The Headmaster

Professor Dumbledore was sat at his desk, filing through paperwork and incendio-ing howlers and complaints. He didn't have time for obnoxious, know-it-all people, even if he was one himself, or so some people said...

A knock at his door brought him out of his demolishing fest and he hastily removed all evidence of the ashes. Waving his wand to admit his guest entrance, he was unsurprised to see Severus Snape, his potions professor.

"Ah, my dear boy. Have a seat, won't you!" the ageing man said, beckoning said man into his office with an exuberant wave of his hand and a deceptively warm smile. "What is it I can help you with?" As if he didn't already know!

Albus Dumbledore was the leader of the light - the side of the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named - and the most powerful wizard of his time. He defeated Grindelwald, but for some reason wasn't up to the task of destroying Voldemort, the current Dark Lord. No, Albus was leaving this one up to a rather small, bespectacled teenage boy, one with a name you may have heard of: Harry James Potter.

He knew the boy would survive, as it was prophesied, that it would be either Voldemort or Harry that died, and Harry, as much as Albus hated to admit it, was magically powerful. Small in size but big in confidence (not that he knew otherwise anyway), and the only person who had survived the killing curse in all of history.

Albus had been watching the boy very closely all his life. Of course he knew about the so-called 'abuse' the boy suffered from, but really, it was for the greater good. The more he hated them, the more anger he had, and henceforth more emotional power to fuel his magic when it came to defeating the Dark Lord. So yes, the headmaster knew everything, even down to why Severus was visiting him right now.

"Thank you, sir." Severus sat down on a rather large, red and gold high-backed chair facing the headmaster's desk. There he began to speak, getting straight to the point of his visit, not being one to beat around the bush. "I would like your permission to adopt Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter - to become their legal guardian and keep them from any further harm, as it were. The Potter boy has been quite severely abused from a young age, and Draco from the age of five or six too. They need to be kept with someone who is willing to keep them safe and guide them in the right direction - to the light, if you will."

"I wish I could let you, my boy, but as circumstance has it, Harry is safer with his aunt and uncle. They may not be the best people, but the blood wards around their house keeps him out of Voldemort or his Death Eater's hands. Young Mr. Malfoy, however, I do admit would be safer with you. You have my permission to adopt him, if it is your will. Harry, however, must stay where he is."

The headmaster spoke with such finality that Severus knew there would be no reasoning with him. He'd have to get Harry some other way; there was no way he was letting him go back to the Dursleys.

-0-

Severus, after parting ways with Albus, paced back down to the dungeons, where he knew his boys were safe and sound. He was trying to come up with some way to persuade the headmaster to let him adopt both boys, but was coming up short. He knew Dumbledore knew of Harry's abuse, and was furious. Harry would be safer away from both him and the Dursleys, and he was going to find a way to make it happen.

For now though, he'd reached his quarters, and was watching as Harry was royally thrashed at wizard chess by his godson. He made a mental note to tutor Harry in the art of the game later.

"Hello, boys," he spoke from the doorway, startling the blond and the brunette. "I hope you've not been up to any mischief while I've been gone?" He raised an eyebrow, the quirk in his lips giving him away. The professor did have a sense of humor, despite his hard exterior.

"No sir. We've been playing chess since Harry woke up about an hour ago. I've beat him 3 times so far, haven't I, Harry?" Draco said smugly, although in a joking manor so as not to offend his friend. Harry didn't like it when Draco was snobby. He much preferred the real, genuine side of him.

At that moment, Harry felt it time to change the subject. "So... How did it go with Professor Dumbledore, sir?" he asked, referring to the conversation Severus had told Harry he was to have, and did have, just a moment ago.

"I'm afraid he has only permitted the adoption of Draco," at this, the blond haired boy beamed, "but you, I'm afraid Harry, are desired to stay with your mongrel relatives. I will find a way out of this - not all hope is lost, don't you worry. I have a plan..."