Disclaimer – Nothing is mine.

Chapter 3 - Headmaster

This small speech stunned the entire room and Harry took the opportunity to get down to it. 'I've notice we're missing several Professors. Perhaps someone could fill me in on who's missing.'

McGonagall coughed politely. 'Hagrid is still a little overwhelmed. I'm sure he will be up to see you later. Amelia Vector has been called away unexpectedly. I'm not actually sure she is aware that Albus has passed.' The transfiguration professor explained.

Harry nodded. 'And what of Defence? Which complete twat happens to be teaching it this year?'

There were several nervous shifts around the room and a soft growl from his right elbow. 'The complete twat you so graciously speak of, Potter, would be me.' Snape sneered.

Harry's eyes widened and he blushed. 'Sorry Professor.' He said sheepishly. 'Have you been in the position long?'

Snape raised an eyebrow. 'Five years. I'm surprised Albus never mentioned it.'

Harry glanced away. 'We never spoke of Hogwarts.' He murmured. Suddenly he looked back, a curious expression on his face. 'Hang on, if you're teaching Defence, who teaching potions?'

'I am.' Came a familiar voice from the still open door.

Harry looked up and the blood visibly drained from his face. 'Hermione?' he breathed.

'Hello to you too.' Hermione said curtly.

'W...what are you doing here?'

'Teaching potions. I thought we already went over that.' Hermione stepped further into the room and folded her arms over her chest.

'What happened to the job at the Ministry? I'd have thought you'd have been Minister by now.'

'A mudblood as Minister, Potter? You've got to be kidding.' A second familiar voice floated in from the corridor, said owner swaggering in not long after.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he all but leapt from his chair only to find Snape's arm held firmly across his chest.

Harry's green eyes were practically sparking in anger. 'What the hell is he doing here?' He growled.

Snape glanced over at Draco Malfoy before his eyes returned to Harry's. 'He was one of Albus' pet projects.' Snape murmured. The rest of the staff were watching the exchange with interest.

Harry turned his head and took in the sight of Hermione scolding the Slytherin. 'I imagine there are all sorts of conditions to his remaining within the castle walls?' Harry questioned softly.

Snape nodded and Harry's face took on a decidedly Slytherin smirk. 'You and I will discuss this later.' He said quietly. Snape nodded again and Harry stepped back.

His eyes sought out those of his old foe. 'You. Out of this office. You're no longer welcome in it.' He said bluntly.

'Hang on.' Malfoy started. 'You can't do that.'

'I think you'll find I can.' Harry retorted. 'You may remain in the castle...for now...but if I think you are a danger to the staff or the students I will have the wards remove you.'

'Harry, you can't just walk in here like you own the place.' Hermione cut in. 'Albus has an agreement with the Ministry that Draco has to stay here.'

'Draco?' Harry asked her slowly. 'What happened to Malfoy?'

Snape leant over and murmured softly in Harry's ear and the young man's eyes widened in disbelief. 'WHAT?' he yelled.

'She's married to him.' Snape said again.

Harry's mouth opened and closed several times like the proverbial fish out of water. 'I...I...Excuse me.' Harry stammered, moving away from the desk and disappearing through the door on the far wall.

'God Albus, what were you thinking.' Harry said to himself as he paced before the fireplace in the little sitting room. 'You can't bloody reform everybody.'

'Harry?'

Harry stopped and spun around at Hermione voice. 'How could you? How could you?' Harry cried.

'I love him.' Hermione said honestly.

'But he's a Death Eater. He carries the mark. I've seen it.'

'I know, so have I.'

Harry ran his fingers raggedly through his hair. 'He's killed people. Children even.'

Hermione raised an eyebrow. 'He's killed no where near as many people as you have, Harry.' She said softly.

Harry flinched.

'I think that was uncalled for, Mrs Malfoy.' Snape said coldly from directly behind her. 'If you wouldn't mind.' The older man gestured for her to leave. Hermione sniffed and turned on her heel, leaving the two men alone.

'Harry.' He began but he didn't get a word in edgewise.

'Is that what they think of me?' Harry burst out. 'That I'm no better than a Death Eater? Everyone who died that day made a choice. They chose to follow that mad man, destroying lives and families. All I did was clean up a mess that wasn't of my making. I hated every minute of what I had to do. How on earth can she compare me to that...that...' Harry snapped unable to even come up with a word to describe his disgust. 'I've seen him torture children. I've seen him rape women. And they would associate me with that? I...I...I've half a mind just to walk away and let the wards fall...All of them.'

Snape sucked in a breath. 'Harry, you can't. The wards of Hogwarts are tied to all those protecting the wizarding world. If you let them go...'

'I know.' Harry said painfully. 'They may have trained me to be a murderer, but Albus had been telling me I had to save everybody from a much earlier age and that conditioning is too strong to break. Hence the reason I'm in the last place in the world I want to be with people I hoped I'd never see again.'

Snape reached out and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. 'Just take it one day at a time, Harry.' He murmured. 'Give Draco a chance to prove himself. Albus must have seen some good in him.'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Professor, Albus saw good in Tom Riddle.' He drawled sarcastically.

The potions master snorted. 'You have a point.' He agreed. 'Just give it a few weeks and then, if you feel it merited, you can always renegotiate with the Ministry.'

Harry stared at the older man. 'I thought you of all people would be pleading his case.'

Snape's mouth curved into what on anyone else would have been a smile. 'That is a story for another time, I promise you.'

Harry raised an eyebrow in return. 'I look forward to it.'

'Come on.' Snape gently propelled the younger man back out into the main office. It was obvious to both Harry and Snape that the main bulk of the conversation had been overheard. Everyone in the room was looking nervous as if expecting Harry to just drop the wards and apparate away.

Harry smiled inwardly. 'I apologise for keeping you waiting. Now, as I said, Mr Malfoy, you are not welcome in this office. The rest of the school, in keeping with the conditions set down by the Ministry, fine, but I'm not Albus Dumbledore and I don't believe in second chances. You may be able to change that opinion in time but it won't be easy.'

'What of the students?' McGonagall questioned.

Harry sighed softly. 'I will speak to them at dinner.'

'Don't you think that would be a little frightening for them?' Hermione cut in.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. 'I am hoping these children are young enough not to be swayed by the prejudice of their parents.' He said quietly. 'But I guess we will see.'

'What of classes tomorrow?' Flitwick squeaked.

'They will continue on as normal.' Harry assured the diminutive professor.

'Will there be a service? For Albus?'

Harry closed his eyes and sighed softly.

'That is up to Albus' family.' Snape interrupted before Harry could say anything.

'But Albus had no family. His brother died several years ago.' McGonagall insisted.

Snape looked over to Harry, his black eyes piercing him where he stood. Harry tilted his head curiously for several moments before he deciphered exactly what the older man was trying to say.

'But I wasn't...' Harry trailed off.

'You were. Check the top drawer.'

Harry frowned and opened the drawer, rummaging gently through the contents until his fingers landed on an official looking scroll with his name on it. He cracked the wax seal and unrolled the parchment. Harry's eyes widened comically as his gaze flew over the elegant script. He looked up at Snape.

'When?' He whispered.

'Three weeks before your seventeenth birthday.' Snape said quietly.

Harry swallowed. 'I...I never knew.'

'He never told you?' Snape asked.

Harry shook his head. 'No, I never really needed to I suppose. He was just there for me. Like a father. We didn't need a piece of paper.'

'What exactly is going on?' Poppy asked irritably.

'Albus, he...he.' Harry was still stunned and found himself sinking into the chair his eyes still on the parchment in his hand.

'Albus was Harry's father under wizarding law. They were family.' Snape finished for him. This revelation floored the room and all eyes were on the Boy-Who-Lived.

'There will be service on Tuesday.' Harry said quietly. 'Classes will be cancelled for the day. Thank you.' Harry was up off the chair and through the door before anyone could even speak. It was obvious to all that he was upset but when Snape tried to follow him he found the door warded.

Harry flicked his wrist at the door behind him as he ran blindly through the rooms until he came to a bedroom and ran out of place to run.

'Harry?' The familiar voices were going to send him crazy. He stopped so suddenly he almost tripped over a small coffee table as he looked up at the portrait hanging over the fireplace.

'Albus?' He breathed incredulously.

The portrait of the elderly headmaster gifted Harry with a fond smile. 'Dear boy, how are you?' he asked gently.

Harry's eyes widened so far they looked as if they would fall out of his head. 'How am I? How am I?' Harry cried. 'Do you have any idea of what you've done? First you drag me back here and make me take the wards of the school without even a by your leave and you tell no one but Snape what you're going to do. I get here and find out that Draco Malfoy somehow survived, and not only isn't he in Azkaban, but he's walking the bloody halls of the school. And then, to top it all off, I find out you adopted me magically and you never thought to tell me. Do you have any idea of how hard this is? I have no idea what nightmare is going to pop up next!' Harry finished in a yell, chest heaving and eyes blazing.

Dumbledore's smile had faded and Harry could see the tears in his eyes. 'I'm sorry I left you, dear boy.' he whispered.

Harry looked away. He wouldn't cry again. He swore he wouldn't cry again. 'Albus.' He whispered plaintively looking back up at the only family he had. 'I can't do this. They hate me. All of them. I told you they would. And they won't accept me. I can assure you of that.'

'Harry, child, please listen to me. You're a strong capable young man. Hogwarts wouldn't have chosen you if she didn't think you were the best person. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't think it mattered.'

'Why did you do it? Why then? Why not before?' Harry asked. 'And don't tell me it was because of the Dursleys. I was almost seventeen, I didn't have to go back.'

The figure in the portrait sighed. 'Well, you would have had to for a month but that wasn't why I did it.'

'Then why?'

'Sit down, child.' Dumbledore gestured to the chair before the fireplace and Harry sat automatically. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I probably should have but I didn't think it was important. It was done for political reasons originally and then afterwards it all died down so I never thought to change it.'

'Political?' Harry asked hesitantly.

'Dear boy, you are a powerful wizard and at that time there were a number of people in the Ministry that would have done anything to have that power tied to them. I heard rumours that your relatives had been visited by Cornelius Fudge and so I preempted him by filing the papers before he could do so.' Dumbledore explained.

'But the Dursleys? Did you visit them too?'

Albus shook his head. 'I owled your Aunt and explained the situation. She agreed with me that it was for the best and had your Uncle sign the forms as well. It didn't take more than a day and once they were filed there was nothing the Minister could do. All the rumours went away after that and I just filed the papers away and forgot about them until just last week when I told Severus. I didn't mean to keep it from you, Harry. Really I didn't.'

Harry glanced down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. 'I know.' He whispered before looking up. 'Thank you.' He said softly.

Dumbledore smiled. 'I couldn't let Fudge get his hands on you, dear boy. Merlin knows what would have happened.'

Harry gave the man a wane smile. 'I can just picture it...unfortunately.'

Albus snorted. 'How are you settling in, dear boy?'

Harry sighed. 'I don't know. Everything is just so confusing.'

'I will always be here, Harry. Anytime you need to talk I will be here for you.' Dumbledore promised.

'I know.' Harry mumbled, looking down again. 'It's just not the same.'

The figure in the portrait actually stepped forward within his frame as if to try and comfort the young man but stopped and sighed, his usually twinkling blue eyes full of sorrow. 'Harry, please forgive me for leaving you. I know it was a fear that you held deep inside. I was hoping that I could convince you to return before I had to leave but it was not to be.'

'It's alright, Albus. I do understand. It's not like you can cheat death like I can.' Harry sighed.

Dumbledore studied the young man intently. 'You will die one day, Harry. You won't continue to live beyond everyone else, I assure you.'

'Yeah right.' Harry agreed halfheartedly.

'Just because no one can seem to kill you, and you can't seem to end your own existence by choice does not mean that you won't simply grow old and pass on like everyone else.'

'How can you be so sure?' Harry protested.

'I can't.' Dumbledore agreed quietly. 'But as you're not of Vampire blood nor do you possess a Philosopher's Stone so I can only make an educated guess.'

Harry snorted softly. 'You sound just like Professor Snape.'

Dumbledore's eyes brightened. 'And just how are you and Severus getting along?'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'You didn't have to blackmail him, Albus?' he scolded fondly.

The headmaster in the portrait had the grace to blush. 'I just wanted to make sure you had someone in your corner, dear boy.'

'That's what he said.'

'It's true. I knew the other staff might not look kindly on you at first and I had hoped that if they could see that if Severus had got over his juvenile revenge on your father and showed his faith in you that they might make it a little easier for you too.' Albus explained.

Harry nodded sagely. 'Makes sense.' He agreed. 'Did you have to blackmail him though?'

Dumbledore gave a hearty laugh. 'Is that what he told you?'

'Well...no. He just said he promised. But I figured it would take more than just a promise.'

Albus shook his head. 'No. I just asked him for a promise in return for the one I gave him many years ago.'

Harry stared at the elderly wizard for a few moments. 'I won't pry then, but I do thank you. He has made it a bit easier...in a slightly disturbing way.'

Albus laughed again and Harry gave him a wry grin. 'Now dear boy, you look terrible. I want you to go and have a long soak in the tub and have something to eat and then I'll ask Severus to come and see you so he can tell you all about your favourite Slytherin.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'I'm not a child anymore, Albus.'

'You're my child, dear boy, and that will never change. Now off you go.' Dumbledore made a shooing motion with his hands and Harry snorted again, standing up and crossing to where the old headmaster was pointing, a direction Harry rightly assumed to be the bathroom. At the door he stopped and turned back.

'I love you, Albus.' He murmured, smiling when he received the same affirmation in return.

'Getting Albus to do your dirty work for you already, Headmaster?' Snape drawled as he entered the office. 'You obviously spent a lot more time with him than anyone realised.' He added as he took a seat in front of the desk and took the offered cup of tea.

'You have no idea.' Harry snorted. 'Lemon Drop?'

Snape gave a strangled cough and choked on his tea as Harry stared at him in surprise. 'I think that was in slightly bad taste, Harry.' He scolded.

'Why?' Harry asked innocently. 'I like them. They remind me of Albus. I used to eat them by the bag when he wasn't there.'

Snape saw that the young man was telling the truth. His sad expression fading slightly as he sucked on the sour lolly.

'I suppose you would like to continue the discussion of earlier?' He questioned.

Harry nodded, his eyes darkening. 'Yes, how did that bastard escape that day?'

'He wasn't there.' Snape replied bluntly, taking another sip of his tea. Inwardly voting that it was much better without the calming and truth potions Albus used to put in it. 'He had displeased his father greatly the week before and Lucius had locked him in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.'

'What could the legatee of the mighty Malfoy bloodline possibly have done to displease the Patriarch?' Harry said sarcastically.

Snape frowned. 'Got caught casting Crucio on an eight year old girl.'

Harry raised a sardonic eyebrow. 'Really? I would have thought dear old dad would have been pleased as punch. You know, following in daddy's footsteps and all.'

Snape's mouth twitched. 'You do realise that you're a lot more sarcastic than you used to be.'

'Not sarcastic...cynical.' Harry corrected, popping another lemon drop in his mouth. The potions master snorted. 'So, what of Malfoy? Was Lucius upset that the ferret cast it on a child? I find that hard to believe.'

The thin mouth almost, almost broke out into a smile. 'No, he was upset Draco got caught. It cost him a lot to prove his son's innocence.'

'Figures.' Harry said pursing his lips. 'So when did he come crawling to Albus?'

'When the Aurors found him they brought him to Hogwarts. Apparently he was screaming about seeing Albus. That Albus would vouch for him.'

'Let me guess. Albus did.' Harry said dryly.

'Yes, Draco spun a story that Lucius had thrown him into the dungeons because he had found out Draco was a spy.'

'I gather you didn't believe him?'

Snape shook his head. 'No, I saw him at too many meetings to believe it was just an act.

'Why didn't Albus take your counsel?'

'You know, Albus.' Snape said fondly. 'He would give Riddle himself a second chance if he had the opportunity.'

'So how did Hermione fit into all of this? And what are the Ministry conditions?'

'I believe Miss Granger, sorry, Mrs Malfoy began her quest to reform Draco shortly after he arrived. She was the Ministry liaison in charge of his house arrest here at Hogwarts and I guess she applied herself to the task as much as she did to her schoolwork. Under the conditions set his is not to leave the school grounds, or be alone with the students without another adult present. He also has to have twice yearly evaluations with both a medi-wizard from St Mungos and a worker from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.'

Harry snorted. 'I wonder if she drew up a schedule for him.' he snickered.

Snape raised an eyebrow. He couldn't believe the change from the grief stunned young man of the morning. He took another sip and mulled it over; surprisingly it took several minutes before it dawned on him. 'You've spoken to him then.' He said quietly, not needing to say who it was they were talking about.

Harry smiled. 'Yes. I have. Did you wish to speak with him?'

Snape shook his head. 'No, not right now. Maybe another day if the offer remains open?'

'Of course. He would want to speak with you. You're always welcome whenever you want.'

'The offer is most appreciated, Harry.' Snape said honestly.

'Professor, I...I wanted to thank you.' Harry said softly.

Snape raised an eyebrow in question.

'For standing by my side. I know it must be very difficult for you, and I just want you to know I appreciate it. I cannot thank you enough for your support over the last day, Professor. Both in front of others and when we have been alone.'

'If you're that thankful, Headmaster.' Snape said with a wry smirk. 'Perhaps you should call me Severus. I have to admit to being slightly disconcerted to be addressed so formally by the man who is now, in effect, my employer.'

Harry's eyes brightened. 'Thank you, Severus.'

Snape's mouth curved into that almost smile again. 'You're welcome, Harry.'