JK Rowling owns all the rights to the books and the amazing characters she created. I write only to satisfy my imagination and use my creativity and make no money from my writings.

Chapter 4 – Sonny Boy

None of the Hogwarts staff got any sleep that night but they still had to teach or at least try to the next day. According to the Muggle government, two Muggleborn policemen had personally placed the boy known as Harry Potter on the Hogwarts Express. They swore on their life and magic that they had done so and survived with magic intact. They had been disillusioned which was why they had not been seen but they had fulfilled their duty and if Harry Potter hadn't arrived at Hogwarts it wasn't their fault or the Muggle government's. Her Majesty would be informed and wanted proof that Harry Potter hadn't been hidden or kidnapped otherwise…well Cornelius Fudge and/or Dumbledore would not like the consequences.

The staff meeting had been a meeting from hell and Dumbledore was demanding that the search for Harry Potter be started and the boy would be found or else. Severus had made the mistake of asking "And where are we supposed to look for the brat" but there was no answer only a dirty look from Dumbledore and orders given that they just find the boy while doing their teaching duties. Mercifully Dumbledore would be leaving Hogwarts to rally his minions to help and Fudge would be doing the same. Both were blaming the other and the Daily Prophet was reporting the truth for once. Its circulation would double for at least a week or maybe more depending on whether the kid was found or not.

Silvanus Prince would be attending classes and joining his classmates for breakfast but only after Snape had called a mandatory House meeting and carefully explained the situation so that even Crabbe and Goyle could understand it. He publically announced that Draco Malfoy had one more chance to behave himself otherwise Lord Arcturus Black would "see him properly and thoroughly punished starting with Narcissa feeling his wrath and then Draco" so unless Draco wanted to watch his Mother being punished he better behave.

"I don't want you getting near him – do you understand?" Snape told him in front of the entire House.

Draco had been stupid enough to say "When my Father hears of this…" before Snape stunned him and had a house elf confine him to his bed and guard him. Snape then gave the Slytherins their orders and assigned Blaise Zabini to "befriend" Silvanus Prince for the moment or until things "calmed down." It was made perfectly clear that Silvanus Prince was not a Mudblood and if any harm came to the boy even from members of another House, EVERYONE IN SLYTHERIN WOULD SERVE DETENTION WITH HIM FOR AT LEAST A MONTH.

After the Slytherins were dismissed and sent to breakfast, Snape wrote a quick letter and had his house elf hand deliver it to Sil's solicitors. He really needed an answer and needed it quickly.

Snape had to attend breakfast to see that his Slytherins were obeying him and to watch the behavior of the other Houses. The Gryffindors usually began their attack on Slytherins as soon as possible – it had become a tradition – but this year with Potter missing, no doubt the idiotic Gryffindors would be blaming Slytherin House and acting worse than usual if that was humanly possible. Apparently it was because it had started before many Snakes could even enter the Great Hall.

A group of upper year Lions had laid in wait for the Slytherin first years to be led down to breakfast. They were accompanied by the fifth year Slytherin Prefects but they were no match for all of the sixth and seventh year Gryffindor males attacking them. Mostly it was stinging and tripping hexes, but a few nastier ones were being used this year. The Slytherin Prefects were stunned and the attack begun on the first years.

Because three people who should have been sorted into Slytherin were now in Gryffindor on orders of their parents, there were only seven first years and one of them (Draco) was missing. Therefore once the Prefects were down, it was ten males against four inexperienced boys and two girls. However, being Slytherins all of them had received some training in defense, even the supposed Mudblood. However, they were no match for over-whelming odds and a surprise attack. All six first years had to be taken to the Infirmary to be healed from the many injuries they had received. It would have been much worse if other Slytherins hadn't come by and rescued the firsties.

Snape was furious and he stormed over to McGonagall with fire in his eyes and threats in his voice. He did it before all present in the Great Hall because then all would hear what McGonagall intended to do about it. She tried to get out of making a decision by saying it was a decision for the Headmaster but Snape as well as Flitwick, Sprout, Vector and Sinistra were not going to let her get away with it.

When McGonagall reiterated that Dumbledore would handle the matter the five teachers each took 100 points from Gryffindor, completing wiping out all their points. Of course they knew that the points would be given back by Dumbledore but at least they had made a stand. Also the five would be signing a letter reporting the attack to the Board of Governors and again it would be hand delivered by a private house elf. It helped that the Daily Prophet got wind of it and reported all of the gory details in the next day's edition.

On September 3rd, Narcissa Malfoy made a special visit to Hogwarts entering via Severus' private floo. She had received a message from her Head of House and had actually gotten to see him for the first time in ten years. He had gone into hiding to escape assassination not by Voldemort but from certain members of his own family. After his son Orion and his son and heir Regulus had died and Sirius had been disowned, Bellatrix Black Lestrange had paid a visit to her Uncle and Lord to make sure he made Draco his heir. Bellatrix being Bellatrix and not having an ounce of tact, was fortunate not to have been disowned or killed by her Head of House.

However, since Lucius Malfoy was involved, Arcturus was no fool and became a recluse and it was probably the only reason he survived for as long as he had. It had taken him years to find his missing heir due to Dumbledore being involved but once he had, the ironclad Will forever barred Draco from inheriting. But a little thing like that would never stop a man like Lucius Malfoy would was bound and determined to get the Black Lordship for his son and would stop at nothing to obtain his goals. That was why Draco had threatened "the Mudblood" as he was still calling him and since he had done it in front of witnesses, there was no turning back now.

A shaken Narcissa came to talk some sense into her only son and to tell him the horrible news. His Father had been arrested and had been administered Veritaserum and asked if he had told his son to do certain things in regard to Harry Potter.

"But you know he did" Draco whined. "I don't see why Father was arrested because all I was supposed to do was contact that worthless, talentless, stupid, ugly Half-blood bastard of a Mudblood whore and make sure he knew his true place in our world, namely in the dirt groveling at the feet of his oh so much betters – the Malfoys – and to make him become a vassal to the House of Malfoy as well as…."

"And did you?" Narcissa asked.

"Of course not Mother as the filthy creature didn't show" he whined. "However, I did try and put a filthy, worthless, disgusting MUDBLOOD in his place if only for the reason that – well 'IT' was a MUDBLOOD who had somehow been sorted into Slytherin. I was in a good mood so I did give him the option to flee for his pathetic life otherwise he would be killed by the end of the week and…."

"Draco didn't he show you the ring – the HEIR RING?"

"He showed me a ring which he probably had stolen or bought a fake to pass off and give himself a sense of worth or to try and impress other filth like him and…."

"Draco" his Mother actually screamed "That boy IS LORD ARCTURUS' HEIR, and you threatened his life in front of the entire House of Slytherin and went so far as to DEMAND THAT HE BE KILLED. From what was reported back to the authorities and MY UNCLE LORD ARCTURUS you ordered Severus Snape to kill him, then when he left you bragged to Slytherin that you would.…"

At this point she started hyperventilating. She couldn't believe her son could be so foolish as she at least had tried to raise him better and now she could only blame Lucius for all of the trouble they were in. When she had started hyperventilating her son didn't try to help or come to her aid, he just finished telling her exactly what he had said, did and ordered his new underlings to do this and that. He proudly informed her that he reminded them all that he was a Malfoy and although he was just a first year he knew he was already the leader of Slytherin because of his name and family's influence and power and woe be to any of them who dared to disobey him as when his Father found out.

Narcissa suddenly found her voice and asked "Did you put a bounty on Silvanus Prince's head? Did you offer a reward of G1,000 to anyone who killed him and another G500 if his head was found mounted on a pike in the middle of the Great Hall no later than September 3rd?"

Her only son's reply was to ask "Was the reward too little? I don't know the current rate for such things as Father said I didn't need to know until about my fifth year. Besides he was an imposter actually daring to claim that he, a MUDBLOOD was actually the heir to MY INHERITANCE and…."

Conversation immediately stopped when three Aurors disillusioned themselves and promptly placed the boy under arrest for attempted murder, attempted line theft, trying to compromise Harry Potter and a few other things as Draco had stopped listening when his Mother had fallen to the floor in a dead faint. He did threaten the Aurors with the old standby "When my Father hears of this" but they didn't pay him any mind and just took the boy away from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic for "questioning" and who knew what else at the moment.

Dumbledore was not informed and at the moment he couldn't have cared less as he was at another part of the Ministry demanding to know where Harry Potter was only to be told that the boy was on the Hogwarts Express and if he wasn't at Hogwarts it wasn't the Ministry's fault that Dumbledore had lost him. It was quite possible that once the Aurors left, Harry Potter got off the train and fled. He could be anywhere and the Muggle government was blaming Dumbledore, Dumbledore was blaming the Muggle government and Fudge was blaming both of them.

Cornelius Fudge was busy yelling at the "Greatest Wizard since Merlin" because "You probably kidnapped him to get him back under your control and you haven't finished brainwashing him yet or the spells and potions you are feeding him haven't taken affect yet and YOU ARE PROBABLY LYING about not having him to get this Administration in trouble."

Fudge was only being so very bold as he had an armed guard of six trustworthy Aurors in the room with him and the entire Hogwarts Board of Governors (minus Lucius Malfoy who was off being veritatisized out the wazoo) to protect him from anything which Albus Dumbledore might attempt to do to Cornelius just like he had done in the past.

Despite six years passing Dumbledore was still in trouble over the treatment of Harry Potter and the various irregularities concerning him. He had lost his position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards (the "ICW") and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot (although he still had his personal votes and a few proxies he had managed to "acquire" and keep despite the scandal) and his prestige had never fully recovered mostly due to many of his enemies striking while the iron was hot.

All he had left was his position at Hogwarts but that was the most important one of all and once he got access to Harry Potter and got the boy under his control, he would soon have his other positions back and then all of his original plans could take effect. The only problem was where was the boy?

However, despite the problems of Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge and the Malfoys, life had to continue and the school term officially started. Classes began despite the absence of the formidable Headmaster – and most especially Harry Potter.

Where was Harry Potter was the most asked question, followed by what was happening in Slytherin. All any non-Slytherin knew was that a supposed Muggleborn had been sorted into Slytherin, Draco Malfoy had threatened to have him killed, had tried to do it himself and failed for some reason and had even placed a bounty on the kid's head to lure someone else into doing it. However, rumor also had it that he wasn't really a Muggleborn but a great heir. Either that or he was Severus Snape's bastard.

It was learned that Justin Finch-Fletchley went to Muggle primary school with him and they were friends. As to Sil's personal life, Justin knew only what Sil had told the Slytherins but he talked freely about their time at school.

"Sil is a right nice chap. At times he's a bit shy but very friendly when he gets to know you better. He's taken firsts in our year in science, math and history and is very good at sports especially running. Wouldn't be surprised if he's headed for the Olympics someday." Justin had to stop and explain what the Olympics were before continuing.

"We both studied Latin and French for our language requirement, but Sil's French is much better than mine I will admit. For the past two summers he started learning German, the violin and drums and he's very good. Thinks he wants to be a doctor when he graduates, specializing in surgery or perhaps psychiatry." Justin then had to explain what a doctor, a surgeon and a psychiatrist were.

After the first week of classes, a staff meeting was held which traditionally assessed the new first years. However, Dumbledore was too busy with the "Potter problem" and his new plans on how to find the boy, etc. The staff were forced to listen to his rants until he dismissed them to follow his new commands. He wasn't going to be let off so easily as Minerva McGonagall called his attention to the new first years but all she got for her trouble was to be told to "handle it yourselves as I have better things to do" and then he left the school to do who knew what.

Sighing heavily, McGonagall continued the meeting as it was she and not Albus who had the responsibility for documenting the progress of all students starting with their first week at school. Actually as Headmaster he was supposed to do it but merely had her do the reports which he read over. He was too busy with his many other schemes and positions (at least before he lost them) to do the boring but necessary Hogwarts work. He took a purely political interest in certain students but wanted to know the personalities, talents and magical potential of others, especially Muggleborns, for his own purposes and not much else.

Each teacher gave their report on each student, starting with the best and working their way down to the least. Suggestions were made regarding those who would need help academically, who was having bad cases of homesickness or were already showing signs of being "trouble" in some way. Since Draco Malfoy had not returned to school yet, Severus was asked if he, as the boy's Head of House as well as being his godfather, knew what was happening.

"I have heard absolutely nothing since the boy was dragged off by the Aurors on September 2nd. As you undoubtedly know having read the Prophet, Lucius is under investigation but for what it does not say. Apparently Silvanus Prince is the heir to Lord Arcturus Black and when Draco attacked him, it caused the investigation to be started. Other than that I know absolutely nothing."

"If the boy's surname is Prince why is he Lord Black's heir?" Charity Burbage asked innocently.

The boy's last name, history of a being a "discovered orphaned from an important magical house" and partial physical resemblance to Severus Snape had not gone unnoticed but the man refused to talk about it when baited by his colleagues.

"I haven't the slightest idea" was the terse, tight lipped reply.

"Come now Severus" Filius Flitwick said, "the boy is in your House so you must have talked to him as we all know you take a particular interest in the first years, specially checking them for signs of abuse and…."

"It is evident that the boy is not abused and I haven't had any reason or desire to speak with him as he is a member of the House of Black. You, Sprout and McGonagall surely remember my history with Sirius Black."

"But he isn't the offspring of Sirius Black" McGonagall added. Although she had been busy with the start of school and was the chief person that Albus vent his spleen on, she had been curious about the boy. Considering his build, ebony hair, long slim hands, proud demeanor and the intelligence and enthusiasm for learning he displayed in his first week of school it was only a short step to compare him with Severus Snape. Only the now established fact that he was the heir of the House of Black cast any shadow of a doubt that he wasn't a Snape because Severus wasn't related to the House of Black.

The only other explanation was that Severus had had an affair with a female member of that House but that too was improbable as there were only three Black females in Severus' generation and all of them were very, very married and wouldn't have considered having an affair with Severus Snape.

Narcissa was the mother of Draco who was the same age as Silvanus Prince. Her sister Andromeda Black Tonks, had been disowned by her family after eloping with Muggleborn Ted Tonks. They had had a daughter who was seven years older than Draco and Sil and after the birth of Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda had been unable of having another child due to complications.

The other sister was Bellatrix Black Lestrange and that was definitely impossible. Besides being nine years older than Snape, Bellatrix was married to Pureblood Rudolphus Lestrange and she had suffered a devastating miscarriage and was unable to conceive another child. Also although she and Severus had been Death Eaters (until Severus "saw the Light" and began spying for the Order of the Phoenix), Bellatrix was a fanatical Pureblood and Severus Snape was a Half-blood. Bellatrix wouldn't have had an affair, let alone a child, with a Half-blood any more than she would a Mudblood.

Despite the cajoling of his colleagues, Severus refused to say anything regarding Silvanus Prince and that was the end to it – for the moment.

Silvanus Prince was mentioned as being the most promising student along with Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Antony Goldstein and probably Daphne Greengrass and Hermione Granger. Granger had already been recognized as being an over-achiever, a know-it-all, bossy, condescending and most likely to be a tattletale and teacher's pet. Usually Albus would demand that the girl be watched for possible grooming as one of his followers, but he was too busy with the "Potter problem" so for the moment the girl was safe from his notice.

McGonagall knew that the girl was already having problems in Gryffindor but it had been Sprout, Flitwick and even Snape to call attention to it. They knew that since the girl was in Minerva's House, nothing would be done about it unless Dumbledore took an interest in the girl for some reason, otherwise she would be on her own to sink or swim. It was an open secret that unless Dumbledore had a use for a certain Muggleborn Gryffindor, despite being hailed as the Leader of the Light and the "Champion of Muggleborns" at least one Muggleborn "disappeared" from Hogwarts and they were usually Gryffindors.

Since it was only a Muggleborn who "had an accident" or "caught a fatal illness and died or had to leave school never to return" or just "disappeared" no one made too much of a fuss and the student(s) was soon forgotten about. The other teachers sadly started the betting on who was most likely "not to graduate" by the end of the first month. At the end of the school term at least one, but sometimes more, students never returned for the next school term.

After only a week of school there were already three definite first year contenders: Muggleborns Faye Dunbar and Hermione Granger of Gryffindor and Sally-Anne Perks of Hufflepuff. There were three other Gryffindor upper years, two Hufflepuffs who were "iffy" and four Ravenclaws, all of them Muggleborns. There were four Half-bloods and three Purebloods who might possibly "not graduate" and it would all depend on certain circumstances whether they survived or not. It all came down to what Dumbledore wanted and what those at risk or their families were prepared to do to "keep their child(ren) safe in Hogwarts" as it was euphemistically referred.

Ronald Weasley was singled out as being "obnoxious, ill-mannered and most likely to get attacked by his Housemates and definitely by Slytherins. His brother Percy was a fifth year Prefect and might protect him as would his brothers the notorious (and feared) Weasley Twins. It would probably depend on had badly he messed up and whether he managed to acquire some "friends" who he could bully. The Weasleys were Purebloods but had a bad reputation and they were desperately poor so had no real power other than being known as ardent supporters of Albus Dumbledore.

Harry Potter had not shown up or been sorted into Gryffindor and this seriously disrupted the hopes of the Weasleys as Ron was supposed to befriend him, keep him isolated even from his other Housemates and lead him into becoming a follower of Dumbledore. The Twins and Percy were to help but then the $*##^&##&& git hadn't shown.

Ron was supposed to be the only Pureblood in the year in Gryffindor – except for Longbottom who didn't count because Dumbledore had "arranged for him to be known as a Squib and thus was negated in power and influence" especially where it concerned Harry Potter. But then the truly worthless Squib had been sorted into Hufflepuff so Ron should have been the "ruler of the first year Gryffindors" due to his pure blood. Even Potter was just a worthless Half-blood who, at least in the eyes of the Weasleys and even others in Magical Britain, wasn't as "worthy" or important since his mother was a $*#$#*&#&& Mudblood whore.

However, even without Potter and Longbottom present, Theodore Nott, Michael Corner and Stephen Cornfoot were all Purebloods and had been sorted into Gryffindor. Half-bloods Wayne Hopkins and Seamus Finnegan and the Mudblood Dean Thomas should have been subservient and thus followers (or lackeys or vassals) of Ron due to his superior blood but Nott, Corner and Cornfoot were Purebloods and from wealthy and more powerful families than the Weasleys. They would be "ruling" the Gryffindor first year boys not Ron even with Percy and the Twins helping him.

Ron tried anyway to establish his power base believing that with Dumbledore on their side, the Weasleys were untouchable and would be the "natural leaders" but Dumbledore was too busy looking for Potter. As predicted by the staff betting, he was beaten up twice by his dorm mates within the first two weeks of school as the "Pure Trio" was too powerful and wasn't going to put up with his impudence.

But Ron needed to bully someone so until Potter was found and he got to control him, Ron decided to "practice" on the first years from other Houses starting with Hufflepuff. He singled out the weakest link first, namely the Muggleborn girl Sally-Anne Perks. He found out much to his great shock that just because she was a girl, a "Mudblood" and from a blue-collar family, didn't mean she would take any garbage or insults from the likes of Ron Weasley or didn't know how to fight. She didn't know any protection spells yet but she knew how to use her fists and where to kick a male who was attacking her.

Ron spent the night in the Infirmary after the first confrontation with Sally-Anne. He spent another night in the Infirmary after trying to browbeat Neville "the Squib" Longbottom who it seemed was not a Squib after all just spelled by "sources unknown" and was forced to use his father's wand which was all wrong for him. Professor Sprout had been tipped off to that effect and had snuck him out of Hogwarts to Ollivander's and the boy was able to get a wand that suited him. Of course, it had to be disguised as his father's wand, but Ollivander did it for free and no one but he, Neville and Sprout knew so it worked out very well.

Neville didn't know any spells yet but Justin and his friend Sil soon befriended Neville and taught him some Muggle self-defense moves so when Ron made his attack, it was Infirmary time for him.

Speaking of the devil - or rather Silvanus Prince – most of Slytherin ignored him. He did make friends with Blaize Zabini since Zabini's only other choices were Crabbe and Goyle (enough said about that) and Malfoy IF he ever returned. Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode were the only other Slytherins in his year and they all got along and hung out together as that was the rule in Slytherin. But that didn't stop Sil from associating with his friend Justin and Justin's new friends or anybody else who was sociable.

Ordinarily, Snape would have "strongly discouraged" any intermingling between his Slytherins and other Houses, but circumstances were different in this case. Just as long as they didn't associate with Gryffindors he was amenable, or at least until Dumbledore came back and started meddling. He was still out looking for Harry Potter and Snape – and Silvanus Prince – were the only ones in Hogwarts who knew that Dumbledore would never find Harry James Potter if only because Harry James Potter did not exist.

Henricus Severus Silvanus Prince DID EXIST, but not Harry James Potter. James Charlus Potter might have been the acknowledged husband and considered the legal father of the only child of Lily Lilac Evans, but he was not the legal husband of Lily or the biological father of her son. That was Severus Tobias Snape.

The Crown and British government had been totally honest when they said that the boy known as Harry James Potter had been placed on the Hogwarts Express by two Aurors – Aurors faithful to Amelia Bones and not the rest of the corrupt Ministry. The boy known to Magical Britain as Harry James Potter had made the train but he arrived and was sorted by his true name, or at least the name he had been using for the past six years.

However nobody else knew it and arrangements had been made for a potion to be administered to Silvanus Prince so that Dumbledore couldn't do what Snape had done, namely do a heritage test. Sil had reported back that Snape had given him a heritage test and his solicitors and a Muggleborn Auror had had a "nice chat" threatening dire consequences to him should he reveal the truth to Dumbledore.

"Lord Black will have you worse than killed if you expose his heir to Dumbledore" the Auror had told Snape. "Contrary to popular belief – like the main one of YOUR precious Dark Lord – there are many, many, many things worse than death such as living in a condition you wouldn't like."

Snape didn't have to be told that as for the past ten years he had been experiencing several "living deaths" wherein death would have been preferable. He did offer to brew a special potion which obscured a child's true heritage and administer it not only to Silvanus but to certain other "at risk children" as he informed the Auror and solicitors.

When asked what he meant by "at risk children" Snape first advised that due to being under certain oaths to a certain someone he couldn't come out and reveal what he meant without losing his Magic. No one had to guess who that certain someone was.

"Perhaps you might have heard rumors about the hunt for possible surviving heirs of the Founders" Snape said. The Auror and the solicitors had. "Although no names were or can be mentioned – at least by me – since I brewed a rudimentary heritage test who is to say that someone else might order me to brew a potion or two for a more private investigation. At the moment only the Goblins are legally permitted and able to brew such a potion, but somehow the formula was discovered a few years ago and if one can afford the proper ingredients and has access to a master Potioneer…."

The formula for the special potion was quickly given to the Auror to have brewed so that Snape could swear on his Magic that he hadn't brewed it. Arrangements would be made to have it administered every quarter to the "at risk children" to prevent Albus Dumbledore from doing his "hunt."

By "at risk children" it was meant that "rumor had it" that before their fifth year at Hogwarts, all Muggleborn children would have been illegally tested to see if they were from a Squib line, especially the line of one of the Founders. The most revealing potion was extremely difficult and expensive to make and only a master Potioneer was capable of brewing it and money was needed to purchase the rare ingredients. Only the Goblins had the necessary means to brew it but permission from the Ministry was needed. However, for a large fee, such information could be "forgotten" and the expensive test would be done. "Rumor had it" that for the past fifty years "a certain someone" had arranged for tests to be done on certain promising individuals.

A quick check and the threat of Lord Black removing all of his wealth from Gringotts if he wasn't given the necessary information revealed that yes, these tests had been done and the names of all individuals tested were given. An interesting fact was that the tests of Tom Marvolo Riddle and Lily Lilac Evans had shown certain results which Albus Dumbledore always looked for and used for his own secret purposes.

Those results explained many things and had angered Arcturus Black more than anything else in his long life had. Due to the politics of Magical Britain as well as certain oaths taken, there was nothing that Arcturus could do about it without causing a scandal which would rock Britain to its very foundations. Arcturus Lord Black was very rich and very powerful but Dumbledore was more so or at least in certain circumstances.

Therefore Arcturus had to keep some things secret until such time as he could make the necessary and careful arrangements to rescue and/or protect certain individuals otherwise it would mean the destruction of the House of Black and its wealth and power in the hands of wizards who made Voldemort look virtuous.

It had only been the sheer luck of Harry defending himself and thus alerting the Muggle Government and then him that Arcturus had been able to save the boy and his other possible heirs from Dumbledore's schemes. Even though he had succeeded it would always be a struggle to protect the boy and the others as long as Dumbledore lived.

So far the boy was safe from Dumbledore – for the moment – especially with Snape's help. However, Dumbledore would not give up and even with Snape giving what help he could to protect the son he didn't know he had, Arcturus had to make a crucial decision.

He was dying. Blacks rarely made old bones despite most of them being very powerful wizards and witches. Seventy was considered old age for a Black with some living nearly to eighty. Arcturus was ninety and his health had been in decline for the last two years. He was running out of time and there were only two "trustful" relatives left and they too were no spring chickens.

Only his cousins Cassiopeia and Callidora were alive and both were nearly eighty. When he died they would be in just as much if not more danger than Silvanus and the other heirs. Dumbledore would do all that he could to "convince" them that he was the most capable guardian for Silvanus and would move heaven and earth to get his hands on both the boys and their fathers. "Accidents" happened all of the time especially to maiden aunts and widows and whether it was done by Dumbledore or Lucius Malfoy wouldn't matter.

However, at the moment Lucius was being investigated and hopefully he would be neutralized and sent to Azkaban. But Dumbledore would be a threat and then others would throw their hat into the ring to acquire custody of Silvanus. There were many powerful Purebloods who would do anything to get control of an orphaned Lord even if they had to enact laws to do it.

Hopefully Cass and Cal could hold their own against them but could they survive Dumbledore?

Arcturus' healers informed him that he had little time left, probably less than a year if he was lucky. It was only a matter of time until Dumbledore stopped totally concentrating on finding Harry Potter and look for other mischief to get into. Silvanus would then become his main interest as the child would be a Lord of a very powerful house. Only some of the Slytherins remembered Silvanus saying he was also the heir of Lord Prince and Snape forbade them from mentioning it.

Being the Black heir was tempting enough but also being the heir of House Prince, Severus would be under the thumb of a mere boy and would owe alliegence to him. Dumbledore would then have more control over Snape than he already had.

Yep, despite "losing" Harry Potter, once Arcturus died, the Prince boy could be captured in Dumbledore's web before anyone could do anything.