Snape's Family
Chapter Two: Hogwarts
By
secretproject
"This is Nymphodora Tonks," Professor Lupin said, pointing to the witch, "Who much prefers to be called Tonks."
"Wotcher, Harry," the pink haired witch greeted, giving him a two fingered salute. Harry smirked. He liked this witch already.
"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt." Lupin continued. He pointed to a tall, broad, black wizard, with a single silver earring in his left ear and broad smile which revealed a golden canine.
"Hello, Mr Potter. The pleasure is entirely mine."
Harry frowned, then looked to each of them. "What are you all doing here?"
Clicking the golden clasps on his Hogwarts trunk shut, Harry took a careful look around the bare room. His closet had been emptied, his drawers were emptied, Hedwig was nestled in a clean cage hooting softly, he had removed his Gryffindor flag and time table from the wall. Everything was packed away safely.
"Ready to go then Harry?" asked Tonks.
"Ready as I'll ever be." he grinned, pulling his trunk off the bed and hauling it out of the bedroom. Tonks helped him carry itd down the narrow staircase and they entered the kitchen where Remus and Kingsley were leaning against the sink, chatting avidly.
"All packed then are we?" Kingsley asked, straightening up. His colourful robes swung freely around his broad frame.
"We managed to pack everything safely, bar the few hazards we had with dirty socks." Tonks teased, nudging Harry in the ribs. He blushed back lightly.
"What about them?" Harry asked, nodding in the direction of the immobilised Dursely's. Each of them was as stiff as a statute, there eyes glistening and frozen in the horrified state they had been in.
"They will be fine." said Kingsley, chuckling deeply. "It will wear off in a hour or two."
Remus clapped his hands and walked towards the door. "Let's go then. Well be travelling in muggle cars, Harry," he explained as he crossed the back garden, hopping lightly over one of aunt petunias prized garden gnomes. Harry always hated the gnome, so he made an effort to topple it onto it's side. He followed Remus out the back garden gate and into a little alley way.
"What do you reckon, Kingsley?" Remus asked in a low voice.
Kingsley peered cautiously down the alley way, tuning his head and examining anything which looked slightly out of place. Nothing seemed amiss to Harry's eyes. The alley was it's usual clean state; fences fitted perfectly, all painted the same golden colour and the garbage cans lined neatly along the sides. Kingsley seemed to agree and nodded. They moved on down the alley way and as they neared the end, Harry noticed they were heading directly towards Mrs Figg's house, the batty old cat lady whose company Harry was tortured with whenever the Dursley's used to go on a holidays of trips for the day. Harry shuddered as he remembered the gritty cabbage smell and the hiss of scabby cats.
"Why are we in Mrs Figg's house?" he asked, stopping at her driveway as the three adults walked to a black car parked there.
"Driving." Tonks said in an obvious tone. "Come on Harry, you didn't even call shot gun!"
He followed Remus into the back of the old Toyota and stared cautiously around him. This all seemed so strange, he thought, as Kingsley Shacklebolt fired up the engine and reversed smoothly from the drive way. In all honesty Harry had never found himself fin a queerer situation. Sure, he'd found himself living in a cupboard to becoming a wizard, that was strange. He'd fought a giant snake, a spider, flown a broom, fallen from great heights and survived, fought of the darkest wizard of the age countless times but this, this very strange moment where he was rolling out of the streets of privet drive to freedom, having just been rescued from the Dursley's by his werewolf professor, a strange tropically clothed wizard and a lady with bright pink hair, this was very, very strange.
"He's been asking for you." he heard Remus say. He turned to look up at the former professor. Remus had changed dramatically since Harry last saw him. He remembered him having a lot more auburn in his hair, but now, far more silver streaks came to light. His face looked older too, far older than the man's age and the scars, they seemed to have stretched. His eyes though. Harry could not look away from the hazel orbs. No sign of life or being shun from them. And even there, in the back of the dimly light car, Harry knew his professor was a broken man.
"Sirius, that is." Remus added, taking Harry's silence as confusion. Harry could only nod. "Well I know he's been writing to you. I helped him a few times. He has this strange habit of wanting the world to know he's got you, Harry."
Harry smiled softly. He had all his letters stored safely in his trunk, locked away in a little silver tin that once held chocolate frogs he had received as a Christmas present from Ron. "I'd like the world to know." he said, casting his eyes out the window.
"I'm sure some day they will, Harry. But for now, the usual code of secrecy applies. Things are worse," Remus told him. Harry couldn't help but notice how strongly Remus emphasised the word 'secrecy' and a twinge of annoyance fluttered through him. People always assumed that he would blurt out everything to the first unsuspecting person. "Things are far worse, Harry. He's growing stronger, he's recruiting. We have absolutely no idea where he is."
"Surely there must be a way to trace him?" Harry asked. "Surely, wizards are traceable. I can't see the ministry not being that vindictive." He said these words spitefully, recalling the many headlines the prophet had reported about him.
"You've been reading the papers, I take it?" Remus said.
Harry grunted.
"Don't worry about them papers, Harry." Tonks said, swivelling in her seat to look at him. "Those reports are a hole load of toss and deep down, Fudge knows. He's just to scared and far to ignorant to say so."
"Scared of what though?" Harry asked in desperation. He could feel the anxiety rising inside him. "The sooner he admits it, the safer people will be."
"But you see Harry, admitting to this means admitting to a failure." Kingsley said from the front. "When Fudge was elected into office, he swore an oath to prevent the return of dark wizards. He promised the wizarding community that history would not repeat itself. He's absolutely adamant to keep his oath, otherwise he'd be shunned completely and made a mockery of."
"Voldemort murdered my parents!" Harry snapped, balling his fingers into a fist. "And all Fudge worries about his keeping his reputation. I read the papers, I saw the signs. People are going missing. Why won't anyone believe me?"
Silence pursued in the car and Harry allowed himself a moment of embarrassment. He knew he was acting out childishly and that probably, everyone was doing what they could without causing harm.
Remus was the fist to speak. "Time was very difficult back then. No one was safe. You couldn't open your blinds during the say for fear He would know you were there. Families moved as far away from England as possible, leaving behind friends and their lives. You couldn't walk to the shop without an escort. It was as if the sun had gone into hibernation, for there was never a sunny day to see. It was always dark and cold. People were terrified for their safety." Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know it must be awful for you to read these reports in the papers and to know that the entire wizarding world can read it too. But we believe you Harry, I do, Tonks and Kingsley do, Sirius, Dumbledore and the old Order members. We've been in contact with them recently. They all believe you too, Harry. You have got support."
"Order?" Harry questioned.
"The Order of the Phoenix." Tonks stated. "It was a secret group formed and led by Dumbledore back when You Know Who first rose to power. There were so many great wizards in that group, your parents included. They grouped together and gathered as much information as they could about You Know Whose existence. They were a way of the light. You Know Who killed off a lot of them, Death Eaters tortured a few into insanity. But a lot survived Harry, and they believe you and they want to help."
The car remained silent for a while after that, each passenger slipping into there own thoughts. The eldest recalling those dark days. Harry thinking of everything: his friends, Sirius, Hogwarts, magic, his future. It wasn't until he recognised the shops around him and realised that they were in London City.
"Where exactly are we going?" he asked, realising he had never bothered to question his rescuers motives.
"Hogwarts, of course." Remus said.
"Really?" Harry gasped, sitting foreword slightly. He hoped he hadn't heard wrong.
"Really." Tonks grinned.
Harry beamed. "That's great! Why though? Whose there?"
"There's a few others who've decided to keep residence within the castle for the summer. Safety precautions is all. You'll be one of them."
Harry suddenly felt far more relaxed than he had all summer. He leaned back into the leather seats of the car, realising for the first time just how comfortable they were. He could sleep here. Finally, something to look foreword to.
"Oh, and you'll be wanting these, I assume." Remus said handing Harry a plastic bag. It felt heavy. He opened it and felt as if cloud nine has just consumed him. They were birthday gifts that the owls had been bringing to him. He could see the untidy scrawl of Ron and a large package, probably Hermione's and most likely a book. He sniffed and a warm smell swirled up his nostrils. There was Mrs Weasley's cooking and there were two more little packages at the bottom.
"Thanks." Harry breathed. He tied a knot in the bag and put it by his feet. He couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts.
Severus took a seat at the head of the long staff table alongside his family. His wife, Imelda Snape, sat to his right. She smiled softly at him as he took his seat, her rosy cheeks lifting her entire face. She had met Severus back when he was training to be the great potions master that he was. He had been travelling through Ireland, seeking further tutoring when he came across Imelda's town. She first lay eyes on him as he stumbled out of her father's pub, a pint of cider slopping all over his shirt. They were married 4 years later. She was a pretty lady, with long flowing chestnut hair. The skin around her eyes creased softly whenever she smiled. Her bright blue eyes always had a welcoming shimmer and her personality was that of a mother hen.
"Have a good day?" she asked, her soft voice thick with Irish brogue.
"Very relaxing." he replied, stirring his soup. "Mostly grading papers, sorting letters. What about you?"
Imelda cast a quick glance across the table toward their eldest son. Severus narrowed his eyes in response to her look. Dillion Snape was 18 years old and an absolute chip on the shoulder most days. He was a tall boy, successfully outgrowing his fathers 6'2 frame, with his mothers broad shoulders and his fathers lean torso. His hair stood in oddly cropped spikes on top of his head, with tightly shaven sides. When Dillion had first come home with his new style, Severus had quickly doused his head in hair growth solution. Severus soon learned one does not tamper with the rebellious nature of teenagers.
"Your mother tells me you had an incident today whilst shopping." Severus said, looking at his son.
Dillion kept his head down, continuing to squash peas with his fork. He sniffed and readjusted his elbows across the table.
"Answer your father, Dillion, or remove yourself from the table."
He dropped his fork and went to push himself back from the table to leave, but Severus's hand shot across the table to grasp his sons wrist. "Sit down!" he snapped.
Dillion flopped into his seat, leaned back and crossed his arms, staring hard at his father. "What?"
"You know exactly what, boy. Now tell me this instant what happened, or you'll find yourself locked away in those Dungeons for the rest of the summer."
The teenager shrugged, casting his eyes up at the ceiling. Today it was a light blue with a few clouds scattered here and there. He'd much rather spend all his time locked away in the dungeons than wonder around this old ruin. He wasn't exactly fond of being locked in a tumble down castle, surrounded by mountains. Idiots, he thought, glancing angrily down the table at the Hogwarts professors.
"Can I leave now?" he huffed, addressing his mother.
Imelda sighed softly and nodded. "Be careful." she said softly.
"Don't you move fr -!"
Imelda put a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Just leave him go darling," she said, "He's having a hard time adjusting. It's a big change, it'll take time."
"Imelda, change or no change, he does not have any right to act like that. It's absolutely disrespectful." Severus replied, pushing his soup bowl forward.
"And we had absolutely no right to take him away from his home and his friends." she reminded him. "He's at a tough age, darling, he needs time to understand."
Severus sighed and pulled his soup bowl back. It had been a tough transfer from home to Hogwarts. Before his exposure as a double spy, their life had been nothing but a series of perfection. Living in a small town in southern Scotland, their kids had attended a community school, learning magic from some of Severus's closest friends. They had been well known and liked, the kids had friends, Imelda had cousins near by. It was the picture of perfection. In a way Severus felt immensely guilty. He blamed himself entirely for the transfer, for being found out. Despite being reminded again and again that it was not his fault and that he was doing what was best for his family, the feeling of guilt and sadness had never really left him since that miserable night he had arrived home and packed his family off into the night.
"Alan, stop!" Roisin snapped from across the table. She pushed her 6 year old brothers hand away from her dessert, sheltering it behind her arm. "Dad, he keeps on sticking his fingers into my cream, tell him to stop."
"That's enough Al," Imelda said sternly, wagging her finger at the youngest Snape child. "If you cannot behave at the table you will go back to bed with daddy."
"Fiiine." he mumbled, going back to stirring his ice cream into a liquid. He glanced side ways, catching his sisters eye and sticking his tongue out at her.
"Dad!" she wailed again.
End of Chapter Two. I do hope you enjoyed being introduced to Snape's Family. Thank you for reading.
A special thanks to ANIKAORI , bunny109, Most Slytherin of Gryffindors, Harpygirl24, laughnsmile96, Blackgrrl92, Fallen-Petals15, Brandi Jo1987, jaw12801, Sevie Prince.
