wouldn't let him go anytime soon - in fact, she thought it might be a good idea to Floo out of Hogwarts with him, straight to her home. She knew they'd be poor, but they'd be together - even if there was no cure for Remus's lycanthropy.

Draco was staying close to Spock, and Arthur noticed how tense the young man looked. Spock placed one hand on Draco's shoulder when Arthur walked closer to them.

'Your presence here tonight shows that you've made up your mind, and you chose our side. I'm sure we can trust Albus. You have nothing to fear from the Weasleys - we're cousins after all,' Arthur said.

'Thank you. I wish I could say I can trust Black, though,' Draco said.

'We'll keep an eye on him,' Hermione promised.

'Um?' Ron said, wondering what was going on.

'We'll have to find ways and spells to check that it's really the Sirius we lost who made his way back here,' Hermione pointed out.

'You're rather astounding for a human,' Spock praised her.

Hermione blushed.

'Look, Harry! We've found one way to keep her quiet,' Ron told his friend, with a chuckle.

'There's another, but apparently you don't dare use it,' Ginny teased her brother.

Ron turned bright red, and Hermione's cheeks coloured a bit as well.

Padfoot ran back into the hospital wing with Minerva on his back; she had two wreaths of flowers around her neck. They'd transformed back into their human forms, and given the flowers to the bride and bridegroom when Albus came back, too.

'As it is my privilege, I give you enchanted legal parchment to record your vows,' Albus said.

There were dozens of ways to get married in the magical community. Bill and Fleur were about to use the simplest.

The parchment floated in the air, and one enchanted quill that Albus had brought, too, was waiting for them to pronounce their vows.

'I, William Weasley, take this witch for my wife,' Bill simply declared.

The quill wrote that down.

'Moi, Fleur Delacour, prends ce sorcier pour époux,' Fleur said in her native language, only mirroring Bill's simple vows.

The quill wrote her words, and the parchment rolled itself up and floated to Arthur.

Molly sobbed.

'We have a new sister. We're eight now,' Ron said happily.

They all started congratulating the new couple.

Ginny stayed behind with Spock and Draco.

'Ginevra?' Draco said softly and kindly.

She shook her head and said, 'I don't know, I had a strange feeling.'

Spock placed one hand on her shoulder.

Draco gathered all his courage, and went to congratulate his cousin.

'Have faith in your future, Lady Ginevra,' Spock whispered in her ear.

She looked deep into his eyes and asked, 'Why do I have the feeling that I know you?'

'I promise to tell you soon,' Spock swore.

She nodded. She just knew that she could trust him.

'I should go and have the parchment registered at the Ministry,' Arthur said joyfully.

'We should all Floo out,' Tonks said.

'You're right, my dear child,' Albus granted her. 'I thank you all for your help tonight. You were invaluable to the Order. You should go back to your homes, and we'll have a meeting as soon as possible.' Albus paused and turned towards Sirius, 'I hope you will keep on welcoming our meetings in Grimmauld Place, now that you're back.'

Sirius groaned.

'You must stay in Grimmauld Place until I have you fully exonerated,' Albus said patiently.

'But the mansion was given to Harry. What's going to happen?' Hermione asked Ron in a whisper.

'Our magic will acknowledge Black's presence in our world,' Draco told her.

'Makes sense,' the witch answered.

'Draco is right, but I think we can kill two birds with one stone. If Sirius calls the mansion house-elf and he answers, we'll know that it's really our friend who's here, and that his magical rights have been restored the moment he appeared on the Astronomy Tower,' Albus said.

Hermione looked at Harry, wondering how he'd react to what was going on, but her best friend looked strangely lost in thought.

'All right,' Sirius sighed. 'Kreacher!'

The house-elf answered his master.

'Welcome back, Sirius,' Albus said as Kreacher kept blinking.

The small creature had betrayed his rightful master to one of Black's cousin, who was a follower of the Dark Lord, and now that Black had done something normally impossible by coming back from behind the Veil, Kreacher feared that payback would be really nasty. The creature took to shivering, and he remained very quiet - he knew what his master was capable of.

Leonard leant towards Poppy and whispered in her ear, 'What does it mean "floo"?'

'It's one magical way to travel. You stand in the fireplace, take a pinch of Floo powder, and you say aloud where you want to go as you throw the powder onto the floor,' the Mediwitch explained.

Leonard looked at his Vulcan friend, and Spock knew he'd have to come to the rescue. Leonard hated to be beamed from one place to another, and Spock easily imagined that Leonard didn't want to try any wizarding way to travel.

'Albus, I think Leonard and I should stay here. We can't be sure that what you call magic will agree with our presence, and Leonard might start working on a cure with Professor Snape,' Spock said.

'You have a point,' Albus granted Spock.

'Maybe they could stay in the Room of Requirement,' Ron whispered to Hermione.

That room was one of the magical oddities - even by Hogwarts standards. It appeared only when people needing it asked for it to materialize, and it usually contained everything the person needing it requested.

'They can't. They're not wizards,' Hermione pointed out.

'No, but maybe Draco could summon it for them and stay with them,' Harry suggested.

Draco looked at Harry, clearly surprised that the one who'd been his alleged enemy just a few hours ago trusted him. Then he looked at Albus who nodded once. Draco shrugged.

'If Professor Snape agrees, I won't go back to my dorm tonight,' Draco said.

'All right! Everybody out now. You all need to rest,' Poppy ordered. Bill chuckled heartily. Poppy winked at him and said, 'You're young, so I guess you can go to work tomorrow with just a few hours of sleep. After all, you've just been cured, and with the spells I put on you, you should be fine.'

Bill blushed slightly.

'Shoo!' Poppy said.

'Kreacher, go to the mansion and prepare my room,' Sirius ordered.

The house-elf was happy to be allowed to leave. With a little bit of luck, he thought that he might find ways to escape his master's wrath.

'I'll Floo to Grimmauld Place,' Sirius told Albus.

'And stay there,' Minerva ordered him.

Sirius grinned and bowed. 'And I will stay in the mansion. I need to rest,' he said.

'There should be old copies of the Daily Prophet in the main parlour,' Hermione told Sirius.

'Thanks! It'll keep me busy until Albus allows me to leave, or some of our friends come and check that I'm really back,' Sirius said.

Sirius went to hug Harry, and he promised him to be good and not fall behind any drapes. Harry chuckled and hugged his godfather.

Sirius went to Poppy's office to go to his home.

Arthur was the next to leave to go and archive the parchment at the Ministry.

Molly went back to the family cottage, the Burrow, and Bill and the new Mrs Weasley went back to their flat in London.

Tonks looked at Remus and almost growled, 'We need to talk.'

'As you wish, Nymph,' he answered affectionately.

'Good, then I'll wizardnap you to my place,' she said.

Hand in hand, Tonks and Remus left.

'What a night!' Poppy sighed. She turned to Leonard and said, 'It's a pleasure to have you here. I really hope you can find a cure.'

'I'd like to think there's a valid justification to our presence in your time,' Leonard said.

'I'm glad you're here,' Poppy said warmly.

Leonard smiled from ear to ear.

'Minerva, as you escort your Gryffindors back to your House, I'll invite our guests and Draco to my office. I'll have tea ready when you join us after making sure your young lions are safely tucked in bed,' Albus said.

'Not your usual tea, Albus. I don't want to have an overdose of sugar, and it might not be to our guests' taste,' Minerva said. 'I'll join you as soon as possible.'

'I'll have our house-elves brew a neutral tea, I promise,' Albus told his old friend warmly.

'Fine,' Minerva said. She looked at her students and said, 'Let's go.'

Ron, Hermione and Harry walked to the door. Ginny looked at Spock, and he bowed. Ginny joined her boyfriend, and Minerva started leading them to their House.

They were followed by Draco, Spock, Leonard and Albus.

Poppy spelled her hospital wing clean, and she went to bed.

Those with Albus, and those with Minerva, all had to climb the same flight of stairs to reach the floor where they would go separate ways.

On the stairs, Spock felt something in the air and asked, 'What was that?'

'Your telepathy may not be your only ability. You felt magic,' Albus said.

'He felt something we did not feel,' Hermione pointed out.

'What was it?' Spock asked again.

'It was the outer wards announcing the return of Severus,' Albus answered.

Draco froze and paled.

'Sir?' Draco asked.

Albus closed his eyes to concentrate on the information given by the wards. 'Your mother is with your Head of House,' Albus told Draco.

'Merlin be thanked!' Draco said.

'Won't your mother be in danger because of Riddle?' Hermione asked Draco kindly.

'Not directly. She never took his Mark,' Draco answered.

'But there's someone who's going to need my help,' Harry told Draco.

Draco nodded.

'Do you think you found a spell to free him from the Mark?' Harry asked his former enemy.

'I found a parchment that belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. One of his offspring added a note to it in English saying that it was related to ceremonial markings. I hope it might help. I don't know how father got it, and I'm not sure what's in it since it's in Parseltongue,' Draco said.

'What's that?' Leonard inquired.

'If Sirius told you about the school, he explained that it was founded a thousand years ago by two wizards, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, and two witches, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. Slytherin had a special magical ability; he could speak with snakes. The ability was passed down to Riddle, who shared it with Harry when he tried to kill him,' Albus explained.

'That's odd,' Leonard said.

'You should have seen me when I was told I had that gift,' Harry said sadly.

'It's wrongly associated with Dark magic,' Hermione added.

'Damn!' Leonard exclaimed.

Sirius had told them a lot about his world, but it sounded so much like a fairy tale that Leonard didn't believe him. However he now could see that the young man who was supposedly the only one who could defeat the Dark Lord was not a character in a fairy tale. Leonard was a surgeon in the military - and he'd seen horrible things, but he hated it when kids were dragged into wars.

Harry gave him a small smile.

'I wonder if the translation chip in our communicators might pick that language up since our equipment is working,' Spock said.

'A translation chip?' Hermione asked.

'A chip? As in "fish and chips"?' Ron wondered.

'As in computer chip. A Muggle thing, Ron,' Hermione told him.

'That thing you use at your parents',' Ron said.

'You were actually listening to what I said!' Hermione exclaimed, very surprised.

Ron blushed, and Harry and Ginny chuckled.

'To answer your question,' Spock intervened, much to Ron's relief, 'there is a component in our communication devices that allows us to understand other languages, and to be understood.'

'Is it working right now?' Ginny asked.

'Our variety of English isn't exactly yours,' Leonard said.

'Could you tell us something in your language?' Ginny asked Spock.

Spock handed his communicator over to Leonard and walked ahead of their party. 'I must be at least ten meters away from it for the chip in the communicator chip to no longer affect me,' Spock explained.

Ginny followed him immediately. Hermione, Harry and Draco were next.

'Right, it's too tempting,' Minerva said as she joined the others up the stairs.

'Not curious to hear what the language of Vulcan sounds like, Ron?' Leonard asked the young wizard.

Ron shrugged. He wasn't really interested.

'And you Albus?' Leonard asked.

'I hope to catch a repeat performance in my office,' Albus explained.

Leonard nodded.

Spock started telling the wizards and witches something in his native language, and they were impressed - and a bit moved to hear a language that no human would hear before a very long time. Spock signalled Leonard to walk to him, and as he came closer, what Spock said became intelligible for the humans again.

'We should hurry now,' Minerva told her students.

'I must stay with them, Ma'am,' Harry said.

'To help Professor Snape,' she stated.

Harry nodded.

Minerva sighed, but said, 'All right, but the others come with me. Hurry!' she told them.

The Head of Gryffindor led Ron, Hermione and Ginny back to their House.

Leonard heard Hermione tell Ginny that she had the feeling Spock had told the youngest witch something special, and Ginny told her friend that she thought she was right. The doctor decided to ask his friend when they were alone, later.

'We're going to need the parchment I took from my father's library,' Draco said.

'You could call Dobby and ask him to bring it to you,' Harry suggested.

'I was awful to him,' Draco objected.

Dobby was a house-elf that had belonged to the Malfoy family until Harry managed to free him by tricking Draco's father. Now, Dobby worked at Hogwarts.

'Let me,' Harry said. 'Dobby!'

Another creature like Kreacher appeared.

'What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?' the house-elf asked.

'I need you to help Draco with something,' Harry said.

'Dobby trust Harry Potter,' the elf said. He turned towards the son of his former master and asked, 'What can Dobby do?'

'There is a parchment in the secret safe hidden in my school trunk. Could you bring it to the Headmaster's office?' Draco asked.

Dobby nodded and melted into thin air.

'Shouldn't we go to the main door and help Professor Snape and Draco's mother?' Harry asked Albus.

'He already used the emergency Portkey I gave him. They're waiting for us in my office,' Albus said.

'Portkey?' Leonard asked.

'Any item that has been spelled with a Travel charm; when it activates, you're transported to another place by magic,' Albus explained.

'If we still have wizards around, and we don't know about them, I bet they don't mind being beamed,' Leonard pointed out.

'Beamed?' Albus asked.

'We invented a way to dematerialize things or people, and rematerialize them somewhere else. It works only for a few thousand kilometres,' Spock explained.

'It sounds like Apparition,' Harry said shivering slightly.

'You've got something like that?' Leonard asked Harry.

Harry nodded several times.

Leonard looked at Harry and whispered, 'You don't look too fond of that.'

'Usually, fireplaces spit me out when I use the Floo network, I have bad memories with Portkeys, and I'm not too happy about Apparition. When I can travel - if I can travel someday - I think I'll stick to Muggle ways, or to my broom,' Harry said.

'Broom?' Spock intervened.

'We can fly using brooms,' Harry explained.

'Fascinating. I'd like to see that,' Spock said.

'If we have time,' Harry said, his voice trailing off.

They were now standing before the statue of a gargoyle that guarded the door to Albus's office.

Albus gave it the password, and the statue allowed them to pass.

Inside the office, Severus was serving tea for Narcissa Malfoy. Draco's mother looked shaken, but unhurt.

'Mother!' Draco cried as he ran towards the beautiful woman, who was on Albus's most comfortable sofa.

Draco knelt next to his mother and laid his head on her lap. 'I'm sorry,' Draco said softly.

Tears rolled down Narcissa's cheek as she said, 'I am sorry, Draco. We should not have believed and followed him. I should have protected you better.'

'He didn't hurt you, did he?' Draco asked worriedly.

The young wizard had never seen his mother cry, and he was very sad to see her so distressed because of him.

'He did. He tried to corrupt you. I owe so much to Severus,' Narcissa said.

Severus looked eerily calm.

Dobby appeared into the room just then, and he handed the parchment to Draco.

'Give it to Harry, please. He's the only one who can use it,' Draco said.

The house-elf was surprised to hear the arrogant brat who pestered him for years be so nice.

Dobby gave Harry the parchment, and Albus invited everybody to sit down and have some tea.

'I'll take care of this,' Narcissa said as she took the teapot from Severus's hands.

Severus surrendered without a fight. He was too tired, and his encounter with the Dark Lord had been rather unpleasant.

In fact, Severus looked so shaken that Leonard scanned him with his medical tricorder, and the kind doctor started growling almost immediately.

'May I give you something to help you?' Leonard asked Severus.

'I doubt there's anything you could give me,' Severus answered sadly.

'He healed Bill, you know. Some of Greyback's saliva started contaminating Bill, but Leonard came up with an antidote. Poppy even hopes that you and he can find something to cure Remus,' Albus said.

One of Severus's eyebrows rose with surprise, and Leonard was tempted to chuckle because it made him look as if he were Spock's human cousin.

'Let me give you something to ease the pain,' Leonard said softly.

'If you think you have some drug that might work,' Severus agreed.

Leonard gave him a shot, but the relief was extremely brief, which frustrated Leonard.

'I'm used to that,' Severus told the doctor.

'Leonard, would you mind if I tried to help him?' Spock asked his friend.

'If you think you can do something,' Leonard answered.

'May I link with you?' Spock asked Severus.

'What for?' Severus wondered.

'To channel your pain through me,' Spock said.

Severus shook his head stubbornly.

'Leonard could tell you how much stronger than humans I am,' Spock insisted.

Severus was about to refuse when Harry intervened.

'Sir, it might be a good idea to let him help you. I think I'm beginning to see a way out for you, but I'm going to need time - and possibly Commander Spock's help,' Harry said.

'Why?' Severus asked.

'When Riddle marked you, he said a spell in Parseltongue,' Harry said. Severus nodded, and Harry went on, 'You don't speak the language, but the spell is imprinted in your Mark. I need to see how he did it, and I think Commander Spock's gift might help us,' Harry explained.

'I will not allow you to see what he did through one of my memories,' Severus barked.

Harry looked at his professor with a lot of sadness in his eyes. 'He showed me months ago how he marks his followers. I just need to be sure what he told you in Parseltongue,' Harry said in a whisper.

'He...' Severus had to pause. 'He showed you?'

'When he marked McNamara, the one who was killed by Aurors three months ago - not a month after his initiation,' Harry said.

'Why didn't you tell anyone? And why did he show you that?' Albus asked.

'I understood what it was that I saw only recently, and I've had no opportunity to tell anyone. He showed me because he's stupid enough to think I'd be shocked,' Harry said.

'Shocked? Why?' Albus asked.

'Even if Severus never told you what the initiation entails, please tell me that I didn't just put my safety into the hands of a man too stupid to understand how the Dark Lord marks his Death Eaters,' Narcissa told Albus, coming to both Harry and Severus's rescue.

'He thought I'd react like a bigoted Muggle,' Harry spat.

Spock went to sit next to Severus. He brought his right hand to Severus's cheek and said, 'We can work out the details and see what Harry needs to know, but right now, I'm going to help you.'

Severus was ready to resist Spock's mental invasion, but when Severus felt so much warmth and love, he surrendered to the Vulcan touch. Spock managed to keep sending feedback to Voldemort, making him think that the hex he'd used on Severus was still painful, while the Vulcan healed the tortured nerve endings that suffered because of the Cruciatus curse.

'You see, I could help you,' Spock said warmly.

Severus smiled.

'What a night!' Albus chuckled.

'How do we proceed?' Severus asked.

Albus looked at his protégés. 'The best would be to have you all under the protection of Hogwarts, within the Room of Requirement. You could summon a wing that would suit all our guests,' Albus told Severus. The old wizard looked at Narcissa and said, 'I'd be grateful if you agreed to stay hidden there; then it would allow Spock and Leonard to go and visit Severus if they need to without them needing to be accompanied by one of us to find the Room again.'

'I promise to stay there. Maybe I can help them understand our world better,' she said.

'I know I'm going to give myself a migraine for asking this, but could that room have the equipment I need to start working on a cure? It may be the night for you, but it was the morning for us when we started our mission with Black,' Leonard explained.

'Maybe I could show Professor Snape what you use in your lab before he summons the Room,' Spock suggested.

'The elf is adapting fast!' one of the enchanted portraits of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses said from the nearest wall of Albus's office.

Spock turned toward the painting that had just spoken and said, 'I'm not an elf - though Leonard might agree with you.'

'You'll have to admit that "alien from another planet" is just as farfetched for us,' the painting retorted. 'The other paintings told us about you.'

'We are allegedly impossible in each other's worlds,' Spock said.

'Thank you for the migraine the size of the Enterprise!' Leonard growled.

Albus chuckled again and said, 'We'll finish our tea, and then I'll walk you all to the Room of Requirement.'

'Headmaster?' Harry said.

The young man was reading again the parchment Draco had given him.

'I think the parchment is one of the items Lucius kept for Riddle. There are three spells in Parseltongue, and there's one that we could use to locate you-know-what,' Harry said.

If Draco had just given them a spell to find the Dark Lord's horcruxes - the items where he placed parts of his soul so that it would be near impossible to kill him, then the end of the War might be nearer than they thought.

Albus was about to ask Harry what the spells said exactly when Minerva joined them.

'Mr Weasley went to make sure that Mr Longbottom is fine now. I think Miss Granger and Miss Weasley are going to spend the night in the same dorm,' Minerva told Albus as Narcissa handed the other witch a cup of tea.

'Merlin help us!' Harry said softly.

'Understatement, Harry!' Draco chuckled.

'These young ladies seem very strong,' Leonard said.

Narcissa laughed softly. 'That's another understatement, Dr McCoy,' she said.

'Just Leonard, please, Ma'am,' the doctor said.

Narcissa nodded once.

'Miss Granger is of mixed heritage,' Spock stated.

'Whoa! You're good!' Harry said.

'He pays attention,' Leonard pointed out.

'It's the kind of situation I know well,' Spock added.

'How so?' Narcissa inquired.

'My father is from Vulcan, but my mother is human,' Spock explained.

'Not an enviable position I imagine, even in your time and community,' Albus declared.

'You are unfortunately right,' Spock admitted.

'Hermione's parents don't have magic, but she's a good witch,' Draco said.

'She's a great witch,' Narcissa corrected her son.

Draco blushed - he was forced to admit that Hermione Granger was an astounding witch.

'And the young Ginevra is the only witch in her family. Her mother's line is a matriarchy, and she's been blessed by her ancestors,' Narcissa explained.

Harry chuckled.

'Did she share the history of her family with you?' Minerva asked her student.

Harry nodded.

'Join the club, Potter!' Draco said with a warm laugh.

'What do you mean?' Leonard asked Draco.

'We're both from Pureblood patriarchal lines, and we're both involved with witches, who are going to inherit from matriarchal lines,' Draco said.

'Relationships are always challenging. Whatever the time and space,' Leonard declared philosophically.

Suddenly, Draco paled. 'Mother?' he asked worriedly.

'Do not worry. She will not abandon you because you choose another path than the one your father planned for you,' Narcissa said.

'How can you be so sure?' Draco asked.

'You really love Pansy, don't you?' Harry said.

Draco looked at the other young wizard, and nodded.

Narcissa placed her cup of tea down on the tea table, and she wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders. 'She will stay with you,' she told her son.

'How can you be so sure, Mother?' Draco asked sadly.

'Because she confronted me about not protecting you better,' Narcissa admitted.

'She...?' Draco started blinking, and he couldn't finish his sentence.

'Good girlfriend you've got there,' Harry told his new friend.

Draco beamed.

Narcissa was next to Severus on the sofa. She took his hand in hers and declared, 'I owe you much more than my life.'

'You do not,' Severus said.

Narcissa shook her head.

Severus knew exactly what Narcissa had in mind and what secret lay between them. Severus looked at Albus to ask for permission to speak freely. The Headmaster knew what Severus had done for Draco's mother, and he nodded slightly to allow Severus to reveal his secret.

Severus tilted his head to make sure that his mentor really trusted Narcissa that much.

'Narcissa, my dear child, will you agree to bind yourself to me in exchange of my protection?' Albus asked her.

'The Unbreakable Vow,' Narcissa said.

That particular spell bound two magical people; it was more than just a promise - the one who took that oath was bound with his or her very life, and not keeping one's word meant instant death.

'Yes,' Albus said simply.

Narcissa looked at her son, and caressed his hair. The young man was surprised to see his mother so affectionate with him, but he reflected that the new turn of his life might not be bad.

Narcissa turned to face Albus and she said, 'It won't be the first time I've taken that vow in order to protect my son.'

'I guess you'll wish me to do the same,' Draco said.

'You could bind yourself to Professor Snape,' Albus suggested.

'Highly unwise, considering my situation,' Severus pointed out. Albus was about to protest, but Severus went on, 'If we win soon, it'll be unimportant.'

'As you wish,' Albus said. He looked at Minerva and asked, 'Will you consent to be our Bonder?'

'It's becoming a tradition,' the older witch answered.

Narcissa went to kneel in front of Albus, and he knelt as well. They clasped their right hands, and Minerva put her wand on their joined hands to bind them. Narcissa swore obedience to Albus, and her son did the same.

'I'm grateful for your protection, Headmaster. It looks like that vow is becoming a habit,' Narcissa said, looking at Severus.

When the Dark Lord wished to have a student kill Albus Dumbledore, he picked Draco Malfoy. Narcissa knew that it was revenge for the time when her husband had failed to succeed in the mission Riddle had assigned him. When she discovered what her only son would have to do, she went to see Severus to beg for his help. She ended up using the Unbreakable Vow with him.

'You took a vow, but I didn't,' Severus declared.

Narcissa looked at him and gaped.

'Severus is bound to me,' Albus explained.

'So my sister was right, and you tricked the Dark Lord!' Narcissa exclaimed, clearly in awe.

Severus smirked.

'He's not as powerful as he wants you to believe,' Harry said softly.

'He's gifted, but not invincible,' Albus added.

'Especially not with the spells Draco gave us,' Harry whispered. He was reading the parchment one more time.

'I didn't know you could write in Parseltongue,' Minerva said.

'The spell on the parchment makes me hear the words as I read it,' Harry explained.

'Impressive,' Albus said.

'Intriguing,' Severus added.

'I'd like to try the Summoning spell, sir, but I'll have to use Parseltongue aloud,' Harry said.

'It would be important to know if the spells work,' Draco pointed out.

'First allow me to destroy the one we found tonight,' Albus said.

'You found one?' Severus asked.

'One what?' Leonard inquired.

'Riddle stored parts of his soul in objects to prevent us from killing him, even with potent spells. We call such an object a horcrux, and we retrieved one tonight,' Albus explained.

He took the locket they'd found.

Albus was about to simply destroy it when he felt something odd. He opened it and found a piece of parchment that informed "Voldemort" that the real horcrux had been stolen and probably destroyed already. The note was signed "R.A.B.".

'Regulus!' Narcissa exclaimed.

'Your cousin?' Draco asked.

His mother nodded and said, 'The Dark Lord made him pay for some betrayal, but it looks like Sirius's brother avenged himself before his death.'

'We must make sure that it was destroyed,' Albus said.

'Mundungus!' Harry shouted.

'What did he do this time?' Minerva asked. She turned to Leonard and Spock and said, 'He's a wizard who fights with us, but he has sticky fingers.'

'He stole an old locket from Grimmauld Place!' Harry said.

'If it is a locket that belonged to Slytherin, the spell in Parseltongue should summon it easily,' Albus pointed out.

'May I kick Mundungus when we catch him?' Harry asked.

'If you can make the spell work, I'll grant you that, my dear boy,' Albus answered, one corner of his mouth rising in spite of himself.

Harry looked at the man he still despised deeply but a few hours before, and he now saw him in a new light. 'I'm sorry I have to use Parseltongue,' Harry told Severus.

'You're nothing like him,' the other wizard answered.

Harry was too moved to say anything.

'Our translation chip should allow Mr Potter to speak Parseltongue, and yet be heard as if he spoke English,' Spock pointed out.

'Good thing you're with us, then,' Harry said, clearly relieved.

Harry reflected that life - or his life at least - was strange because he could have cursed and hexed Severus Snape just a few hours before, and now he understood what the other man has had to do to survive. Harry wasn't sure why his professor had joined Voldemort after passing his last Wizarding exam, but Harry was beginning to understand a few things a tad better, and he no longer was angry with his teacher.

Harry took a deep breath and said the spell to summon the locket that had been turned into a horcrux.

Thanks to their guests, all the others in the room heard the spell in English, just as Spock had predicted.

There was a loud crack, and with a bright light the real horcrux appeared in front of Harry. He took it and gave it to Albus.

'It is the real one,' Albus declared.

He took his wand and destroyed it for good.

'Excellent! Now we can make real progress!' Albus declared joyfully.

'Yes, but not tonight, Albus. We all need to rest,' Minerva said. It was clear that she wouldn't let him start working on the end of the war right then.

Albus was about to protest, but he knew he'd already asked quite a lot from Harry and Severus.

'You're right,' Albus conceded. 'We'll start working on that after a good night of sleep. We need to find out how to summon the other horcruxes, and we must give Harry time to find out how to protect Severus from Tom Riddle,' Albus said.

'I'll need Commander Spock's help,' Harry said. 'I'm sure I can redirect the magic in the Mark.'

'That's not suitable,' Severus protested.

'We must protect you,' Albus said.

'If I were to link the three of us, Mr Potter could look for the information he needs in your memory, and you could teach him what he needs to know in Occlumency,' Spock pointed out.

'Harry obeyed me tonight, and I'm sure he'd agree to take an Unbreakable Vow with you not to abuse of the new power he'd have over you,' Albus said.

Harry nodded several times.

'You don't understand, Headmaster. I cannot do that,' Severus said, paling more and more.

'Why?' Minerva asked, her voice full of concern.

'It would change my magical signature,' Severus explained.

'Possibly, but if Riddle believes you're dead, you can hide inside Hogwarts. I have good hope to see this War end soon,' Albus said.

'You don't understand. I cannot allow my magical signature to change,' Severus insisted.

'If you're concerned about your belongings, I'm sure an attorney can take care of everything in secret, and the Goblins at the bank would keep your vault open and accessible to you,' Albus added.

'I'd gladly lose everything I own to get rid of the Dark Mark,' Severus growled, his patience suddenly thinning. 'There's one thing I cannot lose, and I'd rather die than risk that!'

'I can order you to let Harry change your Mark,' Albus pointed out.

'Just like I wasn't bound to Narcissa because my link with you came first, you cannot order me to risk losing...' Severus paused and said, 'what I swore to protect.'

'I checked your mind for prior Unbreakable Vows before you bound yourself to me,' Albus said.

'It is something deeper than that,' Severus said.

Albus blinked twice and then squeaked.

Leonard leant towards Harry, and whispered into his ear, 'What does that mean?'

'I don't have the slightest idea,' Harry admitted in a whisper.

'No matter what is binding you, there's got to be a way. If Riddle discovers that we've found a way to destroy him, and that you betrayed him, he'll kill you,' Albus said.

Severus smiled sadly at his mentor, master and saviour, and declared, 'I'm sorry, but there is one promise I made before I even met you, Albus. I made arrangements to keep my word - even if it means I'm going to die.'

'There is always a way out,' Spock countered him.

The room became silent.

'Maybe Spock was brought here because you need his incredible logic,' Leonard said.

'Though the choice of Leonard's adjective is dubious, he might have a point,' Spock declared.

'You have some unusual abilities for a Muggle, but there's no spell that could bind us. I'd rather die,' Severus said.

'Vulcans never lie, and you can trust Spock!' Leonard exclaimed quite vehemently.

'And you can use magic on a Muggle. I have a Memory-charmed aunt to prove it,' Harry intervened.

'If Leonard agrees, you could search his memories to see how my people act. If you feel you need a bond between us to trust me, there is something my people do that I could try with you - provided that the magic, which you will certainly prefer using on me, does not work,' Spock said.

'We are so close to the end of all this. I'd like to celebrate our victory with you,' Minerva intervened.

Severus was clearly surprised that his fellow was so concerned.

'If I can help you with anything, just let me know,' Narcissa added.

Severus sighed.

'Let us help you,' Harry said softly.

'If there is a safe way, I might consent to it, but you must all understand that there is another priority in my life,' Severus said.

'There has to be a way,' Spock declared confidently.

'I think we'll have a lot to do tomorrow. We must coordinate the action of the Order, plan our attacks against Riddle, protect Severus, and pray that he and Leonard can find a cure together. I should escort you to the Room of Requirement,' Albus said.

'We will be forced to deal with Black if we want to attempt to understand why we're here,' Spock added.

'I hope the son of the entity that rescued him first is the one that sent us with him here... and that the entity will send us back to our time. I can deal with one strange away mission, but I don't fancy being stuck here for good,' Leonard admitted.

'Though it could be much worse for us,' Spock pointed out.

'Huh?' Leonard said.

'Imagine us in the same time and place, but not within this community. You would not be able to use your knowledge, and I would end up dissected in a lab. Besides, there is a slight chance that we are not disrupting time in here,' Spock said.

Leonard nodded.

'Shall we go, then?' Albus asked.

They all placed their cups on the nearest tea-tables, and they followed Albus.

It didn't take them long to reach a corridor that looked empty.

'Spock, if you want Severus to summon the room in a way that is suitable for Leonard and you, you should show him what you need,' Albus suggested.

Spock looked at the Potions master and asked, 'My method or yours?'

'Mine would be faster, if you agree,' Severus said.

Spock nodded, and Severus cast the Legilimens spell on the Vulcan.

When Severus put an end to the spell, he turned towards Leonard and declared, 'I'm not entirely certain we have what you need to work with me, but I'll do my best. I'll have the castle create a link with my quarters so we can access my lab without having to go back down to the dungeons.'

'If I could work with Dr Pomfrey, using her equipment, then I'm sure that you can find what we need to work together,' Leonard answered excitedly.

Spock smiled; he knew how important it was for his friend to help find cures and heal people.

Severus summoned the Room, and they all walked in.

Minerva and Albus would leave them soon, but they were both curious to see what Severus had asked for him and Leonard to work together.

There was a comfortable parlour - certainly so that Narcissa didn't feel as if she were in jail while hiding there - and four doors. There were three bedrooms, one for Harry, Draco and Narcissa each. The fourth door led to Severus's quarters, and another bedroom for their visitors had been added there.

'Are you together?' Draco asked Leonard and Spock when he saw only a huge four-poster in the new room.

Leonard blushed bright red and shook his head as he said, 'I'm certainly going to work a lot on the antidote I have in mind. We'll probably have different schedules.'

'Did I offend you?' Draco wondered.

'Same-sex relationships are not taboo in our culture. What about yours?' Narcissa asked Leonard.

'There is no taboo either, though that wasn't the case in the past. I don't know how things are on Vulcan, the people there are very quiet on personal topics,' Leonard said.

They all looked at Spock, but he didn't say a word.

'You see?' Leonard pointed out.

'Oh, you were expecting me to answer,' Spock said.

'If you please,' Leonard sighed.

Leonard dearly loved his friend, but Spock could be most infuriating sometimes.

'There are all kinds of bonds in our society, though those that can produce heirs are usually favoured,' Spock explained.

'But not only then,' Leonard said, rather surprised by such an answer.

'If it were the case, my mother would never have been allowed to bond with my father,' Spock said.

Leonard winced. 'I'm sorry, Spock,' he apologized.

'What do you mean?' Minerva asked, concerned.

'My conception was sheer luck, and my birth was a miracle due to the latest medical discoveries when mother was expecting me,' Spock said.

'Vulcan blood is copper-based,' Leonard added.

'And human blood?' Draco wondered.

'Iron-based. Don't you have biology classes?' Leonard inquired.

Harry and Draco shook their heads, and Leonard glared at Albus. The old Headmaster shrugged.

'Time to leave, Albus,' Minerva ordered.

'As you wish,' he granted her. 'I'll see you all tomorrow morning. I will ask Dobby to take care of Narcissa while she is in hiding here, but perhaps we could say that Spock and Leonard are visitors from a far away country. That way, they could walk freely inside the castle and join us for meals in the Great Hall.'

'We'd have to spell them into Wizarding clothes,' Minerva pointed out.

'I could do that for them,' Narcissa offered.

'Why not,' Leonard agreed.

'It won't be the first time we've had to disguise ourselves,' Spock added.

'Then it is settled. Tomorrow morning, I'll send Dobby with breakfast for Narcissa, and before the others join us, she'll attire our guests in a more appropriate way,' Albus said. The old wizard looked at Severus and suggested, 'Maybe you could give a few drops of a Sleeping potion to everyone?'

'I was planning to do so,' Severus said.

'Tomorrow will be a new beginning,' Albus said. 'Sleep well, my children.'

The Headmaster and his Deputy Headmistress left to go to their respective quarters.

Severus went to get a phial of potion from his supplies and he put three drops in each of the three glasses that he gave to Narcissa, Draco, and Harry. They obediently drank the liquid, and had just enough time to retire to their rooms and undress before they fell asleep.

'Leonard, we should synchronize ourselves with their time. Maybe you could take something to sleep for a few hours - even if you are tempted to start working with Professor Snape,' Spock said.

'You have a point, but I want to show Severus the molecule I have in mind to work on a cure,' Leonard said.

'Don't you need to sleep?' Severus asked Spock.

'I do, but much less than humans,' he answered.

'Do you use chemical symbols to represent your... potions?' Leonard asked.

'Most Potions masters don't, but I do,' Severus said.

The three went into the lab, and Leonard wrote down a formula on a Muggle-looking notepad that came with a pencil. Severus was surprised to see allegedly Muggle devices in his lab now, next to his cauldrons and alembics.

Severus read Leonard's formula several times, and wrote another one down.

'This is the potion I use to control the wolf in Remus. He still transforms, but he stays human inside,' Severus said, as he showed Leonard the formula for the Wolfsbane potion.

Leonard read it and said, 'It could be the base to the cure I have in mind. You're very close to the solution.'

'Without the war and what I had to do, I might have found something already,' Severus said.

'It wasn't meant to happen that way,' Leonard said philosophically.

Leonard and Severus started preparing what they would need, but after almost an hour, Spock interrupted them, and told them that he could keep working while they both slept.

Severus invited Leonard to try his potion, and he agreed.

Leonard told Spock to join him in a few hours and rest a bit, as well; he drank his potion, and went to bed, surprised that the drug worked so fast on him.

Severus was tempted to keep on working, but he was too drained emotionally after the evening and night he'd had, and he'd do nothing good.

'I'll see you in four hours,' Severus told Spock.

Spock placed one very warm hand on Severus's and said, 'May I have a word with you first? I may not have another opportunity to see you alone.'

Right at that time, Severus didn't know why he felt that he could trust this complete stranger. Wondering why he was doing so, he nodded.

'You can put a spell on me so that I don't betray you, and I can offer you a Vulcan allegiance bond, as well - and I would do both without hesitation, but there is something I must show you,' Spock declared.

Severus's curiosity was picked.

Spock was hiding a platinum locket on a chain around his neck. He took it and handed it over to Severus, who immediately recognized the item.

'How?' Severus gasped.

Spock was beginning to wonder if his Vulcan education would allow him to stand the assault of emotions he had to deal with since he'd been brought to Hogwarts, on Earth, closer to his mother's heritage.

The Vulcan officer was deeply moved when he said, 'She survived the war, and the same way you gave her that locket, it was passed on from generation to generation... down to me.'

Severus sat down on a bench. He looked at Spock incredulously.

'Open it, she left a message for you,' Spock said.

With shaking hands, Severus opened the locket, and the image of an old woman appeared in the air.

She smiled broadly and said, 'It's going to take you a little bit of time to believe it with the way I look now, but it's me, Daddy; it's Wendy.'

Severus blinked at the image.

The hologram of Wendy went on talking.

'When I was old enough to understand what happened during the war, you told me all about Spock. You asked me to find a Muggle way to leave you a message, and I finally did. My children and their children know the story of our family, and the one who inherits the locket will know what to do with it until Spock is born, and his mother explains what he has to do to help you. If you're watching this, it means that one of our descendants - a son of two worlds - has been brought to your side,' Wendy said.

Severus looked at Spock, who smiled.

'Daddy,' Wendy went on, 'you told me that when Spock told you how you got me, you understood why you thought you could trust him. He was meant to come to you. Allow him to give you the message I started passing on to your grandchildren. Trust him, Daddy. I don't want to have to grow up without you.'

The hologram disappeared and Severus closed the locket. He looked at it, and gave it back to Spock.

'Thank you, Professor Snape,' Spock said as he put it around his neck again.

Severus took his wand and cast a Secrecy spell around them.

'So, tell me what you know about my baby,' Severus said.

'Wendy is the daughter of your only real friend, Sarah Ford. She was a Muggle you befriended in secret when you were a child, and she was the only one to whom you told everything of what happened to you and why you joined the Dark Lord,' Spock began.

Severus nodded; he looked quite surprised.

'According to what Wendy told her eldest son, her biological father left her mother four years ago now. You helped Sarah through her pregnancy. You were to become only Wendy's godfather, but Sarah was diagnosed with leukaemia, and she died when Wendy was just seven-month old. Sarah convinced you to sign papers to make her baby your daughter. Wendy will be three the day Harry Potter turns seventeen,' Spock said.

'This is so unbelievable,' Severus whispered.

'I hope this is just a figure of speech, because I need you to believe me. Wendy told us what I'd have to do, and how I could help you,' Spock said.

Severus shook his head and said, 'I won't believe you until I've cast a Lineage spell on you.'

Spock smiled and said fondly, 'Just as Wendy said you would. I think we're not disrupting your time-line. I think we're a part of it. Cast as many spells as you want.'

Severus took another locket exactly like the one Spock had inherited. It contained a strand of Wendy's hair, and it allowed Severus to prove the link between his daughter and the alien in his quarters.

'You are a descendant of my daughter,' Severus concluded.

'I am one of your many descendants,' Spock said with a small smile. 'Mother was the eldest, therefore she's the one who inherited the locket in the family, but I do have cousins.'

Severus was used to being in control of nearly everything, and Spock's news was mind-boggling.

'Let's go back to my parlour, shall we?' Severus said.

'Of course,' Spock said as he obediently followed his relative.

'Tea?' Severus asked.

'Please.'

'Does your mother brew it like I do?' Severus asked as he made tea.

Spock chuckled and said, 'You taught Wendy to make it this way, and the recipe is passed from generation to generation.'

'Serve it, then,' Severus invited his guest.

Spock bowed and obeyed.

'So, what can you tell me? What do I need to know to survive and be there to raise my baby girl?' Severus asked.

'It is rather simple. You need to bring Wendy here, where she'll be safe, and then you must allow Mr Potter to transform your Mark. Once you're sure that the Dark Lord can do nothing against you, you can fight him,' Spock said.

Severus remained silent.

'Our family knows the sacrifices you made to protect your daughter. You need to have her with you. I can't tell you too much about what's going to happen - or it might change history, our history - but I can tell you who you can trust with Wendy's well-being here, and that even though she's a little Muggle girl,' Spock said.

'Who?' Severus asked.

'Don't you want to give me a dose of Veritaserum?' Spock inquired.

'For a Muggle, you do know a lot about what I can do,' Severus noted.

'The entire family knows a lot about magic,' Spock explained.

'Does our community still exist in your time?' Severus asked.

'Of course it does, but it's even better hidden than it was now. Hermione Granger is going to see to that,' Spock said.

Severus groaned.

'She's young, but you'll see very soon that she's not as bad as you fear,' Spock added.

Severus grumbled something, which made Spock chuckle.

'What?' Severus asked a bit briskly.

'You might want to keep in mind that my Vulcan heritage is biologically dominant, which means that my ears are pointed - and very sharp,' Spock said. He chuckled again and added, 'And your daughter could record only a short message for you that she placed in the locket you gave her, but she left the family a recording of everything that happened to you and her during the war. It was to be instructions for me, so that I know how I'm to help you. She also told us all how you were with her.'

Severus sighed. 'Sarah was a dear friend, and I've come to love her baby as if she were truly mine,' he said.

'She is yours - only, not by blood,' Spock said.

For the first time, Severus smiled.

'I know how strange it must be for you. You have to trust a virtual stranger about your daughter's safety, and I must convince you that I am no threat if I want to keep existing,' Spock said.

'I never thought I would have a child - not with my taste for my own gender. I rescued my only friend's baby from being sent to an orphanage, and now I discover that I might live to see my grandchildren one day, and my line is still alive in the future - throughout the stars,' Severus said. He started laughing nervously.

'You could have a good life and a beautiful family if you don't decide to change history as I know it,' Spock said.

'I read the mind of your friend without his noticing it. I know that you don't lie - you can only exaggerate. Does Veritaserum work on you?' Severus asked.

'It does,' Spock said.

Severus summoned a phial, and added two drops of its contents into Spock's tea.

When he was sure that his potion must be active in Spock's blood, Severus asked, 'Who can I trust with Wendy's well-being and security?'

'You can trust me because I'll never exist if anything happens to her. When you start working with Leonard on the cure tomorrow, you can ask Granger to help you. She will help me Floo to Exeter, where you have Wendy living with a nice nanny. Once there, she'll help Cousin Spock bring his little cousin Wendy back to you. You can transfigure something to become Wendy's bed in your room,' Spock said.

Severus nodded to encourage his descendant to keep talking.

'Narcissa will help you; she's a mother hen at heart, and in the coming years, you'll see her change completely - especially after she remarries. You can appoint Ginevra as Wendy's sitter; she's the best witch you could dream of to protect Wendy. And you can trust Harry Potter. He's going to be very important in Wendy's life...' Spock's voice trailed off.

'What aren't you telling me?' Severus asked.

'Harry Potter is going to be your ally. I can help you both, thanks to the Vulcan mind-meld technique,' Spock said very seriously.

'My ally?' Severus repeated. He had a hard time believing that; they'd come to an understanding of some sort tonight, but Harry was so young - and so much like his father, making too-hasty decisions.

'An ally and a friend. His life hasn't been exactly pleasant, you know,' Spock said.

Severus sighed deeply and admitted, 'I know, but I wish he paid attention when I try to help him, or teach him something.'

'He will now,' Spock declared.

Severus took a deep breath.

'I'll go and sleep for a few hours. I'll make up my mind in the morning,' Severus said.

'I can sleep only tomorrow. I'll retire to meditate a few minutes next to Leonard, but I'll make sure that no one comes and disturbs us,' Spock said.

Severus prepared his dose of Sleeping potion, and he was about to go to his bedroom when it occurred to him that he was dying to ask Spock one question.

'Do you have children?' Severus asked.

'No, and I will not father any, but adoption is a tradition in our family,' Spock said.

'I'm sorry,' Severus said.

Spock laughed heartily.

Severus wondered what was so funny.

'With our peculiar family history, Mother knew that she would find a way to have me in spite of her biology being so completely different from father's, but if the son of Amanda Grayson and Sarek of Vulcan was to go back in time to help our family become stronger, then she knew she would succeed,' Spock said.

Severus nodded and said, 'Odd, but logical.'

'I could probably father a child. There are techniques that have been perfected since my birth. I even was engaged once,' Spock said.

'What happened?' Severus asked.

'Vulcan is a place where logic is extremely important. In order to save our race from becoming extinct through wars, we abandoned emotions, but the price is that every seven years we're caught in what we call "blood fever" and that urges us to find a mate, or we die. I was suffering from that fever when I went back to the fiancée I was given as a child. She broke the engagement, and it was for the best,' Spock explained.

'Was it?' Severus asked.

Spock smiled and said, 'My parents thought she would be good for me, but they could not imagine that I wouldn't have much taste for her gender.'

Severus's eyebrows rose. 'What will you do when you catch that fever again?' Severus wondered.

'I have four years to find a mate,' Spock said, shrugging.

'It's so short. Look at me, I haven't been in a relationship for... almost a decade. If this condition is life-threatening, you should start looking into it,' Severus advised his guest.

Spock chuckled and said, 'You sound like a father.'

Severus hated himself for blushing. 'If so, listen to me!' he barked.

'I'll try,' Spock promised.

'Is there no one you'd like to become your companion?' Severus asked.

Spock looked sad when he answered, 'First, I'm going to make sure that you and Wendy are safe, and then I'll try to see if the impossible might become possible in the future.'

'Merlin! So much for someone who's supposed to have no emotions! You're in love with someone,' Severus declared.

Spock was pointedly looking at the floor when he said, 'I am, but I doubt he'll ever be interested.'

'Spock, tonight I almost had to kill Albus, Black is back, your Dr McCoy apparently knows the particular detail that escaped me in my search for a cure to lycanthropy, and I'm talking over a cup of tea with the half-alien descendant of the baby I rescued three years ago. You never know what the future holds,' Severus said.

'Yes, sir,' Spock answered.

Severus went to his room, settled in bed, and drank his potion - he needed a dreamless sleep.

Spock worked in the lab for two hours, and then he followed Wendy Snape's instructions. Spock went to Severus's room and used a Vulcan link to encourage the wizard to trust him; Wendy told her children that Spock confessed what he did that night just before the final battle.

After that, Spock went to the room where Leonard was sleeping peacefully. The Vulcan knew that his ancestor was right, and four years were a short period of time, but he could not bring himself to try and find a mate when he'd fallen for the insufferable human who was the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer.

The people of Vulcan wanted to believe that life was logical, but Spock knew how wrong that was.

Spock thought that though it was a torture, it was his one opportunity to open his heart to the man he loved. Spock knew what Severus's potion did, and Leonard would not wake up before at least three more hours.

Spock was too influenced by his human heritage right then; and he forgot two things: Leonard would not wake up, but his mind would register what Spock told him, and since their communicators were on their bedside table, even though he spoke in Vulcan, Leonard understood each and every word of Spock's confession.

Dawn would bring the beginning of a new era.

Long before the first rays of sun reached the Hogwarts grounds, Spock dared to caress Leonard's hair, and then he went back to Severus's lab.

There was a very soft knock on the door, and Spock knew who was on the other side of the door, thanks to the very detailed account Wendy Snape had left for her descendants.

Harry joined Spock.

'You're up early,' Spock stated.

'I'm getting used to Sleeping potions,' Harry explained.

'You should tell that to Professor Snape,' Spock said.

'Is there anything I can do to help you?' Harry asked.

'Yes, Mr Potter, answer me,' Spock said. 'Besides that, I can deal with the lab alone, thank you.'

Harry chuckled and said, 'It's so strange. You're so much like Sn... Professor Snape.'

Spock stopped working on what he was doing, and he looked pointedly at Harry.

Harry smiled warmly.

The young wizard came to sit close to the alien guest and he whispered, 'I don't think it's important.'

'Don't you trust him?' Spock asked.

Thanks to his extremely good ears, Spock knew that Severus was listening to them behind the door that led to his parlour.

'I do. Yesterday, I got to understand quite a few things. It's as if I got a good smack on the head - one that got me back in line,' Harry said.

Spock tilted his head, and Harry went on, 'If Sirius told you about me, I guess he mentioned Professor Snape, too. When he was trying to teach me Occlumency, I saw something in his memories, and it made sense only last night. I trust him, and now I do respect him, but I understand why he's so unhappy with me. My own father and his best friend, my godfather, were nasty when they went to school with him. When I came here, I knew nothing, and I assumed he was a Dark wizard because I listened to what people said about him. He'd be right to hate me.'

'I have the feeling that there's something you're not telling me,' Spock said.

Harry gave Spock a small smile and said, 'You're good.'

'And if you answer so slowly in class, I'm beginning to wonder how you managed to reach this level,' Spock said.

Strangely, Harry felt that Spock wasn't aggressive. Harry couldn't have explained why he felt what the alien meant, but Spock was teasing him the Vulcan way.

'I got awfully lucky,' Harry answered. He took a deep breath and went on, 'I wanted so much for my dad to be a hero. I guess he loved Mum a lot, but he was a brat. The godfather they chose to give me used Remus once because Sirius hates Professor Snape. Sirius didn't pause to think that he would have condemned Remus to death. On top of it, I did to my teacher what people do to me - I believed rumours and hearsay. He made a blunder when he joined Riddle, but if anyone had stopped my dad and Sirius, maybe he wouldn't have been tempted to become a Death Eater. He'd be right to be angry with me.'

'Maybe you can make amends and prove to him that you've changed,' Spock suggested.

'I hope I can. I had a rude awakening yesterday,' Harry said.

Spock kept on preparing the lab with the ingredients Severus and Leonard would need in a few hours.

Spock could easily imagine that Severus was trying to make up his mind about Harry.

'Are you sure there's nothing I can do?' Harry asked.

'Affirmative,' Spock said. 'I'm done.'

Severus joined them right then.

'I see you worked a lot,' Severus told Spock.

'Vulcans can do without sleep for long periods of time. What we need is meditation. I joined Leonard for a short time, and then I came back here. Once Leonard checks that I worked to his liking - and after you agree with his conclusions, you can start working on a cure for the lycanthropy poisoning,' Spock said.

'I don't need Leonard to tell me anything. I can see that your work is perfect,' Severus said.

Spock bowed.

'I can leave if you want,' Harry said.

'I don't want you anywhere near our work,' Severus paused and finally said, 'Harry. But you can stay in the lab if you want.'

'Thank you, sir,' Harry said.

Severus decided to test Harry. 'What are you doing up so early, Harry?' Severus asked.

Harry looked at Severus, and then at Spock, and he sighed deeply.

'It looks like I'm reacting less to Sleeping potions now,' Harry admitted.

'When were you planning to tell anyone?' Severus inquired.

'I thought that I was so stressed and it worked less, or that I was beginning to get used to the magic in them... I don't know. And I'm telling you now. I could have told you some lie,' Harry said.

Severus looked at his student with an intensity that surprised Harry.

'It might be a sign that the Dark Lord is trying to control you - especially with what happened yesterday,' Severus explained.

'Do you want to do something to check that?' Harry suggested.

Severus blinked twice.

'Indeed,' Severus said.

'I think Professor Snape believes you are not your usual self,' Spock declared.

'Oh!' Harry exclaimed. 'I understand. Well, Professor, you can enter my mind if you want.'

'Since it could be a trap, would you like me to back you up?' Spock offered Severus.

'Thank you,' Severus answered.

'While we'll both be in Mr Potter's mind, I could show him what he needs to know to understand Legilimency and Occlumency,' Spock suggested.

'Whoa! You're learning fast!' Harry said.

'I pay attention, Mr Potter,' Spock pointed out.

'You might want to take a leaf from his book,' Severus declared.

Harry nodded.

'Do you think we have enough time to do this now?' Severus asked his descendant.

'It is three past six, and the others will not start waking up before twenty-four to seven. With the mind-meld technique, I believe we'll need only about fourteen minutes to show Mr Potter what he needs to understand for the spells to work,' Spock said.

'How do you know the time it is? And when the others are going to get up?' Harry inquired.

'I always know the time, and I was informed of the proprieties of the potions you all took,' Spock answered.

Severus smiled. His descendant might be unable to lie, but he had a way with words - if Spock knew what the potion did exactly, it had to be thanks to Wendy. The fact that Spock's time estimation was similar to Severus's encouraged the Potions master to trust the alien.

'To the parlour, then,' Severus said.

They settled on the sofa.

Spock linked with Harry first, and Severus joined them.

First, Severus assessed if the Dark Lord was trying to use Harry, but it turned out that Harry was only very tired.

Then, Severus explained the magic behind the two spells Harry needed, and with Spock's logical mind to show him how it worked, Harry finally understood.

They put an end to their link, and Severus tested Harry's new abilities.

'Congratulation, you're a Legilimens and an Occlumens,' Severus told Harry.

'Thank you, sir,' Harry said. He turned to Spock and added, 'And thank you for making things clear. I was too tense to see what I had to do.'

Spock bowed slightly.

Harry looked at Severus and summoned all his Gryffindor courage to say, 'Sir, I want to apologize for being so awful.'

'Apology accepted,' Severus sighed.

Harry tilted his head, wondering why his teacher looked so sad and drained suddenly.

'I was harsh with you for two reasons. Albus didn't tell me everything about the situation, and I hate not knowing all the details,' Severus began.

'I understand, sir,' Harry said.

'And then there is the secret I mentioned yesterday. I was afraid you'd discover it, and if so, I knew I would have been tempted to silence you,' Severus confessed.

Harry blinked.

'I bet the Headmaster wouldn't be too happy about it, but would you like me to swear that I won't betray you? You could tell me your secret, and I could swear to keep it, and not to reveal the information I need about your initiation. I know I can change your Mark. If I'm bound to you, and you're bound to me, then we'd be allies,' Harry said.

Severus flinched.

'What stupidity did I say this time?' Harry wondered sadly.

'It's not a stupidity. It's something you don't know yet. If we were to bond twice, you would become my magical consort,' Severus explained.

'What does it mean?' Harry asked.

'It means that our magic would be linked, and we'd be registered as married - for lack of a better word,' Severus explained patiently.

Harry gaped.

However, the young wizard recovered fast and said, 'Could we get a divorce after the war? Linking our magic sounds like something that could allow us to kick Riddle's arse. How does it work?'

Severus's eyes acquired house-elf proportions.

Spock was secretly enjoying himself, and he was looking forward to sharing all this with his beloved mother.

'There's no such thing as a magical divorce. A bond contracted is contracted forever,' Severus said in a whisper.

'Drat! Ginny would kill me,' Harry murmured. He looked at Severus and blinked.

'Harry?' Severus asked.

'I was wondering...' Harry's voice trailed off.

'I am not Trelawney,' Severus growled.

The mention of the Divination Professor brought Harry back to the here and now.

'I love Ginny, you see, but I was wondering if this magical bond would force us to be husbands. Couldn't we be allies in the Wizarding world? Maybe I could marry Ginny the Muggle way. Or is there a law that forbids it?' Harry asked.

Severus blinked several times, and he looked at Spock. The Vulcan had a tiny smile that just told Severus it was exactly what was meant to happen.

'I guess it would be possible for you to marry Miss Weasley according to the Muggle laws. I even imagine that this paradox could be registered to make her your primary spouse. Besides, I would never bother you, or try to abuse you,' Severus said.

'I know. I saw bits of what you've been through,' Harry said softly.

Severus shuddered.

'However, you must speak with Ginevra first if she means so much to you,' Severus said.

'She looks like a fascinating young lady. I'm sure she'll understand how important such an alliance could be in your war,' Spock declared.

While Harry nodded several times, Severus groaned.

'You wouldn't agree to have me change your Mark without having me swear first, would you?' Harry tried.

Severus groaned again.

'There is too much at stake,' Severus answered.

'Then you'll need to bind me to you through the Unbreakable Vow,' Harry stated quietly.

'Albus would kill me,' Severus whispered.

'We don't have to tell him, and now we can both hide it from him,' Harry pointed out.

'We'll need someone to help us with the spell,' Severus reminded him.

'I think I can do it,' Spock intervened.

Severus opened his mouth to retort something. He looked at Spock and closed his mouth.

'It is the only logical thing to do,' Spock declared.

'I don't know if it's logical, but I know that I want to stop fearing for my life and the lives of those I love. I want to live, not to fight. I want this war to end so I can build the family I never had,' Harry said.

Severus looked at Spock and asked, 'Can you do it?'

'This is what I've been told,' Spock answered.

That sounded a bit cryptic to Harry's ears, but he had something else on his mind right then.

'This would start a potential bond between us,' Severus repeated to Harry.

'I seem to have located my brain or possibly grown up, Professor. It's an alliance. I'm not going to start buying you flowers or asking you on a date, but... can you imagine what we could do together? Can you imagine Riddle's face when we fight him together?' Harry asked.

'I am relieved to hear that only Miss Weasley will be the centre of your attentions, and I must say that you have a way to make things potentially interesting,' Severus granted.

Harry knelt in front of his teacher, and Severus joined him on the floor.

They clasped their right hands, and Spock placed the index and middle fingers of his left hand on their joined hands.

'Harry, will you protect my secret at the cost of your life if need be?' Severus asked.

'I will,' Harry swore.

Spock managed to have the spell work.

'Will you keep the details of my initiation secret?' Severus asked.

'I will,' Harry promised.

Severus felt the spell work again, and he wondered how many aces his descendant had up his sleeve.

Severus felt strangely bold, and he asked Harry one more thing, 'If I were to be killed, will you keep protecting the person I am protecting now?'

'As long as it's not Riddle, I will,' Harry answered.

Spock helped complete the bond between them.

'If you betray me, you will die,' Severus told his student.

'I know, sir,' Harry said, rolling his eyes.

Severus turned to Spock and asked, 'Are you sure about Granger? Maybe Harry could do it instead.'

'It has always been the plan, but I had to let you see that it would be for the best. He knows enough about the Muggle world to guide me,' Spock declared.

'Insufferable elf!' Severus growled.

'You sound like my Leonard,' Spock said with a warm chuckle.

'What is it that you want me to do?' Harry inquired.

'After class, I want you to report here and guide Spock where I'll tell you then. You'll go and help him bring my daughter here to safety,' Severus said.

'Oh! You have a little witch!' Harry exclaimed happily.

'No, Harry, my daughter is a Muggle,' Severus corrected him.

'Not a Squib?' Harry asked, using the Wizarding word for non-magical folks born into Wizarding families.

Severus shook his head and said, 'She's mine and not mine.'

'If Riddle were to find out, the idiot would hurt her,' Harry growled.

'I'd die first,' Severus said.

'You can't make her an orphan. I'll talk to Ginny as soon as possible,' Harry said.

Severus looked surprised.

'Everything's going to be fine,' Spock promised.

'I hope you're right. I'd like to see my daughter grow up,' Severus admitted.

'What's her name?' Harry asked.

'Wendy,' Spock answered.

'How do you know?' Harry asked.

'I have a bit of her blood in my veins,' Spock said. 'And since you swore to protect her, you can't tell anyone who I am because of my very link with her.'

Harry swirled to face Severus and asked, 'Is it true?'

'A Lineage spell showed me Spock is a kin of my daughter,' Severus answered.

'It explains the way you both look,' Harry chuckled.

'Wendy is not my biological daughter,' Severus protested.

Harry laughed softly and said, 'I don't know how it happened, but you do look like family.'

Severus shook his head. He had the feeling that the end of the War would be utterly odd.

'When I think that I thought yesterday was weird!' Harry exclaimed. 'I'll rush back here right after my last class for the day.'

'Ask Miss Wesley to join us, she can keep Leonard and Professor Snape company while we go and bring Wendy back,' Spock said.

'Is this another thing that's meant to happen?' Severus asked Spock, who nodded.

Leonard joined them then. Narcissa and Draco arrived soon afterwards.

'I'll ask you a thing or two about the plan after class, sir,' Harry announced.

Severus nodded, pleased to see that Harry seemed to have learnt to keep his mouth shut.

'I should spell you into Wizarding clothes,' Narcissa declared, just a moment before Dobby arrived in the parlour with the witch's breakfast on a tray.

'What are you planning to do, Ma'am?' Leonard inquired.

'I'm going to use magic to transform your clothes into items that will not tell wizards and witches that you are Muggles. It is perfectly safe, and the spell on your clothes can be reversed,' she explained. 'And do call me Narcissa, please,' she added.

Leonard bowed.

'Be a good Slytherin,' Severus told the witch.

'Always,' she said as she took her wand. She looked at Spock and asked, 'May I proceed?'

'Of course,' Spock answered warmly.

Narcissa tilted her head and said, 'Green outer robes would suit you.'

The witch flicked her wand, and Spock's uniform was transformed. He now wore a white shirt, and black jacket and trousers that looked a bit like Severus's, and his outer robes were Slytherin green.

Spock touched the green robes, and they were the softest thing he'd ever touched.

'Thank you, Narcissa,' Spock said.

One corner of Severus's mouth rose, and Narcissa knew that he'd recognized the material.

'He is a guest, and he deserves nice robes,' Narcissa declared.

'It's a good thing you transformed his clothes, and no one had to pay for those robes,' Severus pointed out, and then he gave her a small smile.

'What's that material?' Harry whispered into Draco's ear.

'Knowing Mother, I'd say it's a magical variety of silk,' Draco answered.

'Expensive?' Harry asked.

Draco nodded several times.

'May I transform your clothes now?' Narcissa asked Leonard.

He nodded and said, 'Just not something in green, I don't want us to look like twins from another dimension.'

'Green is definitely not your colour, Leonard!' Narcissa exclaimed.

A flick of her wand later, Leonard McCoy wore clothes that looked a bit like Severus and Spock's, but his shirt was eggshell, and his outer robes aquamarine.

Leonard touched the blue material and shivered.

'What is it?' he almost squeaked.

'It looks like velvet,' Draco and Harry said.

Narcissa almost growled, and Severus laughed softly.

'It's Fairy silk. The Fairies add a special powder to it; it has no magical properties, but adds to the softness,' Severus explained.

'I'm impressed,' Narcissa said. 'I never imagined you knew so much about materials.'

'You'll see why tonight,' Severus said.

'Part of your secret?' Narcissa asked.

'Yes, and I might share it with you later today. In fact, I might need your help,' Severus said.

'I'd be happy to have something to do,' Narcissa said.

'You could work with us today. I'm sure Leonard can start working on the cure while Professor Snape teaches, maybe we could both assist him,' Spock suggested.

'I wasn't too bad at Potions,' Narcissa said.

'You were very good. You allowed your husband to convince you it was improper to be his wife and to have a job,' Severus pointed out.

Narcissa sighed deeply.

'Mother?' Draco asked.

Communication had never been a common thing at Malfoy Manor, and Narcissa's own son knew virtually nothing about most of his parents' pasts.

'Before I was betrothed to your father, I told my mother that I wanted to become a Healer. The entire family conspired to make me change my mind,' she explained.

'You're a young witch, you could become one after the War,' Harry said.

Narcissa looked at him, clearly surprised.

'The Gryffindor has got a point,' Severus intervened.

'I don't know if I could,' Narcissa murmured.

'I can help you with that. At one point, I was interviewing candidates who wanted to train at Starfleet Hospital,' Leonard intervened.

'But I'm a witch!' Narcissa protested.

'Yes, and from the scans I took yesterday, you're all biologically like me. If you know your biology, you can heal people - with your potions or with my shots,' Leonard said.

'You could give it a try,' Spock encouraged her.

'It would be a nice goal, Mother,' Draco added.

She beamed at her son and nodded.

'What are your plans, Draco?' Leonard asked.

'I won't make plans before the end of the war,' he answered sadly.

'Same here,' Harry murmured.

'Well, you won't win a war on empty stomachs. Harry, you must exit through the Room of Requirement's main door, but the Slytherins and our guests must reach the Great Hall through the dungeons. You should leave before Albus sends someone for you,' Narcissa said.

'The lady is right,' Severus said.

The men stood up and went to breakfast their separate ways.

Harry met his friends on their way downstairs, and they started talking about the events of the prior night.

While Hermione was explaining one of her conclusions to Ron, Harry managed to whisper to Ginny that he had something very serious to tell her. She took his hand and smiled warmly.

In the dungeons, Severus guided their guests as he informed Draco that he'd have to stand alone against his friends. If anything were to happen in the Great Hall, Draco would have to wait for Albus to intervene because Severus was still in the power of Riddle.

Draco understood perfectly.

Before they reached the door to the Hall, Draco said, 'I'll be disappointed if Crabbe and Goyle follow their fathers, but I don't want Pansy to leave me, it would hurt too much.'

'Maybe your friends will surprise you,' Spock said.

Leonard looked at Spock and said, 'Friends can be really surprising.'

Spock smiled at Leonard, which puzzled the good doctor who was so used to his allegedly cold and logical green-blooded alien.

Severus wished his Slytherin good luck and walked away from the main door.

'We're going to use the staff entrance. That way the students will not be tempted to ask who you are. We need to know what Albus is going to announce,' Severus explained.

Spock followed his ancestor immediately, and Leonard was surprised to realize how much they looked alike - especially when they were both dressed in Wizarding robes.

Leonard caught up with them.

When Severus joined the staff, Albus winked at him, and Severus noticed that the house-elves had prepared seats for the two guests, right next to him.

'Sit next to Professor Snape, that way you can start planning your work together,' Spock told his friend.

'And this way you can protect me,' Leonard added.

'Of course,' Spock answered.

Leonard thought that Spock's answer was a bit cryptic - even if he were his normal Vulcan self. He decided to keep an eye on his friend - the very last thing he needed was a Vulcan under the weather.

The three of them sat down.

'Place your right hands on the table; that will allow the house-elves to know what you like and what you don't like,' Severus explained.

Spock and Leonard did as they were told.

After only a few seconds, food appeared on the guests' plates.

'What do you think, Spock?' Leonard inquired.

'That this is perfectly edible, and that it would scare the students if you were to use your tricorder to scan our breakfast,' Spock answered.

'I'll trust your nose, then,' Leonard said.

'Thank you, Leonard,' Spock answered.

Severus smiled at their exchange. He thought that it reminded him of his friendship with Sarah, Wendy's mother.

Severus made an unusual parallel with Spock and Leonard's friendship, and Sarah and his. Sarah had had a crush on Severus when they were much younger - and it had been in an attempt to discourage the girl, who didn't interest him that way, that Severus told her everything about him, his magic and his tastes. They became best friends, and that was why Severus allowed Sarah to convince him he had to give Wendy his name and take care of her. When Severus looked at their guests, he could see the deep friendship, and he could spot Spock's love for Leonard.

Severus never told Sarah that he could read her thoughts. Even though she knew that Severus would never love her, she knew that he'd be the best father for her baby, and she loved the idea that the most precious thing in her life would grow up with her dearest crush.

Then Severus looked at his Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting next to Draco, and Pansy was hugging him.

'They're going to be fine,' Spock declared.

Leonard was about to say something about Spock turning into a seer since they landed here, but Severus prevented him from saying anything.

'It's good to have you here,' Severus said.

'I'm glad we can help you a bit,' Spock answered.

Albus turned to their guests and said, 'I'll tell our students that you're foreign researchers and that you'll stay with us for a few days.'

They nodded, and Albus introduced their guests.

The students were curious about the two strangers, but not too much. What Harry Potter and his friends were talking about, or what Pansy Parkinson was telling her boyfriend, sounded a lot more interesting. Researchers from abroad were unremarkable - or so they thought.

Spock observed the students and the staff, while Leonard and Severus planned their work together.

'It's going to be an incredible breakthrough when we produce a cure,' Leonard said.

'I don't know how we're going to explain the involvement of a doctor,' Severus said.

'Simple enough. You'll have all the credit for this discovery. I can't be acknowledged by name in your time,' Leonard declared.

Severus was about to protest that it wouldn't be fair, but Spock shook his head, and Severus shut his mouth.

Breakfast in itself was rather quiet.

The students went to their classes.

Teachers went to teach.

Severus escorted Spock and Leonard back to the entrance to the Room of Requirement located in his quarters.

Leonard, Spock and Narcissa started working together on transforming the Wolfsbane into a cure.

While they were working together, Leonard asked Narcissa what she knew in biology. He also asked her when was the last time she had the opportunity to learn anything in that field, and after his improvised interview, Leonard told her that she might well become a Healer if she really wanted it.

'It's not as if you have a time limit before you must store your dream away forever,' Leonard encouraged her.

Narcissa chuckled and said, 'It might be strange to start training at my age, but we tend to live a long time in our community.'

'I gathered that from my scan on Albus,' Leonard said.

They were surprised when Dobby appeared and told them it was already lunch time.

Narcissa put a spell on their work to freeze everything, and Spock and Leonard went back to the Great Hall.

When they reached the door the students used, they saw Harry and Ginny talking with Draco and Pansy.

Spock steered Leonard towards them to introduce themselves to Pansy.

Draco's fiancée was absolutely delighted to meet the two researchers the Headmaster had introduced at breakfast.

'Maybe Miss Parkinson could join us for tea after your classes,' Spock told Draco.

'Thank you so much, sir,' Pansy said warmly. She blinked and added, 'Professor Dumbledore never told us your names.'

'My name is Spock,' he said.

'And I'm Leonard McCoy,' the doctor said, avoiding to mention any grade or position to the young witch who wasn't in their confidence yet.

Pansy looked at the Vulcan and blushed.

'What is it that you wish to ask me, Miss Parkinson?' Spock inquired.

'Is one of your parents an elf?' she murmured.

Spock chuckled, and she looked at him. He looked so amused that she smiled at him.

'If you were to believe my dear Leonard, he'd tell you that I'm fully elfish, but as it is, only my mother is human,' Spock answered.

'You take so much after your father,' Leonard said.

'I can assure you that you are wrong, Leonard,' Spock protested.

Leonard grinned and shook his head.

'How long have you been together?' Pansy asked.

'About four years,' Leonard said, not understanding the exact meaning of Pansy's question.

'Do all wizards forget the date of their own bondings?' Pansy asked with a chuckle.

'They're just working together,' Ginny said to help their two guests.

Pansy looked at them with a strange light in her eyes. 'I should really come for tea,' she said.

'What do you mean?' Leonard asked.

Draco groaned.

'I think she sees auras,' Ginny suggested in a whisper. She looked at Pansy, who nodded.

'So what?' Leonard inquired.

Before anyone could say anything, Professor Trelawney took Spock's hands in hers. No one had seen her arrive; she usually remained in her tower - even for meals. Then and there, Harry understood that something odd was going on. Trelawney was the one who had revealed the Prophesy about him, and a few years ago, the witch, who was mainly a fake seer, had warned him about something that did happen.

When Trelawney spoke with her weird, "seery" voice, Harry knew she was warning them about the future.

'Wendy didn't tell you exactly everything. You should open your heart, or you'll die,' Trelawney said.

Spock paled a lot. Wendy said in her message to her descendants that Spock would meet the seer, but that was all she said. Spock positively hated not knowing everything - he didn't like to rely on the few human feelings he did possess.

Her vision stopped, and Professor Trelawney felt that the man whose hands she was holding was no ordinary man. She squeaked, and fled to her quarters.

'What was that?' Leonard inquired.

'We'll talk about it in your quarters. It wouldn't be safe to say anything out here, because we're going to have to mention the place where you come from,' Harry said.

Leonard blinked, and decided it was safer not to be too curious just then. Besides, Spock looked really shaken.

'Sir,' Harry told Spock softly and warmly, 'She would have told you if there was any threat ahead for you.'

'You must be right,' Spock granted him. Wendy would never have endangered the one who was risking his life and his future by not revealing an important piece of information.

'I can't wait for tea!' Ginny said happily.

'I have the feeling that tea is going to be real fun,' Harry said.

'I'll escort Pansy,' Draco announced.

'Could you do the same for Ginny? I'll be doing something for Professor Snape when she finishes her last class today,' Harry said.

'Maybe Miss Granger could come with you, Mr Potter. I have the feeling that it might be interesting to have her join us,' Spock said.

'Oh... All right, sir,' Harry answered obediently.

The main door opened, and Nymphadora walked in.

'Tonks!' Ginny called her joyfully.

Nymphadora's hair turned bright red.

'Congratulations!' Pansy exclaimed.

'That was quick, Mrs Lupin!' Ginny said with a chuckle.

'Huh?' Harry said.

'Wake up, Harry. She convinced Lupin to marry her this morning, hence the joyful hair colour,' Draco said.

'How did Ginny and Pansy know that?' Harry asked.

'Women have all sorts of codes between them,' Leonard pointed out.

'Are you married?' Pansy asked.

'I was. Nastiest divorce ever,' Leonard said. 'But I have a great daughter.'

'Where is she going to school?' Ginny asked.

'In Salem,' Leonard answered.

'I saw one of their brochures. They have a great Academy for witches!' Pansy exclaimed.

'I must say my Joanna hates not being schooled with boys, though,' Leonard said.

'I can imagine!' Ginny exclaimed.

Spock was impressed to see Leonard lying so well.

'Well,' Harry told Nymphadora, 'I'm happy that you're Mrs Lupin now!'

She blushed, and her hair turned even redder.

Draco, Pansy and Ginny congratulated her.

'May you live long, and prosper,' Spock said.

'Thank you!' Nymph said.

'May you receive a thousand blessings,' Leonard said.

The walls of Hogwarts quaked.

Nymph squeaked because she'd received a magical blessing from a Muggle.

Only Pansy Parkinson was not surprised, but she was the only one who didn't know that their guests were not wizards.

Draco, Harry and Nymph thought that it must be the magic in the castle reacting to a sincere blessing.

Ginny looked at Spock, and when he smiled sadly at her, she almost shivered. There was something that was drawing her towards the alien, and it disturbed her. She was in love with Harry, but there was something - something magical - she felt for Spock. She really hoped she'd soon have the opportunity to talk with him. She felt that he'd answer her honestly.

Ginny's thoughts came back to the here and now when Harry asked Nymph what she was doing here.

'I have a message for the Headmaster. About a mansion he knows in London,' Nymph answered.

'Nothing bad, right?' Harry asked worriedly.

'Albus is invited to visit it with a handful of friends,' Nymph said.

Harry understood that there would be a meeting for the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

'Will only the oldest friends be invited?' Harry asked.

'Maybe the owner of the mansion will ask a few of his newest friends to join the party,' Nymph said. 'I'll go and see Albus. I'm on my lunch break.'

'If I don't see you soon, I'll owl you and Remus. I'd like to see you both as soon as possible. I want to congratulate you properly,' Harry said.

'Thank you!' Nymph said joyfully. 'I'll go and see Albus now. Be well!'

Nymph waved as she walked away.

'I'm so happy for her!' Ginny exclaimed.

Harry took her hand in his and beamed at her.

'They're quite an unusual couple, but I hope they're going to make their marriage work,' Draco said very softly.

'I don't know them, but I think Mrs Lupin will convince her husband that getting married was the best idea they ever had,' Spock declared.

'Maybe Pansy could tell us for sure if she sees auras,' Harry suggested.

Draco groaned again, but he stopped immediately when Pansy pecked his cheek.

Nymph came out of the Great Hall and said, 'Message delivered. I've got to rush back to the gates to Disapparate back to London. You should go and have lunch now.'

'Great idea! I'm starving!' Harry said.

'We'll see you all later, then,' Leonard said.

The students all nodded, and Spock and Leonard joined the staff at the High table.

'There will be a meeting tonight. Albus said he'd ask Black if he could contact the son of the entity that rescued him,' Minerva told them in a whisper.

'Do you think Black will tell him the truth?' Spock asked.

'Why don't you tell me?' Severus asked in his turn.

Leonard was sandwiched between the two relatives, but he was completely at sea.

'Maybe you should sit next to Professor Snape. It'd be easier for you to tease each other,' the doctor growled.

Completely at sea in his turn, Spock asked, 'Why are you angry?'

It was Professor Flitwick who let the cat out of the bag when he declared, 'He's not angry. He's jealous.'

Leonard looked at the small wizard, and he was very much tempted to give the man a shot of something.

Spock was positively stunned, and Leonard was trying to find something logical and plausible to retort.

Severus decided that it might be funny to drive the point home by saying, 'I reached exactly the same conclusion. However, Leonard, I can assure you that anything between Spock and me would be virtually impossible. He's all yours.'

Leonard and Spock found their respective plates suddenly interesting, and neither said a word for a minute.

Severus was convinced that Leonard's natural curiosity would make him ask something before long.

Leonard leant towards Severus and whispered, 'Why "impossible"?'

Severus smiled and whispered in Leonard's ear, 'Can you keep our secret?'

Leonard nodded without hesitation.

'People would tell you that I'm a pervert, but since Spock is one of my descendants, I have no interest in an affair with him,' Severus whispered softly. 'Besides, you'll eventually go back whence you came, which means that you have nothing to fear from me, for I have no interest whatsoever in brief relationships.'

By then, Leonard was blushing deeply, and no one besides Spock, who'd heard what Severus said, knew why.

It took Leonard a few minute to recover. 'Is it true?' he asked Spock.

It took Spock a moment to realize that the man he'd come to love wanted to know if Severus Snape was one of his ancestors.

Spock nodded and said, 'If Professor Snape agrees, there are a few more things that we could tell you.'

Severus leant towards his descendant and asked softly, 'Don't you know if this is a part of the plan?'

Spock shook his head and said, 'She didn't say much about Leonard.' He paused and said, 'The local seer had a vision about me before we joined you for lunch,' Spock said. 'From Mr Potter's reaction, I'd say she might have had a true vision.'

'I don't like that,' Leonard growled.

'What did she say?' Severus inquired.

'We should discuss this in your lab, and we could share you-know-what with Leonard,' Spock said.

'Why not? Though I'd rather do that once you're back from you-know-where,' Severus answered.

'As you wish,' Spock said.

'Who knew I'd live to see such a cryptic Vulcan,' Leonard said with a chuckle.

'It's entirely my fault,' Severus said.

Leonard shook his head and chuckled. He was happy that no one was saying anything about his reaction to the magic between Spock and Severus. Then, he realized that Spock was eating fish, and he froze - there was something wrong with his friend, and he hoped they'd be back home before Spock got into any kind of medical trouble.

'How do you feel?' Leonard asked Spock as neutrally as he could.

Spock looked at his friend, who was alternating worried looks between him and his plate, and Spock said with a soft laugh, 'Just much closer to my mother's heritage. I'll tell you more about what we just told you tonight, I promise.'

Leonard looked around to check that no one was watching them, and he wrapped his fingers around Spock's wrist. Leonard could assess that Spock's heartbeat was normal for a Vulcan, and he was not cold, therefore he dismissed his fears.

Severus told them when he could join them, and Leonard told him what he was planning to do with Narcissa and Spock.

'It shouldn't take us long to come up with a first batch of potion,' Severus murmured. He didn't want the official Potions teacher to overhear them, because he didn't want him in his lab.

Leonard nodded and said, 'We should have something ready to test tomorrow night.'

'The Lupins will be thrilled,' Spock said.

'We can't know if the first one is going to work,' Leonard pointed out.

'You're wrong,' Severus said. He looked at his descendant and murmured very softly, 'Will it work?'

Spock winked at him, and Severus smiled.

Leonard McCoy would have thought that he'd slid into a parallel dimension with a doppelganger of Spock if he already didn't know for certain that it was his Spock next to him. Everything was so strange at Hogwarts!

'I'll tell you tonight,' Spock said, his hand covering Leonard's.

Leonard forgot everything but the warmth brought by Spock's fingers on his. He could have kicked himself - it was no place or time to get distracted by his latent crush on Spock, but he couldn't help himself now that they were alone and free from their Starfleet friends' scrutiny.

Severus said he could walk them back to their quarters, but Spock said that someone would open them.

Leonard was eager to keep on working on the transformation of the Wolfsbane potion, and he thought Narcissa would open the magical door for them. He was surprised to see that Spock could find the door and open it - then he thought that the castle might acknowledge a kin of Professor Snape.

By the time Leonard knew the truth about the birth of Severus's daughter, he'd have completely forgotten about that detail. It was meant to happen this way, and that was for the best.

When Severus joined Narcissa, Spock and Leonard, he was with Harry, Hermione and Ron.

'Where is Draco?' Narcissa asked worriedly.

'He's with Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. He's waiting for Ginny to finish her Herbology lesson,' Hermione said.

Narcissa sighed with relief.

Hermione was happy to see that the Pureblood witch was not as bigoted as she'd pretended to be when she was standing by her Death Eater of a husband. The young witch smiled, and Narcissa nodded.

Harry and Ron looked at each other. They knew that the end of the war would be strange, but if Narcissa Malfoy was being civil to a Muggle-born witch, then anything was possible.

Severus and Leonard were talking about things only the two of them - and Spock - understood, and Severus cast a spell on the potion that he and Leonard were transforming.

Then Severus turned to the students in his lab and said, 'I'll have to borrow Harry for an hour.'

'Why, sir?' Hermione inquired.

'I'll explain when he comes back,' Severus promised.

Spock cleared his throat, and Severus groaned.

'Miss Weasley, Draco and Pansy are going to join us momentarily, and then you can share your secret with the others,' Spock announced.

'Are you a seer?' Narcissa inquired.

'No,' Spock answered laconically.

'How do you know then?' Ron wondered.

'Your future is my past,' Spock said.

'Believe him,' Harry said.

Spock beamed at Harry.

Leonard looked at his friend, and thought that he'd love to see Spock that joyful more often. Now Leonard could spot in Spock the faintest signs of happiness - even when he was in full Vulcan mode - and Spock seldom had fun these days.

'Ginevra's class ends in forty minutes,' Severus objected.

There was a knock on the lab door, and Draco opened the door to let Pansy and Ginny in.

'Our class was dismissed. There was an accident with Bob,' Ginny said.

'Bob?' Leonard asked.

'One of the carnivorous plants,' Pansy explained.

Leonard blinked.

Severus looked at his descendant, and Spock smiled widely.

'You should ask the castle to make the doors to the corridors disappear until Mr Potter and I are back,' Spock suggested.

Severus did that.

'I'm going to need a Diluting potion,' Spock said.

'What for?' Severus inquired.

'To add the dehydrated Polyjuice potion that will allow me to look like you,' Spock said.

Severus blinked and sat down on his stool.

'There's no such thing as dehydrated Polyjuice!' Hermione protested.

'Not yet,' Spock retorted. He knew he'd enjoy teasing the young witch, so he added, 'My ancestor will invent it after the end of the war.'

'Is that one of the things Wendy gave her descendants?' Severus asked.

'Among other things,' Spock answered cryptically.

Severus groaned.

'What's Polyjuice? How did you get it? And who's Wendy?' Leonard asked.

'The Polyjuice potion allows anyone to look like someone else for about an hour,' Narcissa explained.

'Mother gave me the potion because it was passed on to her by her mother, whose line goes back to Wendy,' Spock said.

Severus took a deep breath and said, 'Wendy is my daughter, and Harry and Spock are going to bring her here.'

Narcissa was nearly purring when she said, 'I'll help you take care of her.'

'If you need more nannies, I'd like to help,' Pansy said.

'You can count on me, as well,' Ron said.

'He took care of me, and nothing bad happened to me. I'd like to help you, as well,' Ginny said.

'I know it must be strange for you, but I am living proof that you can trust them all,' Spock said.

Severus looked at him and said, 'Strange is not strong enough.'

'Sir, why don't you leave Wendy with her mother? It might be dangerous to bring her here,' Draco said.

Severus sighed. He looked Draco and decided to trust his students. 'Wendy's mother died. I hired a nanny who has been taking care of her. Spock showed me something that proved to me that he's one of my descendants,' he said.

'Wicked!' Ron exclaimed.

Severus turned to face Ron, and the young wizard looked so excited that it amused Severus - and Spock.

'Is it because your father is from another planet that you're not a wizard?' Hermione asked Spock.

Severus glared at the young witch, and Harry flinched - he really hoped his professor would not hex his best friend.

'If you were wrong about them, I swear I'll give you the worst spanking of your life,' Severus told Spock. He looked at the others and said, 'Sarah was my only friend. She was a Muggle, and she convinced me to raise her daughter when she was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter is a Muggle, and it's only logical that the children of her children are Muggles.'

'How old is she?' Ginny asked.

'She'll turn three next month,' Severus said.

'When?' Narcissa asked.

Severus was tempted to chuckle. Spock told him that Narcissa would change, but it was odd to see a cold Pureblood witch turn into a potential mother-hen à la Molly Weasley.

'She shares her birthday with Mr Potter,' Spock answered.

'Oh! Permission to spoil her, sir?' Harry asked Severus.

Severus nodded; he was rendered speechless. When Ginny said that Wendy might start showing signs of magic later in life - and Spock remained suspiciously quiet - Severus almost gaped.

'While we're here, I'll be happy to help you. I was a pitiful husband, but my Joanna keeps telling me I'm a good dad,' Leonard said.

'Thank you,' Severus said. 'All of you. It means a lot that you're willing to help me protect Wendy.'

'I heard that you will have a lot to do in the coming days,' Ginny declared. 'We've got to make sure our youngest innocent still has her father when the war is over.'

Severus looked at Harry, wondering when the young wizard had had enough time to share with Ginny what kind of bond they'd have to create between them to protect Severus from Riddle - and share their powers.

Harry grinned and said, 'Secrecy spell cast by Ginny right in the Great Hall. I told her everything. We both agree that it's a good idea.'

Severus couldn't believe that his student was ready to link his magic with his - especially since that would form a second bond between them, and that it would make Harry Severus's consort.

'Huh?' Ron asked.

'None of your business, brother. It's between me, Harry, and Professor Snape,' Ginny said. She turned to Hermione and added, 'And mind your business on that one, Mione.'

Hermione knew she could trust Ginny; after all, the youngest witch was not at all like any of their male friends.

Severus was about to protest, but Spock spoke first, 'Diluting potion, phone, and Floo powder.'

'Where are we going?' Harry asked.

'Exeter,' Severus said as he went to retrieve what they needed.

'Is it safe to call Dobby? It's tea time,' Narcissa said.

'Dobby can be trusted,' Spock said.

Severus groaned again.

Narcissa called Dobby and asked him to discreetly bring tea for them all.

Severus gave the Diluting potion to Spock and said, 'I guess you know what to do with it.'

'Of course, since you will teach that to your daughter,' Spock answered.

Severus gave the Floo powder to Harry, and then he opened a Muggle cell phone. He dialled a number and waited for his correspondent to answer.

Hermione was squeaking by then.

Spock was diluting his potion, and enjoying himself.

'Hello,' Severus said. 'I have a family emergency, and I'll come to take Wendy away for a few days. Could you pack her suitcase, please?' His correspondent said something, to which Severus answered, 'Nothing bad; don't worry. We have a distant relative who is staying with me, and I'd like him to meet Wendy. I should arrive within the hour, and there will be one of our cousins with me. I'm sorry it's such short notice.' Wendy's nanny told him something else, and he thanked her before closing his phone.

'I don't know Exeter, sir,' Harry protested.

Ginny transformed his Wizarding robes into Muggle clothes.

'Don't worry; I know where we've got to go. I just need your help through the Floo. There's a Wizarding pub called The Golden Snitch, and once you get us there, I can find our way,' Spock said.

Harry blinked because now Spock looked like Severus Snape.

'Ready to go?' Spock asked.

Harry nodded.

Narcissa put a new spell on Spock's clothes, and they became an elegant Muggle suit.

'You keep wrapping me in pleasant materials. Thank you,' Spock said.

Narcissa smiled warmly.

'I trust you not to frighten Wendy,' Severus told them just before Harry used the Floo powder.

Both men disappeared through the fireplace.

'They're going to be fine,' Leonard said to try and cheer up Severus.

'I'll worry a bit less when they're back here,' Severus said.

'Spock took his phaser with him,' Leonard said.

'And Harry is with Mr Spock,' Ginny added.

'Did you transfigure a few pieces of furniture for your daughter?' Pansy asked.

'No! I should go and do that!' Severus exclaimed.

'Severus! Calm down, and serve tea. I'll take care of the decoration,' Narcissa said.

'Why you?' Severus growled.

'I've seen your wardrobe and your quarters and your house. I'll do it,' Narcissa said.

Severus started pouring tea.

'Sir?' Hermione asked.

'Is this what you would like to see?' Severus asked, showing her his Muggle cell phone.

She nodded several times.

He handed it over to her and said, 'I spelled my connection to my provider and their satellite. You may call your parents - or Australia - if you wish.'

'Dad would love to see that!' Ron said.

'Not as long as I need it to contact Wendy's nanny. Afterwards, I might share it,' Severus said.

Hermione squeaked when her mother answered the phone. She thought her teacher was making fun of her even though she'd seen him use it.

'No, Mama, nothing's wrong. Quite the contrary. I'm phoning from Hogwarts,' Hermione told her mother. Mrs Granger said something to which Hermione answered, 'No, it's still normally impossible, but I'll work on that. Tell Dad I said "hi!", will you?'

Hermione closed the phone, and looked at it.

'I wonder why the twins and Dad didn't find a way to make Muggle appliances work,' Ron said.

'Severus needed something to stay in touch with his daughter,' Leonard said.

Severus smiled at him.

'Shall I ask the castle to make another room for your daughter?' Narcissa asked.

'Not for the first night,' Severus answered. 'And she's not used to magic.'

'I'll cast the lightest spells possible on her bed and yours,' Narcissa said before she went to invade Severus's bedroom.

'Why does she want to cast a spell on your bed, too?' Draco asked his teacher.

'The spell is to wake me up if Wendy wakes up - though I doubt I'll be able to sleep much,' Severus explained.

'Why?' Draco asked.

'Parents worry,' Leonard said.

The adults and students prepared the quarters for Wendy Snape, while Spock and Harry discreetly left the Wizarding pub in Exeter.

'The Wendy of my future, who is the Wendy of your past, told you where the house is?' Harry asked Spock once they were on the Muggle side of town.

'She left us very extensive records,' Spock admitted.

'Is there anything you can tell me about the future?' Harry asked.

'You do have a future if everything goes as she said. The end of the war is near; it's going to be painful, but you do have a future, and you're going to have a good life,' Spock said.

'Something nasty is going to happen,' Harry declared.

Spock remained silent.

'I'm not going to ask you what's going to happen. I saw enough sci-fi series to know how much it could screw up the time line. I can feel it in my blood that something is going to happen,' Harry admitted.

Spock took Harry's hand in his.

'So it's going to be that bad,' Harry murmured.

Spock was atrociously torn for the first time in his life. He wanted so much to spare the wizard, who was so young and who had already suffered so much, but Spock knew that there was nothing he could do if he wanted to protect Wendy - and if he wanted to exist in the future.

'Why is it safer for Wendy to come to Hogwarts? Professor Snape managed to hide her until now,' Harry said.

'He needs to know that she'll be protected when he fights by your side in the last battle,' Spock said.

Right then, Spock understood that something strange was happening to him - something the adult Wendy had never mentioned in her records, but maybe it was because Spock never shared this with Severus. Spock had just lied to Harry without his Vulcan side even rebelling, and it had to mean that his human side was the one in control of most of him; it was odd, alien, and exciting at the same time.

'I'm eager to meet Wendy,' Harry said.

'The whole family kept the Snapes' secret, and we inherited Wizarding pictures of Wendy that were taken just after the war. She's a pretty child. Professor Snape loves her even more than he'll admit - at least he wouldn't admit it today. He'll change a few months after the end of the war,' Spock said.

'I can easily imagine that life is going to be different after the war,' Harry said dreamily.

They were still holding hands, and they'd almost reached their destination when Harry asked, 'Commander Spock, I'm not going to ask you what's going to happen exactly, but would you happen to know if I'll recover from all the things that happened to me?'

'I cannot tell you what is going to happen exactly, indeed, but if everything happens the way my ancestor, Wendy, said, your future will be amazing,' Spock said.

'So if Wendy knows it's because I'll stay close to her dad,' Harry stated.

'You are paying attention, Mr Potter,' Spock teased Harry.

Harry chuckled happily and said, 'I like the idea - though it's quite new. Ginny was brilliant, you know. I told her everything. How we needed to destroy the horcruxes that were preventing us from killing Riddle for good, but that it was impossible without endangering Professor Snape. I told her I had already contracted one bond, and how the spell in Parseltongue would bind me to our teacher. She knew that old law, and she said a Muggle commitment was just as meaningful as any Wizarding ceremony. She's... whoa.'

'She's even more than that,' Spock said.

Harry was about to say something else when Spock announced that they'd reached their destination.

Harry was speechless when he saw Spock pretend he was Severus Snape. Wendy was fast asleep; Spock carried her so gently that her nanny couldn't help herself from grinning widely - she thought that Wendy's daddy may not spend much time with his daughter, but he really loved her. The small suitcase the nanny packed was handed over to Harry.

Spock apologized profusely for having to leave so fast, but their Australian cousin was already fighting jet lag, and he'd like him to meet Wendy before dinner. The nanny was absolutely charming, and told "Professor Snape" to call her to let her know when he intended to bring Wendy back. Spock left after saying that the end of the school year was so close that he might keep her with him, and the nanny beamed at him. She thought that the little girl needed to see her daddy more.

'You seem to know how to hold her,' Harry stated when they were on their way back to the pub.

'It's as if something in me acknowledged that we share something. I never held a child before,' Spock said.

'She's so adorable,' Harry said softly. 'And please don't tell Professor Snape or Ginny that I said so. He'd hex me, and she'd tease me for a month!'

'I'll keep your secret if you tell no one that I think she's an angel,' Spock said.

'When you have a baby, you'll know you can hold it,' Harry said.

'She's not exactly a newborn, but that's not important because I'll never have a child,' Spock said.

'Why?' Harry asked.

'It's difficult even in our time when you're in love with another man,' Spock answered honestly.

Spock was surprised that his tongue was faster than his brain, and Harry was not ready to stop there.

'Couldn't you adopt a child together?' he wondered.

Spock chuckled sadly and said, 'He'll never be interested.'

'Ginny and Hermione said that Dr McCoy likes you a lot,' Harry said. Spock was about to protest, but Harry insisted, 'They said he really likes you. Girls know, you know.'

Spock said nothing and sighed deeply. Leonard McCoy was his other best friend with Jim Kirk, and it would have to be enough.

With the outer shell of Severus Snape looking back at him, Harry could see just how much stubbornness was a Snape trait - even though Wendy was not Severus's by blood, Spock had things in common with Severus. He decided to change the topic.

'Is your Polyjuice holding on?' Harry asked.

'I'll transform back while we travel through the Floo Network according to what Wendy said,' Spock answered.

'If she wakes up when we arrive she won't see two dads, it might be a good thing,' Harry said.

Now they were just one street away from The Golden Snitch, and Spock stopped walking.

'Commander?' Harry asked.

'Cast a light Sleeping charm on her. She mustn't wake up when we arrive,' Spock said.

'Here? On the street?' Harry asked.

Spock nodded, and Harry obeyed.

Once inside the pub, they walked straight to the travelling fireplace, and then Harry brought them back to the Room of Requirement and its extensions in Hogwarts.

Spock looked like a Vulcan again, Harry was happy he travelled back where they were supposed to arrive, and Wendy was sleeping peacefully.

Wendy didn't wake up when her protectors stepped into the room and Sirius kept yelling at Severus.

When Severus cast the spell to make the doors to the corridors disappear, the castle told Albus Dumbledore, and the old wizard was already meeting a few members of the Order of the Phoenix in the Grimmauld Place mansion. Sirius overreacted and feared for Harry's safety. Sirius had started insulting Severus even before Severus refused to say where Harry went.

Remus and Nymph had followed Albus and Sirius, and it was a very good thing.

Harry put the suitcase down and ran to his godfather - allegedly to hug him, but it gave Spock and Severus time to retreat to the wizard's room where Wendy's small bed was waiting for her.

Sirius was too happy to see Harry to notice that Severus had left the room.

Spock handed Wendy to her father, and Severus hugged her tenderly. Harry's spell wore off, and she opened her eyes, grinned and giggled, 'Daddy!' before falling asleep again.

'Is she safe in spite of Black being here?' Severus asked.

'I am still here, so no harm will happen to her. Besides, Harry would die to protect her,' Spock said.

'There's the Vow between us,' Severus murmured.

'There's more than that,' Spock stated.

Severus blinked at that.

'Harry will have to destroy all the horcruxes but the snake tonight. He can deal with Nagini when you're a free man,' Spock said. 'And, yes, I'm sure.'

Severus was forced to smile.

'Activate the monitoring stones Narcissa created for Wendy, and let's join the others before Leonard and Mr Potter run out of ideas to entertain Black,' Spock said.

Severus obeyed, and they both went back to the parlour where Sirius was trying to have Harry tell him where he went, and what he did.

Severus re-opened the doors to the corridors with a discreet flick of his wand. Albus felt the difference in the castle's magic, but he refrained from commenting on the change.

Remus and Nymph had seen Wendy, but since Sirius sounded so pissed off, they decided not to say a word.

Severus's friends and guests were eager to see Sirius leave so that they could be properly introduced to Severus's daughter.

'I want to know what you did for Snivellus,' Sirius growled at his godson.

'Don't call him that!' Harry and Narcissa yelled in synch.

Sirius was about to retort something nasty to Narcissa when Hermione, Ginny and Nymph hexed him with three different spells.

'How many times will you need to get hexed to learn to think carefully before you open your mouth?' Remus asked his old friend.

Sirius opened his mouth again, but Hermione was glaring at him, and he remembered that she was the one who helped him escape when the Ministry caught him and meant to have him executed for escaping the Wizarding jail.

'Draco gave us something that's going to be useful against Riddle, and I had to work on a part of the plan,' Harry declared.

'I'm not happy with that,' Sirius said.

Harry snorted and declared, 'There's nothing you can do. I'll have to duel Riddle. Deal with it.'

'And quit being such a brat,' Ginny added.

Sirius glared at the youngest witch in the room, but all the other witches caressing the wood of their wands convinced him that it'd be better for his health to keep quiet - for the moment.

Leonard decided that a change of topic might be a good thing.

'Remus?' Leonard called the werewolf.

'Yes, Dr McCoy?' Remus answered.

'Leonard,' his wife stage-whispered.

Remus grinned and said, 'Yes, Leonard?'

'We're going to need a willing tester tomorrow. We hope you can come here. I think it would be wise to keep you here for the night afterwards,' Leonard said.

'I'm sure Nymphadora will want to be here,' Narcissa said.

Nymph nodded fervently, while her husband took to gaping.

Sirius snorted quite loudly.

'Do you have a cure?' Albus asked as eagerly as if he were a young child given the keys to the biggest sweet store in town.

'We'll have a potion ready to be tested tomorrow night. If I am to believe our friends from the future, it will fully cure Remus,' Severus said.

'Fantabulous!' Albus exclaimed.

Everybody was happy - except maybe Sirius, who thought that it was too good to be true.

'I can't believe it!' Remus said softly.

'Is it going to be painful?' Nymph asked worriedly.

'It should not. Tiring, yes, but not painful,' Leonard said.

Severus, Leonard, and Narcissa explained what they were doing and how the potion would work.

Albus, Remus and Nymph had thousands of questions whirling in their heads, and the three involved in the potion making, as well as Spock to a certain extent, answered as best as they could.

The students were in awe, and Hermione and Ginny asked a few pertinent questions - much to Severus's delight.

Sirius wanted to cast a spell on the potion. He didn't trust Narcissa because she married Lucius Malfoy, who was so close to Voldemort. He never liked McCoy because the Chief Medical Officer never fell under his charm. And, of course, he was wary of Snivellus, who could try to poison Remus.

Severus hadn't closed the door that led to the rest of his quarters, and Sirius slowly inched towards that door. All the others were so completely absorbed by the conversation that he was able to leave the parlour nearly unnoticed. In fact, Spock saw Sirius leave, but even though it pained him, he had to allow the arrogant wizard to do what Wendy reported to her descendants. Suddenly, Spock understood better what Jim Kirk went through when he prevented Leonard from rescuing Edith Keeler, and she was run over by a car during one of their time jumps in the 1930s.

Sirius had never been in Severus's quarters, and the first door he opened was Severus's bedroom. He almost closed the door as discreetly as he'd opened it, but Wendy chuckled in her sleep because she knew her daddy would be there when she woke up.

Sirius walked into the room and neared the little girl's bed.

'What's that?' Sirius wondered aloud.

There were no portraits in the room that Sirius could interrogate, so he picked Wendy up to ask her who she was. The instant she was in his arms, he felt that there was not an ounce of magic in her.

Wendy blinked several times, and squeaked when she saw that it was not her daddy holding her - and she didn't know where she was either.

'Who are you?' Sirius inquired none too gently.

'We... Wendy,' she said softly.

'What's your surname?' Sirius asked.

'Snape,' she answered. 'Where's my daddy? I saw him.'

Sirius laughed heartily.

The door banged against the wall as Severus ran into the room.

When Sirius took Wendy from her bed, he'd triggered Narcissa's alarm.

Sirius looked at Severus and spat, 'All you could spawn is a Muggle! This is hilarious!'

'Give me my daughter back, Black!' Severus hissed.

'DADDY!' Wendy yelled.

The little girl was scared.

Severus was even more scared because he knew Black could hurt Wendy, just to get back at his old enemy. Severus could face being tortured by the Dark Lord, but he couldn't stand to see his baby hurt.

Harry reacted before Severus could say anything. He rushed past Severus, and snatched Wendy from his godfather's arms.

'What are you doing here?' Remus asked.

'He wanted to check the potion - even if he knows that any spell on it might render it useless at this stage of brewing,' Spock explained.

'How dare you?!' Nymph spat indignantly.

'And why did you wake her up?' Ginny asked.

Harry's girlfriend walked to him and looked at Wendy, who seemed to be about to start crying. Ginny took the little girl in her arms, and walked to Severus, who was frozen on the spot.

'There,' Ginny said softly, 'your daddy's here. Don't be afraid of the silly man who woke you up; he's a bit silly.'

'Really?' Wendy asked.

Sirius snorted.

'Kick him for me, Harry, will you?' Ginny told her boyfriend. She turned back to Wendy, who was wrapping her little arms around her father's neck, and said, 'Quite.'

'Snivellus got a Muggle daughter!' Sirius snorted.

'Sirius!' Remus exclaimed, truly shocked by his friend's behaviour.

'Harry, will you do what I asked, or shall I have to do it myself?' Ginny asked.

Sirius didn't see that by threatening an innocent he'd just lost his godson. Spock had been right to say that there was more than just the Vow between Severus and Harry. Now Wendy was the innocent Harry wanted to protect so that she wouldn't have to live the way he'd had to live. If Sirius was a threat, then Sirius no longer was a part of the "family".

Harry had become much stronger than Sirius thought. He grabbed Sirius by his collar, and kicked him to the parlour.

'Is this adorable young lady your daughter?' Albus asked Severus, while beaming at Wendy.

Albus's robes were so colourful that Wendy forgot Sirius, and giggled happily.

Severus looked at Spock. The Vulcan looked serious, but he nodded to indicate that everything was happening as planned.

Severus sighed because he didn't like the fact that Sirius Black knew he had a daughter with no magic. The angel in his arms made him forget Sirius's stupidity momentarily.

'Albus, I brought my daughter, Wendy, here so that Spock could protect her until we finish our job,' Severus said.

'Good evening, Miss Wendy,' Albus said very warmly.

'Evening,' she answered, half-hiding in her father's arms.

'Ask the castle to help you protect her if you want,' Albus said. 'The power of these grounds should be enough to protect her until our affair with Riddle is over.'

'I volunteer to take care of her,' Ginny said.

Wendy looked at the young witch, and smiled.

'Miss Weasley,' Severus started to protest. Ginny interrupted him and said, 'You're going to have a lot of things to do. I'll be happy to play with Wendy.'

'You look like my mama,' Wendy said.

Wendy's mother had Venetian blond hair, and Severus was forced to admit that Wendy had just acknowledged something he hadn't spotted. Ginny saw how sad that made him, and even though she didn't know what his exact feelings for Wendy's mother had been, she decided to come to his rescue with a half-lie that would hurt no one.

'I'm Cousin Ginny. Do you want to play with me while your daddy says goodbye to our friends in the room next door?' Ginny asked.

'Play?' Wendy asked.

Wendy's eyes were sparkling.

With very discreet wand movements, Remus and Albus made two cuddly toys. Remus made a small brown bear, and Albus created a Slytherin green owl.

'Look!' Ginny said pointing at the toys.

'Oh!' Wendy exclaimed.

Ginny held out her arms, and Severus handed Wendy to her again.

'After dealing with Fred and George for years, I can handle staying with her until it's dinner time,' Ginny said.

'I'll stay with them,' Spock announced.

Severus knew that his descendant was still carrying his weapon, therefore he agreed to go back to the parlour.

Spock, Ginny and Wendy stayed in Severus's bedroom.

Once the door was closed, Severus growled, 'I'm going to kill him!'

In the parlour, Leonard heard what Severus said. The doctor was leaning against the wall, and he was enjoying the show - Sirius was being insulted by Ron, Draco, Pansy, Nymph, Narcissa, and last but not least, Harry.

'You'll have to join the line!' Leonard informed Severus.

'I think you should go back to your mansion, and think about your behaviour, Sirius,' Albus scolded him.

'What about the meeting?' Sirius barked.

'It would be better to hold it the day after tomorrow,' Albus declared. 'Besides, it'll give me time to contact everybody in the Order - and the youngest members will be free to join us.'

'I must stay and protect Wendy,' Harry declared.

'She's a bastard,' Sirius spat.

Narcissa hexed her relative, and he shot her a nasty look.

'I need all the members to coordinate our actions, Harry,' Albus said.

Harry wanted to protest, but Narcissa intervened, 'I can't leave the castle. I'll stay with her.'

Harry had felt the strength of her spells, so he nodded.

The whole situation gave Sirius a sadistic idea. 'I'll go and prepare the mansion for a major meeting, then,' Sirius declared.

He took Floo powder from a pot on the mantelpiece, and he left after mumbling a vague goodbye.

'I don't like his reaction,' Nymph said.

'You should go and spy on him,' Pansy suggested.

Remus nodded at that.

'We'll be waiting for you tomorrow. Come as soon as you can,' Leonard told the Lupins.

The couple left, and only the inhabitants of Hogwarts and the guests of the castle were left in the magical quarters.

'You should start working on the horcruxes right after dinner,' Severus told Harry.

'Except Nagini, or Riddle would know,' Harry said.

'Of course,' Severus granted.

'Will you need anything?' Albus asked Harry.

'It'd be easier if I could work here,' Harry answered.

The look Severus and Harry traded told Albus there was more than just the question of the horcruxes, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what they were planning to do to protect Severus from his alleged first master.

Albus allowed Harry to move in with the other guests.

'Severus will have to stay and have dinner here with me. We mustn't frighten Wendy,' Narcissa said.

'Spock and I could stay, as well,' Leonard suggested.

They were all so eager to meet Wendy that Albus decided to allow them all to have dinner in the Room of Requirement.

Severus and Leonard went to the bedroom.

Severus opened his door, and when Leonard saw what Spock was doing, he laughed softly.

'I so want to read his official report when we're back!' Leonard said with a chuckle.

Wendy was riding on Spock's back, while Ginny made sure that the little girl and her two cuddly toys didn't fall off their Vulcan "horse".

'Miss Wendy said I had the ears for the part, and Lady Ginevra agreed,' Spock said, trying to sound wounded.

Wendy giggled happily.

'I'm glad I was here to see this!' Leonard said, still chuckling.

Spock winked at his friend, and Leonard winked back.

'We're all having dinner here,' Severus announced.

'Cousin Spock said that,' Wendy said. 'We have so many cousins!'

'They live in Australia,' her father lied.

For the little girl, it was as far as Mercury or Pluto.

Severus went to pick Wendy up.

'Ginevra, the toys are your responsibility; Leonard, help your mate up, will you?' Severus said. 'Dinner should be ready in a moment.'

Severus went out, quickly followed by Ginny, who was practically giggling because of the look on Spock and Leonard's face.

Leonard held his hands out to Spock, and helped him up even though Spock didn't need help.

The simple contact made Spock shiver. He wanted so much more than to just hold hands. His wish was granted in a twisted way when Leonard placed one hand on his brow.

'You're a bit too warm. I'll check your vitals after dinner,' Leonard announced.

'As you wish, but it must be the emotion of meeting Wendy,' Spock said.

'I hope it's just that, and you didn't catch a local cold or some magical thing,' Leonard said.

'I'm moved. That's all, Leonard,' Spock said.

Leonard wasn't convinced, but he could wait until after dinner to scan his friend.

'Let's join the others,' Leonard said.

Spock nodded slowly.

Leonard was worried, but he knew his Vulcan by heart, and he'd have more luck observing his friend than trying to make him say what was actually wrong.

In the parlour, Severus was lost. Wendy knew nothing about magic, and he didn't want to frighten her.

'Tell her everything simply,' Spock said.

'Did you never use your wand when she was around?' Ginny asked her teacher.

'When she was a baby, Sarah wanted me to have her used to my nature, but I stopped after...' Severus's voice trailed off. He didn't want to mention Sarah's death in front of their daughter. 'I didn't want to risk Wendy speak about it and have her nanny think she was insane or something. She's a good woman, and I trust her with Wendy's well-being, but I don't trust her as a Muggle.'

'Muggle?' Wendy repeated.

'I'm Muggle-raised, maybe I can do this,' Harry offered.

Hermione cleared her throat, which prompted Harry to swirl to face her as he said, 'And the only one watching telly because Dudley keeps the thing on day and night.'

'You have a point,' Hermione conceded.

Harry looked at Severus and asked, 'Was she allowed to watch television?'

Severus blinked.

'Yes,' Wendy answered.

Harry grinned at her and winked, which made her giggle. He turned to Severus and asked, 'May I explain what we can do, and show her?'

As soon as Severus nodded, Harry went to crouch next to Wendy who was on the sofa, next to Narcissa.

Harry mentioned cartoons and series about witchcraft the little girl had seen, and he told her some of it was true, and that except Cousin Spock and Cousin Leonard, everybody in the room could do magic.

Wendy thought that Harry was making fun of her, so Harry took his wand and transfigured one of the cushions in a Gryffindor red lion, and he gave it to Wendy.

'Why are you all transfiguring my cushions?' Severus asked rhetorically.

'Sorry, Professor, but it's too tempting to do something to make her smile,' Harry said with a happy grin.

'Just... don't spoil her,' Severus said.

'Mama did magic, too?' Wendy asked.

'No, Darling,' Severus answered lovingly, 'the only magic she ever did was you.'

Narcissa beamed at her ally, and the female students were tempted to coo because of such an adorable statement, but they were afraid to lose House points.

'Mama had no magic, but you do. Can I do magic?' Wendy asked.

Wendy didn't see her father pale, because she turned to Ginny when she said, 'You're too young to show signs of magic yet.'

'When can I do magic?' Wendy asked her Cousin Ginny.

'There's no way to know, Sweetheart. It could be tomorrow, it could be in three years,' Harry told her.

If Harry had told her that she might become a witch in three millennia, Wendy would not have been sadder. For such a little girl, three years were an eternity.

Narcissa caressed her hair and said, 'Now that you're here with us, it's going to be different.'

'Really?' Wendy asked.

'Of course,' Narcissa promised.

It was not exactly a lie. Severus was convinced that his daughter would never be a witch, but by bringing her to Hogwarts, he might have changed the future.

Spock knew what would happen to the little Muggle, but he couldn't share the information with Severus - or he would be tempted to change his future, which would destroy Spock's past.

Wendy was introduced to Dobby, and the house-elf prepared a feast for the little girl.

Hermione sat with Ron, Harry with Ginny, Draco with Pansy, Spock with Leonard, and Wendy was sandwiched between her dad and Narcissa.

Wendy observed the people in her new playground, and just before dessert, she giggled.

'Darling?' Severus said.

'Everybody go two by two,' she whispered.

Severus looked at the three couples of students, and the two guests from the future, and he had to admit his daughter was right. When he saw that she was looking at Narcissa, it pained her.

'Not exactly,' Severus told her.

'Why not?' Wendy asked with a pout.

'Cousin Narcissa is married to Cousin Lucius,' Ginny intervened.

Wendy looked a bit sad.

'You can always come to see me, Wendy. And I'm sure your dad will make sure we stay in touch,' Narcissa said.

Wendy nodded, but she was disappointed.

Severus sat her on his lap and said very softly, 'Your mama was the only lady in my life, Wendy.'

She nodded again and said, 'I have you, Daddy.'

Harry cooed - and he immediately put one hand on his mouth.

'Potter, Weasley,' Severus said with his "teacher" voice, which made Ginny and Harry shiver. 'I forgot to give Gryffindor two points.'

Ron grinned and said, 'I say we enrol all the Gryffindors to spoil Wendy.'

Wendy's happy laugh prevented her father from glaring at Ron.

'She wasn't completely right about the couples,' Spock said barely above a whisper.

He was next to Pansy, who laughed heartily.

'I think, my darling Pansy said something about your auras,' Draco declared.

'True! You said you'd tell us more!' Harry exclaimed.

'It's just a strange gift I have,' Pansy said, blushing.

'So, what can you tell us?' Ron asked.

They all looked ready to accept her unusual magical gift; therefore she decided to trust them.

There was one thing she could not tell in front of everybody, but she could help Spock and Leonard.

'I can see that there is a link between Dr McCoy and Commander Spock,' she said.

'We're friends,' Spock said immediately.

'You're more than that, but you're both too stupid to acknowledge it,' Pansy declared bluntly.

'Fascinating,' Severus said to tease his descendant.

Spock and Leonard looked at each other and blushed. One was pale green, the other bright red.

'They look like Slytherin and Gryffindor banners!' Ron teased them.

Both men glared at him, but it was ineffective.

'It's not nice to tease them,' Narcissa pointed out. 'They're far from their home, and they probably need time.'

'They cute,' Wendy said.

Spock's cheeks turned greener.

'I want to be there when you tell your mother about our adventure here!' Leonard teased Spock.

'She might think that I want to announce her something,' Spock teased his friend back.

'At least if your father has a heart attack, I can heal him!' Leonard retorted.

'Interesting tense, Doctor,' Severus pointed out.

Leonard realized that he implied he'd agree to be introduced to Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda as Spock's companion, and he simply groaned.

Wendy giggled.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful, and all the emotions of the day made Wendy fall asleep very fast.

Severus asked Narcissa if she could keep an eye on Wendy while he talked with Harry and Ginny, and she retreated to her room with the little girl and a good book.

Hermione and Ron left to go back to their dorm, and Leonard dragged Spock to their room to examine him.

'Draco, would you go and wait for me in the corridor? There's something I have to tell Professor Snape,' Pansy said.

Draco nodded and left.

'There's something I couldn't tell with the others around,' Pansy said. 'I just hope that you're not going to want to hex me.'

'Why would we want to do that?' Harry asked.

'I can see the link between you and Ginevra, and I can see a link between you and Professor Snape,' she explained.

'It's for protection,' Ginny explained before Severus could think of a lie to tell his student.

Pansy tilted her head and then declared, 'You should create a link with Ginevra and your association would be stronger,' Pansy suggested.

She left them in the parlour.

'A link?' Severus said.

'Wendy needs a godmother,' Narcissa said as she came back into the parlour.

Severus turned to her and said, 'Speaking of mother, I was thinking...'

What he wanted to say was lost when Narcissa slapped him - it was not too hard a slap, but it surprised him.

'I'll be your ally, your nanny, your baby-sitter, your friend and your cousin, but I'm not going to pretend I'm her mother. Of course your daughter misses her mama, but no one can replace her,' Narcissa said.

Severus took a deep breath and nodded.

'I'll go back to my room. You're welcome to stay with me, Ginevra,' Narcissa said.

'I need to tell them something, and there's something about Spock that I need to know. When I'm done with them, I'll join you, thank you,' Ginny said.

Narcissa left.

'I know what you have to do. It's certainly going to allow our side to win the war. I know that Mum would probably freak out, but that's Mum,' Ginny said.

'How can you know what we have to do?' Severus asked bitterly.

'Professor,' she answered sadly, 'I was possessed by Riddle. I know what markings like the Dark Mark entail, and I know what you have to do to get rid of it. I know that in the future people are certainly going to say that I'm not lucky because my bond with Harry is not going to be magical, but as long as I'm the one with him and getting flowers from him, I don't care what kind of bond we have. I'm sure that your combined powers are going to defeat Riddle.'

Severus sat down on his sofa, and looked extremely sad. 'I don't want to take that from you,' he said.

Harry boldly sat next to him, and Ginny sat on Severus's other side.

'It's just a ritual to free you. I want to do it to bug Riddle, and to protect you so your little angel doesn't lose her daddy. I'm scared because the only thing I know in all that is the bloody spell, but I trust you,' Harry said. Severus looked at him, clearly surprised. Harry added, 'And you're not getting flowers!'

Severus chuckled.

'I have an idea,' Severus said.

Ginny and Harry waited for him to be ready to go on.

'You're both of age in our world; therefore whatever you do is your business. In spite of what the Ministry wants Hogwarts students to believe, there are laws that can't be repealed that protect you as a witch and a wizard. You can enter a magical agreement to get married - even if it's the Muggle way. This would be your primary bond, and I could be your witness,' Severus said.

'But there's the Vow between us,' Harry said.

'Which is not a betrothal,' Severus pointed out. He turned to Ginny and said, 'I have been observing Miss Parkinson for years now, and I think she has a point. It could be important to add witching energy to our agreement. I am sure you would make a splendid godmother, Ginevra.'

She blushed deeply.

Then and there, they came to the strangest agreement.

Severus created a link with Ginevra to make her Wendy's godmother, and he witnessed Harry and Ginny's betrothal.

Harry summoned the remaining horcruxes, and destroyed them with Severus and Ginny's help.

'I'll go and see Spock about something he told me, and then I'll go and stay with Mrs Malfoy,' Ginny said.

'Go and stay in my room, I'll send Harry to you when we're back and I'll stay with Narcissa and Wendy,' Severus said.

'Where are we going?' Harry asked.

'We need a sacred altar for this kind of magic. The easiest will be to go to the heart of Hogwarts, to the wards core,' Severus explained.

Boldly, Ginny kissed her teacher's cheek, and pecked Harry's lips, and she was gone.

Harry looked at Severus and confessed, 'I'm nervous.'

'I'm in no better shape. My last encounter with High Magic was not exactly pleasant,' Severus admitted.

'I will not hurt you. I'm going to free you from Riddle. I'm sure I can use the spell in Parseltongue in a way that will prevent him from knowing there's even a change in the number of his followers,' Harry said.

Severus reflected that it was terribly Gryffindor of Harry to try and reassure him. He decided to be a good Slytherin and offer his ally something in return.

'Though the dynamic is slightly different, I hear, I could show you a thing or two. It doesn't have to be unpleasant,' Severus said.

Harry looked at him and smiled.

'Harry?'

'We're really going to be an incredible team,' Harry explained.

'Ready?' Severus asked.

Harry nodded courageously.

The first thing Severus did was take Harry's glasses off, and heal his sight. Harry was still busy gaping when Severus took a phial from a box on his biggest bookcase.

Harry took the hand Severus offered him, and Severus asked Hogwarts to bring them to the Wards Hall. The magic left there by the Four Founders Apparated the two wizards into the heart of Hogwarts.

Severus sighed with relief.

'Professor?' Harry inquired.

'You should use my name tonight, Harry,' Severus said, obviously moved.

'What's going on, Severus?' he insisted.

'You are the heir of Gryffindor - and of Slytherin, too. I could not have brought you here with me, if the spirits of the Founders disapproved of what we're planning to do,' Severus explained.

'So, it's going to work! Brilliant!' Harry said. 'It's got to mean that your Vulcan descendant is right. I wonder what Ginny wants to ask him.'

Leonard McCoy tried to scan Spock when they retreated to the room they shared, but Spock took his tricorder and hid it.

Now Leonard was observing Spock as he was trying to meditate.

Between Spock's more human reactions, his high temperature, and his heart rate off even Vulcan charts, Leonard was really worried.

'Why don't you trust me?' Leonard asked as someone knocked on their door. 'Come in!'

'There's something I want to ask Commander Spock,' Ginny said as she closed the door behind her.

'Be my guest, Ginny! If you can get an answer from that goblin, it'll make my day,' a very frustrated Dr Leonard H. McCoy said.

Spock was kneeling near the fireplace, and Ginny joined him on the floor.

'I am Wendy's godmother now,' she said.

'I know,' Spock answered softly.

'What's going to happen to our alliance?' she asked.

'It's going to last,' Spock lied.

Ginny felt that he wasn't telling the exact truth.

'It's going to last, but not the way we wish,' she said.

Spock remained silent.

'Why do you call me Lady Ginevra when you're moved?' she asked.

'I'm never moved,' Spock protested.

'That's a lie, Spock,' Leonard intervened.

'Why?' Ginny insisted.

'This is how we refer to Wendy's godmother in the family,' Spock said.

Ginny put one hand on Spock's shoulder and she gasped. He feared she'd discovered his secret, but he knew it was something else when she said, 'You're burning!'

'I'm Vulcan,' he said.

Leonard was next to him in an instant, and he placed one hand on Spock's brow.

'What's wrong with you? It's too soon for another Pon farr,' Leonard said.

Spock schooled his traits, and blatantly lied to the man he loved, 'Professor Snape has the potion I need. I'll go and wait for him in his lab. Maybe Lady Ginevra could stay with you.'

Spock left abruptly and went to the lab. He had a long letter to write to his mother and the rest of the family, he had to find the potion he needed, and he had to write a note for Leonard to tell him how to go back to their time and space.

Meanwhile in their room, Ginny asked Leonard, 'What's a ponfar?'

Leonard winced.

'Is it something painful?' Ginny asked worriedly.

Leonard looked at her. There was something about the young witch that made him decide to confide in her.

'Let's sit down, shall we?' Leonard invited her.

They settled in chairs near the fireplace.

'The Spock you see here is not the man with whom I work. Vulcans are different from us; they devote their life to logic - pure logic,' Leonard started to explain.

'But he's half human,' Ginny pointed out.

'If we were in our time and space, he would protest loudly - for a Vulcan - and he'd say that his human side is not important,' Leonard said.

'Which is a lie,' Ginny said.

'Mostly,' Leonard said.

'You really like him, and you're worried,' she declared.

'He's an insufferable goblin, but he's a friend. Even if we were on board our ship, I'm always afraid that what I know of his biology is not going to be enough come one day,' Leonard said.

'I understand the problem you have as a Healer, but let me rephrase that. You like him a lot," Ginny insisted.

Leonard blinked at the young woman, but he remained silent.

'Boys!' Ginny exclaimed fondly. 'Pansy has a real gift, you know. And even without her gift to see auras, it shows that you like each other a lot.'

Leonard rubbed his hands over his eyes.

'There can be nothing between us,' Leonard said sadly. He wasn't even talking to Ginny.

'Why?' she asked kindly.

'The man he is here isn't my Spock. Well... not exactly. I can tell you what the Vulcan Pon farr is, because I doubt that you're going to advertise it. They're so completely devoted to logic, and they try so hard to suppress their emotions that when they become adults, they have to go through what they call Pon farr. It's a blood fever that forces them to seek out their mate to reproduce,' Leonard explained.

'Couldn't you mate? There's definitely magic between you - no pun intended,' Ginny said.

'It would be illogical. I'm a man, and a human. I would be a bad choice. He's got enough to fight against in his life without having me adding to his burden,' Leonard said even more sadly than before.

'This is stupid. Maybe you would be stronger together,' Ginny said.

'How would you know, little girl?' Leonard asked gently.

'I know,' she said seriously. 'The one I love is about to contract a magical bond with a powerful wizard. It means that the three of us are going to be linked forever. Professor Snape made me Wendy's godmother, and we don't take such a responsibility lightly in our community,' Ginny said.

'What are Harry and Severus going to do exactly?' Leonard asked her.

'A sacred ritual. It's something that is going to get Professor Snape rid of the Dark Mark he got when Riddle initiated him, and they'll share some of their magic. I know that most of my friends - and even my family - would say that I'm stupid, and that their bonding is a bad thing, but I have the strange idea that it's going to be a turning-point in the war. It's vital,' she said.

'Bonding?' Leonard asked.

'It will be a magical contract that will make them consorts,' she explained quietly.

Leonard looked shocked.

'You react as a Muggle,' she said. 'Even if it were to create between Harry and Professor Snape something that would last, there is room for me in the alliance. I'm Harry's girlfriend, and Wendy's godmother.'

'You really love Harry,' Leonard said warmly.

'I fell for him the instant I saw him. I knew he was the famous Harry Potter, but I fell for him, not what he represents,' she said.

'I understand,' he answered.

She looked at him seriously and said, 'You should do something about Commander Spock. It would be... illogical not to spend as much time with him as you can.'

'At least, I have to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't catch a magical cold,' Leonard said. 'I'll go and check on him in Severus's lab in a few minutes.'

'Goodnight,' Ginny said.

'Sweet dreams, Lady Ginevra,' he said.

'It'd be nice if you could make your friend spill the beans about that. It's odd,' she said.

Leonard winked, and she was gone.

Leonard fell asleep reading a book.

'I'm a bit nervous,' Harry admitted.

'So am I,' Severus confessed. 'If he senses anything, he can kill me with just a thought.'

'I won't let that happen,' Harry promised. 'The spell is practically a piece of cake, but I'm afraid. I don't know how I'm going to react to... to... to the ritual itself.'

Severus groaned because he'd just had the most twisted idea.

'Severus?'

'Nothing,' he answered.

'That's a bloody lie. What strange idea did you have that might help us?' Harry asked.

'You don't have to say the spell straight away,' Severus said.

'Huh?'

'You can either say the spell immediately after we start, or I could take the edge off for you. I'm not the best partner possible, but I'm not bad either. I'll understand if the possibility repulses you because it's not your taste,' Severus said calmly and neutrally.

Harry was very quiet, but he looked deep into the eyes of his improbable ally.

'Harry?'

'I know I don't know much, but I think I'm in love with Ginny,' Harry said.

Severus nodded.

Harry opened his mouth, and closed it.

Severus waited.

'Stuff happened after Quidditch practices in the boys' showers,' Harry added.

'Been there,' Severus reassured him.

'I'm... curious,' Harry confessed.

Severus was extremely serious when he said, 'If we are to become life-long allies, I can show you what it's like for real.'

'It's not bad to want to kill several birds with one stone, is it?' Harry asked timidly.

Severus shook his head and said, 'It's better to be curious now, than later and risk hurting Ginevra.'

'Thanks!' Harry said.

'The altar awaits us,' Severus said, holding his hand out.

Harry accepted his hand, and they walked to the centre of the room.

There were glowing markings in a circle on the floor.

'This is the core of Hogwarts. This is where the Four Founders stood when they combined their magic to create the school,' Severus explained.

Severus gave Harry time to have a good look at the markings and the wards they protected.

'Where do you want to stand to seal our bond?' Severus asked.

Harry didn't want to stand on either Gryffindor or Slytherin wards, and he thought it might be a good idea to include witches in their second bond, the one that would bind them together.

Harry took position on Helga Hufflepuff's ward, which left only Rowena Ravenclaw's for Severus.

'Interesting choice,' Severus commented gently.

'We need all the witches we can get. I'm a Gryffindor, you're a Slytherin, they'll complete our circle nicely,' Harry explained.

'Hermione and Ginevra would be proud of you,' Severus said.

Harry smiled. 'They're getting through my thick skull, aren't they?' Harry said.

'Women can achieve miracles,' Severus teased Harry.

He didn't expect Harry to tease him back and said, 'Yes, I hear a tiny one has you wrapped around her finger.'

Severus was so surprised that he started laughing heartily.

Harry had never seen him like that - and maybe the wards had something to do with it - but he felt his prior feelings evaporate completely, and he knew the older man could become a friend and not just an ally.

The way he would do with Ron, or most of Ron's brothers, Harry hugged Severus. It felt so nice that Severus hugged Harry back.

'Severus?' Harry asked softly.

'Yes?'

'What about you in the long term? I'm going to free you from the Dark Mark for good, and it's going to allow us to protect Wendy. Come one day, I can marry Ginny in a Muggle ceremony, but what about you?' Harry asked.

'I have Wendy,' Severus said as if it explained everything in the universe.

'What's going to happen to you when you want to give her another Daddy?' Harry asked seriously.

Severus was taken aback to see Harry so very concerned about his future, and he caressed Harry's cheek gently.

'It's not going to happen, and we both know it. I could defeat the Dark Lord myself, and yet no wizard would want me - especially not with a Muggle daughter,' Severus murmured.

'But you never know. Look at us! If you'd told me last week we'd bond tonight, I would have killed you,' Harry said.

Severus cupped Harry's cheek and said warmly, 'My pointed-eared descendant must have done something to you, you sound logical.'

'Oi!' Harry protested. He hugged his ally closer.

Severus looked at Harry and seriously considered the possibility of finding a man to love him.

'I would not wish to spend my life with someone who wouldn't understand that Wendy is the best thing that ever happened to me, and that to protect her, we will be bonded. Someone who would not accept that has no place in my heart,' Severus said.

'A bond is not in a spell, or in a piece of paper,' Harry added.

Severus nodded, and Harry grinned.

Slowly, so as not to frighten Harry, Severus closed the space between them, and he kissed the younger wizard. It was nothing like what Harry knew, but he quite enjoyed what Severus was giving him.

When Severus freed his lips, Harry panted, 'Whoa! Good thing Ginny is not going to wonder where I learnt all that!'

Severus chuckled warmly and shook his head.

'Shall we stick to our original plan, or do you feel well enough to turn to the part where you make Salazar's ward happy by using Parseltongue?' Severus asked.

Harry looked at Severus. He was blushing like a brothel's beacon, but he said, 'I'd be an idiot to skip the fun part if this is already that hot with just a kiss.'

Severus was sincerely surprised, but he could give Harry that. It was a small contribution for what Harry would do for him.

Severus initiated another kiss, and Harry joined their sensual tongue duelling with ardour.

The next time Harry opened his eyes, he was naked, and on his back in the centre of the wards. The ground was neither hard, nor cold, and he thought it was a part of the wards' magic.

'When did you say a spell?' Harry asked Severus.

'I didn't. The wards are listening to our thoughts. I only wished for our clothes to disappear. Let me show you another trick of the wards,' Severus said.

Severus thought that he needed to be prepared to welcome Harry in him, and they were made ready by magic.

Harry whimpered, and Severus was about to offer to go as slowly as Harry wanted, but it turned out that Harry was rather eager to have sex and have more than just his own hands on his body.

Small lights like fireflies started floating from the wards. The Four Founders were blessing their ritual.

Harry found himself on his back with Severus impaled on his arousal. He had never imagined how good he'd feel being sheathed in another man, and it had been such a long time for Severus that without the magic of the two female Founders to help him regain control, he would have come within seconds.

Severus rode Harry slowly and almost tenderly, trying to give the younger man as much as possible.

Harry loved to feel Severus's long fingers caressing his muscles, and as his own hands wandered in exploration, he realized that under layers of cloth, the Potions master had good muscles and quite a nice body.

When Severus managed to have Harry's prick tease his prostate, the number of lights were multiplied. Instinctively Harry knew that that was something he wanted to experience because the look on Severus's face made him look ten years younger - so it had to be really good.

Severus squeezed Harry's length with his inner muscles, and the young man came with a splendid shout which produced an explosion of additional lights.

Severus let Harry's now soft prick slide out of him, and he held the younger wizard.

'Feels like flying at the speed of light on a broom,' Harry whispered dreamily.

Severus gave him a gentle kiss for that, and Harry kissed him back hungrily.

When Severus caressed Harry's belly, he felt his ally's muscles shiver with anticipation, and he decided it was time to see if Spock was right and Riddle could be tricked.

Harry knew it was time as well, and he surprised Severus by asking the wards to prepare him.

Severus rolled onto his back, and positioned Harry over him. He guided his arousal to Harry's opening, and when the head was in, he let Harry manoeuvre as he wished. When the head of Severus's prick brushed against Harry's prostate, Harry groaned and shivered violently.

During his initiation, Severus had found himself under Lord Voldemort as he was marked, now he had to take Harry as the younger wizard countered the Dark Mark, erased it without Riddle noticing, and they activated their second bond.

Harry found a slow and steady rhythm, and Severus waited for Harry to be ready to say the spell.

Harry took Severus's marked arm in his hands, and he spoke Parseltongue. The spell was very easy; the only problem was that one had to be able to speak the language.

Severus was speechless when he saw his Mark dissolve. He knew he was being freed, and he could tell that his former master didn't know what was going on.

Harry wasn't sure how to close and seal his new bond with Severus, therefore the older man took over. He reversed their positions, and stimulated Harry as much as he could.

Severus's arousal teasing his gland, the long fingers wrapped around his shaft, and the sinful tongue playing with his - all that was too good, and Harry came between their stomachs.

The Founders witnessed the Bonding, and gave the newly coupled allies a marital mark around their right wrists.

At the same time, the High Magic was registered at the Ministry of Magic in London. No one could ever contest their bond.

The unexpected bonus for Severus was that all proof of his taking Tom Marvolo Riddle's Dark Mark were erased from all the archives since Harry had annihilated the Mark.

Severus tried to gently disentangle himself from his younger lover, but Harry whimpered. Severus was surprised because the wards were still helping him. They were both cleaned - and not miserably glued to each other - and there should be no reason for Harry to be uncomfortable.

Severus suddenly realized that Harry had really enjoyed what they shared, and that he craved for more.

'You can spend the night in Ginevra's arms tonight,' Severus told Harry softly.

'Yes, but I think we'll only sleep in each other's arms,' Harry said.

'I don't mind your using my own bed, you know - it would be ridiculous after what we just shared,' Severus said.

'I want to keep on doing that, but if I start anything with Ginny, we won't be able to leave your bed before a long, long time. We're going to kiss, and then sleep would be a better option. It's going to be nice to be in the same bed, though,' Harry said.

'If you change your mind, I can always kick you out of my quarters tomorrow morning,' Severus declared.

Harry nodded.

Severus was about to ask the wards to get them dressed again when Harry hugged him and gave him a tender, but deep kiss.

'Thank you. I loved our bonding,' Harry said.

Severus felt the magic that gave them their clothes back. If Harry understood how to talk with the wards, it meant that he was beginning to share strength and knowledge with Severus through their bond, and it could definitely make a difference in the war.

Harry thanked Helga's ward, and Severus did the same with Rowena's; they could feel Slytherin and Gryffindor both approving everything they did as well.

'The wards are going to be much more powerful for a few years now - but we'll have to face Albus in the morning,' Severus said.

'He'll understand,' Harry said.

Severus nodded.

They held each other and asked to be brought back to Severus's quarters.

The castle knew what Spock was doing, and the two wizards appeared right next to the Vulcan.

'What do you think you're doing?' Severus yelled when he smelt what Spock was heating in a cauldron.

'I'm sorry,' Spock apologized.

'What for?' Narcissa inquired from the threshold.

Spock swirled to face her, and a bout of dizziness made him sway. Severus and Harry helped him get steady again.

Spock smiled sadly when he saw that Wendy was in Narcissa's arms, and she was asleep. He thought it was normal the older Wendy never mentioned that it would be Leonard McCoy who would represent their future during the last battle. Spock was entirely convinced that he'd die that night.

Thanks to Severus and Harry's strengthening of the wards, Hogwarts had warned Narcissa that something odd was going on in the lab, and fearing that the cure for Remus might be in danger, she'd taken Wendy and had gone to check what was going on.

Hogwarts knew what was in Spock and Leonard's hearts, and the castle had somehow warned the Starfleet doctor, too. 'Answer the lady, will you?' Leonard asked from the door.

Spock paled.

'Severus, what's in that cauldron?' Leonard asked when Spock said nothing.

'It's a painless poison,' Severus answered.

Leonard walked past Narcissa and Wendy, and tried to assess what was wrong with his friend.

'Hell, I need my tricorder!' Leonard grumbled.

'Would you like me to bring it back for you?' Harry offered.

'That goblin hid it!' Leonard barked, pointing at Spock.

Spock was remarkably silent.

Harry chuckled. 'Accio tricorder!' Harry said, extending his right hand to catch the object.

Harry caught the tricorder, and handed it to Leonard.

'Very impressive,' Narcissa commented.

Harry tilted his head because his Summoning charm hadn't been that powerful.

'I was wondering why the castle felt different, now I can see,' Narcissa said. 'Congratulations are in order.'

Harry realized that his Bonding mark was showing, and he blushed.

'Whassup?' a sleepy Wendy inquired.

'You have another daddy,' Narcissa told her before Severus or Harry could protest. Narcissa felt the little girl tense and wake up completely, therefore Narcissa explained, 'You have Severus and you have Harry, too, now.'

'Cousin Harry?' Wendy asked.

'Yes,' Narcissa said simply.

'It's just an alliance to protect Wendy,' an almost blushing Severus explained.

'But it makes Harry Wendy's second father,' Narcissa pointed out.

Severus felt that Harry was afraid he would not be too happy with that. 'I knew about all the consequences before we bonded,' Severus promised. 'You'll have to contact an attorney so that Wendy isn't registered as your heiress. I can take care of that for you,' Severus offered.

Harry looked at Wendy, and then at her father and said, 'Ginny's her godmother now, and I bet she knew this would happen. Having Wendy registered as my daughter is not an issue. In fact, if I were her magical godfather she would be my heiress, wouldn't she?'

'She's Ginevra's heiress by magic, and now she is yours, too,' Narcissa said.

'I don't understand,' Wendy said with a small voice.

Harry and Severus rushed to her.

'It means that you have your daddy to love you, and you've got Cousin Ginny and me to love you, as well. Severus, Ginny and I agreed to take care of you all together,' Harry said.

'Really?' Wendy asked.

'They wouldn't lie to you,' Narcissa declared. 'And you have me, as well.'

'Like it!' Wendy said joyfully. She grinned at her daddy and Harry, yawned, and fell asleep again.

'Are you ready to face what people are going to say about your Bonding?' Narcissa asked Harry.

Harry nodded, and he was about to explain how he felt when they heard a loud slap. They turned to see Spock checking his cheek where Leonard had slapped him.

Spock was so mortified to have been caught before the poison was brewed and he could take it, that he'd closed his eyes the moment Leonard got his tricorder back. While the others were talking, he didn't see that Leonard noticed the letters Spock had written, and opened the one that was addressed to him.

Leonard read the letter, and he felt like crying. Instead he decided that Spock deserved a hard slap.

'How could you plan to abandon me here?' Leonard growled.

The human doctor was trying very hard not to surrender to his feelings, and start crying.

'But, Leonard, I told you how to go back to our time,' Spock protested.

Leonard slapped Spock again, and stormed out of the lab. Narcissa got out of his way; she saw the tears in his eyes and knew he'd collide with her if she didn't move.

'Now that I know everything's fine, I'll go back to bed. Goodnight, gentlemen,' Narcissa said.

'I'll join you momentarily,' Severus told her.

Narcissa looked at Harry, who looked down and blushed.

'What a day!' Narcissa said with a warm chuckle.

Harry looked at her. She no longer was the haughty witch he met when she was still standing by her husband's side. Now she was mainly Draco's mother, and it was obvious that she cared for the little Muggle girl Severus had brought into their lives.

Harry smiled at her and said, 'You're a good mum.'

She caressed his cheek and said softly, 'I should have protected my baby better.'

'Given the circumstances, you did your best,' Severus praised her.

'I should have left long before,' she protested.

'It's not that easy, and we all know it,' Severus countered her.

Wendy mumbled in her sleep, and Narcissa held her tenderly. One would have to be blind and stupid not to see that the witch was longing for another child.

'Do not worry,' Spock said softly, 'you will have other children with a wizard who will really love you.'

Narcissa blinked, started grinning, and left the lab.

'Okay, spill the beans, what's wrong with you?' Harry asked Spock.

'Nothing,' Spock lied lamely.

With a mere wave of his hand, Harry destroyed the poison, and he was about to take the letter Spock had written for him when Spock seized Harry's wrist.

'You're burning!' Harry exclaimed.

'Do you have fever?' Severus asked, placing a hand on Spock's brow.

'One that kills,' Spock said with a sigh. 'It should not be happening. Not so soon after the last time. And Wendy didn't say I wouldn't come back from this mission.'

'Are you sure your translation chip is still working, because you're not making much sense,' Harry pointed out.

Spock took a very deep breath and said, 'I can feel that I'm about to go through the Vulcan blood fever. Soon the urge to mate is going to kill me, since I don't have a companion.'

'You told me you had years before this would happen to you,' Severus said.

'Coming here must have triggered something. I recognized the early symptoms,' Spock answered.

'And you decided that poison was the solution?!' Harry shouted.

'I could either become a threat, or I would die an atrocious death. Poison is the best solution,' Spock answered.

'Leonard loves you,' Severus said bluntly.

Spock blinked.

Thanks to their link, Harry and Severus knew exactly what they had to do. Severus knew Spock's secrets, and Harry had a twisted idea - together they would save Spock, as was planned though Spock was never informed of this part of the past so that he would have a future with the man he loved.

Severus took the letters Spock had written and burnt them. He and Harry took Spock's hands and led him to the room he shared with Leonard.

Leonard was in a chair and he was looking at the dancing flames in the fireplace. He felt emptier and sadder than he'd ever been. This was worse than the day his shrew of an ex-wife had left him and taken their baby daughter away from him.

Severus walked straight into the room with Spock and Harry in tow.

'Leonard, do you love Spock enough to mate with him? He seems to believe he's going to go through "blood fever",' Severus said.

Leonard looked coldly at Severus and almost choked, 'He prefers death over a bond with me.'

'No!' Spock yelled.

Leonard showed the letter he'd snatched from the pile Spock had written and spat, 'Yes, you say you love me, but the human I am is not good enough to even consider a bond. Not even if it were to be a one-time thing because we both know that your precious Vulcan bondings can be broken. Death is a better option than me in your bed!'

'I don't want you in my bed. I want you in my life, my heart and my soul. I want you forever!' Spock barked.

Severus and Harry sensed that those two would go on arguing if they didn't step in.

'Sounds like you want to jump each other, but never spoke about the possibility,' Harry pointed out cheekily.

'I have to agree with Harry,' Severus said. 'Let's save time, shall we? I'd like to sleep more than just a couple of hours.'

'And I have a date with my betrothed,' Harry added.

Severus and Harry traded grins that made Leonard shiver.

'Spock, you want to bond fully with Leonard because you fell in love with him, don't you?' Severus said.

Spock paled, but nodded.

'And you,' Harry told Leonard, 'you want to marry him because all the growling and name-calling is the only thing you've found to have him react to you, and hopefully stay close to you. You want more than just friendship, don't you?'

Leonard felt like a deer, and Harry was the headlights.

'Don't you?' Severus insisted.

Leonard nodded, too.

'As a Head of House, I can marry you,' Severus told them.

'It wouldn't be a Vulcan bonding,' Leonard whispered.

'We don't need to be on Vulcan to have a Vulcan bonding,' Spock said, his tongue working faster than his brain for once in his life.

'Dr Leonard McCoy, will you marry my descendant?' Severus asked.

Leonard looked at Spock and asked, 'Will you have me?'

'Forever and a day,' Spock answered immediately.

Leonard's eyes were shining again, but with tears of happiness this time.

'Harry, would you invite Ginevra to join us. I need two witnesses to marry them,' Severus said.

Harry nodded and ran to Severus's room.

Ginny was reading one of her teacher's books. When Harry told her why she was needed, she ran to the lab in her nightshirt.

'Nice priestess attire,' Severus teased her.

She only chuckled.

'Harry, you'll be Spock's witness. Ginevra, you'll be Leonard's,' Severus said.

Leonard looked embarrassed.

'What's bothering you, Doctor?' Ginny asked gently.

'This will mean nothing when we're back to our time - if we're to go back as Spock said,' Leonard explained.

'Oh,' Spock said.

'You see,' Leonard said sadly.

'No, Leonard, I just realized that this must have been meant to happen. Wendy said that she saw us go back to our space and time. Pon farr must be taking its toll on my logic,' Spock declared. 'Besides, if Professor Snape gives us a marriage certificate, it will only confirm the Vulcan bond I can create between us.'

'What is going to happen when we're back?' Leonard asked.

'What do you mean, T'hy'la?' Spock wondered.

'What's going to happen to us when you're back, and you're back to your normal Vulcan self? I couldn't stand losing you,' Leonard explained.

'Even my normal Vulcan self is in love with you, Leonard, but only you will know the fire I harbour for you in my heart,' Spock said.

'Aw!' Ginny cooed.

'What about your parents? What about children?' Leonard asked.

'Mother likes you for tricking T'Pau and saving me. Father was impressed when you saved him. They will welcome you. If you don't want me to adopt your daughter, we can take in an orphan,' Spock said.

'You would adopt my Joanna?' Leonard asked.

'If you'd let me, of course,' Spock answered.

Leonard grinned happily.

Life was so strange since they'd rescued Sirius Black, but it was promising.

'All right, let's begin,' Severus ordered.

Ginny stood by Leonard, and Harry by Spock.

'Hold hands,' Severus told Spock and Leonard.

They obeyed and looked at Severus.

'Leonard McCoy, do you want to link your life and your magic to this man?' Severus asked.

The "magic" reference made Leonard smile.

'Yes,' Leonard answered.

'Spock Snape, do you want to link your life and your magic to this man?' Severus asked.

Spock grinned when his ancestor acknowledged him as one of his own.

'Yes,' Spock answered.

'Create the bond you need between you,' Severus told Spock.

Spock brought his fingers to Leonard's face and linked their souls. Leonard was almost overwhelmed, and Spock cupped Leonard's cheek to lend him strength - they would surrender to their feelings when they were alone.

'Ginevra Weasley-Potter, and you, Harry Potter-Snape, do you witness this bonding?' Severus asked the young couple, using their new names for the first time.

'I do,' Ginny said.

'I do,' Harry said, grinning as if it were his own wedding with Ginny.

Severus placed his wand on Spock's left hand, which was holding Leonard's right. He said a spell, and a bracelet of tattooed runes glowed on their wrists.

'You are now husbands. I don't know how you could dissolve a Vulcan bond, but should you wish to dissolve this union, all you would have to do is hold hands like this and say what you wish aloud,' Severus said.

Leonard shook his head.

'I'll never leave you,' Spock swore.

They stopped holding hands, and the runes disappeared.

'This is your certificate. Hold hands and the proof of your bond will be visible,' Severus explained.

'Very practical, thank you,' Leonard said.

Ginny cleared her throat.

'Lady Ginevra?' Spock asked, puzzled.

'I think she wants you to kiss,' Harry said with a chuckle.

They were so shy that they merely pecked their lips.

'Maybe they'll be more demonstrative after their wedding night,' Harry said.

'Let's give them some privacy,' Severus suggested.

Spock and Leonard saw their three guests leave the room before they could say anything.

Severus closed the door.

'We'll have to keep this from Wendy when she grows up, or Spock might freak out, and not come with Leonard if he knows about their wedding,' Harry said.

The three agreed on that point.

Severus joined Narcissa and Wendy.

Harry stayed with Ginny.

When they were in Severus's bedroom, Harry laughed softly.

'Harry?' Ginny said.

'Life started being really strange the day the Hogwarts' owls came to Privet Drive, but this week is the icing on the cake,' Harry explained.

'Don't say that! It could become a lot weirder,' Ginny said. She was fighting not to laugh.

Harry opened his arms, and Ginny hugged him.

'I can feel the magic,' she stated neutrally.

'You haven't changed your mind, have you?' Harry asked with a small voice and a huge lump in his throat.

Ginny punched his arm and growled, 'Don't be stupid!'

Harry sighed with relief. 'Good. I don't want to lose you,' Harry said.

Without consciously noticing it, they waltzed to the bed, sat down, and started kissing.

When their lips parted, Ginny chuckled.

'Um?' Harry asked.

'Someone taught you a thing or two,' Ginny said, blushing.

Harry blushed in his turn and asked, 'You're not angry, are you?'

'Nah... You're here with me. I don't mind, and...' her voice trailed off.

'Gin?'

'I would not mind if he were more than an ally as long as I have a spot in your life. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't see your bond with him as a threat. It's just something else,' she explained.

'You're the best,' Harry said. He paused, took a deep breath and said, 'I love you, Ginevra.'

She kissed him again. 'I love you, Harry,' she whispered.

'Do you realize that I can destroy the last horcrux now? The next time I duel Riddle, I'm going to win, and we can have a nice life together,' Harry said.

'Do you realize that we'll have to complete school first? And that you'll have to wait for me a whole year?' she pointed out.

'Drat!' Harry exclaimed.

She chuckled and hugged him.

'Do you think that Severus would allow me to stay here and take care of Wendy?' Harry wondered.

'I think we might convince him. You know a lot about the Muggle world, and you're the best option to help Wendy integrate our world,' Ginny said.

'Gin?'

'Yes, what?' she asked.

'Apparently we're both okay with what I did with Severus - and he didn't hex me to the next millennium,' Harry began.

She interrupted him and added, 'And he's letting us sleep in his own room.'

'Yeah, that, too. How are your parents going to react? I know it's supposed to be High Magic, and I don't regret taking an oath to protect Wendy and freeing Severus, but I know his reputation. Hell! I would have hexed him myself just last week!' Harry said.

'You'll get various reactions from my brothers - more or less intelligent. Dad is going to understand, but he's seen more of the war than Mum has. Mum... Well, she's going to freak out,' Ginny said.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said.

'It's not your fault, and it's none of their business. There could be much worse allies, and there's Wendy,' Ginny said.

'She's so cute. It was strange to bring her here,' Harry said.

'She's very sweet,' Ginny whispered.

'Gin?' Harry asked softly, holding her tighter.

She remained silent, and Harry saw that she was blushing slightly.

'You can tell me anything, you know that, don't you?' Harry said warmly.

'It's a combination of things,' she answered softly.

'So?' he asked her lovingly, making the vowel just long enough to show that he was teasing her.

She looked in his eyes and decided to tell him everything. 'I was the baby in the family, and the only girl - and it was rather tough. The magic Severus gave me when he made me Wendy's godmother... I don't know. It did something to me. I mean... I know she's not my daughter, or my sister, or even my cousin, but I love her,' she said very fast. She took a deep breath and added, 'I know it's strange because I just met her.'

'She wasn't even awake when I fell for her. She's got another kind of magic,' Harry said.

Harry saw that his girlfriend wanted to say something else. 'Tell me,' he whispered in her ear.

'Well, we're betrothed, and you're magically bonded to Severus. I am Wendy's godmother, and you're her father-in-law. Do you think...?' her voice trailed off.

'You don't want me to go and ask Commander Spock what you're trying to tell me, do you?' Harry teased her.

'It's really been a weird week,' Ginny said.

'Will you quit beating around the bush?' Harry said with a merry chuckle. 'And when did he become Severus for you, too?'

'That's the weird thing. Well, one of the weird things. We're linked now. He certainly won't have another child if he prefers wizards, but if we are lucky...' her voice trailed off.

In the wink of an eye, Harry's cheeks looked like ripe tomatoes.

'Do you think that one day, we...?' his voice trailed off.

'It would be nice, don't you think? A family. Our family,' Ginny said.

'That is all I want. All I ever wanted,' Harry said. He was more moved than he thought he'd be.

'It's not going to be just us - and whatever the future gives us. Now we have a Potions master and a little Muggle with us. There are old magical laws you don't know yet, but Mum taught me everything I'd have to know to be... well, to be a mother myself one day, and run the house,' Ginny explained. 'We're really linked.'

'You know, I think we're the barmiest association in the entire community, but I like the potential we have - and I mean the four of us,' Harry said.

'We're not the barmiest, Honey, but we're close,' she answered.

They looked at each other and laughed heartily.

'When the war is over and you're eighteen, will you marry me?' Harry asked Ginny. 'We could have the wedding in Ottery St. Catchpole. Of course, I'll have to ask Hermione what we need for a Muggle wedding exactly.'

'I'll have passed my N.E.W.Ts by then,' she said.

'Does that mean yes?' Harry asked.

'Yes,' she answered.

Harry grinned.

They kissed again.

'What do you want to do now?' she asked.

'What do you want to do?' he asked her.

'I asked first,' she said.

'We could just sleep together. Severus told me we could do whatever we want, but I don't want to rush things, or risk being interrupted by a ghost, a teacher, one of your relatives, or even Riddle. What do you think?' Harry asked.

'I know the Grimmauld Place mansion is no longer yours, but do you think we could go and hide somewhere for a few days after the war - and after the end of the school year?' she asked.

'I discovered that I have some properties, so we could hide in one of them for a few days. I inherited everything the Potters ever owned. In fact, we could do nothing for a few years, or for all our lives, and I think we'd still leave a lot of money to Wendy,' Harry said.

'Really?' Ginny squeaked.

'It's going to be useful, but it's not important,' Harry said sadly.

'I know,' she pointed out.

As a Weasley, Ginny knew that money isn't what makes a loving family.

'What do we do right now?' he asked her.

'Do you think we could Floo back to Gryffindor Tower?' she wondered.

'Maybe not so late after curfew, and I don't want to go too far from Wendy,' Harry said.

'You know what? I'm sure you could stay with Severus and Wendy, and maybe Mrs Malfoy will let me sleep with her, or you could ask the castle to make another room for me,' Ginny said.

'I feel something strange,' Harry said.

'Something good or is it Tom trying something?' she asked worriedly.

'Oh.'

'What?!' she asked.

'I think my bond with Severus is a tad stronger than we expected. I think he felt what we shared and said tonight. I think he wants to sleep quietly, and he's inviting us to stay with him and Wendy - and apparently Narcissa doesn't want to leave,' Harry explained.

The flames in the fire went higher, and Severus's voice reached the room.

'Potter, Weasley, come over here before you wake Wendy up, and I give you detentions with Hagrid,' Severus said.

Harry and Ginny ran to the other room where the magic of the castle had expanded Narcissa's bed.

Narcissa was sleeping curled around a slightly snoring Wendy.

Severus was already in his grey nightshirt. With a wave of his hand, he spelled Harry into a similar item.

Ginny looked at them both, waved her hand, and spelled them into green pyjamas.

'Ginevra!' both protested.

'I was only aiming at Harry, but it looks like your bond is acting up. That should be interesting,' she said.

Ginny went to bed and sandwiched Wendy between herself and Narcissa. Harry slithered behind his girlfriend, and Severus settled behind Harry.

Wendy opened her eyes and said, 'Daddy?'

'I'm here, Darling,' Severus answered.

Wendy looked at her new pack and giggled. The next moment, she was asleep again.

Ginny fell asleep with one hand on Wendy's shoulder.

Harry found sleep only when he was wrapped around Ginny and with Severus spooning him; he even held Severus's hand.

Severus was about to start wondering why Harry trusted him so much, but the spirit of the Four Founders tricked him, and they helped him fall asleep.

The next day would be a brand new beginning for them all.

Harry could destroy the last horcrux, and they could try to end the war for good.

Severus's last thought before he fell asleep was that the next meeting of the Order with Black might not be too awful if he could hide his bonding with Harry, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix could start coordinating the last battle.

Now that they were bonded, Leonard could feel what was wrong with Spock.

'I really love you,' Leonard said softly.

'And I love you,' Spock said barely above a whisper.

'I would have died if Severus hadn't stopped you in time,' Leonard said. He went to sit in the chair by the fireplace.

Spock followed him and knelt next to him.

'I am sorry, Leonard. I didn't dare dream that you might share my feelings, and I really thought that the blood fever would kill me. Without being bonded, I could have tried to force you to bond with me, or I could have hurt someone. I never meant to hurt you. I know that I love you, but I don't know how to show it to you,' Spock confessed.

Spock was looking at the carpet.

Leonard cupped his husband's cheek and sent warm thoughts of love through their bond.

Spock looked up. He was so in love that he felt as if he was drowning in his mate's blue eyes.

'T'hy'la,' Spock said sexily.

'I know it's something nice, but I don't understand the word,' Leonard said.

'It's roughly the Vulcan equivalent of "darling",' Spock answered.

Leonard grinned.

'What will we tell the others when we go back to our time?' Leonard asked.

'We don't have to tell them about our love. We could tell them you were forced to save me because I went through Pon farr. We could always pretend that there is something in our bonding that prevents us from dissolving it,' Spock suggested.

'The glowing mark should puzzle them enough, but can you lie about us? Can you tell your father that you don't love me? And can you lie about the fact that you are not going through Pon farr?' Leonard inquired seriously.

Spock looked at his hand, where he knew the mark was, and he smiled.

'I can phrase my feelings in an ambiguous way,' Spock said. 'However, I can feel my blood burn, and I need you, T'hy'la. I know it is too soon, but the only logical explanation is the blood fever.'

'No, Honey, it's our warp back in time and your being so close to your ancestors. You eat meat here, didn't you notice?' Leonard asked.

Spock blinked and admitted, 'I didn't pay attention!'

Leonard smiled.

'What's happening to me then?' Spock asked.

'It's as if your Vulcan body hit human puberty in two days. Even if we waited to consummate our union, you would not die,' Leonard said.

'Why do I feel such a pain when I'm not near you?' Spock asked innocently.

'Because we're in love, and you want some action,' Leonard declared.

'Action?' Spock repeated, one eyebrow going up.

Leonard was so in love that he found his husband entirely too adorable.

Leonard leant towards his husband and whispered in his sensitive ear, 'You need to get laid, T'hy'la.'

In the wink of an eye, Leonard was in Spock's arms, and Spock was carrying him to their bed.

The display of strength aroused Leonard instantly, and Spock felt it.

'There are a few things I must tell you about my family,' Spock said.

'That shall have to wait until later,' Leonard growled.

Spock nodded and deposited Leonard on the bed.

'Could we get some help here?' Leonard asked, looking at the ceiling.

Spock feared his husband had just welcomed a horde of bats in his attic, but two seconds later, a pot of cream appeared out of thin air.

'I'm adventurous, and I'm ready to help you through a real blood fever when that happens again, but a little lubricant is always welcome,' Leonard explained.

'And you asked the castle?' Spock said, clearly surprised.

'Well, the place is taking care of us, and I thought the magic would help us again,' Leonard said.

'Logical,' Spock granted.

Leonard laughed and added, 'I wish Hogwarts could undress us with magic.'

Spock raised one eyebrow again, and he kissed the man he loved.

When Leonard opened his eyes again, they were both naked, and their clothes were neatly folded on a chair nearby.

'I love magic,' Leonard said.

Spock grinned.

'It's a blessing to feel your thoughts next to mine,' Leonard said, a happy smile gracing his lips.

'I never dreamt I'd feel such happiness... and it's ours for all eternity,' Spock said softly.

'I don't want to spoil the mood, Spock, but I'd like our friends to know that if anything were to happen to you before my human body collapses - logically, unfortunately, long before yours shuts down, I don't want to be left in the world without you by my side,' Leonard said seriously.

'We'll have to state our wishes clearly, because I don't want to be left alone either. My Vulcan family would practically force me to bond with someone else, and I couldn't do it,' Spock said.

'Then we'll tell them, and we'll stay wrapped around each other forever,' Leonard said.

'Yes,' Spock said softly.

Leonard initiated another kiss that made Spock whimper with need.

'I don't know what to do,' Spock admitted.

'I'm going to take care of you. I'll show you. I'll help you understand what you're going through right now,' Leonard promised.

'I'm so in love with you,' Spock said.

'You are so sweet, my adorable husband,' Leonard purred.

'I'm not adorable,' Spock protested.

Leonard silenced him with a deep kiss and said, 'You are my adorable husband, and I love you.'

Spock blushed slightly.

'The colour of your blood reminds me of all the differences between us, but it's the most precious gift to me. All those times I mentioned your green blood and your pointed ears, it was just in an attempt to have you react and say something about my red blood. I wanted you to tell me our differences were not important,' Leonard admitted as he started caressing his lover in an attempt to assess what Spock liked.

'What differences?' Spock said seriously.

Leonard pinned his husband to the bed, and kissed him and caressed him thoroughly.

'I'm burning,' Spock said.

'I'll show you burning,' Leonard promised.

Leonard used the cream to prepare Spock and coat his own shaft.

'T'hy'la,' Spock whispered.

Leonard took position between Spock's legs.

Spock was truly surprised when his lover manoeuvred him easily, and entered him in one swift movement. It was a surprise for Spock to feel his bond with his husband deepen with such a touch; he had just enough time to think that it might be his human half expressing itself before Leonard started moving, and Spock's brain cells started turning into happy fireworks.

Through their bond, they fully became one, and Leonard experienced what he was doing to his lover. It became so intense that they lost all sense of time, which was a first for Spock. They were two and one at the same time, and they shared everything. Spock felt Leonard's knowledge, and Leonard tasted Spock's awakening to sexual pleasure.

Leonard guided Spock, and Spock's innocence and enthusiasm fuelled his husband's love.

They steadily spiralled towards bliss and reached it together, thus deepening their bond even more.

Leonard collapsed on top of his lover, and Spock told him in a thought that he could stay where he was until he felt strong enough to move. Leonard was far from crushing Spock, and they both loved feeling so close physically.

Leonard could feel his lover's warm seed cooling between them, and he knew that he'd managed to make Spock come - in fact, Leonard was almost certain that Spock's shout had been heard on Vulcan from here - and yet Spock's length was still pulsing against Leonard's belly.

Spock felt Leonard's curiosity through their bond, and Spock's sadness hit Leonard like a ton of bricks.

'What's wrong, T'hy'la?' Leonard asked softly, his voice full of love, and his thoughts warm.

'It's a Vulcan peculiarity. My first tutor told me about this when I got what you would call the birds and bees talk,' Spock whispered.

'I can feel that something's bothering you,' Leonard said.

'It is not important,' Spock said.

Spock sounded so sad that Leonard wished he could wrap his love around Spock's heart like a scarf to protect his bonded from the pettiness of quite a few people in the universe. The kind thought made Spock hold his bonded a bit more tightly.

'Tell your doctor what's bothering you, or I'll give you very visible love bites that will leave no doubt as to our actual relationship,' Leonard mock-threatened his husband.

'A most ineffective intimidation, T'hy'la,' Spock said.

Leonard grinned evilly. He knew ways to make his husband speak.

Leonard moved slightly so that his spent cock slid out of his bonded. He moved to be on Spock's side, close to his heart, and he kissed Spock as he started wanking him.

In a matter of seconds, Spock was mewling with need.

Leonard stopped kissing Spock, but his hand moved steadily on Spock's arousal.

'What's bothering you?' Leonard asked once more.

'Vulcans come twice. A first time to give a biological signal to ovulate, and another time to actually fertilize the egg,' Spock explained. "It's so meaningless," Spock thought, forgetting that his husband could hear his thoughts now.

'Silly elf!' Leonard said affectionately.

With firm strokes, Leonard stimulated Spock until he came a second time, arching off the bed, and feeling as if he were a sun exploding.

The magic of Hogwarts took care of them, and cleaned them both.

'Thank you,' Leonard whispered to the castle.

Magic pulsed around them.

'Spock, do you really believe that we can go back to our time?' Leonard asked.

'I hid one single thought from you, my Love. Forgive me,' Spock said.

The Vulcan fully opened his mind to his husband.

Leonard blinked several times after receiving that thought.

'Well, I'll be damned!' Leonard murmured.

'I am the one who had the three of us brought to this time and space. I'll tell Professor Snape that I was the one who befriended the being who has the power to make us travel in time and space. I grew up knowing Q2. He's the son of the Q who played with Black and snatched him from behind the Veil. Q2 is a fascinating man,' Spock explained.

'I can see a few of your memories with him,' Leonard said in awe.

'He's different from all the other Qs. He's the hope of the Continuum, and yet a few Qs treat him as if he were a different species,' Spock added.

'Which is one of the many reasons for your befriending him,' Leonard pointed out.

Spock held his bonded and nodded.

'I kept one secret, too,' Leonard confessed. 'Now that I know everything about you, I have no more fears.'

'Fears?' Spock asked.

'You were afraid I would not share your feelings. I was afraid you would not accept my daughter because of her heritage. I'm in love with you, Spock. I love Joanna, too. It is my duty to protect her - even though she's a young woman now,' Leonard explained. 'I didn't know how you would take the illogical quality of the whole situation. For all I knew, you could have me shipped to a mental institution for telling you that my ex-wife is a witch, and that our daughter showed signs of magic when she turned five.'

'Now that you know everything about my heritage, Leonard, you know I would be honoured to share the heritage of my family with your daughter. Mother will be thrilled. My cousins will be ecstatic,' Spock said.

'Joanna is going to love you,' Leonard declared.

Spock beamed. He looked at his husband and chuckled warmly.

'Spock?'

'She's really studying at the Salem Academy for Witches!' Spock exclaimed. 'I thought you were lying to Pansy!'

'Nope!' Leonard said.

'And she wants to be a Mediwitch! That's why you knew how to help Narcissa!' Spock added.

Leonard grinned.

'The family is going to love you two,' Spock said happily.

'We could try to make the family even bigger,' Leonard declared seriously.

'Leonard?' Spock said barely above a whisper.

'Our century offers many possibilities, Spock. We could hire a surrogate mother to carry the child with our mixed cells; we could use an artificial womb. I know what it means for you, and I must say that I'd like to have another child. I would be ready to use the new techniques that have been developed. I would even take a potion, or use a spell,' Leonard said.

'I see you've read books to help Joanna,' Spock said simply.

Spock was avoiding commenting on Leonard's offer.

'I did. I wanted to be able to help her. I can't use spells, but biology is the same for Muggles and magical folks,' Leonard said. 'Don't you want a child?' he asked softly.

'I would love that, but green blood tends to have the upper hand. I would have to be the carrier,' Spock pointed out.

Leonard placed one hand on Spock's belly, which made Spock shiver.

'You would carry our child,' Leonard stated. 'In spite of your Vulcan family, in spite of Starfleet.'

'I will not live my life in a way that would please my Vulcan relatives. I learnt a long time ago that nothing I do will ever be enough for them. If you are ready to try and have a child with me, our love and the family we'd create would be the only thing that matters. Starfleet allowed me to make real friends - and to find my soulmate - but our love comes first now,' Spock said seriously.

'I could always open a little practice somewhere on Earth. I'm sure you can find something to do,' Leonard said.

'If we manage to have a child and you work as a country doctor, I'll have to take care of our home and family,' Spock said.

Leonard chuckled.

'If you call me "mommy", I will spank you,' Spock joked.

'No, Honey, I was thinking that you could take care of our home, raise a kid, work with me, and do a dozen other things, too. You're amazing, you know,' Leonard said.

Spock cupped his husband's cheek, and pecked the corner of Leonard's mouth tenderly. They no longer needed words to say how much they cared, trusted, and respected each other.

'When I call Q2 to bring us back, I'll ask him if he sees a child in our future,' Spock said.

'Why wait?' a voice said.

Leonard squeaked. A stranger was sitting on their bed.

'Two!' Spock protested with a chuckle. 'You're incorrigible!'

'But you love me the way I am, don't you?' Q2 said, managing to make it sound like a purr, and batting his eyelashes.

Spock grinned and shook his head.

'You're my friend, Two,' Spock said.

Q2 theatrically placed one hand over his heart and said, 'Why, Spock, this is the first time you've said that aloud. I'm so moved!'

'Quit being a brat!' Spock said fondly. 'I have three friends, and two are in this room. You both know I seldom express my feelings, and yet you both know how I feel about you.'

Leonard smiled.

Q2 grinned.

'Are you supposed to be here?' Spock asked Q2.

'It was always planned this way. Wendy will never know that I visited you tonight, therefore it shall remain a surprise I kept for you and your delicious husband,' Q2 said.

Spock chuckled.

'I think it's one of your traditions to bring presents for a wedding,' Q2 said.

'Two?' Spock inquired cautiously.

'Dearest Spock, I don't have to be a mind-reader to know that you both want a family. Joanna McCoy will always be your first-born,' Q2 began to explain. Spock opened his mouth, but Q2 stopped him with a wink, and he went on, 'When I bring you back, and as soon as you can, you will both take a leave for a month so that you can spend time with Joanna and Amanda. It is meant to happen this way.'

Now that Leonard shared thoughts with his husband, he knew how powerful the member of the Continuum was.

'First-born?' Leonard asked Q2.

'This is my gift for you. I can give you the ability to have children,' Q2 said.

'How?' Spock asked cautiously.

'Making your dreams come true,' Q2 answered cryptically.

Spock tilted his head, wondering what his friend meant exactly.

'It's such a surprise that you are friends,' Leonard said. He paused and added, 'Maybe it's not such a surprise and you're somewhat complementary in a very strange way.'

'Look who's talking!' Q2 said with a warm chuckle.

Leonard smiled.

'You both know that what I show is only a part of who I am,' Spock declared.

'I must say that you're nicer this way. You should warp back in time more often,' Q2 joked.

'You are insufferable,' Spock said.

'I'm so happy for you, Spock,' Q2 said. Suddenly, he was very serious, 'You're a dear friend - my only friend - and I'm sorry I couldn't tell you that you would find your mate, thanks to your trip back in time.'

'Two,' Spock said softly, 'I wouldn't have this without you. Without your help, there was no way we could have travelled back in time together with Black. Thank you.'

Q2 hugged Spock, who hugged him back.

Leonard chuckled; the situation was so strange, it was hilarious.

Q2 looked at Leonard, and hugged him as well - that was very awkward because to do that, Q2 had to lean over Spock, and the two newly bonded men were still both naked.

Leonard was used to even weirder things, and he hugged Q2 back, which deeply moved the Continuum resident.

'What is it that you want to give us?' Spock asked Q2.

Q2 stopped hugging Leonard. 'You can both have children. You could find many ways to combine your cells, as you said. I want to give you an easier way to create your children. All you'll have to do is make love, dream together of the child you want, and when you wake up, your baby will be asleep between you,' Q2 explained.

'But I don't dream!' Spock protested sadly.

Leonard patted his husband's shoulder and said, 'I fear you might have to live with dreaming in synch with me now.'

Q2 started grinning and nodding.

Spock blinked several times.

'You're so lovely,' Leonard whispered affectionately.

Q2 took their hands, and their bonding mark glowed for a second. 'There, have sweet dreams, my dears. You have my gift, and I'll see you later,' Q2 said.

Q2 melted into thin air.

'Two! 'Leonard called.

Q2 came back into the room. 'Yes, Doctor?' he asked.

'Leonard,' he protested.

Q2 smiled and said, 'Yes, Leonard? What can I do for you?'

'Our Joanna has magical godparents, but if or when we manage to make your gift work, may we count on you? Will you become a godfather?' Leonard asked.

Q2 sat down on the bed again, deeply surprised.

'We mean it, you know,' Spock added.

'I know. And as strange as it's going to sound, I didn't see that one coming!' Q2 exclaimed.

'What do you say?' Leonard insisted.

'I'll do my best to be a good godfather!' Q2 said. 'I'm going to wish you very sweet dreams!'

With these words, Q2 left Spock and Leonard alone in their room.

'What a night!' Spock said.

'Did he say "children"?' Leonard asked.

'That he did,' Spock answered.

Leonard smiled.

'T'hy'la?' Spock said softly.

'This is the most amazing gift I've ever received!' Leonard explained.

'It's the second gift I've received,' Spock said, blushing a bit.

'Spock?'

'Your love. Your acceptance. Our bonding. It's such a gift in itself already,' Spock said.

'Is there something in the air that makes us sappy?' Leonard asked with a chuckle.

'I fear that my surfacing human feelings are to account for the outburst of emotions in our bond,' Spock admitted.

'I'm glad Q2 snatched me here with you, even if it means we had to bring Black here - and I now know the full extent of the disaster he will create here. We now have a future together,' Leonard declared.

'We could hide in here if it's too much for you to face them all, now that you know what must happen,' Spock said.

'I must work with Severus on the cure for Remus, and I will stand by you,' Leonard said.

Leonard looked away.

Spock knew what was bothering his husband.

'There was no way we could let you save Edith Keeler when we came back through the Guardian. There's nothing we can do. We can't change our past,' Spock said.

'I know, T'hy'la, I know, but it makes me so sad. We joined Starfleet knowing the risks, those kids find themselves in a war, and...' Leonard was interrupted by Spock's lips on his.

'There is nothing we can do,' Spock said.

'I know, and I hate it!' Leonard grumbled.

'We must make sure that we'll make the most of their gift to us,' Spock said. 'And now we can make sure that their gift lives on in our children.'

'Joanna will be happy to have another dad, but she doesn't really need us. But what shall we do about the children Two promised us?' Leonard asked.

'I'm sure my mother would take care of our children if we don't want to resign,' Spock said.

Leonard sighed and said, 'I'm torn. I trust your mother, but I'd like to be there for the next kids I have - I wasn't there for Joanna. I know that you love your job, and it would hurt me if you resigned just for me because I want to raise our kids myself.'

'Leonard, I think it's a very good thing we bonded here because I feel I can tell you more things without having to look for the words I need to express my feelings. I love my job, and I love working with Jim, and I love serving on the Enterprise, but you are my life. I'd be happy to work with you and take care of our children with you - on Earth, or anywhere in the galaxy,' Spock said.

'We'll have to plan our future together,' Leonard declared.

'And we'll have to dream together. A child will be nice, but I look forward to dreaming,' Spock admitted.

'Maybe I should try to exhaust you, then,' Leonard said saucily.

Spock blushed, but grinned. Leonard took that for an invitation, and he started making love to his husband again.

Wendy woke up.

The little girl was a bit disoriented. She wasn't in her usual bed, and it wasn't her daddy who was holding her. She was snuggled between Cousin Narcissa and Cousin Ginny. She remembered seeing Cousin Harry and her daddy, too; she checked that they were still in bed with them, and she was happy to see Harry in Severus's arms.

Wendy remembered what she thought was a strange dream when she saw the mark on Harry and Severus's right wrists. She chuckled, and it woke Narcissa and Ginny up.

'Good morning,' Ginny said.

'Morning!' Wendy answered happily.

'Umf,' Narcissa said.

'Not a morning bird, are you?' Ginny teased the other witch.

'Nompf,' Narcissa said.

Ginny and Wendy looked at Narcissa at laughed at her.

Wendy jumped up in bed, and looked at Harry and Severus who were still asleep.

Ginny slightly turned to see them better, and she caressed Harry's hair and then Severus's shoulder. Ginny turned back towards Narcissa and said, 'The High Magic exhausted them.'

'Normal,' Narcissa croaked.

'Your boyfriend is my new Daddy,' Wendy declared as if it were the most natural thing.

Ginny simply refused to lie to her goddaughter and try to tell her some half-lie. 'Yes, he is,' Ginny said.

Wendy clapped and grinned.

'Isn't it a bit strange for you?' Ginny asked Wendy.

Wendy tilted her head and said, 'No.'

Ginny smiled warmly.

'Are you going to give me a sister?' Wendy asked Ginny.

Narcissa chuckled heartily when Ginny kept blinking.

Ginny glared at Narcissa, and then looked at Wendy. The little girl was so cute and innocent that Ginny tried to find a way out without making Wendy sad. 'I have to finish school, you know,' Ginny said.

'When?' Wendy asked.

'In two years, Sweetie,' Ginny answered.

Wendy gaped and then wailed, 'It's long!'

Ginny hugged Wendy and said, 'I know, Sweetie, but then you'll be big enough to help me. You'll help me, right?'

Wendy started nodding enthusiastically.

Narcissa grinned.

'Let's take a bath and get dressed,' Ginny said.

'We should have Dobby bring breakfast for us,' Narcissa suggested after yawning fiercely.

'Shall we wake Professor Snape and Harry up?' Ginny asked.

'We can do so when we're dressed,' Narcissa said.

The two witches got up, and Wendy followed them after pecking Harry and Severus's cheeks. Narcissa and Ginny traded a look and smiled broadly; they chuckled when the two men smiled in their sleep and snuggled closer to each other.

'They're cute,' Ginny said.

'Chose your adjectives wisely; Severus could make you clean cauldrons for months,' Narcissa pointed out.

Ginny winked, and the three of them went to share a bath in a tub so big Muggles would call it a small pool. They were planning to wake up Spock and Leonard before going back to push Severus and Harry out of bed.

Narcissa and Ginny were very tempted to allow Wendy to go and jump on the bed of their visitors from the future, but they didn't know if the two men were decent or not. They called Dobby and sent him to the kitchens after asking him to provide them with breakfast momentarily.

Dobby was delighted to have special work to do - and particularly things for Harry.

When the house-elf appeared in Spock and Leonard's room, he felt the magic that was at work in it. It was so strange that Dobby blinked several times.

Spock and Leonard were dreaming together, and something was shimmering between them. Dobby disobeyed Narcissa, and left the room without waking up the guests. He went to tell Narcissa that he could not complete his task; he started banging his head on the wall to punish himself for failing. He stopped when Wendy wrapped her arms around his neck and asked him to stop.

'You must obey Miss Wendy,' Narcissa told Dobby.

'Yes, Mistress Narcissa,' the elf answered obediently.

Wendy pecked his cheek, which made him blush, grin and purr.

Narcissa had used magic to create a witch dress for herself. Ginny had put on her school uniform. Wendy was wrapped in a fluffy bath towel.

'Wendy, Dear, would you be afraid if I were to get you into new clothes by magic?' Narcissa asked the little girl.

What Wendy liked a lot with her Daddy's friends was that they weren't talking to her as if she were a baby; they knew she was a little girl, but didn't act as if she still were in her crib.

There were many things that Wendy found strange, but they were not disturbing. She shook her head, and she barely had time to blink before her brand new cousin had her in lime-coloured witching robes.

'Oh! I like!' Wendy exclaimed.

'She's such an angel!' Ginny said.

'I'd love to have a daughter,' Narcissa declared, a bit out of the blue.

'You're a young witch,' Ginny pointed out seriously.

Narcissa pushed one rebellious lock of hair behind Ginny's ear and she said, 'All those past years I was jealous of your mother.'

'Well, you could still break Mum's record, you know - though I'd advise you to skip the twins' episode. You could divorce,' Ginny suggested.

'I will, but after the end of ...' Narcissa looked at Wendy, and not to mention the war in front of her, she said, 'you know what.'

'There will be so much to do then,' Ginny said happily.

Narcissa smiled. It was a real surprise for her, but she was beginning to think - and hope - that there might be a bright future for her.

'Wendy, why don't you go and wake up your fathers?' Narcissa suggested.

Wendy ran faster than a snitch.

Ginny blinked.

'Severus cannot give me detentions, and even if either of them growls for being awoken by Wendy, we know it'd be a lie,' Narcissa explained.

Ginny laughed softly. 'Shall we disturb Commander Spock and Dr McCoy?' Ginny asked.

'Maybe they didn't sleep much last night,' Narcissa suggested. 'However I think that if Dobby didn't wake them up, it might be unwise to invade their room.'

'They don't have to work, and I bet they could do with a good sleep in,' Ginny said.

'There's that, and I can feel a new kind of magic around,' Narcissa said.

Ginny moved her fingers about in the air. 'I thought it was the High Magic signature,' she said.

'No, there's something else, and it was strong enough to spook Dobby,' Narcissa added.

'Professor Snape used magic to bond them. Maybe it's having unexpected results on Commander Spock,' Ginny suggested.

'If his people don't have magic, this could create the waves that we can feel,' Narcissa granted.

Ginny nodded.

Narcissa looked at the younger witch strangely.

'I'm not a seer, and I don't have Pansy's gift,' Ginny said when she noticed Narcissa's look.

'I'm surprised to see you accept the situation so well,' Narcissa answered honestly.

'Please! Spare me the Pureblood crap!' Ginny sighed.

'It's not a Pureblood issue. However they're married now. Your betrothal with Harry is primary, and yet whatever you have with him will be different,' Narcissa said.

'They have an alliance. I have Harry; we made a deal,' Ginny said with a chuckle.

'I don't think I'd have enough courage to do what you did,' Narcissa said. 'People are going to judge you.'

'I'm a Weasley, and even though we are a good and loving family, we don't have much money. I'm in love with the one people call the Boy-Who-Lived, and who they think belongs to them. We both have an alliance with a former follower of the current Dark Lord, and whatever he does will never be enough to make people forget the biggest blunder of his youth. We'll have to be happy with what we can have, and we'll do our best to ignore those who aren't our friends,' Ginny said.

'You're a bright young witch. You have a lot of courage,' Narcissa praised her.

'So do you. You're a good mother,' Ginny said.

'Not as good as I wish, but I can work on that,' Narcissa answered.

'Draco will soon be Pansy's responsibility, but you can do things differently with the others,' Ginny pointed out impudently.

'Brat!' Narcissa said with a chuckle.

'What can I say? I grew up with Fred and George,' Ginny said.

Narcissa laughed softly and said, 'I hear that's a valid reason for being the way you are.'

They went to the parlour to wait for Harry and Severus to join them.

They talked about trifles, their dreams, their hopes, and the future.

Wendy was in front of the bedroom door, but the handle was way too high for her. She placed one hand on the wood to try to reach the handle nonetheless, and Hogwarts heard her wish to open the door, and the castle did it for her.

She giggled, and it made the castle very happy.

She walked to the bed and climbed on it.

Harry and Severus were wrapped around each other.

'Wake up, Daddy and Daddy! Breakfast!' she said happily as she shook them both.

Both groaned.

Severus held Harry tighter, and Harry caressed the arms holding him tenderly.

Wendy giggled, which made Severus and Harry wake up with a start.

They blinked at her, and she clapped her hands.

'You're funny!' she said.

'Wendy!' Severus exclaimed.

She laughed at her father.

Harry blushed.

'You're funny, Daddy and Daddy,' Wendy said.

Harry's blush deepened, and he gurgled something unintelligible.

'Harry is a bit more like a godfather now,' Severus told his daughter.

'But you have the same mark, and Cousin Narcissa said he's my other daddy!' she protested.

Severus took a deep breath to try and tell Wendy that Harry wasn't her new father - not literally - but Harry caressed Severus's right wrist and said, 'It's okay.' Harry looked at his consort and added, 'If it's okay with you, of course.'

'I just got two sitters for free, then,' Severus joked.

The exchange was completely lost on Wendy. She started jumping on the bed and chanting 'Breakfast!' over and over again.

'All right, Wendy!' Severus told her, making her stop. 'Go and tell Cousin Narcissa that we'll be ready in fifteen minutes.'

Wendy ran back to the door and said, 'Open, please!'

The castle obeyed her.

Harry pointed one finger towards the little Muggle and squeaked, 'Do you think she's showing signs of magic?'

Severus shook his head. 'The castle is listening to her, and helping her because we strengthened the wards. She couldn't do anything anywhere else in our world. Hogwarts is just helping our daughter,' Severus explained.

Harry blinked, and then he hugged Severus.

'Harry?' it was Severus's time to almost squeak.

'It's completely barmy, but Ginny, Wendy and you are the first family that's really mine. I don't remember Mum and Dad, I barely know Sirius, but what we did yesterday is linking us forever. Thank you!' Harry said.

'You freed me, you like my baby, and you're not running away from me after what you had to do to help me,' Severus said.

'The link we have is not unpleasant,' Harry said, blushing again. 'But Ginny is still the only one getting flowers!'

Severus chuckled and said, 'Merlin be thanked!'

Harry looked at Severus. 'Pro... Er... Severus... If, or when, we have a family of our own, you'll be there with Ginny and me to love them, won't you?' Harry asked boldly.

'We'll have to see what you want to do... after the war,' Severus said.

There was something in Severus's voice that made Harry look at him. 'It would be nice to give Wendy siblings, don't you think?' Harry asked.

Severus caressed Harry's hair and said, 'I must say that Ginevra and you are the only hope I have to see Wendy with a sister or a brother.'

Harry grinned, and without thinking, he kissed Severus's lips.

Harry blushed once more.

'It's an echo of the High Magic, Harry. Nothing more,' Severus said.

'Am I the only one affected?' Harry wondered.

'No, but I didn't make love for the first time last night. Your chemistry is playing tricks on you,' Severus explained. 'Now, let's hurry or Narcissa is going to hunt us down. She's not a morning bird and badly needs her tea.'

'We could shower together,' Harry suggested, his tongue being faster than his brain.

'I don't mind, and it would save time,' Severus agreed.

Just as Narcissa was ready to go and drag the two wizards into the parlour, they came in.

Wendy was sitting between Narcissa and Ginny again; Harry sat down next to his betrothed.

'Where's our happy newly bonded couple?' Severus asked.

'Still asleep, and something in their room spooked Dobby,' Narcissa said.

'I'll go and make sure that they're fine. I'd like Leonard to keep an eye on our potion, and I want Spock to stay with Wendy,' Severus said.

'Why do you want Spock to protect her?' Narcissa asked. 'She's in the castle, and I'll be with her at all times.'

'I trust you, Narcissa, but there's something in the air that makes me want to make sure that she's going to be fine,' Severus said.

Ginny shivered.

'I'm fine, Daddy,' Wendy said.

'I know, Darling, but I want to do everything I can to protect you,' Severus said.

Wendy grinned.

'You're a good dad,' Harry said.

'I try,' Severus said.

Severus went to wake up their guests. He immediately felt the strange magic at work in the room.

He sat down on their bed, and when he saw the mist between them, he entered their minds to try and find out what was going on.

Severus joined Spock and Leonard in their dream. He saw that they were trying to dream of the child they wanted, but they were not in synch. Severus told them to wake up in a thought.

The new couple blinked at the wizard.

'You'll have to work on your synchronicity - but I have no doubt that your bond will help you achieve that. Breakfast is ready. Put on something and join us before I let the witches come and get you,' Severus said.

Spock and Leonard obeyed, and joined their friends a minute before Albus Dumbledore came in.

'There we go,' Harry sighed.

'As strange as this is going to sound, I am on your side,' Albus told Harry.

Harry blinked.

'Don't tell me my parents are freaking out!' Ginny growled.

'Your mother might be a bit concerned,' Albus explained as he sat down to share breakfast with them.

Ginny sprang up and went to the fireplace. She looked at Wendy and said, 'I'm going to do some magic, Sweetie. Don't be afraid, okay?'

Wendy nodded.

Ginny took a pinch of Floo powder and used the fire to call her parents.

Ginny's head was floating in the kitchen fire at the Burrow.

'Ginny!' her mother shouted.

'Hi, Mum! Professor Dumbledore is here, saying you're a bit concerned about my betrothal. Is it true?' Ginny asked.

'Of course, Ginny! You're so young! And the entire Ministry heard about Harry's bonding,' Molly Weasley said.

'I can imagine that High Magic made the Ministry's grapevine work faster than usual, but you should not know about it!' Ginny growled. 'I did what you taught me to do. I did what I thought right. I'm not trying to justify myself. I'm sharing that with you. Harry is my betrothed, he's Severus's consort, and I'm Wendy's godmother. Now don't react like a bigoted Muggle or worse... like Voldemort!'

Severus was surprised to hear Ginny use his name, and he was even more surprised not to flinch when she used the Dark Lord's self-given name - it was a first in years.

Molly flinched at being compared to Voldemort.

'People are going to say...' Molly began to say.

Ginny interrupted her and barked, 'People are always saying something. I don't care for what they say. I have a family now.' She paused and added, 'You might want to contact the town hall in the village. Harry proposed to me last night, and I said yes. We'll get married as soon as I get my N.E.W.Ts' results. Bye, Mum! I'll see you tomorrow at the big meeting!'

Ginny broke the connection, brushed the soot from her uniform, and went back to the sofa.

'How Slytherin of you, Ginevra,' Severus praised her.

'Huh?' Harry asked Severus.

'I'm quite convinced Mrs Weasley will have barely enough time to plan the Muggle wedding,' Severus explained.

'That's in over two years!' Harry exclaimed.

'Too long!' Wendy wailed.

'There, there, we need a lot of time to have everything absolutely perfect!' Narcissa objected.

Wendy pouted, but nodded.

'Well, Miss Weasley managed to quiet her mother,' Albus declared.

Ginny grinned.

'Oh, the castle registered all the rituals that were performed yesterday,' Albus said.

In a thought, Leonard told Spock that they could take Joanna to their century's Hogwarts and ask to be shown the Book of Shadows that now contained their wedding registration. Spock agreed.

Albus turned to Harry and said, 'You might want to warn Sirius. The registration of High Magic is bound to be revealed before Monday.'

'I'll tell him tomorrow at the mansion. I want him in front of me in case I need to put a spell on him,' Harry said.

'And Hermione will help if he blows a fuse,' Ginny pointed out.

'Hermione!' Harry exclaimed joyfully.

'What about her?' Ginny wondered.

'Maybe she knows stuff about Muggle weddings, and she can help us,' Harry said.

'Don't you have to pass your exams first?' Leonard intervened.

'Yeah, that, and get us rid of Riddle, but I can plan, right?' Harry answered.

Leonard grinned and winked. 'You could start with an engagement ring,' Leonard suggested.

Harry looked at his fiancée and decided to ask Hermione where he could buy a ring before their meeting the next day.

The rest of breakfast was quiet.

Albus went back to his office, Harry and Ginny went to their respective classes - and so did Severus, Leonard checked the potion they'd give Remus tonight, and Narcissa and Spock played with Wendy.

After classes, Hermione borrowed Severus's phone to ask her mother to come by car to Grimmauld Place the next day. Mrs Granger was delighted to help shop for Harry's fiancée.

Remus and Nymphadora Lupin Floo'ed into the hospital wing where the Mediwitch Poppy Pomfrey was ready to administer the cure for lycanthropy with Severus and Leonard's help.

Remus was a bit afraid.

'There were records on the effect of the cure - though I should say that there will be records,' Spock told Remus. 'You will be very cold until the poison leaves your body, but that will be the only unpleasant thing about it.'

'Really?' Nymph asked worriedly.

'I promise he's telling you the truth,' Leonard assured her. 'In fact, we can send Remus to the hospital to have his condition checked officially in about an hour. You won't even have to stay here for the night.'

'Poppy and Professor Snape should go with you,' Spock announced.

'I'm not going to complain, but why do you use my name, and not Severus's?' Poppy inquired.

Spock looked at his ancestor, who merely shrugged.

'Since I am one of his descendants, I was raised to refer to him as "Professor Snape",' Spock explained.

'This is why you refer to Harry as "Mr Potter", and his betrothed as "Lady Ginevra",' Severus pointed out.

'My, my, Severus, you like Harry now?' Remus said with a warm chuckle.

Severus looked at Spock. 'This is something I can tell you about my past. The Lupins are on your side. In fact, Wendy told us that you're going to like their reactions to the news,' Spock said.

Remus and Nymph tilted their heads in synch.

'And you can trust Poppy, too,' Leonard added.

'How would you know?' Severus wondered.

'Spock told me,' Leonard explained. 'Being bonded with him is like... er... like being able to use Legilimency when we want to share something without saying a spell.'

Severus glared at his descendant, but Spock had been right until now. Severus showed them the marital tattoo around his wrist and said, 'Harry freed me from the Dark Lord.'

'I thought you looked different!' Poppy exclaimed joyfully.

'Erasing your Mark got the two of you married?' Remus asked, blinking with surprise.

'Harry swore to protect my daughter, which created the first link between us,' Severus explained patiently. 'Then I witnessed his betrothal with Ginevra, and she became Wendy's godmother. When Harry used a spell in Parseltongue to free me, it produced High Magic and bonded us together.'

'Those kids will never cease to amaze me!' Remus said in awe.

Nymph forgot that not so long ago she was one of Severus's students herself, and launched herself intos his arms. She pecked his cheek repeatedly and said, 'You have a whole pack now! Congratulations!'

'And they have a Weasley witch! They're bound to have many more kids!' Poppy said with a merry chuckle.

'I shall pass your good wishes along, ladies!' Severus said, trying to growl.

Remus joined his wife in Severus's arms, and congratulated his fellow wizard.

Severus was busy trying not to show that he liked his new situation. Wendy loved her new family, and Severus could tell that Harry and Ginny really liked the little Muggle.

None of them saw Leonard take Spock's hand to lend him strength when the only thing he wanted to do was warn them about the tragedy that was about to happen.

The potion was given to Remus; he got nastily cold, but he was a healthy wizard after a little bit over ninety minutes of constant shivering.

As planned, the Lupins, Poppy and Severus went to St Mungo's in London where dozens of Healers ended up needing their own potions when they saw for themselves that Potions master Severus Snape had found a cure for lycanthropy. The news reached the editorial offices of the Daily Prophet right on time to make it to the Saturday morning edition, the one Sirius was bound to read before the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

Severus was a bit uncomfortable about the fame that would result from finding such a cure, but Poppy pointed out that it would take people's mind off his bonding with their precious Boy-Who-Lived - and it would allow him to understand what his husband went through.

By the time Poppy and Severus were back to Hogwarts, Spock and Leonard had long retired to their bedroom. Everybody thought it was because they were just married, but in fact Spock needed to meditate to try and find the strength to do what he must the next day.

Leonard gave himself a shot of something to sleep. The couple would not dream in synch that night, but they knew they couldn't face risking creating a child the night before such a terrible day - it would haunt them forever.

When Severus entered his bedroom, he found his bed invaded by Narcissa, Wendy, Ginny and Harry again. He shook his head, but put on the pyjamas Ginny had made for him the night before, and he joined them, spooning Harry again.

Narcissa and Wendy were lightly snoring in harmony.

Ginny and Harry sighed happily when Severus wrapped an arm around them both, as if they were meant to be together.

If he were honest - at least with himself - Severus could admit that he liked Ginny for being so strong and so kind, and that Harry was quite an interesting young man, and he was rather good-looking.

If Severus were completely honest, and he forgot for one moment that Harry was in love with Ginevra and that Harry's father went to school with Severus, he could admit that Harry was the kind of man who could interest him. Harry was physically his type, and with time, he was becoming challenging - in a good way at last.

What surprised Severus deeply was that through the echo of their bond, he could feel that Harry was not opposed to including Severus in his life. Severus was tempted to search Ginny's thoughts to know what she thought of the whole situation.

When in her sleep Ginny took Severus's hand, he whispered the spell he needed to search her mind.

What he saw wasn't what he had been expecting at all.

Ginny knew that there was a very strong - if odd - link between the man she loved and her teacher, and she didn't mind at all because she knew Severus trusted her with Wendy's safety, and Harry loved her. There was no competition; there were combinations.

Severus saw that Ginny only took into account the positive elements - and she really liked Wendy, which moved Severus.

For the first time in years, Severus fell asleep thinking that his future might be bright, that he'd live to see his baby grow up, and that the next Mr and Mrs Potter would give Wendy siblings who might be his godchildren.

They truly enjoyed their last night of peace before the end of the war.

Saturday morning passed as a whirlwind.

They all had quite a lot to do.

By lunchtime, everybody knew what Severus had discovered, and cauldrons of the cure were being made all around the country. Albus imagined that the Dark Lord was trying to summon his alleged follower, and he agreed to allow Severus to come to the meeting only because his bonding with Harry was not revealed yet, and because the Grimmauld Place mansion was a place where no one uninvited could enter.

Most of the older members of the Order would Apparate inside the mansion, but most of the Hogwarts students would use the Floo network.

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny went to the Room of Requirement to see Wendy, and help Spock and Leonard Floo to the mansion - but Wendy was the main reason for their visit.

'We could stay here a bit. It's never going to start on time. We could wait till Mum shouts at us through the Floo,' Ron suggested.

'I have some shopping to do,' Harry said.

'Right! You and Hermione go and shop for Ginny. I'll stay here with Wendy,' Ron said.

'I'd rather have you stay with Severus in case Sirius blows a fuse and I'm not there to help,' Harry pointed out.

'I can assure you that I can face Sirius alone,' Severus growled.

'That's Harry's mother-hen side,' Ginny pointed out kindly.

'Better safe than sorry, okay?' Harry pleaded.

Severus growled but nodded.

Hermione travelled with Leonard, while Harry travelled with Spock.

Severus kissed Wendy's cheek. 'We'll be back soon, Darling. Narcissa will stay with you,' he said.

'Don't go, Daddy!' the little girl wailed.

'Strange,' Narcissa declared. 'She's such a quiet child. Maybe she's tired.'

'I could stay here until the meeting actually starts. I know that Harry plans to destroy the last horcrux at the mansion, but I'm not sure I want to see that,' Ginny said. She looked at her brother and said, 'Maybe you could call me just after that.'

'Works for me. See you then! Have fun with our little Wendy!' Ron said, and with those words, he was on his way to London.

Once in the mansion, he told Harry and Hermione that Ginny would come later because Wendy was feeling lonely.

Narcissa and Ginny had to coax Wendy, and Severus had to promise he'd come back as fast as possible.

When he Floo'ed inside Sirius's home, Severus made sure his new mark was not visible, and he stayed near Albus.

'Harry promised to shop as fast as possible, but I think he'll be back long before the last of our members arrives,' Albus told Severus.

'Where's Black?' Severus inquired.

'In his room, he had Kreacher tell me that he'd only join us when the meeting actually starts,' Albus answered.

'Thank Merlin for small mercies!' Severus said.

Albus didn't comment. He was too happy not to have to stop a fight before the meeting.

The Weasleys were talking with Spock and Leonard. They were thanking them for helping Bill, and for being so nice to Ron and Ginny at school.

Spock asked the Weasleys' second son, Charlie, how he worked with the dragons he supervised in Rumania. They were all surprised to hear the Vulcan so fascinated with those creature - Leonard was the only one who knew it was the only thing Spock had found not to ask to go back to Hogwarts.

'KREACHER!' Sirius yelled.

The house-elf answered the call. 'Yes, Master?'

'Where's Harry?' Sirius asked.

'He went shopping with his female friend for an engagement ring,' the creature answered, providing a truth that hid an important fact to Sirius.

'Excellent. Snivellus didn't bring his bastard here, did he? Narcissa is staying with it as Molly said she would, isn't she?' Sirius asked.

'The child is with your cousin Narcissa in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts,' Kreacher said, not mentioning that Narcissa wasn't alone.

Kreacher was a house-elf who was faithful to the Dark members of the Black family. According to him, Sirius was a traitor, and now that Narcissa had joined the side of the Order, she was as well. House-elves had tremendous powers, and Kreacher had the means to assess who was with Narcissa. It suited him not to tell Sirius about Ginny because he wanted to get revenge against Harry Potter for the way he'd treated him when the heritage of the Blacks became Harry's.

Adding Ginny to Sirius's plan was the most sadistic way the elf had found to get revenge.

Sirius grinned evilly and said, 'You have your orders then.'

Kreacher left the mansion and went to see the demented Bellatrix Lestrange. She was Narcissa's sister, and could use her link with her sister to go wherever Narcissa was - especially if there was a family house-elf to help her do so.

'You chose a very nice ring, Harry, really,' Mrs Granger told him.

She was driving her car back to Grimmauld Place. Hermione was sitting next to her, and Harry was in the back.

Harry kept looking at the small wrapped box in his hand, and he was shivering with excitement and fear. Ginny had said "yes" - several times if he were honest, but he felt that giving her the ring would be a huge step.

Hermione and her mother teased Harry until he relaxed a tad.

They were all laughing happily when Dobby appeared next to Harry.

'The Room of Requirement is attacked. There's Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy and Greyback,' the house-elf announced. 'Mistress Ginny told me to warn you, and bring help back.'

Harry briefly looked outside to assess where they were, and he turned to Hermione. 'Go and warn the Order. Dobby can take me straight inside Hogwarts,' he said.

As soon as Hermione nodded, Dobby wrapped his magic around Harry and took him into Severus's parlour.

Hermione's mother drove faster - much faster.

'I want to go with you, Honey. I have no magic, but I can always throw things or kick or something,' Mrs Granger said.

'Stop the car where I showed you. I'll grab your hand to take you inside the house. If the magic doesn't allow you in, I'm sorry, but I'll have to go alone,' Hermione answered.

It turned out that the mansion let Mrs Granger in.

The members of the Order were already on their way to Hogwarts.

Albus was told that there was something wrong, thanks to his connection with the castle. At one point, Narcissa managed to leave the Room, which triggered an alarm.

Just before that happened, Spock and Leonard were having a strange conversation.

'It doesn't have to happen this way,' Spock whispered.

'Do you want to try to do something?' Leonard asked.

'Until we arrived here, they were just my past... history... facts. Now I know them and...' Spock's voice trailed off.

'I don't want to lose you, T'hy'la. If you want to help them and disrupt our time line, I won't mind being stuck here with you. We could hide in this community,' Leonard declared.

'You would risk not seeing Joanna ever again for me?' Spock asked incredulously.

'We can find a way to send her a magical message. If you want to go back to Hogwarts, I'll stand by you,' Leonard said.

Spock took Leonard's hand and was about to go and see Severus to warn him, but it was exactly at that moment that Albus felt there was something wrong with Narcissa, and he warned the others.

A few members Disapparated to the gates of the castle. Others used the Floo network to go to the closest fireplace, which was in the Hospital Wing. Those who knew where the Room of Requirement was Floo'ed directly in there.

Hermione and her mother arrived after most of the members were already gone.

'Fleur! Could you help my Mum through the Floo? I can go to the Room of Requirement, but not with her,' Hermione said.

Fleur took Mrs Granger's hand and nodded.

Hermione took a pinch of Floo powder, and went back to the castle.

Severus's parlour was a battlefield, and the dead body of Lucius Malfoy was on the carpet near the sofa.

Hermione looked at one of the paintings - it was a respectable witch of the eighteenth century. 'Where are they?' Hermione asked the painting.

'North corridor towards the Hospital Wing. Narcissa Malfoy fainted on the stairs,' the painting said.

Hermione ran.

She imagined that Ginny must have taken Wendy and was running towards the Hospital Wing. Ginny knew that she could find help there, and there was a fireplace that she could use to escape with Wendy.

Ginny was singing a lullaby to Wendy in the bedroom when Kreacher helped Bellatrix, Lucius and Greyback breach into Hogwarts.

Narcissa understood that she had to find a way to give Ginny time to either hide or flee.

Ginny wasn't a seer, but she knew that she had to be a mother for Wendy, and she cast the spell Harry's mother had used to protect her son from Lord Voldemort.

Ginny felt she had to help Narcissa as well, and she asked the castle to hide Wendy and make the little girl invisible to everyone but family members. Then she created the illusion of a child in her arms, and she ran out.

That gave Narcissa enough time to kill her husband. Her sister attacked her, using one of the Unforgivable Curses, one that was so painful it could make people go mad.

The sadistic werewolf who had attacked Bill Weasley but three days ago decided to follow his latest prey's youngest sibling. Killing Ginny would be a lot of fun for him, and the bastard child would make a delicious bonus he thought.

Ginny ran as fast as she could, and the stairs tried to help and protect her, but a young woman and a sentient castle were not a match against Greyback.

Narcissa fought her sister and managed to knock her out just long enough to leave the Room, which she knew would tell Albus Dumbledore that there was something wrong going on.

When Bellatrix opened her eyes, she was alone with Lucius's body, and she called Kreacher to be brought back to the house where she was hiding. Her philosophy of life was that it was better to risk her master's wrath if it meant that she was still alive to face said wrath.

Lord Voldemort would not miss Lucius terribly, and Bellatrix was convinced that Greyback could find a way out on his own. Voldemort didn't know that they meant to kill Severus's Muggle daughter.

As Kreacher took her away from Hogwarts, Bellatrix started hoping that Voldemort would never find out what they had done - maybe there was a way to explain Lucius's death. Bellatrix hoped she wouldn't be summoned by her master anytime soon.

When Harry arrived with Dobby in the Hospital Wing after a portrait told him where Ginny went, Greyback had just cornered her.

Minerva McGonagall and Professor Sinistra were having tea with Poppy when Harry ran out.

Minerva called Dobby, and asked him what was going on.

As Deputy Headmistress, Minerva used magic to warn everybody in the castle that there was an intruder.

Ginny hoped that Greyback would try to flee.

Greyback decided to do exactly what he wanted - even if it meant that he'd be arrested and sent to jail or put to death. When he realized that Ginny had no child in her arms, it fuelled Greyback's anger, and he attacked her mercilessly.

Harry reached the corridor where they were as Severus arrived in the Room of Requirement.

'Founders?' Severus asked the castle.

'We are protecting your daughter, have no fear,' said four voices.

Severus sighed with relief.

'Could you use your magic to bring me where I'm needed?' Severus begged.

'Your husband needs you,' the voices said.

The air shimmered around Severus, and he found himself next to Harry, who was paler than a shroud, and who was pointing his wand at Greyback. Greyback was covered with Ginny's blood, and he was laughing like a madman.

'Your girl is dying, Potter, and yet you can't kill me. Do you think you can do anything against our Master?' Greyback teased Harry.

Severus wrapped his left arm around Harry's waist, and he drew his wand.

Harry and Severus's bond linked them, and when Severus cast the Killing Curse, it was their combined anger and power that killed Greyback.

Severus and Harry ran to Ginny.

Severus saw Poppy running towards them, and he started casting powerful Healing charms.

'Wendy,' Ginny said painfully.

Harry was holding her as if she were the most precious and fragile thing in the world.

'She's under the protection of the Founders,' Severus reassured her.

Ginny looked at Poppy, and she understood that she wouldn't make it.

'Legil...' Ginny coughed.

Harry and Severus cast the spell in synch.

"I don't want to die here. Bring me to the Hospital, Severus, please," Ginny said.

'Help me, Harry,' Severus said.

They carried her between them, and deposited her on a bed.

The box with the ring for Ginny fell from Harry's sleeve.

"I'd like to see it," Ginny thought.

'I can give it to you, Darling,' Harry said, trying not to sob.

'Yes,' Ginny murmured. In a thought, she added, "I'm sorry I won't be here with both of you for the rest of the adventure."

Severus was a master Legilimens, and he knew how to channel his thoughts to be heard only by Harry. "You can complete your bond with her before she dies if you want," he told Harry.

'Will you marry me right now?' Harry asked Ginny, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Ginny nodded.

Harry put the pink diamond ring on her right hand, and kissed her fingers.

'Minerva!' Severus said, turning around. 'Can you marry them?'

'What about our bond?' Harry asked Severus.

'I'm ready to face the consequences,' Severus declared seriously. 'We'll need two witnesses.'

Professor Sinistra and Mediwitch Pomfrey stepped forth.

Minerva came to stand by Ginny's bed. She took her wand and asked, 'Harry James Potter, do you want to link your life and your magic to this witch?'

'I do,' Harry sobbed.

'Ginevra Molly Weasley,' Minerva went on.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I love you both," Ginny said.

She gave the last part of her magic to Harry and died.

Harry's shout was heard down to the Dark Forest, where all the creatures mourned with him.

Harry was numb. Ginny was dead in his arms, but Severus was holding him. He didn't even acknowledge Leonard when he came in and said that Spock was with Wendy, and would stay with her.

When Charlie carried Narcissa into the hospital, Harry was still drowning in his pain. He reacted only when Molly tried to hold her late daughter, and he refused to let go of her.

Albus was devastated when he saw what had happened to Ginny.

'We need to know if there are other intruders,' Albus declared.

'Founders!' Severus called aloud.

'Yes?' answered the four voices.

'Is the castle safe again?' Severus asked.

'Yes. We sent the proof of the two intruders' deaths to the Ministry and disposed of the bodies. No one will have to know what happened,' the voices said.

Harry took Severus's wand and cast a neutral spell to erase the illegal Killing Curse he'd used to protect Ginny.

'Founders?' Harry sobbed.

'Yes, Harry?' asked the voice of Helga Hufflepuff.

'Do you know who planned the attack? Who betrayed us?' Harry asked.

'The Black house-elf and his master,' the voice of Helga answered.

'I'm going to kill him!' Harry yelled.

Severus held him tenderly and whispered, 'Reject him, and let the witches deal with him.'

Harry leant on Severus, and he used their bond to understand what Severus meant exactly. There was an old law that allowed him to reject Sirius as his godfather.

Severus gently rocked Harry.

They didn't acknowledge what was going on around them.

The members of the Order Floo'ed back to the mansion to confront Sirius.

Mrs Granger was helping Poppy and Leonard heal Narcissa, while Charlie gave Narcissa some of his energy to help her.

'You should stay with us until the end of the war, Charlie,' Leonard said.

Charlie was fascinated by the new Narcissa, and he agreed.

'You've got to let her go, Darling,' Severus whispered in Harry's ear.

'I can't, Severus. It's too hard,' Harry said.

Severus cast charms on Ginny to erase all traces of what Greyback had done to her. He put a spell on her clothes to dress her in beautiful witching robes.

'She really looks like a lady,' Severus said softly.

Harry started crying again.

'Thanks for the spells,' Fred and George said in synch.

Harry looked around for the first time, and realized how many people were around them.

'I will bring our daughter back home. We will bury her tomorrow,' Arthur said. He was so pale that he looked like a ghost.

'We're so sorry,' Harry and Severus said in harmony.

Arthur gave them a small smile and said, 'You loved her, each in your way. You didn't give her to Greyback.'

They nodded.

'She protected her goddaughter, our daughter. We must go and see Spock and Wendy,' Severus said.

Harry was almost in shock, and Severus called Poppy to give him something. She looked at her colleague from the future, and sent Leonard over. Leonard gave Harry a shot of something, and the power of the Founders brought Severus and Harry back into Severus's quarters.

The magic had cleaned everything, and Wendy was playing with a greenish Spock.

'She was asleep when I found her. She doesn't know,' Spock said.

Harry tried to find a way to tell the little girl that Ginny was dead.

He realized that he'd lost his witch and fainted.

Severus caught him and carried him in their bedroom.

'I'm sorry,' Spock murmured.

Wendy was in his arms. She didn't understand what was going on.

'I'm sorry we have to suffer so much. He didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to die such a death. We didn't deserve to lose such a good soul,' Severus said softly.

'Ginny?' Wendy wailed.

Severus turned towards her and said, 'She went to see your mama.'

Tears rolled down the little Muggle's cheeks.

'I swear this is the last tragedy you will have to go through. The war will end on Monday, and you'll have the rest of your lives to build amazing lives,' Spock swore.

'Why didn't you tell us?' Severus accused his descendant.

'You forbade me through your legacy to warn you or Harry. Lady Ginevra died protecting Wendy,' Spock said.

Spock could feel Wendy's sadness, and he brought his fingers to her face, helping her deal with the too strong feelings.

'Will Black pay for what he did?' Harry asked as he regained consciousness.

'Molly, Nymphadora and Fleur are cursing him right now, but your rejection will hurt him more. You were his last link with James,' Spock said.

'I'll take care of the parchment you need,' Severus told Harry. 'Stay with Wendy, will you?'

'Of course, Severus,' Harry said softly.

Severus hugged his consort and kissed his brow.

'Stay with them!' Severus ordered Spock.

Spock nodded.

'I'm sorry,' Spock told Harry as he sat down next to him.

'Not your fault,' Harry almost sobbed.

Harry was trying very hard not to cry in front of Wendy.

'Leonard and I agreed to try to help, but we were too late,' Spock said softly.

Wendy left Spock's embrace to cuddle with Harry.

'Sorry Ginny went to see my mama,' Wendy said with a small voice.

'She hasn't left completely,' Spock said.

'What do you mean?' Harry wondered.

'She protected Wendy,' Spock said.

'There is something you're not telling us,' Severus declared as he came back with parchment, ink and feather.

'You'll see tomorrow what I mean,' Spock answered.

Harry and Severus were about to start grilling him, but Leonard joined them, and kidnapped his husband telling the other couple and their daughter that the stress was taking its toll on the half-Vulcan, and Spock needed to meditate.

Leonard and Spock were back to their own room before Harry and Severus could react.

In fact, Leonard felt that Spock was about to reveal the full extent of Ginny's gift to their family too soon.

Instinctively, Harry used Severus's knowledge, and he cast a light Sleeping charm on Wendy to have her rest some more. Severus wrote a formal dismissal of Sirius Black as Harry's godfather, and Harry signed it immediately. The spirits of the Four Founders produced more High Magic, and the parchment was instantly registered at the Ministry.

'Could you give me something, Severus, please?' Harry begged.

Severus summoned a phial of potion with a simple spell, and he gave Harry two drops that made him fall into a dreamless, healing sleep.

Severus was sorry that Wendy was too young to take such a potion. He stayed with his consort and their daughter all evening and night.

Leonard took care of Spock, Charlie Weasley and Draco took care of Narcissa, who was still a bit frail, and Hermione helped her mother go back to London.

The Grangers Floo'ed into the magical pub that was close to the magical district, and they took a cab to go back to the car. Albus had given Hermione a Portkey that would bring her back in his office. Her mother asked her to contact her when she was back so that she knew her daughter was safe and sound; Hermione promised she'd try to borrow Severus's phone, but she didn't know if he'd be in the mood to even listen to her.

Mrs Granger understood.

Hermione knew she just had to understand how her teacher had made a Muggle device work in their world. She wanted everybody to be able to phone, or use computers. Hermione knew that this could be very important for the magical community.

Hermione borrowed the phone when she brought Severus dinner for him and Wendy. Severus remembered that Spock had told him that Hermione would find a way to make other appliances work in spite of the presence of magic, and he told her to borrow the phone for whatever research she wanted. They didn't know it yet, but that simple action would be a turning point in the history of the magical community.

Quite a few people tried to come and offer comfort to Harry and Severus, but the magic of the Founders protected the couple, and Severus spent his first night alone with his consort and their daughter.

The Founders knew what Ginny had done to protect Wendy, and they wrapped soothing magic around the unusual family.

In the morning, Severus woke Harry up while Wendy was still fast asleep.

Harry remembered everything when he saw that he was alone with Severus. Harry leant on Severus, and they both got dressed to go to Ginny's funeral.

Severus was looking at Wendy, who was still asleep.

'You don't take a child to a burial,' Harry whispered.

Severus nodded.

They brought the sleeping child to Spock and Leonard.

Spock was sleeping, and looking greenish, and Leonard told them how bad he felt for allowing his past to happen the way he was taught it would happen.

When Harry pecked Spock's brow, it seemed to ease the Vulcan a bit.

They left Wendy with them, and Severus helped Harry Floo to the Burrow where the Weasleys welcomed them both like family members.

Severus was focussing on Harry, looking for signs of collapse.

Harry would never remember their walk to the cemetery. He was only looking at Ginny's crystal-like coffin. She looked like a fairy tale princess who could be awoken - except that no kiss or spell could ever bring her back.

Harry didn't acknowledge most of the ceremony. He only knew that he was safe in Severus's arms, and that was all.

After Ginny's coffin was spelled into the ground, Harry remembered what she said about flowers, and he covered her grave with roses of all colours.

When Harry took a step backwards, he found himself wrapped in Severus's arms again. Severus cast a powerful charm to preserve the flowers.

'Thanks.'

It was Ginny's voice, and Harry thought he was losing his mind, but when Severus shivered violently he knew he wasn't hearing voices.

The air shimmered above Ginny's grave.

'I'm so sorry I left you both,' said the voice of Ginny.

Harry started crying as Severus held him tighter.

'I'm sorry I couldn't help you,' Severus said.

'You can now,' she said.

'How?' Severus asked.

'I want you to do something very strange for me,' she said.

'What?' Severus wondered.

'As soon as you're back at Hogwarts, I want you to ask Narcissa, Hermione and Nymphadora to become Wendy's godmothers. Will you do that for me?' Ginny asked.

'Three witches?' Severus said.

'Three witches. They will be important in Wendy's life,' Ginny said.

'I'll do what you want,' Severus swore.

'I will always be with you,' Ginny promised.

Harry sobbed.

'Severus?' Ginny said.

'Yes?' he answered.

'Could you do something else for me?' she asked.

'What could I possibly do?' he wondered.

'Take care of Harry for me,' she said.

Severus paled.

'Will you?' she insisted.

Magically, a promise to a spirit was more binding than any spell - or even what Severus had had with Wendy's mother. Harry was in Severus's arms, trusting him fully, and Severus decided that caring for Harry was not enough to repay Ginny for what she did for him - and it wouldn't be such an ordeal.

'I will, Lady Ginevra,' Severus swore again.

Ginny laughed softly and warmly.

'Gin?' Harry asked.

'He's the one who started it!' she exclaimed joyfully. 'That name is going to be passed from generation to generation. You'll have to tickle Spock for me.'

'I will, Gin,' Harry promised.

'Now go back home. Your future is with Wendy. I love you both,' she said.

The air shimmered again, and the cemetery was silent again, except for a few sobs here and there.

Molly walked to Harry and Severus, and pecked their cheeks.

Arthur came to take his wife in his arms, and most of the Weasleys walked back to their home.

Albus and Minerva gathered the students to take them back to Hogwarts with a Portkey.

Remus and Nymph walked to Harry and Severus.

Severus looked at them and asked, 'Will you go and wait for us at Hogwarts? We need a moment here.'

The Lupins nodded and Disapparated to the gates of the castle.

'Hermione and Nymph are going to tell Narcissa,' Harry said when they were alone in the cemetery.

'There is something Ginny didn't tell us,' Severus pointed out.

'She died protecting Wendy, and she wants her to have three new godmothers,' Harry whispered. 'Do you think Gin might have done something?'

'Something more than just saving Wendy? Possibly,' Severus answered.

Harry held Severus tighter and started crying again.

Severus caressed Harry's hair and said softly, 'I'll always stand by you, Harry.'

'I'm sorry you're stuck with me,' Harry sobbed.

'I'm not stuck with you. I'll do whatever I can to help you. If there were a way to free you from our bond, I would, but you may find another witch to understand our situation,' Severus said.

'Severus,' Harry said boldly, looking at his ally, 'I don't want another witch - ever.'

'Ginny wouldn't want you to be alone,' Severus said.

'But I'm not alone,' Harry said. 'Am I?'

Harry's bright green eyes were shining with tears.

Severus wondered why his life was so odd, but his bond with Harry was a good thing, and he decided to reassure his younger ally about their relationship.

'As long as I am alive, you will have me, Harry,' Severus said.

Harry held Severus so tight that it was almost painful, but Severus said nothing. Severus had never lost a companion he loved, and he couldn't imagine the pain Harry had to go through.

'I'm so sorry,' Severus murmured.

'It's not your fault. You didn't call Bellatrix and give her the means to try and kill Wendy,' Harry pointed out.

'I'm sorry Black hates me so much and his stupidity hurt you. I liked Ginny,' Severus said.

'I'm tempted to curse him,' Harry admitted.

'She wouldn't want you to do that,' Severus declared.

'You're right.'

'I'm always right,' Severus said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Harry looked at his husband and kissed his cheek.

A single tear rolled down Severus's cheek, and Harry wiped it away.

'We have a daughter, and probably three impatient witches waiting for us,' Severus said.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. 'Yes, we have a daughter waiting for us,' Harry said, deeply moved. 'Would you help me Apparate?'

Severus did so.

Their friends were waiting for them.

Hermione, Narcissa and Nymphadora were eager to become Wendy's godmothers - as if something in the air told them how important it was.

The Room of Requirement had expanded the parlour to accommodate its now regular inhabitants and their guests.

Wendy was in Spock and Leonard's arms. She knew that Ginny was with her mother now, but what death really meant was nonetheless a bit unclear to her; what she understood was that right now, her mama wasn't with her, and Ginny was no longer in the castle. The last thing Wendy remembered about Ginny was the lullaby she was singing, and then there was something warm - something as if Ginny had done something to have her love for Wendy take a tangible form.

Albus had asked Minerva to escort most of the students who came to the funeral back to their respective Houses, and Minerva was grateful for the mission. She missed Ginny terribly, and she couldn't stand to see Harry try to cope with the loss of the witch he loved.

Minerva didn't know what would have been the consequences for Severus if she'd managed to tie a magical knot between Harry and Ginny, but she felt guilty for not being quicker. She felt as if she'd let the young couple down. She knew that instead of going back to the Room of Requirement, she'd go and see Poppy to get a dose of Soothing potion - or something.

Minerva felt like Apparating to Grimmauld Place to do something to Sirius Black for being such a twat. She knew that Molly certainly had done something more painful than anything Minerva could even think of - and Harry's formal dismissal of Sirius as a godfather was bound to hurt the stupid wizard more than anything else, but she was angry.

Albus was keeping an eye on his charges and the castle's guests.

The Lupins were waiting with Hermione and Ron. Narcissa was still fighting a few side effects from the curses her sister had thrown at her the day before, but Draco and Pansy were taking care of her. To everybody but Spock and Leonard's surprise, Charlie Weasley followed his youngest brother after the funeral of their sister to make sure that Narcissa was recovering.

Thanks to the protection of the Four Founders, Severus could Apparate with Harry straight into his quarters.

Harry still looked shaken, as if he hoped that Ginny could enter the room at any moment, and the last day was but some awful nightmare.

As if he'd just come out of a trance, Harry looked at his consort and opened his mouth to ask if they could steal a Time-Turner to go back in time and save Ginny. Before he could ask his question, Spock spoke, 'It was meant to happen that way. Lady Ginevra is not completely gone.'

Harry blinked, and Severus could feel Harry shiver in his arms.

'What do you mean?' Severus asked his descendant.

'Do what she asked, and you will see immediately,' Spock answered.

Leonard and Spock brought Wendy to her fathers. Severus manoeuvred to have Harry holding Wendy alone so that the little girl soothed Harry. Harry knew what Severus was trying to do, but as long as Wendy was in his arms, the loss of Ginny was infinitesimally less painful - it was as if Harry's hopes were exclusively in the little girl in his arms.

'It is unusual to have three new godmothers at once,' Severus declared.

'But it's not unheard of,' Albus pointed out.

'That reminds me of fairy tales,' Hermione said.

'Where do you think your Muggle tales come from?' Severus asked.

Hermione blinked and then exclaimed, 'Mixed marriages!'

'Five points to Gryffindor,' Severus said.

Hermione gave him a small smile.

'Lady Ginevra must have had good reasons to name you to replace her as Wendy's godmothers,' Severus told the three witches.

'We have different magical gifts and strengths,' Nymph pointed out.

Severus nodded.

'After what happened, and even though your daughter is a Muggle, we should give her a blessing each,' Narcissa suggested.

'Just like fairies in Muggle tales,' Hermione said.

'A little magic can't hurt her,' Nymph added.

'I'm not sure about magical blessings,' Severus objected.

'It will be a good thing,' said the voice of Rowena Ravenclaw.

'Are you sure?' Severus wondered.

The female spirit gave the equivalent of a spirit growl, and Severus almost winced at his own audacity, but when his daughter was concerned, no one was good enough.

'I think she's sure,' Harry said with a short chuckle.

'Let's do this, then,' Severus agreed.

Charlie helped Narcissa get up from the sofa, and she joined Nymph and Hermione.

Severus decided to use almost the same ritual he'd used with Ginny.

'Narcissa Malfoy, will you guide Wendy Snape?' he asked.

'I will,' Narcissa promised.

Since Wendy was asleep when Severus made Ginny her godmother, they didn't even consider adding a magical gift to the agreement, but today Wendy was here, and the situation was odd enough to operate differently.

Narcissa pointed her wand at Wendy, winked at the little girl to show her there was no danger, and she said, 'May you grow up to have a heart as big as your Mama's and your first godmother's.'

Wendy found herself wrapped in light for a second, and it made her giggle.

Harry smiled happily.

'Nymphadora Lupin, will you guide Wendy Snape?' Severus asked the second witch.

'I will,' she said. She pointed her wand at Wendy and said, 'May you grow up to cherish your Muggle and magical heritages.'

Small lights like fireflies that reminded Severus and Harry of the High Magic that the Hogwarts' wards had produced to bond them flew around Wendy and dissolved on her when they touched the little girl. Wendy was giggling and clapping her hands.

Harry looked at Severus and smiled warmly.

Severus was grateful that even for one brief moment Harry no longer was a wreck.

Severus went on, 'Hermione Granger, will you guide Wendy Snape?'

'I will,' Hermione swore very seriously. It was the first time she was involved in such an old ceremony, and even though she was very impressed and nervous, she found an appropriate blessing for the little girl. She pointed her wand at Wendy and said, 'May you grow up to have as much influence on your descendants as your fathers have on our lives.'

The air quivered, and Ginny's last spell activated. The gifts of the three witches completed Ginny's sacrifice, and the castle channelled High Magic into Wendy.

Wendy was looking at the lights that were dancing all around her, but the others in the room saw the manifestations of Sarah Ford and Ginny Weasley blow a dozen pink lights that flew straight to Wendy and dissolved in her.

Sarah and Ginny winked at Severus and Harry, and were gone in the wink of an eye.

'What was that?' Severus asked Spock.

'High Magic,' Spock answered.

'That I know, but what happened exactly?' Severus inquired with a low growl.

'Wendy,' Leonard asked the little girl, 'don't you want your owl?'

She'd left it in her bed, but now that Cousin Leonard was mentioning it, she very much wanted it.

The cuddly toy flew into the parlour.

Harry was gaping because he felt the magic.

Severus was blinking.

'Lady Ginevra protected Wendy. If anything were to happen to her, her magic would be inherited by Wendy. She only needed blessings to have the High Magic activate and be registered. Your daughter showed her first signs of magic,' Spock told Severus and Harry.

'A witch?' Ron gasped.

Albus summoned the book where the names of all magical children who were to be schooled at Hogwarts were written. He consulted the last line and squeaked.

'Headmaster?' Remus asked.

'Wendy Snape-Potter will become a Hogwarts' student in eight years,' Albus declared.

Wendy clapped her hands.

'Snape-Potter?' Harry asked.

'Is that a problem, Harry?' Severus asked his consort.

'I feared you might not like that, but I want to stay with you both,' Harry declared softly.

'Excellent. I won't be alone raising a witch,' Severus murmured.

'It can't be much different than raising a Muggle,' Harry said innocently.

'No,' Severus teased his consort, 'now you can teach her to fly, and I can show her how to brew potions. That's all.'

Harry blinked.

'Uhoh,' Ron said. 'Should be fun!'

'Your little witch has three godmothers, who can be her sitters,' Nymph pointed out.

While he had the book with him, Albus checked something and squeaked again.

'What is it?' Severus inquired.

'Maybe something I should mention in private,' Albus suggested.

'Can anything remain private here? 'Harry asked rhetorically.

Albus shrugged and said, 'Miss Wendy Snape-Potter is listed as the daughter of Sarah Ford, Harry Potter-Snape and Severus Snape-Potter.'

Harry looked at his consort, but through their bond all he could feel was deep surprise. Holding Wendy with his left arm, Harry put his right hand in Severus's and he squeezed.

'Albus, I want my Potions classes back next year,' Severus told the Headmaster.

Albus opened his mouth to say that he needed a Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and that Severus was very good, but Spock spoke first. 'You could ask Remus to take the position again. I heard that the current Potions teacher would leave Hogwarts even before the end of next week,' Spock said.

'Why?!' Albus exclaimed.

'We can't tell you just yet,' Leonard answered.

'Your bond is quite powerful,' Charlie told Spock and Leonard.

'Our alliance is quite extraordinary,' Leonard answered cryptically.

Spock gave his husband a small smile.

Albus looked at the Vulcan and asked, 'Is this how it's supposed to happen? Am I to hire Remus to be our next Defence teacher while Severus will go back to his Potions classes?'

'Yes, but not only, and yet, I assume you don't want me to spoil the surprise for you, do you?' Spock said.

'There, there, Spock, do not frighten our hosts,' Leonard teased his husband. He turned to Albus and said, 'Things will be quieter from now on.'

'Mostly,' Spock added.

'Explain yourself,' Severus asked his descendant.

'Life is always entertaining, and now Wendy is a witch,' Spock said.

'And she'll wish to try what she can do with magic,' Leonard said. 'Just like my Joanna did when she was a kid.'

'And like Ginny,' Harry and Ron said in synch.

The two friends smiled at each other.

Ron went to hug his best male friend. He didn't mind that Harry was holding his adopted daughter and holding hands with their teacher, who was now bonded to Harry.

It was Severus who hugged Ron back with his one free hand, and Ron didn't mind.

Wendy saw that her Uncle Ron was close enough to kiss him, and she did so. Ron gaped.

'What's bothering you?' Hermione asked.

Ron shook his head.

'What's wrong, Ron?' Harry asked gently.

He did not answer. Severus squeezed Ron's shoulder.

'Don't you feel it, Harry?' Ron asked in a low murmur.

Harry had felt the magic in Wendy, but he didn't recognize the signature until Ron pointed out what was strange about it, and it was threatening to overwhelm Harry.

"You've got to help the kid," Leonard told Spock in a thought.

"Do I have to remind you that the kid is my ancestor?" Spock answered.

"So what, T'hy'la?" Leonard asked.

Spock sighed and thought, "All right, spill the beans now."

'It must have been meant to happen this way,' Leonard said.

Not knowing that he was answering his husband, they all turned towards him.

'Why don't you come and give a hug to my husband?' Leonard asked Ron.

'Why?' Ron wondered.

Spock opened his arms. Ron found himself in Severus's arms while Harry handed Wendy to Severus, and he went to hug Spock.

Spock held Harry tight as Harry tried not to start crying.

'Lady Ginevra will never die as long as one of your descendants is still alive. Each child in your line will receive her magic, and when Leonard and I are back to our time, I mean to share this gift with Joanna McCoy if she wants,' Spock said.

'And the children we'll have will receive the same incredible gift from Lady Ginevra,' Leonard said.

'You're planning to have kids?' Ron squeaked.

'Thanks to another astounding gift from a friend, we can father our own children,' Spock answered.

Ron gaped again.

'If Wendy is now a witch, why didn't she store a thought in the locket I could have watched in a Pensieve?' Severus asked.

'Because when I told you she's my ancestor I couldn't tell you she'd become a witch. She'll record a message the Muggle way, thanks to Hermione's discoveries,' Spock said.

'If your line inherited Ginevra's magic, why aren't you a wizard?' Narcissa asked Spock.

They all looked at him.

'Among my living relatives, we have a percentage of witches and wizards that reached eighty-two per cent. It's the lowest percentage in the history of the family, but it's mainly due to the fact that a few of your descendants settled on other planets, and the magical heritage isn't always active in other worlds,' Spock explained.

'Whoa!' Ron said.

'Understatement of the day, little brother!' Charlie said.

'Lady Ginevra's heritage is still present in my cousins from Metiko, but they can't do any magic. Contrarily, my cousin from Venemy Prime is a respected High Priestess. She inherited magic from her Venemian father and Terran mother,' Spock explained.

'Your mother married a Vulcan because she knew it was meant to happen, then,' Harry told Spock.

Spock laughed softly and happily.

'Spock?' Severus asked, his voice full of curiosity.

'Father doesn't know that I know, but the day Mother met him, she forgot everything about what she'd been taught all her life. She fell madly in love with him. It was only two days later that she realized she was bound to find a way to convince him that getting married was not pure madness,' Spock explained.

'I'm glad she loves her husband, and I'm happy they had you,' Harry said.

'Not as happy as I am,' Leonard said with a chuckle.

'Leonard!' Spock pretended to protest.

Harry remembered his promise to Ginny in the cemetery, and he tickled Spock.

'Why did you do that?' Spock inquired when he was done chuckling.

'Because Ginny asked me to. Severus called her "Lady Ginevra", and she said he was the one who'd really started the family tradition,' Harry explained.

'Professor Snape,' Charlie said.

'Use my name, Charles, in a twisted way, we are family now,' Severus said.

'You're right,' Charlie granted him. 'Would you hex me if I called Mum to tell her that Ginny isn't completely gone?'

Severus looked at his daughter and tried to imagine what Molly was going through. Then he looked at Harry, who trusted him fully.

'You can Floo to her from here if you want,' Severus answered.

'I think I'll just Fire-call her, if you don't mind,' Charlie said, looking at Narcissa briefly.

'By Salazar!' Draco exclaimed. 'I can protect my own mother, Weasley!'

Pansy laughed heartily.

'What?!' Draco almost growled.

'Now that we've made sure that no intruders could use the Floo network to enter the Room of Requirement even with Kreacher's help, your mother is completely safe here,' Pansy pointed out.

'I know, and Charles can well go back to his dragons, I can take care of Mother!' Draco answered petulantly.

Harry chuckled briefly and said, 'I don't think this is about protection.'

'Huh?' was all Draco said.

Narcissa was busy blushing. She could feel the magical waves of interest coming from Charles, and she was delighted to feel such a strong and pure feeling all for her. Her late husband had been nothing like that - not even when he was courting her.

Pansy whispered something into Draco's ear, and he looked at his mother and blushed deeply.

'It is for the best,' Spock promised.

'Is there something you can tell us about the future now?' Severus inquired.

'A few things maybe,' Spock admitted.

'Are you sure?' Harry asked worriedly.

'Well, my Vulcan is only about to tell you very obvious things,' Leonard said.

'Such as?' Ron asked curiously.

'You love Hermione,' Spock began.

Ron blushed, but he nodded bravely.

'She loves you, too, and in two years you'll get married,' Spock said.

'Why not right after finishing school?' Ron asked.

'Because Hermione will wish to fit in her wedding gown - and she won't be able to do so before she delivers your first child,' Spock said.

Hermione squeaked, and Ron gaped once more.

'Are you sure you want to know more?' Leonard teased them.

'Yes!' Hermione and Charlie said in synch, which made them laugh.

'Ron is going to work with you, Charlie, while Mr Potter and Hermione will create their own company. Making Muggle devices work in the magical world is going to be a turning point in our history, but it's going to take a lot of time to adapt what Professor Snape did on his phone,' Spock said.

'Wicked!' Ron said. 'Though I bet we'll have to Apparate back home each evening. I hope I don't get burnt too often while learning to work with dragons!'

'You will have a mediwitch in training with you,' Leonard intervened.

'Who?' Ron inquired, completely at sea.

'Are you sure you want to know?' Spock asked.

'I don't!' Narcissa intervened.

'You are very wise. There's nothing bad ahead for you, but it's better if you play your part in the next adventure without knowing what's supposed to happen,' Spock declared.

'What else can you tell us?' Severus asked.

'Wendy is going to be a bright witch and a happy woman. She will grow up with your love, and she'll give us all a part of that love to cherish and remember,' Spock said.

Wendy was sucking her thumb in Severus's arms, but suddenly he remembered the joyful image of the old Wendy that was in Spock's locket, and he believed in a happy future.

'What else?' Harry asked anxiously.

One of Spock's eyebrows rose, and he looked embarrassed suddenly. He looked at Leonard.

'What is it, my dear children?' Albus asked gently.

'Well...' Leonard's voice trailed off.

'What?!' Severus growled.

He'd noticed that Spock always obeyed him, and he meant to use that.

'We know the war is going to end tomorrow, but you gave Wendy instructions so that I would be the only one of your descendants to never know how the magical war ended against Riddle, and I don't know why. I guess I'll have to fight with you and find out why this piece of information was kept from me,' Spock declared.

'Shall we prepare to fight?' Narcissa asked.

'The only thing I could gather - since this war is not mentioned in Muggle history databanks - is that it's going to be particularly anticlimactic,' Spock said.

'Maybe I'll kick Riddle, and he'll die of fright,' Harry said.

'Our best bet is that it's going to take place here. Maybe the Founders will protect you,' Albus declared.

'It would be logical,' Spock granted.

Albus beamed.

'What shall we do in the meantime?' Draco asked.

'We test Wendy's power,' Narcissa suggested.

'And we tell Mum, Dad, and our brothers what Ginny did,' Charlie said.

They all nodded.

"Shouldn't we warn Harry and Severus?" Leonard asked his husband in a thought.

"Why, T'hy'la? They'll see the depth of their bond and Lady Ginevra's last gift tomorrow morning," Spock answered.

"You're right," Leonard granted him.

"I am always right," Spock teased his husband.

"You sound like Severus," Leonard teased him back.

"Thank you for the compliment, Darling," Spock answered.

'Is there a spell that could help us dream in synch?' Leonard asked their friends, apparently out of the blue.

'Quite a few,' Albus answered immediately.

'Why?' Hermione asked.

'They want to have a baby,' Severus answered. He was delighted to see Spock blush.

Narcissa cooed.

Severus cast a spell on Spock and Leonard and said, 'From now on, you can dream together, all you'll have to do is say "together" just before you fall asleep.'

'Thanks!' Leonard said joyfully.

'We'll have to think about the strategy of all this,' Spock pointed out.

'I'm sure godfather Q2 and your mother would be delighted to help us for a few weeks or months,' Leonard declared.

Spock nodded.

'Q2?' Wendy said.

'Someone called?' Q2 asked theatrically as he appeared in the room.

'Two,' Spock sighed fondly.

The member of the Continuum beamed at his friend.

'So, this is how and when you join our stage,' Leonard said.

'I wouldn't miss today's events for all the tea in China,' Q2 said.

'I guess this is just a figure of speech,' Spock teased his friend.

Q2 pouted, which made Wendy giggle.

The alien visitor walked to her and beamed. 'Miss Wendy, we'll meet again often,' he promised.

'Is he supposed to become her godfather or something?' Harry asked Spock in a whisper.

'Incidentally, he is,' Spock declared.

Q2 gaped.

'Oh, I can't wait to tell Amanda and Joanna about this!' Leonard said happily.

'It'll be a brand new tale for Joanna, but Mother will be delighted to hear that we did manage to surprise a member of the Continuum,' Spock said.

Q2 was still gaping.

'Are you sure he can be Wendy's godfather?' Severus asked almost coldly.

'I am the youngest member of the Continuum,' Q2 said as if it explained everything.

'You could be the youngest member of the Wizengamot, it wouldn't mean that you're good enough to be my daughter's godfather,' Severus declared.

'How can we be sure that you're the one for Wendy?' Harry intervened.

Q2 blinked at the younger wizard and said, 'My, my, you're already reacting like a father - and a good one I must say.'

Someone popped into the room without magic, and Q2 blinked at his father.

Spock only sighed. He knew it was meant to happen this way.

'Now, my son,' Q protested, 'I didn't raise you to praise others fathers.'

'Dad!' Q2 protested vehemently.

'No one called you here,' Spock told his friend's father.

'You were always an insufferable elf. I never should have allowed my son to befriend you,' Q said.

'Would you like me to have spent my life all alone?' Q2 asked his father with a small voice.

'That is not what I mean, and you have me and your mother, and the rest of the Continuum,' Q pointed out.

'You're always on the other side of the universe or in another time. Mama is seldom home, and the rest of the Continuum ignores me. Besides, I would be dead without Spock,' Q2 growled.

'You found yourself in danger because of the elf, I bet,' Q spat. 'You took him somewhere, and you had to rescue him.'

'Quite the contrary,' said the beautiful woman who'd just appeared right behind Q.

'Q!' Q exclaimed.

'The day you went back to Fiothyrg before the Great Shift "because you wanted to see that again in this millennium", you were supposed to stay with our son. You never heard him call you. He called me, and then he called his only friend. I flew to his side as fast as possible, but Spock was the one who reached him first. Our son didn't die, thanks to Spock,' the female Q said.

'I never knew,' Q said sadly.

Q2 shrugged.

'Go back home and wait for me there,' Q2's mother said.

Q knew better than argue with his companion, and he disappeared instantly.

'I'll have a little chat with your father,' the female Q told her son.

'Good luck, Mama!' Q2 said with a chuckle. The young Q knew that such a chat in his family would take a century - or two.

The female Q looked at Wendy and smiled brightly. 'Such an adorable child!' she said. She turned to her son and said, 'You had better do an astounding job with this child if her fathers decide to name you her godfather. If not, I'll have a little chat with you.'

Q2 gulped.

The female Q looked at Spock and said, 'I heard congratulations are in order.'

Spock bowed, which was a bit awkward since he was still holding Harry.

The female Q caressed Harry's cheek, and he leant into her touch. She pecked his cheek and whispered in his ear, 'My son will be a good godfather.'

Harry smiled at her.

The female Q took one of Spock's hands, and held her free one out to Leonard, who took it.

'A blessing, my dears,' she said softly.

Spock identified the nature of the blessing, but Leonard only felt a warm tingle.

"It was female energy," Spock explained to his husband in a thought. Leonard was puzzled. "It will help us create a child,' Spock added.

'Thank you!' Leonard said joyfully.

The female Q's smile was bright.

Leonard looked at his husband, and they didn't even need thoughts to communicate.

'Not for the first, but it would be possible for the second,' Spock said.

Leonard beamed.

'Um?' the female Q asked.

'We already told Two that he'll be our firstborn's godfather. We'd like you to be our second baby's godmother,' Spock told the female Q.

She squealed happily and asked, 'Really?'

'Of course, Ma'am,' Leonard said.

'Oh, call me Q, please. I'll stay around until you have your second child. Call me, and I'll be there in the proverbial wink of an eye. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Q to scold at home,' she said.

And she was gone just like that.

'Okay, no offence, but why should Q2 become Wendy's godfather?' Harry asked.

'You're very protective of Wendy,' Charlie pointed out.

'He fully bonded with her father, what do you think?' Q2 answered.

Charlie nodded.

'One good answer; now convince me that you'd make a good godfather,' Severus told Q2.

'If you link me to her magic, I'll know when she needs me. It could be just to play with her, or tell me secrets, or ask me to take her to shop for you or Harry's birthdays or for Christmas. Her magic would warn me if she's in danger, and as a Q, I can reach her side in a nano-second,' Q2 said.

'Qs are not threatened by magic the way you practise it,' Spock added.

'I guess Spock was told it would be a good thing for Wendy if you made me her godfather before tomorrow,' Q2 pointed out.

Harry and Severus looked at Spock, and shivered in synch.

'You do it,' Severus told Harry.

One spell later, Q2 was Wendy's godfather.

Wendy was in Two's arms, giggling.

'Your bond is quite strong,' Remus stated neutrally as he looked at Harry and Severus.

'They're compatible,' Pansy said softly.

'What do you see?' Harry asked his schoolmate.

She blushed.

'Tell us, please,' Severus asked her.

Draco squeezed her hand to encourage her to tell them what she'd told him that very morning.

'Your auras have always been complementary, but I thought it was only because you had a common goal. It happens quite often. It took another dimension when you bonded,' she said softly.

'There's something you're not telling us,' Harry said warmly, trying to encourage her.

Pansy blushed deeply.

'Trust them,' Narcissa told her future daughter-in-law.

'Your bond is growing,' Pansy said.

'Pansy?' Harry said.

She looked at him and blushed even more.

'Tell us,' Severus repeated more patiently than he would have normally.

She looked at the floor and said, 'Your auras are more than complementary now. I know it sounds strange, but there's more than harmony, more than just respect, more than just friendship. You found each other, but you don't know yet just how much.'

Severus and Harry looked at each other and blushed.

Pansy didn't dare look at them, but she went on, 'Ginny wanted to know about your three auras.'

'What did you tell her?' Harry inquired with a huge lump in his throat.

Severus held Harry tight, but tenderly.

'The truth,' Pansy said.

'We need to know what you saw,' Harry said.

'There was enough love in your hearts to live in an unusual triad with Wendy and the children you and Ginny were hoping to give Wendy for siblings,' Pansy murmured.

'What do you see now?' Severus asked.

'A family. A daughter and her two fathers,' Pansy said.

Harry left Severus's embrace to go and give a hug to Pansy, who was deeply surprised.

It was Harry's turn to be surprised when Draco joined the hug.

'She saw something else,' Draco told Harry.

'Pansy has told Mr Potter and Professor Snape what they needed to know for today,' Spock intervened.

Before either Harry or Severus could ask what it was that Pansy had seen, Narcissa came to Spock's rescue and said, 'You really can't call them by names!'

'This is the one Vulcan thing that my darling husband can't overcome while we're here,' Leonard said.

'I can't help it!' Spock protested.

'I know, T'hy'la. It's entirely too adorable,' Leonard said.

'I'll ask your daughter to hex you!' Spock growled.

'She's our daughter, and she will do no such thing!' Leonard retorted.

Severus was about to ask Pansy what she wanted to add, but the fireplace spat Molly Weasley out.

'Sorry to come in without warning, but we got news from the Ministry,' she said. 'The Minister wants the Malfoy fortune.'

Narcissa winced.

'Arthur isn't on duty, and most of the Ministry should be closed. Who warned you?' Albus asked Molly.

'It was Percy who told us,' Molly answered.

'Can we trust him?' Charlie and Ron asked in synch, strangely sounding like their twin brothers.

'His new position within the Ministry is not to his liking, and... and what happened to Ginny was an awakening of a sort,' Molly said.

Severus walked to Molly with Wendy in his arms.

'Molly, I think you should hold your granddaughter for a moment,' Severus told her.

'She's not my granddaughter,' Molly whispered sadly.

'She is,' Harry said.

Molly shook her head; she was trying not to cry.

'Ginny left a gift for Wendy,' Harry said.

'Lady Ginevra is still with us,' Severus said, and he handed Wendy to Molly.

Molly felt the magic in Wendy, and she recognized the magical signature of her late daughter.

Spock walked to Molly and placed one hand on her cheek. Molly felt her daughter's magic coursing through Spock.

'How?' Molly squeaked.

'I am a descendant of Wendy, and Lady Ginevra's magic is still alive in my time,' Spock said.

Spock wrapped his arms around Molly and Wendy, and without Molly noticing it, he used a Vulcan technique to help Molly cope with the loss of her only daughter.

Molly knew that Harry loved her as a relative - after all, he really liked her, and he was supposed to become Ginny's husband in a few years - but she didn't know how the harsh Potions master would react if she meant to love Wendy as if she were the child her Ginny would never have. Much to her surprise, Severus gave her a small smile.

'As long as you don't intend to tell us how to raise our daughter, you're welcome to love her,' Severus told Molly.

'Thank you,' she almost sobbed.

'What's going to happen to you, Mother?' Pansy asked her future mother-in-law in a whisper.

Narcissa was deeply moved by Pansy's reaction. They were not linked officially yet, but Pansy was standing by her and Draco.

'I don't know, Dear. The Minister can seize the Malfoy estate, and since Draco is still not a fully certified wizard, there's nothing either of us can do,' Narcissa explained.

'I'm sure I can find a way to protect you,' Albus promised.

'I can't leave the castle and defend my son. I'm sure the Dark Lord's minions inside the Ministry would kill me, and I can't risk leaving Draco and Pansy alone to fight,' Narcissa said.

'There has to be something I can do,' Albus said with feeling.

'There's only one thing that can help Narcissa,' Spock declared.

They all turned to him.

Spock was silent - in fact, he was waiting for questions.

Albus chuckled and asked, 'What can be done to protect Narcissa, and to protect Draco's heritage?'

'You could try to find legal ways, but they would all take too long. The only thing to do is to have Narcissa be betrothed. The longest period of betrothal would be perfect for her next husband and her to get to know each other. In five years, Narcissa will become a certified mediwitch, and she will work with her new companion,' Spock said.

'Who could protect Mother?' Draco asked worriedly.

'I swore to protect her, but I can't tie her to an old widower like me!' Albus exclaimed.

Spock looked at Pansy, and the young witch started laughing heartily.

'All right, Love! Spill!' Draco told his fiancée.

Pansy was laughing too much, so it was Spock who came to the rescue.

'Albus is, and always will be, Narcissa's protector. Charlie is the only man in this room free to help and protect Narcissa,' Spock declared.

In one second, Charlie turned much redder than his hair.

Ron gaped for the umpteenth time that day.

Molly blinked at her second son, and then at Narcissa.

'I think Charlie would be perfect to give you the family you dream of,' Leonard intervened.

Narcissa blushed.

'Five years of betrothal would be perfect,' Severus intervened.

'It's too long!' Charlie protested.

'It's meant to happen long before that,' Q2 intervened.

Q2 and Spock were working together to take their new friends exactly where they wanted them.

'Before my birthday?' Wendy asked innocently.

'That might be a bit too soon,' Nymph said to help Narcissa and Charlie.

'Look who's talking!' Q2 said fondly.

Nymph's hair turned orange.

'You're all forgetting one thing,' Spock declared.

They looked at him.

He theatrically said, 'We can ask Pansy what she sees in their auras.'

'Drat!' Pansy whispered.

'Pansy?' Narcissa asked, almost in a squeak.

This time they all turned towards Pansy.

'Whatever possessed me to reveal that I can see auras?' she asked rhetorically.

'It's for the best,' Spock said.

Pansy blinked at him. With one last caress to Molly's cheek, Spock went to Pansy.

'May I touch your face and show you something?' Spock asked her.

Pansy looked at Leonard, who nodded with a bright smile. She shrugged, and Spock linked with her.

Just a moment later, Pansy said, 'Fine. Charlie's aura is already trying to blend with Mother's, and Mother's aura shows that she wants to be loved with the fire that only Weasleys can create.'

Draco hugged his mother. She lovingly caressed his hair.

'You might end up with red-haired siblings,' Ron said to tease his former enemy - and lighten the mood at the same time.

Draco looked at Ron and to everybody's surprise said, 'There could be worse things in the world.'

Molly sobbed.

Arthur joined them through the fireplace. 'Sorry to interrupt you as well. Our beloved Minister was informed that Narcissa is hiding here, and he's en route to Albus's office,' he said.

'Charming sister you've got,' Q2 told Narcissa.

'I'm not surprised that she's the one who betrayed me. She hexed me and tried to kill me,' Narcissa said sadly.

'Good thing that both Arthur and Molly are here now,' Leonard pointed out.

'They can sign the agreement for Charles, but the Minister for Magic is never going to allow Albus to give Widow Malfoy away to a new betrothed,' Severus pointed out.

'Who would be enough for that arrogant quill-pusher?' Molly wondered.

'I know, I know!' Q2 said joyfully, bouncing a bit.

Spock smiled at his friend's enthusiasm.

'Just summon them,' Spock told Q2.

'I need to dress in a more appropriate way,' Q2 declared.

With a brief flash of light, Q2 found himself dressed like the other wizards in the room - though he looked a bit like a distant cousin of Albus because his robes were just this side of bright and colourful.

The next moment, the Four Founders appeared inside the room. They were alive and very much surprised.

'Did you bring them from our past?' Hermione asked Q2.

'No my dear child, this young gentleman summoned the energy we left in these walls and helped us take shape,' Godric Gryffindor told her.

'It's not going to hold forever,' Rowena Ravenclaw intervened. 'We should go and get rid of the latest Minister.'

'The sooner we send him whence he came, the sooner we can enjoy Two's gift,' Salazar Slytherin declared.

'Let's get rid of the Minister, I want to meet the students and play with Wendy Snape-Potter,' Helga Hufflepuff said.

'But...' Charlie tried to protest.

'We know what's going on within these walls. Narcissa is a good witch and it's time she comes back here to be trained by Poppy. Now, are you trying to tell us that you didn't start falling for her when you brought dragons for the Triwizard Tournament and you met her in London on your one free night?' Salazar asked.

Charlie mumbled something.

'Charles?' Narcissa said softly.

Charlie shook his head.

'Is it true, Charlie?' Narcissa insisted.

Charlie forgot that there were other people in the room and he looked at Narcissa. 'You were with your husband, but there was something about you that made me wish to hold you and protect you. I buried my feelings because you were married, rich, and on the side of the Dark Lord. Yesterday when I saw you, it all came back to me,' he said. 'I just take care of dragons, and I work abroad. I have nothing to offer you.'

'You're wrong,' Draco intervened to everybody's surprise.

'Draco?' Charlie said.

'You can love her. It's a treasure that we didn't get to experience until recently,' Draco said.

'Q2, you have a lot of powers. Are they meant to get married?' Gryffindor asked.

'Yes, they are,' Spock intervened.

Q2 pouted and said, 'You stole my line.'

'Sorry, Two. We both know they're meant to end up together. You, because you're from the Continuum, and me, because I'm from their future,' Spock said.

'And there will be more ties with your family,' Q2 added.

'Don't spoil their fun,' Leonard said.

'You're right,' Q2 said with a chuckle.

'Gentlemen!' Rowena intervened. 'Let's go to Albus's office. The Minister should arrive when we reach it ourselves, then we can visit the grounds, and have dinner in the Great Hall.'

'If we have dinner with the Founders, it's going to be in the papers tomorrow,' Ron whispered to Hermione.

'Maybe no one will bother Harry and Professor Snape,' she answered.

'I bet you a Galleon that the Minister already leaked the info about their bonding,' Pansy told them.

'We won't bet with you, Miss,' Ron told her with a chuckle.

Pansy winked at him.

'Time to go!' Rowena ordered.

They all followed her.

The Minister never knew what hit him. He wanted to confiscate Narcissa's fortune and Draco's heritage, but he went back to the Ministry with the parchment that held the promise Charles Weasley made to Narcissa Malfoy, née Black, to protect and care for her. As a betrothed, Narcissa was protected by ancestral laws, and the fact that the Four Founders of the school were her witnesses impressed the Minister for Magic a lot.

While he was there, Albus made the Minister sign parchments to allow Narcissa to live in Hogwarts while training with the resident mediwitch.

The only thing that the Minister could do to get revenge was to force Narcissa to agree to pay for her apprenticeship when it was normally taken care of by the state. He also forced her and Charlie to get married within six months.

'For my birthday!' Wendy exclaimed.

The Minister glared at her, but that immediately made the others come closer to her and Severus who was holding her.

'That child can't stay here,' the Minister spat.

'I beg your pardon?' Helga growled dangerously.

'We wrote the school rules in such a way that teachers with children could bring them here if they wanted to,' Godric added.

'You should ask someone from the Ministry to come and take care of Wendy Snape-Potter,' Rowena said.

'Before we take measures to protest,' Salazar ended for them all.

The Minister looked around. He couldn't ask Arthur to leave his office, so he turned to Nymphadora.

'You, Tonks,' he began to bark.

'LUPIN!' they all shouted.

'I got married,' Nymph said, holding Remus's hand.

'Right. Whatever. You'll work here from now on, until the girl joins the rank of the students,' the Minister said.

'What if other teachers have children?' Nymph asked with a small voice, as if it bothered her.

The Minister smirked and said, 'Then you'll be stuck here!'

Nymph willed her hair to take a mousy grey colour. Her alleged displeasure delighted the Minister.

'I was planning a change or two in the staff for next year,' Albus intervened.

'Send your parchments to my secretary,' the Minister said.

'Why wait?' Q2 intervened. 'I think you left the parchments on your desk, Albus.'

Albus walked to his desk, but there was only a blank parchment. Q2 nodded fervently, and Albus decided to trust him.

Thanks to one of his tricks, Q2 managed to have the parchment filled in the proper way by the time the Minister signed it, and there was a trick in the ink that forbade the annoying civil servant to see that Severus would teach Potions again while Remus would become the Defence teacher again.

Haughtily, the Minister Floo'ed back to his office in London.

'Is he really gone?' Nymph asked.

Albus closed the connection to the Floo network.

Nymph's hair turned into a colourful rainbow creation.

'I take it you're happy that we're going to work together,' Remus said with a warm chuckle.

'I think your wife has a nice and practical way to plan the future,' Severus declared.

Remus tilted his head.

Harry understood what his consort meant and laughed softly.

'You're fully cured, my dear child,' Albus told Remus.

'You could become a dad,' Ron added.

'And the Ministry would pay your wife to take care of your own kids,' Hermione said.

Remus gaped while his wife was busy beaming.

Spock and Q2 smiled at each other. They knew that Remus and Nymph Lupin's children and Wendy wouldn't be the only kids she'd have to take care of, but it was too soon to tell the others.

'That's one good thing,' Helga said.

'Shall we go and see how big the school is now?' Salazar said.

'I'll tell the other Heads of Houses to join us, and the students will wish to meet you,' Albus said.

'Don't forget to warn the house-elves!' one of the portraits of a former Headmaster said.

'Thank you, Vernius, but they already felt the magic. They're preparing a feast for dinner,' Albus said.

They walked through the school and the grounds together.

Helga and Rowena felt a link with Wendy, and they decided to give her some small gifts without telling her fathers. Q2, Spock, and Leonard helped them.

The rest of the day was highly entertaining.

The students and staff were astounded to be able to meet the Founders of the school.

Even if Albus was able to hide the fact that Spock and Leonard were coming from the future, the nature of Q2 was revealed when the youngest Hufflepuff hugged Helga to thank her for creating her House. The students saw that the Founders were very much solid, and Q2 explained that it was one of the things his species could do. After that, he had to explain who he was.

Arthur briefly went back to the Burrow and told his sons and daughter-in-law what Ginny did and added that they were all invited to Hogwarts for dinner to spend time with Wendy and meet the Founders.

Charlie was talking with his fiancée, Draco, and Pansy to get to know them. Neither Charlie nor Narcissa cared for the Malfoy fortune, but Draco insisted on sharing it equally between them. Draco teased his mother and her future husband by hinting that they might need the money if they ever gave him siblings à la Weasley.

Harry looked at Spock, and Spock winked at him. Draco Malfoy grew up an only child, but just as Spock had announced it, Narcissa would be dearly loved by Charles Weasley, and they'd have a few children - though not as many as Molly herself.

The war was not over yet, but there was something in the air that gave hope to all those who were in Hogwarts.

'Potter,' Salazar Slytherin called the young wizard.

Harry grinned and walked to the Founder. 'Do you want to give Wendy something, just like the lady Founders and Gryffindor did a minute ago?' Harry asked.

'Of course. I knew you or your bonded would notice what the other three did, but I have something a tad bigger in mind for your daughter,' Salazar said.

'What do you have in mind?' Severus intervened.

'I want to secure my heritage. I can feel that only Tom Riddle, Harry Potter and the elf called Spock carry my magic,' Salazar declared.

'Which means that we let you give some of your magic to Wendy if Spock still carries it,' Severus pointed out.

'Spock, are your cousins Parselmouths?' Harry asked their guest.

'Those who live in places where there are snakes, and who aren't Squibs are, indeed,' Spock answered honestly.

'I married the heir of Gryffindor and Slytherin, and now our daughter is going to be the heiress of Slytherin. I guess the Sorting Hat will have no problem sorting her into my house,' Severus said.

Slytherin grinned and gave a bit of his powers to the little witch.

Ravenclaw chuckled and told Severus, 'Now that Salazar did what we all knew he'd do, our true blessings will activate. Your daughter is the heiress of Hogwarts, and the Sorting Hat will hate us for making her so hard to sort.'

'How dare you?!' Salazar growled.

'Why should you be the only one to stay alive in this world?' Hufflepuff intervened.

'She can be the one to carry the memory of the four of you,' Fleur Weasley pointed out.

'Well said, young lady,' Gryffindor said.

Slytherin shrugged.

'At least we won't have to be afraid that she might be bitten by a snake now,' Harry whispered to his consort.

'Really?' Severus asked.

'She can control them,' Harry said. He froze the instant he remembered that he still had one horcrux to destroy.

'Tomorrow,' Spock told Harry.

'Are you a mind reader?' Harry snapped.

One of Spock's eyebrows rose, while Leonard chuckled merrily.

'Stating the obvious, Mr Potter?' Severus teased his consort.

'Well, it's a bit weird to have a descendant of Wendy knowing what's going to happen, and giving me tips even before I voice my concerns,' Harry declared.

Severus caressed Harry's back to soothe him.

"He's right. Since he said the war will end tomorrow, you can wait till dawn to destroy the last horcrux," Severus said in a thought.

The Potions master felt that his young husband wanted to ask him something.

It was something important for Harry, and realization dawned.

"I'll stand by you when you summon Nagini. I'll kill her if you want," Severus promised.

'Your bond is very strong,' Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff declared together.

Harry blushed, and Severus bowed.

Fleur was trying to stay away from Molly, but the other witch noticed it.

'I'm not going to bite you,' Molly said.

Fleur was about to cry.

'What's wrong, Sweetie?' Molly asked gently.

'She feels guilty,' Bill answered for his wife.

Fleur punched his arm, and it spilled her tears.

Molly rushed to her daughter-in-law and asked, 'What's wrong? Are you sick?' Molly paused and asked, 'Are you pregnant?'

Fleur shook her head.

Arthur joined them and said, 'Tell us what's bothering you.'

'She married me, and right after that we lost Ginny,' Bill said for his wife.

'Our family lost a witch, but we gained three,' Molly declared seriously.

Molly ended up with Fleur and Narcissa in her arms, and the three were crying.

'And one day, the third witch we gained will call you Aunt Hermione,' Fred teased his brother's girlfriend.

'I'm Godmother Hermione. That's training for the rest,' Hermione answered.

Fred winked at her.

'Godmother Narcissa is going to become Auntie Narcissa soon,' George pointed out just loud enough for the three hugging witches to hear him.

'Call me "auntie" again, and your twin will have to look for your hide all over the map,' Narcissa said quietly.

'The lady is fair-haired, but she'll fit in the family,' the twins said in unison.

The whole group smiled happily, and they quietly walked back to the Great Hall where everybody was waiting for them.

Thanks to the love the Hogwarts residents had for the Founders, they stayed till midnight, and then they dissolved sending warm thoughts to everybody within the walls of the school.

When they left, Wendy had been asleep for several hours. In the beginning only Dobby was with her, and then Spock and Leonard came to play bodyguards. After midnight, the three godmothers came to watch over her sleep, and the new couple could retire to their room. The Room of Requirement was summoned again to welcome the Lupins and all the Weasleys, who were to stay for the night.

Spock smiled because all the protagonists would be on stage for the end of the war.

Ron stayed with his brothers instead of going back to his dorm.

Severus felt lost without Wendy, and Harry needed company. They decided to share a bed again.

The pyjamas Ginny had made for them were neatly folded on Severus's bed, but Harry felt like crying when he saw them. Severus called an elf to have the items stored in one of his drawers.

They ended up going to bed naked.

Once they were settled in bed together, each on his own side, and in the complete darkness that only the dungeons could create, Severus asked, 'Would you like me to summon the phial of Dreamless Sleep potion?'

'No, thanks. I know that if I take some tonight, I'll never be able to sleep normally without it again,' Harry answered honestly.

'Is there anything I can do?' Severus asked gently.

Harry remained silent.

'Harry?'

Severus still got no answer, and it worried him more than he was ready to admit. Besides, thanks to what Spock had given Harry, the young man was now able to block most of Severus's thoughts.

Harry knew that Severus didn't need his wand to cast most spells, and he felt it when Severus meant to light a few candles to see Harry and assess what was wrong with the younger wizard. Severus began to say the spell, but Harry found his husband's lips in the dark and placed his fingers on them to prevent him from speaking.

'Don't,' Harry sobbed.

'What can I do?' Severus asked him.

'Hold me?' Harry begged with a very small voice.

Severus instantly manoeuvred to hold Harry.

Harry cried for several minutes; at one point, he tried to apologize, but Severus soothed him with warm thoughts and tender caresses.

Harry hugged Severus.

'Thank you, Severus,' Harry said. 'I'm sorry.'

'You lost Lady Ginevra because she protected my daughter,' Severus countered him barely above a whisper.

'Nonsense, Severus! It was Black who caused all that. We lost Ginny because of him. Do you think Ginny or I could have lived if anything had happened to Wendy? I don't know what kind of magic our little former Muggle used on us, but I love her. I loved her the moment I met her, and I know Ginny loved her, too,' Harry said.

'The magic she gave Wendy is proof of her feelings for her; it wouldn't have worked otherwise. Just like your mother saved you from the Killing curse,' Severus said.

'It's strange,' Harry said.

'Not that much,' Severus said softly.

'What do you mean?' Harry wondered.

'I am convinced that Lady Ginevra was highly conscious of her duties as a magical godmother, and I'm almost certain that she would have come to love our daughter as if she'd given birth to her if given time,' Severus said.

'You're right,' Harry granted him.

'And you, Harry. You fell for a baby who lost her mother and risks losing the only father she ever knew,' Severus said. 'Just the way I fell for the baby Sarah brought to this world because I could do something good for an innocent.'

'Risked,' Harry corrected him.

'What?' Severus asked.

'She risked losing her father,' Harry said.

'We can't know what's going to happen tomorrow,' Severus pointed out.

Harry hugged Severus tighter and said, 'I believe in Spock. I want to believe in his past becoming our future.'

'You seem to be accepting Spock's predictions somewhat easily,' Severus said.

'It must come from watching so many science-fiction shows. I bet something could be done to television sets just like what you did to your phone. There's a lot of crap on telly, but I'm sure there are a few things you'd like - documentaries, series, and a few films. I'll show you... if you want that is,' Harry said.

'It... might be nice - and Wendy would like it,' Severus said.

'I'll tell Hermione. I'm sure she'll love the idea... right after finding a way to plug her computer to whatever it is you found to make the phone work,' Harry said.

Severus chuckled.

'I don't think I can sleep, Severus. I'll go to your parlour and summon the last horcrux,' Harry said.

'Our,' Severus corrected him. Severus felt Harry tilt his head, so he explained, 'It's our parlour. You're allowed to stay here, and you're welcome to do so if you want.'

'You have to take care of Wendy, and I don't want to be a burden,' Harry said.

'And Albus says I have low self-esteem!' Severus snorted. 'You are Wendy's other father, and there's no way you can change our bond now. Besides - and though this is a complete surprise - it's not unpleasant not to be alone.'

'It's just that my aunt and her husband put me away in a cupboard, and I have a hard time believing I'm not a burden,' Harry confessed.

'I'm convinced there will be many times in our future when I'll bark at you, but you are not a burden, Harry James Potter-Snape. I don't know if it's an improvement, but you are welcome in my dungeons,' Severus said.

Harry found Severus's cheek in the dark and kissed him.

'Where do you go in the summer?' Harry asked.

'Before I got Wendy I stayed here or went to the house I inherited from my parents, though the place is creepier than the Dark Forest. The past couple of years, I rented a Muggle cottage so that I could keep Wendy with me. I'll have to find something suitable for this summer,' Severus said.

'I lost the Grimmauld Place mansion when Black came back, but we own several houses,' Harry said. 'I'll show you the deeds the goblins gave me, and we can choose one. We could even pick one to make it our nest, make it a place where Wendy will grow up and have nice memories of birthdays, Christmases and feasts.'

Harry remembered that Wendy was the only heiress he'd ever have, and he felt empty and sad.

Severus felt what was going on, and he decided to do something to help Harry. 'I thought you wanted to blast a snake,' he suggested.

'Here?' Harry squeaked.

'Lumos!' Severus said, casting the charm to give them light. 'Here, and now. You summon, I destroy.'

They both knelt on the bed to operate. Two spells later, Tom Riddle had no horcrux left, and he was vulnerable.

'Nox,' Severus said to extinguish the light. 'Now you must sleep, Harry. If you don't want a potion, I could cast a charm.'

'Would you hold me?' Harry murmured. 'I'm feeling so empty. Maybe it'll go away if I feel you right next to me.'

Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and held him tenderly.

'It's so strange,' Harry whispered against Severus's neck.

'What, Harry?' Severus asked gently.

'I mean, just last week - last week! - I would have hexed you almost without a second thought, and now I can feel what you've been hiding, what you went through. Now I can see more links between us. Now I want...' Harry's voice trailed off.

Severus held Harry tighter, and caressed his back to encourage him, but Harry was too moved to speak without more than just physical encouragements.

'Just last week I would have turned you into potions ingredients if I could have got away with it, and now I want you to help me raise Wendy. I guess I'm as puzzled as you are,' Severus whispered against Harry's unruly hair.

'I want to make you happy,' Harry declared as he buried his head in Severus's neck.

'Thank you. Not many have ever cared for me,' Severus said.

'Do you hate me for wanting to change that? Are you angry because I...?' Harry began to say.

'I do not hate you, Harry. Touch our bond with your magic and you will know my feelings for you. I've been tasting your new feelings for me, and even though I fail to understand why and how we changed so much so fast, the only logical conclusion is that our bond, sanctioned through High Magic, allowed us to find in us the equilibrium we need to be a couple,' Severus explained.

'I'll have to tell Spock just how much you sound like him - or he sounds like you,' Harry said with a chuckle.

'He'll like hearing that,' Severus said.

Harry placed one hand on Severus's neck and kissed his cheek. Severus tightened his hold on Harry, and reciprocated.

Severus felt one of Harry's tears fall on his neck.

'What's wrong, Dear?' Severus asked.

'It feels so good to have you,' Harry sobbed.

'There's no need to feel guilty. You're not being unfaithful,' Severus said.

'Really?' Harry asked in another sob.

'I am not another witch stealing you away from Lady Ginevra,' Severus said.

'I feel bad for the feelings I have for you,' Harry confessed. 'Even though it's something different than what I have... had with Ginny.'

Severus shivered.

'Severus?' Harry said softly.

'Try to sleep now,' Severus answered neutrally.

'What did I say wrong this time?' Harry whispered.

'It's not you. I feel bad because you're so young, and I've been alone for so long. I know logically that our bond can't force us to do anything we don't want, but I fear I'm...' Severus's voice trailed off.

Harry lightly smacked Severus's shoulder and growled, 'I heard you think "corrupting". Don't ever think that again! With time I would have loved Ginny... and you. It's only you and me now.'

'It was to be you and her. I feel like an intruder, a thief, and a corrupter,' Severus said.

'You're an idiot. I think I started liking blokes as well as witches long ago, thanks to, or because of, Oliver,' Harry said.

'Wood?' Severus asked.

'The one and only. Showers with him after a won Quidditch game were always highly entertaining,' Harry said with a warm chuckle.

'You have good taste,' Severus declared.

'You're a good catch,' Harry said.

They moved towards each other in the complete dark, and their lips met.

Severus wanted to be accepted, and to have a life-long lover. Harry wanted to love and be loved.

"I need more," Harry thought.

'Are you sure?' Severus asked aloud.

'Please,' Harry begged.

'This is madness,' Severus said. 'But this must be meant to be.'

They kissed again.

They kissed until neither felt guilty for any reason.

'What do you want?' Severus panted.

'Can we do again what we did the other night?' Harry asked.

'Not exactly because there shall be no High Magic or bonding this time, but if you want us to make love, we can do that,' Severus said warmly.

'Make love,' Harry whispered very softly.

'Yes, if you'll allow me,' Severus answered.

A bit out of the blue, Harry said, 'You are the only one I can trust with my heart. You'll be my only one.'

One particle of High Magic flew from Harry's wedding mark to Severus's, and back.

'I thought I said no more High Magic, Mr Potter-Snape,' Severus teased his husband.

'Maybe we just sealed our bond just a wee bit more, Professor Snape-Potter,' Harry teased him back.

'There are a few spells I haven't used in quite a few years that are rather interesting,' Severus said.

'Show me,' Harry said, rubbing his arousal against Severus's hip, and caressing Severus eagerly.

'I can't show you everything tonight, or Riddle will have to come here and interrupt us,' Severus pointed out.

'Maybe we'd give him a heart attack,' Harry said with a merry laugh. Severus tickled him. 'No, but really... we'll have the rest of our lives to try all the spells we can find.'

'Do...' Severus didn't dare voice his question.

'Tell me, Severus,' Harry encouraged him.

'Do you really want me?' Severus almost gasped.

'I wish there were a spell to show you that I'm not playing with your heart,' Harry said.

'We have better than a spell at hand,' Severus said.

In spite of the darkness, Severus felt Harry's grin through their bond. They got up in synch, wrapped themselves in their wizarding robes, and went to Leonard and Spock's room.

It took the guests a moment to answer the door, and if Leonard's blush was an indication, Severus and Harry interrupted some marital explorations.

'Is there a problem?' Spock asked worriedly. He'd had a few surprises since his warp back in time, and other things could have been hidden from him.

'Only one,' Harry said a bit sharply.

'Are we meant to be a couple?' Severus asked Spock.

'A real couple?' Harry insisted.

Spock nodded.

'What aren't you telling us?' Harry asked.

'He's not hiding anything,' Leonard came to his husband's rescue. 'He feels guilty for losing Ginny. I know what he knows, and I can tell you that you're going to become a real couple. Life is one weird adventure, but from what I gathered, you were meant to end up together.'

'I know I only come from a future that is still nonexistent for you, but you can ask the Founders. When they witnessed your bonding, they saw parts of your future,' Spock said.

'For a Muggle, you know quite a lot about magic,' Harry said suspiciously.

'It's either the bond, or I'm rubbing off on you,' Severus soothed his consort.

'My husband is not a Muggle. He's from Vulcan. I'm the only Muggle here,' Leonard said.

'All right,' Harry growled.

'Let's go back to our room. We're going to have a long day, I just can feel it,' Severus coaxed Harry.

'Looks like we're rubbing off on each other,' Harry pointed out.

'Is this a bad thing?' Severus asked as he closed Leonard and Spock's door behind him.

'No,' Harry said simply.

When they reached their bedroom, a house-elf was lighting the last of a dozen candles that were spelled to float near the bed.

'Founders said "save time", and you two is meant to be,' the house-elf said before melting into thin air.

'Life is even weirder than Leonard said,' Harry declared.

'We should try to sleep,' Severus said.

'I don't think the candles are there to help us sleep, and I don't want to sleep,' Harry said, looking pointedly at the carpet.

Severus took Harry's chin in his hand, and forced him to look at him.

'Really?' Severus purred.

'Really,' Harry answered seriously.

Severus divested them both of their robes, not caring where they'd land in the room, and he crushed Harry against him, kissing him hungrily. Severus promised Ginny to take good care of Harry, he was quite attracted to the young man, and if Harry needed to have sex to feel better, or forget even for one night what happened to the woman he loved, or if he just needed to use Severus to simply find sleep, then Severus was ready to give him that. It would not be a huge sacrifice.

"Silly," Harry told Severus in a thought.

Severus gave the equivalent of a mental blink.

"You're not an ersatz. You're my wizarding consort. I have lost my betrothed witch, and it's you, me, and Wendy now," Harry thought.

"Having Spock show you what you needed to know in Legilimency really did you a lot of good," Severus thought back.

'Severus, it's my bond with you that allows me to share thoughts with you,' Harry declared.

'Oh.'

Harry smiled warmly.

His green eyes looked amazing in the candlelight, and Severus kissed Harry enthusiastically.

They explored each other's bodies with soft caresses and tender kisses. They explored each other slowly, taking their time - as if they didn't have to end a war later that day.

They were still quite puzzled by their mutual attraction, but they were willing to try and discover what they could build together.

Once Harry was fully comfortable with their activities, Severus grabbed a pot of lubricant and handed it over to Harry.

'Would you mind doing all the work in the beginning? I loved what you did to me,' Harry said.

After another heated kiss, Severus gently prepared Harry.

'Need you,' Harry begged.

'I'm right here,' Severus said.

Severus took position between Harry's legs and entered him with care and love.

Severus moved so gently that Harry felt wrapped in love. They were so much in harmony that they could make love for much longer than they could during their first times.

When Harry finally surrendered to his need, he asked Severus to stay in him for a moment.

'This is brilliant, fantastic, fantabulous,' Harry said. 'I could get addicted to you.'

'You're amazing, Harry,' Severus said. He was panting a bit, and clearly in awe that the hope of the wizarding world decided to share his bed - again, when he was not forced to do so.

'When can we do it again?' Harry asked eagerly.

Severus was so surprised that his sex pulsed with renewed interest as he was still buried in Harry.

'Give me five minutes,' Severus said.

'Isn't there a spell?' Harry asked innocently.

'Yes, but it would make us a bit hornier than normal,' Severus explained.

'Is it a bad thing?' Harry said.

'I'm going to hell, but what a ride!' Severus joked just before casting the spell that aroused them both instantly, and allowed them to make love for much longer than they had before.

Harry fell asleep on Severus, with Severus still sheathed in him.

At one point in the night, Severus opened one eye. The candles had burnt down, and complete darkness was back - and he thought that Harry was purring. Severus went back to sleep with a small smile on his lips. It never occurred to him that it was Ginny's last gift that was taking hold.

A warm glow woke Severus up. It took him a few seconds to remember that there were no windows in his room, and there was no way he could see the sun rising.

Severus opened his eyes and looked at the source of the glow. He shook Harry until the young man woke up.

'Is it morning yet? Do we have to get up?' Harry asked sleepily.

'Darling, you're glowing!' Severus almost squeaked.

Harry was instantly awake. There was a soft glow emanating from his body, right below his heart.

'What's wrong with me, Sev?' Harry asked worriedly.

Severus lit candles, took his wand, and cast a few spells.

'Lady Ginevra did more than just save Wendy and give her magic,' Severus said barely loud enough for Harry to hear him.

'What did she do?' Harry asked.

'She cast a spell on you in the hope that we'd make love. She gave you the ability to bear children,' Severus said.

'Am I pregnant?' Harry inquired.

'Yes, but not like a woman. You're pregnant with love. You will carry the light until we're both ready to welcome the child in our lives. Then and only then would we become fathers,' Severus said.

'Is it a baby with your genes and mine?' Harry asked.

'There has to be a female element. You might be the one giving birth to your and Ginny's child,' Severus said.

'Can you tell?' Harry gasped.

Severus nodded and cast another spell. He whistled when he saw the result.

'What?!' Harry almost yelled.

'You never do things the easy way. I can see a link with Ginny, you, and me. Quite extraordinary, but not unheard of,' Severus said.

'We're going to have a child?' Harry said in awe.

Severus realized that Wendy wouldn't be an only child, and he kissed Harry deeply.

'That a yes?' Harry asked when Severus freed his lips.

'Yes, Harry, if we feed the spell, we'll have a child. Molly is going to love that,' Severus said.

'Tell me more about what Ginny gave me,' Harry said.

'It is magic linked to sacrifice. There are many forms. Your mother saved you from Riddle's Killing curse. Lady Ginevra protected Wendy and gave her all her magical powers but one; she gave you the ability to...' Severus paused and looked at Harry. 'I don't really know how to explain it, but she gave you the power to father a child. It could have been a gift just for you and her, and I could have been a mere catalyst. She included me in this.'

'I'm glowing, and I'm pregnant with love. How and when are we going to have that baby?' Harry asked.

'You're taking this well,' Severus said neutrally.

'Sev, I carry a part of Ginny, and we can have a baby. This is all I want - all I've ever wished for,' Harry said.

'Sev?' Severus repeated.

'I'm sorry, Professor,' Harry apologized instantly.

Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed him. 'Don't be silly. I'm not angry. It's just that Sarah was the only one who ever gave me a nickname. And do I have to remind you what happened between us that set off Lady Ginevra's gift to us, to our family?' Severus asked.

'It just comes naturally,' Harry said softly. 'You really don't mind, do you?'

Severus shook his head and said, 'Just don't slip in class.'

Harry chuckled.

Severus ghosted a caress over the glow emanating from Harry. 'You're so young. Are you sure you want to do this?' Severus asked. 'There is no way to hide the glow, and everybody is going to know.'

For one second, Harry was very angry, and he almost slapped his consort. Harry took a deep breath and said, 'I'll tell Molly and Narcissa if you ever suggest again that we don't feed the spell. It's a bloody miracle, Sev! Now tell me you don't want our baby.'

Severus buried his head in Harry's neck and said, 'It's more than a miracle, and I want that child more than anything in the world.'

Harry grinned impudently, and he glowed brighter.

'This is how we can have the baby, by giving love to the spell,' Severus said.

'When can we have it?' Harry asked.

'I'll have to check that, or we could ask Molly, but I think the minimum is one lunar cycle, and there is no maximum of time,' Severus answered.

'Where is it, and how am I going to deliver it?' Harry asked next.

Severus chuckled and held his consort tenderly. 'Our child is in the magic that we see in the glow, and it will not change until we say a Birthing spell,' Severus explained.

'Will there be only the glow?' Harry inquired.

'You're not going to put on weight if that is what you want to know. You're not carrying our child; you're harbouring the magic that our future child is going to be,' Severus explained.

'Riddle is going to see what I'm carrying, isn't he?' Harry said.

'I'll stand by you to make sure he doesn't hurt you,' Severus said.

Harry kissed Severus.

'When do you want us to have the baby?' Harry asked.

'It might be wise to wait until you're a fully certified wizard,' Severus said.

'No one can take our baby from us because I'm too young, right?' Harry asked worriedly.

'No, Darling, we are legally bonded. Wendy is yours as much as she's mine, and the child you're carrying will have three parents,' Severus answered.

'Just like Wendy,' Harry pointed out.

Severus blinked, and then nodded.

'You're forgetting one thing,' Harry pointed out.

'What is it?' Severus wondered.

'Our dear Minister gave us Nymph to care for Wendy. I don't think she'd mind taking care of our second child,' Harry said.

'Granted, but I won't agree to say the spell before you talked with several witches who have given birth and have taken care of babies. I do know what to expect because I raised Wendy, but it's new for you,' Severus pointed out.

'Okay, I can do that,' Harry agreed.

Severus smiled warmly.

'Severus?' Harry said softly.

'What do you want to know?' Severus asked.

'Is this a one time miracle?' Harry asked.

'There's no way to know, I'm sorry,' Severus answered.

Harry laughed softly.

'Harry?'

'We have Spock here. We can ask him,' Harry declared as he jumped out of bed.

He grabbed their robes again, and handed his to his consort.

'What makes you think that he's going to answer you?' Severus asked, clearly puzzled.

'I can tickle him,' Harry answered as if it were a valid threat.

They went to their friends' room again, and knocked on the door. They were surprised to see the castle open the door.

Leonard and Spock were awake, still in bed, and holding a baby between them.

'Come and meet the next generation of your descendants,' Leonard said.

Spock immediately noticed that Harry was glowing. 'Congratulations, Mr Potter-Snape,' he said.

'Thanks! Congratulations, too! Is this baby the only one we can have?' Harry asked straightforwardly.

'Thank you!' Leonard said, reacting only to the first part of what Harry said.

'Spock?' Severus said.

'Wendy is the only one carrying Lady Ginevra's magic, but Wendy will not grow up alone. She'll have brothers,' Spock said.

'Only sons?' Harry asked.

'Now, my dear, you don't want my bonded to spoil all your fun, do you?' Leonard chuckled.

"We know we can repeat it," Severus told Harry in a thought.

Harry grinned.

'So, what did you dream?' Severus asked the two new fathers.

'We have a baby witch. She's carrying Ginny's magic,' Leonard said.

Harry sat on the bed, and Severus placed one hand on Harry's shoulder.

The baby was small, but rather cute, and definitely Vulcan.

'Did you choose a name for her?' Severus asked.

Spock blushed.

'We thought that T'Gin would be a good name,' Leonard said.

'It's a very good name,' Harry and Severus said in synch.

The new fathers grinned.

Harry looked at Severus and said, 'We'll have to find a name for the baby.'

'We'll have quite a lot to do, Darling,' Severus pointed out.

'Feeding the spell is one thing, but I think we should join the others for breakfast before Molly and Narcissa come and drag us out to the parlour,' Spock declared.

Harry nodded and said, 'Let's go and get dressed.'

Severus took Harry's hand, and they went back to their own room to get dressed.

When they reached their room, they noticed that Harry's possessions had been brought to Severus's quarters. They looked at each other to assess the other's reaction; they smiled and shrugged.

'Looks like I'm moving in for good,' Harry said.

'It will be easier to feed the spell,' Severus pointed out.

Harry smiled and asked, 'Shower together?'

'Just shower,' Severus answered.

'Of course! I want breakfast, and we've got to share our good news with our friends,' Harry said.

Severus nodded.

Their shower was quick, but Severus had to remind Harry that they had to hurry to the Great Hall. Harry was fascinated by the fact that the glow was only hidden by his clothes for two seconds after he put his shirt and robes on, and then the glow sipped through the material. He played with his robes and counted several times how long it took the glow to become visible through the material.

They finally left their quarters, thanks to Severus's intervention, and went to join their friends.

'Who do you think is going to gape first?' Harry asked with a chuckle.

'Ronald is the obvious choice, but Molly and Albus are valid candidates,' Severus answered.

Harry chuckled again.

They met a few students on their way, but the glow near Harry's heart was something that happened so rarely that they didn't know what it was exactly.

'I'd like you to sit with me. At least today,' Severus told his consort.

'Maybe we could ask the Headmaster to make an announcement. We already know that our bond is going to be advertised in the papers soon. Our little miracle is going to be discussed,' Harry said.

'A few people are going to know what we did to activate Lady Ginevra's gift. Are you comfortable with that?' Severus asked kindly.

Harry leant towards his consort and whispered, 'Isn't what we did what all couples do to have a baby?'

'Brat,' Severus said fondly. His new feelings for Harry were a surprise, but he liked the warmth his bond with Harry brought into his life. 'Are you all right with people knowing we are truly bonded?' he asked gently in a soft whisper.

'Honestly, Severus, I only care for Wendy's reaction,' Harry answered frankly.

Severus smiled.

They entered the Great Hall through the staff door, and they immediately saw that all the guests were already at the High table.

Instinctively Severus took Harry's hand and walked straight to Narcissa, who was chatting with Poppy. Severus took Wendy, who was on Narcissa's lap, in his arms, and the unusual family walked straight to Albus.

'I dreamt of the Founders. They told me to check the school book, and I know what is happening to you,' Albus said.

'The castle moved my trunk to the dungeons,' Harry announced.

'Logical,' Albus pointed out.

'Is everybody sounding like Spock now?' Leonard intervened.

They winked at him.

'What is T'Gin eating?' Poppy asked Leonard.

'I can feed her. It's a part of the gift,' Spock answered.

'Molly,' Severus said softly as he turned to her, 'there's been more magic.'

Molly stood up and hugged Severus. 'Ginny came to see Arthur and me in a dream last night. She told us what she did for you, and why she did it. You're even more in a part of our family now,' she said.

Arthur joined the hug.

The fact that Molly and Arthur accepted Severus so easily made Harry very happy, and he glowed brighter for a moment.

'I'd better explain this before the other students start spreading strange rumours about Harry's condition,' Albus said.

Albus got up, but before he could say anything the wards warned them that intruders were on the grounds.

'Why did it have to be before breakfast?' Harry groaned.

'So that you're angry enough to end this as soon as possible?' Severus suggested.

Harry glared at his husband.

'Q2! I'd like you to stay with Wendy,' Severus told the alien.

Q2 was next to Severus in the wink of an eye, and he took Wendy in his arms. 'She's wrapped in my power. Nothing can happen to her,' Q2 swore.

All the adults and the oldest students were ready to fight. The youngest were leaving the Great Hall when Voldemort came in with his Death Eaters. The ranks of his followers was becoming thinner, and he'd decided to attack that day.

The magic of the house-elves cleared the room of all the furniture.

The members of the Order of the Phoenix, and the Dark Lord and his followers took their positions in front of each other and were ready to fight.

'I see you have guests, Headmaster,' Riddle said.

'Good friends called in, and we had them stay with us for the night. And now we have uninvited visitors,' Albus said.

'Our coming was quite unexpected I think,' Riddle said.

'No,' Albus simply said.

Riddle hissed, but he didn't want the one he saw merely as an old man to bother him in front of the remaining Death Eaters.

'When I lost Lucius and Greyback, Bellatrix was kind enough to enlighten me about what happened within these walls exactly. I must say, I was surprised not to have felt that I'd lost one of my old followers,' Riddle said, pointedly looking at Severus. His slit eyes turned towards Harry, and he went on, 'However, I gathered enough information to understand how that was made possible. I see that Mr Potter got over the death of the Weasley witch pretty fast.'

'If you're trying to anger me so that I attack you foolishly and die in the process leaving you free to hurt my friends, you're quite mistaken. I grew up - mainly thanks to you,' Harry declared.

'And my daughter is still with us,' Molly added.

Severus looked at Wendy, and Harry brushed his left hand against the glow.

'I heard about the Muggle baby,' Riddle said, his eyes on Wendy.

Q2 had kept his wizard robes, therefore there was no way Riddle could know what he really was.

In the wink of an eye, Riddle cast the Killing curse towards Wendy, but Q2 stopped the ray of green light with his hand.

Q2 turned to Wendy's fathers and said, 'Now Harry no longer is the only one who has survived to that spell.'

'May I do something, Master?' One of the masked Death Eaters asked.

Riddle nodded.

The instant the wizard took one step towards Wendy, he was hit by curses from Severus and Harry, all the Weasleys, the Malfoys, the Lupins, Pansy Parkinson and Hermione Granger.

'Don't mess with our daughter!' Harry and Severus barked together.

The Death Eaters were beginning to wonder if they'd chosen the wrong side.

Riddle was too demented and arrogant to feel that something in the magic around them was odd.

T'Gin was in Leonard's arms, and it was easy for Tom Riddle to feel that there were only tiny particles of magic in the doctor from the future. Riddle wanted to kill one of his opponents to unsettle their group; in fact, Leonard was the best target for him.

Spock saw that the Dark Lord was about to aim at Leonard and their baby. With Q2 protecting Wendy, Leonard and T'Gin didn't stand a chance; besides the fact that Spock would die if his mate were killed, Spock couldn't conceive his life without his husband and their daughter.

Before Riddle pronounced the second syllable of the Killing curse, Spock took his phaser and shot, killing the Dark Lord.

The magical shock of the death of their master made the Death Eaters vulnerable, and the oldest members of the Order of the Phoenix stunned them all where they were.

There was no trace of the body of Tom Riddle, and his soul was gone for good.

'But Voldemort can't be dead! It's a Muggle weapon that's not even supposed to exist in our world!' Hermione almost screamed at Spock.

'May I remind you that the piece of wood in your hand is not supposed to help you channel spells to do magic? Magic is illogical,' Spock retorted.

Hermione growled.

Ron hugged her and said, 'Look at the bright side. The war is over, and you can read as many books as you want.'

Hermione instantly looked at Severus, who sighed, but said, 'I'll give you the phone if you want to study it.'

Q2 walked to Severus and Harry; he gave them Wendy back and said, 'She didn't see what happened.'

'You're the best!' Harry said happily.

Wendy touched the glow and said, 'Lil' brother.'

'Yes, Sweetheart,' Harry told her.

Wendy grinned and wrapped her little arms around her second father's neck.

Severus turned towards Spock, who looked quite surprised, much to Leonard's delight. 'Someone said something about the end of the war being anticlimactic. That was the understatement of the millennium,' he said.

Spock blushed and said, 'I had no idea it would happen this way.'

'We'll make sure that Wendy gives clear instructions for your mother and your cousins to never tell you what you were supposed to do in our fight,' Severus declared.

'What do we do now?' Narcissa asked.

'We make sure his followers can't escape, we summon the furniture back, call our younger students back here, and then we sit down and bet on how long it's going to take the Ministry to react to the fact that our wards were breached,' Albus said.

'One sickle we can finish breakfast quietly,' Pansy said.

'One Galleon we'll have to call them,' Percy said.

Pansy winked at him, and he smiled.

Harry's stomach growled loudly. 'I want my breakfast!' Harry mock-wailed.

'You're not really eating for two,' Arthur teased him.

'But he's still growing up,' Severus said.

Harry leant towards his consort and whispered, 'I do need a lot of energy.'

Severus didn't know how Harry managed to make such a simple sentence sound saucy, but Harry did so. It suddenly sounded like a good idea to ask the house-elves to work faster and bring breakfast back to the Hall.

By the time they were back to the High table, everything was back to normal, and Harry could have breakfast.

There was no news from the Ministry after breakfast.

Most of the Hogwarts guests went back to their jobs or homes. Narcissa stayed with Poppy and Leonard as both started training her; Spock was the one holding the little T'Gin, and the two witches and his husband were convinced that he was in a mind meld with the baby when he thought the others were not looking at him.

Before going to work at the Ministry, Arthur asked Charlie to stay and keep an eye on Molly. Arthur was convinced that his wife wouldn't leave before the Ministry did something (and Arthur was convinced that the Minister for Magic would do nothing); Molly didn't need help, but this way Charlie could stay in Hogwarts near Narcissa. Albus winked at Arthur before he Floo'ed to the Ministry - the old wizard was happy to help the engaged couple. It even occurred to Albus that he could ask Hagrid to invite Charlie to talk about dragons during the Care of the Magical Creatures classes; Hagrid, who loved dragons, would be ecstatic, and the students would be delighted not to have to deal with whatever beasts Professor Hagrid had decided to work on this month.

By lunchtime, the Ministry had still done nothing.

By then, Molly was positively fuming.

Hogwarts was no normal school. The security wards were connected to the Ministry; as wizards, Aurors, Unspeakables, and other civil servants had enough power to reach the school very fast and protect the students.

Molly was growling about the Ministry during lunch when she looked at Harry. What drew her attention towards him was that Severus, who had insisted that Harry should stay at the High table until the Minister for Magic had shown his true face, was trying to soothe Harry because of something Molly had overheard. She paid more attention to the private exchange and realized what bothered Harry; if anyone from the Ministry had answered to the security breach when Narcissa managed to alarm Albus, then Ginny might have been rescued before Harry and Severus found her.

Molly had lost her daughter, but if Spock hadn't fired and killed Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters might have killed all the students, and yet the Minister was waiting for Merlin-knows-what in London. Molly saw red, and left the Hall.

She found a classroom with a fireplace and Floo powder, and she made a few calls. Molly Weasley called old friends, mothers and fathers of Hogwarts students, and she told them what had happened that morning, and what the Minister was - not - doing right now.

Before teatime, most of the parents had been informed, and they'd shared the news with their relatives.

Minister Rufus Scrimgeour found himself in a nasty position. He tried to blame the Weasleys for everything, but the magical community wanted his hide.

There was an impressive number of anonymous Howlers that arrived for the Minister at the Ministry, and the Aurors and his private secretary had a hard time preventing them from exploding since the Minister didn't want to open them - or even acknowledge them.

The Minister retreated to his house, where another wave of Howlers were delivered by owls and other birds. Unfortunately for the Minister, someone had invented a spell or something that had the recorded letters of insult open instead of explode. Scrimgeour was seen leaving his house for an unknown location.

Fred and George Weasley were grinning too much, and everybody thought that they were the ones who had changed the modus operandi of the Howlers.

Percy Weasley was grinning, too - maybe because he accidentally reminded a journalist that the Minister for Magic had to be in his office once a day, except if he was on an approved diplomatic mission abroad. If the Minister didn't abide by this law, new elections had to take place. The Minister would not remember that very old law before it was too late for him, and there were so many people angry with him that he'd never be re-elected.

Molly went back to her home right after tea.

Charlie was still sharing dragon tales with Hagrid and his students, therefore Albus told Molly that he'd keep Charlie with them for dinner - at least.

Molly knew that Narcissa was bound to need some comfort because her late husband had almost sold their only child to a mad man, and her sister had tried to kill her and betrayed her to the Minister. She also knew that Charlie would realize that the reason he was in Hogwarts was that his only sister, the baby of the family and their precious princess, had been killed. Molly hoped that her son and their distant cousin could find a way to cheer each other up.

Dinner was somewhat quiet, though a few students were beginning to realize that the war was over, and others were beginning to understand that Spock and Leonard were no ordinary guests. The icing on the cake was that a few were beginning to understand what was really going on between their current Defence teacher, who would again become their Potions master the following year, and Harry.

Wendy was having a lot of fun with Nymph and Remus. It really looked as if they were both training for the future.

The current Potions teacher, Horace Slughorn, was looking a bit green. In fact, if he'd had pointed ears, he could have passed for a relative of Spock's. At one point he mumbled something that made Minerva growl, 'What did you just say?'

Minerva had been going through too much over the last few months to be civil to someone she never really liked.

Slughorn waved his hand in dismissal.

'He said that it was un-Slytherin to bed a student, and that the light Mr Potter-Snape is carrying is an abomination,' Spock repeated.

'I love your ears, T'hy'la,' Leonard praised his husband.

'They're not so nice, Darling, because sometimes I hear nasty things that humans can't usually hear,' Spock pointed out logically.

'But this time, you're helping us greatly,' Nymph told Spock kindly.

He bowed towards her.

'That elf is not even a wizard,' Slughorn mumbled.

'Do not insult my descendant,' Severus hissed threateningly. 'You're not better than him even though he can't use Lady Ginevra's gift.'

Slughorn shrugged.

'The light of love that Harry is carrying is a pure miracle, and his union with Severus was sanctioned with High Magic. How can you object to that?' Albus asked Slughorn.

Slughorn waved his hand again.

Albus turned to Spock and asked, 'Do you know what his problem is?'

'How could he know?' Slughorn spat.

One of Spock's eyebrows rose and he said, 'According to the family records, he's one of those wizards who are more bigoted than Muggles when it comes to same sex relationships.'

This time, since the "elf" seemed to know what he thought, instead of turning green, Slughorn turned beet-red.

'Is this going to be an issue for you?' Albus asked his current Potions master.

Slughorn took a deep breath and looked at Albus when he said, 'I'd like a word with you, in private.'

Both rose and went just outside the Hall.

'What are they saying?' Leonard asked his husband.

Spock listened, but he already knew what Slughorn was about to say. The bigoted wizard was disgusted that a student had been allowed to bond with a teacher - though Harry and Severus were far from having created a precedent in the thousand years of Hogwarts existence. He also could not stand to see babies made with love and without the direct contribution of a woman.

Albus argued with him that it was an extremely limited reaction since Severus and Harry had the opportunity to use such methods, and a child made of pure love was sure to be cherished.

Slughorn was implacable, and he resigned then and there.

With the coming exams, Albus would have found himself in a difficult situation if Spock didn't point out that Severus could take over Potions in the wink of an eye, and Remus could start working as the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher immediately with a little bit of help.

Severus gave all his files to Remus, and Albus offered to help him for the end of the semester.

After dinner, Poppy gave a few books to Narcissa, and the new apprentice went back to her quarters.

Spock and Leonard decided to spend a moment with their baby, Nymph, and Wendy, while Remus worked with Albus.

Harry felt something odd, and it worried him, but Severus was almost blushing when he informed his consort that it indicated that they had to feed the spell. Harry's cheeks were almost brighter than the light of their child when they left the Hall together. Once in their quarters, they called Dobby to ask him to tell Nymph to put Wendy to bed in the new room the castle had created for her.

Charlie was on his way to the hospital wing to use the fireplace to Floo back to his parents' home when Draco caught him on the stairs.

'Are you really that daft, Weasley?' Draco spat.

Charlie whirled towards the younger wizard and growled, 'What do you mean?'

'If you want to break my mother's heart, you should dump her properly at least, and not flee like a bloody coward,' Draco said.

'I saved her from the Ministry, but from what the Headmaster said, Scrimgeour won't be a problem for very much longer. Your mother will be free when there's a new Minister,' Charlie said softly.

'Stupid wizard! I'm not happy that you like my mother so much, but Pansy is never wrong. If she says you're made for each other, then you are! Now go and see my mother before I tell my fiancée that you're an idiot and she calls your mother!' Draco declared.

Charlie winced.

He didn't feel courageous enough to face Narcissa right now, but it was a safer option than having Draco bother his mother.

Draco escorted Charlie to Narcissa's quarters, but ran away before she answered the door.

'Charlie?' Narcissa gasped when she opened the door.

'May I have a word with you?' he asked in a whisper.

She let him in, convinced that he wanted to back off.

'I understand, Charles. I'll ask Albus to have our betrothal annulled as soon as possible. You gave us time, but I understand that you don't want to be tied to a witch from the Black family,' Narcissa said. 'I'm really grateful that you helped my son - and his future wife.'

'Huh?' Charlie said.

She didn't look at him and went on, 'I imagine Albus or someone told you to lie so you could help me. Pansy is sweet to have lied to convince me that this was real. Merlin! Why would you like an old witch like me?'

'But you're not old, and I love you!' Charlie shouted.

'Huh?' Narcissa said in her turn.

Charlie looked at her and chuckled warmly. Then he remembered why he was in her quarters and spoke, 'I do love you, but I'm just a Weasley. All I have, have ever had, and always will have is just love. This is not enough for you, and I understand it. I wanted to save you, and your son, and his fiancée, but now you're all going to be fine, and you certainly don't want someone like me.'

'You do not have to sugar-coat the truth, Charles,' she said softly. 'You can take your freedom back.' She spoke even more softly and added, 'Spock and Q2 must have played some tricks.'

There was something very sad in Narcissa's voice.

One wizard in a portrait on the wall was trying to encourage Charlie to go and hold the woman he loved.

Charlie decided to use his Gryffindor courage - and if bad things happened, Poppy and Leonard were still in the building.

Charlie walked to Narcissa and took one of her hands in his.

'What if they're right? What if Pansy, Spock and Q2 are right and we're meant to be together? Pansy sent Draco after me, and here I am. It's the very first time we're alone. It's the first time I can ask you without having friends or family around. May I woo you?' Charlie asked.

Narcissa blinked several times.

'My son is in your youngest brother's year,' Narcissa protested feebly.

'What about Severus and Harry?' Charlie countered her.

She smiled.

'I'm poor, and I work with dragons,' Charlie pointed out.

'You may not have money, but you have love, and that's often more precious than Galleons. Believe me, I know,' she said. She grinned and added, 'And...'

'And?' he purred, moving closer to her.

'And who do you think named Draco? I love dragons. Now this has to be our secret, or I'll ask the twins to do something,' she said.

'You love dragons?' Charlie asked.

She nodded several times.

'So, when you're a mediwitch, you'll come and live with me?' he asked.

'Do you really want me?' she asked again.

His lips on hers was the only answer she got, but it was enough for her.

For Charlie, it was more than a dream come true, and he kissed her until his lungs protested, and he had to stop kissing her to take a deep breath.

Charlie looked at Narcissa, and there were tears in her eyes.

'What's wrong?' he asked with a small voice.

'I've never been kissed like that before,' she answered.

'Malfoy was a twat!' Charlie declared.

'Make me burn, please,' Narcissa almost begged as she clung to Charlie.

'Now?' he asked incredulously.

'Why not? We're officially betrothed,' she answered.

'Do... Do you really want me? I may kiss you again?' he asked.

'Kiss me - and more. Please. Charlie?' she begged.

Charlie kissed her again. It was still a hungry kiss, but Charlie's fire was low and deep.

Before they really registered what they were doing, they started undressing each other.

'Are you su...?' Charlie began to say, only to be interrupted by Narcissa's eager lips on his. 'I'll take that as a "yes", then,' he said when they stopped kissing.

Charlie forgot all his fears, and focussed on Narcissa. He got rid of his outer robes and unbuttoned most of Narcissa's blouse so he had access to her breast.

From her lips, he dove straight between her breast and kissed her excitedly. His lips trailed to the closest nipple, which he started sucking enthusiastically, while his hand went to roll the other one between his calloused fingers.

Narcissa arched and whimpered.

Charlie decided that the bed was too far away, but the chair by the fireplace was three steps away, and quite big enough.

'Oh, yes!' Narcissa hissed when Charlie gently pushed her until she sat down.

He knelt down, and she unerringly unfastened his trousers. He wrapped a growl with a hiss when her long fingers got his aroused shaft out of its material confinement.

At the same time, Narcissa was trying to push her robes out of the way.

Charlie knew that she was powerful; he decided that if he did anything she didn't like, she could either bark or hex.

Charlie placed Narcissa's legs on the armrests of the chair, got all the annoying material out of his way, grabbed his shaft, and guided it towards Narcissa's opening.

It had been such a long time since anyone touched her that she shivered violently. Charlie looked deep in her eyes. He was ready to burn her inside and outside. He felt that she was wet enough to welcome him, and he plunged into her in one powerful thrust, never taking his eyes from hers.

Narcissa's lips formed a perfect, silent "oh", and it made him smile. Charlie didn't know how Lucius Malfoy was in bed, but Charlie was convinced that Lucius never made love to his wife. Charlie placed his arms under Narcissa's legs, rubbing warm circles on her hips, and then he began to thrust hard and fast.

Charlie felt that he wouldn't last long, and it bothered him, but when Narcissa became quite vocal and she started trembling, he realized that their first time would be short, if hot.

Narcissa grabbed a handful of Charlie's hair and guided his lips where she wanted them. Charlie obeyed her happily and sucked her breast again as he kept thrusting in and out of her moist opening. Narcissa threw her head back, gurgling something unintelligible, and she came hard. She clenched so hard around Charlie's length that it brought him over the edge, grunting and panting as he thrust hard a few more times before exploding.

'Merlin, Charlie! Stay in me, please,' Narcissa said.

Charlie took a very deep breath and said a spell to get rid of all their clothes. Then he did something he'd wanted to do for years and undid all the pins in Narcissa's hair, freeing threads of pale gold that fell way below her waist.

'My Goddess,' Charlie whispered reverently.

'My dragon master,' she answered warmly. 'Make me burn again.'

Charlie began to become aroused again, and the pulse Narcissa felt inside her made her shiver again. Charlie manoeuvred to wrap her legs around his waist, and he stood up.

The friction and display of strength aroused Narcissa, and she pulsed around Charlie.

She whimpered, and he moaned.

They stopped against the door to the bedroom, and Charlie made her hold the wood ledge above the door, and he fucked her there. They lasted barely longer that time.

They made it to the bed after that.

'We need a spell, or I could get pregnant,' Narcissa pointed out between kisses.

'My wand is in the parlour,' Charlie said as he proceeded to pound his witch into the soft mattress.

'So is mine,' she said between happy gasps.

Charlie stopped everything just long enough to ask, 'Do you want me to go and get one of them?'

She shook her head.

'Good, now let's try to last more than one minute,' Charlie said.

She chuckled merrily and turned them around. She rode him slowly, torturing them both until Charlie turned them over again, and he increased his rhythm until they both came.

For the first time, they slept together, wrapped in warmth and love.

They woke up kissing.

Narcissa hid her face in Charlie's neck and asked with a small voice, 'What if I'm pregnant?'

Charlie moved and lovingly framed her face with his hands. 'We can't have that without being married. I still have three days off. What are you doing today?' he asked.

'Today?' she repeated.

'It would make Wendy happy,' Charlie said.

'Molly would kill me,' Narcissa said.

'We can call her. Since you're an apprentice here, I'm sure either Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall could marry us,' Charlie said.

Narcissa looked at her fiancé and nodded.

Charlie grinned.

Molly Floo'ed to Hogwarts faster than a Snitch when Charlie told her they were getting married, and she offered to help Narcissa with anything she might wish.

Molly started grinning like the Cheshire-Cat when Narcissa said she only needed flowers - for good luck - her friends at Hogwarts, and her family. By family, she meant Draco, Pansy, and all the Weasleys who could come.

Minerva McGonagall performed the ceremony. Most of the staff, and a few students, came as friends. Severus, Harry and Wendy were with the Weasleys, as relatives, and Spock, Leonard and their little T'Gin were with them, too. Wendy was grinning throughout the ceremony.

The wedding made all the students happy. The whole party stayed for dinner, and the house-elves served a beautiful meal to celebrate. To the younger students, the wedding was like the symbol of the new hopes that were beginning to spark since the true end of the war.

'Who do you think is going to marry next?' a young Hufflepuff asked.

Hermione and Ron turned towards him, looked at each other, and smiled.

'Who do you think?' Ron whispered in Hermione's ear.

'Among the students?' she whispered back.

Ron nodded.

Hermione leant even closer to her boyfriend and said, 'Draco and Pansy.'

Ron nodded in agreement. 'They may be Slytherins, but there's a fire in them,' he said. He then mumbled something that Hermione couldn't hear.

'Ron?' she said softly.

He shrugged.

She took one of his hands in hers and said, 'What's wrong?'

He shrugged again.

'Do you realize that Draco is a member of your family now?' she said to make him relax.

Her trick worked perfectly, and blinking, Ron looked at his schoolmate.

Hermione laced her fingers with Ron's and whispered in his ear, 'We're not like them, but we can have something like what they have. We'll have to work on it.'

Ron looked at the seat that had been Ginny's, and then he looked at Harry.

Hermione hugged Ron, and he did not protest.

'I don't want to cry,' Ron murmured.

'Why not?' Hermione told him gently.

'Harry. The Light,' Ron said.

'He's not alone... and you're not either. We all lost Ginny,' Hermione told him.

For the first time, Ron realized that he'd lost his sister, and Harry had lost his girlfriend, but the world had lost Ginny. Ron had been so sad to lose his sister, and he didn't want to upset Harry; therefore, he forgot that Hermione had lost a close friend.

'I'm so sorry, Hermione. I've been stupid again - and selfish,' Ron said.

'No, Sweetie,' she simply said.

They hugged each other.

Pansy walked from her table to Ron and Hermione. 'Mother is inviting us for a private celebration after dinner. Professor Snape summoned a new version of the Room of Requirement,' she said.

'Thank you, we'll join you in a moment,' Hermione said.

Pansy squeezed Hermione's shoulder, and she walked straight to Harry. 'Our Head told me that he'd like you to join him as soon as possible,' she said.

Harry stood up immediately.

'I don't think he'd be happy if you don't finish your meal first,' Pansy pointed out.

'She's right,' Hermione added.

Harry shrugged.

'Listen to the witches, mate,' Ron said with a warm chuckle.

Harry sat down again, but he looked towards his consort. Severus gave him a tiny smile.

'He really cares for you,' Ron said in awe.

'Even more than that,' Pansy declared softly.

Harry blushed a bit.

'Daddy!'

Wendy had escaped Nymph, and she was trying to climb onto the bench next to Harry.

Harry helped Wendy, and he looked at Severus, and then he turned to Hermione and Pansy.

'Would you sit down, Pansy? I think I have a question for you and Hermione,' Harry said.

Pansy sat down next to Hermione.

'Merlin!' Severus said softly at the High table.

'Are you sure you don't want me to go and bring Wendy back here?' Nymph asked him.

'No, it's fine. She's with Harry and one of her godmothers,' Severus answered her.

'What's bothering you?' Remus asked Severus.

'Nothing,' Severus answered, never taking his eyes off Harry and Wendy. Remus laughed softly at that, and Severus briefly looked at him before saying, 'I'm fine, but I'm convinced Harry is asking Pansy what a Birthing spell is.'

'I can take care of your children. I'm sure Wendy is going to help me, and we'll be in the castle, where I can call house-elves for help if need be,' Nymph declared seriously.

'I trust you,' Severus said calmly. Nymph's hair turned red, as if it were her hair that blushed instead of her cheeks. 'It's certainly for the best. Wendy won't be alone, Harry won't be stressed while he works for his N.E.W.Ts, I won't have to worry about feeding the spell, and it will be training for you and Remus,' Severus added saucily.

Nymph's hair turned redder, but Remus only laughed softly.

'It's not because Parkinson and Granger tell Harry how that variety of spell works that he's going to ask you to use it in a month,' Professor Flitwick pointed out.

'I'm convinced we'll have two children when we come back in September,' Severus answered.

'I know it's magic, but I'm sure it'll be best for you to bring the baby into this world as soon as possible,' Leonard intervened.

'What do you mean?' Severus asked him.

'I know it has no link with an actual pregnancy, but I imagine there has to be a form of stress linked to this, and it wouldn't be good for Harry to remain under that spell for too long. Besides, it's strange to think about becoming a father when your companion is another male, and you're not biologically equipped for giving birth. There are species where we come from who can carry babies whatever their gender is. Without Spock to ground me and guide me through the process, I would have had a lot of difficulties dreaming of our baby,' Leonard explained.

'I'm sure Severus can help Harry,' Molly said softly.

Severus looked at her and decided to tease her kindly. 'You will certainly have another grandchild before the end of the summer,' he said.

The future Snape-Potter baby was a miracle made possible thanks to Ginny's gift. The baby would grow up as Wendy's sibling, and if the baby were Molly's grandchild, it would be unfair not to treat Wendy as another grandchild.

Molly looked at Wendy, who was now on Pansy's lap, and back at Severus. She nodded, and he smiled.

'Things are taking shape,' Albus said happily.

Poppy put one hand on Leonard's arm and said, 'Maybe you could find a position in St Mungo's. We do things differently, but I know a few Healers who would be delighted to work with you.'

'It's very kind of you, but we're going to leave rather soon,' Leonard told her.

'When?' she asked sadly.

'When the Snape-Potters are settled in their new home,' Spock told her. 'But don't worry; we won't leave without saying goodbye.'

Poppy nodded. She was a bit sad that they'd leave, but she felt that Spock would keep his word and say proper goodbyes.

'Shall we leave and go to our little private celebration? I'm sure Charles and Narcissa have better things to do,' Albus suggested.

'Excellent idea!' Charlie said joyfully. 'However, Narcissa and I can work on our future schedule at any time.'

Albus blinked, and then smiled. 'Touché, my dear,' he conceded.

Those who were invited got up, and moved towards the doors.

'How are you going to make your marriage work with Narcissa here and you in Rumania?' Molly wondered worriedly.

'Charlie can Apparate to the gates each night. I can live here, not because the Minister appointed me to take care of Wendy and eventually the children of other staff members. I can stay here at night primarily because Remus stays here. It's one of the old rules that was never changed,' Nymph began to explain.

'It's one of the rules that can't be changed,' Professor Sprout explained.

Nymph nodded and went on, 'I can stay here, Charlie can come after work, and if Harry wants to stay here once he's a fully certified wizard, he can.'

Harry just joined their group at that moment. He had Wendy in his arms, and Severus held out his hand to Harry as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The Room of Requirement had been summoned with everything they needed for a little private party to celebrate.

Hogwarts residents and guests relaxed and celebrated.

Severus was sitting on a sofa, with Wendy on his lap, and a protective arm wrapped around Harry.

'Where do you want us to settle?' Harry asked Severus.

'Near Nanny?' Wendy asked.

'Mrs Smythe!' Severus exclaimed as if he'd completely forgotten about her.

'You should tell her that we're keeping Wendy with us. We could go and bring back what belongs to Wendy. We could do that after the end of the school year,' Harry suggested.

'What do I tell her?' Severus asked.

'Why don't you try the truth?' Leonard suggested.

'We could always Memory-charm her if she doesn't react well,' Harry said.

Severus looked at Spock, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

'Right, Wendy. We can see your nanny as often as you want, but we don't have to live near her because we can go where she is with magic. We'll show you,' Severus said.

''Kay, Daddy,' she answered.

'Oh,' Harry said.

'Harry?' Severus said. He was astounded to be able to feel his husband's surprise through the particles of magic they shared.

Harry smiled widely and turned to Spock.

'You're going to settle in the house you own in Bath. The family still owns the estate. This is where my mother grew up,' Spock said.

'Great! This is going to save time,' Harry said.

'Thank you,' Severus told Spock.

Spock bowed slightly.

Severus took his phone and told Mrs Smythe that he'd come and see her on Sunday, and that he'd come with Wendy and his partner. Severus almost gaped when she asked him as if it were the most natural thing in the world how long he'd known him.

Severus had always trusted the faithful nanny, but the fact that she seemed to be so open-minded was quite nice.

He said goodbye, and closed the phone.

'Granger!' Severus called. She almost ran to him. 'You can keep the phone to study it. However, I'll borrow it if I need,' he said as he handed her the mobile.

She was so moved that she almost hugged him.

He stopped her by saying, 'If you need to hug someone, there's Harry.'

She turned to her friend and hugged him.

'I'm sure we'll find a way to adapt it to other Muggle devices!' she said enthusiastically.

'Of course you will,' Spock declared.

'Why do you think our equipment is working?' Leonard pointed out.

'Leonard!' Spock pretended to stop him.

Leonard grinned and winked at Hermione.

"I wonder why I was instructed to give her that tip," Spock told his husband in a thought.

"To save her time. She'll work with Harry, Arthur and the twins, and they'll have all Muggle devices compatible with magic by the year 2020. She's clever and would have done it eventually, but there has to be something the family needs to be able to do," Leonard answered the same way.

"Wendy's records! They're Muggle ones, but compatible with magic!" Spock exclaimed.

"So we really had to do it for the family!" Leonard added joyfully.

They'd just reached that conclusion when Harry glowed brighter.

'Interesting,' Severus said, his voice silky and teasing.

'What does it mean?' Harry inquired.

'That Hermione is like a sister for you. The spell acknowledged her as a family member,' Severus said.

'She's Hermione. Of course she's family. She's Wendy's godmother, and Ron's girlfriend,' Harry said.

She kissed his cheek, and that made him blush. She looked at Severus and laughed softly.

'Don't make fun of my consort, Granger,' Severus mock-threatened her.

'Never, sir. I'd never risk house points, or worse, you taking back the phone for good,' she said right before leaving their side of the room.

'Ron was right! She really needs to sort her priorities!' Harry said fondly.

Severus brought Harry even closer to him on the sofa.

Down the chimney and through the fireplace, a ball of feathers flew into the room and started looking for his owner.

Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl, collided with Hermione.

'Uhoh,' Ron said as he caught what his owl was bringing him.

Hermione gave a treat to the owl, who flew back out.

'What is it?' Hermione asked.

'I told Pig to stay with Rosmerta, and I asked her to send me the paper when she read something we should know before the edition is sent to the other students through the Owl Post,' Ron explained.

'I thought she was supposed to rest after the Death Eater used one of the Unforgivable curses on her to force her to work for them, wasn't she?' Hermione said.

'She feels bad for helping them - even if it wasn't her fault. She heard me chatting with Fred, and she offered to help,' Ron said.

'Let's see why she sent you the evening copy of the Daily Prophet,' Draco said.

Ron unrolled the paper. The front page mentioned the end of the war, Harry's legal action against his former godfather, and Harry's bonding with Severus.

Ron, Hermione, Draco and Pansy were close, reading the article together, when someone summoned the paper with a spell.

They were expecting to see Severus or Harry catching the paper, but it was the little T'Gin.

She was in Spock's arms, and he caught the paper that was too big for her little hands.

Spock turned to face his husband and he quietly said, 'I think our second daughter just showed her first signs of magic.'

Everybody was looking at them, and the room was silent.

'Is she a witch?' Molly asked.

'No, she isn't,' Spock answered.

'But she just used a spell!' Minerva protested.

'She used a spell, indeed,' Spock granted her.

'What is she?' Severus asked his descendant.

Spock almost glared, which made Leonard chuckle. 'She's an enchantress,' Leonard answered for his husband.

'So, there's magic on Vulcan,' Harry said.

'It was common at one time. When my people fought against their tendencies to violence and dedicated their lives to logic, there was almost no place left for magic. However, the members of the family who possess magic felt that there is still magic on Vulcan,' Spock said. 'A few Vulcans with magic went to temples where their unusual gift was not completely suppressed through logic.'

'And so, T'Gin is an enchantress because you don't have witches on Vulcan,' Albus said.

'It is so, Albus. Magic is different on Vulcan,' Spock granted.

'But your mother is a witch, isn't she?' Harry asked Spock.

Spock groaned.

'Yes, she is,' Leonard answered for Spock.

'You're human and Vulcan. What are you? What's your magic?' Harry asked Spock.

'I'm a wizard. Lady Ginevra's gift blossomed on Vulcan. The local equivalent of the ley lines flared the moment I was born. That was one of the reasons for the Vulcans to be wary of me. Only the family knows what I am; we didn't share my gift with the Vulcans. I remember everything since I was born, and Mother told me why I should never use my gift in front of witnesses,' Spock explained.

'Were you trained properly?' Severus asked.

'Wasn't it painful not to share your gift with others?' Harry asked at the same time.

Spock smiled at them. 'Mother, and a few of our relatives, trained me very well. The magic on Vulcan kept me company; there is something in the magic there that soothed me when the other children made fun of me for being different and I could do nothing about it,' he said.

'T'Gin will grow up on Vulcan, but we decided to introduce her to the entire family before her fifth birthday. Spock is convinced that the magic on Vulcan will welcome and love our second daughter,' Leonard said.

'If Joanna wants it, I'll share Lady Ginevra's magic with her, and we'll have one more witch from Wendy's line in the family,' Spock added.

'Can you do that?' Molly asked, clearly in awe.

'It is a Vulcan gift,' Spock told her.

'Big family,' Wendy said softly.

'Huge family,' Leonard told her.

Wendy grinned.

Harry placed his head on Severus's shoulder, and they smiled at each other. Wendy giggled happily. The magic of the castle bubbled with glee.

Molly walked to Spock, Leonard and T'Gin. Spock placed the baby in Molly's arms, and the human witch felt the magic of her daughter in the child; it would never bring Ginny back, but the mere continuation of the existence of Ginny's magic soothed Molly.

Without a wand, Spock made the newspaper float in the air, and he made it fly back to Ron, Hermione, Pansy and Draco.

'Interesting magical waves,' Albus pointed out.

'To say the least,' Severus agreed.

'Since I was the first to be born of a witch on Vulcan, the powers stored here welcomed me, and blessed me more than the average Vulcan mages,' Spock explained.

'What a future!' Harry said happily.

'We should worry about the present a bit,' Draco interrupted them.

'What's in the paper?' Severus inquired.

'Well...' Draco didn't want to be the one to tell them.

'Some quill pusher found someone to explain the exact nature of your bond, and since students mentioned the Light, they're putting the stress on your relationship, not the end of the war or the incompetence of the Minister for Magic,' Hermione told Harry and Severus.

'Nothing new under the sun,' Severus declared quietly.

'We'll just ignore them,' Harry added.

There was strength and calm around the bonded couple. It impressed their friends and relatives.

'You've got us all to shield you,' Narcissa said.

Severus smiled at her.

Hermione gathered all her courage, and walked to Spock.

'I can't tell you more about what you'll have to do to adapt what Professor Snape did on his phone,' Spock told her.

'I know,' she whispered.

'Then, what do you want to know?' he asked.

'What's the magical community like in your time?' she asked.

Spock used a mix of Legilimency, telepathy and Vulcan mind meld to answer her in a thought, "Still hidden because the universe isn't ready, but thriving... thanks to the work you'll do with Harry and the Weasleys."

She grinned and bowed.

'Why didn't he answer you?' Ron asked her in a whisper when we joined him.

'He did, but not aloud,' she answered.

'Wicked,' Ron murmured.

Hermione grinned and dragged her boyfriend to one of the tables where pastries and ice creams waited for them.

Their private party was particularly joyful, even if it didn't last for too long.

Before July, there was a new Minister for Magic.

Artemus Febarch was a very quiet civil servant. He showed where he'd stand when he very officially thanked the members of the Order of the Phoenix for their work since the beginning of the war; he thanked the Hogwarts staff and students who fought in the last fight, and he privately thanked Spock and Leonard.

Febarch knew how strong the bond between Severus, Harry - and Ginny - was to have generated High Magic, and then created the Light that Harry was carrying; the new Minister congratulated the couple on their bond, and wished them luck with their second child, and then he told them how sorry he was that their witch died. The Minister showed that he was on their side, but discreetly, and the civil servants understood that it might be a bad idea to bother the unusual couple.

It felt like the beginning of a new era.

At least the Snape-Potters felt that way.

Mrs Smythe proved as understanding as Leonard and Spock said she'd be, and she reacted well to their being wizards. She was absolutely delighted that Wendy would have a brother soon. She was also happy that she'd be allowed to stay in touch with the entire family.

She was even invited to Wendy's birthday party.

With the help of their friends and relatives, Severus and Harry settled into the mansion Harry owned in Bath. It was an old Georgian mansion full of old magic. Everybody added a bit of their magic into the mix, just to make sure that the mansion would be more comfortable. Spock added Vulcan wards to protect the house, much to everybody's surprise, but Spock explained that his mother had always felt something old and odd in the mansion where she grew up, and the presence of Vulcan wards was the most logical conclusion. Severus and Harry agreed with Spock.

The mansion was so huge that Hermione and Ron were invited to spend a few days with Severus and Harry. That way, Wendy would not feel too alone with only her fathers, Spock, Leonard and T'Gin to keep her company.

It took Hermione only two days to remember that their next year at Hogwarts would be very important for their future, and Severus enlisted Wendy to help him and tame Hermione's enthusiasm, otherwise she would have had Ron and Harry working hard on their final exams - before the beginning of the school year.

Spock, Leonard and T'Gin were enjoying their stay in Bath, bonding as a family.

It was Harry who asked the dreaded question one evening as they were secretly planning Wendy's party, after putting her to bed.

'When are you going to call Q2 to take you back to your time?' Harry asked.

'Not before Severus and you say the Birthing spell. We're supposed to meet your second child,' Leonard said.

'You don't have to fear that we're going to disappear without saying goodbye. Q2 would not do something so cruel, and the advantage of being helped by a member of the Continuum is that we can go back to our time on Vulcan before we even left Ardol, introduce T'Gin to my mother, and go back to the temple even before our crewmates notice anything odd,' Spock said.

'Is it really going to be goodbye?' Hermione asked sadly.

'We're not sure,' Leonard answered honestly.

'Uh?' Ron said.

'I second that,' Harry said, pointing at Ron.

'Did we recommend our descendants not to give you complete access to more of the family archives than just the bit about you ending the war?' Severus asked silkily.

Spock groaned.

'I'll take that as a yes,' Severus said.

'We have Mrs Q and Two on our side. Who knows what the future holds?' Leonard declared philosophically.

They all nodded, and went on planning a huge party for their little birthday witch. Harry knew that his consort and his friends were planning things for him as well, but he pretended he didn't know, so as not to spoil their fun. Severus was aware that their bond allowed Harry to feel some of the things he felt, and it was spoiling a bit of the surprises, but both were reluctant to even try and close their connection. They were clinging to each other, and didn't want anyone else to know.

They were all planning their future on Earth, and on Vulcan.

Severus was getting used to the idea of having his family with him, Harry was wrapped in love and building the family he wanted - even though he'd always miss Ginny.

Spock and Leonard knew that they'd leave Starfleet as soon as they shared their secret with their best friend and Captain, Jim Kirk, and he found replacements for them. They wanted to help Joanna become a Mediwitch, and see T'Gin grow up on Vulcan. They trusted Lady Amanda to take care of the magical education of their second daughter, and Sarek would be perfect to teach the little girl what she needed to know to integrate into the Vulcan society, but neither man wanted to miss being parents. Spock shared Leonard's pain for not being there for Joanna when her mother won custody, and he didn't want them to be parted from T'Gin, and their teenaged Joanna.

The party for Wendy's third, and Harry's seventeenth, birthdays was merry and magical in more ways than one.

All the guests were happy to see Wendy have so much fun.

All the guests were trying to assess if Harry was ready to ask Severus to say the Birthing spell. In fact, both wizards had agreed on a very wise strategy. They didn't want their son's birthday to be overshadowed by Harry and Wendy's birthdays, so they'd agreed to wait for ten days before saying the spell. It would allow the family to have two birthday parties in the summer.

In the morning of August 10^th, Severus and Harry strengthened the spell once more, making love, and giving love to the spell that was creating the first child they'd have together.

Severus gathered Harry in his arms, and they used their bond to say the spell in unison. The Light grew brighter and brighter, blinding them for a moment. They first heard their son cry, and then they saw him, tiny, healthy, with a few red hairs on his skull, and bright blue eyes.

'He'll have your eyes, or Lady Ginevra's,' Severus pointed out.

'We can't be sure,' Harry retorted.

Severus bowed, knowing that his husband was right.

Harry put his hand over the place where he'd harboured the Light and said, 'No more Light. It feels strange.'

'We can try to have another child next year,' Severus said.

Harry remained silent, and looked at their son.

'Are you really that afraid that it was a one time miracle?' Severus asked his husband.

Harry nodded, and Severus could feel Harry's deep sadness through their bond.

Severus sighed deeply and groaned, 'All right, but you're the one telling Nymphadora.'

'Telling her what, Sev?' Harry wondered.

'If we use Lady Ginevra's gift again tonight, we can have another baby the first week we have to go back to Hogwarts. I can deal with a husband and three children now that I no longer have to worry about Riddle, but you are the one telling Mrs Lupin that she will have to take care of a witch who just discovered magic, and two babies,' Severus teased his husband.

'You'd agree to do that for me?' Harry asked, deeply moved.

'Of course,' Severus answered immediately. 'I want to make you happy, and I know you're afraid right now. However, if we decide to have another child after our third, I'd like us to wait a tad longer.'

Harry wrapped his arm around Severus's neck and kissed him thoroughly. 'I love you,' Harry said.

Severus was profoundly surprised by such a declaration.

Severus framed Harry's face with his hands, and pecked Harry's lips.

Their son gurgled and wailed.

'Our other miracle needs to be fed and clothed,' Severus declared.

'Yes, Daddy,' Harry said with a chuckle.

'Be quiet, Daddy,' Severus pretended to growl.

They left their bed, and took care of their baby.

'Now, we've got to introduce him to his sister,' Harry said.

The baby was fast asleep in Harry's arms when they entered the kitchen where Leonard was cooking breakfast with Hermione.

'Look who's no longer glowing!' Ron announced.

'Meet our son,' Harry started.

'Gene Snape-Potter,' Severus ended.

'Gin?' Ron asked.

'G-E-N-E,' Harry spelled out.

'It's... She'd be happy,' Ron said.

'I'm sure she is,' Severus said softly.

'You're going to need to call the rest of the family, and the future godparents,' Leonard said.

Severus nodded.

Harry crouched next to Wendy, who was sitting on Hermione's lap. 'This is your brother, Gene,' Harry said.

'You made him too small to play with,' Wendy said with a pout.

Harry blinked several times, while all the others laughed heartily.

'Give him time. He just arrived,' Harry told Wendy.

She looked at her sleeping brother and nodded once.

'Thanks, Honey,' Harry said.

Severus took a pinch of Floo powder and went to call Molly. She would be the one who'd contact the rest of the family.

When Gene was introduced to all his relatives for his magical presentation, Harry was carrying another Light. Molly was beaming quietly; there was something of her daughter in Gene, Harry was carrying yet another Light of love, and Wendy was a witch, thanks to Ginny's sacrifice.

There was something "post-war" in the air. It was a time for hope.

All the magical families were beginning to plan the future.

However, one family was preparing to say goodbye to their descendants.

Harry was getting used to having Spock and Leonard around, and even though he'd go back to Hogwarts with his own new family, Severus felt how sad his consort was. They were planning a party of some sort so that their visitors could say goodbye before calling Q2.

One afternoon, Harry was in their garden with Wendy, Gene, and T'Gin, while Severus, Spock and Leonard were shopping for the household. The children were asleep; Wendy was wrapped around her baby brother, and T'Gin was in Harry's arms.

Harry didn't really believe that Spock could remember everything since his birth, and he started talking to T'Gin as if she couldn't understand him.

'I'm going to miss you and your dads, little one,' Harry said. He sighed and went on, 'There's nothing to do, and it's already such a gift to have met you all.'

T'Gin felt that the spell that was making Harry and Severus's second child wavered because of Harry's sadness.

T'Gin said something in Vulcan, and Harry thought that she was merely babbling.

'What's wrong?' Q2 asked as he appeared next to Harry and T'Gin.

T'Gin communicated with her godfather without a word.

'Silly kid!' Q2 said fondly.

'Did she say something?' Harry asked the unexpected guest.

'Yes, and incidentally, it's you I called a silly kid, not her,' Q2 said.

Harry blinked, which made Q2 chuckle.

'There's no reason for you to be so sad! I can bring them back to you for Christmas,' Q2 said.

'Next Christmas?' Harry asked eagerly.

'No, silly! Each Christmas! I'm Wendy and T'Gin's godfather, and I have the power to bring your descendants back here - or I could transport you to Vulcan,' Q2 said.

'Really?' Harry asked happily.

Q2 looked at T'Gin and said, 'I'll have to prove what I can do.'

T'Gin nodded once.

With a very theatrical wave of his hand, Q2 brought Severus, Spock and Leonard back home.

Severus and Spock opened their mouths, only to be stopped by the member of the Continuum. 'There's nothing wrong, but our Harry is too sad to have to say goodbye. I said I'd bring your two families together for Christmas each year, but he can't believe I can do it. I'd like to invite the Snape-Potters to Vulcan for a few weeks,' Q2 said.

'But we're going back to Hogwarts in about a fortnight!' Harry exclaimed.

'Mr Potter, you could spend a year on Vulcan, and Two could bring you back one second after the moment he took you from this time. It is in his power,' Spock explained.

'It's so...' Harry's voice trailed off. He was at a loss for words.

'You've made my husband speechless,' Severus pointed out. He looked at Harry with love and added, 'But very happy. Thank you!'

Q2 beamed.

'I'm not taking Hermione with you until she develops the chip that will allow magic to be mixed with non-magical devices. I suggest the McCoys say goodbye to their friends here, and I'll transport you all to Vulcan. You will arrive a week before Spock called me on Ardol. You can stay a few days, weeks or months, and I'll bring the Snape-Potters back here before Hermione can even blink,' Q2 said.

Harry beamed.

'Should we pack our bags?' Severus asked.

'I can do it for you. Your guests will say goodbye till next Christmas, and I'll snatch you to Vulcan. Road trip!' Q2 said.

'More like "star trek",' Leonard pointed out.

'Time warp would be more accurate,' Spock teased his husband.

'I think the three of you are right,' Severus declared.

Harry took Severus's hand in his and smiled.

Harry's Light glowed brighter, which made them all happy.

'Amanda is going to love that,' Leonard said joyfully, bouncing on his heels.

'In fact, there was a special message for her in the family archives. She's reading it right now, and she'll be expecting us all when we're ready to go. Let's begin!' Q2 announced.

Q2 summoned all the friends Spock and Leonard had made, and he announced that it wouldn't be the last time that they'd meet.

Albus invited Q2 and his parents to Hogwarts, at least for the next Christmas banquet. It prompted Q2's mother to hop to their side and time of the universe to thank Albus. Since she knew what her son was planning, she entertained the guests in the Snape-Potter mansion while Q2 travelled with his friends to Vulcan.

No one would have noticed anything - if it weren't for the fact that Severus and Harry came back with three children... and their little Tiberius looked to be at least six months old.

The witches and wizards knew that this would be the beginning of many great adventures.

In not even the blink of an eye, Q2 brought the McCoys and Snape-Potters to Vulcan.

They were in the courtyard of Spock's family home.

'Astounding!'

Spock turned towards the voice. 'Mother,' he declared neutrally.

Leonard was flabbergasted. His beloved husband seemed to be back to his usual normal self - except that Leonard could feel through their bond that the fire wrapped around their love for each other was unchanged.

Lady Amanda walked to her guest from the Continuum and the members of her family. She was so happy to meet the founders of her line that she was beaming.

'It is an honour to meet you. I was just given your message, but I couldn't believe it,' she said.

'Message?' Severus inquired.

'When I bring you back to the Earth of your time, you will leave a message for Lady Amanda to expect a visit from you today,' Q2 explained.

'Logical,' Severus granted.

'Isn't it dangerous for us to stay here while the "us" on the Enterprise haven't left yet?' Leonard inquired.

Right then, a storm of some sort started raging all around them, and Amanda invited them inside the house swiftly.

'No,' Q2 declared, 'the storm will keep everyone indoors for nine days, and you can enjoy your family reunion quietly. This place is safe; no one can know that you're here, and you can't interfere with the other you on your ship.'

'Good,' Leonard sighed with relief.

Sarek almost rushed into the room where they were. 'What is causing such strong emotions, my wife?' the Ambassador asked worriedly.

'We have guests, my husband. Q2, from the Continuum, allowed my ancestors to visit us, and our son fulfilled his duty on the Earth of our past,' Amanda said.

Sarek's eyebrows rose.

'Does father know about Leonard?' Spock asked his mother.

She shook her head and said, 'He has enough of a hard time trying to grasp the idea of magic and time travel. I didn't want to cause him more stress.'

'Wife!' Sarek exclaimed.

'Oh! I'm happy I came!' Q2 said with a near-purr.

'Father, I want you to meet my husband, Leonard McCoy, the Enterprise CMO; you must remember him from your journey to the Babel conference. I also want you to meet our second daughter, T'Gin,' Spock told his father.

Sarek blinked when T'Gin greeted him with the traditional Vulcan salute.

Sarek recovered swiftly and asked, 'Second daughter?'

'I should go and invite Joanna here,' Q2 said.

He disappeared and reappeared instantly.

Joanna McCoy wore traditional witching robes that could pass for Vulcan robes.

She looked around and threw herself into her father's arms. 'Dad! Q2 told me everything! I can't believe it!' she exclaimed joyfully.

'I'm sure Two told you the exact truth,' Spock said.

Joanna looked at her father's husband with tears in her eyes. 'He told me everything about your family. You should make an inquiry about Mom's family before you decide anything about me,' she said.

'My bond with your father allows me to know everything I need to know. May I claim you as my first daughter? May I give you Lady Ginevra's magic?' Spock asked.

Joanna looked at Severus, Harry, and their children. She really was about to start crying.

'Come here, Joanna, meet your half-sister,' Spock told her.

Joanna walked to him, and took the baby in her arms. 'Hello, my sister. I will always love and protect you,' Joanna promised.

T'Gin's powers had multiplied as she arrived on Vulcan. She wrapped her power around her sister, and shared Ginny's magic with Joanna.

'I may have failed to mention that I was not the only one able to share the magic with you,' Spock explained.

'I can feel it! I can feel her! Ginny!' Joanna gasped. She looked at her baby sister and said, 'You're so much more powerful than I am!'

'No, Joanna, you were not trained properly,' Spock declared.

'Is it true?' Joanna asked.

'I showed Spock how your mother trained you, and he was able to assess that she's not powerful enough to develop all your magic,' Leonard told her.

'I can train our granddaughters,' Amanda stated.

Sarek took a deep breath and said, 'Since the storm is trapping us here, I think I'd like to hear the entire tale now. I would like to make sure that Spock's marital bond is valid according to our laws, and if so, we need to register the children in the family archives.'

'The Vulcan family archives. Joanna and T'Gin are already registered in the Snape-Potter Book of Shadows,' Amanda pointed out. 'For these things, my side of the family is better organized.'

Sarek looked at his wife, one eyebrow rising with sheer surprise.

Spock and Leonard held hands, showing their glowing marital spell.

'Impressive!' Joanna said in awe.

'Thank you!' Severus said.

'I'd love to hear more about your time, and your magic, sir,' Joanna told Severus.

'Call me Severus. I will never be your teacher, and now we are relatives,' Severus said.

'And call me Harry! It's already weird enough to have Spock calling me "Mr Potter". Okay?' Harry said.

Joanna nodded.

'I guess I will just have to register our granddaughters, then,' Sarek declared.

'One human, the other Vulcan - for now,' Amanda said.

'Were you given another family secret which we can't be told just yet?' Leonard asked his mother-in-law.

'Possibly,' Amanda answered.

'You know, Ma'am, I always found it strange that you sound the way you sound, but now that I've met Severus, I can see where it comes from,' Leonard declared.

'I was raised to be the heiress of the family in many ways. Shall we go and have some tea?' Amanda offered.

'Yummy!' Wendy said happily.

They all smiled, even one corner of Sarek's mouth rose almost imperceptibly.

'Tea it is, then!' Amanda announced.

'This is so British!' Joanna said.

'Well, I grew up in Bath, in the family mansion. I'll have to take you there soon,' Amanda told Joanna as she took her hand. 'I was schooled and worked at Hogwarts until I knew it was time for me to go and meet my future husband.'

'Do you still have four Houses?' Harry asked Amanda.

'Yes, and the Sorting Hat still dreads having to sort any member of the family schooled at Hogwarts,' Amanda answered with a warm chuckle.

'I bet you were a Ravenclaw,' Leonard said.

Amanda laughed heartily. 'No, my dear. Most of our relatives tend to end up being either Gryffindors or Slytherins,' she said.

'I know your relatives told me that you are a powerful witch, but can you really take care of the magical education of Joanna and T'Gin?' Sarek asked his wife.

Amanda spoke Parseltongue, and Harry laughed heartily.

Wendy understood the words, but she was too young to grasp the full meaning of what Amanda said.

'I understand snake language?' Joanna squeaked.

'Your sister must have shared that with you,' Leonard said philosophically.

'What did you say?' Sarek asked Amanda.

'That I was one of the youngest Heads of Slytherin ever, and I can take care of our granddaughters,' Amanda repeated in English. 'Tea?'

They followed her.

Sarek was mentally gaping. He just knew his new life with grandchildren would be entertaining - and he had yet to be introduced to the full extent of Q2's powers.

One week after Q2 transported Severus, Harry and their children to Vulcan, they were all enjoying their time together. Sarek was thoroughly enjoying his talks with Severus, and even though he'd never admit it to anyone, the serious Vulcan was happy to be fully included in the life of his family.

The storm that was raging on Vulcan protected them from the outside.

Sarek didn't want his fellow Vulcans to judge his son for being different - again. However, Leonard's quiet and strong love made Sarek hope that Leonard could lend enough strength to Spock. Besides, Leonard McCoy was the man who had tricked T'Pau, and a few Vulcans might think about it twice before trying to do anything against that family - and Sarek wouldn't put it past Joanna and T'Gin to do a bit of magic to protect each other and their fathers.

Soon enough, Sarek would have to reveal the additions to his family to his fellow Vulcans. He was happy to be a Vulcan because it would make things slightly less difficult when T'Gin's future schoolmates discovered that she was born in 1997, Terran calendar. Sarek and Spock managed to trick the computer so that T'Gin had another birth date to share with the rest of the universe, but her official year of birth was 1997.

Sarek still had a few quiet days to enjoy his new family in privacy, but Spock and Leonard had to go back to Ardol.

Q2 would transport them back to Vulcan again as soon as possible, but they didn't know how Jim Kirk would react to their news.

Amanda transfigured her son and son-in-law's robes into Starfleet uniforms, and they went to Ardol just after the other "them" were transported to the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts.

'Blimey!' Scotty exclaimed as he turned around, and saw that Sirius Black had disappeared.

'I think we should beam back on board,' Spock declared quietly.

'What about Black, sir?' Scotty asked.

'He disappeared, Mr Scott. Now, don't you think it would be safer to beam back aboard?' Leonard said.

'Do you think he did a wizard thingy?' Scotty asked.

'Now, Scotty, there's no such thing as magic,' Leonard declared.

'Aye, you're right,' Scotty said.

'Spock to Enterprise,' Spock said in his communicator.

'Enterprise,' an ensign answered.

'Three to beam up,' Spock said.

A moment later they were back on the ship.

Q2, who was hiding in the temple, giggled. His father joined him.

'I don't understand your love for them,' Q said.

Q2 took his father's hand, and shared his feelings with him. Q was deeply surprised by such strong feelings, and surprised that his son shared something so important with him.

'You know, I think I know what I want to do to Black,' Q said theatrically.

'What, Dad?' Q2 asked.

'Swap his soul with his house-elf and make them dependant on each other,' Q declared.

'May I come and watch?' Q2 asked.

Q held out his hand, and they went together to the Grimmauld Place mansion. Q2's mother had been observing them, and she smiled happily; she was convinced that Q2's friends would show her husband how to become a better father - at last.

Once on board, Spock announced that he would report to Jim, who was resting in his quarters. Leonard said that he'd join him.

Neither Scotty, nor the ensign, spotted anything odd.

Captain James Kirk answered his door, and invited his friends in.

'Black went back to his time,' Spock announced as soon as the door was closed.

'What do you mean, Spock?' Jim wondered.

'Sit down, Jim. Doctor's order,' Leonard said.

Jim obeyed, rather amused by his two best friends.

'I asked one of my friends to take Black back to his space and time. Leonard and I went with him, and we did what my family had always known we'd do. I bonded with Leonard, and we have two daughters now. We'll stay with you until we finish our current assignment, and then we'll retire,' Spock said.

'Officially, I'll stay on Earth, but I'll be with Spock and T'Gin, our second daughter, on Vulcan, at least for a few years. Spock will pretend to join a temple,' Leonard added.

'I think I should call Chapel to have her check you two for concussion, or something,' Jim said.

'The proof of the cake,' Leonard began.

Spock nodded and took Leonard's hand in his, making their marital mark glow.

Jim blinked.

'Do you trust us, Jim?' Spock asked softly.

Jim nodded at once, which made Leonard grin happily.

'I'm going to call my friend, and he'll take us to Vulcan so you can meet our family and my ancestors. Two, my friend, can bring us back here just a moment after we leave. No one will ever know we left the ship,' Spock explained.

'Someone called?' Q2 said as he appeared in Jim's quarters.

Jim was beginning to wonder if he should be the one calling Christine Chapel to check his brain.

The next moment Jim was in front of Sarek and Amanda.

'The storm will rage for two more days at least, and we'd like you to stay with us for that time,' Amanda told Jim.

'Q2 can achieve miracles, Captain,' Sarek reassured Jim.

Joanna came in with her sister in her arms.

'Daughters,' Spock said, 'come and meet our best friend.'

By then, Jim was gaping.

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' Joanna said.

'Joanna! Bones showed me pictures of you!' Jim said joyfully.

'And this is my baby sister, T'Gin. The others are in the library,' Joanna said.

'Sister?' Jim gasped, looking at the baby, who was definitely Vulcan and looked a lot like Spock already. 'The others?' he added.

'Why don't you sit down, James? I'll tell you the story of my family and how we ended up being blessed with Leonard and Joanna and T'Gin,' Amanda said.

Jim nodded and obeyed.

An hour later, Jim knew all there was to know about his best friends and their unusual families. He was told about magic, and given the proof of it by Joanna and Spock.

'Thank you for your trust,' Jim concluded after their long chat.

Spock bowed, and Leonard beamed.

Jim looked at Q2 and said, 'What you can do is more than a miracle.'

'Maybe you could bring Jim to Hogwarts for Christmas,' Harry suggested.

'Maybe the other members of the Continuum would not let me transport him to your time because he's just a friend, not a member of your family,' Q2 said.

'Two!' Severus scolded him.

'Yes, Severus?' Q2 asked silkily.

'Is that all you've found to encourage Harry and me to stay here a bit? We could use the Birthing spell in a few days. We could make your mother and Captain Kirk our third child's godparents,' Severus declared.

'Would I do such a thing?' Q2 asked almost rhetorically.

'Erm... yes,' Harry answered.

'Busted!' Q2 said with a happy grin.

'Will you be our baby's godfather, Captain?' Harry asked. 'You'd be a relative, then. Q2 can transport you to us, and we could visit you as well.'

'Family,' Jim whispered dreamily.

'Say yes. I like you!' Wendy said.

Jim Kirk just melted on the spot and nodded.

'My dear Two, can you transport Jim to us when I convinced Sev that I'm ready for our number three kid?' Harry inquired.

'In the wink of an eye, my dear,' Q2 said.

'Thank you, Dear!' Harry said.

'You're welcome, Dear!' Q2 added.

'Stop it, you two!' Severus growled.

'Aye, aye, sir!' Q2 said with an impudent grin.

Leonard chuckled warmly.

'We can't say the spell for another week at least, and we need a good name for the child,' Severus pointed out.

'Something Latin, like your name, would be nice,' Harry told his consort.

'Jim has a "T" you might enjoy,' Leonard said.

Severus and Harry didn't understand.

'My middle name is Tiberius,' Jim explained.

'Not my favourite emperor, but a good one,' Severus agreed.

'Tiberius Snape-Potter,' Harry said. 'Sounds good.'

'Since there's no hurry for you to go back, we could plan a family gathering on Earth in the Bath mansion,' Amanda suggested.

'I can't transport everybody, or the others will do something,' Q2 said sadly.

'How long would it take to have the entire family join us with normal means?' Severus asked Amanda.

She was trying to calculate that when Spock answered for her, 'About six months.'

Severus looked at his consort. Harry wanted that very much.

'Gene and Tiberius will no longer look like newborn babies, but if you promise to prevent Hermione from asking too many questions, we could stay here for longer than initially planned,' Severus said.

'Brilliant!' Harry exclaimed.

'Who said it wasn't initially planned?' Q2 said with a chuckle.

'Two!' Spock said fondly, shaking his head.

Jim stayed two days with Leonard and Spock, until the storm began to quiet.

Q2 brought them back to the Enterprise one minute after he initially took them to Vulcan.

Spock and Leonard left Jim's quarters to start planning their fake retirements.

Q2 had left right after bringing them back.

Jim needed to try something.

'Q2,' he whispered.

Q2 appeared instantly in his quarters.

Jim didn't know what to ask him.

'Everything's going to be fine, Jim,' Q2 promised.

'Really?' Jim sighed.

'Yes, Jim! You'll be there when Harry and Severus give birth to Tiberius, and you'll be a good godfather for that kid,' Q2 declared.

'I'm just so afraid to get lost in space one day,' Jim confessed.

'You know what?' Q2 asked.

Jim shook his head.

'When you begin feeling lost, just call me. I'll snatch you from here, and I'll take you to Bath where you can play Goddaddy Jim for Tiberius... and Severus and Harry will need help with their little Stella,' Q2 said.

'Stella? Nice name,' Jim said.

'All their kids are going to love you more like a granddad. You'll retire to their time, in fact. However, you will always have a special link with Tiberius and Stella,' Q2 explained.

'How many kids are they going to have? And why that special link?' Jim inquired.

'They'll end up with two daughters and three sons. Tiberius is going to be born on Vulcan, and you'll be the first to hold him after his fathers. He'll be a wizard, and it is an important moment for a wizard. Stella will worship you, and she'll be the first to use Hermione's new techniques. She'll use them for the European space programme,' Q2 said.

Jim blinked. 'Stella? Stella Malfoy?' he squeaked.

'Stella Malfoy, née Snape-Potter, first captain of the European space administration. Stella, who will grow up knowing you... the retired you,' Q2 said.

'When I call you to go to Bath... will I see Spock and Bones again?' Jim inquired.

'For the birthdays, anniversaries, and family Christmases... yes!' Q2 swore.

Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise hugged his alien visitor. 'Thank you for giving me hope for my future!' he said.

'Welcome to the family!' Q2 said.

Jim beamed.

There would be beautiful things in the future... and the past.

There was hope, friendship, and love.

Life would be good, and Jim felt blessed to have such good friends. Friends like that meant more than biological links.

Life would be even greater now.

'Could you help me surprise our friends?' Jim asked.

Q2 nodded, and he travelled with Jim to find an appropriate gift for Spock and Leonard for their bonding, and then they hunted for presents for all the kids.

Q2 was delighted to have one more friend.

Q growled.

'It's for the best,' his female companion objected.

'Are you sure it's good to have him become so close to fragile humans and even Vulcans?' Q asked.

'He is the hope of the Continuum,' she said.

'I know that!' he growled.

'He'll have to find a companion one day,' she pointed out.

'Who?' Q asked.

'Look in the future of the Snape-Potters and their friends,' she answered.

Q concentrated, found the information, and gaped.

'The children they will have will save the Continuum,' she said.

He kept gaping.

She kissed him gently.

He grinned.

'As long as he's happy,' he said.

'Their family is destined to be ours,' she said.

They dissolved together.

There was hope for the future.

And time was on their side.

Finis