Here's the next! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
The house was dark, it was obvious to Horace that neither Severus nor Harry were at the little home in Spinner's End. Pulling out some parchment he scribbled a quick note to Dumbledore that the boys were not at their house and he was going to search around the neighborhood for either the boys or Tobias. Rolling up the note and affixing a knut he slid the message in one of the loops of a nearby lamp post and walked down the street towards the local pub. He hoped the muggles in this area had some decent food.
Horace sat down at the bar and ordered a pint and some bangers and was pleased when he found the food acceptable.
"You don't look like you're from around here." A tall man a few seats over said. Slughorn looked at the man who spoke to him, his knuckles were bruised and bloodied.
"Er, no, just passing through," Slughorn nodded to the man's hands "You should probably get that tended to."
The man looked down at his hands as if he just noticed the damage "Damn kids. Always back talking or getting into something. You got any?"
Horace shook his head "No, but I'm a teacher."
"Bless you, I got two. Boys. Bastard shits both of them." He said handing some bills to the barkeep and leaving.
"Thank you, have a nice night, Tobias." the man said as he cleared up the mess.
Horace watched the man leave and get in his car and drive off.
"You sure he should be driving?" he asked the man behind the counter with a worried expression.
"Why not? He didn't have a drop to drink. He comes in' ere a few times a week for dinner the last few months. Never drinks a drop but he's an angry son of a bitch. I feel bad for his kids, especially his little one, can't be more than 7. Saw him once, skinny, skittish little thing, I don't see how a kid that small can be that much trouble. At least the older boy is away at school. Never 'eard of the place, had a funny sort of name though. "
That got Slughorn's attention as the man rambled on "Whats his surname?"
"Snape. Why?"
Horace's wide eyes rivaled that of a house elf "Thank you for the meal. I must be off." he put down some muggle money, grabbed his overcoat, and left to try and follow Tobias back home.
/
Staring down the end of the wand Harry felt his eyes cross slightly. He swallowed his eyes flicking up to the owner. The wand lowered and Harry felt like he could breathe again.
"Who are you?" the wand owner asked pulling one of her young sons behind her as the other sat at the table watching events unfold.
"Harry?" a tall red-headed man said as he descended the stairs.
" I'm sorry for running in like this. I … I should have knocked."
"That you should have. How'd you get all the way out here by yourself?" the man asked.
"My brother and I were flying. We hit your tree."
The woman pursed her lips, clearly not approving of them flying around unsupervised on their land. "Arthur?"
"Tobias's boy, I told you he had another boy. Harry, what are you doing here?"
"It's a long story, Severus is out by the tree though, he hurt his ankle."
"Right, right, I'll go get him," Arthur said pulling on his wellies and coat.
Molly lead Harry over to the long table and sat him down she placed a bowl of porridge and some sausage in front of him and a cup of milk then examined his bruised face. Harry didn't wait to start eating, Tobias had been less than generous with the food he'd bring home as of late. Now that Harry no longer had a wand pointed in his face and a bit of food in his stomach he looked around. The Burrow was considerably smaller than it had been on his last visit, then again he suspected that they added rooms as their family grew. Baby Percy was plump and sitting up in a playpen playing with some blocks. Charlie toddled over and placed several model dragons on the table next to Harry.
"Look what I got for my birthday." Harry looked on with interest as Charlie fed some of his sausages to the little Green Welsh dragon model.
"Did you just have a birthday?" Harry asked with interest. It was apparent that Charlie's love for dragons started early.
Bill snorted "He turned 4 in December. He's been telling everyone for months about his birthday. I remember you. You played with us in Diagon Alley." Bill said with the air of importance that was often found in first borns, although Harry remembered Percy's know-it-all attitude would be completely insufferable, Bill was simply stating facts. "How old are you?"
"Eight."
"I'm six now. I'm taller than you." Bill stated and stabbed a sausage with his fork. Harry frowned at the reminder of being small for his age.
Mr. Weasley and Severus stumbled in and Mr. Weasley helped the teen over to the table. "Put that foot up on this chair here. Now then… what are you two doing all the way out here in Ottery St Catchpole?" he asked as he began to examine Severus's foot. Molly placed some food in front of the teenager. The boys both dove into their explanations in between shoving food into their mouths, often interrupting each other, skipping bits, going back to fill in missed parts. Molly and Arthur just sat there and listened trying to piece together what they were being told as they doctored up the boys at the same time. Mrs. Weasley's hands shook as she treated Harry's face now knowing how the boy came to be in such shape.
Mr. Weasley headed to the fireplace and threw in a pinch of floo powder "Headmasters office, Hogwarts." he said leaning in. "Professor, we've found some valuables I believe you're missing. Could you come through. …. Yes, I understand but this is important." Arthur stepped aside and a moment later Professor Dumbledore stepped out.
The old wizard looked around spotting Severus and Harry almost immediately. His expression darkened and Severus felt extremely nervous all of a sudden. Harry watched between the two as he silently chewed on his breakfast sausages. Dumbledore nodded his thanks to Mr. Weasley and headed over to the boys. He gently raised Harry's chin with one hand and pushed his fringe out of the way with the other examining the bruise on the side of the boys face with a frown, it did not go unnoticed that both boys were squirming uncomfortably on the bench where they sat.
"Molly, Arthur, thank you both for your assistance, I'll take the boys back with me to Hogwarts now. Madam Pomfrey will be busy it appears." Professor Dumbledore said as he glanced over the boys with a critical but knowing eye. Harry gave a small wave to Charlie and Bill before helping Severus over to Professor Dumbledore and into the floo.
/
Stepping into hospital wing from the floo felt a bit surreal. For Harry it was more of falling out of the fireplace but Dumbledore expected this and kept him from falling on his face.
"Sir, we need to talk to you. It's important." Harry started but before anyone was able to say another word Madam Pomfrey was there running diagnostics and pushing both Severus and Harry into beds. Harry kept trying to escape to talk to Dumbledore.
"The three of us will have a, what I'm sure is to be lengthy, discussion after Madam Pomfrey has finished with you," Dumbledore said and headed towards the door.
Harry ran after the old man but Madam Pomfrey was too quick for him and with a flick of her wand he was pulled back to the bed and stuck him there. Severus sat on the edge of his bed, a look of amusement on his face knowing it was of no use to fight the old witch. Harry however continued to struggle until Dumbledore had left the hospital wing, he had to tell Dumbledore about the diary. Finally settling back on the bed after Madam Pomfrey threatened to sedate him, Harry crossed his arms and scowled at the matron.
/
A few hours later Madam Pomfrey cleared both boys after much fussing over them and sent them up to the headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk and bade the brothers to come in and sit down. Severus glanced at Dumbledore's stern expression and felt it would simply be better not to look up.
Dumbledore steepled his hands and watched the boys over his half-moon spectacles as they came in and sat down.
"Explain."
Harry let Severus do most of the talking, occasionally Dumbledore would stop him and ask Harry to elaborate on what was going on at home. He grew ever more troubled as he heard Harry's version of events, some of which Severus didn't even know. It was obvious to Albus that sending Harry back home right now would be a mistake. Horace had come back last night very disturbed by what he had found out while visiting Spinner's End and Pomfrey's report confirmed his suspisions.
"You mean to tell me that your muggle father disarmed you using magic?" Dumbledore questioned, he seemed very disturbed by this. Severus blushed and nodded. Dumbledore decided it was best to change topics, he didn't want the boys to realize how alarmed he was by this new development.
"Severus, do you know the standard punishment for leaving Hogwarts grounds without permission?" Professor Dumbledore asked sternly.
Severus swallowed and nodded, his eyes firmly on the desk in front of him, refusing to meet the headmasters gaze. Madam Pomfrey had healed him from the previous day's beating but that didn't mean he felt he could face a caning now either. Harry looked at Dumbledore and back to Severus with horror, realizing just what Severus had risked by coming home for him. "Good, then you know what you'll be facing if you ever pull this kind of stunt again. The entire staff was trying to find you. We were about to alert the ministry if Mr. Weasley hadn't floo called when he did." It was a rare occurrence when Dumbledore was this austere and the twinkle that normally would be in his eye was significantly dulled.
"I'm sorry," Severus mumbled.
Dumbledore nodded "You may go, I need a few words with Harry."
"You're not sending him back are you?" Severus worried.
"No, my boy. Not until we get to the bottom of your father's sudden violent tendencies. It would be negligent of me to send either of you back to that," Dumbledore explained. Harry tried not to snort, where was this mentality in his first life time when he was sent back to the Dursleys time and time again after he had begged Dumbledore not to send him back.
"You're dismissed Severus, Professor Slughorn is wanting a word with you. I believe he was able to retrieve your wand for you. Oh, and Severus, twenty points to Slytherin for your efforts to get Harry out of a dangerous situation."
Severus smiled and saw his way out.
The door had barely closed when Harry spoke up, "Sir, I know what's wrong with my dad. It's Voldemort."
"Voldemort?" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair as he studied the small boy in front of him.
Harry pulled out the diary from his bag and handed it to Dumbledore "This book was destroyed my 2nd year after part of Voldemort's soul possessed an 11-year-old girl. Dad got it for Christmas but we don't know who sent it. I didn't recognize it at first because there was another cover over this one."
Dumbledore looked over the book before setting it down and casting some spells over it, his brow furrowed and he nodded as he studied it more. "This is some very powerful dark magic, it will take some time to figure out how to destroy it safely."
Harry smiled "Just use some basilisk venom, that worked last time when I destroyed it."
Very few things surprised Albus Dumbledore anymore, but a small child sitting in front of him calmly telling him to use one of the rarest and difficult to find ingredients in the world as if it was as simple as putting a kettle on, was one of them.
"Harry, I don't know what happened in your other timeline, but right now basilisk venom isn't exactly easy to come by," and as if he just realized what Harry had said, "What do you mean YOU destroyed it?!"
As Harry explained how he had destroyed the diary the first time around Albus became more and more unsettled, how could it be that he allowed a child, a 12-year-old boy, to face such dangers alone.
".. so you see, sir. We can just go down to the chamber now and find an old fang that .."
"No, Harry," Dumbledore said.
"But, sir!" Harry argued.
"I said no." Dumbledore responded so firmly that Harry immediately closed his mouth and stayed quiet "It's more than obvious that my future self is a poor excuse of a headmaster, allowing children to handle these matters and put themselves in such danger, from the sounds of it, more than once. You will not be assisting me as I destroy this object, this is a matter for the adults to deal with, Harry. You're 8."
"I was 15!" Harry tried to point out but quickly quieted again at the look Dumbledore was giving him.
"You are currently 8, and even 15 is too young to be dealing with these matters. I will take care of it. And once Tobias is back in his right mind we will review your living arrangements."
The old wizard clapped his hands and Noddy arrived with a pop. "Noddy, please escort young Mr. Snape here back to the hospital wing. I believe Madam Pomfrey has set up one of the private rooms for his use while he stays here."
"The hospital wing?" Harry asked, deflated, he hated the hospital wing.
"I'm afraid so, it would be… inappropriate to place you in one of the dorms with children much older than you."
Noddy took Harry's hand and gave it a gentle tug until the boy reluctantly followed her out of the office.