My Father's Shadow
A.N. Sorry there was a bit of a wait on this one. I had to get all my thoughts organized on this story.
Chapter Nine
Or Give Me Death
Severus regarded the two youthful faces before him with the utmost severity. Sighing he decided to just get it over with.
"First of all, Draco," he made direct contact with the pale boy's icy gray eyes. "You will be staying here for the moment but you will have to be resorted–Slytherin is no longer safe fro you."
Harry's face took on a puzzled expression but Severus decided not to address it. Draco was allowed to have his secrets too. Draco himself kept his face it's usual mask, but gave a slight nod. The boy was a Slytherin, Snape was sure the thought had already occurred to him.
"Second, both of you will be having long talks with me on an individual basis." At these words Severus let his own mask drop to briefly show them his emotions. His was a face of concern, for both of the boy's in front of him. "You both have been through a lot in a very short period of time."
Severus placed his mask firmly back in place. "And finally, I'm afraid that there is something that I've bee keeping secret from you."
"Figures," Harry muttered. His father ignored him.
"About fifteen or so years ago, a short time before you both were born-you share the same birthday you know-Lucius and I made a pact with the Dark Lord. The pact was that we would give our first born children over to him. At the time I never thought I would have children. Lucius knew Narcissa was pregnant but he saw it as an honor to give his son over to the Dark Lord."
Severus let them digest this, then continued. "He cast a spell on us so that our children would inherit his powers...it would begin to work on your 15th birthday and take around 3 months to take effect. Then it would burst into bring–a magical inheritance enhanced by your own innate capabilities.
"I suspect that you both will come into this within the next couple of weeks or so. When you do I expect Voldemort will call to you-I don't know if he will have any power over you or not. When he calls you can make your own decision My advice is to go." Harry's eyes grew round at this but Draco simply nodded, almost resigned. Severus continued. "Voldemort will see you as valuable but avoiding him will only feed his rage when you inevitably meet."
Seeing the look of disgust on Harry's face, Severus quickly said, "No. I'm not suggesting you join Voldemort. I'm saying you should pretend to go along. If he tries to mark you though-leave."
"Why you? Why did he chase you?" asked Draco.
"We were his most powerful servants. His mot trusted advisors, the essence of his inner circle. I heard tell that he did this to one other person but the name was never mentioned and I disregarded it as rumor."
"Does he know about me?" asked Harry.
"You? No, not yet," answered Severus. "But he will. When you gain all that power I have no doubt he will know not only who you are but who you once were as well."
"Does Dumbledore know?" questioned Draco.
"Yes."
'What do you think of this Diablo," hissed Harry to the snake. Draco and Severus shot him rather uneasy looks.
'You will gain power yes? That is good.'
'It will be evil.'
'The origin is evil. But you are not evil. And the powers you will get are derived from within yourself. The only evil thing is what is forcing the magic out of you. Power cannot be evil if the one who wields it is not.'
Harry blinked. 'I didn't think snakes had thoughts like that.'
'I am not like other snakes.'
"Potter," snapped Draco. "What are you talking about?"
"Does it bother you to know that I can do something you can not?" Harry queried coyly.
"Never mind that Potter," said an aggravated Draco. "What did the snake say?"
"Why do you care?"
"That's the serpent of Salazar Slytherin!" Draco exclaimed. "Of course I care what it says."
'You're what!!!' Harry stuttered in parseltongue.
Draco was still speaking to him. "Come on Potter, how many snakes do you know that are black and gold and have emerald green eyes?"
'Calm down Serpent-Child.'
'Were you planning to tell me?' Harry was getting angry now.
'I've been in your family for centuries. You would have found out eventually.'
'Why?'
'Well, you are descended from my first master, Salazar Slytherin. Though you are the first since he whom can speak to me.'
"I am a descendent of Salazar Slytherin?" asked Harry, this time aloud, trying the words out in his mouth.
"Directly," Severus answered.
"So I am related to Voldemort?"
"Tom Riddle carries only a minimal amount of Slytherin's blood. You carry more than he does."
"Does Riddle know that you're descended from him?"
"No." Severus answered tersely
Draco was looking fascinated. "Anything else about Potter that he doesn't know."
"Not to my knowledge Mr. Malfoy, but you're welcome to share any information you may have."
Draco smirked. "But that would ruin the fun of him finding out on his own."
Harry sneered. Severus decided it was high time to step in.
"Harry, Draco, we will be going down to the Great Hall for dinner tonight. I suggest you, Mr. Snape, prepare yourself, Draco, if you go down the hallway a bit you'll find that a room has been prepared and your things have been brought down."
Two teens threw him disgruntled glares and followed his instructions.
Harry stomped to his room, much like a petulant child, barely missing squashing Diablo with the door when he slammed it. How dare these people, who barely knew him for himself, proclaim to know so much about his past and his heritage. Of course, he shouldn't believe that he would ever have any FUCKING control over his life. Uncle Vernon had always told him that. His eyes grew dazed in remembrance.
-Flashback-
An eight year old Harry flipped the bacon cautiously as he felt the stern eyes of his aunt sweep over him. Unfortunately, his clumsiness chose that precise moment to act up. With a start he dropped the spatula as a searing hot drop of grease landed on the skin of his already war-torn arm. Other drips made home across his aunt's spotless counter.
"Goddammit boy!" Petunia exclaimed in her nasally tone. "You're more like your father everyday, totally inconsiderate of the hard work of others."
Harry heard a pounding on the stairs and inwardly groaned, his uncle had obviously heard. "What did the boy do now?" Vernon asked in a threatening tone. Petunia gestured to the spots on her counter in a frantic manner, Vernon growled and Harry unconsciously shrunk back.
"IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE SUPERVISION ALL THE TIME BOY YOU WILL! ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF ACTING ON YOUR OWN!" his Uncle's voice boomed in Harry's ears and the young boy shrunk back even further timidly, not daring enough to speak.
Hours later, a satisfied Vernon stood at the door to the small cupboard. Harry lay in a crumpled heap, blood and semen mixing down his legs, his eyes dull, his breathing harsh, his throat raw from screams that no one would hear. Vernon laughed at his state.
"That whore, is the treatment you deserve."
With a laugh Vernon locked the door and walked away.
The lesson stuck.
-End Flashback-
Harry shuddered as the memory left him. Unconsciously he rubbed the brand on his back. He shouldn't expect better. He didn't deserve it. Rubbing the band that encircled his arm and entrapped his magic he wished more than anything he could take it off. All he wanted right now was to conjure up a nice, long knife.
Draco left the room in a huff, not sure whether he was angry at his father or his godfather. Deciding that he was infuriated with the pair of them, he began readying himself for dinner. Severus did have a point. Slytherin was no longer safe for him.
In his dorm mates eyes, being disowned was like singlehandedly betraying the Dark Lord to the Ministry. And none of them were trustworthy in a time of emergency, none could be counted on to handle Draco's magical inheritance.
That was something that interested Draco. Power. Draco was a Slytherin to the core, ambitious, prestigious, dedicated, honorable, and also selfish, preserving, decisive. In all honesty, Draco exemplified the Slytherin House. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to be sorted into a different house anyway. Hufflepuff didn't suit him and the Gryffindors would probably Avada Kedavra him on the spot. Ravenclaw was a possibility, but the majority of them were muggle-borns and regardless of his disowning, Draco's fierce pride of being a pureblood would make him an outcast in that house.
Not only was the housing situation going to be a problem, but now Draco had no money, no family, no friends, no shelter really. And he couldn't whole-heartedly trust his Godfather. Severus may love him, but he had lied to him. Lying was not a good thing to do in Draco's presence. He found it wasn't much to his taste. Draco had a habit of being brutally honest, and hell if he would change his ways now.
Review Responses:
Thanks to:
Misty
Charlie-Potter1
JE aka Yessina: I'm glad you like the relationship between SS and HP in my fic, I've found that the way they are usually portrayed in a Severitus Challenge Fic was just not to my liking. So, what's the meaning behind your pen name?
Wynjara
Amber Fyre Riddle-Snape: I'm considering it. And about the length, I'm working on it! I usually have a time constraint when I'm writing a chapter, so please work with me.
Lady Lily 3
Dalamar Nightson: I know, it kind of reminded me of Rumplestilsken when I reread it. Sigh Oh well. I got the point across.
Mayhem El-Diablo: Not sure.
JJ
Baroness Jumping Rain; Sida: I have doubts on Snape ever becoming mushy. Have no fear!
Riley Riddle: Yeah...had to add the cutting thing in there. Anyway, about the 'Dark Man' thing, I'm not giving any clues, but it might be...advantageous for you to remember that in say, three more chapters?
Dying Angel1: In his eyes, cutting is the way to get rid of the pain. Different people have different ways of dealing with pain, I think Severus will both help him, and find out some new things himself.
Kamorie
Black Rose1212: First of all, thank you very much for the well thought out review. Next, when I say 'sexually mistreated' I mean it in both sense of the word as I think you saw in this chapter. Also, Harry won't cry in front of Draco, at least not while they're enemies, he may allow his barriers to break once in a while, but I agree, Harry's not weak and he's still sane. Sane people don't just let people they don't trust know all their secrets. (Now he may not be incredibly mentally stable...but still sane. Fairly.)
Tia Evans
MerlinHalliWell
Kateri1
JazzyLady
HecateDeMort
Kayla Summers: Interesting profile. Your reasons for liking angst so much pretty much coincide with mine. Cool.
Enb2004: I know, I almost feel sorry for him.
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