TIMELINE
SEP 1991 Harry starts Hogwarts
DEC 1997/JAN 1998 starts dating Severus
JULY 1998 Severus proposes
START OCTOBER 1999 Severus taken and declared dead
MID OCTOBER 1999 Harry taken by Voldemort
31st OCTOBER 1999 Voldemort’s second defeat, Harry’s supposed death
JULY/AUGUST 2015 Megan gets her letter to Hogwarts

+...+ Sign language

Harry Lilliance Willis, the man who had once been the boy called Harold James Potter, sat in his favourite seat and stared at the letter. Ever since his daughter had done her first uncontrolled magic as young child, he had known it would come but he still wasn't quite ready for what it represented. Just because he had left the wizarding world didn't mean that she couldn't have a chance to learn that part of her heritage but she would do it without the name Potter hanging over her head.

He had walked his daughter around to her friend's house, where Alison's mom would drive them to and pick them up from the summer fun session they were going to. After dropping her off he had done some shopping; his cooking wasn't excellent but it was terrible when they had nothing left to cook with. Carrying five shopping bags made it impossible to check his mail so he had just dumped all of the envelopes on the hall table. He put the shopping away, cooked and ate lunch while reading the newspaper and watched Diagnosis Murder on afternoon television before remembering that they had post.

He'd picked them up, sat in his seat and leafed through them, shocked to find between bills an envelope made of Parchment. He had recognized it straight away, no stamp, the same green ink and strange address:

Ms. Megan Willis
Bedroom in the attic
Mirkwood
Englefield Green
Egham, Surrey

Since then he had just sat and stared at it. He wouldn't stop his daughter from going but neither would he tell her who he was. To her, he would just be a very supportive muggle parent. It wasn't the sound of the door opening or the sound of his daughter running up the stairs that told Harry his daughter was home, but rather the red flashing light in the corner of the room.

It had been fifteen years since the final battle between him and Voldemort and just slightly longer than that since Voldemort had destroyed both his hearing and his voice. It had been muggles who had found him, unconscious and bleeding from both ears and with a vicious wound on his throat. It had been muggles, or more precisely Annika Willis, who had given him his new language of signs, who had fought him all the way to drag him into society and marry him, who had given him his daughter.

He could still do magic even without his wand or voice; while Annika (a therapist for newly discovered deaf people) had slaved to teach him sign language and how to live again, he had slaved just as hard to control his magic. He could do a Patronus and thought he could probably even do the Unforgivables if tested. But he hadn't returned to the magical world. There was nothing there to return to.

'Hey Dad,' Megan said as she walked in, her hands automatically signing the words. At eleven (And one day) his daughter was one of the best signers he knew. She had learnt it together with English and had been very surprised to go to Nursery and find that the other children didn't know it and only spoke out loud. More often than not, she had been forced into the role of translator for him but she never seemed to mind.

He was treated to his "I'm back" hug before she backed away and sat opposite him, starting to talk and sign rapidly, telling him about what she had done since he had dropped her off.

'First Alison's mom let us help make some ice cream, strawberry for me and chocolate for Alison, then she drove us to the centre, Alison said because I had finally turned eleven I could choose what sessions we took but her mam said we could only stay for three sessions because Alison had an appointment at four with the doctor.'

Harry just smiled at his daughter he loved it when she told him about her day, it made him remember why he had kept on going after Annika's death. It wasn't the first time he had lost a serious lover and he had loved his first serious lover more than he had allowed himself to feel for Annika but she had been his only constant since losing his hearing. He had drifted into depression, not getting up or eating until five year-old Megan had gotten sick of staying with the neighbor and run away, well, not really run away but come home and barricaded all the doors. She had then jumped on him and tickled him until he had got out of bed. Looking after his daughter became his life. In recent years looking after Megan had still been the most important thing in his life. It still was, even after he had slowly picked up the life that he had dropped after Annika’s death.)

+Sounded like you had a brilliant day darling. A letter came for you+ he signed, then held out the letter.

'It looks strange,' Megan said. 'I've never seen a letter that looked like this before.'

+It's made of parchment, like they used in the olden days.+

+Parchment+ She signed back, confusion on her face; having never seen the sign before, she didn't know the equivalent out loud.

+P-A-R-C-H-M-E-N-T+ he spelt out for her. It took her a few seconds to process it then she nodded. +Well, are you going to open it+

Megan nodded her head yes and carefully opened the pale envelope. Harry smiled, knowing she had inherited his sense of neatness rather than her mother's messiness. He watched her read the letter, watched the emotions on her face travel from confusion to enthusiasm and finally settle on a mixture of them both. The letter was handed to him. 'Read it dad.'

Harry looked at the letter and he smiled. It looked very, very familiar. He had received the same letter on his eleventh birthday, twenty-four years earlier.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Two Orders of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms Willis,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Full Board). Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July.

Yours sincerely,

Rolanda Hooch
Deputy Headmistress

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Uniform
First-year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

Set Books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Aldalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Aresenius Jigger
Beasts that you can eat and ones that eat you by Alf Sedati
The Dark forces: So you want to be a Hero by James Williance

Other Equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring a cat OR a toad OR a snake. All students may also bring a mail- carrying bird.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOM STICKS

Of course McGonagall hadn't written it like his had been, she had died in his seventh year to protect a group of third years who had sneaked out to Hogsmeade. He hid another smile, glad Madame Hooch was still alive and knew she would be an excellent deputy head. The only other difference was an extra page on the back entitled : Muggle information.

Muggle information:

For all of those out there who didn't know that they were a wizard or witch until they got this letter, I assure you this isn't a joke. At Six O'clock tonight, an owl will knock on your window and hold out its leg. You will be able to tie the bottom of this page onto it after marking whether you wish to attend or not. Once this reply reaches us, another letter will be sent out telling you where school supplies can be purchased.

Yours, Madame Hooch

Harry put the three pages on his knee and looked at his daughter+So do you want to go+

'You believe it?'

+I don't see any reason why I shouldn't. I have always known you were special, had special abilities. Do you remember the time that you nearly fell out of your tree house and instead of hitting the ground, you ended up in my arms in the house+

Megan nodded Yes.

+I think that must have been magic.+

Harry watched his daughter's mouth fall open and then suddenly she was in his arms, hugging him tightly and laying kisses all over his cheeks. When he finally managed to separate them enough so he could sign (although she was still on his knee with his arms around her. They had sat many times like this to talk).

+Are you sure I can go+ Megan signed. Harry didn't know if she was speaking as well or not.

+Of course.+

+But who will look after you+

+Kitten, I am a grown man. I looked after myself for the first eleven years of my life and I am sure I can do it again now.+

+But what about when the milk man comes or the gas man or a stranger knocks on the door+

Harry smiled and rubbed his daughter's stomach+I'll do the same thing I do when you are at school now. Carry a notepad with me.+

+Are you sure dad+ his daughter asked again.

Harry smiled against his daughter's neck. He would miss her but he wouldn't stop her from learning of her heritage. +I'll miss you and you had better write to me all of the time but I want you to go.+

Megan spun around and hugged Harry tightly, tapping him on the back in a way that he knew meant "I love you and thank-you". His daughter had got upset when she had been about eight that she couldn't hug him and tell him she loved him at the same time. So Harry had invented a selection of pats that had meant different things when used in different combinations.

When she pulled back, she was smiling like a fool. 'Can we fill in the bottom of the letter now?'

Harry laughed as he nodded and wrapped her back in his arms. He just hoped that his daughter's experiences in the magical world ended better than his had.

Harry laughed at the look on his daughter's face. The owl had arrived as promised the previous evening, and they had had no problems attaching their reply to its leg. Another bird had arrived the next morning, but not an owl. Megan was sat staring at a golden eagle sitting on one of the spare chairs at their kitchen table. Harry reached out and stroked the regal bird's head. It leant into the caress then held out its leg. Harry took the letter and automatically handed the bird a piece of his toast as he opened it and smiled. It was another letter from Hogwarts.

Dear Ms Willis,

Thank-you for your reply and welcome to the world of Hogwarts. To get your supplies, go into London and find a small, shabby-looking inn called the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road, sandwiched between a big book shop and a record store. Ask for the landlord, Tom, and ask him to show you the way into Diagon Alley.

To get wizarding money, go to Gringott's Bank and they will exchange money for you. Wizarding money has three denominations: Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Galleons are the gold ones. There are Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle. The exchange rate is such that each Galleon is equal to five British pounds.

I hope this short explanation helps you.

Yours Sincerely,

Rolanda Hooch

Harry smiled as he handed the letter to his daughter and her face lit up. She didn't even notice the eagle leaving.

'Can we go today dad?' she asked.

Harry smiled. +Of course we can. You go and get dressed and I'll see when the next train is.+

Harry smiled as he was given another hug before she disappeared up the stairs. His smile turned slightly sour when he realized he would miss her hugs when she left. His daughter probably hugged him at least ten times a day, just as her mother had done. A large part of his recovery had not only been learning to live without his hearing or voice but to allow people to touch him in any way.

He was looking forward to seeing Diagon Alley again, he just hoped no-one recognized him. He didn't look the same except for his eyes but even that was different because he no longer needed glasses or even contact lenses. It had been the final battle that had changed his appearance so much. He hadn't used spells as such but his own raw magic and it had changed his physical appearance.

He had short white hair except for a few strands of black that always stayed at exactly seventeen centimetres and came from his left temple. His skin had lost all its natural tan and was almost as white as Draco/Lucius Malfoy's had been. He was just over six foot instead of just over five and a half and his body was much more muscular.

His wife and lots of other men and woman found him beautiful. He didn't see it but his bed partners since his wife's death obviously had because he had never gone lacking. He had never thought about getting serious with any of them because Megan always came first and none of them came close to the love he had felt for Annika, never mind his first love.

Harry looked at the letter and smiled. His daughter would get the best of everything and want for nothing, just like she had for the rest of her life.

TBC