The battle had ended. The light had won. Harry Potter had sacrificed himself and had eventually killed Voldemort. He had then gone back to the Shrieking Shack intent on reclaiming the corpse of his potions teacher. He was startled to find said potions teacher slowly dragging himself out of the shack on his stomach. Without a second thought he had lifted the man in his arms, seeming to forget that he was able to levitate him. With hurried footsteps he carried his teacher to the hospital wing and demanded that he was treated, despite the matron insisting that he was just a death eater who should be left to his fate. The vanquisher of Voldemort won the battle of wills with the determined Madam Pomfrey. Confident that the man would recover he returned the borrowed memories that had won the war and set off, sacrificing himself again, although this time to the awaiting media.

Awaking the next morning in a dormitory in the Gryffindor tower Harry was startled to find that it was actually afternoon. Grumbling about vanquishing evil tyrants really taking it out of you he stumbled out of bed and prepared himself for his first full day of totally mindless hero worship. Arriving in the common room he found the other two members of the golden trio sat together grinning. He approached them and sat down.
“What are you guys grinning about?” he asked, wondering if their relationship had progressed further when they had departed the celebrations early the previous night. Ron smiled broadly.
“It’s such a wonderful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, I’ve got Mione, Voldemort’s dead, Snape’s in Azkaban.” Harry grinned and was about to agree (minus the part about Hermione) when the list fully permeated his sleep addled brain.
“What do you mean ‘Snape’s in Azkaban’?” he asked carefully.
“You were asleep” replied Hermione, not seeming to notice the dangerous waters that she was wading into “We were all down in the great hall eating breakfast when a team of aurors arrived rounding up any last death eaters that we had captured. Before they left someone mentioned that Snape was in the hospital wing. They looked at Madam Pomfrey like she was crazy but a few minutes later they had him bound and they were levitating him out – where are you going Harry?” Harry didn’t have time to answer his friends question as he raced out of the portrait hall to the headmistress’s office. He was relieved to note that the password had not been changed from the previous evening as he mounted the staircase at a sprint. Franticly banging on the door he nearly punched Minerva McGonagall on the nose, and he would have had his seeker reflexes been a moment slower to kick in.
“Harry” she greeted, not noticing the young mans urgency “To what do I owe this pleasure”
“Snape, how long ago did they take him?” Harry panted, out of breath despite the physical fitness he had developed in almost a year on the run.
“An hour or so. Why?” Harry ran a hand through his hair. Ignoring her questioned he continued
“Where will they have taken him? The ministry? Azkaban?” She looked thoroughly confused.
“The ministry I suspect. Why” she repeated her earlier question. Harry span on his heels and sprinted down the stairs
“He’s innocent” called the retreating figure, not allowing the newly appointed headmistress a chance to question how he had come upon this startling realisation.

Cursing as he sprinted through the corridors, all earlier fatigue forgotten, Harry wondered how he could have been stupid enough not to announce Snape’s innocence before he had fallen into bed, practically comatose, as soon as he had seen his chance to escape the rampaging media. All he knew now was that Snape would not be getting the Dementors kiss or a stay in Azkaban if he had any say in it. Reaching the entrance hall he adamantly ignored the simpering public and he barrelled through the castle doors and down the steps, even going as far as to totally ignore Hagrid’s cheerful greeting as he raced for the apparation boundary. Reaching it he apparated straight to the public entrance and frantically hammered in the security code. Grumbling breathlessly at the request to state his name and purpose he was surprised at the lifts uncanny ability to translate to understandable English and print a badge stating “Harry Potter – Preventing the ministry destroying yet another innocent man with its bureaucracy”. Totally blanking out the incredulous stares at the hero of the wizarding world moving through the atrium at break neck speed Harry stopped at the information desk and demanded the location of one Severus Snape. Stunned and hung over from the night’s festivities the spotty adolescent behind the desk readily obliged. Recognising the location as the one that Umbridge had used to ‘try’ the muggleborns the previous year Harry set of once again, scattering ministry officials in his wake. Arriving on the door Harry decided that maybe his best course of action would not be to race into the courtroom in the same manor, golden boy or not, he knocked, politely but firmly and demanded to address the Wizengamot regarding the case of Severus Snape. The man who greeted him reminded Harry rather strongly of Percy’s during his desperate campaign for acceptance within the ministry, but he was sufficiently flustered upon discovering an extremely determined man-who-lived-to-really-destroy-the-dark-lord to allow him entrance without subjecting him to the normal bureaucracy that the ministry was so fond of.

Entering the court room Harry felt a distinct sense of déjà vu, drawing his thoughts to Snape’s previous trial that he had witnessed in Dumbledore’s pensive. Snape was chained in the central chair, still in his hospital gown, shaking with what were obviously some pretty horrendous memories being drawn to the forefront of his mind by the circling dementors. Harry shook his head in disgust. It was obvious that the trial had not yet begun, and already the monstrous beasts had moved in for the kill. He sent his patronus and the silvery stag marched around the quaking man, as if daring one of the soul sucking beasts to try crossing its path. Snape stopped shaking at the appearance of the milky saviour and stared at Harry. Disbelief and resignation etched on his still bloodied, pale face. Harry nodded to him before marching towards the official presiding over the case. A whispered conversation later Harry had verified that the trial was yet to begin and he slid onto a bench, waiting to testify. This was unheard of in normal trails where a witness would have to be called to testify but due to the ministry’s state of disarray no one dared argue with the chosen one. It was clear from the stunned expressions from the pitiful six people actually in attendance that they had not expected any resistance, much less such famous resistance. Harry smirked at that, his Patronus still pacing protectively around the man chained to the chair.
“Severus Snape” called an official. “You are here to be tried as a death eater, and for the murder of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Administer the veritaserum.” The scrawny man that had allowed Harry entrance scurried forwards and, watching Harry’s patronus warily, administered veritaserum to the very resigned looking Snape. Harry scoffed at the mans wariness. Unless he was part dementor there was nothing that a patronus could do to him as any first year should know. He decided that he would need to comment on that at a later date, best put his hated celebrity status to some use.
“What is your full name?” continued the official
“Severus Snape”
“What is your date of birth?”
“January 9th 1960”
“Were you a death eater?” The man visibly tried to fight the potion before succumbing to its effects.
“Yes” he whispered, obviously seeing where this was going. Harry found it more disturbing than he thought possible to see the once arrogant self confident man so totally broken and hopeless.
“Did you join the Death Eaters willingly?” There was no visible resistance this time, and resignation was dominant in the mans exhausted features
“I did”
“Did you kill Albus Dumbledore in June of 1997?” Snape looked completely broken as he whispered the answer
“I did”
“How did you kill him?”
“Avada Kedavra”
“Do you feel any remorse for killing Dumbledore?”
“I do not” whispered the broken man hoarsely. The assembled officials gasped. The presiding official seemed satisfied and appeared to have forgotten Harry for the moment.
“For use of an unforgivable, you are sentenced to a life sentence on Azkaban, for the murder of Albus Dumbledore, a life sentence on Azkaban. For being found to be a death eater, you are sentenced to a dementors kiss.” The already pale man turned positively white at this, his almost pearly skin in stark contrast to the blood covering the majority of it. As the Dementor attempted to approach Harry’s patronus charged it away, quickly returning to its guarding. Harry purposefully got to his feet and marched along the benches until he was directly in front of the official.
“I don’t believe you have heard my testimony yet, madam speaker” he announced coldly, his sheer power evident in the magic crackling in the air surrounding him.
“Very well” replied the official. Harry strode down and stood in front of Snape, spinning to face the Wizengamot.
“I would first like to address the Wizengamot. I am afraid I am unaware of what constitutes proper etiquette regarding these trials since my own experiences with the ministry’s trials have been deeply corrupt as I am certain we all regret.” He made certain to make eye contact with each official sat before him, daring them to dispute that assertion “therefore” he continued as though the pause had not existed “I will just have to improvise. Does anyone object?” the usually haughty officials shook their heads obediently. In less serious circumstances the powerful Wizengamot cowed by a seventeen year old would have been highly amusing. “No? Good. Firstly I would like to address the issue that this accused’s innocence in the first war against Voldemort” he got a sadistic pleasure from their flinching “has already been proven and accepted by the court and therefore cannot be disputed here. Secondly, I would like to question the accused. Will the veritaserum still be satisfactory or will another dose be required? Satisfactory? Good.” He turned to Snape
“Severus Snape. Have you, at any point during the most recent war against Voldemort, been loyal to Voldemort?”
“I have not” replied Snape, still looking resigned but with a faint glimmer of relief that Harry did not plan to dig him into deeper trouble, not that that was possible.
“Have you been loyal to Albus Dumbledore’s cause during the entirety of the most recent war against Voldemort?”
“I have”
“Up until Albus Dumbledore’s death were you spying for the organisation known as the Order of the Phoenix?”
“I was”
“After Dumbledore’s death what was your aim as headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry?”
“I was protecting the students as best as possible from the dark lord, the Carrow’s and the death eaters in general. Also I was maintaining the dark lord’s positive opinion of me so that I would be able to remain at Hogwarts and protect its students.” Harry nodded
“Why did you kill Albus Dumbledore?”
“Because he ordered me to” Harry ignored the gasps.
“Why did he tell you were his reasons for this order?”
“He was already dieing from a curse. Also, Draco Malfoy had been ordered to kill him and he did not wish for Draco to be punished for failing.” Harry nodded
“Thank you. I might add to the honourable members of the Wizengamot that Severus Snape enabled me to vanquish Voldemort yesterday, and without his contribution I would not have been able to do so. Whilst he believed himself to be dieing he gave me memories that showed me that in order to kill Voldemort I would need to sacrifice myself. During this time he also gave me evidence of his devotion to the cause of the light. I believe that the personal sacrifices that he made in the name of this cause should be counted over the unforgivable that he was forced to use in order to maintain his role for his cause. I am willing to take veritaserum to verify my testimony, however, if you do use veritaserum on me I would warn you that I may leave the ministry still under the influence of the truth serum and encounter the inevitable press who would no doubt be fascinated to hear about the way that you were about to condemn a man without allowing him a defence, and well, I don’t suppose I would be able to resist telling them in exacting detail how inept I have found the ministry to be at times, considering the potion and all.” The members of the Wizengamot paled as one at the barely veiled threat. The presiding official stood once more.
“Thank you Mr Potter. I put it to the Wizengamot that the accused has his punishment reduced to a twenty year sentence in Azkaban for the deeds committed and unforgivable curses that he used while posing as a loyal death eater, while taking into account his work in the fight against he-who must-not-be-named.” The other members grudgingly agreed. Harry could tell that he was going to get no further than that today so he nodded to the Wizengamot then to Snape and left the room, calling his patronus off as he left. Marching through the atrium once more at a slightly more sedate pace he was none the less radiating enough power that the general hubbub ceased immediately but no one moved to pester him, no one would dare get in the path of a powerful young man so clearly on a mission. Once outside of the ministry he apparated straight to Azkaban, taking a boat across the water to the imposing fortress. He felt the chill of dementors as he crossed it. He realised how unimaginably horrible it would be to be trapped here and was glad that he would be able to offer his mothers childhood friend a little hope at the very least. Arriving on the island he found his way to the visitor’s office, a shabby looking room with a few filthy looking chairs and a sullen looking man sat at a window. Harry approached the man
“Good lord, it’s Harry Potter” exclaimed the man. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “What can I do for you Mr Potter?” he asked.
“A prisoner will be arriving here soon no doubt, one Severus Snape. I would like to visit him as soon as he arrives to obtain some important information that it was impossible to obtain in the ministry’s courts this morning. Would you be so kind as to take me to him as soon as he has been taken to his cell?” The man nodded, clearly star struck, thought Harry disgustedly as he sat down on one of the revolting chairs and tried to catch up on a little sleep.
“Mr Potter, Mr Potter” called a hesitant voice an indefinable time later. Harry looked up to see the man from the window tentatively shaking his shoulder. “The prisoner is here Mr Potter” he announced seeing that Harry was awake. “I will take you to him”
“Ah yes, thank you” said Harry, slipping into the façade that he forced himself to use on the rare occasions that he made use of his fame. “It appears that vanquishing an evil monster is a lot more tiring than I would have imagined.” The man chuckled as he lead Harry through the thankfully dementor free corridors. “Where are the dementors?” he asked once his curiosity got the better of him.
“This is your first visit to Azkaban then, Mr Potter?” asked the man. Harry nodded “The Azkaban guards are called away and human guards patrol when there are visitors present. Of course, normally that is only on designated visiting days but I think considering that the person requesting the visit was you they were willing to make an exception.” Harry grinned. Finally he was finding used for his fame.
“Thank you, this is most kind of you.”
“Our pleasure Mr Potter” smiled the man “Thank you for ridding the world of you-know who” Harry smirked
“Now that one really was my pleasure. I was as keen to be rid of him as the next man, more so considering that he was dead set on killing me.”
“Yes, well” replied the man “I’m just pleased that we’re not expected to contain him here. Aha, here we are. You have a visitor Prisoner.” He spat as they reached the cell. He allowed Harry inside then locked him inside, bowing slightly to Harry before scurrying away.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Mr Potter?” came a weak sneer from the corner of the cell. Squinting into the darkness Harry spied his potions professor. The cell was completely bare, not even containing a blanket. Harry growled at this and transfigured some of the rubbish from his pockets into a bed with warm blankets, a chair and a table.
“I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done. I would also like to retract my statement from last year. You are anything but a coward; you’re one of the bravest men I’ve ever met. It would, however, be far easier to talk to you if you would stop hiding in the shadow.” The man crawled out of his corner and into the light, showing Harry the full extent of his injuries. “Merlin” Harry breathed “they didn’t even heal you?” he asked incredulously
“Contrary to what you may have stated I am considered a death eater, and therefore not deserving of medical attention. Not everywhere is as fair as your little Gryffindor brain likes to imagine.”
“Look” Harry started “Firstly you are wasting your time if you are looking to get a spiteful reaction out of me. After all you have done I don’t think any of us can do enough, so I will accept any nastiness as my due.” He couldn’t help but grin at the horrified look on his teachers face “I can’t have everyone hero worship me and have no one to hero worship myself now can i?” Despite himself, Snape smirked a little. “Lets see what I can do for you” Harry commented, kneeling down next to his teacher. A few muttered charms and the blood that had covered from his face. “Anything else my admittedly limited healing skills might be able to help you with?” the man looked at Harry calculatingly for a moment before displaying a wound on his arm. Harry muttered a few healing charms and it disappeared.
“Thank you” muttered the man gruffly
“Like I said, it’s the least I can do. I’ll talk to Arthur Weasley and maybe send Hermione in to take a look at the wounds on your neck. I’m sure she’d love a new research project once she can peel herself off of Ron” Snape smirked.
“The staff had a betting pool on which of you would get together and when. I wonder who will have won. When did that happen?” Harry chucked
“In the middle of the battle, I turned around from trying to destroy a horcrux and they were glued to each other.” The teacher groaned
“Of all the times to finally get together. Why are you here Potter? I’m sure you have an adoring public waiting for you.” Harry smirked
“And that isn’t a good enough reason to wait out your twenty years here with you. Even the most intrepid fans can’t get to me here, although the man in the office wasn’t far from it.” He laughed then turned serious “I’m here to tell you that I will get you out of here. You won’t be in here for your full twenty years. I will get you out. Hopefully by legal means but if not …” he left the end unsaid. The man scoffed
“I’ll bet you will never do anything illegal in all of your Gryffindor days” Harry laughed out loud at that. He bent over to whisper in his teacher’s ear
“You are speaking to someone who broke into the ministry, released Merlin knows how many muggleborns form Umbridge’s clutches, used the imperious curse several times and broken into Gringotts, escaping on a dragon. Does any of that strike you as particularly legal” The man appeared to look at Harry in a new light “I swear I will get you out of here within the year. I have to put this dratted fame to some use don’t I.” he grinned “Of course, you won’t want to mention any of the things I just told you, I won’t be able to get you out if I’m in the cell next to you, not to mention how annoying I think you’d find my continued presence. Just don’t go insane, OK?” The man looked doubtful. “Oh come on,” Harry grumbled “occlude or something, I am not doing all of this to get a babbling lunatic out. I’ll have you out of here within the year, I swear, but if you’re insane by then you will be wearing Gryffindor colours until the end of your days.”
“Are you sure you weren’t supposed to be a Slytherin?” muttered the man, clearly not expecting to be overheard.
“I was.” Harry grinned “But I’ll save that story for my next visit.” The man looked faintly surprised
“You’re coming back?” Harry got to his feet and grinned at the man, offering him a hand up. He took it and allowed himself to be helped over to his bed.
“Of course, I’m one of your adoring fans, I can learn all of the best techniques from my own.” The man groaned
“Wonderful” he muttered
“At least you get a break from me, my fans are twenty four seven. I will get you out of here, I swear. Just don’t go mad. Good luck Professor” He waved as the guard let him out of the cell.

Arriving back at Hogwarts he walked back to the castle at a pleasant pace, taking the time to stop and apologise to Hagrid for ignoring him. As it happened that had been drowned out rather by the half-giant’s sobs of “I thought yeh’d died” and Harry had only managed to excuse himself an hour later looking as though he had been dunked in the lake. Wandering up to the castle gates he met the headmistress at the doors. She was sat on the steps staring into what looked like a basket.
“Good morning headmistress” he greeted warmly “I’m sorry I appeared a little distracted this morning.” She smiled.
“That’s quite alright Harry. I don’t suppose you could explain what all of that was about?”
“When I woke up Mione told me that Snape had been taken to Azkaban. He’s innocent so I had to go and deal with the Wizengamot before it was too late.” McGonagall blanched
“Severus was innocent?” Harry nodded
“It’s my fault that he got dragged off like that. I should have told everyone yesterday but I was exhausted.” She cocked her head to one side and looked at him questioningly, looking very similar to her cat form. Harry chuckled “You look so much like your animagus form like that.” She laughed
“Yes, I suppose I probably do. Did you say Severus was innocent? You saw him kill Albus.” Harry smiled
“I did, and he did. What I didn’t know was that Professor Dumbledore was dieing from a curse and had asked Snape to kill him, to protect Draco Malfoy. He was instructed by Dumbledore to stay as headmaster and protect the school by staying in favour with Voldemort.” She looked unconvinced.
“How do you know this?” Harry grinned sheepishly
“Would you like the answer I gave the Wizengamot or the slightly more detailed answer?” She looked confused
“Both, I suppose” He laughed.
“Last night, Voldemort set Nagini on Snape in the hopes of mastering the elder wand. When Snape believed he was dieing he gave me his memories which prove without a doubt that he was loyal to Dumbledore and the order. That was as much as I told the court. What I didn’t tell them and what I haven’t told anyone yet is that when I was his with the killing curse I was sort of in limbo. I met Dumbledore there and he explained a lot of things. I know it sounds like a hallucination but it was certainly real. He confirmed what I had discovered about Snape and gave me the option of returning to kill Voldemort or moving on.” To say the headmistress looked shocked at this explanation would be to say that Voldemort and Harry were not exactly best friends from the moment they met.
“Albus planned his death?” Harry nodded.
“He got the curse when he was hunting for and then destroying a horcrux. It was the same curse that killed his hand.”
“You met him and spoke to him?”
“Yeah, he seemed happy”
“He gave you the choice of dying?”
“Yep, although he didn’t describe it quite as bluntly as that”
“Severus was really on our side all along?” Harry nodded “Oh Merlin, I gave him so much trouble” Harry smiled gently
“That was what you were supposed to do. It was all planned. If Dumbledore had wanted you to accept Snape he would have explained but he didn’t, so that must have been what he wanted. Snape had to keep his position with Voldemort so you couldn’t have openly supported him.” She seemed to take that in.
“So what’s happened to him now?”
“He was sentenced to two life sentences and a dementors kiss” she gasped “but I testified and thanks to a mixture of the truth, which had never seemed to interest them, and some not so subtle blackmail I had it reduced to a twenty year sentence, but I’ll see to it that he doesn’t serve all of that, one way or another.” She looked at him oddly
“You are far too forgiving.” Harry laughed
“Most likely”
“Was he healed?”
“No, the ministry was too stubborn to bother with that. I did what I could and I’m going to get Arthur Weasley and Mione to help work out what to do with the wound on his neck. Its not bleeding badly and it is bandaged though.”
“Have you spoken with him?”
“Yep, I’ve just come from Azkaban. I told him I’d get him out and that if he dared loose his mind in that time I’d see to it that he wore Gryffindor colours for the rest of his inane babbling days.” She laughed.
“That is cruel” Harry grinned
“Just because I killed Voldemort doesn’t mean I don’t have a nasty side. So, what’s in the basket? It seems like an odd day for a picnic” She peered into the basket sadly and gestured for Harry to do the same. Staring back at him were two startling obsidian eyes. The baby looked to be about a year old and was laying quietly, a note open and the foot of the basket. “A baby?” he asked
“Yes,” replied the headmistress “I found him out here a while ago. The note says that his entire family on his mother’s side was killed in the battle yesterday. Apparently the child services did a paternity test and found out that his father was none other than our very own Severus. From the date that he must have been conceived I can only imagine that he was the result of a rape on a death eater raid, since he was in hiding at the time and the mother was undoubtedly fighting for the light. They must have not heard the news of his arrest when they left him here, poor little thing. I was just wondering what I should do with him when you arrived. I had thought he should be adopted but now I don’t suppose that’s a possibility. We have no reason to keep him from Severus once he is released. I suppose we will have to send him to an orphanage.”
“No” disagreed Harry sharply “That would not be fair on the poor kid.”
“Harry” she said, shaking her head “I know you have strong views on this but I don’t really think we have a choice. No one will take him for an indefinable amount of time and then hand him back to an ex-death eater. That isn’t how things work in the wizarding world. Besides, if you plan to get Severus out he won’t have to live in an orphanage long.” Harry shook his head
“But then, when Snape gets out he’ll need to adjust back no normal life himself. If his kid is used to living in an orphanage he won’t be used to normal family life and he probably won’t be as keen to bond with one carer; he’ll be used to lots and he’ll just see Snape as another one. The way I see it this kid will have about thirty seconds from when he first finds out about him to worm his way into Snape’s heart before he shoves him away. He needs to live in a family in order to do that.” The headmistress sighed
“I do see your point Harry, really I do but there just isn’t anyone. People are still mourning after the war and not many people will be willing to take in a baby just to loose them again in a few months. The last thing they want is to face more loss, and the people who would be willing are most likely taking in orphans from the war instead” Harry looked thoughtful for a moment
“So really the only choice is an orphanage?” she nodded
“I know its not preferable but unless you have any other ideas.” Harry thought for a moment then coming to a split second decision
“I’ll take him” The McGonagall looked at him as though he had just announced his intention to resurrect Voldemort and marry him
“Harry, you’re seventeen, and I assume you’re going to continue your schooling now that you-know-who’s out of the way.” Harry grinned
“I haven’t got a clue who” She stared
“What?”
“You said I knew who and I don’t?” he teased
“Voldemort” she grumbled. Harry grinned
“Yep, the taboo’s gone now, and he’s dead. Anyway, I can’t think of a better place for the kid to grow up than in the castle, that way it wouldn’t be too much of a shock for him when he’s given back to Snape. Anyway, what’s my age got to do with anything? If I can finish of Voldemort I’m sure I could deal with a baby.” She seemed to concede the point.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked doubtfully. Harry grinned
“Absolutely.” He scooped the baby out of the basket. “So how old is he? What’s his name?”
“About fifteen months, and he’s called James” Harry groaned
“That will not go down well,” he commented running a hand through his hair. McGonagall looked confused for a moment before realisation struck
“Ah, yes. Luck doesn’t seem to be on old Severus’s side does it?” Harry shook his head.
“I’m sure Mione will have a nice time researching baby things, she’d need a new project now that Voldemort’s out of the way. Well that is, if I can peel her off of Ron for five whole minutes.”
“Oh they got together then? When?”
“Is this about the betting pool?” she blushed
“How did you know about that?”
“Snape. Back to your question would you believe in the middle of the battle yesterday. One minute we were destroying horcruxes the next minute they were kissing” She laughed.
“I must say there’s a touch of déjà vu about all of this isn’t there?” Harry looked doubtful
“There is?” he asked, thoroughly confused
“I don’t suppose there would be for you, you’re seeing it from a rather different perspective this time round. You can’t think of another black haired baby about the same age as this one, left in a basket to be taken in when his mother died” Harry slapped his forehead and grinned
“Nope ma’am, can’t think of anyone that fits that description. You must be going senile. Of we go then James” Harry said, getting to his feet “And here I was thinking life would get less eventful with Voldemort gone” he commented as he wandered back to Gryffindor tower, leaving the grumbling headmistress behind him.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next Saturday, the visiting day of Azkaban, Harry once again arrived at Severus Snape’s cell, tired from looking after James but otherwise in very good spirits.
“Morning Professor” he called as he was allowed into the cell.
“Potter” Snape greeted, not moving from his bed. Harry grinned
“Is that any way to greet a man with a bag full of chocolate frogs” Snape glared.
“I am not a child Potter” Harry smirked.
“Correct, you are a man stuck in a cell with dementors buzzing around who would very much enjoy the healing power of chocolate, loath though you are to admit it.” The man grumbled but helped him self to the sweets. “How are you holding out?” Harry asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Snape sighed
“To be perfectly honest Potter, I think that I will be living out my days in Gryffindor colours.” Harry groaned
“No, you can’t give in that easily Sir” Snape favoured him with a grade one death glare
“Why in Merlin’s name can’t I? Even if you manage to get me out of here before I loose it, which I seriously doubt you will, why should I stay sane? There’s nothing for me out there. People still think I’m a death eater and you might remember from the years before the dark lord returned that I am not well loved at the best of times.” Harry grinned
“You might say that, but that’s not the real you. You still had to be careful in case he returned. Now you can give in to your deepest desires and skip through the daisies.”
“Oh yes Potter. That is exactly what I want to do. How have you seen through my act?” Snape sneered. Harry beamed.
“Ah yes, there’s the Snape I know and don’t quite love. Honestly though. You’ll have to trust me on this but there is something out there waiting for you. Something that is absolutely worth staying sane for. I can’t give you details just yet but I can tell you that you need to stay sane for it. We all know you can do it. Just imagine that the dementors are me, Ron and Mione and scowl at them. You’ll scare them right away.” He was favoured with one such scowl.
“Aha, yep that’s the spirit. Exactly like that. I’d best be going Professor, enjoy your chocolates and stay sane now.” Harry left, somewhat sadder than he had let on. He knew that he couldn’t let on about James, with months to dwell on it Snape was bound to reject the idea. Still, he had to keep the man sane, James couldn’t grow up like Neville, visiting his dad it St Mungo’s. Harry simply would not allow that.

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Seven months after that day Minerva McGonagall was nervously sat in a boat to the fortress that was Azkaban prison. Despite the fact that Harry had ensured that either he or one of his friends had visited Severus every single Saturday of his imprisonment Minerva was yet to venture in, too nervous about how her colleague would react to her. Still she had not been able to avoid coming today. Someone had to fetch him and accompany him back to the castle. Harry’s friends were pre-occupied with Christmas and family and she was the only one who could be spared. Harry was waiting at the castle having decided that the child would be less upset if he was able to preside over their first meeting. Little James was practically incandescent with joy at the concept of meeting Daddy, and no one could see how anyone, even Severus, could reject such a sweet little thing. Still Uncle Hawy had explained that Daddy might not be feeling very happy and that James shouldn’t let him upset him. Minerva couldn’t help but wonder how she had earned the dubious honour of informing Severus that he was a father, she could only hope that he didn’t kill her with his bare hands, a distinct possibility in her opinion. She greeted the warden and was lead to her colleague’s cell. He peered over at her from his bed.
“Finally decided to visit have you?” he grumbled. “Have you any idea how degrading it is having Potter and his pals as my only visitors?” Minerva sighed
“I am sorry about the way I treated you, really I am, and I know I should have visited. I can’t really say that this is a visit though, nor can I claim responsibility for my presence here.”
“Let me guess” snarled Snape “Potter has finally given up on convincing the ministry to let me out of this hell hole and he’s sent you to break me out” She shook her head
“Harry has worked tirelessly to get you out of here. He hates his fame but you have no idea how well he’s used it. He caused a revolt in the ministry thanks to winning the press and the public over to his side. And he has made it clear from the start that his side is your side. I am here to escort you back to Hogwarts where Harry is waiting for you. You are a free man.” He looked ready to pass out
“Free” he whispered “Free. Potter did this?” Minerva nodded “Merlin, I’ll never understand that brat” Deciding that he wasn’t going to be in a better mood than this, and that at least here she had the guards for protection she decided to breach the subject that she had been dreading.
“I don’t know how to tell you this” she started, then paused. Severus glare forced her to continue. “Harry is waiting for you at Hogwarts, but who he has with him will undoubtedly come as a bit of a shock to you. I know that this is not the conventional way to tell you this but congratulations, you are a father.” The shocked, speechless expression she then witnessed had never before been seen on her colleague’s face, not even when Dumbledore had asked him to kill him
“I…I what?” he rasped. Minerva smiled gently and took the mans hand, which, she considered, was really rather brave.
“You have a beautiful young son. He is nearly two years old.” This time he stared at her as though she had gone completely insane.
“What in Merlin’s name are you talking about?” he spat “That’s impossible…I haven’t… Merlin, the death eater attacks” she nodded sympathetically.
“That was the conclusion that we had come to” He looked paler than white.
“W…who is the mother? How have they found me? I wore my mask.” He said desperately.
“I’m so sorry Severus. The mother and all of her family were killed fighting in the battle of Hogwarts; you’re the poor thing’s only remaining family. Child services left him at Hogwarts the day you were arrested.”
“But…What…then…who…what’s happened to him for the last, what, seven months that I’ve been stuck in here? Why haven’t I been told?” She smiled sadly
“Harry decided not to tell you because he didn’t know how you would deal with it and he thought that knowing about him while you were trapped here could be very destructive. He told me to tell you today, before you returned, so that you would be prepared.” Severus shock reverted to a scowl once more.
“Why is precious little Potter dictating whether I should find out that I have a son? Why are you taking orders from him?”
“Firstly, he has been speaking to you the most so the rest of us take his advice on how you will deal with things stuck in here. Secondly, and there is no easy way to tell you this, Harry has been caring for your son.”
“What?” the enraged man roared. “What in Merlin’s name were you thinking?” Resisting the urge to hide the remainder of the tirade out in a bomb shelter in a far distant country she looked him in the eyes and asked quietly
“What exactly is your problem with Harry caring for your son?” He looked ready to explode, leading her to the conclusion that that was the wrong thing to say
“What is my problem with it?” he roared waving his hands frantically. “Lets see. Firstly, he has only just turned seventeen. Secondly, he hates me and thirdly, why do you think he hates me. He hates me because I treated him badly because he was the son of the person who treated me badly as a teen. Does that sound at all familiar?” he seemed to deflate at this and sank back onto his bed “He’ll hate me, and rightly so. I raped his mother. I was a death eater; I did unspeakable things which Potter watched through that damned scar of his. He will have told the kid everything I’ve done. He’ll be terrified of me. And he hasn’t known me for the first two years of his life. I can’t face him. Please tell me he doesn’t call the Potter daddy, I couldn’t take that. Oh Merlin Minerva, why did it have to be Potter?” by the end of this the potions professor was actually crying, Minerva was taken aback. She had never seen the man so vulnerable, not even when he had volunteered to spy for Dumbledore or heard of Lily Potter’s death. She tentatively pulled him into a hug, knowing that despite the cool façade he really needed one.
“I think you are jumping to conclusions.” She announced softly “firstly, he doesn’t call Harry daddy, he calls him uncle Hawy.” The childish pronunciation only made the man cry harder “secondly, as Harry told me, since when has his age had any bearing on anything. He told me that if he could finish Voldemort he wouldn’t be beaten by a baby. Thirdly, Harry volunteered to take him on the day that we found him. I had planned to take him to an orphanage since no one would be ready to care for a child for such a short length of time when there were so many orphans from the war in need of adoption. Harry refused to let me; he wouldn’t let a child go through that. He would never hurt a child or mistreat him because contrary to your beliefs he did not have a good childhood .I know you are concerned that Harry has relayed his feelings towards you onto the child but you really needn’t be concerned. Harry doesn’t hate you at all. I have lost count of all the times he has defended you adamantly and very publicly against any accusations they have chosen to level against you, and, as I said he has worked tirelessly to free you. He has also been able to deter any of the remaining death eaters from coming into contact with him” the man paled “don’t worry, it hasn’t happened; thanks to Harry and some rather strong wards and strongly worded threats I might add. He loves your baby and your baby loves him, however …” she paused and waited for the man to look at her “he is sat at the castle at this very moment most likely bouncing off of the walls if this morning is anything to go by, waiting to meet his daddy.” He stared at her in complete open mouthed shock
“Why would he want to meet me? He has the Potter brat?” he asked, sneering although his heart wasn’t in it.
“Oh Severus” sighed Minerva “Harry has always told him that he is not his father, and that his father is a very brave and clever man who worked really hard to kill an evil wizard, which you did with Harry. He has explained your absence by telling him that you are making sure that the evil wizard can’t ever come back so that he will have a nice safe world to live in.” He shook his head.
“I see, so he doesn’t want to meet me. He wants to meet his brilliant fairy tale daddy that Potter has invented.” Minerva ran a hand through her slightly dishevelled hair.
“No, he wants to meet you. Harry is quite determined that what he has told him is true. That he and you really did work together as a team to beet the evil wizard” she ignored the snort “and that you would have been clearing up the world if the idiot ministry hadn’t got in the way. You can’t disappoint a child who wants nothing more than to find his daddy for the first time. Now stop this self pitying. I’m sure you have had enough of this place. Harry will be tearing his hair out at the castle trying to control your highly excitable son. I have some new robes in here, Harry bought them for you. I have some Slytherin green ones, or I have some Gryffindor red ones, just in case you had finally lost it. His words not mine.” The man snorted as he rummaged through the bag and found the green robes and put them on, combing his hair and washing his face in an attempt to make himself presentable. “Ready” asked Minerva with a smile once he had finished “Come along then, its time to meet your son”
“What is his name?” Minerva sighed. She had been dreading this part.
“James. James Snape.” The man looked ready to make an angry retort but couldn’t seem to bring himself to do it.

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“James, calm down. They’ll be here in a bit.” Harry scolded as the baby asked Where’s daddy? for what felt like the thousandth time that morning. From her place on the other side of the playpen Luna sniggered. “Oh shut it Luna” he grumbled playfully.
“I can’t wait to see his face when he turns up. I don’t think he has a scowl to deal with this situation.” Harry laughed
“He might actually have to show – shock horror – a normal human emotion” they both laughed and settled back to playing with the toys. Suddenly the doors to the great hall opened. The two teens in the playpen glanced up as they saw the headmistress and their first potions master appear at the doors, the latter looking distinctly apprehensive. “Jamie” Harry called quietly “Daddy’s here” he scooped up the excited toddler and stepped out of the playpen, walking towards the pair. “I take it from the attire that you stayed sane then?” Harry commented in a desperate attempt to break the ice. Nothing, not even a smirk. Settling James on his hip he turned to face the infant. “Jamie” he said softly to gain the boy’s attention “This is your daddy. I think he’d like to meet you.” The way the child’s face lit up bought a tear to everyone’s eye. Severus was lost. He didn’t have a clue what he should do confronted with this perfect little child. Thankfully, Harry took the lead and passed the little boy over to the once stern man who now had tears streaming down his face.
“You my Daddy?” asked the child. Severus hugged the child tightly
“Yes son” he whispered hoarsely. The little boy put his arms around his newfound daddy and hugged as hard as he could.
“Daddy” he announced happily.