Can I Call You Dad?

Chapter 11


He was tired and hungry and he didn't know how much longer he could go on like this; he wasn't in Britain anymore, nor was he in France. In fact, it seemed as if Pettigrew was just running for the hell of it. Not that he cared; of course, all he wanted to do was get his hands on the bloody traitor! He wanted to help Harry out though, he wanted to get the boy back, but that wasn't possible till he was free! Free! FREE!

Freedom was a strange word; Sirius remembered reading a muggle book (one that Remus had lent him) on the American Revolution. It was for a muggle studies project he was doing. Sirius snickered when he thought up the theory of George Washington being a wizard and that he used the Jelly-legs curse on the British army and that had helped him win the war.

All in all, Sirius had been rooting for the Colonists and was glad that they had won the war by the time he had gotten to the end of the book. He reminded himself to have Harry read the book when next he saw him. He yawned and with as much grace as a half starved man like himself could manage, he was a human once again.

Sirius rubbed his eyes as he stood in his dirty, Azkaban issued robes and wished that he had a safe place to sleep that actually had a roof over his head – he sighed and took a look about him. He was in a dense forest, it was very, very dense, and dark and depressing and Sirius felt himself closed in all of a sudden, almost like Azkaban all over again.

"Well, look what turned up,"

Sirius whirled around, he hadn't noticed anyone else being around when he had decided to take a rest in these woods. Never mind the fact that he hadn't a wand on him, he didn't much care about that, he figured that Pettigrew wouldn't have one either.

"Snape? What the hell…?"

"I'm looking for rare potions ingredients, but I never thought I'd come upon something even more valuable," Severus Snape sneered.

"Shut up you bloody git!"

"I believe you're the one who needs to shut up, before I do it for you," Snape replied, he stood close to Sirius (who also hadn't noticed him being that close in the first place) wand in Sirius' face.

"What do you want from me then? Not that I can do much," Sirius said.

"Hmmmm….actually, Albus has been looking for you, not in so many obvious ways, of course, but still…your coming with me,"

"Like hell I will! I have to get my hands on that bloody traitor before it gets too late,"

"I know, I also know where Pettigrew is," Snape replied.

"Damn!"

"Why so disappointed?"

"Don't give me that bull!"

"Black, I love having you at my mercy, and you'll still be at my mercy, Albus would like you to at least look semi-normal, and Potter would also love to see you," Snape mocked.

"Ha! More like he'll throw me back into Azkaban! He knew I was innocent!"

"And yet you still rotted there for more than a decade,"

"Whatever, how are you planning on forcing me to go with you?"

"You'll be able to get Pettigrew,"

"What else do you want from me?"

"Just your obedience, like the good dog you are," Snape said, taking a vile out of his pocket. Sirius desperatley wanted to rip the man appart, but detaine dhimself just in time. He needed to save his anger for that RAT!

"Take hold of it, and don't do anything you'll regret," Snape replied. Sirius did so and Snape uttered the words that would whisk them away from the dark and depressing forest.


Sirius wasn't accustomed to traveling by port key – but, his balance wasn't that much off, so with a grunt he was able to stay on his feet while Snape just stood there with his robes billowing about him. Sirius raised an eyebrow at the man before looking around.

Snape manor was the same as the last time he had been there. The hall way had only three portraits – one of Severus when he was eleven (before he left for Hogwarts), one of Mrs. Snape and then one of Mr. and Mrs. Snape depicting their wedding day.

There was a credenza on the left wall with a mirror hung above it – one it were several old muggle books (which had been Mrs. Snape's at some point in life). Light redwood French doors led to the sitting room on that side of the entry. To the right side of the entry was a stair way to the second floor and a matching pair of French doors that led to the ball room.

The high ceilings made the entry way bigger than Sirius remembered, and the sun-lights let in billowing clouds of golden light from the midday afternoon. Sirius hadn't realized that it had been afternoon till just then. The floor they stood on was wood and Sirius felt that the house was a bit cheery for a Death Eater and a greasy git.

"Pockets will show you to your room, clean up and then we'll fire call Albus," Severus said.

"Your house elf isn't psychotic, is it?" Sirius asked.

"Unlike the one your family employ's, mine is docile," Severus replied.

"Good, I've always hated Kreacher," Sirius muttered. It was then that a house elf appeared with the usual 'POP'.

"Pockets, please show Black to the guest room, you know the one," Severus said. Pockets took Sirius' hand and dragged him to the stairs. Sirius smiled a little, Pockets reminded him of a small child, and the house elf had on rather nice 'rags' and was clean and didn't looked abused at all.

Severus wasted no time in crossing the entry way to a hall way that led to the kitchen and then from there to his own private laboratory. Sirius needed to take some protein potions before he saw Albus. Dumbledore had given strict instructions and Severus knew that he had to follow through.


Meanwhile; Sirius didn't mind being led about by the hand, he remembered when Regulus used to do it. It had been a game of sorts. When Regulus found something particularly interesting, he would drag Sirius by the hand to whatever it was he had found and they would "oooh" and "aaaah" over whatever it was. Sometimes Sirius would make up a story about the item and then Regulus would go off and repeat it to whoever he came across next.

Sirius sighed; Regulus might have been a great kid to be around when he was very young, but when he got old enough to understand the family motto, he just changed. Sirius hadn't liked the change and so he had ostracized himself from his brother and the rest of his family.

Pockets finally got Sirius to the guest bedroom, laid out some pajama's and told the man to take a bath and go straight to bed. Then Sirius was left alone in the room. This room was decorated in shades of light ocean and dark blues. There was a four poster bed set between two floor-to-ceiling windows with dark blue drapes. The carpet was of a light ocean blue; to the left of the room was the bathroom with a large tub and vanity. To the right was the wardrobe and set by the entrance to the room was a shelf of books and a desk.

Sirius decided that getting cleaned up was a good idea; he hadn't had a good bath since Christmas, which seemed to have been ages, and ages ago. So, Sirius grabbed the clothes available and entered the bath room.


Harry carefully opened the cage for Gervais; the snake climbed out on its own and slithered to the floor with as much grace as a three foot sheer drop would allow him. He hit the ground with a soft thump and then untangled himself. The King Cobra was at least three feet long and was extremely dangerous, though he had assured Harry that he would never hurt him.

What is the plan? Harry asked.

There isssss a sssssecret panel ssssssomeplace in thisssss room; I've ssssssseen the young Malfoy Child usssssse it when he doessssss not want to partake in hissssss ssssssstudiesssssss, Gervais replied.

Do you remember where it is?

No, I do not, there issssss a buttonof ssssortssss that you pusssssssssssh, Gervais replied. Well, that helped about just as much as a rat trap set for a Tarantula. So, Harry went over to the far right wall and started tapping on it in different places.

Harry watched as Dudley and his best friend Piers Polkiss tapped on the wall. They had just studied Ann Frank in school and Dudley wanted to know if there were any secret passageways in his own house that would lead to a place that Dudley could turn into a third bedroom of sorts.

Harry on the other hand, felt that Dudley was just grasping at Straws; he remembered asking Mrs. Figg about old World War II houses, and Mrs. Figg had said that houses with secret passageways existed in Germany for the Jews, but that maybe someone had built a few in England and that the theory wasn't far off. Harry hadn't known that she was actually talking about Wizards who helped other Jewish wizards and witches out of Germany to safety.

Harry watched Dudley tap on the walls; maybe a bit hard, the tapping was supposed to be gentle so that the person who was tapping could hear the hollowness of the tap.

In the end, Dudley and Piers had given up their search; but Harry remembered this technique and began to gently tap on the far right wall, his ear to the solid surface and hoping that the secret key wasn't turning a bloody statue or wall sconce or some such like that.

What are you doing? Gervais asked, raising his head and sliding across the floor to Harry.

Tapping on the walls, I saw my cousin do this once, Harry replied.

It'sssssssss an awfully bad way to go about it, don't you think? Why don't you try that far left wall, That issssss where the young Malfoy child disssssappearsssssss,

Why didn't I think of that! Harry hissed back sarcastically.

Becausssssse you're a Gryffindor and ssssssssuch people assssss you don't think like a sssssnake…

Brilliant! And I suppose you'll give me a crash course on it then?

Of course, I wouldn't be your familiar if I didn't,

What do you mean? Familiar?

You are a remarkable boy, I can ssssmell the magic on you – even though I may be an ordinary muggle ssssssnake – I am magical in nature; in that cassssse, I choosssssse to be your familiar,

Well, that's good, I suppose, but you still haven't told me what a familiar is!

You have books, figure it out! Gervais hissed before slithering over the bed and winding himself up one of its posts and then depositing himself on the bed where the warm light of the lamp had warmed up some of the bed spread.

Harry continued his search on the far left wall. It wasn't until late that night that he found the secret passage way.


A/N – Well, what do you think of that? Nice plot twist right? Yes, I thought so as well!

Ta,

Poppy