The Twincident

Chapter 2: Talking with Snape

Harry woke blearily to find that it was now night time, and that Professor Snape was sitting in the chair next to his bed, reading a potion's journal of some kind. Harry himself was still curled around the tiny bump of his hand still resting on it.

He stretched out, never removing his hand from his belly, and turned to lay on his back. The professor looked at him at the sound of his movements and smiled slightly as he closed his book and placed it on the table beside his bed.

"Good evening, Harry. How are you feeling?" the Professor asked gently, moving closer to the bed.

"Erm, okay, I guess," Harry shrugged, not really sure what to say. Physically he was fine, but mentally…

The professor nodded in understanding, "Would you like something to eat and drink?"

"Yes, please," Harry nodded.

"Is there anything in particular you fancy?"

"Erm… toad in the hole, mash and onion gravy with some green beans, with a glass of orange juice, please," Harry said politely.

The older man nodded and called for a house elf who accepted the kindly spoken order from him and popped away.

"So, erm… did you and Madame Pomfrey think up any plans or anything?" Harry asked after a few moments of oddly comfortable silence between the pair in which the professor moved the head of the bed so that he was mostly sitting up and adjusted his pillows for him so he was comfortable.

"We've had some thoughts that we would like to run by you," the man said gently.

"What were you thinking? Or does Madame Pomfrey want to talk about it with me, too?"

"I suppose it doesn't really matter who tells you our thoughts," the professor said, "There are a number of things we can do regarding Umbridge, and a number of other things. Obviously given your position, which I know you don't want after Draco regaled the whole argument to me, things are rather delicate. The Dark Lord won't be happy with this, and neither will the Headmaster. However, the Dark Lord may think your pregnancy is a great time to target you because of the limits on what you can do, and because a lot of your magic will be focused on the twins. The Headmaster, on the other hand, will think the pregnancy limits your ability to fight in the war, and may try to get you to either terminate the pregnancy, or give the twins up for adoption, presumably to Molly and Arthur, so that being a parent isn't limiting your use to the cause. We aren't sure about these, obviously. But there are a number of things we need to think about when it comes to keeping you and the twins safe,"

Harry nodded, his hands crossing over his stomach at the thought that someone might try to force him to lose them.

"Harry," the professor said gently, a knowing look in his eyes, "No one can take your babies from you without your permission. If they even try, they are breaking so many laws that they will end up in Azkaban for life, if not worse,"

"I know. But I'm not exactly normal, sir. People won't care what happens to them, or to me really, so long as I am able to fight this bloody war for them,"

"Hm, I concede to the point that the wizarding world is full of cowards. However, you can be sure that Poppy and I are going to do everything we can to make sure you and the twins are okay. I know you don't have much reason to trust me, but I hope to be able to show you that you can,"

"I do trust you, sir," Harry said vehemently, shocking the man, "As I said earlier, the twins told me all about what you've been doing for them. And you've saved me more times than I can count. More than anyone else has. You've looked after me in ways that I hadn't realised before, but I do now. I trust you. I'm just… scared,"

"I get that, Harry, I really do," the professor said.

The house elf popped back in and placed the tray filled with his food and drink on Harry's legs. Harry and Professor Snape both thanked them and the elf bowed before popping away shyly.

Harry dug into the food as much as he could do so, not realising until the smell of the food hit his nose how hungry he was.

When he was done eating the elf came to remove the empty tray and he settled back against the pillows, crossing his legs and holding his stomach as he got comfortable again.

"So, what options do we have?" Harry asked, breathing a deep sigh.

"Well, there is a little known rule, which she can't overrule because it is one set by the Founders themselves, that states a student's guardian is able to object to a detention or punishment if they think them unfair, as a guardian always has more power in punishing their child than a teacher does. What are the chances of your relatives overruling her detentions?"

Harry scoffed, "They wouldn't give two shits, excuse my language, about them. Especially if they knew I was pregnant. They hate magic, my parents, and me. They hate anything 'unnatural'," he stopped speaking when he saw the look of confusion on his professor's face.

"Harry, who are you living with?" he asked gently.

"Erm, my aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley,"

There was an anger in the older man's face which startled Harry, but he wasn't scared because he could feel that it wasn't at him.

"That lying, manipulative, old coot," the man muttered, looking up towards the heavens as he continued to mumble things under his breath. Things which Harry felt very much weren't for young ears, and he thought it rather funny that the normally strict and solid man was letting loose.

The man sighed, "Draco mentioned that you had talked about your relatives, but he didn't say what you said. I happen to know Petunia's views on magic, we grew up together. What happened to your grandparents, do you know? In any case, we need to do a very thorough health scan on you if what I suspect to be the case, now that I know the truth and realise that you had all the signs, is true,"

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat and the professor rested his hand on his, rubbing gently with his thumb.

"It's okay, Harry. I understand, really, I do. But we'll sort all of this out, I promise. And we can get you a new guardian who will counteract her detentions for you, at least until we can plan a proper way of removing her from the school. Then you won't have to go back to your relatives either,"

"Hm," Harry scoffed, "I have asked Professor Dumbledore many a time if I can go elsewhere and he always says I have to because of the bloody blood wards,"

Professor Snape growled, "Does he know about the abuse?"

"Some of it. So do Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur, Sirius, and Remus," Harry mumbled, his chest constricting in pain.

The professor nodded, clearly frustrated.

"Right, well, we'll sort it out for you, I promise. You and the twins will be safe. I have some friends who will be able to help us sort this out with minimal fuss, once we have the results of your scan,"

"But, sir, who would want to be my guardian? I don't really…" he trailed off, trying not to think about how alone he was in the world, "And if they do want to then would it be because I am the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, or because they actually care about me, Harry? And what about the twins? Will they be okay with them? Will they make me give them away? I don't want to give them away,"

He was really trying not to panic, and the comforting warmth of his Professor's hand holding his helped somewhat. But it still hurt, and yet didn't. And there were tears forming in his eyes if the blurriness was anything to go by.

"Harry, you need to try and remain calm for me, okay?" Professor Snape's gentle voice broke through his panic, "That's it, Harry. Take a deep breath for me… in… and out… in… and out… That's it, just like that… in… and out,"

Harry's breaths were shaky, and a few tears still rolled down his cheeks, but it didn't hurt. The Professor smiled at him, and he tried to smile back, but it was strained. Pained.

"It's okay. I will ensure that whoever get's guardianship of you is a good fit for you. That they want you for you and not where your fame can get them. I myself wouldn't mind becoming your guardian, if you don't mind that is. In fact, in terms of your detentions, having a staff member as your guardian may help more as I will have much more say than her. But that is a conversation for another time," Snape said and Harry looked at him in shock and a pained kind of awe.

"You would want me?" Harry said shakily.

The Professor smiled at him sadly, "Harry, what did the twins tell you about me?"

"They told me that you took them under your wing in their first year. That you looked after them, could tell them apart, helped them with potions and spell crafting and their other studies. They told me you would comfort them when their mother sent them a howler or letter with nasty things in them. That you would respect them, their opinions, their feelings, that you knew they were intelligent and nurtured it. You didn't hurt them, for anything. They said you brought them birthday and Christmas presents which you let them keep in a spare room in your quarters so they had a safe place to go to get away from their family and the people who looked down on them. They said you made them food, and brought them clothes that fit, and that you brought them their robes for the Yule Ball last year,

"They also said that you were more their parent than their actual parent. That you taught them how to shave when they started getting hair. The muggle way and the wizard way. That you were hoping they would get some masteries after Hogwarts so they had more options open to them, and to show the world how truly intelligent and talented they are, but you weren't trying to force it on them, like Molly does with her thoughts that they should work for the Ministry. That you looked after them when they were ill, or sad, or hurt in some way. That you helped them come up with their subjects before third year so that they could progress their knowledge to help with spell crafting and prank making. That you didn't berate them, or criticise them for the things they enjoyed doing, or for anything really. That you trusted them. That they could go to you for anything, anytime, and you would help them as much as you could," Harry said wistfully, wishing desperately he would be able to have someone like that in his life one day.

The Professor nodded sadly, and Harry thought he could see a sheen of tears in his dark eyes.

"Mhm," he hummed, clearing his throat slightly, "Did they tell you anything about my position in the war? Or about my opinions of you? Or anything else?"

"No, they respected you and your privacy and didn't want to give much away other than all the amazing things you did for them. They loved you," he whispered the last part, but Snape heard him anyway, and Harry pretended not to see as a tear slipped past the man's defences and down his pale cheek.

"I love them, too," the man whispered before clearing his throat again and drying his eyes, "Anyway, I am a spy, as you know. And due to my position, and manipulations and threats from, well, both sides, I have been forced to lock away a large part of myself. I am a bearer, too, you see,"

Harry looked at the man in shock.

"We bearers… Our magic is different to the typical wizard, and not just because it allows us to carry and birth babies. We are very naturally maternal, we are protective of any and all children, even those not our own. Our magic is powerful and allows us to protect children in ways that the typical witch and wizard aren't usually able to. It physically, mentally, and emotionally, pains us to harm a child in any way,"

Harry looked at the man in shock, again. But also in understanding. The man had been in pain all these years because of what he has had to do.

"The things I have been forced to do and say to the students of this school because I couldn't give away my position," the man shook his head as if trying to clear his mind, "It is physically impossible for me to hate a child, no matter who they might look like from my past, and yet, for years, I have had to pretend to hate every child that has walked through this school, unless they are the child of a Death Eater. Whilst also doing everything I could to protect each and every one of you, but especially you, Neville, and the twins once they came into my life,

"I tried, desperately, to get Albus to add a magically binding clause to my contract that 'made' me be nice, and fair to everyone, no matter what. But he said the Dark Lord was too insane to understand that and would kill me for it anyway. He then proceeded to add a clause that I wouldn't be fair to the Houses that weren't Slytherin, and that I wouldn't be nice to the students in a time or place where I could be spotted. If I didn't stick to it he would send me to Azkaban. And I can't protect you all from there. Not from him or the Dark Lord,"

Harry looked at the man and saw in his deep eyes how much it was all hurting him. But a thought occurred to him, "Erm, sir, didn't Dumbledore vouch for you in front of the Wizengamot at the end of the first war?"

"Yes," the Professor said, confused.

"Well, I don't know how the justice system works here, and I don't feel like I want to all that much considering my farce of a trial during the summer. But if he vouched for you in your trial, telling them that you were his spy, he can't exactly rescind his statement, can he? Not without making it seem that he lied in court, which is a crime, right? In the muggle world it is, anyway. So, if he were to attempt to hold another trial for you, and make it seem like you were guilty of being a true Death Eater and not a spy, then you could come back with memories and his previous testimony and to prove him wrong, and he could be charged with perverting the course of justice, or whatever?"

Professor Snape smiled at him, "We would have to look into it, I suppose. In any case, though, I couldn't risk being thrown into Azkaban and not being able to protect the students of this school from… everything. Merlin knows this school is dangerous on its own, let alone with none of the other staff members caring to try and make the students safer, happier. They care, but not enough to stop the bullying students go through, or to try and get Albus to change my contract, or anything. They just care about the student's education. Which is important, but not as much as their safety and happiness, both inside and outside of the school. None of them know anything about child abuse, and they do nothing to help the children who come to them. I do what I can to help the children I find, but it is hard when I still have to be mean to everyone in the classroom, or in the halls,"

"Well, maybe if the goblins or a lawyer looked at your contract we could figure out a way for you to stop hurting yourself all the time. You don't deserve it after all you've done to keep the students safe. They need to know that they have someone they can go to for help, and you deserve to be safe also," Harry said.

"I'll be sure to do that," the Professor said.

Madame Pomfrey entered the room and smiled at Harry, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry said.

She nodded and waved her wand over him, "The twins are settling into their new home nicely," Harry blushed, rubbing his stomach gently, "I will keep you in until tomorrow evening though, just to make sure all is okay. Has Professor Snape said anything about what he and I discussed?"

"Mhm, a bit, yeah,"

"Yes, Poppy. And Harry needs a full health scan, one that shows his full medical history," Snape said.

Madame Pomfrey looked at the floor, shifting slightly, glanced up between Snape and Harry, eyes nervous and almost angry. Snape practically growled at her.

"Poppy, I swear to Merlin-"

"Severus, I have already done one, he is fine," she said distractedly.

The words stung Harry more than he thought they could.

Fine.

He was fine.

"Fine? Really? Because I now knew who he truly grew up with, and I am willing to bet that he is anything but fine. What has gotten into you? You are a medi-witch, if you come across a child who has been abused, then you are meant to help them,"

"I-I can't…"

"Why?"

"A-Albus," she left.

The Professor sighed and sat back in his seat, "It's okay, Harry. I will take you to the goblins and they can do their scans on you. We'll get you a new guardian, I promise,"

Harry just nodded, wishing that he could believe the man.

Hiya, how are you all?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I did what I could with it considering everything going on IRL at the moment. Merlin it hurts. But hey ho, I will survive I suppose.

I have a Facebook group called Maraudering_Paige which you are all welcome to join if you would like to and are able to. It is where we can talk about Harry Potter, fanfics, life, share memes and more. It is also where I have an update schedule of sorts and will be keeping you up to date on what I am working on, both fanfics and original works, because I am also writing an original novel, more info on that to come on the group. So if you are interested then I am more than happy to accept anyone into the group.

I hope you are all having an amazing day!

Kind regards,

Paige xx