Chapter 7- Heading Back Home
"Severus, have you got everything packed?" We will be leaving shortly." said Albus as he poked his head around the corner of the Twerp's bedroom door.
Severus had decided to dress simply, in shirt and blue jeans for the trip home and had finished packing the large bag. He looked up from the small backpack he was filling with his Journal, pictures and small clothing and said "Yes I have." He pointed to the extra bag he had filled with most of the souvenirs he had collected and wrapped in some of his robes. "They have been packed securely, I don't think anything will get damaged while traveling."
"Good I'll put it with mine then and have them sent on ahead of us." Albus told him. "Accio Severus's bag of souvenirs." He caught the bag as it flew through the air to him and then said "I'll see you downstairs shortly, all right?"
"Sure Albus, I'm coming." said Severus as he made sure his little black dog was safely packed away in his backpack. He reached over to the dresser and the little eagle-headed man and the Mummy climbed onto this hand and he set them gently into one of the the chest pockets of his shirt so they could watch where they were going. "Once we get to the portkey you guys will have to make sure you are all the way inside the pocket. I sure don't want to lose either of you." the small toys nodded and motioned to the button flap that was folded temporarily behind them. "Thats right I will make sure you are buttoned in." the twerp told them with a grin.
He looked serious for a moment and said to the little statue of the Oracle. "I didn't tell Albus about everything I saw in the past you know." The small Oracle nodded as if he knew what the Twerp had seen.
"Do you think I should have told him everything?" asked the Twerp. The little Oracle looked thoughtful then shook his head no.
"You think it better I wait till later and then tell him?" Severus asked the little statue who was riding in the chest pocket.
The little Oracle nodded and made a motion as if he put a ring on his little finger and then made a face as if the ring hurt. The Mummy looked anxiously at his friend and then up at Severus.
Understanding what the little Oracle meant the Twerp whispered "I know that there is something very special about that old ring that had the horaclux in it. Do you think it would be better if it was totally destroyed?" The little Oracle nodded.
Severus picked up the backpack and lifted it to his shoulders and slid it on. He thought back to an image of Albus as a very young man and he was reading a book. Severus thought hard and was able to see the title dimly. "I need to read that old wizarding story the oracle had shown me it when Albus was younger..." Severus thought a moment . "It's a fairy tale about three brothers actually, and I am pretty sure I can find a copy of it either in Albus's collection of books or at 12 Grimmauld Place."
"Are you coming down Twerp?" called Albus from the bottom of the stairway.
Severus glanced around the room one more time and then said "I'm coming now." He then walked out of the room and across the hall to the stairway and down to where Albus and Bill were waiting for him.
Azkaban
"We will be moving the prisoners soon, to the holding cells at the Ministry for the Death Eater trials." said the old Auror who was one of fifteen Aurors assigned to Azkaban. He was reading the latest issue of the Daily Prophet before making his night rounds around the restricted area of the Prison. "The agreement between the Ministry and the Goblins about taking over the guarding of Azkaban is still in the works. I guess there are some issues to be discussed before they totally take over guarding the Prison. Till then the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be responsible for escorting the Death Eaters into the courtroom which will be heavily warded and anyone wishing to view the proceedings will have to take veritiserum and answer some very penetrating questions as to their reasons for being there. We don't need some Sympathizer slipping through and causing havoc or escapees."
"Understandable, I guess. After all the Goblins aren't like Dementors ." said the younger Auror who was matching up the visitor sign in sheet with the sign out sheet. "At least none of the visitors will be fearful that the Dementors will be hovering nearby ready to attack them." The old Auror agreed.
"Chief Warlock Dumbledore will be presiding over the trials." commented the Older Auror as he casually glanced through the Daily Prophet.
"He will make sure justice is done." said a younger Auror. "He is said to know quite a lot about the Death Eaters, mostly thanks to That really nasty tempered git, Professor Severus Snape before he was de-aged."
"Yes that's right, strange situation that de-aging, but it seems like everything has turned out all right in the end. He is said to be a very interesting and captivatingly mischieveous child now." said the Old Auror. " Even Mad-Eye Moody has become a close friend of the boy and as far as I am concerned that is a good enough recommendation for me."
Egypt
The wizarding International Portkey terminal was busy as the portkeys to and from all points of the known Wizarding world were moving the traveling wizards and witches along non-stop.
"Your portkey home will activate in a half hour." said Bill as they stood at the departure point just outside of Cairo. "I really enjoyed having the Twerp here along with you Albus." aid Bill as they waited.
"I know we have enjoyed ourselves and I appreciate your hospitality for having us stay with you." said Albus as he noticed the small boy was looking over a rack filled with books, magazines and newspapers from all over the world. "Twerp, don't go too far now." He cautioned the little Twerp.
"I won't." promised Severus as he looked at the titles of the books and glanced at the various Headlines in the papers. The two adults continued to talk quietly to each other while he browsed through the English section of the news stand, Severus noticed one paper that was referring to the upcoming trials in Britain of the captured Death-Eaters and remembered that Dumbledore was going to be participating since he was Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and that was the reason that he, the Twerp was going to be staying with the Weasleys. He looked forward to seeing Harry and Hermione too, along with Sirius, Remus and old Mad-Eye.
Hogwarts
"Albus and the Twerp should be arriving shortly." said Phineas Nigellus Black's Portrait. "It will be most interesting to hear how their vacation in Egypt went."
"I think it was very educational for both of them." said Minerva as she finished answering the last of the correspondence concerning the school that had to be answered. She stood up and looked over at the portraits before leaving for the Owlery. "It will be something fun and interesting that they both can remember they did together. A simple matter of time together that isn't too stressful."
"Oh right, like trying to keep up with that little mischief maker won't be stressful for Albus. There is at least, what eighty one years between them now?"
"About that, but Albus will be fine, I'm sure." Minerva stated. "He wouldn't have suggested the trip if he hadn't felt he could manage, and remember Severus is a pretty serious nine-year-old.
"Sure, a pint sized serious bundle of trouble just waiting to brew up some new pranks with those Weasley Twins." acknowledged Phineas. "He is good at that."
Minerva looked slightly annoyed then smiled as she remembered what she heard about the prank the Twerp had pulled off with the aid of Harry on the Portrait of Mrs. Black and the rough housing and mayhem with Snuffles racing after Severus who flying the racing broom he got from Harry throughout the house.
Egypt
Albus smiled as did Bill as they watched the little boy as he made sure his two little toys were safely hunched down inside his pocket and closed the flap securely so they wouldn't fall out.
"Are you ready then?" asked Bill, his lip twitched as he did his best to keep from laughing as he knew that even though Seveus was now a nine-year old-boy, he still wouldn't understand the red-heads need to laugh at watching his once feared Professor worrying about the safety of a pair of toys.
Severus double checked his buttoned down pocket and nodded. "We are ready." he told them seriously as they walked together over to the departure point and Bill quickly picked up and hugged the small Twerp and said goodbye one last time before setting him back down.
"Grab hold tightly Twerp." said Albus as the countdown for the Portkey started.
Severus held onto the portkey and Albus tightly as he was told and as the uncomfortable sensation of being yanked and whirled around began he closed his eyes and grit his teeth as he fought the floating sickening feeling that had developed in the pit of his stomach. It seemed an eternity before they landed near the gates of Hogwarts. Albus landed on his feet holding one arm around the the twerp who had one of his arms wrapped around Albus' neck and his other hand holding onto the old shoe along with Albus' free hand. Albus let go of the old shoe and told Severus to do the same. The small boy paused a second to regain his equilibrium and did as he was told.
"We're home Twerp." said Albus as he knelt and set the small boy down, feet firm on the ground.
Severus felt his backpack pressing once again against his back and he undid the flap of his pocket. The two tiny toys popped their heads up out of the pocket cautiously as they too had felt the weird sensations brought on by the Portkey.
Severus felt better and smiled as he watched the Mummy move a bandaged swathed hand in the general direction of the open gate and looked up at him, obviously questioning where they were. "We really are home fellows, This is Hogwarts which is the school for witchcraft and wizardry in Britain. Albus is the Headmaster here. Later you will come with me to the Burrow and meet some more of my friends."
Albus and the twerp walked in the gate and down the pathway to the large Oaken front door of the castle and they walked into the castle where they met up with Minerva and Poppy who had been expecting them.
"Hey Minerva, Poppy, Did you get my letter and pictures?" asked the Twerp happily when he spotted them.
"We did, Hagrid was quite taken with the picture of him and Fang siting outside his hut and he wanted to hang it up." said Minerva as she quickly bent down and gave the small boy a hug. "Say who is this?" she asked as she noticed the two tiny figures that were holding onto the edges of the Twerps shirt pocket.
"This is my little Mummy, he likes to wave at people and is my friend and also a friend of my little Eagle headed man. He was a gift and he is a miniature version of an Oracle, I saw a real Oracle in the tomb of Nakhti Panahasi Runithura." Severus didn't say anything about what the Oracle had shown him and he suspected that Albus would tell them later anyway when he wasn't around.
"Severus, didn't you get outside in the sun?" asked Poppy as she observed that the boy was not as tanned as she would have liked to see him. She folded her arms and asked. "You didn't spend most of your time indoors making potions did you?"
"No, I was outside every day, honest I was," said the small boy with a slight tremor to his voice which had the effect of softening the Medi-witches attempt to look stern. To the amusement of Minerva and Albus she picked Severus up and looked at his face a little more closely. Her sharp eyes noticed a little bit of sunscreen near the ridge of his nose that hadn't been blended properly.
"Severus how much sunscreen did you put on today?" she said gently as she felt the greasy substance rubbing off onto her hand as she stroked the long lanky hair away from the Twerps dark eyes." she asked in a slightly teasing voice, "What did you use to apply it? A trowel?"
Severus didn't notice the teasing tone in the Medi-witches voice as she asked her last questions and looked worried as he glanced at Albus then told the two witches. "I didn't apply it, Albus did, twice a day. He wanted to make sure there was enough on so I didn't get a sun burn. We even wore the protective light coloured clothing like they do there and used the sunglasses. Honest."
Minerva chuckled as she looked around at the sheepish looking Headmaster. "Albus, honestly, wasn't that being just a teeny bit too over protective? "
"I just, um, wasn't sure if the stuff was strong enough for all that sun, It is a lot hotter there than it is here."Albus gazed at the medi-witch innocently. "He has awfully fair skin."
Meanwhile Nearly Headless Nick was floating across the corridor leading toward the Great Hall when he heard the two wayfarers return through the large Oak doors to be met by the two Witches. He stopped and watched with amusement the affectionate reunion when spotted the two little figures popping up from inside Severus's shirt pocket. His misty eyes focused with amazement upon the eagle headed figure that was gazing around carefully and realized that this was an Oracle. It may be a toy but somehow he knew that it was infused with the all knowing power of the ancient Egyptian wizarding world. He determined to speak to the small Twerp when the child was alone. Toys don't normally have that kind of power, even magical ones.