“Harry!” A bony hand gripped his shoulder, not ungently “It’s time for breakfast.”

Harry opened his eyes, the green innocence of which made his aunt’s face pinch into an uncomfortable expression. It had been three years and she still felt guilty.

Blinking, half-wincing at the still unfamiliar tugging feeling of his facial skin, Harry struggled into a sitting position, the ragged white scar-tissue cramping along his arm underneath the soft silk and linen pyjamas.

“Don’t forget the oil.” Petunia stated blandly. “They won’t get better unless you massage them properly.”

“Yes auntie.” Harry said meekly. Despite two years of careful application, the oil hadn’t helped much and it certainly would never break down the scars to leave healthy, unblemished, pink skin. But Petunia needed to think it did, she needed to believe that, one day, she’d be able to wear sleeveless summer dresses again, that, one day, strangers would not wince when they saw the raised, spidery lines which twisted Harry’s cheeks, leaving unspoken questions hovering heavily in the air.

She needed to believe that, one day, she would not be constantly reminded of the worst day of her life, when her stupid mistaken belief that Ripper would not hurt Harry had lead to... everything.

Harry padded to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. It still felt sort of luxurious, knowing that he could take his time, that he could use the good soap and as much shampoo as he liked. Stranger still was the sight of the big, white, fluffy Egyptian cotton towel with his name embroidered, in green thread, hanging next to Dudley’s. As miraculous as it (still) seemed, Harry and Dudley had the same.  

A thumping at the door, Harry flinched. “Oi! Harry! Your bacon’s getting cold.”

“Coming!” Harry ducked out of the hot water and, after a quick drying off and a few, guilty squirts of oil, hastily applied, he shrugged on his dressing gown and ran downstairs.

The table was quiet, orderly. Dudley was sitting in front of a huge plate of bacon and eggs, hastily gulping down his food.

“We couldn’t wait” Petunia explained. “Vernon’s going to be here any minute.”

“Going to get the school uniform” Dudley grunted between bites “Got letter” he indicated his plump head to Harry’s place setting.

Harry looked over to his plate, replete with bacon, eggs, toast and mushrooms. A large, golden envelope was propped beside his glass of milk. Mindful of his cooling food, Harry decided to leave it until after breakfast: gratitude embarrassed his aunt but Harry found it hard to take any part of his new life for granted.

The doorbell rang. Dudley jumped up.

“Bye Mum, Harry” he gulped, swallowing the last of his food. “Get you something from London.”

“Goodbye sweetie” Petunia kissed Dudley on the forehead. Instead of squirming away, as he once would, Dudley gave her a hug before waving at Harry and quickly waddling off down the hall. Harry tried not to watch his aunt’s face as his once-uncle’s voice drifted down the corridor. Her ultimatum had backfired and, although Petunia was stronger, had more self respect since that day in A&E, when she had finally stood up for herself, well, Harry was sure his aunt still missed Vernon. Still loved him for all she now disliked him but was too proud, too guilty to allow the man back in her life if he was going to shatter their uneasy (but slowly getting easier) peace.

“So, your letter Harry…”

Harry looked up, swallowing a mouthful of peppery mushrooms “Yes, aunt. Do you know who sent it?”

Petunia shuffled in her seat “Well, you know how I told you that your mother… and your father weren’t drunks, that they were in the police, secret service like, and that they’d been murdered by a mob boss who they were trying to bring down? That your mother actually died in killing the bas… the man?”

Shouted it rather. In Marge’s face. In front of the whole of A&E. Before Petunia slapped her, dripping blood over Marge’s ghastly pink tweed jacket.

Harry nodded.

“Well, it was true to a point. You see, your parents were, well, part of a… very secret service. They were police but not of… well, people like us… or rather people like me, normal people… They had, well, unusual skills. They were different…”

Freaks, Harry thought. It had been said to him and about his parents often enough in his old life. Before Ripper.

“They… well… there’s no use trying to sugar coat it… not that what they were was very bad…or bad at all… it’s just… I always thought it was important to fit in… to be normal.” Petunia moved her lips, seemingly struggling for words “They could do things, strange things that most normal people don’t even believe are even possible. That would scare most people, unnatural things that they couldn’t explain how they were able to do. That science said should be impossible. They could, well, they could do what most people would call… magic.”

Harry’s eyebrows had burrowed into his hairline, tugging painfully at his scars “Magic?”

Petunia waved her hand irritably “Just open your letter!”

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… invites you to attend… September 1st… platform 9 ¾… supplies list… Wand? Cauldron? Robes? Owl or a Cat?!

“I expect you need to go shopping.” Petunia said, sounding as airy as a lead balloon. “You’ll have
a list, Lily did. Batswings and newt eyes and things. Don’t worry about money, I’ve been putting a bit by, just in case.”

Harry had not realised he’d been holding his breath until it came out in a rush. “But where do we go to get… stuff like this?”

“London.” Petunia replied “There’s a pub, I’m pretty sure I can still remember where it is. We can go today, if you’d like…”

0o0o0

Luckily for them both, the letter had contained a map with directions to the Leaky Cauldron, as well as a warning that they might not see the pub immediately.

Amidst his quiet excitement, Harry felt a certain amount of pride in his aunt. He knew that, well, Petunia was a bit too keen on being normal; she was a Daily Mail reader who bought her clothes in M&S, kept her house as clean as a new pin and believed exotic cuisine was a prawn cocktail. The thought of her willingly going into a shabby, disreputable little pub and then enter a street full of, let’s be fair, freaks… Harry couldn’t have believed it would ever happen two years ago and, even now, it was still weird to think that Petunia was about to get off the bus and, in her pink twin-set and pearls, casually walk into the wizard world- just for him.

But, weird as it was, Petunia did just that. The leaky Cauldron, when Harry spied it, was even worse than he could have imagined. Muddy, misshapen cobblestones led up to a pub which appeared to be falling down under a thatch whose straw a horse had apparently used for bathroom purposes. Harry nervously licked his lips and looked over at Petunia.

“Let’s get it over with.”

Once inside, the pub wasn’t actually so bad, more cosy than grotty and Harry, in relief, saw his aunt admiring the polished counter and gleaming crystal and silverware.

“What can I get you madam?” an old man behind the counter asked kindly.

“A brandy, just a small one please” Petunia asked. “And a coke for you, Harry?”

“Coke would be good.”

The old man nodded and, selecting the most shiny of his glasses, began to pour the drinks “First time here, Ma’am? Sorry about the state of the outside, been wanting to smarten up before the millennium but planning permission…”

Petunia smiled, obviously more at her ease “Oh yes, they are like little Hitlers, at least in our world, always telling you that you can’t do this or that, as if it wasn’t your own property.”

Letting his aunt wind down in the care of the sympathetic barman, Harry sipped his coke and looked around, trying to spy the exit, hoping for a glimpse of Diagon Alley.

“And so we have come here to try and pick up my nephew’s school things. I was here with Lily, my sister, many years ago but I don’t really know where we are going to find half of what is on the list.”

“Lily…” the barman’s eyes knotted together. Harry looked over in surprise, green eyes concerned. “Bless my soul. Is it.. can it really be Harry Potter?”

Suddenly it seemed like dozens of people were standing around them, each person trying to talk to him at once.

“Harry Potter? Well I never…”

“Mr Potter, an autograph! Please!”

“Just like your father, I knew him so well”

“Poor lad, to think we all thought you’d got off unscathed…”

Petunia stood up, riffling in her purse.

“Free of charge, free of charge” the barman said, walking around to the other side of the counter. “Come on folks, let the boy through, just a child, you know.”

The crowd parted and Petunia and Harry were ushered gently but firmly to a wall, which the barman rapped with a long, thin stick that suddenly appeared to materialise in his fingers. The wall disappeared, revealing a long, winding street, lined on either side with buildings, with styles ranging from Tudor to Victorian, all of which were shops carrying the most amazing, unusual things.

A grocer with strangely shaped fruits and oddly coloured vegetables, an ironmongers with stacks of cauldrons, some tiny enough to be used by a fairy, others large enough to boil a man, another boutique-y type of shop with window-full of white silk draped steps appeared to be showcasing old brook-sticks.

“First shop is the owl emporium, I’d head there for a bit, let people cool off, should have realised there would be a bit of excitement” the man said contritely.

Petunia nodded. “I had no idea that my sister was so… famous.”

“As good a witch as ever there was and lovely too, with those eyes and that red hair.” The old man’s eyes clouded with tears. “A pretty pair you must have made, though I never think I saw you together.”

Petunia blushed scarlet.

“Now, don’t you mind old Tom” the barman smiled, believing Petunia to be embarrassed by the compliment. “Off with you two and have a good day.”

Taking Tom’s advice, Harry and Petunia headed for the Owl shop.

“It’s as good a time as any to look around” Petunia said, looking straight ahead “I imagine you’d prefer an owl to a cat, easier to write home, if you want to, that is.”

“Oh! Of course, yes, I’d love an owl!” Harry exclaimed, flushing with pleasure. “Can I really have one?”

“As long as it’s not noisy and you clean out its cage.”

Walking on air, Harry skipped into the shop: he didn’t know what made him happier- getting a pet or knowing that his aunt wanted to hear from him whilst he was at school, just like Dudley.

“You go and choose and I’ll talk to the manager or whomever about transporting it home” Petunia told him, making a beeline for the sales desk “We can’t drag the poor thing after us all day and I don’t think you can take owls on the train.”

Smiling at the thought of his aunt on the train with an owl, of all things, Harry hurried off to look around the shop.

The problem with shopping for a new pet, Harry found himself thinking as he walked beside the large aviaries, is that you never can really choose. No soon as he fell in love with a sweet, tiny Scops owl, Harry saw a beautiful, ghost-like barn owl but, a minute later, he was coveting a majestic eagle owl. There were so many, too many.

“Too bad I don’t know anything about owls, I suppose”

“Ha! And you’re in an owl shop, filled with owl books and people who know all about the things! Now I wonder what you can do to find out about owls?”

Harry turned to see a boy of about his own age, with a pale, pointed face, a swept back mass of impossibly fair hair and the most amazingly beautiful owl Harry had ever seen on his arm.

“What’s that!?”

“What happened to your face?!”

Both boys stared at each other. The blond boy cleared his throat, looking rather embarrassed. “Er, this is a snowy owl. Quite a nice one really. They’re quiet, clean and intelligent. A good choice for a beginner.”

“Oh! Thanks” Harry smiled “Um, and my face, it was a dog attack.”

“Oh, nasty.” Draco looked at Harry, interest battling with manners. As always, inquisitiveness won “What breed?”

“Bulldog”

“I didn’t know they caused curse scars. What’s your treatment? Murtlap oil?”

“I’ve got some oil, I don’t know what’s in it. Um… is that your owl?”

“Oh, no. I was thinking about it… but I think I’d prefer an eagle owl. I saw one I liked back there.”

“Oh, the big browny black one. He’s amazing, looks fierce though. Um, could I stroke the… was it a snowy owl?”

“Yeah, sure, you can hold her if you like. She’s really gentle. She won’t bite or anything”

Gently, the boy walked over to Harry and held out his wrist. Tentatively, the white owl stepped onto Harry’s arm.

“She’s so beautiful.” Harry sighed.

“Yeah.” Draco looked curiously at Harry “So, are you scared of dogs now?”

“I don’t know, maybe a little I suppose.”

“Father is just outside, socialising one of our dogs; she a puppy and needs to learn to behave in public. She’s gentle but big and a bit bouncy, would you be okay if he came in with her? It’s just that he might be back any minute. I’m Draco by the way, Draco Malfoy,”

Before Harry could answer, there was a loud snap of a breaking lead, a woman’s scream and Harry felt a huge, warm mass of fur collide with him, knocking him into Draco, who fell beside him onto the hard earth floor. The snowy owl took off with an angry shriek.

“Hera! Come here!”

“Harry!”

Had a photographer been present, it would have been the shot of the century. Lucius Malfoy, his blond mane in glorious disarray, pulling the rear end of a huge, blond bear who, somehow, managed to grab the end of his snake-headed walking cane, whilst being hit over the head by the sensible handbag of a primly dressed muggle, who was screaming the most remarkable obscenities whilst she fought to extract her nephew from under the slobbering dog.

After what felt like an eternity, the dog and child were separated and a minute of comparative peace passed whilst Hera was ticked off for being an absolute disgrace to canine kind and a shame to her bloodline and noble dam, whilst Harry was checked over by a white faced Petunia. Draco danced between the two groups, alternatively begging his father not to be too angry, she was just a puppy, and Harry to realise that she was just saying hello, she was just a puppy.

After Petunia had been assured by Harry that Hera had merely tried to licked him to death and Lucius had fully vented his spleen on the still incorrigibly smiling dog, the two adults turned to look at one another. The children, dog and owl looked on in silence.

After the moment had stretched for what seemed, to the children, for an eternity, the Malfoy sangfroid reasserted itself enough for Lucius to say “Well, Draco, are you going to introduce me to your friends?”

Draco looked at Harry, suddenly unsure. He mouthed three single syllables and one disyllable at the green eyed boy.

What Draco was trying to ask was ‘are you a muggle?’

What Harry, who had forgotten that he had not introduced himself, interpreted was “You Har-ry Potter?”

Harry nodded and whispered “Yes, Harry Potter.”

Draco’s eyes widened to the size of saucers “Dad!” he whisper-screamed “It’s Harry Potter!”

Lucius sighed “I believe some people in Knockturn Alley may have not been quite been able to hear you, Draco.” He held out a sable gloved hand to Petunia “Madam, my apologies for my unruly offspring, they have not yet been fully trained for public presentation. At least I can attempt to keep my pup on a lead” he held up the broken leather strap “the child is a different matter.”

Draco rolled his eyes at Harry, who grinned. The man, with his long blond hair, bore more than a passing resemblance to both dog and child.

Petunia tried to look implacable but found it rather difficult to sneer in the face of aristocratic beauty, eventually murmuring “The boy seems fine. No harm done.”

Draco smiled, relaxing as the tension ebbed away “See, Harry, not all dogs are nasty. Hera didn’t even try to bite you.”

Harry grinned back “I think I’d be short of a head if I did. Is she a special wizard dog?”

“Not really, no more than most dogs. She doesn’t have venom or anything.”

“Venom?!”

“Yeah, some dogs do, like the one that bit you.” Draco turned to his father “Harry was bitten by a bull dog! Can you imagine, it must have been huge, like a Cerberus. Was it the horns or fangs that were cursed?”

Harry looked non-plussed “Um, it was just a… normal bulldog, it didn’t have horns or anything.”

Draco looked confused “But…”

“I think that’s enough, Draco.” Lucius said quietly, eying Petunia with a calculating eye “Muggle medicine… does not have access to certain potions”

Draco looked horrified “You mean, it was just a normal bite? From a muggle dog!” Draco looked at Petunia and Harry “Are you living with Mu- ouch”

Harry blinked: he was sure he had just seen a spark had flashed from Lucius’ walking cane.

“Ow, that hurt.” Draco complained, rubbing his bottom. “Wait till mother hears! I might even need murtlap!” he paused “Hey, murtlap would work, wouldn’t it, on your face if it’s not a curse scar?”

“Really?” Petunia asked. “Is there really something that can reduce scarring?”  

“Yes” Lucius replied “I have a friend…”

“My godfather!” Draco interrupted proudly, stung bottom entirely forgotten.

“Who has a laboratory nearby. It may be possible to reduce some of the scarring.”

“Yeah, so you could look normal again!” Draco added cheerfully

Lucius closed his grey eyes, fair eyebrows drawing together. Pertunia pursed her lips in sympathy; the only thing worse than a silent, awkward child was a noisy, nosy indiscrete one, that was already reminding her too much of Dudley, whose lack of tact was once legendary.

oOoOo

Once the owls were retrieved (the snowy owl still sulking) and paid for (by Lucius, at his insistence, in recompense for the earlier contra-temps), Lucius turned to Pertunia and Harry.

“I may be able to assist you in instating your owl in your home. I have a number of… servants who are capable of magically transferring goods. They are, however, if I might warn you, somewhat unusual, being rather smaller and greyer in appearance than humans.”

“Cool, like aliens!” Harry gasped.

Draco grinned “Yeah, they’re really cool; they do everything you ask. Only the very best wizarding families have them! ”

Lucius smiled indulgently “Yes, indeed. Shall I summon her?”

Petunia looked slightly nervous, so Harry said “Go on Auntie, it’s better than carrying her home on the train”

“Yes, yes you are right. Thank you Mr Malfoy, it would be very kind.”

Lucius snapped his fingers, before continuing conversationally “The Potters, a very ancient family, also inherited an elf, I believe. Although your sister did insist on giving her clothes and…”

There was a sudden, loud crack and a small, grey figure appeared at Petunia’s feet.

“Argh!”

“Dobby!” Lucius snapped “What are you doing here”

“Lolo was busy master. Dobby thought…”

“Dobby thought wrong.  And what have I told you about wearing that thing!”

The small humanoid looked up at the group with bulging, yellow eyes, his spidery hands clawing at the filthy pillowcase which he was wearing “Dobby has no clothes”

“I have given you a new uniform!”

The creature burst into tears and grabbed its bat-like ears “Dobby will iron his ears! Bad! Bad!”

“Dobby will leave his ears alone and certainly not ruin another iron! Fetch Lolo now and do not stray from the manor or else”

Not waiting to hear what “else” entailed, Dobby disappeared and, after a moment, there was a discrete pop and a small house-elf, whose ears were considerably less batlike and whose nose was shaped just like a button mushroom, stepped out from behind the counter. Unlike Dobby, she was primly turned out in an ironed, linen pillowcase, trimmed with lace and embroidered with lines of silver, gold and absinthe green. Lucius smiled.

“Ah, Lolo, take Hera and the brown owl and leave them with Narcissa. The white owl is to be delivered to 4 Privet Drive, Little Whining, leave the cage on the desk in the smallest bedroom.”

Lolo nodded obediently “Yes Master”

“And, if Narcissa does not need you for anything, please visit Spriggs and buy Dobby a new uniform- fire, tear, stain and idiot retardant, if you please, and use a sticking charm.”

“Yes master.” Lolo said “And should I be giving Lolo and Dobby bread and water. For letting him gets out, Master Sir.”

Lucius sighed “No, he should be a helpmeet, not an extra chore.  When you are at Spriggs, you may buy one of equal expense for yourself, I believe that there is a new range on the upper floor. Choose whichever form of livery you wish” he said indulgently.  

Lolo grinned “The flowers, Master Sir?”

“As you wish. Swiftly now.”

“Was that a house elf!” Harry asked, when the creature (plus the dog and two owls) had disappeared

“Yes” Lucius explained, looking slightly aggrieved “I apologise for the appearance and manners of Dobby.”

“Dobby’s always sneaking out” Draco confided in Harry “He’s mental but Dad says we can’t get rid of him because he’d tell all the family secrets to the first blood-traitor he found.”

“And, after all, that is your role, Draco” Lucius muttered, half to himself. Petunia smiled sympathetically: the number of times Dudley had innocently spilt the beans to exactly the wrong person!

Lucius caught Petunia’s smile and relaxed; being around muggles was rather liberating- no need to keep up the public façade and, as Harry’s aunt obviously had no interest in being a witch, being as polite as necessity required was not as difficult as it might have been.

“Now, as it is nearly lunch time, I suggest we call on my friend; he usually breaks from his morning’s work around 12 o’clock.”

Petunia nodded and they exited the shop and set off down Diagon Alley, passing through an archway and then entering a narrower, darker, rather Dickensian street, the shop-windows of which were either swathed in greying silk or filled with strange and ominous things, like books with blinking eyeballs, large necklaces of darkly glimmering stones and daggers.

“It would be best to stay close” Lucius said “The best potioneers in the world reside in this area but it has little else to recommend it.”

Petunia looked at Harry, who in turn tried to look reassuring. Draco was alright and his Dad was a bit aloof, like he secretly thought he was better than other people, but he had been kind and very generous, what with buying the owl and everything.

After passing a ragged, toothless old woman selling what looked like fingernails out of a tray, they turned a corner and arrived at a quiet but still rather gothic little square, the tall, pale buildings of which each had a black front door and were guarded by an abundance of black railings. The perfectly symmetrical garden in the middle of the square was hedged with yew and criss-crossed with red rose bushes. Harry got the impression that walking on the grass would be a terminally stupid idea.

Lucius ungloved his hand and laid it upon the gate of the second house, the locks of which opened at his touch. As Harry mounted the pale steps leading to the front door, he noticed the iron knocker was shaped like a lily. Again, the door slowly swung open to the touch of Lucius’ hand.

Inside, the hallway had a faded elegance; the wallpaper, although old, had the simplicity of expense, merely sage green and white striped, edged with pale gold, and the narrow stretch beside the stairs merely held a dark wood coat rack, on which a rather rusty black cloak hung. The area was dominated by a narrow staircase, lined with dark green carpet and flanked by twisting iron banisters.

“He will be upstairs.” Lucius said, mounting the first step.

“Um, will he mind us just walking in?” Petunia asked, slightly embarrassed.

“Oh no” Draco said, his cheerfulness returning despite the sombre settings “If he’s working on something the door will be locked but he knows we’re here.”

“Oh, I didn’t hear a bell” Petunia said, sounding relieved

“He’ll know Dad’s here from his magic signature on the gate” Draco said, rolling his eyes at Harry as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry grinned at Petunia, who smiled nervously back.

The landing was similarly bare; just a few, high backed chairs with dull gilt and faded velvet in what once must have been jewel tones. As Draco had said, a door was open.

Lucius entered the room, followed by Draco, Harry and Petunia. A tall, thin man with long, slightly greasy dark hair was standing with his back to them, putting away a large tome, which appeared to have a Latin title.

He turned and locked eyes with Petunia.

“Bloody hell, it’s you!”

0o0o0

This time, Petunia was the first to recover; taking a deep breath she said “Good afternoon, Sev.”

The tall man swallowed before adding blandly “It’s 11.59 actually, Petunia.”

“Afternoon, then.”

“Actually, it’s gone 12 now” Draco said helpfully “But how do you two know each other”

Before Severus could vocalise a tactful lie, Petunia, with the air of someone pulling out a particularly nasty splinter, said “We grew up together. Severus was my sister, Lily’s best friend. I however, was a stuck up little brat and never had much time for him, nor he for me, I might add. We’ve not seen each other for about twelve years.”

Severus blinked. He was used to the world spinning like a top- anyone who had survived the Dark Lord’s latter years was used to pink becoming black and up turning to down, the man was as fickle as he was dangerous- but seeing Lucius Malfoy, pureblood supremacist, walking in with Petunia Evans, Magic-Hater, on his arm was more than any sane man could comprehend. And where was the spiteful girl who would lie through her teeth just to embarrass him? This woman had her face and her voice but her manner towards him was a shade too respectful to be recognisable.

“You really knew my mother?”

Severus’ gaze fell on the small, slender boy whose heartbreakingly familiar green eyes peered out of a face which was a mass of knobbly white scar tissue. Lily’s son.

“Harry?”

“Yeah” the child’s smile was as sweet as his mother’s “I got bitten up by Ripper, that’s why my face is messed up. He was Aunt Marge’s dog”

“He was put down?” Severus asked

“Aunt Petunia killed him” Harry replied quietly “She stabbed him with the potato knife until he stopped biting.”

“Cool!” Draco exclaimed

 Lucius placed a hand on his son’s shoulder “Come, Draco. I think we should continue with our purchases.”

“What? I wanted to hear more about the potato knife!”

“It was just the knife I was using to peel the potatoes” Harry replied, looking worried at Lucius’ stern expression.

Lucius schooled his face into a smile “I merely thought it best to allow you and, I believe your aunt, to consult with Severus in private”

“Actually, Lucius, if Petunia agrees, it may be an idea if Harry accompanies you. I do not need to carry out an examination, merely tweak one of my bases. Petunia, as an old friend, can assist me.”

“Can muddies work with potions, then?” Draco asked inquisitively “I thought the taint would ruin them.”

“How about we go and have some ice-cream, boys?!” Lucius said, smiling tightly.

“Yes, I think that would be a very good idea” replied Severus, “We’ll meet you there.”

When the front door clicked shut, Severus and Petunia subtly relaxed.

“Muddies?” asked Petunia

“Foul word for muggles. Lucius, if you have not yet guessed, is rather old fashioned in his views”

“Like me?” Petunia replied wryly. “He puts a good face on, I’ll give him that.”

“He is a consummate politician.”

“Better than bloody Potter. I’ll tell you that.”

“The senior, I presume” Severus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Treated us like retards from the get go, the arrogant bastard. His son’s nothing like him, understand that well, Snape.”

//There’s my Tuney// Severus thought with a grim satisfaction, the girl was still there.

“So, Petunia, tell me the worst: other than the face, what are the boy’s injuries?”

“Arms, legs, a nasty scratch on the neck. I got him off before he could get to the boys throat.” Petunia said blankly.

“And you?”

“I don’t matter”

Severus paused; he’d been ready for an answer to the tone of ‘I don’t want your help’ but this was a rather unexpected response.

“Providing another jar for your use will not generate any additional work.”

Petunia looked at her old adversary, a guarded expression on her face.

“What happened to you, Tuney” Severus asked, his voice soft.

“I got what I deserved; married a bully, let him treat my nephew like dirt and now look at the boy- he’s ruined. I didn’t like him, too much like his father, I thought. But it was just appearances.”

“He’s more like his mother?!”

“No, not at all. He’s like Dad, he’s kind, thoughtful and he’s forgiving… too forgiving really”

Serverus looked puzzled.

“You know full well what I mean” Petunia said sharply “Lily was no paragon, she was a narrow-minded, silly little bitch who couldn’t see past her own wounded dignity.” Petunia sighed “We were more alike, her and me, than I’d admit; we both married rich bullies, both let down people who we should have had some sort of loyalty to. Harry’s my flesh and blood and you, you were her best friend.”

“Lily did not let me down, I”

“Called her a nasty name whilst you were being humiliated in front of the whole school, from what I heard. Dad told her she should get off her high horse and show some proper Christian understanding but she was too stubborn to listen.”

Severus swallowed, aware of an uncomfortable prickling in his nostrils, which only intensified when Petunia added “He really cared about you, Dad did. Said you were worth both James and Vernon put together.”

“I expect James did not appreciate the sentiment.”

Petunia grinned “Oh, we had a pretty to do- Vernon wasn’t the problem, for once, just stormed off. That aristocratic friend of James’, though, he pulled out his wand. I never knew that you could magic boils that bit.”

“He hexed Alf!”

“No, Lily was the one that did the magic. Almost broke the thing off, that did. More’s the pity.”

“Didn’t want Lily to marry a wizard?”

“No, I didn’t want her to marry the wrong one.” Petunia said quietly “When all’s said and done, Snape, you were respectful and you tried to fit in with us. James bought nothing but trouble, as I knew he would. After all the stories Lily told us, to go off and marry him. People don’t change, that’s one thing I’ve learnt.”

“Yeah, right. A handsome face, a good pedigree and a full wallet. Any common stripper could see the good in that”

“Please do not talk about Lily like that.”

Petunia shook her head “You deserved better, Snape. So did Mum and Dad. To think, Vernon, Dudley and I would have been next! Best idea Vernon ever had, pretending his name was Grunnings- no one thought to look for Dursleys. And all because of James Potter.”

“It was not entirely Potter’s fault” Severus said heavily “If the Dark Lord had not been informed of the prophesy…”

 “He did enough.” Petunia interrupted sharply “Even if that damn prophesy hadn’t been an issue, his antics were enough to single them out, and with Lily being born into a normal family!  When there’s a psycho on the loose, you don’t paint a target on your forehead, not if you have relations, people who rely on you or who can be used to get at you. Dad told him that.  He put us all in danger, treating it like it was some game. But it wasn’t him that got tortured, was it? He was hidden away by then.”

Severus paled “Torture?”

“Yeah. They don’t just ask nicely” Petunia said bitterly.

Severus swallowed “If it had not been for the prophesy…”

Petunia looked over at the man she had once known so well; pale, stooping as if in pain, Severus looked positively ill. Her eyes met his and, in their dark depths she saw something, was it guilt? Childhood memories flickered; Petunia had been a stirrer, she liked spying on people, finding out their guilty secrets and then blurting them out at the worst possible moment and standing back to enjoy the fireworks. The only person who she could never catch out was Severus, who was also- not so coincidentally- the only one who ever turned the tables on her, silently eavesdropping on her plans and, sometimes, scuppering them- usually as revenge against some slight against Lily.

Suddenly, Petunia realised. Anger rose, bubbling and then drowning under the grief which was coming off the man in waves.  

“You weren’t to know how he’d react.” She found herself saying “Killing a baby just isn’t normal, even if you’re a psychopath and it’s prophesised to vanquish you, or whatever. Dad didn’t believe it himself, kept talking about Oedepus and how anyone with any brains would just wait till the right time and kidnap the kid and raise him like a son. That would have made sense. You couldn’t have known that he’d try and kill the baby.”

“I did not, however it was my fault.”

“You did not tell him to go after her, did you?”

“No, when I discovered what he intended, that it was Lily, I begged for her life.”

“You were with him, then?”

“It was my greatest mistake.”

Petunia sighed “Dad always said, if you turned against normal people, it’d be me who’d done it. That was before James came along, it’s true, but I didn’t help, nor did Lily.”

“No, I…” Severus looked wretched “I wanted to do a mastery in potions. He paid for it, told me that I deserved a chance at greatness, that I could be great and that he would help me. I thought Dumbledore, the Minister, were lying; Gryffindores do not like Slytherins, as a rule. They do not trust us, think the very worst, against all evidence. I did not realise what he was, not until it was too late.”

Severus licked his lips “I was. I am”

Petunia smiled sardonically “I cannot believe you’re telling me this, Severus.”

“Perhaps a confidence for a confidence?”

“And, besides, who would I tell”

“Outside, there are whole crowds of people.”

Petunia smiled sadly “Well, perhaps my keeping mum will even things out a bit. I made your life difficult enough”

“I was not exactly a saint”

“You were just responding to me, like that James. And it was his fault, Severus, so stop blaming yourself- you weren’t to know.”

“Like you were not to know about the dog.” Severus said quietly.

Petunia replied tearfully “No, Sev, it shouldn’t even have been in the house. I shouldn’t have let Marge near Harry, I knew what she was. I failed him and I don’t even know how to raise a wizard or how to keep him safe, this Lucius…”

“Will protect the boy with his life.” Severus smiled “Good PR opportunities seldom arrive so swiftly; I expect the boys are eating sundaes the size of their heads.”

“Will you protect him too, Severus. I mean, I know there’s not a whole lot you can do, what with him being at school but…”
 
“Actually, Petunia” Severus smiled “If you remember, I was doing a mastery in potions”

“Yeah, Dad said.”

“Congratulations.” Petunia replied, looking relieved “So, will Harry be in your house?”

“That I do not know. However, wherever he is sorted, I will protect him to the best of my ability, I would have done so whatever, he is Lily’s son.”

“And Alf’s grandson.” Petunia added. “He’s a good boy.” She held out her hand.

Severus reached out and took the glove in his, gently feeling for scar tissue as he shook it.

“A truce” he asked, with a half-smile.

“Truce.”

0o0o0

Petunia was not wholly surprised when Severus, instead of lighting a caldron, opened a rather full cupboard and pulled out two large porcerlain pots, sealed with beeswax.”

“One for you, one for the boy. If you need anything stronger, an owl to the Potion Master of Hogwarts should reach me.”  

Setting off down the rode (rather stiffly at first- being on Serverus’ arm was an experience that Petunia had never anticipated and felt strange, despite their new-found camaraderie), Severus escorted Petunia to Fortesques ice-cream shop where, as predicted, the boys were eating massive ice cream sundaes with every sign of appreciation.

Lucius looked up and indicated to two chairs; in front of one was a black and green ice cream sundae, drizzled with a white, opalescent sauce and in front of the other, a delicate white and cream coloured Sunday, which had been carved into the shape of a swan and was floating on a pale sparkling river.

“A champagne swan” Severus said quietly “lemon and apricot ice-cream on a champagne sorbet. Very nice and not at all poisoned”

“Thanks, Snape” Petunia whispered back.

“Don’t thank me; I will indeed be eating all of the absinthe and crème de anise ice-cream with the ice-brandy sauce and will be no good to you for the rest of the afternoon.”

Petunia sat down, thanking Lucius, who was idly eating a similar swan ice-cream (a black swan- chocolate and crème de anise on a pink champagne sorbet).

“I have never eaten so much ice cream!” Harry grinned, by way of a greeting.

“Careful you don’t get sick”

“You can’t get sick” Draco grinned “It’s special ice cream, it shrinks in your stomach so you can eat it forever!”

Petunia made a mental note to find some for Dudley.

“So Harry, I hear that you will be attending Hogwarts this year”

Harry looked up from his ice-cream. Severus’ heart contracted at the sight of the beautiful green eyes, surrounded by thickened white flesh that covered most of the rather heart-shaped face. The boy was so similar to Lily- only the untidy mass of hair reminded Severus of the child’s paternity.

“Oh, yeah I will be. Like Draco” Harry paused, before adding shyly “Draco says you’re Head of Slytherin, which is the best house.”

“I am indeed”

“Do you think I’ll be good enough for Slytherin.” Harry bit his lip “I’m only a half-blood.”

“As am I” Severus replied “That is how I know your aunt.”

Draco looked at his father with wide eyes. Lucius put a finger to his lips.

“Oh! Cool!” Harry replied, eating a large scoop of apricot ice-cream. “Mmm this is yummy! Thanks Mr Malfoy.”

Lucius nodded. Petunia decided to engage Draco in conversation, if only to remove some of the tension between father and son.

“So, Draco, do you and your father have much shopping left to do?”

“Oh, no not really. We were just getting an owl for school. I’m going to do the rest of the shopping with mother, on 31st.”

“Oh, cool, that’s my birthday!”

“Oh, wow! Hey, Dad, why doesn’t Harry come along with us!”

“You will have to arrange it with his aunt, Draco. She may have plans.”

“Can I, aunt Petunia” Harry asked eagerly.

“I suppose so, as long as you’re back by teatime. I’ve got a cake ordered and you can invite your new friends, if you wish.”

Harry looked around, smiling

“Yeah! Can we Dad! I’ve never been to a muggle birthday!”

“Yes! Yes, not so loud!”

 “And you, Severus?” Petunia asked; the more Snape got to know Harry, the better.

“Come on, Sev!” Draco exclaimed.

“Yes, of course, thank you Petunia.”

Harry smiled happily. One day in the wizarding world and he already knew another kid, a real wizard and a teacher at his new school, who had known his mother…

“Um, er S… um Mr Snape?”

“Yes, Harry and you may call me Serverus whilst we are not at school.” He added graciously

“Oh, thanks. Um… do you have any pictures of my mother? Only we just have ones of her as a kid at home. And a wedding photo. And I thought, as you were at school together...?”

Lily’s eyes looked up at him beseechingly from the little boy’s face.

“I will see what I can find”

“Thanks!”

Petunia relaxed back into her chair and let the soft champagne sorbet melt into her mouth. For the first time in five years, a feeling of hope blossomed, its peaceful tendrils whispering throughout her body that all could be well once more.

By the time the (rather leisurely) ice cream lunch was over (culminating with a presentation by the sharp-eared Florean Fortescue of a 10 gallon tub of ‘zero calorie’ ice cream for “dear little Harry’s little cousin”) Petunia was shocked to find that it was half past two.

“We must be getting back, Dudders is due home by six and we have to get the bus, then there’s the train journey and it’s a bit of a walk from the station…”

“Tunia” Severus said, digging out the remains of his (liquid on more ways than one) lunch from the sundae glass “We do have ways of getting you home rather more quickly than damn British transport.”

“By magic?” Harry asked, eyes round as Galleons. Severus’ heart lurched; the child’s expression was so similar to that of Lily’s on her first visit to Diagon Alley.

“Yes, there are a number of ways.” Lucius stated “Severus and I can both Apperate, which is where a wizard transports themselves from one place to another instantaneously, however it is something of an… acquired taste and the first side-along apperation is usually not a pleasant experience”

“Yeah! I puked the first time!” Draco said joyously.

“Beautifully put, Draco. Yes, it can induce nausea. Now, due to my influence at the ministry, I could get you hooked up to the floo network. The floo network is…”

“Rather like the Tube, but instead of getting into a carriage, you step into a fireplace and are instantaneously transferred to another fireplace.”

“What’s the Tube?!” Draco asked

“An underground train that muggles use.” Severus replied

“Cool!”

“But we don’t have a fireplace, do we auntie?” Harry said

“Well, we do but it’s bricked up.” Petunia replied “I don’t think this Flue thing will work.”

Lucius looked momentarily crestfallen, then grinned “Well, I do have one more idea…”

“Lucius” Severus said reprovingly

“Oh come on, Severus, we’ve all made the odd portkey one time or another and I have never even received a warning. So, do not worry Petunia, we’ll see you and dear Harry home at around five o’clock. Now, shopping!”

“Smug git” Severus said in an undertone, as the chairs scraped back and they collected their bags, coats and cloaks. Draco and Harry looked shocked but Lucius almost preened.

//They’re all the same// Petunia thought, remembering Vernon’s pride at not once having received a speeding ticket, despite being caught by every bobby within a twenty-five mile radius //It’s like they think its clever, having enough money to make people turn a blind eye//

As they walked towards Flourish and Blots, Severus had a thought.

“Petunia, have you exchanged your money yet?”

“What?”

“Have you exchanged your pounds into galleons?”

Petunia looked blank for a second before the memory flooded back “Oh, right. You use different money, don’t you?”

Severus was already stepping back when Lucius strode up, looking like a child at the fun-fare gates. “Ah, now I can get you a very good exchange rate.”

“Oh Dad..!” Draco moaned.

Petunia found herself almost frogmarched to an impressive, golden building, the huge sign proclaiming itself to be Gringotts bank.

“Now, how much have you brought with you?”

“A hundred and fifty” Petunia found herself handing over her purse and, before she knew it, Lucius was deep in conversation with a strange creature, small as a house-elf but greenish in skin-tone and distinctly more knobbly.

“And this is where you see a magic more powerful than anything taught at Hogwarts” Severus said wryly “The normal exchange rate is £5 to a galleon. Gringotts will usually give you a rate of £6.75 to 1 galleon so you should be getting around 22.20 galleons. However, by Griphook’s expression, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.”

“He is so embarrassing” Draco said to Harry, with the delicate scruples of one who has always been too wealthy to even think of not paying the full asking price, however inflated, and cannot believe that their father would ever descend to haggling.

When Lucius turned around, he looked like the cat whose won not merely the cream but the cow and dairy besides.

“35 galleons! I got them to round up, no point in having loose sickles.”

Petunia couldn’t help but smile at his pride and pleasure “Thank you. Severus was telling me about the normal exchange rate.”

“Well, my investment in Gringotts is rather substantial.” Lucius said airily.

“Daddy has millions and millions!” Draco added proudly “He’s the richest wizard there is!”

“Now, Draco, it is unbecoming to discuss money.” Lucius said gravely. “One either boasts or whines and neither makes for good conversation.” Severus rolled his eyes.

Lucius’ cheerful hypocrisy peeked its head above his suavity in almost every shop “We wish to buy two sets of books, as I am sure will be reflected in the price”, “Good afternoon Mr Smith, the gold cauldron? Yes, very satisfactory, as my dear friend Severus can attest, a birthday gift. Two standard school caldrons for the price of one? My dear sir, you are very kind”, “Ah, Madam Malkin! Yes, the full kit for each boy. A complementary cloak lining, oh I am sure that the children will be very grateful.”

For Petunia’s part, it was all she could do to persuade Lucius to allow her to pay half the purchase price of every other thing that Lucius bought; he gave in with the graciousness of someone to whom the cost of the children’s school kits were mere pocket-change but who recognised the importance of allowing someone to maintain their pride.

Harry had, at first, felt slightly embarrassed at Lucius’ generosity but Draco, who was capable of the occasional insight, whispered “Oh, don’t worry about it. Father always pays for everything- he hates it if anyone pays a single knut when he’s with them. I haven’t spent my pocket money in years! Now, what lining do you want for your cloak? I want green velvet- I’m going to be in Slytherin!”

 
And Harry had happily chosen black velvet with silver stars, drawing the compliment from Lucius “Ah Slytherin silver, very good” and a sad smile from Severus, who had longed for the same material, all those years ago. Lucius had bought him a cloak lined with it for his twelfth  birthday and, as a secondary present, had given James Potter detention for a month for tearing it with a curse which he really should not have known yet. Lily had received a detention too, for hexing James silver- the spell had lasted for a week, much to the amusement of all and sundry.
 

As Lucius was charming the socks off Petunia (based on the old rule of politics ‘Win the witch’s heart, win the wizard ear’) and Draco was alternatively distracted by his father’s conversation (so many faux pas, so little time) and the interesting things in the windows, Severus found himself spending most of the trip walking quietly next to Harry.

Unlike Draco, who (like a certain character in Sense and Sensibility) was wildly excited to buy everything new but was too quickly distracted by the next potential purchase to make it into the shop, Harry viewed Diagon Alley with a quiet wonder. Apart from a bag of sweets (Draco had bought enough confectionary for both but Petunia had wanted Harry to have his own money) Harry had not asked for anything, merely being content to enjoy the experience.

Severus had enjoyed the peace but, just as he would have done for a child who showed a fascination for potions, he found himself quietly providing a commentary.

“The little shop squeezed into the corner is the museum of Wizarding Curiousities. It has been in Diagon Alley since 1458, although the exhibits were mostly live ones, it started out as a zoo.”

“It’s very small!”

“Ah, it’s rather bigger on the inside.”

“Wow. And what does that one sell? It’s got nothing in the window but a bunny rabbit?”

“Hm, that I have never been quite sure about myself. I have never quite had the courage to find out.”

Draco, overhearing, made a beeline for the door. Lucius, quick as a snake, hooked the serpent head of his cane into Draco’s collar.

“Not this time Draco, perhaps when you are 17.”

Petunia blushed and Draco looked confused “Why Daddy? I wanted to see!”

“It’s a girls shop” Petunia said quickly “Full of ribbons and lace and pink things, I expect”

“Eww!”

“Indeed!” drawled Lucius “Not at all suitable for little boys”

“Was it like this when my mother was a kid” Harry asked

“Very similar. Diagon Alley has been a major wizarding area for almost ten centuries and one thing that you will find as you grow older is that people change very little. Salazar Slytherin himself would have walked down this street and entered much the same shops and bought many of the same things; books, parchment, quill tips, ink, groceries, sweets, potion ingredients, clothes, even gadgets and new technology- a telescope, perhaps, or a self-filling quill, for they were new and exciting ideas once.”

“Are some shops really that old?”

“Let me put it this way, the Ministry records last entry for a “Blotts” was in 1,248 and yet you have just visited a shop which bore his ancestors name.”

“Really?!” Harry thought for a moment “That’s kind of sad. What happened to them?”

“The Blotts? I think the name merely died out; it happens. Our society is small, most families only have one or two children and, if one of those children is not a son, the family name will not be passed on to the next generation.”

“Like me.” Harry said thoughtfully “I’m the only Potter, aren’t I? If my Dad had brothers or sisters, someone would have come to see me, or sent me a birthday card. Unless… unless they didn’t like Dad marrying my Mum?”

Severus shook his head “No, Harry. Your father was an only child, as was his father. I am afraid that your only living relatives are your aunt and cousin.”

“So, if I don’t have kids, there’ll be no more Potters?”

Severus smiled “It’s a little early to be worrying about that just yet.” He caught Lucius’ eye. The man was looking distinctly thoughtful.

0o0o0

Having all but bought-out most of the shops in Diagon-alley, the boys reached their final destination with no small amount of excitement; Ollivander’s wand shop.

“I can’t believe I’m actually getting a wand!” Harry said, gazing with wide green eyes into the (somewhat dusty) window, which showcased a number of (equally dusty) wands.

“Is this… er… the best place?” Petunia asked, wrinkling her nose slightly “It’s a bit poky and er… well…”

“The sign of genius, or so Ollivander would like us to think” Lucius sniffed. “The shop is filled beyond capacity with wands and the man’s every spare moment is spent making or tracking down ingredients for new wands.”

“He’s loooooopeeee!” Draco added cheerfully

“I would try to keep a civil tongue, Draco. You may find yourself with a unicorn hair and rosewood wand.”

Draco was just configuring a suitably disgusted gurn when the door of the wand shop popped open, revealing a man who looked like the BFG’s (much) smaller cousin.

“Rosewood for a Malfoy? Dear me, whatever will the world come to next. I did meet a rather magnificent unicorn several years ago, oh he was a one- proud as the devil and feisty to boot. I would never have been able to pluck a hair had he not had this habit of looking at his reflection…”

Lucius carefully ignored the laughter which flashed in Severus’ eyes “Good afternoon, Mr Ollivander. We wish to buy wands.”

“Oh, yes of course. Perhaps Master Malfoy first, the shop is regrettably small.”

With a look of relief, Petunia drew back. “Would you like to look in the owl shop whilst we wait, Harry. We were rather rushed the first time. Perhaps, Severus, you could let us know if we need anything?”

“Thanks aunt Petunia” Harry grinned.

A book, a bag of owl treats and a handy cover later, and Harry, Petunia and Severus made their way back to the wand shop, outside of which Draco was standing, proudly holding his new wand aloft.

“I GOT THE UNICORN HAIR!!!” Draco all but screamed “He was huge- twenty five hands and I bet he was a Malfoy unicorn, we used to breed them in the twelve-hundreds!”

Lucius shot Severus a look which dared him to betray even a hint of a smile.

“Which wood?”

“Hawthorn!” he said proudly “But my unicorn, he was so big and so strong and he almost speared Ollivander in the unmentionables!”

 Ollivander poked his head around the door “Young Mr Potter? Ah, and Mr Snape. Come in if you please!”

Severus rolled his eyes “My wand is fine, Mr Ollivander.”

“Your wand chose your mother. You need one to choose you, dark times are ahead.”

Severus shook his head “I will see.”

Draco grinned at Harry “Good luck!”

Inside the shop it was just as dusty as the outside and rather more cramped. Petunia, spying a single spindly chair in the corner, quickly dusted it over and sat down.

“Now, who would like to go first?”

Harry was looking around at the thousands of thin, cardboard boxes with awestruck eyes. “Are all of these wands?”

“Indeed, indeed!”

“And, did you make them all yourself?”

“Most of them, I still have some of my father’s stock.”

“Wow! Are they all made of different things?”

“The main cores I use are unicorn hair, phoenix feather and dragon heartstring: very stable cores, not inclined to be temperamental kelpie hair, for instance. The wood types, however, are more diverse. I have almost everything.”

“What’s the most unusual one?”

Ollivander smiled “Oh, it is difficult to say. Hmm. I suppose that question could be narrowed down to two wands. This” a very dusty, rather ragged box flew out from the back “this was from a very strange tree. Called the hangman’s tree, found it in Russia. Used it to execute their dead. The wand chose a phoenix feather for its core; it wanted to give life, not death. The tree, you see, appears to have been a misjudged innocent.”

Harry’s green eyes opened so wide that Petunia thought for a moment that his contact lenses would pop out. The wand did not disappoint: it was a deep, reddish black and was carved into a triangular form, the sides deeply curved, and the end pointed so it looked a little like an arrow. The carvings along the wand were a type of celtic knotwork.

Before he knew what he was doing, Severus found his fingers twining around the wand. A bright, white halo surged from the tip of the wand, along with a burst of song.

Ollivander looked at Severus with raised eyebrows “Well, indeed Mr Snape. It could have taken me years to find your match had provenance not pointed us in the right direction.”

Harry’s face was a picture of wonderment “What’s your second most unusual wand.”

“Well” Ollivander said slowly “it is not strange in itself, holly and phoenix feather is a very good combination; fire and protection in equal measure, life in the darkness. No, the wand is strange because it shares a core with one other wand, just one other. You see, the phoenix whose feather is in the core of this wand gave one more feather and that feather resides…”

“In the dark lord’s wand?”

“Indeed! A very good guess, Mr Snape.”

“Dumbledore’s wand is rather older” Severus replied dryly

“Oh, yes, yes it is very old…” Ollivander said, a slightly perturbed look on his face. Absentmindedly he drew out a box “the Holly and phoenix wand.”

Harry looked into the box; the wand looked small, innocent. He picked it up. Golden sparks, another burst of song, and a groan from aunt Petunia.

“Ooops” Harry said.

“Perhaps there is another wand” Petunia started “I don’t think… well, it’s rather morbid, after what.. what the other wand did!”

Ollivander had a faraway look in his eyes “The wand chooses the wizard yet it is the wizard who wields the wand. He who must not be named did great things, terrible, yet great and his wand may have mourned what he had become, what it was used to do. The feather came from Fawkes.”

“Fawkes? Dumbledore’s Fawkes?” Severus exclaimed

“Indeed.” Ollivander’s pale eyes lingered on Severus “Purity and life within the everlasting life of death. Yet Harry’s wand is purity and life, within purity and life.”

In thoughtful silence, Harry and Severus paid for their wands.

Outside, Draco was agog.

“What did you get!”

“Holly and phoenix feather” Harry said looking at his new wand.

“Oh, that’s cool. Not as good as my unicorn, of course… but the holly is a very magical tree, isn’t it Severus?”

“Indeed.”

 Lucius looked at Draco, who had quite enough excitement for one day, in his opinion, and at Harry, who appeared slightly shell-shocked, and looked at his fob watch “I believe we should be getting Harry and Petunia home”

“Oh, Dad!”

“You will see Harry soon enough, Draco.” Lucius said firmly “Now, let me see”

He pulled out a very cream smart paper bag with coiled, black silk handles and “Snaffles; procurers of fine foods” written in deep, shiny black lettering. “Now, if you take hold of this bag, it should activate in about two minutes.”

Harry and Petunia each took a handle “Thank you for an… interesting day, Lucius Severus. It was lovely to meet you Draco”

Draco grinned “Thanks. Bye Harry!”

“Bye. Thank you Mr Malfoy and Mr Snape” Harry said shyly

“We will see you on the 31st” Lucius said, smiling.

“Goodbye Petunia”

“Goodbye Severus.”

And, before there was time for another word, Petunia and Harry felt a strange tugging at their navel, followed by the feeling of being in a vacuum.

Petunia sat down heavily on the sofa of number 4, Privet Drive, the bag on her lap. Harry fell beside her.

After a minute, Petunia said “That was quite a day.”

Harry nodded. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“Oh, Dudders!”

Petunia scrambled for the door and was soon after followed by Dudley, who was grinning widely.

“Sweets!” He cried, chucking a large bag at Harry, who ducked.

“Right back at you” Harry threw his own paper bag of wizarding sweets at Dudley, who caught it clumsily.

“Whoa, what are these!”

As Harry and Dudley excavated, explained and tasted their hoard, Petunia sat back on the sofa. Her side brushed the bag, which, whilst feeling too light to contain anything, appeared to have something bulky inside.

Petunia pulled open the bag and, to her surprise, pulled out a large, muslin covered tray, then another, a heavy pot, then a big box.

Inside the pots were chicken kiev for three, green beans with garlic butter, dauphinoise potatoes and, to Dudley’s delight, a huge mound of profiteroles, filled with white chocolate cream and raspberries.

“Well” Petunia said, slightly awestruck “That’s sorted out dinner”

Harry looked over her shoulder at the thick, vellum card

“Dear Harry and Petunia

Dad wanted to take you to dinner but I know you had to get home so we went and bought you MY favourite supper. I hope you both enjoy it.

Yours sincerely

Draco Malfoy.”

“Who is Draco?” Dudley asked

Harry looked up at his aunt “Shall we tell him?”

“I think we’d better!”

Whilst, officially “Gentleman of Leisure”, the Malfoys had always dabbled in finance, considering it a type of gambling even more exciting, exclusive and expensive than raising racing Pegasai. And, although “business” was more often transacted during a pleasant meal at a select restaurant, there were times when it was preferable to be a little more discrete.

Hence “the Courtroom”, a plushly appointed chamber, elegant in muted silver and pale gold, at the very heart of the manor. It was circular, lined with velvet sofas, and at its heart was a plinth on which rested a strange statue- a silver sword hovering above a golden heart. The room was sound-proof, apperation-proof and imbued with a particularly powerful homenum revelio, ensuring that any animagus or invisible person would have a very nasty surprise.

Lucius sat, robed in dark grey, flanked by his two silver briards- dainty Nephele, a poem in silver, with light golden fur around her eyes, making her look live a panda wrought in precious metals, and stern Zeus, fire bearded and massive, a white flame zigzagging down his breast. Beauty, wealth and strength- there had always been briards in this room and, as long as there were Malfoys in the manor, there always would be.

Around him, Nott, Crabbe, Goyal, Parkinson, Flint, Avery and Davies sipped their wine and watched the Malfoy patriarch expectantly as he stroked Nephele’s broad forehead. In the Courtroom, Lucius was first amongst equals.

“Who, amongst us, has an heir?”

 Several hands rose.

“And a spare?”

All but one hand fell.

“I had a brother, I am sure you remember him, spotty, rather stupid. Young.” Lucius drawled, swirling his blood red wine. “The spare. He died in the Dark Lord’s service.”

The nervous murmurs of condolence fell silent when Lucius raised flashing silver eyes “I have one son, only one and Narcissa cannot bear me another. My name would die if Draco does not survive to produce an heir. As would yours, Nott, and you Flint, and you, Davis.”

There was an awkward silence.

“We have all fought for blood purity, sacrificed our safety, lost brothers, fathers, sons. The risk of dirting of our bloodlines was worth the sacrifices our families made, once, when our families were numerous, when enough children bore our names. Now, the tainted blood of muggle-born witches or wizards is of less moment than the precious few who bear our pure blood.”

After a pause, Goyle hazarded “So, we allow our kids to marry muddies?”

”Certainly not.” Lucius replied “However, if another dark lord should rise, I will not be amongst his supporters. Draco is too precious to me. However pure his blood, it can still be spilt.”

“And if Lord Voldemort returns?” Nott said quietly

“He’s dead, man” Flint said brusquely

“Perhaps not so dead, there have been whispers.”

Lucius blinked “What it comes down to is where our loyalties lie. With family or… elsewhere. Are you willing to risk your heir, Nott?”

“No, Malfoy. I think I speak for all of us when I say that the subject of our dwindling bloodlines has been in our thoughts since the end of the war.”

“Yes” said Davis thoughtfully “If it had not ended, how many more of our names would now be extinct?”

“A good question; the Blacks, the Lestranges, the Rosiers: we will not see their names in fifty years. We are at risk of becoming a dying race, which would suit the blood traitors perfectly” Lucius sneered.

“Indeed, Indeed” Parkinson nodded “A fair assessment. But…”

“There is strength in unity.” Lucius said smoothly “We, we were the inner circle. Without us, the dark lord was but one man. A dangerous man, indeed, but one alone may kill the first, the second, even the third man.”

“Bagsie being the fourth man” Flint said, to general chuckling.

“The Order will be the first, second, third and fourth.” Lucius said serenely “We just have to stand aside”

“And what of those in Azkaban; your dear sister in law, for example.”

Lucius’ eyes narrowed “I believe that, if the dementors were to ‘go rougue’ and kiss a few inmates, few in our society would care.”

“So, are we agreed” said Nott

“Agreed to what, my dear Nott?”

“That we stand back, let the next dark lord do his own dirty work.”

Lucius stood and walked over to the plinth. He placed his hand over the hilt of the sword. Slowly, the men got to their feet and laid their hands over his.

“I so swear that I renounce Voldemort, that I will never return to his service. I so swear that I will never join the service of another dark lord, that I will never take up arms against the Ministry, nor support, aid or abet any person who wishes to do so. That I will never speak of this vow, nor indicate to another that this vow has been made, nor repeat or imply any part of the conversation had today in this room. I so swear on my life and my bloodline.” Lucius intoned.

The sword moved, jabbing into the golden heart. A silver glow surrounded the men.

“Now gentlemen” Lucius said with a smile “We have a special guest arriving today, one Harry Potter.”

“Don’t know how the wife will handle that” Crabbe said “Don’t know how we’ll explain it, if we got to keep silent.”

 Lucius smiled “Never fear, Narcissa is holding high tea as we speak.”

oOoOo

Unlike Lucius, Narcissa enjoyed politics. It was rather like a game of bingo.

“My dear Mrs Zabini, you are looking stunning- that orange, I do not know whether it is nearer red or gold but it suits you so well, you must let me know of your dressmaker”

“Ah, but I designed it myself” smiled Mrs Zabini

Narcissa feigned surprise “Oh, but that is a disappointment” she said, handing her a scone “I should have liked such a robe, although I could not have hoped to carry off such a wonderful colour.”

Florence Zabini preened “My house elf can speak with your elf, a blue silk, yes, I have just the thing for you.”

After being sufficiently grateful, Narcissa, seeing that Mrs Bulstrode was happily spoiling Hera, who had snuck over, turned to Emily Parkinson “My dear Emily, I must compliment you on Pansy, she is now quite the little lady, you have done excellently.”

“Your Draco is quite charming, as is Theodore of course” Emily said, turning to Mrs Nott

“Too bookish, I fear. Rather like his father” Ruth Nott said solemnly

Narcissa looked across the grounds to where Draco was, quite obviously, holding court “I sometimes think that Draco could do with being a little more ‘bookish’, he is quite the hero of his own story”

The women laughed.

“How will he cope with meeting Harry Potter” said Alison Avery thoughtfully.

“Fur will fly, I imagine Mrs Crabbe said, nudging Mrs Goyle “Good thing our lads are all friends.”

“I had heard that the boys had already met” Said Mrs Flint archly “Diagon Alley, shopping for school supplies.”

Narcissa nodded “You are always the first to know everything Bethany. Yes, indeed, Lucius and Draco ran into Harry and his aunt whilst they were shopping.”

“Mmm, and spent the rest of the afternoon together” Bethany Flint added. Narcissa smiled.

“Indeed, it was something of a trial for Lucius, a muggle of all things.”

“I suppose she’s as pretty as her sister.” Emily said bitterly.

“Oh no, positively kelpie faced, poor thing; watery blue eyes and straw hair, bless her.”

Emily Parkinson’s face transformed into an expression of grudging sympathy- her own sister, Rose, had been a famous beauty. //One to me// thought Narcissa.

“And how about the boy, does he take after his parents?”

“Well, he has his mothers eyes and his father’s hair but, the poor dear, his face, a dog attack I believe.”

“Oh, the poor love” Alison Avery said, before she could help herself.

“Yes, indeed, poor child. And, after everything, he is still a dog-lover, Hera adored him.” Narcissa said, smiling to herself as Jane Bulstrode’s eyes softened //four down//

“But what is he really like?” Mrs Crabbe asked “Is he more like James or Lily?”

“Neither, he’s a quiet, shy little thing, ever so polite. I think he was grateful to be taken under Draco’s wing, really. I think he may have been bullied, over the scarring.”

“How terrible” Mrs Nott sniffed “children can be so cruel.”

Mrs Crabbe shared a look with Mrs Goyle. The boys would be told in no uncertain terms about who to look out for when school started, Narcissa had no doubt.

“Is it very bad then, this scarring” Florence Zabini asked sympathically.

“Oh yes indeed, almost worse than Moody’s. So sad as I believe that he was a handsome little chap”

Florence’s eyes were liquid wells of pain. Just two to go “Yes, Harry is a dear boy. Severus is bringing him over today; it’s Harry’s birthday and I thought it would be nice for him to have some friends around him.”

“He doesn’t have any of his own” Clara Davis asked sadly.

“No, well, the muggle children do not really understand him, how could they be expected to? And the scars.”

“We will rally around” Clara said firmly “Right, Bethany.”

“Severus is bringing him here today, you say?” Bethany Flint asked

“Oh yes, he is very taken with Harry. Quite protective over the boy, I believe”

“Well” Bethany Flint said, thinking of next year’s quidditch trials, “I think we will all have to speak to our children, let them know that they need to watch out for the boy.”

//And BINGO//

OoOoO

“Right, listen up everyone.” Draco announced to the gaggle of children “I’ve got something important to say.”

“Oh yes?” drawled Blaze, whose long, luxurious mane was being plaited by Millicent, who would have given the world to possess such hair. Theo, looked up from his book with sceptical eyes.

“Well, you have all heard of Harry Potter.”

“Of course we have Draco” Pansy snapped “Get on with it!”

“Well, he’s my friend, he’s coming here today and you’re not to say anything nasty about muggles or his mum and you can’t use the word ‘mudblood’ or ‘muddies’, okay. Or I’ll tell father”

“Oh, the all-powerful Daddy” Tracy teased. Marcus laughed.

“Well, okay then,” Draco said, going red “I’ll tell Severus, that’s Professor Snape to you. So you’ll be nice to Harry, right?”

The children nodded, even Marcus Flint.

At number 4 Privet Drive, Severus Tobias Snape’s reputation as a genius had been firmly established.

Harry had not expected a huge difference, indeed, as Petunia had applied the paste to his face that first night, gently wrapping Harry’s face in bandages to keep the cream in place, she had said “Now, don’t hope for a miracle, if it’s a bit better tomorrow, we’ll be happy but you may not see a change immediately. Magic cannot fix everything.”

Harry had nodded, his big, green eyes peeping out of the swathes of fabric. He mumbled something about Dudley and Petunia, who was just knotting the bandage around Harry’s arm, stood back and watched as Harry shambled into Dudley’s room, making moaning noises. There was an exclamation of surprise, then giggling. Petunia could not help but think how little laughter there had been before the accident; it never ceased to surprise her how much better the atmosphere felt- how had she not noticed the darkness in her home before?

The next morning, Petunia awoke to a shrill cry. She rushed into the bathroom, fearing the worst, and her heart lurched when she saw Harry, his face in his hands, crying, his feet surrounded by bandages. The sting of remorse caught in her throat, silencing her. Harry raised his face, he was smiling.

“Look Aunt Petunia!”

The horrible, ridged scars that had cramped Harry’s countenance had shrunk into thin, raised red lines. //A little bit of concealer and they’d be scarcely noticeable// Petunia thought, followed by //And this is only the first application//.

Harry was running over, gripping her arm with eager, gentle hands, unravelling the bandages //this is the first time he’s touched me// Petunia thought with a start.

“Look” Where there has once been a puckered crater, there was a white indentation, Petunia rubbed at it, surprised when she felt the brush of her fingers- it had been numb for so long.

“Oh my god!”

Then Harry was in her arms, followed by a gaping Dudley, who had been watching the scene is stunned silence.

Laughter rang out, followed by tears and the last of the darkness which had shrouded Privet Drive evaporated.

The scars were healing.

0o0o0

By the time Severus arrived at 4 Privet Drive to collect Harry, he had received a number of jubilant messages via owl to update him on Harry’s progress. A type of trepidation gripped him as he walked towards the door- would it be James’ face that met him? Would his feelings towards the boy change if it did?

Before he had a chance to knock, the door was wrenched open.

The eyes were the same, as was the smile. Harry’s nose was, admittedly, more like James’ had been now that the swelling had subsided but the face-shape was still Lily’s and the boy shared her father’s cheekbones. All that remained of the scarring were thin white lines, netting over the child’s cheeks like ivy branches, and one deeply engraved, pinkish scar- shaped like a lightening bolt- on the boy’s forehead. //Curious// Severus thought.

“Severus! Look! It’s all better, well, almost but Aunt Petunia said I can use concealer if I wanted to hide the lines but Dud said I look like an X-man so it’s kind of cool!”    

With relief, Severus felt his heart warm towards the child- he’s still Harry. “Well, that is an important consideration.”

Harry grinned “Yeah, can you come in for tea or do you have to rush off. Aunt Petunia and I made custard tarts with nutmeg”

Severus’ heart twinged- he had not expected Petunia to remember, he scarcely thought she’d noticed//So much for being a stubborn, unforgiving, resentful old bugger. If this continues, I’ll have to retrospectively switch houses and become a Hufflepuff!// Severus grinned as he thought of Lucius’ face “That would be lovely.”

Having been ushered inside and placed in front of a large custard tart and a cup of tea (best china, Severus noticed, observing the dainty, gilded tea-set with amusement). Severus opened his bag and drew out two, flatish parcels, wrapped in orange paper with a pattern of broomsticks and snitches.

“Whoa!” said Dudley, watching the broomsticks soar across the wrapping paper, winding around hyperactive quaffles.

“This is too cool. Thank you!” Harry said rapturously “What are those gold ball things?”

Severus smirked “Unwrap it and find out.”

After carefully unpeeling the spellotape and laying aside the paper of the first parcel with the reverence of a holy relic, Harry held up “Quidditch Through the Ages.” As promised, another- rather more serene- snitch flitted across the blue cloth binding.

“What’s Quidditch?” Dudley asked

Harry flicked through “it’s a game, played on broomsticks. Um, there’s a big red ball, which you’ve got to shoot through hoops, then there’s two black balls- they actually try to hit players?!”

“Indeed” Severus replied “Hence the two Beaters, they have bats and their role is to hit the bludgers- the black balls- away from their teammates.”

“Then there’s the Keeper, who tries to stop the Chasers scoring a goal with the red ball, and the Seeker- he goes after the little gold ball, the snitch.”

“Sounds complicated” Dudley said “It might be fun, though, but I bet I’d get airsick!”

Harry handed Dudley the book and carefully opened the second parcel. “Pre-Hogwarts Potions- Brew With Mother”- by S. Prince and L. Evans.”

Severus smiled “Lily was fascinated by brewing, even before we enrolled at Hogwarts. My mother taught us how to prepare ingredients by finding a common kitchen parallel; long-grain brown rice is, in texture, rather like a lace-wing fly, filleting a fish similar to skinning a boomslang and extracting the innards of tomatoes is rather like juicing a bubotuber. So much of potions is about technique and, although I will not deny that the best potioneers all have the ‘knack’, Lily believed that more muggleborns would excel in the subject if, like children of wizards and witches, they had a chance to learn in the kitchen, rather than being expected to pick it up as they went along in potions classes. Lily and I spent considerable time during our third and fourth year in the school kitchens, experimenting; I wrote the descriptions and she drew the illustrations, as well as thinking up the title.”

Harry was leafing through the book “You mean, Mum drew these pictures? But they move!”

“Indeed, there is a spell.”

Petunia, who had been carrying in a tray of iced buns, looked over Harry’s shoulder “We could, if you like, get in some of these things, so you can give it a go.” She stared at the illustrations “I had almost forgotten that Lily used to draw.”

Severus nodded “I put the book together a few years ago, using the names we had agreed, so that people would use it as it was intended, rather than some sort of souvenir. The proceeds from the sales go to a charity which helps the parents of muggleborns who were not expecting the expense of kitting their child out for Hogwarts.”

Petunia nodded “Lily spoke about that once, she always had big plans.”

Harry hugged the books “Thank you!”

Dudley clapped Harry on the shoulder. “It’s good you got something from your Mum, Harry.”

Severus then pulled out a large tub “And I thought that this might be appropriate, you must be running low by now.”

“Ice cream!” the boys cried

“Bertie Botts Thousand Flavours- Comestibles?” Harry read out “A thousand flavours?”

“Indeed, there was also the option of “Every Flavour”, however having once tasted a ‘wet dog fur’ flavour bean- Bertie Botts’ most famous sweets are jellybeans- I thought that it might be better to stick to the ‘food flavoured’ ice-cream.”

“Quite right” replied Petunia, looking green

Dudley had wrenched the top off “But… it’s all white!”

“Yes, but if you take a spoon…”

Before Severus could finish his sentence, both boys had dug their teaspoons into the tub

“Cool! Mine’s gone orangey red!”

“Uh oh, mine’s brown!”

“Dare you!”

“Oh! It’s snickers flavour!”

“Mmm I think it’s orange but it’s sweeter”

“Blood orange, I expect” Severus suggested. “Now, I believe that we should be going, we are
expected at the Malfoys no later than one.”

“Enjoy the ice-cream, big D!” Harry said happily, jumping up from his chair. Bye Aunt Petunia! Thanks for the trainers, they’re really nice.”

“Goodbye, have fun. Tea will be ready at six.” Petunia said

“Yeah and I’m making the rice-crispie cakes” Dudley said proudly “I’ve even got some Roses to chop up and put inside them!”

“Sound’s great. Bye!”

Hurrying upstairs to put the books away, Harry noticed a thin, brown envelope poking out of the back of the potions book. Inside, there were photos- not just of his mother but also his father. There was even a wedding photograph.

Grinning, Harry pushed the envelope back inside the book and ran down stairs, to where Severus was waiting “Thank you so much!”

Severus smiled (an expression which was becoming so normal that he scarcely felt the once unused
muscles) “Shall we go?”

“Yes please!”

The journey was unpleasant but surprisingly short. “So that’s why we didn’t apperate the first time” Harry thought, as Severus hung onto his shoulders, steadying Harry’s legs, which felt like limp spaghetti. Harry looked up to an amazing sight.

They were standing in what could be described as a clearing in a forest, if the continent of America could be described as an island. The huge circle of green land was edged with hawthorn hedges, keeping the pure white sheep safely grazing in their fields. The white stone paths dividing the hedges led to a garden, quartered into an orchard, a large lawn, a formal type of garden with a maze and a fountain, where some women were having a garden party, and what looked like a full sized quidditch pitch, where children were whizzing around on brooms. At the centre of the garden, an imposing white castle appeared to rear up and grasp the sky.

“The humble abode of the Malfoys”

0o0o0

As Draco dragged Harry over to the quidditch pitch, Lucius and Severus’ eyes met. A Malfoy contract always had a loophole and only the foolish would suppose that the heart-oath would bind the Lord of the Manor, not when the current Lord’s ancestors had formulated it!

“So?” Severus asked.

“Like little lambs.” Lucius said, smirking.

“Never trust a man beyond his own self-interest”

“A sane man, perhaps.” Lucius drawled “Fortunately those in the inner circle whose loyalty was beyond sense are either in Azkaban or dead.”

“Indeed. What is to be done about Azkaban”

“Even dementors have a price, my friend.”

Severus’ mouth twisted “It’s too kind a death.”

“Perhaps. My dear sister-in-law certainly would think so.”

“I meant for her demented cousin.”

“Sirius?” Lucius looked puzzled

“Yes. “The Dark-Lord’s Right Hand Man” as the Prophet styled him. The one who betrayed Lily!”

Lucius paused “Severus, Black was never one of us.”

“I know that, the Dark Lord kept his identity a secret...”

“No, listen Severus. It was Peter. Peter Pettigrew. Bellatrix did not recognise the man under the robe as her cousin- his voice and build was very different- and, when she heard the news of Pettigrew’s ‘death’ by Black’s hand, she put two-and-two together; the blasting curse would not leave only a couple of fingers, it would either be red mush or assorted body parts. When Bella broke into Peter’s house she found the mask.”

Severus gaped “Black is innocent? Why was I not informed?”

Lucius frowned “I thought you knew. It was common knowledge amongst us”

“I seem to recall that, after 31st October there was very little of ‘us’ about it. Those who stayed out of Azkaban- with the exception of that coward Karkaroff- scarcely acknowledged each other’s existence for half a dozen years.”

“Yes, there’s something in that. Yet, when it happened, just after it happened, the owls flew
pretty briskly, especially from Bella. She wanted to know where he was.”

“She barely deigned to notice me when I was right in front of her.” Severus said bitterly. “To think, for all these years he’s been in Azkaban. I thought he had admitted it?”

“He said something to the tone that it was his fault- probably because he had persuaded James to make Peter his secret keeper.” Lucius said blandly “However, the Azkaban sentence was more than earned. I know what he did, my father was a governor at the time, if you recall.”

“He was one of Dumbledore’s favourite students.”

“It did the old fool no end of good to be proved wrong, for once.” Lucius sneered. “He has always been too damn sure of his own penetration, judgement and intelligence.”

Before Severus could reply, Marcus Flint ran up, bright red in the face.

“Sir, oh Sir. Come quick!”

“Why? Has anyone been injured” Severus’ thoughts flew to Harry, who he had last seen climbing on a  broom.

“Only Gryff’s chances at the Cup! Come on, Sir! Hurry!”

Severus and Lucius strode (running was for boys, not wizards) quickly in the direction of the quidditch pitch.

“Look!” Marcus cried, pointing at a small, slight figure, who rode the wind with all the grace and adeptness that a penguin ride the ocean currents.

“Well, well, well.”

“We’ve got to have him on the team!” Marcus cried  

“There are precidents, of course, Reggie Black” Lucius said, watching Harry swoop and glide, as at home in the air as a zephyr.

Severus swallowed “There is, of course, no guarantee that he will be in Slytherin.”

Marcus’ eyes followed Harry possessively “Draco will be and Harry will want to be with his best friend.”

“It does not, alas, always work that way”

“And he well likes you, Professor Snape, we’re bound to have him”

Lucius smiled like a shark “Harry is a very sweet little boy, most biddable, and I know that Draco is very determined to make Slytherin and, what is good enough for Draco…”

“Yeah, and I really detest strawberry tarts.” Marcus said.

Severus and Lucius shared a look; if the youngest Malfoy could persuade a soon-to-be-second-year the size of a small bear to eat something against his will, Draco (who loved strawberry tarts with a passion) was certainly a force to be reckoned with.  

Severus sighed “Marcus. Harry will only be a first year, you know our rules?”

“Yeah, but Reggie Black…”

“Was born in September- putting him only a month apart from some second years- and happened to be a tall, well-built boy. Harry is small, slight and born in July- a day later and he would not be starting Hogwarts this year.”

“But… he’s famous, I’m sure you could swing it.”

“And cause resentment amongst those who are already jealous of his fame?”

“Well, I mean, I’d look out for him. So would my boys. He’s only a little ‘un anyway, who’d pick on him?”

“Marcus, dear boy” Lucius said quietly “Does it not occur to you that, as the supposed vanquisher of the Dark Lord, that some people may have a very good reason to ‘pick on’ Harry and that, in the very least, they could use resentment to trammel up support for whatever nastiness they intended to inflict. Even in harmless horseplay, accidents- sometimes fatal accidents- can happen.”

“Not to mention that a quidditch match is the ideal occasion to stage such an accident.” Severus added heavily.

Marcus’ face fell “But… he was born for it. Look at ‘im!”

Severus and Lucius shared a look.

“Marcus” Severus said “If you undertake to train Harry throughout his first year, if you ensure that he comes to no harm, within Slytherin and without, then I may be persuded to allow you to play a friendly match against Gryffindor.”  

“Not all Gryffs are honourable, Severus” Lucius said in an undertone.

“If Fred and George Weasley- who Minerva was only too happy to inform me were Gryffindor’s new beaters- harm a hair on Harry’s hat, I will eat my own broomstick.”

“Yeah, their Mum would use those bats on their backsides!” Marcus guffawed.

“Indeed. So, do we have an arrangement?”

“Yes Sir, anyone wanting to get to my new Seeker will have to get though me!” Marcus crossed his arms.

“Quidditch, the true unifier of all houses.” Lucius drawled, as Marcus ran off to tell the waiting circle of children the news.

oOoOo

“So, did you enjoy yourselves” Petunia asked Harry and Draco, as they sat down to the laden tea-table.  (Severus and Lucius had, after further consideration, absented themselves- thinking one wizard might be quite enough for the muggle boy).

“Yeah!” Harry said, offering Draco a plate of rice-crispie cakes (“Dudley made these”). “We played quidditch before lunch and everyone said I was well good!” Harry smiled.

“That’s great, Harry” Dudley said encouragingly- he knew what it was like not to be good at anything at school, then to find out that you were the best at a sport- in his case boxing.

“Yeah” Harry smiled “Draco’s well good at it too. I think we might get on the team in our second year.”

Draco, who had found the tray of strawberry tarts, nodded, his mouth too full to speak.

“And what did you have for lunch.”

“Um, there was this soup- it was creamy and salty and sort of yellowish”

“French onion” Draco said, reaching for another tart “These are really nice- Lolo only puts one strawberry- in the middle- but more are better!”

“And then we had a type of chicken stew and some potatoes with rosemary and, for dessert, we had a chocolate and raspberry tart with raspberry ice cream!”

“And were the other children nice.”

“Yeah, though there was one with a book about a muggle” Harry said, frowning.

“Yeah, but that’s just a stupid comic for babies!” Draco interrupted quickly “Everyone knows that muggles are like us, but without the magic.”

Petunia smirked //My, someone has taught him well//

“Anyhow” Draco said “Pansy was nice to you and Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle didn’t say much because they don’t know what to say most of the time and Milly’s shy. Tracy’s a little cow, though”

Harry giggled “You mustn’t say that!”

“Well she is!”

“She was only being cheeky” Harry replied, smiling “I don’t think she meant it!”

“Why, what did she say?!” Dudley asked.

 “Oh, just that I was Draco’s new pet”

“She didn’t!”

“She did!” Draco said hotly. “But it didn’t matter much, because the other kids had to head home with their parents and then we did the Two Godfathers!”

“What’s that?” Dudley asked

Draco grinned, warming to his audience “Well, it’s like the muggle idea of a fairy godmother and three wishes, only nobody has three godparents- just two sets, one chosen by the mother, the other by the father. Now, on a boy’s birthday, each of his godfathers gives him a special gift- they each teach him a spell. It’s usually something of special significance. Oh, and if you’re a girl, it’s your godmothers who teach the spell.”

“I didn’t know that Harry had godparents” said Dudley

“Well, um, I think something happened to them in the war- lots of us only have one godparent, I’ve just got Severus, so usually a cousin steps in as my second godfather. Daddy- I mean father- and Severus acted as Harry’s godfathers.”

“Yeah, and Lucius did something really cool!” Harry said excitedly “His spell was ‘hominem revelio but, get this, he asked Severus to cast it because…”

“He turned into a huge white lion!!!” Draco cried.

“I thought the lion was the symbol of Gryffindor?” Petunia said

“Yes, well” Draco looked slightly embarrassed “lions are noble animals and, anyway, at least he’s not a gold like the Gryffindor lion. White’s practically silver, anyway.”

“And we got to ride on his back!” Harry added excitedly “Draco said we could and he ran all the way around the garden with us!”

Struggling to contain her laughter at the thought of the suave Malfoy patriarch being used as a beast of burden, Petunia asked “And what was Severus’ spell?”

“Expelliarmus” Harry said promptly

“It disarms the person and throws them back” Draco added

//Revealing hidden foes and fending off attacks// Petunia thought pensively //Smeltings may be boring but at least it sounds rather safer than Hogwards//

0o0o0

When Severus arrived to pick up Draco, the boys were immersed deeply in one of Dudley’s shoot-em-up games. He discretely took Petunia aside “I need your advice, Petunia. It is about someone we both know, someone who we have cause to dislike.”

“Tracy Davies?” Petunia replied lightly, a little worried by Severus’ gravity.

“What? Oh, no. Born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards, that one. No. Are you able to find a way of getting the boys out of the house for half an hour tomorrow.”

“There’s a swimming pool in town. I could tell them they need to work off some of the food they’ve put away today” Petunia said “But what is it all about?”

Having walked the children to the bus stop and seen them safely on their way to the swimming pool (with the admonition to stay within sight of the lifeguard), Petunia walked upstairs and looked Harry’s owl in the eye.

“Right, Casper. You are to take this note to Severus Snape, got it?”

Casper blinked at her, then slowly held out a scaly leg.

 Wincing slightly, Petunia tied her note onto the owl’s leg, testing that it was not too tight with a fingernail.

“Off you go” She opened the window “And be snappy, or else the boys will return before he gets here! And I’ll give you some mince just as soon as you get back.”

Casper took off, flapping her downy white wings. In a way, Casper had been a good choice- the owl was like a ghost when she flew and- thankfully- was friendly to both boys. However, it did seem an insult to call any female by a man’s name- even if that female didn’t give two hoots provided she was well fed.

As she waited, Petunia absentmindedly wiped down the kitchen- it was already spotless but the cleanliness of her rooms was the one thing that Petunia had always been able to control, so cleaning was part comforting habit, part nervous tic. She had a sense that Severus had something very important to say, which would affect their lives one way or another.

For one ridiculous moment, Petunia wondered whether he was going to ask her out. She laughed: even without their history, even without Lily or even the whole ‘magic’ thing, they were really too similar to ever manage to get on for longer than an afternoon- both sharp and sarcastic, both quick to anger and slow to forgive and both too fond of their own space. With Vernon, it had not been a problem; wrapped up in his own job and blind to that which he did not want to see, with equally well insulated friends (who scarcely ever came to the house, being business associates), Petunia’s eye rolls and snarky comments had not been noticed and her free time was almost unlimited. Snape, on the other hand, had eyes in the back of his friend, had several months of holiday a year and his best friend was a family man above all else. Anyone could see that idea was a monumentally daft one. Besides, he wasn’t her type and she wasn’t his, that was for certain. Petunia spitefully flicked a bit of dust off a china shepherdess; for all his deficiencies as a potential boyfriend, Snape wouldn’t have made a bad brother in law, damn Lily. And the boys could have done with a decent role model; someone who didn’t have to shove their own importance down your throat before they got off their backsides and actually did something useful.

Petunia looked down at her arm, bare of the sleeves which she would once have used to disguise the scarring. Her summer dress felt lovely and cool.

There was a knock at the door.

Shaking off her thoughts, Petunia ushered Severus in and, after offering tea- which was politely refused- sat down.

“Now, what’s this all about.”

Severus steepled his long fingers, breathing deeply “I believe you must have heard of our tradition, the Two Godfathers? I do not believe that Draco could have resisted telling you about his fathers transformation.”

Petunia smiled “Yes, I believe the boys all found it very impressive”

Severus continued gravely “As you may have already concluded, Lucius and I are not, in actuality, Harry’s real godfathers.”

Petunia nodded “Well, it doesn’t surprise me really. I don’t think James would have agreed to either of you, prejudiced as he was against slytherins.”

Smiling slightly at Petunia’s growing familiarity with that which, once, she would have avoided at all costs, Severus found himself saying “Lily actually asked me. I thought it best to decline. His other godfather, you see…” Severus licked his lips “I had actually prepared myself to speak to you about his other godfather- for quite different reasons. You see, Lucius- despite his political manovering- has actually become quite fond of Harry. Draco’s affection is guileless, of course- the boy could not deceive if his life depended upon it. That too, was a consideration.” Severus smiled wryly “I perhaps would be better to start from the beginning.”

Petunia nodded

“Since Draco was a young child, his father has worried about him. You see, Lucius had a younger brother, Dantalion, more often known as Danny. He, like Draco, was open, affectionate and quick to take offence. Danny, like Draco, was also fearless and stubborn- it must have been sheer determination that got him into Slytherin. He was a born Gryffindor.”

“He was killed?”

“Yes. The Dark Lord, when he was still sane, was clever enough to keep everyone in their proper place- the financiers earned him money, the politicians persuaded people to his cause, the playboys- like Danny- made contacts and the, shall we say, less salubrious roles were provided to those who would enjoy them and tactfully hidden from those who would find them distasteful.”

 Severus sighed “We were young fools. I enjoyed spying as much as I did potions- it gave me a thrill- and the Dark Lord was quick to praise my efforts, eager to teach me new skills and, yes, very capable of emphasising the glamour of my role to my contemporaries- not just a master potioneer but a first class spy. I did not see the effect of my spying- I think I was almost able to convince myself that there were no real consequences- the Dark Lord just wished to know what was going on.”

“Then Lily..?”

“No, it was before that point. The Dark Lord had been behaving erratically, shall we say, for a few months. He was becoming increasingly paranoid, increasingly demanding. It was just after I told him about the prophesy that we were shown what our happy band was really all about.”

Petunia swallowed.

“He summoned us all to a small village. There was a family, muggles with two magical children. I shall not go into details. Suffice to say that, when the Dark Lord gave the order, Danny challenged him. Thankfully Lucius was not present, he was at the Ministry’s pleasure, so to speak- a colleague had intercepted a message to him which was sufficiently incriminating to raise an enquiry. It probably saved his life, as much as Lucius resented it- got the chap shunted into misuse of muggle artifacts.”

Severus sighed “I am getting away from the point. Danny was killed- a lesson to all of us who were unwilling to submit to the Dark Lord or participate in violence. Lucius, at that time, had a child on the way and a lovely young wife. It was bitter, but he too accepted the mask and dark mark- a tattoo with which the Dark Lord branded his followers. Not that Lucius did not quietly take his revenge on Dolohov, the psychopath who actually cast the killing curse on Danny; that colleague, the one who had intercepted the message, was furious that Lucius had wriggled out and tried to find more dirt on him- Lucius subtly raised the man’s suspicions regarding Dolohov and, in turn, he set his brothers in law- who were aurors- on Dolohov’s trail.”

After a long silence, Petunia said “I never imagined…”

Severus shook his head “Lucius is a man of many faces; he hides behind one façade or another but one thing is certain, he loves his family and does not wish to see another war. He does not want to lose Draco too.”

Severus exhaled deeply “Harry was the catalyst; Lucius has decided to break any hope the Dark Lord has of coming to power.”

Petunia paled “But… isn’t he dead?!”

“He was killed but the Dark Mark… it is essentially a slavery tattoo, designed by the goblins- originally- and it should have disappeared upon his death.” Severus pulled aside his sleeve.

Petunia looked at the ugly, serpent and skull shaped mark, a faded grey.

“Why on earth did he mark his followers so… obviously?”

“He believed himself invincible” Severus replied heavily “He was certain of victory in months- the Dark Lord was only waiting to remove his possible vanquisher before he set into motion his plans regarding a military coup of the Ministry. When he was at the helm, every man woman and child would bear the mark- or bear the consequences!”

Petunia shivered.

“Lucius has spoken to the remaining members of the inner circle and various supporters who would have been conducted into the inner circle if events had not unfolded in the way they did. It is safe to say that those who were loyal to the Dark Lord either died in his service or were sent to prison in the following years, so Lucius was pretty certain that the men he took into his confidence were ready to denounce the Dark Lord if the opportunity ever arose” Severus quirked a smile “It did not exactly hinder matters that their fear of a dead Dark Lord scarcely outweighed the financial inconvenience Lucius could put them to if they proved unaccommodating.”

“And what of those in Azkaban, is it? What if they get out?!”

“Lucius is going to have them killed.” Severus said bluntly “He is not going to risk the Dark Lord having any support, if he were to return. That is why I am here.”

Petunia looked bemused “I don’t have a dark mark, Severus.”

“No, you have Harry and Harry has a godfather. Do you remember the man who raised his wand against your father?”

Petunia nodded, her lips tight.

“He was the Potter’s first secret keeper; a spell was cast so that the Dark Lord could not find them unless Sirius Black, that was his name, told him where they were. We thought, we all believed that he had betrayed them. Black said as much- told all and sundry that it was his fault- and he was imprisoned without a trial.”

Petunia’s eyes narrowed “What really happened.”

“Do you remember a short, fat man- a friend of Potter… I mean James?”

Petunia nodded “He was slimy.”

“Black convinced James to switch secret keepers, to give the job to Peter Pettigrew. He betrayed them, Lily and James. Then, when Black tracked him down, he… well, it was said that Black blew him up- along with half a street of muggles. However, given that only two fingers were found and that Black, however much of a bully he may have been, however reckless…”

“He wouldn’t have killed innocent people to get to Pettigrew?” Petunia asked

“No, I honestly do not think so.”

“So you want me to look out for him? Pettigrew I mean. In case he comes near Harry.”

Severus nodded “Yes, he may not appear as he was- look out for anyone missing an index finger. Such injuries cannot be healed by magic- not when they have been cursed off.”

“What about animals? Can he change like Lucius?”

Severus paused “That is a very good question. One has to be registered but there are illegal animagi.”

“I’ll keep my eyes peeled. What should I tell the boys? If there’s a murderer about, they should know who to avoid.”

Severus looked thoughtful- his serene expression belied by the clenching and unclenching of his fists.

“What do we do about Black? Harry is going to want to know who he is looking out for, what the man actually did. And even if we fob him off- the people in the photographs… he will find out and when Pettigrew is caught, Black will be set at liberty in any case… unless Pettigrew is killed quietly.”

Petunia licked her suddenly dry lips “The matter of justice.”

Severus looked her in the eye “Petunia, the choice has to be yours. Black will want to see Harry but we both know his faults- or what they were before he was imprisoned; he was arrogant, reckless, naive and a bully, with a streak of cruelty towards Slytherins.” Severus swallowed “He was also loyal and unquestionably brave. However, Azkaban… do you remember what I told you about the dementors?”

“What you told Lily and I accidentally on purpose overheard?” Petunia said tartly “Yes, terrible things. You said they drove people mad by taking away all their happy thoughts.”

The sentence hung heavily.

“He has been there for almost ten years, Petunia.”

Petunia dragged her hands down her face. “God, Severus.”

“Indeed.”

Petunia took a deep breath “This Dumbledore, could he get Black discharged into a psychiatric ward- make him see a shrink?”

“I believe he could.”

“And they would not let him out until he was normal?”

“Black will never be normal but St Mungos would not let out a man who could be a danger to himself or others.”

“I don’t want Harry turned into a miniature James. He’s a good boy but easily influenced by people who are nice to him. I just want him to be Harry.”

Severus looked at Petunia “I will tell Dumbledore, on the condition that Black is to be given proper psychiatric care. I will make him give me a blood oath if necessary.”

“And the boys?”

“Tell them as much as you think they are ready to know” Severus quirked a smile “It is a cop out, I know, but you know them and what they are ready to hear.”

As Severus stood up to leave, Petunia asked “What happened to Harry’s other godfather, the one that Lily chose.”

“It would be best to say he died. You see, he left behind a son of Harry’s age- a child born in July. The Dark Lord, you see, had two choices of ‘vanquisher’ and, although he intended to kill both that Halloween, he chose Harry first.” Severus swallowed “When certain of the Dark Lord’s supporters discovered that their Lord was missing, they paid a visit to the parents of the other child, who were aurors. They were tortured into insanity. They are still at St Mungos.”

Petunia shuddered “And the child? Was he okay?”

“I don’t believe there was any sign that harm had been done to him?”

Petunia’s eyes narrowed “that torture curse doesn’t leave a mark, you said. Did they check the child for, I don’t know, brain or nerve damage? You wizard don’t seem to look for obvious things.” She finished scornfully.

Severus blinked “I do not know, I could raise it with Albus.”

Petunia snorted “This Albus Dumbledore doesn’t seem to have his finger on the pulse, much. Are you sure he’s not senile?”

“Senile, no. I believe he simply… perhaps it’s just that he does not have a suspicious mind, nor does he understand the depths to which the children he taught would sink; he would not have even considered that Pettigrew would fake his own death, nor that anyone would… torture a toddler.”

“He knew about my parents’ cat” Petunia said darkly “Found it wandering, just after, and gave it to me.” Petunia’s mouth twisted “It had nerve damage, brain damage the lot. Would have been kinder just to have killed the poor thing, rather than let me take it to the vet and find out what a mess it was inside. Had to have it put down. It would have killed my mother, seeing it tortured. She loved that cat.”

Severus’ shoulders slumped “I am sorry.”

Petunia patted him awkwardly on the shoulder “Wasn’t your fault- prophesy or no prophesy- it was the bastards that did it.”

There was a ringing at the doorbell “I better go” Severus said quietly “Thank you, Petunia.”

“Take care of yourself, Severus. And don’t fret about Lucius’ plans. They deserve it. Each and every one of them.”

Severus smiled sadly “You would have made a fine Slytherin. That is, perhaps, why I went to you for advice. Someone who could see the problems, who would appreciate what the decision meant, rather than just labelling it right or wrong.”

“And someone who also had been an awful brat of a child and had a second chance.” Petunia added, as Severus stepped out of the room. She opened the door to two smiling faces.

“They’ve got a chip vending machine- it’s wicked!”

“Chips? How on earth do they do that!”

“I think they’ve got a fryer in the machine, the chips are so hot and yummy!”

“I spent all of my pocket money!” said Dudley happily

“So I expect you don’t want tea?!”

“Oh, no. We are still really hungry. Is there some birthday cake left? We could have it with ice cream!” Harry replied.

Smiling slightly in the shadows, Severus disapperated.

Looking back, Severus could never quite explain how he had found himself re-visiting Ollivanders,
phial of wolfsbane potion in hand, on that day in early August. Part of it had been down to
Dumbledore; the tears welling in those blue eyes of his, so perceptive sometimes, so blind at
others. The man had been surprisingly willing to see sense, perhaps because Madam Pomfrey- having
been retrieved from her sister’s house with a promise of lunch at the Hog with her favourite ex-
student- was not only absolutely adamant that a long term resident of Azkaban must receive proper
medical and psychiatric treatment but was more than willing to body-bind Black and take him to St
Mungo’s Secure Ward herself. Dumbledore could content himself with sorting out the legal side of
the situation- no point in crying over spilt milk, feeling guilty wouldn’t get the baby bathed!

So, denied the ability to make amends to Sirius in person for not at least ensuring that his former
student had a fair trial (despite his apparent confessions of guilt), Albus focused on another
suitable target for sympathy and sherbet lemons.

“No, we are not having a werewolf at this school!”

“I did not suggest…”

“Albus, I am aware that Lupin has ‘lived a hard life’, that his employment prospects have been
reduced to practically nil because he has to disclose his condition to any future employer and, as
an orphan, separated from his only friends, Lupin’s life has been all the more difficult- the man
practically lived with Black- even managed Black’s estate, I believe. You are distressed, you feel
guilty and getting Sirius exonerated and wrenching his property of the Ministry would not satisfy
you. You want to ‘wave a magic wand’ and make everything better. As headmaster, you can choose your
own staff- the governors usually fall into line- and Kettleburn is thinking of retiring... However,
a werewolf cannot be allowed to work with children and, if you believe that Lucius would shrug this
one off, you could not be more mistaken- his son is coming to school this year!”

Albus looked nonplussed “Am I really so transparent?”

Madam Pomfrey smiled “Only to your senior staff, I believe. A few years of faculty meetings and we
can see how your mind works.”

“You gave me Slytherin after Lily’s death.” Severus said quietly “If you can put a twenty-one year
old ex-death-eater in charge of some of the most vulnerable children in the school, you could
certainly hire a werewolf. ‘Care of Professor Lupin’.”

Dumbledore’s mouth quirked but he said sincerely “Severus, you were by far the most qualified to
become head of Slytherin; who would understand vulnerable children better than…”

Severus raised an eyebrow and Pomfrey tittered “Best leave the sentence unfinished I think.”

Dumbledore smiled, then his shoulders slumped “But how can I tell him?”

“Leave it to me.” Severus replied, surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth. He’d sworn
to himself that he would never see the wretched creature again; as ashamed as he was to admit it,
the mild-mannered little man gave him the shivers.

However, since the conversation with Petunia Severus had been thinking; Harry would want to know
about his godfather and the conversation in Diagon Alley, where Harry had acknowledged that he was
all alone apart from his aunt and cousin, had affected Severus. He, of all people, knew what it was
like to feel alone.

However, everyone Harry currently knew would give a very one sided impression of Black and,
although Severus still remembered the man as a sociopath, Petunia’s new mantra of ‘we were all
horrible children but now we’ve grown up and should act like adults’ had seeped in. Yes, Severus
was a long way from forgiving the bastard (who had compounded his good looks, nice hair,
aristocratic birth, family wealth and natural talent for everything from broom-riding to potions by
bullying the hell out of Severus, with apparent impunity from the headmaster); Petunia had been
easy in comparison- she was plain and dull compared to her bright, beautiful sister, she had been
thwarted in her spitefulness and it had always been one on one, with the fair arbitrators of the
Evans. However, now that Black was innocent of conspiring towards Lily’s death, the blindfold fell
away from his hatred and Severus, despite himself, knew that Black had at least one good point- he
had been loyal to his friends. Perhaps he would be loyal to Harry, a father figure for the lonely
little boy. As fond as Lucius was of the boy, he was Draco’s father and Severus would be a
professor, not a friend, as soon as Hogwarts started. No Potions Master could afford to be over-
familiar; orders like ‘duck’, ‘run’ or (most importantly) ‘stop’ had to be obeyed unthinkingly in
the lab. And Dumbledore... the man was not a suitable role model; he lived too much in his own head
and was rather overindulgent of boyish hijinks. That said, Black may not be much better; he had
always been psychologically sub-normal and immature and Azkaban could scarcely have helped matters.
However, after a spell in St Mungos, perhaps Black would be suitable?

If Black could make a lonely little boy less lonely, perhaps it would not be fair to put the boy
off meeting Black? Perhaps Harry should speak to someone who had known him- but who? Dumbledore
and, indeed, most of the faculty were hopeless- Black had either been idealised or considered
a ‘too clever by half’ toerag- and the same went for most of the other students in the year. As far
as the people who really knew Black, family was out of the question and, of his best friends,
Potter was dead, Pettigrew would be dead as soon as Severus caught him (or Lucius for that matter,
the man had decided that Pettigrew was a ‘problem’), so that just left Lupin.

In other circumstances, Lupin would have been ideal- whilst too weak-willed to stop his friends, he
had not joined in the bullying; Lupin was not blind to Black’s defects, Severus was sure. And was
it not nonsensical to be more repulsed by the werewolf than he had been by the Dark Lord- Lupin was
harmless provided that the moon was not full.

Of course, up to the conversation with Dumbledore, the intention to find some way of speaking with
Lupin had been just that- an intention. With no real pretext for seeking the man out and no real
time frame (Black would be in hospital for months according to Poppy and Petunia was more than
happy to hold fire) Severus had procrastinated. Now, however, the opportunity had arisen to speak
to the man and Severus had taken it almost without thinking.

The next step, of course, was to find Lupin and Severus had no sooner retreated to his quarters
than the floo had activated and Lucius’ head peered through. Deny it as he might and as discreet as
he was, Lucius loved gossip.

After wallowing for a while in Dumbledore’s discomfort- Lucius really did love to hate the old man-
he got down to brass tacks. Remus needed to be found and, if not in decent employment, given a job
before Albus could change his mind.
The easiest method would be for Lucius or Severus to employ him but, although Lupin did have
experience as an estate manager, werewolves and dogs were mutually exclusive; Lucius still
remembered his anger and distress at his father’s inexplicable refusal to allow Lucius to take
Amber back to Hogwarts for his penultimate year. Severus also vetoed himself as a potential
employer; his little surgery had a few clients, mostly those referred by their own healers or to
embarrassed to go to St Mungos, but such people had always been content to do business via owl-
order during term and, besides, Lupin would baulk at the idea of Severus as his boss- too much
water under the bridge. Enough to float an Ark.

That left two possibilities; people who Lucius could influence and people who would honestly not
care if they employed a werewolf. Retailers were out- they might employ Lupin but, with the risk of
their customers finding out and any underlying prejudice, it would not be a happy environment. The
goblins at Gringotts were a possibility- they had a monopoly on banking and did not care a hoot
about what wizards thought- but the downside was that they were even more prejudiced than wizards
and Lucius was not too keen to give the goblins a bargaining counter against him.

Of course, there was one retailer who both had the monopoly in his field and appeared to love every
living thing- at least to the extent that it could provide him with wand ingredients. So, Lucius
had visited Ollivander, discussed the possibility of a helpmeet and gently reminded the old man
that, with no heir and no apprentice, his craft would die with him and his shop would inevitably
pass to whomever was most closely related to him. Would it not be better to choose someone to look
after the wands, to teach them the right way of doing things? Ollivander had come to the ground
with such a thump that he was more than eager to consider “nice young Remus Lupin, such a careful,
thoughtful boy and so clever as to recognising different types of wood- his family had lived in the
forest, if I remember correctly. The werewolf thing might be inconvenient, may scare off certain
animals, but with the wolfsbane potion and of course, unicorn hair could always be ordered in…”
s

And, to even the subtle Lucius’ surprise, Ollivander had grabbed his hat and happily hunted down
his first werewolf, almost kidnapping the poor man in his haste to get Lupin back to the shop and
settled in his new career (it did not occur to Ollivander that Lupin may need to be told about
Ollivander’s intention to employ him, let alone be asked whether he wanted to be a wandmaker- why,
it was the best career in the world.)

So, there Severus was, standing outside the shop, looking though the now spotlessly clean window,
watching Remus quietly dust the boxes of wands. Even the chair had been replaced with a nice, comfy
three-seater sofa.  
Lupin was looking positively respectable, Severus was surprised to see; a newish-looking, thick
blue serge suit, with sturdy leather patches at the elbows, and thick, horn-rimmed glasses.- very
different from the threadbare outfit he had last sighted the man in a few years ago. When he
entered the shop, Severus was further surprised to see that the steps were highlighted in a glowing
paint and a large rack of wand holsters had been displayed on the other side of the counter.

“Good morning Sir” Lupin said pleasantly

“Don’t be a prat, Lupin.”

“First name terms, then, Severus?”

“What’s happened in here?”

Lupin smiled softly “Ollivander wrote to the Ministry, he seemed to think that he had to tell them
that he was employing me, although he was not sure why. He does not pay tax, you see; it never
occurred to him that he should and the Ministry has made the unnofficial decision to not ask for
returns once people reach 100, it’s generally uneconomic because they are either tighter than a
griffin’s arse or so worried about making a mistake that they spend half a month in the tax office.
Anyway, Ollivander received a few helpful pamphlets, mostly on employee health and safety, and, to
cut a long story short, I’ve had spells woven into my clothing that an auror would envy and I have
to wear these glasses whenever I am in the shop.”

Severus fought with his traitorous lips to contain a smile “When are you on lunch.”

Lupin looked around the empty shop “Any time now” he took his wand out of a sturdy looking holster
and flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. Opening the counter to allow Severus to step
through, he said “Come this way”

The back of the shop was mainly taken up with a large workroom, large twigs were piled in one
corner, each with a label written in a spidery hand, but the rest of the area was neat, with tools
carefully put away, each in their particular rack. Lupin sat at a workbench “Drink, Severus?”

“Thank you. Tea would be acceptable.”

“Right-oh.” In the background a kettle began to boil. Severus explained about the wolfsbane potion;
when it had to be taken, how it should be taken (“What, I can’t even add chocolate?” “No, not
unless you want to die of chocolate poisoning Lupin- it’s toxic to canines!”) and when it should be
taken (i.e. as soon as possible).

Lupin sighed, pouring the tea “I suppose it must be taken on an empty stomach?”

“Eat lunch, then take the potion in around an hour.” Severus paused “Lupin, there is something that
you should know.”

“About the potion?”

“No, about Black”

“I’d rather we didn’t get into this, Severus” Remus said wearily “You were right about him, he
turned out to be a murderer. Now lets just let it go.”

“I was wrong.” Severus replied

Lupin looked him in the eye for the first time during the whole meeting “What?”

“Black, for all his psychopathic tendancies, has not killed anyone.”

“As good as…”

“Pettigrew was the secret keeper, Lupin! Peter Pettigrew. They switched, him and Black. It was
Pettigrew.”

Remus’ mouth hung open “But… Peter? Why would he want to be secret keeper. It was dangerous… He-Who-
Must-Not-Be-Named would torture it out of him. That’s why we chose Sirius, he was brave, could hold
his own in a fight, not like Peter...”

“Pettigrew chose to be the secret keeper because he was a death-eater.” Severus said
slowly “Bellatrix of all people found out- uncovered the mask at the little bastard’s house.
Pettigrew sold them out, Remus. Do you not understand, Black, though he may be guilty of whatever
else, did not betray Lily and did not kill those muggles.”
 
Remus’s eyes bulged like grapes “How do you know? How long have you known?”

“About a week, Dumbledore’s known for half of that. He’ll be released, I expect, within another
week.”

Remus heaved a huge breath “I can’t believe this… But he confessed… oh no!”

Lupin’s head was in his hands “They didn’t tell me… I thought something was up at the time- they
were all so distant and Sirius did not tell me where Lily and James were hiding. I thought it was a
precaution, someone on the inside had been giving Him information, I knew that so it didn’t seem
strange that they wouldn’t let me know, Wormy said that he didn’t know either but… but they must
have thought I was the spy!”

“More fool them.” Severus said caustically “Why they didn’t see that sniv… that creeping little
worm for what he was? He liked big friends, didn’t he, and did not care overmuch what they did to
keep power- and who was bigger than the Dark Lord?”

Remus looked up, his eyes red “They didn’t think. James always saw the best in people.”

Severus rolled his eyes but charitably bit back a retort. “There is no point dwelling on it, Lupin.
We cannot change the past, only the future. Black has a godson, Harry.”

“Oh, he’ll want to see him!” Lupin said automatically, then worry creased his face “But… Azkaban,
he’s been in there for almost ten years!”

“And now he is in St Mungos and will not come out until he is half-way sane. But yes, he will want
to see Harry. However, Harry needs to decide whether he wants to see him.”

Remus looked suspiciously at Severus “You speak as if you know the boy?”

“Harry was attacked by a dog and badly scarred. He came to me for help, via Draco Malfoy, who has
adopted him as his new pet. The boys are fond of each other and Harry is likely to have a number of
Slytherin friends, myself included.” Severus said tersely “If Black thinks he will upset the apple
cart with his prejudices, he has another thing coming.”

“Okay” Remus said “I’ll talk to him but what has Harry been told? What does he know about Sirius?”

“At present, nothing. That’s why I am here. I know Black as an enemy, I could poison the boy’s mind against him, Harry trusts me utterly and, moreover, he is soft hearted enough to take great umbrage at any type of cruelty and, young as he is, I doubt that he would take age as an excuse.” Severus steepled his fingers. “And that is precisely why I have told Petunia that it would be a very bad idea for me to speak to Harry about Black. The boy needs to know both sides of the man before he decides what he wants to do. You, I feel, could perhaps provide a more… balanced perspective.”

Remus swallowed “I… don’t know what to say… I, after all, I could have done more to… after all, I was a prefect…”

A month earlier, Severus would have joined the litany of self-recrimination with pleasure “Belt up, Lupin. Potter was uncontrollable, as was Black- more in common with dear cousin Bella than he’d care to own. Dumbledore was a fool to saddle you with the responsibility for them, you, who worshipped the ground they walked on simply because they let you stay in the fold after finding out what you are. How kind.”

“There are many who are not so accepting, Severus.”

“Oh I know, look what I got from Potter simply for wanting to be a Slytherin!”

Remus looked ready to retort then he suddenly smiled “Now at least I know that you’re not a polyjuiced death eater who is trying to poison me with fake wolfsbane!”

“Funny. Now, will you speak to Harry?”

“Of course. When do you want me to meet him?”

Severus stood up “I will owl you. Petunia, Lily’s sister, needs to make arrangements.”

“Okay. And, Severus, I won’t glorify Sirius, I’ll try to give Harry an idea of who he really is, or was… he really loved his godson, you know.”

“A baby is easy to love, a soft-hearted, shy little boy who may disapprove heartily of certain boyhood tales less so. I warn you, however, Harry is… happy at the moment, with his aunt and his friends. He does not need to be made unhappy.”

Remus smiled sadly “You seem fond of the boy.”

“He is a child and, moreover, very much like Lily’s father in personality.”

“I never met him. I think it must have begun, even back then… Oh Gods Severus!”

“What is it, man?”

Lupin looked positively frantic “I never thought, I… I mean, Sirius was locked up… I thought Peter was dead, I had no idea that he was… that he had been the spy! I just didn’t think!”

“What. Are. You. Blithering. About.”

“They were animagi; James, Sirius and Peter. They learnt when they were at school, to keep me company, I don’t think any of them ever registered, they had been breaking the law.”

“What?!”

“Peter, he could turn into a rat. That’s why we called him Wormtail!”

“A rat? What kind of rat?”

“A grey one.”

“Oh, he is going to be easy enough to find then, a grey rat. There are only a few million!”

Remus swallowed, raking his hand through his greying chestnut hair “He was rather fat and, well, they found a finger so the rat will be missing part of its front paw.”

Severus shook his head “Couldn’t the bloody man have turned into a parrot? Gods!”

“Well, I always thought a rat rather suited him- it meant he could sneak into the kitchens whenever he wanted.”

“And eavesdrop! I wondered how you were all so well informed. Not very Gryffindor of you.”

Remus flushed then looked watchful “You know, he just might just be living with a wizarding family.”

“If he is, Lupin, it will be worse for him. I can trust you to keep your mouth shut and eyes open?”

“Yes, of course.”

"And you undewrstand that there will be no Azkaban? When I find him I intend to kill him."

Lupin nodded "I understand. And I'll help you."

Severus smiled //Lupin amongst the doves, Lucius amongst the hawks; if the bastard’s hiding in plain sight, we’ll have him within a week…// A thought occurred.

“What type of animagus was Black?”

“Oh, he was a dog?”

Severus’ smile darkened “A terrier?”

“Er, No.”

“Pity. I was going to be generous and let him finish the job. Still, a large lapdog lacks the killer instinct.”