Startled from his sleep, Severus lay still, trying to decipher what woke him up.
Hearing nothing, he decided to go back to sleep. Just as he was drifting off, he heard it again: a soft sobbing breath.
Wondering what it was, Severus reached over to get his wand. He followed the sound, and found himself in front of the door to the boy's room.
He softly pushed the door open, and blinked.
The boy was nowhere to be seen.
Stupid boy. Severus growled to himself. Never should have –
His thoughts were cut off as he heard the whimper, the noise that woke him up.
After a closer inspection of the room, Severus caught a movement in the corner of his eye.
He turned, and wedged into the gap between bookshelf and wall, he found a pair of black-green eyes glistening with tear. He crouched down to the boy's level, looking at him for a second before reaching a hand toward him. The haze in the boy's eyes darkened for a second, before Severus heard a soft whisper of movement.
Wondering where the sound came from, Severus looked around the room, seeing nothing before turning back to the boy.
He heard the same whisper of movement, and looked down to find the same black-green eyes he was looking at earlier.
Though this time the body they occupied was a bit different.
Where previously there was a boy, now there was a snake, a spitting cobra to be exact. The cobra's scales were black, every now and then catching the light and giving off a flash of blood red. The black-green eyes were luminous, and a small tongue flickered out, tasting the air.
Severus stepped back, wondering what to do with his charge-turned-snake.
Finally, it all clicked into place. When they look for him, they're looking for a boy, not a snake. I must have frightened him, made him feel unsafe. I know that as an animal, they only have basic thoughts when the instincts take over.
He sighed, and stalked out of his rooms with the armful of poisonous cobra he had acquired whilst contemplating the boy.
--
Still dressed in his nightclothes, Severus hurried up to the Headmasters Office, careful not to drop the boy… snake… whatever.
After spitting the password ('sour gummy worms') at the gargoyle, he stepped onto the staircase, letting it carry him up to the office.
Severus stopped at the door, and was just about to knock when he head Dumbledore say "Come in Severus, what are you doing up this late?"
He sighed, and wondered how Dumbledore managed to do that time after time, as he opened the door and stepped in.
"Greetings Albus." He said to the old man sitting at the desk. "I was wondering if I could consult with you about our… new arrival."
The pyjama-clad Headmaster raised an eyebrow at Severus, who sighed and reached into his robes to extricate the black cobra that had worked its way next to his skin on the journey there. He placed it on the desk.
"Then I suppose you can do something about this new development then."
Severus thought that seeing Albus look genuinely surprised was almost worth the trek up there. He hid a smile and gently picked the snake back up, sitting on one of those infernal squishy armchairs.
Dumbledore just sat there stunned for a second, before blinking and shaking his head. He pulled his wand from one of his many pockets, and cast a spell Severus didn't recognise.
When nothing happened, Dumbledore frowned and cast the spell a second time, firmer.
This time Severus could feel the power in the air, He shivered as something tickled his chest, and felt a weight rest on his stomach.
After a minute Albus sighed and sat back down, shrugging at the look Severus sent him. "An old spell." He explained. "Sends any normal Animagus back into their natural form. Unless of course, they are a Metamorphmagus, shapeshifter or Multi-Animagus, as they have enough power to retain their form. Fortunately, these are rare so most of the time one does not have to worry."
Rolling his eyes, Severus reached back into his robes, but instead of feeling cool scales against his skin, his fingers encountered sleek fur. Surprised, he pulled out a large armful of black fur, which mewed softly and stretched, revealing itself to be a half-grown panther with black-green eyes.
Severus was the first to break the stunned silence. "Well I guess that answers that question. He is definitely not a muggle or a normal Animagus."
"Hmm…" Albus replied. "Only the most powerful wizards are multi-Animagus. I myself can take two different forms, that of eagle and phoenix. That boy is most definitely a wizard, and a powerful one at that. Severus, tomorrow it is your duty to get the boy the necessary equipment. Oh, and keep an eye out for any more surprises."
Severus nodded before gathering the animal up and stalking back down into the dungeons to his rooms. Little did he know that the boy – cub's mind was racing.
--
Wizard? Me? I can't be a wizard, I'm nobody. Just a freak and a murderer. What was this Animagus thing they were talking about? Suddenly the image of a dark-haired man turning into a stag flashed through his mind. Oh… people that can turn into animals.
Maybe if I can do that, they wouldn't throw me out. I'm a freak, so they have every right to. I like the dark man, Severus. He's nice.
Another voice spoke up. But they change… they always do. Don't let down your guard, and don't trust them. They will turn on you, and it will hurt. Don't trust them.
--
Severus greeted Lord Slytherin with a nod before striding into his rooms.
Not knowing what else to do, Severus settled the panther on the bed, curled around it, and went to sleep.
--
Severus woke to the pre-dawn light streaming in through the top window in the high vaulted ceiling. He opened his eyes sleepily and stretched, feeling his joints crack.
In a rush, the previous night's event came back to him, and he searched the bedclothes frantically only to find no sign of boy, cub or snake. He searched the rest of the room in vain, still not finding him.
He walked into the common room, and stopped still, taking out his wand.
There, curled up in one of the chairs, was the bundle of sleek fur Severus had taken up to Dumbledore last night.
Putting away his wand, he moved into the kitchen where he began to make breakfast. Severus always made his own meals. House-elves were too incompetent to be bothered with.
Once the bacon, eggs, toast and juice were ready, he carried the tray out to the common room. Putting the tray down on the low table in the centre of the room, Severus sat down on the sofa opposite the boy.
After a couple seconds the ball of fur moved, changing silently back into the winged boy. Severus smiled, and began to tuck in to the breakfast he had prepared.
He was about halfway through when he looked up and saw the boy in the same place that he had left him: curled in the armchair with his wings wrapped around him, eyes downcast.
Severus sighed, put down his knife and fork, and addressed the boy.
"You can eat, you know. I'm not going to deprive you of food because you did something unexpected." He said.
The boy looked up with hopeful eyes. Severus nodded, and went back to eating his own breakfast.
He watched the boy out of the corner of his eyes, and was satisfied to see him eating the toast in front of him politely.
Once both of them were full, Severus sat back and looked at the boy.
"You know what we talked about last night? About your name?" He asked.
The boy nodded in reply.
"Well I need a small amount of your blood to complete a Genus potion I have made. It will tell me who your parents are."
Again, the boy nodded.
"Good." Severus said. "Follow me."
--
He led the boy across the corridor into his Potions classroom. Above his desk there was a locked cabinet which Severus opened, and reached in to bring out a bubbly green potion.
He placed it on the desk and handed a small jewelled knife to the boy. "Three drops. No more, no less." He ordered.
With a nod the boy raised the knife and calmly cut into his wrist. Severus watched in amazement as he unflinchingly let precisely three drops of blood fall into the potion.
Severus then stirred the potion six times counter clockwise and waited.
Sure enough, after a few seconds two faces with names appeared in the air above the potion.