Chapter 22
A week later Harry was allowed out of the infirmary. He had not spoken a word about what had taken place inside Snape's office, so only Snape, Harry and Dumbledore (who had been informed by Snape) officially knew what had happened.
Draco and Ron didn't have a clue. Snape had been released two days prior to Harry, but Draco hadn't been able to get a word out of him. Both suspected that Snape had said something to Harry to make him lose his temper, but neither of them had any idea what had been so serious that Harry had hexed the potions professor, nor why Harry had only got a mild lecture and detention as punishment. They both suspected that Hermione knew more than she was letting on, but she would give them no indication as to what it was.
Hermione had been the person to find Harry unconscious on his bed. Remus Lupin had been walking past the dungeons when he had heard shouting, but by the time that he had figured out where the sound was coming from he found Snape alone on the ground, unconscious, and surrounded by the pile of heavy books that Harry had hurled at him in his rage. He had immediately called Hermione to look for him because she was the only person who Harry didn't think knew, but did know.
Sirius had been informed and had run all the way from Hogsmeade in his dog form and had had to be physically restrained from knocking down the infirmary door to kill Snape.
Harry had refused to stay in the same room with Snape and had kicked up such a fuss, that Snape had to be moved into the spare ward.
All his friends had been to see him and were surprised and a little scared at how remarkably cheerful he seemed to be, when he was lying there, swathed in bandages from his latest cutting episode. He laughed and joked about anything and everything, asked for regular updates on what was happening in every class except for potions. Anytime the class or professor, or anything to do with his family was mentioned, he turned away from the speaker and lay with his eyes closed until they left, but never mentioned the conversation the next time he spoke with them.
So, the evening that he was released from the infirmary, found him sitting in his common room surrounded by four Weasleys, Hermione, the boys from his dorm and Draco.
The silence was extremely awkward. Everyone sat, glancing at Harry out of the corners of their eyes while they tried to make feeble conversation.
Finally Harry raised his eyes from where they had been gazing at the fire for the past ten minutes and stared at the small group.
'I suppose you would like to know what happened.'
Dean spoke up from the corner, 'Well, it had crossed our minds.' 'Dean!' exclaimed Hermione. 'Leave Harry alone, we shouldn't ask him. He'll tell us when he is ready.'
Harry looked at her, and she looked away at the force of his gaze. 'I don't need protecting Hermione. They deserve to know. I am sure that you already know most of it, if not all.'
'Harry, what are you talking about? How could I possibly know-' Hermione broke off and blushed. 'Alright, yes, I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it's just.'
'Don't say anymore Hermione. I don't want to know when or how you found out. Just be quiet while I tell the others.'
Hermione fell silent and nodded.
'Ok, I didn't know any of what I am about to tell you until last week. I found out some by accident and Dumbledore told me the rest.
This all started about twenty years ago when my parents were at Hogwarts. I always thought that my father was an only child, but as it happens he had a younger sister. She was a year younger than him. Now this woman was my aunt Drulisa. She was apparently very beautiful and all the guys were in love with her to one degree or another. Sirius was one of those people, and everyone thought that they would get together.
But Drulisa didn't like Sirius that way. She was in love with another student in Sirius and my dad's year. This man was already an enemy of theirs and the animosity only increased when they found out that she felt that way about him.
My aunt and this man ended up dating which pretty much fucked up Drulisa's relationship with my dad and her fellow Gryffindors. it screwed Sirius up so much, that he was so jealous, that in their fifth year, he played a prank on this man, and it nearly got him killed.'
As Harry looked around the room, he saw six blank expressions, one resigned and one with a horrible look of dawning realisation.
'No, you are fucking kidding me.'
'No Ron, I'm not and if you shut up I will finish telling you what the rest of the story.'
The others looking curiously at Ron's disgusted expression turned back to Harry, their interest doubled.
'Well, this guy that she was in love with, became very heavily involved in the dark arts. In fact, he became a death eater. Now instead of abandoning him, as everyone expected Drulisa too, when, she found out she also became a death eater and married him when they left school. Together, they began spying for Dumbledore, but no one knew, and my father disowned her.
She became pregnant with his child and when it was born it was a boy, whom they called Sean. He was born around the time that I was, give or take a month or so.
Now, Voldemort knew that someone was giving information to the other side and he suspected Drulisa, since she had close connections to the light side in my father, who had started speaking to her again. So he killed her and Sean.
He burnt my aunt alive and hung her up on the wall above the body of her eighteen month old baby's body. My dad and Sirius, were the first two Aurors on the scene and that's how they found her.
Her husband was never even suspected of being a spy and I found out the other day that he was still alive and that he had abandoned me to the Dursleys. Snape had been hiding the books in his office and I found them when I went to speak to him about our arrangements.'
Harry, taking advantage of everyone's stunned looks, stood and went to the stairs and not looking back, ran up them.
He was just at the corner when Fred called out, 'but, Harry, who was this man?'
Harry turned back to see Ron, with his head in his hands and Hermione shaking her head at Fred who, looking up the stairs at Harry, was totally oblivious too.
He sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground as he said a barely distinguishable 'Severus Snape.'
A squeak from Neville, followed by a bang, told him that at least one person had fallen out of their seats, but he didn't stop to see who, as he disappeared into his dormitory and lay down on his bed, falling asleep a short time later.
******************
The next three weeks went extremely quickly for the fifth years. After the initial shock, everyone accepted that Harry didn't want to talk about it and life went on as normal except that Harry refused to attend potions lessons and left the great hall, sometimes during a meal, if Snape entered it.
He had spoken to Dumbledore and told him in no uncertain terms that there was no way in hell that he would stay at Snape's that summer and to his pleasant surprise Dumbledore agreed.
One week was left of term and Harry didn't have anywhere to go. He knew that he couldn't stay at the Weasleys for the whole holidays and that the wards that would be set up around him, to protect him from Voldemort would only work if he was with family.
It was looking like he would have to stay with Sirius in the cave, and while the idea of staying with Sirius was a very good one, Harry didn't know if he wanted to spend eight weeks or so in a cave.
He was sitting at the Gryffindor table at breakfast, keeping an eye on the door when Hermione nudged him.
'Harry, I was wondering, you can tell me to mind my own business if you don't want to talk about it yet, but how did you know that I knew about 'you know what'?'
'You mean, the greasy bastard uncle thing?'
'Well, yeah. If you want to put it like that.'
'I just had this feeling. You always try to-' he broke off as Hermione's pumpkin juice was knocked over as an owl dropped a letter on her plate, before flying over to Dumbledore and dropping one in front of him as well.
Hermione tore it open and started absently scanning it as she said 'I wonder why mum is writing to Dumbledore. I'm glad she got herself an owl though, it makes it so much easier to get her post. Go on, Harry, I'm listening.'
'You always have to find out what is happening, because you always want to solve the problem. Only as it turned out, this is one of the only things in the world that Hermione Granger cant solve.'
Ron chuckled. 'You're lucky she's reading and isn't really paying attention to you, or you would be hexed into next year for saying that you have found something she cant solve.'
Hermione looked up, her eyes shining. 'On the contrary, Ron. I heard every word, and it just so happens that I have found a solution.'
Harry and Ron stared at her in bewilderment. 'Um, Hermione, I don't think there is a cure for unwanted genes.'
'As usual, Harry Potter, don't have a clue what you are talking about. Snape married into your family, so you don't have his genes.'
'So, what have you found a solution too?'
Hermione stared at him, her eyes sparkling in a mad way. 'What would you define as the problem?'
Harry glared at her. 'Snape is my fucking uncle.'
'That isn't the only problem.'
'Well, the only other one is that I don't have anywhere to stay, that is both practical and is with family so that I have protection from that ashore who killed the family that I should be with.'
'Well, Mr 'Hermione Cant Fix Everything' Hermione has just found a solution.' She handed him the letter, squirming in her seat as she looked at him, half bursting with joy, and the other half slightly wary of his reaction.
Harry read the letter three times, each time, his face turning a different colour.
'Is this serious?' He finally said in a voice that sounded quite unlike his own.
'Absolutely, but it is totally up to you.'
Harry picked up his goblet and calmly transfigured it into firewhisky (setting off alarms at the teachers table) and after taking a large mouthful he looked at Hermione his face unreadable.
'Alright then.'
They both sat calmly in their chair for a full thirty seconds before jumping up and screaming wildly to the shock of the Great Hall.
Ron picked up the forgotten letter and after quickly scanning it, started madly grinning and threw it at Draco who had come over to see what all the excitement was about.
Draco caught the letter and reading the first few lines looked up in disbelief 'Granger is actually happy about having you as a brother? If it was me, I would running in the other direction screaming.'
As Draco had said this very loudly, it caused quite a stir and half the Gryffindor table seemed to suddenly be swarming around the little group. The letter fell unheeded to the floor and was completely forgotten.
A week later Harry was allowed out of the infirmary. He had not spoken a word about what had taken place inside Snape's office, so only Snape, Harry and Dumbledore (who had been informed by Snape) officially knew what had happened.
Draco and Ron didn't have a clue. Snape had been released two days prior to Harry, but Draco hadn't been able to get a word out of him. Both suspected that Snape had said something to Harry to make him lose his temper, but neither of them had any idea what had been so serious that Harry had hexed the potions professor, nor why Harry had only got a mild lecture and detention as punishment. They both suspected that Hermione knew more than she was letting on, but she would give them no indication as to what it was.
Hermione had been the person to find Harry unconscious on his bed. Remus Lupin had been walking past the dungeons when he had heard shouting, but by the time that he had figured out where the sound was coming from he found Snape alone on the ground, unconscious, and surrounded by the pile of heavy books that Harry had hurled at him in his rage. He had immediately called Hermione to look for him because she was the only person who Harry didn't think knew, but did know.
Sirius had been informed and had run all the way from Hogsmeade in his dog form and had had to be physically restrained from knocking down the infirmary door to kill Snape.
Harry had refused to stay in the same room with Snape and had kicked up such a fuss, that Snape had to be moved into the spare ward.
All his friends had been to see him and were surprised and a little scared at how remarkably cheerful he seemed to be, when he was lying there, swathed in bandages from his latest cutting episode. He laughed and joked about anything and everything, asked for regular updates on what was happening in every class except for potions. Anytime the class or professor, or anything to do with his family was mentioned, he turned away from the speaker and lay with his eyes closed until they left, but never mentioned the conversation the next time he spoke with them.
So, the evening that he was released from the infirmary, found him sitting in his common room surrounded by four Weasleys, Hermione, the boys from his dorm and Draco.
The silence was extremely awkward. Everyone sat, glancing at Harry out of the corners of their eyes while they tried to make feeble conversation.
Finally Harry raised his eyes from where they had been gazing at the fire for the past ten minutes and stared at the small group.
'I suppose you would like to know what happened.'
Dean spoke up from the corner, 'Well, it had crossed our minds.' 'Dean!' exclaimed Hermione. 'Leave Harry alone, we shouldn't ask him. He'll tell us when he is ready.'
Harry looked at her, and she looked away at the force of his gaze. 'I don't need protecting Hermione. They deserve to know. I am sure that you already know most of it, if not all.'
'Harry, what are you talking about? How could I possibly know-' Hermione broke off and blushed. 'Alright, yes, I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it's just.'
'Don't say anymore Hermione. I don't want to know when or how you found out. Just be quiet while I tell the others.'
Hermione fell silent and nodded.
'Ok, I didn't know any of what I am about to tell you until last week. I found out some by accident and Dumbledore told me the rest.
This all started about twenty years ago when my parents were at Hogwarts. I always thought that my father was an only child, but as it happens he had a younger sister. She was a year younger than him. Now this woman was my aunt Drulisa. She was apparently very beautiful and all the guys were in love with her to one degree or another. Sirius was one of those people, and everyone thought that they would get together.
But Drulisa didn't like Sirius that way. She was in love with another student in Sirius and my dad's year. This man was already an enemy of theirs and the animosity only increased when they found out that she felt that way about him.
My aunt and this man ended up dating which pretty much fucked up Drulisa's relationship with my dad and her fellow Gryffindors. it screwed Sirius up so much, that he was so jealous, that in their fifth year, he played a prank on this man, and it nearly got him killed.'
As Harry looked around the room, he saw six blank expressions, one resigned and one with a horrible look of dawning realisation.
'No, you are fucking kidding me.'
'No Ron, I'm not and if you shut up I will finish telling you what the rest of the story.'
The others looking curiously at Ron's disgusted expression turned back to Harry, their interest doubled.
'Well, this guy that she was in love with, became very heavily involved in the dark arts. In fact, he became a death eater. Now instead of abandoning him, as everyone expected Drulisa too, when, she found out she also became a death eater and married him when they left school. Together, they began spying for Dumbledore, but no one knew, and my father disowned her.
She became pregnant with his child and when it was born it was a boy, whom they called Sean. He was born around the time that I was, give or take a month or so.
Now, Voldemort knew that someone was giving information to the other side and he suspected Drulisa, since she had close connections to the light side in my father, who had started speaking to her again. So he killed her and Sean.
He burnt my aunt alive and hung her up on the wall above the body of her eighteen month old baby's body. My dad and Sirius, were the first two Aurors on the scene and that's how they found her.
Her husband was never even suspected of being a spy and I found out the other day that he was still alive and that he had abandoned me to the Dursleys. Snape had been hiding the books in his office and I found them when I went to speak to him about our arrangements.'
Harry, taking advantage of everyone's stunned looks, stood and went to the stairs and not looking back, ran up them.
He was just at the corner when Fred called out, 'but, Harry, who was this man?'
Harry turned back to see Ron, with his head in his hands and Hermione shaking her head at Fred who, looking up the stairs at Harry, was totally oblivious too.
He sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground as he said a barely distinguishable 'Severus Snape.'
A squeak from Neville, followed by a bang, told him that at least one person had fallen out of their seats, but he didn't stop to see who, as he disappeared into his dormitory and lay down on his bed, falling asleep a short time later.
******************
The next three weeks went extremely quickly for the fifth years. After the initial shock, everyone accepted that Harry didn't want to talk about it and life went on as normal except that Harry refused to attend potions lessons and left the great hall, sometimes during a meal, if Snape entered it.
He had spoken to Dumbledore and told him in no uncertain terms that there was no way in hell that he would stay at Snape's that summer and to his pleasant surprise Dumbledore agreed.
One week was left of term and Harry didn't have anywhere to go. He knew that he couldn't stay at the Weasleys for the whole holidays and that the wards that would be set up around him, to protect him from Voldemort would only work if he was with family.
It was looking like he would have to stay with Sirius in the cave, and while the idea of staying with Sirius was a very good one, Harry didn't know if he wanted to spend eight weeks or so in a cave.
He was sitting at the Gryffindor table at breakfast, keeping an eye on the door when Hermione nudged him.
'Harry, I was wondering, you can tell me to mind my own business if you don't want to talk about it yet, but how did you know that I knew about 'you know what'?'
'You mean, the greasy bastard uncle thing?'
'Well, yeah. If you want to put it like that.'
'I just had this feeling. You always try to-' he broke off as Hermione's pumpkin juice was knocked over as an owl dropped a letter on her plate, before flying over to Dumbledore and dropping one in front of him as well.
Hermione tore it open and started absently scanning it as she said 'I wonder why mum is writing to Dumbledore. I'm glad she got herself an owl though, it makes it so much easier to get her post. Go on, Harry, I'm listening.'
'You always have to find out what is happening, because you always want to solve the problem. Only as it turned out, this is one of the only things in the world that Hermione Granger cant solve.'
Ron chuckled. 'You're lucky she's reading and isn't really paying attention to you, or you would be hexed into next year for saying that you have found something she cant solve.'
Hermione looked up, her eyes shining. 'On the contrary, Ron. I heard every word, and it just so happens that I have found a solution.'
Harry and Ron stared at her in bewilderment. 'Um, Hermione, I don't think there is a cure for unwanted genes.'
'As usual, Harry Potter, don't have a clue what you are talking about. Snape married into your family, so you don't have his genes.'
'So, what have you found a solution too?'
Hermione stared at him, her eyes sparkling in a mad way. 'What would you define as the problem?'
Harry glared at her. 'Snape is my fucking uncle.'
'That isn't the only problem.'
'Well, the only other one is that I don't have anywhere to stay, that is both practical and is with family so that I have protection from that ashore who killed the family that I should be with.'
'Well, Mr 'Hermione Cant Fix Everything' Hermione has just found a solution.' She handed him the letter, squirming in her seat as she looked at him, half bursting with joy, and the other half slightly wary of his reaction.
Harry read the letter three times, each time, his face turning a different colour.
'Is this serious?' He finally said in a voice that sounded quite unlike his own.
'Absolutely, but it is totally up to you.'
Harry picked up his goblet and calmly transfigured it into firewhisky (setting off alarms at the teachers table) and after taking a large mouthful he looked at Hermione his face unreadable.
'Alright then.'
They both sat calmly in their chair for a full thirty seconds before jumping up and screaming wildly to the shock of the Great Hall.
Ron picked up the forgotten letter and after quickly scanning it, started madly grinning and threw it at Draco who had come over to see what all the excitement was about.
Draco caught the letter and reading the first few lines looked up in disbelief 'Granger is actually happy about having you as a brother? If it was me, I would running in the other direction screaming.'
As Draco had said this very loudly, it caused quite a stir and half the Gryffindor table seemed to suddenly be swarming around the little group. The letter fell unheeded to the floor and was completely forgotten.