Chapter 12 Erised

A/N *Quotes from the book set off*

His first thought was that he had to get that broom. Somehow the broom had been jinxed despite all the protections he had placed on it. Undoubtedly inspection of the broom would shed some light on the mystery. Still, Severus had decided to let the boy enjoy his victory before demanding to inspect his broom.

When he had watched the boy high up in the air during the Quidditch game, it was like nothing he had experienced before. Severus never enjoyed watching the games because he was responsible for the students on his team. They always held some small amount of worry for him. Today with Harry, it had been a completely different feeling. The child was like the wind on the broom. He had a natural talent that few could hope to achieve. Yet there was no denying it was a dangerous sport, especially for a skinny eleven-year-old.

He had been watching carefully and knew immediately when something was wrong. Harry had excellent control over his broom, but even an amateur wouldn't be moving like the boy was during that game. Severus had immediately reached out to the boy, grasping the still-growing tenuous relationship between them and finding the hex.

For it was indeed a hex. This was no childish prank. At first, Severus had thought the other team had wanted to mess with Harry's broom to ensure victory. It should not have been possible with the protections. He recognized the magic, though. It was Dark Magic for sure, and no schoolchild could have done it. Even the older Slytherins in Severus's House would not have known the spell. An adult was responsible. Not many outside the Dark Lord's inner circle would be capable of it, and it made Severus's blood run cold to think of that.

Fortunately, Severus's countercurse had worked. He was exhausted now from the effort of maintaining "eye contact" with the broom. He had feared that letting his focus drift for even a moment would result in sudden death for the child fifty feet up in the air. He kept the focus long enough for Harry to regain control of the broom, catch the Snitch, and dismount. It was a lucky thing, too, for the flames licking the bottom of his robes caused him to lose concentration and break the spell. He had no idea where they had come from. It was another mystery he intended to solve.

To Severus, who won the game was minimally important. He listened to Flint's whining with an expressionless mask, both because he didn't care and because he was concentrating on staying on his feet. His exhaustion was both physical from fighting the hex and emotional from the weight of nearly watching Harry die. He had pledged to protect the boy and then almost failed for the second time in only a few months.

His team went off to lick its wounds, and Severus returned to his office. He desperately wanted to lay down, but it was Saturday, and he liked to make himself available to students or members of his House who might need him. Although his desk was littered with student essays and other work, Severus found it challenging to focus on them. Even though he had been sitting there for hours, he still had little to show for it. He heard a knock on the door and responded with permission to enter.

"Professor?"

Severus was surprised to hear Harry's timid voice. The child entered still in his Quidditch robes and carrying his broom. He looked dirty and disheveled and just as tired as Severus. The boy watched him for a few moments, saying nothing.

"Yes, Mr. Potter? Did you need something?" When the boy didn't respond except to look down, Severus quirked his eyebrows and asked, "Shouldn't you be celebrating?"

"Yes, Sir," Harry answered resignedly. "I mean, I was. I wanted to talk to you."

"Very well, Mr. Potter. It seems that you might have visited your changing rooms first," Snape responded dourly.

Harry looked down and nodded as if he had just realized that he was still in his Quidditch gear. "Should I change, Sir?"

"I think that will not be necessary since you are here," Snape said. "I am glad that you brought your broom, as a matter of fact. I would like to inspect it."

"Yes, Sir," Harry said. "I wanted to ask you about … what happened. What happened, Professor?"

Severus considered before answering. He had stopped to think about what he would say when the child asked this question. He hadn't quite decided on a satisfactory answer. However, the reality was that the boy in front of him was not just any child. Coddling him was not going to work, and it would only lead to resentment in the long run.

"Your broom was hexed, Mr. Potter," Severus informed him. "It was a serious and very dangerous hex. I identified it when it first started, and luckily, I was able to counter it."

"But who …" Harry stopped and then seemed to wait to let the information sink in. "It was a student?"

"No, I do not believe so. A hex like that is too strong for a student. Before you ask, I do not know who hexed you, Harry. I am working on it. I assure you, I will find out," Severus told him.

The boy nodded. Severus was aware that Harry had noticed his professor's use of his given name instead of the more formal teacher-student address. He thought of the boy as Harry now, and it made sense to refer to him that way when they were not in the classroom.

"Sir, do you think that the troll …?" Harry looked at Severus directly, so his emerald eyes once again bored into Severus's soul. He felt as if he was looking at the boy's mother at that moment.

"I would be lying if I did not say that it is a possibility, Harry. Mountain Trolls are not very intelligent creatures. It is unlikely that one wandered in here on its own. The troll might not have been an attempt on your life. It is an odd coincidence, though, and therefore we must suspect it," Severus met the boy's gaze. "That is why you must be ever-vigilant, Mr. Potter. Obey the rules and avoid roaming the caste alone or being alone with anyone, adult or child."

"You think a student might be trying to hurt me?"

"I do not know. You do not know much of the magical world yet, Harry. Wizards have ways to make people do things they would not otherwise do. I think you should be on your guard at all times from now on," Severus told him seriously.

"Yes, Sir," Harry replied earnestly. "Do they want to kill me because of Vol … I mean, You Know Who?"

The expression on Severus's face had been enough to stop Harry from saying the Dark Lord's name. They had discussed this topic before the school year began, but it had been more or less academic at that point. Now that there had been attempts on Harry's life and safety, it was a more realistic threat.

"It is possible," Severus said simply. "Just be on the lookout for anything unusual. I know that you are not used to depending on anyone, but you will have to trust me to keep you safe. I have told you before that it is a job I take seriously. I am very proud of you for bringing the broom to me. I need to inspect it for traces of the hex that might remain, and also to find out why the protections I placed on it to prevent jinxes and hexes did not work."

"How long will you keep it?" Harry asked with a grimace.

"I will not keep it long. If you need a broom in the meantime, I will arrange for a suitable replacement. Your safety is of utmost importance to me, Harry."

"I know. I wanted to ask you, Sir," Harry hesitated. "Are you going to let me stay on the team?"

This was the question Severus had been expecting all along. While admittedly, he had wanted to take the boy off the team at several points in the game, he also saw how important it was to the boy. The hexing of the broom was not his fault. He should not be penalized for other people's stupidity.

"As long as you keep up your grades and stay out of trouble, I do not see why you cannot stay on the team," Severus began. He was interrupted by the boy jumping out of his chair and catapulting himself into his arms.

Not used to such displays of affection, Severus was not sure what to do at first. He was so relieved that the boy was all right that he was almost grateful for the hug. He also felt that given Harry's background, he had likely not been the recipient of many, or any, hugs. So, Severus gently hugged the boy back, then patted him on the shoulder. He realized the child was crying quiet tears.

"It's alright, Harry," he soothed the boy. "I am here for you now, and you can come to me for anything."

The boy stepped back and wiped the tears roughly from his face, looking down in an embarrassed manner. He mumbled something that Severus couldn't make out, but it really didn't matter. He hoped his message had gotten through to the boy. He was sure that Harry had been frightened today and felt overwhelmed by both that and Severus's parental overtures.

"Why don't we have some tea and biscuits to calm you down, and then you can go change and rejoin your teammates and friends," Severus told the boy.

Harry nodded, and Severus summoned a silver tea set and chocolate biscuits. He gestured over to the leather couch in the corner of his office, and the two shared tea while Harry treated Severus to a play-by-play of the game from his point of view. Severus found himself enjoying it, as long as he didn't have to worry about Harry plummeting to his death.

In the weeks that followed, Severus found himself considering the relationship he was developing with Harry Potter. On the one hand, there was the vow he had made to protect the boy. It didn't require him to be actively involved in Harry's life. He had never intended to be. However, he found himself wanting to play a larger role. This surprised him. There were difficulties, too, in maintaining his alliances with Death Eaters as a spy and still being close to The Boy Who Lived.

That was how, two weeks before the winter holidays began, Severus found himself in the Headmaster's Office discussing his role with Albus Dumbledore. He had started by summarizing recent events that he hadn't made the headmaster privy to because they were either too minor or recent. When Severus finished, Dumbledore leaned back in his leather chair with his chin resting on steepled fingers, eying Severus intently through half-moon spectacles. He always took the same pose, and that never failed to irritate Severus, but he ignored it.

"What role do you see yourself playing in the boy's life?" Dumbledore finally asked.

"Before I answer that, I want to know your plans for him," Severus answered.

"My plans?"

"Don't fool with me, Albus," Severus scoffed, "You have hidden that boy away for a reason. And you know as well as I do that leaving him with those people was not only a monumental mistake but an unethical and unconscionable choice. You owe it to the boy to make it up to him."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Severus's bold words and then sighed theatrically. "You know as well as I do that I had few options, Severus. Lily Potter sacrificed her life for her child. It would be terrible to waste it by not using it."

Severus felt his blood run cold. He was reasonably confident the temperature in the room dropped too. Severus allowed those words to sink in for a few more beats, confirming for himself that he had indeed heard them. When he did find his words, they came out in a hiss, "Waste? Lily did not waste her death. Whatever magic she used, her child survived. Harry is alive. Do you call that a waste?"

"The blood wards …" Albus began.

"Fool!" Severus spat. "I do not want to hear another word about the blood wards. They are not the only way to protect them, and I can tell you a dozen ways to get past them without even putting much effort into it. You wanted him there. Merlin only knows why you wanted that child to grow up neglected and abused, but it is what you wanted." He stood up and leaned in to Dumbledore, forestalling the old wizard's protest so that he could continue his diatribe. "Now that I know what his home life is like, I will not allow it to continue. I made a vow, and I will keep it."

There was no sound for quite some time. Severus did not sit back down. He stood in front of Dumbledore, who seemed to be trying to measure the weight of his convictions. He apparently determined that Severus meant what he said.

"I never intended for him to be abused, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly.

"You never checked on him," Severus reminded. "We have been through this before. There is nothing to be done about the past. I care nothing for your excuses, your reasons, or your apologies. Make them to Harry if you must make them. I want to know what you intend to do now. The holidays are coming. He must not go back there."

Dumbledore seemed relieved. "He does not need to. He can remain at Hogwarts."

"That's fine for now," Severus sneered. "What about the summer holidays? Will you have him stay at Hogwarts year-round? Sleeping in Gryffindor Tower? Who is his guardian? Minerva?"

"You object to Minerva as the boy's guardian? I believe she cares for the boy," Dumbledore said evenly.

"Yes, I suppose she does. She is a Head of House and Deputy Headmistress. You would have her adopt an eleven-year-old on top of that?" Severus asked.

"Do you think she would not?"

"I never said she wouldn't. She probably would," Severus sighed. "I have no objections."

"It was not your intention, though. You want to take him on yourself," Dumbledore stated.

"We have built a rapport. As much as I respect Minerva, she is not the one who went to find out what was happening at Privet Drive. She did not buy his wand with him. She has not …" Severus stopped, unsure himself what to say.

"She has not what, my boy?" Dumbledore asked.

"She has not developed a relationship with him."

"And you have?"

"I believe that I have. I believe that I am working on it. He is going to be a powerful wizard. He can't yet control his magic, and he is prone to magical temper tantrums. Did you know that he still has accidental magic?"

"It is common for children to continue to have bouts of accidental magic right up until beginning Hogwarts, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"His last one was just a few weeks ago," Severus responded.

"I agree that this concerns me. However, there are reasons why you did not want to be involved in his life. Have you forgotten them? Do you intend to give up your spying?" Dumbledore's eyes seemed to bore into Severus.

"I do not know. I believe I can sell the Death Eaters on Harry's presence in my life. If and when the Dark Lord returns, I will have to determine what to do about that. It might be the point when I

'betray' Him. I will not continue to treat Harry as an enemy. He does not deserve to be bullied by me," Severus stated.

"You could be placing Harry in danger."

"He is already in danger. His life has been threatened twice since arriving at this school," Severus insisted. "He needs to be with a guardian who can protect him. He also needs training."

Dumbledore nodded. "This will be politically difficult to accomplish. Please allow me time to work on it. I will have to get back to you. I will try to have something for you by Christmas."

"You don't fool me, Albus. With all your connections, I know that you can make this happen," Severus told him bluntly before stalking out in a swirl of black robes.

It was challenging to decide what to tell Harry. Severus had decided not to mention that he had asked Dumbledore for guardianship. He did want to ensure that he continued to develop his relationship with the boy so that Harry no longer felt that he was alone against the world. Severus was pleased that he had friends his age. He needed a reliable adult to depend on as well.

He started with the broom. The first thing he realized was that it wasn't the same broom that he had given Harry. At some point, probably early on, someone had switched the brooms. The new broom had no protection spells on it. In fact, it had been stripped of even the standard safety spells most brooms were sold with. Harry had been a sitting duck.

Unfortunately, he had to tell the boy this. He went with Harry into the Gryffindor Quidditch team changing rooms and warded Harry's locker himself. He then taught Harry a spell to ensure that the broom was his broom and not a replacement. It was a new broom, of course. This one was not the original broom or the stripped replacement. It was a third broom that Severus had special-ordered that came with every protection the broom company offered. Severus had then added his own protections, as had Flitwick and Dumbledore. He assured Harry that it was completely safe.

"Hold it in your hand," Severus instructed.

The boy took the broom in his hand. It was still a Nimbus 2000, but it was a Version 2, and it was souped up with extra protection spells. It might have looked alike, but it was more advanced than the other broom. Harry should have been able to tell from holding it.

"What do you feel?"

"I can feel it … like it's pulsating?" Harry screwed his face up in concentration.

"That's right. Now repeat after me. The incantation is objectum fidelis. There is no wand movement. Just reach into yourself and feel your magic," Severus instructed.

Harry did so. The bloom glowed green lightly in his hand. He eyed it appraisingly. Severus nodded.

"That's right. That means it is your broom and not an imposter."

"Wicked!"

"It would still be best to keep a close watch on it. Do not allow people to borrow it. Keep it in your locker, and keep your locker Warded. Do you see these runes?" Severus gestured to the ruins on the inside base of the locker. Harry nodded. "These are the Wards preventing anyone from opening your locker, taking things from it, or tampering with it or your possessions. You still need to seal it from the outside. Close the door and take out your wand."

Severus showed Harry how to Ward the wooden locker door to ensure that no one could open it but him. They then went into his dorm and did the same thing to his trunk and wardrobe after Severus ran some diagnostic spells to ensure no jinxes or hexes had been used. Harry's friends were curious. Before long, Severus found himself repeating the process for every boy in the dorm room and teaching the other boys how to Ward the doors and trunks. He also taught them how to Ward the door to the dorm room itself.

After that, Severus felt more comfortable with Quidditch and having Harry up on a broomstick, but he was still worried about the boy defending himself from an attack in the corridors. He was not at all impressed with the magic that the children had used against the troll. It was time for proper defense training.

"Quirrell is a rubbish defense teacher," Harry argued.

"That may be so, but you are going to begin supplemental lessons," Severus informed him.

"I am?" Harry's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Indeed. First, I want to test you to see what you can do. Meet me at my office on Saturday at one."

When the boy arrived, he seemed ready to bounce off the walls. It transpired that he was very excited to be practicing Defense. Quirrell had never had them use any spells. He mostly lectured about creatures.

"It's very boring," Harry said. "I don't want to learn about gnomes and doxies. I want to learn spells!"

"Very well," Severus said. "Let's begin with Lumos."

Harry demonstrated Lumos and its counter Nox without any trouble. He looked a little put out. Severus smirked at him.

"What?" Severus asked.

"Well, they're just not very exciting, Sir. I want to learn stuff like the leg-locking curse!" Harry said.

"Hmm," Snape glared at Harry. "We will do this my way, or we won't do it at all. Do you think I am just throwing things out randomly?"

"No, Sir," Harry looked down contritely. "Sorry, Sir. But when do we get to the fun stuff?"

"Listen to me carefully, Mr. Potter," Severus intoned. "We are not here to have fun. I am here to teach you a spell that might one day save your life. Lumos and Nox may be boring to you, but they can do that. What would you do if you had a light on and its location could lead to your discovery, but you did not know how to extinguish it? What if you were on uneven terrain and you needed to see where you were going in order to avoid catastrophe?"

"Yes, Sir," Harry said. "I understand."

"I certainly hope you do. Sometimes the simplest spells can be the most useful."

With a nod of comprehension, Harry continued to practice the two spells to Severus's satisfaction. His light grew brighter, and he was able to put it out more quickly. By the end of the lesson, Harry was able to extinguish his spell without a word. Severus was impressed, and Harry was ecstatic.

"That's enough for today. Next week I will teach you something that you will no doubt find more interesting. In the meantime, practice these."

"Yes, Sir," Harry told him. "Sir? What do you usually do for Christmas?"

Severus was surprised by the question. He had thought about the holiday often since his conversation with Dumbledore, but he had yet to broach the subject with the boy. He hadn't yet determined what to do.

"I normally remain here," Severus told him honestly. "As it happens, there are several students from my House remaining at Hogwarts. There usually are."

"Students can stay here?" Harry looked relieved.

"Yes, they can. They remain in their Houses," Severus told him, observing him for his reaction.

"Oh, good. Thank you, Sir."

After the boy left, Severus wondered if he should have said more. It did not seem wise to invite the boy to spend Christmas with him. After all, he had not heard from Albus yet. If the guardianship took longer for the headmaster to arrange, the last thing Severus wanted to do was disappoint the boy at Christmas. The child had seemed excited about the prospect of spending it here at Hogwarts. Perhaps, for now, that would be enough.

He regretted his decision, however, when a few days before Christmas, Draco Malfoy decided to use Harry's status as an orphan to taunt him in the middle of Potions class.

*"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."*

Although Harry ignored the boy, Severus could tell he was hurt by the words. Severus wanted to pick the little Slytherin up by the scruff of his neck and shake him like a naughty puppy. He was nothing but an arrogant, spoiled brat. Severus knew that he often ridiculed Harry about his parents' death, and it set his own teeth on edge.

He had hoped that was the end of it, but after class, he came up to the beginning of the first-year equivalent of a duel between young Malfoy and Harry's friend Ronald Weasley. He hoped Harry noticed that he only took five points from Weasley. He would deal with Draco later. He had some particularly nasty Potions ingredients that needed preparation.

As Draco stormed off, Harry glared at Severus. He met the glare with arched eyebrows and crooked a finger to call the child to him. The boy fairly stomped over in a temper.

"Why'd you do that? Harry demanded.

"Keep your voice down, Mr. Potter," Severus snapped. "Your friend Weasley had his wand drawn."

"He was just … Malfoy was taunting him! Hagrid told you," Harry protested.

"Yes, he did," Severus conceded. "I will be having a conversation with Mr. Malfoy about his teasing later. You need to worry about yourself. You should watch your attitude."

"Yes, Sir," Harry grumbled.

Resisting the urge to point out that Harry was not watching his attitude, Severus let him go. He stayed in the Great Hall entrance as Harry helped Hagrid and Flitwick set up the Christmas trees. The scene made him smile. It both saddened and cheered him that this was Harry's first Christmas. He was glad that Hogwarts was finally able to bring some joy into Harry's life.

During the holiday break and two days before Christmas, Severus met with Harry to teach him more defensive spells using a magical training dummy that moved on its own. They reviewed the Leglocker curse, though Severus was surprised that Harry already knew it. He was not forthcoming with why he knew it or how he learned it. Severus also taught him the Jelly-legs curse.

"Point your wand and say locomotor wibbly," Severus instructed. "It is a similar incantation. The strength of your will affects the strength of the curse."

Harry did so. The dummy had been walking forward evenly, but after Harry's third attempt at the incantation, it seemed to lose control of its legs, and they collapsed under it. The dummy fell on its "face."

"I did it!" Harry shouted.

"Yes," Severus agreed wryly. "Now, I want your assurance that you will only use these when your life is threatened. These are not to be used in a corridor duel. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"I mean it, Harry. If I find out that you used these on another student, the consequences will be severe."

"Yes, Sir. I get it."

"You most certainly will. Now, what are your plans for Christmas?"

Ignoring Severus's joke, Harry grinned. "Ron is teaching me to play chess. The pieces move and talk!"

"Indeed."

Holidays had never played much of a part in Severus's life once Lily died. He saw no reason to celebrate his solitary and miserable existence. Each holiday was just another reminder that she was gone and that he had nothing. This year was different, though. He knew that holidays and traditions mattered to children, especially to a child such as Harry, who had grown up with so little. Severus's childhood had hardly been full of ribbons and bows. He understood.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Dumbledore wanted him there and Harry would too, Severus would have liked to skip the meal on Christmas in the Great Hall. He hadn't heard from Dumbledore, and he wondered what that meant. When he was on his way to Christmas dinner, he found himself with an armful of excited eleven-year-old.

"I got Christmas presents!" Harry cried.

The shock behind the exclamation broke his heart, but Severus chose to smile instead. "That's wonderful, Harry. I hope you enjoyed your morning."

"Oh, yes, Sir! And thank you for your gift. It was brilliant. You didn't have to …," Harry looked like he was going to say more but stopped, unsure how to express himself.

"Nonsense. Child. I wanted to. Just remember the rules," Severus lectured.

"Of course, Sir!"

Harry ran off into the Great Hall cheekily. Severus wondered about getting an eleven-year-old a copy of Curses and Counter Curses by Vindictus Viridian. However, he intended to teach the boy to defend himself. Harry would be a powerful wizard, and the boy already had powerful enemies. He would know how to take care of himself if Severus had anything to say about it.

That night, Severus found himself unable to sleep. He had told himself that he would not pester Dumbledore for information on Christmas Day. So, he sat alone in his chambers, watching the flames of the fireplace flickering and thinking about the direction his life had taken.

Unable to sit still, Snape decided to patrol the halls. There were only a couple dozen students here, and they were a mixture of the houses. However, since he was up, he decided to make sure no one was getting into mischief. The Weasley twins were here, after all.

"Mr. Filch," Severus greeted the old caretaker. "I am patrolling tonight. If you find any students out, please bring them directly to me."

"Of course, Professor," Filch responded, licking his lips. The old squib knew Severus's reputation and took a certain sadistic glee in catching and punishing mischief-makers. Severus just found students loathsome on principle.

The hallways were dark and quiet. The castle was peaceful at night, especially when most of the student body was away. Severus found himself taking his usual route, though, mostly out of habit. He was by the library when Filch ran up to him again, clearly excited and babbling about a student in the Restricted Section. They searched but were unable to find anyone. Severus was just glad that, for once, the troublemaker was not Harry. There was no way he would have had access to that area of the library.

Giving up, Severus continued his explorations but never caught the culprit. He decided that he was going to speak to Dumbledore the next day. There was no way that he could continue to keep both himself and Harry in such limbo. They deserved an answer.

Since Dumbledore seemed to be an early riser, Severus sent a message first thing in the morning requesting an audience. He was granted one at half-past nine. He spoke the ridiculous password and climbed the staircase with trepidation. He was ready for a fight.

"Severus, my boy! How was your holiday?" Dumbledore greeted him jovially.

It was all he could do to avoid glaring at the old man or possibly hexing him into the New Year. He had to know exactly why his Potions master was here. It was doing neither of them any good to pretend that nothing different was going on.

"You know very well why I am here, Albus," Snape said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, well, I have been looking into the matter you brought to me regarding young Harry," Dumbledore began.

"Looking into it?" Snape asked incredulously.

"Severus, you had to know that it was a long shot. The best thing for the boy is to remain with his family. He needs the blood wards. Besides, they are his family. They must love him, deep down," Dumbledore intoned wisely as if he was speaking to a student.

"Were you not listening to anything I said, old man?" Severus demanded. "You left Riddle in that orphanage. You left me with my abusive muggle father. Did either of those situations turn out well for you? What would you like to do? Are you trying to turn Harry into the next Dark Lord?"

"Are you, Severus?" Dumbledore's eyes had lost their characteristic twinkle. "You seem to be very committed to this. I have to wonder why. Where do your loyalties lie?"

Trying to control his temper, Severus told himself that he should not be surprised. Dumbledore had never intended to help him. He had committed to one plan, and he would not alter it. Whatever he had up his sleeve for Harry, he would not tell Severus, and Severus's plans clearly interfered with his. He wanted to be able to influence Harry himself.

"You know very well which side I am on, Albus," Severus said quietly. "If you doubt that, what am I doing here?"

"I have never doubted you, my boy. Not since you pledged your loyalty to me and then showed your loyalty with your service. Your focus on The Boy Who Lived seems out of character for you, however. I am wondering why you care so much about it."

"And I am wondering why you care so little, Albus. Do you know what the problem is with the greater good? You have to sacrifice the few for the good of the many. You decided to sacrifice a fifteen-month-old baby, didn't you? Now that he is older and has a personality, do you still find it easy to live with your choice? Are you able to look that boy in the eyes and tell him what you have done to him? What will you do to him? When will you tell him that he is your sacrifice?" Severus could see that Albus was losing the façade of calm, but he continued. "You will wait until he is yours. When he is totally under your control, you will wait until the last possible minute, and then you will tell him the prophecy. You will tell him why he has to suffer."

Severus turned away from Albus. "I do not know what the rest of the prophecy says, and I do not care. I do not believe it. I have never believed it. If I had, I never would have brought it to … Him. I wish you had never heard it either. You are both using it for your own purposes. You are both using him for your own purposes. He is not a pawn in a game, Albus. He is a child. Even if the prophecy is real, it does not give you the right to use Harry this way. Nothing gives you this right."

There was a few minutes' pause where neither of them said anything. The chill in the room deepened. It was arctic; neither would budge.

"I do not need you for this. I have other influential friends. I may rely on them if you do not help me. One way or another, that child is not going to stay where he is. Just so you know, Albus, this was never about getting Harry away from your influence. I am just trying to save him. Something that you apparently cannot comprehend."

As he started to leave, he heard Dumbledore call after him.

"Severus."

Turning around, Severus could see that Dumbledore looked every bit his old age. He seemed spent, at that moment, as he dropped the grandfatherly image that he held up for himself for the world to see. In its place was not a venerable heroic wizard but an old man.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes," Severus said instantly. "I do. I do not want to act against you, Dumbledore. I do not want you as my enemy. I am and always have been on the side of the Light, and that will never change. However, I am also on Harry's side. That cannot change. I made a Vow, and I will fulfill it. You cannot stop me.

The elderly wizard seemed to be considering this. He might have been asking himself if Severus would really use Death Eater contacts to try to gain guardianship of Harry Potter and what the ramifications of that might be. It wasn't something Severus wanted to do. He had meant what he said, however. He had committed himself to this path.

"Very well, Severus."

Severus walked back and stood in front of Dumbledore's desk. "Very well, what?"

"I will arrange it. The minister tells me there will be a trial period of six weeks. At the end of that time, you will have guardianship of Harry." Dumbledore handed Severus a piece of parchment.

"You … you did this?" Severus asked in disbelief.

"I do not doubt you, Severus," Dumbledore said sadly. "However, I must tell you that I do not believe this is the best way."

Nodding distractedly, Severus just looked at the parchment in his hand, giving him temporary custody of the boy. He couldn't believe that the old wizard had done this and not told him. Then again, he couldn't believe that he had done it at all.

"Congratulations, dear boy. Be sure to pass along my good wishes to Harry too."

Severus wasn't sure what to say. He just nodded and left the room. As he descended on the spiral staircase, Severus found himself wondering how to break the news to the boy. He wasn't sure what to do about this, now that something he hadn't thought was possible had actually happened.

After spending the rest of the evening in his quarters, Severus wandered the corridors again that night. He partly thought that the student from the night before might be at it again, but he was also restless. As he was patrolling in a corridor near the library that was mostly unused classrooms, he heard voices.

Moving closer to inspect, Severus saw Harry and his friend Ron standing in front of the Mirror of Erised, arguing. Severus cursed Dumbledore in his head. He had no idea why he would leave such a dangerous enchanted object out in the open where impressionable children could find it. Then again, he never understood most of the motivations for what Dumbledore did.

"Potter! Weasley!" Severus scolded.

The two boys jumped. They immediately stopped their tussle over who would stand in front of the mirror. Turning to face Severus, Harry looked down at his feet. Weasley had some kind of elaborately textured blanket in his hands. It seemed like an odd thing for him to be carrying about in the middle of the night.

"Sorry, Sir," Harry began. "We were just …" He turned back to look at the mirror longingly and let his voice trail off.

"You were just out of bed after curfew in a near-empty castle, in a room you have no business being in," Severus scoffed. "What are you doing here?"

"I … I wanted to see my parents again," Harry said quietly.

Severus could barely hear the boy, but he heard the longing in his voice. He felt his heart break for Harry. Of course, that is what he would see there. Severus looked to Weasley, whose face looked pained with empathy for his friend.

Kneeling down in front of Harry, who was wearing pajamas with no robe and consequently shivering from the castle's chill, Severus spoke gently, "What you see in the mirror is not real, child. They are not there. They can't come back."

Harry nodded miserably and then reached up and wrapped his arms around Severus's neck, crying quiet tears. Severus scooped him up and, gesturing for Weasley to follow, carried him out of the room. He locked the door with a silent spell that could not be opened with Alohamora as he left.

After a few moments' indecision, Severus took the boys down a secret passage to his quarters. Weasley looked like he was about to have a stroke, but Harry seemed barely aware. His head was leaning against Severus's shoulders. Severus called up a tea service and put Harry on the sofa, covering him with a blanket charmed with extra warmth.

"Is he going to be okay, Sir?" Weasley asked quietly.

"Yes, he will be, "Severus answered. "How much has Harry told you of his past?"

"Not much," Weasley admitted. "He said that his parents are dead. Obviously, I know … you know … how they died."

Severus nodded. I will let him share the rest with you. However, he has not seen pictures of his parents growing up. That is not all of what this is, however. That mirror can put a powerful spell on a person. It's dangerous. Please make sure he does not go back there. I will speak to the Headmaster about it.

"Things are going to get better for you, Harry," Severus told the boy, who was falling asleep.

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (pp. 208-209). Pottermore Publishing. Kindle Edition.