Title:
The boy that forgot to die
Author:
evil minded
Date:
November, 13th 2011
Timeframe:
Second year at Hogwarts
Summary:
AU / Harry Potter comes back for his second year at Hogwarts, but something is not the way it should be, and Severus Snape seems the only one able to help the boy that forgot to die … will he manage to really help the Gryffindor before it is too late?
Disclaimer:
I don't really care about Lockhart, Quirrel or Umbridge, nor about most of the other characters in HP … I, however, would like to own one particular Severus Snape – regrettably I do not, Rowling does … but well – I'm borrowing him for a while … just to torture him a bit … I am evil minded after all …
Rating:
M – Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16
Author's Notes:
Uhm … alright … I have to admit … English is not my language by birth … so … please do not kill me while reading … neither for the – perhaps – sad language, nor for the subject of my writing …
Also, this is a story written for NaNo, a story written within thirty days only and even though I go over the chapters before uploading them – I do apologize if it might not have the same quality at one point or another than those stories of mine you are used to by now … thank you …
Warning:
Story contains bad language and swearing.
Don't ever use such, it's neither good manners nor proper use of language and never mind how 'cool' it might sound, it surely isn't a sign of intelligence. It won't get you anywhere and people will think less of you if you are unable articulating properly.
Story contains references to child neglect.
Child neglect is a really, really serious thing, and there are a lot of children in our world that are neglected, children that lack food, clothing, often love, and perhaps even a roof over their head – and closing our eyes, and pretending it does not exist – is no solution …
Story contains references to child abuse.
Child abuse is one of the most evil things, and there are a lot of children in our world that really would need help but have to live without hope – and again, closing our eyes and pretending it does not exist – is no solution … instead show sympathy, and understanding … and handle people, children as well as adults, which are showing any signs – whichever – of once having been abused … with understanding and with help …
What does not mean I am not as evil as I pretend to be … ^.~ … believe me – I am …
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
Previously in "The boy that forgot to die"
"That will be Professor Snape for you in future, headmaster." He drawled before turning with a snap of his robes and leaving the office of a man he had considered a friend and mentor for many years. The betrayal of this man now hurt just the more, but he would not allow this pain to rule over him – he had a son who needed him now, he had a son who needed his care and his guidance so he could survive in the first place.
And the first thing he would do was – taking Harry to his new room in his quarters and making sure that the boy knew – he was not only welcomed, but he was wanted.
And so, he entered his office after he had hurried along the corridors in a rush, scowling at anyone who dared crossing his ways in the corridors down to the dungeons.
The boy that forgot to die
Chapter thirteen
A chamber within
Or with or without your consent
The day had gone exceptionally well, he had to admit that. Harry had been very quiet this morning, but that had to be expected after the breakdown he'd had the night before, but otherwise there hadn't been any troubles with the Gryffindors nor with any other student. He'd had the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins first in the morning and after that the seventh year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, both classes that were in their NEWT years, and therefore were not only small classes but students that actually wanted to learn. They also were not only easy to handle due to them being seventeen, already, but they also were rather adapt at potions seeing that he only allowed students with an outstanding in his NEWT curse.
After lunch he'd had the sixth years Ravenclaws and Slytherins as there were no Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in this year who had managed getting an outstanding in potions, and therefore this was a very easy class. Yes, the Fridays were one of his better days, he had to admit that, thinking of other days where he had the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins – or the second years … and even the third and fourth years were a challenge to his patience.
"Good evening, sir." Harry quietly said upon entering his office – for yet another 'detention' – and just before he closed the door behind him, getting him out of his musings.
He said nothing, but got off his chair, inclining his head towards the boy shortly, and then he led the boy to the bookshelf that stood close to the fireplace. He waved his wand and the bookshelf transfigured into a door the boy surely never had seen before. Still wordlessly he placed his palm onto the door and then waved the boy over.
"Place your hand beside mine." He calmly said while inwardly he feared that it wouldn't work, seeing that the boy was a ghost practically. Could one add a ghost into his wards?
Ignoring his fears for now he whispered some complicated words in Latin and a moment later he breathed a sigh of relief when there was a slightly green sheen emanating from the door, going over to the boy and enfolding the ghost figure with the green sheen for a moment too, indicating that yes, the charm had worked and Harry was now keyed to the wards, ghost or not, the boy would have access to his quarters now.
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
The older man's silence was beginning to grate on Harry's nerves, and he rubbed his wet palms against his trousers, wondering how his palms could get so wet to begin with – he was a ghost after all, for Merlin's sake! He wasn't meant to get wet palms with nerves! Well, his palms stayed dry for a couple of seconds before becoming damp again and he sighed in frustration.
The door the Potions Master opened creaked and then Snape directed him inside – and he gasped.
Harry felt a surge of magic wash over him as wards erected themselves, but that had not been the reason for his gasp, even if he had to admit that – the magic he felt was the most strong and powerful kind of magic he had ever felt. But well – over the past few days, he had witnessed first-hand his father's paranoia and high regard for safety and tight security. For a spy like Snape, safety was both a necessity and an obsession.
But no, it rather was – the parlour they now entered was – so unlike Snape, he could barely breathe for a moment. There was a dark wooden table in one corner of the large room, surrounded by six chairs made of the same dark wood, a matching sideboard and a shelf filled with books.
In another corner there was a light brown smaller table that was surrounded by a comfortable looking sofa and two armchairs while again, a matching sideboard was placed on that wall, and a light brown shelf filled with books stood near the fireplace.
In the dining area there was a dark brown rug and a mirror framed by dark wood, while in the – living area – there was a light brown rug and a mirror that was framed by light brown wood, facing the other mirror in the dining area, and therefore the already large room seemed even larger with the visual trick. There also were light brown pillows and comforters on both armchairs and the sofa.
It not only looked so not dungeon-like, but it especially did not look Snape-like but rather very, very comfortable.
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
Snape caught the stunned and confused expression on his son's face, and he couldn't help smirking for a moment when he led the boy towards the living-room area.
"These are my quarters at Hogwarts, Harry, our quarters." He quietly and calmly said, suddenly feeling more at home than he had ever felt here, suddenly feeling – knowing, that this boy, his son, belonged here with him. "Only those I have given permission are able and see this door." He explained and gestured at the closed door behind them through which they had come in. "And only those who know the password or are keyed to the wards like you are now, may enter."
"'K." The boy said, apparently lost for words and he decided to – for once – not comment on it but pointed at another door that was made of dark brown wood.
"This door leads to the bathroom and the next one to my private chamber." He then explained. "I expect you to regard my privacy by not entering my private chamber except there is an emergency. The door opposite the dining area leads to the kitchen from where you will find a door that leads to my private laboratory and storage. You are not allowed in my private lab as I do work on potentially dangerous potions there that could kill you by simply breathing in the fumes. The other door in the dining area is the one we have entered through and therefore leading to my office."
He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder upon arriving beside the sofa in the living-room area and then turned the boy towards another door.
"And this door – leads to your room." He then said, giving the boy a small shove to get him walking towards said door. The boy took a step towards the door and then stopped, turning and looking up at him, unsurely, questioningly. The Potions Master extended his hand, gesturing that he should go on and open the door.
The boy took another step and then even placed his nearly translucent hand onto the door handle – before looking back at him again, unsurely and questioningly.
"Despite you are being a ghost – without opening the door you won't be able to enter." He said, lifting an eyebrow at the boy who blushed and then actually took a deep breath and opened the door, slowly, carefully looking inside as if he were doing something forbidden – and considering that the child had been living in a cupboard for the past eleven years, it was only understandable that, indeed, he feared he might be doing something that was forbidden to him.
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
Carefully Harry opened the door, unsure if he really was allowed to, or if Snape would – but no, Snape was his father, not his uncle, and surely the man wouldn't do what his uncle had done? Carefully he took a step inside after looking back at the black clad older wizard and after the potions professor had nodded at him reassuringly – again.
It was a bit smaller than Dudley's room had been, but still very big for Harry's taste, bigger than the room he'd been in behind Snape's office where he had been during the past few days. And definitely ten times bigger than his cupboard had been, twenty times bigger even, he didn't know! It looked as if it were hundred times bigger!
Like in the other room there was a very large window opposite the door, that showed the Quidditch pitch and the mountains far in the north. On the wall to his left there was a big bed that was equipped with pillows and a soft looking comforter. Beneath the window was a desk with an armchair and to the right of the window were some shelves on the wall which were ending in some kind of a cupboard that was large enough so that he was sure – he didn't even have enough clothes to fill one single drawer of it with them.
On the other wall, beside the door, there was a wall unit for only Merlin knew what, and he wasn't sure what he should use it for. This room simply was far too big for him!
Near his bed stood his trunk and it was still closed, most likely his things were in there again, after he'd had unpacked them in the other room and only his wand was again laying on his nightstand already, he noticed, upon a quick look he dared.
So – this here was his room? His own room? A room that belonged to him? What was he supposed to do with it? It was too big for him! He liked it, it was great, everything was held in light brown colours, even with a soft and thick rug that was light brown, too, he really loved it, and he smiled – but it was way too large for him!
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
Of course, Snape noticed the scared look on the boy's face that got even more panicky the longer he stood in this – for the boy clearly too large – room, watching the furniture – and he knew the reason for the boy's panic, he wasn't stupid after all.
"I suggest we have dinner." He said, placing his hand onto the boy's shoulder again, ignoring the flinch and simply leading him out and over to the large dining table, seating him down into one of the chairs and then sat down opposite him. "I think that you may need some time to get used to the idea of having a room for yourself after having grown up in a – cupboard – and yes, I do know about this blasted cupboard I have found your body in having been your room and no, I will not use this information against you. I merely wished you to have a room for once where you may have enough space in. It might be overwhelming at the present time, but you will get used to it with time."
There was no answer from his son except of the boy nodding his head and he hadn't expected one either, knowing that most likely the boy would have trouble voicing anything right now anyway. He soon had learned during the past few days that the boy having kept silent in the past might have been not insolence but a strange disability to form words if needed in particular situations and he also had learned that the boy refusing to look at him had nothing to do with disrespect but with trying to hide from him, trying to hide his shame, or that the boy looking up at him defiantly sometimes had nothing to do with defiance at all, but with trying to keep the last remnants of his dignity, at least in front of him, if he were not able keeping them in front of his relatives.
And right now, was such a situation, the boy simply being overwhelmed and therefore unable to react like a normal child his age would react upon a room being given.
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
Waving his wand, a plate of sandwiches appeared, a mug of hot chocolate and a bowl with fruits, things he had ordered earlier and that he now had summoned from the kitchen. He would call Zilly over from Snape Manor later in the day or during the weekend, but for now – he guessed it was enough for the boy getting used to their quarters – and his new guardian.
"There is another topic we have to discuss, and soon, Harry." He said, taking one of the sandwiches and ordering a cup of tea, refusing the hot chocolate. "Start eating, there is no need to worry." He added when the boy looked up at him, worried, and he waited until Harry had taken a sandwich himself.
"Well, when your mother and James Potter died, Dumbledore had the Wizengamot appointing him your magical guardian." He then started explaining, noticing with some satisfaction that the boy started to eat. "This was actually against the decrees of wizarding law but was allowed nonetheless because of the influence the headmaster exudes over everyone else and especially the minister of magic. I do remember that Lucius had tried getting guardianship over you, without success however."
A moment later Harry had placed the sandwich onto the plate, looking up at him startled and his pale and nearly translucent face losing all that could be considered as remaining colour.
"There is no need to be startled or scared, Harry." He said, frowning, and he indicated that the boy should go on eating. He waited until Harry took the sandwich again and continued eating before he continued his explanation. "Except for the fact that Lucius had been a Death Eater as less as I have been one, I have never understood why he wanted guardianship over you, but now I do understand, and I wished he had been successful and not Dumbledore. As a close friend of mine Lucius must have known about you being my son, I am sure about that, and therefore he, of course, wanted you out of your aunt's clasp as well as out of Dumbledore's clasps – and, of course, closer to me as the Malfoy head of house is a very close friend of mine. And no, he would not have harmed you, Harry. However, I will have a word with him the moment I next meet him, as I am very interested in the question as to why he never had told me the truth – even if I have my suspicions and I can only guess that he wanted to keep you safe – and most likely me as well, Dumbledore having threatened him with our safety to keep him silent."
Still the boy said nothing, gave no answer.
He had looked startled at the mentioning of Malfoy, but – he didn't look startled anymore now. He rather looked, as if he understood, and he frowned. Surely, the boy was not ready to accept such a thing like Malfoy, not being a Death Eater, so easily. Malfoy was a name that was collocated with Death Eater – like the name Snape, thanks to Dumbledore. The name Albus Dumbledore should be a name feared and frowned upon, seeing that this man had done enough to harm other people, including a small boy, and it had cost that small boy's life. And that man actually was the headmaster of a school filled with children he could harm if no one made sure that he wouldn't be able to, anymore.
But then – Harry's life had been turned upside down so completely and quickly lately – with dying, becoming a ghost, becoming his son and now living with him – maybe the boy couldn't be shocked anymore.
'Except for getting a room for himself.' His annoying small voice in the back of his mind added seriously and he couldn't help agreeing.
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"Fact is – Dumbledore still had guardianship over you until yesterday afternoon when I got the guardianship papers from the ministry after I demanded that they changed that." He then explained, unsure of how his son would take his next words.
"So …" The boy started and he waited, allowing the boy to speak. "So … that means that … you are my guardian now officially, sir?"
"Yes." He simply said, still not sure if the boy being so calm over the subject was a good sign or not.
"Thank you, sir." Came the boy's reply and he nearly gasped.
"Whatever for?" He asked, frowning at the boy while he placed the ministry papers at the table for his son to read. He didn't understand why the boy would thank him for something like that. Harry Bloody Potter was his son after all.
"I didn't know that Dumbledore had guardianship over me." Harry quietly answered. "I wouldn't have minded in the beginning, but he never told me and later … since the thing with the stone last year I didn't trust him anymore."
"How so?" He asked, not really understanding what the child meant, his brows furrowed while he concentrated onto the small ghost.
"Well, he'd given me so many hints throughout last year, so that I knew about it, about the mirror and about other things." His son answered, softly. "And he gave me the cloak, and he made sure that I went down to safe the stone, that I'd be able to go through the precautions he and the teachers had set. I don't know why though."
But he, Snape, he knew – and inwardly he seethed with barely concealed fury. Dumbledore had placed the stone in the castle to test Harry, to test his obedience and to test his strength and his bravery, to test how much power he already had over the boy – and risking his life in the process as well as the lives of his friends.
"So – you are amenable with me being your guardian?" He asked, barely able of keeping an indifferent mask so that the bloody boy wouldn't notice the fear he felt creeping up at the same time as hope.
Harry looked at the papers, scanned the words and then stopped, looked at Severus, and read them again.
The first parchment was a formal exchange of guardianship from Dumbledore to Snape and the second parchment was a formal claim for Harry being Snape's son and only needed his signature to become valid.
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"You … you want to claim me for real?" He asked, unsure of how he should feel. "You want to acknowledge me as your son, officially?"
"Yes." The professor said and he couldn't help thinking that the older wizard looked nervous suddenly. "I have taken guardianship over you without your consent as I won't have you in Dumbledore's clasps any longer and as I won't have you going back to those muggles ever again and for securing this, I needed guardianship over you – with, or without your consent. But I have not re-claimed you as my son officially, yet, as I have no intention of doing this without your consent. I do know that I have already done enough damage on you during the past year, and I did not wish to force you …"
He wasn't able to finish his reasoning though …
Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine
To be continued
Next time in "The boy that forgot to die"
It will be the same in any house
Added author's note
thank you for reading - and yes, I would appreciate it if you took the time to review this chapter too … thank you …
House Cup:
At the present time it looks like this:
30 Points - Slytherin
07 Points - Gryffindor
27 Points - Ravenclaw
06 Points - Hufflepuff