Clack clack clack

The sound of her footsteps on the polished wood floor was the only noise Judith Cain was aware of as she proceeded to walk along the spacious, prestige corridor of her home in Yorkshire.

Pausing at the doorway of a grand living room, she glanced towards a portrait of her great-grandmother who was giving her a scowl before the painted woman turned to mind her own business.

'You came.' Judith stated, not questioned, as she glanced towards the man seated uncomfortably on her least favourite armchair.

'I had little choice in the matter.' The man did not seem annoyed or sarcastic, merely getting straight to business and he did not like small talk.

At least not with the likes of Judith Cain.

Shifting in his seat, the man cleared his throat as he watched her cross the room and sit in a blue armchair across from the floral one he was in.

'What is this about?' He asked.

'Ah, Marcus...I thought you would already know.' Judith's smile did not reflect happiness but rather a scheme just below the surface of her smug expression. 'It seems you have a stepson.' She said while accepting a tray of tea from a nervous house-elf.

'I'm no longer married to Erin.' Marcus scowled as politely as he could. 'The boy has no ties to me, thankfully.'

'You despise children?' Judith asked casually.

'No.' Marcus said after a moment of thought. 'I despise your daughter, no offence.'

'None taken.' Judith frowned deeply. 'I am not all too fond of her either. She has made many mistakes and isn't living up to her expectations of the family. She adopted a boy of less-pure blood, and she is relentless in finding him again.'

'Oh, he's lost?' Marcus asked and avoided the tea offered to him. He was not going to make a fool of himself again. 'Run away, no doubt.'

'Hardly.' Judith sighed. 'Intervention was required. Erin is not well.'

'What has this got to do with me?' Marcus narrowed his eyes. 'I care nothing for Erin nor her brat.'

'Precisely.' Judith smirked. 'I have an idea of where the child is. He is seven-years-old now and named Cody Evans. He is residing out of sight, however...I cannot get close to the boy. Stronger magic is at work and I cannot locate the source.' She said with a scolding tone, as though it was his fault even when it could not possibly be so.

Judith also did not like to admit failure, even if it was unavoidable in this case.

'And you think I will have more luck?' Marcus scoffed. 'You give me too much credit.'

'Luck is for the hopeless.' Judith said firmly. 'The boy was residing with an old buddy of yours...Simon Gale?'

'Oh.' Marcus leaned back in his seat and lowered his gaze. 'Yes, I still see him from time to time.'

'Curious, isn't it?' Judith said suspiciously. 'Your friend just happens to have gained custody of your ex-wife's son.'

'It happens.' Marcus grunted. 'I did not lie. I have no interest in her or the boy. What is it you want me to do? I may owe you a debt but if you're thinking of harming the boy...'

'Oh no, don't be ridiculous.' Judith waved off his concern. 'The child is but a means to an end. I only need one simple act from you. Infiltrate the school the boy goes to and dose a drink that will be offered for free as part of an event. Ensure that every child gets one.' She explained while Marcus calmed with his request.

'What will the potion do?' Marcus assumed that is what she meant by “dosing the drinks”.

'Nothing harmful to most, however any child who has been near a magical person recently or is magical themselves will fall ill. Not sick, only ill...the purpose of the potion is to rattle the boy and make sure he does not feel safe.'

'I fail to understand the purpose of this.' Marcus was confused.

'Of course.' Judith rolled her eyes. 'The poison does not harm, though may cause a few side-effects, however any enchantments over the boy will falter. Within days all magic will shed and those protections will be gone. We will be able to see and follow him with ease.'

'What do you intend to do to him then?'

'Make him vanish.' Judith spoke in a pleased tone. 'My daughter is close to finding him...I cannot allow that. I will wipe his memory of her and I will erase any traces of magic he may possess. It is a...specialty, of mine. Marcus, will do you as I ask?'

'Where's the potion?' Marcus nodded.

Harry lay in bed awake as the sunlight came through his window.

He did not move and merely stared upwards, lost in his own thoughts. Sighing, he rolled over and looked across the room at a random spot on his wall. He had been with Severus Snape for almost three weeks now. The man had been searching for Erin Summers, his adoptive mother, and if he had any results, Severus wasn't sharing them with Harry.

He wasn't sure what to think of staying with Severus now, which is what Harry had begun to call him instead of “Mr Snape”. The man was not pleased and preferred to be called “Sir”, yet Harry could not help it once he called his hero something else in his mind.

The reason why Harry lay in a contemplative mood on a school morning was because he was once again thinking about where he belonged and the confusion of having two names. This time it was different, because he just wasn't sure where he stood with his hero. Before, everyone he had stayed with were either new parents or guardians, yet even at the age of seven he understood that it had to be permitted on some piece of paper for an adult to “own” him as their child or for him to stay with them.

Severus Snape had no such papers.

Harry wanted to go back to Erin so badly that it ached when he missed her, yet the thought of leaving his hero alone in a dark house in a darker street seemed unfair and he simply didn't want to let go of the one who saved him and showed him kindness.

'Are you ill?'

Harry was startled when Severus appeared at the doorway of his small bedroom. The man approached him and placed a warm hand to his forehead. Harry didn't make a sound and merely returned to staring at his chosen focus on the wall many feet away.

'What is the matter with you?'

'I don't want to go to school today.' Harry replied and looked over at the dark eyes of his darker-clothed hero. 'I want to stay with you. Please?'

'Absolutely not.' Severus frowned. 'Get up.'

'No.' Harry frowned. 'I'm not going-arh!' He yelped when he was grasped by his arm and yanked out of bed and into standing position.

'You will go to school.' Severus instructed. 'I shall be here when you return. Your education is of utmost importance and I will not tolerate laziness, do you understand?'

'Yes, sir.' Harry nodded sadly and stared at the floor.

'Hurry up. I have no desire for you to be late.' Severus said and left the room to allow the boy to get ready for school.

-- 

Five minutes later, Harry stood just outside the house in his uniform and with his bag draped over his back. He pouted and nudged the ground with the tip of his shoe while he nibbled on a piece of toast.

'No dawdling! Come alone, now.' Severus gave the boy's back a light shove to get him moving. 'And look where you are going.' He sighed.

Harry glanced up from the ground and huffed with annoyance. Swinging his arms at his side while he gradually followed Severus towards the school, which felt further away than it usually did.

'Jack wants to sleepover on the weekend.' Harry suddenly remembered and looked towards the park nearby, having not noticed the man's flinch at his words. 'His parents said he could, if you don't mind. Apparently his father likes you.' Harry conversed in boredom. 'He can come over, right?'

Severus glanced at the hopeful green eyes and grunted. 'Perhaps. I shall consider the matter and confirm permission with Jack's father. You shall know by tomorrow afternoon.'

'Thanks!' Harry grinned and increased his steps, hurrying along to the school gates as he couldn't wait to tell Jack the news. 'Oh...' He paused and glanced back at his hero. 'Sir, uhm...I was wondering, can-can I make it extra special?'

'Meaning?' Severus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

'Can we order a pizza and a movie?' Harry asked. 'I read about it in a story and Jack is my very best friend. I want him to have fun. And can I get him a new chess set? I feel bad for what happened to his other one.' He lowered his gaze, remembering the day with the rain and bullies.

'I shall consider it upon speaking with his father.' Severus said in a dreading tone. This was part of the torture of having a child in his care. 'Now go along...learn something useful.'

'Yes, sir!' Harry nodded and rushed into the crowd of boys from his class, since he felt much more comfortable there now. Spotting Jack, Harry ran over with a grin on his face but paused when he saw the sad way his friend looked and walked.

'What's wrong, Jack?'

Jack looked up quickly and spotted Harry, instantly blushing and looking away again.

'Oh.' He said. 'It's nothing. Well, I mean...never mind.' Jack sighed. 'What are you so happy about?'

'Severus said you might be able to sleep over on the weekend.' Harry said. 'He's gonna talk to your dad about it first. He said he'll give us the answer tomorrow afternoon, probably after school.'

Harry watched his friend very carefully.

Jack looked delighted by the news, yet Harry had caught the relief in his eyes. Feeling worried, Harry stepped forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, which caught Jack's attention.

'Don't be sad.' Harry said. 'You can tell me anything, just like I told you. We're best friends, Jack...I don't want you to feel bad and I know something's not right.'

'Thanks, Harry.' Jack smiled with tears in his eyes.

He gripped his friend's sleeve and tugged Harry around the side of the school building, the same spot where Harry had made his own confessions, which had begun their friendship.

'It's my brother.' Jack stared at the ground, his voice sounding more vacant and miserable than Harry had ever heard it. 'Michael, that his name...he, well...' Jack swallowed and struggled to say it aloud, because that would make it true.

'What happened?' Harry asked patiently.

'Last night, mum and dad got into a big fight with him.' Jack sniffed and fidgeted uncomfortably. 'I didn't really hear a lot of it as they were all yelling at once, but it woke me up and I crept down the stairs to try and listen. They don't normally yell like that.' He frowned.

'I think mum even came home early. Anyway, it...well, it ended bad. Michael's gone now. He packed up and left, said he was n-never coming b-back.' Jack's voice broke as tears flooded across his cheeks.

'He didn't e-even look at m-me or say g-goodbye...n-nothing!'

Harry, feeling angry at Jack's family and terribly sad for his friend, was glad that he had come to school today as he wrapped his arms around his best friend and hugged him, trying to help in any way he could.

Jack hugged him back, thankful that he had someone to cry on as his parents had just shouted for him to go to bed and they had been gone by the time he woke up the next morning.

'I'm s-such a baby!' Jack said as he cried into Harry's shoulder.

'No, you're not.' Harry said stubbornly. 'I've cried lots too. Severus said sometimes we have to cry because it makes us stronger. If we don't then we might forget how important things are, like the stuff that makes us cry.'

'W-what does that m-mean?' Jack asked as he stepped back and rubbed at his eyes, still sniffling yet no longer embarrassed by his emotions.

'I dunno.' Harry shrugged. 'I think it means that your brother is important to you. That because he didn't say goodbye and left made you sad was important too. If you don't cry, you might not think it's so important. Next time you might not care.' Harry said wisely, having had a whole five days to think about what the heck Severus could have meant.

Jack nodded and offered Harry a thankful smile when the emerald-eyed boy fished a tissue from his pocket and offered it to his friend. Jack blew his nose and bit his lip.

'Erin, my adoptive mother...she never said goodbye to me when they took me away.' Harry shared.

'But she loved you.' Jack frowned. 'Why didn't she say goodbye? If you love someone and you're not gonna see them for a long time or ever again, you're supposed to say goodbye!' He grumbled.

'Erin said that goodbyes feel like an ending.' Harry remembered.

'Michael said he was never coming back.' Jack crossed his arms. 'It was an ending.' 

The school bell rang and both boys remained still, each not wanting to go back to class and sit at their desks when inside they were hurting.

Jack knew his parents weren't home, and how to get in his house on his own, so he wanted to just run away and hide in his room. Harry managed to talk him out of it and dragged his friend to class. His hero Severus knew everything and Harry didn't want to make him mad and they were supposed to be at school to learn things. Even so, for the entire lesson the temptation of just running away for the day lingered on the boys mind until lunch.

Because lunch brought about an entirely new set of issues.

Jack was still downhearted as he and Harry snuck around the side of the school to their private spot against the wall under the shade of trees. Jack pressed his back against the bricks and slid to the grass, sighing with misery.

Harry sat on his right and was holding his schoolbook with a frown, disliking his poor effort from the last lesson. He was too focused on his sad friend and knew Severus would be disappointed in him for his lack of concentration on his studies, but Harry decided Jack was more important.

'Would you like to play a game?' Harry asked and didn't move to eat the sandwiches he'd made himself for lunch.

Jack didn't look too hungry either.

'No.' Jack replied as he looked upwards at the tree far over their heads.

'How about think of movies we might want to watch if Severus and your dad let us have a sleepover?' Harry suggested.

'Okay.' Jack agreed, yet fell silent again and didn't seem to be thinking of the chosen subject, not that Harry could blame him.

Leaving his friend to his thoughts, Harry glanced back at his closed schoolbook and frowned, wishing it would be more interesting and useful than as the reminder it currently was regarding his school-based failures that day. In a bout of frustration, not towards his book even as he held the object responsible; however, regarding his inability to help or even cheer up his friend, Harry tossed the book away from him.

It landed a few feet away and both boys watched it; Jack with curiosity as to what Harry was doing, and the latter in pure irritation to its uselessness.

'Why can't you be more interesting, you stupid book?' Harry snapped and glared at it.

With a crackling sound coupled with a colourful demonstration of sparks, the book was suddenly transfigured into a very large, dark green frog.

It sat on the grass, blinked once and croaked.

The boys stared wide-eyed at the creature and were silent for a whole minute as they could not believe what had just happened.

'H-how...?' Jack gulped. 'Harry?' He darted a look at his friend.

'I...I don't know.' Harry replied as he watched the frog that was once his schoolbook.

It reminded him of what happened when Simon had shouted at him and the glass had broken even when no one had touched it. Severus had called it something.

'It was...magic.' Harry said.

'Magic?' Jack frowned. 'I thought that was just tricks and stuff? This is real!'

-- 

When the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, the sound startled the book-turned-frog, who croaked once and hopped off. It couldn't get far with its large stomach, yet the boys had to chase after it with relative difficulty in attempt to capture it.

'I have to get it back!' Harry panicked. 'It's my book. All my work is in it! Severus won't like me if I don't bring it home. He might kick me out!'

'No, he won't.' Jack replied, yet was equally stressed as he helped his best friend try to catch the frog.

'Bad book, stay!' Harry scolded.

'Come back!' Jack added.

The frog croaked again and was reaching the end of the school boundaries, so both boys knew they had to grab it now or risk leaving the school yard and getting into a lot of trouble. Neither had yet considered how they would explain how such a frog even appeared, or why it was so important to get it back.

With Harry blocking its path, the frog turned to another direction, just as Jack jumped towards it. The sandy-haired boy grumbled as he rolled across the grass and then turned to lunge at the creature.

'Gotcha!' Jack declared with a smirk, pressing his weight onto the over-large frog to keep it still.

Harry leaned beside him and unzipped his bag. With all their hands, the boys lifted the frog (Jack almost dropped it because it felt slimy), and shoved it into the confines of Harry's bag. Trapping it inside, they exhaled and leaned back on the grass, glad the frog seemed too confused to bother moving around.

'Mr Evans! Mr Bailey!'

Both boys cringed as their teacher Mrs Kline called out to them from the doorway of the school, her hands on her hips and a stern expression of disapproval set on her face.

'Er, sorry!' Harry jumped up and grabbed his bag, grunting as he tried to put it on his back but it was really heavy with his secret frog inside.

'You missed the arrival of the fire truck.' Mrs Kline shook her head as they rushed towards her. 'Due to your lateness, you may not get the chance to see it before it is time to go inside. Come along, to the main hall now. The Fire Safety Awareness lecture is about to begin.' She pointed down the corridor.

'Mr Evans, is there something wrong with your bag?'

'Er, no.' Harry replied quickly.

'Where is your book?' She sighed. 'You need one to take notes during the lecture.'

'I er, lost it.' Harry couldn't exactly tell his teacher how he had turned it into a frog that now rested at the bottom of his bag.

'He can use mine!' Jack jumped in to the rescue. 'Come on, let's run for it!' He hissed to Harry, who nodded and followed his friend as they ran off towards the hall.

--

Jack and Harry picked seats with their class around the middle of the crowded room. As they looked towards the podium where an aging man stood to talk about the dangers of fires and precautions to take, Marcus slipped unnoticed onto the school grounds as per the request made of him by Judith.

A table was set up for the students afterwards. One side was covered in boxes of white bags that contained messages and activities to raise awareness, such as stickers and colouring pages as well as informative booklets. The other half of the table was where the teachers were preparing to set up cups to hand out to each child.

There was a large beverage dispenser, which contained a lime and raspberry drink which was a new flavour sample from the company who sponsored the Schools Fire Safety Awareness events.

With a notice-me-not charm already in place from earlier, Marcus lifted a deep blue toned potion bottle from the inside of his jacket.

Lifting the lid to the dispenser, he poured the contents inside and was glad it didn't require stirring. The poison blended into the drink easily and changed the colouring a tiny bit but not enough that anyone would really notice.

Stepped away, Marcus replaced the lid and hurried into the shadows. He had been instructed not to linger, as detecting the children inflicted was not part of his duty. Glad to be finished with the task, Marcus turned and walked along a street away from the school.

Several minutes later, he had disaparated and removed all trace of his visit, apart from the influential drink that would soon be consumed by the children.

--

Harry was closest to the isle between the two groups of students crowded on either side of the room. Jack was to his right and they tried to focus on what was being said about what to do in the incident of a fire, however the concealed frog would sit still no more.

'Stop it!' Harry hissed and placed his bag on his lap.

'Shhh!' Jack said urgently as a few classmates turned to look at them. 'Whack it.' He suggested.

'I don't want to hurt him.' Harry frowned back in a hushed tone.

'It's a book.' Jack returned.

'Not anymore!' Harry said.

He winced when a shadow loomed over them and Mrs Kline glared in their direction, placing a finger to her lips to indicate that they needed to remain quiet and listen to the lecture.

With the bag motionless again, Jack and Harry looked towards the podium, but the man had a droning voice that put them into a state of inattentive boredom.

Somehow, for the whole time the lecture was in progress, Jack was able to keep from falling asleep and Harry prevented his bag from hopping off his lap.

When it was finally time to move, the boys nearly fled the hall in desire to be free from the horrible situation of anxiety and boredom within. They followed the others outside and lined up for the cup of drink and goody bag at the tables.

Harry grunted as he tried to keep his grip on the bag and Jack acted as a barrier so the teachers didn't get suspicious of Harry's squirming schoolbag.

As they reached the table, Harry was no longer able to tolerate his former book and swung the bag over his back, effectively stunning the frog with his movement.

-- 

The home bell rang as Harry and Jack were some of the last to receive their free cup of juice and bag. As Jack dug through his and pulled out a sheet of stickers showing flames and words like “have a smoke alarm” or “stop, drop and roll” written on them. Laughing, apparently in a much better mood than before, he reached over and stuck a bunch of them on Harry's face.

'Jack!' Harry tried to fight him off with one hand, since the other gripped the strap of his heavy bag.

Unable to fend off his friend, Harry started laughing as well while they walked half-blindly to the gates of the school. They paused when each spotted Severus standing there, looking displeased by their playing as each boy was covered in stickers and giggling like the young kids they were.

'Come along, Cody.' Severus said with a frown.

'Oh, okay.' Harry turned to his best friend. 'I'm sorry about what happened. I wish I could make you feel better, but you're my best friend so let me know if there is anything you need, okay?' He tried to offer a smile.

'Thanks.' Jack smiled and gave his friend a hug. 'Oh, er...' He looked at Severus and then avoided the man's gaze, lowering to whisper to Harry even as Severus overheard him.

'Good luck with...you know?'

'Right.' Harry frowned at the thought of his frog. 'I'll see you tomorrow.' He waved and the two boys parted, still unaware of the poison they had both consumed.

'Sorry, sir...I'm ready now.' He added to Severus as he followed his hero back to Spinner's End.

'It is evidential that you demonstrate little dissatisfaction in regards to attending school today, Cody.' Severus said as they walked.

'Huh?' The seven-year-old frowned.

'You do not regret going to school, despite your resistance this morning.' Severus frowned as he simplified his words, recalling that he was speaking to a young child.

'Oh.' Harry sighed. 'Not really.'

He hoisted his bag higher and grunted with the effort. He wondered why, of all things he could have created from his book, why he had to be a particularly well-fed frog of unnatural size. Wincing, he stepped inside the house when Severus held open the door.

The boy failed to notice the look of constrained suspicion on the man's face as he watched Harry walk to the table, almost limping, and carefully dumped his burdening bag on the ground.

'I demand to know what you are attempting to conceal.'

'W-what?' Harry stared at the tall man with alarmed eyes. 'I-'

'Choose your words wisely, Cody.' Severus cautioned. 'I do not appreciate being lied to.'

'It was an accident, I swear!' Harry promptly burst into hysterics, scared that his hero was going to kick him out once he found out what he had done and how freaky he was.

'I was angry, and wishing I did more stuff in school to sh-show you, and now I...it just happened! I spent all afternoon trying to stop it, but I...' He ducked his head and tears slid from his emerald eyes. 'I'm so, so sorry!'

'Show me.' Severus said in a wary tone.

Harry glanced at the door to make sure it was shut, before he bent and slowly lifted the heavy dark green frog from his bag. It croaked and tried to squirm away, but Harry hugged it tightly to keep it in his arms, which was quite a feat considering the largeness of the creature.

'Stay, book.' Harry demanded. 'You've got me in a lot of trouble, you know.'

'This...was your schoolbook?' Severus stared at the frog. 'I see.'

'You're not mad?' Harry dared to look at him.

'The appearance of accidental magic is not an occurrence in which should provoke anger, Cody.' Severus said as he approached the boy and his fog. 'I shall return this creature to its rightful form.'

Harry looked down at the frog, who looked back up at him with round blue eyes that matched the colour of his book's cover. He felt sympathetic for the frog, because Harry had created him and now he had to become a book again. His shoulders slumped, under the physical weight and emotional one, as Harry was very reluctant to hand him over.

'I kinda like my frog.' Harry said sadly. 'I don't want him to become a book. He was stuck in my bag all day and didn't get to hop. He likes hopping.' He sniffled. 'I bet he likes swimming too. And he never got to do that.'

'Oh, Merlin.'

Severus placed a hand over his face and sighed, counting to five before he tried to work out how to approach the situation. 'And what of your schoolwork?' He questioned with reasoning that would unlikely be much concern to a child.

'I can re-do it.' Harry said. 'I told my teacher I lost my book, anyway. Please don't kill him, Severus. I like him now. I've never had a pet before.'

'And now shall be no exception.' Severus growled. 'Where you do suppose we keep it? I cannot have a slimy toad hopping all over the place.'

'He's a really big frog, not an ugly toad!' Harry defended the creature, who croaked in reply and tried to free itself again, but the small boy had a vice grip on him.

Severus reached for his wand, intending to change the creature back into the book because once the boy let go of the thing, they could move on. However, the desperation in the child's eyes as he actually cuddled his frog closer to his chest indicated that his attachment was more profound than Severus realised.

What concerned him further, was the way the boy's eyes seemed unfocused and his skin paled, even as the grip on the frog never slackened.

'Why is it so hot in here?' Harry asked.

Severus glanced toward the barely-lit fireplace and frowned, since it was actually quite the opposite. He looked at the frog, who seemed to be quite uncomfortable yet not the cause. Exhaling with dread, Severus stepped closer and let the frog hop past him when Harry released it.

The boy leaned sideways and Severus had to rush forward to catch him, ignoring the existence of magic for that brief few seconds.

'Cody?' Severus felt the child's heated forehead, which was still covered in stickers, and wondered what had happened.

He had been fine a moment ago!

'Froggy...didn't do it.' Harry mumbled as he leaned his sweaty forehead to Severus' chest. 'I don't feel too good.' He groaned. 'I'm tired. Can I go...to sleep? Froggy can sleep...with me...promise.'

As the child's eyes closed, Severus stood with the boy in his arms and marched upstairs, dropping Harry carefully on his assigned bed. Summoning a few potion vials in case they were needed, Severus leaned closer and checked the boy's pupils, his pulse and breathing rate.

All signs pointed to poisoning, and a heavy one yet he instinctively sensed it was not designed to be fatal.

'They shall require greater methods than this, Cody.' Severus said as he conjured a wet cloth to rest on the child's forehead. 'You cannot be harmed quite so simply. I doubt they expected that the child in which they attempted to poison resides with a Potions Master.' He frowned and removed the cloth, brushing the dark hair away from Harry's face with his hand in an act of compassion.

'I swore to myself that I would keep you safe.' Severus uttered with fierce determination that rivalled his intense anger towards the unknown culprits behind the boy's ill-fated condition.

'And that is precisely what I intend to do.'