Title: And the Walls of Safe Haven Come Crumbling Down
Rating: PG-13 (may change)
Warnings: Possible future SLASH
Disclaimer: They all belong to me! Actually sadly, I don't own any of the
Harry Potter Characters, JKR does, but she's kind enough to let us borrow
them for a while, because I'm making no money from them.
Notes: A response to the Severitus Challenge. Set in Harry's fifth year.
Chapter One
It was a brilliant moonlit night. The small town in the middle of the Surrey countryside was peaceful. A snowy owl fly over the dark rooftops, searching for one in particular. Appearing to find it, it fluttered through a second story window.
"Hello, Hedwig." whispered Harry Potter, his oversized pyjamas falling off his slim shoulders.
Harry Potter was not your normal 15 year-old boy. For one thing he kept his bedroom perfectly tidy, he did his chores, and never asked for spending money. Another reason was that Harry was a wizard.
Hedwig dropped a large parcel on Harry's bed. A previously unnoticed owl, which was the size and shape of a tennis ball, zoomed twice round the room, circled Harry's head three times for good measure, before adding a letter beside it.
Just as Harry reached for the Letter a large Eagle owl and a horned owl swooped through the window. Both wore leg cuffs with the Hogwarts crest branded on them. They dropped two letters and a parcel, before flying back out the window.
Harry looked at the packages and envelopes unable to decide which to open first. He decided to start with the letter with the Hogwarts seal as it had nothing to do with his birthday.
Dear Mr Potter,
Please note that the new school term begins on September 1st. The Hogwarts Express will leave Kings' Cross station, Platform Nine-and-three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
You have been appointed fifth-year prefect for Gryffindor. Please find enclosed your book list for the new year and your badge.
Yours Sincerely, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.
Harry's book list read like this:
The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Guide to Ceromancy by Charmaine Pajeon
Ancient Wisdom Ancient Sects: Botanomancy and other Mantic Arts by Sarai Fontbrune
Visions and Prophecies. Mysteries of the Unknown. By Va Alexandria
The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five by Miranda Goshawk
Perfidious Potions and Odious Ointments by Aurium Taxotare
The Dark Arts: A Guide to Countering Them by Tristan Da Cuhna
Enchanted Beasts: How to Identify and Care for Them by Galatea Vangelis
Harry groaned. Three new books for Divination? Surely things couldn't get any worse.
Harry turned back to his mail. One of the boxes was from the Weasleys. It contained a lovely jumper in dark green and with, unfortunately, a small pink H on the left chest, a box of fudge, a plug, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a hidden letter from 'Gred and Forge' thanking him for his investment, a birthday cake and three books. One on passing your OWLs from Hermione, who was staying at the Burrow, one on how to play chess from Ron, and one on top tips for Seekers, from the pair of them.
He picked up the other package and opened it carefully. In side was a box. A box with air holes. Thinking the package was from Hagrid, Harry began to worry. Hagrid was known for his taste in dangerous pets, although he thought they were perfectly harmless. Harry opened the box carefully. There coiled inside was a small snake, about 12 inches long. It was olive-red with blue blotches along its back and horns on its head. Harry, who had been reading up on snakes in the past two years since discovering he was a Parselmouth, recognised it easily as a baby African Rhinoceros Viper. He looked at the letter that went with it only to find that it wasn't from Hagrid at all.
Dear Harry,
Said the letter in a script that Harry was sure he should recognize but couldn't for the life of him figure out who it belonged to.
The time has come for you to know the truth.
Harry frowned. This did not sound promising.
Your mother was not, as rumour commonly had it, dating James Potter at school. In truth, she and I had been friends since first year and sweethearts since our fourth year, despite our house rivalry.
When I agreed to become a spy for Dumbledore amongst the Death Eaters, my beautiful fiancée, a Muggleborn, was put in danger. By all public appearances, she broke our engagement and married James Potter. Privately, we continued our relationship. In time she fell pregnant and gave birth to a marvellous son, whom we named Hartreves Severus Snape, or Harry for short, and filed two birth certificates, one for him and one or Harry James Potter. Despite what you may believe, I do not despise you, merely the fact that I am forced to hide the truth about you and treat you with contempt.
I must act as though I hate the boy who defeated my Master and favour the children of other Death Eaters, to prevent my position as double agent from being discovered. Know that I love you, and would be proud to tell the world that you are my son, if there were not a war for the fate of the planet going on at this moment.
The reason for this letter is this. Lily placed charms on you to make you look like James Potter. Tonight they will begin to fade, and by the time term starts, will have disappeared completely. A week from now you will be collected from the Dursley household and brought to Hogwarts, where you will remain for the rest of the summer, and the charms will be reapplied before term starts.
Your father, Professor Severus Kaspar Snape.
P.S. Happy Birthday. Enjoy talking to your new friend.
Harry's mind whirled as he thought of all the letter contained. Snape was his father? Knowing he would not sleep well, but determined to try, he laid his head upon the pillow and pulled the covers round himself. As he dropped off to sleep thoughts of Sirius's reaction flitted vaguely through his mind
TBC.
A/N The Serpent and the Rainbow is a divination text written by Wade Davis, Ancient Wisdom, Ancient Sects: Mysteries of the Unknown is written by Va Alexandria in real life, and Visions and Prophecies: Mysteries of the Unknown by Va Alexandria is also a real divination text. You'll find out what Ceromancy and Botanomancy are later, just like Harry.
Chapter One
It was a brilliant moonlit night. The small town in the middle of the Surrey countryside was peaceful. A snowy owl fly over the dark rooftops, searching for one in particular. Appearing to find it, it fluttered through a second story window.
"Hello, Hedwig." whispered Harry Potter, his oversized pyjamas falling off his slim shoulders.
Harry Potter was not your normal 15 year-old boy. For one thing he kept his bedroom perfectly tidy, he did his chores, and never asked for spending money. Another reason was that Harry was a wizard.
Hedwig dropped a large parcel on Harry's bed. A previously unnoticed owl, which was the size and shape of a tennis ball, zoomed twice round the room, circled Harry's head three times for good measure, before adding a letter beside it.
Just as Harry reached for the Letter a large Eagle owl and a horned owl swooped through the window. Both wore leg cuffs with the Hogwarts crest branded on them. They dropped two letters and a parcel, before flying back out the window.
Harry looked at the packages and envelopes unable to decide which to open first. He decided to start with the letter with the Hogwarts seal as it had nothing to do with his birthday.
Dear Mr Potter,
Please note that the new school term begins on September 1st. The Hogwarts Express will leave Kings' Cross station, Platform Nine-and-three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
You have been appointed fifth-year prefect for Gryffindor. Please find enclosed your book list for the new year and your badge.
Yours Sincerely, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.
Harry's book list read like this:
The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Guide to Ceromancy by Charmaine Pajeon
Ancient Wisdom Ancient Sects: Botanomancy and other Mantic Arts by Sarai Fontbrune
Visions and Prophecies. Mysteries of the Unknown. By Va Alexandria
The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five by Miranda Goshawk
Perfidious Potions and Odious Ointments by Aurium Taxotare
The Dark Arts: A Guide to Countering Them by Tristan Da Cuhna
Enchanted Beasts: How to Identify and Care for Them by Galatea Vangelis
Harry groaned. Three new books for Divination? Surely things couldn't get any worse.
Harry turned back to his mail. One of the boxes was from the Weasleys. It contained a lovely jumper in dark green and with, unfortunately, a small pink H on the left chest, a box of fudge, a plug, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a hidden letter from 'Gred and Forge' thanking him for his investment, a birthday cake and three books. One on passing your OWLs from Hermione, who was staying at the Burrow, one on how to play chess from Ron, and one on top tips for Seekers, from the pair of them.
He picked up the other package and opened it carefully. In side was a box. A box with air holes. Thinking the package was from Hagrid, Harry began to worry. Hagrid was known for his taste in dangerous pets, although he thought they were perfectly harmless. Harry opened the box carefully. There coiled inside was a small snake, about 12 inches long. It was olive-red with blue blotches along its back and horns on its head. Harry, who had been reading up on snakes in the past two years since discovering he was a Parselmouth, recognised it easily as a baby African Rhinoceros Viper. He looked at the letter that went with it only to find that it wasn't from Hagrid at all.
Dear Harry,
Said the letter in a script that Harry was sure he should recognize but couldn't for the life of him figure out who it belonged to.
The time has come for you to know the truth.
Harry frowned. This did not sound promising.
Your mother was not, as rumour commonly had it, dating James Potter at school. In truth, she and I had been friends since first year and sweethearts since our fourth year, despite our house rivalry.
When I agreed to become a spy for Dumbledore amongst the Death Eaters, my beautiful fiancée, a Muggleborn, was put in danger. By all public appearances, she broke our engagement and married James Potter. Privately, we continued our relationship. In time she fell pregnant and gave birth to a marvellous son, whom we named Hartreves Severus Snape, or Harry for short, and filed two birth certificates, one for him and one or Harry James Potter. Despite what you may believe, I do not despise you, merely the fact that I am forced to hide the truth about you and treat you with contempt.
I must act as though I hate the boy who defeated my Master and favour the children of other Death Eaters, to prevent my position as double agent from being discovered. Know that I love you, and would be proud to tell the world that you are my son, if there were not a war for the fate of the planet going on at this moment.
The reason for this letter is this. Lily placed charms on you to make you look like James Potter. Tonight they will begin to fade, and by the time term starts, will have disappeared completely. A week from now you will be collected from the Dursley household and brought to Hogwarts, where you will remain for the rest of the summer, and the charms will be reapplied before term starts.
Your father, Professor Severus Kaspar Snape.
P.S. Happy Birthday. Enjoy talking to your new friend.
Harry's mind whirled as he thought of all the letter contained. Snape was his father? Knowing he would not sleep well, but determined to try, he laid his head upon the pillow and pulled the covers round himself. As he dropped off to sleep thoughts of Sirius's reaction flitted vaguely through his mind
TBC.
A/N The Serpent and the Rainbow is a divination text written by Wade Davis, Ancient Wisdom, Ancient Sects: Mysteries of the Unknown is written by Va Alexandria in real life, and Visions and Prophecies: Mysteries of the Unknown by Va Alexandria is also a real divination text. You'll find out what Ceromancy and Botanomancy are later, just like Harry.