A New Alliance

The day's events were catching up with Harry; he hoped things calmed down a little, because he didn't know how much more he could handle today. "Severus, do you have any food here? I haven't eaten since breakfast and it's after two now." Harry's stomach was reminding him that he was only fifteen, for another day, and that teenage boys were always hungry.

"There are basics in the kitchen, but wait a moment. I want to contact my associates I was telling you about, it is possible they are available now. They are always willing to feed strays." Harry nodded his agreement, and Severus went to the fireplace. Throwing in a handful of Floo powder, he called out, "Sinister Place," and lowered his head into the fire.

Harry had never seen his professor in such an undignified pose and had to choke back the laughter it inspired. After a few minutes Severus removed his head from the fire and gracefully rose to his feet. "They will not be available for a few hours," he stated. "Go ahead and prepare yourself some lunch; I am going to rest here for a while. It has been a long day."

Harry went into the kitchen. Pleased with how clean and well organized it was, he investigated the pantry and found pasta, as well as some vegetables and chicken. Satisfied he had the makings of a good lunch he set to preparing it. While the pasta was boiling he cooked the veggies and chicken and made a light sauce for them. He hardly noticed an hour passing. Having found the tea things he made a pot of oolong tea as well.

He set the meal on the table and turned to the living room, only to find Severus asleep in the arm chair he occupied earlier. Knowing better than to touch a sleeping Snape (who knew what someone that paranoid would hex you with), he took a moment to observe the older man unnoticed.

Severus looked little different when asleep, Harry noted. Maybe less intimidating with those black eyes closed. Coming closer, Harry looked at him for the first time as an adult and not the child he had been. Snape was still not a handsome man, he decided, but he was not the caricature of an ugly one Harry had believed him to be as a child of eleven. His nose was too big and it was hooked, but his hair wasn't really greasy, it just looked oily, like it needed to be washed every day and Severus didn't take the time. His skin was not sallow, just pale; the dungeon lighting of Hogwarts was not flattering to him. Harry concluded that while he was not handsome, the man was interesting looking. His snarky personality was apparent even in his sleep, sharp as ever.

"Severus, wake up, come on, wake up," crooned Harry softly, but, to his dismay, got no response.

He moved a little closer, hoping he was out of arm's reach. "Come on, wake up, Severus," he repeated.

A long fingered hand shot out and grabbed his wrist as Severus opened his eyes. "I heard you the first time, Potter," he grumbled. "Why did you wake me?"

Harry shook off the hand. "I thought you might be hungry, and I fixed enough for two." Harry returned to the kitchen and sat at the table and served himself. He heard water running in the loo and a moment later Severus entered the kitchen.

Looking at the food, the older man raised an eyebrow. "I was expecting sandwiches," he drawled. "I was unaware you were capable of cooking." Harry shrugged and went back to eating.

Severus filled his plate. At the first bite, he could not hide his surprise. "Potter, if you can cook like this, why are you such a failure at Potions?" he inquired incredulously.

Harry shrugged again but answered, "I don't understand the instructions. I've never used a recipe when cooking; I just work on the dish till it looks right or smells right. I can do a potion perfectly the second time, but in class we never brew the same potion twice. I got an Outstanding on my O.W.L.'s."

Severus was again surprised. "Very well, we can work on that, it seems you need a different type of instruction. I teach Potions the recipe way in class because that is how the majority of people brew. We will discover where you are in all of your subjects later."

The two men finished their late lunch in a comfortable silence. Harry poured another cup of tea. Upon seeing that Severus was done, he decided to ask the question he had been pondering while cooking. "Who are these people that you want me to meet?"

Severus looked at him over his own tea. "They are a group I have worked with, friends of mine. They are not loyal to Dumbledore, but they oppose the Dark Lord."

The reply was tight, and Harry wondered what he said wrong; then the closed look in Snape's eye gave him his answer. "Severus, I do trust you," he said softly. "I was just curious about them. Haven't you figured out by now that I'm an incurably nosy brat?"

Severus was having a difficult time believing what he was hearing. Potter kept saying he trusted him, but trust was not something he was accustomed to receiving; no one ever trusted the spy. "Harry, I am curious," he started carefully, "several times today you have indicated that you trust me. Why? Dumbledore doesn't, not completely; the Dark Lord did not, and he had good reason not to. Why for Merlin's sake would you trust me? No one ever trusts the spy."

Harry looked into the black eyes before him, wanting Severus to see that he really did trust him, and replied, "I've seen you kneel before Voldemort and lie beautifully, that much is true… but other than that I believe you are an honest man. Occasionally cruel and spiteful, but honest. Of everyone in the wizarding world you are the only one who has remained consistent in your behavior towards me. No matter what new, weird thing you discovered me capable of doing, you never changed. Even the horrible things you said about my father − you were right, maybe not a hundred percent right, but then you only knew one side of him and on that side he was a git. All that I ask is that you are honest with me. If I do something wrong, tell me. If I make you angry, which I'm sure to do, say so. Do that and I'll do the same with you; if we both are honest with each other, the rest we can work out later."

Severus nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate your faith, and I will endeavor to always be honest in my dealings with you."

Seeming to be aware that he was acting out of character and had perhaps shown more than he wanted to, he concluded with, "Now, brat, clean up your mess. I will meet you in the other room and enlighten you further about the group we are soon to meet." With that he swept from the room in his trademark swirl of robes. Harry laughed and did as he was told.

After liberating some biscuits he found in the pantry, Harry brought them and another pot of tea to the living room. Making himself comfortable on the loveseat, he offered tea to Severus. When they were both settled, the young man turned to his companion and asked, "Okay, now about this group?"

Severus sneered for form's sake. "It consists of six people. They call themselves cousins, but they are not related by blood. They oppose the Death Eaters' agenda, and they are all powerful men in their own right; however, together, they are a law unto themselves. They call themselves the Bar Sinister; they can assist you with all I have proposed, if they decide that you are worthy."

Harry sat quietly listening to Severus speak about people without criticizing them for once. Amazingly, it sounded as if Snape liked this Bar Sinister. "They are reclusive," Snape went on, "even more so than I am, and very secretive. I doubt that the general public knows who they are, or that they even exist. They have renamed themselves, and they use no last name. I was introduced to them while I was researching the Dark Arts as a young man. One of them is named Luc, and I should warn you, it is believed that he and Lucius Malfoy are brothers, but their beliefs are nothing alike." Severus paused to take a sip of his tea, then continued, "Luc is an expert in the Dark Arts, so, naturally, we met and began a friendship. I was duly introduced to the rest of the Bar and we formed a sort of a loose alliance. We assist each other when we are able."

Severus paused for a moment, pondering how much to tell Potter about his association with the Bar. Given what the brat has seen I may as well tell him everything, he thought. Severus spoke again. "I offer my expertise in Potions when they are needed, as well as pass along information I obtained during my duties to Albus."

He stopped speaking and stared into his teacup. Harry was only a little surprised that Snape had worked with more than Dumbledore. Seeing Snape seemed to expect some type of response, Harry asked, "What did they do with the information?"

Severus lifted his eyes to meet Potter's; seeing nothing beyond curiosity, he hid a relieved sigh and answered, "The Bar does not hold the same moral code as the headmaster and the Order. They have no compunction against removing a threat in the most efficient way possible. The Bar has on several occasions removed a Death Eater that could have compromised me."

Two months ago that answer might have bothered Harry, but now he could see the necessity of it. Guessing that Snape was worried that he would balk at associating with his friends because they were more ruthless than Dumbledore he turned the conversation back to the Bar. "Ok, I can see where they would be helpful in that regards, but what else do they do?"

Glad that his assessment of Potter's newfound maturity had been accurate, Severus continued with his description. "They are adept at manipulating public opinion when they choose to, and they have a strong grasp on who to talk to in the Ministry. In addition, Fudge fears them." The last was said with a wicked smile.

The fireplace flared green suddenly and a head appeared. "Well, well, Severus," it drawled, "have you been picking Dumbledore's pocket? Is this the young man you wanted us to meet? Harry Potter, isn't it? Vane was wrong, it seems… This is not going to be a waste of our time."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Luc, do restrain your lackluster wit, there is time enough for Harry to realize that you are a simpleton. Is your irredeemable group of cousins ready for us now?"

The man in the fire grinned. "Yes, Severus. Whenever you and Mr. Potter are prepared to grace us with your presence, we await you, oh great one." With the sarcastic reply still hanging in the room the man's head was gone. Harry was glad Severus had warned him about the Malfoy connection, for there was a definite resemblance between Luc and Malfoy Sr.

"Well, Mr. Potter, are you ready?"

When Harry nodded, the Potions master handed him some Floo powder and said, "The destination is called Sinister Place. I'll go ahead; follow me when you will." The older man tossed the powder into the fire and stepped through after calling out his destination.

Harry took a deep breath; he was nervous about meeting new people, and he hated traveling by Floo powder. He steeled his nerves and tossed in the glittering substance. "Sinister Place," he yelled, stepping into the green flames. Soon he was twisting past grates, until finally he tumbled unceremoniously out onto a marble floor.

"Such grace, Mr. Potter; one would think that the hero of the wizarding world would at least be able to land on his feet," drawled a voice.

Harry pulled himself up and glared at the blond, Luc was his name. "I hate traveling by Floo," was Harry's only response.

The young man used the moment to take in his surroundings; they were standing in an entryway to what appeared to be a large home, complete with marble floors and richly appointed walls. It was not cold, but did show power. Soon, Severus called him over, saying, "We will meet with them now. Follow me." They walked down a hallway into a formal living room; in it were five men.

"Harry," said Severus stiffly, "may I introduce the Bar Sinister."

Harry gave all the men in the room a quick glance before saying, "It's nice to meet you."

A tall dark-haired man with the palest green eyes he'd ever seen spoke, "Mr. Potter, please have a seat and I'll introduce you to my cousins." His voice was deep, and as cold as the eyes.

Harry took a seat in a straight-backed chair nearest Severus.

The man spoke again, pointing at Luc, "I believe you have meet Luc, he is our Dark Arts expert." Luc nodded. "Mr. Potter," he said smoothly. Harry wasn't sure if he liked Luc's snide comments, because he simply couldn't tell if they were good natured or not. Luc had the silver Malfoy eyes, but they were warm, not cold like the other sets Harry had seen.

Before Harry could speak, the man went on, this time pointing out the man with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. "This is Vane, he is our Dueling Master." Vane offered a nod of his head. He was conservatively dressed and had a reserved air about him.

"Spencer − he specializes in finance." A man with light brown hair and amber eyes offered a gruff 'Mr. Potter.' Harry could tell this man would be a formidable opponent. He was powerfully built, but there was no malice in his eyes.

Pointing out the only other blonde − this one a dirty blonde, not the almost white of Luc, − the man continued, "Sebastian here, he sees to the details." Unsure of what that meant, Harry simply nodded at the softly offered, "Pleasure to meet you." Sebastian was sprawled in his chair, seemingly content not to move more than his mouth. His chocolate brown eyes showed an easy humor. Harry thought that if his hair had been loose instead of pulled back Sebastian could have passed for a woman.

The man then turned to a leather-clad young man with black hair which looked as if unbound it would reach mid-back. The young man's piercing blue eyes held Harry's. "And Gabriel, our protector." Harry again didn't know what to say, and thus kept silent. Harry wasn't sure what to make of Gabriel. The man was twirling a dagger with one hand, which, combined with his intense stare, made Harry look closer. The air around the other man was thick with controlled danger; however, the wink his scrutiny earned him relieved Harry.

Realizing that the only person in the room whose name he didn't know was the man who had been speaking, Harry turned to him. "Excuse me, sir, but who are you?"

The dark-haired man's smile was not reassuring. "I'm the leader of the Bar Sinister," he said. "And you may call me Devlin."

Harry offered his own greeting, "Nice to meet you, Devlin."

At Harry's polite greeting Devlin spoke again, "Mr. Potter, perhaps you would enjoy a tour of Sinister Place. Gabriel would be pleased to escort you."

Harry agreed, curious to see more of the beautiful manor. Gabriel stood. "Come with me, Mr. Potter," he said. "Tell me, do you like swords?" The two young men left the room talking of weapons.

Devlin turned to Severus. "Now Severus, tell us about Mr. Potter, now that he is no longer under Dumbledore's influence. How did you do that, by the way?"

"I had nothing to do with it. Harry decided on his own to remove himself from Dumbledore's side; apparently the old man had been lying to him for some time now. I brought Mr. Potter here because I'm taking him as my apprentice, and would like the Bar's assistance with the training." As Severus spoke, Devlin took his seat and leaned back, prepared to hear him out.

Vane spoke up, "Why would you take him as an apprentice? Last I heard you couldn't stand the brat."

Severus rolled up his left sleeve. "The brat killed the Dark Lord, removed his Mark from my arm and then overpowered Albus Dumbledore's control of Hogwarts, by forcing a door that the headmaster ordered locked to open; the door was smoldering when he finished. That brat has more power than I have ever witnessed, plus he can wield Black Magic." The remaining members of the Bar sat in shock at the Potions master's words.

After several moments of silence, Luc asked, "How can he wield Black Magic? He's not a Black."

Severus snorted. "Mei Per Cruor," was all he said.

Luc's eyes widened. Sebastian spoke for the rest when he asked, "What is that?" Luc seemed more confident when saying, "Mine By Blood, it's an old adoption spell based on blood magic; it hasn't been used in centuries. It was used for alliances between warring families; it gives the child the blood and all blood gifts of two fathers." He turned to Severus. "The Potter boy is really strong enough to use Black Magic? All of it?"

Severus settled back in his chair, enjoying unsettling these usually unflappable men. "Yes, I witnessed it; he incinerated the Dark Lord with the Black Flame. The child has potential, what he needs is knowledge, which is why I'm taking him in. That, and Albus is attempting to control him. I'm taking him as my apprentice to keep him out of the old coot's reach. Black emancipated him, but all the protection he can get will help."

After the men had processed the information for a few minutes, Severus added, "I seek the assistance of the Bar Sinister in the matter of securing the future of Harry Potter, assistance in the form of political leverage, before they make him out to be dark, and assistance in preparing for his formal education and in training towards his Mastery in whichever subjects he should so choose."

Vane spoke for the group, "You will have to let Devlin vet him. Will he pass?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Of that I have no doubt."

Vane looked wary. "Are you sure? None have lately. Actually, you're the last one that did."

Severus nodded. "The brat is up to the task."

Devlin finally spoke again, "Spencer, go fetch the boy, we will see what he is made of."

While they were waiting for those absent to join them, Devlin rang a bell, and ordered drinks for them all from the house-elf that answered. Harry, Gabriel, and Spencer rejoined the group and were served drinks as well. When everyone was seated, Devlin turned to Harry. "So, Mr. Potter, what makes you worthy of asking assistance from the Bar Sinister?"

Harry was nonplussed at this; he looked to Severus but the man simply raised an eyebrow; he was on his own then. "Worthy?" he questioned. "I don't understand where that comes into this… Severus said that it was possible that you would be willing to assist me. I know that there are a lot of things I need to learn. I would appreciate any assistance you could give me."

Devlin nodded and drawled condescendingly, "And what, Mr. Potter, would we gain from assisting you?"

Harry glared at him. He didn't mind the question but the tone of voice was exceedingly rude. The young man did his best impersonation of his Potions master, "You mean aside from my undying gratitude? If you prove worthy of it, I would offer my political power, which I have heard has the potential to be enormous. Add to this that I would be willing to offer whatever assistance I am able to your opposition of the remaining Death Eaters, and that I do plan on making sure all of Voldemort's Horcruxes are destroyed."

At the mention of Horcruxes all six members of the Bar Sinister started talking at once. Harry stared, bewildered, as the formerly collected men all turned on Severus, demanding to know what the boy was talking about.

As soon as the brat mentioned the Horcruxes Severus flinched. He had not told the Bar about those yet, and with all six of them yelling Severus couldn't hear himself think. "Silence," he barked.

The tone of voice that so easily shut up a classroom of eleven-year-olds worked just as well on this group. "I did not have time to mention this earlier," explained Severus. "Yesterday, before the destruction of his office, Albus told Harry and me that he believed the Dark Lord had created several Horcruxes; I do not have further details at this time. The fact that the old man had withheld this information from him is the cause of Harry's dissatisfaction with Dumbledore, and resulted in the headmaster needing new office furniture." The answer satisfied the group and everyone returned to their drinks.

Devlin turned back to Harry. "Mr. Potter, do you have any questions about the Bar Sinister?"

Harry had several but decided to start with, "What does Bar Sinister mean?"

Devlin took a sip of his drink. "Hmmm. Mr. Potter, do you know anything of heraldic terms?"

When Harry shook his head, the man continued, "I thought not. Tell me, Mr. Potter, what did you think of our home?"

Harry really didn't see what that had to do with his question but offered, "It's very nice, sir."

Devlin poured himself another drink. "Did you enjoy the tapestries?"

Harry was feeling very lost now. "They were very attractive, sir, but what does that have to do with my question?"

The dark-haired man took another sip. "What question was that?"

The young man was beginning to get annoyed; Devlin was toying with him and he didn't like it. "What does Bar Sinister mean?" he repeated.

Devlin looked at him over his glass. "Oh, that question." He turned to his cousin. "Vane, did you talk to that man about the new tapestries yet?"

Harry had had enough. He didn't care what kind of assistance they could offer if they couldn't treat him with respect. "If you didn't want to answer my question," he growled, "then just say so, you don't have to be such a bloody great arse about it."

Devlin turned those pale green eyes on him; one dark eyebrow went up in challenge. "What did you call me, Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned his own killing curse green eyes on Devlin. He had faced down Voldemort; nothing less would intimidate him now. "I said you're a bloody great arse, you bastard."

The room was silent as two pairs of green eyes were locked in challenge. Finally, the owner of the pale ones drawled coldly, "Mr. Potter, you are in possession of an insolent mouth along with the most defiant eyes of any person I have ever had the misfortune to meet."

"And that's my problem how?" snapped Harry. He ignored the indrawn breaths around him, intent on not backing down from the arse before him.

Devlin's eyes had an unholy gleam in them when he responded, "It is your problem, as you put it, because I do not accept insolence from those I consider my inferiors."

Harry stood; he wasn't going to associate with such an irritating man. "That's more than enough. You can take your superior attitude and shove it straight up your condescending arse." He turned to Snape, saying, "Sorry it didn't work out with your friends. I'm still up for the apprentice thing if you're willing."

The entire room was locked in an anticipatory silence as Severus looked over at Devlin; the two men seemed to hold a silent communication. Severus inclined his head and turned to Potter. "Potter, sit back down. The Bar finds it necessary to test potential allies to ensure that they are able to cope with such a demanding group."

Devlin spoke again in that cold voice, "And you, Mr. Potter, have exceeded my expectations. Who would have thought that a sixteen year old child would have the gall to challenge me? Much less to insult me to my face."

Still confused, Harry dropped to his seat, and his gaze traveled over the room. All the members of the Bar were giving him approving looks, and Gabriel winked at him again. Deciding to trust Snape and give the Bar one more chance, Harry said with a sigh, "I'm not a child. So will you tell me what the Bar Sinister stand for?"

The voice was no longer cold when Devlin explained, "The Bar Sinister in heraldic terms signifies bastardy, which is what we all are, the illegitimate children of Death Eaters."

Harry nodded once. "Sir, I think you should call me Harry if we're going to be trading insults on a regular basis."

Devlin smiled his agreement. "Harry, the Bar Sinister would be delighted to offer you an alliance." He extended his hand to the younger man, and after a moment's hesitation Harry took it.

Thus began the alliance of Harry Potter and the Bar Sinister.