Bluebirds and Birthday Candles by TheTransfiguredCanary
Summary: It only took a moment for the world as Harry knew it to crumble. For everything he thought he knew to be cast into doubt. High on the Cliffs of Dover, he'll learn not just about himself, but his bitter old potions professor, and his beautiful rescuer, each scarred by love and loss. Secrets are waiting in the winds. It will take all the hope in the world to bring them to the light.
Categories: Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape, Teacher Snape > Professor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Emmeline Vance
Snape Flavour: Snape Comforts, Snape is Kind, Snape is Stern
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Family, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Abuse Recovery, Depression Recovery, Disguised!Harry, Hospitalization
Takes Place: 3rd summer, 3rd Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Alcohol Use, Emotional Abuse, Neglect, Panic attack, Profanity, Romance/Het
Challenges: None
Series: Wishing on the Winds
Chapters: 28 Completed: Yes Word count: 106216 Read: 38688 Published: 03 Aug 2022 Updated: 07 Feb 2023
Chapter 27 - Murder and Betrayal by TheTransfiguredCanary

Harry looked up from his homework with a slight frown. He was still grounded but had noticed his parents (parents!) Getting more and more relaxed around him as the punishment drew on. The end of the term was fast approaching and he wondered if it would continue when they went back home (home! A real home!).

"Dad," he finally piped up. "Am I still grounded?" Both of the adults looked up, one from their marking, the other from their book and exchanged a glance. Finally, Severus sighed.

"No." He assented. "I think you've learned your lesson. Harry smiled.

"Okay." He said before he went back to his work, more relaxed. Severus rose an eyebrow.

"I take it you won't be joining us in the evening after dinner anymore?" Harry frowned again.

"Well, maybe not every day." He agreed, "but I might come by still. Only… do I have to do my homework while I'm here?"

"Emmeline smiled.

"Of course not darling!" Harry let out a relieved sigh.

"Good! I feel like I've been buried in parchment since Christmas!" Harry complained as he dropped his Quill and stretched out.

"Well come have a break then," Severus said as he motioned for Harry to come to join him in one of the chairs by the fire. He'd taken his boots off and was lounging in his sock clan feet. Harry grinned and came over, sliding into an almost mirrored position with a sigh.

"Can I ask a question?"

"I thought you were past asking for permission." Severus drawled with a chuckle. Harry blushed with a grin.

"How come before, at the cup match, you said that Malfoy was my cousin, but Malfoy's cousins weren't?"

"Because three of your grandparents were muggles." Severus reminded him. Harry blinked.

"Oh yeah! Sometimes I forget about that…"

"The only connection to Draco for you is through your great-grandmother," Severus explained, staring into his coffee mug contemplatively. "Biologically, my grandmother was Draco's grandfather's eldest sister. But most of Draco's cousins come from his mother's side, which you have no connection to."

"Why did you specify biologically?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Because legally, my mother had no parents," Severus said with a hint of bitterness. "She was disowned in her last teens. Draco may be your cousin by blood. But under the full view of the law you have absolutely no relation at all." Harry couldn't help the way of relief that swept over him.

"You are related to one other pure-blood family though…" Emmeline argued. Severus pulled a face.

"It's too distant to matter."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Technically, Sirius black is your cousin," Emmeline argued. Harry's shoulders sank.

"He's my Godfather and my cousin? What's next? Am I betrothed to him too?"

"Over my festering dead body!" Severus snapped angrily. "He's 33! Some old pureblood families might condone that but I certainly don't!"

"Me neither." Emmeline agreed with a sour face. Harry sighed.

"How are we related?"

"As I argued," Severus began with a slight glare at Emmeline. "The claim is distant. That same grandmother I mentioned, her mother was a Black. Sirius's mother's cousin I believe. It would make your fourth cousins twice removed or some rot. Not exactly the sort to invite to a family event."

"Was James related to him?" Harry asked. Severus frowned.

"Yes." Emmeline supplied after a moment. "James' mother, Isadora, was Sirius's aunt. They were first cousins." She said with a wince.

"Wouldn't that have made Walpurga happy," Severus murmured into his mug. Emmeline tossed him an admonishing frown.

"It's so weird to think that all these people are related," Harry said with a sour face. "Haven't these people heard of the Habsburgs?" Severus had to stop himself from sputtering, while Emmeline held a hand up to her mouth with mirthful eyes.

"Probably not." She answered after collecting herself. Then she frowned. "Maybe I should mention them in my later units! They were very into magical prosecution, but there was at least one Habsburg Duke who was a wizard." She huffed "he was mad as a bag of cheese, but still." Harry chuckled before the room slipped into a comforting silence, where he slowly dozed off.


"Harry?" Ron called with shock. The teen looked over to his best mate from the bench and waved with a grin. The ginger rushed over. "Bloody hell mate I thought you were grounded until your grandkids graduated!"

"Nah. Dad let me go. Said he was pretty sure I learned my lesson."

"Brilliant!" Ron said with a grin. He winced. "I'm just hoping my mum will have forgotten by the time the year is over, otherwise my summer hols will be a complete wash."

"What were your plans for the summer?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged.

"Lazing. Chores. Nice to have time off ya know. Not have to worry about anything, cept summer homework. But I usually put that off."

"Don't think that'll ever be an option for me," Harry argued with a chuckle. "Dad practically tied me to my desk until it was done last summer. Except when mum took me out for a break." Harry said with a reminiscent smile.

"Who knew that… the bad stuff," Ron said delicately, "could lead to such good things." Harry paused.

He had thought about the Dursleys for months now.

And as he sat next to Ron and he thought about them he felt a sort of peace descend on him.

He hadn't ever been happy living with them. And they hadn't really been happy either.

Maybe now they would be.

Of course, both Severus and Emmeline had said things about his mother ripping them new ones.

And Harry could see that they deserved it.

Except for Dudley, who really was the victim in this whole mess.

That old pang in his heart struck him and his face crumpled again.

"I still feel really sad about what happened to Dudley," Harry admitted. "I know he was awful to me, but he was just following his parents' example, and he was just a little kid. He'd only just turned 13." Harry reminisced. Ron nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed with a frown. "It just really goes to show how evil the death eaters are. I hope they all get gotten rid of."

"The loose cannons all did with the train attack," Harry admitted. "I just don't understand who was egging them on. Malfoy has been making threats to dad, but he hasn't actually done anything."

"You-Know-Who is still out there," Ron argued. "Maybe he's riding on the back of somebody else's head! Maybe Black's!" Harry huffed.

"Oh great. Two people that want to kill me for the price of one." Harry muttered bitterly.

"It's just conjecture." Ron supplied. Harry gave him a look.

"Conjecture?"

"Been spending a lot of time with Hermione," Ron admitted. "On account of you being grounded."

"I might still eat lunch with them, and maybe after dinner," Harry admitted with a slight blush. "It's… nice. Hanging around. Makes me feel like-" like I matter. Ron didn't say anything, he just put a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled.

"So you wanna go flying? Seeing as your finally free?"

"Absolutely!" Harry cried before he followed his best friend.


Harry looked up from his charms essay with a sigh.

"I am not gonna be able to focus." He complained.

"Why?" Hermione argued from across the library table, still scribbling away

"I'm just jittery. Ever since the cup, we haven't had as many practices." Harry complained. "I feel like I need to blow off some energy."

"We could go practice your patronus again." Ron offered. He'd very much enjoyed watching Harry perform it. Especially since he had to do so in the transfiguration courtyard and it tended to attract large crowds. Crowds that had been distinctly lacking girls for a few weeks. Seems everyone had heard about Harry's little stunt. The boys thought it was fine. But Hermione and the other girls had been less than impressed.

"Sure." Harry agreed before he and Ron wrapped up their work and left the library, saying goodbye to Hermione.

"Can't believe school will be over in just two weeks," Ron said with a smile.

"I know," Harry said with a smile. "I feel like so much has happened. And yet-"

"Compared to the last two years," Ron continued.

"Yeah." Harry agreed. Then suddenly a furry grey thing whizzed past them through their feet. Both Ron and Harry froze.

"Scabbers?!" Ron cried in shock before his smile bloomed. "Scabbers! Scabbers thank goodness you're alive!" He ran and scooped up the rat. It immediately began writhing in his grasp and squeaking frantically before latching onto his hand. "Ow! Bloody hell what's gotten into you?!" Ron cried before he grabbed the rat by his tail instead.

"Maybe he's gone feral," Harry argued. "See it all the time with cats. They get desensitized to humans and turn into furry monsters."

"Scabbers!" Ron cried with a moan. "Come on Scabbers you remember me don't you?! It's me! R-"

"Maybe we should take him to - huh?" Harry trailed off. Ron had got white as a sheet and frozen in position, while Scabbers continued to squeal in terror, trying to gnaw on the hand holding his tail. "What is it?" Ron slowly lifted his finger and pointed dead ahead. Harry turned and froze.

It was that dog.

The same big black one that had attacked him in Hogsmeade.

Only it wasn't looking at him this time. It was staring at Ron. Its fangs were bared, mouth slightly open, snarling with its hackles raised. Then suddenly it let out a loud bellowing bark and rushed forward, claws skittering on the stones. Both teens did the sensible thing and ran. They passed several people who watched them first in confusion, before screaming and diving out of the way of the massive hound that continued to chase them. Harry pulled Ron towards Ravenclaw tower. It was about halfway through lunch so-

"MUM!" Harry screamed to the woman two landings up. Emmeline frowned and turned around from where she'd been heading, the staff room for tea with Remus.

"Harry?" She called back. Then suddenly the dog skittered around the corner and she paled. She quickly raced after the boys, who were headed for a dead-ended corridor. But by the time she turned around the corner, it was too late. Both boys were backed into a corner as the dog crept closer and closer, snarling with murderous eyes. "Stupefy!" The dog sprung to the side, dodging the spell with ease. Emmeline gaped in shock. She'd never seen an animal behave like that before. Then it lunged. "NO!"

"Argh!" Ron cried. "Let him go! Let him go!"

"Wha-" Emmeline began. Then the dog ripped the thing that Ronald had been holding so tightly away. It was a large fat rat. The dog was shaking it back and forth until it threw it into the corner and began to snarl and snap at it instead. The things were squealing in sheer terror until suddenly it began to grow. Emmeline went slack-jawed and shouldered as the rat was replaced by a man that she thought had been dead all these years. "Peter?" The man turned to her with horrified eyes when the dog leapt up and slashed his face open with a swing of his paw. The man started to scream as he fell over and curled into a pall, cowering in fear. "Stupefy!" Emmeline cried again, aiming for the dog. But it dodged again and the spell struck Pettigrew instead. His cries went silent and the dog turned around to face her, finally subdued. Then before her eyes, it began to change as well, until Sirius black, clad in rags, was standing before her. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair matted, and his face sallow and sickly.

"Vance." He croaked raspily. "Thanks for the assist."

"Black?" Emmeline cried in shock. "You- and he- what-"

"What the devil is going on here!" Severus cried as he rushed down the corridor. "Someone said Harry was being attacked by a-" he stopped in his tracks. "YOU!"

"Snape." Black spat with cold eyes. Severus drew his wand.

"Step away from my son!" The potions master snarled.

"Gladly," Black said with a glare in Harry's direction. "As if I'd want anything to do with your bastard. He's the one who killed James." Harry choked and looked at him with horror.

"That's rich coming from you!" Emmeline snarled. "You were the one who sold them to You-Know-Who!"

"No!" Sirius snarled. "He was!" He jabbed a finger at the still-stunned Pettigrew. Then his face went melancholy. "They lied to me. They said Harry was theirs. They said… and I believed them." His face twisted. "Then James told me the truth. How could he have done that!? How could he have lied to me?! I thought he loved me! How could he possibly think I'd want to be Godfather to Snivellous' bastard son?! I told Peter to take over…" at this point, Sirius's expression turned cold again. "James should have left. He should have let Lily and your brat die. Then he'd still be here." Sirius argued. Severus' face was white with a mix of rage and disgust. But it was Emmeline to stepped forward.

"You would rather James have done the cowardly shellfish thing, just so you could have what you wanted?" She demanded with visible disgust. "Did you know him at all?"

"Shut up!" Sirius growled, "I don't need to hear this from Slytherin's whore!" Severus immediately charged forward and punched him. There was a crack as his fist connected with the man's cheek, snapping his now brittle cheekbone. The man collapsed with a grunt, holding his face.

"Incarcerous!" Severus snarled before black ropes wound their way around both Sirius and Pettigrew, an extra one going around Sirius' face to gag him. "I'll bring them to the headmaster. Take the boys to Poppy." Emmeline nodded and pulled the huddled boys out of the corner.

"So… so he wasn't trying to kill me?" Harry whispered.

"Apparently not." Emmeline agreed.

"Scabbers…" Ron muttered in shock. "Scabbers..."

"Let's get you both to the hospital," Emmeline said before leasing them away.


"So that big black dog in Hogsmeade was Sirius Black?" Dean cried in shock. Harry nodded.

"And he was hunting down Peter Pettigrew, who framed him for both selling out your parents AND his own murder, which he faked by turning into Ron's pet rat Scabbers?" Neville asked.

"Scabbers was always Pettigrew," Harry explained again. "Percy found him first. Then gave him to Ron. But he was Pettigrew the whole time."

"Bloody hell." Seamus cried in horror. "So we've been sleeping in the same room as a mass murdered for the last three years?!"

"Have a thought for Ron," Neville argued. "He's been living with one for twelve."

"Bloody hell," Dean muttered in horror. "But how did he get in? What with the dementors."

"Apparently animals aren't as affected by them. Professor Lupin said he told Dumbledore about the passageways and Black being able to turn into a dog, but he didn't think he'd be able to get past the dementors around Hogsmeade. Of course, the ministry took those away after the death eater attack. But that probably wouldn't have mattered all that much."

"Wait which passageways?" Seamus asked in confusion.

"Apparently there are a bunch of secret passageways that lead out of Hogwarts to various places. He thinks Black probably used the one from Honeydukes."

"Honeydukes?!" Seamus cried with a smile. "Can you imagine! Go through and getting all the candy you could want?!"

"Stealing all the candy you could want?" Neville reminded with a raised eyebrow. The Irish teen winced.

"Fair point."

"So what's gonna happen now?" Dean asked. Harry shrugged.

"Apparently there's going to be a re-trial. Blacks probably gonna be acquitted. Pettigrew apparently confessed to organizing the death eaters. So he's probably going to get… well they called it a sure what that means."

"Dementors kiss," Neville said wearily. "It's how we execute people. They have a dementor suck out your soul. It's horrible."

"Bloody hell they can do that?!" Harry cried in horror. "And they thought it would be a good idea to send them to a school?!"

"Yeah sound pretty barmy when you spell it all out." Dean agreed.

"You don't know the half of it. Gran's been furious ever since I told her." Neville agreed.

"My mum too." Seamus agreed. "Mark my words. Ministries not getting away with this."

"Well hopefully now that the ring leader is gone, the death eaters will go away and we won't need them around anymore." Harry offered.

"Thought they were for black anyway. Not much point if he's a free man." Dean argued. Harry nodded.

"Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall called, stepping into the common room. Harry looked over. "The headmaster requests your presence in his office."

"Later guys," Harry said as he jumped up and followed his head of house. As they arrived at the office Harry blinked. Both his parents were in the room as well as Black, who looked much more cleaned up, but still sullen and grumpy.

"Ah Harry," Albus said with a smile. "Thank you for joining us. Now, what exactly was it you wanted Mr. Black?"

"James' cloak," Black said coldly. "He doesn't deserve it. It doesn't belong to him. It belongs to James' son."

"Listen here you-" Emmeline began with a cold snarl, Severus just gripped her hand and gave the man his coldest sneer.

"You may be his godfather," Severus said coldly. "But that does not mean you have the right to march in here and demand things black."

"I don't want to be his godfather!" Black bellowed. If I could absolve myself of the duty I would! I'd rather die than have any association with your brat!"

"Easily arranged." Severus threatened coldly.

"Gentleman!" Albus roared, louder than Harry had ever heard him before. "This is besides the point." He turned to Black, peering at him over his half-moon spectacles "I'm afraid you have no right to take it from him, Sirius. You see James willed it to Harry. Legally, Harry is indeed James' son. James adopted him as his heir before his death. Now a widow may claim to have a stronger connection. But I'm afraid the ministry's views on homosexuality have not changed drastically in the last decade, though there has been progression, and progeny still is more highly valued than romantic attachment." Albus ended, giving the man a stern frown. Black snarled and stood.

"Fine. Let him drag James' legacy through the mud! Shows just how little you care!"

"I don't know why you even want it!" Emmeline snorted cruelly. "Seeing as you made the thing practically useless when you attacked my son in the spring!"

"Your son?" Sirius demanded with a cruel short of his own. "Sorry Vance, but you're not Lily. And you never will be. Snape's just with you out of pity and because no one else would ever fuck him."

"GET OUT!" Severus finally roared. "Leave! Or I will make you!" Sirius sneered, tossing one last glare at Harry before he disappeared into the floo. Harry was left stunned, feeling melancholic. Then Emmeline opened her arms. Harry took the invention and gratefully burrows his face into her tight hug.

"Severus I want a restraining order for that man." Emmeline finally muttered after the man's thirty seconds of fuming silence as he tried to regulate his temper.

"I doubt you will be able to manage that," Albus admitted tiredly. Severus growled.

"The ministry needs to get hit over the head with a blunt object. Might knock some sense into them." He grumbled. Albus chuckled. Then he trailed off, face growing grim.

"I do not believe that Peter Pettigrew was the true source of the heightened death after activity," Albus admitted. " Hiding twelve years as a rat indicates a cowardice that I do not believe would inspire him to such actions. It is more likely he is acting as a scapegoat to lull the ministry into a false sense of security. I would not be surprised if he expects to be rescued from the ministry's clutches. His false faith in lord Voldemort will be his undoing."

"Who do you think is behind it then?" Emmeline questioned as she pet Harry's hair comfortingly. Albus shook his head.

"I do not know. But I suggest vigilance. I doubt this will end the chaos. In fact, it has likely barely begun. With that the little family left the office, each weighed by separate worries.

The End.
End Notes:
Here it is, some long-awaited answers.

Maybe I should have warned you that Sirius actually was a villain this time...



Nah!

It's more fun this one!

Only one chapter left! Just a couple loose ends to tie up ;)

-TTC


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