Harry woke early, as usual. He quietly slipped on pants and a long sleeved T-shirt. Although his tattoos were covered with a glamour he preferred to keep his arms covered at all times in case his glamour stopped working for some reason. He went to the door to listen and see if Snape was up yet. He couldn't hear anything, but then Snape could move like a shadow when he felt like it. Praying that Snape was still asleep and he wouldn't have to deal with the snarky potions master this early in the morning, Harry slipped out of his room and down the hall.
The sight of the potions master sitting at the table greeted him as soon as he entered the kitchen. Reigning in a sigh, Harry proceeded to the counter to pour a cup of coffee. It seemed that the professors could still cook for themselves the muggle way if they chose to do so. Harry was curious whether the house elves were on vacation too during the summer but he refrained from asking. I can just imagine his reaction if I actually spoke to him.
Snape finally looked up from the paper to see Harry standing by the counter sipping a cup of coffee. Of course, he thought, there is only one chair that isn't covered in books or papers. He sighed and flicked his wand to create another chair. "Thanks professor." Snape grunted. Must not be a morning person. Not really an afternoon or evening person either though. I wonder what Snape's good time of the day actually is?
The two continued their breakfast, Harry just nibbling on a piece of toast. After a week of almost nonexistent meals at the Dursleys it would take some time to stretch his stomach back out. Finally, Snape cleared his throat. "We need to go to the Headmaster's office this morning. How much more time do you require to ready yourself?"
"I'm ready now."
"You don't wish to change?"
"These are the best clothes I have, sir."
"I see. Very well then." Although Snape sounded as if he were going to let the issue go he flicked his wand again and shrunk Dudley's enormous castoffs to fit Harry. Harry was not only much shorter than his cousin but he was also very thin. He had small, wiry muscles and only slightly broadened shoulders that kept him from looking completely like a child but his overall smallness was startling. With his almost shoulder length hair he had a slightly androgynous look that appealed to many of Hogwarts' young men. To their shock, Harry had never been known to date any of them. In fact, no one could name a single person of either sex that Harry had really dated.
"Thank you sir."
"Come along then." Harry smiled. Of course the potions master had to maintain his surly exterior. He was starting to like the professor's snarkiness. At least it was predictable.
The men approached the Headmaster's office slowly. It seemed that both of them were dreading this meeting. What could the Headmaster possibly have to say to them—together? What could possibly concern both of them? The door swung open without even giving the password and the two stepped onto the moving stairs. The Headmaster opened this door as well without waiting for a knock.
"Come in, come in gentlemen. I trust that you had a good night?"
Snape again chose a grunt as an appropriate response to such an inane question. "Yes sir." Harry attempted to be more polite but felt that he was already at the breaking point. Whatever news the Headmaster was going to give them could not be good. He never called Harry to his office anymore unless he was giving bad news. What could it be this time?
Harry was pulled from his thoughts by Dumbledore's invitation to sit. Snape gracefully sat down in the chair on the right and Harry rushed to the chair on the left. "Now gentlemen, I believe I told you last night that I had something new to reveal to you both. I believe that the easiest way to do so would be to show you both a certain memory." Dumbledore turned to the cabinet behind him and removed a large pensieve with a swirling silver memory already in place. "I am perhaps slightly overdue in revealing this to you but all will happen in its time. If you don't mind, gentlemen, perhaps you should jump right in?"
Harry looked at the memory nervously. 'All will happen in its time?' What the hell did that mean? It could be anything. He would have preferred some sort of introduction, a bit of background information. Evidently he wouldn't get that. He took a shaky breath and extended his hand alongside Snape's.
The two men were sucked into an office that looked surprisingly like the office they were currently in. Apart from a few changes, it was, in fact, the same office. They turned as one toward the desk and saw a younger Dumbledore sitting behind the desk. Harry looked around for their Dumbledore but evidently he hadn't deigned to enter the memory. "Looks like we are on our own, sir."
Snape sneered. "Of course. Merlin forbid he actually come along and explain something." Harry gave a sort of half smile and quickly turned as the door slammed open. He nearly collapsed when he realized that the nervous young woman was his mother. Snape instantly paled. Lily paced back and forth in front of the headmaster's desk for a few moments in silence then suddenly turned to him.
"Headmaster, I need your assistance."
"My dear child, what can I do for you?"
"I'm pregnant."
The twinkle left Dumbledore's eyes. "Does James know?"
"It is not James' baby" Lily quickly informed the headmaster.
"I see. Will you tell me who is the father?"
"I'm sure you know, headmaster." Dumbledore nodded slowly. Lily sat for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Harry stared on in fascination and Snape with growing horror. "I will not allow a death eater to raise my child." Harry blinked in confusion. His mind was completely unable to process the facts as quickly as they were being presented.
"Surely you can raise the child without him, either here in the magical world or in the muggle world. I hear that is quite common for muggles."
"That is not the problem, headmaster. I would love to leave here with my child and never look back but I believe we both know that I do not have that luxury."
"Have the dreams still continued?" Lily nodded. "And is the meaning quite clear?" Again, Lily gave a jerky nod.
"I will not live until this child's second birthday. He must have someone to care for him. Someone I know I can trust to love him and raise him properly. I cannot rest until I know, for certain, that I have fulfilled my duty as a mother to care for my child. I only have a year—a year and a half at most—in which to show my child all the love I have for him. I must continue my love through my choice of a guardian."
"Yes, yes, of course. Tell me, do you plan on the guardian simply being a godparent or do you intend to marry?"
"Marriage would be the most fool proof. I cannot take any chances."
"I see. And who have you considered?"
"Michael in Ravenclaw or else James in Gryffindor."
"James Potter?" Lily nodded. "He seems rather ideal. He would lend the child a pureblood name and he definitely has the wealth to properly care for the baby. He has also been chasing after you for years. He would do anything you asked of him. Yes, I believe he would be ideal."
"I will go speak with him now and beg his protection."
"I'm sure you need not beg anything. I'm sure he will jump at the chance to be with you, even if it is to rear another man's child."
"Headmaster" Lily replied in a broken whisper, "there is nothing I will not do for my child. If it requires me getting on my knees to beg sanctuary of a man I do not love then so be it. I will do what I must to protect him. I fear that there is nothing I can do though to keep him safe from his father's kind. Even with a pureblood father he will still have a mudblood mother." Her eyes filled with tears at the ugly word. "He will never be safe. I know it within my heart. My child will be hunted by those who follow Voldemort for his entire life."
"I'm sure that Severus would never allow his…companions…to injure your child."
Lily looked up at the headmaster with deadened eyes. "You have more faith than I. Good day."
The memory ended and Harry and Snape were spit back into the Headmaster's office. Snape stared at Dumbledore in horror. Harry's mind seemed to finally click back into gear and all the pieces began to come together. He finally understood the full implications of the meeting he had just witnessed. "You knew? All this time…you knew?" Harry rasped out.
"Well, as you can see, your mother did not intend for you two to know about each other. I believe she even placed a charm on you so that you would take on the likeness of James. Quite a good job she did with it, I do believe." Dumbledore's cheeriness sparked a nearly murderous rage in Snape and complete disbelief in Harry. Before Snape could gather his anger together enough to form a coherent sentence Harry spoke again.
"You knew, and yet you still made me stay with the Dursleys?" Harry could not move on from this idea. It was too horrific.
"My dear boy, what could I have done? Your father could not provide you the protection that you gained from the Dursleys. I needed to keep you safe. I suppose that did not turn out quite as well as I had thought it would though. Dear me, no."
"Not turned out well?" He whispered hoarsely. "You knew what he was doing to me, and you still thought it best I stay there?" Harry's questions were filled with such despair that it made Snape flinch. He was still trying to comprehend all that had happened as well as Harry's unusual reaction. This reaction was not at all what he would have expected from the Gryffindor. He had expected shouting and tears and accusations. Instead he was getting a sense of mind numbing despair and betrayal.
"Harry, I thought it was for the best. I made the decision I did and I still stick by it. I would make it again if I had to."
Harry suddenly turned pale and started gagging. He turned to the trashcan and lost what little breakfast he had been able to force down earlier. The headmaster knew, he knew it all, and he had still forced him to stay there. He knew he had a living parent and he refused to reunite them. He knew what Vernon did to him but he kept his secrets anyhow. Oh gods, what would he do? There truly was no one he could trust. Was Dumbledore really any better than Voldemort? Voldemort may have killed his parents but he did not make the decision to place him in the care of monsters.
"What is wrong with him? What have you done?" Snape might not like Harry Potter but he had realized over the past year or so that Harry was not who he thought he was. He had observed him closely over the last year and found himself completely unable to explain the phenomenon of Harry Potter. At times the perfect Gryffindor Golden Boy and by turns a scared teen, he had realized that, like himself, Harry was the consummate actor. His curiosity as to what the real Harry was like was never assuaged but the mystery still fascinated him. Even if he hadn't started changing his mind about Harry he would have defended him. No one hurt a Snape.
"I believe that Harry is upset because him home life was not quite as nice as we would have liked." Harry gagged again. "Yes well, I'm sure it built character."
At this point Harry collapsed on the floor, pale and shaking. Snape walked over to him and stood behind is shuddering back. He did not yet understand exactly what was going on with Harry but he was furious with the Headmaster just on the information that he had already received. He required no additional evidence to fully damn Albus. "You have my resignation. I will pack my things and remove my son from the premises within the hour."
"I'm afraid that you cannot do that, Severus. If you will remember, you signed a contract to remain at Hogwarts until any progeny you may or may not have completed their education. Harry still has another year left."
Snape seethed inwardly. How could he have possibly conceived this eventuality when he signed the stupid contract seventeen years ago? "Fine" he bit out. "We will be leaving nonetheless for the remainder of the summer."
"But my child, how will you protect him?"
"The Snape family has our ways. Leave me to worry about it. We will leave in a few days. I must allow my house elves some time to prepare for us and to check the security."
"But there is no Snape manor for you to take him to…where will you take him?"
"Just because you know of no Snape manor but that does not mean that there is not one. I placed the manor into defense mode when I joined the death eaters. No one without Snape blood can gain entry. Currently, the number of living Snapes rests at two. We will be quite safe there."
Harry shakily stood and swayed for a moment before he gained his equilibrium. Snape ushered him to the door and Harry gratefully preceded him down the stairs. He couldn't even look at the Headmaster. This was the worst betrayal of all…worse than the ministry, worse than Peter Pettigrew. He had no words to describe this new treachery. His head swam. His thoughts were rushing so quickly he could scarcely grasp one before it was replaced by another.
"Don't you two wish for me to remove the glamour?"
Snape paused for a moment but did not turn back. Dumbledore took this as an affirmation and he pointed his wand at Harry's back while chanting a long string of Latin. Harry's body glowed a bright white for a moment and then the light became blinding. When the light dimmed again Harry was, once again, in a puddle on the floor. Snape bent down and carefully gathered his son into his arms.
What horrors could his child have lived through with his relatives to merit that kind of a reaction? There was no hatred for Snape, no disbelief or anger that James Potter was not his father. Instead, his reaction had been complete horror that the headmaster had not told the two sooner. Dear Merlin, what could have happened?
-
-
A/N: Ok, so I couldn't quite stomach the whole letter-magically-delivered-16-years-later bit and I tend to find the secret diary or letter-hidden-in-a-book bit just as nauseating. I opted for the only slightly less abused pensieve memory to provide the evidence. Sorry I couldn't come up with a totally new way to do it. Please review!