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: 38690 Published: 03 Aug 2022 Updated: 07 Feb 2023
Chapter 5 - Echoes of the Past by TheTransfiguredCanary

Harry looked up from the garden with wide eyes.

“Huh?” he asked.

“I said, go put on something more presentable and come back downstairs,” Snape said with a roll of his eyes.

“Why?” Harry asked in confusion.

“We’re going to Diagon Alley,” Snape explained. Harry grinned and scrambled to his feet. Then he frowned.

“But why am I coming though?” Harry asked. Snape raised an eyebrow.

“Would you rather not?” he demanded. 

“No!” Harry said quickly. "I mean yes! Er… yes I do want to go!" He finished frantically. Snape snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Then go get ready already.”

“Yes sir!” Harry cried with a grin. He dashed upstairs and quickly pulled on the least stained or holey t-shirt he owned and rushed back downstairs. As he did, Snape frowned.

“Harry, I told you to be presentable!”

“Er… well this is the nicest thing I own,” Harry admitted quietly. The man gave him an even harsher frown.

“Well then!” Emmeline cried with a huff. “I suppose a trip to Malkin’s will be tacked on to this little excursion.”

“You’re coming too?” Harry cried with a grin. 

“yes,” Emmeline said with a smile. “I need several things at the shops. And Severus has run out of rare potions ingredients that for some reason,” she began giving the man an indulgent smirk. “He refuses to have mailed in.”

“The last time I ordered from Jigger’s, they got the measurements all mixed up and sent me twice as much lacewings flies and half as much crushed scarabs than I'd ordered!” the man cried angrily. Emmeline caught Harry's eyes as hers sparkled with mirth. 

"Now Harry, hold still," Snape said before he waved his wand over Harry's head.  A shiver ran down the teen's spine and he looked over at the mirror and gaped. His hair was several shades lighter, matching Emmeline’s more closely and his eyes had dimmed down to a much deeper green. His hair was also less 'all over the place' and had more wavy smoothness. "It's a temporary guise that will hold up under scrutiny. But try not to draw too much attention to yourself."

"Right," Harry said before he frowned. "But why do I need a disguise?"

"Has… did you not tell him, Emmeline?" Snape demanded with slight horror. 

"There was never a good time."

"Now isn’t exactly ideal either." Snape murmured before he gave Harry a nebulous look, "but I'm not leaving the cottage until you know these facts."

"Okay?" Harry said with confusion. 

"Earlier this summer, a man named Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison." Snape began, a sneer entering his voice as he said the man's name. "He is a highly dangerous and mad criminal who was sent to prison for murdering 13 people, 1 wizard and 12 innocent muggles."

"Alright," Harry said with a nod. He understood the need for caution now. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"He was also a traitor." Severus began quietly. "He was the one who sold your parents out to the dark lord." Snape declared. Harry's blood went cold.

"He… he told Voldemort where they were hiding?" Harry demanded as he began to shake. Snape nodded gravely.

"After you defeated the dark lord he went to try and kill you. But he was stopped by Dumbledore. But you remain his primary target. To this day, he still seeks revenge for the dark lord." 

"So… if he finds me," Harry began nervously.

"He will most assuredly try to kill you," Snape confirmed. Harry suddenly felt very nervous about going to Diagon alley. 

"Is that why the death eaters have come back?" Harry suddenly asked worriedly.

"It is likely." Snape reasoned. "But that could also be indicative of… much graver circumstances," Snape said as he grew the slightest bit nervous. Harry gulped as he saw the shadow of fear on his professor's face. He'd always thought his professor was an immovable wall. Anything that gave him even just that molecule of fear was terrifying. 

"Oh stop it, Severus, you're scaring the boy." Emmeline scolded him angrily. She put her hands over Harry's shoulders and smiled. "Don't worry dear. Severus or I will be with you the entire time. Nothing is going to happen." Harry gave her a vaguely skeptical look while Snape rolled his eyes and turned for the door. 

"We're not flooing?" Harry asked casually. That had been how the Weasley's went after all. 

"Apperating is quicker," Snape said firmly. As they walked out of the house Snape grabbed his shoulder tightly. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Harry said. Then with a crack, they disappeared. Harry still shuddered as the lingering feeling left him. Though thankfully he didn't feel like vomiting this time. 

"It grows less unpleasant with practice," Snape assured him. Harry nodded.

"Alright!" Emmeline cried as she came up behind them. “Harry and I are going to run the circuit while you head to Jigger’s. Shall we meet up at Malkin’s?"

"Yes. Though for the duration of this exclusion, his name is Damien." Severus declared. 

"Right," Harry said with a nod. 

"We'll see you in a bit," Emmeline confirmed before leading Harry away.


Snape moved down the dark and grimy alley with purpose in his step. Knocturn Alley was much more crowded than Diagon, which was rather concerning and indicative of the growing darkness in the wizarding world. Sirius Black’s face was plastered over near every surface, his mad scream captured on loop. As Severus walked he took several steps to ensure he wasn't being followed before he stepped into Judgson’s apothecary.

"Two vials of sphinx blood and werewolf hair." He said to the heavily burned clerk. Then he grabbed the man's arm before he turned. "And make sure it's the genuine article this time. I will know, and I have no qualms about putting poison in my next delivery." He threatened lowly. The clerk disappeared behind the curtain.

"Well well well," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Severus spun around and sneered.

"Lucius." He greeted with levelled cordiality. "How are you?"

"Very well thank you." The blond aristocrat replied with a grin. His face grew thoughtful. "Such… exciting things are brewing."

"Hmm?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow. Lucius laughed.

"You spend too much time over a cauldron, my friend!" He gave the potions master a thoughtful smile. "You haven't heard the rumours?"

"Rumours?” Severus began as casually as he could. Lucius’s smile grew as poisonous as the merchandise around him.

“Well, it makes sense. You were noticeably absent from the last little… soiree” Lucius purred. Severus froze.

“There was a gathering?” he demanded.

“Oh, did you not hear?” Lucius drawled, though his eyes glittered with viscous mirth. A small pout made its way to his lips. “How tragic. And here I thought you were one of the most favoured.”

“Lucius-” Severus began with stiff posture. 

“Perhaps you played your little role too well my friend.” the aristocrat narrowed his eyes. “The dark lord has been watching you, Severus. Very closely. And he is not pleased.” Lucius finished coldly. Severus swallowed and his eyes flicked down to the man's cane. Lucius did twist his hand around it. But then he relaxed again. “Let this be my last token of friendship. I wouldn’t conduct any more business today, Severus. I suspect the Diagon crowds will become rather… frantic.” Severus felt his veins fill with ice. The death eater couldn't possibly! Then he paled. Harry and Emmeline! The potions master abandoned his purchases and rushed for the door. “And Severus!” Lucius called to him. “When we next meet, I may not be so inclined to be kind.” Severus sent the man a sneer and disappeared into the shadow of the alley.


Harry stared into the bags of clothes Emmeline had bought him with a slight blush

“Please let me pay you back!” he begged again.

“Nonsense,” Emmeline repeated yet again, this time with a roll of her eyes. Honestly, the boy could be more stubborn than Severus!

“But it's so much!” Harry whined.

“It’s no trouble, Damien,” Emmeline assured him. 

"But-" Harry began nervously. 

“Hush!” Emmeline cried with a sigh. “Now help me look for Severus. He couldn't possibly be taking this long just to go to Slug and Jigger’s.” Harry looked over the alley. It wasn't terribly crowded like it became in late august. There were plenty of people, but it wasn't the shoving pushing match of Hogwarts students. 

“There!” Harry cried with a grin as he pointed to the alley between the junk shop and Gringotts. “Hang on-” he muttered. Emmeline’s face went ruby red. 

“Severus Tobias Snape did you go to Knok-”

“We need to leave.” Severus declared as soon as he was in earshot. “Right now!”

“Why? Emmeline demanded angrily. “Because you don't want to have to explain why you were lurking around Knocturn alley!”

“No, we have to-” Snape began with grit teeth when suddenly the storefront two doors down exploded. Harry froze and was struck by a terrifying sense of Deja Vu as the sinister-robed men he remembered from Bristol began appearing all along the alley. Suddenly Emmeline was pulling him down a side street. He looked back to see Snape fending off two of the men simultaneously before suddenly he was sucked into apperation. 

“Go inside,” Emmeline cried, shoving him towards the cottage. “Lock the door and don't answer it for anyone.” 

“What about you?!” Harry cried, “where are you going?!”

“I have to go back and help Severus.” Emmeline declared.

“No!” Harry cried in alarm, “it's too dangerous!”

“I'll be fine,” Emmeline assured him with a frown. “Now do as I said!” Harry opened his mouth to protest once again, but Emmeline disappeared with a crack. So he went inside, locking the deadbolt with a little hesitation before going and sitting on the stairs, where he had a clear view of the door. 


Harry had kept his silent vigil for what seemed like hours. The pile of bags of clothes Emmeline had bought him was at his feet, but he dare not move from the stairs to put it away. More than once he’d thought he'd heard a sound that made him jump out of his skin, but it had turned out to be Orville and Hedwig getting into another one of their little arguments over who got to sit in the stand by the back window, or else the gas heating regulator clicking on and off. Then finally he heard something he was pretty certain wasn't the noises of the house. The door handle jiggled slightly. Harry bolted up to his feet and rushed for the door when he froze. Emmeline had told him not to answer it for anyone. But what if she or Professor Snape were injured?! Then the door burst open, making him scream and pull out his wand. Severus stumbled in, glancing around frantically while supporting Emmeline. As his eyes landed on Harry the teen perceived that his teacher looked oddly… impressed.

“You have good instincts, Harry,” he said as he brought Emmeline to the couch. 

“Holy hell!” Harry cried in alarm. The woman's shoulder was nearly slashed through, and blood was pouring down her arm at an alarming rate.

“I'm alright dear.” Emmeline slurred comfortingly, though she was horribly pale.

“Shush.” Snape insisted as he rolled up his sleeves. “Harry, I'm going to need your help.”

“I don’t know any spells for healing sir,” Harry admitted as he wrung his hands. Snape was already waving his wand over it, muttering a surprisingly song-like spell.

“Nothing like that,” he said after a moment. “I need you to go to the panty and head downstairs. In my lab, there is a case. The potions are arranged by colour and size. I need you to bring me the smallest blue potions, the square red, and the golden box. Do you understand?”

“Smallest blue, square red, gold box!” Harry called back as he sprinted across the dining room.

“Be careful on the stairs!” Snape crowed loudly as Harry rushed for the pantry door. The stairs were rather rickety and smooth, making Harry grateful that he was still wearing his shoes. He rushed across the potions lab for the case and quickly gathered the potions he needed. He froze as he inspected the blue section. There were two bottles that were ever so slightly different but appeared to be the same size. Harry winced and grabbed them both. Snape would probably chew him out for that moment of confusion. He rushed back up the stairs, cradling the potions and box in his arms. “Here sir!” he said as he dropped them on the couch. “I er… couldn't tell which blue one was smaller.”

“They're both the same,” Severus assured him. He was still singing the spell over Emmeline’s arm. Harry was shocked to see that all of the blood that had dripped on the floor, the couch and into Emmeline’s clothes was gone. Emmeline also looked much more sturdy on her feet. “Give her the red one first.”

“Right!” Harry said as he unstoppered it. Emmeline opened her mouth and swallowed. She pulled a face.

“Ugggh,” she whined. “Severus, that was horrible.”

“Give her the blue one now,” Severus murmured. Emmeline took that one and sighed.

“Much better,” she said with a smile. 

“Now Harry,” Severus said as he continued to wave his wand. “Open the box, and put two drops into the wound.”

“Into it?” Harry demanded with a wince.

“It won’t hurt her,” Severus assured him. So Harry opened the box. The vial inside was minuscule, not much more than a miniature test tube, cradled in a velvet bed alongside a small eyedropper. Harry frowned. The liquid didn't look like anything. Just plain water. But he dutifully filled the accompanied dropper and slowly dripped the liquid into the wound. As soon as it fell Harry knew exactly what this was.

“Phoenix tears!” he cried with awe. Severus gave him another impressed smile as he slowly brought his wand to a stop as the wound closed. There wasn't even a scar!

“Correct,” Severus said as he took the vial and dropper from Harry and very delicately replaced them. “Albus gave me the very first vial for my 20th birthday.” he looked down at the box with a slightly melancholy and harrowed expression. “This is the ninth.”

Ninth?” Harry demanded with a horrified expression. Snape had needed nine vials of phoenix tears? The potions master gave him a flat look before he closed the box with a snap.

“Go Severus,” Emmeline said as he rolled her shoulder. She was still rather pale but looked infinitely better than when they’d first arrived. “Albus needs to be told about the attack.” Severus seemed to hesitate, hovering over the couch in uncharacteristic uncertainty before nodding and rushing for the floo.

“Harry,” he said sternly. “Bring Emmeline anything she needs until I return. She shouldn’t be up and about. If anything happens, the floo powder is here.” he gestured to the small box on the mantel. “Call for the Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts.”

“Yes sir.”

“Emmeline,” Severus began, his eye hovered over her and Harry thought that it looked as though Snape actually had a lump in his throat. “I am sorry.”

“Go Severus.” Emmeline insisted. The man huffed before he turned and stepped into the floo, disappearing in a rush of green flames.

“What was that about?'' Harry asked in confusion. Emmeline sighed.

“Severus created the spell that caused my injury,” Emmeline admitted. Harry blinked in horror. “He always gets rather guilty when it's not used for its intended purpose.”

“What could the intended purpose of a spell like that be?!” Harry cried in horror.

“Killing Sirius Black.” Emmeline declared with a note of sadness. Harry blinked. “The man went to Hogwarts with Severus. They were in the same year.”

“Professor Snape knows Sirius Black?” Harry asked in shock. “Like, they shared a room?” Emmeline gave Harry a thoughtful look.

“Sirius wasn't a Slytherin Harry.” she finally said. Harry blinked.

“He wasn’t?” he asked in confusion. “But I thought-”

“Not all those who go dark are Slytherins, Harry. Just as not all Slytherins are dark wizards.” Emmeline declared bitterly. “I am a prime example of that fact.”

“Right,” Harry admitted. “So what house was he in?”

“Gryffindor.” 

Gryffindor!” Harry cried in horror. 

“Darkness can spring from any house, Harry.” Emmeline proclaimed. She sighed again. “Black tried to kill Severus in their fifth year… I'm hazy on the exact details. But ever since then, Severus was determined to prove that Sirius was a monster. Unfortunately, no one believed him,” Emmeline's face grew sad, “until it was too late.”

“How did he know my parents?” Harry asked quietly. Emmeline gave Harry a sad look.

“Your father and Sirius were inseparable. They never went anywhere without the other. People used to joke that they probably loved each other more than James loved Lily!” she recalled with a slight laugh. Harry didn't find that very funny. If anything, it made what happened all the more tragic. “Which is why…”

“Why what?” Harry asked in concern. Emmeline gave him a sad look.

“Harry dear… there is something you should know.”

The End.


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