Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything related is the property of J.K. Rowling and anyone else who has claim to a piece of Harry's fame
Disclaimer 2: I own the plot and Saerry Snape. Nothing more, nothing less.
Taracollowen – Ah, yes, but you'll see WHY that is explained very soon. A small hint is the fact that Harry didn't read all of his mother's diary. *malicious grin*
Charm – Heheh. ^^ Here we are!
Chapter 20
**Wounded Truth**
Harry and Saerry walked straight to Dumbledore's office from the dungeons. As soon as they came to the stone gargoyle that guarded the stairway up to the Headmaster's office, Harry began to feel nervous. Turning to look up at Saerry he said, "I don't know if we should do this."
Saerry smiled down at him and tightened her grip on his shoulders. "It'll be fine Harry. I'll be right here by you the whole time."
Harry brightened somewhat and asked, "Even when we talk to Snape, I mean, Severus, I mean . . oh, you know!"
"Call him whatever you want Harry."
The two smiled at each other then Saerry said the password (Blood Lollipops) to the gargoyle, which jumped aside. They went up the stairs slowly and Saerry knocked on the door.
Dumbledore's voice called, "Come in."
Saerry pushed the door open and ushered Harry in in front of her. As she closed the door behind her, Harry hugged his arms around himself. He felt strange being in the Headmaster's office looking like a different person. As soon as Saerry placed her hands on his shoulders he felt the feeling fade.
Dumbledore looked up from a piece of parchment on his desk and smiled. "Ah, Saerry. Is there something you need?" His twinkling blue eyes fell on Harry, who blinked like an owl. Dumbledore arched his eyebrows at Saerry and asked, "And who is this?"
Saerry replied to the first question with a simple, "I'm fine Albus." As she started to answer the question Harry felt like bolting. Saerry must have felt it through her grip on his shoulders and tightened her hold.
"Albus, this is Harry Potter."
Dumbledore blinked. "Harry?"
Harry couldn't help the quaver in his voice as he replied, "Professor."
Dumbledore looked back at Saerry and frowned.
"So, Severus' tale had something attached to it." He looked thoughtful for a moment then asked, "Does he know?"
Saerry shook her head and Dumbledore turned to Harry.
"Does anyone else know Harry?"
"Ron and Hermione. Hermione did the spell."
Both Saerry and Dumbledore's eyebrows arched and they said simultaneously, "Spell?"
Harry nodded and Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair.
"What spell Harry?"
"The Abscondo Charms. We learned about in Transfiguration and Hermione figured out how to work the counter charm of the two as Professor McGonagall wanted us to learn it so we could take the charm off ourselves."
Saerry peered down at him then looked at Dumbledore. "As I don't know much about spells Albus, you will have to fill me in on this one."
Dumbledore nodded and said, "The Abscondo Charms are used to disguise and reveal things. You can look like anyone or anything and it feels completely real. Which is why many Aurors use it to infiltrate places." He looked thoughtfully at Harry and added, "I suppose Lily could have done it."
"What?"
"Performed the charm on Harry when he was born so he looked like he was James' son." He looked at Harry and asked, "Am I right?"
Harry shrugged.
"I don't know. I found my mum's diary in the library but I stopped when I . ." He ducked his head and Saerry tightened her grip on his shoulders again.
Dumbledore nodded. "I see. Well, I suppose we could perform the charm again."
Saerry blinked and asked, "But shouldn't the charm have lasted a while?"
"The charm begins to break down eventually. I suppose Lily thought she would tell James' sometime later. Unfortunately . ."
Harry and Saerry nodded their heads. They both knew the tale, Saerry because she had been looking through every history book in the library that she could find to catch up on what she had missed for fourteen years of her life in the Forbidden Forest.
After a few minutes Harry said, "Professor?"
"Yes Harry?"
"I – I don't think I want to do the charm again."
Dumbledore's eyes flicked with something like pride and he asked, "Why not?"
Harry looked down at the floor and replied, "Well, it would break down again wouldn't it? And . . . I'd still be living a lie."
Saerry smiled down at him and said, "You've not been living a lie Harry. Your mother was Lily Evans and your father, as far as you knew, was James Potter. You are the Gryffindor Seeker. You're the only person to ever survive Avada Kedavra and you're the best damn kid I've ever met. You also have two of the best friends anyone could ask for. You're not living a lie."
Harry looked up at her and smiled.
"Thanks."
"Anytime Harry, anytime."
Dumbledore smiled at the two of them then nodded. "Alright. The charm will not be performed again. But, we will have to change some things."
Harry blinked.
"Like what Professor?"
"Your name for starters."
Harry swallowed hard. Harry Snape. That was a horrid thought. Then came another terrible thought. Oh no. What will Sirius think?
Harry asked, "Do we have to change my name Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid so Harry. We'll announce the change at breakfast tomorrow."
"Oh no . . ." Harry closed his eyes and imagined the look on Malfoy's face when he found out 'Harry Potter' didn't really exist.
Then he had another horrible thought.
What if Voldemort found out Snape had a son? Would Harry be forced to join the Death Eaters?
Harry chased that thought down and crushed it. He would never join Voldemort.
Saerry must've sensed something was wrong because she leaned down and whispered, "Don't think about it Harry."
He blinked at her, wondering how she knew what he was thinking.
Dumbledore apparently had had the same thought but he shook it off.
"Well, that settles that. I shall see you two tomorrow at breakfast."
Saerry said, "Goodbye Albus," and Harry mumbled something that sounded like "Thank you." The two turned quickly and left the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore looked thoughtfully after them then began to write a letter to Sirius.
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Saerry steered Harry out of Dumbledore's office and into the hallway. As they walked back down to the dungeons she draped her arm about his shoulders again and said, "Now, that wasn't so bad was it?"
Harry shook his head. It hadn't been as bad as he had thought.
They walked in silence until they came to the entrance hall. Just as they were halfway down another hallway the great doors burst open and they both whirled around, wands out. But what stumbled through the door shocked them both.
It was a battered and beaten Severus Snape, his Death Eater robes torn in several places.
He spotted them and croaked, "Saerry," before collapsing in a heap on the floor.
Saerry quickly ran to her brother's side while Harry shut the doors. She gently touched a bruise on the side of his face and winced.
"Oh Severus . ."
Harry knelt down on the other side of Snape, his heart pounding against his ribcage. After a moment he said, "We have to get him down to the hospital wing. Quick."
Saerry looked at him. "He's too heavy to carry."
Harry waved his wand and muttered the first spell he had even learned.
"Wingardium leviosa."
Snape instantly rose up into the air and hovered a good two feet off the ground. Harry quickly steered him in the direction of the hospital wing and he and Saerry followed him.
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As they entered the wing Madam Pomfrey looked up from her desk, blinked, then walked quickly over to them.
"What happened?"
Saerry answered her question while Harry moved Snape to hover over a bed. Gently he lowered him down then tucked his wand into his belt. A second later Madam Pomfrey pushed him aside and picked up Snape's wrist, feeling for his pulse. Harry could see how thin his father was and glanced at his own wrist, which was just as thin and pale.
After a few moments he asked, "Is he going to be okay?"
He didn't feel Saerry come up behind him until her hands touched his shoulders. Madam Pomfrey turned to look at the two of them, eyed Harry for a moment, then said, "He'll be fine."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and he heard Saerry do that same. Neither of them wanted to lose Snape.
Saerry gave a little tug on Harry's shoulders and said, "C'mon."
Harry tried to resist but Saerry's grip was strong. She pulled him out of the hospital wing, both of them casting a glance backwards at Madam Pomfrey waving her wand over Severus' wounds.