Ch. 7: Going home

Griphook put two small ornate boxes on the conference table. "In these boxes are your heir rings. They will adjust to your finger size and will meld together after you put each ring on your right ring finger one at a time. Each ring comes with special protections such as poison and potion detectors for your food and drinks, strong occlumency shields, and your Slytherin rings have a portkey with the password being 'sanctuary' to the manor which will work even when anti portkey shields are placed around you during an attack. Mr Potter cannot claim the Potter lordship until you are 17 and Severus I can give you the lord ring for the Prince family now. " Both Severus and Harry took turns putting their rings and felt a warmth rush of family magic wash over them. "Wicked," Harry said. "Griphook, King Ragunk, and Isis, thank you so much for all that you did for us today. There is no amount of gold in the world I can get to repay you for what you did for our family. We are forever in your debt." Severus said seriously. "Mr. Snape, what has happened to your family and friends is a grave injustice and we are grateful we could help. There is no need to feel indebted to us. We are the lucky ones here because we got to reunite a family and start the process of finally taking the 'Great' Albus Dumbledore down." King Ragunk stated. After collecting all their things, Harry and Severus said "Sanctuary" and then two were gone from Gringotts.

Severus landed smoothly on his feet while Harry landed in a heap on the grassy field their portkey dropped them. " I hate magical travel that isn't a broom." Harry grumbled as he got up and wiped the dirt off his jeans. "I will teach you how to travel through floo and how to land while using a portkey." Severus said, trying not to laugh at his son's plight. When Harry looked around he noticed a large wrought iron fence 50 feet ahead of them that upon closer inspection had a lock meant for a ring instead of a key. "One of us has to place our heir rings in the lock to allow us entry. It seems to be placed under a strong fidelius charm." Severus explained as he placed his ring in the lock. As the magic flowed from the lock to the rest of the gate the Snapes were greeted with the sight of the most beautiful manor and breathtaking landscape. The grass surrounding them was lush and green. To his right, Harry noticed a beautiful garden filled with colorful, bright flowers that seemed to be a mix of muggle and magical flowers. To his left, Harry noticed a gravel pathway lined with apple and pear trees that led to a small pond. In front of the Snape men was a breathtaking manor that looked like a miniature version of Hogwarts. "Wow," Harry whispered. "Yes this is quite impressive and this is just the outside. I can imagine the inside is just as beautiful." Snape said, "Let us go explore a little before we go to rest."

As soon as they pushed the large mahogany door that had the Slytherin crest carved into it, a female house elf appeared. "Hello young Masters. My name is Hydra and I am the head elf here at Slytherin Manor. I can help with all your needs and there are about 10 house elves here at the manor with each having a different job. I can give you a tour if you like right now". Harry knelt down and said gently "Hydra that would be great. But before we do I need to tell you some of the rules we will have in this house. First there is no need to call us Masters, I am Harry and this is my dad Severus. Second, no elf is to punish themself and instead will come to my dad or I when they think they did something wrong and we will decide if that deserves a punishment. Finally, from now on all elves will be paid 30 galleons a week to buy items for themselves and for their families." Hydra eyed the young wizard before sharply and said, "Us Slytherin elves agree to all those terms but make it 15 galleons a week because we do not need 30." Harry sighed and knew it was as good as it would get so he said "Hydra you got yourself a deal." Severus smiled as he watched his son with the elf and thought, 'He really is just like Lily, so kind towards everyone no matter who they are.'

Hydra took the lead and led both men left out of the spacious foyer into the stunning ballroom. The walls were a soft cream color, the floor was a dark oak, there were floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the impressive grounds, a large french double door that led to a stone patio, a massive crystal chandelier in the center of the room, and the ceiling looked like the starry night sky. "This is the ballroom where masters can host large parties." Hydra explained as the two took in all the details of the room. "Wicked…although I am not one for fancy parties" Harry said as he made a face. "Harry, we are heirs to prominent families and I am Lord Prince so even though I agree with your sentiment about fancy parties we have no choice but to host at least one a year." Snape told his son. Hydra then led them back towards the foyer and into a large room towards the right of the foyer. This room had walls that were painted a dark gray, a white ceiling, had lights that looked like moons, a long cherry wood table with cream colored chair, a beige tiled floor, and paintings of famous locations around the world. "This is the formal dining room where you can host a smaller dinner party if you do not wish to use the ballroom." Hydra told them as she led them towards an archway on the other side of the dining room,"This is the formal lounge to host your guests before or after dinner." The formal dining room had walls that were a shade of a beautiful hunter green, a cream colored ceiling, had silver lights on the walls that looked like snakes, lush cream colored carpet, with light brown leather couches that were accented with silver pillows, small silver end tables next to the couches, light brown leather ottomans and a big bay window that overlooked the flower garden in the front yard. "If this is the formal loungeI cannot wait to see the family lounge. Don't get me wrong this room is beautiful but it is a little stuffy for my taste. I imagine the family lounge is much more cozy and quaint which is more my style." Harry said.

They went through the manor exploring all the other rooms (Harry's favorite so far was the dueling room or the massive library. Severus loved the potions lab and the library ), meeting the other house elves, and before showing them their respective bedrooms Hydra showed the two the family lounge. This room had walls that were a soft blue and a ceiling that was charmed to look like a sunny clear sky. The cozy cream colored cotton couch was against the wall and matching chairs were across from the couch. In between the couch and the chairs was a white marble table with gold flecks. There was a beautiful chess table on the other side of the room and against the wall was a desk that had a window that overlooked the swimming pool. "I told you I would love this room" Harry said as he smiled at his dad. "Yes Harry you were right" Severus chuckled. "Hydra this has been an amazing tour and you elves should be proud of yourself for the work you have done to make this lovely manor a fitting home for any Slytherin heir. Do mind showing my son and I to our rooms please because we do need to rest." Snape said to the elf. Hydra led them down the hall from the family lounge. "This floor is only meant for family and close friends. Harry your room is this door on my left and Severus your room is the door to my right. Please call any of us elves if you need anything." And with that Hydra disappeared with a loud crack!

Harry opened his door and his jaw dropped. 'This is bigger than the whole downstairs of the Dursleys!' The walls were a sage green with silver ceiling with white fluffy clouds painted on it, the carpet was soft and was a cool gray color. He had a study area with a silver desk, a silver bookshelf, and a comfy, black desk chair. As he walked further into the room he noticed his large four poster bed with a silver frame and a cozy sage green comforter. He had a silver bedside table which had a space for his wand. Next to a white double door that led outside to a balcony stood an owl perch for Hedwig. 'Oh my god Hedwig! How could I forget about my pet?! I am a horrible pet parent! Hopefully she can find me here.' Harry thought. Harry opened the doors to the balcony and smiled. His room overlooked the quidditch pitch ('I can't wait to fly here!') and the balcony had teak couches with deep blue cushions and a black fire table. He went back to explore his room since he had noticed two other doors. The first door he opened was his extensive walk in closet, 'How will I fill this? One boy does not need this many clothes' Harry shook his head and exited the closet. He pushed open the second door and it led Harry to the most luxurious bathroom he had ever seen. The floors were a black marble with silver flecks, the counters were a silver marble with black flecks, a gorgeous shower, and there was a small pool sized bathtub. Harry decided to lay down in his bed and rest before he and his father plot their revenge. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was out.

Severus entered his bedroom and was stunned at the sight that greeted him. The walls were a deep emerald color, had a black ceiling with shooting stars and a smoky gray carpet. He too had a study areas but his had a desk that was made from ebony wood with an ebony wooden bookshelf, and comfy cream colored desk chair. His bed had black matte headboard with silver sheets and had a gray bedside table. He noticed two doors and picked the one closest to his bed. This door led to a bathroom that had silver marble floors with green flecks, a slytherin green marbled sink with silver flecks, a beautifully designed shower, and small pool sized bathtub. 'The perfect spot to relax after a long day. Maybe I can port key here every night to relax in the tub after teaching those dunderheads.' Severus then went towards the other door and discovered his walk-in closet. Much like his son he didn't understand the need for such a large space for his wardrobe but he guessed he would have to dress the part of pure blood lord now. Severus called his personal elf, Adder, and asked, " Adder, is it possible for you to pop into Hogwarts undetected to my personal quarters and grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for me and also some clothes to wear while we are home?" Adder nodded his head and with a crack! he was gone. While Severus waited he decided to explore his balcony. He couldn't believe his view. His balcony overlooked the ornate greenhouse and the small forest on the side of the manor. As he looked around he noticed his teak couches with black cushions and a white fire table. 'I definitely need to port key here after work at night to enjoy this view and then enjoy the bathtub.' Severus thought to himself. Snapping him out of his thoughts was a loud crack! and Adder told him, "Sir, I have brought your clothes over, laid the sweatpants and t-shirt on your bed, and I asked Harry's personal elf, Boa, to go to Gringotts to get money and buy Harry some clothes for him to wear for the next day or two before you can go shopping." Snape smiled at the elf, thanked him for being so thoughtful and sent him on his way. Severus changed into his comfy clothes and decided to rest for a while after an exhausting but amazing day. 'Lily never stopped loving me and I have a son.' And with that thought Severus went to sleep with a small smile on his face.

Two hours later

Snape woke up and changed into a simple black sweater and jeans. He made his way over to Harry's room and when he opened the door his heart melted at the sight. His son was sprawled out in his bed, hair sticking up in all directions, and looked so peaceful that Severus didn't want to wake him but he knew he had. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "Harry, it is time to wake up. We have to plan on how to get Minerva, Tom, Sirius and Remus here before we can plot revenge on the old goat." Severus said smoothly. Harry started to open his and mumbled, "ugh…just one more minute dad." Severus chuckled at the sleepy teen and said, "If you are not up and downstairs in the library in 10 minutes I will be back and I will shoot cold water at you." Harry grunted at his father and Severus swore he heard a whispered, " what a dungeon bat", as he left the room.

Ten minutes later Harry joined his dad in the library because he did not want to test to see if he would be woken by a stream of ice cold water. When he walked into the library he noticed his dad in the center table surrounded by books and he was writing in a muggle notebook. 'I love our library, ' he thought as he admired the room. The library was a wide, long room that was two stories high. Near the entrance of the library was a book that acted as a library catalog. All one had to do was place your wand and say the topic of the book you were looking for and a list of books and where to find them would pop up. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls. There were rows of bookcases in a circle on the first floor of the library and in the center of that circle were tables for research. On the second floor of the library there were many cozy leather chairs and couches for a more relaxed reading spot. Severus noticed his son admiring the room and he felt the same way, this library was just heaven. "So I have been drafting letters to Minverva and Remus. Sirius and Tom will be harder to contact. Sirius Black was believed to have betrayed Lily and James so he was sentenced to Azkaban Prison. Unfortunately he escaped just a few weeks ago and the ministry believes he will be targeting you so they have a kiss on order sight for him. Tom will be even harder to find because he is just a spirit so I may need to talk to Griphook to help me." Severus rambled off. Harry looked at him in confusion and asked, "uh Dad, what is a kiss on order sight and where is Azkaban Prison?"

"Oh Harry I am so sorry, I forgot there is so much about our world you are unaware of. We are going to fix that this summer. Azkaban Prison is an island prison located in the middle of the North Sea and is guarded by dementors. Dementors are creatures who are all black and they feed on people's happiness. These creatures leave people feeling despair and if they kiss a person they are consuming that person's soul which leaves the person in a vegetative state. The only way to protect yourself from a dementor is the Patronus charm, which is very advanced magic and many cannot learn the charm." After hearing "advanced magic" Harry was determined to learn the charm. "Dad, one can you teach me the Patronus charm because with my luck I will have to face a few dementors. And two, how will Sirius be after being surrounded by dementors for so long? Can we heal him?" Harry asked. "Yes, I can teach you the charm, as can Remus and Minerva. It may go slowly since you are so young but we can teach you. As for Sirius's health, I am unsure what he will be like but whatever he is like we can ask Isis for help healing him." Severus explained. Harry went over to the book catalog to look for books on wizarding law to search for a way to free Sirius. As both were reading, a tap on the window caused both men to take their eyes off their books. "Hedwig!" joyfully shouted as he got up to let his owl in. Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and affectionately nipped his ear. "Hedwig, I am sorry I forgot about you earlier. This morning was crazy. I learned I am not Harry James Potter but Harry James Snape. My dad, who is sitting over there, is Severus Snape and we discovered Dumbeldore is a master manipulator who has ruined a lot of lives. We are now living here at Slytherin Manor and it is amazing. You will have plenty of space to stretch your wings and I will make sure the house elves make you plenty of bacon." Harry said softly to her. Hedwig just cooed in response and settled herself on the table next to where they were researching. After a few minutes Severus asked Hedwig if she was up for a delivery and she hooted happily in response. Once he tied his three letters he told her, "Now Hedwig these letters are for Minevra McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Griphook. It doesn't matter in which order these letters are delivered but please wait for a response before delivering the next letter." And with that Hedwig flew out the window, happy to go on an adventure.

"Well son I think until we hear back from those three we should probably go have dinner and maybe we can play a game after dinner." Snape said. Harry smiled and nodded as Severus waved his wand to send the books back to their spots. The two walked into the kitchen and were greeted by the young elf, Coral. "Hello Severus and Harry. What can I do to help you this evening?" Coral asked. "Um Coral I know the kitchen is your domain but do you mind if we help you cook dinner?" Harry asked. Coral looked at her youngest master and smiled, "of course Harry. Why don't we make fried chicken, coleslaw, french fries, and my famous chocolate chip cookies for dessert." Harry nodded in agreement and said, "Well Coral you're the boss in this kitchen so lead the way." The two Snapes and Coral got cooking and soon the sound of frying chicken filled the air. After the food was done, they decided to eat outside with all the other house elves. It was like their own family barbeque and Harry loved it. Hydra and the other elves felt so lucky to have the Snapes as their new masters because they respected them and treated them like family. After dinner Harry and Severus went up the family lounge and played a game of wizarding chess. Well it was more of Severus teaching Harry how to play and Harry getting annoyed with his chess pieces. After a few rounds of chess the two decided to retreat to their rooms and get ready for bed. Both Harry and Severus went to bed thinking 'this was the perfect first night at home as a family.'