Part One
Harry Potter's life was over! Not to be over dramatic but his days were not only numbered due to Voldemort's return or the escape of Sirius Black from prison. Right now, actually that was the least of his worries.
Flash backs ran through his mind of the last couple nightmarish dreams he had. His dreams were actually memories. It felt like he was reliving every uncalled for spanking every day of starvation, everyday he's spent locked in a cupboard under the stairs and every day of forced labor he'd lived through because of the Dursley family. His lips began to quiver uncontrollably.
I am doomed.
Harry thought to him self grimly. And his head began to throb painfully again.
He sat on his trunk which he's managed to pack and drag through the fat lady portrait entrance to Griffindor tower. The fat lady herself sat in a canary yellow dress sipping tea and began to eye ball the lone Griffindor worriedly. Harry just sat on the trunk possessing all of his livelihood huffing puffing and sighing. "You know dear, your a wizard you could have just levitated your chest as you walked." she stated in a slightly high pitched voice. Harry stared at her almost blankly for half a minute before fat tears began to roll down his cheeks. He had quite a shiner on his left cheek and his blue eyes seemed a lot more gray and colder than usual despite his teary burst of emotion.1 His face was deathly pale and the lightning bolt scar was a rather vivid red against his sickly complexion.
"'Arry?" He suddenly heard Ron calling him. The other boy turned the corner and Harry Potter quickly stood up, wiped his tears and made sure the serpentine bracelet [he couldn't get off his wrist] remained hidden. Draco Malfoy was the only one who took notice of it. His reaction to it made Harry certain that it was something best kept out of sight of his friends and enemies alike. Professor Snape slapped it on his wrist after cuffing him on his cheek-giving him the grotesque shiner that he-he being Harry-refused to get treated, as a kind of strike against his elders decision making skills on his behalf. "You look like shite!" The red head exclaimed before embracing his thin friend abruptly.
"'moine's behind me and your in for an ear full," Ron Weasely whispered in his friends ear.
He backed off and looked Harry and the trunk in the hall over.
"Harry James Potter, how-how dare you!" Heroine Granger almost whined,fists clenched tighly in frustration.
Harry hasn't actually attended classes today or yesterday at all. He let his friends know in the common room about his suspension from classes and Dumbledore's betrayal of him the night he returned from the head master's office.
"avoiding us, your friends does not change anything it just makes it harder to help you." Hermoine's eyes filled with compassion as she took her friend in.
"We tried to pa titian Dumbledore on your behalf," Ron added lamely. "We have some news for you,"
Harry smiled a sad smile, "It might have to wait-I'm waiting for Snape right now-"
"-And Professor Snape is here," The potions master interrupted as he turned the corner scowling at his ward. "Sit on your trunk." The teacher ordered.
Harry gritted his teeth, and silently obeyed.
"Mr. Potter when I tell you to report to the infirmary or anywhere for that matter you are to do so promptly." The professor removed a tiny jar from his robe sleeve and opened it, he tilted the boy's head upward silently demanding he be still. The man dabbed the bruised cheek gently covering the injury with ointment. The bruise literally began to visibly fade from the bluish purple of a fresher wound to a yellow of one that had over a week to heal to Hermoine's d elite.
"Administer every four hours until the container is empty. Than return the container to me." he instructed and continued to drone on forcing eye contact. "I will not be laying hands upon you again. Please understand that although we haven't always seen eye to eye on well, to be honest anything this isn't necessarily as bad of a decision as you may think it is on Dumbledore's part, right now."
He didn't mean that he wouldn't be administering medication to Harry again. If the boy didn't understand what context that was meant in Severus Snape decided that that was Harry's problem. There was too many taboo things that Harry wasn't preevy to as of yet. The teacher gave his hate filled ward a a look and saw the bit of hope that entered Harry's features be cast aside quickly.
"You however, will hold your tongue around me. There won't be very many surprises headed your way-everything will be explained and rules and boundaries will be set...for us both I'm sure."
Harry cocked his head at that, realizing that he just probably got the closest thing to an apology he'd get from Snape-ever. And it really didn't bring him any comfort at all. He wasn't going to spend his Christmas break with the Weasleys' as planned. He wasn't going to be forced to stay in school as Hogwart's was a fortress after all-so that would actually make sense.
Nope.
Harry didn't even know where he was going.
Severus took out a bottle with a stopper and handed it to Harry.
"This is a migraine remedy which I suspect you've been in need of for quite a while. Don't take more than half the bottle at once and give it a good five or six hours between doses. Also return the bottle to me once its empty." He explained to the boy flatly.
Snape wasn't a stupid man. And being someone who's played both sides of a war for over a decade he recognized the signs of inner turmoil quite easily in other people. But this person, this specific person was now going to be his responsibility. And although Snape promised there wouldn't be many surprises for Harry, he really was just talking about things in the long run. The professor [soon to be ex employee of Hogwart's ] hoped to Merlin that everything went smoothly and everyone survived the next twenty-four hours.
Harry nodded in response to the potions master's instructions, still not trusting himself to speak. He's faced Voldemort not once but three times already not including his small exchange with him when he was a toddler that made him famous. He even won the Tri-Wizard Tournament at age 13. 2
But when faced with this situation he was still choking on the news.3
Today there wasn't one mad-man after him but two. And the scariest professor he's ever known decided to adopt him after he ran away during the summer and was more or less forced to disclose his home life to the Head master who put him in the care of his abusive family to begin with.
Snape beckoned that he get off the chest he had him sit on to begin with and Harry got up silently. He took a moment to unstopper his new medication and took a swig to find that it had both a pleasant taste and aroma. Once he put the stopper back on the little bottle he was awed by how it literly refilled itself to the brim. His friends who stood off to the side waiting for him also cocked there heads in slight disbeleif.
The children watched the wizard shrink the rather large item and put it in his pocket.
He turned to the teenagers and all but smirked. The expressions around him ranged from uncertain, sullen to mystified. "Enjoy the feast, which should be commencing in about five minutes." He looked at Harry directly. "Make sure to say all your goodbyes we will be leaving most promptly. You are to eat your fill as the trip we are taking will be rather long and we may not be able to stop. Stay at your house table I will collect you when it's time."
"I wouldn't have believed this exchange ever happened if I was not present." Ron voiced.
"So wait, he actually hit you and he's actually still going to be your guardian? And He's not expelled or in any trouble what so ever?"
"The documents were already signed off on. And Dumbledore was present for when he hit me. I-I provoked it Hermoine. I-I was just so taken aback by-by Dumbledore choosing him of all people. I wasn't in any of my classes because Dumbledore more or less suspended me-since my guardian is on staff I wasn't sent away or anything. According to Mc Gonical I was under what if referred to a house arrest. And I suspect I was supposed to be band from the feast tonight." Harry explained.
"Let's go eat, guys." Ron chimed in taking both his friends' arms. "So, how exactly did you provoke it, anyway?"
"Do you think Snape has something to do with you being allowed at the feast?" Hermoine Chimed in skipping along with her best friends. Naturally both boys ignored her query, neither were willing to accept Severus Snape could be so gracious.
Harry started his explanation face sheepish;"Once I realized I was more or less officially adopted and Snape agreed for it or maybe even asked for it I got really really mad. Especially after the headmaster looked me square in the face and told me the decision has been made. I flew off the handle-andcalledhimastupiddiddlerinsearchofcheaplabor-before. I. Attacked. Him."
Hermoine stopped dead and blinked a few times. "Attacked him how actually?"
Harry turned really red. "I just ran at him and well he swatted me off him onto the ground and..." Harry looked on the ground and sighed hoping his friends wouldn't ditch him or hate him after he showed him the bracelet. "He just slapped that on me and left the room after telling me to report to the infirmary after I've calmed down."
Ron looked at his friends in confusion; " I don't actually get the insult...the stupid part I understand. But a-a fiddler?"
Both Harry and Hermoine looked at each other and turned red. Hermoine decided to have pity on Ron She leaned in and explained the significance of the muggle slang word.
Ron paused, "Well, no wonder the greasy git-um-sorry-slugged you! You can't just call people that 'specially teachers!" Ron blurted out.
"That bracelet looks really familiar, Harry. I think it may be an heirloom of some kind. I might have seen it in my copy of Magickal Artifacts or one of the tombs I've gandered through for light reading. Can I actually see it once we sit?"
"Yeah of course but I should warn you, this bleeping thing doesn't actually come off. I've tried over half a dozen spells. Any information you could give me would be very useful." Harry Responded.
Ron proceeded to drag his friends to the great hall for the feast while the two discussed the delicate yet firm white gold serpent bracelet which would not come off.
Two hours past. Dumbledore had an elaborate speech for the four houses to start the last feast of the year off with, wishing everyone a happy festive season, until next year when classes were sure to commence despite all the turmoil and rumors regarding -you-know-who.
The only one at the Griffindor table that seemed to notice something was off was naturally Hermoine Granger. The Slytherines actually scowled after the headmaster's speech and the Raven-claws seemed very sober for the occasion. The Griffindors and hufflepuffs were the only groups acting normally; well, for the most part, after a pause of sorts before the food appeared.
Dumbledore himself seemed rather stiff. His speech was a bit forced and his usual sparkly eyes were no where to be found, instead there was an undertone however slight of fear in his demeanor.
Harry ensured he spoke with all of his friends in his house at least once and he wished many passerby's a very happy Christmas and a good new year between hushed exchanges between himself and his two friends.
"It looks like Professor Snape is getting ready. Harry there is one last thing." Hermoine almost whispered. She took out her wand and cast a summoning spell making a small package wrapped in brown parchment on the table beside her. "Here is your Christmas present from me and Ron," She said hurriedly. "Harry I think your right." She started. " I think something is most definitely afoot. When we went to talk to Dumbledore about you Snape was there. That was what we wanted to share with you but got side tracked for obvious reasons. Harry I don't think your coming back for the second term. With you-know-who and Sirius Black out to get you the most logical thing to do would be to relocate you. I mean your just one kid. One kid that is in a lot of danger right now."
Ron Glared at Hermoine than added swiftly. "Mate, keep your head and owl us as soon as possible." Ron didn't speak his darkest fear as he reached over and squeezed his best friends shoulder. For maybe the first time in his life the fourteen year old held back instead he said almost happily in the most reassuring voice was that "Snape said to us not once but twice that visitations would be arrange-able in the future. His exact words. I was thinking he meant during the Christmas break but well, he doesn't like repeating himself so maybe he was trying to drop a hint." Harry almost perked up at that. His greatest fear was actually the same as Ron's and both boys were happy that it remained an unspoken fear. What if Snape meant to give him to Voldemort? Harry thought grimly trying to look as confident as he could to keep his friends in the realm of okayness.
As if summoned by that vile thought Snape's voice drawled from behind him. "Potter, you'll be serving your last detention of the year now. You are to meet me by Professor Hagrid's cabin in ten minutes." Than he stalked off angry looking and as malicious as ever.
Hermoine gave him a look. "You better go, and don't open your gift til Christmas,"
Ron chimed up "You'll probably be late even if you jog mate, he's probably keeping up appearances, to keep things under wraps". Harry nodded as he stood and watched the Slytherine table practically sneering in his direction.
"Thanks, Um err I'm going to have to mail you your gifts. I wasn't able to do any shopping since Dumbledore wouldn't let me off school grounds. Also Ron I guess Hedwig is now your owl, Mate cuz well according to-to um, he's not coming."
Harry awkwardly with almost every persons eyes upon him left the hall and began his trek out to the cabin by the forbidden forest. He spent his walk mentally going over the list of do's and don't his friends gave him.
"There you are Mister Potter," Severus greeted as Harry approached the cabin entrance. "We'll be departing most promptly." The black clad man summoned up Harry's hat and mitts from his trunk and handed them over to him and he cast a warming charm over himself and Harry, a more sophisticated one than Harry was taught at the beginning of winter by professor Flitwick. In explanation he offered: "Our first location is only reachable by foot, we will be walking through the Forbidden Forest and we'll be hiking a few hours."
"Um, where are we going? And how long, exactly sir?" Harry asked sobering at the idea of his new Guardian taking him somewhere so dangerous this late in the evening.
Something was most definitely a foot.
"We are going home Mr. Potter. This trek will take at least four hours. We are going to a port key location that due to the magicks in this area I am not willing to risk apparating to. We have a window of time to arrive. So come. Now."
Snape began walking and Harry reluctantly followed him. "But where is home?" Harry asked with just a little desperation in his voice, once in the forest after a few moments of silence.
"We'll discuss this upon our arrival. It's actually best we walk through this particular forest in silence. Your queries will just have to wait until tomorrow. Unless some nice unicorns show up and decide to give us a lift...It's going to be a long hike. And that is just a third of our journey." Snape all but snarled at the teenager and sped up; fully expecting for the unhappy boy who lived to follow.
Harry Potter begrudgingly followed the man. Getting lost and being left alone in the forest without anyone noticing until after winter break just wouldn't be any good. He realized that Snape might be a slight upgrade from his muggle relatives, in any case at least he wouldn't use him being a wizard to ridicule him...not that he wouldn't find other ways to make his life hell.
For example-the pace for this hike was hard to keep up with and there were no breaks but also no mishaps. There was no arguing with Snape either because talking was outlawed. Harry didn't have time to think because of the struggle to keep up. Eventually though they found themselves in a meadow and Snape abruptly stopped and finally acknowledged his panting ward. He pointed to an empty space in the meadow devoid of grass and said "Sit," Suddenly a lovely stone bench appeared and Harry all but complied. "We've got another twenty minute walk to go and only a half hour before our transport becomes no longer available." Snape sighed looking at the very drenched Potter on the stone bench. "Mr. Potter what kind of athlete are you exactly. This is only a simple walk and you look on the verge of death?"
Harry turned redder. "I'm the type of athlete that rides a broom!" he responded sharply. "Why for Merlin's sake couldn't we have just done that?" he asked.
"The gate that serves as our port key only opens once a month. And for some reason the genius who built it also put up anti levitation wards and anti apparition wards for about twenty miles in each direction." Snape responded in a dry voice.
"Put your ointment on Mr. Potter. And take some medication for pain relief, this may be the lat chance for us to sit around for a while. Although your getting tired it's important for you to know that our first destination is not particularly safe. We have a lay over in Belgium from there if things don't pan out as planned, we may be taking a muggle flight."
The older man gave his ward a flask of water. And stood watching the boy as he drank from it and followed his other instructions.
After a moment of collecting himself he looked up at Severus who just stood there watching him. The man didn't even look tired after practically jogging for three and a half hours. This peeved Harry off and although he knew better...
"Oh so your answering questions, great!" Harry snapped. Harry threw up his wrist and demanded. "What is this?"
Snape cupped the bracelet and wrist almost lovingly and smirked at Harry as he tried to pull away only to be yanked up on his feet by force.
"It's time to start walking." Snape stated matter a factly ignoring the question the now extremely angry and scared Harry asked. Instead of setting a pace and expecting to be followed, this time he half dragged half walked Harry along by his adorned arm which he didn't let go.
Harry wasn't crying-he swears there were no tears to be seen. His jaw wouldn't stop shaking and his mind was unable to send the message to speak to his brain. He briefly considered throwing a fit and sitting on the ground which probably would have resulted in being dragged-or worse-carried. So he refrained and tried his best to keep up with the man's pace. After about ten minutes of carrying on like this Harry's first sob broke the silence. Severus dropped the boy's wrist as if it turned to fire or ice.
The man kept walking and expected the boy to follow and be in ear shot of his response. Which Harry did with both his hands over his mouth so his horrible sobbing that he couldn't get control over wouldn't be heard.
"There are a lot of dark Wizards gathering in Belgium at the moment and it's important that neither of our last names are uttered in their hearing range."
Snape began than almost as an after thought added: "Harry. Just call me Uncle Severus from this point on or if you want to try father on for size, you may."
He looked behind him and looked at a pale straight faced boy with dirty blond hair. "Put this on." The man ordered.
Handing Harry a dark green cloak with a hood.
"Keep your hat on and the hood up even if it's not raining or snowing."
The potions master watched the boy button up the cloak successfully hiding the Hogwart's school uniform than lifting the hood up and hiding his scarred forehead. The man inspected his ward from top to bottom and acknowledged that this was as good as it was gonna get.
Hi everyone, I'm Voldemort's right hand man turned Harry bleeping Potter's, father.
Severus berated himself for the poor choices he's made in this lifetime. Particularly the ones regarding the child before him. Snape had a short fuse and he knew he'd really have to work on it if things worked out.
"That bracelet on your wrist needs to be kept out of sight. It's a family heirloom. Mainly it serves as a locating charm if something were to happen to you. I guess I should have let you know it won't be coming off as easily as just with a spell." He finally answered Harry.
Harry stayed still and kept his head down. His wrist was throbbing and he was embarrassed by his sobs which although not even acknowledged by the man in front of him that suggested he actually call him father, changed everything for them. Harry now knew as a point blank fact that Severus Snape was not an upgrade from the Dursley family and he'd have to be even more cautious with him because of him being a wizard. After all he managed to run away from the Dursley clan but with Snape he's had a location device on him since day one. Harry at this point vowed to find a way to get away, he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life ye siring and no siring and being beaten up for it.
"It's time, and we're here." Snape announced.
They walked right into a mini version of Stonehenge.
A very mini version the stones only reached Harry's knees and there was barely enough room for the two of them. "Hug me and hold tight. If anything goes wrong at all find your way to a la morte subire on rue Montagne-aux-Herbes. This may be a struggle since most people will be speaking Dutch but you'll find help I'm sure in English eventually." Severus denoted there exact location from this port finally. And opened his arms demanding silently that Harry comply with his request.
Weirder things surely have happened.
Harry smirked to himself as he stepped into the waiting embrace of his least favorite Professor and reformed death eater turned father figure. The fear of winding up in Voldemort's arms next was very real and worst yet...what if Sirius Black was waiting for them at this Morte place.
Severus Snape uttered an extremely long and strange incantation once Harry wrapped his arms around him tightly shut his eyes and prayed, prayed to Merlin as he didn't have any concept of god like some muggles do: that Voldemort didn't play a role in his life in the near future. And as if by chance a thought popped into Harry's head:
Morte is the french word for death!
Harry was about to wrestle his way out of the embrace he entered into just seconds ago. He was only four-teen. And his appointed guardian appointed this man. Harry's upbringing sort of demanded almost a total suck it up sort of attitude but as the universe spiraled away from them and Harry was trapped in a black vortex heading towards Merlin knew what. The unspoken fears at the feast really began to manifest into a very visible fear.
As the world spun more vividly than came to a halt with them standing on cobble stone in a back alley instead of in the middle of a rock formation surrounded by trees. Harry's eyes were shut tightly and he was squeezing Snape so tightly the man couldn't breath.
Harry was shaking not from the effects of the magical mode of transportation but because his life albeit short life was flashing before his eyes. He was positive he wouldn't get to see morning light.
"Let go," Snape gasped.
Harry couldn't move at least not until he heard very clear parcel tongue state:
No death.
"What?" Asked Harry flabbergasted by the rocky gargling snake voice. Still clinging on to his guardian.
"Let me go Harry, We have arrived." Snape almost yelled. At the same time the snake voice come back with a retort.
No death. Just life. Tiss sss sssimple.
Harry let go of Severus and looked really confused and embarrassed and for the first time really took in his surroundings.
Nice cobble stones, old brick walls. Absolutely no other wizards. Especially no Voldemort or his death eaters and also no snakes. Harry sighed in relief feeling like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders one he didn't even know he was carrying he sighed thankful that this wasn't the trap he felt so certain it was a moment ago.
"Harry hood up, and come. Keep me in your sights at all times. Oh and am I going to be be uncle or father?"
Harry complied quickly with the hood and screwed his face up a bit. Oh right he wasn't allowed to use last names anymore. He also couldn't utter the word father. And uncle reminded him too much of Vernon and...
"Can't I just call you professor?" Harry asked quietly.
"Nope." Severus stated flatly. "Just refer to me as Severus if you can't call me uncle or father and if for any reason you need to address me."
"yes sir," Harry confirmed a bit mortified at the topic.
"No siring me anymore, Harry I am not your professor any longer or anyone's for that matter. Say: Yes Severus." The man's voice was still flat.
"Yes Severus," Harry tried it on for size. Starting to feel vertigo and really tired. "We're not returning to Britain or-or school at all are we?"
"That we'll discuss later." Snape uttered. "No slip ups for now okay, these Belgian wizards-they are a different sort than your used to they'll make assumptions if they see me with a younger boy and he's calling me sir. Ones neither of us wants made."
The rumors about the establishment here was that children disappear. Professor Mc Gonical warned that although her connections are trustworthy. Safety would not be a garuntee.
Severus was putting in serious effort here and it seemed not to be getting him anywhere. The details about the more or less illegal transport method he planned on getting for them so that their were-a-bouts could not be easily traced were not for Harry's ears but if the boy couldn't conduct himself appropriately it would bring trouble.
"Let's go, times a wasting if all goes well we'll be home in under an hour." Snape uttered and turned towards the wall of the alleys dead end as Harry faced the only way out of the alley waiting to be directed and assuming the most obvious exit would be their's.
"Come this way and pay close attention. This is the side wall of a very ancient pub called a la morte subire. This is very similar to Diagon alley in London, where we are headed. Make sure to remember where this exact wall we come through is located, it's important in case we get seperated or need to make a run for it. Here this place is called the hide away or that's ruffly what it translates to. To enter all you have to do is beseech entrance in the native tongue and tap the brick using a magickal instrument. Even a broom would actually work ironically." Snape smiled noticing that Harry's coloring was returning and he was paying close attention. "To leave tap the discolored brick on the other side and say, Vrijheid which actually translates to the english word freedom."
"Vrijheid," Harry said and locked the foreign word into memory. Harry also fumbled around his school uniform and cloak making sure his forehead scar was well covered and his wand ready just in case there really was an ambush.
Severus nodded in appreciation realizing that the boy was actually ready or at least as ready as a fourteen year old wizard in training could be.
Severus pulled out his wand and tapped a slightly discolored brick and said once again an encantation Harry's never heard before: "Naar de ingang Smeken toevuchtoord."
The bricks rearranged themselves exactly as they did to enter Diagon Alley in London. As the man and the boy stepped through into the hideaway the brick wall closed behind them and Harry turned to spot the discolored one. Which he did with no trouble.
"Welkom, welkom, my British friend. At last you've arrived; and just on time." A seven foot tall man with long hair and beard hollered from behind a very distinct bar counter. He was dressed as a viking with head gear and armor.
They were inside the a la morte subire wizarding addition which was quite well lit and clean. This place served as entrance into the muggle world a bar and pub and also had rooms for rent upstairs for a pretty penny mind you. The bar keep pointed out a smooth oak table with a couple benches and Severus led Harry to it.
"How are you gentlemen, this evening?" asked the viking in a thick accent. While the pair sat across from each other both facing the bar keep. Harry's head although turned to him was actually hidden behind his hood.
"Extreemly tired, the boy here was not prepared for an eleven mile hike, quidditch is not an addicquate sport to keep a boy fit." Snape retorted.
The viking burst out laughing making everything vibrate in the visinity. And making Harry's cheeks flush.
"Of course such tomfoolery won't prepare one for real physical labor." The man boomed most mockingly. "As for your witch friend's request all things are a go." The viking sobered. "You'll be ready to go in a half hour. In the meantime Have a pie on the house."
The bar keep placed two stone mugs before the patrons and hid a small silver key under one ensuring no one but Snape noticed it, it ha triangle and a little dash etched into it. It was the Greek numeral for one hundred and four. Snape nodded and winced a bit. As the viking fella also slapped down stone plates and a couple of bronze forks with only three prongs in them. Than he swiftly returned with a steaming pie that had a knife embedded into it.
Laughing and hollering and a bit red faced he sang out drawing attention from the only two other patrons in the bar that both Snape and Harry noticed took it upon themselves to leave quite quickly via the entrance into the rest of the Hide away and not the muggle world;
"Sing a song for sixpence, a pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds baked into my pie." He laughed as if someone told him a joke. "With you English here I couldn't help but try my hand at black bird pie. Quite extrordinary!"
After the door closed behind the witches and the viking poured white beer in the two stone mugs. He tilted the remainder in the pitcher and gulped it down himself. Lifted the empty pitcher and all but yelled "drink up, eat up!" Than he leaned in so his whisper could be heard by the seated duo.
"I've tried to keep it under wraps you've but twenty minutes to wait and a five minute window of time opens for you in the fireplace. You leave exactly at eleven at night. At midnight this place will be flooded with official evacuees. All mud bloods, make sure to send notice if you make it-that there is an information leak if anything happens to you the poor fuckers will be coming here to die."
The viking himself backed up and went towards the kitchen hoping to reach the back door. Only he took too long and he got stung from behind.
"Avada Kedavra! A high pitched female voice yelled once. And a viking dropped to the ground motionless.
"Avad Kedavra!" She screamed again hitting Harry Potter just barely but the boy dropped to the ground. The table, pie and two beer mugs flew onto the ground as Severus flipped the table to hide what should have been a dead boy who lived. But instead was an angry teenager crouching wand in a hand eyes buldging.
And a little snake voice sang out in parcel tongue so only Harry could hear it.
No death noo death nooo death not todayyy noooooot toooday nooo dead nooodeaths
Harry driven by the sound of the little song and his strange invincability turned to Bellatrix Le Strange dressed to the nines in torn rags and matted hair as if she's never heard of a brush and he screamed out
"Avada Kedavra."
himself with nothing but rage to fuel him. Wand pointed hearing every word about the soon to be dead mud bloods that the now dead viking bar keeper spake go over and over going through his mind. Harry felt very responsible for what happened next but only after the fact would he recognize himself as a murderer, although he'd be dubbed Savior for the second time in his fourteen year old life.
Today not one, not two but five death eaters got "Avada Kedavra," screamed at them before they could even lift their wands and acknowledge that once again the death curse has failed to kill Harry bleeping Potter.
And they fell and died. First it was Bellatrix La Strange than it was Lucious Malfoy. After that it was Fenrir Greyback finally it was Amycus Carrow, the last death was a random new recruit. But Harry knew who his first four victims were despite their garb and masks.
It felt beyond calculated.
Harry Potter did it in the course of twenty seconds.
The snake song carried on keeping Harry sharp, keeping him motivated and keeping him virtually immortal, as all manner of stunners and charms bounced off him if he didn't deflect them in time.
Six other death eaters were severly injured at the hands of Severus Snape who also resorted to the death curse in his day, but today he felt much more malishious and resorted to crucioing the very large men blocking the way on the duo of dueling wizards.
A very unlucky death eater named Peter Pettigrew, the same one that cut Harry in the cemetery considered a sneak attack on Harry via knife, specifically the knife in the crow pie. He crawled on the floor and retrieved it. Upon pulling the knife out twenty four crows emerged from the pie and pecked out his eyes before taking flight upward flying in a not very random circular motion before swooping down on unsespecting death eaters briefly only to rise again swiftly to avoid being stunned.
Portraits screamed as if in agony and Severus grabbed Harry by the sleeve and pulled him along for the second time that day towards the staircase, towards the upstairs rooms, towards the room marked P triangle dash, towards freedom safety and towards staying alive and it wasn't just there lives at stake.
Although many of the enemy died more kept piling into the Hideaway pub . By some miracle eventually and only with minor wounds on Snape's part and none on Harry's part they made it to the specified room with five minutes before their portal was to close.
Just enough time.
Time to notify the evacuees and time to throw floo powder into the fire and time to jump in and have the portal close on the pink clad madame that burst into the room only to grab hold of Snape's robe and tear of a piece of the fabric on his arm revealing the man's dark mark before he disappeared.
Delores Umbridge screamed and raged unable to track the movements of the potions master and his ward. The first three who dared enter the room met death. "Severus Snape will pay," she screamed each time. "This is just not done!"
"You will pay for this you Mud-blood loving scum!"
Harry found himself submerged in water. The water was salty and he was at peace slowly drifting downward.
The snake song has ended and Harry felt ready to drift into the slumber called death, he knew at that moment that he was no better than any of the Death eaters he had killed that night.
Suddenly strong arms pulled him out and held him close and he was dry. He at first thought he imagined it but the air did smell different. He didn't exactly black out but he also didn't exactly not black out after the fight. He more or less checked out after the snake's song ended. So it took him close to an hour to realize where he was. And more specifacally that it was eleven pm an hour ago and now it was closer to late afternoon of evening.
"Have I been out long?" Harry croaked certain he felt material brush against his cloak. He was definitely sitting propped against cold stone and they were outside.
"Not really; but I guess I should warn you. Where we are it is now seven pm the same day and exact time we left the feast yesturday." There was a bit of a smile behind Severus's words. They made it, and although in the state he was in aparating was out of the question, a good nights rest was a cab ride away.
Harry Potter opened his eyes and looked around. He and Severus Snape were lounging around on top of the statue of liberty.
The city lights during the festive season felt promising. Harry smiled this was so not where he thought he's wind up.
"What happens now, sir?" He asked really uncertain how much of the last six hours he dreamed up.
Snape reemed him out atomatically for calling him sir. Although this situation was strange for both of them and Severus himself couldn't believe it, but sir was not what he wanted Harry to adress him as. It was too formal and regal and stiff and reminded him too much of Snape senior.
Harry's head lulled downward while Severus carried on until his eyes landed on the snake bracelet.
"The bracelet changed," Harry stated frantically. "It's eyes are open. And it talks in parcel tongue and it's creepy. Get it off!" The boy demanded thrusting his wrist at the man sitting beside him cross legged.
The older man hmm'd and looked at the two ruby red eyes that were definetly not there before.
"Fine." He stated resigned to appease the upset boy. "Just don't go missing, okay."
Harry rolled his eyes irritated beyond belief.
Severus went to take the thin chain off via the clasp explaining himself;
"Simply put, only the person that put it on can remove it. Ironically the last person that wore it died wearing it because his mother went missing. And if this is the original bracalet that person would have been Salazar Slytherin."
Severus successfully unclasped it only for the white gold piece of metal to jump into horrific movement and transfigure into a much more realistic snake. Small white gold fangs popped out of a tiny mouth and bit the man's thumb before jumping back on Harry's wrist.
Now the smooth white gold was interlaced with yellow gold scales. There was no more clasp, the tiny snake settled around the boy's wrist with it's tail in it's own mouth. Red eyes mocking the shocked wizards.
"It just bit me." Snape stated dumbly and started laughing almost hysterically."I guess this must be the original, and it's bonded to you."
The man wiped tears from his eyes. He was crying from laughing so hard.
Harry was not to be so amused.
"This is...weird...Severus. All of it." Harry stated tears welling up in his eyes. "Can we just go...home."
Severus nodded appreciating the sentiment.
"We have to jump, we'll automatically be propelled to times square and we'll have to stay in a muggle motel tonight, tomorrow we have to take an airplane flight. As you may imagine this is not how things were meant to go."
Harry nodded appreciating the explanation.
Than the fourteen year old paled. The dark mark on Severus Snape's arm was showing. Harry never actually seeing it before on live flesh so close was filled with dread.
"I cannot exactly go into a tattoo parlor and have it removed, Harry. But it is deactivated and you and I are both safe and on a different continent." Snape drawled.
Where it's best we till avoid the wizarding world. At least for the time being.
Severus Snape's eyes were glazed over slightly with a bit of Malice; "Don't question me about this, it is time to go Harry."
Harry nodded, not really having much of a choice he ignored the very obvious problems at hand and settled in to ignoring his own common sense: Basically smartening up in regards to the angry man with him. Most of the do's and don'ts Hermoine and Ron helped Harry with hours earlier were gone. The boy who lived was back in survival mode a state in which neither of his Hogwart's friends ever got to see him in.
1Harry Potter in this story is a boy with blue eyes and dirty blond hair and a wicked lightening shaped scar.
2In this fictional work based off of J. k Rowling's series I've switched books [and some scenarios] around for my own amusement and plot development. This story takes place in fourth year. But Harry's already won the Tri-Wizard Tournament cup and Voldemort is already back in action undeniably. In this work it's important to know that Ron's rat went missing in the first book. And that Harry decided to run away in the summer between third and fourth year. Finally, the reason his god father escaped from prison is because he got wind of Harry being forced to participate in the tournament at thirteen and also of Voldemort's' return.
3Dumbledore chose to pick Harry over some stupid agenda to save the world from Voldemort. He picked a gaurdian that would do what he felt was right for the child even if it meant neglecting the prophecy.