To Sleep, Perchance to Dream AKA Apprenticeship of the Ancients
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am merely borrowing the characters to play with them.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, perhaps Weasley bashing, possible time paradox.

""What was that spell?" Harry enquired, giving his father an indignant look.

"That was a time delayed sleeping spell, which is going to make you fall asleep in exactly five minutes," Severus explained. "I expect Pomfrey to contact me any minute now, and I do not wish to lie if I tell her that Draco was fast asleep in his bed. Hurry now if you don't want to fall asleep in the dungeon corridor."

With a simultaneously uttered "Thank you, sir. Good night," the two boys hurried back to their own room, where they arrived just on time for the sleeping spell to activate.

HP

Two days later, the Quidditch match Slytherin versus Gryffindor took place, and Harry was extremely excited. While he was not overly keen on playing against the twins, with whom he had become good friends during the last two years, he was happy to be able to finally play his first match. 'I'll just have to find the Snitch, before the Gryffindor Seeker does,' he thought, wondering who was their Seeker at all. 'In my visions, I held the position for Gryffindor,' he recalled, realising in surprise that his opponent was one of the older students, whom he did not even know. 'I haven't seen him in my visions,' he thought, 'and he wasn't on the team during the last two years either.'

Before they took into the air, Marcus called them together. "Now, Professor Snape told me that we're in a good position with Harry as our Seeker and that we don't need to try cheating on top of it. He told me that he wants us to play fair for once, as otherwise, he was going to remember that he still has a bone to pick with the first-years, which would result in the loss of house points for our house."

"What did those kids do?" someone growled, but in the end, the older students grudgingly agreed to keep to the rules.

"Harry, please see to it that you catch the Snitch as soon as possible," Marcus instructed him.

"I'll do my best," Harry promised, feeling slightly reassured by the fact that he had won all matches except for one in his visions. 'And that was because there were Dementors,' he recalled.

'Please be careful,' Hermione's voice penetrated his mind, just when he took into the air.

'Where are you?' Harry thought back in surprise, having skimmed the half-empty stands of Ravenclaw for her in vain.

'I'm sitting between Daphne and Draco in the Slytherin stands,' Hermione thought back, only to add, 'Good luck.'

'Thanks,' Harry replied, smiling. He faintly recalled his first Quidditch match from his visions; however, to his relief, the situation was completely different from what it had been in the visions. The main point was that Professor Quirrell was not possessed by the spirit anymore. The man was not even at Hogwarts. 'Thank Merlin,' Harry thought, as he eagerly searched for the Snitch for the Slytherin team.

It took the Slytherin team mere thirty minutes to win the match with a score of 250 to 30, and Harry's housemates were much too happy to forbid Hermione and Neville to join them in the Slytherin common room for the victory party.

"Congratulations," Severus said, when he visited the common room during the party. "I am very proud of you all, and I am especially happy that you managed to win without any cheats or fouls. One hundred points to Slytherin."

He then turned to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, 20 points to Slytherin for improving the relationship to other houses," he said in a soft voice, looking at Hermione and Neville, who were sitting on a sofa between Draco and Harry, where Hermione was just lecturing a group of first-years about their Charms homework.

"Thank you, Professor," Draco replied, grinning at Harry, who returned a broad smile, knowing that without Draco's reassurances, he would not have dared bring his friends into the Slytherin common room.

HP

On Sunday morning, when Harry was almost finished with his breakfast, his father strode behind the Slytherin table and said in a voice that was completely void of emotion, "Mr. Snape, please follow me. The headmaster wants to speak with you."

"I'll wait for you in the library," Hermione whispered, as Harry rose from his chair in annoyance.

"Does he really have to speak with me on a Sunday morning?" he muttered in return, only to confirm, "I'll be there as soon as possible."

He had to hurry to keep up with his father's fast pace, glad when Severus slowed down, as soon as they had left the Great Hall.

"Dad," he spoke up in a small voice, "do you know what this is about?"

"Yes," Severus replied, sighing. "Do you remember that you told me we had to invent a potion for lycanthropy? It seems that we need it right away."

Harry let out a snort. "Oh, because we need someone to replace Quirrell," he replied in understanding. "I'm afraid that there is nothing that I can do about it."

"Wait and see," Severus replied, letting out a deep sigh, before he told the gargoyle, "Order of Merlin."

"What?" Harry asked in bewilderment. "That's his password now?"

Rolling his eyes in obvious annoyance, Severus motioned him to go ahead, and two minutes later, the two Snapes entered the headmaster's office.

HP

To Harry's surprise, Dumbledore came straight to the point. "Harry, you told us once that you have seen in your visions that Sirius Black was innocent. Can you give us a vision that proves his innocence? Do you have a vision of his trial or something similar?"

"No sir," Harry replied, feeling thoroughly annoyed by the question. "The problem is that he never had a trial. When we saw Pettigrew alive and heard what had happened after my parents' death, we were thirteen, and Fudge didn't believe us. They didn't believe Remus Lupin, because he was a werewolf, and no one else could or was willing to testify. Sirius remained a refugee until he died," he added in an upset voice.

"Well, then I believe that we'll have to do it differently this time," Dumbledore replied, pleasantly. "Would you be willing to show your memories to Amelia Bones? I trust that you know her from your visions?"

"Yes, but only vaguely," Harry replied, "but of course I am willing to talk to her if it can help Sirius to get free and have his name cleared. "Excuse me, sir," he added as an afterthought, "why are you asking now? If you believe that there was a way to clear his name, why didn't we try three years ago? You haven't done as much as capture Pettigrew, who is still at Hogwarts as Ronald's pet rat."

"Oh Merlin," Dumbledore muttered, seemingly to himself, looking all of his one hundred fifty years. "Twinkle," he called his private house-elf, who appeared almost soundlessly. "Please bring me Ronald Weasley's pet rat."

"Albus," Severus growled in apparent annoyance. "We need a Defence professor now and not only in two months' time, when the ministry might possibly get around to giving Black a trial. If Harry and perhaps also Hermione assist, we can easily provide Lupin with the Wolfsbane potion once a month. Just call him here and offer the job to him."

"Please," Harry added in agreement. 'Perhaps we can eventually cure him sometime in the future,' he thought, sighing.

Dumbledore remained pensive for a moment, before he scribbled a note on a small parchment and handed it to Fawkes. "Fawkes, please give this to Remus Lupin and wait for his response. If he does not object, I want you to bring him here right away."

'Harry,' Hermione's voice suddenly penetrated his mind, 'just so you know, I am in the Slytherin common room together with Daphne and Tracey.'

'All right,' Harry thought back in surprise. 'I really need to ask her about the situation in Ravenclaw if she doesn't even feel comfortable to spend some time there on a Sunday morning,' he resolved.

He was brought back to reality, when Fawkes arrived with Remus Lupin in tow.

Remus was just as Harry remembered him from his visions. He looked tired, and his robes looked shabby; however, he cast him a broad smile, when he revealed his real identity to the older wizard, seeming over the moon with joy to see him.

Harry absentmindedly listened, when Dumbledore explained everything about his visions as well as the knowledge that Sirius was innocent, before he came to the point and offered the werewolf the position as the professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"It's too dangerous for the students," Remus refused, letting out a deep sigh.

"Harry and I will provide you with the Wolfsbane potion on a monthly basis," Severus finally spoke up in a soft voice. "I trust that you have heard about it."

"Of course," Remus replied, wide-eyed.

'It's probably so expensive that no werewolf can afford it,' Harry realised, smiling at the older wizard. "We've even begun to do some research towards a possible cure for lycanthropy, but until we'll be able to come with something, the Wolfsbane will have to do."

"The Wolfsbane potion would be wonderful," Remus replied in apparent amazement. "Thank you so much, Severus and Harry."

"We hope that with the demise of Voldemort the curse on the position will be broken," Dumbledore spoke again, "but if not, we will see to it that either Sirius, if we manage to clear his name, or Severus will take turns with you fulfilling the position."

"If you deem me adequate to teach Potions," Remus replied, casting Severus a look of pure disbelief.

"If any from your little group, it certainly would be you," Severus replied, smirking.

Shortly afterwards, Harry was dismissed, while the professors fixed details concerning Remus' employment at Hogwarts.

'Thank Merlin,' he thought, as he returned to the Slytherin common room in search for Hermione.

HP

"You've lied to me," Draco complained, when Harry stepped into the common room, causing him to cast his roommate a flabbergasted look.

"No, I did not," Harry replied, indignantly, causing Hermione a questioning look.

"You told us that Granger was muggleborn," Draco explained, "but she just told Greengrass that her mother is a witch and taking classes at Hogwarts every Saturday."

Harry stared from Draco to Hermione. "That's true," he admitted. "Sorry, I was so convinced that you're muggleborn that I didn't even rethink the matter, after I got to know that your Mum is a witch."

"Same here, Harry," Hermione replied, chuckling. "So, that means that I'm a half-blood witch, right?"

"Exactly," Daphne confirmed, smirking. "By the way, Harry," she added in a sterner voice, "Hermione admitted that the older girls in Ravenclaw verbally abuse her."

"They what?" Harry asked in shock.

"May I show you a memory?" Hermione asked, seemingly uncertain.

"Of course," Harry replied in a firm voice. "Show me."

An instant later, memories of what seemed to be the Ravenclaw common room flooded his mind, and he observed how a group of older girls verbally harassed Hermione calling her names and laughing about her.

"That ends now," he spoke up, as he rose from where he was sitting next to Hermione on the sofa. "I'll go and speak with Dad."

'You don't have to come with me, but perhaps you should?' he thought to the girl, who nodded in apparent determination and followed him, as he crossed the room.

"Daphne," Harry called back to his housemate, "thanks for bringing this to my attention."

"You're welcome, Snape, and thanks for taking care of it," Daphne replied in a soft voice.

HP

Seeing that Hermione was hesitant to share memories with anyone but him, even if she knew his father better than any other student, Harry put the memory, which she had shared with him, into the Pensieve for his father to watch.

"Thanks for bringing this to my attention," Severus said, once he left the Pensieve. "I absolutely do not tolerate harassing of other students, for no reason other than being an intelligent, motivated witch at that."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione replied, gratefully. "Thank you, Harry."

"Thanks Dad," Harry added, gratefully. "I still don't understand what their problem is."

Severus smirked. "When you told me about your visions, two and a half years ago, you described Hermione as the most brilliant witch of your year in spite of being muggleborn. Now, while she is not muggleborn, she is a very bright witch, and I can only imagine that some of the older girls are jealous, as they fear for their own position as the brightest witches of Ravenclaw, especially, as everyone knows that the two of you have taken your Potions OWL even before becoming students. I might be wrong, but I believe that that is the problem."

Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I will see to it that these girls are going to be adequately punished," Severus promised in a firm voice.

HP

At dinner the same day, Dumbledore addressed the students. "Just in case you have wondered why Ravenclaw has lost one thousand house points today, it is because of harassment and name calling from several students towards a Ravenclaw first-year student. All ten students who were involved in this have been questioned and been suspended from Hogwarts for a month. Those above fifth year, who were prefects, have lost their prefect status as well."

"Well done," Daphne mouthed to Harry and Hermione, who were sitting opposite of her at the Slytherin table.

'A month means until the Christmas holidays, so I don't have to see them again before January,' Hermione thought to Harry in apparent relief.

'If you don't feel safe in Ravenclaw, perhaps you can stay in my room in my father's quarters,' Harry suggested. 'Let's speak with him some time.'

'Let me try it out first,' Hermione decided. 'If they really intend to harm me, I can always think to you.'

'All right,' Harry agreed, inwardly growling at the Sorting Hat for not sorting them together.

HP

Four weeks later, most of the students travelled home for their Christmas holidays, even Hermione, Draco and Neville. However, before Harry could feel sad about the matter, when he walked out onto the grounds to accompany his friends to the station in Hogsmeade, Severus enquired if he was going to spend the holidays at home as well.

"You can, of course, remain in your room in Slytherin, but you may as well spend the holidays in your own room in our quarters," Severus told him in a soft voice, apparently realising that Harry needed the reassurance after his upbringing with his muggle relatives.

"I'd love to come home if you don't mind," Harry replied, smiling.

"Would I have adopted you if I didn't want you?" Severus queried in a small voice, quirking an eyebrow.

"Perhaps we can spend some time on our research," Harry suggested, and his father immediately agreed.

"Today, I have a different plan though," he replied, thoughtfully. "Did you have the chance to buy Christmas presents for your friends?"

Harry stared at his father, wide-eyed. "Oh no, I completely forgot about that," he admitted in shock.

Severus smirked. "Let's go into Hogsmeade after seeing off everyone at the station," he suggested.

"Oh yes please," Harry quickly agreed.

Unfortunately, the village was incredibly crowded, and the two wizards decided to only head to the bookshop, after Severus suggested to Harry to simply brew assortments of fruit drops for his colleagues.

Harry bought a voucher from Flourish & Blotts for Hermione, knowing that the bookshop was a treasure trove for his best friend. For Neville, he selected the book 'Rare Magical Plants in Advanced Healing Potions' as well as the book 'A Beginner's Guide to the Animagus Transformation' for Draco.

Later the same day, Harry went to visit Poppy and Theresa, and the two healers helped him fill a small phial with his own phoenix tears to give to Severus for Christmas.

The following day was Christmas Eve, and first thing in the morning, Harry and Severus headed to the Potions Master's private lab, so that Harry could brew some concoctions to give to his godmothers.

However, when they entered the lab, a small phial that was sitting on top of a parchment in the centre of the workstations caught their eye. It contained what seemed to be a light brown potion.

'What is it?' Harry wondered, as he stepped nearer to get a glimpse at the parchment under the phial.

tbc...?

A huge thank you to the few but kind readers who reviewed. Is everyone else still interested?