The next morning, Dumbledore and Harry sat down on the edge of Severus's bed to wake the boy.

Severus rubbed his eyes with his fists, yawning.

"H'rry? Da? Wanna sleep…"

Harry smirked a bit, before his face fell a the thought of what he had to ask the boy to do.

"Sevvy…Albus and I need to talk to you."

Severus looked up, more awake now.

"See, Sevvy," Dumbledore continued, "I have to ask you and Harry to come to Hogwarts with me today."

He wasn't prepared, like Harry, for the spike of terror in the boy's eyes.

"NO!" Severus jumped into Harry's arms, away from Dumbledore, whose eyes dimmed as he realized that he still had not completely won the boy's trust.

Harry rocked slightly.

"Sevvy, remember the stern-but-kind witch you told me about? And the nice witch that was there when you first woke up in the hospital wing? The small wizard with the beard?"

Severus nodded.

"Well, they've asked us to come, because they want to tell us something. Actually, they want to tell YOU something, but I won't let you go to Hogwarts alone. I'm coming with you."

"I'm scared, Harry."

Sighing, Harry cuddled the boy. It was nice to be able to give the boy what he himself had never received as a child. His thoughts darkened when he thought about the adult Snape. Would this time as a child have had any impact on him?

"They're not going to do anything to you, Sevvy. Not without your permission. I'll make sure of it. How about we just go there and listen to them?"

Severus clung tightly to him, ignoring the headmaster completely.

"Don't leave me, Harry, please stay with me, the whole time?"

"I'll stay with you the whole time. I'll never let you out of my sight, I promise."

-Hogwarts-

"They're coming?"

Minerva's lips curled into a content smile.

"Yes, Albus floo'ed. They are coming this morning."

Remus sighed happily. "Good. At least we'll be able to turn Severus back into his normal self, and without the child to protect, we can talk some sense into Harry."

Arthur Weasley softly groaned and rolled his eyes.

Severus was holding Harry's hand tightly as they walked up to the front entrance. They had elected to arrive that way, rather then floo to the Headmasters office. Harry smirked. They would do things on their terms, and their entrance would convey that sentiment.

"Mr Potter, Severus," came the squeeky voice of the Charms professor, "so good to see you. If you would go to the infirmary, the others are all there."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Infirmary? As far as I know, neither of us is ill."

The small professor smiled. "Poppy insists on looking you over. Molly and Arthur told us about the attack, and she has been fussing ever since."

Harry shrugged. "The twins did a good job."

But he walked to the infirmary anyway.

"Mr Potter!" the nurse was upon him immediately, scanning away.

Finally she gave a satisfied nod, while Severus hid behind Harry's legs. There were way too many people in the room for his comfort.

"You are fine, Mr Potter. I must compliment those twins next time I see them. Now, Severus, if you would sit down on that bed…"

The child clung to Harry's robes. "I don't want to!"

Harry began to feel annoyed.

"I thought we were here to discuss?"

Remus Lupin snorted. "Just put the kid on the bed, Harry, then we can perform the countercurse and you can come back with us."

Harry's voice grew cold. "No, thank you, Remus," he said, "I don't think so. And you will only perform the countercurse if Severus agrees to it."

"He's SIX," Remus argued, "He doesn't get a say in it. And you are not an adult either. We've agreed that I am your guardian now. Put the kid on the bed."

Harry picked up Severus and balanced him on his left hip, while taking out his wand with his right arm.

"He DOES get a say in it," he stated, "and you are NOT my guardian. Even if I needed one, do you really think I would accept you just because you all DECIDED on it? Without even bothering to ask me?"

Remus turned red. "We know you had too many people telling you what to do, so we agreed to bring it down to one."

Harry snorted. "You are not my guardian. You can't possibly have filed the paperwork."

Remus's look betrayed him. "How did you know?"

"Because I don't need a guardian. I'm emancipated. I saw to that immediately after returning to the Dursleys."

"Fine. FINE!" Remus yelled, "but you are still not SNAPE'S guardian! Put the kid DOWN, Harry, and let us perform the countercurse."

Harry turned to the boy. "Severus, do you want to be an adult again?"

The boy shook his head vigorously. "No, I don't want to be big again! Don't let them, Harry, please, I don't want to be old."

"He doesn't know what he's saying," Pomona said, "he doesn't understand."

Harry shook his head. "He doesn't want to be an adult. I won't have you turn him back without his consent."

Severus held Harry's shirt in a death grip, terrified that one of the adults would pry him off and force the spell on him.

But the adults didn't dare coming near. Harry literally oozed power. It was very clear that anyone trying to remove Sevvy from him would risk getting very seriously hurt.

Sevvy sniffed. Harry was protecting him, but there were so MANY adults. He wondered if his Daddy had gone mean again. Did he know what the adults were going to do? He didn't want to be big again. Nobody had liked him when he was big, he saw it in how they looked at him when they first met him. And he would have to teach Potions, and he hated potions! His parents were gone, and nobody could force him into brewing them anymore.

Remus had enough. He stepped forward to take the boy from Harry.

Before Harry's magic could spiral out of control, however, Dumbledore interfered.

"Stop it, all of you."

With a defiant look, the werewolf turned to the headmaster. "You are in no position to order us around," he sneered, "besides, you are not Harry's guardian either."

Harry made to respond angrily, but the gleam in the headmaster's eyes held him back.

"No," Dumbledore said, "I'm not Harry's guardian, and I cannot order him to hand over Sevvy. I'm not interfering in my position as Headmaster, which I by the way still hold, either…"

The werewolf stepped up, not chastened by the remark. "Then on what authority DO you interfere, if not as headmaster or guardian?"

"Oh," Dumbledore responded, "I didn't say that. I said I don't interfere as HARRY'S guardian. But I AM interfering as SEVERUS'S guardian."

The shocked gasps caused Harry to smirk slightly. Severus, still glued to Harry, looked over the older boy's shoulder at the headmaster with a bit of fear. What was he going to do?

"Albus…" Minerva started.

Dumbledore produced some papers. "I became Severus's guardian to get the Ministry to release him to me after his trial. Here are the copies. They are perfectly legal. Minor or adult, I'm Sevvy's guardian, and as such I have the right to decide. If Severus does not agree to being re-aged, you will not perform the countercurse."

The angry and confused yells from the rest of the room drowned Harry's and Sevvy's relieved sighs.

"However," Dumbledore continued, looking sternly at the boys, "I will not allow him to make the decision on a whim. Sevvy, you, Harry and me are going to my office and have a long talk about this. We are going to explain to you exactly what you will face if you do not return to your adult self, and what you will face if you do. You must promise me you will listen carefully and think hard before you make up your mind. But, if you do that, then whatever you decide, Harry and I will support."

Harry nodded, sending the headmaster a grateful look. Dumbledore saw the two pairs of eyes, and he knew that what he had just done would earn him a lot of grief from the other adults. He did not care. It had gotten him what he wanted more than anything in the world: the love and respect of the two boys he considered his sons.