Mrs Malfoy politely looked to Mr Selwyn for the answer.

“Yes, Draco, I can spare you half an hour" the old man said kindly. "I need to weave some charms into the canvas so I’ll do that whilst you youngsters play.”

Draco, observing his friends excited faces, beamed “Thanks!”

“These fish goujons are lovely, Harry” Hermione complimented.

Harry grinned “Dad and I went to the market real early this morning and he taught me how to choose a fish…”

“Dating tips are always useful” joked Blaise.

Harry giggled “And then we made them. They’re dead easy: you just cut the fish into strips, coat each in seasoned flour, Dad calls that ‘dredging’, dip them in egg then roll them in the breadcrumbs. It’s a bit messy but really fun.”

“I’ll warrant that half the fun’s in the mess” grinned Mr Selwyn, stroking his long moustache.

“Definitely” grinned Blaise “My mother and I often cook together and stuff like making ravioli and stuffing peppers are always the best.”

Hermione nodded “Yeah, we like making bread-and-butter pudding; it’s really squidgy and I always end up covered in butter and sugar but its great fun.”

“Bread-and-butter pudding?” queried Theo

“You lay buttered bread in a big, ceramic dish, then put on a layer of dried fruit and cinnamon, then another layer of bread and more fruit then a final layer of bread and then you pour over a home-made vanilla custard and bake it. It’s really nice”

“Why do we never do any cooking Mummy?” asked Draco.

Mrs Malfoy smiled uncomfortably “Well, we have House Elves, Draco”

“It sounds really fun though” sighed Theo “Like Potions but, obviously, better tasting. No offence, Harry.”

Harry grinned “Even Dad says potions taste bad, he was telling me once how sugar and honey tend to cause some ingredients to change slightly, making the whole potion useless.”

“It must be really expensive, having House-elves” said Hermione “Mummy has a woman in to clean on Fridays as both my parents work full time” she added by way of explanation.

“You don’t pay house-elves, Hermione” chuckled Draco

“They’re bound to serve certain families” added Theo, oblivious to Blaise’s oppressive glance.

“What?! You mean they’re like… slaves?” Hermione asked, her brown eyes wide and concerned.

“Hermione, dear, House-elves are no more slaves than, say, sheepdogs are enslaved” Mrs Malfoy smiled indulgently. “They are simple creatures and, were they to live in the wild, their lives would be very hard indeed.”

“Yeah” nodded Theo “Besides, they love serving Wizards. You should come down to the Hogwarts kitchens sometime; they positively bawl if you decide to make something yourself. Remember that time when you wanted to make up a bowl of yoghurt and fruit, Blaise?”

“But…”

“Mrs Malfoy, may we go and see the puppies now?” asked Blaise earnestly.

“Of course. Thank you Harry, for bringing your wonderful goujons.” Mrs Malfoy smiled. “Suvie, bring up the coffee, please.”

“Good girl, that Hermione” George Selwyn said, once the children had left the room “A fine, inquiring mind. I’m sure I’ve read something by a wizard named Granger, lived a while back, I recall...”

oOoOo

When Severus arrived at the Manor, that evening, Lucius, who had just returned from the Ministry, smiled and whispered that Severus should disillusion himself and follow him.

The Potions master entered the warm, snug kitchen to find that, whilst his son’s friends romped with the four chubby, boisterous puppies, Harry sat quietly beside a tiny, woolly coated pup, gently stroking its round, sweet head with a tender expression in his green-eyes.

“Do you accept bank-drafts?” chuckled Severus, smiling at the small dark-haired boy and the little, dark-furred pup.

“That dog's a shy little thing, the proverbial runt of the litter” whispered Lucius “They’ve been inseparable since Harry saw the poor creature sitting, by himself, in his basket.”

Severus nodded “Harry has a great deal of empathy.”

“If the boy would like him, we could look after the pup during the day and floo him over to you in the early evening” Lucius suggested kindly. “They seem rather taken with each other.”

The Potions Master sighed quietly “Come, Lucius, the children seem content for the moment. I need your advice.”

oOoOo

“I imagine this is about something more than the pup” Lucius said, sitting beside Severus on the sage-leather, study sofa and handing him a crystal glass of amber liquid.

“Indeed, you have seen the Evening Prophet, I presume?”

“I picked up a copy as I left London, Black has been released, I see.”

“Yes.” Severus replied, tightly.

Lucius looked at Severus with appraising silver eyes “The adoption was legally binding, Severus. Even if he is, indeed, Harry’s Godfather, any claim Sirius makes will not stand up in Court. In any case, Harry adores you.”

“When Black is released from St Mungos, he will wish to see Harry…”

“You fear that he will attempt to poison the child’s mind against you?”

“He turned Lily against me.” Severus said, his voice heavy.

Lucius put an arm around Severus’s shoulders “Lily was a sweet girl, Severus, but she had her faults. She lacked the proverbial Gryffindor loyalty.” Severus opened his mouth to disagree “No, Severus, listen! Had Narcissa tormented you, I certainly would not have married her, nor even counted her amongst my friends. Harry, however, is fiercely loyal. Draco tells me that your son will not have a word said against you.”

Severus swallowed looking away.

“You’ve been tormenting yourself all weekend, haven’t you, old chap.” Lucius sighed “You do not have to allow Black within fifty yards of Harry, if you so wish.”

“You know how it is at Hogwarts, Lucius, Harry will hear about Black being his Godfather almost the moment he steps past the school gates. I have not, I saw no need to burden Harry with the history between his father and myself…”

Lucius smiled kindly “Harry will think no less of you because you were bullied, I rather think he will care for you all the more.”

“He may feel that he is being disloyal to his real father… That James would prefer Black…” Severus said wretchedly.

“You are his real father, Sev: James died when Harry was but a child. While he cannot remember James, he knows you, relies upon you and loves you. He will not relinquish your relationship so easily.”

“Nevertheless…”

“Draco has indicated in many of his letters that Harry distains bullies” Lucius said firmly “He will, no doubt, be horrified that his father hurt you and very angry. It may even be a good idea, distasteful as it is, to emphasise that the adult James realised the error of his ways, turned over a new leaf, etcetera.”

“I informed Voldemort of the Prophesy.” Severus whispered “I have not told Harry, I…”

“You have done the right thing, Severus.” Lucius confirmed “To what purpose would it be to burden the child? It would be unkind to do so. Who else, but the Dark… Voldemort knows of this?”

“Albus Dumbledore, his brother Aberforth and Sybil Trelawney.”

“The Divination teacher?” Lucius enquired.

“Yes.”

“And Trelawney is the only one likely to talk… Leave it up to me, old friend.” Lucius said, patting Severus’s shoulder "And, you know, a new familiar might be just the thing to distract Harry from any boring old godfather" he added with a wink.

oOoOo

“So there’s this huge snake in a hidden room beneath Hogwarts?” Harry gasped, his eyes shining.

“Indeed.” Severus smiled affectionately at Harry. If not for the lingering feelings of dread, this would be the most perfect evening: over the sea, the sun was setting, striping the sky with purple, pink and orange, the mouth-watering scent of cottage pie wafted out of the kitchen window and he was with his wonderful son.

“Cool.” Harry grinned “And Salazar wants to give it to me? A real basilisk! Draco’s going to be well jealous.” he added with a giggle.

“That as may be, I would like you to keep your new familiar an absolute secret, for now.”

“You mean, not tell anyone” Harry asked, tracing the outline of a snake in the semi-damp sand with his toe.

“Yes, Harry. It must be an absolute secret.” Severus said firmly.

“Okay. Um, dad, basilisks can kill with their eyes, right?”

Severus nodded “Basilisks are, quite possibly, the most intelligent creatures that have ever existed; it is said that the God Thoth granted his infinite wisdom to the first Basilisk, whom, of all creatures, could, alone, withstand omniscience. Basilisks also have a natural talent for Legilimancy and, if they have eye-contact, they can transfer their knowledge, which invariably has deadly results.”

“The basilisk kills by over-loading people’s brains?” Harry asked, bemused “That’s too weird!”

Severus chucled ruefully “It is usually shock with kills them: humans were not intended to know so much. The basilisk can even legilimise if one meets it’s gaze through a mirror, albeit to a lesser extent, so it is best to not test it.”

“So, if the Basilisk doesn’t want to kill, you can look into its eyes?” Harry asked.

“Yes, although they tend to keep their eyes shut, out of courtesy.”

“Wow. And Salazar’s basilisk is friendly, right?”

“Apparently he is eagerly awaiting your arrival.” Severus smiled “He has consented to being bound for life as your familiar. This will enable Hissy to read your thoughts, even at a great distance”

“Cool! So, if I ever needed him, he would know.” Harry grinned, then he noticed his father’s concerned expression. “What’s wrong, Dad?”

“The binding, it is ancient magic, Harry. Blood magic.” Severus said heavily.

“Oh! You mean you need some of my blood?” Harry asked, unconcerned.

Severus sighed “Salazar informed me that, when they bound their souls, ‘Hissy’ drank a small bowl of Salazar’s blood, mixed with salt and Nile-water, then released his venom into another bowl, which Salazar mixed with salted water and drank.”

“He drank poison?” Harry gasped, his green eyes round as saucers.

“Apparently, the Basilisk’s poison cannot harm any whose magic has cleaved to his soul.” Severus said, grimacing “Once Hissy has absorbed your blood, you will be as immune to his venom as he is.”

“Well, it didn’t hurt Salazar, did it, Dad?” Harry asked.

“No, Harry. However, I am uncomfortable with the prospect of you imbibing a deadly poison.”

Harry rested his head against his father’s arm “The binding does seem like a good idea, Dad. Salazar wouldn’t lie to us, would he?”