Harry Potter and the Secret Promise by SaimheofAvalon
Summary: At the end of GoF, Harry is sent home for a very specific reason – it is time for the secrets of Harry’s past to end, for a new journey to begin and for old friendships to be tested, new friendships to be formed. And, as always, Dumbledore is right, only through friendship, trust and love will the treat of Voldemort be ended.
Categories: Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape > Severitus Challenge Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Hermione, Original Character, Ron, Sirius
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama, General
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 5th summer
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 39 Completed: No Word count: 124421 Read: 94746 Published: 02 Feb 2005 Updated: 05 Nov 2005
The Plan by SaimheofAvalon
Author's Notes:
Again, many thanks go to my Beta for this chapter -- Indarae.

"How could you have just left him there? With them? And Petunia Dursley? What in the name of Avalon made you think he would be safe with that horse-faced bitch? How she could be Lily's sister I will never understand! It's absolutely beyond me!"

Harry could hear Sirius ranting before the light from the Haven Common room was visible in the tunnel. He heard Arabella chuckle beside him, her hand squeezing his momentarily as they walked toward the complex he'd called home for the past few weeks.

"What is taking so long? They should be here by now! That's it, I'm going to find them!"

"Sit down, Sirius!" Remus' voice was firm and had a bit of a 'don't question or push me' quality to it. Harry almost laughed as he imagined the look on Sirius' face. Remus wasn't one who, at least in Harry's experience, raised his voice.

As they neared the end of the tunnel, Harry could see Sirius pacing anxiously in front of the fireplace, Hermione and Ginny sitting on the couch. Hermione was curled in a corner, a pillow clutched to her chest while Ginny sat cross-legged and nervously fiddled with the tassels of the throw that was draped over her shoulders. Remus, the only one facing the tunnel, was sitting in one of the armchairs, his head supported by one hand. His weary and worried expression lit up when he saw them in the tunnel and he jumped to his feet. That one motion was all it took to alert Sirius to their presence. In a matter of seconds, Harry's godfather was across the room and pulling him into a bear hug. He felt Bella pat his back before moving beyond him to greet Remus.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked him when he finally let him go.

"Yeah, I guess." He replied. He was still a bit shaken by the experience and he had no clue what was going to happen, but he wasn't nearly as scared or upset as he had been earlier.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, his concern evident. He glanced over toward Arabella, where she stood talking quietly with Remus. Sirius followed his gaze just in time to see Remus' go wide-eyed in surprise.

"What?" Sirius asked again, a bit alarmed.

"Everything will be fine," Bella called over her shoulder, causing Remus to snicker softly.

Harry turned back to Sirius and shrugged his shoulders, then walked further into the room. As he approached, Hermione and Ginny rose from the sofa and moved toward him. Ginny reached him first, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He felt his face flame scarlet by the show of affection and awkwardly hugged her back.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said as she pulled away and made room for Hermione. There was a weird moment as his eyes connected with hers and he noticed how they glistened with unshed tears.

"Hermione?" he asked in a soft, concerned voice.

For the fourth time that day, Harry found himself with someone's arms wrapped firmly around him. "I was so worried, Harry!" she sobbed into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, patting her awkwardly on the back as he sent a pleading look toward Arabella for help. He didn't have a clue what to do to calm his friend. Hermione pulled herself together quickly, however, when the sound of boisterous voices drifted toward them from another of the tunnels leading into Haven's common room.

"Harry! Mate!" Ron called as he ran into the room. Hermione stepped out of the way just in time to avoid being run over by an exuberant red head. Harry, however, staggered backwards under the impact of his other best friend's embrace. Almost as soon as Ron had grabbed hold of him, he'd released him, his face turning a shade redder than his hair.

"Uh, glad you're okay," he stammered, causing Ginny, Hermione and the twins, who had just entered, to burst out laughing. Mrs. Weasley approached him then, giving him a quick hug before turning toward Arabella.

"Lady Arabella, it is an honor to see you again." Mrs. Weasley's voice held a degree of formality that Harry had never heard her use before. Looking to Arabella, he noticed that her demeanor had become more formal, as well. She inclined her head toward Mrs. Weasley and smiled kindly.

"The honor is mine, Molly, and please do not stand on formality. You have been Harry's family for many years now and that makes you my family." Arabella stepped forward and extended her hands to Mrs. Weasley.

"Thank you, La. . . Arabella." Mrs. Weasley said as she took Bella's outstretched hands.

"What's that about?" Harry whispered while watching the conversation.

"Arabella is the Lady of Avalon." Hermione whispered in a tone Harry was very familiar with, the 'don't you know?' tone. "It's a title reserved for the most powerful and gifted adept of the old magics -- of Avalon. I'll explain later. I have a book about it."

"Now, I believe that Harry, Lady Arabella and Professor Snape have much to discuss and could use some privacy." Professor Dumbledore said as he gestured in the direction of the kitchen. Ron and Hermione each looked at him and he could see their concern and unwillingness lo leave him. He smiled at them reassuringly. Both his friends exchanged looks with each other, then smiled at him.

"Any chance of getting something to eat? I'm starved," Ron said as he moved to follow the Headmaster.

"You're always hungry." Hermione said, rolling her eyes and following after him. Harry watched as the remainder of the Weasleys slowly filtered from the room, each smiling supportively at him. Remus and Sirius made a move to follow until Arabella stopped them.

"Sirius, Remus, please stay," she asked. Both stopped and moved back to her. Gesturing toward the sitting area, she continued, "Why don't we sit down?"

With a bit of hesitation, Harry moved over and took a seat in the corner of sofa. Arabella followed sitting next to him. Sirius, Severus and Remus each took seats and when they were settled, Harry launched right into the heart of the matter.

"What happens now? What will I do?"

Arabella looked over at Severus, who was sitting in the armchair on the other side of Harry; it was like watching a silent conversation between the two and made him wonder if their connection was stronger than he thought. He caught his fathers subtle nodded out of the corner of his eye followed by Bella's soft smile.

"Harry," she started in a soft, soothing voice, "Sev and I have been discussing potential ways to shield you and protect Hermione. Our options are now more limited. Please understand, I had to have your Aunt remove you from the jurisdiction of the Wizarding World; if they had passed any sentence against you, it would have been final. Your aunt couldn't have removed you then. It is just one of the many quirks or oddities in the Wizarding System designed to protect our world from the Muggle one."

Harry nodded as he listened. He could feel a bit of apprehension building in him as she spoke, he had an idea of what she was going to tell him, a suspicion based on their conversation over lunch. While the idea wasn't repulsive, he did feel a little like he was going to be forced into a decision he wasn't sure he was ready to live with just yet.

"One of our, mine and Sev's, original ideas will still work, and there are a few other options we can explore, but no matter what else happens, 'Harry Potter' can not return to the wizarding world until your eighteenth birthday unless we are willing to face the charges again."

He nodded, glancing toward his godfather to see his reaction to what Arabella was saying. Sirius' expression was curious and a tad uneasy, but not frightfully so. The fact that he seemed calm about the situation spoke volumes to Harry of the man's trust in his sister, if not Snape. "So what are my options?" Harry asked the question hesitantly.

"We could keep you here, in Haven, or one of the other safe houses. You would have to be concealed and your activities severally restricted. Sirius and some of the other Order members could assist in continuing your education. Severus and I would be able to visit you, but you wouldn't be able to see your friends once the school term starts. Of course, this would only be until we can get the Ministry straightened out. That could take a while though." Arabella's expression indicated that she didn't think to highly of this idea and a quick glance at his godfather and Remus showed they, obviously, felt the same. In all honestly, Harry wasn't too fond of the idea, either. He knew how much Sirius hated being cooped up and he really didn't think he'd handle it much better. He had spent a good portion of the last three summers being cut off from his world and had hated every minute of it; he'd be climbing the walls by September 1 if he stayed here.

The problem was, he couldn't see any other way to remain, not since they had allowed his aunt to remove her "permission" for him to participate in the Wizarding World. He glanced back at Arabella and saw a thoughtful but expectant look in her eyes; it was like she was waiting for him to make a decision or figure something out. His eyes darted to the other adults in the room. "You want me to give up being 'Harry Potter,' don't you? Make me Snape's son? Right?" He asked softly, suddenly panicked by the thought. He looked pleadingly toward Sirius and Remus; the former was looking down at his hands, the later looked at Harry with a sad but resigned expression. Turning, he looked to his father and was met with his usual "expressionless" expression. His eyes, however, were different; they were not cold or uncaring, but guarded, like he was afraid to reveal too much, to feel too much.

Looking back at his godfather, he asked, "Sirius?" His voice had been weak, shaken when he spoke. He felt like he was living in a constant state of upheaval; he was overwhelmed by what his life kept throwing at him. When his godfather raised his eyes, they were filled with profound grief coupled with acceptance. Harry felt his own eye's mist over as his heart sped up double time. Biting his lip to keep his emotions in check, he turned back to Arabella and saw her nod her head and hold out her hand. He knew what the gesture on her part meant; an offer of help, support, reassurance, all things she'd willingly given him before though her empathic gift. For a long moment, he simply stared at her hand, unsure what to do. Looking back into her eyes, he saw her affection for him shining there brightly and unconsciously reached for her hand. The moment their skin made contact he felt her warmth and strength flow into him, replenishing and restoring his frayed and weary emotions to some semblance of balance.

Arabella waited until he felt calmer and more in control before continuing, "Yes, Harry. That is the other option. We could allow the spells that have disguised you to completely disintegrate and then reapply several to connect you to me instead of James. It would mean you could return to Hogwart's if you wished and hopefully take you out of the spotlight. It would give you a chance to be as close to a normal boy as possible."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" he asked mournfully.

"You always have a choice, Harry. The options just aren't always favorable." Remus replied softly as he came over to sit beside Bella.

Harry could see the empathy Remus had for Harry's situation clearly in his expression; it left him feeling ashamed of the bitterness he'd felt over the choices presented to him. His choices were far better than the ones Remus had likely faced over the years thanks to the prejudice against werewolves. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he nodded toward Sirius, Remus and Arabella and then turned to his father. "I guess we should get Hermione, then, so you can explain it all to her and work out the details."

"You don't have to do this, Harry, we can find another way," Professor Snape said. His voice was very matter-of-fact but when Harry turned to see him, his eyes were filled with concern and hope. It reminded him strongly of the look he had seen on his father's face during their lunch; Severus' eyes had same earnest appearance as when he expressed his desire to reclaim Harry as his son.

Harry stared at him for a moment, then looked back at Arabella, Sirius and Remus in turn before saying, "Thank you, sir, but I don't really see any other options and I would like to be able to go back to school in September."

Severus nodded and Remus stood up and said, "I will go fetch her."

Severus rose from his seat as well, "If you will excuse me, there are some books in my room I need to retrieve."

Harry watched as both Remus and his father left the room. Settling back into the couch, he tried not to think about what it would mean to give up his life as 'Harry Potter.' He felt Bella squeezed his hand and looked up at her, smiling slightly in gratitude. A few moments later his father returned carrying three books. Shortly thereafter, Remus returned with a wary Hermione. Her eyes darted between Harry, Arabella, Sirius and Professor Snape. Arabella patted the sofa next to her and Hermione cautiously took a seat beside her.

"Hermione, we've come up with a rough plan to protect both you and Harry. If you agree, it will allow you to go back to Hogwarts."

"What plan?" she asked, her eyes lighting a bit at the mention of returning to school.

"I, or rather, Severus and I, would like to adopt you. We would need to use several spells to disguise you, give you a new identity. It would permit you to get on with your life and education in the Wizarding World, especially your training as a Healer. Are you interested?" Arabella asked. Hermione looked at him over Arabella's shoulder and he tried to give her an encouraging look.

"What about Harry?" She asked, her eyes darting in Professor Snape's direction.

"Um, Hermione, there is something I should tell you," Harry said, stumbling a bit over the words. He looked briefly toward his father and then Sirius; both gave him encouraging nods. Taking a deep breath, he plunged forward, "I found out that, well, James Potter adopted me. Professor Snape is my biological father." He spoke the final sentence so rapidly, the words slurred together.

She stared at him unblinking for what seemed like forever. When she finally did blink, she did so rapidly several times, before shaking her head slightly as if to clear it. "Did you just say that Professor Snape is your father?" Harry nodded and watched her eyes grow wider. "But everyone says you look like your fa.. like James! And how come he never said anything? He just let..."

"He didn't know, Hermione. Only Bella knew and she was sworn not to say anything until this summer." Harry cut her off, feeling suddenly defensive.

The room settled into an uncomfortable quiet before Hermione spoke again, asking simply, "What about Harry?"

Harry smiled slyly and asked, "How do you feel about a brother?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at his question. She smiled slightly, "They'd use the spells on you, as well?"

Harry looked to Arabella for guidance and she smiled at him. It was Sirius that saved Harry from having to explain.

"When Harry was an infant, we, James, Lily, Severus and I, placed several spells on him to hide his paternity. Those spells are starting to disintegrate. He'll look as he always should have soon." Sirius tried to appear nonchalant about what he was saying, but Harry heard how his voice tightened over the last sentence and felt a sense of grief well up in his chest at the realization of how hard this was for Sirius. He smiled at his godfather, grateful for the man's reassuring presence.

"Of course!" Hermione said. She sounded a bit disgruntled with herself for not having realized.

Harry saw Severus lift three books off the table. "There are several things you should know before you make your decision. First, the wizarding adoption that is detailed in this journal," he said as he lifted the first book from the stack, "will not be reversible as it is in Harry's case. Your biological parents are not alive to perform the reclamation." He paused for a moment, as if to give his words a chance to set in.

"There is also the matter of the blood bond detailed in the journal," Snape continued. "Several generations ago an. . . arrangement was made between my family and another pureblood family. The details of the contract plus a narrative history are available in this journal," he said as tapped the second book in the pile. Sirius snorted at his words and Harry quickly scanned the room to judge the reactions of the others present. While Remus seemed as baffled as he and Hermione, Sirius seemed to be agitated and Bella seemed to be concerned. "I suggest you read it carefully, Ms. Granger. However, the contract is not completely binding and I believe there are many ways in which to circumvent it."

Hermione nodded, looking quickly at those around her before turning her attention back to the Professor when he spoke again.

"The final book, Harry, is for you."

At his words, Harry's head snapped around to face his father. Lifting the large book from the bottom of the stack, he handed it to Harry.

"Bella started this before you were born. She insisted that I keep it up. I didn't understand why at the time, but I am grateful, now, that she did. You are welcome to make copies of what ever you find in there."

"Thank you, sir." Harry replied as he carefully took the book from his father.

"Well, I think you both have more than enough to think about for now. Why don't you both retreat to Harry's room? Spend some time thinking it through. I will send in some dinner for you."

Harry nodded, grateful for the excuse to avoid the boisterous Weasleys for the time being. As much as they meant to him, he simply didn't have the energy or the fortitude to deal with all of them right now. He rose from his place on the sofa then extended his hand to Hermione. She took it, pulling her self up and straightening her robes before taking the two remaining books from Professor Snape.

"Thank you," she replied, nodding to Severus, Bella, Remus and Sirius. "I am not sure how I feel about this plan yet, but thank you for thinking of me."

Severus stood, a faint smile forming on his lips. "You are welcome, Ms. Granger."

Hermione smiled back then turned and smiled slightly at the others before heading off toward his room. With the book his father had given him clutched in his arms, he followed. As he reached the door to the private rooms, he looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Remus and Sirius walk toward the kitchen and Bella step into his father's embrace. As he shut the door behind him, he caught one last glimpse of his father taking what had been Harry's place on the sofa with Bella curled up beside him and he couldn't help but smile, just a little. Maybe everything was working out after all.

To be continued...


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