"We can't just go up and face them," Harry wiped his face with the back of his hand. "They'll attack us and –"

"Take your wand out and magnify my voice," Snape said.

When Harry hesitated, Snape turned to him questioningly.

"I don't have my wand," Harry confessed. "I gave it up when I surrendered to them in Diagon Alley. I've been locked up at . . . St. Mungo's for a few days."

"You were injured so badly they sent you there?" Snape's voice was tight.

"No, they thought I went mad. It's been one misunderstanding after another since I escaped Hogwarts. But my magic's still strong. Maybe I can –"

Harry flung out his hand and the water from the lake gushed upwards, attracting the attention of the wizards on the other side of the lake. Snape grabbed Harry close and Apparated to the other side, just in front of the broken door to the house.

The hordes froze, every eye turning to the two of them. The morning light shone strong, but it was so cold that Harry's breath puffed out in white clouds as he gazed out on the wizards.

"Good morning all," Snape said loudly. "I see you found my house. As most of you know, I am Severus Snape who accompanied Harry Potter in the final fight against Voldemort."

Many wizards flinched at the name, but Snape kept going.

"I was scattered during that fight, but this young man fought to put me back together. Now, I am not sure what he has done or why you feel the need to destroy my estate, but I am willing to hear the entire story. But I will have my say first. I was a former Death Eater, but I turned into a Spy for Albus Dumbledore."

The crowd didn't move, barely breathed to hear more.

"This past summer," Snape went on sternly, "Harry Potter broke into my house. It was accidental, but I soon realized that he had the power to defeat our greatest enemy. I took him in, adopted him, and then trained him. The battle came sooner than I expected, but we were still ready. He did what the rest of you were too cowardly to do – stand up with bravery and courage and face evil."

The crowd shifted, and Ron and Hermione made their way to the front. A second later, Draco joined them, repositioning his eyepatch. They looked unharmed, just tired.

"Even though most of you took me for dead," Snape went on, "the magic I had encountered just scattered me, separating my soul from my body. Harry Potter has brought me back. I understand he has broken some considerable laws in doing so. His intentions were noble, if his actions were perhaps reckless. Youth does not always think about consequences."

A murmur ran through the crowd, but Snape went on. "I also understand that you are concerned about the scope of his magic, especially since it seems to have multiplied with Voldemort's death. That is a real concern. But my authority as guardian and father to him will act as a counterweight to that magic. This house protects him, and I will make sure that he is protected from himself as well as the rest of you. The time for secrecy is over."

A shift of unease ran through the crowd, but Snape wasn't finished.

"We are going to spend the next few days sorting all of this out. I want to speak to the Minister of Magic, Professor McGonagall, and Mrs. Longbottom immediately. Those of you handy with repairing spells, please do what you can to fix my house."

The crowd stirred and Scrimgeour stomped up to the broken front stairs to face Snape.

"Oh, you have a lot to answer for, both of you!" the Minister shook his wand at them, mostly Harry. "If you only knew what all he has done! And this is Darks Arts, bringing someone back from death."

"I was not dead," Snape cut him off. "My soul had a vessel. But in case you fear I'm the Dark Lord incarnated, I will submit to any magical test you choose."

Harry was about to object, but Snape whirled him into the house. Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, hemarched Harry in front of him through the rubble. Harry realized he was still in the white pajamas from the hospital, but Snape didn't tell him to go change.

Instead, Snape put him in a chair just outside the study. McGonagall and Mrs. Longbottom were already there, arguing with half a dozen members of the Ministry, but Scrimgeour had already marched into the study.

Snape leaned down and whispered in Harry's ear, "You are to sit here and not speak to anyone. Move from this chair and I'll spank you in front of every last person here."

Harry's cheeks flamed, but Snape straightened, gave him one last warning look, and went into the study.

The next few hours were a blur for Harry. His friends came and sat with him, but Mr. Weasley dragged Ron off at one point, and Narcissa showed up, hysterical about Draco. Harry remained seated, half-asleep and listless. He had so much to feel, so much to think over, so much to worry about, but for the time being, he could only stare dully at the opposite wall.

He looked down at his pajamas once. Blood specks were all over the right side where he had stood by Luna. But she came to sit with him for a while, and she seemed fine despite wearing a long robe to cover her blood-stained dress.

Inside the study, voices rose and fell. The door opened and shut at various times as wizards went in and out. They gave Harry wide berth though, not even looking at him for the most part.

At one point, Miriam appeared in front of him with a plate of sandwiches and a glass of pumpkin juice. Harry stared at her, but she coerced him to take the plate.

"Professor Snape said you should eat something."

Harry took the food and the moment he tasted the sandwich, he realized how hungry he was and tore into the food. Miriam moved to stand beside him and smoothed back his hair. She stayed until he had finished the food and drink.

Harry leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes for a few seconds, but it was impossible to sleep. People kept milling about, and outside, the house was being repaired. The house elves appeared a few times, squeaking about the mess made of the master's home. A few fights started out in the gardens, and Harry craned around to try to look down the hall or see out a window, but he didn't dare move from the chair.

Early afternoon, the study door opened and Snape leaned out.

"Did you eat?"

Harry nodded.

"Come in here," Snape motioned him in.

The study was packed with every seat taken, but Harry stood in the middle of the room, just as uncomfortable as he had been in the summer when Snape dragged him in after finding Dobby in the manor. He had forgotten about this part of having Snape around: the immediate dread when he felt he had done something wrong.

Scrimgeour looked ready to spit nails as he pulled out a parchment and shoved it in front of Harry. "Did you sign this agreement?"

Harry looked at the sheet where his shaky scrawl ran across the bottom. "Yes, if you can call signing it while tied to a bed agreeing to anything."

"But you did sign it," Scrimgeour slammed it on the desk.

"It doesn't matter," McGonagall argued. "That parchment only stands as long as we," she motioned to Mrs. Longbottom, "were his guardians. Now that Snape has returned, the guardianship returns to him."

"That boy belongs in St. Mungo's," the Minister seethed. "In a week, he has wreaked havoc through our world. We've chased him down and he's broken more rules –"

"And there will be consequences," Snape promised. "I am willing for him to pay fines, apologize, even serve some kind of restoration work, but we all know he's not going back to St. Mungo's."

"How do we know we can trust you, Snape?" said a man whom Harry had never seen before. "You worked for the dark side. You could be plotting against us."

"He's not evil," Harry jumped in front of Snape to face the rude man. "Don't question his loyalties. Question mine first."

"Very well," Snape pulled Harry back by the shoulders. "Let's not start a fight."

"No, let's!" Harry squirmed slightly. "I tried to explain what was happening, but no one believed me. You all are useless. You didn't believe that Voldemort was back for years even though I insisted he was, and then you turned hysterical. I don't answer to this committee and I don't care what you think!"

Several books tumbled off the shelves, and almost all the adults reached for their wands.

Snape sighed and gave Harry a slight shake. "You don't talk to people like that in this house."

"But they –"

"I don't care what they said. I know what you can be like when you get an idea in your head. You are going to pay restitution and you're going to apologize right now. Otherwise you will be under house arrest until you're forty."

Harry looked back, half-embarrassed and half-defiant. "But Snape!"

Snape grabbed him by the back of the neck and turned him to face Scrimgeour. "Apologize."

"Sorry," Harry scowled.

Another shake. "Try again, and this time mean it."

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, his eyes on the floor.

"For what?"

Yes, Harry had definitely forgotten about this part of having Snape around.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

The adults seemed to relax; several even looked sympathetic.

"But I'm not leaving here," Harry added.

"That's enough," Snape herded him towards the door. "You're going upstairs, take a bath, and go to bed."

"It's the middle of the day!"

"You still have blood on you and you look like death warmed over," Snape got him out the door. "I'll send your friends up to help you."

Harry wanted to argue, wanted to demand that he be allowed to stay and participate in the discussion of his own future. But he was tired. And he didn't know how long he would be able to stay in the same room with Scrimgeour without attacking him. But he needed to make sure Snape was safe.

Harry glared past Snape at all the wizards in the study. "If I wake up and he's not here, I'm going to tear apart every inch of this planet until I find him."

"Just go," Snape pushed him towards the door as Scrimegour shouted out,

"See? He's unstable!"

"You'll think unstable," Harry groused as he headed towards the stairs.

People moved out of his way, and there were a few drawn wands, but no one talked to him. The front of the manor was mostly repaired, but Harry doubted much could be done about the garden.

His room looked mostly the same, except Hermione and Luna were there, along with her father.

Harry stopped still. He had only met Mr. Lovegood a few times, but what could he say to the man whose daughter he had slept with, impregnated with a soul, and then practically tortured to get that soul out?

"Afternoon, sir," Harry gave a sheepish smile. "Welcome to my house and my room."

Mr. Lovegood stood shakily. "I'm trying to decide whether to thank you for killing You Know Who or to attack you for what you did to my girl."

"I'm so sorry," Harry immediately apologized, and he did feel sorry, unlike he felt downstairs a moment ago. "I didn't want – but she insisted – so I let her come because I thought she was carrying my child – but –"

Hermione's hand on his arm stopped Harry's babble, and she stepped between him and Mr. Lovegood.

"I'm really, really sorry, sir," Hermione's usual tact made her words smoother than ever. "We've all been crazy since the final battle. So much grief and loss. You have every right to be angry, but blame me, too, because I let Luna come with us. She was so valuable to our plan and she has the making of a very powerful witch."

Mr. Lovegood seemed torn between anger and understanding. He frowned at Harry. "Well, maybe, but to have her run off like that-! You aren't allowed to see her anymore. And you so much as kiss her and I'll rip your head off."

"Yes, sir," Harry looked at Luna. He tried to think of something kind or eloquent to say, but nothing came so he just gave a half-smile.

"Dad, can we go home?" Luna looked at him. "The blood's all dried on my clothes."

Hermione pushed Harry into the bathroom and shut the door before Mr. Lovegood could explode.

Ron was inside the bathroom, leaning against the corner as he watched the bathtub fill. "Hi, mate," he smiled at Harry. "The house elf started the bath, but I don't know if it will stop on its own or not."

"That's what you have to say to me after all this? 'Will the tub fill or not'?"

Ron laughed shortly and hugged Harry with one arm in the brusque way his brothers hugged. "We survived and brought Snape back. I swear, yesterday I thought it was all over."

"You look all right," Harry looked his friend up and down.

"Dad's reading me the riot act every time we cross paths. He let me come up here, but we're going home this evening so, as he put it, 'Your mother can sort you out'."

"Sorry," Harry winced.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble it doesn't matter what I do," Ron shrugged. "I'll be lucky to leave the house ever again."

The taps turned off suddenly.

"Look at that, they did stop on their own," Rom noted. "Well, take a bath."

"Are you going to stay and watch?"

"Dunno," Ron shrugged again. "I was told to make sure you weren't alone. It's like they think you're going to drown yourself."

"No, but I might fall asleep in there," Harry admitted, toeing off his slippers. "How are you still standing? I spent three days resting in a hospital while you were sweating it out here."

"I've learned to sleep with my eyes open," Ron replied. "We took shifts sleeping, but Gringwad just stayed up." He wandered towards the high window while Harry stripped off his clothes and settled into the tub. Ron peered out, surveying the work.

"It's a mess out there. We really know how to get things destroyed when we want to."

"Mmm," Harry answered as he leaned back in the water. He didn't even want to reach for the soap to get the blood out from under his fingernails.

The wash rag and soap moved.

Harry smiled as he watched the soap suds up the cloth. It was the same spell from his first morning at Snapdragon Manor. What had Snape called it? Something about a washing spell for busy mothers with too many children.

Harry lifted his arms to the edge of the tub and closed his eyes as the cloth began scrubbing at him. Absolute bliss.

Ron kept a running commentary on the action outside, but it was mainly several wizards trying to put back together the wall which separated the garden from the lake. Harry murmured words of agreement every so often as he zoned out under the rhythmic scrubbing.

When he finally left the bathroom, wearing a fresh pair of pajamas, Ron and Hermione were on his bed, eating supper on trays.

"Oh, good," Hermione swallowed her bite of food. "I have a message from Snape. He said to eat some of this food, and then you have ten minutes to get into bed or we can use physical force."

Harry rolled his eyes with a smirk as he sat on the edge of the bed and ate with them. They lapsed into a warm, if exhausted silence. Hermione's eyes kept threatening to close, and she abandoned the food in favor of leaning against Ron and putting her head on his shoulder.

The door opened, and Draco came in. "I've only about two minutes before Mother comes and drags me off," he said in a rush. "But it looks like we're in the clear for now. I'm going to be regulated for a while under house arrest, but eventually they'll let me go back to school."

Hermione went white as a sheet. "I never thought about not being allowed back to Hogwarts."

"We broke a lot of laws," Draco tried to look repentant and failed. "A few in the Ministry want to make examples of us. Thankfully, I already look poor enough with only one eye. They can't decide what is a suitable punishment for us in the long run. I bet anything they'll leave it to the school and our parents. More than half the crowd went home, but the others are staying. They're bringing food in tonight and I let it slip that Malfoy Manor is the closest wizard home to here so some of the lot are coming to stay with us tonight. Mother is furious."

Harry shook his head at Draco's gleeful account; the blond boy did enjoy the drama a little too much. That would be something to keep an eye on later, just in case Draco decided to liven things up and set fire to his home or another action equally ridiculous.

"I can't stay," Ron groused. "Dad will drag me home to Mum."

"My parents were notified of my absence from school," Hermione said. "I'm sure they'll be worried, so I'll need to go back there to assure them I'm all right."

Harry stopped eating and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. He wanted to fall asleep in the company of his friends, to hear their soft conversation as he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke once in the night to find his room empty. He went to the window to look out and saw a dozen makeshift tents on the lawn.

Getting back into bed, he found his pocketwatch on the side table, the one he had received for his birthday. He didn't remember when he had it last or how it got back to him, but he held the clock in his hand and went back to sleep with the ticking gently tapping against his hand.

He awoke to the sound of something hitting the window.

Sitting straight up in bed, he said, "What? What's going on?"

His room was littered with envelopes; a few were shaking with the force of the Howlers inside them. Snape was at the window, battling to close it against a large owl that kept beating to come inside. Outside, scores and scores of owls were waiting, hovering in the air, perched on trees and tents, and even milling on the ground. All had envelopes in their beaks.

"No," Snape fought against the bird as he locked the window, "you are not coming in. No more letters!"

The owl screeched and pecked against the glass insistently.

Harry lay back down and stared at the ceiling. "On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in?"

Snape tossed a handful of envelopes to the floor. "Fifteen!"

Harry smiled. "That sounds about right."