A/N: I know that the prevailing theme in some of my stories is the 'reassignment' of children from one parent to another. I don't believe children should ever have to suffer with abusive relatives or caretakers, so in my worlds, since I am supreme goddess, I get to do what I wish, to ensure the happiness of the children in my stories. I've seen too many news stories where children are taken from abusive parents, the parents are sent to 'counseling', get the children back and either beat them to death or beat them until they are permanently damaged, all because the courts believe that the children are 'better off with their natural parents'.
Congratulations! It's A Boy!
"Hey, Theo? How're things going?" Hadrian asked the other Slytherin as they meandered to the Great Hall for dinner. Since the severing of the parental ties and Severus becoming his legal guardian, the shy, awkward boy had begun to blossom. Having all kinds of friends from all the Houses helped to teach him that everything wasn't as his former parents had presented, and he was excited for every new day.
"They're great, Hadrian," the brunet enthused happily. "I knew coming to you for sanctuary wouldn't be a mistake. Thank you for all of your help and support."
"No need to thank me, Theo," the raven replied with a smile. "It was incredibly brave of you to come to me in the first place; exposing yourself like that to potential embarrassment or ridicule takes a lot of guts."
"Thanks," the other preteen responded with a shy smile. "It feels wonderful to be part of such a close-knit group like you have."
"You didn't have any friends growing up?" Hadrian asked softly.
"Not really," Theo replied with a shrug. "I was never allowed; I was only allowed to be friends with people of whom my stepmother approved. She never found anyone 'good enough' for me, so I was alone a lot. The house elves did what they could to soothe my loneliness and isolation, but Isabella would find out about it and punish them. Eventually, even they stopped wanting to be my friends."
"Wow," Ron said as he came up to the pair. "That's really sad. Your stepmum sounds like a right bitch."
"She was," Theo managed to stutter out amidst the shocked laughter that had overcome him.
"Well, now that she's no longer a part of your life, you can relax and be yourself for once," Pansy chirped as she and the rest of the group came upon the boys. The gang finished making their way to the Hall, finding seats at the Hufflepuff table, to the delight of the 'Puffs and the Slytherins. Things were going well, and many of the other Hufflepuffs had joined the conversation when a hush fell over the Hall. Hadrian hunched his shoulders as he felt a malevolent presence hovering over him. Turning his head, angry emerald met icy cobalt as the raven and the headmaster had a staring contest.
"Mr. Snape," the old man growled lowly through clenched teeth, "you well know that you are not permitted to sit at any table but your House table." His glance took in the others, barely registering them before he returned his glare to Hadrian. "That goes for all of you. Return to your House tables at once, or I will be forced to assign detentions and take points."
"Why?" Hermione barked harshly, startling the old man, who had assumed that she would be the first to dart to the Ravenclaw table, not wanting to incur the displeasure of an authority figure. "What harm is there in sitting at another House table and enjoying a meal with your friends? After all, this is a school, not a war zone. There's no reason that we should remain segregated from each other. How are we supposed to learn about our fellow students if we can't spend time with them?"
"That's a really good question, Albus," Minerva said into the shocked silence. "After all, it's been proven that the Dark Lord is well and truly dead, so there's no need to foster separatist attitudes anymore. The Death Eaters are gone, and their children are free to choose new paths for their lives. If that includes joining with members of other Houses to break bread and commune, then there's no harm in it. I, for one, am tickled pink that everyone wants to get along. If we'd have had this sort of attitude when Voldemort attended the school, perhaps he wouldn't have turned out as badly as he did."
Albus Dumbledore stared at his second-in-command, stinging from her bitter betrayal. She simply smirked at the old man and sat down, but not before giving points to Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for their efforts to band together as a united school. It started as an isolated clapping, somewhere in the vicinity of the Slytherin table, before it snowballed into raucous cheering and clapping, with the stamping of feet and the pounding of fists. "Three cheers for professor McGonagall," was shouted into the din, making the old tabby blush as everyone raised the cheers into the rafters of the Great Hall, startling a fair few owls, who had come to roost amongst the ceiling joists to enjoy the warmth and chatter. Chagrined, Dumbledore returned to the head table, churlishly snapping at a couple of the professors when they tried to engage him in conversation. That child spites me at every turn, he thought angrily. I believe I'll start on Mistress Carthwright this evening; get the ball rolling. It's a shame that she no longer carries the influence of the Nott name, but perhaps she will gain some prestige on her own, acting as an 'agent' of Voldemort himself. I'm sure that she'll provide a good villain for me to fight against, and she'll also give me some good entertainment. I'll keep those plans for testing Harry's bravery on the back burner for now. They may come in handy further down the road.
"Issabellaaaaah," the voice hissed in her ear, startling the ever-loving hell out of her. She jumped, squeaked, and turned in place, frantically looking for the ghostly voice that had just whispered to her. Spying what looked like a vapor near her library, she hesitantly followed it into the room, eyes widening as she saw a spectral form of her Lord. Instantly she was on her knees, head bowed to the floor.
"My Lord," she whispered reverently, shivering with ecstasy.
"Risssse, my precious," the specter whispered. "I have come to you to charge you with a great tasssk. I need you to resssume my exalted misssion, and sssave the wizarding world from dessstruction."
"How, my Lord?" she asked as she stood. "Your Mark had disappeared from your faithful after that bastard Snape and his idiot cohort Malfoy destroyed you. In fact, since the magic of the Mark is gone, that means that the Dark Lord is gone. How is it that you're here?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the wraith, wand in hand and a spell on her lips.
Damn, Albus thought frantically as he tried to come up with an answer. Hadn't counted on that bit of news to come back and bite me in the arse. "I took steps, should this circumstance come about. I have placed an artifact in my family home that will ensure that, should I pass beyond the mortal coil, I will be able to return as a spirit, to continue my honored quest. Now, my faithful languisssh in Azkaban; I am not able to free them, and neither are you. You mussst ssspearhead a new quessst, and bring in a new batch of faithful who would follow you, asss my voice in the wizarding world."
"That still does not explain how you are able to come to me, since my Mark is dead. Without your magic on which to focus, you should not have been able to find me." Her suspicions rose, as did her wand, as she glared at the apparent imposter. God damned woman, Albus fumed. She's too smart for her own damned good. Too suspicious, as well. Nothing for it, I suppose.
"Do you think that I would not be able to find your magical sssignature? Esspecially sssince you were one of my favored? I know all of my people by their sssignatures. Being a wraith hasss not dimmed my powersss at all. You would do well to remember that, Isssabella, and not quessstion me again." Dumbledore made sure to infuse a fair bit of fury into his voice, and flexed his magic a little, just to ensure that the woman would cease her incessant suspicions. He received the results he wanted, smirking inwardly at Mistress Carthwright's quick acquiescence.
"I am honored, my Lord," Isabella whispered, bowing her head reverently. She was about to ask him how she would accomplish such a monumental task, but he winked out of existence. She panicked for a moment, thinking that he'd gone for good, but then was comforted by the faint feel of his magic. That the signature was disguised didn't occur to the woman, nor did it occur to her to question why he would choose her, instead of one of his other freed Death Eaters. I have a purpose once again, she thought as she made her way to her bedroom. The manor was one that had been in her family for generations, and she was grateful that she was able to access it, once she had been evicted from the Nott property. I must do as my Lord asks, and return the wizarding world to the paradise it had once been, before all the mudbloods and halfbloods barged their way in.
Albus collapsed back against his chair, breathing heavily. I am getting far too old for those kinds of magics, he thought, his head muzzy from exhaustion. The seeds are planted and she will do all she can to forward Voldemort's agenda. I'm glad that I was able to sample a bit of her magical signature when she came to the school for the standard parent-headmaster meeting; something I did with all the parents, in case I needed the sample for some purpose or other. Tom's signature is all over the castle, so using a bit of it was no problem.
Finding her was a bit of a bitch, though. I hadn't known that she was displaced from Nott Manor. Fortunately, my scrying spell a few weeks back was a success, and I was able to locate her once again. I'll just reinforce my commands once a month, and she will make a perfect patsy to elevate me in the eyes of the wizarding world once again.
It was mid-October, just two weeks before the Samhain solstice, and Hadrian and his friends were ensconced in the Potions Master's private rooms, doing their homework and chatting amiably. Theo looked around at all of his friends, then looked at his guardian, before he stood and approached Severus. "May I help you, Theo?" the dour man asked softly, concerned at the look of sadness in his charge's eyes.
"I…I wish you were my father," the boy finally whispered, blushing. "You take really good care of me and don't curse me. You don't hit me, and you teach me things I need to know to survive in the wizarding world. I'm fed well, and no one makes fun of me. I have friends who really, really like me. I feel safe and welcomed when I'm with you."
"Thank you, Theo, for telling me this," Severus replied equally quietly. "I have the adoption forms already made out, and they're waiting at Gringotts for our signatures and blood. Whenever you're ready to be claimed as my own, we will go and finalize everything." Nott's eyes brightened considerably at the information, before his face fell, sure that Hadrian wouldn't want to share his father with anyone else. He turned, ready to go and sit back down in the chair he'd vacated, sadness spiraling through his heart, when he stopped dead at the wide grin on Hadrian's face.
"I've always wanted a brother," the raven said happily. Draco looked at his best friend angrily, and the brunet was quick to reassure. "You're more than a brother to me, Draco. You're part of my soul. You were there when I needed you most, always. But Theo…" Hadrian looked back at Nott, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "I would love it if you were my brother, Theo. Please?"
"Hello, professor Snape," Ragnok grumbled as he looked at the man and two boys before him. "I see you are here to expand your family." The goblin considered Theo carefully before nodding slightly. "The bond goes both ways. I am pleased to see that. All that needs to be done is for Heir-Lord Nott to sign here," the preteen picked up the blood quill and scrawled his name across the parchment, "and for professor Snape to sign here," Severus placed his signature under Theo's. The paper flashed white before three copies appeared. Handing one to Severus, the goblin intoned gruffly, "Congratulations, professor Snape. It's a boy."
"Hey, Dad?" Hadrian queried as he came into his father's office one day. The dark man nodded his head at the preteen, finishing up the grading of the first year essays before joining his son on the sofa in front of the fire. "You remember when that Gryffindor sixth year flung that killing curse at me?"
"I do," the man growled lowly, still incredibly angry at the thought of someone trying to kill his boy.
"Well, I was reading about the unforgivables in one of the books you gave me, and it says that shields are no protection against the killing curse. That it's unforgivable simply because there's no protection against it."
"Yes?" Severus replied, a curious brow quirked.
"Well, Dumbledore was able to put a shield between me and the curse, and it was deflected. If shields can't protect against that spell, then how did the headmaster's shield save me?"
"Good question, son," Severus responded with a proud smile. "It was a combination of many factors. Firstly, the sixth year most likely didn't know how to use that curse to any great effect. He needed more power behind the spell, as well as more Darkness than he wields, so the curse he sent was a far weakened version of the Avada Kedavra. Make no mistake; had that curse landed, you would've been in a world of hurt. Secondly, Albus Dumbledore is one of the most powerful wizards to have ever been born. I'm sure that, when he saw what his precious lions were doing, his panic lent his shielding a little extra power, which deflected the curse away from you. Thirdly, I believe the magic of the castle lent some of her protection to the shield as well, so that, should the curse have been at full strength, it would still have been deflected."
"But no shield is capable of protecting against the killing curse," his son argued.
"That is true, but you must understand something. Hogwarts has been around for many centuries, and within that time she has absorbed untold amounts of magic from the students who graced her halls. As well, the Founders imbued her with their strengths, as she was meant to provide protection and sanctuary, as well as a magical education. I daresay she is probably the most powerful sentient building in the whole of the wizarding world. You could not be better protected anywhere else."
"I'm glad," Hadrian said, surprising his father. "I love this old castle, and all the magic she holds. I feel very at home here within her walls. She makes me feel safe and protected." Lady Hogwarts, hearing the child's heartfelt words, sent a wash of soothing, protective magic over the preteen, making him shiver at the unexpected caress of magic to his skin. "Thank you, dear Lady," he whispered with a small smile.
You are very welcome, she whispered into his mind.
Serena and Sylvan's young had hatched, and were squirming and hissing happily. It was time for Ron, Neville and Hermione to choose their protectors. At first, the trio thought that they'd have to have Hadrian around to translate for them, but the raven reassured the three, telling them that, as they spoke to their serpents, the snakes would learn to speak and understand them. They hissed right now because that was the way their parents had communicated with them.
So it was a happy Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff that stood around the nest, looking with awe at the beautiful viperlings squiggling and twining around their parents and each other. The first of the brood to make a move toward the new students was a pure white snakeling. It had no striations or markings on its body at all, and its eyes were a pearly grey. It made a beeline for Ron, hissing joyfully, its forked tongue flicking out and leading it toward its new master. Ron knelt and held out his hand nervously, smiling and giggling as the little snake wound around his wrist and quickly climbed his arm to his neck.
"Hello," he whispered softly, a finger caressing under the young one's jaw. "My name is Ron."
"H…hello, Won," the snake hesitantly repeated. "I happy to meet you."
"Are you a boy or a girl?" At the confused look, Ron glanced at Serena, who hissed the question to her youngling.
"I am female," she responded.
"I would like to name you Pearl, because you shimmer and glow just like a beautiful pearl." Before he could continue, another snakeling wound its way toward him, hissing loudly. He knelt down more confidently this time and held out his hand to the dark grey serpent. It, too, wound itself around his wrist and climbed his arm to his neck.
"I am a girl, too, Ron," the snake said in near perfect English.
"I will name you Darkness, because you can blend into the darkness and surprise enemies."
Hermione, meanwhile, had two serpents of her own, both male, which she named Gnaritas and Sagacitas, which were Latin for knowledge and intellect. One was light grey with striped bands encircling his circumference all the way to his tail; the other was a rose color, with diamond markings in red down his back. Neville received one of each; he named the male Virtus, which meant virtue or courage, and the female he named Lacertus, which meant strength or vigor in Latin. His serpents were twins; they were coal black, with faint white spots all down the center of their backs, and their tails were tipped with very thin white rings.
"As long as you talk to them regularly, they will learn how to speak English very clearly," Hadrian chirped, happy that his friends were now protected. "If you run into trouble, just come get me. I'll help you translate whatever it is you're trying to get across to them, and help them understand what you're saying."
"Thank you, Serena and Sylvan, for gifting us with your remarkable offspring," Neville said quietly with a low bow. "I am honored by your regard." Quickly, the other two mimicked the Hufflepuff's actions, all receiving a bow of the serpents' heads in response.
"You are very welcome," Sylvan said. "You are all considered family by our master, and as such need to be protected."