A Study in Magic
by Books of Change
Warning/Notes: This is a BBC Sherlock and Harry Potter crossover AU. The HP timeline and BBC Sherlock's timeline has been shifted forwards and backwards to match up. One major BBC Sherlock character's gender has changed for the sake of the plot. Readers beware!
Chapter three: Dropping Bridgets in Diagon Alley
The morning after the unexpected discovery of Harry Potter, Dumbledore called a meeting for the Head of Houses, Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey. He first relayed the latest news relating to The-Boy-Who-Lived (majority attendee reaction was emotional and noisy). He then raised the necessity of adding new security measures to the castle in order to address Potter's myriad of psychological foibles, which apparently weren't limited to temporary muteness and suicidal attraction to precipices. Flitwick suggested that they cast invisible netting charms on the battlements and staircases, and warn the portraits and ghosts to keep an eye on the boy. Madam Pomfrey turned very grim when Dumbledore told them about the explosion, and Severus had a feeling she'd be ready to regrow all of Potter's limbs at the very least. Sprout suggested the boy be excused from flying lessons. McGonagall vetoed, saying that learning how to fly just might cure Potter of his unhealthy attraction to heights. Severus asked whether Potter's adoptive parents were aware of the existence of flying broomsticks. Dumbledore said negative. Blast the old man and his laid-back approach to student safety!
Once the new security protocols were agreed upon, Dumbledore asked Hagrid to chaperon Potter's trip to Diagon Alley since he had business at Gringotts as well. McGonagall insisted she accompany. When asked why, she said:
"Because Mr. Holmes will no doubt be present and no hapless witch or wizard, let alone Hagrid, deserves something like Sherlock Holmes happening to them."
This brought another slew of questions from the alarmed staff. Severus was bemused; despite their efforts to civility, McGonagall and Dumbledore made the man sound like a highly intelligent monster Hagrid would love to keep as a pet.
In end the following scheme was concocted: All new Muggle-born students would be invited to a joint trip to Diagon Alley. The Head of Houses plus Hagrid would come as chaperons. That way all the Muggle-borns would be taken care of and the effects of Sherlock Holmes would be mitigated. It also gave an excuse for the teachers to meet Potter a month earlier, but no one mentioned this.
After all, Severus thought sourly, it would be unseemly for the esteemed Head of Houses to be absolutely tickled at the idea of meeting the famous Harry Potter.
-oo00oo-
On the morning of July 28th, the Hogwarts staff lined-up in front of Hogwarts' Floo-accessible fireplace. When Severus stepped out the Leaky Cauldron's fireside, he immediately noticed the small pub was already overrun with excited Muggle-borns and their nervous but equally excited Muggle parents. He swept his eyes over the group: a bushy-haired girl jabbering away at her parents, a tall black boy and his stout father, a curly-haired boy and his posh-looking mother, and a little black-haired boy clutching his tow-haired father/mother's shirt sleeve.
Harry Potter was notable in his absence.
Severus was cynically amused at his colleagues' effort to hide their disappointment. Severus himself was relieved. For years he planned on unleashing untoward and (he freely admitted in his own mind) barely justifiable hatred upon James Potter's Spawn. He worked on the hatred to make sure it wouldn't fade. Then Potter went missing for more than a year, during which Severus was left in a limbo, his hatred disintegrating from the double blows of lost objective and crushing sense of failure only kept at bay due to the lack of conclusive evidence of Harry Potter's death. Only two days ago he'd learned Potter was alive and due to Hogwarts as previously scheduled, and Severus hadn't worked up his hatred to acceptable levels yet. But he was confident he'd be ready by start of term.
The fireside roared to life again, and McGonagall stepped out of the green flames.
"Ah, I see everyone is here. Good Morning, Misters Thomas, Doctors and Miss Granger, Mr. and Mrs. Finch-Fletchley…" McGonagall paused, "…Dr. and Mr. Watson."
The staff and Hagrid did a double take. So did Severus. He stared at the child Minerva addressed as Mr. Watson and immediately realized why he didn't recognise the boy at first. Minerva said Harry Potter was the splitting image of James Potter, but had Lily's eyes. Thus Severus had formed a mental image of Harry Potter based on his memories of James Potter as a first year (the eyes he studiously avoided thinking).
Harry Watson, a.k.a. Harry Potter, while in closer inspection did look like James Potter, lacked all of elder Potter's trademarks: the black hair was cut short, thus giving it less room for untidiness, the glasses were missing, and the infamous scar was hidden under a broad strip of flesh-coloured sticking plaster (making it look like the boy had a head-on collision with a doorpost). This and the fact an adult who didn't fit McGonagall's description of Sherlock Holmes accompanied the boy made Severus skim over him.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming despite the short notice," said McGonagall. "Let me introduce you to my colleagues, Professors Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, and Severus Snape—" She indicated them in order, "—and finally Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. We shall be your guides for your trip to Diagon Alley. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask any one of us. Now please gather together, we will be entering Diagon Alley shortly."
Hagrid led the way to the walled courtyard (he had to be prodded first). Severus endured the expected squawks and twitterings when the enchanted brick wall yielded a hole that turned into the archway leading out to Diagon Alley. While the Muggle-born children and their parents exploded into paroxysm of delight, completely awed at their first encounter with an entirely magical shopping district, Severus carefully eavesdropped on the conversation between McGonagall and Dr. Watson.
"I didn't expect this," said McGonagall.
"Yeah, well, Sherlock thought there might be reporters," Dr. Watson said, sounding very distracted.
"Ah," McGonagall smiled. "I'm surprised he didn't come."
"Oh trust me, he wanted to. But his brother came to visit, so he had to stay in the flat."
"…There's another one?"
"Mmmhmm. He's just like him, except he prefers government work over freelance."
McGonagall shuddered. Severus, while not having any real idea what Sherlock Holmes was capable of, but having some idea of thereof for Mycroft Holmes, privately shuddered as well.
The first stop of the tour was Gringotts. Flitwick and Sprout secured a free goblin, who directed the parents to the Muggle currency exchange. McGonagall redirected Watson and Potter to Hagrid.
"Mr. Watson's birth parents had an account here," McGonagall explained. "Hagrid has the vault key."
"Huh?" Dr. Watson started. "Wait, hang on—"
But before Dr. Watson could say anything further, Hagrid descended upon Potter.
"I can't believe I'm seeing yeh, Harry!" howled Hagrid. "Thought I'd never see you again, and the las' time I saw yeh, you was only a baby…!"
Dr. Watson stared as Hagrid babbled on. Perhaps it was Severus's imagination, but he had a distinct impression the doctor was sizing up Hagrid for a potential round of fisticuffs. Why Watson would even consider the possibility, Severus couldn't imagine. The doctor was both shorter and notably thinner than the average man, and Hagrid was easily double the height and three times the bulk of a big one.
"You knew his parents?" Dr. Watson asked when Hagrid finally calmed down.
"Yeah," Hagrid said, waterlogged and snotty, "Since they were kids. Nicer people yeh couldn't find…"
Severus turned away at this point. Then and there he decided to avoid Potter and Watson for the rest of the day.
After the money exchange (or in Potter's case, money withdrawal), they reconvened at the entrance of Gringotts. Since the group was too large to move together, it was decided one teacher would take charge of one family. Immediately Severus made a concentrated effort to look as unfriendly and unapproachable as possible. With three other teachers and Hagrid available, there'd be enough to go around even without him. Severus thought he'd succeeded when the families made beeline for the other teachers and Potter stayed close to a visibly shaky Hagrid.
He was wrong.
"Professor Snape?" Dr. Watson seemingly rematerialized before him (Severus commanded himself to not look startled). "Hello, I'm John Watson."
Severus contemplated the hand offered to him. At length he shook it, and was surprised at the strong grip.
"So where to?" asked Watson. "I saw the girl and her family head to the bookstore and the boys to a robe shop."
Severus considered this. "School equipment."
"Okay. Lead on then. Harry, come here."
Potter scampered over to Watson as Hagrid waved him off whilst leaning against one of Gringotts' outer columns, still trembling and weak-kneed. Severus could tell from this alone Poppy would have no reason to regrow Potter's limbs. The boy regarded Severus with quiet curiosity. Severus quickly tore his glance away from the green eyes.
Watson and Potter proved to be a quiet duo, respectful of Severus' disinclination to speak and comfortable with silence (Severus grudgingly appreciated this). Watson showed foresight in bringing a black wheeled suitcase and a good deal of bubble wrap when they went to purchase the telescope and brass scales. Potter was clearly intrigued by his surroundings, but examined the shop's merchandise through his eyes alone.
Watson asked his first question when they went to buy a cauldron.
"Why pewter?"
"Cost."
"Oh."
Both Watson and Potter remained quiet as they headed to the Apothecary. Again, Watson had the foresight to bring a Styrofoam box and several clear, airtight containers to stash the potions ingredients individually, thus preventing cross-contamination (Severus figured it was from his training as a Muggle healer). At Madam Malkin's, Watson hung back and stood next to Severus as the seamstress took charge of Potter.
"So Hagrid tells me you were year mates with Harry's mother and father," Watson started.
"If you took that to mean we were bosom-buddies, you are sadly mistaken," Severus said curtly.
Watson didn't take offence, much to Severus' disappointment.
"So you weren't friends with one or both?" he persisted.
"Why ask me? I'm sure my colleagues and Hagrid are more than willing to answer you," Severus sneered.
"Yeah, but they knew them as their teachers," said Watson patiently. "That's one perspective. You knew them as fellow students. That's another perspective. And if I just wanted the child-friendly sanitized version, I wouldn't be asking you."
Severus pondered this. It was clear now Watson cornered him specifically because he was a year mate to Potter's parents. But why ask at all? Was Watson looking for ammunition that would emotionally distance Potter from his dead parents? If this were case, to what end? The trip to Gringotts would have given Watson an idea how much money he could have access to as Potter's guardian. Was it money then? Severus considered Watson's attire. The light cream-coloured buttoned shirt and dark burgundy cardigan looked fairly new. They wouldn't have come from the posh shops the Finch-Fletchleys appeared to frequent, but its materials and stitches were of superior quality to the clothes the Thomases were wearing. The jeans looked well worn and well cared for. The same went to the tan shoes. Watson's eyes were clear and his hands were perfectly steady. Really, despite the rather fearsome-looking scar running up from the right collarbone to the right-hand corner of his jaw, Watson seem to embody the spirit of solid, hard-working and trustworthy British doctor. Thus Severus concluded Watson was motivated by neither money nor emotional manipulation. That left the unbelievable conclusion: Watson genuinely wanted to hear Severus' side of the story, knowing full well it wouldn't be pleasant.
"James Potter was mediocre and arrogant, a determined rule-breaker and a bully," Severus declared at length.
Watson blinked. "I'm guessing you two were enemies."
"Absolutely," Severus confirmed.
"Okay. Good thing Harry didn't get his personality then. What about his mum? Did you know her?"
Severus worked his face into a fierce scowl. It came out more like a grimace.
"No comment?" said Watson, discerning the reason for his silence far too correctly than Severus would have liked. "Well, I have a mental image of a woman who loved taking care of people and determined to do the right thing. This is based on what I know about Harry. But that brings the question how this lovely woman married the arrogant sod you just described to me."
Severus was actively using Occulmancy at this point, though Watson had no way of accessing his mind.
"Just out of curiosity, was James Potter an athlete?" Watson asked.
"He was."
"I knew it," Watson said with grim satisfaction, "Might as well fit the entire stereotype. What about you? What do you teach?"
"Potions."
"You must be good, to be teaching the only school of magic in Great Britain at your age."
Severus found himself preening. "Now where did you learn that?"
"McGonagall mentioned it yesterday," Watson said absently. Then he suddenly grinned. "Harry! You look like a real wizard!"
Severus looked up and found Potter fully outfitted in school robes and pointed hat. He was smiling broadly. Watson pulled out a black rectangular Muggle device roughly the size of a child's palm and gestured Potter to pose. Severus noticed the screen on the device replicated whatever that was directly in front of it, though it struggled to keep up whenever Watson moved too quickly.
"Smile!" said Watson.
The device made a clicking noise reminiscent of a camera taking a picture. The screen momentarily held the frozen image of the grinning Potter before it went back to reflecting whatever that was directly in front of it. Potter hopped off the stool and went to Watson to commiserate over the device. Whatever it was they were doing, it made them giggle.
They left Madam Malkin's shortly after this, and met Hagrid again as they passed by Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Watson left Potter in the gamekeeper's clutches, but not before taking several photographs (Severus figured out the device really was a camera) of Hagrid and Potter (and old Fortescue for some odd reason).
"Where can we get the textbooks second-hand?" Watson asked as they walked away.
"Why not new?" asked Severus.
"A good second-hand book does the job just fine and they tend to be a cheaper," said Watson matter-of-factly.
They purchased the textbooks from the second-hand bookshop (Watson rejected anything that were too roughly handled). Watson asked if there was anything Severus would recommend for supplemental reading, and what books of literature (children and adult) were considered wizarding classics.
"Why do you want them?"
"Your world is basically a foreign country to us," said Watson. "The best way to learn about a foreign culture is listening to the stories they tell and the songs they sing."
Severus smiled at this bit of wisdom.
They returned to Fortescue's thirty minutes later, after Watson nearly filled the wheeled suitcase with old books. Severus found himself regaling Watson with several childhood tales of James Potter at the latter's prompting. Severus was going over the worse sins of James Potter and Sirius Black, elder Potter's best friend and traitor, when the doctor stopped short. Severus followed his line of sight and saw the large birdcage holding a sleeping snowy owl on Potter's lap.
"What is that?" Watson said, pointing at the bird.
"It's an owl," Potter said, grinning. "Hagrid got it for me as an early birthday present."
"Oh," said Watson. He took in Potter's barely suppressed glee and the proud, beaming face of Hagrid and sighed. "Right. Thanks, Hagrid, you shouldn't have. What a beautiful owl. I'm sure Sherlock would love it. Now we just have to figure out how we're going to bring it home. That's assuming Mrs. Hudson wouldn't mind." Potter looked down guiltily. "I don't think she will, but you never know. Taking a cab is right out. Maybe Lestrade would give us a lift?" He looked at Severus again. "Bookstore, please, for new books."
"What for?"
"For the latest bestselling drivel and teenybopper songs for reasons I mentioned earlier."
Severus actually laughed at that. Hagrid looked at him strangely.
They went to Flourish and Blotts. Hagrid offered to stay out and hold onto Potter's new owl. Watson talked to the manager for the latest bestsellers and longstanding classics, and the manager made several recommendations (the Tales of Beedle the Bard among them). After taking two samples of each category, Watson and Potter perused the shelves. Watson was savagely beaten about the head by a volume of The First Wizard War: the Rise and Fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named after reading too many of its pages without paying. He seemed more amused than upset when the manager pulled the book away and apologized profusely for not warning him about the Thief's Curse.
"Wizards have a wicked sense of humour," Watson observed.
They saved Ollivander's for last. Hagrid and Severus waited outside the wand shop, as it would have been too crowded otherwise. When they came out, a good while later, both Watson and Potter looked thoughtful.
"Just something Mr. Ollivander said," Watson answered when Hagrid asked. He didn't elaborate further.
It was long past lunchtime when they returned to the archway leading back to the Leaky Cauldron. The other children, their respective parents and his fellow teachers were already there. McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout blatantly stared when they found Severus and Watson quietly chatting about toxicology (Watson, it turned out, knew a lot about Muggle poisons and how to effectively administer them).
"Can we take a group photo?" Watson asked the crowd, taking out his camera.
"Yours still works?" asked Mr. Granger. "Mine wouldn't even turn on."
"Ours went up in smoke!" said Mrs. Finch-Fletchley, holding up a still smoking silver rectangular object.
"Mine exploded!" said the older Mr. Thomas.
Watson frowned at his fellow parents, clearly puzzled. Then he looked at Severus. "Did you do something?"
"No," said Severus.
Watson turned his gaze back to his camera and pondered this. Then he shrugged. "So, pictures?"
They took a lot of pictures. The poses and expressions of the parents and children got progressively sillier as they warmed up to their surroundings. Some of the parents asked the Hogwarts staff if they would like to take pictures with them (Hagrid and Flitwick was their favourite). Watson took a candid shot of Severus when he wasn't looking and grinned cheekily at his outrage. Mr. Granger took the pictures of Watson and Potter together (for people who were unsmiling by default, they seemed quite capable of making fools of themselves). He and his wife were very happy to meet a fellow medical professional, and lost no time making conversation with Watson.
Watson was taking the final jumping shot (capturing the moment when people were airborne was popular with Muggles, apparently) of the children wearing their pointed hats and cloaks when a rather unsavoury individual bumped into him.
"Piss off, you filthy Muggle," came the low growl.
Watson's reaction was instantaneous. Before Flitwick or Severus could draw their wands, Watson had the individual face-first on the ground, foot grinding the spot between the shoulder blades and wand arm twisted behind the back. Then with a hard pinch, Watson wrenched the wand out of the man's hand too.
Then the staff noticed what Watson was doing.
"Dr. Watson!" McGonagall screeched in horror.
"What?" Watson asked as he twisted the arm further back, still holding the wand.
There was a terrified silence. Watson looked uncertainly about. "Um, sorry for causing a fight?" he tried.
Flitwick started waving his hands and bouncing on the balls of his feet in his agitation.
"Wands explode when Muggles touch them, Dr. Watson!" he squeaked.
Watson didn't need to be told twice. He quickly tossed the wand away. Then he released the arm, and kicked the unsavory individual as a good measure.
"Piss off," he hissed.
The street cleared within the next heartbeat. Watson stood in the middle of the large berth, loose fists held at each side, breathing evenly and looking equal parts thunderous and expressionless. It was an awe-inspiring sight.
"Your Dad is so cool," young Thomas whispered to Potter fervently.
Then Potter, who so far displayed disconcerting amount of emotional reserve, made an expression of pure outrage.
"That's not my Dad that's my Mum!"
The reaction to this revelation was spectacular to say the least. But the only thing Severus remembered later was Hagrid sitting heavily on the ground, almost squashing Flitwick. His own mind revolved around: Bloody hell, no way! (He remembered someone shouting that out loud; he hoped it wasn't him.)
"Okay, what was it, the name or the lack of these?" Watson asked, annoyed, as he –she!– made cupping motions in front of his –her!– chest.
Severus shook his head without meaning to. It wasn't as if Watson looked like a man because he –no, she dammit– really didn't. The face was pretty in a vaguely androgynous way and the hair was cut short in the same way as Hooch's. The curves were there and the hips were there, subtle as they were, and despite the flatness of the chest and the scarring on the neck, neither made Watson look masculine. The voice was a pleasant contralto. The name, of course, was male, but it fit like a glove rather than stick out like a broken nose. So what was it? Why did his mind shy away from assigning a pronoun to Watson until the name 'John' gave him the confidence to settle on 'he'?
Then Severus realized what it was. It was Watson's presence. From glace to carriage, Watson seemed to radiate—not male per se, but power. Watson exuded the same inexplicable sense of power men of confidence displayed in a crowd, wordlessly making known that they were entitled to be there and others ought to walk around them. What was really astonishing, though, was that Watson seemed to be doing it unconsciously, and not at all like how other strong women went about it.
It took a while for the group calm down and for Watson to stop being annoyed. Once calm, the parents exchanged contact information, and discussed the possibility of creating a Muggle-born parent support group ("Splendid idea! Why haven't we thought of this before?" said Flitwick). Watson promised to e-mail out the pictures, then holding Potter by the hand, bade them all farewell.
Severus watched them vanish into the busy Muggle streets. Despite everything that happened earlier and everything he knew about them, they still looked like a perfectly ordinary pair of father-and-son.
-oo00oo-
Final Notes: What I did to John was done for serious plot reasons. As in, why JKR did what she did to Sirius Black kind of plot reasons. Just so you know.