Growing Up Snape
By Teacherbev
AN: This story will not make much sense unless you read "Snape's Invisible Friend" before reading this. The story begins directly after the conclusion of SIF, summer just before Shaun/Harry turns five, June 1985.
AN: I will answer questions if you will leave them in a review for me, and I thank all of you who have read and reviewed all of my stories. I appreciate each and every one of you (well maybe not the flamers).
Chapter 2: The Trial of Peter Pettigrew
Albus Dumbledore tapped the end of his wand three times on the table in front of him and announced, "The trial of Peter Aloysius Pettigrew is now begun. Clerk read the charges." The small crowd assembled in the audience gallery of the Great Hall grew impossibly silent, the anticipation in the air so thick it was almost palpable. The sound of almost a hundred people quietly breathing was only disturbed by the rustling of a stack of parchments.
A short, balding man with spectacles that kept slipping down his narrow nose rose from the far end of the long staff table. He stood, nervously straightening his parchments once again. He picked up a long parchment and began reading importantly, "Trial of Peter Aloysius Pettigrew is now begun. Presiding judge, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Judges Zyphram Zabini, Griselda Marchbanks, Tiberius Ogden, and Druze Dearborn also present. Madame Amelia Bones present for the prosecution, Harold Arnold Dingle present for the defense. Head clerk Percival Papyrus recording the proceedings. Charges are as follows, accessory in the deaths of James and Lily Potter, murder of thirteen Muggles on November 1, 1981, being a Death Eater and being an unregistered animagus. Aurors Alastor Gumboil and Gawain Robards are present and prepared to begin the questioning of the accused."
Dumbledore nodded to the man as he sat again and placed his quill to the parchment to begin the transcript. He surreptitiously wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead before looking at Madame Bones and nodded to her to begin.
Amelia stood tall in her official red robes and looked directly behind her at Severus Snape. "Potion's Master Severus Snape, did you personally brew this vial of Veritaserum and directly place it into my hands this afternoon?"
Severus remained seated as he answered, "Yes, Madame Bones and I verify it's brewing and contents as accurate and potent."
She winked at him without anyone seeing, Albus had explained his son's unique abilities and why Severus would like to remain seated if at all possible. She turned back to the aurors and gave her permission to administer the potion to the bound man. "Auror Robards you may administer the Veritaserum to the prisoner."
As everyone's attention was focused on the two aurors and the prisoner, Severus gave Shaun several sips of a strong calming potion and whispered to the child, a firm but elegant hand resting warmly on the boy's shoulder.
The tall, thin, and graying auror gave a half bow to his boss and turned as Gumboil forced Pettigrew's mouth open. He carefully counted out three drops of the thick clear liquid and sealed the vial before placing it back into his pocket. The two waited for the potion to go into effect, watching for the glazing over of Pettigrew's eyes and the dazed and drugged expression to appear. Pettigrew's mouth hung open slack-jawed, a small bead of spit glistening on the corner of his mouth as he looked even weaker minded than normal. He was a short pudgy man with thinning nondescript hair that was combed in such a way as to unsuccessfully hide a growing bald patch. Severus noted the man looked remarkably like a rat even in his human form as he unconsciously patted his son's leg in silent support, the calming potion almost relaxing the child to the point of sleep, his nodding head heavy and warm against his father's chest.
Gumboil began the questioning, something he was very good at, as after all he had plenty of practice as the chief interrogator during the previous death eater trials that had taken place shortly following the fall of Voldemort. He thought briefly of being able to have used Veritaserum at all of those trials before turning to the rat at hand.
"Full name?"
"Peter Aloysius Pettigrew."
"Are you a Death Eater?"
"Yes."
"Did you betray James and Lily Potter to Voldemort?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Gumboil always began with a series of yes and no questions, getting the subject used to answering and then following up with the leading and more open ended questions. By then the serum had long enough working in the system for the subject to fully open up and answer the really important questions instead of trying futilely to fight the compulsion that Veritaserum placed upon them.
"I let Sirius convince James and Lily to change their secret keeper to me so that I could tell my Lord where they were hiding."
"Was Sirius Black a death eater?"
"No, never."
"What happened to cause the explosion on November 1, 1981?"
"Sirius had found me. He knew I had betrayed the Potters. He accused me of betrayal in the middle of the street. I had to let him get close. I took out a knife and cut off my own finger. I yelled at him, 'How could you betray James and Lilly? They loved you and trusted you!' Then I took my wand behind my back and blew a hole down to the sewer under the street. I turned into a rat animagus and escaped down the pipes."
Pettigrew's flat inflectionless speech was even more horrifying to hear than if he had been steeped in emotion. The entire chamber erupted in a cacophony of outrage and upset. Dumbledore stood again and banged the end of his wand on the ancient oak table once again and called "Silence". The crowd only muttered and mumbled for a moment before complying with the powerful wizard's edict once more.
Severus had grabbed Remus by the arm and was holding him down with one hand while he fumbled in his robe pocket with the other, digging for the rest of the calming potion to administer to the man before the wolf took over. The distraught man had tears running down his cheeks in pain and fury as his odd amber eyes seemed to glow from within, the wolf clearly fighting for supremacy. Arthur leaned forward from behind the two and helped Severus keep the man in his chair, gripping the werewolf tightly on both shoulders. "It's okay Remus, he will go to Azkaban now and Sirius will be set free. Let the law handle it now, you don't need to be sent there with him for murder. Think of Sirius and Shaun, they need you." Arthur was whispering furiously at the man as Severus poured a calming potion down his throat.
Shaun had climbed on his Uncle Moony's lap and was hugging the man around the waist as tightly as he could, feeling the man's trembling rage slowly fade. Remus clutched at the small body holding him and shook with emotion. "Thank you, but I will be okay now, thank you, my friends." He whispered to both Severus and Arthur as they all three turned back to witness the interrogation. He was rubbing the back of Shaun's head, calming them both with the simple, reassuring motion.
Dumbledore called Gumboil over to talk softly to the auror in charge of the questioning. Gumboil leaned over the table and listened intently, expressions of disbelief and then understanding showing on the stocky man's face. He nodded, making his double chin wiggle, before returning to his place at Pettigrew's head. He looked once at Madame Bones who raised a single graying eyebrow in questioning but silent communication before he returned to interrogating the prisoner.
"Besides Voldemort, who took part in the raid on the Potters on Halloween night, 1981?"
"Malfoy, Nott, McNair, Crabbe, Goyle and me."
"Are all of them Death Eaters?"
"Yes."
"None of them was under the Imperious Curse?"
"No, they had all joined willingly years before."
"Is Voldemort truly dead?"
"No."
There was an outraged rumble in the room at this answer and Gumboil swiftly walked over to Madame Bones for further instructions at this unexpected answer. Gumboil admitted to her that Dumbledore had wanted the questions asked. Madame Bones stood up and circled around the table to continue the questioning herself.
"How do you know he is not dead?"
"That night his spirit escaped in a black cloud. He had done several rituals to ensure he couldn't be killed easily, but would be able to return again."
The room erupted in noise once again until Dumbledore threatened to completely clear the room. He called Amelia up to speak with him confidentially. He leaned over until his hooked nose was only inches from her ear, "Perhaps we should question him later under Veritaserum in private so that we will know exactly which rituals he performed so we will know how to counter them when he returns. I don't think we want that information published for the general public. I will also issue arrest warrants for the death eaters he named, perhaps under questioning, they could name others. They have been implicated in murder directly so Veritaserum is required for them as well." This last was said with a sparkle and an almost feral smile of triumph. No more claiming the imperious curse!
Gumboil administered the antidote to Pettigrew and the two aurors chained him with anti-animagus spells before removing him from the Great Hall to a Ministry holding cell. They had to almost drag the weeping little man as he tried to reach Remus Lupin, "Moony, they made me, I didn't want to do it; they forced me to!" He was still sobbing and yelling excuses as the bright flare of green flame in the massive hearth of the Great Hall flared around the three wizards, cutting him off in mid sentence as they floo-ed to the secure Ministry prisoner processing center.
Remus had stood up suddenly as his former friend, now a convicted traitor was being bound and Shaun slipped to the floor, grabbing onto his father's leg in shock as his Uncle Moony dumped him off his lap. He clung for only a brief moment before being snatched up in his father's reassuring grip and securely sat on one thin hip under the soft cloth of his summer robes. He grabbed his daddy around the neck and buried his head in the familiar shoulder hoping the frightening day would soon end.
Remus turned his back on his ex-friend, his shoulders shaking in silent rage as he battled the wolf within, the desire to kill the traitor so strong he was having great difficulty controlling it even with the calming potions that Severus had forced down his throat. He took several deep gasping breaths, his eyes gradually returning to normal as he forced the wolf into submission once again, his thin frame still shuddering with repressed emotions as he allowed himself to be guided once again to a seat.
Amanda Bones took the parchments with the arrest warrants and asked Arthur Weasley to watch Susan at the Burrow until she could fetch her; before she also floo-ed out to send aurors to arrest the named Death Eaters before their spies among the ministry could warn them. She also signed the paperwork to have Sirius Black released immediately from Azkaban and paperwork for Gringotts to freeze the vaults of the five to be arrested and to release any hold on the vaults of Sirius Black.
Oddgard Lovegood floo called his wife to come to Hogwarts so that he could go and work on a special edition of the Quibbler. She had remained at home that afternoon to work on a special spell she had almost completed. As a spell developer she sometimes was so caught up in her work that she would forget to eat or sleep but Oddgard and Luna loved her madly anyway. She absent mindedly stepped through, her bright pink robes rumpled and askew, a smudge of soot on her pale cheek; wisps of muddy blonde hair wreathing her disheveled hair like a messy halo. Oddgard kissed her fondly on the cheek and pushed her gently in the direction of the exit as he stepped through the large fireplace in the Great Hall to begin working on the special edition, his mind already focused on how quickly he could produce the paper and who he could count on to help at such short notice.
The Great Hall had almost emptied when Molly, Agnes and Alicius herded the group of still excited children inside. Fred and George had managed to turn Ron's hair blue and he was crying loudly while his mother was in full blown tirade against them. Ginny was clinging to her leg while Percy had his nose in the air, pretending that he didn't know them. Terry, Neville, and Blaise were all laughing at Ron's blue hair while Charlie and Bill were hanging back from the noisy group, trying to escape their mother's notice.
Molly finally reversed Ron's hair back to his normal flaming red as his angry sobs turned to hitching breaths. Luna and Hannah tried to pat Ron's back in sympathy but he was having none of it and as soon as his mother walked away to talk to Arthur, he charged his twin brothers and knocked them both over with full a body tackle, both arms spread wide to catch the older boys in the stomachs. With a twin whoosh of air, they both fell to the stone floor of the castle and let out simultaneous bellows of outrage.
Severus felt Shaun start to quiver on his hip, he felt his son's breaths start to hyperventilate and he grabbed him tightly, rubbing his back and whispering frantically into his ear. It was all for naught as Shaun disappeared from inside his daddy's arms with a soft sigh of displaced air. He was gone again; but this time he had waited long enough to say, "My room, daddy." before vanishing into thin air. Severus glared at the Weasley boys, freezing them in panic before swooping out, robes billowing menacingly behind him to return to their quarters and his panicking son.
Since last fall, their quarters had been located directly beside the Great Hall and could be accessed from a short hallway that was directly reached through a small door placed to the side of the staff table. Severus stalked down the short hall to the portrait guarding the rooms he shared with Shaun, muttering all the while about the potions he could make with parts from the Weasley boys. He was still glaring and angry at them when he stopped to look inside Shaun's room. He held onto the doorframe, forcing himself to calm down before he frightened Shaun even more. Shaun was very good at reading body language, something that had been very necessary for survival in the environment he had lived in before, but he almost always assumed that whoever was angry was always angry at him. He certainly hadn't grasped the concept that someone could be angry for him at someone else yet. And Severus wasn't sure exactly how to teach him that, he could only hope that Shaun would learn it with time.
"It's all right, son. I am not angry with you, I am angry with those boys for fighting like that. Don't worry; they won't be coming to school with you so you don't have to worry about getting along with them for a few years yet." He thought to himself, 'If I don't kill them during their first potions class with me, that is!'
Shaun poked his head out from inside his wardrobe where he had been petting the chicken; which had been very soothing and comforting for some unknown reason, and looked through his falling hair at his father's face. He only saw love and concern there, well, perhaps a little frustration, but no raging anger and he hadn't ever hurt him, not once! He gave the softly chirping chicken a last stroke on its featherless head, covered the small baby with his robe once more, and stood up in the wardrobe. Deciding it must be okay then, he scooted out and ran to his daddy, stretching his arms over his head to be picked up and hugged. Severus kissed the soft baby cheek and ruffled his son's long hair. "Shall we go back and see if everyone has calmed down yet, child?"
Shaun buried his head, sniffing deeply of the familiar smells of potions and sandalwood aftershave that he loved. The smell of his daddy's robes always made him feel safe and secure, even loved! He nodded his small head, rubbing his face against the soft fabric in comfort. Severus carried him back through the corridor and into the Great Hall, standing in the shadows at the back of the room to evaluate the situation before entering further.
'Ah the Weasleys have left, taking Susan Bones with them. The other children are all sitting at a small table with snacks and juice while the adults have a large table set up for tea. Shaun should be able to handle that, especially as it looks like Neville and Blaise left a space for him between them.' He put Shaun down and walked over toward the children's table, still holding tight to Shaun's hand in support. He sat the boy down, ruffled the top of his head once and left to join the lively discussion at the adult's table.
Shaun had pushed his father's hand away and tried to flatten his hair where he had messed it up. He glared at the man as he walked away; Neville patted his arm to get his attention. "Where'd you go Shaun, I was looking for you on the way to see the kittens. They were fun to play with. I missed you."
Luna looked sideways at him, not quite making eye contact as she admitted, "I don't like all that noise either, I wanted to go to my daddy, but I know he would just hand me off to someone else. I think you're lucky to have a daddy that picked you up and let you stay with him. I think he's nice."
Because she had admitted it first, the other four and five year olds were able to admit that the sudden stunning and then all the noise and turmoil had been scary for them too. Shaun felt relief to realize that he hadn't been the only one frightened and felt much better. He smiled at the group and filling his plate with food, he began to eat; listening to the others talk about the kittens and Ron's blue hair. He even laughed with them about Ron being able to push both bigger boys to the floor at once.
Albus nudged Severus and pointed a long boney finger towards a laughing and smiling group of children. Severus felt his worry shrink a little when he noticed that Shaun was a part of the group, talking and laughing as well. It looked like their tutoring group had been found, and thank Merlin; it didn't include those blasted Weasley boys!
Shaun was still visible and stood by his father to say goodbye to his visitors, without even needing to hold hands with him! But the day had been so long and stressful that Shaun was falling asleep in his soup at dinner and Severus picked him up, chuckling at the boy's futile efforts to remain awake and put his son to bed. Severus then called Nippy to baby sit and left their quarters to walk up to the Great Hall for his own dinner and to discuss everything that had transpired that day with the remaining staff and visitors.
Fawkes scooted, pulled with his beak and wriggled his small body out of the nest that the little one had so nicely made for him. He could tell that the little one was again close to him and he felt drawn to the fledgling. He could tell there was something special with the little one; he had felt compassion and loving so pure and innocent that he just had to be near the little one again. He wobbled across the dark room, stumbling over the edge of the thick rug as he got closer to his target. He looked up in frustration at the cliff that rose above him. With as much of a sigh as a phoenix was able to make; he reached up one sharp claw and took a firm grip on the fabric. It took him the better part of an hour using both sharp claws and needle pointed beak but sheer determination allowed him to reach his objective. He trilled in triumph and weariness as he snuggled down under the fledgling's blankets, his featherless head resting on the little shoulder as the small chest rose and fell in deeper and deeper sleep.
Dinner in the Great Hall was finally over and the staff was finally free to adjourn to Albus' office to discuss ramifications of the day's startling turn of events and to begin planning what to do now. The gargoyles opened without a password as the group was deep in animated discussion and apparently wasn't even cognizant of where they were. No one even missed a syllable in their conversations as they all trudged up the familiar worn steps and through the heavy carved oak door that allowed entrance into the circular office. Even the portraits were so deep in debate over possibilities that they didn't try to pretend to be sleeping.
"Yes Remus, we will fetch Sirius first thing tomorrow. Poppy, will you be available to attend to him in the hospital wing or should we have him directly admitted to St. Mungo's for care?"
"I suspect the poor man wouldn't receive a moments rest there, Albus. You know the gawkers and the reporters would never leave the man in peace. It would be much better for him to be here and as its summer, I don't see a problem with caring for him in the private room in the infirmary. Who knows what shape the poor man is in, I mean, four years with those despicable Dementors and he was innocent the entire time! It's an outrage what the ministry did!" Poppy's normally soothing and tranquil voice grew louder and shriller with each word spoken in indignation.
Remus patted the medi-witch's arm in thanks, "I am sure at the least he is terribly malnourished and in need of basic care. I hope he's still sane, I should have pushed for a trial, but…" The anguish and guilt were plain on the worn face of the grieving and hurting werewolf.
"Remus, you know that the evidence was almost overwhelming and that both Amanda and I have been pushing for a trial for him ever since Cornelius Fudge took office last summer without success. The only thing you pressuring Minister Crouch for a trial would have done would have been his investigating you closely and you know if your 'condition' had been found out then, you would have been killed yourself." Albus walked around the end of his desk to place an aged arm around the younger man's shoulders in caring and support.
Severus turned to Poppy, "I have developed several nutritional potions for Shaun if you think they would be useful in caring for Black. I admit I still do not care for the man, but after becoming friends with Remus I will attempt to at least tolerate the man. And I am not…unsympathetic…to him after four years in Azkaban." Poppy nodded in agreement and Remus looked at the potions master in stunned surprise at his thoughtful but totally unexpected offer.
Albus looked at Severus in fondness, and beaming with pride he tried to explain, "I know that you would have liked to have had me expel Black for his enticing you to follow Remus on the night of a transformation, but I feel I must explain why I did not; now that he will be here in the castle and a confrontation would be almost inevitable. As you were well aware, Sirius was the only one of the Blacks to not fully support Voldemort. I understand his pranks often touched the line of being cruel or even malicious but he had not crossed the line and, as you know, he was seldom actually caught and you for one never complained to a teacher so that we could have done anything about them. I hoped to keep him from aligning with Voldemort and giving him another very strong supporter, especially after his brother Regulus was killed and he inherited the entire Black family fortune."
"But most importantly, any expulsion is automatically reviewed by both the Governors of Hogwarts and the Ministry. We would have been unable to contain the knowledge that Remus was a werewolf under that close a scrutiny and at that time, Minister Crouch would have had him immediately killed without a moment's hesitation. I did not want either you or Sirius responsible for having a classmate summarily killed by the ministry. I also did not want Remus to be killed so the best I could do was detentions and house points."
"James and I explained all of that very forcefully to Sirius after that, and we tried to keep him from targeting you, or anyone else, with cruel pranks after that. I don't know if you noticed or not but the relationship amongst the three of us took some time to rebuild and Sirius was never as deliberately cruel after that. I want to stress to you again that neither James nor I knew what he had planned or anything about it before James stopped you from following me that night! I know both James and I tried to tell you that on several occasions but I don't think you wanted to hear it then. I hope you will accept my apology now for the senseless and stupid things we did to you." Albus and Remus looked at Severus with hope and concern for the man who had been hurt so badly as a youth and that they had both come to care for deeply.
Severus thought about his answer for several moments before beginning, "I must admit I made myself a target by not fighting back and I also refused anyone's help. It is in the past and I made my peace with James when I realized the boy I love; my Shaun, my gift, was actually a gift from both James and Lily Potter. I cannot hate the man who made my son possible, especially as it was his death that made it possible. And I suppose four years in Azkaban is enough punishment for anything, let alone a few tasteless pranks!" Severus admitted and turned away from the intense scrutiny of the others watching him so closely.
Severus dragged his hand through his thick hair several times while trying to control his emotions at the day's revelations before he turned back to Albus. He relied on his normal sarcasm to help him speak more normally, "That's taken care of the matter of Black until we actually see if he is in any kind of salvageable state; what are we to do about the rest?"
Albus' eyes were twinkling as he watched all of his boys grow up and leave the bitter rivalries of childhood behind; he sighed as he hoped he would be as successful with Sirius Black before turning to other matters.
The talk turned to how best to use the immanent arrests of the five named death eaters and how to take advantage of the inevitable upset at the Ministry. No one there was totally shocked at the news that Voldemort hadn't completely died that night, though they were all disappointed that it hadn't been so. Albus admitted that until he knew the exact spells Voldemort had used to insure his continuing existence, that there was very little they could plan at this time.
Only Severus and Albus were left in the old man's office, discussing the interaction of the children over a cup of hot tea when Albus realized what he had been missing all evening.
"Severus, have you seen Fawkes? It was a Burning Day only yesterday so he is still featherless and quite helpless. He becomes quite childlike for at least two or three days after a burning and has to be fed and cared for like a baby chick." Albus had gone over to Fawkes' stand as he talked over his shoulder. "Even the ashes from his burning are gone, that's strange. All of the house elves that are authorized to come to my office know they are never to touch Fawkes perch at any time, especially close to a Burning Day."
The Headmaster was clearly upset and worried at the loss of his familiar as he ran his hand again and again through the small amount of ashes that were left at the base of the phoenix's perch. He seemed unable to think at the moment, something that Severus had never witnessed in all of his years with the old man. Severus called the only house elf that would respond to his call individually. "Nippy!"
"Yes, Master Snape, I'se is watching young Master Snapes just as you ordered, sir. Young Master is sound asleep." Nippy gave a half bow and looked up expectantly.
"Do you happen to know where the Headmaster's phoenix is? Have any of the other house elves said anything to you?" Severus had knelt down on one knee to be at the little creature's eye level before speaking softly to him, not wanting their conversation to disturb the obviously distraught headmaster.
"Oh, yes, Master Snape. Headmaster Dumbledore's phoenix is sleeping with young Master Snape, he's is looking very funny sirs, he is having no feathers! Young Master has been feeding him grapes and chunks of pineapples, sirs!" Nippy stopped and hesitated, he didn't want to get young Master in trouble, "Is Young Master in trouble, Master Snape? Nippy is not wanting to get young Master in trouble, sir."
Severus stood and patted Nippy on the shoulder, "No, Shaun isn't in any trouble; from me at least, please return to them and I will bring the Headmaster to our quarters momentarily. Thank you, Nippy, you may go now." With a loud crack the creature disappeared from view and Severus walked over to his friend and placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Albus? Albus?" It took several tries for Severus to catch Dumbledore's attention fully. He led the wizard over and sat the man down on a chair and took both of the wrinkled and weathered hands into his own to direct Albus' attention to what he was telling him.
"Albus, Nippy tells me that Fawkes is sleeping in bed with Shaun right now. It seems the two have been eating grapes and pineapple and then went to sleep together. I don't know how they came to be together but we can go fetch Fawkes right now if you like."
"Oh, yes, yes, I guess we could go now. I have never misplaced Fawkes since we bonded over seventy-five years ago and I guess I am more upset by the thought that I could lose him than I ever imagined. You say he's with Shaun? How did he get there, he's featherless right now?"
"Nippy didn't know so I suppose we will have to ask Shaun. Shall we go now, Albus?" Severus used a hand under Albus' arm to get him to stand up and begin walking out of the office together. Severus was a tall man and fairly athletic but that evening he had a hard time walking fast enough to keep up with a man almost five times as old as he was. He barely got out the password to open the door to his quarters before Albus was barreling through the door to Shaun's bedroom. Severus had to stop suddenly to keep from running into the back of the headmaster as the old man froze at the threshold. Unable to see around the back of the man so close to him; Severus was a little surprised to hear the old man start chuckling and then softly laugh.
Albus turned quickly, seeming surprised to find Severus so close behind him and just motioned him back out into the living room where the headmaster sank into a chair in front of the slowly dying embers of a fire. Severus took a moment to gaze at his son, sound asleep with the head of a featherless phoenix snuggled up on his chest before shaking his head; he joined the old man in front of the fire. He stopped to pour two fingers of brandy into each of two snifters. He swirled one, breathing in the aroma deeply as he handed the other one to Albus before taking an appreciative sip.
Severus folded his long legs into the other soft and worn armchair, leaned his head back and sighed in satisfaction at the warmth of the fire, and the relief of a comfortable chair at the end of a long and very trying day.
Albus took a grateful sip of his own, and sighed as the warmth spread down his throat and into his chest. "It looks like Shaun has found another friend. I suppose Fawkes was drawn to the boy's distress and fright. I will fetch him in the morning, if that is all right with you?"
Severus was too tired to do more than just nod as the two sipped their brandies in companionable silence, just watching the embers die before heading off to their own beds, thankful this day was finally over.