Friendships, Dark Lords and everything in between.
Instead of choosing a compartment at the back of the train like last time, Harry chose a compartment towards the middle, which he knew the twins always took with their friend Lee Jordan. If the memories were true, they would love to keep an eye on Harry and keep him away from Ron. Harry had also pulled his hair back into a hair bun which he had seen the muggle barber had on when he had gone for his haircut. He liked the hairstyle very much. Harry took out a new muggle comic book which he had picked up from the muggle side of the King's Cross station. It was a Teen Titans Omnibus first edition. He had also bought the second and third edition. He wanted to be a kid sometimes too; which he had not been able to the last time around.
He had arrived quite early to the station so there was no question of Molly or Ron to spot him. Also, Ginny would not be getting a glimpse of him in this time until her own first year. He had no intention of going to live with the Weasleys during the summer. Harry got so involved in the world of the Titans that he did not hear the door of the compartment open. He only realized someone had entered when someone came and sat next to him when he almost jumped off the seat in shock. With his laboured breathing, he looked up to see Fred, George and Lee staring at him. He did not know what to do. He was pretty sure that they had already realized who he was as his scar was only partially hidden by his side bangs. He took a deep breath and said, "I am sorry if I am intruding. I will take another compartment." He began to stuff his book in his trunk and only prayed that they would stop him. And they did stop him.
"No. It's okay. You came here first. Would you mind if we shared the compartment with you?" that was Fred. Harry was ecstatic and he let it show on his face. He quickly nodded a yes and sat back with his comic book. Lee was looking at the twins with a weird expression. They never shared their compartment with anyone, not even when they were first years. George squeezed his hand in a gesture which meant they would talk later. He was sure Lee would understand when he knows the whole thing. They had been friends for far too long to know these things about each other.
All three senior boys were looking at Harry. Lee and George sat across from him while Fred beside him. When Harry could not take the staring anymore, he asked, "Why are you three staring at me like that?"
His voice was polite but one could hear the irritation. So George asked, "Why are you so irritated by it?"
Harry tried to turn this to his advantage. He knew everything but he needed a valid reason to know. So he said, "Ever since I have returned to the Wizarding World, everyone is staring at me. When I went to Gringotts, Diagon Alley and even at that shady pub. Why does everyone keep staring at me? Is there something wrong with me?"
Harry looked worried. He patted his own back in his mind for such good acting. He had discovered in his later life that he had enough Slytherin qualities in himself, but when put to test, he was realizing he was all Slytherin with only a sliver of Gryffindor in him. It would be especially difficult to convince the sorting hat to send him to Gryffindor this time. He may have to use threats.
Fred said, "There is nothing wrong with you. You are just famous in our world."
"And why am I famous?" Harry looked suspicious.
The twins looked at each other and then launched into the long account of the Halloween of 1981. Now Harry had a legit reason to know about his parents' death. The rest of the ride went by peacefully, with each one talking about their home lives and summers. Harry only mentioned his book reading and potions practice and nothing more about his home life except he lived with his muggle relatives. This made the other three suspicious but they did not press for information. Harry could see that the Twins were relieved that Harry was with them and not with Ron. He had come to talk to his brothers that he could not find Harry Potter but had not even batted an eye on the unknown person sitting with his brothers. The twins dismissed him saying they did not know. When Harry later asked them why they did not tell their brother about him, they just said that their younger siblings were interested in meeting Harry Potter of the legends and not the person. And that they now considered him friend and felt protective about him. It was only the partial truth but Harry felt elated nonetheless. Angelina and Alecia also came to visit their boyfriends at one point but left soon after to sit with the girls. Harry was shocked to know that the twins had girlfriends. After the incidence in fifth year where the twins had helped him realize he was gay, he had thought they themselves were homosexual. They were evidently not. May be bisexual? Who knows!
[A/N: the incidence mentioned above can be found in form of another story on my page titled "Know Thyself".]
About halfway through their journey, Neville knocked to see if anyone had seen his toad, Trevor. The twins knew him through family gatherings and Nev's gran was in good terms with Arthur, Harry knew this already, so they greeted him and offered to help. Harry piped in, "Isn't there a spell to summon objects? Will it work on a toad as it is small in size?"
"No Harry. It may cause harm to even the smallest beings which have organs. It may tear them up. Moreover, it may be anywhere in the train so it may crash on a wall or something while rushing through the air."
"Oh! I am sorry. I didn't read about that part I guess." And Harry really looked embarrassed.
"It's okay. You were only trying to help. I am Neville Longbottom by the way." With that Neville offered his hand which Harry eagerly took.
"Hi! I am Harry Potter."
"Woa. I was looking for you actually when I lost Trevor. You and I are God brothers you know. We used to go to play dates when we were small. My mum was your God mother and your mum was mine. They were best of friends." Neville said all this in one breath.
Harry chuckled and said, "It is really nice to know Neville. Come let's help you find Trevor." So, this time Harry went with Neville in search of Trevor. Harry intentionally entered the Slytherin first year's compartments even after knowing Trevor would be found near the toilets like last time. He entered and asked, "Hello everyone. We are looking for a lost pet toad. Have you seen it?"
"And who the hell are you?" that would be Theodore Nott.
"Sorry my bad, didn't introduce myself. I am Harry. And you would be?"
It was then that Draco looked up from his book (Potions by the look of it) and said, "Harry Potter?"
Harry took a dramatic sigh and said "Yes. I guess none of you have seen the toad so I will be on my way."
Draco stopped him on his way out. Harry smirked in his mind. But he had to get the whole 'I want to be your friend coz you're Harry potter' out of Draco's mind just now. "Wait. We are sorry to be rude. I am Draco Malfoy. Can we be friends?"
"Look Mr. Malfoy, if you want to be friends with the Harry Potter you have read about in those books, you have got the wrong person. I have lived in the muggle world, as a muggle for the last 9 and half years and I don't even know the name of the creatures that they have written about me having defeated, let alone seen them. So I am not the person you wish to befriend."
Draco stood shocked for a moment but shook himself out when he saw Harry walking away. "No. Wait. How will we get to know you if we don't talk. I promise I will forget whatever I have read. Will you be my friend?"
Draco sounded so innocent when he talked. But then the shadows of the dark have yet not fallen upon him. This 11 year old was so pure and innocent; and cute. And his lips so pink…. Shit…Harry was having a hard time telling his 18 years old mind that this was an 11 year old boy and he was thinking like a paedophile.
He smiled at Draco and offered him his hand. They shook hands, there was a huge smile on Draco's face. It was Harry's fault that he had not seen this smile last time. Draco offered to help find the toad and they met Neville along the way. Surprisingly, Draco did not even say a harsh comment to Neville. May be Draco had become more bitter after getting rejected? It was no surprise that the boy couldn't handle a rejection. They found Trevor near the toilets like last time and both Draco and Neville joined Harry in his car with the twins and Lee. Draco scrunched his nose for a few moments but when Fred, George and Lee began telling the firsties about all the pranks they had planned for the year and the ones that they had played last year, he got involved as excitedly as the other.
When the train was about ten minutes to reach Hogsmead, both Draco and Neville went to change in their compartment, with promises to keep the twins' plans secret and to remain friends, irrespective of wherever they are sorted tonight. Harry had thought over what he had seen in Draco's memories in the last two months and had decided that somewhere in sixth year, he too had become obsessed with the blond. He pretended as if he was just looking out if Draco was up to something, but to himself he could admit now that there was always more to it. This time he would give it a chance.
It all depended on Draco now. He knew he had to go to Gryffindor. It had to be seen now if their friendship will also fall apart like Severus and Lily's or flourish like it should have always been. Harry changed into his school robes which did not have a house emblem right now. As they stepped down, they heard Hagrid calling for the first years. Harry spotted Draco and Neville and moved towards the boat Draco was standing beside, pulling Neville along with him on the way.
This is how Harry, Draco, Neville and Blaise Zabini happened to travel in the same boat. This time there had been no Hagrid to bad mouth Slytherins so he had no reason to detest them. On the way, they introduced themselves to Blaise who apologizes for Nott's rude behaviour. They came to know that Blaise was Draco's childhood friend and that he was the only one Draco trusted explicitly. It was not really hard to befriend him, he was a charming fellow. (And Harry's mind instantly saw him as a competition for Draco's affections). Suddenly Hagrid called to bend down and Harry instantly pulled Neville along with him. He remembered he had fallen off last time due to the bough laying low over the lake. The castle then came into view. Harry's first home; it looked as magnificent as ever. It slipped through Harry's lips, "No book can define this majestic beauty."
All four boys looked at each other, "Hogwarts: A History?" asked Blaise. At Harry's nod, all four chuckled.
When they were standing outside the huge gates near the stairs, waiting to be called in for sorting, they were discussing about which house they would be sorted in. While Draco and Blaise were sure they would be in Slytherin, Harry shared his doubts about may be being a Gryffindor as both his parents were in the house. Neville was worrying that he may not be even chosen and sent back home and the rest were trying to placate him that he would surely be sorted and that they would remain friends even if he was a Hufflepuff, Ronald Weasley interrupted them. "Harry, what are you doing with these slimy snakes?"
Harry turned around and said in an emotionless voice, though his emotions were roiling inside, "Have we met before? How do you know my name?"
"No we haven't met but your parents were friends with mine. So we should be friends too."
"That is a nice way to start a friendship by the way; by insulting my other friends. Aren't you Fred and George Weasley's brother?"
"Yes they are my brothers. What about them?"
"Well they spent the whole train ride with the same slimy snakes as you say and did not have a problem at all. So I don't think being friends with Draco, Blaise and Neville is a problem. If you want to be friends you should improve your attitude."
Harry moved back to his place, looking properly chastised. Just then the doors opened and they walked in. The sorting hat, sitting on his rickety stool, began his song of wisdom. Harry really liked the sorting hat. He just wished the hat would understand his logic and send him to Gryffindor. He did not want to threaten it in any way.
Slowly people were called to be sorted. It was exactly the same as the last time so Harry waited for his turn with patience. As soon as the hat was placed on his head, it began to speak in his mind-
"Another Potter. But why does it seem as if I have sorted you already?"
"Because you have. Death had given me another chance to right some wrongs. Will you help me?"
"Definitely Child of Death. I will. So Slytherin this time?"
"No please listen to me first. I have realized that you were right the first time that I belong to Slytherin but I have a purpose and to fulfil that I must go to Gryffindor again. Hear me out first please."
"Alright Child of Death. I will listen out. But the final decision will be mine."
"Fair enough. First thing is that if I go to Slytherin, I would be under an even more tight scrutiny of the Headmaster. Secondly, it will create more pressure on Severus in the years to come both from the Headmaster and his Death Eater friends. Third, I need to grab Pettigrew as soon as possible. I don't want my godfather to spend another day in Azkaban. He has lost almost 10 years already. Fourth, it would give Draco and any other Slytherins a chance to mingle with others and promote inter house unity. Last, haven't you heard, keep your friends close but enemy closer? And moreover, this will be the most Slytherin move ever, a snake in lion's skin"
"Hmmm… you have a point. Alright. I wish I could sort you into Slytherin but your points are valid. So better be.." With that the hat opened his mouth and shouted "Gryffindor"
Harry pulled the hat off and looked towards Draco. Draco smiled at Harry and nodded slightly to say their friendship was intact. Harry felt happy and skipped to his house table to sit beside Neville. The twins shook his hand as they had with Neville and started a conversation with them. The feast was as it always used to be, with the same warnings of the forbidden forest being forbidden, the banned items list being in Filch's office and the third floor corridor being out of bounds. The gleam in the twins' eyes proved how effective was the death threat of Dumbledore. Harry dared look towards the head table for the first time then. Surely, Severus was staring at him but now Harry knew he was trying to figure out why was Harry Potter so thin and pale and looked about 8 to 9 years old instead of 11. Harry smiled up at him which shocked Severus and he turned away. Harry could not control that smile. Severus's care sent warmth down Harry's body. The twins saw the smile and asked him about it. He just shrugged and said, "I just have a feeling that that black haired strict looking professor is looking out for me. Who is he?"
"Well all the students call him the residents bat of the dungeons. He is our Potions teacher and is rather strict…" here Fred leaned closer to Harry's ear and murmured, "but we like him. He helps us in our experiments from time to time. But it is our secret okay. Don't tell anyone."
Harry turned to them with a serious look, "I will never reveal any of your secrets. I promise." With that he gave them a small smile. The twins knew they had got a good friend in Harry, maybe even for life. Harry's occlumency shields were so strong that Quirell didn't even bother him.
The fifth year prefects took them to their common rooms. Harry knew that Severus met his first through seventh years right after the feast but their own head of house did not bother with interacting with them. Once everything was okay, things would have to change. Harry reached his dorm which he would be sharing with Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean. Harry had already instructed Sally to interchange Neville and Ron's places before they even came to the dorms. So this made Ron, Dean and Seamus on one side of the room and Harry and Neville on the other side, beside each other. After everyone went to bed, he had a rat to catch. He had sent Bubdook a letter with request to handover the rat he would be sending him through Sally to Madam Bones. He could not trust any other aurors at this moment. Waiting for later would also mean that Sirius could breakout and then arranging a trial would be even more difficult.
They all talked for some time and introduced each other in the dorms, Ron being exceptionally quiet, then went to bed. Soon everyone will look for books and ask seniors to learn silencing charms, specially Dean and Seamus. Ron was an elephant trumpet when he slept. When everyone was asleep, including the dirty grey rat, Harry silently picked him up and cast a wandless sleeping charm on him. He had asked Sally to buy a Rat Cage in which he put the now sleeping Rat and went out into the common room. Quietly he called for Sally, who took the rat away to Bubdook with an anonymous letter to Madam Bones. The rest will be taken care of. Harry carefully laid Hades on his pillow after pulling the curtains closed and cast a few silencing charms. When Harry laid down himself, Hades crept inside the blanket, to keep himself warm. Harry did not mind. He was used to having Hades on him all the time. For how long he will be able to hide him, that is a question he did not want to think about.
The next morning, Harry woke up early as was his habit. As all of the others were asleep, Harry went to take a hot bath and get ready for the day. When he came back, his clothes were laid out as usual. Harry wore black slacks, his undershirt over which Hades wrapped himself and went back to sleep, a white button down shirt, and his Gryffindor tie. He put all of his course books in his bottomless leather bag, his potions kit and shrunken cauldron, put on his robes and left for breakfast. Neville was just waking up as he was leaving. He knew the hall would be mostly empty but he liked to have an early start. This would also establish to Dumbledore and Severus that he had a habit of waking early, though both of them would take that differently.
Harry had decided to eat small portions of food in the great hall for the next few days. He did not know yet how to approach Severus. He had no major injuries to show as the last two months with the Dursleys were rather peaceful with the confundus and perfect work. Yes he had taken precautions to remain malnourished but he could not take that up directly. He had thought that he could go ask for sleeping aid but for that he would have to lose sleep for a few days. If nothing else came to his mind, he would go with that.
The Great Hall was indeed empty except a few senior years here and there. The head table had only five people, the four head of houses and the Headmaster. Severus was again watching Harry with narrowed eyes. Let the show begin. As soon as Harry sat at the table, food appeared. Out of the variety of food, (which Harry wanted to devour) Harry chose plain toast and berry marmalade. There was a peach marmalade too. Harry had a fantastic idea. He had come to know later on that he was allergic to peaches. He did not know it until he had had one in the Burrow during his stay there that first summer. He did not know earlier than that because he had never had peaches at the Dursleys' house before. His plan was set. He would eat bread with peach marmalade, get sick, and Severus will take him to the Hospital Wing where he will be checked and Severus's doubts about the abuse will be confirmed. But not today, he would do it on a day when Dumbledore and McGonagall won't be there. That would be easy. Harry knew for a fact that both were not early risers. It was only the first day that they pulled themselves out of bed.
Harry had only two toasts and was sitting with his pumpkin juice glass, not taking a sip, when Draco and Blaise entered the hall followed by Neville. They must have met somewhere on the way. Draco looked towards Harry and waved who indicated to come join them. They had taken one step towards the Gryffindor tables when Severus came behind them, "Not today Mr, Malfoy, Mr. Zabini. You will be handed over your schedules today. You can go sit with your friends may be at lunch?"
To say that all four kids were shocked was an understatement. Severus Snape permitting his snakes to sit with lions; that had to be the most astonishing thing to have ever happened in the History of Hogwarts. Draco and Blaise mumbled, "Yes sir" and rushed away to their house table, smiling. Harry gave a blinding smile to Severus and began talking to Neville who had come to sit beside him. He thought that he had seen Severus trying not to smile just for a moment before he turned and moved back to the head table.
This Neville Longbottom looked a bit more confident. May be it was the result of having made friends who promised they would not care even if he was a Hufflepuff even before the sorting? You would never know what a true friend can do for your confidence. Harry vowed to increase Neville's self-confidence even more by the end of this year. He would also have to find a way to get him a new wand. He had a few ideas but he would have to be careful not to cause any problems between Neville and his gran.
Slowly, the hall filled up, Ron being the last to arrive and still sleepy eyed and shabby, as if he had dressed in a haste which knowing him, he had. Last time, Ron had pulled him into his lazy schedule too. Not this time. Harry had decided as soon as he was given the choices, that he would try and be his best this time around. He had missed a lot due to his fake friendship. Ron won't even be his friend this time if he had a say. Acquaintance would be a better option. He was already friends with the twins, so it would look okay if he got along with their brother, from a distance though. That would serve the greedy fucker well. As for Hermione, she did not exist for him yet. He has yet to meet the girl in this time line. If she was as obnoxious as the last time, he won't be the person to make her understand that she could not go waving her hand in front of the teacher's face. She will have to learn it herself or through others. He wondered when things took a turn for the worse, when did Hermione change so much. But then he remembered, it was that way from the beginning.
After everyone had had breakfast, and Harry had finished his single glass of pumpkin juice, under the watchful eyes of Severus Snape, Professor McGonagall came and handed over their schedules. It was Monday today and Harry had potions with Slytherins first thing then double Herbology with Ravenclaws this year. Then they had lunch break then again double Defence with Slytherins, just like last time.
Harry was really nervous, standing outside Professor Snape's classroom, waiting for the door to be opened. They had decided that Harry will sit with Neville whereas Draco will sit with Blaise and they will take seats in the front of the class one after the other. Harry knew it would be a repeat of last time, as Severus could not compromise with his position, but this time Harry will answer his questions and earn the man's respect, whether he shows it or not.
Harry had to admit that Severus's entry was always effective yet dramatic. It you saw carefully, he WAS somewhat of a Drama Queen. The banging doors, closing curtains in a flash, the dramatic pauses to send the first years quivering into their covers; yes Severus Snape had a knack for Drama.
After the usual roll call with the celebrity comment, Severus began to throw questions at Harry. Harry answered them all calmly (though he was very irritated by Hermione's constant hand waving which was distracting him even from the first bench). Their first task was the forgetfulness potion which Harry had already practiced, so he helped Neville along the different methods of ingredient preparation and stirring techniques. Harry was so involved in his work that he literally jumped when he heard Severus say, "Pray tell Mr. Potter, how are you so adapt at holding a knife and ladle? You are muggle raised aren't you? Not even purebloods who have had pre-Hogwarts training are able to cut their ingredients so precisely."
This was not good, not good at all. Harry gulped, took a deep breath and replied, without looking at Severus, "I practices when I bought my books sir."
Severus could literally smell the lie. Of course he did not think that Harry had practiced in his last life; that was not a normal course of thought obviously. His thoughts were more on the lines of abuse. He let it go for now.
At the end of the class, there were four almost perfect and one perfect potion on his table. The fifth one being Hermione Granger of course. All the rest will be getting a fail grade in the assignment.
In Herbology with Ravenclaws, Neville was the one to help out Harry. It seemed that Neville had always had a knack for the subject. They had promised to help each other out in their strong subjects. Neville was upset at first, most probably thinking he would not be strong in any subject, but after being praised by the teacher in the class, Neville looked pleased.
Defence was a joke like last time. Harry decided to test a theory by asking a tricky question. He knew that Tom had wanted to be a teacher of Defence. They were reading about Kelpies today. So Harry picked up his hand and when Quirell called upon him, he stood up and asked, "Sir, if Kelpies retain their hooves in their human form, how come nobody notices it until too late?"
"Kelpies, in their human form are extremely beautiful maiden women when attacking men, playful dwarves or affectionate motherly figures when they want to allure children, and extremely handsome men when they meet women. Their feet are mostly covered with their clothes. Their form is so convincing and alluring that people don't really try to notice every detail. Only people who have no desire for such humans are able to notice their deception in time."
Harry noticed that there was no stutter or doubt when Quirell, or better say Voldemort spoke of the subject he loved. There was a gleam in his eyes, a little reddish tinge, present but not noticeable to someone who wasn't especially looking for it. But Harry was looking for that gleam, that difference. He would make his first visit to Death tonight. He needed certain answers.
After classes and before dinner, all four friends met at the Library to review what they had learnt today. While the Gryffindors were having Herbology, The Slytherins were in Transfiguration with Hufflepuffs. They said that if was mostly theory and they would learn to transfigure match sticks into needles in the next class. They went through the theory part with Blaise who was so far the strongest in Transfiguration and then Draco pulled out few match sticks from his bag and they practiced the incantation till perfect. Harry could see Neville was struggling with his wand and vowed to write to his gran soon. He just had to figure out how. Then they reviewed what they had done for Herbology and Neville proudly led them through the theory and plants through pictures (trust Neville to have not one but three extra reads on Herbology). They were just finishing their Defense homework on Kelpies when Draco suddenly said, "I wonder how long it takes to become an animagus."
All three boys were taken aback by the statement but it was Neville that broke the silence, "Animagus is one of the most difficult and advanced form of transfiguration. Why do you ask?"
Blaise spoke up next, "Oh didn't we tell you? We reached class to find Prof. McGonagall nowhere in sight. Just when the bell rang, the cat on the table jumped and transformed into the Professor. It was so fascinating to see."
"We could find a book and try atleast." That was Harry. He had always been fascinated by the Marauders' animagus ability but never got time to experiment himself.
"We cannot find a book. It is highly regulated by the Ministry.", said Neville.
"Well! Getting a book is not that difficult. You just need to know the right people to ask." The smirk on Draco's face told them that it won't be long before they got their hands on a book on animagus transformation. Harry hated Lucius with a passion but he also had his uses. With smiles in all their faces, they went back to work.
After dinner, Harry told Neville he would be retiring early as he was feeling rather tired, what with the hustle and bustle of the first day of classes. Neville also said that he would also have an early night as all their homework were already complete and he was not feeling up to more studying today. They both climbed the stairs to the dorms together. Harry advised Neville to start practicing meditation to become one with his magic and protect his mind. It would take time but meditation was the first step. Neville said he would start that day itself as he had nothing else to do. So Harry showed him some techniques to calm himself with deep breaths and concentrate first on his breaths then heartbeats and then pulses and slowly let his body and mind relax.
Neville pulled his curtains closed as did Harry and both sat for their meditation. For Neville it was the first experience, as for Harry, it took about half an hour to reach his destination; the house of Death.
When Harry reached there, Death was sitting on a skeletal throne and looking straight at him, as if he had been waiting for him. Of course he would know Harry would be coming the moment he thought of it. There appeared a comfy looking Wingback chair in front of Death. Harry made himself comfortable, then spoke to the waiting human? God? Creature?, "First things first, what do I call you? I can't keep calling you Death even in my mind. It's irritating sometimes."
"You can call me either Thanatos Or Donn. Those are my favourite ones. People from different places have given me different names but I like these two most."
"Then I will call you Thanatos. It sounds quite heavy. Donn does not really suits your personality so much."
Thanatos smiled. It looked serene on his aged yet sharp features. "Surely you have not come here to know my name? What bothers you my child?"
"I wanted to ask you about Tom Riddle. It is evident that you despise him only because he cheated you by making Horcruxes. But if you keep that aside, how will you define him?"
"If we put the Horcruxes aside, he was a talented human with lots of potential. You see child, the soul contains part of your magic. When you break it, a part of you, your very magic, breaks. In time, he became something entirely different from what he once was. If he would have retained his soul pieces, he could have been great. He never was afraid of any kind of magic, light, grey or dark. His first murder was out of righteous anger. His decision to make Horcruxes was also out of righteous anger towards his father mostly."
"So if I help him become mortal again somehow, will you forgive him?"
"I cannot promise that, but I can promise that I won't ask for his life before his time."
Harry nodded his head. Now the question was, will Voldemort agree? "Alright! I will talk to him. I know the Horcrux in my scar is still there, I am just able to keep it in control better. But what about the ring with the Resurrection stone? Now that the stone resides within me, what happened to that Horcrux?"
"The Horcrux is intact, with a fake stone in it, at the same place that Tom had left it."
"Good. As of now, Voldemort has only six Horcruxes. He hasn't made Nagini a Horcrux, and will not until 1994 which is yet to come. If I convince him somehow, we won't have to worry about a deadly snake to deal with. If not, let us not think about it right now."
"Do what you think is best my child. My blessings are with you. Now you must return before your friend dies of heart failure."
"What?"
"Just go."
Confused, Harry slowly withdrew from his mind to find Neville standing beside his bed and looking at his lap, frozen in place. Hades had crawled out of his shirt and was now dozing on his lap. Harry looked back at Neville who was now staring at him. Harry felt a pang of loss, here he had thought he will find a better best friend in Neville. What Neville said next, Harry would have never imagined in both his lives.
"Is it poisonous? Can I touch it? It won't bite right?"
Harry looked at him with his jaws practically touching the grounds. Neville Longbottom, the scared kid of Gryffjndor, asking to touch a snake. Harry could only nod his head. Neville slowly moved his hand towards Hades and touched his crown. Just then Hades opened his eyes and hissed in confusion. Neville pulled his hand back with the speed of lightning.
Harry regained his composure somewhat and said, " It's okay Nev. He won't bite. He is just confused."
"Can you understand him?" Neville asked quietly.
"Yes" Harry held his breath. This would decide their relationship for years to come.
Neville came near Harry and said in a whisper, "Don't tell anyone about it. They think it's a dark gift to be able to speak with snakes. They won't take it well. You could tell Blaise and Draco though. They are Slytherins, they won't mind. In fact they would be fascinated."
Harry smiled up at Neville. Before he could say anything, they heard the other coming up. So Neville quickly got Up and drew the curtains around Harry's bed saying, "Remember what I said. Good Night Harry."
With a murmured good night, Harry cast his wards and charms and went to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day for him. He was about to discover his allergy, along with everyone else.
As was his habit, Harry got up early and went to shower. When he got back, he was surprised to see Neville already up and about. He smiled at Harry and said, "I had the best sleep of my life yesterday. Thank you Harry."
"You are most welcome. Now why don't you get showered while I get ready so that we can get to breakfast together?"
Neville nodded and went to have a shower. Harry got dressed into the clothes that were laid out for him, hid Hades in his clothes and then waited for Nev. Both boys had packed their bags according to the timetable yesterday. Harry decided to read another chapter of his Novel while waiting for Neville. After about 15 minutes, both boys proceeded to the great hall for breakfast. Today, Neville and Harry went and sat at the Slytherin table to await their friends. They did not have to wait long. As soon as the boys sat down, Neville declared excitedly, "Harry has to tell you both something."
Draco looked at Harry and asked, "What is it?"
Harry glared at Neville and said, "Not here. Let us meet in an empty classroom after classes."
All of them nodded and began to fill their plates. Harry Looked up towards the head table. Only Severus and Flitwick were there so far. It was a very good opportunity. So, Harry happily picked up a toast and the peach marmalade, asking Neville, "What flavour is this?" all the while using a huge amount to coat his toast. He knew this amount could kill him but he was not going to eat the whole thing. Just a couple bites would do the trick.
Neville looked at him as if he had grown two heads, "that was a poor joke Harry. As if you wouldn't know what peach marmalade looks like."
"I don't, I have never had it." Harry took a bite and began to chew. He could literally feel his throat just starting to choke. But he chewed on. "It feels weird" he said and took another bite. He did not know that he had started to precipitate and Severus had already started to walk their way.
By the time Severus reached them, Harry had dropped his bread and was holding his throat and struggling to breath. Harry did not know what happened next as he passed out soon after Severus reached him. When he woke up next, he was in the Hospital Wing. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw three frightened faces, his friends had refused to leave him for a moment at any cost.
As soon as Harry opened his eyes, Draco shouted, "Professor, Professor, he is awake." Immediately, Severus was by his side. There was worry etched on his face. Harry knew he had overdone it. If he had stopped at one bite, at least he would know what happened here. Madam Pomphrey came along and waved her wand over him. "He is fine now. The allergen has been flushed out of his system but he will need rest."
Harry truly felt frightened now. If she informs Dumbledore then he would know that they know about the abuse, or at least something about it. He did not want to think what he will do next. The man was unpredictable. So in as much meek voice as he could, he said, "Madam, please don't tell anyone. If my guardians come to know I am sick and they cannot do anything, they will get worried without any cause"
The excuse sounded fake to even his ears, so he knew Severus would also know he was lying. But he looked at them with such fear filled eyes that the nurse caved in. The other three were ushered out with the promise that they could come in the morning to fetch their friend. Severus stayed.
Once the kids were gone and the nurse went to her office to retire for the night, Severus pulled a chair near Harry's bed and sat down. "Mr. Potter, I don't like it when people lie to me. In the course of only two days, you have lied to me twice. Don't deny it. I know that practice during summer was a lie and just now you yourself know that that was not the reason for you to ask not to tell your relatives. Now tell me Mr. Potter, what is going on in your home life?"
Harry tried to deny it one last time. He could see it in his eyes that Severus had already done his examination and knew what his health was like. "It's nothing sir. Honest." And he shrunk back, as if expecting a blow.
Severus sighed, "Look at me Harry." Harry's head snapped up at his name. Was he hearing it, really? Having gained Harry's attention, Severus said, "I know you don't want to talk about it, most probably due to fear of punishment, but I promise I will not tell anything you tell me to anyone else; not to your relatives, not the Headmaster not even to Madam Pomphrey. Please Harry. It is very important for me to know."
His eyes were so kind and compassionate. Harry could not hold himself. He jumped into Severus's lap and cried on his shoulders. In both his lifetimes, he had never talked to anyone about his home life; not to his friends, not to any teachers, not to even Sirius or Remus. They wouldn't understand. They hadn't experienced what Harry had. But he knew somehow that Severus would listen and understand. So he spoke. All the grief and abuse and neglect which he had kept locked deep within himself. How he was made to work all day and Dudley lazed around, sometimes increasing his work intentionally, how he was blamed for everything even if the deed was done by Dudley, how he was beaten and starved if they did not like something he did or did not do, how he was punished in first grade when he had scored better than Dudley, how he had to do all the yard work, how he knew how to cook and cut and clean by the time he was five years old, that his spectacles were from a charity basket and without a prescription, that he loved reading but was not allowed, that his uncle had burned his hand that once when he had accidently burned his bacon, how they did never love or even care for him, how he didn't exist for them until it was something they wanted to punish him for, how he had always wished for Santa to give him loving parents every Christmas Eve but all he got each Christmas were coal in his socks, how Dudley always teased him that he was a freak that's why Santa always gifted him coal like he would a bad kid, how he knew it was his uncle that put the coal in his socks, how it hurt even more that Santa did not find him worthy of even the coal from his bag. And he cried, for lost years that he could have spent with loving parental figures, one of them being the man holding him now.
When his tears and grief subsided a bit, he noticed that Severus had held him tight against his chest all through the ordeal and was moving his hands on his back in soothing circles. Harry could have never imagined that Severus could do that. Why nobody saw this side of his, Harry could not know. His Slytherins would have he guessed, that's why they respect him so much. With the soothing motion of his hand and his quiet voice, humming near his ears in a whisper, pulled Harry into a peaceful and deep sleep.
Severus did not want to leave the child just yet but he knew he had to. He too needed his own sleep. Come tomorrow he would see him again in Potions. The first years had Potions as their last class on Wednesday, So, he will ask him to stay back after class and then put forward his proposal. Hopefully Harry will take it. By then, he will brew some nutrient potions and a vision correction potion. If his eye sight is left as it is for a long time, it would be difficult to fix it. He also had some poorly set bones which will have to be re-broken and mended as soon as possible. There were a few scars too, on the back, which looked suspiciously like whip marks. He will give it to him so he could apply it while going to sleep. There was one other thing he did not understand. Why was the Longbottom boy petting his stomach? And the boys did something when he had gone to find Poppy. He was sure something was fishy there. He would have to find out.
True to her words, Madam Pomphrey allowed the boys to come to hospital wing in the morning to escort Harry to breakfast. Harry really felt alright after a good night's sleep and the potion in the morning. He was feeling rather light after unburdening years of hidden secrets of his home life. But now he did not know how to face his Professor. He did not want the man's pitying eyes.
They led Harry to the Gryffjndor tables for breakfast today. The twins came over to sit with them. "Are you okay Harry?" George asked.
"Yeah! I am absolutely fine now. Don't worry George, Fred and you three also. A good night's sleep and Madam Pomphrey's extremely tasty potions have cured me completely." They all chuckled at that. Everyone knew how tasty medicinal potions were. The mood remained light after that. Only Neville noticed that Harry was especially avoiding looking towards the head table. In the last two days, Harry always looked towards Prof. Snape, as if to greet him every morning. What changed? Did Professor Snape say anything to Harry?
Neville was distracted from his musings when the post owls arrived. Blaise had a Daily Prophet subscription. The rest did not receive anything as it was only the third day of school. It had become a habit of theirs to circulate the newspaper among themselves all through the day, but today Blaise pulled them all together. "Look at this. The famous murderer Sirius Black's case is being reopened as the head of DMLE Madam Amelia Bones has come upon some proofs which will change the course of his punishment. Moreover, she says that in her investigation she found out he was never given a trial. If it proves that he was wrongfully imprisoned, everyone who was involved in his case would be put to trial. Wow! That is amazing."
Harry could not show his emotions just yet. "Who is Sirius Black?"
It was Fred who spoke up next. "You don't know?" At Harry's confused look, George came near him and explained, " He was your parents' friend Harry. He was accused of letting Voldemort into your house and also killing another of their friend Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles when he blew up a whole street."
Harry wanted to scream that it was not him but he knew it will be out soon. So he just nodded his head and kept quiet. If everyone thought he was sad hearing that he may be set free, then he was not going to correct them. It struck Harry then that if he wanted both Severus and Sirius in his life, he would have to find a way to resolve their differences somehow. It was easier said than done.
Classes went well that day except the last one. Harry kept his head down the whole time, looking anywhere except at Severus. Neville got frustrated after some time. "What is it with you today? Why would you not look at Prof. Snape?" he hissed into Harry's ears.
Harry did not say anything. He was already embarrassed to look at Severus, what will he tell Neville? That he was embarrassed because he cried on the Professor's shoulders and left tears and snot on his robe last night? Or that he shared with him things that he would never be able to share with anyone else. Not right now at least. If Severus noticed, he did not call upon Harry's hesitation to look at him. Once everyone submitted their potions, three mostly perfect and two perfect, Draco being one of them and the other obviously Harry, Severus asked Harry to remain behind and dismissed the rest of the class.
"Harry. Look at me" he said politely.
Harry could not disobey that polite tone. He looked up at Severus with flushed cheeks.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about last night Harry. I am glad that you chose to trust me. But we must talk about a few things. You see I have a role to play. I cannot talk this way with you or any Gryffindor in public. It may endanger my life."
"I know sir. The twins told us that you help them in private and that it is a secret. And I have promised them and am promising to you that I will never tell anyone nor will my friends. I don't know the reason but I trust you that it would be something important."
"You are a trusting young man. You should not trust people so easily."
"I am sorry to say this sir but I don't trust quiet easily. So far I have trusted only those people in the wizarding world who have tried to befriend me and not the famous Harry Potter who I did not even know till my 11th Birthday. I have seen you looking out for me from the day I have stepped into this school. And last night… I have never talked about my home life with anyone before. I tried once to tell my primary school teacher but she had called my aunt instead, saying her nephew is spreading rumours. That evening was not a particularly enjoyable one for me. I was 6. For you to listen and not share it with anyone had made me trust you. I hope that trust won't be unfounded."
"No Mr. Potter, I will never break the trust you have shown in me." Harry smiled and Severus's eyes just softened a bit. "Now for your treatment."
"What treatment professor?"
"Let us see. You are malnourished. Your eye sight is very poor. You have a few bones which had broken at some point of time and haven't melded properly. Last are the… whip marks on your back."
Harry was silent. He did not know what to say. So Severus went on, "This is a bruise salve which will help with the scars. You will apply it every night before going to sleep. This is Vision Correction Potion also to be drunk just before you retire to bed. Your bones have to be re-broken and mended at the earliest possible time. I am capable of doing that if you do not wish to go to the hospital wing again. And last, I will put you on a nutrition potion regime. Usually ones a day is enough in most cases but due to such a long time of near starvation, you will have to take it with all three meals of the day until I tell you otherwise. You don't have to worry that you will forget it because my house-elf will deliver it to you along with your food wherever you sit for your meals. Any questions?"
"You will do all that for me?" Harry was really astonished. Had he misinterpreted the man so badly?
"Yes. And Mr. Potter, if you listen to me so avidly all the time, people will get suspicious. Why not show some Gryffindor defiance sometimes?" Severus smirked.
Harry giggled, "Okay sir. I will remember that. The next time you pick on me in class, I will glare at you. Will that be fine?"
Severus laughed. Harry could not believe his ears. He actually laughed. "Yes that will be fine. Then I can give you detention for glaring at a teacher."
Harry liked the idea. He would love to spend time with the man and know him better. Severus's next question took him by surprise though. "Now Mr. Potter, I saw Mr. Longbottom petting your stomach last morning when we took you to the hospital wing but there was nothing wrong with your stomach when I checked later. What are you both hiding?"
Oh bloody hell. What to say now. "Ah I don't know Professor. I will ask Neville and let you know."
"Harry. By now you should know that you cannot lie to me. I know when you are lying. If it is another secret, I promise to keep it. Trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you sir. It's just that Neville said it is not well accepted in the wizarding world." This was just arousing Severus's curiosity even more.
"It's okay you can tell me. I won't judge you."
"Ah… okay… It was my pet snake that Neville was petting. I… I can speak to snakes professor."
Harry waited for a fierce reaction which never came. "So you are a parselmouth?" at Harry's nod, Severus said, "Will you help me collect some ingredients from some species of snakes? They are temperamental beings and sometimes it's really difficult to get their venom or scales without being bitten."
Harry smiled. This was the last thing he had expected to hear, or rather not even the last. This was nowhere in the list of possible reactions. But he should have considered it. Severus was a Potions Master and a Slytherin. This was exactly what he would say in these circumstances. He said, "Of course professor. Whenever you want."
After collecting the salve and potion and storing them nicely in his bag, he went to find his friends. Of course they were in the library and waiting for him.
As soon as he sat down, Draco spoke in whispered tones, "So you have a snake and can talk to him?"
"Yes." Hearing that, Draco's lit up with a huge smile. "Can we meet him please. Can you introduce him to us?"
Harry turned to Neville, "I had meant to ask you in the morning itself. Where is Hades?"
"Right here." Neville petted his stomach. "He wanted to be near you but we never got a chance to give him back to you."
"How about we move this to an empty classroom and you can all pet him? He loves all the attention he can get."
So the four friends found an empty classroom and Draco and Blaise oohed and aahed over the attention seeking beast. He did not move away from his shoulder though. He had missed his master as much as Harry had missed him.
That night, Harry took the vision correction potion and applied the salve (with much difficulty) on his back and went to sleep. The next morning, Harry felt a little disoriented for some time, but his vision felt slightly clearer, so much that he did not need his hazy glasses. It was not 100% fine yet but Harry guessed it would adjust through the day and by night time, he would be able to see clearly. The day went well, with a very good defence class. Harry decided he would observe some more before approaching Tom.
True to his predictions, Friday morning brought Harry a clear vision. The problem was, now more people were staring at him. When Harry voiced it to his friends, Draco said that his eyes looked more vibrant and hot without the glasses. He did not have to say that. Harry felt really guilty. (Paedophilia remember?). The most interesting though was Potions. Midway through the class, Severus stopped by Harry. "Your potion is not the right colour Mr. Potter. If you are incapable, do not waste valuable ingredients."
Harry turned back and glared, "But Professor. It is exactly the same colour written in the book."
"Detention Potter for your cheek."
Harry concentrated totally on controlling his smile. This was fun. If only he knew the first time. Neville whispered near his ears, "You said everything was fine between you. What had your knickers in a twist?"
"It's just an excuse for us to talk about something Nev. Don't worry. I'll tell you after class."
After class, Harry explained everything to them, reminding what the twins said that Prof. Snape cannot show his real self in public. Neville looked confused but then Draco spoke in a grim voice. "Did you know that he is my godfather yet my parents never allowed me to go to him even when they did not have time for me? My father works for the dark Lord and so does the parents of many children in Hogwarts. Uncle Sev is a spy. If everyone comes to know that he is actually a good man, they will kill him."
They could see how difficult it was for Draco to say that. They formed a circle around him and gave him a group hug. That did bring his smile back.
In the two hour detention after dinner, Severus took Harry to his office instead of his classroom, lay him down on the couch and set to work. The time when Harry was waiting for the potions to work, after the bone had been re-attached, Severus talked to him, to distract him from the pain. Harry asked him about animagus transformation. Severus also told him the same thing, "It is a very difficult and long process Harry. But you can definitely try it with your friends. It is said that it takes less stress and time when in desirable company. The first step is meditation though. That is why people as young as you don't try it. It is rather difficult to keep your mind at one place at this age."
"Oh but I already meditate every night before sleep. And Neville has also started. I have asked Draco and Blaise too. I will ask how they felt about it."
To say that Severus was shocked was an understatement. His jaws were literally touching the floor. Harry giggled at that. Severus quickly gathered himself and said, "Very well then. I will lend you the book which I used during my school time. But you will promise you will not breathe a word about it to anyone other than your three friends."
" I promise. What is your form? Surely not a bat?" Severus glared at Harry, so he quickly clarified, "Please don't get angry. Everyone calls you the dungeon bat so I thought…"
"For your information and your alone, my form is a falcon and not a bat. Though I am not averse to that mammal, it has excellent hearing range and night vision which would have been better suited for my non-teaching duties."
Harry smiled at him but said nothing. They began discussing what animals best suited Harry's friends and Harry also introduced Hades to Severus who petted him for quite a while. Hades also took a liking to Severus very quickly, Harry was happy to see that.
Harry was truly thankful to Severus as he had absolutely forgotten that he was in pain while talking to the older man. Now only the bruise salve and the nutrition potion will continue. Otherwise, Harry was fit and fine.
The days were going so peaceful that he was taken aback when one Sunday afternoon, two week later, Dumbledore called him to his office. Harry checked his Occlumency shields and proceeded to meet him. The meeting was rather non consequential with small talks and lemon drops except the legilimency probe that he felt but did not obstruct. All the while asking Harry how he is settling in and how he is finding classes and his favourite teachers so far etc, Dumbledore kept going through Harry's mind. When Dumbledore came quite near the sleeping dwarf, Harry made a sound clutching his head, as if it was paining. Dumbledore quickly withdrew from his mind.
"Is everything all right my boy?"
"Yes sir. My head just started paining suddenly. May I be excused sir?"
"Yes of course my boy. Do remember to get a headache remedy from the hospital wing Harry."
"I will sir thank you." With that Harry left. He did not have a severe headache as he did not put any effort to block the attack but he decided to use the opportunity. He went and knocked on the Potions Master's office door.
When commanded, he entered. Severus looked up to see Harry close the door behind him.
"What is it Harry? Are you experiencing any side effects?" Severus asked worried, seeing his scrunched forehead.
"No Professor. I am just having a mild headache ever since I left the Headmaster's office. Can you give me a remedy?"
"Yes of course. What exactly happened that you have a headache now? Was he asking you stressful questions?"
"Not exactly but whenever he was looking into my eye, I could feel the pain intensify and my head was feeling sort of tingly." Harry knew that this much was enough for Severus to know why his head was paining.
"He asked me to go to Madam Pomphrey but I came here instead. Is it all right?"
"Yes Harry it's fine. Wait here. Let me get you a remedy."
Harry could see the wheels turning. With a few more such clues, Severus would figure out that Dumbledore does not have his best interest in mind and the old man did not care about anything so long as his goals are reached. Harry will have to wait for that. It cannot be rushed. After taking the remedy, Harry left.
Harry approached Voldemort the same day that Sirius was about to get his trial. Apparently, Madam Bones had gathered whatever proof she needed for the hearing. Harry had observed Voldemort/Quirell for almost three months now. It was only a few days left for Yule break. So, one evening, telling his friends that he would be back in a few moments, Harry trudged his way to the Defence Professor's office. He knocked and peeped inside, "Professor? I have a doubt. Can I come in?"
Quirell looked pissed. Harry had asked especially tricky questions in class and his master had to come out each time to save his hide. But he could not turn down a student could he? Especially not this one. "Yes Mr. Potter, do come in."
Harry entered the office and wandlessly warded and silenced it. Tom would notice even if Quirell won't, Harry knew. He came and sat on the offered chair. "Thank you Professor. Now, I would like to have a word with your master whom you are hosting on your head."
"What are you talking about Potter?"
An eerie voice came from somewhere behind Quirell. "He knows Quirinus. Let me speak to the boy."
"But you are not strong enough master."
"Do as I say."
Quirell quietly removed his turban and moved so that his back was to Harry. And there he was, behind the back of Quirell's head. "Tell me Potter, what do you want?"
"I want to make a deal" Harry did not even blink an eye. Voldemort liked the boy's fearlessness.
"And what deal would that be?"
"That you would retract all your horcruxes into yourself and I will let you live. I even have a ritual that will give you a body. If that is less, I will get you the Philosopher's stone."
"And why would I do that? That will make me mortal again."
Harry sighed. This would be more difficult than he thought. "By making Horcruxes, you have cheated Death and he is not happy. Let me tell you this, it was Death that saved me when I was 18 months old and destroyed you; it was not my mother's blood nor her love. You would not believe if I say that I have lived my life once and have been granted another but I will show you proof later. You killed me again when I was 18 years old but Death sent me to my 11 year old body so that I can kill you once and for all with all the knowledge of my last life intact and some new information too. You are weak hence cannot use legilimency on me so let me tell you some facts that will prove to you that I do know what I am talking about. So far you have intentionally made five Horcruxes- Hufflepuff's Cup, Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring and your School time Black Leather Diary with your name etched in Golden on it. You do not know yet but that night you unintentionally made me a Horcrux. Your name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. You are a half-blood. Your father Tom Riddle Sr. was a muggle who left your mother when he came to know that she was a witch. She died of child birth. You grew up in an abusing environment in an orphanage. That is not what exactly made you the Dark Lord, the teacher's neglect and prejudice against you being Slytherin and parseltongue did. I have more and I can go on and on. What I mean to say is you can kill me Tom but Death will not sit back till he has avenged the one who has cheated him. He is angry but has promised me to give you a chance if you retract your soul pieces to make yourself whole and mortal again."
"And what is in it for me?"
"Several things if you see from my eyes. I relate to your earlier goals. Incorporation of muggle-borns into our world in a better way so that they do not sully our own culture, freedom for magical creatures, better curriculum for students, not to alienate wizards who have affinity to different types of magic. I myself am taken to blood magics and would like someone to teach me. But killing everyone who doesn't understand is not the solution. A more political approach would be a better option."
"Can I think over it?" it was very uncharacteristic for a dark Lord to agree over a suggestion of a minor. But the child had valid proof of his claim. Not even his inner circle knew about his blood status and full name.
"Sure. And will you please not say anything about the whole time-travel thing to anyone? I like to keep my personal life private."
"Sure. I will let you know when I have made a decision."
The decision came just a day before the yule holiday started. Voldemort had agreed to his conditions on his own condition that none of his followers would know right now. And Harry did not need to help in any rituals. The stone was enough to give him a body and the missing soul pieces would give him form and a sound mind. He would do it after quitting his job at the end of the year. No point in making the students suffer. So Harry decided to get the stone but replace it with a fake one so that Dumbledore doesn't suspect.
Harry decided to get the stone within two days. He knew that Dumbledore will use the mirror soon. If Dumbledore puts the fake one into the mirror, he would not suspect foul play until the stone is handed back to the Flamels. Harry told Voldemort to make weekly trips to the third floor so as not to arouse suspicion.
All his friends were going home for Christmas. Harry had asked Sally to make the trips to shops in Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley and Hogsmead with the list of his gifts. He had got a book on Muggle plants that are useful in potions for Neville along with a box of sweets, A muggle thriller novel for Draco along with dark chocolates, and a book on magical creatures with muggle mythological history book for Blaise along with blood pops and liquorice wands (during their time together, they had come to know that Blaise was interested in magical races and loved to talk to Hades, though he could not understand him). He had given them their gifts before they departed. He had told them that he had owl ordered them. He had also got a gift for Severus. It was a book he had seen in Knockturn Alley in passing. It was a very old Potions book, surprisingly not dark, which had various forgotten potions. It was well preserved despite being old. Along with it, he had got some sweet chocolates with berry flavours. Something told him that Severus would like it. He would give it to him on the day of the Solstice.
Harry had retrieved the stone and replaced it with a very much alike fake one on the very first day of vacation and handed the original to Quirell. Taking the stone out of the school was a risky job. So, Voldemort had decided to brew the required elixirs in the school in Quirell's private quarters. Transporting the elixirs at the end of the term would be a fairly easy task.
Harry's days were passing reading any books he could get his hands on, (he had finished reading all the ones he had bought) so he spent most of his days in the library. Sometimes, the twins joined him or he joined them outside for building snow castles or just having a snow ball fight. He had totally forgotten about one Ronald Weasley. After the whole first day fiasco, Ron had stayed away from Harry. Even on Halloween, after hearing Quirell's announcement, he had gone and told McGonagall that the Slytherins lived in the dungeons, how could they send them all to their dorm. Only when McGonagall had ordered the Slytherins to go to the library and wait for their head of house had Harry gone straight to his own common room after the others. He did not even know if Hermione was out this time. He had no intension of playing the hero even if he knew.
Dumbledore looked visibly upset since then. Even Severus had noticed it. Whenever Dumbledore looked towards Harry with disappointment, Severus glared at him like he wanted to kill him. Harry couldn't be more glad. It turned out Hermione WAS out that night, and Professor Flitwick had first heard her yelling and alerted the others. She was safe but had lost points for being out somewhere she was not meant to be at the moment. For Harry, it was no use to believe that was when the three had created a bond because there was never a bond between them as he had discovered later. They had accused him of having a hero complex so now they would get none.
Harry's former best friend woke him up at midnight on Christmas saying he had presents in the common room and that the twins were gathered there too. Hearing the twins' name, Harry asked Ron to go ahead he would be down soon, it won't be wise to pull down the bedsheets and show Hades to him after all. Harry quickly got up, threw a robe over his pyjamas, let Hades sleep below the blankets, and moved downstairs. The twins were waiting for him to come down to begin opening the presents. Harry was really happy to see that. They had truly taken him under their wings and considered him family.
Harry had got books from all his friends, as they all knew he loved to read. From Draco he had got a book on obscure charms which could be used in defence. They all knew that it was his favourite subject so far alongside potions. Blaise had given him how to care for magical snakes. The twins raised their eyebrows but did not say anything because of Ron being there too. Neville had given him use of plants and potions in defence. It would definitely be a good read, to amalgamate both his favourite subjects together. The twins had got him chocolate boxes and a set of twelve clear unbreakable glass phials in various beautiful shapes with colourful stoppers. They were beautiful. Harry handed them their gifts which was a book on pranks based in charms, potions and transfiguration. It was also written by twin brothers some 50 years ago. Along with it were few prank item from muggle London. There was no invisibility cloak this time. Dumbledore would be banging his head searching for it all over. Harry wondered what he thought about his missing wand. But then he shrugged and let it go. It was not his concern.
The next morning, Harry knocked on the Potions Master's office. Upon entering, he gave his gift to Severus and waited in anticipation. Severus looked at him funny but opened the gift nonetheless. When he saw the book he was so surprised, he let out a gasp. "This is amazing Harry. Where did you get it?"
Harry did not want to lie to Severus too much so he said, "I asked a friend to get it for me. I had seen it in a second hand book shop while shopping for school. Do you like it?"
"Of course I like it. Here, I had something for you but did not want to send it to your common room if someone would doubt you know." With that, Severus took out a brightly wrapped gift. Harry opened it to find two gifts inside, one was the animagus book, other was a pendent of a crescent moon made with Celtic Knots attached to a chain of white gold. The moon itself was made of white gold. Harry could feel the thrumming of magic in them when he touched it. He looked up at Severus, "It is charmed to protect you and to inform me if you need me. You just have to rub it between your fingers to alert me that you need me. Ones you rub it, it will also let me know your location. I have made similar ones for all of your group. I will give it to the twins later today and Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Zabini when they return. Draco has received it with my Yule gift."
"Thank you" Harry had tears in his eyes. Severus pulled him towards himself and hugged him. Harry recovered fast and said, "I also have another gift for you." Saying that, Harry pulled out a chocolate box and handed it over. Severus opened it and chose one to pop into his mouth. "Mmm.. How did you know I like berries and chocolates? These are not from the wizarding world I know. You ordered them from muggle London didn't you?"
"Yes. And I just had an intuition that you would like these. Now I know for sure."
They talked for a few more minutes before Harry left for breakfast in the Great Hall. The rest of the vacation went by in a breeze. Harry read the books sent to him on Christmas. He had started with caring of snakes which Blaise had sent him. The twins had literally ambushed him to tell them the secret of the book and Harry had introduced Hades to them. Like all of his friends, the twins accepted it without any bad feelings or doubts and Hades had taken a liking to them too as they could pet him for hours on end. The twins spent most of their time with Harry in his dorms after that.
School reopened and classes started with renewed vigour. Neville had returned with a new wand, courtesy of professor Snape pointing it out to Prof. Flitwick who had written to Neville's gran. Neville said that she had also apologized to force him to use his father's wand. She had been blinded by grief and forgotten about the whole wand and wizard bond thing. The quartet started their revisions in view of the upcoming exams. Neville was doing much better in the practical aspects now. Many first years laughed at them but they did not pay any mind. They were determined to top their year together.
On the other hand, Quirell was finished with the elixir. As soon as he submitted the students' marks, he would vanish from Hogwarts in the dead of the night. He was still making his weekly strolls so Dumbledore still thought that he wanted to but did not know a way to cross the three headed dog. Once the exams were over, Quirell/Voldemort checked the exam sheets within a week and submitted the marks. He was the first one to do so. That evening he again went to the corridor to placate the Headmaster. That same night, he vanished from the castle without a trace.
Dumbledore was livid. How could Quirell go away without the stone? At least the stone was secure. Little did he know that he had lost both Quirell and the stone that night.
The next few weeks were enjoyable for the students. Classes were not exactly too harsh as teachers were more concerned about completing correcting the papers. Nobody cared that Quirell was gone. Teachers were happy that he had completed his tasks before leaving and students were happy as they got that period free for themselves. Summer was setting in and they liked to spend the free time outside in the yard, sunbathing.
It was a sunny Saturday that Harry was called into Dumbledore's office next. He was feeling miffed at being called into the cold castle when he could be sitting with his friends outside. When he reached his office, he could not believe his eyes. Sitting there were Sirius and Remus.
"Ah yes my boy please come in. Let me introduce you to your godfather, Sirius Black and his and your parents' friend Remus Lupin."
"Hello!" Harry said shyly.
"Hello Harry. How are you pup?" said Sirius.
Harry tried hard to control his emotions. He had seen this man die in front of him, protecting him. But he controlled, "I am fine thank you."
"Your father was my best friend. He made me your godfather. I am sorry I could not come earlier. I was wrongfully imprisoned."
"I know. I read all about it in the papers. They followed your story, from the investigation to the trial and results. I have read it. But I did not know you were my godfather."
"Well now you know. Will you like to live with me?"
"Yes" Harry said without thinking. That made Remus suspicious. Before he could ask anything, Dumbledore said, "I am sorry Sirius but I will have to deny you, for Harry's safety. He will have to go back to his relatives house."
Remus smelled a slight fear and also some anger on Harry. He spoke up, "I am sorry Albus but we have already made arrangements. You see we took so long after the trial to come here so that Sirius could get a clean health bill. Now he is cleared by all medical check-ups, mind healer included. We have already met the Dursleys and they have gladly handed Harry over to us, something about getting no more money they said. Never mind, Harry is legally Sirius's ward. And please don't worry about the security. The house is well warded. If even you can enter it without us inviting, I will do whatever you say."
All this while, Harry had quietly slipped to the seat next to Sirius, and they were both grinning at each other like loons. Sirius could be such a kid sometimes. Dumbledore had nothing more to say. He himself had discovered that the payments had stopped when a distraught Molly had come to him saying that her account was bare as the goblins had taken away everything as repayment of the wrongfully transferred amount from the Potter's vault. When he had checked his own account, he had found that the payment to the order of the Phoenix had also stopped and there was a sizable depletion in his vault to repay what he had taken from it since the war. He had demanded to restart it as the current and only Potter's magical guardian but was denied saying that the magical guardian could not overrule the decision of the legal guardian. He had then stormed off to privet drive only to find the plot empty and locked. The neighbours said that they had left the home few days ago and shifted somewhere else. What he did not know was that that house belonged to Harry now, as a repayment for their debts. With the school starting, he could not find the time to search for them. And now he had come to know that Sirius and Remus had found them out somehow and taken over Harry's custody too. If Harry went with them, he would never be able to control him. But he had no say in this. Everything was already legal.
That evening, Harry hopped and skipped to Severus's Office. He was so very happy. So as soon as he entered, he announced, "I am not going back to the Dursleys anymore."
"That is a wonderful news. Where are you going then?"
"I am going to live with my Godfather, Sirius Black." Harry saw as Severus's expression grew dark. He just uttered one word "Oh" and it contained so much hatred that it broke his heart.
"What happened? Why did you get upset? You don't like my godfather?"
Severus forcefully calmed himself down and said, "We were not particularly friends in school. We attended school at the same time. But I know he loves you. And you have that pendant if you need me."
"I won't go with him if you don't like. I have met them only once but I know you for a year now. You have cared for me for a year. I can see that it was not a simple school rivalry, you hate him. Please don't deny it, it's written in your eyes. There must be a very good reason for it too. Because the Severus Snape I know, the real Severus Snape does not even dislike anyone without a good reason. And I will not pry I promise. I don't have a problem going back to the Dursleys. But I don't want to lose you please. I will write a letter to them tonight. Please. Please." Harry did not know when he started crying. He was not even acting anymore. Yes he wanted Sirius and Remus but he could not lose Severus too. After this wonderful year, he had begun to see him as a father figure, one who loved him and did not consider him a mistake.
Severus's heart broke seeing Harry crying and pleading. He sat on his knees in front of Harry and pulled him in a hug. "You will never lose me Harry. In this one year, I have come to see you as a son. When you come back from summer, I will be right here waiting for you, waiting for our little detention games in the classroom, to brew you the animagus potion and see you transform for the first time. You will not lose me okay. Yes I hate Sirius Black but that would not come in between us. You must go with them. And you will never go to the Dursleys ever again. Do you understand me child?"
Harry nodded. He was so glad to hear Severus say that. And he had also began to see him as a son. He was so happy to hear that. Severus handed him one single phial of nutrition potion which will refill itself every time Harry drank it. Everything will be fine. Harry hugged Severus tightly, promised to write to him during the summer and left with a kiss on his cheeks.
Severus sat there, stunned, one hand on his cheek that Harry had just kissed. For the first time in so many years, the dour Potions Master smiled. Life was looking up to him for the first time in his life.