See chapter 1 for notes, disclaimer, and everything…

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Lucius heard Harry's question, and when he entered the office, he declared, 'I wanted to see Severus's portrait.' He noticed Luna and bowed slightly.

'What, Lucius? Now that I've been murdered, you want to try to destroy my portrait?' Severus spat.

'You were gone when Potter ended the battle, and I don't think he had enough time to tell you everything about the end of the war,' Lucius said.

'You're right,' Severus granted him.

'I wanted to see how Miss Lovegood had given you life in a painting, and I wanted to thank you,' Lucius said.

Severus turned to Minerva and asked, 'How much did I miss?'

'A lot,' she said.

'Quite,' Harry agreed. 'Would you like some tea, Mr Malfoy? I think we have a lot of things to talk about.'

Lucius sat down in a chair and consented to have a cup of tea.

Over the next few hours, Severus was told the most important things that had happened after Nagini had bitten him to death. Their post-war Wizarding world looked promising, in spite of a few idiots.

After dinner, Harry returned to his office, and he was delighted to find Severus still in his frame.

In fact, Harry was surprised to see Severus talking with someone that Harry couldn't see.

Severus noticed Harry's puzzled look and took pity. 'I've been chatting with the Bloody Baron. I can see him, but he must be between layers of paint on your side, therefore you can't see him,' he explained.

'Interesting phenomenon,' Harry said. 'I'm surprised to see that Minerva and Albus left you.'

'Minerva was called to her home, and Albus is afraid that I'll discover what is truly bothering him,' Severus said.

'I'm sure he's not well, but everybody thinks I'm mad because that's just his portrait, and he's not supposed to have real feelings,' Harry said.

'Most people don't want to acknowledge the strength of the magic necessary to activate a Wizarding painting,' Severus said.

'It's an echo of you. I really have the feeling that I'm talking with you even if I know that you were killed over a year ago,' Harry said softly.

'I am more than just an echo, Harry. I am the essence of the man I was when the blood that you used to finish my portrait was taken. There's nothing more to me; I was dying when that blood left my body,' Severus explained.

'So, you agree with me. There's something odd about Albus,' Harry said.

Severus nodded and said, 'I've seen him only briefly, but I'm convinced that you're right and that he's hiding something. I'll spy on him.'

'I know you're just magical manifestations in paintings, but if there's anything I can do, tell me what and I'll do it,' Harry said.

'If I'm to spend centuries with Albus here, I don't want him to sulk in his painting for decades on end,' Severus declared.

'You're a great spy,' Harry said softly.

'Not really, Potter. I'm dead,' Severus pointed out.

'Yea, and you don't know how sorry I am that you died. Besides, who could have predicted how insane Voldemort became during the last battle?' Harry asked rhetorically.

'I'd been spying on the man for years. I should have known,' Severus growled.

'I'm really sorry I couldn't help you and save you,' Harry whispered.

'I hope you understand there's not only one side to any coin. We make choices several times in a day; some of them are more important than others. I'm not happy I had to burden you with the memories I gave you before dying, but I hope you'll be more open-minded in your life now,' Severus said. He looked down to avoid looking straight at Harry and added, 'If the Minister named you Headmaster, then maybe you've begun to grow up at last. I've only been here a few hours, but it seems you've been doing a good job.'

'There are a lot of things I still need to learn,' Harry said.

'Learning is a never-ending process,' Severus pointed out.

'Merlin, go ahead and frighten me!' Harry joked.

Severus smiled - it was nothing like the smirk he'd have sported before his death - and then he said, 'There's so much of Lily in you.'

'Really? Would you tell me more about Mum? Please,' Harry said.

'Yes and yes, but you should go to sleep, Harry. Minerva told me how hard you've been working, and you need energy to be a good guide for the students,' Severus said.

'And you've got some spying to do,' Harry added.

'My, my, you'll have to congratulate Granger for me for showing you how to use your brain,' Severus teased him.

Harry chuckled and shook his head in disbelief - even in a Wizarding portrait, Severus Snape had a sharp tongue.

'Good night, Severus. Have fun spying on Albus!' Harry said.

'Don't spend too much time in the corridors now that there's no curfew for you,' Severus said.

Harry grinned. Before leaving his office he said, 'I'm happy you agreed to let Luna paint another portrait of you. I'm glad I haven't lost everything of you.'

Harry left before Severus could answer anything - and Severus was so surprised that it didn't occur to him to follow Harry through the many paintings that hang between the office and Harry's quarters.

Severus started spying.

Harry slept like a log.

Luna had quite an astounding gift, and it only took her eight days to paint a painting of Lily and James Potter and then one of Severus Snape.

In the beginning, James wasn't too happy to share with Severus the house that Luna had created in Harry's family paintings. First, Lily barked at her husband and threatened to go work with Severus in another corner of the "universe" of the family paintings, and then Harry had told James how many times Severus had protected him and saved him.

'Why did you protect my son?' James had barked.

'Because I can see Lily in him!' Severus had growled in answer.

The blood that Luna had used for James had been taken just before the Potters went into hiding. James understood everything that Severus had done for Harry in the name of his undying love for Lily, and James ended up being grateful.

Harry saw Severus and James talk civilly about Harry's years at Hogwarts, while Lily stormed from painting to painting, looking for Albus to ask him why he hadn't made sure that Petunia took better care of Harry.

Harry would have loved to see his Mum give Albus an earful, but watching Severus and James chat like civilized grown-ups was more interesting.

In the world of the painting, Harry's family would get to share a mansion that Luna had created from scratch.

James, Lily and Severus worked together and observed Albus for weeks. In the meantime, Luna was working on a huge canvas, on which she represented all the members of the Order of the Phoenix, first and second generations. When that work of art came to life after a month of constant work, it was one happy gathering.

Harry told Luna that he was a bit sad not to have the Lupins and Sirius in his family portraits, and when he went back to his quarters after telling her that, he noticed that she'd added paintings of Remus, Nymphadora and Sirius on the walls of the parlour that was James and Lily's main room.

Next, Luna started another portrait, but Harry wasn't sure who it was. He fell asleep on his sofa while Luna talked about canvas and pigments. The young witch had agreed to help Severus find a way to make Albus feel better. Severus had come up with a farfetched explanation about Albus's sad moods, but that was the only possible explanation.

'You should cast a charm on Harry before he starts snoring too loudly,' Severus told Luna as she kept working.

'Snoring keeps the yorguns away,' she declared seriously.

'Of course, what was I thinking?' Severus answered, tongue-in-cheek.

Luna was about to launch herself into a lengthy explanation when a voice came from the fire.

'Harry?'

Luna leant towards the fire and called, 'Floo here, he's asleep.'

An instant later, Ginny was exiting the fireplace - and Harry was still fast asleep and snoring lightly.

Ginny and Luna hugged each other.

'He sent me an owl,' Ginny said, looking fondly at Harry.

'Did he ask you to give him a phial of blood?' Luna inquired.

Ginny chuckled and said, 'Not yet. He just mentioned the portraits you're painting.'

'Ginny?'

Ginny turned towards the voice. Lily was so eager to meet Ginny that if the painting had been a real window, she would have been about to fall from it.

Ginny nodded.

'I wish I could have met you,' Lily said.

'Harry told us about you,' James added.

Ginny looked fondly at Harry, who was deep asleep. Lily and James traded looks; they knew their son's feelings, and now they were convinced that Ginny would become the next Mrs Potter.

Ginny turned to Luna and asked, 'How much blood do you need from me?'

'Just a few drops. You'll find a phial in my bag,' Luna said as she pointed at it with a brush.

Harry was so tired that he didn't wake up. Ginny, Luna and the portraits conspired together; it was only when Luna brought the finished portrait of Ginny that she told Harry about Ginny's visit.

Ginny's painting was in a beautiful garden - the one that went with the house that Luna had created for Harry's family. As soon as Ginny's painting was on the wall of Harry's quarters, Lily rushed "outside" to meet Ginny and chat with her. Harry looked at his father and blinked.

'Yes, Son, you're in trouble,' James declared good-naturedly.

Severus walked into Lily and James's painting with a tray and barked, 'Oi! Tea, Potter!'

'Don't yell, Sev! And we'll need another cup because Ginevra is in the garden with Lily,' James said.

Severus looked at Harry, laughed heartily and left the parlour.

Harry looked at the painting of his father and said, 'I'm really doomed, right?'

James looked fondly at his wife and possible daughter-in-law through the window in his painting. He turned towards Harry again and said, 'If this is damnation, it's the best thing that can happen to a man, Son.'

While Lily and Ginny talked in a quiet corner of Ginny's painting, James and Severus had tea - and didn't try to hex each other - in Lily and James's painting, and both wizards talked with Harry.

After a few minutes, Harry whispered - more to himself than to either wizard in the painting, 'This is so much better than the Mirror of Erised.'

James looked at his cup of tea pointedly and said, 'We should have been there for you.'

'If I'd known that Pettigrew was on Riddle's side, I could have warned Albus,' Severus told his former foe.

Harry looked at the painted representations of the two men who'd been in love with his mother. James had won Lily's heart, but if things had been different, Severus might have been Lily's husband and Harry's father. James and Lily had died to protect him, and Severus had done his best to protect Harry from Death Eaters and even Voldemort.

Though it was not logical, Harry felt bad for not growing up with James and Lily - as if he could have done anything to prevent Pettigrew from betraying his parents. As well, Harry felt bad for misjudging Severus.

Now, thanks to Luna's beautiful works of art, Harry would have the magic of family portraits in his life.

James and Severus were still talking when Harry interrupted them by saying, 'I need to find a nice gift for Luna. What could I find?'

'You got her a contract with the Ministry. She'll be the one to paint the Hogwarts staff members officially from now on,' James said.

'That's not enough,' Harry and Severus said in synch.

James looked at his son and then at Severus, and he threw his arms up in the air.

As if the portraits were really his family, Harry told them, 'Don't move, I'll go and ask Mum and Ginny.'

Lily and Ginny gave Harry a long list of possible gifts for Luna. In the meantime, James asked Severus to tell him more about Ginny.

It took Harry a few Saturday afternoons to find Luna a nice "thank you" gift. What he found was not something expensive, but there was all his heart and friendship in it. Of course, Harry wasn't convinced that the trap for Zoogakkos worked, but Luna was so happy that her squeal of delight almost deafened him.

Luna was so happy that she said she'd paint Harry in Ginny's portrait after their wedding, which made Harry blush bright red. It was a good thing that she'd told him so in the Three Broomsticks because only Rosmerta teased Harry - not the whole gallery of portraits at Hogwarts.

'When will you finish the portrait of the Hogwarts staff?' Rosmerta asked Luna.

'I'll need a few more weeks,' Luna answered.

'You've been working so hard. I'm not surprised you're slowing down a bit,' Rosmerta said kindly. 'More tea?'

'Yes, please,' Luna said with her dreamy voice.

'Harry?' Rosmerta asked.

'I am not turning into Albus. One cup was enough, thanks,' Harry said with a merry chuckle.

Rosmerta winked and left their table.

Luna smiled at Harry. It was true that she'd worked a lot for her family, the Malfoys, Harry, and now the Ministry, but even if she was working more slowly, the staff portrait wasn't taking all her time and energy. The secret portrait on which she was working was quite special.

First, she'd had to find a way to have the residents of that painting able to leave and visit their neighbours, but the other people in neighbouring paintings unable to find them. It was like making the painting Unplottable, and that alone was quite difficult to do and required time.

Next, Luna had painted two young people, but the blood she'd have to use to activate the Wizarding painting belonged to older men, and she had to find a way to have the spells work with the blood she had at her disposal.

One day, Luna had finished that painting. She went to see Harry in his office and announced, 'I'm ready to activate it.'

'Thanks, Luna! We'll be with you in five minutes,' Harry said.

Luna nodded and went back to Harry's quarters where the secret painting had been created.

Harry turned to Severus's Headmaster portrait and said, 'Drag him to your family portrait, will you? It's time to have a chat with him.'

'This is going to be fun,' Severus said.

Harry chuckled and said, 'You're spending too much time with my dad.'

'Now, don't be a brat, Potter, or I'll ask Minerva to tell her real self to send an owl to your girlfriend. I discovered a few interesting facts about you,' Severus retorted.

'Who's being a brat now?' Harry joked as he left his office.

'I'll catch you in our quarters,' Severus said to the now empty room.

'What's going on with Harry?' Albus asked.

Severus joined Albus in his frame, grabbed his collar and said, 'Come and see for yourself. You're the one I'm to drag to the dungeons.'

In the Potters' parlour, Lily, James and Ginny were expecting Severus and Albus. Lily had even made tea the way Albus liked it.

Luna and Harry were ready to welcome Albus when Severus dragged him into the family portraits.

'Welcome to our family, Albus,' Lily said.

Severus dragged the older wizard to a chair and pushed him to make him sit down.

'I don't understand,' Albus declared.

'We know why you're sulking,' Lily said abruptly.

Albus blinked and paled, which showed how much the magic in his painting was affected by his feelings; however, if there were people who could discover what was bothering him, most of them were right here with him. Severus knew almost everything about him, the three Potters were rather gifted, and Ginny and Luna were quite observant.

Albus knew that he was lucky that Hermione Granger hadn't been invited to their little impromptu gathering - that witch would become as clever as Severus, if not more so.

'I don't know what you mean,' Albus lied.

Severus snorted.

'We've found a way to help you,' Harry announced.

Albus looked at his young protégé and said sadly, 'There's nothing that you can do.'

'Still stubborn, I see,' James teased his old mentor.

'But at least he admitted to Harry that there is something wrong,' Ginny said.

'How could he resist us?' Lily asked rhetorically.

'He's not supposed to, and we're wasting time,' Harry declared.

Albus looked more and more like a deer caught in the headlights of a Muggle car.

Luna was the one who surprised Albus most. 'I've made a Hidden painting for you,' she said.

Making a Hidden painting was long and difficult. Only the painter and the owner could see everything that was in such a painting; it was a very twisted and rare way to have family portraits when someone didn't want to reveal one's parentage.

With a Hidden painting, one could keep a trace of people with whom one didn't want the Wizarding society to know one was connected.

'Why did you do such a thing?' Albus asked Luna.

'It's another portrait of you, but if you agree, you won't be alone in it,' she said.

'My family?' Albus wondered.

Severus snorted and said, 'There would be no reason to hide them from the world. Between the diary you left for Harry in the trunk Aberforth gave him and my observations, we've put two and two together.'

Albus was about to try to pretend he didn't know what Severus meant, but Harry intervened. 'I gave Luna the unidentified phial of blood you gave me,' he said.

'But... How... Why?' Albus stuttered.

'Albus,' James said kindly, 'you're stuck in the frames of the paintings within Hogwarts. You can come and see us anytime you want, but we've all seen you're lonely. Luna and Severus can help you.'

'How?' Albus wondered.

'If you agree to have me activate the spells on your other painting, and if you let me, I'll make Headmaster Snape your Secret Keeper. Since he's got a portrait in Harry's office and one among Harry's family portraits, he can make the link between your Headmaster portrait and the Hidden one,' Luna said.

'Why would you do that?' Albus asked all his friends.

'You'd get to spend time with him,' Harry said bluntly.

Albus paled.

'We don't know who he is,' Lily said.

'Only Luna, Harry and Headmaster Snape know,' Ginny added.

'And it's none of our business,' James concluded.

'But he's...' Albus's voice trailed off. He couldn't say that he'd fallen head over heels for a young man who became a Dark wizard later in life.

'We don't care who he was,' Lily insisted.

Albus was about to argue, but Luna spoke first, 'My pigments are drying.'

'Then do what we've planned,' Harry told her.

She nodded and mixed one drop of Albus's blood with one from the phial Albus had considered his most precious possession. Then Luna dipped her smallest brush into the mix and then into the neutral paint that she'd prepared, and then she put a dot on Severus's hand.

'There, you can find them in their Hidden painting now,' Luna told Severus.

Severus opened a door that hadn't been there a moment before and that James, Lily and Ginny couldn't see.

Severus had no problem finding the other painting where the two wizards had not been awakened yet.

When Severus left the Hidden painting to go back to the Potters' parlour, he was laughing so hard that he was almost crying.

'What's wrong?' Albus asked worriedly.

Severus couldn't tell his mentor and friend that Luna had managed to paint him and his old boyfriend, Gellert Grindelwald, as very young men, almost teenagers. However, Severus knew how complicated it must have been for Luna to find a way to have blood and spells work together, in spite of the way she'd painted Albus and Gellert - and he understood why it had taken her so long to complete this particular Hidden portrait.

Severus fought to control his laughter and said, 'Nothing's wrong. Miss Lovegood painted you both in a way I'm sure you'll enjoy.'

While Severus had been visiting the Hidden painting, Luna had prepared two clean brushes. She added blood from Albus to clean paint and finished painting his hand, and then she did the same for Gellert.

Luna and Harry said the spells together so that Harry could interact with Albus and Gellert if the two wizards wished it.

Severus took his old friend's hand and dragged him again - this time into the Hidden portrait.

When Albus entered the new painting, the magic that gave him life in his Headmaster portrait was instantly transferred into his new, secret portrait - a portrait where he looked as young as when he'd met Gellert for the first time.

Gellert was smirking. 'Powerful friends you've got there. I can't believe you've kept my blood for that,' he said in way of greetings.

'Do you regret it?' Albus asked, clearly teasing his old flame.

Gellert flexed his fingers as if to test his body which felt younger than he knew he should be if his appearance did match the magic in his blood. 'No,' Gellert said simply.

'I'll leave you... boys,' Severus teased them.

Albus could have followed Severus back to the other side of the Hidden portrait to complain about his remark, but he had better things to do, such as making peace with Gellert.

They could never make up for the decades lost on the side of the living, but the two wizards would make the most of the time they were given, thanks to magic and friendship.

After activating the portrait, Luna cleaned her supplies and announced that she'd go have tea with the house-elves in the kitchen because they'd promised to tell her how to lure a grelnup into a house.

Harry excused himself and went back to his office because he wanted to give Albus and Gellert some privacy (especially so soon after being brought to life in their painting).

Harry's family stayed in the parlour and had tea together.

Thanks to Luna's work, the huge portrait of the members of the Hogwarts staff found its place in the staff room, and soon the Heads came to visit them.

The students and their parents were happy to have the opportunity to have Wizarding pictures to help them remember their years at Hogwarts.

A year and a day after retiring, Minerva's Headmistress portrait was delivered by Minerva herself. She pretended that her children wanted her family portrait back home, but Harry knew that she wanted to hug Harry and thank him for taking care of the school - and allowing her to heal and rest properly.

Harry married Ginny. They had children of their own - in fact, Ginny quit her Quidditch team when she was expecting their first baby.

Much to everybody's surprise, she became the next professor to teach History of Magic.

The new generation of Potters grew up at Hogwarts.

No one understood how the children could see who was in the Hidden portrait - not that they'd tell anyone who it was. Harry suspected that Headmaster Snape might have magically helped his nephews and niece - and Uncle Severus knew that Harry knew better than to say a word (Severus knew many embarrassing things, thanks to Ginevra's portrait).

Harry's gallery of family portraits grew throughout the long, long years of his life, but the first four ones remained his favourites till the end.

When Harry retired at a respectable age, his Headmaster portrait joined his friends' in the office at Hogwarts, and he often travelled between his former office and his home, where he argued endlessly with the other portraits and his real self.

Being tricked by Kingsley and Hermione into accepting the position of Hogwarts Headmaster had been one of the best things in his life. Thanks to Luna's magic and her gift for painting, something of the Potter family would remain alive for as long as the magical canvas existed, which meant quite a few centuries, at the very least.

Albus and Gellert were planning to have someone in the family make their painting visible to all, but they'd do that in a few decades - when the Grindelwald name was forgotten. In the meantime, they enjoyed their magical lives, surrounded by love and friendship.

Finis