A/N: Not Beta'd
TRUTH IS IN THE BLOOD
CHAPTER 29
HOMECOMING
"By now the press and interested members of society will be gathering in the atrium awaiting the announcement of the Chosen One's family," Fudge announced as he blocked the door prohibiting anyone from leaving the lab, causing Harry to roll his eyes and Snape to smirkat the thought that that would actually detain him if he wanted to leave.
"I had expected it to take some time while we summon the boy's family," Fudge continued, "But since that isn't necessary, then we can leave directly for the press conference. However, no one is to say a word to anyone regarding the test results until my announcement." With a look at Snape and Potter, he added, "That includes the headmaster and your friends."
Once more Harry simply rolled his eyes and Severus continued to smirk.
"I will exit first with Mr. Potter behind me, then the three of you will follow. All five of us will stand on the dais as I make the announcement. You will remain there for the entire press conference, including when I open it to the floor for questions. After that, Mr. Potter and his father will be escorted to my office where we will complete any and all necessary paperwork.
"Any questions? No? Good," Fudge said without giving anyone a chance to protest, "Now come, Potter."
"I'm not a dog," Harry grumbled as he stood behind the minister in preparation to leave the lab.
"Harry!" Hermione and Ron called as soon as he exited, "What happened? How did it go?"
"Mr. Potter cannot reveal the results," Fudge answered.
"Why not?" Ron complained, "It's his family and we're his best friends."
"And I am the Minister of Magic," Fudge retorted, sounding very much like a three-year old, all that was needed was a stuck out tongue and a nah-nah. "We are headed to the atrium to introduce Harry and his family to the wizarding world."
"You were right!" Ron exclaimed.
"Hush," Hermione ordered Ron with a look at the minister, before turning to Harry, "How did it go?"
Harry shrugged, "As expected, but I did have some fun," he smirked as he recalled his 'mistake' of believing that Fudge was his father.
"Any surprises?" she whispered.
"Not really," Harry replied just as quietly. "I think Snape prevented any from occurring."
"So something was tried," Hermione commented, mostly to herself.
The raven haired boy shrugged as he continued to follow the minister, his friends right behind him, "Don't know for sure, but the way he kept an eye on the brewer…not to mention having me spill my juice, I suspect so."
"Who was the brewer? If he's another potion master or a ministry employee, maybe I've heard of him," Hermione commented, causing Ron to shake his head and snort in disbelief. Only his girlfriend would know that information.
Once more Harry shrugged, "I doubt he was a potion master, he seemed pretty bad at potions," he answered. "Snape preferred it that I prepare the ingredients."
"You!" Ron exclaimed in shock, turning everyone's attention to them.
"Quiet," Hermione admonished, while Harry added his own protest to Ron's comment.
"I'm not that bad," he grumbled.
"Apparently Snape doesn't think so after all," Ron muttered.
"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected.
"You didn't correct Harry!" Ron argued, only to be reminded with a look from his friends as to why that was the case, "Oh, yeah."
"Perhaps Professor Snape suspected him of impure intentions," Hermione hypothesized.
"It's Snape, of course he suspected something; he's almost as paranoid as Moody," Harry drawled. "But either way, the guy was terrible."
"So what was Fudge's reaction?" Ron whispered, tired of talking about their potions professor.
"Why?" Hermione inquired, "Do you think he expected different results?"
"Hermione," Ron said with an aggravated sigh, "Why would anyone expect Sn-" an elbow from Hermione had him rephrasing his question, "the truth?"
"Maybe he didn't expect the truth, Hermione said, implying that he was willing to skew the results.
"Nah, I don't think so," Harry interrupted, hoping to stop his friends from arguing again, "But since Snape was there the entire time, he thought that Snape rigged it."
"Oh," Hermione said with a blush, becoming speechless for a moment. "I didn't think about that aspect of the situation."
"Fudge even talked about using veritaserum to confirm that no one manipulated the potion process."
"Oh my," Hermione whispered to herself, if he had done that, who knows what truths might have been revealed.
"I still want to know what was so fun about it," Ron whined.
"Ron, brewing potions isn't boring like you think," Hermione began.
"The fun part was when I acted like I thought Fudge was my father," Harry answered with a grin. "Well, we're here, I gotta go up on stage, see you later," he said to his speechless friends as he continued up the steps behind the minister and his father.
Harry tried to hide his grin while he was on the platform with the minister. Of course, this was difficult to do at times, especially when he looked at his friends. Ron would look between him and Fudge and start to snicker, making everyone around him question the red-head's sanity.
Hermione, however,spent the time that the minister droned on by glaring at Harry for daring to leave before she heard the entire story of what happened between the two...well, that is what Harry attributed the glare to at first. It was after the bushy-haired girl mouthed, 'You tried to Prank the minister?' with a disbelieving look that he realized what the problem really was, namely that he dared to be disrespectful to a person in authority.
Of course, the ever observant Weasley twins saw Hermione and bestowed smiles of pride on their partner as they realized why their younger brother was laughing.
Harry turned his gaze from his friends to once more peruse the crowd, as he wondered who in the wizarding world didn't have a life and had to occupy their time by getting involved in his life.
He grimaced as he recognized Rita Skeeter; nodded back at the knowing gaze of Ollivander and paused when he saw a familiar head of white-blonde hair that could only belong to a member of the Malfoy family. There stood Draco, next to his mum and in front of an older man that seemed to know the pair quite well.
Draco nodded to his head of house before turning his eyes to his Hogwart's rival. Harry puzzled over the look the blonde Slytherin gave to him. He expected a look of hatred, after all, Draco still held Harry responsible for the imprisonment of his father; or even a look of boredom, what teen would willingly want to listen to the minister? The look however was quite different. It almost seemed like glee, as if he knew what was coming and was happy about it. That made Harry really nervous. How would Malfoy know the truth about his parentage, and why would he be so happy about it?
"I will now open the floor to questions," Fudge decreed, after the initial reaction of his announcement ceased. "Yes, the witch in the yellow robes?"
"How positive are you that this test was accurate and correct?"
"One Hundred percent," Fudge firmly answered, "I myself witnessed the brewing."
"But with all the activity in the lab, and especially with the revealed father present, how do we know that he didn't manipulate it?"
"I questioned them intensely," Fudge announced, "Also, veritaserum and blood oaths were involved."
Harry snorted, involved as in Fudge mentioned them after the results were revealed, he thought. No doubt if 'The-boy-Who-Lived' was happy over the results, the minister wouldn't have hesitated to bring them into play in the way that he just insinuated.
"Will the Boy-Who-Lived be relinquished into his father's custody?"
"Yes," Fudge answered shortly, "Immediately after the press conference."
"Harry, will you be changing your name?"
"No," Harry tried to answer, only to be hushed by Snape.
"Not at this time, after all, he does have a right to continue to use the Potter name. Not to mention how difficult it would be for him to learn a new name," Snape completed, earning a glare from Harry for that last comment.
"Mr. Potter," the next person asked, "How do you feel about the results?"
A warning hand on his shoulder from Snape reminded him to be careful about what he said and a look at Hermione had him piece together a small speech.
"Truthfully?" Harry questioned, earning an eager nod from most of the audience and more pressure on his shoulder. "Surprise. Not just at the results, because that was more a feeling of shock and disbelief," Harry said with a grin as the audience laughed with him, "But surprise at the entire situation. After all, I'll be 17 in less then a week, so it was hard to believe that I was being ordered to find and live with my family. The time to do that would've been sixteen years agao when I was first orphaned, or even six years ago when I entered the wizarding world.
"For my entire life I was told that James and Lily Potter were my parents, I also discovered how much they cared for me and loved me. They died trying to protect me, to me they are the perfect examples of how parents should be. As far as I'm concerned, it's going to be impossible to replace them, at least in my eyes," Harry finished, glad that he at least had one opportunity to share what he was thinking and feeling.
Most of the crowd, however, seemed to have a different reaction; Hermione shook her head in disbelief, since that wasn't quite what she meant; everyone else seemed to be speechless.
"Yes...Well," Fudge said as he cleared his throat, "Next question, please," the last word sounding desperate and pleading.
"Is that the wisest decision?" Snape questioned after Fudge told him to list his address on the paperwork.
"It's required," Fudge announced.
"Ah, but this procedure has never been used regarding a person of such high security risk as Potter."
"True," the minister agreed, "But rules are rules. I'm sure you wouldn't want exceptions to be made just because of who your son is."
Harry smirked, wondering how Snape was going to answer that; after all, just abut everyone knows how much Snape hated it when Harry's fame gave him special priveleges.
"Normally, no," his father agreed, "However when it involves the safety of my family, I will do what I have to."
"I understand," Fudge smiled, "However, such exceptions cannot be made. All I can offer is the safety and security of a ministry approved safehouse."
Severus grimaced, "No, thank you, I've been away from my house long enough," he said as he picked up the quill and gave the required information.
"Sir, where are we going?" Harry asked as he nervously waited for Snape outside the man's private quarters at Hogwart's. They might have been revealed as father and son to the Ministry and the public, but that didn't make Snape trust him any more than before.
"To my house, Potter," Snape responded sharply as he exited his rooms.
"I know that," Harry muttered, "I was just wondering what the name of it was."
"Why is that so important? Can't you survive five days without letters from your friends?" His father asked snidely.
"I thought I would need to know in order to floo their properly."
"You would," Snape agreed, ignoring Harry's grin of triumph, "If we were flooing and if the floo network was connected to my home."
"No floo?" Harry questioned in dismay as he wondered how they were getting 'home'. He couldn't apparate since he wouldn't be able to get his license till his birthday; and even though he knew his professor was a half-blood, he couldn't imagine Snape using muggle transportation, especially not dressed in his robes. "Portkey," Harry muttered quietly as the answer came to him.
"Brilliant deduction skills," Severus commented sarcastically. "If it wasn't summer I might have been tempted to award points for that," he continued as he pulled a wool sock out of his pocket and held it out for Harry to grab a hold of. As Harry hesitated, Snape instructed, "Just do it. Professor Dumbledore created it himself, and I assure you that I haven't had it out of my possession since. Now, Potter," Severus instructed the pale boy. "I'll be there with you if anything happens."
Like that's comforting, Harry thought to himself.
"I said, now. I have things to do after all, since I haven't been home in ten months."
Then why bother keeping the place, Harry wondered as he reached out and placed a firm hold on the wool sock.
"It doesn't look like a manor," Harry remarked.
"So sorry it doesn't meet with your approval," Snape drawled sarcastically.
"It's not that," Harry flustered, "I guess I was just expecting something…I don't know, more."
"This is quite sufficient for my needs, I assure you," Snape remarked, "Though I suspect that by the time your visit is complete, I will be wishing that it was larger."
"You and me both," Harry muttered as he followed Snape out of the hall and up the stairs.
"This will be your room for the duration of your stay," Snape remarked as he opened a door and ushered Harry inside. "Unpack if you must, but don't get too comfortable, remember, you are only here for a few days."
Thank Merlin, Harry thought as he took in the room. It was a bit bigger than Dudley's second bedroom, but was more than adequate as far as he was concerned.
"Meet me in the dining room in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, sir," Harry responded, watching as Snape exited the room.
Finally alone, Harry sighed as he flopped down on the bed. Overall, the day hadn't been too bad. At least the potion showed the correct results, he thought. The press conference though, now that had been an ordeal. At least Snape's glare was good for something, Harry decided with a chuckle, it certainly kept the reporters from following them.
Deciding that he better meet with Snape before he fell asleep, Harry left his room and proceeded down the hall looking for the dining room. It soon became apparent that Snape didn't trust him, since every door that he tried to open seemed to be locked. Hoping that one of those rooms weren't the dining room, Harry continued down the stairs and arrived at the portkey destination point. Looking around, Harry saw what he believed to be the dining room on the other side of the living room. Making sure not to touch anything, he crossed through the room and stood in the doorway, not sure whether or not to sit.
"Sit," Snape snapped, answering Harry's unasked question. "there are some house rules we need to discuss.."
"Your house has rules?" Harry joked as he took a seat.
"As far as you are concerned, yes," Severus drawled before continuing. "These are the rules that are to be obeyed at all times, first, you do not leave the yard without my consent. Second, any outgoing correspondence must be approved by me before it can be sent, likewise, any incoming correspondence must be reviewed by me before it is removed from the owl."
Harry stared at Snape with his jaw wide open. "You can't seriously believe that I'm going to agree to that and let you read my mail, do you?"
"Whether or not you believe it, is not my concern. These are the rules, if you can't follow them, then I'm sure you can survive the next week without hearing from your loyal fans."
"You can read all the fan mail you like," Harry replied, knowing that he never received any. "It's the mail to and from my friends that I am concerned about."
"Trust me, Potter, I have better things to do than to read your mail."
"Then why do you want to review it?"
Snape sighed, with this lack of show of his intelligence he seriously doubted that Potter could be his and Hannah's child. "Incoming mail, to make sure that it hadn't been tampered with or traced. Outgoing mail, to make sure that it can't be traced."
"Oh," Harry answered, as long as he didn't read the mail, it wouldn't be that bad.
"Just because the wizarding world feels that we are family that does not mean that you are going to have a free ride this week. There are no house elves here, so you will have to pick up after yourself, that is the third rule. Any mess you make, you will be responsible for, whether it is indoors or outdoors, accidental or deliberate."
"Some of the indoor chores I can use magic to complete, however, since we are in a muggle neighborhood, obviously I cannot use that outside where it can be noticed. While you reside here and in my care," Snape smirked, "You will be given chores and treated as any other teenager, and not as the precious savior or chosen one as the media tends to call you."
Harry rolled his eyes, after living with the Dursley's and working as their house-elf for the last fifteen years, he was sure he wouldn't have any trouble with the tasks that Snape assigned him.
"Even though you will only be here for five days, since I am sure that you will leave as soon as you are legally able to, I expect you to help. During those five days I expect you to consider this place as your home, and treat it as such," Severus said reluctantly before pausing a moment as he reconsidered his words, "Better yet, treat it better than you would your home. As a student and son, you have certain responsibilities. First on that list would be homework. Even if you are no longer residing here after your seventeenth birthday or acknowledge me as your family, what you say or do will reflect on me. Therefore, you will have your homework completed before you leave, and it will not be the sloppy mess you usually turn in."
"But-" Harry began in protest, he had brought his books with him and his homework assignments, but no outside reference materials that he might need for reference.
"I will leave out some books that are acceptable for you to use," Severus interrupted.
Harry's head snapped up as he wondered if his professor was reading his mind. With this thought still in his mind, Harry immediately strengthened the occlumency shields in his mind.
"As you may have noticed," Snape continued, glaring at Harry, "Certain rooms upstairs were closed and locked. At no time are you to unlock those doors, with or without the use of magic. Likewise, you are not to enter any room with a closed door except your own. Knock on the door, if I am there, I will answer, otherwise, stay away."
"What about food?" Harry asked, hopefully he will be able to eat more here than at the Dursley's.
"Forgive me if I doubt your cooking skills," Snape drawled sarcastically, "But I've seen how you have brewed potions. I will provide us with meals, you, in turn, will assist in the clean-up afterwards."
"I can cook!" Harry argued.
"Not in my kitchen," Snape snapped back, "If you feel the need for a snack in between meals, there will be plenty of fruit available. Things that don't require you to use a knife or cook," Severus completed, with a pointed look at the hand that Harry had cut during their creation of the Biocreo potion.
Harry growled, taking offense at his father's statement.
"During the day, you will in the dining room by eight a.m. for breakfast. Lunch will be at one and dinner at six. I will inform you if these times will change. Your day would be best spent in academic pursuit rather than the frivolous. Once inside for dinner, you will remain so for the rest of the evening. Evenings will be spent in some quiet activity, seeing your grades, I suggest that you use the time for additional studying. Lastly, you will be in your room with the lights out by ten p.m."
"What!?" Harry protested. "You can't dictate a schedule to me!"
"Yes, I can," Snape replied with a smirk, "After all, I am your father."
"Humph," was all Harry replied to that statement. "And what happens on my birthday?"
Severus just looked at Harry for a few minutes before replying, "You get older, like everyone else."
"That's not what I meant! I meant will I be able to spend the day with my friends and the Weasley's? Will I be able to get my apperating license?"
"No one can predict the future," Severus answered, "We will have to wait until that day before we know how you will spend it."
"Snape!" Harry groaned in frustration.
"You are to refer to me as Professor Snape," Severus responded.
"I could always call you father," Harry returned.
"I think that that is something we both would like to avoid," was the only comment Snape made.
"So, what? I refer to you as 'Hey you'?"
"Professor or sir will suffice."
"For you, maybe."
"Exactly," Severus smirked, "Glad to see that you finally understand. Dinner will be a bit late this evening; I expect you back here in thirty minutes for dinner."
With a last frustrated look at the older man, Harry stormed from the dining room and retreated back to his room.
"Sir?" Harry hesitantly asked when they were almost finished eating, "Who was that man who brewed the potion?"
Severus briefly glanced in Harry's direction before finally stating, "I do not know his identity."
Harry glared at him, "You let an unknown person brew this potion?"
"It came out correct, did it not?"
"That's not the point!" Harry yelled, "What if he was a Death Eater?"
"There is no what if about it," Snape replied, "I am fairly confident that he was."
Harry let his jaw drop in shock as he looked at his father. "They why don't you know who he is?"
"Potter," Snape snarked, "Do you honestly think that all of us know who everyone else is? That would rather defeat the purpose of being masked."
"Well, why didn't you say anything?"
"I had no proof, just my suspicions," Snape drawled, "And as a loyal supporter of the Dark Lord myself, why would I reveal him?"
Okay, Harry thought as he calmed down, that did make sense, "But if you didn't recognize him and couldn't really identify him as a Death Eater, why were you so suspicious?"
"Years of practice," Severus sighed, realizing he might as well try to train Potter to not only be more observant, but to logically connect those observations as well. "One, he never introduced himself. Most people would, especially in the company of the famous Harry Potter and when they would be brewing a potion for him. Two, he was wearing an appearance glamour. Alone one of these would indicate he had something to hide, but together, it should alert the mind to the fact that it was not for a reason as simple as covering a deformity."
"You knew he was wearing a glamour?" Harry asked. "How? Do you have a magic eye like Moody? Can you see through invisibility cloaks?"
"As tempted as I am to say 'yes' to the last in the hope that it would deter you from using that blasted thing, I did agree to be honest with you," Severus finally replied. "I do not have a magic eye, nor can I see through the invisibility cloaks. What I do possess, however, is a talent for identifying magical objects, creatures and spells."
"Then you could see through Crouch's glamour my fourth year?" Harry began, once more getting upset, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Mr. Potter, sit down," Snape ordered as Harry stood up and started to leave. "Crouch was using Polyjuice. The only way to detect that is to witness it wearing off. Besides which, with the amount of magical objects and spells at Hogwart's, this talent is practically useless there."
"Oh," Harry quietly stated, "I'm sorry."
Snape just gave an indication of his head, showing that he heard the apology, but otherwise didn't say a word.
"Potter," Severus said standing in the doorway to Harry's room later that evening. "I'm going out," he quickly finished and turned to leave hoping the boy wouldn't have a chance to respond.
"Wait!" Harry called as he chased after his father, "Where are you going?"
"Out," Snape reiterated, his voice carrying from a few rooms away.
"Can I come?"
"Somehow I do not believe that the headmaster would appreciate that," Severus drawled as Harry approached him.
"So what? You're my father and have custody of me, at least until I turn 17. Dumbledore doesn't have anything to say about it."
"Trust me," Severus said as he transferred an item from one hand to the other, "He would have plenty to say about it, and rightfully so. The answer is no."
"Oh, come on," Harry pleaded, "You can't leave me alone on my first day."
"Potter, you are 16, surely you have been left alone before."
"Not really," Harry answered, unless it involved being locked in a cupboard, of course he wasn't about to mention that in case it gave Snape ideas.
"Regardless, you will be now. Think of this as a new adventure," Severus concluded dryly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late."
"But where will you be?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Harry echoed in disbelief, "Or you won't tell me?" When Snape still wouldn't answer, Harry went to the next question on his list, "Well, when will you be back?"
"Later."
With a frustrated groan Harry turned away, not bothering to ask any more questions about Snape's activities since it was obvious he wasn't going to answer them. "Well, what do I do if something happens? I'm in a new house, a completely unfamiliar area…"
The older man raised an eyebrow, as much as he needed to leave, Potter's last sentence did have a valid point, as to his first, "What do you expect to happen?"
"Nothing, but things often do around me," Harry retorted, "What if the house catches on fire or if someone tries to break-in? What if Death Eaters show up?"
"First, the only way this place could catch on fire is if a potion explodes. And if I discover that you attempted to brew a potion or even stepped a foot into my lab, a house fire would be the least of your worries. In fact, I would suggest you run, since nothing would be able to save you.
"Second, this house may be in a muggle neighborhood, but it has almost as many charms as Hogwart's. Other muggles cannot enter if they harbor ill-will."
"And Death Eaters?"
"I believe they will be otherwise occupied," Snape commented grimly.
"Well, what about non-Death Eaters who might be after me?"
"I doubt that even the ministry is incompetent enough to lose my address since this afternoon," Severus dryly commented. "However, as you stated, since things usually do happen around you, use the portkey the headmaster gave you and tell him about the situation. He will be able to take care of it. For now, I suggest that you get to bed and make sure your occlumency shields are up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must leave. He hates it when someone is late."
"Who will hate it?" Harry asked himself since Snape had already gone, "And what was he holding in his hands?"
END CHAPTER 29
UPCOMING:
CHAPTER 30 A WEEK IS LIKE A YEAR
CHAPTER 31 SURPRISE!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the creative works of JK Rowling.
Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. Thanks as well to everyone who has included this (or my other stories) in their favorites or C2's.
11/23/06
