Part Three.
xXx
Harry stood at the back of the church service for the Ministry workers that were killed when Voldemort broke into the Ministry. Severus stood beside him looking uncomfortable as a few Ministry workers glared over at him. Harry was uncomfortable in black robes, it had been a very, very long time since the last time he'd worn the garments and he was sure it was probably for another funeral. He glanced over the room as he leaned against the wall as the service finished up and people started to leave.
"Blake," Shacklebolt greeted, shaking Harry's hand. "Thank you for coming. Mr Hamlet's family would like to talk to you before you leave."
"Thank you, Kingsley." Harry replied.
"Snape," Kingsley nodded at the Slytherin.
"Shacklebolt." Severus returned.
Kingsley moved off after that and a few other people moved forward to talk to Harry before he found himself in front of Mr Hamlet's wife. The short blonde woman gave Harry a big hug, crying into his shoulder.
"Oh, Blake!" The woman cried. "I can't believe that Leo is gone!"
"It's okay, Mary." Harry whispered as he patted the woman on the back.
"Thank you for coming," Mary whispered, stepping back and trying to get herself back under control and failing.
"No problems," Harry muttered. "Is your sister taking you home?"
"Oh yes," Mary exclaimed. "I better catch up with them!"
The woman rushed off and Harry watched her sadly.
"What was…?" Severus started.
"That about?" Harry finished. "I worked with her husband a few times on different projects, smart man."
Severus laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"If it isn't Blake Sun and his little pet."
Harry and Severus turned at the voice to see Lucius Malfoy moving towards them. The blonde sneered as Severus stiffened beside him.
"Mr Malfoy," Harry greeted. "I thought Malfoy's were known for their well-mannered pure blood greetings."
Malfoy sneered at the two of them.
"Not to mudbloods and blood traitors," The man hissed.
"Now you aren't even trying to be polite," Harry hissed as he stood up straight and his tone hardened. "This is a funeral service, Mr Malfoy."
"You have been turning my son against me!" Lucius snapped. "And my wife!"
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked in confusion.
Harry flicked his eyes to Severus but the man was just smirking at them.
"You and your lessons!" Malfoy sniped as stepped closer and brought his cane up between them.
Harry braced himself just in case the man took a swing at him, for he looked angry enough.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Harry replied calmly, as a few people started to take notice.
"Bah!" The man cried and turned on his heels, pushing through the people around them.
Harry turned to Severus to see the man smirking after the blonde.
"Did you have something to do with that?" Harry inquired.
"Me?" Severus asked, trying to look innocent and failing.
"What did you do?" Harry demanded.
Severus leaned down close to Harry's ear.
"I found that other Death Eater you needed," Severus whispered.
Harry reeled back, like he'd been hit as he looked at the other man with large eyes.
"You…!" Harry splattered. "Him…his wife!"
Severus's lips turned up in a smirk and Harry just stared at him in disbelief.
"Ha!" Harry laughed. "Where did they go?"
"Paris," Severus replied. "Narcissa has family there, she took Draco with her."
"You went to school with them, didn't you?" Harry questioned as they made their way away from the service.
"Yes," Severus confirmed. "They were a couple of years ahead of me. Lucius was the one to introduce me to the Dark Lord."
Harry chalked that up as another reason to hate the man.
"Mr Sun."
Harry turned to see a goblin standing near the church.
"Yes?" Harry asked, stepping up to the goblin.
"Snaphook, sir." The goblin said politely.
Harry nodded his head in greeting.
"Nice to meet you, how can I help?" Harry asked.
The goblin's eyes flicked to Severus but then dismissed him just as quickly.
"Grinhook has asked me to contact you about some new wards around an old vault in our London branch," Snaphook requested softly. "Standard fee."
"Which vault number?" Harry asked.
"Vault number twenty-four," The goblin replied.
"Didn't I place wards on that vault four years ago?" Harry questioned with a frown.
"Grinhook wants you to strengthen them," Snaphook explained.
"Okay," Harry agreed as he pulled out his notebook. "How about on Wednesday after lunch?"
"Perfect," Snaphook confirmed with a nod and disappeared.
Harry frowned at the spot for a few minutes.
"What's so special about vault twenty-four?" Severus asked.
"No idea," Harry replied with a shrug.
"How many vaults are there in Gringotts anyway?" Severus questioned.
"London branch?"
"Yes."
"Two thousand and fifty-two at my last count," Harry replied with a grin. "I swear the goblins just store stuff in a lot of them…or live in them. I don't ask really."
"How many of them are yours?" Severus asked with a smirk.
"Mine alone?" Harry asked. "Or Ry's as well?"
"Yours," Severus replied.
"Five vaults and Ry has six," Harry answered with a smirk. "Some of those are Potter vaults, they are spread equal between Ry and myself since we are the last Potters alive with magic. You?"
"One," Severus said smoothly.
"Really?" Harry asked in surprise. "Your mother was a witch, right?"
"Yes, correct." Severus said blandly. "A poor one, she had one house to her name. A run-down piece of shit."
"Ha!" Harry barked with a grin. "I have a good real estate agent that could help you out with that."
"Not such a bad idea," Severus retorted. "Albus lets me rent my room at the school during school break."
"You can always use one of my houses," Harry replied as he bumped his shoulder. "I have spares."
"I've seen your property profile," Severus smirked.
"Ha!" Harry laughed. "Have you been looking up on me, Mr Snape?"
"Pays to be an ex spy," Severus drawled smoothly. "Makes it easier to find the dirt on people."
Harry laughed and slapped the other man's shoulder before they apparated back to Harry's house in Leeds.
xXx
Harry and Severus made their way up to the school after dropping Ry off at Grimmauld place in London for the boy to spend some time with Remus and Black. School would start again in a couple of weeks and Severus wanted to set up his lab and work out his plans for the year. The two of them and Ry had been staying in one of Harry's houses in Leeds but it felt good to be back at Hogwarts again. Harry went to step into the entrance hall with Severus when he recoiled back.
"Oh god," Harry gasped, holding his nose.
"What?" Severus asked, pulling his wand. "What is it?"
"Very dark magic," Harry coughed.
"On the school?" Severus asked, looking around in alarm.
"Come on," Harry said and turned away from the castle and back to the main gates. "We'll take the portkey up to the Headmaster's office."
"What no stairs?" Severus stated with a smirk.
Harry glared at him and stepped through the gate.
"You can take the stairs," Harry announced as he palmed the glass mouse. "Home."
Severus lunged forward and grabbed Harry's arm as the portkey activated. Harry stumbled with Severus's extra weight landed against him.
"Bastard," Severus cursed.
Harry just coughed and grabbed his nose and tried not to gag at the smell of dark magic. He folded over slightly and his eyes started to water.
"What the hell?" Severus gasped.
Harry just ignored him and pushed through into the Headmaster's office.
"What the hell did you do!?" Harry demanded of the man behind the desk.
"Blake, Severus." The Headmaster said calmly with a smile. "How are you?"
Severus looked between Harry holding his nose and the Headmaster sitting calmly behind the desk.
"Oh god." Harry whispered as his eyes widened.
Severus followed Harry's eyes to see Albus's blackened and twisted hand and coldness flowed through him.
"Jesus," Severus gasped.
Harry stepped forward, the dark magic curling around the Headmaster and the room. It felt wrong, the magic was just wrong. It grated against his skin and whispered in the back of his mind as he stepped closer.
"What did you do?" Harry choked.
"It was a Horcrux," The Headmaster relented, standing at his desk.
Harry flinched back with a curse.
"You silly old man," Harry hissed, making Albus flinch back this time. "You are a Light Wizard! That dark magic is eating you alive!"
Harry walked back to the side of the room, his back to the Headmaster as he tried to gather his thoughts. The dark magic brushing him and making it hard to think clearly. He should have seen this coming, he should have remembered and that just frustrated him. He just hadn't known enough when he was a child. He'd hoped that he had made enough changes and yet as he'd looked at the Headmaster's hand, the memories had resurfaced. They had pushed at his mind and mocked him.
Harry felt Severus place a hand on his shoulder and the tension in his body, he didn't know was there, eased. Harry placed a hand over Severus's before turning back to the Headmaster. The white-haired man had retaken his seat and was looking down at a gold ring on his desk. Harry glared at it.
"Is that it?" Harry snapped and had to grab a hold of his temper.
"Yes, my boy." Albus replied.
Harry pulled out a red silk bag from his pocket, which was linked to his Gringotts's vaults. He placed his hand inside the bag and thought of the containment jar that he needed, which fell into his palm. He pulled the jar free and unscrewed the top. Holding the Jar in one hand and his dark wand in the other he moved towards the Headmaster's desk.
"I've destroyed the Horcrux in it," Albus stated softly.
Harry just slid the ring across the table with his wand and into the jar. Harry glared at him while he screwed the lid on the jar tightly and placed it back in the silk bag. The jar disappeared back to his vault in Gringotts. He would deal with it later.
"You may have lived a long-life Headmaster," Harry remarked softly. "But you have not worked with dark magic as long as I have. Its stain is now coating your core."
Albus paled at the words.
"You have not held dark magic in your hands and pushed it into a spell where it would take glee in destroying anything you send it at." Harry continued, his eyes hard. "Dark magic likes to eat, to destroy, to rip and render and that is what it is doing with you! Just because you were too proud to call me!"
Harry hissed the last part, so angry with the man in front of him and at himself. Even Severus had stepped back and the Headmaster's blue eyes were wide.
"A Horcrux is as dark as you can get!" Harry said harshly. "It is ripping your soul apart. They are made in blood and death…and torture."
Harry turned away from the Headmaster once again, unable to look at the man. The dark magic stinking up the room and coating the man. On some level, he felt responsible for this situation and that just angered him even more.
"Can anything be done?" Severus asked softly.
Harry sighed and turned back to the room as he grabbed a hold of his feelings. His green eyes sad, tired and haunted with memories. The two men watched him carefully.
"I can try," Harry whispered into the silent room. "This is the kind of magic that I don't touch, but I can try."
"Thank you, Blake." The Headmaster said with a small smile.
"If you find another one of these things," Harry spat. "You call me!"
"Yes, of course." Albus agreed brightly, a slight twinkle coming back into his eyes.
Harry took a deep breath as he centred himself before raising his dark wand and pointing it at the Headmaster. He slowly pulled on the dark magic around the man, muttering spells under his breath. He knew his eyes were glowing slightly as he worked with the magic and the stones under his feet groaned. Harry pushed down his own light magic completely and took in the dark magic of the Deathly Hallows that flowed through his blood.
The dark magic drained off slowly and Harry took his time. He pushed the magic he captured down into the ground at his feet, to be absorbed into the earth, harmlessly. The dark power of the Hallows burning as the wand in his hand happily took in the magic as Harry channelled it into the stones.
"Stand in front of me," Harry whispered to the Headmaster as he took a couple of steps back.
The Headmaster moved to stand in front of him. The smell, taste and harshness of the dark magic rolled over Harry, making him groan and swear.
"Blake?" Severus asked in concern.
"Stay back!" Harry warned, without looking at his lover.
He could already feel the dark magic reaching out to the man and the Dark Mark on his arm. He quickly grabbed a hold of it and pulled it harshly back. Fire raced in his veins as he worked with the darkness. The burning making him grit his teeth as the dark wood wand bucked in glee at the magic running through it.
Harry's right knee buckled under the strain and he used his free hand to steady himself. Albus looked down at him in concern but said nothing as they could see the dark mists swirling around him. He gently pulled the dark magic off the Headmaster strand by strand.
With a gasp, Harry pulled one last time and grounded the magic through the stones below him. He dropped his dark wand, feeling the dark magic pulsing in his veins and pushing on his mind to kill, to destroy, to rape and tear. He was careful not to look at the other men in the room as the thoughts raced over his mind. The burning increased as he pushed the magic down into the earth. He could hear the screams of pain of the person that had been tortured and murdered to make such a vile thing was released from their prison.
He got an image of a lovely blonde-haired child with shining blue eyes, grinning at him, and Harry could feel bile in his throat as the girl twirled on the spot. Her green flowered dress spinning around her as her laughter rang in Harry's head before she faded away with the last of the dark magic.
Harry sat back on his heels with tears in his eyes as he looked down at the stones before him.
"He used a child," Harry whispered.
"Oh god," Albus gasped in horror as he leaned back on the desk behind him.
Severus knelt next to Harry and placed his hand on his shoulder as he offered his comfort.
"Just a slip of a girl," Harry said softly. "Full of innocence. Oh, god."
Severus rubbed his back as the tears fell, he had felt the pain the girl had gone through as the madness crept into her mind. The last breath she took as the twisted part of Voldemort's soul mingled and became the Horcrux, forever sealing them together until Harry released her.
"I'll look through the Ministry's missing persons and the muggle police records to see if I can find her," Harry commented. "How many of these do you think he made?"
"Six all up," Albus replied. "As far as I can guess."
"Six," Harry uttered. "Six souls tortured and ripped from their bodies."
Severus's hand gripped Harry's shoulder tightly and he covered it with his own. He released him before he pulled himself to his feet and nicked a tissue off the Headmaster's desk. The other men ignored the tears on his face and his red eyes as Harry tidied himself up.
"Severus should be able to make up a balm and potion for the hand," Harry remarked, once he'd composed himself. "I'm not sure that you will get full use of your hand again, but at least it won't kill you now."
"Thank you, my boy." Albus said with a sad smile.
"Don't fool yourself, Headmaster." Harry snapped. "That dark taint is still on your magic and soul."
"I can live with that," Albus retorted lightly. "The same way I live with all my sins."
Harry barked a shaky laugh and said, "Don't we all, us old men."
Harry and Albus shared a sad smile thinking back on their long lives.
"That we do," Albus agreed softly.
"Come on, old man." Severus said smoothly into Harry's ear, making him shiver. "Time to put this old man to bed."
Albus's laughter followed them back to the front gates of the school as they apparated out of the stone room.
xXx
Harry made his way up the steps of the London police department, his cane tapping away at the stone steps. Citizens and police officers moving around him as he walked up to the main doors and into the busy front room. He moved up to the main desk where a young woman with a, 'don't mess with me' look on her face, eyed him off through the reinforced glass.
"How can I help you?" The woman said blandly, her nametag announcing her as PC Stanhill.
"I'm here to see PC Counter in files," Harry requested as he passed over his Department of Mysteries badge to the woman.
"Oh," The woman exclaimed as she gave him another look over. "You're one of them."
"Yep," Harry agreed smiled. "That's me, one of 'them'."
"Sit over there," The woman ordered, pointing to a couple of hard plastic chairs with a metal bar running along the wall. "I'll call him up."
"Thank you," Harry said pleasantly, moving to the chairs.
He didn't have to wait long before a man with red hair and a big grin on his face appeared.
"Blake Sun?" The man questioned and held out his hand.
"Yes," Harry confirmed as he took the man's hand.
"I'm Adam Counter," The man said in the rush. "So great to meet you, the files from your Department are always so interesting to read!"
"We try," Harry retorted with a grin.
During Voldemort's first rise to power, the Department of Mysteries and the Auror Department got sick of wiping the minds of muggles and the extra work of covering up missing people and mass murders. So, they came to an agreement with the police and the muggle Prime Minister to work together if needed. That agreement continued even after Voldemort fell the first time.
"Yes, yes of course." Adam cried as he led Harry through the police station and down to the lower levels. "I was amazed when the first of your Departments files crossed my desk but couldn't talk to anyone about it unless they already knew!"
"Sorry, that's the agreement." Harry replied.
"Oh, yes!" The man cried and nodded his head so much that his red hair flew everywhere. "I can understand why too! People would panic!"
A couple of people moved away from Adam and Harry in the lift and were happy to get off it as quickly as possible, much to Harry's amusement.
"What do you need my help with today?" Adam asked, pushing his red hair back from his eyes, as they moved into the files room.
"Cold case," Harry replied, holding up the picture of the young girl he had captured from his memory. "Missing child."
"You found her?" Adam asked.
"You could say that," Harry muttered, looking down at the smiling child.
"Damn," Adam cursed, knowing what those words meant. "Do you know how far back that you have to look?"
"Early forties to the early eighties." Harry replied, running a hand over his short hair.
The other man whistled. "Oh boy, good luck."
"Yeah," Harry muttered as they moved into the files department.
"The seventies through to now are on the computer," Adam reported with a grin. "Before that and you are looking at file boxes but they are in order of age so that should help you."
Adam led Harry over to a computer and logged him in. He then disappeared down one of the aisles of files. Harry used the phone on the table and called Severus.
"Yes?" Severus asked.
"So, I might be here for a while." Harry stated as he entered the search terms into the computer. "I'll stay at my apartment here in London."
"How long do you think that you will be?"
"Maybe a couple of weeks," Harry replied as he sat back in his seat. "I hope."
"Dumbledore wanted me to ask you if you wanted to take the Defence position?"
Harry laughed and said, "No bloody way."
"We thought you might say that," Severus replied and Harry could almost hear the smirk in his voice. "If no one applies, Albus will have to get the Ministry to appoint someone."
"You don't want it?" Harry asked.
"God no," Severus replied. "I can barely stand teaching potions."
Harry gave a bark of laughter.
"Okay," Harry said with a smile. "Stay safe Severus and look after Ry for me."
"I'll need a lot of luck to keep that boy out of trouble!"
xXx
Harry placed another file on the done pile and wrote the young boy's name on a piece of paper next to him. He'd found another child that was a victim of the first war with Voldemort, but not the girl he was looking for. The older files were sorted into ages but not the child's sex and he was forced to look at every file. The age he was looking into was between twelve and fourteen, since the girl from his memory looked to be close to that age.
He had gone to the Ministry of Magic first but left empty handed after the first day after being able to do a search straight off the picture. However, with the muggles that wasn't something he could do, so was faced with an old computer and dusty file boxes. He'd been working through their files for the last week and a half and he felt like he was getting nowhere. He was just hoping he didn't have to start looking outside the UK for the girl's family.
He looked through twenty more files and added two more children to his list before he opened the next file. The girl he was looking for looked up at him from a school photo with a big smile.
"Oh god," Harry whispered, as he ran a hand over his head.
The girl looked up from the photo with blonde hair like spun gold around her head as her blue eyes sparkled with life for the camera. Harry placed his photo next to the picture to just confirm it in his mind and it was the right girl.
'Gabriel Sheller
Born: July 21, 1932
Reported missing: January 5, 1944.'
Harry read through the file, the girl had been in foster care after her father died and her mother committed suicide shortly after when she was two years old. She lived at Wool's Orphanage in London before being placed into a foster home when she was about five years old.
Harry ran his finger down the information until he came to a familiar name. Tom Riddle, Harry breathed out a sad sigh, the boy had been placed into the foster home two months earlier, just before he turned eighteen. Riddle had left the home after his birthday then a few months later the girl had disappeared, never to be seen again. Harry sat back in his chair and stretched, before running his finger over the names of the girl's foster parents.
"How are you going?" Adam asked.
He held two coffees as he walked over. He placed one on the edge of the table for Harry as he sipped on the other.
"Thanks, I found her," Harry muttered sadly and pushed the file in the other man's direction.
"Really?" Adam cried, reading through the file. "Well done. What are you going to do now?"
"See the foster parents, if they are still alive." Harry replied. "Could you make a copy of these please?"
"No problems," Adam said. "I'll do it now."
"Thank you," Harry replied.
Harry pulled the phone on the table close and dialled Severus's number.
"I'm in class," The man answered.
"Oops, sorry." Harry said tiredly, looking down at his watch. "I'll call back later."
"No," Severus said quickly. "What is it?"
"I've found her," Harry reported, looking down at the picture in front of him. "Her foster brother was Tom Riddle."
"What?" Severus uttered.
"Yes," Harry confirmed. "I'm just getting the file copied now. I'll talk to the foster parents tomorrow, if they are still alive, before heading back to the school."
"Alright," Severus agreed. "Back to your work, Mr Potter!"
Harry laughed. "Any trouble?"
"No," Severus replied. "I no longer have Mr Longbottom in my classes."
"Ha!" Harry barked with a grin. "I'll be home soon, Severus."
"I'll see you then," Severus said before hanging up.
Harry quickly looked up the foster parents' address on the computer and found they still lived at the same house that Gabriel would have grown up in. He double checked their dates of birth and groaned. He would be dealing with a witch and a wizard, no muggle lived that long. He also requested Tom Riddle's file from the police department and adoption department to be sent to the school's post box before packing up his gear.
xXx
Harry stood out the front of a small house on the outskirts of London. A concrete path led up to a white wooden door with cute little garden boxes along the width of the two windows that faced the street. Harry nervously fingered the black box in his hand before moving up the path.
Over his long years, he'd been to many funerals and he'd had to break the bad news to many people about a loss of a parent or a child and it never got easy. He stepped up onto the porch and knocked loudly on the front door.
"Yes?" An old brown-haired woman questioned as she opened the door.
"Good evening," Harry said softly. "Would you be Mrs Robin Beaker?"
"Yes," Robin confirmed as she held the door.
"My name is Blake Sun, I'm with the Department of Mysteries," Harry told her, holding out his badge for the woman to see. "I would like to talk to you about Gabriel Sheller?"
"Oh my god," Robin gasped. "Did you find her?"
"May I come in?" Harry asked, side stepping the question.
"Yes, yes come in," The woman cried and waved him in. "Andy!"
A tall grey-haired man appeared at the top of the stairs with an easy smile on his face.
"Mr Sun is here to talk about Gabriel," Robin called up to the man.
"Did you find her?" Andy asked when he reached the bottom of the steps.
"I'm afraid that I come with bad news," Harry reported softly. "Could we sit down?"
"Oh, yes." Robin cried and moved them into the sitting room.
Harry took a seat gratefully as he hung his cane off the side of the chair before he turned to couple.
"I am sorry to say that your foster daughter was murdered shortly after she went missing in 1944." Harry told them gently.
Robin gasped and Andy placed an arm round the woman's shoulders.
"I was working on an unrelated case when I came across your foster daughter," Harry went on.
He handed the photo of Gabriel over to the couple and Andy took it into his hand.
"Yes," The man confirmed. "That is our Gabriel. She was such a sweet child, we took her in when she was five. Such a sad story about her parents. She was such a gentle and beautiful child. She never stopped, always running around and keeping us on our toes."
Harry passed over the black box from his own vault in Gringotts. He'd picked up the box and the ring from his vault before making his way to the Beaker house. The black box was inlayed in silver in a beautiful design and he'd placed the ring, that the Headmaster had found, into the box with a bit of packing around it to keep it from moving before sealing it shut. Harry believed it was the best he could give the parents, since there would be no body.
Robin took the box and looked down at it, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry but we had to cremate the body," Harry said softly.
"Thank you," Andy whispered, looking down at the box. "For bringing our girl home."
"Could I ask you a couple of questions about Tom Riddle?" Harry asked gently.
"He was a strange child," Robin recalled. "We only took him in because the Orphanage didn't have a place for him and it was only for a couple of months until he turned eighteen."
"Did he have something to do with Gabriel's murder?" Andy questioned.
"Yes," Harry replied shortly.
"I knew there was something wrong with him!" Andy swore.
"Why do you say that?"
"He would stare at you and just sneer," Andy said darkly. "He believed he was better than us and would do nothing around the house. He kept his room so clean you wouldn't believe that a teenager lived in it, but wouldn't touch anything else."
"How was he with Gabriel?" Harry questioned in interest.
"He didn't have much contact with her," Robin replied, thinking back.
"He used to watch her," Andy added quietly. "It used to give me the creeps."
"Thank you for your time and for answering my questions." Harry said before moving to his feet and snagging up his cane. "I must be off now."
Robin gave him a hug while Andy shook his hand, before walking him to the front door. Harry could almost feel the spirit of Gabriel, waving to him as he walked down the path and away from the house. She was back where she belonged and hopefully her spirit could now rest.
xXx
It was dark by the time that Harry apparated back to the school, he could see the glow of the lights from the castle calling him in. He sighed and slowly limped up the path to the front steps of the castle. He walked in and could hear the noise of the students having dinner and moved towards the Great Hall.
Harry let the noise of the students roll over him as he walked into the large room, with a sigh. A couple of students looked over at him from their seats and a few others gave him greetings as he walked up to the Head Table.
Harry patted Draco's shoulder as he passed and the boy looked up at him with a grin. He moved towards the Gryffindor table and winked at Hermione when the girl spotted him and elbowed Ry in the ribs. Ry looked up and grinned at his father.
"Dad!"
Harry clasped a hand on Ry's shoulder, much like he had done with Draco moments before.
"Hey," Harry replied with a grin.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coloured piece of glass. Harry placed it onto the table in front of Ry and his friends. The piece of glass was shaped like a griffin with its right leg raised and its wings spread up high behind it. Its head was captured in perfect detail with a sharp beak and bright red eyes.
"Wow," Ron gasped and reached out a hand.
Before anyone could move, the griffin's head darted around and nipped the boy's fingers. Ry pulled back quickly with a yelp as the small glass figure looked around.
"Oh yeah." Harry remarked with a grin. "It bites."
Harry patted Ry on the shoulder again before moving off. The students talking excitingly behind him. Harry looked up at the Head Table and caught Severus's dark eyes watching him. Harry winked at him and made his way up to the empty seat next to the man. Albus Dumbledore gave him a smile as a couple of the other teachers gave him nods of greeting. Harry placed the file of Gabriel on the table in front of the Headmaster as he moved passed him.
Harry's eyes settled on a handsome young man sitting next to McGonagall. The man was talking to the head of Gryffindor house and hadn't seen him yet. The man had brown hair cut just long enough to be fashionable with a straight nose and an easy smile. His blue eyes flicked over to him before looking back at Minerva.
'He must be the new Defence teacher,' Harry thought as he made his way towards Severus.
"Hey," Harry whispered to Severus as he took his seat.
"About time you got here," Severus snapped.
"Hey," Harry yelped with a smirk as he sat back in his seat. "You have to wait for the good things in life."
"If you say like a good wine, I may have to hit you." Severus hissed.
Harry gave him a wink.
"Now, now boys," Albus cooed. "No fighting at the Head Table."
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Albus." Harry retorted, looking over at him innocently. "I only just got here."
A squeal suddenly sounded from the Gryffindor table and the teachers all looked over. The griffin had gotten loose and had just jumped onto Lavender Brown's shoulder. Harry smirked, as the girl squealed again as she tried to brush the small griffin off.
"Is this your doing, Sun?" McGonagall said sternly.
Harry grinned over at the woman.
"Me?" Harry asked innocently.
"Yes," Minerva deadpanned as she looked down her nose at Harry.
"Hardly my fault if it got loose," Harry replied calmly as he sat back in his seat.
More squealing sounded as the griffin jumped from girl to girl while Hermione sat back with her wand drawn as the boys giggled.
"I'm sure they'll work it out soon enough," Harry remarked with a smirk.
Severus's hand found his knee under the table and squeezed. Harry looked back at him with a grin.
"You must be Blake Sun."
Harry looked up to see the new Defence teacher looking down at him with bright blue eyes and an easy smile on his red lips.
"Yes," Harry replied. "Did my reputation proceed me?"
Severus snorted beside him but didn't remove his hand.
"It has in the Ministry." The man retorted with a chuckle. "My name is Cameron Charmling."
Harry reached over and shook the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you," Harry replied with a grin. "Do you work in the Ministry?"
"Yes," Cameron confirmed with a smile. "In the Auror department for the last five years."
"I couldn't find a suitable Defence teacher in time," Albus explained, looking around Cameron. "It then falls to the Ministry to fill the position."
"I was happy to take the spot," Charmling said with a smile.
"Have you had a class with sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin yet?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Ah," Cameron stuttered as his smile faded.
"Just keep Longbottom away from anything sharp," Severus said icily, glaring at the other man.
"I'll keep that in mind," Cameron snapped as he stared down at Severus before moving back to his seat.
Harry frowned after the man.
"Did I miss something?" Harry asked, turning back to Severus.
The dark-haired man was glaring after Charmling.
"I remember him when he was a student," Severus remarked softly. "Smart and talented but cunning."
"Ah," Harry exclaimed with a smirk. "So, a Slytherin then?"
Severus smacked his shoulder as another squeal sounded from the Hufflepuff table. They looked over that way and Harry chuckled as the griffin ran down the table, much to the amusement of the students.
"We can always tell when you're back, Blake." The Headmaster called with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Harry gave a laugh and turned to his dinner. The noise from the students calming him as he looked around.
xXx
Harry had barely made it through his door when Severus pushed him up against the wall and his lips were attacking him. Harry cane fell from his hand as they moved up to run into Severus's hair and pull him close. Severus's long fingers making light work of his button-down shirt and Harry shrugged out of the garment.
Severus pushed him further into the wall and started to kiss and nip down his neck. Harry leaned back and let him, hands moving under the other man's shirt and digging his nails into the man's back. Severus gasped and pulled back.
"Sorry," Harry whispered.
Severus just grinned at him before pulling him forward by the belt. Harry looked into the man's dark eyes for a second before pulling him down for another kiss. They took their time, remembering what the other tasted like as Severus moved them back towards the bedroom.
Harry paused before the bed and helped Severus strip down before letting his own pants fall to the ground. A bit of hoping around had Harry's shoes off while Severus rumbled a laugh. Harry grinned and tackled the other man to the bed.
"Hey!" Harry yelped, when Severus rolled on top of him, pinning him down with his taller frame.
Severus smirked, before attacking his body once again, making Harry groan as he hit that soft spot on his ribs and sensitive skin of the scaring. Severus slowly worked down Harry's body.
xXx
Missing scene due to rating.
xXx
Harry moved to the side of Severus and cast a cleaning charm, his leg protesting slightly but he ignored it.
"Miss me?" Harry whispered in Severus's ear, making the man shiver.
Severus grabbed Harry and pulled him until Harry was sprawled across his chest and saddling one of his legs
"Yes," Severus replied softly.
Severus ran a hand up and down Harry's back, feeling the scaring under his hand. Harry snuggled into his side and with a flick of his wrist a blanket fell over them.
xXx
Harry and Severus fell back into the swing of things as Severus had his classes and Harry had his advanced students to work with as well as the odd contract that would come through. Tom Riddle's file arrived from the police and adoption departments and Harry spent a long time working his way through them. He had also requested the man's Hogwarts file from Albus and had all the files spread out before him on the table when Severus walked in after his last class of the day.
"Are you looking through these again?" Severus asked as he made them tea.
"It scares me how much this man was like me when I was younger," Harry muttered quietly.
Severus sighed and placed a mug of tea next to Harry.
"How so?" Severus asked.
"My parents died when I was a baby," Harry recounted softly, sitting back in his seat. "I was sent to live with relatives that hated me."
Severus stayed quiet, the man before him was vary sparse with any information about himself, especially from his childhood.
"And when I say hated," Harry continued, thinking back a very long time to his childhood. "It wasn't under them to have me working in the garden all day then hose me down at night and leave me shivering and sleeping in the yard all night. If I was lucky they would have forgotten to lock the shed and I could sleep in there."
Severus placed his hand on the man's knee under the table and gave it a gentle rub.
"I lived in a cupboard under the stairs in their house," Harry said softly, remembering a childhood so long ago if felt like it happened to someone else. "When I read through Riddle files I can see a similar childhood."
"You are not him," Severus whispered.
"Yes, you are right." Harry sighed. "He was well liked at Hogwarts, made Prefect and Head Boy and everything. He had charm, charisma and a talent to draw people to him."
"Yes, he did." Severus said in agreement. Remembering the man before he knew what he was getting into. "I was one of those people."
Harry rested a hand on the man's arm, right over the Dark Mark.
"I was both feared and respected at the same time," Harry whispered. "Just like Ry, I am also a Parselmouth."
Severus started at the confession.
"You are?" Severus questioned, it was not a common talent.
"I am indeed," Harry confirmed with a smirk. "Which has no lack of irony to it when that damn snake attacked me."
Severus smirked. "That it does."
"I was seen as a Dark Wizard," Harry continued. "Which is funny since I didn't even touch that kind of magic before I picked up the Hallows."
"How did you come to have the Deathly Hallows?"
"A great man had to die," Harry whispered.
He looked down at the files spread out on the table before him. He could still see the Headmaster falling from the tower, green light flaring around him. Severus Snape, standing there holding the wand that had killed him, coldness in his eyes as he watched the man fall. There were just some memories that he could never forget.
He knew now that the Headmaster had been dying and that he wouldn't have lived out the year. He also knew that Snape had had to kill the Headmaster or die himself by breaking the Unbreakable Vow but it still haunted him. Snape had also done it to save his godson from committing murder, which were all things that he found out long after the final battle. Long after it mattered.
"Did you…?" Severus trailed off as he drew his attention back.
"No," Harry replied, leaving his memories in the past. "But it started a series of events that lead to me holding the Deathly Hallows."
Harry could tell that Severus didn't know what to say to that as he picked up his mug to make another cup of tea. Harry turned his attention back to the files on the table. He had to deal with what was in front of him.
xXx
Severus looked up from his book as Blake walked into the room with a large box in his hands and looking very unhappy.
"Look what I have," Blake exclaimed with a smirk.
He upended the box and mobile phones came tumbling out across the table with some hitting the floor making Severus cringe at the sound they made.
"Did you raid a muggle electronics store?" Severus asked with a smirk.
"Stupid Ministry," Blake snapped as he looked over the phones scattered across the table. "Whatever spell the Dark Lord's follower used to corrupt the connection in the phones needs to be fixed and guess which idiot was the one to set up the connection spell?"
Severus smirked as he looked over the hundred or more phones on the table and the few that had fallen to the floor.
"I was the idiot and they are calling on my contract to fix them!" Blake snapped. "This wouldn't have happened if the muggles could work out their bloody phone towers!"
Severus smirk widened as the other man ranted.
"You can't just buy new phones instead of fixing the connections?" Severus asked.
"Do you know how much one of these costs?" Blake snapped as he waved one the phones. "These things have so much magic in them as it is! Bloody pain in the ass. Should have asked for more when I set up that contract."
Severus watched in amusement as Blake started to sort through the phones.
"This is going to take coffee," Blake moaned then looked over the table. "Lots and lots of coffee!"
xXx
Harry leaned up against the wall outside the potion's classroom waiting for Severus to finish with his last class. From the fact that he could hear his lover's voice through the door it was not going well. It might also have to do with the fact he had heard a muffled explosion a few minutes earlier. Harry smirked as Severus's voice rang out, he couldn't hear the words but he knew the tone in the other man's voice.
"Hey, Blake."
Harry looked up to see Charmling walking towards him down the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" The man asked, when he came even with Harry.
"Waiting for Severus," Harry replied. "What are you doing down here?"
The man held up a scroll of parchment.
"I forgot to give Mr Nott back his assignment." Charmling explained with a smile. "From the amount of mistake in it, I'm not sure he will want it back."
Harry gave him a nod and an awkward silence settled between them before the potion's classroom door opened. A first year Gryffindor and Slytherin class piled out in a panic. Cameron moved out of the way of the students, almost brushing Harry's left shoulder, as the students rushed passed. One child in particular looked pale and was being helped by one of her classmates.
"He shouldn't be allowed to teach," Cameron muttered under his breath but Harry heard him since they were standing so close.
Harry stood up straighter.
"Well, I better be off." Cameron said louder and with a smile he moved off down the hall.
Harry watched him with a frown as Severus stepped out of his classroom.
"What is it?" Severus asked, his eyes following Harry's line of sight.
"Ah," Harry stuttered. "Nothing."
Harry turned to Severus with a smile.
"Is it safe to enter?" Harry asked.
Severus looked over his shoulder and into the room and grimaced. He grabbed the door handle and closed the door with a click.
"I wouldn't recommend it," Severus grumbled. "That girl is going to rival Longbottom and I just got rid of him!"
Harry laughed and they walked next door to Severus's office.
"What did Charmling want?" Severus asked.
"Said he was giving Nott back his assignment," Harry told him. "Something's not quite right with that man."
"And they call me paranoid," Severus smirked.
"Hey!" Harry yelped. "I've had an attempt on my life, remember? That proves they are out to get me!"
Severus barked a laugh, his whole face lighting up. Harry grinned back, drinking in the sight of the man. These were the things that separated his lover from the teacher that he'd known for such a short time.
"Did you want something or just my company?" Severus asked, a smile still gracing his lips.
"Can't I have both?" Harry remarked with a smirk. "And maybe a coffee too?"
"I think I can help you with that," Severus said, getting up to make the coffee.
"So Dracka contacted me," Harry stated, watching the other man.
Severus put as much effort into making coffee as he would one of his potions and it was almost an art form to watch.
"What does he want?" Severus questioned.
"He's given me a list of villages and building that he wants warded," Harry answered as he pulled out a few pages and held them up for Severus to see.
"That's a long list."
"Yeah, mostly villages with mix races and a couple of building that the Council uses." Harry replied, looking over the list. "I was thinking of asking the Headmaster if I could take a couple of students with me to the ones in the UK to teach them how to put up wards."
"Your funeral," Severus muttered, placing the coffee on the table and picking up the list. "Which students?"
"Ms Granger, Mr Malfoy and Ry." Harry replied as he savoured the taste of the coffee. "There are a few seventh years that could have a talent for wards as well. Make it a couple of field trips."
"Yes," Severus agreed with a nod. "Your funeral."
Harry just laughed as he sat back in his seat and looked Severus over as he read through the list.
"This building is near my house," Severus stated as he pointed out one of the addresses. "Spinner's end is about two hundred meters away."
"Really?" Harry questioned as he leaned over to look at the address Severus was pointing out. "I don't know it."
"I wouldn't mind clearing out the house while you work on this one," Severus drawled. "That way your real estate agent can come in to sell it."
"You really don't want it anymore?" Harry asked.
He didn't know what kind of attachment the man had with the house. Severus looked up at Harry, his dark eyes intense.
"I think I've found my home now, I don't need it anymore." Severus said smoothly.
Harry grinned and placed his hand over Severus's hand on the table.
"Yes, yes I think you have."