Severus was mortified at his son, whom he'd just finished telling Remus was such a well-behaved child, now turning up at the front door looking like Tobias out on a drunken binge, and escorted home by a policeman, no less! He was torn between shaking the boy till his teeth rattled, asking for an explanation, and then grounding the brat till he was thirty or casting a sober-up spell on him, asking for an explanation, and then punishing him. He kept his hand on the boy's shoulder, all too aware that if he let go, Harry would probably fall to the ground, for he was swaying like a drunken sailor just off the boat.

But before Severus could ask his son what the blazes had happened, Harry passed out cold. Severus's lightning swift reflexes enabled him to catch the boy before he fell, lifting him into his arms, and walking rapidly towards Harry's room.

"Severus? Who was at the door?" Remus asked, coming into the hallway. He knew from experience that nighttime visits rarely boded any good.

"That was the police, Remus," said the Potions Master through gritted teeth. "Come to bring my son home from his-his drinking spree!"

Remus's mouth fell open. "Harry? My godson?"

"Yes, Lupin! Your bloody godson, the bloody supposed savior of the wizarding world, is now passed out dead drunk in my arms," growled Severus, holding out his comatose child for Remus's inspection.

"Dear Merlin, Sev! Did you find out where he was?"

"No, Moony, because he passed out before I could question him. He was supposed to be sleeping over a friend's house, not attending some drunken party," gritted a very irate Snape. He cast a withering glance at his sleeping offspring, who was snoring lightly, a rather stupid smile on his face. Severus was tempted to smack him one, the irresponsible brat. "If I find out that he lied to me and snuck out of the MacIntyres' to go to some-some party, I'm going to wallop his arse good, I swear it." Color flushed the older wizard's cheekbones. "I'll be damned if I'm going to raise Tobias Snape Junior."

"Take it easy, Severus," Remus said, putting a soothing hand on his arm. "Before you condemn the kid for his actions, talk to him first. Perhaps there's a decent explanation for this. I mean, he's only thirteen, and this is the first time this has happened, right?"

"Yes, as far as I'm aware." Severus entered Harry's bedroom and laid the sleeping teen on his bed, waving his wand and removing his clothes, then replacing them with pajamas. He gently drew the covers up over the slumbering Harry, who was snoring loudly.

"You going to cast a Sober Charm on him, Sev? Or make him up a Hangover Cure?"

Severus considered for about two seconds then said with an evil smirk, "No. I think it best if he suffers the consequences of his actions. Maybe that will teach him a lesson about drinking to excess. Or at all, for that matter."

Remus winced. "Ouch, Sev. That's harsh."

"Sometimes experience is the best teacher, Moony. As you know perfectly well."

Remus suppressed a shudder. "Now why did you have to go and remind me? I really wanted to forget that time Sirius and James persuaded me to try Black Firewhisky straight up." The werewolf shook his head ruefully, then conjured a basin with his wand. "He'll be needing this when he wakes up, if I remember my morning after correctly."

"No doubt," Severus said sourly, recalling all the times he'd had to clean up after his father the next morning. He'd never expected to be doing the same for his thirteen-year-old son. "You'd better have a very good explanation for this, Harry Remus, or else your backside is going to regret it."

Remus cast him a reproving look. "I hardly think walloping the daylights out of him is going to cure his drinking problem, Sev."

" He doesn't have a drinking problem, Moony!" snapped Severus, going pale. "At least I don't believe so," he muttered. He prayed God that was the case, that his son had not inherited Tobias's weakness for strong drink. "I think this is just a case of-of teenage experimentation, or whatever they call it these days."

"Peer pressure," supplied Lupin. "Rather like what Lucius Malfoy pulled on you sixth year, Sev."

Now it was the Potion Master's turn to blush in shame. "Don't remind me, Remus. I was a stupid sheep and I paid for it. I knew better than to touch a drop of alcohol given my bloody father's track record."

"Lucius was a slick bastard, wasn't he? Leading you down the garden path like that. Wasn't that where you got that snake tattoo on your-?"

"Moony! Just shut up!" Severus shouted, his face flaming. "There was only one time I chose to drink myself senseless, and didn't have somebody doctoring my pumpkin juice, and I'm sure you can figure out when that was."

"When Lily was killed."

"Yes. And I would've stayed drunk forever, if it had helped any, but it didn't, because when I came back to myself I felt even worse. Severus Snape doesn't drown his sorrows. And neither will my son, if I have anything to say about it."

He left the room, Remus at his heels.

They returned to the den, where their tea had gone cold. Remus heated it up again with a silent warming charm, then seated himself opposite his friend on the recliner. "Given what you told me about Harry's Muggle aunt and uncle, I think you'd be reluctant to lay a hand on him."

"I am, Moony." Severus sighed heavily. "The last time I turned him over my knee he was two and I felt guilty as hell afterwards, even though he deserved all seven swats."

"That was the time he pinched James's wand, right?"

"No. That time he broke one of my rare ingredients and lied to my face bold as brass. And there's nothing I detest more than a child who lies to get out of trouble. So, once I'd caught him out, he admitted it, and I spanked him. But I hated it."

"What parent doesn't?" Remus remarked. "I can recall my dad tanning my hide a time or two and he always held me and told me he was sorry afterwards, but it was for my own good. But I was ten last time that happened, and I didn't have Harry's history of abuse or age as a factor. Thirteen's a little too old to be spanked, Sev."

Severus scowled. "Yes, I know, and I really don't want to punish him that way. But I will if I find out he's lied to me, Remus, because that's the one thing I can't stand, and I'll deal with the guilt and tears afterwards." The dark eyes were shadowed by anxiety as he said that last, and Lupin found himself feeling sorry for the other man.

"Times like these, old friend, make me glad I never married and had kids. I'd never be able to discipline effectively."

"Oh? Then you don't discipline your students, professor?"

"Sure I do. Some of them got detention the first week in my class. But that's different. They're not my children and I don't feel guilty laying down the law to them. My own though . . .first time they cried, I'd be a basket case, Sev."

"You say that now, Moony," his friend smirked. "But I think if you needed to, you'd be able to discipline properly. You would just need the right motivation, like a brat snitching a wand for the thirtieth time and blowing a hole the size of London in your floor. When he was two, I thought that was the worst thing he would ever do. Now he's thirteen and gets himself arrested for underage drinking."

"The police arrested him?"

"No, not really, but they could've. It was quite obvious what he'd been doing." Severus grimaced. He put his head in his hands. "Lord above, why me? Why do I always get children who delight in making my life into a hurricane of trouble? First my students, now my son. God must have a wicked sense of humor."

"Either that or He thinks you can handle it, Sev. You know the old saying . . ."

"Mmm. God never sends you burdens you can't bear. I think He was misinformed."

"I don't," Remus said quietly. "You'll make the right decision, Sev. You usually do. You're a better father than Tobias, Potions Master."

"Remus, a mouse would be a better father," snorted his friend. "That's not hard to do. Ah, Merlin save me, I'll worry about that tomorrow morning, when he's coherent enough to hold a conversation with, which won't be until two hours after he wakes up."

"Two hours?"

Severus nodded knowingly. "Yes, because by then he'll have quit vomiting and his head will have stopped pounding somewhat, enough so he can sit up and talk. Then we'll see what happens afterwards."

"I plead for clemency, Judge," said Remus.

"You'd have made a great defense attorney, Lupin."

"Funny, I did think about going into law at one time. That was before I learned that the Ministry forbade werewolves from holding such positions, saying our reputations would prevent us from getting clients."

"Bigoted bunch of arseholes," murmured Snape angrily.

"Their loss, my gain," shrugged the werewolf. "Now at least the students at Hogwarts have a Defense teacher better than that fop Lockhart. Losing his memory was the best thing that ever happened to him, not to mention the rest of us."

Severus drank the rest of his tea. "I heard from Mr. Weasley that you've got them practicing boggart repelling charms."

"Yes, we did that my third lesson and I had some interesting results." Lupin chuckled. "Did you know you're the Longbottom boy's worst nightmare?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Really? I had no idea my scoldings frightened the scatterbrain so effectively. He still hasn't managed to go for a day in my class without spilling, dropping, or exploding something. I swear, Lupin, someday he would've been the death of me."

Lupin laughed at the mere idea of the quivering Neville being the death of his formidable friend. "I highly doubt that, Sev. You're a survivor. Like your son. Albus tells me he's already survived a second encounter with You-Know-Who and a basilisk too."

Severus's expression darkened. "Yes, but that was danger he never should have been in, Remus. He's got an impulsive streak the size of the Atlantic, and Albus bloody encouraged it, the meddling old coot. He thinks that Harry is the one to fulfill that bloody prophecy Trelawney uttered when she had too much sherry one evening at the Hogs Head."

"Then you don't believe she saw true?"

"I could care less!" spat the dark-haired wizard. "No one is going to make my child into a bloody hero without his and my consent. And I'll never give it. He's too young to place that kind of burden on him, and every hero I've ever read about dies too damn young! I lost the one I loved best once, Moony, I'll be damned if I'm going to live through that again. And you can tell the Old Meddler I said so!"

"He knows that, Sev," said the lycanthrope gently. "But he says that in the end that choice is not yours to make."

"Is it not?" snarled the Potions Master. "Harry is my responsibility until he comes of age and I won't permit him to be a pawn of prophecy. Albus can have his savior when hell freezes over and not a minute before. No son of mine is going to die a hero."

"What about live as one?"

Severus raked the other man with a glare that could've shredded him. "Please, Remus. Just let it go. Was that all he sent you to say?"

"No. He also wanted to apologize for his mistake in not giving you back your memories and your son as Lily wished. He said it was one of his greatest regrets and he hopes one day you might forgive him. You and Harry both."

"When hell freezes over," came the grudging reply. "All the regret in the world can't give me back those lost years, Moony. Eleven years my son lived in hell when he could have grown up loved and happy with me. Eleven years! And he thinks a few words will mend it? I tell you now, Remus, that I might forgive the old fool if he begged Harry's and my pardon on bended knee in front of the entire staff and student body of Hogwarts, humbled himself publically and admitted he was wrong, but I doubt he would ever do so. Perhaps for Harry he might, he's always had a soft spot for him, but me, the Slytherin shadow? Never!"

"You're selling yourself short, Sev. I think Albus really cares for you."

"Oh he does, the way a farmer cares for the scythe he wields or the hoe he uses. I was a useful tool, nothing more."

Remus shook his head, knowing that Severus was not yet ready to hear the truth, that the old wizard had broken down and wept at the way he had treated the Head of Slytherin, that he had told Remus he loved Severus like his son and had been afraid to admit it given Severus's past experience with fathers. Remus knew that the wounds Dumbledore had caused were still too fresh, too raw, for Severus to accept that particular truth, but perhaps someday the stubborn wizard might be willing to listen.

"I'd never think of you that way, Severus Snape."

"Nevertheless, it was so. I allowed myself to be manipulated," the other admitted softly. "I was young and foolish then, lost without Lily, missing half my memories and my son. But never again." His mouth twisted bitterly. "Anything else?"

"Only that he hoped Harry was recovering from his magical loss. Oh and Poppy says to tell you to stop giving Harry the Nutrient Potion now, he's probably gained all the necessary amino acids and such back by now."

"I figured as much and I already took him off it."

"She also says to tell you that she misses you and you owe her a letter."

"Humph! Does the blasted woman think I've nothing better to do all day than write her letters about me? I've got more orders than I can handle with my mail order potions catalog, so I've been brewing nonstop, and hardly have time to label everything, much less pen letters to that interfering old busybody."

"I'll be sure and tell her that, Sev."

"You do and I'll throttle you, Lupin," he threatened.

The clock struck twelve thirty.

Yawning, Severus stood up. "Well, I'm for bed. I'll need sleep if I'm to deal with my son tomorrow."

"I think I'm going to lie in tomorrow," teased Lupin. "That way I'll miss all the shouting and tears."

"Like hell you will, wolf. I'm going to need you here to prevent me from going ballistic. Since Lily isn't here, you get to play her role."

"Fine, but from what Sirius told me, she had as fiery a temper as you sometimes, and she was no slouch at discipline either. I heard she once threatened to spank James for letting Harry get away with murder."

"Actually, she threatened to have me spank him, because he stupidly left his wand out where a two-year-old imp could snatch it."

"Merlin, but I'm sorry I missed that one!" laughed the werewolf. "Fine, Sev. I'll be up tomorrow making sure you don't kill my godson. At least not till we've been properly introduced," he added with a Snape-like smirk.

The Potions Master chuckled softly and departed to his bedroom for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow's dawn was sure to be memorable and unpleasant for one or more of them.

• * * * * * *

Harry awoke feeling as if several trolls wielding spiked clubs had taken up residence inside his skull. For one moment he opened his eyes and the light from the dimly lit lamp was so bright he was blinded. He quickly squinched his eyes shut with a groan.

Then the trolls began to tap dance in his head and he rolled over, trying to shut them out.

Big mistake.

The movement reminded his stomach that it was very upset and he opened his eyes, looking frantically for something to vomit in. The silver basin caught his eye and he grabbed it just in time.

For several awful minutes he was sure he was going to die. But at last his stomach decided it was going to stay inside of him and stopped trying to crawl out his throat.

Suddenly he felt a hand on the back of his neck, lifting his face and wiping it with a cool wet cloth. The same hand put a glass to his lips and he rinsed his mouth with water. "Better now?"

Harry nodded briefly, then winced when the movement made his head throb. He should have known his father would be there, he always seemed to know when Harry was sick.

Severus banished the contents of the basin and helped his son lie back on the pillow. He placed the cool cloth over Harry's forehead and said calmly, "And this, young man, is what happens when you drink too much. Alcohol is like poison and makes you very ill as a consequence."

Harry squinted and could just make out the blurry dark shape that was his father. "Is that why I'm so sick?" he whispered.

"How much do you remember about last night?"

Harry tried to think, but his head hurt. "M'head hurts . . ." he whimpered.

"It usually does the morning after, son. Lie still and shut your eyes. It'll pass soon enough," Severus directed coolly.

Harry obeyed, wondering at the tone in his parent's voice. It fairly dripped disapproval. But the aching in his head occupied him for a time and he could not collect his thoughts. What had happened last night? Something had, for he was home and not at Neil's the way he was supposed to be.

Severus moved silently and seated himself in a chair not far from the bed, observing the pale figure of his son unseen. At first he had intended to let the boy suffer the consequences of his poor choice alone, but found he couldn't watch impassively when it came to his own child and so he had come in with a cool cloth to assist Harry once he'd stopped throwing up.

He'd spoken in barely a whisper, knowing that was all Harry's sensitive ears would tolerate. He watched for several more minutes, relieved to see the lines of pain smooth out from the young wizard's face, yet angry at what had caused them.

Harry relaxed as the trolls in his head decided to take a break and rest, allowing him to recall bits and pieces of what had happened last night. He had been at Neil's, the MacIntyres had gone out for dinner, leaving Mike in charge and Mike had decided to have a party. But Harry couldn't recall any alcohol being served. And Neil had made the punch and they'd both drank it before and hadn't gotten drunk. But the last time . . .the punch had tasted off . . .but he'd been thirsty . . .and then there had been that nice police officer, who'd taken him home . . .and his dad had been furious and Harry couldn't remember what else happened, he must have fallen asleep.

Suddenly he heard Mia's soft piercing voice ask, "What's wrong with Harry, Severus? Is he sick?"

"Yes, Mia. Harry's not feeling very well this morning."

"Oh. Are you gonna give him medicine? Will he be better tomorrow?"

"The only medicine he needs is time and quiet, little one. And he'll be better by this afternoon, I should think," answered Severus.

Harry was relieved to hear that, he hated being made to stay in bed, even when he was sick as a dog. Then again, perhaps the bed was safer, at least his father didn't seem to want to unleash his wrath on a sick child. But once Harry was well, he didn't doubt for a minute that he was now in the worst trouble he'd ever been in.

Suddenly he wished very hard to remain sick and so avoid facing his father's anger. But the trolls seemed to have settled down now and his headache was slowly ebbing.

He kept still though, and felt Severus remove the washcloth and apply a fresh one, it was wet and deliciously cool against his sweaty skin. He felt his dad wipe his face with another cloth, then draw away.

He feigned sleep for what he thought was quite a long time, but in reality was only about an hour or so. By then his head had stopped throbbing and no longer felt like it was going to fall off any minute now. His mouth tasted like an old dishrag, however, and he wished he dared open his eyes and see if his dad had left water beside the bed. His throat was parched and dry as the Sahara.

"How's the invalid?" asked an unfamiliar male voice.

"Feeling the aftereffects of last night very keenly," said Snape dryly.

"Ugh!" said the other voice with a touch of sympathy. "I almost feel sorry for him. Have you decided yet on a punishment, Sev?"

"No, because that will be based on what he tells me happened last night. I think he knows he ought to tell the truth, but if not, I can always remind him what lying will get him."

Harry tried frantically to recall what punishment his father had told him he would receive if he lied and couldn't remember. Then he recalled a very dim memory, back when he was a toddler, of touching a rare potion ingredient in his father's private lab and breaking it. When his dad had asked him who broke it, he had immediately said he didn't know.

"Are you sure, Harry?"

"Yes, Daddy. I not know nothin' ‘bout how that pretty bottle broke."

"Harry," his daddy knelt and looked him right in the eye, frowning sternly. "I'm going to ask you one more time and you'd better tell me the truth-did you touch my potion bottle?"

"Uh . . .no!"

His daddy shook his head, looking very disappointed and upset. "Harrison Remus Snape, now you and I both know that is a lie. You were the only one besides me home today and that bottle couldn't have fallen off the shelf by itself. Which means you took it down to look at it after I told you not to and dropped it. Isn't that right, mister?"

Harry opened his mouth in awe. How had his daddy known? His daddy was the smartest man in the world. Slowly, he nodded.

"Ah. The truth will out. I'm very disappointed in you, young man. You not only disobeyed me, you lied to me on top of it. Lying is very very bad, child."

"I-I didn't mean to, Daddy!" he wailed, sniffling. He hated it when his daddy used that tone of voice and said those awful words-I'm very disappointed in you. "I'm sorry!"

"What are you sorry for, Harry?"

"For-for touching your potion bottle and-and breaking it! It was an accident!"

"I'm sure it was, but you were told not to touch it and you did anyway. And then you lied to me twice, and that was not an accident, now was it?"

"N-no!" More sniffles. "Am I in trouble?"

"Very big trouble. If you had told me the truth in the beginning, Harry, you'd only get time out and one swat for disobeying. But because you lied to me, now you're going to get a spanking."

"No! Please! I'm sorry!" he wailed, trying to run away. He'd been spanked once before, for playing with Uncle Jamie's wand, and it had hurt a lot.

But his daddy ignored him, saying only, "If you lie to me, or anyone, Harrison Snape, you will always get spanked, for lying is among the very worst things you can do."

Then he'd picked up Harry and placed him over his knee, and given the child seven very firm smacks, on his bare bottom, which was the worst spanking ever, at least from a two year old's perspective.

"And that's what you'll get for lying," Severus told him before he held him and comforted him, rubbing his back until he'd stopped sobbing.

And Harry vowed to never lie to his father again.

He winced when he recalled that incident now, for he well remembered how much that last spanking had stung. But that lesson had stuck with him, for he had never lied to his aunt or uncle, even when he knew it would earn him a beating. And he had done his best not to lie in school either, except in extreme circumstances, and he'd always felt terribly guilty afterwards.

But he wouldn't try and lie his way out of trouble this time, no sir. For there was little doubt in his mind that if he dared to speak a word that was untrue, Severus would know and punish him. His father never threatened.

Eventually, Harry could no longer pretend to be asleep and he opened his eyes and sat up slowly. The room spun a little, but nothing like it had done before, and Harry was able to find his glasses and put them on.

Immediately he saw his father seated in a chair not far away, paging through a magazine. Next to him was an unknown man who looked to be about the same age as his dad, dressed in khaki trousers, a white shirt, and a tie with wolves on it. Harry was sure he'd never met the guy in his life, yet his brain was screaming that he looked familiar.

His eye was drawn back to the wolf tie, for some reason a gray wolf featured prominently with this man, Harry could just remember having a gray stuffed wolf, his favorite toy, given to him by . . ."Moony. That's who you are. Moony Lupin."

At the sound of his voice, Severus immediately tossed aside the magazine and came to stand before him. A hand was placed on his forehead and Severus muttered, "Still slightly feverish." He summoned a blue bottle, poured a dose of it out on a spoon and fed it to Harry, who grimaced but took it without a fuss.

His father arched an eyebrow and said mildly, "Time was when you fought me tooth and nail over medicine. I practically had to force feed you it." He summoned a different potion, this one was a fizzy pink, and let Harry drink it also. "That ought to settle your stomach, son, so we can talk without you having to stop and run into the lavatory." He placed the spoon on the nightstand then said, "As you've no doubt remembered, Harry, this man here is Remus Lupin, AKA Moony, your godfather."

"Hi."

"Hello, Harry. I'm glad to see you're better."

Harry nodded then looked expectantly at his father.

"Uh, Dad? I know you're probably mad as hell right now over what happened last night. . . ."

Severus favored him with a look that could've melted stone. "That's the understatement of the year, young man. Before I ask you for an explanation, I want to remind you about the consequences of lying to me. You ought to remember that's something I have zero tolerance for, now as much as when you were two and lied about breaking my potion bottle. So, this is your first, only, and last warning. Think carefully about what you say, and don't ever lie to me, or else your punishment will be doubled and most likely include the same consequences as the last time you lied to me, Harry. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," Harry murmured, then he blurted, "But Dad, I'm thirteen now, not two! That's too old to-to punish that way," he stammered, not wanting to say the embarrassing word out loud in front of Remus.

"Yes, and normally I would agree, you're too old for me to spank," Severus countered. "However, lying is a special case and my original punishment will be enforced. So, think carefully before you open your mouth, Harry, because I'll know if you're lying and then you'll pay for it exactly the same as you did when you were two."

His son went a brilliant scarlet. Having Severus punish him like that would be so humiliating. He would rather die of shame. "I understand, sir."

"Good. Now that we've got that settled, tell me exactly what in hell happened last night, Harrison Remus, to make a police officer escort you home at eleven o'clock from a sleepover party."

Harry coughed then began his story, starting with arriving at Neil's house.

Severus was furious that Neil's parents thought it acceptable to go out for dinner and leave two thirteen-year-olds under the care of a seventeen-year-old. "I never would've agreed to letting you spend the night if I'd known that was what they were going to do. I expected you to be supervised by an adult, not a boy just past his majority who thinks he's an adult. And who's proven, at least to me, that he's still an irresponsible child. Go on, Harry. The MacIntyres left and then what?"

"We played Quidditch and I was Seeker-oh blast-I left my broom there!" Harry cried, aghast. The Nimbus 2000 was expensive, what if someone stole it?

"Relax, we'll get your broom back later. After the Quidditch game was when Mike decided to have this party?"

"Yeah and he made Neil and me cook for it, even though we didn't want to." Harry told Severus everything he could remember, including Aliyah and the dozens of teenagers showing up. "But sir, I never saw any alcohol. When I came downstairs to look for Neil, I couldn't find him, and I spotted the punch bowl and I drank some. I was thirsty."

Severus exchanged knowing glances with Remus. "They most likely brought out the alcohol while you two were upstairs, Harry. While there is no technical drinking age in the wizarding community as such, it's understood you shouldn't drink until you're eighteen. And for Muggles in the US, it's even stricter, there's a law, no drinking until you're twenty-one. So they knew they were breaking the law, which was why they played dirty and put the alcohol-firewhiskey would be my guess, right Moony?-into the punch. Then they could drink and not look like they were breaking any laws. They pulled a Lucius Malfoy on you, Harry."

"What's that?"

Before Severus could explain, Remus did. "What your dad means, Harry, is that they spiked the punch, and then allowed it to be served without telling people what was in it. The same thing happened to him sixth year when Lucius Malfoy, an alumni of Hogwarts, threw a party and spiked a glass of pumpkin juice and served it to your father, knowing full well Sev never touched alcohol."

Severus grimaced. "I passed out after ten minutes, but before that I utterly humiliated myself by being so out of control."

"Did the police bring you home too?" asked his son, astonished his father had ever had such an experience. And with Draco's dad too. Figures, he'd be just as slimy as his son.

"No, Remus here did, once he realized what had happened. Read me the riot act too once I woke up, at least he did until I threw up all over him. But that's not the issue here. Look at me." He waited until Harry's eyes were staring straight into his own. "Can you honestly say you had no idea what was done to that punch, Mr. Snape?"

"Yes sir. I was just so thirsty and it was the first thing I saw, so I just got a glass and finished it off. The only differences I noted was that it tasted sharp and it burned the back of my throat when I swallowed. I couldn't find Neil and I was hot, so I stepped outside . . ."

There was no hesitation when he spoke, not the least little flicker of an eyelid or a change in breathing, any of which would have screamed he was lying to the master spy. Severus bit back a sigh of relief. "I can see I'm going to have to talk with you about the dangers of accepting food or an open drink at a party you're at. It's far too easy to slip things inside them and then you could end up the way you did last night."

"Think they got arrested?"

"If they managed to catch them drinking, definitely. For noise level, maybe not. And if they did find evidence of drinking, the parents could be arrested for not supervising minors correctly," said Severus grimly.

Harry gasped. That was news to him, that parents were held responsible for what their son did while they were gone. It seemed a little harsh until Severus explained what could have happened as a result of their little decision.

"People could have died as a result, Harry. Even though most of them were wizards, and flew on brooms, flying or driving while intoxicated, the result is the same-death. Even with Floo powder or Apparition, unless you speak or visualize a destination clearly, you could end up God knows where, or nowhere at all. It's a serious offense and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the MacIntyres are not facing charges."

"But what about Mike? He's the one who really ought to be in trouble, since he started this whole thing by inviting all those people to the house." Harry argued stubbornly.

"Yes, and I'm sure that if the police haven't held him accountable, his parents surely will."

"I wonder how Neil is doing? He must have drank the punch too and passed out somewhere." Harry mused.

"Most likely. Which brings me to my second topic, if you're ever at that kind of party again, never ever accept a drink from an unknown person or leave a drink unattended, always get your own butterbeer or whatever from a closed bottle. Or better yet, don't drink at all. I had hoped you'd never need to learn that the hard way, son, unfortunately, like me, you did," said his father with a touch of regret.

"One thing my parents told me, Harry, was if I was ever at a party and became drunk, or other kids were drinking, no matter how old I was, I could always call them to come and pick me up," Remus added. "No matter what time it was, they were available, and they wouldn't punish me that night, if I happened to deserve it, only the next morning."

"I agree with that policy," said Severus. "If you're ever in a situation like that again, call me and I will come and get you, no matter the time or the place, because nothing is worth more to me than your safety."

"And you won't punish me either?"

"Not that night, no. But the next morning, I will, if you've done something to warrant it. You were extremely lucky last night, Harry, that a police officer picked you up and not someone else. There are people who live to prey on children your age, son, and the way you were, you'd have been an easy target."

Harry grimaced as the impact of his father's words sunk in. He'd never thought it would be dangerous just walking home alone. He had forgotten that without his magic, he was vulnerable. And he had assumed he was safe here, where the crime level was low and no one knew he was really Harry Potter. "Sorry. I-I wasn't thinking straight."

"Yes, I know. Being drunk will do that to you," said Severus wryly. "I hope this teaches you a good lesson about the perils of underage drinking, Harry. As it is, I'm going to call Mr. and Mrs. MacIntyre and give them a good piece of my mind, if they're available, and maybe have a word with Mike as well."

Harry shivered, for his father's tone was very unpleasant and promised hell for whoever was on the receiving end of it. The youngster was just glad it wasn't him this time. "But I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"Since you didn't deliberately drink alcohol, no, you're not. But if you ever do before you're of age, wizard or otherwise, you will wish you never heard of it when I get through with you. Alcohol is nothing to fool around with, Harry, especially given your family history. The sons and daughters or grandsons or granddaughters of an alcoholic are more than fifty percent likely to become alcoholics if they drink to excess. It's an inherited weakness. Which is why you'll never see me drink anything but an occasional toast or a glass of wine at dinner. I'd suggest you follow my example instead of your grandfather's."

"I will, sir," Harry promised. The thought of becoming like his grandfather, not to mention waking feeling like he'd been run over by a herd of unicorns, did not appeal to him in the slightest.

"All right then." Severus rose to his feet. "While I go and make a phone call, you ought to get dressed and eat some breakfast, Harry. Then you can get reacquainted with your godfather, who hasn't seen you since you were two."

Harry flushed, recalling the story his father had told him about the last time Remus had babysat him. Then he looked up and caught a faint red blush on the werewolf's face as well. Clearly they were both remembering the same incident.

Their eyes met and Lupin said quietly, "Well, at least you can dress yourself this time around, Harry."

For some reason Harry found this comment hilariously funny and began laughing. Remus snickered too and Severus left them still chuckling and went to make a very pointed phone call. He was on the whole, quite relieved that his son had been blameless in the whole incident, but also quite angry that Harry had been exposed to that kind of reckless and irresponsible behavior at this age. And he would be sure to inform the elder MacIntyres and their older son of that fact in no uncertain terms.