Chapter 15
Relations Revealed
As Harry woke up the next morning, Ron had already gone downstairs and Harry was alone in the room. He did not get up straight away; the bed was warm and cosy and he felt relaxed for the first time in ages. Suddenly, a voice came from Phineas Nigellus's empty frame on the wall.
'Rise and shine, sleepy-head!'
Harry looked up at the painting, just as Phineas Nigellus himself strolled into view.
'Hello,' Harry said. 'I haven't seen you here for a long time.'
'Oh, I prefer to spend my time in Dumbledore's office these days,' Phineas said casually, examining his gloves. 'This place is rather dull, whereas all sorts of exciting things are revealed in the Headmaster's office. I can't risk to miss anything, can I?'
Harry snorted. 'So, what brings you here today?'
'Why, a little bird whispered in my ear that a most interesting transaction had taken place here at Grimmauld Place on Christmas Day,' Phineas said smiling pointedly at Harry.
'What are you talking about?' Harry said confusedly.
Phineas shifted his gaze slightly, and when Harry followed it, he realised that he was looking at his chess set. So that was what he had meant. Of course, Phineas had to know all about Snape being his father, and he had probably seen the set on countless occasions, just like Professor McGonagall.
'That's rather a handsome chess set you have there,' Phineas said, still smiling pointedly.
'Thanks!' Harry said, grinning at him. 'It used to belong to my great-great-grandfather.'
'I know,' Phineas said. 'His name is inscribed on the bottom of every piece.'
Harry frowned. He hadn't noticed any inscriptions yesterday. He picked up one of the knights and turned it over. And there it was, inscribed in gold letters: 'Phineas Nigellus'. Harry stared at it for a while, and then turned to look at Phineas again, who was now leaning against the frame of his picture, looking smug.
'You're my great-great-grandfather?' he whispered incredulously.
'Yes. My chess set has been passed down to the oldest child for generations. You should feel quite honoured to have it.'
'But ... but, you're Sirius's great-great-grandfather. Does this mean that I'm related to him too?' Harry said.
'Didn't Sirius tell you that most of the pureblood families are related to each other?' Phineas asked, sounding bored.
'Yes, but ...' Harry thought for a moment. 'Why isn't my ... I mean Sn ... Er, why isn't Professor Snape on the Black family tapestry?'
Phineas was still looking bored, and before he got a chance to answer, Ron entered the room.
'What are you doing, Harry?' he said. 'It's time for breakfast.'
'I'll be right down,' Harry said, jumping out of bed. 'You go ahead.'
As soon as Ron was out of earshot again, Harry turned back to the painting on the wall, but Phineas Nigellus was no longer there. While he was getting dressed, Harry kept looking at his chess set, thoughtfully.
The others had already started breakfast when he got down to the kitchen. It was only the Weasley family, Hermione and him today, as the other Order members had returned to their jobs or gone on missions for the Order. They were all munching away happily and chatting to each other.
'That was a lovely set of Chess you got for Christmas, Harry,' Mrs Weasley said, serving him some scrambled eggs. It was your great-great- grandfather's, Ron tells me?' Harry could tell that Hermione, who sat at the other end of the table, was listening intensely, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
'Yes, that's right,' he said warily.
'That must have been on the Potter side then?' She asked the question casually, but Harry was sure that she had put two and two together and now wanted to find out whether she was right. She knew perfectly well it hadn't been on the Potter side ...
'No,' he said, 'Not on the Potter side.' This was it, he realised; they had guessed already, some of them, and he wouldn't be able to hide it any longer. There was no reason to hide it either, only the fact that they would be really shocked and it would be embarrassing ... And knowing Ron and the way he'd reacted when he found out about Lupin and Hagrid ... It wouldn't be easy, but then of course, Snape wasn't a werewolf or a giant, so maybe Ron wouldn't take it so hard.
'Oh ... But it couldn't have been on Lily's side, could it?'
Harry just looked at her, at a loss for words.
'It's from your father, isn't it, Harry?' Hermione asked gently. Harry nodded, unable to speak. 'Is it ... who I think it is?' Harry nodded again.
'What?' Ron broke in; he hadn't been listening at first, but then he had noticed the tension in the atmosphere. 'What do you mean, Harry's father? You mean Dumbledore gave it to him, like the invisibility cloak?'
'Oh Ron,' said Hermione exasperatedly, 'Isn't it obvious? Can't you see who Harry looks like?' At this, Ron stared at him, a bemused look on his face. 'It's Professor Snape, Ron – isn't it, Harry?'
'Yes,' Harry said quietly. Now the whole Weasley family was staring at him.
'But ... but ... how is that possible?' Bill said incredulously. The other Weasleys seemed to be at a loss for words. Harry didn't know what to answer. He couldn't very well say that it involved a late night, a bottle of Polyjuice Potion and a secret mission to Godric's Hollow, could he? He looked helplessly at Hermione.
'I'm sure that's all very complicated,' she said hesitantly.
Mr Weasley cleared his throat. 'Does Professor Dumbledore know about this?'
Harry nodded, looking down at his plate of scrambled eggs, in order to avoid the stares.
Ginny put her hand on his arm. 'Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!'
Harry quickly pulled his arm away. He didn't want to be pitied.
'Ginevra Weasley!' Mrs Weasley snapped. 'There's nothing to be sorry about. Professor Snape does important and dangerous work for the Order. You can be proud that you're his son, Harry.' She looked encouragingly at him, but Harry noticed that Ginny, Ron and the twins were now avoiding his gaze. This was exactly the reaction he had feared. Hermione gave Ron and Ginny a reproving look before turning to Harry again:
'I think Mrs Weasley's right, Harry,' she said pointedly. 'And Professor Snape obviously thinks a lot of you too, since he gave you that family heirloom.'
'What's wrong with you people?' Ron suddenly shouted, looking from his mother to Hermione and Harry. 'This is Snape we're talking about! SNAPE! If I found out he was my father I think I'd perform an Avada Kedavra on myself!'
Mrs Weasley looked fit to burst with anger, but before she could speak Harry got up from his seat so fast that he knocked over his chair.
'So,' he said with forced calm, looking furiously at Ron. 'You think it's better to have no father at all, do you? You'd rather I had no family but the Dursleys? You have no idea what it's like, growing up without your parents, with no brothers or sisters, without ANYONE who cares about you! Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ron, because I have no intention of killing myself.' He walked to the door. 'And for future reference: it's Professor Snape to you, Ron,' he said silkily, and then swept out of the kitchen, leaving the Weasleys and Hermione to stare after him in shock.
Author's Note: I hope all the Ron lovers out there aren't upset with me now. I have nothing against Ron, but I really think this is how he would react to news like this. Incidentally, Harry reacted in almost the same way when he first found out.
Relations Revealed
As Harry woke up the next morning, Ron had already gone downstairs and Harry was alone in the room. He did not get up straight away; the bed was warm and cosy and he felt relaxed for the first time in ages. Suddenly, a voice came from Phineas Nigellus's empty frame on the wall.
'Rise and shine, sleepy-head!'
Harry looked up at the painting, just as Phineas Nigellus himself strolled into view.
'Hello,' Harry said. 'I haven't seen you here for a long time.'
'Oh, I prefer to spend my time in Dumbledore's office these days,' Phineas said casually, examining his gloves. 'This place is rather dull, whereas all sorts of exciting things are revealed in the Headmaster's office. I can't risk to miss anything, can I?'
Harry snorted. 'So, what brings you here today?'
'Why, a little bird whispered in my ear that a most interesting transaction had taken place here at Grimmauld Place on Christmas Day,' Phineas said smiling pointedly at Harry.
'What are you talking about?' Harry said confusedly.
Phineas shifted his gaze slightly, and when Harry followed it, he realised that he was looking at his chess set. So that was what he had meant. Of course, Phineas had to know all about Snape being his father, and he had probably seen the set on countless occasions, just like Professor McGonagall.
'That's rather a handsome chess set you have there,' Phineas said, still smiling pointedly.
'Thanks!' Harry said, grinning at him. 'It used to belong to my great-great-grandfather.'
'I know,' Phineas said. 'His name is inscribed on the bottom of every piece.'
Harry frowned. He hadn't noticed any inscriptions yesterday. He picked up one of the knights and turned it over. And there it was, inscribed in gold letters: 'Phineas Nigellus'. Harry stared at it for a while, and then turned to look at Phineas again, who was now leaning against the frame of his picture, looking smug.
'You're my great-great-grandfather?' he whispered incredulously.
'Yes. My chess set has been passed down to the oldest child for generations. You should feel quite honoured to have it.'
'But ... but, you're Sirius's great-great-grandfather. Does this mean that I'm related to him too?' Harry said.
'Didn't Sirius tell you that most of the pureblood families are related to each other?' Phineas asked, sounding bored.
'Yes, but ...' Harry thought for a moment. 'Why isn't my ... I mean Sn ... Er, why isn't Professor Snape on the Black family tapestry?'
Phineas was still looking bored, and before he got a chance to answer, Ron entered the room.
'What are you doing, Harry?' he said. 'It's time for breakfast.'
'I'll be right down,' Harry said, jumping out of bed. 'You go ahead.'
As soon as Ron was out of earshot again, Harry turned back to the painting on the wall, but Phineas Nigellus was no longer there. While he was getting dressed, Harry kept looking at his chess set, thoughtfully.
The others had already started breakfast when he got down to the kitchen. It was only the Weasley family, Hermione and him today, as the other Order members had returned to their jobs or gone on missions for the Order. They were all munching away happily and chatting to each other.
'That was a lovely set of Chess you got for Christmas, Harry,' Mrs Weasley said, serving him some scrambled eggs. It was your great-great- grandfather's, Ron tells me?' Harry could tell that Hermione, who sat at the other end of the table, was listening intensely, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
'Yes, that's right,' he said warily.
'That must have been on the Potter side then?' She asked the question casually, but Harry was sure that she had put two and two together and now wanted to find out whether she was right. She knew perfectly well it hadn't been on the Potter side ...
'No,' he said, 'Not on the Potter side.' This was it, he realised; they had guessed already, some of them, and he wouldn't be able to hide it any longer. There was no reason to hide it either, only the fact that they would be really shocked and it would be embarrassing ... And knowing Ron and the way he'd reacted when he found out about Lupin and Hagrid ... It wouldn't be easy, but then of course, Snape wasn't a werewolf or a giant, so maybe Ron wouldn't take it so hard.
'Oh ... But it couldn't have been on Lily's side, could it?'
Harry just looked at her, at a loss for words.
'It's from your father, isn't it, Harry?' Hermione asked gently. Harry nodded, unable to speak. 'Is it ... who I think it is?' Harry nodded again.
'What?' Ron broke in; he hadn't been listening at first, but then he had noticed the tension in the atmosphere. 'What do you mean, Harry's father? You mean Dumbledore gave it to him, like the invisibility cloak?'
'Oh Ron,' said Hermione exasperatedly, 'Isn't it obvious? Can't you see who Harry looks like?' At this, Ron stared at him, a bemused look on his face. 'It's Professor Snape, Ron – isn't it, Harry?'
'Yes,' Harry said quietly. Now the whole Weasley family was staring at him.
'But ... but ... how is that possible?' Bill said incredulously. The other Weasleys seemed to be at a loss for words. Harry didn't know what to answer. He couldn't very well say that it involved a late night, a bottle of Polyjuice Potion and a secret mission to Godric's Hollow, could he? He looked helplessly at Hermione.
'I'm sure that's all very complicated,' she said hesitantly.
Mr Weasley cleared his throat. 'Does Professor Dumbledore know about this?'
Harry nodded, looking down at his plate of scrambled eggs, in order to avoid the stares.
Ginny put her hand on his arm. 'Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!'
Harry quickly pulled his arm away. He didn't want to be pitied.
'Ginevra Weasley!' Mrs Weasley snapped. 'There's nothing to be sorry about. Professor Snape does important and dangerous work for the Order. You can be proud that you're his son, Harry.' She looked encouragingly at him, but Harry noticed that Ginny, Ron and the twins were now avoiding his gaze. This was exactly the reaction he had feared. Hermione gave Ron and Ginny a reproving look before turning to Harry again:
'I think Mrs Weasley's right, Harry,' she said pointedly. 'And Professor Snape obviously thinks a lot of you too, since he gave you that family heirloom.'
'What's wrong with you people?' Ron suddenly shouted, looking from his mother to Hermione and Harry. 'This is Snape we're talking about! SNAPE! If I found out he was my father I think I'd perform an Avada Kedavra on myself!'
Mrs Weasley looked fit to burst with anger, but before she could speak Harry got up from his seat so fast that he knocked over his chair.
'So,' he said with forced calm, looking furiously at Ron. 'You think it's better to have no father at all, do you? You'd rather I had no family but the Dursleys? You have no idea what it's like, growing up without your parents, with no brothers or sisters, without ANYONE who cares about you! Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ron, because I have no intention of killing myself.' He walked to the door. 'And for future reference: it's Professor Snape to you, Ron,' he said silkily, and then swept out of the kitchen, leaving the Weasleys and Hermione to stare after him in shock.
Author's Note: I hope all the Ron lovers out there aren't upset with me now. I have nothing against Ron, but I really think this is how he would react to news like this. Incidentally, Harry reacted in almost the same way when he first found out.