Knew Father

by ImperialJedi

Summary: AU6th Year. Sevitus. Harry is a natural occlumens and has hidden the fact that Snape is his father since the age of 10. During his sixth year unique methods are used to try to kill Harry and in the process his paternal secret eventually comes to light.

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that Harry Potter and related copyrighted material is not my own. I am not receiving any monetary gain for this fanfiction.

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CHAPTER 10: Those Who Cared Knew Concern

Harry pulled the mediwizard robe up over his head before he darted in the infirmary and into Madame Pomfrey's office unnoticed. It was a small circus in the Hospital Wing, but before the show began Harry needed to get cleaned up. Harry took a quick shower and then donned a fresh mediwizard robe from the wardrobe he had searched earlier. It had seemed so long ago. There was a matching hat and Harry grabbed it as well and put it on his head on a lark.

The shower seemed to have reenergized Harry. He walked between the rows of Hospital beds taking in the current situation. Madame Rosmerta and the other staff from the Three Broomsticks were scattered throughout the infirmary. They did what they could: casting mild wound cleaning charms here and there, and offering a kind face to the injured.

Professor Sprout was helping a patient at the end of the row. He started heading in her direction when he saw an Auror robe out the corner of his eye. He turned and saw it was the Auror that he had only known by the name of David. He had been with Auror Nick and another one he couldn't really remember the name of.

"Sir," Harry said after walking up to the Auror's side. David and the patient he was with turned to look at the teen.

"Healer! You're alive," the patient exclaimed barely covering the pain in his voice. "We thought the worst when we saw the Death Eaters move in." Harry took a closer look at the man and saw it was Nathaniel.

Harry waved his non-wand hand in a placating manner. "I managed to give them the slip. How are you doing?"

Nathaniel scowled, "It's no picnic, but it could have been worse. I just wish I knew if wife and kids are alright."

"I'm sure they're just fine," David said. He turned to Harry. "I'm glad you're alright, Doc. Nick and Frank… They were caught right in the middle of things." The man paused and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "There are several people that need to be looked at," he said softly.

David patted Nathaniel's hand and then started to lead Harry to the first newly injured patient. Harry frowned looking at all of the injured and dying wizards and witches. A quick glance at his regular bed showed it as one of the few that were empty. Open just in case Harry Potter needed it…

He was safe this time. He had run out into danger, but now he was back in Hogwarts. He wouldn't need the hospital bed. He should take the sign down. It was bad karma. Harry tried to relax his muscles. They were so tense that he was getting rather sore around his neck and shoulders. In fact, Harry's whole body was quivering. It took a few heartbeats before for Harry realized that it was his hypersensitivity to magic that he'd get sometimes when he was really stressed.

The teen leaned against the cold windowsill of one of the tall gothic windows overlooking shadowy snow-covered landscape. The Potions Master was out there, somewhere. It was freezing and barren except for some dangerous magical creatures. Outside there was a man who had saved Harry more times then he could count. That man had been there for Harry, but now he was alone. It was that moment in which Harry decided he'd keep his bed reserved for Snape.

Harry trotted after David and grabbed the Auror's robe, pulling him to the side away from where anyone who could overhear. "Sir," Harry spoke. He couldn't do this himself; his place was here, helping others in need. Still he needed to know, he needed Snape to be safe. He swallowed and started again, "Sir, I was wondering if you could find someone for me… They've gone missing and I'm really worried about them. It's distracting me from my work. I'd be able to work much better if I knew someone was looking for him. It's okay if you can't, I can go instead, but I thought I'd ask just in case…"

"Sure Doc," the Auror interrupted looking down at the babbling teen. Harry felt a sudden sense of relief sweep through his body. "Who am I looking for?"

Harry's face heated up momentarily. How could he explain that he was concerned for Severus Snape, ex-Death Eater? There was nothing for it. He scrounged up the rest of his Gryffindor courage. "Do you know Professor Snape?"

The Auror studied Harry's face before answering. "Yes, he started teaching during my 6th year and was my younger sister's Head of House." Harry noted that he declined to reveal any of his feelings towards Snape, but there wasn't any outward negativity. Harry felt a bit of hope burn in his side. He had to trust David. There wasn't anyone else.

"Don't tell anybody," Harry ordered in a low whisper. "But Severus Snape is a spy for our side. He was undercover with the Death Eaters, but when they took over the Three Broomsticks they said he had gone missing. I spoke with Kingsley and Tonks, but no one from our side has seen him either."

"Very well." David agreed. "I just have one question. Why do care about that git of a professor? I mean he's a master of his field, but not the nicest of teachers."

Harry glared at the Auror, but the heavy boulder in his gut seemed to lift and fade away. He couldn't tell the man the truth, but there was a half-truth that would explain his concern. Besides he didn't seem suspicious, just curious. Harry countered the inquiry by asking another question. "Who do you think taught me?"

"Madame Pomfrey?" The Auror looked certain at first, but then started to look doubtful.

Harry tilted his head in a slight nod. "Partly, but also partly Professor Snape," he explained. "I wouldn't know half of what I do without him and I still have a long ways to go." Harry rubbed the back of his head. "So will you do this for me?"

"Yes, I will. Nick and Frank would have done the same. I'll check in every six hours or when I find something. I promise." David touched his hand the breast of his red Auror robes where the MLE patch was stitched on.

"Thanks," Harry said, gratefulness coloring his voice. "And be careful."

David merely gave a cocky salute and a subdued smile before turning on his heel and getting underway.

Something got in Harry's eyes and he blinked it away before pulling out his new wand and getting to work.

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The floo flared and out of the flames stepped Headmaster Dumbledore. He did his best to project the utmost optimism despite the heavy loses throughout the previous night and all through the day. Albus tried to think of some positive points and smiled at Auror Tonks and Shacklebolt.

"Good day Kingsley, Nymphadora," was the pleasant greeting. "How is the Auror Department faring?" Tonks scowled slightly at the use of her given name as usual.

Kingsley nodded, looking a little less tense with the Headmaster's arrival. "We're still regrouping. All the squad leaders available are upstairs and they have the latest casualty count and situation reports. We can start the meeting as soon as the Minister arrives."

"Yes, the Minister will be along in a few minutes." Dumbledore looked back at the fireplace he had traveled through. "His security detail is methodical if nothing else."

"Headmaster," Tonks said. "Harry was asking after you and Professor Snape. He's in the infirmary now."

The Headmaster felt a jolt of surprise and his cheerful countenance lost a bit of its sparkle. Harry, like all of the students, was his responsibility. Any number of terrible things that might have befallen Harry during the battles and these unknown threats quickly plagued Dumbledore's thoughts. He swallowed down the slight tang of guilt that had filled his mouth. "What happened to Harry?" Albus asked while thinking he should have made sure the castle was more secure before he left for the Ministry.

"Oh, no, Harry's fine," Tonks sputtered. "I mean, he was a mess, covered in dust and blood and all-" Dumbledore looked horrified for a split-second while Kinsley covered his face with his palm momentarily.

"Harry is helping up in the hospital wing." Kingsley spoke calmly in his deep voice, interrupting Tonks and trying to put everyone back at ease. "He had flooed in from Hogsmeade, but appeared alright." Both Tonks' face and hair colored, but she moved her head up and down briefly to confirm what the black auror had said.

The concern Dumbledore felt did not lift, but he nodded anyway. "I am glad he is well. I will see to Harry before we begin. Please tell the Minister that I will join them shortly."

"Yes, sir."

Headmaster tried to make his optimism contagious. Good morale alone could change the tide of a battle. "I feel this is the turn of the tide. We are no longer reacting to an attack upon us. Now we have a breadth of time to plan and take an appropriate course of action."

He nodded in approval of his own discourse. Then the Headmaster made his way to the infirmary to check on the Boy-Who-Lived as the two Aurors looked on.

--

Another pile of burnt and shattered wood marked the place where the cottage used to stand at the edge of Hogsmeade. The sonic explosion had blown the walls outward, cracking and splintering. Even the roof had flown straight up and then fallen, crashing down. The fire had been going and burnt a good section around it, but died out before it could spread. The snow fell gently upon the destruction in the cold night.

A man groaned. The sound came from where the study had once been. More snow fell, the sound soft and muffling. There was a grunt and then several boards and debris slid off of an old wooden desk. A slight flick of an ebony wand directed a heavy beam to lift and settle ungracefully a few meters off.

There was a pause. White flakes continued their downward journey, caring none for the magic that had taken place.

Out from under the battered desk, crawled a man. He took many slight, cold breaths and slithered over the wreckage. He was lean, with black hair and a pale face. He wore black robes and in his right hand, he clutched his wand tightly. The man slid over the cold ground and sat up against the fallen chimney.

Severus Snape growled at his situation, but could not pull together the energy to glare angrily. Instead he pointed his wand at his cloak and silently recast his improved variation of warming charm. His mind was quickly taking stock of the situation and deciding what to do next.

The Professor was surprised to have dueled so fiercely against one of the townsmen earlier. Severus had done his best to end the wand-fight, but without seriously harming his opponent. This once again proved that doing what was right was rather hazardous. A hex that Severus didn't recognize managed to catch him. If that wasn't enough, the other man had started placing a jinx upon the injury. Snape was just lifting his wand to retaliate, when there was a large explosion several lanes down.

People were screaming and shouting. Snape's opponent ran off to assist immediately, not even giving the green-masked figure a glance. Severus pulled himself up, muttering about Gryffindors. He made his way away from the action, hoping to go around the main battlefront and get fixed up before continuing his espionage. As Severus walked he started to notice that was losing sensation in various places of his body and had a tingling feeling in others.

At the end of the alley he was now hobbling down there was a drive leading to a cottage surrounded by trees and rather isolated. Severus took a slow, deep breath forcing the oxygen into his lungs. It seemed harder than normal. A slight wheezing sound escaped. Startled, but not panicked, Snape removed his mask and walked as fast as he dared down the drive. Each breath seemed to take more energy to draw then the last.

Soon he was on the steps and he exhaled in frustration at having difficultly breathing when he'd never had a problem before. This only forced him to strain to inhale. At any rate, the cottage appeared to be unoccupied at the moment. Snape knocked and then quickly bypassed the simple warding before stepping inside.

His search was quick and through. It was a strange setup for a residence. There was a sitting room, study, kitchen, water closet, and two rooms. One room as set up as bedroom with a bunk bed, but everything was very minimal and nearly bare. The other room had a large collection of muggle artifacts, weapons from the look of them. In the kitchen there was almost no provisions, and only non-perishables. They also seemed to have attempted to cook the muggle way, but it was a setup Snape certainly didn't see in his childhood.

He soon found the potions stock in a cupboard in the study. He was grateful that it was so complete and well stocked with vials of healing and offensive potions.

The Potions Master had been gathering the drafts he wanted to apply to himself when then the cottage had shook once and made as if to shake again. Snape, moving on pure instinct and adrenaline, dove under the desk. Then everything exploded. Randomly exploding cottages were not normal even in wizarding wars, especially if there was no one around. Snape wasn't sure if he had lost consciousness or not, but now he was out of the death trap.

Severus shifted and noted that he couldn't feel his legs at all any more. It was easier to breathe again, but considering he had a whole new issuance of pain from the explosion it didn't lighten his mood any. He pulled the three vials he had taken from the cupboard out of his pocket and downed all of them. He frowned when he didn't feel an immediate effect like he should have.

Using Occlumency to push aside his fear momentarily and clear his mind, Severus focused his thoughts before invoking the next spell. Out of his wand leapt a graceful, silvery doe. She pranced around the Severus for a moment and then leapt off into the woods removing the haunting shadows her glow had cast upon Snape's features.

The man cursed and shivered, feeling the cold even as he couldn't feel his extremities. The dark became darker and the snow blanketed everything. As Severus slipped into a miserable sleep he wondered if he would be seeing Lily's green eyes all too soon.

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Chapter Posted: February 21, 2008