A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support and showing me such love as you have. I've been trying to respond to your reviews as they come in, if your questions require further clarification. This is definitely starting to become one of my all-time favorite fics. Hope you enjoy.

Fishy Business

Pinching the bridge of his nose and suppressing yet another groan, Severus covered his eyes and shook his head. This was not going at all like he had thought it would. They would be lucky if his father didn't burn their rooms down at this point.

"Okay, um, let's try this," Severus said, doing his very best to keep his patience from wearing thin. "You watch me as I demonstrate. Then, we'll do it together. All right?"

Tobias sighed loudly, glancing at the wand he was using warily.

"Son, on second thought maybe this ain't such a good idea."

"Dad, it's fine. Really. You wanted to learn, so . . . let's try again?" He slowly raised up his own wand. "Lumos," he murmured, a warm light quickly appearing at the tip of his wand. He then flicked his wrist and extinguished the light nonverbally. He could see his father's wariness grow and gave his father the most encouraging smile he could muster. "Successful casting relies mostly on intentions, Dad. So, keep your thoughts on your purpose of lighting the tip, and it'll work."

Tobias gave a soft snort and shook his head. "If you say so."

Severus crossed his arms at once. Maybe if he tried a different approach . . . "Perhaps it's your negativity, Dad, that's causing you to fail at the easiest spell known to man." He caught his father's brows furrow together instantly.

"It ain't my negativity that's the problem!" Tobias shot back.

"No? Then, please, by all means," Severus drawled, "do enlighten me as to what exactly the problem is." If his father said it was Severus whom was the problem, Severus was going to punch him. There was no way he was the problem. He was being the most patient he had ever been before.

"Don't ya dare talk to me like that, young man," Tobias growled, pointing his finger at him. "I'm yer father! I may not been around for almost twelve of yer years, but, damn it, son, you are still my boy! So ya better adopt a better tone with me, or I'll find the nearest witch around here and tell her all about that cute little birthmark on yer ass, got it?"

Severus blinked, and his jaw dropped. What . . . ? He stared at his father for a good few minutes, hearing Harrison's giddy giggles behind him as the young imp looked on from the sofa.

"Now, it ain't the negativity, Severus. It's," Tobias paused, using Severus's stunned silence to speak, "well, shit—for almost twelve goddamn years I've wondered if I had killed those people, son. If I just, ya know, lost it and poof. Or rather boom, I guess," he corrected, scratching his head with a frown. "I mean, yeah, I did ask ya to teach me, but . . . I don't wanna lose ya, Severus. Not again. I don't think—I can't go through that again, ya know?"

"You're not going to lose me."

"Ya don't know that. All it takes is just one moment and then everythin' changes."

Severus glanced away instantly, unable to look his father in the eye and see the terrible pain in his father's eyes any longer. "Dad . . ." His voice faltered slightly. He then sighed quietly. It had been nine days since he had been reunited with his father, and he still didn't know the man as well as he should have. And the same was true vice versa as well.

"Hey, ya don't gotta say a thing, Severus."

He gave a quiet laugh, reluctantly turning back to look towards his father. "No, Dad. I do. We don't know a thing about one another."

"Sure we do," Tobias replied with a wide grin. "Some git decided to get even with me and framed me for those murders, takin' me away from ya and yer mum by gettin' me locked away in that cottage ya found me in. And you, well, ya fell into a bad crowd after I was gone and made some mistakes. What's more to know?"

Was it that simple? Was that all there was to know about each other? Severus shook his head, turning to pick Harrison up. He rolled his eyes when the little brat instantly rested his head onto Severus's shoulder. He had never seen such a clingy child before.

"Maybe you could tell me how you passed the time, Dad, after they dumped you in that cottage?" Severus asked with a shrug, settling down into the sofa.

"Not much happened actually. I'd write letters to yer mum and you, pass them off to Chloe once I was done, and then wait. Chloe would sometimes bring me a book. Didn't understand most of 'em, as they were wizard stuff. But the pictures were interestin'. Then I got that package yer mum sent with the album . . . and a few of yer old schoolbooks come to think of it."

"My schoolbooks?" Severus's brows furrowed in confusion. Why would she have sent them?

"Yeah." Tobias shook his head. "I never figured out why she sent them, though. Didn't make much sense to me. I mean, at first I thought it was so I could give 'em to ya if ya came by, but ya didn't." He then chuckled, something coming to mind. "First book I opened, I saw yer little corrections to it and had to laugh. Ya always were such a bright boy."

"Do you recall what books she sent?"

Scratching his head, Tobias thought for a minute. "Think they were all . . . I . . ." He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. Why do ya ask?"

"I thought maybe it was a message or something. Like she sent them as a code for help or where she was or . . ."

"Ya really think Roger's the one who did this, don't ya, son?"

"I do." Severus gently rubbed Harrison's back, feeling the young toddler nuzzle further into his chest. It was strange how comforting it was to have Harrison in his arms. Who would have known a sleepy toddler would be so soothing?

For the first time in years, he considered telling someone the full truth about Roger. He knew he had to get it off his chest one way or another, as he had already cracked the dam earlier by directing the Aurors to Roger in the first place. When Harrison yawned up at him sleepily a moment later, thought, Severus felt the dam burst wide open. It was those damn eyes, hidden underneath the speckles of brown now. Or maybe that was just what lie he was going to tell himself this time to make himself feel better.

"I get why you don't believe it, Dad. Why you can't believe that it's him. But the man you would go drinking with every now and then, I don't think that was the true side of him that you saw." He glanced towards his father, noticing the other man's confusion. "At first, he was nice. Wanting to help Mum and me around the house or with other stuff. But then the mask came off, Dad." He closed his eyes and turned away before he continued. "The first time, I believed him when he said he hadn't meant to hit me. That it was an accident. I thought about telling Mum, but she seemed so happy and things were going good it seemed. At least for her. I didn't want to make her sad again. So, I believed him.

"It kept up, though. Away from Mum's eyes. But if she would notice something, he'd make some excuse, roughhousing or I got into a fight with some kid, and I'd lie to her and go along with his excuses." A flash of pain crossed his face before he sighed. "Every single time, he would try something just to get me to start something with him so he could go to Mum later and tell her that I just flew mad at him for no reason. And, of course, she'd believe him." He glanced towards his dad. "Because it's not like it would be too far-fetched to believe, considering how many fights I was getting into at school back then. And it's not like I told her the truth and told her what sort of man he was either. I was too stupid for that. So I let it go on and escalate."

Harrison's head lifted up slowly, likely sensing Severus's turmoil inside. The little boy turned his head one way first and then the other way as he watched Severus speak.

"Owie?" Harrison softly asked once Severus had finished. He waited for half a second before he hugged Severus warmly. When he pulled back soon after, he gave him that 'Is it better now?' look.

Giving the little brat a faint smile in return, the young man gently pressed a kiss against the boy's forehead. "Thank you, brat." Harrison giggled loudly before he settled back against him. The familiar ache in his chest was lessening, as was the heaviness. In fact, he felt loads lighter now, the words coming much easier than before.

"When I wouldn't play along, he'd punish me." He glanced back towards his father, seeing the man's sadness in his eyes. He quickly looked away, his voice shaking slightly. Maybe he should stop talking as it was clear he was hurting his father as well as himself. But he found that he couldn't. The words were tumbling out, the truth setting him free finally. "He'd punch me over and over again, kicking me when his fist would get tired, making sure not to leave any visible marks. If Mum knew, though, . . ." The anger suddenly bubbled up inside as the guilt swirled around before it erupted out of him. "I should have fucking told her, Dad. Proved to her that I was telling the truth. That he was the one full of shit, not me." The anger dripped off each word. "But, no. I couldn't do it, because I didn't want to hurt her. Disappoint her." When he felt his dad's hand suddenly on his shoulder, he glanced up at him. His father had moved to stand right next to him.

"Son, she'd never have thought that about ya. Yer mum loves you more than anything in the world." Tobias squeezed his shoulder gently before he jerked his head towards the end of the sofa. "Scoot over, will ya?" Severus did as his father asked, giving his father some space to sit beside him. "Ya know, sittin' in that damn cottage for so long, I've had time to figure things out. Get some perspective on things."

Severus's eyes narrowed but he waited patiently for his father to continue.

"So, I get now why she was so upset with me that night. She wanted yer birthday to be freakin' amazin'. Hell, I bet she was gonna bake you one of her famous cakes or something, but I didn't bring the milk home . . . so she couldn't."

Oh.

"Severus, everythin' she did, she did for you. You, my boy, are her life, her pride and joy. Believe me when I say that."

A touch of guilt took over for a moment. "I should've said something."

"And I should've bought that damn milk like yer mum wanted. But, ya know, we can't change that now, son. All we can do is move on. Otherwise, we're lost in the past, son, and that ain't any good 'cause we'll miss out on the future as well."

"Yeah."

Severus sighed, thinking about Lily for half a moment. Would he have been lost in the past, stuck on Lily, for the rest of his life if his future self hadn't come back to mess with things? When he had heard that she had died, he had felt like his world had shifted completely, turned on its head. But now, it felt different, not so topsy-turvy. While her ranting letter about him had thrown a bucket full of ice on his feelings for her, it had given him perspective as well. She had moved on. Sure, it was with that arrogant toe rag James Potter, but she still had made her choice.

He then frowned as another thought occurred to him. He had begged the Dark Lord to spare her once he had known that the Dark Lord intended to go after the Potters. She, however, had stepped in front of her son, choosing death instead of the life Severus had begged the Dark Lord for. She never would have been Severus's. Perhaps if he had never chosen the Dark Arts, maybe, but even then it wasn't guaranteed that they'd be together and live happily ever after. The pieces suddenly fell into place. That was the thing his future self had wanted him to figure out for himself, that Lily wasn't his and never was but that there was one whom is if he'd just let go of Lily and see the other.

He glanced back down at Harrison. For now, though, he'd focus on being a father rather than his love life. He snorted quietly. If what his future self had said was still correct, then that could wait until later once everything else was settled first.

It was hope! That was what it was that he was feeling now with Harrison. Or was it love? He hadn't had much experience with either, though, so he supposed it could be either one. Harrison certainly brought out both emotions, though. He closed his eyes then and let the silence continue to fall around the three peacefully.

"Dad?" Severus asked after a few minutes had passed, another thought popping up.

"Yeah?" Tobias grunted quietly.

"Could I ask what you did spend the money on instead of the milk?"

Tobias smiled sadly. "Not the whiskey yer mum thought. I actually spent it on a bit of wood." He chuckled when Severus looked confused. "I was gonna make ya a owl out of it with a holder in it for yer letter when it came."

He stared at his father before he shook his head. "Why didn't you tell her that? That you spent it on wood for my gift?" If Tobias had just told Eileen that, then . . .

His father gave a soft self-deprecating laugh. "Because she wouldn't have believed me, Sev. I mean, it wasn't like she wasn't ever right about me spendin' our money on whiskey instead of whatever we needed that day. I did that loads of times over the years unfortunately. Tryin' to numb the pain and other such shit like that. So, it wouldn't have done a bit of good for me to tell her about the wood, because she'd have just thought I was a lyin' ol' bastard as it was."

Severus glumly thought it might have helped, though.

"But, shit, one good thing did come from me bein' locked away for so long." Severus's head whipped towards him. "I had time to get myself under control. To stop drinkin' and such. Almost twelve years sober actually if ya can believe it." Tobias rubbed the back of his neck quietly. "That not knowin' what had happened in that pub, havin' all these people breathin' down my neck and claimin' I had killed people . . . shit, it was a wake-up call to me." Tobias then laughed awkwardly. "Hey, how about we stop being so depressin', hmm?"

"And talk about what instead?"

"Hell if I know," his father drawled, shrugging.

"Well, you're loads of help."

Tobias chuckled, shaking his head. "Never said I was much help, son."

Severus rolled his eyes before he glanced towards Harrison who was squirming and wiggling against him. Loosening up his hold on the little boy, he watched Harrison scoot to the edge before swinging his feet over the edge.

"What are you up to, brat?" he asked the mischievous toddler.

Harrison then pointed enthusiastically towards the floor, clearly irritated that Severus wasn't able to understand him. "Down!" he cried, his little arms waving frantically. When Severus raised a brow, a more demanding tone erupted from the little boy. "Down! Down, Dada! Down!"

Severus grabbed him at once and set him down onto the floor. The moment he released the boy, though, he regretted it. Harrison took off running towards the window before bumping into it, his face now firmly pressed against the glass.

"Ishy!" Harrison yelled out muffled by the glass before he whirled around to look back at Severus. With a wobble, though, he fell onto his butt a moment later, still excited by whatever fish he saw in the lake. "Ishy! Ook! Ishy!"

"Yeah, that is a big fishy, ain't it?" Tobias replied, chuckling as he rose to stand.

Severus rolled his eyes before he glanced towards the fire that was flickering in the fireplace. His eyes narrowed for a moment prior to seeing the familiar face appear in the flames. His good mood slowly vanished.

"Forgive my intrusion," Albus Dumbledore stated quietly from the fireplace, "but I wish to speak with you privately for a few moments, Severus. If you could step through, please?"

"Go on, son," Tobias urged, his hands loosely around Harrison to keep him from running towards the flames. "I got this."

Severus glanced down at Harrison then, noticing the little boy's confused look. No doubt, the little boy was worried that he wouldn't see him again either.

"I'll be there in a moment, Headmaster," Severus replied briskly, not bothering to look at the fireplace. Once he heard the soft pop that signaled that Albus's head had returned to his office, Severus calmly then walked over to Harrison, kneeling down in front of the boy. "It's okay," he murmured, making sure to meet Harrison's fearful eyes. "I'm going to be back here in just a few minutes, Harrison. I promise. Do you understand me?" When the little boy launched himself towards him and wrapped his little arms around Severus's neck a moment later, Severus closed his eyes briefly, feeling the familiar flicker inside grow even more. This sweet little boy was so full of love. "Everything's going to be all right, brat. I just need to speak with the Headmaster about something." He felt Harrison's little body start to shake as the toddler started to cry. "Hey, no tears. Everything's fine. Grandpa's here with you."

"Dada!" Harrison wailed, though. His grip on Severus tightened instantly. It was as if the little boy was convinced this would be the last time he would ever see Severus.

At that realization, a terrible pit emerged in Severus's stomach, increasing with each tearful wail of 'Dada' from Harrison. If he had more time, then maybe he . . . He gently hugged the scared little boy back before he murmured a soft spell. It was the only way to ensure his leaving was as painless as possible for both of them, he reasoned. The moment he felt Harrison's body slacken, he sighed quietly and picked the little boy up into his arms, carrying him over to the sofa. He then caught his father's look.

"Ya do know that ain't exactly the right way to handle that, right?" Tobias asked sarcastically.

"It was better than allowing the brat to become hysterical," Severus replied gruffly, not liking at all the guilt churning inside of him currently. "And, well, it's only for a bit until I return." His frown deepened when he saw his father's disapproving look. What other option was there? Spelling Harrison asleep was the best way. He was certain of it. As the moments dragged on, the guilt increased until it finally just burst out of him. "All right. Okay, you're right, Dad," he conceded, throwing his hands up into the air. "Using my magic to spell him asleep isn't the correct method, but I didn't have time to reason with a seventeen-month-old." Or rather sixteen-month-old, he corrected silently.

"Fine." His dad shrugged. "Just be ready to deal with the consequences of that later, all right? Cause trust me. He's likely gonna be crabby with ya when he wakes up."

"He can't understand—"

"He's seventeen months old. So, I hate to break it to ya, son, but even at that age they do get a whole hell of a lot right now. He just can't always explain it to ya in words."

"So you're saying that he'll—"

"Know that ya did somethin' to him to make him sleep, yes. And he's gonna be crabby over it." Tobias then shrugged. "Cause the way he just hugged ya, it don't take a rocket scientist to get that he at least knows the two people he previously thought were Mum and Dad left him. He may not know how or why, but he knows that deep down. It's why he's so clingy with ya. Boy's got some abandonment issues goin' on."

Severus glared. "Since when did you become an expert in child psychology?"

Tobias chuckled in return. "I ain't an expert. I'm just tellin' ya what I see." He then motioned towards the door. "Ya better get goin' before ya get into trouble."

It took him a moment before he realized why Tobias had motioned towards the door. His father didn't know that he could just use the Floo instead.

"You'll watch him?"

"With my life," Tobias replied. "You'll tell me later if there's any news about your mum?"

Severus nodded. "Of course." He then glanced at the fireplace. "Please, don't be alarmed, but I'm going to need to use the Floo, Dad. And to use it, I need to—"

"Step into the fire," Tobias said quietly. "Yeah, I got that. Just don't burn yerself."

Giving his father a faint smile, he grabbed a bit of the Floo powder before he stepped in and called out his destination, "Headmaster's Office." The flames enveloped him suddenly before he emerged from the fireplace in the large office.

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside the office. Several candles were lit, but without the curtains being open it was a losing battle. The second thing he noticed was Dumbledore standing at a cabinet to the side with his back to Severus. He watched as Dumbledore pressed the tip of his wand to his temple before a silvery-white strand emerged. He waited silently and watched as Dumbledore added this strand to the Pensieve.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Severus called out respectfully a moment later, his hands clasping behind his back.

Dumbledore gave him a sad smile. "You need not show me so much respect, my boy," the old wizard quietly murmured. "We both know I do not deserve it anymore."

Severus's head turned slightly in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

Again, Dumbledore smiled sadly before he motioned to a chair, slowly walking towards his desk. Once they both sat down, he spoke again. "A, shall we say, ghost from the future visited me some days back. One that I believe you have had the pleasure of speaking with as well, judging by recent events." He didn't wait to hear Severus's response. "You must understand me, my boy. I never meant for so many to feel such pain by my actions. I truly did believe it was the right way."

Severus's eyes narrowed even more, his brows furrowing. He believed what was the right way? What had Severus's Future self shown Dumbledore exactly?

"I did as you asked of me that day, Severus. I hid James and Lily away with their son. I even suggested to them to perform the Fidelius Charm on my family's home to add further protections." He shook his head. "You know how well that turned out, though."

"They were betrayed, Headmaster," Severus argued, having read all about the Prophet's version.

"So it seems." He shook his head again. "But whether that was by Sirius Black or not has yet to be seen, I'm afraid."

Severus clenched his jaw briefly. "You then disagree with the Prophet?"

"Don't you?" Dumbledore replied, glancing over his spectacles at him knowingly.

Severus felt the familiar tinge of guilt wiggle inside. Did he believe that Sirius Black had sold out James and Lily to the Dark Lord? If he were honest, he'd grudgingly admit he didn't. But he didn't want to be honest with himself about Black.

"I understand your feelings, Severus."

He scoffed at once, giving Dumbledore a look of disbelief. "You understand them, sir?" He shook his head. Half the time now even he didn't understand them anymore.

"With Sirius in Azkaban, you feel as if he's finally received the proper punishment for what occurred between you two during your school years. After all, you are right, Severus. Sirius's prank very likely could have killed you, had it not been for James."

"But?" Severus said bitterly, knowing that Dumbledore wasn't finished.

"But I wonder if we aren't perhaps believing a fabricated version in hopes to believe that someone is being punished ultimately. Much like your father's incarceration, I would imagine."

"My father didn't kill anyone, sir," Severus spat out.

"No. He didn't, but—"

"If you called me up here, sir, to discuss theories on how Black of all people is somehow innocent, then forgive me, sir, but I must take my leave. Now!"

"That is not why I called you here, Severus," Dumbledore replied with a quiet sigh. "I called you here to explain a few things to you. A sort of atonement, I suppose, for my errors."

"And Black is one of them, sir?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Dumbledore inclined his head. "He is." He then pinched his lips together before he continued. "I allowed my feelings about my own House to supersede the seriousness of James and Sirius's transgressions against the other Houses. Against you, Severus."

Severus quickly stood up, unable to sit there any longer. He needed to move about the room freely to remove himself from Dumbledore's admission. Why did everyone feel the need to admit their errors to him now? To bring up the past yet again and force him to recall that wretched time again.

"Yes, I've heard those particular lines quite a bit recently, Headmaster. The last time was from McGonagall actually." Severus allowed his hands to clasp behind his back again.

"She means her words, my boy, as do I."

He whirled around, his eyes flashing dangerously. "All due respect, what good does your words do me now, sir?" He saw the pain instantly cross Dumbledore's face before the older wizard glanced down and hung his head.

"You're right. They do no good to you now."

"So why utter them then, sir? Why waste your breath on me?"

Dumbledore lifted his head up slowly, meeting his eyes again. "Because I should have stood up for you back then, Severus. I should have punished them more severely than I did. I should not have allowed their tormenting of you, of anyone, to carry on as it had. I was wrong, my boy."

"Well, congratulations, sir," Severus bitterly replied. "But, again, it does me no good now." He then stepped towards Dumbledore. "Perhaps if you had stood up for me back then, things would have turned out differently. But you didn't. Instead, you allowed your little gang of precious Lions to terrorize half the school without a single one of you raising a finger and telling them to knock it the hell off! Not one of you did anything remotely productive to prevent it. Not one! Yet, here you are, sir, telling me how sorry all of you are for what happened." He scoffed. "So, forgive me for thinking all of you are full of shit, sir! When I needed you, all of you, you turned your backs to me. And why? Because of which goddamn House I belonged to, sir!"

Severus could feel himself shaking now. He couldn't stop even if he wanted to at this point. All the rage that had been building inside for years was bursting forth.

"Hogwarts was the very first place I felt at home!" he exclaimed. "Felt safe. And, guess what, sir? That feeling didn't even last one goddamn day before Potter and Black tried to ruin it! But in Slytherin, in the dungeons, they couldn't take that part of the castle from me. That, sir, is why the Dark Lord has been so damn successful in his recruiting! Slytherins stick together, because no one else will fight for us. Show us our worth. Our value!"

"Hear, hear!" the nasally voice of Phineas Nigellus cried out from his portrait.

"I am so sorry, my boy," Albus whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Truly, I am."

"Your apologies do me no good, though. Because all they are, sir, are words. Meaningless words. Not you. Not Minerva. None of you mean it. They're just empty words."

"The wand I gave you, Severus," Dumbledore began, his eyes pleading with Severus's. "That wand is the one I won from Grindelwald. That wand is—"

"Is a wand, sir," Severus replied with a scoff. "I already have one. Why on earth would I need another? Let alone a wand that had been used by another Dark wizard."

"No, Severus. It is much more than just another wand. It's the Elder Wand."

That gave Severus pause instantly. He had read about that legendary wand extensively in his Hogwarts' years.

"You gave me the Elder Wand?" Severus then felt a headache starting. "Why in the Nine Hells would you give me that wand, sir?" He then scoffed as a thought came to him. "A wand with a bloody history, full of murder, yes, I see it now perfectly, sir. Bravo. You'll get rid of me—"

"No, Severus. It's meant to be with you."

"Meant to be with me? What madness are you talking about?"

"Our ghost showed me that." Dumbledore then gave a quiet laugh. "I don't think he intended to, though, but I saw it nonetheless."

"Well, I don't want it. You can keep your cursed wand, sir. I, for one, would much rather enjoy my life without the fear of being stabbed in the heart by some thief in the middle of the night." His eyes then narrowed. "Wait a minute. You sent me a cloak as well." He then stared at him dumbfounded.

"Yes, Severus. The second Hallow." Dumbledore sighed quietly, glancing down at his hands. "James Potter entrusted it to me prior to his death, I'm afraid. Perhaps you could give it as a gift for your son once he is older?"

Severus stared at Dumbledore, his mouth opening slightly. "So, you do know then? About . . .?"

"How your son came to be with you? Yes." Dumbledore gave a wistful smile. A part of Severus was glad to hear Dumbledore use the word 'son' when referring to Harrison. "Yet another thing the ghost showed me."

"I see." Severus fought the urge to draw his wand and Obliviate the wizard in front of him. After all, Dumbledore hadn't turned him into the Aurors yet. So there was no need to overreact quite yet.

"You have nothing to worry about, my boy, I assure you."

"Is that right?" Severus glanced upwards and shook his head.

"I've seen what would've occurred if I had reached him first that night. And, unfortunately, you are right. His maternal family would have likely treated him poorly. Though, with her on the run now after her husband's murder . . ." He shook his head silently. "You, however, have shown the boy so much love and kindness. All of which you both deserve." Dumbledore then smiled politely. "Perhaps he'll heal the wounds we inflicted upon you, Severus."

"That's not—"

"You misunderstand me. I did not state that was your intention. I know they were pure and selfless. Your son deserves a loving home, and you can provide that. That's all."

Severus felt himself start to relax slightly. Dumbledore wasn't trying to take Harrison from him. He was trusting Severus with him. In fact, he was actually making a point of referring to Harrison as Severus's son, even though he knew the truth.

"Your concerns about your son's appearance are needless, I assure you."

He blinked, staring back at Dumbledore. He wasn't surprised that Dumbledore knew of those fears, because he knew that the wizard was a good reader of people. But how was it possible that he didn't need to worry about anyone recognizing Harry?

"Only six people ever visited them, myself included. The others were Bathilda Bagshot, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Who was the sixth?" Severus asked, unable to hold back his question. "And what about healers? Mediwizards? Mediwitches?" There had to be more than just six.

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore then forced an awkward smile. "The sixth person is a healer I know who works at St. Mungo's. I was the one who introduced her to them for pre- and postnatal care. Normally, I'd have sent Poppy, but she was unavailable at the time."

Severus frowned. "Is there a reason you aren't telling me this healer's name?"

"Well, yes, I'm afraid." Dumbledore then held up a hand to silence Severus. "Her name is Syra, and I've been informed that you saw her recently with Harrison."

Severus's stomach dropped. The icy blond healer who had interrupted Narcissa that day?

"She sent me an owl an hour after you had left St. Mungo's with Harrison, wondering what was going on. Luckily, I had been visited by the ghost of the future beforehand, so I was able to smooth things over with her and explain to her that it was part of my plan."

"She believed you?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, you would not have been the first I had sent to St. Mungo's with a child for her to see, Severus."

His eyes narrowed immediately. "Then, Narcissa was telling the truth. There are other children whose identities have been altered."

"Yes. From both sides," Dumbledore stated calmly. "The Death Eaters would bring them to hide evidence of their trysts with Muggles or Muggleborns. Order members, on the other hand, brought these children in so that they would be given a clean slate, safe in other words. Predominately, these children were orphans, the last of their bloodlines. The Auror previously in charge of your father's case, in fact, Chloe I believe she went by, was a child the Order rescued and gave a fresh start."

"The healer who saved her?" Severus asked quietly. "Was that this Syra?"

"Yes." Dumbledore inclined his head. "The Death Eaters use Narcissa, and we use Syra."

"How many children have you done this to?"

"Enough," he answered softly. "We keep an eye on them. Offer assistance when we can. Guide them onto certain paths sometimes. We don't let them know of our assistance, though, since it could potentially place the child in danger or upset the child even more."

Severus closed his eyes and shook his head. It reminded him of characters from old spy novels.

"Speaking of assistance, I've spoken with the Ministry again, concerning your involvement with Voldemort." He gave Severus a sad smile. "I'm certain you've heard Lucius Malfoy's excuse as to why he joined the Death Eaters?"

The young man sighed, rubbing the side of his face. "Yes." He had read the stupid write-up in the Prophet yesterday all about how Lucius claimed that he had been Imperiused and forced to join. And the Aurors, stupid as they were, believed it.

"I've reiterated to the Aurors once again that you were acting on my orders."

Severus glanced at him.

"And they believe you?"

Dumbledore shrugged slightly. "My word does carry a bit of weight in the Ministry, as you know, Severus. Though, they did also include a condition to which I happily agreed to."

Severus's brows furrowed. "What sort of condition?"

"If you act in any manner the Ministry finds threatening or could be deemed as aiding any of your former comrades, I will be joining you in Azkaban as well."

"You . . . Why would you agree to that?!" Severus yelled, his heart pounding. Was everyone around him an idiot?

"Because I know you've left that part of you behind now, Severus, and have moved on." Dumbledore slowly steepled his fingers together, meeting Severus's eyes. "That letter I gave you shortly after informing you of Lily's death . . . we both know it is helping you move on from your past. Having heard from others how you are with young Harrison and your father—it is clear to me that you have changed, Severus. You are not the same angry young man you were before her death. You've grown these past two weeks." Dumbledore then sighed sadly. "As have I. I have seen the grave mistakes I've made or would have made. The pain I'd cause." He glanced down at his desk. "Which is why I have submitted my resignation to the Board."

"What?"

"I brought this darkness to our world, Severus." Dumbledore shook his head somberly. "I found Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort as you know him, in a Muggle orphanage. I had been sent to retrieve him from there for his first year here at Hogwarts."

Severus's eyes narrowed. Why was Dumbledore telling him this?

"I kept an eye on him over the years. Saw the darkness grow in him that others didn't. You see, Severus, it is my fault that he grew in power, because I brought him here."

"You couldn't have known that he'd—"

"No. You're right. I couldn't have, but I knew there wasn't something quite right about him." Dumbledore then drew in a calculated breath before he closed his eyes. "As did your mother, Severus."

The young man stared at Dumbledore, barely breathing.

"She had come to me once during her school years about Tom. He was a sixth-year at the time. She had stated that he had been very interested in her for some reason, asking her all about her family. She had politely declined, as I'm certain you can imagine how difficult it is to speak about her family."

"She hated them," Severus replied, shaking his head as he recalled the only time she had ever spoken about her side of the family. "Believed they would sell her to the highest bidder if it meant they could hang onto their glory a bit longer. They disowned her after she married my father."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I don't understand what this has to do with you resigning, though, sir."

Giving him a soft smile, Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I sat back as Grindelwald ravaged our world the first time. And while I challenged Voldemort when we would meet, I never ended it once and for all." He held his head up a bit higher. "No more should die for my mistakes, Severus. So, I'm resigning and keeping that faded Mark on your forearm from ever turning black again." Dumbledore then met his eyes. "So, it's not just words anymore, Severus. I am going to find where Voldemort went after Godric's Hollow and end him once and for all."

"And what about Hogwarts, sir?"

"Minerva will naturally be offered the headmistress position first. If she desires it, it's hers. I've given the Board my blessing for it." Dumbledore then clasped him on the shoulder. "My time has passed, Severus. You've shown me that."

Severus glanced at him before he shook his head.

"I've already spoken to her about this. She, like you, doesn't want this outcome either, but it needs to be done," Dumbledore stated.

"So, then you've chosen to abandon us?"

"No. I've chosen to take the difficult road that I placed so many others on lately. A taste of my own medicine, I suppose, you could say."

"Forgive me, sir, but this seems like . . . First, you give me several of your possessions. Now, you tell me this." Severus stared at him, unable to finish his thought.

"It's nothing of the sort, my boy." Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just something I must do, because, ultimately, you are correct. My words will do no good to anyone."

"But neither will your death!"

"And here I thought you had lost your pessimism," Dumbledore joked. "All will be well, Severus. Please, trust me as you have done so far."

"Trust you?" Severus shook his head. "And what if Minerva grows tired of me one day because I punished one of her Lions, unfairly in her mind, and throws me out of the castle? What then?"

"Then you have decided to return to teaching?" Dumbledore replied, slightly surprised.

"I . . . I haven't made a decision yet, but what if that occurs? It's not as if others will be as forgiving and trusting of a former Death Eater as you have been, sir."

Dumbledore then glanced behind him, and his smile grew. "Ah, Minerva, excellent timing." Severus whirled around. "What of Severus's question? Would you throw him out once I'm gone?"

Severus groaned inwardly. Of course she would enter the office right at that moment.

McGonagall glanced towards him before she spoke. "No. Because it would be disadvantageous to Hogwarts if I did. It's clear that we need more professors like Severus, ones who will stand up for those who need it the most. Who doesn't give a damn about the Houses like we have, sir." She then drew in a calculated breath. "Which is why I'm here, I suppose." She gave Severus a thin smile. "If you are agreeable to it, Severus, then I would like your input on how to . . . lessen the prejudices that have long since festered here with little to no intervention from us."

Severus's eyes narrowed. "You want me to . . ."

"Help me alter Hogwarts' current polices that clearly aren't working, yes," McGonagall replied.

He glanced between both of them, feeling even more confused than before. What did they think he could do exactly? Altering the policies would be one thing, but they needed to change the students' current mindsets. Change the old equation of Slytherin equals always evil into Slytherin equals ambitious dreams or something. How would he change their minds, though?

Naturally, talking about the consequences of furthering stereotypes were a must. But students would likely just ignore it if it came from him. So, they would need a unified front from all of the current Heads of Houses. If the students saw a Slytherin getting along nicely with a Gryffindor, it would challenge the status quo perhaps and force them to rethink their thoughts. But that would bump up against long-voiced familial prejudices maybe and cause more feelings of resentment among the Houses.

"I'll have to think on it," Severus finally said a few minutes later. There was no easy answer.

They both nodded to him.

"Go ahead. Talk it over with your father, in fact. I'm certain he would have some enlightening ideas," Dumbledore replied with a wide grin.

Yeah, Tobias likely did have some interesting ideas on it.

"If you'll excuse me?" When he caught Dumbledore's nod of dismissal, he headed for the fireplace, Flooing back to his own rooms.

The moment he saw Tobias and Harrison's faces pressed against the large window, though, as he stepped out of the fireplace, he shook his head. Of all the things to come into, that had to be what he saw first. He rubbed his temple and sighed. His talk with his father could wait. Fish clearly were more important, it seemed.