I feel that Harry—my Harry, at least, would never go dark. He would never side with Voldemort. He is entirely too selfless (or perhaps saying that he has too little self worth would be more accurate) to ever switch allegiances because of a wrong done to him. Had Dumbledore brought the world at large with the amount of pain that he had Harry then perhaps he would go to Voldemort's side. But to switch sides because of a personal pain…I just don't think my Harry has it in him. Rather unfortunate, in some ways, since I personally would have run over to Tom's side in a heartbeat were our positions switched. I do love a good dark!Harry fic. Alas, this is not going to be one of those fics. This Harry definitely feels too much pain still from those he has lost to Voldemort and the Death Eaters and he is too selfless to ever leave the Wizarding world without a way to be rid of such a creature, regardless of how much the leader of the light has hurt him and his father.
I had felt for a while that this was the right option but I wanted some second opinions—and I am so grateful that I got them! You guys all pointed out some wonderful points that I had missed entirely, many of which I will be addressing in some way or another in the future. Even when people wrote reviews saying what I had already been thinking it was very helpful to read it when it was put into different words. Thank you all again.
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Chapter 20"Where the hell did they go?" Harry grumbled as he and Hermione wandered the halls of the manor, looking for their missing companions.
"Got me. I didn't even hear them leave."
Harry sighed and decided to call a house elf for assistance, regardless of Hermione's glare. "Bezzie, have you seen Severus?"
"No Little Master. I can check for you though."
"Thanks, that'd be great."
Bezzie slipped away and returned almost instantly. "Master Severus is in his private study with the Weasley boys. Do you remember how to get there?"
"Yes, thank you. See you later!" Bezzie smiled and vanished. All of the house elves were pleased when their Master had brought his son home. Little Master needed a father to protect him and Master Severus seemed to be much happier now that he had his son. He certainly yelled less.
Harry and Hermione continued on to the study, Hermione only grumbling about House Elf Liberation for a few moments before she let it go. She was beginning to understand that it truly was in their nature to enjoy serving another. As long as they were treated well and given respect for their hard work she supposed she could let the issue rest. Perhaps she should switch her focus to protecting the house elves' rights instead of trying to free them.
Harry knocked lightly on the door and waited for a response. His father's deep voice called out permission but he was still hesitant. If there was one thing he learned at the Dursleys it was to never enter an enclosed room if he wasn't entirely certain who or what was in it to begin with. He took a breath, squared his shoulders and pushed through the door.
Severus and the Weasleys were slightly alarmed at the barely contained panic on Harry's face when he finally opened the door but no one commented on it. Harry took a deep breath and started to calm down. He took another slow breath and then walked over to Bill and sat on the floor by his feet, resting his head on Bill's leg. Bill's hand immediately went to card through his lover's hair. Everyone had always had a fascination with Harry's hair…when it was a short, wild mop they constantly tried to smooth it down, when it was longer but still messy they wanted to straighten it out, and now that it was long and silky people couldn't stop touching it. It helped to calm Harry down in almost any situation since it was a form of touch that could in no way be tied back to his muggle family.
Hermione kicked Ron's feet off the footstool and pulled it away a bit to sit on it. "So what have you all been doing in here?" Hermione asked as she situated herself.
"Not much" Ron said with a smile and then turned to Harry. "You don't have to go back to Hogwarts though mate if you don't want to. Neither does the Professor."
"Wha…I'm sorry. I missed the part where that made sense. What did you say?"
"We looked at the contract. Dumbledore worded it poorly. The clause reads: The above signed cannot terminate employment as long as any children, either born or conceived before the signed date, attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That's it."
"Please take this in small steps. Pretend I'm Goyle or something." Severus glared lightly at his son. Even he had to admit though that Goyle wasn't the smartest wizard in the school.
"You're over age…or will be soon enough. You can either quit school legally then or else you can take the NEWTs and officially graduate. Either way, you don't count anymore as a child in the eyes of this contract. Snape can quit whenever the hell he wishes."
Harry nodded slowly, clearly trying to process these new developments. "What about Dumbledore though?"
"Apprentices cannot be taken away from their mentors" Hermione helpfully filled in.
"Yes, yes, I remember Poppy telling me so. But what will we do if he tries to take me away before I am of age? Or if he misses that opportunity and tries to blackmail us instead?"
"Blackmail?" Ron tried to think of what Dumbledore had on Harry to use as blackmail.
"Merlin" Severus said hoarsely. "He could tell the world that you're my son. He could reveal your previous identity." Harry nodded. "What could we possibly do to stop him?"
"First off you need to get official custody of Harry. If Dumbledore tried to get custody of him it would take a very long and very public court battle to decide who officially would get him. And if there was a court battle, certain things would be brought to light. And while the trial is pending Harry might be made to stay with the muggles." Bill seemed to go straight to the first problem that they needed to solve.
Any trace of color fled from Harry's panicked face. "Please don't let that happen. Please" he whispered, turning his despairing gaze towards his father. "I can't go back there again…I just…can't."
Severus slid off his chair and knelt on the ground by his son. "Oh Harry, I would never allow it. You will never set foot in that house again. I will never allow the muggle to be in the same room as you again, much less close enough to touch you." Harry breathed a shaky sigh of relief and leaned back slightly into a surprised Snape's arms.
Severus tightened his arms around his shaking son and looked up into Bill's eyes, both men betraying complete shock. Hermione smiled happily and Ron looked a bit confused but then he too nodded and smiled a bit. He might be shocked that his friend was able to find comfort in Snape of all people but he was happy nonetheless that Harry was able to accept a hug from his father.
Harry leaned in, soaking up the comfort for a few minutes. He finally turned so that his back was leaning into Severus' side and he could again see his friends. "How will we stop him?"
"I am going tomorrow to officially obtain custody of you" Severus said lightly. He knew he would be facing a slight battle with the muggles but frankly he was more concerned with keeping his own murderous urges in check than he was over anything the muggles could possibly say or do.
"He'll never sign. He'll never give me up" Harry said with grim certainty.
"Leave that to me to worry about" Severus said, noticing the glint in both Weasley boys' eyes. Clearly they had some plans for the muggles as well. He might let them accompany him on his little…trip.
"What about the other problem…the Dumbledore problem?" Ron asked, trying to get Harry's mind off the muggles. Although Dumbledore was hardly a happy topic it was certainly better than having Harry worry himself sick over his worthless relatives. Somehow betrayal by a family member always hurt more than betrayal by an acquaintance. Families were the people who should always stand by you, no matter what. In Ron's view, family should always be able to be counted on to be on your side, to protect and defend you, and, of course, to always, always love you.
"If we leave Hogwarts he'll come after us. He'll fight us with everything he has, whether it be to physically attack us or to go after us through the papers. I don't believe we'll be able to safely leave school."
Severus nodded. His son was right. If they left without Dumbledore's blessing then he would simply out them to the press, defeating the entire purpose of hiding Harry in plain sight. He could deal with him for another year. He might kill the old man by the end of it, but he would do anything he needed to do in order to protect his son.
"It might be better this way, Harry" Hermione suddenly spoke up. Harry and the rest of the men turned startled looks toward her. "Think of it this way. Dumbledore is clearly a dangerous man. Currently you have two wonderful tickets into his inner sanctum. He trusts both of you…at least he trusts that you will still be on his side and that you totally still trust in him, regardless of his deception. If you both remain at Hogwarts you can keep an eye on him—more, you can actively spy on nearly every detail of his life and his war plans while still pursuing your education and making your own war plans. I don't know what you intend to do about the Headmaster but if you remain at Hogwarts then all options will remain open for you. If you leave you will be very limited. Look at how hard it is for Voldemort to get close enough to Dumbledore to…do anything" she quickly edited. While she wanted to kill Dumbledore she wasn't entirely certain that was Harry's plan.
Silence filled the room. Damn. The men had all thought that they had beat the system and figured out a brilliant solution. Within minutes though the little witch had showed them exactly how much better the exact opposite of their "solution" would be. Not only was her plan better but it also showed exactly how weak their own plan had been. They had gotten too caught up in the heady feeling of success at being able to thwart the Headmaster. It had never occurred to them that the best way to thwart him might be to comply with him.
"You're right" Harry said softly. "We need to go back. Someone needs to keep an eye on Dumbledore and as long as he thinks we still support him he will keep my change a secret." He started to shift uncomfortably in his father's loose embrace. Severus let go of him completely and Harry sat up, rubbing his scar lightly. It seemed to have faded a tiny bit but it was still blatantly obvious. "We still need to deal with this."
Everyone nodded but no one gave a solution yet. "We'll come up with something, mate" Ron said. He always had full faith that he and his friends could solve anything. He was friends, after all, with the smartest witch and strongest wizard of the age. If the three of them couldn't fix a problem then it was simply unfixable.
Severus stood up. "It seems to be near dinner time. Is everyone staying to dinner?" Ron and Hermione exchanged looks and then shrugged their shoulders.
"Thanks professor. That would be great" Hermione answered.
"Harry, please show your guests to the rooms across from ours to allow them to freshen up. Will you be staying the night?"
"I need to get home. My parents don't know I'm here."
"Didn't you tell them you were leaving this morning Miss Granger?"
"No. I came as soon as I got the letter. Harry needed me. My mum thinks I'm in my room reading. I often miss meals when I'm researching and they know not to bother me too much. They'll notice it if I'm not there to sleep though. I guess I could send an owl though. Perhaps I'll do that. It would be nice to stay for a bit longer."
Severus was amazed. His son inspired such loyalty in people, such extreme love and devotion. They loved him with an all-consuming passion and were willing to move heaven and earth if Harry only asked. Hell, they had invented an entirely new branch of magic just for him. Harry didn't even understand the love either. His friends had clearly placed him high above any other, responding to a note that asked for a bit of research assistance without question and without even pausing to tell family. Even a goody Gryffindor was willing to break rules and even laws in order to help her friend. Severus nodded to Hermione and turned to Ron. "And you, Mr. Weasley?"
"Eh…mum saw that I got a note from Harry and then that I left by portkey. I didn't discuss it with her but she wouldn't mind if I stayed. Could I send a note or floo her?"
"Of course. Harry can establish a floo connection for you in his room. Dinner will be served in an hour." Severus turned quickly and left the room. It had been hard to keep up his cold exterior when inside he was dancing with joy. His son had allowed him to hug him—more—his son had sought him out!
The four Gryffindors proceeded to Harry's rooms and Harry showed Hermione one of the rooms directly across from his own and Ron the room across from Snape's. Bill entered their rooms first and Harry slowly followed. He quietly closed the door and rested his head against it.
"Are you alright, love?"
"What if he won't sign the papers?" he whispered brokenly. "What if they take me away?" his voice was thin and weak. He was barely holding it together.
"He will sign the papers. Can you imagine anyone refusing Severus Snape anything he wanted? Merlin, the man can be terrifying enough when he's dealing with unruly students. Turn him loose on a muggle he hates and his terror potential goes from greasy git to full fledged Death Eater. No way would your uncle refuse him. And no way will either of us let you back there. We'll run away if we have to but we'll keep you from him. I promise."
Harry nodded. He didn't look much comforted but he truly felt better. Bill was right—his father could be damn scary when he wanted to be. Plus, his father had magic and would use it if he felt threatened at all, unlike how his situation had been when he couldn't use magic at all to defend himself. Not to mention the fact that his father was huge...well at least compared to him he was. Not anywhere near Vernon's sheer girth but he was very tall and clearly well muscled. His uncle wouldn't stand a chance. "Merlin I'm exhausted. I'm about ready for bed."
Bill laughed lightly. "That's what you get for reading books all night. Can you make it through dinner?"
"I might lay down now for a few minutes. Wake me before dinner?"
"Sure thing, love" Bill said as he gave Harry a light kiss. "Sleep well." Bill went to the bathroom to brush his hair and wash up for dinner. He heard a light knock and went to open the door. Ron stood in the doorway, looking in. He spoke quietly when Bill nodded his head toward Harry's sleeping form on the bed.
"Merlin, this is one hell of a room. Can I floo from here?"
"No. I forgot to remind Harry to set up the floo connection before he went to sleep and only a Snape can do it. We'll just have to wait a bit. I hate to wake him…he's completely knackered."
Ron nodded. "I can always call after dinner as well. Mum won't worry too much. She knows I'm with you two." The brothers conversed lightly for a few minutes more before they were joined by Hermione. They all sat for a while discussing the recent events before they noticed Snape's shadow in the doorway. Severus saw his sleeping son and his mouth turned up slightly. Harry's small form was completely dwarfed by his enormous bed and for a moment Severus was able to imagine that his boy had grown up with him and was happy and healthy. He was quickly returned to the cold reality.
Bill stood to wake his lover. He walked quietly over to the bed and stood about two feet away from it. "Harry" he called lightly. "Harry, it's time to wake up now."
Harry shot awake and scrambled away from the voice for a moment before he remembered where he was and he sank back into the bed. "Just a bit more?" he said with a sleep-scratchy voice.
Severus shook himself from his self-pity. He needed to remember that things may not be perfect but that his current life was much better than he had ever hoped it would be even a few weeks ago. He had a son and he was lucky enough to have discovered it while Harry was still young enough to want to live with him and develop a relationship with his father. "I'm afraid it is dinner time" Severus announced. "You need to eat; you're much too thin."
"I'm up, I'm up" Harry said grouchily. He batted his hair out of his face impatiently. Bill turned him around and quickly gathered it up for him and tied it with a leather thong to keep it out of his face. Harry smiled his thanks and started walking toward the door.
They all sat down at the dinner table and waited for the house elves to bring dinner in from the kitchen. Hermione eagerly started chattering about the next school year. "I can't believe you get to take the NEWTs early—I am so jealous! Aren't you nervous?"
"Not particularly, Hermione. Plus, it's just about the only way I would ever stand a chance of taking them fairly. I'll get to take the tests without them knowing I am The Boy Who Lived." Ron and Hermione nodded. They knew how much it bothered Harry to be singled out and given special consideration.
"It will also help you to separate yourself from Harry Potter in yet another way. Everyone will assume that you are a year older than he was since you have already graduated" Severus reminded his son.
"That's true. I can't wait to start my apprenticeships."
"Do you know what days you'll be with Poppy and what days you'll be with the Professor?" Ron asked as he heaped his plate high with the delicious food the elves had brought in.
Harry looked at his father to confirm. "No, not yet. I know I'll be working with potions for about a day and a half a week and the rest of my time will be in the infirmary. I'm not sure how the hours will be broken up yet."
"Harry will be teaching my first years and will be co-teaching the second years with me. We will take turns teaching their lessons. He will also serve as an assistant on a rotating basis for the rest of my classes, I believe. If we keep it fluid then he can leave to fulfill his duties in the infirmary when need arises. There will only be a select few hours that he must be in the potions lab. The rest can be whenever the infirmary is slow or there are no new patients for him to work with."
"That'll be incredible Harry. Just think, you'll be assisting our class!" Hermione squealed.
Harry turned slightly pale. "Will I be assisting with the seventh years, Severus?"
"I had intended for you to. Is there a problem with that?"
Harry thought for a moment and realized that he had overreacted. "I guess not. I just hadn't thought about it much. A lot of the Slytherins don't like me much though."
"You forget, love, that you'll be the Head of Slytherin's son. Trust me, they'll love you. It'll probably be the Gryffindors you need to worry about."
Harry sighed. "That's probably true."
"What's going to be your new name?" Ron asked casually around a large bite of steak, fully aware of the magnitude of his question but trying to play it off as something unimportant, wanting to keep Harry from getting too nervous.
Severus and Harry looked at each other across the table. Severus had been thinking about this for a few days but the issue had never occurred to Harry. His life had been so insane for the past few days he was lucky he was thinking straight at all.
"Do you have any preference?" Severus asked nervously. Merlin, please don't let Harry answer that he wants to be named after the mutt or his foster father. Anyone but them. Severus may have reevaluated their seemingly worthless existences in the last few days but he still had absolutely no desire to see his son named for either of them.
"No. I mean, I could pick a good muggle name but I doubt you would ever name your son anything remotely muggle. I couldn't possibly pick a pureblood name out. Have you thought of anything?"
"I had been thinking of Tallis Anthony Snape. Do you have any objections?"
"Tallis Snape. Sounds ok I guess. At least it's not as bad as some pureblood names. I mean honestly, who names their son Lucius? Or Sirius for that matter."
"Tallis Snape. I like it Harry…I mean Tallis. Guess we should start now so we don't slip up when we get to Hogwarts" Hermione said.
"That would be disastrous" Snape responded. Ron and Hermione nodded solemnly. They would have to be careful. They could not give his identity away. This was the best option to keep him safe. There were still some obvious problems with the plan but it was slowly coming together. Not to mention the obvious benefit of Harry finally having a father. They would do whatever it took to keep the two of them together. They could tell that Snape had been good for Harry already. Harry had smiled more in the last few hours than he had in the last year at Hogwarts. A quick look at Bill confirmed that their suspicions were right and Harry was indeed much happier.
"You're going to need to call the Professor "father" now, won't you?" Hermione said. She knew she was pressing the matter a bit but she was concerned that Harry would never move on to use that name without a bit of prodding. He would worry too much about taking liberties that Snape would not want him to take. Harry second-guessed himself constantly.
"He can when he is ready to" Severus said quickly. Harry nodded and didn't say anything. He sat quietly for the remainder of the meal, pensively going over the past few days in his mind. The rest of the meal was rather quiet as everyone was thinking about what had happened and some of the men were planing what would happen.
"Well, I'm for bed. Anyone else?" Harry stood up, stretching.
"I'm tired too. I just got a new book and I stayed up late last night reading it" Hermione said as she too stood up. Severus quickly shot a look at the Weasley boys letting them know that they were to stay in their seats if they knew what was good for them.
"I might stay up for a bit, Harry. I haven't gotten to see my brother in quite a while." Harry smiled at Ron's plan to stay up late chatting with his brother. He knew they were close and that they missed each other. He walked over to give Bill a quick kiss and then left the room with Hermione, already chatting eagerly about her new book.
Bill and Ron turned expectantly toward Severus. "Well gentlemen, I believe we have a house call to make this evening."
"We're going tonight?" Bill asked quietly.
"Of course. I intend to give Harry his papers in the morning. I will not leave him here worrying himself sick over what may happen at the muggles while we are gone. It's best if we leave while he is sleeping."
"We should call Charlie and the twins." Ron said firmly.
"I will not take all of Gryffindor along on this trip" Severus said sharply.
"No one else, just those three. They deserve to be there. They deserve their revenge too. For Harry." Ron pleaded his case quietly but firmly. He was right and he knew it. Severus glared at him but finally wavered.
"Contact them when you floo your mother. For Merlin's sake boy, don't mention this to either one of your parents. They have entirely too many morals for the activities that will go on this evening." Bill and Ron nodded and smirked. Tonight they would finally get the chance to do what they had talked about doing since they met Harry. Severus smirked one last time and then quickly left the room to prepare. He had some muggles to deal with tonight.
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A/N: Tallis is the name I have picked out for my first boy so mocking future baby Vingilot's (I'm not pregnant yet) name will be greatly frowned upon. Umm…well, truthfully, it's not like I'll do anything though if you do review saying it is a terrible name. You are free to hate the name if you want to…my mother thinks it sounds like "towels" (she has a southern accent and somehow that makes Tallis sound like a completely different word…don't ask me) so I've gotten used to hearing her disapproval. I personally love the name.
I do believe I smell a bit of Dursley Confrontation in the next chapter!
Please review.