Chapter 6: Healing Harry
On the day of Harry's return, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (first class), Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot was bone tired. He'd had an excruciating day of diplomacy at the ICW attempting to mediate a dispute between the Ministries of Britain and France. A discussion that should have lasted for 15 minutes dissolved into an ugly exhibition of name-calling and childish tantrums and it had taken 12 hours for things to settle down and agreements to be made.
He had apparated back to Hogsmeade and, due to the late hour, had directly struck out for Hogwarts rather than stopping in at the Three Broomsticks for a nightcap as he would usually do. A short while later he completed the final leg of his journey by climbing the winding, stone staircase to his personal chambers whereupon he shed his robes of station and dropped straight onto his warm, comfortable bed, immediately falling into a deep sleep.
He had walked straight through his office on his way to bed and hadn't even glanced at the shelf that accommodated the many objects that usually captivated his attention. These objects were all different shapes and sizes, were made of diverse materials and performed varying functions but they all had one thing in common – a link to the Boy-Who-Lived. He was snoring softly and so didn't see the object at the end of the shelf - a small silver, spindly thing that stood atop three narrow legs and puffed out clouds of smoke in a healthy rhythm - slow almost to a stop before gradually picking up speed again and regaining its previous pacing. As such Albus Dumbledore was never aware how close Harry Potter had come to death, or even that he was no longer inside the carefully placed wards and monitors that surrounded number 4 Privet Drive.
The following morning Dumbledore sat down at his generous, ornate desk and glanced over at the shelf. Content that nothing appeared to be amiss he got on with his day – the school year would be starting in a couple of weeks and the teachers were due back the next day to prepare for their classes. He was a little put out to discover a message from Madam Pomfrey indicating that Severus would not be returning on time, but relaxed once he understood that his Potions teacher was in no danger. Too many of his future plans would ride on the intelligence Severus Snape could provide if Voldemort were to return.
Putting the message to one side he made a mental note to send Severus something nice as a 'get well soon' gift. It never hurt to keep your spy on-side after all.
Harry had done as he was told and had spent the next two days resting up. He began to fill out and had already gained several pounds in weight and an inch in height thanks to regular meals and nutrient potions. His cheeks no longer appeared sunken and colour had returned to his face. The bruising was now gone and the aches in his bones that he had always been aware of in his original timeline were non-existent - having his bones vanished and regrown fixed all the incorrect knitting together they had done over the course of naturally healing several breakages.
For the first time he was pain free and was getting comfortable in his younger body.
Once Madam Pomfrey had given him the all-clear he began walking around the neighbourhood several times a day to regain his strength, short distances at first but gradually increasing this, before progressing to jogging in the chill air of the early morning. He was pleased to find his stamina developed quite quickly and it wasn't long before he was as healthy as he had ever been.
Severus had also granted Harry free reign over his small personal library, having warned him about a couple of nasty dark magic books first, and Harry took the opportunity to devour the knowledge in these tomes whenever possible.
It was three days after Madam Pomfrey had allowed him to resume activities, however, that the most unusual part of his stay with Severus Snape occurred. Harry had just got dressed and was heading to collect another book when he peered into a room he hadn't seen before. Inside was a small, but fully equipped, potions laboratory and Severus was stood with his back to him, stirring a cauldron in an anti-clockwise motion. Harry stopped and watched the Potions Master at work – it was completely different from seeing him in the classroom. Severus Snape was clearly in his element and Harry could almost sense his love of the craft emanating from him.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch?" Severus called, without turning. "I'm brewing potions for your use after all, and having spent years in my classroom already I'd hope you're not as big a dunderhead as I'd normally expect from my students?" Severus left the question hanging in the air as he continued to stir.
Harry rolled up his sleeves and stepped up to the workbench alongside his former Professor. He arranged his work area so everything he needed was within easy reach and followed all the safety precautions that had been drummed into him during his time at Auror Academy. Severus watched his preparations out of the corner of his eye and, when Harry had finished, he gave a tight nod of approval and directed him to start preparing ingredients.
By the end of their first brewing session together Harry was pleased to see Severus hadn't rejected a single item he had prepared. That alone was high praise based on his previous experience with him. Over the next week and a half, Harry spent more time working alongside Severus and developed a healthy admiration for the Potion Master's skills.
It was during one of their final brewing sessions that Severus turned to Harry to ask a question that had been playing on his mind since Harry had fallen through his door. "You've told me about, and shown me, a lot of our interactions from your time over the last 2 weeks Harry and based on those, I can't for the life of me understand why you came to me for help? You know I'll assist you in any way I can as we move forward but I would have thought I'd be the last person you'd want to see…"
Harry had been considering this very thing since he had first awoken following his healing. "It wasn't my intention to come to you – I was all set to head straight to Andromeda. I've been trying to puzzle out how I ended up here myself." Severus quietly observed Harry as he mentally tried to walk through the night of his return. "I remember leaving the Dursley's and staggering out into the street before trying to apparate. Obviously, I was thinking about where I wanted to go but as I twisted to leave it was agony and I started to think of…"
Harry stopped a flash of pain evident on his face and a small gathering of tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Of what?" Severus prompted gently.
"Of my children" Harry whispered. "I just… they're gone and I'll never see them again… even if Ginny Weasley and I were to get together in the future, any children we had wouldn't be the same. We could use the same names but they would be different people…"
"What were their names? You've never mentioned them in our conversations."
"James Sirius, Lily Luna and Albus Severus"
An expression of shock flittered over Severus' face as he took this information in. "Even after everything I did to you and put you through, you named one of your children after me?"
"How could I not? What you did is still one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong you were a great bullying git…" Harry cracked a small smile in Severus' direction "but at the end of the day you sacrificed yourself in order to honour my mother and allow me to defeat Voldemort."
"You thought that much of me?"
"Well," he continued, "I also wanted to honour both you and Dumbledore. Neither of you had families to carry on your own names so…" Harry gathered himself and looked Severus directly in the eye. "Knowing what I know now I certainly won't be doing that again for Albus."
"Yes, I'd imagine your child would probably thank you to steer clear of names like that in the future as well. I mean 'Albus Severus'? What on earth were you thinking?" Severus smirked at Harry.
Harry gave a weak chuckle and silence fell between the pair. After a few seconds, Severus spoke softly.
"I've heard you at night you know. Crying to yourself in your room, believing I won't hear. Is it your children that you are thinking of?"
"Yes. I just… can't explain how much I miss them…"
"I know. I can't say I understand not having a family of my own but I would think they would want you to grasp the opportunity you've been given and make a future that they would be happy living in. Make them proud in everything you do."
Harry took a deep breath. He would never lose his memories of his family but it was time to focus on the future. "Do you reckon the thought of my kids is what brought me here?"
"I would imagine so. Fixing your destination is imperative in apparition. If your last thought was of the name your son and I share it's likely that redirected you. Just be glad – you could have ended up with the Headmaster."
The sun rose on Harry's final day of treatment and, after being given a clean bill of health by Poppy Pomfrey, Harry gathered his few possessions and prepared to leave Spinner's End. There had been many discussions about Harry's next step and it was decided that Severus would accompany him to the Tonks' and help him explain the situation to Andromeda. Knowing that her help was essential to his plans, Harry had decided to give her the whole truth as to his return and Severus was prepared to back him.
Dressed in clothes that Poppy had purchased for him while he was recovering, Harry stepped out into the mid-morning sun. Taking a deep breath, and noting that his chest no longer hurt as he did so, he looked around at the run-down street. Severus strode out beside him and glanced down at Harry. "Are you ready to go?"
"Just a moment," Harry said. "I want to thank you again for all your help so far. I know it can't have been easy seeing me, looking so much like my father, and I know how he treated you when you were at school…"
"It's not as if I was entirely innocent Harry," Severus said with a sigh. "The last couple of weeks have forced me to... reassess… my past relationships with your family. Calling your mother a mudblood was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made – it destroyed one of the best things in my life, her friendship. The time we've spent together has made it clear to me that, you may look like your arrogant, bullying toerag of a father –", Severus shot a sarcastic grin at Harry "but you've more in common with your mother than just her eyes."
Harry looked up at the Professor that had, more than once in his school years been the target of his anger. "Well… thank you anyway." Severus nodded at him in acceptance. "You know when I eventually join Hogwarts you're not going to be able to be this pleasant to me?"
"Oh, I think I can manage a disturbing level of hatred towards you in public," Severus sneered at Harry, twisting his face into the expression that had terrified hundreds of students and would continue to do so for years to come.
Harry laughed and took Severus' elbow as they apparated away to the Tonks residence.