Disclaimer: All Harry Potter references belong to JK Rowling and company. I simply write to fill the gaps between the books and movies for all! If you sue me, you get nothing because that is what I now have in abundance.

Where Applicable:

Bold areas mean someone remembering the past.

Bold Italic is handwriting (i.e. letters).

Italic are thoughts or mind-to-mind communication.

Magic Simply Is:

Chapter Seven:

A Hogwarts Review

By: Bonnie S.

Severus listened to the truth of many deeds he soon wished remained a mystery. Harry explained about his uncle's reaction to a dream the boy had. "He never minded Dudley's imagination, but anything that I enjoyed or would likely enjoy was forbidden and therefore did not exist. On Dudley's birthday, the year I got my first Hogwarts letters, I got to go along because Mrs. Figg couldn't watch me. In the car ride to the zoo, Uncle Vernon complained about a motorcycle that passed us and I mentioned I dreamt of a flying motorcycle once."

"A flying motorcycle?" Eileen asked.

Hagrid lit up at the mention of the dream. "That weren't no dream, Harry. You remembered when I took ya to those filthy Muggles! Now I wish I of giv'n yeh ta Sirius instead. He asked me ta do it, but I had my orders."

"Now, now Hagrid, none of us could have been certain of tonight's events. And Harry needed the blood magic protection he gained there," Dumbledore pointed out.

Eileen snorted. She knew the secret not even her son had deduced. Dumbledore had forced the wards to enact by terrifying the Dursleys into taking custody of her grandson. Harry would have been better off with her all of these years. Unfortunately, her gift had not granted her the right information at the right time. Given there was little doubt the crazy old man would say something along the lines of Grendelwald's famous excuse 'for the greater good', Eileen decided to not call the idiot out on that choice. She wanted to spent as long a remainder of life with her grandson as possible, not kill herself by hexing the old coot into a permanent vegetative state with the last of her magic.

Severus however refused to accept there was nothing they as adults could have done for his precious son. What good were wards if those meant to protect the boy tortured instead? The father let his displeasure show in his face, eyes, body language, as well as in his tone of voice as he questioned the man who never saw fit to keep this family together, "and now?"

"Given the revelations of tonight, now I think Harry would be safer if he remained here within Hogwarts." Dumbledore sighed as he looked at the bed. That satisfied Eileen, the idiot couldn't even manage to look at her grandson after this large stroke of stupidity run amuck.

The Headmaster's decision however lit Harry's green eyes with joy. Deep within there was a little boy excited at the thought of having a safe place to call his home. This reaction gave Severus a measure of peace. For once, he was doing right by his child. Moreover, Severus saw with his own eyes the way life was moving now that his precious son was starting to thrive once again.

Harry explained the day at the zoo on Dudley's birthday. This even had Dumbledore smirking. However, Severus took his duty of father seriously. "You could have handled the situation better, Harry. However, I blame those Muggles rather than you."

The group bellowed in laughter when Harry revealed Dudley's offer to practice for Harry's first day at Stonewall High, as well as Harry's come back. With how his father shook and laughter lit the man's face Harry was happy his smart response to Dudley. His feeling was especially so when Severus chuckled proudly. "That my son got from me."

The revelation of the reactions of the Hogwarts letters as well as how many caused a new stir.

"Did no one look at the letters being penned to see where he was living?" Severus growled which frightened Harry.

Eileen was as angry as her son was at what her grandson endured. "Why did you wait for so many damn letters to pass by before sending someone after my grandson? You held off until the last possible minute instead of going in to make sure the boy was all right! Bloody Gryffindors!"

Tears again fell from Harry's eyes. "Like me?"

The question and small voice ached Eileen's chest. She had forgotten that detail in her rage and now she had hurt her grandson.

"No," Severus assured his son. "It is only that Hagrid or even I should have visited after the third letter at most. Not after thousands without a return answer."

"But I'm a Gryffindor too."

"Maybe so," Draco agreed. "But you have a vein of Slytherin within you as well."

"And you do not follow their typical Gryffindor lead." Eileen recovered. "You show them what they profess is how a Gryffindor should behave."

Harry felt a bit better. Still, he had that question in his heart for years, but never asked. Why had Dumbledore waited so long? Harry had another question on his mind as well. "Why, even after twelve letters in the eggs, did you not send a letter to them or something? And why was I forced to work for them to earn my keep if I had Da's money all this time?"

Albus sighed sadly as if he had the weight of the world on his back alone. "I had hoped that Harry was raised as a son and they did not want him to know otherwise. Nevertheless, I had made certain that you were no burden on them. The Dursleys received a monthly stipend equal to two thousand of their pounds for seeing to your well-being."

"You still should have had someone go inside the home to check on him periodically … that is standard practice in our world in cases like this," Eileen pointed out. "Even Figg should have noticed that not all of that money was spent on my grandson. In fact, every single last knut of those funds had better find its way back into my grandson's inheritance old man! We can see to Harry's needs, but that money belongs to him."

"Cornelius refused to grant visitations, unless such was conducted by him personally and alone. Then he would point out how if he saw signs of abuse he would take Harry himself."

Harry whimpered and curled as best as he could towards his dad at this. The young man couldn't help it. He remembered how two-faced Fudge was and how the current Minister for Magic had Umbridge as a crony.

"Who gives a damn what that holier-than-thou arse for brains wanted? You stationed Figg there, she had Harry on occasion—you could have checked my grandson then! Hell! You could have had Pomfrey 'visit' to do a surface scan and brought my grandson to me by now!" Eileen's rage was close to getting the better of her. "In short, you did nothing but ignore the situation until you had need for my broken grandson to latch onto you as his rock in the war rather than for Harry to grow up loved. You hold no faith in my son, which I should expect given the low expectations you have always held of our family and our House."

Hagrid refused to believe such of course. "Just wanted Harry to grow up like 'is mum."

"Verbally abused and snubbed," Eileen charged. "That my grandson indeed received from his mother's family … that and so much more."

"Lily didn' get treated like 'at," Hagrid argued.

"Really? I grew up with Lily and Petunia. Tunie would do anything and everything she could to belittle Lily. In addition, more than once I saw elder sister strike younger only to say Lily did it to herself. Petunia hated us ever since the Headmaster refused to accept that jealous Muggle shrew into Hogwarts. That's right, the bitch was and is a squib. At fourteen Tunie thought herself so much better than eleven-year-old Lily and I, she begged you to accept her and you said no." Rage poured off the Potions Master.

"There were expectations of Harry. He had to be in Gryffindor and become a leader willing to give everything for the world. I feared he would not be as eager to protect the world if he felt himself above others."

There, the truth sat voiced at last. Even Ron and Hermione glared at the Headmaster while Harry turned his face away to curl up as best as he could to his father. Severus saw the fear in his son's eyes and struggled to reign in his own emotions as he took Harry into his arms. "Harry, I will do whatever it takes to keep you away from those idiots. All of them."

"Daddy," Harry whispered brokenly into his father's chest before the teen's control slipped and he sobbed for all he lost.

For the first time in his short life, Harry sounded like the child he never had the chance to be since losing his dead parents. None could fault the boy for giving in to the pain and just let go of his emotions for a change. Here in the arms of his father, Harry knew crying would not get him punished. Thus, the broken teen allowed himself to let go and cry. So much was lost that he wanted to give to his Dad. However, it was too late. He felt so much love that Harry had wanted for as long as he could remember, but the teen only had a year before he would be a grown up. Life seemed to hate the boy and his family.

As Harry broke, Severus rubbed his child's back while trying his best to calm down for his son. Every day he had remaining in life, Severus was determined to share that with his son. His lips whispered promises of such into Harry's ear as they both calmed. It took a few minutes for Harry to draw enough comfort from his father to stop crying. All the while, Eileen silently glared at the Headmaster while hating herself. She had not done enough and then went to shatter her poor grandson with her old prejudice.

After Harry had stopped crying, father and son continued to hold one another for a few moments. They had so little time left before time would end childhood. Severus only wished he could give his son a real childhood. Harry wished he could give his father all a child would as they grew up. Then Severus settled Harry back into the pillows.

Harry smiled as he told about his eleventh birthday. This reminded Severus of another precious birthday. Harry had only recently turned sixteen. Because the actual day had passed did not mean that the moment his son came into the world was no less important to Severus. Every child deserved a sweet sixteen party. He would have to guilt the Headmaster to give Harry a proper birthday, but Severus decided to hold that off until Harry was stronger.

When Harry and Ron told about the problems with the gateway to platform 9 ¾ at the start of their second year, Severus rolled his eyes as he controlled the anger in his tone. "Why did you two not send an owl to Hogwarts?"

Ron shrugged. "Hermione wasn't there with us?"

Everyone laughed while the young lady in question blushed. Draco pulled her close and kissed the side of her head to show his support before smirking. "Well, they admit the truth at last. Hermione is the brains of the Golden Trio."

Hermione glared while the rest roared with laughter, though Ron did not have to make it worse. "We never denied that, Draco. Then again, no one ever asked us because pretty much everyone knows that is a fact."

A number of apologies between Gryffindors and the sole student Slytherin were given for the insults and attacks in second year. Then they got to how they assumed Draco was the heir of Slytherin, to which Draco could not hold back his belly laughs. "Believe me, were I the heir I would run my House, if not the school. So, how did I unintentionally clear my name?"

Hermione blushed hotter than ever. "We'll tell you later."

"The answer is by polyjuice potion I believe," Eileen answered with as much innocence a Slytherin to the bone grandmother could manage.

Hermione groaned and buried her face into Draco's shoulder. Severus on the other hand lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "My niece managed to get into my private stores? A Slytherin I would have easily believed, but not you, Mia Jean. Add another week to your detention."

Ron fumed but remained silent. Draco was trying to piece together the different points. Finally, he gave up. "Why polyjuice potion?"

At least Harry could manage a blush, "Remember the night that Crabbe and Goyle were not feeling well that year, but came back in their skivvies?"

Draco was grateful he had already swallowed the mouthful of pumpkin juice he had poured into his mouth. The second that memory lit in his memory, the young man barked out laughing. "I thought so! I thought so! Who was who?"

Harry and Ron looked at one another for a few heartbeats before Ron shrugged. "I don't know for sure. I kept complaining of having a stomach ache, and Harry said his glasses were for reading."

"I figured when I said what I did about Hermione that one of you would have gone off on me!" Draco broke down even harder before pointing who each had traded places with that night. "You two started something that night! The pair really fancied one another for ages, but never knew how to start. Since they woke in their undies, they assumed they passed out from fun and repeated the entire fiasco the next night! By hiding those two in a closet, you got them to come out of the closet!"

"I seriously did not need to know that," Hermione snapped.

Like a good Slytherin, Draco turned the subject around. "So, who were you pretending to become?"

Hermione blushed hotly as she looked at the plate in front of her and Ron snorted. "She was supposed to be Millicent Bulstrode."

"Would have done no good and given the three of you away. Millicent Bulstrode and I have hated one another since we were children. I told my parents in front of an entire dinner party that I would not give her the time of day much less marry the pig. She would have never been friendly with me. What happened instead, who did you become my lioness?"

Again, Ron chortled while Hermione blushed. "I got cat hair."

Draco smirked as he whispered into Hermione's ear, "my kitten forever?"

When Harry saw Hermione beam and nod at Malfoy, he decided whatever it took to make his best friend happy could be accepted.

Severus was still irked about the loss of Harry's arm bones and how the fraud of a teacher had used Harry as a classroom prop. Even so, that paled in comparison to when he heard of how much a coward Lockhart was and how the man tried to attack his son and new nephew. With these revelations, Severus came close to exploding. "If that idiot were not in hospital right now…."

Dumbledore did his best to sooth his Potion Master's nerves. "Severus, please stay calm for Harry. After all, poor Gilderoy has not yet come back to himself. On occasion he slowly grasps reality now and then, only to become hopelessly lost yet again."

"And may he loose himself many more times along the way. I should have shown less restraint during that mockery of a dueling club."

Harry smirked at that memory. "You could always lead a better one, Dad. Then again, Umbridge last year might have done better even. Compared to Lockheart that is and if the Ministry had approved such."

"An arse would have done better than Lockheart. Though, such is an idea." Severus conceded.

The Potions Master was not that happy learning about the fact that Hagrid had sent the boys alone into not only the dark forest, but deep into a nest of spiders! Hagrid shook his head. "Yeh should 'ave told 'im yer were there to get me free!"

"The boys should have never been there in the first place." Severus growled.

"Enough," Eileen snapped. She saw that Harry was taking the verbal duel all wrong. "I would like to hear more from my grandchildren. All of this is over with and done. Not only did the children survive, but also they saved others while making themselves stronger. Now, go on dears."

Ron and Harry both explained how they originally went to tell Lockhart what hid inside the chamber only to find the arse hurriedly packing his things to leave. Then the pair forced the DADA teacher to go down the chute first.

Severus smirked. "That was your Slytherin blood acting."

"That was me angry an adult would just leave Ginny behind like that," Harry grumbled before smirking. "And a little touch of self-preservation. Ron and I are not a snack sized anything and I doubt the snake would like fast food like me."

After a hearty laugh shared all around, Harry described what happened within the Chamber. The idea that the Riddle piece had come so close to full human with the true Riddle looking for the means to grant him a real body caused Severus to shutter. With two Riddles in existence, the world –Wizarding and Muggle alike– likely couldn't survive. That Fawkes had so taken to Harry calmed Severus' nerves some while giving him ideas for protecting his son.

When Albus offered to show Eileen Harry's award for special services to the School sometime, Harry blushed. A blush that grew hotter when his grandmother pointed out that she hoped it would be soon. Now Harry had a family who was proud of what he'd done. The teen had no idea how to react. Rather than talking about the award, he talked about his freeing Dobby the house elf.

"Now that was your family blood easily!" Eileen laughed joyfully as she clapped in appreciation. "At the age of twelve, my grandbaby had out Slytherined a full grown Slytherin and without Lucius suspecting a thing beforehand! Perfection!"

Again, Harry blushed until Draco cleared his throat. "It did help to have a badly worded order in place."

Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Explain please."

"Did you all think that Dobby got out of the house on his will alone?"

Ron snapped his fingers. "You gave Dobby an order that let the guy slip out like Kreacher did with Sirius."

Draco nodded before calling out for the house elf. At the sound of his name called, Dobby popped into the room excitedly. When he saw Draco, the house elf seemed nervous until the blonde smiled. "The masks are almost fully off now, Dobby."

Hearing this had Dobby near collapse in relief. "Dobby was most worried for young Master."

"After the war you can always come to work for me and Hermione, if you like. But you make sure that Winky understands we will not accept alcoholism if she wants to become a part of our family."

Before Hermione could open her mouth to protest, Dobby gasped in joy. "Oh yes, sir. Dobby be makings sure Winky be stopping her drinking very soon."

"We are in the final stretch of this war," Eileen said with a firm confidence in her grandson. "Sooner than anyone expects we will be free."

Severus didn't bother hiding his smirk as the house elf popped out of sight. "Children, your Grams never makes such an announcement unless she is certain, however, do not pester her for details. Such does not always come to her."

His mother smiled in the sweet Slytherin manner. "Old women need their secrets, son."

"Okay, we get that," Ron said. Then he sent everyone into chuckles. "But what would that have to do with you?"

Draco snorted as he shook his head. "You have much to learn about being a Slytherin, Ron."

"I thought that was the job of you, Nana, and Professor Snape? Mold these three good little lion cubs into semi-good snakes."

Chuckles erupted out of Severus, still startling the little lion cubs. "Ronald, too much has been revealed about you cubs. You will never get by with that line again."

Hermione seemed slightly stiff still and Draco needed no help understanding why. "Mia, my father had a hand in that house elf's shame."

"She should be happy now that she is free!" Hermione snapped.

Dumbledore sighed. He really needed that Wizarding Studies class approved and made a mandatory class for Muggle born and raised students. "Miss. Granger, were anyone to snap your wand and bind you from our world without altering your memories, would you be happy?"

"No, but my being a witch is not slavery."

"Mia," Severus interrupted. "Not all house elves feel like slaves. In fact, most see themselves as belonging to a family. Such is how Winky felt. In essence, Crouch disowned her and she will never get her family back now that they are all dead. Should she be happy?"

Hermione sighed and looked at her lap. "What about Dobby?"

"Dobby is a rare case, my kitten." Draco touched her face to get his love to look up at him. "Dobby was not treated kindly by my father, but was a good friend to me when I was young. That was why I worded my command as I did. Even though I hated you then, Harry, I didn't want you to die. Dad talked about bringing back the Dark Lord. My entire life I was taught how superior we were and how I was expected to follow my father's example. While I did what I did for show, I hated taking the Dark Mark. But, if I could use it to protect my Lady, then the false promise of fidelity and branding were worth my sufferings."

Silently, Hermione nodded in acceptance. However, she intended to make changes to the law when she was older.

"I do have to say that your account of Dobby's freedom was different from my father's. Then again, I expected such." Draco sat back to better rub the back of his only one.

Ron snorted. "Glad your father managed to stay at expectation. That's better than him pulling a troll."

"Or pulling out troll bogies with your wand. Cousin, please tell me that you didn't do that first year. That has to be an ugly rumor!" Draco chuckled.

Harry managed to blush. "I didn't mean for my wand to jam there. I was just trying to distract it by getting on its head … though I had no idea what I was going to do after that."

"Well, it turned out beautifully in the end. After all, all my grandbabies are right here and together though so much." Eileen commented.

"Not that we would admit to everything," Ron muttered a little loudly to get a laugh.

The laughter and jokes were a good distraction for Harry. He smiled a true smile as his body relaxed more. Yet, Harry then explained about his relationship with his Uncle's only sister. Severus felt ashamed that he brushed off the memories he found as Harry wanting pity. Nonetheless, if that Marge person were to come along in their lives again, the near legally restored father had great plans for her.

When Harry explained about what set him off to use wild magic on her, Severus understood and told his son such. "She should be grateful I had not stood there when she made those comments. The foul beast might have turned into a hungry dog eating dragon."

Severus smiled at how that made his son laugh. Not a false laugh to make everyone believe he was better, but a true one that lit those leaf green eyes with life and joy. His boy held nearly a mirror of Lily's laugh and all the glow of her eyes. The pain was deep and gnawing as Severus forced himself to allow images of she who once might have become his wife to slip back into his mind.

When Harry explained how his first meeting with Sirius had gotten him on the Knight Bus. Severus silently thanked the mutt for protecting his boy when Severus didn't know and was not there.

Living on his own at the Leaky Caldron was the best memories for Harry that made the wounded teen smile as he laughed more. Severus remembered that Harry's assigned summer homework made more sense third year. He smirked himself when Harry recalled the first time he opened his CoMC class book.

Hagrid shrugged sadly. "Guess I should've sent a note to everyone about the spines."

"Well, you know now for next time," Eileen pointed out gently.

That train ride to school Harry admitted was his worse experience. Harry described the sound of his mother's sacrifice and it tore Severus' insides to shreds. As tears fell down Harry's cheeks, Severus took his son back into his arms. The renewed father was grateful to the werewolf for the first time in their lives. If Lupin had not been there, well, Severus did not want to go down that road.

To get his own mind away from what scared him most, Harry talked about his first Divination class. Many sets of eyes rolled at the antics of one Professor Trelawney. As Severus settled Harry once again, Ron remembered what he had seen in the cup.

"Well, at least I did manage to read your leaves right."

Severus looked at his pseudo-nephew with strained patience. "What do you mean, Ronald?"

"In Harry's cup I figured was a crooked sort of cross and something that looked like the sun. According to our book it meant that Harry was going to have 'trials and suffering' but 'great happiness' too meaning that Harry was going to suffer but be very happy."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I had to go back to Privet Drive, but I was so happy because having Sirius to hold over their heads kept the Dursleys off me for an entire summer. But, I read Ron's cup right too. He had a deadly enemy in Pettigrew and Ron's family got that windfall."

"That was before school started, Harry." Hermione corrected. "Besides we all know how unreliable divination is. Professor McGonagall told us so the same day."

Severus was curious when that memory seemed to make Harry happy. That is until Harry explained the class discussion. "She told me that since I seemed fine that I couldn't get out of my homework, but if I died before her next class I wouldn't have to hand it in."

Everyone chuckled at the joke. Eileen shook her head. "That Minerva! She always was one smart cookie. Even when we were in school, she never took much stock in that subject because she had a good head on her shoulders. And if any of you tell her I said so I will deny it."

Kids and adults chuckled at that comment. It was happy enough for Harry to describe his first ride on Buckbeak. With the way his son word the feeling of riding the beast, Severus could almost imagine sitting on its back with his son that day. Draco apologized for his behavior in class that day to both Harry and Hagrid.

The latter of the two waved it away. "Just you 'n remember next time that when I tell ya sumthin there's a pretty good reason fer it."

When Harry talked about the first Quidditch match of that year and how the Dementors affected him, Severus replayed the events in his mind. He had come so close to losing his son and even though he didn't know the truth then, the man had felt as if Halloween 1981 was replaying around him. He was losing someone he secretly loved dearly and could do nothing about what was happening. Severus felt deeply grateful to Albus for being there to act for him.

Harry admitted where he got the Marauder's Map and that he had slipped into the village without permission. Then he apologized again to Hermione for snubbing her for getting his mystery present taken.

Explaining what finally conjured his Patronus, Harry had no idea about the lump that grew within Severus' throat. Looking at his father, Harry smiled sadly. "Guess I have a new memory to try."

"You do, my son." Severus struggled to hold back his tears.

"I'm sorry for attacking you that night in the Shrieking Shack, Dad," Harry whimpered. "I just wanted the truth so badly."

"And you were not ready to trust me either," Severus finished. "I gave you no reason to trust me before then. Therefore, I forgive your attack. Will you forgive my harsh words and actions that night?"

Severus was grateful when his child nodded in agreement.

Harry swore that he did not put his own name in the Goblet of Fire and Severus knew this. However, it was nice for Ronald to squirm and apologize again for turning on Harry. Draco in turn apologized for the buttons that were his idea. It seemed that the Slytherin assumed the same as Ronald had. Still, Severus had his own cure for that.

"Any further betrayals will be met with processing the entire load of ingredients for the coming year."

Eileen smirked, "Severus, no threats now. Besides, that would be a joy and pleasure compared to what I would do."

To this, all the children had good enough sense to shutter before breaking out into laughter. Yet, there was a force in Harry's that told Severus this was a false laugh. The Potions Master truly hated those foul Dursleys. Harry could not see a playful tease as anything less than a threat.

However, Harry pushed on to explain how scared he was in the first task. Severus remembered how close to a heart attack he had suffered that day. When they lost sight of his child, Severus nearly planned his suicide for having pointed out the only way to catch who set the boy up was to have his now son compete. Nevertheless, Harry came back and Severus had his child as his own finally.

Second task, Harry really thought his best friends betrayed him since they weren't around. Yet, when he saw them tied to the bottom of the dark lake, Harry admitted that was the worse sight he had ever come across. His friends were pawns and in danger because of being connected to him, even if it was only how Harry processed the situation, was nearly too much for Severus' son.

What Harry felt about the Yule Ball didn't surprise Severus at all. Neither he nor James were dancers and disliked dances. Severus thought the ball was a farce and worthless. Three pregnancies came about because he couldn't get to the girls before they gave their bodies over to their dates. All three ended up dumped by their dates the day Poppy discovered the babies.

One's family forced an abortion on before sending her to a religious school to get the girl ready to become a nun. Severus stole the girl in the night and hid her in a school in America temporarily. One was disowned and survived now only on Severus' purse. He owed her that for not preventing her situation. The other no one had heard from since and Severus had a bad feeling about the poor girl and her baby. Yet, Albus had not moved on the situation. Ignore the situation and it would vanish or right itself was the old man's creed no longer, not if Severus had a hand in any situation.

Explaining the final task was nearly too much on Harry. The graveyard, the ritual, the battle … Severus' heart ached. He nearly lost his only child as Diggory had that night. Then that fake Moody nearly did the job off himself.

Then Harry told his new family about the time he had just trying to listen to the Muggle news for anything about Voldemort. He told them about Uncle Veron trying to strangle him after Dung Disaparated so close to the house. Again, Severus Snape was on the edge of leaving to make any dark and truly evil Death Eater proud before leaving all them awed. However, he had his son to take into account first.

Harry admitted to bating his cousin to attack him before the Dementors attacked. Still, Dudley bated back with the whimpers from Harry's nightmares causing Harry to draw his wand. This Severus hated being a father in. "You still should have just avoided your cousin, Harry. Bating him only made the situation worse for you."

"I was sick of being there and just wanted free of the lies and starving."

"Am I correct?" Severus asked.

Not bothering to look up, Harry nodded in agreement. He was sure his dad was going to dump him now. Instead, Severus surprised his child. "However, I heard the report about attack. I am very proud that you fought for one who enjoyed causing you pain."

That lit Harry's eyes with eager joy. Severus wondered if his child ever heard such praised aimed at him. Well, that didn't matter now—such would come when due for the rest of their lives. Now Severus had a reason to live beyond the end of the war.

Harry admitted how scared he felt the day of his hearing. When he revealed that the trial time moved, Eileen began to shake with rage. "How dare that idiot? And I take it he has not apologized for that obvious attempt to attack my grandson's character."

"No, Cornelius has not." Dumbledore had to admit.

The other kids did Harry a favor in getting around how Harry did not make prefect the previous year by moving on to the previous year's welcoming feast. That shock had stung deeply after the way Dumbledore had ignored him during and after the trial. Of course, Eileen knew of that slight, but remembered the effect of her earlier unchecked words had hurt Harry. Not again so soon, not near her precious grandson.

"I believe a point was over looked that you were hoping for, Albus. At least, you should have."

Harry was confused and really did not want to talk about that. Then the Headmaster brought out an envelope. "Thank you for that assistance, Eileen. This letter I decided should be handed to you rather than mailed–even from the relatively short distance of our school owlery."

Severus accepted the letter for Harry and smiled as he opened the envelope. First, he drew out a shiny badge and held the pin where his son and everyone could see the emblem. Hermione was the first to catch the meaning.

"That gives you equal status with prefects, Harry!" cried Hermione happily. "You can use our special bathroom now and everything!"

"Not to mention dock house points and give detentions to your team when they follow your lead," Draco teased. It was about time the Headmaster did something right for Harry.

"I'm Quidditch Captain? But how? I mean, Umbridge likely still has my broom and all."

Again, Severus slid his long, potion stained fingers into the envelope before enlarging the most precious firebolt, one of the last gifts given to Harry by his dead godfather. This Severus lay on the bed next to his wounded son so he could set the stick into Harry's hand. That obviously meant more to Harry than the badge.

Then Harry looked disappointed again. "I'm not going to be flying much any time soon. Headmaster? Can I have a co-Captain?"

"I believe that this particular situation warrants such consideration. Though I ask you are careful of who you select, Harry." With that, the Headmaster tapped the badge with his wand and magically created a duplicate to Harry's badge.

His choice was obvious, but still a surprise as Harry weakly held out his open hand to offer one of the badges to his best friend. "Here you go Ron."

"Me? Harry, why me?"

This made Harry give a true Snape chuckle to Severus' pleasure. "Well, Hermione doesn't play and Draco has his own team to get into shape. Can't have him working out strategies with me, can we?"

"I'll do that anyway for free," said Slytherin Seeker offered with a remarkably straight face.

Harry gave a real smile as Ron accepted the second badge humbly. "Thanks for the offer Draco, but you will have to work at it if you intend to beat us Gryffindors."

Really, Harry chose Ron because he remembered first year and the Mirror of Erised. Harry never forgot how swallowed up Ron felt in his sea of brothers. This way Ron had not only prefect, but Quidditch Captain as well. Maybe the image in the Mirror could on occasion show the future, if one is willing to work for their dreams that is. Seeing the twinkling in the Headmaster's eyes, Harry knew that the old man knew the real reason and approved.

Once his father tucked the initial badge away, leaving the broom in Harry's hold for comfort, they returned to their first class with Umbridge as teacher–if one could call her sitting on her butt teaching.

"Honestly, we learned more with Quirrell and Lockhart in one with both on their worst days!" Draco complained.

While the others agreed emphatically, Harry lay pensive for a few moments before he muttered mostly to himself, "I still wonder if she carries the Dark Mark on her arm."

Severus caught what Harry said and became worried. "Why would you think that of her, outside of her obvious vindictive streak?"

"Dad, what have you heard about her detentions?" Whatever was on Harry's mind was clearly uncomfortable for the child.

Instantly, Severus' mind went to the worst of possibilities in fear for his son. Glaring at his mentor, the Potion Master was plotting making the Dark Lord proud. "If I am told that bitch touched my son inappropriately…."

"Thank Merlin NO!" Harry halted his father's threat fast. "She used a pen that made me write in my blood so much it carved the words in my left hand for good. Hermione can you show it…."

Only then did Harry see that the spell he used to hide the scar was already gone. Seeing the glare in Severus' eye, Harry would have run if he had that option. Only the rush of the night had hidden the words from his father … that is until Harry opened his mouth. "Harry, was it a black quill? And did she not offer ink?"

"She said I didn't need it and yeah it was black. She chuckled and smiled every time my skin ripped more and deeper." Harry whispered while trying to control his breathing. "When she held my hand to inspect the wound, she would beam happily and my scar would flare in pain."

When he saw Harry's behavior, Severus fought his urge to explode to speak calmly, "son, why did you not alert the staff? At least your Head of House?"

Harry's eyes fell as they filled with tears again. This time, he knew he had disappointed his father. "I didn't want to be accused of wanting special treatment on top of the world saying I was insane."

Though frustrated, Severus overwhelmingly was proud of his son. "That you took from me, Harry. Headmaster, as a Head of House and as a parent of one of her victims, I want formal charges filed against that shrew."

Dumbledore nodded, knowing this was going to be a longer night than he had first feared. He hoped for a short nap before court the next day, but that was looking less and less likely. Then again, he had no grounds to complain after all Harry suffered because he again failed the child.

The trio began talking about how hard it had been to convince Harry to lead the DA. This Eileen wanted to hear from her grandson. "What is this DA?"

"Officially it is called the Defense Association, but the students call it Dumbledore's Army to thumb our noses at Fudge and his pet frog."

Severus couldn't help snorting as the other teens sniggered. Harry talked about teaching his fellow students for a long time and fondly. Clearly, the times his students managed to master concepts that Harry learned in battle or to protect himself–especially so in teaching so many how to produce a Patronus–those times were a pleasure to the wounded young man.

Then Harry looked at his dad. "I don't think I want to become an Auror anymore, Dad."

Remembering the lack of surprise that his then possible son was going to walk in Potter's example, the situation had hurt Severus. "Why, Harry?"

Looking at the blanket, the boy looked so young but older than all gathered in one at the same time. "I am tired of war and fighting. Yeah, the idea of catching Dark Wizards seems a great career. But … that is all my life has been so far. And … I liked how we had three of the four houses working together to learn. When Neville finally produced his first Patronus, I felt like I could make one with that memory alone! Is it too late for me to learn how to be a teacher?"

Instead of following after Potter, Severus' swallowed thickly at how his little boy wanted to become like him. "Never, my little boy. But you do have to let yourself heal first."

Harry helped Ron by not going into the letter that Percy had sent. Instead, Harry talked about helping Cho and the Thestrals he saw. For Severus the noticing of the thestrals by his son was not surprising. Harry took any death personally. The boy so mirrored Lily that again Severus felt a twinge in his chest.

Again, Draco apologized for ill behavior at the Gryffindor practice that year. How that made Harry's muscles relax gave Severus a measure of calm. Still, the man gave his team's future Captain a glare. "Seeing as we do not want the other teams sitting through our team's practices, no Slytherins will be allowed to sit in at any other teams' practice, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded in agreement, clueless to his future duties.

When they talked about Sirius' fire call, Severus had to bite the inside corner of his lips to hold back his rage. However, the mutt did give good information that in the end changed Harry. Still, to put the boy in that sort of risk and then for the idiot mutt to compare the boy as not like Potter? Even near their deaths, Lily had turned Potter into more of an adult than Severus once would have given the dead man credit. The risk would have been too much even for the best friend the mutt still wanted the boy to turn into rather than accepting the child as the person Harry had become.

Finally calmer, Severus sighed. "I am proud that you would not put the safety of another over your longing for familial closeness."

"You are certainly your own man, but will always be my grandbaby." Eileen cooed. Harry blushed in embarrassment, but he liked he had someone who cooed over him.

Hermione went off on how the Ministry was given the keys to Hogwarts rather than standing strong against the attacks. Dumbledore pulled out his most grandfatherly of voices as he spoke, "Miss. Granger, I could find no one qualified to take the position."

"Poppycock!" Hermione snapped harshly. "Just like you could not protect Harry, just like you could not protect the philosopher's stone, or how you couldn't figure out where the Chamber of Secrets was, just like you could not do a great many other points. My Muggle uncle Mike could teach us defense better than anyone so far outside of Professors Snape and Lupin!"

Beaming, Harry had to comment, "I would applaud, but everyone knows why I'm not right now."

The rest did Harry a favor by doing so for him to Hermione's blush and Dumbledore's defeat. Yes, the old man had much to make up for and no trust to hold onto left. Harry talked about the so-called inspection of Trelawney. It still left a foul taste in Harry's mouth.

Hermione huffed. "Obviously she was out to take down those who were known supporters of or appointed by the Headmaster. Given the toad-faced fraud couldn't manage to teach a class herself, she had to make sure no one else was capable either."

Then Draco joined in with Ron and Harry to regale their Grams about Hermione telling off Umbridge along with showing she has the brain to back up her verbal chess matches. Hermione was so deeply flushed that the guys finally had to back off to let her face cool.

Severus on the other hand smirked. "Let's see: disrespecting a teacher while studying ahead, actually comprehending the insane to the point of mentally dueling a severely unarmed opponent, and managing to out teach a paid teacher. Ten points to Gryffindor and another week of detentions, Mia Jean."

"Dad, just give her the entire school year. We all know you are aiming for that anyway," Harry teased as Hermione lit up again.

Hermione came back with Harry's assessment of Quirrell. Severus snorted. "The so-called age appropriate instruction was no less than three years behind when I was a student. Harry, we have to work on your temper."

Sighing, the teen looked at his blanket. "I know Dad … she just enjoyed playing my buttons."

"And you allowed her to manipulate you. The first lesson you lion cubs must learn is to avoid that trap while dragging the one who set it onto said trap without showing how you do so."

Ron looked confused. "What?"

"We will have a long discussion about that later, Ron," Draco interrupted.

All three teens were gleefully exact on the inspection of Professor McGonagall. They gave detail after detail from each of their angles as well as their thoughts about the confrontation. Again, Harry was alive with true laughter. First chance he had, Severus knew he would get Minerva a sweet gift for the one she inadvertently gave him through Harry's joy.

Then the trio talked about forming the D.A. Severus shook his head at the choice of meeting place. "It would likely have gone unnoticed if you lot had met at the Three Broomsticks than at a place not known for serving Hogwarts students."

"Not thinking like Slytherins again, sorry Dad. It's just, we didn't want to be caught," Harry tried to explain.

"But you stuck out like sore thumbs which got you lot caught."

"It also nearly ruined Quidditch, since the team was disbanded by the toad," Ron complained.

"Thinking like a Slytherin means thinking as one would in chess. You must place your thoughts at least ten steps ahead and have plans in place in case of one fails," Draco explained.

Harry shook his head. "That is Ron's territory, I am pants at chess."

Ron wore the blush this time. He rarely got compliments even from his family. It was nice to feel appreciated now and then. "There will be times when you don't have me, Harry. Start with thinking one or two steps ahead and then work your way up from there."

"I'll try," Harry promised with a heavy sigh. His eyes felt so heavy. But, he wanted more time with his dad. They had so little time left.

"Well, I think it is time these boys had a bit of father-son time. The rest we can go over later on. Now would any of you youngsters escort an elderly lady to her rooms?"

Ron showed he had a touch of Slytherin within him, "Sure Nana, but who is it?"

Eileen smirked, "fresh lion. Let's all head off to bed."

"Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley, your beds are ready for you. Mr. Malfoy, as the school term has not begun, I see no reason to enforce the separation of Houses. Moreover, I think your safety would feel more assured in Gryffindor Tower for now. However, there is no co-ed sleeping in the dormitories." The Headmaster gave the couple a firm look.

This last got Hermione and Draco blushing while Ron roared with gut splitting laughter. Even Harry beamed and chuckled.

His friends were staying at the school too. That left Harry with only worrying about healing.

I know it took much time to update, but I had to work on this chapter and turn my novel from a draft to a first edit. Lily, even in life was a secret Slytherin. Next chapter will show you how and explain why Severus' attitude has changed towards the trio.