"Svetlana Sokolowna."
Indistinct murmuring could be heard before an old woman's face appeared in the fireplace.
"Da?"
"Strasdvuidje, Gospodja Sokolowna. Ya Severus. Antonin vistupit, pashalusta?"
The woman laughed and nodded, saying something in Russian before turning around and shouting, "Toshka!"
A few moments later a bearded man wearing a warm knitted sweater stuck his head next to his grandmother's, smiling broadly.
"Merlin, Sev, your Russian is as atrocious as ever! Baboushka is laughing herself sick. You do know that our Christmas is in January?"
"Greetings, Antonin. I do know, yes. It is an emergency, tovarish."
The Russian sobered instantly.
"Stand back."
Moments later he stumbled out of Severus' Floo, promptly stubbing his shin on the coffee table.
"Bylad! Can't you move that blasted thing!"
"You're the only one allowed to come through my Floo and as a former Ravenclaw I trusted you to remember."
Seeing the whiskey bottle on the kitchen table Dolohov sat down, looking expectantly at the Potions master. Snape filled two glasses and told his old friend of the happenings of his day. Casting a silencing charm on their feet they then went upstairs. Harry had turned around in his sleep and his t-shirt had ridden up, making the scars on his back visible. Back in the kitchen Antonin summoned the problem up.
"So you need a way to make Dumbledore think the boy is still at his aunt's place, a place he deliberately left the child despite knowing he was severely abused there. You suspect that the old coot used blood-wards. And you do not know where they boy will live."
"In a nutshell, yes. I am fairly sure that you could examine the wards despite your mark, I have entered the house without an alarm sounding. They must be geared towards intent."
"I have an emergency Portkey with me, I would be gone before anyone arrived there. We should check now. If it is as you think we'd only need some willingly given blood from Harry's aunt to anchor the wards wherever the child lives from now on."
Severus cast a mild sleeping charm on Harry and left a small night-light on, just in case, before Apparating Antonin to Little Whinging. Disillusioned they made their way over to Privet Drive. Through the window they saw an enormous man snoring on the settee in front of the TV while Petunia sat in the kitchen, both hands around a cup of tea, looking sorrowful. Going around the back they entered through the kitchen door. Severus cast a silencing spell towards the living room before slowly shimmering into view.
"Hello, Petunia. Do not worry. I brought a friend along to examine the wards. We do not want Dumbledore to know that we've taken Harry away."
The woman startled only minimally.
"Whatever is necessary to keep him safe is all right with me. When I told Vernon about the supposed relative taking Harry away he said some very unkind things. I fear it was really just in time before he'd hurt him very badly."
She poured a cup for the Potions master while they waited for Antonin to finish his work. The Russian came into the kitchen shortly.
"Good evening, madam, Antonin Dolohov at your service."
"Please sit, Mr Dolohov. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, thank you."
He then told Petunia and Severus that the blood wards were rather weak and that they could be copied to wherever Harry lived with a vial his aunt's blood. Petunia pushed the sleeve of her blouse up, presenting her underarm. The Potions master withdrew blood before healing the small cut. Hearing a cough from the living room he quickly sealed and stored the vial.
"Petunia, if you ever change your mind about your situation, please tell me. I will offer any assistance you might want. You do know the Muggle address for Hogwarts?"
"Yes, of course, I remember. But I will write to you at Spinner's End if it is no emergency. Thank you, Sev, for keeping Harry safe. Please tell me if and when a visit might be possible."
"I will. And thank you, Tuney."
Moments later the two men were back in Cokeworth. Antonin topped their glasses up.
"Do you have anyone in mind who would take Harry?"
"I thought of the Weasleys, but they are too dependent on Dumbledore's good will. Lucius' cousin in France might be a possibility."
"No, neither. Francois is too power-hungry not to milk being The-Boy-Who-Lived's guardian for his own advantage. – You don't have to raise your eyebrow at me, Sev. I will have to ask baboushka first, though."
Dolohov knelt down in front of the fireplace, calling for his grandmother. The conversation was held in rapid Russian but the old woman's mien showed pleased surprise. Severus Transfigured the old settee, enforcing it with cushioning charms. Hopefully Harry would get along with Antonin in the morning.
Sleep took a long while to reach for the Potions master. Rationally he knew that Harry would be well cared for in the datcha near St. Petersburg. Dolohov Sr. had to flee Russia after killing the Muggles responsible for murdering his pregnant wife and two younger sons. Katarina Dolohovna had been collecting herbs and had entertained her two young sons, four and five years old, with charming paper butterflies for them to catch while she worked. A Muggle woman from a nearby village had seen her, alerting others. The mob had bludgered all three to death, Katarina unable to Apparate to safety because of her pregnancy. Her husband's revenge was deadly and on a scope too big for Obliviators.
Young Antonin had been quiet and withdrawn when Severus had met him at Hogwarts, he had lost all his family, as his father had never recovered and succumbed to drink. He had connected with the Slytherins in his year because he had wanted to learn all that he could about defending himself, vowing never to be a victim. His true passion however was the crafting of wards. This particular talent had made Voldemort interested in him, the witch-hunt that cost his mother and brothers their life had made him susceptible to the Dark Lord's teachings.
As a Death Eater he – much as Severus – had not participated much on raids, rather he had constructed wards for Voldemort while Snape had brewed and researched potions.
Antonin was a wanted man in England after the deaths of Gideon and Fabian Prewett. He had always insisted that it had been self-defence after a double duel having gone wrong, namely the Prewetts' seconds attacking as well. As those two had been Alastair Moody and Arthur Weasley Severus was inclined to believe Dolohov rather than the paranoid Auror.
Since Voldemort's fall in 1981 Antonin had been living with his grandmother in her datcha, taking on commissions for crafting wards all over middle and eastern Europe and Russia. Severus had visited twice and knew Svetlana Sokolowna to be a warm-hearted and kind woman. Harry would be fine there.
Twenty past five in the morning Antonin Dolohov was woken up by something. He needed a few moments to remember the events from the evening before. Then he wondered why his sleep had been disturbed long before dawn, Severus' snores reverberating through the small house.
In front of the Transfigured settee, just out of the reach of his arms, a tiny little boy was standing in the darkness, shivering slightly as he had no shoes and was wearing a t-shirt only.
"Good morning, Harry. My name is Antonin. Did you sleep well?"
The child nodded, "I had a real bed!" he exclaimed happily before getting insecure again.
"Where's Sir Severus?" Antonin had to laugh. He would tease his friend with this for years.
"Harry, do you have good ears?" The child cocked his head aside, nodding.
"Then listen closely. Do you hear that sound from upstairs? Like a hibernating bear? Or a huge saw?"
Harry giggled.
"Severus is still sleeping, we should let him do so a while longer. It is really cold here. I will get the fire going and look through the kitchen for some breakfast while you jump up here and keep the blankets warm. Can you do that?"
"Of course! And I cans cook a whole breakfast!"
"That is marvellous, but not today. Jump in!" As Harry's feet were blocks of ice Antonin made sure to tuck him in carefully before using his wand to light the fire. Sev had milk, eggs, toast and a can of baked beans. It would do. When the Russian noticed the child fidget more and more had Accio'ed his belongings from upstairs.
"Ah! You did freakish things!" The child cowered. Antonin had to quell a murderous impulse towards the previous guardians.
"Harry, do you know Spiderman?" That got him a reluctant nod.
"Spiderman is not a freak but has got special powers. There are people living all over the world with special powers, they are called wizards and witches. Sev and I are wizards and you are, too. When you are eleven you will attend a school for young magical people where you learn to brew potions, use charms for summoning things like I just did or learn to fly with a broom."
"I could fly with a broom?" Of course the child would latch onto that particular fact.
"Yes. After breakfast I will look for Sev's broom, I am not sure he keeps it in this house. Are you able to dress alone?"
"Of course, I am a big boy!"
"Well onto it and then come to the table."
The manner with which the child ate his breakfast was worrisome in itself – wonder at being allowed at the table, clearly not having tasted warm milk with honey before and not being able to eat more than a few bites. Antonin wanted to wait for Severus before talking about Harry's possible future but he told him about the datcha, about his grandmother and a little bit about his work, demonstrating it by warding the glass of milk to be unspillable.
When the Potions master came downstairs shortly after seven he met Dolohov hoovering in slow circles around the living room on his old Cleansweep with a beaming Harry in front of him.
"Sev'rus, Sev'rus, I can fly! Look, I can fly!"
"Wonderful, Harry. – Antonin, is there coffee?"
"Yes, Sev. And there's breakfast. We will fly for a little longer and then join you."
"Mhm."
Carefully the Russian steered the broom up the narrow staircase. A few minutes later they were back down. Harry was looking at both men with a beaming smile. Severus stirred his coffee once more before addressing the boy, "Harry, your aunt and I agree that you should not be near your uncle Vernon. He is very much afraid of your special powers and likely to hurt you even more. We think you should be with someone who understands magic."
"Please don't put me in an orphanage!"
"Never, Harry, we-"
"Can I stay with you?" Severus knew that the child would turn to the first kind person – something that likely factored in Dumbledore's decision to let him suffer abuse – but still he was oddly moved by that request.
"I teach in a boarding school in Scotland, I cannot look after you properly, but Antonin here is offering to take you to his baboushka's house to live with him and her there. It's in a village where other children are and Antonin can teach you to control your magic, but it is in Russia, visiting your Aunt Petunia would be more difficult."
Seeing the calculating mien on the six-year-old's face was disconcerting, especially when he tried to see the waistband of Antonin's trousers. The Russian, remembering the scars on the child's back, suddenly understood.
"Harry, I am wearing a belt but I would never use it to hurt you. I do not think children should be beaten. If you misbehave you might have to stand in the corner, or you will lose a privilege – being sent to bed earlier or having your flying time curtailed or-"
"I could fly at your place?"
"Not in our garden as there are non-magical people around but in the woods, yes, we can fly."
"Does your grandmother have a dog?"
"No, there is Miron, our cat, and several chicken and a few geese."
"Would she think I have bad blood because my parents were good-for-nothing drunks?"
At this point Severus' cup shattered on the floor.
"Merlin, Harry, who told you such a nonsense?"
"Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge, that's his sister. She always sets her dog on me."
"Your father was a wizarding policeman and was very brave in hunting a bad wizard. Your mother was doing her mastery in Charms and was thought to be one of the brightest witches of her time. Your parents are heroes, they were killed by the bad wizard, that's why you have that scar on your forehead."
"Oh. So Aunt Marge lied?"
"Definitely. And Uncle Vernon, too."
"Would I see you, Severus?"
"I would visit during school-holidays. And bring Petunia along, if possible."
"Antonin, is Russia colder than here?"
"Yes, at the moment we've got over a metre of snow."
"Might I get a blanket?"
"You will get a thick duvet made from downs of our own geese; a blanket is not enough."
Harry turned to Severus, "All right, I'll go with Antonin."
Severus felt a tightness in his throat that wouldn't go away. This was ridiculous! Only yesterday the child in his mind was a spoilt James-Potter-clone, it was quite illogical to feel sorrow now that Harry was leaving.
Antonin raised an eyebrow, was it at the boy's easy acquiescence to his new circumstances or to Severus' unexpected emotions.
"Right, little man. I'll show you how wizards pack."
Dolohov Transfigured a small suitcase from a toothpick and summoned all of Harry's new clothes. The child watched with glee as his belongings folded themselves neatly into the suitcase.
"We'll get sturdier boots and a warmer jacket in St. Petersburg. Baboushka likes to have lunch ready before 12 and it is an hour later in Russia, so we have to leave soon."
"Wait a moment, I have something for Harry."
While Snape went upstairs Antonin explained Floo'ing to the boy. The Potions master came down shortly with a photograph.
"Harry, please take this with you. It is your mother and your grandparents."
Two adults were smiling at a redhaired girl and a lanky boy whose faces were smeared with chocolate ice-cream.
"Petunia insisted on taking a picture of the mess we made."
Harry held the photograph with the utmost care and reference.
"Wow! That's the first time I can see my mum! She's really pretty, isn't she? And that boy, that is you, Severus, innit?"
"Yes, your grandparents were kind people. The picture is spelled to be nearly indestructible, I am sure Antonin can provide you with a frame."
While the Russian nodded Severus found himself with a lap full of a crying boy who mumbled his thanks into his shirt.
"There, there," the Potions master ineffectively tried to calm the child while Antonin muttered, "Better make it quick!"
"Calm yourself, Harry. I will visit as soon as possible. Good-bye."
"Now, Harry, I am sure that you are big enough to Floo all on your own but as it is quite far we will go together, right?"
Harry let himself be settled on Dolohov's right hip and nodded, waving to Severus a last time, clutching the picture to his breast. With a whoosh they were gone.
January 9th, 1987, Hogwarts
As it was a Friday Severus only noticed the parcel after dinner. His colleagues had wanted to drink to his health in the staffroom, but he had slunk away to his rooms after one glass, not in the mood for partying. The package was about twenty inches long and ten inches broad. It held a beautiful wooden box, a letter on top.
Dear Sev,
Many felicitations on your birthday! You'll need to activate the letterbox, afterwards it can only be opened by you, with a password you need to think as an extra security measure. I have been busy shopping and working. All is well here.
Greetings,
A & Co
Knowing Antonin's preferred mode of warding Severus made a small incision into his index finger. The drop of blood vanished into the wooden surface and the box glowed. He thought `Harry´ and the box opened with a click. Inside were several drawings and photographs. The moving pictures showed a beaming Mrs Sokolowna and Harry behind a small stash of brightly wrapped presents, another the same two people stirring stew in the datcha's kitchen and yet another with the boy in new winter clothes and boots next to a huge snowman. A drawn birthday card depicted a larger and a smaller figure flying on brooms over snowy trees. There were more drawings – a cat in front of the fire, a bearded man in a colourful jumper bent over a cauldron and a boy on a sledge. Severus felt a new understanding for Pomona Sprout's habit of showing around pictures, drawings and cards from her grandchildren. The birthday card might be safe for displaying it on the mantle. He could always claim it being from Draco.