Remember: Peace, Love, and be a Marauder! I mean, why wouldn't you be?
Disclaimer: I have never owned Harry Potter and I never shall. But if JKRowling is looking for a helper, I'm in. So don't sue.
Chapter 23- Secrets Revealed and Surprising Reactions (Start of Term Surprises)
Two hours before the students were to arrive Harry sought out the groundskeeper. He' d seen Hagrid on rare occasions and spoke to him even less. He missed his friend and was more than a little ashamed that he hadn't talked with him before. But, as Albus kept reminding him, he'd had his hands full, and he'd hardly been in any shape there for a while to be around anyone. Now, with his grandfather's assent (he'd been unable to locate Severus), he looked for the half-giant in the hopes to go with him to Hogsmeade station. He found the man just as he was leaving his cabin.
"Hagrid!" he hailed, speeding up to catch his friend.
"Harry!" Hagrid roared, sweeping the boy into a bear hug. He sat him down and his beetle black eyes beamed at him happily.
"Tis good to see ya lad. I waz beginin' to wonder if ye knew where I lived." He chuckled as Harry began to apologize profusely. "No need to worry. You've been awfully busy with that new family o' yer's." He chuckled once more as Harry's eyes widened.
"How did you know? How long have you known? It was supposed to be a secret until tonight," the Gryffindor wanted to know. Hagrid motioned for him to follow as they walked towards the school grounds' entrance.
"Which would ye like answered first?"
"How long have you known?"
"Simple enough; since the staff meetin'." At Harry's puzzled expression he elaborated. "I've known Albus most of me life and Severus the majority of his," Harry was pleased to hear his friend call the Potions Master 'Severus'. A fair number of the teachers, when they thought that neither he nor the Headmaster were listening, still referred to the man as 'Snape', which annoyed Harry to no end. "I know the way he'd act in almost any situation. Severus may have seemed to have been his evil self, but I could tell different. There was no heart in his act as there had been before. All the attempts I've seen lately have been half-hearted facsimiles at best. I know the other haven' noticed but I have, and not just that," he paused as he directed the horseless carriages down the road and climbed in an enlarged boat, large enough for both Harry and he to fit. "The way Albus has been lookin' at ye lately. I know he cares for his students deeply but lad he loves ye," he shook his head. "Don't see why no one's noticed before. Well, as I waz sayin', I thought about it, watched some more and came to a surprisin' conclusion. So I went to see my old year-mate Dale...."
"From the adoption agency," Harry finished with a sly grin. Hagrid nodded his wild busy head.
"That I did. It took a might bit of arguin' but finally he told me," he leaned forward, his tone becoming conspirital, "He also told me that he and the minister were the only ones who knew outside of Hogwarts. Now I found that strange. Why would the minister want to hide somethin' like that?" The Gryffindor snorted.
"You wouldn't find it so strange if you'd been here when he confronted grandpa," the boy's eyes darkened slightly at the memory, "He all but promised to haul Severus to the dementors but he'd pushed Albus too far," His mouth twitched into a smile, "He sent him packing alright." The groundskeeper seemed pleased.
"Serves the old git right for tryin' to break ye three up." He suddenly chuckled. " 'Grandpa' eh? I never thought I'd see the day. I'm glad for all of ye, really I am." Harry was delighted that he could sense the man's sincerity and they chatted happily for the rest of the trip. When the older man brought up the subject of his injuries he'd cringed inwardly, though on the outside his expression only clouded briefly.
"I can't, not yet Hagrid. I'm sorry." But Hagrid waved his apology away.
"That's alright Harry, ye can tell me when yer ready." The student expressed his profound gratitude with a warm smile, happy that he did not have to relive the attack yet. What he didn't know was all that was about to change.
Harry shifted nervously from foot to foot, anxiety heightening with each passing minute. The groundskeeper noted his worry and laid a heavy hand on the boy's head.
"Calm yerself Harry, it shouldna be long now." The Gryffindor only nodded absently, squinting in the distance for any sign of the train. He was going to be a strange sight to any of the students, that was for certain. He was decked out in the scarlet and gold cloak his father had given him for his birthday and the phoenix clasp from his grandfather held it in place. One would think it too warm for such wear but autumn was approaching swiftly and already the wind cut at a person. Pinned to the cloak, strangely contrasting with the other colors, was a silver prefect badge. His dark locks had been allowed to fall free and his glasses were absent. His cane was held firmly in his left hand though he rubbed the phoenix head with his thumb, a habit Harry'd gotten into. In one of his pockets was Tave, taking a nap and Rowena resided on his shoulder, preening her feathers. Hedwig had chosen to stay behind on the grounds that she had made this trip often enough. Suddenly there was a distant whistle and Harry smiled. Coming around the last turn, puffing its scarlet smoke was the Hogwarts Express. As soon as the train came to a halt students began piling out of it. Hagrid left the Gryffindor's side and boomed out for the first years to follow him. Harry's eyes darted through the crowd, searching for his two best friends. He was distracted, however, when a group of second years passed by, eyeing him with open curiosity. He just managed to catch the tail end of their conversation.
"Is that our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" A curly blonde asked her friend. Harry had to save himself from a double take and a fit of laughter. He, look like a professor? Well he certainly didn't look like a student but a professor? He snickered but tried his best to hide it. This year was already promising to be interesting. Before long, a lanky red head and a bushy brown head made their way in his general direction. He grinned and called out to them.
"Ron! Hermione!"
The day had not been an easy one for either Ron or Hermione. They'd spent most of the train ride in relative silence, too worried about their friend to speak much. It was in this brooding mood that they left the train and the mood they expected to stay in till the reached the castle and made sure of their friend's health. It was not to be, they discovered, as a voice called out to them, one they had not expected to hear so soon.
"Ron! Hermione!" Their heads snapped up and they spotted their friend waving madly at them from his place near the horseless coaches. They quickly threaded their way over to him.
"Harry," Hermione gave him a fierce hug, "how have you been?" The black-haired teenager chuckled.
"It's only been a week since I last saw you and you act as though we haven't seen one another in years. I'm fine," he assured, finally answering her question. As he spoke they studied him closely. His clothes were radically different from before. Over his black school robes he wore a luxurious scarlet cloak with finely detailed gold trim, traditional Gryffindor colors. The cloak itself was held in place by a unique gold phoenix clasp, they eyes of which were set with tiny rubies. On his robes was pinned a prefect badge. In his hand they recognized a cane. It was different than the Potions Master's that much was obvious. But why did he have one? Why did he wear gloves as Professor Snape had? As their friend tilted his head Hermione thought she detected a hint of make-up on the left side of his face. She dismissed it, thinking she was seeing things.
"Well, come on, let's get our carriage and get out of here before it get's too crowded." He was about to herd them away when an all too familiar sneering voice cut through the noise of the crowd.
"Well, I see you've made your decision."
Malfoy, like our favorite Gryffindors, was having a bad day. The only thing that had made it at all bearable was the fact school was starting. That meant he could get away his parents, namely his father! It didn't matter what Draco did, it was never good enough. He tried his hardest to get the best grades possible, (not that he minded, contrary to popular belief, he loved school) but he was always beaten by Granger. (He only referred to her as Mudblood for his father's benefit, he actually thought she was a likable person.) The fact that the Gryffindor beat him in the academic field only served to have his father push him into another field, the Quidditch field. Not that he didn't love playing, he just wasn't in the same league as Potter. The boy had fame, fortune, and friends, things he'd gotten all on his own. Draco hid behind his father's cloak and name, for he had nothing to call his own and he most certainly wished he couldn't claim his family, they disgusted him.
And he disgusted them, he knew that for certain. He had no ambitions in their eyes, at least, not the ones they wanted him to have. They were determined to make him as famous as Potter. A fame, Draco wasn't sure he wanted. He'd watched Potter a lot, more than most knew, and he'd seen the taletell signs of strain being "The-Boy-Who-Lived" visited upon the Gryffindor, a thing Draco did not envy. It was at those times that he'd wanted to stop and ask if he could do anything to help. But he never had. It was his damn Slytherin pride that had prevented him from befriending the Gryffindor. No, it simply wasn't done. Gryffindors and Slytherins were to be sworn enemies, it was tradition. At times though he wished he could chuck tradition out the window and try and help. Though, he most likely would never be trusted. Who would ever believe that a Slytherin wished nothing more than to be a Gryffindor? Who would believe that his sarcastic attitude was largely to disguise his loneliness? No one, that's who. As he pondered more deeply he noticed three familiar figures. It was Weasley, Granger, and the new student. And he was wearing a Gryffindor cloak. Draco's heart sank; there went his last hope for a real friend. He hid his pain well behind a sneer that was not his own and marched up to them. Time to shatter what tenuous hope of friendship that was left.
"Well, I see you've made your decision."
Harry turned immediately and gazed down at the blonde boy curiously. For some reason his healing instincts told him this person needed his help. To back this Rowena chirped and leaned toward the boy. He gave himself a mental shake. This was Malfoy, one of the most confident people he knew, why would he suddenly think he needed help? He knew the answer to that from the warning bells going off in his head from the emotional feedback he was getting. He pushed it aside to brood over later. Almost without thinking he pushed back his hair from his eyes, tucking it behind his ear. His scar was now plainly visible.
"It would seem I have Malfoy," he answered cooly, earning no small amount of amusement at the blonde boy's slack jawed expression.
No, it couldn't be. Potter? This was Potter? But he looked so.....so.....not like himself. Before him, where once a gawky teenager such as himself had been, stood an adult. Potter had grown, and he wasn't just referring to his height. There was a tangible air of power, authority, and calm about him that demanded one's attention. It was a transformation he had not expected and could hardly believe possible. It threw him off balance and he struggled to recover.
"Potter?" Oh damn, couldn't hide the startled squeak. Behind the Gryffindor Ron and Hermione snickered. His anger boiled under the surface as he ruthlessly beat it down. No, he would not show his weakness, not to them-especially not to them. As he reined in his temper, a small, detached part of his brain noted that Harry was not laughing. No, he merely regarded the Slytherin with a blank expression. But was Draco seeing things, or was that a troubled glint in the boy's eyes? As Harry tilted his head he caught a glimpse of make-up. He should recognize it, he'd used it often enough himself to cover any marks his father's "disciplines" left behind. But why would Potter be wearing it? He shook himself, physically, out of his observations and backed away.
"So be it," he muttered and vanished back into the sea of pressing bodies.
Harry watched him leave and wondered at the immense sadness that went with him. This was certainly an interesting development. He did not join his friends in their laughter for he no longer found amusement.
"Come on," he said roughly, cutting through their hysterics, "let's go." The two Gryffindors immediately sobered, realizing that they had some how offended their friend. They climbed into the nearest carriage silently, and Harry was about to close the door when a new voice called out to them.
"Wait! Please wait!" Harry froze and waited until Neville made it. "Can I catch a ride with you guys, all the other are full," he asked hopefully. Harry nodded and allowed him to enter. Their year-mate took a grateful seat next to Hermione. "Thanks you guys. I was afraid that I'd be left behind." Neville suddenly spotted the boy next to Ron. "He-hello, who are you?" he stammered. Harry blinked in confusion and suddenly realized that his hair had fallen in his face again and pushed it back.
"Neville it's me, Harry." The boy's eyes widened.
"Harry! I didn't recognize you." The fire mage smiled.
"That's okay. How was your summer?" Neville seemed surprised by the question but pleased to be asked.
"It was okay, though Gran was busy all of the time," Harry nodded. He had met Fiona Longbottom during the last Order meeting almost two weeks before. She was a strong-bodied woman, with a will to match. "She wasn't able to help me much with my homework, especially potions." He seemed distinctly miserable about this. The long-haired teenager bit his lip, thinking it over.
"Maybe I can help. Do you have it with you?" The boy nodded, eager for any help he could receive. From his pocket he pulled out a piece of parchment and unfolded it. Harry took it and read through it.
"Looks fine to me. Though try not to get Willow's tears and Weeping weeds mixed up. Here," he pointed to the spot on the paper and Neville leaned over to look, "they basically do the same thing through one is a liquid." He explained in-depth on the uses of both ingredients, surprising both Ron and Hermione with his knowledge. They traded curious glances, thoughts running along the same lines. Where had he learned all this? Hermione knew for a fact that half the things their friend was explaining was not in their book. In fact, it hardly mentioned those two items except in a few passing paragraphs. That he would know all this....was strange.
"Oh I get it!" Neville suddenly exclaimed, pulling both from their thoughts. "Thanks Harry!" The boy's grin was infectious for Harry smiled too.
"Any time." Neville's brow furrowed as Harry once again pushed back his hair.
"Harry why are you wearing gloves?" The other seemed surprised by the question and faltered.
"Uh, no reason really. I, uh, just felt like it." He self-consciously rubbed the black leather on his right hand, glancing out the window. Neville was confused but Ron and Hermione were immediately alerted to this unusual behavior. Was something there he didn't want anyone else to see? And if so; what? They were distracted from asking by the sudden halting of the carriage.
Harry took a deep breath to calm himself; they had arrived at Hogwarts. All piled out of the carriage and headed towards the entrance. Before they could reach it, however, the doors burst open and two white blurs streaked out, heading for Harry. Several students screamed as one reared back and knocked him to the ground, making the falcon screech and fly off of Harry's shoulder. The snow leopard pinned him to the ground and casually washed a whisker, seeming inordinately pleased with herself. The white tigress strolled non-chalantly up to the boy and affectionately licked his hair, plastering it to his head.
"Tigress cut that out. Now that you and Snowball have made a spectical of yourselves," the snow leopard purred at that, "is there something you wanted to tell me?" Tigress snorted and pointed with her tail to Snowball's pendent.
"You've been summoned. Alright, I know the deal. You two be careful." He scratched each behind the ears. Tigress nipped at his hair before hauling the leopard off of him by the scruff of her neck. The animal made yowling protests, but once they were outside the crowd she ceased to resist and bound along beside the larger feline. Harry picked himself up, casually wiping the dust from his clothes and running a hand through his wet hair, leaving it dry. Rowena circled the group once before settling back on her master's shoulder, preening her ruffled feathers. It was only when he started towards the door once more that he noticed no one had moved, nor had they made a sound. Varying expressions of shock, fright, and wonder creased their faces.
'If they reacted that way to this I can only imagine what will happen when Albus makes his little announcement,' Harry thought. He realized he'd have to say something.
"They're just Hogwarts' pet cats. Totally harmless I promise, just, friendly." The crowd relaxed at this and began to make their way inside.
Instead of immediately taking a seat at his house table, Harry headed to the high table where all of the teachers were seated. All but two. McGonagall was tending to the first years and Severus' place was vacant. This only made Harry worry and he decided that if the man did not show by the Sorting that he'd slip away and track him down. Even if it meant missing his grandfather's announcement. By the look on Albus' face, it seemed he wanted to do the same.
"No sign of Severus?" he whispered when he reached the older man. The Headmaster shook his head.
"No, and I'm really worried. This is just not like him." Harry nodded.
"I came to tell you the twins left, if you didn't know." Albus nodded.
"They told me they had been called and that they had left the camcrystal with you." Harry pulled a cantaloupe sized ball from his side pouch. It was purple, with the swirls making it impossible to determine the exact color. He held it over his head, repeated a small charm, and watched it float to the ceiling. There it hovered, rotating slowly.
"You better go and sit down now, your friends are waiting." Albus ruffled the boy's hair then gave him a playful push. Harry made a sour face before smiling and heading toward his fellow Gryffindors.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked as Harry sat down between him and Hermione.
"Nothing," he said quickly. Neville and Seamus sat down across from them, each greeting their year-mates.
"Hey you guys."
"Hey."
"Hey, whoa Harry!" Dean whistled. "Wicked cloak. Where did you get it?" Harry thought about it quickly.
"Birthday present." Well it wasn't a lie, Severus had given it to him as part of his birthday gift.
"From who?" Hermione asked curiously. She hadn't noticed that among the gifts at his party.
"From a professor," he evaded easily. No need to tell them Severus had given it to him. The other Gryffindors left it at that but Ron and Hermione peered at him curiously. Harry was hiding something, but what, neither could fathom.
"Great, the Sortings' over, now we get to eat," Ron said happily, picking up his knife and fork.
"Still have Dumbledore's speech to go," Harry murmured, barely containing his excitement.
"Harry is there something you know that we don't?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Harry smiled mysteriously, though it faded when he saw Severus was still absent. He was just preparing to leave when Potions Master slid into his spot, looking worse than he had before. Though he was relieved to see him, it did not temper his concern for his father. His attention was diverted as the aging Headmaster stood.
"Welcome students! I hope your holiday was a safe one. Remember you are always safe with in within these walls. For our first years and a few others I must say that the Forbidden Forest is named that for a reason, it is forbidden. Anyone caught in there will be severely punished, caught twice and I'm afraid you'll be expelled." The Weasley twins looked highly affronted then put their heads together, no doubt plotting ways to circumvent these rules. Harry rolled his eyes. Looked as though he was going to be chasing them out.
"That goes for all students." Apparently the Headmaster was thinking the same. "On a happier note I'd like to welcome Professor Lupin back, he will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Remus waved at them and everyone but the Slytherins clapped loudly. "There are two others that I wish to introduce but I'm afraid they could not make it to the feast. Hopefully I'll be able to introduce them tomorrow. And lastly," he stopped to take a breath. Harry could sense his excitement, if the twinkle in his eyes were any indicator. "I am sure you are all aware that Mr. Harry Potter," he gestured to the Gryffindor table and Harry stood, "has been an orphan for most of his life. One of our teachers has decided to remedy that fact," he paused for dramatic effect and waited so long Harry thought he was going to burst, "by adopting him." There was a moment of silence before murmurs broke out over the entire hall, between staff and student alike. Ron and Hermione stared at him in amazement.
"Who?!?" both demanded. Harry grinned and shook his head, nodding up at Dumbledore. The Headmaster waited till the hall quieted down before continuing.
"I would like that teacher to now stand up please. The teachers looked back and forth between themselves, but no one had a clue to who it was. Severus, who had been twidling his goblet between his fingers, set it down and stood up. There was a moment of silence in the hall before angry shouts broke out from the Gryffindor, Slytherin, and staff table. Ron and Hermione traded horrified looks. They hadn't been expecting this.
"Is it true?" Hermione whispered, hoping it wasn't. Harry nodded, smiling up at the staff table. Severus tentatively returned it.
The Slytherins were having a conniptions fit. They couldn't believe THEIR Head of House had ADOPTED Harry Potter! Harry snickered to himself at the sight of Draco Malfoy's face. He couldn't have duplicated that look on the Slytherin's face even if he'd fed him a canary cream. The Gryffindors, of course, were in a similar state. They couldn't believe the evil Potions Master had ADOPTED a GRYFFINDOR and HARRY POTTER no less!
Draco stared at his Head of House and Potter, hardly believing this was happening. Must Potter have everything?! Draco cared about Snape deeply; he was the only one he could go to at anytime and talk to. Sort of like what a real father should be. And now, that had been snatched away from him. It just wasn't fair! Yes, at times, he knew he tried the man's patience because he acted so much like his father, Lucius Malfoy, but he thought Snape understood it was just an act. Maybe he'd been wrong.
Remus, who was sitting next to the Potions Master, gawked openly at his colleague. He had.....WHAT!?!?!?!?! He barely contained himself from exploded at the man's open audacity. How, how dare he! He was about to bit the man's head off, literally, when the Headmaster suddenly set off several bangs from his wand to restore order to the hall.
"One more announcement before we fill ourselves. Severus is not the only person to adopt another as his own. I have adopted someone as well. Severus is now my child." He smiled softly at Severus who smiled back, though it was distinctly strained. Utter silence met this statement. All seemed to be shocked beyond words. For his part, Albus pretended not to notice. One would think he made these announcements everyday for the way he acted. "So I'm proud to introduce to you Professor Severus Salazar Snape-Dumbledore and Harry James Potter-Snape-Dumbledore. Now, tuck in." The food appeared and Harry suddenly realized just how hungry he was as he piled the food on his plate. He was just about to start when he noticed no one around him was eating.
"What? Aren't you hungry?" The Gryffindors just continued to stare at him, then all began speaking at once, bombarding him with questions. The most furious of these were coming from Ron and Hermione. Harry tried to answer as many as possible but soon found himself overwhelmed. In desperation, he looked up at the staff table, only to find Severus in a similar situation. And, by the way he was speaking, so was Albus. No hope of help from there. Harry sighed, food completely forgotten, and tried to answer everyone.
At the staff table but an all out war had started. Severus and Albus were stranded in the same boat while Remus led the armada of teachers against them. Severus defended himself against every blow thrown at him but it was plain he was crumbling. Albus saw this, cursed himself for not trying to help his son before, and swooped in to his rescue.
"Enough Remus!" he thundered, losing all pretenses of patience. The Defense teacher clamped his mouth shut but his eyes smoldered with his suppressed anger. An anger, that was very close to breaking.
"I don't see what's so strange about this, it is something I've been thinking about for years," he emphasized, making it perfectly clear that he thought nothing of it.
"Now Albus," Flitwick began, sounding as though he were explaining to a child what he had done wrong, "you can imagine our concern. Severus hardly has a clean record." (A/N: *winces* I don't think he should have said that. Though expect it to come up a lot.) The Headmaster couldn't believe what he was hearing. Were these people that thick? He felt his lip curl in an unconscious imitation of the Potions Master.
"Are you implying that just because Severus may have strayed to the dark side once before he can never be trusted again?" Several of the teachers' expressions told him just that. He opened his mouth to spit out another retort when Hagrid voiced his opinion.
"Ye lot leave 'em be." The other professors turned to stare at him.
"They belong together plain an' simple an' no amount of arguin' on yer part is gonna change that." He glared at each one sternly. They shifted, Sprout made a move to speak but was silenced by a look from the Headmaster. Severus, locking himself inside the ice shell, stared at his plate in front of him, giving off the air of a deer caught in the headlights. The table was unusually silent after that.
The feast, for some, seemed unbearably long. As Albus sent them off to bed Harry sighed in relief. He intended to go straight down to the dungeons and to bed, after a little talk with Severus first. As he stood and grabbed his cloak, he noticed Severus walking towards him. He smiled, but it quickly became a frown as he was suddenly surrounded by the entire Gryffindor house. Severus stopped, frowning too at the sudden crowd.
"Stand aside please," he commanded. No one moved.
"We don't know what you did to Harry, but we will find out and fix it. We won't let you hurt him anymore," Ron vowed. Severus' face shifted between shock and hurt.
"I would....I would never...." he stuttered. Harry's shock at what his friends were doing became pure rage at Ron's words. Growling, he made a move to raise his staff, which was pulsing along with his anger. Severus saw him.
"No Harry, don't! I'll....I'll see you later," he said quickly. Harry lowered his cane.
"Later tonight father," he stated boldly for everyone to hear. The Gryffindor's mouths hung open at this. Severus smiled weakly before heading off in the direction of the dungeons, almost immediately being surrounded by angry Slytherins. All were questioning, especially Malfoy.
The row that took place in the Gryffindor Tower that night was like none ever seen before. The entire Gryffindor house was against Harry, who, despite the odds, was holding his own in every argument. They were trying to convince him, unsuccessfully, that Snape was evil. He was trying, equally unsuccessfully, otherwise. At one point even McGonagall came in and sided with Ron, who was leading the Gryffindors.
"Harry he hardly has a clean record," Ron pointed out stubbornly. Harry blew away his bangs in frustration. How many times was that going to come up?
"And no one knows that better than I but that's no reason to hold it against him. Think of some of the thins we've done or are you forgetting the little joy ride into the Whomping Willow?" Harry shot back. Ron's face reddened to match his hair. That had always been a sore spot to him.
"Harry you saw what was on his arm that night in the hospital wing, just as plainly as the rest of us did. You saw the mark," Hermione reminded patiently. Now she had touched on a sore spot, and the mage had had enough.
"You mean this mark Hermione?" He ripped his sleeve back and tore the bandage away. "Do you mean this mark?" he demanded again, thrusting his arm into the light for everyone to see. Hermione became as white as a ghost, Ron not far behind. Several others gasped and some imitated Ron and Hermione as they caught sight of the feared Dark Mark on Harry's forearm.
"How did...how did you get that?" McGonagall asked faintly.
"That's not important, what is important is that it is a burden I must bear, just as this scar is a burden. Just as being "The-Boy-Who-Lived' is a burden. You know, they really should have changed it to 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Alone'. That's what I was, alone. In case you don't remember, Voldemort," most everyone flinched, "took my parents from me, and I've been alone ever since. That's what I've wanted, no needed is a parent. I have you guys yes, and Lord knows I value your friendship above everything but I needed a parent. Someone who would always be there for me. Now, now, Severus has willingly taken up that role in my life and I love him. Hell, you don't know half the stuff we've done and been through this summer. It makes everything from the last four years seem like a cake walk in comparison. Yes, even the Triwizard Tournament. Besides, do you honestly believe that the Headmaster would have adopted Severus if he were all bad?" he concluded, folding his arms across his chest. There was a moment of silence after his speech, all seemed to be gathering their thoughts.
"Harry," Ron began again, "let's face facts. He's some how put you two under a spell...." One of the glass figurines on the mantle exploded.
"Spell!" Harry exploded as well, his anger making his green eyes darker, "Haven't you been listening to a word I've said? I love him, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it."
"Harry dear, I have to agree with them. Are you sure you're feeling well? Maybe you should go see Madam Pompfry," the Transfiguration teacher suggested. Harry shook his head violently.
"I've been up there enough this summer thank you, and besides, Pompfry's not here anymore, Albus fired her," he ground out irritably. McGonagall gasped.
"Fired? But.....why?" she managed.
"Caught cursing Severus when she should have been healing him. I ought to know, I was the one who caught her," Harry snapped.
"Poppy...Poppy would never..." McGonagall trailed off.
"She would and she did." Harry took a wide stance, ready to fend off any other scathing remarks sent his way. As he moved, Hermione once again caught a glimpse of make-up, and this time, she was certain of it.
"Harry why are you wearing make-up?" she demanded boldly. That caught their fellow Gryffindor off guard and he blinked.
"Make-up?" He unconsciously reached a hand up to cover his left cheek. "What about it?"
"Is it to cover marks the Professor left behind?" she asked kindly. Harry's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Marks?" he repeated blankly. It took only two seconds before the implications of what she said sunk in. The rest of the eight figurines on the mantle exploded, spraying bits of glass over the nearest people.
"WHHHAAATTT!!!" His eyes were as wide as saucers. "You think that he's...." he choked, "that Severus is...." His eyes grew red. "ABUSING ME!!!" The room fairly shook with his fury. Ron and Hermione seemed surprised by his reaction. "How?" his voice was a deathly whisper, "How could you even think such a thing?" Ron began to stutter.
"At your birthday, with your arm and shoulder...." he began only to have Harry cut him off.
"The cut was from a Darl* and the scar from where Vernon shot me, anything else?" he asked impatiently.
"Shot you?!"
"Anything else?" he asked again. Hermione recovered and went on.
"Uh, when Snape..."
"Professor Snape," Harry amended.
"Professor Snape came out of the Forbidden forest and touched you. Harry we both saw your expression, you were horrified."
"Of the way he looked," the mage explained, "he was a mess."
"Why?" Ron wanted to know.
"That's none of your damn business. I can't believe you drew those conclusions from that."
"Harry you can hardly blame them from being worried. That's what friends do," McGonagall chastised. Harry did not back down.
"Friends also support their friends when they need it," he bit back.
"Then where did you get those bruises Harry? The truth, not what Albus and Snape have been saying. You didn't get those in a potions accident." The Transfiguration teacher crossed her arms, her tone demanding an answer. Harry ground his teeth in frustration. What happened Tuesday was not a thing he wanted to relive at the moment but it seemed as though he had no choice.
"Very well. After I talked to you Professor I went to change for lunch; Vernon attacked me from behind with a whip. He most likely would have tried to beat me to death if Severus and Albus hadn't stopped him. That's why I was edgy and sick Wednesday and Thursday, I was still recovering. There, satisfied?" They were shocked into silence. Which seemed to be happening a lot lately, Harry reflected.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It's been a very long very hard day and at this point I just want it to end." Snatching his cloak from the chair, he headed towards the portrait-hole.
"Where do you think you're going? Your bed's in here." Ron called out angrily. Harry paused briefly.
"To my rooms in the dungeons. I'm obviously not welcome here at the moment." He shot them all a sneer that mimicked the Potions Master so well several students shivered. "Goodnight." And he was gone. For a moment, all stared at where he'd left.
"I'm going after him," Ron said suddenly.
"So am I," Hermione chimed in. Both turned to their Head of House.
"Professor, may we follow him?" The animagus nodded.
"Yes, but be back here by midnight, I'll be waiting for your report." They smiled, albeit grimly, and scurried out the portrait-hole.
"Wait!" They paused and turned to see McGonagall following them. "Take this," she held out a familiar silvery-water like cloak, "No point in letting him see you." They accepted the gift gratefully and whispered a hurried thanks before throwing the invisibility cloak over themselves and hurrying away.
"Good luck, to the both of you," McGonagall whispered as she set out to her rooms to wait.
Harry stalked down the hall, robes billowing out in the same manner as his father's tended to do at times. The hall reverberated with his anger and a suit of armor rattled as he passed. But with each step, the wall of flame that had been his anger dissipated slowly. He already regretted half the things he said.
*Only half?* his mind voice asked. He winced.
'Okay ninety percent of it, but that's all I'll admit.' He particularly regretted telling about the Dark Mark.
*Wasn't the smartest thing you've ever done, was it?* the voice commented sarcastically. Harry rolled his eyes at himself.
'No, but what else was I supposed to do? There was no convincing them of anything.' The Grey Lady passed and Harry greeted her absently, his mind on other things.
*They don't have to be convinced all at once. Everything takes time,* the voice reminded. Harry conceded that point. It wasn't as though they had to accept it right away, if at all. If they didn't, he'd just have to learn to deal with it. But that had made him so mad! He took a deep breath to calm himself. They didn't need his help. The only one who really needed help at this moment was Severus. Unconsciously, he reached out a mental thread to his father and found....nothing! He froze in mid-step, shock and fear gripping his mind. Frantically he reached again, pulling more of his power into the call. Again he found nothing. Panic-stricken, he reached for Albus, and found the man's white solid base. His grandfather's presence calmed him immediately and when the man asked what was wrong, he explained. Concern colored the Headmaster's thoughts and together they reached for their last family member. Though Harry alone could not sense him, with Albus' added strength and power they found him. Or rather, they found an ice shell: hard, blue and thick. Both drew away and Harry directed a question in Severus' direction. Albus pushed him mentally toward the boy's father and reassured his grandson that he would be there soon enough. They could not speak directly yet, though they were working on it, they communicated with their emotions and images quite effectively. When Harry asked why he could not come then the Gryffindor felt a sudden pull. He struggled at first but realized it was Albus doing it and ceased to do so. There was a brief moment of disorientation but it soon passed. Then there was the sensation of meshing and melding and suddenly he was Albus. He heard, saw, and felt what his grandfather did. It was....amazing. Albus gently prodded him, reminding him to pay attention. Embarrassed at having been caught, Harry focused on what was happening. Albus' eyes opened. In front of him was Remus and behind him were all the other teachers of the school; excluding Hagrid and McGonagall. Apparently she had not made her way back upstairs yet. Remus began to speak and Harry found he did not have to focus to listen.
"Albus Harry's only a child. You can't trust Snape with him." The Gryffindor could sense his grandfather's anger all around him, clamoring in concert with his own.
"I trust Severus everyday of the school year with children, and Harry is not just any child, he's our child and wishes to stay that way," he replied tartly. There was a silent, 'Don't you?', tagged on the end of it for Harry. The boy sent his love in response. The strength of the boy's love made the Headmaster stand a bit straighter and stare more confidently at the men and women around him. Remus opened his mouth.
"Albus, Snape is a Death Eater, you can't trust a Death Eater." Harry, having had enough, grabbed control.
"Ex-Death Eater Remus. And, may I remind you, that you are a werewolf and not many of our people trust them either. I do trust you because I know you have a good heart. I trust Severus for the very same reason. He has a good heart," A smile tugged at the man's mouth, "Granted, at times, one must look deep to find it but it's there." He glared sternly at them. Harry was pleased to see several of the teachers wavering. They trusted the Headmaster and his judgement; it was really only the knowledge of the Potions Master's past that made them balk. Remus, however, seemed unaffected by the speech. If anything, he seemed more determined than before. What ever was motivating the Defense teacher, it was more than Severus' past. Reaching out carefully, he tasted hatred, deep and black for the Potions Master. Harry drew back with a snap, surprised. What had caused such a sudden hatred? He was brought out of his thoughts but his grandfather's overwhelming relief and gratitude. It seemed as though someone had gotten through their thick skulls. Harry chuckled and allowed himself to be pulled back to his body. He shook his head and resumed his march.
Ron and Hermione ran as fast and as silently as they could to catch up to Harry. They found him standing in the middle of a lonely hallway with his head bowed. Seconds crawled by as they anxiously waited for their friend to move. Finally, just before Ron smacked the boy on the back of the head, the boy suddenly chuckled and shook his head once before resuming his walk. The two friends looked at one another under the cloak and shrugged, not knowing what to make of it, and went after him. He seemed unaware of their presence as he led them further and further into the bowels of the castle. Finally they stopped in front of a portrait neither Gryffindor had seen before. Ron sighed in relief, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Hermione.
"Be quiet,'' she mouthed. Ron rubbed his side and made a face at her. The sound of voices pulled their attention back to Harry.
"Harry are you okay? Did everything go alright at the feast? Sev wouldn't say a word, but he did look depressed," the portrait said. Harry sighed.
"No Merlin, everything didn't go so great. In fact, it was an unqualified disaster," he admitted. Merlin clicked his tongue sympathetically.
"Go on young one, I'm sure he needs you right now, and you need him." Merlin swung open without even a password. Harry smiled his gratitude and went in. Ron and Hermione made a mad dash and managed to get inside just before the portrait closed. They looked around and settled in a corner, ready to see what was going to happen.
"Father?" Harry called softly, searching for any sign of his adopted parent. After a moment he spotted him curled up in a ball on the couch. Harry silently crossed the room and sat down next to him, hoping his mere presence would gain him a reaction. It didn't.
"Father?" Harry called softly again. This time he received a response.
"Harry?" The voice sounded thick and raw, almost as if he'd been screaming and crying for hours. Harry sighed in relief and placed a hand on the man's back.
"It's me father. Are you okay?" The obvious answer to this was "no" but Harry wanted Severus to say it himself. He'd learned a great deal from the healers about psychology. Admitting there was a problem was half the battle.
"I'm fine." Was the answer, though it sounded distinctly unconvincing. Harry slowly began to massage the man's back, reaching with a mental thread as well. Again he encountered the ice shell and he began warming it wit his own natural fire.
"Want to tell me just how 'fine' you are?" He could feel the tightly bunched muscles and hold on the shell begin to relax under him ministrations, yet he was still too tense for his liking.
"I guess I'm a little stressed," Severus admitted as he leaned back into his son's soothing touch, trying not to groan as the boy loosened particularly tight spots.
"I've noticed you haven't slept or eaten much lately," he paused as the Headmaster silently entered, taking his place beside his child, "care to tell me why?" Harry pulled the man back to lean against him, more or less pulling him in his lap and began to run his hands over the worn face while the Headmaster scooted closer and added his hands to help. Massage was Harry's gift and something he loved to do, and who better to do it for than Severus a.k.a. the most stressed man on Earth?
"Nightmares." Was all he got. They had figured as much but wanted Severus to continue.
"What about child?" Albus asked gently. As a show of how bad his nerved had become, Severus fairly leapt into the air, or would have if Harry's hold had not been so strong.
"Father?" he squeaked, the whites of his eyes showing more than normal. The man reached up and brushed the fallen hair from the other's eyes.
"Yes my child, it is I. Now, what did you dream about?" he asked even more gently than before, trying to calm the man's rapid heart.
"A-about you father, and Seri and Kit, all dying by my hand or another Death Eaters. I'd watch over and over as you all were tortured, beaten, and raped, unable to do anything to stop it." He shuddered to a stop and leaned his head against Harry's shoulder, who hugged him to him. "A-at dinner when Weasley said I'd hurt you Harry, it brought back my dreams and I had to get out of there. It hurt too much." He stopped again but neither Headmaster nor student said anything. Harry began to rock him back and forth. "I dreamed about you too Harry. Your's were usually the worst," his voice cracked and he found he could not continue.
"Why is that?" Harry encouraged. If Severus didn't get this out of him soon he'd have an emotional breakdown. It was amazing he hadn't already.
"You-you'd always glare at me with hatred; pure, undiluted hatred. You'd scream at me, tell me I was a traitor to the light side and that I didn't deserve to live. I'd watch you be murdered my Voldemort and not just with the Killing Curse. Your torture was just as bad, if not worse than the rest. All the while you'd be cursing me." This time he stopped for good and tried to pull away, ashamed at what he'd admitted, ashamed he'd just spilled his heart out to a boy and man that had enough troubles, but found he could not move. He was held fast in Harry's hold and could only turn his head away.
"Severus." That voice, so much like Albus' when it wanted something and you knew you'd end up doing it in the end. He reluctantly turned to look up at the face of his child and father.
"Severus I'm sure you remember all the dreams you helped me through, so don't feel ashamed." What was this child, a mind-reader? "I know for a fact that none of those dreams will ever come true, especially me cursing you, because you'd fight to stop it with every last bit of yourself, give your last bead of strength so that one of us may live." The ice shell gave a bit under the warmth. "Don't fear your dreams, confront them and don't feel you have to face them alone. I'm here and so are Albus, Seri and Kit, all people willing to help you at a moments notice." Severus sniffed. When had his child become so wise and filled with heartfelt speeches? For the next half hour Albus and Harry continued to work on wearing down the ice shell that Severus had erected to protect himself. When it was almost gone Severus began to nod off.
"Come on, we're putting you to bed." Harry said quietly.
"You need to get back to your rooms too you two," Severus commented groggily as Harry and Albus helped him stand.
"I'm staying here tonight," his son stated firmly.
"As am I," Albus said, equally as firmly.
"Then I better call the house-elves to warm your bed." Harry shook his head as Albus guided them into the bedroom.
"No, we're sleeping with you tonight, just to make sure you actually do sleep." Severus tried to argue.
"But what will the rest of the school think, you two staying down here?" Albus snorted as they helped Severus into his nightclothes.
"Frankly Severus I don't care what anyone says at the moment. They can let their imaginations wander all they like, it makes no difference to me."
"Or me," Harry added as they carefully lowered the man on the bed.
"Okay, just don't forget to put out the light," he whispered sleepily as Albus laid beside him. This earned him two amused chuckles.
"Yes father." Harry waved his hand and the candles in the room went out. He slipped under the covers and laid one hand on Severus' arm. They all quickly fell asleep.
That night Severus dreamed again. When it started, the ice wall began to once more rebuild itself. Albus and Harry were ready and entered his mind as it began. They erected their own wall, a wall of their love, to block out the dream. They took the dream into themselves, freeing him from it. Finally they experienced just what the man had each time he closed his eyes. They shuddered, wondering how he could have survived with this running through his mind constantly. As Severus dreamed of nothing but open fields and calm seas, they carefully gathered the dark energy that had built up and dispersed it through the school. A few students might have bad dreams that night but it was nothing compared to what the Potions Master had been through.
Ron and Hermione stared at one another for a long time after they watched the scene between the Headmaster, their friend, and Snape. The grandfather cloak in the room chimed twelve times. Hermione shook herself.
"Come on, we've got to go," she whispered. Ron nodded and both crept through the door.
"Who's there?" Merlin yelled. Neither answered but hurried up to the Gryffindor Tower. McGonagall was waiting for them when they came through the portrait-hole.
"Well?" she asked as they handed her cloak back to her.
"They need one another Professor, all three of them," Hermione answered quietly, but decisively.
"I wouldn't mess with them, they're very close, I doubt anyone could break them apart," Ron added. They headed up to their separate dormitories, leaving a very confused McGonagall behind.
Harry stretched his body to its full length and snuggled down into the warmth next to him. What a wonderful day to sleep in. Then he groaned; it was the first day of classes! There was no way either his grandfather, his father, or himself could get out of it. Rolling out of the bed, he landed on the floor with a slight thump. He picked himself up, grumbling, and headed to the bathroom, snagging some clothes on the way. Ten minutes later he came back out, face washed, hair pulled back into a pony tail and clean clothes on. He sat down in a chair and pulled on his shoes and belt with his cane in its scabbard on it. Each one of them had one, they felt that it would be easier to carry their canes that way. Looking over at the bed he noticed Severus was still asleep and also spotted a note on the night stand. He went over and picked it up.
Dear Harry,
I figured you would be up first. I've already gone upstairs. Try to get Severus up as well so that both of you can make an appearance at breakfast.
Love,
Grandpa
Harry smiled and placed the not in his pocket.
"Father? Father, it's time to get up, we've got classes." He shook the man gently. Severus turned away from him, muttering under his breath.
"Father it's time to get up," the Gryffindor said more firmly.
"Mmm-mmm." Was Severus' only reply, shaking his head. Harry sighed and sat back, contemplating what to do about this. If they didn't hurry they were going to miss breakfast. Harry grinned; breakfast! Severus hadn't had breakfast or lunch or dinner the day before and was bound to be hungry. Still grinning to himself, he called Winky and quietly placed an order. A few minutes later, a large plate of blueberry muffins appeared on the table. Smiling slightly, he charmed the plate full to fit in his pocket but kept one out. Sidling up to the bed, he pulled the pillow away from his parent's face.
"Father?"
"Go away Harry." Was all he got. The fire mage smirked and waved the muffin under Severus' nose. The man immediately began to twitch and perk up. Harry pulled the muffin away and Severus followed him.
"Do you want the muffin?" Severus nodded his head, eyeing the food. The boy's smirk widened.
"Then you have to get up and get dressed, then I'll give you the muffin." Severus obeyed him, pulling off his nightclothes and pulling on his normal attire, with a little help from Harry. When he finished the boy gave his father the muffin, which he munched happily. Harry waited a moment then produced another from his pocket, waving it in front of the man.
"You want?" Severus nodded, eyes glazed, "Then follow me." Harry backed out of the room, followed closely by Severus. They made their way out of the apartment and out of the dungeons; up to the main entrance and finally into the Great Hall. Harry walked backwards the entire time with the muffin held out and Severus followed it like a puppy. Everyone was already there when the arrived in the hall. When they reached the Slytherin table, Severus stopped.
"Harry, give me the muffin," he whined pathetically and stamped his foot, sounding for all the world like a four year old. Harry's grin was so wide it almost split his face in half.
"Come on Sevvie, you have to follow me then I'll give you the muffin." He wagged the muffin, sending its enticing aroma our further. Severus stuck out his lower lip and glared at the offered food before finally sighing and walking once more. The Gryffindor smirked at his victory and led the unruly teacher past the gawking Slytherins and up to the high table. The Slytherins weren't the only ones gawking, the rest of the houses as well as the staff was too. Except for three. Albus, Seri and Kit were in hysterics, laughing so hard they had to hold on to one another to keep from falling out of their chairs. When the duo reached the table, Harry led Severus over to a chair beside the Headmaster and gave him the muffin. Severus munched happily and didn't protest when Harry pushed him down into his chair and up to the table. When the Potions Master finished his treat he finally seemed to realize where he was. He gifted Harry with a deadly glare.
"You bloody well enjoyed that, didn't you?" he growled in his most menacing manner. Harry ignored the glare and growl and hugged the man fiercely.
"You better believe it." He drew away and with a snap of his fingers the plate of blueberry muffins appeared in front of the Potions Master.
"Eat up." Severus continued to glare at him for a moment then let the glare fall away into a smile. His son returned the gesture warmly and was about to leave when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Do you want to eat with us little one?" his grandfather asked. Harry shook his head and headed towards the Gryffindor table, noticing for the first time the entire hall was quiet. He stopped and looked around at them, eyebrow raised and expression cool. He fairly dared them to say anything out of the ordinary had just occurred. Taking the hint, they finally turned away from him and went back to their own conversations. Harry continued his walk and seated himself between Ron and Hermione. Both looked extremely nervous.
"Harry about last night...." Harry cut Hermione off.
"I hope what you saw down in the dungeons proves that Severus is my father and I do love him and he loves me back." Ron's jaw dropped.
"You knew we were there? How?"
"I can see through invisibility cloaks and the only reason I allowed you to stay is so you could witness what you did and accept what has happened." Harry's voice was cold, reflecting his still present anger at his friends' accusations of his beloved parent.
"We do. We know now that we were wrong," Hermione assured and Ron nodded. Harry's expression softened, his anger leaving him.
"I'm glad but I better do something first." He stood and cleared his throat, catching the attention of the entire Gryffindor table, and a few of the others.
"I'd like to apologize for the things I said last night, many of them were uncalled for and for that I'm am sorry." The table's occupants muttered their forgiveness.
"It's been a rough summer, for all three of us," Harry said as he sat down.
"How so?" Hermione asked. Harry hesitated, wondering if he should even begin to tell them about the mage issue, when he began to eye the food. He knew he was hungry but the craving for the delicious morsels in front of him was stronger than it should have been. As he grabbed for the pancakes he realized it must have been Severus' desire leaking over. They'd have to work on that, he thought as he devoured four pancakes in a flash.
"You okay?" Ron asked as he grabbed another stack.
"We had a bad night last night and I didn't get to eat, neither did Severus." He nodded up to the staff table where the man was positively consuming everything in his path.
"Harry." Remus suddenly appeared behind the trio and handed Harry a folded piece of parchment. Harry accepted it and would have said something but the man was already gone. Puzzled, he opened the note.
"Meet me after class, we have to talk. Remus," he read aloud. "What could he possibly want?" Hermione suddenly groaned and Ron echoed her.
"What?"
"We told Remus of our suspicions," she explained, grimacing on the word 'suspicions'.
"We had to tell an adult and he was the only one we could think of," Ron said. Harry closed his eyes and counted to ten. He would not get mad, either at his two best friends or his teacher. It wasn't their fault, they had only been worried about him. Again, Harry wished he'd told them before this.
"And he wasn't here to witness that little scene this morning," the mage sighed, "I'll talk to him and try to convince him this is real and permanent." As he finished saying this the illustrious Headmaster stood.
"May I have your attention please?" The hall immediately quieted. "Thank you. Now, as you may remember, I said there were two I wished to introduce to you. While they were unable to attend the night before they were able to make it this morning. before I give you their names I have other important news to impart to you. Madam Pomfry, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with, is no longer with us." He held up his hand to stop the commotions this created. "It seemed Pomfry no longer wished to work with our staff. This school was very fortunate however, in acquiring the combined healing talents of Dr. Winter and Dr. Winter. You may recognize them from Hogsmeade where they had had a clinic established." His whiskers suddenly perked upwards in an unmistakable smile. "As to their strange appearance I'm afraid they lost a bet this summer and will have to remain this way for a time. Ladies, if you please." He nodded to both of the women. Seri stood, smiling brightly at the entire hall. Her hair was white and black stripes coursed through it. Poking from beneath it were white pointy tufts of fur that could only have been her ears. Her nose twitched, making her long whiskers move. Though the students could not see, the teachers had a clear view of a long elegant tail.
"Hello everyone, I'm Serenity Winter, but so that you do not confuse me with my sister, please call me Seri. I hope to get to know each and every one of you. Though I hope all the meetings won't be in the hospital wing," she jibbed, her eyes twinkling not unlike the Headmaster's. She turned those eyes on a certain Gryffindor, Neville to be exact. Harry had warned them that the boy ended up in the hospital wing more than the average student. He smiled weakly back as she sat down. The other woman with her arms crossed and a distinctly disgruntled look on her face, stood.
"My names Kitiara, call me Kit," she said gruffly, sitting down almost instantly. Seri looked at her sister disapprovingly and by her expression, Harry had a feeling she was up to something.
"Sister that's no way to greet our new charges, and take that ridiculous hat off your head," Seri said, loud enough for the entire hall to hear. Kit's lip curled.
"I will not," she answered, equally as loud. Seeing her sister was going to be difficult, Seri rolled her eyes and snatched the hat from her sister's head. A flow of white and black spotted hair fell and furry ears stuck out.
"Seri!" the healer screeched, jumping to her feet. The first snicker came from the Headmaster, followed closely by the Potions Master. Kit was beyond furious or so she seemed, but Harry knew better. What an act these two were putting on.
"It's all your fault I look this way." Kit tapped her sister insistently over the head with her wand. The situation quickly degenerated from there until both healers, wands now swords, seemed ready to become physical. The students and teachers (excluding Harry, Severus, and Albus) watched nervously, unsure of what to make of the situation. As the twins squared off, getting ready to strike, their wands-turned-swords suddenly became....licorice sticks? They stared at the now useless weapons for a moment then turned on the laughing Headmaster.
"Albus!" they yelled in unison. He held up his hands, still chuckling.
"It was not me." They rounded on the smirking dark haired man.
"Severus!" Severus, his attitude having returned, arched a sarcastic eyebrow.
"I? Hardly." That left one person.
"Harry!" The Gryffindor grinned impishly, shaking his finger at the two women.
"You two shouldn't be fighting; what kind of impression are you making?" he quipped, folding his arms and giving off a stern air. Grumbling both women sat back down, throwing mock glares in the general direction of their friend. He, of course, ignored them and went on eating. It was around then that McGonagall came by and handed them their schedules.
"Looks like we've got Defense first then Double Potions, both with the Slytherins." Ron threw a curious glance at his friend who was studying the piece of paper with a frown.
"Something wrong Harry?" He shook his head and stood.
"Be back in a minute." Harry made his way up to the high table and to his grandfather.
"Albus," he whispered, "why do I have fifth year classes?" The man took the parchment from him and looked it over.
"Oh dear Harry I'm sorry. I failed to mention your summer tutoring to Minerva."
"Failed to mention what Albus?" The Transfiguration teacher asked as she sat down on the other side of the Potions Master and began filling her plate.
"That Harry has already taken his O.W.L.'s," he stated matter-of-factly. The woman spit out the egg she'd been eating.
"Taken his O.W.L.'s?" she sputtered.
"And passed them with flying colors," Albus continued calmly. Her mouth opened further.
"Flying colors?" she repeated.
"Seventeen to be exact." If it was possible, which seemed unlikely, the woman was more stunned than before.
"Seventeen?" The Headmaster had to smile at McGonagall's lack of communication skills.
"Yes. So why don't he help you in class? You could use him as a guinea pig," the man suggested, earning himself and annoyed tug at his beard by his grandchild. He grinned cheekily, only increasing the boy's annoyance.
"Only if I get to transfigure you into a bat, I'd like to see you squeak," the boy snarled. The Potions Master snorted, trying to hide it behind a cough.
"If you do, I'll transfigure you into a skunk," Albus shot back. Severus snorted again, hiding it behind his hands.
"Quiet you or will transfigure you into a bunny," Albus promised.
"A pink bunny," Harry added. It was the twins turn to snicker as Severus pretended to look highly affronted. The man lifted his cane in a mock threat.
"What ever you toss at me old man and you too brat I'll send back a hundred fold," he growled. Harry was ecstatic. It was the first 'argument' they had had since his attack. It was this banter that made life more interesting (and definitely unpredictable) around Hogwarts. He caught a movement out the corner of his eye and turned slightly. Remus was glaring at the Potions Master with a murderous glint in his eye. It was then that Harry had no doubt that the man was a werewolf. He relayed the picture of Remus to both Severus and Albus. They immediately sobered.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay in your present classes until we work something out," Dumbledore said formally, quite in contrast to his former playful mood. The Potions Master nodded and Harry took his leave of them.
Harry watched the sand in the hourglass slip away bit by bit. It would only be a few minutes more until the end of class which meant it would be only a few minutes until his confrontation with Remus. The Professor had been unusually cold, snapping at a student at the slightest provocation. Harry was worried about the blackening cloud of anger that was gathering around the man's heart and soul. What was worse was that it seemed to increase with each passing second. As the bell rang and the other students gathered their things to leave, Harry remained seated, eyes fixed on the storm cloud hovering at the front of the class. When the door clicked closed the cloud moved toward Harry, muttering a brief spell to lock the door. Remus stood before the boy who met his stern gaze readily. Harry had decided against applying more make-up and the fading yellow-green bruises stood out greatly. Light blue and green eyes warred silently, increasing the tension in the air around them two-fold.
"How did you get those bruises? The truth this time," Remus said quietly. Harry straightened almost imperceptibly.
"I regret not telling you the truth in the beginning Remus, I'm sorry," he began, then paused.
"You still have not answered my question." Harry pursed his lips, wishing this was not happening.
"Uncle Vernon attacked me." Remus slammed his hand on the desk, startling the Gryffindor.
"Don't lie to me!" he roared, shocking Harry further. He'd expected this sort of display from Sirius when he found out but not from Remus.
"Don't protect Snape! I know he's been hurting you, the evidence is staring me in the face.
"I'm not lying to you," Harry rose from his seat, leaning closer to the man's face.
"He is my father and friend, he would never lay a finger on me. He loves me," Harry emphasized. Remus shook his head, taking a step back.
"That might be what he's trying to make you think Harry, but he doesn't. He's only using you for his own sick pleasure," he explained patiently.
"Does that mean he's using the Headmaster too?" Harry shot back.
"I don't know, maybe. He's a Death Eater Harry, who knows what they can do." Harry shook his head, not believing this was happening.
"Ex-Death Eater Remus. And might I remind you that you are a werewolf and not many people trust them. Yet Albus does and so do I, because we know you have a good heart and a good head on your shoulders though I'm beginning to wonder about that part. We trust Severus for the very same reason. He has a good heart though one has to look deep to find it." Remus was caught off guard my the near mirror image of the Headmaster's argument the night before. "You should know this. I thought you knew us better than this."
"That's the problem, I do know Severus. He hates James and is trying to destroy the last living memory of him, you. He says he loves you but he really hates James and is trying to taint his memory of him in you. He's not your father he's your tormenter." Harry, hardly believing his ears, let anger take control. He seemed to grow taller and fill the room.
"This has nothing to do with that. James was and is my dad. Severus is my father. He can never take James' place in my heart but Severus has...." He stuttered to a stop, his face becoming deathly pale.
"Harry?" Remus called. Harry's hand unconsciously reached for his left arm, clutching it tightly.
"Harry?" he called again. Harry raced out of the room, blowing the door off its hinges on the way. Remus followed closely but was easily out distanced by the younger man. He finally rounded the last corner that he'd seen the boy turn and stopped. He bent over, clutching a stitch in his side.
"Har-Harry," he called. The boy sitting on the floor in the middle of the hallway, Severus Snape in his arms. The man seemed to be convulsing in pain and Harry was doing his best to calm him.
"Shhh Severus, shhh. It's going to be alright," Harry assured, running a soothing hand through the pale man's hair and over his face. The Potions Master's breathes were coming in short pain-filled gasps and he held tightly to the boy's robes as another wave of pain coursed through his body.
"Harry," Remus called again, making his way over to the two. Before he took two steps, a huge beast appeared in front of him. It reared, blasting its challenging whistle. Remus jumped back, trying to get out of the range of those flying hooves.
"What the hell..." he started, backing away further as the beast tossed his head, revealing his sharp horn.
~I wouldn't get too close. I won't be held accountable for my actions.~ A booming voice stated. Remus' head whipped from side to side, trying to determine where the voice had come from.
~Here werewolf, in front of you.~ He locked gazes with the fire creature's green eyes.
"Who...who are you?"
~I am the fire mage's protector, his other counter-part. You will not go further.~ As the creature spoke, the Headmaster literally flew by and another beast joined the first.
"But they don't belong together," Remus insisted. The ethereal cat snapped at him in annoyance.
~Of course they do, look at them.~ It was then that Remus really did look at them. Albus was supporting Harry and Harry was supporting Severus. Fawkes had joined the trio and was singing, as was Harry. Eventually the creature stopped and leaned its elegant head on Harry's hand, allowing a few of its thick pearly tears to escape from its eyes. The tears splashed on to Harry's skin and stayed there a second before they were absorbed through. They hand, Remus realized was over the Potions Master's Dark Mark. When the phoenix began to give his tears Harry began chanting a spell under his breath and the Defense teacher was amazed at the magical wash back he was getting. A luminous gold aura encircled Harry, growing stronger with each passing word. The aura then began to seep into the Potions Master, mixing with the man's own silver. When all of it seemed to have left him, Harry slumped forward. Remus made a dash to him but was stopped once more by the strange beasts. Severus immediately popped up and pulled the boy to him.
Now the roles were reversed as Severus desperately tried to save Harry's life. The gold returned to the boy and glistened around his pale body before finally sinking in. Harry took a shuddering breath and Severus sighed in relief.
"Child?" he whispered. Harry opened his eyes a fraction.
"Father." He reached up a shaky hand to touch the other's face but Severus caught it in his own.
"Rest my little one, we are here," he assured. Harry smiled as his eyes closed.
"Love you," he managed as he fell into a deep sleep. Severus smiled too, eyes glistening with tears.
"I love you too my child," he whispered back. He clutched Harry tightly to his chest, rocking him back and forth. Albus hugged them both to him.
~You see, how could they not belong together?~ Remus was startled and looked to see that the fire beast was gone, only to be replaced by a glacial tiger. The animal's black eyes swirled with wisdom beyond Remus' comprehension.
~Do you not see werewolf?~ He asked. Oh yes, he saw. How could he have been so stupid? How could he possibly believe that Severus was hurting the boy, when he so obviously cared about him?
~Well, its not that obvious. They really didn't give that impression in Diagon Alley,~ the ethereal cat sympathized. The glacial tiger shot him a glare.
~Yes they did, sort of. You just had to look close for it.~ The cat rolled his blue eyes.
~That's my point.~ Remus tuned out the arguing creatures and watched Albus gently help Severus to his feet and lead him down the hall. Good Lord, what had he tried to do? How could he have tried to break them up? What had he been thinking? He should have known better than to think such things of the Potions Master, but the combined knowledge of the man's past and that it might be Harry he was mistreating had blinded him to the real relationship.
"I can't believe I tried to....to...." he stammered, looking at the floor. The ethereal cat nuzzled his hand.
~Go to see them later,~ the cat instructed gently, but firmly, ~You can apologize to the fire mage then.~
"Fire mage?" Remus repeated in confusion.
~Harry.~ The Defense teacher nodded and turned back to his class, knowing he had to prepare.
They barely made it to the Headmaster's tower before it hit.
Harry, Severus and Albus waited in silence as the familiar scene, to Harry and Severus at least, to take shape.
"Riddle manor," the fire mage whispered, catching the attention of the other two. Severus nodded in agreement but Albus appeared puzzled.
"What's happening?" Severus walked around the room as it solidified. It was a dusty sitting room, dark and dismal, lit only by the glow the low burning fire created. Two shapes were vaguely discernable, one in the wingback chair and the other standing beside it. Severus crept closer.
"He must be having a vision and somehow pulled us along for the ride," the Potions Master answered. As he caught a glimpse of who was in the chair, he backed away hissing.
"Voldemort."
"Bring him in," the sinister voice commanded. The quivering black shadow nodded and darted out of the room.
"We might as well sit back and watch." Severus plopped on the floor, pulling the fire mage to sit beside him and Albus joined them. They only had to wait a few seconds before the door opened and in came three dark figures. They threw one on the floor. This one scooted over to Voldemort, kissing the hem of his robes. He was immediately blasted into the wall. Harry whimpered as the man's pain shot through his body as well. The dark lord tapped his wand impatiently against the arm of his chair as the man groaned and pulled himself to his knees.
"I'm very disappointed in you Fudge."
"Fudge!" The three witnesses cried in unison. Albus shook his head.
"I should have known, I should have known."
"Why did you not inform me of this....mass adoption? I had to hear of it from Lucius." The pudgy little man began to crawl slowly back towards Voldemort, muttering repeated apologies.
"I'm sorry my lord but I could not get away." Red eyes narrowed.
"Yet you answered my summons Fudge. One tends to wonder if you were not avoiding me before," the dark lord continued conversationally.
"Never my lord, never. Why would I do that?" Asking that kind of question was not the most intelligent thing he could have done. He found himself once more bouncing off the walls. Harry echoed the man's moans of pain and buried himself against him father and grandfather.
"Isn't there anyway to stop this?" Severus wondered aloud. Harry shook his head.
"No. Must play out. Can not stop it." Albus shushed him, massaging his back.
"Yes, why would you avoid me? Is it because you did not wish to face my punishment for not doing your job?" The man tried to pull himself towards the dark lord but failed.
"No my lord, never my lord," he repeated. With a casual sweep of his wand, Voldemort sent minister flying into the ceiling and let him drop to the floor.
"Don't snivel Fudge, I hate sniveling."
"Yes Master."
"Now," he grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him till they were face to face, "you will break them apart. I don't care how. By scandal or dragging one to Azkaban for all I care, just do it." He threw him away.
"Yes Master." Not believing his luck, he turned to make a hasty retreat. It was not to be.
"Fudge." The minister trembled but turned back.
"Crucio!"
Harry awoke screaming. When Albus and Severus were able to quiet him, he buried himself, sniffing pitifully, between them.
"It's alright my child, you're safe here," Severus cooed, nuzzling the boy's hair. Harry stopped sniffing and looked up at them with wide, innocent green eyes. Albus sighed in relief.
"That was horrid, and he must go through that every time?" He shook his head. "There must be away to stop it." At the sound of this, Harry's eyes grew even wider and he tugged at the man's beard, shaking his head.
"Why do you do that little one?" Albus asked.
"Must," the boy answered. The two adults looked at one another.
"What?"
"Must see him," Harry managed. It was plain he was having difficulty articulating his words.
"But Harry, those visions cause you pain," Severus reminded.
"Must see him," the boy insisted stubbornly. The Potions Master sighed. There was no point in arguing with the boy when he was in this state; he likely wouldn't remember most of it anyhow.
"Why?" The Headmaster asked suddenly. The boy seemed surprised by the question and gave a little shrug.
"Advantage." Well, that was logical. Witnessing Voldemort's plans unfolding was a definite advantage over the evil wizard. The two men watched in silence as the boy drifted off to sleep.
"What are we going to do now?" Severus wondered.
" 'We' are going to sleep as well," Albus stated firmly. "I don't know about you child but I'm exhausted." The Potions Master yawned at that precise moment, making the Headmaster smile. "And I suspect you are as well. Now go on," he made shooing motions with his hands, "I'll be there in a moment, but I must have Minerva watch the school for the rest of the morning."
"Mm-kay Albus," Severus said thickly, curling around the other occupant of the couch. After a few quick words to Daylen and a note it was done. When the smiling face of the house-elf disappeared Albus turned to find both sound asleep. He smiled and shed his robe, curling up on Harry's other side. He soon joined his family in dream land.
The lunch bell rang as Remus knocked on the door of the Headmaster's office. He shifted nervously, his sensitiva ears picking up a shuffling sound and the murmur of voices. He stood shyly before the door, feeling like a first year sent to be disciplined by the Headmaster. The door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Headmaster, robe half on and half off. It seemed as though he had just woken from a nap.
"Yes?" He asked tartly upon seeing it was. He was still not pleased with the Defense teacher's conduct the day before.
"Albus I...I....I came to apologize. To all of you." He hung his head, letting the deep well of shame he felt for what he'd done and thought show. No words came but a gentle hand laid itself on his shoulder and guided him into the office, the door closing behind him.
"Be quiet," Albus whispered into his ear, "They're still sleeping." He motioned for the man to take a seat and pulled his robe the rest of the way on.
"Now," he began, "what suddenly changed your mind? Though I'm assuming it's what you witnessed in the hall." The man's voice and expression were still very closed. He wanted to make sure of the teacher's sincerity before he allowed him to speak to his child and grandchild. Remus hung his head once more but nodded. The very real shame that was coming from the man convinced the Headmaster. He once more laid a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Have you eaten?" Remus shook his head. "Then why not eat with us? It'll give you a chance to apologize to them both." He held out his hand and the purple bell pull appeared. He hesitated before giving it a tug. "I must warn you Remus, when Harry wakes he may not....be himself." At the man's puzzled expression he elaborated. "When Harry performs this spell on Severus he gives a great deal of himself to do it. In consequence, he experiences a period of...child-like behavior."
"Why?" Remus asked as the Headmaster summoned the house-elf and placed an order.
"I'm afraid I'm not the best to explain that. Ask the twins."
"So they knew all about this?" Remus allowed a bit of his hurt to show in his voice.
"Only because they were here when it all came about," Albus answered equitably, "and it happed to be a secret until the opening feast, no one else knew." He walked over to the couch and reached out to cup Severus' cheek.
"Child?" he called gently, stroking the cheek with his thumb. It was a moment before the other responded but when he did he leaned into the touch and opened his eyes.
"Yes father?" his voice was slurred with sleep. Albus smiled.
"No more nightmares?" Severus returned the smile.
"No more nightmares," he assured. The Headmaster's smile became a grin.
"Good, then how about something to eat?" Severus' eyes lit up and he nodded excitedly. "Why don't you wake up the little one while I go attend to something." He discreetly exited the room, leaving the three alone. Severus, seemingly unaware of the other's presence, sat up and stretched before lifting the still slumbering Harry into his lap. Just as he was about to shake the boy awake, someone cleared their throat. He looked up into the face of Remus Lupin.
"Yes?" he asked cautiously, unsure of the man's motives for being their. Instinctively, he pulled Harry closer to him. Remus caught the movement.
"Severus I....I want to apologize. I had no right to do what I did and believe what I did. I'm very sorry." The Potions Master lifted an eyebrow before waving him to a seat on the couch.
"Remus you did have the right, as did everyone else. With my past, one has to question this adoption, to make sure there are no ulterior motives." He cracked a half-smile. "I'll admit, I did have other motives." Remus looked startled. "I intended to keep Harry as long as possible. I will never allow anyone to hurt him if I can stop it and even if I can't I'll try. He's my life Remus, as is Albus." His eyes twinkled. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a child," he hugged Harry close, "and now that I have one I intend to hold onto him forever." Remus was stunned. Such a transformation, in such a short amount of time. Was it really possible? The Severus Snape he had known had been a bitter man, his life clouded in darkness. Now, though still somewhat the same, all of his bitterness and hatred had been washed away. The black eyes that had been described by many as dark, dead tunnels, sparkled with life. And there was no doubt who'd helped restore that life. Maybe, this could work.
"I can't believe I thought you were...." he trailed off.
"That I was what Remus?" Severus asked curiously. The other professor bit his lip, his earlier nervousness returning.
"That you were abusing him." Severus drew in a sharp breath and his eyes blazed dangerously for a moment. The anger quickly died away.
"I should have known." He shook his head at himself. "Why didn't it occur to me? Oh wait, it did, right after you accosted me in the hall. Why did you by the way?" He wanted to know. Now Remus squirmed even more, embarrassed he would have to tell.
"Well I was suspicious when you gave Harry that bottle so I followed. When he began weaving all over the place after he drank it I knew something was wrong." He twisted the fabric of his robe between his fingers. "I sort of thought you might be aiding some sort of drug addiction." Severus stared at him for a moment then burst out laughing.
"A drug addiction, you've got to kidding me! You really did let your imagination run away with you, didn't you?" His voice held amusement, not animosity, for which Remus was grateful. He grinned sheepishly.
"Yes, I guess I did. But you know what?"
"What?" Remus smiled.
"I'm glad I was wrong."
The two men sat talking quietly after that until Albus returned with two others and their food. Severus eased Harry to sit between Remus and himself and gently shook the boy awake.
"Little one, time to get up," he said. Harry shook his head and firmly kept his eyes shut. Severus sighed, then grinned as an evil idea struck. It was time for a little pay back. Grabbing one of the biscuits from the basket, he waved it under the boy's nose. Green eyes immediately snapped open.
"Time to get up and eat little one, are you ready now?" He received his answer when a certain someone suddenly took a bite of the biscuit, and his finger.
"Harry!" he yelped, jerking his hand away. The others laughed as the boy ignored the Potions Master and quickly devoured the biscuit.
"Serves you right Severus," Seri chided as she sat in a chair across from him.
"At least I didn't bite him," the man grumbled.
"Ah, but Harry didn't allow you to get that close," Albus pointed out as he handed the bowl of soup to the Potions Master. Severus accepted the bowl and balanced it in his lap, being careful not to slosh any about. He dipped a spoonful of the steaming liquid, blew on it gently, then held it up to Harry's lips.
"Open child," he commanded. Harry readily obeyed and gulped the soup down greedily. As he continued to feed his son, Severus noticed Remus watching with a touch of envy in his eyes. This gave him another idea, one that would benefit both Remus and Harry.
"Remus why don't you feed Harry for a bit, I'd like to eat a little myself." The man immediately agreed and relieved the Potions Master of the bowl.
"Harry." He directed the boy's attention to him. "Open up." The boy obeyed and allowed Remus to feed him, bite by bite, all of the soup. When he was finished, he snuggled down beside the Defense teacher, much to the man's surprise.
"Sorry I yelled at you Moony," he said, "Forgive?" Remus smiled and put a hesitant arm around the boy's shoulders.
"Only if you forgive me as well Harry, I was a fool," he said.
" 'kay," he snuggled closer, settling down to sleep once more. "Love you Moony," he whispered as his eyes closed. Remus' throat constricted and he kissed the top of Harry's head.
"Love you too Harry," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion. Severus smiled happily at the pair, glad to see this particular wound healed. A glance in the healers' and Headmaster's direction told him they felt the same.
McGonagall sat calmly in the Headmaster's chair at the high table, keeping a watchful eye on the hall. She was slightly worried, but even more curious as to why he had asked her to fill in for him. Not only that but to cancel the Potions class as well. What had made her doubly curious was the fact that neither he, nor Severus, nor Harry, nor Remus had bothered to show up for lunch. It was a mystery, certainly one that was worth looking into later. She glanced up from her plate as the owls flew into the hall. The morning post had been slightly delayed but no one seemed to mind as they scrambled to catch their various packages. Minerva watched and was a little surprised when a brown barn owl landed in front of her and stuck out its leg. She took the letter and unrolled it, waving the animal off. It read:
Dear Minerva,
Doubtless you have heard of my dismissal as the school nurse by now. Well, I'd like to give you my side of the story. If you want to hear it, please meet me in The Three Broomsticks tonight at nine. I'll be in a back corner booth.
Poppy
She read through it once more before sitting back and tapping her fingers against the chair's arm. Should she go? Albus hadn't exactly specified why the woman had been dismissed. It was quite a mystery, one that intrigued her natural cat-like curiosity. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go, if just to hear her out. But what if it was a trap? This made her pause, but the sense of mystery once more loomed over her, compelling her. She had to go! It fairly cried. Well then, if only to silence the annoying voice in her head, she would go.
And now, for a poem by Gil-Celeb:
there was a family
made of fire, ice and light,
it was a happy family
Little Harry Potter
CUTE Severus Snape
wise old Albus Dumbledore
the three phoenix members
Albus adopted Sev
Sev adopted little HJ (Harry-James)
And HJ, the smallest of all
was very, very happy
Harry's element is fire
both powerful and warm
goes well with those bright green eyes
that speak of love and life
Sev, instead comes for ice
that goes with his strong character
ice melted by the fire of love
and the light of his wise father
Albus, at last, goes for light
representing life on Earth
light of white, the simplest one
and of the strongest of air
A/N: I'm soooo sorry this late but my life lately has not been my own. I've had homework assignments piling up on top of themselves and only finished writing this yesterday. I keep getting up early in the morning to finish the work but there seems to be no end to it. Dang it! It's my own fault for taking all honors and a foriegn language but I can't help it. *sighs* I've already started writing on the other and hopefully the teachers will give me a break this weekend and let me have a chance to write. It's very hard to maintain an A average (though it's not right now, I'm working on it), let me tell you.
Okay, enough of my babbling, on to the important stuff.
*Darl: This animal is my own creation, name is subject to change I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Okay, it's about the size of a house-cat, cream-colored but outlined in black. It has rabbit sized ears that are very sharp and are able to pick up sounds for several miles, that is why they are extremely difficult to catch. The claws, which is what scratched Harry, are three to four inches in length. This animal is a carnivore and has long row of serated teeth to prove it. The tails are the only way to tell between a male and a female. A male has two tails, female has three.
Okay, now onto replies:
Kylie: Thank you for pointing that out.
Gil-Celeb: As always, you leave me with a lot to say. First of all I will try to post as often as I can because I LOVE your MST. About Sev and Tom, don't worry, that will NEVER (see, it's in all caps because I'm very serious) happen in 'real life'. Though Tom does want to get a hold of someone, or someones I should say and I can't tell you who otherwise that will ruin the surprise and then where will I be? Don't worry about that though, he'll never actually get his hands on them. When I wrote that scene between Tom and Sev I was thinking the worst that I could possibly do to him besides what I had already done. Hence, the slash scene. Don't worry about the dream, when my friends read it they thought I was the most evil being on the face of the planet but I'm used to that by now. *suddenly starts cracking up* "What in the name of the Great Mages, the Trinity, the Phoenix Power, the Moonlight Cats, the honor of the Marauders, the nobility of Godric Gryffindor and the glory of Salazar Slytherin is he thinking?!?!?!?!" *laughs again* I loved that! I tried to read it to my friend but I couldn't finish because I'd start giggling in between. He does trust them, really he does, its just that he doesn't want to bother him. But that shouldn't happen again. Uhh....Oh yes! About Kit and Remus. It's fine with me but I'm telling you now that's not who she's going to hook up with. And it ain't going to be Sirius either. I'm not telling, you'll just have to wait like everyone else. Oh did I mention, Rose said you can join the ASA and contribute all you want. If you want to read her story it's Paternal Instincts by Principessa.
I do like what you have planned with the MST sequence. I never thought about adding Dumbledore. *suddenly giggles* That ought to be amusing. But bring in Severus at least by the third chapter, I want to see what he says about "The Returned of the Damned", you know, with the meeting with Voldemort and everything. I loved the latest addition of the MST and want to thank you for supporting me when everyone was mad because all I posted was the dream. *huggles* Thank you so much! Oh, and one more thing. I need a couple of names. See, I'm starting my own book (it's just in the planning stages I swear because right now it has no legs to stand on), and it's sort of like the American Harry Potter. And well, it's not, a lot of things are different. The name of the school is Roanoke Academy of Magic, it is in the lost colony of Roanoke. In my story it was never lost, only settled by a bunch of witches and wizards that made it 'lost'. Though I do have four houses and right now they are lacking names. They have colors and animals. One is the owl and it's colors are purple and gold, they're the smart house. Then there's the unicorn, colors blue and silver and they are the pure of heart (and sometimes the most powerful). The bear, colors brown and green and the only attribute I can think of is loyalty but that's apt to change if I can think of a better one. The the dragon house (my evil house), colors black and red and they are cunning and devious, sometimes heartless. The thing is, I need to name these houses and I can't seem to. They won't be named after the five founders (could be four, not sure yet). The Headmistress needs a name and right now I'm caught between Abigail Prewett or Arabella Prewett (leaning towards Abigail, though I don't know why).The main characters are the twins (Seri and Kit). There parents were killed when they were barely two months old. They were adopted almost immediately but by different families. There parents were killed by evil wizards (followers of some evil being I haven't named yet but it is a woman, with a man as a figurehead). They never knew about the other. Lived one street away from the other for till they were ten and went to different schools. Seri is a bookworm and picked on constantly, but she never fights. (Well she does once but she never actually hit anyone) Kit is picked on as well but instead of ignoring it she fights back and is sort of a bully. I also need one very important thing. SUBJECTS! If you have any ideas on them tell me and be very grateful. I tell you about the rest later but if I don't stop talking now I won't get this posted!
riverlady: I love my cookie! Thank you!
QrYx: Even I'm not that cruel to my characters. That is just horrid. But it is a prime example of how terrible humans can be.
MoonMage: Of course I'm having fun writing this otherwise I wouldn't be writing it.
abigfan: I'm not taking long on purpose, blame my teachers.
Helen: *hands the reader a tissue* It's over, you can stop crying now.
Arizosa: I am not evil! Most of the time.
Maxennce: Er...thanks.
Anneliesa: *blushes crimson as she reads the review, then squeals* I don't know how you come up with those things but that was so neat!
Wolfe Jr: I sent shivers down your spine? Cool, that's a first.
Blizzard: You should be freaked out by Pomfrey, now that she has reared her ugly head again. No one seems to realize just what I plan to do with her but after the next chapter I think they will.
Lei Dumbledore: Chills eh? Maybe I am getting better.
Chibi-Usa: I do put he through a great deal don't I?
celebony: You know what, I think your right, maybe my readers do need an ASA. And no, I did not die.
silverspirit: Wow, I'm glad you like it. Maybe I should try and write professionally, you think?
Katie: I'm glad you like this.
Phoenix of Light: Thanks mate. Now this one was a lot harder to write, but hopefully it's still good.
KDay2: You don't have to wait anyonger because here it is!
zorra: Jeez you pretty much predicted what I was going to do before you even read it. And its phoenix, but you were close.
Mave: I'm sorry, I just wanted the readers to experience exactly what Severus was going through so they could really sympathize with him properly.
Glib: I know one day takes forever, but sometimes I can't help that. It's going to start picking up again (I think) and don't bother telling me how long I've left you because I'm very well aware of it. The only reason I posted the dream was so that you'd have something to ready while I finished this. And I'll have you know that was the night before the opening feast. And if I lose you I'm sorry.
Wink At J00: *wipes away a tear* It was sweet, wasn't it? But please, please *gets down on knees and begs* write more and on Last Ounce of Pain...Gone, I'm dying to know what happens.
Phoenix Flight: Here it is.
Arabella Figg: Is that the new estimate on when the fifth book is going to be out? *sighs* Frankly, I don't care if it becomes a AU, I'll still continue it.
And to my other reviewers: ElvenFaerie, Diana Lucille Snape, and Selina.
*rattels collection tin* You know the drill by now. Review please!
Next chapter: "Meetings, Greetings and Even More Surprises": Minerva meets Pomfrey, Another Order of the Phoenix Meeting, What Fudge intends to try to do, first potions class and Sirius gets the letter.