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.
AN: I promise, no more flashbacks, I really don't like them either, I just had a couple suggestions that I had skimmed the first three weeks too much. But feel free to let me know if I have forgotten about some subplot or if an explanation of something isn't clear enough. Thanks for all of you who have read and reviewed.
Chapter 10: Christmas at Hogwarts
The two Snapes slept the day away without waking once, but the next morning, when Albus turned the corner that led to their room, he could hear Severus' blasting tone when he was still two doors away from theirs.
"We are leaving this blasted hellhole immediately. I am aware that my son is still very sick, and that you and your bungling aurors are the reason that he is sick! I can care for my son without the inept, imbecilic, misguided help of a poorly educated twit like you!"
Albus decided he had better intervene before Severus had a chance to find his wand or there would be some serious damage done to the Healer, not to mention, the very real possibility that Severus' anger would be channeled through his wand and destroy at least this wing of St. Mungo's if not the entire floor.
"Ah, Severus, I thought you might be ready to return to Hogwarts. I brought some clean robes for you and your son's favorite blanket to wrap him up in for the trip. I have a portkey to take the two of you directly to the hospital wing and Poppy is ready for your arrival." Albus might have chuckled at the sight of the two wizards squared off with the rumpled hospital bed between them if the situation wasn't so volatile. The small lump in the blankets let Albus know that Shaun was still there and he decided to shamelessly use Severus' love of the boy to help diffuse the palpable hostility of the room.
"Ah, Severus, is Shaun starting to wake up, I thought I saw the blanket move slightly?"
Severus was instantly concerned parent, rather than belligerent combatant. He turned his attention to the small form in the bed in front of him, reaching out to scoop the child up, using one hand to brush his head. "No, Albus, he's still unconscious, and burning up with fever, a fact this imbecilic moron hasn't comprehended yet. I need to return to Hogwarts to treat him; he just wants to do tests to find out why he's invisible!"
Albus stretched out a conciliatory hand towards the extremely agitated and red faced healer, "I'm sure that Severus would be happy to allow you access to Shaun at some later date, but now we really do need to return to Hogwarts to treat the boy. And I believe that there are some questions for you about whether or not you actually had the authority to send aurors to stun and virtually kidnap someone on the information that you had. I believe that a formal inquiry will be forthcoming, as well as the decision of whether or not to file charges. Madame Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is waiting for your floo call as we speak."
Healer Smythwick had not been a schoolboy under Headmaster Dumbledore for more than a score of years, but the look he was receiving made him feel all of eleven years old again. He hung his head in shame and embarrassment; muttering something vaguely conciliatory and expressing apologies, before turning and leaving the room, hopefully to go call Madame Bones to try to explain his rather overzealous response to a few letters and one unsubstantiated complaint.
Albus draped the soft angora wool blanket out between his outstretched arms in invitation and Severus laid his son down on the hospital bed just long enough to remove the scratchy blankets and then placed his son into his mentor's arms before turning to change into the clean robes that Albus had brought. He dropped the disgusting gown onto the floor with obvious abhorrence and went to reclaim his son. Albus gently shook his head, "You are still recovering from three stunners to the chest, child; perhaps it is best if I carry him. Poppy has again made the bed in the quarantine room larger for the two of you to share. Now, if you have everything, I need to get the two of you in bed where you both belong."
Albus reached into his robes and pulled out a Hogwarts hospital towel, clutching the small, hot form of Shaun tightly he held the towel tightly in one fist while Severus grasped the other end. "Chocolate frog" was the password that activated the portkey and with a familiar tug, the three disappeared only to reappear moments later in the Hogwarts hospital wing. When they arrived, Severus unfortunately stumbled and would have fallen had Poppy not rushed up to catch him under the arms. It took several moments for Severus' weakness and dizziness to pass; Madame Pomfrey then herded her patients into the large bed she had already prepared for them.
She began handing Severus carefully measured doses of healing potions, each of which he gently fed to his son. Poppy then had Severus sit in the rocking chair, sitting Shaun up on his lap, holding him upright between his hands, the boy's limp body and sweaty head burning like fire wherever it touched his body, plastering his white shirt to his skin with sweat. Poppy proceeded to cast a series of spells directly at the area defined by his father's careful embrace.
The series of treatments took almost an hour to complete, but by the time Poppy dropped onto the edge of the bed in exhaustion, Severus looked at her with a small smile of relief on his now much less worried face. "He's breathing much easier and less congested. His fever is almost down to normal, and he is no longer unconscious. He is making small moans of discomfort and stress though, so perhaps a small pain potion and then we can lie down and rest. I admit I am almost as tired as you look. I feel the need to sleep also." Poppy and Albus looked at him, twin expressions of astonishment plainly clear. "What, I can't admit I am tired? It has been a very long and stressful three days!"
Poppy stood up and without a word, she grabbed one of his arms while Albus grabbed the other and they helped the tired father, still clutching his son to his chest, into the bed and covered them both up. Severus was fast asleep long before the two extinguished the torches and shut the door behind them.
No one was more shocked than Poppy Pomfrey that Severus Snape actually stayed in the hospital wing for the next three days. He didn't stay in bed; but he did spend a large amount of time simply holding his son while his child slept or quietly reading and talking to the boy while they sat together in the comfortable rocking chair. And just as Albus had predicted, he stopped complaining after the first potion he was presented in front of his now awake son. Poppy gave Severus his potion first, looking pointedly at the ones on her tray for his son and then simply raising an eyebrow. Severus glanced down at the boy in his lap, noting the sharp observation of the green eyes; he shrugged in defeat and swallowed the vile vial straight down in one shuddering swallow.
Poppy tried to keep the triumph out of her voice as she remarked to the man, "It's a shame that our hospital supplies are made in too small of a batch at a time to make flavoring practical, isn't it Severus?"
He glared at the mediwitch while muttering something about doing some research on the matter, since his son was so prone to needing them, before feeding his son his own potions.
Albus and Remus had come by at lunchtime to share the meal the house elves had provided and for them to take turns distracting the now totally bored four year old. They had put him down on the bed with a couple of books and begun a conversation about the Wolfsbane potion and what would need to be done before the next full moon, now only eleven days away. Shaun was bored of the hospital wing, he had read every book he had there, his daddy got upset with him if he tried to get down on the floor so he started to play the game he had invented in the cupboard to keep himself entertained during the long hours he was locked in the dark.
He made a small ball of light in his left hand and then threw it at his right hand while he made a second ball, then a third and finally a fourth. He juggled them, concentrating on not dropping them, since they disappeared if they hit the bed and then he would have to make another one. He didn't notice when first his daddy, and then Remus and Albus stopped talking and watched him in growing astonishment.
Shaun kept his eyes on the four glowing balls, his tongue sticking out one side of his mouth in concentration, green eyes glowing in the reflected light of his juggling globes of energy. He hummed a song he had heard on Aunt Petunia's radio as he entertained himself.
Severus was astonished; the amount of raw magical power that was being completely controlled by a four year old was amazing. He glanced sideways to find Remus open mouthed in astonishment and even Albus looking somewhat gobsmacked. Of course, Albus couldn't see the child, so he was watching four balls being juggled in mid air by nothing, which must be even more disconcerting!
Poppy opening the door to bring in more potions startling all four wizards in the room and Shaun dropped his control, the balls disappearing instantly when they touched the bed. She looked at the three men staring in astonishment and wonder, only two of whom could actually see the little boy sitting cross legged on the bed and asked, "Gentlemen, is there something wrong with my patient?"
Severus was the first to recover his voice and making it as calm and non threatening as he was able; he asked his son, "Shaun, could you show Madame Pomfrey the pretty balls and how well you can play with them? I know I would like to see them again, so I'm sure she would like them too."
Shaun looked at his daddy and not reading any anger in his body language he smiled and began to conjure the small balls once again. He had four juggling easily and decided to try for five, something he had never managed before. But he still couldn't manage to keep the other four in the air long enough to make the fifth. He cried out in frustration, "I can't make another one, Daddy but I try and try. I just can't do it!" Remus was the closest and he put one arm around his cub and soothed, "That's fine, Shaun, I can't juggle regular balls at all, let alone magical ones. Did you teach that to yourself?"
"Yes, Uncle Moony, last year when Uncle Vernon would lock me in my cupboard and it was so dark and I was very hungry and no one came for days, I made my hand light up so I could see and not be afraid. And then one day I tried to make a ball and I could and then two. It took me all summer, but I can do four now. But I just can't do five!"
"That's all right, son, we are very proud of you for learning that all by yourself. I think it's wonderful. You said you could light up your hand so you wouldn't be in the dark, could you show Daddy now? Severus was having a hard time keeping his anger at the miserable excuses for humans that called themselves the Dursleys; but thought he just barely managed.
Shaun was too good at ready unintentional body language not to read his daddy's anger and distress, "Did I do something wrong, Daddy, I made sure the light never left the cupboard and that Aunt Petunia couldn't hear anything. Are you mad at me?" Shaun's voice held a small quiver of uncertainty in it.
Albus quickly reached out and feeling a small head, gently rubbed it, "No child, we are just angry with how your aunt and uncle treated you. It was not right to put you in a cupboard and not to feed you like they did. We like your juggling and I would love to see your light myself." Albus was aware of a small note of frustration and longing in his own voice, "And I would love to be able to see you even more."
Poppy agreed fully with her boss, "I agree child, it would make life much easier to see you, and I imagine you are quite a handsome big boy."
Shaun thought about the two in the room and how much they had cared for him and his father over the last few months and made a decision. He looked at his father and Uncle Remus and then stared at his grandfather and Aunt Poppy. He thought he knew the answer already, but he had to make absolutely sure first. He asked Albus, a small hint of insecurity bleeding through, "Will you send me away until I turn eleven and am old enough to go to school?"
Albus was shaking his head in adamant denial while he exclaimed vehemently, "No child, you never have to leave the castle, Hogwarts will always be your home and we will keep you as safe as we can. Your daddy, the rest of the staff and I all love you very much and would never make you leave!"
"Ok, Grandpa. I believe you." Shaun nodded to himself and thought hard about what he wanted, he then thought about exactly who he wanted to be able to see him. Not Mr. Filch, and certainly not that weird lady with the bug eyes, Hagrid and all the other professors would be okay, but he didn't think he wanted all the students to see him yet, particularly not those big mean Slytherin kids. Maybe just some of the adults in the castle for now. He could always change his mind after all. So he concentrated on making himself visible to the ones he had decided and with a 'twist' he felt his magic pulse around him and then settle back into his core.
Albus' eyes were suspiciously moist as he reached out and picked up the child he could now plainly see. Poppy Pomfrey wasn't so discreet; she had tears of joy running down her wrinkled cheeks and a pleased and proud look upon her face. "I was right; you are such a handsome big boy, Shaun! Now, let me look you over and perhaps I can let you and your daddy both leave here before dinner."
As she cast her diagnostic spell, Shaun concentrated and made his whole left hand glow brightly with a pure white light. Poppy gulped and touched a spare piece of parchment she pulled out of her pocket with her wand and then handed the results to Dumbledore; Remus looked over his shoulder in curiosity before he gasped in shock as well.
Poppy plucked Shaun out of his father's lap and gestured for the three men to leave to discuss the parchment still clutched in the old wizard's hand. After leaving the room, Severus looked from one to the other, one eyebrow raised almost to his hairline in a silent question. Albus handed the slightly wrinkled paper to Severus and then guided the stunned man over to sit on an empty hospital bed. "Surely, this is a mistake, it can't be true?"
Albus conjured two chairs for himself and Remus; took a moment to organize his thoughts before beginning, "Well, the demonstration of powerful, totally controlled magic that we just witnessed makes me believe that Poppy's assessment of your son's magical core strength is totally accurate. Let's review what he has accomplished. He said he taught himself to illuminate his hand and conjure four ball of light last year, ostensibly as a three year old. He also mentioned making sure his aunt couldn't see or hear anything that happened inside his cupboard, so intentional wandless casting of both silencing and notice-me-not spells at three."
"This year he apperated from Surrey to Hogwarts, a distance most adult wizards find tiring if not impossible in one jump and to a location he has never seen, he turns himself invisible and completely silent, very obviously controlling just who can either see or hear him. He has apperated without a sound inside Hogwarts, something I might add that I cannot do. And at the age of four years old, most young wizards have yet to display any magic at all, and even those with a very strong potential have absolutely no control over it yet."
"So yes, Severus, I think Poppy's reading of his magical core is absolutely accurate and is only an indication of the potential your son has of being a strong and very powerful wizard. I am more grateful than ever for your love and care, I hesitate to think what he would have grown up to become if he had continued to live in that abusive environment. I am just surprised that his magic didn't flare and kill his relatives during an episode of their abuse."
Severus was having a hard time adjusting to the news of Shaun's potential, "Do you think the destruction of the Dark Lord and absorbing the power of the killing curse influenced this, or is this power that was perhaps transferred to the baby when that occurred?"
Albus shook his head, "I have no way of knowing for sure, of course it could be that the force of the killing curse simply awakened Shaun's magic at an extremely young age and that he will reach his full potential at a much younger age than normal so that we should read his power level as a much older wizard, perhaps one about fourteen or fifteen instead of four, in which case he would be a strong wizard but not exceptionally so. But we will have to be sure and train and channel his magic to keep it under his conscious control."
The three wizards discussed the situation for the next few minutes until Poppy came out and told them she was done with the boy. Severus returned to his son's bed to read to him once more, pushing his troubling thoughts out of his mind.
Albus and Remus walked slowly up to the headmaster's office, discussing and planning the education and strategies that would be necessary in the coming months to teach and train the boy, in both magical and muggle subjects.
True to her promise, she had released the two Snapes in time to return to their quarters before cleaning up and going to the Great Hall for dinner. Severus had lost track of the date while unconscious and then while caring for his son, so it was with no small amount of surprise that he figured out that it was Christmas Eve already. In honor of the occasion of Shaun's deciding to become visible, he dressed himself in green robes that matched his son's and the two walked slowly into the Great Hall, hand in hand.
No one had noticed them entering behind the staff table and as they walked around the end of it and over to the large single table set up in the middle of the floor, the conversation died as one by one the others noticed Severus Snape and his now visible son. The four students and Mr. Filch had no idea why the sight of Professor Snape coming to dinner would make everyone stop talking, but since they hadn't seen him at all since three days into the holidays, perhaps he had been away or very sick.
Minerva stood up, both hands pressed to her gently smiling face and with tears streaming down her cheeks, she stepped forward and bent down, opening her arms to the small boy that she was growing to love more each day. "Shaun, come give me a hug!" she demanded softly.
Shaun dropped his father's hand and ran to the woman, stumbling slightly as he fell into her outstretched arms for a breath stealing hug. She stood up still clutching the boy to her bosom and smiling happily at Severus. She kissed the small child and said, "Thank you, Shaun; this is the best Christmas present I have ever received." She rubbed her face in the soft black hair and whispered so only he could hear, "I love you, child, just like I loved your mother."
When she stood up it was as if a freezing spell had thawed, the other staff members stood quickly, Hagrid even knocked over his chair, and gathered around the old witch, patting and greeting the boy in her arms to the utter amazement and astonishment of the few still unable to see the boy.
It was still dark outside the next morning when an annoying tickle on his ear was followed by a childish giggle and a much deeper chuckle penetrated Severus' sleep. He swatted away the annoyance only to have it return on the other ear. He felt a very familiar weight climb upon his stomach and start to bounce gently, though the more he ignored it the harder the bounce and the louder the giggles became. He finally opened his eyes to two pairs of equally aggravating, sparkling eyes, one set emerald green, and one set clear, twinkling blue.
One long night's sleep followed by one bouncing child on the stomach added up to one incontrovertible fact; the bathroom was calling more desperately each minute. Severus grabbed Shaun, almost flung him into Albus' arms and rushed toward his bathroom, in too big of a hurry to waste with things like his dressing gown and slippers. He called over his shoulder at the two major irritants in his life, "It's too early, its still dark outside, go back to bed!"
Shaun wasn't going to be deterred this morning, "It's Christmas, Daddy, and Grandpa says that Father Christmas didn't forget me this year. Father Christmas never remembered me and only left lots and lots of things for Dudley; do you think I got a present, Daddy?"
Severus had to take a moment to calm himself and wash his face in cold water to get himself under control before he greeted his son and mentor. He suspected that Albus was feeling ashamed and guilty for the now obviously very bad decision to place Harry Potter with his muggle relatives after that fateful night. Severus opened the bathroom door and opened his arms for his son who ran into them to be picked up. "Well, let's get dressed right quick and we'll go see if he could find his way to our new quarters, though maybe he thinks we still live in the dungeons?"
"No, Grandpa said he could see the tree on the way into my bedroom and he says he saw mounds of presents. Do you think one is for me?"
By the time Severus turned around with Shaun sitting on one hip, arms clasped around his daddy's neck, Albus had had time to recover his composure and offered to hold Shaun who was already dressed so that Severus could change into some warm robes. "Shaun, is it okay if Uncle Remus and Minerva come and watch you open your presents too?"
At the boy's eager nod, the two went into the lounge to place a floo call to Minerva and then to knock on the connecting door to Remus' rooms. Shaun held tight to his grandpa, his mouth open and the joy and astonishment readily apparent as he drank in the sight of the gloriously decorated tree, brightly wrapped presents piled almost as tall as he was around the base of it.
Shaun was literally bouncing on Albus' hip as he waited impatiently for the adults to dress and arrive, but grandpa refused to let him down yet, holding him up to look at each decoration on the tree closely. Severus had called Nippy while still in the bedroom and asked for snacks and hot chocolate for his guests, earl grey tea for him. He was dressed with Shaun at his feet, Remus beside him on the couch and Albus ensconced in a comfortable arm chair before the tree, each sipping a hot beverage when Minerva knocked and entered the room. She had a camera and insisted on taking a picture of the tree and the men before joining them, gratefully accepting a mug of hot chocolate but declining Shaun's offer to share his marshmallows.
Severus used his wand to flick a present to each of them in the room and then with an evil chuckle told Shaun that they had to be opened from the oldest to the youngest. Shaun never said a word, but put his hands under his legs to stop himself from opening his package before it was his turn. He was trying so hard not to bounce in his excitement that he missed the swat on the back of his daddy's head that Minerva gave him. "Oh don't tease the poor boy, Shaun, go ahead and open any present you want to in any order you want to."
"Grandma, do you mean I have more than one present?" His eyes were getting impossibly big as he contemplated the joys of more than one present.
Severus scooped him up off of the floor and placed him on the sofa between himself and Remus, leaned over and whispered confidentially, "I think this is the first year that Father Christmas had your correct address, so you have all the presents that he had for you all the years that he didn't know where you lived, and they are all under the tree today for you!"
The four adults watched enthralled as the small boy carefully unwrapped each of his presents, full of joy and excitement with each of them, as exuberant over a pair of pajamas from his daddy as he was at the children's Quidditch balls set from Madame Hooch. He refused to be rushed in any way and took just as much pleasure unwrapping his last present, sheets for his new bed with moving broomsticks and snitches as he had been with his first set, a real junior potions set from his daddy with a promise to help him brew all the potions in it together. The adults just watched with quiet conversation, content in watching the boy's tremendous excitement, Minerva taking picture after picture.
Grandpa Albus gave him a wonderful assortment of candies and some really loud socks. Uncle Remus gave him an album with pictures of his Mummy and his Daddy James, and in the back of the album he found proof that he had been loved, no matter what the Dursleys tried to tell him. Minerva promised to make duplicates of the pictures she had been taking secretly all year long.
The five spent an enjoyable and mostly quiet morning in reflection and a growing sense of family, each bound together by the love and caring of one small boy.
The Christmas holidays passed much too quickly for all of those in the castle and soon it was once again time for the students to return. The night before, Severus had convinced Shaun that it would be much better if all the other students and staff could see him, perhaps then no one would ever stun him again just because they didn't know he was there. Severus explained that he could always become invisible again in any situation where he wasn't comfortable or around any particular students that he didn't feel safe around, but it would really be best if they could explain that his daddy really didn't have an invisible friend, he just had a wonderful son named Shaun.
Severus sat at the head table, Shaun carefully tucked inside his robes. The boy was still invisible to most people, but he had promised he would let all the students see him at least tonight. But now, the boy was still a little worried about the reaction of all those people watching him.
Albus waited until all of the students were sitting waiting and talking softly while they waited for dinner to appear before he stood up and addressed them. "Over the Holiday, a member of our staff was attacked and unjustly confined because of wild rumors that have been circulating around the castle since last summer. Unfortunately, no one came forward and asked for an explanation that would have dispelled them harmlessly. In hopes of putting any more misunderstandings behind us, Professor Snape would like to make an announcement, after that I want no further rumors about him, is that understood?" He looked around the room, glaring at the known gossipers over his half moon spectacles.
Severus stood up, standing Shaun in front of him with his hands comfortingly on his shoulders. "I would like to introduce you to someone I am very proud of, and very protective of, my son, Shaun Snape." Everyone looked at him in confusion until with a soft shimmer of light a small boy with shoulder length black hair and the most startling emerald green eyes appeared standing on the staff table in front of him, with his father's hands on his shoulders. The boy smiled shyly and then turned around and buried his head into his father's robes. Severus continued, "Before you start any more rumors, do not ask how the boy becomes invisible, because frankly we don't know. I have had custody of him since last June, he has accompanied me every day since then and those buffoons last Halloween poisoned him in the bookstore! Whichever ones of you sent rumors to St. Mungo's about my mental status should know that in their over zealousness to capture me, they stunned my son and left him to freeze in the snow! I will not tolerate any questioning of him, any harassing of him will be punished most severely and any attempt to prank or harm him in any way will result in you volunteering to be used as potion's ingredients." He sat down; rubbing Shaun's back through his robes and glared at the room, daring anyone to comment.
Albus clapped his hands and the food appeared; the students began eating quietly, many looking embarrassed, contrite and some even guilty about the things they had been speculating and spreading.