I own nothing of Harry Potter and make no mistake, this is slash. HP/SS This, intrusting enough is turning into a Dark Harry fic. Dark, yes, but not evil. Keep that in mind. I did not intend for this story to go this way, at first. Then my friend and I started talking about it and there seems that there is no other way I want it to go. I'm really going to enjoy writing this one. And if you flame me (Which I haven't been yet. Curious.), just remember I know where you live. (Just kidding.) Hope you enjoy.
Severus Snape and the Boy-Who-Is-Missing
Albus led Snape and Vladimir through the halls of Hogwarts. He must admit that he was quite surprised when he found his top spy kissing a complete stranger. Albus knew that Severus was lonely, almost more so since he could not banter Harry Potter anymore. It still seemed out of character for Severus though.
Looking behind him, Albus watched Vladimir take in the sights of Hogwarts as Severus walked beside him with his hand on the small of the warriors back. 'Most curious.' The headmaster thought.
Dumbledore reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to his office. "Pocky." He said.
The statue leaped out of the way and the three men took the spiraling staircase up to Albus's office. Vladimir looked around, nothing had changed since the last time he was there, but still he looked around as if it was his first time.
"Sit down, please." The headmaster gestured from behind his desk. Vladimir sat in one of the high backed chairs, but Severus did not. He chose to stand behind Harry's chair, as if he was trying to blend into the shadows. Which for him was not very hard. "Now, Vladimir was it?" Harry gave a nod. "What information do you have for us?"
Vladimir took in a deep breath, calming his nerves. "I own the club that Severus met me in tonight. It's a hang out for all who truly wish to be no-where." Pausing to gather his thoughts, he went on. "Mostly my customers are wizards and I have a few regulars. One in particular is not making me worry, per se, but rather cautious.
"I have a rare gift, Headmaster. I can feel magical signatures. I can feel someone's aura, almost see it at times." Vladimir paused again to look over his shoulder at Severus. He needed to know if he was listening as well. Satisfied he moved on. "This wizard, I'm sorry to say, changes his appearance when he comes to my club. I can not give you an I.D." Of course, he knew better. He knew exactly who it was; Harry was just hoping that he would not carry out any of his plans. "I can tell he was a good wizard at one point, but he's going Dark. Not only dark but also evil. I can see it, feel it. He wants to gather all the Death Eaters again."
The headmaster looked over at Vladimir , putting his own hopes and fears in to perspective. "Does Harry Potter have anything to do with this Dark Wizard?"
Harry narrowed his eyes. "No, I have only seen him in my club once or twice."
"Thank you Vladimir ." The headmaster stood. "Perhaps another time you could come by and we could discuss this in more detail?"
"Of course." Vladimir stood as well and before he was ushered out, he asked. "Would it be alright if I came to use the library? I've heard it's a wondrous thing."
"I don't see why not?" Albus beamed a smile as he showed Severus and Vladimir out the door.
A dark, yet comfortable silence followed the strange pair down the stairs and out into the hall. "I should go." Vladimir broke the silence that Severus wanted to let be. He nodded at Harry, feeling at a loss. "Do you wish to see me tomorrow?"
A warm hand cupped Severus's cheek as he looked down into the hunting red eye. "I would like that."
Harry smiled beautifully at him, kissing his soft thin lips and vanished without a trace.
***
It was after lunch that Albus sat in his chair behind his desk when he felt a presence in his office. He knew who it was, every year on the same day, same hour he got a visit. "Hello Harry." He said before he looked up.
Sitting in the same chair that Vladimir occupied last night, Harry Potter smiled smugly at his old Headmaster. The boy had not changed since the last time Albus saw him. His hair cut short, dark and unruly. Still had his small seeker frame and his old glasses rested on his nose. About the only thing that was different from seventh year Harry to this one, was the red eye.
"Good after noon , Headmaster. How are you this day?" He was still the soft-spoken boy he remembered. Albus always thought that he was too much the same. It was as if he never left, but Albus could feel a change in the boy, it was in his eyes. They were no longer big, bright and full of life. Now they were eyes of a man, sharp, still bright but with a sence of death behind them.
"Well, Harry. I'm fine." Albus looked the boy over from over the top of his half moon glasses. Putting down his quill, he sighed, "Let me be frank, Harry. I know you have changed in some way. I do not believe it is possible for you to look seventeen all these years." Watching the blank expression on Harry's face, Albus went on. "Will you please let me see the man you have grown to be?"
Harry just sat there starring at the Headmaster, but he did not change. At lest Albus did not think so until he noticed Harry's hair growing longer. The small lean frame slowly grew to a broad taller build. His face was no longer boyish, but sharp with a sunburst shaped scar on his right cheek. His famous glasses faded into nothingness.
Harry ran a hand through his shaggy hair, placing it in front of his right green eye, covering his lighting scar and the one on his cheek. A smug almost a sneer of a smile framed his lips as he saw Dumbledore's face, pure shock.
"Well. It's nice to see you again so soon, Vladimir." He whispered.
"Nice to be seen, Professor." The voice was just as he remembered last night, soft, barley above a whisper but it had a deep rough sound to it.
"Tell me Harry, why did you not tell me who you were last night?"
"I wasn't even going to tell you now, Headmaster." Harry narrowed his eyes. "You already assumed I was this new rising Dark Lord."
"Yes, but why show me now?"
"To show you that I am not a threat to you." Harry stood and walked around the office. He stopped at Fawkes' perch and petted the bird. "My seventh year was hell for me. I left to find who I really was. So here I am Albus." Harry hissed the Headmasters name. "A lot of people believe I'm a great and powerful wizard and they are right. They don't know how right they are."
Albus watched as the anger just radiated off Harry. It was scary as hell. The whole office seemed to shake. "I do not want to get into another war, Headmaster. So, I'm just going to tell you what I know."
"Last night, you told me you couldn't I.D. this 'evil' wizard. But you know who it is, don't you."
Harry slowly turned to Albus, searching for something in his face. "What if I told you he was from an old powerful pureblood wizard family?"
"That would be understood."
"What if I told you he was someone that graduated from this school?" Harry went back to his chair and sat down.
"So did Voldemort, Harry."
Again, Harry narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore. "What id I told you he is from the Weasley family?"
To this, the Headmaster's eyes grew large. "I wouldn't believe it."
Harry stood and walked to the door. "And there you see is why I did not tell you. Good day, Headmaster." He walked out the door and down the steeps before Albus could say a word.
As Harry traveled down the steeps of the headmaster's office, his appearance changed again. His hair short, but not unruly. Harry's face grew longer and boyish again and his scars disappeared. A seventeen-year-old boy walked down the halls wearing Slytherin robes. He was a boy no one would mistake for 'The Harry Potter'.
Professor Malfoy saw this new boy as he was scalding Hogwarts new ghost for scaring the girls out of their bathrooms. The ghost would just stand there and look at himself in the mirrors. In the middle of his rant, Draco stopped to watch the familiar boy walk towards the dungeons.
As Harry walked towards his Potion Master's class, he did not notice Draco watching him. He was too angry with Albus to even care. "The old fool." He hissed. "Thinks I'm the new Dark Lord."
The Slytherin boy reached Professor Snape's office door and carefully knocked. He knew there were no students around, it was Saturday after all. A short sharp "Come in." Leaked through the door. Harry opened the door and watched as Severus stiffened with his back towards the door.
Hunched over his desk, Severus went stiff as the place where his Dark Mark used to be, itched. "Hello, Severus." The Professor's eyes went wide at that voice or voices. It was as if there were twins talking just a bit out of sync. He knew both of those voices. One was Harry's and the other… he was sure he was going to die.
Turning around, Severus pressed himself up against the desk, in alarm. Standing in his door way was the seventeen year old version of his old master, Tom Riddle. "Don't look scared, Severus. Here." The Potion Professor watched as Tom slowly melted into the new Harry he knew. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"You did a fine job of it!" He hissed back and was going to add more cutting remarks, but Harry spoke first.
"Albus thinks I'm the new Dark Lord." He could not help but feel sorrow as Severus placed his hand over his faded Dark Mark.
"Are you?" He asked.
"No."
"Then that's good enough for me." Severus walked up to Harry and pulled him inside his office, shutting the door he went on. "I would like to hear what has happed to you all these years. What made you…?"
"Dark, Severus." Harry smiled as the Professor nodded. "I am a Dark wizard, but I am not evil. You of all people should know that, understand that." Harry walked closer to Severus and wrapped his arms around the taller man, who hesitated but did the same.
"Will you talk to me?" Severus asked in Harry's ear.
"I will tell you and only you what ever you want to know." In after thought he added. "But I would like to do so in a much more comfortable setting. Your office was home to too many detentions. I'm afraid it makes me a little uneasy." Severus let go of a laugh and Harry smiled because of it.
"Then I shall take you to my quarters."
The walk to Snape's rooms was a short one. Not a noise, ghost or student about. It was a little too quite in Harry's opinion. Severus gave his password to the painting guarding his entrance and ushered Harry inside.
Looking around Snape's quarters, Harry sat himself in a dark chair in front of the fireplace. The room was made in dark almost unnatural colors, but every thing seemed to be in harmony with everything else. It felt like he was home.
"What do you want to know?" Harry asked Severus as he sat in the chair next to his.
"Everything." He said, pouring tea for them both. "I want to know what happened after you graduated. Where have you been these last eight years?"
Harry accepted his cup from Severus. "Thank you." Taking a sip, he said. "You are in for a long story."
"Enlighten me." He drawled.
Setting down his cup of tea, Harry starred at the fire crackling in the hearth. "Where to begin?" He asked himself. "I said good bye to everyone, that day. I didn't want it to be a big long ordeal, graduating. I just wanted to leave. Leave everything behind, but I couldn't. I am only human after all.
"I took only what I couldn't leave behind and the rest is staying with Ron. Surprisingly he understood what I needed to do. He knew why I had to get away." Harry brushed his hair back, pulling it into a tail. Looking at Severus, he asked, "Did you know that the summer before my seventh year was pure hell?" Before Snape could respond, Harry looked away and went on. "No, I don't think you did. After all, what would famous Harry Potter have to worry about? He's just a spoiled little boy." Harry's voice did not go above a whisper, but there was such a power in it that it left Severus breathless.
"Famous or not, my life was torture, Severus." Harry turned to face his ex-Professor. Pointing to the sunburst scar on his cheek, he asked, "Do you know where this came from?" Severus shook his mane of hair. "Muggle stove." Snape flinched. "Apparently my Uncle did not like the wizard I was growing up to be. It was one of his last attempts to burn the magic out of me. Freak he used to call me."
All Severus could do was blink at the young powerful wizard. "I used concealing charms when I came back to school. No one suspected a thing and I didn't want them to. Can you imagine what would have happened if they found out their Golden Boy was beaten by a muggle? That I let him beat me up." Harry took another sip of his tea. "Pure madness. How could Harry Potter defeat the big bad Voldemort if he couldn't stop his own family?
"So I let everyone think everything was fine and dandy. However, after seventh year I couldn't pretend anymore. My world was falling around me and I barely made it through." Again, Harry paused to take a calming breath. "When I left I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Gods I must of looked like an idiot. Anyways, did you know there are still pirates around? That was something I didn't learn at school.
"I was out in the rain, no where to go and I met this Captain Chris. He was a wizard pirate looking for a strong young cook for his ship. To my surprise, he took me in, on my word that I was an excellent cook. If it was one thing my relatives taught me, it was to cook.
"To make a long story shorter, I worked on the ship as the cook for years. I learned how to fight, curse, and drink with the best of them. But it was when I got my own ship and crew that I became well known. Vladimir was a pirate you didn't want to cross."
"I've heard of you." Severus added. "You were in the Daily Prophet a few years ago. 'The Dark Prince of the Seas' if I remember correctly."
"I hate that paper." Harry snarled. "Yes, I was becoming well known indeed and again I had to disappear. I took my ship and crew on many adventures across the world. However, it was about four years ago that I made my biggest discovery.
"I'm not going to tell you where I found it, but I did." Taking in a shaking breath, Harry started playing with his hair. He had never told anyone about this. Even his crew did not know. "I found tombs belonging to the founders of Hogwarts."
Fine china shattered against the dark wood of Severus's floor as his cup slipped through his long elegant fingers. "What…" His voice cracked as he looked at Harry. "What was inside? Did you open one of the tombs?"
"All of them actually." Harry waved his wand, clearing Severus's broken cup. "But it was Godric's I opened up first. I am his heir, after all. In side, I found a library of knowledge. It took me a little over a year to get everything out."
"You took everything!" Severus snapped.
"It was his wishes, Severus." Harry picked up again. "As you can imagine I learned more then I thought possible. It was then that I went after Voldemort for the last time." Harry's face turned to one of hatred and sorrow. "The poor bastard didn't know what hit him."
"What did you do to him?" Snape asked.
"I'm not going to give you details. They are memories that I am not proud of." Harry sank deeper in to his chair, almost afraid of Severus's reaction to his next words. "In the end Voldemort refused to die, so I did the only thing that would keep him from coming back. I absorbed his soul."
The shook in Severus's eyes was the strongest emotion Harry ever seen pass through the cold Potion Master's face. "He's in there with you?" He asked pointing at Harry's body.
"I'm much stronger then that twit ever hoped to be." Harry hissed. "It's like he's not even there. Voldemort is dead, make no mistake in that. But there are some of his characteristics in me."
"Your red eye." Severus said.
"Yes," Harry nodded. "Among other things. It's more like he passed his abilities to me. I can do all he could and more."
"The Dark Mark itched when you walked into my class."
"I am aware." Harry sighed. "It happened when I am angered by something. But back to my story." Harry beamed a smile as Severus rolled his eyes playfully. "Once I absorbed his soul, I made a trip back to the founder's tombs. To my surprise and delight, I was able to enter Salazar's tomb and did the same as Godric's. I learned all I could and empted the tomb. It was only a matter of time before I figured out how to get into Helga's and Rowena's. I learned all I could from all of them and moved their less personal items to a more secret location."
"You say all of this as if you have talked to them your self." Snape added and narrowed his eyes as Harry smiled brightly.
"Of course there were portraits of them and the fact that their ghosts are there helps."
Snape grunted and buried his head in his hands. "You do realize that there have been thousands of wizards and witches looking for those tombs. What makes you so special?"
"I'm almost hurt by that." Harry snapped, trying not to laugh. "I'm just lucky I guess."
"One day Mister Potter that luck of yours is going to run out." Severus snarled not understanding why Harry was now laughing.
"I haven't heard 'Mister Potter' in a long time." He joked. "It makes my heart ache to hear it again."
"If you are done mocking me." The Professor snapped.
"I am." Harry bottled up.
"So, why oh great and powerful one, do you feel the need to tell us about a new Dark Lord?"
"Harry looked Severus over, almost sadly so. "Gods, I've missed that tongue of yours." Severus just snarled. "I don't want to get involved. Yes, I could easily get rid of this wizard, but I don't want to."
"Why not." Severus crossed his arms over his chest.
"It's Percy Weasley." Harry said, starring lifelessly into the flames, but he did not miss the hiss of breath Severus took. "And there in lies the problem and the fact that Dumbledore thinks it's me."
"That old man wouldn't know a dark lord if he came knocking on his door." Severus sneered.
"He'd offer him a lemon drop, though." Harry added as he looked at Severus's clock, noting that it was late in the day. "I must be going. I do have a club to run after all."
Severus stood from his chair as did Harry. "When will you bother me with your presence again?"
"Such a sweet man." Harry laughed. "Well the Headmaster did say I could use the library, so I think tomorrow." Harry smiled as Severus pulled him into a scorching, spicy kiss. If this was any other man, Harry would have stayed the night and leave in the morning, but this was Severus Snape. This man's affections were not to be taken lightly. Pulling away, Harry seemed to be dazed and it showed in his red and green eyes. "All the more to remember you by. Yes, my night will be pure frustration, thank you. I'm never going to get your lips out of my head tonight."
"Your welcome." Severus kissed the sorter man's forehead, before he vanished yet again.