Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed and are following my story! I truly appreciate it! =)
As he had done last year, Severus let Harry spend the last night of summer with the Weasley's so he could prepare his classroom. He trusted the Weasley's to watch out for Harry and had emphasized to his son that he was to obey all the rules and that taking any flying cars to school was out of the question. Although he was still apprehensive at letting Harry out of his sight, he couldn't imagine what trouble he could get into on the Hogwarts Express. Well, provided that Harry stayed away from any flying Ford Anglia's.
There was a knock on his classroom door and Severus looked up from his desk. "Good morning Headmaster."
"Good morning Severus." Dumbledore stepped into the room with a bright smile on his face. "Ah, the first day of school where we get to sort new students and welcome back older students."
"Yes, it is my favorite day of the year." Severus deadpanned as he moved to his cupboard that held the ingredients the students used. He scanned the shelves, mentally counting to make sure he had enough of everything.
"Come now Severus, now that you have a child it must be more exciting at least." Dumbledore said with a small smile.
"I am proud of my son and look forward to seeing him start his third year. I only wish he didn't have a murderer after him." Severus sighed. "I want to give him as normal of a childhood as possible but how can I when I have to place all these restrictions and rules on him because of the threats that keep coming his way?"
Dumbledore sighed as well. "I know it is not fair to poor Harry. Or to you. But you are a wonderful father and will get your son through this."
"Albus, we have to eliminate the main threat." Severus looked at his mentor seriously. "We should try and find Voldemort now, while he is still weak."
"Severus, he could be anywhere. And until he is fully restored, I do not believe he would be able to be killed." Dumbledore said slowly.
"He could be contained couldn't he? Imprisoned somehow while he does not have an actual form yet?" Severus pressed.
"Yes, I believe he could be." Dumbledore said after a moment. "It would be more ideal than the alternative."
"You mean more ideal than actually killing him?" Severus asked with a frown, wondering what Dumbledore meant.
"Yes." Was all Dumbledore responded to that question. "If we could find and imprison him now then I believe we could all relax and young Harry could go from being the boy-who-lived to simply a regular teenager."
Severus sniffed at the moniker his son was known throughout the wizarding world by. "Lucius wants to meet with me. I have a feeling he is getting worried that Voldemort returning is a real possibility. I imagine the events with the Chamber have made him nervous."
"Then why did he plant the diary in Miss. Weasley's cauldron?" Dumbledore asked thoughtfully.
"I'm not sure. I do have a hard time believing he truly wants Voldemort to return. He may have simply wanted to cause trouble. I suppose I will find out." Severus answered.
"Be careful. If Lucius really wants to work against Voldemort he could be a useful ally but we would need to be absolutely sure of his intentions." He smiled and made to leave. "I'll see you at the sorting feast. I trust Harry's arrival to school will be less dramatic than last year?" His eyes had their familiar twinkle in them.
Severus snorted. "That is the one thing I am not worried about. I trust Harry will have a very uneventful train ride."
Little did he know what was to happen on the Hogwarts Express.
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Harry was pulling his trunk behind him as he followed his friends to the Hogwarts Express train. Before boarding, he caught a glimpse of Malfoy being fussed over by who Harry assumed was his mother and his father stood tall and imposing by their side.
Harry smirked in the Malfoy's direction when the teenage Slytherin made eye contact and threw him a glare as he pulled away from his mother.
"So much for being oh so independent." Harry gloated as he and his friends found a compartment that held a sleeping man who Harry easily recognized.
"What did you say?" Hermione asked as she sat across from Professor Lupin, who was still asleep.
Ron frowned. "Wait, who is that?" He whispered loudly.
Before Harry could answer Hermione spoke up. "Professor Lupin." She said.
Harry looked at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"
"How does she know everything?" Ron shook his head in wonder.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "His name is on his suitcase. And Harry told us about him too, remember?"
"Right." Ron gave an unsure look at the Professor and then shrugged.
"I have to tell you guys something." Harry said in a hushed voice, leaning forward in his seat.
"What is it?" Hermione asked as she set Crookshanks down next to her. She ignored the look Ron gave her as he made sure Scabbers was safely out of sight.
"Have you guys read about Sirius Black?" Harry asked.
"The prisoner who escaped Azkaban? Yeah, he's been all over the news. Dad said the ministry is going crazy trying to find him." Ron replied.
Harry took a deep breath. "Well, apparently he is after me."
"What?" Hermione gasped.
"He was a follower of Voldemort." Harry told them. He didn't respond to Ron's wince at the name. "He-he was friends with James Potter and is the one who betrayed James and my Mum's location to Voldemort."
"Stop saying the name." Ron winced again.
"Oh Harry. That's awful." Hermione said in a horrified whisper.
"Why is he after you though? What does he want?" Ron wondered out loud.
Harry tried to look unconcerned. "To kill me, I guess. My Dad thinks he would want revenge for the downfall of Vold-"
"You-Know-Who!" Ron finished hastily.
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply nodded instead.
"Harry, you're going to have to be really careful at school." Hermione worried, wringing her hands together. "In fact, except for classes and meals you should stay in the Tower."
"You sound like my Dad." Harry said ruefully. "Except for Quidditch and Care of Magical Creatures I'm not allowed to leave the castle without his permission."
"What about Hogsmeade?" Ron asked with wide eyes. "You have to be able to go on the trips!"
Harry bit his lip. "He didn't say I couldn't." But he didn't exactly say I could either, Harry worried to himself.
Hermione nodded. "Sounds good. No wandering around, no schemes, no cloak…" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm, maybe you should turn in your cloak just in case it becomes too tempting."
"Honestly Hermione, I'm not three years old or anything." Harry huffed. "I know this is a serious threat, I'll be careful. I don't want to upset my Dad again anyway; I already did that when I wandered off in muggle London."
"Harry Severus!" Hermione scolded. "Why would you do that?"
"I didn't' know about Sirius Black yet and I didn't understand why my Dad was being so protective. Believe me, I paid for it." Harry made a face. "I ran into the Dursley's."
"Mate, sometimes I think you have the worst luck in the world." Ron said solemnly.
"That must have been horrible, running into them." Hermione said sympathetically. "What happened?"
"My Aunt said some horrible stuff regarding my Mum and I got angry and the next thing I knew…she blew up like a balloon and floated off into the sky."
Ron burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his hand as to not wake up the sleeping Professor.
"You didn't get into trouble did you?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. "Did a lot of muggles see you?"
"No one was around when it happened but I don't know how many may have seen her flying in the sky." Harry said with a shrug.
"Oh Merlin, you were the one my Dad was talking about!" Ron said suddenly, still chuckling. "I overheard him talking to Mum about the ministry having to cover up a teenager's accidental magic. It was you!"
"Yeah." Harry smiled ruefully. "I didn't mean to." Not that I'm really that sorry about it, he thought as he remembered his inflated Aunt shrieking in the sky.
"At least you didn't get into trouble." Hermione said in a relieved voice. "But Sirius Black being after you…Ron and I will keep an eye out for you." She said in a determined voice. She glanced at Ron who was still laughing. "Well, I will."
Ron stopped chuckling. "Hey, I will too!" Ron protested.
Harry grinned and leaned back in his seat. He really did have the best friends.
The three Gryffindors spent the next hour talking, joking, and eating treats from the trolley. Suddenly the train slowed to a stop.
"Wow, we're there already?" Ron asked as he brushed empty candy wrappers off of himself.
"We can't be there yet." Hermione said, perplexed. She peered out of her window. "I can't see anything."
Careful not to disturb Professor Lupin who was still napping, Harry looked out the window. It was dark and suddenly the window began to frost over.
Ron shivered. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." Hermione whispered. "But I think something is out there."
Suddenly they were enclosed in darkness as the lights of the train went out. "Why is it so cold?" Harry's teeth began chattering.
"Blimey, it's freezing!" Ron exclaimed. "Hermione, can you see anything out there?" There was a rustling noise as Ron tried to peer out the window.
"Ouch Ronald! That was my foot!"
"Sorry."
The cold started to become unbearable and the door to their compartment slowly opened. A tall shadowy figure dressed in a long black ripped robe entered.
Harry felt chilled to the bone and a sense of hopelessness and grief came over him.
"Expecto Patronum!"
He heard a woman scream and everything began to fade as he succumbed to the darkness that enveloped him.
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"Harry! Come on, wake up!"
Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw the concerned faces of Professor Lupin, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins surrounding him.
"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked in concern.
"Here, sit up." Professor Lupin helped Harry into a sitting position. He pulled out a foil wrapped bar and began to unwrap it. He broke the chocolate bar into several pieces and handed them out. "This will make all of you feel better."
Harry took a bite and instantly felt a rush of warmth flow through him. "What was that?" He asked shakily.
"A Dementor." Professor Lupin said, his eyes hard. "All of you stay here and finish the chocolate; I am going to talk to the other professors and conductor."
"A Dementor." Ron breathed. "Those are the guards at Azkaban."
"So that's what will be guarding Hogwarts this year." Harry whispered. He never wanted to be near one of those things again.
Hermione looked alarmed. "They are?"
"My Dad said the guards at Azkaban will be guarding the school until Sirius Black is caught." Harry answered as he finished off his chocolate. He felt better.
"That was awful." Ginny shivered.
Even the twins looked serious after facing the Dementor. "Those things are definitely not to be messed with." George said shaking his head.
"Did anyone else pass out?" Harry asked in embarrassment.
"No. But I felt as though I would never be cheerful again." Ron said with a shudder.
Harry frowned. He was the only who fainted? Why? "Who screamed?" He asked.
Hermione exchanged a look with Ron. "No one screamed Harry." She said slowly.
Harry's frowned deepened. "But I heard someone." He said in a perplexed voice.
Before anyone could answer the compartment door opened again. Draco walked in with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. "Is it true?" Draco asked somewhat gleefully. "You fainted Potter?"
Fred and George stood up and glared at Draco. "Well, at least he didn't cry like you did." Fred said with a smirk, exchanging a look with George.
A slow smile spread over George's face. "Cried for his Mummy is the way I heard it."
"I did not!" Draco gasped.
Fred shrugged. "It's the rumor going around."
George grinned. "Or it will be. Very soon."
Draco scowled. "No one will believe you. My friends will verify that I did not do that."
Harry, who had been trying not to laugh, spoke up. "They'll just assume your friends are lying. I can just imagine the jokes already."
"Like he's a momma's boy? Or that he can't sleep without his baby blanket?" Ginny suggested.
Ron and Harry burst into laughter.
"Get out of here Malfoy. We've already had to deal with one horrible creature for today." Hermione stared at the Slytherin.
Draco's cheeks burned. "Don't you talk to me you mud-" He stopped suddenly and looked away. "Let's go." He muttered to Blaise and Pansy.
Hermione looked thoughtful. "I'm surprised he didn't finish his insult."
"He probably knew we would hex him into next week if he did." Ron huffed.
Professor Lupin came back looking tired. "The train will start up again soon. There should be no more problems." He informed them.
"We'll get back to our compartment." Fred said as he and George and Ginny left with a wave.
"Harry I've sent word ahead so that the Headmaster knows what happened. Which means-"
"My Dad is going to know." Harry interrupted Professor Lupin with a groan. His Dad was going to go completely mental when he heard what happened. He was so worried about him already.
"So who wants to take bets on how flipped out Professor Snape is going to be?" Ron asked with a laugh.
Harry threw Ron a dirty look. It wasn't funny. His Dad was already crazed with worry and this was just going to make matters worse. The way things are going, his Dad is going to want him under lock and key until Black is caught.
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"Unacceptable!" Severus hissed as he paced the Headmasters office. The train was due soon and he intended to be there when it arrived. He needed to see that Harry was alright with his own eyes. Dementors emptied you of every happy moment, leaving you with only the worst experiences of your life. Harry had too many of those as it was, which would explain why he had fainted.
"At least Remus sent word ahead so that we would be aware of the situation." Dumbledore said.
"Yes, it's nice to know the wolf has some sense." Severus muttered.
"Really Severus." Minerva said in disapproval. She sighed. "Would you like me to have Harry checked out by Poppy when he arrives?"
"No." Severus answered shortly. "I will be taking him to the infirmary myself. I'm going to meet the train. In fact, I should be going now."
"Severus, according to Remus's letter Harry is fine." Minerva said sympathetically. She knew the strain and worry her colleague was under.
"I need to see him." Severus said quietly. "The Dementors would affect him more than most students."
"I will be contacting Cornelius Fudge about his lack of control on the Dementors." Dumbledore said seriously. "I do not want this happening again."
Severus nodded in agreement and then took his leave. The train was due soon and he wanted to see his son as soon as possible. He remembered the day when he had held Harry in his arms as a newborn and how shocked he had been that he could love someone so much so quickly. That love still held true. He loved his son more than his own life and all he wanted to do was ensure his safety and happiness. Oh Lily, Severus thought as he made his way out of the castle. I wish you were here.
As he walked past the Forbidden Forest he didn't even notice the black dog snarling after him. The dog waited for a moment and then slowly began to follow the Potions' Master.
TBC: Hope you enjoyed!