Sevvy was the absolute hero of the Christmas party. After the Aurors had joined the festivities with the news that Draco Malfoy was in Azkaban, and would likely be Kissed that week. Privately, they owned up to Dumbledore that it depended on the Minister, who had the final say, so they were not at all sure about the chances of it actually being administered. They just didn't want to ruin Sevvy's moment.

Lupin was clearly very, very uncomfortable, sitting as far away from the rest of the guests as he could manage. Finally Arthur grabbed him and dragged him off to a sidechamber, where Albus joined them a few minutes later.

Harry saw them go, but didn't insist on joining them. He would have his own chat with his last godfather later. An hour and a half later, the three rejoined the party, Remus looking pale and shaken, but relieved, and the other two apparently satisfied for now with the results of their 'chat'.

Harry was holding a sleeping Sevvy late that night when the headmaster came over to him.

"Arthur and I believe Remus is sincere this time, Harry. We were very hard on him, but he withstood both Veritaserum and Legilimency tests."

"You gave him Veritaserum? And did…" Harry whispered in shock.

Dumbledore smiled grimly, stroking the dark hair of his small son.

"Do you really think I would take any chances anymore? Not with my boy, after all that's happened."

Harry nodded. "I agree," he said softly, "I still need to talk to Remus myself, though."

"Harry…I know you are emancipated, but you are as dear as a son to me as well," Dumbledore looked at him, unsure about how to express himself, "I know you have forgiven me, but you have little reason to care for me. I only hope that you will accept my help and care. Starting with letting me help you train."

Staring into the distance, Harry tried to pull himself together enough to answer.

"After Lucius nearly killed Sevvy, you surprised me," he spoke so softly, the old man had to strain himself to hear him.

"I thought you would be angry with me for not protecting him well enough. But you held me when I needed someone to lean on instead. Even Sirius never made me feel like I had some sort of fatherfigure. You did."

Dumbledore reached out and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Oh Harry, after all you did for Severus, how could I be angry with you? It wasn't your fault, and you saved his life. You make me so proud."

"It's so embarrassing,"Harry mumbled, "I'm legally an adult now, but I find acting like one, having the responsibility of an adult trying sometimes."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," the headmaster cupped his chin and forced him to look up into kind, loving eyes.

"We all get overwhelmed sometimes. You are younger than most, and carry more than anyone I've met. It's alright to need help, child."

"I'm tired, and afraid," Harry finally admitted. "I considered letting the Weasleys adopt me after all; but however dear to me they are, they would still treat me like a child, trying to keep me away from the fight. When you and I both know my involvement cannot be avoided. I need someone to help me, to encourage me, not someone who coddles me."

Dumbledore put an arm around his shoulders and began to guide him through the castle. After a while, he took the sleeping boy from Harry. Up in the tower they put him to bed and stood looking at him together.

"Harry,"Dumbledore took the youth's shoulders, "please, let me help you. You don't have to do this all alone. My own deepest wish is to adopt you myself, but I understand if you object to that. At least let me help you find someone else."

Slowly, Harry leaned forward, his head against the Headmaster's shoulder.

"I don't want anyone else. I've seen what the real you is like now. Please, help me. Let me stay."

Dumbledore pulled back a little and framed the exhausted looking face with his hands. Emerald green was reflected in clear blue.

"Thank you for your trust,"he said softly, "welcome home, my child."

Voldemort's lair –

"Goyle, did your son say anything?"

"My Lord…he said…the werewolf betrayed us…he and Draco were set up…"

"Your son, at least, has the excuse of being as much of an idiot as his father. I want Draco Malfoy broken out of Azkaban. I need to have a chat with that young man."

Hogwarts –

Papers were randomly scattered over an already cluttered desk. Harry walked in to see Dumbledore with a familiar twinkle.

"It's always dangerous when you start twinkling. What's up? You haven't…changed your mind…have you?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I haven't, and I never will. Come here for a moment."

"This is a form of adoption that deals with adopting adults. I went through the whole process when I adopted Severus shortly after his trial and release from Azkaban. This will allow you to become my son, but remain emancipated. It is necessary that you stay an adult so you can use magic, child."

Harry read the parchments. "That's good. I need to be able to train. Do we just…sign and send them off?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, "basically that is how it works."

Severus entered the room. He looked at his father and Harry, feeling the strange tension in the room.

"Sevvy, come sit down with me," Dumbledore said, "we need to talk to you."

"I didn't do anything wrong, honestly!" Sevvy responded, worried.

"I know, it's not about anything you did or didn't do," Dumbledore assured him.

"Sevvy, you know Harry doesn't have a mommy and daddy,"he began.

Sevvy nodded. "But I'm his brother now, so he isn't all alone," he smiled.

"I know, and you do such a great job," Dumbledore cuddled the child, "but I was wondering…I would like to become Harry's Daddy, just like I am yours. Is that ok with you?"

Sevvy shot up straight. "So we'd be real brothers? With the same last name?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "You both keep your own name, but you can use mine if you wish. Harry is an adult, and technically, so are you."

Sevvy glanced over at the sheepish looking Harry and nodded fervently. "Harry already is my brother, and you already are almost his Daddy, so things would just be the same around here, wouldn't they?"

The two adults looked at each other and burst out laughing at the wonderful display of child's logic.

Azkaban Prison –

The Dementors are leaving me alone. Presumably on my Lord's orders, though I can't imagine why; unless he wants me sane and healthy for when he does kill me. I failed him.

In fact, I've seen very little of anything today. Even the rats are afraid to come out of hiding it seems.

I hate Potter. I hate that werewolf. I hate them all.

What is that sound? I know that voice.

They have come for me . They have come to take me to the Dark Lord.

Hogwarts –

Training. Breakfast. Classes. Training. Lunch. Classes or training. Dinner. Reading, homework.

Those were Harry's days for most of the first quarter of the year. Interrupted briefly by Sevvy's and Ron's birthdays.

Remus was back in the Order, and after a long talk, Harry had accepted him back in his life, and back as one of his teachers. He would never again accept him as a potential guardian or godfather. It hurt the werewolf to realize that, but he knew it to be his own fault. Harry would not easily allow him to earn his friendship, but once he did, they could build a relationship of perhaps even stronger stuff. As equals.

Dumbledore helped Harry train as well, Bill taught him cursebreaking, many others contributed their own specialized skills.

Sevvy didn't like it much. Harry and Daddy had explained that they needed to fight the evil snakeman, but they didn't have much time for him anymore. The other kids in the castle ignored him. Ron and Hermione were nice, but they were worried about Harry, and most of the time, trained with him.

Many nights, when he was left with a house-elf again, he couldn't help but wonder if he did something wrong. His mind knew it wasn't that; it told him Harry and Daddy were just busy, but his stomach hurt sometimes, and the little voice telling him they were angry and didn't want him anymore kept pestering him.

One night, in early April, Harry and Dumbledore returned to the headmasters rooms late, discussing some duelling technique, when they found a little envelope on the table, addressed to them.

"Dear Daddy and Harry,

How are you? Are you going to kill the bad snakeman soon?

I miss you. You never come to tuck me in anymore. I know fighting is very important, but could you come tuck me in once like you used to? Together? Please?

I thought maybe I did something bad and you are very angry with me. I promise I'll be very, very good. I'll clean my room every day and I won't come disturb you anymore, honestly. Are you going to send me away? I heard you say that one night when I couldn't sleep and wanted some water. I don't know what I did wrong, but I won't do it again. Please don't send me away. Please.

Severus."

Harry cursed. Loudly.

Dumbledore's hand shook as he reread the note.

"I neglected him again," he whispered, "I'm so stupid…"

"We both did," Harry said, staring at a picture of a sleeping headmaster, wanting to kick something.

"We thought he understood. But he's only seven years old. I'm sorry…"

Dumbledore hushed him. "You are barely an adult yourself, Harry. I should have been wiser. But lamenting over what we have done wrong doesn't change anything. We must make amends."

"We're taking tomorrow off,"Harry said, "Voldemort or no Voldemort, Sevvy is more important. We'll spend the entire day with him, and we'll make sure that we spend more time with him, no matter how busy we are. We don't need to eat breakfast in the Hall, for example."

Dumbledore nodded. Then he set course for Sevvy's bedroom, Harry following close behind.

The boy had clearly been waiting for them. He was still half-sitting up in bed, his Teddy Bear tight in his arms, as if he was trying to draw strength from it. Harry paled suddenly. Next to the bed was a small suitcase, full of clothes.

"He wants to be good, so he packed. I'm glad we decided not to evacuate him to the mainland after all; apparently that would have been a huge mistake."

A quick spell, and all clothes flew back into the appropriate drawers. Dumbledore lifted Sevvy from the bed, blankets and all.

"Sleep here tonight, Harry. Leave the connecting door between your room and mine open. I'm keeping Sevvy with me tonight."

It was warm. It didn't feel like his own bed. Something was itching.

He opened his eyes. NO! He had fallen asleep waiting for Daddy and Harry to find his letter. And now he was in Daddy's bed, with Daddy's arm around him. And Daddy's beard tickling his face.

Dumbledore woke up.

"Hello, my dear boy," he whispered, as he stroked the child's cheek, "my beautiful child, I'm so sorry we didn't realize we were neglecting you. We will make sure to tuck you in every night again."

"Are you going to send me away? I'll be good, I promise," Sevvy's high voice, already with a touch of the silken quality it had in adult life, sounded strained.

Harry walked in, and without hesitation, he slid in on Sevvy's other side.

"We discussed sending you to the mainland for the duration of the war," he said softly, "because we are so afraid something will happen to you. We just wanted to make sure you are safe. We're not angry with you at all. Only angry at ourselves for forgetting that spending time with you is as important as training."

"You need to kill the evil snakeman," Sevvy said sadly, "I understand. Do you want professor Flitwick to do the spell so I will be big again to help?"

"NO!"duel voices sounded, "No. No, Sevvy. You are going to stay at Hogwarts, where you will be safest."

Sevvy smiled. Then he saw the time.

"You're late for training," he cried, looking at Harry in horror.

"No training today," Harry smiled, "we've taken the day off, and you are too. We're staying with you today."

Sevvy sighed happily.

Voldemort's Lair –

"Well?"

"I thought the brat was close to running off again, straight into our arms, but now they are close again! I don't understand…"

"You better start gaining some understanding quickly, then. I'm not letting you stay at Hogwarts for nothing!"

"Yes, Master. Will you attack soon?"

"You will see. When the time is right. Draco, another one of your ideas down the drain. I'm sick of the brat. Let's focus on our attack plan…"