First and foremost, my reviewers:
Mikee: I love getting reviews from you! Thanks for your support ^_^
Ayame: Draco and Harry are your Muses? How on EARTH do you get any work done? Surely they're fighting one moment and snogging the next?
rosie: yeah, I guess a story can get a little intense at times. Thanks for the confidence boost. Erm... I'll be sure to reveal the rest of the quetzalcoatl's abilities as I find them out, ok?
SilverWolf: as long as you let me read the story, I might just let you borrow them. And I didn't know there was such a bird. Must run out and poach myself one....
hermionegranger: how did Harry know how to speak Parseltongue? Its instinctive isn't it? I thought Severus's thoughts were weak as well. That's really what I thought let down the chapter....
Gryffindor_girl2002: I'm glad you like my snakes. I wanted to be a little original there....
Wittchway: Danka. Thanks very much indeed.
Pagan: Uhuh... *shuffles away from the crazy girl* I'll believe you. Mmm.. Yeah, I know I shouldn't have skipped over that whole Harry-Severus-Sirius thing, but.... I do plan on addressing it later tho' =P Hence the reason I've got him coming back in a week's time....
Crydwyn: Sasu IS pretty, but I suddenly had a thought that she was all the wrong colour to be Sev's familiar... Oh well, too late know, so we get to keep the pretty little haughty snake.
Elektra: Oookkaaayyy... thanks for the... er.... INTERESTING review. = P
gwendolyn_flight: Yeah, there DO seem to be some holes in all Dumbledore's explanations, don't there? I like to thing they'll all be filled in at some later date. Until then, I'll fill them in any old how I like. *mutters* Wish I was a Parselmouth....
Ariana Deralte: = P Don' matter. I got THREE reviews now! Erm, well, Justin was chosen cuz I didn't want anyone else. And besides, he apologised to Harry in CoS at some point.. Yes, the spell I was after probably WAS 'Petrificus Totalus' but I always got confused about what each of those spells did... Oh well.. Did you know I picked up on several mistakes in JK's books at some point, can't remember what they were now.... but that was an idle aside, and not an excuse at all... Eh. Severus being afraid of heights just crept up on me. Let's explain it away by saying: When he's in control - like on a broomstick - he can handle. Otherwise, he'll keep his distance. Better? Not really, but eh.
So on to my newest chapter (this one was fun to write after I got over the hump at the start)
Chapter Eighteen: I know something you don't know
After the long summer of near-stillness, the Entrance Hall was alive again. Harry stood halfway up the staircase, staring out over a sea of black robes topped with the myriad hair colours of Hogwarts' returning students.
He was looking for two heads in particular: one of flaming red and one of bushy brown. Neither was in evidence. It seemed that by now every other fifth year student had passed beneath the lintel of the main entrance, once more standing in the Entrance Hall of their school. He had seen Dean and Seamus bounce in, trailed by Neville. Justin and his best friend Ernie Macmillan had trotted by, followed closely by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Two of the only Ravenclaws Harry knew, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst, were just now removing their cloaks.
Harry had even seen Malfoy strut in flanked by his two thugs, Crabbe and Goyle. But there still wasn't any sign of either Ron or Hermione. For what had to be the hundredth time, Harry shifted his weight.
About his neck, Sakuna lifted his head and tickled Harry's ear with his tongue.
'What isss it you wait for?'
Harry sighed and shifted his weight yet again, 'Ron and Hermione haven't come in yet.'
At just that moment the head of red hair Harry had been searching for emerged above the crowd and began waving energetically, 'Hey *Harry*!'
Harry went up on his toes, then bounded down the stairs. Dislodged from his perch on Harry's shoulder, Sakuna hissed irritably and floated down the air after him. Harry indiscriminately elbowed his way through the throng to his friends' side.
'Ron! Hermione! How was the train?'
Ron grinned, 'Malfoy couldn't work out where you were. It was classic!'
Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs and turned a concerned expression on Harry, 'How about you Harry? How's.... er, *everything* goi-'
Hermione squeaked and jumped back, both hands pressed to her mouth. Ron glanced questioningly at her, then followed her gaze. He went parchment white and stood stock still. Harry stared at them.
'What? What's wrong?'
Ron raised a silent finger and pointed over Harry's shoulder. Harry turned his head.
Hovering just behind Harry's shoulder, wings spread wide, feathered ruff mantled, mouth wide and fangs dropped, was Sakuna. He was hissing at Harry, but his silver gaze was fixed on Harry's friends.
Eyes still fixed on Hermione and Ron, Sakuna's hisses resolved themselves into words understandable to Harry alone.
'You knocked me off,' he accused.
Harry flushed slightly. He was still getting used to having a constant companion in the snake.
'Sorry,' he muttered in Parseltongue.
Sakuna's silver gaze flickered briefly to Harry and back to Hermione and Ron. He drifted closer and settled about Harry's neck once more. His tongue extended to its greatest length, Sakuna tasted the air, 'Who are they?'
Harry turned back to his friends. Hermione had calmed down considerably when Harry had started talking to the snake, and while Ron was still pale, he no longer looked to be on the verge of trembling. Harry rolled his eyes.
'You can't seriously be scared of Sakuna?' he scoffed at his friends.
Hermione huffed, 'Well when the last snake I saw petrified me, I think I'm quite within my rights to be wary of them.'
'Yeah. Besides, its not every day you see a flying snake Harry,' Ron chipped in.
Harry reached up and scratched Sakuna's wing joints, 'Sakuna's a quetzalcoatl.'
Hermione perked up, 'Really? I've never seen one before. Where'd it come from?'
'*He* was given to me,' Harry glanced covertly around, 'Pater purchased him and Sasu from Knockturn Alley.'
The cacophony in the Entrance Hall was such that Harry's words went blessedly unnoticed.
'Sasu?' asked Ron.
'Pater?' Hermione had picked up on the term. Harry chose to ignore it momentarily in favour of answering Ron.
'Sasu is Sakuna's twin sister. Sakuna's my familiar and Sasu's Pater's.'
'Pater?' said Hermione more insistently and now even Ron was eyeing him somewhat shrewdly. Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. They both knew whom he had to be talking about. Despite the chaos about them, Harry lowered his voice even further.
'My *father*,' Harry smirked, 'He's a Parselmouth too.'
Hermione nodded sagely, as though that was nothing more than she had expected. She stepped in closer to Harry and lowered her voice as well.
'How's that going Harry?'
Harry, who had been doing his best not to think about his rather convoluted family situation ever since Sirius had found out, frowned.
'It was going great right up until four days ago.'
Ron, who had bent his head down to closer to Harry and Hermione's level asked, 'what happened four days ago?'
Harry gave both his friends a significant look, 'Snuffles found out, and not in the nicest of ways.'
'Oh,' said Ron. Hermione was looking rather worried as well.
'Oh, indeed,' replied Harry.
Ron shifted his weight, 'But.... well.... what *happened*?'
'Pater kind of fell out of the fireplace announcing I was his son.'
Hermione and Ron threw him thoroughly confused looks. Harry sighed and, holding Sakuna close to his chest, began to relate the tale of how Sirius had found out. Ron snorted when he got to the part about Sirius almost decking Severus, but stopped grinning when Hermione glared at him.
Harry had just finished his tale when he jumped. Sakuna had grown tired of being ignored and sunk his teeth into Harry's arm just enough to gain his attention.
'Harry! Its biting you!' exclaimed Hermione.
Ron made an abortive movement to dislodge the quetzalcoatl from Harry's arm. Sakuna released him. Wrapping himself about Harry's upper arm, the snake placed his head on a level with Harry's shoulder. His head twisted about to stare at Ron and Hermione again then swivelled back to meet Harry's eye.
'Thisss *isss* your Ron and Hermione, little lord?' he asked.
Harry grimaced at the name Sakuna and Sasu had chosen for him. His father had laughed the first time he had heard it. Knowing by now that it was futile to try to get Sakuna to call him Harry, he ignored the name and answered the question instead.
'Yes, this is Ron and Hermione.'
Hermione and Ron were watching him curiously.
'What did you just say?' Ron wanted to know.
'Sakuna asked if you were Ron and Hermione and I answered him.'
'Is *that* what you said?' exclaimed Ron, echoing is question from third year.
'You said our names in Parseltongue?' Hermione asked.
Harry nodded.
Hermione, ever curious, then asked, 'What's my name in Parseltongue?'
Harry let loose a series of hissed syllables that obviously made no sense whatsoever to his two friends. Hermione said rather vaguely, 'Oh.'
Harry was about to say something further when Sakuna abruptly snaked his head over Harry's shoulder, staring at some point behind them.
'The dark one wissshesss usss to move,' he hissed.
If Harry was "little lord", Severus was the "dark one". Harry couldn't figure out whether or not his father actually liked the name the twin quetzalcoatl had chosen for him. He suspected that he did, however.
Harry glanced over his shoulder. It was only then that he realised that the Entrance Hall was all but empty; the last of the students were even now filtering into the Grand Hall for the Sorting Feast.
Standing at the foot of the stairs Harry had first descended, Sasu more than half-hidden beneath the fall of dark hair, was Professor Snape. He was staring fixedly at Harry and his friends.
'What's wrong with your snake?' Ron's voice brought Harry's attention back to his friends.
'Sasu told him that Pater wants us in the Hall now.'
Hermione and Ron blinked. Harry headed after the last of the students straggling into the Hall, anticipating the next question and answering it before it could be voiced, 'Sakuna and Sasu are telepathically linked because they're twins. They can communicate over any kind of distance. I'm guessing Professor Snape,' Harry was making a conscious effort to revert to calling his father that, at least during the school hours, 'asked Sasu to tell Sakuna to tell me to get a move on.'
Hermione nodded in complete understanding and Ron nodded to make it look like he understood, when he had patently only comprehended half of what Harry had just said. Harry didn't blame him; it had had taken him a while to get his mind around the fact.
Harry very deliberately seated himself on the side of the Gryffindor table facing away from the rest of the Hall, looking instead at the wall. He simply wasn't in the mood for engaging in glaring contests across the Hall with Draco Malfoy. Hermione and Ron settled on either side of him, and Sakuna curled up discreetly in his lap.
Dean and Seamus were sitting side by side beyond Ron and it was their comments that brought his attention to the dark man pacing slowly up the Hall between the wall and the Gryffindor table.
'Another year with that greasy git in Potions,' Harry scowled at Dean's comment. Everybody naturally thought that he was simply scowling at the prospect.
'I was hoping he would have poisoned himself over the summer with one of his insane potions,' mourned Seamus. Harry scowled harder. His eyes followed his father as the man drew level with his position. Severus never glanced him, or at the table as a whole. An elegant hand drifted up and brushed back a lock of hair hanging by his face and Harry caught a glimpse of Sasu's tail trailing down his shoulder.
But that wasn't what caught his attention.
On the far side of Hermione, Pavati gasped and Harry knew it was too much to hope that no one else had noticed what he had.
'He's wearing a wedding band!' Pavati stage whispered, proving Harry right. Fortunately, Severus didn't hear.
Opposite Harry, Fred Weasley glanced up, ''Who is?'
'Professor Snape,' replied Lavender Brown and the entire section of the table within hearing swivelled about to get a look for themselves. Sure enough, as the Potions Master's hand fell back to his side, the silver ring glittered in the light of the candles floating overhead.
Hermione and Ron slanted Harry looks from the corner of their eyes. He shrugged at them. He had no idea why his father was wearing his wedding band after all this time.
Then the storm of speculation began.
'You mean someone actually married that greasy git?' exploded George.
'They'd have to be a raving lunatic-' squawked Seamus.
'Or bloody desperate,' said Dean.
Ever the romantic, Ginny said, 'I didn't know he had a girlfriend.'
Ron snorted at that and Harry elbowed him in the side. Further down the table came the flash of Colin Creevey's camera and Harry groaned.
Fred chipped in now, 'It was probably an arranged marriage and the poor witch had no choice.'
The comments continued on in such a vein. Harry was torn between laughing at the ridiculous theories and hexing people for the insults being paid to *both* his fathers.
Hermione was scowling, but no one found that odd: She always disapproved of anyone badmouthing a professor. On Harry's other side, Ron was uncharacteristically silent. Harry was grateful for this sign of tacit support from his best friends.
Fortunately, the speculation was brought to end when the great doors of the Hall swung open to admit the timid new first years and the Sorting began. By the time the stool and Sorting Hat were carried out the Hall, the Gryffindors about Harry had moved onto other topics and he didn't have to sit there as derogatory comments about his father flew.
Severus sat back in his desk chair and steepled his fingers. After the Sorting Feast, he had hoped for one last quite night before classes resumed. No such luck.
'Minerva,' he addressed his.... guest, for lack of a better term, 'we are both fully cognisant of the fact that this is not a social visit. If you would be so kind as to get to the point?' he not-so-subtly hinted.
Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, had declined a seat. Not that Severus had strictly *offered* her one....
'Never the one for tact, were you Severus?' she snapped.
Severus simply regarded her over his fingers. In a basket on the edge of his desk, Sasu stirred. Minerva, never having been fond of snakes, eyed her warily. Casually, she paced to the opposite end of the desk. Severus hid his smirk behind his hands.
'You and I both know the rivalry between our two houses is getting out of hand, Severus.'
'Indeed,' intoned the head of Slytherin House, 'And you bring this up.... why?'
Minerva pinched her lips and scowled at the Potions Professor, 'It is high time we remedy the situation.'
Severus sat for a moment, then lifted his mouth clear of his hands and said, 'Ah.'
Minerva resisted the urge to plant her hands on her hips, knowing it would make her look hopelessly petulant, 'You certainly don't help matters with the way you treat my students.'
Severus dropped his hands to the surface of his desk and braced them there. Sasu raised her head at the sudden thump.
'And what of the way the rest of the school treats *my* students,' he hissed menacingly.
Not at all daunted by Severus's tone, Minerva rallied her argument, 'You can't deny that you unfairly persecute the Gryffindor students in your classes. This year's fifth years, especially. And Mr Potter, in particular.'
'Ah,' proclaimed Severus again and sat back in his chair. He fought down a smirk. Sasu laid her head back down.
'Minerva, this year, I think you will find that I treat your precious Gryffindors - Mr.... Potter, in particular - no better or worse than I treat my own Slytherins.'
Minerva had no immediate response to this seemingly easy capitulation on Severus's part. She had come down here expecting an argument - or at least a cold and calculated debate - and received nothing of the sort.
Just as she was gathering herself, a sharp rap at the office door broke her train of thought. Severus transferred his dark gaze from her to it and her own eyes followed.
'Enter,' Severus raised his voice just enough for it to penetrate to the corridor beyond.
The door swung inwards to reveal Harry standing there, Sakuna wrapped about his forearm. He looked rather nonplussed to find that his father was not alone, as he had supposed. Severus smiled slightly.
'Don't just stand there blocking the doorway,' he said mildly, 'Come in.'
Harry stepped in and allowed the door to swing to behind him. He looked from his head of house and his father and back again but didn't say anything. Neither did Severus. It was Professor MaGonagall that first broke the silence.
'Yes, Mr Potter. What is it?'
Harry looked confused, 'Sorry, Professor?'
She sighed exasperatedly, 'You were looking for me, were you not?'
Harry widened his eyes, 'Umm... No, Professor. I actually came to see -' he paused at glanced at his father. Severus nodded, giving him permission to go on, '- I came to see my father,' Harry finished in a rush.
McGonagall's eyes widened.
'Your father, Mr Potter?' she asked as composedly as she could after a long moment.
Severus smirked, 'Yes, Minerva. His father,' McGongall slowly tore her eyes from Harry's face and turned to look at her colleague. His smirk widened as he carefully enunciated the next word, 'Me.'
McGonagall's eyes widened even further and snapped back to stare at Harry, then back to Severus again. Back and forth they went several times, until she finally cleared her throat.
'What?' she croaked quite coherently.
'Hasn't Albus briefed you yet? I thought you would have been the first he told that Harry was my son.'
Minerva decided to take that seat she had earlier scorned, 'But.... what about James?'
By the door, Harry shifted uncomfortably. Sakuna hissed at him, then lifted off his arm to drift over to the desk. He settled in the basket with Sasu.
When Severus steepled his fingers again, his wedding band was plainly visible. He saw Minerva's eyes snag on it as he spoke, 'What about James?'
'He's not Harry's father,' she made it a statement.
'Did *I* say that?' enquired Severus. He tilted his hand just enough for his ring to catch the light and glint in his colleague's face, 'James was as much Harry's father as I am.'
Both Severus and Harry could see the implications of his last words sinking into McGonagall's mind.
'Oh,' she said.
She sat in rather stunned silence. Severus was contemplating her and Harry shuffled sideways further into the room.
'Oh,' McGonagall said again. She stirred from her chair and stood up, 'I think I shall go have a word with Albus. If you'll excuse me Severus, Mr....um....'
She didn't finish her sentence, just edged out the door.
Harry stared worriedly after her. She had certainly been... well, Harry couldn't find quite the right word to describe it. He turned back to his father.
'Oh, don't worry about her, Harry,' Severus smirked, 'She just wasn't expecting it. I assure you, she'll be over it by morning.'
Harry nodded and approached the desk. Without waiting to be asked, he sat himself down in the chair nearest the basket containing Sasu and Sakuna. He reached out an idle hand and petted them both.
Severus withdrew a quill and inkbottle from a desk drawer and began jotting something down on parchment. He addressed his son without looking up, 'What is it you wanted, Harry?'
Harry left of petting his familiar and his sister.
'I wanted to ask you what was to happen with Sakuna tomorrow.'
Severus stopped writing and instead grasped the quill in both hands, resting his wrist on the edge of his desk, 'Ah, of course.'
Severus eyed the two quetzalcoatl lying twined in the basket and deliberately switched to Parseltongue.
'I have spoken to Dumbledore about him, and he has agreed to allow Sakuna to accompany you to your classes if you so wish. Otherwise, he is welcome to spend the days in my office with Sasu.'
Both snakes had lifted their heads and rested on the rim of the basket, listening intently to Severus's words.
Also speaking in Parseltongue, Harry said, 'But what should I tell the other students? Most of them were scared of me when they first found out that I was a Parselmouth.'
Sakuna mantled his wings.
'Tell them it isss none of their busssinesss, little lord,' he hissed.
'Tell them we will bite them,' Sasu deigned to add.
Harry snorted at them both, 'But you don't bite.... much,' he amended, remembering Sakuna's antics earlier.
In the approximation of a snake's laugh, Sakuna said, 'Do they know that?'
Severus gave a bark of laughter, 'They're right, though Harry. Tell the students what you will. They can only complain. And if they complain too loudly, either Albus or myself are sure to overhear them.
'Now,' Severus dipped his quill, 'It is nearing curfew. You should return to your dormitory,' the quill scratched across the parchment once more.
Harry stood and, beating his wings once or twice, Sakuna returned to his arm. They both hissed a farewell to Sasu, who lazily blinked her eyes at them. When Harry looked back at the door, his father was intent on his work.
'Goodnight, Pater.'
He wasn't sure at first whether or not he had been heard, but as he softly closed the door behind him he heard, 'Good night, Harry.'
TBC
AN: There! I think that chapter was considerably less weak, don't you? Well, at least one more person knows now. That was fun.
What do you think of my McGonagall? In character, or way off?
No new talents for my pretty little quetzalcoatl yet, but that should come later.
Well, my Muses have retired for the night, and I think I might too.
Until next I write,
- Vi
Mikee: I love getting reviews from you! Thanks for your support ^_^
Ayame: Draco and Harry are your Muses? How on EARTH do you get any work done? Surely they're fighting one moment and snogging the next?
rosie: yeah, I guess a story can get a little intense at times. Thanks for the confidence boost. Erm... I'll be sure to reveal the rest of the quetzalcoatl's abilities as I find them out, ok?
SilverWolf: as long as you let me read the story, I might just let you borrow them. And I didn't know there was such a bird. Must run out and poach myself one....
hermionegranger: how did Harry know how to speak Parseltongue? Its instinctive isn't it? I thought Severus's thoughts were weak as well. That's really what I thought let down the chapter....
Gryffindor_girl2002: I'm glad you like my snakes. I wanted to be a little original there....
Wittchway: Danka. Thanks very much indeed.
Pagan: Uhuh... *shuffles away from the crazy girl* I'll believe you. Mmm.. Yeah, I know I shouldn't have skipped over that whole Harry-Severus-Sirius thing, but.... I do plan on addressing it later tho' =P Hence the reason I've got him coming back in a week's time....
Crydwyn: Sasu IS pretty, but I suddenly had a thought that she was all the wrong colour to be Sev's familiar... Oh well, too late know, so we get to keep the pretty little haughty snake.
Elektra: Oookkaaayyy... thanks for the... er.... INTERESTING review. = P
gwendolyn_flight: Yeah, there DO seem to be some holes in all Dumbledore's explanations, don't there? I like to thing they'll all be filled in at some later date. Until then, I'll fill them in any old how I like. *mutters* Wish I was a Parselmouth....
Ariana Deralte: = P Don' matter. I got THREE reviews now! Erm, well, Justin was chosen cuz I didn't want anyone else. And besides, he apologised to Harry in CoS at some point.. Yes, the spell I was after probably WAS 'Petrificus Totalus' but I always got confused about what each of those spells did... Oh well.. Did you know I picked up on several mistakes in JK's books at some point, can't remember what they were now.... but that was an idle aside, and not an excuse at all... Eh. Severus being afraid of heights just crept up on me. Let's explain it away by saying: When he's in control - like on a broomstick - he can handle. Otherwise, he'll keep his distance. Better? Not really, but eh.
So on to my newest chapter (this one was fun to write after I got over the hump at the start)
Chapter Eighteen: I know something you don't know
After the long summer of near-stillness, the Entrance Hall was alive again. Harry stood halfway up the staircase, staring out over a sea of black robes topped with the myriad hair colours of Hogwarts' returning students.
He was looking for two heads in particular: one of flaming red and one of bushy brown. Neither was in evidence. It seemed that by now every other fifth year student had passed beneath the lintel of the main entrance, once more standing in the Entrance Hall of their school. He had seen Dean and Seamus bounce in, trailed by Neville. Justin and his best friend Ernie Macmillan had trotted by, followed closely by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Two of the only Ravenclaws Harry knew, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst, were just now removing their cloaks.
Harry had even seen Malfoy strut in flanked by his two thugs, Crabbe and Goyle. But there still wasn't any sign of either Ron or Hermione. For what had to be the hundredth time, Harry shifted his weight.
About his neck, Sakuna lifted his head and tickled Harry's ear with his tongue.
'What isss it you wait for?'
Harry sighed and shifted his weight yet again, 'Ron and Hermione haven't come in yet.'
At just that moment the head of red hair Harry had been searching for emerged above the crowd and began waving energetically, 'Hey *Harry*!'
Harry went up on his toes, then bounded down the stairs. Dislodged from his perch on Harry's shoulder, Sakuna hissed irritably and floated down the air after him. Harry indiscriminately elbowed his way through the throng to his friends' side.
'Ron! Hermione! How was the train?'
Ron grinned, 'Malfoy couldn't work out where you were. It was classic!'
Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs and turned a concerned expression on Harry, 'How about you Harry? How's.... er, *everything* goi-'
Hermione squeaked and jumped back, both hands pressed to her mouth. Ron glanced questioningly at her, then followed her gaze. He went parchment white and stood stock still. Harry stared at them.
'What? What's wrong?'
Ron raised a silent finger and pointed over Harry's shoulder. Harry turned his head.
Hovering just behind Harry's shoulder, wings spread wide, feathered ruff mantled, mouth wide and fangs dropped, was Sakuna. He was hissing at Harry, but his silver gaze was fixed on Harry's friends.
Eyes still fixed on Hermione and Ron, Sakuna's hisses resolved themselves into words understandable to Harry alone.
'You knocked me off,' he accused.
Harry flushed slightly. He was still getting used to having a constant companion in the snake.
'Sorry,' he muttered in Parseltongue.
Sakuna's silver gaze flickered briefly to Harry and back to Hermione and Ron. He drifted closer and settled about Harry's neck once more. His tongue extended to its greatest length, Sakuna tasted the air, 'Who are they?'
Harry turned back to his friends. Hermione had calmed down considerably when Harry had started talking to the snake, and while Ron was still pale, he no longer looked to be on the verge of trembling. Harry rolled his eyes.
'You can't seriously be scared of Sakuna?' he scoffed at his friends.
Hermione huffed, 'Well when the last snake I saw petrified me, I think I'm quite within my rights to be wary of them.'
'Yeah. Besides, its not every day you see a flying snake Harry,' Ron chipped in.
Harry reached up and scratched Sakuna's wing joints, 'Sakuna's a quetzalcoatl.'
Hermione perked up, 'Really? I've never seen one before. Where'd it come from?'
'*He* was given to me,' Harry glanced covertly around, 'Pater purchased him and Sasu from Knockturn Alley.'
The cacophony in the Entrance Hall was such that Harry's words went blessedly unnoticed.
'Sasu?' asked Ron.
'Pater?' Hermione had picked up on the term. Harry chose to ignore it momentarily in favour of answering Ron.
'Sasu is Sakuna's twin sister. Sakuna's my familiar and Sasu's Pater's.'
'Pater?' said Hermione more insistently and now even Ron was eyeing him somewhat shrewdly. Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. They both knew whom he had to be talking about. Despite the chaos about them, Harry lowered his voice even further.
'My *father*,' Harry smirked, 'He's a Parselmouth too.'
Hermione nodded sagely, as though that was nothing more than she had expected. She stepped in closer to Harry and lowered her voice as well.
'How's that going Harry?'
Harry, who had been doing his best not to think about his rather convoluted family situation ever since Sirius had found out, frowned.
'It was going great right up until four days ago.'
Ron, who had bent his head down to closer to Harry and Hermione's level asked, 'what happened four days ago?'
Harry gave both his friends a significant look, 'Snuffles found out, and not in the nicest of ways.'
'Oh,' said Ron. Hermione was looking rather worried as well.
'Oh, indeed,' replied Harry.
Ron shifted his weight, 'But.... well.... what *happened*?'
'Pater kind of fell out of the fireplace announcing I was his son.'
Hermione and Ron threw him thoroughly confused looks. Harry sighed and, holding Sakuna close to his chest, began to relate the tale of how Sirius had found out. Ron snorted when he got to the part about Sirius almost decking Severus, but stopped grinning when Hermione glared at him.
Harry had just finished his tale when he jumped. Sakuna had grown tired of being ignored and sunk his teeth into Harry's arm just enough to gain his attention.
'Harry! Its biting you!' exclaimed Hermione.
Ron made an abortive movement to dislodge the quetzalcoatl from Harry's arm. Sakuna released him. Wrapping himself about Harry's upper arm, the snake placed his head on a level with Harry's shoulder. His head twisted about to stare at Ron and Hermione again then swivelled back to meet Harry's eye.
'Thisss *isss* your Ron and Hermione, little lord?' he asked.
Harry grimaced at the name Sakuna and Sasu had chosen for him. His father had laughed the first time he had heard it. Knowing by now that it was futile to try to get Sakuna to call him Harry, he ignored the name and answered the question instead.
'Yes, this is Ron and Hermione.'
Hermione and Ron were watching him curiously.
'What did you just say?' Ron wanted to know.
'Sakuna asked if you were Ron and Hermione and I answered him.'
'Is *that* what you said?' exclaimed Ron, echoing is question from third year.
'You said our names in Parseltongue?' Hermione asked.
Harry nodded.
Hermione, ever curious, then asked, 'What's my name in Parseltongue?'
Harry let loose a series of hissed syllables that obviously made no sense whatsoever to his two friends. Hermione said rather vaguely, 'Oh.'
Harry was about to say something further when Sakuna abruptly snaked his head over Harry's shoulder, staring at some point behind them.
'The dark one wissshesss usss to move,' he hissed.
If Harry was "little lord", Severus was the "dark one". Harry couldn't figure out whether or not his father actually liked the name the twin quetzalcoatl had chosen for him. He suspected that he did, however.
Harry glanced over his shoulder. It was only then that he realised that the Entrance Hall was all but empty; the last of the students were even now filtering into the Grand Hall for the Sorting Feast.
Standing at the foot of the stairs Harry had first descended, Sasu more than half-hidden beneath the fall of dark hair, was Professor Snape. He was staring fixedly at Harry and his friends.
'What's wrong with your snake?' Ron's voice brought Harry's attention back to his friends.
'Sasu told him that Pater wants us in the Hall now.'
Hermione and Ron blinked. Harry headed after the last of the students straggling into the Hall, anticipating the next question and answering it before it could be voiced, 'Sakuna and Sasu are telepathically linked because they're twins. They can communicate over any kind of distance. I'm guessing Professor Snape,' Harry was making a conscious effort to revert to calling his father that, at least during the school hours, 'asked Sasu to tell Sakuna to tell me to get a move on.'
Hermione nodded in complete understanding and Ron nodded to make it look like he understood, when he had patently only comprehended half of what Harry had just said. Harry didn't blame him; it had had taken him a while to get his mind around the fact.
Harry very deliberately seated himself on the side of the Gryffindor table facing away from the rest of the Hall, looking instead at the wall. He simply wasn't in the mood for engaging in glaring contests across the Hall with Draco Malfoy. Hermione and Ron settled on either side of him, and Sakuna curled up discreetly in his lap.
Dean and Seamus were sitting side by side beyond Ron and it was their comments that brought his attention to the dark man pacing slowly up the Hall between the wall and the Gryffindor table.
'Another year with that greasy git in Potions,' Harry scowled at Dean's comment. Everybody naturally thought that he was simply scowling at the prospect.
'I was hoping he would have poisoned himself over the summer with one of his insane potions,' mourned Seamus. Harry scowled harder. His eyes followed his father as the man drew level with his position. Severus never glanced him, or at the table as a whole. An elegant hand drifted up and brushed back a lock of hair hanging by his face and Harry caught a glimpse of Sasu's tail trailing down his shoulder.
But that wasn't what caught his attention.
On the far side of Hermione, Pavati gasped and Harry knew it was too much to hope that no one else had noticed what he had.
'He's wearing a wedding band!' Pavati stage whispered, proving Harry right. Fortunately, Severus didn't hear.
Opposite Harry, Fred Weasley glanced up, ''Who is?'
'Professor Snape,' replied Lavender Brown and the entire section of the table within hearing swivelled about to get a look for themselves. Sure enough, as the Potions Master's hand fell back to his side, the silver ring glittered in the light of the candles floating overhead.
Hermione and Ron slanted Harry looks from the corner of their eyes. He shrugged at them. He had no idea why his father was wearing his wedding band after all this time.
Then the storm of speculation began.
'You mean someone actually married that greasy git?' exploded George.
'They'd have to be a raving lunatic-' squawked Seamus.
'Or bloody desperate,' said Dean.
Ever the romantic, Ginny said, 'I didn't know he had a girlfriend.'
Ron snorted at that and Harry elbowed him in the side. Further down the table came the flash of Colin Creevey's camera and Harry groaned.
Fred chipped in now, 'It was probably an arranged marriage and the poor witch had no choice.'
The comments continued on in such a vein. Harry was torn between laughing at the ridiculous theories and hexing people for the insults being paid to *both* his fathers.
Hermione was scowling, but no one found that odd: She always disapproved of anyone badmouthing a professor. On Harry's other side, Ron was uncharacteristically silent. Harry was grateful for this sign of tacit support from his best friends.
Fortunately, the speculation was brought to end when the great doors of the Hall swung open to admit the timid new first years and the Sorting began. By the time the stool and Sorting Hat were carried out the Hall, the Gryffindors about Harry had moved onto other topics and he didn't have to sit there as derogatory comments about his father flew.
Severus sat back in his desk chair and steepled his fingers. After the Sorting Feast, he had hoped for one last quite night before classes resumed. No such luck.
'Minerva,' he addressed his.... guest, for lack of a better term, 'we are both fully cognisant of the fact that this is not a social visit. If you would be so kind as to get to the point?' he not-so-subtly hinted.
Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, had declined a seat. Not that Severus had strictly *offered* her one....
'Never the one for tact, were you Severus?' she snapped.
Severus simply regarded her over his fingers. In a basket on the edge of his desk, Sasu stirred. Minerva, never having been fond of snakes, eyed her warily. Casually, she paced to the opposite end of the desk. Severus hid his smirk behind his hands.
'You and I both know the rivalry between our two houses is getting out of hand, Severus.'
'Indeed,' intoned the head of Slytherin House, 'And you bring this up.... why?'
Minerva pinched her lips and scowled at the Potions Professor, 'It is high time we remedy the situation.'
Severus sat for a moment, then lifted his mouth clear of his hands and said, 'Ah.'
Minerva resisted the urge to plant her hands on her hips, knowing it would make her look hopelessly petulant, 'You certainly don't help matters with the way you treat my students.'
Severus dropped his hands to the surface of his desk and braced them there. Sasu raised her head at the sudden thump.
'And what of the way the rest of the school treats *my* students,' he hissed menacingly.
Not at all daunted by Severus's tone, Minerva rallied her argument, 'You can't deny that you unfairly persecute the Gryffindor students in your classes. This year's fifth years, especially. And Mr Potter, in particular.'
'Ah,' proclaimed Severus again and sat back in his chair. He fought down a smirk. Sasu laid her head back down.
'Minerva, this year, I think you will find that I treat your precious Gryffindors - Mr.... Potter, in particular - no better or worse than I treat my own Slytherins.'
Minerva had no immediate response to this seemingly easy capitulation on Severus's part. She had come down here expecting an argument - or at least a cold and calculated debate - and received nothing of the sort.
Just as she was gathering herself, a sharp rap at the office door broke her train of thought. Severus transferred his dark gaze from her to it and her own eyes followed.
'Enter,' Severus raised his voice just enough for it to penetrate to the corridor beyond.
The door swung inwards to reveal Harry standing there, Sakuna wrapped about his forearm. He looked rather nonplussed to find that his father was not alone, as he had supposed. Severus smiled slightly.
'Don't just stand there blocking the doorway,' he said mildly, 'Come in.'
Harry stepped in and allowed the door to swing to behind him. He looked from his head of house and his father and back again but didn't say anything. Neither did Severus. It was Professor MaGonagall that first broke the silence.
'Yes, Mr Potter. What is it?'
Harry looked confused, 'Sorry, Professor?'
She sighed exasperatedly, 'You were looking for me, were you not?'
Harry widened his eyes, 'Umm... No, Professor. I actually came to see -' he paused at glanced at his father. Severus nodded, giving him permission to go on, '- I came to see my father,' Harry finished in a rush.
McGonagall's eyes widened.
'Your father, Mr Potter?' she asked as composedly as she could after a long moment.
Severus smirked, 'Yes, Minerva. His father,' McGongall slowly tore her eyes from Harry's face and turned to look at her colleague. His smirk widened as he carefully enunciated the next word, 'Me.'
McGonagall's eyes widened even further and snapped back to stare at Harry, then back to Severus again. Back and forth they went several times, until she finally cleared her throat.
'What?' she croaked quite coherently.
'Hasn't Albus briefed you yet? I thought you would have been the first he told that Harry was my son.'
Minerva decided to take that seat she had earlier scorned, 'But.... what about James?'
By the door, Harry shifted uncomfortably. Sakuna hissed at him, then lifted off his arm to drift over to the desk. He settled in the basket with Sasu.
When Severus steepled his fingers again, his wedding band was plainly visible. He saw Minerva's eyes snag on it as he spoke, 'What about James?'
'He's not Harry's father,' she made it a statement.
'Did *I* say that?' enquired Severus. He tilted his hand just enough for his ring to catch the light and glint in his colleague's face, 'James was as much Harry's father as I am.'
Both Severus and Harry could see the implications of his last words sinking into McGonagall's mind.
'Oh,' she said.
She sat in rather stunned silence. Severus was contemplating her and Harry shuffled sideways further into the room.
'Oh,' McGonagall said again. She stirred from her chair and stood up, 'I think I shall go have a word with Albus. If you'll excuse me Severus, Mr....um....'
She didn't finish her sentence, just edged out the door.
Harry stared worriedly after her. She had certainly been... well, Harry couldn't find quite the right word to describe it. He turned back to his father.
'Oh, don't worry about her, Harry,' Severus smirked, 'She just wasn't expecting it. I assure you, she'll be over it by morning.'
Harry nodded and approached the desk. Without waiting to be asked, he sat himself down in the chair nearest the basket containing Sasu and Sakuna. He reached out an idle hand and petted them both.
Severus withdrew a quill and inkbottle from a desk drawer and began jotting something down on parchment. He addressed his son without looking up, 'What is it you wanted, Harry?'
Harry left of petting his familiar and his sister.
'I wanted to ask you what was to happen with Sakuna tomorrow.'
Severus stopped writing and instead grasped the quill in both hands, resting his wrist on the edge of his desk, 'Ah, of course.'
Severus eyed the two quetzalcoatl lying twined in the basket and deliberately switched to Parseltongue.
'I have spoken to Dumbledore about him, and he has agreed to allow Sakuna to accompany you to your classes if you so wish. Otherwise, he is welcome to spend the days in my office with Sasu.'
Both snakes had lifted their heads and rested on the rim of the basket, listening intently to Severus's words.
Also speaking in Parseltongue, Harry said, 'But what should I tell the other students? Most of them were scared of me when they first found out that I was a Parselmouth.'
Sakuna mantled his wings.
'Tell them it isss none of their busssinesss, little lord,' he hissed.
'Tell them we will bite them,' Sasu deigned to add.
Harry snorted at them both, 'But you don't bite.... much,' he amended, remembering Sakuna's antics earlier.
In the approximation of a snake's laugh, Sakuna said, 'Do they know that?'
Severus gave a bark of laughter, 'They're right, though Harry. Tell the students what you will. They can only complain. And if they complain too loudly, either Albus or myself are sure to overhear them.
'Now,' Severus dipped his quill, 'It is nearing curfew. You should return to your dormitory,' the quill scratched across the parchment once more.
Harry stood and, beating his wings once or twice, Sakuna returned to his arm. They both hissed a farewell to Sasu, who lazily blinked her eyes at them. When Harry looked back at the door, his father was intent on his work.
'Goodnight, Pater.'
He wasn't sure at first whether or not he had been heard, but as he softly closed the door behind him he heard, 'Good night, Harry.'
TBC
AN: There! I think that chapter was considerably less weak, don't you? Well, at least one more person knows now. That was fun.
What do you think of my McGonagall? In character, or way off?
No new talents for my pretty little quetzalcoatl yet, but that should come later.
Well, my Muses have retired for the night, and I think I might too.
Until next I write,
- Vi