Hi everybody. My sabbatical should be over now. I am back in school, I have a lot of things to do, but this story has finally re-grabbed my interest. I hope some of you who had forgotten about me are still around. I look forward to hearing from you again. Let me know what you think.

Gather the Web Together

Severus stared at the gargoyle, trying to remember how exactly the headmaster had gotten him out of his office. After the news that Hogwarts was going to be invaded by werewolves and vampires, Albus had apologetically remembered a meeting with Fudge and he had been practically shoved out the door. He stared at the blank stone face a moment, before whirling to his left. His magic felt raw. If he hadn't been healing so heavily in the last twelve hours, something probably would have exploded by now.

Entering his room, he saw Poppy marking a folder in front of his fireplace. She looked up at him pleasantly as he stood there a moment fuming before his anger finally got the best of him and he picked up a small figurine Albus had given him years ago and snarled as it met its end shattered against the far wall.

"He's doing WHAT?!" Another figurine, a small goat this time, met its end. He felt his magic brimming with turmoil as his heartrate skyrocketed. "Completely lost his mind! Senile to the grave that white haired, wrinkle-faced, Merlin-old, underhanded, sneaky blasted fool!" Poppy watched him for a moment before a patronus entered the room. Severus felt his blood boil anew at the phoenix patronus as it passed its message to Poppy.

"GET OUT!" A blasting hex didn't actually do any damage to the patronus, though the pillow it was on was no more. It gave him a sad, tolerant look before dispersing. He couldn't believe that idiotic old fool. What the blazes was he thinking!

"Severus, you should calm down before you make your injuries worse." Poppy's soothing suggestion met with extreme resistance.

"Worse? WORSE!? We are going to have werewolves, vampires, and who knows what else running amok next year and that's what you say? He should have learned something with Lupin!"

Poppy handed him a cup of tea and he had to force himself to calm down enough not to break one of his mother's favorite cups.

"This is very different."

"Different?" he echoed in disbelief.

"Did he explain why?"

"They are not to blame for their heritage. We just need to give them a chance."Severus snorted. "Poppy I've heard it all before."

"Did he tell you who made the decision?" She cut him before he could looked at her confused. "Albus didn't decide to let them come, he wasn't even asked. The Board of Governors decided to have a trial year."

Severus sat down hard.

"The Board of Governors agreed to let werewolves in this school?" His disbelief was overwhelming. Poppy pursed her lips.

"There are a few rules and precautions, but yes. Albus and I have been working with them to make this year work. In fact, that is where I was this morning. They asked for my help with a birth."

The tea calmed him some and he raised his eyebrows in question. Yelling at Poppy wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to think.

"What rules are you referring to?"

"Did Albus not explain them to you?" Poppy blinked at thought Albus' two sentence delivery of the news did not earn the term explanation.

"Albus simply said that this year we were going to have children with lycanthropy and vampirism in our school and then told me to treat them fairly before I was summarily dismissed!" He hadn't meant to hiss at Poppy, but he felt his blood simmer at the memory. He smirked as Poppy made a sound remarkably like a growl.

"The coward." He couldn't tell if it was fond or not, but the exasperation was clear. She settled back with a sigh and he prepared to listen to this absurd idea.

Thirty minutes later, and two cups of tea, he was less sure it was absurd. The precautions made sense if they could be maintained. Poppy herself had just spent a full moon observing them from close-up and seemed no worse for wear. In fact, she seemed almost comfortable with the idea. His fear of the furry creatures was more obvious now that his intellectual problems with the plan were put to rest.

"You said they agreed to all these rules?"

Poppy nodded as she sipped her tea."In fact, they suggested many of them. The Knockturn Alley Project is bringing many creatures into the area. If it's successful, it will probably bring more. No one really seems to know why the new owner is doing it."

Severus had wondered that himself. Keeping abreast of the activities in Knockturn Alley was a must for any Death Eater, but this new move was beyond him. The Dark Lord had tasked several Death Eaters to find out who this person was and why he was doing what he was doing, but so far they had all come up blank.

"So how many of what is coming then?" He might as well begin preparing himself for this and that meant information. Poppy sighed.

"It's looking like maybe a dozen werewolf pups, nine vampires, a half-giant and a voodoo daughter. Roughly two dozen new students on top of the normal entry class, which is larger than usual this year. Minerva has already complained to me about her paperwork load this summer."

Severus nodded, having run into the irate deputy headmistress more than once in the lounge in the mornings.

"Normally we have a class of 40-60 students per year. That isn't bad. It makes for classes of 20-30 students at a time. Minerva said this class was already at 55 students. We have been discussing breaking some of the first year classes up a bit. Potions with more than thirty students is dangerous. An additional two dozen students is going to make an impact." Severus sipped his tea in thought. He would talk with Minerva tomorrow. She would be able to clear up some of the particulars. Right now he would be better pushing the problem to the back of his mind until he could think about it in private.

"So, Poppy, what potions do you still need from me?"

000

Harry watched the storm as it rained on the stream. Behind him the fireplace warmed him and comforted him. Glancing at it a moment he saw that the stone around the fireplace had grown, shaping itself into a wall around him and his storm. The clouds rumbled as the fire churned hotter, soothing the chill away. Cautiously the stream brought him ideas, but he didn't feel like looking at them just then. The storm was too relaxed and curious about itself. Leaving off the stream for the moment the flames in the fireplace licked the grey clouds in companionship. The storm liked the flames. The flames protected the storm. Together they felt the stone wall. It was incomplete. The river wanted it completed, but the cloud and the flame were both tired and didn't feel like it. The river insisted it should be completed, but the storm couldn't be bothered and the flame insisted it was strong enough to protect them. The wall then informed them it wasn't complete, it was missing something important.

The wall had a few bricks and most of them were quite large. A few were smaller and there were some holes and cracks. There was one brick in particular, the wall decided was very important, but it was fading in and out, like a light that wanted to go out, but kept getting one last drop of oil. The flame didn't believe it would stay, but the river did. The storm seemed concerned it would go. It wasn't sure why it wanted the brick to stay, but the brick was protecting it, so it did.

Harry felt the river and the storm roll in turmoil a moment before the flame roared at them. They settled quietly as the flame filled the place with comforting light and warmth, allowing images to flow gently through the tongues of fire. Harry felt himself following those images, those memories out.

The first thing he felt was stiff. He had slept on his share of uncomfortable beds, but he couldn't remember ever being desperate enough, or stupid enough, to fall asleep on bare rock. He knew dirt was softer. Gingerly straightening his shoulders, he lifted his head, groaning as his back complained. He tried to roll onto his back to relax it out, but there was a wall behind him and it was very solid, as his elbow would attest to. Grimacing as he rubbed his funny bone, he opened his eyes to blink at the low-lit room.

"Mr. Potter. It is about time." He knew that voice. The smooth sarcastic wit had been talking at him for four years. Sighing he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Ouch.

"Master Harry should take it slow. Master Harry has been asleep for twenty-one hours." Misty's voice penetrated his skull long before the actual words did. Her voice was a bit higher than his mind could comprehend at that moment. A vial was placed in his hand and to his lips.

"Drink, Mr. Potter." He shook his head. He felt strange enough. He didn't want to feel stranger. No, no potions. The vial stayed against his lips as he turned away. The smell was elusive; he couldn't seem to pin it down. "You'll feel better if you drink it." The low voice was calm and it steadied his nerves as he opened his eyes again. The vial was still in front of him, but he ignored it in favor of looking around. The room wasn't terribly familiar. The dark figure next to him sighed irritably.

"Harry! Drink it." He blinked as he looked down at the potion a moment before helping the hand to pour it down his throat. His head cleared almost instantly and most of his soreness and muscle pain dwindled to nothing. He looked up into the dark eyes of his Potion's Professor.

"Well, Mr. Potter are you with us again?"

Harry frowned at the sarcasm.

"Yes sir."

Snape nodded and rose to go over to the arm chair across the room. Harry barely caught the grimace on his severe face and the memories of the night returned.

"Sir, are you okay? Volde-whatever, what happened? Is everything okay?" Harry stood up, asking these questions frantically, but the change in equilibrium made him halt as he stumbled a moment. Thin fingers steadied him and he smiled at Misty as she helped him to a seat. Snape was simply watching him with that unreadable expression he had worn when Harry had revealed his ability with snakes his second year.

"Breathe, Mr. Potter. Everything is much better when you breathe."

Harry glared at the silky suggestion.

"Where are we?"

That black eyebrow went up and Harry withheld a snicker.

"Of all the curiosities rolling about in that undercrowded head of your, the one you ask coherently is where you are?" His amused sarcasm was probably habitual at this point and Harry ignored it with a cheeky grin. If the Professor could be snarky after that night, then so could he!

"Well, if I have to get somewhere else in a hurry, it would help knowing where I am." Had his Professor been anyone else, Harry would have thought they'd roll their eyes. Snape simply settled for a sneer.

"You are currently occupying my sitting room at Hogwarts. A situation I hope to remedy soon, if you don't mind."

"And if I mind?" Harry grinned in delighted surprise. Snape's home. Cool.

There was that dangerous edge in his eyes that Harry was used to when Snape realized he was being baited.

"I shall take great pleasure in removing you forcefully. Shall I demonstrate?"

Harry shook his head hurriedly. He had other questions to ask first. He figured it would work better if he stopped trying to annoy the professor, but Snape was the one in the bad mood 24/7.

"What happened?"

Up went that eyebrow again.

"You will have to be slightly more specific, Potter. Much has happened in the last week alone, to say nothing of the last few months."

"With Volde-whosits. I saw himasking you where I was." Harry barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes in response to the seemed disgruntled, but he supposed that was better than angry.

"I can handle the Dark Lord."

"But-"

"Despite your dogfather's complete lack of maturity, you are a child and thus are not to be privy to certain information Potter. Do not ask again!" As Snape finished informing him of this edict, Harry grumbled under his breath. Snape's voice turned dangerous. "What was that?"

"I said it has to do with me, shouldn't I know?"

"Fortunately for the rest of us, the world does not revolve around you."

"I know that!"Harry looked up at him angrily. "I also know that you...well...err… I mean"

"You. Know. What?"

Harry mentally winced. Snape was spacing out his words. Never a good sign.

"Nothing, Sir." Apparently his sulky answer didn't work for his irate professor.

"Apparently it isn't nothing, Potter!"

"Forget it!" Harry flashed his blazing green eyes at the sneered at him.

"I forget nothing." Now why didn't that surprise him. "Speak!"

"You protected me, all right!" Harry glared at him and got up to glared and was about to remind the scrawny ball of fury that his world did not revolve around messy haired teens with fame issues. He was about to put the brat in his place. Then he caught the eyes of a little female elf. She wasn't glaring at him, or even looking mildly annoyed. Her right eyebrow was raised in question and he felt a cold splash of remorse shoot through him. He had promised to listen and believe the teen. More than a promise to Misty, he had made the promise to Lily. He looked back at the pacing teen to see Harry glancing at him nervously. He swallowed his first reply and went with a more neutral one, though no less scathing.

"Of course I protected you." He glared at the boy as Harry shot him a confused look, before he saw the small face pale alarmingly.

"Right, 'of course', got to protect "The-Boy-Who-Lived" so he can one day defeat the Dark Lord of our generation." Snape watched him through thin eyes as he burst out his scathing cynicism. He reached up to take down the floo powder off the mantle. "Consider me protected, sir."

A strong, thin hand clasped Harry's wrist in an iron grip before he could throw the powder. Harry gritted his teeth. His head was pounding and he really wanted to go home.

"Let. Go. Sir." All things considered, he thought he did an admirable job of making that request come out evenly, but Snape simply growled at him.

"First, Boy-Who-Lived, you can't floo from this fireplace. It's protected from all but a dozen people. A group to which, I assure you, you do not currently belong. Second, I protect any I can from that vile creature, no matter how famous!"

"Like Malfoy?"Harry stopped trying to jerk out of the strong grip and was staring at him. "You protect the son of a Death Eater too?" Harry wasn't even sure where that question came from. Maybe a small part of him wanted to know that his new friend did have an ally. Maybe he was jealous that Draco's Godfather was actually capable of protecting him, when no one ever had been capable to do so for Harry.

Snape's grip on his wrist tightened. He leaned forward and hissed at Harry. For a moment Harry wondered if the bat could speak parseltongue.

"I suggest you learn to control your tongue before I come for Occlumency lessons on Tuesday."

Harry didn't have the chance to respond as Snape practically threw him at the green fire. He barely had time to shut his eyes before he was spit out in Snape's room at Potter Manor. He sighed as Misty's small hands caught him and started to remove the soot.

"He might kill me before the summer's over." Harry snorted. "At least I wouldn't have to worry about Slit-Face anymore.

000

Harry sighed as he sat in front of Andy. Knockturn Alley had been doing well, so he hadn't talked with her much the last few days. Still, he wanted to implement an idea that Hermione and Ron had discussed with him before the summer began.

The FOLD, as far as their generation was concerned, was a study group. But to win a war, theymay need more than that. The problem was that they were kids in the eyes of the adults. This was where the plan came into play. They were going to start recruiting for the adult group. Now Harry was going to start laying the ground work for this.

He asked Andy to gather what information she could on the old ways of greeting goblins, how did they view respect. In addition, she was going to locate several genealogies for him. Ron and Draco had both mentioned that bloodties were complicated but strong in the wizarding world. While he still saw many of the wizarding traditions as silly, he planned to use them.

000

Harry groaned at the faces his friends were making. They had joined him for a quiet dinner just the bunch. They said the group was leaving tomorrow afternoon and they wanted to talk first. After the relieved hugs and sighs they had settled into a dinner of venison stew. Apparently Misty had told Mags Harry was feeling a bit woozy after the day he'd had.

Ron explained the request made by the group and the suggestion proposed. Harry thought it was an excellent suggestion and asked Susan and Ron to organize it. They discussed August and set up a tentative schedule and locations. The next set of recruits were also picked based on suggestions from students in other years. Although they were only approaching two more lions, they were approaching nearly a half-dozen snakes from various years that Twiggs recommended. Susan, Neville, Luna and Hermione had until Harry's Birthday to recruit them. Draco, Harry and Ron would help as possible.

They spent the rest of the meal discussing topics and homework for their year. After dinner Hermione and Ron left to talk to Marilyn about the chapter idea and Susan, Neville and Draco left still discussing approaching the Slytherin students. Harry sighed as he leaned back against the couch. It had been a long day and tomorrow promised to be longer. After the others left he was meeting with Griphook to discuss the remainder of his properties and vaults. And to set the plan for the adults in motion. He also needed to name an heir before the battle with Slit Face happened, just in case. A task he did not relish in the least.

"Many strands make up a spider's web." Harry looked at Luna. She was still sipping the tea left by Misty. Harry gave her a tired grin.

"I'll try not to get caught in His plans." Luna smiled.

"Perhaps you should sleep here tonight. Quiet can be therapeutic." Harry looked around the room. It was a spacious room. The Master Bedroom was designed for a couple and any infant children they did not wish to relegate to the nursery. Misty had reorganized it and decorated it in reds, blacks and greens. Harry rather liked the mix.

"I'd rather spend the time with my friends." Luna smiled.

"They will still be here in the morning. This web will tire you out without rest." She rose and handed him Spec. The Wyvern had been on her lap for much of the dinner. Spec said that something about the calm Ravenclaw was comforting.

"If the fly rests, will he avoid the strands of the web?" Harry joked as she straightened. She looked back at him and smiled slightly. She leaned forward.

"What if you are the spider?" He blinked at her as she petted Spec one last time and left. He watched the door for quite some time after that, turning the idea over in his mind.

His web?