Suicide Solution.

Notes: this is a Severitus Challenge, go to www.geocities.com\challengefics\thechallenge.htm To find out the 'rules' for a Severitus Challenge piece.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is recognisably harry potter-ish, and the Severitus challenge-ness belongs to the writer Severitus, userid=123967

Summary: A Severitus challenge, [Snape is Harry's father] Story begins at 11.59pm on July 30th. It's the summer before Harry's 6th year, and Harry's changing . . .

Chapter 7

The mass of returning pupils flooded towards the great hall. Shouts of joy went up from those who were at the door, and like any message at Hogwarts it spread through the students like a wild fire, and soon more shouts were heard and the pupils cheers of joy

"Lupin's back!"

"Professor Lupin's teaching again!"

Were those most common to be heard, as the teenagers recognised their old DADA teacher. Beaming at the high table harry waved at Remus who raised his glass and nodded back. Still grinning he went to join his fellow 6th years at the Gryffindor table. As soon as he sat down Dean Thomas turned to him

"I can't believe they're letting him teach again! It's amazing. I hope he stays more than one year this time! Why are you smiling like that Harry?" Dean was looking at Harry with a confused expression, and then it changed to one of realisation.

"You knew!" he cried suddenly "you knew didn't you! How did you know?"

Ron was laughing at Dean and harry answered him

"Lupin was a friend of my dads, we've been keeping in contact with him since our fourth year. We found out in august that he was coming back."

Ron continued to laugh at dean and was about to say something when the main doors opened and professor Mcgonagall walked in with the new first years behind her.

She marched up to the front of the hall and stood next to the very battered old sorting hat. The hall was silent and everyone was watching the hat.

"Think it'll give another warning like last year?" harry heard dean whisper. Harry shrugged and Hermione said "Shhh!"

A thin rim opened and then the hat began to sing

Over a thousand year ago; since I was sewn;
The wizarding world has faced perils of each their own.
Fights for good; fights for light;
Battles fought with al their might.
Brave Gryffindor leading them forward; boldest of them all;
Sweet Hufflepuff; preparing a victory ball.
Sly Slytherin, planning the defence;
And smart Ravenclaw attacking with logic and sense.
Victories by the dozen, they won;
A perfect team, getting everything done.
But such happiness was not to last;
Friendships broke, and away Slytherin was cast.
Split, the lives have been since that day;
Separate you more; I must, that is my way.
So come to me, and I'll sort you, through Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, join one is what you'll do!

A enormous applause followed the song, and the hat bowed it's tip to each table in turn.

"It get's more story like every year!" Dean said to Harry whilst clapping. Mcgonagall cleared her throat and silence fell again.

"When I call your name, you will come forward, I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your house."

"Abbot, Hillary"

Hannah Abbots younger sister trotted forward and sat on the stool with the hat on her head, it took a while but eventually the hat called

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table decked in yellow clapped loudly as Hillary went and sat down.

"Bulstrode, Michel."

Millicent Bulstrode' s brother swaggered forward, much the same way that Draco had done for his sorting, though with less grace than Draco.

As soon as the hat was placed on his head, it called out

"SLYTHERIN!"

And the green-decked table clapped for him.

"It's obviously brothers and sisters year in the lower class pureblood families."

Seamus whispered to Dean, harry looked over to him wondering if Seamus still believed what the papers told him. Seamus noticed Harry looking at him and smiled slightly. Harry happy that someone at least wasn't paying attention to the prophet, smiled back.

The sorting continued, and Harry clapped whenever a new Gryffindor was sorted. He noticed with a slight sense of fear that most went to Slytherin, and very few went to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. But finally Mcgonagall took away the stool and Dumbledore stood up.

"Let the feast begin!"

The food appeared and the chatter got louder. Throughout the meal, Harry ate and listened rather than talk, the barrier that had placed itself between Harry and the others, was still there. But now strengthened with the death of Kretcher. One of his hands went down to his pocket and rest over the portrait of Campaspe. He could feel the aged wood smooth against his hand, and he ran his fingers over it slowly.

Harry looked around the hall, his eyes rested on the staff table, and moved across it. Remus was conversing quietly with Sinistra. Snape was eating his meal, very slowly, as if his mind was focused on something else. Hagrid was talking to Flitwick and Mcgonagall and Dumbledore were talking seriously in the centre.

Harry's eyes rested on Dumbledore and a flash of anger spread through him like fire. Forcing himself to calm down, he cast about his mind for something else to focus on. Further down the table Ginny laughed, 'Quidditch!' Harry's mind screamed at him. He felt the anger leave him and then realised that now that Umbridge had left he was back on the team.

"Hey Ginny!" Harry called to her "You going for try-outs this year?"

"You bet!" she called back, before going back to her meal.

Harry looked around the hall once more; he scanned the house tables, and stopped on the Slytherin one. Draco was sitting with Crabbe and Goyle as usual, but he was also with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Blaise looked up as if he could sense someone was watching him, and he locked eyes with Harry.

'Hello, Tanathos, it's good to see you.' Harry dropped his knife and fork with shock; he had heard Blaise's voice inside his head. He looked over to the Slytherin table again, and saw that Blaise was watching him. He smiled before going back to his conversation with Draco and Theodore. Harry mentally shock his head, 'need to practice Occlumency'.

Dumbledore stood up as the feast was ending, and the hall quieted immediately.

"Welcome first years! And welcome back 2nd through to 7th! As always I have a few start of term notices to give out. First as 4th years up will no doubt have noticed, professor Lupin has returned to teach DADA!" Tumultuous applause answered this, Lupin it seemed, was still well liked.

"However, I have some bad news too, only 4th year and above are aloud to visit the village of Hogsmeade this year. The forbidden forest, is strictly out of bounds, as once again I find myself having to remind a few older students" his gaze rested upon the Gryffindor table as he said this.

"Those students taking Divination at NEWT level will be taught by Professor Firenze on the ground floor, and those taking it at OWL level will be taught by Professor Trelawney in the 7th floor tower. The Quidditch try- outs will begin this Friday, please refer to your common rooms notice boards for the date on your house try-outs. And now I must strongly impress on you all, as Lord Voldemort has finally revealed himself to the ministry, your families are protecting themselves at home, but while you are here, at Hogwarts, and I am headmaster no masked Death eater or danger shall harm you. Now off to bed everyone."

The students and faculty applauded and they began to make their way to their beds. The new Gryffindor prefects, Ginny and Colin, led the first years out of the hall and up to the common room. While harry made his way over to Remus, he was followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Hey Remus, looks like you're welcomed back."

Remus laughed lightly, "Yeah, it does doesn't it" he stood up and joined the three sixth years, "Come, I'll walk back with you to Gryffindor tower, I haven't seen the fat lady in ages."

The four left the hall together and made their way up to Gryffindor tower, Ron and Hermione were in front, with Remus and harry behind. Remus was watching harry thoughtfully and then asked

"When did you're hair start getting so long?"

Harry was thinking about talking to lady Campaspe again and wasn't really paying attention to what was being asked, so he replied distantly

"Around my birthday"

"That's when you stopped wearing your glasses right?"

"Yeah . . . yeah about then."

Lupin sighed, harry was being so distant. He had noticed that during the meal, he hadn't talked much, only ate his meal quietly and thought to himself. Something was up and Lupin was determined to find out what was the cause for the sudden change in behaviour. It can't of all spurned from the death of the elf, something else must have caused this complete change in demeanour, and Lupin had a feeling that Dumbledore was right in the thick of it. He always was.

"Bubbletubble" Hermione' s voice woke both harry and Remus out of their thoughts as she gave the fat lady the password. "Goodnight Remus, see you tomorrow"

She climbed inside and Ron followed with a "'night Remus"

Harry turned to Remus before he climbed inside "I guess I'll see you tomorrow in class then Remus?"

"See you tomorrow Harry."

They hugged briefly, and then Harry disappeared into the common room. Hermione and Ron were waiting for him.

"I thought you two had gone to bed."

He said to them as they approached him, "We wanted a little chat Harry." Hermione replied.

He sat down on one of the chairs by the fireplace. "What about."

"That little argument you and Ron had on the train."

She sat down too, Ron however stayed standing.

"Okay, does Ron want to contribute to that statement or shall I just assume that you're pissed off at me?"

"What's happening to you harry? Last year you would never of killed Kretcher even though it was partly his fault."

Harry looked into the grate of the fire, as he spoke

"A lot has changed since last year, Ron. A lot has changed."

"Like what?"

Harry's anger flared at once, "Like what! The death of the only family member I've ever had! The death of some one who actually cared for me! Then of course there's the whole big prophecy thing, that Dumbledore kept from me all these years, even though it has EVERYTHING to do with me!"

He sat down again, not sure when it was when he stood up. Hermione looked like she was about to cry again, and Ron spoke

"You never did tell us what was in the prophecy -"

"You don't need to know" Harry said in a snarl as he cut Ron off.

"Well you don't need to take that tone, you sound just like malfoy when you speak like that!"

"Look!" Hermione said suddenly just as harry was about to start speaking again. "This chat was supposed to resolved the previous fight not start another one. Now why don't you two both apologise and shake hands, then we can go to bed, okay."

Harry stood again and moved towards Ron, when they were only a few feet apart Harry held out his hand, "Sorry mate, I'm having a bad time."

Ron took his hand, "I'm sorry too, friends?"

"You bet."

Hermione squealed and hugged them both at the same time. "Right well I'm going to bed, good night Harry, good night Ron" she kissed Ron on the cheek before disappearing up to the girls' dormitory.

"You coming Harry?"

"Yeah I'll be up in a bit. You go on."

Ron nodded and turned to the stairs, "Night."

He said before disappearing up them.

Harry sat down again by the fireplace and pulled out the picture frame, "Good evening, milady."

"Good evening, Tanathos, how was the feast?"

Harry relaxed back into the chair and laid the picture up against his leg, so that she was facing him.

"Boring, but the food was good."

"Yes, the food was always the best part of Hogwarts in my opinion."

"What year did you graduate milady?"

"1960, the same year, that I was married. A year later Sirius was born and two years after that Regulus was born. Regulus was such a good little boy. He did so well until he was killed. Much better than his older brother, much, much better."

Harry felt a twinge of sadness.

"Milady, why did you not like Sirius?"

"He dishonoured the most ancient and noble house of Black!"

"How?"

"Well, first off he was sorted into Gryffindor."

"I'm in Gryffindor." Harry interrupted.

"What? Well that does make sense, almost all potter' s were in Gryffindor."

"Why else did you hate him?"

"Hate him? Now, now Tanathos, I loved both of my son's very dearly, but Sirius just didn't live up to the family's expectations. You see."

"If you loved Sirius' why didn't you tell him?"

"He wouldn't have believed me! I saw you talking with him last year, so I know that you know him. What do you think of him?"

"He was a wonderful man, full of love and pride. He would have died before he betrayed his friends; he was sent to Azkaban on false prejudice, escaped and survived. He was the strongest man I've even known, and possibly the strongest man I ever will know. I loved him like he was my father, and he loved me as if I was his son."

"Why do you speak in the past tense, Tanathos, you speak as if he has died."

Harry didn't answer immediately.

"Oh no, my poor, poor little Gryffindor son, to what reason have you left me too? Tell me Tanathos, when did he die? And how?"

Harry sniffed, "He died in the ministry of magic in the mystery department, last June. He was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Darling little Bella? She never did like her cousin. But still! How dare she kill my son! Promise me Tanathos, that the next time you meet, she will not survive!"

Harry looked down into Campaspe' s face and saw the tears, from the grief and the determination in her eyes to see the death of Bellatrix.

"Promise me Tanathos, I will teach you everything I know, so that the next time you meet, you will survive and that little servant of the Dark Lord shall perish!"

"I promise you, Lady Campaspe Domina Black, that I, Lord Tanathos Guerra, shall do as you wish and kill Bellatrix Lestrange, at the next opportunity."

"Thank you, my dear Tanathos, now go to bed, we shall speak tomorrow."

"Good night, Lady Campaspe."

"Good night, Lord Tanathos."

Harry put the frame back into his pocket and went up the stairs to his bed, changed in to his pyjama's, placed the now sleeping portrait on his bedside table and went to sleep.

Dreaming sweet dreams of himself and Campaspe.

~S~

AN: I got an email saying that they didn't like the whole harry/elf thing, and so I thought I would answer it here just in case other readers felt the same.

I had harry kill and torture Kretcher because I felt that harry feels like Sirius' death is all to blame on the elf. Also I needed something that would drive away Ron, Hermione and Remus so that I could have the friendship form between Tanathos and Campaspe, because being Snape' s son, harry would be brilliant at potions, and as we saw in the 5th book, he isn't. But with the friendship with Campaspe, harry is learning everything that pureblood witches and wizards learn as they grow up. Also because Campaspe loved potions, she is tutoring harry so as he improves because of his genes he is also improving because of Campaspe, this makes it not so obvious that he is naturally improving.

I also needed something that would push all of Harry's friends away, the trip to Knockturn alley would turn Ron away because he is now worried about what else his 'friend' is hiding in his trunk, and the death of Kretcher drove Hermione away because of her whole SPEW thing.

I have made Blaise an Empath because; I feel that the Zabini family are not as important as the Malfoy family. Draco doesn't know that Blaise is an emapth but he is on orders from his family to be friends with him. Naturally Lucius and Narcissa know of the young Zabini' s talent, but they have yet to tell Draco. The Zabini family have decided that when Blaise graduates he will be enrolled into the service of the dark lord so that he may seek out the spies. How Blaise knew that Harry is Tanathos, will be explained in later chapters, but harry does find out eventually.

If you have any more queries please ask me in a review or email and if you are the first to ask then I will email you back but if you are one of many then I will answer it here, at the end of a chapter.

Keep reading and reviewing!

Lady Snake ~S~