"Going Home"
Harry swooped down toward the Snitch, the tiny golden ball just inches from his grasp. Then he felt his faithful Firebolt buck beneath him, "Whoa!" he shouted, gripping it as tightly as he could without falling off. His broomstick was jerking about abnormally, and Harry couldn't do much other than try to grip it firmly between his legs and try to keep it clenched firmly in his hands. His efforts, however, were to no avail, and with another jerk he'd lost his hold on his broomstick, and was now hanging off of it by only his legs. "What's going on with Harry's broomstick?!" came Lee Jordan's voice over the large purple megaphone, "The Gryffindor Seeker is in trouble!" Fred and George Weasley both tried to catch Harry and pull him off his broomstick safely but any time they tried it bucked away from them. Harry knew he couldn't hold out much longer; he couldn't keep himself up by his legs for the rest of eternity. He tried to think of what he could do to save himself but he knew that as a Hogwarts fifth-year he wouldn't know any spells to correct whatever was jinxing his broom. This had happened once before in Harry's first year when Professor Quirrell had been jinxing Harry's broom, but that still didn't answer his question; who was jinxing his broom now and why? Then Harry noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were huddled in a corner, and Harry thought he could see a wand pointed at him. 'Figures! One of Malfoy's ideas probably,' he thought glumly, still unable to think of how to fix his problem.
The broomstick slammed upwards against Harry's calves and he groaned in pain and then horror as he felt his legs slip away. 'This is it, this is the end,' Harry thought as he looked down at the ground, a good two hundred and fifty feet below him. He didn't bother screaming; it's not like everyone in the stadium wasn't watching him plummet to the pitch as it was. He glanced up to see his Firebolt, still bucking in the air as if it were trying to dislodge an invisible rider when Harry heard, "ACCIO FIREBOLT!" The broomstick sped away from Harry as he fell and Harry barely caught a glance of a black blur jumping on it. Harry looked down and saw the pitch of the Quidditch field screaming toward him and put his hands in front of his face in a feeble gesture...
"WHOOOOOSH!"
Harry opened an eye and realized someone had a tight grip about his ankle. He looked up from his upside down position and saw, to his amazement, Professor Snape riding his broomstick. Harry's jaw dropped and Snape saw it, "Oh shut up Potter," he grumbled as he dropped Harry on the ground from a safe two feet up. "I don't believe what I've just seen! Professor Snape has saved Harry Potter's life!" came Lee Jordan's voice over the megaphone. Harry felt his stomach shift uncomfortably, 'Don't remind me Lee, don't remind me.'
* * *
Harry climbed through the portrait hole with a lot still on his mind when he saw Hermione and Ron sitting in the common room. Ron was looking at him with a wide-eyed expression on his face, "He saved your life!" Harry nodded slowly as he sat down, "He's done that once before though. Don't know why he picked now to make such a spectacular save in front of everybody." Ron still hadn't snapped out of his daze, "He hates you." "Yes Ron I know!" said Harry irritably. Harry had been feeling rather sore about the whole Quidditch incident since he'd finished putting away his Quidditch robes in the locker room. Why did Snape have to do that? Why?
Hermione frowned, "It's not like he barfed on your broomstick Harry; I don't understand why this is that big of a deal. So a professor saved a student's life, big deal. Just shows he's got some guts, that's all." "Yeah, but this isn't just any professor we're talking about here," said Ron, "we're talking about Snape. Saving Harry. That doesn't make any sense. At all." "And although he didn't barf on my broomstick he still sat on it," said Harry. "Be polishing it for a week you will," said Ron shaking his head sadly. "What a waste." "Oh for goodness sake you two!" said Hermione, jumping out of her armchair. "This is ridiculous! You should be thanking him right now Harry! You should be licking his boots but instead you and Ron are up here trying to figure out why he would do something like that for you! Well you two can keep on cooking up reasons, but I'll be content knowing the truth!" And she stormed up to her dormitory and slammed the door shut.
"What truth?" said Ron.
Harry shrugged.
"Anyway Harry, did you see Crabbe and Goyle? I think they were jinxing your broom on Malfoy's orders," said Ron. Harry nodded, "Yeah I know, I caught a glimpse of them while I was being thrown around up there. I don't think they'll get in trouble for it though because we were probably the only two people in the stadium that saw them doing it. And of course Malfoy won't get in trouble, that slithering little rat." Ron shook his head, "Look forget about Malfoy, there's something I wanted to show you." From his pocket Ron produced an old battered set of Omnioculars that Harry recognized as the pair he'd bought for Ron at the Quidditch World Cup last year. "I bring these to every game now," said Ron, "and I recorded Snape on your broomstick. It's pretty...erm...amazing I guess. Check it out." Harry put the Omnioculars up to his glasses and pressed the green play button. There he was dangling on his broomstick, then it gave one last buck and tossed him off. "It looks bad even from here," said Harry as he continued to watch. He was plummeting toward the ground, then he saw his Firebolt go zooming off; the Omniocular view shifted to the crowd and there was Snape. He made a running jump and landed on the Firebolt and speeded to Harry, swerved upside and caught him, just barely, by the ankle.
"This is nuts," said Harry as he pressed the replay button. "You're telling me!" said Ron, "It was so weird watching that from the crowd. I mean him. Saving your life!" Harry felt his stomach turn again, "Don't remind me about it Ron. I don't like this at all."
* * *
Hermione didn't stay mad at them for very long, and the three soon found themselves heading down to the dungeons the next afternoon for Potions lessons. Ron and Harry had settled on not mentioning the previous day's Quidditch incident anymore in front of Hermione since she was so hot-tempered about it, but Harry heard Ron distinctly grumble, "Stupid old git," when they went into the Potions classroom. The rest of class went by without much incident other than Neville blowing up his cauldron and getting a detention, and finally Harry decided to do something that had been wearing on his mind for quite a while now. As soon as the bell rang he "accidentally" spilled his armadillo bile and told Ron and Hermione that he'd catch up with them later. He was alone in the room. With Snape.
Involuntarily, Harry shivered.
He stood up after he'd finished cleaning up the bile and packed his Potions ingredients away and then hefted his books under one arm, preparing to leave. 'Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask,' Harry ran through his mind as he walked to the door. But he had to ask, even if he gave him that usual nasty cold stare. Harry stopped in front of Snape's desk and said, "Why did you save my life yesterday?" Snape didn't look up from his seat, still grading papers. "Go to your next class Potter," he snapped. Harry wanted to slap him in the head but decided against it; he knew his efforts when it came to Snape were pointless anyway.
* * *
"First Hogsmeade weekend of the year! Great!" said Ron as he read the notice that had been pinned to the common room door. "What's that Ron?" said Fred out of the corner of the common room where he'd been reading a magazine. "First Hogsmeade weekend Fred! Be able to stock up on more Dungbombs," said George as he climbed through the portrait hole, answering for Ron. "Ah, excellent, as I'm in need of a new Fanged Frisbee," Fred answered, slapping his magazine on his knee with glee. 'Like they couldn't have gone to Hogsmeade at any time,' thought Harry, remembering the passage to Hogsmeade through one of the school statues. "What do you reckon?" said Ron, "A butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks maybe?" Harry shrugged, "I guess so, as long as Fred and George don't try to give us the slip with one of their Canary Creams while we're there." Fred grinned from his spot in the corner, "What makes you think we'd try to do something like that?"
* * *
Harry had been feeling a bit drowsy during his visit to Hogsmeade; his scar had been keeping him awake all last night. "I'm going back to Hogwarts," he'd told Ron and Hermione, "don't worry about me, I'm just tired." He'd left early, although it was still six o'clock in the evening, and had been walking up the dirt road to Hogwarts when he spotted something in the road. "Lumos!" he said, lighting his wand. 'That looks like the handle of a broomstick,' he thought as he bent over it. "FIREBOLT" was engraved on it and Harry gasped, "My broomstick?!" It was shattered, in total disrepair, or so it appeared. He knelt over and picked up the handle and then gasped as the world spun around him.
* * *
"Ouch!" he grunted when he'd fallen. He was still clutching the broomstick handle, only now he was in a house. Then Harry felt his blood run cold; Voldemort was standing only a few feet away from him. He cackled his high, cold laugh, "Harry Potter, we meet again." Harry stood up slowly and tossed away the broomstick handle. "Clever, wasn't it? Turning your busted broomstick into a portkey?" he said slyly. Harry felt a pang of guilt, 'I'm never touching anything suspicious looking ever again.' Then Harry noticed that he and Voldemort weren't the only ones in the room; Snape was standing beside Harry. His eyes barely flickered down to meet Harry's then went back to Voldemort, who laughed insanely. "I've waited so long for this," said Voldemort, "and after that little fiasco last year at the Tri-Wizard Tournament, you will not escape me again," as he looked down at Harry. But then his attention shifted to Snape, "Tell me Severus, faithful Death Eater," he said with a snicker. "I asked you once what was the most important thing to you and you said 'Loyalty to my master.' But even then I was certain you were lying, so I'll ask you again; what is the most important thing to you?" Snape stared back at Voldemort unblinkingly, "Loyalty to my master."
"So now my 'faithful' Death Eater is lying to me?" said Voldemort with a fierce leer. Harry shuddered; he knew what was going to happen if Snape answered him truthfully. Voldemort was probably going to kill or torture whatever was most important to him. Another power trip for Voldemort, watching Snape suffer while he destroyed whatever meant the most to him. "Leave him alone!" said Harry angrily, surprised at his own daring. He withdrew his wand and fingered it in the sleeve of his robe secretly, wanting to curse Voldemort into a million pieces. Voldemort raised an eyebrow, red eyes glowing, "What's that?" he said softly. "Stay out of it Potter," Snape said warningly. Voldemort's head snapped back to look at Snape, "Are you concerned for the boy?" Snape shook his head, "No, of course not master, I only wish to..." "Shut up you insufferable fool," said Voldemort angrily. "Don't try to weasel your way out of it. I tire of the way you slither out of my punishments so this time I'm going to be blunt." He hefted his wand at Snape and said, "Imperio!"
'Oh no...' Harry thought. Harry remembered back to a year ago when Mad-Eye Moody had put the Imperius curse on him. It wasn't an easy curse to throw off and easy to succumb to. 'He's gonna give in, he won't be able to handle it,' thought Harry as he watched Snape try to fight off the curse. "Now let's try again," said Voldemort as he paced the floor casually. "What means the most to my 'faithful' Death Eater, teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Severus Snape?" Snape fell to his knees, clutching his head. 'Come on, don't give in, don't give in,' thought Harry hopefully. Snape's mouth opened, "H-H-H..." "Yes? Come on, let's hear it!" said Voldemort gleefully. "H-Harry...P-P-P...Potter..." said Snape, letting out a gasp like he'd been underwater for five minutes. Harry felt his mouth open slowly, "What?" he whispered.
"What?" snarled Voldemort. Snape fell to the floor as Voldemort released him from the Imperius Curse for a moment. He was gasping for breath, supporting himself on his hands and knees, but he glanced at Harry and their eyes met. He shut his eyes and looked away, still trying to regain a foothold on himself. Harry kept staring at him, completely bewildered when Voldemort said, "Well, this is interesting because I never saw this little fiasco the entire time. But why would you care so much for a boy that absolutely despises you?" said Voldemort. He aimed his wand at Snape once again, "Come on, let's hear this out too. I'm very interested. Imperio!" Snape continued to fight for a few more minutes until his will was finally spent, "He's my...n-n-nephew..." Harry's head spun irrationally, "What?!" said both he and Voldemort in unison.
"Ohh, so even Harry Potter himself didn't know?" said Voldemort as he released Snape from the Curse again. "Well, hasn't this been a wonderful family reunion!" he said mockingly, "But now I think it's time it went from reunion to wake. But first..." he said, "let's have a little fun with the Boy Who Lived!" He aimed his wand at Harry, "Crucio!" Harry didn't know anything about blocking any of the Unforgivable Curses and was waiting to feel the white hot pain of the Cruciatus Curse when he heard Snape screaming. Harry opened his eyes and saw him writhing on the floor uncontrollably, Voldemort clearly as surprised as Harry that Snape would jump almost mindlessly in front of such a painful curse for Harry. But that gave Harry all the time he needed, "Petrificus Totalus!" he shrieked as he whipped out his wand and aimed at Voldemort. His limbs snapped together and he fell backward, and Harry could clearly hear him trying to curse Harry through his locked jaw. Snape was still shaking on the floor, despite the release from the Cruciatus Curse. Harry helped him to his feet and they both looked down at Voldemort.
"Accio wand!" Snape croaked wearily, and Voldemort's wand shot straight into Snape's hand. He looked down at it in silence, then lifted it up, wandtip pointed at Voldemort. Voldemort's red, gleaming eyes grew wide and Harry heard him scream through his locked jaw in horror. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Snape howled. Harry stared as green light poured from the wand and executed Voldemort, a form of what looked like what might have been a soul flying out of his body. The room was filled with a bleak silence as Snape limped over to Voldemort's body and spat on it. "Is he really dead? Or will he come back again?" said Harry quietly. Snape shook his head, "No. He's dead." "How do you know that he won't come back again?" said Harry. He limped back over to Harry, "Because the first time he 'died' a body wasn't found. He just vanished. This time though..." he looked back at Voldemort, "...this time his body was left behind, and his soul was executed. That's how a proper Avada Kedavra spell is performed."
Harry slumped against the doorway and shut his eyes, "It's finally over with. I can sleep without him giving me nightmares." 'Or worrying about him killing my best friends,' he added tiredly. Snape sank down beside him, craning his head against the wall, "Yeah, something like that for me too." Harry laughed joylessly, "I've got to sound stupid complaining about nightmares around you when you're out defending humanity from a scumbag every night by risking your life." He shrugged, "It doesn't sound that stupid." They both chuckled lightly, then Harry realized exactly what was going on.
'I'm laughing with my Potions Master whom I've hated ever since I've met him. But he's actually my uncle and we're sitting about five yards away from Voldemort's dead body.' Harry thought about it for a minute, 'Sounds about the norm for me.' "Come on," said Harry, standing up, "we've got to get back to Hogwarts." He helped Snape get back onto his feet again, "Listen," said Harry as he prepared to pick up his battered broomstick again and use the portkey to get back home. "I'm sorry about how I was being such a punk in your classes." Snape shrugged, "You weren't being a punk, you were being a kid. Besides, I was pretty hard on you as it was. Had to be though." Harry thought for a moment, "How do you figure that?" Snape sighed, "Harry, it's a very, very long story."
* * *
They'd used the Portkey to travel back to the road to Hogwarts, both of them clutching Voldemort's dead body as they hefted it up to the school grounds. "This has got to look so ridiculous from one of the windows up there," said Harry. "What's that? Oh that's just Harry and Professor Snape carrying Voldemort's dead body into the school." Snape laughed, "You're probably right, but I think it's more important that we get to Dumbledore before we start telling dead Voldemort jokes."
* * *
"I'm going after him," said Dumbledore finally after his argument with Professor McGonagall. He was descending the stairs to get off grounds to Apparate to Severus, McGonagall in hot pursuit trying to stop him, when he heard two people laughing hysterically. "No, no, how about this; how many Voldemorts does it take to screw in a light bulb?" said Severus' voice from around the corner. Severus and Harry appeared, carrying a body in between the two of them and Dumbledore and McGonagall rushed to them, "What happened?" cried McGonagall. "But that's...!" "Voldemort," said Dumbledore gravely, "dead." Harry and Severus both dropped the body, "Good riddance too," said Harry lightly. Severus laughed weakly, "Yeah, no kidding..." and he promptly collapsed.
* * *
Severus woke up a week later in a large, soft bed in the hospital wing. He tried to sit up but discovered that it hurt too much and instead continued to lie in the bed. He still felt some of the aching pains of the Cruciatus Curse echoing through his body, but most of the pain had gone. He looked at the nightstand beside his bed and noticed there was a small package there for him. Despite the pains in his arm, he picked it up carefully and read the card. It was from Harry. "Every Flavor Beans," he said as he opened the carton. "If it hadn't been for that bogie flavored one I ate in my fifth year I might still be snacking on these."
* * *
There was a small but significant meeting in Dumbledore's office two days later, Severus now mostly recovered. Dumbledore, Severus, Harry, Sirius, Remus Lupin, Hermione, and Ron were all seated in Dumbledore's large, circular office. Dumbledore had forbidden Harry from telling anyone about what had happened with him, Severus, and Voldemort, and thus Hermione and Ron wouldn't leave Harry alone about it. Dumbledore had therefore very kindly invited the two into the meeting. Harry explained everything to them and they listened gravely, but then Ron burst into laughter when Harry said, "And Professor Snape is my uncle." Ron laughed hysterically but then noticed that nobody else was laughing with him and he immediately turned his laugh into a hacking cough. "As for how I'm related to him is really up to him to explain," said Harry, facing Severus questioningly. Severus leaned back in his chair; his joints were still aching irritably. "Yes I'd imagine I owe you quite a bit of an explanation. It goes back quite a way, although I'm sure you're willing to listen.
"My real name isn't Severus Snape, although I suppose it is in a certain sense. My first true name was Severus Potter. Yes, I'm James' brother," he said, catching Ron's stare. "Snape was actually our mother's maiden name but I liked it better than the name Potter so I told people to quit calling me Potter and start calling me Snape when I was about nine or ten years old. I had it legally changed when I was eighteen. However, despite my close relation to James we never told anyone and thus everyone assumed we just abhorred each other via Gryffindor versus Slytherin. It was actually a case of sibling rivalry.
"I started despising James at an early age because of the usual stupid things; mostly jealousy because our parents adored James and never particularly cared for me. Then there was me getting Sorted into Slytherin; my parents hated that. They wanted me in the noble house, Gryffindor, the best in their opinion, and that's where James went. James was everything that I wasn't, and I really hated him for that. Everybody loved him because not only was he Head Boy, but because he was great on the Quidditch field, and he was also great at getting out of punishments for wandering around the school grounds after dark with his friends," he said, eyeing Lupin and Sirius. "I tried to compete with that in my own form by learning everything I could about the Dark Arts, but that seemed to distance me from people more than it did anything else. When I ended up a Death Eater that was the final straw for my parents and they severed all ties from me. I was now the only family I had left, even though I still wanted to have James as my brother because I was lonely and deep down I still loved him. I knew his feelings were somewhat reciprocate toward me, but that he was somewhat ashamed of me because I was a Death Eater.
"I resented that a lot, and I wanted to change and go back to the right side while I still could. I told Dumbledore about my situation and he accepted me as a Death Eater turned spy. His trust has meant everything to me since then. I just wish I had switched sides sooner; I still regret that and I often wonder if it would have saved your parents' lives. Harry, did you know that your parents' house collapsed after Voldemort killed them?" Harry nodded, "Yeah, Voldemort destroyed it." Severus shook his head bitterly, "No, I destroyed it. After Voldemort vanished the first time after the curse bounced off you I Apparated to their house and found them dead and you with your forehead cut open. I was so angry with myself and Voldemort that I couldn't hold it in. Do you know what happens when a wizard bottles up their anger, Harry?" He nodded slowly, "They make things happen that probably shouldn't." He laughed softly, "Well, that's putting it nicely. Because I was angry I slammed my fist against the wall of the house and it crumbled to the ground." "I didn't know you could destroy a house if you were angry enough," said Harry, "I've only made glasses explode." Severus smiled at him weakly, "When you're a strong enough wizard you can destroy more than just houses.
"Although I was your uncle and legally your next of kin I knew I couldn't take you. I was a Death Eater turned spy, one of the most wanted people on the planet; I'd be endangering your life if I took you so I left you for Lily's Muggle relatives. I knew you'd be safe there, especially with Dumbledore's protection." Dumbledore smiled but did not interrupt. "After Voldemort's subsequent defeat which I suspected was not final, Dumbledore offered me the position of Potions Master here at the school. I checked on you whenever I had the opportunity, especially at night when I knew your aunt and uncle on Lily's side wouldn't be freaked out from seeing a body Apparate out of a fireplace via the Floo Network. I don't think they ever found out about that, but sometimes I would sit by your cupboard for hours like a guardian, not even knowing why I was doing it. Just scared that Voldemort would come back and kill you I guess. Voldemort killing you was the one thing that scared me the most, and I put all sorts of charms on their house to try to hide you from Voldemort. It was almost amusing sometimes because I would think, 'He's dead, he's never coming back, you can stop worrying,' but even then I knew that was a lie.
"Thank God I did that Harry, thank God I stayed alert throughout all those years. I might have never seen him coming otherwise. When you arrived at Hogwarts I knew I was going to be hard on you because I had to. I couldn't show favoritism to my last living relative no matter how important he was to me; any favoritism might look suspicious to a Death Eater. Especially James and Lily Potter's son; I couldn't be caught saying so much as a polite hello to you because it would be risking not just my neck but yours too. I did, however, protect you during your first year when Quirrell was trying to kill you. Although you, Dumbledore, Granger, and Weasley knew at the end of the year that I was trying to save you, Dumbledore and I did nothing to stop the rumors of my Death Eater traits from circulating throughout the school. If a true Death Eater caught word that I was saving Harry Potter's life I would have been dead before sundown. Let the kids think I was an evil man who was a Death Eater at heart; all that did was save my skin as much as yours.
"I was careless at the last Quidditch match though, and I blame myself for that. If I hadn't saved you on a broomstick and instead have done it quietly using a spell I might never have needed to have that encounter with Voldemort. Although he's dead now because of it, I still hate the fact that he figured it out because of my own stupidity. I also hate how you had to be there; after all the things you've seen Harry, even then I didn't want you to see me killing another person, if that's what we can call him. I'm just glad that all this is finally over with; now maybe I can act like a genuine relative instead of a jackal," he finished, "er, that is, if you don't mind," he added hastily. "Mind? Mind?!" said Harry, "Voldemort is dead, my Potions Master doesn't really hate me, and he's actually my uncle? Why would I mind that?!" Dumbledore suddenly said, "Miss Granger, do you have something to say?" The entire time Severus had been letting all of this out Hermione looked about ready to burst. "Well, erm, I just..." "Come on Hermione, out with it!" said Ron. "I knew about Professor Snape being related to Harry for three and a half months!" she finally said sheepishly. "What?! And you never told me?!" said Harry angrily. She shrugged. Severus' face contorted with concern, "How did you figure that out?"
Hermione let out a sigh, "Well I was looking at the badges in the trophy case when I saw James Potter listed under Head Boy. The thing is they put the parents' names on there too, so instead of it just reading their name and year they made Head Boy it also reads who their parents are. Like if Harry made Head Boy (Ron snickered) it would read, 'Harry Potter son of James Potter and Lily Evans 2001' instead of 'Harry Potter 2001.' I noticed that James' mother's last name was Snape, and I remember thinking that that was really weird. Then I saw that you got an award for Special Services to the School and you and James had the same parents! Naturally I was very curious about that and I was going to ask Harry about it but I knew he really hated you so I figured that he wouldn't know about it and there really was no reason to go upsetting him anyway so I let it be. Then I came across Harry's photo album one morning when I went up to the boys' dormitory to wake up Harry and Ron because they were going to be late for Herbology. Ron had already left though, and Harry was in the bathroom so I waited for him and I saw his photo album of his parents sitting on his bed.
"I thought there would be no harm done if I leafed through it a little bit when I came across a picture from his parents' wedding and there you were in the background! I didn't think Harry had noticed that though or else he would have went ballistic. I didn't say anything about it but a few days later I asked Harry if I could see his photo album. Remember that Harry?" she asked. He nodded, "Yeah, I was wondering why you wanted to see it." "Right, well I looked through it some more and I saw that you popped up in a couple more pictures than that, but you were typically in the background and no where near James or Lily so Harry never picked up on seeing you in any of the photos. It was around then that I noticed how much you and James look alike. You both have the same eyes and hair, and that was basically the final clincher on the whole thing for me. Although one thing still bothers me though." Severus let out a sigh of amazement, "What's that?" Hermione shrugged, "Well I'm not saying that it doesn't happen or anything but I just thought it was kind of funny how although your hair looks the same, James' was all untidy and yours is rather...erm..." Severus laughed, "Greasy?" "Um, yes that's it," said Hermione.
Severus smiled and pulled out his wand and placed the tip against his head and muttered a short incantation beneath his breath. Soft, golden light poured from the wandtip and for a moment nobody could see behind the golden cloud. Then it cleared, and Harry gasped, "You look just like...like me!" Severus shrugged, "Actually you look like me if I do say so myself. When James and I were growing up people wouldn't shut up about how much we looked alike so I just...changed my hair a bit and lengthened my nose. It's really a very simple spell; I was casting things like that on James while he slept when I was ten. He really used to hate that." They looked almost identical now, except for the eyes. Harry's pools of dripping emerald and Severus' a deep, almost soulful black. His hair was jutting out everywhere like Harry's, an untidy mess, and his nose looked much more like Harry's. "You should have left it like that instead of becoming the renowned hook-nosed greasy-haired git," said Sirius with a shake of his head.
Severus shrugged, "Oh well. Anyway, that's really not the point of the whole thing. The first was to explain everything to most of the people who counted amongst us, but there is also a second." He turned to Harry, "Do you know what this means now that I don't have to act like an imbecile towards you?" Harry thought about it for a minute and then he understood, "I can live with you if I want to." Severus nodded silently, "I'm not saying you have to. I mean, Sirius is your godfather and your legal guardian but you do have the choice of living with me since I am an actual relative." Harry leaned back and thought about it as best as he could. On the one hand, he could live with Sirius, whom he got along with perfectly well. On the other, he could live with his newly found uncle whom he didn't really know all that well. 'You don't know the good side of him you mean,' said the one half of his brain. He let out a sigh, "Erm, can I just live here in the school during the summer and visit you both? I can't decide who I want to live with!"
* * *
Due to some sort of conflict going on at Hogwarts during the summer Dumbledore couldn't let Harry stay at Hogwarts. They did, however, reach a conclusion; "Harry, why don't you live with one of them for the first half of the summer and the other for the second half?" He shrugged, "Actually I kind of like that idea."
The school year ended without much of an event and Harry soon found himself packing up his stuff. Because Severus lived in the local area, however, he didn't need to ride the Hogwarts Express to any place in particular so he went down to the platform and saw Ron and Hermione off. They both leaned out the window to give him their last goodbyes when Ron looked over Harry's shoulder at Severus, who was leaning against the ticket station waiting for Harry. "You will be all right won't you?" said Ron, eyeing Severus suspiciously. "He'll be fine Ron!" said Hermione, slapping him on the shoulder playfully. Harry looked back over his shoulder and saw a familiar black dog standing next to Severus; it changed shape and became his godfather, Sirius Black. They were both watching him with very kind looks. Harry looked back at his two best friends, "You know what Ron? I'm better than all right. I'm home."
Based on an idea by Mom
Harry swooped down toward the Snitch, the tiny golden ball just inches from his grasp. Then he felt his faithful Firebolt buck beneath him, "Whoa!" he shouted, gripping it as tightly as he could without falling off. His broomstick was jerking about abnormally, and Harry couldn't do much other than try to grip it firmly between his legs and try to keep it clenched firmly in his hands. His efforts, however, were to no avail, and with another jerk he'd lost his hold on his broomstick, and was now hanging off of it by only his legs. "What's going on with Harry's broomstick?!" came Lee Jordan's voice over the large purple megaphone, "The Gryffindor Seeker is in trouble!" Fred and George Weasley both tried to catch Harry and pull him off his broomstick safely but any time they tried it bucked away from them. Harry knew he couldn't hold out much longer; he couldn't keep himself up by his legs for the rest of eternity. He tried to think of what he could do to save himself but he knew that as a Hogwarts fifth-year he wouldn't know any spells to correct whatever was jinxing his broom. This had happened once before in Harry's first year when Professor Quirrell had been jinxing Harry's broom, but that still didn't answer his question; who was jinxing his broom now and why? Then Harry noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were huddled in a corner, and Harry thought he could see a wand pointed at him. 'Figures! One of Malfoy's ideas probably,' he thought glumly, still unable to think of how to fix his problem.
The broomstick slammed upwards against Harry's calves and he groaned in pain and then horror as he felt his legs slip away. 'This is it, this is the end,' Harry thought as he looked down at the ground, a good two hundred and fifty feet below him. He didn't bother screaming; it's not like everyone in the stadium wasn't watching him plummet to the pitch as it was. He glanced up to see his Firebolt, still bucking in the air as if it were trying to dislodge an invisible rider when Harry heard, "ACCIO FIREBOLT!" The broomstick sped away from Harry as he fell and Harry barely caught a glance of a black blur jumping on it. Harry looked down and saw the pitch of the Quidditch field screaming toward him and put his hands in front of his face in a feeble gesture...
"WHOOOOOSH!"
Harry opened an eye and realized someone had a tight grip about his ankle. He looked up from his upside down position and saw, to his amazement, Professor Snape riding his broomstick. Harry's jaw dropped and Snape saw it, "Oh shut up Potter," he grumbled as he dropped Harry on the ground from a safe two feet up. "I don't believe what I've just seen! Professor Snape has saved Harry Potter's life!" came Lee Jordan's voice over the megaphone. Harry felt his stomach shift uncomfortably, 'Don't remind me Lee, don't remind me.'
* * *
Harry climbed through the portrait hole with a lot still on his mind when he saw Hermione and Ron sitting in the common room. Ron was looking at him with a wide-eyed expression on his face, "He saved your life!" Harry nodded slowly as he sat down, "He's done that once before though. Don't know why he picked now to make such a spectacular save in front of everybody." Ron still hadn't snapped out of his daze, "He hates you." "Yes Ron I know!" said Harry irritably. Harry had been feeling rather sore about the whole Quidditch incident since he'd finished putting away his Quidditch robes in the locker room. Why did Snape have to do that? Why?
Hermione frowned, "It's not like he barfed on your broomstick Harry; I don't understand why this is that big of a deal. So a professor saved a student's life, big deal. Just shows he's got some guts, that's all." "Yeah, but this isn't just any professor we're talking about here," said Ron, "we're talking about Snape. Saving Harry. That doesn't make any sense. At all." "And although he didn't barf on my broomstick he still sat on it," said Harry. "Be polishing it for a week you will," said Ron shaking his head sadly. "What a waste." "Oh for goodness sake you two!" said Hermione, jumping out of her armchair. "This is ridiculous! You should be thanking him right now Harry! You should be licking his boots but instead you and Ron are up here trying to figure out why he would do something like that for you! Well you two can keep on cooking up reasons, but I'll be content knowing the truth!" And she stormed up to her dormitory and slammed the door shut.
"What truth?" said Ron.
Harry shrugged.
"Anyway Harry, did you see Crabbe and Goyle? I think they were jinxing your broom on Malfoy's orders," said Ron. Harry nodded, "Yeah I know, I caught a glimpse of them while I was being thrown around up there. I don't think they'll get in trouble for it though because we were probably the only two people in the stadium that saw them doing it. And of course Malfoy won't get in trouble, that slithering little rat." Ron shook his head, "Look forget about Malfoy, there's something I wanted to show you." From his pocket Ron produced an old battered set of Omnioculars that Harry recognized as the pair he'd bought for Ron at the Quidditch World Cup last year. "I bring these to every game now," said Ron, "and I recorded Snape on your broomstick. It's pretty...erm...amazing I guess. Check it out." Harry put the Omnioculars up to his glasses and pressed the green play button. There he was dangling on his broomstick, then it gave one last buck and tossed him off. "It looks bad even from here," said Harry as he continued to watch. He was plummeting toward the ground, then he saw his Firebolt go zooming off; the Omniocular view shifted to the crowd and there was Snape. He made a running jump and landed on the Firebolt and speeded to Harry, swerved upside and caught him, just barely, by the ankle.
"This is nuts," said Harry as he pressed the replay button. "You're telling me!" said Ron, "It was so weird watching that from the crowd. I mean him. Saving your life!" Harry felt his stomach turn again, "Don't remind me about it Ron. I don't like this at all."
* * *
Hermione didn't stay mad at them for very long, and the three soon found themselves heading down to the dungeons the next afternoon for Potions lessons. Ron and Harry had settled on not mentioning the previous day's Quidditch incident anymore in front of Hermione since she was so hot-tempered about it, but Harry heard Ron distinctly grumble, "Stupid old git," when they went into the Potions classroom. The rest of class went by without much incident other than Neville blowing up his cauldron and getting a detention, and finally Harry decided to do something that had been wearing on his mind for quite a while now. As soon as the bell rang he "accidentally" spilled his armadillo bile and told Ron and Hermione that he'd catch up with them later. He was alone in the room. With Snape.
Involuntarily, Harry shivered.
He stood up after he'd finished cleaning up the bile and packed his Potions ingredients away and then hefted his books under one arm, preparing to leave. 'Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask,' Harry ran through his mind as he walked to the door. But he had to ask, even if he gave him that usual nasty cold stare. Harry stopped in front of Snape's desk and said, "Why did you save my life yesterday?" Snape didn't look up from his seat, still grading papers. "Go to your next class Potter," he snapped. Harry wanted to slap him in the head but decided against it; he knew his efforts when it came to Snape were pointless anyway.
* * *
"First Hogsmeade weekend of the year! Great!" said Ron as he read the notice that had been pinned to the common room door. "What's that Ron?" said Fred out of the corner of the common room where he'd been reading a magazine. "First Hogsmeade weekend Fred! Be able to stock up on more Dungbombs," said George as he climbed through the portrait hole, answering for Ron. "Ah, excellent, as I'm in need of a new Fanged Frisbee," Fred answered, slapping his magazine on his knee with glee. 'Like they couldn't have gone to Hogsmeade at any time,' thought Harry, remembering the passage to Hogsmeade through one of the school statues. "What do you reckon?" said Ron, "A butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks maybe?" Harry shrugged, "I guess so, as long as Fred and George don't try to give us the slip with one of their Canary Creams while we're there." Fred grinned from his spot in the corner, "What makes you think we'd try to do something like that?"
* * *
Harry had been feeling a bit drowsy during his visit to Hogsmeade; his scar had been keeping him awake all last night. "I'm going back to Hogwarts," he'd told Ron and Hermione, "don't worry about me, I'm just tired." He'd left early, although it was still six o'clock in the evening, and had been walking up the dirt road to Hogwarts when he spotted something in the road. "Lumos!" he said, lighting his wand. 'That looks like the handle of a broomstick,' he thought as he bent over it. "FIREBOLT" was engraved on it and Harry gasped, "My broomstick?!" It was shattered, in total disrepair, or so it appeared. He knelt over and picked up the handle and then gasped as the world spun around him.
* * *
"Ouch!" he grunted when he'd fallen. He was still clutching the broomstick handle, only now he was in a house. Then Harry felt his blood run cold; Voldemort was standing only a few feet away from him. He cackled his high, cold laugh, "Harry Potter, we meet again." Harry stood up slowly and tossed away the broomstick handle. "Clever, wasn't it? Turning your busted broomstick into a portkey?" he said slyly. Harry felt a pang of guilt, 'I'm never touching anything suspicious looking ever again.' Then Harry noticed that he and Voldemort weren't the only ones in the room; Snape was standing beside Harry. His eyes barely flickered down to meet Harry's then went back to Voldemort, who laughed insanely. "I've waited so long for this," said Voldemort, "and after that little fiasco last year at the Tri-Wizard Tournament, you will not escape me again," as he looked down at Harry. But then his attention shifted to Snape, "Tell me Severus, faithful Death Eater," he said with a snicker. "I asked you once what was the most important thing to you and you said 'Loyalty to my master.' But even then I was certain you were lying, so I'll ask you again; what is the most important thing to you?" Snape stared back at Voldemort unblinkingly, "Loyalty to my master."
"So now my 'faithful' Death Eater is lying to me?" said Voldemort with a fierce leer. Harry shuddered; he knew what was going to happen if Snape answered him truthfully. Voldemort was probably going to kill or torture whatever was most important to him. Another power trip for Voldemort, watching Snape suffer while he destroyed whatever meant the most to him. "Leave him alone!" said Harry angrily, surprised at his own daring. He withdrew his wand and fingered it in the sleeve of his robe secretly, wanting to curse Voldemort into a million pieces. Voldemort raised an eyebrow, red eyes glowing, "What's that?" he said softly. "Stay out of it Potter," Snape said warningly. Voldemort's head snapped back to look at Snape, "Are you concerned for the boy?" Snape shook his head, "No, of course not master, I only wish to..." "Shut up you insufferable fool," said Voldemort angrily. "Don't try to weasel your way out of it. I tire of the way you slither out of my punishments so this time I'm going to be blunt." He hefted his wand at Snape and said, "Imperio!"
'Oh no...' Harry thought. Harry remembered back to a year ago when Mad-Eye Moody had put the Imperius curse on him. It wasn't an easy curse to throw off and easy to succumb to. 'He's gonna give in, he won't be able to handle it,' thought Harry as he watched Snape try to fight off the curse. "Now let's try again," said Voldemort as he paced the floor casually. "What means the most to my 'faithful' Death Eater, teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Severus Snape?" Snape fell to his knees, clutching his head. 'Come on, don't give in, don't give in,' thought Harry hopefully. Snape's mouth opened, "H-H-H..." "Yes? Come on, let's hear it!" said Voldemort gleefully. "H-Harry...P-P-P...Potter..." said Snape, letting out a gasp like he'd been underwater for five minutes. Harry felt his mouth open slowly, "What?" he whispered.
"What?" snarled Voldemort. Snape fell to the floor as Voldemort released him from the Imperius Curse for a moment. He was gasping for breath, supporting himself on his hands and knees, but he glanced at Harry and their eyes met. He shut his eyes and looked away, still trying to regain a foothold on himself. Harry kept staring at him, completely bewildered when Voldemort said, "Well, this is interesting because I never saw this little fiasco the entire time. But why would you care so much for a boy that absolutely despises you?" said Voldemort. He aimed his wand at Snape once again, "Come on, let's hear this out too. I'm very interested. Imperio!" Snape continued to fight for a few more minutes until his will was finally spent, "He's my...n-n-nephew..." Harry's head spun irrationally, "What?!" said both he and Voldemort in unison.
"Ohh, so even Harry Potter himself didn't know?" said Voldemort as he released Snape from the Curse again. "Well, hasn't this been a wonderful family reunion!" he said mockingly, "But now I think it's time it went from reunion to wake. But first..." he said, "let's have a little fun with the Boy Who Lived!" He aimed his wand at Harry, "Crucio!" Harry didn't know anything about blocking any of the Unforgivable Curses and was waiting to feel the white hot pain of the Cruciatus Curse when he heard Snape screaming. Harry opened his eyes and saw him writhing on the floor uncontrollably, Voldemort clearly as surprised as Harry that Snape would jump almost mindlessly in front of such a painful curse for Harry. But that gave Harry all the time he needed, "Petrificus Totalus!" he shrieked as he whipped out his wand and aimed at Voldemort. His limbs snapped together and he fell backward, and Harry could clearly hear him trying to curse Harry through his locked jaw. Snape was still shaking on the floor, despite the release from the Cruciatus Curse. Harry helped him to his feet and they both looked down at Voldemort.
"Accio wand!" Snape croaked wearily, and Voldemort's wand shot straight into Snape's hand. He looked down at it in silence, then lifted it up, wandtip pointed at Voldemort. Voldemort's red, gleaming eyes grew wide and Harry heard him scream through his locked jaw in horror. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Snape howled. Harry stared as green light poured from the wand and executed Voldemort, a form of what looked like what might have been a soul flying out of his body. The room was filled with a bleak silence as Snape limped over to Voldemort's body and spat on it. "Is he really dead? Or will he come back again?" said Harry quietly. Snape shook his head, "No. He's dead." "How do you know that he won't come back again?" said Harry. He limped back over to Harry, "Because the first time he 'died' a body wasn't found. He just vanished. This time though..." he looked back at Voldemort, "...this time his body was left behind, and his soul was executed. That's how a proper Avada Kedavra spell is performed."
Harry slumped against the doorway and shut his eyes, "It's finally over with. I can sleep without him giving me nightmares." 'Or worrying about him killing my best friends,' he added tiredly. Snape sank down beside him, craning his head against the wall, "Yeah, something like that for me too." Harry laughed joylessly, "I've got to sound stupid complaining about nightmares around you when you're out defending humanity from a scumbag every night by risking your life." He shrugged, "It doesn't sound that stupid." They both chuckled lightly, then Harry realized exactly what was going on.
'I'm laughing with my Potions Master whom I've hated ever since I've met him. But he's actually my uncle and we're sitting about five yards away from Voldemort's dead body.' Harry thought about it for a minute, 'Sounds about the norm for me.' "Come on," said Harry, standing up, "we've got to get back to Hogwarts." He helped Snape get back onto his feet again, "Listen," said Harry as he prepared to pick up his battered broomstick again and use the portkey to get back home. "I'm sorry about how I was being such a punk in your classes." Snape shrugged, "You weren't being a punk, you were being a kid. Besides, I was pretty hard on you as it was. Had to be though." Harry thought for a moment, "How do you figure that?" Snape sighed, "Harry, it's a very, very long story."
* * *
They'd used the Portkey to travel back to the road to Hogwarts, both of them clutching Voldemort's dead body as they hefted it up to the school grounds. "This has got to look so ridiculous from one of the windows up there," said Harry. "What's that? Oh that's just Harry and Professor Snape carrying Voldemort's dead body into the school." Snape laughed, "You're probably right, but I think it's more important that we get to Dumbledore before we start telling dead Voldemort jokes."
* * *
"I'm going after him," said Dumbledore finally after his argument with Professor McGonagall. He was descending the stairs to get off grounds to Apparate to Severus, McGonagall in hot pursuit trying to stop him, when he heard two people laughing hysterically. "No, no, how about this; how many Voldemorts does it take to screw in a light bulb?" said Severus' voice from around the corner. Severus and Harry appeared, carrying a body in between the two of them and Dumbledore and McGonagall rushed to them, "What happened?" cried McGonagall. "But that's...!" "Voldemort," said Dumbledore gravely, "dead." Harry and Severus both dropped the body, "Good riddance too," said Harry lightly. Severus laughed weakly, "Yeah, no kidding..." and he promptly collapsed.
* * *
Severus woke up a week later in a large, soft bed in the hospital wing. He tried to sit up but discovered that it hurt too much and instead continued to lie in the bed. He still felt some of the aching pains of the Cruciatus Curse echoing through his body, but most of the pain had gone. He looked at the nightstand beside his bed and noticed there was a small package there for him. Despite the pains in his arm, he picked it up carefully and read the card. It was from Harry. "Every Flavor Beans," he said as he opened the carton. "If it hadn't been for that bogie flavored one I ate in my fifth year I might still be snacking on these."
* * *
There was a small but significant meeting in Dumbledore's office two days later, Severus now mostly recovered. Dumbledore, Severus, Harry, Sirius, Remus Lupin, Hermione, and Ron were all seated in Dumbledore's large, circular office. Dumbledore had forbidden Harry from telling anyone about what had happened with him, Severus, and Voldemort, and thus Hermione and Ron wouldn't leave Harry alone about it. Dumbledore had therefore very kindly invited the two into the meeting. Harry explained everything to them and they listened gravely, but then Ron burst into laughter when Harry said, "And Professor Snape is my uncle." Ron laughed hysterically but then noticed that nobody else was laughing with him and he immediately turned his laugh into a hacking cough. "As for how I'm related to him is really up to him to explain," said Harry, facing Severus questioningly. Severus leaned back in his chair; his joints were still aching irritably. "Yes I'd imagine I owe you quite a bit of an explanation. It goes back quite a way, although I'm sure you're willing to listen.
"My real name isn't Severus Snape, although I suppose it is in a certain sense. My first true name was Severus Potter. Yes, I'm James' brother," he said, catching Ron's stare. "Snape was actually our mother's maiden name but I liked it better than the name Potter so I told people to quit calling me Potter and start calling me Snape when I was about nine or ten years old. I had it legally changed when I was eighteen. However, despite my close relation to James we never told anyone and thus everyone assumed we just abhorred each other via Gryffindor versus Slytherin. It was actually a case of sibling rivalry.
"I started despising James at an early age because of the usual stupid things; mostly jealousy because our parents adored James and never particularly cared for me. Then there was me getting Sorted into Slytherin; my parents hated that. They wanted me in the noble house, Gryffindor, the best in their opinion, and that's where James went. James was everything that I wasn't, and I really hated him for that. Everybody loved him because not only was he Head Boy, but because he was great on the Quidditch field, and he was also great at getting out of punishments for wandering around the school grounds after dark with his friends," he said, eyeing Lupin and Sirius. "I tried to compete with that in my own form by learning everything I could about the Dark Arts, but that seemed to distance me from people more than it did anything else. When I ended up a Death Eater that was the final straw for my parents and they severed all ties from me. I was now the only family I had left, even though I still wanted to have James as my brother because I was lonely and deep down I still loved him. I knew his feelings were somewhat reciprocate toward me, but that he was somewhat ashamed of me because I was a Death Eater.
"I resented that a lot, and I wanted to change and go back to the right side while I still could. I told Dumbledore about my situation and he accepted me as a Death Eater turned spy. His trust has meant everything to me since then. I just wish I had switched sides sooner; I still regret that and I often wonder if it would have saved your parents' lives. Harry, did you know that your parents' house collapsed after Voldemort killed them?" Harry nodded, "Yeah, Voldemort destroyed it." Severus shook his head bitterly, "No, I destroyed it. After Voldemort vanished the first time after the curse bounced off you I Apparated to their house and found them dead and you with your forehead cut open. I was so angry with myself and Voldemort that I couldn't hold it in. Do you know what happens when a wizard bottles up their anger, Harry?" He nodded slowly, "They make things happen that probably shouldn't." He laughed softly, "Well, that's putting it nicely. Because I was angry I slammed my fist against the wall of the house and it crumbled to the ground." "I didn't know you could destroy a house if you were angry enough," said Harry, "I've only made glasses explode." Severus smiled at him weakly, "When you're a strong enough wizard you can destroy more than just houses.
"Although I was your uncle and legally your next of kin I knew I couldn't take you. I was a Death Eater turned spy, one of the most wanted people on the planet; I'd be endangering your life if I took you so I left you for Lily's Muggle relatives. I knew you'd be safe there, especially with Dumbledore's protection." Dumbledore smiled but did not interrupt. "After Voldemort's subsequent defeat which I suspected was not final, Dumbledore offered me the position of Potions Master here at the school. I checked on you whenever I had the opportunity, especially at night when I knew your aunt and uncle on Lily's side wouldn't be freaked out from seeing a body Apparate out of a fireplace via the Floo Network. I don't think they ever found out about that, but sometimes I would sit by your cupboard for hours like a guardian, not even knowing why I was doing it. Just scared that Voldemort would come back and kill you I guess. Voldemort killing you was the one thing that scared me the most, and I put all sorts of charms on their house to try to hide you from Voldemort. It was almost amusing sometimes because I would think, 'He's dead, he's never coming back, you can stop worrying,' but even then I knew that was a lie.
"Thank God I did that Harry, thank God I stayed alert throughout all those years. I might have never seen him coming otherwise. When you arrived at Hogwarts I knew I was going to be hard on you because I had to. I couldn't show favoritism to my last living relative no matter how important he was to me; any favoritism might look suspicious to a Death Eater. Especially James and Lily Potter's son; I couldn't be caught saying so much as a polite hello to you because it would be risking not just my neck but yours too. I did, however, protect you during your first year when Quirrell was trying to kill you. Although you, Dumbledore, Granger, and Weasley knew at the end of the year that I was trying to save you, Dumbledore and I did nothing to stop the rumors of my Death Eater traits from circulating throughout the school. If a true Death Eater caught word that I was saving Harry Potter's life I would have been dead before sundown. Let the kids think I was an evil man who was a Death Eater at heart; all that did was save my skin as much as yours.
"I was careless at the last Quidditch match though, and I blame myself for that. If I hadn't saved you on a broomstick and instead have done it quietly using a spell I might never have needed to have that encounter with Voldemort. Although he's dead now because of it, I still hate the fact that he figured it out because of my own stupidity. I also hate how you had to be there; after all the things you've seen Harry, even then I didn't want you to see me killing another person, if that's what we can call him. I'm just glad that all this is finally over with; now maybe I can act like a genuine relative instead of a jackal," he finished, "er, that is, if you don't mind," he added hastily. "Mind? Mind?!" said Harry, "Voldemort is dead, my Potions Master doesn't really hate me, and he's actually my uncle? Why would I mind that?!" Dumbledore suddenly said, "Miss Granger, do you have something to say?" The entire time Severus had been letting all of this out Hermione looked about ready to burst. "Well, erm, I just..." "Come on Hermione, out with it!" said Ron. "I knew about Professor Snape being related to Harry for three and a half months!" she finally said sheepishly. "What?! And you never told me?!" said Harry angrily. She shrugged. Severus' face contorted with concern, "How did you figure that out?"
Hermione let out a sigh, "Well I was looking at the badges in the trophy case when I saw James Potter listed under Head Boy. The thing is they put the parents' names on there too, so instead of it just reading their name and year they made Head Boy it also reads who their parents are. Like if Harry made Head Boy (Ron snickered) it would read, 'Harry Potter son of James Potter and Lily Evans 2001' instead of 'Harry Potter 2001.' I noticed that James' mother's last name was Snape, and I remember thinking that that was really weird. Then I saw that you got an award for Special Services to the School and you and James had the same parents! Naturally I was very curious about that and I was going to ask Harry about it but I knew he really hated you so I figured that he wouldn't know about it and there really was no reason to go upsetting him anyway so I let it be. Then I came across Harry's photo album one morning when I went up to the boys' dormitory to wake up Harry and Ron because they were going to be late for Herbology. Ron had already left though, and Harry was in the bathroom so I waited for him and I saw his photo album of his parents sitting on his bed.
"I thought there would be no harm done if I leafed through it a little bit when I came across a picture from his parents' wedding and there you were in the background! I didn't think Harry had noticed that though or else he would have went ballistic. I didn't say anything about it but a few days later I asked Harry if I could see his photo album. Remember that Harry?" she asked. He nodded, "Yeah, I was wondering why you wanted to see it." "Right, well I looked through it some more and I saw that you popped up in a couple more pictures than that, but you were typically in the background and no where near James or Lily so Harry never picked up on seeing you in any of the photos. It was around then that I noticed how much you and James look alike. You both have the same eyes and hair, and that was basically the final clincher on the whole thing for me. Although one thing still bothers me though." Severus let out a sigh of amazement, "What's that?" Hermione shrugged, "Well I'm not saying that it doesn't happen or anything but I just thought it was kind of funny how although your hair looks the same, James' was all untidy and yours is rather...erm..." Severus laughed, "Greasy?" "Um, yes that's it," said Hermione.
Severus smiled and pulled out his wand and placed the tip against his head and muttered a short incantation beneath his breath. Soft, golden light poured from the wandtip and for a moment nobody could see behind the golden cloud. Then it cleared, and Harry gasped, "You look just like...like me!" Severus shrugged, "Actually you look like me if I do say so myself. When James and I were growing up people wouldn't shut up about how much we looked alike so I just...changed my hair a bit and lengthened my nose. It's really a very simple spell; I was casting things like that on James while he slept when I was ten. He really used to hate that." They looked almost identical now, except for the eyes. Harry's pools of dripping emerald and Severus' a deep, almost soulful black. His hair was jutting out everywhere like Harry's, an untidy mess, and his nose looked much more like Harry's. "You should have left it like that instead of becoming the renowned hook-nosed greasy-haired git," said Sirius with a shake of his head.
Severus shrugged, "Oh well. Anyway, that's really not the point of the whole thing. The first was to explain everything to most of the people who counted amongst us, but there is also a second." He turned to Harry, "Do you know what this means now that I don't have to act like an imbecile towards you?" Harry thought about it for a minute and then he understood, "I can live with you if I want to." Severus nodded silently, "I'm not saying you have to. I mean, Sirius is your godfather and your legal guardian but you do have the choice of living with me since I am an actual relative." Harry leaned back and thought about it as best as he could. On the one hand, he could live with Sirius, whom he got along with perfectly well. On the other, he could live with his newly found uncle whom he didn't really know all that well. 'You don't know the good side of him you mean,' said the one half of his brain. He let out a sigh, "Erm, can I just live here in the school during the summer and visit you both? I can't decide who I want to live with!"
* * *
Due to some sort of conflict going on at Hogwarts during the summer Dumbledore couldn't let Harry stay at Hogwarts. They did, however, reach a conclusion; "Harry, why don't you live with one of them for the first half of the summer and the other for the second half?" He shrugged, "Actually I kind of like that idea."
The school year ended without much of an event and Harry soon found himself packing up his stuff. Because Severus lived in the local area, however, he didn't need to ride the Hogwarts Express to any place in particular so he went down to the platform and saw Ron and Hermione off. They both leaned out the window to give him their last goodbyes when Ron looked over Harry's shoulder at Severus, who was leaning against the ticket station waiting for Harry. "You will be all right won't you?" said Ron, eyeing Severus suspiciously. "He'll be fine Ron!" said Hermione, slapping him on the shoulder playfully. Harry looked back over his shoulder and saw a familiar black dog standing next to Severus; it changed shape and became his godfather, Sirius Black. They were both watching him with very kind looks. Harry looked back at his two best friends, "You know what Ron? I'm better than all right. I'm home."
Based on an idea by Mom