Ch. 13

The next five days passed with little change in Harry's condition. Each day it was becoming more difficult to distract the little boy from asking about his parents. After four days of talking around the question, Sirius decided to try telling him the truth. Before doing that he talked it over with Professor Snape.

"Severus, Harry is asking for his parents more and more each day. I want to tell him the truth but I'm afraid he may regress even further. Do you think he's capable of handling this right now? Will it harm him further do you think?"

"I think you ought to tell him. It may be rough for you but I think Harry subconsciously knows the truth. He is really nine years old not four. Only one part of his brain is reacting to things on a four year old level. It may actually help to talk it out. I also have the potion ready for him. This is used to help someone overcome memory loss. I don't know how it will affect him but we can certainly try it. It just might help him regain his nine year old memory. I'd like to know what happens either way."

"Of course, I'll let you know the results as soon as I see any. Maybe I should just let the potion work and hold off telling him about his parents."

"Just do whatever feels best for you and Harry, Sirius. I can't tell you the answer to what to do." Severus answers.

That night, Sirius mixed the potion into a glass of frothy strawberry flavored milk and gave it to Harry right before putting him to bed.

"Here you are Harry. This will help you feel good. It's strawberry milk like a milkshake." Sirius tells him handing him the glass and watching as he drinks.

"Okay good boy, Pup. Now it's time to climb in bed for the night. It's sleeping time, now."

"I not sleepy! Paddy, I neeed to stay up and PLAY!"

"I NOT WANT TO GO TO BED!" Harry yells when Sirius insists he has to go to bed.

"Harry James! You know better than to shout at me like this. Lower your voice now!" Sirius replies sternly.

"NOT GO TO BED! STAYIN UP! NOT GOIN TO LISTEN!" Harry yells at him covering his ears with his hands. Running around the room as Sirius tries to catch him, Harry is giggling at this new game.

"CAN'T CATCH ME! I SUPER HAWWY! FASTWER THAN HOGWAWTS TWAIN! CHOO CHOO!" Harry shouts zooming around just out of reach.

Sirius reacts without thinking. As the child mistakenly moves closer, he's caught around his waist.

"You don't tell me you aren't going to do what I say! That is naughty and naughty boys get spanked." He takes Harry by the arm and gives him a smack on the seat of his pajama pants. With the first swat, Harry uncovers his ears to put his hands behind him. Sirius moves his hands out of the way as he gives one more swat saying "You will listen young man and you will do as I say. I am in charge here not you. Now you get into that bed before I decide to give you a real spanking! His voice is soft but firm.

Harry's reaction surprises him. Instead of a tantrum as he is expecting, Harry has turned and thrown himself into Sirius' arms. Pressing his head into Sirius chest, Harry says "I'm sorry I was bad, I'll be a good boy now. Please don't spank me. I don't like it when you give out spankings. I'm so sorry I was so bad and worried you both. Please don't turn me over your knee!"

Sirius hugs him and lifts him up onto the bed. Handing him the stuffed dragon, he says "Well Harry, I don't think children are supposed to like spankings. It is punishment and punishment isn't supposed to be liked. If it is then it really isn't a punishment. Sleep well, little one. I'll see you in the morning."

Thinking back later that night, Sirius realizes what Harry had actually said. "He was sorry he was bad and worried you both" and he didn't "want to be turned over Sirius's knee". Since Sirius had not ever even smacked Harry before tonight after he regressed to being a four year old, then the comment about being put over his knee was unusual. Sirius hoped this was a sign of Harry getting his memories back and becoming his natural age.

The next morning he was jolted awake by Harry calling him. In his sleepy state he didn't even realize Harry had called him Dad.

"DAD! Come quick! I need you there's something wrong with me!" Harry shouts.

Sirius stumbles into the bathroom to find Harry staring down at himself. "What is it, little one? Are you hurt? Did you have an accident? It's OK, we'll clean it up."

"DAD! I don't have 'accidents'! I'm too big down there! I'm not supposed to be that big! AM I DYING? WHAT"S WRONG WITH ME?" Harry ends in a shout.

Awake now, Sirius is suddenly aware that Harry is speaking in his regular nine year old voice and no longer sounds like a four year old. Looking at where Harry is pointing he has to chuckle just a little. It seems the potion worked but has a side effect. "It's all right son. It'll go down soon. It's just swollen a little. Are you able to use the toilet Okay?"

"DAD! Quit talking to me like I'm a little baby. Asking me about having accidents and can I use the loo! I'm almost ten you know! I'm not a little baby! "

"I'm sorry about that Pup. I forgot how old you really are. Why you're practically grown already!" Sirius says smiling at him. "Come help me fix breakfast. We'll have your favorite, french toast, this morning. You get to dip the bread. How about some sausage, eggs, fried potatoes and kippers to go with it?"

"That sounds good, Dad. I'm really, really hungry this morning. I feel kinda funny like I've been asleep a really long time too. What day is it? Is today Saturday?"

"Today is Thursday, Pup. No, don't panic. You don't have classes today." Sirius says as he sees Harry begin to get worried.

"We'll talk over breakfast about what's been going on. You don't have classes again until Monday. Just relax and enjoy yourself. " Sirius says putting his arm around the boy's shoulders and leading him to the kitchen.

"So I really acted like a four year old? Nappies and everything? How embarrassing!" Harry exclaims.

"Well, you never were in nappies, Harry. But yes, you did act like a four year old. Minerva thought you were extremely cute. I was just worried you'd never grow up."

"You wouldn't want me to be four forever? I wonder why. If I remember right being four is a whole lot easier than being nine. At four, you can get away with more stuff, you don't have to do schoolwork or chores, someone will read to you and you can take naps whenever you want to. I think it would be great. Maybe I should ask Professor Snape for an deaging potion to go back to being four."

"Don't you dare, young man! I'll turn you over my knee and wallop you until you don't sit comfortably for a week if you even think about taking any kind of potion without my permission! I'm dead serious on this Harry James! " Sirius says seeing Harry try to stifle the giggles.

"Yes Dad. I sure do know how to push your buttons don't I? I got you all hot and bothered by just mentioning an deaging potion! I wasn't really going to do that you know? Oh! No! DAD, Don't! Please Dad! I was joking ! DAD!"

Sirius has flipped the giggling but now protesting boy over his lap bottom up. Raising his hand high he delivers one hard smack to the boy's backside before lifting him up.

"You might have been joking, Harry. But I am not. This is too serious too fool around about. I mean it! You are not to take any kinds of potions unless I give permission! For your safety and the safety of your bum you better remember what I tell you, young man!"

"Yes Sir! I'm sorry Dad, I won't joke about it anymore." Harry says sorrowfully.

Sirius pulling the child back into his arms and lowering his face into his hair, whispers "I love you so much Harry. I just can't bear to think of you deliberately doing something to harm yourself. I overreacted and I'm sorry. This last week has just been a nightmare for me. You have no idea what I've been through. Again I'm sorry for smacking you. I do mean what I said however. At no time are you to ever fool around with potions!"

"Yes Sir, I'll remember. I don't want to stand up for a week." Harry replies grinning just a little at Sirius as he knows that's just his Dad exaggerating again.

"I'm glad to have my saucy child back! I missed my nine year old, saucy remarks and all!" Sirius tells him grinning back. I'm sure Ron and Hermione will be happy to hear you are back to your old self too. Why don't you go write them while I clean up from breakfast. We'll have a house elf deliver it."

"Thanks Dad!" Harry says heading to his room.

Sirius sends a message himself. His message to Severus is short but to the point. "Severus, Potion successful! My child is back to his normal everyday behavior. One small side effect caused minor panic. His male part became two sizes bigger than normal. In one hour it has decreased to regular size. Thank you for all of your support and help. Sirius"

Thirty minutes later he received a reply. "Glad to hear the good news. Laughed hilariously at the minor panic issue. Will take that into consideration for the next time I brew such a potion. Perhaps I can bottle the potion to sell to muggle men! Could make me rich! S. S."

Sirius had to smile at this response, thinking HMM! Seems old Snape has a sense of humor after all. Not that I am able to tell anyone though. It would be nice to see some of that humor loosen him a bit with the children. He's too uptight and strict with them.