Thank you to Ms. Padfoot, angeL_1215, Corgi, Kemenran, sev1970,
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SparkySparkles, Lady Lightning, Vulcaine7, Calani, Jordan, J, huldufolknr1,
MaybeI'llUpdateSoon and selua for reviewing!
Also some people have requested a Harry/Severus/Vernon confrontation, I might have that happen, but if it does it will be in a later chapter. Also Harry's first year should be coming up in a few chapters, maybe after the next one... I haven't decided yet.
Well it was a toss up, I could both finish this chapter and post it, or I could do some homework that is due tomorrow and leave this chapter until later... the chapter won out! It is longer then normal so I hope you enjoy it!
And I apologize in advance for any mistakes in this chapter, I don't think this is one of my good chapters at all. Sorry guys!
A Different Life
Chapter 24 - Birthdays
It had become a sort of tradition for Harry to wake up early on his birthday, therefore waking his father up early. And this year Harry wasn't going to change his ways.
That morning Harry awoke at the early rays of light. He was now officially 9 years old.
Harry smiled as we walked over to his father's room and quietly opening the door, wondering how he was going to wake him up this year. It was easy for his father to think of imaginative ways to wake him up because he could do magic, and there was no way that Harry was going to try to take his wand again.
Harry stood at the end of his bed wondering what he could do. In previous years he had jumped on his bed, yelled extremely loud in his ear and last year he had a bit of help from Remus. He had gotten Remus to float him high in the air above his bed and then Harry screamed, causing his father to wake up straight away. When he had found himself floating in midair he had also given a small shriek, but not small enough that Remus and Harry hadn't heard. They only let him down when he had mentioned the fact that he had to go to the toilet quite badly. They had teased him for the next few days constantly about it.
"Well are you going to hurry up and wake me or are you just going to stand there all day?" Severus asked
Harry jumped, not expecting his father to be awake.
"Hey! You're awake."
"Good observation Harry" Severus replied sarcastically.
Harry looked a bit putout at not being able to wake Severus up.
"Honestly Harry, did you not think that I would cotton on to what you do every year, did you really expect that I would continue to let you torment me into waking up every morning of your birthday. You're going to have to be more devious then that. Do something that is unanticipated, something that I'm not expecting!" Severus said while getting up.
Harry looked thoughtful at that.
"Now go and wait in the living room, I believe Lupin will be arriving soon."
Just as Harry reached the living room Remus walked through.
"Remus!" Harry ran over to him and hugged him tightly, he hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks, but before that he had helped Harry deal with Dudley's death.
"Happy Birthday Harry!" Remus smiled at Harry
Harry then led Remus into the kitchen to start some breakfast.
Remus made enough breakfast for him, Harry and Severus. He didn't allow Harry to start making it since he was the 'birthday boy'.
Severus walked in half way and sat quietly, eating what was left on the table.
"So what are you doing today Harry?"
"I'm going to Diagon Alley with Ron, and then Ron is sleeping over for a full week."
"Sounds like fun."
Severus made a face at Remus.
Harry nodded, unable to talk due to having too much food in his mouth at that point.
Remus smiled and then while Harry was taking his last bite he pulled out a package for Harry and placed it on the table next to his now finished plate.
When Harry had swallowed his food down he looked curiously at the package, looking up at Remus and saw that he was waiting for Harry to start opening it, so he did.
Harry tore the paper and found a pair of Quidditch gloves which looked slightly used and a whole bunch of chocolate frogs.
Harry was about to comment when Remus beat him to it.
"The Quidditch gloves were your fathers. I believe he won two or three Quidditch cups with them. He loved them, never left them out of his sight. He said they brought him good luck. Your mother was the one who gave them to him. I just happened to find them and I thought you might like them, they might bring you the same luck one day."
Harry looked at them with admiration. There was a small inscription on one of the gloves that had his fathers name on it.
He thanked Remus and put them on. They were a bit big but Harry was still growing so by the time he was able to play Quidditch, maybe for whatever house he was in if he made the team, they would fit.
Severus then cleared his throat and handed Harry a book.
Harry turned it over to read in his head 'Every Potion under the Sun' only for him to look at his father and repeat it out loud.
Severus nodded. "The heading is a bit misleading though, the book is suitable for someone like you, you won't be able to do too much damage with the potions in there and there are no dark or harmful ones."
Harry nodded and thanked him, not wanting to seem ungrateful.
He skimmed through the pages and started to read one when another book was placed in front of it.
"I almost forgot that one." Severus had a slight teasing note to his voice.
Harry turned it over and saw that it was a large book on Quidditch.
Harry smiled brightly and thanked him with more enthusiasm.
"You brought him a Quidditch book? You do know that now you won't see him until he has finished it a few times over." Remus joked.
"Yes I brought him a Quidditch book, though perhaps a comb would have been better suited" Severus said as he eyed Harry hair which was all over the place.
Remus laughed, remembering how much trouble Lily had trying to keep James' hair looking less like a tornado had just been through it.
***
Remus was right. Harry was reading that book right up until Ron came over an hour later, before that Severus and Remus couldn't drag him away from it.
Ron had given him so many Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans that Harry felt a bit sick just looking at them all.
Dumbledore came by just before they were getting ready to leave to go to Diagon Alley.
He wished Harry a happy Birthday and gave him a small parcel. Harry opened it and saw that it was a picture frame, the frame had brooms all over it, which were all moving and the picture was of Harry when he was 6 asleep in the arms of his father who was also asleep.
Harry smiled and thanked Dumbledore and ran up to his room to place it beside his bed.
When Harry returned Dumbledore was about to leave.
"I'm sorry but I must leave now, lots to do. I'll see you another time Harry and I'll see you tonight Severus."
Everyone waved as Dumbledore disappeared into the fire.
"Why are you seeing Albus tonight Dad?"
"Just a bit of business, I'm leaving both you and Ron on your own for a couple of hours so I hope that I can trust there will be no problems." Severus looked pointedly at Harry.
Harry smiled innocently at his father, all the while a plan forming in his mind.
Remus declined the offer to join Harry and Ron in Diagon Alley and left with the promise of seeing Harry soon.
Once in Diagon Alley Harry and Ron were allowed to go around on their own, with strict instructions to both Harry and Ron to say within Diagon Alley and with each other. They were to meet Severus for lunch.
***
Ron and Harry spent most of their time in the Quidditch shop, though after an hour and a half they decided that they should see some other shops as well.
As Harry was entering a joke shop he saw his father's dad come out of a potion ingredients shop and heading down towards Knockturn Alley. He looked like he was struggling with the obvious heavy load he was carrying.
Harry watched until he was out of sight and then turned to a confused looking Ron.
Harry smiled at Ron and then entered the joke shop, which was a bit like Zonko's. When it was nearly time for lunch Harry and Ron walked out of the shop.
"I'll race you back..."
Harry looked at Ron and then agreed, they both raced in and out through people, never once losing sight of each other, but it was clear that Ron was faster.
**
Ron stopped in front of Severus, who was still surprised at seeing Ron sprinting towards him. He was bent over and breathing hard.
"Where's-" Severus started but stopped as he saw Harry do the same thing as Ron and stop in front of him, panting and trying to catch his breath.
"What's wrong? Why were you both running?" Severus looked around trying to see if someone was chasing them.
Ron spoke as it was clear that Harry was still trying to breathe right.
"We had a race..." Ron panted.
Severus sighed at them, seeing them both looking completely drained of energy and both looking hot at the sudden run they did.
Severus sat them down at a table and ordered them drinks.
Once they settled in Severus asked them if they had a good time today.
Both nodded.
Harry thought about telling his father about seeing his dad but he didn't want to upset him, he could bring up some unwanted memories. So instead he started a conversation with Ron.
"I didn't know that you were such a fast runner."
"Well with 5 older brothers you learn quickly." Ron answered between shoveling food through his mouth.
Harry nodded understandingly, when he was with the Dursleys he had found himself running a lot.
He felt a small pang in his heart thinking of Dudley but he quickly pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on eating the food in front of him and trying to think of an answer to the question that he had totally missed his father saying.
****
"I don't know Harry, he is really scary normally, and I don't want to know what he is like when he has just had a prank pulled on him." Ron said as he and Harry crept down to the storage room to get some ingredients that would be needed. Severus had just left to go see Dumbledore.
"Oh come on Ron, he basically told me this morning to do this, besides you won't get yelled at or punished by him, I'll be the one who does. Your safe until you go to Hogwarts, then I can't promise you anything. Come on."
"Well what if you make it wrong?"
"Ron, I've been basically trained since I got here to know how to handle and make potions. Everything will be fine!"
"Okay... how long do we have until your dad gets back?"
Ron had taken to Severus being Harry's dad easily, he was the only father figure that he had seen Harry with so to him it was normal for Harry to call him that.
"A couple of hours, he won't leave us alone for too long, he seems to think we get into too much trouble when we are left alone."
Both Harry and Ron thought about what Harry had just said, not really understanding why Severus would think that, even though they were just about to do something wrong then.
Harry shrugged and then continued with getting the ingredients that he needed.
"Besides, he'll never guess that I would make a potion to get back at him, he knows that I don't really like them that much."
"Then why did he get you that potions book?"
"To annoy me, he probably thinks that I won't read it anyway."
"But you have right?"
"Some, it's where I got this potion we're about to make from"
"But he's the Potion Master, he's sure to know a potion when he has one!"
"I've added some other ingredients that's should make it odorless and tasteless."
"What do you mean 'should'?"
"Well... I'm not entirely sure that it will blend in with what else he is drinking."
"What!"
"Don't worry Ron, everything will be fine, I know it!"
"Oh yeah, and how do you know this will work?"
"Because I saw it with my inner eye!" Harry said dramatically.
Harry had told Ron about Professor Trelawney and Ron had even had the displeasure of meeting her once. To say that Ron didn't like her was an understatement. He had as much love for her as Harry did.
"So okay, we make this potion, and let's just say that we by some miracle get him to drink it and everything goes well, won't he get suspicious when he starts to hiccup excessively afterwards?"
"Perhaps, but that wont change his mind from taking an anti-hiccupping potion."
"Which will?"
"Ron, do you ever listen to me?"
"Umm..."
Harry sighed and explained for what felt like to him, the tenth time that day.
"Both potions will react together to make him really sleepy, so we will have to be sure to give him the potion late tonight, so that he doesn't think anything of being tired. Then that is when the potion will work. He won't be able to sleep in past... I would estimate 6am, 6:10am until he has the counter potion."
"Have you made the counter-potion yet?"
"That takes a while, plus I don't plan to give him it or tell him about the potion."
Ron looked at Harry with his mouth wide open.
"What do you mean? Like never?"
"Well... I probably make it next time I am left alone in the house again... which could be a while."
"I think it would be best to let him sleep in before school starts, Fred and George are going to be there this year and if he is like what you say he is like when he is tired, then things could get ugly."
Harry nodded "I never thought of that... Maybe we will be able to get the counter-potion done sometime this week, then I'll just have to give it too him without him knowing."
"Is the only side affect of the potion hiccupping afterwards?"
"Yep, and that he will have got rid of with the anti-hiccupping potion."
Ron nodded.
"Could you pass me the horned slugs?"
"Umm..."
"Honestly Ron, it's not that hard to figure which one it is, it's just by your hand."
"Well it's easy for you, you happen to live with a Potions Master, I however do not."
Harry rolled his eyes and took the horned slugs from Ron's hand and added it to the ingredients.
Once they were all out in front of him he made a time plan.
"Okay, it should take about 20 minutes to make the potion, and then we will have to let it sit for an hour and a half, so we will have 10 minutes to pack and clean the cauldron up before dad gets home."
"And you're sure that he will be two hours."
"Well let's just hope so."
"That's reassuring."
While Ron and Harry had been talking, Harry had been adding the ingredients and stirring when he was meant to. The potion he was making didn't need too much concentration, if he had made it before Harry was sure he would be able to do it with his eyes closed, but since it was his first time he kept his eyes on it, also he needed to keep a check on its colour.
When Harry finished Ron asked what they should do now.
"Clean up the ingredients and then wait for the potion to be done. It would have been better if dad had left for longer."
"And what happens if he comes home early?"
"We'll worry about that when and if it happens."
***
Just as Harry had finished bottling the potion he heard the fire blaze.
Ron looked as panicked as Harry felt. His father had come home early.
"Quick, go distract him!"
"What? What am I supposed to say?"
"I don't know, just make sure he keeps clear of here, I'll quickly clean the cauldron."
Ron nodded and quickly headed up the stairs and found Severus heading towards the kitchen.
Ron quickly ran into the kitchen to make sure he didn't go from there down to the dungeon where Harry was.
"Ron?" Severus asked.
"Umm... Hi, how was Dumbledore?" Ron had no idea what to say, he didn't really actually talk to him anyway.
Severus narrowed his eyes at Ron "He's the same as he was this morning... Where is Harry?"
"Harry? Harry is in... He's in the toilet" Ron finally decided on one. He never was a good liar and especially not when the person was eyeing him so suspiciously.
Severus walked out of the kitchen and started to head down to the dungeon.
"No! Wait..." Ron quickly called out to him as he ran over to stand in- between the entry way of the dungeons and Severus.
"What?"
"I... I wanted to ask you something..."
"Well hurry up, what is it?"
"Can we go back into the kitchen?"
"What's wrong with here?"
"I feel more comfortable in the kitchen."
"Fine, just hurry up, I have a headache and I want to get a headache relieving potion."
Ron nodded and followed him into the kitchen, all the while wondering what he was supposed to be asking Harry's dad.
Once Ron and Severus were in the kitchen Severus looked at Ron expectantly.
When Ron didn't say anything Severus started to get a bit annoyed.
"Well!"
"Oh, right... well I was wondering..." Ron looked around for help and all he could see was food. "I was wondering what was for dinner..." Ron finished quietly.
"What?" Severus seemed to be getting mad now.
"Hi dad" Harry interrupted anything more that Severus was going to say as he walked in.
"Harry!" Ron sounded relieved.
"Come on Ron, I want to show you something up in my room."
Ron nodded eagerly and they both ran out of the kitchen and into Harry's room.
Leaving Severus glaring at where they had been standing in the kitchen.
Severus walked into his dungeons and grabbed a headache relieving potion from his cupboard. Drinking every drop of it, not noticing that his cauldron that he normally used for potions had been moved across the room to a different shelf from where he last put it.
He walked out to get dinner ready.
***
"Did you want a drink Ron?" Harry asked, getting up. They had just finished dinner.
Ron tried to hide his smile and nodded.
"Dad?"
"What?" Severus asked, looking up from what he was reading.
"Did you want a drink?"
Severus shook his head and went back to his reading, not paying attention to either Harry or Ron.
Ron's face fell.
Harry smiled at Ron and then got out three glasses. He poured himself and Ron a glassful of pumpkin juice, and then filled half of Severus' glass. The other half he filled with the potion.
He smelled it and it didn't smell any different, and it looked normal. Keeping an eye on Severus' glass he placed them all on the table and slid Severus' in front of him.
Severus looked at it but didn't comment on the fact that he had been given one when he had not asked for it.
After a while Severus took the glass and drank it. Harry and Ron watched his face carefully to see if what they had done worked. And by the fact that he had not spat it out they took it as a yes. It had worked.
They both smiled at each other and silently left. Harry almost cracked up laughing when he heard Severus starting to hiccup.
Both Ron and Harry had an early night, wanting to be up early the next morning to see if the potion worked.
************************************
Harry and Ron awoke at 6:30am to a loud thump outside their door, after they could hear excessive swearing. They both ran out to see Severus on the floor, trying to get up. Both Harry and Ron got the impression that this would be how Severus would act if he were drunk.
Harry and Ron laughed and ran back into Harry's room to get changed.
***
The rest of the day Severus was acting like he was drunk, falling over everywhere and squinting to see everything.
***
A few days later while Harry and Ron were outside Remus came over.
"What happened to you Severus? You look like you fell off your broom a few times while having a hippogriff land on you once you hit the ground!"
"Such kind words Lupin, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I feel absolutely fine, I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Maybe you're sick? You sure look it."
"Maybe... I'm sure that Harry and Ron did something to me while I was away the other day, and I'm sure it has to do with a potion, also why I can't seem to sleep in any time after 6am no matter how tired I feel."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well when I got back Ron wouldn't let me go anywhere near the Dungeons, he was acting really odd. Also I can tell that some ingredients are missing, I just can't figure out what ones they are. They both seem in an exceptionally good mood, like they know something I don't."
"So what are you going to do? If it is true, then both Harry and Ron have gone to a lot of trouble of cleaning up any trails left behind."
"Well I do have one idea that should get what they did out of them... if they did nothing then what I will do shouldn't have any real affect on them."
"What are you going to do?" Remus asked suspiciously
"Just go along with me"
Remus narrowed his eyes at Severus but he was paying no attention to him.
Before Remus could say anything else Harry and Ron walked through the door.
"Hey Remus, hey Dad. What are you doing here Remus?"
"Stay away Harry, Ron. I'm really sick. I must have mixed some potions up. I only remember having one though, must have been an off one. Lupin is here to take me to the hospital to get my stomach scanned."
Harry and Ron stood in the doorway with their mouths open wide.
Remus caught on and decided to add to it as well.
"Yes, well Severus we should be off. You should only be in St Mungo's for a few weeks." Remus looked gravely at Severus.
Severus nodded and slowly, making it look as painful as ever he got up.
"If only we knew what was off with that potion or what potions I mixed, it's going to take quite a while to find out what it was."
Both Ron and Harry were looking panicky now, they watched as Remus led Severus over to the fire.
Just as Remus was about to throw some powder into the fire, Harry yelled for them to stop.
"What's wrong Harry?" Remus asked.
"It was me, I did it."
"Did what?"
"I made the potion. I gave Dad a type of sleeping potion."
"But I'm not having trouble waking up..."
"No, but you would have mixed it up with the anti-hiccupping potion, which made you not be able to sleep in past 6am. I don't know what's wrong. I was sure I made it right." Harry looked very guilty and upset.
"Harry, rule number one in potion making, never doubt your abilities."
Harry looked confused and then saw that his father was now no longer looking like he was in pain. In fact he looked like he what he had since he had been given the potion.
"You set this up to get Harry to confess." Ron accused.
Severus smiled.
"It was an interesting potion you picked Harry, very imaginative, and you thought about how other potions would affect it and you used that towards getting your final product. I'm impressed, I wouldn't have thought you smart enough for that yet."
Harry semi-glared at Severus.
"Yes, who would have thought that potions book you brought me would actually come in handy"
Remus laughed.
"He pulled a prank on you from something you gave him as a joke for his birthday."
"Why did you pick that potion Harry?" Severus asked, ignoring Remus.
"Well when you seemed to come accustomed to my footsteps in your room, you seem to be able to wake yourself up when you hear them. It was getting harder to wake you up, so I thought I would get a potion to do it for me."
Severus didn't know whether to be impressed that Harry had done all that, and made a perfect potion by himself or angry that he a prank pulled on him, causing many bruises when he fell over and little sleep.
He looked at Harry's face and saw the hesitant scared face staring back. "You're lucky that I'm too tired to be bothered giving you any punishment!"
Harry smiled.
Also some people have requested a Harry/Severus/Vernon confrontation, I might have that happen, but if it does it will be in a later chapter. Also Harry's first year should be coming up in a few chapters, maybe after the next one... I haven't decided yet.
Well it was a toss up, I could both finish this chapter and post it, or I could do some homework that is due tomorrow and leave this chapter until later... the chapter won out! It is longer then normal so I hope you enjoy it!
And I apologize in advance for any mistakes in this chapter, I don't think this is one of my good chapters at all. Sorry guys!
A Different Life
Chapter 24 - Birthdays
It had become a sort of tradition for Harry to wake up early on his birthday, therefore waking his father up early. And this year Harry wasn't going to change his ways.
That morning Harry awoke at the early rays of light. He was now officially 9 years old.
Harry smiled as we walked over to his father's room and quietly opening the door, wondering how he was going to wake him up this year. It was easy for his father to think of imaginative ways to wake him up because he could do magic, and there was no way that Harry was going to try to take his wand again.
Harry stood at the end of his bed wondering what he could do. In previous years he had jumped on his bed, yelled extremely loud in his ear and last year he had a bit of help from Remus. He had gotten Remus to float him high in the air above his bed and then Harry screamed, causing his father to wake up straight away. When he had found himself floating in midair he had also given a small shriek, but not small enough that Remus and Harry hadn't heard. They only let him down when he had mentioned the fact that he had to go to the toilet quite badly. They had teased him for the next few days constantly about it.
"Well are you going to hurry up and wake me or are you just going to stand there all day?" Severus asked
Harry jumped, not expecting his father to be awake.
"Hey! You're awake."
"Good observation Harry" Severus replied sarcastically.
Harry looked a bit putout at not being able to wake Severus up.
"Honestly Harry, did you not think that I would cotton on to what you do every year, did you really expect that I would continue to let you torment me into waking up every morning of your birthday. You're going to have to be more devious then that. Do something that is unanticipated, something that I'm not expecting!" Severus said while getting up.
Harry looked thoughtful at that.
"Now go and wait in the living room, I believe Lupin will be arriving soon."
Just as Harry reached the living room Remus walked through.
"Remus!" Harry ran over to him and hugged him tightly, he hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks, but before that he had helped Harry deal with Dudley's death.
"Happy Birthday Harry!" Remus smiled at Harry
Harry then led Remus into the kitchen to start some breakfast.
Remus made enough breakfast for him, Harry and Severus. He didn't allow Harry to start making it since he was the 'birthday boy'.
Severus walked in half way and sat quietly, eating what was left on the table.
"So what are you doing today Harry?"
"I'm going to Diagon Alley with Ron, and then Ron is sleeping over for a full week."
"Sounds like fun."
Severus made a face at Remus.
Harry nodded, unable to talk due to having too much food in his mouth at that point.
Remus smiled and then while Harry was taking his last bite he pulled out a package for Harry and placed it on the table next to his now finished plate.
When Harry had swallowed his food down he looked curiously at the package, looking up at Remus and saw that he was waiting for Harry to start opening it, so he did.
Harry tore the paper and found a pair of Quidditch gloves which looked slightly used and a whole bunch of chocolate frogs.
Harry was about to comment when Remus beat him to it.
"The Quidditch gloves were your fathers. I believe he won two or three Quidditch cups with them. He loved them, never left them out of his sight. He said they brought him good luck. Your mother was the one who gave them to him. I just happened to find them and I thought you might like them, they might bring you the same luck one day."
Harry looked at them with admiration. There was a small inscription on one of the gloves that had his fathers name on it.
He thanked Remus and put them on. They were a bit big but Harry was still growing so by the time he was able to play Quidditch, maybe for whatever house he was in if he made the team, they would fit.
Severus then cleared his throat and handed Harry a book.
Harry turned it over to read in his head 'Every Potion under the Sun' only for him to look at his father and repeat it out loud.
Severus nodded. "The heading is a bit misleading though, the book is suitable for someone like you, you won't be able to do too much damage with the potions in there and there are no dark or harmful ones."
Harry nodded and thanked him, not wanting to seem ungrateful.
He skimmed through the pages and started to read one when another book was placed in front of it.
"I almost forgot that one." Severus had a slight teasing note to his voice.
Harry turned it over and saw that it was a large book on Quidditch.
Harry smiled brightly and thanked him with more enthusiasm.
"You brought him a Quidditch book? You do know that now you won't see him until he has finished it a few times over." Remus joked.
"Yes I brought him a Quidditch book, though perhaps a comb would have been better suited" Severus said as he eyed Harry hair which was all over the place.
Remus laughed, remembering how much trouble Lily had trying to keep James' hair looking less like a tornado had just been through it.
***
Remus was right. Harry was reading that book right up until Ron came over an hour later, before that Severus and Remus couldn't drag him away from it.
Ron had given him so many Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans that Harry felt a bit sick just looking at them all.
Dumbledore came by just before they were getting ready to leave to go to Diagon Alley.
He wished Harry a happy Birthday and gave him a small parcel. Harry opened it and saw that it was a picture frame, the frame had brooms all over it, which were all moving and the picture was of Harry when he was 6 asleep in the arms of his father who was also asleep.
Harry smiled and thanked Dumbledore and ran up to his room to place it beside his bed.
When Harry returned Dumbledore was about to leave.
"I'm sorry but I must leave now, lots to do. I'll see you another time Harry and I'll see you tonight Severus."
Everyone waved as Dumbledore disappeared into the fire.
"Why are you seeing Albus tonight Dad?"
"Just a bit of business, I'm leaving both you and Ron on your own for a couple of hours so I hope that I can trust there will be no problems." Severus looked pointedly at Harry.
Harry smiled innocently at his father, all the while a plan forming in his mind.
Remus declined the offer to join Harry and Ron in Diagon Alley and left with the promise of seeing Harry soon.
Once in Diagon Alley Harry and Ron were allowed to go around on their own, with strict instructions to both Harry and Ron to say within Diagon Alley and with each other. They were to meet Severus for lunch.
***
Ron and Harry spent most of their time in the Quidditch shop, though after an hour and a half they decided that they should see some other shops as well.
As Harry was entering a joke shop he saw his father's dad come out of a potion ingredients shop and heading down towards Knockturn Alley. He looked like he was struggling with the obvious heavy load he was carrying.
Harry watched until he was out of sight and then turned to a confused looking Ron.
Harry smiled at Ron and then entered the joke shop, which was a bit like Zonko's. When it was nearly time for lunch Harry and Ron walked out of the shop.
"I'll race you back..."
Harry looked at Ron and then agreed, they both raced in and out through people, never once losing sight of each other, but it was clear that Ron was faster.
**
Ron stopped in front of Severus, who was still surprised at seeing Ron sprinting towards him. He was bent over and breathing hard.
"Where's-" Severus started but stopped as he saw Harry do the same thing as Ron and stop in front of him, panting and trying to catch his breath.
"What's wrong? Why were you both running?" Severus looked around trying to see if someone was chasing them.
Ron spoke as it was clear that Harry was still trying to breathe right.
"We had a race..." Ron panted.
Severus sighed at them, seeing them both looking completely drained of energy and both looking hot at the sudden run they did.
Severus sat them down at a table and ordered them drinks.
Once they settled in Severus asked them if they had a good time today.
Both nodded.
Harry thought about telling his father about seeing his dad but he didn't want to upset him, he could bring up some unwanted memories. So instead he started a conversation with Ron.
"I didn't know that you were such a fast runner."
"Well with 5 older brothers you learn quickly." Ron answered between shoveling food through his mouth.
Harry nodded understandingly, when he was with the Dursleys he had found himself running a lot.
He felt a small pang in his heart thinking of Dudley but he quickly pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on eating the food in front of him and trying to think of an answer to the question that he had totally missed his father saying.
****
"I don't know Harry, he is really scary normally, and I don't want to know what he is like when he has just had a prank pulled on him." Ron said as he and Harry crept down to the storage room to get some ingredients that would be needed. Severus had just left to go see Dumbledore.
"Oh come on Ron, he basically told me this morning to do this, besides you won't get yelled at or punished by him, I'll be the one who does. Your safe until you go to Hogwarts, then I can't promise you anything. Come on."
"Well what if you make it wrong?"
"Ron, I've been basically trained since I got here to know how to handle and make potions. Everything will be fine!"
"Okay... how long do we have until your dad gets back?"
Ron had taken to Severus being Harry's dad easily, he was the only father figure that he had seen Harry with so to him it was normal for Harry to call him that.
"A couple of hours, he won't leave us alone for too long, he seems to think we get into too much trouble when we are left alone."
Both Harry and Ron thought about what Harry had just said, not really understanding why Severus would think that, even though they were just about to do something wrong then.
Harry shrugged and then continued with getting the ingredients that he needed.
"Besides, he'll never guess that I would make a potion to get back at him, he knows that I don't really like them that much."
"Then why did he get you that potions book?"
"To annoy me, he probably thinks that I won't read it anyway."
"But you have right?"
"Some, it's where I got this potion we're about to make from"
"But he's the Potion Master, he's sure to know a potion when he has one!"
"I've added some other ingredients that's should make it odorless and tasteless."
"What do you mean 'should'?"
"Well... I'm not entirely sure that it will blend in with what else he is drinking."
"What!"
"Don't worry Ron, everything will be fine, I know it!"
"Oh yeah, and how do you know this will work?"
"Because I saw it with my inner eye!" Harry said dramatically.
Harry had told Ron about Professor Trelawney and Ron had even had the displeasure of meeting her once. To say that Ron didn't like her was an understatement. He had as much love for her as Harry did.
"So okay, we make this potion, and let's just say that we by some miracle get him to drink it and everything goes well, won't he get suspicious when he starts to hiccup excessively afterwards?"
"Perhaps, but that wont change his mind from taking an anti-hiccupping potion."
"Which will?"
"Ron, do you ever listen to me?"
"Umm..."
Harry sighed and explained for what felt like to him, the tenth time that day.
"Both potions will react together to make him really sleepy, so we will have to be sure to give him the potion late tonight, so that he doesn't think anything of being tired. Then that is when the potion will work. He won't be able to sleep in past... I would estimate 6am, 6:10am until he has the counter potion."
"Have you made the counter-potion yet?"
"That takes a while, plus I don't plan to give him it or tell him about the potion."
Ron looked at Harry with his mouth wide open.
"What do you mean? Like never?"
"Well... I probably make it next time I am left alone in the house again... which could be a while."
"I think it would be best to let him sleep in before school starts, Fred and George are going to be there this year and if he is like what you say he is like when he is tired, then things could get ugly."
Harry nodded "I never thought of that... Maybe we will be able to get the counter-potion done sometime this week, then I'll just have to give it too him without him knowing."
"Is the only side affect of the potion hiccupping afterwards?"
"Yep, and that he will have got rid of with the anti-hiccupping potion."
Ron nodded.
"Could you pass me the horned slugs?"
"Umm..."
"Honestly Ron, it's not that hard to figure which one it is, it's just by your hand."
"Well it's easy for you, you happen to live with a Potions Master, I however do not."
Harry rolled his eyes and took the horned slugs from Ron's hand and added it to the ingredients.
Once they were all out in front of him he made a time plan.
"Okay, it should take about 20 minutes to make the potion, and then we will have to let it sit for an hour and a half, so we will have 10 minutes to pack and clean the cauldron up before dad gets home."
"And you're sure that he will be two hours."
"Well let's just hope so."
"That's reassuring."
While Ron and Harry had been talking, Harry had been adding the ingredients and stirring when he was meant to. The potion he was making didn't need too much concentration, if he had made it before Harry was sure he would be able to do it with his eyes closed, but since it was his first time he kept his eyes on it, also he needed to keep a check on its colour.
When Harry finished Ron asked what they should do now.
"Clean up the ingredients and then wait for the potion to be done. It would have been better if dad had left for longer."
"And what happens if he comes home early?"
"We'll worry about that when and if it happens."
***
Just as Harry had finished bottling the potion he heard the fire blaze.
Ron looked as panicked as Harry felt. His father had come home early.
"Quick, go distract him!"
"What? What am I supposed to say?"
"I don't know, just make sure he keeps clear of here, I'll quickly clean the cauldron."
Ron nodded and quickly headed up the stairs and found Severus heading towards the kitchen.
Ron quickly ran into the kitchen to make sure he didn't go from there down to the dungeon where Harry was.
"Ron?" Severus asked.
"Umm... Hi, how was Dumbledore?" Ron had no idea what to say, he didn't really actually talk to him anyway.
Severus narrowed his eyes at Ron "He's the same as he was this morning... Where is Harry?"
"Harry? Harry is in... He's in the toilet" Ron finally decided on one. He never was a good liar and especially not when the person was eyeing him so suspiciously.
Severus walked out of the kitchen and started to head down to the dungeon.
"No! Wait..." Ron quickly called out to him as he ran over to stand in- between the entry way of the dungeons and Severus.
"What?"
"I... I wanted to ask you something..."
"Well hurry up, what is it?"
"Can we go back into the kitchen?"
"What's wrong with here?"
"I feel more comfortable in the kitchen."
"Fine, just hurry up, I have a headache and I want to get a headache relieving potion."
Ron nodded and followed him into the kitchen, all the while wondering what he was supposed to be asking Harry's dad.
Once Ron and Severus were in the kitchen Severus looked at Ron expectantly.
When Ron didn't say anything Severus started to get a bit annoyed.
"Well!"
"Oh, right... well I was wondering..." Ron looked around for help and all he could see was food. "I was wondering what was for dinner..." Ron finished quietly.
"What?" Severus seemed to be getting mad now.
"Hi dad" Harry interrupted anything more that Severus was going to say as he walked in.
"Harry!" Ron sounded relieved.
"Come on Ron, I want to show you something up in my room."
Ron nodded eagerly and they both ran out of the kitchen and into Harry's room.
Leaving Severus glaring at where they had been standing in the kitchen.
Severus walked into his dungeons and grabbed a headache relieving potion from his cupboard. Drinking every drop of it, not noticing that his cauldron that he normally used for potions had been moved across the room to a different shelf from where he last put it.
He walked out to get dinner ready.
***
"Did you want a drink Ron?" Harry asked, getting up. They had just finished dinner.
Ron tried to hide his smile and nodded.
"Dad?"
"What?" Severus asked, looking up from what he was reading.
"Did you want a drink?"
Severus shook his head and went back to his reading, not paying attention to either Harry or Ron.
Ron's face fell.
Harry smiled at Ron and then got out three glasses. He poured himself and Ron a glassful of pumpkin juice, and then filled half of Severus' glass. The other half he filled with the potion.
He smelled it and it didn't smell any different, and it looked normal. Keeping an eye on Severus' glass he placed them all on the table and slid Severus' in front of him.
Severus looked at it but didn't comment on the fact that he had been given one when he had not asked for it.
After a while Severus took the glass and drank it. Harry and Ron watched his face carefully to see if what they had done worked. And by the fact that he had not spat it out they took it as a yes. It had worked.
They both smiled at each other and silently left. Harry almost cracked up laughing when he heard Severus starting to hiccup.
Both Ron and Harry had an early night, wanting to be up early the next morning to see if the potion worked.
************************************
Harry and Ron awoke at 6:30am to a loud thump outside their door, after they could hear excessive swearing. They both ran out to see Severus on the floor, trying to get up. Both Harry and Ron got the impression that this would be how Severus would act if he were drunk.
Harry and Ron laughed and ran back into Harry's room to get changed.
***
The rest of the day Severus was acting like he was drunk, falling over everywhere and squinting to see everything.
***
A few days later while Harry and Ron were outside Remus came over.
"What happened to you Severus? You look like you fell off your broom a few times while having a hippogriff land on you once you hit the ground!"
"Such kind words Lupin, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I feel absolutely fine, I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Maybe you're sick? You sure look it."
"Maybe... I'm sure that Harry and Ron did something to me while I was away the other day, and I'm sure it has to do with a potion, also why I can't seem to sleep in any time after 6am no matter how tired I feel."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well when I got back Ron wouldn't let me go anywhere near the Dungeons, he was acting really odd. Also I can tell that some ingredients are missing, I just can't figure out what ones they are. They both seem in an exceptionally good mood, like they know something I don't."
"So what are you going to do? If it is true, then both Harry and Ron have gone to a lot of trouble of cleaning up any trails left behind."
"Well I do have one idea that should get what they did out of them... if they did nothing then what I will do shouldn't have any real affect on them."
"What are you going to do?" Remus asked suspiciously
"Just go along with me"
Remus narrowed his eyes at Severus but he was paying no attention to him.
Before Remus could say anything else Harry and Ron walked through the door.
"Hey Remus, hey Dad. What are you doing here Remus?"
"Stay away Harry, Ron. I'm really sick. I must have mixed some potions up. I only remember having one though, must have been an off one. Lupin is here to take me to the hospital to get my stomach scanned."
Harry and Ron stood in the doorway with their mouths open wide.
Remus caught on and decided to add to it as well.
"Yes, well Severus we should be off. You should only be in St Mungo's for a few weeks." Remus looked gravely at Severus.
Severus nodded and slowly, making it look as painful as ever he got up.
"If only we knew what was off with that potion or what potions I mixed, it's going to take quite a while to find out what it was."
Both Ron and Harry were looking panicky now, they watched as Remus led Severus over to the fire.
Just as Remus was about to throw some powder into the fire, Harry yelled for them to stop.
"What's wrong Harry?" Remus asked.
"It was me, I did it."
"Did what?"
"I made the potion. I gave Dad a type of sleeping potion."
"But I'm not having trouble waking up..."
"No, but you would have mixed it up with the anti-hiccupping potion, which made you not be able to sleep in past 6am. I don't know what's wrong. I was sure I made it right." Harry looked very guilty and upset.
"Harry, rule number one in potion making, never doubt your abilities."
Harry looked confused and then saw that his father was now no longer looking like he was in pain. In fact he looked like he what he had since he had been given the potion.
"You set this up to get Harry to confess." Ron accused.
Severus smiled.
"It was an interesting potion you picked Harry, very imaginative, and you thought about how other potions would affect it and you used that towards getting your final product. I'm impressed, I wouldn't have thought you smart enough for that yet."
Harry semi-glared at Severus.
"Yes, who would have thought that potions book you brought me would actually come in handy"
Remus laughed.
"He pulled a prank on you from something you gave him as a joke for his birthday."
"Why did you pick that potion Harry?" Severus asked, ignoring Remus.
"Well when you seemed to come accustomed to my footsteps in your room, you seem to be able to wake yourself up when you hear them. It was getting harder to wake you up, so I thought I would get a potion to do it for me."
Severus didn't know whether to be impressed that Harry had done all that, and made a perfect potion by himself or angry that he a prank pulled on him, causing many bruises when he fell over and little sleep.
He looked at Harry's face and saw the hesitant scared face staring back. "You're lucky that I'm too tired to be bothered giving you any punishment!"
Harry smiled.