CHAPTER 38
On Friday night, Harry insisted on sleeping at home. That way he could get up, have a peaceful shower and eat breakfast with his dad before they did whatever his dad had planned for them.
Harry was patiently; or perhaps impatiently, waiting for his dad to join him at the dining table for breakfast. Harry had already been sitting their quietly for half an hour. His face lit up when he saw Meeka appear and place a coffee cup on the table.
"Harry eats now?" Meeka questioned for the second time this morning.
"When dad eats," he told his little elf for the second time.
Snape came into the dining area still dressed in his pyjamas and robe. He sat down and looked over at the beaming smile on his son's face.
"Please don't tell me you've been up since three or four in the morning?" Snape gave a small grin and reached for his coffee.
"No sir," Harry continued to smile. "I stayed in bed until seven."
"Yous eat now?" Meeka questioned Harry as she placed a plate down for Snape.
"Yes, Meeka," Harry told her.
She snapped her fingers and Harry's breakfast appeared before him.
"I take it you've been sitting here for a while?" Snape snickered at his son.
"Half an hour or so," Harry answered. "What are we going to do today?" Harry bounced a little in his seat.
"I'll tell you after I have my breakfast, a shower and get dressed," Snape tried to hold a straight face as he watched Harry's expressions go from surprise to a scowl.
Harry let his dad eat and read the morning's Dailey Prophet in peace. Harry finished his breakfast and quietly sat on the couch and picked up a book.
Narcissa came out of the bedroom and gave the top of Harry's head a little kiss as she made her way into the dining area.
Harry began idly flipping through pages, wandering if his dad had any books with pictures. What did catch his attention was hand written notation in the margins. He flipped back to the front and finds the book to be a sixth year potion book that once belonged to someone named the Half Blooded Prince. Harry wanted to read this book more. He had never seen a potion book that had hand written alterations for some of the potions and what read like spells on other pages. What convinced him to take the book to his room for further investigations later; was the hand written spell Levicorpus.
As Harry hid the book in his sock drawer a conversation quickly flashed through his mind: 'I believe the curse used was your handiwork Professor Snape,' Minerva had said when the Professors were discussing the prank the boys had pulled on Filch. If this was his dad's old school book, Harry could use it to make sure all his potions were always done to his dad's standards. And having spells and charms in it couldn't hurt either. He would never be like Voldemort; he would be a strong powerful wizard like his dad and together they would defeat Voldemort and any other evil wizard or monster that tried to hurt innocent people. Harry stood proudly thinking that his dad was such a master wizard that he knew how to create spells and potions. Most of all, he was so good he was able to fool the most dreaded wizard into thinking he was one of his followers; and all along he was a spy.
Harry still held his head proudly when he returned to the living room.
"Get your cloak Brat," Snape smiled at Harry. "We're leaving Hogwarts for the day."
As they walked towards Dumbledore's office, Snape leaned over and whispered to Harry: "Do you have your Portkey?"
"Always," Harry patted his chest.
"Are we going on a dangerous mission," Harry giggled.
"We're going to do some snooping around," Snape whispered; enjoying the look of excitement in Harry's eyes.
"I know you know how to floo travel Harry, but there are many floo exits at the Ministry of Magic and I don't want you to end up at a different place then me, so we are going together," Snape told Harry when they entered Dumbledore's office.
"The Ministry of Magic?" Harry said with wide eyes of wonder.
"We have an old mystery to solve," his dad told him. "We need to see if there is a record of my aunt's birth or her death. Since we haven't found my great grandmother's book, I thought we could check the Hall of Records."
"Brilliant," Harry remarked.
"Dumbledore has made special arrangements with a friend of his, normally only someone from the Records Department is allowed access to those files," Snape explained. "But I thought it would be better if we checked for ourselves. I also promised Albus I would find him some Muggle books while we're in London and I need you to help me find some."
"I don't think you're dressed for Muggle London," Harry snickered.
Snape removed his traveling cloak and revealed he was dressed like Harry; he had on jeans, trainers and a deep green jumper. His gave his cloak a tap with his wand and turned the cloak into a ski styled jacket.
"Will you change my cloak?" Harry inquired.
"Only if you're good," he said straight faced, with a very slight raise of one eyebrow. He tapped his jacket, giving it back its long cloak shape.
"I know you're too old to be carried like a child, but it's the easiest way for us to travel by floo together," Snape smirked and picked Harry up. "Hopefully I can put you down before anybody sees," the man continued to smirk as he called out their destination.
Harry didn't mind being held by his dad; at least that way he didn't fall flat on his face when they arrived. Snape set Harry down and with a flick of his wand, all traces of soot was removed from them.
"Severus, Harry," Mr. Weasley smiled warmly. "Albus thought I should meet you two, since neither of you are familiar with the Ministry's lay out. I'm not privy to the details of your visit. I was just asked to escort you to Amara in the record department. I am more than willing to help you with anything if you need me."
"Thank you Arthur, but this is a little father/son project," Snape told Mr. Weasley.
"You have to try and squeeze as many of those moments in as you can," Mr. Weasley nodded to Snape. "Before you know it they've grown and left home."
"Even when I'm really old like you guys I'll still live at home," Harry reported.
The men exchanged glances and Mr. Weasley stepped out of the lift.
"End of the hall, turn right and Amara's office is the first door on the right," Mr Weasley informed them and then got back in the lift.
"Thanks again Arthur," Snape said to the man just before the doors closed.
Snape knocked sharply on the Department of Records door. A woman that looked even older than Albus opened the door and beckoned Harry and Snape in.
"Albus said you seek all records related to the Prince family," the old woman's voice shook with age as she sat herself down behind her desk.
"That is correct," Snape said with his direct Professor style facade in place.
"I have been rather busy all week and only had a chance to look for those records this morning, and I'm sorry to tell you that all the files under that name have been removed. There is a folder with the family name on it, but all I found was this scrap of old blank parchment. Someone had removed all the family records and place this in the folder," she told Harry and Snape, holding the scrap of parchment out towards Snape. "I have been here for over fifty years and have never seen a family's records removed from a file."
"Who worked here before you?" Snape asked.
"Emilia..." the woman suddenly looked shocked. "Emilia Prince. But why would she remove all records of her own family?"
"My grandmother bore twins out of wedlock," Snape told her. "We had come in hopes of finding the name of the twin that died at birth."
"Once my two year apprenticeship was done, Emilia left here. Occasionally stopping in to see how I was doing. In all that time, she never mentioned her family," the old woman noted. "Her last visit could have been around the time your mother or father would have been born."
"The twins were female, born in nineteen thirty," Snape added.
"Then that scrap of paper was left by your great grandmother for someone to find, or she would have removed the file folder when she took the files," Amara mentioned, pointing at the scrap of parchment in Snape's hand. "Your family is one of the oldest wizarding families I know. Surely there is a family genealogy book?"
"It would seem that Emilia also hide that book. I am aware that having a child out of wedlock was frowned upon, but never to this extent," Snape remarked.
"I think she was hiding more than the fact that her daughter bore children out of wedlock. But what she was hiding was meant to be discovered by someone one day; hence the scrap of paper. Until you can find a way for that scrap to reveal its secrets, your family's past will remain a secret. I am sorry that I wasn't more help to you," Amara sighed. "I do wish you well in your search."
"I thank you for your time," Snape gave the woman a brief nod and led Harry out of the office.
"Now what?" Harry asked his dad.
"Would you like a Muggle lunch or the Leaky Cauldron?" Snape questioned the boy.
"I meant with our search for Elinora's baby," Harry responded.
"Like Amara said, until I learn the parchment secret there isn't much we can do," Snape explained. "Now what would you like to do for lunch?"
"Burger, chips and a milkshake," Harry smiled.
"That sounds Mugglish," Snape remarked. "I know there are a few exits from the Ministry that would put us in the heart of Muggle London, but I'm not sure where they are."
"Destination," the lift inquired when they entered it.
"Whichever floor has a Muggle exit on it," Snape told the responded.
The lift rose rapidly and then took a sharp left turn, almost knocking Harry and Snape off their feet. "Muggle London exit," the lift's voice told them and opened its doors.
"I've never really been to London before," Harry told his dad while glancing at everything around them.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do tend to leave my dungeon and have been here many times," Snape smirked, then gave his cloak and Harry's a tap; turning their cloaks into jackets.
"There's a mall a few blocks away and they should have both your requested lunch items and a few book shops," Snape told Harry.
Harry remained glued to his father's side as they made their way through the crowded sidewalks. Every one of Snape's senses were on high alert. They may not be recognized while blending into the Muggles, but there was always a chance. Snape wanted to make sure he knew if one of Voldemort's minions were in the area, before they knew him and Harry were there. His senses lessened a few degrees once they entered the mall and it was less crowed then the streets. Normally Snape would have rebuked his son for his dawdling pace but even he found some of the window displays interesting. The familiar sent of cooking food ahead, made both of them quicken their pace slightly.
"We can have a closer look in some of these shops after lunch," Snape told Harry, calling his son away from the window display of a toy store.
"Really," Harry's face lit up with excitement.
"Of course," Snape gave a little grin.
Even though Harry's whole body was racing with anticipation of exploring a toy store; he ate slowly with all his table manners intact. Snape of course was snickering to himself; not that it showed. He knew how excited his son was and how hard the boy was trying to conduct himself properly. Harry even walked at his dad's pace all the way back to the store.
His attention was immediately drawn towards a section of the store that had remote control vehicles in it. One in particular caught his eye; you had to build the four wheel truck and install the electric components.
"Intriguing," Snape remarked, reading over Harry shoulder. "Did you want one?"
Wide, bright emerald eyes gazed up at Snape.
"Draco would have to get one too so we could race," Harry mentioned, pushing the large box back into it place on the shelf.
"Then we need two," Snape replied and reached around Harry.
"They're over two hundred pounds each," Harry squeaked.
"Should that actually mean something to me?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "Now grab one for yourself. We still have to find some books for Albus."
"You're going to help us build them right?" Harry asked as he struggled with the large box.
"Humm. Now that sounds like a father son projects," Snape grinned.
"Just like making potions together," Harry bounced up and down with enthusiasm.
"Careful Harry, you're going to drop that box," Snape said with a mild scowl.
Harry held tight to the box and followed his father to the cashier.
Harry was really surprised when he saw his dad pull out a Muggle credit card. Harry didn't say anything; he just gave his father a bewildered expression.
Once they left the store, Snape took Harry outside so they could shrink their purchase and then go looking for some books.
"Did you give them a real Muggle credit card?" Harry questioned after they left the mall.
"Do I strike you as a thief?" Snape tone was cold and his brow had deep furrows.
"No sir," Harry said positively. "I didn't mean it to quite sound that way. I was just wondering why a wizard would have a Muggle credit card."
"There are times when even wizards must travel through the Muggle world. I found having this card was easier than trying to figure out Muggle's monetary system," Snape explained.
"Now shall we go find some books for Albus?" his dad added and put the shrunken purchases in his pocket.
Harry recalled read a few Stephen King novels that Dumbledore had given him, so he sought out more books by that author. Snape found a section devoted to witches, wizards and the occult. Some of the books were given a mild quirk of his lip; others he knew were fact based. Being an avid reader, Snape found more than a dozen books he wanted to read and added them to the pile Harry had begun. The two of them spent over two hours in the book shop.
"Think we have enough for a few weeks," Snape sarcastically remarked to Harry when he saw the pile of books the two of them had stacked up near the cashier.
"Yup," Harry answered with a cheeky grin when he looked at some of the books his dad had gotten.
"Looks like you're starting your own library," the cashier smiled warmly at Snape and Harry.
"Our library at home is way bigger than this place," Harry told the girl; who turned and glanced at Snape as if asking him to confirm Harry's statement.
Snape merely nodded at the girl.
"I'll call and have someone help you out with these," the cashier told Snape as she began to ring up their purchases.
"I think we can manage," Snape replied.
Harry quickly realized the bags he was carrying had no weight at all. He knew his dad was levitating them, so he kept his hands in the handles to make it appear that he was carrying them.
"Now where?" Harry smiled happily once they exited the mall.
Snape shrunk their latest purchases and put them in his pockets. "I have a few things to pick up in Diagon Alley," he told Harry.
"May I go next door and get an ice cream?" Harry asked his dad when they reached Snape destination.
"You sit inside the shop and don't go anywhere else," Snape told his son.
Harry sat near a window where he could watch the comings and goings of people shopping. Harry was almost finished his ice cream when he noticed two men meet across the street. One of the men used his head to indicate that the second man should look across the street. Harry felt a cold chill run down his back when the second man looked directly at him. Harry left the rest of his ice cream; he decided it was time to rejoin his dad.
Harry could still feel the two men's eyes upon him as he went into 'Bits & Bobs Potion Supply'.
"Hello," Harry called out rather quietly. The shop was dimly lit and there didn't appear to be anyone in it. "Hello," he said a little louder.
"May I help you young man?" A man that reminded Harry of a very old Albert Einstein appeared from behind a curtain near the back of the shop.
"I'm looking for Professor Snape," Harry told the man.
The old man had very few clients that were allowed to see and buy some of his unique potion supplies from his hidden stock in the cellar; anyone that would come looking for those clients, where always told the same thing: "He left awhile ago, you must have missed him."
Harry was not about to accept that answer. His dad had not come to him; therefore he must still be in the shop. With lightning speed, Harry held his wand to the man's throat and screamed: "Dad?" Then a little softer he said to the old man: "Where is he?"
"I didn't realize he was your father. I'll go fetch him for you," the man said to Harry.
"Harry," Snape called out as he exited the curtained off area.
Harry immediately lowered his wand.
"I told you to wait next door," Snape scowled at Harry.
"There were two guys across the street watching me and they gave me the creeps," Harry explained, walking over to his dad's side.
"Stay," Snape ordered Harry and he went to the front of the shop and peered around outside.
Even from the back, Snape was able to make out who the men were. "Crabb and Goyle," he growled quietly.
Snape turned to face Harry and the old man: "Thrusher, have my purchases sent up to the school. Harry come on."
Harry glanced up to his dad before they exited the shop.
"Don't worry," Snape told Harry. "They have enough brains cells to know better than to mess with me."
Harry flipped his wand back so that it was leaning against the back of his forearm. He had no intentions of putting it away. He then stayed close to his dad's left side, making it easy for both of them to whip out their wands.
"Severus," Crabb smiled. "And Harry. It's nice to meet you," the man held out his hand to shake.
Harry however remained unmoved.
"Forgive my son," Snape told Crabb. "He tends to be a bit nervous around strangers. Especially when they leer over at him from a distance."
"We were just surprised to see him in town on his own," Goyle mentioned.
"I assure you, you will never find my son out on his own. Next time you see him, you might just want to smile and say hi; then be on your way," Snape remarked without any sign of emotion. "If Harry or any of his companions fell slightly threatened, they are apt to attack without realizing you meant them no harm."
"Didn't mean to startle you," Crabb smiled at Harry again.
"We're sorry," Goyle added.
"Have a good day, gentlemen," Snape gave a slight tip of his head, put his arm around Harry's shoulder and they walked away.
"Are you upset that I didn't shake hands with them?" Harry meekly asked his dad as they headed for the Leaky Cauldron.
"If I thought shaking hands and being polite with them was necessary, I would have properly introduced you to them," Snape replied. "If you felt holding you wand was more important than bending to societies pleasantries; then by all means, go with your gut feelings."
"They're Death Eaters, aren't they?" Harry whispered.
"Yes. They claim they were under the Imperious curse, but I know they were and still are loyal to The Dark Lord," Snape sneered.
Snape's senses went back on high alert; if Crabb and Goyle were wandering around Diagon Alley, then Lucius could possibly be near at hand.
"How was your day?" Dumbledore smiled at Harry when him and Snape stepped out of Dumbledore's fireplace.
"It was great," Harry beamed. "We went to McDonald's for lunch. We got remote controlled cars to build and wait till you see all the books we found." Harry said as he bounced over to sit next to the old man on the couch.
Dumbledore couldn't help but give a little laugh at Harry's excitement. "And what did you find out about your great aunt?" Dumbledore asked the boy.
"Somebody took all the Prince files," Harry sighed.
Dumbledore glanced over at Snape. Snape finished unloading the packages from his cloak and returning them to their original size before he sat in a chair across from Dumbledore and Harry.
"Amara thinks my great grandmother must have taken the files contents," Snape explained. "All she was able to find was this scrap of parchment." He handed the piece of parchment to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore examined the paper, flipping it over and he even mumbled something at tapped it with his wand. "Hhhmm," he mumbled and said a different incantation. Still the parchment didn't reveal its information. "Without knowing the caster of the charm on this paper, it could take quite some time to unlock the secret it holds," he told Snape and Harry. "It's not meant to be read by just anyone."
"Maybe it needs blood," Harry remarked and both men looked at him. "You know, like the house and Loto's book."
"Your ancestors were all about keeping everything in the family blood line," Dumbledore noted to Snape.
Snape tapped the tip of his finger with his wand and let a drop of blood fall to the piece of parchment; the paper absorbed the blood and words formed: 'HALFBLOOD'. Then the words faded.
Snape scowled angrily at the paper.
"It is not meant to be read by you," Dumbledore gave a deep breath and both men then turned and looked at Harry. "Harry's mother may have been a mud blood, but he is not," Dumbledore added.
Harry held his finger out to his dad, but Dumbledore reached up and stopped Snape. "Might I suggest you use Harry's wand."
Harry put his right hand up his left sleeve and retrieved his wand. "How do I make my finger bleed?" he questioned the men.
"Tap your finger and say Crudus," his dad told him.
When Harry's blood hit the paper, all three of them where confused by the word that appeared: 'POTTER'.
As a dead silence washed over the room; Harry suddenly remembered the image of James Potter in the mirror. Could his mother have been wrong?
'Is the paper saying Harry's blood is Potter's?' Snape thought to himself, looking at his son; who was locking his eyes to Snape's.
Dumbledore looked from Harry to Severus; it was as if he could hear their thoughts. "I do not doubt Lily's words," Dumbledore mentioned. "Come, let me show you something." Dumbledore went to his desk and the other two followed him.
Dumbledore dug around in his desk for a few minutes, and then pulled out a black piece of parchment with a blue ribbon tied around if.
"The parchment of Prosapia Incruentus will show the family blood line of you Harry. If Severus is your dad, then it will show his family bloodline. If James is your father it will show both James and Severus. When the four of you did the blood bonding during Severus and Cissy wedding, you all mixed and drank each other's blood. Cissy and Draco will now show Severus's bloodline along with their birth right name," Dumbledore looked at Harry and unwrapped the parchment.
"No," Harry snapped, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and stood as close to his dad's side as he could.
"It's okay Harry," his dad said softly, putting his arm around his son.
"You're my dad," Harry whimpered up at Snape.
"Yes I am," Snape smiled and gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze.
Dumbledore rolled the parchment back up; "No need for this," he put the black parchment back in the drawer.
"Let's see what the scrap says to me," Dumbledore remarked and pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall on the scrap of parchment.
All three looked down at the parchment, but it remained blank.
"It recognized my blood and Harry's but not yours," Snape mentioned, scowling at the parchment.
"Then it's safe to say that it was meant to be found a member of your family that had both magic parents," Dumbledore responded, stoking his beard as if off in thought. "It is possible that your grandmother entrusted the Potter's with secrets of her family. Perhaps your great grandmother and James' great grandmother were friends or even relatives. Hundreds of years ago, families thought to strengthen their bloodline they should marry those of their own bloodline. We can trace your family back over a thousand years, possibly even further. The Potter's are another very old family. How far back, I'm not sure."
"The paper is telling me to talk to a Potter. Not that I am a Potter," Harry smiled as if the weight of a few moments ago was immediately lifted from his shoulders.
Dumbledore refused to let Harry's new found smile fade and gave a little nod: "That sounds right to me."
Snape's head barely moved, but Dumbledore caught the little nod of thanks.
"You, your dad and Draco still have a little mystery to solve," Dumbledore's eyes gave Harry their happy twinkle.
"Enjoy the books, Albus," Harry said as he turned to leave.
"I'm sure I will and thank you Harry," Albus replied.