“Are you adequately prepared?” Snape asked as they sat on a bench outside the courtroom in the ministry.

“Kind of a dumb time to ask,” Harry said bluntly. “It’s not like we can go back to Sirius’ house and rehearse at this point.”

“You might find it a good idea not to speak of people and their homes out in the open like this,” Snape muttered as a warning under his breath. “Not that I care about this particular mutt’s ill fate due to your recklessness, but still. I know better than to share my own home address with you, as you’re clearly prone to gossip.”

“Alright, I get it,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “I have been to your house, you know, so it’s a little late for that, anyway.”

“And you’re very aware of its precise location, I’m sure.”

He had him there. Harry had no actual idea where Snape’s house was. But he had been to it, which was more than most lucky students could say. Not that he cared, Harry simply wasn’t in the greatest of moods and it felt easy to bicker, especially with Snape. He was irritable after a long night spent either waking from nightmares of the third task or not sleeping at all.

“You should make an effort to improve your mood, judges tend to appreciate such things,” Snape added after another few moments of Harry’s brooding.

“I’m likely to get expelled no matter what I do, so excuse me if I’m not exactly feeling like a ray of sunshine at the moment.”

“I wasn’t aware that you cared so much about your education,” Snape said. “Your grades certainly disagree with your sentiment.”

“I don’t care about school so much,” Harry wasn’t afraid to admit it. “But Hogwarts is my home.”

“That’s exactly the kind of thinking that got your actual place of residence burned down.”

“Yes, and I’m so torn up over it.”

“To a concerning extent,” said Snape, side-eyeing him. “You very well may be expelled today, but there’s no reason to expedite the process. Straighten up and put a smile on your face. Be charming.”

“Is that how you’re so good with people?” Harry asked snarkily. “Because you’re simply just so charming?”

“Charming does not suit my character. I play the exact role that is needed of me. You, however, require an entirely different angle for your success. Your sulky disposition will win you no awards. Your father-”

“I’m not my father,” Harry sniped.

“- always excelled at such things. He was arrogant to a fault but could charm his way into whatever he desired. That is one trait of his that you could greatly use to your advantage.”

Harry glanced over at Snape, confused. Did he just simultaneously both insult and compliment his father in the same sentence? He was very used to the bad ones, but he’d never heard Snape utter one decent word about his father before.

“Yes, well,” Harry fiddled with the sleeves of Mr. Weasley’s suit coat. “I’m not very good at making people like me.”

Snape snorted. “You’re Harry Potter.”

“That’s more of a hindrance than an asset these days,” Harry scowled.

“I’m sure you’ll scrape by,” Snape said, checking his watch. “You always seem to manage that, at least.”

Unfortunately, Harry thought absently.

“It’s time to go in,” Snape said, standing. “I’ll ask again, are you prepared?”

“No,” Harry replied truthfully. “But I’ll do my best.”

Snape nodded before leading Harry into the courtroom.

***

“Very well, very well… cleared of all charges,” Fudge said in a voice distorted by suppressed rage.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, he could hardly believe it. It was a close vote, a bit of a discouraging one, but still, one that ended in his favor.

“Excellent,” said Dumbeldore briskly. “Well, I must be getting along-”

“Not so fast, Headmaster,” Fudge said rather proudly. “The boy’s crimes against the ministry are not the only matter we’ve gathered here to discuss today. We are aware of Mr. Potter’s current lack of guardians-”

“It is a very distressing time, yes, as his relatives are missing, but they still remain his guardians.”

“In theory,” Fudge agreed. “However, the boy clearly can not be left to his own devices and until the precise location and intentions of his relatives can be determined, a temporary guardian must be named.”

Dumbledore seemed truly flabbergasted by this development, which made Harry worry. He hadn’t even thought of a need for a new guardian, the Dursleys were still out there, somewhere. It wasn’t as though they’d been vital to his development or anything, he’d spent most of his life looking after himself without their assistance.

“It seems you have no candidate in place? Well, I’m sure that Dolores or even myself would be glad to-”

“Nonsense,” Dumbledore interjected smoothly. “I’m sure someone the boy already knows could-”

“Who, the Weasleys?” Fudge laughed. “The boy needs stability, not a homeless shelter.”

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “There’s no need to be discriminative, Cornelius. The Weasleys would make fine guardians.”

“To a pet, perhaps. A boy like Mr. Potter requires constant supervision, something that a family with seven children simply can not provide.”

“Well, then perhaps I myself can fill the role.”

“Albus, please. You have far too much on your hands, not to mention the blatant favoritism that would show. No, it must be someone without so much authority.”

“Which you and Dolores lack?” Dumbledore asked pointedly. “You’ve neither the time nor status to meet your job requirements.”

“Sacrifices can be made-”

“You are the minister of magic-”

“I could take guardianship,” an all too familiar silky voice interjected.

Harry’s eyes widened in shock and horror. “I don’t- er, I mean, do I really need a guardian? I can take fine care of myself, really.”

“And why on earth would you apply for guardianship, Snape?” Fudge questioned gratingly, ignoring Harry entirely. “You wouldn’t even qualify for such a role.”

“Heads of house often take guardianship,” Snape offered smoothly.

“Last I checked, you are not the boy’s head of house. Rather, I’ve heard that the two of you have had quite the antagonistic relationship. I don’t even know why you’re here today!”

“We’ve made amends,” Snape said, almost smiling. In fact, Harry thought, almost charming.

“What is your opinion on this matter, Headmaster?” Fudge asked irritably. Dumbledore had remained completely silent throughout this interaction, which frightened Harry a bit.

“Well,” Dumbledore began, looking straight at Snape. “I could see that working out.”

All these years he had considered the headmaster an ally, only to be betrayed when it mattered most!

“I don’t know,” Fudge muttered. “He barely holds any connection to the boy.”

“I daresay he’s spent far more time with him than you, Minister,” Dumbledore countered. “Certainly more than Ms. Umbridge.”

“Yes, but, I assure you that she cares for his well-being and would be very beneficial to his development.”

“Mr. Potter’s mother and I were close friends,” Snape offered at last.

Well, that was big fucking news to Harry. He tried not to show his surprise at this announcement. It was likely a lie, anyway. What was it that Snape had said earlier? I play the exact role that is needed of me. He was quite the actor, though why he would voluntarily be auditioning for this particular role was beyond Harry.

“Is that so?” Fudge asked, deadpanned. He glanced at the toad-faced woman, who gave a subtle nod. He sighed. “Well, who am I to deny it, then? Snape may hold guardianship, for the time being. Do be aware that this means that you are responsible for any future misdemeanors your ward gets himself into.”

“Oh, I’m sure that he will be on his best behavior from now on,” Snape said, offering up his creepy smile again. It may appear charming to the rest of them, but Harry knew the devil that hid behind it.

“You may leave now. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon,” said Fudge.

Inspirational, Harry thought dizzily as he stood and followed Snape and Dumbledore to the exit.

“See, Harry? Not everything is destined to end in disaster,” Dumbledore said brightly as they made their way back through the hallways. Harry simply stared at him. Harry had known today would be a bad day. He just thought that being expelled would be the worst that could happen. Nowhere in his imagination did he ever envision becoming Snape’s ward.

“I doubt he views today's events as a success, Headmaster,” Snape said. “Don’t fret, Potter, this is a temporary solution. I wish to be rid of you as much as you do me.”

Harry still didn’t respond. Perhaps he was in shock. He really hadn’t expected to escape his charges, despite knowing he hadn’t done anything wrong. And he certainly hadn’t expected the final turn of events. Surely, Snape couldn’t truly be his guardian now, right? It was all a mistake, a misunderstanding, a dream, a nightmare. It simply didn’t make any sense.

They journeyed back up through the ministry in the elevator, passing Mr. Weasley on their way out and sharing the good (not mentioning what Harry considered to be the bad) news before heading outside. Harry’s head was really beginning to hurt.

“Now, this is something akin to adoption, is it not?” Dumbledore prattled on joyfully. “Perhaps you should take your ward for ice cream to celebrate, Severus.”

“I’m glad that you find dire situations to be so humorous, Albus,” Snape said, rolling his eyes.

“I’m simply proud of you is all, my boy. I’ll admit, Cornelius caught me completely off guard with this. I was worried there for a moment that Harry would end up in the hands of the ministry. You did a great thing.”

“I don’t think that the boy would agree,” Snape said, a smirk crossing his lips. “What is it you said to me the other day, Potter? ’You have no authority over me’?”

“Oh, Severus, give Harry a break,” Dumbledore said, though he was still smiling benignly. He started to say something else before he looked over at Harry, frowning as he did so. “Harry? Are you alright?”

“Um,” Harry breathed out, his sudden discomfort growing steadily worse by the second. “I don’t know- I don’t feel so good, Professor.”

“The idea of me being his guardian has truly made him ill,” Snape chuckled darkly.

Harry ignored him, as did Dumbledore. “Come, sit,” he said, guiding Harry to sit on a sidewalk bench. “You don’t look well, child.”

Harry didn’t know what was wrong. He was overwhelmed by the day’s events, yes, but- there was something else. Something he was sure that he had never felt before, but also somehow felt so very familiar. He felt the need to run and pass out at the same time. His headache was persistent, as though something was pounding into his skull, trying to force entry into his brain.

“People are watching,” Harry gritted out through the pain. They were on the sidewalks of a crowded London, causing a scene.

“Cast a disillusionment and muggle repellant, if you would, Severus.”

Snape obeyed, subtly moving his wand and muttering a few spells, and frowning down at Harry. “Could he have been poisoned, Headmaster?”

“You didn’t eat or drink anything in there, did you, Harry?”

Harry shook his head, painful as the motion was. “N-no, Professor, nothing. I don’t- I don’t think-” Images began to appear in his vision, flashes of light that intensified into horrifying details. He began to cough, to dry heave, caught between two worlds and barely aware of either one until one fully took hold.

It was dark, so very dark, and smelled terribly bad. A nightmarishly long, black as midnight snake slithered across the stone floor, smearing droplets of blood in her wake. She appeared unbothered by it, on a mission to reach her destination, which seemed to be a large man sprawled across the floor, covered in scabs and bruises, his eyes blinking tiredly before widening almost comically. Had the situation been any less horrifying, one might have laughed at the sight.

The man heard the terrible snake hiss, though one gifted in the art of parseltongue could clearly understand her words. “Master has sent me, sent me to lick, to taste, to eat, to devour, and to kill.” The snake flicked her tongue, and it made contact with the man’s flesh. The man yelled, he threatened, he screamed, he screamed and he screamed, but it was to no avail. The snake had her taste and she deemed him a worthy meal. Even if she hadn’t, she would do as her master had asked of her. Master wanted the man dead, and dead he would be.

Scabs became gashes, droplets became puddles. The room remained dark, but the grey stone floor was painted a bright red. The man moaned, he groaned, he cried. He called for his wife, for his son, even for his nephew, that miserable boy. All this pain, all this terror, it was all because of him.

Harry was abruptly and forcibly pulled out of the torturous dark room, and back onto the streets of London. He became aware of the bright sun, the fresh air, the arms holding unto him and the black eyes boring into his green. He turned his head and threw up, then, tears stinging in his eyes as he felt ill and feverish.

“Harry, Harry- what did you see, Harry? What did you see?”

“I don’t,” Harry coughed and sputtered, “I can’t-”

“It was him,” Snape answered for him. “It was the Dark Lord.”

Harry struggled to breathe, his panic and the horror of what he’d witnessed overtaking him. It had been Voldemort, Voldemort’s presence in his mind. But not just that, him- Voldemort had Uncle Vernon, and he was being tortured, tortured, and murdered by that snake all because of Harry.

Maybe he’d been purposely trying not to think about it, maybe it had honestly just kept slipping his mind, but Harry had barely thought about the implications of the Dursleys being kidnapped at all. Besides Dudley’s slightly irritating presence in his life, he was finally rid of them- he’d left the Dursleys, and anything that happened to them after that was none of his concern.

But after that vision, that message, Harry didn’t think that the Dursley's capture would be easily forgotten any longer.