Fic Info (for this chapter only)
Title: Changes, Musings and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Chapter Two
Characters: Harry, Remus, Severus, Dumbledore, Lucius.
Rating: M
Summary: Just before he turns 17 Harry notices he's changing and not just in the ways you'd think. Follow Harry through his eventful seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he uncovers some things he'd rather stay hidden forever.
Chapter Summary: Remus gets a letter and Sev gets some answers.
Warnings: OOC-ness, Slash/Yaoi (M/M relationships), HBP spoilers (Horcri will be mentioned, the dead person is not dead), Swearing (likely to be lots).
Archived at: if you want it somewhere please ask.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter fandom.
AN: Sorry this has been so long in the coming, I've had it written for a while but not had the chance to type it and post it.
Also thank you to my reviewers, I've been lazy and not replied to them but I have now.
If anyone can think of a good title for this chapter I'd Love to hear it.
Now on with the story, enjoy and please leave a review, tell me if it's any good.
This is un-beta'd. If anyone fancies betaing this pleas email me.
,.-:" ":-.,
I mean he thought even Draco doesn't look like Lucius now Harry shouldn't look exactly the same as a James with lily's eyes. Could my dreams have been real? Could Harry Potter really be … mine?
,.-:" Chapter Two ":-.,
The next morning Severus glided into the Great Hall, for an early breakfast, robes billowing like the overgrown bat everyone thinks he is and was pleased to see Remus Lupin, the replacement Arithmancy professor, the only other present at the table, most others preferring to sleep in over the summer.
'Lupin, we need to talk,' Severus snarled as he sat down next to the weary Werewolf.
'My thoughts exactly, Severus. Will here suffice? Or would one of our rooms be better?' He asked.
'Here's as good as anywhere.' Snape said, buttering toast.
'Well, Severus, I had a dream last night, woke me up and everything, it was really quite strange, yet familiar,' he stated before Snape cut him off.
'Familiar, how? Like you were there? You participated in it? Future? Past?'
'That's just it, I can't remember. It seamed strange yet somehow like I was there, had been there, in the past, watching it. But I can't remember what IT was!' He finished exasperatedly.
Just as Severus opened his mouth to respond an elegant snowy owl flew up to Remus and dropped a scroll in front of him.
'Hello, Hedwig. Would you like some bacon?' Remus asked as he picked up the heavy scroll addressed to him, and strangely in brackets as if an after thought, Severus.
'Severus, it's addressed to you too, shall I read it then you can?'
'No, just read it aloud, anything that's got your golden boy's knickers in such a twist as to address a letter to me must be important.' He replied sarcastically.
'"Dear Remus,"' Remus read,
'"I am well, I hope you are too. To get the rest of this letter tap your wand on the parchment and say the full name of my Patronus…"'
'"The full name of his Patronus" what is that supposed to mean?' Severus asked moodily.
'Well, his Patronus is a stag which looks like Prongs, so I guess he means James Aaron Potter,' Lupin said tapping the letter.
The words shifted and grew but before Remus started: 'Wait, Prongs? As in that parchment I, well you, confiscated from Potter in his third year?'
'Erm, yeah, that was the Marauders Map and we were the Marauders. Moony aka: Me - Werewolf, Wormtail aka: Pettigrew - Rat Animagus, Padfoot aka: Sirius - Grim Animagus and Prongs aka: James - Stag Animagus.' Remus explained.
'Oh, how did Pettigrew manage the Animagus transformation? Especially illegally, with no teacher.' Severus asked.
'Jim and Siri helped him, a lot, and with the bond of them being my pack their magic helped him along the way. Anyway, let's see what Harry has to say. "And, before you think about, no I did not charm this illegally, I did it wandlessly, which cannot be traced by the Ministry of Magic.
"Remus close your mouth, I'll talk to you at some point about it.
"So to get to the point, I have a few questions, which you and possibly Albus could answer.
"Recently I've noticed some things have changed about me. My hair has grown so much since the end of term and it's much tamer. I've begun to wonder if it's a curse/hex/potion but none of the ones I've come across will make hair grow like mine is. A hair lengthening charm only lasts a day or so and the potion only lasts about a week and as far as I know there isn't any hex or curse that makes your hair grow, I checked through all of my books, of which I have an enormous amount now, and there wasn't any mention of it.
"Now, that's another thing, books. I've found that I enjoy reading for pleasure now, and not just the occasional fiction, although I do love detective novels, the 'big' spell books Hermione would read have started to interest me and especially potions journals, I've found myself visualising the potion I'm reading bubbling in a cauldron in front of me. That happened when I was in my Potions pre-NEWT, of course that could've just been because it was Polyjuice and I've had plenty of practice with that!"'
'What!' Severus yelled. 'How can he know about Polyjuice? We only covered a small amount of theory in the lessons, barely enough to get a 'poor'. I put it in to see who did background research as well as went through their notes. What grade did he get anyway?'
'An Outstanding. Wait, how could you not know what he got, you mark the bloody paper?' Remus asked, confused.
'Albus has been marking all Harry's homework, coursework and exams since his fifth year, seems to think that I won't mark him fairly.'
'Oh, right. Well, on with the letter than. "More of that another time.
"Now another thing: my pre-NEWTs. I think I came close to the highest set of scores in the year, I mean I topped Defence Against the Dark Arts, which I expected, but I was top of Transfiguration and joint with 'Mione for everything except Ancient Runes (which I don't take) and was only behind her, and probably Draco Malfoy, for Potions. I know I studied a lot for the exams but that's just strange, it's like my IQ has just gone up an my memory's now almost photographic, I could just see the passage I needed in front of me as if the passage was written on air particles.
"Is it possible for an intelligence 'jump' when someone reaches, or is near to reaching, their majority as I will in five days?
"Also, I've grown four inches in the past three weeks and my hands are longer, more slender almost as if they were for intricate potions and such, not Quidditch like they were before.
"Hang on, potions! I couldn't could I? Straight hair, Potions Master's fingers, taller, more interested in Potions and books. The only Potions Master I know who fits that description who isn't Italian, well mostly anyway, is Severus Snape.
"Is there something you, or he, need to tell me? Because now I think about it I look more like him than James Potter at the minute.
"Ask him, no show him this letter, and see what he knows.
"Just to let you know I'll be at Hogwarts by four PM on the thirty-first, at the latest. We both know my 'family' won't keep me after then and my mum's blood protection may not work after that so I think Hogwarts is the place for m. Tell me then if you find anything.
"Also, please ask Albus f it would be possible for me to talk to him as soon as I get there. I want to ask about sitting some of my NEWTs and apprenticing the new DADA professor early. Do you know who it is? No one else seems to. I hope they're competent or I'll end up teaching all the classes!
"I mean seriously though Moony: 1 burned to death, 1 in Saint Mungo's, you, 1 Death Muncher got kissed, 1 idiotic Ministry who favoured cutting you for detention…"'
'What did Umbridge do? Cutting?' Severus' yelling once again cutting through Remus' reading.
'She gave Harry a quill to write "I must not tell lies" with and it used Harry's blood for ink, cutting open the back of his hand and permanently scaring it. Haven't you noticed he has a constant, very strong glamour on his right hand?' Remus asked once he had explained.
'No, noticing magic has never been a talent of mine, I've always been better with my hands, you know practical lessons like Potions and Herbology. You don't need to be as aware of the magic as with Charms and Transfiguration.'
'Oh, well then; onwards: "…and that shite last year trying to teach us stuff I knew in fourth year, nowhere near NEWT level.
"It would be good if they knew about actual Dark Magic, a working knowledge of that as well as proper battle-style duelling would stand a better chance at teaching us to protect ourselves, I mean were at war for fucks sake.
"Well, I'm going to sleep now. I'll be going shopping on my birthday so I'll see you after that.
"Love
"Harry."
'His handwriting has got neater, more like Lily's than James', well I think my dreams must have been true then.' Severus said off handedly when Remus stopped talking.
'What dreams?' Queried the Arithmancy professor.
'Well, it's what I was going to talk to you about before Harry's letter came. I dreamt last night that I was at a wedding, my wedding, my wedding to Lily.' He replied flatly, now consciously processing the fact that Harry was in all likely possibilities, his son.
'Oh, maybe that's what I was dreaming about too. I was going to ask you if you had a potion to make me remember it. If it's a dream of a memory then it should be possible for me to get to it, even if I've been obliviated.'
'We'll have to go talk to Albus, ask him if he's found a DADA replacement yet. I don't particularly fancy doing some of it with you and you never wanted the job anyway.' Remus commented.
'Mmm, well with any luck he's got someone or we could just have Harry teach it, to the lower years at least. I've heard he's done it before.' Severus said getting up to go to Dumbledore.
'Yeah, they had the DA but the Defence prof last year found out about it and stopped them.' Remus replied getting up and pocketing Harry's letter.
,.-:" ":-.,
'Candy Floss.' Severus snarled at the stone gargoyle.
It sprang to the side and they mounted the spiralling staircase with Remus laughing at Severus' reluctance to say the password.
'Oh, Sev. What is it with you and hating his passwords? There's nothing wrong with having an obsession with sweets. It's amazing he's not run out yet. Although then again he had a different desert every week for our entire school career.'
Ah, Severus, Remus, do come in.' Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts said as they reached up to knock on the office door.
Severus raised one eyebrow at Remus as they pushed the door open.
'Hello boys. Please sit. Tea? Sherbet Lemon?'
'No Albus, we need answers, not drugged tea.' Severus said as he took the offered seat, offended at the cheery purple and orange polka-dotted covering.
'No thank you Albus. Excuse Severus, he's had some strange news and is more snarky than usual.' Remus explained. 'Albus, tell me do you know about a possible memory charm Lily and/or James put on myself, Sirius, Severus and maybe anyone at their wedding?'
'No, Remus, I have no idea about that. Talking of Potters, have you heard from Harry recently? It's nearly his seventeenth birthday, I need to tell him to come here.'
'Yes, Albus. Harry just mailed Remus, that's why we needed to know about memory charms. Harry said that he will be here by four pm after shopping.' Severus explained.
'What does a memory charm have to do with Harry?'
'Well, we think Lily may have glamoured Harry to look like James because he is really Sev's son.'
'Severus' son? How could that happen? I thought she was with James from early on in your seventh year.'
'That's just it Albus, she, and James, must have memory charmed either a) everyone or b) Me, Remus, the Mutt, Alice Longbottom and Marlene McKinnon all the people at our wedding and we were already keeping it hidden from everyone. It must be the latter though as Remus and I are the only survivors with our brain intact. My dream of our wedding and Remus' that he can't remember must be the Obliviate either deteriorating with time or she set it to wear off by Harry's seventeenth birthday.' Severus explained.
'Ah that could happen, especially if I was never aware of your involvement. I'm afraid that only a blood relative is able to remove an Obliviate, which targets specific memories relating to the caster, meaning that Harry has to do it so you'll have to wait five days to know the truth.
'What did Harry have to say anyway?'
'Well, James Aaron Potter,' Remus said noticing the letter was again blank as he pulled it out of his pocket. 'He says that his hair's grown, he reads Hermione-sized books, got amazingly high pre-NEWTs scores, has grown taller with, and I quote, "Potions Master's fingers" and likes potions. Sounds a lot like Sev to me.' Remus commented. 'Also he wants to take some NEWTs early and apprentice the new DADA professor.'
'Who is it anyway?' asked Severus.
'The new DADA teacher should be on his way up the stairs now.' Albus said cryptically.
With that Severus rose to open the door determined to vet him before he let Harry apprentice them, now concerned about his, presumably, son's choices.
'Lucius? What are you doing here?' Severus practically yelled as he opened the door to reveal Lucius Malfoy.
'Hello Severus, I am here, as Albus must have told you, to sign the contract stating that I am this year's Defence Professor.' He said stepping into the room.
'Well that should be loads of fun for Harry.' Remus said.
'Why's that Lupin? What's up with Potter?' Lucius asked, picking up on the sarcastic toner.
'Well, apprenticing a DADA teacher who has openly to, and tried to, kill him,' Remus explained.
'He wants to apprentice me? But he has to take NEWTs first.'
'Yes, he will take the ones required for an apprenticeship to start early, then help you teach whilst taking the rest of his classes, if that is acceptable to you Lucius?
'Also it sorts out the Head Boy problem as well.' Albus told them.
'It sounds good to me Headmaster. What Head Boy problems were you having?' Lucius asked.
'Well, Harry got the best results with Hermione and Draco behind him and I didn't know who to give the Head Boy Badge to.
'But with Harry apprenticing you, Lucius, he automatically gets equal status with the Head Boy and Girl and his own room near yours Lucius.
'This way Draco can be Head Boy and Harry, Draco and Hermione can share the Head Common room with a room linked on for Harry.
'I presume you would like your rooms in the dungeon with Severus?' Albus explained.
'Yes, please. If Potter is agreeable it would be my pleasure to have him apprentice me. I dare say he'd be better suited to teaching than me anyway'
'I think he'll be agreeable as you put it, he said, and I quote,' Severus said taking the letter from Remus. '"It would be good if they knew about actual Dark Magic, a working knowledge of that as well as proper battle-style duelling would stand a better chance at teaching us to protect ourselves…" As far as I can see that means you, me Albus or Remus, possibly even Moody and you're the only one available to teach it, who wants to.'
'Well in that case, bring on the new term.' Laughed Lucius.
,.-:" ":-.,
The rest of the week flew by for everyone.
The staff started getting everything ready for the new booklists to be sent off and those concerned with Harry's NEWTs sorted out what he needed to learn and decided upon lesson formats.
Harry spent the last few days of his time with the Muggles practising his wandless and silent magical abilities by charming the tools to do his chores for him.
,.-:" ":-.,
Death Muncher - a Death eater. If you listen to PotterCast from the Leaky Cauldron then you know all about John Noe and his ways of changing words from the series I will most likely be using these words as they seem to have become part of my vocabulary. I also figured that Harry and his friends would change some words associated to the Dark Lord to make them sound funny. I.e. Voldie and Death Muncher.
Have fun
C M x