Snape’s POV

“H-Harry?”

Harry scowled in response then snapped his head up to glare at something behind me.  Turning, I saw a pair of bright eyes wink at me from the table.  Jardin, the boy’s –my son’s– raven.  A bird such as Dumbledore’s Fawkes.

“Harry,” I said huskily.

He looked at me, eyes hard and cold.  Lips curling into a sneer he snarled at me.

What’s wrong, Father?

I stumbled backwards, surprised.  His voice had been in my head, practically dripping with barely suppressed rage.  I could see him shaking as well.  His rage, inherited from me.  Me and my wondrous temper.  But yet, Lily must have given some of her own as well.

Surprised?  Surprised by my voice in your head or by the fact that I figured it out?

I licked my lips and replied, “Both.  I would never had asked you to help me with that potion last year had I known you would try it yourself.”

Harry sneered and his voice echoed through my head in harsh tones.

Well, what did you expect me to do?  Be a good little boy and wait until you told me?  And when would that have been, Father?  When would you have told me the Truth?

“Soon.  Harry, I swear, I was going to tell you.”

WHEN?!

“When-when I thought it was best.  When I thought you could handle it!”

And I can’t handle it NOW?

“I…”

You didn’t think, Father.  But now, a question.  Who’s idea was it to leave me on the streets?

“You were left with your aunt and uncle.”

You said you knew my mother.  Did you not know her sister was capable of something like that?

“I told Albus.  I told him.”  I shook my head, shaking.  “He didn’t listen.”

Harry closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again, looking straight up at me.

And did you, Father, know?

“No.”

And what would you have done if you had?

“If I had known you were – mine?”

Yes.

“I would have raised you as best I could.”

I see.  Jardin.

The raven flew from his perch on the table and landed on my son’s shoulder, his pale yellow eyes bearing into mine.  That was how Harry had been talking to me.  Through the raven.  Because of his accent.  I had just noticed it.  Aloud, his street accent overruled.  Through Jardin, his voice was clear.

Another question.

I looked at him, waiting.

Were you…?

I nodded.  “Yes.  Jardin and the broom.  Both from me.”

Ah.  So, what do we do now?  Go about as though everything were normal?

“That would be best.  Until…”

Until what?

I sighed and replied, “Until we can figure out what to do about this.”

I see.

There was silence in the dungeon room until I said, “Your friends are looking for you.”

Harry smirked and said, And here I thought they were afraid of me.

I locked eyes with Harry and said, Niamh is not.

You can do it too.

As I am sure Jardin explained, the Headmaster’s phoenix is a bird such as he.

He did.

I nodded vaguely.  Harry frowned then said aloud, “I ‘spose I should go fin’ Ni.”  He turned to go, moving out of the light from my wand towards the door.  As he pulled it open I spoke.

“Harry.”

He turned, arched one dark eyebrow at me.  An eyebrow I recognized as my own.

“Come-come talk to me if you wish.  If you have an questions…anything.”

“Alrigh’.”

With that he was gone.

I whispered, “Nox,” then slumped against the table.

He knows.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry’s POV

I stormed up out of the dungeons, nearly shaking Jardin off my shoulder.  As I reached the entrance hall I turned my head to glare coldly at him.

You knew.

He ducked his head, eyes half-closed.

< I knew. >

And you never told me.

< No. >

Why?

< He-he was afraid, Harry. >

Of what?  Me?  Playing the role of a father?  He already plays one role.  Was he afraid of playing two?

Jardin sighed mentally and said, < I cannot tell you the why.  That is Severus’ business. >

Ah, so it is ‘Severus’ now, is it?

< Harry, please. >

What?  Too much sarcasm for you?  Sorry, that’s a trait of mine.

< I know.  You got it from him. >

Yeah.  Don’t I know it.

I then began to laugh.

Imagine it.  All this time – all this bloody, damn time, I’ve had a father.  Ha ha.  Now that’s funny.  That’s really really funny.

< Actually its not. >

Look at it from a different perspective and it is.

< And yet you sound rather calm. >

I sneered, I’m ALWAYS calm, Jar.

< Yes, I know.  It’s unnatural. >

I, Jar, am an unnatural creature.  I presume that my mum and Sn – FATHER– weren’t married as my last name is Potter, though it should assuredly be Snape, and as I was told that my parents were Lily and James Potter.  Shall we continue with my other strange traits?

There was no answer so I went on.

I am a pickpocket.  I just so happen to have an uncanny ability with potion making that I suppose comes from my father.  We also cannot forget my knowledge of hexes and curses and then, of course, there is the kicker.  The fact that I am a Parselmouth.

< Which I am surprised you had never read about before. >

I actually had, if you must know.  It slipped my mind.

Jardin sneered mentally and said, < At an unfortunate time. >

Yes.

I sighed heavily and continued walking down the corridor.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“DAMNIT, WHERE IS HE?!”

Niamh stormed into the Slytherin common room and found Mika and Ginny both sitting by the fire.  She stalked over to them and snarled, “Why aren’t you two out looking for Harry?”

Mika looked up and replied, “Professor Snape came in a few minutes ago.  He found Harry in the dungeons.”

“So, where’s Harry now?”

“Still in the castle somewhere.  Professor Snape let him go.”

“GRAAAAH!!”

Niamh let out an angry bellow and whirled, heading back into the corridor.  Mika called after her, “Where are you going?”

“The library!  It’s the only place I haven’t checked!”

As the wall slid closed behind her, Mika turned to Ginny and asked, “Should we go after her?”

Ginny shook her head.

“No.  I’m going to bed anyway.”

“What?  Gin, its…”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m tired.”

“Okay…  See you, Gin.”

“See you, Mika.”

Ginny disappeared into the girl’s dormitory as Mika frowned after her.  He absently thought, There’s something up with that girl…

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry slumped down at a table in the library, folding his arms and burying his face in them.  Jardin hopped from his shoulder to the table and stood there, rustling his wings angrily at anyone who tried to come close.  Harry had decided to come to the library because it was quiet, something nowhere else was.  Just as he was verging from dozing into sleep, Jardin’s voice popped into his head.

< Harry.  You should hear this. >

Harry lifted his head wearily and peered at the raven out of slitted eyes.

I was trying to sleep, y’know.

< I know, I know.  But you should hear this. >

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes, stretching with a catlike grace before turning back to the raven.

What?

< Table over there behind the bookshelf. >

Which one? snapped Harry irritably.

< Behind the Transfiguration section. >

Harry rose, giving the raven a mild glare before making his way over to the Transfiguration section.  He ducked his head as he saw a group of Hufflepuffs sitting there talking.

“So, where Justin?”

“I told him to hole up in our dormitory.  If Potter’s got him down as his next victim, it’s best he keep a low profile for a while.”

“So, you think it is Potter?”

“Yeah, Hannah, I do.  He’s a Parselmouth.  Everybody knows that the mark of a Dark wizard.”

“Y’know,” said one of the other Hufflepuffs.  “That first year who was attacked – Creevey – was following Potter around taking pictures.”

“Yeah.  And I heard he had some trouble with Filch first year.  What better way to get Filch that to attack his cat?”

Harry swelled with anger at that.  How DARE they think he’d attack Norri!  He leaned closer to listen to them.

“He’s always seems so nice though.”

“He’s a Slytherin, Hannah.  You can’t trust them.  Look at Malfoy.”

Now they were comparing him with Malfoy!!  That was the last straw!  Not every Slytherin was like that bloody git Malfoy!

Harry stepped around the bookshelf, eyes glittering as he glared at the Hufflepuffs.  They were all frozen stiff, eyes wide as they stared at him.  Harry walked over to them and planted his hands on the table, causing the Hufflepuffs to cringe back.  He leaned forward until his face was inches from the one that had compared him with Malfoy.  He allowed a few moments for the color to drain out of the boy’s face before he spoke.

“Ye should make sure I’m na around ‘fore ye talk about me.”

He then leaned back and turned on his heel, walking swiftly out of the library.  Jardin flapped to his shoulder and commented, < That was smooth. >

Harry glared at him and snapped, “Shut up.  Yer na helpin’.”

< Well, if I may point out… >

“I’d rather ye not.”

Jardin fluffed up his feathers and Harry smirked at him before he suddenly found himself sprawled on the ground.  A startled squawk came from Jardin as the raven was thrown from his shoulder and Harry looked to make sure he was all right before turning to see what he had tripped over.

“Bloody ‘ell…”

Justin laid there, eyes staring stonily up at the ceiling.  And lying beside him was Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost – his head half off and his face reflecting the same look of shock as Justin’s.  Harry scrambled backwards and ran into Jardin, who let out another squawk.  The raven then saw the two Petrified victims and said quickly, < We have to get out of here, Harry. >

“But..”

< Harry!  If they find you here, you’ll be expelled! >

Harry stared at Justin and Nick for a moment longer then picked up Jardin and took off down the corridor at a dead run.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Madam Pomfrey!  Madam Pomfrey!”

“Mr. Potter?  What in Merlin’s name is going…”

Harry came to a halt in front of the mediwitch, panting.  Jardin hopped from his arms to his shoulder and nipped his ear.

“Madam Pomfrey.  It’s – ‘appened – again.”

The mediwitch’s eyes widened and she hissed, “Show me.”

Harry nodded and led her back to where he had found Justin and Nick.  As they went Jardin spat, < This is the stupidest thing you have ever done. >

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

As they reached the bodies, Harry stood nearby as Madam Pomfrey tutted over them.  He looked aimlessly about the corridor, noticing a line of spiders racing along the space where floor met wall.  They were heading away from the bodies and seemed to be doing so as fast as they could.

Jar?

< Yes? >

Is that normal spider behavior?

The raven looked.

< No. >

I didn’t think so.

Harry was shifting from foot to foot nervously when the Hufflepuffs came out of the library and caught sight of them.  The boy that Harry had snapped at yelled, “Caught in the act!”

Jardin let out an angry caw and flapped his wings as Madam Pomfrey stood and snapped, “That’s is enough, Mr. Macmillan.”  She then turned to Harry and said, “Mr. Potter, I suggest you go to the Headmaster’s office.  Mr. Macmillan, Miss Abbott, Mr. Astor, if you would help me.”  Harry watched as Madam Pomfrey sorted the Hufflepuffs into help her cart Justin and Nick up to the Hospital Wing for a moment then turned to Jardin.

Any idea where Dumbledore’s office is?

Jardin bobbed his head in a nod and gave directions.  As Harry began to walk, he laughed inwardly at what Madam Pomfrey had called him.  He wasn’t a Potter.

He was a Snape.