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Here is the new chapter guys. I hope everybody enjoys this story as much as I enjoy writing it.
Keep the reviews coming and don't feel bad about telling me if you think something is wrong. I appreciate good strong critcs of my work. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope to hear from you guys again in the future.
Harry pulled his mother's diary from amongst the other items she had sent him and made himself comfortable on his bed. He flipped to the first page and started reading through the entries. Some of them were short, nothing more then a couple sentences. Others were detailed and deep.
The deeper entries gave him details into a death eaters life that he never would have known about otherwise. After only a couple entries he had realized the importance of his mother and father within Voldemort's organization. He also realized that the Snape family had a couple secrets that his mother would mention but never elaborate on.
The entries that had interested him most however, were the entries that detailed his mother's fears for herself and her family. He learned some about the work that his mother had done but mostly the information was about his father and how the man could possibly be manipulated. These entries also almost always included a section about Severus' strength of will and force of mind. The man had been personally trained by Voldemort so information he was allowed to access was never forgotten and could never be given out against the man's will.
It surprised Harry how difficult some of the exercises to protect one's mind were and through this knowledge Harry was able to gather a deeper understanding of the man he would most likely call father at some point in his life. Severus was his father after, all and his father was a man that was dedicated to his family above all else. Severus' world had revolved around his wife and son and it made Harry's heart ache to think that he could have grown up with a loving mother and father.
Instead of a family he had grown being hated, despised, and envied. He had no one to turn to, Sirius had died at the end of Harry's fourth year and Remus really wasn't someone he was comfortable talking to. He could have turned to Dumbledore, but his council was no longer an option.
Harry had felt like a fool as he sat on his bed contemplating what to do with the information he had received. Suddenly it felt as if his entire experience within the wizarding world had been fake. He was worried that all the people he considered friends were simply plants placed by Dumbledore to guide him down the right path. Hagrid had been his first contact with the world. The half-giant vehemently hated every aspect of the wizarding world that was even remotely related to Slytherin. He had colored Harry's perceptions from the very first day. Then he had met the Weasleys on the train to Hogwarts. He had been so angered when Draco insulted the first friend he had ever had that he had completely disregarded anything that the elder boy said.
Dumbledore had made sure that Harry arrived at Hogwarts with pre-conceived notions about the light and dark wizards that made up the world. Slytherins were the evil that shouldn't be trusted. This belief also molded him to follow in the footsteps of Lily and James Potter, after all who ever believed the son of Lily and James Potter would end up in Slytherin? Harry now cursed himself for not listening to the sorting hat during his first year. If he had let the hat place him like it was supposed to do then he would have had a one up on Dumbledore. He would have probably learned to respect his father rather then hate him.
"That will change." Harry promised himself. "I'm going to find my father and prove to Dumbledore that not all wizards can so easily be crushed under the pad of his thumb. The arrogant fool thinks he has destroyed all resistance within his precious tool but I will teach him the meaning of what it is to suffer."
Suddenly Harry heard noise downstairs. He glanced at the clock which read shortly after 4 am. Confused and more then a little nervous about who could be showing up in Surrey at 4 in the morning he grabbed the things his mother had sent him and placed them back in the letter they had arrived in. He then shoved the letter under the corner of his desk. It would not be immediately found there if something happened to him.
Harry looked around the room and seeing nothing that would incriminate him to what had occurred earlier grabbed his wand and moved silently out of his room and down the hall.
Severus arrived a couple streets over from Privet drive. He did not want to apparate any closer to the house because the pop of his sudden appearance would surely be noticed so close to the safe-house of Dumbledore's savior. He quickly cast a spell to change his clothes from the billowing robes he had been wearing to something far less noticeable. The robes became a black shirt with a collar and a pair of dark blue jeans with. Boots completed the attire. Sighing he pulled his hair back.
When he was convinced that he looked like a young man on his way home after some late night party he made his way toward the house where he son was located. He finally reached the wards where he picked up the pace a little bit. As he stepped over the threshold of where the wards should have begun he was surprised to feel nothing. There were no wards on the house. This disturbed him and he quickened his pace toward the house.
He reached the front door of Number Four Privet Drive and pulled out his wand. He whispered a soft Alohomora and the lock on the door clicked open. He opened the door quietly and stepped inside shutting the door after him. He looked around in disgust at the pictures of the Dursleys on the wall. Suddenly a noise caught his attention. It was almost un-hearable but when you spent years as a member of the Dark Lord's inner circle and several more as a spy you learned to pay attention to the smallest detail.
Severus looked up the stairwell to find a rather nervous looking Harry Potter staring back at him. "He's changed" was the first thought that came into his head. Harry looked much less like James and more like him, and the eyes, well they were definitely Ana's. At that moment and doubt Severus had about the boy being his son disappeared and he knew that he was going to protect the boy to the best of his ability.
Harry made it to the top of the stairs just in time to see the door close behind Severus. The man was dressed in a normal outfit for a change and Harry liked what he saw. His father was much less intimidating without the billowing black robes. Right now Severus was looking at the pictures of the Dursleys with a look of disgust on his face. Harry would have been content to let the man look around as much as he wished but he obviously made some noise because the man immediately turned and looked straight at him.
There was a mixture of shock and disbelief as the man took in his appearance and Harry realized that the two of them did look quite a bit alike since his appearance had started to change. Harry swallowed past the sudden lump that had formed in his throat as he started walking down the stairs toward the older man.
"Professor, what brings you here in the middle of the night?" Harry was pretty sure he knew the reason for the man's visit but he wanted to hear it from the man's mouth. Severus seemed at a loose to speak for a second but quickly regained his composure.
"I received a message by owl tonight and it disturbed me greatly. I needed to find out if what that letter said was true." At the elder man's words Harry relaxed a little bit.
"What kind of message sir?" Severus sighed, he hoped the boy was just feeling him out and wasn't actually clueless. He scanned the boy and noticed that his wand was gripped firmly in his hand and that Harry appeared ready and willing to use it if he saw Severus as s threat. Severus felt the need to be honest with him.
"It was about my family." He watched Harry's reaction carefully as he spoke. There was no surprise in the boy's face which relieved Severus and he felt a well of pride spring up within him. The boy knew when something was serious. Before he could continue with what he was saying Harry turned and headed upstairs. He returned a couple minutes later with a letter similar to the one Severus had received.
"Did it have something to do with this?" Harry asked cautiously. Severus nodded wearily.
"Yes Harry I believe it does. If that envelope contains what I believe it does then we have both been the victims of a grand conspiracy. He watched as a dark smile spread across his son's face.
"If what we are thinking is true father, then I say that victims of a grand conspiracy is far too gentle. I would say pawns in a power struggle would be more accurate." Harry opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. "I received a fifteen year old letter this evening telling me that I am your son. Is that true sir?" Severus surveyed his son and nodded. He noticed something he had never noticed about the boy as he did this. There was a distinct glimmer of hope that he would say yes.
"Yes I think you are indeed my son." Severus closed the distance between them and took the letter from the boy. He read over it quickly before looking back at Harry. The boy appeared lost in his thoughts and slightly overwhelmed.
"Malachi?" Severus asked quietly. "Is it all right that I call you by that name? I know that this is all rather sudden." Harry looked at the older man and nodded.
"It's okay to call me by my name sir. It is what you named me after all." Severus nodded he was not going to argue with Harry here and now.
"We need to leave immediately. It is not safe here. I do not want Dumbledore finding us here. Pack your things quickly we are leaving." Harry didn't say another word as he turned and practically ran upstairs. Severus could hear his son gathering his things and throwing them in his trunk. Within five minutes Harry was making his way back downstairs.
Hedwig and Lancelot glided down behind him and landed on Severus' shoulder. Lancelot was clearly happy to see the elder wizard while Hedwig was much calmer and respectable. Harry watched the interaction and felt a small grin form on his face as his father was suddenly surrounded by owls.
The man reached up and scratched Lancelot under his beak before doing the same to Hedwig. She hooted softly in appreciation and Severus turned to Harry.
"You have a good pair of owls here. They will serve you loyally." He looked over his son's scruffy appearance and meager belongings. "Is this all you have?" Harry nodded and looked a little upset.
"The Dursleys didn't care about me. They aren't even here for the summer. They decided to spend the whole holiday in Florida on the beach."
"That explains the lack of wards around the house. At least they will not be here to see us leave." Severus pointed his wand at Harry's trunk. "Reducio." Harry's trunk immediately shrunk and Severus picked it up and placed it in his pocket. He did the same for Harry's broom. When everything was ready to go he lifted his arm and looked at the two owls.
"Lancelot take Hedwig to Malfoy manor. Hermes will be waiting for you there." With a hoot of understanding the two owls took off through the door that Severus quickly opened for them. When they were gone Severus turned back to Harry to find the boy leaning nervously against the staircase.
"Why did you send them to Malfoy Manor?" He asked.
"Lucius is related to me. He will help us figure this out. I also know I can trust him. This is a complicated situation Malachi. Voldemort will have to be informed that you are alive and under what circumstances you survived. He will not be happy." Severus fell silent as several thoughts clicked into place all at once.
"Of course." He muttered. Harry looked at the man in confusion.
"Of course what sir?"
"It all makes sense, god why couldn't I see it before. It all makes sense now." Severus suddenly realized that Harry was not following his train of thought and decided to elaborate. "Lucius and I entered into an agreement with Voldemort when we found out that our wives were pregnant. The agreement was that Voldemort would not harm either you or Draco until you reached the age where you could consciously make the choice whether or not to follow him. If he broke the pact he would loose his power due to his betrayal."
Harry still looked confused but then it clicked. "That's why I was able to defeat him as an infant? It wasn't Lily's love for her son. It was a pact of no harm." Guilt suddenly overtook him and his knees felt weak but he managed to remain standing. "They died in vain for protecting me." The elder wizard spoke quietly to his son.
"Yes they did die needlessly. If Dumbledore hadn't interfered with their lives they might still be alive because Voldemort wouldn't have gone after them so harshly." Suddenly Harry raised his eyes and locked gazes with his father.
"I want revenge against Dumbledore for what he did to our family." Severus could not help but feel the tiny bit of pride he felt for his son swell as he nodded.
"I promise you Malachi that I want revenge just as much as you do. To get that revenge we must get to Malfoy manor and inform Lucius of what has happened.
Well that's it for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys. Thanks for reading and please review