Chapter 10 – Showstopper

Dear Albus Dumbledore,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and that your Christmas was full of love, love, laughter and family – despite the security situation that Harry told me about.

I can’t say I know much about your world beyond what you’ve told me, but this beautiful and clever owl turned up exactly when I needed her to, which resolved my dilemma of how to get my letter across to you.

Albus raised an intrigued brow as he read about the reference to the security issue – which he presumed referred to Sirius Black. He continued reading the letter, his brows coming closer and closer together. The letter’s contents had been enlightening, answering many questions about what had occurred over Christmas break.

It seemed Beatrice had known that Severus didn’t have a son but still played along. There seemed to be some miscommunication between Harry and the other children, and the rest of the family had been heartbroken that Harry left the way he did.

He never intended for Narcissa and Lucius to return with Harry or Severus- though the option was open to both of them.

Severus’s love for his grandmother was evident to Albus – the woman had been one constant for the Potions Master since the moment she’d taken in the teen. Patient and compassionate in a way that Albus knew he could only strive to be.

Though Severus never admitted it loud, Albus knew the reason for his reticence in confiding to his grandmother about being a wizard was entirely due to Tobias Snape’s rejection of Eileen Prince – and all it entailed. Severus was too afraid his grandmother and the rest of the family would reject him the same way Tobias had Eileen. Albus couldn’t fault Severus for that fear.

So, Albus had broached the topic with Beatrice Snape himself, entirely prepared to – adjust – her memory at the first hint of intolerance. Luckily, his gamble paid true. Beatrice completely understood the Wizarding world and its need for secrecy. She kept Severus’s, and Albus’s, secrets for over a decade. Not an easy feat, but the woman handled it with grace.

However, after Harry returned with Lucius and Narcissa a week ago, Albus feared that his meddling had not paid the same results on this occasion. Harry had come back so subdued that even the Malfoys had been concerned. Harry refused to talk to anyone.

“There was already some sort of tension before we arrived,” Narcissa told him. “We had planned to have Severus and Mr Potter stay with us for the duration of the holidays if they agreed to leave with us, but after what occurred, we thought it best to bring Mr Potter back to school.”

Severus hadn’t returned to the school either. Albus had received a letter from him on Boxing Day informing him he’d left his family’s farm in Marple, so Albus surmised that the Potions Master had returned to his house in Liverpool instead.

The upgrading of the school wards had continued, even after capturing Sirius. Albus had taken great delight in using Harry’s unique Map to set a trap for Sirius and explore the rest of the castle. He’d learned of new secret passages he’d not previously been aware of. Repaired and warded some collapsed passages, funded courtesy of the Ministry for Magic. Lucius had become an unexpected ally in that regard. Albus couldn’t say he trusted the former Death Eater entirely; however, since his part in the diary incident last year, Lucius was taking his son’s safety extremely seriously.

Albus also ended up having strict words with Remus Lupin about his part in … well, everything. James and Sirius’s decision to become animagi had been genius… and reckless. He had been disappointed in Remus for keeping that secret even after all these years, especially after Sirius had used his dog form to evade the Ministry and sneak into the school. Remus should have spoken up when Sirius slashed the portrait of Lady Fiona, commonly referred to as the Fat Lady, the guardian of the Gryffindor Common room.

Severus had tried to argue that Sirius Black had been getting inside help, and it had been obvious that he’d meant Remus. Albus remembered shutting that argument down, saying he believed in Remus, but he’d been wrong. To a degree, Albus could understand Remus’ loyalty to his old school friend; after all, he still felt an odd loyalty to his old friend Gellert despite the decades that passed since their …estrangement. The teens had done a great deal to show that they didn’t care about the werewolf’s affliction, and Remus clung to that version of his friends.

Albus realised he couldn’t trust Remus, and as much as it pained him, he’d decided that he wouldn’t be renewing the werewolf’s contract for the following year. He’d seen the decision had hurt Remus and knew the students would miss him as their teacher, but Albus needed to be able to trust his colleagues.

Considering the difficult life Remus lived due to his affliction, it had been an equally difficult decision. He knew how desperately the young wizard needed employment. However, he stood by it.

He’d already failed with Quirinius Quirrell and Gilderoy Lockhart the previous two years, and he’d been disappointed to be let down by the otherwise compassionate Remus Lupin, but the man had put his loyalty to his friends’ memories first above the students’ safety.

Shaking his thoughts away from Sirius and Remus, Albus read through the letter from Beatrice again.

Harry is now part of the Snape family, and we look after our own. Which we will do so much better than Harry’s current guardians, whoever they are.

I don’t know how things work in your world, but in the muggle world, any abuse reported by the teachers to the proper authorities must be investigated. Now, I might not know who the proper authorities are in your world, but as a Headmaster responsible for a school of children, I am putting this responsibility squarely on your shoulders.

Harry is not safe with his current guardians. The scars he bears are evidence of that. If you don’t correct this injustice, then I will.

I look forward to your next letter bearing good news.

Wishing you a happy new year,

Beatrice Snape.

Albus recognised the promise in Beatrice’s words. If Albus didn’t remove Harry from the Dursleys, Beatrice Snape and her family would. Albus had no doubt that the octogenarian muggle would follow through on that promise. Albus had suspected that Harry’s home life hadn’t been the best but never imagined it was anywhere near this bad. Certainly, Arabella had never reported anything like this, though it’s not like the squib could see what happened behind closed doors.

Moreover, Albus knew that abused children were notoriously tight-lipped and distrusting of authority figures. He could honestly, and shamefully, admit that despite he’d not been able to protect Harry as he should have done over the last few years. He could also admit that until he received Beatrice’s letter, he had planned on returning Harry to the Dursleys for the protection the Blood wards allowed.

He had every confidence that Sirius would be proven innocent. While the papers had reported that Sirius Black had been captured, what the public didn’t know was that the trial was pending. As far as everyone was concerned, Sirius was already back in Azkaban, thus luring Peter Pettigrew into a false sense of security. Albus already had a trap in place to capture the rat animagus the second Ronald Weasley stepped off the Hogwarts Express, to be presented at Sirius’s trial, which wouldn’t occur until after term started to allow for the students to return, for that very reason.

His plan had been to talk to Harry about remaining with the Dursleys for part of the summer, and only staying with Sirius (and whoever Sirius decided to reside with) for the remaining portion of the holidays. He was sure Harry would understand.

Now, however, he couldn’t in good conscience follow through on that plan.

Lucius and Narcissa had opened their home to Sirius, and because of him, Harry, too. Albus was still unsure of Lucius’s motives, but if the wizard agreed to certain precautions, Albus could be persuaded to allow Harry to stay there.

If, and it was a dragon-sized if, Harry was amenable to it.

Harry had been too young when Albus had made the decision to leave him with Petunia, and that had turned out to be the worst possible decision he could have made. Given all that Harry had been through, it would be a great disservice to the independent young wizard if he didn’t ask for the boy’s input. Harry deserved that.

P.S. I shall be forever grateful if you could forward the parcel of letters to Harry from my family and me.

Eying the second bundle, Albus folded the letter away carefully and pulled out spare parchment to reply to Severus’s grandmother.

Dear Beatrice, Albus wrote.

My Christmas was lovely and wonderfully busy. My security issue has been taken care of, thank you for asking, and I’m confident that no further safety issues shall arise.

Please accept my heartful gratitude for bringing Harry and his current guardianship to my attention. You may rest assured, and have my solemn vow, that Harry will not return there. As to where he can go, that is something I shall discuss with the boy in question and shall relay to Harry that your home is open to him as you have requested.  

I am disheartened to hear that the holidays didn’t end on a happier note, and I beg your forgiveness for my part in Severus and Harry’s subterfuge.

Your note has brought to my attention how alike both boys are, both of whom need the support of a kind and compassionate family like yours.

Severus has not yet returned to the school, so I cannot confirm what state he is in, but you have my promise I shall look after him too.

On a much happier note, it seems that Severus will be forced to share an aspect of himself he kept hidden from you and your family for so long, which might at least smooth relations between your grandchildren.

Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year,

Albus Dumbledore.

He carefully dried the ink and folded the letter before placing it in an envelope, addressing it with a simple Beatrice Snape. He looked toward Fawkes’s perch, which his phoenix kindly shared with Harry’s owl, Hedwig.

“Are you well enough for a return trip?” Albus asked, holding up the envelope.

Hedwig fluttered over to Albus in acquiescence and patiently held still as she allowed Albus to tie the letter to her leg.

“Fly safely, my friend,” Albus said as he got up to open the window for the snowy owl, who was as faithful to her owner as his phoenix was to him.

Albus watched her fly into the distance until he could see her no more. Then, instead of returning to his desk, he exited his office and walked to the small, well-hidden tower, just a short walk from his office, cheerfully humming the whole way.

Opening the door to the tower, he entered with a spring in his step and a widening smile. Few people could enter this room. Apart from Albus, as Headmaster, only the Head of each House could enter this room.

The Quill of Acceptance was scribbling diligently away, addressing the envelopes for their intended recipients. A neat pile was ready for Minerva to distribute to the school owls, a never-ending task that Albus missed, if he was truthful.

He ignored the Quill and the envelopes, heading straight for the Book of Admittance on a separate pedestal further back. He flicked through the last dozen or so pages. The Book of Acceptance recorded the names of children as they performed magic it deemed was dramatic enough to be accepted into the school. Thus, he had to flick through more pages than he would have to before he found the name he was looking for.

There.

Maya Rogers.

He’d almost snapped the book, but some instinct stayed his hand. He turned the pages back towards the more recent pages and read the name his subconscious had picked up, which he’d consciously skimmed past in his haste to look for the name mentioned by Beatrice.

He chuckled in delight. Well, now, it seemed Severus would have more than one niece attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He wished he’d held off from sending off his letter until after he’d checked the Book of Admittance. He briefly debated sending a second letter but then decided that the Snapes would be in for a delightful surprise when they saw a second letter telling them of a witch in the family some years down the line.

A delightful surprise indeed.

Albus practically skipped out of the tower, firmly closing the door behind him as he returned to his office, humming even more cheerfully than earlier.

For now, he had to find a home for Harry and some letters to pass on.

ooOoo