My Father's Shadow
Chapter 12 Before They Hatch
Albus Dumbledore heaved a great sigh as Severus Snape left his presence after reporting Harry's magical outburst. He had fitted his potions master with stronger magical bonds and wished the man luck. That was about as much as he could do.
Now he was facing the problem of masters for his two new apprentices. Finding a master for Draco hadn't been too difficult considering the boy's past and current loyalties but finding a master for Harry had been much the opposite. While Severus would seem like the likely fit the headmaster just didn't find it suitable.
Albus sighed once more and put his head down on his hands, trying to remember a time without great strife. Groaning he raised his head once more as he realized he couldn't remember one. First it had been the battle with Grindelwald then with Voldemort and now the struggle with raising Harry. He found it ironic that the latter was the one he was finding most difficult.
Suddenly a light bulb went off in Albus' head. There was a person who would make a suitable master for Harry. It was a long shot, but it was possible. With relief he picked up his quill and began a letter that could make or break the life of Harry Potter.
Severus opened the door to his son's room with trepidation. He held in one hand a heavy golden arm band with a Latin spell inscribed on it. In the other he held a ruby ring. He noted the petrified form on the bed with a mixture or relief and sadness. Relief that his son hadn't broken free of the spell once again and sadness that such precautions were necessary.
Regaining his forgotten composure he strode over to his son's bedside. The boy had his eyes screwed shut and sweat was pouring down his face in what Severus realized was fear. In the back of his mind Severus realized that the boy must be having a flashback-a memory of the time he was with his relatives.
"Enervate," he muttered and the boy relaxed and eased his eyes open.
"What happened?" Severus questioned in barely over a whisper. The boy turned his face away, shutting his eyes once more, closing out the world.
"Nothing."
Severus sighed. "Tomorrow, Mr. Snape, we will be having a very long talk. But for now I have something for you so I would like you to sit up and look at me."
Harry obliged with a moan, opening his eyes and regarding his father solemnly. Severus set the band and ring down on the bedside table. From somewhere on the large bed Diablo hissed. Harry hissed back and then both were silent. That is until Harry's eyes drifted to his bedside table and he saw the golden band.
Furiously he shot out of bed. "No, absolutely not, I will not allow another one." Magic rose in the room with his rage and Severus hand nervously gripped his wand. Diablo, sensing his master's fury wound himself around the boy's wrist, which seemed to calm him down.
Gathering his courage, Severus found the will to speak. "If you had any sense you would realize how foolhardy it is at the moment to refuse them. Can you not feel the danger your magic is carrying with your emotions at the moment? Don't you realize the risk?"
"I don't care! I will not let you make me helpless." Harry paced the room in front of his father, shooting the man glares of contempt.
"And I don't care what you want right now," Severus shot back. "The goal is not to make you helpless, it's to make other people safe. Can't you understand that? When you can control your magic once again we will take them off."
"I will not let you put it on me," Harry screeched reaching for the door handle, but once again, he was too slow. "Stupefy," Severus commanded and the boy fell to the ground unconscious. He slipped the band on to the boy's arm with a note of guilt and then stood back amidst Diablo's angry hisses.
"Enervate." The boy woke once again and Severus prepared for an angry reaction. But instead of being incensed as the boy regarded the bond once again ensconcing his forearm, there was instead a sadness that came over him. Tears dripped down the boy's cheek.
Alarmed Severus started forward, but Diablo hissed at him and Severus took the warning to stay back. Harry dropped his head down and lay back down in his bed, curled in a ball, silent.
"I do only what I believe is best for you Harry," Severus said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't mean to cause you pain." Harry didn't answer and Severus didn't expect him to.
"The ring on your bedside is a family heirloom, passed down from my father to me and from his father before him. It is yours. I would be honored if you would wear it."
Harry didn't move and Severus sighed. "We'll talk tomorrow." With that he made his way out for the night.
Hermione Granger, Ronald and Virginia Weasley, and Neville Longbottem had recovered from their shock of receiving a letter from Malfoy and now made their way to the Astronomy Tower in hopes of finding out some information about Harry.
They found Malfoy there, a silent prince fallen from glory, or at least that's the way that Hermione saw him. He was at their sides in an instant regarding them with suspicion.
"I told you not to bring anyone," he said, addressing Hermion and Ron with something like anger.
"We're doing this in Harry's best interests," Hermion answered him smoothly. "And these two people care as much about Harry's best interests as we do."
Draco snorted then nodded. "Fine, but under no circumstances are you to inform more people about this meeting."
"It's a deal."
There was silence for a few moments as the five teens assessed each other. Then Ron broke in, almost timidly.
"You know where Harry is?"
"I do," Draco affirmed. He didn't say anything else.
"Well?" Hermione pressed.
"You know of Potter's family."
"We do, but what has that to do with anything?"
"Maybe nothing, and maybe everything."
"Stop speaking in riddles Malfoy," Ron said angrily. "Where is Harry at?"
"Very well, I will tell you what I know," Draco acquiesced. "At the moment Potter is sleeping in the room adjoining mine in Snape's quarters. He is there because Severus Snape is his father."
There was silence for a second.
. .. ... .....
"WHAT!?" all four of the Gryffindors shouted in unison.
"Severus Snape is Harry Potter's father."
The four took a couple moments to get over their shock. Then Ginny seemed to snap out of it. She looked at Malfoy with a mixture of emotions, the largest of which was mistrust.
"And what do you want in return for this information?"
"Who does Harry Potter live with?"
"His muggle aunt and uncle."
"Has he ever been mistreated by them?"
Everyone blinked. Ron started to answer. "Not to our knowledge....OH! There was that time that we came and got him and his window was barred."
"And he's always so skinny when school starts each year," Hermione cut in.
"That's all I wanted to know," Draco said, and in seconds he was gone, leaving four very confused Gryffindors behind him.
Short, I know, but please forgive me.
Thank you to all my reviewers, 39 in all, tying with last chapter and in particular thanks to Emerald Iceling.
Chapter 12 Before They Hatch
Albus Dumbledore heaved a great sigh as Severus Snape left his presence after reporting Harry's magical outburst. He had fitted his potions master with stronger magical bonds and wished the man luck. That was about as much as he could do.
Now he was facing the problem of masters for his two new apprentices. Finding a master for Draco hadn't been too difficult considering the boy's past and current loyalties but finding a master for Harry had been much the opposite. While Severus would seem like the likely fit the headmaster just didn't find it suitable.
Albus sighed once more and put his head down on his hands, trying to remember a time without great strife. Groaning he raised his head once more as he realized he couldn't remember one. First it had been the battle with Grindelwald then with Voldemort and now the struggle with raising Harry. He found it ironic that the latter was the one he was finding most difficult.
Suddenly a light bulb went off in Albus' head. There was a person who would make a suitable master for Harry. It was a long shot, but it was possible. With relief he picked up his quill and began a letter that could make or break the life of Harry Potter.
Severus opened the door to his son's room with trepidation. He held in one hand a heavy golden arm band with a Latin spell inscribed on it. In the other he held a ruby ring. He noted the petrified form on the bed with a mixture or relief and sadness. Relief that his son hadn't broken free of the spell once again and sadness that such precautions were necessary.
Regaining his forgotten composure he strode over to his son's bedside. The boy had his eyes screwed shut and sweat was pouring down his face in what Severus realized was fear. In the back of his mind Severus realized that the boy must be having a flashback-a memory of the time he was with his relatives.
"Enervate," he muttered and the boy relaxed and eased his eyes open.
"What happened?" Severus questioned in barely over a whisper. The boy turned his face away, shutting his eyes once more, closing out the world.
"Nothing."
Severus sighed. "Tomorrow, Mr. Snape, we will be having a very long talk. But for now I have something for you so I would like you to sit up and look at me."
Harry obliged with a moan, opening his eyes and regarding his father solemnly. Severus set the band and ring down on the bedside table. From somewhere on the large bed Diablo hissed. Harry hissed back and then both were silent. That is until Harry's eyes drifted to his bedside table and he saw the golden band.
Furiously he shot out of bed. "No, absolutely not, I will not allow another one." Magic rose in the room with his rage and Severus hand nervously gripped his wand. Diablo, sensing his master's fury wound himself around the boy's wrist, which seemed to calm him down.
Gathering his courage, Severus found the will to speak. "If you had any sense you would realize how foolhardy it is at the moment to refuse them. Can you not feel the danger your magic is carrying with your emotions at the moment? Don't you realize the risk?"
"I don't care! I will not let you make me helpless." Harry paced the room in front of his father, shooting the man glares of contempt.
"And I don't care what you want right now," Severus shot back. "The goal is not to make you helpless, it's to make other people safe. Can't you understand that? When you can control your magic once again we will take them off."
"I will not let you put it on me," Harry screeched reaching for the door handle, but once again, he was too slow. "Stupefy," Severus commanded and the boy fell to the ground unconscious. He slipped the band on to the boy's arm with a note of guilt and then stood back amidst Diablo's angry hisses.
"Enervate." The boy woke once again and Severus prepared for an angry reaction. But instead of being incensed as the boy regarded the bond once again ensconcing his forearm, there was instead a sadness that came over him. Tears dripped down the boy's cheek.
Alarmed Severus started forward, but Diablo hissed at him and Severus took the warning to stay back. Harry dropped his head down and lay back down in his bed, curled in a ball, silent.
"I do only what I believe is best for you Harry," Severus said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't mean to cause you pain." Harry didn't answer and Severus didn't expect him to.
"The ring on your bedside is a family heirloom, passed down from my father to me and from his father before him. It is yours. I would be honored if you would wear it."
Harry didn't move and Severus sighed. "We'll talk tomorrow." With that he made his way out for the night.
Hermione Granger, Ronald and Virginia Weasley, and Neville Longbottem had recovered from their shock of receiving a letter from Malfoy and now made their way to the Astronomy Tower in hopes of finding out some information about Harry.
They found Malfoy there, a silent prince fallen from glory, or at least that's the way that Hermione saw him. He was at their sides in an instant regarding them with suspicion.
"I told you not to bring anyone," he said, addressing Hermion and Ron with something like anger.
"We're doing this in Harry's best interests," Hermion answered him smoothly. "And these two people care as much about Harry's best interests as we do."
Draco snorted then nodded. "Fine, but under no circumstances are you to inform more people about this meeting."
"It's a deal."
There was silence for a few moments as the five teens assessed each other. Then Ron broke in, almost timidly.
"You know where Harry is?"
"I do," Draco affirmed. He didn't say anything else.
"Well?" Hermione pressed.
"You know of Potter's family."
"We do, but what has that to do with anything?"
"Maybe nothing, and maybe everything."
"Stop speaking in riddles Malfoy," Ron said angrily. "Where is Harry at?"
"Very well, I will tell you what I know," Draco acquiesced. "At the moment Potter is sleeping in the room adjoining mine in Snape's quarters. He is there because Severus Snape is his father."
There was silence for a second.
. .. ... .....
"WHAT!?" all four of the Gryffindors shouted in unison.
"Severus Snape is Harry Potter's father."
The four took a couple moments to get over their shock. Then Ginny seemed to snap out of it. She looked at Malfoy with a mixture of emotions, the largest of which was mistrust.
"And what do you want in return for this information?"
"Who does Harry Potter live with?"
"His muggle aunt and uncle."
"Has he ever been mistreated by them?"
Everyone blinked. Ron started to answer. "Not to our knowledge....OH! There was that time that we came and got him and his window was barred."
"And he's always so skinny when school starts each year," Hermione cut in.
"That's all I wanted to know," Draco said, and in seconds he was gone, leaving four very confused Gryffindors behind him.
Short, I know, but please forgive me.
Thank you to all my reviewers, 39 in all, tying with last chapter and in particular thanks to Emerald Iceling.