Chapter Fourteen: Breakout From Azkaban:
The rest of the school year went by quickly for the students and staff of Hogwarts. With the basilisk taken care of school got better and better for the students, Harry had fun learning and playing Quidditch. Yet Harry was not the only one who was having a good rest of the school year. Severus Snape had started to date seriously. For years he had many girlfriends and had not really settled with one woman. Yet now it seemed he had found someone, Emmeline Vance was part of an old pureblood family that went back further than the Malfoys. She was a tall stately woman with long dark hair and she was nearly always clad in gowns of the finest wool in green, blue or purple.
His dating Emmy had started out innocently enough, a date here or there and grew into something more. Severus Snape was in love and he knew Emmy loved him too. She had told him when she had visited him in the hospital wing and waking up to her there proclaiming her love and almost been worth ending up in the chamber. She didn't seem to care about the dark mark on his arm, she was more concerned about the pain he had gone through at the hands of a younger Voldemort. Now summer had come and he was going to get married!
The wedding was a small intimate affair with only the closest and most trusted friends and family of both there. A small reception followed and after Lily and Narcissa teamed up with Molly to have a talk with Emmy they went off on their honeymoon. Severus had not planned on falling in love until Voldemort was fully gone but Emmy had changed that. He loved her so much he could not see himself waiting. He woke up one summer day in their cottage in the Peak district with Emmy's hair ticking his naked chest. He opened his eyes and looked up into her warm hazel eyes.
"Good morning lover." She said tracing a hand down his chest, to his abdomen and lower getting him to come awake fully. "Sleep well?"
"Very, last night was delightful." He said smiling up at her.
"I am going to shower, I think there is something I will need there." Emmy said.
"Oh and what would that be?" Severus asked.
"I need a strong sexy man in my shower." Emmy said. "I am thinking tall, handsome with black hair and eyes."
"Hmm well I am not handsome but I will join you." Severus said, "I am quite ugly in fact."
"Not to me, I think you are a beautiful man Severus, and you are quite large too." She said.
"You wonderful wicked woman." Severus growled softly, "let me give you a good reason for a shower."
"Oh do you wonderful wicked man." Emmy said.
An hour later after showering Severus was just about to get dressed when an Owl flew into the room. Startled he took the letter off the owl's leg and gave it a few owl treats before sending it on its way. He read the letter and went down to the kitchen where he found Emmy cooking breakfast. She turned amused for a moment that her husband had showed up downstairs naked with only his wand and a letter. Then she saw the look in his eyes and sobered at once.
"What is it Severus?" She asked.
"Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from Azkaban." He said taking a seat at the kitchen table and at a look of shock on Emmy's face, "don't worry this house is under the Fidelius charm, she cannot find me or you."
"I know that but how could she escape?" Emmy asked, "no-one has ever escaped Azkaban!"
"I know, she must be in league with the Dementors." Severus replied getting up, "I better get dressed."
"Oh you don't have to dear, I like you the way you are." Emmy said smiling at his lack of attire.
"Well we will have guests, most notably one sodding twinkling old fool." Severus said heading up the stairs.
A few minutes later he came down fully dressed in his high collared black robes and he sat down at the kitchen table to have breakfast. Shortly after Severus and Emmy finished eating the floo flared and Lily asked to come through. Severus allowed her and both she and James came through getting Severus to smile, Lily was going to be here when Dumbledore came, this was going to get fun. In a few minutes Dumbledore did come and frowned slightly at seeing Lily and James there. He was not looking forward to fighting with Lily today he just was not.
"Hello headmaster, we were not expecting you." Emmy said fully aware of Lily and Dumbledore's tense relationship, she found it good someone was brave enough to stand up to him when it was needed. "Would you care for some tea?"
"No thank you, I do need to speak to Severus." Dumbledore said. "Alone if I could?"
"No, whatever you have to say you can say me here, I am his wife." Emmy said feeling less brave than she looked, "he will tell me everything later."
"If you do not mind Emmy I would like to stay." Lily said.
"Of course." Emmy said.
"Very well, you do know that Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from Azkaban." Dumbledore said, "there will be changes at Hogwarts."
"What kind of changes?" Severus asked.
"The ministry wants to bring in Dementors." Dumbledore said.
"There is no way in hell I will allow my children near those foul creatures!" Lily snarled.
"They will not come near the school only around the walls and boundaries." Dumbledore said, "the ministry is not giving me any choice in this."
"What of Hagrid?" Lily said, "has he got a new wand? Has anyone taught him a Patronus yet?"
Dumbledore shifted slightly in his seat and it was clear that no-one had taught Hagrid. Lily glared at him in frustration, she liked him, truly she did but many times she found him so stuck in the past. True he had done many great things and he could teach much to those much younger than him. But he had not really had many to stand up to him like Lily. Even McGonagall as temperamental as she was would huff and give up after a time. Not so Lily, and though Lily did not know it she reminded Dumbledore of his long lost sister. She looked similar enough to her that the aged headmaster was willing to listen to her above any others. It was the reason so many changes had been able to take place, he had backed her fully. As the chief of the Wizengamot and supreme Mugwump he was one of the most powerful men in the Wizarding world.
"I will see that he is trained by Remus today." Dumbledore said, "I promise you that."
"Does he have a wand to learn?" Lily asked.
"Um well I had not got him one as of yet." Dumbledore replied.
"Very well I can take him to get a new wand." Lily said.
"No I will take him, I owe him that much." Dumbledore replied, " now Severus my boy I need to let you know that Alastor Moody will be among the Aurors helping guard the school."
"That old pervert?" Severus said a gleam in his eyes. "Surely not him and that eye of his…"
"Severus please try not to rile up Alastor." Lily said, "last time he nearly turned you into ash."
"I merely said I was a better wizard and man than him." Severus muttered. "Bigger too."
Now Severus and Moody did not hate each other as one might suppose. They were friends of a sort in fact. Moody knew all about Severus, he knew he was a good man though he had made a mistake. He knew how easy it was to fall to the lies of one like Voldemort. The fact that Severus had come back to spy for the order had impressed Moody. After he had snuck Veritaserum into Severus's tea years before just after Voldemort had fell and found who's side he was on. After that Moody had Severus's back though one of Severus's favorite games was "Moody baiting", one thing for sure this next year at Hogwarts was going to be very interesting indeed.
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Harry was reading in the library when his sisters came back from shopping in Diagon Alley. His parents had wanted to take them separately to get their school things but the girls had not wanted that. They came into the library and Harry looked up at them and grinned. Though his sisters were twins they did not look anything alike. Rose looked just like her mother did at eleven with long dark red hair and bright green eyes. Violet, for the moment looked more like her father and Harry with long black hair and green eyes. This was her "safe mode" as she was a metamorphous and many people did not take kindly to her talents. She had learned at a very young age to control her gift and to not change in front of strangers. She concentrated for a moment and her hair and eyes turned Violet her favorite color.
"So how did it go?" Harry asked.
"Brilliant!" Rose said, "I got my wand and books and robes, I so look forward to getting to Hogwarts. I hope I can become a Marauder!"
"I just hope to get sorted to Gryffindor so I can be with you Harry." Violet said primly, "you have gotten into too much trouble without me there to set you straight."
"Oi who is older here?" Harry asked.
"Only by age." Violet shot back, "Rose said she wanted to be in Slytherin."
"Hmm dad might have a fit." Harry said.
"Well that way I could prank professor Snape all the time!" Rose said.
"Okay time to go over some rules at Hogwarts." Harry said, "these rules you must follow or I will write mum."
"You are as bad as Percy!" Rose said regarding the third Weasley boy. "I don't like rules."
"These you have to follow, first you must never, ever prank professor Snape or any of the professors, students are alright but teachers are not. Second any prank you do must be for fun never for revenge and third stay out of the forbidden forest!"
"But why, it could be fun to go there!" Rose said.
"No you stay out, or I will not get you things from Hogsmeade." Harry warned her.
"Fine, I promise to stay out of the forbidden forest." Rose said.
"One more thing you all need to know." Sirius said coming in and sitting in an armchair. "There will be Dementors at Hogwarts, I need to teach Harry to cast a Patronus."
"Why can't you teach us?" Violet asked.
"Well you can watch and try but you might not have the power yet to produce one. Harry might not be able to produce one."
"He won't if you teach him." Remus said walking into the room, "who is the defense teacher?"
"Oh go back to Snogging Tonks." Sirius muttered getting Remus to blush.
Remus had started to date Nymphadora Tonks just this year. She had just finished up with her Auror training in record time and was now working with Kingsley Shacklebolt. At first Remus had refused to date her (or any other girl) as he felt his condition was not one he wanted to pass onto any other. However he could not pass on his "furry little problem" as Sirius always called his condition and Dora as he called Tonks did not mind at all. So they were dating and Sirius being Sirius loved to tease him as much as possible.
"Anyway if you want to learn you should come with me Harry, I am teaching Hagrid, he would love to learn with your classmates." Remus said.
"Can we come?" Rose asked.
"Yes, but don't be disappointed if you cannot get this right away, you have much to learn before you will be able to cast a Patronus." Remus said, "but you can start practicing if you wish."
"Alright." Violet said.
Now Remus was a good teacher, he knew what each year was capable of and he had revolutionized the defense program. That was why he was willing to allow first years to practice at the Patronus, if they were able to cast it that would be amazing, if not then they would practice until they got it in a few years. Remus had not been planning on teaching the Patronus to third years but with the Dementors coming to Hogwarts he had no choice. They had to learn as fourth year and above did know the Patronus charm. He led the students out to where Hagrid waited a brand new wand held proudly in his right hand. He beamed at the children as they came out his chest puffed out with pride.
"Just got me new wand a week ago, the headmaster took me." Hagrid said, "he is a right good man, and he er well I tried t' pay fer it but he would not hear of it."
"He is a good man indeed to hire the likes of me." Remus said agreeing with Hagrid.
"Eh but look at me, all those years it was thought I had opened the chamber." Hagrid replied.
"Well you are not a monster, I am." Remus said.
"I don't think you are a monster professor." Hermione said walking up, "unlike Ron!"
"Oi am not!" Ron said coming up behind her. "You are just a know it all!"
"You are an ignoramus!" Hermione shot back.
"Right then if we could get started!" Remus said walking up and putting Hermione by Hagrid and Ron on the other side of Harry and Neville who had just showed up. "Now the way I teach the Patronus charm is different than the old texts that have you focus on a happy thought. It's the power of the thought, for example, I could think about say chocolate." This got everyone to laugh a bit, "then cast my charm, it might work just fine. However if I think on having a family say and the happiness that would bring then this is what would happen."
Here he cast his Patronus and a great shining silver wolf burst forward and pranced and danced about. Harry looked in awe at this and grinned as the silver wolf came up and nuzzled it's head against his hand. It felt cool like a cloud but soft as down and it made him happy. He looked up at Remus and wanted to do this with all his heart. The silver wolf greeted each of the students and then just as soon as it had come it disappeared.
"Now the spell as you heard is Expecto Patronum, I would like to see you try it, first concentrate on the happy thought or emotion and go from there."
"Well let's see now." Hagrid said thinking he aimed his wand and said the incantation.
"Wow Hagrid!" Hermione said as a large shaggy silver bear burst from his wand.
"Look I did it!" Neville said as a silver beaver burst from his wand.
It was no surprise Hagrid would get his Patronus first as he was older and now he could use his magic again he was learning several spells a day and using many in his job as groundskeeper. Neville was a surprise and he basked in the knowledge he had learned this first. Harry, Ron and Hermione only had a small mist come from their wands and Rose and Violet could not even get this yet. Even so the students practiced all summer to learn this and finally Hermione managed to produce a silver Otter on demand and Ron a silver Fox. One day before they were to head to school Harry was out in the garden and finally cast his Patronus. A beautiful stag burst from his wand and pranced around and Harry practiced casting his Patronus throughout the day. Finally his mother, impressed he could do this ordered him to finish packing and to stop casting a Patronus in the house. Harry did stop but Sirius took up where his godson left off and as he could get his to talk had it follow Lily around until she snapped and hexed him so badly he had a hard time sitting the rest of the day.
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So yea there is another chapter, unfortunately we have Bellatrix out of Azkaban. Now one thing that irked me in cannon was the fact that after he was acquitted of any wrong doing Hagrid did not get a wand. So here I corrected that and had him learn a Patronus, along with Harry and his friends. I did add another twist in that Lily reminds Dumbledore of his lost sister. That is why he listens to her here at any rate.
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