"Arabella Figg? He said Arabella Figg?" Poppy looked at Severus in question.
"Yes," Severus nodded with his head. "Do you know her?"
"Actually, yes, I do," she said, deep in thought. "So that's where she'd disappeared to," she mumbled. Then she looked up at Severus. "You must know her, too," she told him. "She used to live in muggle London, but she worked at Florish and Blotts until she felt too old for the noise. Albus must have moved her to Surry to watch over little Harry." She took a bite of her biscuit and chewed it slowly.
"I think I remember her," Severus said, sipping his tea. "Should I ask her for help?"
Poppy looked at him openly. "Why not? She must be on the child's side – she always loved children, - and Kneazels –" Poppy smiled.
"Will you watch Harry again, so I can talk to her?" Severus didn't really like the thought of just going and asking someone strange for help with Harry. What if she would turn and inform the Headmaster?
This was help for the safety for Harry, the savoir of the world to stay alive and become the savoir. He felt himself being pulled back and forth, but nothing felt right.
"Just talk to her," Poppy interrupted his thoughts. "When you know her a little better, you still can decide if you want her to help or not. And if she can help us, in the first place."
Severus nodded. Yes, that is a good idea. He thought. He could deal with that, glad to be putting off any decisions he had to make.
They finished their tea, quietly talking about potions needed for the hospital wing until Poppy got up to leave.
- . -
After Poppy left through the floo, Severus went upstairs to check on Harry. He found him fully dressed, sitting on the window sill and staring out into the white, snow-covered garden. The forest on the other side of the hedge looked like a protecting wall from the outside world.
Severus tapped his fingers on the door so he didn't scare the boy.
Harry picked up his head to look over his shoulder at Severus. "Hello," he said, smiling shyly.
"Hello," Severus replied and he came closer to Harry to also look out to the snowy garden. "Pooh, it looks pretty white out there," he said, not really knowing what to say at all.
Harry picked up his hand and laid it on the glass of the window. "Cold," realizing it, he moved his hand away and put it around his knees. "But nice,"
Severus glanced at the hedge. 'This seems so awkward, I must say something', he had a strange feeling. He felt green eyes on himself, but when he turned his head down to look at Harry, the little boy moved his head away his eyes aiming the forest again.
"How are you doing?"
"Okay," Harry replied with a whisper.
The sky was grey and it looked like as if it would snow some more.
Severus leaned forward and moved his finger to point through the window to show something to Harry. "See that corner over there in the hedge?"
Harry followed Severus' finger with his eyes and nodded when he found the corner.
"There, all the way on the bottom of this hedge, right there, is a hole, big enough to crawl through. When I was your age, there was an Elderberry tree growing in front of it. I didn't even know the hole was there, until one time, in the spring, I saw a beautiful bird disappearing through the leaves of the Elderberry. The bird was very dark purple, and from the size, it looked like it could have been a swallow. But I don't think it was one. I wanted to know how it could disappear. I tried to find the bird, but I never did. But I did find the hole. First I was afraid, because of the story of the Elderberry tree. I sat in front of it, for hours, just to see what would happen. In the fall, the tree carried little purple-black berries and I was a hundred percent sure that the purple bird I saw before turned itself into those berries." He stopped talking and looked at the hedge outside.
"What is the story of the Elderberry?" he heard Harry ask silently and he smiled lightly.
He remembered himself sitting on the grass in front of the tree just waiting for the bird to appear again, or for any other changes. "Well, the tree," he picked up his wand and held it out in the direction of a wooden chair, that was placed next to the small bed Harry had slept in. "Accio chair," he said, and the chair came toward him. He caught it and placed it next to Harry, by his side, and sat down on it. He made himself comfortable before continuing the story – all with Harry watching him attentive.
Harry thought his story was real cool. In school, the teachers had told stories, too, when all the children behaved well. Even Mrs Figg, a neighbour of the Dursley's who watched him once in a while, had known some nice stories to tell, but this one, told by the Dad-man, was really cool. Harry thought that this would be a Dad and son thing. Uncle Vernon had told stories to Dudley, too, but Harry wasn't ever allowed to listen. So this he enjoyed double, because the Dad-man was telling the story to him alone. And just that made it special for little Harry.
"Well, the tree," Severus said and pointing to the spot where the tree used to be. "The Elderberry is a guarding tree. Its spirit is guarding one's houses and grounds, when it's growing by the house. In the old stories, it says that if you die the entrance to the 'Other-World' leads through an Elderberry tree. If you sleep outside, you should always look for an Elderberry to sleep under, because it will keep you safe. But be aware of strange spirits who might want to harm you." He smiled at Harry, leaned back and crossed his arms comfortably. "The muggles use everything of the tree for their medicine. So do the wizards, but we don't have pills or shots. We use potions and creams. When the tree bloomed, my mother made small cakes with them with sugar on top. They tasted delicious." He trailed off, thinking and remembering.
Harry wished he could have some to taste. "Can you cook some?" He asked.
Severus came back to reality, amused shaking his head. "Did you look outside, yet? There are no Elderberry blooms around this time of year. You must wait until the early summer." He was looking friendly at Harry and it gave him the feeling as if Severus' last sentence was sort of a silent promise.
"Oh," Harry said, disappointed. He looked outside again and asked after a while: "What happened to the tree?"
Severus folded his hands in his lap. "Well, one time my father had drunk too much," he continued quietly. "He came with an axe and cut the tree down. He said he couldn't hear that nonsense I was telling about the bird and the berries no more. He tried to burn the wood, but it wouldn't burn." He grinned madly.
"Because of the spirits?" Harry was very curious. 'What a story!' He thought.
Severus looked up. Harry had real interest in this story. Severus was surprised, but he could tell that Harry understood the destiny of the tree.
"Maybe," Severus moved one arm to stand it on the window sill where Harry sat on and leaned his chin into his open hand. "You think so?" he asked and saw Harry getting exited.
The little one sat up, put his legs down and his hands curled together in his lap. Harry couldn't believe his luck. Here was someone who was not just telling a great story, no, this man took him serious and even asked his opinion.
Severus was wondering about himself. Why in the world was he asking the boy's opinion? This child sneaked up into his heart without him knowing it. And now he sat here, telling him a very sensitive story about himself and was even seriously interested in this child's opinion? 'Am I mad? Am I getting old?' He wondered about himself. But while he was thinking, seriously, this little boy gave him a new thought.
"Yeah," Harry said quietly. "The guarding spirits came out, the spirits who guard the door to the 'Other-World', and they made it so that the tree can't die. Who would guard the house, the ground and the 'Other-World' if the tree wouldn't be there anymore?" Harry looked away from the snowy garden into Severus' face. "And who would guard you?"
Severus' first reaction would have been to jump backwards – literally – and close up. He was getting too vulnerable. But he caught himself just in time. This little one was the one who'd touched his heart, his soul before. And he just did it again by asking this innocent question. He felt as if Harry had come to him for a reason, and because of that, he was not allowed to push him away. It was like Harry was a spirit himself. He had to think about this later. Now, he pushed this overwhelming situation away and instead of answering, he just changed the topic.
He continued the story: "Every year in the spring, my father would walk to the stem of the tree to cut down the new tribes. After years, he dug out the root. A couple of month later, my mother died." He paused, wondering to himself whether he had any regret telling the boy this. But, for some reason, he was sure Harry understood.
Suddenly, he felt a little hand searching for his, taking and holding it. He felt himself silently comforted and calmed.
"Did you ever go through the hole?"
"No," Severus shook his head. "I always was afraid I would end up in the 'Other-World', since it wasn't guarded anymore. And then I got too big and didn't fit anymore."
"What happened with the bird? Did you ever see it again?"
Severus looked down at Harry's hand in his without seeing it. He was mindlessly caressing the top of the little hand with his thumb. "No," he said quietly. "I've only seen it when the tree was standing. With the fall of the tree, the bird left, too, and never came back."
"Don't you have a book of birds?" Harry asked. He was exited to find out more about the Elderberry bird. "Maybe if you knew what kind of bird it was, it would come back and bring a new Elderberry tree?"
Severus looked up surprised. "Yes, I have a book on birds…"
"Well, can't we look?" Harry interrupted. He jumped off the window sill and crossed the room in a hurry. By the door, he turned around to look at Severus, who was still seated in his chair, as if stunned. "Aren't you coming?"
"Yes," Severus replied. "Yes." He stood up to follow Harry down stairs into his library.
Well, it was actually his living room, a very small dark sitting room; the walls were completely covered in books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather. It held more books than the average home library. In the middle of it were a forest green, threadbare sofa and old armchair with a small, rickety table, grouped together. A candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling. One side of the sofa was facing the fireplace, the other side, the stairway up. In the back of the room were two doors. One small one that led to the hallway, and a bigger one that opened to the small dining area and the kitchen.
Harry placed himself carefully on the sofa and watched Severus closely while he searched for the book. There were shelves on all sides on the walls, all the way up to the ceiling, filled up with books. Harry had never seen that many books in a living room. 'Did the Dad-man read them all?' He was wondering.
Finally, Severus pulled out a very big, dark-brown leather book, pictures of rainbow coloured feathers all over. "Magical and Unmagical World of Birds", it said, written on the top. In small lettering on the bottom, the author's name, Raymond James, stood out. Severus took the book and sat down next to Harry on the forest green couch.
"All right, let's see." There were so many pictures of birds; there must have been thousands. Some moved, some didn't. Severus showed Harry how to use this book. "You can tell which birds hold magic in them and which don't. See, the ones who have magic show it by moving in the pictures. The ones who aren't magical don't move in the book either."
There were several categories: water birds, near shore birds, doves, woodpeckers, birds of prey and perching birds. Half of the book was just perching birds. Then they were sorted into families. "Don't let this confuse you," he said and showed Harry the sanctuary of some birds.
A bunch of beautiful birds were shaking and stretching their wings.
"Hey..." The little Boy stared on the moving picture in awe. "Did you see that too?"
"See what?" The older wizard had to suppress a smile. He couldn't remember his first encounter with moving pictures, since he had been too small, but he did remember his mothers books, he often looked at and read until his father burned them. At least some of them.
"They... they are... are moving..." Harry was almost whispering. One colourful bird turned his head looking directly at Harry and spread it's wings, as if it wanted to fly to him. The young boy was so surprised, he jumped up on the sofa, touching his head. "I see it, I see them, I know I see - they are moving! Am I ... ?"
Now Severus was chuckling openly. "No, you are fine Harry. I see them too."
Slowly the little boy calmed down and with a little mistrust sitting back next to the older wizard. "They're moving..."
"Yes," grinning mischievously the man moved the book towards Harry. "I know they are moving. That's magic. And this one here seems to want to be your friend."
Still cautious Harry touched the little moving bird carefully. "Can I feed it?"
That made Severus laugh. Feeding a moving picture of a bird in a book... sweet. "It's just a picture, Harry. You can't feed it. But let's see what it's brothers alive would need to eat, shall we?"
Enthusiastic the child nodded his head and Severus turned the page.
"Look," Harry pointed on a picture with a swallow on it. It had a red face and a yellow tummy. "That's a pretty one." And he started reading the name of the bird underneath. "Ba… Barn… Sw... Swall… Swallow – Barn Swallow." Proudly he looked at Severus, and Severus looked encouraging in return.
"Yes. And look, there it is – the Elderberry bird. And it could be either magical or non-magical. – Interesting." Severus pointed on a dark purple bird on the bottom of the page. It had the colour of the black berries from an Elderberry tree, giving a purple shine on the sunlight in the picture.
"P… Pur… Purple Ma… Mart… Martin – Purple Martin." Harry read proudly.
"Purple Martin -" Severus repeated thoughtfully.
"Do you know this bird?" Harry asked Severus and looked at him as for waiting of a new story. Severus turned to Harry, fully aware of the hopeful look.
"I am the potions professor at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. And I know the stomach feathers of this bird as we use them for potions. Most of the healing potions contain one or two feathers in them. I should have known." Severus said in wonder, shaking his head inwardly to himself.
Harry nodded and very carefully turned the page to see more birds. Severus relaxed again and together they sat on the sofa, looking at birds.