Thank you for the reviews on Chapter 4!

And there was this Interlude!

Interlude: And Then There Were More Letters

July 31st, 1994

Potter:

I must congratulate you on finding an original way to try and get your son killed. Quite ingenious, really, to have him employ his magic outside the wards of the house you are so proud of and then go alone to meet goblins and Death Eaters.

Death Eaters? you will say. I did not send him to meet Death Eaters.

Nevertheless, Death Eaters were there, and they found him. Evan Rosier used the Blood-Burning Curse on him. If you paid any attention during the First War, you will have heard of this curse and its effects. Of course, I must conclude that you never paid any attention during the First War, as otherwise you would have forbidden Harry to leave Lux Aeterna at all while there was any possibility of Death Eaters anywhere nearby. That would require you to have a grain of common sense and a modicum of love for the boy, as well, but observation power must come first.

Harry would have died were I not there. I fetched him, took him to Spinner's End with me, saved his life, and brought him back to Hogwarts.

He is safe now. He will be safe as long as he is with me. He will never be safe for as long as he is with you. He will stay with me the rest of the summer. Dumbledore will not interfere, and you know it.

If you behave, I may let you visit my ward once or twice before the term begins.

Professor Severus Snape.

August 1st, 1994

Snape:

I am glad to hear that Harry is safe. I am always glad to hear that Harry is safe, no matter what else you may think of me.

I would not have let him go alone to meet the goblins, but he insisted. He said that they had told him they would not meet with him if he came with any other wizard, and since he seems so intent on being vates, I yielded. I did not think about the consequences of his magic burst. I did not think it was so strong that Dark wizards could find it from dozens or hundreds of miles away.

I am his father, Snape. If I go to the Ministry and challenge you for legal control of him, who do you think will win?

I will accept that Harry needs to rest, probably for today as well as whatever time he spent with you yesterday. Tomorrow, I will come to fetch him, and I expect you to return my son to me, alive and unharmed.

James Potter,

Master of Lux Aeterna.

August 1st, 1994

Potter:

You are not behaving. You will not see Harry tomorrow, or for at least a week, unless he asks to see you. And even then, I will supervise the meetings.

You should have thought of the consequences of leaving him alone, Potter. You did not, and you are sorry. Is that not what you always say? Always you come too late, after your wife has hurt Harry, after Dumbledore has hurt him, after your friend Black has hurt him, after Death Eaters have hurt him, and wail your apologies. That is not good enough. What Harry needs is a guardian who can keep up with him and at least try to understand him, and you are not prepared to do either.

Harry is still asleep. When he wakes, I fully intend to make this the happiest summer he has ever spent. Not that that will be very difficult.

By all means, Potter, approach the Ministry and ask them to put my ward back into your incompetent care. I think you will find that most requests concerning Harry have a way of vanishing into a maze of forms in triplicate.

Professor Severus Snape.

August 1st, 1994

Draco:

I wanted to reassure you that Harry, though attacked by Death Eaters yesterday, is currently well and resting in a room attached to my own at Hogwarts. He will be spending the rest of the summer with me. You are welcome to visit in two days, when Harry should have awakened from the potions needed to spare him the effects of the Blood-Burning Curse.

Professor Severus Snape.

August 1st, 1994

Rufus Scrimgeour

Auror Office

Ministry of Magic

Dear Auror Scrimgeour:

I thought you might like to know that James Potter will no doubt be shortly approaching the Department of Magical Family and Child Services, to request that guardianship of Harry Potter be transferred back to him. As I know that you have cause to regard Harry favorably, and have approved my guardianship of him besides, this issue might be of interest to you.

Favorably,

Professor Severus Snape.

August 2nd, 1994

Dear Professor Snape:

That's awful! Is he awake? Is he able to receive visitors yet? Are there any side-effects? Where were his brother and his father and his werewolf when that happened? Probably behind their wards like the cowards they are! Why didn't you stop by Malfoy Manor and Apparate with me, too?

My mother and father are beside themselves. At least, my mother is, and my father looks as if he could be. I don't think I have to tell you how many of their separate hopes and ambitions ride on Harry, and if they plan to stand against the Dark Lord, they need him in other ways.

Tell Harry that he'll get a hug when he sees me, and a bunch of sweets, and then he won't move for the rest of the summer without someone being there with him. I need to know if I can come to Hogwarts for an extended stay, Professor Snape. Please say yes. He needs someone with him, and while I trust you and know that you can handle Harry, you'll have potions brewing work to do. I need to be with Harry. Please say yes. I am going to ask my parents if they'll agree to let me stay at Hogwarts until the term begins.

Your elegant student,

Draco Malfoy.

August 3rd, 1994

Dear Draco:

Harry is currently awake, and has been since yesterday. We have had a slight argument about him returning to his relatives, but Harry has accepted that he will stay with me. He has granted me permission to say that he was going half-mad at Lux Aeterna, and much prefers the intimate company of Slytherins, when he must spend large amounts of time around anyone at all.

I think it would be best to wait a few more days before asking Harry about visitors. He needs the time to relax. He will have visits with his father and brother as well, if they come to deserve them, but be assured that I will supervise those visits. His father and brother and Lupin were all inside Lux Aeterna's wards. He went alone to meet with goblins as a vates, and that was the cause of his injury.

I did not stop by Malfoy Manor because I was concerned with saving Harry's life, first and foremost.

You may not stay with us for the rest of the summer. Harry needs time to himself as well as with me, and I know you have already said that you would not allow that. Be assured, he is safe, and does not venture out of Hogwarts. However, once Harry feels like it, visits every other day are not out of the question.

Be assured of one thing, however. He will not return to the custody of his father, not while I am still alive.

Professor Severus Snape.

August 4th, 1994

James Potter

Lux Aeterna

Dear Mr. Potter:

I must express my deep concern that your serious question, regarding reversing the guardianship of Professor Severus Snape over your son, Harry Potter, has gone unaddressed for two days. I have spent that long researching the specifications of the case, since I could not remember them; it has been months since the files have been looked at. As well, the necessary forms have been misplaced. You see, the Department of Magical Family and Child Services recently suffered the loss of its master filer, who was sacked for accepting bribes, and no one else knows the filing system as he did.

We are extremely sorry for the confusion. However, as the guardianship was approved and not contested even when Harry Potter's official residence was changed to Lux Aeterna, we believe little harm can be done in continuing to leave the boy where he is for now. We are still searching for the necessary forms, and will send them to you as soon as we have them in hand.

Regretfully yours,

Rufus Scrimgeour

Head of the Auror Office.

August 4th, 1994

Snape, you slimy bastard:

I know that you've got an ally in the Ministry somewhere! The sacking of the secretary is too great to be coincidence. Who would have thought a half-blood Slytherin's reach went so high up?

I am going to find a way to get Harry away from you. Be assured of that.

James Potter.

August 5th, 1994

Potter:

Dear dear. It seems that you haven't behaved well enough to earn a visit with Harry yet.

Professor Severus Snape.

August 7th, 1994

Dear Harry:

I know that Dad said I shouldn't write to you, because you'd probably show the letter to Snape, but I want to.

I think I understand why you left, and why we weren't doing that great a job. Hermione was right, and I should have asked you about stuff more. I saw that you were unhappy a few days ago, but when I asked and you said nothing was wrong, I just let it go. I should have asked about it a little more. Sorry about that.

Was it something I did? I can try to make it up to you if you want. Was it something Dad did? I can try to get him to apologize.

I'm very, very glad the Death Eaters didn't kill you. That sounds stupid, I know, but that's all I know how to say about it.

If Professor Snape won't let Dad and me visit you before school starts, will you at least be able to make the Quidditch World Cup? I think it's on the 25th of August. Wait, let me look at the calendar…yes, that's it! Snape could come with you, if he wants. I find it awfully hard to imagine him enjoying a Quidditch World Cup, but I find it harder to imagine him letting you go anywhere alone. Dad and Ron and Ron's family and I are all going to be there.

Please give Professor Snape a formal thanks for saving your life.

Love,

Connor.

August 9th, 1994

Dear Connor:

I've been doing marvelously, thank you. And no, it was nothing either you or Dad did. I simply didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to do at Lux Aeterna, and I didn't have all the books I needed to do research and brew potions and so on.

It's been brilliant here. Snape nursed me back to health as well as saved my life, and he's let Draco visit me, though he doesn't let me go outside. I find that I don't mind it so much. We're discussing Potions theory instead. Hermione would kill to hear some of the things he's sharing with me. Wait until I tell her!

I've given your thanks to Professor Snape. He grunted.

It took me a while to persuade him about the Quidditch World Cup, but he finally agreed, as long as I stay with him at all times I can and in the vicinity of another adult the rest of the time. The Malfoys are going to go, so I'll have them as extra protection. And you ought to see Draco. He's been taking lessons from Crups, I think, the way he guards me and whips his wand out the moment anything threatens me. He fried a wasp the other day because he thought it might sting me. I think I'll be perfectly safe.

See you on the 25th! And tell Dad not to worry too much. I really have been happy.

Love,

Harry.