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Death is a Blessing	By : NationElDiablo Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 15235 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Death is a Blessing
- 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this, or anything Harry Potter-ish
Death is a blessing

Harry�s joy at seeing the member�s of the order waiting for him at the station was short lived, when they got back to Privet Drive Uncle Vernon had taken Hedwig and put her in the garage, Harry protested, but it was no use,
�I�ILL NOT HAVE YOU WRITING LIES ABOUT US TO THAT BUNCH OF FREAKS! You need to send a letter I will read it before hand� He had gone quite purple, and after locking Hedwig up, he got hold of Harry by the scruff of the neck and had locked him in his room too. Harry glared at the door as he heard each of the five locks snap into position. He sighed and turned, the room had changed, it was still dark, dank and small, but the window now was double glazed with only a small top panel, it was too small for Hedwig, it was too small for a lot of owls. It wasn�t the only change, his small cot had been changed now was a single bed with wrought iron head and foot board. Harry was instantly suspicious on closer examination he saw the reason for the change, on the footboard there were two chains with buckled ankle cuffs, he looked at the headboard anger rising in him two sets of handcuffs on either side he tugged on them, it was solid. He stifled a harsh laugh, so his uncle finally though he would have trouble holding him down. He glared around. The rest of the fixtures seemed the same. Two days later his uncle called him down
�BOY! Get down here!� Harry left his room, his uncle was in the dining room, on the table was an ink pot, a quill and a piece of parchment. Harry looked at his uncle quizzically.
�Write that bunch of abnormal misfits a letter, you will tell them you are fine and treated well, or I swear you�ll have some thing to complain about!� Harry swallowed hard; he should have seen that one coming. Once the letter was finished uncle Vernon dragged him to the garage, Harry stroked Hedwig, she hadn�t been fed nearly enough, she hooted her appreciation, as he took her to the door, he whispered to her:
�Stay with Ron� and with that she flew off, he glared at his uncle
�She�s starving!�
�SHE�S FINE!� His uncle stepped into the garage and bought the back of his hand down on Harry�s face so hard his glasses flew off and Harry was thrown to the ground. His uncle loomed over him, Harry glared undaunted at him
�She might not make it� His uncle walked over to him
�Good!� he snarled he kicked Harry in the stomach Harry grunted and doubled over. His uncle stalked off toward the door, he turned round and hissed
�Help you aunt, she has a list of jobs for you, finish it and you may get dinner� Harry lay there for another minute, he got up and went to the kitchen, his aunt thrusted a piece of paper under his nose
�Do this� she snapped, Harry glanced down the list, even if he had all day he wouldn�t even get half of it done, and it was lunchtime before he had been let out. There was no point arguing. He simply got on with it. When the light went he had just finished mowing the lawn. It was late, almost ten he sighed and looked down the list, he had 6 jobs left.
�GET INSIDE NOW!� his uncle was at the door. Harry felt a rock hit his stomach times up. He stalked into the house. �Upstairs� Harry walked straight into his bedroom, the door slammed as was locked behind him. An hour later he heard the locks being opened, his uncle walked in. Harry stared at him, faster then Harry thought was possible for someone that big to move, his uncle grasped the front of his shirt and threw him on the bed, all the wind was knocked from his lungs, his uncle reached up and forced his wrists into the cuffs, Harry struggled but it was useless. His uncle then secured his ankles in the restraints and stalked out the room, he returned carrying a bag.
�Open you mouth� he spat, and when Harry refused he hit him in the stomach, as Harry gasped for air, something the size of a ping pong ball was forced in his mouth. So here we are again he thought. The gag had buckle fastenings too and they were done up so tight he thought his face was splitting in two. Uncle Vernon then undid Harry�s shirt, he reached back in the bag and pulled out a whip, he bought it down savagely across Harry�s bare chest, Harry bit into the gag and pulled on the restraints, his uncle laughed bitterly
�One lashing for every job you didn�t get done� and to his word uncle Vernon bought the whip down again and again, five times in total. He left five slender cuts across his chest. I will not cry I will not cry Harry kept repeating to himself. When his uncle was done, he put the whip under the bed. He reached into his pockets and undid the handcuffs. Harry rubbed his writs glaring at him until the door was shut again and the locks slid home. Harry undid the rest of the restraints and gingerly touched the wounds. He found himself relieved, if his aunt and cousin weren�t in, he would have got something a lot worse.

This was how his days went, since Hedwig had not returned he had to send his letters to the Order back with the birds they came with. Every three days he wrote the responses under his uncle�s watchful eye, every night his was whipped for failing the ever increasing list of tasks. One day he did finish but his uncle said he had done such a bad job on all of them that it didn�t count, so he got all 20 lashed across his back. Occasionally the punishment was extended when the others were out. After a week and a half of no food and little water Harry could take it no more, he was out in the garden the sunburn he had was terrible, the Order seemed contented with his responses so rescue was not likely for a long time, he was so hungry he could barley stand he went into the shed, his aunt and uncle has one of those shedder things for mulching wood, he took the lid off and slowly removed the blades. He sat down in a secluded spot and bought the blade down on his arms, the pain shorted the hunger, but he already knew that. The second cut was deeper and followed the vain to his wrist, the blood splayed out over everything; before he got too weak he switched hands and did the same on the other arm. He lay down and passed out. When he came to, he was back in his room, restrained once more, his arms were bandaged. They left him there for a day before punishing him for spilling blood on the lawn and giving him a list twice as long to make up for it.
Two days later he had just been sent in with his list incomplete he dragged himself up the stairs and into his room. His window was open as wide at it went, on the sill inside he saw something familiar, a beetle with circles round its antenna Harry rolled his eyes
�Rita, get out! Now! You�ll get me in trouble and don�t change, the ministry will put your magic down as mine and I�ll get kicked out!� The beetle just stared defiantly at him. Downstairs he heard the front door go. There were footsteps outside the locks were slowly being opened.
�Please!� he begged her but as the last lock slid free he moved swiftly from the window. His uncle looked particularly mean tonight his lips curled into a snarl
�Your aunt and cousin have gone out shopping, we�re all alone� the lump in Harry�s throat made friends with the one in his stomach. His uncle reached for him, Harry didn�t resist there was no point. After he was tied to the bed his uncle removed Harry�s glasses and dropped unceremoniously on the side. His uncle removed the whip. Harry had failed to complete 15 jobs today; Harry bit into the gag and awaited the snap of the whip. He counted each excruciating strike. Uncle Vernon had put so much effort into it that even he was breathing heavily by the end. Harry opened his eye�s Rita was no longer on the window sill. Then came what Harry had been really dreading, the whip was put down, his uncle smiled cruelly at Harry, he reached down and slid Harry�s second hand (and therefore miles too big) trousers down, Harry felt the cool nights air on his skin as his underwear was removed as well, Harry struggled but could not brake free, Vernon climbed on top of him��

Rita could not believe what she had just seen, if Dumbledore knew there was no way Harry would still be there, she threw floo powder into the fire
�Severus Snape� she stuck her head in the fire
�SNAPE GET IN HERE� the black form of the potions teacher stalked round the door
�Rita� he snarled �what are you doing in my fire?�
�It�s Harry you have to help me get him out of that place� Snape chocked back a laugh
�And why would you come running to me of all people?� Rita rolled her eyes
�Because I can�t very well tell Dumbledore I was spying on the boy I�m not supposed to be Animagus can you imagine the reaction!? Come on I need your help!�
�I am not helping the brat of James Potter do anything more then live!� he snarled. Rita lost her temper;
�Look for once in your life stop thinking about yourself! The boy is in trouble with those disgusting muggles and stop calling him the brat of James Potter he�s the child of LILY EVANS!� she had not meant to shout the name but it had the desired affect, Snape�s eyes melted a little. And he nodded.
�I can�t apparate from here; I�ll need to go to Hogsmeade. I will meet you there. Rita looked relieved and nodded, Snape turned and left without another word, Rita breathed
�Thank fuck for that� and she disappeared from the fire. She pulled her head out and cracked her skull on the fire surround. She grunted in pain, damn that was all she needed Snape may actually get there first.

Snape left the castle without a second glance; he was at the gate a few minutes later. He walked just far enough to be free of the apparating charms placed on the castle. With a loud �pop� he disappeared. He arrived a few moments later in Harry�s bedroom, it took him exactly three seconds to realise what was happening, Vernon was still on top of Harry, the boy practically invisible under the grunting body of his uncle. A black fury came over Snape, this man this muggle was abusing the son of his beloved in the most sickening of ways, he pulled his wand and aimed it at Vernon,
�EXPELLIARMUS!� he shouted, Harry screamed into the gag as his uncle was violently ripped from his body, straining at his bonds. Vernon was catapulted off Harry and out the door, Snape followed, Vernon was zipping up his trousers as Snape approached he looked up and opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything. Snape pointed his wand at the man shaking with rage
�Avada�.�
�SEVERUS NO!� Rita screamed from down the hall. Snape took in a deep breath and lowered his wand.
�Fine� he spat at Rita, �you deal with him� he turned neatly and went back into Harry�s bedroom, slamming the door.

Harry wasn�t too sure what had happened, he was sure he heard the disarming spell, a wizard had come he didn�t see who a member of the Order no doubt. He was in so much pain, he didn�t want any of the order to see him like this but he could not move. He closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious, he heard the door slam and wondered who was in the room with him but he didn�t want to look. He bit the gag harder. Severus surveyed the hollow that Harry Potter was living in with distaste; he had seen house elves in better. His gazed fixed on the virtually naked body on the bed, his head was on its side and his eyes were shut. The bed itself was covered in blood, his shirt was open revealing that the blood was from his chest, and he was wearing nothing else. Snap looked at him with disdain. So this was where the �great Harry Potter� spent his summer for the first time he noticed how he even spat the word Potter when he thought it. He tried a different tact, Harry Evans; he found the name did not conjure the same bile to his throat. Snape shuddered; he would deal with that later, at the moment he was not sure how to proceed. The boy was for all intents and purposes naked and tied to the bed, should he cover him up or free him first, the boy hadn�t moved. Snape decided to check to see if he was alive, he had lost a lot of blood and looked dangerously thin. Snape sat down on the side of the bed and reached for Harry�s throat to check his pulse. Harry flinched a mile at the touch, well that answered that question. Shit Harry thought, he�d just given himself away, he gave up opened his eyes and looked at his rescuer, his eyes went wide it was definitely the last person he had expected to see. Snape looked down into the boys eyes; they were so much like Lily�s. He pulled his wand out, the boy visibly tensed and pulled at the bonds again.
�I�m not going to hurt you Potter� his voice was sharper then was meant. Harry stopped squirming but didn�t relax any; Snape pointed his wand at the cuffs
�Alohomora� the cuffs clicked open. Harry quickly reached down and pulled his pants and trousers up. Before looking back at Snape, Harry saw Snape appraising his injuries and lay back down doing his shirt up in the process. Thankfully the shirt was long sleeved, so Snape had not seen the damage on his arms. Harry rubbed his wrists absently momentarily forgetting about the gag and leg restraints, he was so used to them now they were practically part of him. Uncle Vernon had taken to locking him up at night and gagged him to stop his screams from waking the house. Snape on the other hand had not. He reached for the buckle on the gag and once again Harry flinched. Snape rolled his eyes and put one arm around the boy to keep him still and undid the buckles with his other hand. Harry coughed as the gag was removed, Snape was staring at him intently, the gag was on the floor, Snape stroked Harry�s hair from his face, so much of him is like her, you just didn�t see it before Harry looked away, hey shifted to release his ankles, uncomfortable at the contact. The spell was broken; Snape mentally berated himself for getting lost in the past. It was Harry who broke the silence though; he had curled into a tight ball at the foot of the bed.
�You know, thanks and all, but can you not tell anyone?� Snape was surprised at the request
�Not tell anyone what Potter?� Harry shrugged looking for the right words
�About this, me what was going on when you got here� Harry looked away quickly, he was overly thin, pale and frightened and Snape was about to make it worse
�I can�t do that Harry, you can not stay here. Where�s your stuff? You can come with me to the school, and we will decide what to do from there.� Harry looked positively petrified
�But why do you have to tell? I mean it�s not like this was�� Harry caught himself but it was too late, Snape went from surprise to pure shock
�It�s not what Harry? Not the first time?� Harry just shrugged; he drew himself in to a tighter ball. Snape was going to have words with Dumbledore, if that man had even the slightest inkling of what was going on Harry would not have been sent back he idiot that was a stupid line of thought of course the headmaster had no idea.
�Where is your school stuff?�
�In the cupboard under the stairs� Harry�s reply was very quite. Snape nodded. He opened the door and told whoever was there, Rita Harry suspected where everything was. There were a few murmurs and then he returned. Harry had not moved
�Can you walk?� Harry nodded
�I think so� slowly he got off the bed. He was sore all over and was limping more then walking. It was painfully slow getting out of the room, even with Snape supporting him in an iron grip. At the bottom of the stairs Rita was waiting for them with Harry�s belongings, included Hedwig�s cage. They made it to the street and Rita hailed the Knight bus. As they got on, Stan took their money, he was about to enquire as to the state of Harry, whose shirt was know stained with blood but a look from Snape silenced him. The three went upstairs and waited to be taken to Hogsmeade. The bus disappeared with a loud bang once they had got off. Rita sighed
�Right I must be getting on� Harry was now very worried
�Rita wait!� she turned and read the boys expression.
�Harry, I may be a hardened journalist, but I am not cruel, tonight�s event will not be in the Daily Prophet until you are ready for people to know.� Harry chewed his lip, it wasn�t a lot but it was all he was going to get. Rita apparated away. Harry looked around, he was safe, but he had truly hoped that he would never be in this state when he arrived here. Snape levitated Harry�s trunk and the cage and they started towards the castle. They had just got inside the grounds as dawn broke, Harry tripped and fell forward landing on his face. He was in no hurry to move the earth was cool and he was tired. Footsteps were coming towards them; this did not encourage Harry to move.
�What�s this Severus? Rounding up students for extra potions over the summer?� Harry recognised the voice it belonged to Professor McGonagall. Professor Snap sneered,
�No actually Minerva, I have been doing one of the things that the Order should have done a long time ago by the sounds of it� Harry sighed and rolled onto his back, his head of house gasped when she looked at him
�Ghost of Merlin what happened to him? He couldn�t have been attacked his house in charmed�
�No he was not attacked by he-who-shall-not-be-named; this was done by that muggle uncle!� Snape�s voice had got even harder. Professor McGonagall recovered,
�Well don�t just lie there Mr. Potter get up, you need to go to the infirmary� Harry tried to obey but his legs were like jelly and his arms refused to push against the earth and help. Neither of the professors looked happy about this, they are angry at me, I�m trying! But he could not get up.
�I am sorry professor, I can�t� Professor McGonagall�s jaw stiffened. How did they miss how poorly he had been treated, why if she ever got her hands on the disgusting muggle� She looked back at Harry, he looked away, still fighting the tears
�I�m sorry; if you give me a minute I don�t mean to hold you up�
�That is quite enough Harry� she said more kindly she bought out her wand and conjured a stretcher, she levitated Harry on to it and the three of them headed into the castle in silence. They arrived at the infirmary a few moments later.
�Poppy!� Professor McGonagall shouted as they arrived, Madame Pomfrey came out of her office as Professor McGonagall levitated Harry onto a bed. Harry collapsed unwilling to do anything but sleep� and take a shower, he desperately wanted a shower. Madame Pomfrey bustled over
�Hello� Harry said weakly. She gasped when she saw the shirt, but not as loudly as Professor McGonagall when she opened it, the lashes across Harry�s chest were deep and had only just stopped bleeding. As Madame Pomfrey attended Harry�s wounds the other two left. They returned in the middle of an argument between Harry and the nurse as to why Harry should take off his shirt.
�No. look please I just want a shower and a bed, I don�t care�
�Harry please let me treat you, you can sleep soon I promise�
�Poppy, Harry has been through a very traumatic event tonight it is not surprising given the circumstances that he is unwilling to undress� Severus�s tone was silky smooth and had its usual control back. Madame Pomfrey stared at him;
�Well it would help if I knew what these circumstances were�
�We are about to determine that very fact, if you would kindly bear with us Poppy� Harry had not noticed the arrival of Professor Dumbledore with the others, but now had that feeling that bed was a very long way off. The three professors came to the side of Harry�s bed. Harry found that he could not make eye contact with any of them. Dumbledore broke the silence
�Harry I understand that you have had a very long night I am sure that you are exhausted but I must ask you to tell me what has happened� Harry was silent, he was close to tears, not tonight, please not tonight, tomorrow yes but not now he knew he would not be able to hold himself back tonight, he drew his legs into his chest and wrapped his arms around them, he was shaking, he rubbed his shoulders trying to stop it. Suddenly he flew off the bed, someone had put and arm round him, he didn�t know who, but it scared him. He could take no more, the lack of food and blood combined with the journey and the stress was too much, he felt unconsciousness creeping up on him, and for the first time did not fight it, it claimed him and he hit the floor.

The three professors watched as Madame Pomfrey levitated the unconscious body back onto the bed, she eyed them all with disdain
�Well now you have terrified my patient into fainting perhaps you should leave� even Dumbledore acknowledge that was no more to be done tonight, and turned to leave the other followed him but a shriek from the nurse bought them back to the bed. She had finally managed to relieve Harry of his shirt and was now staring at his arms in disbelief. The others to came over, from Harry�s shoulders down to the old bandages around his forearms Harry was covered in horizontal cuts, Madame Pomfrey picked up Harry�s left arm and turned it over, she unwrapped the bandage, the deep lacerations that marked where his veins should have been had begun to heal. Dumbledore unwrapped Harry�s other arm to reveal similar wounds. He looked at the nurse
�Is there any way that this was not self-inflicted?� Madame Pomfrey was still taking in the horror and didn�t respond,
�Poppy, did Harry do this?� at mention of her name Madame Pomfrey looked up and met the old headmasters eyes
�No, well yes someone else could of but it�s not likely, under a week ago this boy tried to take his life� she had gone quite pale, but she was not the only one, Minerva had also lost her colour. Snape looked well he hadn�t changed much, he didn�t seem too surprised.
�Headmaster, I believe given what I saw tonight I could offer an explanation as to why Mr. Potter would want to take such drastic action� Dumbledore and McGonagall looked up.
�If you have any explanation I would gladly like to hear it� Snape nodded, he gave them an account of what he had seen when he had first apparated into the bedroom, he told them what Rita saw when she was spying (but left out that she was spying as a beetle on the window sill). When he had finished both Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall looked like they were having trouble keeping their dinner down, Dumbledore was certainly shaken.
�Why didn�t he tell us?�
�I think Albus that is a question only he can answer, and it does not look like he will be doing that tonight.� Dumbledore nodded, no was no more to be gained tonight. He turned and left, followed quickly by the other two professors in the corridor he turned to them
�We must inform the Order, while his short stay at the Dursley�s may have boosted his protection magic, he can not go back there. We will need to find him somewhere for the summer.� McGonagall nodded
�Might I suggest Molly and Arthur, they have taken him in before� Dumbledore thought about this;
�Yes but in light of what has transpired, I am not sure Harry will want to go, most of the Weasley�s are in the order it may make him uncomfortable. Nonetheless we should inform them and Remus as well� Snape snarled at the mention of the werewolf,
�This is not the time for personal prejudice Severus, he is a friend of Harry�s and the boy will need as many as he can get I will send invitations for them to meets us here tomorrow�

~

Harry woke the next morning, and was surprised to find he could stretch he put his arms above his head and stretched his back, his memory of the night before came back to him, and his stomach did a back flip. He noticed for the first time that he was not wearing his shirt, in fact he had no top on at all. He groaned, studying the fresh white bandages on his arms, this was going to be a long day. Madame Pomfrey came around the corner carrying a bowl she looked at him
�You are very thin. When was the last time you had a meal� Harry, thought about this
�When did school break up?�
�About two weeks ago� Harry nodded
�Then I had my last meal about two weeks ago� Madame Pomfrey looked mortified. She put down the bowl and came back with a goblet; it had a sweet smelling liquid in it
�Drink this� she ordered. Harry raised it to his lips and drank it down; it tasted nice and sent a warm sensation into his stomach. He handed her the empty goblet.
�What was that?�
�It�s a stomach sealing potion, it will let you keep your food down, here eat this. Then you have a meeting with the headmaster. You will be back down here in three hours so I can give you something else to eat� Harry nodded glumly; he had no idea what to say to the headmaster. He thought he was going to be in trouble. He looked at Madame Pomfrey;
�Do you know why Professor Snape bought me here?� Her cold eyes melted
�Part of it, he told us what he had seen�
�Then please can I have a shower?� she looked puzzled at him, so he tried to explain further �Please� I need to wash him off me� he was unaware that he was clawing at his skin; she looked at him with pity.
�Of course you can but eat that first� Harry obeyed eating quickly before heading off to the shower�s he took some clean clothes from his trunk and dumped them on the bench. He turned the water on as hot as he could stand and stood under the jet, trying desperately to feel clean again. He was there for almost an hour before he admitted defeat. He got out, dried himself and got dressed; he decided against his school robes, he wore a pair of grey trousers and a white long sleeved shirt. His hair still wouldn�t behave but at least the exercise had washed off all the dried blood, now he was left with just the wounds. He left the shower block and found Professor Snape waiting for him
�Come on we�re late.� Harry nodded, he walked with a little more pace today, he was still in pain but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been the night before. Snape noticed that change in the boy�s demeanour, his head was down, his vision firmly on the floor, it reminded Snape of the walk prisoners had when they were being lead to the Dementors kiss. They reached the gargoyle that hid the entrance to the headmaster�s office.
�Cookies and Cream� the staircase appeared and they went up. They were the last to arrive, the headmaster greeted them
�Ah Severus, Harry do sit down� Harry looked up for the first time, the room was quite full, aside�s himself, Snape and the headmaster there was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley with all the boys except Ron, Professor McGonagall and Remus Lupin. Harry glared at the headmaster
�What�s going on?� Harry was already edging for the door; he bumped into Snape who was behind him. Harry whirled round and tried to bolt out of the room, the potions professor caught him. He weighs nothing Severus thought as he hoisted the boy into the air with one arm. The twins were mildly amused at this and tried to wipe the smirk off their face as Harry was placed without fuss in one of the empty chairs.
�Harry please calm down� the magical restraints, prevent him from standing, but not from fighting them. Snape took a goblet from the desk and pushed it under Harry�s nose.
�Here drink this� he said quietly, Harry didn�t look convinced Snape rolled his eyes,
�It�s a claming draught� Harry nodded and settled down, the restraints around his right arm were removed so he could take the goblet. Harry felt more in control, the panic was held at bay by the potion. Even Fred and George had stopped smirking and were looking concerned. The restraints were removed and once again Harry curled into a ball. Dumbledore spoke.
�Thank you for coming, I know you are wondering why you have been bought here� Harry was rocking back and forth looking out over the top of his knees. Most of the room was not listening to the headmaster but staring at this odd behaviour. Dumbledore continued anyway
�As you might have guessed the cause of this meeting is Harry. I was hoping that he would feel up to explaining that actual specifics himself� Harry stopped rocking. And looked panicked He wants me to tell people?! Is he mad? Harry shook his head; he didn�t trust himself to speak. Dumbledore looked at him with kind eyes
�Harry I know this is difficult, but in the long term, it will help you if you can tell us.� Harry curled up tighter. Molly could take no more she got up and went to hug him. Harry bolted from the chair as she touched him he looked petrified, he figured the office door was now locked, and he was trapped with all these people who were staring at him
�Harry?� Remus spoke concern etched into his face, Harry looked at him, but his focus seemed to be on the wall behind Remus rather then on him.
�Harry its ok your safe here, look no one is going to hurt you, tell us what happened� Harry stood in the middle of the room feeling very exposed he wrapped his arms round his chest and swallowed hard.
�Nothing, nothing happened.�
�If that was true you wouldn�t be acting like this� Harry tried again
�Nothing new�
�So something did happen to you� Harry shrugged
�Got hit� sentences were proving to be problematic at best.
�Just hit?� a different voice, Harry didn�t look up to see who it was
�Whipped� Harry didn�t want to look up, he thought they would be smirking, the twins at least. But there was no noise and it was one of the twins who spoke next
�Who by?�
�Uncle Vernon� there was immediate uproar
�I�ll kill him� Harry looked to see that the twins we�re heading for the door
�Not if I get there first� Bill was up as well
�Who does he think he is? Bloody muggle!� the room exploded into noise, Harry moved away while everyone�s attention was on the headmaster, as he thought the door was locked, he looked around there was a small dark gap between two bookcases he squeezed into it and curled up with his back against the wall, he couldn�t stop the tears falling this time, and the noise was unbearable he rocked himself backwards and forwards shushing at himself. After a while the noise stopped, there was a large amount of shuffling, they were looking for him. It was Percy who saw him first.
�Hey Harry why don�t you get out of there?� Harry dried his eyes; there was no point in staying they would all come over in a minute. He rose and shuffled back out. They were all looking at him, Arthur cleared his throat
�I suspect that there is something you forgot to tell us Harry?� Harry nodded but then looked around the room,
�Please, I can�t� he looked at Snape �you tell them� Snape looked at Dumbledore,
�Headmaster it seems to me that trying to coax anymore out of Mr Potter might have a negative effect. Might I suggest legilimens?� Harry froze if they did that he would not be able to hide any of it. He never could defend with occlumency at the best of times. To his dismay the headmaster nodded. Snape walked over to Harry producing his wand Harry was backed against the wall he had nowhere to run. Snap touched his wand to his temple producing a silver stream. Harry felt his mind being invaded, he gave up and let his potions teacher wonder through his memories until he came to the earliest attack Harry was nine, he had just finished clearing the breakfast things away, his aunt and cousin were going shopping and had left early in the morning. Harry reached up to put a plate away, he slipped and dropped it, the sound of breaking china bought his uncle into the kitchen
�Stupid clumsy good for nothing boy!� his hissed as he marched over to Harry. Vernon struck Harry across the face and slammed his head into the worktop. Harry was then picked up and thrown onto the floor, he was winded and seeing stars, he tried to apologise but his uncle wasn�t have it. Vernon was on top of him; he turned Harry onto his front and ripped his trousers down
�I�ll teach you some respect wretch!� he spanked Harry�s exposed ass before freeing himself. Harry cried out as his uncle entered him forcefully. The entire attack took less then an hour but to the nine you old boy it had felt like years. His uncle got off him Harry was crying
�Grow up!� he spat and as he left shouted �and clear up that mess� back in Dumbledore�s office the tears rolled down his face as the memory was extracted, but it didn�t stop. Harry relieved every attack feeling them again and again. They came to the beginning of the summer, Hedwig being locked up, and Harry pleading with her not to come back, Vernon struck Harry across the face and his glasses flew off. After Vernon had left Harry had reached for the glasses, he pricked his hand on a blade in the garage. He drew his hand away quickly and looked at the blood, he was fascinated by it. A noise outside caught his attention and he quickly scooped up his glasses and put them on. He pocketed the blade. Harry was worried he tried occlumency again but Snape was more powerful. Harry fell over in the office; they were all looking at him. Snape reached down and picked him up
�Now is not the time to catch up on that� he whispered, Harry nodded
�Please stop I don�t want everyone to know� Harry�s voice was week, but several people heard it,
�We need to know Harry please if you could tell is� Harry shook his head.
�I can�t� Snape reconnected with his mind, it was that evening before his uncle came in to the room, Harry was starving, he took the blade out of his pocket caressing it, he rolled up his sleeve and bought the blade down across his arm, the blood flowed and pooled on the bed, Harry played with it. As the locks went on the door the blade was hidden as was the wound. His uncle came in, Snape watched as the boy was thrown to the bed, gagged and whipped. He watched the suicide attempt and the punishment for it and then they were back to the present. Snape broke the contact, he was looking more grim then usual, he walked over to the headmaster�s desk, Harry noticed the pensive for the first time, he saw Snape putting his memories in it.
�Professor Dumbledore, can I wait outside? I don�t need to see this I was there.� Dumbledore was hesitant,
�Neither do I headmaster� Snape looked up, Dumbledore nodded
�Very well Severus please escort Harry out side and wait� Harry was relived but looked round the room, he saw the twins staring at him
�Don�t look� he implored them but was then dragged out of the room as they reached the door Dumbledore spoke again
�On second thoughts Severus take Harry to the infirmary, Poppy needs to see him again� Severus gave a curt nod and left with Harry. Once the door had shut Dumbledore cast a viewing charm so that they could all see into the pensive together, they watched in mutual horror.

Harry walked in silence next to Snape, he felt exposed and alone he thought if it were possible he hated the man more now then he did an hour ago. Snape picked up on the passive aggression.
�They need to know, Potter you should have told them years ago�
�There were reasons why I didn�t� he muttered Snape was interested
�And they were?� Harry didn�t answer, he was still shaking. Snape then did something that surprised Snape as much as Harry he turned to face the boy and pulled him into a hug. Harry didn�t have time to back away or flinch, Snape held him for a moment before regaining his sense and letting Harry go. Harry walked to rest of the way on the other side of the corridor. In the infirmary Madame Pomfrey gave Harry another basic meal to wash down the stomach sealing potion. Snape stayed with them leaning against a wall he didn�t speak. An hour later the doors of the infirmary burst open
�YOU LIAR!� Lupin screeched at Snape �it�s not true you made up that memory� Snape sighed
�I assure you it was all true and accurate� Remus glanced at Harry who was sitting stock still on the bed in fear, he had never seen Lupin acting like this. Remus marched over to the bed and grabbed at Harry, forcing him to lie down
�REMUS WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?� Molly screeched as she flew in, Snape tried to pull him off Harry who was struggling but Remus batted him away, he got hold of Harry�s shirt and pulled it up revealing the scared and slashed chest, his anger left him and he let go of Harry
�It�s true, it�s all true� he muttered Molly and the rest of the Weasley�s had come in and had too seen Harry�s chest, Harry pulled his shirt down in a hurry and glanced around for a means of escape. There wasn�t one Molly Wealsey came round to his side, and hugged him; he was still shaken from Remus�s outburst. The room calmed down again
�Harry why didn�t you tell someone?� Harry didn�t know what to say
�I tried you knew I didn�t like it there� she held him tighter
�If we knew it was this bad we would have never let you go� Harry felt tears forming in his eyes he couldn�t hold them back. He sat there crying in her arms for a long time. Dumbledore and McGonagall entered and looked at them Remus looked sad and tired he was standing on one side of the room, Snape was sneering at him from the opposite corner, most of the Weasley boys were having a conversation in the corner not wanting to look at Harry.
�Molly, Arthur I am sorry but I need to ask you to do something� Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry;
�Don�t be stupid Albus of course he�s coming with us� Molly snapped, Harry hadn�t even got that far. Dumbledore nodded.
�You may use the fire in office it will allow you to floo straight back,� he left, Harry looked up
�Don�t tell Ron� he blurted quickly Molly stroked his head
�We need to tell him something, Hermione too when she arrives� Harry nodded miserably
�Will one of you do it?�
�Course we will mate� Harry turned to find that the arm over his shoulder�s belonged to George not Mrs. Weasley as he thought.
�Well we better make plans to move, boys go fetch Harry�s stuff and go home will you?� Harry�s eyes went wide he�d completely forgotten to ask
�Is Hedwig ok?�
�Yes dear she arrived almost a week ago now, she was a little thin but she�s fine� Relief washed over him. Molly went to leave she looked back at the too skulking in the corners
�Come along Severus you need to show us where you left his belongings� Snape left the room unwilling, casting one more look of disgust at Remus, the door shut. Harry was painfully aware that there was just the two of them left. Remus rose and walked over to the bed
�Harry, I am so deeply sorry for my actions� Harry nodded but didn�t look up until Remus put a hand under his chin and forced him too. Harry�s emerald eyes still glittered from the tears. Remus hugged him Harry tried to pull away but wasn�t strong enough. After a while Remus let him go.
�Harry why did he do that to you do you know?� Harry nodded slowly
�It was punishment.� He said simply, Remus had to reign in his temper
�Punishment� he spat �what for?� Harry swallowed against the hard lump in his throat he didn�t know if Remus would agree or not
�He said it was punishment for not dying with my parents� Harry shrugged and laughed nervously �Maybe he�s right and I deserve it� Remus was shaking with anger
�Is that why you didn�t tell anyone, because he said you deserved it?� Harry nodded Remus took hold of the boys shoulders and held him at arms length
�Don�t you ever believe that ok? Not for one second you have done nothing wrong! Understand it�s not your fault ok?� Harry didn�t respond Remus was frustrated and shook him �OK?� Harry nodded
�Yes� he said quietly, Remus folded the boy back into another hug he wanted desperately for the boy to believe him, he knew he didn�t. He stroked his hair absently, he remembered the first time he had done this with James, and how it felt then. Harry was so similar to James in some many ways, but he had aspects of Lily too, blend of it was complex and intoxicating. Remus tipped his head forward and kissed the top of Harry�s head. Harry looked up at him with wide eyes, Remus smiled James had done the same thing the first time he�d kissed him, only that was a little less discreet. Remus began to slowly lower his face to Harry�s the boy was unsure how to react. The door slammed, Remus turned to see Severus standing there, who knows how long for.
�Get out!� he spat at Remus. Remus was reluctant to leave Harry but didn�t have much of a choice. Harry didn�t move, interfere or say anything while the men glared at each other. Remus marched out leaving Snape to contemplate the boy.
�They are ready to leave Potter� his voice was like ice, it wasn�t Harry he was angry at but Lupin, he should know better, he was taking advantage of the fragile state of a child. Harry didn�t volunteer any information about what was going on when Snape arrived, in fact he didn�t speak he got up and began to walk to the door. When he got there Snape caught his arm
�What was that animal doing?�
�Lupin is not an animal! And nothing he wasn�t doing anything!�
�Really didn�t look like it� he snarled, Harry shrugged and didn�t say any more. Snape let him go, making a note to have it out with Lupin later. Harry arrived in the office a few minutes later. Molly smiled encouragingly
�Ah there you are Harry, right it�s just you and me left to go, Fred and George got your case, we�re going straight to the burrow� Harry nodded. He took a handful of the floo powder and stepped into the flames
�THE BURROW� he said with as clearly as he could. He disappeared from the office. Molly was about to follow suit when Snape stopped her
�Look after him Molly. Lupin has been sniffing round� he spat the last part, Molly rolled her eyes and nodded
�You know if you told him you would make everyone�s life so much easier� and with that she was gone. Snape turned and left the office. He went straight to them staff room. Lupin was talking to Dumbledore.
�Remus� he snarled �I think we need to have a chat don�t you� the colour drained from Remus�s face he nodded and excused himself. Remus followed Snape down into the dungeons and into his office. Snape warded the door and turned on Lupin, he grabbed him by the throat and pushed him into the wall
�If you so much as breathe on Harry Potter again I�ll kill you� Snape growled. Lupin smiled
�So there�s that paternal instinct we thought you didn�t have� Snape was still breathing heavily put he put the werewolf down.
�You knew I was there�
�Of course I did, but Harry needs support now. He needs you�
�He needs to be left alone and to heal not another bombshell� Snape spat silence fell on the room. Lupin walked to the door,
�You�re right he need people he can trust� the door closed before Snape could reply.

At the Burrow the table had been set, Ron and Ginny appeared from upstairs, Harry hid behind Charlie as Ron came round the corner
�So come on what was this Order business that was so important? Was it about Harry? Is he ok?� Ron looked around at the uneasy faces around the room. He settled on the twins
�Come on I always told you guys when I heard something� They looked at each other and then to Harry. Harry swallowed and stepped into sight, Ron didn�t notice his uneasiness
�Harry! Good to see you mate; I was so worried when Hedwig wouldn�t leave�
�Is she ok?�
�Yeah she�s fine, getting annoyed with Pig but you can�t blame her for that. You ok?� Harry shrugged and sort of nodded.
�Dinner!� Molly called and landed a large cauldron on the table, everyone relieved for something to break the tension settled down. Molly herself started to serve and then tutted loudly
�What am I thinking, Harry dear, Madame Pomfrey told me you were to take this before meals for four days.� She reached over and handed him a goblet, Harry recognised the stomach sealing potion and drank it. Molly handed him a plate, again the meal was small. Ron too notice
�Mum he�s need more then us not less!�
�I know Ron dear, but Harry�s �.� She trailed off not wanting to admit that Vernon and Petunia were related to him �The muggles he lived with forgot to feed him, and none of the food parcels got through, so Harry�s on a diet to stop him from being ill� Ron looked concerned but nodded, he knew the muggles starved Harry. The usual meal chit chat had resumed, Percy apparently still had a place in London but had made it up with his parents since the Ministry had acknowledged Voldemort�s return. Harry tried to talk about Quidditch with Ron and act like nothing was wrong, but as the evening drew on it got harder and harder. Finally he made his excuses and went upstairs to go to bed; the twins were once again in Ron�s room with them as to make room for Charlie and Bill in their room. The twins followed Harry up;
�You ok mate?� Harry started at their voice; Fred sat down on the bed. George kept watch at the door,
�Harry look can you stop for a second and sit� Harry closed his trunk and turned round he sat on the bed and tried to look at Fred.
�Thanks. Look you�ve probably heard this already, but if you need to talk��
�Or shout at someone�� George said Fred conceded the point
�We can be serious; it just doesn�t happen a lot� Harry nodded
�Look thanks guys and ah no I haven�t heard that before� he swallowed he had been wondering who to ask about this, no seemed as good a time as any. �Can you do me a favour?�
�Sure mate what is it?�
�Can you put a silencing spell on me?� The twins both looked stunned
�Err why?� Harry shifted uncomfortably on the bed
�I was having nightmares and ah I was waking the Dursley�s up before�� Harry didn�t finished the sentence he just hugged his legs
�My uncle he used to gag me� he laughed emptily �I don�t want you guys to get any ideas. Look please only over night just� please� he finished lamely, the twins looked at each other, they sat down on either side of Harry, Harry jumped up but they put a hand on each of his shoulders and pulled him down between them.
�Ok where to begin� Fred said like he was having trouble but then started without taking a breath �Oh yes, firstly Harry you did nothing, NOTHING to warrant what he did to you, any of it got it?� Harry didn�t move, George put a hand on Harry�s head and made him nod and mimed his answer
�Yes Fred, absolutely not my fault� Fred nodded, ignoring that it was George answering for Harry
�Secondly, we don�t need to get ideas from a muggle and thirdly� Fred stopped and sighed �thirdly if you really want us to put a silencing spell on you we will but it�s not a requirement, besides Ron will wake up the house screaming when he finds that gillyweed we put in his bed� Harry smirked, for the first time since the end of term he laughed. The twins grinned, mission accomplished. Harry shifted; the twins were still holding on to him, he wasn�t too sure about being touched, even by friends;
�I�m tired I should get ready for bed.� They nodded and moved over to the side of the room and were discussing something in secret, Harry was not happy with the idea of getting changed with them there but told himself to deal with it, he was going to be in a dormitory in a few weeks with four other guys his age, his shook his head and tried to shrug it off. He pulled his top off and dumped it on the bed, he then realised that he had forgotten to retrieve him pyjamas out of his trunk he reached down to get them, and became very aware that the chatter in the room had stopped he glanced over, Fred and George were looking pale shit I forgot my back! I hid that memory he smiled sheepishly.
�Something up guys?�
�You didn�t mention that� Fred waved a hand in his direction Harry swallowed hard against the shame he felt, he decided that anger was better then the truth.
�Actually I didn�t tell you anything, I didn�t tell Snape I didn�t tell Dumbledore I TOLD NO ONE!� he screamed. He was shaking he slammed the trunk down as the he heard the pounding of feet on the stairs sparked Harry to grab his discarded shirt and put it back on. The door flew open and all the family piled in the room. Molly looked at Harry and then accusingly at the twins
�What happened?� she said glaring at her sons. Harry had opened his case again; he retrieved a small object sliding it into his sleeve.
�Nothing happened� Harry said through gritted teeth. Molly�s eye softened when she looked at him
�Then why were you shouting Harry darling?� Harry couldn�t take it, he didn�t care that Ron and Ginny were there and innocent of this, he spun round and stared at all of them
�What�s wrong? WHAT�S WRONG, YOU STOOD AROUND AND WATCHED THAT MAN DO THAT TO ME!!!!� Harry�s voice cracked.
�Who Harry who did what?� Molly elbowed Ron
�By quiet� she hissed
�Tell him.� Harry was quieter but he knew what he was going to do, if they understood then he might be able to stay, but if she chose the wrong event then� well, she shifted uneasily
�You see Ron, Harry�s relatives well they were treating him ever so badly and well..� she glanced at her husband for support, Arthur continued;
�The thing is Ron, Harry�s Uncle has been��
�Not that.� Harry said simply, he thought he could cope with hearing it but he couldn�t. He looked at them they were confused.
�That�s not why I�m angry. They detest me, besides I probably deserved most of it, I can accept that� His gaze was now fixed upon them �but you, you lot said you liked me, you acted like you cared!� He was trembling with rage,
�Harry we do care mate� George was still sitting on the bed
�And yet you all sat around and watch as Dumbledore got that man to invade my head! YOU SAT THERE AND WATCHED AS HE MADE ME GO THROUGH IT OVER AND OVER AND YOU DID NOTHING!� his voice broke his tears blinded him as he fought for control �that was far worse then what any muggle could have done to me, what Vernon did to me physically you let him do to me mentally!� he grew cold with each statement, �Vernon hates me� he looked at them making eye contact with each in turn �at least he was honest about it� before anyone of them could recover he slid Draconis out of it�s sheath Molly gasped, Harry stared straight at her
�You won�t have to pretend anymore� he snarled �Death is a blessing� He plunged the blade into his neck and sliced it round, severing his arteries and veins.

Molly yelped as the blood started to spray from his neck, but it was Fred who responded first
�Impedimenta!� He screamed aiming his wand at Harry, the fountain of blood that had been cascading from him was slowed down, Charlie drew his wand next
�Sano!� the mortal wound started to knit together, it was slowed by the impediment charm Fred had used to stop Harry from bleeding to death but nonetheless it began to take effect, the edges of the cut crept toward each other, leaving a fine line. The line was fading but was going to take a long time to disappear entirely. The slowed down Harry was reaching for his wand; the other Weasley�s had too begun to reach for theirs. Harry didn�t get a chance to draw his; he was outnumbered and already at a disadvantage.
�Petrificus Totalus� this time it was Bill, Harry went stiff as a board and would have fallen to hit his head, but Percy and Arthur were there to catch him when Fred finally muttered
�Finite Incantatem�. They lay Harry out on the bed, still unable to move because of the curse. The Weasley�s gathered round him. Molly was beginning to regain control of her sense; she reached down and wrestled the dagger from the frozen Harry�s grip
�Oh Sirius what were you thinking� she whispered as she turned it over in her hands.
�What do you think we should do with him? That hex will wear off eventually� George was experimentally poking Harry�s arm to see if it moved. Molly nodded
�I don�t know, we must contact Albus again, he thought Harry might be upset but he would not have let him out of his sight if he thought his reaction would be this bad.� Charlie stepped forward
�But until then; Ceruchus� rope flew out of the end of his wand and tied Harry�s arms and legs to the bed. At the surprised looks of his family he shrugged
�We use it to tie down the dragons�
�What is going on?� Ron and Ginny stood in the door way looking mortified, Ron�s best friend had just tried to kill himself, and after being hexed charmed and cursed by pretty much every member of his family was now tied to a bed in the middle of the room. Bill looked back at the frozen Harry
�Finite Incantatem� but even with the body bind spell off him Harry didn�t move; he had lost a quantity of blood and had passed out. Molly smiled at her youngest two
�All will be explained tomorrow I promise, when Hermione arrives.�

##

No one got much sleep that night, Ginny was sent to bed immediately, Fred and George were kept up by Ron constantly pestering them as to what had happened to Harry. He finally gave up at 3am. At 4am Harry started shouting, he was asleep and relieving Cedric's death, Sirius�s disappearance he was screaming about the curtain and to keep away. Fred, George and Ron were all trying to wake him but it wasn�t until Molly flew in the room and turned the light on that he did finally awake from the nightmare world he was trapped in. Harry was disorientated, and it took him a moment to get his bearings, when he did he stop moving, Molly tried to brush his hair away from his face, he flinched from her.
�It�s ok Harry it was just a dream� Harry nodded. He closed his eyes like he was going back to sleep. Molly and Arthur left the room dousing the light. The other went back to their beds
�Bet you wished you used that silencing charm now� he said quietly.
�No Harry, we wished you didn�t have the dreams� he wasn�t sure which one had spoke, but it was the last thing he heard that night.

##

Next morning Hermione arrived, after the greetings had been dealt with she went to put her stuff in Ginny�s room. On her way back she heard voices in Ron�s room; she smiled and put her head round the door. Her gasp got the attention of the occupants.
�What�s going on?� Harry was still tied to the bed, Ron was sulking in the corner and it looked like Fred and George were trying (and failing) to convince Harry to drink a potion. The twins looked at her
�Ah Hermione, this is not what it looks like�
�Really?� she said with a chastising tone �and what do you think it looks like, because to me it seems you are trying to force feed a captive Harry a potion he obviously does not want to drink� Fred shrugged
�Ok it is what it looks like but there is a reason for it� Hermione crossed her arms
�A reason for which bit and what is it?�
�That�s what I�ve been asking ever since Harry cut his throat� Ron muttered from the corner, Hermione�s eyes went wide
�He did what?! Why?� George put down the potion, admitting defeat,
�Perhaps we better go find mum� he said before leading the way out of the room, Hermione cast one last look at Harry
�I can�t free you, but I�ll get Mrs. Weasley to I promise�
�No you won�t but thanks for trying� he said softly, Hermione, his best friend always believing he was innocent, he wondered idly if she would still talk to him once she knew. He found out half an hour later when the bedroom door flew open, Hermione and Ron ran in, she had been crying her eyes were still wet, Ron hadn�t but he looked clearly shaken. Hermione walked straight up to the side of Harry�s bed and flung her arms around him, she held him tight for at least five minutes before sitting up and looking into his eyes, Ron was sitting on the other side looking at him as though seeing him for the first time
�Harry, why didn�t you tell us?� She held his hand as she spoke to him.
�Yeah mate I mean if you had said anything about�
�I deserved it� Harry blurted out before even thinking his two best friends stared at him with shock,
�How could you think that, there�s no way that you deserved anything that bloody muggle�.� Ron caught himself �I�m with Fred and George on this I want to kill him�, Hermione hadn�t said a word until Ron had finished
�Harry, it doesn�t matter if a lie is said once or a thousand times it�s still a lie isn�t it?� Harry looked away; she squeezed his hand �Isn�t it?�
�I guess� he muttered unable to look at either of them
�So, seeing as you didn�t deserve anything that happened to you, the fact that you were told you did over and over, doesn�t matter it�s still a lie� she finished. A noise down stair signified that someone had just arrived by floo network. Ron sighed
�We should go see who that is� Hermione nodded
�You go, I�m going to stay here� she said simply. Ron left, Harry felt Hermione reach for his face, he drew away from her touch, she ignored it and placed a hand on his cheek.
�This must be so hard for you� She whispered. Harry couldn�t speak and just nodded her hand moved from his face to his neck, she ran a finger over the fine scar that ran around the base of his neck.
�Why do this?� she asked, her soft voice was intoxicating, it compelled him to answer more then any spell could ever. The lump in his throat was back again, he could feel his own eyes moisten;
�I couldn�t take it, they didn�t even realise why I was upset. They could have stopped him, they could have at least tried.� Crocodile tears slide down his face, he wanted to desperately curl up and hide, but the restraints offered only an inch of movement. Hermione wiped the tears away;
�They could have, one of them could have sat you down and talked it through, the way muggles do, which for the record seems for more effective, but they didn�t, Harry don�t blame them, they are wizards that have been bought up believing magic is the cure to all their problem, it�s not their fault they don�t know better they don�t understand that they are better ways� Harry smiled slightly, the irony that all the magic that they could have all the magic in the world and all he wanted was a friend to talk to.
�You�re good at this� he murmured
�I�m a muggle-born witch, I have the best of both worlds� she smiled, �now Harry please will you eat something?� Harry�s contentment was short lived
�They sent you to make me eat didn�t they?� Hermione considered her response, honesty looked like the best option
�No, they asked Ron and me to try and convince you to eat but I wasn�t sent to� Harry moved his hand from hers and pulled his face away
�No, I can�t live like this, I don�t want to live like this, with everybody knowing and casting judgment. They won�t let me die quickly then fine, but I won�t eat� he turned to face away from her. He didn�t see the hurt in her eyes
�Ok I tried, but please consider the good times you�ve had we Ron and me, how many people there are who love you and what this will do to them. Then consider this would Sirius have given you the dagger if he knew what you used it for?� she rose and left the room. Harry found that he felt worse now then when she left the first time.

�He won�t eat� she said simply when she arrived back downstairs, Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were sitting in the rather overcrowded living room with all the Weasley�s Dumbledore nodded
�Then we must endeavour to find a way to make him. Madame Pomfrey believes he will not last the holidays without food, and will die within days without water.� Severus stirred
�There is always imperio� he said, the room collectively shuddered
�I don�t think that an unforgivable curse is going to help him to trust us do?� Molly snapped. Snape was about to retaliate when Hermione jumped in
�There is one thing we could try� the room looked at her
�Yes Miss Granger� Dumbledore�s eyes were friendly
�Muggle hospitals have way of feeding patients that are unconscious or who can�t eat food�
�Really and how do they do this?� Arthur had picked up the word muggle and was now interested.
�They put these tubes down their throats into the stomach which they can pump a special sort of ground up food through�. Fred cringed
�And what�s to stop him biting the tube and stopping the flow�
�The tubes go down the nose into the stomach� several people cringed
�That�s barbaric� Percy stared at her �I can�t believe you suggested it�
�More so then making him relieve every rape he�s ever been through in the space of five minutes?� she replied tartly Percy looked away, Hermione reigned in her temper �It�s not that bad and it�s done regularly, and ok it�s uncomfortable, but that might persuade him to start eating again and well it works� she looked around, a couple of the Weasley�s were still not convinced but Dumbledore was.
�Fair enough. We will need to acquire the relevant equipment, Miss Granger do you know what it looks like?� Hermione nodded �good you shall accompany Tonks and Kingsley on an expedition to collect these items from a local hospital tonight. Is there any other matters we need to discuss?� Fred poked George, George poked Fred harder. George won, Fred cleared his throat;
�There was one thing, last night Harry asked us to put a silencing spell on him while we slept so he didn�t wake us up�
�Did you?� Dumbledore looked at them
�No, but he did wake the house up screaming. He was embarrassed about it, if he asks again what do we do?�
�I do not see the harm in using a silencing spell as long as the locator alarm is in place, and you remember to remove it in the morning� The twins nodded, Dumbledore had performed a locator alarm on Harry when he had arrive, it would sound an alarm if Harry left the Burrow with out permission, but it had to be activated each night.
�Well then if all is set, Miss Granger you will be picked up at 9 this evening and should be back by 11 at the latest. Good day� with that Dumbledore followed by Snape and McGonagall rose and left back to Hogwarts.

That night as expected Tonks arrived with Kingsley as expected, Hermione looked very anxious, she had enough trouble breaking the school rules and this was definitely worse, even if it was in a good cause. She focused on what needed to be done, if she didn�t succeed Harry would die, she couldn�t bare that. She left with Tonks and Kingsley they apparated to hospital nearest to the burrow, they were dressed as muggles, at Hermione�s suggestion they were carrying flowers. It appeared that Tonks suffered from hay fever, ever few steps that had to stop so she could sneeze. What was worrying Hermione was that every sneeze caused Tonks� hair to change colour, she was almost through the rainbow by the time they had found the storage cupboard.
�In there� Hermione whispered, Tonks drew he wand
�AlohoTISSUE! She sneezed and the spell bounced off the door and took the heads off the flowers Hermione had been carrying. Hermione sighed and dropped the decapitated bunch in the bin. Kinglsey drew his wand and had noticeably more success with unlocking the door. Once inside Hermione made quick work of gathering the supplies, she even found the nutrient bags that connected to the hose and the catheter, she put them all in the bag, she looked around just in time to see Tonks burst a saline bag all over herself and slip over, she knocked several shelving units down and made enough noise to wake the dead. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked and Kingsley, he shrugged
�What can you do?� he said as he dried her off. Shouting on the other side of the door drowned out Hermione�s response, she ran over to them, and slipped in the saline which was all over the floor, she grabbed Tonks� hand just in time to apparate with the aurors. They arrived in a heap on the floor of the Burrow, they had left in such a hurry that they hadn�t been all standing, Tonks fell on Hermione and managed to pull Kingsley on top of them when he tried to help them get up. After several minutes of giggles and flustered movement the three had separated themselves to see the twins smirking Snape standing in the corner.
�Did you get it or was the entire trip as disastrous as that entrance?� he said looking contemptuous.
�We got it. Now all we have to do is keep Harry still enough that I can fit it�
�That won�t be a problem Miss Granger� Hermione nodded, she hadn�t thought it would be, however she was surprised to see Snape on guard duty.
�There is one thing though I should mention�
�What Miss Granger?� Snape sounded bored already
�With the catheter in place Harry won�t be able to talk�
�Well seeing as he has said a grand sum of three words since this morning and two of those were asking for his dagger, I don�t think we need to worry much. Now shall we?� Hermione nodded and followed Snape up the stairs. She sat down on the corner of the bed, she tried to stroke Harry�s hair, but he turned away from her.
�Harry please eat, this is pretty much your last chance. If you don�t I�m supposed to put you on a catheter feeder, you know like the ones in muggle hospitals� Harry looked at her
�Your idea huh?� She blushed, not quite sure what to say. She reached into her bag, �Harry this is going to hurt�� Snape cut her off
�Not if you drink this first� He had a potion in his hand, Hermione understood why he had been waiting for them, she took the potion from him and bought it to Harry�s lips, he didn�t seem inclined to drink it. She looked at him pleadingly
�Please Harry I don�t want to hurt you�. Harry melted at her request and drank it. Hermione separated the catheter, and tried to set it up, Harry would not keep still, he pulled on the restraints, and kept fidgeting until Snape drew his wand, he point it straight at Harry�s head
�Immobilis� Snape lowered his wand; Harry found that he was no longer able to move his head. Hermione nodded her thanks and returned her attention to Harry. He groaned as she pushed the catheter home, she looked regretfully at him
�I�m sorry Harry, look if you�ll eat normally we can take it out� His fists clenched. She looked at Snape
�It�s done now you can free him� Snape nodded
�Finite Incantatem� Harry�s first reaction was to shake his head to try and pull it free, this only succeeded in making it hurt so he gave up. Hermione set the bag, which had been magically cloned and left the room. Harry glared at Snape until he followed suit. Hermione was being comforted by Ron
�That was horrible I never want to do that again. Snape snorted
�If the boy wasn�t so damn stubborn you wouldn�t have to do it now�
�Yes well he gets that from his father� Molly was standing behind him. Snape tensed then walked into the fire place
�HOGWARTS� he sneered.

##

Snape arrived back in Dumbledore�s office he nodded to the headmaster
�The plan was a success though I rather feel that the Tonks woman hindered more then helped� Dumbledore nodded
�Still it is done. There is someone who wishes to speak with you Serverus�
�Really who?�
�Our new Defence Against Dark Arts professor, he is in his office� Snape nodded and left the office. He arrived a few minutes later at the DADA offices. He knocked loudly once and an all too familiar voice answered;
�Come in Severus� Snape snarled as he entered
�So he�s bought you back then?� Remus nodded
�Yes for the time being�
�Was that all you wanted?�
�No Severus, I wanted to talk about Harry�
�Harry is none of your business�
�Look Severus I know we haven�t seen eye to eye on well practically anything but I do care about Harry. James was�.�
�A thieving arrogant git� Remus ignored the jibe
�A close friend, Harry is the closest thing I have to a son. You need to tell him� Snape looked at Remus with a sudden down of realisation
�You�re in love with him aren�t you?� Snape sneered at Remus, Remus shifted uncomfortably
�Look that�s not the point� Snape lost control
�Not the point you�re in love with MY SON and you are telling ME how to behave?!� Remus had gone quite pale. Snape was shaking with anger he grabbed him by the from of his robes
�You are NEVER to lay a finger on that boy understand me? NEVER� Remus nodded. Snape headed for the door
�I won�t touch him, but I shan�t turn him away if he needs me either Severus. I owe James and Lily that much� Snape paused but didn�t turn round
�Yes you owed them and look where it got them� he spat before slamming the door on his way out.

Snape stormed back to his own office, he needed to get in control, while Harry was technically safe at the Burrow, and Remus was not likely to force this issue with him Snape was not happy with the werewolf knowing the Harry�s whereabouts. Snape paced up and down the length of his office. Half an hour later he was calm enough to start work on the dreamless sleep potion, it was slow work, but he kept himself focused by remembering who it was for. It was the early hours of the morning before he finished, it would have to wait another night. The thought tore through him; Harry was going to suffer another night of haunted sleep because he was angry at someone. He felt the rage boil up inside him. Stop it, you�ll only take it out on the boy and none of this is his fault he released a breath he hadn�t realised he�d been holding and let the anger go with it. Go to bed he thought and willed himself out of the lab, there was nothing more to be done tonight.

##

Remus lay awake staring at the ceiling, he felt dread come and go in waves, he was sure that Severus would now prevent him any access to Harry outside lessons. He didn�t know if he could cope with that. Tomorrow he thought, I�ll go see Harry tomorrow. He rolled over and tried to sleep, now he had a plan of action it was easier.

##

Harry bucked against the restraints; the silencing spell Fred had used prevented him from talking but didn�t mask the sounds of his body slamming against the mattress repeatedly.
�Think we should free him?� George said,
�He�d do something stupid again if we did� Fred was leaning against the wall sitting on the bed watching in horror as Harry flinched and wrestled with an unknown enemy
�He�s going to hurt himself if we don�t� Ron was very pale, from his vantage he could see the blood trickling from Harry�s wrist where the bindings were cutting in. it looked like some macabre puppet, he was so thin, coupled with the tubes which disappeared into his nose and the ropes, he looked like an asylum patient. Ron couldn�t take it anymore he walked over to the cot Harry was on and put a hand on his chest, Harry woke immediately and looked at him.
�You were dreaming again mate� Harry nodded his thanks to Ron, and turned away. Ron went over to his own bed and tried to get back to sleep. He failed miserably.

Next morning breakfast at the Weasley�s was a quiet affair, the sat and eat in virtual silence. Hermione after having several attempts at conversation rebuked roll her eyes
�What is up with you lot? You�re acting like he died, and yes I know it was close but it�s been close before and he didn�t you shouldn�t be moping around, you should be relieved� she glared around the table, Molly go up to clear the breakfast things away
�You�re absolutely right, come on, lets get cracking there are still things to do� The rest of the Weasley�s got up and started to go about the days activity. It was a little after 9 when the first person flooed in. Remus smiled at Hermione and Ron
�Hello you two how are you�
�We�re good. How are you?�
�Fine, is Harry up?�
�I should think so� Ron snorted �I�m not sure he ever sleeps properly these days.� Remus nodded and headed for the stairs.
�That�s a bit odd don�t you think?� Hermione was staring at where Lupin had been Ron rolled his eyes
�What�s odd?�
�He chose to use floo powder then apparate� Ron shrugged
�So?�
�So if you could apparate under normal conditions why would you use floo powder� She said exasperated, Ron thought about this
�Err I don�t know� Hermione rolled her eyes
�Maybe because you were someone where you couldn�t apparate from?� Ron nodded then his eyes went wide
�Like Hogwarts� Hermione sighed, that was painful,
�Yes like Hogwarts�
�I wonder what he was doing there� Hermione shook her head and wandered into the garden, Ron could be amazingly thick sometimes.

Remus knocked on the door, and entered, Harry looked worse then he had done the other day, the tubes didn�t help but it was his eyes that really troubled Lupin, when he looked at you it was as though he had died inside already and was just waiting for his body to catch up.
�Hello Harry� he said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed, he took hold of his hand, was like ice. Harry tried to pull away from him,
�It�s ok Harry I told you I won�t hurt you.� Harry stopped moving, but Remus could still feel the tension in him. He reached up and stroked his hair, he moved every time Harry did to keep contact and eventually Harry gave in. Remus smiled, he looked so tired now, more so then he had even last year.
�Harry, I know I�ve said this before but you mustn�t believe a word your uncle said ok? You have done nothing wrong, and maybe if we tell you that enough you will believe it� Remus looked at the boy, Lily�s eyes stared out at him under James�s hair, he could smell both of them on him, it was intoxicating. He leant forward and brushed a kiss across his cheek, Harry whimpered and moved away. Remus caught himself
�What the hell am I doing� he whispered Harry was now panicked and trying to break free. Remus held him still Harry it�s ok I�m sorry, I�m sorry I didn�t mean to scare you� Remus let go of the boy and he started to settle again, Lupin looked at him,
�I am so sorry it was not my intention to frighten you. You�re like a son to me. Will you forgive me please?� Harry saw the sincerity in his eyes, he wondered why Remus had just done that but if it wasn�t to hurt him then he could forgive. Harry nodded slowly, Remus sighed in relief
�Thank you Harry. I want to stay with you a while do you mind?� Harry shook his head, he seemed to spend so much time alone company, even if not entirely comfortable was welcomed.

##

It was lunchtime when the next unusual visitor turned up at the Borrow, Snape appeared holding a goblet in one hand and a cauldron in the other. Molly turned to him
�What in the name of Merlin is that� She said indicating to the vessels
�Dreamless sleep potion, I head Harry might be able to use some, but by the sounds of it he isn�t the only one� he said glaring at her, Molly shrugged
�Sorry, I�m not used to people arriving with potions� Snape settled them on the side and shrugged
�Just see that he gets it before bed. I think even in his current state he will consent to drink it� Molly nodded.
�Do you want to go say hello?� She asked quietly, Snape turned back from the fire; he had been about to leave. He sighed, turned back and offered Molly a curt nod before heading up the stairs. Snape didn�t bother to knock he just entered the bedroom, what he saw made him stop dead in his tracks, Lupin had fallen asleep on Harry, his head on Harry�s waist, but Snape had to do a double take, what he saw the first time was a professor with his head in the lap of a boy. Snape growled and Lupin woke up just in time to see Snape before he was dragged up.
�I think I warned you about touching him� he said dangerously quietly Remus mustered all his strength and glowered back at him
�You did, but I�m not you pet Severus I don�t do as you say� Severus glanced at Harry, he was awake and wide eyed, Severus pulled his temper back in before he said something he regretted
�We will be having words later� he spat before shoving the werewolf away. Lupin left the room, leaving Snape alone with Harry. Severus regained his control before sitting down next to the boy. Harry was once again trying to free himself of the bonds, he was a bit more subtle, but Severus still notice
�We must stop meeting like this Potter you chained to a bed with a man on you� he regretted the harsh tone immediately; Harry winced as the comment found its target. Severus changed tacks; he put his hand on Harry�s wrist to stop Harry from making the rope burn worse, Harry�s hand was still cold, Severus placed a hand on his head, it wasn�t just his hands that were freezing. Severus went to the other bed and took the cover; he carefully laid it over Harry. The boy looked at him and nodded his thanks.
�You seem to be having a rough time here Harry� he said more gently. Harry shrugged, he hadn�t really thought about. Severus concentrated on Harry�s eyes, they were the same as Lily�s, his lovely Lily, he had her nose too and her mouth. But the face shape and hair was most definitely James�s. Harry hadn�t moved or made a sound as Severus stared at him, Severus lost himself in those eyes, Lily�s eyes he lift his hand gentle brushed it across Harry�s face, Harry moved from the touch, Severus snapped back to the present.
�Harry I�� he stopped �I will explain later, but I have to go now. The others have already asked so I doubt it will make any difference if I do but please eat, that contraption is ghastly�. He turned and left his robe bellowing behind him. What was all that about I wonder? Harry thought, he cared for a good two seconds.

##

Downstairs the family were eating; Severus nodded on his way past, and then as an after thought looked at Molly
�I activated the location charms for tonight, you seemed to have you hands full� Molly nodded, and then he was gone. The night drew in and Molly went upstairs with the twins for support, she hated seeing Harry like that but it was better to have this then have him dead. She entered the room; Harry was staring out of the window. She took the goblet and knelt beside him, Harry looked at it and then at her.
�It�s a potion for dreamless sleep; you had it before do you remember?� Harry nodded, and when she raised it to his lips, he did drink it down.
�Good boy she whispered,� but Harry was already falling asleep, the potion worked faster because he hasn�t eaten she thought. She looked at the twins and bid them goodnight. Hopefully tonight they will all get some rest. The rest of the house went to bed in drifts and drabs but by midnight all in the house was asleep. So when the fire place sprung to life at 4, no one was around to witness it. The figure stepped out masked in black, the hood of his cape up over his head. He walked slowly as though not to make any noise, he had been in this house a couple of times before and was used to stalking through unfamiliar houses at night. He climbed the staircase and turned the door handle, it didn�t creek, nor did the hinges, instead of relief he found that this was terrifyingly easy he walked over to the bed of his quarry. He pointed his wand at the sleeping bound wizard�s chest and barely above a whisper had he said
�Immobilis� Harry�s eyes opened in shock but that was all the movement he had. This is it he thought I am actually going to die he couldn�t help at wonder at the irony, he had survived Voldemort�s countless attacks and was going to die strapped to a bed in a house that should be safe. It goes to show nothing is ever truly safe. He waited the finally blow, but the wand was moved off him. To his surprise it was aimed at the ropes
�Finite Incantatem� the ropes disappeared. The figure bent down and scooped Harry up only grabbing the nutrient bag attached to him as an afterthought. The figure turned sharply and left the room as quietly as he�d arrived carrying Harry in front of him. He returned downstairs and then apparated away, no alarm sounded, no one woke; the boy-who-lived was taken without a fuss.

Harry and his captor rematerialised in a darkened room, Harry could see that there was a bed and desk but little else. His captor walked over and gently lowered him onto the bed, it was soft beneath him, far more comfy then the last one he had been strapped too. Then the dark figure left the room. Harry wondered if he was just going to be left there, but five minuets later the hooded figure returned, he illuminated the room and stood at the foot of the bad Harry couldn�t not make out the face but when he spoke, he knew who it was:
�If I release you do you promise not to run off or try and kill yourself?� Harry thought about this, he had been restrained for days and we like to be able to move, also the chance of success here was dramatically reduced. He looked at the figure, he couldn�t move or speak he wasn�t sure how to convey his acceptance of the terms. The figure spoke again
�Blink once fore yes� Harry blinked. The man drew his wand,
�Finite Incantatem� Harry felt his limbs again and moved his arms experimentally. His captor finally removed his cloak. Severus stared at Harry, he was still thin though the being force fed had improved his condition a little. Severus moved round to the side of the bed and sat down, Harry shuffled to the side a bit, Severus caught his arm and pulled him back, he viewed the tubes disdainfully. Harry looked away he was beginning to feel like a freak show.
�One more deal Potter, I�ll takes those things out of you but you have to eat and drink. If you don�t I�ll take you straight back to the Burrow and allow Miss Granger to put them back without a pain reducing potion understand?� Harry nodded; he was under no illusions that Snape meant every word. Severus reached for the tubes and gently began to pull them, Harry couldn�t get his head back far enough and started to gag, Severus lifted the boy with one hand between his shoulder blade, allowing Harry to tilt his head back and prevent the tubes from choking him. As they came free Severus dropped them on the floor. Harry was still coughing as Severus lay him back down. By the side of the bed was a jug of water and a glass, Severus poured the water into the glass and handed it to Harry, he accepted gratefully and drank it. The cold fluid bought a flood of sensation Harry had almost forgotten about. He lay back down feeling the rich fabric beneath him, he was puzzled
�Where am I?�
�You�re somewhere that is safe from overbearing relatives and Dark Lords� Harry nodded, it was a start
�Err why am I here?� Severus stiffened, Harry saw the tension as a mark he had said something wrong and was about to get punished, he shuffled across the bed
�Sorry I didn�t mean to upset you� he said a little too quickly, Severus bought his attention back to the boy he�s as jumpy as a grasshopper, Lord Merlin why didn�t we see it before.
�Harry I�m not upset, and even if I was, I wouldn�t hit you for asking a question, especially one you�re entitled to ask. Come here.� Harry was sitting up against the pillar at the bottom of the bed, he moved cautiously next to Severus, never taking his eyes off him.
�Thank you. I bought you here because I no longer felt that you were safe at the Burrow. Safe from Voldemort and the muggles perhaps but I was there today and something I saw disturbed me�
�Lupin� Harry said quietly Severus nodded slightly; Harry drew himself into a ball and wrapped his arms round his shins, Severus put his hands on Harry�s arms, Harry flinched but then relented allowing the contact.
�Harry why do you do that?�
�Do what?�
�Sit like that, are you cold?�
�No, it�s just� it makes me feel better� Severus nodded, a child bought up without physical affection often did this, it was a sign that they needed comfort. Or so Miss Granger had informed them when they had been discussing the matter. Severus moved round slowly and placed his arm around Harry�s shoulders, he was not an affectionate man and the whole thing seemed alien to him. Harry straightened away from the contact, Severus was relieved
�Sorry� he muttered �I was told that you might want comfort� so much for Granger�s little theory
�I do� Harry said �But not from... it�s just that�
�Not from me� Severus said he understood, damn Granger couldn�t that girl be wrong just once? Severus sighed and looked at the wreck of a boy sitting on the bed
�Harry, would it help if I said I was sorry� Harry hugged himself tighter and shrugged
�Harry I am sorry. But we did need to know, you may not agree with it but do you understand it?� Harry thought about this for a bit. He could see that from their point of view he was being secretive, maybe he had a point.
�I guess, it�s just I didn�t want anyone to know and then everybody did, I�m sorry I kept it a secret but I didn�t think I deserved that� Severus lost his cool
�Damn it boy for the last time it�s not you fault!� He was a bit more forceful then he had intended and need to cool down, Harry had flinched at the sound. It was so frustrating watching him beat himself up, he obviously believed it and it was going to take a long time for them to convince him otherwise.
�Thank you� he said quietly Severus was surprised
�For what?� Harry laughed emptily
�For taking me away from overbearing relatives and friends twice� Severus reached for him again and this time Harry let him, he held Harry until he had stopped shaking. He was there a long time.

Next morning Harry awoke and found for the third time that week he was in a different room. By the light of day he could see that the four poster bed was in the middle of the room, off to his right was a door presumably to the rest of the house, to the left of it was a small conjoining bathroom. On the other side there was a dresser and desk. Harry rose, it felt odd to be able to walk, his wrists and ankle were sore from the ropes. He went into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He stood under the jet and for the first time since he was first whipped, inspected his injuries. He ran his hands over the cuts on his just and inspected the ones he had made himself on his arms, his forearms were going to scar badly, but hadn�t healed yet, none of the wounds had, he put it down to not having enough energy. Slowly he ran his hands down his back, the cuts were deeper there, he traced his spine down to its based and winced, his body was still recovering from his uncle�s attacks. He shut the shower off and picked up a towel off the rack and wrapped it round his waist, he was careful not to look in the mirror, his uncle had told him that he was the true image of evil, he didn�t want to see what evil looked like. Out in the bedroom with light pouring in the window Harry felt better then he had done since leaving school. Someone knocked at the door, the sound made Harry jump; he wasn�t used to having someone asking to come in.
�Err hang on, I�m not dressed� he called back
�There a clean robes in the dresser� the voice on the other side of the door replied, Harry quickly went over to the unit and opened the draw, sure enough there were sets of black robes in there, he quickly through one on and opened the door. Severus was standing on the other side patiently waiting.
�Sorry� He murmured, Severus brushed it off.
�Harry sit down for a second please� Harry sat Severus was pacing �As I am sure you�re aware, when I bought you here, it was not with the consent of Dumbledore� Harry nodded
�The rest of them are going to wake this morning and think I have been kidnapped� Severus nodded
�And while I am likely to be a suspect, I do not think they will have any real evidence against me the apparition trail will be dry by now and the floo network never records data like that.� Harry interrupted again
�Why would you be a suspect? I mean it was you who took me from my Uncle�s place� Severus nodded
�Which brings me onto another matter that I must talk to you about� he finally stopped pacing, pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down.
�Harry, I know you are conscious of the animosity I had towards James� he paused Harry nodded wondering where this was going. �Well I am not sure if you know the full reason why, yes when we were at school there was all that business with Sirius and Remus, but there was something else. Harry I am not sure how to tell you all this so I shall try and start from the beginning. While I did not like James, Lily was never anything but kind to me, she didn�t care which house I was in or what my lineage was, we became close. She said she cared deeply for me, but loved James and married him. I stayed in contact with them but then one night when James was away, Lily was upset, she had just exchanged harsh and I believe her last words with Petunia. She was distraught that her sister would not accept her. I comforted her and that night one thing led to another�� he trailed off wondering how much detail to put into this. From the look on Harry�s face he decided that was enough
�I loved you mother Harry, never question that, but when James returned she told him the truth he was understandably angry, but he forgave her preferring to pin all the blame on me. But that wasn�t the end of it, Lily become pregnant� Harry had not made the last connection, he was still struggling with the idea his mother had an affair.
�She became pregnant with you, Harry� Harry was stunned and didn�t speak for a long time.
�It�s impossible� he finally said �I mean you may have slept with her, but I look like James every one says so� Severus shook his head
�I promise you it�s true, and yes you look a lot like James. The reason for this is, that when you were a baby you had an amazing power, you could look at two people in a room and mould yourself to look like a mix of them, for the first days of your life you did it with every new face in the room. but it wasn�t to last when you were a month old, you would still change but only with people you knew. James spotted this, and he didn�t let me near you, until you were six months old the only people you saw were Lily and James, so when finally you lost the ability, you looked like a mixture of them, and it stuck. When I realised what James was doing, I was livid, he was keeping me from my love, and my new born son� Harry flinched at the words, Severus continued
�It was then I changed sides, it was then I joined Voldemort, I wanted to rid the world of everyone and anyone who reminded me of her, of you.� Harry was stunned and having a great deal trouble taking this all in.
�It�s a lie, some sort of sick joke, if it were true you wouldn�t have been so nasty to me all these years� Harry got up and headed for the door Severus grabbed, him by the shoulders pinning him to the wall
�Why would I lie? Harry why? And yes I�ve been beastly, it�s because you look so much like James Potter, the man who had the perfect family MY FAMILY!� he was shaking Harry shoulder�s his grip was so tight it was painful, Harry was shaking his head in denial
�Why are you doing this? Why now?� he chocked out, Severus drew in several deep breaths, and relaxed his grip on him, but didn�t let go
�I�m telling you this because you need to know, you need to be protected now, and not just from the Voldemort, but from your uncle, and from that werewolf� Harry looked at him
�Lupin wouldn�t hurt me� Severus grunted
�Told you that did he� Harry nodded
�Just before�� Harry stopped suddenly realising the type of protection Severus was talking about his eyes went wide and he made a little �oh� noise. Harry now was very confused
�But he said I was like da� James he said I was like a son to him� Severus guided Harry back to the bed and sat him down.
�Yes you are like James, and that is the problem really. James loved Lily I�m sure but there was a reason they never had children� Harry took this in and lay down on the bed he put his hands over his face
�This is all way too confusing. I need to think� Severus nodded.
�I�ll be in the lounge if you have questions. You are not going to do something idiotic are you?� Harry looked at him
�Do you think I�d be stupid enough to tell you if I was?� Severus just stared.
�Ok fine I won�t do anything idiotic� Harry said, Severus nodded and pulled the door too, but did not put it on the latch. Harry lay on the bed and turned the facts he�d just heard around with what he already knew. By the time he�d finished he had a very large headache.

At the Burrow people were beginning to stir when
�Oh shit MUM!!!!!� Ron screamed from his room the twins were up in an instant to see what their younger brother was shrieking about, they looked over, Harry�s bed was empty, the rope charm Charlie had placed on him was not visible. Molly burst in wand at the ready closely followed by Arthur and Hermione,
�What is it? What�s wrong?�
�Harry�s run away� Ron choked out. Charlie came in behind them,
�He couldn�t have the Ceruchus charm can�t be removed if you�re the one under it. Harry didn�t run away, he was taken� A similar cold hard rock was forming in everyone stomachs.
�Why didn�t the location alarm trigger?�
�Did it get set?�
�Yes Severus said he�� Molly trailed off. The others looked at each other, in stunned disbelief;
�He wouldn�t. Would he? What would he want with Harry?� Ron was confused,
�He�s a Death Eater Ron you work it out� Hermione was pale, Molly shook her head
�No, he�s loyal to Dumbledore, there must be another explanation�
�Speaking of Dumbledore, I think we had better tell him� Arthur said grimly, before leaving the room. Ginny bounced down the stairs and looked at the severe faces
�What�s wrong?� she put her head round the door and let loose a little shriek, Hermione hugged her.
�It�s ok. He�ll be ok� she didn�t sound convincing.

Dumbledore arrived with Professor McGonagall, both had grave faces, Molly was in the living muttering
�How could this of happened� over and over, the rest of the Weasley�s and Hermione were sitting round the room in a shared stunned silence. Dumbledore looked to each of them in turn
�Does anyone have any idea why the location charm did not work.� They all shook their heads
�Professor Snape set it before he left last night� Hermione ventured Dumbledore nodded;
�The perhaps we should have a word with Severus� Dumbledore quickly wrote a note and attached it to Hedwig, he whispered something to her and she took off.

~

Harry came out of his room a few hours later, his eyes were red, he had clearly been crying. Severus put down the book he had been pretending to read.
�Harry?� he said questioningly Harry looked at him like he was seeing him for the first time
�I�m confused about a few things� he said quietly, Severus indicated to a chair next to the fire Harry nodded and sat
�What are you confused about?�
�Well firstly you said James loved my mum, but if he was gay how could he?� Severus sighed, obvious but the child still looked stunned
�He did love Lily, but more of a sister then a wife�
�But then why did he marry her?�
�Because it was expected of him, being gay was still an affront to most wizards, so those who are keep it quiet, not only that with Remus being what he is and James being from a good family� they would have never been accepted� Harry nodded,
�I guess that kind of makes sense. But then why did my mum agree to marry him� Severus smiled
�She loved him Harry, as much as I loved her� Harry nodded again
�Ok� I think� I think I might be sick� he got up and went back to the bathroom. Severus followed him, Harry was indeed retching but he was not actually sick
�You need to have eaten something in order to throw it up� Harry nodded and washed his mouth out with gulps of water from the tap.
�Come on, we probably have time for breakfast before I am summoned� Harry look strangely at him
�Dumbledore, no doubt he has been informed by now and he will want to see me�
�Then why don�t you go?�
�Because I don�t know anything is wrong until he sends word to me� Harry nodded
�Are you going to tell then where I am?�
�If I do they will either want to see you or bring you back. Do you want that?� Harry thought about it
�Not yet I need to get my head round this� Severus nodded
�That�s what I thought. Come on breakfast� Harry was about to announce he wasn�t hungry but remembered the deal he had made last night and quietly followed Severus into the dining room, it was a long dark room with mahogany furniture, and a dark green floor, at the table that monopolised the majority of the room two places had been set. Severus took the one at the head of the table and Harry the one to his left. Before he was allowed to eat Severus handed him the stomach sealing potion
�You still have to drink this first, for longer now since you have not really eaten for almost three weeks� Harry nodded and swallowed the potion. Severus handed him a bowl with porridge in it, Harry took it and waited, Severus then took one for himself he looked at Harry
�It wont do you much good in the bowl� Harry nodded and began to eat, he found the sensations new and alive, after not eating for so long he had began to forget what food tasted like. They had just finished when Hedwig soared through the window she landed between them, torn between doing her job and seeing Harry. Severus removed the letter, Harry grinned, he�s missed her he stroked her soft feathers and she hooted approvingly. Severus rose
�That would be what I was waiting. Stay in the house, you may look around any room which is not locked. I don�t know how long I will be but if you are hungry, the house elves are in the kitchen ask them and they will prepare you something.� Harry nodded absently, still stroking Hedwig; he fed her some of the left over porridge and giggled when she turned her nose up at it. Severus turned and left, Harry heard the pop that indicated he had apparated. Harry looked at Hedwig
�I missed you girl� she hooted her reply and nipped his finger. Harry put her on his shoulder
�Let�s look around should we?�

~

Severus appeared in the Burrow a few moments later, Molly went for him, she was too mad to use magic and attacked him physically
�WHERE IS HE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?� she hit him until Arthur and Charlie dragged her off him. Snape raised an eyebrow
�Headmaster?�
�Severus, as you may or may not be aware Harry was taken from here last night� Snape took this in and tried to find the appropriate response
�Are you sure? He didn�t leave of his own accord?�
�Of course he didn�t he was tied to the bed� Molly snapped, she had turned from openly aggressive to passively fuming in the corner. Snape nodded in acceptance of the statement anyway.
�Did you set the alarm last night?�
�Yes�
�Then I wonder why it did not trigger� it was clear from Dumbledore�s tone that he did not believe him, Severus pondered this
�Perhaps someone turned it off�
�Unlikely, it was coded, if you hadn�t the code you could not turn it off before it�s expiry� Severus nodded, he hadn�t anticipated that although he should of the old man would not have left Harry here so lightly without several safe guards.
�Well then we shall have to inform the Ministry� That did take Snape by surprise, the looks on the faces of the others proved he was not the only one
�Whatever for Albus?� McGonagall was also not keen on the idea
�We will need the aurors to search, the trail is dry and Harry could be anywhere� they was reluctance acceptance of this around the room.
�Much as I am loathed to suggest this, it might also be wise to tell the Prophet, I mean the more people looking, Harry�s famous if he was somewhere visible he would be spotted�
�I don�t think that would be a good idea Miss Granger� Severus said a little too quickly, it got a few glances, he continued quickly �Rita Skeeter was the one who found out about Harry�s�. predicament, she came to me instead of the paper, however she would release the entire story if she thought she could satisfy her loose code of ethics Harry being missing would do that�
�How was she watching Harry?� Bill said to the group, Severus, Ron and Hermione all looked uncomfortable.
�That doesn�t really matter the point is she would let the world know about Harry�
�So what as long as we got him back� Ron was still looking shaken.
�Harry is upset because a few people know, imagine his reaction if the entire wizarding community knew� Lupin stepped in to the room. Snape tried to contain his sneer. Hermione pondered this
�To be honest I�d rather have him back in a state rather than having him missing� there were murmurs of agreement round the room, Snape and Lupin looked at each other and found for the first time they were on the same side and were against the odds. Severus shook his head
�Is that all Headmaster?� he said feigning indifference, he needed to warn Harry before the story broke
�Unless you would like to add anything further Severus that was all�. Severus nodded and apparated. Charlie looked at the others
�So who knows how to get hold of Rita?�

~

�HARRY!� Severus yelled as he reappeared in the lounge, he heard scrambling from the bedroom, Harry came scrambling in, he had obviously been sleeping, his hair was more messy then normal and he had his robe on back to front. He fell through the door and scrambled to his feet, the entire exercise took less then three seconds
�Yes Sir?� he said, obviously panicked he hadn�t got there fast enough. Severus rolled his eyes he would deal with that later.
�Harry sit down� Harry obliged. Severus sat on the couch
�Harry I am sorry but the others have decided to inform the Prophet of your disappearance� Harry nodded he had thought this might happen, his still felt sick knowing it was actual rather then hypothetical but he could not stop it
�Rita?�
�Will publish everything, undoubtedly the front page� Harry nodded again it didn�t seem real. For 7 years no one had known and in the space of a week the entire magical world would know.
�So be it, I can�t stop her and stay here. I will deal with it later� Severus couldn�t help but admire the courage of the boy, he was talking about a later, he was recovering and deciding to live.

Sure enough the next day the front page of the Prophet had ran the story. Harry had slept in, and then had spent much of the day in his room, it was the evening before he finally came out. It gave Severus the chance to read it privately first, Harry emerged just as he had finished reading the article for the hundredth time, at least Rita had of her fact correct for once. Harry looked at the headline, �BOY-WHO-LIVED MISSING! And rolled his eyes;
�Well what it say am I a freak, gay, muggle loving, arrogant, farcical character who got what was coming to him� he said sarcastically Severus looked at him, the boy Harry Potter, his son with pain in his eyes, so that was how he truly saw himself. Severus came to the conclusion he would have to change that before the start of term.
�No it told the truth, and tells the story of a poor, abused, starved young wizard put upon by overbearing, twisted and sadistic relatives who was repeatedly raped by his uncle� Harry flinched, he had never used the word rape, he hadn�t been raped, rape was something that happened to people who didn�t deserve it, it was a cruel and terrifying event that no one should go through. But it wasn�t what happened to him. As though he could read his thought Severus countered the thought
�You do realise that�s what happened don�t you?� Harry stared at the floor and shrugged, Severus continued
�Harry. Look at me, please� Harry looked up Severus nodded his approval
�You were raped. It wasn�t your fault. Say it� Harry flinched at the words again and then shrugged he swallowed his fear and displayed the Gryffindor courage he was renowned for:
�What would that prove? It�s just a word�
�It would prove you had begun to accept what happened to you. Say it�
�NO!� Harry started for the front door, Severus was faster
�Why not? If it�s just a word� he caught Harry by the shoulders and looked into his eyes pleading
�Just say it�
�No�
�Say it�
�No please don�t make me�
�Say it�
�HE RAPED ME!� Harry cracked, he was shaking like a leaf and had lost all his fight and courage and let all the fear and the hate from years of abuse pour out as his father held him close,
�He tied me down and he raped me I tried to fight him I couldn�t I couldn�t move I didn�t want to use magic, they would throw me out I didn�t know what to do that I couldn�t stop him� Severus held him listening to the confession, he heard the self loathing the frustration at not being able to stop it and the pain, and realised through it all there had been no one that this boy, his child could ask for help. He decided there and then it would never happen again Harry would always be able to come to him. Harry cried out all the held back emotion he was so drained by the time he�d finished he didn�t realise his father had picked him up until they were at the bedroom door. Severus lay Harry on the bed gently, he rolled over and curled in a ball trying to comfort himself. Severus couldn�t watch it; he lay down on the bed next to him and held his son as he cried himself to sleep.

When Harry woke the next day he was disorientated, he felt and arm wrapped round him and for one terrifying moment thought he was back and Private Drive, he tensed up but then the light streaming in the huge window got his attention and he remembered where he was. He started to relax, he thought about then events of the previous night and shivered He probably thinks I�m weak and pathetic he thought glumly. He began to bring his knees into his chest, but a powerful arm locked around his thigh, making him stay straight. Severus held him closer; he didn�t know what Harry had been thinking but it obviously upset him,
�What�s wrong?� he said, sitting up against the headboard, Harry shrugged.
�You will tell me, Harry� Severus snarled in the same tone he used to scare the first years, Harry knew that tone and it didn�t scare him
�Or what? What could you possibly do that I haven�t been through� Harry had turned his head to look at his father but he was still in the foetal position on his. Severus leaned down so he was looming over Harry�s face, and smirked
�I can do this� Harry yelp as Severus tickled him, Harry didn�t know he was ticklish, but apparently he was, very and was soon gasping for air through fits of the giggles, Severus stopped and allowed Harry to catch his breath,
�So are you going to tell me now? Or am I going to have to break out the feather dusters?� Harry giggled and nodded
�Ok, ok I give� he looked up at his father serious again, Severus didn�t like it, no child should be serious so much
�It was just� I was wondering�.� He took a breath �do you hate me now?� he blurted it out and looked away. Severus rolled his eyes, under confident teenagers seemed to require far more energy then over confident ones.
�No Harry, why would you think that? Because of what you said last night� Harry nodded, Severus sighed; at least he was still responding. He grabbed Harry�s shoulder pulling him round
�Harry James Potter for the last time it was not your fault and you are hereby forbidden to think that firstly you were in someway to blame and secondly that people will hate you for it. Understand?� Harry nodded slightly Severus smiled �not good enough I want a nice clear yes� and with that he resorted to his best weapon and started tickling the teenager again, Harry caved quickly
�Yes, YES!� he yelped Severus stopped,
�Good, right I�m going to order breakfast, why don�t you get tidied up and come join me� with that Severus swept out of the room, I really have to learn how to do that Harry mused. Harry did was he was told and appeared 15 minutes later, Severus had already set out the stomach sealing potion and a bowl of oats. Harry sat down next to Severus and drank the potion without being told, Severus nodded his approval, Harry was definitely making progress. Harry picked up his spoon and took a few mouthfuls of the oats before pushing the rest round the bowl, Severus looked at him
�The quicker you eat them, the quicker you can leave� Harry grinned and took another mouthful. He saw the front cover of the Prophet, and lost his appetite, the headline read �AURORS DRAFTED INTO SEARCH!� Harry put down the spoon
�Umm Sir,� he said quietly, not too sure how he was to address Snape. Severus looked at him
�Harry, please I don�t expect you to adjust to what I have told you quickly but don�t call me Sir of Professor outside of Hogwarts�
�Then what should I call you?�
�Start with Severus� Harry nodded.
�Severus, the front page, what search are they referring too?� Severus folded the paper and put it to one side
�Guess�
�Me?�
�Correct.�
�It that normal?�
�No Harry it�s not but you are after all the Ministry�s last resort weapon and they will want you back�
�What will happen to you?� Severus thought about this, he decided to answer honestly
�I don�t know, they might send me�away� Harry felt a rock in his stomach, he turned it all over in his mind
�Then I have to go back. Now before they get too panicked� Severus nodded, he knew Harry didn�t want to and the gesture was not lost on him.
�Have you any ideas how to do that with out it looking suspicious�
�If we apparate to muggle London, I can just run into the Leaky Cauldron like I�ve escaped, the papers have pretty much warned everyone I�m going to be in a state so if I looked like I�m heading into Diagon Alley, someone is bound to stop me.� Severus thought about this.
�I don�t want you doing anything on your own� Harry shrugged
�You could come with me and say you found me� Severus nodded,
�But given the state you�ve been in the last few days, I don�t think anyone would believe you went with me willingly�
�So stun me or something and barge in like you just found me, as long as your calling for Dumbledore or the aurors no one is going to think much of it� Severus nodded. It could actually work.
�Ok, when do you want to leave?�
�Now?� Severus nodded, he took hold of Harry and apparated to an alley near the Leaky Cauldron. He was about to immobilise Harry, it occurred to Severus he had been doing that a lot recently.
�Hit me� Severus eyes went wide
�What?!� he hissed, the boy had lost his mind.
�I said hit me, just once but fairly hard. Just here� he pointed to a spot on his lower jaw
�Why?!� Harry sighed
�Because it will make it look like I was beaten, I mean I have got lost of wounds but none where people can see, my uncle was very careful about that� Harry voice was full of resentment, Severus nodded
�Are you sure?�
�Yes� Harry took off his glasses and closed his eyes waiting for the blow Severus, stroked his son�s hair away from his forehead, he raised his fist and hit Harry. Harry stumbled sideways and would have fallen if Severus hadn�t have been there to catch him, he held Harry until he got his bearings. Harry spat out the blood that was in his mouth.
�See that wasn�t so hard was it?� he said between coughs, Severus looked at the boy
�You have no idea� he said stroking the boy�s hair. Harry stood against the wall. Severus drew his wand
�Immobilis� Harry fell forward completely limp. Severus picked him up and carried him into the Leaky Cauldron, some of the patrons gasped when they saw who it was
�TOM!� Snape screamed the bar tender turned round and went pale
�Sweet Merlin what happened?�
�Not important have you a room I put him in?� Tom nodded and grabbed a key
�Number 6 this way� Snape followed him up the stairs into the room, he put Harry on the bed, he face was swollen and his lip had been split. He looked like he had been kidnapped. Snape whirled round and stared at the innkeeper
�Tom, find Dumbledore and the aurors immediately� Tom hadn�t taken his eyes off the still form of the boy-who-lived, Snape got in the way of his vision
�TOM� He snapped the innkeeper turned his attention back to the potions professor
�Yes Severus at once� He left. Severus breathed a sigh of relief; that had worked remarkably well. He sat down on the bed and examined the damage he had done to Harry�s face, it was all soft tissue but it looked bad. Severus thought he might be sick, he couldn�t believe he just struck his own son. Harry blinked, reminding Severus that he wasn�t unconscious but immobilised.
�Sorry Harry, I�ll take it off you when the others arrive� He found himself stroking his son�s hair absently while he waited. Five minutes later there was a knock at the door, Severus drew his wand, the Leaky Cauldron was not secure, he opened the door a creek his wand poised, he relaxed and opened the door fully, Dumbledore, Minerva followed by Tonks and Kingsley flew into the room. McGonagall was the first to approach the boy
�Harry? Harry can you hear me?� Severus drew his wand again and pointed at Harry much to everyone�s surprise.
�Finite Incantatem� Harry immediately curled into a ball up against the headboard, too many people he thought over and over. If he could have gone through the wall he would have been through it. Severus took pity on the child, everyone in the room knew of his liaison with Lily, or at least suspected, well everyone but Tonks and she was controllable. Severus sat down on the bed and pulled the trembling Harry into a hug.
�Harry what happened to you? Who took you?� Kingsley had taken charge of the situation, Harry didn�t respond. He hadn�t got that far Crap I should have thought this through better.
�I found him in the basement of one my more disreputable acquaintances. I apologise for him being immobilised when you got here, but it was the only way to keep stop him from kicking and screaming� He�s good, if I�d said that the Dumbledore, he would have seen through it in seconds Harry thought.
�We�re you seen?�
�No I think that my loyalty to the Dark Lord will not be in question over this matter� Dumbledore nodded. There was a loud crash on the other side of the room; Tonks had knocked the table over
�Oopse� she said sheepishly, she had gone bright red. Kingsely rolled his eyes.
�Have you destroyed all the equipment Tonks?� she looked at the floor
�Not all of it� she drew her wand
�Repairo� several glass objects fitted themselves back together and set themselves on the table Tonks had righted. She bought one of the items over and handed it to Kingsely.
�Harry do you know what this is?� It looked like a small glass ball, similar in size to the Rememberall Neville had in the first year, but it had a blue tint to it. Harry shook his head.
�This is a potion detector; it will tell us if you have been given any harmful potions or poisons ok?� He handed it to Harry who stared at him blankly
�You need to squeeze it� Minerva prompted Harry nodded and did so, a silver mist swirled inside the ball.
�Thank goodness for that� Minerva sighed; he noticed that Dumbledore and Kingsley also looked relieved. He handed it back to Kingsley, as he did the sleeve to his robe rode up his arm a little, a less observant person wouldn�t have noticed, but then again non observant people didn�t become aurors, Kingsley seized his wrist and pushed the sleeve all the way up to his elbow, revealing the jagged scars that snaked along his arm. Harry wasn�t sure what to say, he figured that Kingsley thought that this mysterious acquaintance of Snape�s had done it.
�Err that�s not new� he said quietly, trying to subtly wrestled his grip from the auror. Kingsely turned to Dumbledore for confirmation
�He�s telling you the truth, he had those and a mass of other injuries when he was taken from his relatives� Kingsley let go. And studied Harry
�What about that one?� he said pointing to the bruising and split lip Snape had given him before walking in here. Harry looked at the floor, trying to find the best look that said �I don�t want to talk about it�. Severus helped, by pulling him closer.
�I think the boy has had enough for one day don�t you headmaster?� he said softly, Dumbledore nodded.
�Come on Harry it is time to leave� Harry�s stomach lurched
�Where am I to go professor?� he said quietly. It was a good question, he couldn�t go back to the Dursley�s he figured Dumbledore would not want him at the Burrow so that really left only�
�Hogwarts Harry, I am sorry but I feel that there is no where else that is safe� Harry nodded, that wasn�t too bad. He got off the bed and felt undeniably woozy, he sway a couple of times before falling back onto Severus. He quickly push himself off the surprised potions teacher onto the bed, he put his head between his knees and took in some deep breaths. Well that was new he thought. After a few seconds he felt better,
�Sorry� he muttered to Severus
�Not to worry Harry shall we try that again� Harry nodded and rose slowly he was still a little unsteady on his feet but with Severus�s help made it down to the stairs. Below they heard a great deal of commotion.
�Press� McGonagall sighed. Harry had lost what little colour he had.
�We don�t really have a choice Minerva, he is in no shape to apparate� Dumbledore said, Harry felt Severus tighten his grip, his jaw twitched, he too was unimpressed with the idea of a press run. Kingsley took Harry�s other arm
�Tonks you follow, Albus, Minerva in front and Severus and I will stay at his sides� the guard positioned themselves, and started down the stairs to face the barrage of questions, Harry having no say in where he went with the two men having iron clasped grips on his upper arms kept his head to the ground and closed his eyes, as they entered the room. All attention flooded to them
�Professor Dumbledore, is Harry hurt?�
�Did you see who took you Harry?�
�Are the rumours about the muggles true?� people were bunching in to them from all sides, Harry heard the flashes of camera�s he was glad no one could see his face he was having trouble not crying, the noise was overwhelming. It felt they had been walking like that forever, but in reality they had only been walking a few minutes to get to the chimney connected to the floo network. They stopped walk Harry opened his eyes, there was still a lot of people watching him, Dumbledore offered him some floo powder,
�You first Harry he said quietly, Harry gladly took the powder and stepped into the fire, ignoring the camera�s he said as clearly as he could
�Hogwarts.� He was sucked into the dark tunnel and a few moments later arrived back in Dumbledore�s office. He got out of the fire place quickly knowing he was being followed and settled himself into a big red arm chair. A few seconds later the fire sprang into life and Severus arrived he quickly went over to Harry
�Are you ok, you looked terrified� Harry nodded
�I hate the press� Severus nodded; he wiped the single tear that was on Harry�s cheek. The fire erupted once more, Severus quickly moved away from Harry and sat in an arm chair opposite. The figure tripped out of the fire place and landed in a heap
�Classy entry Tonks� Severus drawled. The young auror dragged herself out of the way and fell into the chair next to Harry who was trying to suppress a smirk. Tonks winked at him. McGonagall arrived next
�Honestly Tonks, an auror falling into a fireplace I am very surprised you even ended up in Hogwarts, it sound more like Hogsoup� she chastised shaking her head. Tonks just grinned, Kingsley arrived next and lastly Dumbledore. He looked around the room
�Tea?� He pulled out the tea-set and started to pour 6 cups. He handed the first to Harry who took it and added a sugar and milk. He took a sip winced, he forgotten how painful a split lip could be. Severus saw
�Mr. Potter follow me to the labs after we have concluded here, I have a potion that will take the swelling down and ease the pain.� Harry nodded. Once everyone had been issued the standard cup of tea Dumbledore drew their attention
�Kingsley, Tonks we appreciate the ministry�s help in this matter but I do believe that the talent of our aurors would be better off doing something else now.� Harry inwardly cringed he didn�t mean to cause all this fuss. Dumbledore continued �Minerva would you kindly inform Molly and Arthur that Harry has been found and he is safe� Minerva nodded and left the office. Taking their cue, the aurors used the floo network to get back to the ministry and call off the search. This left Harry and Severus in the uncomfortable company of a suspicious Dumbledore.

�Is there anything more Headmaster?� Snape said, his face as always a mask for his true feelings, if he was nervous about the current situation he had yet to show it. Harry on the other hand had curled back into a ball and wasn�t moving.
�I was just wondering if there was anything else you two would like to tell me. For example who was it that held Harry captive?�
�A powerful member of the inner-circle, there is no doubt no evidence of such activities though� Dumbledore nodded, the insinuation was not lost on Harry, Lucius Malfoy. It was plausible; Malfoy had power and influence in high places even if he had just been released from Azkaban.
�Very well Severus you may go. Harry I would like a quite word with you in private� Severus got up and in a bellow of fabric left the room. Harry now was feeling uneasy, Dumbledore turned to him.
�It seems to me that Severus has finally told you the truth about your parentage� Harry didn�t respond. Dumbledore continued
�Very well, Harry if you want to talk about what has happened to you, my door is always open� again Harry didn�t respond.
�Harry will you please say or do something? I think I preferred you trashing the place to this� Harry drew his legs further toward him. He honestly didn�t understand why this bothered anyone I don�t tell them how to sit he thought absently. He thought about answering Dumbledore, but he couldn�t think of a thing to say that seemed important. Besides his jaw ached, the bruise had done its job with the aurors but it didn�t make it feel any better. He heard Dumbledore sigh
�Very well Harry you may go, I believe you father is expecting you� Harry didn�t need to be told twice he rose and left the office as quickly as he could without running. Once out side he released the breath he didn�t know he�d been holding and headed for the dungeons. He reached the door to Snape�s quarters and knocked. His father opened the door and let him in.
�Dumbledore didn�t give you a hard time did he?� Harry shook his head. Severus nodded very well, he turned and went into a conjoining room, he returned carrying a goblet, he handed it to Harry
�Drink this down� Harry obliged, the potion was bitter, like coffee, Harry finished it his jaw didn�t ache. Severus lifted his head slightly and inspected the mark
�Harry I am so sorry, I didn�t think I hit you that hard� Harry shrugged it off
�My face bruises easily, it will be gone in a day, and that�s without magic. Severus sat down next to Harry
�And how do you know that?� Harry�s eyes went wide he heard the phrase from an American teenage show go through his mind uh oh busted he shrugged Severus knew everything else. Harry kept his attention fully on the empty goblet he was cuddling
�My uncle he liked to kiss me and then he�d hit me saying it was my fault and I seduced him� and occasionally he liked to bite� he didn�t look up from the goblet, he stared into the polished metal, he wasn�t aware his father had moved until he felt his hand on his shoulders. Severus lent down and rested his cheek on the top of Harry�s head.
�I promise you, he will never hurt you ever again.� Harry nodded empty promises he heard them a hundred times before, he didn�t care, he didn�t believe them anymore. Harry was tired he was falling asleep at the table, but then he felt it, the pain he screamed out with the pain, he felt himself fall sideways, he didn�t hit the floor Severus picked him up and carried him into the bedroom. Harry was kicking and throwing his arms about, he looked like he was a having a fit, Severus straddled him pinning his arms and legs to the beds, trying to prevent Harry from injuring himself.
�NO, DON�T! NO!� Harry was screaming out tears were falling down his face. After fifteen minutes he calmed down and stopped thrashing, Severus got off him. Two minutes after that Harry ran from the room and threw up violently. Severus stood by the door stroking his back. Harry threw up until there was nothing left in his stomach, and continued to retch for a good five minutes, he rose shakily he turned the sink tap on swallowing mouthfuls of water.
�What did you see?� Severus asked, Harry was still very pale,
�He was torturing someone, I don�t know who, he said it was punishment for not finding me� Harry gasped and his knees buckled. Severus caught him and half carried half dragged him to the couch, Dumbledore was standing in the doorway to his quarters. Severus didn�t know how long he had been there.
�Do you remember anything else Harry?� He asked kindly, Harry drew his legs up to his chest and tried to stop his shaking. Severus wrapped a blanket around him and held him.
�Harry? Professor Dumbledore asked if you saw anything else� Harry shook his head slowly, the movement causing him a great deal of pain. Dumbledore moved further into the room he reached for Harry
�Are you sure?� he said, Harry drew himself into a tighter ball nodded but he also whimpered. Severus wasn�t sure why the headmaster had that effect on his child, but he sure as hell wasn�t putting up with it tonight.
�Headmaster, it has been a long day I would like my son to stay in my quarters for the summer. Dumbledore didn�t take his eyes off Harry but nodded
�Very well Severus we had better make room for him� Dumbledore headed back into the kitchen, he uttered some spells under his breath and the room grew in size and then when it was twice it�s original size it split into two rooms, the new room disappeared from sight, it reappeared on top of the kitchen, a small stair case off to the far side of the kitchen Severus and Dumbledore climbed the stairs and entered the large barren room that had appeared.
�What do you think the boy would like Severus� Dumbledore said, he had his old twinkle in his eye, he liked adding rooms. Severus thought for a moment
�Give him a private bathroom he is big on privacy� Dumbledore nodded, at the back of the vast space a new room was created, the bathroom was complete with shower, bath toilet and sink, it also had several shelves and a cabinet with a mirror on the door. Dumbledore looked at the rest of the room, the floor grew a thick red carpet, a four poster bed in dark wood with thick silver velvet drapes also appeared, the walls painted themselves in a warm burgundy. A large closet, a desk and chair also appeared; above the desk several shelves attached themselves to the wall all in the same rich, dark wood. It was finished by a fireplace, in front of which was a green and silver rug with the Snape family crest on it. Severus nodded,
�Too Gryffindor for my tastes but I�m sure he�ll like it. What about his stuff?�
�Molly will bring it tomorrow, no doubt with a welcoming committee� Severus nodded. They returned to see that Harry, thought still pale had regained some colour, he hadn�t moved. Severus left Harry and Dumbledore in the living room as he went into the lab. Dumbledore looked at the boy
�Harry, you seem unsettled by me. Will you please tell me why?� Harry looked at him; his eyes were full of hurt and confusion
�Why did you send me there?�
�There was nowhere else, Severus was in danger of going to Azkaban, and if the Death Eaters knew he was your father they would have tired to kill you both. It was safer for you to be there�
�But you sent me back, you knew I was unhappy and you sent me back what did I do that was so wrong?� Dumbledore looked regretfully at the boy; there was no malice in his voice just pain
�Harry you did nothing, I am sorry I did not know that things were this bad. Please believe me if I had, I would never had sent you back there� Harry nodded but still didn�t uncurl himself from his little ball. Severus walked back into the room, he eyed the headmaster suspiciously and then moved over to Harry, brushed his hair out his eyes
�Drink this Harry it�s the dreamless sleep potion� Harry took the potion and drank it he smiled emptily
�All you seem to do is give me potions� Severus smirked, inwardly he sighed the boys right, he�s taking so many. He sat on the couch next to Harry, and pinched the bridge of his nose
�Is there something more I can help you with Albus?� Dumbledore looked at the weary potion master
�Yes Severus, but I feel it can wait until tomorrow. Goodnight you both look like you need sleep� Severus nodded
�Goodnight Albus�, the headmaster rose and left. Severus glanced at Harry, he was already asleep, he picked him up, still amazed at how little he weighed and carried him up to his new bedroom. He put him on the bed and took his glasses off, Severus looked at Harry for the first time properly, he was so small he looked frail. If Severus didn�t already know that his was stronger then steel he would have thought that the boy was weak. Harry murmured something in his sleep before rolling onto his side, even in sleep the boy wrapped himself up into a ball. Severus shook himself braking the spell that his son seemed to have over him, he left the room, knowing if he didn�t leave then he would stay there all night.

Harry woke in the morning, and looked around I must start waking up where I go to sleep he thought absently; he didn�t have a clue where he was; Hogwarts yes but it wasn�t the dormitory. He rose spying the bathroom, ambled over to have a shower shedding his clothes in the process. He turned the faucet, dousing himself in the hot water trying to shake the last remnants of the vision from his mind, OUCH! He thought as he ran his hand over his upper arm. He had a very large bruise on each bicep, they had obvious finger marks, he found there where bruises on his legs too, he guessed it was from where Severus had restrained him last night. He turned the water off and stepped out the shower, he wrapped one towel round his waist and was rubbing his hair dry with a second and he re-entered the room, Severus was sitting at the desk, he was wearing black slacks and a green top, his hair was in a pony tail, he didn�t look like the greasy potions master Harry remembered. Severus turned when he heard the bathroom door open.
�Hello� Harry said, a little surprised to see him there
�Hello, the staff are having breakfast in the staff room, would you like to go? If not I�ll get the house-elves to bring something up to us.�
�Umm� I don�t mind, shall we join everyone? I won�t be long�� Harry trailed off looking round the room, he dropped the towel he had been using on his hair onto the bed
�I don�t seem to have any appropriate clothing� he said sheepishly, he was still in the muggle hand me downs of Dudley�s when Severus had taken him, the black robe Severus had lent him was nowhere in sight and the rest of his stuff was at the Burrow. Severus got up and opened the closet; a selection of robes and clothes were hanging in there,
�Oh um thanks� Harry said feeling like an idiot for not looking in the wardrobe to start with. Severus smirked and ruffled Harry�s hair, he then noticed his arms.
�They weren�t there a few days ago, where did you get them?�
�Umm, I think you did it last night when I was having my see-through-his-eyes episode� guilt washed across Severus�s face he hadn�t realised he had put so much force into it.
�I�m sorry� he whispered, Harry shrugged it off
�It happens, you should have seen day after the first one, I had Ron and Seamus on one are and Dean and Neville on the other, I had green arms for a week� he said, with an embarrassed laugh. Severus didn�t looked too convince, he lightly brush his knuckles over one of the bruises, Harry winced and moved slightly away but didn�t make a noise.
�Get dressed� Severus said quietly and left the room. Harry sighed, at least he didn�t get yelled at, he turned his attention back to the wardrobe, he picked out a silver shirt with black trousers, he chose a mostly black robe with red and gold embroidery on the sleeves. He dressed quickly silently thankful that the robe covered his old worn out trainers and headed down the staircase. Severus was waiting for him in the kitchen pacing up and down. He stopped when he saw Harry and stared at him. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that he had just committed a wizarding faux pas but he didn�t know what it was
�Have I done something wrong?� he said quietly still standing on the stairs so he could bolt up to the room if needed. Severus shook his head
�No, you haven�t now stop looking like a rabbit in headlights and get down here� Harry was relieved and obliged. Severus viewed him critically
�Not bad, we�ll make a wizard off you yet� he said teasingly, Harry blushed and looked at the floor, he didn�t get compliments often and wasn�t sure how to react.
�Come on we�re late already� Severus lead him out of the chamber and into the dungeon corridors.

As they approached the staff room Remus waved from the other end of the corridor
�Good morning� he said with a friendly smile, Harry smiled back, but had somehow managed to move so that Severus was between them without either of the professors noticing.
�Harry how are you feeling?�
�Better� Harry said, he went to rub his arms and then wince oh right new bruises he thought, Remus looked concerned
�Are you sure you�re alright?� He glared at Snape accusingly
�He said he was fine� Severus spat he marched into the staff room, Harry hot on his heels, Albus waved them in
�Ah there you are, have a seat, tea?� Harry took a seat between Severus and Albus, Remus took the seat opposite Harry. Harry smiled weakly and took the tea
�Thanks� Harry looked around, as well as them there was Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Madame Pomfrey. Harry assumed that the rest of the staff were at home during the holidays. Harry was about to tuck in when a potion was pushed under his nose, he sighed
�How much longer am I going to need to drink this stuff?� he muttered but drank it anyway
�You need to drink it for at least the rest of the week� he was told by a very stern looking Madame Pomfrey. Harry sighed, but managed to get a spoonful of food before the next person said anything,
�Harry, Molly and I would assume an entourage from the Burrow will be arriving shortly after breakfast with your things� Albus said, Harry nodded Great more people he never quite got used from switching from the virtual solitary confinement in his uncle�s house to the swarms of people and the noise at Hogwarts. The headmaster continued,
�They will be arriving in my office so if you would care to make your way up after you have finished and wait for them do so� Harry nodded again, he didn�t really want to see them, but the tone the headmaster had used didn�t really imply he had a choice.
�Fillius, I was wondering if I could borrow you after breakfast, I have an unusual request�
�Of course Severus my dear fellow, shall I come down to your squalid hole, I know you hate the light so� Severus grunted at the gentle teasing.
�Yes thank you� Harry wondered what that was all about but shrugged it off

After breakfast Harry went to the headmaster�s office, Severus went back to the dungeons. It occurred to Harry that this was the first time this week he would be going somewhere without his father, he was lost in thought when a voice startled him
�Harry, wait up I�ll walk with you� Remus said coming up the corridor smiling, he put his hand on Harry�s shoulder; Harry flinched. Remus looked sad
�Harry, you do know you�re in no danger from me don�t you?� Harry tried to smile
�Yes sir, it�s just I�m not big on physical contact at the moment� Remus nodded
�Very well. You do know that if there was anything wrong you could tell me don�t you? I wont be mad� Harry nodded, wondering where this was going
�So if someone was hurting you, even if it was someone in Hogwarts you would tell me yes?� Harry nodded again.
�No one here is hurting you are they?� Harry looked at Remus strangely
�No why?� Remus touched Harry�s upper arm; Harry winced again and tried to move away, Remus caught his wrist
�Roll up your sleeve Harry�
�No!� Harry said indignantly, Remus produced his wand, he muttered a spell and Harry�s robe disappeared, he did it again and Harry�s shirt joined it. Harry glared at Remus, Remus felt his jaw hit the floor on Harry�s upper arms were to very clear hand prints, they were bright purple.
�Can I have my clothes back now� Harry snapped. Remus nodded and summoned the clothes, Harry�s shirt and robe reappeared on him,
�Harry who did that? Was it Severus?�
�No. well yes but he was helping me�
�HELPING YOU?�
�Yes� Harry hissed �Keep you voice down, look last night I had a vision I was screaming, and failing around, if Severus hadn�t held me down I would have done some serious damage to myself.�
�Well it looks like he did it for you!� Remus snarled Harry was getting tired with this
�No he didn�t look please leave it� Harry was exasperated, and now he was late. Remus watched him go and then stalked off towards the dungeons.

Harry knocked on the office door, a voice inside told him to enter. As Harry did so his view become obscured by large amounts of brown hair;
�Hermione, please I�m losing the ability to breathe� he said with only a little sarcasm Hermione let go and looked at him
�We were so worried�
�Sorry�
�Again he�s apologising for things that aren�t his fault!� Harry looked behind Hermione and saw that indeed there was a sea of red hair; it looked like Molly had bought everyone who could afford the time, that being the twins down. Harry walked up to them and smiled, Molly also threw her arms round him.
�Are you alright love, I am so sorry I don�t know what happened the wards should have worked� Harry broke away
�Never mind, no harm done� he said as Ginny came to hug him. Ron, Fred and George were still sitting but where grinning from ear to ear
�No harm eh Harry, then what happened to your face?� instinctively Harry reached up and touched the bruise, it was a lot less tender then it had been but still noticeable he shrugged. He noticed his trunk in the corner and went over to it
�Thanks� he said and opened it, he retrieved his school shoes and dumped his battered trainers into the case, he was about to close it again when he noticed something, he rummaged through and them closed the lid eyeing them suspiciously
�Where�s Draconis?� Molly played dumb
�Where�s who dear?�
�Draconis, the dagger Sirius gave me� Molly shifted uneasily
�Are you sure you had it when you came?� She said Fred and George both immediately spotted the flaw in the argument
�Yes� Harry said through clenched teeth �I used it to slit my throat� Molly paled at the memory, Harry took a deep breath and tried to remain calm:
�Look, please can I have it, after all it is mine, and it is one of the few things I have of Sirius� he voice was calm, but he was clenching his fist Molly looked uncomfortable with the idea of returning it
�Look, why don�t we look after it until the summer and you can have it then?� Harry stared at her
�Fine� Molly looked relieved and sat down Harry sat as well, he was fuming but if she wouldn�t give it willingly he knew what he would do.
�Very well Harry I will have the elves to take your belongings down to your room. Harry nodded
�Perhaps you would like some tea before you go?� Albus produce a tea pot and poured a cup for everyone in the room. Harry could feel them staring at him and curled back up into a ball
�You ok mate?� Ron asked quietly Harry nodded, he didn�t feel much like talking, half an hour later Molly rose to leave, as the others got up Harry stood this was his chance, he waited for the floo to be opened.
�Return to owner� he said with his palm outstretched, sure enough Draconis flew out the fire and landed neatly in his hand, he closed his grip on it he glance at molly and shrugged
�It�s enchanted, it wants to be with me, Sirius told me� Molly looked stunned and looked to Dumbledore for back up, Harry cut her off
�Good day everyone, thank you for the tea professor� he turned and left them room, knowing he wouldn�t remain civil for long.
�Albus, you have to take it off him�
�Why Molly?�
�Because it�s not safe, he used it once that we know of!�
�I feel that young Mr. Potter is no longer in danger of a repeat performance, as you saw he is making a good recovery� Dumbledore raised his hand to prevent further discussion on the matter
�Now Molly, it is his and he has a point, Sirius did not have long to give Harry anything, I believe that if he wants the ones he does have close we have no right to interfere.� Molly left the office visibly fuming, the other followed suit looking glum, apparently they were under the impression that they would be next inline for Molly�s wrath.

##

Severus had explained the idea to Fillius, who nodded
�An excellent idea Severus it won�t take long either� The charms professor looked at the small silver band on the table
�Where did it come from?�
�It was mine�
�Good that will make the charm stronger� both professors started as someone pounded on the door. Severus opened it; Lupin grabbed him and pushed him into the nearest wall,
�What�s wrong with you� Snape snarled pushing the werewolf away easily
�You hurt Harry� Remus was fuming he had his wand in his hand
�Put it away Lupin, you wont win�
�I don�t care, you dare snarl at me about that boy and he turns up this morning with bruises all down his arms� Fillius gasped but then tried to be logical
�You can�t think that Severus would do such a thing!� Remus glared at the little man
�I don�t only think it I know it, Harry told me!� he snarled, Fillius went pale and looked at Severus, who was glaring at Remus
�Yes I did them, did the boy tell you why�
�He made up some story about having a vision and needing to be restrained� Remus said shrugging it off. Severus got right into the werewolf�s face
�And did he volunteer this information?� he said dangerously quietly, Remus paled
�Yes he did� Snape raised an eyebrow,
�Really? The boy is abused for years and tells no one and then he just goes up to you and say oh by the way look at this?� Severus snarled
�Well no it wasn�t like that� Remus said backing up a few steps, Severus kept with him forcing Remus back against the wall
�If you laid a finger on him I swear they will never find the body�
�Now Severus, Remus has only Harry�s best interest at heart too, it would be better for the boy if you too could at least be civil to each other� Fillius stood in the corner of the room forgotten. Severus sighed the little man had a big point, he could forbid Harry to see Lupin, if he tried the damn infuriating child would go out his way to talk to the werewolf. Severus backed off but didn�t break his eye contact
�Get out� he spat Remus glared at him for a long moment and then left. Severus took a few deep breaths and clamed down he turned his attention back to the table. Filius was still holding the ring
�That�s the slave, where�s the master?� Severus reached for the chain around his neck and undid it, he took the ring off it and handed it to Fillius who nodded
�Ah, I understand, the bond of these will be hard to break� Severus nodded and picked up the silver band, it was originally going to be the ring he would give Lily, he never got the chance, James got there first. Fillius finished with the second ring and handed it back to him.
�There you go Severus, although I might point out it would be more effective to wear the ring rather then keep it on a chain� Severus nodded and slid his onto his right hand ring finger.
�Would you like any tea before you leave Fillius?�
�No, no I have to be getting along� he went to leave
�Thank you� Severus said in a moment of rare honesty
�No problem, just give that to young Harry when he gets in� with that he left. Severus sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. This was going to be a difficult year.

Harry was walking back to the dungeons when Dumbledore caught up with him.
�Hello Harry� he said in a friendly voice
�Hello� Harry said, he was polite but guarded; the headmaster did not normally follow guests from his office.
�Harry, would you like to tell me who really took you from the Burrow?� Harry practically froze, but he kept walking and concentrated on putting on foot in front of the other,
�It doesn�t matter does it?�
�I suppose in a sense that we got you back no, but don�t you want them to be punished?� Harry thought about this if he said yes Dumbledore would push for details and if he said no, he might as well say it was Severus.
�There�s little point, I can wish for them to be punished, but they won�t be� Dumbledore nodded.
�It must have been terrifying, taken from your friends in the middle of the night�
�It was more like 4am, and honestly I didn�t think he would take me, just kill me� Harry shrugged �To be honest I didn�t really care, I wanted to die anyway� he still was pretty indifferent about life and death. If he died then he wouldn�t have to face the ridicule at the start of term.
�That concerns me even more Harry. Do you still feel like that?� Harry shrugged again
�I won�t go out of my way to kill myself if that�s what you mean�
�It�s a start I suppose, now back to that night, this man who took you how did he do it?�
�He came into the room, cast Immobilis on me and basically carried me out, we apparated to some room�
�Can you remember anything about the room?� Harry struggled to think of somewhere that was completely different to anywhere else, Dumbledore helped him out
�What I mean is was the room at Snape manor to your liking� Harry looked at the headmaster the old man knew all along. Harry sighed
�When did you know?�
�When he bought you back, you were more adjusted, not less besides Severus does not hug people, especially a boy he is trying to hate� Harry shrugged
�Well at least it wasn�t all me. Are you going to tell anyone?�
�No Harry, even if he didn�t tell me, you are his son his every right to take you. I just wished he told us first�
�He didn�t want Re.. professor Lupin to find out� Dumbledore nodded
�Do you know why that is?� Harry nodded
�Want to tell me?�
�Not really� Harry said, at that moment Harry was relieved to find himself back outside the door to Snape�s quarters. He knocked and was more relieved when he was granted access immediately. Dumbledore followed him in. Severus stood up and looked from the headmaster to Harry, �He knows� Harry mouthed before escaping up the staircase. The door clicked locked. Severus looked at Dumbledore
�Would you care for a seat Albus?� he said smoothly producing a tea pot
�Yes thank you.� Albus sat and accepted the tea.
�I assume this would be the same matter you wanted to discuss last night?�
�Yes Severus. I want to know why you didn�t see fit to inform me or the order that you planned to take Harry from the Burrow�
�Frankly because he is my son and it is none of you business�
�Severus, he did not know that when you took him, and while he is taking the news remarkably well you must have terrified the boy when you took him.�
�Well he doesn�t seem frightened of me, in fact his reaction to you is worse� Severus countered. He then shrugged it off there was no use blaming Albus, even if he felt it was his fault
�Look are you going to say anything?� Albus didn�t say anything for a long moment
�No. but I keep quiet for Harry�s sake, he doesn�t need any more upset, like discovering who his father is, only to lose him to Azkaban days later� Severus nodded taking the hint
�Thank you�
�As I said I keep quiet for Harry� Albus rose
�Good day Severus, if you need anything my door is always open� Severus nodded and walked the headmaster to the door,
�Albus, one thing I was going to discuss with you, today is Harry�s birthday, he has obviously forgotten, would it be possible to arrange a get together of sorts?�
�An excellent idea, I will contact the order, we can use the great hall. I will ask Molly if she wants to attend but given Harry�s stunt earlier I am not sure if she will permit her lot to come�
�What did he do?� Severus asked looking concerned
�Nothing too bad, Molly refused to hand over the dagger Sirius left him so when the floo opened he summoned it� Severus nodded
�If it is his then he has a right to take it�
�Yes but keep an eye on him, he used it to slit his throat apparently� Severus took this in.
�I don�t think he�ll do it again he seems a little better, though he still looks like a deer in headlights if you go to talk to him�
�It�s going to be a slow recovery process Severus, have patience� Severus nodded as the headmaster left. He looked at the table; Harry�s ring was still there. He went over to the stair case
�Harry, can you come down here� He heard the door open practically immediately, Harry came down the stairs quickly looking at him with wide eyes;
�Is everything ok? I didn�t tell him I swear, he just knew�
�Harry calm down, everything is fine, I know he already knew and even if he didn�t you still wouldn�t be in trouble!� Harry relaxed slightly.
�Now please come down, I have something for you� Harry came the rest of the way down the stairs and stood stock still at the bottom, Severus rolled his eyes.
�Harry. There is a good chance you will be spending the remainder of your holiday here. This is therefore your home. Please start acting like it. Now sit down� Harry moved to the table and sat down opposite Severus. Severus was toying with the ring
�Harry, this ring was originally intended as a wedding ring for your mother. Until James beat me to it.� Harry nodded slowly
�I had Fillius charm it. When you are not wearing it, it will look like it original form, like this� he held up the silver band so Harry could see it properly. Harry nodded
�When you put it on it will change colour, if you happy or content it will be green, sad blue, frightened it will get dark and be black, if you feel that you are in danger, or something is happening to you, you don�t like it will go black�
�So it�s like a mood ring?�
�A what?�
�A mood ring, muggles sometimes buy rings that change colour supposedly on your mood, when in actual fact they are just heat sensitive� Severus nodded
�Similar but this is actually affected by your mood. Now you see this?� He held up his hand showing Harry the one he was wearing
�This is the master of the pair, it will change as yours does, but it is charmed it will let me find you if you are wearing the ring. If you are truly scared mine will heat up� Harry nodded. Severus handed the ring across to Harry
�Please wear it at all times, even if you are asleep, I promise unless it goes dark I wont use it to find you�
�I don�t mind, just ah what colour does it go if I�m err �.� Severus grinned
�Feeling amorous?� he said smirking, Harry blushed
�That would be it yes�
�It will go pink, then red and unless it goes crimson I�ll leave you to it� he said with a wink, making Harry blush even more. Severus handed the ring to Harry, it fitted on his ring finger of his right hand too, it went grey. Definitely Lily�s hands he thought Harry looked a bit embarrassed, and chewed his bottom lip and put his hands below the table, Severus looked at the colour and sighed
�Harry, you are certainly not going to be punished for not feeling safe, but I hope by the beginning of term you will do� Harry relaxed the ring went slightly lighter grey Severus nodded
�Good, now go get ready� Harry looked quizzical
�We are going to the Great Hall for dinner� Harry nodded and disappeared upstairs, Severus went through to his bedroom and took a shower before getting dressed. By the time he was ready and walking back into the kitchen Harry was already sitting there waiting for him, he was wearing black trousers and green shirt there was a robe on the desk next to him. Severus smiled the green bought out his eyes. Glancing at his ring, it was almost silver, he walked into the room and it immediately went dark grey, he rolled his eyes ignore it he can�t help it and he was like that BEFORE you gave him the wretched thing you just didn�t know it. Harry went to stand as he entered Severus walked round behind him and pushed him back down into the seat before going to the cupboard
�Wine?� Harry nodded and then smirked,
�I don�t think Madame Pomfrey would approve�
�Like I care I�m your father besides it doesn�t counteract the potion. Have you had alcohol before� Harry shook his head, Severus reached for one of the less potent bottles and sat down. He waved his wand and two glasses appeared, the wine uncorked itself and poured into the glasses. He picked up his glass and raised it to his lips savouring the flavour. He watched Harry sip his
�Do you like?� Harry nodded, as if to prove it he drank some more.
�I like the shirt, good choice the green brings out your eyes� Harry blushed and pulled his legs up onto the edge or the chair. Severus waved his wand and pulled Harry�s feet back onto the floor.
�I am going to stop you doing that if it�s the last thing I do� Harry smiled sheepishly
�Sorry�
�And stop apologising!�
�Sor�. Ok� Harry said Severs shook his head,
�Can you please be a rebellious over confident arrogant teenager, I can deal with them I see them everyday during term!� This bought a smile to Harry�s face, he went to drink some of the wine, but bought his feet back on to the chair as he did almost subconsciously Severus again waved his wand, Harry almost choked on the wine, but giggled
�Ok, deal; don�t make a fuss about how I�m sitting and I�ll try not to apologise for everything?�
�Very well, but if you manage you�re part the next thing is that, I don�t like your ball impression.� Harry finished his wine,
�Why does everyone have a problem with the way I sit?�
�Because you never used to, at least not at school� Harry shrugged, Severus topped up the glasses;
�You want to watch yourself; you�ll be drunk soon if you don�t�
�Yeah well isn�t that what rebellious teenagers do?� Severus conceded the point with a tip of his glass.
�Ok, but I�m not taking responsibility for you hang over� Harry grinned at that, he Severus glance at his ring, it was a pale dirty green. Severus smiled Harry finished his second glass. Severus tossed back the last of his much to Harry�s amusement, Severus shrugged
�Can�t be out drunk by a boy now can I?� Harry giggled, he was beginning to feel a little light headed Severus filled the glasses again and knocked his back straight away. Harry raised an eyebrow
�Is that a challenge?� Severus smirked
�No, you would lose hands down� Harry looked serious
�They be fighting words� he too knocked back the glass. He had landed it and Severus refilled both empty glasses, the bottle was empty. He waved his wand at the cupboard
�Accio Shiraz� another bottle flew out the cupboard and landed on the table�

By the time they made it to the great hall they had consumed at least four bottles of wine and Severus was half dragging a rather drunk and giggling Harry they got to the door and Severus tried to get Harry to stand on his own two feet, it was a bit like balancing a puppet with no strings
�Harry you have to stand up�
�Why?�
�Because there are a lot of responsible adults in there who won�t take kindly to your state as it is� Harry nodded then frowned
�How come your not drunk� he slurred Severus rolled his eyes
�I am, but not as drunk as you�
�Oh shoo I lost shen?�
�Yes you lost now stand up� Harry did try and with a great deal of effort stood up on his own.
�Good now walk� Harry and Severus entered the great hall to a cheer of
�HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!� Molly Weasley had seem to put the mornings events behind her and had bought the entire family, Hermione was there as well as all the staff that were on site, and most of the Order, Harry looked at his father
�It�sh my birthday?�
�Yesh now act sober� Harry giggled
�You shaid yesh� Severus rolled his eyes. Hermione ran over and hugged Harry, Harry lost his balanced and they landed in a heap on the floor, Tonks giggled she was closet and had over heard Harry�s and Severus�s conversation� Hermione crawled off Harry
�I�m sorry are you alright� Harry rolled onto his front and tried to get to his knees, Severus sighed and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to his feet, Harry was still giggling
�Yes Hermione I am fine. How are you?� most of the room were now crowed round Severus and the Harry puppet, Minerva peered closely into Harry�s eyes
�Have you been drinking�
�No� he said unconvincingly, he then lost his balance again and pulled Severus down with him. He looked but at Professor McGonagall
�Shaybe a little� Severus rolled his eyes and stood up
�The boy had a glash of wine with me early, he can�t hold his drink� Harry giggled
�You said glash� Severus tried and failed to keep a smirk from his lips, Minerva moved to him
�How much have you two had�
�One or two�� Severus said Harry giggled
�Maybe three or four� he said managing with the help of the twins to stand.
�Three or four what?� Severus looked at Harry and felt the need to giggle
�Do you want to tell her?� His son shook his head and then wished he hadn�t, he lost his balance, he would have gone over again if it weren�t for the twins
�You chan� Severus looked back at Minerva
�Four bottles� her mouth hit the floor
�Four bottles FOUR BOTTLES you drank FOUR BOTTLES of wine with a student!!!� Severus couldn�t help it he began to laugh, reactions in the hall ranged from horrified (Minerva and Molly) to outright hysterical laughing (most of the Weasley�s and the order with the exception of Remus). Dumbledore calmed things down
�Now Minerva if Severus and Harry want to have a drink they are both of age and may do so�
�Besides it�s his birthday� Fred announced, irritation ticked at McGonagall�s jaw once more before she too started laughing
�Well we better get the birthday boy a seat�
�That would be mushed appreciated� Harry said as they moved into the hall. Harry sat at a space on the Gryffindor table Tonks came over to him;
�Hey Harry love the shirt it brings out your eyes�.� She looked like she was going to say more but tripped over the bench and landed on the floor making everyone laugh
�And I�m supposed to be the drunk one� Harry said. Severus sat down by Harry
�You are drunk, she�s just clumsy� most of the group sat on the Gryffindor table as there were too many to fit round the staff table, Hermione and the younger Weasley�s looked a bit uncomfortable that Severus had taken the seat next to Harry but didn�t say anything. Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared all long the table, he had an odd twinkle in his eye hey raised his glass
�Well it has been a difficult year for this young man, but I truly hope next will be better to Harry� every joined in the toast and raised their glasses. It was then that everyone realised what the old man had done, instead of containing pumpkin juice all the goblet were filled with a rich red wine
�Albus Dumbledore what do you think you are doing?� Minerva chastised in mock anger. Molly looked livid, but couldn�t bring herself to stop her children from drinking and resigned herself to a house full of cranky teenagers in the morning. Harry enjoyed the feast, he�d never had a birthday party before and this had got to be one of the best. He sensed that there was some irony that by the end of the night he was more sober then the start while most people were more drunk, everyone was in small groups talking, Harry had taken up residence in the corner of the room just content to be on his own when Remus came over
�Harry can I have a quick word?� Harry nodded
�In private� Harry shrugged, he followed Remus outside the hall and into the nearest class room. Remus cast a silencing and locking spell on the door, Harry didn�t like that, he tried to maintain a good distance from Remus. Remus looked at him,
�Harry I wanted to apologise for this morning, it was not my place do that� Harry nodded
�It�s ok I know you thought you were doing the right thing, but honestly you didn�t see me I was going to really get hurt if I was left� Remus nodded
�I know, I talked to Albus� Harry rolled his eyes �I know I know but I needed to be sure that was all. Friends?� Harry nodded. Remus smiled;
�Good� He went over to Harry and gave him a hug, Harry smiled in relief. Harry let go of Remus, but Remus just held him closer he ran his hand through Harry�s hair
�You�re very similar to James you know?� Harry swallowed heavily
�Yeah I�ve been told, look we better get before we�re missed�
�Yes you�re right� he said, but he didn�t let go, he lowered his head and kissed the top of Harry�s. Harry was more the a little worried
�Let go of me�
�Harry it�s ok I�m going not to hurt you� Harry struggled but couldn�t get free he was panicking
�Please let me go!�

Severus was talking to Albus and Moody when he felt the ring get warm he look at it, it was dark grey,
�Excuse me� he said and stalked out the room in his normal fashion. Dumbledore and Moody followed him. In the corridor Severus followed the direction on the ring, he came to classroom, he broke the wards and barged in. Remus let go of Harry as he heard the door open, Harry stumbled to other side of the room before tripping over a chair and falling down, he was glaring at Lupin, Severus snarled and aimed his wand at Remus
�That will do Severus� Albus was behind him with Moody
�He�s right, besides I think Harry might need you more� Severus looked at Harry for the first time since entering the room; he was in a ball in the corner not looking at anyone. Severus lowered his wand and went over to Harry.
�You ok?� Harry nodded,
�Can I go back to my room for a bit, I need some space� Severus nodded,
�Do you want someone to go with you?� Harry shook his head
�Ok the passwords alchemy� Harry nodded, got up and left. He kept his face to the ground, not wanting Dumbledore or Moody to see him crying. He turned the corner and broke into a run. Severus looked over at Lupin
�Would you like to tell me what the hell you thought you were doing?�
�I just hugged him, he over reacted�
�Really? Why doesn�t when anyone else does then?� Severus snarled
�Severus, until you hear Harry�s side of it, I suggest you give Remus the benefit of the doubt. I also think we should go back to the hall before our absence is noticed. From now on though Remus you are not to be alone with Harry at any time. Is that clear?�
�Yes Albus�
�Good. Shall we� Begrudgingly Severus and Remus followed Albus and Moody back to the main hall. They entered to find things much as they left them, mush to their relief.

##

Harry didn�t stop running until he came to the door of his father�s quarters
�Alchemy� He gasped and the door swung open, he went straight to his room, Dranconis was still on his bed, he shed his robe and shirt and pulled the dagger from its sheath, he bought it down across his bicep he did it again and again, he switched hands and did the same to the other arm. He went into the bathroom taking off the rest of his clothes, he got into the shower turned the water full, he sat under the spray with his back on the wall and fought to control his breathing. The pain helped the water ran red as it spiralled down the drain, he watched it in wonder loving the colour, after all he was a Gryffindor, he was supposed to like red. Fifteen minuets later he shook himself out of it, he turned the shower of and got out he wrapped a towel around his waist. He went into his trunk and pulled out a roll bloody bandages, he made a note to clean them when term started and he could use magic. He wrapped them tightly around the fresh cuts before he got dressed. He pulled his clothes back on and looked at the bed, Draconis was also covered in blood, he quickly washed it off in the sink and dried it on a towel, he put it back in it�s sheath and left the room.

##

�Excuse me sir, but do you know what happened to Harry?� Hermione had been nominated to ask as she was more likely to get an answer the headmaster looked at her
�Harry was a little tired and went to have a short nap, he�ll be back soon� Hermione nodded and went back over to Ron, Ginny, Fred and George
�He said he was sleeping and will be back soon�
�Yeah right, by the way they barrelled out of here there�s something up� Ron said
�Something�s up with whom?� Harry said as he joined them
�Never mind, we just asked what happened to you�
�Oh I was in my room� they nodded.
�So what have you guys been up to?� he continued
�Worrying about you idiot� George said as though it was obvious
�Oh right� Harry said turning red
�Harry, are you alright, I mean who took you and where and how did Snape find you and where did you get that bruise on your face?� Ginny giggled
�Umm Hermione what was the first question again?� Hermione went red
�Sorry we were just worried� Harry took a deep breath
�I was taken by a death eater to a mansion they were going to hand me to Voldemort (collective shudder) but Snape found me because one of them came down and hit me and he followed, and he apparated to the Leaky cauldron� he looked at the faces staring him at shock and grinned.
�Could you say that again?� Fred said, �you�re as bad as she is� Hermione glared
�Well that would explain the picture on the Prophet of you, Tonks, Kingsely, and Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall� she said, Harry nodded
�I�m going to get some more food� he said and then headed over the Gryffindor table that was still laden in food; Moody came and stood next to him.
�You didn�t have those when you left� he said in a low voice
�Have what?� Harry said not really paying attention, Moody growled
�Don�t play dumb boy I can see everything� Harry sighed but kept his eyes on the food;
�Yeah well, no offence but it�s not your concern�
�You�re mutilating yourself; I think I should have a word with the professors don�t you?�
�No� Harry said calmly �they would just worry and there�s no need, it�s not dangerous I know what I�m doing�
�If that was true you wouldn�t be doing it� Harry sighed and decided he didn�t care
�You know what go and tell them if you want it won�t stop me I�ll just get creative, at the moment they aren�t anywhere dangerous� and with that he left and went back to his friends.

Harry avoided Moody for the rest of the evening, he talked to his friends about the upcoming year and realised that he hadn�t even started his homework, he looked guiltily at Hermione she waved if off
�I think we can let it slip this year, but you should try and finish it before the start of term� Harry nodded and reframed from telling her that the only difference between this year and the last few had been that they had found out about it. Soon people started to leave, it was getting late and even Harry wanted to go to sleep. He looked around the room and noticed that while his father was pretending to have a conversation with Mr. Weasley he was glaring daggers a Remus across the room. Harry inwardly sighed, he still didn�t think that Remus wanted to hurt him, but that didn�t make him feel any better or cleaner. Harry wondered over to Severus and Mr. Weasley
�Hello Harry how are you feeling?� Mr Weasley said as he came nearer
�Better thank you, it was nice seeing everyone�, Harry turned his attention to the potions teacher.
�Sir, is there any chance of getting a dreamless sleep draught for tonight?� Mr. Weasley looked concerned
�Harry, you really should ask Madame Pomfrey if you need medication� Harry was about to respond but Severus beat him to it
�It�s quite alright Arthur; Madame Pomfrey�s stocks have been diminished, so she sent Harry to me rest assured she knows what he�s taking� Severus managed to keep his voice calm, when all he wanted to do was scream at the man to leave his son alone. He took a deep breath before addressing Harry
�I have some in my office, if you would like to follow me� he turned and left the hall in suitable dramatic fashion that everyone noticed. Harry said his goodnights and followed.

Severus waited at the end of the corridor for Harry, he didn�t have to wait long. Harry was walking quickly and not paying much attention, he walked straight into his father, he jumped back startled.
�You really should watch where you�re going� Harry stared at the floor
�Yes sir I know sorry� Severus put his hand under Harry�s chin, Harry tried to move away from the touch, but Severus didn�t let go, he gently lifted his sons head until he could see straight into him emerald green eyes,
�You�re not in any trouble Harry, and you don�t need to call me sir in private� he let Harry�s face go and engulfed the boy in a hug, Severus could still feel his bones through the layers of clothing, Harry was still dangerously thin. He held him for a long moment before Harry got uncomfortable and pulled away; Severus let him go without a fuss
�Come on, lets get you home� Harry nodded and followed him back to the dungeons in silence. Back in the private quarters Harry sat down in the kitchen resting his head on his hand, he was falling asleep where he sat; Severus smiled at him and received a puzzling look from his son. He waved it off, Harry obviously didn�t know how endearing he looked doing that.
�Harry, go upstairs and get ready for bed, I�ll bring the potion up to you ok?� Harry nodded gratefully and dragged himself upstairs. His trunk and belongings had appeared in the room, with what took a great effort he pulled his pyjamas free and changed, he went into the bathroom and cleaned his teeth. Slowly he crawled back into the room, just as Severus knocked
�Come in� he yawned, his father entered the room with a goblet
�Get into bed� he said placing the potion on the bedside table, Harry nodded and crawled beneath the covers, he took his glasses off and put them on the side. Severus handed him the goblet and Harry drank it, he was almost asleep before he�d finished it. Severus took the empty goblet out of his sleeping sons hand, brushing the hair away from his eyes he bent down and kissed him lightly on the forehead,
�Sleep well� he whispered and then left.

Harry woke late the next morning to the smell of toast and coffee. He smiled to himself, he was exactly where he was when he had gone to sleep, and that was definitely an improvement. He got up, noticing that he was desperately thirsty he went into the bathroom and drank several cups of water before heading into the shower. He studied his arms, he had done quite a bit of damage last night, he shrugged it off they would heal they always did. The bruise on his face was already so light it was barely noticeable, and the ones on his chest were scabbing over and not bleeding anymore, on the whole he was physically making good progress. He shut the was off and got dry, he put on a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt, both of which were several sizes too big and went downstairs for breakfast. Severus looked up as he heard the bedroom door open; Harry appeared on the stairs wearing obviously the muggle clothes his family had provided him with.
�Harry I think I�m going to have to take you shopping� Severus said looking disdainfully at what his son had on, Harry looked embarrassed
�Sorry, I wasn�t thinking, I can change out of the muggle clothes� he turned to go back up the stairs
�No, if you want to wear that it�s up to you; besides I think you could use some breakfast� Harry was stunned to say the least, he had expected to be yelled at when Severus made it clear he didn�t like what he was wearing, but he sat down at the table anyway.
�Toast?� Harry nodded and took two slices out of the pile that was offered, he was about to eat them dry when he noticed the look from his father, he glanced at the table, there was butter and several varieties of jam laying around, Harry blushed oh yeah I�m allowed to eat here he thought. Severus tried to look neutral, but inside was scratching out his last idea as to what to do to Dursley and replacing it with something much nastier. He sighed and bought up the subject of shopping again
�So Harry, did you have anything planned for the day or can I take you into Diagon alley to get some decent apparel� He shrugged
�I haven�t start my homework yet I should get on with it� Severus rolled his eyes
�Harry, do you really think that any staff member is going to be requesting homework off you?� Harry hadn�t really thought about it
�Why wouldn�t they?� He was confused, Severus ran his hands through his hair, he kept forgetting that Harry had been abused since before he started here, it was only new news to the rest of them, he released a pent up breath, trying not to let his anger resonate on to the boy
�Harry, I promise you no one is expecting you to come back here with your homework. Honestly we are just glad we will have you back at all� Severus�s gaze came to rest on the faint scar around Harry�s neck. Harry shifted uncomfortably, bringing his knees to his chest
�Oh, I hadn�t thought of it like that� he said quietly he tried to shake off the feeling of depression that was settling on him.
�Ok then yeah we could go shopping, it�s a shame I don�t know what I need for the start of term yet but never mind� Severus smirked
�Well we will just have to go back, I�m not having you wear that, I mean have you looked in the mirror?� Harry flinched, not sure if it was a rhetorical question. When Severus didn�t continue, he thought he was supposed to answer
�I don�t like mirrors� Severus was very confused
�Why not?� silence.
�Harry why don�t you like mirrors?� Harry felt a rock hit his stomach, he put down the toast he�d been eating; he noticed how dark the ring was and how heavy it suddenly felt. he looked up, but Severus was no longer sitting opposite him, Harry saw the end of his robe disappearing into the living room. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, he�d been given a reprieve but he would have to answer that question sooner or later. He was just coming up with his third idea when Severus swept back into the kitchen; He put a small shaving mirror down in front of Harry. Harry instinctively moved it away, and glanced up to see Severus looking thoughtfully at him. Harry curled his legs up tighter and suddenly found the floor incredibly interesting.
�Why do you do that?�
�Do what?�
�Move the mirror away?� Harry shrugged, Severus felt the ring on his hand becoming warm, he took a deep breath
�Harry, please you�re not in trouble and you�re safe, please tell me� Harry looked up over the top of his knees, uncertainty in his eyes
�Promise you won�t be cross?�
�I promise, Harry there is nothing you could say that would make me cross at the moment� Harry took this in and nodded;
�I�m evil� He said simply, studying the floor Severus was more then a little confused
�Evil? Harry you�re not evil why would you think that� Harry shrugged almost imperceptivity,
�I can talk to snakes, Voldemort marked me, so it makes senses, my uncle says I�m evil and sick and he doesn�t want to look at me because I look evil. I don�t want to see evil I�ve seen enough I don�t want to�� Harry couldn�t finish the sentence; he wasn�t sure when he had started crying but the pain and self loathing wrenching through his small body, Severus wrapped his arms around the trembling body, holding him to his chest
�Harry, you�re not evil it�s a lie� he grabbed the small mirror and pulled it over to Harry
�Look�
�No� he shut his eyes; Severus wasn�t going to be dissuaded that easily
�Harry look, you�re not evil, please look� Harry was beginning to calm down, he was still trembling but he took the mirror, he opened his eyes and looked at his father slowly he looked down at the mirror, he wasn�t sure what he expected to see but it wasn�t what he saw. Harry stared at his reflection; all he saw was a black haired young man, with blood shot eyes and tears on his face. He didn�t look like he was bad,
�I�m not evil?� he whispered quietly more to himself then to anyone else, Severus smiled
�No Harry you�re not evil, you�re the total opposite, trust me I�m around evil a lot I know� Harry nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes he put the mirror back on the table out of habit turned it face down. He was gaining some more courage
�If my uncle lied about that, did he lie about the other stuff too?� He asked, his voice was tinged with hope, Severus snarled
�I don�t doubt it, but what in particular?� Harry was already in a ball, but drew himself tighter, the fact he could sit like that on the kitchen chair was testament to how small he was. Severus scooped him up and took him into the living room, he sat on the couch with Harry tucked up next to him, Harry turned so he was facing the wall, and drew his knee back up, wrapping his arms around them. Severus bought his arms round his sons, without thinking he took Harry�s wrists in his hands and rubbed them between his fingers and thumbs. Harry relaxed a little leaning back against his father, Severus smiled
�Your mother liked it when people did that too� Harry nodded, Severus pushed his advantage
�What else did you fat muggle uncle tell you then?� Harry stiffened slightly, but then caved,
�He said that it was me making him do�. That to me and that everything that went wrong was my fault and I was bad and had to be punished and I was a freak who sought attention and told lies and I was lazy and should be grateful the he and Aunt Petunia took me in and were teaching me to be normal� Harry spouted out everything that he had come to believe hoping that it wasn�t true, he turned to look at Severus
�Is it true?� for the second time that hour, Severus wrapped him up in a hug and rocked him
�Not a single word� he said, deciding not even any death even the Dark Lord could think up would cause this muggle enough pain. He didn�t realise how tight he was holding Harry until he heard a muffled whimper, he let go and Harry sat up straight, his glasses had got knocked crocked.
�Are you sure?� Harry still wasn�t certain Severus took the boys shoulder struggled to reframe himself from literally trying to shake some sense into him
�Harry I doubt he has ever said an honest word in his life let alone to you. I promise you it is all a lie, and if you don�t want to believe me ask anyone� he snorted �even that damn pompous werewolf would tell you it�s all a lie� Harry nodded slowly
�Would you be cross if I asked someone else� Severus rolled his eyes
�Harry ask the whole damn school when they are back, it�s a lie� Harry looked at the floor
�Why would he do that?�
�Because he�s a sick bastard�
�I never asked to be sent there if it wasn�t my fault I was sent there why did he do that?�
�What do you mean �if� Harry? There�s no if about it you were one year old when James and Lily�.� Realisation hit Severus like a bullet
�Tell me he didn�t make you believe that was your fault?� Harry shrugged.
�I�ll kill him� Severus growled, he had never hated anyone with the intensity he hated that man.
�Right come on� Harry looked surprised
�Where are we going?�
�To the Order, you need to hear the truth from other people as well� with that he got up and led Harry back to Dumbledore�s office.

Severus gave the password and they were granted admittance, Dumbledore looked up as they entered
�Is there something I can do for you two?� He asked when Severus made no attempt to talk to the head
�Albus, can I borrow your floo link, young Harry hear needs to hear some home truths from people he trusts� Albus furrowed his brow, he didn�t like the sound of that Severus sighed his was actually going to have to elaborate.
�Albus did you know what Harry�s muggle thick headed uncle has been telling him for the past sixteen years?� Harry who was sitting in one of the overstuffed armchairs drew his legs back into his chest and shrank back into the chair, Albus studied the Harry-ball and then Severus, who was visibly fuming, he was fairly sure he needed to know what happened and was very sure he didn�t want to.
�Would you care to enlighten me?� Severus snorted; he was pacing and had barely a cap on his temper
�That pious prick has been drilling it into his head that, that he is evil he told him he looked evil so often he won�t look in the mirror, he convinced him that his abuse was entirely his fault and then he blamed Harry for that death�s of Lily and James and what�s more he�s done it so often HE BELIEVES IT!� Severus lost his control and his voice cracked at the end, Harry shrank back further and covered his ears, he didn�t like it when people shouted he normally got hit
�I�m sorry� he whispered, Severus flew over to him and grabbed his shoulders
�Stop apologising it�s not your fault you understand?� he had a firm grip on his son and shook him, unable to contain his frustration, Harry was trembling and tears were forming in his eyes
�You�re hurting me� he gasped, Severus let go instantaneously and tried to get a grip on his temper, his heart wrenched when he looked down at Harry, he was trying to be one with the chair and had shrank right into it, he looked terrified, Severus could feel his ring get warm. It was killing him to know it was he who had caused it, he looked at the headmaster
�I want to take him to the headquarters, maybe if he hears the truth enough times he�ll believe it� Albus nodded
�You may be right, might I suggest you go on ahead and inform them of the situation. Harry can stay here until you fire call me� Severus was about to argue but looked back at his son and nodded, he need to calm down. Severus stepped into the fire and was gone. Albus turned his attention back to the boy curled up opposite he was small and frightened, but this could not wait.
�Harry after the party Alastor came to see me; he was concerned that when you returned you had new wounds. How did you get hurt?� Oh shit oh shit oh shit Harry had the words swimming around his head. The old head teacher had a feeling he knew the answer
�Harry if you were using Draconis on yourself I would be obliged to take it off you for your own good� that got the boys attention
�Please don�t it�s all I have� His green eyes were pleading
�Harry did you deliberately hurt yourself?� Harry swallowed against the lump in his throat
�No�
�Harry, you have many talents, lying is not one of them� subconsciously Harry ran his hands over the gashes he had caused on his birthday.
�It was just the once� he blurted, the twinkle in the headmaster�s eyes was no longer present
�Harry I am concerned why would you do that to yourself?�
�I was scared� Harry looked up, Dumbledore wanted him to elaborate
�I was scared, I thought I was going to get lost in the fear, the pain shorts it out it calmed me down� he said quietly
�I promise it won�t happen again please don�t take Draconis� Dumbledore didn�t say anything for a long moment
�Harry I don�t think I have a choice, if you insist on causing yourself harm then��
�It won�t happen again I promise, please� he was begging him Harry didn�t care the last shreds of pride and self dignity he had were gone. Albus saw the pain in the young boys face and relented
�If it happens again I will have no choice� relief washed over Harry.
�It won�t� Dumbledore nodded as the fire place erupted Severus was standing there, he looked quizzically at the headmaster who waved him off, Severus sighed
�Come on Harry they�re waiting for you� Harry rose and followed his father through into Grimmauled place. Many members of the order were standing round, the Weasley�s had relocated and Hermione had come with them, Tonks and Kingsley were standing on one side, Harry couldn�t help noticing Mad-eye studying, trying to see if there were new injuries or not Harry thought angrily, Remus was also there looking concerned. Harry shuddered, too many people he thought, though in reality there had been more at his party, but he had been too drunk to pay much attention. Severus noticed the slight shiver in his son, he stood by his side and caught his left wrist rubbing a circular patter with his fingers, Harry calmed a little.
�Hello� he said quietly looking at all the faces, most of them smiled back
�Harry dear why don�t you go into the front room and get settled� Molly spoke gently, Harry looked at Severus who nodded and Harry left. As soon as he was out of sight Severus buried his head in his hands and took several deep breaths before looking back at the other members
�Any ideas what to do with him?� he got sympathetic looks off all of the room except Hermione who had her thinking face on, but seemed to think better of saying anything.
�Miss Granger if you know something that would help Harry please share it� Hermione looked stunned, Snape hadn�t even sneered; he seemed genuinely asking for help. She chewed the inside of her lip
�I did some research on the internet�
�Internet?�
�Yes it�s sort of a large library that contains information about anything and everything muggles use it� She took a breath and continued
�Anyway if we all go in there and try and talk to him at once he�s most likely going to curl into a ball and ignore all of us�
�He spends most of his life in a ball as it is� Severus said getting uncharacteristically impatient Hermione ignored it
�Yes, but if we talk to him on his own, or in twos he might just listen to us. He�s been told that everything was his fault for years, he�s had it drilled into him that he deserved it we�re going to need to tell him that he didn�t as many times if not more. It�s going to take time and it�s going to be hard especially when school starts� Ron gave her a puzzled looked she rolled her eyes
�Oh for Merlin�s sake Ron do you really expect the Slytherin�s to be patient and understanding, they are going to use this to hurt him every chance they get� she flushed when she saw Severus staring at her
�No offence Sir� she added quietly, Severus nodded
�I�m afraid that you are most likely quite correct Miss Granger� Severus hadn�t thought of that, his own house would be out to destroy his fragile son. Hermione continued
�Anyway, we need to get him to talk, tell what happened, how old he was what that very- soon-to-be-hexed-into-oblivion-tosser told him as a reason and then try and convince him it�s not true� Severus raised an eyebrow, he�d never heard the young witch swear before but she looked ready to kill Vernon Dursely along with everyone else in the room. Hermione shrugged.
�If you don�t mind I�d like to talk to him now� Severus nodded, Hermione indicated to Ron to come with her. Severus collapsed in the empty chair left by Ron and buried his head in his hands, when school started the shit was most definitely going to hit the fan.

Harry had curled up in an armchair and was contemplating what the headmaster had said. He didn�t want to lose Draconis but at the same time he didn�t think he could stop. If he did then the darkness would claim him. He was bought back to reality by someone saying his name. Hermione and Ron had just walked in. Hermione looked at her best friend, he was still drawing into himself, she wasn�t sure how to do this, she wasn�t a trained counsellor but he needed her, so she would try.
�Harry, do you mind if we talk to you for a bit?� She chewed her lip, if he said �yes and go away� that would be the end of it, she couldn�t force the details from him. Harry looked at her
�Sure, what do you want to talk about?� He looked from her to Ron and saw the serious expression and uncomfortable body language.
�Oh you want to talk about that� he said simply, Hermione nodded and sat on the arm of the chair, Ron not really sure what he was doing there sat on the couch and found the textured floor amazingly interesting. Hermione reached to brush Harry�s hair from his eyes but paused with her hand in mid air.
�Harry can I touch you� he was surprised she asked most people just did, he nodded but then flinched when she made contact, he looked at her sheepishly
�Sorry�
�Don�t worry. Look I know you don�t want to people about you life with the Dursley�s, but it might help you know� Harry swallowed he wouldn�t know where to start; he was still recoiling from his early reprieve.
�What do you want to know?� he said quietly, Hermione had to contain the smile that almost crossed her lips, if he talked he�d recover it was a start.
�How old were you the first time you got hit?� Harry thought about this for along time.
�I remember being hit when I was three, but it might have been before that� Ron audibly gasped;
�Three? Three years old and they hit you?� Harry was the one now finding the floor interesting;
�I did something. Magic I guess but at the time I didn�t know, and I got punished for it� hi picked a loose thread on his trousers.
�Harry mate I don�t care if you apparated them to the far side of the moon, there�s no excuse for hitting a child�� He trailed off upon receiving eyes of daggers from Hermione. Harry didn�t notice, he was truly fascinated by the loose thread Hermione took a deep breath.
�How did you feel?� Harry shrugged
�Don�t remember, in pain I guess� Hermione rolled her eyes sometimes he could be so frustratingly male.
�Did anything else happen to you?� She asked the question knowing the answer but needing to hear him say it. Harry nodded
�What?�
�They wouldn�t feed me, they locked me up� Harry was fighting the tears in his eyes, and buried his face in his knees before continuing. This was so humiliating letting them see him so weak. He felt a hand on his back, he flinched but the hand remained.
�Anything else?� Harry nodded
�You know there is, please don�t make me say it� his voice was muffled by his legs but the pain was obvious. Hermione nodded
�It�s ok Harry you don�t have to say it. Why do you think he did this to you?� Harry thought about this
�Because it was my fault, I should have had the decency to die with my freak parents� He spat the words, Hermione recognised it, he was quoting what his uncle said to him, Hermione couldn�t help herself she pulled her best friend into a hug, Harry continued through sobs
�He said I�m evil, I looked evil and I should be punished, he said no one would ever love a freak like me and I should just die and stop causing trouble� by the time he finished Hermione had wrapped her arms around his small body and was crooning at him, she glanced at Ron who was looking pale, she indicated to him that he should join them with eye movements. Ron slowly got up and went to hug his best friend Harry jumped a mile
�I�m sorry� he whispered Ron just looked at him.
�Go get Severus� Hermione said quietly to Ron, he looked relieved not to have to watch this and left the room. Severus swept in a few seconds later, followed by most of the occupants of the house, he knelt in front of his son, holding one his small wrists in his each of his hands slowly rubbing them in small circles, the methodical motion calmed Harry a lot he stopped crying and gasping and just sat there in silence. Hermione watched Severus with interest, noting the effect it had on Harry, she wondered how the potions master had found that out and filed it as useful information. Molly also noticed the gesture;
�That used to work on one Lily Evans too� She said, Severus just nodded. When Harry had calmed himself down again, Hermione continued talking to him
�Harry I know you don�t believe me or Professor Snape and probably you won�t believe anyone but it really wasn�t you fault, you have done nothing wrong. I hope in time you will trust us� Harry nodded wrapping himself tighter in a ball. He yelped in pain and glanced at Severus who was clutching his arm, they spy was unwilling to leave his son even with the Dark Lord calling. The pain got worse
�Go� Harry chocked out, Severus nodded and had apparated before he�d walked across the room. The moment he had Harry felt very vulnerable, everyone was watching him.

Severus apparated to Malfoy Manor and took his place in the circle of Death Eaters. He felt the Dark Lord�s presence before he saw him, the room got cold. Severus emptied his mind of thought fearing the safety of his son. Voldemort circled them for a few minutes; Severus kept his eyes to the ground behind his mask. Finally he stopped in front of Severus and dropped a copy of the Prophet on the floor, the photo on the front page was one taken in the Leaky Cauldron of Harry as he was entering the floo network. Severus silently thanked which ever God had prevented him from being seen in the photo too.
�Severus, why were we not informed of the boy�s return�
�My Lord, Dumbledore suspected me of taking the boy, he has had me guarded ever since� It wasn�t whole lie, Voldemort stared at him for a long moment but seemed to buy it,
�Very well but a guarded spy is of no used to me� he hissed Severus winced.
�Who took the boy then?�
�I know not my Lord I have not had the opportunity to see him myself but there are rumour that he has not spoken since his return�
�Is the report correct?� Severus was surprised that the Dark Lord was enquiring after Harry
�Yes my Lord it seemed to be� Voldemort chuckled
�Very well I believe we should pay these muggles a visit as a good will gesture� Severus felt nauseous
�My Lord?� Voldemort sneered
�We will seek retribution upon those who would harm a wizard child and then you Severus my dear servant will bring the boy here. He will join us, or he will die� Severus was very grateful for the mask which hid the look he knew was on his face. Voldemort glided off, he stopped in front of Lucius
�You did not find the boy in his weakened state� Lucius cringed
�My Lord we tried�� he was cut off
�CRUCIO!� Lucius screamed as the curse hit home, he lay on the floor writhing in agony for ten minutes before it was lifted. The Dark Lord sneered at him
�I will not tolerate failure� and with that stormed out the room signalling the end of the meeting. One by one the Death Eaters disappeared, Lucius lay on the floor gasping Severus walked over to him and handed him a potion
�Drink this it will help� the Death Eater complied, Severus left without another word he needed to talk to Dumbledore, and he wanted to see his son.

Harry was dimly aware of the tears on his face, he also had the vague notion he wasn�t alone, he had been watching through Voldemort's eyes, he wanted to make sure his father was not hurt. He bucked in pain as he felt the crucio along with its victim, but the meeting had ended and the pain was subsiding. He opened his eyes to see Bill and Charlie holding him down, he felt weight on his legs, he looked up to see Mad-Eye and Kingsely were also pinning him to the floor. They won�t hurt you they won�t hurt you he forced himself to chant it silently until the panic left him enough to talk
�Let go� he gasped, they all complied he drew himself painfully into a ball still not free of the after effects of the curse.
�Harry what happened?�
�He used crucio� he said between gasps. He felt a hand on his back and flinched violently, bolting to the corner of the room. Hermione looked pained at his reaction, but his brain wasn�t functioning too well. Molly walked slowly up to him she took hold of his wrists and rubbed soothing circles on them as Severus had done. Harry�s brain began to work again How did everyone know that worked I didn�t. Severus reappeared, he looked round the room and panic, he had expected to see Harry still in the chair where he left him, he saw everyone staring at a dark corner, and made out Harry, looking terrified again. Severus felt his heart wrench, he didn�t care if he had to explain later all that mattered was that look on his sons face. He strode over and pulled the boy into a hug much to the amazement of the younger Weasley�s and Hermione, they looked even more shocked that Harry didn�t protest.
�What happened?� Severus addressed Molly, keeping Harry against him
�He saw the meeting, then he started screaming, I guess that was when you-know-who used Crucio� Severus pulled the shaking boy tighter. Harry was losing the battle to stay upright, he leant heavily on his father until Severus coaxed him to the sofa. Harry curled into a tight ball at one end and closed his eyes. Severus noticed the looked he was getting off the younger members in the room. He was going to need to explain, but he didn�t have the energy, at that moment in time all he wanted was to take his son home and have a nice long hot shower. He glanced over at Harry, he was asleep with his head on his knees. Sighing, he didn�t want to move the boy it would wake him.
�Molly can you call Albus please� he said quietly. Molly nodded and disappeared, most of the others stayed in the room gawping at him.
�Look I know you don�t understand but it is important for Harry�s safety let alone his sanity that you don�t speak of this at school. Understand?� they nodded. Molly returned a few minutes later with Albus.
�Children please leave� They were about to protest but Severus cut them off
�Get out now� he sneered, they were all terrified of the potions master and scrambled out the room. Albus looked concerned
�What happened Severus�
�The Cliffnotes version is he plans to kill the Dursley�s as a good will gesture to attempt to persuade Harry to join him, if Harry refuse he will kill him� Albus nodded
�How does he plan to capture Harry� Severus laughed mirthlessly
�He wants me to bring him� Severus stole another look at his sleeping child, he had no intentions of handing any thing as innocent as Harry over to darkness.
�What do you suggest we do Albus?� there was silence.
�We should save them� all in the room turned in surprise, it was Harry who had spoken, he was staring at the floor, not wanting to see the looks on their faces.
�You are the last person I thought I would hear advocating their protection� Harry swallowed hard
�If Voldemort can�t kill them, then he has no leverage. He can�t use it as a bargaining tool� Harry didn�t know what else to do, he hated his uncle but he couldn�t bring himself to let the family die. He didn�t look at the people in the room he expected them to shout at him and call him names throw him out.
�I don�t think I have ever been as proud of anyone in my life� Albus spoke softly Harry was stunned he met the old man�s eyes they were shining at him, he slowly looked round the room, most of the order was there, looking at him with respect, admiration and some in awe. Finally he looked at his father, he too was staring at him and like the headmaster pride radiated off him, Harry broke the silence;
�I�m not evil� it was barely a whisper but it was a statement not a question, Severus pulled him closer and enveloped him in a hug, amazed that someone that young could go through so much pain, hurt and suffering and still remain so pure. The members left, not wanting to intrude on the private moment. Severus let Harry go after several minutes and smiled the boy was still sitting in a ball but there was hope again.
�Come on Uriel, let�s get some food� Harry looked puzzled
�Uriel?�
�Yeah, it means angel of light in Hebrew� he stroked his sons hair out of his eyes before leading them back into the kitchen, the table was set with over 15 places, Molly with help from the twins was preparing the meal. There was an explosion in the kitchen
�OH FOR MERLIN�S SAKE YOU TWO STOP LEAVING THOSE THINGS LYING AROUND� the twins had the grace to look sheepish before collecting the rest of the exploding wands up and putting them out of the way, Harry smirked. A loud crash emanated from the hallway. Molly sighed in exasperation
�Nymphadora Tonks you are as much help as those two� she indicated to the twins who were trying and failing to look as though they weren�t up to something,
�Kindly sit in the dinning room and don�t touch anything� Tonks ambled into the room Harry had to smile, she had morphed into a small girl with pigtails and sat on the char with a petulant
�Yes mother� Molly rolled her eyes, Tonks grinned at Harry before screwing up her face and turning back to her usual form with spiky green hair. Harry sat next to her; out of the order Tonks was the one who hadn�t really changed her behaviour towards him. She looked at him.
�Harry.� She said in a very serious voice, Harry inwardly sighed and got ready to correct that statement.
�Yes?� He said
�Do you think green�s my colour?� Harry grinned, maybe not then. He looked at her critically for a few moments
�I�m sorry Tonks� he said with melodrama
�Green is definitely not your colour. I hope you can find the will to go on� Harry said with false grief, for her part was doing a good impression of a dying swan bringing a hand to her heart and the other on her forehead
�The tragedy� she said through false sobs Harry was patting her on the head and pretending to dab a tear from his eye. The little scene had made Hermione and Ginny reduce to giggle wrecks, the twins were doubled over laughing. Severus tried to look stern and sneer at the whole thing, this just pulled a laugh from Harry and Ron too, he gave up and just shook his head. Secretly he was pleased, it was possibly the first time ever he had heard his son laugh; he went into the kitchen to help Molly, as the twins were indisposed.

Dinner was produced about an hour later, Harry sat with Tonks in one side and Ron on the other, Severus was opposite him. He was about to start eating when a goblet was shoved under his nose. He sighed, he didn�t even see who gave it to him that time but he drank it anyway. Everyone was chatting contentedly the show Harry and Tonks had put on had put most people in a good mood, especially when she pretended to faint. Harry ate a few mouthfuls of the food in front of him, but he wasn�t really hungry he was still anxious about the Dursley�s he hoped he wouldn�t have to see them again, he started to push the food round his plate. He wasn�t paying attention to the conversation, his mind was wondering and he didn�t hear someone call his name until Tonks poked him, he started and looked at her questioningly
�Severus wants you� She said grinning, her hair was back to bubble gum pink, she seemed to like that colour. Harry turned his attention to his father;
�Sorry I was miles away� Severus smirked
�That was very apparent� Harry shrugged
�Harry you need to eat more� Harry looked down at his plate; he�d eaten less then a third of the food.
�I�m not hungry�
�Harry please try, you really don�t eat enough� Ron was now giving them both confused looks, since when did the greasy git give a damn about how much Harry ate. Harry sighed, and looked at Ron
�Long story will explain later I promi�� he didn�t finish the sentence, his head burnt he clamped his hands to his forehead and chocked back a scream. Severus panic, as the boy started to fall
�HARRY� he shouted getting everyone�s attention, he move towards his son, Tonks caught him first, even she could lift him with ease, he was started to convulse, they dragged him over to a clear patch of floor and tried to hold him from doing more damage to himself. His arms were thrashing wildly. Harry couldn�t take the pain anymore and screamed he saw what was happening, he knew he couldn�t stop it. He forced his mind to go blank trying to push the images away, the wall around his mind went up slowly, he became aware of being restrained again and gasping, he hear someone chanting
�Fuck fuck fuck fuck� and took some time to realise it was him. He gasped and opened his eyes, his head was in his fathers lap, various order members were holding him down the rest were gathered round he looked around until he saw Dumbledore
�The wards won�t last the hour� he chocked before surrendering to the darkness. Severus lifted Harry onto the couch. The order had gone into immediate action apparating to Private Drive praying they weren�t too late.

Severus bent down and kissed his sons forehead, he turned to see the startled looks of those too young too fight, he glared at each one in turn
�Take care of my son� he said and with that he too apparated. Ron turned to look at Hermione
�Did he just say Harry was his son� Hermione didn�t respond she was very pale.

##

Severus arrived in the middle of the battle, he didn�t care if he was caught as a traitor or not he needed to protect his son and to do that he had to protect these muggles. Death Eaters were throwing all they had at the wards, the order were hexing the Death Eaters, he saw the twins working as a tag team, one would hex the other would breathe the result was a continuous stream of Petrificus Totalus�, Stupefy�s and array of hex�s it was quite impressive.
�Severus!� Albus called him over
�What Albus� he said in between hex�s
�Get inside and get the out the wards will not hold much longer� Severus turned and barrelled into the house, there was an argument going on upstairs, he followed the sound, Vernon was trying to throttle his son, but Dudley was big enough and ugly enough to prevent
�It�s all your fault!� Dudley was shouting, Petunia was sitting stunned on the bed.
�Shut up you stupid boy you don�t know what you�re talking about!�
�It�s your fault if you just left him alone they wouldn�t be here now!� Severus guessed the �him� in question was Harry. He pushed the door open, three frightened faces looked at him.
�Severus� Petunia whispered from under her breath. Vernon was livid
�You know him!�
�Of course I do Lily bought him to meet us� she snapped. Severus glared at all of them stopping further comment
�Get up� he sneered pulling the portkey from his pocket Petunia obeyed he pushed init into her hand and glared at Dudley
�Touch it� too afraid to argue Dudley did what he was told. Severus put his wand to the portkey
�Escape� they both disappeared as the wards came crashing down.

##

Harry regained consciousness in time to hear Ron ask Hermione about Severus. He looked to see how his other best friend was holding up, she was pale. Not taking it well then he thought glumly. Ginny was the first to notice he was awake, she too looked shocked.
�Is it true Harry?� the other two heads whipped round so fast he thought they might have whiplash, all attention was back on him. He hated it and pulled himself up into a ball.
�Harry? Please answer� Hermione moved to the arm of the chair. Harry just nodded, and sighed waiting for hell to break loose he was very surprised when it didn�t.
�When did you find out?�
�After he took me from the Burrow�
�Snape took you?� Ron was outraged, Harry winced he forgot that wasn�t common knowledge
�Yeah please don�t be mad Ron, he was worried�
�About what?� Ron was seething
�He didn�t think it was safe� as soon as the words escaped his mouth he regretted them
�WHAT?� Ron completely flew off the handle
�OF COURSE YOU WERE SAFE! YOU WERE PROTECTED BY DUMBLEDORE AND WE WERE THERE!�
�It didn�t stop him getting me though didn�t it?�
�Well if he hadn�t left the wards off then we would have known� Ginny also didn�t look to pleased that Snape thought her home wasn�t safe.
�Look Ron, Ginny please don�t� Harry hated people shouting, he normally got hit when people were shouting. He drew himself tighter. Hermione took control.
�What weren�t you safe from?� she said quietly
�Obviously that slimly git doesn�t think we could stop his muggle relatives, and Dumbledore�s wards weren�t good enough� Ron spat
�It wasn�t them, there was someone else� Harry said,
�Who?� Ron looked disbelieving
�Me� the answer came from the doorway.

##

Severus glared at Vernon
�I think I owe you for taking care of my son� he spat, the fat man looked very scared.
�Now look h-here this is my house..�
�Not for much longer� Severus sneered he point his wand at the man�s head
�You hurt my boy, you sadistic bastard. Seeing you like pain so much have his� before Vernon could process what was going on Snape acted
�Legilimens!� he ploughed into his mind and pushed all the memories he took from Harry into him all the pain, hate, disgust and self-loathing the boy felt was forced on to the man who caused it� Vernon curled up in a ball and started to cry. Snape wasn�t finished
�CRUCIO!� the man screamed as the curse hit, Severus stalked up to the ball and kicked him.
�Never ever hurt my son again� he punctuated each word with a kick. His breather was ragged by the time he finished. Vernon was unconscious. Someone in the doorway was clapping, he turned to see Lucius standing there enjoying the show. Severus paled; his cover had just been blown. Lucius looked from the ball on the floor to Severus
�He deserved it� Severus spied the Death Eater wearily
�I think that was one thing the entire of our world would agree on�
�I must say you�re very restrained� Lucius drawled, Severus raised an eyebrow.
�What would you know about it?� Lucius looked at him with a sudden intensity
�I know when I found one of the lower ranks on Draco, I killed him without thinking what the Dark Lord�s punishment would be.� Severus surveyed the man,
�Someone raped my godson�
�No. Someone tried� Severus glared back at the fat man and then at Lucius
�What are you going to do?� the blonde man smirked
�I am going to close the door and announce to the Death Eaters that the boy and woman escaped but the tormentor met his just rewards� Severus nodded Lucius continued
�And then I am going to report to the Dark Lord that I saw no one here that could possibly be his spy� Severus gawped at him
�Why?�
�Because you were the one who helped me at the meetings and because I will need your favour� Severus was suspicious
�Favour?�
�Yes, to prevent Draco from taking the Dark Mark� with that the man closed the door and left. Severus turned his attention back to Vernon Dursley
�Avada Kedavra� green light exploded from his wand and killed the unconscious man. He turned to leave the room as Kingsley opened the door.

##

�You? Why would he need protecting from you?� Ron sounded incredulous; Remus took a breath and entered the room. He sat down next to Harry who pulled further into the arm of the chair.
�He doesn�t need protection from me, I�m afraid I scared Harry� he looked kindly at the boy who was trying to edge away. Hermione, placed herself between Harry and Remus taking hold of Harry�s wrist mimicking the gesture she saw Snape and Mrs. Weasley used, and was surprised to have a similar effect.
�Forgive me Professor, but Harry seems uncomfortable around you, do you mind talking to Ron and Ginny outside?� She was polite as she could manage but she was not going to let this man intimidate her already timid friend. Remus nodded and left, Ron and Ginny stormed out after him. Once they were gone Hermione turned her attention back to Harry.
�Harry, its ok he�s gone. Please look at me� Harry did, Hermione was still holding his wrist, her touch made him feel better. She looked straight into his piercing emerald eyes,
�Harry I know you won�t tell me what�s going on, that�s ok all I need to know is one thing, is there a reason why you�re weary of Professor Lupin?� Harry looked back at her and nodded. She smiled,
�Then I guess Professor Snape was right to take you� Harry felt relief wash over him.
�What about Ron?�
�Don�t worry I�ll deal with him� a shout in the kitchen got their attention, they bolted in wands at the ready to see Aunt Petunia and Dudley standing in the middle of the room, Harry went white and bolted, he was out the door before anyone could think of stopping him.

##

Kingsley looked behind Severus to the body in the corner
�Is he dead?�
�Yes. Very dead� Severus placed his stoic mask on his face praying that Albus would be able to keep him from Azkaban a second time;
�Shame I would have like to help� Severus raised and eyebrow
�They don�t teach you that in auror training� Kingsley shrugged
�Where are the others?�
�Back at headquarters, Kingsley nodded, we better get back to, we�re about to lose� Severus nodded, they walked out into the raging battle, upon seeing their return Dumbledore gave the word and the order apparated back to the Headquarters seconds before the dark mark scorched the sky.

##

Petunia looked like she was going to faint, Dudley just looked sick
�W-where are we?�
�You�re safe� Remus spat looking at the door,
�I�m going after Harry� he said to Hermione but she was already blocking his path
�No you�re not, you are going to stay here with them, I�ll get Harry, he�s not scared of me� she spat before turning and bellowing out the door, Ron had calmed a little
�She�s almost as good as Snape at that� he observed. At that moment the rest of the order started to arrive in the room, they all looked weary, but the some number that went returned, Tonks misjudged and apparated onto the back of a chair which promptly fell over taking her with it. Kingsley and a few other members sniggered as Severus helped her up.
�Where�s Harry?� said looking around the crowded room,
�He took one look at them and bolted� Remus growled
�AND YOU LET HIM GO!!� Severus was angry and scared,
�I didn�t let him I couldn�t stop him, Hermione has gone after him� Severus rounded on the werewolf and hit him straight across the jaw knocking him to the floor
�If anything happens to him I will hold you accountable� he bellowed out the door everyone watched him go. Remus picked himself up as no one seemed inclined to help him. Albus tried to regain control.
�Yes well now to our�. Guests� his voice was calm but lacked it�s usual warmth.
�Where�s my husband?� Petunia asked still in a daze.
�Dead� Kingsley replied, she nodded taking this is.
�This is all that wretched child�s doing isn�t it� she sneered Dudley paled again, insulting Harry when surrounded by his friends did not seem wise.
�If it wasn�t for that child we would not have known what was happening and you would have DIED WITH THAT BASTARD OF A HUSBAND!� Molly lost her control with the woman,
�HOW COULD YOU STAND BY AND LET HIM DO THAT? HARRY�S JUST A BOY AND HE TORTURED HIM!� Petunia looked genuinely confused
�Tortured, he was never tortured�
�She doesn�t know� Dudley said quietly before anyone could interrupt
�What? What don�t I know?� Dudley looked at the ground for a long moment
�Dad, he hurts, hurt Harry�
�Your father had nothing to do with the boy� Petunia snorted glaring at her son.
�I take it you do know though Dudley� Albus said still in a cold voice, Dudley nodded
�He�s said I�d join him if I said anything� his mother was looking completely puzzled
�Join him where what�s going on?� Albus sighed
�Perhaps you better sit down�

##

Severus saw Hermione at the back of an alley as he turned out of the street. He stalked up to her, she flinched when he tapped her shoulder he never made a sound
�He�s in there and won�t come out� she pointed to a small gap in the bottom of the wall, Severus could hear quiet crying.
�Ok thank you Miss Granger, please will you wait over there� he pointed to a large dumpster half way down the alley she nodded realising that Severus he a better chance of coaxing Harry out of hiding then she did. Severus sighed, he had no idea how his son squeezed through the hole but somehow he had.
�Harry you in there?� something moved, in the darkness
�Lumos� Severus muttered, he wand lit the hole and in the dark he could see two emerald eyes staring back at him.
�Harry, I�m sorry we didn�t get back first, but I promise they won�t hurt you� Harry didn�t move, Severus glanced at the ring he wore, it was dark grey he sighed
�Harry I�m going to talk to Miss Granger ok, I�ll only be ten feet away please shout if you need me� He rose, and walked over to Hermione
�Miss Granger will you be ok to walk back on your own this could take some�� he was going to say �time� but Harry had appeared next to him
�Promise?� he said quietly
�Promise what Harry?�
�They won�t hurt me?�
�Yes I can promise you that� Harry nodded, Severus took hold of his wrist and began to walk out of the alley, out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione doing the same thing.

They arrived back at the house just as Dumbledore had finished filling Petunia in on what her husband had done to Harry. As they opened the kitchen door all eyes were on them, Petunia stared at him
�I didn�t know� she said Harry nodded, he watched her as her gaze dropped to his neck, he decided that roll neck sweater might be a good idea, Dudley stared at him, he didn�t look as bad, after all he knew most of it.
�You didn�t tell them� he said suddenly Harry swallowed
�No I didn�t tell them, they don�t need to know�
�Know what?� Remus sat up straighter looking from one boy to the other Dudley looked around the room
�Please don�t� Harry�s voice was trembling.
�Please do� Albus said kindly. Dudley swallowed hard,
�When dad had dinner parties with important people he used to lock Harry upstairs�
�Please Dudley don�t tell them� Harry was shaking, Dudley just looked at him remorsefully
�After dinner mum would take the ladies off while dad would discuss business, he want me there to escort any of the men who want to use the toy� Harry slid down the wall, most people in the room were still not too sure what this had to do with Harry. Albus had an idea but hoped he was wrong
�What was the toy?� Dudley swallowed
�Harry� he said quietly there was a collective gasp, Petunia grabbed her son
�Please tell me your lying say this is some sick joke� Dudley looked at his mother
�He want me there to escort the men, he gave me the whip thing and told me to use it if Harry didn�t behave. He said if I didn�t he�d use both of us� Dudley was deathly white, fighting the tears.
�How many times did this happen� Severus snarled wishing he could bring the man back to life just to kill him again
�I lost count. A lot� he knelt by his son
�Harry why didn�t you tell me?� Harry didn�t respond, he was even shaking anymore,
�Harry?� Severus said he gently lifted his sons head up, his eyes which had been so bright and alive were dull, their normal passion was gone leaving a lifeless glaze. Severus looked at the ring he wore; it was back to its original silver, he grabbed Harry�s hand, he was still wearing his but it too was plain silver.
�Harry come back to me don�t do this not now� he was getting panicked, he looked round the room his eyes fixing with Dumbledore�s
�Help him, please help him�

Severus was functioning on auto pilot, after several attempts at bringing Harry out of his catatonic state at the house they had left for Hogwarts. Severus carried his child through the school in a daze; he couldn�t feel anything but sheer blind panic, he�d only just got him back he couldn�t lose him again not now. Instead of taking him to the infirmary, he took him back to his quarters. He lovingly placed his son on his bed, fighting the tears that threatened him; he was so cold he didn�t react to anything. Severus put him in the bed and went to sit in the chair by the desk, Poppy would be along shortly to check on him.

The mist swirled round him he could hear the voices, and he did feel the spells that someone use to try and bring him back, the problem was he didn�t want to go back it was safe here. He couldn�t feel here he�d escaped he just needed a minute to compose himself. It was quiet, he like the quiet no one asked him questions he didn�t want to answer. There was no pain in the mist, he sat and watched it swirl around him. He had already decided to go back but he just wanted a little long to enjoy the peace. He�d go back in a bit.

Two days past and Harry didn�t move nor speak, people came and went from his bedside, his father remained, no one could convince him to leave his sons side. He just sat there in silence praying to all Gods to bring his son back.

He wasn�t alone he felt it he looked through the mist,
�Sirius!� he ran to his godfather and hugged him �What are you doing here?�
�I�m here to talk to you Harry, you need to go back�
�I don�t want to�
�I know� he stroked his hair away from his face
�It�s safe here�
�Harry please I know you�re in pain, but go back to them it�s going to be hard but in time you�ll get through it I promise� Harry felt the tears on his face
�I want to stay with you�
�You can�t. Please go� Harry nodded Sirius smiled
�I love you�
�I love you too� and then he was gone, the mist started to clear, colours came into focus.

Three days, he didn�t want to give up on his son but he had barely blinked in that time. He sat on the bed and looked at him, did his eyes just change? He saw a flicker, but it was gone, he sighed perhaps it was his imagination. But then again it was back, the lifeless glaze began to lift, as he watched the bright eyes of his son came back Harry turned to look at him. Severus pulled the boy into a hug and held him, unwilling to let him go.

After a long moment Severus let Harry, he placed his hands on his shoulders and looked into the emerald eyes
�Are you ok?� Harry nodded, Severus was not convinced,
�Come on we�re going to see Poppy� Severus rose from the bed and led the way out of the dungeons, Harry followed him, keeping several paces behind him.

When they arrived the infirmary was deserted, Severus pointed to a bed,
�Wait there� Harry stood by the bed not wanting to sit back down, he had done as his godfather asked, he didn�t have to like it. Poppy bustled in and started to check Harry over, Severus fire called Dumbledore to inform him on Harry�s progress. She was just finishing when Severus returned.
�Well he seems fine Severus, but he needs a good feed. Again.� She muttered before leaving them, Severus eyed his son
�Are you hungry?� Harry shook his head, Severus sighed
�Harry you haven�t eaten for three days, you must want food� Harry stared back at him. The silence was beginning to unnerve Severus.
�Are you going to say anything?� Harry was finding the floor fascinating; Severus was getting a little concerned.
�Please say something. Anything, jump up and down and shout at the unfairness hex me to hell and beyond but don�t just gaze at the floor� Harry looked up from the floor to Severus and still didn�t utter a word. A lump formed in Severus� throat could his past state lead to a form of amnesia, had his son forgotten how to talk? He grabbed Harry by the hand and without a second thought headed for the headmaster�s office with the intention of flooing to Grimmauld place and getting help.
�Harry first we�re going to the Order� Harry took the floo powder and stepped into the fire, and glared at Severus. Severus rolled his eyes right he�s not talking. He took a handful of the powder threw it Harry and shouted
�12 Grimmauld Place� at it, to his relief Harry vanished; he stepped into the fire and followed.

Harry stumbled out the fire at the other end; Molly and Hermione were in the kitchen and bustled in
�Harry it�s good to see you up and about have a seat� Harry wasn�t given much of a choice as he was steered by the shoulders to the table. A large bowl of soup was deposited in front of him. Harry poked a croton with the spoon but didn�t eat any. Severus appeared a few moments later,
�Where�s Albus?�
�He�s talking to Mad-eye in the living room why?� Severus turned and stalked out without another word. Hermione watched the path Snape took and shook her head
�Does he have any other tricks that one is getting old� Harry smirked into the soup. Ron appeared at the door,
�Harry you�re back!� Harry raised an eyebrow
�Ron it is amazing how you feel the need to state the painfully obvious� Hermione huffed before sitting down next to Harry,
�You really should eat you know� Harry shrugged, Ron came and sat on his other side and an uncomfortable silence settled, on them. Finally couldn�t take it
�I�m going to help Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen� she said before leaving in a cloud of fabric which would have made Snape proud,
�Me too� muttered Ron and scooted out after her. Harry found himself alone in the dining room with no one between him and the front door.

##

Severus stalked through the door to Albus
�Ah, good news about Harry�
�Not exactly, there�s a problem� the twinkle in Dumbledore�s eye dulled a little
�What�s the problem?�
�He won�t speak it�s almost like he�s forgotten how� Albus thought about this for a moment,
�There have been cases that a child exposed to a severe trauma refuse to talk. Give him time Severus he needs to heal� the conversation was cut short by alarms sounding throughout the house.

##

Harry got up and glanced through to door leading to the kitchen, Ron Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were engrossed in cooking, he quietly snuck into the hall, it was empty he snuck up to the front door, it clicked off the latch making minimal noise, he snuck out the door, just before the door slid shut he thought well that was easy the door clicked home and a series of very loud alarms went off. Fuck not so easy then he bolted back to the alley that he hid in last time; he rounded the corner just as the order started piling into the green.

##

Harry scooted back to the hole he hid in; it was ten inches wide, he cleared his mind and slowly took form,
�HARRY DON�T!� as before Hermione was in time to catch the end of the transformation, but not in time to stop him. By the time she reached the hole he was already out of site, he wasn�t hiding this time he was running. Hermione shouted for help, Severus was the nearest thinking like Hermione he would go back to his old hiding place, he skidded to a halt by her.
�Is he in there?� he kicked the hole.
�No, I�m shouting at the wall for my health� she snapped
�How it�s barely a foot across�
�He changed and slithered away� Severus� head snapped round so fast he almost had whiplash
�He what?!� Hermione flushed
�He�s an Animagus� Severus took this in
�And slithered� Hermione rolled her eyes
�He�s a snake�
�A snake!?�
�Yes a cobra� Severus was stunned
�Are you sure it was him?�
�Well, lets see I saw him change and then there was a cobra rearing at me and I don�t know about you but I haven�t seen a cobra on the streets of London for quite a long time�
�Don�t get sassy with me girl� he snarled before shining his wand through the gap, Hermione crossed in irritation
�He�s long gone now Professor� she sneered before storming out the alley, her cape billowing behind her, Snape raised an eyebrow, apparently he had more of an effect on the girl then he thought.

##

Harry didn�t stop he kept going out the other side of the alley, he looked around, his lowered height warped his sense of perception, he saw a door open, it was dark on the other side, he snuck in before thinking of what he was doing. He found himself in a large muggle club, it was daytime and so there were only a few members of staff milling around, Harry found a small dark corner coiled up and went to sleep. He was woken half an hour later be panicked screaming.
�SHIT! There�s a fucking snake in here� Harry sat up, forgetting he was still in his snake form, causing the women to yelp louder.
�That�s enough Elizabeth� a voice snapped, from behind her. A new woman came into sight and glanced at him. The new women sighed
�Go get Kirsty and leave, lock the door behind you, you can come back in two hours and finish setting up� when the first woman didn�t move the new one became irritated
�Now would be good� she snapped, the woman nodded and left. Harry heard hushed voices and a door click. He was left alone with the women giving the orders. She sat down on a chair by the nearest table, Harry could see her properly, she was tall, slender and was wearing leather trousers and a top that proclaimed �I FRY CATS� written in the correction fluid Harry used at primary school, her hair was long and purple at the front and green at the back. She studied him from a minute;
~You can come out now little one I won�t hurt you~ Harry was surprise she could speak parseltongue he slithered towards her, up the table leg so he was at eye level with her. He calmed a bit, he thought he was going to die when he had been discovered. Unbeknownst to Harry as he did his colour went from pure black to dark grey, the women raised an eyebrow
~Wizard�s should know better then to come near muggles~
~How did you know I was a wizard~ Harry hissed back she smiled;
~you change colour~ Harry took this in the mood ring, it must be causing it. He looked at her
~Who are you?~ he hissed
~I�m Outkast~ she said, Harry sat up to look at her better, this action caused his snake body to rear up, his hood opened, revealing a disjoint lightening bolt across his scales. She rolled her eyes
~no need to ask who you are Harry Potter~ Harry was speechless. She ran her had through the multicoloured shoulder length hair.
~come with me I�ll take you somewhere safe~ she put her arm out, Harry coiled round it, he felt her warmth and found it oddly reassuring, she rose from the desk and left the main club, out in the offices she went up a small staircase. She paused briefly to open a door and let them into a large studio apartment. She went over to a round pine table and Harry got off her.
~You�ve gone green~ she laughed, Bloody ring Harry thought. She looked tiredly at him, ~are you going to change back or are you enjoying the view of my cleavage?~ Harry went purple Outkast laughed again
~well I can guess what that colour means~. Sheepishly crawled down a table leg to the floor before taking human form again.

Once Harry had turned back into human form he felt Outkast�s scrutiny, she circled him and raised an eyebrow
�Well you�re not what I expected� she said, she shrugged and headed for the kitchen
�In the words of the Great Albus Dumbledore; Tea?� Harry nodded
�You�re a witch?� He said suddenly
�No I�m a moose� she said deadpan, Harry grinned. She finished making the tea and handed him a cup waving her hand in the general direction of a worktop
�Sugar is over there� Harry went over and helped himself. Outkast curled into a chair she indicated for Harry to join her. As he did he noticed a tank by the television, inside was a small black, red and gold snake just under a meter long
~Tell your guest not to ssssstare~ it hissed angrily at Outkast, Harry blushed
~Sorry, I didn�t realise I was staring. What is your name~
~SSSalem~ it his rather irritably, Harry looked at Outkast quizzically
�I have a warped sense of humour� she winked at him. Harry laughed and sat back down
�So what were you doing in my club aside from terrifying my staff?� Harry stared at the floor
�That bad huh?� She said ruefully, Harry sighed
�Worse� he looked around,
�Nice place, just out of interest why are you living as a muggle?�
�Ah diversion tactics, I know them well ok I�ll bite � I got bored�
�Bored with what?�
�The wizarding world, all that prophecies, spell, bonds and all that crap� Harry was surprised,
�Funny I always found the wizarding life more interesting� Outkast raised an eyebrow
�Clearly you have had a very sheltered life� Harry stared at her blankly
�Why are you called Outkast?� She rolled her eyes
�Ok, you have a brain use it. I live as a muggle severing all contact with the wizarding worlds using as little magic as possible, why do you think I�m called Outkast�
�Oh� was about the only thins he could say, he started to draw himself into a ball. Outkast nodded understandingly
�Well that explains why you�re here� she said casually, Harry looked puzzled, she ignored it
�So what was it? Physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, verbal?�
�E � all of the above� Harry said surprising himself � he had never told a soul ever and in the space of an hour he had told a complete stranger all of it. She nodded again
�Ain�t life a bitch?� with that she wondered back to the kitchen and stuck the cups into the dishwasher before kicking it shut.
�Ok Mr. Potter you can either stay here for up to week or you can go back to Albus� Harry didn�t know what surprised him the most, that she offered him a week�s reprieve or that offered him just a week.
�Why a week�
�A number of reasons, one � school will start soon, 2- people will worry and three- locator spells will break my wards in a week� Harry�s eyes went wide
�Does that mean that Voldemort will be able to find me?�
�In a week yes, but don�t worry he won�t attack�
�Why not?� Outkast rolled her eyes
�You really don�t know who I am do you?� Harry shook his head, she sighed
�Ok firstly promise me that you won�t leg-it until I have finished� Harry nodded
�Secondly if you do leg-it you�ll head straight for Albus� once again Harry nodded, but he couldn�t anything she could say to make him want to leave
�Ok have a seat Harry� Harry sat at the table, Outkast sat next to him, she took a deep breath
�Right, my birth name is unsurprisingly not Outkast� Harry nodded he�d got that far on his own
�It�s Ayesha Riddle� she said, Harry�s eyes went wide
�Riddle? As in Tom?� she nodded
�Yeah that would be my dickweed of a twin� if it was possible Harry�s eyes got even went wider
�But he�s old and you�re�� not� he finished lamely, Outkast laughed
�Yep I�m physically 25, I found that I liked being that age and stopped� she shrugged
�Anyhoos when Tom started his whole I-want-to-rule-the-world obsession he asked me to join him�
�But you didn�t� Outkast shook her head
�I told him to shove his wand up his ass and his dick in a lawnmower� Harry smirked
�Needless to say he was none too impressed with me and once he had gathered a few minions/followers/toys/cannon fodder he had me dragged in front of him and tried to force the issue. But my power is as strong as his and it didn�t work, well not exactly, instead of the Dark Mark mine was white� She pulled her sleeve up revealing her left fore arm, sure enough the familiar snake and skull where there and white. Outkast continued
�I knew that our power was the same and we could fight to the end of time without either of us making any headway, so we didn�t fight but every time I get wind of his little gathers I tend to� gatecrash�
�Gatecrash?�
�Yup gatecrash� Harry nodded wondering what that meant
�Right I think that�s all you I need to explain so are you staying?� Harry nodded
�Fairy Snuff� she said walking over to a door and pushing it open
�Behold the wonder of the guest bedroom. Go to bed it�s going to be a long night� she said mischievously. Harry went into the room and flopped onto bed I wonder what that�s all about he thought before falling asleep. He didn�t notice Outkast standing in the doorway uttering protections spells, nor when he woke hours later from a relaxing dream did he know it was because she was holding the nightmares away.

Harry woke that evening to an exotic aroma, he opened the door to see Outkast smiling from the kitchen
�Hey, you hungry?� Harry nodded sleepily, and went into the kitchen and sat at the table, a few moments later a plate was put in front of him, it was fill with a rice and some sort of chicken curry, the kitchen didn�t looked used
�I thought you didn�t use magic?� he said questioningly looking at the food
�I don�t I phoned the magic curry house in the sky. Eat up you�re going to need your strength� Harry said nothing more and tucked in. About an hour later and feeling rather full Harry pushed his plated away
�I�m stuffed� he said by way of explanation, Outkast looked at him for a second,
�Harry Salem eats more then that� Harry shrugged, she sighed and let it go.
�Ok, let�s get you ready you can�t go into the club looking like that� she said apprising him up and down,
�What do you suggest I didn�t pack a bag you know� he grumbled, Outkast grinned
�Follow me� she got up and headed into the room next to Harry�s. Harry guessed it was the master bedroom, it had a four poster bed in the middle with black sheets with silver edging, the floor was a deep red carpet, on the far side was two doors made of a deep wood. There was a beauty table in the corner with a huge mirror, on the table there was a single black rose in a vase and a few bits of makeup strewn around. Outkast led him over to one of the doors and opened it, Harry felt his jaw hit the floor, the walk in wardrobe was bigger then his bedroom at the Dursely�s, Outkast flicked on a light and ambled in, Harry couldn�t help but notice the huge amount of black that lined the rails not only was is the main theme it seemed to be the only thing every item in the room was predominately or entirely black. She wandered over towards the back and grabbed a large cardboard box and dragged it into the middle of the wardrobe, it was full of muggle clothing, all of it male
�What�s that?� he asked
�This would be the Ex-boyfriend box� she said rummaging through it
�When I have a particularly messy break up it�s not uncommon for the guy involved to take off never to be seen again, and hence anything he leaves he goes into the box�. Harry nodded in a sort of daze, Outkast finished routing through the box and handed him a pile of material
�Go try these on, you can you the bathroom � it�s the room next door� Harry nodded and wondered out of the wardrobe. Harry had to note that when he turned to bathroom door he was expecting something spectacular, he wasn�t disappointed the bathroom was larger then the wardrobe, it had a bath that was more of a Jacuzzi and a shower that four adults could happily stand in, the entire room was shades of white and blue. He quickly changed out of his clothes and went to try on what Outkast had given him. He gawped at the attire for second wondering if it was a joke, she had found a pair of black leather trousers, a black T-shirt that read �War is terrorism with a bigger budget� in white. When she didn�t knock on the door saying it was joke he guessed he should get changed. He stood in the bathroom for several minutes after string at the clothes, the trousers were a little big and as was the shirt, but he had nothing on his arms, and the scars were clearly visible as was the one around his neck. He heard someone knocking on the door
�Come one Haz, let me see� he sighed, time to face the music, again. He opened the door with his own clothes bundled in his arms, Outkast looked at him, he was staring at the floor.
�Hmm not bad you scrub up pretty well. Now to add the final touches� before he could protest she grabbed the bundle of materials out his arms, Harry though he would die of shame when she saw his arms, but in fact she completely ignored it.
�Right� she said as she put her hands on his hip he was startled but soon felt the trousers moulding to his size, she winked
�Do worry kid you�re a little young for me� Harry blushed, she put her hands on his shoulders and the shirt became a tight fit on him. She stood back appraising her handiwork
�Not bad. Now to hide those scars� Harry gawped again so she had noticed, but she hadn�t asked any questions or made any comment. She smiled and pushed the infinite number bracelets she was wearing down her arms, she had similar scars.
�Don�t think you�re alone kid there�s more of then you realise� she said disappearing into the wardrobe. Harry suddenly wanted to beg to spend the rest of his life here, he had finally found somewhere he belonged where he wasn�t considered a freak, judged or worse pitied a week suddenly didn�t seem long enough. Outkast returned with a white long sleeved shirt, the type he�d seen Vernon wear to work
�Here put this on� gratefully he accepted and slid his arms into the shirt he went to do it up
�No Haz leave it open, it looks better� Harry took her word for it.
�Sit� she ordered pointing to the chair by the beauty table, Harry sat and found her staring at him again
�Hmm�. Want a different eye colour for the night?� she asked he raised an eyebrow
�How?� she opened a draw it was full of sealed packets of contact lenses. He was surprised he kept expecting her to use a spell, but as far as he could see she didn�t even own a wand anymore. She looked from him to the drawer and back again and then got that mischievous grin she got when she was up to something he was learning to both love and loath that grin;
�On second thoughts�, she fingered through the packets and tugged one out.
�Let�s try these� they looked like clear lenses. Harry looked at her strangely, she took his glasses off his face and read the prescription strength off the side. She put her hand over the packet and muttered something a realization dawned on Harry
�You can do wandless magic� she gave him a wink and a smile
�Sure can, I found carrying a wand such a pain in the ass� she handed him the packet
�Ever worn contacts before?� he shook his head
�Ok I�ll put them in for you this time� she went into the bathroom to wash her hands, Harry looked at the packet, there was a picture of them on the front he grinned and wondered if he could them back to Hogwarts with him. She came out and opened the packet and washed the lenses off. She gently showed Harry how to put them in and told him how to look after them. Harry found that they were really comfortable and didn�t hide the true colour of his eyes
�I cant wait to try them� he said she grinned and pulled a UV (black)light out from under the table and clicked it on, immediately the vivid green of Harry�s eye colour was replace with glowing orange and yellow spirals the effect was quite impressive. Harry was amazed,
�Outkast, out of interest where we going?�
�Why to the Frankenstein Place of course� Harry was now very confused she grinned and took pity on him
�It�s my club, itsss where you sssslithered into earlier� she teased, tapping the end of his nose. Harry nodded, she got up and wondered back to the wardrobe
�Harry why don�t you wait in the living room I won�t be a minute� she called out. Harry did as he was told.

When Outkast appeared five minutes later Harry was telling Salem about why his name was so ironic, apparently the snake hadn�t realised the macabre reference
~Misstressss hassss a bad ssssense of humour~ he hissed
~Yes but you love me~ she hissed back Harry laughed. She offered him her hand
�Come on Haz I have to introduce you to my staff� he rose and grabbed her hand and felt himself being led down the stairs.

# # # #

�Where did he go?� Hermione was panicking Harry hadn�t come back, the entire order had been out looking for him since the alarms had been triggered, but there hadn�t been hide nor hair of him, they had cast every locator spell Dumbledore knew, Severus had even thrown caution to the wind and tried all the dark spells he knew to find his son, still without success. He was a little calmer then Hermione and Ron but still distraught Ron was in the middle of a full hysteria attack
�Why can�t we find him? What if you-know-who has him? He could be DYING� he screamed
�Calm down Mr. Weasley� Severus hissed Ron rounded on him
�Don�t tell me to calm down we should be doing more!�
�AND WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST? WE CAN�T GO KNOCKING ON EVERY DOOR!� Severus screamed, Ron back off a little in the face of Snape�s temper.
�Severus� Albus said calmly, Severus took a few deep breaths, trying to get in control before he hit some one.
�I apologise� he snarled at Ron before sitting back down
�Mr. Weasley I�m afraid that we just have to accept he will come back when he is ready. At the moment be assured that he is in no danger and is well� Severus spoke down at the table staring at the ring on his hand, it was a green colour, where ever his son was he was happier then he had been here.

# # # #

Outkast bought Harry down the staircase, he noticed how much shorter the walk seemed on his own feet, she stopped before heading into the body of the club
�Ok Haz, these guys will give you some teasing but try and ignore them they�re trying to get to me, secondly if it�s too loud not your taste of you just want to be on your own head back up to the flat, you�re safe there� Harry nodded. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and pushed the door open. There were several members of staff wondering round, Harry noticed that the bar staff had black t-shirts and trousers, there were some big guys in suits he assumed we�re security and one guy who had more metal in his face then the bars on Harry�s window, he seemed to be fiddling with sound decks so he guessed he was the DJ. Outkast stood on a chair by the seating area
�HI GUYS GET YOU�RE ASSES OVER HERE!� she shouted, she jumped down and sat on the back of the chair, everyone in the club came over and fell into chairs, they all looked friendly and eyeing Harry with amusement, Harry felt a blush colour his cheeks and sat down quickly.
�Ok guys if you have quite finished giving my friend here the once over can I have your attention� there were a few sniggers, Harry felt the blush deepen but all heads turned to Outkast.
�Right this here is Harry, he�s a friend of mine and will be visiting for a bit, treat him nicely, and all drinks are on the house so as soon as we�re done here, Chris get him a beer ok?� Chris raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry
�How old are you?� Harry was surprised he had been addressed not Outkast,
�Sixteen� he said Chris looked back at Outkast who shrugged
�So get him two� Harry tamed his laugh down to a smirk. Chris wasn�t the only one shaking their heads
�One of these days the cops are gonna catch you out, you know� Outkast�s mischievous grin was back
�Maybe but until then, he�s got free range on the bar, but you guys keep an eye out for him ok?� Harry expected to resentment in the eyes of the staff for this extra task, instead they smiling a few even nodded.
�Ok coolio� Outkast said
�Anyone got any problems? All set for opening?�
�Yeah no probs now I heard you had a little excitement earlier� Harry tried to locate the owner of the voice, it was one of the bar staff sitting at the back, he had a green Mohawk
�Yeah, don�t worry all sorted now, Salem made a new friend� She kicked off the chair indicating the end of the meeting. The staff went back to what they were doing.
�Haz stay down here ok, I�m going to open up� Outkast turned and head over to the main staircase.
�Hey Harry get your ass over here!� Chris shouted from the bar just before the place was washed with heavy metal music, Harry winced it was incredibly loud he went over to Chris who put two green bottles on the and winked at Harry
�Never argue with the boss� Harry grinned and picked the first one up.

By midnight Harry was well on his to being drunk, the club was full and he had found he actually liked the music, he had asked the staff for names of the tracks, apparently his two favourite bands were Rammstien and Rob Zombie, he�d even got up and dance a few times. Pained as he was to admit it, Outkast could have a point these muggles we�re having far more fun then he normally did. Just then Outkast appeared out of nowhere, she was obviously intoxicated she grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor, at first Harry was uncomfortable with the provocative way she dancing, but he gave in and just played along.

# # # #

Severus was still up he was sick with worry, he glanced back at the ring, the colours were circling indicating Harry was under the influence of a drug or potion. So help him if that boy is out getting drunk while we�re out searching for him

# # # #

The song ended and Harry was about to leave the dance floor when someone landed on him knocking him to the floor. Harry felt the wind go from his lungs, there was a lot of screaming over the music, the weight didn�t move, he turned to see that a major fight had broken out, security were coming but they didn�t look like they would be there in time, one of the guys had a knife. Then something happened that he would never forget Outkast tackled the guy, she bought his arm round locking it forcing him to drop the weapon, one of the guy�s friends went for her, Harry tried to get up, but realised that the guy on him was actively pinning him down, he struggled but couldn�t move. The second guy moved in on Outkast, Harry prayed that the security officers would arrive but they didn�t he saw the guy raise his fist�.

# # # #
Severus woke with a start, the ring was burning, he panicked his head running through all the possible scenarios his son was in, each worse then the last. He ran to the headmaster�s office, the locating charm was being disrupted, he hoped Albus would be able to help.

# # # #

Harry watch in horror as the big oaf went to hit Outkast and non were as surprised as Harry when the punch failed to strike it�s target out of nowhere Outkast had landed a 360 degree flying kick on the guys chin, this guy was 6ft tall Outkast was barely 5�5 but somehow she was managing to trounce three large men on her own. By the time her security had arrived Outkast had bested all three on her own, she was glowering at the man on Harry, it made him shiver he truly hoped he would never be on the receiving end of her temper.
�Get off him or I will tear off you head and spit down the hole� the man held no compunctions on the truthfulness of the statement and bolted straight into security. Harry lay there for a second catching his breath, Outkast knelt beside him, as she put a hand on his back he flinched, she ignored it and scooped him up, she headed for the office patrons of the club split like the Red sea as she went. She didn�t put Harry down until they were safely back in the flat. She placed him on the couch
�Are you ok?� he nodded
�Who were they?�
�That would be my dumbass of an ex and his mates trying to prove how tough they are. I am so sorry you got caught up in that� Harry accepted the apology, he looked at her
�What was that you did?� Outkast grinned
�That would be a little taste of the sum of my martial art knowledge. A little something to wind Tom up, I�ll gatecrash his meetings and then take out his followers using muggle techniques, the look on his face the first time was priceless� Harry grinned, this woman was a skilled fighter, and all to piss off Voldemort. Harry then had a thought
�Can you teach me to fight like that?�
�Why? You like magic� she said playfully. Harry paused wondering how much he could tell her safely.
�Yeah but I�m can�t use it outside Hogwarts, I want to be able to defend myself without magic� Outkast nodded, she noticed Harry fiddling with something on his hand
�Harry what�s that� he looked down, he had forgotten about the ring
�Oh God� his put his head in his hands
�What�s wrong?� she asked sitting next to him
�It�s a mood ring, my� someone who cares for me gave it as a present it�s one of a pair, if I�m scared or in danger it will alert him to where I am� Outkast thought on this
�The location charm will be disrupted by my wards but no doubt Albus will be able to use this to find you.� Harry nodded, he wasn�t ready to go back at least not yet. Outkast brushed a strand of hair from his face.
�Harry I understand why you want to learn these skills, and normally I wouldn�t suggest this but as we�re pressed for time I will. I can use a legilimens and pretty much give you all the information, but you will have to trust me� Harry detested that spell, but the techniques would protect him
�Do you promise not to look?� he said, she smiled not like her mischievous grins but a true honest smile.
�Harry I promise I will give you the information and leave, if you don�t want me to know I have no right to take the memories� Harry looked into her eyes, he trusted her for some inexplicable reason he knew she was telling the truth. He nodded
�Ok�
�Are you sure?� he nodded
�Before we begin I�ll tell you what you will know by the end; I have many official black belts in most forms or fighting, be it unarmed, swords or guns, I�ll teach you all that I know of muggle techniques, but I will also teach you the basics to wandless magic � something tell me you might need it though you will have to take it further yourself� Harry looked astounded, how did she know?
�Are you ready to begin?� He nodded, she placed a finger on his temple and whispered
�Legilimens� Harry felt her in his mind he could feel her calming him both physically and emotionally before he could panic and then he felt it, the knowledge her memories of endless hours of gruelling training, the smell of the Dojo (which he know knew was where you practise the techniques), her first introduction to swords the time her sensei caught her with the blade scarring her hip, he saw her first attempt to throw a knife, and how she progressed to hit the bulls-eye every time with either hand. Then he saw her in her room willing objects to come to her with accio, he saw her endless efforts to perfect wandless magic and how liberated it was she had. Then she was going he felt her retreat, true to her word she had not once tried to gain access to him, the gift was given freely. She pulled fully out of his mind and smiled at him
�Wow� was about all he could say still processing the information, she nodded
�Why don�t you go to bed you need to sleep to get your head round it tomorrow we�ll see how good you are� Harry nodded and went straight to bed, he wanted to stay up and think about what happened but the moment his head hit the pillow he drifted into a relaxing sleep.

# # # #

Albus finished the charm, the ring darted around the map before settling. Severus threw his hands in the air in despair
�It isn�t working Albus it just settles on top of our location, we�ve already searched everywhere nearby� Albus nodded, and yet he couldn�t help feel he was missing something, he would need to think about the problem. He handed the ring back to Severus, it went green much to his relief
�There is no more to be gained tonight, I suggest that we both go back bed� Severus nodded, he truly hoped that he would return to bed with his son safe in his room.
�Thank you for trying� he said before leaving, he was despondent and moved slowly away.

# # # #

The next morning Harry awoke uncharacteristically early, he wanted to try out all the things he saw in his dreams, he couldn�t believe the gift Outkast had given him, he sprung out of his bed and changed into a pair of sweatpants and white t-shirt that had appeared over night. He left the room, went through the linking area, in the kitchen there was a door he�d never opened before but he knew what was on the other side, he turned the handle and entered, he wasn�t disappointed the Dojo was huge the wall were adorned with all manner of weapons, he had seen the room in his dreams but it was far more impressive in real life, he saw Outkast on the far side training, she was doing a complex mixture of back flips, kicks and blocks, she moved with a grace and ease as though she was flying. He grinned he hoped he could do that soon. She noticed him and used back flips to cover the distance to him landing gracefully next to him.
�Good nights sleep?� she said he nodded
�Eager to try it out� again he nodded
�Very well warm up and meet me on the mats� Harry wasted no time he knew the routine. Half an hour later he was surprised how many of the techniques he too could perform she pointed out that years of Quidditch had produced some lean muscle on his thin frame, they spent two hours on the unarmed and hand to hand combat before she was satisfied he had mastered them. Then she produced a target at the far end and handed him a set of throwing knives. Harry felt their weight, he knew them even though he had never touched them before, he threw the first one, it hit the target but with the handle not the blade. He frowned and tried again, this time the knife stayed, but he was off centre he adjusted his position and tried again, he was spot on, soon he was a good as Outkast he grinned at her. She was smiling
�You are learning young grasshopper�
�What?�
�Never mind. Breakfast?� He nodded and followed her out the room throwing the last knife over his shoulder, it hit the centre of the target, she rolled her eyes
�Don�t get too cocky, if you don�t practise regularly you�ll lose your precision� he nodded; he finally found a private use for the room of requirement. Breakfast was a quiet affair, Harry was musing on how much she had done for him in such a short time and how thank you had never sounded so hollow.
�Outkast?�
�Yup�
�I wanted well thank you, you don�t know how much you helped me I can never repay what you have done for me�
�Harry my brother took your family it is a debt that cannot be repaid, but I will try, I will always help you, though it would be easier if you let me. I know it�s difficult but please what happened to you?�
�I can�t tell you� he said softly she nodded understandingly and didn�t but it, Harry spoke again it was softer almost a whisper
�I can�t tell you, but I can show you� he looked at her, uncertainty and fear in his eyes, she nodded
�Ok, but if it�s too much tell me I�ll stop� he nodded, knowing full well what he had let himself in for but he owed her the truth if nothing else. She looked into his eyes and placed her fingers to his head again
�Legilimens� he dropped the walls he let her in fully and showed her everything that had happened to him, he was aware of tears on his face. By the time she pulled away, he was a shaking ball of tears, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close whispering words of comfort and warmth. She kept telling him he wasn�t alone and he believed her. She sat like that until the wards got her attention at noon.

# # # #

Albus remembered finally what had been bothering him, the location spell had worked, Harry hadn�t gone far he was near, he ordered them to start scanning the area for mystic defences.

# # # #

Harry had finally calmed down; he was no longer sobbing hysterically but had taken to staring at the floor in silent self loathing.
~What has upset the young masssster~ Salem who was no longer in his cage coiled around Harry�s leg;
~Nothing new, I was just thinking. Why do you do that?~
~Do what masssster~
~Coil around me~
~Your heat is comforting, doesss masssster wisssh me away?~
~No, you see I can turn into a snake like you, when I do I am drawn to people, I was wondering why. I guess that makes sense~ Harry felt Outkast sit down next to him
~Found a new body Salem?~
~Yesss misstresss, massster wasss upssssset~
~I know Salem, but we can not help~ Harry looked at her
~You helped more then you know~ Outkast looked at him strangely
�Why did you talk to me in Parselmouth?�
~I do not want to speak the language that he did~ Outkast nodded
~That would explain the muteness then~ Harry nodded noticing she too had switched back to parseltongue. He silently thanked her for understanding
~Harry the other�s are closing in I must return you~ Harry nodded glumly, he thought this might happen, Outkast hugged him
~Soon you will feel like talking again, but until then I will listen to you in this language Harry I am friend even if you can�t see me I will be there~
~Masssster isss to leave?~
~Yes Salem I have to go I will miss you~
~Asss will I~ with that Salem uncoiled himself from Harry and returned to his cage. Harry wanted nothing more then to join him. Outkast stroked his face
~Come now we must leave. Harry I know you do not want to. Tell me do they know of your ability~
~Probably by now, at least one does for sure~ Outkast nodded
~Would you prefer to go back as you arrived?~ Harry looked at her, before turning into a cobra, he was iridescent blue, Outkast stretched out her arm and he coiled around it resting his head on her shoulder.

Outkast dragged a black cloak out of her wardrobe and attached round her neck with a ornate clasp
~Harry where did you come from~
~Grimmuald place, it�s behind the club~ Outkast nodded, she exited the club at the back into an alley
~You may want to hold on tightly~ she said, she felt him constrict round her arm. She pulled a tarpaulin off an object in the alley revealing a black motorcycle, she turned it climbed on and kick started it, she tore out the alley without even slowing to see if anything was coming.

##

Five minutes later they approached the green, Harry saw members of the order standing around, they had put their wands out of sight as the bike appeared, obviously thinking it was a muggle who lived in one of the other houses. Outkast stopped the bike and got off; she pulled her helmet off sending her multicoloured hair cascading down. A few members eyed her suspiciously, Outkast rolled her eyes, same old crowd then Albus she thought and sauntered over to them, Harry say Mad-eye growl at her approach and draw his wand, Outkast rolled her eyes
�Put it away old timer you won�t win� Harry had to smirk at that, Mad-Eye maybe old but he wasn�t as old as Outkast and Voldemort.
~Harry who will know who you are?~ he didn�t get time to respond
�Get out of here we don�t need you�
�Uh huh, look Mad-eye as much I would like to spend the day trading insults with you can you get Albus, I found something he lost� She said pointedly, Mad-eye stared at her, if she knew about Harry she had the good sense not to say anything in public. He was about to answer when the man in question appeared
�Ayesha, it is nice to see you again� She offered Mad eye a victorious smirk
�Albus, I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you. Have you somewhere warmer that we could go?� Albus looked at her She has Harry, and wants him safe. He nodded and handed her a piece of parchment, as she read it number 12 came into view, the parchment in her hand ignited and turned to dust. She followed Albus and the Order back into the house, the member were either confused or angry, she shrugged it off, this was more important then petty squabbles.

She breezed into the kitchen and froze, she had not expected to see him again, Severus was sitting at the table looking despondently at something. There were many others in there around Harry�s age, the looked at her curiously.
�Who are you?� A red head boy said, his exclamation caused Severus to look up her saw he and snarled
�What are you doing here?�
�Lovely to see you too Sev� she spat, but then noticed what he had been playing with when she arrived, the ring was the same colour as the cobra on her arm. Would have to be wouldn�t it she sighed and unclipped her cloak revealing her muggle clothes and the blue snake, before Sev could say anything she walked up to him and held out her left arm, Harry slid across her neck and down it, Outkast held her arm out in front of Sev
�Lost something?� she said sarcastically, Severus thought his heart would stop, his son albeit in snake form and unhappy but it was his son, he raised his arm next to hers and felt the joy as Harry slide off her and wrapped himself round his arm.
�Uh hem� Sev was jolted from his thoughts, the rest of the order were standing their looking bemused. Outkast wondered to the far side of the room and lent against a wall watching Sev with interest, she�d never seen him look so grateful or relieved as when Harry went to him. She felt someone staring at her, she looked round a young witch was glaring, she didn�t look a bit embarrassed at by caught out
�Where was he?� she said
�What�s it to you?�
�He�s my friend� Outkast thought through the memories Harry had given her, this was Hermione. Outkast smiled the girl was feisty
�He was in my club, though I�d bring him back to your world� the conversation was cut off as Albus came back in
�Ah Severus I see you have already found Ayesha� Severus gave a curt nod and then turned to Harry who was still on his arm
�Please change back now� Harry hissed something, Outkast smirked Severus glared at her
�What did he say?�
�He said you�d have to put him down first unless you want your arm pulled out� Sev snarled something no one heard. Ron was confused
�You can speak parseltongue?� Outkast grinned
�But of course red, in fact my family is famous for it�
�You still haven�t told us who you are� Hermione was glaring at her still, but her attention was taken away by a gasp round the room, Harry had transformed back, Outkast nodded
�And on that note I�m out of here� She made a move to leave and cringed when Albus spoke
�So soon? Won�t you at least stay for some tea� she was never going to escape that meddling old fool, she glared at him noticing the twinkle in he eye,
�I thought you were too quiet, you�re up to something aren�t you� she rolled her eyes when he didn�t respond
�Fine tea then I have to go I have a club to run� She sat at the table and was aware that Harry had sat next to her, she was also aware the he was the only buffer zone between her and Sev.
�So are we going to get a name?� Harry winced, Hermione was really pissed, Outkast took it with grace
�Fine, Hermione, I am Outkast� that shut her up
�How did you know my name?�
�I talked to a chameleon cobra� Hermione glared at him
�And as for you WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THINKING HARRY JAMES POTTER?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED YOU STUPID IDIOT!� she glared at him, Harry didn�t say anything
�That is quite enough Miss Granger� Sev snarled, he�d only just get his son back he would be damned if he let this girl frighten him away again. At that moment the tea was produced, Albus sat at the head of the table surveying the room
�Ayesha it is good to see you again�
�No Albus�
�I beg you pardon?�
�I stand by what I said before, I won�t join the order of the phoenix, I want nothing to do with you�
�And yet you bring Harry back to my care�
�You would have found him eventually and he has friends� she looked pointedly at Sev
�And family�
�You still bare me hate then?�
�Of course I bloody do you pompous idiot� she snarled, causing many occupants of the room to reach for their wands they weren�t used to hearing anyone talk to Albus like that
�Put them away children, pointed stick are all well and good until someone loses and eye� Albus nodded and members put them away, Harry was looking at Outkast I truly hope I never get on the wrong side of her he thought for the hundredth time
�Ayesha�
�Don�t call me that�
�It is your name�
�Given by my father, did it ever occur to you that why we both changed our names? You have no right to use my name and if you do I may well go away and make you�re greatest fears true� the threat hit the spot
�You don�t agree with what he stands for�
�No, but I don�t. It is true my brother is insane and completely hell bent on destruction but that doesn�t mean I don�t hate you either�
�I can�t change the past�
�No but there was a time it was the present, and just when I think maybe, just maybe you might have learnt your lesson � creating a evil lord and all I hear you did the same thing again� She was having a great deal of trouble with her temper
�He told you?�
�He showed me� she snarled, but then felt a hand in hers she looked at Harry, she knew she was pushing his trust in her and took a breath and calmed down.
�Albus. I will fight my brother, I will do what I can as always because it is right but I will never take orders from a man who leaves children to the fate of their less the adequate families for convenience� the result of the jibe was evident in his eyes.
�Very well Outkast, but I must ask you for a favour� She inclined her head, he had done her the courtesy of using her chosen name she could at least hear him out.
�Go on�
�One of our teachers this year has a condition that means he can not teach on certain days of the month, we need a professor to cover him� Outkast rolled her eyes, on the plus side you can keep an eye on Harry. Somehow she knew Dumbledore had already thought that might be the winning argument
�This condition wouldn�t happen to coincide with the full moon would it? And what�s the subject?�
�Defence against the dark arts� Outkast raised an eyebrow knowing that she would already take the position but not wanting to make it look that easy
�Who�s the other teacher� the was a small cough
�That would be me, Remus Lupin� she felt Harry tense up when he spoke, that pissed her off
�So this it the werewolf then?� he nodded looking ashamed oh look one little sentence and he�s upset good he upset the kid.
�Ok I�ll take the job, I�ll even teach what you want me too, but don�t expect me to change my behaviour� Albus nodded
�Accepted, and Outkast I don�t think that anyone will ever be able to change you� she smirked, Albus rose and left to return to Hogwarts. Most of the order members went back to their business leaving her with Harry, Sev, Hermione and a sea of red heads.
�So you�re going to be teaching?� Sev said smirking
�The devil must be ice skating� even Outkast cracked a smile, Sev turned his attention back to Harry
�You must be tired, shall we go?� Harry nodded, Outkast inwardly sighed poor kid. Sev rose for the fire place.
�Hey Harry� she called as he went to follow, she handed him a box
�Here�s you might like this� Harry opened it, inside was a portable CD player and a CD he looked at her
�It�s enchanted it won�t need batteries and if you unplug the head phones it�ll play loudly� very loudly so watch your self� she gave him a wink
~Thank you~
~Any time~
�I truly wish you�d stop doing that� Ron muttered
�It�s creepy� Harry just smiled, he stood in the fire place and Severus throw the powder at him and ordered him to Hogwarts, he followed suit. Outkast sighed, she better get on
�I better go pack� she announced and turned to leave
�Just one thing Professor� Outkast noticed how the girl suddenly spoke to her with respect whereas a hour ago she was ready to tear her a new one, she smiled
�Yeah what?�
�Who�s your brother� Outkast grinned
�He�s my twin really and his name�s Tom Riddle� she glanced at the look on their faces and left, oh yeah that sight was going to keep her amused for a good few hours.

Severus appeared in Dumbledore�s office fuming,
�How can you possibly allow her to teach? She has all the control and refinement of a Blast-Ended Skrewt!� Harry was still in shock at the gift he�d received, he tugged the play out of the box and stuck the headphones on and clicked the on button, he tried not to smirk, while he liked the selection he had a feeling now that it was chosen in part to piss off his father
�Severus I know you have some personal issues with her but I assure there are few more qualified to teach then her, besides I think when the time comes you will be glad to have her near, after all she is the only one you son seems to want to communicate with� Albus finished the statement looking at Harry who was oblivious to the world lost in the music, Severus rolled his eyes, somehow he knew that he was going to need her even if he was loathed to admit it. He rose to leave, noticing that Harry was following him he didn�t even look back at the headmaster. As he heard the door click shut Albus chuckled he somehow knew that Severus was going to overcome his view of Outkast this year.

##

Back in their quarters Severus watched Harry, he seemed lost in his own world.
�Harry?� the boy looked up and pulled the headphones out
�I�m sorry, I don�t know what made you want to run from us but please never do it again, I only just got you back I can�t lose you, not now� he approached his child anxious as to the reaction he would get, Harry sensed his father�s uneasiness and made his life easy by throwing his arms round the older man�s middle, Severus pulled his son tightly to him unwilling to let him go. Harry let his father hold him as long as he could bear before pulling away, Severus looked a little hurt but understood, Harry turned toward his room
�Harry?� he looked back
�I know you�re not ready to talk but when you are you come find me ok?� Harry looked puzzled Severus shrugged
�I want to be the one who hears you first word as it were� Severus looked a tad embarrassed, Harry smiled and went to bed. Next morning he was woken be raised voices, sleepily he got up and dressed before investigating the sound, as he opened his bedroom door he recognised the both the raised voices and a third much calmer tone
�THERE IS NO WAY THAT I WILL EVER KNOWINGLY PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF MY SON!�
�WELL YOU CAN�T TAKE HIM YOURSELF YOU DOZY PRAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL WEAR A SHIRT WITH �I A SPY ASK ME HOW� NEXT TIME YOU MEET TOM!�
�Please calm down the pair of you. Severus you can not be seen with Harry in public it puts too much of a risk on both of you, and when comes to protection I can�t think of anyone better then Ay�Outkast she is very powerful�
�You forgot insane�
�Bastard�
�Bitch�
�Idiot�
�Cow� Harry sat on the staircase watching the childish exchange of insults wondering when they would start hexing each other
�Moron�
�THAT IS ENOUGH!� Albus shouted, this being a very rare thing did get everyone�s attention
�Honestly the pair of you are acting like first years you will stop this immature display this instant, Harry needs the support of both of you to recover and like it or not you will have to at least be civil when he is around� Severus and Outkast didn�t say anything settling on sending each other death glares a Malfoy would be proud of. Harry chose that moment to come into view he walked down the stairs, and waited to be noticed, Outkast spotted him first
�Ah Harry there you are, you and I are going to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies� Harry glanced at his father, but Severus didn�t get a chance to say anything
�Oh don�t worry Harry your father has given me his blessing and trusts my judgement fully, shall we?� and before Severus could get past the shock she left with Harry in tow. Severus finished doing his fish impression and stared at Albus
�What house was she in?�
�Gryffindor� Severus nodded
�She should have been in Slytherin�

# # # #

Harry and Outkast used floo powder to get to the Leaky Cauldron and had a good day shopping they just had to get his books and they were finished they entered Flourish and Blotts and Harry soon found himself separated from Outkast as she went to investigate some obscure volumes, Harry found all the books he needed for school and then found his way to a out of the way stacks full of book on wandless magic. He was making his way along looking at titles and picking the odd one up when an all too familiar voice
�You want Freedom from Wands by Ally Maudlin� Harry turned round; Draco Malfoy was leaning against the shelves. Harry nodded and turned to look for the book Draco lazily pulled a copy off the shelf and handed it to him, Harry turned the book over in his hands and read the back cover. Painfully aware that Draco hadn�t moved, Harry glanced up and met the blonde boys gaze. Draco didn�t say anything for a long moment;
�Is it true?� he almost blurted out Harry looked questioningly at him
�The Prophet was it true?� Harry nodded almost imperceptivity, expecting Draco to use it as a weapon, instead the boy seemed to think on this
�That�s bad� he said, Harry didn�t respond
�In the speak no evil stage huh?� Harry was very confused, Draco grinned and elaborated
�When I was ten my father was hosting a�. gathering of a few people, one of them cornered me in my room. He had me pinned down and had pulled my trousers off me before my father found us� Draco stopped letting Harry absorb that before continuing
�Anyhow for a while I wouldn�t look at anyone � a stage my father referred to as see no evil, then I wouldn�t listen to a word people were saying, however much they said I�d done nothing wrong � he called that hear no evil then finally I did what you�re doing and for about three months I said nothing, well I talked to my sister but that was it hence speak no evil. Rather ironic as it stems from a muggle thing� Harry nodded Wow the last person I thought would understand was Malfoy maybe they�re right and hell has frozen over. Draco met is eyes
�You�re the first person I�ve told and if you repeat it I�ll kill you, not that I think that�s an issue at the moment.� Harry saw him smirk,
�Anyway that books the best, it�s the fastest too, you�ll probably be ok by the time term starts� with that Draco wondered off and disappeared from view. Harry didn�t have time to think about the encounter Outkast reappeared
�All set?� he nodded and then followed her to pay. They got outside with many bags, Outkast shrunk them all down and stuck them in her pocket.
�Right was that everything on the list?� Harry nodded
�Ok we could go back... or we could have some fun� She game him that mischievous grin again, Harry rolled his eyes somehow he knew this was going to lead to a lot of shouting�.

Four hours later they arrived back at the castle giggling, Harry was having a little trouble walking giving to the bottle of rum he shared with Outkast at a pub in muggle London. As they staggered back in they were met by Dumbledore, McGonagall and an indescribably pissed off Snape.
�WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!� he screamed at her, Outkast looked petulant,
�Look I was told to have him back by six and it�s only five fifty five I have a whole five minutes�
�I meant the fact he�s drunk� Severus then looked at Harry, his eyes went wide
�And what the hell is that and what happened to his hair?!� he pointed to Harry�s face, where Harry had just scraped a handful of blonde hair out of his eyes Outkast smirked
�In reverse order I had some a friend in a hairdressers who bleach his hair and that�s an eyebrow ring� Severus looked like he might explode, Outkast was puzzled
�How did you know he was drunk?� Severus held up his hand, the ring was a swirling mass of all it�s colours�
�Oooh that�s pretty� she said, Severus too a deep breath
�Harry please go back to our quarters I will talk to you in the morning. Harry muttered something in Parseltongue before stalking off, Severus turned on Outkast
�What did he just say?�
�He said if that�s how you feel about bleach and eyebrow rings, it�s a good thing you didn�t see that tattoo� with that Outkast disappeared up the stairs leaving Snape stunned, he turned to see the amused looks on Dumbledore and McGonagall
�Is murder always a crime?� he muttered before stalking off after Harry.

Next morning Harry woke up with a headache the likes of which even God has never seen, he felt he�d swallowed a live eel and held onto the bed for dear life prying the room would stop spinning. When it didn�t Harry ran straight into the bathroom and threw up, he felt he lost everything he�d eaten since leaving the Dursley�s. When the vomiting stopped he sat on the floor repeating his mantra Never again never again he wondered how Outkast was holding up. There was a knock on the bedroom door, slowly Harry waved his hand Alohomora he thought the door unlocked and clicked open. His father walked in shortly followed by Outkast, she look highly amused by his state, Severus just sighed
�Here drink this you look like you need it� Harry gratefully took the anti-hangover potion and within five minutes was feeling better, he got up glowering at Outkast she shrugged
�Sorry honey I do don�t hangovers� he looked ready to spit fire she grinned.
�Harry I wanted to ask you a few questions, but seeing as you only like talking in parselmouth I�ve dragged along an interpreter. Harry nodded. And sat on the bed, Severus sat by the desk, Outkast did a handstand against one of the walls and giggled at the funny looks she was getting.
�Harry when and how did you learn you were Animagus?� Harry thought about this and hissed
�He says he was five and he turned into a snake, - duh� Harry came to the conclusion she may not get hangovers but she wasn�t sober yet either Severus glowered at her
�Kindly reframe from adding your own view� She stuck her tongue out Severus who was doing a good job of holding his temper in check. Harry was impressed
�Ok, Harry what caused you to change the first time?� Harry didn�t answer
�Harry why did you run?� still nothing
�Harry please say something!� Severus was pacing he stopped in front of Harry suddenly, Harry scooted to the other side of the bed and balled up. Severus ran his hands through his hair Great parenting style, no really scare the boy enough and he might not speak in English again ever.
�You scaring him� Outkast snarled she was now standing on her feet glaring at Severus
�DON�T TELL ME WHAT I�M DOING� Severus shouted
�YOU�VE TERRIFIED THE KID�
�I DON�T NEED YOU TELL ME THAT� Harry couldn�t stand it all the shouting, he hated shouting he was terrified, people shouting normally turned him, he wanted to be anywhere then on that bed, he curled up tighter and tighter trying to disappear. Suddenly he was a cobra again he coiled round the bed post and up to the crossbar and sat there hoping not to be noticed. Severus felt his ring get warm and shut up. Outkast went to speak and he shushed her. He spun round and saw the bed empty, he felt the lump in his stomach not again he looked back at Outkast, her vision was fixed on the top of the bed, she pointed up. A black cobra was coiled around the dark wooden beam. They looked at each other,
�Well I think we�ve worked out the trigger� she said simply Severus nodded
�Harry I�m� we�re sorry please come down� The snake didn�t move, Severus sighed
�Harry please come down� the snake didn�t move Outkast came and stood ext to him
�Offer him your arm� she muttered
�What? Why?� Outkast rolled her eyes
�Just do it� Severus sighed but did as he was told, Harry slithered down the post and coiled around Severus� arm, his colour went back to grey, and when Outkast stroked him went green-grey, Severus looked at her
�How did you know that would work?� she shrugged
�Snakes like warmth, and yours needs reassurance, I get the feeling that when he was scared with the muggles he used to change so he could hide after all if you�re looking for a boy you�re not going to look through holes that only a snake can fit down� Severus nodded, he seems to like it there, Outkast smiled ruefully;
�Yeah now all we have to do is persuade his friends to let him do that during term and he�ll be fine� Harry was back to a green colour, and had his head on Severus� shoulder
�Are you ready to turn back again Harry?� Harry hissed something, before Severus could ask Outkast translated
�He said he will, but is he in trouble� Severus looked down at his son, he took hold of him by the back of the head and slowly prised him off his arm, Severus sat on the bed with Harry on his lap.
�Harry you are not in trouble I promise I am sorry we were yelling please turn back� Harry didn�t move for a second and then he changed, he was sitting in a ball on his father, Severus hugged him,
�I still can�t believe you did this to yourself� he muttered ruffling the blonde hair Harry looked at Outkast
~Do you think we should tell him~
~Might be wise~
�What are you two hissing about?� Outkast grinned and placed her hand on Harry�s head, the glamour lifted taking with it the piercing and changing his hair colour back. Severus didn�t know whether to laugh and shout, Outkast grinned
�You should of seen the look on your face� Severus kept his face stoic, slid Harry onto the bed walked right up to Outkast, and in one smooth movement started to tickle her, she yelped and then crumpled to the ground, Harry watched from the bed grinning, he threw a pillow at the two of them. Severus stopped tickling Outkast, and looked dead at Harry
�Is he ticklish?� she said
�Like you wouldn�t believe� Sev replied, Harry tried to scramble off the bed but wasn�t fast enough, he found himself at the mercy of the potion professor and the less sane Riddle twin.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Start of term rolled nearer and by the time the first day had arrived Harry had not only completed his homework � he didn�t feel right being given a reprieve but had also read through the book Draco recommended. Draco was right it was very good and he had managed to master the techniques in it, he now felt confident that the lessons wouldn�t be too much of a problem. As the afternoon was turning into evening Harry was disturbed by a knocking on his door, he rose and opened it, Severus, Outkast and Dumbledore were standing there, he stepped back allowing them access.
�Harry how are you?� Harry shrugged slightly in answer to the headmaster. Albus continued
�Given your current�. Condition as well as the fact that undoubtedly every student will now be aware of your home life we feel that you might find it more comfortable to stay here during term time� he waited for a reaction and when there was none carried on
�To do this though we are going to put a separate door to your room from a corridor, this is necessary so that your relationship to Severus remain secret� Harry nodded, the headmaster got out his wands and pointed it at the wall and muttered something, a door appeared immediately the headmaster walked through it and was followed by the rest of the occupants in the room the door was covered by a portrait of a knight holding a sword in one hand and had a snake coiled up the other, it shut when they had left
�Now Harry you need to set a password for the door� Harry nodded, already getting this was a trick to convince him to talk, he had already thought of a password
~Open~ he hissed in Parseltongue the snake looked at him
~That�s not a good password~
~Doesn�t have to be only three people speak the language of the snakes~
~Very well~ the portrait opened again, Harry went back into his room followed by Severus, the others went off.
�Harry can I talk with you for a second� Harry turned from his desk and nodded
�I want to put a silencing spell on your room that way if I have some of my less desirable associates on fire call they won�t know your are around is that ok?� Harry nodded again, Severus got up from the bed where he�d been sitting and went over to see what his son was writing, he picked up the transfiguration essay and raised an eyebrow
�I told you that you were not expected to hand work in� Harry shrugged he actually found it easier to do the work this year then he had done in past years due to the use of a desk and not having to do it late at night by torch light. Sev just sighed and rested his hand on Harry�s shoulder
�You should get changed the feast will be starting soon� he gave Harry�s shoulder a squeeze and left him to get ready. Harry left via his own door and wondered down to the main entrance to wait for his friends.

The carriages started to arrive, Harry waited as the students came in many of them cast him sympathetic looks on their way to the great hall. Finally the carriage he was waiting for showed up, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Luna were all together, the ran up to him and Harry found himself receiving consecutive hugs from the girls, Ron just grinned
�Harry good to see you again how are you feeling?� Harry smiled back and shrugged Hermione sighed
�Still not talking huh?� Harry shrugged again and lead the way to the great hall they were at the entrance when Harry heard the Slytherin�s approaching
�Well look who it is, Harry Potter the muggles sex toy� the boy sneered to the sniggers of the group Harry felt his face flush and stared at the ground
�Beat it Zabini� Ron shouted pulling his wand, several Gryffindor�s followed suit, as did the Slytherin�s. Great I can start the year by being the reason there was a riot Harry thought depressed.
�Aren�t we clever Zabini, picking on a target that doesn�t even talk back. My your father must be so proud� Harry�s head shout up he knew that voice but it couldn�t be, everyone was standing in stunned silence as the voices owner came into view. Draco Malfoy the Prince of Slytherin was standing between Blaise Zabini and Harry and sneering at Blasie
�No honestly you�re doing you family proud that you spent a month thinking of a comment to throw at Potter and that was the best you could do� several people sniggered, Malfoy continued
�Next time Zabini pick a target that talks, this is too boring for words� with that he marched into the great hall followed by most of the Slytherin�s leaving many stunned Gryffindor�s outside. Harry shook it off and jogged in he caught Malfoy by the arm turning him round. He looked into the blonde boys eyes and shrugged, Draco nodded he understood
�Don�t get used to it Potter, but it really isn�t fun watching him tear a mute apart, it�s about as good as teasing muggles the entire thing is pointless� with that he walked away. Harry went to join his friends at the Gryffindor table, Ron was still in shock
�I never thought I�d see the day a Malfoy defended Harry� Harry nodded in agreement. Professor McGonagall led the first years in and the sorting commenced. At the end Dumbledore stood and gave the usual start of term announcements, before introducing the new staff:
�To teach defence against the dark arts we welcome back Professor Lupin who will be assisted by Prof�� he was cut off by a certain green and purple haired woman who coughed loudly and glared at him.
�Assisted by Outkast� he finished with that and raised his hands, the tables filled with food and noise erupted in the hall. Harry looked along the staff table, his father looked less then happy that Outkast was sitting on it, she had made an effort with he attire, she was indeed wearing robes al be it in black and red, but what really made Harry giggle was that she was still wearing her army boots and made no attempt to hide them. Hermione looked mortified
�I hope we have Lupin I mean what was the headmaster thinking letting Tom�s sister teach� Ron nodded Harry glared at them.
�Hi Harry� Harry turned at his name, Dean Thomas looking at him,
�Look you probably don�t want to talk about it, but was the Prophet�s article correct?� Harry heard the noise level on the table drop, most of them were staring at him, Harry lowered his gaze to his food, there would be little point denying it as Ron and Hermione would correct him so he nodded glumly. The table was now in complete silence, which caused a lot of students from the other houses to look round. Harry felt the weight of their gazes and wanted nothing better then to get away.

Outkast looked around, she saw what was going on and guess what the boy had just asked Harry, she looked up the table and saw that Sev was also looking worried about how the boy would take to the attention. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow he nodded. Albus looked at the pair of them knowing what was about to happen the twinkling in his eye was definitely working over time. Outkast took another bite of the food and sighed. With as much force as she could muster she swiped the dish from the table causing an almighty clang and shot out of her chair, most of the attention in the hall was on her now
�DON�T TELL ME WHAT I DO AND DON�T KNOW SEVERUS YOU CAN�T EVEN COUT TO TWENTY ONE UNLESS YOU�RE NAKED� Sev also shot up
�AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW LITTLE GIRL YOU�VE HAVEN�T SEEN HALF OF WHAT I HAVE�
�I KNOW THAT MY BROTHER MAKES PEEVES LOOK LIKE A SANE UPSTANDING MEMBER OF SOCIETY�
�HOW DO YOU KNOW? YOU DON�T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE ANYMORE�
�AND I SUPPOSE YOU DO?�
�THAT�S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS�
�IT IS�
�ISN�T�
�GO TO HELL!�
�YOU FIRST!� Serverus reached for his wand and Albus shot up out his chair
�You two my office now� he glowered at each in turn and left the hall, Outkast glanced over at the Gryffindor table, Harry was nowhere in sight � mission accomplished. She stormed out the hall, Severus following with his robe bellowing behind him. The noise level in the hall slowly rose as the three left and the students turned their attention back to their food discussing the new teacher who had provoked an explosive reaction from the potions master.
�Wow what was all that about Harry?� Ron turned back to the table and saw that there was a gap opposite where Harry had been
�Where�d he go?�
�He slipped out while Snape and Outkast were proving their acting skills� Hermione said casually the Gryffindor�s nearest looked at her
�You mean that was staged?� Hermione sighed
�Yes Seamus it was staged so Harry could get out� she rolled her eyes and went back to the food contemplating whether Outkast was so bad after all. Hermione wasn�t the only one who had realised the fight wasn�t real; Draco had watched Harry leave and had slipped out himself a few moments later.

Harry ran up to the third floor corridor before slowing he leant against a wall and waited for his breathing to slow he bent down and rested his hands on his thighs he didn�t realise he had been followed until he felt a hand on his back he flinched and stood up quickly. Draco stood there with a raised eyebrow looking vaguely amused
�Quite a little show wasn�t it?� Harry shrugged, he�d only caught the beginning when he worked out what they were doing he took his chance and headed for the door. Draco nodded
�You must have a lot of sway with the new Professor for her to do that� Harry looked around the corridor not focusing on anything.
�Harry stop acting like that and look at me� Harry obeyed looking straight into the eyes of his so called nemesis, Draco stood against the opposite wall, his gaze on Harry, he hadn�t realised just how small the raven haired boy was until then, Draco was a good few inches taller. Harry was thinner too, not that Draco was big he wasn�t but Harry was ungodly thin. Draco knew he like him for a long time but couldn�t say anything what with them being enemies and all. He sighed
�Harry, you must have known that was likely to happen� Harry looked at the floor and nodded.
�Still weren�t expecting it to be that bad huh?� He nodded again. Draco suddenly looked puzzled
�Where were you heading?� Harry smiled and went over to the portrait of the night; he hissed the password and the door swung aside. Draco raised an eyebrow and followed Harry in. he looked around
�Your own room?� Harry flopped onto the bed and nodded. Draco tried to push his advantage
�So this will be above your father�s quarters then?� Harry went to nod but then sat bolt upright his eyes wide. Draco smirked and sat on the edge of the bed
�Don�t worry ever since the raid on Private Drive I knew I heard my father telling my mother what he�d found out, he swore her to secrecy. You see Harry I don�t want to join the Dark Lord, and besides, Sev�s my Godfather I knew something was up when he didn�t come round this summer� Harry nodded, Draco rolled his eyes.
�Well seeing as we both missed dinner why don�t you show me where the kitchen is and I�ll order us some� Harry nodded and pointed to the door that led to the kitchen below.

�I don�t know whether to berate you for causing a scene or congratulate you on your quick thinking� Albus said Outkast grinned
�I�ll take both as a compliment so it�s your choice� Severus had taken to scowling at her for her complete lack of respect for authority.
�One day you�re going to rub the wrong person up the wrong way Outkast� He said she shrugged
�And what will they do? Snap my wand? Well if they did I�d need to find something else to replace the missing table leg� he rolled his eyes
�They could send you to Azkaban�
�Again? Please even Fudge isn�t that stupid, I have both been there and done that and got out! And that was with the Dementors trying to stop me, so do you really think that would be a problem seeing as how this time Tom would help me. Obviously leading me to join him and then kill crush and destroy the planet� Severus shut up; she had a point she was pretty much untouchable because the light needed her and the dark wanted her and she wasn�t too fussed either way. Severus studied her; she sat with her feet on the desk inspecting her nails, her multicoloured hair cascading down her back looking like she belonged in a dark underground club � which wasn�t far from the truth, she had strong and striking features�.Somebody curse me I�m doing it again he berated himself. The last thing either he or Harry needed in their lives was an eccentric opinionated and infuriating sorceress. He thought was broken by Dumbledore
�Well I think you two have been here long enough, why don�t we go back now and try to look suitably berated� He rose Severus stood up, Outkast lazily swung her feet back to the ground and stretched.
�Sev why don�t you go check on the kid, he isn�t going to be too happy� Severus nodded and left.

Draco called the kitchens as Harry wondered around the kitchen looking for a glass. The door opened and Severus walked in. Harry stared at him wide eyed before bolting back to his room leaving Severus to contemplate Draco.

Severus looked from the retreating figure of his son to the rather put out figure of his godson.
�What was that all about?�
�You scared him� Severus felt a pang of guilt, but then tried to work out why he had scared his son all he did was walk in. Draco looked rather put out.
�You know I was actually getting somewhere with him before your sudden appearance. Speaking of which shouldn�t you be back at the feast?� Severus raised an eyebrow
�After the exit I just made? Are you mad? And these are my quarter what the hell are you doing here?� Draco glared at him
�I was talking to your son� Severus lost his normal blank expression staring stunned at Draco
�How did you know?� Draco shrugged
�After the raid on Privet Drive I overheard my father telling my mother all about the raid, about what you did and why� Severus took this in, his cover with the Dark Lord was definitely on its way out. Draco smirked
�Don�t worry I�m not going to tell the other Slytherin�s after all there�s no way of knowing where that type of information would end up. Saying that my silence has a price� Severus snorted, of course it does my Prince of the house of snakes
�What is it?�
�You make no effort to stop me from talking to or having contact with Harry. This includes but is not limited too threatening him to stay away from me� Severus was once again surprised
�You hate him�
�No I really don�t but it would not do for father to know that�
�Why now?� Draco was confuse
�Why what now?�
�Why the sudden decision to talk to Harry and don�t tell me it�s because you want to be friends with your godfathers son� Draco nodded
�He needs me. Well that�s not entirely true what he needs is someone to empathise with, I sort of know what he�s feeling and honestly I can�t imagine why anyone would want to cause him more pain he has suffered far more then enough� Severus thought this over, maybe this would not turn out so badly for either of them, Draco wanted someone to care for and Merlin knows Harry needs taking care of.
�You do anything that leads to him being hurt in any shape or form and I promise you loosing house points will be so very far down my list of punishments� Draco paled slightly and nodded. Severus looked satisfied with the response.
�Very well return to the feast, I think I need another chat with the boy� Draco thought about arguing but a look from the potion master informed him on how much of a bad idea that was and Draco changed his mind and left. Severus sighed, his ring was warm and black Harry was obviously panicking about being caught with Draco, he rolled his eyes and grabbed a bottle of wine before heading up the stairs.

Harry wasn�t just panicking he was in a full blow anxiety attack, his father was going to kill him, not only was he not sure if he could have friends in the rooms, he had been caught with Draco of all people! Draco, son of a prominent Death Eater, kings of the snake pit not to mention the fact that it was well known they were enemies. Harry couldn�t bare it, he didn�t think he could fight the darkness off it was going to win this time for sure he ran to his desk blindly searching for the knife he used on potion ingredients his hand clutched at it, Harry banished his robes and shirt to the bed and bought the knife down across his chest, it was sharper then Draconis and hurt less requiring more and more cuts to fight his way out� he gasped at the release as endorphins flooded his system. He was just coming back to the real world when he heard a knock on the door, he quickly used a concealing charm to hide the wounds and threw his clothes back on before opening the door.

Severus smiled trying to reassure the timid boy that he wasn�t in trouble; Harry chewed his lip nervously before stepping back and allowing Severus to enter. Severus sauntered over to the desk and dropped the wine and two glassed onto it, Harry hadn�t moved as was still standing by the door looking very uncomfortable.
�Would you like a glass of wine?� Harry stared at him blankly for a few seconds before shrugging. Severus waved his wand and the wine decantered into the waiting glasses. Severus picked them up and offered one to Harry. Harry looked around the room, if he wanted the drink � which he desperately did � then he would have to come out of the shadows. Severus waited patiently as his son walked slowly towards him. Harry took the glass and nodded his thanks before retreating to the bed he sat on the edge and rank the glass in one go. Severus raised an eyebrow
�Was is that bad?� Harry looked at the floor not willing to meet the gaze, Severus shook his head and sipped his own glass before putting it back on the desk. He moved quickly and silently to bed and sat next to Harry. On feeling the bed dip Harry tried to scoot over to the other side, Severus was too fast and pulled him into a hug. The more Harry tried to get away the stronger Severus held him until the fight left him and he relaxed, Severus pulled him onto his lap coiling his lithe arms around the frightened child making soothing noises. Once Harry had settled a bit Severus tried to extract the answers he came in here for
�Harry, did Draco make you let him in?� Harry shook his head,
�Did he hurt of threaten you?� once again he shook his head
�Ok I just wanted to make sure that he wasn�t upsetting you but if he isn�t then I�m glad you two are trying to become friends� Harry looked up surprised of all the reaction that had ran through his head acceptance was not one of them. Severus cottoned on to the reason his son had bolted and frowned, once again cursing Dursley to a fate worse then the death he got.
�Harry I told you I would never hurt you didn�t I? Please believe me you are in no danger from me� Harry nodded weakly, Severus just pulled him tighter wanting to absorb all the hate and pain trapped in the small body on his lap. They stayed there a long time until Harry eventually went to sleep. Severus laid him on the bed and winced when he noticed that even in his sleep Harry curled into a ball expecting a beating�. Or worse.

Next morning heralded the start of classes, it was a quiet day for Harry just Transfiguration and Defence against the Dark Arts, although he would never admit it he couldn�t wait to see what was going to happen in DADA given that Outkast would be teach it seeing as the night before was a full moon. Harry arrived on time for Transfiguration and sat in his normal seat Professor McGonagall looked at him
�Harry glad to see you have attended, I have been informed by the headmaster that since the middle of the summer you have refuse to speak� Harry curled into the ball shape that he had perfected to the extent of being able to perform it without slipping from the narrow stool. Professor McGonagall sighed
�Very well but you will find class difficult as the incantations need to be spoken aloud� with that she returned to the front of the room and awaited the other members of the class to arrive. They didn�t have to wait long, after a few minutes the class began to fill; Ron and Hermione bustled over to Harry sitting on either side of him
�You alright mate you didn�t make it to the dorm last night?� Ron said Harry shrugged but then jumped when he felt a hand on his back; he came off the stool knocking it over in the process. Hermione gave him her patented concerned looks, Harry flushed as the other students gave him a look, he quickly picked up the stool and curled up on top of it.
�Harry I�m sorry I didn�t mean to startle you, where were you last night?� Harry didn�t utter a word. Ron sighed frustrated Hermione just looked perplexed, but she shrugged it off
�Harry can I hug you?� she said, he looked at her oddly for a second but nodded leaning towards her, he flinched as he felt her arm around his shoulders but managed to stay balanced on the stool Ron�s eyes flared for a second but a look from Hermione stopped him before he could say anything. Harry shrugged Hermione off anyway unwilling to upset his friend.
�Harry where did you go last night we were really worried� Ron said a little more forcefully, Harry curled tighter hoping Ron would let it go, but his saving came from an unexpected source.
�Would you like me to inform Granger and the Weasel?� Harry looked up and saw Draco staring at him from the other side of the desk, Harry nodded; Ron and Hermione looked confused but turned their attention to Draco
�Well?�
�Harry has been given his own room, my godfather said it was to stop nosy Gryffindor�s from asking him dumb questions that he doesn�t want to answer� he said pointedly, Hermione got the implications of the statement and nodded, Ron opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by Professor McGonagall
�Good morning class welcome back. Today we are going to be turning the glasses in front of you into butterflies. Each glass should form two butterflies and the incantation is as follows� she tapped the glasses three times and said
�Papilio comparere� the glass dissolved into two perfect butterflies. She nodded pleased with her demonstration and then went around the class, the spell was proving difficult and only managed a wing to a three quarters by the students until she reached Harry�s desk, Hermione produced a single perfect butterfly earning 30 house points. She smiled McGonagall looked at Harry
�Harry would you try please?� Harry didn�t even look up but casually waved his hand in the direction of his glass, with out uttering a word the glass dissolved into three butterflies, and everyone gasped. McGonagall looked stumped but nodded, adding another 30 points to Gryffindor before moving on. At the end of the class all those who hadn�t formed two butterflies or more (i.e. Harry) were told to write 18 inches on why they thought it hadn�t worked. As they gathered their books McGonagall called Harry back. She didn�t say a word until the class emptied
�Harry where did you learn wandless magic?� silence.
�Outkast perhaps� Harry shrugged, his head of house rolled her eyes and sighed
�Very well go on to your next class� Harry left, arriving two minutes late to DADA. Outkast raised an eyebrow
�Do you have a reason for your lateness?� she said Harry sat down next to Ron
~McGonagall kept me behind trying to find out who taught me wandless magic, sorry~ Harry hissed, some of the students looked very uncomfortable
�Ok Harry I�ll talk to her� Outkast said to the stunned looks of her class.
�You understand Parselmouth?�
�Yes� she said shortly and then continued before anyone could ask anything else
�Ok no we�re all here, as you maybe aware I am Outkast your new DADA teacher � but you can call my your Excellency� she said deadpan, Harry smirked he was already aware of her warped sense of humour but this statement worried many of his peers, she continued
�The first person to refer to me as professor, miss yaddah yaddah will find themselves with two heads is that clear?�
�Then what are we supposed to call you?�
�Outkast will do. Right to business the ground rules � in my class I do not accept inter house rivalry the first one sniping for no reason at another student will find themselves somewhere very unpleasant. Your regular teacher has left me a plan of what to teach this includes the theory of shields and which ones work best for a list of specific curses, the history to the laws surrounding the unforgivable and why they are such...� with each sentences Outkast was leaning further onto her hand with her elbow propped on the desk looking more and more asleep, she continued to read �the moral argument and uses of curses, the origin of particular curses and defences�� the last statement did it, her head slipped out of her hands and slammed into the desk, raising a giggle from the class. Outkast then took the parchment she had been reading and tore it clean in two both depositing it in the bin, with her mischievous smirked already in place Harry knew this was going to end in tears,
�I say lets do something a little more fun� to emphasise the last word she walked around to the front of the teachers desk and hopped onto it eyeing them all
�Hands up all those who want to become Animagus?� everyone except Harry put there hand in the air, Outkast grinned
�Good good that will keep us busy� and with that she launched into a detailed description of the control and theory behind the transformation.

The lesson had gone quite well, Outkast had somehow managed to keep the Slytherins and Gryffindors from even saying a bad word to each other, she was concerned about Harry, he was trembling and seemed disorientated but every time she asked him what was going on he shrugged. It was near the end of class when it happened, all the students were packing up, Harry stood and his eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the floor spasming.
�OUTKAST!� Hermione screamed, she spun round and saw the contorting form on the floor, she glared angrily at it for a second before springing into action
�OH COME ON CUT THE KID SOME SLACK!� she screamed to the room in general not really caring the rest of the class was standing at the back watching in horror and fascination, she threw the desks against the walls with a simple hand gesture and produced a huge clock that hovered over the hovering Harry while sliding a pillow under his head.
�Hermione get Albus, Ron get Poppy and Neville get Severus� Ron and Hermione bolted for the door Neville stood stock looking at Harry for another second before concurring his fear of the potions master and also taking to the door. Outkast watched Harry fit with the rise of the class using wandless magic to prevent him from biting his tongue but otherwise not restraining him
�Outkast? Shouldn�t we be doing something?� Draco Malfoy looked mildly shocked but was controlling his expression far better then the rest of the onlookers, Outkast shook her head
�No Draco we really shouldn�t as terrifying as it is to watch restraining a Grand Mal will only cause harm to yourself, the victim or property, you just have to wait for it to finish� She was livid Harry never seemed to get a break, she kicked a large filing unit and ran her hands through her hair, glancing at the clock 2 minutes, 15 would lead to the danger of brain damage and hence they would have to administer something to control the seizure, muggles used valium to do this but the procedure was somewhat�. Unseemly. Madam Pomfrey and Ron were the first ones into the class room, she took a look at the body on the floor and then at the new DADA professor,
�How long?� Outkast glanced at the clock
�3 minutes 50seconds� the medi-witch nodded, the door flew open the headmaster, Sev, Neville and Hermione all came back, Severus went to restrain his son, but Poppy stopped him
�NO! you�ll hurt him if you do and probably get hurt in the process, just thank Merlin he hasn�t lost control of his magic as well� Severus nodded numbly feeling his heart stopped watching Harry.
�What�s happening to him?� Ron was very pale, Hermione squeezed his hand reassuringly
�He�s having a Grand Mal, it looks like the bangs to the head his uncle so graciously gave him may have caused epilepsy� Outkast said.
�Epilepsy?� Ron was confused
�Yeah a muggle illness that magic can cure if its picked up� Madame Pomfrey bristled thinking Outkast had just insulted her, the multicoloured hair witch rolled her eyes
�Poppy that wasn�t a dig, for you to diagnose him he would have had to stay in the same place for longer then a goldfish can concentrate� the medi-witch relaxed and nodded.
�Yes well we can sort this when he comes round� Harry�s convulsions were become less and he was almost still.

What the hell was that? Harry started to come round, he felt so tired; he ached all over he was lying down on a cold floor.
�Harry?� a familiar voice cut through his wondering thoughts, he fixed on it and used it as an anchor to the real world
�Harry, it�s time to get up, you�re in the Defence against the Dark Arts room I don�t want to move you until you open your eyes� Harry swallowed dimly noting how dry his throat was he started to blink the light was bright and he squinted. Everything was blurred but then his glasses were placed on his nose and the world snapped into focus
~What happened?~ he croaked in parseltongue, Outkast translated for the audience.
�You had a seizure it�s nothing to worry about we�ll stop it from happening again� Harry nodded at the voice which he could now place as belonging to Madame Pomfrey, he stood up slowly and was handed a potion he drank it down without giving a second thought to what is was. He immediately felt better, he could see the concerned faces of the headmaster, as well as the nurse, his father, his friends all standing around him with a look of pity, despite his weakened state he felt a surge of anger he hated pity. Out of his eye he saw Outkast re-enter the class unaware that she had left, she sauntered up to him with a vial in her hand
�Here you go kid one super strength pick-me-up that Sev here would never normally give to a student� Harry took the vial and downed the contents. He felt the power of the potion coursing through him, she was right this was nothing like the Pepper-up potions the infirmary gave out. Harry sprung to his feet eye darting round the room, he heard Sev growl
�There is a reason I don�t give those to students you stupid women� Outkast rolled her eyes and then stared at Harry
�The poor boy needed something stronger look at the frail kid come on it�s only once� Harry saw red, even Outkast was pitying him, in a potion filled rage he threw desks into the wall, causing an almighty crash, he threw chairs, books anything he could get his hands on, his rage was violent but short lived most of the room was in a stunned silence Outkast raised and eyebrow and the room returned to its normal ordered state
�Does that make you feel better?� Harry nodded, Outkast jumped off the desk that she was perched on and wondered over to the large bookcase on the far side of the room, in one huge burst of energy and making a almost feral noise she pulled the whole thing down, even Dumbledore�s jaw hit the floor; she stood there panting and regarded Harry
�You�re right it does make you feel better. Shame about the mess though� Harry glared at her and the penny dropped, she had been trying to get a rise out of him and she had managed quite well. He looked from her to the bookcase to the other professors and then to the door
�SCREW YOU ALL!� he snarled and stormed out the room Outkast righted the bookcase and looked at her colleagues with a self-satisfied smirk
�Damn I�m good!� and with that turned and in a flurry of multicoloured hair disappeared into her office.

Severus looked at the headmaster,
�Did he just say something?�
�Yes I believe he did�
�Damn that women why can�t she fail once in a while� the twinkle in the old headmaster�s eye was working overtime he knew appointing Outkast would make for an interesting year but he had to admit the entertainment value of having her back in the school made the Marauder�s and the Weasley twins look like amateurs. Sev rolled his eyes and stalked back the dungeons to see his son, Ron stared at Hermione
�Err what happened?�
�Outkast played Harry�
�She did what?� Hermione rolled her eyes
�She acted in a certain way to get him to talk again oh honestly Ron open your eyes what do you think went on� Hermione exasperated with having to act as the world to Ron translator spun and left the room parting the sea of onlookers in the process. Ron swallowed hard and stared at Seamus
�Someone stole my best friend and replaced her with a mini-female Snape� he bolted after her leaving Seamus sniggering.

Harry staked open to the portrait covering his room
~Open~ he hissed at it and the portrait jumped out his way under the impression that if didn�t do it fast enough he would go straight through it. In his room Harry�s first action was to slam the door that joined to Sev�s quarters he muttered a silencing and locking charm on both entrances and flopped onto the bed. He was furious, he didn�t know why he was furious but he was. Maybe he�d had Dumbledore manipulate him so much even the not so subtle coaxing Outkast did pissed him off royally. He sighed and rolled over, the CD player Outkast gave him appeared from under the pillow, he smiled slightly despite himself, he had to admit albeit grudgingly it was quite amusing the look on the Professor�s face when he trashed the place and then the look of sheer horror when Outkast joined in. He would have given anything to have a camera at that moment in time. He dragged the player out and stuck the headphones on. He had it up so loud he didn�t realise that his wards had been broken until the player was wrenched from his hands, in doing so the phones cable fell out
�CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES, THIS IS MY LAST RESORT� the opening to the next track bellowed through room, Outkast wasn�t joking when she said it was loud�

####

In the Defence class room Outkast was marking the essays she�d set the first years when the floor shook to the base of Papa Roach�s Last Resort her mischievous grin was back in place
�I told you Sev don�t pull the phones out� she said to the empty room

####

In the Gryffindor common room many floors above, the windows rattled as the song got into it�s stride, Hermione didn�t even look up from her book but merely reached out and caught the glass that was being bumped by the beat close the edge of the table, Ron had covered his ears with his hands
�What�s that are we being attacked?�
�Yes by Rock music� Hermione said not looking the least bit surprised.

####

Severus dropped the player on the bed and tried to protect his ears drums, smirking Harry reached over and jabbed the stop button and the player fell silent. Harry looked up his father, he chewed his lip nervously Harry was fairly sure he was in trouble. Severus looked enraged, his face had gone the same colour as Vernon�s did Harry curled up protecting his vital organ and just hoped his father rage wasn�t as painful as his uncle�s. Severus looked at the trembling ball on the bed, he was angry with Harry�s behaviour earlier but also felt his heart clench as the child prepared for a beating he sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
�Well at least you waited until I was there to snarl your first words� he said defeated, he sat on the bed, Harry looked at him dubiously, that wasn�t what he had expected Severus to say. Severus looked down at Harry
�I�m not going to hit you if that�s what you think� Harry still didn�t look convinced.
�I�m sorry� he said in a small voice, Severus looked at him and smiled
�Well look at that not a sound for months then five words in an hour� Harry smiled slightly and uncurled
�I didn�t mean to lose control but it was just everyone pitying me I couldn�t take it and then Outkast��
�Prompted you to get a reaction other then indifference?� Harry nodded Severus sighed
�Well I can understand that, but I�m still going to have to punish you� Harry�s eyes went wide with fear and then the spark left them with resignation, Severus moved his hand to reach for Harry; Harry flinched. Severus sighed and pulled Harry into a hug, he felt the boy stiffen but just held him tighter
�Now lets see destroying a classroom and insulting the professors I think that will be 50 points from Gryffindor and a weeks detention with Professor Lupin seeing as it was a defence classroom you destroyed, and giving you to Outkast for detention would be a worse idea then asking Mundungus to watch the bar in the Three Broomsticks sound fair?� Harry looked up stunned at his father, he nodded mutely he couldn�t believe that was the end of it. Severus gave him one last squeeze before letting him go. He stood up and headed back the door; he opened it before turning back to Harry
�Why don�t you go up to your common room for a bit I�m sure your friends would like to know that you�re alright they were worried� Harry nodded, it had been ages since he was in the Gryffindor common room he thought of the cosy sofas and the fire place
�Ok� He got up and collected his homework seeing as no doubt Hermione would be insisting that�s what they did and left. Harry started to climb the moving staircases towards the Gryffindor tower, thinking about all the good times he�d had with his friends there
�Hey vocally impaired boy wait up� Harry turned round in time to see Outkast bouncing up the stairs two at a time, she reached him with a small hope and grinned her eyes were dilated, Harry would have said that she was on a muggle drug if he didn�t know better
�Watcha doin�?� She asked without really focusing on him
�I�m going to talk to Ron and Hermione for a bit� Outkast nodded violently showering purple and green hair everywhere
�That�s a good idea. Oh when do you want to do some training?�
�Um how about at the weekend I have detention with Professor Lupin all this week for trashing the classroom� Outkast pouted
�That�s not fair I put it all back again� Harry giggled it wasn�t everyday a teacher complained about detention being unfair. With that she turned and started to bounce back down the stair case singing a song about an Indian Elephant that escaped life in a travelling circus. Harry shook his head, as DADA Professors went she was by far the oddest � but at least she knew what she was doing and didn�t want him dead. Harry continued up to the common room he paused at the Pink Lady and frowned he knew the password� well he was told the password�.
�Well?� she prompted he lent in and if sharing a big secret;
�I do know the password, but it�s a secret and if I told you I�d have to kill you� he whispered she rolled her eyes
�Young man I already know the password, I�m a portrait and can�t die and I think you have definitely been spending too much time with that new Professor not do you know it or are you just wasting my time?� Harry grinned and then it cam back to him
�Grff�s rule Slyth�s drool� the portrait swung aside muttering about inappropriate choices the youth of today make. Harry sat down on a couch next to Hermione, Ron was playing, well thrashing Seamus at chess, he didn�t say anything but just waited to be noticed.

It took Hermione five full minutes to see the very amused Harry Potter sitting on the couch next to her, she did a double take before calmly putting her book, down turning to face him, offered a friend smile too a deep breath and�
�HARRY JAMES POTTER WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!� Startled by the yelling Ron dropped the chess set causing all the pieces to break. He stared at her and then saw Harry cringing into the sofa; Ron recovered and repaired the chess set putting it away while the pieces made derogatory noises about his parentage. Harry pulled his knees into his chest and stared at Hermione
�Sorry I couldn�t help myself� Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Ron beat her to it
�Hey you talked! You said something, sod the class Hermione he�s talking again!�
�Language Ron� she chastised lightly never taking her eyes off Harry, she smiled again he was making progress but he still looked like a first year caught in potions class with out a cauldron.
�Harry, how are you feeling� It was like watching the shutters coming down on a shop window, he closed off his voice took a monotonous tone
�I�m fine� he said, she sighed well there was no point in trying anything else he wasn�t going to let them in. Ron came over and dragged a chair with him so he could sit next to Harry.
�Alright mate been a while since you were last in here� Harry sighed and turned to Ron thankful for the distraction
�Yeah it has� he paused as if trying to find the right words �Look Ron you�re not mad are you? I mean about me not being in the dorm it�s just that I�� he stopped trying to find a way to articulate what he was trying to express, Ron just nodded
�It�s ok mate honestly if I�d been through what you had I wouldn�t want to share a room with a bunch of blokes either� Harry winced Hermione hit Ron on the are
�Oh way to go Mr. I�m as tactful as a brick wall� Ron looked hurt and puzzled and then looked at Harry, who had curled up tight and was resting a cheek on his knees, Ron�s eyes went wide
�Oh mate I�m sorry I didn�t mean like that don�t do that� Ron moved to pull Harry out of the ball he was in, Harry was lost in thought and didn�t notice until he felt Ron touching him, he jumped, trying to move out the way and fell over the arm of the couch landing in a heap on the floor. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up prying to which ever deity that would answer to give her strength when dealing with insensitive males and fragile boys. She got up and knelt next to Harry who was scrambling to get up.
�Calm down Harry, it�s only Ron being an idiot� Harry looked from her to Ron, his eyes darting about all over the place, after a few minutes he managed to gain some semblance of control and nodded at her
�Sorry� he muttered under his breath, Ron looked down at him from the couch guiltily. Harry sighed:
�Ron don�t look at me like that, it�s not your fault normal people don�t do that� Harry offered his best friend his hand, Ron took it and shook it before pulling Harry to his feet and hugging him quickly.
�No worries, tell you what I�ll let �Mione tell me what to do if you stop apologising for everything� Harry rolled his eyes Why does everyone tell me not to apologise? Hermione had calmed down a little and was returning to the sofa for them, Harry slid in beside her and Ron beside him, Sandwiched between his two best friends his emotions swirled, he was uneasy and claustrophobic but at the same time felt like this was were he belonged, he�d just forgotten it for a bit. After an uncomfortable few moments in silence with the rest of the Gryffindor�s watching them Hermione spoke
�Want to go up to my room?�
�Sure� the boys replied in unison and bolted for the stares, Hermione cast a scathing glare at her housemates who had been acting like Harry was a zoo exhibit before following them.

Outkast was still standing where Harry had last seen her.
�Look I don�t care if he wouldn�t do that, there is something wrong with the werewolf, he�s not acting like himself and he may pose a threat to the boy� She paused waiting for a response from the mirror that was situated on one of the leaves on the plant, she made a mental note to store it somewhere more sensible, but then mentally screwed up the note and threw it in the mental trash can. The voice on the other end was stressed beyond belief
�Look he�s fine, Lupin loves him, the world a happy place don�t rock the boat Outkast�
�Rock the boat ROCK THE BOAT� she hissed menacingly
�The boat don�t need rocking it�s got a bloody big hole in the middle and is going down like the Titanic I am telling you there is a leak and it�s putting Harry at risk� the mirror went blank indicating that the other person had put the mirror down severing the contact. Outkast took a step back and plant a spinning back kick on the plan sending it soaring through the hall colliding with the wall at the other end.
�Wanker� She spat before storming away, fine if they won�t help she�ll do it herself, there was no way in hell she was going to let the boy she was beginning to feel maternal towards get hurt again. She stormed up to the room of requirement and passed the door three times and entered. Meanwhile at Grimmauld Place Moody put the mirror down and smirked the stupid little girl didn�t know what she was talking about.

Harry collapsed onto Hermione�s bed and breathed deeply before turning to his friends, he was grinning. Ron smirked back;
�I know that look you�re up to something aren�t you?� Harry�s grin broadened,
�Come on it�s share time� Ron pushed
�It�s nothing really, it�s just that being stared at like a monster got me thinking, it was like being a monster and then I thought of Frankenstein�s monster and ended up at Franken Furter� Hermione giggled
�You ended at what?� Ron�s non muggle side was showing
�Dr. Franken Furter, a character from a cult 70�s movie and play�
�What� Hermione rolled her eyes
�I quit you explain� Harry grinned
�I�ll do better then explain� and with that bounded out the door Hermione shrugged and followed him,
�I know I�m going to regret this� Ron muttered under his breath before chasing after them.

Moments later they were outside the room of requirement, it was in use That�s odd Harry thought, not many people knew about the room and eve fewer knew how to get in. Harry opened the door and went in Hermione and Ron on his heels. The room was set up like the dojo in Outkast�s apartment. At that precise moment she seemed to be taking her aggression out on an impressive size punch bag. The kicks and punches landed with a resounding crack each time, she moved so fast that Harry was sure he could hear the wind off her knuckles. After a few more strikes she kicked two scythes off the ground catching them in her hands, she took three paces away from the bag and threw the weapons, the first one struck true the second missed by miles and was inline for the trio, Hermione squeaked as it travelled toward Harry�s neck in a straight line. Harry waited until the last moment bringing his hands up and catching the blade between his palms. Outkast grinned at him, Hermione and Ron looked stunned.
�Where did you learn that?� Harry smirked
�What did you think I just lounged around at her place?� Harry threw the Scythe back and it impaled on the other side of the punch bag, Outkast nodded her approval.
�Do you guys want the room?� Harry nodded
�Sorry we were going to introduce Ron here to The Rocky Horror Picture Show� Outkast smiled and laughed
�Are you sure his fragile pureblood mind will take it� Ron opened his mouth to see if he had just be insulted, Hermione put a hand on his chin and shut it again.
�He�ll be fine, would you care to join us?� Hermione ever the diplomat smiled, she may not have been sure of this�. Women to start with but she was obviously important to Harry so she would make the effort. Outkast noticed, hmm the girls got class she thought before shrugging,
�Sounds like a good idea� Outkast closed her eyes and the room was suddenly transformed into a cosy living room with a huge plasma screen on one side a couch big enough for all of them and a table with snacks and drinks on. Hermione eyed the table reprovingly.
�I don�t think alcohol is a good idea� she said picking up the bottle of cognac Outkast sighed
�Fine don�t drink it, Harry and I like our Cognac and coke and besides he can take it he�s a heavy weight� Hermione and Ron�s head shot round
�How do you know that?� Outkast smirked
�What did you think I just let him lounge around at my place?� With that she flopped on the couch and wandlessly poured the drinks and gestured to the others
�Well sit then� Harry sat beside Outkast and the arm, Ron on the other side of her and Hermione on the other end, it was a bit of a squeeze, but before anyone could say anything Outkast floated Harry up and lay him across all three of them so his head ended up in Outkast�s lap she winked at him
�This way Ron can�t escape� and with that the light�s dimmed and a big red mouth appeared on the screen�

Around two hours later the film had finished Harry, Hermione and Outkast were grinning
�I forgot how much I liked that film� Outkast said to no one in particular
�Yeah me too� said a rather tipsy Hermione, Outkast smirked during the film the girl had taken to holding Ron�s hand in one of hers while rubbing Harry�s legs with the other, Harry was the most content Outkast had seen him since they left her place. She looked at Ron who was a tad pale
�Well Mr. Weasley what do you think?�
�That was wired� Outkast smiled
�That is was but it has given me and idea� Harry turned so he was lying on his back looking up at her
�What idea?�
�Have you guys thought about the Halloween ball yet?�
�No it�s months away�
�Good don�t bother� she had that mischievous grin again, Harry rolled his eyes sometime in the not so distant future either him, his friends of his father were going to be embarrassed horribly� possibly all three.

On Monday night after �the incident� in the DADA classroom Harry found himself waiting apprehensively outside the door waiting to be admitted to his detention, he had shown up around half an hour before the scheduled time in the hope to be done early and be able to get his homework done.
�Enter� a familiar voice said, Harry took a deep breath and opened the door to the office. Remus looked up form his desk and smiled
�Ah Harry you�re early�
�Yes professor I hope you don�t mind but I was hoping we could start and finish a little earlier today so I can finish my homework�
�That�s fine Harry take a seat� Harry sat in the chair opposite the desk. Remus put down his pen
�First things first I would like to know how you are feeling?�
�Better thank you� Harry said with a genuine smile, this was the Remus Lupin he knew concerned mentor and his father�s friend. Remus nodded
�That�s good; could you tell me what possessed you to destroy the classroom?� Harry cringed at the memory, but had made a vow to himself that he wouldn�t lie to a Marauder.
�I was just so upset, everyone was pitying me and I couldn�t take it.� Remus nodded understandingly.
�Well it was a very bad thing you did�
�I know�
�Good, well then you will understand that bad boys need discipline� Harry looked wide eyes at his professor
�Pardon� Harry heard the door slam behind him, he tried to get up and found he was bound to the chair, he tried everything he knew, and every trick Outkast had taught him but he couldn�t get out. He should be able to but then he sensed it, it was so fine but there, over the top of Remus�s own magic, at least one other magical signature � someone was influencing his friends actions.
�R Remus what are you doing?� He stuttered, the professor rose and stood behind Harry, he started to massage his shoulders slowly
�Shh Harry this will be easier if you relax, you�ll enjoy it. I know you want it after all� he bent down so his mouth was by Harry�s ear
�After all sweet Harry you let that muggle do it to you� in a smooth movement Harry found himself on the couch, his wrists bound above his head and his feet to the other end he screamed out
�That won�t help no one will hear you� Remus uttered something under his breath and Harry�s clothes disappeared.

Remus stalked over to Harry and knelt down with by the struggling teen,
�Harry I told you don�t struggle it will only make it worse� He ran his hand over the pale torso, Harry bucked against the restraints, but it was no use. Remus lent over him and placed a kiss on his lips. This can�t be happening, this can�t be happening Harry�s mantra went around and around in his head but it didn�t allay the fact that Remus was climbing on top of him planting butterfly kisses down his jaw line and neck. Harry screamed when he felt a hand on his genitals, his flaccid member being massaged but he was too scared to register the actual sensations he felt sick.
�Harry please relax you�ll enjoy this I promise, I�ll prepare you first� with that he summoned a tube of lubricant, Harry�s eyes went wide
�PPlease Remus you�re my friend, fight this you don�t want to do this� he cried
�It�s ok I know you�re confused trust me you�ll like it� Remus silenced him with a kiss, knowing screaming would allow him access to his mouth Harry kept quiet the tear rolling down his face. He felt a hand snake it�s way beneath him, and couldn�t help the scream ripped from his throat when he felt a finger enter him, he writhed against the bounds as the other hand found his nipples he twisted and turned but it was no use, he screamed again as a second finger joined the first, stretching him preparing him�

Outkast sat at the dinner table getting concerned, Harry had detention tonight and she would be damned if she left him alone with that man. She glanced across the Gryffindor table and felt a rock hit her stomach, Hermione and Ron were chatting avidly as they had been for the past ten minutes but there was no sign of Harry, she got up and approached them
�Hey guys where�s the other third?� Ron looked confused Hermione rolled her eyes
�He decided to attend detention earlier so he could get some homework done after. Outkast�s eyes went wide
�He did WHAT?!� she shrieked, she glanced at the head table in time to see Severus yelp and claw at something on his hand, she bolted for the door Oh shit oh shit she repeated all way to the defence office, somewhere she changed into her Animagus form, Eagles had an advantage getting around Hogwarts and it was faster. She got to the door to find it locked�

Remus was on top of Harry when the door was blown away leaving a gaping hole, Outkast was livid, she threw he hand palm upward toward Lupin and a blue energy ball erupted from her hand pinning him against the wall, she stormed in and glanced at Harry who was crying quietly still bound and naked. She clicked her fingers and his clothes were back on. Severus appeared at the whole where the door and most of the wall once stood before he could utter a word Outkast acknowledge him without taking her eyes off the pinned professor
�Take your son to the infirmary I don�t know if I was in time� Severus didn�t like that tone of voice he�d heard once before and on that occasion 100 Death Eaters had met their doom. He tried to release the bounds but they were too strong, Outkast clicked her fingers again and the bound disintegrated, Harry curled into a ball wrapping his arms around himself and shushing himself, Severus scooped him up in his arms and without a backwards glance left. Outkast hadn�t moved while Severus took Harry away, and now Dumbledore and McGonagall were standing behind her, she sensed them rather then hearing them and to be honest as long at they kept their mouths shut she didn�t give a shit.
�Who are you?� Her voice was altered, sounding mechanical and disjointed,
�I�m Remus Lupin� the figure on the wall intoned, the voice, her gift was ten times more powerful then vertiaserum. She looked at his eyes,
�He�s under imperio� she announced before using Legilimens to break the connection she was careful but whoever was controlling him was using a conduit and was aware of her before she could trace them.
�Shit they got away� at that same moment Remus came round, he was initially confused and then he remembered everything and stared to cry.
�Oh my god Harry! Oh god I�m so sorry I couldn�t get free what have I done?� Outkast released him and he crumpled to the floor. She knelt by him and put a hand on his back
�It�s going to be ok, I know whoever it was used a chain to increase their power over you. I�m sorry but we need to know. Did you rape Harry?� Remus shook his head, relief washed over Outkast
�No you got here in time. Just.� He croaked before passing out. She looked at the headmaster, her eye alive with fire
�Get that stupid wanker Moody here now, tell him what happened and then drag his sorry ass to me in the infirmary and if you value you�re life Albus you won�t interfere� she snarled and left dragging the unconscious professor behind her. Albus turned to Minerva the twinkle gone from his eye
�I have a fire call to make� he left for his office while Minerva left for the infirmary.

Severus burst through the door
�Poppy� he choked out, it was all he could do to keep hold of Harry who was in a full panic attack kicking and screaming, the nurse appeared and took one look at him and motioned to a bed. Between the two of them they managed to hold him down and feed him a dreamless sleep potion. It had just taken effect when the doors slammed open in front of Outkast with an unconscious Lupin behind her, she put him on a bed and turned to the nurse
�He�s in shock and has been under the imperio curse for an extended period I would say months� Severus looked away form his son
�Imperio?� Outkast nodded and drew a slow breath
�Yeah, who ever did it is fairly powerful but not here they did by remote control via one of the Slytherin students, they used them like a conduit adding their abilities to the students as they could enforce their will. I don�t know who though they broke the connection before I could find out.� Severus nodded unsure whether to be relieved that the werewolf hadn�t had a choice or not.
�Outkast, please I need to know did he say if he�d� if he had well�� she cut him off
�No Sev, he was close we got there in time, Remus did not rape your son� Severus swallowed and looked at her
�Thank God for small mercies� Outkast nodded
�It is a very small mercy, Sev he has assaulted him and Harry�s still recovering from his relatives. Shit that kid needs a holiday� she said, Severus snorted in agreement a completely serious Outkast was a sure sign that the shit would hit the fan, even a small joke was better then nothing. At that moment Albus, Minerva and Moody entered. Outkast saw red
�THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU BASTARD WHY DIDN�T YOU BELIEVE ME?� Moody swallowed hard but refused to be intimated by this girl
�Don�t yell at me I was doing this for years before you even knew how to speak� Outkast was close to pulling hair out, she saw the old aurora pull his wand and lost all control, she threw a blue sphere that hit him in the chest tearing his wand and catapulting into the ceiling, he hit it with a sickening thump, she dropped him and with her next shot threw him through the closed infirmary door and into the wall opposite, Madame Pomfrey tried to intervene
�Outkast I don�t need another�� that was as far as she got before her voice was taken, she looked at the headmaster for support. Albus had also paled he had never seen this Riddle lose control so totally, power radiated off her setting the air alight she stormed after the fallen and badly injured Order member she pulled him to standing with a simple spell and then landed a magically enhanced kick in his stomach sending him down the length of the 60ft hall at high speed. He hit the wall; the last thing he saw before he fell into unconsciousness was her face over him
�You stupid man I�m the twin of the Voldemort did you really think your powers would have any effect on me, I�m as powerful as he is� she leaned in close
�You have no idea who you fucking with� then he knew no more.

Outkast stood and turned to see a great deal of the school staring at her in horror, at the far end of the hall Albus, Minerva and Severus looked pissed.
�It�s your mess you fix it� Severus spat gesturing towards the unconscious Moody, Outkast sighed she was going to comply but only because she couldn�t bare the look Harry would give her if he found out, she waved he hand in his general direction and headed back to the infirmary just as Moody got himself to his feet� well foot. Outkast stalked straight past the professors and went to Harry�s bed first; Madame Pomfrey was checking him over
�How�s he doing?� the nurse bristled Outkast sighed she needed to clear the air
�Poppy I apologise for my unacceptable behaviour but in my defence if you knew there was a possibility of someone doing this to Harry and you told the people who are meant to guard him and basically got told to grow up and go away wouldn�t you be pissed?� The nurse raised an eyebrow Outkast smiled sheepishly and lifted the silencing spell
�Right sorry I forgot� Poppy sighed
�Don�t worry and no I wouldn�t be angry� Outkast raised an eyebrow, the nurse continued
�I�d kill them� Outkast snorted she didn�t doubt, but then returned to her fist question
�How is he?�
�Physically he�s exhausted; he�s wrenched his shoulders and hips and has exacerbated some older injuries� Outkast was confused
�What injuries I thought all the previous damaged had healed� Poppy sighed and nodded
�Yes the older injuries had healed but had left large amounts of scar tissue� especially at the point of penetration� Poppy stopped when Outkast nodded that she got what the medi-witch was saying. Outkast glanced over at Remus
�What about that one?�
�He�s sleeping, prolonged time under the curse has drained him, he was apparently fighting it. When he wakes up I don�t know if he will forgive himself, he does love Harry and it will eat at him that this happened� Outkast nodded
�Yeah it will, we will just have to be there for both of them�� Severus walked up to the bed cutting off what ever Outkast had been about to say. He placed his hand on his son�s forehead and brushed a few stray bangs out of his eyes, even under dreamless sleep Harry whimpered and moved from the touch. Albus was the next to appear.
�Severus I know how much you detest St Mungo�s but I feel that Harry may benefit from some professional help.� Severus held the headmaster�s gaze for a long minute
�You�re kidding right? You think sending him to some shrink is going he doesn�t know is going to help?� Albus opened his mouth to reply but Outkast beat him to it
�Honestly Sev he needs it, he had only just started to talk again, it�s safe to assume he won�t want to talk to any of us when he comes round� Severus sighed, defeated he knew even if he convinced Albus, Outkast wouldn�t easily be swayed and he was too damn tired all he wanted to do was pick up Harry, take him back to their quarters and wrap him in cotton wall and protect him from the world. He nodded at least maybe they�d leave if he agreed.
�Very well I will contact a friend to come and talk to him� Albus took one last remorseful look and the small teen on the bed before leaving. Outkast studied Sev before moving next to him
�Hey, this isn�t your fault�
�I know� he spat with venom
�Then why do you have your guilt face on?� she said softly reaching for his hand, he smiled
�You always were the only one who could read me� he looked down into her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment staring into her deep hazel eyes, he lowered his lips to hers possessing them. She stood stock still for a second before melting into the touch. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip begging for entrance, she granted it matching the movement of his tongue with hers. Her arms ran through his hair and he pulled her close, only breaking the kiss when oxygen became an issue. Severus moved away slowly opening his eyes, he stared down at her she was as beautiful as he remembered her being she hadn�t aged and never would, she smiled
�Take care of your son he needs you more then ever now� She went to leave but he caught her arm
�Stay� his eyes pleading; asking for help was not something he was known for
�Please stay I can�t do this alone� Outkast nodded and drew a couple of chairs to the bed, Severus and Outkast sat next to the still small form waiting for the potion to wear off and him to wake.

On the other side of the infirmary Remus had not been given the benefit of dreamless sleep, he tossed and turned as the images flooded his mind all of the incidents he�d had with Harry since he was under the curse cumulating in the attack that day.
Harry was naked and bound, writhing beneath him, the command is his head was impossible to deny, it kept on him over and over it didn�t matter he was fighting it there power was so much stronger. He was going to do this and he had no choice in that matter but maybe he could dull the pain first. Even as he prepared Harry he felt the bile rise in his throat,
�PPlease Remus you�re my friend, fight this you don�t want to do this� Harry�s voice pleading with him, he redoubled his efforts for control using that voice as anchor his hand faltered but only for a second before the command was enforced into him.

Remus yelled out as he woke gasping, he took a few seconds to realise he was in the infirmary, Outkast came over and took his hand
�It�s alright it�s over the curse has been lifted� Her voice had a calming quality to it he nodded sadly
�But it was real, I did that to Harry� his voice cracked, he put his face in his hands to hide the tears. Outkast rubbed soothing circles on his back and said comforting words to him, trying to sooth his fragile soul. After half an hour he lay back on the bed, he hadn�t noticed that she had sat down on the edge next to him and was holding him.
�I don�t deserve your comfort� his eyes were hollow and the words sounded empty
�Why not? You are just as much a victim as Harry in this� he snorted
�I doubt that� she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose
�Remus, the curse was sent using a conduit and while the student part may not have been very strong the mind creating it was, you were fighting against the combined power of at least two wizards and I suspect that Voldemort himself might have added power to it. No one would have been able to fight it off� Remus nodded though her words bought no comfort. Outkast shifted uncomfortably
�I am sorry to ask this but we need to know, do you have any idea who it was who initiated it?� he shook his head, Outkast sighed
�Ok do you know when� Remus thought about this.
�I don�t know exactly but the beginning of the summer I think� Outkast nodded and looked directly into his amber eyes,
�Ok you get some rest� she got up to leave he caught the sleeve of her robe, Mental not robes make it easy for people to catch you she though absently before looking back at him,
�How�s Harry?� he whispered
�We�re sure, he was in the throws of a panic attack when Sev bought him down, they fed him dreamless sleep and we�re waiting for him to wake. Physically he�s fine emotionally is another story.� She left leaving him to digest that as Poppy bustled over.

Severus acknowledged her return with a nod but didn�t tear his eyes away from his son. Harry looked so vulnerable his small form barely moving with each breath. He spoke to her but his voice was softer then she had ever heard it.
�Do you truly think counselling will help?� she sighed
�Honestly? I don�t know, I do know that Albus forced me into it when he realised what had been happening to Tom and I, but because he forced it I resented it and things didn�t turn out well� Severus raised an eyebrow indicating he expected a further explanation. She smiled ruefully
�I don�t know why I�m going to tell you this but here it goes, it took Albus 17 counsellors to notice that it wasn�t going to work�
�17? What did you do that required you to have 17?� She grinned
�The first one got off on pain and misery and want all the details so locked the door, I got upset he got a broken nose, 5 said I needed specialist care 4 referred me to a psychiatric ward 3 run away in terror 2 were too scared of Tom to talk to me and 1 handed in their resignation after the first session when I told him human blood tasted good when you cut it with vodka� Severus smiled despite himself
�What happened to the referral?� Outkast shook her head slowly
�Well the specialist I convinced there was nothing wrong with me, and as for the psychiatric ward, I can break out of Azkaban with my hands tied behind my back, what chance did St Mungo�s stand? Although that was one of the reasons I left this world.� Severus was now interested, Outkast had run out on him one day and he never saw again until this he always wondered when happened.
�You said one of the reasons there were others?�
�One other and Albus be thy name. After I took off from St Mungo�s that day to find you he cornered me started to spout his high and mighty shit about the greater good and I must help the light yaddah yaddah yaddah he basically gave me an ultimatum help him or he would have me arrested as a sympathiser and after all who were people going to believe the twin of the Dark Lord or the Great Albus Dumbledore defeater of Grindlewald Order of fucking Merlin blah blah� she said her voice laden with bitterness. Severus caught her hand and pulled her close into a hug,
�What happened� she snorted
�I told him where to go, and Dementors appeared and took me away to the prison. Two days later I broke out, past the apparition wards and disappeared from the wizarding world to start my life as a muggle. You see Sev I have more reason to hate that old man then I will ever have to hate my brother� she spat the last bit out, Severus held her close he had never known he felt the bitterness in him she was the last straw after Lily he never thought he�d love again and then he met the young Ayesha and she bought him so much joy, pulled him back to the light and gave him hope that he could still love. It had broken him when she had not shown that day, he had tried to track her but Albus had put more and more demands on his times in hindsight he could see why. He kissed the top of her head; before resting his cheek on it.
�I am so sorry, I didn�t know� She sighed softly
�Of course you didn�t, how could you?� he felt a tear hit his hand and pulled her round to look in her face, he cupped her chin and brushed the tears away
�That�s the first time I have even seen you cry� she chocked a laugh
�Yeah and if you tell anyone I�ll kill you� she took a deep breath and the happy mask was back in place she wiped her face and looked at him
�Sev if Albus hadn�t caught it me that day what were you going to ask me� Sev smiled slowly
�I was going to ask you to marry me� he said quietly she nodded.
�Do you think we could give it another shot?� He sighed and looked at the bed
�I� I don�t know I want to but Harry�� she nodded
�Harry is quite good at looking after himself thank you very much� said an oddly happy but slightly sleepy voice. Outkast smiled
�How long have you been listening in?� he smiled at her
�Long enough and have you two finally got it together honestly you�re worse then Ron and Hermione�
�He mister you�re asking for tickle torture if you don�t stop it� she said lightly ruffling his hair Severus stood up and stared at Harry intently
�How are you?� Harry shrugged knowing he wouldn�t get away that easy, Outkast cut Sev off
�Harry you should know that Professor Lupin��
�Was under imperio and had no control over his actions� even Outkast was surprised
�How�d you know that?�
�I felt it, other magic over his own, I don�t know who the student party was but it was Malfoy that cast it. Severus nodded and sighed figured that if the Dark Lord wanted this done Lucius would be chosen. The three were roused from their thoughts when the door opened Albus entered with a rather put out looking Moody behind him. They approached Lupin first and a few words were exchange before they came over to Harry�s bed Moody looked reluctant to say anything until Albus glared at him.
�I want to apologise for not take you concerns seriously Outkast� She nodded
�You know I don�t use that method of communication with out a reason Moody, your person dislike of me and mine of you do not come into it, if you ever do anything that leads to the people I care about getting hurt again I will hunt you down and when I am through you will be begging me to finish you� Her voice was low and calm but no one was in any doubt she meant it. Albus nodded
�Outkast would you like to say anything to Alastor?� Outkast glared at Albus
�Sure you�re an ugly useless bastard with the intellect of a melon and the endearing qualities of a dangling boogie� Harry muffled a laugh into the pillow, Albus raised an eyebrow
�That wasn�t quite what I had in mind� she shrugged
�I�m not going to apologise for almost killing the idiot I�m not sorry� she stated Harry attention was drawn to her
�You almost killed him? Why?�
�Because I tried to inform the order that Lupin had been compromised and he didn�t listen� Harry nodded
�Err when did you inform them and how?� she shrugged
�I had a two way mirror implanted on the leaf of one of the plants so I could contact them in a hurry� understanding dawned on Harry
�So that�s what you were doing� Outkast looked confused so he elaborated
�Just after you stopped me on the staircase and went away singing Nelly the Elephant I saw you talking to a pot plant� she grinned
�Yup and for anyone else that might have seemed strange� Moody growled
�You left it in a hallway, anyone could have got hold of it you stupid women what were you thinking� Outkast snapped she�d had enough of that arrogant twat and rallied on him
�Firstly, if you didn�t know it was there you couldn�t find it and secondly who gave you permission to speak! You are possibly the most stupid fucking wanker with the sense of an aubergine, the intellect of a toilet duck with all the grace and charm of a flobberworm and usefulness of a rubber crutch coupled with that the desirable traits of a stonefish and the looks of the rear end of a blast-ended-skrewt which in total means you have all the worth and allure of a porcupine�s backside!� Harry was eating the pillow and shaking from suppressed laughter, Severus was having trouble keeping a straight face, Albus was stunned and Moody looked properly cowed. Outkast took a deep breath and glared at him
�Get out of my sight� she muttered, Moody didn�t need to be told twice and stalked off. Albus recovered quickly and turned his attention to Harry.
�I�m glad to see you awake young man� he started Harry eyed him with suspicion that he wasn�t going to like this conversation;
�Harry I have arrange for a counsellor from St Mungo�s to come in tomorrow for you to talk to� Harry rolled his eyes
�I. Am. Not. Talking. To. A. Shrink.� He said in no uncertain terms Outkast smirked her reaction had been similar, Albus held up his hands to silence any other comment
�Now Harry, you have been through a lot and need to talk to someone, just go this once and if it�s not productive you won�t have to go again� Something in his voice told Harry that a. Dumbledore was going to make him go and b. he was lying about not making him go back. The headmaster rose and left before Harry could respond, so he simply sighed and looked from his father to Outkast for support. Severus smiled weakly Outkast had that damn grin again
�Harry I know how you feel he pulled the same stunt on me. So what you do is turn it into a game� Harry looked incredulous
�A game?� she nodded
�Yup he sent me to 17 different shrinks before deciding I was in fact untreatable� Harry got the point
�That sounds like a challenge to me� She nodded
�Only rule is you can�t kill �em� Harry nodded, Severus smirked
�Are you sure you two are Gryffindor�s?� Harry grinned, Outkast blew him a kiss and left, Harry Vs. the Shrinks should liven things up a bit round here�.

Next morning found Harry waiting his father�s office preparing to meet the first shrink Albus had contacted he sighed and knock on the door, Severus opened it and smirked at Harry. Harry had decided a change of attire was in order for today and was wearing the black leather trouser Outkast had given him and had borrowed her �I fry cats� top, Sev rolled his eyes, but allowed him in. A women in her late 40�s with brown hair tightly pulled into a bun and spectacles on a gold chain looked at him. She stood as he entered the room
�Hello Harry I�m Cathy. That an� interesting outfit. Why don�t you sit down� Harry sat. where he was on the floor and stared at her. Severus left stood in the door way watching but not in line of sight with Cathy, which was a good thing because the silencing charm worked for sound but didn�t do anything for the heaving shoulder�s as he cracked up.
�Ok Harry why don�t you sit on a chair.� Harry did so. She smiled
�How are you today?�
�I�m fine except I shouldn�t be here�
�Really why not?�
�Because the voices told me to stay in my room and polish my dagger� Cathy paled slightly and swallowed
�Ok Harry. Umm do you know why I�m here�
�Yes� he didn�t offer anything further explanation so she prodded
�Why do you think I�m here?�
�Because the king of the moose people told you I was hiding the key to their freedom in a trash bag under the chamber of secrets and they sent you to come and claim it. You�ll never take I tell you NEVER� he snarled the last bit for effect, Severus was sitting on the kitchen floor with tears falling down his face, he had to hand it to Outkast she�d done a good job preparing him. Cathy was stumped, wizard children didn�t normally act like this, she was an abuse specialist and wasn�t equipped to deal with severe psychological difficulties, she couldn�t believe this boy was meant to be the saviour of the wizarding world.
�Harry who told you that?�
�The carrot did.� Ok that was the clincher she nodded at Harry and rose, Harry stood as well giving Severus enough notice to get off the floor, remove the silencing spell and wipe his face. She came round the corner and took him aside
�I�m afraid Harry�s difficulties are beyond the scope of my training I�m going to refer him to a friend who is better suited to handle his�. Problems. I will inform the headmaster on my way out.� Severus nodded and showed her to the door. It clicked shut after her and he turned to face Harry before they both broke into peels of laughter
�Did you see her face?� Harry gasped Severus managed to nod but couldn�t say a word. Harry was gasping having trouble breathing, wondering how he�d managed to keep a straight face through the proceedings.

Cathy sat opposite Albus Dumbledore
�I�m sorry Albus but he has deep seeded emotional problems and need specialist care that I can not offer I will send a colleague to assess him but it may well lead to him needing to be sectioned for a bit� Albus was disturbed he knew Harry had problems but surely he wasn�t this bad.
�Are you sure, you only spent five minutes with him� Cathy was not used to having her judgement questioned.
�Well he turned up in muggle clothing told me that and I quote �the voices told him to stay home and polish his dagger� and that the king of the moose people believed him to hold the freedom of his people� Albus saw red
�I assure Cathy he does not need specialist care I know exactly what�s wrong with him� she snorted and crossed her arms looking at him incredulously
�Oh really what�s wrong with him then?�
�Outkast-itis� he sneered and flew out of his office leaving the poor confused counsellor to make her own way home.

Outkast was sitting in the staff room seeing as the office door was still in the process of being replaced marking work and sipping on cola she had bought in from her club when Albus caught up with her. To say he was unhappy was the same as saying that Voldemort may have been a very naughty boy.
�What the hell do you think you�re doing� he growled she smiled
�Nice to see you too Albus and I think I�m marking essays why?�
�You know exactly what I mean what have you done to Harry?� Outkast put down her ball point pen and stared at him.
�I did nothing to Harry, he didn�t want to see her and you made him. Honestly you never learn do ya? You tried this shit for years with me and got no where, you ignored Tom�s please essentially create a Dark Lord then around 50 years later you do it again to the only kid that might stand a chance of defeating the first one. Face it Albus� she said spitting his name out
�You are out of touch you can�t help him and you know what? He doesn�t want you to, he doesn�t love you hell he doesn�t even like you, he trusted you and you betrayed his trust.� She knew the buttons to press to stop Albus from fighting her and hit every one of them, he walked away defeated. But then stopped and turned suddenly
�How do you know so much about Harry?� she smirked
�He showed me, he gave me permission to look� she got in his face
�It�s more then he ever gave you isn�t it?� He glared
�And what did you do to earn this favouritism� she smiled again
�I trained him, I gave him every little piece of martial arts training I have and all the wandless magic and occlumency he�ll ever need� Albus slapped her
�You stupid bitch that�s what happened to Tom� Outkast wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and landed a magically enhanced kick at the old mans stomach sending him reeling into the wall, she sauntered over to him and knelt down
�I know you idiot it�s exactly what I did for Tom and I�d do it for any kid that needs it, but the thing is Old Man you need him, and hence you need me, if I walk now Sev and Harry will come with me and there is nothing you can do about it� she laughed
�You are very lucky I�m on your side. As for Harry he won�t be the next Dark Lord no matter what power I give him. He hasn�t got it in him� Albus glared at her
�You better be right�
�I am� and with that she left.

Harry was eating lunch with Severus discussing the interesting points of the morning�s short session when a knock on the door got there attention.
�Enter� Severus yelled unwillingly to break the mood with his son by getting up. The door swung open and both men grinned, Outkast stepped in and looked Harry up and down
�I was wondering what happened to that top� she said with a wink before giving Sev a proper hello, Harry groaned and threw a lump of lettuce from his place at them. Severus glared at him Outkast threw it back before sliding into a chair between them.
�So I got a very interesting visit from a rather annoyed headmaster a moment ago� Harry feigned innocence
�Really what did Professor Dumbledore want?�
�Well he got it in his head that I may have convinced you to not take your counselling sessions very seriously� Harry added wide-eyed to his feigned innocence
�Surely not I mean you would never do anything that irresponsible� he said she nodded
�Officially bad boy don�t do it again� Harry nodded and waiter for the other shoe to land:
�Unofficially I�m impressed five minutes must be some kind of record, especially as you didn�t resort to physical harm� Harry broke into a grin.
�And on that note I�m going to get changed before afternoon class, you two don�t do anything sordid� he ducked out the kitchen and up the stairs before they could retaliate.

Up in his room Harry locked both the doors and cast the silencing charm. He sat on the bed taking deep breaths before stripping out of the muggle clothing he�d been wearing. He sighed and stepped into the bathroom barely pausing to grab something off his desk. He stood in front of the mirror staring at his body, his unmarred skin. Then with a small movement of his wand the glamour was gone leaving him covered in scars that ran over almost all of his skin. Harry sighed he truly was a freak, and freaky things did happened around him. The more he thought about it the more depressed he got, sure he�d managed to put the mask back on like he had done for so many years but it didn�t fit as comfortably. He felt a weight in his hand as wasn�t very surprised to see he grabbed a knife on the way in here he pulled the blade down against his skin in frustration with life the universe and everything he did it again and again until the tiles were stained with his blood. He glanced back at the mirror and was mildly shocked to see the damage he had inflicted on himself. He grabbed his wand off the side
�Scourgify� he muttered at the mess and the tiles went back to being pristine, he then cast clotting spells on all the few wounds but didn�t bother to heal them. He had gone through a phase of healing every wound he made, the only problem was that he then had to cut twice as often to get relief. After resetting the glamour he took a shower and enjoyed the searing pain as the hot water and soap penetrated the wounds. He got out and put on his uniform and flopped onto his bed. From under the pillow he retrieved a small leather journal and an every-ready quill he opened to a fresh page:

Dear Sirius,
I had another little attack today, not too bad and the glamour still fools people. I think Outkast might suspect but she hasn�t said anything. The shrink showed up, she left in five minutes but at least she did show it was amusing. I miss you so much and after all that has happened I need you more, I know that Moony wasn�t in control but I can�t even look at him at the moment. I don�t want to hurt him but he scares me. I never thought I�d see the day that a Marauder scared me and Snape didn�t. Merlin I�m still calling him Snape, I guess I don�t know what I�m supposed to call him. I don�t want to talk to a stranger but I want to talk to someone. I wish you were here I need you. I better go I have class. Talk soon

Harry quickly put the book under the pillow, he�d been writing to Sirius throughout the summer and was just glad the journal had made it�s way to Hogwarts with him. He knew on some level that his letters went unanswered because Sirius was dead but it helped having someone to talk to. Harry sighed and grabbed his book bag he had Potions this afternoon and it would be more then his life is worth to be late.

###

While Harry was playing with sharp objects upstairs, Severus was playing with fire downstairs. Only this fire went by the name Outkast, his hands fitted perfectly in the small of her back, she was like the missing piece of him she bought the kiss to an end and stared up at him
�I�ve missed this� she said quietly leaning her cheek against his chest, Severus smiled he�d missed it too. She moved suddenly was stared intently at him
�I�m worried about Harry� she said he rolled his eyes
�Give me a list of five people who aren�t worried about Harry� he snorted
�Yeah I know but look he isn�t going to talk to a shrink, he would just get so pissed off if we kept him going to one of the �I want to be your friend� brigade that he would go do something stupid�. More stupid in rebellion� Severus nodded
�Hence the challenge?� She smiled ruefully
�Hence the challenge, anyway he might open up to someone he knows, it�s a long shot but�� Severus could see where this was going
�You want my permission to try and counsel my son is that it?� She nodded; Severus smiled and hugged her close
�I might as well say yes seeing as if I said no you�d go and do it anyway. You�re important to him� He cupped her face so he could look in her eyes
�You�re important to both of us� he kissed her again, holding her in his arms for a long time
�I have to go I have class� she smiled
�Me too� they left and made a point of avoiding physical contact with each other while the students were milling around. Severus had just reached his class when Dumbledore caught him
�Ah Severus I just to inform you I have found a replacement counsellor for Harry she will be here this evening if you can inform him thank you� and then he was gone. Severus sighed and stormed into the classroom with his robes billowing behind him. 6th year Slytherins and Gryffindors including his son, oh joy.

Severus stormed into the room and the class was silent as he past Harry he dropped a note on the desk, Harry snatched before anyone could see it and turned his attention back to his father.
�Today we will be making an all purpose dissolving fluid it is not too taxing but don�t get it on you as it will eat through your clothing and your skin. It is used as a cleaning fluid as it only works on organic substances and so can be used to clean statues and buildings without damaging them�.� The lecture continued for half an hour until the ingredients list appeared on the board and he barked at them to get on with it. Whilst Hermione was gathering the ingredients Harry read the note.

Harry,
The Headmaster just caught me you newest victim I mean experiment I mean shrink err counsellor will be arriving after classes please make your self available. I must say as a member of staff that I am disappointed in you for accepting the challenge Outkast gave you. As you father I bet her 10 galleons this one wouldn�t last more then half an hour. Don�t make me have to pay out.

SS
Harry smirked and handed the noted to Hermione she rolled her eyes and got to work on the potion. Half way through the session Hermione approached Snape�s desk a few words were exchanged and she came back looking infinitely pleased with herself but when Harry and Ron asked she refused to say what it was about. Harry sighed and carried on chopping up his dried nettle leaves. Harry glanced over to Ron and Neville�s cauldron and gasped he grabbed Neville�s arm to stop him adding the Aqua fortis he shook his head and indicated to the desiccated flobberworm. Neville nodded his thanks and Harry went back to his own work
�Sir Potty I mean Potter is helping Longbottom� Pansy Parkinson smiled sweetly but didn�t lower her hand, Harry didn�t even look up he simply threw the knife he was using to chop his leaves and it flew straight through her robe pinning her arm to a cabinet above her head.
�Wow remind me not to get on the wrong side of you if your aims that good� Ron said quietly
�I missed� snarled Harry
�MR POTTER!� Snape while inwardly highly impressed with the shot had to keep up appearances but he didn�t finish his sentence Pansy (with the help of Blaise and Draco) had got her arm free and threw the knife back her aim was terrible and it landed in Harry�s and Hermione�s potion. Harry turned covering Hermione with his body as the potion splashed violently Harry turned back to see the potion reacting with the metal and cast a shield spell round it just as it exploded. He felt the warmth as is started to melt through his robes. Harry quickly pulled the robe off, but wasn�t fast enough it had already eaten it�s way through the clothes and was on his skin he bit his tongue to prevent him from crying out in pain Hermione shrieked and went to launch a dousing spell on Harry before Snape stopped her he push Harry roughly to the floor face down and poured a counter potion all over his back, it made a hissing sounds as it worked. He released Harry who got to his feet breathing heavily. Snape disappeared into the stores and returned with another potion he handed it to Harry
�Drink this Mr. Potter it will neutralise any of it left in your system. Be warned you may find it has� interesting side effects� Harry looked questioningly
�What side effects Sir?�
�Unfortunately they are very person specific now drink it unless you want to end up like your robe� Harry glanced down at the melted pile of black goo that was his robe and cringed. He downed the formula in one and sat on his stool. Ron obligingly took off his outer robe and offered it to Harry seeing as Harry�s shirt was in only a marginally better condition then his robe. Harry nodded his thanks and slipped it on. Snape turned is attention to the Slytherin girl
�You stupid little girl what if he hadn�t managed to shield the potion you would all be in the hospital wing! Never have I seen a more stupid stunt performed�� he was in full rant and didn�t notice Harry sitting on his stall swaying from side to side, his movements were almost snake like, he started making hissing sounds, not parseltongue but a close approximation. Snape spun back, Ron and Hermione were on his left as Harry swayed, Harry looked and Snape and giggle
�BING!� he shouted and turned into a multicoloured Cobra still swaying on the chair. Severus looked at it and gulped several students that weren�t aware of Harry�s Animagus form gasped. Ron cringed he hated spiders but wasn�t keen on snake either, even if it was his best friend� and looked like something he saw one time when Fred and George slipped something in his drink they got from a muggle friend. Hermione was the first to recover, she lowered her arm to the snake and Harry gratefully slithered up it resting his head on her shoulder. Hermione smiled and stroked it, then giggled as his tongue touched her neck. Ron was puce with suppressed rage ok they hadn�t told Harry they were dating but he didn�t like the way she responded. Hermione noticed his expression and rolled her eyes
�Oh honestly Ron.� She snapped and then pulled Harry�s head so she could look him in the eye
�That pillock�s jealous� she said to the snake Harry slithered down her other arm along the edge of the desk and up Ron�s. Ron went white he wasn�t keen on having a poisonous snake under the influence of a potion on his arm he took some deep breaths,
�I�m sorry Hermione, err Sir err someone get him off!� he said getting more panicked but he didn�t give anyone the chance to reacted he pulled Harry off him and dropped him on the floor. Harry was stunned for less then a second and the swirling colours went slightly bluer and then he was off
�CLOSE THE �� Snape was going to say �door� but it was too late Harry had left the classroom. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long day.
�Mr. Weasley 10 points from Gryffindor for your show of cowardice, now go get the headmaster. Miss Granger as much as it pains me to say it we are going to need��
�Outkast� she finished for him and was out the door in a flurry of fabric. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose
�All those that have finished put your potions in a bottle at the front and then go and find a multicoloured cobra that is �somewhere in Hogwarts, preferably before it bites someone� there was a bustle of movement and several potions appeared on the desk, Neville bottled some of Harry�s and Hermione�s as well. Everyone had almost finished and were packing up before Snape spoke again
�Oh and Miss Parkinson, 30 points from Slytherin for a stupid action and you have a weeks detention with Filch not get out of my sight� She nodded and left thankful that she still had all her limbs. Thirty seconds later Hermione came in with Outkast, Severus looked at them
�Did Miss Granger tell you happened?�
�Yup� Outkast said staring at him; Severus rolled his eyes trust Outkast to be high on that muggle beverage the one time he needed her clear headed.
�Well can you find him?� he said exasperated
�Yup� she said and nodded for emphasis, before retrieving a can of cherry cola from her pocket, Severus was on her in an instant and snatched the can
�Oh no you don�t you get it back when you bring Harry down here got it� She sighed and stared petulantly.
�You�re mean� she said before shifting into to her Animagus form and flying out the door. Hermione was puzzled
�Sir why did you take a can of cola from her� Severus was rooting in his desk drawer for a headache relieving potion, and downed one before answering
�Because Miss Granger there is an ingredient in this vile drink that has the same effect on Outkast as two bottle of Firewhiskey has on most people. The only difference is she will never pass out from it but just gets more and more hyper active� Hermione nodded
�Would that explain why she was having a conversation with a yoghurt when I knocked on the door?� Severus nodded
�Yeah that would explain. Miss Granger if anyone tries to tell you that Outkast is in fact a sane and coherent member of society don�t believe them she�s just as mad and the Dark Lord, but she�s mostly harmless� Hermione was about to ask another question when the headmaster and Ron reappeared
�Difficult class Severus?�
�No it was a total walk in the park, my son did not prove his knife throwing capabilities nor did another student almost blow up the lab and there isn�t an intoxicated cobra taking a gentle stroll round the castle as we speak� he snarled he was in no mood for Albus at the moment, and luckily was saved any further discussion when a golden eagle swept majestically into the room carrying and squirming but unharmed multicoloured cobra in its talons as it flew over her head Hermione muttered something that sounded like
�Now in any other school that might seem strange�. The eagle dropped the snake on the desk in front of Severus who caught it before it had a chance to slither off again and allowed it to coil around his arm. The eagle landed on the floor by Dumbledore and transformed back into Outkast who turned to Severus and held her hand out impatiently. He deposited the fizzy drink back in her hand and she nodded.
�Well alls well that ends well� Albus said and turned to leave he stopped by the door
�Don�t remember Severus Harry has an appointment in half an hour� and then he left, Severus sighed got up and went into his quarters. He put Harry on a chair
�Harry please turned back, I was concerned� Harry did what he was told but it was obvious he still wasn�t back in the land of the living Severus hugged the child who looked at him at an angle
�Why�d you do that?� Harry asked suspiciously
�Because you�re my son and you had me worried again� He start blubbing
�I didn�t mean to worry you I�m sorry I�m a freak� he put his head on the table and wrapped his arms round it. Severus rolled his eyes
�You�re not a freak come here� He gave Harry another hug and desperately tried to think of something that would distract the boy
�Harry do you remember you have a meeting with a counsellor soon� Harry perked up immediately
�Oh yeah I better get ready and rehearse� Severus raised an eyebrow
�Rehearse?� Harry nodded and ran up to his room. Severus sighed and raised his wand
�Accio Cognac��

##

Twenty five minutes later there was a knock on the door, Outkast stood there grinning
�Sev this is Ms. Morden she�s Harry�s new counsellor� she said smirking Severus nodded
�Ms. Morden� the women was in her thirties had blonde hair in a braid and was wearing a pair of fawn slacks with match jacket she had a overly long neck that reminded Severus of Petunia Dursley, he hoped Harry didn�t see the resemblance.
�Please call me Amy� she said with a genuine smile, Severus was kind of sad she seemed pleasant enough. Pity really he gestured to the kitchen sink and called Harry down. A quick glance at the ring told him that Harry was still affected by the antidote. Harry bounced down the first two steps before jumping the rest in one go. He landed gracefully and bowed. He looked from Sev to Outkast to the new women, he blanched at the sight of her and his gaze went back to his father�s
�Harry this is Amy� Harry nodded the women who looked like his aunt with bleached hair smiled, Harry whimpered. Amy was surprised
�Is there a problem Harry?� Severus answered
�You bare a passing resemblance to his aunt it�s unsettled him� She smiled again
�Oh that�s ok Harry don�t worry, why don�t you have a seat?� Harry sat opposite her. Outkast glanced at Sev and indicated to the living room. They both went in and closed the door, Outkast handed him a set of extendable ears. Severus turned them over and the WWW logo
�You�re kidding me those two jokers sell this stuff?� Outkast nodded
�Oh they�re good, for kids now shh� she put the ear under the door as did Sev and they listened in.

##

In the kitchen Harry sat staring off into space. The shrink was getting things out of her bag that was on the floor. The first was a file she placed it in front of her, when she bent down to get something else he moved the file to the other side of the desk using wandless magic, mot altering his gaze. She sat back up and looked puzzled but shrugged it off. She pulled the folder back across and sat with her hands in front of her
�Harry as you know I�m here so you can talk to someone, I�ll listen to anything you want to talk about, things that have happened your future your fears anything� Harry cocked his to the side like a puppy
�Fears?� he repeated she nodded he looked straight at her
�What are your fears?� He said. She looked at him, being honest was a good way of getting patients to open up.
�Well I�m not keen on spiders and I�m terrified of snakes� Harry nodded.
�What about you Harry? Are you scared of something?� Harry thought for a second
�I�m scared that the penguins are stealing my sanity�

###

Outkast quickly cast a silencing spell on them before they gave in to the fits of hysterical laugher she forgot all those shirts at her house with odd sayings, and was amazed that someone found a use for them�

###

Amy went to make a note of this and knocked the quill on the floor, was she reached for it Harry used a voice altering charm that Fred had taught him to make his voice deep and gruff
�I can smell your brains� he whispered before cancelling the charm, Amy shot up and looked around she stared at Harry
�Did..Did you just say something?�
�No� he said in his normal voice, she nodded
�Never mind� she muttered she turned back to Harry
�How are things with your father?�
�Good� he answered mechanically; she nodded and made a note of this. Harry caused a glass behind her to fall and break, she spun round as he put the voice charm back on
�I can smell your spicy brains� she flicked back round and he still hadn�t moved. She was a little anxious
�Harry is there anyone else in the room� Harry cocked his head listening before nodding she looked slightly relieved
�Who?� Harry thought quickly
�Uriel� he said
�Whose Uriel?� Harry sighed, and had the air of someone that had been through this a hundred times
�Uriel was a cobra that belonged to a previous potions master, but his master was cruel and one day in a fit of rage threw Uriel into a cauldron killing the snake. The ghost of Uriel haunts the dungeons prying on people, apparently he has this voice which only his victims can hear� Amy was white
�Victims?�
�Yes he say something about spicy brains, and then he attacks� Amy was trembling
�How.. how do you know it�s a cursed cobra not one that�s escaped� Harry smirked evilly
�The potion took the pigments of Uriel�s scales and mutated them to a swirling mass of colours, that�s how we know it�s the ghost� at that moment he levered a silver tray off the wall and let it clatter to the floor Amy bounced out of the chair and spun round, when she turned back Harry wasn�t there but there was a rearing cobra with multicoloured scales. Amy�s scream could be heard in the Gryffindor tower and she scrambled out of the dungeon. She ran out the school didn�t stop until she hit the apparition wards.

###

Outkast and Sev appeared from the living room with tears streaming down their faces, Outkast lifted the silencing charm
�I�ve got to hand it to you 15 minutes that�s impressive, you were brilliant� Harry turned back and grinned
�Thanks� ever Severus was grinning
�Yes very Ssssslytherin of you take 50 point for Gryffindor for the best entertainment this year and wow 15 minutes is impressive�
�Actually it was 14 minutes 29 seconds� said a voice at the door they turned to see Hermione holding a stop watch and grinning she looked at Severus
�Pay up� Severus muttered something about Gryffindor brats but handed over the galleons. Harry looked stunned
�You placed a bet?� she nodded and smiled
�I bet 5 galleons she�d be out of here in 15 minutes� she tossed the bag and caught it again and smirked at Severus
�Mind you I had an advantage I know something about Harry you don�t�
�Miss Granger no doubt you know a lot about my son I don�t what in particular?� she stepped out of the room still looking at the potions master
�I know the sorting hat tried to put him in Slytherin� and then she left leaving Severus stunned.

Albus watched the retreating figure and sighed. Getting people help when they didn�t want it was always more trouble then it was worth, he had to wonder what Harry had done to make a respectable professional take off like that. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, why was it the youth had no idea what was the good for them? Albus took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fire
�St Mungo�s� he said tiredly.

##

�So Harry two down in one day you must be very please with yourself� Harry grinned and tipped his glass toward Outkast
�All because of your excellent coaching no doubt� She mimicked his gesture as Severus walked back into the kitchen after changing, Harry was surprised
�Wow and I only thought you owned black robes and yet here you are in black trousers and black tops. My your wardrobes are colourful places� he indicated that he included Outkast�s in that sentence, Severus glared Outkast shrugged
�Hey blacks good, goes with everything� Severus sat down next to them, and gave Outkast a pointed look. She nodded slightly and turned to Harry
�Hey Haz, it occurred to me that you have been back a couple of weeks and I have yet to see you practice any of the moves I taught you� Harry swallowed the last of his pumpkin juice, and thought about that
�You�re right, want to come help� she grinned
�Sure, go get changed I�ll meet you outside the room of requirement� Harry bounced off up the stair case. Outkast rose to leave too. She opened the door and felt Severus wrap his arms round her waist
�Be careful with him, he�s the only son I have� he spoke softly into her ear, she smiled and turned to face him,
�I�m always careful� she smiled and placed a chaste kiss on his lips before disappearing. Severus closed the door unaware of the figure in the shadows; Pansy still had her book in her arms she smirked that was very interesting she thought before heading to the owlery, her father would be very pleased with her.

##

Outkast reached the corridor and the door was already there, indicating Harry had beaten her to it, she smiled as she entered; the dojo looked like the exact replica of her personal one. Harry was warming up on the mats. She tugged off her boots and robe and joined him. After half an hour of warm ups Outkast went over to the punch bags
�Let�s start with some unarmed stuff shall we?� Harry nodded and faced the bag Outkast was bracing, he took a second to compose himself before hitting the thing, and she rolled her eyes
�That was pathetic� He glared at her and hit it again with a little more force. She scoffed
�Ok my mother can hit harder then that and she�s been dead for years� Harry�s glared reached a new level of intensity and he swung a kick at the bag, Outkast nodded
�Better, but I know you, put some emotion into it. Imagine the face of someone you hate on the bag� Harry closed his eyes briefly and then let rip, Outkast was pushed off the bag by the force
�There you go, knew you could do it. Who was that?� Harry released a breath
�It was no one just my general feeling of pissed off-ness� Outkast braced the bag again as Harry went back to working sets, the impact was as strong as before he was just going through motions, Outkast talked to him while he was focused
�Harry you have every right to be angry, don�t bottle it up, but focus that anger who are mad at�
�I�m mad at Voldemort� the punches increase in power
�Why?�
�For taking my family, I�m mad at Dumbledore for sending me there, I�m mad at Severus for leaving me there and not taking me� Tears were falling with the punches, Outkast was using magic now to take the blows
�Who else?�
�I�m mad at my friends for not noticing, I�m mad at Remus for not fighting it, I�m mad at my Aunt for pretending she didn�t see and I�m mad at Vernon� with the last name Outkast was sure her collar bone snapped from bracing the bag, but Harry�s rant continued
�I�m not just mad I�m incensed, I�m livid, I�m outraged, I�m furious how dare he do that to me? What gave he the right, I�m mad at the helplessness the injustice, I�m enraged, he took it from me, he ripped it from me and I couldn�t stop it!� with the last words the blows stopped coming and Harry crumpled onto the floor tears making rivers down his face, his entire body shaking with each sob. Outkast let the bag go and sat next to him. She wanted nothing better then to put her arm round him, but didn�t knowing it wouldn�t help. She just sat there and let the tears fall until Harry had calmed enough to talk; he wiped his eyes and scrubbed his face with his shirt
�Sorry� he muttered, not making eye contact,
�You have nothing to apologise for, a lot of what you said is true, you have just reason to be mad a lot of the people you named� Harry felt the tears making a comeback, he closed his eyes to try and stop them falling.
�Don�t do that, and never listen to the there, there don�t cry bollocks, you have a reason to don�t try and stop yourself� Harry nodded he opened his eyes and let them fall, he shuffled closer to Outkast
�Do you mind if I hug you?� she asked him, her voice indicating that this was for her benefit as well. Harry shook his head and got as close to her as her could, she threw an arm round his shoulder�s and the other across his chest and squeezed him into her, rocking him slowly.
�Harry do you mind if I make some observations about you list?� Harry shook his head but didn�t look up. Outkast took a couple of deep breaths.
�Ok, firstly I can see why your mad at your friends, but I�ve watched you with them if there was even a whiff of them getting close you change the subject, if they push it you walk away. Before you start getting defensive on me I know why you do it, you don�t want them to see you like this I get that but you have to realise you are a brilliant actor you make people believe it when you say nothing is wrong, and in doing so protect yourself. You can�t blame them for not noticing what you painstakingly hide I mean if I didn�t know better I would think you�d stopped cutting� Harry tensed at that and tried to move, Outkast pulled him tighter to her
�Don�t worry I won�t say anything, but we will be have that discussion at some other point. Anyway we�re digressing. Voldemort yeah you have major reasons to hate him and that�s good you�ll need that hate so don�t play it down for fear of people reactions, same goes for Albus, Petunia and to some extent even Sev. Remus however� Harry cut her off
�I know I shouldn�t hold that against him and logically I know it wasn�t his fault, but� he started to stutter trying to phrase his feelings in a way that was understandable,
�I know he didn�t want to and would never when he is not being controlled, but it was still his hands that�.touched me� his voice was cracking and disjointed, Outkast nodded
�I guessed that would be it, Harry I�m not going to list the reasons why you should forgive him, no doubt you know them all, I�ll leave that to everyone else. It�s not their choice come to think of is it�s not really yours either. You can forgive him, or you can�t, but if you choose to want to fix that bridge I�ll help you it will never be like before and anyone who says it will be is either lying or stupid but it can be close� Harry nodded again thankful that she wasn�t pressing him for answers it was scary how well she understood him.
�Now as for Sev, do you at least on some level understand why he couldn�t take you in?� Harry nodded
�He was a spy he would have been killed� Harry muttered reluctantly
�Yeah that would be it and as much as we would have liked it too present circumstances haven�t changed which is why he can�t acknowledge you as his� Harry sighed
�I know� he said in a small voice, he was sounding more like a lost child then the confident teen that walked in. In some ways Outkast was glad it meant he�d dropped his wall and let her in, now she had the task of helping him build them back up stronger then before. Harry took a breath and figured while he was being honest he might as well go the whole way
�It�s just that when I was little I was told my parents were dead and that�s why I was in that wretched place and then I come here and find out all about magic and my history and then a teacher who hated me claimed to be my dad. All I could think was I must have done something really horrible for him to hate me so much I was left there� Outkast pulled the small boy onto her lap and wrapped her arms round him
�Honey you did nothing, ok? Nothing don�t ever think that� Harry was crying again and logic was taking a back seat to his feelings.
�How do you know? You didn�t know me then I must have been a bad kid if he didn�t want me then� Harry chocked on his words
�Hell he doesn�t want me now, he only took me because �well because� I don�t know why he did it� Harry finished and collapsed against her chest. Outkast ran a hand through his messy hair.
�He took you because it was obvious you were no safer there then with him and at least, with him, he knew you would never be hit at home. He loves you Harry, I know you find that hard to believe but he does� Harry murmured something incomprehensible and sighed. He moved to get off Outkast and she didn�t stop him this time. He stood and took a few deep breaths composing himself. He wondered to the far side of the room and picked up one of the knives. He threw it at the target hitting the bull�s-eye. Outkast nodded her approval.
�Harry why don�t you go talk to your friends, think about what I said, you don�t have to tell them anything important but let them know how much they mean to you ok?� Harry nodded he�d actually wanted to see Ron and Hermione again anyway. He picked up his abandoned shoes and went back to his room to grab a shower before going up to the common room.

##

Outkast left the room of requirement feeling rather ambivalent, she had got further with Harry then any counsellor ever would and that was the problem she wasn�t a shrink, she couldn�t not take his problems home with her, she was tired and the recently repaired collar bone ached to high heaven. She made her way to her quarters and locked the door.
�I need a drink� she muttered before heading into the bathroom shedding her clothes on the way. She used magic to banish the jewellery as taking it off manually was a pain in the ass. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a vicious looking scalpel. She pulled it across her arms methodically making one cut for each name Harry given her. Eight in total, she let them bleed openly for a few moments saving the pain, before placing the scalpel back on the shelf. The wounds healed without a second glance leaving eight new faint white lines on her arms. She shrugged she had so many no one would question a few more; she got in the shower and tried to wash the negative emotions away.

##

Harry walked into the common room and saw the figures of his two best friends in a lip lock on the couch Harry rolled his eyes
�Must be the season for it� he muttered, before running over and engulfing both of them in a hug. Ron yelped in surprised, Hermione blushed slightly
�Harry a simple hello would have sufficed� she scolded half heartedly, Harry grinned
�I just want to show you guy how much you mean to me� he said Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron looked at him as though he�d fallen in from another planet
�Err is that antidote thingy still having an effect on you mate?� he was asked, Harry let them both go and shook his head
�No, it�s just that someone made me see how unfairly I treat you and I want to say I�m sorry and well I�ll try and stop it� Hermione was as confused as Ron looked
�Err that�s nice Harry but what are you talking about?�
�Nothing don�t worry� he quickly changed the subject
�Hey Ron are you the new Quidditch captain?� he asked Ron beamed
�Yeah I am and great news your ban was lifted, so you can play again� Harry�s grin got bigger he loved Quidditch. He spent the rest of the evening with his friends discussing everything from school to the somewhat ominous hints Outkast had been dropping about the Halloween costumes she�d got them. When the time came for Harry to return to his room he was incredibly tired, the emotional rollercoaster he�d been on since his talk with Outkast had taken it�s toll. He went to be praying for a good nights sleep.

##

�Are you sssssssure about thisssssss Parkinssson?� a robed figure crawled forward and nodded
�Yes my Lord, there is no doubt my daughter overheard him saying as much�
�And who wasss he talking to?�
�The new Defence against dark arts teacher� Voldemort nodded that was unfortunate.
�Very well may servant you have don�t well and ssshall be rewarded for your loyalty� he raised his voice so all gathered would hear
�We have a traitor in our midst we ssshall call him out and ssssshow that fool Dumbledore what we do to hissss ssssspiessss�

Harry woke screaming clutching his forehead. He stumbled across his room and practically fell down the stairs he reached the master bedroom but was too late Severus had already answered the summons. Gasping with pain he fell out of the door, and forced himself to ignore the spilling pain in his head. His legs felt like jelly but he made they work he staggered up to the DADA office, he banged on the door gasping for air. Remus opened it, and before he realised he was doing it Harry stumbled backwards tripping on the floor
�Outkast� he gasped, Remus went away and returned a few moments later, with the witch, she looked at him and then at Lupin
�Headmaster�s office� she said Remus bent down to pick Harry off the floor, Harry screamed and scrambled away. Remus looked hurt,
�Don�t worry about that now go tell Albus we�re on our way� The werewolf took off, Outkast placed her hand on Harry�s forehead, the pain eased slightly. She turned towards the headmaster�s office, Harry found himself floating along behind her. They entered to find Remus and Albus waiting for them. Harry spoke not giving anyone the chance to ask
�Voldemort�s going to kill my father� he gasped, and the mixture of pain and grief made him pass out�.

Severus felt the burn on his arm and hissed it was rare that he would be called out this late, but not unheard of. He grabbed his robe and mask and headed to the edge of the apparition wards, he felt the burn pulling him and apparated to where it led. The clearing was full of Death Eaters, he had a bad feeling he was never the normally the last to respond, he swallowed against the bile that was rising in his throat.
�Ah Ssssssssssssverusssssssssss my not ssssssssso loyal Potionsssss Massster� the voice chilled Severus to the bone he knelt down and kissed the my robe
�My Lord I have always been loyal� he felt the creature lean down and a bony finger caress his cheek
�You lied to me Ssssssssssseverusssss Crucio� he felt his blood boil and his nerves erupt, a scream was torn from his throat, he didn�t know how long the cures lasted until it was lifted, but when it was he was aware of the blood leaking from his mouth he gasped for air
�I know your sssssecretsssssss Sssseverusssssssss you sssssssspawned that child, that abomination that would desssssssssstroy me! You are the sssssssssssspy the fool sssssssssent and you will sssssssssssssssuffer asssssssall ssssssssspies do!� he nodded to those gathered and they all pulled their wands. Curse after curse fell on Severus. Harry my son I am so sorry I won�t be there for you, he thought of his son growing up truly alone he asked whoever would listen to keep him safe.

##

Harry was in the infirmary when his body convulsed and he screamed again, he felt the crucio his father was under and writhed in agony with him. All that were gathered stood and stared unable to do anything to relieve the pain. Albus watched a tear in his eye tonight he may lose Harry and Severus they still didn�t know where the meeting was. At that moment a fully dressed and combat ready Outkast stormed in, she didn�t notice the protests from the staff as she reached the bed. She placed her hand on Harry�s head and muttered a charm; the boy lay still but didn�t wake. She glared at Albus he felt the emotions coming off her in waves
�Watch him, do not let him wake up with just the werewolf here� she snarled and stormed off, Lupin�s voice stopped her
�And what are you going to do� She smirked
�I�m going to gatecrash a party� and with that she was gone

##

This is it I�m going to die Severus thought as the Death Eaters were called off, he couldn�t move, he saw the hem of that robe approach
�Avada�� Severus closed his eyes and waited for the light�.
�Hey Tom you didn�t tell me you were in town� an familiar and cheerful voice cut through the din, Oh great what the hell is she doing here? Was the last thought Severus had before surrendering to the blackness. Voldemort turned sharply to see Outkast she was leaning on her sword and grinning at him, she held his gaze and the grin turned to a smirk then a snarl
�Go home children mummy and daddy need to talk� The Death Eaters didn�t move she sighed and glared at her twin
�Must we go through this every time I show up?� Voldemort didn�t answer
�Go away� he sneered, she just shook her head, as she did she caught a movement off to her left, a wand being raised. Moving faster then anyone thought was possible she took the sword by the hilt, sending the scabbard flying, she bought it round in a smooth arch taking the Death Eaters arm off at the elbow. Then it began, the start attacking not waiting for the order. Voldemort swore under breath, he knew his followers didn�t stand a chance but he waited for the really stupid ones to die at her blade rather then his curses. Before calling them off, he raised his wand and froze all of them, Outkast looked at him mildly amused
�Wow you have some real prats this time� she sighed and summoned the scabbard
�Yes, well do you mind we were in the middle of something here?�
�Yes I do mind and I told this lot to go home� she clicked her fingers and all the Death Eaters � including Severus disappeared. She stood staring at her brother for a long moment with remorseful eyes,
�What have you done to yourself Tom?�

##

Harry was resting peacefully in the infirmary, Albus, Remus and Minerva in silent vigil around his bed when they heard a �pop� coming from the next bed. A very battered Severus suddenly appeared
�Poppy� Remus shouted and the medi-witch appeared and started assessing the damage to her newest patient. Minerva studied Albus
�What just happened?�
�I believe Outkast sent him to us�
�But the wards that should be impossible!� Albus nodded
�Yes as rule that is true, however when there is a rule invariably Outkast is the exception to it.�

##

�It wasn�t me it was that stupid brat that did this to me� Outkast raised an eyebrow
�Oh come on you aren�t seriously blaming a baby are you?� Voldemort went to respond and then also saw the stupidity of it. She shook her head and worked a kink out her neck from the battle, sighing she conjured a couch in the middle of the clearing and a create of firewhiskey. She sat down and cracked open a bottle
�Care to join me?� she asked the most dangerous wizard on the planet.

##

Poppy sighed the list of damage Severus had injured was extensive; she fed him the counter crucio potion while he was unconscious and hence more co-operative. The moment he came round she had to threaten permanently sticking him to the bed before he�d stay there, and he only agreed on the proviso he could see his sons bed.
�Albus we have to get her out of there�
�And how would you suggest that? I am still confused as how she found you in the first place� Severus sighed, it was useless he could only pray she was alright; it ate him up to think he wouldn�t see her again. Wait did I just think that? He asked himself, what�s wrong with me? His inner voice answered you�re in love with her stupid he rolled his eyes I was wondering how long it would be until you popped up.

##

Voldemort sat next to his sister and accepted the whiskey.
�Lose the hood Tom� she said grabbing a glass for herself, he snarled but acquiesced, she nodded and looked at him,
�I think you looked better before Tom� the figured snarled
�I am NOT Tom� She shrugged
�Then I wasn�t talking to you� she said smugly. The red eyes flared once more before turning brown, the face didn�t change but it smiled
�Hey Ash, it�s been a while�
�Yeah you�ve changed�
�You haven�t� she smiled this was her brother, not the monster he carried on his back
�I�m so sorry� she whispered looking into those eyes,
�What for?�
�It�s my fault you�re like this� Tom pulled his sister close,
�No it�s really not I killed him I didn�t have to�
�You were protecting me�
�Irrelevant I didn�t have to kill him, and if I hadn�t then things may have been different. For both of us� she nodded leaning in to the hug, she felt him stiffen and turned to look at him, she saw red encroach on the brown eyes
�I haven�t got much longer Ash� he whispered she nodded
�Tom I need a favour�
�What?�
�The Rat, Pettigrew give him to me?� Tom smiled but it was more of a sneer
�Why?�
�Please I�ve never asked you for anything� she whispered, Tom nodded and waved his hand. The snivelling man that was Peter Pettigrew appeared,
�My Lord it is an hon�honour my Lord� he knelt snivelling his worship, Tom rolled his eyes
�Transform� immediately a rat was there. Outkast stunned it and picked it up
�Thank you� she whispered, just as the red engulfed the brown and Voldemort was back
�Get out of my sight� He sneered she smiled
�You wish is my command, oh and thanks for the rat it will make Harry�s day� she apparated back to Hogwarts as the Dark Lord screamed into the night in anger at her, but somewhere deep within him, Tom was smiling.

##

Outkast appeared in her quarters; she put rat in an unbreakable box and dumped her weaponry before heading to infirmary to check on the two most important men in her life.

She opened the door and was almost immediately lost in embrace of a tall thin black haired man. After a few seconds of this ridiculous show of affection she called him off
�Ok sweetie this is nice and all but you image is going to suffer a set back� Severus dropped her like she was the Gryffindor banner, and turned to see amused looks on the staff he sneered at them and went back to his bed.
�I�m glad you ok� she said simply and went to check on Harry, unfortunately Poppy was doing the same she took one look at Outkast and ushered her to another bed despite the protests of �I can heal myself thank you very much�. Outkast had sustained a few minor cuts during her skirmish but didn�t like the fuss that was being made.
�What happened?� Albus asked in his fatherly way coming over to her as Poppy cleaned the wounds, Outkast shrugged
�Not a lot I turned up had a bit of a rough and tumble with the Death Munchers got bored, sent them home and then sat down and discussed old time with Tom� Albus ignored her last comment putting it down to sarcasm.
�Very well, we are in you debt� she shook it off
�Not for this you�re not I did it for Sev not you� she said pointedly looking at him, Albus nodded.
�Speaking of Severus I believe we have a small problem�� at that moment Severus arched on his bed and screamed

##

Back a riddle mansion the Dark Lord was far from happy
�Of all the bloody sssssstupid, idiotic things to do! And why? Why now? Why doessss sssssshe decide that tonight isssssss the night to reaffirm her exisssssssstence?� He was ranting and the few Death Eaters present were very worried, when he did this everyone normally ended up in a lot of pain. The bravest one came forward
�Would you like us to rid you of this burden master?� he was subserviently
�CRUCIO!� the Death Eater writhed in agony for a good few minutes before Voldemort removed the curse
�Let that be a lesssssssson to you no one issssssss to touch my SSSSSSSISSSSSTER� he shrieked. All the Death Eater�s heads were downcast, if they had been looking up maybe they would have seen the slight browning of his eyes as he spoke. Voldemort laughed evilly
�Oh Ssssssssssssseverus you think you have esssssscaped, you are very wrong� he used the mark to send his former servant into pain that rivalled Crucio.

##

Outkast was off the bed in instant, she grabbed Severus� arm and yanked the sleeve up, the dark mark was glowing green.
�Shit� she muttered and clamped her hand over the mark. She began to chant first in English then in Latin before finally in Parseltongue she continued for five minuets, white light surrounded her and Severus, getting impossibly bright, and then in a flash it was over. Severus lay gasping on the bed. Outkast collapsed to the floor, Severus looked at his arm, the former dark mark was now white. His only hope was that the price of his freedom wasn�t too high.

Outkast awoke to find herself on a hospital bed next to Harry, Severus was no where in site. She was still incredibly weak it would take at least three days for her power to come back up to strength, balancing the dark mark when it wasn�t active was a bitch and that was the first time she�d done it while it was being used. Note to self don�t try that again in the future, she smirked to herself yeah right like if she came across someone in pain she was just going to wait until Voldemort had finished. She looked over at Harry, he was very pale, slowly she eased herself off the bed and noted in disgust she was now wearing a hospital gown. She hobbled over to the bed and brushed the hair out of his face, he turned away from the gesture, she smiled sadly
�Harry, how you doing hun?� she said softly, his eyelids flickered open revealing two very bleary emerald eyes, he smiled at her
�Hey, shouldn�t you be in bed?� Outkast opened her mouth but wasn�t the one to answer
�Yes he should be� the sharp tone belonged to the Hitler of the hospital wing, Outkast felt herself being dragged back to the bed by some unknown force she glared at the medi-witch as the bonds attached to her limbs and bound her to the bed
�Is this really necessary?� she sneered, Poppy paid no attention to the tone
�Yes it is, since the last outing you took rendered you unconscious for almost a day you are to remain bound to the bed until you are fit to leave� her tone was final but didn�t stop Outkast muttering something under breath that to Harry sounded like �Zeich heil�. Poppy then went to check on Harry,
�Well young man you seem to be on the mend� Harry perked up at this
�Does this mean I can leave?� he said hopefully
�No you will stay for another day you need rest, and if you try to leave you will also find yourself strapped to the bed� the matron the bustled off in the direction of the store room but not before casting a satisfied look at Outkast who try as she might didn�t seem to be making any headway against the bounding charm. As soon as Poppy was out of earshot and had disappeared into the store room Outkast offered Harry a mischievous grin. Harry rolled his eyes but waited to be enlightened to what ever the newest bit of mischief was. He didn�t wait long,
�Hey Haz wanna go get some ice cream� she whispered Harry looked at her as if she�d grown an extra head
�Sure but how, I can�t leave without the wrath of Pomfrey on me and you can�t get out of the bed� Outkast rolled her eyes
�Look don�t worry about it, I�ll tell her I kidnapped you�
�And the bonding charm� Outkast grinned and clicked her fingers, and the bonds fell away
�Ready?� Harry got up and swayed slightly, Outkast grabbed him to stop him falling over until he got his balance. Harry nodded as motioned for the door Outkast held up a hand to make him wait; she scrawled something on a piece of parchment and left if on her pillow. She then nodded and started for the door, on his way past Harry read the note and grinned as he too slipped out the ward. An hour later when Poppy went to check on her patients all she found was a small piece of paper with one sentence on it;
Wandless magic � ain�t it a bitch?

##

Harry and Outkast made their way to the kitchens, hugging the walls and hiding from staff and students alike, they had just reached the portrait of the fruit bowl when a stern voice caught then
�And what do you two think you�re doing� they spun round sheepishly, aside from their cloaks they were wearing only their hospital gowns and it was obvious they shouldn�t be there. Hermione looked very stern, Ron was smirking.
�Err we want ice cream Hermione we were going back after�.� Outkast stopped herself and slammed her palm against her head
�What am I doing? Me teacher, you student I don�t need to explain� Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave her a look Sev would have envied.
�You two are not well enough to be... hey where are you going� Harry had heard this lecture enough to know it by memory and so had opened the portrait and entered the kitchens not listening, Outkast had shrugged and followed him. Hermione was not deterred and marched in after them with Ron smirking at his friends antics.
�Master Harry has come to visit Dobby! Dobby is pleased to see Master can I get you anything?� Harry grinned at the exuberant elf
�Yeah can you find us a table, four chairs and about four gallons of ice cream?� The elf nodded and left, returning in seconds with the request. The four of them sat round the table and began to eat. Hermione had settled slightly but was still annoyed
�You know this is breaking like a hundred school rules not to mention that you should still be in the infirmary� Outkast rolled her eyes
�Hermione lighten up! For Merlin�s sake girl remove what ever you have shoved up you ass and let go� Hermione blushed, Ron choked on his ice cream and Harry smirked he forgot his friends weren�t as used to the somewhat vulgar use of language Outkast sometimes resorted to. Hermione had completely lost the thread of her argument
�I�m sorry but Ron and I are prefects we could get into a lot of trouble� she said her eyes glistening, Outkast sighed
�Hermione, what is my role in this school� Hermione blushed with embarrassment she had completely forgotten that technically Outkast was a member of staff
�Professor�
�Ten points to Gryffindor! Now you can�t get in trouble the only thing they could do is fire me, and I have a feeling that at the moment I�m in the good books� she winked at Harry who just looked puzzled
�Why?� Outkast�s eyes went wide
�Doops, you were out cold last night weren�t you?� He nodded, Outkast shrugged and filled them in on what happened up to the point where she passed out, Harry was worried and wanted to go find his father, Hermione and Ron were stunned.
�Outkast it�s meant to be impossible to apparate into Hogwarts� Hermione said, Outkast gave her a firm look
�Young lady you live in a world where people can ride brooms, unicorns are real and magic is an everyday thing. Haven�t you learnt that nothing is impossible?� Outkast thought on this and corrected the statement,
�Well with the possible exception of slamming a revolving door�
�What�s a revolving door� Ron asked as the other two sniggered, Outkast looked from Harry, to Hermione and sighed
�Bloody pure bloods� the comment made all three crack up laughing, all the while making a note to say it to Malfoy next time he uttered something about muggle burn�s.

Half an hour later they made their way out of the kitchens only to run into a livid looking potions professor, Hermione and Ron ducked behind Harry and Outkast in an attempt to be out of the direct firing line, Harry stood his ground nervously, Outkast looked bored.
�My office now� he snarled at the group, Outkast shrugged and followed him the students trailing behind. Severus let them in before locking the door and casting a silencing spell. He turned back to face them his face alive with fury.
�WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?� he screamed, Ron and Hermione shuddered, at the tone, Harry whimpered as he looked into his fathers eyes, he�d seen that rage before in another man, and then the blows had landed. He backed further up until he hit the wall where he crumpled to the floor in a ball. Outkast glared at Severus
�Great parenting form� she snarled Severus wanted to argue with her, he wanted to shout the odds, he wanted hit something. But all he did was stare at the ball, Hermione showed the courage Gryffindor�s were known for and stepped into his line of vision block Harry from his view.
�Ron take Harry up to the dorm� She said, glaring daggers at the intimidating man not even looking to see if Ron complied. She felt relief when she heard him shuffling towards Harry. Harry didn�t look up his was shivering Ron sat next to him
�Come on mate lets get out of here� Harry eyes were glazed as the flashback took over; Harry pushed himself into the corner and screwed up tighter and tighter. He then transformed, Ron shivered but approached Harry, he put his arm are and tried not to show his fear as the snake coiled around it. As soon as Harry was settled he made for the door, only to find it locked. He glanced at Hermione who was still glaring at Snape
�It�s locked� she sighed impatiently
�Well open it then� she snapped Ron went red
�Oh yeah� he point his was at the lock
�Alohomora� the door clicked open and he disappeared. Leaving Hermione, Snape and Outkast in the room. Hermione broke the silence first
�I don�t care who you are professor no one hurts my friends� she sneered before retreating herself. Severus stood there in shock; a student a bloody Gryffindor had the cheek to threaten him. Outkast closed the door again. She turned to him
�What got your knickers in a twist to start with?� the anger that had driven the confrontation came back full force and glared at her determined not to raise his voice
�You left the infirmary taking my son with you, you told no one, do you have any idea what I thought when I walked in to find you and my son missing?� he was shaking with suppressing the outburst, Outkast tilted her head in acceptance and then met his gaze.
�I�m sorry Sev, I didn�t think. I hate that place and Brun Hilder in there had tied me to the bed� she walked over to him, and tentatively pulled him into a hug. He stiffened at her touch trying to hold on to his rage, he could feel his entire anger leak from him as she leaned against him. He sighed and hugged her back in a show of defeat. She smiled into his chest before reaching up on tip toes and placing a kiss on his lips. Severus held her close lifting her off the floor as he deepened the kiss. After several minutes she pulled back.
�Come on you need to have a major chat with your son� Severus nodded and followed her lead out of his office.

##

Ron was walking very quickly, he was still uneasy about the idea of have a poisonous snake wrapped round his arm but didn�t dare put him down, he was a dark blue colour, Ron didn�t know what that meant but didn�t imagine it was good. He rounded the corner and slammed into Malfoy and his cronies. He was in no mood to argue so muttered an apology and went to step round. Someone blocked his path.
�Well what have we got here, Gryffindor with a Slytherin pet� Ron looked up to see Blaise Zabini smirking, Ron was about to respond when Malfoy beat him to it
�Really Blaise do you live under a rock, I thought everyone knew, the snake�s Potter in his Animagus form� he scoffed, Zabini smirked more
�Really so this it more of a lover�s embrace then� most of the group laughed, Draco stepped out of the way, he didn�t know why the cobra had gone yellow but didn�t want to find out either. Ron had gone red and was reaching for his wand, but he didn�t have time to hex anyone, the cobra on his arm struck. Zabini screamed as he crumbled to the ground with the snakes fangs embedded in his neck. Harry let go quickly but recoiled and reared his head, hood fully exposed, the Slytherin�s scrambled down the corridor leaving their fallen classmate. The only one that stayed was Draco who looked highly amused, Harry turned his attention to the blonde, Draco looked down at him
�Well that was interesting. I wonder if they schools carries the anti venom. As much as I would like to see you two in trouble I have to admit he was asking for it so Ron collect your� friend and get out of the dungeons before someone finds you.� Draco turned and sauntered after his minions. Ron looked pale and stared at Harry, who was back to being dark blue.
�You�re not going to attack me are you� he asked nervously. At that moment Hermione appeared, she took one look at the scene, Ron shaking and pale, Harry coiled in a strike pose on a fallen Slytherin with bite marks on their neck; she shook her head and decided she didn�t want to know. She bent down and let Harry coil up her arm, and carried on up to the Gryffindor rooms. Ron followed quickly leaving Zabini on the floor.
�So what happened after we left?� he asked her she shook her head and stared at him
�I threatened a teacher. OH GOD I THREATENED SNAPE!!� She squealed suddenly realising what she�d done. Ron was impressed but Hermione was having a panic attack
�Oh Merlin I�m going to expelled for sure what was I thinking, well I think it�s clear I wasn�t oh what am I going to do they� snap my wand�� Ron put his hands on her shoulders
��Mione breathe it will be ok, I promise Snape won�t expel you because then he�d have to reveal what he�d done to Harry and you know he won�t do that calm down� she nodded
�You�re probably right� a disgruntled hiss sounded from under Ron�s hand, he quickly withdrew like he�d been burnt and looked sheepishly at Harry
�Sorry mate didn�t see you there� Harry hissed something else but then closed his eyes and settled on his friends shoulder. The three of them made there way back to the Gryffindor common room.

Outkast walked next to Sev as they left the dungeons on their way to the lions den, they had barely got round the corner when they caught sight of a body on the floor. They dashed to the side of the injured Slytherin, Outkast turned Zabini�s head and saw the bite mark, she uttered a charm placing the body in status before turning her attention back to Severus
�I think your serpents pissed off a certain snake� Outkast raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back the student, as she stood she conjured a stretcher and hovered the boy onto it.
�I think we need to get him to the hospital wing� Severus could only nod, he had no idea what could have happened to make his son attack another student.

Five minutes later they were hovering the body onto a hospital bed, Poppy bustled over
�What happened to him?� she asked already examining the student
�He�s been bitten I think by a cobra I put him in status� Outkast supplied. Poppy shook her head
�Your stasis charm is only thing stopping him dying, unfortunately anti-venom isn�t stocked at the school I don�t even know where to get it from� Outkast looked at Sev who was unusually quiet
�Can you make it?� she got no reply, she tried again
�SEV! Can you make the antidote?� Severus snapped back to reality, he nodded slowly
�I can but the base ingredient is taken from the venom itself� and I don�t know where to get it from, something tells me that my son will not be too cooperative� Outkast grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the door
�Well unless you know another cobra we are just going to have be very persuasive�

##

Harry didn�t change back; he coiled around his friends arm and wasn�t inclined to turn back. Needless to say this caused a minor panic in the Gryffindor common room; most of the students were not used to the sight of their prefects sauntering in whilst arguing with a blue snake. What was more frustrating for Ron and Hermione was that not only would he change but he wouldn�t get off them either, he would happily coil round either of them but if you tried to untangle him he just gripped harder. Hermione lost her cool
�Oh honestly Harry get off, this is highly irritating� she huffed sitting down next to the fire, Harry was still attached to her arm, Ron sat next to her. Several first years edged away from the sofas looking worried. Dean and Seamus shrugged and commandeered the empty couch
�Hey guys what�s up with Harry�. That is Harry isn�t it?� Ron nodded
�Yeah it�s Harry he changes colour depending on how he�s feeling� Seamus looked puzzled
�That�s not normal is it?�
�Of course not, but name one thing that Harry has done that�s been normal?� Hermione stated still trying to prise Harry off her. She glared at Ron
�I could use some help here� Ron paled and shook his head
�No way I saw what he did to Blaise� Seamus and Dean perked up
�What did he do?�
�He bit him�
�Ouch�
�You have no idea� all four of them spun round at the silky tones of the head of the house of snakes floated through the air. Dean and Seamus sunk back into the sofa as Snape and Outkast approached. Outkast crouched down by Hermione and extended her arm, she hissed something in Parseltongue and Harry slid off Hermione onto Outkast. Outkast stood and walked over to Snape still hissing, Harry was going from blue to dark grey with every step closer to his father. Snape held out a small beaker, Hermione looked from him to Outkast
�What is that for?�
�We need some of the venom to developed an antidote for Zabini� Ron snorted
�And what if you don�t get it?�
�He�ll die� Ron paled
�Oh� he said before sinking into the couch. Harry was still refusing, and Snape was beginning to lose patients
�Look Harry this will be easier on you if you do it willingly, it is possible to extract the venom but I should imagine it would hurt� the snake hissed something and slowly slithered off Outkast, he made his way to the hearth at the front of the fire and coiled up. Outkast nodded
�Thanks kid� she looked at Snape
�Put the beaker down in front of him, he doesn�t want you to hold it when strikes because he�s not too sure how good his aim is, but once he�s got it, you�ll need to steady it� Snape nodded and followed the instructions. Harry�s strike was so fast you couldn�t really see it, one minute he was coiled up the next he was on the beaker, Severus picked up the beaker in one hand and held Harry�s head in place with the other, Harry wrapped around his father�s wrist, a translucent but slightly white liquid oozed down the side of the glass as Snape applied a little pressure to the snakes head. It only took a few minutes for him to get what he needed. Harry crawled onto the floor and turned back to his normal self, he took a seat next to Ron and curled up in a ball. Severus rolled his eyes
�Harry I have to go make this now, but after dinner you and I are going to have a long chat� with that he turned couldn�t leave fast enough, he definitely felt out of place with all that red and gold. Harry sighed, and pushed back further into the sofa, Outkast squeezed his shoulder
�Don�t worry it�s nothing bad, well not in the normal sense anyway� and then she too left.

##

The antidote took less then an hour to make, leaving Severus an hour to contemplate what he was going to say to Harry. He now wasn�t sure how to talk to his son without him turning into a ball� or a snake. He was startled from his thoughts by a knock on the door. Outkast was hanging off the door frame
�Am I disturbing something?� she asked and for once sounded sincere, Severus raised an eyebrow
�Since when did you care if you were disturbing something?� he scoffed, she grinned and shrugged
�I don�t but I want you in a good mood for what I�m about to say� She sauntered into the room and causally glanced at the antidote for Blaise that was cooling on the desk before returning her attention to Sev. He groaned
�I don�t like the sound of that. What do you want?� he massaged his temples and tried not to look at her, since doing so made concentrating on what she was saying quite a bit more difficult. Outkast hopped up on his desk looked down at him.
�I want to talk to you about Harry�
�There�s a surprise�
�I�m going to ignore that. Look Sev you need to talk to him, and I mean really talk without getting angry or impatient with him�
�Since when did you become an expert on what my son needs?�
�Well I seem to know better then you� she sighed trying to pull her temper in.
�Look I�m not here to start a fight with you, but I want you to promise me something, whatever Harry says to you tonight don�t be angry� She looked imploringly at him, his eyes cut through her
�You know something about Harry I don�t, don�t you?� She ran a hand through her hair and took another deep breath
�Yeah I do, but he has to be the one to tell you. Sev your son has really been messed up, he�s scared and untrusting. If I were to tell you I would lose what little trust he�s honoured me with and it would gain you nothing. Please promise me don�t get mad with him and listen to him, if you want to yell at someone you can yell at me after, deal?� She was practically begging, Severus sighed it was a rare thing that Outkast would ask anyone for anything but this was practically unheard of, he felt he had little choice but to agree. He gave her a short nod, and she looked relieved
�Good. Now it�s almost diner, so why don�t I get that antidote to the brat and meet you in the great hall� she hopped off the desk and grabbed the vile before leaving. Severus sighed, that was a particularly strange conversation � even by Outkast�s standards and now he really needed to talk to his son.

##

Outkast�s first trip was to the infirmary; she left the anti venom in Frau Pomfrey�s capable hands and left before they could get into a row about her impromptu disappearing act. Her next stop was her quarters; the rat version of Pettigrew was awake and frantically running around the small enclosure, she rolled her eyes
�Will you stop that, I don�t want you wearing your little rodent heart out prematurely� the rat stared at her in shock. She nodded
�That�s better� she slid the lid open and dumped in a plate of food and a bowl of water, before shutting it again. She looked at the rat with distaste before sauntering out of the room and slamming the door.

##

Outkast was heading by towards the Gryffindor tower when she caught sight of Harry and his friends, she wondered over to them and the conversation � which she noticed Harry wasn�t taking part in � stopped she smiled, as she looked at them, a lot of the Gryffindor�s didn�t trust her, she couldn�t really blame them she didn�t try and earn their trust and she would be damned if she acted like the professors here seemed to. They turned to looked at her,
�Hello, can we help you?� Hermione was trying to be polite but there was still and edge to her voice when she talked to Outkast, there was just something about the woman (aside from being the Dark Lord�s twin) that made her uneasy, Outkast looked around the group
�Yeah actually Harry, can I have a word in your shell-like before you go to dinner?� Harry shrugged and nodded. She said goodbye to the others and led Harry into the empty defence classroom. She closed the door and cast a locking and silencing spell.
�Hey Harry sorry about the silencing spells but I don�t trust your friends not to be on the other side of the door trying to listen in� She shrugged
�I�m paranoid� she added, Harry smiled weakly still wondering what she was up to. She paused collecting her thoughts before turning back to him.
�Harry, you know you father wants to talk to you tonight?� He nodded but didn�t say anything
�Well let�s just say I don�t think it�s going to be the easiest conversation you�ve ever had, but remember Sev would never hurt you ok?� Harry nodded, but his eyes showed disbelief. Outkast smiled at him, not a mischievous grin or a smirk but a proper smile, she opened her arms, and beckoned him
�Hey kid come here� Harry did so; she wrapped him in a warm embrace and continued to talk.
�Harry I�m fairly sure your father�s going to ask you questions you�re not going to like, but it�s important you tell him the truth, not just what you think he wants to hear. He won�t be mad at you ok?�
�And what if I can�t tell him?� Harry�s voice was muffled as he was speaking into her shoulder; she ran a hand through his hair, in a motherly gesture before letting him go
�Then tell him you can�t tell him� She screwed up her face at then sentence before shrugging it off.
�Harry, he needs to know and you have to be the one to tell him, he�s isn�t going to desert you I promise and in the long run it will be better� Harry nodded, she was talking sense, but he wasn�t convinced
�What if he hates me? What if he�s mad? What if he throws me out?� his eyes were wide as he started to vocalise his fears. Outkast shook his head at each point
�Harry he won�t hate you, he won�t be mad and he will certainly not throw you out or disown you.� He still didn�t look too sure, Outkast perched a hip on the edge of one of the desks
�You know Harry when I first met Sev he was so cold, I had never come across someone with some much malice in them, but as I got to know him, I learnt why he closed off his heart, he couldn�t bare the thought of being hurt. That man survived a brutal upbringing, spying on Voldemort and Azkaban. By the time the first war was over I was under the impression that nothing would even be able to drive him over the edge, nothing would make him crack. I now know that I�m wrong, there is one thing that would send your father into insanity so far that nothing would bring him back� Harry wasn�t liking this conversation but had to know
�What?� he whispered, not meeting he eye. Outkast gently lifted his chin bringing his gaze to hers
�Losing you. Harry you are his world and life, he won�t send you away because despite everything else he couldn�t bare it�
�What about you?� Harry barely spoke so the question was audible
�What ever happens between your father and me, I will always be there if you need me for anything, I don�t care what people say you are my son� she pulled him into another hug
�I love you, don�t you see both Sev and I do?� cupping his face in her hands she made him look her in the eye, he gaze burned with fury
�I would die for you, and when the time comes I�ll kill for you� She placed a kiss on his head and released him. Noise from the corridor began to filter through the room indicating that she had lifted the charms,
�Go eat with your friends� she smiled gently and walked out leaving Harry to wonder what an earth most of that had been about.

##

Outkast too her place in the great hall and winked at Sev, the action wasn�t lost on Dumbledore whose eyes twinkled just a little bit brighter. Severus just snarled and hoped that none of the students noticed.

Harry walked in a few minutes after Outkast and took his place opposite Ron and Hermione
�What did the Queen of the Damned want?� Hermione said as he arrived, Ron looked puzzled
�Queen of the Damned?�
�Muggle book and film reference, don�t worry I�ll get it for you for Christmas� Hermione elaborated without missing a beat before turning her attention back to Harry. Harry shrugged
�She just wanted to give me something to think about. At least that�s what I think it was all about� he finished lamely before shrugging and grabbing a roll and started to pick at it.
�He mate Quidditch practise tomorrow night alright?� Ron said with a mouthful of food Hermione looked disgusted
�Ronald Weasley you will kindly refrain from eating and talking at the same time, you were not bought up in a barn so stop acting like it� She had mastered a tone somewhere between Mrs. Weasley and Professor Snape which was twice as intimidating as either. Ron looked sheepish and finished chewing
�Sorry� he grinned at his girlfriend who just nodded
�That�s alright but don�t do it again� she then turned her fiery gaze on Harry, who shrank back
�What I wasn�t talking?� he said defensively
�You�re not eating either� she observed, Harry shrugged
�I�m not hungry� He said simply, Hermione rolled her eyes
�You need to eat more hungry or not� and with that she started to pile food onto his plate Harry glared at her over the top of the food mountain
�I. Am. Not. Eating. All. That.� he said punctuating each word. Hermione glared right back
�Yes. You. Are� she crossed her arms glaring at him. Ron looked at his girlfriend, amused at her wrath when it wasn�t aimed at him, he gazed sympathetically at Harry
�Sorry mate but you might as well get started she isn�t going to back down� Harry opened his mouth to reply but chocked as someone stuffed a fork full of mashed potatoes in his mouth. Harry glared at the person sitting next him as he removed the offending fork and chewed the potato. He swallowed the food and went to yell at Ginny but again the moment he opened his mouth another fork full of food was stuffed in, most of the Gryffindor�s close enough to see what was going on were now laughing. Harry swallowed that mouthful as well but kept hold of the fork before glaring at each of the in culprits in turn, Neville shrugged
�That�s not fair you�re all ganging up on me� Harry huffed, Ginny smiled deceptively sweetly
�Yup we are and you are going to eat or else� Harry sighed defeated, he maybe a brave Gryffindor but he wasn�t stupid enough to take on the collective wrath of the youngest Weasley and Hermione. He picked up the fork and started to pick at the pile in front of him. It took him half an hour to convince them he couldn�t eat anymore after demolishing a third of it. They were about to argue with Professor Snape appeared over Harry�s shoulder
�Harry when you finished you know where I will be� He offered no further conversation but left in his normal fashion. Harry chose to use it as a reason to escape
�Sorry guys can�t keep him waiting� He ducked out the hall before anyone could argue feeling incredibly full.

Harry still felt uncomfortable entering Sev�s apartment from the dungeons unannounced and so knocked before entering. On seeing his father Harry smiled weakly
�Hi� he said, Severus attempted to smile but felt too nervous to put any conviction into it.
�Hi Harry shall we go sit down?� Harry shrugged and followed his father into the sitting room; he found that a bottle of wine and two glasses had been set on the table. Severus motioned for Harry to sit and then poured the wine and handed him a glass. Severus then too sat down. They sat there in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes sipping the wine until Harry finally gave in.
�What was it you wanted to talk about?� he said looking down into the glass. He heard Severus shift uneasily in his seat.
�Well I did want to shout at you for making me worry earlier but seeing how that worked out before I don�t think I will� Harry didn�t acknowledge the weak and attempt at humour but just nodded. Severus sighed and continued.
�Why did you attack Blaise?� Severus fixed Harry with a firm gaze attempting to detect of a lie, Harry shrugged
�He said a bad thing�
�What did he say?� Harry muttered something that no human could understand, Severus tried again
�Pardon?�
�HesaidmeandRonwerelovers� Harry said very quickly, Severus rolled his eyes he wished he could tell Harry he overacted but given the circumstances. Severus reached for the wine to top up the glasses, as he moved Harry whimpered and flinched as though about to be struck. Severus looked at his son with pain and regret;
�Harry you know I would never hurt you don�t you?� Harry offered another weak nod, but wasn�t convincing. Severus moved over and lifted Harry�s chin so he could see into his eyes, he saw that doubt that was there. He swallowed the fury that was threatening to surface, those bloody muggles, he couldn�t believe what they had done to his son. He crouched down so he was eye level with Harry. He decided that if he was going to confront Harry, he might as well do it now;
�Harry, before dinner I had a visit from a certain insane co-worker she implied that you might want to tell me some things. I promise I will not get cross, please talk to me� Harry shakily rose his glass to his lips and emptied the contents. Before mustering his courage, he told Outkast he�d speak the truth and he didn�t plan to lie but this was so damn hard. He took a deep breath
�What did I do wrong?� he blurted out, before he lost his nerve. Severus let his chin go but didn�t move, he was confused
�Do wrong? Nothing, Harry what are you talking about?� Harry pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. As he spoke he couldn�t make eye contact he just studied the fabric of his robes as if it was the answer to all questions.
�When mum and da�James died and I was taken to them, you didn�t come and get me, I was just wondering what I did that wrong that you didn�t want to see me. I just can�t stop thinking that it must have been something really awful, or I was a bad kid. Was I bad?� He whispered the last bit shakily unsure if he wanted the answer, he throat was closing over making talking difficult. Severus felt himself being to shake, he remembered Harry when he was a baby and couldn�t ever imagine anything that the beautiful boy could have done that was wrong. He was fighting the tears back but didn�t take his gaze off his son
�No� he chocked out �No Harry, you weren�t bad you were perfect in every way, you were so good that I swore that you were an angel� he reached to run his hand through his son�s hair, but the moment he touched him Harry flinched. Severus held his arm still not knowing whether to ignore it or to pull away. Harry made his mind up for him when he realised he wasn�t going to be hurt, he lent into the touch. Harry was now more confused if he wasn�t bad then why was he left there? He voiced this thought to his father, who stopped stroking his head and pulled him into a full hug.
�I wasn�t given much of a choice, at the end of the war I was arrested and had to wait for Albus to free me, by the time he did you were already with the Dursley�s when I announced my intention to claim you I was informed that even if I did the ministry would take you from me and put you back again. They claimed that I was unfit as a parent and since James had formally adopted you and being marked by the Dark Lord I was told I would have no right to you� he held Harry tighter
�I am so sorry I didn�t take you anyway but a certain old wizard assured me of your safety� Harry didn�t respond still taking this all in. Severus gently rocked his son in his arms, he moved so he was next to him on the couch. Harry shook his head unbelieving
�You hate me� he whispered with conviction,
�I love you� Severus whispered into his son�s hair, Harry still shook his head
�You don�t, you wouldn�t of� you couldn�t do that to me if you did� silent tears ran down Harry�s face as he remembered the agony of relieving that abuse in front of his friends. Severus on the other hand wasn�t sure what Harry was talking about.
�Harry, Harry look at me, do what?� He hooked a finger under Harry�s chin and bought Harry�s eyes up to his own. Harry chewed on his bottom lip nervously.
�Legilimens� he whispered before trying to edge away, Severus caught hold of him, Harry inhaled sharply as Severus inadvertently brushed the fresh cuts. Harry hoped his father hadn�t noticed. Severus had seen it, but decided to put that to the back for the moment.
�Harry, we, I needed to know what happened to you. I didn�t mean to hurt you, I�d never hurt you, but when someone I� care for is in danger or been hurt I�m not a patient man� Harry was still chewing his lip, it had began to bleed. Severus rubbed his thumb along it
�Don�t do that� he whispered Harry immediately stopped and pulled his face away from the touch. Severus was doing a good job at keeping his temper; in fact a little too good something told him that the promise Outkast had gotten out of him was a little more binding then words. He pushed the thought to the side for the moment.
�Harry, I don�t expect you to ever forgive me for that, but please tell me that you at least understand why I did it� Harry thought about it for a moment, trying to see the situation from the other side. He sighed and nodded he guessed he did see their point.

Harry was shaking, Sev ran his hands down Harry�s arms with the intention of rubbing calming circles on his wrists but as he did Harry winced. Severus was a little more worried that seemed to confirm it but he really needed to hear it from Harry.
�Harry?� Severus prompted. Harry looked up to his father�s eyes with a mixture of terror and guilt but didn�t move, Severus slowly reached up and pulled the collar of Harry�s shirt down. All he saw was unmarred skin, which was odd knowing what happened at the Dursley�s. Realisation dawned and faster then Harry could react to, Severus pulled his wand
�Finete incantatum� fresh cuts and old scars came into view. Harry went from fear to outright terror.
�I�m sorry please don�t be mad� he chocked out, Severus looked at him with concern,
Harry found himself being tugged up and pulled into the light. Severus banished his robe to inspect it closer, with a slight tremble in his hands he cupped Harry�s face forcing him to look at his face
�Did you do that?� He asked, Harry shut his eyes tightly but a single tear escaped. Severus pulled him close, wrapping his arms around the trembling child; he placed his chin on his head and rubbed small circles on his back. His calm exterior kept in place only by years of training to be stoic and a promise to someone he was going to scream at later. He didn�t know what to do, sure he�d dealt with self harmers in his house but that was not the same as knowing that his own son mutilated his body.
�Why did you do it Harry?� he whispered,
�I �I can�t tell you� was the muffled reply. Severus nodded, but then a horrible thought hit him
�You didn�t do this because of me did you?� Harry shook his head but didn�t elaborate, he pulled away from Severus and started to edge towards the door,
�Harry where are you going?� Harry stopped with his hand on the door
�I don�t want to talk about this, please let me go� Severus didn�t say anything until Harry had left, he then stormed out of the dungeons, he had two people he needed to talk to.

##

Outkast was anxious, no doubt she was going to get at least one irate visitor tonight if not two. She was sitting on her bed swearing a mile a minute at a certain rat that would not shut up;
�Look if you don�t stop making such a racket I will feed you to McGonagall, or worse yet Uriel. The rat in question just gave her a menacing glare.
�You know you�re about as intimidating as a lemon mousse don�t you? You should take lessons�� whatever she was a bout to say was cut off by a loud thumping on the door, followed by a lot of shouting
�OUKAST YOU MANIPULATING BITCH GET OUT HERE NOW!� She tossed another peanut in her mouth and talked to the rat as she went to the door
�You see now that�s intimidating, and you better be as quiet as a mouse while he�s here� shouldn�t be too much of a stretch� She smirked and cast a silencing spell on the cage just in case. She took a deep breath and opened the door allowing in the irate black cloud that was Severus Snape. He was visibly shaking with barely suppressed range. The moment he entered she closed and warded the door. She wasn�t given a chance to speak before he launched into a tirade
�You knew didn�t you? You knew he was mutilating himself and not only did you not tell me you did nothing to stop him� Outkast perched on the edge of her desk, there was no point talking until he�d got rid of a lot of the aggression
�How could you stand by and do nothing? I thought you liked him! Hell I thought you liked me! Why didn�t you say something? I could have done something� He stopped for breath, Outkast jumped in before he had a chance to continue
�What would you have done Sev? Shouted at him? Threatened him? Do you really think that would have got you anywhere?� Severus dropped onto the couch, Outkast sauntered over and sat next to him, she ran her hands through his hair,
�He won�t stop because you yell; in fact he�s likely to do it twice as much. If I had told you, I would have lost his trust in me, you would have shouted, Dumbledore would have taken Draconis and Harry would have transfigured a blade and done the job properly. So yeah I manipulated you into promising not to shout and at, in the same way I manipulated him into telling you the truth. I apologise for neither� Outkast kept her calm and spoke softly. Severus let out a deep breath before shaking his head
�You�re a real piece of work you know that?�
�Yeah I know, but at least I do the wrong thing for the right reasons� She smiled ruefully to herself, beginning to understand a certain old wizard a little better, speaking of which she guessed they better go talk to him. She voiced that to Sev who groaned
�Yeah I guess, he�s going to want to talk to Harry, can you go get him� Severus looked down, his ring was pain silver, that�s peculiar he doesn�t normally take it off he shook himself out of the memories of the last time his ring looked like that, before rising of the couch, he turned to Outkast as more of an after thought
�When you find him can you tell him to put the ring back on� She nodded and then left, Severus looked around, seeing the animal cage for the first time, strange Outkast hadn�t mentioned having a pet�

##

As soon as his father left Harry went up to his room, he tugged the ring Sev gave him off and stuck it on the bedside table. He didn�t want to be monitored at the moment. Harry collapsed on to the bed and sighed. He didn�t know weather to curse Outkast or thank her, but at the moment all he wanted to do was stop the darkness from encroaching. He rolled onto his front and pulled out his journal and a knife from under his pillow. He started by writing an entry covering the talk, and his father�s reaction. He voiced his doubt about what he�d been told. He tucked the book back and studied the knife. He rolled his sleeve up and pulled it down along the length of his arm tracing the scars from the summer, not as deep but fairly big. He let it bleed for a few moments and was about to heal it, but then his scar erupted and he was no longer able to focus on anything but the voice pulling him into another world.

~~
The grey mist swirled around him, he could see nothing but he heard something in the wind;
�Hello Harry� The voice sounded cold, but amused, Harry knew who it was, after all only Voldemort could pull this trick.
�What do you want?�
�I want to keep you here until your lifesssss blood sssssstiainsssss the floorsss� Harry rolled his eyes
�You bought me here for that? Honestly if you don�t mind some constructive criticism you�ve been trying to kill me on and off for 15 years, you really need a hobby� the voice growled menacingly
�Don�t get ssssssmart with me boy� Harry wasn�t really paying attention he was trying to find the way out this vision or what ever the hell it was
�Look Tom, I would really lover to stay and chat but as you pointed out I am dying so if you would kindly piss off�� Harry was cut off as red eyes came into view with furious intensity
�CRUCIO� Harry dropped to the floor writhing under the curse, his last thought was �why can�t I do that in here?� and then the pain took over

##

Outkast sauntered of to the Serpentine portrait, the guard snake looked bored
~Password~ it hissed, Outkast sighed
~I don�t know it, will you open up anyway?~ The portrait swung aside much to her amazement I must talk to Harry about his security she thought as she entered, but then all was forgotten when Harry came into view, he was laying on his back with his eyes open and unblinking, the duvet was soaked in his blood. She didn�t think she just reacted, stemming the blood and healing the wound. The room was a mess but he hadn�t lost enough blood to account for this state, she learnt a long time ago a little blood went a long way. She knelt down and studied Harry�s face. Great timing Tom she thought and what was going on dawned on her. Sighing she got comfy and then entered the fray

~~
Harry was writhing under her brother�s wand. She sent her own spell disarming her brother, Harry gasped on the floor for a bit longer.
�Sorry Tom the boy�s mind is off limits�
�We will ssssssee about that� He cast a spell that struck Outkast, what ensued was a battle of wills. Harry had no idea who won, but moments later he regained his perspective and woke.

~~

Harry took a moment to look around the room and get his bearings. Outkast shook her head
�That was not pleasant� she looked as though she was trying to dislodge some hidden object from her ear by banging to opposite side of her head. She grinned at Harry�s confused expression before bouncing up to her feet
�And on that note we are due to meet your father in the old loon�s office� Harry looked completely puzzled
�That�s it no, what the hell were you doing speech?� Outkast sighed
�What�s the point I know exactly what you were doing and why you were doing it, so asking you is an object in futility. Now get up� She offered him a hand, he sighed and took it allowing himself to be pulled to his feet and led to the headmaster�s office.

##

�Albus what am I supposed to do?� The headmaster sat at his desk, he looked grave there was no hint of a twinkle in his eye.
�You can only do your best Severus, Harry needs you now more then ever�
�He thinks I betrayed him�
�That maybe so but in time he will come round�
�I am not so sure you didn�t see him. He has so little trust and the one person he confides in is well not what one would normally refer to as a responsible adult� Albus�s lips twitch to a small smile at that
�No she is not but she won�t allow him to come to harm� Severus nodded, before falling into a chair, he had been pacing the room but now hard burnt off some of the nervous energy. He studied the headmaster closely for a long moment
�Did you know?� Albus popped a lemon drop in his mouth
�I know lots of things� Serverus rolled his eyes
�Did you know that my son was harming himself� Albus sighed,
�I thought I had dealt with it sufficiently that he would stop� Severus�s eyes flare with anger,
�When did you know?�
�His birthday, after the incident with Remus, Alastor noticed� Severus scoffed
�So Moody knew as well, is there anybody who didn�t know? You thought that this minor detail should be kept from me? Damnit Albus I expect this from Moody and even Outkast but you should have told me� Severus was pissed. Well fuming was a more accurate description but before anything else could be said the door opened, and Outkast led a very disheartened Harry into the office.

�Ah Harry take a seat, tea? Lemon drop?� While his tone was conversational, Harry could see the disappointment in his eyes. Outkast loitered behind them but made no move to leave. Albus glanced at her
�Ah, Outkast, can you please return to Harry�s quarters and retrieve a certain item, a dagger, if you don�t see it try summing it, by calling Draconis�
�WHAT? NO!� Harry screamed and jumped out of his seat he glanced frantically from the headmaster to Outkast
�Please no don�t it�s all I have of him� His eyes pleaded with the headmaster and Outkast, Dumbledore shook his head sadly
�I�m sorry Harry but I stand by my word, I told you the consequences of your actions�
�But I kept my word I didn�t use it please don�t� Harry turned his attention to Outkast, she studied him for a long moment.
�Sorry kid� She turned and walked quickly out the door. Harry sat back down, curling into a ball, he pointedly refuse to meet the gaze of his father or the headmaster.
�Harry can you tell us why you did this?� Harry snorted and refused to look up; Severus crouched down by pulling lifting his sons face to meet his gaze
�Harry, please why do it?� Nothing the headmaster could have said or threatened would have made Harry say anything but the soft tones of his father broke his resolve, he took a shaky breath
�Because when I cut I at least feel something� he whispered, Severus brushed Harry�s hair away from his forehead at a loss
�I don�t know how to help you� he whispered staring the lighting bolt that marred the skin, Harry shrugged
�Then don�t, I don�t need your help, I don�t need your concern or you support I survived this long without you� Harry eyes blazed
�I. Don�t. Need. You� he punctuated each word keeping his father�s gaze for several moments before getting up he headed for the door speaking over his shoulder
�If you don�t mind I would like to move back to the dorm, I hate special treatment� With that he was gone. As he reached the bottom step he met Outkast
�I truly hate you� he spat on his way past and stormed off. Outkast closed her eyes against the pain the words bought.

Harry stormed into his room and hit the first thing he came across, which happened to be a wardrobe. Though he left a sizeable dent in the side of it he also broke a knuckle, he sighed and collapsed onto the bed. He didn�t know why he said he wanted to go back to the dorm, he didn�t. The truth was he just didn�t want to be here. He sighed and started packing his things into his trunk. As he finished he pulled his diary back out and write the latest letter to Sirius, painfully aware that they would never be read. He pulled the knife out as well and smirked. Yeah taking Draconis was really going to make a difference, he thought about doing a proper job this time but decided against it, he made a small cut, just enough to bleed down his arm. Collecting the last of his things together and left the room. He had got to the end of the corridor when he slammed into someone going the other way. It was Draco, who looked him up and down and took in the trunk he was dragging
�Going somewhere?� Harry nodded but didn�t make eye contact
�Yeah back to the dorm�
�Any particular reason?� Harry shrugged and started to walk again; Draco fell in step beside him but thankfully didn�t break the silence. They reached the defence corridor and Harry tensed slightly but continued walking, that is until the office door opened Harry stopped dead as Remus Lupin stepped out in front of them. The professor looked worn and slightly ill, that is until he spotted Harry, at which point he lost all remaining colour from his face and looked like he would pass out. Harry shivered next to Draco, who looked between the pair, while it was common knowledge something had happened at Harry�s detention, the actual details had not come to light.
�Harry?� Draco prompted, Harry�s gaze suddenly switched to the blonde Slytherin he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times but didn�t make a noise. Lupin took a tentative step towards them.
�Mr. Malfoy could you please wait for Harry at the end of the corridor?� Draco looked puzzled but didn�t disobey and walked off, he stood far enough away that he couldn�t hear, but wasn�t out of sight of the pair.

##

Outkast took a moment to compose herself after Harry stormed past her.
�One day kid you will thank me� she whispered before climbing the stairs to the office. She knocked once and entered. Severus looked truly defeated, he sat lumped in a chair resting his head in his hands propping his elbows on his knees. The headmaster didn�t look particularly pleased either.
�What just happened?� she asked glancing between them
�Harry said he cut to feel something, then announced he didn�t need us and he wasn�t willing to share my quarters before storming out� Outkast winced, though she wasn�t entirely surprised. She put the dagger on the desk
�Here it is Albus, but I think you should be aware of the power it�s emanating, the returning charms power was enhanced by the blood Harry shed for Sirius� Albus nodded slowly, why hadn�t he seen the depression the boy was falling in, he hadn�t really heard what she said. Outkast rolled her eyes at the pair of them
�Hey snap out of it, wallowing in self reproach is not going to help anyone least of all Harry, Now Albus, I can guard the dagger against the charms just as well as you can and at least he won�t be looking for it from me. Sev you should know that Harry had another vision� well Voldemort induced pain episode before arriving which may account for some of what he said. Now what are we going to do to help him. The first person to suggest counsellors will find themselves dangled out of the window by their hair.� This seemed to have the desired effect as both men began to pull themselves slowly out of their stupor.
�Well I guess I could try and teach him Occlumency again to block the visions� Sev said slowly, Outkast smirked
�Yeah Sev you can try� she muttered under her breath but not loud enough for either of them to hear.
�As for everything else all we can do is give him time. I will not however condone him harming himself physically again, he may accidentally do more then he means to� Outkast rolled her eyes at him
�You tag him and he will do it out of spite. Trust me Albus I have more experience in this mater then you� the headmaster shook his head
�I�m sorry but I must do what I see fit. You may of course have a monitoring crystal..� she cut him off
�I don�t want it, the only thing it will tell me is where the corpse is; you bind him he will die by his own hand. He doesn�t think he has anything worth living for anyway and you do that to him and he will lash out� Albus met her gaze with grave eyes
�What would you suggest� She thought for a moment
�Sev can you alter your ring so that it will announce pain?� Severus nodded she raised an eyebrow
�Ok, you can monitor him then and he�d never be any the wiser. But I�m warning you that this will turn round and bite you in the ass� with that she took the dagger and left.

##

�Hello Harry� Remus took a step closer but still stayed several feet from Harry
�Professor� Harry replied quietly, not making eye contact, instead settling for focusing on the werewolf�s shoes. Remus stopped moving and took a deep breath
�I know that nothing I can say will ever rectify the damage I caused you, but for what it�s worth, I am deeply sorry Harry� His voice was broken and weak, Harry nodded and tried to form a coherent sentence
�Not you fault� Harry finally chocked out past the lump in his throat. Remus sighed
�While that�s true I doubt it makes either of us feel any better, I don�t know if it means anything to you I fought it with everything I had� Harry nodded
�I know� He said quietly, still not changing his focus.
�Please look at me I can�t bare it� Remus pleaded. Harry slowly took his gaze to meet his teachers; his eyes alight with fear, he glanced behind him and saw Draco looking confused, and calmed slightly. When he finally met Lupin�s eyes he saw the pain and regret there.
�Remus, I�m sorry but please give me some time. I know it wasn�t really you, but it was your face your voice�your hands� Harry closed his eyes and shuddered at the memory and wrapped his arms around him, he took a deep breath before re-meeting the gaze.
�I understand Harry, please understand I would never hurt you when I�m in control� Harry nodded, and cautiously stepped round him, before hurrying off to meet Draco. Remus went back into his office and closed the door. Sirius is you only knew how I�ve failed you he thought, letting a tear trickle down his face.

�What was that all about?� Draco said as they continued towards Gryffindor territory. Harry shrugged
�I really don�t want to talk about it� He muttered, Draco nodded
�Sure, but when you do I�ll listen if you want� he said. Harry stopped in his tracks
�Why are you being nice to me?� he asked suddenly. Draco stared at him for a long moment weighing up what to say
�I guess I found out you weren�t the pampered prince we all thought you were� he said honestly, Harry snorted,
�Just like that? You decided just like that to put five years of animosity behind you because of my less then perfect home life? Cut the crap Draco I know you better then that what�s in it for you� Harry�s voice demanded the truth but wasn�t hostile. Draco sighed
�I don�t want the dark mark, my father will try and protect me but he is torn, my sister � she�s pretty much gone nuts on power. Honestly? You are about my only chance to get out of this with most of my family intact� Draco held the raven-haired boys gaze as he spoke. Harry nodded, that he could accept
�Surely helping me move is above and beyond?� Draco shrugged
�You know, I started by just trying to keep you placid, but you�re nice, as loathed as I am to admit it, I can see why you inspire loyalty in your friends. So if you are willing I would like to start again� he held out his to Harry
�I�m Draco Malfoy� Harry took his hand
�I�m Harry�� he screwed up his face �When I work out my surname I�ll let you know what it is� Draco smirked. Somewhere in their conversation they had continued to walk to the Gryffindor tower and now were standing at the entrance. Harry looked up at it and sighed
�I guess I better be going. Goodnight Draco�
�Night Harry� The blonde turned and started to walk back to the dungeons. Harry took a deep breath and entered the common room.

##

Severus stalked back to his rooms; his mood was not improved when he entered and found that Harry had indeed packed his stuff up and left. He sighed frustrated with old wizards and misguided teens, not to mention the ambiguous emotions he was feeling towards a certain multicoloured haired witch. He groaned, he had been pacing for several hours
�Grow up Severus go to bed� He snapped at himself, he grabbed a bottle of dreamless sleep and stalked into his bedroom, slamming the door.

##

Outkast had done a very good job of trashing her rooms. Her belongings were strewn throughout the place, the only thing that was undisturbed was the rats cage and the dagger that now resided by it.
�Idiots, stupid moronic shit for brain pussbuckets with all the understanding and empathy of a rubber duck. Why didn�t they just pat me on the head and send me away saying �this is man�s talk� after all what would I know about self-harmers why would I know how to help Harry did it even cross that emaciated husk he thinks with THAT I DO IT TOO!� she collapsed on the bed after finally expanding the majority of her anger. After half a minute she heard a knock on the door.
�Come in� she called and heard a soft thumping sound, and sighed
�You�re going to have to push a little harder, it jammed on something broken� she heard the door thump open enough to allow someone access. Remus Lupin took in the surroundings slightly wearily.
�Looks like your night was as good as mine�
�What do you want Remus?� She stated in no mood for visitors.
�I just bumped into Harry. He could barely look at me� his said miserably
�Well what did you expect, a �that�s ok I don�t mind you tried to rape me� of course he�s going to have issues with you. You are just going to have to work at it� She said haughtily, but one look at the werewolf made her regret it.
�Sorry, look I�ve had a shit time too, why don�t you keep me company� she accio�d a bottle of firewhiskey and sat up taking in the devastation. A flick of her hand and everything was back in place. She filled a couple of glasses and floated one to Remus indicating to the chair. He sat down and knocked back the drink; Outkast raised an eyebrow and refilled it.
�Remus, that really is not going to help.� He shrugged and did it again.
�He hates me. I can�t believe how badly I�ve failed them, Harry, Sirius, James and Lily, why couldn�t I fight if off I tried I could see myself doing it but was powerless to stop it� Outkast knocked back a couple herself before speaking again.
�Yeah you were powerless to stop it, but something tells me you did influence the proceedings� Remus snorted
�I doubt it� Outkast looked at her despondent colleague
�Really? So you think that the force commanding you to rape your best friend�s son would tell you to offer words of comfort, or prepare him?� Remus cringed at the words
�For all the good it did�
�It did a lot of good, to exercise that much influence must have practically killed you and besides, your actions stalled long enough that I was able to stop you before you couldn�t stop yourself. Believe me there is a world of difference between almost rape and rape and trust me Harry knows� Remus tossed back another double.
�It�s all for nothing if he doesn�t talk to me�
�No it�s not, if you had actually raped him, he would never forgive you, but what happened� in time and with patience he might come to terms with and you can have some semblance of the relationship you had before back� Remus nodded but said nothing, they spent the majority of that night drinking and saying very little.

##

�Hey guys� Harry said sheepishly upon entering the common room, most of the Gryffindor�s were staring at his trunk. Hermione and Ron came over to greet him.
�Hi Harry you coming back to us mortals then?� Ron said teasingly Harry�s eyes went wide
�I didn�t realise it upset you I�m sorry Ron I never saw myself as�� he was silenced by Hermione who put a finger on his lips whilst slapping Ron with the other hand
�That�s not what he meant Harry, you will have to excuse Ron, his ability to form a sentence without offending has been diminishing steadily as he�s got older� Ron glared at Hermione but it was mock anger, Harry nodded
�Do I still have a bed here Ron?�
�Course mate come on lets get you settled� with that the golden trio went up to the boys dorms, Harry giving them an edited version of why he was there. By the time he�d finished answering questions it was time to sleep. The version Hermione and Ron got had omitted details such as self-harming and daggers.
##

Next morning over breakfast came the announcement many had been waiting for, the headmaster rose and announced that the Halloween ball was scheduled for the end of the month, what confused some and scared many was that Outkast had been put in charge of organising it. She grinned mischievously as she announced that fancy dress was compulsory. As she sat down the mail arrive. Hedwig soared gracefully over to Harry and waited for him to untie her letter
�What�s this girl?� he said giving her a strip of beacon. The note was brief but elegantly written;
We are to resume Occlumency please report to my office after classes
SS
Harry rolled his eyes well there was something to not look forward to. He gave the note to Ron and Hermione who granted him sympathetic looks before they left the hall.

At the end of the day Harry knocked on the potion masters door. The sharp voice barked at him to enter. Harry glared at his father.
�Hello Harry.�
�Sir� Harry said with as much respect as he could manage, though it wasn�t a lot. Severus sighed
�Harry, one day you will understand why we did what we did� Harry nodded
�I thought you were going to teach me� Severus nodded and pulled his wand
�Legilimens� Severus pushed into Harry�s mind but instead of finding memories found himself contained in what seemed to be a white room, Harry was there too
�Where are we�
�We are in the screening room. Any thought, or person who wants into my mind has to gain access from the gatekeeper� Serverus, was very confused this was not a normal defence against a mind attack and he had no idea what was going on. He glared at Harry�s representation
�Are you the gatekeeper?�
�No I am� a voice came from the shadows and a figure came into sight, someone Severus knew all too well.
�Riddle�

The figure stepped into the light, Harry was grinning at Sev�s reaction. Riddle looked a lot younger then their present day self, brown hair reaching in waves to the waist, reminding Severus that how much younger he was. He had never seen the teenage Riddle�s and even though it was clear that this was the same person as the later life alter ego, it stuck him how innocent they looked. Riddle casually walked up to him, tracing the wall with a hand, the curve of her hips swayed almost rhythmically, like to music only she could hear.
�Ayesha, I did not expect to find you here� The younger form of Outkast smiled coyly at him, he raised an eyebrow, now that was a look the older version couldn�t pull off, she looked�well innocent
�I turn up in lots of places Sev� She looked towards Harry and back to Severus,
�He needed someone to protect his mind, he can�t learn while under constant attack, so I will protect his secrets until he can do it himself� Severus nodded, although a little confused, what she suggested shouldn�t be possible.
�How?�
�I fought Tom for control and won, this version of myself is as I was when I first learnt to defend my mind. A little more acceptable then my older self don�t you think?�
�Indeed. So you protect his mind for him� She inclined her head as a yes
�So will you let anyone in?�
�If Harry allows it� he glanced at the version of his son, who seemed to sitting in the corner watching them. He turned his attention back to the Gatekeeper
�Can I get in?� she looked at Harry and back to Sev
�No. time to leave.� Severus found himself back in the real world and staring at his son. Harry was dutifully studying the floor as though how any cracks in the stone would be a shoo in on the NEWTS. Severus recovered and cleared his throat
�What was that?�
�I�m not sure� Harry said quietly, unwilling to retell the last attack Voldemort had made on his mind as that would lead to him having to talk about the cuts. Severus nodded
�Very well why don�t you go to Quidditch practise, I need to talk to a certain witch� Harry nodded and didn�t need to be told twice, he bolted from the office barely stopping to collect his bag.

Severus decided he was going to have this conversation on his home territory and fire called Outkast; she merely nodded and told him she was on her way down

##

Harry arrived a few minutes after the others; Ron nodded in acknowledgement knowing why he was late and continued with his speeches about tactics and formations. Harry tried to pay attention but his mind kept wondering back to his Occlumency lesson and the conversation that he was sure was taking place. Ron called the meeting to the end and the team filed out, Harry was so lost in thought he didn�t notice until some one touched his arm. He flinched and snapped his focus to the offending person, Ron offered an apologetic smile
�You alright mate, you were miles away� Ron tried to maintain eye contact with Harry, who was back to studying any inanimate object
�Yeah I�m fine just got a lot on my mind�
�Want to talk about it?� Ron asked trying not too look nervous, Harry just sighed
�No, but lets just say the shits about to hit the fan� He smiled mirthlessly and rose from the bench to follow the team out.

Out on the field the team were working hard, the chasers passing the Quaffle between them and trying to score while the beaters tried to bat it away intercepting the pass. Harry hovered above the pitch watching them, the snitch had been released and was proving remarkably hard to find. He finally spotted it over on the far side of the pitch and set off, as he got there it moved upwards, not wanting to waste time going around the hoops, Harry flew through the middle one going straight into a dive after. If he hadn�t been so intent on the snitch he would have noticed the rest of the team stopping their practise and staring at his death defying stunts. Harry was oblivious and pulled up barely in time, his knees and end of the broom brushing the short grass. After another short chase and sharp climb, he caught it. Grinning he turned to announce it to the team only to find them gawping at him. Ron bought them all to the ground. As Harry landed he found himself looking into the irate face of his best friend
�WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU DOING?!� Ron glared at him, Harry looked confused and hurt
�I was catching the snitch, that�s what I do I�m a seeker� he said wondering what he could have done to cause this reaction.
�Yes you�re a seeker but you not supposed to put your life on the line to get it! Honestly flying through the hoop and that dive, I swore you weren�t going to pull up in time� Harry shrugged
�Well I did and I wasn�t hurt so what�s the problem?� Ron took a deep breath and gave up,
�Look just promise me you won�t do that again ok? It�s far too dangerous� Harry nodded and made a non committed noise. Ron nodded
�Let�s keep going, Ginny let a bludger out as well� Ginny nodded and the rest of the team took to the air.

Several hours later Ron had worked the team to exhaustion but they felt fairly confident for the upcoming season, they weren�t playing for a few weeks, the first game being Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry traipsed up to the dorm after showering, collapsing on his bed drawing the curtain. He stuck his hand under the pillow and retrieved the small knife he kept from potions and his journal, he started writing the entry, but when he got to the Occlumency lesson couldn�t resist the knife. When he finished he spelled the wounds closed and got changed for bed, not really having the energy for much else.

##

Outkast sighed as the fire disconnected, though it wasn�t unexpected it was always disappointing when Sev lived down to her expectations. She went to the bedside cabinet and ran a brush through her hair. The rat was again making a large racket, she sneered at it
�Do shut up I�m in no mood for you tonight, one more sound and the kitchen will be serving tiny drumsticks� she slammed the brush down and stalked off to the dungeons.

To say her greeting was frosty was an understatement; Severus was stalking his living room and hadn�t even come to the door just snarled at it to open.
�Sev,� she greeted standing in the doorway. He rounded on her
�What the hell did you think you were doing messing with my sons mind?� he spoke in a dangerous whisper. She took a deep breath
�Voldemort was attacking his mind, keeping him under crucio, now while the curse may not have physically been affecting him because his mind believed it, the pain became real, it was his intention to hold it until he snapped. I stopped him that time, but there is no way of telling that either of us will be around to help if he does it again. I created the walls but taught him how to make them, with a little time and practise he will be able to be his own gatekeeper� She looked at Severus, not seeing the intimidating potions master the rest of the world did, but a man trying to be the father his son needed. She took a step closer, tentatively wrapping her arms around him. Sev sighed
�I wish you told me that�s all, he is my son and he seems that you are the only one he trusts� she offered him a small, sad smile;
�That�s because I�m the only one who doesn�t shout when he makes mistakes� she silenced any further conversation with a kiss. She had meant it to be chaste, but the need that radiated off this man was overwhelming, so when he deepened the kiss she didn�t protest. His hands wrapped in her hair pulling her closer as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip begging for entry. She granted it and gasped as his hands found their way under her clothes. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down to her, rolling her hips against him creating friction to encourage his arousal. A low growl escaped his mouth as he picked her up heading for the bedroom.

Outkast wrapped her legs around his lean waist kissing him with more passion, Sev kept walking until he hit the bed, he lowered he onto the thick mattress and lay on top of her not breaking the contact. He fumbled with the fastenings of her shirt, as she started to kiss his jaw and neck, pulling at the robes he always wore. Clothes were discarded with the up most haste as the need to feel more skin was overwhelming. Severus broke the kiss trailing his lips down her skin to her breasts, taking a nipple in his mouth he shivered at the noises she made as his tongue danced across the hardening bud. She gasped and moaned in pleasure, she reached down between their bodies and wrapped her hand around his, enlisting murmur of pleasure as moved her hand in long strokes. With her free hand around his neck she coaxed him to lie in on the bed changing their positions, running feather kisses down his pale chest and taunt stomach; she smiled up at him before taking his entire length in her mouth. Sev tried to buck his hips off the bed only to find small hands holding him down; she moved her mouth from the base to the head, teasing him with her tongue, Sev lost the ability to form words and made noises of pleasure, finally coming in her hot mouth. As he caught her breath she moved back up the bed placing a kiss on his lips sharing that taste of his arousal with him. Sev couldn�t take it any more, he spun them over and paced his member at her entrance. He felt a shiver run through her, and paused concerned by knowing her past;
�Do you want me to stop?� he asked looking deep into her eyes, she smiled and hooked her legs around his waist
�No� she breathed as she tightened her legs driving him into her to the hilt in one movement. Severus called out with the influx of sensation before starting to move with her in a hard fast rhythm. They came together screaming each others name before collapsing into a contented sleep in each others arms.

##

Harry woke feeling un-rested as was common these days, he sighed staring up at the canopy grateful his bed had remained in the dorm. He got up and dressed before waking his room mates and heading to the common room to wait for them and the girls, he had found that waking early and dressing quickly made the close living quarters bearable. He was studying the flames when Ron and Hermione joined him
�Hey Harry want to come to breakfast?� he nodded smiling at them before getting up and leaving the common room. They wondered down through the school talking about nothing of consequence. More precisely Hermione talked, Harry listened and Ron threw him concerned looks. Finally outside the Great Hall Hermione snapped
�Oh really what is going on with you two?�
�Nothing� Harry said perplexed, looking between his best friends, Ron glared at him
�What? Nothing? You call practically killing yourself at practise nothing?� his eyes were wide disbelieving
�Harry? What did you do?� Hermione stared at him. Harry glared at Ron and sighed
�Nothing Ron�s over reacting to a dive I made yesterday� Ron shook his head
�He spun through the middle hoop before diving after the snitch I swear that he missed the ground by less then an inch� Harry rolled his eyes
�Calm down your exaggerating� and with that he stepped into the Hall. Ron and Hermione stared at each other. She swallowed the lump in her throat
�Are you exaggerating?�
�I wish I was, you can ask anyone else on the team I swear he has a death wish� Hermione nodded
�I think you should tell Snape� Ron looked at her like she had grown an extra head
�Are you mad? Why would I tell that greasy git anything?� she sighed
�Because he�s Harry�s father and if Harry is taking stupid risks then he needs to know� Ron nodded
�Ok I�ll tell him, come on he�s likely to be already in the hall, I can tell after breakfast� with that they both entered and took their seats opposite Harry.

##

�Morning lover� Outkast mumbled as she rose from Sev�s chest to kiss him, he groaned as he opened his eyes
�Is it morning already?� he muttered
�Yup, come on hun you need to get up for breakfast� Severus slowly rose and left to grab a shower, Outkast grinned and followed him into the bathroom. He raised an eyebrow, she smirked and took his hand leading him toward the shower.

Sometime later they came back out, feeling cleaner but tired again, Outkast nabbed Sev�s hair brush before he could to get to it and stuck her tongue out, she finished brushing her hair in silence and put the brush down before turning to Sev looking thoughtful.
�What do we tell Harry� Severus stopped getting ready and turned to her, looking uncharacteristically nervous
�I don�t know. Any ideas?� she shrugged
�Not really, I�m concerned he will feel that he has lost you to me and me to you� Sev looked confused
�What?�
�I think he might feel he can no longer confide in me without it getting back to you and vice-versa, it may make him even more reluctant to talk to us� Sev sighed
�All we can do is reassure him, perhaps we could wait on telling him until he feels better� Outkast inclined her head slightly an grinned
�Sneaking around in a relationship, hey perhaps we could ask the seventh years for tips� Sev rolled his eyes with a �God help me� expression
�Don�t you dare. Come on breakfast� Outkast stole a chaste kiss before leaving the rooms and heading for the Great Hall. As they approached the dulcet tones of two thirds of the golden trio could be heard, they paused to listen in; they heard the door open followed by a snippet of conversation;
�Are you exaggerating?�
�I wish I was, you can ask anyone else on the team I swear he has a death wish� Sev glanced at Outkast, she shrugged and opened the door indicating they shouldn�t be eavesdropping. Severus walked in with his usual dramatic flare, pondering what he�d just heard and making a note to catch up with Harry at some point.

##

Harry was about half way through his breakfast when he felt eyes on him, he glanced around the hall before searching the head table, he made eye contact with Outkast who winked and his father who raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to his plate, I wonder what that�s all about he thought before returning to pushing his own food around his plate, thanking God it was the weekend. After breakfast he got up to leave
�Is that all you�re going to eat?� Hermione asked the same question as regularly as clockwork he just shrugged
�Not hungry� he noticed his father moving to leave, and looked mildly surprised when Ron got up and went over to Severus meeting him at the doors. Harry looked back at Hermione
�What�s that all about� Hermione looked at him for along moment pretending to be thinking, when actually she was stalling for time to let Ron and Snape leave. When she saw the door open and close again she sighed and looked guilty at Harry
�He�s telling Snape about your practise yesterday� Harry�s eyes went wide
�He�s doing what?!� he yelped and went to bolt from the hall. Hermione followed him
�Harry wait please he�s only doing it because we care�
�WE? Of course this would have to be your idea, Ron would never even dream of snitching me to a teacher� he was glaring daggers, Hermione issued her best �Don�t take that tone with me� glare back at him
�Yes it was my idea and if we were �snitching� on you to a teacher we would have gone to Professor McGonagall, he�s telling your father that your being reckless because even Ron�s worried you�ll end up badly injured, or worse� she snapped. Harry collapsed onto a window sill and looked out
�I won�t but if Sev stops me flying I don�t know what I�ll do, it�s the only time I feel alive �Mione, I can�t lose it� he stared out looking defeated. Hermione put a hand on his back, ignoring his flinch and rubbed soothing circles.
�I�m sure he won�t if you tell him Harry but please don�t take foolish risks, you hurt those around you, those who care about you and weather you believe it or not, there are more people who love you then you will ever know� Harry snorted in disbelief before standing
�No Hermione, no one loves me, because I am un-loveable, now excuse me I have to go and stop my father from banning me from flying� he turned and left his best friend with tears in hers eyes by the Great Hall. Oh Harry if you only would believe us, maybe you would get better she thought as she watched him go.

##

Ron ha just finished explaining what had happened at Quidditch practise to Snape when the door connect the office to his quarters opened and Harry stepped through, he looked from his friend to his father nervously. Severus looked at Harry and back to Ron
�Mr Weasley, thank you for bringing this to my attention, and five points to Gryffindor for having the intelligence to tell someone. You are excused. Harry come with me� with that Ron darted out of the room, Severus led Harry back into his quarters and to the living room. He gestured to Harry to take a seat before taking the one opposite.
�Is it true?�
�Is what true?� Harry met his father�s gaze making sure that the wall Outkast built and his own defences were up full, Severus sighed
�Harry did you take unnecessary risks in Quidditch practise yesterday?�
�No� Harry said in a flat tone
�So you didn�t make an insane dive?�
�No�
�No you didn�t make the dive or no it wasn�t insane?�
�It wasn�t insane, I was in control. Please don�t take my broom, flying is the only freedom I have, I couldn�t bare to loose it� Harry�s resolved cracked and he bought his legs to his chest, chewing his lip. Severus felt his heart melt, he knew he wouldn�t ban the boy from flying as he planned but that didn�t mean he was going to get off easily.
�Harry if you keep taking risks with your life I will not only ban you from flying I will have you restrained to a bed. I don�t know how to help you or even make you believe that I want to but I will stop you from endangering yourself if it is at all in my power� Harry nodded miserably, not knowing what to say, people had been trying to convince him of things he didn�t believe for months. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he did when he was frustrated or tired
�I won�t take your broom this time seeing at it seems abnormally cruel to deprive you of two things Sirius has given you in as many weeks but make no mistake one more stunt and I will. Now don�t you want to go watch the game?� Harry nodded and left, as he exited the dungeons he heard Draco�s voice and hid
�Blaise, you�re on I hope your prepared to make an idiot of yourself� Harry waited for the voices to fade before emerging, he wondered what the bet was about as he went up to the Quidditch pitch to watch the first match of the season with his friends.

##

Severus knew he should out to the pitch, his absence would be noticed and he would have to come up with an excuse better then I couldn�t be bothered. He sighed at the knock on the door, he rose to open it. He smiled at his visitor,
�Bad time?� Outkast asked, Sev shrugged
�No worse then any other, shouldn�t you be watching the match?�
�Shouldn�t you?� Sev inclined his head
�Fair point, perhaps we better go, it will be a little conspicuous if we are both missing, I can inform you of the latest developments as we go� Outkast took his proffered arm and they sauntered towards the pitch.

##

Draco prayed the Ravenclaw�s won there was more at stake when he took that stupid bet then his pried, he�d come to really value Harry as a friend and didn�t want to lose him over something as trivial as a bet on Quidditch. He held his breath as the seekers took off after the snitch; it had been a very close match and had come down to the last few minuets as the seekers fought for the snitch. As the Hufflepuff seeker�s hand closed around the small golden ball Draco felt his heart plummet. He thought Cho had it for a second, but he had been proven sorely wrong, he turned to see Blaise looking truly smug. He sighed; he wouldn�t be allowed to welch on the bet so he better find Harry and fast.

##

Harry watched the game studying each the seekers moves and making notes for later use. Ron was doing the same with the chaser layouts, even though neither team posed as big a threat as the Slytherin�s it wouldn�t do to be arrogant about it. It was a close run thing and by the time the final whistle blew everyone�s heart was pounding. He walked up to the common room with Ron and Hermione in an awkward silence. A nee noticed had appeared on the door, presumably after they had left for breakfast, it was about the Halloween ball and proudly announced that there would be a karaoke contest with prizes for most difficult, best singer and best showmanship. Harry rolled his eyes, only Outkast would think of having a karaoke contest in Hogwarts.

Draco paced his room until dinner he needed to catch Harry without the other two thirds of the Gryffindor triplets. He snuck out of the Slytherin common room without being noticed, this was a feat in itself given he was practically royalty to most of the house and waited for the Gryffindor by the Great Hall. He didn�t have to wait long; he soon heard the voices coming down the stairs. Their conversation stopped when they caught sight of Draco.
�Po...Harry, can I have a word. In private� he added glancing wearily between Harry and the other two. Harry shrugged and nodded before turning to Ron and Hermione
�I�ll catch you guys up� they both looked suspicious and confused but left, Harry turned his attention back to the blonde Slytherin.
�What�s up Draco?� Draco looked around he�d been lucky so far no other Slytherin had turned up and seen him being civil to the the-boy-who-lived. He went towards the nearest empty classroom and motioned for Harry to follow him in. Harry cringed and shook his head, it was the same room Remus had cornered him in on his birthday
�Not in there, come on� Draco shrugged and followed Harry into a room further away. Draco locked the door and cast a silencing spell. Harry raised an eyebrow. Draco shrugged
�Sorry but I can�t afford for us to be overheard� he took a deep breath before explaining the reason for this clandestine little meeting.
�Ok, I have a confession to make, yesterday Blaise and I made a bet on the Quidditch match yesterday� Harry nodded he already knew that but Draco didn�t know he knew.
�Anyway I lost� Harry gathered that or they wouldn�t be haven�t be having this chat. Draco had taken to pacing up and down the room. Harry prompted him
�Ok you lost a bet, why are you telling me? Something tells me you�re not about to hit me up for a loan� Draco smiled a little
�Yeah right the day I take a loan from you is the day you turn dark and Voldemort wears a Tutu. The thing it this bet, the loser has to sing at the ball� Harry smirked but was still worried about why he was getting a heads up.
�Ok you have to sing, what has this got to do with me?� Draco stopped pacing and looked at the emerald eyed boy
�Harry, what ever I sing is going to have to be a dig at you� He snorted �You know what the Slytherin�s are like they are going to want me to hurt you� Harry nodded slowly beginning to understand the risk Draco was taking in informing him. Harry sighed and transfigured a leaf and stick he found into a quill and parchment. He quickly wrote the name of a song and band on the parchment and gave it to Draco
�Sing this, I�ll react in the proper way whether I know its coming or not. I won�t tell the others, so they will react too� he though about that �you might want to watch yourself after, Ron�s got a temper even if the others don�t do anything� Draco nodded and glanced down at the name written on the paper. It wasn�t a band he had heard of so he would have to do some research. He looked up at Harry
�Thanks for being reasonable about this� Harry shrugged Draco was the one taking the bigger risk here.
�Draco, thanks for telling me and don�t worry about it. As I said that song will get a reaction, does every time I listen to it. We better go before Ron and Hermione thinks we�ve killed each other. One other thing, let Snape know what you�re doing and its cool with me, otherwise he might just hex you to oblivion before I can stop him� Draco nodded. They lowered the wards and left the room, Harry entered the Hall first by the Gryffindor table, Draco a few minutes later on the other side, trying no to look too obvious. When Ron and Hermione asked Harry what Draco had wanted he shrugged them off and then started listening to everyone talk about their costumes. He looked over at the head table. Outkast and his father were engrossed in conversation he sighed, they were getting awfully close, Harry wondered about that but then Outkast turned and saw him, she gave him a smile and a wave. Sev followed her line of vision and gave Harry a queering look; Outkast put her hand on his cheek dragging his attention back to her. Harry smiled; he needed to talk to her later anyway about the Halloween costumes.

##

Several hours later Harry knocked on her door, Ron and Hermione were with him. The door opened and Outkast grinned
�Hello kiddies what do I owe the pleasure?� Ron bristled
�We�re not kids� he grumbled Outkast grinned and messed his hair
�Aww, don�t get upset ickle Ronny, I still call Remus a kid when he annoys me� she stood aside to allow them in. Harry smiled at her, he still hadn�t forgiven her for being the one to take Draconis, but had realised that if it hadn�t been her it would have been someone else. Once inside she ushered them into a couch in front of her desk she sat on her desk
�So what can I do for you lot?� she said before disappearing into the desk and retrieving something. Harry was about to speak but stopped when he saw what she had. She handed him Draconis
�Call this a supervised visit, I can�t let you take it right now Harry, maybe after Christmas ok?� Harry nodded
�I guess you aren�t meant to let me near it� She grinned
�Of course I�m not, but hey I think the headmaster don�t know dick about you. Oh by the way you won�t be seeing any more shrinks so I win� she stuck her tongue out Harry rolled his eyes.
�Anyway we�re here about the costumes for Halloween� he said cradling Draconis. Outkast grinned and then bounced off into her quarters, she returned a few moments later with three black packets and chucked one at each of them. Harry turned his over and his jaw hit the ground, it was the costume for Frank-n-Furter from Rock Horror, he looked over at Hermione, she grinned and turned her packet over, she had Magenta�s costume.
�I�m not wearing this!� Ron stuttered, Hermione grabbed the packet and laughed, Outkast had got him Riff-Raff. Hermione pouted
�Aww you should Ron it�ll suit you� he threw her a glare, she laughed
�Well it�s not as though you have anything else� she said as if that settled it she nodded at Outkast
�Thank you� and rose to leave dragging Ron with her. Harry lingered behind unwilling to give up Draconis. He sighed once the others left the room
�I guess I owe you an apology, but I really thought you understood, that�s why was mad.� Outkast studied him,
�I do understand Harry, but if I hadn�t had gone, Albus would have sent someone else and at least this way you get to see it when you want� Harry nodded and turned his attention back the costume
�You know, thanks and all but I can�t wear that� Outkast looked at him
�Too revealing?� Harry blushed and nodded Outkast offered him a small smile
�Prefer the kit I had you in at the Frankenstein Place?� Harry nodded Outkast reached for his hair and brushed it away from his face, ignoring his flinch
�Ok Harry I�ll get you something more discreet. You want another pair of contacts?� Harry grinned, and nodded, but then paused
�Will they show up under normal lights?� Outkast smirked
�These ones will� Harry nodded, he went to leave but then paused, he blushed a little turned back
�Err, do you know how I can learn to speak German in a day and a half� Outkast raised an eyebrow, but then wondered over to him she tapped his forehead. The knowledge flowed like a river into Harry�s head. He gasped
�Thanks� Outkast shrugged it off
�Want to tell me why you want it?� Harry blush deepened
�It depends, are you offering a courage potion for the karaoke?� Outkast smiled
�I can do, if you think it would encourage some of the more timid students to join in. what do you think?� Harry nodded a little too enthusiastically and then pulled himself back
�Err, I think it might help� Outkast winked at him
�Ok Harry we�ll offer it, I must say I�m impressed and a little proud that you would even consider it. I can�t wait� Harry nodded and took a deep breath
�Don�t tell Sev though, at least not until I�m sure I�ll do it� Outkast smiled
�Sure� Harry looked at her a little shyly
�Outkast� is there something going on between you and Sev� Outkast sighed.
�You are too perceptive for your own good. Ask Sev. Speaking of isn�t about time you referred to him as dad?� Harry though about it
�I�m not sue I can do that yet� he said quietly. Outkast nodded.
�He�ll wait till you are. Go on now go I�ll see you at the ball tomorrow night� Harry nodded and left. Outkast sighed, she had somewhere to be. She threw food at the rat and then left her room heading for dungeon, she hoped she could get to Sev before Harry

##

Severus was studying a potion that he had just finished, it looked wrong but he can�t for the life of him remember what it was missing; his concentration was shot to hell, all because of a livewire witch.
�You forgot the crushed Mandrake root� Speak of the Devil he thought and then nodded at her
�Yes you�re quite right� he muttered. Before putting it back down. Outkast smiled and offered her hand
�Come on, we�re going on a little trip� Sev raised an eyebrow
�Trip?� she nodded Sev sighed and took her hand, she apparated out of the dungeons to her flat in London.

##

Harry arrived at the dungeons a few minutes later; he knocked on the door and then searched the apartment he wasn�t around, Harry looked puzzled, his scar wasn�t hurting so it wasn�t likely to be a meeting, he shrugged and decided to come back later.

##

Outkast looked around, it seemed Kirsty and Chris had been doing a good job keeping the place
~Mistress iss back~ she glanced over, Salem sounded relived Outkast looked at him,
~You look like hell~
~Your friendssss don�t know how to care for me and don�t let me out~ Outkast rolled her eyes
�Figures� she muttered she went over to the tank and stuck her arm in
~Climb on you can come with me~ Salem obliged and tasted the air in the process
~You taste like that male~ she sighed
~Yeah get used to it~ she turned to Sev
�I taste like you apparently, speaking of Harry knows something�s up I told him to talk to you about it. I would suggest you tell him the truth� Sev nodded but was still looking around
�Where are we?�
�My flat, come on, we need to go to the store room and get some stuff for the ball� she wrote and note explaining she�d taken Salem and no he wasn�t running loose and left it on the tank and then led the way
�Is this where you met Harry?� he asked in the club, she nodded and pointed to the corner
�Right over there in that corner, now hurry up, I don�t want the staff to see you� Sev almost took offence before she added
�They�re muggles, and you scream wizard� he had to agree there so didn�t say anything but just took the equipment she piled on him. She took a couple of creates that clinked and he gave her a suspicious look she just smiled, proving that she had lost the ability to pull off innocent. Before he could say anything she grabbed his arm and they reappeared back in the dungeons Severus again went to query the crates but then stopped and thought about it
�I thought it was impossible to apparate into or out of Hogwarts�
�I don�t believe in the impossible� she said before levitating all the stuff she had got out of the dungeon behind her. Severus shook his head; this was going to be ball that Hogwarts has never seen before.

##

Draco had paced the room for several hours after dinner, the ball was tomorrow and he had to find a way to tell Severus about the stupid dare and the song before then. He took a deep breath and left
�Drakie where you going?� Pansy�s voice cut through him like a chainsaw as he entered the common room, he shuddered against it
�To talk to Snape. Goodnight Pansy� he snapped and left.

He got to the potions lab just as Snape added the last of the crushed mandrake root. The potion turned clear like it should do and he nodded his approval.
�What�s that?� Draco asked from the door. Snape looked at him
�It�s courage potion for tomorrow night, Outkast asked me to brew a batch� He scoffed �Apparently some of the students are too shy to perform without it� Draco nodded indifferently, normally he would have scoffed too but somehow had the feeling he might be after some. He sighed
�Sev can I have a word with you?� His Godfather nodded and motioned for the door to his quarters. Once inside Draco took a deep breath and launched into the explanation of the bet, the forfeit and Harry�s solution. At the end he waited for a reaction. Severus shook his head
�Honestly Draco what were you thinking? Scrap that it�s pretty clear you weren�t, if you�ve already talked this through with Harry then there is little more to say� Draco nodded and got up to leave he got to the door and stopped
�I don�t know if it means anything to you Sev, but I wouldn�t intentionally hurt him� with that he left. Severus got up to go to bed, he had a feeling tomorrow night was going to be incredibly long.

##

Next morning at breakfast Hedwig soared through the Great Hall and landed a parcel in front of Harry, he grinned and read the note;
Hey kid, it�s all there and should fit, the contacts are adjusted so you won�t need your glasses how�s the singing coming?
Your sexy goddess
O
He had to laugh; Outkast had no idea what an appropriate note from professor to student was� thinking about it Outkast wouldn�t know appropriate if it did a tap dance in front of her.
�What�s that?� Hermione asked Harry hid the note quickly; he was now really looking forward to the evening and glad that they had a three day weekend. Hermione had tried to explain what holiday it was but he hadn�t been listening, he didn�t really care as long as he didn�t have to get up in the morning.

Harry wasn�t the only one to get post; Dean got a rather large parcel and grinned at Seamus and the Creevy brothers. Harry assumed it was something to do with the costumes the four had been scheming about. As he glanced across the hall he saw a lot of the Slytherin snickering at him, obviously they were up to something to humiliate him. He didn�t care, he was going to enjoy this ball and no one was going to stop him.

As the day drew on people started disappearing to get ready.
�So Harry are you going to tell us what you got as a replacement costume?� Hermione had been on at him all day since the parcel arrived at breakfast, he grinned
�Nope� he was very proud of himself for not letting on a thing, he�d blatantly ignored their threats, pleas and whining and hadn�t so much as uttered a colour. But now it was time to get ready. Hermione gave him one more dose of puppy-dog eyes in a last ditch effort, Harry rolled his eyes
�Hermione the ball is in a couple of hours surely you can wait that long�
�No I can�t tell me!�
�No. besides it�s time we got ready� with that he sauntered up to the boys dorm. For fear of being seen he had yet to open the package himself and was excited to see it too, it was far heavier then just a top and bottom.

Back in the dorm Harry decided that a shower would be a good idea to start. He grabbed his wash kit and headed off to the showers. Ron came up a few minutes later and glanced at the parcel that was still wrapped and sighed; he went back down the stairs where Hermione was waiting impatiently
�Well?�
�He hasn�t opened it yet, honestly let it go, your getting obsessed� she glared at him
�I am not obsessed, just because I�m showing a healthy interest in what my best friend is wearing to the ball does not mean I�m obsessed� she said haughtily
�No, but getting me to try and sneak a peak while he�s in the shower and badgering him constantly not to mention trying an x-ray spell is! Just leave it alone and go get ready I don�t want to have to wait hours for you�
�I don�t take hours to get ready�
�Of course you do you�re a girl� Ron noticed the danger signs and retreated to the safety of the dorm as Hermione threw the first hex.

##

Harry wondered back into the dorm wearing jeans and a t-shirt, violently rubbing his hair with a towel. Ron was still sitting on his bed
�Not still talking to �Mione?�
�No she went mental and started throwing hexes at me� Ron said sounded affronted, Harry was used to these quarrels between his best friends
�Uh huh, and I�m sure you did nothing to deserve it� Ron tried to look innocent, and when he noticed that Harry wasn�t buying it gave up and shrugged
�Well maybe a little but she definitely overreacted� Harry shrugged, he knew better then to get in the middle of their squabbles and just went back to his bed. He felt rather then saw Ron looming over his shoulder, attempting to peak into the parcel as he unwrapped it. Harry rolled his eyes before clambering onto his bed, drawing the curtains and locking them together.
�Hey cone on Harry what�s with all the secrecy?�
�Nothing except its driving you and �Mione nuts� Harry laughed as Ron uttered something obscene and went back to the parcel. It was worth waiting for, Outkast had got him a pair of black leather trousers, a long sleeves black t-shirt that proclaimed �I poke badgers with spoons� on the front and �don�t blink that�s when they get you� on the back in white. She had included a black collar which had two long chains coming from the front centre connecting to bracelets in the same style. Outkast had even included a small makeup kit with informative (if not sarcastic) instructions on what to do with it. She had selected a pair of yellow cats eye contact lenses, as well as a spell to style and change the colour of his hair. Lastly but not least there were a pair of shrunken boots which became full size with a touch of his wand. They were black, chin high, lace ups with large amounts of metal over the toes and spikes off the side, it looked like there was a spring in the heals too. Harry made a note to get her a very nice Christmas present as all of this stuff was new and must have cost a lot. Once dressed he started with the makeup and hair, he transfigured some of the wrapping into a mirror he started with the concealer which completely covered his scar. Once he was confident that the lightning bolt couldn�t be seen even with out his hair in front of it he played around with the hair spell. It took several attempts but in the end he managed to get his hair to stick up in points, he changed the end of each point to be red, gold, silver or green. He was originally going to have just Gryffindor colours, but this had the advantage of annoying his dad as well. Finally he put the pale makeup on and accentuated his eyes with black eyeliner (poking himself in the eye several times in the process) and black lipstick. Lastly he added the contacts. He grinned at his reflection happy with the results. He undid the curtains and cautiously looked out, the other four were over by Dean�s bed as Dean and Seamus were desperately trying to explain what Ghostbusters were and hence what their costumes were. Ron looked pretty good as Riff-Raff, Neville was doing a passable impression of a mandrake, Harry got off the bed careful to keep his eyes to the ground. Dean was the first to notice him
�Whoa Harry you look�.. different� he finished, Harry grinned, his clothes were fairly tight and the complete opposite to the hand-me-downs he normally wore, they showed off the muscle he�d developed playing Quidditch nicely and somehow made him seem less gangly.
�Thanks� He said not taking his eyes off the floor, they all fell silent, Harry wanted to shock �Mione and the others at the same time so he suggested they went to the common room. They filed out and waited for the girls. Harry it turned out was the only one not taking a date, Ron was taking �Mione, Dean was taking Ginny � even if Ron had politely reminded him that she was his little sister (�Touch anything but her hand and I�ll hex you so hard you�ll be begging to resort into Slytherin�), Seamus was taking Parvati and Neville was going with Luna, though he was meeting her downstairs. Eventually the girls appeared giggling, at the same time so did the Creevy brothers, also sporting Ghostbusters costumes. Hermione was wearing the French maid�s outfit Outkast had got her, she had finished it off with fishnet stockings and high heeled buckled shoes. Ginny was wearing a medieval ladies dress, with long tail, it was in a baby pink, she looked beautiful, she gave Hermione a wink on her way down, but the boys didn�t notice.
�Wow Harry� how did you do that to your hair and well�.wow� Hermione circled him once, Harry waited for her to go stand by Ron before he looked up
�Thanks �Mione�. Ginny yelped, the contacts completely changed his face, and since he wasn�t wearing glasses were even more noticeable, especially against his now white face.
�What did you do to your eyes� Ginny squealed, Ron nodded,
�Wicked contacts Harry, where did you get them?� Dean being muggle born knew what he�d done
�Contacts?� Ron stuttered, Hermione went into full lecture mode
�Contact lenses are another muggle way of correcting eyesight, they a sort of plastic semi circle you put on your eye, recently people have made them with designs too like the ones Harry has� Harry nodded
�Come on we don�t want to be late� with that he led the way out secretly pleased with the reactions he got.

##

As they reached the Great Hall after picking up Luna (who was dressed as the lost Australian house fairy- apparently she looked similar, the others just nodded having never heard of said fairy) Harry noticed that a group of Slytherin�s Draco in the lead were also arriving, sighing he moved into the crowd of his friends not really wanting to get into a confrontation. Apparently they too had been spotted
�Well look it�s the Gryffindorks� Snarled Pansy� Well it was her voice but a number of them had black veils completely covering them
�Where�s perfect Potter then, or is he going t levitate down wear white robes� several of the figures sniggered. Ron took an angry step forward; Harry stopped him and confronted them himself. He glared at them, Draco raised an eyebrow
�Not what I thought you would choose Potter� Harry eyed Draco, he was wearing a high neck black cloak, his hair was now black and contrasted starkly with his pale skin. he looks hot as Dracula�.wait were did that come from?? Harry shook himself pretending that he hadn�t just thought that and shrugged
�I felt like a change, I see you found a way to improve your girlfriend�s looks. Or is that Goyle those two look so alike it�s hard to tell� he said indicated to the Slytherin�s in black material, several of the Gryffindor group laughed. The black blob on Harry�s left puffed itself up
�Well at least we have dates Potter, which is more then you have� the voice gave that blob away as Pansy, Harry raised an eyebrow and noticed even Draco was trying not to smirk. He sighed and pulled his wand, before they could react he pointed it at his hand and muttered something. A box appeared and he handed it to the Malfoy heir.
�Here something that might improve your relationship on a day to day basis� he said and then entered the hall. Draco opened box a crack and looked through it. He handed it to Pansy
�It�s for you� and then darted into the hall while still able to exercise some self control. Pansy looked through the box screamed in anger threw it on the ground where the contents spilt over the floor. The box contained eight brown paper bags with two circular holes in them, each bag was titled: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Evening wear. Pansy and the rest of the Slytherins entered, most of them also seeing the funny side of the joke.

##

The Great Hall was alive, the music was loud and everyone seemed to be in the spirit, Outkast bounced up to them on arrival carrying a green bottle, well floating a green bottle seeing as her costume was black PVC trousers and a straight jacket (also in black) which was done up properly.
�Harry you look great! Here you go� she thrusted the bottle into his hand. Harry grinned and took a large swig
�I�m very sure that Professor Dumbledore would not approve of you giving students beer, you look�. Well insane but it�s a good look on you� She shrugged
�Professor Dumbledore doesn�t approve of anything I do, so hey I might as well do something to earn his disapproval and as for the jacket, it�s tight with shiny buckles I�m in love� she gave him a wink, and then did something that was deeply disturbing, this being sliding her left arm onto her right shoulder, then over her head and reaching down to undo the buckle at the back. The entire process took less then 10 seconds and she was then holding the jacket. She was wearing a black and red corset underneath with a sign held on be safety pins proclaiming �Does not play well with others� she pointed over to a one of the dinner tables which was pushed against the side and completely covered in drink. At that point Snape made his presence known, having just been accosted by several members of his house.
�Mr. Potter, I have just been informed that you were instigating an incident with the some of my house just outside the hall� Harry looked at him, feeling more confident in the outfit then he normally would
�No sir, I merely offered a member of you house some fashion tips for when their black sacks fall apart� Harry was impressed, he managed to say that without cracking a smile, Severus nodded
�Very well then. But if I catch you with another beer I�ll personally put you in detention until you graduate� Severus put his hand out for the bottle Harry pouted
�It�s all her fault� he said pointing at Outkast, who shrugged and wondered off. Harry sighed and knocked back the contents before handing the empty bottle to his father and walking off. Most of the Gryffindor�s gawked at him before shuffling off not wanting to be there when Snape regained his senses enough to take points or shout.

Harry looked around aside from the students, there were a number of Order members, including Fred and George. Harry nabbed another drink went over to them
�Ok spill what are you doing here� the twins grinned
�We are here to make you stay out of trouble�
�Or failing that to make sure we are causing the trouble your in� Harry shuddered
�I wish I hadn�t asked� While they were talking he didn�t notice George slip a dose of the courage potion into his drink. Harry wondered off the twins grinned
�Mission accomplished� Outkast sauntered over to them
�Hey lads what you up to?� the both tried to pretend that they weren�t
�Nothing� she gave them a look
�Yeah and I�m the virgin Mary in disguised� the twins sighed
�We were just making sure Harry got his boost� Outkast looked a little surprised
�You too� she shrugged �Ah well, he�s only had twice as much as he should�
�Err three times� Fred pointed over to Harry who was having an awkward conversation with Remus and Dumbledore, when Harry wasn�t watching Remus poured another draught into the drink. Outkast rolled her eyes
�I better go ask Sev if there�s going to be a problem with that� she jumped down and ambled off in the direction of the potions master

##
�Harry, fabulous costume, Outkast�s influence no doubt� Harry smiled at the headmaster, trying not to look too anxious that Remus was standing less then ten feet away.
�Harry, I�m not sure if that� costume is entirely appropriate� Harry shrugged,
�Well I�m not sure if your conduct this term had been entirely appropriate, but you don�t hear me criticising� Remus looked shocked and hurt
�Harry that wasn�t called for� Harry shrugged he didn�t really care. He didn�t noticed when Remus slipped a potion into his drink. Harry took another swig, he studied the bottle, he was sure he�d drunk more then that. He shrugged it off, and knocked back
�You should take it easy on those� Harry nodded. He wondered what line Outkast had spun the faculty about the drink, he was fairly sure that she hadn�t told them the truth�

##

�Hey Sev� Outkast said pouncing on his shoulders. Severus growled, he was going to have trouble living this down seeing as many of the Slytherin�s were watching him, he shrugged her off turned round to face her.
�Hello Outkast what do you want?� he ground out. She smiled and tugged on his arm drawing him away from the group.
�Not one for public displays then Sev?� his eyes bore into her
�No, and you know that. Now what do you want?�
�Is it possible to overdose on courage potion?�
�Not really, the affected person might become arrogant and brazen but the effect is temporary� she took a deep breath
�Oh that�s a relief� she said and started to wonder away. Severus�s curiosity got the better of him;
�Why?� Outkast winced; this was not something she really wants to tell him
�Well it looks like Harry�s has had at least three doses� Sev closed his eyes and took a deep breath
�How?�
�Umm�oopse?� she said sheepishly and scuttled away before he could go nuclear on her. He rolled his eyes, that witch would be the death of him and where did she get all this drink from he was certain she only picked up a couple of crates.

##

About two hours later Outkast jumped up on the stage
�IS EVERYBODY HAVING FUN?� she screamed, somehow using a sonorous charm without a wand. The hall erupted into cheers
�I CAN�T HEAR YOU! ARE YOU HAVING FUN?� the hall cheered, louder this time.
�GOOD! IT�S TIME FOR THE LONG DREADED KARAOKE CONTEST!� the hall cheered again, Outkast clicked her fingers and a muggle microphone appeared on the stage along with a small screen to display the words.
�OK FIRST UP IS THOMAS, FINNIGAN, CREEVY AND CREEVY� Harry and Ron looked at each other as the four Ghostbusters�s got onto the stage, most of the muggle born's started laughing guessing what they were singing. Draco sauntered over to Harry and co.
�Err what are they supposed to be?�
�Ghostbusters. It�s a show on TV. Look don�t worry I�m sure they are going to sing about it� just as he finished talking the song started up.
�If there�s something strange in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!�
Harry winced they probably wouldn�t win best but definitely loudest. What seemed like an eternity later Outkast came back on the stage clapping again using a sonorous charm
�Well done lads and each in you own key nice!� the crowd cheered as they left the stage. Outkast introduced the next �act�;
�And here is Justin Finch-Fletchley � oooh I like this one don�t murder it � singing house of 1000 corpses!� she jumped off the stage as Justin took the mic and ran to Sev
�Come dance!�
�WHAT?! No� she pouted, �fine I�ll find some else to dance with� she turned and ran to Harry
�Dance!� she said, it was more of a command then a question, Harry shrugged and allowed himself to be dragged to the dance floor.
�She got a corpse under her bed, she had her fun but now he�s dead�
Justin spoke the words in a deep baritone rather then singing them, the song felt creepy. Harry remembered it from the club and promptly forgot he was in school and got into dancing much closer with a professor then was proper; strangely neither he nor Outkast noticed the stares they were getting. Severus was getting angry, she should know better, he could forgive Harry because 1. he was 16, 2. he had three times the normal amount of courage potion and 3. he had been drinking, but Outkast should know better. Soon enough the song was over though and Outkast headed back to the stage
�WOO well done Justin, now our next performer is�.� She looked in surprise �Draco Malfoy, with Down with the Sickness� she shrugged it off and started clapping. Draco stepped forward swiping one of the phials by the stage and downing it. Outkast handed him the mic and jumped down. She got to Harry at the same time as his friends
�Harry, did you know about this?� Hermione asked accusingly, Harry just looked from her to the stage, wondering what had possessed him. Draco started belting out the words, he actually had quite a good voice for this song;
�Drowning deep in my sea of loathing, Broken your servant I kneel�
he was really acting it up, he made eye contact with Harry and partially spat the words at him
�Looking at my reflection, when suddenly it changes, violently it changes, oh no, There is no turning back now You�ve woken up in the daemon �.in me�
He kept going and Harry felt his breath become shallower, and then it happened. Draco made it clear it was aimed at him as he over acted the words;
�No mommy, don�t do it again, don�t do it again I�ll be a good boy, I�ll be a good boy no mommy don�t hit me�
Harry couldn�t hear anything over the pounding in his ears, the words struck too close to home for his liking.
�Why did you have to hit me like that mommy, Don�t do it! You�re hurting me Oh-oohh�
He couldn�t take it anymore, he turned on his heel and walked out the hall, he ignored his friends and teachers and stormed out of the castle.

He reached the edge of the forbidden forest before collapsing to his knees and throwing up. He shivered, he knew exactly how that felt pleading not to be hurt. He gasped and then collapsed. He knew he didn�t have long. True enough less then a minute later Hagrid found him
�He� there �Arry, you has us worried, c�mon lets get yeh back to the castle� Harry sighed
�Just a minute Hagrid, I hate that song�
�I can see why, young Malfoy did tha on purpose no doubt� Harry snorted
�Yeah he did, but I chose the song�
�What d�yeh do a thing like tha for?�
�So he wouldn�t be found out and I would have warning� Hagrid nodded
�Ok I guess, c�mon now you need to get back� Hagrid reached to pull Harry up, Harry yelped and moved away, Hagrid looked hurt
�I�m not gonna hurt yeh �Arry you know that� Harry took a deep breath
�I know, just a bit jumpy. Sorry� Hagrid nodded but still looked a bit unsettled
�Well I can�t really blame yeh for that, I should have killed that muggle when I first laid eyes on �im� Harry smiled weakly remembering Vernon�s face when Hagrid had stormed into the hut. He started back for the castle. As he approached the Great Hall he heard clapping though not as loud as before, apparently just the Slytherin�s were impressed. He took a calming breath and entered through a side door. Dumbledore nodded to him and then Hagrid who come in after him.

Outkast was back on the stage. The was a sudden gasp, he turned to see Malfoy�s his hair was now red and gold he looked around for the perpetrator, all the usual suspects looked like they were about to hex him but hadn�t had a clear shot. Outkast was grinning like the cat that got the cream
�Whoops, sorry sometimes I get sooo excited I simple explode with pride for my former house� despite the words she didn�t look the least bit apologetic. Harry thought he should have let her in on it too, ah well was a bit late now.
�Ok the next act is a pair of returning students�. And where the hell they heard this I have no idea but hear they are, singing I�ve got a brand new combine harvester Gred and Forge Weasley!� The twins bounced onto the stage ignoring the potion and took dramatic bows. Harry smirked, he had a feeling that this was for his benefit and felt better, no matter how down he was he could rely on those two to brighten the mood. He saw Sev scowling in the corner. And went over to him
�I drove my tractor through your hay stack last night�
He smiled at his father
�I didn�t know order member were allowed to join in� Sev�s scowl deepened
�And when did those two listen to the rules?� Harry shrugged he had a point
�Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester, An I�ll give you the keys�
Harry had to giggle, he was fairly certain that the twins had no idea what a combine harvester was but they were having a great time singing about them, he saw the rest of the Weasley�s save for Percy and Mr. Wealsey for the first time. Mrs. Weasley looked like she was ready to have a fit. Harry�s grin widened as Bill said something that him and Charlie in hysterics and caused Mrs. Wealsey to turn he frown on them
�I�ll give up drinkin' scrumpy and that larger and lime, Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester and I�ll give you the key�
By the end Ron also looked deeply embarrassed, Harry had found the whole thing very funny especially given the actions they did on the last verse;
�Aahh you�re a fine lookin' woman and I can�t wait to get me hands on your land�
They aimed that comment at Hermione who was laughing her head off, Ron on the other hand was getting embarrassed. He stomped off to sulk with his mother. The twins finished with another deep bow and jumped down. To clapping and whistling, Ginny being the loudest. The twins went over to her and they seemed to be in deep discussion about something. Outkast was back up on the stage
�Yes thanks guys, but don�t give up the day job! Ok next is Michael Corner singing Lithium� Harry raised an eyebrow Michael didn�t seem the type to be into Nirvana, yet there he was on the stage doing Kurt Cobain proud
�I�m so happy �cause to day I found my friends, they�re in my head�
Harry felt the need to dance and walked over to the dance floor, Hermione was hovering on the edge having failed to encourage Ron to dance. Harry went over to her
�What�s wrong?�
�Ron won�t dance he says he doesn�t do slow songs� Harry looked surprised
�But it�s�.�
�I know I know� Harry shrugged
�Come on I want to dance� they got on the dance floor and started screaming along with the rest of muggle born�s
�I like it � I�m not gonna crack, I miss you � I�m not gonna crack, I love you � I�m not gonna crack, I kill you � I�m not gonna crack�
The danced waving their arms like loons. Soon the song ended and Michael got down to righteous applause. Outkast was back on
�Ok and here�s one I�ve been waiting for, Harry Potter singing�..� she stopped and glanced at him before shrugging, � He�s singing Mutter, so I feel it�s only fair that with have a translation bored� Harry�s stomach knotted, the whole point of singing in German was that no one would know. He swallowed hard. Hermione gave him a reassuring pat, most of the Weasley�s were stunned, as were many of the staff. Harry approached the stage and downed two of the phials. Severus cringed that made at least five. Harry got on the stage feeling more confident then he ever had in his life and took the mic, Outkast gave his arm a squeeze before jumping down. She walked over to Sev
�You are definitely dancing to this one� she whispered and pulled him on to the dance floor. The music started, most people who didn�t know the song were watching the translation board.
�Die Tr�nen greiser Kinderschar (The tears of a crowd of very old children)
ich zieh sie auf ein weisses Haar (I string them on a white hair)
werf in die Luft die nasse Kette (I throw the wet chain into the air)
und w�nsch mir, dass ich eine Mutter h�tte (and wish that I had a mother)
Keine Sonne die mir scheint (no sun shines for me)�
Harry sung it with more feeling then the others, he was actually pretty good Ron looked at his siblings
�Err I think he�s still depressed� even the twins rolled their eyes
�Really Ron, what gave it away� Fred looked over the dance floor, Hermione was standing with the Ghostbusters�s, they were all swaying in time to the music.

�keine Brust hat Milch geweint (There was no breast that cried milk)
in meiner Kehle steckt ein Schlauch (There is a tube that sticks in my throat)
Hab keinen Nabel auf dem Bauch (I have no navel on my stomach)
Mutter (Mother)�
�This is really warped� Ginny said as she watched Harry gained confidence, he started dancing too as the words seem to rip from his soul

�Ich durfte keine Nippel lecken (I was not allowed to lick any nipples)
und keine Falte zum Verstecken (and there was no fold to hide in)
niemand gab mir einen Namen (no one gave me a name)
gezeugt in Hast und ohne Samen (fathered in haste and without sperm)�
Harry made contact with Severus on that line, Outkast was stopping him from leaving, Sev�s eyes dances from the translation to his son

�hab ich heute Nacht geschworen (I have sworn tonight)
Der Mutter die mich nie geboren (For the mother that never gave birth to me)
ich werd ihr eine Krankheit schenken (I will send her a sickness)
und sie danach im Fluss versenken (and afterwards let her sink in the river)
By now those who knew him were wondering if he was thinking of the Dursely�s rather then his biological parents.

�Mutter (Mother)
In ihren Lungen wohnt ein Aal (An eel lives in her lungs)
auf meiner Stirn ein Muttermal (on my forehead, a birthmark)
entferne es mit Messers Kuss (remove it with the kiss of a knife)
auch wenn ich daran sterben muss (even if it causes me to die)�
As he sung he reached for his forehead for the scar they all knew was there under the makeup, Harry was using small amount of magic to send turrets of flame rising up from the stage

�Mutter (Mother)
He repeated the word four times, on the last time he shouted it, surrounded himself in a ring of steam.

�In ihren Lungen wohnt ein Aal (An eel lives in her lungs)
auf meiner Stirn ein Muttermal (on my forehead, a birthmark)
entferne es mit Messers Kuss (remove it with the kiss of a knife)
auch wenn ich verbluten muss (even if it causes me to bleed to death)
Mutter (Mother)
oh gib mir Kraft (Oh give me strength)
On the last word he dropped to his knees. The hall went silently for a few second before erupting in the loudest cheer yet. Harry got up and chucked the mic back to Outkast with a wink. She grinned at him
�Wow, that�s was pretty good wouldn�t you say?� the hall cheered again. Outkast waited for them to settle a bit before announcing the next act. She jumped down and went over to Harry who was talking to the Weasley�s and Hermione
�Wow Harry, that was amazing!� she said as she got there
�Tell me about it when did you learn to sing?� Ginny piped up, Harry blushed
�Err I don�t know thanks� he suddenly found the floor very interesting. Ron patted his back
�Yeah mate well done even with that potion I wouldn�t have the guts to do that� Harry just shrugged.
�I need a drink� he muttered before moving off. Outkast left too, to have a quick word with Sev before she was due back on stage
�Hey Sev� Severus nodded, he was still thinking over his son�s performance. While the words were rather appropriate, he was mostly amazed at how well he�d pulled it off. Outkast seemed to read his thoughts
�It�s ok to be proud of him you know?� Severus glared
�Yes but I can�t tell him can I?� she sighed
�No not now, but later you can, when there�s no one around. It would mean a lot to him Sev�. She wished she could say more but she was needed back on the stage.

A few acts later came the third big surprise in the evening as Outkast got up to announce the second to last act.
�Ok here�s Hermione Granger with Temptation Waits� Even Harry did a double take, as his normally refined friend took the potion and got on the stage, she was wearing a big cloak he was certain she hadn�t come in with. He went over to Ron
�Did you know about this?� he shook his head
�Not a clue mate� Hermione started singing but didn�t turn round
�I�ll tell you something, I am a wolf but I like to wear sheep�s clothing�
She started to walk further onto the stage and then with the next line dropped the cloak that was covering her
�I am a bonfire, I am a vampire, I�m waiting for my moment�
She had somehow tamed her hair so it fell dead straight down her back, she had transfigured her costume to black PVC trousers and had a little crop top on. She used the pole at the side of the stage as she danced. Ron�s eyes were bulging
�Is that even legal?� he yelped as his girlfriend slid down the pole, most of the males in the room were watching her with their jaws on the floor, this was a side of her no one had seen before. When the song ended there were many stunned faced in the audience, which weren�t limited to the students. Hermione was grinning like she had just aced a test and came over to the boys
�Err wow, that was err wow� Ron said Hermione�s grin widened.
�That was nothing you wait to you see the last act�
�Who�s the last act?� Harry asked, but it was Outkast who answered form the stage
�Ginny Weasley!� Gin grinned at her older brothers and scarpered before they could stop her, she too grabbed a potion before getting onto the stage. The fast beat started and Ginny grabbed the mic
�I don�t give a damn �bout my reputation�
with the words she tugged the dress it fell away revealing a red miniskirt, stiletto heeled boots and a shirt that left nothing to the imagination
�You�re living in the past it�s a new generation�
She chucked the hat away and kept singing, Harry had to stifle a laugh he wasn�t sure which sure which of the Weasley�s head was going to explode first. Mrs. Weasley had long ago given up and was halfway down a bottle of wine. Harry shrugged and went to dance, Hermione joined him. By the end of the song most of the students were dancing. When she finished she got a round of applause almost as good as Harry�s and Outkast retook the stage.
�I didn�t realise we had some many talented singers among us! Well it�s time to give the prizes. Before we start it should be noted that the judges had unanimously decided that one student, should receive all three awards so with that in mind I invented a fourth one, to Harry Potter the �Nobody likes a smart ass� prize for topping all three categories!� There was a mixture of cheers and laughter as Harry went to get his award, it turned out to be a small cup emblazed to the award, date and his name. He stuck his out at Outkast as he jumped down. She just smirked.
�Next the award for best singer goes to Michael Corner!� Michael ran up onto the stage grinning from ear to ear, he got a cup similar to Harry�s. Outkast again waited for the noise to go down
�Secondly the most difficult song goes to Luna Lovegood!� A lot of applause later a dreamy looking Luna wondered onto the stage, she had sung Transylvanian Concubine by Rasputina, it was incredibly fast and she had sung it perfectly. She floated off the stage with the award and only seemed vaguely aware that she had it.
�And last but not least, the award for best showmanship goes to � and not just because the look on her brother�s faces was priceless � Ginny Weasely!� everyone cheered again, and few noticed that Severus had got on the stage before he appeared next to Outkast, just as she was about to round things up and invite Harry to do an encore he stopped her;
�Just before Mr. Potter honours us with his presence once more, I think it�s only fitting that the woman who organised this grace us with a tune� for once most of the students agreed with Snape Outkast glared at him as he gave her the mic.
�You asked for it� she said loud enough for everyone to hear. She quickly selected the song and started to sing. Harry fell over laughing, trust Outkast to have a back up plan for this type of emergency
�To Bombay a travelling circus came�
Outkast then went on to belt out the whole of Nelly the Elephant at full volume whilst running round the stage like an idiot. By the time she had finished most of the students were laughing. She put the mic back on the stand and returned to using sonorous.
�Right Harry where are you? Come on encore time� Harry grinned, he knocked back another of the potions, to the cringing of most of the Weasley�s, his father and even Outkast. He got to the stage and whispered what he was going to sing to her. She raised and eyebrow,
�Ok all metal heads come front row centre� she said as she got down, surprisingly many of the muggle burn�s appeared, including Hermione, who had dragged Ron, Fred, George and Ginny with her, Bill had come of his own accord. As Harry started singing Bill and Hermione grinned at each other.
�Some of those there were forces are the same that bore crosses�
Harry started singing Killing in the Name of, Hermione caught Dean�s eye and he nodded, so she pushed Bill at him
�WHAT ARE YOU DOING?� Ron yelped Hermione rolled her eyes
�Watch!� she had successfully started a mosh pit, with those not participating head banging. Outkast reassured the staff that this was normal before joining in.
�And now you do what they to ya�
The pit was in full swing even Hermione joined in, Fred and George shrugged and decided they might as well it looked like fun. When the pit and banging stopped most of the pure-bloods were taken by surprise, not only that the people on the dance floor were now giving the finger to Harry, he was giving it straight back. Ron gasped he would never use that language in front of one teacher let alone all of them and his dad and all the students. But instead of stopping he was repeating the same thing getting louder and louder
�Fuck you, I won�t do what you tell me�
Again and again, all the professors looked horrified, expect Outkast who was on the stage flipping off all the students too,
�Fuck you, I won�t do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won�t do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won�t do what you tell me�
By the time he finished everyone was shouting the same thing. The crowd cheered, Harry looked round, he caught the horrified expressions of his head of house, the headmaster and his father and shrugged. He didn�t care at this precise moment; he would deal with them in the morning. Outkast clicked her fingers and the Karaoke stuff vanished, the lights in the Hall came back to full brightness, many students cheered then end of the night and started grabbing a few last snack before heading back to the dormitories. Harry was smiling; he�d had a really good night and was now ready for bed.
�THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!� Outkast screamed from the stage. She jumped down and was accosted by Albus
�My office in the morning, I think we need a chat� she shrugged she was too tired to care, she would deal with the morning later right now all she wanted was to head back to her room and collapse.

Harry awoke the next morning to find that he had not only not bothered to get undressed but he had forgotten to take the makeup off and now looked like a sad clown as the black eyeliner had ran down his face. His thoughts went back to the previous night; his eyes went wide he slammed his face into the pillow. Ron laughed from the other side of the room; apparently he hadn�t shut the curtains either. After a few minutes he got back up and looked at Ron, who had been staring at him in amusement.
�I am so going to get expelled� He muttered getting up heading for the showers. Ron just laughed
�Surely not, I�m sure Dumbledore is used to open displays of teenage rebellion, mind you I guess not many would have the courage to actually say fuck you I wont do what you tell me� Harry winced at the words. He then thought about it
�Courage� he murmured Ron nodded
�Yup showing your true Gryffindor colours, must have got them from your mum. Harry shook his head
�No not that, I was thinking about those courage potion I took last night. I think they were a little strong� Ron nodded in mock understanding
�Yeah Harry which is why only you ended up acting like that out of all the people who took it� Harry glared at him for a few seconds before admitting defeat. He grabbed his towel and headed out muttering
�I am so screwed�

##

Outkast groaned when she turned over and found that not only was she back in her own room, but she was alone too. Apparently Sev had been upset the night before at her allowing Harry to sing Killing in the Name of as an encore. She got up slowly feeling drained. She had a shower and got dressed for the day, staring at her reflection she started mentally preparing for the verbal sparring match that was no doubt going to take place with Dumbledore at some point soon.

##

Sev stalked to breakfast not feeling particularly happy about the way last nights events had panned out. He was feeling a little annoyed with Harry, but then remembered that he had behaved pretty well given he had ingested a total of 6 courage potions, if he had been any other student, he would have been brazenly ignoring any form of authority and probably hexed most of the student body. He was walking along b the Slytherin common room when Draco and his entourage emerged. Severus smothered the smirk when he saw that Outkast had yet to remove the hex on his hair. Draco was pretending it bothered him and was ranting about the �unprofessional attitude of some of the staff� but Sev could tell that he was too bothered and was doing it for show. The other Slytherin�s hadn�t caught onto this and were showering their prince in sympathy for his situation and praise for the effect his song had on Harry. Draco was a good actor but Sev knew him far better and saw the slight cringe at the mention of it.

##
About an hour later Harry found himself in the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione studiously avoiding the gazes he was receiving from the students and staff alike. He was relived when the mail came diverting everyone�s attention, but his relief was short live when Hedwig along with three other owls landed around him. He took the letters and three of the owls left, Hedwig remained and received some beacon as a reward. Harry sighed, three of the letters had the school�s seal on them, the fourth was plain and he didn�t recognise the handwriting. He opened the ones he recognised first. He cringed at the handwriting; Headmaster Dumbledore, his father and Professor Flitwick. Harry pondered over why the charms professor was sending him mail and opened that one to start with;

Mr. Potter,
In light of your excellent performance at the ball I was hoping you would agree to joining the school choir I am forming, we will be performing both traditional and contemporary muggle and wizard songs. Please let me know
Professor Flitwick
Harry raised an eyebrow that was not what he had expected
�What�s that about Harry?� Ron said in between mouthfuls of food, Harry shrugged and handed it over. He noticed he wasn�t the only one with the letter, Ginny and Hermione had received a similar one too. He moved onto the second letter, from the headmaster

Harry,
Your presence is required in my office at 10am, please do not be late.
AD
Well at least he hadn�t used his full signature, so there was a chance he wasn�t going to be expelled. The third letter was from his father

Harry,
I am aware that you will be talking to the headmaster today, but at some point this afternoon please come to my quarters for a discussion about last night.
SS
Harry handed both of those over to Ron and Hermione too, they gave him sympathetic looks, Harry turned his attention to the last letter, the script was elegant and neat, not that of the scrawl of his friends.

Harry,
Why did you chose that song if you knew how bad it was??? Nevertheless it was not my intention to cause you distress, please can you meet me in the Room of Requirement after dinner tonight.
DM
Harry looked over to the Slytherin table and made contact with a pair of silver eyes, he nodded once to show he agreed to the meeting and put the letter in his pocket without showing his friends. Harry sighed three meetings, it was going to be a busy day.
�Harry can I ask you something?� No, I already have enough to deal with today he thought, but would never say that to Hermione, so he just smiled slightly
�Sure, what?�
�We were wondering if you would teach the DA again� Harry raised an eyebrow
�But we have competent�. Well one competent and one insane, teacher this year we don�t really need it� Hermione nodded
�Yes but a lot of us felt that what we learnt last year was really useful and it still goes beyond the curriculum. Plus this year it wouldn�t have to be a secret. Look you don�t have to answer now just have a think about it ok? A lot of students would really like it if you did though� Harry nodded and filed it under �things to think about when you have the time� and turned back to his rapidly cooling breakfast.

##

Breakfast at the staff table was a strained affair, with many members torn between praising Outkast for a successful evening and chastising her for providing drink and allowing some of the songs. In the end they came to a silent agreement not to talk. Most of the staff were thinking back to the evens of the previous night, and mainly the performances of a certain Gryffindor who had given two powerful performances.

Outkast followed the headmaster up to his office after the uncomfortable meal. She took a seat and awaited the other members of the firing line. Remus and Minerva arrived together leaving Severus to stalk in last. Albus conjured tea for his guests before beginning. He cleared his throat
�I think you all know why we are here, I would like to offer you this chance to explain yourself for the totally unprofessional behaviour and decisions you made last night Outkast.� He paused looked at her, Outkast shrugged
�Which bit? The children had a good time, no one died and fun was had by all� she turned he attention to inspecting her nails; this wasn�t done by instinct but as a show of indifference.
�Which bit?� Minerva snarled
�How about providing minors with alcohol, how about dancing with the students, how about allowing him to sing that song� Outkast smirked
�Firstly, you had no problem with the drinks last night, and secondly how many hangovers were there?�
�THAT�S NOT THE POINT!� she shouted standing up. Outkast rose too and glared back
�It IS the point, think about how many those kids were putting back last night, don�t you find it just a little odd that they all made it to breakfast, that NOONE was sick in the night, that Poppy has had not one visitor for hangover potion?� Outkast rolled her eyes and set down. Minerva looked at the males for help, but Remus and Albus were thinking about it while Sev was smirking, she gave him a wink
�Obecalp� she said
�What?� Remus said, Outkast grinned
�Obecalp, often prescribed in hospitals it�s placebo backwards. Oh honestly McGonagall did you really think I�d give all those kids booze?�
�You took the alcohol out� Albus was beginning to regain the twinkle in his eye
�Of course I did, but because they thought they were drinking they acted like they had. Rather effective don�t you think?� Minerva was sulking
�Well that doesn�t excuse you behaviour towards Mr. Potter� Outkast sighed
�Is that what this is all about? Right. Fine. Harry needed a release; he needed to be someone else for the night, Harry maybe a student here but he was my friend first and foremost I acted no different to him last night than I did when he was at the Frankenstein Place. I admit dosing his drink was irresponsible but had I known that the twins and you Remus� she gave him a pointed look before continuing
�Were going to do the same thing I wouldn�t have bothered.� She waited for the questions, but Albus was stuck on the revelations on the potions
�Wait, so Harry didn�t know you had given him it?�
�No�
�And then he had more himself?�
�Yes�
�How many in total?�
�Six. That we know of� she added as an after thought.
�That would explain his out of character behaviour. In fact if he had indeed drank six times the recommended amount then he was still remarkably good.� There was a knock on the door.
�Come in Harry� Harry entered the room and came to a halt he didn�t realise that so many members of staff would be here. He chewed his lip nervously and took the overstuffed chair the headmaster pointed out. He drew his legs up against his chest and waited for his punishment.
�Harry I admit recent events have changed what I was going to say to you, but I am still glad you are hear. Firstly two people owe you and apology� Harry looked puzzled. Outkast coughed before crouching down by him to get eye contact
�Harry I want to apologise, I dosed your drink with the courage potion� he looked at her and shrugged. She sighed
�Hey kid, I didn�t mean anything by it, I just thought you could use the boost. Friends?� Harry nodded and she grinned at him before standing, she turned and glared at Remus he didn�t seem to be making any indication to move. Under her scrutiny he rose and crouched by Harry too, this time Harry curled up tighter and moved away, Remus sighed and took a step back
�Harry, I did the same as Outkast, I�m sorry apparently a lot of people feel you could do with being a little bolder� Harry nodded again but didn�t make eye contact with him, instead he looked at Outkast. She gave him an encouraging look, he took a deep breath
�That�s ok Mooney, I�m sorry for what I said too I was out of line� Remus smile slightly he hadn�t expected an apology, after all Harry had been correct.
�Thank you Harry� he said quietly. Harry swallowed and then continued
�Also I�m sorry for my behaviour last night, I was out of line I should have chosen something else� an awkward silence fell on the room, Harry didn�t uncurl even a little or even look up to meet the gazes. Dumbledore seemed prepared to wait him out. Finally Harry resurrected and strengthened his mental walls and looked up at the aging headmaster. Dumbledore�s eyes were twinkling merrily, all he had wanted Harry to do was apologise and it had been given freely without prompting, he had never had a student he could feel more proud of.
�Apology accepted Harry, now how are you feeling?� Harry stopped fiddling with the loose thread on his jeans, his voice become toneless
�I�m fine� Dumbledore sighed
�I don�t believe you Harry, you are not a good liar� Harry wrapped his arms round his legs and started rocking backwards and forwards. Outkast looked over at Sev and indicated to Harry. Severus rose slowly not really sure what to do but figured that Harry could probably use a hug. As he approached his son he noticed that his was shaking as well. Slowly he knelt by him, he wrapped his arms slowly around the form, and to his surprise and inward delight Harry lent into the touch soaking up the affection like a sponge. Minerva was in emotional turmoil over the little scene, on one level the over whelming one � she was glad Harry had found someone to trust and even more pleased that the someone was his father, but there was a little part of her that couldn�t help feeling like she had failed the boy, after all he had been in her house for over five years and she had never seen the signs. Of course when she looked back she could see them now but at the time they had seemed inconsequential.
�Harry please remember that you can come to any professor if you need someone to talk to, I�m your head of house and I will always make time for you� Harry nodded from inside his father�s arms but instead of being reassured buried himself deeper, so he was practically sitting on Severus. Severus resolved the internal struggle he was having between keeping face and pulling Harry onto his lap and cuddling him properly. He stood up scooping Harry out of the chair before sitting back down and landing Harry on him, he ensconced the boy in his arms rubbing circles on his wrists. Harry settled slightly leaning his head against his father�s chest. Severus looked over Harry�s head at the headmaster and raised an eyebrow. Albus nodded and then turned his attention to the other occupants.
�Thank you for coming, but I�m sure that you have better things to do on your day off� the teachers nodded and rose, Harry made to leave but Severus tightened his grip
�Not us� he whispered to Harry. After the other people had left Harry looked quizzically from his father to the headmaster
�Did I do something else wrong?� he asked nervously. Severus gave him a reassuring squeeze
�No Harry, it�s nothing like that. We want to talk to you about something you are not going to want to talk about� Harry cringed, he had a feeling he knew where this was going and wished that he had done something wrong instead. He must have tensed as well because a moment later Severus had pulled him closer and was whispering soothing words. Once Harry had calmed down enough to listen they started again.
�Harry, even with your uncle� gone I have no doubt that you would rather not go back to Private Drive. Am I correct?� Harry pondered this, while Dudley had tried to help him, he had no doubt his Aunt would blame him for the death of his Uncle. So he nodded, not trusting his voice.
�We need to present a case to show the abuse and neglect to prevent this, please understand Harry that while many in the order know your true parentage, it is not common knowledge and there is very little written proof, what there was belonged to you mother and was destroyed when Godric�s Hollow went up in flame� Harry nodded slowly not too sure where this was going. Albus continued
�That in mind there will be a lot of opposition to Severus claming you given who you are and what he was. Fudge will not like this at all and will probably insist that you are sent back to you relatives� Harry�s eyes went wide,
�But why? I mean you say he�s my d�father, so does Mrs Weasley and Professor Lupin and well most of the Order� he looked shocked he hadn�t even thought about it, Severus heard something else in his phrasing and filed it to be discussed in private. The headmaster nodded
�Yes they do, however the problem is that the Order is not held in high regard with the Ministry and the Minister himself holds me as rather persona non grata� Harry tensed his jaw, he had his own problem with the Minister but he was getting sidetracked.
�So what do we do?� he asked trying not to let his anger get the better of him. The twinkle in the old wizard�s eye dimmed a little
�Well the first thing we can do is file a case for abuse and neglect against you Aunt to prevent you going back. I�m sorry to say that to do this we will you need you to tell us and an official representative what happened� Harry stared at him and went white
�No� He said, there was no way he was ever going to willingly tell anyone, especially a stranger from the ministry who probably thought he was nuts. The headmaster sighed
�It is the only way and I�m sorry to say that is not the worst part�
�It wouldn�t be would it?� Harry muttered, the headmaster chose to ignore it
�Harry, I�m sorry but they will insist on using veris potion� Harry looked blank, so Severus elaborated
�It�s a truth serum, it�s basically a diluted form of vertiserum� Harry tensed he was definitely not liking this idea. His father, who had relaxed his hold tightened it again, Harry wasn�t able to speak all he could do was shake his head. The headmaster looked at him sympathetically, wishing he had another solution, sadly he didn�t.
�Harry if I find another way I will tell you but at the moment short of kidnapping you� He looked directly at Severus
�Again, I don�t know any other method. Please think about it, we would all be behind you and help you, please never feel you have to be on your own ever again� Harry nodded numbly but wasn�t really listening
�I think I would like to go and think about this Sir. May I be excuse?� he asked quietly when the headmaster nodded he got up and headed for the door. Severus looked at the headmaster and at his nod left too. He caught Harry on the other side of the door and pulled him back into a hug, he was unwilling to let him go, even for a second.
�Harry please talk to us, or at least even Outkast just don�t go off thinking you have to lock all this up again� Harry nodded still not paying that much attention. Severus sighed and pulled his son back to look him in the eyes, seeing the confusion there hidden in the pain. Brushing the raven hair away from his forehead, Severus placed a kiss on his son�s famous scar. Harry shivered and tried to pull away. Severus realised he�d pushed too far and released him but blocked his path.
�Please go back to your room I still need to talk to you, I promise it won�t be as bad as this� he added with a small smile. Harry nodded and bolted, Severus followed at a slower pace so that he would not be seen with his son in the halls, while the Dark Lord knew of his loyalties, most of the Slytherin�s didn�t.

##

Outkast went back to her room; she had a feeling that the conversation Albus was having wasn�t going to be a fun one. It would be almost as fun as the conversation she had to organise. She pulled a parchment and a quill from her desk and wrote the note, taking her time to choose the most appropriate phrasing to get the desired effect.
Minister Fudge,
As you are aware I rarely correspond with you or any of the wizarding world. What you may not be aware of is my current position inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have decided to inform you of this so you understand the reasons for my correspondence. I request a meeting with you on December 21st to discuss my most recent find, I have chosen as my successor. You will have no choice in this and while I would take great delight in watching him destroy you I offer you a single chance to redeem yourself to him. Do not reject this request the result would be unpleasant.

I await you prompt reply

Outkast, Dia of the lost, Keeper of the Alighters.

Not as formal and unattached as she had hoped for but it would suffice, Fudge was not really worth her effort but in this case the meeting was necessary. She sent the letter off with a school owl and now had to wait for his reply, he would not refuse her for fear of the consequences, it was not well known outside those with power but she could call an army to her, what was even less well known was that army numbered in millions, she could make Tom look like a warm up act, and if given just cause would do exactly that

##

Harry schooled himself not to run through the school for fear of being stopped by another teacher and so was walking as fast as he could towards the third floor and his portrait. He was so lost in turning the conversation that he had just had over and over, so much so that he did not notice that Ron and Hermione had been chasing him ever since he passed the library. He got to his room and flopped on the bed. It was then that he realised he was not alone as a hand was placed on his back, he jumped a mile and was off the bed in an instant, he turned to see the concerned faces of his best friends and took a few calming breaths.
�Sorry� Hermione whispered, he shrugged and sat down again.
�What happened Harry?� she asked softly, he merely shook his head and closed his arms around himself. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Harry tried and failed to calm himself. Finally he mustered enough courage to ask someone for something he had never asked for in his life, looked wearily between Ron and Hermione not really caring which one acquiesced so long as one of them did.
�Can I have a hug�please?� He added as an afterthought. He hardly spoke the words more rather breathed them, his stomach churning fearing that they would decline, and so was a little surprised and very relieved to find that he was engulfed in arms from both sides. After a while his shaking subsided and he was able to form a sentence, he straightened up causing the other two to let go of him.
�They want to press charges� his said looking at the floor, Hermione looked thoughtful but didn�t speak; Ron however did
�Good, I mean we�re talking about the Dursley�s right? They should be locked up for what they did to you� Harry cringed at his best friends indignant tone
�They want me to testify. They say I have to take a truth potion� he muttered still not believing the words Ron�s jaw hit the floor, Hermione stared at Harry
�Do you want to testify?�
�Not really but if I don�t they will send me back. There is no evidence that I am related to Severus, it all was lost with my mum� Harry continued. Hermione thought this over
�Sometimes we have to do things we don�t like to get a result we do� she said. Harry was about to ask for clarification when there was a knock at the door that joined his room to his father�s chambers; Harry granted entrance and Sev walked in, her raised an eyebrow at the three Gryffindor�s, Ron made a quick line for the door, Hermione held his gaze several moments longer in defiance before stalking out of the room making quiet an exit.

Severus looked wearily at Harry, who was staring at the wall in a panicked contemplation not seeming to realise that Severus was still in the room but then he spoke
�I don�t have a choice do I?� his tone was resigned and broke Severus� heart.
�No I�m afraid not. If Sirius was alive and free maybe we could apply for adoption but as it stands�� Severus didn�t need to finish the sentence, Harry screwed his eyes shut
�I really screwed up didn�t I?� he whispered, Severus sighed; he didn�t lie but wanted to offer his son some comfort
�You�re not alone on that one� A tear trickled down Harry�s cheek from his closed eyes
�What am I going to do Sev?� He whispered Severus sat down and rubbed little circle on his back
�I don�t know Harry, but we�ll think of something� Harry took a deep breath and composed himself shoving all the thoughts of the trail out his mind, before changing the subject
�What did you want to talk to me about?� Severus start to pace and pinched the bridge of his nose,
�I want to ask you something Harry, but before I do I want you to know that whatever you say I won�t be angry, I just want the truth ok?� Harry chewed his lip for a moment before nodding that he agreed. Severus stopped pacing in front of Harry and lifted his chin so that he made eye contact,
�Do you believe I�m you father?�

###

Outkast was just getting ready for lunch when she got her reply a very official owl arrived flew in carrying a letter with the ministers official seal on it. She took the letter and the owl left in a hurry. She opened the envelope breaking the seal;

Dear Dia,
Please come to my office at mid day on the 21st of December.
Congratulate the successful applicant form me

Cornelius Fudge
Minster of Magic
Outkast grinned and penned letters to Tonks and Kingsley asking them to meet outside the minister�s office at 12:30, it was all coming together. Pettigrew started making noise gaining her attention, she glared at him and waved the letter at him
�You see this, it�s you death warrant, at least your final act will be worth something�

###

Harry stared at Sev unsure how too answer, even though Sev had said he wouldn�t be mad Harry wasn�t so sure;
�It�s just a little hard to accept, you have spent five years making my life hell and suddenly you tell me that you�re my dad and want to act like it, and coincidently this happens when you find out what a shit life I have over the holidays� Harry spoke slowly watching for signs of the famous Snape temper, he was quite surprised when there wasn�t any. Instead Severus sat down next to Harry, causing him to flinch and try to move away only to find Severus had put an arm round him holding him close. Sev sighed holding his son close to him
�I guess all you have is hearsay, is there any way that I can prove to you that I am you father� Harry thought about this
�Let me talk to Hermione, there�s a muggle technique for determining paternity I want to see if there�s a wizard equivalent� Sev nodded. Harry lent his head on his father�s should and they stayed there for several minutes until Harry broke the silence again.
�Can I ask your advice on something, only it�s sort of sensitive?� Sev snorted
�By sensitive you mean it�s probably against the school rules right?� Harry shrugged
�You know me always finding trouble� Sev smiled weakly,
�Go on I promise not to tell on you� he said jokingly, Harry lifted his head to look Sev in the eyes
�Hermione wants me to teach the DA again�
�And you don�t want too?� Harry shrugged
�It�s not that it�s just how can they take me seriously when I couldn�t even defend myself against a muggle� Severus ran a hand through his son�s hair affectionately
�Firstly that muggle was more of a whale, secondly you were so desperate not to do magic so you didn�t have a defence, thirdly if they weren�t going to take you seriously then they wouldn�t have asked you to lead it. It is your choice, but I feel that you would be helping them a lot. Also with the training Outkast gave you I doubt a muggle � even one that makes King Kong look anorexic- would be able to best you without a gun� Harry nodded
�Do you think Professor Dumbledore would object?� Severus studied Harry with a raised eyebrow
�You truly think that the headmaster would deny you anything at the moment? He thinks you�re his grandson not to mention the only person who can do guilt better them him is you� Harry looked a little sheepish.
�Ok, the other thing I want to ask is what do you think of Malfoy�s intentions?�
�Which one?�
�Either�both� Sev thought about this
�I believe that Draco has no intention of becoming a death eater, as for Lucius� well lets say the jury�s still out. Harry nodded thinking about this.
�Ok thanks. Do you want anything else? I need to talk to Hermione and Outkast� Severus gave him one last squeeze
�I just want your promise that if you ever need to talk you will talk to me, regardless of whether you believe that I�m your father or not. Please believe that I care about you� Harry nodded and got up and left in search of Hermione.

###

�You think he�ll be alright?� Ron asked for the tenth time as they entered the Gryffindor common room.
�I honestly don�t know Ron, I hope so. Come on that transfiguration essay won�t write itself� Ron screwed up his nose in disgust but didn�t complain.

Ten minuets later Harry entered, he spotted them working in the corner and went over
�Do you mind if I interrupt?� he asked Ron looked like he had been saved from a hippogriff
�Not at all it�s time for a breather� Hermione rolled her eyes at his lack of work ethic
�Hello Harry that was quick.� Harry nodded
�Yeah but raised a few interesting points. Can I talk to you guys in private?� they nodded and they put up a privacy bubble. Hermione and Ron waited for Harry to start
�Ok, easy things first. Supposing I agreed to run the DA, do you really think anyone would listen to me?�
�Yes of course Harry why wouldn�t they? Please say you�ll do it� Hermione looked pleadingly at him, Harry sighed he�d pretty much decided to do it on the way to the tower anyway.
�Ok I�ll do it, how do we get in touch with members� Hermione grinned and tugged a bag out from her robes, in it was a single Galleon she handed it to Harry
�They work like they did last years, all the old members and some new ones have them. just set the time and date� Harry nodded, it figured that Hermione would be three steps ahead of him.
�How about later today say two hours before dinner?� Hermione nodded and set the Galleons. Harry sighed, and started to think about the other matter, until Hermione prompted
�There was something else as well wasn�t there?� he nodded
�Yes. Do you know any way of establishing paternity that�s conclusive?� Hermione thought about this
�There is a spell that does the same thing as a DNA test does but is quicker, it is complicated though, and requires a sample of blood from the child. But Harry why are you asking about this now, have you found something new out?� Harry shook his head
�No, nothing new, it�s just I guess that all I have at the moment is Sev�s word he�s my dad and want some proof. Look I know it�s complicated but can you do it?� Hermione thought about it
�I should think I could, but I will need some time to re-read the spell and practice the incantation. Surely if you asked Outkast she would do it for you� Harry shook his head and sighed
�Yeah but I don�t want her too, she�s interested in Sev and so I�d rather leave her out of it if I can�
�Ok Harry give me sometime, I want to make sure I�ve got it right� Harry smiled
�Thanks �Mione you�re the best� he gave her a quick hug
�I�ll see you two later I�ve got to go plan the DA meeting� he lowered the privacy spell and left.
�I wonder where he�s off too� Ron said as Harry left the common room, Hermione rolled her eyes
�You know he might be going to the library, not everyone has your cavalier attitude to study� Ron looked at her incredulously
�And if it were you leaving I would say the say, but this is Harry, you know our best friend and my partner in procrastination� Hermione glared at him and turned back to her essay.

##

Harry walked around for a bit before heading for the kitchens for lunch. He then went up to Outkast�s office and knocked. Upon permission he entered and grinned ruefully, she was hovering in the middle of the room with coloured orbs circling her head.
�What are you doing� he enquired, she opened she eyes and grinned, a moment later the orbs disappeared and she gracefully returned to earth landing lightly on her feet.
�Hello to you too. I was meditating, it�s a little difficult to get the hang of but very relaxing, the idea is to make the orbs move around with out incantation or hand gesture while holding your positioning the air. But I�m sure you didn�t come here to discuss advance relaxation so what can I do for you� Harry shrugged
�in a way I did, I�ve had a difficult day and need to unwind, you up for a training session? I have the DA in a bit but we could go until then� Outkast glanced at the clock before shrugging
�Sure why not beats hanging around� she laughed at her own bad joke
�Hanging around get it?� Harry cringed
�Unfortunately yes� he sighed and left to grab his gear.

##

In the room of requirement an hour and a half later Harry and Outkast were really going for it, not only using muggle attacks but intertwining them with magic and curses, weapons and spells were flying everywhere. They were so engrossed in the fight that the session had turned into that neither had noticed the rest of the DA enter. The group of students stood to one side watching in awe as the display continued, in the end it was a draw when Harry disarmed Outkast by sending her sword through the window only to end up with a dagger at his chest when he put the tip of his blade to her throat, both were crackling with magic from spells poised at the ready when Hermione cough loudly attracting their attention. Outkast grinned while Harry blushed.
�Hi kids here for a secret meeting of non-existent club that I know nothing about?� She laughed at the blank faces and winked at Harry before leaving. Harry turned to the group
�Err hey guys�
�Hey Harry� what was that?� Dean sounded half in awe and half scared
�Oh that was just something Outkast has been training me with, it�s a mixture of muggle fighting and wandless magic, I�m beginning to get the hang of it� there was a general mutter of cool and Harry blushed again before pushing on
�Anyway it thought today we might just have a review session of what we did last year to see what we can remember and to show the new ones what we do. Next time we will learn something new�
�Can you teach us what you were just doing?� Hufflepuff Harry didn�t recognise asked Harry cringed
�Not really I�m only just getting the hang of it myself�
�Oh� came a disappointed reply Harry brushed it aside and started the session.

The session went well after that and Harry promised to teach or re-teach the Patronus charm to the group which coupled with a demonstration of his kept everyone happy and working well, by the time dinner came everybody had caught up with what was covered the previous year and had gotten used to the way things ran with Harry�s friends helping the younger or newer members.

After dinner Harry found himself back in the Room of Requirement, he idly wondered if he spent too much time in there but didn�t have time to contemplate it further because the door opened and Draco entered complete with red and gold hair. Harry smothered a smirk at the Slytherin�s misfortune but Draco saw it anyway
�Yes you may laugh it�s all you fault anyway� he grumbled Harry gave him a sympathetic look
�Sorry� he said looking a little sheepish Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow
�You can�t seriously be apologising to me� Harry shrugged taking a step back into the room, Draco sighed and ran his hand through his multicoloured hair
�Harry why did you choose that song? I mean Merlin I never meant to do that to you� Harry wrapped his arms around himself
�I know, but there was more at stake then my pride, I mean I�m sure that now all the right people are singing your praises for reducing the boy-who-isn�t-allowed to die to a quivering wreck� Harry spat the words as though they tasted bad. Draco closed the distance between them,
�Harry, you are worth more then that� Draco put his hands on Harry�s shoulder�s, at first Harry tensed but then he relaxed into the grip. Harry looked at Draco�s hair and smiled
�Want me to fix that?� Draco was surprised
�You can do that?� Harry grinned and nodded he placed his hand over Draco�s hair and it turned back to it�s light blonde colour, Harry ran his hand through it as he spoke
�There we are good as new� he suddenly realised what he was doing and went to withdraw his hand. Draco caught his wrist
�Don�t stop� he whispered he lent in close Harry shivered but didn�t protest, Draco lowered his lips to Harry�s inciting a gasp from the raven haired boy. Draco deepened the kiss, running his tongue along Harry�s bottom lip, he smiled as Harry opened his mouth. Harry�s kissed him back but it was unsure and less confident then Draco. Eventually Draco pulled away
�I wanted to do that for a while now� he whispered into Harry�s ear. Harry was unable to speak and just nodded. Draco looked at him studying his face
�It�s amazing how much you�ve been through and yet remain so innocent� he said causing Harry to blush. Harry shifted uncomfortably not sure what he was supposed to do; he tried to change the conversation so he could leave
�So uh, I�ll see you next Saturday at the match. Should be good, Slytherin are always hard� Draco raised an eyebrow
�Yes well glad to be a challenge. Look Harry don�t be embarrassed, I�m not�
�I�m not embarrassed� Harry muttered looking at the floor Draco�s eyes went wide
�Harry are you scared� Harry tried to look brave
�No, why would I be?� He said stepping away from Draco.
�Yes you are. Harry I�m not going to hurt you or make you go faster then you want, please don�t be scared of me�
�I�m not scared� Harry said again with less conviction.
�Harry, don�t lie to me. Look just answer me one thing did you like it?� Harry blushed again and shrugged,
�Not good enough, Harry did you like me kissing you?� Draco said watching Harry intently Harry thought about his answer, he was scared but he wasn�t going to admit that but as to liking it, he had never felt safer then when Draco had held him, the warmth that see to emanate from him touched his soul.
�Yes Draco I liked it but I can�t give you what you want� Draco breathed a sigh of relief
�Harry all I want is you, and I�ll wait for you to be ready I promise.� He walked up to Harry and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek
�Until then this will do� he whispered before leaving the room. Harry stood frozen to the spot for several minuets before moving.

The weekend came all too fast for Harry the choir had met on Thursday night and he was surprised to see Draco there. Many of the Slytherin�s had shot comments at him about the ball every time he passed but he was able to ignore them. He had met Draco in the Room of Requirement every night, sometimes they had kissed but mostly they talked. Harry never spoke of his father or the Order, he wasn�t convinced that this wasn�t some act, but Draco did seem genuine. Harry was very confused, he didn�t think he was gay, at least not until Draco had kissed him. Now he really needed someone to talk to but was unsure who that could be, it occupied most of his time. He longed for Sirius, knowing he would understand. He had briefly considered talking to Lupin but he still couldn�t bring himself to stay in the same room as him when they were alone. He figured he could tell Outkast but she might tell his father. So all in all Harry was alone. Story of my life he thought bitterly even with a father he was still alone.

Friday night found Harry sitting in the Gryffindor common room looking at his Defence essay pretending to write it when Hermione came over to him.
�Hi Harry can I have a word in private� she whispered the last bit and Harry nodded erecting a privacy bubble
�What�s up �Mione?�
�Two things. First I think I�ve got the parentage charm right, I mean it worked on me and on Ron so I think it will work on you too� Harry looked relieved and anxious at the same time
�Thank you. When can you do it?�
�In a minute but first, what�s wrong Harry, you have been distant all week. You keep disappearing and you always look so lost, has something happened?� Harry swallowed hard.
��Mione, what would you do if I said I think I�m gay� Hermione thought for a second
�I would ask if you had found someone you like?� Harry nodded Hermione smiled slightly
�Who is it Harry� Harry shook his head
�I can�t say, I�m not even sure if I do like him I�m so confused� he hung his head in his hands. Hermione put a hand on his back, causing him to flinch
�Harry, only you know for sure if you�re gay or if you like this person, what I will say is that the wizarding world is far more accepting then the muggle one, only a few pure families perceive it as a problem, and that�s only because of the difficulty with producing heirs. Honestly I don�t think anyone would think anything of it� Harry smiled looking better then he had all week
�Thanks �Mione I needed that.� she smiled
�Any time. Now about the parentage charm� Harry nodded
�What do I have to do?� Hermione produced a piece of parchment and a quill
�Write you name on the parchment and then fold in into quarters� Harry nodded and did as he was told. Hermione nodded that he had done it correctly before taking the parchment; she took out her wand and used a complex series of movements whilst chanting in Latin. At the end she gave back to him, it glowed blue slightly as he took it.
�Open it� she said he did, on the inside were the names of his parents; Lily Evans and Severus Snape. Harry nodded feeling better now he knew for sure. Harry cancelled the bubble and went to bed exhausted.

##

Next morning Harry found himself sitting in the locker room listening to Ron give the pre-match speech before heading out onto the pitch. Ron and Draco shook hands exchanging daggers with their eyes, Ron had not forgiven Draco for the ball, and Draco hadn�t forgiven Ron for being a Weasley. The teams kicked off the ground at the same time with each member getting into position.

Harry flew high above the pitch circling slowly watching the game unfold
�Well, well Potter fancy meeting you here� Draco drawled flying along side Harry, Harry smirked
�Yeah Malfoy, you turn up where ever I am, are you stalking me?� Harry raised an eyebrow in mock seriousness, Draco grinned
�Could be Potter, Could be� Harry was about to retort when a cheer went up from the stadium at the Slytherin end
�Seems we have an early lead, mind you giver your keeper�.� Harry glared at Draco
�Stop that right there, else when we win I will have to make similar comments about you seeker� Draco took the challenge
�Yeah right Potter, when WE win I�ll be sure to be gracious to the losing side� Harry didn�t bother continuing the verbal sparring, but dove for the ground, Draco wondered if he�s seen the snitch and decided not to risk it and followed Harry into the dive. Draco was 5 feet from the ground when he figured out it was a feint and only managed to pull up in time by a hairs breath, he heard Dean Thomas commenting on the almost perfect Wronski Feint Harry had pulled off and cursed himself for falling for it. He returned to cruise above the pitch, Harry was already there.
�Nice move, for a Gryffindor� Harry shrugged
�You fell for it Slytherin� Draco smirked
�Still in the game so no harm done� Draco flew off to the other end of the pitch just as Gryffindor equalised.

An hour and a half later the intense game had left a player from each team in the hospital wing and the score at 70 to Gryffindor trailing Slytherin at 90. Draco and Harry both desperately searched for the snitch, Draco spotted it first, it was near the bottom of the Slytherin goals, he dove for it knowing he was the closest. Harry spotted Draco�s dive and followed his path to the snitch, he took off aiming right for the golden ball flattening himself against his broom, he didn�t he the gasps from the spectators as he barely missed the Gryffindor goal post by a whisker, he was travelling very fast, closing Draco�s lead. Then the snitch move towards him forcing Harry to deepen the angle of his dive, Harry realised too late that he wasn�t going to be able to pull out before colliding with the ground. Resigning himself to his fate Harry caught the snitch at the same time as pushing his broom away. He won the match but collided at full speed with the floor, by pushing the broom away Harry had saved his Firebolt from smashing but at the moment was in no position to care as he lay unconscious on the pitch.

�HARRY NO!� Draco saw what was happening and yet could do nothing to prevent it as he watched the Raven haired boy crash into the floor. He flew over to him giving up the pretence of animosity. Harry lay unmoving on the floor, his precious Firebolt, intact by his side and his hand wrapped around the snitch, blood was coming from a wound on his head, but before Draco could look closer he found him self staring into the face of a very irate Weasley;
�Get lost Malfoy it�s none of your business� Draco went to protest when the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams landed, he shut his mouth and rethought his tactic
�Yeah well Weasel be sure to lets us know if the golden boy killed himself� he spat before stalking off. Severus and Outkast appeared at that moment parting the students like the Red Sea before them. Severus went to scoop his son up but Outkast stopped him
�He may have damaged his neck use a stretcher and secure his back� she said Severus nodded and uttered the incantations. He rushed Harry to the hospital wing while Outkast dealt with crowd control;
�If any of you even breathe the words hospital wing I will turn you into mice and feed you to my snake are we clear? Good?� she left without waiting for a reply from the student body.

##

Severus stormed through the doors to the hospital wing screaming for the medi-witch. Poppy came round the corner and took one look at the boy and pointed to a bed
�What happened?� she enquired briskly why taking stock of Harry�s injuries
�He crashed on a steep dive� was the only response she received she nodded
�He has a fractured skull, and a broken neck and severe internal bleeding, Severus I�m going to need your help� Severus was still rooted to the spot staring at the unnaturally still form of his son. Poppy was about to try again when someone else came through the door. Outkast took in the scene and looked directly at the medi-witch
�What do you need?� she said willingly handing control to the more senior party.
�I need skele-grow, sandio, and an immobiliser given the nature of the injuries� Outkast nodded and went to the store while Poppy slowed the rate of the bleeding with spells. While Outkast was gone, Albus and Minerva came in. they immediately pulled the shocked Severus away to let the medic do her job. The sat in the waiting room listening to orders being barked and bottle clinking.

An hour later Poppy and Outkast emerged looking tired
�He�s going to be fine but he has to sleep tonight so I gave him dreamless sleep as well. Severus you may go in but I must insist that all the rest of you wait until tomorrow� they nodded. Severus rose to follow Poppy back into the infirmary as the others went to leave. He caught Outkast�s arms as she walked past him
�Thank you� he whispered staring into her eyes. She smiled and squeezed his hand
�Any time� she said with a small kiss before leaving him to him son.

Severus pulled up a chair to his son�s bedside. He brushed Harry�s hair aside and kissed the famous scar that marred his skin.
�Why do you do this Harry?� he whispered before settling into the chair for an uncomfortable night while his son slept.

##

Next morning at breakfast Outkast was accosted by several Gryffindor�s as well as a few from other houses, all wanting to know the same thing; how was Harry? She sighed after being asked for the tenth time glaring at the offending Ravenclaw who see to not to notice but stared in a dreamy expression at her face waiting for an answer. Outkast stood up and used a sonorous charm
�Harry will be back in class by the end of the week no doubt so you can all bug him then the next person who asks me will find themselves with a breeding colony of fire-ants in their underwear do I make myself self hundred percent crystal clear?� Luna opened her mouth to say something else but Ginny managed to get to her in time and clamp her hand over her mouth, Ginny grinned at Outkast
�Yes Outkast, fire-ants we hear you loud and clear� she then dragged Luna back to the Ravenclaw table and left her with a few of their students before making her way back to Gryffindor territory.

##

In the infirmary Harry was just coming round, he felt like he had just had a high speed collision with a freight train, and then he remembered that it was worse it was a high speed collision with a very solid ground. His mouth felt like the Sahara desert. He cracked his eyes open silently cursing whoever put that many lights in the hospital wing, he fumbled for his glasses only to find them placed on his face, he flinched not used to finding anyone but Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing. The world snapped into focus and he saw his father standing there. Harry cringed and reached for the water jug, again Severus beat him to it and poured him a glass. Harry drank it all and Sev took the cup back,
�Thank you� Harry mumbled not used to having someone take care of him.
�How are you feeling?� Severus asked his voice deceptively calm, Harry looked behind Sev to see the rumbled blanket on a chair
�I�m ok, did you stay here all night?� Severus nodded Harry looked down embarrassed
�You didn�t have to do that� he said quietly Severus took a breath and let out slowly
�Harry you�re my son, no matter how many times you end up in here I will always be here when you wake� Harry was puzzled
�Why?�
�Because I care about you� Severus said slowly as if talking to a small child, Harry nodded but didn�t seem too convince. Severus decided that this was a good way into the impending argument
�Harry I care about you, so do you friends, so do the staff� in fact everyone seems to care more about you then you do� Harry winced knowing where this was going, but Severus was already building a head of stem
�I mean what were you thinking?! Correct that, were you thinking at all?? That dive was ridiculous, you could have died, you almost did!� He shouted starting at Harry who hadn�t reacted, Severus was a little perturbed
�Harry? Say something doesn�t that mean anything to you, that last night your life was almost over? Do you have a death wish?� Harry felt his anger rising he was really getting pissed with the whole situation, Sev turned up and told him what he could and couldn�t do but was never there when he actually needed a parent, he couldn�t talk about things he wanted too, but had to listen to the constant threats and lectures. He came to a decision he�d rather have his independence then a parent if this was all it�s about
�WHAT DO YOU CARE?� he screamed silencing his father
�I NEVER asked you to come back into my life I NEVER asked you to come to the Dursley�s! In fact I have NEVER asked you for anything, you swan back into my life 5 years after I meet you and want to play happy families well guess what I DON�T WANT TO! You were never there when I needed someone, are never there when I need someone and never will be!� Harry got up slowly still sore from the fall breathing heavily and he got control. He threw his robe on over his pyjamas and glared as the stunned potions master
�And for your information, I don�t have a death wish and I don�t go looking for trouble� he snorted �I�m just never out of earshot if it comes calling� he went to leave when Severus regained his sense
�I�m taking your broom Harry� Harry glared and then thought about the events of the past term and smirked
�No you�re not because you have no right too, officially I�m not yours there�s no evidence and as far as the Wizarding world is concerned I�m the carbon copy of James Potter, and you aren�t even my head of house. You try and take any of my possessions then I will cause such a fuss through the press and the unfairness of it all that every witch and wizard on either side will want your head� Harry�s eyes were cold and calculating. Severus was shocked by the Slytherin side of his son
�Harry why are you saying this?� he whispered. Harry looked at him, his eyes softening slightly
�I can�t lose my broom, I can�t not fly it would be like not breathing, and this point in time I have nothing left to lose� Harry�s words found their mark he could see the hurt creep into the edge of the normally emotionless mask his father normally wore. He felt guilty knowing he caused it but at the same time he had begun to realise how much he had missed out on and how much he wanted to have a family. It looked Severus in the eye
�I did the paternity test by the way. Seems you are my dad. It hurts knowing you�re not wanted by one who should love you doesn�t it?� Harry left feeling lower then he had ever been. Severus stood in the same spot for several minutes Harry�s last words going round in his head It hurts knowing you�re not wanted by someone who should love you doesn�t it? Severus slumped back into the chair; so that�s what he thinks, that I didn�t want him, didn�t love him. No wonder he�s angry and upset. He started to form a plan to try and fix some of the damage the last five years had done to his relationship with his son.

##

Harry went up to the tower and got changed into his uniform, he was going to go to the great hall for breakfast but then decided he couldn�t handle it when he reached the doors. He was just about to leave when a familiar voice caught his attention;
�Out of the wing already?� Harry turned to face Draco and nodded, he figured he must have looked a mess because Draco moved closer to him
�How about I meet you in the room in 5 minutes?� Harry nodded and left, Draco went into the hall to catch the end of Outkast�s speech he grinned as the youngest Weasley saved Loopy Luna from an unpleasant fate before leaving again shaking his head.

Draco entered the Room of Requirement to find that Harry was sitting on a couch starting into a fire. He sat next to him drawing his face into a kiss.
�How are you feeling?� he whispered Harry smiled
�A little sore but I�ll be fine� Harry snuggled against Draco�s shoulder. They watched the flames for a few minutes
�So what happened?� Draco said after a while Harry shrugged and mumbled a nothing, Draco didn�t buy it
�Come on I know you better then that, I also know that my Head of House has yet to return to his quarter�s so what happened� Harry sighed and decided to come clean
�I think I have managed to make my father hate me� Draco looked down at the small boy in his arms,
�I doubt it what happened?� Harry curled up next to Draco and recited the argument. Draco raised an eyebrow when he had finished.
�That was very Slytherin of you, I don�t Sev hates you he�s more likely to be proud� Harry tried to make himself smaller and Draco sighed, that wasn�t the right thing to say apparently.
�Look Harry Sev loves you it�s obvious the way he acted when you were hurt proves it and as for what you said, you needed to or it would have eaten you away, trust me he won�t hate you he will probably give you more of those wonderful talks you long for but he won�t be mad� Harry nodded
�I hope you�re right� he whispered
�Of course I am, I�m a Malfoy� Harry snorted and turned to look at Draco
�You are very arrogant you know that?�
�It�s been said before� Draco whispered moving closer to Harry, he slowly kissed Harry�s lips, gently with little pressure. Harry whimpered and moved to deepen the kiss, he wrapped his hands into Draco�s hair pulling him closer, at the same time he crawled up the blonde boys body so he was lying right on top of him. Harry felt Draco�s arousal through his robes and flinched, falling off the sofa, his face flushed
�Sorry� he mumbled. Draco came and sat down next to him looking awkward
�Don�t be Harry I should be I promise I wasn�t going to do anything I swear� Harry stared at the floor for a long moment before reaching for Draco, he put a shaking hand over the other boys crotch, stroking him tentatively through the fabric. Draco gasped at the touch; Harry looked into Draco�s silver eyes
�Draco, make me forget, please if only for a little while� he whispered. Draco�s eyes went wide when he realised what Harry meant.
�Harry, are you sure?� Harry nodded shakily. Draco ran a hand through Harry�s hair,
�If you want to stop then say I promise we will� Harry nodded before closing his eyes and leaning into the touch. He heard Draco cast a locking and silencing spell on the door. He felt the blonde�s lips on his. Draco carefully pushed Harry to the ground not breaking the kiss. He started trailing kisses down Harry�s neck, as he reached his shirt he felt Harry shaking and stopped, sitting back up. Harry opened his eyes and looked at him questioningly
�You�re shaking Harry� Harry shrugged and went to brush it off but Draco put a finger on his lips
�Harry, you�re not ready I said I wouldn�t push you and I�m not going to� Harry swallowed and looked away embarrassed. Draco pulled his head back round.
�Have you ever given yourself to anyone before?� he whispered staring into the emerald pools. Harry shook his head no, feeling the heat in his cheeks. Draco kissed him lightly
�Then I will have to make it perfect for your first time won�t I?� Harry cringed
�Draco it�s not my�� Draco kissed him again
�It is, and it�ll be as perfect and pure as you are� Draco chose his words carefully trying to undo some of the damage the now dead whale of a muggle had done. Harry shrugged not convinced. Draco rose and sat back on the sofa and motioned for Harry to do the same, he pulled him close and held him, saying little for the rest of the morning.

##

Outkast was a little confused when neither Harry nor Sev had shown at breakfast. Concerned when no one had seen hide nor hair of them by the end she went looking starting with the infirmary. She found Severus still sitting against the wall staring into face. She winced this couldn�t be good. She sat down next to him and placed and arm round his shoulders. She said nothing and didn�t move. Eventually �Severus turned to her
�You have no idea how badly I screwed up� Outkast pulled him closer and kissed his forehead.
�Then you better tell me hadn�t you?� she said. Sev sighed and recited the morning�s events. Outkast listened asking no questions and offering no opinions until the end. After he finished he looked at her asking for advice, she thought before she answered
�To be honest Sev, he�s felt that way for a long time. From his perspective you could have save him years ago, of even if you couldn�t you could have told him who you were so at least in private he would have someone to confide in. He�s a tough kid Severus, he�s had a shit life and is not used to people looking out for him, in fact he�s not sure he wants it anymore, he is sixteen for Merlin�s sake and had fended for himself since he was what? Four? Maybe so yeah he�s going to resent you trying to put rules down for him. He doesn�t feel you have the right. Btu that doesn�t mean he doesn�t want you too, he in fact needs you too, he need you to show you love him and it�s going to take more then words. Make time for him, it�s doesn�t have to be huge amounts but a few hours a day or even an hour, make him feel special it doesn�t have to be anything bigger then saying hello in the great hall but it would make him feel different� Sev listened to her and raised an eyebrow
�Since when did you become an expert on parenthood?� Outkast smiled ruefully
�You�ll find out at Christmas� she tapped the end of his nose and got up
�Come on lets go I hate this place, it always reminds me of ropes and bossy matrons� she screwed up her nose
�And by association an ex I�d rather forget about� still at least no whips�� she trailed off and headed for the door leaving the rest to Sev�s imagination.

##

Harry shifted, it was lunch time
�We better go someone will be looking for one of us no doubt if we don�t put in an appearance. Draco sighed,
�You are probably right� he got up and unlocked the door. He turned placing one last lingering kiss on Harry�s mouth.
�Don�t be too mad at Sev, he is trying� Harry nodded
�Yeah he�s very trying� Draco rolled his eyes and left. Harry waited for a few minutes then followed thinking he was very glad it was near the end of term.

Harry walked back to the Gryffindor tower with out incident, but when he entered the common room the barrage of questions started.
�Harry are you alright? Where have you been? What was wrong? Have you seen Outkast yet? What were you thinking? Is Professor Snape mad with you?� and that was just Hermione as she threw her arms round his neck. Ron shrugged behind her with a �what can you do?� Expression. Harry smiled weakly and then answered the questions
�Yes, Walking, broken neck, no, it seemed like a good idea at the time and yes� Hermione stared at him trying to put the answer with the question. Ron just stared at him
�You promised me you wouldn�t do that again� Harry winced,
�I know but if I didn�t Malfoy would have got the snitch� Ron seemed to weigh this up before shaking his head
�You know what Harry, I don�t care I�d rather lose to the whole damn thing and every house point then lose my best friend.� Harry was shocked he didn�t think anything mattered as much to Ron then winning the cups. Harry stared at him
�I�m sorry� he whispered, beginning to realise how much people did care about him. He was a little shocked. Ron took a deep breath and looked like he had more to say, but a look from Hermione stopped him, instead he grinned
�That�s ok, lets get to lunch I�m starved� Harry rolled his eyes
�You�re always hungry� Ron feigned looking upset
�I resent that, I distinctly remember a day in the first year when I said no thanks I�m full!� he grinned, Harry laughed, Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered something about boys and their stomachs.

##

Severus followed Outkast back to the dungeons she smiled at him and waited for the door to be opened. Once inside Severus turned to face her
�What was that about whips?� Outkast grinned and sauntered towards the bedroom...

##

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their to the great hall for lunch just as Severus and Outkast appeared from the direction of the dungeons she grinned at them as they entered. She looked at Sev and then at the door Harry had just walked through, Sev shook his head no, she pushed him, he glared, she glared back. She won and Severus sighed and went to find Harry. She nodded her approval and followed him.

Harry was sitting between Ron and Hermione when Severus came over to him. Severus crouched down next to Harry; Harry tensed and looked at him.
�Err hi� Harry said nervously wondering what Sev could want
�Hi Harry I just wanted to check you were feeling better� Harry nodded feeling very confused the last time he saw his father he had shouted at him.
�That�s good, can you please come and see me after lunch?� Severus continued Harry nodded, Severus smiled slightly trying not to let the other Gryffindor�s see. Harry returned it. Severus stood and squeezed his shoulder before leaving.

Lunch was relatively peaceful after that, although Harry did keep noticing the odd hand gestures Outkast was giving his father who seemed to be trying not to blush. Harry shook his head and decided he didn�t want to know. He finished his lunch a little after Severus and headed for the dungeons.

Harry knocked on the door and was admitted; Severus was pacing the living room, but had completely forgotten about one of the items Outkast had conjured that was still sitting by the fire. Harry saw it and raised an eyebrow, suddenly those hand gestures made sense, he walked past his father and picked it up by the handle, with a snap of his wrist the leather strap cracked the air. He stared at his father who had gone an unflattering shade of red
�So� Harry said trying not to giggle �Who wears the whips in your relationship?� he then collapsed to the floor laughing hysterically as Severus stuttered trying to come up with an excuse. Eventually he gave up and sat down waiting for Harry to compose himself. Several minutes later Harry wiped the final tears and faced his father
�Sorry but I suspect she did that on purpose� Harry said, Severus was inclined to agree. He sighed and faced his son
�Harry I wanted to talk to you about the things you said this morning� Harry chewed his lip and looked around nodding. Severus sighed, a check of the ring showed him Harry was scared.
�Harry please I�m not angry, I guess I thought that you had adjusted better then you had. Someone pointed out to me how you were actually doing� Harry nodded, correctly replacing �someone� with �Outkast�. Severus went over to Harry and pulled him into his chest
�Harry I am not good with expressing emotions and even worse at acting like it but I do love you, you are my son and I want to make it up to you. I know that it is an impossible task but I would like to try� Harry was starting to believe him, he hugged him back
�Thanks� Dad� he whispered the last part, Severus chocked hearing Harry call him dad and hugged him tighter.
�We�ll get through this son I promise we�ll be a family�

##

The term went quickly and soon the Christmas holidays were approaching Harry was both looking forward and dreading the holiday, looking forward to being with not only the Weasley�s and Hermione but also his father, Outkast and the rest of the Order. The bad bit was he was going back to Grimmauld Place. He sighed, one day of class left it was going to fly.

##

�Everyone all set!� Outkast shouted bouncing into the Great Hall where they were all assembling for mass portkey transport to the Order�s headquarters. They all nodded and she grinned
�Rock on Christmas� she was wearing a red Santa hat that had a flashing red ball on the end, she had dyed her hair red and green, whilst having Christmas earring the over all effect was garish and tacky, when Harry had commented on this she had laughed and told him that was the whole point� well that and it was driving Severus to distraction. They all crowed around the Holly Wreath with Severus grunting about having to touch � that vile and overly cheerful mass of fire wood�. Saying the password (Merry Christmas!) the well transported. Molly Weasley and the twins were already there, which made Harry anxious about touching anything new. Molly gave them all a hug, and explained that Arthur and the others would be along later before letting them settle in.

##

Dinner was a loud affair with the dining room having to enlarged twice to accommodate everyone. A Christmas tree had been erected in the corner, which no one would go near after the twins proudly announced they put it up �All by ourselves, in fact mum was out shopping� so the presents were stacking up on the opposite wall. After dinner Outkast followed Dumbledore out of the room
�Can I have a quick word?� Albus nodded and showed her into the kitchen. Outkast lent against the counter, turning to face him.
�I want to join the order� she said quickly. Albus� eyes went into twinkle overdrive
�I�m pleased to hear that, though may I enquire as to why?� Outkast nodded and ran her hand through her hair.
�Yeah it�s pretty simple really, there are two reasons, the first one being that I am in love with a man that holds you in high regard for reasons I cannot fathom and the second is that my successor is an integral part of your organisation, and it is my job to keep him safe� Albus was a little stunned
�You�re an Alighter� Outkast grinned and went for the door
�No I�m The Dia� she left the aged headmaster in the kitchens wishing she had a camera; it was not often that you could get one over that man.

##

The 21st of December came round very quickly, Outkast sighed and grabbed the rat cage, she bounced down the stairs
�HI, Bye I�m off to get a last minute gift see you all tomorrow!� and with that she was gone. At exactly 12noon she walked into Fudge�s offices
�I�m here to see the minister, I have an appointment you can check as I go in have a nice day� she said to the receptionist as she breezed past. She walked into the minister�s room and put the rat cage on the desk to get his attention, Fudge paled as he looked up at her
�Ah Dia right on time what can I ask is the reason for this meeting� Outkast gave him a blatantly fake smile
�Minister, you can do several things for me, first is a public apology to Harry for the nasty things you said to him, then you can sign the papers proclaiming Sirius Blacks arrest wrongful and exonerating him of any blame in the death of the muggles and the Potter�s you can then pay him a substantial sum in compensation as well as apologising to him and then you can allow me to deal with the real traitor as I see fit� Fudge was taken aback and decided to deal with the last bit first
�What real traitor?� Outkast dug the rat out of the cage and glared at it, there was a flash of blue white light suddenly she was holding onto to the scruff of the neck of an overweight and rather anxious Peter Pettigrew.
�Pettigrew here betrayed the Potter�s didn�t you Pete my boy and now you want to make it right don�t you?� her voice gave no remove for argument. Fudge was stunned but nodded
�Ok but Black is dead�
�That�s only temporary� she said grinning, Fudge was fairly sure she was mad but knew better then to voice that opinion. He did as he was told as Outkast amused herself by poking Peter making him yelp. She had bound his magic, preventing him from transforming and was having a good time torturing him.
�Here It�s done but what are you going to do with him� Fudge pointed at Peter Outkast jumped off the desk where she had been sitting
�I�m going to feed him to the veil� Fudge nodded, he was only going to sentence him to the kiss anyway. Peter whimpered, Outkast rolled her eyes
�Oh do shut up, just because you don�t look like a rat doesn�t mean you�re not one!� she put him in an arm lock, took the papers from Fudge with an overly bright thank you and bounced out the door. Outside Tonks and Shacklebolt they turned to her from talking to the receptionist who was complaining about a rude witch carrying a rats cage and their jaws hit the floor
�Is that...�
�The one and only, never to be repeated traitor himself, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the soon to be dead Peter Pettigrew!� Shackelbolt recovered first.
�Have you told Harry about this?�
�No and neither are you two, come on I have to go get his Christmas present?� Tonks was confused
�Why do you need us to get his present� Outkast rolled her eyes
�Because if I get the wrong one you will have to look after it until I can exchange it!� both Auror�s were very confused but followed her down through the ministry to the Veil room. She took a deep breath and entered she dragged Peter over to in front of the Veil and used a sticking charm to hold him there. She pulled Draconis from her pocket, it still was stained with Harry�s blood. She turned to the Auror�s
�Stay there if this goes wrong stun the one who comes through if it goes right, then there�s a portkey in my pocket makes sure we are both touching it and it will take us� they both nodded. She closed her eyes and started the chant;

I am here, to right a wrong and to free a soul
On this day, the day of the Solstice
I call to you the guardians of the portal
Serpent kings, I offer thee the death of a traitor
The blood of the innocent
And the tongues of old
Hear my plea, by the blood of the Dia given to you freely

As she talked she drew the soiled blade across her arm, holding it above Pettigrew, her blood mixed with Harry�s and dripped onto him. She bought the blade down in Pettigrew�s neck but didn�t cut it, she spoke again in Parseltongue, for five minuet she hissed at the gate before resuming in English

The wrong is made right and the task complete
Blood for blood, an eye for and eye, a life for a life

At the end of speaking she threw Pettigrew through the Veil, his scream echoed through the Chamber, she held him with her arm in the Veil. There was a flash of blinding red light and when it subside Outkast fell backwards, pulling a body through the Veil with her. Tonks and Shacklebolt gasp and rushed to the bodies, finally understanding what had gone on. They found the portkey and sent both unconscious parties on their journey before taken in what had just happened. Sirius Black lived again.

Outkast came round on the floor of her living room flat, Sirius was by her side still out could. He looked bad, his hair was long and streaked with grey. She got up and tried to levitate Sirius into the spare room, she got him a inch off the ground but couldn�t manage any more, sighing in defeat she cleared the coffee table and turned it over, her wand that had been the missing leg clatter to the floor
�This had better not be permanent� she muttered picking up the piece of wood with distaste she pointed it at Sirius;
�Wingardium Leviosa� she muttered and the body floated into the air. After she got him settled in the spare room she went into the kitchen and made a coffee, black with ten sugars in the hope of recovering her energy quicker, she used her wand to pin her hair out of the way secretly pleased that the entire house didn�t need magic to work. She curled up on the couch and waited for her house guest to wake.

sssss

�Morning� Harry said sleepily as he came down for breakfast, his father and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were already in there, he was the first of the children to get up Mr Weasley smiled in acknowledgement, Molly went to fetch him a coffee and some toast his father looked up from the paper with an raised eyebrow,
�Has he-who-shall-not-be-named evil twin shown up again?� Harry shrugged
�Haven�t seen her since yesterday morning why?� Severus handed him the paper
�She�s been busy� he left leaving Harry confused, until he read the headlines;

MINISTER OF MAGIC OFFERS APOLOGY AND TRUCE TO THE BOY-WHO-LIVED!!

Harry almost chocked on the coffee. How in the name of all things magical had Outkast (because no one else would have managed it) got Minster Fudge-it to give him an apology as well as offer a truce. Harry wasn�t sure he was gong to accept either but it was still and amazing turn of events, he wished she was around to talk to but she hadn�t been back since yesterday. If it had been anyone else he would have been worried but he wasn�t sure that even the Dark Lord himself would be able to take her down. Still he wanted her back here with them, she was becoming very important to him.

Ron and Hermione cam down a few moments later and he handed them the paper,
�I don�t know how she does it I really don�t� he said was they read it in silence. By the time everyone was up and had read the article gossip was widespread with rumours from she had forged the letter to bribing the Minister, though most were angling towards the twins theory that she removed his testicles and wouldn�t give them back until he signed it. Harry didn�t think that she would do any of those; he thought blackmail would be far more her style but didn�t voice that opinion.

By lunchtime the fuss had died down somewhat but the paper had been framed and stuck to the wall in the dining room, when Harry discovered it he had tried to get it down, this proved more difficult then he suspected. The others had predicted his reaction and so it had been charmed to keep moving out of his reach every time he approached it. Much to his dismay this charm he been extended to include all those they deemed possibly for him to get to help. This had lead to a rather amusing game of mini Quidditch with the papers as the Snitch and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George as seeker�s when the adults have discovered that the ruckus was caused by the manic chasing of the paper which had resulted in the breaking of many items, they had stuck it permanently on the ceiling, leading to much pouting.

ssss

Outkast was sitting down for lunch when she heard movement in the guest room, the door opened and a confused Sirius stumbled out, he looked at her and then around the flat
�Who are you? Where I am? What happened to Harry?� He got increasingly more distressed with each question. Outkast sighed;
�It�s not so much where and when, it� now December. You were in a fight at the Ministry of Magic, Bellatrix LeStrange hit you with a stunner and you fell through the Veil. You have been stuck in the after world until now, I am sorry but it was the first opportunity for me to free you. As to the rest of it you better sit down this is going to take a while� Sirius nodded and took a seat opposite her. He listened in a horrified silence as Outkast revealed the events of that year, what had happened to Harry and his new family. What surprised Outkast the most was that the news that most took Sirius by surprise was not Harry�s parentage, but the incident between him and Remus. She had to tie him to a chair to hear her out before he went out and gutted his friend, as she got to the end he held his head in his hands
�My God why didn�t he say I never knew� he chocked. Outkast put an arm around him, trying to shake the idea that she was betraying Severus to his nemesis.
�He told no one, it was discovered. But you can be there fore him now, we all can but you need a few days to recover as do I. we will be back for Christmas but you will need your strength. Harry�s fragile and depressed he�s been hurting since you left Sirius no doubt he will improve when he sees you. Please don�t expect it to be like it was, you�ll have to share him with Severus. You can�t ask him to chose� Sirius nodded ]
�I know but it doesn�t mean I have t like it� He muttered. Outkast smiled
�Yeah well until then, want some lunch? You need to eat� she said pushing a plate of chips towards him.

ssss

�FILTHY MUDBLOODS, TRAITORS!�
�OH DO SHUT UP� Harry screamed back at the picture before losing his temper. He grinned evilly
�Well if we can�t remove you we will just have to vandalise you� He smirked and went up to his room, he returned to the still shouting portrait with a black marker pen, he stunned the image of the late Mrs. Black and then drew a padlocked zip across her mouth. He made it part of the picture before reanimating her.
�MUFPH!� she muttered but it was no where near as loud
�Harry what are you doing?� Hermione gasped
�You can�t use magic outside of school they could expel you!�
�Not when the Minister�s making nice and besides wandless doesn�t register, Outkast told me� Hermione glared at him trying to be mad but ending up in giggles watching the irate picture trying to talk.
�I must admit I like you artistic talent� Harry grinned
�Yes I really liked the way the padlock gleams when she gets cross� with that they left the portrait to itself.

ssss

Sirius sat in Outkast�s living, unbeknownst to him he sat in the same place that Harry had chosen when he needed to think, he stared at the now empty snake tank and briefly wonders why there was an upside down three legged table on the floor. Outkast reappeared from the bedroom with her hair dripping wet from the shower, she sighed and sat down on the chair curling her feet underneath her body.
�What�s on you mind?� she said looking at him whilst running a towel through her hair
�Harry� he said simply.
�When can we go to them?� Outkast rolled her eyes, she had already answered him about ten times but he wasn�t hearing her
�You have to wait, you�re magically drained at the moment, if we were attack we would lose, we both need to recover, you more then me� he nodded
�How long?� Outkast shrugged
�I�m not sure, can you transform at the moment?� he stared at her blankly so she tried again
�You are Animagus right? Harry seems to think you are� He nodded again and tried to turn into Padfoot, he managed a paw before it became too much. Outkast gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze
�Give it time. And stop moping, he�s safe and well� Sirius nodded but still didn�t seem to believe it. Outkast fixed her hair with her wand and disappeared into the Dojo, she found that the workout always helped her think.

A couple of hours later Sirius found his thoughts disturbed by a tapping on the glass, at the same moment Outkast reappeared from the Dojo, looking rather worn out.
�Something triggered the wards have you noticed anything?� Sirius pointed to the window where a white blur was going frantic. Outkast opened the window and Hedwig flew in, she just about remember to deliver her letter before bombarding into Sirius, hooting happily. Sirius was laughing, Harry�s pets was normally far too dignified for this came of behaviour
�Hedwig, calm down your going to hurt one of us� he said trying to get hold of her before she broke her wing. She did calm a little settling on sitting on his shoulder and nipping his ear affectionately. Outkast grinned and then turned to the letter.

Hi Outcast,
Where are you? Are you ok? You left yesterday and no one has see you since, I know I�m probably worrying over nothing and my father seems to thinks it�s entirely normal for you to take off for a few days and not tell anyone but I�m a little concerned. Can you please send a letter or something back with Hedwig just to let me know you fine? Thank you

Harry.
P.s. Professor Dumbledore said to tell you that you will want to be around tomorrow night to meet some old friends. I hope that make sense to you, I don�t know how he knew I was writing I haven�t even told my father!

Outkast folded the letter and put it in her pocket she wondered over to a desk and retrieved a ball point pen and paper to write her reply
�OW stop that!� she turned to see the Hedwig had got hold of Sirius� finger and wasn�t letting go, she tried not to smile while chastising the owl
�Hedwig don�t break him before Harry has a chance to see him. I promise it won�t be long but we need to recover before leaving the wards.� She turned to Sirius
�There is some beacon in the fridge that she might find more appetising then you� Sirius gave her a look
�And a fridge would be what?� she rolled her eyes
�Sheltered wizards� she muttered �The white thing that looks like a cupboard in the kitchen I assume you know what that is� Sirius made a face before going in search of the beacon leaving Outkast to write her reply;

Harry,
Firstly it�s OutKast with a K (I know that�s not technically the correct spelling but I like to be difficult!). I�m fine I was just picking up some presents and doing a few things and gave myself magical exhaustion, am at the club so don�t worry will be back soon. Tell Albus I�ll be there but I want to meet up with you first, it�s about your father�s present. Will see you soon

The one and only!

She didn�t bother signing it there was no point. She heard a loud bang from the direction she had sent Sirius in
�There�s no beacon in here, it�s full of dirty cups!� she rolled her eyes,
�That would be the dishwasher. Honestly don�t you know anything about muggles?�
�I know of them� was the sheepish reply, Outkast counted to ten under her breath before going after him. She found the beacon and gave some to Hedwig, forcing her to release her hold on Sirius. After her snack Outkast quickly attached the letter to her leg taking her to the window
�Here take this back to Harry� She hooted reproachfully
�Oh don�t give me that you will see him soon, I promise and don�t tell Harry� Hedwig gave her a look that basically said Yeah I�m going to do semaphore with my wings before flying off. Outkast shook her head
�That bird has way too much personality and a brain that rivals Hermione� she muttered, Sirius snorted,
�Ain�t that the truth� he said still nursing his bitten fingers. Outkast grinned at him there was something rather amusing about a full grown wizard being bested by a snowy owl. She decided that she had better not comment on that and went back to her room with the intention of getting catnap before ordering food.

ssss

That night Outkast made her way back to headquarters she smiled at the younger members who were all very confused why she was there at an Order meeting and ignored the blatant glares that a certain snowy owl was giving her and went into the dining room. Conversation stopped as the members turned to stare at her.
�What are you doing here this is member�s only� growled Mad-eye
�Well then it�s a good thing I�m a member then isn�t it?� she gave him a sweetly smile before commandeering the seat next to Severus.
�You are not a member of the order, you refused� Mad-eye still hadn�t forgiven her for nearly killing him, understandable really but Outkast didn�t really care he was beginning to piss her off;
�Look I reconsidered and if you don�t believe me ask the Governor� she said indicating to Albus as he walked through the door. The headmaster deliberately ignored the tension in the room and pretended not to hear the comments being made as he entered
�Good evening everyone, firstly I would like to welcome our newest member� he nodded at Outkast, she returned with a half hearted salute and then glared triumphantly at Mad-eye.
�You said no, what changed your mind?� Severus whispered as Albus went over his report from the Slytherin corner of the school she grinned
�It�s cheaper then a movie and there�s free coffee� she said picking up the cup Molly had just deposited in front of her.
�What�s a movie?� he replied, she rolled her eyes and muttered what sound like �as bad as each other� under her breath but before he had a chance to question her Albus called attention back to him
�Now a lot of you are aware of Outkast�s link to Tom, for those of you who are not then please talk to one of us after. This offer�s her unusual insight to the Dark Lord� Outkast interrupted him
�No I can tell you about Tom, the Dark Lord I have hardly met, as I keep telling you they are two entirely different people, you only don�t see it Albus because they both hate you� Albus looked at her over his glasses
�I�m am not convinced by that� she snorted
�Until you are you won�t win, Voldemort can not survive without Tom but Tom can survive without him, he�s a victim of this too� many people snorted, no one was really convince so she tried again
�Look I�m telling you that Voldemort is a daemon who possessed my brother when he was 16 that�s why you can�t kill him, he will just go on and on until he is banished back to his dimension�� Albus lost his patience�s
�Really you went about this through the last war and cost us several months looking for banishing spells, whether you accept it or not your brother is doing this Outkast and you are either going to help us or leave� Outkast went to argue but then sighed in defeat
�What do you want me to do?� she whispered outwardly accepting defeat, inwardly plotting how to convince the only person who mattered.
�I want you to continue training young Harry, you seem to have built a good rapport with him. In addition please can you keep an eye on the DA, I know they will wish to help if they know enough, try and keep Harry teaching them defence rather then offence.� She nodded; she had been planning on doing that anyway.

Soon enough the meeting was drawn to a close and the groups left. Outkast went to find Harry, who was at the time losing badly at Wizards chess to Ron.
�Hi guys, seeing as you have already lost Harry can I have a quick word?� Harry was about to protest the assumption he�d lost until Ron�s queen smashed his king and Ron�s gleefully announced check mate. Harry shrugged and followed Outkast into an empty room. she produced a small back from her pocket and opened it, in it was a simple silver chain on which hung a black rose with a silver stem, around the stem of the rose was coiled a snake with emerald eyes. Harry was quite surprised
�It�s stunning� he said, she blushed and looked embarrassed, definitely not something he�s seen on her before.
�Thanks I hope he likes it, the thing is that I�ve put protection charms on it, the snake is Sev and rose I guess is me, it sort of appeared when I added my blood to. I don�t know if you have been told this but the blood of a one who loves you can offer strong protection from harm� Harry smiled a little
�Yeah I heard that� he said, running his hand over the pendent.
�so what do you want me to do?�
�I was wondering if you wanted to add protection to it as well, your father is not exactly an unknown low target, to Voldemort, like you he needs protecting� Harry agreed and nodded
�Sure, what do I do� he looked at Outkast waiting for an explanation. Outkast produce a small dagger from her pocket,
�all you have to do is prick you finger and let the blood fall on the chain whilst thinking about Sev and what you feel for him and the need to keep him from harm� Harry nodded and took the blade from her. He made a small cut on his index finger and let the blood fall. He thought about all the times his dad had held him, how safe he had felt and how much he needed him. Two drops hit the pendent,
�Ok you can stop now� Outkast said watching as the chain absorbed the blood. The chain emitted a blue glow that engulfed the entire thing it lasted a few second and when it had died the pendent had changed, now in front of the rose was a sword that look like the sword of Gryffindor but wound round the blade was the emerald eyes snake. Outkast smiled
�Wow, thanks I think it�s done now� she picked it up and put it back in the back noticing with a little surprised just how much more power it was now emanating. Outkast said a few goodbye�s before heading back to her flat, she didn�t give a reason and just said �because� if anyone asked.

She collapsed on to her bed feeling very drained, still only two more days and she wouldn�t have to keep moving and on the plus side her magic was beginning to return, she had managed to conjure a coffee earlier which although was not much was an improvement. By Christmas day she too should be up to full strength, which was good because she really did hate having to carry a wand�.

ssss

�I�m not getting in there� Sirius was adamant, he didn�t know who this woman thought she was but there was no way in the name of all things magical he was going to do what she suggested.
�Look please it will be really cool and it will make his day�
�NO!� Outkast pouted
�Fine but I know James would have done it��

ssss

Christmas morning came and everyone was awake early and the place was buzzing, everyone was coming for lunch so not only did rooms have to be enlarged and places made for sleeping but enough food to feed an army had to be prepared. Molly Weasley was in charge, she had the most experience of large Christmases and as such was up at 5 barking orders to her children and friends alike. She had even (against her better judgement) allowed Tonks to be in control of enlarging the dining room and setting the tables. Tonks was relieved at this, because she was able to usher everyone out of the Dining room so no one noticed that she had set an extra place next to Harry with the name card of �Sirius Black�. She grinned please that her Auror training had a use. At 11am after much badgering from her children Molly caved and agreed that they could open presents, Kingsley subtly left and sent a message to Outkast so that by the time everyone was settled in to he room she was there to make a grand, if somewhat bizarre entrance. Wearing, a full Christmas elf costume down to the pointed green shoes she burst through the living room doors, her hat playing a rather loud muggle Christmas song. Everyone was stunned silent apart from the twins who were wishing they thought of it first, she was carrying a very large sack.
�MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!� she screamed to the stunned room, she apparently didn�t notice and continued
�I�m a Christmas pixie and I�m here on behalf of Santa Claus to give you all gifts� Severus was confused and looked at Harry
�Who?� he mouth, Harry rolled his eyes and indicated he would explain later. Outkast continued
�Now for everyone who�s been good this year I have a present, right lets start; Ronald Weasley� she reached into the bag and pulled out a box, she chucked it at Ron who tore into it, inside was a golden snitch that happened to be the one caught to win the match that the Chundley cannons had won last season, it was signed by all the players. Ron couldn�t speak for a good few minutes apart from to thank her. Outkast brushed it aside and moved on
�Hermione Granger� a smaller nod this time. Hermione was a bit more graceful in opening it, and smiled, it was a book on hoe to mast animagi. She also was thrilled. This continued with the Twins being given a whole new set of potion ingredients and �hints� on interesting combinations until only two people in the room hadn�t received their gifts. Outkast first smiled at Severus and retrieved a small box from her pocket.
�Sev, I hope you like it� she whispered and handed him the pendent. Severus was take back when he saw it and stared blankly it her, the power it radiated was overwhelming. Outkast explained about the protection and how Harry had added to it Severus hugged his son first causing him to blush and then in a one off display of affection devoured Outkast�s mouth to jeers of �get a room� from some of the younger members. Finally Outkast was allowed to give the last present out, she pulled a large create from the bag and looked at Harry
�Now remember that a puppy�s for life not just for Christmas, she opened the door and a huge black dog wear a Christmas hat bounded over to Harry.
�That�s not a puppy that�s a monster� Sev said, the dog snarled at him. Harry didn�t move, it couldn�t be true. The dog looked so much like him but he was dead wasn�t he, his eyes began to fill with tears and he shook his head
�It�s not true, it�s impossible� he whispered, at that moment Sirius transformed and hugged his Godson
�Not impossible, merely improbable� Outkast said as the room was not in complete shock. Harry closed his eyes as Sirius went to hug him, knowing the dream would bream when he touched him, but there he was solid and warm and holding him. Harry let out a cry of joy before wrapping his arms around his Godfather shaking. Sirius laughed as he too had tears on his face
�He come on now we�re meant to be mucho men what will the ladies think�
�Sod�em� was the muttered reply and Sirius couldn�t agree more. Outkast smiled and then started as though she forgot something
�Oh Sirius I forgot, here�s your present� she said digging out a roll of papers
�Here�s the date of you public apology, a photo of the death of Wormtail � sorry you couldn�t be there 500,000 galleons in compensation for you time n Azkaban, the release to all your estates funds and holdings and oh your complete exoneration for any crime you were committed of� he stared at her staggered
�How did you do all this in 5 days � it�s just not possible� Severus was staring at her as though she had grown a third head (which is a little more strange then if she had grown two) Outkast sighed
�Of course it�s possible it didn�t involve a revolving door� she said exasperatedly, Ron, Hermione and Harry tried to smother their smirks while the rest of the room tried to make sense of the comment. Outkast rolled her eyes and kissed Sev�s nose she then muttered something about a drink and sauntered off to the kitchen to give them time to digest what just happened.

Harry followed Outkast out of the room a few moments later while Sirius was busy being greeted by other members of the Order and the like. Harry wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her for a long time before breaking away to speak.
�I don�t think that I will ever be able to thank you, I don�t even know what I can say that will come close� Outkast smiled at him, and kissed his forehead.
�You can live. If you want to thank me, then all you have to do is live and be happy� she said before walking back into the living room, the others had started handing out presents, this didn�t really include Sirius as no one thought he would be there, so he was sitting in a stunned silence trying to take in that not only had he got his life back, but he was a free man. At that moment Remus Lupin walked into the room, he was quiet trying not to bring attention to himself. He failed when he dropped the box of presents he had been carrying and stood staring at Sirius.
�This can�t be real� Remus whispered not taking his eyes off Sirius, Sirius met his gaze
�I�m as real as you are� he said but was somewhat distant, he wanted to greet his old friend warmly but couldn�t forget what had happened to Harry. Remus moved to stand next to Sirius; he had the intention of giving him a hug but the look on Sirius� face stopped him. Harry choose that moment to reappear, he glanced at the new pile of presents before looking at Sirius, when he spotted Remus his grin slipped from his face. Those who were looking (that being the entire room) could literally see his defences go up, Harry wrapped his arms around his chest.
�Merry Christmas Remus� He said meekly before going over to the pile of gifts that had been stacking up that week and retrieving a small rectangle covered in gold paper. He offered it to Remus at arms length, his hand trembling slightly. Remus reached for the present as he took it Harry let go quickly as though he had been burnt. Three sets of eyes were watching the exchange carefully, Sirius was seething with anger but didn�t know who to be angry with, Severus who was one step away from hexing the werewolf to heel and beyond, and Outkast who had quietly come back into the room and was watching the exchange whilst picking Severus pocket and removing his wand without him noticing. Remus unwrapped the gift; inside was a ornate golden frame with a picture that had been taken two summers ago. The pictures showed Harry, Ron and Hermione climbing over him and Sirius trying to retrieve the chocolate frogs that the Marauders had taken, everyone was smiling in it, especially when he�d managed to pin Harry on his lap whilst Sirius tickled him mercilessly. He smiled at the memory
�Thank you� He said quietly, wishing he could go back in time. Harry nodded but was back on the other side of the room standing between Outkast and Severus. Outkast bent down to whisper in his ear;
�You know he would appreciate a hug more� she said barely loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry froze but then forced himself to take a calming breath Come on he thought to himself you�re in a crowed room, you�re safe besides Remus wouldn�t hurt you he wasn�t in control that day. After the mental bashing he gave himself Harry slowly walked over to his Godfather and Remus, he shakily put his arms around the werewolf, who responded immediately, pulling Harry closer. Harry froze again, when Remus felt the boy tense up he loosened his grip. Harry dropped his arms so Remus followed suit not wanting to scare him any more
�Thank you� he said with more emotion this time, he realised that he had been forgiven even if Harry couldn�t forget.

As he saw Harry freeze Severus reached for his wand only to find it missing he looked up to see Outkast twirling it round her fingers she gave him a look that undoubtedly said leave it alone. He glared at her but she was most definitely immune and just glared back. As Harry broke away he was relieved to see that Remus had let him go, but as pained as he was to admit it he was also glad that Sirius had also drawn a wand, although it wasn�t pointing at the werewolf the threat was clear. Remus saw it too and he was hurt that his long time would think something bad of him. He guessed he needed to make it up to more then just Harry. At that moment the fireplace roared into action, making everyone jump. The new arrival had everyone on their feet and pointing their wands. Lucius Malfoy appeared, his normal pristine condition forgotten, he was shirtless and carrying a bundle of blankets. He looked at the welcoming party for a somewhat not hostile face; he came to rest on Harry and Severus.
�Help him� he gasped before passing out. Harry and Sev went over to the fallen death eater, Harry gasped when he saw what was in the blankets, Draco�s face poked out he was unconscious and the tell tale signs of torture were beginning to show.

Harry and Severus looked at each other and then around the room, most people still have their wands out looking stunned
�How�d he get here?� Ron asked looking pale
�I think that�s something to ask the secret keeper don�t you?� Severus snarled at he began to check Lucius over. He conjured two stretchers and hovered the unconscious bodies onto them; Harry never took his eyes from Draco and walked out of the room with him. Everyone watched him confused, so much so that no one saw the look of realisation on Hermione�s face nor did they see that look turn to shock.
�Are you all going to stand there or is someone going to call the man who pretends to know what�s going on?� Outkast said sharply not too happy with the two important men in her life wondering off with death eaters- albeit helpless ones. Remus shook himself from his stupor and placed the fire call to Hogwarts.

ssss

Upstairs Severus was barking orders at Harry, while the young Gryffindor did his best to provide his father with the potions that had been requested, both Draco and Lucius were in a bad way. Lucius seemed to be in shock from prolonged exposure to a variety of curse predominately the Cruciatus, whereas Draco was covered in welts, bruises and gashes as well as being unconscious. After half an hour they had stabilised the condition of both Malfoy�s, Poppy had arrived and had tried to relieve Harry but he just issued her with a glare and sat beside Draco, if anyone thought it was odd they didn�t mention it. An hour after their impromptu arrival Lucius regained consciousness; he gave a moan that alerted the other members of the room to his condition. Severus and Poppy sat him up and got him to drink something whilst Harry went to get the others.
�Where�s Draco� was the first thing the injured Slytherin croaked Severus indicated to a bed behind him
�He�s right there, and stable he�s going to be a bit sore for a while but he�ll live. Can you kindly inform us what happened and how the hell did you find your way here� the Malfoy smirk can back full force
�In reverse order dear Severus I know about this place because I am probably one of the least known members of the Order and secondly, what happened was his Royal Highness the king of Snakedom found out� Severus was about to ask more when Harry and the rest of the household traipsed in. Lucius who had just taken a sip of water chocked in a spectacular style when he saw Sirius. Sirius looked at Remus and then to Harry
�I seem to be having that effect a lot� he commented dryly Harry nodded, but didn�t respond whilst Severus smirked at this undignified act form the normally gracefully man. At that moment Albus made his presence known
�Ah Lucius, I�m glad to see you recovering you were found out I take it? Tell me where is you wife?� Lucius paled
�She�s dead, so is Selina� he said, grief now apparent, the twinkle in the old man�s eye died
�I�m so sorry my poor boy. Can you tell us what happened� Lucius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He nodded slowly

~Flashback ~

�Thank you dad it�s brilliant� Draco smiled as he looked over his new broom, an Ice-Breaker supposedly faster then the Firebolt of his rival slash boyfriend. Lucius inclined his head and smiled over the top of his whiskey glass at his son. Draco was beaming, he had a feeling that this was the happiest he�d seen his son for a long time. He would like to put it down to the family all together for once, but he had a feeling that was more to it then that.
�WOW Dray, you must have looked everywhere for this!� Selina squealed in an undignified fashion, before pouncing on Draco and knocking him to the floor in a bear hug. Narcissa walked in and laughed a the antics of her kids before settling onto her husband�s lap
�We�re lucky with them. I love days like this� she kissed his cheek Lucius smiled he looked from his children to his wife, maybe for one day we can forget that we are on opposite sides in this war. Almost as soon as the thought had crossed his mind the alarm sounded. The family blinked in surprise. There was only one person who had the audacity to encroach on a Malfoy Christmas. Suddenly the door burst open; he stormed in like a whirlwind, his cloak casting a huge sail behind him. He snarled at the family
�Well if it isn�t my most loyal family� he snarled, he pulled his wand before they had a chance to react and pointed it a Narcissa
�Avada Kedavra!� she didn�t have time to react, before falling dead on her husband. It took a mere moment for the survivors to recover and draw their wands but it was too late, the Dark Lord cast another spell and their wands were ripped from them. He snarled at them, Draco tried not to show the grief he so obviously felt or his mother. He uttered a charm and both Selina and Lucius found themselves chained to the wall. Voldemort turned to the youngest Malfoy
�Well Draco either your father or you sssssissssster is a traitor, which one isssss it?� Draco remained silent, and was rewarded by a Cruciatus he bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. The Dark Lord laughed. Lucius was sickened but owning up would only sign all their death warrants, he had to think of a way to get his children out of here, he had his emergency portkey but had no idea how to get it to both Selina and Draco. The Dark Lord let Draco up. To his credit he had not made a sound and just glared angrily at the snake-like beast with red eyes. The man advanced on the young Slytherin but Draco held his ground, he didn�t even whimper as the blow caught him across his face
�LEAVE HIM ALONE� Selina screamed from her bounds �He�s just a boy� she had tears running down her face, Voldemort just laughed and continued to kick and punch the now unconscious Draco. She made up her mind no matter what he believed it was still her little brother getting beaten to death. In a final act of humiliation Voldemort used a spell to divulge Draco of his clothing before conjuring a whip. He bought it down again and again in the blondes back causing a slight flinch, indicating that Draco was awake, but the Dark Lord hadn�t notice. Selina glanced at her father, knowing he was the cause of this but her eyes held no malice, she mouthed �I love you� at him and before he could stop her she addressed Voldemort
�It was me you snake faced git, betcha didn�t see that coming, honestly �all seeing� my ass I know tapeworms with a better perspective� Selina had that cocky look in her eye, she may be going down but in the process she hoped to save her beloved brother. Voldemort stalked over to her snarling
�You little bitch, I�ll teach you for betraying the greatesssst wizard of all time� Selina rolled her eyes
�Yeah so great he can�t even kill a little boy� she spat in his face, causing he to scream in rage
�Discerpere� a blue shot from his wand engulfed the lithe form, she screamed as her limbs were ripped off her body, Lucius shut his eyes he couldn�t bare to watch as his little girl was torn apart, and then is was over. Selina�s arms still hung from the walls, he legs from the manacles but her body was on the floor. Lucius chocked on his sob but it was enough to draw the wrath of the psychotic. Voldemort grinned at him
�Avada�. No I have a better plan dear Luciussss I will leave you to watch your son bleed to death, without knowing who he issssss I forgot the joyssssss of prolonged Cruciatussssss for far too long now� He smirked evilly.
�CRUCIO!� he shouted, gleefully watching the elder Malfoy twisting and straining to get away from the searing pain, he laughed as he begun to scream, the noise was bloodcurdling but in his glee the Dark Lord did not see the youngest member of the household get up shakily, Draco limped over to where there wands had been cast aside and turned his wand of the greatest present evil
�Petrificus Totalus� he yelled. The wizard hit the floor his eyes looking wild as he fought the spell. Draco knew he didn�t have long; the spell would be broken soon. He got to his father and pulled his shirt apart in his desperate search for the portkey pendent he heard the shuffling behind him, telling him that the ark Lord was almost free, his fingers clasped the pendent, and he broke the chain and pressed the dragon pendent between his father�s palm and his own.
�Phoenix� Lucius gasped just as the dark Lord broke free, Draco felt the tug on his navel just as he heard the killing curse being screamed. They arrived in the abandon Malfoy Mansion in Devon. Draco collapsed on the floor, Lucius scrambled to wrap him in blankets and find a piece of parchment.
�Draco you can�t sleep yet please you must read this� he thrusted the parchment in front of his son, Draco recognised his Headmaster�s scrawl and made a concerted effort to read it. He nodded when he had before falling unconscious. Lucius scooped him up and stumbled into the fire place, then only thing driving him was the thought of keeping his remaining child safe.
�12 Grimmauld Place� he shouted without ever turning back, he left all possession the only thing that matter was his son.

~End Flashback~

Shocked faces stared at Lucius as he finished his story Outkast had been listening but wasn�t all that convinced, although she had just realised it was not Lucuis� magical signature she had detected on Remus that day, by a process of elimination she had decided it to be Selina�s but this man had tortured and killed, a small voice in the back of her head reminded her that Sev had too, but as always she hit that voice until it was quiet again. It was that moment that Draco decided to return to the land of the living, he groaned loudly. Harry rushed to his side; Draco blinked a couple of times before focusing.
�Harry? I guess we made then� He whispered he reached for Harry�s hand. Harry took is and brushed the blond locks with the other
�Shhh now you need rest� he said quietly completely forgetting about the large audience. Harry bent down and kissed Draco lightly once, Draco smiled weakly
�Stay with me?� Harry nodded
�Always� Draco�s eyes fluttered shut. Severus coughed, gaining his son�s attention. Harry spun round and gulped Severus raised an eyebrow, Sirius was doing an impression of a fish and the rest of the room was stunned, with the exception of Hermione who looked like she had just received proof of a theory and was satisfied
�Harry I think you might have forgotten to tell us something� Severus drawled. Harry swallowed hard.
�Err yeah. Err maybe, well you seei�mgay� he said in a rush
�You don�t say� was the only reply.

Harry smiled weakly at Lucius who was looking somewhere between amused and shocked, Sev had yet to speak; Outkast was grinning and the rest of the group where standing around in various degrees of stunned silence. Sirius was the first to snap out of it;
�Well it could be worse, I�m not sure how but it could be!� He said grinning
�Hey!� Harry replied indignantly. After that most of the Order left the Malfoy�s to sleep, until the only ones that were left were Harry, Sev and Outkast although she lurked in the corner only hanging around to prevent things from going too far. Severus sat down, but then stood up again and started pacing. He stopped and looked at Harry.
�Ok, you�re gay when did you decide this?� Harry shrugged
�Well if you�re asking me when I first had a boyfriend then not long about two months, however I guess I sort of knew ever since the thing with Cho didn�t work out.� He said, Harry had decided that honesty was probably the best option in this case. Severus nodded
�Ok, so not long. Harry you must be more careful, the wizarding may be more accepting then the muggle one but your sexual preference may well hinder your employment prospects� Harry rolled his eyes, Outkast sighed
�Well never mind, he can come and work for me� she grinned
�What as a DADA teacher?� Harry said as if she was mad, Outkast rolled her eyes,
�No silly as an Alighter, and someday you can be the Dia� Harry looked blank, but Severus went pale
�No, no this can�t be happening, please tell me your not� He whispered sinking into a chair. Harry looked from one to the other
�Ok� What�s and Alighter and what�s a Dia?� Outkast took a seat on the bed, she kept an eye on Severus, but addressed Harry
�Harry, a long time ago the type of extreme abuse you went through as a child was common place, as a result of which the Wizarding world set into place a system to protect Muggle born and Muggle raised children who were subjected to such treatment. The Alighters were first formed when Merlin himself cast a spell on the most powerful magical families of the time, the eldest child would have a gift that was also a curse. You see after the spell any child with magical powers would, when in desperate need be able to find an Alighter even though the Alighters did not search for them. The Alighters would care for the children and protect them from harm even it the forfeit was their own lives. The Alighters were given a leader, the most powerful would be given the status of Guardian of the Alighters, somewhere the Alighters could go if they found themselves unable to cope or if a child was in desperate enough need then they too would be able to seek the Guardian directly. Over time the term Guardian got shortened by a child who could not say Guardian but only Dia and the term stuck. Dia�s have exceptionally long lifespan�s, for example the Dia before me was over 500 when she was killed. A Dia with no heir, i.e. no children would train the eldest or most powerful of the children that had found them as the next one. The Dia in my time was killed by brother when he was trying to get me, and hence I became the Dia, my powers� increased as did my lifespan. But I am bound Harry to help any child that crosses my path, I know all the Alighters, and I can call them to my aid. I have no heirs, and as the other child I protected is now an Alighter, that makes you the next in line as the Dia.� Harry too had paled, now and was having trouble taking this all in. Outkast smiled
�Hey it�s not that bad, you can hold down another job and you have power that not even the Minister himself can wield. As a Dia you are above the law, they will do anything for. Hadn�t you noticed how I can achieve things others would never be able to do?� Harry nodded that was true, Outkast seemed to have an amazing way of getting things done. She looked at Sev
�Oh don�t be so down, it�s a pretty good deal really� he stared at her
�So not only has he got to defeat the Dark Lord but then he has to spend the rest of his time protecting innocent�s tell me who protects him?� Outkast met Sev�s eyes, knowing what he was saying,
�I�m sorry but that it the way it is. I promise though that I have no intention of leaving or dying so hey it might never happen, all I ask is that you never turn a child away, no mater your misconceptions of them� she looked back at Harry and was relieved when he nodded
�I�m sorry this is a lot to get my head around, do you mind if I have some time to myself?�
�Of course not hun, we�ll be downstairs� with that Sev and Outkast left Harry watching over the two slumbering men.

ssss

Down in the kitchen muffled whispers came to a stop when Outkast wondered in looking very tired, followed by Sev, who was in full sneering I�m-the evil-scary-potions-master-don�t-mess mode. He cast a silencing spell on the room before slamming his fist into the nearest cupboard denting the wood.
�Easy on the furniture its antique� Sirius snarled, for once Severus ignored the Animagus, he had other things on his mind
�WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?� He screamed at Outkast, she turned and glared at him
�It�s not what I was thinking, it�s the rules Merlin set out, I didn�t any more of a choice then Harry�
�I don�t care how you do it but take it back� he glared at her but there was fear hidden in the anger
�I wish I could Sev, but the truth is I became Dia when I was only a little older then Harry is now and he needs to know in case I don�t �.. just in case�
�What�s this about Harry?� Sirius had completely forgotten about the damaged cupboard at the mention of his beloved Godson. Severus snarled
�She�s the Dia and she just chose her successor� Sirius hit the table hard enough to split the wood, sending splinters flying.
�What? NO!�
�It�s done Siri, we can�t change it even if we wanted� Remus said from the corner
�And what do you know about it?� Sev snarled at the werewolf. Remus looked from him to Outkast she shrugged
�Might as well tell them, they�re gonna find out eventually� He cleared his throat
�I�m a Alighter� he said quietly Sirius jaw dropped
�Since when� Remus stared at the table not meeting his friend�s gaze
�Since I was old enough, at the time I was under the care of the Dia, she was new and still grieving, we helped each other through it� Severus looked from Remus to Outkast putting the pieces together,
�Ok, if Lupin was your charge too why can�t he be the Dia?�
�Because while there are no rules about werewolf�s being Alighters, indeed a fair few are as they are regularly lost children � the Dia must be able to respond to any problems at any time and for an obvious reason a werewolf can not do this. I�m sorry Sev but Harry�s the only other charge I have had since I inherited the title there is no room on this� Sirius growled and grabbed her by the throat snarling
�How dare you do this to my Godson!� Severus rolled his eyes � stupid Gryffindor�s
�Let her go idiot�
�Why?�
�One, because if you kill her Harry will have to take over now, two because she didn�t really have a choice, three because we needed to know and four who said he was your Godson, after all I�m his father and I certainly didn�t choose you� he smirked at the reaction, Sirius dropped Outkast and stared at Severus, it suddenly dawning on him that he may lose any right he had to Harry.
�You wouldn�t�
�Wouldn�t what?� Severus said clearly enjoying the pain he was causing the ex-convict
�Take him from me� Sirius was trying to talk around the lump in throat causing his voice to crack, Severus snorted
�Of course I would you moron, he�s my son and I don�t want you as Godfather� Sirius looked at him bleakly, like his world had just caved in. Outkast cleared her throat and stared pointedly at Sev, who rolled his eyes
�Unfortunately, Lily did want you as Godfather and whilst I can not stand you I would not dishonour her so much as to revoke it� he turned and left the room, his robe bellowing. Sirius collapsed into the nearest chair
�Lily, I love you� he muttered breathing heavily. Remus patted him on the back, unfortunately this bought Sirius� attention back to him. Sirius stared at him
�You were one of the lost?� Remus sat down and looked at the other occupants in the room. The got the hint and left, Remus took the now vacant seat next to Sirius;
�It was a long time ago Siri, before I started at Hogwarts� Sirius kept quiet and stared at him, if Remus thought he was getting away with that excuse of a story he had another thing coming. Remus rolled his eyes
�Ok, I guess it was about when I had just got bitten and my father didn�t take too kindly to my condition, I guess he thought that if I was weak enough at the full moon I wouldn�t transform. Needless to say all this did was leave me in extreme pain all the time. One day I got out the house, I wondered around scared and alone and stumbled, pretty much into Ayesha as she was known then. She smiled and was nice to me and got me something to eat. I found myself pouring out all the worries I had and everything that happened to me. She didn�t say anything just listened without ever losing concentration. She told me that in time it would get better, and showed me where I could go for refuge. I don�t think I would have survived without her. Anyhow a week later I was in the refuge and I heard someone crying, I investigated and found her curled in the corner, she told me that she had lost someone close to her and that her brother had betrayed her. Of course at the time I didn�t know who her brother was. She was clutching her arm, seemingly trying to apply enough pressure to stop the pain. I prised her hand away and saw the red raw burn of the dark mark, I found the potions she used to ease my pain through the transformation and applied them but they didn�t help. I never left contact with her and then when I found out Lily was pregnant I asked her about becoming an Alighter and she told me I already was. I guess in my heart I already knew but I needed it confirmed. It�s not a bad thing that has happened to Harry, honestly Sirius he will be fine.� As he finished his speech Remus laid a hand on top of his arm and gave him a reassuring smile. Sirius stared at him with all trace of joking missing
�You better be right Remus, because if anything happens to Harry I�ll kill her and all that follow her� He got up snatching his arm back from the werewolf and headed for his bedroom. Remus sat alone in the kitchen; somehow this all seemed clearer as a child.

ssssss

Harry stared at the door for a long time thinking about the conversation he had just had, he was supposed to kill Voldemort and now he also had to take care of lost souls. He wished he knew what he had done in a previous life to deserve this fate but answers weren�t forthcoming. He sighed perhaps it wouldn�t be too bad, after all Outkast was managing to hold down a business, a job and be the Dia right? He sighed and turned his attention to the younger Malfoy, brushing his blonde hair away from his face
�I hope you wake up soon I�m going to need you� he placed a kiss on his head and settled down to wait.

sssssssss

Outkast found Sev in the bedroom he had been assigned, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him.
�Are you mad at me?� she said holding eye contact. Severus studied her face for a long moment before sighing
�I�m mad at the situation, that both you and Harry have been forced into this, I�m mad you didn�t feel you could tell me and that once again my son� fate has been sealed. No, I�m not mad at you, I�m just mad� Outkast nodded, she looked so young and unsure of herself
�I didn�t know what to say or when to tell you but he needed to know and I guess I just put that first, it kinda goes with the job� she smiled weakly, he snorted
�Yeah I know first priority the charge� she nodded
�That�s the drill� he smiled at her
�I can live being second to my son� he whispered kneeling in front of her, she smiled wider
�I�m glad� she replied before closing the final inches between them and kissing him. It was only a brief kiss and she pulled away, he grinned at her as he lent in for a deeper kiss pushing her back against the bed.

sssssssssss

Ron and Hermione were enjoying a comfortable silence in the living room, Hermione was reading and Ron was playing chess against himself, leading to both sides calling him a traitor. He sighed, bored of the game and looked over to Hermione to find that she was staring at him, he gave her a weak smile, she blushed realising that she had been caught staring and returned the smile weakly. Ron being as about as observant as a concrete fox hadn�t noticed that anything was out of place. Hermione rolled her eyes, she had been trying to get him to notice her subtle �I like in more then a friend� hints since September but he hadn�t caught one of them. She decided a more direct approach was needed and closed her book, crossed the room and sat on the stunned Ron�s lap, she smirked at him before lowering her lips to him. He sat stock still for a second before getting the idea and kissing her back, unfortunately for them Arthur chose that moment t come and check on them.
�What is going on?� He asked amused, Ron yelped and stood up, dumping Hermione on the floor. She grunted and glared at him but he was too busy stuttering an explanation to his father to notice.
�Err, hi dad we were just err talking yeah� Ron managed to say whilst turning beet red. Arthur just raised an eyebrow
�Must have been a very in depth conversation, you were so engrossed in it you didn�t hear me coming. What was it about?� Ron open and closed his mouth like a fish a few times but didn�t say anything. Hermione just rolled her eyes
�Oh give it up Ron we were caught in the middle of kissing� if it were possible Ron went an even deeper shade of red. Arthur cleared his throat
�Yes you were, so I supposed it�s time for me to have a chat with you Ron and as Hermione is here, she may as well her it too� Arthur was now also showing signs of the famous Weasley blush. He sat down in an armchair, Hermione too was blushing this was definitely one conversation she didn�t want to have. The Weasley patriarch also seemed to be having problems.
�No you see when a man and a woman love each other very much��
�Oh God don�t do this� Ron groaned burying his head in his arms, the reply came from an unusual source
�Don�t do what?� Outkast was standing in the doorway swigging a can of cherry cola eyeing the three in amusement.
�He�s trying to give us the sex talk� Hermione pouted �and he�s not doing a very good job of it� she added as after, Outkast grinned
�That�s easy, what goes up must come down� she stated and then left to presumably annoy someone else. Ron thought about what she said and returned to his familiar shade of red
�That�s disgusting� he said screwing his face up
�But strangely accurate in an Outkast kind of way� she got up and left before Mr. Weasley could add any more.

ssssss

Sirius returned to the Malfoy�s bedroom to find his godson, Harry hadn�t really moved, he just sat staring at the young blonde. He sat down next to Harry and tapped his shoulder, Harry started but then relaxed realising who it was. Sirius smiled weakly
�Hey kid, I just had an interesting chat with your dad and Outkast. Harry nodded
�A lot to take in isn�t it?� Harry whispered, Sirius sighed
�You�ll get through it, you always do, besides I know someone else who managed it, well not Dia but Alighter at least, perhaps you should talk to him� only after he had finished talking did Sirius realise what he had said, he cringed when Harry replied
�Yeah that wouldn�t be such a bad idea, who is it?� Harry asked innocently, Sirius ran a hand through his hair,
�Err, Remus, but hear me out, you could talk to him still you wouldn�t be on your own, he�d understand and if he ever did anything like that again imperio or not I�d rip his throat out. Although I think I would have to get in line� Harry nodded
�I�ll uh think about it� he rubbed his eyes, the gesture making him appear younger then he was. Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry, not registering his flinch and held him tight
�What I wouldn�t give to have been able to have saved you long ago from them� He whispered.
�I would have given anything to see you as a child� he stroked Harry�s hair as he talked unaware that he had an audience, the figures left quickly keeping in the shadows.

sssssssss

Next morning Harry came sleepily down to breakfast, he nodded at his father and Outkast who were sitting down at the table. Had Harry had been more awake then maybe he would have registered something was up given that Outkast was barely seen before noon. Instead he sat where he was directed and nodded his thanks when she put a drink in front of him; he took a long swig of the substance that turned out to be pumpkin juice. However it had a bitter aftertaste, he looked up at her to find smiling at him. He went on alert and risked a glance at his father who was smirking,
�I never did get you back for the comment about the whips did I?� he asked silkily. Harry looked panicked and let out a started scream as he felt himself start to shrink.

sssss

Draco had been resting quietly enjoying his new found freedom that came with his relationship with Harry being out in the open, when yelp from the kitchen got his attention, it didn�t take him long to realise that the voice belonged to his boyfriend and was out the door in a heartbeat, barely stopping to grab his wand on the way. Out in the corridor he bumped into Hermione and Ron both of whom seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as him as both were heading in the same direction with their wands out too. He nodded at them and they continued, picking up more order members on the way.

Draco came to such an abrupt halt as he saw into the kitchen that the two Gryffindor�s slammed into him. The peered round his shoulder�s trying to see what had caused his reaction. Outkast and Severus seemed to be fighting back manic laughter whilst cooing at something in a bundle of clothes.
�IT�S NOT FUNNY!� came a high pitch voice from the bundle, Sev lost it and roared with laughter
�I beg to differ, it�s very amusing�
�What�s going on� Draco asked, trying to keep the air of a Malfoy about him whilst being terribly concerned over the fate of his beloved. The bundle squeaked and whatever was in it buried deeper.
�Oh we�ll have none of that Harry, out you come� Outkast said and started fighting with him until his face popped out the top of the shirt. Draco was stunned
�What happened to him� he asked, having to shout over the collective �aww�s coming from various members of the Order. Harry glared, but the effect was spoilt only making him appear cuter then he already did
�Sev de-aged me� he grumbled, Draco tried to looked disapprovingly at his Godfather but was finding it difficult, so he settled for the trademark Malfoy smirk.
�Sev, did you really de-age your son?�
�You bet I did, for the next two weeks we will have the pleasure of the four year old Harry, this version comes with all the emotions and maturity of his physical age, unfortunately he still has all his memories� he shrugged at their questioning looks �couldn�t leave him completely defenceless now could we?� Harry fidgeted inside Outkast�s arms, even at four he wasn�t used to being held. As she put him down the collar of the t-shirt he�d been wearing fell off one of his shoulder�s he grabbed at it in little hands hold it tightly around his neck, seeing as it was the only thing he was still wearing. This caused another round of cooing by the Order, Harry looked pleadingly at Draco, he green eyes shining, and made clearer as his glasses had fallen off. The young blonde felt his heart melt looking at the little face and stepped forward, scooping up the little back hair wizard in his arms. He then fixed anyone who came with in three feet of him with a death glare and stalked out towards his room. Downstairs Ron looked from Severus to Sirius to Outkast, all seemed elated at the idea of his best mate being a four year old
�Are you really going to leave him like that until school starts?� he asked sceptically
�Failing Voldemort induced emergencies you bet we are� Outkast said. Sirius looked at Snape
�You know I hate to say it but that was a brilliant idea� Sev snorted
�No it wasn�t it was revenge� he stated before leaving the room going in search of his son. Sirius looked confused and was about to say so when Outkast shook her hear
�Don�t ask, believe me you won�t want to know. Just enjoy it, everyone missed out on watching him grow up the first time so now you have two weeks to show him how childhood should be� Sirius nodded, Harry should have been his the first time he wasn�t about to miss out again. He looked at the faces of the older Order members apparently he wasn�t alone. Molly was already making plans for a shopping trip to get clothes and toys with Tonks, and it looked as if the Weasley boys with the exception of Ron were working out just how to entertain their new little brother. His eyes fell on Remus, he felt the longing and the sadness that was on display in the werewolf�s eyes. He sighed; he had to make Remus feel included
�Come on Moony, lets show these youngster�s a thing or two, as Harry�s Godfather�s it�s our responsibility to teach him how to prank and pass on how to make mischief to the next generation� he slung his arm around Lupin�s shoulders and led him out of the room

sssss

�I�m going to get him back, you watch me I�ll show him� Harry ranted, Draco thought that there was something deeply disturbing about a four year old plotting revenge, but decided it was probably better not dwell on it. All of a sudden the ranting stopped, Harry went disconcertingly quiet. Draco looked down at him. He was still dressed in the t-shirt tat swamped him, as neither boy was old enough to do magic outside of school, Draco had to pull the material away from his face. When he did he was met by two mournful green eyes,
�Why did he do this to me Dray?� he whispered, he seemed to be on the edge of tear, with only will power preventing them from falling. The blonde studied the young innocent face before him.
�I don�t know Harry, but it wasn�t to hurt you I�m sure� Harry nodded
�I wish I was� he whispered before curling up in a ball. If anyone thought that the size of the 16 year old Harry could curl into was impressive it was nothing to the 4 year old version, he practically disappeared. Draco opened his mouth to say something reassuring when Sev walked in he looked from Draco to the tiny ball curled in his lap.
�Hello Draco I was wondering if I might relieve you of Harry for a bit� Severus walked across the room not expecting to be refused. Draco was about to comply when he felt the shivering ball tense up and try to tunnel into his stomach.
�I don�t think he wants to go with you Sev� Snape raised an eyebrow but the sarcastic retort he was about to issue died on his lips as he saw Harry tremble. He met the accusing glare of the younger Slytherin for a second before taking action. He nodded at Draco
�So I see, unfortunately he doesn�t have a choice. Harry please get up and come with me� Harry chanced a glance at Draco who had wrapped his arms around the young Gryffindor and didn�t show any signs of letting him go. Harry smiled weakly; at least some one was on his side;
�It�s ok Draco, I guess you might be right anyway� the blonde wanted to take all the doubt away from that young voice but knew he couldn�t he just nodded and relaxed his grip. Harry got off Draco�s lap and immediately tripped of the hem of the shirt. Severus rolled his eyes
�I guess Molly was right about the clothes� he muttered picking Harry up off the floor and stalked towards the door. As his hand came to rest on the door knob he turned to face the now glaring Slytherin.
�What did he mean, you might be right?� Draco�s glare intensified
�I said that there was no way you�d hurt him. He�s not so sure� Sev felt Harry tense in his arms, he felt his hand get warm and noticed that the ring he was wearing was turning black. He acknowledged the comment but didn�t reply instead he left heading back to his own room. Each step he took he could feel the heat increasing in the ring.

ssssssss

Sev closed the door to the bedroom and set Harry on the bed, the little boy looked closed to a full scale panic attack, his breathing was rapid and his eyes kept darting about. Severus knelt down in front of his son
�Harry, calm down your safe no one is going to hurt you I promise� his words did little to help the child so he reached for him, Harry stopped shaking and became rigid under his touch, he rubbed the boys shoulder�s and arms whilst making soothing noises, never once moving from his position in front of him. After around five minutes Harry had calmed slightly and though he was still very tense he didn�t look like he was about to hyperventilate. Severus sat down next to the boy, moving slowly to try and avoid frightening him.
�Harry what�s wrong?� he asked softly, the boy just shrugged
�I�m fine�
�Uh huh, sure you are, that�s why you so jumpy and look like your ready to bolt� Harry wrapped his arms around his chest, drawing his knees up to his chin. Severus felt his heart break; he gentle drew the child onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the shivering ball.
�Harry I promise I won�t be upset or angry and I won�t hurt you, but please be honest with me. What�s wrong?� Harry chewed his lip thinking about what to say. Severus watched him for a moment before tugging the bottom lip free
�Don�t bite yourself� he whispered squeezing Harry tighter to him. Harry didn�t make any indication that he had heard him, but didn�t start chewing his lip again
�I�m sorry� he blurted out suddenly, Sev looked at him in surprise
�For what?�
�For whatever it was that made you want to punish me. I promise if you turn me back I�ll never do it again� Severus turned Harry around on his lap so he could look him in the eye; he placed a kiss on his forehead.
�This isn�t a punishment Harry, but you need to realise that you�re safe here with us, and you�re not going to do that until you�re dependent on us for protection, it something most kids learn early on. This is our way of making up for it, I promise you that there is no one in this house that means you harm� he snorted �If this mornings reactions are anything to go by you are going to be more spoilt then Draco, I actually think that Minerva is drawing up a schedule for who gets you when because the arguments are already starting.� Harry viewed him sceptically Sev continued
�Seriously, this morning the only reason that Hermione, Tonks and Molly won was because sadly they are right you will need clothes. But I have feeling that you won�t be the only ones going shopping� Harry rolled his eyes, great shopping a great way to start out your life as a four year old.

�Everyone ready to hit the shops?� Outkast said happily, Harry looked up at her, having finally been allowed to stand on his own feet. Sev had transfigured the t-shirt to a small robe that didn�t fall off Harry, but he still needed more clothes and despite his protests that they could transfigure what ever he needed was being dragged shopping. He was a little suspicious when he saw his fellow consumers, he wasn�t sure what Sirius, Remus, the twins, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Outkast could possibly want but he was certain he would find out. Sev also looked like he thought they were up to something. Knowing them probably a lot of something�s, but they were doing their best �I�m not up to anything honest� looks and so he didn�t have any real evidence. The group left for Diagon alley via the floo network, after a lot of squabbling about who was going to take Harry. Eventually Harry got so annoyed that he grabbed a handful of floo powder and left himself. He arrived in the Leaky cauldron and quickly brushed off the soot whilst studiously ignoring the funny looks he was getting. Sirius was the next out of the fire place, he grabbed Harry and launched into a long lecture about the dangers of a child flooing on their own and how stupid he was. By the time he had finished everyone else had arrived. Sirius picked up Harry ignoring the squeaks of indignation and promptly informed the raven haired boy that he was going to be in physical contact with one of them for the rest of the day. Harry opened his mouth to protest but caught Sev�s eye, who for once seemed to be in complete agreement with Sirius and shut it again. Even at four Harry could tell a losing battle when he saw one.

Now an hour later Harry found himself standing on the stool in Madame Malkin�s being fitted for a variety of different robes and clothes, including some trousers and shirts. He had to fight the blush that invaded his face as Mrs. Weasley and Hermione picked out underwear and socks for him and wished for about the millionth time that he would have been allowed to go with the guys�. Wherever they hurried off too. Instead he found himself being led into this chamber of horrors and endless embarrassment. Hermione noticed his discomfort and smiled at him
�Look on the bright side, we�re only doing this once, and after you get to reek some revenge on them if you want� her eyes had a mischievous gleam to them and Harry suddenly perked up
�Revenge?� he asked
�Why of course, Harry you�re a little kid again and you know what little kids do don�t you?� Harry was about to say not really but Hermione didn�t give him a chance
�Little kids demand food they don�t like, eat ice cream until their sick, they throw temper tantrums in public places when they don�t get their own way, they have trouble sleeping and make the parents stay up all night reading stories and then are cranky all through the next day because they didn�t get enough sleep oh and they occasionally are prone to bouts of �accidental magic�� she gave him a wink and left him to think about what she had just said. The more he did the more the next two weeks looked like they were going to be a lot of fun. He thanked whatever God had made Hermione his best friend and set about plotting his revenge.

sssssss

�And what would he do with that he�s the size of a Cornish Pixie!�
�Yeah well if he eats those, he�ll be the colour of a Cornish Pixie� the twins continued to bicker in the toy shop going through all the various toys on offer and debating the pros and cons of each and how they could be adapted, the business had been good of late so they could afford to buy their little adopted brother something. On the other side of the store Sirius and Remus were also looking at toys, but theirs were more you standard pranking toys that any true teen � turned � four year old must have. They had picked up water guns that fired jets that followed their target around until they landed, balls that stuck to your hands, sweets that make you speak backwards, a miniature broom (Remus had finally convince Sirius that Harry was certainly not big enough to ride a Firebolt in his present condition) as an assortment of other things. Remus looked at the almost full cart
�You know I think we might be going over the top here Siri� he said looking at the mountain of gifts. Sirius turned round dumping a magic colouring book into the trolley, he studied it then looked and Remus and shrugged
�What is we are, that kid�s never had any attention in his whole life so what if we spoil him for two weeks?�
�And then what do we do with all this stuff?� Remus asked Sirius grinned
�I don�t know I wouldn�t mind some of it� Remus rolled his eyes, he had to remind himself that while Harry was a mature teen trapped in a four year olds body, Sirius was a for year ole trapped in an immature man�s body. Still they headed for the checkout without picking anything else up.

It was mid morning when the group reconvened at Florean Fortescue�s Ice Cream Parlour, taking over most of the tables; a few people raised eyebrows at the group. After all it was all those who were know to be close with the Boy-Who-Lived but no sign of the wizard in question. Harry was enjoying his new found animosity and had ordered a huge bowl of ice cream. He had eaten about half of it and was feeling rather ill. So he had taken to flicking it at the twins, who thought it was Ron. Hermione had been watching the whole thing discreetly trying to hide her laughter. Just then all hell broke loose, it sounded like gunfire outside, as hundreds of dark wizards apparated in. Harry looked up with terror, in his younger form there was no way he could battle; besides Severus had confiscated his wand.
�Sev you need to give me the antidote right now� he said his voice trembling Severus looked at his son and shook his head
�No way, Harry they don�t know you�re here were going to have to get you to safety�
�You better be quick they�re searching for us� Ron said from the window Severus looked over to Florean
�Have you got a backdoor� she nodded and pointed to a small archway behind the counter. Severus picked Harry up and hugged him
�Get out of Diagon Alley, you�ll be safe we�ll find you when we can I promise�
�No I�m not going, besides a four year old on their own I�d never make past muggle London� he said.
�He�s right. We can�t all go, it will be too noticeable. Who�s the fastest?� Outkast said, suddenly dropping the fun act, she was all business and her business was protecting her charge. The Order looked at each other, but it was Remus who spoke
�Padfoot�s the fastest� Severus looked like he was about to protest but was silenced with a look from Outkast, Sirius shifted uncomfortably
�Yeah Padfoot�s fast but how�s that going to help�
�They are going to be looking for a 17 year Harry Potter, not a four year old or a dog. Look you just need to get a safe distance before you apparate to Grimmauld Place and warn the old Codger.� Sirius looked doubtful
�Black, please get my son somewhere safe� it took a lot for Sev to ask Sirius for anything, and even more to say please, it wasn�t lost on the ex-convict or the boy in question. Sirius nodded before he transformed Sev placed a protesting Harry on his back
�Sev no don�t send me away�
�Hold on tight Harry� Harry wasn�t given another chance to argue, the Death eaters were right outside, Sirius bolted for door with his godson clinging on for his life. Outkast gave Sirius ten seconds before heading for the door, with nothing better to do the other�s followed, wands drawn
�Yo Tom you�re wrecking my holiday!� The Dark Lord!� spun in the direction of a voice he knew all too well. He nodded as one of the Death Eater�s, who shot the Dark Mark up in the air. Seconds later it was joined by a new mark, one of a white circle with crossed swords; it shone brighter then the Dark Mark before engulfing it in a white ball brighter then the sun. Everyone stood stunned for a second Voldemort then regained his senses
�Avada Kedavra!� he snarled his wand aimed at Outkast, she quickly diverted the curse, sending it into a nearby building. That one move combined with the power to send the mark had drained a lot of her reserves that were still recovering from getting Sirius. She fell to the ground gasping. The dark Lord sensed this weakness and grinned evilly
�You weak my ssssssisssster, today you will die� if he was going to say anything else it was drowned out by more appareting. The noise was like thunder and every inch of ground was covered with witches and wizards all pointing their wands at the Death Eaters. Pretty soon the Death Eaters were merely black specs in a sea of white; the Alighter�s all over the country answered the call. Outkast rose and glared at Tom through her hair
�You may have hundreds at your call I have millions, leave Tom you will lose all today if you don�t. Unlike the Order we have no qualms about killing� Voldemort looked at the ever increasing numbers of Alighter�s and realised this was not something he could win. He screamed in rage and disappeared, the Death Eaters taking their queue from their leader too left. Outkast turned to her own army.
�Thank you for your assistance. I know the vote was to stay neutral in this war, but circumstances have forced me to ally with the side of light, I do not order it but I request that you join us. You know how to inform me of your decision� with that the Alighter�s departed back to where they had come from. As the last one left, Outkast collapsed again. Severus was at her side in an instant. She smiled weakly
�Hey, I�ll be alright just need a few hours rest, it takes a lot out of you the fighting thing� with that she passed out.

sssss

Sirius ran and ran he didn�t dare look back or slow down, he bolt out of Diagon Allay, through the Leaky Cauldron into muggle London, he ducked into a secluded alley before transforming, a yelp from behind him reminded him of the small boy that still clung to his back. He crouched down and allowed Harry to get off. Harry took off trying to go back, Sirius caught him easily and hugged
�You can�t go back, come on we need to tell the others� he apparated without giving Harry a chance to argue.

They arrived on the lawn outside the order�s headquarters and headed in. Sirius didn�t even put Harry down but headed straight for the fire place, he grabbed a handful of Floo powder
�Dumbledore�s office, Hogwarts� they were engulfed in green flame and seconds later appeared in the headmaster�s office. Sirius didn�t even let Albus greet them
�Diagon Alley is being attacked� he gasped. Albus nodded and left without ever saying a word. Happy that his job was complete Sirius smiled at him wearily,
�Come on kiddo lets get back, they are going to want to know you�re safe when they�ve finished.� Harry for the first time noticed the blood on Sirius�s hands; apparently the Animagus had run himself into the ground in his bid to get Harry to safety. They left the way they came and returned to the deserted order base. Sirius collapsed onto the sofa, finally releasing his Godson. Harry crawled out of his lap and disappeared, by the time he got back Sirius was already sleeping. Harry sighed and upended the bottle of healing potion he had retrieved onto a cloth; he started washing the wounds on Sirius� hands they healed almost instantly. As the adrenaline left his body, Harry was beginning to find the events of the day, coupled with the anxiousness for his friends and family too much to cope with, he chewed his lip for a second thinking before climbing back onto the couch next to Sirius and curling up under his arm, he fell asleep using his godfather�s chest as a pillow.

An hour later this was how the rest of the Order found them, Outkast had been sent to St Mungo�s, the Healer had said that she would need a couple of days to recover. Outkast had then woken up and said in no uncertain terms that she wasn�t spending any of her break in the hospital and left the rest of them following her. The barged into the headquarters� making a considerable racket, mainly coming from Mrs Weasley berating Outkast for signing herself out of the hospital. They came to a dead halt outside the living room and took in the scene, Harry was sleeping with one hand curled round Sirius� shirt and the other was as a fist pressed against his mouth, Sirius ha an arm draped around the small boy�s shoulders and the other resting on his wand. Everyone stared at them for a long moment, all thinking how cute Harry was, until Outkast pulled a camera out, the flash startled Sirius who wok with a start and point his wand in the direction of the Order. He immediately relaxed on recognising them, only then did he realise that there was a weight on his chest, he looked down and couldn�t stop the smile from touching his lips on the site of his Godson�s messy hair. He carded a hand through the raven mess, causing Harry to wake up; he rubbed his eyes in a very child like manner before smiling at him
�Hey Siri, you feeling better?�
�Sure am kiddo, but uh I think you dad wants you� Harry looked round and broke out in a grin on seeing his friends
�You�re back! Is everyone ok?� Draco nodded and took a step towards Harry, he was beaten by Sev who crossed the room before anyone had noticed he�d moved. He plucked Harry up and hugged him tightly
�I�m glad you alright� he whispered too softly for anyone else to hear, he looked over and Sirius and nodded his thanks but didn�t say anything before leaving the room. Outkast followed him; also suffering from an overwhelming need to make sure Harry was safe. Draco too went upstairs, but knew he wouldn�t get near his boyfriend any time soon so went to visit his dad, no doubt he had heard of the attack by now.

ssssssss

Severus sat Harry down on the bed and started inspecting him for injuries; Harry pushed his hands away impatiently
�I�m fine, honestly� Sev nodded but continued to stroke Harry�s head
�I know, I just want to make sure� Severus sat on the bed and dragged Harry onto his lap, it was then that he noticed Outkast hovering at the door, he beckoned to her and she came and sat next to him, she ruffled Harry�s hair affectionately
�Hey, you should get used to it, if you so much as graze a knee I have a feeling there will be a line round the block to coddle you� Harry rolled his eyes, but was really too tired to care, the shopping had really tired him out. He turned onto his side and wriggled down so that he was curled in Sev�s robes and shut his eyes. He was asleep in moments. Sev and Outkast sat with him for about half an hour before deciding to go join the others, carefully they lifted Harry onto Sev�s bed and tucked him in, they left the door ajar just encase.

sssssssss

�Where�s Harry?� was the greeting they got back in the living room, Outkast flopped down on to the couch, she was truly exhausted and couldn�t be bothered to act any different when her charge wasn�t about.
�He�s asleep upstairs, with luck he will sleep until dinner time�
�That�s not a good idea Severus� Molly said from the corner, Sev raised an eyebrow and prepared to defend his actions
�Why not? he�s shattered sleep is the best thing for him�
�Yes but if he sleep all day he will be awake all night, and you can not let a four year run around a house unsupervised, even if you want to sleep� Severus stared at her
�He will be fine� Molly gave him an all knowing look and sighed. Ron and Hermione were already planning what they would be doing, after all when it came to parenting there wasn�t much she didn�t know. it looked like it was going to be an interesting night.

sssssssssss

�Hello father� Draco said as he entered the room, Lucuis looked up from the book he had been reading and smiled,
�Draco I�m am relieved to see that you are alright� Draco nodded and sat on his own bed. The silence was strained as both wanted to speak but neither would. Lucuis studied his son�s eyes; he needed to grieve for his loss as did Draco but his son wouldn�t want to disappoint him by not acting like a Malfoy. As the older and the parent Lucuis reasoned it was his job to lead by example and by doing so, hoped he would bring himself closer to his son.
�Draco why don�t you come here� he shifted over on the bed, Draco looked suspicious but did as he was asked, after all he was a Malfoy and he knew which orders to obey. Draco sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, Lucuis pulled him close, noting how his son tensed he sighed
�It�s ok to grieve my son� he whispered into Draco�s hair. The result was instantaneous; Draco gave up all of his pretence and arrogance and let the tear turn to sobs into his father�s shoulders absorbing the affection like a sponge. Lucuis held his son as he trembled and let his own grief loose too; they stayed like that for a long while coming to terms with the situation they found themselves in. Draco began to pull himself together after an hour; he looked up at his father, and tried to scrub the tearstains from his cheeks. Lucuis stopped him
�Never be ashamed or embarrassed to show emotion in front of me Draco. I know things have been strained between us or recent years, and the return of the Dark Lord has done nothing to alleviate that. Things are going to change; it�s just the two of us now.� He tugged Draco�s head to meet his gaze
�I would like to be a father to you, if you would let me� his eyes showed the doubt he felt, he wasn�t sure that Draco would accept this. They weren�t close and they never had been. Draco thought about this but gave no indication of what he was thinking after a long moment he spoke
�What happened, well I know what happened I guess I want to know why or how. How did he know?�
�I don�t know Draco I truly don�t if someone is spying on us I have yet to find indication of it, I have always been so careful not to let my guard down. Needless to say we will discover this leak and it will be taken care of� Draco nodded, he heard the underlying tone in his father�s voice, Lucuis Malfoy may be a spy but he was no means light and woe betide the creature that harmed his family.
�What about Salina? Was she a spy too?� Lucuis felt his throat constrict
�No, no she wasn�t but she would have done anything to protect you, she told me on one occasion that if it was a choice between the Dark Lord and you then you would win. Even if it meant her life. I�m ashamed to admit that I didn�t believe but ultimately she was true to her word. She even forgave me she told me before she..... before he killed her� fresh tears cascaded down Lucuis� face. Draco didn�t know what to do, he wanted to offer words of comfort and at the same time he wanted to scream at him, after all if Lucuis wasn�t a spy then they wouldn�t be here, his mother and sister would still be alive. He settled for silence as he tried to work through the tornado of emotions he was feeling at that moment. It took him a while but he looked up at his father and knew what he needed to hear
�I forgive you father� Lucuis closed his eyes in relief
�Thank you� he whispered, Draco nodded and continued, knowing that if he didn�t say this now he would regret it later
�Just don�t leave me too, I couldn�t stand it� he whispered, his voice trembling. Lucuis pulled his son close
�Never, I promise never ever�

ssssssss

�Time to wake up kiddo� Fred whispered, he had won the fight over who got to wake Harry up and had gone up to the Potions Master�s room Harry rubbed his eyes with his fist and squinted. Fred found the glasses that had been bought for him by the side of the bed and handed them to the young boy. The world snapped into focus
�Hey, what time is it?�
�Dinner time sleepy head, come on lets get you changed� Fred rummaged through the various bags that were lying about and pulled out an outfit, Harry protested
�I can dress myself you know� he said haughtily, Fred just smiled
�Of course you can, hurry up then� he thrusted the clothes at Harry who took them and disappeared behind the bed Fred rolled his eyes, even as a four year old Harry was way too coy. The boy in question appeared a couple of minutes later wearing an emerald green robe that Outkast had picked out to appease Sev. Fred grinned
�No doubting whose son you are now is there?� he said affectionately, Harry screwed up his face at the comment and vied his robes
�And yet he wasn�t there when she chose this. I have a feeling I�ve just become a bargaining tool� he sighed melodramatically, he didn�t really mind, he knew that with both Outkast and Sev he came first. Fred grinned and offered his hand to the small boy: Harry took it not thinking about it. Fred led him down to the dining room. The general chatter came to a halt as Fred wondered in towing a sleepy Harry who was still rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Hermione and Ginny swapped looks of affection at the sight of the four year. Ron rolled his eyes but secretly thought that his best mate did make a rather adorable kid. Sirius grinned as he bounced out of his seat the greet them, he picked a protesting Harry up and returned to the table seating the raven haired boy on his lap.
�I can feed myself you know I don�t need you to cut my food up for me� he grumbled as Sirius snatched the knife and fork from him, Sirius just shrugged and continued with the task
�Are you lot picking on the little one again, so much for Gryffindor courage� came the amused drawl of the youngest Slytherin. Draco entered; supporting Lucuis with him, there was an awkward silence that was broken surprisingly by Ron
�Yeah well Gryffindor courage is all well and good but this is infighting, the common room wouldn�t be the same if there wasn�t at least one good bust up a night� he glanced at the others for confirmation from the group �Isn�t that right guys?� there were muffled noises of agreement and one
�Don�t ask me I�m the head of Slytherin� Harry giggled at the joke, the sound pleasing everyone, Sev resolved to make his son do that as often, though preferably when he was the one holding him. Outkast bounced in with a couple of chairs floating behind her tethered to string like they were balloons
�Oh yes lots of infighting, those were the days when all there was to worry about was whether to report the rat problem to the house elves or let Minnie catch them� she sighed contentedly and received puzzled looks and several simultaneous questions;
�Rat problem?� and �Who�s Minnie� being the main two. At the second question Minerva shifted uncomfortably next to the headmaster, who was already hiding his amusement. Outkast grinned
�oh yes there was a big problem with rats for a while, luckily Minnie sorted that out did you Min?� all attention switched to the deputy Headmistress who kept a stern look on her face for a second before smirking, specifically at Sirius
�Come now you don�t think you were the first illegal animagi in Gryffindor did you?� she took a sip of her wine savouring the stunned expression that was on the faces of the last two Marauders face�s. Harry shook his head trying to clear tat bit on knowledge from his brain, Professor McGonagall as a trouble marker wasn�t something he could envisage, she was too much like Hermione, then again� No wasn�t going there �Mione only did things against the rules for a good reason. Dinner finished in relative calm after that.

By 8 o�clock Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were bored that sat in the living staring at each other having ran out of things to say long ago. Upstairs Sirius had taken to badgering Remus, who was attempting to grade essays for the same reason. Draco was sitting with his father, Severus and Outkast in another room also suffering from cabin fever. The other members of the Hogwarts staff had returned to the school and everyone in the house was going stir crazy. Outkast huffed once and then her face lit up, Sev groaned this was not normally a good sign. Outkast put a Sonorous charm on a hairbrush in place of a wand
�Everybody who�s going nuts through tedium kindly gather at the front door, dress warm we�re going on a little excursion� she cancelled the spell and grinned at Sev
�Come on you too, we�re blowing this joint� he rolled his eyes and exchanged a look of resignation with Lucuis before following her out.

By the time they got down the stairs everyone in the house was gathered at the doorway, all but Molly and Arthur looked pleased, the Weasley matriarch glared at Outkast who smiled sweetly back before crouching down to confirm Harry was suitably dressed for the weather, the little wizard huffed with impatience
�You�re the fourth one to do that, I can get myself ready, I�m capable of looking after myself� she ignored him but the moment she stood Sev crouched down to check as well, Harry growled Sev looked him in the eye
�That may be slightly more true when you are 16 but at the moment you need to be looked after� Harry looked deep into the onyx eyes
�Really? Do you think anyone did was I was four the first time round?� there was no malice in his voice, just a simple question one that he didn�t for the answer of, he merely turned and followed the others outside into the dark. Sev stayed where he was for a moment, once again cursing the lack of childhood the boy had got and the care he didn�t receive. He shook his head more determined then ever to make this a positive experience for Harry and left. When Severus caught up with the group he noticed the two eldest Weasley kids holding each of Harry�s hands and on every third step they would swing him into the air, Harry giggled, obviously liking the game. It warmed his heart at times like this when the boy forgot how to act and did what he wanted. As Harry was set back on the ground after a long swing, Outkast came up behind him and scooped him up causing the by to yelp. She grinned at the group walking backwards, holding Harry tightly to her chest
�Last one in buys the beer!� she yelled before tearing off, not to be outdone everyone barrelled off after her. Sev shook his head and the childishness of it all but that didn�t stop him chasing her too, even if he did tell himself it was just so he wouldn�t be left behind. A short dash later they found themselves outside the Frankenstein Place, Bill looked up catching his breath and grinned
�Hey I know this place it�s wicked the only wizard and muggle club in the area, it�s amazing there are these girls who dance on these pole wearing very little and one time I was in there and these guys tried to start a fight with one of the workers and she completely trounced all three of them� he caught his mother�s disapproving eye �not that I have ever been in the place or anything like it� he added swiftly, causing Charlie to smirk, that is until Molly focused her gaze on him. They swiftly followed Outkast inside.
�Welcome to my humble abode� she announced from the middle of the dance floor still holding Harry. Several jaws hit the floor, Outkast gently set Harry on the ground before clapping her hands twice, and every light in the place came on allowing them their first good look at the club.
�That�s an interesting spell� Remus commented, grinned
�What spell�
�The lights�
�That�s not a spell� she clapped again and the lights went off
�Clap on, clap off� she started singing the jingle clapping her hands and the lights tried desperately to keep up. Seeing the bewildered expressions she stopped
�Oh honestly stop living in a bubble� she muttered before explaining �it�s a muggle thing, I got hooked on the jingle last time I was in America and bought one or two� well maybe a few more then one or two� she shrugged and went to the bar and the stopped herself
�Who came last then?� Molly pointed at her husband, deciding that if she was going to be forced here she might as well try and enjoy it. But at that moment Arthur was too busy discussing how the lights work with Hermione to pay any attention, Outkast rolled her eyes
�Well then seeing as the drinks are on the house I vote for Sirius to be bar keep for the night because her cheated� Sirius stuttered indignantly but Outkast wasn�t fooled
�Really so that big black dog that raced past me once you knew where we were heading was just a Grim out for an evening run?� Remus laughed and slapped a hand on his friends back
�I told you she�d catch you� Outkast smirked actually it wasn�t me, Remus looked puzzled, that is until a small Harry climbed up on a bar stool, he pointed at Sirius
�Big doggy� he said as child like as he could manage� Sirius huffed in mock offence
�My own Godson giving me away oh the tragedy� Harry feigned innocence � a look his younger persona could pull off amazingly well as Sirius headed for the bar. He stood behind it and stared at them
�So whatcha having?�
�Snakebite� Sirius did a double take at Harry
�Even at 16 you should have no idea what that is�
�I�m just gonna go get the music on� Outkast said sidling away very quickly. Harry just laughed at his godfather�s fish impression as did many of the others.

The night went very well, music played and no one noticed how many timed Tonks walked into something or fell over, because by the end of the night with the exceptions of Outkast (who the other swore had no liver) and Harry (who unsurprisingly hadn�t been allowed a drop of alcohol) everybody was doing the same. The walk back took five times as long as the walked going, Harry was riding piggy-back on Sev and Arthur most of the way, leaving Outkast free to try and Shepard those in danger of getting lost or falling into the road back on to the right track. It was gone 6 in the morning by he time they made back to the headquarters and everyone immediately went to bed falling asleep/passing out in quick succession.

It was around noon when the majority of the residence of 12 Grimmauled place began to return unwillingly to the land of the living. The only two up before this were Harry, having been awakened at 9 by a rather unpleasant dream and Outkast who never slept later then 8 even if she only went to bed at 7:55 she appeared downstairs at the same time as Harry having had a long shower, and spent some quality time Sev-watching. The only indication that she felt anything from the night before was that she drank 12 glasses of water before saying anything. Harry greeted her with a tired smile.
�Morning mister� she said as she flopped into a chair next to him.
�Morning� he muttered. She looked at him and noted the dark bags under his eyes
�What�s up?�
�Nothing� he mumbled trying to rest his head on his arms
�Try again I know you better then that� she said gently, he sighed
�I had a nightmare and couldn�t get back to sleep� he admitted she gave him a sympathetic look
�Yeah I know how that is� Harry nodded and said something she couldn�t make out through the muffling of his arm.
�Come on� she said and picked him up, he didn�t complain, he was already feeling tired again, having someone near him made it easier to sleep and Outkast always had a soothing effect on him. She carried him into the library and by the time they were there he was already asleep. She selected a book off the shelf and got comfy in one of the big arm chairs, allowing Harry to curl further onto her lap, seeking refuge from the terrors in his sleep. He had woken an hour later and decided he was more hungry then tired. They had begun to make breakfast to feed the army that at the moment was slumbering. Outkast was particularly noisy about cooking that morning, she even encouraged Harry to help and tutted when he did things right, in the end she sat him down for a very stern talk
�Harry, how old are you?� Harry grinned
�16� Outkast hit her head on the desk
�Stupid question, lets try again, how old is you body at the moment?� she looked at Harry, who was desperately trying to figure out where she was going with this.
�Four� he muttered, she nodded
�Correct, now do most four years olds know how to cook?� he shook his head and she continued �but do some of them try?� Harry thought back and found he remembered the one time Dudley had tried to cook breakfast for his parents, the whole thing was a disaster and he had managed to wake them both up in the process. Harry came back to the present and nodded at Outkast who beamed at him
�Now do they normally manage it or do they make a lot of noise and wake up the neighbourhood without much success?� Harry was about to speak but then the penny dropped and he got what was going on, he grinned at her and simply nodded. He went over to the work surface and knocked a frying pan on the floor
�Oopse� he said totally unremorseful. Outkast looked like he�d just solved world hunger
�That�s my boy� she praised. So for the next hour they made breakfast and as much noise as possible, which did have the side effect of waking up everyone else in the house. The twins were the first to come down
�Would you kindly shut up� George said, before trying to bury his head in his arms, Fred nodded in agreement but didn�t move from the table,
�Awww, are we feeling bad?� Outkast asked in a sickly sweet voice, the twins nodded in unison
�Well I have just the thing, the world�s best fry up curtsey of Harry and myself� she stuffed a plate in front of each of them. The smell alone resulted in both of them turning green and dashing for the bathroom. Outkast took out a little book, Harry could see a list of names in
�Twins� check� she put a tick by their names and turned back to Harry
�I wonder who our next victim err customer will be?� Harry was bouncing with excitement.

Severus appeared a few moments later and surveyed the kitchen
�Well you two will be cleaning that up� he said pointing at the mess, Outkast shrugged
�Never mind, have some breakfast. She put a plate in front of Sev who looked at it and smirked
�Don�t mind if I do thank you. Harry have you had something?� the little boy shook his head, in actual fact he forgotten that he could have something to eat, as the Dursley�s had always made him cook but never let him have anything. Sev beckoned him over and sat him on his lap.
�You can share mine then� Harry Outkast looked at him curiously, and then smacked her head
�Oh yeah potions, master � hangover curers I forgot� Sev inclined his head in acknowledgment and fed Harry some sausage. The twins returned, followed by the rest of the red heads, a sleepy Hermione and two Marauder�s who were on auto-pilot. As most went to sit down, Sirius and Remus headed for the kitchen, they started pouring what looked like random ingredients into a jug. After five minutes they pour the slightly red concoction into a couple of glasses and swallowed it grimacing at the taste. They then immediately perked up and looked round the room they grabbed a plate of food and sat at the table that was inhabited by creatures of the half dead and Harry and Sev. Sirius finished his breakfast and took pity on the others: he went back to the kitchen, noticing the mess for the first time, he shrugged and looked over at Outkast and a sheepish Harry
�Had fun did we?� Harry nodded, causing Sirius and Remus to chuckle as he buried himself in his father�s robes. Sirius pulled out what looked to be a very large cauldron and started filling it with the same stuff he and Remus had used. After he�d finished he enlisted the help of the functioning adults to carry glasses of the liquid back in.
�Now this looks bad and tastes worse but it will cure your hang over I guarantee it� he said happily, the twins gave him a dubious look but then decided it was worth the risk and knocked back the vile fluid gagging on the taste. Sure enough they perked up and started worshipping Sirius and Remus with praise of �we are not worthy�. The twin�s antics convinced the rest of them to try it and sure enough 15 minutes later everyone was eating and chatting normally, much to Outkast�s distaste
�There goes my day�s entertainment� she sighed. Harry grinned at her while the others glared, she shrugged
�I can�t help it it�s in my nature� she sauntered out the garden before anyone could comment.

The day past smoothly, everybody was too tired to really bicker or try and hold up petty differences, that is until around 7 that evening when the adults tried to persuade Harry it was bed time.
�NO!� Harry shouted after being told to go to bed by the seventh person, he stormed off in the direction of Ron�s bedroom
�Ah, temper tantrums, they bring back memories� Molly said wistfully watching amusedly at Sev trying to convince his son it was bed time, he just glared at them
�At least he�ll grow out of them� his gaze ticked to Sirius who caught the not so subtle suggestion
�I resent that I don�t have temper tantrums� he pouted, Remus patted him on the head
�Of course you don�t� he agreed in a patronising tone that sent Sirius into a sulk.

�Why can�t they leave me alone� Harry sighed as he sat on his bed. Hermione and Ron looked at him sympathetically
�Because they care, and quite frankly Harry, four year olds need more sleep then 16 year olds so you should listen� Hermione tried to be tactful, but received a glare anyway. There was a knock on the door, but they weren�t given time to respond before Draco entered. He sat down next to Harry and slung his arms around the boys shoulders
�Hey, I know you don�t want to sleep but you�ve got to be more cunning, make it look like you�re giving in so change brush your teeth, then wait for the obligatory one hour check and you�re home free, you can always sneak into my room if you don�t want to stay in here� Harry�s face brightened and he nodded before going off to get ready. Draco smirked and then looked on the disapproving faces of Hermione and Ron
�You know he�s going to be out like alight, after all he�s had hardly any sleep in the last twenty four hours� Draco rolled his eyes
�Yes I know that and you know that, but the thing is he doesn�t so as long as he thinks he�s being sly and getting one over on Sev he�ll play along and are you going to wake once he�s asleep?� Realisation dawned on them, Draco shook his head
�Stupid Gryffindor�s� he muttered as he left.

Sure enough within five minutes of his head hitting the pillow, Harry was dead to the world, Outkast checked on him an hour later to find he was sleeping with a small fist pressed to his mouth, clinging onto the toy puppy that he had stubbornly insisted he didn�t like. She silently cooed before dashing off to get the others, in the end there was quite an audience at the door. Molly Weasley dashed off and returned with a camera
�I thought we might need one of these� she stated and then snapped off a couple of shots of the sleeping Harry before they left him in piece.

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It was early morning when Harry woke with a gasp; the sun had yet to rise. He rubbed his face and willed the tears from his eyes, his scar hadn�t flared since he learnt occlumency but now it was burning. He lost the battle and tears streamed down his face. Then he hit upon an idea that made sense in his child�s mind. If he physically removed he scar it couldn�t hurt, he silently stumbled out the room and down to the kitchen where he retrieved the sharpest knife he could find. He snuck back into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror, pathetic he thought as he looked at his reflection. He raised the knife to his head and pressed down.

Sev woke with a start, the ring he wore burnt him, he didn�t know what had caused it but Harry hurting. His sudden move awoke the other occupant of his bed; she looked at him, already fully awake
�Where is he?� she said already getting up, Sev didn�t say anything but darted from the room, Outkast hot on his heels. The sight that greeted him as he opened the bathroom door made him want to throw up, Harry stared at him, blood cascading down his face causing him to frequently wipe it from his eyes, the knife still in his hand. Sev was speechless, luckily Outkast managed to talk.
�Harry, honey put the knife down�
�Make it stop� he whimpered, punching his forehead with his fist
�What�s wrong� she whispered, slowly edging towards him,
�It hurts I can�t make it stop it hurts so much I thought if I could remove it then the pain would stop, but I can�t it won�t go� Harry dropped the knife and was sobbing hysterically, Outkast picked him up looking around for something to staunch the bleeding. Somewhere along the her conversation with the distraught boy Sev had come to his senses, he pressed a rolled up towel to the wound and pulled Harry away from Outkast, she reluctantly let go.
�What the hell?� Sirius was standing in the doorway, trying to take in the scene, Sev sat on the edge of the bath pressing a rapidly reddening towel to Harry�s head, and all around the floor was covered with blood. Sev ignored the question
�In my room there�s a potions bag, I need it� he stated, Sirius was too stunned to do anything but follow the request, he left quickly only to retune moments later with the satchel. Sev routed through it and recovered a couple of vials. The coaxed Harry into drinking the first and then removed the towel and poured the second over his head. Harry whimpered as the wound closed leaving no trace. Outkast cleaned the room with a quick spell, Harry was still crying softly in Sev�s arms
�He can�t be alone tonight Sev� she said quietly, Severus nodded and stood up, he went to leave and realised that Sirius still blocked his path, when it became clear that the Animagus wasn�t going to move with out looking at the boy himself Sev allowed Harry to be lifted from his arms. He glared the whole time Sirius held Harry and after five minutes threatened him with a massive injury if he didn�t return his son. Sirius was only convinced by Outkast�s words and assurances that he could see him later.

Sev took the now sleeping Harry back to his room and settled him into the middle of the bed, with Outkast one side and Sev on the other. While Harry slept peacefully three adults didn�t managed to return to sleep that night.

The rest of the week passed fairly smoothly, the twins had turned it into a mission to out prank Sirius and Remus, only they always seemed to be two steps behind. Finally on the last day when they had not only failed to catch the Marauder�s out with the all blue sweets that had originally intended for Harry but had ended up somehow eating them themselves they caved.
�Ok, you are still the best prankers of the century how do you do that? How did you know what we were planning when all of the time� Sirius slung his arm around George�s electric blue shoulders and had a amazingly smug look
�Ah my young grasshopper you are still learning. Pranking is a very serious business, and like all business it is half what you know and half who you know� Fred looked pleadingly at Remus
�Ok we�re in need of a Sirius-to-earth translation� Remus grinned over the top of his coffee
�He means he�s been bribing Harry with chocolate to let us know exactly what you two have been up to� Fred�s jaw hit the floor
�Where is the little pipsqueak, I�ll have him for that� Sirius rolled his eyes
�Do you really think threatening the Godson of the self proclaimed and now endorsed pranker of the century in front of said pranker is really a good idea?� George groaned
�We�re not going to be a normal colour for a month� he moaned.
�Ain�t that the truth� a voice from the doorway said, the all looked to see the 16-year-old Harry lounging against the doorframe dressed in new jean that actually fitted and a black long sleeve t-shirt with what looked to be a cartoon squirrel on the front with the words �Do not anger the master� in big letters.
�Harry you�re back� well not back in the sense that you went anywhere but back in the sense that you�re taller then 3ft and what in the name of Merlin is that on your shirt� Harry looked down and shrugged at his babbling Godfather
�Haven�t a clue Outkast got it for me� he said, the others nodded that phrase had been used a lot of the last month, Outkast seemed to have given out an extra set of gifts that either did something that no one had worked out or were items of clothing with motto�s no one had heard of. In the end the group had shrugged and written it off to her being a few potions short of a full kit.
�Ok kiddies, everyone set for the new year at school we leave in t-minus one hour an counting, you need to packed, wrapped and full of motivation and enthusiasm. Noticing the disgruntled looks on the faces of all those who were school aged she shrugged
�I�ll settle for just packed and down here in an hour� Sev wrapped his arms around her waste and smirked
�I told you they wouldn�t like going back as much as you do� he then looked at Harry and snarled
�Must you wear that shirt?� Harry opened his mouth but was beaten by Outkast
�He must, he must,� she said emphatically
�Why?�
�Because it annoys you� she stated, tapping him on the nose for emphasis. Sev rolled his eyes, admitting defeat.

ssssssssssss

The school term passed relatively smoothly, more so then the previous one as Draco and Harry no longer had to be so careful about their relationship. It was the one plus side to what had happened to the Malfoy�s over the break. For his own protection Draco had been moved out of Slytherin, given that the loyalties of the other students was not assured. He had been given his own room near Sev�s apartment it had been set with its own password that only Draco knew. Harry had heard it on several occasions but didn�t comprehend how Draco could remember � dues cicero meus iudicare� and he had even less idea what it meant. He�s asked once and Draco had smirked and told him it was pig-Latin.

It was February 14th before anything of note really happened. The upper years had been given some time to go into Hogsmead that day and the dining hall had Valentine decorations up everywhere. Harry had been trying to convince Sev that he had nothing to be nervous of but he hadn�t been able to convince his father even with Draco�s help. So now the two sat at the Gryffindor table during the feast, looking up at the head table anxiously. Finally Hermione had enough
�Oh honestly what is up with you two? You�ve been jumpy since you got in here�
�No thanks�! they both replied absently, obviously not paying attention, Ron started to laugh but turned it to a cough when he got a look from Hermione that said he�d be spending the evening alone if he didn�t stop. At the end of the feast Outkast noticed an interesting battle of wills going on between Sev and Harry. Harry was nodding at Sev and becoming more insistent with Sev�s refusal. At last Harry rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at Albus, it was closed threat, but it made Severus squirm a little and go a little pink. Outkast was amazed, Sev was blushing, what ever it was Harry wanted it seemed to be a complete embarrassment to Sev. Harry threw his arms into the in exasperation and then grinned evilly, Sev�s eyes went wide and he went to beat a hasty retreat. Unfortunately for Sev the headmaster chose that moment to give an impromptu speech, so Sev sunk back into his seat and tried to disappear under the table.
�Good evening boys and girls, I trust you are all enjoying the amazing feast that has been served for us� there was a round of cheers and the headmaster waited before continuing
�As many of you are aware today is Valentine�s day � a celebration normally spent with loved ones. It is a truly romantic day of the year, one of which I am quite parcel to myself�� As Albus droned on, Severus knew what this was building too, �Oh don�t do this, please I�ll even promise not to snarl for a whole month� unaware of his silent plea Albus continued �a year an entire year and I won�t take points�. Well except from Gryffindor� Albus was relentless �Ok I won�t take points from Gryffindor, even if they deserve it just don�t�.� it was too late the headmaster was rounding off
�Now in the spirit of love, our very own potion master has an announcement to make� Albus winked at Sev, who straightened in his chair and stood stiffly he glared at Albus
�Thank you Headmaster but I feel that this is neither the place nor the time for such a��
�Proposal?� Albus offered
�Suggestion, so the students can go back to their meal�
�But I must insist Professor, after all I made a promise to a couple of students you wouldn�t want to make me brake it would you� Sev paused a moment to glare at the two in question, who were both trying to look innocent. Harry was nowhere near as talented as Draco at that, Sev snorted
�I rather think that they would let you off this time headmaster�
�I don�t think so Severus so off you go� he made little go-on gestures with his hands
�Yes Sev, please continue� Outkast said looking enormously amused leaning her face on her palm and her elbow on the table. Sev growled
�Very well� he pulled a rather surprised Outkast up and led her round to the front of the table. Reaching into his pocket and retrieved a small black box. Outkast went from surprised to stunned boarding on startled shock as Sev got down on one knee.
�I�ve known you on and off for more years then I care to remember, you are my best friend, and my better half. I am not normally one to show my emotions but I will make this exception� he opened the box to reveal a platinum ring, it had an emerald in the middle of a cluster of diamonds that fired in the light of the hall, he looked up deeply into her eyes
�Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?� The hall was quiet enough that breathing seemed too loud. Outkast looked between the ring and Sev in complete astonishment.
�You�re serious aren�t you?� she whispered but everyone heard, Sev swallowed hard and nodded. A grin broke out on her face; she took hold of his hand and pulled him up
�Yes dumbass of course I will!� she dragged him forward and kissed him, Harry and Draco were the first to start clapping and cheering, but soon the rest of the students got the idea and joined in even a few wolf whistles rung out. The cheering died down as the couple broke apart and Sev placed the ring on her finger. She looked down at it and then to Harry
�Hey Harry that mean I get to be your mummy� she shouted in her best sing-song voice. Harry froze before looking at her in horror
�Yay� he said deadpanned before slamming his head on the desk. Draco and Ron sniggered Hermione rolled her eyes.

sssssssssss

�You know I�m actually surprise, I thought that Sev would have wriggled more before caving tonight� Draco mused as he lay on his bad, his head in Harry�s lap. Harry was stroking his hair absently
�I think he�s finally learnt that is doesn�t matter how much you argue with the headmaster, you are never gong to win.� Draco nodded and sat up, he looked at Harry and smiled
�It was kinda cool in a there-isn�t-enough-vomit-in-the-world sort of way� Harry nodded, and leant forward to kiss Draco. The kiss became more heated, as the two boys started to explore each other�s bodies through their clothing. After several minutes Harry felt the urge to more things on a step, he slid his hands under Draco�s top, Draco gasped and pulled away from Harry.
�Are you sure about this?� he whispered, Harry smiled and nodded. Draco swallowed hard
�I won�t hurt you� he stated, his eyes locked with Harry�s
�I know� Harry replied before allowing Draco to push him down to the bed.

True to his word Draco took his time preparing the Gryffindor, he started by kissing and caressing all the bare he found and he undressed him. Harry moaned and gasped as Draco tweaked his nipples and then kissed the abused flesh. Harry helped relieve Draco of his clothing before doing his own exploration, as he reached Draco�s erection he hesitated; something that didn�t go unnoticed.
�Harry it�s ok, remember it�s me I�m not going to hurt you and if you say stop it does, there and then no questions ok?� Harry nodded and gave the blonde a weak nod. Draco smiled and continued to kiss Harry and relax him�

ssssssssssssssss

�I can�t believe you did that� Outkast said and she lay on Sev�s bed studying the ring he�d given her. He smiled
�There are lengths I�m prepared to go to�
�Even if you need a kick up the ass to get there�
�Even if I need a kick up the ass to get there� Sev conceded before rolling over to capture her lips with his. He moved his hands to stroke her hair when something caught his attention. She gave him a quizzical look and he showed her his right hand, now sporting a crimson red ring. Outkast shrugged
�Leave him to it, you can�t stop him forever� he sighed beginning to get the feeling that when ever his wife and son ganged up on him, he would always lose. His wife� he liked the sound of that. He looked back at her and smiled before returning to his previous task of ravishing the woman of his dreams.

sssssssssssss

It was the early hours of the morning, the dawn beginning to show through the window of Draco�s room, he looked down at the head of black hair that was on his chest before running his hand through it. He kissed the top of Harry�s head
�Thank you� he whispered, Harry sighed contentedly in his sleep and snuggled closer to Draco.

sssssssssssssssss

All too soon June and the exam loomed at Hogwarts, the weather was nice and warm and many of the students had taken to spending the weekends out in the grounds. Unfortunately this particularly Saturday the heavens had opened and there had been nothing but rain. After the last Quidditch match of the year between Gryffindor and Slytherin (Gryffindor winning the game and the cup by a mere ten points) the entire school had retire into the castle. Harry was exhausted and had immediately gone back to sleep. It was the general consensus of his friends and family to let him sleep through lunch.

ssssssssssss

Outkast was in her office trying to catch up on some paperwork. She had been spending so much time with Sev that she had been neglecting the administration side of her job. She called Dobby for a sandwich which she ate as she marked her essays.

sssssssssss

The wards started shrieking the moment the rest of school had gathered to eat but the teachers were not given the chance to react before the place was over run with Death Eaters, their first target was Albus, whose movements were sluggish as he fought the sedative that had bee slipped into his drink, he was stunned before he could respond. Severus and Minerva got off a couple of curses each but they were vastly outnumbered and were disadvantaged by the students caught between them and the enemy. There wasn�t anything they could but surrender. The Death eaters grinned cruelly, the student on their side joining the attack.

sssssssssssss

The door slammed open and the curse uttered before she could react, a black band shot from Voldemort�s wand and sealed itself around her upper arm. Outkast felt her magic freeze and cursed the binding spell. The room filled with around 20 Death Eater�s she glared at her one time brother
�STOP� She commanded the advancing army, none of them responded to her control, the Dark Lord laughed
�What good is your voice dear ssssssssssisssssssster if your audience issssssss deaf?� the first of the minions reached her and she kicked his wand away before he could utter a spell. She dodged the spells that had far more power then deaf wizards could normally wield leading her to the sickening conclusion that they had been robbed of their hearing for this exact purpose. The fight was long and fierce, she killed four of them before she was stabbed in the stomach, the wound disabling her long enough them to beat her down, the fists and kicks kept coming until she surrendered to the darkness.

sssssssssssssss

Harry woke with the wards and felt the pain in his forehead. A cold lump formed in his stomach when he realised how close Voldemort would have to for the pain to break through Outkast�s defences. Going on gut instinct he transformed into Uriel. As he did he heard the sound of a door breaking as the Death Eaters broke into his fathers chamber�s below. Harry fled out of his door, he kept to the shadows and froze completely when he heard the noise of footsteps. Quickly he darted behind a suit of armour and watched as Voldemort lead the entire school, flagged by hundreds of his followers to the end of the second floor, Harry didn�t have to be close enough to hear the Parseltongue to know where Voldemort was taking them.

sssssssssssssss

The teachers kept looking around trying to work out a plan only a few of then had an idea where they where heading, and they weren�t sharing it, it would do more harm then good. Soon enough the reached the girls bathroom.
�Go awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!� Myrtle shrieked when she saw Voldemort and disappeared into a toilet. He grinned cruelly and addressed the sink unit.
~Open~ he hissed and the basin slid aside, without a second thought he disappeared down the hole, along with some of the Death Eaters, each forcing the unarmed teachers and students with them.

They reached the main chamber and Voldemort paused he stalked up to Severus
�Ah, my beloved traitor I bet you are wondering why you have been let off ssssso eassssssily� he laughed �I thought firsssst you could watch your beloved die and then asssssss you hold the remainssssss of your ssssson I will let you beg for death� he forced Severus into the main chamber first. The sight that welcomed him made his heart stop. Outkast was bound both magically and with ropes on the floor she was next to the carcass of the Basilisk and was lying in a pool of blood and seemed to be unconscious.
�NO!� he screamed and ran to her, nothing else ever registering to him. The whimpered slightly as her picked her up. Her eyes opened but she could do little else as he brushed the hair from her face. He didn�t even register as the door slid shut again and that the entire school was fixed on him in a stunned silence. He couldn�t stop the tears from falling. Hermione was the first to snap out of it, she ran to couple and pulled her robe off. She located the wound and pushed the makeshift bandage on it. Outkast groaned from the pressure. Severus was about to snap at the young witch but she spoke first
�We need to stop the bleeding, she�s lost a lot of blood� she stated without emotion. Severus nodded, Remus appear next to him, he had retrieved a Basilisk fang and used it to cut her ropes, they managed to free her arms and legs, but the magical bind on her magic and the gag which was also magic could not be removed. She reached up and wiped a tear from he fianc�s face.
�You�re going to be fine remember we�re getting married in two months so you have to be ok by then� Sev whispered, she nodded her head agreeing. �If he believes that who am I to shatter his dreams?� she thought to herself.

ssssssssssssssssss

�I know you�re here boy, you might asssssssss well come out and let me kill you. It�ssssssssss just you left Potter, all your friends are out the way and you little Dia won�t live much longer� the sonorous charm echoed through the hallways of the castle. Harry shivered inadvertently, he kept going though, and he slithered into the main hall and saw Voldemort sitting lazily in what looked to be a thrown. He was frustrated every 30 seconds he was sending more Death Eaters out to hunt for the boy. Harry watched and waited; the Dark Lord was arrogant and didn�t seem to think he needed his servants to protect him from one boy. Harry knew that soon there would be only 3 or 4 left and then he could make his move. After all the others may be captive but they were safe and he could get them after.

Sooner then he thought Harry found that the crowd had clear, only 4 Death eaters remained. He took a deep breath the first ones would be coming back soon, it was now or never, he took a few deep breaths and silently transformed��.

ssssssssssssss

Severus paused; he had been murmuring words of comfort to Outkast since he found her. Madame Pomfrey had agreed that there was no more they could for her in here. Albus had come too and was nearby. Severus looked at his rind, it was jet black
�He�s terrified� Albus squeezed his shoulder
�It is a good sign, it means he�s still alive�

sssssssssssssss

Harry locked the doors, threw a stunning spell at one Death eater and blasted another through a wall before they had even been alerted to his presence. Using his wand for offensive spells and shielding as he�d been taught. He caught a third with a binding spell. The fourth deflected his first try but as he went to launch a second one he felt the Crucio hit. He collapsed to the floor writhing in agony for several seconds before it was released.
�Sssssshe trained you, but not well enough, never turn you back on your opponent� the voice was right behind him and Harry could hear the smirk. Using his intuition he kicked out with his legs, ignoring the pain it caused. His left foot connected with something solid an h heard the Dark Lord curse and fall. Harry quickly picked himself up and wasted no time in destroying the last wizard, he used a knife spell, no longer feeling charitable. Who ever was behind the mask was dead before they hit the floor. Harry turned his attention back to the dark wizard. He barely got the shield up in time to block the blasting curse. Voldemort snarled and sent spell after spell. Harry returned as many as he could, but was paranoid of their wands seizing like they had in the graveyard. He was panicking Harry knew he was losing, his right arm had a gash all along it from one attack, he had a burn and a few broken ribs from another. A final curse threw him into the wall. He was breathing heavily as he raised his head Voldemort stood over him. Harry then noticed that his wand was lying on the ground ten feet from him. Voldemort raised his wand and snarled
�Avada Kedavra� he shouted. Harry closed his eyes and waited for death�..

sssssssssssssssss

Outkast groaned again, she looked up at Sev and motioned for pen and paper, one of the students offer her some they had. She wrote three words and hands it to Sev. The simple message made his heart bleed; I love you her eyes drifted shut
�No, Outkast NOOOOO!� he screamed and cried as he felt her breathing stop completely.

As Outkast took her last breath and her pulse stopped, all the powers that came with the title of Dia transferred to their new owner, Harry�

ssssssssss

Harry waited for the green bolt as the spell was cast, but instead of green, he saw white. He was dimly aware of Voldemort�s tortured scream and then he felt it. Power like nothing he had ever felt before. The magic coursed through his veins settings his blood on fire. Voldemort could only stand and stare, it hadn�t occurred to him that this boy would inherit the powers of his sister but he couldn�t deny what he saw.

The light faded, Harry was still breathing heavily but looked more then a little pissed off, he sent a blasting curse in the direction of Voldemort, propelling him clear across the room. He summoned his wand and sent up the mark of the Dia, silently pondering how he knew to do that. He stood up looking cool and calm, he felt it too he was more confident then ever, he could do this and he knew, not thought he knew he was going to win.

sssssssssssss

Severus wrapped his arms around Outkast and let the tears fall, but she was roughly pulled from him, he went to let loose on who ever took her from him but again was cut off
�Don�t tell you lot don�t know CPR either?� Hermione snapped before giving two rescue breaths and starting chest compression, Sev stared blankly then looked at the medi-witch who didn�t seem to know either.
�I know it, taught us at football camp in case we were refs� Dean shouted pushing his way over, he took over the rescue breathing�
�What are you doing� Sev choked as he heard something in Outkast crack
�We...trying � to�..save�her�..life� Hermione spoke in time with the compressions. Albus nodded thoughtfully
�This is a mortal wound Severus not a magic one, CPR may allow her to be saved, providing we can get out of her soon� he said looking around the chamber. Minerva snorted
�The only way that�s going to happen is if a parselmouth lets us out�
�Then let us hope it is the one on our side� he whispered back.

sssssssssssssssssss

Harry couldn�t help the smile; I�m kicking his slimly snaky ass he thought as he bombarded Voldemort with another spell that he had never been taught but somehow knew. Something told him to finish this soon he looked at the pathetic creature cowering on the floor and prepared for the final assault. He stepped close to concentrate the spell he didn�t notice the blade until it was too late�.

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The chamber door started to move, many of the students whimpered as the teachers forced themselves between them and what ever came through the door. Everyone held their breath until the figures could be made out.
�Oh my God� Minerva gasped as the figure came further in, flanked by many of their army. Harry smiled
�Not quite� he coughed; he as leaning heavily on Sirius and his arm was wrapped around his side, holding it together. Albus smiled
�Glad to see you my boy� he said cheerfully Harry nodded and then looked around.
�Where is she?� He whispered, the twinkle in the old man�s eye dimmed slightly and he pointed to where the prone body of the former Dia lay, Severus close by almost catatonic. Leaning on Sirius Harry limped over to her and collapsed beside her body, ever as Hermione and Dean fought for her life. He took that in looked at them and then the wound.
�Stop� he whispered Hermione gave him a doubting look until she saw his eyes, she nodded to Dean and they moved away. Harry knelt over the form and his hands above her chest, glowing white
�I thank you for the loan, but my job is complete, I don�t want to be Dia, I can�t I�m too young and yet I am too tired. Take them back my Guardian. Take. Them. Back� A white beam seemingly emanating from the ceiling shot down through Harry�s hands and into Outkast�s chest. He closed his eyes against the pain and bit his lip to prevent shouting out. This time he was sure he was on fire, he was going to burn from the inside out.
�Harry? HARRY� Sev snapped out of his waking coma and went to grab his son, both Remus and Sirius tried to restrain him but the thought of losing Harry as well was too much for the potion master, and in a burst of barely controlled magic the were catapulted to other sides of the chamber, but even as he reached them he ran into a barrier that seemed to around the two. He hit it and he cursed and screamed but couldn�t break through.

A few short seconds later, the shield and the light disappeared. Harry fell to one side and was out cold, Sev reached for him first. Harry was very warm, the wound on his side was bleeding, Sev looked at himself covered in the blood of the two people in the world he loved.
�He�ll be ok� came a croaky voice to his right, he could hardly believe it but sure enough her eyes were open and she was smiling at him.
�You�re alive� he gasped
�Ya sure ya betcha� she said slowly sitting up, she winced when she noticed her rib was broken and put two and two together,
�CPR?� he nodded
�Who?�
�Us� Hermione said from inside Ron�s arms Outkast nodded at her and Dean
�Thank you� Hermione wasn�t listening she was focused on Harry who hadn�t moved, both her and Ron had tears in their eye�s
�He�ll be ok in a few days, it�s just the stress of the injury and the power shifts. But we do need to get him to the medical wing.� Sev nodded and picked him up.
Sirius staggered over rubbing his head.
�There�s order members and Alighters all along the tunnel and top side so we can get out� he said before producing the wands from his pocket. Albus pulled his from the pile
�Return to your owner� he said waving his wand at the pile, all the wands jumped into the air and scattered towards their respective wizards and witches. Albus looked around
�Severus you and Harry first, then Madame Pomfrey and Outkast � and I expect to be able to talk to al of you in the infirmary later� he looked pointedly at Outkast who merely nodded, she was leaning on the medi-witch but her strength was returning quickly
�The Sirius and Remus as they are both injured now too, and then the students, Minerva organise that� he said strolling off to the bottom of the drop. Sure enough there were ropes and devices to pull everyone out of the tunnel.

ssssssssssss

When Harry woke in the infirmary the first thing he became aware of was the royal headache he now had. The next was the face that there was a one hand on either of his. He open his eyes slowly and squinted to make out the faces of Sev and Outkast talking quietly across him.
�Hi dad, hi mum� he whispered and then smiled at the response he was swept into a group hug by his new parents oh, I could definitely get used to that he thought. As they set he back he reached for the glass, Sev beat him to it and raised the glass to his lips. Instead of arguing Harry gulped the water down and felt decidedly more human after. Harry smiled at his father as the empty cup was taken away
�More?� Sev enquired, Harry shook his head. The door to the infirmary opened, Harry sighed he didn�t have to look to know that it was Professor Dumbledore, he retrieved his glasses and awaited the inevitable debrief he always got at this time of year and strangely more often then not from this bed. The headmaster smiled benignly at him
�Harry I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about but we need to know where Tom is and what happened� Harry nodded already resigned to the inevitable, Severus and Outkast however weren�t
�I don�t think now is the time now the place Albus� Severus stated firmly
�Yeah give him a break Alby he�s been through hell and back� The headmaster cringed at the nickname Outkast had decided to use but shook it off, he was about to defend his decision but Harry jumped in
�No it�s ok, I�d rather get it out the way anyhow� Sev nodded albeit reluctantly. Harry took a breath and started to explain what had happened from the time he woken to when he arrived at the chamber. He got to the part about receiving the Dia�s powers and needed to take a brake, he drank another glass of water before continuing his story. Finally he got to the part where Voldemort pulled a knife.

~Flashback~

Harry didn�t notice the blade until it was too late. Voldemort turned and sliced the blade through the air, it was more by luck then judgement on his part that he caught Harry with the weapon. The knife cut cleanly through Harry�s torso causing the Gryffindor to stagger. As Voldemort bought the knife through the air again, Harry ducked out the way and came to stand behind the formidable wizard. He aim again and screamed the spell in desperation
�Anima perditore� the words were out of his mouth before it occurred to him that he didn�t know what they meant. A purple jet sprung from his wand and engulfed the Dark Lord, who screamed in agony, Harry took his chance knowing it was the only one he had and lift his wand again
�Avada Kedavra� He put all the power he had behind that spell, fuelling it with the hate over his parents death, his unfair treatment by the Dursley�s, Sirius� prison term, the worm Pettigrew, the loss of Draco�s family and his father�s youth. The green light ploughed into Voldemort, it didn�t only kill him, it destroyed him eating him from the inside out until all that was left was a pile of smoking robes. With the death of the wizard all his spells lost their power, the doors of the castle opened allowing the Alighter�s, Auror�s and Order members who had been desperately trying to break in to enter. They quickly started rounding up the Death Eaters, caught by the apparition wards of the castle. Some of the Death Eater�s tried to fight back but they were out numbered and out skilled.

It took Harry several minutes to hear the banging on the doors of the great hall and to realise that he had to take that ward down. As soon as he did Sirius practically fell into the room followed by Tonk�s and a few order member�s. they took in the sight of Harry standing over the remains and came to a halt
�I did it, I actually did it� Harry whispered, more to himself but they all heard. Sirius carefully placed a hand on his shoulder
�Yes you did� Harry nodded and snapped out of his daze
�Come on� He said grabbing Sirius� arm
�Where we going?�
�To free the school� on their way they ran into several Alighter�s who tried to proclaim their loyalty to the new Dia, Harry just snarled and said he wasn�t, at least not yet.

~End Flashback~

Harry was toying with the threads on the blanket looking anywhere but at the people in the room
�Well done Harry� Albus said
�I have one question � what is anima perditore?� Sev asked, he had moved onto the bed and was stroking Harry�s hair. Harry shrugged
�I didn�t know then and I don�t know now�
�It means soul destroyer� Outkast informed them, at the blank stares she was receiving and elaborated
�It�s an ancient curse designed to fix ones soul in a body, to prevent them from becoming ghosts it was normally inflicted on murderers and other criminals to prevent them from haunting their victims families or chasing their victims if they were ghosts. It means that the spirit dies with the body�
�Ok so how did I know it?� Harry asked puzzled
�Dia�s always inherit the knowledge of those who came before, you hadn�t time to assimilate it all but you were able to access what you needed. She smiled
�I�m so proud of you Harry, it took me a week just to be able to function again� Harry blushed causing Outkast to smirk.
�Well I must be going, I have to go deal with the minister and other�s and I do believe that your fan club is awaiting an audience with you Mr. Potter. Harry looked over at his father
�Actually it�s Snape� Albus grinned and nodded left, narrowly avoiding by knocked down by assorted redheads, a blonde and a bushy brunette as he opened the door.

Draco reached Harry first and bounced on the bed, ever since his father said he didn�t have to behave like a Malfoy, he had become openly affectionate, though nothing to this extent as he plastered kisses all over Harry�s face
�Never *kiss* do *kiss* that *kiss* again *kiss� Harry giggled trying to fend him off but was feeling rather good about it really
�Draco *kiss* I *Kiss* don�t *kiss* intend *kiss* too *kiss*�
�Good� chorused the other�s before pulling Draco off Harry so they could all hug him.

After the initial hugs and kisses, everything settled down, at least until the twins arrived with Sirius and Remus and the ward became host to the most over the top firework display Hogwart�s had ever seen. It had Harry in stitches, especially when Sirius managed to set the beds on fire and came under the wrath of Madame Pomfrey. He just grinned and shrugged, he was pretty much immune to it after years of being shouted at.

ssssssssssssssss

The end of school was more jubilant then anyone could remember, the ministry now had recovered most of the Death eaters, there had been endless parties to celebrate the destruction of Voldemort and the fall of the dark and as a treat school exams (with the exceptions of the NEWTS and OWLS) had been cancelled. Everyone was just kicking back. A week after the �final battle� as it had been dubbed the Ministry � through the Prophet announced the formation of �Harry Potter day� � a bank holiday to be held annually on Harry�s birthday. When the news hit the school Harry was bombarded with requests for his appearance at parties and begged to give autographs on the copy of the Prophet that contained the article. Harry had gone bright red and tried to hide under the table. His attempt was thwarted by Draco and the Gryffindor boys, who dragged him out and paraded him around on their shoulders like a trophy singing �here comes the destroyer of Voldemort� a song that seemed to have no other words and a multitude of tunes as no one could agree on one. By the end of breakfast Harry couldn�t get any redder and looked on the verge of running away. In fact he did, he went and hid in his room but Draco followed him. Draco didn�t even say hello he just pounced on Harry pushing him into the mattress without warning. The logical part of Harry�s brain was trying to come up with a reason for Draco�s strange behaviour, but the horny side of his brain told the logical side of his brain to go fuck itself and held on for the ride.

After they had finished Draco smiled at him
�You�re unbelievably hot when you�re embarrassed� he whispered seductively Harry rolled his eyes
�Figures� he muttered. As it was already mid-morning they decided to skip classes till lunch and just stay in bed.

sssssssssssssssss

At the end of term Harry was grinning like a maniac as he handed out cards with his new address out to his friends, the prospect of never going back to the Dursely�s was making him giddy. In fact it was the only thing he demanded of the Ministry in return for �dealing with the Dark Lord situation� as they put it � he had Severus formally recognised as his father, and then got the biggest shock of his life when he found out that Outkast had put in to adopt him.
�We�re going to be a real family, Harry and we�re going to make up for you life of hell� She smiled at him, a genuine honest smile, not an �I told you that would blow up� smirk or an �I know something you don�t� grin an actual smile. Harry threw his arms around her neck causing her to laugh as she hugged him back. As an act of reconciliation (caused by Harry doing the best puppy dog eyes ever � a look he�ll deny to the death he knows he does) Remus was made one of his official Godfathers, and Sirius was acknowledge as the other. Harry was a little sad as he waved his friends off at the station, but he was comforted to know that he would see them on his birthday if not before. He laughed, he was spending his first official �Harry Potter day� hiding at his home, and he had already his friends for the party. It promised to be a big event.

As a celebration (and from Sev�s point of view a need to formalise their relationship sooner rather then later) Sev and Outkast�s wedding had been move to the first week of July and while the guest list was long, it was exclusive and even if people had plans they dropped them in order to attend. It had taken a bit of planning and running round like a headless chicken. Eventually Outkast accepted defeat and admitted she couldn�t organise it on her own. Harry came to the rescue by picking up the phone. Within an hour Hermione was there and getting everything into shape, from ordering the flowers to ordering the couple to sit down and write their vows.
�You�re really good at this, you could do it as a career� Harry said as they went for a walk one night, Hermione blushed
�It�s not as difficult as using a time turner to attend all your classes� she laughed, Harry smiled at the memory, he and Ron had gone mad that year trying to figure out how she was doing it.
�It seems like such a long time ago� he sighed and grinned as he looked over the moonlit water�s
�I can�t wait to show Dray this place he�s going to flip� Hermione nodded and sighed
�I have to go, but I�ll be back tomorrow� Harry nodded and walked her to the edge of the property, she grinned and apparated away, she had been showing off ever since she got her license. Soon Harry promised himself, very soon.

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The day of the wedding arrived and Hermione was frantic with last minute preparations as well as being a bridesmaid. Suddenly her flurry of activity stopped and she went very pale
�I�m an idiot� she cursed and then looked up at Outkast. Outkast sauntered over, she was wearing her wedding dress, it was a deep red with a long trial and triangular sleeves, her hair was a light brown and all the same colour, tied in an intricate bun with a few stands cascading down her neck. She was working on removing the multitude of earrings she normally had in and putting in the single pair she was wearing for the ceremony
�What�s wrong Hermione?� She asked
�I forgot a page boy� she muttered looked apologetic, Outkast smiled
�Don�t worry it�s covered� she didn�t elaborate and wondered off.

The music changed the service was about to start, Hermione and Ginny had been trying to stop laughing at the disgruntled look on the page-boy�s face
�It wasn�t funny the first time round, and it still isn�t� Harry griped in his little suit Hermione just burst out in hysterics. Harry sighed, resigned to his fate he walked down the isle in front of his new mum, carrying the rings on a cushion. There was a huge amount�s of �awwww�s coming from the guest as they went. One at their destination Harry glared t his father
�I don�t know how I don�t know when but someday I will get you back for this� Sev smirked and ruffled his hair. Harry growled.

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The service ended with the obligatory kiss and photo�s, Harry sighed and did his best to smile, after all it was their wedding and he should know better then to take a drink from Outkast. As the last of the confetti was thrown the wedding party got into horse-drawn carriages to get to the reception. Severus looked over at Harry who was still pouting, but at least was doing it with a smile. He grinned at his son and retrieved a vile from his pocket. Harry took it suspiciously and stared at Sev who raised an eyebrow
�Unless you want to stay like that� Harry swiftly down the bitter potion and immediately felt himself grow. He forgot that his clothes wouldn�t but was spare major embarrassment when Sev reached down and pulled out a new set that as identical what he had been wearing but bigger. Harry sighed with relief
�I take it back you�re my hero I will never need to take revenge for this� he then changed into the new suit. Just in time as they arrived at Hogwarts for the reception.

The meal was delicious, Albus made a speech followed by the obligatory best man speech. Which was uncharacteristically good for a best man speech, both witty and poignant, but then again would you expect anything else from Lucius Malfoy? Soon it was time for the happy couple to share their first dance. The music was slow, and everyone watched in awe at how well the two fitted together. Draco smiled and leaned over to talk to Harry
�You all set for tonight?�
�Yeah I packed this morning, I still can�t believe that they don�t think I can be left along for two weeks� he grumbled but with a little smile, Draco grinned
�It shows they care, and you�re loving every minute of it� Harry smirked
�Oh yeah you better believe it� Harry smiled wistfully, he was going to spend the next two weeks with Draco at Malfoy manor, since Voldemort had gone and the main player in the Death eaters were in Azkaban it was safe for them to return. It had been a long discussion but Draco and Lucuis decided that they wanted to live there, even if it was the scene of some horrific crimes. The place had some good memories too and the Malfoy�s had been there for over 500 years, they weren�t about to let one man drive them out. Harry was looking forward to it, both Sev and Outkast had offered to turn their Honeymoon into a family holiday but Harry didn�t want to spend to weeks with newly weds next door�. Especially if they were his parents so he declined.

For the first time in his life Harry was truly happy, he had come a long way in such a short time and was actually looking forward to what the future would bring. As he looked over at the dance floor and saw his parents sharing their first dance as a married couple he knew everything was going to be fine, and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.

THE END!!!!!!!!!
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Death is a Blessing