Harry Potter a Closet Slytherin

Manipulations and Counter-Measures

August 1st 1980

"I really must insist that both of you go into hiding with your families. This is for your own protection as well as for your sons."

"Dumbledore I see no reason as to why we should go into hiding. This war isn't going anywhere anytime soon and James will not sit by while there is fighting going on." Objected Lily.

"Please, this is for your good as well as . . ."

"The greater good. Yes we all know you mantra but it's just you way of not telling us the information we want to hear." Interjected Lily quite sharply across the old wizard's pleas.

"I agree with Lily, as long as you will not tell us why you suddenly want us to go into hiding now then I refuse to do so. We are both capable of protecting ourselves Dumbledore and no Death Eater short of the Dark Git himself could possibly beat Frank or James. I mean heck they've both fought him on several occasions and were able to get away which is more than even Alastor can claim." Alice snapped hotly before the old headmaster could get a word in.

Sighing heavily and very exasperatedly the wizard removed his half-moon spectacles and pinch his nose deep in thought. 'I never wanted it to come to this but they might need to know the truth if I want them to hide. But if I'm wrong about this then they will not be pleased about this. However, Severus told me that this is how Tom is going about it.'

"Very well you have the right to know however reluctant I am tell you this, but as I see no other way to persuade you." he finally responded and resigned to tell them what he had heard from the prophecy and that Dark Lord was intent on killing both Harry and Neville, believing one of them to be the child of prophecy.1

"Lily, do you believe him? Do you think that bastard is really coming after our boys?"

"I don't know Alice a part of me really wants to say he's just a crazy old coot but another part of me believes him and will do anything to protect my son. Another concern I have is what Dumbledore is thinking."

"What do you mean what Dumbledore is thinking?"

"You know as well as I do that Dumbledore is a very manipulative person and he wouldn't do something like this without some sort of manipulation for his own ends behind it. and my gut instinct is telling me that there is more to this than he is telling us."

"Lily you're sounding like a paranoid Slytherin. I think Severus has had more of an effect on my best friend that I thought."

"But you can't deny that I have a good point about him being a manipulator. Besides being a little bit Slytherin isn't a bad thing. Think about how many times James, Frank, Sirius, and Remus have all gotten in a tight spot by being the brash Gryffindor boys they are."

"Point taken but I don't know about James and the others but Frank is no longer a boy. He is very much a man"

"No James isn't a boy anymore either. I guess I'm going to have to take Dumbledore's advice and go into hiding but I think I'm going to take a few precautions for now and make sure harry will be take care of despite any manipulations he may have."

"That reminds me, Lily, Frank and I were talking and since you're my best friend I wanted to ask you to be Neville's Godmother."

"Alice I would be honored! James and I were going to ask you to be Harry's Godmother as well."

Frank and Alice Longbottom with their son Neville went into hiding shortly after Lily and Alice were released from the maternity ward in St. Mungos Hospital. Frank and Alice had asked Lily to be their secret keeper, after all who better that someone else living under the Fideleus charm. James and Lily potter on the other hand waited for a while before they went in to hiding at Lily's insistence. She wanted to do as much as possible to prepare for the event of both hers and James' death for Harry to be taken care of and looked after so that any possibility was covered.

1 I have yet to decide if I am going to use the original prophecy from the books or if I am going to reword it.