Chapter 7
Harry woke up bursting with excitement on the morning of September the first.
"Harry," His dad scowled at him as he tried to wolf down his breakfast.
Harry stopped cramming his food in and slowed down a little bit. He was still finished before his dad made his way through a piece of toast and his coffee.
"May I be excused?" Harry asked, hovering on the edge of his seat.
"You may," Snape answered and resumed reading the morning paper.
Harry calmly took his dishes into the kitchen. It was Snape's morning to do the dishes, so Harry plopped his plate on the counter near the sink. He then scrambled back into the dining room and bolted through the living room.
Harry washed up and got dressed as fast as possible.
For the last week Harry had been helping Professor Sprout get ready for a new school year and she had promised to take his to Honeydukes and buy him a few treats.
As Harry raced through the living room, his dad yelled out his name. Harry came to a stop just before opening the door.
"Where are you running off to?" Snape questioned.
"Professor Sprout is taking me to Honeydukes today," Harry beamed.
"I'll be in my classroom most of the morning, come and find me when you get back," his dad told him.
"Yup," Harry spouted and ran off.
By the time Harry and Professor Sprout left Honeyduke's Sweetshop, Harry was in possession of more candy then a trick-or-treater at Halloween.
Two doors down from Honeydukes, Professor Sprout ran into an old classmate of hers and they began talking. Harry politely interrupted the two women.
"May I look in that store?" Harry asked the professor, pointing at one of the store they had just passed.
Professor Spout thought Harry had asked about the book store they were standing in front of and said: "Yes Harry, I'll join you in a minute."
Harry waited until Sprout began talking with her friend again, then he ran to Zonko's. He had always wanted to look in this shop, but his dad had never let him.
Harry quietly wandered around in the joke shop. He calculated that he had enough money from his allowance to buy two exploding ink wells, soap that would absorb into the users hand and work its way through the blood stream and change the colour of all their skin and a few stink bombs.
With his purchases tucked away in his jacket pocket, he scurried back to Professor Sprout.
"Did you find any good books," the Professor asked after saying good bye to her friend.
"Nope," Harry answered.
"I guess with a school library at your disposal, a little book store like this doesn't have anything you couldn't find at school," she grinned.
"It almost lunch time, we better get going," Sprout said, glancing at the clock in the center of town.
"Before dad thinks I've be kidnapped or something," Harry laughed.
"With followers of You-Know-Who still out there, I can understand him worrying about you," Professor Sprout sighed.
"Who is You-Know-Who and what does he have to do with me?" Harry was confused.
"Didn't your dad tell you how your mum died, or how you got that scar?" the Professor queried.
"My Aunt told me my mum and James died in a car accident cause James was drunk. I got the scar from the accident. My dad has never talked about it, so I never asked. I know he loved my mum and I thought talking about it would make him sad," Harry explained.
"I see," Professor Sprout said with a nod. "We better hurry," she increased their pace. She was hoping they would be walking to fast to talk.
She kept the same pace all the way to the potion classroom.
"Wait here a minute please," Professor Sprout told Harry. She walked into Professor Snape's class and closed the door, leaving Harry in the hall.
"Severus," Professor Sprout called out when she didn't see Snape in the room.
"Is something wrong?" Snape answered, exiting his storage closet.
"I think you should have a nice long talk with Harry after lunch," she began.
"About?" Snape retorted, wondering what Harry had done.
"Your son believes his mother was killed by her drunk husband," Sprout scowled. "James was drunk and Harry was the only one that survived the car accident."
"Where would he get..." Snape paused. "Those God Damn Muggles," Snape snapped.
"He has no idea who He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is. I thought it best if you talk to him before it learns from some random..."
"Thank you," Snape nodded to Professor Sprout.
When the two Professors exited the class, Snape put his arm around his son's shoulder. "I think we need to talk about your mum and a few other things. So I think it's best if we have lunch at the apartment."
"Don't eat all those candies in one day," Professor Sprout smiled before walking away.
"She didn't die in a car accident, did she?" Harry questioned, as him and Snape headed home.
"No, Harry," Snape answered.
Harry continued walking in silence.
"Would you like to eat and then we can talk?" Snape asked when they entered their suite.
"I don't think I'm hungry right now," Harry sighed.
"Let's sit then," his dad motioned to the couch.
Snape took along slow deep breath and let it out just as slow.
"That scar on your head came from a very bad wizard," Snape began to tell the story. "His name was...was," another deep breath, "Voldemort."
Harry climbed into his dad lap. His dad seemed upset and Harry wanted to get as close to him as possible.
"Halloween night, when you were a year and a half, The Dark Lord, I mean Voldemort came to your house. He killed James and your mum, and then tried to kill you."
Harry lifted his head from his dad chest and gazed up.
"Something happened and The Dark Lord was defeated and you got that scar on your head. That's why people look at you when we are out. It's also why people seem to know who you are. There are very few people in our world that don't know who the Boy-Who-Lived is."
"Where is this Dark Lord?" Harry asked quietly.
"Please don't refer to him by that name, Harry," Snape requested."Some say he's dead. I think there is still some part of him out there somewhere," Snape sneered.
"Why does Professor Sprout call him You-Know-Who?"
"He was such a powerful wizard, people fear him and refused to speak his name," Snape explained.
"Why did you call him The Dark Lord?" Harry questioned. His dad took an even deeper breath then he had taken earlier, and was running his fingers through Harry hair as they sat silent for a few minutes.
"I was what was called a Death Eater..." another deep breath."I was one of many that served him and all Death Eaters called him the Dark Lord."
"That's why mum didn't want to tell you about me. You were with Voldemort," Harry squeaked with a cross between anger and shock, pulling away from his dad's chest again.
"Yes," Snape admitted in a soft distant voice.
Harry thought he saw a deep sadness in his dad's eyes.
"I was young and foolish when I joined him. Your mum wanted nothing to do with me when she learned I was a Death Eater. She chose to marry James. I learned she was pregnant with you, after The Dark Lord was told of a prophesy that said a child would be born and the end of July and that child would defeat the Dark Lord. I sot out Dumbledore and told him everything I knew and then I became a spy for Dumbledore but I couldn't tell your mum anything." There was remorse in Snape's voice. "The Dark Lord decided he could kill you as a baby and that way he could defeat the prophesy."
"But he's gone now," Harry remarked.
"I believe there is still some part of him that still exists and not all the Death Eater were captured after the Dark Lord fell, they too might be looking for you. That's why it was hard to find you a tutor. It had to be someone who would treat you like a regular boy, not as The-Boy-Who-Lived, and that person would also have to protect you if something happened."
"Remus told me you guys went to school together and you were in different house and didn't get along," Harry informed his dad. "But he said you are both grown up now and taking care of me was more important than the stupid stuff that happened when you guys were younger. He won't tell me what you used to fight about. He says it's in the past and that where it belonged."
The corner of Snape's mouth quirked up and his eyebrow rose a little. "He's right," Snape nodded.
Harry's stomach grumbled and Snape blessed the distraction; he didn't want to think of the past any more. "I think we better feed that," Snape tickled Harry's tummy.
"I need to wash and put my candies away," Harry giggled.
"What kind of candies did you get?" his dad asked, patting Harry's pockets.
Harry slipped off the couch, so he couldn't be tickled or patted down. He stood up and pulled a shrunken bag from one of his pockets and placed it on the table.
His dad pointed his ward at the bag, causing it to grow back to normal size.
"You're going to be sick and your teeth are going to rot if you eat all that," Snape scowled.
"Professor Sprout said it had to last 'til Christmas," Harry grinned.
"Go put it away," his dad gave a half smile and a shake of his head. "I'll have Meeka bring us some lunch."
Harry had to use the draws in both his night tables to for all the candy. He hid his stuff from Zonko's in his sock draw.
He gave his hands a quick dip in some water, and then ran to the dining room.
"What do you have planned for the afternoon?" Snape asked Harry while they ate lunch.
"It's my last day of exploring," Harry beamed. "Tomorrow I have to start school."
"What exploring?" His dad gave a weak scowl.
"Albus said I could explore the castle whenever I wanted. I'm not allowed to use my wand and 'Alohomara' any doors, if it was locked than I can't go in that room. He gave me this," Harry pulled a chain from around his neck, revealing a pendant in the shape of a black raven. "It's my own special portkey. If I get lost or scared at any time, I hold it and say lemon sherbet and I will magically go to Albus' office. It's invisible unless I pull it out and I have to wear it all the time."
"He forgot to mention it to me," Snape retorted.
"He wanted me to be safe, cause you guys were away so much last month," Harry mentioned, then added: "Are you mad at Albus?"
"I just wish he told me about it," his dad's tone had not improved.
"Maybe he forgot. Do I have to give it back now?" Harry pouted.
"No. You keep it, I think it's a good idea," his nodded.
"Can I go exploring?"
"Back by five."
"Thanks."
Harry ran into his room and took one of his bottles of exploding ink and hid it in his fleece jacket pockets, then popped one of his sour suckers from Honeydukes in his mouth and left the apartment.
When he bought the ink wells, he had decided one of them was going on Remus' desk. Now it was just a case of sneaking in and putting the ink well with Remus' other ones.
Just down the hall and up a few stairs was the room that was soon to be Harry's private classroom. Harry was surprised to find it open. The room was about half the size of a regular classroom with the wall on the left side converted into a blackboard and the opposite wall had large cupboards and massive book shelves. The center of the room had a fair sized round table; the chairs at the table were on wheels. So Harry decided to sit in one and wheel around in the room for a few minute, giggling to himself.
Remus' office was at the other end of the room from the classroom door. Harry slipped in.
He was curious what Remus had in mind for tomorrow's class, but there was nothing on or in the desk. There was a trunk nearby, it was locked.
"This isn't a door," Harry told himself, pulling his wand out of his back pocket. "Alohomara."
He was surprised when the trunk unlocked.
The most fascinating thing he found in the trunk was an old parchment that founding in many different ways. A little scrap of paper fell out of one of the folds. Harry read the scrap of paper:
'I SOLOMLY SWEAR I'M UP TO NO GOOD '
'MISCHIEVE MANAGED'
He tucked the parchment and scrap of paper in the waistband of his jeans.
He put all the other pieces or parchment and the books back the way he had found them.
Harry opened the top desk draw and placed his exploding ink well in and removed one of the others. He would get rid of the real ink well somewhere during his exploration of the castle.
Harry had ended up on the far west side of the castle in a dungy looking pokey office that was on the fifth floor. He had never been in here before.
"Excuse me sir," Harry addressed the picture in front of him. He quite often asked pictures where he was and how to get back home.
"Sneaking around in Filtch's office are ya," the old man in the picture bellowed.
"No sir," Harry replied. "I'm lost."
Harry felt a hand latch onto his arm tightly.
"I'll teach you to break into my office," Flitch snapped.
"You're hunting my arm," Harry whimpered.
"I knew sooner or later I would catch you breaking the rules," he glowered and shook Harry.
Filtch's grip was so tight; Harry thought his arm would break as the man shook him much more.
Harry clasped his portkey: "Lemon sherbet," he screamed.
Filtch still had a hold of Harry when they fell to the ground in Dumbledore's office.
"Dad," Harry screamed when he saw Snape standing talking to Albus, he was trying to wriggle out of Filtch's grasp.
Filtch was a little stunned by the transport and Harry was able to get away.
Harry threw himself into his dad's legs.
Filtch got to his feet.
"He broke into my office and was snooping around," Filtch snapped at Snape.
Snape went to pull Harry off his legs, but when he touched Harry's sore arm, Harry winced from the touch.
Snape lowered himself to Harry's level and saw the tears.
"I was lost. The door was open," Harry replied, looking eye to eye with his dad.
"Let me see your arm," his dad demanded.
Harry unzipped his jacket and his dad slid it down his arm and Snape saw the red imprints of were Filch had grabbed Harry. Snape shot back up."You ever touch my son again and I will demonstrate my knowledge of curses," Snape bit furiously.
Harry had never heard his dad this angry.
Dumbledore quickly moved to stand between Filtch and Snape.
"If he goes near Harry again, you will not be able to stop me," Snape's eyes blazed with anger as he looked at Dumbledore.
"He broke into..." Filtch tried to defend.
"He said it was open. I would suggest you not call my son a liar," Snape warned.
"Maybe you should take Harry home," Dumbledore kept his tone neutral.
"Keep him out of my sight, Albus," Snape snarled, picking Harry up and carrying him out.
"The door was open," Harry mumbled into his dad's neck as they headed for the dungeons.
"I believe you," Snape's voice was soft, but Harry could feel the anger running through his dad's body.
As soon as they were in their suite, Snape suggested Harry go take a bath or a shower now because there wouldn't be time after the feast.
"I'll put some cream on your arm after your bath," his dad told him.
"Kay," Harry replied.
Snape scooped Harry up before he could get far.
"Its okay, Harry," Snape held him close. "That man will never touch you again, I promise."
He gave his son's forehead a little kiss.
"I'm happy to see you used your portkey," his dad smiled.
"I'm never ever going to take it off," Harry said, shaking his head vigorously.
"Shower," his dad ordered, putting him back down.
Harry turned on his shower, but didn't get in right away. He scurried back into his bedroom and careful took a draw out of his desk. Using a sticky tack charm, he glued the parchment and the scrap of paper to the underside of the draw.
Harry hopped into the shower, only staying long enough to get wet. No soap, no shampoo, just wet and out.
"Harry," his dad called from the bedroom. "Let me put some of this cream on before you get dressed.
With his big warm fuzzy towel wrapped around everything but his arm, Harry trotted out.
Snape very carefully applied the goop to Harry arm. Harry felt the pain go away immediately, but a bruise was taking shape.
"I'll put some more on tomorrow morning," his dad said and left so he too could get ready.
Harry had been excited for days, waiting for this night. In less than half an hour the school would begin to fill with students. The closer he and his dad got the Great Hall, the tighter Harry squeezed his dad's hand.
"You can go back home if you want to, Harry," his dad said.
Harry just shook his head.
They entered the Great Hall from a secret door that was behind the teacher's table. All the teachers were already seated. Harry looked at the two empty chairs and felt his stomach tighten, and his feet refused to take another step.
"Harry," his dad whispered down at him when he realized Harry was frozen to the spot.
"I want to go home," Harry mumbled, his words barely audible.
"Excuse me, Headmaster," Snape called out to Dumbledore. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Dumbledore glanced down at a very pale and obviously nervous looking Harry and smiled.
Harry and his dad remained quiet as they briskly walked back to their suite.
"I'll have Meeka come keep an eye on you and bring you some dinner," Snape told Harry when they got back to their suite. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I really did want to go to the feast, but my tummy feels like it's got knots in it," Harry quietly replied.
"You're just nervous," his dad snickered. "Maybe you can try having dinner in the Great Hall tomorrow."
