It took a day for Snape to completely regain consciousness and have enough energy to open his eyes.  In the safety of the dungeons and under Dumbledore’s watchful eye, he'd  finally been able to lower his guard fully and let  himself  sink into a healing sleep. As {sp} healing and wholesome as it was, waking up was no less  difficult...

The first thing he saw when he managed to get rid of the fog in his head was a cat curled up in a ball against his shoulder. No, not a cat, THE cat.

Shadow-Potter, ensconced there like an old house cat who had done so all its life. He didn’t know whether to snigger or feel annoyed at this intrusion into his life and, good god, his bed, but he had to admit that the feeling was not entirely disagreeable.

He tried to sit up and let out a groan. The room spun around him... how long had it been since he'd felt this ill ? Images of the previous days played in his memory. Voldemort, Cruciatus, the interrogation... Very well, he had the right to feel a bit under the weather. He let himself fell heavily back onto the pillow.

Under the weather, nice euphemism, he mused as he felt all his muscles waking up and acute pain with them. He wasn’t going to be able to stay conscious much longer if his whole body decided to remind him how allergic he was to the Cruciatus... If only he could just...

“Severus?”

The calm voice made him jump. He opened his eyes again to see Dumbledore’s face leaning over him. Worry and relief were mixed in his gaze... It made Snape feel strangely glad.

“How do you feel?” asked the old man.

“I'm all right. He doesn’t know,” the Potions master managed to articulate. His vocal chords protested vigorously; it occurred to him that he must've used them more than was reasonable recently...

“I know, my child, I never doubted it. How are you?” the wizard asked again.

Snape made an irritated gesture. Did he look like he was ready to dance at the Yule ball? There was indeed something he needed to do, but he felt himself weakening bit by bit.

“Albus...fireplace...cupboard...” he tried to explain to the headmaster with a glance towards the wooden door he wanted opened.

Without a word, the headmaster went to the cupboard and opened it, before turning back to the Potions master.

“At the top…box…”

Without hesitating, Dumbledore seized the iron box that looked as though it had been there for years. He opened it carefully and took out an assortment of multicoloured potions that he instantly recognised.  It was exactly the same collection of vials that Severus had given him several years before, in an identical box…

He returned quickly to the Potions master, who was fighting to stay awake. Without delay, he opened the first vial and pressed it against the professor’s lips. It was swallowed without a word.

Coughing, struggling not to choke, Severus let the potion run down his throat and enter his bloodstream... Thank Merlin, he’d kept the box intact for all these years, in readiness of the day when he would have to use it. Four potions, of which the preparation was lengthy and complicated, for which the formulation was practically unknown… one he had carefully hidden from the Dark Lord. The means to wake the living dead, and this was exactly what was expected of him, wasn’t it ?

He seized the second potion. The first had given him back his energy; this one was going to reduce the pain.

With a sigh of relief, he felt his muscles and nerves relax. Finally! It felt like ages had passed since the last time his body had been completely without pain.

Without waiting, he opened the third vial. This one was a healing potion, far more effective  than those that Pomfrey got her patients to drink, and one which he himself made for to the Dark Lord.

Without touching the fourth vial, he closed the box and turned to Dumbledore.

“Thank you.” He felt much better now; well enough, in any case, to give the headmaster a detailed report.

Dumbledore nodded.

“That was very far-sighted of you, my boy. I used the potions you left on the table, but their effectivenss turned out to be limited, given the extent of your injuries.”

Snape grimaced. Few obvious injuries, but the effect of the Cruciatus and other curses, combined with severe poisoning… The potions he had prepared for his return had probably been no more useful than a glass of milk.

“This last Death Eater meeting was more…eventful than expected,” he replied soberly.

“Yes, I suppose that that's indeed the least that one  could say. Harry brought us several episodes by way of his visions over the last few days,” said Dumbledore.

The Potions master looked over at the cat that was sitting uncertainly at the other end of the bed.  He should have suspected… If Potter had returned to human form, he would not have been able to avoid the connection with the Dark Lord, whose rage had been particularly intense and prolonged…

He was surprised to feel concern for the boy: had it really been necessary for him to see and feel so much at such an early age?  

“Potter, do you need a potion?” he asked abruptly.

The cat hung its head, but didn’t answer, its gaze still troubled.

“Harry has received the necessary care. His Animagus form enables him to escape the mental connection, but he's still experiencing some difficulty mastering his transformations. It is a problem we will need to take care of quickly.”

Snape nodded pensively. Where was the boy in all of this? To what extent had he been able to assimilate his two forms and the memories that  went with them? And, why the devil was he currently sitting on his bed?

Yes, they were going to have to take care of the problem quickly, but for now he needed to  bring Dumbledore up to date on the situation.

He sat up cautiously and transfigured the bed back into an armchair, before pouring himself a glass of water. The simple fact of being able to stand on his legs and swallow something  seemed like the pinnacle of good health to him ; some days, his job  as potions master  seemed  to have a [] useful yet terribly realisctic side to it...

“We're going to quickly need to find a secure location in which to hide Mr Potter. The Dark Lord is aware of his return and has decided to channel all his efforts to find him before term begins again at Hogwarts,” he stated calmly. “In addition, my position as a Death Eater enjoying a certain amount of freedom has been compromised. My usefulness and loyalty were topics of discussion and I was ordered to very soon produce concrete evidence of my good faith. As well as adequate potions, that goes without saying…

“Severus,” said the headmaster, in a voice that made the professor look at him,  “you  aren’t going back.”

The spy’s face froze as he clenched his glass so tightly that it almost broke in his hand.

“Of course I am,” he replied firmly.

“It is too risky. This last meeting demonstrated the limits of our strategy. You are more use to us alive, Severus…”

“In  light of recent events, we cannot afford  to be ignorant of plots being hatched in the enemy camp. I didn’t play the repentant Death Eater for two days to give up now, Albus, it makes no sense. The next time the Dark Lord calls me, his potions will be ready and I’ll have enough information to be useful to him. In the meantime, I need to  guard my every move when I’m away from the manor. The Death Eaters have been ordered to watch me closely, and it’s exactly this kind of order that every good Death Eater longs for… The chance to bring down  a traitor and so rise up in the ranks.”  Snape smiled darkly.

“It’ll be all right, Albus,” he surprised himself by saying in response to the look on the headmaster's face. “I won’t make the same mistakes again…”

“Those mistakes were inevitable in the circumstances and I am not convinced that they won’t  be so in the future. We will speak again about this later…for the moment, you should rest, Severus,” said Dumbledore.

“After what I’ve just taken? Even if I wanted to, I'd be unable to sleep for a good twelve hours. There are certain things we should talk about in private, but Potter should not remain here, it is not safe,” said the Potions master.

“Harry was keen to follow me when I learnt of your return to the manor. In cat form, of course…which he has mastered wonderfully, I must say, since our arrival here. He's ensconced himself rather familiarly by your side, Severus, but I’m afraid I didn't have the heart to remove him. His presence seemed to bring you calm somehow,” Dumbledore explained.

Snape took a long, thoughtful look at the cat. Really? He shook his head. Shadow had done that before, of course, but that was Shadow….what was Potter after?

“You did well,he said curtly. “I would prefer nonetheless to speak to you in private ; perhaps it would be better if Mr Potter returned to Grimmauld Place.”

“I promised the Order that I would bring both of you back when you were able to travel,” replied Dumbledore. “If you feel well enough now, perhaps we could Apparate ?”

Snape groaned. A meeting with the Order, just the thing to cheer him up. “I suppose there is no way of getting out of it?”

Dumbledore laughed gently. “After you!” he said.

Snape rolled his eyes.”Potter?” The cat looked at him with a tilt of the head, but did not move. “Very well,” said Severus through gritted teeth, “Harry, come here.”

The cat trotted happily towards the Potions master, who took it in his arms before he Apparated with a 'crack!'

Alone in the dungeon, Dumbledore could not help but laugh a bit more loudly than he would have allowed himself in front of the professor.   It had not occurrsed to Snape  for an instant that Harry could have travelled alone by Floo or Apparated with the headmaster…

Their arrival at Grimmauld Place bordered on resembling a diplomatic incident. Severus had barely Apparated into the sitting room when five people leapt up with a shout, their eyes trained on the Potions master and the cat he held in his arms.

The spy's instantaneous reaction was to whip out his wand and use his body to protect the cat, which huddled against him, just as alarmed at the sudden movement around him. In the next instant, a Protego  shielded Snape,  crouched down to ward off any potential curses, and the black cat  firmly sheltered against his chest.

A shocked silence greeted his performance. Everyone was looking at the duo , their mouths hanging open, while the Potions master tried to regain  his composure.

“Splendid,” scowled Snape, standing up and letting go of the cat. “The next time you expect a visitor, would you be so kind as to avoid looking as if you were practicing how to ward off an attack?”

“A bit nervous, Snape?” sniggered Moody.

“No more than any bearer of the Blessed Cat would be,” retorted Snape. “Unless, of course, you’d prefer me to put considerations of appearance before the safety of your precious Potter ?”

“That’s enough Moody,” Tonks scolded. “I was rather impressed myself, you have amazing reflexes, Severus!”

“Comes with the job, perhaps?” Snape replied ironically, hardly humored by the compliment.

“Potions master or spy? Oh, I suppose in both cases, it'd be best to have quick reaction times...” the young woman said thoughtfully.

“Brilliant conclusion. Harry?” the Potions master asked, looking questioningly at the cat.

A blink of the eyes told him everything was fine.

A second later, Dumbledore arrived, making everyone jump.

“Good, good,” he said, “I see everyone has made it here safely.”

The Potions master scowled in response. “Were you expecting the imminent arrival of Death Eaters? Judging by the reaction of your glorious Order, the place is not secure!”

“Reaction?  Is there something I should know?” asked Dumbledore, his piercing eyes seeking out those of the Order members.

An embarrassed silence was the only response, while the Potions master crossed his arms. The cat, the headmaster observed, remained sitting at his feet, looking just as accusingly at the rest of the Order. It was Arthur Weasley who finally spoke.

“We were a little surprised. We had been waiting an entire day and we didn’t know precisely what to expect when the three of you returned.”

Snape raised an eyebrow in question.

“Oh, that’s enough,” said Molly Weasley with a sigh. “We were truly worried, Severus!”

“Truly?” he responsed sarcastically. “An yet it appears that Potter was not out of Albus' sight. The manor remains secure, Molly, I’m not mad enough to leave the door open to Death Eaters or their master.”

“We were worried about you, Severus,” replied Molly softly. “Harry had such frightening visions about you. We were afraid we’d never see you again… In fact, we were preparing to go and rescue you, or at least  try to, when Albus told us of your return. We did not know what state you’d be in when we saw you again…”

Snape had paled noticeably and all trace of irritation disappeared from his face, replaced by an expression of incredulity.

”Albus?”

Dumbledore nodded to confirm Molly’s words. “It is true. We had not yet managed to put a definite plan in place for your rescue, but we were getting ready to consider the possibilities before us.”

“For Malfoy Manor? Do you realize just how foolish that idea is?” shouted Snape, with what seemed to be anger in his voice. “Even if you had succeeded, my cover would have been blown and I would have lost all usefulness as a result; such a suicidal plan would've been completely pointless! When will you lot stop acting like Gryffindors? This is a war, not a gentlemen’s duel!”

“I told you!”  Moody grumbled triumphantly

.

“We decided, particularly after Harry spoke up, that we could not, under any circumstances, consider losing you, Severus,” Dumbledore stated firmly.

Snape stared dubiously  at the headmaster for a moment before turning to look at  the cat. Pressed against his legs, the cat seemed to be placing a barrier between him and the others, at the same time seeking his protection.

“And who, then, would have protected Potter during your heroic assault? Really, Albus, basing your decisions on the state of mind of an adolescent disturbed enough to think he’s a cat seems excessively dangerous,” said Snape.

“We didn’t need Harry to decide that we had to get you back, Severus,” Molly’s soft voice interruped. “Whatever the case, we are very relieved to get you back in such good shape!”

Snape cleared his throat. The conversation was taking a turn that left him feeling definitely ill at ease….”Thank you, Molly. I am unfortuneatly afraid that this…good shape is only temporary. Albus, if I could have a word with you in private?”

But, again, it was Molly who spoke. “Is there anything we can do, Severus?”

Snape thought for a moment. “No. But Potter must remain in his Animagus form as long as possible. Could you keep an eye on him?”

“Erm….I don't think Harry has actually gained control over his transformations,” said Molly hesitantly.

“Talk to him, try to keep him from losing control over his emotions and keep him awake. For the moment, that’s all we can do. Harry, do you understand?”

The cat blinked uncertainly.

“Albus,” Molly said, “the children are at the Burrow. I would prefer to have them here if that will not disturb you too much. They could also help keep Harry awake...and in his current form.”

“Excellent idea, Molly,” Dumbledore agreed. “I will leave it up to you to get them. We will be in the study on the first floor if you need of us. Are there any more questions?”

When there was no response, the headmaster led the Potions master to the stairs. Snape felt a flicker of hesitation as he met the cat’s worried gaze.

“No nonsense, Potter. I will take care of your injuries shortly. And someone give this cat a bowl of food, for Merlin’s sake, I can’t spend my time forcing nutritional potions down his throat!” he ground out as he went up the stairs, leaving behind a rather annoyed cat.

No, he wouldn’t do anything stupid and he wasn’t a cat with a bottomless pit. He didn’t like that his Man in Blace was leaving, it'd been proven before that no good ever came of that.  Snape, goddamit, Snape…

He switched his tail back and forth, signaling  his irritation. His Snape. After everything the man had endured to save him, he had the right to call him that. Well, perhaps not in front of him, of course, but no one needed to know that, did they?

 At the other end of the room, Mrs Weasley threw a fistful of Floo powder into the fire before putting her head into the green flames.

A moment later, the familiar silhouettes of Ron and Hermione appeared in the sitting room  and Harry felt his heart beat faster. His friends were here, summer could finally start! He heard Mrs Weasley murmur some advice and then the two adolescents moved towards him hesitantly. Wide-eyed, they stopped a moment to look at him, torn between excitement and bemusement.

Harry jumped gracefully onto a chair to bring himself up to their level and turned in a circle before sitting down and miaowing with satisfaction. Hey, they hadn't seen that one coming!

“Harry, that’s great!”  Ron cried.

“Really, Harry, you should be careful, don’t rush anything, these transformations are dangerous, stay as  you are!” said Hermione worriedly, shooting Mrs. Weasly a furtive look.

“Give him a break, Hermione, he’s not an invalid! Incredible, you’ve even kept your scar! But shouldn’t you have marks for your glasses, like McGonagall?” asked Ron.

“You know full well he didn’t have them on at the moment when…well… when he transformed,” replied Hermione carefully.

”Oh,” replied Ron a bit coolly.

“But Harry, you’re injured. Can we do anything? You have several cuts that look serious, especially that one there on your, erm…nose,” Hermione finished, all of a sudden  embarrassed.

Harry shook himself to show them that he was fine and then went off  on a series of jumps around the room to demonstrate his new talents. When he got back to where they were, he could tell that his little show had had an effect. Ron was looking at him with admiration and envy, while Hermione seemed both worried and amused.

“Bloody hell, do you realise what all we could do at Hogwarts? Filch is going to have a fit, you won’t even need your invisibility cloak anymore!”  Ron said enthusiastically.

Hermione, obviously, didn’t see things in quite the same way.

“Oh Harry, really, now’s not the time to mess around! Are you all right? Really all right? We were terribly worried about you,” she scolded.

Harry would've liked to reassure her, explain to her that she had saved his life and tell her how precious her gift had been , but he wasn’t supposed to speak… He leapt onto the chair : he knew what to do. Sitting up on his back legs, he moved his head towards Hermione, miaowing soflty to get her attention. Understanding the message, the girl came near and instinctively reached out her hand, as if to stroke the cat. Before she had the chance to change her mind, the cat had almost jumped onto her hand, rubbing its head and neck against it. She felt a metallic object slide against her fingers…

“The bracelet,” she murmured as she suddenly understood. “That was it, wasn't it?”

Harry nodded. The gesture felt strange for a cat, but he knew she understood him.

“I’m really happy, you know,” she murmured. “I'd never imagined…I thought it might come in handy one day, obviously, but  not so soon and not in that way!” She looked across at the Order members, who were now back in the sitting room  but paying little attention to them. “I assure you I didn’t do anything to make it take you to Professor Snape, you do believe me, don’t you Harry? I would've never wanted that, I really don’t understand how it happened!” she whispered forcefully, her worried eyes fixed on the cat’s.

No, that wasn’t working, Harry told himself. They didn’t understand…Snape had taken care of him, the bracelet had done a good job! Obviously, he couldn’t explain that to them, but it was still clear after what had just happened that they were mistaken about the professor, at least in part.

The cat turned in a circle, upset, then seeing the wounded look on Hermione's face, he realized that she had had misunderstood him. He didn’t want her to hurt her; he would have the chance to explain to them later. He tried hard to put on his most serene expression and gave a friendly butt of his head against the girls’ arm, which was stretched out towards him. A wan smile thanked him.

“Bloody hell, Harry, you must have so much to tell us!” moaned Ron. “It’s really frustrating not to be able to, er, really see you! Are you going to be able to change back soon?”

Harry tilted his head, hoping that the boy would understand his answer: he didn’t know, he wasn’t even sure he could do it…

“Never mind, you’ll tell us at Hogwarts, won’t you? Things’ll be quieter there anyway,” Ron said, looking at Moody, whose magical eye kept rotating towards them. “In the meantime, I have to tell you…Fred and George, do you know what they’ve invented?”

Harry would have preferred to hear about Ginny’s latest inventions, but even if he'd been in his human form, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to say so.

All three of them squeezed into the armchair and Harry let himself enjoy the familiar feeling of well being. His friends, all there together  to tell him the latest news from the Weasley family and  the wizarding world, his world. Feet tucked under, ears perked towards the familiar voices, he let himself enjoy being on holiday. After a few minutes, he could've sworn that cats could smile.

”Sherbet lemon?”  Dumbledore offered.

“Merlin, don’t tell me you always carry them?” groaned Snape.

After more than an hour reporting on the last Death Eater meeting, if it could be called that, and the two days he'd spent at Malfoy Manor, Snape  felt more exhausted than he would've thought, after taking the potions. And he certainly was not in the mood for a sherbet lemon.

Dumbledore laughed softly. “But, Severus, what wizard worth his salt leaves home without sweets or potions?”

Snape rolled his eyes. The comparison was outrageous! “Whatever, Albus, this does not solve our main problem. Where do you intend to hide Potter?  But perhaps it would be better if I don’t know, it might be too risky,” said the Potions master.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” replied Dumbledore. “No one has proven to be more trustworthy than you have, Severus, when it comes to Harry, even without taking into account your immunity to Veritaserum.”

“An immunity gained at the expense of a splendid intoxication every time the Dark Lord feels it useful to administer it to me. If he didn’t insist on combining sessions of Cruciatus with his interrogations, my cover would have been blown long ago. It’s a miracle no one has noticed yet,” replied Snape.

“As always, your remarkable talent for dissembling saves lives.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, old man,” Snape said with a half-smile.

Dumbledore smiled in return.

“Severus, are you really sure you want to continue with this?” he asked, “You really are too precious to us as an Order member and potions master; your position as spy is only one of the many services you perform for us, and lately that has become very precarious.”

Snape sighed. “I must. We have already discussed this, no one else is in a position to report this information and we cannot do without it, not now. In spite of my recent disgrace, I remain part of the inner circle closest to the Dark Lord, in the best position, should it be necessary, to act from the inside.”

“Must I tell you again that you have my full trust?” asked Dumbledore calmly.

Snap frowned and waved aside the declaration. He really felt tired now…

“You should have been their Secret Keeper, Severus. None of this would have ever happened,” said the headmaster in a low voice.

The Potions master jumped. “What are you talking about?”

“You understood perfectly. The Potters should have chosen you to protect them, when they went into hiding to protect Harry. More loyal than Pettigrew, obviously, but I suspect you would have defended their secret more ferociously even than Sirius,” replied Dumbledore.

Snape looked away. “That’s ridiculous. Their choice was unfortunate, but Black would never have given away the Potters, even under torture… That blasted Gryffindor had too much honour for that,” he said, much more awake now.

“Perhaps not under torture, no. Nor under Veritaserum, it would seem. But under pressure, emotional blackmail, hallucinations? How long would it have taken until he let slip his secret? But that would not have been the case with you, Severus, even if it hadn’t been Lily’s life at stake. You would not have succumbed to torture nor any curse, as you have proved to us over the last few days, and no illusion or attempt at emotional extortion would have been able to sway you. Your Slytherin spirit immunises you against manipulations that would've had every good Gryffindor giving in from the start.”

This time, the Potions master laughed softly, thinking about the rescue plan the Order had plotted for him. Stupid sentimentality and chivalrous bravado that had no place in this war…

“That is why I see no one in a better position than you to take care of Harry for the rest of the holidays,” concluded Dumbledore.

Snape literally jumped out of his chair. “You’re joking. Have you lost your mind? It's out of the question, you hear! It’s utter madness!”

‘It is,’ mused Dumbledore, and not ‘it would be’…

“Voldemort would never think of looking for Harry at your house, Professor, he is far too convinced of your hatred for the boy. What's more, your manor is solidly protected by your wards and I would, of course, be your Secret Keeper. Such an arrangement would only be temporary as term starts at Hogwarts in two weeks time.

“I am sorry to impose this task and particular burden on you, Severus, especially in your current condition. But I have pondered this dilemma long and hard, and I see no other solution even remotely as sure that would keep Harry safe. You would be doing me an enormous favour, my boy. In addition, I have no doubt that should things take a turn for the worse, you would be the most able to defend Harry. He trusts you completely, he will listen to you.”

“You don’t understand,” grumbled Snape, troubled. “Potter only trusts me because he thinks he’s a cat, a cat that I have cared for and taken in, but it won’t last. When he has properly processed recent events, Potter  will fight tooth and nail against me, my rules and every word I say to him. And, believe me, it’s a subject in which he is particularly talented.”

Dumbledore smiled.

“I am not sure Harry is as confused about his different forms and…experience with you as you think he is. He is an intelligent boy, and a Gryffindor to the tips of his toes, or perhaps I should say claws… He knows better than anyone what he owes you after his visions, and he was the first to demand that we mount an expedition to save you. His speech would certainly have given you a migraine, my dear boy, he made us all out to be worthy heirs of Slytherin!”

Snape groaned. “Honestly, Albus, can’t you see that we're heading for disaster? Potter  needs to be in a familiar environment, like this house, and he'll need help to learn to control his transformations,” he pleaded.

“Exactly,” replied Dumbledore calmly. “Harry will never feel comfortable here. This place reminds him too much of Sirius and his absence. As for the assistance he will need, I am sure that you are more than able to give this to him.”

“If the boy listened to my advice, it would show in his Potions marks! I was thinking of Minerva, Albus, who is the most appropriate to instruct him in the subject of Animagus tranformations!” argued Snape, sensing that defeat was in the offing.

“Minerva will have plenty of time to see to Harry at Hogwarts,” replied Dumbledore firmly. “I know I am asking a lot of you, Severus, yet again… but you are the only person I trust to keep Harry safe and I know I am not the only one to think so.”

Snape snorted again. “Really? I still doubt that your beloved Order will willingly accept your decision, Albus.”

Dumbledore smiled. “Don’t you believe it, I think this arrangement will meet no objections. But, in reality, it was not of them I was thinking.”

The Potions master looked questioningly at him.

“I returned to the Dursleys' : I wanted to feel for myself the traces of magic you told me about. You were right, Severus, it was  there, it is  still there in fact…”

Snape straightened in his chair, all his attention focused on the old wizard. “Were you able to make anything out of it?” he asked.

“Some impressions, at the most. But one thing for certain, at the least. I identified the magical signature from which the magic came. You yourself would have recognised it, Severus, if it hadn’t been so similar to Harry’s.”

The Potions master felt a lump rise in his throat.

Dumbledore nodded when he saw the look on his face.

“Yes, it was indeed Lily’s. I was also able to detect, though much more faintly, those of James Potter and Sirius.”

“That’s….that’s impossible!” croaked Severus, paler than ever.

“Indeed it should be,” replied Dumbledore. “I have done some research…though I haven’t had much time, of course, and my ideas on the matter are but supposition. Even though I doubt it is possible to find any more evidence on the subject, in any case…” Faced with the impatient Potions master, he continued, “I think that the origin of recent events lies with Sirius’s death or, more precisely, his passage through the Veil.”

“The infamous Veil…what is it for, exactly?” asked the Potions master, who seemed  to have suddenly aged several years.

“It is both complex and vast, the extent of its powers remains unknown. But it definitely allows passage between the two worlds, in certain circumstances… This is why it is kept under guard at the Ministry of Magic. Its use is completely uncontrollable, but its powers are too great to risk it being used ill-advisedly,” replied the headmaster.

“But Lily and James? They had nothing to do with the Veil,” argued Snape.

“Indeed,” Dumbledore agreed. “But Sirius, Lily and James had their very deep emotional bond with Harry in common. We are entering the realm of hypothoses here, but without a doubt extraordinary circumstances, extraordinary bonds that allowed the only people who loved Harry as parents to offer him what they never had the opportunity to give him : his heritage.”

Snape was silent for a long time, comtemplating the headmaster’s revelations. A picture came to mind…

“Albus,” he said flatly, “the day I myself visited the Dursleys and after having… disciplined that odious pig who masquerades as the boy’s uncle, I had a brief vision of Lily and James at the moment I Apparated. I thought I had dreamt it, but only so far as Lily… No, I cannot believe I could have imagined James’s image in such circumstances. Do you think that…?” He could not finish the sentence.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. “One thing is certain, my boy. A very powerful and ancient magic was manifested the night Harry turned sixteen. It would appear that from this he acquired the ability to transform into an animal, like his father and godfather before him, thanks to a combination of their magic and their love. They wanted to protect Harry, at any cost…  Just after this, Miss Granger’s bracelet transported the boy hundreds of miles away, far beyond its normal capacity. I have no other explantion for this phenomenon than that same magic. And the magic was guided by Lily, Severus. It is her power which catalysed the magic of  James and Sirius. The bracelet does not possess a will of its own, and Harry did not know where you live. It was Lily who wanted Harry to find refuge with you, my boy. Lily trusted you, even before you avenged her son.”

The Potions master was speechless.

Lily…if he had only understood earlier…if only he had been their Secret Keeper.

If only he had been Harry’s father.

“Very well. Potter will come to the Manor. But a safe solution will need to be found for when the Dark Lord calls me again.”

Dumbledore nodded.

“There will always be time to have him come to Grimmauld Place or the Burrow in an emergency. It is not a problem, Severus. You are doing me a great service.”

 At any other time, Snape would have agreed completely that he was doing the headmaster an enormous favour. But now, he felt especially as though he was protecting his own interests. His cat, to be precise.

Lily’s son, his cat. He had a promise to keep and little did it matter what would come along the way.

“You have tamed the cat,” concluded Dumbledore. “Now you need to tame the boy!”