A/N - Third chapter up, folks! I hope you like it!
Thanks to russell, MK and The Brainless Wonder for reviewing my second chapter! It makes it so much easier to write if you have feedback!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter world, JK Rowling owns it all. Pity.
A Snape Kind of Summer
Chapter 3 - Laying Down the Rules
"So, are you all packed and ready?" Dumbledore asked, far too cheerfully in everyone else's opinion. All four nodded their consent, albeit a little reluctantly. "Well then, all remains is for me to alter your appearances so you all look similar."
"Ex-excuse me?" Snape stuttered out. "Alter our appearances? Absolutely not! You must be joking!"
"I do believe that we already established that I am not joking, did we not, Severus? Now really, it would be insulting people's intelligence to expect them to believe that you are all related, not to mention the fact that you will be recognized. Every single one of you has a distinct feature about yourself that would certainly be recognized by the wizarding family you are supposed to be spying on. Minerva, would you like to go first?"
Minerva's lips thinned, but she came forward obediently.
With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore softened the professor's facial features, and lightened her raven hair slightly. Like this, she looked remarkably like Sirius.
"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape exhaled heavily, but stepped forward none the less.
Again, Dumbledore flicked his wand, and (to Harry, Ginny and Sirius' amusement) Severus' nose shrunk, and his hair lightened to a sandy blonde. The difference really was startling. Then, Dumbledore muttered under his breath, and the scowl of disdain vanished from Snape's face.
"We can't have you looking like that when surrounded by your family now, can we?" Dumbledore smiled serenely. Everyone burst out laughing, and Harry got the distinct impression that Snape was trying to scowl. His lips seemed to be twitching. This made Harry laugh even harder. "Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry stepped forward, cautiously. He was starting to feel slightly apprehensive. He hoped that Dumbledore wouldn't make any drastic changes.
Harry felt Dumbledore swish his wand by his ear, and then he felt his face start to wriggle. It really was a bizarre feeling.
Once Harry felt the movement stop, he glanced into the mirror Dumbledore had set up to his left.
Harry could have pulled his wand out and hexed Dumbledore into next week, but he decided that that might seem immature. Dumbledore probably found this very funny indeed.
Harry's scar had vanished, but Harry had not been at all surprised by that. That would have immediately given away his identity had it not been removed.
The problem was the rest of the changes.
Harry's hair was sandy blonde, and his green eyes turned blue. He had grown a few inches as well, he noticed. It wasn't even the look that really bothered him...
"Well, if it isn't mini-Snape," smirked Sirius.
That. That was the problem. Harry glared at his godfather. Then at Dumbledore.
"Harry," Ginny said, repressing a smile. "Glaring at everyone isn't helping the cause any..."
True. Harry immediately stopped glaring.
"Actually, it is different if he glares...you don't see Snape glaring, now, do you?" Sirius smirked at Severus, who tried in vain to glare back, but the spell of Dumbledore's wouldn't allow it.
"We really must get on," said Dumbledore. "So I believe that it is your turn, Miss Weasley."
Ginny stepped forward, and Harry noticed that she looked excited rather than nervous. He couldn't understand why. Ginny was naturally very pretty already, with her fiery red hair, and pale complexion. Not that Harry would ever admit to thinking that about Ron's sister. He'd never live it down.
Dumbledore waved his wand, and Ginny's hair turned a dark brown colour, and her skin tanned. The freckles that dotted her nose were still there, but there were far fewer of them.
Harry suddenly realized, with a jolt of surprise and amusement, that she could easily pass as Sirius' daughter, she looked almost exactly like him.
Which reminded him. He still had to kill Sirius for not telling him about this.
Spending a whole year with Snape, and having to call him 'Dad' was almost too much for Harry to bear. He would have refused to, apart from both Ginny and McGonagall had agreed, and Harry didn't want to make a big fuss if no one else was.
And anyway, Fred and George had created some brilliant new jokes that needed to be tested, and seeing as Dumbledore had put a spell on all four of them that meant they could not harm each other, this would be a perfect opportunity.
Harry realized that he had an evil grin in place, and quickly removed it, but Ginny had seen. She looked at him questioningly.
"I'll tell you later," he muttered in her ear. "This might not be so bad after all..."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. She looked as if she had a fair idea of what Harry had planned.
"Now, before you go, I will remind you that you are to call each other with the appropriate names. Harry will be referred to as 'Harry' at all times. I'm sure you all understand that it would be very foolish to refer to him as 'Potter'," Dumbledore looked at Snape. "Especially as your surname is now 'Smith'."
"Very original," muttered Snape.
"And Ginny will be called by her first name at all times. Minerva and Severus will have to refer to each other as 'Millie' and 'Steve'." Dumbledore continued as if he had not heard Snape's comment.
Ginny giggled at the professors' muggle-translated names.
"And both Ginny and Harry will refer to their parents as 'Mum' and 'Dad'. Is that understood?" The four nodded, and Sirius cleared his throat.
"Where do I come in to all this?" he asked. "I mean, if I visit..."
"Your name is Ross Black, and you are Minerva's brother. Between you all you will have to develop your family history, like when you got married, other family, birthdays, and so on. You can decide this when you arrive at the cottage. I will accompany you there to get you settled, but then I will only see you when you are out. You will also have to find yourselves muggle jobs - Minerva, I believe you took a muggle Degree, did you not?" Minerva nodded. "Then you will probably earn the main income. I am afraid that we cannot pay your bills for you, so you will have to earn the money. It would also raise too many questions if you changed wizard money into muggle money, so you will have a month to get sorted. That is when this payment runs out."
Minerva bit her lip.
"And...what if we can't?" she asked. "Will we have to move somewhere smaller?" Dumbledore nodded. "And it will have to be nearby...this may be quite tricky. We will have to start looking first thing tomorrow..."
"Well, it's getting late, so we really ought to go. Sirius, are you coming?" Dumbledore asked.
"I think so," Sirius replied. "I want to bag my guest room...kidding!" he added at Harry and Ginny's furious looks. "You get first choice, of course..."
"Ooh, thanks Uncle Ross!" Ginny teased.
"Come, we will floo from Hogsmeade to the cottage. The cottage is connected to the floo network, but only for tonight. The old wizarding family that used to live there will take it off first thing tomorrow, because they think that a group of muggles are moving in. Once you are in, you must understand that you may have no contact with the wizarding world at all. Not even an owl. Do you understand?"
Severus, or Steve as he now was, sighed deeply.
"You are intent on driving us all mad, aren't you?" he asked Dumbledore accusingly.
"Naturally," chuckled Dumbledore. "Now let's be off."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Next chapter up tomorrow! You'll find out everyone's reactions to the cottage, and the first few days of living there! I am hoping to get chapter 5 up as well, but my other story needs to be updated, too!
Please review!
Thanks to russell, MK and The Brainless Wonder for reviewing my second chapter! It makes it so much easier to write if you have feedback!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter world, JK Rowling owns it all. Pity.
A Snape Kind of Summer
Chapter 3 - Laying Down the Rules
"So, are you all packed and ready?" Dumbledore asked, far too cheerfully in everyone else's opinion. All four nodded their consent, albeit a little reluctantly. "Well then, all remains is for me to alter your appearances so you all look similar."
"Ex-excuse me?" Snape stuttered out. "Alter our appearances? Absolutely not! You must be joking!"
"I do believe that we already established that I am not joking, did we not, Severus? Now really, it would be insulting people's intelligence to expect them to believe that you are all related, not to mention the fact that you will be recognized. Every single one of you has a distinct feature about yourself that would certainly be recognized by the wizarding family you are supposed to be spying on. Minerva, would you like to go first?"
Minerva's lips thinned, but she came forward obediently.
With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore softened the professor's facial features, and lightened her raven hair slightly. Like this, she looked remarkably like Sirius.
"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape exhaled heavily, but stepped forward none the less.
Again, Dumbledore flicked his wand, and (to Harry, Ginny and Sirius' amusement) Severus' nose shrunk, and his hair lightened to a sandy blonde. The difference really was startling. Then, Dumbledore muttered under his breath, and the scowl of disdain vanished from Snape's face.
"We can't have you looking like that when surrounded by your family now, can we?" Dumbledore smiled serenely. Everyone burst out laughing, and Harry got the distinct impression that Snape was trying to scowl. His lips seemed to be twitching. This made Harry laugh even harder. "Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry stepped forward, cautiously. He was starting to feel slightly apprehensive. He hoped that Dumbledore wouldn't make any drastic changes.
Harry felt Dumbledore swish his wand by his ear, and then he felt his face start to wriggle. It really was a bizarre feeling.
Once Harry felt the movement stop, he glanced into the mirror Dumbledore had set up to his left.
Harry could have pulled his wand out and hexed Dumbledore into next week, but he decided that that might seem immature. Dumbledore probably found this very funny indeed.
Harry's scar had vanished, but Harry had not been at all surprised by that. That would have immediately given away his identity had it not been removed.
The problem was the rest of the changes.
Harry's hair was sandy blonde, and his green eyes turned blue. He had grown a few inches as well, he noticed. It wasn't even the look that really bothered him...
"Well, if it isn't mini-Snape," smirked Sirius.
That. That was the problem. Harry glared at his godfather. Then at Dumbledore.
"Harry," Ginny said, repressing a smile. "Glaring at everyone isn't helping the cause any..."
True. Harry immediately stopped glaring.
"Actually, it is different if he glares...you don't see Snape glaring, now, do you?" Sirius smirked at Severus, who tried in vain to glare back, but the spell of Dumbledore's wouldn't allow it.
"We really must get on," said Dumbledore. "So I believe that it is your turn, Miss Weasley."
Ginny stepped forward, and Harry noticed that she looked excited rather than nervous. He couldn't understand why. Ginny was naturally very pretty already, with her fiery red hair, and pale complexion. Not that Harry would ever admit to thinking that about Ron's sister. He'd never live it down.
Dumbledore waved his wand, and Ginny's hair turned a dark brown colour, and her skin tanned. The freckles that dotted her nose were still there, but there were far fewer of them.
Harry suddenly realized, with a jolt of surprise and amusement, that she could easily pass as Sirius' daughter, she looked almost exactly like him.
Which reminded him. He still had to kill Sirius for not telling him about this.
Spending a whole year with Snape, and having to call him 'Dad' was almost too much for Harry to bear. He would have refused to, apart from both Ginny and McGonagall had agreed, and Harry didn't want to make a big fuss if no one else was.
And anyway, Fred and George had created some brilliant new jokes that needed to be tested, and seeing as Dumbledore had put a spell on all four of them that meant they could not harm each other, this would be a perfect opportunity.
Harry realized that he had an evil grin in place, and quickly removed it, but Ginny had seen. She looked at him questioningly.
"I'll tell you later," he muttered in her ear. "This might not be so bad after all..."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. She looked as if she had a fair idea of what Harry had planned.
"Now, before you go, I will remind you that you are to call each other with the appropriate names. Harry will be referred to as 'Harry' at all times. I'm sure you all understand that it would be very foolish to refer to him as 'Potter'," Dumbledore looked at Snape. "Especially as your surname is now 'Smith'."
"Very original," muttered Snape.
"And Ginny will be called by her first name at all times. Minerva and Severus will have to refer to each other as 'Millie' and 'Steve'." Dumbledore continued as if he had not heard Snape's comment.
Ginny giggled at the professors' muggle-translated names.
"And both Ginny and Harry will refer to their parents as 'Mum' and 'Dad'. Is that understood?" The four nodded, and Sirius cleared his throat.
"Where do I come in to all this?" he asked. "I mean, if I visit..."
"Your name is Ross Black, and you are Minerva's brother. Between you all you will have to develop your family history, like when you got married, other family, birthdays, and so on. You can decide this when you arrive at the cottage. I will accompany you there to get you settled, but then I will only see you when you are out. You will also have to find yourselves muggle jobs - Minerva, I believe you took a muggle Degree, did you not?" Minerva nodded. "Then you will probably earn the main income. I am afraid that we cannot pay your bills for you, so you will have to earn the money. It would also raise too many questions if you changed wizard money into muggle money, so you will have a month to get sorted. That is when this payment runs out."
Minerva bit her lip.
"And...what if we can't?" she asked. "Will we have to move somewhere smaller?" Dumbledore nodded. "And it will have to be nearby...this may be quite tricky. We will have to start looking first thing tomorrow..."
"Well, it's getting late, so we really ought to go. Sirius, are you coming?" Dumbledore asked.
"I think so," Sirius replied. "I want to bag my guest room...kidding!" he added at Harry and Ginny's furious looks. "You get first choice, of course..."
"Ooh, thanks Uncle Ross!" Ginny teased.
"Come, we will floo from Hogsmeade to the cottage. The cottage is connected to the floo network, but only for tonight. The old wizarding family that used to live there will take it off first thing tomorrow, because they think that a group of muggles are moving in. Once you are in, you must understand that you may have no contact with the wizarding world at all. Not even an owl. Do you understand?"
Severus, or Steve as he now was, sighed deeply.
"You are intent on driving us all mad, aren't you?" he asked Dumbledore accusingly.
"Naturally," chuckled Dumbledore. "Now let's be off."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Next chapter up tomorrow! You'll find out everyone's reactions to the cottage, and the first few days of living there! I am hoping to get chapter 5 up as well, but my other story needs to be updated, too!
Please review!