Harry stood in front of the cauldron and watched the dragon's blood swirl into the mix like oil on water as his thoughts drifted. The cuts and bites from the creature's attack were all healed and thanks to Severus's balm, not even scars remained. He was thankful to the man for that, he had enough scaring already on his body.
Harry stepped back as the cauldron bubbled away and felt arms wrap around him from behind and a soft kiss on his neck. He looked up at his lover with a soft smile.
"Another muscle restoration potion?" Severus asked.
"Maybe number thirty-two will be the magic number," Harry said with a grin. "I'm getting closer."
"If not,' Severus smirked. "I hear number thirty-three is a lucky number."
Harry elbowed him softly and Severus stepped back.
"The Headmaster wants to know if you are up to breaking the Horcrux?" Severus asked the shorter man.
"Ah," Harry said, looking into the potion. "Yeah sure, this needs to simmer for twenty-four hours so we have time. Does he want to do it now?"
Severus snorted. "You think he would give me such a straight answer?"
"Ha!" Harry laughed. "Come on, I could do with a nice walk to the gates of Hogwarts."
Severus snorted and fell into step with the shorter man. Harry locked his classroom door, which was something he didn't normally do but he didn't want anyone getting into the room while his potion was brewing.
"I think that portkey is one of the most used portkeys around," Severus said with a grin.
"Oh well," Harry replied. "Better used than just gathering dust."
The two men weaved through the students in the hallways and grounds. It was a busy Saturday afternoon in the castle and Harry could see students down at the Quidditch pitch training.
"Slytherins." Severus remarked, following Harry's eyes.
"Still trying for that cup?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Severus agreed. "We will win this year!"
"How much this time?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Two hundred."
Harry whistled.
"No Potter this year," Severus said with a smirk.
"I don't know. Ginny Weasley is pretty good."
"Don't start," Severus snapped. "That old cat won't win this year!"
Harry laughed at Severus's description of Professor McGonagall. He pulled out the glass mouse and Severus grabbed his arm before the man could portkey without him. Harry smirked up at him as if reading his thoughts. The two arrived in the stone room next to Dumbledore's office.
"Severus, Blake. Welcome." Albus greeted with a smile. Waving the men into the office. "Thank you for coming. How are you feeling Blake?"
"I'm well Albus," Harry said with a soft grin. "Where is this Horcrux?"
Albus pulled open a drawer and placed the locket on the table encased in a containment jar. Harry picked up the jar and peered in at it frowning. He opened the lid carefully but even thou it had very dark magic clinging to it. It wasn't the right type of dark magic as he looked at it closely.
"I'm not sure this is a Horcrux," Harry said softly. "It is dark but not the right type."
"Are you sure, my boy?" Albus asked sitting forward in his chair while Severus cursed.
"Sure," Harry replied. "Will still give you a bit of a bite. I would say that someone made sure that the Dark Lord would believe that this is a Horcrux. The magic is very similar."
"Are you telling me," Severus started to say slowly. "That two powerful wizards picked up a locket that isn't a Horcrux?"
"Looks like it," Harry said with a grin as he screwed the top back onto the jar and placed it away in the bag linked to his Gringotts vault. "But I have an idea about where the real locket might be."
"You knew it wasn't real?" Albus questioned softly.
"When we went to the cave?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Severus said through gritted teeth.
"I had no idea," Harry said. "There was so much dark magic layered up in that cave and it does have the feel of a Horcrux about it but not quite. There aren't two souls tied up in it, but someone still had to die to make it. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look like a Horcrux…however I do have an idea about where the real one could be."
"So last time it wasn't real?" Severus asked.
"Yep," Harry replied. "But I had no way of knowing if it was going to be the same this time. Albus you even said that the Dark lord was looking at moving it."
"That is true," Albus said. "So, it could be in the same place you found the Horcrux in your time?"
"Possibly," Harry said. "Things are different and I've learnt that just because something was a certain way in my time doesn't mean it's the same this time."
"Where was it last time?" Severus asked instead.
"Grimmauld place." Harry remarked calmly.
"Ha!" Severus laughed. "Right under our noses!"
"That's not to say it's there now," Harry reminded them. "That locket we found would have fooled most people that haven't been close to that kind of magic. Even someone that has handled dark magic before, it's that similar."
"You have been to Grimmauld Place, my boy." Albus said into the silence. "Could you feel it?"
"What." Harry said flatly. "With all the other dark magic in that house? You want me to pick out just one item?"
"Ah, yes." Albus said with a grimace. "Point taken."
"I'll check it out this weekend," Harry said. "I'll take Ry, he'll want to see Black. Ah, you might want to contact Black, Headmaster. I'm not sure he will take kindly to me riffling through his house. Want to come Severus?"
Snape glared at him in answer, which just made Harry grin.
"What about the other Horcruxes?" Albus asked.
"You can't rely on my memories of this time, Albus." Harry reminded the other man.
"But they could be the same," Severus said softly.
"Or they could be completely different." Harry countered. "This is not something we want to get wrong."
"Good point, my boy." Albus agreed.
"Like the ring," Harry said suddenly. "The ring in my time was made with the murder of Tom Riddle's father and not Gabriel Sheller and yet Tom Riddle's diary was the same."
"Tom Riddle's diary?" Severus questioned dryly.
"Oh," Harry looked over at Severus. "Oops, I'll tell you later."
Severus glared at him while Harry smiled at him innocently.
xXx
Harry sipped on his coffee as the students started to float in for breakfast as he sat at the Head Table with Severus beside him. He wasn't normally up so early but a phone call from Germany had woken him and he thought he might as well get up when Severus did.
Albus dropped a letter beside him on the table and Harry looked at the Ministry of Magic crest on the front of it.
"Came just before," Albus said as he took the empty seat next to Harry. "With a letter from the Minister of Magic stating he was displeased with the fact that his owl couldn't find you."
Harry snorted as he picked up the letter and opened it.
"Why is it that owls have trouble finding you, Blake?" Severus asked in interest.
"No idea," Harry replied as he looked through the letter. "I just tell everyone to contact me by phone or mail. Some of the owls find me, just not all of them. Bit annoying really but it also makes it more difficult for people to track me I suppose. A bit hit and miss with tracking spells as well. I suppose one day I'll work it out."
"May I ask what the Minister wants?" Albus asked in interest.
"Ah," Harry replied and passed the letter to Albus. "He wants to meet tomorrow at ten. 'To discuss matters.' He also asks if Ry can come as well, which won't be happening."
"He has potions in the morning," Severus replied as he took a slip of his coffee. "You wouldn't reconsider?"
Harry barked a laugh and took the letter back from Albus and placed it on the table. Severus snagged it up with a smirk as Harry sat back in his seat.
"He seems very determined to speak to Mr Potter," Albus replied.
"He does, doesn't he?" Harry said softly. "A little too determined?"
Severus placed the letter back on the table and Harry slipped it into his pocket.
"I know he is Harry Potter," Harry said as he thought it through. "But he is a child, so I'm not sure what he hopes to gain from speaking to him."
"Maybe that's just it," Albus said with a smile. "The fact he is Harry Potter."
Severus snorted then looked at Harry innocently when he looked over at him.
"Oh well," Harry said as he piled up his plate. "I'll find out soon enough what the man wants."
xXx
Harry looked around the Minister's office in interest as Percy Weasley showed him in. There was a large table with files piled up along one edge to his right in the large office and the Minister sat at a smaller table on the phone to someone with a silencing charm around him to his left. The rough man gave him a nod as Weasley showed him in.
"Just take a seat at the table, Mr Sun." Percy said with a smile. "The Minister is just finishing up a phone call. I've left coffee and tea on the table for you."
"Thanks, Mr Weasley." Harry said with a smile for the boy as he moved over to the large table he had been directed to and quickly made a coffee, as he looked the files over in interest. He had a feeling he knew what this meeting was going to be about.
"So, Mr Sun." Minster Rufus Scrimgeour began as Harry sat down on one side of the large table, all the files on the other. "You are a very interesting man."
Harry snorted as he looked over the piles of files and could recognise the Ministry of Magic crest, for the British, French and German Ministries, on the front of the files as well as other crests for different departments within the British Ministry of magic. The Gringotts crest caught his attention the most since it was very familiar to him, and was goblin sealed, and also had his name on the front of it.
"I aim to please," Harry said in amusement.
"Yes," The other man growled. "I had your file pulled from the Department of Mysteries as well as other Departments within this Ministry."
"I can see that," Harry remarked as he looked over the piles of files. "Didn't realise I was that interesting, Minister."
The man gave him a golden eye stare in answer and Harry gave the man an innocent grin in return. He knew how this game was played.
"So, you first appeared in the UK just after you-know-who was killed and took over guardianship of Harry Potter," Scrimgeour said as he flipped open one of the files. "All the paperwork was filled out correctly and have the Gringotts seal on them from the goblins to prove you are related to the boy via the Potter family."
"That's correct," Harry said calmly before sipping his coffee.
"The head of the Department of Mysteries gave me this file," Scrimgeour growled and held up the goblin sealed file and flicked it to Harry. "Which I can't open and the man can't tell me what is in it and when I questioned him he just laughed."
Harry placed his hand on the file but didn't open it.
"Which I must admit, piped my interest," Scrimgeour growled. "So, I proceeded to pull any file connected to you."
Scrimgeour placed his hand on the thick stack of files and Harry smirked in amusement.
"All under contract," Scrimgeour said with a sneer. "I should have that badge of yours revoked, since you don't work directly under the Department and only by contract."
"Feel free," Harry replied mildly.
Both men knew he wouldn't do that, he couldn't afford to lose any of the contracts that he had with Harry or his skills with magic. Especially after the mess with Voldemort locking down the Ministry.
"I then found a link with you and the Council of Magical Creatures," Scrimgeour growled. "Which has been making itself more known over the last year. Imagine my surprise when your name came up."
"Hardly a surprise there," Harry muttered.
"Ah, yes." Scrimgeour rumbled. "Not with the noise you have been making."
"Someone has to give them a voice, Minister." Harry said with a smirk.
The man glared at him from across the table his golden eyes flashing.
"Which lead me to France," Scrimgeour said and placed a hand on another stack of files. "It's good to know you have been annoying them just as much as us."
Harry snorted as he sat back in his seat.
"That then lead me to Germany," Scrimgeour said and moved his hand to another pile. "Your name just keeps popping up, Mr Sun."
"What can I say," Harry said softly. "I'm a man in demand. Master curse breakers always are."
"And yet," The other man said sitting forward in his seat. "I can't find your birth certificate or what you were doing before the end of the last war. There is nothing before that date."
Harry just took a sip of coffee while the other man looked over the files scattered in piles across his table in frustration.
"I was an Auror for a long time, Mr Sun." Scrimgeour said softly. "If there was something to find I would have found it."
"If you say so, Minister." Harry replied mildly.
"I believe the information I want is in that file under your hand," Scrimgeour said, pointing at the file. "And the goblins have refused to open it for me."
"They can be stubborn that way," Harry said calmly with a smirk.
"You are a dangerous man," Scrimgeour spat. "A wild card in this war-"
"Or your best friend," Harry cut in. "You have read what I am capable of Minister as you have pointed out, the files are right here on this table. All the information that you need to know about me and my skills spread out in black and white before you."
"Yes," Scrimgeour replied. "You have skills that do not reflect your age and from these files it is clear you have military training and yet I can not find any evidence of it."
"It may be that you are looking in the wrong place, Minister." Harry replied, as he looked at the man steadily.
"Which raises more questions of your alliances," Scrimgeour said calmly. "You are a member of this Ministry Mr Sun, that is clear by the badge you hold from the Department."
"Yes," Harry agreed. "And I had a nice working relationship with your predecessor, Minister Fudge as well."
Scrimgeour lips curled up in a sneer at the man's name and Harry couldn't agree more.
"Yes," Scrimgeour agreed. "I have read your contract between this Ministry and Hogwarts as well as your contract with Albus Dumbledore. You have a talented lawyer since they are air tight."
"Then what can I help you with today then, Minister?" Harry asked, as he looked the man over.
"You are a Dark Wizard, Mr Sun." Scrimgeour calmly stated, without any heat to his words. "And I have spent a life time hunting down Dark Wizards and we have a Dark Lord on the run."
Harry looked the man over as Rufus Scrimgeour stared back. His golden eyes hard as Harry calmly stared back at him.
"On my magic," Harry said softly. "I do not follow any Dark Lord nor have I ever followed a Dark Lord."
Scrimgeour shivered as the magic settled around them and the man looked at him with large golden eyes in surprise.
"Nor do I mean harm to this Ministry," Harry continued. "I stand with the Council of Magical Creatures to improve the lives of all people with magical cores regardless of blood or magic."
Scrimgeour sat back in shock as he looked at Harry and he gave the man a smirk as he calmly took a sip of his coffee, looking for the world, unconcerned with the words he had just spoken.
"Would you like me to go on?" Harry asked. "Just a warning though, that I normally get told to stop talking once I get going."
"Mr Rolf Dracka," Scrimgeour said softly.
"Vampire," Harry replied. "And a good man."
"And leader of the Council of Magical Creatures," Scrimgeour continued.
"He would be happy to talk to you if you contact him," Harry said calmly.
Harry took out a pen from his pocket and wrote Dracka's numbers on the file in front of him before placing his hand on the top of it and slid it across the table.
"The thing I've found with Dark Lords, Minister." Harry said softly. "You either work with them or you work against them and keeping people ignorant of the fact is working with them."
The Minister held Harry's eyes as he placed his hand on the file in front of him, pulling it closer and opened it. Harry sat back in his seat and watched the Minister's face pale as he read the file before looking up at him with shocked eyes.
"You…" Scrimgeour trailed off.
"Looks can be deceiving, Minister." Harry said softly. "You also know that the goblins cannot lie in a file like that one and that is why the Head of the Department gave me a badge and is also why you will not be taking it off me. It doesn't matter who you are, the goblins know every job you have held no matter the country."
"Who are you?" Scrimgeour asked as he stared at Harry.
"Blake Sun," Harry replied with a smile. "Says it right there in that file. You would have no doubt noticed the enchantments on that file, that will stop you from telling anyone except the Head of the Department of Mysteries about what is in that file and will also stop anyone else from reading it."
Scrimgeour looked back down at the file and Harry just watched the man as he carefully read it through.
"Do you have anything else to discuss?" Harry asked. "Because I have students to attend to."
"Don't think this is over, Mr Sun." Scrimgeour rumbled as he looked up at him.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Harry replied as he got to his feet.
Harry looked over the files on the table in front of the Minster as the other man watched him with guarded eyes.
"Just one last thing, Minister." Harry said calmly. "Harry Potter is under my protection, please stop asking him to meet you. Good day, Minster Scrimgeour."
The Minster nodded his head sharply as he looked up at Harry then glanced over the files on his table. Harry could tell that the man was a little overwhelmed by the amount of files around him.
"Oh," Harry said turning back from walking towards the door. "Those files on the table Minister, they are only about fifteen years worth."
Harry gave the man a wink and left the office leaving the man looking at the piles in disbelief as he held the goblin file tightly in his hand.
xXx
"How did your meeting go, my boy?" Albus asked as Harry stepped into the man's office with a few files in his hand.
"Poor man," Harry said with a smirk, as he placed the files on the Headmaster's desk before taking a seat across from him. "He had no idea what was coming."
Albus looked at him in confusion as he picked up the top file and flicked it open.
"Tom Riddle's files," Harry said as he took a seat. "Not sure if you had his police and adoption records, plus returning the files I got off you."
"You don't need them?" Albus asked.
"Not any more," Harry replied. "Thought you might have some use for them."
Albus looked over at Harry with intense blue eyes and Harry frowned.
"What?" Harry asked after a couple of minutes.
"Why did you ask for these files?" Albus asked carefully.
"Curiosity," Harry replied mildly.
"You won't join the Order," Albus stated. "But you are happy to work with us."
"Correct," Harry replied again.
"Have you fought Voldemort before?" Albus said and Harry stilled.
Albus sat back in his seat as he looked at Harry.
"Yes," Harry replied shortly. "But you can't rely on my memories, Albus. If you are hoping I will have the answers for you, you are mistaken. I never knew as much as I should have back then."
"Blake," Albus said softly. "If you have any information that could help us…"
"Then I would say as much," Harry replied. "But in doing so, does that mean I run the chance that something worse might happen instead? I can't know. I can only work with what I have now, Headmaster. But that does remind me; there is a vanishing cabinet in this school. I have already tried looking for it but I can't find it, you might have better luck with your connection to the school."
"I'll look into it," Albus replied.
The room fell into silence and Harry went to get up from his seat but Albus's voice stopped him.
"Harry Potter," Albus said softly and Harry looked over at him. "Did he kill Voldemort?"
Harry looked at the man in front of him and the intense look in his blue eyes as he stared at him.
"Was the Dark Lord defeated in my time," Harry answered softly. "Yes. Do I think he will be defeated again? Yes."
Albus sat back in his seat and gave Harry a small smile.
"Do I think that another Dark Lord will take his place?" Harry whispered and Albus paled. "Yes. Do I think that this Dark Lord will be the most powerful Dark Lord we face? No, not even close."
Albus paled even more at Harry's words and he sat forward in his seat as he looked at the man.
"He pales in comparison," Harry whispered. "Dark Lord Voldemort is on the middle to low end of the scale, Albus. So much more powerful than I am, but I'm not a Dark Lord."
Harry saw the shiver pass down the man's spine at the words.
"You yourself have fought two Dark Lords," Harry pointed out.
"How many?" Albus asked softly.
Harry sat back in his seat and looked at the man but wouldn't answer.
"Blake?" Albus said softly.
"Good night, Headmaster." Harry replied as he used his cane to get to his feet.
"Blake?" Albus called after him but Harry kept limping towards the stone room and the Headmaster didn't call after him again.
xXx
Harry sat at his table in his dining room with a bottle of beer in front of him and his thoughts to keep him company as the conversation with Albus run through his head as he thought over his long life and where it was going.
"That son of yours," Severus snapped as he came into the room.
Harry sat back in his seat and looked over at the other man as he turned his dark eyes on to him. Severus paused as he saw the bottle on the table and it wasn't the only one.
"Are you drunk?" Severus asked.
"What did Ry do this time?" Harry asked instead of answering the man's question.
"What happened?" Severus asked as he took a seat at the table.
"There are a couple more in the fridge," Harry said, ignoring the question.
Harry sat back in his seat and took a sip of the beer as he looked at Severus.
"How did you even get these into the school?" Severus asked as he grabbed the two from the small fridge.
"You ask a curse breaker," Harry said with a smirk. "How he got beer passed school wards? Even the Weasley twins could do that."
"Ah," Severus stalled. "Good point."
Harry gave the other man a grin as he finished off the beer and opened the one Severus had brought over for him.
"The Minister pulled my files," Harry said softly after a couple of minutes. "From the German, French and British Ministries of magic. There's nothing like seeing your life spread out before you on a table to put things in order."
Severus snorted as Harry gave him a grin.
"He was frustrated that he could only go back about fifteen years," Harry said with a smirk, which Severus mirrored. "Albus also wasn't happy I didn't give him the answers he wanted."
"He will never learn," Severus muttered.
Harry looked at the other man as he remembered that the man had been a spy for years so would have had to be just as careful with information as Harry himself had to be.
"No," Harry said softly. "I don't think he will."
Harry looked at the beer in his hand, feeling the years on his shoulders as he thought of his words to Albus. Severus gently took the beer from his hand and placed it on the table and Harry looked up at him. Severus crouched down in front of him and looked up at the other man.
Severus gently placed his hands on man's thighs and Harry gave him a small smile.
"Hey," Harry said softly, with a smile.
Severus snorted as he looked into the other man's pale green eyes. He got to his feet and grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. Harry stumbled slightly as he put weight on his right leg and Severus chuckled as Harry folded into his arms.
"How many of those have you had?" Severus asked as he counted up the bottles on the table.
Harry snorted as he looked up at the taller man. Severus bent down and gave him a slow kiss as he tightened his hold around him.
"Did you bring any of those files home?" Severus muttered in his ear and Harry shivered at the sound.
"Nah," Harry replied with a smirk. "Nothing worth reading about in them, just work really."
Harry gave the man a wink as Severus backed him up towards the bedroom.
"I doubt that," Severus muttered as he shrugged out of his robes and let them fall.
Harry grinned and slipped out of his shirt and unbuckled his belt and let his pants drop as Severus slipped out of his shirt.
"Just office work mainly," Harry replied blandly as Severus kicked his shoes off.
Harry stepped through the bedroom door as Severus unbuckled his belt. Harry grabbed his belt and turned them until Severus was walking back towards the bed. The taller man raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Your history, Blake." Severus said softly, stopping Harry. "Is yours to tell me when you feel comfortable."
Harry moved his hands onto Severus's hips as he held his belt, stopping his pants from sliding down.
"My own history is not a pleasant story," Severus whispered as he looked down at the other man.
Harry looked away but Severus cupped his cheeks and turned his head back.
"I have a lot of blood on my hands, Severus." Harry said softly.
"As do I," Severus replied mildly.
Severus wrapped his arms around the smaller man bringing him closer. Harry let himself rest against the other man's chest feeling the man's soft skin under his hands as Severus's hands wandered down his back. Harry grinned up at the other man before breaking his grip around him and giving him a shove. Severus fell back onto the bed with a yelp of surprise.
Harry looked down at the man before him feeling the alcohol in his system as he moved forward and saddled the man's waist with a grin.
"Sneaky," Severus purred.
Harry reached up and wrapped each of his hands around the other man's wrists before taking the man in a kiss as he let the memories of the day slid away. He pulled back and looked down at his lover and the understanding that they both had dark pasts they would rather move on from as they looked at each other. Harry gave him a sad smile before taking Severus in a deep kiss.
xXx
Harry could hear Black and Ry downstairs in the kitchen of Grimmauld place as he worked in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Every now and again laugher or yells would drift up the stairs to Harry as he worked. He was having a lot of trouble trying to find the Horcrux since there was just so much dark magic in the house and it hadn't been with the house elf like it had been in his time.
He was starting to think the bloody thing wasn't here and was even thinking of asking Black about searching his vaults at Gringotts but knew that wouldn't go down very well.
"Any luck?"
Harry looked up to see Remus standing in the doorway. Harry sighed and turned away from the box he was looking through.
"Nope," Harry replied. "There is just so much dark magic in this damn house!"
Remus laughed and entered the room.
"It's good to hear laughter in this house again though," Remus remarked.
"How has the new Wolfsbane potion been going?" Harry asked.
"It's great," Remus said with a smile. "Only need to take it once every three months!"
"Severus and I are still working on it," Harry said taking a seat on the bed in the room. "I'm hoping to get it to a once a year potion."
"The wolf seems to be happier about it," Remus said quietly.
"Really?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. "That could work better for us when we adapt it."
"Yeah," Remus remarked. "I can't talk to Sirius about this. He wouldn't understand but you have seen the wolf."
"Of course," Harry replied. "I have my own demons that I deal with Remus, so I can understand your wolf problem…I hear you're teaching werewolf children?"
"Yes," Remus said with a grin. "They are a mix of both magical and muggle children."
"Teaching is well suited to you," Harry said with a grin.
"Yes," Remus replied. "Thank you for placing the wards around the hall we use."
"No problems," Harry stated. "I added it to Dracka's list as well. If you have any trouble the Council will come to your aid."
"You are really making a difference in that community, Blake." Remus said as his brown eyes locked onto his. "We are starting to get a standing in the magical communities due to your new potion and push at the Ministry."
"Hermione Granger has been helping as well as my lawyer." Harry said calmly. "I can't take all the credit. Not to mention the work that Severus has done on the Wolfsbane potion."
"You have been good for Severus," Remus said softly. "He's a very different man than what he was as a child."
Harry barked a laugh and said, "We all grow up Remus…well except maybe Black."
Remus gave him a grin before bidding him good-bye as he went downstairs to see what Ry and Black had gotten into.
xXx
"Finally!" Harry cried as he looked down at the locket before him.
He used his cherry wand to pick it up by the chain and place it into the glass jar. He was in the very dirty attic at Grimmauld place and had made sure to keep an eye on the dirty curtains to his left that kept shaking every now and again as he had worked. The creature that lived in the curtains would hiss at him periodically but hadn't tried to attack him so Harry had left it be.
A sneeze caught him off guard as he stirred up the dust and he was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts and a nice long hot shower. The old house elf had been of no help and Harry was so close to cursing the horrible creature that he was glad that he would be leaving soon.
Harry got to his feet, eyeing off the curtains as the creature hissed at him and moved out of the attic. He moved down the stairs and could hear Ry, Black and Remus in the kitchen, probably having lunch.
"Blake, how did you go?" Remus asked, looking up as Harry came into the room.
Harry collapsed into one of the chairs and nicked Ry's juice off the table.
"Hey!" Ry yelped.
"Found it," Harry said calmly as he passed the juice back to Ry after taking a couple of sips.
"Does that mean we are leaving?" Ry asked disappointed.
"I'll be heading back," Harry said. "But you can stay for dinner and use the fireplace to get back to the school. If that's okay with Remus and Black."
"Sure," Black cried.
Remus placed a cup of juice in front of Harry to save Ry's from being nicked. Harry smiled up at the man in thanks, which made Black tense.
"Did you find anything of interest when you were looking around?" Remus asked.
"Just dark magic and more dark magic," Harry replied. "Did your family just like living dangerously?"
Harry asked Black, who just glared at him.
"Though I have met Bellatrix," Harry remarked. "Sanity wasn't a family trait."
"Hey!" Black yelped jumping to his feet.
Remus placed a strong hand on the man's shoulder and pushed him back down into his seat.
"You might want to get this house cleared out," Harry recommended, ignoring the glare he was getting from Black. "Gringotts would be a better place to store everything instead of here. There are some dark objects in this house I wouldn't even touch with a forty-foot pole."
"I think that would be a good idea, Blake." Remus said as Black fumed. "Especially if Ry and the children will be coming here."
"I can come in and clear it out and transfer it to Gringotts if you like?" Harry offered. "It should only take a few days."
"That's a generous offer, Remus said. "Isn't it Sirius?"
"Shut it!" Black snarled.
"He said thank you," Remus said with a grin.
Harry barked a laugh and stood. "Well I'll be off, be good for your uncles, Ry."
"Dad!"
Harry ruffled the boy's hair before moving to the front door. He smirked as Black exploded at Remus just after he walked out the door.
xXx
Harry let the warm water run over his body as he washed off the layer of dirt, dust and dark magic from Grimmauld place. He hadn't been joking when he spoke about the dark objects in that house. No wonder the Black family had worked out the way that it had. Narcissa and Sirius got off lucky.
Harry startled badly when hands wrapped around him.
"Fuck Severus!" Harry cursed. "I swear I'm going to curse you one day!"
Severus rumbled a laugh and kissed his shoulder
xXx
Missing scene due to rating.
xXx
The two men panted for a few second before Severus pushed back as he looked down at Harry with dark eyes.
Harry grinned up at him before slapping his ass.
"Hey!" Severus yelped.
"My shower, out!" Harry ordered with a grin.
Severus laughed and quickly soaped himself down before leaning down and capturing Harry's lips in a kiss.
"I've had to deal with Black for two days, out!" Harry ordered with a laugh.
Severus snorted and left him to it.
"That's one thought to get rid of a hard on," Severus called as he closed the door to the bathroom to Harry's laughter
xXx
Severus took a sip of coffee at the dining table as Blake opened the bathroom door and limped out into the living area and into the bedroom fully naked and without a hint of embarrassment. The man winked at Severus before closing the bedroom door making him smile.
He was sure he would never be as comfortable in his skin as Blake was. He had always been an awkward teenager, too pale and his nose too long for his face. Even with his succuss in mastering potions he still didn't feel comfortable in his own skin.
"Hey, I found the Horcrux." Blake said re-entering the room, pulling on a light blue shirt. "That house is just so full of dark magical objects! It's amazing a member of that family hasn't just murdered everyone is their sleep with that much dark magic floating around!"
Severus huffed a laugh and pushed a coffee towards the other man as Blake placed a glass jar on the table and pushed it towards him.
"Told Black I'm coming back to pack up all the dark objects and sealing them away in Gringotts." Blake said. "He wasn't too happy about it."
"I thought Black would be happy about that?" Severus said calmly.
"I may have said something along the lines of insanity in the Black family," Blake said with a smirk.
Severus barked a laugh.
"The Black family has always been a dark family," Severus said.
"I can believe it!" Blake laughed. "I just need to get rid of this Horcrux."
"Can I watch?" Severus asked sitting forward in his seat.
"Of course," Blake replied with a grin. "Shouldn't take too long, I can use the bronze circle in my classroom to contain it."
"After your coffee," Severus said with a smirk.
"Ah," Blake grinned. "You know me too well."
xXx
After a couple of cups of coffee later Severus and Harry made their way to Harry's classroom. Severus was always amazed with how clean the man kept his classroom after the mess his dining room table could become when the man was working but he supposed that he needed to keep it that way for teaching.
"Okay," Harry said tipping the locket into the middle of the bronze circle and stepping back. "I think we will attack this one directly."
Severus leaned back on the bench running along the side of the room watching carefully. Harry placed the tip of his elder wand to the circle and activated it. The barrier jumped up as Harry poured magic, both dark and light into it.
"I'm sure Albus will be making his way down soon," Harry said with a grin over his shoulder.
"I think you just like to stir him up with that dark magic," Severus remarked.
"It's more I forget than anything else," Harry muttered.
Severus smirked as he watched the barrier change colours until it was the sickly colour of the killing curse.
"You didn't combine the killing curse in that barrier, did you?" Severus asked, eyeing off the green colour.
"What?" Harry questioned looking back at the barrier and grinned. "Does look that colour doesn't it."
Harry took a seat on the floor in front of the locket and slowly reached out for the object as the barrier settled and turned clear. Suddenly a giant snake reared its head up within the bronze circle and tried to strike the barrier but Harry held the protection charm with as much magic he could pour into it before it would crack under the strain.
"Hello lovely," Harry hissed looking at the snake and by the way Severus jumped he had slid into parseltongue without realising.
The snake turned its head towards Harry and lowered it until it was on eye level with the wizard.
"You are not my Master, little wizard." The snake hissed.
"Nope," Harry replied. "I'm the one that will give you peace."
Hissing laughter made a shiver go down Harry's spine as the snake pulled back. It twisted and turned until a short brown-haired man stood before him with cold brown eyes. The man gave Harry a cruel smile tapping his fingers against his leg as he looked down his nose at the seated wizard.
"You are not good enough to do that!" The man snarled. "You are nothing! A waste of human flesh!"
"Who is that?" Severus asked stepping away from the bench as Dumbledore slipped into the room behind them.
"I believe this would be Tom Riddle's father?" Harry replied.
"That boy!" The man cried. "He is not my son! He is the spawn of the devil and should be put down!"
"I think I liked the snake better," Harry said softly.
"Are you one of them?" The man spat. "Evil creatures! You should all die and leave us! God has no place for your kind!"
"Your son killed you," Harry said softly getting to his feet and was put out by the fact the man was the same height as him. "He tortured you to death and tied a part of his soul to yours."
"I should have drowned that boy when he was born from that demon spawn!" The man hurled at Harry.
Harry could feel the darkness from this man, which made this Horcrux such a powerful object. It had not felt as dark, as some items he had been around, but it had been hiding its sting underneath.
"Do you want to be pulled down into hell with him then?" Harry asked calmly.
"I am a man of God!" The man spat.
"Your soul is twisted up with a part of your son's soul," Harry said calmly. "The only way that your soul can be freed is if you untangle it and cast him out."
The man glared at Harry before turning his back and puffing away to mist. Harry took a closer look at the magic as the two souls in the Horcrux torn into each other making Harry's job that much easier. Just as the two souls started to tire Harry drove his wand down towards the stones at his feet.
CRACK!
Severus and the Headmaster jumped as the stones groaned under their feet as a blazing light burst forth from the barrier of the circle. When their vision cleared Harry stood calmly looking down at a cracked locket on the stones.
"That was unsettling," The Headmaster muttered.
Harry barked a laugh.
"Another Horcrux down," Harry said with a grin. "Not that anyone deserves to be tortured to death but that was one man that the world is better off without."
"Another thing on the list of items that can make a Dark Lord," Albus muttered.
"Ah," Harry said with a smirk. "But that man didn't bring Tom Riddle up."
"Yes," Albus agreed. "That is true."
Severus moved forward and looked down at the locket.
"Is it safe?" Severus asked.
"Yeah go ahead," Harry said, sitting back on the bench behind him. "It's all yours. Salazar Slytherin's locket."
"Really?" Severus asked looking at the necklace with knew eyes.
"Yep, Happy Birthday."
Albus snorted when Severus glared over at Harry who just grinned back.