A Familiar's Intuition
Memories and Meetings
Glad you all are enjoying this! Thank you for all your kind reviews!
This chapter will have slash, but nothing beyond some harmless kissing.
Sorry about the goof-up with England's emergency number. Jullius00 and Godiva9, thank you for telling me it was 999 instead of 911
Spinner's End
Severus Snape sat in his study, blankly staring at the lesson plans he was supposed to be preparing. He had those to do, and potions to make for Madam Pomphrey, and he just couldn't concentrate. He was normally so focused, yet he hadn't accomplished a single thing all day.
He supposed it had to do with the fact that it was the eleventh birthday of Harry Potter; the little boy who had called him Unca Seb and who he loved like a nephew. The son of the woman who was his best friend and the closest thing to a sister he ever had, Lily Potter nee Evans. The child Dumbledore expected him to hate because he was the son of James Potter, his "worst enemy". What Dumbledore did not know was that Severus had forgiven James Potter long ago, and that his REAL worst enemy had not been James, but the grey-haired psychopath who had killed them and also Tom, the man Severus loved.
Only the Inner Circle ever knew that the Dark Lord and Severus had been a couple. Dumbledore, and most of the Order with the exception of Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus, believed that Severus was in love with Lily and hated James for being with her. While Severus did love Lily, he only loved her as a sister, nothing more.
The romance between Tom and Severus had developed slowly over time. Severus may have had a small crush on the Dark Lord from the beginning(though he would have admitted it), but the small spark ignited into a flame that horrible summer when his father had murdered his mother and nearly killed him. Severus had managed to contact the Death Eaters and Tom through the mark in his last moments of consciousness, and they had arrived at the same time as the police and the paramedics(Lily had heard screams coming from Severus's house and called 999).
What happened next Severus only knew from what he was told. He had been rushed to a muggle hospital, Tom, Lucius, and a few other Death Eaters had testified to the police about Severus being abused, and Bella had nearly been arrested for trying to attack Tobias Snape with her bare hands. All were called to be witnesses in the trial(His father was convicted, and died in prison a few years later of a horribly painful, wasting disease, the cause of which Severus strongly suspected was Tom's doing).
Lucius and his family managed to get Severus transferred to a "private hospital", actually the Malfoy home, where Severus was treated by the most skilled healers they could find and he quickly recovered.
Ashamed, Severus became withdrawn after that and spent most of his time hiding in the Dark Lord's Potions Lab. The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters had seen his weakness; that he had been nearly killed by a mere muggle. Would they hate him? Make him leave the Death Eaters?
Tom disproved that fear, and ended Severus's self-imposed exile, when he marched into the Potions Lab after a day of Severus's avoiding him and the others. Severus expected Tom to laugh, to kick him out of the Death Eaters for being so pathetic. He couldn't have been more wrong.
Instead, Tom sat down with him and revealed that he, the Dark Lord and the strongest man Severus had ever known, had also been abused as a child, something only Nagini had known. Softly, Tom told Severus that he understood, and reassured him that he and the Death Eaters would never abandon him. Severus had never seen the Dark Lord show this gentle, vulnerable side to anyone else before. He felt honored that Tom trusted him enough to let him see it. Their friendship grew, and so did that little spark of attraction, until both were a flame Severus couldn't put out, even if he had wanted to.
Severus hid his attraction to Tom for nearly a year, fearing upsetting him or losing his friendship. And from what Tom told him later, Tom had done the exact same thing for the same reasons. But one warm summer day, soon after Severus graduated, Tom came into the potions lab to talk with Severus as he brewed, just as he had done many times before. For the life of him, Severus couldn't remember what they had been talking about, but what he could never forget was that in the middle of their conversation, Tom leaned over and kissed him.
Severus had been in shock for a few seconds and then he eagerly returned the kiss. After a moment Tom pulled away, saying "Merlin, Severus, I'm so sorry!" Severus had blurted out, "I'm not!" The resulting conversation caused a second, longer, kiss that Bellatrix Lestrange had unfortunately walked in on(without knocking).
Much to both their relief and annoyance, Bella hadn't been upset or even surprised. In fact there had been a BET going on between Bella, Rodolphus, Lily, and a few others on when Tom and Severus would get together. Tom had sent a powerful stinging hex at Bella after that….
Breaking out of his thoughts, Severus looked at his Dark Mark. The darkening of it soothed him, gave him a tiny ray of hope that maybe all was not lost. Nagini HAD told them Tom was not fully gone after all, right before she completely disappeared… Like he had done many times before, Severus touched the Mark. "Tom?" The mark tingled like maybe, just maybe Tom was trying to send back a response. "Where are you?" Severus thought as strongly as he could, hoping against hope that Tom would send a message back; tell Severus where to find him, or say that he was fine and that he was coming home. The Mark burned slightly, but gave no other response.
Was this just another stupid trick life was pulling on him, giving him hope only to have everything come crashing down like it did so many times? Or was it one of Dumbledore's sick plans, to make them think Tom was coming back so they'd lower their guard down? But yet, the tiny part of him that dared to hope, dared to dream, did not let go of the idea that this was Tom, that Tom was somehow still around and would be back. As if on cue, the mark tingled again, a little stronger this time, and a warm, comforting feeling washed over Severus.
Reluctantly, Severus let go of the Mark. If this was one of Dumbledore's plans, it wouldn't do to ruin his façade as Dumbledore's trusted spy and risk the lives of himself and the other Death Eaters. And if it was just his mind playing tricks on him, why get his hopes up only to have them crushed?
His thoughts returned to Harry. What would the child be like when he entered Hogwarts? Would he be arrogant, a Gryffindor golden boy who despised Slytherins and thought the sun shone out of Dumbledore's ass?
Or worse, would he be an abused child? Lucius and Narcissa had told him that they feared Harry had been placed with Lily's sister. Severus knew Petunia; had seen how cruel and vindictive she was to Lily. And Lily had told him that Petunia's husband was even worse. Severus knew about abused children; they often got sorted into Slytherin, not to mention he'd been an abused child himself. He knew how emotionally attached they got to their rescuers, how they'd do anything for them. And if this was the case with Harry, Dumbledore would make sure Harry would see him as his savior. The thought of little Harry being abused was unbearable to Severus. If it was the case, he'd make sure to protect the child, spy role be damned.
Severus tried to get back to his work, but still couldn't focus on it and he slammed his quill down in frustration. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was nearly midnight. He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, his mind replaying back to the last time he saw Lily and James…and Tom…alive.
Flashback
October 29, 1981
Three taps sounded on the door of Slytherin's Sanctuary, Tom's home and this week's meeting place. Tom was busy talking to Fenir's pack and Remus, so Severus strolled over and opened the door. There stood Lily and James, baby Harry in Lily's arms.
"Hello, Severus." Lily said, standing on tiptoe and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, don't steal my wife!" James joked, giving Severus a friendly punch on the shoulder. Despite the rumors going around the Order, he knew Severus was no threat to his marriage; the entire Inner Circle knew that the Dark Lord and Severus were together thanks to Bella's big mouth.
"Unca Seb!" Harry squealed before Severus could utter a witty retort. Severus let out a chuckle and lifted the child out of Lily's arms, wincing when the toddler grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged.
"Hello, Lily, James," Narcissa greeted, walking over with Draco in her arms. Harry saw Draco and both began babbling in baby talk.
"Wonder what deep conversation they're having?" James laughed.
Another three taps and the door opened to reveal Sirius Black. "Hey there, Prongs, Lils, and Prongslet," he greeted, ruffling the giggling toddler's hair. "Unca Pa'foo!" the toddler laughed. "Hello, Severus." he said with much less enthusiasm. Sirius's attention went to Narcissa and Draco. He grinned. "And there's Draco!" He made a funny face at the little blonde boy, who erupted in laughter. "You look just like your father. Cousin Sirius will have to work extra hard to make sure you don't turn out boring, just like him." Narcissa swatted him in the back of the head. "Ow! Sorry, Cissy!"
"And there's seven of my favorite people!" Bellatrix exclaimed, walking up to them with a huge grin. "And my wittle nephew, Draco!" Draco reached out to her, obviously wanting her to pick him up. She obliged, scooping him up, tossing him in the air and catching him, which of course started a new round of baby giggles. Tom heard all the commotion, turned around to look, smiled, then returned to his conversation.
"And there's my wittle Harry!" Bella cooed. She handed Draco to his "aunt Lily" and scooped Harry out of Severus's arms. She lifted him high into the air and blew a raspberry into his tummy. The toddler laughed and squirmed.
"Are you all here for the Death Eater meeting or just to play with the babies?" Tom asked sternly as he walked up, though the undertone of amusement in his voice was unmistakable.
"Unca Tom!" Harry squealed, reaching out for the Dark Lord. "Up!" So much for intimidation….
"Guess my turn's over." Bellatrix laughed as she passed Harry to the slightly embarrassed Dark Lord.
Tom took the baby, bouncing him slightly in his arms. "I still can't believe you taught him to call me that…"
"Don't pretend you don't love it." Bella teased. "Admit it. You're as smitten with him as the rest of us are."
Tom just glared at her, but considering the fact that he was still bouncing the baby in his arms, Bella had her answer.
"Plus, Uncle Tom is a lot better then Vol'nert…" Sirius mumbled to James, who laughed and tried to cover it up as a snort. Harry's very funny mispronunciation of the word Voldemort was well known throughout the Inner Circle after little Harry blurted it out right before a meeting with pretty much every Death Eater in the room. Tom had burst out laughing when Harry had done it. He hexed Sirius when he tried…
Tom overheard and gave them a death glare. Somehow, despite the fact that he was holding a fourteen month old baby, he still managed to make both Sirius and James gulp and back up a few feet.
A soft hiss was heard, and in slithered Nagini from another room. Weaving around the other groups of Death Eaters, she headed up to them. Harry began excitedly hissing and reached out for her. Obligingly, Tom bent over so Harry could stroke and hug her, surprisingly gently considering he was a toddler. Lily watched nervously, holding a wriggling Draco. Though her son was a Parselmouth and she knew Nagini well enough to know the snake would rather bite off her own tail then harm Harry; it still went against every instinct she had as a mother to let her son be that close to a six foot rattlesnake.
It had been a huge surprise when they discovered that little Harry was a Parselmouth a few weeks ago. Neither had known where that had come from, considering that James had no Parselmouths in his line and Lily was a muggleborn. Tom had suggested that maybe James had a Parselmouth as one of his ancestors or that Lily may have a Squib in her family line that either was or may have been related to a Parselmouth. "Or," he had said. "Harry may be first generation. No one truly knows what causes the ability." Tom had told them that if they really wanted to know, they could go to Gringotts for a bloodline test. But Lily and James had never had the chance…
Tom finally handed Harry-somewhat reluctantly it seemed- over to Narcissa who took him and Draco to another room so they wouldn't interrupt the meeting.
"Now," Tom said. "Are we ready to start the meeting?" He grabbed Severus's hand, and they, as well as the other groups of Death Eaters, headed off to the Meeting Room.
The meeting had gone well, as far as Death Eater meetings go. Fenir and Remus had reported that both the Germany and Ireland wolf-packs would be allying themselves with them. The vampires too were considering an alliance; they had suffered much under the current Ministry. Lucius reported that he and the other Death Eaters in the Ministry had successfully stopped a law Dumbledore was trying to pass that would register all with creature blood, and Barty Crouch Jr. handed out copies he had managed to make of the crooked laws his own father was trying to pass in hopes that they would be able to find a loophole or some way to stop them. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus told Tom they had heard no news of any more attacks through the Order Of The Phoenix, though they would not be letting their guard down.
After a few hours, the meeting was wrapped up, goodbyes were said, and everyone began leaving. Severus had trouble saying goodbye to Lily, James, and Harry, and later that night, to the Dark Lord. Maybe his mind had known what his heart hadn't wanted to admit…
…...
The Floo flared to life, startling Severus out of his memories and making him knock over his lesson plans. Lucius's face appeared in the flames.
"Sev, we've got Harry. He knows the truth…"
…...
Malfoy Manor
At around three the next morning, Hercules was awakened by soft whimpering coming from Harry. Another nightmare. Hercules wasn't surprised, the poor child had been through a lot that day, but he wished his hatchling could have a good night's sleep for once.
Hercules pulled Harry closer, sending waves of comfort. Sometimes this worked to soothe the nightmare, yet let the child stay asleep. But tonight it didn't work. The whimpers became screaming and Harry began to thrashing around on the bed. "Wake up, Harry. It's just a dream. You're safe." Hercules told him, nudging the child to wake him up. Normally this snapped Harry out of his nightmares, but this time Harry didn't wake up, and his thrashing grew worse. After getting kicked a few times, Hercules got a tight enough grip on the child to keep him from throwing himself off the bed, but not tight enough to cause him any injury. The child struggled against his hold, still screaming, yet not opening his eyes. "Harry, wake up! It's just me, it's Hercules! You're having a nightmare! Please wake up!" Hercules practically screamed, getting a little panicked. Why wouldn't Harry wake up?
The screaming woke Draco. Frightened, he ran to his parents' room, banging on their door. "Mum! Dad! There's something wrong with Harry!" Lucius and Narcissa jumped out of bed and rushed to Harry's room, Draco right behind them.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Lucius called as they entered. Turning on the light, they saw Harry screaming and thrashing on the bed, with Hercules coiled around him, frantically trying to wake him up. Lucius quickly cast Scio Serpens Oratio on Hercules as Narcissa and Draco ran to the bed. "Hercules, what's wrong with him?"
"Nightmare. But he won't wake up!" Hercules replied, and Lucius could hear the panic in his voice. Draco shook Harry's shoulder, but Harry just screamed and struggled harder against Hercules. Lucius was about to use Legimency on Harry, see if he could pull the child out of his dream, when Harry's eyes suddenly snapped open and he jolted to a sitting position.
…...
Harry's Dream
He was in a small but nicely decorated nursery, lying in a crib, a mobile with small snitches on it above him. His Mum and Dad were taking turns reading him a bedtime story and he was laughing. The window was open, letting cool air into the room.
Suddenly, a silvery white snake came in through the window. Its mouth opened. "Lily, James, the wards have fallen! Get out of there!"
His father gasped and ran to the window. "Lily, it's them! Grab Harry and run! I'll hold them off!" He threw a silvery gray cloak to them and ran downstairs.
"James!" his mother screamed.
She ran to the crib and scooped him up, covering both of them with the cloak and ran downstairs. As they passed the window, Harry saw flashes of green light outside.
His father was lying on the floor of the living room, not moving. Harry could hear his mother trying not to cry. Something yanked the cloak off them and his mother screamed.
"Did you really think you could hide from me under an invisibility cloak, Lily?" a man asked in an amused voice. The speaker had silver hair and a long beard, blue eyes twinkling below half-moon spectacles.
His mum put Harry down, stood in front of him, and raised her wand. "Avada-"
"Expelliarmus." the man said almost lazily. His mother's wand flew out of her hand.
"You've been a bad girl, Lily." the man taunted. "Joining the Death Eaters, who would have thought it of you?"
His mother lunged for the man. "Petrificus Totalus!" he roared. She fell to the floor.
"Your Lord is dead, and a few little spells have made sure your precious Death Eaters won't arrive in time to save you." He laughed evilly. "Avada Kedvra!"
Harry was crying. Who was this scary man and why wouldn't his mother and father move? The scary man reached down and grabbed him. He tried to get away, but the man's grip was too tight. The man grinned insanely at him. "Hope you will be more…cooperative than your predecessor. Diffindo!" Harry felt a splitting pain on his forehead…
…...
Harry jolted out of the dream, shooting up into a sitting position. Hercules was coiled around him, looking at him with worry. "Harry, you scared me when you didn't wake up. Are you okay?"
Harry shook his head and threw his arms around Hercules, burying his head in the snake's scales and sobbing. "Shh, Harry. I've got you, you're safe…" the snake murmured.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Narcissa asked. Harry flinched, not having known the Malfoys were there. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up!" he cried.
"Oh, sweetheart, that's alright." Narcissa reassured. She sat down on the edge of the bed. "That sounded like a terrible dream. Would you like to talk about it?" Draco sat on Harry's side opposite Hercules and began to rub his back.
Crying, Harry told them the events of the dream. Draco looked like he was going to be sick. "That's awful…" he murmured.
Narcissa began sobbing and Lucius wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him for dear life. Harry felt terrible about making her cry. "I'm sorry…" he murmured.
"Sweetheart, I'm not upset with you." Narcissa sniffled. "I'm am just so sad that you had to remember something that horrible." She moved so that she could wrap him, Draco, and Hercules in a hug(not an easy feat, but she somehow managed.)
Harry cuddled into Narcissa and Hercules, still shaking. The nightmare seemed to confirm what the Malfoys had told him last night; that Tom was innocent, that his parents really had been killed by Dumbledore. "T-The m-man in my n-nightmare was D-Dumbledore, wasn't he?"
Lucius nodded grimly. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yes, Harry, it was."
"Why?" Harry asked, sobbing.
"Because he's a psychopath." Lucius growled. Seeing Harry's frightened expression, he softened his tone. "I'm angry at him, not you, child." Gently, he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I am so, so sorry you had to go through all this."
"Master Lucius sir?" a tiny voice asked. Everyone turned to see Lottie and Dobby. "Dobby and Lottie heard screaming. Is everything okay?"
"Harry had a nightmare." Narcissa told them, not going into any detail.
"Lottie will bring some hot chocolate." Lottie said. It was her patented remedy for when Young Master Draco and before him, Young Master Severus, had had nightmares. She looked at the child with worry. Mistress Narcissa had let her know that Young Master Harry had been hurt badly, treated worse than the worst-treated house-elf. Hopefully with a few of Lottie's good meals and a lot of love the child would be better soon.
"Thank you, Lottie." Narcissa told her.
Lottie returned a few minutes later with four steaming cups of hot chocolate. Harry's hands were shaking so badly that Lucius had to help him steady it or else it would have spilled all over the bed or himself. Still the child was shaking too much to be able to drink it and Lucius gently took it from him, setting it on the bedside stand. "Dobby, can you bring a few vials of Calming Draught, please?" Lucius asked. Harry definitely needed one, and by the look on his wife and son's faces, they looked like they could use one too. He might even need one himself after all this…
"Yes, Master Lucius, sir." the little elf replied, popping away. He returned a minute later with the vials. Lucius uncorked one for Harry. "Here, Harry, drink this."
Harry looked at it warily, understandably unsure about drinking an unknown substance. Picking up on Harry's nervousness, Lucius explained, "It's a Calming Draught, Harry. It will help relax you."
Harry looked at Hercules, who glanced at the vial and then Lucius before giving the child a nod. Harry took it with a soft thank you and with Lucius helping him to hold it steady, quickly drank it down, grimacing at the taste. A moment later, Harry's body began to relax and the shaking subsided. Lucius handed the mug of hot chocolate back to Harry, who slowly sipped at it.
Soon, the calming draught and hot chocolate, as well as the many nights of little sleep, caught up with Harry and his eyes began to slowly drift shut. He fought it for a few seconds, but it was clearly a losing battle. Lucius took the half-full mug from him and Hercules shifted so Harry could lie down, coiling around the child again as he did. Harry cuddled into Hercules and was asleep within seconds.
"I'll take Draco back to bed." Narcissa murmured. Draco, clearly still a little shaken, was in no state to protest as his mother led him from the room.
"Lucius?" Hercules asked quietly once Narcissa and Draco were gone, not wanting to wake the child he was coiled around. "What does that…thing…want with my hatchling?"
"I'm guessing by "thing," you mean Dumbledore?" Lucius stated. He liked the insult. It definitely fit.
Hercules nodded.
"I have a few theories, but can I tell both of you later today?" Lucius asked. The snake gave him a strange look. "I'm not trying to avoid your question, Hercules." Lucius hastily assured. "But I'm not completely clearheaded right now and it will be easier to explain things in the morning when I'm more awake." Lucius sighed. "Plus, it's going to be upsetting and I don't want Harry to get woken up and be afraid to go back to sleep. He went through enough of a shock last night and he needs his rest."
Hercules gave the snake's equivalent of a sigh. "I understand and I'll wait until later. But you're not going to get out of telling me this information. I need to know it to protect Harry." His tone was firm, not allowing for any arguments, not that Lucius was going to argue with a ten foot boa constrictor.
"Hercules, I promise I'm going to tell you tomorrow. And I'm not going to allow either Harry or you to be harmed." Hercules nodded, but Lucius could tell that the snake was still trying to decide whether Lucius could be fully trusted or not. Lucius was actually glad for this. The snake's protective, suspicious nature would keep Harry safe and from falling under Dumbledore's control. Quietly, Lucius told the snake good night and left, leaving the door open a crack so they wouldn't feel trapped and Hercules could get out in the night if he needed to.
Lucius then walked into Draco's room to check on his son. Narcissa was sitting next to Draco, rubbing the boy's back as he cried.
"Everything's going to be okay, Draco." Lucius whispered, sitting next to his son and putting his arm around him. Draco looked embarrassed for crying, but then snuggled into his father. Lucius remembered himself crying to his own parents at the age of thirteen after hearing about the abuse his best friend had been through. He pulled his son closer. "I know this has to be really rough on you, having a new brother so suddenly and hearing what he's been through." Draco nodded, sniffling.
"Be assured that nothing will ever change our love for you." Narcissa murmured. "We love you so much and we are so proud of you." Lucius nodded.
Draco hugged both his parents. "Thanks." he whispered.
"Do you need a Calming Draught or a Dreamless Sleep?" Lucius asked.
Draco shook his head. "No, but can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" he pleaded.
"Of course."
A few minutes later, all three were asleep, Draco in his bed and the older Malfoys in chairs next to it.
…..
During breakfast, Hercules kept glancing at Lucius, as if reminding him of his promise. Once everyone was finished, Lucius led Harry and Hercules to his office while Narcissa and Draco went to prepare for Severus's visit. He cast Scio Serpens Oratio on Hercules; there was no doubt the snake would want to be part of the conversation. He sat down and gestured for them to do the same.
"Harry, Hercules…I.." Well that came out well. Probably because Lucius would rather be under the Crutacius for two hours than tell a child that a psychopath had sinister plans for him, then tell him what said plans were.
"What does Dumbledore want with us?" Harry asked softly. The last words of his dream haunted him."H-He said that he hoped I would be more cooperative than my predecessor; I-I think that means my parents or Tom, d-does he want to m-make me e-evil since he c-couldn't do it to T-Tom?" His words came out in a rush. Shaking, Harry clung to Hercules, who pulled him closer, as if he could protect Harry by never letting him go.
"I don't think so." Lucius told him. "But I fear he has another plan that's just as bad." Merlin, he hated telling an abused eleven year old something this horrible, but he had to so Harry wouldn't fall into Dumbledore's clutches. "Do you remember the prophecy I told you about last night?"
Harry and Hercules nodded.
"I fear he plans to bring it to life."
"He wants to set my hatchling up to fight Voldemort." It was not a question.
Miserably, Lucius nodded. "From what Sev told us, it's looking like that's his plan. But we will not let him do that to you. We will make sure you are protected, both mentally and physically, when you go to Hogwarts."
Harry started shaking and Hercules glared at Lucius. "You telling me you're having my hatchling go to a school taught by the man who killed his parents! You told me you were going to protect him!" The snake left Harry's side and rushed at Lucius.
Lucius barely dodged his strike. He had to leap on top of his desk to get out of the enraged snake's reach. "Hercules, calm down!"
"Don't you DARE tell me to calm down, human! You promised us, PROMISED US, you would keep Harry SAFE! Now you're going to send him right into the den of a predator! And to think we trusted you!" Hercules screamed, striking again. Lucius had to actually grab hold of the chandelier and hang on to it to avoid Hercules's attacks.
Harry watched Lucius's every movement and looked for something to throw if the man attempted to harm Hercules. He found a paperweight and grabbed it, leaping to his feet and joining Hercules, who told him to stand back. He had started to trust the man, had thought Lucius actually might care for him! Was that all a lie too?
The betrayed look in Harry's eyes hurt Lucius more than one of Hercules's strikes or the thrown paperweight would have. "I am trying to protect you both! Just let me explain!"
"You have ten seconds." Hercules growled.
"Dumbledore expects Harry to be at Hogwarts. If he's not, I fear Dumbledore will track him down and if he finds out what Harry knows, he will try to control him magically or…worse. If Harry goes to Hogwarts and we keep his mind protected, Dumbledore will think he is still ignorant, and we can stall his plans while myself and the other Death Eaters try to find a way to bring him down for good."
Hercules relaxed his strike position. Though he hated to admit it, Lucius had a point. Considering those letters had chased them all over creation no matter what method of escaping them they used, he wasn't sure he and Harry could hide without being found. He nodded once to Lucius and turned to Harry, pulling the trembling child gently to the floor and coiling around him. Very nearly sighing in relief, Lucius dropped down from the chandelier, going back to sit at his desk.
Harry was relieved. Lucius wasn't betraying them, he really was trying to help. But fear soon overtook the relief. He would have to go to a school taught by the man who killed his parents. And Dumbledore clearly wanted to not just hurt him, but to make him hurt someone else! What if Dumbledore hurt Draco? What if he hurt, or worse, killed Hercules? Harry's trembling grew worse and he clung tightly to Hercules. "H-How do w-we stop him? H-How d-do we k-keep h-him from c-controlling m-my mind like he almost d-did to V-Voldemort? What if h-he attacks D-Draco? What if he hurts Hercules, or….or… Hercules, you can't go to Hogwarts with me, you can't, I can't lose you, my parents and my uncle Tom are already dead because of me! I can't lose you too!" He was sobbing now, too upset to even realize he had switched to Parseltongue.
"Harry, stop talking like that! Your parent's and Voldemort's death was not your fault, and there's no way I'm leaving you!" Hercules cried. Harry was too panicked to hear him, continuing to plead with the snake to run, to get himself out of danger, and not to risk himself for Harry, saying he was not worth it. It broke Hercules's heart to know his hatchling thought so little of himself, and that he blamed himself for something far beyond his control.
"Harry, look at me." Hercules commanded, nudging the child to snap him out of his panic. Frightened green eyes met his own. "Harry, you ARE worth it. You are a sweet, kind, and smart child. I don't understand why you can't see what I see." Noticing the child still didn't seem to believe him, Hercules tried another tactic. A risky one, but one he thought might get through to his hatchling. "Harry, am I worthless?"
Harry looked horrified. "No, Hercules! How could you even think that?"
Hercules gave the snake's equivalent of a shrug. "Harry, a lot of humans think snakes are either worthless pests to be exterminated or something to shove into a cage and stare at."
"Well, they're wrong!" Harry told him fiercely. "You're kind, strong, brave, incredibly smart…" He hugged the snake, continuing to list reasons. "And you mean everything to me. I love you, Hercules! You're my best friend! How could you possibly think you're worthless?"
"I don't, Harry." Hercules reassured him. "I was trying to prove a point. Harry, you mean every bit as much to me as I do to you. To me, you're worth everything. And there are other people who care about you too. The Malfoys, Hagrid, the other Death Eaters… Why does it matter what the Dursleys thought? They're the worthless ones, not you!"
Hercules pulled the child closer. "I love you and I'm going to protect you no matter what. I told you that yesterday, remember? Harry, I know you don't want me to get hurt, but I don't want YOU to get hurt either. I'm going to Hogwarts with you." Though his tone was gentle, he made it clear that there was going to be no arguments.
"Listen to your familiar, Harry." Lucius said. Both Harry and Hercules jumped, having forgotten he was even there. "You have a lot of people who care for you and want to protect you." His tone became stern. "And your parents and Tom's deaths were NOT your fault and they would have been the first to say it. It's Dumbledore's fault. He's the one that killed them, that was at least responsible for Tom's death. Blame Dumbledore all you want to, but NEVER blame yourself." Harry nodded, but Lucius still wasn't sure if Harry believed him.
"How do we keep Dumbledore from getting inside my head and controlling me? And how can Draco, Hercules and I stay safe while at Hogwarts?" Harry questioned.
"For the first part of your question, Harry, I will be teaching you Occlumency, the art of shielding your mind." Lucius replied. "That way Dumbledore cannot get into your head and read your thoughts or control you. Draco is already proficient in the art. I will be teaching both of you offensive and defensive spells and we have many artifacts that will help shield you and Draco from mental and physical spells. Plus, you will each be given a portkey designed to bypass Hogwarts wards that will take you straight to Malfoy Manor if there is any trouble at all."
"And as for Hercules… Hercules, may I use Legimency on you?"
"What is that?" the snake asked suspiciously.
"Legimency is a spell that allows the caster to see into the target's mind." Noticing the boa constrictor did NOT look too pleased with that statement, he quickly continued, not wanting to have to hang from a chandelier again. "It will only be for a few seconds. I just want to see if your mind is shielded. I doubt Dumbledore would think to look into your mind but I don't want to take chances." After a few minutes' thought, Hercules gave him a nod. "Legimens." Lucius murmured.
Entering Hercules's mind, Lucius was stopped by a wall. He pushed on it, examined it for cracks, but it would not give. Sighing with relief, he exited Hercules's mind. "You're shielded, Hercules. I don't think anyone can get through those." Nagini too had had Occlumency shields; from what Tom had told him, most snakes did.
Lucius turned to Harry. "We have some charmed objects that can be sized to fit Hercules. They will help protect him from physical spells."
Harry nodded, relieved that there was a way to keep Hercules safe. "When will you start teaching me?" he asked.
"I'll be giving you your first Occlumency lesson tonight after dinner." Lucius replied. "Yours and Draco's defense lessons will start tomorrow." He wished it wasn't necessary to have to do this. It was like he was turning Harry into a soldier to keep him from becoming a weapon…
A knock on the door startled all three of them. "Father, Harry, Uncle Sev is here."
…...
Harry, Lucius, and Hercules followed Draco to the living room, where Narcissa was talking to a pale man with long black hair and a hooked nose. Harry immediately recognized him from last night's photographs and even if Draco hadn't been talking about his visit all through dinner last night and breakfast this morning, Harry would have known his name. As they approached, Severus turned and gave them a small smile.
"Harry, this is Severus Snape." Lucius said.
"Hello, sir." Harry whispered shyly.
Severus walked over and crouched down so he was at Harry's level. He desperately wanted to hug the child, but knew it would only frighten him. "Hello, Harry. There's no need to call me sir while we're not in school. Please call me Severus."
Harry nodded and Severus turned to Hercules, who was next to Harry, his body alert and tense, eyes locked on Severus. "Hello. You must be Hercules. It's nice to meet you."
Hercules nodded, relaxing slightly. He sensed no threat from this man. In fact he had the feeling that this Severus cared a lot for his hatchling. Still, he would not be lowering his guard completely. There were too many people who wanted to harm his hatchling, and if Hercules's intuitions were wrong, it could mean Harry's life and he would NOT let that happen.
Draco was eager for the Potions lesson to begin. "Which potion will we be making today, Uncle Sev?"
Severus let out a small chuckle. His godson's eagerness and aptitude for potions made him extremely proud. "I was thinking that since this is Harry's first lesson, we should start with the Boil Cure. How does that sound?"
Draco nodded. "Sounds great, Uncle Sev." Noticing Harry looked a little nervous, Draco placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry. I'll help you."
"Severus, can you watch Draco and Harry for a few hours, please?" Lucius asked. "Narcissa and I need to meet with Amelia Bones."
"Of course." Severus told him. Though Amelia was on the Light side, Severus knew she was just and fair, and once she found out about what that poor child had been through, she'd be quick to arrest the Dursleys and try them for child abuse.
Severus had been horrified when he had found out that his precious little "nephew" had been so badly hurt. Though he had feared that was the case, had suspected it even, it still came as a shock when Lucius and a tearful Narcissa had revealed exactly how bad it had been. How could anyone treat that sweet little child that way?
"You're leaving?" Harry whispered, bringing Severus out of his thoughts.
Lucius crouched down to Harry's level. "Harry we're going to be meeting with the Head of the Department Of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones so we can report the Dursleys for child abuse. Amelia is very just and fair; she will make sure the Dursleys are arrested and can never harm you again."
Harry nodded. He knew this was coming from what Lucius told him yesterday and was relieved yet frightened at the same time. What if Amelia didn't believe him and made him go back to the Dursleys? None of his teachers had ever believed him…
"It's going to be okay, Harry." Hercules reassured, sending him waves of comfort.
Goodbyes were said, and Lucius and Narcissa headed off through the Floo. Noticing Harry was still afraid, Draco decided to cheer him up. "C'mon, Harry!" he said, grabbing Harry's hand. "Let's go make potions!" He pulled Harry in the direction of the Potions Lab. Severus and Hercules exchanged an amused look and followed.
…...
Severus was proud; Harry was proving to be as adept a potions-maker as Draco. He had a deft hand when it came to measuring and preparing the ingredients(he balked a little at using the snake fangs at first, but with a reassurance from Severus that the fangs could be removed without pain and that they did grow back, as well as what must have been a hissed reassurance from Hercules, he quickly got back on task). The child also made sure to follow the instructions very carefully. Only minor corrections(like on how finely to grind the ingredients) were needed.
Harry and Draco worked well together, sharing the work equally. If Harry was sorted into his house, Severus would have to make sure they were paired together as often as possible.
As the potion brewed, Severus went over the first few chapters of Magical Drafts And Potions with Harry and Draco. Both boys soaked up information like a sponge, and Harry even mustered the courage to ask a few questions, which pleased Severus.
It did worry him that Harry was still so skittish around him and that his questions were barely audible, but Severus knew it was to be expected from all the horrors the child had been through. He hoped in time Harry would be able to trust him again, and they could have the same close relationship they did when Harry was a baby.
Hercules remained close to Harry the entire time, coiled around Harry's chair with his head in Harry's lap. It reminded Severus achingly of Tom and Nagini, down to the tender, protective look Hercules always gave Harry. Nagini had always given that look to Tom, and even him. She had always been the protective, motherly sort. It was strange how a snake who was someone else's familiar had been more of a mother to Severus then his own mother…
Draco nudged his godfather asking if he was okay, as the man had been simply staring at them for several minutes. Severus snapped back to reality and assured his godson that he was fine. Get a grip on yourself! Severus fiercely scolded himself. Spacing out like this during class would never do, especially when he had to go back to Hogwarts and teach a roomful of dunderheaded Gryffindors…
It was soon time for the second stage in the potion. Harry had some trouble with telling the difference between clockwise and counter-clockwise, so Draco took over the stirring as Harry added the ingredients. A near-perfect potion resulted from all their hard work, which Severus praised them for. He was greatly looking forward to having them in class, though he still worried about how to treat Harry without arousing Dumbledore's suspicions.
They were debating on making a second potion when the door of the Potions Lab opened and Narcissa and Lucius walked in. They smiled at Harry and Draco.
Severus pulled them aside. "How did it go?" It was obvious Harry, Draco, and Hercules were trying to listen in, so Lucius motioned them over.
"Amelia is sending Aurors over right away to arrest the Dursleys." Narcissa reported. Amelia had been horrified when she heard of the abuse Harry had gone through and saw the medical report and Lucius, Narcissa, and Steven's Pensieve memories. They hadn't even left her office before she had started calling for Aurors. And much to the Malfoys relief, she had allowed Harry to remain in their care. "She's not sure exactly when the trial will be but she'll let us know as soon as she does.
"So I won't have to go back to the Dursleys?" Harry asked.
"Of course not!" Lucius assured him.
"And even if she did try to send you back, I'd never let that happen. I'd just take you away with me again." Hercules said.
…...
Lucius and Narcissa asked Severus to stay for lunch, which he accepted. Afterwards, they retreated to the living room. Draco pulled out his Wizards Chess set and was teaching Harry how to play as Hercules watched. The adults sat down at the other end of the room to talk.
"How are you holding up?" Severus asked quietly.
Narcissa sniffled. "Not so well." she whispered. "Harry had a nightmare last night. He remembers, Sev. He remembers Lily and James's death!"
"Oh no…" Sev murmured. Not a thing he wanted any child to have to remember. "How much does he remember?"
"Almost everything, I think." Lucius told him. "He told us that he was in the nursery with Lily and James when a white snake arrived, telling them the wards had fallen and to get out."
"Tom's patronus…" Severus whispered.
"He said James had thrown them the Invisibility Cloak and told them to run while he held them off." The details in Harry's dream haunted Lucius. "Lily-she tried to run, but Dumbledore caught them-he had already killed James. He taunted her-he somehow found out she was in the Death Eaters- he told her Tom was dead and he had placed some spells to make sure we didn't get there in time to save her."
"It was a trap…" Severus whispered. The Inner Circle, especially Severus, had blamed themselves for not getting there in time to save Tom, James, and Lily. But now he realized that the Death Eaters not getting there soon enough was Dumbledore's doing, not their own.
Lucius just nodded. "And he killed her-killed her right in front of Harry, and then he-" Lucius's eyes widened in horror. "HE USED SOME SORT OF SPELL ON HARRY!"
Harry, Hercules, and Draco jumped about a mile in the air at Lucius's shout, Harry nearly falling off his chair before Hercules caught and steadied him.
Lucius hurried towards Harry. Why had this part of Harry's dream not registered to him earlier? What if Dumbledore had done something horrible to Harry, well something besides the horrible things he had already done? What if he had done something to Harry's mind?
Harry was shaking as Lucius reached him. Hercules coiled around him, his body between Harry and Lucius. "W-What's going on?"
Lucius tried to calm down, though it was extremely difficult. "Harry, I'm sorry I scared you, but can you tell me what the last spell Dumbledore used in your dream was?"
It was the first time Harry had seen Lucius show any emotion resembling panic. He tried hard to remember. "Diff.. Diffindo, I think. And I felt a really bad pain in my forehead. W-Why?"
"The Severing Charm…" Severus murmured.
"Can I move your bangs aside so I can see your forehead?" Lucius asked, his hand shaking. Hesitantly, Harry nodded, and Lucius gently pushed aside his bangs to reveal his lightning bolt scar.
"He must have carved that into Harry's forehead!" Narcissa cried.
"Harry, we need to get you to Gringotts." Lucius told him, fighting panic. "Dumbledore used a Severing Charm on your forehead and he may have used other spells on you. The goblins are the best in the world at removing harmful spells."
Crying, Harry nodded. Lucius picked him up and rushed towards the floo, Hercules following him.
"Narcissa, can you take Hercules? Severus, can you watch Draco while-"
"No." Draco said before Severus could reply. "Harry's my brother. I want to be there for him."
Lucius didn't have time to argue. "All right, we'll all go. Diagon Alley!"
…...
It was a disheveled and terrified group of six, five humans and one snake, that rushed into Gringotts.
"I need whoever's in charge of spell removal please. It's an emergency!" Lucius frantically told the teller.
"Sir, I'm going to need you to calm down and state your name and the names of your party." the goblin said, sounding a little irritated.
"Sorry. I am Lucius Malfoy. This is my wife Narcissa Malfoy, my son Draco Malfoy, our foster child Harry Potter and his familiar Hercules, and our friend Severus Snape."
"And what is the nature of your emergency?"
"I have reason to fear damaging spells have been used on Harry, possibly on his mind or his magic. He needs to be checked right away."
"Would the suspect be Albus Dumbledore by any chance?" the goblin asked. Lucius nodded and the goblin mumbled, "Not again…" before pressing a button and calling, "We need The Spell Removal team to Reception Desk Six immediately!"
A few minutes later, several goblins arrived. "My name is Galhook and I'm the head of the Spell Removal team. What's your emergency?" Lucius repeated the story and the goblin frowned before saying, "Mr. Potter, come with us please. And you," he gestured to one of the other goblins, "Get the Potter account manager. We're going to need him."
"Can-Can they stay with me, please, sir?" Harry asked, motioning to the rest of the group. He didn't want to go in there alone.
The goblin nodded. "They may."
Lucius gently set Harry down, but had to steady the shaking child. Galhook and the others led them to a large room with a desk, several chairs and a ritual circle. They sat, Harry in front of the desk and the others behind him. Hercules coiled around Harry, whispering words of comfort to the terrified and confused child.
Galhook brought over a small penknife and a piece of paper, setting them down in front of Harry. "Mr. Potter, I'm going to need you to prick your finger and place one drop of blood on this paper." Noticing Harry looked confused and scared, the goblin explained, "The paper is enchanted to reveal any charms or magical blocks that have been placed on you. Once we know what has been placed on you, we can remove it."
Nodding, Harry pricked his finger, his hand shaking a little. As the drop of blood hit the paper, Harry and Hercules watched, amazed, as words began forming on the paper. Once the writing stopped, the paper read:
Harry James Potter
Father: James Potter
Mother: Lily Potter(Evans)
Familiar Bonds: Hercules(Boa Constrictor)
Special Abilities: Parseltongue, Wandless Magic(Partially Blocked), Non-Verbal Magic(Partially Blocked)
Magical Blocks: Wandless Magic(50% blocked), Non-Verbal Magic(75% blocked)- Partially broken by familiar bond
Caster: Albus Dumbledore
Spells/Charms: Cast on October 31st, 1981, Caster: Albus Dumbledore
Loyalty Charm(Albus Dumbledore)- broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against snakes- Failed
Repulsion Charm against Tom Marvolo Riddle- Failed
Repulsion Charm against Slytherin House- Broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against Malfoy Family- Broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against Severus Snape- Broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against Lestrange Family- Broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against Dark creatures- Broken by familiar bond
Repulsion Charm against Death Eaters- Broken July 31st, 1991
Memory Charm(night of October 31st, 1981)- Broken July 31st, 1991
Anti-Healing Charm(focused on scar on forehead)- intact
Mail Redirection Charm(Directed to Albus Dumbledore)- intact
By the time the paper had been fully read, everyone was shaking. The Malfoys, Galhook, Severus and Hercules in anger; Harry in fear.
Harry hugged Hercules. "Yet again, you saved my life. Thank you, Hercules. Thank you…"
Hercules couldn't even respond; he was that much in shock. That monster had hurt his little one, tried to manipulate his mind against the very people trying to save him, but somehow the bond between Harry and Hercules had broken most of those evil charms without them even knowing it was happening. What would have happened had the bond not led Hercules to Harry? How far would that…thing…have gone? Would his precious hatchling have even survived? He held Harry closer, hoping the best he could do was enough to keep Harry safe.
Draco broke the silence. "Will Harry be alright?" Narcissa put an arm around him and reached up to gently rub Harry's back, tears running down her face. Lucius and Severus were so angry they couldn't speak. Dumbledore had put charms on the child to make him hate them. If Hercules hadn't bonded with Harry, would there even been anything they could have done?
Galhook nodded. "Yes he will. Mr. Potter, we need you to come into the ritual circle so we can cleanse you of the blocks. This might be painful but it has to be done." Galhook said, still shocked and angry at the extent of Albus Dumbledore's crimes against a child. He wasn't surprised, though. Not after the multitude of damaging physical spells they had to remove from a sixteen year old Thomas Marvolo Riddle…
Harry nodded, terrified, but wanting the blocks gone. He walked toward the ritual circle. Hercules went to follow him, but the goblin stopped him.
"You can't be in there with him." Galhook told the snake.
Hercules glared at the goblin. "What?! Why?" How dare Galhook stop him from being with his hatchling, especially when Harry would be in pain!
Galhook wisely moved back a few feet. He certainly didn't want to tangle with an angry familiar, especially a ten foot snake who could probably crush him, then eat him. Though he couldn't understand Parseltongue, he could pretty much guess what the snake was saying. "I'm sorry, but the magic we're using might harm you if you're there in the circle with him. You can wait right outside the circle, however."
Not wanting Hercules to be hurt, Harry quickly told him, "Stay, Hercules. I'll be fine." Harry could handle pain; this couldn't be worse than what his uncle had done to him, but he couldn't handle Hercules being hurt.
Reluctantly, Hercules nodded. Harry walked to the center of the circle and Hercules slithered as close to the circle as he could, making sure he was in Harry's line of sight as Galhook had the child lie down. The others got up and stood next to Hercules, watching Harry worriedly.
Three other goblins stepped forward. After a few words spoken in a language neither Harry nor Hercules could understand, they took their positions around the circle; Galhook at the north end, and the other three at the east, west, and south ends. They began chanting in the same strange language, and Harry could feel magic fill the room.
The chanting grew in intensity and Harry could feel the magic slamming against him, waves of pain spreading through him as the blocks protested. He tried not to scream; it would only upset Hercules and he didn't want the snake to come into the circle to comfort him and get hurt.
Hercules had never felt so helpless. Even though Harry tried to hide it, Hercules could tell he was in pain, could feel it rushing through him as well. And there was nothing Hercules could do to stop it. All he could do was try to send waves of comfort towards the child and think Harry, it will be all right soon. I'm here.
Harry didn't know how he heard Hercules over the loud chanting, but the words, as well as the comforting presence in his mind, soothed him, even as the pain intensified. With one last push of the magic, Harry felt something snap inside of him. Instantly the pain receded, and Harry felt better, stronger, as the formerly trapped magic rushed through him.
Galhook asked him if he was all right, to which Harry nodded. "Now," the goblin said. "We will remove the Anti-Healing charm on your scar. The Mail Redirection charm can be fixed outside the circle. This shouldn't hurt."
Something occurred to Harry. "Wait." he said. "I think we should leave that charm on." Galhook raised an eyebrow and Harry quickly continued. "If the scar is removed, Dumbledore will know I know the truth and he'll do something even worse. If I keep the scar, he won't know that I know his plans and he'll let down his guard."
The goblins, as well as the Malfoys and Severus, looked impressed. "Good thinking, Mr. Potter." Galhook commented. "You're right. It may be a good idea to leave the charm on for now."
Harry stepped out of the circle, and Galhook removed the Mail Redirection Charm. With some discussion they decided to redirect the mail to the Malfoy residence just in case someone sent Harry something harmful. Lottie and Dobby could easily catch and destroy any malicious letters or packages.
"Speaking of mail, I'm guessing you haven't been getting your Gringotts account notices." Galhook said.
Harry shook his head. "I didn't even know I even had a vault until yesterday. And Hagrid, who took me to get my supplies yesterday, had my key. Is that bad? I mean, I don't think he'd steal from me but…"
Galhook looked worried. "That is definitely not good. We need to see your account manager, Bardook, right away. He needed to speak with you anyway."
He led them into a small room where another goblin was waiting. A few whispered words from Galhook in the same strange language spoken in the Ritual Room, and Bardook's face darkened in rage. Harry flinched and fought the urge to hide behind Hercules.
Galhook left, and Bardook got his expression back under control. "Hello, Mr. Potter. I am Bardook, the Potter account manager. I understand you haven't been getting your account notices and that your key was never in your possession, correct?"
"Yes, sir." Harry whispered.
"Has anyone tried to take any money from Harry's vaults?" Lucius asked. Harry wondered why he had said the words "vaults' instead of "vault". He didn't have more than one vault, did he?
"Albus Dumbledore has tried," Bardook started. Harry looked frightened and the others enraged. "But I stopped him." There were audible sighs of relief from everyone.
"Thank you so much, sir." Harry murmured, grateful that the goblin had kept his inheritance safe.
The goblin blinked. Only Lily Potter, some of the other muggleborns, and Tom Slytherin-formerly Riddle and a few of his Death Eaters had been this polite to a goblin before. "Child, it's our job. We'd be terrible bankers if we let someone steal from our clients' accounts."
He went back to the subject of Albus Dumbledore and his attempted thefts. "He tried to gain access to your vaults claiming he was your "magical guardian" but I told him I needed your written or verbal permission before I could let him withdraw any money. The only thing I couldn't stop him from doing was sending a guardianship payment to your guardians, the Dursley family."
Harry was shaking and Hercules angrily hissed, "They hurt him AND stole his money? Those things need to die!"
"Please stop the payments." Narcissa requested, tears in her eyes. "Please stop the payments and get his money back. They abused him."
"What?!" the goblin yelled. In Bardook's culture, child abuse was one of the worst crimes someone could commit. Harry flinched and clung to Hercules who glared at the goblin for scaring his hatchling. Seeing his fear, Bardook attempted to calm down. "It will be done immediately. And they will be charged for fraud as well."
"And as for Albus Dumbledore, don't worry about him stealing from your account. We found a reason to ban him from this bank after he forged your signature." The goblin gave a feral grin. "It was a really stupid move by him. He tried it when you were four. No four year old's signature looks that neat. I have three children of my own and I know these things. And did he really think we were stupid enough not to recognize a forged signature?" He laughed, then continued. "Albus Dumbledore is no longer allowed to do any business with Gringotts."
"Wait, hold on a minute here! If Dumbledore doesn't do any business with Gringotts, why was Hagrid allowed to pick up that package for him?" Hercules asked. Something wasn't quite right here…
Harry relayed the question to Bardook, and the goblin's calm expression became that of pure rage. "WHAT?!" Bardook roared.
Harry shrank back from the angry tone and Hercules moved between the angry goblin and his hatchling, assuming a strike position.
The angry expression on the goblin's face softened at the child's terror. "Child, I did not mean to frighten you, but this is serious. You need to tell me everything you know."
Harry thought back, trying to remember. "We were at Reception Desk…ten, I think, I'm pretty sure it was ten, and Hagrid handed the teller this letter he said was from Dumbledore about something in vault seven hundred and thirteen. Hercules told me later that Hagrid's eyes had been glazed and he wasn't acting like himself. I don't think Hagrid's behind this, I really don't…" Harry was babbling at the end, hoping he wasn't getting Hagrid into trouble.
"Could be a compulsion charm, maybe the Imperius curse.." Bardook muttered, writing down everything Harry was saying. "Did he use or touch his wand at all at any time when he was talking to the teller?"
Harry shook his head. "Hagrid doesn't have a wand. He was expelled for some reason and it was snapped. He-He might have pieces of the wand in his umbrella," Harry felt really guilty for saying this but he couldn't lie. "But he didn't even touch it while he was talking to the teller."
"Even if he didn't a snapped wand wouldn't have enough power to use a compulsion charm on a goblin." Bardook said, mostly to himself, still scribbling things down. "Possible compulsion charm on the letter…Unless the teller was either threatened or bribed into it…" He looked at Harry. "We will investigate this fully."
"Will-Will Hagrid get into trouble? I don't think he was behind this…he couldn't have been…" Harry stammered.
"Relax, child, I believe you, but we will have to interrogate the goblin responsible and probably Mr. Hagrid. I do still have the feeling that Albus Dumbledore is responsible, wonder why?" The touch of sarcasm at the end was impossible to miss.
Bardook contacted a few security goblins and told them of the situation, and they left to go find the teller that had been at Reception Desk Ten yesterday. "We'll handle this situation. Don't worry about a thing." Bardook told the group in his office.
"Now we need to get to the next order of business. The Potter will can now be read, now that Mr. Potter is here. You'll never guess who made sure they weren't read before." The sarcasm in his voice was back.
"Should I leave?" Severus asked. He wasn't Harry's guardian; wasn't related to him in any way, he was surprised the goblins had even let him stay this long.
"No, Mr. Snape, you are a recipient in the will." Bardook told him. "Had we needed you to leave, we would have had you leave a long time ago."
Bardook opened the will and started reading.
The Last Will And Testament Of James and Lily Potter
I, James Potter and I, Lily Potter, both being of sound mind, do decree this to be our last will and testament.
If we died because our location was discovered, let it be known that Peter Pettigrew was our real secret-keeper, not Sirius Black.
If one of us survives while the other dies, the entirety of the Potter Estate and the custody of our beautiful baby, Harry James Potter will go to the surviving spouse. If both of us die, Harry will inherit the entirety of the Potter Estate, and custody of him will be awarded in this order.
1. Severus Snape(Godfather, mother's choice) and his life partner Elytron Smith-
"Wait, Lily and James made me first choice?" Severus blurted out. "And who the hell is Elytron Smith?! I do not have a life partner named Elytron Smith, my partner is, was, Tom! I don't even KNOW an Elytron Smith!"
Chuckling, Bardook answered, "Lily Potter thought you might react like that. She was the one who invented this little trick to fool Dumbledore." He tapped the paper and the letters switched around to reveal the name Tom Slytherin.
Severus smacked himself in the forehead. Wow, did he feel dumb…
"Tom Slytherin is Tom Riddle, right?" Harry asked Lucius.
"Yes. He changed his name after he graduated. That must have been the reason the Repulsion charm connected to him failed. Tom Riddle no longer exists."
Harry nodded. His uncle Sev(though he liked Severus, there was something about the man that made him feel safe; he was still too scared to call him Uncle Sev to his face) had been in a relationship with the Dark Lord. Not that it really bothered him; he just really hadn't seen that coming. By the confused and surprised look on Draco's face, neither had he. And he was still unsure and confused about the custody arrangement. Should he stay with the Malfoys? Go with Severus? Would the Malfoys be upset if he left? Did they want him gone? Would Severus even want him?
As if in response to his thoughts, Draco, who was sitting on one side of him, grabbed his hand, Narcissa, who was on his other side wrapped her arm around his shoulders, and Severus, who was on Draco's other side, and Lucius, who was seated beside Narcissa both gave him a reassuring smile.
Hercules, who was coiled on the ground, his head on Harry's lap, whispered, "Amigo, no matter what path you choose, or who you decide to stay with, I know you will always have people who want you and love you."
"Can I get back to reading the will now that the first big shock is over?" Bardook asked, not sure whether to be amused or irritated.
Everyone nodded.
2. Sirius Black(Godfather, father's choice)
3. Alice Longbottom(Godmother) and her husband, Frank Longbottom
4. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy
5. Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange
6. Minerva McGonagall
Under NO circumstances is Harry allowed to be placed in the custody of Lily's sister and her vile husband, as they hate magic and will no doubt harm our child.
To Severus Snape: We give you full guardianship of our son Harry. Take care of him and love him like he was your own as we know you will. We also award you 500,000 galleons, the vault marked Potions Supplies, the notes on the Potions projects you and Lily worked on, and James's apologies for being such a prat to you at Hogwarts.
To Sirius Black: We leave you 500,000 galleons, our share in Zonko's Joke Shop, all of the Marauders joke items, and our eternal love. Help Severus with Harry(you two can get over your grudge, we know you can) and be the amazing Uncle Padfoot you are. Someone has to teach him to be a Marauder and you're the best one for the job.
To Remus Lupin: We award you 500,000 galleons(no returning it, got it Moony?), all the plans of the pranks we played(you were the brains behind half of them, even if you'd never admit it), our share in the Apothecary, and our eternal love. Don't let your insecurities get in the way of being Harry's Uncle Moony. You know how much he loves you.
To Peter Pettigrew: If we died because you betrayed our location, we leave you with nothing but our eternal hatred. Otherwise, we leave you 500,000 galleons, those books that you were always reading every time you came to visit, your favorite chair, the painting you thought was so beautiful, and our eternal love.
To Alice and Frank Longbottom: We leave you 500,000 galleons. To Alice, Lily leaves the Herbology books she loves so much, their joint notes on Herbology projects, and her love. To Frank, James leaves his Auror equipment and the book on Defense he was always borrowing.
To Tom Slytherin(Bardook had to tap the paper again for the anagram to go back to Tom's real name): We leave you 100,000 galleons, the contents of Vault 83, and our best wishes. Treat Severus right and take care of Harry, or we will haunt you from beyond the grave.
To Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy: We leave you 10,000 galleons(we know you don't need the money, but use it to buy yourselves and Draco something nice. No give-backs!) And to Draco, Lily leaves her dragon collection that he loved to play with. Narcissa and Lucius, please help take care of Harry, be his Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luc, and teach him the culture of the wizarding world.
To Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange: We leave you 10,000 galleons(again, we know you don't need the money but take it anyway and buy yourselves something you really want) Please help take care of Harry. He needs his fun-loving Auntie Bella to teach him how to be crazy in a good way, and his Uncle Roddy to keep her from getting too out of control.
To Minerva McGonagall: We leave you 100,000 galleons. Buy the school some new brooms, Minnie, the old ones are terrible. And we leave our thanks for being the best teacher and Head Of House we've ever had.
To Rubeus Hagrid: We leave 10,000 galleons and that book on Magical Creatures(your list of potential pets) you loved so much. Keep Harry safe at Hogwarts as we know you will.
And to Harry Potter, our beloved son, we leave everything else. We love you so much, baby, and we're so sorry we didn't live to see you grow up. Always remember sweetheart, Mum and Dad love you and we are so, so proud.
Harry was crying at the end of the will reading. Here was proof that his parents had really, truly loved him. Hercules coiled around him and Narcissa pulled him into a hug.
Once Harry had calmed down, Bardook showed Harry the account notices for the vaults he owned. Harry was shocked by the amount of wealth his parents had had; the monetary gifts from the will had barely made a dent. Yesterday he thought he had nothing, now he had more money than he knew what to do with. Still, he'd trade it all in a heartbeat to have his parents back. A property list was also shown to him; he owned two properties, Godric's Hollow and Potter Manor. Lucius and Narcissa promised to take him another day to check on them.
Bardook informed him that he would become Head of House Potter when he reached seventeen. Then, he'd be able to vote in the Wizengamot, the wizarding court.
A few minutes later, they thanked Bardook and exited Gringotts. "Let's get some ice cream." Narcissa suggested. "I think everyone needs it."
Though Draco was still worried about the things Dumbledore had done to Harry, and a little about his new brother possibly leaving, he decided to act cheerful for Harry's sake. Plus ice cream did sound really good. "C'mon Harry! Let's race to Florean Fortescue!" He grabbed Harry's hand, running towards the ice cream shop.
…...
"Don't ru-" Narcissa started. But the boys were already off. Hercules shook his head and slithered away quickly to catch up with his beloved hatchling. Narcissa looked at Severus, who was looking upset. "Are you okay?"
"No!" Severus exclaimed. He lowered his voice so the other shoppers wouldn't hear. "I hate Dumbledore for what he did, I feel like I betrayed Lily and James, and I'm shocked they even chose me to be Harry's guardian!"
"Don't you want him?" Narcissa asked.
He glared at her. "Of course I want him! But if Dumbledore finds out…I don't know what will happen and I don't want Harry hurt or worse. And he's starting to trust you and Lucius, I don't want to uproot him from his new family! And…what if I'm a terrible father?"
"Sev, I've seen you with him. He loved his "Unca Sev" so much and you were so gentle, so caring with him. I know you're afraid of becoming your father, but it's never going to happen. And I know both you and Tom wanted to be parents, but the war stopped you. Now you have another chance. And when Tom comes back…"
"What if he doesn't? What if that's a trap by Dumbledore?" Severus asked. He wanted to believe Tom would come back, but Tom was human, not a god. How could he come back from the dead?
"You heard Nagini." Lucius told him. "You know how hard it'd be to manipulate or control a snake. And you've seen our marks, how they've been darkening. Somehow, some way, he's coming back."
"Merlin, I hope so…" Severus murmured.
"Sev, why don't you stay with us until school starts? That will give you and Harry time to get used to one another again. Draco will love having his Uncle Sev around all the time. And this way, all of us get to keep Harry and he doesn't have to choose between one family or the other." Narcissa suggested.
Severus thought about it for a few minutes. He did like the idea of spending more time with Harry and Draco. "All right. Thank you."
…...
Harry was running after Draco, trying to catch up with him, Hercules at his heels. No matter how bad things got, Draco always managed to cheer him up.
The ice cream shop was quickly getting closer. "I'm going to win, Harry!" Draco called, dodging shoppers. Harry laughed and increased his speed.
"Harry, look out!" Hercules yelled. Harry turned to look just in time to see he was about to crash into someone. He couldn't stop in time and bumped into the man, falling to the ground. The man stumbled, but kept his balance. Hercules rushed up to Harry, asking if he was okay, and Draco saw what had happened and came jogging back.
"I am so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to! I-"
"I-It's a-alright P-P-Potter." the man stammered, and Harry relaxed a little as he recognized the voice of Professor Quirrell, the man who had saved him from that mob that had been swarming him. "A-Are y-you o-okay?" Professor Quirrell asked, reaching out a hand to help him up. Harry gratefully took it. But as Professor Quirrell pulled him to his feet, he looked into the man's eyes and saw a flash of red.
Suddenly Harry remembered something. The red in the professor's eyes, the red eyes in the photo of Tom… The two men looked nothing alike but the eyes…were the same. Hercules realized what was going on at the same time as Harry and moved closer to the child, looking at Professor Quirrell in shock.
Professor Quirrell looked as shocked as Harry and Hercules. His eyes flashed red…and stayed red. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Lucius and Draco reached them.
…...
Lucius had worried for a second when Harry had run into the man, fearing it might be a mercenary, but then he recognized the face of Quirnius Quirrell, a Death Eater who had joined in 1980, though he wondered why the man had a ridiculous turban wrapped around his head. Probably just one of Quirnius's eccentricities. The man was nearly as strange as Bella, but he was extremely intelligent and loyal to the Dark Lord. He had already told Draco about Quirrell, but he needed to tell Harry.
He noticed Quirrell, Harry, and Hercules locked in a three way staring contest. All three looked shocked about something. "Hello, Quirnius." Lucius said, walking up to them. "How are you…"
He stopped mid-sentence as Quirnius, surprised by Lucius's sudden appearance, looked straight into his eyes. The man's eyes were red. Bright red. And only one wizard had had eyes like those…
"Tom?!"
Well, Harry finally bumped into Lord Voldemort. Literally…
Hopefully, you guys liked this excessively long chapter and aren't about to kill me for the sudden appearance of slash.
I hoped you liked my little twist on the whole goblins help Harry thing. They're not going to be fawning over him, but they will keep his account safe like they would any other customer. I did the whole Dumbledore the thief thing, but I decided to have the goblins be proactive and not have someone just steal from one of their clients, especially an eleven year old client. The goblins are on Tom's side a little, because they've had to remove spells from him when he was just a teen and knew Dumbledore's evil plans. They won't be backing him publically; they're neutral, but they will help with any spell removal, keep his identity a secret, and keep his account safe.
Draco knows about the Death Eaters and Dumbledore, but chose to go Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang, both because his friends were there and he'd be close to home in case of an emergency.
Harry may have a little extra power, but he will not be super-powered or godlike. He's still going to have to work to get to be at a powerful level. Nothing's going to just fall into his lap.
Hope you liked this! Please review!
