Previously on The Years Of Decisions 14: Temper In Temper Out
Janna closed her eyes as she grabbed onto Severus' arm knowing he was feeling the same pain she was feeling. These loathsome gits had beaten this child so far down he was afraid to leave a fingerprint. She and Severus should do what they had come to do and get back to Hogwarts. The only redeeming factor was Harry would be safe at Hogwarts starting September 1st. Perhaps Dumbledore could find him a host family for school breaks. This family shouldn't be allowed to host a beggar from Knockturn Alley. Filthy Muggles.
Severus realized Janna had taken his arm to calm him. She obviously didn't want his demeanor to frighten Harry anymore than necessary.
/*/
Harry hadn't been kidding about fingerprints. He had placed paper napkins at three spots around the table before asking Janna and Severus to sit.
Once they were settled, Harry asked what their visit was all about.
Janna pulled out A History Of Magic and laid it before him. Then she had brought out his cake. "Happy Birthday Harry."
Harry's eyes had grown to saucer size. He thanked Janna for the cake telling her he'd never had a birthday cake or birthday card in his life.
Tears formed in the corner of Janna's eyes which she quickly blinked away.
As angry as he was over what Harry had just disclosed, Severus looked fondly at the child he and Lily had made. Then Severus answered truthfully about their reason for visiting. "We bring news Mr. Potter. We are here to tell you about your heritage in the Magical World. You're parents were Magical. You're a wizard Harry."
The Years Of Decisions: Chapter 15: A Day At 4 Privet Drive
"A wizard? I can't be a wi..zard. My parents couldn't have been magical. They were two regular people who were killed in a car crash. My aunt and uncle will attest to this. They've told me. My father was drunk and crashed the car killing both he and my mum."
Harry looked from Severus to Janna and back. Two people he hadn't ever met before were in Aunt Petunia's kitchen discussing magic. He would be in for the beating of his life if she heard them. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia did not allow such talk in their home. They had whacked him across the head many times accusing him of purposely doing one thing or the other that was against their beliefs. Harry knew magic didn't exist, but the barest mention sent his aunt and uncle into a rage.
"Is this a birthday joke?" asked a bewildered Harry. "Dudley loves to embarrass and torment me. Has he put you up to this? If I ask a question or discuss magic with you, will Dudley run and tell his parents I've broken the rules?"
Janna had to answer because Severus was so incensed he was ready to curse the entire family and leave them laid out on the couch. This was unthinkable. The Boy Who Lived didn't know anything about the Magical World. He had been raised to despise his own heritage. This was yet another thing Dumbledore had gotten wrong. He had put his and Lily's son in a Muggle home with bloody wankers who had abused Harry probably from the time he arrived.
Severus didn't give a rat's arse about anything the Dursleys said about James Potter. He still hated the arrogant prick even though he was dead. He blamed Potter for Lily's death…. But Severus had to stop in mid thought. Lily wasn't dead. She was sitting right across the table from him. Be that as it may. Potter deserved each and every insult against his name. Lily did not.
Severus' collar seemed to be tightening around his throat. All it would take to make him curse them all was one wrong word…. from any Dursley.
/*/
Suddenly there was a loud bang accompanied by raised voices.
Harry began to tremble as he turned The History Of Magic face down telling Janna and Severus in a low voice his Uncle Vernon was in from work. "I'm not trying to be rude, but please don't mention magic if Uncle Vernon comes through. He will be reasonable enough while you are here, but he will kill me after you've gone."
Janna glanced at Severus who had his head bowed low. Severus wasn't praying or ignoring. He was steeling himself against drawing his wand and calling the Muggles done. Every word out of Harry's mouth was like a dagger being stuck in his chest. At that particular moment, he didn't know who to curse first. The despicable Dursleys or Albus Dumbledore.
"No one is going to kill you Harry. Professor Snape and I would not let that happen. The long and short of it is you are a wizard. We are here to show you the basics of what you will need to know before you start school."
"School?" questioned Harry. "I'm already enrolled in the London School For Slow Learners. I cannot just up and go to another school. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia won't allow it. Especially if they have to provide another set of uniforms."
Severus jumped up from his chair startling both Janna and Harry.
"I want to see your aunt and uncle. Janna please proceed with what we plan to show Harry. I will return shortly. I have every hope that this Vernon imbecile tries to attack me."
Janna looked at Harry who was again trembling in fear. "Your name has been down in the Books from day one Harry. You are a wizard. A wizard who will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry come September."
Reaching out to touch his arm she told him he needn't worry about Professor Snape getting injured. If he was to worry at all, it should be for his aunt, uncle and cousin. Then turning the History Of Magic over and opening it to the first page, Janna told Harry they were ready to begin.
As they went over the first page, Janna glanced at the young wizard. Had things gone differently. Harry could have been her husband's child. She should not be this drawn to him. For some reason Janna couldn't explain. She was feeling sad yet protective of Harry. Being in close proximity to the child made her feel as though it was her duty to teach as well as protect him.
Strange, she thought as a small feeling of warmth surged through her body.
/*/
Janna wasn't the only one at the table feeling a bit confused. Harry was reading the text while experiencing the best feelings of his young life. This Professor Southway made him feel as though someone cared for him. The feelings frightened yet excited him. With a deep sigh Harry tried to concentrate on what he was reading. He hadn't ever had anyone who cared for him so he was probably getting it all wrong. Miss Southway was doing what she was required to do. She probably had to be nice to loads of children.
With a last surreptitious look in Janna's direction, Harry let the information on page four sink in. Hogwarts had a ghost on staff. Professor Cuthbert Binns who taught History of Magic was a real ghost.
Looking into Janna's smiling face Harry inquired if the book had gotten it wrong. "Ghosts do not exist. Do they?" he asked hesitantly. "If they did exist, they couldn't be professors. Could they?"
"Well Harry. You've been brought up in the Muggle world. Do you remember me mentioning that Muggles are people who do not have magic and do not recognize magic. Things are quite different in the Magical World. We know things such as fairies, elves, centaurs and ghosts do exist. We live in harmony with the creatures, beasts and the like. Keep reading Harry. The book will help you understand more."
Harry looked skeptically at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. "No one would ever believe that. I'd be beaten up and left for dead if I started telling people that centaurs and elves are real."
Janna reached out to Harry once again. "We haven't gotten to that part yet Harry. There are rules. We have what is called The Statute of Secrecy. It is first and foremost the most important rule of the Magical World. You must learn it and abide by it. A magical person cannot ever do magic or speak of magical things in front of a Muggle." Except Severus Snape she thought to herself. "It is prohibited. If the Statute is broken, the Ministry of Magic will deal with the breach quickly and harshly. There is an entire chapter on the Statute of Secrecy. You'll understand more after you read it."
A very serious Harry remarked to Janna. "Professor Southway. Being a wizard seems quite tricky. I'm not sure this is the life I'd choose. I don't want the Ministry of Magic to deal with me quickly and harshly."
Janna laughed as she told Harry he needn't be concerned with the Ministry as she and Professor Snape would teach him to become an upstanding Magical citizen.
For several seconds Harry stared off across the kitchen before putting his eyes back on the book. He hoped this wasn't one of Dudley's rubbish tricks. He wanted Professor Southway to teach him. As a matter of fact. Harry thought he would be happiest if she was the only professor he had to see.
/*/
Severus had come through the door intent on giving Petunia a dressing down for treating her own sister's child in such an unseemly manner. However, he was met with a stream of vitriol and obscenities which were coming from a fat, slovenly bastard who obviously didn't know who he was dealing with.
"Who the hell are you and why are you in my home?" yelled Vernon Dursley.
Petunia quietly advised Vernon he was Severus Snape. One of Lily's friends.
Vernon went spare. "One of those. In my house? Get the hell out and get the hell out now. I will not have your kind defiling my home."
Severus answered in a dangerously low voice which Petunia recognized from all those years ago. She pulled on Vernon's sleeve, but he wasn't having any.
"Has your wife not disclosed the important things?" snarled Severus. "Has she not mentioned how dangerous I am or what a foul person I am? How I think Muggles are just something to be shite on? How much I despise her? I'm sure she has. It was her favorite litany when Lily and I were children. If she has disparaged me to you, I'm not sure why you think to get in my face as though you are my equal. If she hasn't, I will explain in detail that I am a wizard who will curse a filthy Muggle as soon as look at him."
Vernon was either too stupid or too incensed to recognize the danger. "Do you think to threaten me you dirty miscreant? I won't have it. I can have the Constable here in nothing flat. Then where would your filthy arse be?"
In the bat of an eye Severus had his wand out and pointed at Vernon's heart. He was a heartbeat away from casting three body bind spells in quick succession when he remembered he was in a Muggle residence. He had been outside the residence when he cast the Stinging Jinx, but he was inside a Muggle residence now. He had to cloak his magic. Calling out the spell which cloaked any magic being done, Severus went ahead and cast the Petrificus Totalus times three. All three Dursleys fell where they stood.
"Now," said Severus looking directly at Vernon. "You are what passes for the head of this household. I will speak to you." he growled releasing the spell so Vernon could answer. "You piece of shite tosspot you will listen to what I have to say. You will answer my questions. Then you may pray that my s… that Harry is willing to vouch for your life. If he is, you live. If he isn't, you die. It doesn't get any more simple than that. I will not spend one iota of my or Janna's time listening to why you starved, beat and humiliated a charge left in your care."
Vernon the imbecile while terrified still wanted to assert himself over Severus. "How…"
Severus didn't give Vernon time to voice a complete sentence before flicking his wand to bind him and seal his mouth.
With one swift wave of the wand Severus cast a Muffliato. "You fucking idiot," screamed Severus. "You think to raise your voice to me with my wand in your face? Now you will sit there until Professor Southway and I have finished speaking to Harry. The three of you are free to piss on yourselves if the need arises. Nothing can make you smell any worse." Then Severus turned on his heel heading back to the kitchen.
/*/
Janna looked up as Severus returned to the kitchen having heard none of his tirade. The first thing he had done was throw away the paper napkins which were protecting the table from fingerprints.
Harry gasped as Severus threw the napkins on the floor.
Severus reassured Harry there was no need for him to worry as Vernon wasn't in any position to retaliate.
With a huge sigh, Janna revealed information she had learned from Harry in Severus' absence. "Harry sleeps in a cupboard under the stairs. His uncle doesn't think he's worth a room of his own. It is obviously not from a lack of space as there is a perfectly good room sitting empty. I've asked Harry to show me, but we wanted to wait for you."
"A cupboard under the stairs?" Severus asked in disbelief. "A bloody cupboard under the stairs. Harry. Please take me to your sleeping quarters. We shall continue your instruction after I've seen your room."
While Harry led the way from the kitchen Janna held Severus back to point out the obvious. "Please keep your temper and your swearing under control Sev. You are probably more frightening to Harry than the Dursleys could ever be."
Severus gave a curt nod before giving Janna a discreet pat on her bottom. "We are here on Hogwarts business yet you dare call me Sev. Is it your intention to have me take you on the kitchen table? I'm fairly certain Petunia who doesn't like fingerprints will not care for an arse print in the middle of her kitchen table."
Janna smiled at the back of her obnoxious husband as she followed him from the kitchen.
/*/
And a cupboard under the stairs was exactly what it was. Harry had failed to mention the lock on the outside of the door, but Janna noticed.
Severus remained silent as visions of his own childhood came flashing back. His father had been a vicious, Muggle drunk. His mother had been a weak, feeble witch. Those things accounted for his childhood situation. The Dursleys had no such excuses. They chose to be vile for no reason other than they could.
"Are you telling me that these despicable people lock you in here?" asked Severus trying to keep his voice even.
"I'm only locked in when I do something wrong. Otherwise I'm free to go in and out. Mostly I stay in there in order to stay out of my aunt and cousin's way. I'm nothing but a nuisance." Harry answered nonchalantly.
While the cupboard was adequate space for a boy of four. Harry had to bend to get in, couldn't stand properly and didn't have the head room to be able to sit up in bed. There wasn't any closet space so Harry's few garments were in a heap on the floor as were his few belongings.
"Am I to understand they punish you for the accidental magic most Magical children experience while growing up?" asked Janna reaching out to put her hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry shrugged as if being beaten, punished or attacked was an ordinary occurrence. "My aunt and uncle don't know I'm magical. They think I purposely try to annoy them."
Severus tried greatly to control himself. Every time he went to ask a question or make a comment, he had to stifle a growl.
Harry, who didn't know if the professor was growling at him took several hesitant steps away from Severus and moved closer to Janna. Janna gave her husband a look which caused him to close his mouth entirely.
"Do you know what I think Harry?" asked Janna continuing on without giving Harry a chance to answer. "I think you deserve a fine bedroom with a proper closet and perhaps a window or two. I also think you have the right to live without the threat of being beat senseless."
"Will you be speaking to my aunt and uncle?" Harry asked fearfully. "Uncle Vernon will not take kindly to someone telling him what to do. He has a top job and is very important."
/*/
Severus couldn't stand it any longer and strode back into the living room where he removed the seal from Vernon's mouth. "I'm going to speak and all three of you are going to listen. Harry is magical as was his mother and father before him. He's a wizard. Get bloody used to it. The first thing you're going to do PETUNIA is take Harry out of that shite hole cupboard. He needs a proper room. Then you will begin treating him as though he was your nephew and not some piece of rubbish that has blown in from the streets. If any of you put your hands on him again, you will answer to Albus Dumbledore. There will be consequences. Have I made myself clear?"
Vernon was turning purple trying to refrain from speaking, but lost to himself. "How dare you think you can come in here…"
Severus quickly cloaked his magic once again and threw up another Muffliato so Janna and Harry wouldn't hear. "SHUT UP YOU FILTHY MUGGLE," he screamed. "I will not stand here and debate the issue. You will do as you are told."
Petunia and Dudley laid there in abject fear only able to move their eyes from side to side.
Severus next told them that before he and Janna left they would be teaching Harry spells to protect himself. It was an outright lie. Harry didn't even have a wand. But they didn't know he needed one. All Severus was trying to do was afford Harry some level of protection in case the Dursleys ignored his warnings.
Just before he took down the Muffliato, Severus turned to Petunia and gave her a blast of his temper. "You are still as jealous, mean, miserable and hateful as you were when you were young. Always whispering hateful shite about me in Lily's ear. You were jealous that your sister was magical and you were nothing more than a plain, ugly Muggle. I'm sure you never thought you would see me again. Yet here we are. I've had enough of this cozy little catch up. Just keep in mind what I've said. As you might remember. I have no hesitation in hexing a Muggle."
Severus removed the Muffliato and went back down the hall to catch up with Janna and Harry. However, they had left the cupboard area. He found them back in the kitchen going through The History Of Magic.
/*/
Janna reached out to Severus. "Harry is quite the quick study. We are almost through the book and he has grasped almost everything we've read and discussed. I suggest we ask Dumbledore if Harry can visit the school before September 1st so he can get rudimentary knowledge of spells, charms and Hogwarts itself.
Severus looked at Harry to see what he thought about this suggestion. Harry wasn't thinking about any book or spell. He was staring at Janna with a worshipful look on his face. Severus had to clear his throat to get Harry's attention.
Harry whipped his head around to face Severus. "The book is quite interesting sir. I think I would like to visit the school before September if possible. I believe I could benefit from the visit."
Severus smiled to himself. The cheeky little bugger had been worshipping Janna but had heard everything she said. The son has caught the scent of his mother he thought to himself. Then he looked closely at Janna. She was as infatuated with Harry as he was with her. The mother senses the son Severus thought sadly. It had also come to him that Janna hadn't had the shivers all afternoon. He stood there hoping one thing had nothing to do with the other.
"Why don't you two finish up in here. I'll clear up with the Dursleys."
/*/
Severus went back through to the living room where he removed the spells he had cast. The terrified Dursleys banded themselves tightly together as soon as they were released from the spell.
Petunia grabbed Dudley by the arm hurrying him up the stairs. "Come on Dudders. We'll move all your stuff. Your cousin should have a bedroom."
Ever the fat piece of shite he had always been, Dudley whined about being made to give Harry his second bedroom.
Petunia quickly shushed Dudley as she twisted her head to look back down the stairs hoping Severus hadn't heard Dudley's remark. Petunia was quite sure Severus would not hesitate to throw a hex at Dudley as he had done to her.
Severus smiled. Vernon frowned.
In a very low voice Severus told Vernon he would be back to see him if Harry turned up with even one bruise. Then Severus had outright insulted Vernon. "For such a self righteous bastard, I'd think you'd try to keep yourself clean. You smell like an overly used, never emptied piss pot. Get away from me."
Vernon huffed, but for once he was smart enough to keep his fat mouth closed. No one need ever know he had shite himself in the face of Severus Snape.
/*/
Janna and Harry had gotten through the entire book. Harry was a fairly quick study. As they tied up the ends of the meeting, Harry thanked her for his first ever birthday cake. He also asked if it was likely the Headmaster would let him visit the school before September.
Janna truthfully told him she didn't know as it would be up to the Headmaster alone. She reminded Harry about owls telling him she would owl him with an answer either way. "If Professor Dumbledore agrees, there will be another wizard who will come to see to you. He is a very large wizard, but don't be afraid. His name is Hagrid. He is kind and gentle and will see to all your needs. If the Headmaster does not agree with our suggestion, we will see you on September first."
Severus who had come back to the kitchen remained standing by the door added a few last comments. "You are not a slave Harry. Do not let these blighters treat you like one. You will hear from us very shortly one way or another."
Reaching out to shake his son's hand, Severus told Harry his bedroom should be ready for him and wished him good luck in the coming school year.
When Severus stepped back, Janna stepped forward. Severus was not the type to hug anyone (except her). Janna on the other hand felt very comfortable hugging Harry. "It's been a pleasure Mr. Potter. Continue to read over the book and the pamphlets I've left for you. I want you to be ready for September 1st. Walk us to the door. Won't you?"
Harry was sad to see the only two visitors he'd ever had leave. "Please thank Professor Dumbledore for thinking of me. I'm happy to have met you both. If I live to see September 1st, I'll see you then."
As Harry led Janna and Severus through to the front door, Severus lowly whispered. "You'll live son or someone will die. You have my word."