A/N: So since you all were wonderfully patient and all the awesome comments inspired me, I have a new chapter and just a little bit longer than the last. I also would like to know what type of confrontation would you all like to see?
Disclaimer: If I was Rowling I would not be writing fanfiction.
Chapter 10
Severus came back to himself with the feeling of Harry gently flowing from his mind like the slow ebb of water receding from the shore. It was a distinctly odd feeling and he pressed his fingers to his temple as he reoriented himself. Severus blinked rapidly a few times in the dim light before focusing on the boy standing in front of him.
The image of the gorgeous man from the memory superimposed itself over the beautiful boy before him for a moment then dissolved into nothing. He knew however that the man was only gone temporarily and he looked forward to the day that this child grew into the man. He shook his head mentally; it was all very confusing because the boy was only an illusion and he really need to get out of his own head and have a drink before he got lost in thought.
Severus braced himself and stood without a sound his knees cracking loudly in the silence. "I believe it's time we all retreated to our beds for the evening." He straightened his robes and looked down at Harry. "You have given me much to think about. We will meet again tomorrow evening one hour before curfew in my office." He waited long enough for an affirmative response from all three boys before turning and retreating down the tunnel that lead back to the entrance to his office. At the door to the dungeons he nodded shortly to the muttered good nights and made his way to his own personal quarters.
...
As soon as the portrait closed behind Severus he stripped off his robe, tossed it over the back of a chair without his usual care and immediately went to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a healthy tumbler of Firewhiskey which he then tossed back quickly. He relished the burn as it went down and he breathed in a steady breath as the warmth settled pooling in his stomach calmed his nerves. With a once again steady hand he poured another glass and walked across the small den to slump down into his favorite comfortable chair, took another fortifying sip of his drink and set it down to press the heels of his hands to his eyes.
There was too much to ponder on and he wished he had someone to talk his thoughts through with. If this had been any other time Severus would have fire-called Lucius; his longtime friend and lover had always been the one he went to for everything but due to the terms of the vow he had no choice but to muddle through it all on his own. The bright spot in everything Harry had revealed to him was the fact he had brought up Lucius' name with no prompting so he had hope that Lucius would be brought in on the secret and if he wasn't Severus figure he could always persuade the young man into thinking that it would be a good idea to.
Severus wanted more than anything at that moment was to retreat to his bed with a vial of Dreamless Sleep but there were just so many things circling in his head he didn't think even a sleeping potion would help. So he tried to order his most immediate and pressing thoughts.
One, Harry Potter wasn't anything like he thought or imagined he'd be and not only that apparently he had memories from the future. Two, the Dark Lord listened to him, he did as Severus request for the most part and gave Lily a choice; something he never expected. Three, Harry was going to revive the Dark Lord and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He knew now he couldn't follow along with the Headmasters plans since that would lead to Harry's death, even though he would survive and now he had another question to add to his ever growing list of things he wanted to ask the young man; how did he survive the Killing Curse twice?
He was ashamed at his past/future actions and he wished he could curse the him that berated and bulled a child, the him that made a vow but let a child walk to his death without even trying to find an alternate solution to the problem. This whole evening had been a humbling experience and while he didn't exactly like the feeling he wasn't going to forget the lesson anytime soon, if ever.
He knew even as the boy asked for his help he wouldn't deny him no matter what Harry asked. He still had no intentions of telling him no and he had no problem helping Harry with his mission to save Magic, Severus was just weary about helping to bring the Dark Lord back. He had heard many stories about him; from when he was still a student and house mates parroted their parent's words in the common room.
He remembered hearing from Lucius, Regulus and Bellatrix, their parents all fanatical followers, about how handsome and charismatic he was. The Dark Lord was so powerful his Magic would fill a room as soon as he entered and could make you feel what he was feeling or wanted you to feel and he was a visionary. They spouted his ideals and Severus wanted to follow, he wanted to belong even though he didn't think he would be welcome because of his blood status. But when Lucius brought him to the Dark Lord the first time all he saw was someone just barely more than a man but not quite the monster he'd seen in Harry's memories, that didn't matter when he was welcome with open arms by the Dark Lord and after that moment he had belonged to someone, something, bigger than himself and he made sure to prove himself. Severus did so well proving himself he moved up in the ranks quickly until he was appointed the Dark Lords left hand man, only answering to Lucius and the Dark Lord and that was the proudest moment of his life.
Then the prophecy happened and when he found out that the Dark Lord would be going after Potter and Lily, he bowed and begged for her life never once thinking he would be heard, listened to. He went to the Headmaster and did the same thing if only to save Lily, the sister of his soul. From there it was a far fall from what he believed to be prestigious heights. He started serving a master that was biased, instead of brewing potions for the love of the art he now taught children who had no interest in his passion and then Lily was killed; the Dark Lord was gone and so were many of his friends and colleagues, though Lucius and Narcissa stood by him no matter what. He was thankful Lucius and Narcissa never condemned him for his decision, to them family was everything; they understood why he went to Albus.
His thoughts were getting him nowhere fast. The only action he could take was be as helpful as he possibly could be and hope that Harry knew what he was doing and things would turn out well in the end. He would keep his vow this time and protect him to the best of his ability; he would be whatever Harry needed.
…
Back in their shared room the three boys were shuffling into their night clothes while speaking quietly.
"Do you think he'll help?" Blaise asked, sitting on top of his now closed trunk.
"I can only see one reason really why he wouldn't but even if he does not he won't oppose us. I guess we'll find out tomorrow either way, there's no point trying to predict what the Professor will do he's always been a bit of a mystery." Harry pulled down his covers and climbed into bed.
He covers a wide yawn with his hand when at the exact same time Theo blurts out a random question, "How old are you exactly?"
"Physically I am actually 11 but mentally I'm over 500 years old." Both their eyes widen in either shock or surprise, Harry's not sure which but when Theo attempts to ask another question he hold up a hand halting him before he even has a chance to utter a sound. "You can ask whatever you would like tomorrow I'm just too tired for a Q&A session tonight. Just know that I don't know everything and that there are just some questions I won't answer because I can't."
Theo seemed to be thinking over what Harry said when he nodded sharply, "That's acceptable." And Blaise just answered with a quiet 'alright' then burrowed beneath his blankets. He Nox'd the lights once they were all settled and thought of Nidhogg fleetingly but didn't worry too much since if he hadn't made his way to Harry by tomorrow night they would probably find her with Angitia when they visited the Chamber again.
…
Harry knew the questions were coming and although he really wasn't looking forward to answering them all he had prepared; he was just thankful they waited until he had drained a cup of tea and started on his breakfast beforehand.
He looks up from his plate at Theo who, for the most part is blank faced but can't keep the excitement from shining in his eyes, "You are obviously proficient in wordless and wandless Magic, how long did it take you to lean?"
Harry's fingers twitched against the table as he cast a silent subtle privacy ward around the three of them. "You actually learn how to cast wordlessly in seventh year and as long as you know the theory it's really not that hard to accomplish, it is just a matter of practice. Wandless Magic on the other hand is much more difficult and took me years to master in my former life because not only do you need to know the theory behind it but you must also have willpower, imagination and be able to connect with your Magical Core which requires a great deal of meditation; I never did have the patience to sit still for long periods of time. This time around only took me about a year to master both since I knew how, I just needed to practice."
"Would you teach us?" Blaise asked eagerly.
Harry stopped mid chew and thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe we should have enough free time to at least start you both on the basics."
The two younger boys halted their questions long enough to finish their food while Harry surreptitiously noted the storm brewing. He caught sight of no less than five of his house mates glaring maliciously at him. The confrontation was coming and he was betting that it would happen either that night or the next; most of these Slytherins weren't as cunning or as subtle as they thought they were.
When Harry, Blaise and Theo were finished eating and no further questions were asked, Harry dispelled the privacy ward and stood to go to their first class with his two new acquaintances following.
They didn't have much time to talk during their first class since they had Potions. They stood outside the classroom mostly apart from the typical house quarrel. Malfoy and Ron looked remarkably similar from a personality standpoint, once you took a moment to watch with no bias; granted Malfoy had better comebacks but that still didn't change the fact that they both acted like spoiled brats no matter the house.
It was odd for Harry to watch his former friend be torn down by someone he once hated but with the distance of time and his resolve to stay away from those who he knew would not understand why he was doing what he was doing, it was fairly easy to ignore the friendship they once had and focus on his current goals.
Blaise leaned into his shoulder to whisper to him, "I'm curious, what house were you in before?"
A smirk curled his lips as he nodded to where the Gryffindors were grouped together. Blaise choked slightly then huffed a laugh. Harry's smirk widened he knew exactly what the boy was thinking but before he could answer the unasked question Snape came stalking down the hall his robes flaring behind him and halting the bickering going on. He opened the door and ushered the students in with a glare.
Harry wasn't sure why but the Professor stuck to his original speech, except instead of him putting Harry on the spot he chose to pick on the Gryffindors, mainly Ron and Neville, and when they couldn't answering any of his question he went around to various Slytherins who answered all questions correctly earning them 10 points for each answer.
It was much nicer to be on the other side of his poisonous looks and sharp tongue, and for once Harry thoroughly enjoyed Potions. It didn't hurt that he could brew the Boil Cure in his sleep so he was free to observer, ogle, the Professor at his leisure. He couldn't help but to notice little things he'd never thought of before like how he really wasn't all that greasy first thing in the morning and did the man ever really relax; Harry thought back to all their past encounters and realized that Severus always held himself a certain way and his face was always closed off. He noted these absent thoughts but pushed them to the back of his mind for the time being. The class went by fairly fast after that and once they had finished and bottled their potions they were dismissed.
In the hall on their way to the next class the questions started again, though silently. All it took was a cocked eyebrow for Harry to sigh and answer. "What most people don't bother to think about or acknowledge is that every person has the required personality traits to be sorted into any of the houses. The house you do get sorted into just depends on which trait you have in abundance over the others."
"We all want knowledge but whether it's to just know or to gain power depends. We are all loyal but what are we loyal to? Family, a cause or a house. There are many forms of bravery such as facing your fears head on or knowing that it's okay to run from a battle you can't win. Who is more cunning a Gryffindor who gets away with a brilliant prank or a Slytherin who can talk their way out of trouble. We carry all these traits and more but over time people change and grow, when I was first sorted I was told that Slytherin would help me on the way to greatness but due to the influence of some prejudice people and Malfoy's initial introduction I begged the hat to place me elsewhere." Harry flipped his hand in a 'there you go' gesture and entered the next class.
They departed from the History of Magic classroom to make their way to lunch where the Q&A session was sure to continue so once again as they sat slightly apart from the rest of the Slytherins, Harry re-cast the privacy ward around the three of them and gestured for them to continue. This time it was Theo who started, "Do you have any plans in motion yet?"
Harry shook his head. "The only plan in motion right now is reviving the Dark Lord. I have plans and idea written down but nothing is set in stone until I meet with him. He is after all one of two major sides in this war and make no mistake, no matter what anyone thinks, the first war never really ended since the Dark Lord didn't really die. This will be a continuation but I'm hoping that I will be able to steer him into a slightly different direction from before. I understand that there will be death and destruction but it doesn't have to be needless."
"So you know where he is?" Theo leaned forward with a slightly manic gleam in his eyes. It was a little odd to see in someone so young but Harry internally shrugged it off. It was bound to show up in some of the hardcore followers and their family members.
"He's here in the castle." He answered casually and watched them almost drop their mask in the Great Hall. That little nugget of information silenced them long enough for Harry to eat a few more bites of his food. After a few minutes of stunned silence it looked as if they had nothing to say about the Dark Lord being in the castle with them but theirs expressions went a little more blank and they sat just a bit straighter, Harry hide a smirk behind his goblet of juice.
Theo gathered himself and took a sip of his drink before asking his next question. "What changes would you like, or are looking, to implement?"
"For?" Harry questioned not exactly sure what Theo was asking.
"The school or Ministry or both."
Now he understood, "Add or bring back classes that have been done away with, replace some teachers and start an apprenticeship program to start with for the school. As for the Ministry there are too many things to list that need to be changed and corrected, to list."
Theo and Blaise leaned forward just a little bit more, excitement fairly shimmering in the air around them. "What classes would you add?" Blaise quietly voiced as if the privacy ward was not surrounding them.
"Well, back when Hogwarts first started accepting students one of the core classes was fencing which not only taught how to use a sword and disciplined the body, but also helped with dueling; speed, structure and stature. Spellcrafting, how to create a spell and the theory behind the Magic. There was no differentiating between dark and light Magic so there was a class for Magical Arts and Theory as well as Ritual Magic. Not to mention that there used to be clubs for Dueling, Wizard Chess and Gobstones just to name a few."
"How long would it take to do all that?"
Harry glanced up from his plate at Blaise. "First we would need a new Headmaster since a few of the classes and clubs were demolished because of him and he is also the one who interviews and has final say over who gets hired. Some laws would need to be overturned or changed because of the government separating Magic into categories and outlawing the use of certain types."
"That's...Quite a bit of work." Blaise said appearing slightly worried. "How are you going to manage to change laws?"
Harry hummed lowly wondering exactly how much he should tell them and decided he'd keep most of his ideas to himself until he discussed everything with the Dark Lord and if he wanted his followers to know then they would. "I can't say right now but I do have a few ideas how we could go about it, I just need to talk to the Dark Lord first. He may want it done differently."
They nodded, it made sense since no one wanted to go against the Dark Lord. Then again this was Harry Potter and the one person right then willing to bring him back. They got up to follow Harry to Charms both enthusiastically stuck in their own thoughts and wondering how things were going to change in the near future. Hopefully it would be as good as it sounded coming from Harry.
Blaise and Theo seemed to have run out of questions and once Charms ended they went back to talking about inane things in between each class; that is until dinner.
Once seated at what was becoming their usual spot, Theo pulled out a book and proceeded to read while Harry made more notes in his journal. Harry glanced up over the rim of his glasses at Blaise who he could feel staring at him. He closed the book and dropped the quill he was sing on top of it. "You might as well just say whatever it is that's on your mind."
Blaise hesitated but eventually started talking. "I just had a thought but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me asking a personal question?"
Once the privacy ward was back up he wave a hand at the other boy to continue.
"Well, you said you lived over 500 years, did you have a family?"
Harry rested his head on the palm of his hand and mentally shrugged it's not like telling them would hurt anything and it was like he'd keep that a secret for any reason. "Yes, I married Ginevra Weasley once I graduated from the Auror Program. We ended up having three children, two boys and a girl. She died at the age of 182 and I faked my death almost a year later, I did however keep an eye on our children and grandchildren for a number of years after."
Theo had stopped reading when Harry answered Blaise' question. "Will you pursue her again?"
Harry shook his head. "I had spent my entire life doing what everyone expected and by the time I graduated from Hogwarts I had become so used to doing it and wanting to be 'normal' that I just couldn't and didn't want to do anything else. So I became an Auror just like my father, I married a woman that reminded everyone of my mother and had children. I loved her but not like I should have, I never regretted my family but I won't go there again. I am doing what I want, what I believe to be right this time, and I won't let anyone put blinders on me again. Not only that but I prefer the male form much more than the female form." Harry smirked at their wide eyed stare.
Purebloods were such prudes. No homosexuality was not discriminated against in the Wizarding World but in pureblood society you were expected to wed in order to have a child to carry on the family name and Magic and once the was a child or two, if the parents agree they had liaisons discreetly and lived their life like that. Harry scoffed silently, so much for that way of thinking almost all family magic had been inbred out. But there was hope for them if they listened all the proof they would need is the Blacks, just look at Tonks, the first metamorphmagus in decades.
"But, what about an heir?"
Harry pointed a finger at Theo, "That is a very good question. I'm sure you remember me telling you about the muggle science that studies DNA?" They both nodded. "Well that's not all that muggle science has accomplished. They have procedures that can help women who are having trouble conceiving, carry a child. There is also a procedure for those who are sterile or homosexual so that they can have a child of their own; It's a complicated process but they have a woman who is willing to carry the child for the couple. The only problem with the whole procedure is that usually the child only has the DNA from one of the couple and the rest of the DNA is from a donor. I have a plan to see if we could change that with potions or a spell. For now though it's all ideas and hypothetical situations."
"Wow that actually sounds like a great solution, even if I only understood about half of what you said." Blaise chuckled lightly.
Theo nodded agreeably, "I have a few acquaintances, since their parent's marriages were arranged, they have a mistress or lover on the side. It would help if what you said about inbreeding was correct and would probably make many happier. Most of our parents will be arranging our marriages within the next year or so and like you I prefer the same and I've known since I much younger."
Blaise shrugged gracefully since they were confessing and all, "I don't think it matters much to me but I would be happier to pick the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. It's just arranged marriages are something all purebloods grow up knowing is going to happen."
Harry tilted his head in acquiescence. "I understand and I'm working on trying to change that way of thinking, it's just going to take some time. There are too many people in the world who do not like change and will fight it every step of the way."
Harry stood to finally make his way to the Slytherin common room where they could finish their homework before meeting with the professor. Theo and Blaise follow silently behind; there really was no way to disagree with him since they both knew he was right.
They sat at one of the free tables to finish the three essays they were assigned. Harry completed his faster than the two boys but he sat patiently and help when he could but it really wasn't needed, they were both very smart. Things went slightly downhill as they were packing their things up to leave. Draco, the self-proclaimed Prince of Slytherin sauntered his way to them followed by his co-conspirator. Harry had been hoping that they would hold off a little bit longer but maybe it was better the confrontation happened now since he was going to try to get Severus to sneak Lord and Lady Malfoy into the castle so he could speak to them.