Disclaimer: All previous disclaimers apply.
Chapter 2
Severus gave the password and entered his private quarters. Harry was stretched out on the couch and Severus was pleased to see he'd taken off his trainers first. He looked up from the textbook he was reading and smiled. "Guess what, Professor?"
"What, Harry?" Severus asked sitting down in his favorite recliner next to the couch.
"I found a name for my owl and I asked her if it was okay to call her that and she seems happy with it. I was looking through my History of Magic book and I found the name Hedwig. I thought it was a neat name for her."
"Yes, the name does have a long honorable history both in Wizarding and Muggle worlds," Severus nodded approvingly. "Speaking of owls; there is an opening in my office for them to leave and come back. I will show it to you so you can show it to Hedwig or possibly my owl, Aesculapius can show her where it is located."
"Can I …may I see your owl, Professor?"
"Well, he is probably asleep right now, but he wakes around dinner time so you can see him then. What are you reading?"
Harry held up the book entitled, Magical Drafts and Potions. "Do you think I could try to do a potion before school starts, Professor?"
Severus smiled. "I think we could do that, Harry."
During the next three weeks before school started Severus oversaw Harry in brewing some of the simpler potions such as the Boil Cure potion. He helped him with the proper wand movement for Charms, and put him to work attempting to transfigure a match into a needle for Transfiguration. Severus noticed how often Harry was squinting and how reading too long seem to tire him and made an appointment with a child oculist in Diagon Alley. He figured the Dursley's wouldn't spend the money to get the child's eyes checked regularly. When Harry walked out of the office with his new glasses he was amazed out how clearly and how far he could see. Severus also showed Harry all the photos he had of Lily that were taken before and during their time at Hogwarts.
"My mum sure was pretty. I wish I could remember her better," Harry said a bit wistfully.
"I am sorry I do not have any of photos of your father, but I was not friends with him, just your mum. Possibly one of your parent's housemates might have some photos."
"It's okay, Professor. I'm just glad to see these pictures of mum. Aunt Petunia would always say nasty things about my parents and if I asked about them, she'd tell me to shut up."
"That is not a surprise at all," Severus replied.
A few days before school was to start, Harry brought up the subject of adoption.
"If you did adopt me, Professor what would my name be?"
"It would be Harry James Snape, but if you would like to keep your original name, we could hyphenate it to Potter-Snape."
Harry mouthed the name Potter-Snape a few times and then smiled. "I think I like that one best."
"Good. I will send off Aesculapius to Mrs. Mullings and inform her of our decision so she can schedule a home visit prior to our signing the adoption papers."
Sarah Mullings owled back that she would be there at ten o'clock the next morning. She flooed over at exactly ten and began her inspection of Severus quarters. She looked into Harry's room and noticed it had its own bathroom; she noted that Severus private potions lab was kept securely locked and Harry was not allowed to go in there unless he was with Severus. She inspected the living room and kitchen and even inspected the yard outside.
"Harry is responsible for keeping his room straightened up, his clothing put away and the soiled ones left out for the laundry elves to pick up." Severus responded when Sarah asked about Harry's household duty."
"How do you feel about this, Harry?"
"It's great, Mrs. Mullings. It doesn't take me any time at all to straighten up my room and I like helping Professor Snape cook dinner. He promised me I could help him plant his gardens next spring. At the Dursley's I spent practically all my time doing chores."
"What do you do for fun, Harry?" Sarah asked.
"I have a lot of books to read and we play games like Wizard's Chess and Gobstones. The professor's takes me flying on his broom around the Quidditch pitch here and once a week we go into Muggle London and visit different places like museums and stuff and then we eat lunch out."
Severus smiled. "It is a learning experience for me as well."
"What about rules, Harry?"
"I have to be in bed by nine o'clock because I'm getting up at 7:30 now in preparation for school. I can't go into Professor Snape's potion lab unless he's with me. I can't wander around the castle by myself because I could get lost and there's some dangerous stuff like moving stairs. When school starts I have to study hard and do my best. He said it's okay if I get an A as long as I did my best. Oh! I have to keep my room tidy even when I'm in the dorm."
"Do you think Professor Snape's rules are fair?"
"Heck yes, Mrs. Mullings. You should have seen the list of rules I had at the Dursley's and breaking even one of them meant being locked in my cupboard without any food for a week."
"How about punishments?"
"Well, Professor Snape told me if I do something that puts me or somebody else in danger, he'll spank me, but he'll only give me ten smacks at the most, but otherwise I'll have to write lines or have timeouts in my room and I can't do anything while I'm in there either."
"I do not believe in corporal punishment except as I told Harry in a case where he would put himself or somebody else in danger of serious injury or death," Severus explained.
"I'm glad to hear your views on punishment, Severus," Sarah nodded approvingly. "Everything is satisfactory as far as living arrangements here and my talks with Harry and you. I don't see why we cannot go ahead with the adoption. She took the papers out of her bag that she had filled out a few weeks ago. "These are the forms for adoption. I'll need both your signatures on the places I've marked with an X."
"My name's going to be Harry James Potter-Snape now," Harry announced as he signed is new name on each of the four sheets of parchment. He had been practicing writing with a quill and could write fairly decent now.
Once both were done signing Sarah smiled and said, "I now pronounce you father and son. I'll file these with the Ministry and with Gringotts as soon as I return." She flooed back, leaving Harry and Severus alone.
"I can call you dad now," Harry said giving Severus a tight hug.
"Yes, and I can call you son," he replied returning Harry's hug. "Okay, the first thing we need to do today is see Madam Pomfrey who's the school's Medi-Wtch. She's back from vacation today."
"Why do I have to see her, dad?" Harry pouted.
"I want her to check you out to make sure you're okay and to make sure your shots are up to date."
"I hate shots. The doctor Aunt Petunia used to take me too was so mean and his shots really hurt!"
"Madam Pomfrey is very good and it will hardly hurt if she does need to give you a shot."
Harry and Severus entered the Infirmary. Madam Pomfrey was in the back checking on supplies and putting the vials of newly brewed potions Severus had brought up that morning, away. "Poppy?" Severus called.
"Severus, what can I do for you and who is this young man?"
"Poppy, this is Harry Potter-Snape, my son." He almost grinned at the expression on her face. To say she was shocked would be the understatement of the century. He took pity on her and said. "What I should have said is that Harry, as of this morning, is my adopted son. I took him away from the Dursley's on his birthday when I brought his Hogwarts letter to him. They were mistreating him and I want you to check him over to make sure there's no permanent damage."
"Of course, Severus. If you would lie down on the bed right there, Mr. Potter-Snape," Poppy requested. "This won't hurt a bit." Harry did as she requested and she ran her wand lightly over his body from his head to his toes, chanting something softly in a language he didn't understand. His eyes widened as a piece of parchment suddenly popped out of nowhere. Poppy took it and read it. "Hmm, not as bad as I feared having heard about Harry's relatives from Minerva. He's malnourished and under his proper weight, but I do see those are improving, but I'm still going to prescribe a nutrient potion for Harry to take three times a day with his meals. I also see his Muggle inoculations are up to date, but he will need an inoculation for Dragon Pox."
"We can do that right now," Severus said.
Harry grimaced, but sat still while Madam Pomfrey administered his shot. She patted his arm lightly and said, "All done, young man."
"Really?" Harry asked looking around at her. "That was great! I didn't even feel it!"
As they left the Infirmary, Harry asked, "Dad, what does this nutrient potion do?"
"Well, it will provide you with extra vitamins and minerals to help you catch up on growing and gaining weight. You can pour it into your juice or milk at meals; it's tasteless. You're lacking some important nutrients because your relatives didn't feed you properly."
"Ohh …are we going back to the Dungeon?"
"No. I thought we'd go up to the Deputy Headmistress' office so you could meet her. Professor McGonagall will also be your Transfiguration professor." They made their way up to Minerva's office on the seventh floor near Gryffindor Tower and Severus knocked on the door. "Come in, Severus and Harry," Minerva called.
Harry looked at Severus in amazement. "How does she know it's us, Dad?"
"I believe her door is charmed to let her know who her visitors are."
"Cool!"
They entered Minerva's office and she rose from behind her desk and came over to Severus and Harry. "It's wonderful to see you again, Harry although the last time I saw you was when your mum, Lily brought you to see me. You were just a wee bairn then."
"You knew my parents, Professor?" Harry asked excitedly.
"Oh my, yes," Minerva said. "Both your father and mum were in my house, Gryffindor."
"Professor, I'd like you to meet my son, Harry Potter-Snape," Severus said by way of formal introduction
"I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter-Snape. How do you like living at Hogwarts?"
"It's really cool, Professor! Dad's been teaching me about Potions and helping me practice my wand movements for Charms. I'm also trying to turn a match into a needle, but I only got it to look pointy, but it's still mostly a match."
"Most children can't get it to be pointy on their first try so you're doing well. It will get easier as you learn more about focusing your magic," Minerva assured him.
They returned to Severus' quarters and Harry went to his room. The floo sounded and Severus turned to see his friend, Lucius Malfoy's head sitting in the flames. "Luc, nice to see you. What can I do for you?"
"Draco asked if he could spend Friday night with you and return home Saturday morning. I told him I would check with you since it's just before the start of school."
"Of course. Why don't you and Draco step through? In fact I'm happy you contacted me as I have news of my own to tell you."
Lucius and Draco stepped out of the fireplace. Lucius was slightly taller than Severus' 6'2, pale with shoulder-length platinum blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed very expensively and elegantly, his clothes obviously tailor made, and his boots were glossed to a high shine. Beside him stood Draco who was eleven and had the same white blond hair and blue eyes as his father only he wore his short and combed back. He was dressed in a casual, but expensive robe with polished dress shoes rather than trainers.
"Please sit down and I'll call Blinky for some tea and biscuits," Severus said. He called Blinky and requested tea and biscuits. He moved Harry's stack of textbooks aside to make room for the tea tray and took it from Blinky when he returned setting it carefully down on the table. "Harry?" He called. "Could you come out here, please?"
"Yes, Dad," Harry replied. He came out of his bedroom and walked into the living room to stand beside his father.
"Harry, I'd like you to meet Mr. Lucius Malfoy and his son, Draco. Draco will be starting Hogwarts this year also. This is my son, as of this morning, Harry Potter-Snape."
Harry politely shook hands with Lucius and then Draco. "It's nice to meet you, Sir, and you too, Draco."
They all sat down and Severus poured tea, handed the cups round and the plate of biscuits.
"What house do you think you will be in, Harry?" Draco asked.
"I don't know. Dad's told me a little bit about the houses, but maybe you can tell me more about them, Draco," Harry replied.
"Harry, why don't you take Draco and show him your room?" Severus suggested.
"Sure! Come on, Draco."
Draco followed Harry out of the room. Lucius turned to Severus and asked, "When did this happen?"
"I took Harry's Hogwarts letter to him and found out his relatives were not treating him very well and that when I decided to take him away from them. I did not know Lily had already appointed me Harry's guardian until I went to the Ministry to file for guardianship. I did not know the full extent of how badly Petunia and her oaf of a husband were treating him until we spoke with Sarah Mullings this morning. Merlin's beard! They were treating him like a house elf!"
"Do you think Dumbledore knew, Severus?" Lucius asked.
"It would not surprise me a bit. I am sure he has plans for Harry."
"Well, the prophecy did predict Harry defeating the Dark Lord." Lucius always looked a bit downcast when he mentioned it as it was him that had overheard part of it and told Voldemort. Once he realized he'd unintentionally put the Potter's in grave danger he went to Dumbledore and asked him to hide them and turned a spy for him against Voldemort.
"It was not your fault, Luc," Severus said. "You did not know he would use it to target the Potters. It was Voldemort and it was James Potter's stupidity in trusting Pettigrew that cost Lily her life."
"As you know Cissy and Lily were good friends although she hated Potter and his best friend and her cousin, Black. She was devastated when she heard Lily had been killed."
"I was too," Severus replied. In fact there were days when he'd considered downing a poisonous potion so he no longer had to feel the pain of losing the only woman he'd ever loved."
"Cissy always thought Lily would eventually leave Potter and divorce him because he was such an idiot."
"I guess we'll never know now," Severus answered sadly.
At that moment Harry came running into the room followed by Draco. "Dad, are we going into London today?"
"Well, it is our usual outing is it not?" Severus answered smiling. Harry was truly his rainbow in the dark.
"I was telling Draco about McDonald's and he wants to eat there."
"McDonald's?" Lucius asked confused. The only McDonalds he knew of was the Pureblood family that had gone to Hogwarts. Mary McDonald had been a year mate of Severus.'
"It a Muggle fast food chain. Its menu features different kind of hamburgers, fries and other types of food. I have grown rather fond of their Quarter Pounders," Severus explained with a laugh.
"I will have to come along with you and see what this is about," Lucius remarked.
"You'll need a change of clothing first," Severus advised. He quickly transfigured Lucius tailored slacks and shirt into jeans and a short-sleeved royal blue T-shirt with the legend, 'World's Greatest Dad' printed on the front and his boots into white trainers with a blue racing stripe.
Lucius glanced bemusedly at himself in the mirror over the fireplace. "Not bad. I suppose I must be grateful my shirt isn't bright red with 'I Love Gryffindor' on the front."
"It is not because I did not consider it, Luc," Severus smirked.
"You look really cool, Dad!" Draco exclaimed.
Lucius turned back to Severus with his left arm held out. "What about this? Shouldn't it be covered so the Muggles won't see it?"
Severus shook his head. "They will not even notice it and if they do they will just think it is some sort of fancy tattoo."
"Okay." He nodded and turned to his son. "Now for you, Draco," Lucius said quickly transforming his son's outfit into a copy of his own except that Draco's shirt read 'World's Greatest Son.'
"Wicked!"
Severus transfigured his slacks into black jeans, a green T-shirt with 'Potion Masters Rule' on the front and a picture of a cauldron with steam rising out of it on the back of the shirt. He transfigured his boots into black trainers. He transfigured Harry's outfit so he was wearing a purple T-shirt that read 'I Love Magic!' and blue jeans.
"Wicked, Dad!" Harry exclaimed.
They came out of the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road and Severus flagged down a Black Cab. They all got in and Severus gave the driver the address of the McDonald's where he and Harry had ate at previously. They went inside and stood in line waiting to order. When their turn came Lucius followed Severus lead and ordered a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, fries, but not coffee which he never understood how Severus could stand to drink. He ordered a chocolate milkshake instead. Draco followed Harry's advice and ordered a Big Mac, fries, a chocolate milkshake and an apple pie.
"You know," Lucius said as he finished off his hamburger. "This really is quite tasty."
"You should try a Big Mac next time we come here, Father. It's wicked!" Draco said.
"What would you like to visit in London today, Harry?" Severus asked.
"Could we go to the Victoria and Albert Museum? One of my teacher's told us about it in class and it sounds like it has some neat stuff."
The museum was located on Cromwell Road so Severus summoned another Black Cab. The museum was fascinating, but it was so large that it wasn't possible to see everything that it contained in one visit. Severus speculated that it was good for Lucius and Draco to see a museum that was devoted entirely to Muggle culture.
When they flooed back to Hogwarts, Lucius said, "I had quite an enjoyable afternoon. Perhaps we could do it again some time?"
"I do not think that will be a problem, Luc," Severus answered. "Perhaps Cissy would like to join us next time?"
"No doubt she would be interested in the clothing displayed in that museum," Lucius replied as he stepped into the floo.
Draco, Harry, and Severus had a light supper and afterwards Draco tried to teach Harry how to play Exploding Snap while Severus read. Harry never got his cards stacked very high before they exploded. Draco however was able to stack his quite high before they finally exploded. Severus allowed them to stay up until 10:30 before shooing them off to bed. They had breakfast the next morning and then Narcissa flooed over to escort Draco back home. Severus introduced her to Harry and Draco promised to see Harry at the Sorting.
"Dad, will I just walk upstairs and join the other first years tomorrow?"
"No, Harry. You are going to be taking the Hogwarts Express. We will floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then take a cab to King's Cross station. I will stay with you until the train leaves. You may as well leave Hedwig here when we leave in the morning. I can send her to you once you get settled in your house after the welcoming feast."
"I wonder where the Sorting Hat will put me."
"It does not really matter which house you are sorted into because they all have good qualities."
"Why do I have to take the train, Dad?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to just stay here and then go up when it's time to be sorted?"
"Because taking the Hogwarts Express is an important part of the journey, Harry. It is possible you will meet your best friends on that journey," Severus said. 'And your worst enemies.' He reminded himself sourly.
"Will Draco be on the train tomorrow?"
"I'm certain he will be," Severus assured him.
Harry spent the rest of the day packing his trunk and making sure he had everything he would need for school. Blinky popped in with his uniforms that had been freshened and the wrinkles removed. He folded them carefully and placed them in his trunk. Before he went to bed he laid out the clothes he would be wearing to King's Cross. Severus came into wish him goodnight and asked if he had everything he needed and Harry assured him that he did. He fell asleep almost immediately and dreamed he was getting on the Hogwarts Express, waving to Severus and his mum was standing beside him, waving too.
When Severus checked on Harry before he retired and tucked him in, he couldn't help but notice the big smile on Harry's face.
A/N: Okay – I do know Lucius in jeans, a T-shirt, trainers, and eating a Quarter Pounder is a bit bizarre, but I couldn't resist!
