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Disturbances
Chapter 7
Snape was sitting in his office, staring blankly at the wall, when a weak knock sounded at the door. Glancing up at the clock, he noted it was well after curfew. He also realized he'd been sitting at the desk for several hours and had yet to grade a single essay. After Harry had fled, he couldn't seem to focus on anything besides the memories he'd witnessed.
He approached the door, praying it wasn't Thornback renewing his efforts, and pulled it open. He heard something mumbled as a body collapsed face-down at his feet from the other side. It was a boy wearing what appeared to be a blood-soaked school jumper and slacks. Dark, smooth hair covered his head and Snape bent down to carefully turn the boy onto his back, wand raised.
He didn't recognize the student, noting the Gryffindor maroon and gold lining his collar. He frowned, aware of the possibility of an intruder in disguise. He carefully placed his fingers to the boy's wrist, finding a sluggish pulse. Even if it was an intruder, they wouldn't be conscious anytime soon and were in very real danger of death. Snape summoned a blood replenishing potion from his stores and spelled it into the boy's stomach. He lifted the boy in his arms, trying to be gentle as a groan escaped. He took a step towards the fireplace, planning on flooing to the Hospital Wing, when the boy's hair fell back from his forehead. Snape froze, eyes wide. A lightning bolt scar stood out starkly against the pale skin.
Snape swallowed, staring at the scar, then headed away from the fire. He flicked his wand and one of the many bookcases swung open revealing a small hallway ending in a door. It flew open as Snape approached and he stepped into his living quarters. He set the boy on the couch and fire called the Headmaster.
"Albus, I have an injured student in my quarters. Please bring Poppy immediately."
He pulled his head out before Dumbledore could reply and turned back to the boy. His son? Snape couldn't seem to process the information. He felt a ball of fear roiling in his stomach. The fire roared green and Dumbledore stepped out, followed by the Mediwitch. Snape leaned over the boy on the couch, spelling away his shirt and examining the large gash across his right abdomen.
"Severus, what happened?" Poppy knelt next to him, inspecting the wound.
"Dark magic," he murmured, turning to Pomfrey. "I've seen this used before. It's a variation on the cutting jinx that Lucius created. It won't stop bleeding without the counter-curse."
"Do you know the counter, Severus?" Dumbledore questioned, worry lining his face. Snape didn't answer, instead standing and striding over to a bookcase. He grabbed a book off the top shelf and flipped furiously through the pages, eyes scanning quickly.
Poppy continued to mutter charms over the wound, attempting to at least slow the bleeding, but nothing seemed to work.
Snape stopped at a page and grunted. He approached the boy, raising his wand, and began incanting a long string of words over the gash. Slowly the bleeding ceased and the wound began to close, skin knitting itself back together. Snape stopped speaking and lowered his wand, hand shaking as he shut the book and dropped it to the ground. The boy's skin was pale and his breaths shallow, but Snape knew he would recover.
He allowed Pomfrey to take over, stepping backwards and running a hand over his face. Robes rustled next to him and he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.
"I made sure to find the counter after the first time I saw Lucius use the spell. I figured I might need to use it on myself one day." Snape continued to stare at the boy.
Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder, "Severus, am I correct in assuming that this is Harry?"
"I'm not sure. I believe so. He showed up at my office door and immediately passed out. I had no opportunity to ask questions."
Dumbledore made a small hum in reply. Snape was about to shrug the hand off his shoulder when Dumbledore removed it himself and began stroking his beard.
"He looks like you Severus."
Snape tensed, choosing to ignore the observation he had already made himself. "We need to find out what happened to him. That curse was no doubt Lucius' work. If he or anyone else saw Harry like this, my duties as spy may soon be over."
"Yes, that is indeed a possibility. However, I hardly think Harry would be able to give us much information just yet. We will let him rest through the night and I'll return in the morning to figure this out."
"Of course, Albus," Snape replied, watching Poppy spell another blood replenisher into Harry.
The hand returned to his shoulder and Snape turned back to the Headmaster. "Do not be afraid to care for Harry, Severus. He is your son and he needs you."
Dumbledore offered one last smile then headed over to Poppy. He brushed a gentle hand over Harry's forehead as Poppy rose, informing Snape of which potions Harry would need later that night. They turned to the floo, leaving with a final glance back at Harry.
Snape watched the green flames die down, then stiffly approached the couch and looked down at the boy. He slowly examined the features of his son's face, finding himself in the slant of the brow and eyes. The cheekbones were more defined now, resembling his own as well as Lily's. Before Snape realized, his hand was carding through Harry's hair. It was the same color as his own, smooth and slightly longer than before.
Snape pulled his hand away, taking a deep breath. Merlin, he didn't know what he was doing. He wasn't a parent. He sat heavily on the chair next to the sofa and laid his head back.
Hours later, Snape was startled awake by a low moan. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, seeing the clock on his mantle at half past three. Another moan sounded and Snape realized what had roused him. Harry lay tangled in the blanket Snape had placed on him earlier, face drawn in pain.
Snape rose from his chair, joints protesting the awkward position he'd been in, and knelt down next to Harry.
The boy whimpered and Snape placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He pulled it away when Harry immediately cried out and turned away from him, curling into a ball against the back of the sofa. Snape sucked in a breath as he saw Harry's back. It was covered in angry red welts and fading bruises. Why hadn't Poppy's scans uncovered this?
He summoned a jar of murtlap from his stores, figuring it would be best to apply the cream with Harry still asleep. He stopped his whimpering and Snape hoped whatever nightmare that haunted him had passed. He slowly applied the cream with gentle hands, careful not to wake the boy. Harry's tense muscles relaxed as Snape continued to rub in the murtlap.
Snape finished, banished the cream, and sat back on the floor. He clenched his hands, anger coursing through him. He recognized the marks. Someone had beat Harry with a belt, and Snape had no doubt as to who it was. He had always felt protective of the boy, for Lily's sake, but the feeling increased, almost overwhelming Snape. His son had been hurt and Snape wanted to make that disgusting whale of a man pay. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Thinking of revenge was easier than considering how he would talk to Harry about this.
He thought back to their conversation the other evening. He had basically told the boy he didn't want him, and he had believed that, for Harry's sake and his own. But the idea of Harry being placed in someone else's care bothered him deeply. It was his job to take care of his son. No one else. The fierceness of the thought surprised Snape.
He picked himself up off the floor and returned to his chair. He didn't know what he would say to Harry in the morning, but he knew a lack of sleep would not help.
Harry woke slowly, his thoughts sluggish. He blinked a few times, reaching for his glasses, then paused. He could see clearly and he definitely wasn't in Gryffindor tower. It all came back to him at once and Harry bolted upright. Sitting directly in front of him was Snape who appeared to have just woken himself from Harry's rapid movement. He watched as Snape straightened and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The action was so normal that Harry began to wonder if he was dreaming.
His heart slowed and he realized there was an strong ache in his side. He glanced down to see a scar across his stomach and his panic returned. He looked up to Snape with wide eyes.
"Malfoy kidnapped me! Draco, I mean. Not Lucius. He was there too though."
The words seemed to bring Snape to full alertness. He narrowed his eyes at Harry.
"What memory did you see in my pensieve last year?"
The question surprised Harry. "Erm, my father and his friends playing a prank on you." Harry's face turned red as he spoke, feeling awkward to be speaking of it again.
Snape nodded and his expression softened. "Alright. Now you may explain what happened to you last night."
Harry stuttered a bit, then managed to relate the story to Snape. He finished and watched as Snape sat in deep concentration, a frown drawn across his face. Harry looked around the room for the first time, noting it was very nice and rather cozy.
"Are these your rooms?"
Snape blinked, coming out of his thoughts, then glared at him. "Yes. And you will tell no one about them."
Harry nodded quickly and picked at a string on the blanket draped over his legs. Did Snape put it there?
He looked up again as Snape addressed him. "You did very well, Harry."
Harry's mouth fell open a little and he couldn't figure out what to say. Snape outright complimented him. He was definitely still dreaming.
He cleared his throat, noticing Snape watching him. "Thanks, sir. Er, did you fix my-?" He waved awkwardly at his side.
"Yes. I am familiar with that particular curse Lucius used on you."
"Oh, well, thanks."
They sat in silence and Harry continued to twist the blanket between his fingers, unsure what to do. Snape appeared to be studying him with a blank look on his face. It made Harry uncomfortable and he shifted in his seat.
"Harry," Snape's voice was softer than usual and he seemed to be struggling for words. "I have taken more time to consider the situation, and I believe I made a poor choice earlier. I would like to try...this."
Harry was not expecting the confession. He assumed Snape still disliked him, even if he had been a bit more accommodating lately.
"You mean, being father and s-son?"
Snape gave a tight nod. He held his usual composure except for a finger tapping erratically on his knee.
Harry stared openly, trying to wrap his mind around the situation. He hadn't given any real consideration to the option after Snape turned him down before. Did he want this? He had said as much earlier, but now that it was being offered, he wasn't sure. Did he want Snape for a father? He continued to stare at the man's tapping finger. Snape was obviously nervous if he allowed the tick to show. And if he was nervous for Harry's answer, perhaps that meant he actually cared.
"Okay." The word came out before Harry realized, but he found he didn't want to take it back.
Snape's finger stopped moving and Harry saw a small amount of relief in his eyes. Harry gave him a hesitant smile and almost died of shock when Snape returned what might have been a slight upward twitch of his lips.
"So, what happens now?"
Snape abruptly gathered his usual composure. "We will meet with the Headmaster and discuss what to do." He met Harry's gaze, "You know this means you will no longer be Harry Potter? You will have to take on a new name and you will not be able to tell anyone who you are. Including your friends. At least not right away."
Harry paused. He had already thought of it, but the reality began to sink in. He probably wouldn't be in Gryffindor anymore. He took a deep breath.
"Yes, I know. It's-I'll be fine."
Snape observed him a few seconds longer before nodding and rising from his seat. He disappeared through a door and returned a minute later with a tray of food and vials. He set the tray on a small table next to Harry that appeared out of nowhere, and picked up the vials.
"These will help with the pain and there's also a pepper-up. This will most likely be a long conversation with the headmaster."
"Thank you, sir." Harry took the potions, feeling awkward. The whole situation was strange. Snape had brought him breakfast on a tray and gave him potions to make him feel better. And he hadn't made any biting comments. Instead he was opting for watching Harry very closely with an expression Harry couldn't interpret.
Then Harry realized he had no idea what he looked like. He'd seen a brief glimpse of himself from Bellatrix's point of view during the obliviation, but he was too focused on casting the spell to have taken in any details. He looked at the hand holding a piece of toast from the breakfast tray. It was paler than normal and the fingers a tad longer. He stared, hand hovering over his plate. He didn't even know the back of his own hand. He chuckled nervously and he set the toast back down, no longer hungry.
"You might feel better if you eat something."
Harry jumped a little at Snape's words, but picked up the glass of pumpkin juice hoping that might go down more easily. The fire flared green and Dumbledore stepped into the room, smiling jovially.
"Good morning, Severus. And you as well, Mr. Snape."
Harry's eye twitched as he swallowed the juice wrong and started coughing. He returned the glass to the tray, pretending not to notice Snape's pointed look.
Dumbledore pulled one of the armchairs closer and sat down, still smiling at the two of them. "I assume young Harry has already told his tale to you Severus?" Snape nodded in affirmation and repeated back a shortened version to the headmaster while Harry tried to discreetly examine his nose, hoping desperately it was nothing like Snape's.
"Ah yes, well done Harry," Dumbledore turned to face him as Snape finished, "That is an impressive bit of magic to perform under such circumstances."
"Thank you, sir." Harry blushed under the praise and glanced at Snape who was still regarding him with an expressionless face. "What's going to happen with Draco?" Harry asked, drawing his attention away from Snape.
"It will be better to have Draco here in order to keep a close eye on him. As far as the Malfoys are concerned, you were delivered through the vanishing cabinet to Knockturn Alley and escaped. Lucius Malfoy did not see your face after you removed the charm, correct?"
"No, I'm fairly sure he didn't. I had a hooded cloak on at the time."
"Excellent. However, that will mean you cannot return to school as Harry Potter." Dumbledore watched Harry carefully. "It is too dangerous for you here under that appearance. I have no doubt Draco will make further attempts to carry out Voldemort's orders." Harry nodded, knowing this was coming, but still feeling extremely nervous.
"Right, sir. So, what does that mean? What's going to happen now?"
Dumbledore clapped his hands together in what Harry thought was an inappropriate amount of glee. "Not to worry, Harry. I've already drawn up all the paperwork and planted the evidence of your supposed past life should anyone decide to look into this further, as I'm sure some will." He waved his wand and a pile of parchment and quill appeared in front of them.
"You have been living in a small village in the Swiss Alps for most of your life with your mother and grandparents. No siblings, of course. You did not attend any wizarding school and were instead tutored by Tybalt Reinhard, a highly intelligent, though slightly eccentric I might say, wizard." Harry wondered just how eccentric the wizard had to be to gain that opinion from Dumbledore. "He is a dear friend of mine and already agreed to keep up this façade of ours. And yes, Severus, he is a skilled Occlumens. No one will be able to wheedle any information out of him. He is quite stubborn," Dumbledore chuckled lightly.
Harry sat wide-eyed, watching Dumbledore rattle on happily, very much enjoying himself. He wondered if the man made a habit of creating identities for people.
"I have already slipped the documents for the property under your supposed family's name into the ministry archives and created a paper trail of information going back several generations. Your grandparents passed away three years ago, one month apart, and your mother just recently passed from a rather unfortunate potions accident. Thus, you have decided to locate your father. And here we are!"
Harry blinked, overwhelmed by the information. "Er, I think I'll have to go over that a few more times."
"Of course! There are many more details for you. I'll leave all the information here. But first we must decide upon a name for yourself. The documents are charmed to react to the writing on this one I've brought here. So, what will it be?" Dumbledore looked between the two of them. Snape had an irritated look on his face, obviously annoyed by the Headmaster's cheerful disposition.
"Um, I don't know?" Harry wasn't feeling particularly creative at the moment. He was too busy trying to contain the panic that had been threatening him for the past several days.
Snape stared at him for a moment. "Donovan. It's an old family name."
Harry thought about it for a minute, nodding. He actually rather liked it. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Excellent!" Dumbledore scratched the name on the parchment and Harry caught a glimpse of 'Severus' added for his middle name. He figured that was logical, though it was startling to see written.
Dumbledore filled them in on several more details, making sure Harry new the names of his grandparents and parents. As well as the village in which he had resided.
"Now, for Severus' safety, we will say that he was unaware of your existence. Voldemort would not take kindly to such information being kept from him," Dumbledore's tone became serious. "There is also the difficulty of timing. I have an acquaintance working for the Daily Prophet. It will be no trouble to slip to him that Harry has been relocated for training purposes. We will also make an announcement to the school and inform Harry's friends of his departure."
Harry felt a twinge of sadness, knowing he hadn't even been able to tell them goodbye. Sure, he'd still see them, but he wouldn't be able to talk to them. Harry Potter truly was leaving, he realized. He was Donovan Snape now.
"It would appear suspicious to have Donovan arrive right after Harry has left. So I will make sure Harry Potter is seen in various places by the right people for the next few weeks."
"Perhaps a few photos can be slipped to your Prophet acquaintance?" Snape suggested.
"Yes, wonderful! That should help immensely. Now, I believe you have several classes today, Severus? Harry will have to remain in your rooms for the time being and we will introduce him to the school on Monday. I will make the announcement at dinner this evening of Harry Potter's departure and call his friends to my office this afternoon. Do either of you have any questions for me?"
Harry had quite a number of questions, but couldn't put most of them into words. "Will I be sorted?"
"We will say you were sorted in my office. For your own safety as well as that of Severus, I think Slytherin will be the best place for you. I do recall you telling me the hat wanted to place you there initially?"
Harry nodded, feeling grim and saw Snape's jerk of surprise. What would Snape have done if he'd let the hat place him in Slytherin to begin with? He pictured Snape at the opening feast his first year, fainting from shock. The thought almost made Harry laugh.
"Wonderful. Now, I must finish up a few things before tonight." Dumbledore rose from his seat and threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Donovan!" And with that his vanished into the flames, leaving Harry and Snape in an awkward silence.
Snape cleared his throat, getting up from his chair. "I have a full day of classes. The house elves will deliver your meals here. You are welcome to read any books from those shelves," he gestured towards a wall next to the fireplace. "I'll also have your things brought down here so you can finish your schoolwork. You are not to leave my rooms and please refrain from entering my personal lab." He stared hard at Harry, as if he figured the request would be in vain. "I won't return until after dinner. I hope you can manage to stay out of trouble until then." His voice wasn't nearly as harsh as it usually was when lecturing Harry. He paused, looking a bit disgruntled. "The potions you had should last through the day, however, if you experience any further pain, please floo call my office and I will fetch you more."
With that, Snape grabbed his outer robe and headed towards the door, avoiding Harry's stare.
"Thank you," Harry called out as Snape pulled open the door. He paused, nodded briefly, then left.
Harry sat staring at the closed door. He had only been at Hogwarts for a week and his whole life had changed course. Harry rose slowly, deciding he needed to find a mirror. The first room he checked looked to be Snape's bedroom. Harry quickly shut the door, not wanting the man to think he'd been snooping. The door just to the right revealed a small, but rather nice bathroom with a large bathtub.
Harry stepped inside and peered into the mirror. Despite knowing he would look different, it was still a shock. A total stranger stared back at him, except for the emerald green eyes. His hair was straight, almost to his chin. He felt a little relieved that it lacked the greasiness of Snape's, which made him wonder if perhaps hovering over potions all day was the cause of the man's issue instead of genetics. He was also very happy to see his nose, though longer, was nothing compared to Snape's. He had to admit there was no question as to who his father was however.
He turned away from the mirror, feeling extremely tired. Returning to the couch, he pulled the blanket up around himself and lay staring at the ceiling. Everything was different now and he could never go back to how it was before. The loss hit him suddenly and his eyes began to water. He blinked rapidly, holding back the feeling. This was his life now and crying wouldn't help anything. He'd learned that a long time ago. He took several deep breaths, calming down slightly. At least he would never have to return to the Dursleys's again. The thought sent waves of relief through him. He had a real family now and even if Snape wasn't particularly nice, at least he took care of him.
Harry began to drift off, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. He briefly realized his back didn't hurt at all anymore, but fell quickly into sleep before he could consider it further.