A/N: I do not own Harry Potter
Apologies for the long wait, but I have been so busy. I had a clear idea of what I wanted to happen in this story, and I will say it's coming to a close. I have just created a poll on my profile page, would you read a sequel to this story?
Chapter 5 - Belladonna
Dear Mr and Mrs Snape,
I am sorry to inform you that there has been a serious incident involving your son, Harry Snape, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The incident occurred during Harry's Monday afternoon Potions lesson. Harry is currently in the Hospital Wing and is under the care of Madam Pomfrey. I am unfortunately unable to give you details on Harry's condition at this time. Your presence will be required immediately, and but Professor Remus Lupin will meet you at the main entrance.
Yours Sincerely
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin - First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.)
Lily's eyes drifted over the parchment for what must have been the twentieth time. Severus clutched her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers. She looked up at him, her bright green eyes shining with tears that were already forming. It was words like; 'serious incident', 'Hospital Wing', and the phrase; 'I am unfortunately unable to give you details on Harry's condition at this time', that had them on edge. Nothing about the letter was very soothing at all.
"We need to go," he whispered gently.
Severus paid little attention to James reading his own letter, and he had no idea that it too had come from Hogwarts. He didn't even pay attention to, nor explain himself to Mary Potter - nee Macdonald. The drinks sat at the bar, and he took Lily's hand whisking her away from their romantic spa retreat.
After all, it was the only way that Severus and Lily would get any answers. It was the only way he could settle the thumping in his chest; he needed to see Harry alive and well, and he would not be able to rest until he had. Lily, still looking up at him, nodded as a single tear slid down her cheek.
"Come on," he said, pulling her up from her seat.
He wrapped her up in his cloak, and they made their way out of the spa. As soon as they were at a safe enough distance, they apparated as close to Hogwarts as they were able. They landed in Hogsmeade in a matter of seconds, and they wasted no time at all; immediately power walking through the snow to the boar-flagged gates of Hogwarts. The weather in Scotland was bitter, and the snow was high up their lower legs. Lily was still wearing her beautiful silk dress and wrapped up in Severus' best cloak. Severus strode beside her with long, purposeful strides. His robes whipped around him in the wind, but the arm around Lily never budged. Despite the apparent cold, she never shivered once, neither did Severus, they were focused only on Harry. Neither Severus or Lily bothered to check who had apparated behind them, nor did they consider that the sound might be connected to them in any way. They walked through the gates and strode up to the main entrance, ignoring the various students that were milling around; though the students did not ignore them. An older student was jogging up to them as they strode past the Quidditch Pitch.
"Erm, excuse me, erm. Sir?" the burly Scottish boy shouted as he caught up. "Are you Harry Snape's father?" he asked as he managed to keep stride with them.
"Yes, do you know if he is okay?" Lily asked immediately.
"Erm. No. I'm Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. I guess I just wanted to see if you knew if Harry would still be able to play Quidditch? He's the best seeker we've had, and when I asked McGonagall she told me I needed to get my priorities sorted, but Harry would understand."
At this Lily's face dropped, Severus wore the perfect sneer as he looked down his nose at the Captain; Oliver Wood.
"Harry may understand; however, I do not," Severus spat.
Severus left the boy in the wind as he and Lily progressed towards the main entrance. The Quidditch obsessed Oliver seemed to think it was okay to follow. When they walked through the large oak doors, Remus was there to greet them.
"Oliver!" Remus scolded. "I have told you to leave this alone, the last thing anyone is concerned about is Quidditch! Ask me, or anyone else one more time, and you won't be captain anymore - George Weasley will be!"
"But Professor!" Oliver begged a look of sheer horror on his face.
"That will be twenty points from Gryffindor - for not supporting your housemates." Remus eyed the teen, who skulked off. "I'm sorry about that Sev, Lil. I'll take you to my office."
They wandered through the corridors, and it was disconcerting how many pupils were staring, whispering. The rumours were spreading:
'Harry is getting kicked out of Hogwarts.'
'Harry blew up someone's potion.'
'I heard Harry couldn't leave the Hospital Wing.'
It was maddening. It wasn't long before the Snapes were safely nestled in Remus' office. It was a nice cosy office, and there was a large dark oak desk and comfortable armchairs in front of it. It was simple but comfortable - not to mention there was a rather large trunk at the back that rattled on occasion. It could have been quite disconcerting; however, Lily and Severus had other things on their minds.
"Okay, I can't pretend everything's okay, it isn't," Remus said as he sat down.
Remus looked careworn. His eyes were heavy, and his posture slumped. He walked wearily around to his desk and slumped down in his chair. He flicked his wand, and soon there was a singing kettle, and teacups were floating just in front of him. Remus seemed to busy himself with the tea, postponing the moment when he would have to address the 'severe incident' that Harry had been involved in. The wait was maddening.
"Remus, please!" Lily gasped. "Just put us out of our misery."
Severus was sat stock still, not moving. His eyes were fixed on Remus' worried expression.
"Okay," Remus began. "You can't imagine how hard it is for me to say this. I mean for any child it would be hard, but I love Harry. I adore that kid, and he doesn't deserve this."
Severus leaned forward, ready to interrupt.
"Don't ask me questions yet, please; it's best if I just get it all out," Remus continued, stopping Severus before he began. "Hogwarts has failed Harry, we all have. This incident seems to be the latest in a long line. Looking back, I don't know how we didn't see it. That being said, I want you to know that many teachers have had their eyes peeled, just trying to see what was wrong with Harry, myself included."
Remus paused, conjuring milk and sugar as he fixed tea the way that he knew his friends liked it. It's not that Remus thought that they would even drink it, who would at a time like this? It was a comfort to make it, a pleasure to have a reason to postpone the news that he would have to share.
"Remus, we know-" Lily began.
"No, don't," he began. "I really need you to listen. I know I am taking my time, but this is very hard. I do not think I am cut out for this at all."
"Remus," Severus began. "I know you have Harry's best interests at heart, but you need to stop stalling, you have no idea what is going through my mind right now!"
Severus watched as Remus added the copious amounts of sugar to Lily's cup. He poured in the milk and gave it a long stir with a pensive expression. Severus' tea was black, no sugar, no fuss and no more postponing.
"Harry has been getting bullied," Remus said, finally. "And not just a little bit - I'm talking serious stuff here. Curses and hexes were thrown his way, name-calling, physical violence, emotionally tormenting him - threatening him."
Remus glanced up at Severus' expression, the man's eyes were dark, and his jaw stiffened; the fury that was within evident on his face. Lily's delicate hand covered her shocked expression, and her wide green eyes filled with worry.
"The reason Harry hasn't spoken up is that the child in question has been 'proving' to Harry that no one will believe him - detentions he has had for little things, they were for things this child had done, not Harry."
Remus took a breath, watching the Snape's expressions, still furious and they showed no sign of changing.
"What happened today? Is Harry going to be okay? When can we see him?" Severus asked in a careful and measured tone.
Remus fiddled with parchments on his desk, his gaze fixed on the mahogany desk like he was unwilling to meet their gaze.
"This kid tried to get Harry in trouble during their Potions Class; he threw something in Harry's cauldron." Remus stopped again, glancing up at the now petrified expressions.
And this was the problem for two potioneers; they knew all too well the accidents that could happen, the list of side effects from poorly brewed potions, and the effects of various ingredients. They sat waiting for Remus to finish. Remus sighed and plucked up the courage to continue.
"They were making a simple potion I believe - just an antidote for common poisons - but the ingredient he threw in is dangerous on its own. The antidote has a more controlled substance in it; ground Unicorn Horn. I think you know better than I that this doesn't react well with - /Belladonna/."
"No!" Lily and Severus cried at the same time.
Belladonna alone was corrosive, poisonous and dangerous, but more so when combined with more controlled 'light magic' ingredients such as Unicorn Horn.
"What happened?" Severus asked.
"It entire cauldron exploded…" Remus paused, almost like he didn't want to finish the sentence.
"The draft, did any of it get on Harry? Where was he hurt? How?" Lily begged. Though she was much firmer with Remus now, standing and leaning over the desk. She was as ferocious as Molly Weasley when she wanted to be.
"It," he paused again. "His face, it coated most of his face… Horace got him straight to Madam Pomfrey, and she's been working up there since, cleaning away, trying to heal the tissue damage. She's sent Minerva to St Mungo's, and they have a specialist here."
Remus watched as Severus and Lily were sat motionless; two potioneers knew exactly how dangerous that accident had been. They knew the risks, and they knew that Harry would have suffered horrendous damage, he could be blind, he could have ingested it, if he had swallowed it he could die - slowly, painfully.
"Horace told me that Harry put his arms up to shield part of his face, and so he suffered severe burns on his forearms. The good thing is that this stopped him from ingesting anything."
The statement saw them relax, though only the smallest amount.
"Can we go see him?" Severus managed.
"Yes, I've been instructed to take you up there. The specialist said to wait until you are calm - until you can handle it. Harry is asleep at the moment, and they don't want him to wake to-"
"-Hysteria?" Lily questioned. "We understand, Harry needs to stay relaxed, and he needs us to be supportive and calm, not hysterical."
"Sev, Lily, I am so sorry, I can't believe I let this happened."
Lily stood, and put an arm around Remus. There was an understanding in that embrace, that it wasn't Remus' fault, that they were glad Harry had someone he could turn to at Hogwarts. All three of them were silent as they walked up to the Hospital Wing. When they arrived at the Hospital Wing Lily rushed in, and as Remus went to follow Severus held him back.
"It's not your fault," Severus said.
"Sev, I'm his Godfather. I should have seen this!" Remus exclaimed.
"Remus you have a job to do, you teach Harry for one of his lessons. Yes, he's your Godson, but we both know you can't prioritise him over others, even if we would both want it."
"Severus, the reason I am not coming to yours for Christmas is that I am supposed to be taking over as Head of House next year, but I can't stop this from happening!" Remus exclaimed. "I'm not cut out for this,"
"No," Severus interrupted. "We knew something was wrong, we were there with Minerva, I could have made him tell me - but I let him keep his secret. It's my fault."
Severus spoke with a lump in his throat, the stoic man looked lost, vulnerable, like he had no idea what to do with himself. His jaw clenched tight, and if you looked closely, you could see tears shining in his eyes.
"It's my fault," he nodded. His brows pulled together as emotion began to overwhelm him.
"Don't do that to yourself," Remus said as he pulled him into a brotherly embrace.
Unable to go through this alone, Remus then led Severus into the Hospital Wing. The room was quiet - almost empty in fact. Poppy Pomfrey was wondering around her desk, pulling various pieces of parchment and collecting a variety of potions. There was a bed with the curtains drawn, and no sign of Lily. Severus could only assume that she was behind that curtain with his Harry. There was a little movement, and then a wizard he didn't recognise appeared.
"Mr Rummage," Remus began. "This is Severus Snape, Harry's father."
Remus led Severus over to Healer. He was tall, very tall, and he was unnaturally skinny. The Healer had thinning black hair and a rather thin moustache. As the healer walked, he fiddled with his hands, a sure sign of his nervousness.
"Mr Snape," he said holding out a hand.
Severus took the hand courteously, shaking it.
"How is Harry?" Severus asked, his nervousness seeping through into his tone. "I work in the field of potions, so I understand the damage that Belladonna can do, don't sugar coat it - please."
"Yes, erm, Madam Pomfrey was telling me. I believe you are quite the revolutionary within potions," he sighed. "The good news is that Professor Slughorn got Harry to the Hospital Wing very quickly, a lot of the scaring will heal completely. There may be some marking, but I am confident that it will be minimal."
It was then that he paused and started fidgeting again.
"The bad news," he began. "Is that most of the damage was to Harry's eye area. If I was to guess, Harry closed his eyes just as the potion made contact. The reason I think this is that there was extensive damage to that area. The burns are extensive and based on the sample it was quite a concentrated mixture. Harry's iris' were a milky green, I was informed that usually quite a bright and vibrant green?" The healer didn't wait for a reply but continued with his rambling speech. "The milky film over the eyes speaks to rather extensive damage, and this is in both eyes, and I do not think that Harry will recover much of his sight - if any."
Severus just stared at the Healer in shock. He had undoubtedly not sugar-coated it, though he had been generous to state that there was even the faintest chance that Harry would see again. Mr Rummage seemed cold and detached in the way he spoke, but this did set Severus more at ease, that the man wasn't clouded by ridiculous sentimentality, that he was a man of facts and therefore his son had the best chance. Severus swallowed as he tried to process what the Healer had said.
"I'm very sorry Mr Snape," he said solemnly, and then left Severus and Remus looking at the curtain.
Severus couldn't seem to move, and there was the feeling that once he saw Harry, it was real. That until he saw him, it may not be that bad. That there could be hope for Harry, or that it was all some ridiculous fabrication, or over exaggeration.
"You know, you will have to go in there at some point," Remus said. "It won't be as awful as you expect."
"Won't it?" he asked.
"Tell me you're not going through all the worst case scenarios in your head right now?"
"This is the worst case scenario, he's…"
"He's alive, and he's safe. We can make him happy. He just -"
"Can't see a bloody thing," Severus finished Remus' sentence. His voice was forlorn, and his body language defeated.
"Alive, safe, and happy; that's what counts," Remus said as he pulled back the curtain, forcing a friend to see the reality of the situation. Severus nodded, knowing that he was right, but it just didn't feel like it at the moment.
Harry was lay flat on the bed, his hands were both bandaged up to his forearms, and his face was bandaged too, from his eyes and covering his entire forehead. They could see the red markings creeping from beneath the bandage, angry and red. Lily had one bandaged hand in both of her hands.
"Is he awake?" Severus asked, whispering now.
Lily shook her head, and Severus moved around the bed, sitting close to her. His hands soon found a part of Harry to hold, to touch, just so if he woke he would know that his father was there. Lily and Severus weren't sure when Remus left, but they were so focused on Harry that his presence wasn't missed. Harry didn't wake for some time. Madam Pomfrey told them that she had given him a rather strong sleeping draught - the specialist said that the burns would be painful, and waking without being able to see would only make the experience more traumatic.
Severus hadn't been able to leave it at that, and he had to know everything, he had to find out about any possible remedy, or something that would make Harry's life more - normal.
"I realise there is no remedy, but surely there is something we can do to help Harry see again? How would the magical community usually handle this kind of situation?" he asked, his voice was still quiet, but there was no mistaking how forceful he was in the asking.
"There are spells and enchantments that Harry would be able to use to help him live with this impairment," Poppy explained.
"Help him live with it?" Severus asked. "I don't understand. There will be a way to help him see again! There is an Auror at the Ministry who had his eye cursed to the point where it wasn't even there anymore, and he now has a magical eye. He can now see through anything; invisibility cloaks even!"
"Yes, Alastor Moody. He had one fully functioning eye, the damage is to both of Harry's eyes, and it's extensive," Poppy explained.
"Okay, so that particular method won't work, surely there are others?" Severus began to get more and more agitated. "This is the Wizarding World, surely a bit of blindness can't stump us?"
"Usually we would be able to utilise the sight from the other eye to give full sight back, but if a wizard loses his sight through magical means in both eyes, there is currently no solution. I am sorry Severus."
"So," Lily began. "You know of methods- spells, charms and enchantments that would help Harry work around losing his sight?"
Poppy smiled, pulling up a chair, she sat on the opposite side of Harry's bed.
"Now isn't the time for this," she explained. "There are many ways that we can work around this for Harry, but he is going to need to adjust first. When he wakes up, it will be confusing and frightening, and right now I suggest you focus on making sure Harry feels safe."
"What about his education?" Severus asked, realising that Harry was ill-equipped to stay here right now. "Will he ever be able to come back to Hogwarts? The castle is confusing enough without the loss of sight."
"I think that will depend on Harry, what he wants, and how he handles things."
Harry then started mumbling in his sleep and shifting uneasily. Severus and Lily sat together, both holding him, waiting for him to wake. Eventually, he did. His arms moved, reaching out, then they moved to his eyes, and he started to panic.
"It's okay we're here Harry," Severus soothed, his hand gently squeezing his leg affectionately. "I'm here, Harry."
"I can't see, I can't see," Harry cried. "Dad, why can't I see?"
"Harry, shh," Lily consoled. "It's okay."
"Mum?" Harry called. "Is that you? I can't see anything."
Damp patches appeared at the edges of the wrappings as they soaked up his tears.
"It's okay. Harry, lift your hands," Severus whispered.
Severus stood and moved around the bed, settling on the mattress leaning over Harry. He took Harry's hands in his, constantly soothing with his voice, and guided them to his face. The tips of Harry's fingers came into contact with his large nose, and soon they were mapping out the rest of Severus' features.
"See, you can still see it's me, have you ever met anyone with such a large nose?" Severus continued.
Harry half laughed amidst his tears, his fingers now mapping out his father's lips and chin.
"Dad, will I ever see again?" Harry asked defeatedly. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his bottom lip quivered.
"I don't know, Harry, but just you try and stop me from finding a way for you."
"And me," Lily added. Harry's hands reached out towards the sound of her voice, and she was soon guiding his hands. This would be what 'seeing' is to Harry now.
Harry nodded, as though agreeing with his parents, and his breathing started to steady as he finally relaxed. Once he was relaxed, Severus asked the burning question.
"Who did this Harry?"
"Dad, it doesn't matter," Harry tried.
"Yes it does," came Lily's firm voice. "We trusted you, we left well alone, and you said that everything was okay! Well, this time you can tell us everything."
"Everything Harry, we mean it," Severus responded with his more severe tone.
"I'm sorry," he cried.
"You don't have to be sorry Harry; you have done nothing wrong. You need to tell us so we can help you! I mean it I want to know right now!" Severus demanded.
"Okay, but the only reason I never said was that no one would believe me. He lied all the time, and I would get told off for stuff I never even did. Why would I think anyone would believe me over him about all the other stuff he did."
"Who was it, Harry?" Severus asked. "This is very serious. I can promise that I will always believe you, and I will make others believe you."
"It was Potter, Monty Potter." Harry broke into sobs almost immediately. Severus saw an opportunity, and he took it.
"What other stuff did he do Harry?"
"Started just by calling me names, but then they started getting me into trouble and stuff."
"They?" Lily asked.
"His friends, Seamus and Dean."
"What other stuff did they do?" Severus pushed.
"They found my letters to you and Mum pretty quick, they showed them to everyone, and reading them out, laughing at me. They called me mummy's boy. They wet my bed. Put stink bombs in my clothes. Then I got on the team and Monty told me to quit, but I wouldn't. That's when it got worse, and they said they would beat me up after the Halloween feast, Ron was hanging out with them then, but he didn't know about that. He didn't want to get picked on like me."
"That's okay, we're not mad at Ron," Lily smiled, gently carding her hands through his hair.
"Did it get better after the Quidditch Match?" Severus asked.
"Some people stuck up for me more, Fred and George found out, and they threatened Monty - said that they would beat the crap out of him." Harry smiled at that one. "They said I was as good as a Weasley."
"Okay, so it did get better, and this happened out of the blue?" he asked.
"Not really, it was just different. You know, not something they can get in trouble for."
"What do you mean?" both Harry's parents asked.
"Shove me in the corridor all the time, but say sorry. They bumped, and I fell down the stairs, tripped me, but they made it look like an accident so that I couldn't tell anyone - plus it's embarrassing, I'm a loser."
"You are not a loser, Harry," Severus replied. "You are my son, and I promise, he won't do it again! I will make sure of it."
With that Severus got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Lily asked.
Harry tried to sit up, but Severus gently laid him back down.
"Rest Harry, I will be right back," he urged Harry. "And I am going to see Professor Dumbledore, and I want that child expelled!"
"Sev, are you sure that's for the best?" she asked. "Don't go, stay here with us."
"No, it's what's right Lily," Severus demanded.
"Dad, please?" Harry called.
He was unable to say no to that. They sat together for some time, and Harry told them what happened. He explained how Monty wasn't doing so well in potions, and so Professor Slughorn had paired them together, hoping that Monty would pick some things up from Harry. He explained how Monty had collected the ingredients, and Harry had tried to show him the difference between slicing and chopping, and why it was important. Monty had teased Harry about it. Monty had told Harry to complete the potion and tell Slughorn that he had helped, that he had done well. Harry explained how he refused, and it was a few minutes after that when Monty said he would help and put something in the Cauldron, and as far as Harry knew it was just the pre-measured Flobberworm mucus, and he had leaned over to make sure the colour change was correct, and that was when it erupted.
Severus and Lily were horrified by the sheer duplicity of the child. That Harry, after the fact, believed that it was his fault for not submitting to Monty's demand at getting credit for no work, but Monty had collected the Belladonna before all of that, Monty had planned it all. It was sometime after this, as Severus and Lily planned how they would be taking Harry home, that they received visitors in the Hospital Wing. Albus Dumbledore arrived followed by none other than James Potter, his wife Mary, and their child Monty.
"I want that child expelled - immediately," Severus said, his voice was low, quiet and scary.
Monty watched shuffled away, afraid by the mere presence of a seriously pissed off Severus Snape.
"Wait just a minute! We haven't established that this was even Monty's fault!" James jumped in.
"Really?" Severus asked, squaring up to the man. "Your little brat told my son he would only stop if he quit the Quidditch team - Harry's still on the team, and now he's blind."
"I highly doubt he's on the Quidditch team now," James mocked.
"So you condone your son's threats? Do you congratulate him on getting Harry off the team like this?" Severus spat.
"Your son says he did this, mine says different," James replied snarling at Severus.
"Your son is a filthy liar, just like his dear daddy. If he isn't expelled, I am sure I can find a fitting punishment, an eye for an eye? He owes Harry two!"
"Severus!" Lily exclaimed. Not that Severus paid much attention.
James shoved Severus. "Are you threatening my son?"
"You need to ask? What did I say brainy, brawny." Severus smirked as he indicated to himself and then to James.
"You touch my son…" James threatened.
"What? Will you get a whole gang of wizards against one? I honestly thought Gryffindors stood for bravery, not cowardice," Severus spat.
"I'll beat you bloody with my bare hands Snivellus!" James promised.
"I think we have heard enough!" Albus commanded. For the most part, people saw kind and endearing, but here Albus showed the firmer, stricter side, and neither wizard was willing to defy him. "I think I can safely assume what has caused this entire sequence of events."
Albus motioned for James and his family to sit down on seats surrounding the bed next to Harry's. He settled himself in a conjured chair, his hands steepled in front of him as he watched the two families, the fathers seething, the children looking pitiful, Monty was undoubtedly afraid. The wives were both livid, though it seemed a little more righteous than the husbands.
"Mr Potter," Albus began. "Professor Lupin will be coming to speak about the ongoing bullying that has taken place-"
"-But Albus, Remus is Severus' friend, Harry's Godfather! You cannot tell me that he is unbiased!" James interrupted.
"I believe I can. I also know he will be bringing a student with him that will bear witness to what has gone on. I would rather not ask a student so young to submit memories for analysis, but I will ask Miss Granger if need be, she is an honest and well-behaved student."
Monty tugged on his dad's robes. "That's Harry's best friend. She's going to say it's my fault."
"Monty, are you saying that I would carry out my investigation in an unfair manner?" Albus asked, his blue eyes not twinkling in the slightest, they were calm and stern.
Monty simply shrugged. James no longer saying anything.
"I do believe there is an element of 'hereditriness' to this situation?" Albus questioned looking between both fathers. "Can I assume that neither James or Severus are able to behave in a civilised manner around each other?" Albus directed his question at Lily now.
"No," she replied. Severus looked at her accusingly. "What do you expect me to say? You two can't be in the same room without even the slightest sarcastic comment, and most times it escalates into madness!"
"Lily and I are good friends, Albus," Mary explained. "But we haven't seen each other in some time. It's not possible!"
"You said that Lily had made the biggest mistake of her life marrying that slimy shit!" James interrupted.
"I said I didn't think it would work, and I said I thought they were too different! You twisted it to mean that, and let's face it; I was most likely wrong. Have you seen how he treats her, she's like a bloody queen, he adores her! Apparently, those differences are great for them."
"She called you a slimy shit!" James said rather pointedly.
"My dad is not a slimy shit!" Harry called from his spot on the bed.
"Harry, it's okay," Severus calmed him. "Your mother called him a pathetic, a bully, and said she wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. So we're even I guess." Severus smirked.
"Please," James scoffed. "I think you and I both know what Lily thinks of me."
"Yes, see my wife is too polite to call you a slimy shit!" Severus smiled serenely.
"Keep telling yourself that Snape, we both know she wishes she jumped at the chance to date me. I think we all know she was a bit put out when I started dating Mary, that's why they stopped talking."
Severus barked, laughing in a manner that few had ever heard. "Okay, Potter. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"James, we stopped talking because there was no way you two could spend even a moment together, even if it's what we had wanted. You would never have been able to put this stupid grievance to one side," Mary replied haughtily. "Though I have to say, it's good to know where your mind is at."
"James, it's always best not to talk about other women in front of your wife, especially when it's obvious you're still carrying a torch for them, nevermind when it's a bonfire," Severus smirked.
"Severus!" Lily scolded. "For once in your life can you suppress your sarcastic retorts! We are not here so you can one-up James Potter, we are here because our son has been blinded - and Albus is right, do you think if there weren't so much animosity between you two, that maybe these boys could have been friends?" Lily bellowed.
"Mum, we tried, at the Quidditch match before school we were really nice to them, but they started it!" Harry shouted, trying to push himself up on the bed.
"I do not give a damn Harry. Normal people can smooth things over, and these two cannot!"
"I made every effort," Severus replied. "But I am not going to beg the friendship of this pathetic man!"
"No one is asking for you to beg friendship Severus, I think maybe if you did not retort so vehemently or so bitterly, things may not escalate," Albus eyed the man.
"I didn't retort bitterly or otherwise," Severus spat.
"This entire conversation started when you demanded expulsion," Albus added gently.
"That's the only logical course of action, this isn't a bit of name-calling," Severus replied stiffly.
"Of course, however, I think it's the bitterness and violent anger that's the issue. You are a man of great control, and I do believe if Monty were the child of another you may have given him the benefit of the doubt."
"Because I know what the little urchin is like, lazy, arrogant, strutting around like he owns the place. He's just like his father, and so my reaction is fitting!"
"No, wait there a moment Severus," Mary interjected. "Monty isn't that sort of child-" Severus tried to interrupt. "No, he isn't, and I am not questioning if he has done this, if Albus is certain, then I trust that! He will be dealt with appropriately, but Monty has been having a tough time at home, James and I have been talking about divorce, and that affects a child."
"That doesn't make this okay!" Severus shouted back.
"I never said it did. I said that my child is not a lazy bully, that considers himself better than everyone else! I am saying he is having a hard time right now."
Severus turned away.
"We appreciate that Mary," Lily replied calmly. "But you can understand that the anger we feel for Harry is intense. As much as there is this stupid grudge, I cannot expect Severus to take this lying down, our son's life may have changed forever. Severus is right; expulsion is not unreasonable."
"But if Monty gets expelled, that's his wand snapped, and he can never practice magic - ever!" James barked.
"Harry's life has changed forever, and so should Monty's, don't you think?" Severus replied calmly. "I'm going to ask for you to forget that I am me, and you are you. Another child does this to your child; what would you do? What would you say? Would you cry for expulsion, vengeance and justice on your son's behalf?"
"Of course I would, but how about you do the same, a different child and a different father. Your son does the exact same thing; would you beg for leniency? Would you ask for mercy? Or would you want one mistake to change your son's life forever?"
"My son would never do that," Severus began. Lily gave him a stern look, and so he continued. "But I see your point, and I would hate for my son's life to be changed so radically because of mistake."
The room sat in silence, and it seemed as though for the first time, James and Severus were able to see each other's perspective. It all came from the love they had as fathers for their children, not from bitterness due to an old rivalry.
"Before we discuss punishment, I would like you to consider mending a rift between your families. If I am still Headmaster when you both have grandchildren, I do not want to have this conversation again." Albus' eyes had their signature twinkle back, it was almost as if he had planned the entire situation to bring some peace, in actual fact, he saw an opportunity, and he took it and made something good out of it.
"No matter what peace you muster between us Albus, I am still going to ask for expulsion," Severus stated.
"And James will ask for mercy, but at least you will understand and respect each other's positions." Albus smiled. "To put things right, I will ask you both, Severus, James, to put aside your differences, and try to spend time together, with your families. Can this be done?"
"I do not promise smooth sailing," Severus responded.
"But we can try," James continued. "After all, if my son did this (Severus I will always choose to believe my son, as I am sure you would choose to believe yours), his punishment should be fitting, but I would need Severus and Lily's blessing for a more easygoing sanction."
"In that case, I think we can take the holidays, and come back after the new year to discuss what will happen with regards to punishment. I will, of course, carry out a full and thorough investigation until then."