McGonagall came forward and Harry saw her lips tighten. "Mr. Potter."
--
"Mr. Potter. Where have you been?" She said as she stepped up to Harry. She folded her arms and her already thin lips disappeared. Harry glanced at his grandfather and the overprotective vampire motioned for Harry to answer. Another quick glance at Snape gave him a quick nod.
"Rossia." He said. McGonagall raised an eyebrow while a snort and a whispered "Speak English" came from Mikhail.
"Sorry." He told her, more aware of his accent now than ever before. "Russia." He said with a shrug.
McGonagall whirled around and performed her best glare. "Russia?" She spluttered at Snape. "You took him to Russia?" Snape gave an amused look.
"What is wrong with Mother Russia? Is much better than this dreadful… England." The vampire said to McGonagall while looking around as though afraid something would crawl on him. Harry noticed his brother lean into his grandfather and bury his face while his shoulders shook. Harry realized that his brother was laughing. Snape only lowered his head.
"Do you have any idea how long we searched for this boy?" McGonagall demanded of Mathias.
"Three years." Mathias told her while investigating his claws. "Give or take a month." He said with a dismissive shrug. "Is just little bit of time. No big deal." Harry noticed his brother burrow deeper into his grandfather's back while Snape gave a little chuckle. Harry even smiled and let out a little laugh.
His little laugh caused McGonagall to round on him with another glare.
"Harry James Potter." Harry started at the sound of his first name. It did not seem to fit him any more. "How can you laugh? You were missing for three years. We didn't know if you were alive or dead, much less where you were! And with him!"
Harry felt old habits come up and he dropped his head. He had somehow disappointed her.
"Ivan!" Snape snapped from his position where he was still surrounded by aurors. "Remember who you are now." He said in Russian. "You are not the Gryffindor pet anymore!"
Harry raised his head and nodded to his father. He and Snape's relationship had grown closer once the man had actually listened to Harry about his fame and feelings. Self-esteem exercises for both boys had followed on the heels of Russian lessons most days until they both stood up for themselves.
"Professor McGonagall." Harry noticed his grandfather raise an eyebrow and a claw. Harry shook his head. "While I appreciate the idea that you worried over me, it was not needed. I was well-protected and have been well-trained." He said, almost struggling to get the English words right. It was odd. He'd been speaking Russian for two and a half years. English just felt strange now. "You are not my guardian and therefore should not have been concerned."
"That is beside the point." She told him. "I was your Head of House for six years. Also, you are the Boy Who Lived. The entire Wizarding World is wondering where you have been."
"It is none of their business." Harry snarled at her. "Nothing I do is their business." Harry said as he turned to his grandfather. He was done defending himself to the wizarding world.
Mathias reached out and pulled Harry to him. Harry wrapped his arms around the vampire. He took a deep breath and found the familiar scent of his grandfather- honeysuckle and must. Dyedushka rubbed his hand over Harry's back a few times before nudging Harry behind him. He took one large step forward and raised a claw. "Eenie, Meeny, Miney, Mo. Catch auror by his toe. If he holler, eat him whole-" He counted off each with a point of a claw.
"Otsa." Snape said with a fairly amused tone and smirk. "No." He looked behind Mathias and rolled his eyes. "What have I said about betting?"
Harry and Draco raised their faces with innocent looks. "Not to do it." Draco answered.
"In front of you." Harry said softly, meaning for Snape to hear him. Snape only rolled his eyes and shook his head. Children.
Mathias left the aurors and turned back to the Headmistress. He bent down and reached for Mc Gonagall's wrist. He slowly brought it up to his lips and gently kissed it. He sniffed as he kissed, then raised his face up to smile at the lady. "Madam, I must say, your perfume accents your blood perfectly." Mcgonagall's eyes widened in a sense of being flattered with a touch of fear. "It is like…the fragrance of the flowers used to stimulate the senses before a bountiful buffet."
Harry and Draco dropped all decorum and collapsed in laughter. Snape chuckled a bit and shook his head.
"I am tired of this mess." Mathias announced to the group at large. "He was following orders of Dumblydore wizard. White hair, long beard. Him." He said with a shrug. "You may release my son." He said to the Order while pointing at Snape.
Harry and Draco pulled themselves from the floor. "It's true, you know." Harry commented. "Even the whole 'kidnapping' me 'thing.' Harry said as he started going towards the kitchen. Well, it was planned, Harry thought to himself. He had not known originally, but Snape had explained everything after the first year. "Knew about it!" Harry said with a bored tone. "And you said I couldn't keep a secret." He told Snape.
"There was evidence to the contrary." Snape said while looking towards the heavens with a wandering stare.
"I smell food." Harry said while perking up.
"You're hungry?" Molly Weasley asked with a wide smile.
"When is he not?" Snape groaned.
"To the kitchen. I've got some soup ready, and sandwiches won't take long." She said as she went down the hallway to the kitchen.
"We're watching you." The head auror told Snape when McGonagall nodded for them to release him.
"I do not doubt it." Snape told the man with a nod. He motioned to Draco and followed his father towards the kitchen.
Mathias stopped inside the door. "Mikhail, you make good Russian tea." Mathias snapped his fingers and a samovar appeared on the table. Harry snickered. Draco was always stuck with that job. Harry was just hopeless at making tea.
--
Later that evening, after everyone had gone to bed, Mathias crept through the halls of the Grimmald Place residence. It was to be his home…at least for a time. As quiet as a mouse, he scampered through cobweb strewn rooms and a rather well stocked library- although he noticed that there were only a mere fifty books on vampires. Not nearly enough.
As he started to creep downstairs to fetch a midnight mouse, he was stopped by a ghastly portrait. The skeletal old hag seemed to think she was something special, and kept muttering something about "mudbloods" in her house.
"Dear lady, what ARE you talking about. I assure you, my blood is quite pure."
The portrait spewed forth filth and utterances about…merlin help her…servant vampires.
"Me…SERVANT?" Mathias asked incredulously. "I think not. I am king…you are not even puny English mortal!" His eyes glowed with the fires of a thousand hells.
Nearby, Harry stepped out of his room, having been awoken by the exchange. "Dyedushk-" he stopped. His grandfather was dealing with the Black matriarch. He settled himself down in the hall. There was no way he was going to miss this.
"So you think that you are special portrait? You and your foolish mortal magic." Mathias took a deep breath as if preparing to roar.
The Black matriarch muttered something about the strength of the magic in the house and that she would never be removed. Everyone having tried had failed.
Mathias then let the air rush from his lungs in a force that made Harry's hair blow about his head. Harry turned to look towards the portrait. At one moment, the portrait was fine…in the next, the portrait burst into flames. And then, suddenly…disappeared.
Harry jumped up and lept into his dyedushka's arms. "You did it, Dyedushka!"
Mathias smiled smugly. "She was too big for own britches."
Harry laughed. "I love you, Dyedushka."