Blaze: new chapter
Darth: really?
Blaze: yup really?
Darth: that's awesome
Anakin: yup
Severus: yup
Harry: yup
Blaze: here is chapter 7 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated and thank you to everyone who helped me to get 71 reviews on the first six chapters. Oh and Severus's explanation of the coincidence and Lucius's suspicions are a bit AU and not likely to happen in canon but hey, I did warn you this story was completely AU and I really don't like the bad, bad Malfoys so these Malfoys are only semi-bad. The first part, as the caption said, is the day before under Severus's POV by the way.
Never Say Never
Chapter 7
Arrival At Hogwarts
The Day Before…
Severus has always known that Lucius Malfoy wasn't an idiot and the sudden appearance of a boy with the same name as the Potter boy who lost his protection when the blood wards fell certainly caused suspicion to arise within his old friend. That was why, Severus wasn't all to surprised when Lucius drew him aside to speak with him as he and Harry were getting ready to return to Hogwarts and, through the school, Spinner's End.
"There is something very suspicious about your adopted son, Severus," Lucius murmured his gray eyes glittering. "Why is it that he has the same name as Harry Potter? And why is it that he suddenly appeared so soon after Potter disappeared from his Uncle's house?"
"I am sure it is just a coincidence," Severus said slowly.
"I honestly don't think that's true," Lucius said coolly. "It can't be a coincidence that your son has the same name as the Potter boy."
Severus quickly thought up of a lie. "Harry wasn't his original name," Severus lied slowly. "His mother named him something differently but after she left him in foster care, I changed his name when I found him."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Why would you name your son after your most hated enemy?" he asked. "It doesn't seem like you for some reason."
Bloody hell, what do I say now? Severus wondered silently. "It was a spur of the moment decision," he said lamely. He was pretty sure Lucius could see straight through his lie and Severus knew he was going to hate it when Lucius was able to piece together the pieces.
Lucius snorted. "I find that highly unlikely," he said coolly.
Luckily Severus was saved from having to answer as Draco and Harry jogged over to join them. "Daddy, are Harry and Severus leaving now?" Draco asked.
Lucius turned his gaze to his son. "Yes," he replied. "I suppose they are." He glared at Severus who met the glare with a cool look of his own. "I suppose this is goodbye. You are welcome to come back anytime, Severus, with your son." He said the last part as if he knew something that either Severus didn't know or didn't want Lucius Malfoy to know. He had to hope that Lucius wouldn't be able to piece together the truth, even if he wasn't an idiot. He decided that when he got a chance, he would speak to Albus about it.
"Come along, Harry, we need to get going," Severus said glancing at his adopted son.
"'Kay," Harry said happily. He glanced at Draco. "Bye Draco."
"Bye Harry."
Harry took Severus's hand, much to Lucius's amusement, before following the Potions Professor as he led the way into the floo, calling quietly for Hogwarts and Dumbledore's office before stepping through it and disappearing with Harry just behind him.
Two Days Later…
Albus narrowed his eyes. "Are you absolutely sure he suspects something?" he asked.
"I'm not sure of anything when it comes to Malfoy, Albus," Severus replied pacing. The four-year-old Harry was sleeping on the couch in Dumbledore's office and Severus felt relieved that the boy wasn't there to listen in on the conversation between the two of them. They had arrived at Albus's office half an hour earlier but since Harry wasn't able to sleep much the night before, do to another nightmare, Severus allowed the boy to sleep for the time being. The little viper, Sarisa, was curled up on his chest and watching him with red-brown eyes as the boy slept.
"Do you think he knows that the boy is the Harry Potter?" asked Albus.
Severus shook his head. "No," he replied. "That much I know is true but he may be able to piece together the truth. Malfoy isn't an idiot, after all."
"That much is true," Albus agreed. He pursed his lips in thought. "It is also a good thing that you decided to return to Hogwarts when you did, especially if Malfoy is able to figure out the truth. Not that your home isn't protected but there is a chance that Malfoy will be able to find it."
"Yes, I know this, Albus," Severus agreed. "I knew we should have done something to stop Malfoy from suspecting something. I was too busy trying to hide the scar and allow Harry to have the childhood he couldn't have with the Dursleys," he sneered out the words as though it was a curse, "that I completely forgot that Malfoy wasn't a fool. How could I have been so stupid?"
"It is entirely understandable, Severus," Albus soothed him. "You wanted Harry to have some friends and Malfoy did invite you over so you didn't have much time to come up with an alternative."
"I shouldn't have mentioned Harry's name when we first met up in Diagan Alley," Severus growled angry with himself that he had been so stupid to not think about changing Harry's name before he met up with Malfoy.
"That is in the past, Severus, and nothing can change it," said Albus.
Severus nodded sharply before he narrowed his eyes as he watched Harry stir, blinking his eyes a few times before sitting up and gazing around. "Severus?" he called softly.
Severus glanced at the boy. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Harry nodded opening his small jaws wide in a jaw. "I'm fine," he replied before he gazed around. "Where are we?"
"Hogwarts."
"Why are we here? I thought you weren't coming back for another few days."
Severus shrugged. "I decided to come back earlier," he replied.
"Oh okay."
Albus glanced at Harry before smiling, a faint twinkle in his eyes. "Good afternoon, Harry," he greeted the small boy.
"Hi," Harry said happily before he climbed off of the couch, lifted Sarisa into his arms and walked over to join Severus. "Where are we going now?"
"To my rooms," said the Potions Professor. "Then we can get ready to dine in the Great Hall with the other teachers who, I know, want to meet you."
"How do they know me?"
Severus hesitated for a split second, unsure if he should tell the little boy the truth. "I'll tell you when we get back to my rooms," he said finally. He took Harry's hand before scowling at Albus who was smiling with a twinkle in his eyes and saying, "If you will excuse me, Albus, I am sure Harry is getting hungry, aren't you?"
Harry smiled. "Yeah!" he said enthusiastically.
Severus resisted the urge to chuckle before nodding a goodbye to Albus and leading the way out of the office with Harry just behind him.
Harry gazed in amazement at the large corridors and moving and talking paintings that made up most of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He watched as very few students walked around, dressed in trailing black robes, and shying away from Severus as the two of them walked onward.
"Why are they doing that?" Harry asked curiously.
Severus smirked. "I intimidate them," he said.
"Int…."
"I scare them," the Potions Professor amended his statement.
"But you're not scary," Harry protested. "You're the nicest man I know."
Severus's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile that faded into a scowl when two students stared in dumbfounded amazement at Harry's words. He glared at the two students and the glare was enough to send the two students running off.
"Why do you do that?" Harry asked eyes round with confusion.
"I'll explain when you're much older to understand, Harry. For now, let's get you something to eat, I can hear your stomach growling," Severus said.
Harry blushed in embarrassment when he realized that his stomach was, indeed, growling and he quickly covered up his embarrassment by lowering his head, his fingers gently ran down Sarisa's green-black skin. Severus's lips quirked again but this time he managed to repress the smile that was threatening to cross his facial features.
After dropping off his packs, Harry and Severus made their way to the Great Hall with Sarisa coiled around his arm. The Great Hall wasn't as empty as Harry had thought it would be and he found himself gazing a bit fearfully at the taller people that were gathered in the Hall. He followed Severus toward the long table at the head of the Great Hall while Sarisa hissed quietly on his shoulder.
Just before they had left their rooms to go to the Great Hall, Severus had told Harry that he wasn't to speak to Sarisa while they were eating and that his ability to speak to snakes wasn't supposed to be made public knowledge. Harry had the feeling that Lucius Malfoy knowing of his ability wasn't a good thing and he couldn't suppress a shiver of horror. He didn't know Malfoy but he automatically didn't like him even though he found it interesting to be around Malfoy's son, Draco, who was his age and the only one his age that actually treated him like a friend rather than a punching bag like Dudley did.
Severus glanced at him. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Harry gazed up at his guardian before nodding mutely, too shy in the presence of so many adults to utter a single word. Severus nodded before the two of them sat down and Harry couldn't help but gaze in open amazement at the amount of food in front of him. It was more than Severus had in his house, even though Severus lived comfortably and still fed Harry more than thrice the amount of food the Dursleys fed him.
Minerva was sitting at his other side and examined the small boy curiously. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked curiously.
Harry, naively, found himself wondering if this was all a great big joke or a wonderful dream that he would soon wake up from. He decided that if it was a dream, he hoped it was the latter rather than the first, then he should at least eat and maybe he won't wake up hungry.
Severus had already filled his plate while a scowl was plastered across his facial features, which Harry found both intimidating and funny at the same time, the first because it scared the other students and the latter because it seemed like an odd occurrence to come across Severus's face.
Harry picked up the fork and started to eat, smiling at the food before he started to eat faster, afraid that the food would disappear.
Minerva noticed this and she placed a hand on Harry's smaller one. "Calm down, the food isn't going anywhere," she said. "Slow down or you'll give yourself a tummy ache."
Harry hesitated, not sure if he should believe the elder woman that had scared him when they first met, but nodded before starting to eat slower. As he ate, he found himself thinking about Draco and wondered how the young boy was doing.
(Your guardian sssaid to ssslow down,) Sarisa hissed softly her forked tongue flickering out from between her jaws and Harry, not realizing he was eating faster than he was earlier, blushed and started to eat slower.
He glanced at Sarisa but didn't say anything, remember Severus's words and not wanting to anger his guardian. He found himself wondering if Severus would send him back to his Aunt and Uncle if he made him angry. He had to hope that his guardian wouldn't and he decided to push the thought to the back of his mind as he continued to eat.
A/n what do you think
Blaze: this is a short chapter
Darth: yeah, aren't all these chapters short?
Blaze: it makes updates easier and faster
Darth: ah okay
Blaze: and I'm sort of running out of ideas for what to do next with little Harry so I welcome any ideas in your reviews
Darth: yeah
Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 8 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon because of the fact that I am still working out many of the ideas for the plot of this story.
