The Foundation for the Future
by Healer Pomfrey

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC. Dumbledore/Weasley bashing! It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it.
If you don't like it, go and find something else to read or write your own story to your liking!

To Harry's relief, not only the future's professors but also the founders agreed to his plans. When Harry and Hermione returned to the future on Harry's now eighteenth birthday, as Salazar had aged them up two years, all four founders as well as Ceridwen and Gawain with their children accompanied them to assist the young couple with their project.

During the remaining weeks of the holidays, they did not only completely renovate and change the common rooms of the four houses, but they built three more houses using so-far unused parts of the castle.

"It makes sense to have a house for each class," Rowena explained, when they led the future's professors through the newly built houses. "In our time, we were only four professors before Ceridwen and Gawain began teaching, and we could only look after four houses. However, considering the number of teachers you have, it's better to sort the students by age than by their character, which can lead to big house rivalries like you have experienced them in the past."

"I fully agree," the headmistress concurred. "I believe though that the teachers need to look in on the common rooms every evening now, as the students won't have any older students to ask about homework or other problems."

"Each of the year teachers should spend the thirty minutes before curfew in their houses like I always did," Severus spoke up in a soft voice.

"I will also spend some time in each house once a week," Harry said, smiling, when Hermione thought to him 'Beginning with the first-years on Mondays? I'm sure they're going to be waiting from Tuesday onwards to having you there again.'

"Are you not going to have your own year, Harry?" Remus asked in clear surprise.

"Harry will become the new headmaster," Godric replied, causing everyone to look at Augusta Longbottom.

"I will remain as Harry's and Minerva's assistant," the kind old witch answered the unasked question. "Considering that Harry is also the head of the Wizengamot and is going to teach together with his wife, he'll have his hands full."

HP

It was in the morning of the last day of holidays that Harry said to his wife, "Let's go to Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade? Now? Why?" Hermione asked in confusion, looking up from the lesson plan, which she just studied for the umpteenth time to make sure there were no errors in it.

"Today's the opening of the Weasley twins' joke shop," Harry informed her, smirking, and showed her a small parchment.

'Invitation to the grand opening of Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, Hogsmeade main street, 10 a.m. on 31 August.
As our main sponsor, you're expected to participate in the event together with your wife.'

"Main sponsor?" Hermione read aloud, shaking her head in apparent annoyance.

"Oh yes, sorry, I meant to tell you that I gave them the money for their shop, but above all the changes we made to Hogwarts..."

"It's all right, Harry. Oh well, let's go then," Hermione replied, as she cleaned up her desk with a flick of her wand.

HP

On the first of September, many surprises were waiting for the students. When they entered the Great Hall, the four large house tables had been replaced by seven smaller tables. Numbers were floating over each of the tables, indicating where the students of each year had to take their seats.

Harry observed from the head table, where he was sitting between Minerva and Hermione, how everyone but the seventh-years seemed outright happy at the prospect of sitting together with their friends. 'Oh well, our class is the sixth-year. The seventh-years are the only ones that still grew up with house pride and rivalry. They'll have to get used to it,' he thought. 'Somehow, I like Hogwarts much better as it is now.'

When everyone was seated, Augusta Longbottom rose to greet the students. "Welcome to the first-years and welcome back to our older students. As you can see, you're now sitting together with your classes and you will also live together. We have completely abolished the house system and thus the Sorting ceremony. Together with the four founders of Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione Potter have built three new houses. Professor Emma Granger, our History of Magic teacher, will be the head of the first-years. After the welcoming feast, she will come to your table and lead you to your house. To the older students, your head of the class will also guide you to your house after dinner."

She waited a moment until the loud cheering ebbed down, before she continued, "As of today, Hermione and Harry Potter are the professors for our new subject Ancient Magic. It is elective, however, begins from first year onwards. You still have time to decide if you wish to take this subject until Sunday evening." Glancing at Harry, she added, "This class even involves a time travel to the time of the founders of Hogwarts for one week during your seventh year."

This time, a tumult broke out, which showed Harry that all students at least up to sixth year were surely going to take their class.

"Excuse me, what about this year's seventh-years?" Someone asked from the seventh-years' table. "Will we be able to travel as well even if we can only begin to take the subject now?"

"Of course," Hermione replied, smiling.

"There's one more change that you need to be made aware of," Augusta continued, causing the students to quieten down again. "From today onwards, Professor Harry Potter will be our headmaster, while Professor McGonagall remains his deputy and I will be his assistant." With that, she once again sat down between Hermione and Severus.

Harry rose from his chair. "Thank you Madam Longbottom. Now we won't keep you any longer, as I'm sure you're hungry. Let the feast begin."

Only after the main course, before the house-elves served the desert, Harry stood up once more. "I have just another small announcement for the first-years," he said and, seeing that he held everyone's attention, explained, "The sixth-years will help the first-years around during their first week. I'd like to ask all first-years and all sixth-years to gather here in the Great Hall after the last afternoon class tomorrow, so that you can get to know each other. Tomorrow morning, a sixth-year student will collect you at your table and take you to your first morning class, while another student will bring you to your next class and so on. I'd like to ask my colleagues to excuse the respective sixth-years for being late for their class. If you have any questions, I'll be here for you at any time."

Under huge applause, he tapped his hand against the table to make the desserts appear in front of everyone.

HP

The first weeks of the new school year passed quietly and uneventfully. While the older students seemed to be glad that the war was over and they could live in their new class houses together with their classmates and friends in peace, the first-years were outright happy to be at Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione enjoyed teaching bits and pieces of the ancient magic that they had learned at the time of the founders to their students. Even if the subject was elective, not a single student had missed to take the class.

"Of course, they all want to travel to meet the founders," Harry said to Augusta, smirking.

"It's not only that," Augusta replied, looking through the door of her small side office to the headmaster's office, smiling. "Neville told me that the two of you are the most liked professors at Hogwarts, maybe together with Remus."

Harry could feel his cheeks turn red at the unexpected praise. "Oh, they'll get to know us better once they forget their homework or play pranks in our class," he threatened, grinning.

HP

It was in the morning of Christmas Eve that Hermione told Harry, "Yesterday, I went to see Poppy, and she confirmed that we're going to be parents next summer."

Harry pulled his wife into a passionate kiss, before he replied, "That's too cool. You're amazing. What is it going to be?"

Hermione rolled her eyes in apparent annoyance, making Harry wonder what he had done wrong. "Not it," she then informed him, "they."

"Twins?" Harry queried, quirking an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes dear, and..." She hesitated for a moment, before she continued, "I know that we intended to name our children after the founders and Ceridwen, however, I've thought about something." Seeing that Harry was listening with interest, she explained, "We're spending so much time in the past or the founders in our time that I think it would get too confusing having two people with each name running around. Wouldn't it be better to name them after your parents?"

"That might be better," Harry had to admit. "Wouldn't Ceridwen and Godric or Rowena be disappointed though?"

"I think they'll understand if we explain it to them," Hermione reassured him. "We can still use their names as middle names, apart from the fact that we already named our pets after them."

Harry grinned. "How about Fred and George as godparents?" he then suggested.

"Maybe together with Susan and Neville," Hermione slightly corrected him. "Fred and Susan could become godparents for Lily Ceridwen and George and Neville for James Salazar."

HP

When the twins were born just one week before the beginning of the summer holidays, the whole school was waiting in front of the hospital wing to possibly be the first able to lay eyes on the babies of their favourite teachers. Only when Professor Snape showed up threatening to take year points from all students who were lingering around, the crowd shrank - just a little bit.

It was already past dinner time when Harry stepped out of the hospital wing with a baby on each arm.

"Thank you all for your patience," he addressed the group, which had even be joined by a few teachers by now. "I'd like to introduce Hermione's and my children to you. This," he pointed to the baby on his left arm, "is James Salazar Potter, and this here is Lily Ceridwen Potter."

Over the huge applause that followed his announcement, he called Susan and Neville, who quickly followed him into the hospital wing to take over their responsibility as godparents.

HP

One floo call and a few minutes later, Fred and George stepped through the fireplace in Poppy's office to also pay their godchildren a visit.

'Thank Merlin Hermione's asleep,' Harry thought upon realising the gifts that his children received from the older twins - a lifelong voucher each for Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes.

"Oh my, the whole school will envy them for that," Neville spoke up, causing everyone to laugh so much that Hermione woke up from her slumber.

"What?" she asked sleepily.

"Nothing dear, everything's all right, and you're the best," Harry replied in a soft voice, inwardly grinning.

HP

When the twins were three weeks old, Poppy allowed them to be taken by a Portkey, and the Potters, together with their extended family, some of their colleagues as well as the two couples of godparents, travelled to the time of the founders.

Everyone in the past greeted the babies with great enthusiasm and full understanding for the choice of names.

"Lily Ceridwen," Ceridwen cooed, taking the baby out of Susan's arm, while her older sister took James Salazar. "How cute!"

Seeing that their babies were well cared about for the time being, Harry turned to Hermione and pulled her into a gentle hug.

'Do you remember? Here's where everything began,' he thought to her.

'Of course I remember how we arrived here,' Hermione replied, smiling. She pointed at a spot on the carpet. 'That's where you were sitting, right next to me. It was the best day of my life.'

'Ah, I hope you're going to have even better days in your life,' Harry thought, 'but it was the foundation for our future together. I love you very much.'

'I love you too, Harry.'

The End

Thank you very much for your kind support throughout this story!