Chapter Six- Birthday and Diagon Alley

Snape accompanied Harry outside a week after the O.W.L. results where they took fox form once again. He saw how happy Harry was as they ran and played along the river bank and the tall grass nearby. He smiled a fox's grin whenever Harry barked with joy. Snape was well aware that his emotions and feelings were less complex as a fox and it was liberating to let instinct guide him and just be a fox.

"Harry, how about celebrating your birthday at the Burrow?" Snape asked.

"Could we?" The joy was evident in Harry's voice.

Snape barked a laugh. "I asked Molly a little over a week ago and she said she'd be delighted."

Harry barked and yipped as he pranced around his mate and Snape laughed in a barking manner. Harry didn't have any enjoyable birthdays and wanted his sweet sixteen one to be the best as well as sweet.

July thirty-first dawned bright and sunny and Snape gave Harry a kiss to start the day before getting dressed, leaving the house, and Apparating a safe distance from the Burrow. Snape didn't have his Glamour on to hide his true form; another gift for Harry. They walked the remaining distance to the Burrow and, as it came into view, he spied a couple of red-haired figures, one of them was Ron. The sight of his friend filled him with happiness. "Ron!" he called, waving an arm.

Ron turned and raced toward them. "Harry! Happy birthday, mate!"

"Thanks, Ron," he said and then grinned at the awestruck look on his friend's face as he stared at Snape.

"Professor Snape!?" he gasped. "Whoa, you're so different."

"Do not grow accustomed to it. I'm doing it as a gift to Harry."

"Yes, sir." Snape walked past and Ron muttered to Harry, "Sure doesn't act different."

"He does with me," Harry said without heat.

Snape walked toward the Burrow, but caught Ron's comment. He let it go and actually looked forward to receiving more stares. He normally doesn't show his true self, only Harry and the teachers ever saw it. Today might be amusing, he thought as he reached the kitchen entrance.

"Severus!" Molly Weasley exclaimed as the fox came in. "Goodness you look amazing. Red and black suit you."

"Thank you, Molly," he said as Harry, Ron, and Bill came in, the latter having been the other redhead with Ron.

"Severus, Bill said he's getting married!" Harry said. "And it's to Fleur."

"Married? My congratulations," Snape said to Bill, noticing the disappointed look on Mrs. Weasley's face. My guess is she disapproves of the engagement. I further suspect that Bill and Fleur are probably deeply in love, much like Harry and me.

Snape continued to accept the comments of his appearance as the day wore on and he kept an eye on the engaged couple. The way they doted on each other confirmed his suspicions of how much they loved each other. Molly better get used to it because nothing short of death will break them up.

Harry enjoyed his birthday with people he knew popping in and out to give his birthday wishes and gifts. The only low point was the news Lupin brought when he stopped by for birthday tea. He reported two Dementor attacks and the death of Karkaroff. This prompted Bill to mention the disappearance of Fortescue and Mr. Weasley to mention Ollivander missing too. After the tea was done, Harry and Snape took their leave, promising to join them when they chose to go to Diagon Alley.

The next day, Harry's Hogwarts letter arrived and came with a surprise: He was made Quidditch Captain! He gazed at the bright badge, proud. Snape looked over Harry's shoulder. "Well done, Harry. Your father never made captain."

"If I got my letter," Harry said, looking at his booklist. "Then that means so did the others and we should get a letter about a shopping day."

"We should, eventually."

It took two days for the letter to arrive, revealing that the group was going on Saturday which was two days away. Snape Apparated to the Burrow to arrange meeting inside The Leaky Cauldron at eleven and returned home with a bag of money.

"Bill forgot to give you this, Harry. He said people have to wait hours to get to their vaults since security's so tight and he thought he'd save you the trouble."

"Wow," Harry said as he took the bag. "I should thank him."

"He's staying home but I'm sure Molly will pass on your message."

Saturday arrived and Snape and Harry Apparated to the inn, disguised as humans. They went in, met the Weasley and Hermione, where Harry asked Mrs. Weasley to tell Bill thanks for his money and the group moved to the back to enter Diagon Alley. Mr. Weasley tapped the brick, the wall opened, the group entered, and stopped in their tracks.

Diagon Alley had changed. The windows were covered with Ministry posters that featured either the security guidelines or of Death Eaters on the loose. A number of shabby stalls had appeared along the street. The nearest one was selling amulets that claimed that they were effective against werewolves, Dementors, and Inferi. Snape inwardly scoffed at the claim. A simple amulet won't protect you from any of those creatures. Surely, most people know that. A number of defensive spells will protect you from a werewolf, a Patronus is the only way to repel Dementors, and as I told Harry, fire repels Inferi.

"Well, we should start with Madame Malkin's," said Mrs. Weasley. "Ron and Harry need new robes and Hermione wants new dress robes. Come on everyone."

"Molly," said Mr. Weasley. "We all don't need to go to Madame Malkin's. Why not let Severus take them to get robes while we get all the schoolbooks?"

"I don't know…"

"Arthur has a point, Molly. I'll take them to get robes. We'll meet at Eeylops in about thirty minutes."

Mrs. Weasley reluctantly nodded and the group split up. Severus led the group to Malkin's and, as they were about to enter, said, "Harry, drop the illusion. Malkin will need to adjust your robes for the tail."

Harry did so and the quartet went inside. It appeared to be empty but then they heard Draco Malfoy's voice, insisting that he wasn't a child and could shop alone. They rounded a rack of robes and saw Malfoy wearing a set of dark green robes with pins at the sleeves and the hem. He looked up to see Harry and company reflected in the mirror before him. "If you're wondering what that smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in."

"Watch your tongue, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said coldly as he stepped into view. He saw Draco's eyes flash with dislike and resentment but did not let it bother him. Draco's opinion of him wasn't much of a concern, though it would make his mission to find out Draco's plan to kill Dumbledore difficult.

"And you watch yours, Snape," said Narcissa as she came into view.

The adults locked eyes and Snape could see a depth of emotion in her cold eyes. He saw the calm poise that she projected to the public but he also saw the desperate pleading for him to help her son in his task. Snape knew that he would be the one to kill the headmaster, a task he did not look forward to, even though Dumbledore was slowly dying at the time.

Snape guided his mate and his friends to an assistant to get them measured for new robes while keeping an eye on the Malfoys, but ignoring them mostly. It caught everyone's attention when Malfoy shouted at Malkin as she was about to pull up his left sleeve. Snape turned his attention back to his charges but subtly gripped his own left arm. He's been branded with the Dark Mark. Draco's now a Death Eater too. This drove home to him that Draco was eager to fulfill his task and wanting to serve the Dark Lord.

Within twenty minutes, they had left the shop and met up with their party at Eeylops where Harry and Ron bought owl treats. They rounded off the trip by a stop at Fred and George's joke shop where Snape found their range of Defense Against the Dark Arts products impressive and their jokes as inspiring pranks he may want to employ at a later date.

He glanced out the front window and saw Draco briskly walk by without his mother. He must be working on his task's plan, one he doesn't want his mother to know. However, I will learn of his plans and offer my help, as I promised his mother.