DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER

Chapter 4

Harry and Sirius were sitting in the kitchen of the Noble house of Black. They were both silent, avoiding the one subject they had never wished they had to talk about: Snape's partnership with Voldemort.

"Harry, we'll have to talk about this at some point," Sirius said quietly.

"I know, but I just don't want to. I mean, he is my father, and it just feels wrong to talk about him like this," Harry answered.

"But you never would have had this problem if you never found out that he was your father. Am I right?"

"Well – yes. But there's one thing I don't understand: Why do I look so much like James Potter, and why is my name not Harry Snape?"

"Your looks, I cannot explain - that's Muggle science – but the last name I have a theory for. Severus obviously didn't want anyone to know that he had a son, especially a son from the person he was supposedly fighting against. I know that Severus and Lily were dating for a while, which is probably where you came into the picture. They eventually separated, and Lily and James got married. You were born shortly after. I guess everyone assumed that she got pregnant with you before the wedding, and they just wanted to get married before she had you."

"Okay, but I still want to know why I look so much like James."

"Maybe Snape put a charm on you to make you look like James so no one would doubt that you were his son."

"That's possible." Right after Harry said this, the doorbell rang, along with the screams of Mrs. Black's portrait.

"That'll be Dumbledore," Sirius said as he stood up to go answer the door. A few moments later, a man with long silver hair and an even longer beard walked into the small kitchen.

"Ah, Harry. I haven't seen you since the Triwizard Tournament last year. Great job with that, m'boy," Dumbledore greeted Harry.

"Heh – thank you, sir."

"So I assume you know why I'm here."

"Dumbledore, we all know you know trust Snape completely, but you should listen to some things that have happened between Harry and him before you jump to defend him."

"I will listen, but that does not mean I will stop trusting him, Sirius. He has proven very loyal when the time calls for it."

"Um, does hiding that he has a son included in being loyal?" Harry asked.

"Well I do find not telling at least me that he has a son shows disloyalty, but that does not lower my trust."

"Alright. So here's what has been going on since spring," Sirius said. Harry and Sirius started to list off everything that had happened over the summer, while Dumbledore showed no emotion.

"So, what do you think sir?" Harry asked quietly.

"I agree that some of those things are horrible, but you must know that your father is a good man. He means well in whatever he does."

"But did he really have to send that dream to me? I'm his son, and couldn't he have just used –" Harry was interrupted by a loud crack outside. There was a woman calling to Harry, and she recognized the voice as Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Harry! Little baby Harry! Come out! The Dark Lord wants to play." On the last word, the house was buffeted with a number of spells. The trio of wizards ran outside. Voldemort and Bellatrix were standing and waiting for them to make the first move. Harry felt as if there were something wrong. He realized it as he scanned his surroundings: his father was nowhere to be seen. Harry turned to face his opponents. He found the way they were standing odd. Voldemort seemed to be protecting Bellatrix. She also seemed different, very tired, and she didn't seem to have the old rage in her eyes.

"Well, Harry Potter. The time has come to duel me, the Dark Lord," Voldemort said. He quickly stupefied Dumbledore and Sirius, leaving Harry on his own against him and Bellatrix.

"Well I'm ready to fight you anytime, anywhere, as long as you have the ideals that you do," Harry retorted. Voldemort stepped forward and tried to use the Imperius Curse to make Harry come face to face with him. It didn't work since Harry had a lot of free will, but he felt really drained after resisting.

"Crucio!" The strength of Voldemort's spell brought Harry to his knees in pain. A huge grin came across the Dark Lord's face while Bellatrix smirked. The magic stopped and Harry slowly stood.

"You coward. You have to use torture just to get what you want. You can't fight like a man. Immobulus!" Voldemort blocked Harry's Freezing Charm. Harry noticed that Bellatrix had yet to fight. He realized that, even though it would be a hard and cruel shot, he had to hit her with something to catch Voldemort off guard. He scanned through all of his wizarding training, and even some things his father had taught him in the last six months. How will I distract Voldemort though? Harry thought.

"Incendio," Voldemort muttered as a stream of fire came from his wand and Harry countered it with Aguamenti. The Dark Lord seemed to be annoyed with this child-play. He used the Cruciatus Curse again on Harry. It took him a while to stand up, but during the time that he was down, Harry figured out how he would distract the Dark Lord.

Once he stood up, Harry yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" A white stag burst from his wand and Voldemort and Bellatrix were dumbfounded. Harry kept the stream just long enough before he broke the connection. After, he yelled "Sectumsempra!" Harry pointed the spell at Bellatrix. Voldemort was broken from his trance at her screams of pain from the heat that seared large cuts into her body. She fell to the ground, whimpering from the pain. The Dark Lord ran to her side.

"NO! BELLA! NO!" Voldemort yelled and now raged at Harry, "YOU! YOU DID THIS! I LOVE HER! SHE'S CARRYING MY CHILD! Bella, Bella! Please, wake up. Vulnera Sanentur," he whispered. Harry could hear Bellatrix struggling to catch her breath. Moments later, Harry ran to Sirius' and Dumbledore's sides. "Ennervate," he said softly. The men woke up slowly. Harry had not noticed that Voldemort and Bellatrix Disapparated.

Dumbledore spoke first, "Where did Tom and Bellatrix go?"

Harry plopped down, held his head in his hands, and refused to answer.

"Harry, I need you to answer. Where are they?" Harry still refused to speak.

"Harry –" Sirius said with a tone of impatience.

"THEY GOT AWAY! ALRIGHT? IT'S MY FAULT! I hurt her… I used Sectumsempra on a pregnant woman…"

"What? There was no pregnant woman here, Harry," Sirius said confusedly.

"Bellatrix is. She's carrying the spawn of that – that monster," Harry said this and just curled up into a ball.

"Sirius, we need to get Harry to a safe house."

"Arthur's?"

"No, it can't be someone in the Order."

"Then who?"

"Lily's only remaining family - the Dursleys."

"No, Dumbledore. You can't send him there. They're some of the worst Muggles."

"Then where do you suggest, Sirius?"

"I remember Harry saying something about Hermione Granger camping with her parents in The Forest of Dean one summer. We can take him there."

"Well, it's as good as anything, I suppose." Dumbledore walked over to Harry, "Harry, m'boy, get up. We're taking you to a safe place." Harry stood and they Apparated to The Forest of Dean. Dumbledore conjured tools and bewitched them to build a small cabin. Sirius started to put the wards around the area. Once everything was finished, the three wizards walked into the cabin. Harry was not surprised that when he walked into the living room, it was the size of a classroom in Hogwarts. It was just like the tent that the Weasleys had for the Quidditch World Cup last summer. They got settled and Dumbledore set some tea to boil and food to cook.

"So Dumbledore, what was the news you had for us?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, well Harry, you won't like this, not at all, as it concerns the girl you are seeing."

"What? Ginny? What's wrong?"

"Well, Harry, she's missing." Harry was dumbstruck. He stood up with his wand grasped in his hand and ran out the door.