Snape's Invisible Friend
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, I am not a multinational bookselling company, nor am I a multi-million dollar movie company, so I don't own anything that you recognize. I am a retired former teacher with a bizarre sense of humor, who likes to twist plots and play with characters' minds, so enjoy.
From Chapter 5:
In his lab, Severus set up a gold cauldron and began summoning ingredients, talking to himself. He had gotten so used to talking constantly to Shaun over the last four months that it seemed unnatural for him to remain silent while brewing any more.
"Murtlap essence and finely powdered daisy roots; simmer and stir in knotgrass. If I add three drops of dragon's blood and dried moonstone, I need to stir twenty times counter-clockwise." He continued adding and stirring, carefully watching the potion as if his very life depended upon it. Ginger and flaxseed, lionfish and powdered scarab beetles all made it into the brew. He finally added the powdered bezoars; finished the last clockwise stir and simmered the sparkling blue potion. He was watching the final simmer, wracking his brain for anything he might have forgotten when with a flash, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, appeared and added three small tears to the gold cauldron. The potion shimmered and turned crystal clear. Severus cast a cooling charm bottled the brew and took off at a run towards the infirmary. He didn't even notice when he knocked down two small first year Gryffindors in his rush to return to his boy.
He practically flew through the doors and slid to a stop at the curtain. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in a padded rocking chair, holding his son to his chest; a single tear tracing its way down his cheek. Fear gripped Severus' chest, he could feel his heart pounding against his chest, hammering his ribs. He had been too late, his boy, his reason for living, the only one who trusted him and loved him unconditionally; was dead. He had been too slow, it was all his fault!
Chapter 6: And the Truth Shall Set You Free
Poppy grabbed him from behind as he started to crumble to the floor. "No, Severus, he'll be all right, he's fine. The new spell has just eased his breathing and he is doing better!"
Albus stood up quickly, cradling the small form to his chest, while Poppy grabbed the precious vial out of Severus' shaking hand and guided him to sit down in the rocking chair that Albus had just left. Albus gently laid the small blanket draped invisible figure of his son into his arms, and Severus clutched his son to him tightly. He patted him over, feeling his small chest rising and falling in a more normal rhythm than it had been.
Poppy handed him the potion vial she had saved him from dropping and he used one finger to open the boy's mouth and trickled the precious small dose down the inside of his cheek.
The potion administered, there was nothing more they could do but wait for the child to wake on his own. Poppy's hands were tied; as she had feared, it was proving difficult to accurately evaluate someone she could not see. She felt like she was trying to visualize a painting after only reading a description of it, she was just frustrated.
Of course, Severus was an excellent potions master, but his actual diagnostic and healing skills were limited to the normal ones needed around the school, not the complex ones involving young children, and to be truthful even Poppy was sadly out of practice in diagnosing and treating the very young child, her patients were all students and the occasional teacher. She thought perhaps she ought to find out about a refresher course if young Shaun was going to be growing up in the castle. 'Of course, if I could actually see my patient that would help a lot!' She thought in frustration.
Rockwood, Ames, and McKnight waited in the Headmaster's office for almost three hours, afraid to move or even to say anything under the reproachful glare of Professor McGonagall. She was becoming more ferocious than even their head of house! Finally Professor Dumbledore entered the room and sat down behind his desk. His piercing blue eyes showed no trace of a twinkle and his expression had lost any of its kindly old Headmaster visage. This was the extremely powerful and angry wizard that had defeated the dark wizard, Grindelwald, and the only wizard that Lord Voldemort had been said to be afraid of. The three seventh year Slytherins were beginning to wonder if the Headmaster really was the old coot their parents always called him.
"Is there any reason that you shouldn't be immediately expelled, gentlemen? Your senseless act of bullying put the lives of every person in the bookstore in danger. And as we speak, there is a three year old boy fighting for his life down in the hospital wing. It is only through the fast action and impeccable brewing talents of Professor Snape that the hospital wing isn't filled with gravely ill and possibly dying students."
The three boys blanched and looked down at their feet. McKnight was the first to speak, "I'm sorry sir. We weren't thinking at all, I don't have any explanation for what we did…How is the little boy, sir?"
Albus looked over the top of his spectacles for several long moments, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "I have been in the infirmary for the last three hours, holding a small boy who was fighting for every breath he took, while Professor Snape was working against time to brew an antidote. Fortunately for the three of you, he managed to finish brewing before the little boy died, and he will eventually recover fully." Minerva let out a deep sigh and sat back in her chair, her face in her hands. Relief flooding the old witch who had feared the worst as time passed and they had heard no word.
Albus steepled his fingers as he leaned back in his chair, "I believe ten days suspension, fifty points each, and a month of detentions with Professor Snape will be sufficient. You will be instructed on when to catch the train home, gentlemen, as soon as I have been in contact with your parents. You are dismissed, and I would suggest that you avoid being alone with your Head of House, he is angrier than I have ever seen him; you have disgraced your house and indeed the entire school. Professor Snape might have cooled down by the time you return, but then again, he might not have. If there is any instance that your names are brought to my attention again, you will be summarily expelled."
He waved them out of the office and waited until he heard the grind of the gargoyle and then stood and opened his arms for Minerva. She let her tears fall freely as she gratefully accepted the hug from her friend of so many years. "Is it true, is Shaun going to be all right, and is Severus going to recover too?"
Albus patted her back and nodded, "Though I suspect that Shaun will recover before Severus does, the child is so distraught he isn't thinking clearly at all. I need to return to the hospital wing, will you accompany me, my dear?"
The two walked softly into the hospital wing only to quickly realize they needn't have bothered. Poppy had simply made the bed in the private quarantine area larger and both Severus and Shaun were in it together. Poppy admitted with a sigh, "Severus has to be here, because I can't see the boy, and so I just finally slipped him a sleeping potion in his tea. He was so tired and upset, he didn't even notice. But I suspect that he will still wake up if Shaun so much as twitches. Knowing what he was poisoned with, and the strength of the antidote, I would be surprised though, if either one of them is awake before morning."
Albus walked over and brushed the hair off of the sleeping man, his face in sleep looking younger than Albus had seen it in years. He was reminded that Severus really was really only twenty-seven years old, little more than a teenager himself. It was only when the former spy was awake that his face took on the world weary look of someone ten years older.
He reached over to feel the child's shoulder, glad to feel the even, easy breaths and the warm feel of his skin; he had felt devastated when Poppy first laid the child on his lap. He had understood that the child was deathly ill, but until he had felt the painful, wracking breaths, the cold, clammy skin and the absolute limp stillness of the baby, he hadn't fully realized the huge place in his heart the child held.
He closed his eyes in silent thanks, grateful for the gift of the small child into their lives and turned to the two witches, "Minerva, I am afraid that we must now leave to begin the festivities for Halloween. I trust, Poppy, that you will notify us the instant that one of them wakes up?" At her nod, he took the arm of his deputy Headmistress and led her out of the hospital wing, the mask of the kindly, gentle Headmaster once again firmly plastered on his face.
Word of the incident in Hogsmeade and it's consequences had spread quickly through the castle, so the Halloween celebration was more subdued and quiet than it normally would have been. The staff was surprised to realize how much they had come to like the 'new' potions master and his small child. The sight of the former snarky git talking to himself, or holding a small invisible hand, the sly looks behind the staff table at food disappearing from the plate on the small table, and a thousand other things had become a part of their daily lives. And no one would object to anything that improved Severus' mood and behavior!
The Halloween Feast and the older students' dance were over early without incidence and the students went quietly and mostly subdued to their common rooms. The staff met for a quiet cup of tea and an update on the condition of the two in the hospital wing before heading to their own quarters for the evening. Albus told them there had been no change and sent them off; before going down to the hospital wing himself to check on his two boys before heading up to try to sleep.
The potion had worked remarkably well, by the time Albus had dealt with the staff and headed down to the hospital wing; Shaun was awake and patting his daddy's chest, upset because the man wouldn't wake up.
"Daddy, I'm all right, I didn't leave, just like you told me too. No body found me, I stayed under the table, and I knew you would come for me. Wake up Daddy, I'm right here Daddy, why won't you wake up Daddy?"
Shaun was getting very frustrated, Daddy wouldn't wake up no matter what he said or did and Madame Pomfrey had left them. He knew it was very late because the windows were all dark and he didn't even see many lights on in the castle. When Albus walked in he tried to get his friend Albus to wake up his Daddy. But Albus didn't see him trying to shake his daddy, and Albus didn't hear him crying, and Albus couldn't even see that he was awake. Shaun thought maybe Albus might be able to make his Daddy wake up, and he knew Albus would hold him and make him feel better, just like Daddy did.
He thought about how he wished he could talk to Albus and tell him that something was wrong with his daddy. He remembered about what Ogden, the Hogwarts Head House Elf had told him about him having to give permission to someone to hear him. He thought hard with all of his heart for Albus to hear him.
He remembered that his Daddy had told him Albus thought of his daddy as his child, so that would make Albus his grandfather.
"Grandpa, what's wrong with my Daddy, why won't he wake up?" Albus was startled to hear the small voice quivering with emotion, sounding out of apparently thin air. 'Shaun, is that you child, I can hear you. How are you feeling, I can hear that you are crying, do you need something for pain? Should I call Madame Pomfrey?"
Shaun launched himself at the old man who thankfully caught the small body as the tiny arms grabbed him around the neck. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand over the back of the small head that was buried in his shoulder. "Shh, child, it's going to be all right, shh, shh…"
Shaun was crying so hard he was hiccoughing, "My…daddy…some…things…wrong! Why…won't he…wake up?"
Albus chuckled, making the bed jiggle, "He was so worn out worrying about you and working so hard on the potion to make you all better; that Madame Pomfrey gave him a sleeping potion. He will be fine by morning, would you like me to stay with you until he wakes up, child?"
The small head nodded and rubbed his face against the headmaster's robes. Albus transfigured the uncomfortable straight backed visitor's chair into a large, comfortable recliner and settled in, throwing a warm blanket over the two of them. Shaun finally let go of his neck and settled into the crook of his arm, his even breathing still hitching from his sobs every once in a while as he drifted off to sleep.
At first light, Poppy threw back the curtains and found one more person than she expected to find in the quarantine room. Albus was asleep, a small lump in the blanket that covered them both the only evidence that Shaun wasn't in the big bed with his father. Severus woke with the light across his face and grimaced when the hospital ward greeted his sight. He groaned involuntarily and started to assess his injuries, until he realized that he wasn't the patient! He was the worried, distraught parent who had refused to leave their child's side the night before!
He had never understood or had any patience for parents of hospitalized children before, now he understood fully. He sat up quickly and looked around for his son. His gaze rested on the peaceful faces asleep together in the recliner and heaved a big sigh. His son was sleeping deeply, his skin tone and breathing back to normal.
Poppy was gently waking up Albus and asking him to give Shaun to his father to do a quick check on his health. She had decided that she would just teach Severus the spells and let him tell her the results! It would be less frustrating for her she was sure.
She handed the bundled blanket to Severus and told him to lay the child down on the bed so that she could check him out. She ran her wand up and down him. "Well Severus, he will be tired for a few days and we will have to make sure he doesn't pick up a cough for a while but he appears to be over the poisoning. Your potion did the trick; I would be interested to read what you brewed when you have the time, Severus. Now if it is okay with you, I would like to give him a complete physical while you are both here. The child healing specialist I talked to yesterday and again last night gave me several spells that are specifically used for diagnosing children under the age of six that I didn't know before. The spells I use are for older children and adults as I normally never have a child of Shaun's age."
She pulled a sheet of parchment out of her pocket and began to check Shaun's overall health, using the new spells from the sheet. She would cast a spell and then tap her wand to another parchment to record the findings. Albus and Severus both looked nervous as she worked, but when she finished she smiled.
"His nutritional levels are almost up to normal, he will still need to catch up some on his growth and weight, Severus, but he is gaining at a good rate. I did not take into account what muggles call 'failure to thrive' in my assessments before, frankly it is very rare to find a witch or wizard that has been starved to that point. He will need a little calcium added to his nutritional potion so that his bones regain the strength he lost; and his lungs are a little fragile right now, but other than that you have a healthy four year, three month old boy!"
Severus looked at puzzled, "I thought last month you said he was three and a half years old, Poppy now you say he's over four?"
"Well, the spells I had don't really show the age quite so specifically, the exact age in months and years matters very little after about the age of eight. And it matters not at all by the teenage years, so my spells are all geared for older children. I've haven't dealt with a young child since I left training and became the medi witch here at Hogwarts."
Minerva rushed in followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arabella Figg. "Albus, there's no trace of Harry Potter to be found!"
Kingsley started talking first, "I found muggle documents that the Dursley's left England for Canada in the middle of September, but there are documents for only two adults and one child. I found not a trace of the boy in either muggle or magical documents. It's like he vanished into thin air."
Arabella hung her head in shame, "And I have to report that I was mistaken about Harry walking to the play park with his relatives, I had broken my glasses and the new ones weren't made yet, but the dark haired boy I thought was Harry actually is Piers Polkiss, and the neighbors didn't even realize that the Dursley's had two boys. I don't know where he is, Albus, I am so sorry."
Albus looked at Severus and was surprised to see acceptance in his face. Severus looked up at the group and said, "I am sure that my child, my Shaun, is actually Harry Potter. Kingsley, what do I have to do to formally adopt him?"
Albus stood and hugged Severus, "I am so proud of you my son, I was concerned when the possibility was first mentioned, and I did not know how you would have reacted to finding out that Shaun and Harry were one and the same."
"I might have been angry, no I would have been angry at first, but I have had Shaun with me for the last four months and after almost losing him yesterday, I would want him even if he was the love child of Sybil Trelawney and the Dark Lord himself. I just remember the hole in my heart when I thought he had died yesterday and I know I will never be whole without him in my life. Besides, no one else can see or hear him, who else can raise him?" Severus said with a smirk.
Kingsley startled, this was news to him but Albus looked over his spectacles and said, "I can hear him now, Severus. He was so worried when you wouldn't wake up last night that he was practically hysterical to tell me about it and so he allowed me to hear him last night. In fact, now that I think about it he kept calling me Grandpa! Do you know anything about that Severus?"
Severus and Albus both turned toward the bed behind them and Severus held out his arms. Shaun climbed into them and patted his father's face, "Are you all right now Daddy? Grandpa said Madame Pomfrey fed you a potion because you were worried the potion you made me wouldn't make me all better. But your potions always make me better, you know that silly Daddy!"
Albus chuckled at the two and turned to the others. "Kingsley, I need you to bring someone who can be trusted from Wizarding Children's Services and perhaps someone who has the authority to quietly grant formal custody to Severus; to my office this morning. I believe if Severus were to put his memories of Shaun's arrival in his lab into my pensieve, revoking the Dursley's custody and granting it to Severus will be no problem. If that is all right with you, Severus? And I am sure they will want to 'talk' to Shaun also, if you will bring him to my office after breakfast?"
Severus just hugged the wiggling body tighter and agreed as the Headmaster spread his arms, gently herding the others out of the room to give the two space.
Severus carried his son under his cloak up to the Headmaster's office. Poppy had the elves deliver breakfast and clean clothes to the hospital wing so the two were fed and clean. Severus was nervous about the upcoming ordeal, he still had nightmares about the brutalized baby appearing in his lab, and now he was going to have to relive it with others watching. He hoped it was enough for the ministry to grant him full custody. Shaun was still quiet and subdued after the ordeal of yesterday and Severus was glad he didn't have to talk much or try to keep a wiggling four year old quiet. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the information that his son was definitely Harry Potter, though he suspected that deep in his heart he had known it from the first night that Arabella had said the boy was missing. After all, how many dark haired, green eyed preschoolers that lived with an aunt and uncle could there possibly be? Especially missing ones!
He didn't realize that he had come to the gargoyles that guarded the Headmaster's office and quarters until he felt Shaun reaching forward. He watched curiously as the boy just patted the gargoyle and it opened without a word. "How did you do that, Shaun, why didn't you have to give it the password?"
Shaun's thin shoulders moved in a small shrug, "Don't know, just knew I could. Same way I can pop in the castle when I need to, and the way no one can see or hear me. I guess the castle just knows me."
Severus filed that information away for further reflection, when he had time he would worry about the implications of that, but now they had a different ordeal ahead of them. He carried his child up the stairs as if climbing to his own execution. Albus motioned to have him hand Shaun to Minerva where she was sitting in a corner away from the chairs set up around the pensieve on his desk. No one else had arrived yet and the three sat quietly talking, trying to calm their minds for the inquiry.
Minerva was happy to feel the small body settle peacefully into her lap and go back to sleep after his stressful night after the horrors of yesterday. She had been more upset that she realized she could be when she had heard what had happened to the boy, she was afraid she would not have been so lenient to the three miscreants, but Albus had explained that he was positive that while the boys had intended to bully the younger boy, they had not intended to create a lethal cloud of gas and they had been truly repentant. He hoped to salvage them into worthwhile citizens before they graduated. Plus he knew that whatever Severus had them doing in detention would be more than adequate punishment!
Albus' fireplace flared green and Albus uttered the password, opening his floo for incoming visitors. Kingsley stepped out followed by a witch and a two wizards, the youngest wizard obviously a clerk charged with recording the results of the inquiry.
Kingsley introduced the young witch as Grindel Whatcomb from Wizarding Children's Services and the older wizard as Peter MacCoyle from the Judge Advocate's office. Albus knew the two slightly from appearances before the Wizengamot, but he didn't remember actually speaking to either one.
MacCoyle took charge, "We are here to conduct an inquiry into the matter of revoking guardianship of one Harry James Potter from his aunt Petunia Anne Dursley and granting full and formal guardianship and adoption of said juvenile to one Severus Sebastian Snape. Auror Shacklebolt, you may proceed on the matter of testimony as to the inadequacies of his current guardians."
Kingsley motioned Severus forward, "Professor Snape if you would be so kind as to place your memories of the condition of said child as he first appeared to you into the pensieve. You may also include subsequent memories as you deem necessary to provide a true and accurate picture of his home life."
Severus nodded and pulled out his wand, he thought hard and placed strand after strand of silver memories into the pensieve. He stopped and thought for a minute, then placed two more memories into the swirling substance. He stepped back and waited while Albus, Kingsley, MacCoyle, Whatcomb and the clerk all drew their wands. Kingsley counted one, two, three and they all placed their wand tips into the substance and were pulled into Severus' memories of that awful day.
The five wizards and one witch stood to one side as he watched himself turn from the failed potion.
He fell to one knee in front of the bleeding and badly battered baby. The child had hold of a very dirty blanket that looked as if it had once been blue but was now mostly dirty grey and brown. The child stank as if it hadn't been changed in days or bathed in months. The right arm was bent at an impossible angle and the left leg was swollen and misshapen, especially around it's knee. The toddler was bleeding from hundreds of freely bleeding lacerations, many with small sharp fragments of glass visible in the flickering torch light. There was a large amount of blood oozing from several deep lacerations in it's forehead and it's face and body were caked in blood and dirt.
Severus watched as he once again reached his hand out and the baby flinched back; a wary look of fear in its face. "I won't hurt you child, I just want to help you. I need to pick you up to help you. I will try not to hurt you but I must move you from here." He moved carefully and slowly toward the frightened baby. He continued to talk softly and calmly to the child, inching forwards. The panic and fear gradually faded from the baby's face. The baby finally allowed the memory Severus to touch one shoulder. The baby involuntarily flinched and tried to jerk away, but gradually calmed down. "That's good, child, well, I don't even know if you are a boy or a girl, I don't suppose you talk much yet do you. You couldn't tell me how you came to be so hurt, or even what your name is could you, child?"
He picked the child up as gently as he could, being very careful to not touch the damaged arm and leg, but the baby never made a sound, it just shuddered silently. He summoned a vial of pain potion. He urged the child cradled gently in his arms to sip the potion. The child drank a couple swallows, and the shadow Severus watched until the baby was breathing easier and the child went limp in sleep. The ones watching the memory saw him head for his potions supply room, the limp body cradled in the crook of his left arm while he gently washed off its right arm with a soft flannel he had conjured before applying a bone re-growth potion to the tiny arm.
Albus brushed a tear away as he watched: the shadow Severus used his wand to check over the rest of the baby and then rubbed in the ligament re-growth potion to it's knee; before getting the child to swallow another potion for a concussion and then two different blood replenisher potions to replace the blood lost through the hundreds of cuts.
Even the hardened Auror Shacklebolt cringed as he watched Severus begin the meticulous, slow job of removing the glass shards. He would Accio a fragment and then the next, and then the next.
The memory finally faded into a shadowy white before another memory floated into view in front of the six. Severus was kneeling in his bathroom, the baby still cradled in his arm as he summoned several big towels and a soft blanket before running a bath only 6 inches deep into his big tub. He knelt on the floor and gently laid his bundle down on the blanket. He removed the disgusting nappy and the watchers gagged along with the memory Severus. Cracked and bleeding with open ulcers, the boy's bottom and privates were dreadfully painful to even look at.
He lifted the boy, blanket and all and laid him in the tepid bath. He gently cleaned the boy, careful of his cuts and bruises as best he could. He had to change the bath water three times before the water ran clean. Leaving the filthy blanket in the tub, he wrapped the boy up in a dry towel and took him to lay him down upon his bed.
The next memory was upon them in only a moment: Severus was rubbing in healing ointments and got the child to swallow a few more sips of potions. Severus then asked Nippy to fetch his strongest healing balm from the storage room and then asked the old elf to help him apply it to the ulcers and cracks in the child's diaper area. As he removed the towel every rib was visible, his stomach was indented, and even the pelvic bones could be plainly seen.
The last memory was chilling even with it's extreme shortness: Severus had the child cradled in his arms. The child looked partially healed and Severus was talking to him gently when he asked the child what his name was. You could see the child thinking deeply before he answered. He looked up at the man, wide eyed and said softly, "Freak, my name is Freak."
The memories they had shared had deeply affected all of the watchers. Judge MacCoyle took a deep breath before saying, "It's obvious the boy was abused, both physically and emotionally, and it's obvious from those memories that he was severely neglected and obviously starved. The court hereby grants the petition for termination of all rights to the minor wizard known as Harry James Potter from Petunia Anne Dursley and her husband Vernon Dursley. I am also issuing warrants for their arrest on child abuse, neglect and assault for the above named individuals. I understand abandonment is also an issue since they moved to Canada without even notifying the proper authorities that their nephew was missing?" At Albus' nod he continued, "We will take into account the care and comfort that Professor Severus Sebastian Snape has provided the minor, Harry James Potter for the last four months as evidence of his willingness to adopt the child. Is there any other information that the court should take into consideration before deciding upon the boy's placement. I understand there are special circumstances with 'who' the child is; and the fact that Professor Snape was a former death eater who reformed, and then risked his life to spy for the light. But there are issues of the safety of the child, since I image there are many of your former colleagues who would wish you, as well as the child, dead. And I am not so naive as to believe all the death eaters are dead or in Azkaban as some of my colleagues swear."
Albus nodded to Minerva who stood up and simply came forward and waited for Albus to pull the man's arms out. The judge looked surprised when Albus grabbed his hands and pulled them gently away from his body, but he was even more surprised when Professor McGonagall placed something in his arms. He startled when the something started to wiggle and he had to quickly grab it before he dropped it. He had just enough time to recognize that he had a small body in his arms when he felt that small body start to shake and quiver. Severus stepped forward, relieved him of his burden and went to sit down where Minerva had been sitting, rocking gently and patting the air in front of him.
MacCoyle sat heavily and gasped in shock. Miss Whatcomb looked from the judge to the Headmaster and back again before demanding an explanation. Albus looked at her, his eyes in full twinkle mode, "Well, I would love to give you an explanation, unfortunately we don't have one. No one has been able to figure out how young Shaun, or Harry if you prefer, is invisible. He can also only be heard by his father and since last night, me. I however, cannot see him, only Severus and apparently the house elves can see him."
"However as Judge MacCoyle discovered, he can still be felt. So I can see of no one else that could be a proper father to the child than the only one he has allowed to see him for at least the last four months. Our medi witch informs me that Severus has made remarkable strides in helping him grow and gain weight, I can attest to the fact that he is much more open and carefree than at the end of summer, and in fact has an almost normal relationship with Severus, other than the fact that he is invisible."
"Headmaster, you said that you can also hear the boy? Could you be sort of an interpreter for me? I really need to ask the boy some questions."
"Certainly, Judge, although Severus could serve in that purpose, it would perhaps be best if I whispered the answer to Miss Whitcomb and Severus whispered the answer to you and then you could verify that the answer is actually what the boy said. That way no one will be able to say that we 'fudged' the answers in any way."
"Ah, great idea, Headmaster, that will work very well. Now, Harry, err Shaun is the name I believe you go by right? Do you want Professor Snape to be your daddy?"
Both men whispered, "My name is Shaun Severus Snape and I don't know who Harry is, and he IS my daddy!"
"Well that is definite, only two more questions, do you know how you came to be here at Hogwarts and has your daddy ever frightened or hurt you, ever?"
The answers were again identically whispered in each ear, "My daddy loves me and he made me all better when I was sick; and I don't know how I got here, I was locked in my cupboard and I hurt and I wished and wished for a daddy to love me and I got one."
Judge MacCoyle and Miss Whatcomb looked at each other and smiled. They conversed together in a corner for several minutes before coming back to sit by the Headmaster's desk. Judge MacCoyle rapped the desk with his wand three times and stated, "In the matter pertaining to Harry James Potter, all rights and responsibilities are hereby granted to one Severus Sebastian Snape and the juvenile's name is hereby officially changed to Shaun Severus Harry Potter Snape. Said child may use any derivation of his full or partial name as he deems fit. This matter is closed pending the return of the fugitives, Petunia and Vernon Dursley for trial."
The two wizards and one witch shook everyone's hand though they all felt a little strange shaking hands with the invisible child sitting on Severus' lap, and left through the floo. Kingsley waited until he was alone with Albus to begin making plans to bring the Dursley's back from Canada for trial.
Severus didn't think his feet touched the floor as he carried Shaun down to their quarters. Yesterday had been one of the worst days of his life and then today was one; no it was the best day of his entire life. Shaun was his now and forever and no one could take him away!
He and Shaun had dinner in their quarters that night and then Severus allowed Shaun to play and splash in his bath as he never did before, he didn't care if he looked like a drowned rat, Shaun was his son and he was determined to be the best daddy he could be.
The next morning at the crack of dawn, Severus woke up to giggles as his son tried to tickle him awake. He kept his eyes shut and pretended to be still asleep. Shaun tried his ribs, under his arms, dove under the covers and dug down to find his feet to no avail.
Severus sat up suddenly and turned the tables on the wriggling little boy and scooped him up, blankets and all and threatened to drop him if he didn't "Cease and desist this attack, you little monster!" in his most threatening voice. The boy didn't stop giggling so Severus dropped him back down on the bed, still wrapped in his blankets. Severus then sat up in his bed, pretending to cry in loud, howling, outrageous sobs, theatrically wiping fake tears from his eyes.
He felt the little form wiggle out of the blanket cocoon, and immediately climb into his lap. "Daddy, are you okay, I didn't mean to make you sad and cry. I'm sorry, Daddy."
Severus looked out of the side of his eyes through his unkempt hair and sobbed, "My best voice, my best snarl, and it didn't bother you at all! I've lost my touch, what am I to do? You aren't afraid of me any more!" Shaun looked surprised for a moment, until he processed what his daddy had actually said to him and then attacked him with a ferocious hug, smiling and giggling once again.
"You're a big silly, Daddy. I know you love me and you wouldn't ever hurt me. Not like my uncle and aunt. And I love you Daddy, even when you are a big grumpy in the morning." The little boy's green eyes were wide with sincerity and trust.
Severus sat him down on the bed so they were face to face. "Is it okay if we talk about your aunt and uncle for a little bit now, Shaun? I know you haven't wanted to so I haven't brought them up, but now I think it's time we talked a little bit. Would that be okay? You can tell me you don't want to answer, and you can tell me when you want to stop talking today, but I don't want you to lie to me. Whatever the truth is, I won't be mad at you, okay?"
Shaun bit his lower lip and thought for a moment, could he talk about what had happened in that house? He thought about everything his Daddy had shared with him and how much his Daddy had done for him. He nodded and climbed into his Daddy's lap and reached out to pull his daddy's arms around him. His daddy hugged him closely and started to ask about his life.
"Do you remember any more about your real mummy and daddy? Do you remember where you lived, if you had a pet, or when your birthday is?" He prompted.
Shaun sighed, "My aunt told me they died in a car crash when I was just a little baby. She always told me I should have died with them, that they didn't want me but some old coot made them take me. Daddy, what's an old coot?" Severus smiled at the face turned up towards him and answered, "It's usually someone older than you are who has done something or said something that you don't particularly like. It's not a very nice thing to say about someone, but it's not as bad as some things. And sometimes people call someone an old coot when they actually like them, like I just called you monster. Do you understand?"
Shaun turned back around and looked down at his lap, "So Albus is an old coot, then?" Severus couldn't help himself, he laughed, "Yes, child, sometimes he can be!"
Shaun thought deeply, wrinkling his brow in concentration, "I remember a soft voice sometimes, and I used to have a blanket that my mummy gave me, I thought I brought it with me, but I don't know where it is now. And my birthday is the same as my cousin's, June 14th, but he always had a party and I never even got a present, just locked in the cupboard so no one would know I was there." Shaun was starting to tremble so Severus asked him if he wanted to stop talking for now and get ready for breakfast, and then his daddy had a big surprise for him.
What, Daddy, tell me, please, tell me?" Shaun was his bubbly self again. Severus shut his eyes and offered up a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god there might be that the boy's spirit had not been damaged beyond repair by the abuse at the hands of his blasted relatives. It had taken four long months, but the child no longer sat quietly in a corner, pretending that he didn't exist.
Severus had only thought he preferred the unnaturally quiet child, he decided he much preferred the happy one. Perhaps Shaun would soon let others see him, it still made his heart warm to know that he was the only one the boy trusted with his appearance, but it was a little bizarre, and he doubted that the students hadn't noticed some very strange behavior after all this time.
"Well, Albus has volunteered to take my classes today so I thought we could go back and finish our day in Hogsmeade that was interrupted. I don't have to do anything besides go in and out of the shops and show you everything, and maybe get you some warmer winter clothes. So you get to go to Honeyduke's for chocolate frogs and the bookstore for a couple of new books. And then after that we'll have a picnic and I will tell you the true story of your mummy and daddy who loved you so much, and when your real birthday is and any other questions you have. So go get dressed so we can eat and then walk down while the students are in their first classes." He swatted the boy on the bottom as he scrambled out of his daddy's big bed and ran to his own room to get his clothes.
Severus wondered if the time would soon come when he would actually use the room for more than storing his possessions, but he thought as he was getting dressed, that there was really no hurry for the small boy to move out of his bedroom. He smiled as he thought of the day ahead, just the two of them, a real father and son day!