Note: I do not own anything other than the story line and my own thoughts. Yes, some ideas may not seem original, but that doesn't seem to be something new in fanfiction. Writing that is in italics is parselspeech. If any other distinctions become needed I will make a note of it. Enjoy.

Chapter Three

Severus sighed, rubbing his temples as he took in the appearance of Draco. 'What exactly did Draco mean that Harry was missing?' As far as he knew they weren't friends or even in the same house. So why would Draco know he was missing, much less be so worried about it. As Poppy roused Draco, Severus glanced at his clock to see that dinner was over. 'Maybe that is why he said he was missing. My, how observant of him.'

While they dealt with a grumpy and worried Draco, somewhere else in the castle the hissing of snakes embedded in the stone walls and paintings began to hiss to each other, drawing someones attention.

"The heir's child is here!"

"They are helping the heir's child!"

"Salazar and Godric united!"

"The child will know!"

"Down with the false one!"

"May the spirits of Salazar and Godric

vanquish the false Seer and the Bee."

The one drawn by the hissing was Thomas Riddle, and despite his currently pitiful half existance he smiled. Things were falling in place in his mind, damage repaired in memory that may not have been without those words. It was with a smile still in place that he left his pathetic servant. He had planning to do. He would save the world for them, his little serpent and his precious flower.

Back in the dungeons Harry woke to the noise of a worried and frantic Draco. He got off the bed slowly, padding quietly towards the door. He stopped in front of it, leaning forward slowly he placed his ear against the door and listened to what was going on in the main room.

"Draco, I want you to calm down and listen to me ok? Harry is not missing, he is just resting at the moment. I was led to a place in the dungeons by a portrait. Harry had just gotten lost."

"But why is he resting? Was he hurt? Is he really ok?"

"Yes Draco, he is fine. He was just lost. I had Madam Pomfrey look him over because he seemed a little shaken, but he is fine. Now why don't you go to the common room and try to relax? Harry is fine and you don't need to worry yourself sick."

He heard Draco leave before Poppy spoke up. "How are you going to tell him Severus?"

"I don't know. How do you tell an eleven year old boy that most of his life was a lie? That the teacher most students fear and hate is really his father? How do I tell him that I didn't remember him without him hating and doubting me? ... ... ... Poppy, thanks to those memory alterations I have spent the last ten years angry and sometimes hating my brother, my wife, my father in law and my own son. Not to mention that Remy and I allowed Siri to be sent to that merlin forsaken rock without even a trial. I have been a horrible father, husand, brother and friend. Lily would be so mad if she found out where Xander grew up. She would hate me for letting him near Petunia, and she'd be right to." The next thing he heard from either occupant of the other room was his potions master, his supposed father, sobbing. Poppy semed to be trying to shush him. Harry gave a little whimper before returning to the bed. He had too much on his mind, he just wanted to curl up and sink back into sleep.

Severus took several minutes to calm himself while Poppy held him as he sobbed. There were so many things going through his mind that he had to work through. Poppy had left minutes ago now, yet he still stood just staring at his bedroom door. His son waited behind that door for him, all he had to do was open it. Despite that knowledge he couldn't find it in himself to open the door. He was just about to sit back down and wait a while when he heard a whimper from behind the door. Unsure of what instinct took over, since it had been years since he'd seen his son, he still shot forward at the sound. Once inside the room he went straight to the bed, not paying much attention to the shade near the bed in favor of sitting on the bed and pulling his son into his arms as he began whispering soothing sounds and words.

Harry was aware that he had woken from a nightmare, but what had him confused and stilling for a moment was the arms wrapped around him. The soothing and coforting voice slowly filtered into his head along with the smell of potions that he had noticed on his teacher on their way here. He didn't know what to think until his mind brought up the conversations he had overheard. 'Well, that explains why he makes me feel so safe.' As the thought filtered through his mind he relaxed into the mans hold, burrowing into his chest as he relaxed. If what he heard was right, he was in his fathers arms, and the man didn't hate him.

A smile lit up Sev's face as his son burrowed into him. He tightened his hold slightly around his son, leaning down to place a soft kiss on his head. His eyes caught sight of the shade moving a bit closer. It felt somewhat familiar to him, which meant one thing to him at the moment. That one thing was that he didn't need to panic. If it was his father in law and the man wasn't posessing Quirrel anymore then he felt it safe to assume he had regained enough memories to know who Sev and Xander were to him. With that in mind he nodded gently at the shade. They had plans to make, people to punish, but Alexander Severus James Orion Potter came first for both men. For now though Severus just held his son as he calmed and slipped back into slumber, watching the shade extend a hand like appendage that ghosted over the boys hair as he offered what comfort he could. He could tell his father in law agreed with him, Xander came above all else, even regaining the man his body.