He was very surprised when the door banged open, admitting two children startling him while he prepared for dinner with his brother Raphael and his sister-in-law Evelina together with their friends Elin and Alexei Krum and their children Viktor and Henrik "Harry" Krum. Two very loud children with no right what so ever to be in his bedroom. Growling slightly, he straightened up and glared at the two boys.
"That…was…fun," one of them just said, the shorter and younger of them who had to be Henrik "Harry" Krum.
"Yeah," the taller, Viktor, agreed.
No doubt, they'd been up to no good, diving into his room like that. Just like the little pains at Hogwarts with no respect for their teacher, just because he happened to be twenty-six years old, barely of age in the wizard world. And so, it was all too easy to slip into his old mask, even if it wasn't really needed anymore.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he sarcastically snarled. "Now, can you please tell me what you're doing in my bedroom?"
With some kind of twisted satisfaction, he watched as the boys whipped around in surprise and slight fear. Then it disappeared to make place for a feeling of apprehension and realization. Be cause there was no doubt of whom one of the boys was.
Opposite of what one could think it wasn't the older and taller of them that caught his eye. Even if he was the one you looked twice at with his rough, uncut hair, round shoulders, serious face, black eyes and flat feet. It was the smaller boy.
He looked to be 4'6", 4'7", tall for his age and slim. His wild hair fell to softly brush his shoulders, and his green eyes shone with a fire within. He looked like a younger copy of his father with his mother's eyes. With the important exception of a lightning bolt-shaped curse scar on his forehead. The boy couldn't be anyone but Harry Potter.
Severus Snape kept his surprise to himself though, and stepped into the light. Finally, he could get rid of Albus' fretting over the 'Boy who lived', whom supposedly disappeared after putting an end to Voldemort's reign of terror. But before he had a chance to say anything, the older boy screamed.
"Dementor!" he yelled and jumped back. "Harry, run!"
Severus almost jumped out of his skin. He, a dementor? Maybe he wore a touch too much of black… The uniform of a Death Eater was somewhat similar to a Dementor's after all. But then Harry Potter caught his eye again. The six year old was staring at him, a glazed look in his green eyes. And his face expressed fear, fear so intensive that it made Severus heart clench. Then he started to glow. The tell tale sign of preparation for a spell from a person adequate at wandless magic. But this time, it was also a revelation. Because in a State of Preparation, SoP, one's true nature is revealed. And what Severus saw, made him surprised. Because in the bright light of SoP, Harry's skin, hair and eyes all held a shimmer of green. The green from the depths of the seas.
He didn't get to see anymore though, as his ears caught the sound of the spell Harry was uttering.
"Avada Kedavra…"he whispered, a tint of fear and discovery in his voice. "Avada Kedavra…"
Severus threw himself to the ground, seeing that Viktor did the same. Then the two curses flew away from Harry at random, one re-killing a stuffed animal, one pulverizing the two feet thick wall behind Severus.
"Merlin!" he swore and got up, staggering over to Harry, lifting him up and carrying him over to the bed.
Viktor scrambled to his feet as well, running over to his brother. Severus ignored him though, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't give up Harry's location to Dumbledore now. The old wizard would undoubtedly bring him back to Great Britain and Hogwarts, back into danger. And it was important that this boy survived. For now, it would be best to let the boy stay with his family. That way, he would go to Durmstrang, and the teaching there was all about survival. And that was what Harry needed.
"The Boy Who Lived," he murmured. "My father… This was unexpected."
He shook his head and looked at Viktor who was looking worriedly at the small wizard boy on the bed.
"Run and get your parents, boy" he ordered. "And get Raphael and Evelina as well. Hurry up!"
The boy nodded and sprinted away, leaving Severus to give Harry a rough examination. He was exhausted, something to be expected after performing two Avada Kedavra at such a young age. Wandlessly at that.
"He's going to burn himself out before even getting his school invitation," the potions master muttered. "Don't they have any teachers here?"
Then, Harry stirred, opening his eyes. Severus quickly let down his hood, not wanting the boy to get any more associations to what he believed was Voldemort and his death eaters.
"Hello, boy" he said in a gentle voice he had not used for a long time. "I almost thought you would sleep all day there."
The child stared at him, a puzzled look on his face.
"Who are you, sir?" he childishly wondered.
Severus smiled, a something he usually reserved for his brother and his sister-in-law.
"I'm Severus Snape," he told Harry. "I'm visiting my brother, Raphael here. You managed to stumble upon my bedroom."
Stumble indeed! Judging from his and Viktor's little talk as they barged into the room; they had been doing a prank. Something he no doubt inherited from his aggravating father. Even if he couldn't think about James Potter like that anymore, really.
Right then, the door opened to reveal Raphael, Evelina and the Krums, lead by a frantic Viktor.
"What has happened, Sev?" Raphael asked, surveying the damage in the room. "Young Viktor had us believing it was nothing less than a catastrophe."
Severus shrugged.
"Harry here used some magic," he simply said. "It was quite uncontrolled. Don't you have anyone to teach him how to control his powers here?"
This time, it was Evelina who spoke.
"The pre-wizard school here is only open to those at ten years, Severus," she said.
He frowned. What a stupid idea! And before he had a chance to think, he was speaking words.
"Very well," he said. "Then I would suggest you let me teach him and Viktor. He needs to be taught the proper control. Besides, it's a shame not to start practising when he's so obviously ready."
A thankful look flew over the female Krum's face.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Snape," she said. "We know of the problem, but there are no one with enough experience to teach two children who can do wandless magic here."
Severus nodded.
"I see the problem," he simply said. "Bring them over tomorrow, and I'll see to they get wands. Then I can start teaching them magic, both with and without a wand. But I need your permission for teaching them the Dark Arts and how to counter them…"
Alexei and Elin shared a mixed look.
"You have our permission," he calmly said. "We'll bring our sons here tomorrow, say 11 am?"
Severus thought about it.
"10 am" he decided. "Then it won't be so crowded in Kittelgränd. I have a portkey, we'll be using that."
The couple nodded.
***
Severus' patience was already hard tested as they reached 'Stenstierna's Wand Workshop'. The boys had already dragged him off to a prank shop, made him buy them ice creams and begged him to tell them about Quidditch. For being talented young wizards, they knew startling little about the wizard world outside Stocka. And even though their mother owned a formidable Quidditch store, they had never sat on a broom. But in that case they hadn't been able to move him, (they wanted him to buy them advanced toy brooms). He remembered James Potter's antics on a broom far too well for that. But now, two hours after their arrival, they finally stood outside Stenstierna's Wand Workshop. And if Severus was to be honest, he was not a little nervous.
He looked at his wand. It was exactly eleven years since he bought it, right in this shop. And even if the owner was one of the most talented wand makers in the world, he was very eccentric. He would never forget how the tall man had presented his wand.
'"Ah," he had said. "I see your wand. It's 11", made of birch and holds a tail hair from a centaur. A very rude wand indeed. It will get you into a lot of trouble. You better start practising the Dark Arts at once."'
If he remembered it correctly, Raphael had stood there laughing his head off while their amused father paid the man. It had been before their father sunk into the darkness after their mother's death. And Severus had a strong premonition that it would be even worse this time.
He sighed and opened the door to the workshop. A small bell rang as he ushered the two boys into the shop, sending a tall, thin man with sandy brown hair and beard into the shop.
"Ah" he said, spotting Severus. "You're the rude one. Wands to the small boys you want?"
He fought the urge to roll his eyes and pushed the hesitant and wide-eyed boys in front of him forwards.
"Yes," he shortly said. "Harry and Viktor Krum."
The man beamed at them and scurried away into an adjoining room. Seconds later, he returned to pull a hair rather brusquely from Harry's head, and then disappeared into the room again. A splashing sound was soon heard, and water seeped out from underneath the door as a high-pitched tone vibrated through the room. Severus winced, and he saw that both Harry and Viktor clapped their hands over their ears. A wise decision, considering that the tone came from a veela. Stenstierna seemed pretty much untouched when he skipped into the room again though, holding two wands. One rather sturdy and one thin and swishy.
Bowing elegantly before Viktor, the man offered him the thicker wand.
"There you are, young Tercel," he smiled. "11", oak with the hair of a veela. You'll find it rather erratic, I think. Ideally for charms… It will be handy when you're turning someone's hair blonde."
Severus slapped his forehead. The nutty wand maker sure hadn't changed. Viktor looked rather pleased though. But then again, who understood the minds of children anyway? And then, he offered Harry his wand. As Severus stared at it, it glowed green as if waiting for it's future master.
"And sweet Hydra," Stenstierna murmured. "11", made out of juniper and holding two entwined hairs from you and your greatest father. A truly loyal wand you will have great use of when dealing with elements."
Little Harry looked very confused, Severus noted, but then again, so was he. He had never heard of a wand containing hair from its owner, not even in the Dark Arts, and his knowledge was very extensive. The dark twenty-six years old frowned. What worth would this hold in the future? He couldn't help but wonder as he stepped forwards to pay. And as they exited the shop, he still wondered.