Chapter Eleven: Of New Alliances:

Alvin was not sure what had changed or when, but when Severus came to visit he was polite to Harry and the boy was not only polite back but friendly as well. Something had changed and he was not sure what, but Harry treated Severus we the deepest respect now and Severus was almost fatherly to him. Sirius was not too happy with that but, as he wanted to keep his godson happy he tolerated it, only just. Harry was really looking up to Severus, and at times his behavior annoyed the older man to no end, but he tolerated it. Which was strange, and Alvin was sure if Severus wanted him to know anything he would tell him later.

A more public change had come when Sirius bounded into the sitting room on Christmas morning and handed a copy of the Daily Prophet around. It declared him free and cleared from his trial the day before. Harry had shouted in joy and hugged him, but he was not happy straight after when Sirius, taking one look at the secondhand clothes he was wearing said they were going shopping, the very next day. Harry refused Harrods and insisted on Selfridges, he turned to Alvin and Mary and asked them if they liked Selfridges in the states. This drew a blank look from the two Americans and so they ended up joining in a shopping trip (the Stones under glamor charms just in case), and Harry bought only a few things, some jeans, tee shirts new trainers and a suit. Yet it was Virgin Records that got him really excited and got the store to have two young grunge inspired twenty something come and help him buy a ton of cds.

So now back at Grimmauld place Harry staggered from his room humming The Boxer a Simon and Garfunkel classic. He had a fine collection of albums of all kinds from early classical all the way through Kiss From A Rose by Seal that had come out this year. Still he could not rival Mary's collection, no sir, he had around six hundred cds, and though a huge amount of music, it still was not close to the one thousand albums Mary had and played all the time. Still, he had music, music he always wanted living in a dark dreary cupboard as a young boy. Now he had it he wished only to marry Ginny and have a happy ever after.

He came into the sitting room where Alvin had just sent his children up to bed and was working on lesson plans. Harry took a seat across from him looking pleased with himself, as well he should be. It was at this time a very worn out and weary Severus Snape dragged himself into the room. Harry called for Dobby who on seeing Severus popped out and in again with a cup of tea and teapot. Once Severus had a seat he took the tea and sipped at it smirking and Alvin could smell why, the house elf had added a dash (or two or three) of something stronger than tea. Severus settled back with a sign with Harry hovering over him.

"I am not going to break you annoying brat." Severus snapped but no malice in his voice. "Nothing happened."

"I saw what she tried to do to you sir." Harry said, "she dead?"

"No, but close, the dark lord was not pleased." Severus said, "you saw that?"

"I did sir, I can see what he does most of the time, I am not sure I like this." Harry said, "he had no right."

"Snape what are you doing to my godson?" Sirius snapped from the doorway, "leave him alone."

"He is being nice to me." Harry said glaring at his godfather, "leave him alone."

"Why? Sniv-."

"Enough!" Remus said in a manner no-one had heard from the mild-mannered werewolf, ever, "I have kept my peace to keep the peace but no more. Sit down Sirius, now and listen to me."

"Why Moony I do believe you are PMS…."

"No, this is not a time for jokes! I love you Sirius, you are my brother, even when I believed you had betrayed us I still loved you, and still do love Peter even though he is the true traitor, I can't hate any of my brothers. Still this needs to be said, you are a bully, James was a bully too, and I was as well going along with you and ending up hurting a talented, caring young man in Severus. You almost had me kill Severus with your so called prank and that was not all, you had to keep going after him driving him to Tommy boy…"

"I drove myself thankyouverymuch" Severus said and at the look from Alvin, "yes I am a spy, and I would rather die than betray anyone, in fact I made an unbreakable vow to Harry that I would die than betray any of you."

"I had an idea, well I support you, though you are still ugly." Alvin said.

"American as…"

"Fine, fine you did not drive him to Tommy boy but you acted as bad as any death eater, though you had a bit of an excuse, James did not and he apologized." Remus said, "and I apologized too and will continue to do so."

"Too bad he was dead when I got the letter." Severus muttered, "I could have sent my response back and gave him an a…"

"Anyway, you should not treat Severus badly, he risks life and limb for us and you go and treat him like scum, apologize to him." Remus said looking very upset.

"Moony!"

"No, you apologize to him and start treating him like the person he is!" Harry added, "you have no idea what kind of man he is, no idea and if you did you would never, never treat him badly again…"

"Do stop Potter, flattery will not get me to raise your grade." Severus sneered with no malice.

"Fine, chocolate, money, alcohol or me finding you a nice woman to shag…"

"Excuse me?" Alvin said putting his teacup down, "what did you say?"

"Sorry professor." Harry said, "but we all know that professor Snape likes a bird now and then…"

"That is enough young man." Alvin said sternly.

Boy and man stared each other down, Harry was reckless and brave and knew he was in trouble but knew that Alvin would not harm him. Severus on the other hand got up, walked up and smacked him lightly on the back of his head getting an undignified squawk from the teen. Harry glared at Severus as he rubbed his head though only his pride was wounded. Severus took a seat right by Sirius who was going to say something but just sat back and knew that Severus was right in this case. He knew too if he tried anything he would be humiliated in front of his godson as he could not duel Severus on his own very well and Remus would not help him at all.

"You are a clever kid I will grant you that." Alvin said, "but Dobby is smarter am I right?"

"Yea, brilliant little guy, I mean he told he would take care of things and told me what to say and all and well, you saw the results." Harry said proud of Dobby, "he is a right little genius let me tell you."

"I knew you had help." Severus said, "glad to see you know the value of a house elf, unlike most inbred annoyances."

"I know the value of Kreacher." Sirius said. "I do now and tell him all the time, Merlin I was cruel to him. I came back and treated him like dirt, I did apologize to him and he told me exactly what he thought of me. I needed it, though not from you Snape, greasy git."

"Inbreed idiot." Severus shot back.

"I know I am not fully part of this war but what is going on?" Alvin asked, "I know of the graveyard from the papers, but what is going on?"

"This does not leave here, at all." Harry said, "it can't, though I doubt he can fully block me, I am a whole soul he is not."

"Yes and I know why, we can call him idiot Vold-."

"Ah it is not a good idea to use that name." Harry said, "he is at this moment putting a taboo on it, later we will use it but not now."

"Like I said really an idiot." Alvin said. "Are you sure he was head boy at Hogwarts in his day? How on earth did that happen?"

"I take it putting a taboo on your name is something you bloody Americans have a way to turn against the one creating the taboo?"

"Harry knows how to do it right?"

"Yea, hide an army, call the taboo name and when snatchers come, kill them all." Harry said grimly, "we are at war, and I don't want to kill, really I don't but I don't see away around it."

"There never is in war." Alvin said, "and you are at war, just wish I could help more."

"You are doing enough, what you are teaching will not only help but make sure that most students survive this war." Severus said.

"I agree, ol' Tommy boy has not a chance, not this time around." Sirius said.

Alvin sat back and listened to what Harry had to say. Harry knew a lot about what Tom Riddle was doing and it was appalling the violence and horrors he engaged in. Mostly since he had liberated his worst followers from Azkaban. Bellatrix Lestrange was a very, very evil woman and enjoyed blood lust to a degree that made Alvin very angry and upset. That Harry saw all this got to him and made Severus look grim, clearly while he was in the inner circle he was not apart of the things that a few death eaters got up to, even Lucius Malfoy as horrible and slimy as he was did not do the things that Bellatrix, the Lestrange boys and the Carrows got up to. He preferred a quick clean kill (not that that made things right in his camp) but he saw torture far beneath him and a common thing to do.

Alvin did want to help, but he was not able to, not officially, he knew he was helping in his defense classes and the defense club but wondered if there was more he could do. As he thought on these things he looked at Harry and finally figured out what the difference he had noticed in the boy was. He was not wearing glasses, and without them he was no longer a copy of his father. All he got from him was his messy black hair and nose, the rest was clearly from his mother. The glasses had never really looked that good on him, ugly round black plastic, now simple small round ones would have gone far better, silver maybe, make him sort of look like John Lennon, well if John Lennon had such messy untamable hair.

"You are doing enough sir." Harry said, "you have done so much, we will be well prepared, and the syllabus you set for any other teacher coming in, brilliant sir."

"Why Harry you can read people, very good." Alvin said smiling, "I do want to do more."

"You don't need to sir." Harry said, "you have done far more than others have, accept for Remus here."

"Well I did my best, but with what I am."

"An annoyance, a deadly monster once a month but when beat into shape a fine enough servant." Severus said and at the look from Alvin, "it's how he wants it, wants me as alpha, why not Black I can't understand."

"He can't keep in in line, I do need that." Remus replied, "besides you are smart, as much as I love Padfoot he can be, well he can't always keep up with me."

"I love you too, but he is too right." Sirius said, "but I will not submit to Severus, ever, I am a true Black and true Blacks bow to no-one."

"No just provide entertainment when professor Snape bests you yet again." Harry said.

"Here, have pink hair…oi how did you get so fast?" Sirius said.

What followed was pure madness, Alvin had done a few prank spells in his day, but this was pure chaotic wonderful madness. Normally he was calm and collected and did not get up to such things but the madness was infectious and so he shot a spell at Severus that turned his hair green. Severus blinked, realized what happened and a fine prank war was on, it got worse when Fred and George joined and soon everyone had different colored hair, some had rabbit ears, others antlers and fur, only Severus seemed to not get hit with much. The prank war ended almost as soon as it had begun, with Molly and Mary who were most displeased. It was Mary who calmly with a quiet voice lit into the men, mostly Severus and Alvin and scared them horribly. In the end all had to clean up, apologize and wonder if the prank war had been worth it. Who were they kidding? It had been, very much so.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Yes that means the Horcrux is gone. To me this gives me a clue as to Dumbledore's religious leaning, if he were Christian he would think "ah let's get this out with an exorcist and go from there" but he never did (then again some Christians do not believe in exorcist either). So Harry does not have that in him and yes, he and Ginny love each other, they are going to grow together, marry and grow old together

Severus told Harry everything, Alvin does not know everything about his friend but really does not need to. Harry listened and yes, Severus did tell him he could kill him, that he deserved it, but Harry as we know is noble. Oh and yea, he has a connection to Tommy boy still and uses it to save people. The music references I make? My mom had over a thousand albums when you took in all her records, cds and tapes. Mary's music is based off my mom really.

Anyway, review please, it's the only way I get paid.