Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Different Kind of Hero	By : JunjouSlashGirl Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 53263 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 10
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling. I do not earn any money with this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12: New Beginnings
SS
Severus fled from the Headmaster's Office, not able to believe what he had just found out. Harry Potter, the boy he had hated for years because he so resembled the man who had stolen his greatest love from him, was his son. He had hated and harassed his own son, his flesh and blood for years. He had always hated the boy, because in his eyes, Harry should have been his and not James'.
Lily had always wished for a big family, and he had often dreamed about a black haired and green eyed child with her, and when she had gotten that child, but with another man, he had been hurt and furious. Never had he imagined that the child was in fact his like he had always wished; the product of their undying love.
As he ran down the stairs into his dungeons he pondered the situation and realized that he should have suspected something. Their love had grown steadily over the years, and Lily had never been the type to just switch to another relationship after the previous had ended, but he had been so hurt that he had not thought about it. How could he not have suspected something? Harry had been born too early to possibly be James' son. Had his anger and pain blinded him that much?
Sighing he admitted to himself that it obviously had, and realized that even though he had betrayed her, left her pregnant, albeit unknowingly, she had not aborted their child but instead had gone to great lengths to ensure their unborn child's safety. Harry's safety, he reminded himself. Harry was his son. To see not only his name on the boy's birth certificate, but also that Harry's full name was Harry Severus James Potter had been a great shock. Until then, he had still believed that Dumbledore had gone barmy somewhere along the line, but the documents were magical and formed automatically after a baby was born, factually stating the name of the baby's parents.
The thought of being Harry Potter's father still felt very foreign to him, but he would try and make up for the lost years and the hurtful words. As unbelievable as it sounded, Harry was what he had always wished for: his own family. With his newly gained knowledge he could finally admit what a great child the small raven really was.
A pang of guilt struck his heart at that thought. He had not been there for his child. Harry had gone through hell for the last twelve years, and he had not been there for him even though he could have given Harry a good home. Maybe not a stereotypical home like the Weasley's, but a home filled with love and care, not starvation and abuse.
He had reached his quarters, and hissed the password to the snake portrait, rushing inside and leaning, panting, against it in the darkness of his living room.
His wards had been triggered, Harry and his friends must have arrived here from Grimmauld Place, but that was unimportant right now. The important thing to do was to decide what he should do right now, or more precisely, what he should do with Harry. He had to talk to the boy soon; Harry was surely in as much distress as himself right now, only Harry was a child and did not have as much experience with coping with stress as himself. He chuckled darkly as the thought crossed his mind, yes; he was obviously coping so well.
Sobering again, a question sprung to his mind: Would Harry want him as a father? For him, there was no doubt that he wanted to take on this role, after all he had already started to like the brave Gryffindor, who was so much like Lily in character. Lucius had been right that day at Privet Drive, and that had been what had enraged him so much. How could he have started to feel fond of his school rival's child? But that reason had been blown out of the window by Dumbledore a few minutes ago.
He still could not believe the lengths Lily had gone to keep Harry and him safe, and that James had apparently helped her with everything.
Lupin's words came back to his mind. So, Potter really had done something to pay his debt back.
Closing his eyes, he conjured the picture of Harry in front of his inner eye, the child he had created with his first and only love. Lily had been the only woman that he had loved or even had sex with to date.
But that didn't mean that Harry would welcome him with open arms. Did he even have the slightest chance after tormenting his son for so many years?
He needed to talk with somebody, preferably someone who had experience with children. He stumbled over to his fireplace in the dark, lit it with his wand, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and tossed it into the flames, shouting, "Malfoy Manor, Lucius' private office!"
Only when he was swirling through the Floo System did he realize that Lucius was mated to his barely twelve year old son, who had literally fucked his twelve year old son.
He had to tell his friend how young his mate actually was. He had to resist ripping the Malfoy patriarch's head from his shoulders for fucking his son, the son who should still be innocently playing with toy brooms, or whatever else children played with.
Reminding himself that Lucius was indeed his best friend, and that no one could stop the bond of two magical creatures, he stepped out of Lucius' pompous fireplace.
"Severus," Lucius greeted from his place in his favourite wingback chair, a glass of red wine in one hand and a book in his lap. Still focused on his book, he continued, "Sit down and take a glass. I honestly am not able to appreciate the taste of wine anymore, regardless of its flawless quality, but it would be a waste to pour it down the drain."
Ignoring the offer, Severus sat down in the armchair across from Lucius and told him without preamble, "I have a son."
That finally caused Lucius to look up from his book, surprise flashing quickly through his silver-red eyes.
"How far along is she? Can you persuade her to...take care of the problem, or is it already too late for that? I had honestly believed that you had not touched a witch since Lily, but it is good that you have moved on. Still... you should have been more careful, my friend," the aristocrat drawled.
Severus was still too confused to be offended, even though he knew that he probably should be, and simply replied, "It is Harry. He was never James' son."
Hearing this, Lucius nearly dropped his glass of wine, gaping at Severus.
"I was in Dumbledore's office when Harry and his two friends arrived to demand the leadership of the Order. Typical of a true Gryffindor, he told the headmaster that he might give him a second chance if the man stopped lying to him, and told him everything he needed to know..." Severus elaborated.
Lucius needed a moment to find his voice again, and then asked, "And Dumbledore told you that Harry Potter is your son? Surely you do not believe this nonsense, the boy looks nearly identical to James."
"Have you ever heard of the Heritage Ritual?" Severus asked dryly.
"But if Lily had used the ritual to keep you and Harry safe from the Dark Lord, the boy would look more like her and not like a Potter," Lucius explained calmly.
"Apparently, the Evans' are a side branch of the Potter family. They were founded by a squib that married a muggle. Besides, I saw the birth certificate and it clearly states that Harry Severus James Potter is my son," Severus explained patiently.
Lucius’ eyes widened in surprise, "Harry Severus...? So he really is..."
"...my son," the Potions Master finished.
His friend poured him a glass of wine, obviously needing the time to sort his own thoughts. As he gave Severus the glass, he asked, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I... want to try and be a father for the boy, but I do not know if he will accept me. I have never been very good with children..." Severus broke off.
"You will have to talk with him," Lucius mused, and then added, "Be honest and try to be understanding; he will surely give you a chance. There is only one way to be a good father."
"And that would be?" Severus asked frowning.
"Love him unconditionally, show him that and always be patient," Lucius smiled softly.
"I am not sure if he will even give me a chance," Severus grumbled.
"Harry even gave me a second chance," Lucius reminded him, which brought the other surprise to the forefront of Severus's mind. He still had to tell the Malfoy patriarch the other revelation.
°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°
LM
"There is something else we found out this evening," Severus said, and Lucius blinked. Had that not been enough shocking news for one night? What else had the old coot of a headmaster kept secret?
He looked at his friend, who hesitated, which was quite unusual for the Potions Master.
"What is it?" Lucius asked. "It cannot be that bad."
"Lily and I became a couple in our final year at Hogwarts, and Harry is now fifteen," Severus gave him a look, as if his words should explain everything. Thinking about it for a moment, he realized what his friend meant, and a cold feeling started to creep up his back. Trying to calm himself he said, "But that cannot be correct. It would mean..."
"...that Harry is only twelve years old, yes," his friend finished, and Lucius' breath would have hitched, if he still had to breathe, his grip loosening on his superfluous wineglass. Instead, he forced himself to consider the matter logically, because otherwise, his mostly silent conscience would have a field day.
"That cannot be possible. Harry is in the same year as my Draco was; he cannot be that much younger. The Ministry would never allow an eight year old to go to Hogwarts and thus, you cannot be the father," Lucius said, hoping that his friend would see that something about this story had to be wrong.
"Apparently, the abuse Harry had to suffer under his relatives had been more severe than we thought. Dumbledore told us that they beat and starved him so badly, that he decided to perform a Dark Ritual to alter the minds of every witch and wizard, making them believe that he was already eleven, and not only eight, in order to save him."
This time, he did drop his glass.
"That cannot be true..." he gasped.”Harry cannot be...my mate cannot be...I would have never..." his voice left him, as he realized what Severus story meant: He was mated to a twelve year old child. It had been hard enough coming to terms with practically forcing a fifteen year old boy to have sex with him, even though their mate status had made sure that Harry had wanted the sex as well.
He had needed a few days, but in the end he had squashed his guilty conscience by repeatedly reminding himself that a sixteen year old wizard was considered fully responsible for their sexual life, and that under special circumstances the legal age could be lowered to fifteen, making it legal to participate in a sexual encounter with a boy or a girl at that age. But twelve was way below that, twelve was considered a child, and children had to be protected from sexual experiences in any shape or form to ensure their mental health. It was not even allowed to buy a pornographic magazine for a child that young and Lucius had always supported that law.
A wave of nausea swept over him, as he thought about their first encounter, and the way he had dominated the small child, how he had fucked the boy into his mattress.
Lucius had already accepted that he loved Harry's young body, but the thought that he was very attracted to a twelve year old boy made him sick. It didn't really make a difference that he had not known his mate's real age.
Oh Merlin! Harry was a child! A second year student! He still remembered his own son at that age, his pure innocence and childishness.
Now, after Dumbledore's ritual was lifted from him, he could clearly see the similarity between Draco back then and Harry: the bright, big eyes that still sparkled in wonder at everything new, the ability to enjoy the smallest things, and the adorable way of moving, a mixture of clumsiness and elegance, still in the process of learning how to carry himself.
He had wondered at Harry's immense need for closeness and comfort; it was high, even for a submissive, but now it made sense, the natural need of a child for physical contact mixed with the need to be close to his dominant.
A child, he thought again. A little boy, still years away from puberty, and he, Lucius Malfoy, had mated with him.
What distressed him even more was the fact that he could and would not stop their relationship. For one, the physical relationship was very important to mates; Harry would only start to feel insecure and doubt that he really loved him if he withdrew. For another, Harry needed to be dominated as a submissive; they had found that out today, and lastly: Harry was a vampire and regardless of how long he would wait until he took the boy again, he would stay a child for eternity. That was the peculiar thing about vampire genes, they stopped nearly every development. The transformation into a vampire had ensured that Harry would stay a child in body and mind. Of course, that did not mean that Harry would not become wiser with years, but it would only make him a highly skilled child, and not an adult in a child's body.
Should he feel like a paedophile? Like a rapist? He probably would, if not for their mating bond; still, the guilt weighing down on his conscious remained.
"Lucius?" Severus pulled him from his thoughts. The man was wearing a worried expression. His friend was normally not a man to give his feelings away, but it made it all the more clear how worried Severus was about his son.
He cleared his throat and focused his gaze back on his friend: "Yes?"
"What will you do?"
"There is not much I can do. Harry and I are still mated, and even in a hundred years he will still be twelve, only with the knowledge of a hundred more years," he answered with a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Severus nodded in understanding, "I hope then, that you will consider his youth even more extensively now."
"I will, but it will not change our physical relationship," Lucius replied.
"I know, but be warned, I will protect him even from you," Severus sneered and leaned warningly forwards in his chair, his teeth bared.
"And I would not have it any other way," Lucius mused, not shocked in the least by his friend's protectiveness towards the young Gryffindor.
"I will have to go now. I promised Harry to be back at Grimmauld Place within an hour, and my first action as a parent will not be to break a promise," Severus sighed and stood up, knocking back the rest of his glass of exquisite wine, as if it were the dregs of a warm beer, and striding back to the fireplace.
"Has Harry already told you when he will introduce me to the order?" Lucius asked, stopping the Potions Master who had just taken a handful of Floo powder from an emerald green velvet box.
"He has probably already discussed it with Dumbledore, but I was gone by then."
Lucius scowled, for Harry's sake he would have hoped that his friend had stayed longer and not run off, but he could also understand that Severus was confused. He would be as well, or more precisely, he was as well, but for other reasons.
"Send me a message as soon as you know more. Harry's owl has been injured during the attack at King's Cross and she would be too conspicuous anyway. Doesn't he own a snowy owl?"
Severus gave a short nod, before finally tossing the powder in the Floo and stepping into the flames.
Sighing, Lucius watched his friend go. Normally, he never did anything as plebeian as sighing, but he was alone in his manor, and after all of the disturbing news, he needed an outlet. Life with Harry Potter surely never got boring, but at least he would see his mate soon.
°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°
HP
Harry stumbled out of the hearth of Grimmauld Place. Luckily, it was much later than when he had left by now, and no one awaited him in the dark living room. He just stood there, his mind numb with all of the new information, so shocked he could not even decide whether or not he should sit down.
The fireplace flared up behind him, and Ron swiftly followed by Hermione, stepped out with much less stumbling than he had done. Luckily, Hermione shooed him gently over to the old and worn down sofa, taking the decision about what to do next from him.
"Harry, how are you feeling?" she asked softly after a moment.
Ron flopped down across from him and snorted, "Very peachy probably."
Hermione glared at the redhead, but his comment had broken Harry's dazed trance.
His body started to shake violently:
"I...don't know what should shake me the most. Snape, my father? ...he hates me!"
His friends just stared at him silently; there really wasn't much they could say that would comfort him.
"And then this crazy thing with my age... I...I am a child! How do I explain this to Sirius and Remus? Or your family Ron?"
"They will still love you," Hermione said carefully.
"How can they? I am a bloody magical experiment!" Harry exclaimed, tears gathering in his eyes.
"Harry, I once read about the ritual Dumbledore has mentioned, it might have altered the genes concerning your appearance, but nothing more, it has not changed you into another person, even without it you would still be you," she tried to sooth him.
"Yeah, only with Snape's nose," Ron snorted drily.
"NO! I don't want to look like him! I don't want to have his nose! It is huge and... and..." Harry’s voice broke.
Hermione sat down next to him and took him into her arms: "Shh...Everything will turn out right, you will see. You always told us that Professor Snape...I mean Severus... what do we call him now?" she asked, sounding confused and a bit desperate.
"I think Snape will do. We still don't know if he even wants me as a son," Harry replied dryly, putting his head into his hands.
"...what I wanted to say was, that you told us that he is a responsible person, surely he would not let you down," Hermione finished her sentence gently.
"Would you even want him as a father? I mean...it’s Snape..." Ron asked carefully.
Harry sighed, maybe that was the truly important question, and not if Snape would accept him as a son. And what was his answer? He truly couldn't say. He had always dreamed that one of his parents would miraculously be alive, but then again, he had imagined it would be Lily or James and not the grumpy Potions Master. He had honestly not yet thought about it. After Dumbledore had told them about Snape, he had been too shocked by how much of his life was a lie, to even ask himself if he would want his Professor as a father.
"I honestly don't know... I mean, you are right...he has tormented me for the last four years because of a childish grudge against a man that isn't even alive anymore," He mumbled and stood up to pace in front of the sofa.
"That's true, but think about it: How hurt must he have been?" Hermione argued, without sounding truly convinced herself. Her forehead furrowed as she contemplated the problem.
"Yeah...and how much has he hurt me? I was...I am the child in this, he should have behaved differently," he replied.
"But imagine your mate suddenly died after you had a huge fight..." she tried again, making a vague gesture with her hand.
Harry threw her a glare. "I would still not take it out on a child."
They fell silent for a moment, neither knowing what to say. It was Ron that surprised him when he suddenly suggested, "Maybe, you should wait and see what he has to say. Look... I know he isn't the one you imagined, I know, but he could become a father. Wouldn't it be better than what you have now?"
"Even if he wants to become my father, how could I ever trust him after the past four years?" He asked exasperatedly.
Ron smirked evilly, "Just tell him that he has to prove it to you."
Hermione agreed, to Harry's surprise, "That might be a good start. You need some basis for trusting him."
Sighing again, Harry thought that his friends were probably right, but even the thought of giving Snape a chance felt like a heavy rock in his stomach. He felt as if he would be tossing away the memory of James Potter and his sacrifice by doing so, but then again, hadn't Remus told him that James had wished for Snape to one day be happy with the thing life had granted him? Wasn't he, Harry, the thing James Potter had meant? So, wouldn't it be honouring the man's memory and not throwing it away?
"You two are right. I will just wait and see what comes from the discussion, if he even shows up. All the if’s are driving me crazy," he muttered, feeling tiredness creeping up on him for the first time since he had drunken the sun potion.
"He will show up. Haven't you always said that he is a right git, but he never lies and never breaks promises?" Hermione said.
"But this is something else," He replied.
"Man, I really hate the thought of him being your father," Ron grumbled, crossing his arm and pouting like a small child.
"Ron, didn't you just argue for him?" Hermione asked, incredulous.
"I did, for Harry's sake, but that doesn't mean that I like the man," the redhead snorted.
"Well, I don't particularly like him either," the bushy haired girl confessed.
Harry scowled down at the dirty table in front of him, "I hate this whole situation. Couldn't my mum have had a secret relationship with Sirius? Why him?"
"That would have been too easy, after all, we are talking about your life, man," Ron snickered, only to get hit upside the head by Hermione.
"Let's forget Snape for a moment. I mean, not everything we heard this evening was bad," she smiled suddenly.
"It wasn't?" Harry and Ron asked simultaneously.
"That you are the owner of Hogwarts and a descendant of all of the Founders is amazing and certainly something good."
"But it also sounded like a lot of work," Ron argued.
Hermione shook her head no, "Not necessarily; remember what Dumbledore said? Harry can leave the direction of the school to someone else," she countered.
"I really didn't want another reason to be special. The whole thing with Voldemort is more than enough already," Harry grumbled, not really seeing the advantage of being the owner of the castle right now.
"But you have really famous ancestors, no wonder you are so powerful and intelligent!" Hermione beamed.
Harry only frowned at her words; his marks were definitively not good enough to call him especially intelligent. "I am neither especially powerful, nor especially intelligent."
Ron apparently thought the same, "He is right, Mione, Harry is not bad at school, but he sure as hell isn't as clever as you."
"Harry, you and Ron forgetting that you started your educations at eight, and you just passed the fourth year with one O in Defense and E's in every other class, excluding potions where you only earned an A. I couldn't have done so well at his age," she said.
"You have a point there," Ron mused.
"But shouldn't I be better at potions then?" he asked.
Suddenly a voice behind them joined the conversation, "No, you shouldn't. In fact, there is no way to do better in my class at your age than you are doing,"
They all flinched, and then turned around to see Snape stepping out of the flames.
"Why not Professor?" Hermione asked curiously, covering the awkward silence which would surely have arisen otherwise.
"Because," Snape drawled "potions draw on the magical field that surrounds every wizard and witch. This field is not very stable or strong at a young age, regardless of the power and stability of his or her magical core; therefore, there are only a few potions which can be brewed by a child. Luckily, the magical field is the one thing that keeps maturing, regardless of the nature of the student," he explained pointedly.
Ron and Hermione eyed their teacher in confusion, but Harry had understood the message, he would not be stuck only able to brew first year potions for eternity.
An awkward silence arose then. Harry, who had looked up at Snape, averted his eyes, feeling nervous and uncomfortable. He didn't want to look at the man and think about what they had to discuss.
A sudden revelation had hit him, even though he did not know if he could ever accept the man as a father, he would not be able to cope with a rejection either. What if Snape told him that he hated him, regardless of their kinship? That would be much worse than a supposed father who had been killed whilst protecting him and his mother.
His hands started to tremble, and Hermione hastily grabbed them, stroking soothing circles over his skin.
Snape cleared his throat, and then asked, "Do you wish for Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to remain here whilst we speak?"
Harry nodded, and Snape sat down on the smaller couch across from him. Ron stood up and changed seats so that Harry was now sitting between his two best friends. He felt much better with Ron and Hermione at his side, even though they would not be much help with the upcoming conversation.
"Harry," Snape started, and then asked, "Can I call you Harry? It would be inappropriate to continue addressing each other by our last names."
Harry didn't reply and just stared at the pale and carefully guarded face of his father. He really didn't know if he wanted so much familiarity with the man just yet, but to say no might end every chance of a reasonable conversation with him.
Snape seemed to take his silence as agreement, and continued, "I am aware, that our relationship has not been very positive in the past few years..."
Ron snorted loudly, interrupting the professor, who for once just ignored the disrespectful behaviour, "...but please believe me when I say, that I want to make up for my past mistakes."
"Why?" Harry asked suddenly, needing to understand the dark man, who had changed from hating him to wanting to be his father so suddenly. It was just so illogical.
Snape ran a hand through his greasy hair before nodding in understanding, "Lily was everything to me. My family was nearly as horrible as yours. My father was abusive, and he hated my mother for being a witch."
"But then why did he marry her?" Harry confusedly asked.
"She kept it a secret until after their marriage, I myself do not know why, and I never could figure it out, but she did, and that is the important thing..." he paused for a moment. Everything was silent in the room; not even breathing could be heard, as if Harry's friends held their breath in anticipation, until Snape continued his story, "I met Lily one afternoon when I was nine years old on the playground in our neighbourhood and we became friends. We met up nearly every day, I told her about magic, because back then she knew nothing about it, and in return, she gave me a distraction from my horrible family life."
Harry gulped, he hadn't known that Snape had gone through nearly the same things he had, and involuntarily, he felt a bit closer to the man.
"I fell in love with her almost immediately. She had a heart as big and full of love and warmth as you yourself possess," Snape's voice had dropped to a whisper, and a softness had entered his eyes that Harry had never seen before.
"We went to Hogwarts together, sat together on the train, and as I already told you, even our separation into two different and rivalling houses did not destroy our friendship. I think that your mother didn't realize that I was in love with her until the end of our six year, even though we often talked about the future and our dreams for the future."
Harry's whole body was shaking by now, he had never heard so much about his mother. Sirius and Remus always talked about James, who had been their best friend, Lily's name had only ever been mentioned in connection with James', and he had sometimes believed that they didn't know her very well. At least now he knew. His guardians had probably not known her until her sudden engagement to James. He concentrated back on Snape, who had started talking again.
"She always told me that she wanted to have a little baby boy, with dark hair and bright green eyes, because she loved her eyes, which she had inherited from her own mother, grandmother and even her great-grandmother, at least, that was what her mother always told her..."
Harry could not watch his professor any longer, he felt a single tear swell up in the corner of his left eye, and he hastily looked down on his intertwined fingers, before it rolled down his cheek.
"...and I wanted to have that child with her," Snape continued almost inaudibly. "Back then I thought that James was jealous of my good relationship with her, but after what I learned this evening, I believe that he had just been protective of her."
Harry nodded, that sounded more likely.
"You already know the rest of the story. After our one night together, we got into an argument and I betrayed her."
It was silent for a moment, Harry's mind was racing, he had learned so much about the man in front of him over the course of fifteen minutes that it was overwhelming, but he still didn't know if he could forgive the man who had previously just been his loathed Potions Professor.
Finally he said, "That is all good and well, but I still see no reason why I should trust you. You have always protected me in some ways. I think, for my mother, and maybe for Dumbledore as well, but only grudgingly. Let's face it; you have never done something just for me."
Snape flinched away from the comment, closing his eyes and turning momentarily away from the pain his son's brutal honesty had caused, and Harry felt a wave of pity for the man, but he squashed it immediately. It was his turn to demand something for a change, because even though Severus Snape had often accused him of being a demanding spoiled brat, he had never been. He had endured everything life had given him without complaining once. Now was his time to be childish and he felt justified; after all, he was only twelve years old.
"What do you want from me Harry?" Snape asked; dark eyes boring into his own.
Harry didn't need to think, the words left his mouth automatically: "Show me that you want to be my father. Prove it to me by doing something only a father would do for his child. I can't accept a man as my parent who is unable to act like one, because that would only mean that he would never be able to love me as a son. At least that would make me consider accepting you as a parent."
He stood up and turned his side to the Potions Master, about to leave for his room, when Snape's voice stopped him, "When will the Order be meeting?"
Harry blinked once in confusion, but then thought that he probably wanted to inform Lucius.
"Tomorrow at 5 p.m., but half an hour later is early enough. Could you tell him too?" he asked, hoping that Snape knew whom he meant by him. Snape gave a curt nod in understanding, but his expression gave nothing away about his thoughts.
Harry had decided that it would be best to introduce the new spy after he had been announced the new leader so that Dumbledore would not be able to back out of their agreement; even though he didn't believe that the old man would do that at this point. But still, he would not take any chances.
"We will be there on time," Snape said, and Harry heard him rise as well, but he only turned around when he heard the fireplace flare up again. Snape had gone, probably to Lucius. He was not sad about the man's disappearance.
Without having to discuss it, Ron, Hermione and he went upstairs into their bedroom. Going over to his bed, he let himself flop onto the mattress, exhausted beyond belief.
"You did well, Harry," Hermione said from her bed.
"Yeah man, I think I would have just punched the git if I had been in your place," Ron agreed.
"I kind of can understand why he behaved like he did, but that doesn't make it any better," Hermione mused.
"I can as well, but that is not enough to accept him," Harry explained, his eyes already closed.
"You were right to demand something that would prove he means his words," the bushy haired girl said.
"It's just...I would rather continue living without a father, than with one who takes the job out of a false sense of duty," Harry had sat up and picked up Nagini as well, who had been laying at the foot of his bed, only to press her fiercely against his chest, like a frightened child would a teddy bear. The snake hissed in surprise, but didn't struggle to slither away.
When he pulled his comforter over his body Ron asked, "Don't you want to change first? Those clothes don't look very comfy to sleep in."
Looking down, he decided it would be better to change. After all, his friends didn't know that it didn't matter if he could breathe well in his waistcoat or not, or that the garments would not get dirty on his body. So he let go of Nagini, and pulled the white button down from under his pillow before starting to strip.
Hermione had politely turned away from him, but Ron eyed him sceptically and asked, "You still sleep in that old thing? Doesn't it need to be washed?"
Grinning, Harry lied, "I ordered Kreacher to clean it, so it is clean again." He pulled the shirt over his head, inhaling the scent of his mate, before stepping out of his trousers. Then he proceeded to pack the garments into the cupboard neatly. Normally, he just threw his clothes over a chair, but he thought that the clothes Lucius had given him were much too expensive to be treated so carelessly.
When he was finished, he lay down once more, and Nagini curled protectively around him. She had not asked him about his evening, but he knew that she could smell how upset he was.
He heard the bedroom door open and close when Hermione left to get ready for the night as well, but he was so tired, that he didn't hear her return.
Mumbling a quiet, "Goodnight," to Ron, Harry closed his eyes and quickly drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.
°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°°ºooº°
HP
When Harry came down into the kitchen the next morning, he noticed that Snape had not yet returned. He had decided to not call him his father, even in his mind, as long as the man had not proven his desire to take hold of the title and position.
Sitting down between his two friends, he watched as his two guardians entered behind them, sitting down as well. They both looked very tired. Sirius had never been a morning person, although Remus was, but Harry supposed after their fight yesterday it was no wonder that both men had slept badly. Deciding to talk to Sirius after breakfast, he took a blood drop from the little bag he always wore on his belt and popped it into his mouth.
"Harry, this is not an acceptable alternative to a healthy breakfast," Hermione scolded him, but Ron interrupted the lecture that had been about to come.
"Let him be. He has enough on his mind this morning."
"Did something happen? Did you have a vision?" Sirius asked, instantly concerned, but luckily Molly saved him from giving an answer, as she came in announcing, "I got an owl from Dumbledore just now. He will come for an urgent meeting at 5 p.m., and the whole Order will be here."
"What? All of the Order members? That has never happened before," Remus asked with a frown on his face.
"This cannot be good," Arthur agreed, putting down the heavy pan with scrambled eggs for his wife.
"Maybe Voldemort has done something really horrible?" Ginny asked.
"Then I will hear about it at work and send you an owl," Arthur answered, but he addressed the adults and not his daughter.
"Let's hope that it isn't the case," Remus commented, reaching for the pan.
Harry and his friends had stayed silent the entire time, and so had Fred and George. The twins eyed Harry with a mischievous gleam in their eyes. Did they have an idea of what Harry had planned, or did they just have a sense for the upcoming chaos? He assumed that it was the latter, or better: he hoped so.
Suddenly fluttering could be heard from the kitchen door and, before he had time to look up, a grey owl swooped down in front of him and landed on his empty plate. Curiously, Harry detached the scroll of parchment from her leg, and eyed the strange bird. It hooted once, before flying away again.
"Is it another package from your...?" Ron didn't end his sentence, but Harry shook his head anyway.
"No, my mate would never use such a plain owl."
Hermione wrinkled her nose in disapproval, but he ignored her and unrolled the parchment. The Gringotts seal greeted him and he explained, "It's from Gringotts."
"Really?" Ginny asked in interest, and tried to peer over his shoulder.
"Ginerva Weasley, don't try and look at someone else's mail!" Molly corrected sharply.
"But mum, Harry doesn't mind," she argued.
Rolling his eyes, Harry started to read the letter. He quickly noticed that Griphtug had sent him a list with not only all of the Potter inheritance, but also included all of the Malfoy properties. His eyes widened gradually, as he read over the list of manors, villas, cottages, and houses which were scattered all over Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, France, and even Germany.
The next page listed only the amount of money he now possessed. The sum had so many zeros, that he did not even know how to pronounce it anymore. Naturally, the share of money which had been brought into the marriage by Lucius was much, much higher than his own. Scanning the report about the last decades, he quickly noticed that the Potters apparently had not been very good businessmen. They had not invested very much and therefore their wealth had decreased. Well, it was still enough for him, especially considering that he now had the Malfoy money as well. Thinking about it, he had to admit, that he probably was not a very good businessman either.
The third page contained a short letter:
"Dear Lord Potter,
Professor Dumbledore informed me this morning, that you are the heir to the Hogwarts founders. As it was specified that only the heir of all four of these great witches and wizards has claim to their fortune, we are happy to tell you, that you are the sole heir to their wealth and properties.
I also have to inform you, that this part of your inheritance is not allowed to become a part of the fortune of your mate, or be shared with any other parties."
The note was signed by Griphtug, and had a third list attached.
Harry gasped, as he turned the page and came face to face with more listed properties. It seemed that every founder had had their own manor, but they also had shared a villa that was called Holiday Manor. Of course, there was also more money, which would make him nearly as rich as Lucius himself, if he added it to the Potter money.
Folding the parchment, he pocketed it safely and finally looked up again. The whole table was staring curiously at him.
"I got a report about my finances," he said, clearing his throat.
"Hey cub, I know that the Potters were not very good with money, so if you ever need a financial boost, just tell me, ok?" Sirius said, causing Harry to nearly choke on his candy. If his godfather only knew..., he thought, but nodded and gave him a thankful smile.
"Don't worry Harry," Ginny said suddenly. "It doesn't bother me, that you are not as rich as I thought."
Harry gave her an irritated look, but Molly was quicker than him, and pointed out: "Of course not, after all, he will marry his mate; you have no business with his money, Ginny."
"This breakfast has turned out to be a real hassle," Ron muttered, eying his plate in annoyance.
Agreeing with Ron, Harry stood up and turned to his godfather:
"Sirius, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course Harry. Do you want to go into the library?"
Nodding, he went ahead, Sirius following him quickly.
They went to the back corner in the library, where the chess board was. Harry sat down, and as his godfather saw his serious face, he wrinkled his forehead in confusion.
"I didn't do anything stupid again, did I?" The Animagus asked worriedly.
Harry had to smile at his godfather. Sirius really was like an uncle, not quite a father, because he was too much of a big child for that, but he was one of the most important people in Harry's life nonetheless.
"You have, but I think it is really not your fault this time," he started softly.
Sirius blinked at him, "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember our argument yesterday?" Harry asked carefully.
Sirius's face fell even more, but his godfather nodded without further comment.
Sighing Harry said, "I don't want to talk about our fight, so don't look at me like that. In fact, I think what I will tell you will make you very happy," before you get very angry when you see me introducing Lucius this afternoon, he added mentally.
"Really?" Sirius beamed at him.
"Yeah," Harry laughed. "I told you that I have come into my inheritance," he continued and Sirius nodded, looking, as if he did not understand what Harry was getting at. "Since then I am able to notice certain things. I can smell them, like Remus can." Sirius' eyes widened in surprise at that tidbit of information. "That is how I found out who his mate is," Harry continued.
"Who is it? You have to tell me, Harry!" Sirius had jumped to his feet a mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes, probably because he still thought that he had lost the man he loved.
"It is you," he said with a smile.
"Me? That can't be, you must be wrong," Sirius glared at him and sat down again.
"No, I am not," he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared back at his godfather, without really meaning it.
"But why didn’t he ever tell me that I am his mate?" Sirius asked in confusion.
"Because he is the submissive of the two of you," Harry explained, but realized that he would have to elaborate, when Sirius only continued to stare at him.
"Look, I am a magical creature as well, and so I know that it is impossible for a submissive to make the first step, they will suffer in silence forever if their dominant doesn't notice them."
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know what the correct procedures for werewolves are, but as far as I know, there are some submissive creatures who must be courted, others want to be overpowered, and still others must be taken by force the first time."
Sirius made a disgusted face: "You mean rape?"
Harry winced, but he knew that Lucius had been shocked after their mating as well, as he had probably feared the same. Thinking about his answer, he said carefully, "I don't know if Remus needs something like that, I doubt it, but if he does it would not be rape for him."
"How do you know so much about this topic?" Sirius asked astonished.
"Instincts," he answered truthfully and simply.
Sirius smiled sheepishly at him, and then sobered once more: "How will I find out what he wants from me?"
This really was not an easy question. With him and Lucius, their instincts had taken over, Lucius' even before his own, but they were both magical creatures, so would it work the same way with a wizard and a werewolf? Most likely not, but he could not tell his godfather to just go for it and push Remus onto a bed... he honestly doubted that werewolves had the same rituals as vampires. To be honest, Harry even thought that their extreme mating was only possible due to the fact that they were dead and thus experienced pain on a whole different level.
"I think you should just invite him on a date and see what happens. Just treat him as you would treat any other wizard," he advised finally.
"You really must think me stupid," Sirius grinned, and Harry grinned back replying, "Not stupid, only very blind, and I certainly would have thought that you would have more courage. How long have you been secretly in love with Moony?"
Sirius blushed nearly as darkly as Ron always did, "Since our last year at Hogwarts. At first, I never had the courage to tell him, and then I was imprisoned. When I was free again twelve years had passed, and I was afraid about what might have changed between us."
"Nothing has changed. The love of a mate is undying. It might not always be love at first sight, but after it has developed, it will never die or go away again," Harry said, his thoughts wandering to his own mate. He was still not sure how he felt about Lucius, or maybe, deep down he already knew, but he was still too scared to admit his feelings for the arrogant aristocrat.
"Thank you Harry for telling me, and I think Remus will thank you sooner or later as well," Sirius said and stood up, eagerness shining in his eyes.
Harry felt happy for the Animagus and the werewolf, who had suffered so much in their lives.
"Can you tell Ron and Hermione that I am in the library, and ask them if they want to join me for a game of chess?" He asked his godfather, before he could rush back to his mate.
"I will tell them," Sirius promised and hurried off.
Chuckling, Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He hoped that the two wizards would work things out; they deserved a bit of happiness.
He wanted to day dream a bit about his own mate, but instead his thoughts wandered to Snape. The man had not returned yet, but surely he would be there for the meeting, well at least Harry hoped so.
He would like to know if Snape was even trying to find a way to prove to him that he wanted to be his father, but somehow, he could not imagine it. When had the Potions Master ever done something for another person? Most likely when his mother had still been alive, or maybe even for Dumbledore once or twice, but surely not often.
Growling silently, Harry asked himself why he was even thinking about this. Was he so desperate for a father, that he was going to waste time pondering what his father might do to prove himself? Mulling over it wouldn't change whether Snape was going to do something, or speed it up, whatever it was.
There really was no reason to be so pathetic, he had Sirius and Remus, who were no parents, but as close to relatives as he had ever known (he did not count the Dursley’s) and he had the Weasley’s. So looking at the situation from that angle, he had two uncles, a mother, a father, seven brothers and a sister (who was in love with him - but he would ignore that fact, just as he ignored the Dursley’s).
So why did he still wish to have a real father? Maybe because he had always been locked up at his aunt's and uncle's house whenever an important event occurred. He had celebrated Christmas mostly alone, just as he had his birthdays, with the exception of last year, and that was not enough time to really feel a part of the Weasley family.
He heard two pairs of feet coming down the hall towards the library and a moment later his friends entered which distracted him from his gloomy thoughts.
"How did it go with Sirius?" asked Ron, as he flopped down in the seat Sirius had abandoned only minutes ago.
"Better than I had expected. I told him that he would have to take the initiative and advised him to take Moony on a date," Harry told his friends, grinning broadly.
"That sounds good," Hermione said approvingly, the unofficial expert on love matters in their trio.
Harry and Ron set up their sides of the chess board and began to play. They only took a break during lunch, at which Sirius and Remus were somehow missing, as was Snape once again, and then went back into the library.
Harry succeeded in a standoff twice, impressing both of his friends. It was nice to spend their time together like this, with Hermione reading silently and propped up against one of the old and dusty book shelves, while Ron and him played chess.
At a quarter to five, the library door opened again, and as Harry looked up, he saw Dumbledore walking around the corner.
"Ah, here you are my boy. Are you ready to replace me as the head of the Order?" the Headmaster asked, smiling gently at him, his eyes twinkling again. Harry was happy to see that; he had never wanted to hurt Dumbledore so deeply that the gleam in his eyes would go away.
"I am," he answered, grinning. The thought of being able to add Lucius to the order was enough to let him forget all of the responsibilities he would take on with the job.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, and looked down at the game of chess. "I see that you have improved."
"Snape taught me how to play properly, there wasn’t much to do at Privet Drive," Harry answered.
Dumbledore frowned at the use of the Professor's last name, "It would probably be too much to hope for the two of you to make peace within one day, but I must admit that I had hoped."
"We are working on it," Harry said, without explaining further.
"We should go downstairs," Hermione interrupted them suddenly, luckily ending the awkward conversation.
"You are right, Miss Granger. Do I assume correctly, that your friends will join you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, they will. Ron, would you go and collect your brothers and Ginny?" Harry questioned his friend, who nodded and went ahead.
Harry felt nervousness rise inside his stomach, squirming like a captured animal. He had done his best to not think about the consequences his action might have, but now all his fears came to the forefront of his mind. What if Sirius and Remus hated him for taking the leadership away from Dumbledore? After all, the man was a famous idol for the Light Side, a symbol since his defeat of Grindelwald. Or would they just laugh at the boy, who wanted to take on so many responsibilities?
No, he could not believe that they would not hate him, even though they might not understand him, either.
Ron was waiting with his siblings in front of the stairs that lead to the kitchen. Fred and George were grinning widely and immediately started in on teasing Harry.
"We knew..." Fred started.
"...that you were up to something..." George continued and his brother ended,
"...when you disappeared with our dear little brother and Hermione to Hogwarts last night."
"Did you listen?" Harry asked.
"No," Fred said sadly.
"Sadly, we only arrived when you tossed the Floo powder into the fireplace," George added with a large sigh.
"Why were you downstairs anyway?" Ron asked.
"We wanted to get a snack," George grinned.
"So you have something planned?" Ginny asked curiously. Harry really disliked the excited gleam in her eyes, it made him feel like one of those muggle pop stars who had a crazy fan girl, and he certainly was no idol.
"Well, Ms. Weasley, you will find out soon, but I fear we have to go downstairs now, the meeting is about to begin," Dumbledore chimed in and led the way, effectively cutting her off.
Harry smirked at her sour look and Ron snickered, the youngest Weasley girl was obviously not happy that she didn't have a chance to talk to him in peace, let alone in private.
The small group made their way downstairs to an already full kitchen. As soon as Molly saw Harry and her children enter, she scowled at Dumbledore and protested, "Albus, I thought that we agreed that they are still too young!"
"Yes, Molly, we agreed," Dumbledore said and Harry could just imagine him making the announcement by adding: "But you have to discuss it with Harry now."
Molly deepened her frown, but apparently decided to not continue arguing just yet.
They sat down, Harry next to Dumbledore, drawing a lot of the attention to him and his friends next to him, whilst Ron's siblings searched for some free spots further down the table.
Harry watched the group of witches and wizards who had already arrived, but noticed that some were still missing, most notably the Hogwarts Professors: McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, and naturally Snape.
It bothered Harry that the man had still not appeared. Had he run off because he didn't want to deal with him after all? Glaring at the empty cup in front of him, he tried to remind himself that Snape was not important right now, but the meeting he was about to participate in soon, was.
Looking up again, he tried to find out how many faces he already knew, because he clearly did not know all of them. He saw Tonks sitting next to Remus, who looked much happier than this morning. Next to him sat a disgruntled Sirius, who glared at the pink haired witch who clearly tried to flirt with the werewolf, but Remus seemed to not even to notice her attempts.
Then there was Alastor Moody, who was intently watching the room and the upper levels of Grimmauld Place with his magical eye. Next to him sat Kingsley, and then Bill and Charlie Weasley. To Harry's surprise, he also saw the Dursley’s' old neighbour, Mrs. Figg, the nurse of Hogwarts Madame Pomfrey, and to his dismay, Mundungus Fletcher.
The sound of footsteps were heard and Harry turned his head to see Professor McGonagall enter, followed by Professor Sprout the head of Hufflepuff. Five minutes later Hagrid appeared with Flitwick. He waved at Harry, a broad grin forming under his black beard, and went to stand in the corner behind Minerva, obviously not trusting the old looking chairs enough to sit down on them. Harry thought that Hagrid was probably better off standing as well, as the chairs creaked under his weight also.
"Do you think that he will come at all?" Ron whispered in his ear, and Harry knew that he meant his new father.
Dumbledore stood up to start the meeting, but Harry answered anyway:
"I don't..." he broke off, when his ears picked up the familiar sound of soft, nearly silent footsteps and the rustling sound of a billowing, black cloak. Harry tried not to become nervous, telling himself that Snape would not have had enough time to find some way to prove his honesty to him anyway, but a knot was forming in his stomach, and Harry just knew, despite all of his attempts to convince himself of the opposite, that he would be disappointed when Snape arrived without having done anything. A moment later Snape appeared in the doorway, immediately searching for his son, and as their eyes met, Harry gasped in shock.
Sure, he had told Snape, he should prove to him that he wanted to be his father, but he had not expected this. What the man had done showed that he not only wanted to be his father now, but that he wanted to stay his father for the rest of his eternal childhood.
Snape's black irises were framed by a shining red ring, his skin had paled even further and two long fangs were just visible between the thin lips, reflecting the candle light. He had dark shadows on his cheeks and under his eyes, similar to Harry's and Lucius' and when the man moved a hand; he saw long claws and a faded mark on the underside of his left wrist. His hair was also a shiny black now and no longer greasy.
"No," Harry breathed weakly and Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione eyed him worriedly.
Harry had not wanted this. He had not wanted for the man to die for him, but he had, only to be able to stay by his side for all eternity. A hesitant, but warm feeling mixed with the shock in his chest and with the nervousness in his stomach. Snape really had been serious last night.
"What...?" Hermione asked silently, as if afraid that anybody else might hear her, but Harry easily picked it up with his vampire senses.
Harry kept staring into those black eyes as he automatically answered, "You can't see it, because he's wearing glamour, but he has forced his body to go through the same inheritance I did."
Hermione gasped and clasped her hands in front of her mouth and Ron's eyes widened comically.
How had Snape become a vampire? How had he accomplished it? And then it dawned on Harry; Snape had gone to Lucius after their talk, and his mate would have been able to transform him the common way, not like he and Harry had, through a curse, but by biting him and... Harry didn't know how exactly, he was so confused that his instincts didn't provide him with the answer this time.
Snape sat down across from him, still holding his gaze and his eyes told Harry how deep his wish was to be there for him, to make up for the lost years and the hateful words.
It would not be easy to get past all that had happened, but Harry decided in that moment, that he would try and do his best as well; Snape had proven his honesty to him and so much more. He had given up his life, literally, and his humanity for him; the least he could do was try to become his son as the man so clearly wished.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and finally started the meeting, "Welcome, everyone. I hope that you all arrived safely and that it was not too much of a difficulty to come here at such short notice," He gave a short pause and smiled at everybody. Harry stared another moment at his father, before he turned to Dumbledore and concentrated on his next words, "I imagine you are all curious to hear why I have called for this gathering so suddenly, so let me calm your nerves first before I elaborate."
Harry sighed inwardly, Dumbledore sure could talk, but he was not a bad public speaker, and it was one of his many qualities that made him so popular with everyone; he would surly pale in comparison.
"Voldemort has not attacked or infiltrated the ministry, at least not in the last month. He is not the reason, why we are here."
A collective sigh came from those gathered at the table.
"But why are we here, then?" Sirius asked and everybody snickered, it was just so typical, that the man who lived at Grimmauld Place would ask that question.
"I will come to that point now. I have come to realize that I have grown too old to lead you all, and thus, I want to give the leadership of the order to somebody else."
All eyes turned to Professor McGonagall, who quickly lifted her hands in denial. Harry could see the confusion in everyone's eyes, with the exception of Snape, Ron, Hermione, and of course Fred and George, who seemed to guess what was coming next, and grinned excitedly.
"As the main figure and the most important person in this war, Harry and I agreed that he will replace me as the head of our little organization."
Gasps went through the room, and Molly, who had kept silent until now, spoke up again, "You cannot be serious, Albus! The boy is far too young for this dangerous task!"
Ron was frowning at Dumbledore's words, but Harry could accept that the old man might want to save face by telling everybody that they had come to a mutual understanding… which they had in a sense, but not before Harry had threatened him by not helping the Light Side any longer. Maybe Dumbledore even wanted to give him an easier start by telling them all in this manner; it would after all not sit well with everyone if they were told what had truly happened the evening before in the Headmaster's Office.
"You are right, Molly, Harry is young, but he has lived through more danger than even I have and it is not his duty to replace me, but his right, and he wishes to do so," Dumbledore answered calmly.
"Of course he wishes to do the job, he is young and naive," Molly argued.
"Harry is not naive, Molly," Sirius defended his godson heatedly. "He might be young and sometimes still a bit childish, but he is not naive. He has seen far too much to have any illusions about the truth of the war."
Molly glared at the Animagus, but Snape intervened before she could say anything else,
"I for once must agree with the mutt. I lived for two weeks with Harry, and he is wiser than anybody else his age, and certainly more so than many in this room." Snape sneered for good measure.
The quiet mumbling that had started with Molly and Dumbledore's argument ended abruptly, as everybody gaped at the Potions Master, who responded to the attention by scowling darkly.
After a moment of shocked silence, Arthur laid a hand on his wife's shoulder and said quietly, "I know you are all just worried, but Dumbledore is right. Harry has to fight You-Know-Who in the end and it is his right to decide how we should fight him."
Harry saw Remus nodding; the werewolf looked pale and concerned, but he still saw the truth in Arthur's words.
"I trust Harry, he is a good kid!" Hagrid bellowed from his corner, and Fred and George started clapping in agreement.
"To be a good kid is not enough!" Moody scoffed and his magical eye fixed itself on Harry. Harry determinedly held the gaze; he didn't want to seem weak in front of the old Auror. Moody was unimpressed, "We need a competent and experienced leader, not a boy. Don't be a fool, Dumbledore."
"But I always was an old fool," Dumbledore smiled joyfully.
"Is there no way to include Harry more without making him the head of the Order?" Charlie asked from his place in the corner.
"Of course there would be, but Harry and I agreed on this and I have much to pay him back for," Dumbledore explained, making the whole room frown.
"I...trust Harry. Last summer, he protected his cousin against Dementors," Mrs. Figg added hesitantly.
"You are surely talented, but to become the leader of the order is a huge responsibility," Remus interjected. "I will not say that you cannot do it, because I am sure you could, but do you really want this duty?"
"It doesn't matter how much more I have to do as long as this war ends soon," Harry responded fiercely, he would not let himself be persuaded otherwise, not after he had come so far, and even convinced Dumbledore to help him. Remus sighed, but nodded.
Professor McGonagall closed her eyes, and then said with a shaky voice, "I do not think that this is your wisest decision Albus." She turned to Harry and added with a much more steady voice. "However, I will not abandon the Order, and will support you to the best of my abilities. Albus has never been wrong to this day, and I hope that I soon will come to understand his decision to give this important position to you."
Harry nodded in acceptance, not saying that in his opinion Dumbledore had made quite a few mistakes, especially in the last few years.
"If this is settled now, we shall proceed with the ceremony. Harry will not only become the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix, but also the new Secret Keeper," Dumbledore turned to Harry, "That means, that you have to tell everybody the location of the Headquarters again, or they will not be able to find the house after they leave today."
"Ok, Professor." Harry agreed.
"Please, take out your wands; the more witnesses we have, the better," Dumbledore announced and everybody obliged.
Harry pulled out his own wand for the first time since his transformation, but scowled at the wood, as it felt somewhat strange in his hand. Trying for a few sparks, he realized that his wand didn't respond at all. Frowning he looked up to Dumbledore, who had been watching him.
"Try your new wand. Something drastic must have happened to bring you of age at twelve, most likely your old wand does not suit your magic anymore," the headmaster whispered quietly.
Pocketing his old wand, Harry pulled out the Elder Wand, which was still in his breast pocket from the day before. He instantly felt a difference. The Elder Wand seemed even more fitting than his old one ever had.
Dumbledore then turned so that he was facing Harry directly, and Harry hastily did the same. His heart started to race, even though the acceptance of his guardian had calmed him down a bit, but still, now was the moment where his life would change once more, only this time because of his own decisions.
Dumbledore motioned for him to touch his wand with his own, before he started to speak,
"I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore hereby transfer the power of leadership over the Order of the Phoenix and the duty of Secret Keeper to Harry Severus James Potter." As Dumbledore spoke, silver letters which looked like Pensieve Memories formed a contract in the air in front of them. When the man had finished his declaration, his signature appeared at the bottom of the incorporeal document.
Harry's eyes had darted through the room at the mention of his full name, but luckily everybody else was deep in concentration, and no one had noticed the addition to his name.
"Now, you have to confirm the contract," Dumbledore explained and Harry gulped once, before loud and clearly stating, "I, Harry Severus James Potter hereby accept the leadership of the Order of the Phoenix and the duties as its Secret Keeper." His signature appeared on the contract as well, and golden light erupted from every wand, forming a net around him and the headmaster.
Harry could feel the power shifting from Dumbledore to him. Suddenly, he was subconsciously aware of the complex wards of Grimmauld Place, and the Secret of the Headquarters laid like a heavy stone in his mind.
The golden lights disappeared slowly, but he remained standing with his wand touching Dumbledore's, until everybody else lowered their wands and the old wizard took a step back, breaking the connection.
Dumbledore smiled softly at him and stretched out his hand, "I wish you all the best in your new position, Harry."
"Thank you, Albus," he smiled back, shaking the hand.
He turned back to the people and met the proud eyes of Snape, Sirius, and Ron and the concerned eyes of Hermione, Remus, and Molly.
"So Harry, do you wish to say or announce something, or shall we end the meeting for today?" Dumbledore asked.
"I would like to announce something," Harry said, just as he heard the front door opening and soft, long strides making their way down. His heart started to race in anticipation and he had to force himself to concentrate.
"I want to introduce a new member of our Order," he announced only a second before Lucius stepped into the kitchen, bringing his snake cane down on the stony floor. The sound echoed through the room and everybody turned around to see who had joined them.
- 11
- 12
- 13
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

A Different Kind of Hero