Reunions and Birthdays
"Wow! So THIS is Egypt." Harry declared excitedly as he took in the sights of the famous Pyramids of Giza in awe, while Merlin remained calm and cool. He had visited this, along with other parts of the world, so many times he had grown used to it, had grown accustomed to feeling the magics around it.
"Indeed. Egypt is special in that it is one of the earliest places where magic was recorded, under only the Kingdom of Bhutan and our very home, Britain. It is also infamous for having the biggest center for studies of alchemy in the world. Albus and Nicolas Flamel themselves studied and developed their ingenious mastery of Alchemy in this country." Merlin stated casually.
He amused himself by recalling the memories he had of taking Albus and several students of the time here for a couple of days during one of the many world tours he offered to his students, a tendency Merlin indulged in under his own wealth, meaning even Phineas Nigellus Black could not stop him from holding such events.
It was at this trip that Albus won the Gold Medal for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference with an efficiency that would have made Gaius proud, just as how Merlin was quite pleased to congratulate him for his success. Albus had secured his place on the Conference with Merlin's assistance, as back when he was "Percival Lionheart", he had been an esteemed member of the Center and was able to suggest Albus as a promising young Alchemist.
He had actually been an "esteemed" member of the Egyptian Center for Alchemical Studies for quite a few times over his immortal life, 7 times in fact, even if he wasn't there when Nicholas Flamel studied as a member, being occupied at the time with saving as many of his people as possible from the hunts for wizards and witches. Even now, Merlin shivered at the reminder of such dark times that made him grimly resigned to the inevitability of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, the establishment of which Merlin personally watched.
"The Pyramids are well-known for containing powerful curses, courtesy of Egyptian wizards having a grim history with Dark Magic, but it's not as if it's all bad. It's just that-"
"Harry! Professor Emrys!" Merlin stopped his words as Ron came marching towards them, Ginny excitedly waving at him and Harry while the others stood at the middle of a Pyramid.
"Professor! Please, do stand at the center along with Harry. I heard about Harry becoming your godson. Absolutely a joy." Arthur declared as Merlin smiled upon reaching them.
"Hey, Professor! Still wearing that blue shirt with a red scarf, eh? Only saw you in other outfits twice!" Fred shouted as Merlin simply smirked.
"Well, these clothes have been enchanted to be comfortable no matter the temperature, so you do not need to worry." Merlin said reassuringly as he took the spot of the center, Harry holding his hand tightly.
An old man cheerfully took the photo of him, Harry, and the Weasleys, and afterwards pulled out an autograph as Merlin's smile became fixed, even more so when several wizards and witches began to approach him with autographs too.
"So you are Professor Emrys Ambrosius? My name is Charlie."
"And I am Bill! Nice to meet you. Can't thank you enough for saving Ginny."
Merlin simply smiled as he shook the hands of Charlie and William Weasleys. Bill was quite tall for a Weasley, while Charlie was short and stocky, and they both shared the characteristic trait of a red hair.
He had taken Harry through the Pyramids of Giza after the photo, "patiently" allowing fans to have his autograph as he showed Harry around. And now he was on the hotel that they were staying.
"Don't mention it. It was both an honor and a duty." Merlin said simply.
"Hey, Professor! Can we go to your house? I would love to be there for Harry's birthday!" Ron called out, him and Harry having been practicing dueling.
"Sure, why not. How about I let Harry show you around?"
And so it was that for the first time, his house had more than just one guest. Merlin was quite happy to show them around the living room and the dining room.
He did not mind showing his house to them. They were trustworthy, and Merlin had allowed others before.
"MAGNIFICENT! Such grasp over Muggle technology, even combining them with magic!" Arthur had praised him utterly as Merlin displayed how the tv could show both Muggle shows and the Wireless Wizarding Network.
"Can I show Ron the training rooms? Maybe he can join?" Harry asked excitedly.
"Sure! Remember to only stick to the usual training room, and NO entering the forbidden rooms! Especiallly for you, Fred and George!"
"I'll look over them, Professor." With that assurance, Molly followed her children as they excitedly went upstairs.
"Still 4.200.000 Galleons available! Our Family has never gotten so much money before. Many thanks to you, Professor. I can only hope our Family continues to build up and become better. You have given us the breakthrough beyond our imaginations!" Arthur declared as he bowed when Merlin escorted him into the kitchens.
Merlin laughed. "Don't mention it. I always thought your Family deserved much more than to be side-lined. You have such a good heart and such imaginative personality that you could do many good to our world if you were granted the opportunity to."
"Thank you so much for your trust, Professor! We promise we will live up to your expectations!"
"Wow! He really knows to be thorough, doesn't he?" Ron declared excitedly as he, Fred, George, and Ginny were inside the Martial Arts Hall.
Fred and George were already practicing swordfighting, while Harry was practicing against 3 dummies with a sword. Ginny just watched Harry with a blush on her face.
"Professor Emrys truly is a remarkable individual. I have never seen a man like him." His mother had said in approval.
"Hey, Harry! How about you show us with Professor Emrys has been teaching you!" Fred called out as he and George continued to fence with one another.
"Count me in!" Ron shouted. He really admired Professor Emrys, and was definitely closer to him than most students. He was nice, relaxed, and methodical at teaching, and the guy seemed to be about the closest thing to flawless there was.
But more importantly, Ron had seen his teacher's compassion, his sincerity, his bravery, his loyalty, and his admirable style in handling problems. How could anyone not admire Emrys Ambrosius? Practically all of the wizarding world knew of him now.
Not only that, but Professor Emrys had saved his, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny's lives, had tolerated rule-breakings, and had seen his family as good people. That was more than anyone else had ever shown them but Harry, Hermione and several others.
And so Ron had joined in happily as soon as Professor Emrys came inside.
"Interested in swordsmanship? I'll be happy to indulge!"
And so Professor Emrys had taught them swordsmanship just as effectively as he taught magic. He spoke of muggle ways with an astonishing amount of passion, understanding, and indepth prowess, as he put them through paces and taught them fencing, giving them practice sabers and foils to use.
Techniques starting from parrying to ripostes, thrusts to lunges, feints to disengages, and Ron's attention was entirely on the teachings until it finished. Afterwards, Professor Emrys had offered to spar with them with swords.
Needless to say, they didn't stand a chance. Professor Emrys had been playing this game for much longer than any of them. His reflexes and strength appeared to be inhuman as he effortlessly pushed any of them back with single-handed sword strikes and even just parrying their attacks were enough to send them back, but even more impressively was his skill. Professor Emrys limited himself to using only the basic techniques they had learned, yet it felt as though he was using advanced techniques as he easily pushed all four of them into the back foot.
Ron was the first one to be disarmed, and Professor Emrys had disarmed Fred and George simultaneously with a well-aimed strike to the hilt of their sabers, knocking it off their hands, before he and Harry had a brief scuffle, Harry holding his own for a couple more moments before Professor Emrys disarmed him by dislodging his sword out of his hand.
"Not bad, but I've been doing this for a very long time." His Professor had smiled.
"Now, I think it's enough for today. All of you, return to your hotels. Tomorrow, we celebrate Harry's birthday. I'll arrive to take you here. See you!"
"Bye, Harry!" Ron waved excitedly.
"See you soon, Harry!"
"G-Good Night, Harry." Ginny stuttered.
"Thank you, Professor.
"What will we be learning this time, Professor?"
Ever since he arrived, Professor Emrys had been training him more seriously than he had before. According to him, a dangerous man named Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and was hunting him, but he had also hinted not all was as it seemed about him and there could well be another hidden danger.
Harry had been confused, but he was more than happy to learn what his new godfather had to teach him.
The first day of his stay in this 5-floor house, Professor Emrys introduced him to the art of swordsmanship, giving him a magically enchanted saber and teaching him various fencing techniques. He said it would be an excellent surprise skill should he find himself disarmed.
Professor Emrys was definitely a lot better than most swordsman movies he had watched, his technique as graceful and swift as that of flowing water in his defense, yet as ferocious and formidable as an inferno in his offense. No matter how hard Harry tried and how his godfather admitted he improved, there didn't seem to be a way to land at least a single hit or last more than a single minute. Even with Ron, Fred and George, he could only last for 2 minutes and a half.
His physical abilities were remarkable, easily stunning Harry with mere blunt hits from the hilt of the sword, effortlessly holding bladelocks with a single hand against Harry's two, and combined with his mastery, dueling so fast that Harry spend most of the fencing sessions simply desperately holding his ground.
Harry actually wondered if Professor Emrys was using magical enhancement and noticing such a thought, his godfather had shook his head and stated it was due to years of physical training.
In addition to spending 3 hours per day teaching him swordsmanship, Professor Emrys also taught him hand-to-hand combat.
"Learning martial arts can be good not only for situations when you can't use magic, but also in magical duels. When you have advanced sufficiently, I'll teach you how. For now, we'll have to start with the basics..."
Professor Emrys had began by teaching him boxing, starting by instructing him the appropriate and effective ways to mix swarming and out-boxing styles.
"Key traits to being a proper master of combat is to be versatile. Swarming and out-boxing compliment one another: Swarming is aggressive, relying on intensity to overwhelm and footwork to outmaneuver attacks, while out-boxing is defensive, mobilely moving through the attacks of the enemy and delivering accurate counters. Swarmers focus on close-range, while out-boxers focus on middle-long range. After you have grasped enough, we will move on to the boxer-puncher style, an unpredictable combat style that would be useful."
All this was new to Harry, but he didn't mind. If anything, he was feeling excited about the challenge.
Professor Emrys had analyzed Harry already had the physical abilities needed to start at average levels, and he had taught him different ways to dodge and counter attacks, unleash an aggressive barrage of punches and kicks, and avoid attacks while simultaneously closing in. Harry had did fairly well, although he had yet to engage in an actual spar with his teacher, simply practicing with dummies.
As it turned out, the footwork and precision of boxing also helped him in magical dueling, as Harry quickly pointed out, much to his godfather's pleasure. He was able to weave in and out of aggressive attacks and retaliate with more grace in pitched fights and focused aggression in stops, applying footwork techniques and the principle of focused precision and lethality into his spells and dodging magical attacks.
"Now, Harry, we're going to practice the Shield Charm. During the lessons, you, Mister Malfoy, Mister Weasley, Miss Granger and a few others managed to produce a Shield Charm. Now I will teach you how to refine it. I think you would have noticed by now that the spell cost you more energy than any other you've used?"
Harry nodded, gulping as he remembered how in a dueling session with Malfoy, he had been forced to upkeep 3 Shield Charms and felt more tired than he had been before after he narrowly won, and how Ron lost a duel with Malfoy when he fainted after he had to cast 3 Shield Charms.
"Alas, I did not manage to get as much time teaching you as I should have before you arrived. I was busy dealing with Malfoy's comeuppance." Harry chortled at what Lucius Malfoy had to do by the time his best professor was finished with him.
He had a good laugh over it, and actually asked his godfather if he could send a prank letter to Draco Malfoy, to which Professor Emrys had rejected it.
Do not flaunt your victories, Harry. You can accept it, but don't let a fleeting glimmer of victory overwhelm you to the point of arrogance and self-righteousness.
"Back to the main topic. You see, shielding is a particularly complex form of magic. It requires control just as much as it needs raw strength. Now, I am going to start teaching you this because you are the one in most danger, but let me be honest and say this is nearly O.W.L level stuff."
With a deep breath, Professor Emrys turned to Harry. "What I am going to teach you is how to make a short burst of protective magic, much stronger but less lasting. You see, the main flaws of your use of the Shield Charm is that you are using too much strength and believe keeping it up until the opponent stops attacking is the only way due to lack of knowledge, thus exhausting yourself much faster."
"So that's why you had me practice footwork? So I could dodge more efficiently rather than just repel spells?" Professor Emrys chuckled.
"True in some ways, but missing the core parts. You see, at your current level, the best way to use the Shield Charm would be at short sharp bursts. The less energy you maintain, the more power you'll be able to flow into your counter after shielding. Also! Performing the Shield Charm in this way would also be capable of blocking curses more powerful than your normal level, using precise magical control to hold against superior power. If you are to have to duel a much more experienced opponent, you must be able to make up for your shortcomings-"
"So you're saying Sirius Black knows many Curses that could overwhelm me if I am not skilled enough in the Shield Charm?" Harry asked, not hiding his clear unease at the idea of a duel with a man with far greater experience than him.
He may have beaten Malfoy, who had been trained in dueling from a young age and had years over him, but Sirius Black had at least 2 decades over him. He was bound to know much more magic than him and leaving aside spell knowledge, Harry knew Sirius Black would likely have more power than him too, no matter how much Professor Emrys described his raw strength as being extraordinary.
"That's right, Harry, but you're not expected to win against him. I'll make sure I'll be there whenever you need me. I promise, but if you DO have to fight Black, then you'll need to be prepared to hold your own."
Harry smiled at his godfather's assurance. Professor Emrys had never let him down, and Harry knew he could trust him with his life and love him as a father.
"Now, let's get started. You'll have to bring in slightly more energy than when you normally shield, but that little boost can be negated by how you block what spells you can before dodging. This practice will improve your instincts and reflexes, which also translates to precise control over your magical energy."
Harry nodded.
An hour later, and Harry panted as he blocked just 2 spells from his godfather before rolling to avoid the rest.
Professor Emrys's spells, even held back, were guaranteed to break through with hardly any effort on his godfather's part, and no matter how hard Harry focused, he could only block 2 at maximum.
Fortunately, after being hit 5 times, he was able to pull it off narrowly, and found it was just as his godfather had told him. His instincts and reflexes were improving, and he was able to tell just how little he could block from sensing the energy of his teacher's spells and react properly to it.
"That's enough. You did well, Harry." Harry smiled warily at his godfather as he gently gave him a hand.
"Now, take a shower. Your birthday party is approaching soon, and for now, I would like you to go to Egypt and spend more time with the Weasleys while I prepare the whole party."
And so Harry was now sitting with the Weasleys still at school with him, talking about how it felt to live under Professor Emrys.
To be honest, he was a bit concerned about Aunt Petunia, and felt bad despite all that he had been through that she had suffered for so long, but he didn't feel like he should bring it up yet. He and Aunt Petunia had been meeting one another 3 times since he left, and Aunt Petunia looked to be a genuine atoner as she worked hard with the new rights to do charity work.
But anyway, he talked about how Professor Emrys taught him martial physical arts, which interested all of them, even Percy.
"You know, I wonder if Professor Emrys would ever teach us martial arts. It would be nice to have an alternative to using wands." Percy narrowed his eyes while Harry smirked at Fred's casual suggestion.
"You should have seen it, Perce. Professor Emrys and the four of us sparred with swords, and he wiped the floor with us without even breaking a sweat!"
"He HAS been training and practicing for years, after all. A man as ingenious and competent as Professor Emrys is surely one-of-a-kind. I wonder, though... He said that he had taught at Hogwarts before, yet he seems oddly young-looking, despite how he is far more capable than any other teacher, on par with the Headmaster himself." Percy wondered with a curious look on his face.
Harry had to admit it was odd too.
"Well, Dobby did describe him as having "nigh omnipotent power and nigh omniscient knowledge"." Percy nodded.
"As would be expected of a man who is comparable to Albus Dumbledore. There is a REASON why back during the days, the Headmaster was the only one who could defeat Gellert Grindelwald. The many things I've heard about him... It's terrifying. There has been rumors that even You-Know-Who might not be a match for Grindelwald in a duel, although he certainly had his predecessor beaten in terms of evil."
Harry gulped at that. He had seen Voldemort's power, even if it wasn't as great as his godfather, so to hear a Dark Wizard even more powerful than him made him shiver.
Changing the topic, Harry discussed about the first magical lesson he had recently.
"You HAVE to teach me that trick." Harry smiled warily at Ron's comment.
"I'm not sure I can. I'm already been through a lot just to get the basics done."
"That's right, Ron. Professor Emrys has been teaching approaches to the Shield Charm to fifth, sixth, and seventh years, stressing on the importance of precision and control, and not even I have yet to achieve a good mastery over them. It's truly astonishing and something to be proud of that you could use a Shield Charm so young. Don't be discouraged. You'll grow more powerful in time along with your skills, and with Professor Emrys's mastery of teaching, I can't see anyone in Hogwarts graduating without at least a passable skill in most, if not all, subjects."
Harry smiled at Percy's attempts to assure Ron, despite how it seemed to only annoy Ron. "How is Professor Emrys at your years, Percy?"
Percy smiled admiringly. "In the fifth year, while he made sure we realize just how important O.W.Ls are, he still managed to be relaxed and casual when teaching us, but the difference was clear in that while still kind, Professor Emrys would be stricter. The "relax time" as younger students put up was lessened quite a bit, but he was very helpful and inspiring, making sure that even the more lazy students and troublemakers couldn't find anything to criticize him for. In the previous year, my sixth year, Professor Emrys relaxed a little bit more, but still kept a firm hand."
Harry chuckled a little bit, and even Ron, Fred, and George did. They had been sitting on their hotel room while Mister and Miss Weasley were off with Bill and Charlie.
The hotel room was comfortable, but not overly expensive, with constant fire to keep the room warm and maintain light and 6 beds.
"But if you're asking about the philosophy Professor Emrys would add once you've reached that level, it would be that Professor Emrys changed from wanting to allow students to enjoy childhood and learn on their own pace to being firm on making sure the students get REAL experience, TRUE knowledge, and NATURAL mastery. He retains a kind demeanor and a good attitude anyway, but the difference in priority is clear, and I admire him for that, you know. He makes it easy to be both good and also firm."
"That sounds like Professor Emrys, alright." Harry laughed as he said that, mirrored by all the others, even Percy.
"We should probably prepare for your birthday party, Harry. Professor Emrys said to come within 3 hours. We've spend 2 hours and a half listening to your stories about what Professor Emrys taught you, but as good as it was, it's time to celebrate your birthday, Harry."
And so Harry watched as the Weasleys got dressed up and ready to go to the birthday party. The older Weasleys returned soon enough and 25 minutes later, they were ready to be taken to Professor Emrys's house.
Professor Emrys arrived 3 minutes later, and smiled. "Come, Harry. Time to celebrate your birthday."
When they arrived at the Castle that had become his secondary home, it was to see the dining room quite changed. The ceiling was bewitched, showing several wishing stars and galactical sceneries much more beautiful than the Astronomy Class showed. The table was filled with significantly more food than what was served during dinner, and at the center was 2 packages, one resembling a Snitch and the other resembling a sword.
With a warm smile, Professor Emrys delicately opened the packages, revealing a snitch-shaped cake and a sword-shaped cake. Harry watched, stunned, as Professor Emrys lit several candles.
"Make a wish, Harry." Professor Emrys smiled gently.
After a few moments, a few tears fell from Harry.
This is the first time I ever celebrated a birthday... With a true family.
Suddenly, two portals opened, but Harry didn't mind them as he moved towards the cake.
"Hey, Harry! Happy Birth-" Hermione's words were cut off at noticing Harry's expression.
"I know that I don't deserve to be here, but I thank you for letting Professor Emrys invite me. Happy birthday." Petunia said stiffly, but her eyes and tone were clearly sincere.
Harry smiled softly as he recited his wish.
I wish for Professor Emrys to always be my father, for Ron, Hermione, and the Weasleys to keep being my friends and surrogate family, for Aunt Petunia to forgive herself, and for the Dursleys to become decent people.
With that, Harry blew the candles of both cakes.
"The Snitch cake represents your skill, not just in Quidditch, but also as a wizard. You are the best of your year and the first Seeker ever, both feats achieved despite your unlikely starts. The sword cake represents your worth to be a Gryffindor. You are one of the bravest of your year and noble in heart despite all that you have experienced. I am pleased to call you my godson and teacher, and proud of all that you have accomplished."
Harry sobbed happily as he hugged his godfather, the first time he had ever hugged an adult.
It was as every bit as warm as Harry had expected.
"You are not alone anymore, Harry. I am here for you. WE are here for you." Professor Emrys said assuredly.
"Now, before we get to presents, let us feast on the many food I have made, shall we?"
And so Harry enjoyed his birthday feast, the first ever, with the first friends and family he ever had in the wizarding world and even a well-intentioned but extreme and abusive aunt who had regretted and was forgiven.
"Can I... Give you a few food that I had made?" Harry simply smiled genially at Aunt Petunia's stuttering offer and nodded.
While her cooking wasn't as delicious as Professor Emrys's, it was still much more delicious than her previous ones for him.
"Thank you, Aunt Petunia."
"That's the least I could do."
"It's a start."
Aunt Petunia nodded softly.
None of the Weasleys complained against her presence, apparently recognizing Harry's forgiveness and not wanting to spoil the mood. They all enjoyed their feast, as family.
"Now, time to present your gifts! Since we are all well-fed. I'll be sending some slices of the cake to all of you. Yes, Petunia, even you." Professor Emrys said cheerfully.
Petunia blushed red and mumbled something about not deserving it, but none acknowledged it. Miss Weasley and Hermione did, however, send her encouraging looks, that she gave appreciative nods to.
"First, my gifts as the godfather!"
With that, Professor Emrys gave him a sword, but then demonstrated it could turn into a shield, a spear, or a dagger.
"For versatility whenever you engage in Muggle style martial arts, Harry. I'll be teaching you some of it to make sure you can make proper use of those forms."
He also gave Harry an amulet, stating that it would protect him from most forms of the Dark Arts.
"Since you seem to have already established quite a history of getting into troublesome situations, an amulet of protection would serve nice, don't you think? And I made it myself, so it's a genuine talisman for protection."
Harry proudly and very much happily wore it on his neck as soon as he was gifted it, earning a hearty laugh from all of them, but none as happy as Professor Emrys's.
Suddenly, another portal opened, revealing the huge form of Rubeus Hagrid.
"'m I late? Really sorry. Just finished delivering the food to Aragog. He's really pleased about it, yeh know. Who would have thought that was a good way to keep Acromantulas nice and comfy."
Harry smiled as Hagrid waved at him.
"That is understandable. Acromantulas are quite a rowdy bunch. Speaking of which, there is still some food left, reserved for you, so feel free to eat! But we have reached the point of giving gifts!"
"Oh! 'kay, here it is! A copy of the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them! Professor Emrys stopped me from using the Monster Book of Monsters and was nice enough to buy me a whole load o' 'em. He's bin teaching my new magics and how to properly teach!"
Harry accepted it gratefully.
"Here, Harry! A Broomstick Servicing Kit! Useful to help you maintain your broom!"
"Wow! Nice one, Hermione!"
Harry smiled as he gratefully hugged her upon opening her present.
"Okay! Here's a Pocket Sneakoscope! Handy one. Professor Emrys checked it out, and it's fine!"
Harry took it as happily as he did Hermione's present and hugged his best friend.
"Here, Harry! A journal depicting some of my most memorable classes with Professor Emrys and more details on some advanced skills!"
The Weasley siblings all eyed Percy a bit shocked as he friendly gave Harry a journal that he must have received from Professor Emrys.
"Don't worry. You all can read it if you are interested." Professor Emrys said casually.
Harry was fine with it though. He shook hands with Percy happily and thanked him for the gift. It would help him learn more about his godfather's teaching ways.
"Here, Harry! A couple of magical items, just for you. Don't worry, we tested it out first. They aren't dangerous to you, but quite useful to get out of tricky situations."
Harry gave Fred and George a shaky smile as they cheerily handed him two huge boxes. He could already imagine Dungbombs and Stink Pellets among them.
Aunt Petunia stepped up next, slowly, and she unveiled to him a baby blanket.
"This... Is all I have left of Lily. The blanket that you were wrapped in. I was originally going to give it to you by the time of your seventh year, where I would have expected you to live normally, since at that moment, it would have been safe for me to give it to you, when you have been... Normal."
"But I guess a normal life is beyond you now. I give you this, hoping you will remember your mother and not have her memory and the part of her blood in you be tarnished by my mistakes."
Harry gratefully accepted it from Aunt Petunia's hand. "Thank you. And I won't forget either of you. I promise."
Aunt Petunia left afterwards through a portal that his godfather opened to her home. Harry felt oddly emotional as he gripped the blanket and bid her a soft farewell.
"In the end, she did care for you after all. You can repair your relationship with her in time. Be patient."
Arthur Weasley stepped forward next.
"I knew your parents, Harry, as we were fellow fighters against You-Know-Who. They were brave people, and had a good heart. Since your aunt had given you such a personal item, I see fit to give you a gift they entrusted to me in case they died before they could give it to you themselves."
Harry watched as Mister Weasley presented a red scarf full with the golden lions of Gryffindor, with happy tears falling from his eyes.
"Take it. It's yours, and it's my pleasure to give it to you."
Harry nodded softly as he wrapped the scarf around him.
"This is the same blue shirt as Professor Emrys wore. As his godson, you should replicate his style to a degree. I do hope this reminds you that you are worthy to be his godson, and that we see you as a surrogate family member of our own."
With that, Miss Weasley delicately pulled out the very same blue shirt indeed, and Professor Emrys chuckled a little as Harry put it on rather quickly.
It felt right, wearing the same outfit. It somehow reminded him of the warmth of Professor Emrys's hand, and he swore his godfather must have helped Miss Weasley make it.
"A photo together? 10 of us simultaneously?"
And so it was that Harry slept with a content smile on his face, the photo of him, his new godfather, and his friends placed on the table.
Unbeknownst to Harry, his godfather was still awake.
The greatest sorcerer that would ever walk the earth smiled as he unveiled a never-ending album, depicting photos he had with the friends he had, the four children he had raised, and placed the newest addition, that of the photo taken recently.
He softly grasped the part of the picture where he stood beside his new godson and smiled.
As he left to sleep, and even as he slept, Merlin never had felt as peaceful and happy as he was now.