Chapter 10. Starting Over and a New Brother.
Author' s Note: Hi guys I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but I had to do some figuring to get this to work out. I know some of you guys are tired of seeing Harry with Severus, but I want him to be with Bronwyn more often. Usual disclaimer. No, I don't own Harry Potter but am only playing with him. Now a short quiz. Reread chapter 9 and tell me why I had Hermione play "Three Little Maids from School." How did It connect to the Harry Potter films? If you can name the movie reference and what actors appeared in Harry Potter, I will dedicate a chapter to you. Also, if you want to see anything in a future chapter PM me and let me know!
Severus stayed up very late that night thinking about what his mother's portrait had said. Finally, he went downstairs to speak to her portrait.
"Mother can you stop being so cryptic and tell me what I need to know about Potter!?
Eileen looked at him exasperated. "Severus for a smart man sometimes you can be very dense. James Potter was your third cousin on my side. Julia Prince married Matthew Potter years ago. That makes you and Harry fourth cousins. Now do you understand?"
Severus collapsed into an armchair. To say he was surprised would've been the understatement of the millennium. He and Potter were related? It couldn't be.
He got up and took the family genealogy out of the bookshelf. Sure enough, there it was. He is related to Harry Potter. He sat back down staring at the page. Finally, he looked up at his mother saying "Bronwyn showed me some things from his past that was very disturbing. He is living with Lily's sister and her family. Petunia has always hated magic and is treating the boy very badly." He dropped his head in shame. "I haven't treated them very well myself. I see his father time I look at him. His father with his mother's eyes. I'm no better than Petunia!"
Eileen looked at him, saying "The past doesn't matter now. What does matter is what you do about Harry."
Severus stood up saying "I have an idea, but I'll need Bronwyn's help. Good night mother."
He went back to his room and spent the rest of the night planning out what he would do next.
The next morning he went into Bronwyn's room where Tillie was helping her to dress. "I'll do the rest. Please tell Wormwood to have breakfast ready in the conservatory." Tillie nodded and popped away.
Severus put on her socks and trainers saying, "You have to help me with something today." Bronwyn looked at him curiously. "How would you like Harry to live with us?" Bronwyn's eyes lit up. "Really! That would be so good!"
Severus smiled and put her in her chair. "Let's have breakfast and will talk about it." They went to the conservatory where a breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomato, and toast was waiting for them. There was also milk for Bronwyn and strong coffee for Severus. As he prepared Bronwyn's plate, he said "Harry is staying with friends of his, and we will be seeing him today. The Weasley's have a lot of children but they are nice, and Mrs. Weasley will love to meet you. I have to talk to Harry about coming here to stay. You will be coming with me."
Bronwyn nodded "is this because his family is doing bad things to him?"
Severus nodded. "Yes but that's not all. It seems that we are related. We're his cousins on your mother's side of the family."
Suddenly Bronwyn's eyes darkened, and the china on the table began to rattle. Severus could feel her magic flowing around them and said "Relax child, will going to try and make things better for him. I have to talk to him first, and if he agrees, I will go to his family and get them to sign over his guardianship to me. I will leave you with the Weasley's if I have to do that. You can take Snowflake with you if you like."
Bronwyn nodded, and they spent the next hour eating their breakfast and talking about how things would be if Harry agreed to live there with them.
After breakfast, Severus and Bronwyn went to the Floo. Severus scooped Bronwyn up shrank her chair and put it in his robe pocket and picked up a small backpack that held Snowflake's toys. He covered the little dog with a blanket to keep the soot away from her eyes and nose and stepped Into the Floo saying "The Burrow!" In an instant, they ended up in the Weasley's parlor. Molly came out from the kitchen saying, "Why Prof. Snape, what a nice surprise!" Her eyes lighted on Bronwyn as Severus enlarged her chair and placed her carefully on it. "Why this must be your niece that we've heard so much about! Hello dear, I'm Mrs. Weasley, and I am very glad to meet you."
Bronwyn looked nervously at Molly but at her uncle's nod, she knew it would be all right and smiled. "Hello." She said softly. "I'm glad to meet you. This is my puppy; her name is Snowflake."
"She's very pretty! Why don't you go outside with all the other children? I know you already know Harry, but the others would love to meet you too."
Severus knelt down next her saying, "Go on Harry will introduce you. I will be out in a few moments."
After she had left the room, Severus turned to Mrs. Weasley and said, "I know that Harry and Ron are good friends. Has Harry ever mentioned to Ron what his home life was like?"
Mrs. Weasley looked very uncomfortable. "Ron and the twins took their father's enchanted car to Harry's house two weeks into the holiday. They told me that there were bars on his window, and his uncle tried to keep him from leaving. I didn't think much about it at the time, but all of Harry's clothes looked so large on him, and he is very thin and small for his age. Ron says he won't let anyone see him with his shirt off and is very skittish even around the boys."
Severus felt his temper ignite. He knew Petunia very well since they were children and he had met Lily and told her that she was a witch. Petunia hated that and called them both freaks and tormented Lily all the time. He knew that Lily would not have wanted Harry to go to the Dursley's, and he felt a boiling anger at his inattention to the boy because he looked like James Potter.
"Molly, May I talk to Mr. Potter privately? I've recently discovered that we are fourth cousins from my mother's side, and therefore we are related. I also promised Lily that I would look after her son. I would like to talk to Harry, and if he agrees, I will take over guardianship from Petunia."
"Of course Professor. I will tell Harry that you would like to speak to him privately. You may wait for him in Arthur's study."
He walked into Arthur's office and sat down behind the desk. As he waited for Harry, he contemplated what he would say to the boy. He knew he would have to go slowly and carefully, and tried to explain to Harry their relationship and his friendship with his mother.
A moment later, the door to the study opened, and Harry walked slowly in. He closes the door, and Severus used a Privacy charm.
Harry sat down nervously in the chair in front of the desk. Severus noted his extreme interest in the carpet on the floor. He gave a sigh and began. "Harry, I have a great deal to tell you and also an apology to make to you. First of all, I want you to know that I am extremely sorry for the way I have treated you this past year. When I looked at you, I could only see your father and we were not very good friends in school. I was very good friends with your mother. In fact, we met when we were nine years old, and I was the one who told her about Hogwarts and that she was a witch. I also knew your Aunt Petunia, and she was cruel even then. We were friends in school until I said something I regret a great deal and she started seeing your father. However, we eventually became friends again, and she told me when you were born that she wanted me to look after you. I tried to get to you after your mother died but the Headmaster had already taken you to your aunt. He kept assuring me that you were all right, but I should've gone to see you myself. For that, I am truly sorry. When you came to Hogwarts, I should have seen that you were malnourished and that your clothes were only good for the rubbish bin."
Harry raised shocked eyes to the Potions Master. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It seemed that the Professor was trying to help him. That couldn't be true could it? He was always very careful not to let anyone know how things were at home, but it seemed that not only did the professor know about it, he understood it. He looked into his teacher's eyes and saw compassion there.
Swallowing, he said "Sir… I'm all right it's just that my aunt and uncle say I have to earn my keep, and I have to work hard so they will keep me."
Severus sighed. "Harry your aunt and uncle were given money every month to be able to take care of you comfortably. There was no reason for you to "oh earn your keep" as you say. They had plenty of money to take care of you."
Harry shook his head rapidly. "But they said I was a waste of space, a freak not worth anything! They told me they were taking care of me out of a sense of duty."
His teacher quickly stood up saying, "Mr. Potter that is the furthest thing from the truth I have ever heard. You are not a waste of space or freak, and I do not want to hear that phrase from you again. Is that clear?"
Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, Sir." A look of fear entered his eyes. He was not supposed to tell anyone about what happened at home and here he was telling his most feared teacher what was going on. But wait, didn't he say he had known his mother?
"Did you know my mother, Sir? Can you tell me something about her? Hagrid told me a little."
Severus gave a small smile. "I can and will. However, I must also tell you that quite to my surprise I have found out that you and I are fourth cousins. It seems that one time a Potter married into my mother's family the Princes."
Harry's mouth dropped open. That meant he had more relatives than just the Dursley's. "Does that mean Bronwyn and I are related?"
Severus nodded. "Yes. We would like you to come and stay with us if you are agreeable. Bronwyn says she would love to have a big brother. You did not have to decide right away since I realize this is quite a shock. Think it over carefully. One thing I can assure you of is that you will have good food, clothing and things you should have had long before now. I will never beat you as your uncle has done and that that you will receive appropriate punishments for misbehavior. If you say that you wish to stay with us, I will go to your aunt and uncles and have them transfer your guardianship to me. This should not be a problem since we are related."
Harry's eyes filled with tears. Severus knelt down next to him and tipped his head so he could look directly into his eyes. "Harry I am very sorry for the way I treated you. It was inexcusable, and I should have seen that something was wrong. That is part of my responsibility as your teacher. It will be my responsibility as your guardian, and I will take it very seriously. I give you my Wizards Oath on that." He raised his wand, saying "I, Severus Tobias Snape do swear on my magic to care for Harry James Potter as if he were my son." A Golden rope shot from his wand and wrapped around Harry's waist it then disappeared leaving Harry feeling very happy. Ron had told him that a Wizards Oath was very powerful and that if it were broken, the wizard who gave it would lose his magic and his life.
Harry jumped out of the chair and threw his arms around Severus saying, "Oh yes Sir I would like very much to stay with you and Bronwyn if I am not a bother."
Severus sighed. "Child, you will not be a burden in any way shape or form. You are a member of my family, and I take that very seriously. Besides, even at my strictest have you ever known me to break my word?"
Harry thought about that. He had to admit that even though Snape was strict and acted like he didn't like him he had never broken his promises or his word.
"When can I come, Sir? Do I have to wait until the Dursley's sign the papers?"
"No, you can come now if you like. I will talk to the Dursley's myself." His eyes glittered, and Harry thought with a shiver "Boy I do not want to be Uncle Vernon when the Professor gets hold of him!"