Black-and-white (Translation)

37. The last holidays

After a busy day of research and a nice dinner, everyone retreated to their rooms.
Harry thought he could finally take a look at the book Flamel and Dumbledore had given him for the wedding.
So while his husband still cursed his finances, Harry sat down in a comfortable chair and picked up the book. When he opened it, however, a letter fell into his hands.

Dear Harry!

I hope you will not mind if I approach you so confidentially, but Albus has told me so much about you that I feel I've known you for a long time. Also, in your first year, you tried to save the Philosopher's Stone (even though you now know that this thing was nothing more than a stone). As Albus has already told you, I was not thrilled with his idiotic idea of ​​circulating rumors about the stone's existence. In fact, we had quite a fight because of that. After my fears turned out to be correct, then we decided to fake my death, but you have already seen through that.
I find your power of observation amazing and I want to thank you for not sharing my secret. In any case, you would have had enough reason to think only of the tournament last year. Also, Albus and I argued about that. How the hell was it possible for a wrong Moody to sneak in? After all, my husband has been friends with him for ages and he has not noticed that this is a fake !? I tell you, if the good Albus goes on like that, we're just arguing. But enough of that, I'm sure you do not care about our marital problems. Actually, I just wanted to wish you and your husband all the best. I also ask you not to tell Mr. Snape (at least not yet) that he would use my husband for one of his potions. By the way, there is a spell on this letter that only allows you to read my name, for all the others I'm just the man of Albus Dumbledore.
Oh, if my dear husband should annoy you, then please write to me, then I put it over his knee, until his buttocks shine red.

all the best
Nicolas Flamel

P.S. You can also write to me anytime, I would be happy.

"Iiiiiiiihhhhhhh! headcinema ! "
"Harry, what happened?"
Severus had run after the scream of his husband immediately to this and looked at him now startled.
The cat boy had to take a deep breath first, then he showed Severus the letter, or rather the place, with the implied punishment for his director.
The Potions master became slightly greenish.
"Merlin, you get nightmares at the show, no wonder you cried like a grasshopper mouse."
At the astonished glance of Harry, Severus sat on his armchair and began to explain.
"This is a mouse that howls wolves at the moon."
"Yes and also eat scorpions along with the poison sting."
"If you know that, why did you look at me so questioningly?"
"Because it surprised me that you know these animals."
"Your mother also loved animals, even if she did not have the same talent you had with them. she always told me excitedly when she found out something new again. Also, I like animals very much and I have to confess, many of them are just fascinating. "
Harry had listened to it with shining eyes. He was always happy to learn about his mother, until now it was always said she had green eyes and was good at potions. Not much information for an orphan. It was all about James, but luckily that had stopped since his betrayal. Harry could really see how the respect of Sirius and Remus, who always had for their best friend, went down the drain. That brought him to something else.
"Tell me, Severus, would not Mother have been able to do anything against James's decision to sell me?"
"Not if James had already completed the contract. She would have needed the consent of him and she was apparently clear that she could wait a long time. Unfortunately, what she did was the only way to help you. "
"And if she left James, what then?"
"I'm sorry, and as little as I've understood in the past, but Lily has apologized to your father (disgusted look from Harry), but she loved James. Unfortunately, as I would like to say. I told her then that she would have been better off with your godfather herself. And no, I did not know yet that he was gay. "
Harry thought about it for a while and decided to just leave it at that. If his mother really loved James, it certainly was not easy for her.
Harry confidently leaned his head against Severus, who was still sitting on his back.
This registered the pleased and put his arm around his little one.
"Tell me, by whom exactly is the letter that will probably give us head cinema nightmares today? I just read that it is the man of Albus. "
Harry looked apologetically at his companion.
"I'm sorry, but he asked me not to tell you, but do not worry, he's alright, he just wants to protect his privacy."
"I can understand that. But you seem to know who it is. "
Then he got a nod.
For some time the two of them were silent and simply enjoyed each other's presence.
After some time, however, Severus entered a bit.
"Do you know what I do not understand?"
"Chinese?"
"That too, but actually I meant something else. The twins said at dinner that Percy is the oldest of the Weasley children, but that's Bill. "
"Yes and no. Bill is the oldest, but Percy was born earlier. "
Harry could really see how it rattled in Severus. he had to laugh, it had not happened to him when he had heard the story for the first time.
"Well, I think you have to explain that to me."
"It's actually quite simple, if a little sad. The first child Mrs. Weasley gave birth to was Percy. Do not look that way, I'll explain it. So Percy was the first child, but he was ill. I assume you know what the term Mageiophage means. "
Severus drew in a sharp breath. And if he knew that. it was a disease that only magicians noticed and then only in infancy. They were viruses that fed on the children's magic until it was completely used up and the little ones died of exhaustion. Muggles were referred to this phenomenon as sudden infant death syndrome.
"How did he survive?"
"By having his doctor put him under stasis."
"But it only works for a short time and the virus would plunge into this magic."
"That is not completely right. the doctor, forgetting the name, has found out that it is possible to prolong the stasis, if for it the magic of a blood relative is used. And as for the virus, even there, the doctor has found a solution. While MrsWeasley renewed the stasis once a month, Mr. Weasley fed the virus with his own magic. By doing the magic of MrWeasley is much stronger than a baby's, so to speak, has overrun the virus and eventually died, if that's not going to die at all. "
"In other words, Percy got rid of the virus only after Charlie's birth, but then grew up normally."
"Exactly, however, the treatment had some side effects, not for the patient but for the person feeding the virus. MrIn this way, weasley has lost a considerable amount of his own magic, which will not be renewed either. That is the real reason why he is never promoted. And what about MrsWeasley is concerned, though her magic has not been damaged, but she has become the mother and mother of all that we now know. "
Severus had to process all this information first. he wondered how many students had brothers and sisters who suffered from this disease, or whether some of them themselves had suffered. because to his shame, the Potions master had to admit that he did not really know how old the kids were at Hogwarts, after all, it was the case that the kids got their first school letter at the age of eleven, so he had never thought about it ,
Harry knew exactly what his bat was thinking.
"Most families would be reluctant to admit that their children had such a disease, so they are certainly glad that no one is so careful about the age of their offspring."
"You're right, but such information is a cold shower anyway. But tell me, why do you actually know that? I do not think Percy told you all that. "
"No, that was Bill. I've been complaining about Percy's way of life over the past few years, especially how he's dealing with the twins, and that's where I found out. Bill also told me that the Weasleys still have a title of nobility, but because of their poverty has been put on ice.
that, too, Severus knew. The Weasleys also held the title of Lord, but it was in the wizarding world law that you could only carry this and other titles, if you had a certain income or assets. He did not know why. he just nodded.
"Well, and that's the reason for Percy's zeal, he wants to bring back the Lord's title to the family, if he could do that, he would be the head of his family and he would finally emerge from the shadow of his 'older brothers'. For Charlie, that has always been a problem for Percy, he has always insisted that he is the eldest and therefore deserves the most rights. An impossible behavior, if you ask me, especially if one thinks of the sacrifice his father has made for him. but that looks like a career-steep person as a matter of course. "
"Well then, I found exactly the right punishment for him."
"Yeah, and I'm sure Percy thinks you did that deliberately to nullify his legitimate chances for the title."
"He is quite right if you ask me. With this obsession he somehow reminds me of Ginny, except that it's about you. The little one looks at me every time, as if she wants to jump at my throat. "
Harry started to giggle.
"What's so funny about that?"
"Well, you've been a spy for years and you seriously want me to say you did not notice?"
"What did not notice?"
"Very easily. As soon as Ginny thinks she is unobserved, she gives you completely different looks. Then it looks like she wants to strip you with her eyes. "