Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: I'll admit, this is a bit of a filler chapter, but I'm more for relationships than all the action if you haven't figured that out yet. We'll head back to Hogwarts next chapter.
Tom gracefully strode out of the floo back into Spinner's End. It had gone was well as could be expected with Sirius and Remus. He had assured them that the Dursleys would be handled and to keep calm for Harry's sake. He had plans, he just needed to get stronger, and Sirius and Remus going off the deep end on the muggles wouldn't help his plans in the slightest. He sighed in relief when Severus came into the sitting room from the kitchen where he had probably been putting together something for dinner from the delicious smells wafting through the house.
Tom smiled broadly when Severus gave him his version of a welcoming smile, basically just a slight crinkle of his eyes and a little upturn of his lips. Knowing the man, it was the same as an enthusiastic greeting though. So, taking it as it was, Tom strode over and pulled his lover into a tight hug. "How's my son?" He asked when Severus finally relaxed into the embrace.
Severus's arms snaked around his waist as he returned the hug, accepting the comfort finally. "He's resting now. I vanished the damaged bones and just gave him the Skele-Gro. It should be kicking in shortly."
"Thank you, Sev," Tom gave him a little kiss as he finally pulled away.
Severus nodded. "I haven't lived in his mind for the past almost fifteen years, but I'd wager that he seems better adjusted and more emotionally stable than he actually is from what he must have gone through."
Tom thought for a minute. "That's probably true. I think he does better than both of us to be honest though. I take no credit for Harry being well-adjusted to life; that's all him. The Dragon Weasel and Luna have been really good in helping him learn to trust others. Ron and Hermione are good for him as well, but he only ever shows them his façade of 'normal teenager,' so they don't know the real Harry. And Sirius and Remus are getting there, but he's still wary of them as much as he does love them. Guardian figures and adults in general he tends to be more wary of. Weirdly, he never could be persuaded to see me as an adult."
Severus gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "I think maybe you should take a little more credit for raising that imp than you are. He's more you than James or Lily in his actions. Luckily for all of us, he's all Lily in compassion and concern for others though."
"Yeah, as much as I tried, he's just not new Dark Lord material," Tom joked.
"Not something to joke about," Severus playfully smacked him upside the head.
"Oi, don't mess up the hair!"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Really? I can't see a difference."
Tom grumbled. "I hate this hair! Why did I have to get the hair?!"
"Just feel thankful you didn't get the nearsightedness," Severus smirked and rumpled the already messy hair.
Tom glared at him. "I'm going to go sit with Harry and retain some of my pride."
Snape continued smirking as Tom started up the stairs, checking him out as he left. "I'll be up with dinner soon."
Tom grinned as he felt the eyes on his retreating form, and he once more thanked all that was holy that the man had given him a chance when he really hadn't deserved it and agreed to be a part of his new life. Still smiling, he pushed open the door to the guestroom to see his son smile up at him from where he was reading an old potions journal on the bed. "Interesting reading material?"
"It's all Snape has," Harry groaned. "He really needs to expand his horizons."
"You want some company?"
"Please!" Harry said gratefully, putting down the journal as Tom settled himself in the chair beside the bed.
"Kicking in yet?" Tom asked, taking in the hands clenched just a little too tightly on the sheets.
"Yeah, not too bad yet though," Harry shrugged. "So, how's it been going with Snape? I see you're no longer in the guestroom since I'm settled in here," he raised a suggestive eyebrow.
Tom smiled at him wickedly. "You're warned, if you ask questions, I'll answer them."
Harry shook his head frantically. "Nope, don't need to know! I'm just happy you're getting along…and apparently went shopping?" Harry asked, motioning to the gray slacks and blue button-down shirt Tom was wearing. "I doubt you borrowed that from the man that only wears black."
Tom laughed. "We went shopping a couple days ago in Diagon and a little in muggle London too. Get this…I even talked him into a couple shirts that weren't black!"
Harry grinned. "Really?! Please tell me they're pastel or paisley!"
"Nah, gray and a really dark green, baby steps though," Tom smiled wryly.
Harry winced as a pain shot through his boneless left foot. Tom winced along with him when he saw the look. "Ow, sorry about all this," he said empathetically.
Harry rolled his eyes at him. "We both knew the foot was going to be an issue at some point. At least I'm getting it fixed. Distract me with something, ok?"
"Erm…the eighth level of necromancy. I forgot what it was since we were so focused on the seventh. Why're you morally against it?" Tom grasped at things to talk about.
Harry thought for a moment. "It's not really that I'm morally against it, I definitely am, but it's more that I'm terrified of it," he explained with a haunted look in his eyes.
"Really? You? Scared of something? They'll kick you out of Gryffindor," Tom said with a teasing grin. He got serious when he saw how much it actually did seem to scare his son by the look on his face. "What's so wrong with it?"
"Did you ever wonder where dementors came from?" Harry asked, seeming to change the subject.
Tom looked at him confused. "Um…They spawn in mist. That's why it's always so foggy around Azkaban."
"Not how they multiply, where they came from originally," Harry shifted as his missing ribs started to twinge.
Tom shook his head. "You're talking religion instead of magic now."
"I'm not," Harry disagreed. "Dementors were once necromancers who got stuck," he said to Tom who was now gaping at his son in horror.
"What do you mean 'got stuck?!'"
"The eighth level of necromancy is embracing all of soul magic and filling yourself with it completely," the teen said sadly. "It's drawing on the good and bad of life. Souls are all a mixture of good and bad thoughts, emotions, beliefs, goals, connections, and experiences. They are what make up who we are. The problem is that necromancers have a lot of bad experiences and pain, which is necessary to make it easier for them to cross into the gray realm, but when flooded with soul magic, these experiences also make it harder for them to return. The eighth level turns the necromancer into something similar to a dementor with full power over all soul magic, but if they aren't extremely careful and have something very powerful to draw them back, they can fully turn into the monster and be lost."
Tom shuddered. "I'm with you…that's terrifying. I don't even need to hear the percentages on that one. I vote let's not try it ever!"
Harry smiled at him in love as his dad took his hand and started to stroke the back comfortingly, right over the 'I must not tell lies' scar. "I'm glad you're you again, even if I miss you in my head."
Tom gave the back of the hand a kiss. "I have a very serious question for you now that I have a body…"
"Yeah?" Harry pushed aside the distracting pain and focused in on his dad in concern.
"Do I make the approved hug list?" Tom asked seriously.
"You better!" Harry grinned and then grimaced when he moved a bit. "Right after I have my missing ribs back though, right?"
Tom chuckled. "Of course!"
"I hope you both like pasta, because this is all we have," Snape grumbled as he pushed open the door to the room with his foot while carrying a large tray with three bowls of a pasta dish with chicken and a lot of vegetables in it.
"As long as it doesn't have more Skele-Gro in it, I'll eat anything!" Harry smiled at him with a look of appreciation.
"It smells divine, Sev!" Tom exclaimed and grabbed a bowl as Snape passed one to Harry and sat with his own bowl on the other side of the bed.
"Don't call me Sev, and you haven't eaten in fifteen years, so forgive me if I don't take your word for it," Snape smirked at him.
"So, Professor," Harry started between bites. "I saw a potion on page fifteen of this," he motioned to the old journal, "was the potion master insane or did he really mix nundu horn with unicorn hair?"
"Ah," Snape absently flipped through the journal and looked at the potion. "Well…in certain situations you can reduce the volatility…"
Tom and Harry exchanged knowing smiles as Snape settled into his comfort zone of explaining potions while they both ate their (very tasty) pasta and nodded along.
Upon returning to Grimmauld Place the next day, Harry was smothered in well-meaning attention from his dogfathers and Headmistress Masterson who had randomly showed up for a visit and knew abolutely nothing about what had happened to Harry but was the motherly type anyway. Harry had stumbled out of the floo, thanking Merlin that he had glamoured his face, just in case, before leaving Spinner's End. "Harry! It's so good to see you again!" Headmistress Masterson exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Headmistress?!" Harry asked in confusion while Sirius and Remus smothered him in a hug.
"Pup, how're you feeling?" Sirius asked frantically.
"Do you need anything, cub?" Remus added on. "A pain potion, some chocolate, anything?"
"Are you well?" the headmistress asked. "Sirius and Remus said you were seeing a healer."
"I'm fine everyone!" Harry exclaimed as he extricated himself from the two men. "Skele-Gro is annoying but not that bad. It was just a few bones."
"And a whole box of potions Severus sent along," Remus added, motioning to a box.
Harry winced, yeah that… "Well, you know Snape. He's all gruff but over-protective and all. They're just nutrition potions and some others for bone strengthening and stuff. No worries."
"That doesn't sound like Snape to me," Sirius looked at him disbelievingly.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. That's how he is with me anyway. Probably Evan's doing. So, how have you been, Headmistress?" He changed the subject quickly.
"Oh, very well. Call me Melinda, by the way," she smiled at him. "The girls are putting together a new theatre program and one of them came up with this new sport that they're all saying is better than Quidditch. I'm sure you'd disagree though."
Harry smiled and sat beside her on the couch. "Is it still on brooms?"
"Of course," the woman laughed. "I can't keep those girls on the ground for anything."
"I want to hear all about it then! How long are you going to be here?"
"Just for the weekend. I need to get back to help plan the new school year. I want to hear all about your fifth year though. Your letters were nowhere detailed enough," she patted his hand.
They both jumped when tea and biscuits popped in on the table beside them, courtesy of Kreacher. "Oh, it was nothing special," Harry smiled and poured the tea for them both.
Sirius and Remus broke down laughing. "I think I'm missing something," Melinda looked between them. "I'm guessing your fifth year wasn't as uninteresting as you've made it out?"
Harry shot them a glare, but Remus did his best to stop laughing. "Melinda…what do…sorry…what are your opinions on the dark arts?" Remus asked between laughs.
"Remy, you know we have a very understanding view of the dark arts in Canada," Melinda looked at him in confusion.
"Wait…you aren't against them?" Harry asked excitedly. "Like, you don't think they're evil?"
Melinda shook her head. "I had to discuss this with Remus when he taught for us. I don't know what Hogwarts' problem is, but we view light and dark magic as extensions of each other. Remus was teaching Defensive Magic for us at TIW, not Defense Against the Dark Arts. We actually have a Dark Arts professor who teaches the respectful and safe approach to dark magic for those inclined to learn it."
"That's so awesome!" Harry looked at Remus questioningly. "Can I show her?" He asked, excited to have someone else who knew about dark magic and wasn't prejudiced.
"That's why I brought it up," Remus nodded to him as he and Sirius had finally pulled themselves together and joined them, sitting in the armchairs. "I think Melinda would love to hear all about your studies. She actually used to be the Dark Arts professor before becoming Headmistress."
"Are you doing a self-study into the dark arts?" Melinda asked with a wide grin as she sipped her tea. "I would love to hear all about it and maybe even suggest some books."
"Really?!" Harry exclaimed. "I have a tutor who's a blood mage and have gone through most of the Black library, but I'd love some recommendations for texts on soul and mind magic."
"Pup, the glamour," Sirius reminded him with a smile.
"Oh yeah," Harry waved his hand over his face, dispelling the glamour.
Melinda gasped and her hand visibly shook, spilling some of her tea into the saucer. Slowly, she put the tea on the table and reached over to cup Harry's face in her hand. She traced the silver studs around his eye with a concerned look at him. "Oh, child," she said in sadness. "What have you lived through in your short life?"
Harry saw her glance over to the box of potions knowingly, causing him to wince. "Really, I'm fine," he tried to assure her.
"No, you aren't…" she concluded, looking deep into his eyes. He knew she wasn't trying to legilimize him, but it felt like she was seeing into his soul. "You will be though. You are a very powerful and strong young man, and I don't mean only magically. You do need to learn to ask for help though. While you are capable, you don't need to always fight your own battles. Learn to let your friends and family in and ask for help. If you can do that, you will be even stronger and more powerful for it."
Melinda moved back and took up her teacup once more as Harry let out a breath, feeling like he'd just had a therapy session or something. "What just happened?"
"I can read auras," the headmistress explained. "It's a blending of soul magic and divination. Your aura is full of pain, love, and strength. I'm very interested to hear what your plans are for your future, and I'd love to be a part of helping you to get there. I feel that you're going to make a difference in our world…change our world for the better."
Sirius reached over and squeezed Harry's shoulder supportively. Harry was smiling into his teacup though as Remus reached over and took Melinda's hand in his. He had a feeling the headmistress wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He figured she would be a part of his future for a long time if Remus had anything to say about it anyway.
"Ok, well, I want to keep on with Necromancy. What all do you know about it?" Harry asked her and settled in to learn whatever she could teach.
Being grounded for the entire summer sucked! Harry's homework was completely finished, both versions, and he had even gotten ahead in Tom's independent studies and Hattie's recommended readings. And he was bored! Thankfully, he got a reprieve for good behavior when Sirius and Remus invited over the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, and Luna for Harry's birthday. Charlie was unfortunately not able to make it, but Melinda was able to come back to town. This time she was flashed in by Fawkes who had apparently showed up in her office and stared at her until she agreed to go with him.
To Ron and Hermione's confusion, and Neville's fear, Tom appeared just as the party was getting started with an irritated Severus Snape in tow. After a nod and a grumbled "happy birthday," Snape joined Frank and Alice Longbottom by the punchbowl to talk. Tom was much more enthusiastic, taking advantage of being on the approved hug list, he was hanging all over his son, trying to make him as embarrassed as humanly possible to Sirius's amusement. Fred and George laughed even harder than Sirius at who they assumed must be Snape's boyfriend since they had already gotten hexed for trying to hug Harry when they arrived. They definitely weren't on the list.
When Tom finally left Harry alone to go hang out with Luna, Ron and Hermione pulled him aside. "Harry, care to explain who that is and why Snape is at your birthday party," Hermione whispered to him.
"That's our new DADA professor, Evan Shade," Harry explained. "And, the best part, he's definitely not a Death Eater in disguise or going to try to kill or torture me!"
"The twins mentioned Snape was dating the new DADA professor and that you knew him," Ron said, trying to get a better look at the man chatting enthusiastically with Luna. "I didn't believe them for a minute. I figured they were just being the twins and trying to have me on. Who knew anyone would actually like Snape."
"Yeah, I've known Evan for a while now. He's really cool and will definitely be a good teacher. Anyway, Snape will probably say he's here because Evan dragged him, but he likes me, even if he won't admit it," Harry smiled at them, daring them to disagree with a look.
"Erm, mate, he called you a dunderhead just two minutes ago," Ron reminded him and felt his head for a fever. "Are you sure you're ok?"
Harry batted his hand away indignantly. "That's just how he shows love."
Ron and Hermione both looked at him like he was crazy, but that was nothing new. They were quickly distracted when tiny Nagini slithered out from under Harry's shirt to see what was going on. This brought on a whole new series of looks as Harry introduced them to "Nags," which he was calling Nagini to her irritation since he couldn't very well tell everyone who she really was. He firmly decided against telling them about Bella and Cissy. That might be pushing the new information just a little bit in his opinion. Though, Fred and George did ask later if the turtles were still alive and looked a little upset when he said they were healthy.
After being introduced around, Nagini spent the rest of the party curled around Tom and then Melinda's neck. Melinda surprisingly fell instantly in love with the shrunken snake and Nagini was soaking up all the praise about how beautiful she was and how smart. Harry was a little worried she'd want to go back to Canada with the headmistress, but Nagini assured him that absolutely no one could pry her away from her hatchling.
The party broke up late that night with the Longbottoms leaving first, followed by Melinda and Fawkes, and then Luna. Hermione was quizzing Tom about his plans for the new semester and looking excited that he seemed to actually know what he was talking about, a rarity for their DADA professors, when her parents finally arrived to pick her up. "Bye Professors! Bye Harry!" She called before pulling Harry into a hug that he begrudgingly allowed. "I'll see you both on the train!" She said to him and Ron as she rushed out the door.
"I'm heading out too. Sev will turn into a pumpkin if I don't get him home soon," Tom stage whispered to Harry as he pulled him into another hug. Happy birthday, son. I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you!
Thank you, Dad. I love you too.
Ron watched the professors leave before looking questioningly to Harry. "You know…the new professor looks a lot like you," he commented.
"Ooo, don't tell Snape that!" The twins exclaimed in unison.
"Well, I think he's just lovely," Mrs. Weasley said as she tried to gather up her kids to floo back home.
"See ya mate!" Ron called before flooing away.
"See you on the train," Ginny added as she followed her brother with a grin. "I'd hug you, but I don't feel like being hexed right now, so I'll just say happy birthday!"
"See ya Gin!" Harry called back with a wave as she disappeared in the flames.
It was his first birthday party ever, and Harry couldn't have been happier with it. He still counted when Tom first took him to Diagon Alley as the best birthday because it was when he first believed the wizarding world to be real, but this one had to be a very close second. He wouldn't have changed a thing…well, maybe it would have been a little better if a certain redheaded dragon handler had been there…