Merlin was indeed a welcomed dinner guest in the Snapes’ rooms that evening. As they ate a fine meal of shepherd’s pie with a garden salad and warm crusty bread, Merlin and Harry talked about the young Gryffindor’s many adventures at school. At one point Harry had been so caught up in telling tales that he forgot his father was in the room and let slip some unknown facts that the Potions Master quickly picked up on.

“So it was Miss. Granger who raided my stores second year?” Snape asked smoothly.

“Yes after I caused the explosion and dis… Dad that is so not fair,” Harry pouted.

“I take it you didn’t know Severus?” Merlin asked.

“I never got the whole story but I can put the pieces together now. You, child, created a distraction using a firework, no doubt obtained from the Weasley twins. Whilst I was busy dealing with the aftermath of Goyle’s exploded cauldron Miss. Granger left the room and raided my private stores. I do believe that I promised to have the firework wielding menace expelled if I ever found out who it was,” the Potions Master said menacingly.

“Dad it was three years ago. Let it go, please?” Harry begged.

Severus grumped and told the boy to go on with the story.

As the last dish was cleared off the table Severus summoned some writing implements and the three wizards began writing things down, a list of things that needed to be done and a timetable for Harry to follow. Severus was adamant that Harry should continue with his studies. His son had protested until Merlin added his thoughts. The elder wizard reasoned that Harry would most likely be requested to attend Ministry orchestrated events as well as private functions. Studying ahead now would mean that he wouldn’t fall behind in his own time. Reluctantly the teen agreed.

The Potions Master decided that Harry really didn’t need to study Divination so he was willing to let the boy drop it, giving the teen extra time for sparring lessons. It was decided to get Harry into an exercise routine with weight training, swimming and running, to build muscle strength and stamina. Wielding weapons was not an easy task and who knew how long the final battle would last.

Merlin had suggested that Harry be taught healing charms. “Always useful on battlefields, you can’t always get medical help,” he had told them.

“I’ll make some healing potions and put them in charmed vials for him. Not much good if the vials are broken or the contents unusable,” Severus said.

The council members all had areas of expertise and were assigned appropriate lessons.  Combat and physical training were also added. With pressure from Merlin Severus agreed to attend the exercise classes with his son also sparring sessions once Harry was comfortable with a weapon.

“There will be more than enough time for your experimental brewing, young man,” Merlin chided, “I have it on good authority that you tend to get lost in your potions.”

“Bloody Albus,” Snape growled.

“Yes, very helpful that man.”

Much to Harry’s dismay the evening drew to a close and they were bidding Merlin goodnight. As the door was closing the teen turned to go to his room. He had vain hope that if he made to his bed his father wouldn’t have the heart to drag him out just to punish him. He got two steps away before his pajama top was snagged and he was dragged backwards to collide with his father’s chest.

“Where might you be going my little lion?” Snape asked softly.

“Umm… bed. I’m really tired. It’s been a big day Dad,” Harry replied.

“You’ll be in bed soon enough. We have some things to discuss first.”

“But Daaaaaad, I’m really, really tired.”

“Well we better get started then,” said Severus hiding a smile at his son’s childish antics. Secretly he was pleased that their relationship had come such a long way that Harry felt relaxed enough to resort to such behaviour.

The Potions Master guided his reluctant son to the sofa and sat him down. He sat himself on the coffee table facing the boy. This was the part of being a father that he didn’t particularly like. It had been a couple of months since he had last disciplined his son this way. Harry had put his very life at risk by keeping quiet about what Delores Umbridge was doing to him. By the time he had found the bleeding and feverish teen in the bathroom it had almost been too late, infection from the quill itself and the dark magic imbued in it had set in. Harry’s body and magic were trying to fight it.

Thankfully with Poppy’s excellent healing skills and his own extensive knowledge of the dark arts they were able to save Harry. It had been a very anxious twenty four hours as the teen hovered on the edge. It had been a week before Poppy declared him well enough to leave her domain and return to classes as well as other activities. She had the last bit while looking directly at the Potions Master.

The teen had put himself at risk again, he had also disobeyed a direct order. Not to mention lying to Albus and Minerva. Three things that would guarantee Harry a bare bottomed blistering. He wasn’t totally heartless the child had been through a lot in the last few days and once he realised the distress he had caused his grandparents and friends the boy would be upset with himself. He also knew that Harry wouldn’t be able to let go of the guilt his actions would cause him to feel. Part of him really just wanted to yell at him and send him to bed but he knew his son wouldn’t accept that as punishment.

The Dursleys had caused so much damage psychologically that Harry could not accept grounding or time out or loss of privileges as punishment. Detentions and writing lines were school punishments though the latter was now frowned upon thanks to Umbridge. Severus, Poppy and an adolescent mind healer had spent many hours deciding the best course of action for Harry. The Matron and the ‘new’ father had sat down with the teen and outlined things. Harry had accepted the choices and the reasons behind them. He had already figured his father would spank him given what had transpired in potions that day.

Severus took in Harry’s slumped form and bowed head as he sat waiting for the older man to speak. He mentally shook himself, “Harry look at me,” he said in a quiet commanding voice. He gave the teen credit he could almost see the internal struggle but the child did look up. “You know what you have done. The rules you have broken. I want to know why. I want to know what possessed you to lie to your grandfather; to leave the protection of Hogwarts and go to the Ministry when I had told the Headmaster not to let you.”

“I didn’t lie, Dad. I was just going to wait in our rooms but as I sat there I thought of how unfair it all was. I decided I had to see you. I couldn’t apperate and I thought Grandpa might be watching the floo so I called Dobby. He said he could ‘pop’ out of Hogwarts with a person so I asked him to take me to the Ministry. I just wanted to tell you that I love you.” Harry was openly sobbing by the end of his little speech.

Severus was tempted to draw his son to him and offer comfort but the child needed to learn. “I will accept that you did not lie Harry but you did disobey me. I told Albus you were not to come there. I said my goodbye this morning when I watched you as you were sleeping. You looked so peaceful that I did not want to disturb you. I did not wake you because I did not want to traumatise you any more than you already were. I wanted to save you and my parents from that.

Did you know they were there Harry? They came in a different entrance with Kingsley. They saw what happened. Thanks to his little gadgets, and Merlin, Dad knows we are not dead but he has to keep it a secret. He cannot tell your grandmother, the Weasleys or Miss. Granger.

One little act of defiance on your part has caused a lot of pain for the people who care about you.”

When Harry’s sobs had given way to sniffles and hiccoughs he stood his son up then rising himself he took a seat on the recently vacated sofa. He pulled the emotionally fraught teen to him. “It’ll be over soon son and you’ll be forgiven for the most part,” Snape said as he rubbed Harry’s arm in a soothing manner.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry asked.

“It means that you will still have to face Albus, Minerva, Molly and Hermione. No doubt Ronald will be too impressed by your ‘little adventure’ to be mad at you.”

The Potions Master sniggered as the full impact of his words hit home. “Mione’s gonna kill me,” Harry moaned as he covered his face with his hands.

Twenty minutes later Severus cradled his son in his arms as he gently rocked the two of them in the chair beside the boy’s bed. As he had thought it had only taken a few well-placed swats to bring Harry to a penitent state. It had already been such an emotional day for the boy. He smiled as he carded his fingers through the messy black hair. Soon he would get to see what his son really looked like, the charms they had placed on him would break when Voldemort was truly dead.

Before drifting off to sleep Harry had muttered that he was too old for spankings, “Take it up with your grandfather when you see him brat. If he agrees then so will I.” ‘Good luck,’ Severus thought, ‘I haven’t been able to convince him and I’m a lot older than you.’

Harry just yawned and snuggled into the warmth his father was giving off.

***

As the Snape men were settling down for the night Cornelius Fudge was contemplating his fate. Merlin had indeed whisk him away. Where exactly he did not know. He knew he was in another realm where time passed slower than what he was used to. He and Merlin had walked along a corridor of what he assumed was a medical facility. Eventually they had come to a door that the older wizard opened gently.

Inside the room there was a single hospital bed and several machines that seemed to be monitoring the lone patient. “We use both wizard and muggle means to treat our patients. We have found over the years that long term coma patients respond better if we use certain muggle practices. The intravenous drip, for instance, allows us to get fluids and potions into the system without having to spell them directly into the stomach all the time. It relies on no magic so there isn’t excess magic interfering with the healing process,” Merlin had explained as they watched the healers and muggle trained mediwitches at work.

At the nod of someone who appeared to be the head healer they approached the bed. Fudge gasped when he saw who was laying in the bed, “Sirius Black! But I thought he was dead,” Cornelius said shocked, “He fell through the veil at the Ministry after being hit by a curse his cousin sent at him.”

Merlin then explained the real purpose of the veil to him. When he had finished the mediwizard bought them up-to-date with Sirius’ status. They had been trying to work out just what spell the stricken man had been hit with. “It would have been beneficial to have had access to Lestrange’s wand but I believe it was snapped prior to her being executed. We really need to speak to someone who was there when it happened or better still see penseived memories, since sometimes details are left out. The more information we have the better,” the healer had said.

“You would have to speak to the students who were there. Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Some of Dumbledore’s people were there as well. You would have to ask him who they were,” Fudge said.

“Let me show you to your office and you can read through the file in more detail. I’ll work on getting the memories,” Merlin had said.

Fudge had soon found himself sitting in his new office surrounded by parchment quills and text books. He had been pleased to find that his new quarters were attached to his office and that they were furnished. A small ‘pop’ startled him out of his work. “Healer Fudge, I’m Maisy,” a house elf said quietly, “I’ve been assigned to you and will be looking after your rooms. Would you like some tea?”

The man had been surprised at how articulate the elf was. He was grateful that he wouldn’t have to put up with the corrupted speech most of them used.

“Yes thank you,” Cornelius answered calmly.

Maisy returned with a full tea service and a plate of finger foods.

Now he was enjoying the relaxation he often felt when drinking tea. As he sat there he thought about how his life seemed to have come full circle. He was back doing his first love – healing. The first time around he had kept his chosen vocation from his purebred father, going so far as to use his mother’s family name. The man had been quite adamant that no son of his was going to be a healer.

When his father had fallen gravely ill from an unknown curse they had called him in. Once his father realised that he wasn’t a ‘run-of-the-mill’ healer but a gifted specialist, he soon apologised for his harsh words.

Thoughts aside he was soon lost in the tomes around him. Merlin had told him that the Council, whoever they were, would locate any needed books or equipment. He had some books of his own and was compiling a list of others. He would search the library Merlin mentioned first.

“Master Healer Fudge,” a quiet voice spoke from the open office door. Fudge looked up to see Healer Carol Brendan standing there with a tray of food. “I thought you might like a bite to eat.”

“Cornelius, please I insist, or just Neil if it’s easier and thank you, Healer Brendan,” the former Minister said politely.

“Carol.”

“Carol,” he said and smiled at her, “If you have time I’d like to talk to you about Mr. Black.”

“Certainly,” his visitor said as she put the tray on his desk.

For two hours they tossed around ideas and possibilities. Both agreeing that memories would be helpful. Even if the word had not been heard the colour of the spell and wand movement would help. Fudge suspected that two maybe three spells had been used.

“We might have to keep Black sedated once he’s cured, if he’s cured,” Fudge said, “Especially if I’m around.”

“Why’s that?”

“He doesn’t know he’s a free man. His innocence was substantiated when Peter Pettigrew was caught just after the debacle at the Ministry. Under Veritaserum he confessed to betraying the Potters and framing Black. Black was cleared of all wrong doing. Since I was the one who didn’t believe the evidence in the first place well…”

“Yes I see.”

They ordered tea and shared a quiet cup. They told each other of their medical backgrounds. Fudge had been surprised to find that Carol was schooled in both wizard and muggle medicine. She offered to lend him some of her books on the modern practices of medicine saying he’d be surprised by what they could do without magic.

Cornelius was escorting Carol to the door when something occurred to him, “If Black is still alive then so are Snape and Potter,” Fudge said suddenly, “Does Merlin know where they are?”

“I don’t know. But if they came through the same portal then they’re probably at Camelot,” Carol told him.

“Snape is the best Potions Master I know. Take tissue, fluid and hair samples from Mr. Black. Anything that might contain any traces of potions. Then have someone take them to Snape to analyse.”

Carol wrote out an order for the samples to be collected then hurried off to give it to the team calling goodnight as she went.

Before he left to retire for the night a memo from Merlin popped up on his desk saying he would have some memories for him in the morning.