A/N: When I came up with this story I already had in mind where I was going
with it in a general sense. I was feeling pretty confident until I was
reading this wonderful story The blood connection by Dark Temple on Dark
Willows site and found to my horror that my idea on explaining the blood
and magical match had already been done sniffle I wrote to her and she
told me that I could still go ahead and use it in my story and she
wouldn't be offended. smiles and waves in gratitude Since I only had a
vague idea regarding this explanation I didn't want to go into too much
detail because now I really was influenced by her story and didn't want to
copy it. So hopefully it still makes enough sense without it. Also, I have
had a few people ask what I meant about this story being "sort of a
response to Severitus challenge" I only said sort of because at the time I
hadn't read her challenge. I only knew for sure that Snape had to be
Harry's father, but I didn't know what the other stipulations were. Does
that clear up any confusion? I have now read the challenge (see what
happens when you take the time to actually read the bios?) I will meet most
but miss one of them. Sorry! Anyway thanks Severitus for the wonderful
challenge that has resulted in some great stories!!! Oh, and again, I don't
own anything. Just borrowing them!! Promise to put them back when I am done
sniffle.do I have to?.whine
Both Dumbledore and Snape could hear the weak voice behind the curtain "What! What's wrong?" Harry had awoken to the startled gasp of Madam Pomfrey. The strange thing was, he didn't remember coming back to Hogwarts. As he strained his memory trying to understand how he came to be here, he suddenly remembered Uncle Vernon. He quickly sat up with terror in his eyes.
Before the two wizards could respond, Madam Pomfrey quickly made her way to Harry's bedside. "You need to calm down Harry before you hurt yourself. Your body has been through quite a shock." She said gently as she pushed on his shoulder to get him to lie down again.
"Harry, you are safe now." Dumbledore added trying to get the terror to leave Harry's eyes. As he was trying to comfort the boy his mind was working overtime. What in Merlin's name was going on? He knew the boy was Harry Potter but yet didn't look like the boy he brought in earlier. He gallantly hid his confusion from the child.
Upon closer inspection Albus could still see the familiar features of the boy he knew. Harry still had the bright emerald eyes of his mother and the little nose and rounded chin of James but the rest was different. The boys cheek bones were now more pronounced and his hair, while almost the same color, had some red highlights to it and was not as wild as it once was. He seemed to be taller (although still small for his age) and not quite as gangly looking.
Instead of being an exact carbon copy of James he was now a mixture of Lily, James, and someone else. It took Albus a few moments to figure who it was but then it finally hit him. He wasn't sure if it was due to his suspicions being true or just the fact that Harry was related to this person.
Poppy could tell when Dumbledore reached the same conclusion that she had earlier. "Headmaster, Professor Snape, I need to speak with both of you for a moment about something." She said while gesturing to her office.
Dumbledore tore his eyes away from Harry and grabbed onto the stunned wizard to follow the mediwitch into her office. As soon as the door closed behind them and a silencing spell was cast, Dumbledore spoke. "Explain." Snape just stood in stunned silence his gaze flickering between the Headmaster and Madam Pomfrey.
Poppy took a few moments to collect her thoughts. "Well Albus, I am not sure where to begin. When I drew the blood earlier to find out who was a match I noticed that Lily and James were not listed. I was shocked because one of them would have to have the same blood type as the boy. I drew the blood on them myself before they were married to make sure that their type and magic signatures were compatible to have a child. So I know that the tests are accurate. The best I can figure is that Lily must have cast a charm or used a potion to make the boy look like James.
At this, Snape finally snapped out of his dazed stupor. "Actually, there is a charm that was once used by elite pure blood families in order to hide certain indiscretions. The Convertio charm was cast on the infant to hide their true looks and take on the features of a desired person. The charm is strong enough to last throughout the lifetime by working with the person's own magic. As long as the wizard or witch had any power in them the charm would last."
Poppy started nodding at this point "Well that would explain why it wore off now. The charm needs to be fed by the person's magic. In this case, all of Harry's magic was concentrated on survival and there was none left over to work with the charm."
Snape started to pace around the room. "But why cast the spell to begin with?" he questioned. "The boy still looks enough like his father so why make him an exact duplicate? Why go through the trouble of casting the charm?" he ranted waving his arms in the air.
As he was ranting, Snape hadn't noticed the shared speculative looks between Dumbledore and Pomfrey. He also didn't realize until too late that Poppy had aimed her wand at him. Snape felt a little stick on his finger and then watched Poppy wave her wand over a piece of parchment. He also could tell that she was muttering a charm under her breath but she did it too softly for him to catch what she was saying. All of a sudden realization hit him and he felt his stomach drop. He narrowed his eyes at the witch "No, there is no way what you are thinking is true. She would have told me!" he growled.
Poppy looked down at the parchment and then handed it over to Dumbledore. "I will leave you two alone for awhile." With that said she quietly slipped out the door.
Dumbledore caught Snape's wrist to keep him from continuing his pacing. "Child, calm down a minute and listen to me" he stated.
Snape looked into the headmaster's eyes and knew immediately what he was about to be told. "No! I don't believe it. She wouldn't do this to me!" he yelled and then slowly sank into a chair and put his head into his hands.
"I don't know why she did what she did but it is true. Harry is your son." He told the boy while gently rubbing his hand up and down the tense back. "I know she loved you both Severus. My only guess is that she felt you were too young and also in order to protect you and the baby from Voldemort" he said trying to soothe the young man.
For a moments Severus sat and stared at nothing while his mind raced. The more he thought about things the angrier he became. He suddenly shot up out of the chair startling Dumbledore who had been kneeling next to the young man trying to offer comfort. Snape stood with his hands clenched visibly shaking while trying to control his anger. All of a sudden the window to the office door shattered in an explosion of glass. Dumbledore could hear vials of potions exploding all throughout the room. He stood and grabbed Snape into a firm embrace. "Stop it! You need to calm down!" He tried to keep his tone calm but stern to break through the man's anger.
Snape pulled himself from the headmaster's embrace. He was so agitated and angry his mind didn't even register the mess around him. "She knew and she kept him from me. Why?" He seethed. "She knew what my life had been like growing up. She promised to always be there for me. I finally let myself open my heart and trust her with it during our seventh year and then she had to go and break it by deciding I was too young." Snape had been only nine when he started school which made him two years younger then everyone in his year. "Why is it she never had a problem with our age difference until she left to be an Auror?" Snape said all of this with so much pain in his voice it made Dumbledore wince in sympathy.
"And then to top it off, she has to come back when I am eighteen. We had one glorious day together. She told me she made a mistake and wanted to try again." Snape had started pacing again during this latest pronouncement.
"I was so happy Albus. I loved her more than life itself. I thought that she felt the same way!" It took a few moments for Snape to calm down enough to continue. He was dangerously close to losing control of his emotions and breaking down and crying. He refused to humiliate himself that way. "But...." at this he faltered, "When she saw the Dark Mark she didn't even give me a chance to explain. She just got a look of horror and disgust on her face and slapped me then stormed out. I never heard from her again. Two weeks later I learn of her engagement to James Potter!" He spat the name in disgust.
Dumbledore noticed that the remaining items hanging on the walls were beginning to shake again. He didn't think there was anything left to get broken but he needed to calm the boy down before something serious happened. "Severus.child" he said comfortingly, but before he could continue Snape stopped him.
"No..don't." he whispered. "Not only did she betray me she hid something very important to me. She knew how important family was to me and why." He softly stated. "Maybe she realized I would have made a horrible parent." He sighed dejectedly. "I need..I need to be alone." He whispered with desperation in his voice while slowly making his way over to the door. "I just..I can't" but rather then finish he just spun around and quickly stalked out of the room with his robes billowing behind him.
Dumbledore didn't know what to do. He wanted to go comfort his child but knew that there was another child in the other room needing some answers and comfort also. As he looked around the room he locked eyes on their guest that had come a few hours earlier to provide the life saving blood for Harry. He narrowed his eyes at the man when he noticed him making his way for the door clearly intending on following Snape.
Accurately interpreting the look from the older wizard the man sighed "I won't hurt him." He waited while Dumbledore searched his face and when finding what he was looking for he gave a slight nod for him to continue. With permission granted, he turned and fled the room already knowing where to find Snape.
The Headmaster, for the first time in his life feeling all of his one hundred and ten years turned to the boy watching the whole scene with confused frightened eyes and tried to figure out how to explain the situation. There was just so much he had to tell him and he wasn't sure how he was going to take it. "Harry we need to talk."
A/N: Thank you again to everyone who took the time to review. I really appreciate it!! I can't believe that so many authors that I adore and look up to have read my story and reviewed!! bounces up and down in joy And a dozen roses go to Saavik for beta reading my story and making it sooooo much easier for you guys to read. I can't imagine the types of reviews I would be getting without her help shudders
A Snape fan: No I don't plan on having Snape and Harry as lovers.I agree eewww that would be gross! Hmmmm..interesting tidbit about the name. I never thought about it that way.
Eeeeps! ducks under table A lot of people were a little hmmm.use the term loosely here upset about me leaving the chapters of cliffies all the time. Adjusts halo It's not my fault. Sev made me do it points finger accusingly He has been in such a bad mood so he insists on taking it out on everyone else.
Both Dumbledore and Snape could hear the weak voice behind the curtain "What! What's wrong?" Harry had awoken to the startled gasp of Madam Pomfrey. The strange thing was, he didn't remember coming back to Hogwarts. As he strained his memory trying to understand how he came to be here, he suddenly remembered Uncle Vernon. He quickly sat up with terror in his eyes.
Before the two wizards could respond, Madam Pomfrey quickly made her way to Harry's bedside. "You need to calm down Harry before you hurt yourself. Your body has been through quite a shock." She said gently as she pushed on his shoulder to get him to lie down again.
"Harry, you are safe now." Dumbledore added trying to get the terror to leave Harry's eyes. As he was trying to comfort the boy his mind was working overtime. What in Merlin's name was going on? He knew the boy was Harry Potter but yet didn't look like the boy he brought in earlier. He gallantly hid his confusion from the child.
Upon closer inspection Albus could still see the familiar features of the boy he knew. Harry still had the bright emerald eyes of his mother and the little nose and rounded chin of James but the rest was different. The boys cheek bones were now more pronounced and his hair, while almost the same color, had some red highlights to it and was not as wild as it once was. He seemed to be taller (although still small for his age) and not quite as gangly looking.
Instead of being an exact carbon copy of James he was now a mixture of Lily, James, and someone else. It took Albus a few moments to figure who it was but then it finally hit him. He wasn't sure if it was due to his suspicions being true or just the fact that Harry was related to this person.
Poppy could tell when Dumbledore reached the same conclusion that she had earlier. "Headmaster, Professor Snape, I need to speak with both of you for a moment about something." She said while gesturing to her office.
Dumbledore tore his eyes away from Harry and grabbed onto the stunned wizard to follow the mediwitch into her office. As soon as the door closed behind them and a silencing spell was cast, Dumbledore spoke. "Explain." Snape just stood in stunned silence his gaze flickering between the Headmaster and Madam Pomfrey.
Poppy took a few moments to collect her thoughts. "Well Albus, I am not sure where to begin. When I drew the blood earlier to find out who was a match I noticed that Lily and James were not listed. I was shocked because one of them would have to have the same blood type as the boy. I drew the blood on them myself before they were married to make sure that their type and magic signatures were compatible to have a child. So I know that the tests are accurate. The best I can figure is that Lily must have cast a charm or used a potion to make the boy look like James.
At this, Snape finally snapped out of his dazed stupor. "Actually, there is a charm that was once used by elite pure blood families in order to hide certain indiscretions. The Convertio charm was cast on the infant to hide their true looks and take on the features of a desired person. The charm is strong enough to last throughout the lifetime by working with the person's own magic. As long as the wizard or witch had any power in them the charm would last."
Poppy started nodding at this point "Well that would explain why it wore off now. The charm needs to be fed by the person's magic. In this case, all of Harry's magic was concentrated on survival and there was none left over to work with the charm."
Snape started to pace around the room. "But why cast the spell to begin with?" he questioned. "The boy still looks enough like his father so why make him an exact duplicate? Why go through the trouble of casting the charm?" he ranted waving his arms in the air.
As he was ranting, Snape hadn't noticed the shared speculative looks between Dumbledore and Pomfrey. He also didn't realize until too late that Poppy had aimed her wand at him. Snape felt a little stick on his finger and then watched Poppy wave her wand over a piece of parchment. He also could tell that she was muttering a charm under her breath but she did it too softly for him to catch what she was saying. All of a sudden realization hit him and he felt his stomach drop. He narrowed his eyes at the witch "No, there is no way what you are thinking is true. She would have told me!" he growled.
Poppy looked down at the parchment and then handed it over to Dumbledore. "I will leave you two alone for awhile." With that said she quietly slipped out the door.
Dumbledore caught Snape's wrist to keep him from continuing his pacing. "Child, calm down a minute and listen to me" he stated.
Snape looked into the headmaster's eyes and knew immediately what he was about to be told. "No! I don't believe it. She wouldn't do this to me!" he yelled and then slowly sank into a chair and put his head into his hands.
"I don't know why she did what she did but it is true. Harry is your son." He told the boy while gently rubbing his hand up and down the tense back. "I know she loved you both Severus. My only guess is that she felt you were too young and also in order to protect you and the baby from Voldemort" he said trying to soothe the young man.
For a moments Severus sat and stared at nothing while his mind raced. The more he thought about things the angrier he became. He suddenly shot up out of the chair startling Dumbledore who had been kneeling next to the young man trying to offer comfort. Snape stood with his hands clenched visibly shaking while trying to control his anger. All of a sudden the window to the office door shattered in an explosion of glass. Dumbledore could hear vials of potions exploding all throughout the room. He stood and grabbed Snape into a firm embrace. "Stop it! You need to calm down!" He tried to keep his tone calm but stern to break through the man's anger.
Snape pulled himself from the headmaster's embrace. He was so agitated and angry his mind didn't even register the mess around him. "She knew and she kept him from me. Why?" He seethed. "She knew what my life had been like growing up. She promised to always be there for me. I finally let myself open my heart and trust her with it during our seventh year and then she had to go and break it by deciding I was too young." Snape had been only nine when he started school which made him two years younger then everyone in his year. "Why is it she never had a problem with our age difference until she left to be an Auror?" Snape said all of this with so much pain in his voice it made Dumbledore wince in sympathy.
"And then to top it off, she has to come back when I am eighteen. We had one glorious day together. She told me she made a mistake and wanted to try again." Snape had started pacing again during this latest pronouncement.
"I was so happy Albus. I loved her more than life itself. I thought that she felt the same way!" It took a few moments for Snape to calm down enough to continue. He was dangerously close to losing control of his emotions and breaking down and crying. He refused to humiliate himself that way. "But...." at this he faltered, "When she saw the Dark Mark she didn't even give me a chance to explain. She just got a look of horror and disgust on her face and slapped me then stormed out. I never heard from her again. Two weeks later I learn of her engagement to James Potter!" He spat the name in disgust.
Dumbledore noticed that the remaining items hanging on the walls were beginning to shake again. He didn't think there was anything left to get broken but he needed to calm the boy down before something serious happened. "Severus.child" he said comfortingly, but before he could continue Snape stopped him.
"No..don't." he whispered. "Not only did she betray me she hid something very important to me. She knew how important family was to me and why." He softly stated. "Maybe she realized I would have made a horrible parent." He sighed dejectedly. "I need..I need to be alone." He whispered with desperation in his voice while slowly making his way over to the door. "I just..I can't" but rather then finish he just spun around and quickly stalked out of the room with his robes billowing behind him.
Dumbledore didn't know what to do. He wanted to go comfort his child but knew that there was another child in the other room needing some answers and comfort also. As he looked around the room he locked eyes on their guest that had come a few hours earlier to provide the life saving blood for Harry. He narrowed his eyes at the man when he noticed him making his way for the door clearly intending on following Snape.
Accurately interpreting the look from the older wizard the man sighed "I won't hurt him." He waited while Dumbledore searched his face and when finding what he was looking for he gave a slight nod for him to continue. With permission granted, he turned and fled the room already knowing where to find Snape.
The Headmaster, for the first time in his life feeling all of his one hundred and ten years turned to the boy watching the whole scene with confused frightened eyes and tried to figure out how to explain the situation. There was just so much he had to tell him and he wasn't sure how he was going to take it. "Harry we need to talk."
A/N: Thank you again to everyone who took the time to review. I really appreciate it!! I can't believe that so many authors that I adore and look up to have read my story and reviewed!! bounces up and down in joy And a dozen roses go to Saavik for beta reading my story and making it sooooo much easier for you guys to read. I can't imagine the types of reviews I would be getting without her help shudders
A Snape fan: No I don't plan on having Snape and Harry as lovers.I agree eewww that would be gross! Hmmmm..interesting tidbit about the name. I never thought about it that way.
Eeeeps! ducks under table A lot of people were a little hmmm.use the term loosely here upset about me leaving the chapters of cliffies all the time. Adjusts halo It's not my fault. Sev made me do it points finger accusingly He has been in such a bad mood so he insists on taking it out on everyone else.
