Inside a small, secluded cottage two people were arguing playfully over whose turn it was to wash the dishes. Between them in a high chair, a small boy with messy black hair and dark green eyes watched the entire scene with fascination. He soon grew tired of the amused bickering and instead fixed his attention on the bowl of green mush before him.

"No way Lils! I washed the dishes from lunch… there is no way it's my turn!" James Potter threw up his hands in frustration.

Lily turned to face him with her hands on her hips. "Lunch? LUNCH?! We ate sandwiches! On paper plates!" She brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face and glared at her husband. "Remember? Picnic in the yard under the shade tree? Any of this ringing a bell, or has washing the dirty spoon coated in mayonnaise drained your energy so much that what passes for your brain shut down from shock?"

James opened his mouth to reply and immediately broke into uncontrollable laughter. Lily smirked, knowing she had won the battle. The brown-eyed man wiped tears of mirth from his eyes as he began gathering up the dirty dishes. "Love, you sound more and more like Severus Snape every day!"

Lily giggled and began helping her spouse. "Well I was married to the man for two years, sweetie. Some things were bound to rub off."

"Speaking of the greasy git, when did you say he'd be here?"

"James Michael Potter! What did I tell you about calling him names?! Especially in front of your step-son?!" James jumped back as his wife threatened to smack him with a spatula.

"Aw come on Lils… Harry's only a year old." He ran his hand over the baby's head affectionately before picking him up. He then summoned a wet cloth from the sink and began cleaning the green goop from his face. "Besides, if he doesn't already know his daddy's a greasy git, he'll learn soon enough."

Avoiding the cleaning sponge thrown at him, James laughed maniacally and jogged up the stairs cradling the tiny bundle to his chest. Glancing out from the nursery, James made sure he wasn't followed before changing and cleaning the baby. "Aw you know I'm just teasing your mum, don't ya sport?"

Harry squealed in amusement at the funny man and reached for his stuffed dog, which he insisted be named 'Pafoo', much to his godfather's pride. James smiled warmly as he handed over Harry's most prized possession. "I mean after you were born Sev's actually turned into a nice guy. He sure does love you a lot… well, who wouldn't? After all, you've been around me long enough to develop the famous 'Potter Charm'. Of course you're a Potter now too, technically… but I don't ever want you to think it's because your dad doesn't care about you. On the contrary, it's because he loves you so much that he wants to keep you safe from the bad men. Well, you'll understand when you're older, but that's also why daddy can't come visit you nearly as much as he wants to."

Harry seemingly couldn't care less about the 'serious' conversation 'Pongs' was directing at him. He handed James 'Pafoo' and crawled into the grown man's lap. "Thanks, kiddo! Always wanted a puppy." Setting the well-loved dog aside, he grabbed the baby brush and began attempting to straighten out the child's unruly locks. "Your dad's coming to see you today, so we've got to make you look nice."

Harry looked up from pulling on one of James' buttons. "Da da?"

Unaware of the red-haired woman gazing lovingly at her two favorite guys, James continued brushing Harry's hair. "Yep. That's right. Da da's coming to see you tonight when he's through marking papers and next weekend you get to spend time with him at Hogwarts!"

The baby smiled widely and clapped his hands. "Hogwa, Hogwa! Hageed!!"

James barked out a laugh. "I'm sure if you sweet talk daddy enough he'll take you to see him. I know Hagrid'll love to see his favorite 'playmate' again!"

Lily chose that moment to intrude on the bonding session. "As long as Hagrid isn't around any 'loveable yet misunderstood beasties' at the time."

James snickered before his face went serious. He immediately stood and handed the baby to Lily before cautiously moving toward the open window. Lily tensed at her husband's expression. "What is it James?"

"The birds." At her confused gaze, the man elaborated. "In the forest… there's no noise." Sure enough, not one single sound from outside reached her ears. No animal or insect managed to break whatever bubble had descended upon them. Lily felt her skin crawl in terror and clutched her son closer to her breast. Even little Harry was silent in anticipation.

James finally pushed from the window, shutting and locking it firmly before directing his family downstairs. "Come on Lils. I don't know what's going on but I have a feeling we need to leave here. Where's your wand?"

"I left it downstairs by the sink. Do you have yours?" James nodded and pulled it from his sleeve. "Grab Pafoo or the little bugger won't be able to sleep tonight. Dumbledore should have anything else we need for him."

Too scared to reply, Lily did so and silently followed her husband to the stairs. Halfway down James stopped abruptly and his wife gasped at the sight of at least 10 men in black cloaks gathered behind the most evil dark wizard since Grindelwald. Voldemort himself stood at the base of the stairs with a wand trained on the Potters.

Peter had betrayed them.

**********

Severus Snape stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed. He chose his son's favorite robes, (the ones with the big buttons), and stepped out into the corridor. Not for the first time he cursed himself for having joined Voldemort when he was younger. It seemed after the beginning Death Eater Rally he had been fighting tooth and nail to get away from that life. Now as a spy for Albus he was at least doing something to help the light side but at what cost? He had been forced to let his wife and son go in fear for their lives, and he was beginning to lose hope of even being able to acknowledge his loss.

His son… Harold Jamison Potter. Most people thought the fifteen-month-old was a Potter through and through. Few knew that Jamison was chosen as the child's middle name not for James Potter, but Jamison Snape - the boy's true grandfather. The ministry had even recorded the middle name as 'James' mistakenly. While he was glad his father never had to see his only son turn to the dark side for answers, he wished at the same time that the man had lived long enough to see the wonderful creature Severus had helped bring into the world. And as much as he wanted to scale every roof top in England and shout out about his child for all the world to hear, he couldn't even discreetly mention the fact he had a son to many of his colleagues. The fear of Harry ever being placed into Voldemort's scaly hands was enough to overcome the need to show his paternal pride. Well, at least publicly anyway.

Severus sighed. Each day he grew more and more bitter. Not so much for the charade itself, but for the reasons it was necessary. He loved his son more than he had thought it possible to love any other human being and would gladly give his life to protect him. Unfortunately, the strain on his heart from not being able to hold his child whenever he wanted was proving a more difficult task. He'd already missed Harry's first word, 'apple', (which sounded more like 'abbo'), and soon he'd be missing his first steps. But, it was his own fault for being weak and joining Voldemort. Speaking of the infamous wizard, Severus couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been called in awhile.

Being summoned was never a good thing, but being ignored could prove to be much worse. He pushed open the doors leading outside of the castle and prayed to Merlin they hadn't discovered him to be a spy. He shuddered and lit his wand in the pitch blackness of the grounds, determined to rid himself of any unpleasant thoughts. After all, he was on his way to see his son and nothing could break his good mood.

Well, maybe one thing… like the elderly wizard coming toward him from the castle, calling out his name. He turned back and met the headmaster halfway, growling half-heartedly. "What is it Albus? I'm in a hurry. Harry's waiting for me."

Albus led the younger man to a large rock overlooking the lake and asked him to sit. The Potions Master did so and was about to start ranting about losing time he could be spending with his son when Dumbledore's next words stole his breath. "Severus, there was an attack at Godric's Hollow tonight."

The ice-cold feeling of terror gripped the younger man's very soul. Severus paled and stared dumbly at his mentor. "Lily? Harry?"

Albus sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Severus, but Lily and James were killed by Voldemort's wand."

Tears were streaming down the usually stern professor's face as the news was sinking in. His life was falling apart. His Lily -- the fiery red-head with the heart of gold. His best friend and sole reason for ever having left the darkness was gone. James Potter, also slain. The man who he had once despised but now owed his life to. He, who had offered his name to his enemy's son to better protect the child. And his baby boy… his son…? "Albus, Harry…?"

"He's alive, Severus. Hagrid was sent to retrieve him. Voldemort, however did not fare so well. He's vanished, hopefully for good." Albus' sad smile went completely unnoticed by the younger man who was struggling to comprehend all the information he was receiving. Lily and James were dead. Harry was alive. Voldemort had disappeared… what the… ?

"Voldemort's gone?! How? Is my son okay?!" He grasped the old man's shoulders and barely refrained from shaking all the information out of him.

"From what we, the Order, have gathered, James and Lily were hit with the killing curse by Voldemort. Then he used the same curse on little Harry." Severus tensed even more and was about to interrupt when the headmaster raised his hand for silence. "However when cast at your son, the curse rebounded and hit Voldemort. We have no idea how, but our sources claim that Voldemort 'exploded' as a result." Albus pulled Severus to his feet and led him back to the castle. "Harry is very much alive, my friend and will be here soon."

"What sources are you…?" Snape trailed off as the sound of a loud vehicle approached their position. Suddenly the area around the two wizards was illuminated by the single headlight of a flying motorcycle. Severus could recognize the bike with his eyes closed, having threatened Black with certain death hundreds of times if he caught his son anywhere near the flying menace.

He barely made out the huge form of Hagrid stepping off the motorcycle before taking off at a dead run. Nothing had more priority at that moment than the desperate need to get to his son. The giant man held Snape at bay long enough for recognition to sink in, then immediately surrendered the unconscious form of Harry to the professor's arms.

As one, the three men headed toward the hospital wing with Severus gently holding his handkerchief against the baby's still bleeding head wound.

Albus seemed to notice Hagrid's red-rimmed eyes, for he placed a comforting hand on the large man's arm. "How was it, Hagrid."

A loud sniffle rang through the night air as the other man gathered his wits. "It was 'orrible, Pr'fessor, Sir. We 'ad ter move lots of stuff just ter get ter young 'Arry. The house was turned ter rubble. His mum 'n James ne'er stood a chance!"

The potions master briefly closed his eyes at Hagrid's words. 'Harry. Have to concentrate on Harry now. Grieve for Lily later.'

"You-Know-Who's followers were already gone, Pr'fessor. The aurors were there but they weren't payin' no attention to me. 'Cept Sirius Black. He'd just got there and helped me find 'Arry. Made sure I was going' ter where Pr'fessor Snape was before he'd hand him o'er ter me." Hagrid rubbed at his eyes. "Gave me his motorcycle so's I could get him 'ere faster." The giant man paused. "Pr'fessor, Black said Peter betrayed the Potters… said he was going' ter make him pay. You don' think he's gonna get himself in trouble do yer?"

Albus sighed as they reached the corner closest to the infirmary. "I hope not, Hagrid. I hope not."

***

Madame Pomfrey had just completed her weekly task of inventorying and was about to lock down for the night when the outer doors burst open. Severus Snape strode into the infirmary followed by a weary-looking Albus and a noticeably upset Hagrid. It wasn't until the ex-Death-Eater-turned-spy lay a small bleeding child on the nearest bed that she immediately kicked into professional mode.

Pushing past the distraught men, she pulled out her wand and scanned her small patient, murmuring as she went. "Dehydration, blood loss… hmm… low magic levels…" Then louder, "What happened to this child, Albus?"

"He was struck by a dark curse, Poppy. Are there any serious injuries to the boy?"

Poppy shook her head absently as she sealed the cut on his forehead, leaving a vivid scar in the shape of a lightening bolt over his right eye. Usually in a cut this fresh there would be no scarring whatsoever, but with a dark curse… he was lucky the wound could be magically healed at all. Seeing no major damage usually accompanied by any curse dark in nature, the healer looked up. "Which curse was used?"

Professor Dumbledore sighed wearily and Poppy had the impression that she'd asked the one question he'd not wanted to be asked. His next words shocked her completely. "Avada Kedavra, Poppy. The curse hit the child and was somehow reflected back on the castor. Voldemort is gone as a result, unfortunately not before Lily and James Potter were killed."

Feeling weak in the knees and more than a little dizzy, the medi-witch sank down in the closest chair and concentrated on her breathing. It was too much information to take in at once. She barely noticed when Dumbledore began pacing near the windows. Lily and James - two of her favorite students while in school… "But Headmaster! The killing curse? No one's ever survived it!"

"Yes, that is true Poppy. It seems as if a rather large miracle has been delivered to us tonight. In a rather small package, if I may say." For the first time since entering the room, the old wizard smiled as he gazed at her patient.

Severus, in the meantime had stripped the child of the blood-stained clothes, leaving him only in his diaper. After gently cleaning the dried blood from the small body with a wet cloth, he pulled a chair close to the bed and contented himself with rubbing the back of who could only be young Harry Potter. Hagrid mentioned something about needing to return Sirius' bike and left the ward, but not before bending down to kiss the unruly mop of raven black hair. As a loud sniffle echoed down the halls, the nurse pulled herself together.

She went to a cabinet and took out a potion meant to help the body replenish the blood it lost. Another one would quickly take care of the dehydration. She decided against an energy booster as sleep would be a much safer remedy. The child would also not be needing his magical supply built up while in the sanctuary of Hogwarts. That Harry was able to deflect the strongest curse of all time spoke of the unbelievable amounts of magic he would have to possess, which could only grow stronger with time. Merlin, help them all if the boy grew up not on the side of the light.

A small whimper drew her attention from diluting the potency of the needed potions. It seemed Harry had decided to rejoin them. It was just as well, since feeding potions to an unconscious child would be near impossible. Not that the task would be much easier now, unless… She reached over to the strawberry flavoring she kept in her cabinet for just such emergencies. The powder wouldn't interfere with the potions in anyway and actually make the taste pleasurable, (or at least palatable). She called for some warm milk from a house elf and continued her work.

The whimpers were rapidly turning into full-blown cries of distress as she poured the mixture into a conjured bottle. Little Harry was not happy with his current predicament. Either that or his head hurt. She mixed in a mild pain killing potion just in case and filled the rest with the requested milk before shaking the bottle. For some reason beyond comprehension, Severus Snape had picked the child up and was softly singing a lullaby while rocking what she believed to be the son of his greatest enemy. She assumed the night was definitely made for surprises as she silently handed the bottle to the usually stern man.

***

Severus spoke gently to the agitated boy as he placed the nipple against his mouth. Finally satisfied that he'd made his point to all within shouting distance that he was upset, he allowed his daddy to give him a bottle.

The father was nearly as distraught with the situation and calmed immediately as the bottle was accepted. Knowing for a fact that Pomfrey had to have done something to improve the taste of what was normally a bitter concoction, he look up with grateful eyes to the smiling witch. "Thank you, Poppy."

Her expression showed surprise for a split second before the smile increased. Feeling more than a little stress at the night as a whole, he barely restrained himself from snapping at the woman to 'quit grinning like an idiot'. The two adults started at the sound of Albus Dumbledore's voice, (the old man must have left the wing while Harry was screaming - the coward), calling for every student and teacher to calmly make their way down to the Great Hall immediately for an important announcement regarding the war against Voldemort.

Snape could practically feel the castle move as he imagined hundreds of simultaneous flinches caused from the speaking of the forbidden name. Nevertheless he remained where he was, standing only long enough to transfigure his seat into a rocking chair before settling once again with his son. Glancing down every few minutes at his young charge, he soon became lost in his thoughts of Lily and James… of how the school would take the news of Voldemort's downfall… of what the future would bring.

Would Harry now be safe with him? Was he, who had actively sought out the dark side when the light wouldn't accept him, fit to raise a child? How would the rest of the Wizarding World react to him raising his son? Would Harry be given grief for having an ex-Death Eater parent?

Oh how he wished he had the answers.

***

Sirius Thelonius Black was furious. No, that wasn't the right word - livid. Sirius was absolutely livid with Peter Pettigrew. That dirty little garbage-munching waste of space would soon be nothing more than an ugly grease spot on the pavement. If he was lucky.

Having scoured every inch of the rat's house and coming up with nothing, he racked his brain for other places the little weasel might be. 'Maurice's? Nah, Peter owes him money. Bernie's? Maybe… he's a two-faced thieving liar also. Peter would fit right in there.'

Nearly blind with rage and wondering if Moony would like a human rat for a snack on the next full moon, Sirius nearly ran smack into Hagrid.

"Sirius, I'm not going' ter let you do it!"

Black looked up at the groundskeeper unseeingly. Then he noticed his bike. "Great! You brought my baby back. Now I can run over the little son of a…" He stopped suddenly as the giant grabbed his upper arm in a vice-like grip.

"No Sirius, listen ter me!" He waited until the homicidal tinge had slightly faded from Padfoot's eyes before continuing. "Pettigrew'll get what's comin' ter him. Severus 'n 'Arry need you now."

Shoulders slumped in defeat, Sirius had really wished Hagrid hadn't mentioned Harry. "You don't understand, Hagrid. He betrayed James to Voldemort!" The other man flinched. "I'm the one who convinced James that their lives would be safer with Peter because no one would think to go after him! It's my fault." The last part was whispered.

As the truth was finally spoken and the blame finally placed on the rightful person, Sirius broke down. Sobbing uncontrollably, the animagus slowly sunk to the ground. Hagrid never let go. Instead, they leaned on each other and cried together for the loss of their friends.

"It's not yer fault." The giant continued before the other could argue. "No, ye did what ye thought was best fer yer friends. James knew that. He never would've let it 'appen if he didn't think it ter be the right thing ter do. But what's done is done an' neither one of them would want yer to put 'Arry on hold while ye kill the no good bastard that turned 'em in ter You-Know-Who."

Sirius sighed. Again with Harry. Like he didn't have enough guilt on his plate. "You're right. But we should go back to Godric's Hollow first to see if we can salvage some stuff for Harry. I don't think Snape has anything for him at the castle."

Hagrid nodded and they both mounted the bike with the larger man driving since it was easiest. And also since he probably still didn't completely trust Black's state of mind. Within twelve minutes they were landing at the sight of destruction. Both were immensely grateful that the ministry had already removed the bodies.

Sirius hopped off and steeled himself for the task. "Okay, he'll need clothes, baby books, toys, his blankets…"

"Ye know Sirius that Snape's got or can get most o' that stuff already?"

"Yeah, I know." He began climbing on top of the rubble and moving things aside. "But Harry's world has been turned upside down and the last thing he should have to do is get used to all new things. Look for a stuffed dog, too. He won't sleep without it."

Finally after an hour of rummaging, Sirius had decided they'd gotten all they were going to find. It would do until the ministry workers came back to clear more of the area. He cleaned and repaired everything that needed it with a few waves of his wand, then placed the lot together in a bag he transfigured from a stray sock. Together, they boarded the motorcycle and flew to Hogwarts.

***

The atmosphere at the school when they arrived was chaotic to say the least. Students were out of beds long after hours, drinking butterbeer, and singing 'Ding-Dong, the Wicked Wizard's Dead'. Everyone was so off key that Sirius feared whomever owned the rights to 'The Wizard of Oz' would soon be breaking down the door to sue them. The teachers, (the ones who weren't helping to butcher the classic song), handed out butterbeers and laughed at the spectacle.

Somehow or another he'd ended up with a butterbeer in his hand and Hagrid appeared to have been kidnapped. Ah well, he supposed they'd had very little to celebrate in too many years past. Just because he'd lost two of his best friends and was betrayed by a third was no reason to suck the fun out of the evening for everyone else.

He idly wondered what he'd be doing if Hagrid hadn't found him. Probably be dancing over Peter's corpse holding a bloody knife right about now. Ah well, hopefully soon the traitor would die. Until then he'd plan out the most horrific ways possible to achieve that outcome.

Pushing open the infirmary doors, he smiled softly at the sight that awaited him. Snape was sound asleep in a rocking chair holding tightly to his son. Harry, on the other hand, was wide awake and trying in vain to remove a button from his father's robes. Buttons were the little boy's current fixation. That and hair pulling.

Poppy looked up from where she was writing at her desk and smiled as he came in. He gave a nod in her direction and kissed the top of Harry's head.

Careful not to wake the potions professor, Sirius gently dislodged the hands cradling his favorite (and only) godson. "Siwi!" Harry squealed with delight when he saw to whom the intrusive arms and lips belonged. "Hey buddy! How are you doing?" Taking up residence on Harry's bed, he pulled the transfigured bag closer to them and dumped the contents out. "Let's see… maybe we can find you a sleeper in here. No sense giving all the pretty witches heart attacks from seeing you half naked. There'll be plenty of time for that when you hit sixteen."

He pulled a bright red sleeper adorned with dancing dragons from the pile and proceeded to dress the squirming infant. Finally having completed that task, he grabbed another item and hid it behind his back before Harry could see it. "Hmmm… a funny thing happened on the way to Hogwarts, Harry." Big green eyes locked with his as he continued. "You see, I was flying on my motorcycle and wishing I could go faster so I could see my favorite little guy sooner when all this commotion from the ground made me look down. And what do you think I saw?"

Harry scrunched up his face in confusion. "I saw this tiny puppy crying and running just as fast as his little legs would take him. He was heading in the same direction I was going. I thought he might be in some difficulty, so I landed next to him and turned into a dog so I could understand what he was saying." From his peripheral vision, the animagus saw that Severus was awake and listening to the entire story with almost as much interest as the baby. "Well, it seems the puppy was upset because he couldn't find his boy anywhere! He'd awakened from his nap alone and got scared, so he started sniffing the ground and was on the trail of his boy when I had noticed him.

"Knowing how much my little godson loves puppies, I knew you'd be mad if I didn't help this one. So I asked him what his boy's name was, and do you know what he told me?" Harry squealed and clapped his hands like he was understanding every word and knew what 'Siwi' was holding behind his back. Sirius, meanwhile, appeared amazed as if everything had happened exactly as he had told it. "He said his boy's name was Harry Potter!"

With that said, he pulled a scruffy-looking dark brown stuffed dog out and grinned as Harry's eyes went wide with the joy of seeing his best friend again. "Pafoo!! Pafoo!!"

Laughing outright, Sirius hugged the boy and his puppy for all he was worth. "That's right, little one. Pafoo was doing his best to get back to you. I'm so glad I could help him get here that much faster." He kissed Harry and lay him back on the bed. "You go to sleep, love. It's time for all little boys and puppies to visit dreamland now."

Severus stood and began stretching the kinks out of his back. "What time is it?"

A quick glance at his watch revealed the ungodly hour. "Quarter after 2. How's he been?" Sirius gestured to Harry, who was currently sucking on his thumb. His other hand was tangled in Pafoo's fur and the boy was rapidly falling asleep.

"The potion Poppy gave him knocked him out for a little while. He woke up crying for his mum and I guess I fell asleep shortly after calming him down." The forgotten medi-witch's voice startled them both.

"Yes, well aside from his low magic levels which should be replenished before the week's out and the obvious fatigue, he's perfectly healthy. He'll tire easily until his levels are back where they're supposed to be, but you're free to take him anytime you wish, Sirius."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked at his one time enemy who responded with a shrug. "She doesn't know, Black."

Poppy put down her quill and looked questioningly at the two men before her. "I don't know what?"

Snape took a deep breath and turned to face the woman. "Harry is my son." Her eyebrows practically disappeared into her hairline, but he continued before she could comment. "You know Lily and I wed right out of school. Well, we divorced two years after when it was discovered she was pregnant. I knew how Voldemort went after the children of his followers, especially the sons, with intentions to train them into his service from an early age. Actually 'brainwashing' might be a more proper term." He paused to look down at the now sleeping infant. "I did the only thing I knew to do in order to keep that from happening. When Harry was born, he was listed under Lily's maiden name - Evans. And later when she met and married James Potter, he gave my son not only physical protection but the protection of his name as well."

Poppy looked up in shock. "But you hate each other! You, Potter, and Black!" She gestured to the still silent Sirius.

Severus shook his head. "We hated each other, yes. Even after she quit being my wife, Lily was my best friend. I still loved her then and always will, but I had absolutely no say in who she chose to be with. Plus I wasn't about to lose the only chance I had at knowing my son because of past rivalries, so I put aside all the hatred I once had for James. Luckily, he did the same for me." He ran his fingers through his soft hair. "It took awhile, but we learned to get along. Even Black and I. Of course, once he found he was in the running to be Harry's godfather, he mellowed considerably. As much as it pains me to say, the mangy mutt is good with kids. Harry absolutely adores the flea-bitten mongrel."

Sirius smiled and nodded until it clicked in his head what his one time hated enemy had just said. Remembering to keep his voice lowered for the sake of the sleeping child, Sirius growled. "Watch it, Snape. Before you find yourself needing to go somewhere but unable to find a babysitter."

Severus smirked in response. Poppy looked confused. Confused and in need of a drink. Speaking of drink, Sirius grabbed the bottle of butterbeer, still unopened, from the bedside table and downed it as fast as he could. That would do until he found some whiskey.

Snape thanked him for rescuing some of his son's possessions, gathered the items, and placed them back into the bag. He kept out only a soft blanket and was preparing to wrap the boy into it when Sirius placed a hand on his arm. "You might want to place an audio muffling charm on him so he won't wake. It's pretty wild out in the halls."

The other man nodded and did so. Pausing only to thank the other two adults once again for everything they had done for his son, he picked Harry and his things up and headed for his rooms.

***

Severus was exhausted. He pushed his way through the huge party, making sure no one bumped his son. By the time he'd reached the entrance to his home for the past four years, he was running on pure adrenaline, and even that was wearing out fast. After muttering the password, the portrait of Slytherin and his snake opened and he stumbled inside. He was immensely grateful for the soundproofing charm on his quarters when the screeching and loud music vanished with the closing of the door.

He sighed and placed Harry's bag on the closest table. Normally when Harry spent the night here, he would transfigure the couch into a baby bed for him. That was when he wasn't dead on his feet, however, so he kicked off his shoes and lay down on his bed fully clothed. He barely remembered to remove the charm from his son before he placed a protective arm around the boy and drifted off.

***

When Severus woke the next day he immediately noticed two things. One, a very awake Harry Potter was perched on top of his stomach staring at him. And two, according to the clock, he'd have to get ready quickly if he was to make it to the Great Hall for lunch. After settling his son on the bed beside him, he yawned and stretched. Feeling a tug on his robes, Sev looked down and smiled to see Harry once again pulling on a button.

"Good morning, son. I don't suppose you'd mind sharing a bath with me? We're both kind of… I believe the word I'm looking for is 'icky'."

"No baff da da." Despite his words, the boy raised his arms to be picked up as his daddy stood. After Harry was washed, dried, diapered, and clothed, Severus rubbed some anti-infection cream on his son's new mark and focused on getting himself dressed.

Harry was still happily playing with some of the toys his godfather had salvaged when Severus decided they were both ready to face the world.

He was rather amused to see that most of the people in the Great Hall looked hung over. In fact, one Sirius T. Black appeared as if he'd recently crawled out from under a rock. For once in the history of the school there was hardly any talking going on. However, whatever noise there had been stopped immediately upon the sight of the most hated teacher in the castle carrying a baby.

Harry shyly hid his face in his daddy's robes as everyone started staring at him. Sev sat down at his spot and coaxed the baby to turn around and eat. Dumbledore was smiling widely with that infernal twinkle in his eye as the potions professor ignored the gawking masses and alternated between feeding himself and son.

"Wouldn't it be much easier to transfigure a high chair for him?" Albus handed the boy a cupcake and Severus grumbled.

"No it wouldn't. At least not until these people quit staring at him as if he were a zoo exhibit. Don't eat the paper Harry. I'm lucky he's eating while seated on my lap. And don't give him anymore sweets until he finishes his vegetables!"

Madame Hooch suddenly broke down in a fit of giggles, which started a chain reaction. Soon all the teachers were laughing. At Severus' raised eyebrow, all sobered instantly. "Forgive me Severus. It's just that you sounded very… paternal just then."

Sirius snorted then grimaced as if the sudden movement was ripping apart his skull. "Go figure… Snape being paternal. Who would have guessed it possible." Sirius stopped his grumbling and brightened instantly when the object of his sarcasm handed him a potion from the inside of his robes. Many mouths dropped as the animagus downed the whole thing without question.

Severus rolled his eyes at the sight of those nearby seemingly expecting Black to drop dead any second now. "Honestly! It's nothing more than a hangover potion. Any first year should know that from the color and consistency alone… then again, I forget I'm surrounded by incompetent dunderheads. Don't eat the paper Harry. And the next cupcake that comes over here gets shoved up your nose, Albus!"

Instead of replying to the violent threat, Albus' twinkle increased ten fold and he stood up to address the students. "I believe many of you are wondering who this adorable young man is and why he is in the care of your favorite potions professor." He waited for the snickering to die down before continuing. "Yes, well I'm very pleased to introduce you to Harry Potter."

The hall burst into whispering and pointing as they became aware that their savior was in the same room with them making a huge mess of a chocolate cupcake and being cuddled by their abnormally stern teacher. Albus continued as if nothing had happened. "And for the second matter, Professor Snape is in fact Harry's biological father." Stunned silence. "Well, that is all. You may continue eating."

Snape resisted the urge to fall to the floor in laughter. Instead, he gathered up his child and strode out the door, ignoring the headmaster's pleas to return.

"Forget it Albus. It's your announcement - you handle the explanations." The last thing he heard before turning the corner was Black's amused snort.

"Come on Siwi, Hagwid needs me!" Four-year-old Harry Potter was doing his best to pull his godfather toward Rubeus Hagrid's hut. Despite the truth coming out that Severus Snape was indeed Harry's biological father, the Ministry was adamant that 'Potter' be kept as the child's last name.

~~Flashback~~

The meeting between Fudge, Snape, Dumbledore, and Black was not going well at all.

"I don't understand!" Severus appeared ready to throttle the Minister of Magic with his bare hands. Albus and Sirius at that moment would probably gladly hold the official down. "You got your blood tests and we answered all your stupid questions! You know he's my son… what more do you need?!"

Cornelius Fudge puffed out his chest like an agitated owl. "The fact of the matter remains, Mr. Snape. James Potter became the legal guardian of little Harry the day his mother signed those adoption papers."

"The only reason I wasn't listed…" He was cut off.

"Yes, yes - we all know the story of why there's no record of a Harry Snape. But you don't understand… If we change his name now, everyone will want to know where the savior of the wizarding world has gone."

Understanding dawned on the room. "This has nothing to do with James Potter, does it?" Severus' voice grew eerily calm. Albus seemed to brace himself for the explosion that would surely follow. Sirius just smirked and sat back, enjoying what was sure to be a great show. "The only reason you insist on keeping his last name 'Potter' is so he will continue to be gawked at where ever he goes. Is that correct?"

Fudge paled slightly but stood his ground. "Well I wouldn't put it quite like that, but the boy's a symbol…"

"He. Is. A. BABY!!! Do you understand, you complete and utter waste of space?! He's MY son, and I'll not allow you to parade MY child like some circus sideshow just because it improves YOUR image!!" Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to calm down before he was carted off to Azkaban for killing the Minister.

Fudge, on the other hand was turning a violent shade of purple. He obviously was not used to being addressed in such a manner. "Nevertheless MR. Snape -- Section IV, paragraph VIII of Ministry Adoption Laws states that if the adopted parent or parents are deemed unfit, or become deceased while the child is underage, ALL things concerning the child's welfare first fall to the Ministry, then to the godparent(s). You may be the boy's biological father, but when the parchment was drawn up the mother neglected to list you as such. And the Ministry's decision to keep the child's name as 'Potter' remains firm."

The Minister replaced his ever-present bowler hat and lowered his voice. "Just be thankful we're allowing you to keep your son, Mr. Snape. There are many in Child Services who voted against you. The reasons don't matter, sir. You gave up all ties to your child before he was even born and we're doing you a great service by publicly acknowledging you as a legal guardian now."

He opened the door to the headmaster's office. Before leaving, he turned once more to address Severus. "Oh, and the ruling can be overturned at any moment. Don't give us a reason to investigate further and there should be no more problems." Fudge stormed out the door.

The potion's master silently watched him go. He soon felt Albus' hand grasping his shoulder but didn't turn around. If he lost Harry…

"Don't worry, Severus. I suspect there weren't many, if anybody, who was against you being with your son. Cornelius has a way of bending the truth to make it seem as if he's doing you a great favor." Albus stroked his beard. "Strange that he was a Hufflepuff and not a Slytherin."

Despite his foul mood, Severus snorted. "I would have hung myself long ago had I been forced to share a house with that moron. It's not that I care if Harry still carries James' name. Yes it is aggravating that I can't pass my own name to my son, but it was my decision in the first place to waiver that right. But the reasons… basically he's exploiting my child. The worst part about it is, if I fight this - they could conceivably take Harry from me."

Black finally spoke up. "They wouldn't do that, Snape. If they did, they'd have to come to me since I'm his godfather. I may think you're a greasy bastard, but I wouldn't let them take away Harry's father. He's already lost enough for one lifetime."

The potions professor shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm not willing to take the chance. We'll just have to shield Harry from the vultures as much as we can. I'll not have the Daily Prophet print an article every time my son sneezes." He turned and nodded at Sirius. "But I appreciate the sentiments all the same, Black."

"Anytime, you git. What do you say we go rescue Harry from the house elves before they kill him with chocolate."

~~End Flashback~~

"Whoa, slow down squirt! Hagrid will be there. Now pull your shirt out of your pants. You look ridiculous."

Harry paused and looked down at his favorite 'Greg the Green Gryphon' shirt, then back up to Sirius. "But daddy made me fold it in, Siwi."

Padfoot knelt down and pulled Harry's shirt out. "I believe the word you're looking for is 'tuck', not 'fold'. Besides, what daddy doesn't know won't hurt him." He leaned in and whispered in the boy's ear. "And between you and me, your dad knows nothing about style. Why, I would bet he doesn't even own a Green Gryphon shirt like this."

Harry's eyes went wide. "He doesn't have one, Siwi. All his shirts are black or white!"

Sirius grinned and stood up, re-taking Harry's hand. "I knew it! Black and white shirts are meant to be tucked in, but not Green Gryphon shirts." He sighed and hung his head. "Your poor daddy! You think we should get him a shirt like yours? You know, just to spice up his wardrobe. It can't be any fun to wear only two colors all the time."

Harry thought about that for a minute and shook his head. "I don't think he likes the other colors, Siwi. He didn't like it when I got red paint on one of his white shirts. He just tossed it out when it wouldn't come clean."

Sirius was about to respond when suddenly the little boy dropped his hand and ran towards the giant figure of Hagrid coming out of his hut. The large man grinned at Harry and Padfoot before seating himself on his front steps.

Harry climbed into the giant's lap and hugged his neck. "I got your owl, Hagwid. I asked daddy if I could help you bake and he said I could if I could get Siwi to bring me when he came over today and Siwi didn't mind." He reached down to remove something from his pants pocket. "Here, I painted this for you when I was in daddy's office today."

Hagrid smiled as he unfolded the work of art. "Hey now, 'Arry. This is really good!"

The young boy beamed at the compliment and pointed to certain things on the page. He was obviously used to having to translate his drawings. "See, that's your house and there's the fowest. I know I'm not s'pposed to go in the fowest but I drew a unicorn close to your house so I could pretend I saw one for real and didn't have to get in trouble with daddy for going in the trees." He then pointed to a red heart in the corner. "And daddy helped me draw this heart so you'd know I love you."

As Hagrid was wiping the tears of happiness from his eyes, Sirius smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "You know, Harry. That's a nice painting. I'll bet you'd make a really great artist some day."

Harry frowned at his godfather. "'M not gonna be an artist, Siwi. 'M gonna be a pwofesso like daddy. He said I could if I wanted to."

The animagus placed a hand over his heart and asked in a mock wounded tone, "What?! You mean you don't want to become an auror like me?!" He sniffled. "I thought you loved me!"

The little boy looked upset that he'd made Sirius sad, so he climbed down from Hagrid's lap and got into the other man's. He hugged the distraught man as tightly as he could. "Don't cry, Siwi. I can be an awor too if you want me to." Harry pet his head as though the man was currently in dog form. "I love you, Siwi."

In the next instant, Harry was on his back in the grass with his belly exposed. As Sirius went in for the kill, the young boy braced himself. Pbbbbbbbbbbbbbt!!! Giggles ensued followed by desperate squirming as the older man leaned down to blow against his stomach once more. "No Siwi! Bad dog!"

"Dog?!" Sirius sat back for a second with an indignant look upon his face. "Do I look like a dog to you, ya little munchkin?!" Before Harry could answer, a loud beeping went off on his wrist communicator. "Oh bloo… er, I mean phooey! I'm being summoned to the Ministry." He sighed and stood up. "C'mon kiddo, let's get you back to your daddy before I go."

Completely serious once more, Harry stood up and latched onto Hagrid's hand. "But Siwi, Hagwid needs me to help him bake, 'member?"

"I know love, but maybe you can help him another time."

Hagrid stood up. "Nonsense, Sirius! I'd be more'n happy to look after the little tyke fer a bit." Sirius could have choked the giant as Harry's eyes lit up. How in the world could he get out of this predicament without hurting the gentle giant's feelings and upsetting the little boy in the process. Ah well… Snape probably wouldn't be too mad if he left Harry. After all, there didn't seem to be any of Hagrid's 'pets' in the vicinity.

Another loud beeping broke the silence. The Ministry was getting impatient. He sighed and looked down at the child. "Okay, Harry. You can stay, but you mind Hagrid."

Harry grinned in triumph and ran to hug the auror. "I will, Siwi. We'll make a cake 'special for you!"

"I'm counting on it, kiddo. I'll be back as soon as I can, Hagrid." With a last wave and goodbye Sirius was heading for the front gate to apparate. He prayed he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his life. Hagrid was a wonderful person, but had a completely different definition of 'danger' than most people. If anything happened to Harry, he'd be a dead man.

******

"Okay then 'Arry… stir it as 'ard as ye can while I add the syrup." The young boy was going blue in the face from the sheer effort it was taking to move the spoon. But he was a Snape at heart, and Snapes never gave up in difficult situations.

"Yer doin' fine. I don't know what I'd have done without yer help! Now all we got ter do is pour it in the pans an' let 'em get 'ard." Hagrid did the aforementioned while Harry watched.

He idly wondered how the cakes could get any harder than they were, but didn't mention it. They were called 'Rock Cakes' after all. "Did we 'member to make one for Siwi and my daddy?"

Hagrid grinned. "O' course we did. They'll be done in time fer you te take 'em with ye. It don't take 'em long te get 'ard."

A sudden pounding startled them. Hagrid cautiously opened his door to reveal one of the strangest creatures Harry'd ever witnessed. It had the body of a horse and the chest, arms, and head of a man. Remembering his manners, the boy quit staring at the newcomer. He was still extremely shy around strangers, and kept his head mostly hidden behind the groundskeeper.

Hagrid, on the other hand, seemed to be close friends with the strange horse man. "'Ello Firenze! Yer jus' in time fer some rock cakes me 'n 'Arry made!" He moved aside so the other could enter, but Firenze shook his head and gestured to the forest.

"I'm afraid I can't, my friend. I desperately need your help in the forest. An unknown creature has ambushed my clan and one of our foals is injured. We think it may be the same beast that went after the unicorn last month."

Hagrid looked from Firenze to Harry. Then he bent down to face the little boy. "I'm afraid I've got ter go into the forest, 'Arry. It's an emergency, so you go ter yer dad as fast as ye can before it gets dark, okay?"

Harry nodded and took off for the castle. He was still afraid of the dark and daddy had to always leave a candle burning in his room at night. Even though it wasn't dark yet, Harry's imagination was working overtime. He remembered the strange creature saying something about a monster attacking unicorns and the little boy could almost feel it chasing him. He didn't understand about the protective wards set up around the castle making such things impossible, but a child's imagination was a very powerful thing.

He reached the doors and pushed inside only seconds before his 'attacker' caught up with him. Harry breathed a sigh in relief and started toward the dungeons. Unfortunately, the castle was a pretty big place - especially to a four-year-old. He thought he remembered the way to his daddy's office, but he'd never been there without a grown up. After walking around for a long time and not seeing anyone, Harry was starting to get scared again. What if he was all alone in the castle and never found his daddy?

His daddy didn't know he was in the castle. He thought he was with Siwi and Siwi thought he was with Hagwid. But Hagwid was in the forest with that horse man and Harry didn't know how long he would be there. It might be weeks before his daddy even knew he was lost! Tears began to blur his vision, but the child stubbornly refused to cry.

He had to find his way home.

********

Severus sighed and leaned back in his chair. He'd finally finished his lesson plans for his 6th year students for the spring term. Now all he had left was the 7th years and the advanced courses. He stood and stretched. Glancing to make sure the newest batch of dreamless sleep potion for Poppy was safely simmering, he picked up his stack of papers and headed to his rooms.

He rolled his eyes and smiled at the newest password to his and Harry's quarters. 'Green Gryphon' had been chosen, (of course), by his son. Well, he supposed it was better than 'I'm a little teapot' - the password Harry insisted on after Black taught his son that infernal muggle song. 'I swear that man did it only to drive me insane'.

As he entered the rooms, he grumbled under his breath after tripping over one of Harry's toys. With a sweep of his wand he sent all of the boy's treasures back into his toy chest. How one little kid could make such a mess was beyond him. "I specifically told that boy that he had to pick up his toys before leaving these chambers."

He strolled into his son's room and couldn't help but smile at the collection of Green Gryphon books in disarray around the room. After placing them back in order on the bookcase, he made up Harry's bed remembering his own childhood when he'd been obsessed with an obnoxious singing purple dragon. Severus knew he had to have driven his father to the brink of insanity by making him actually sing the silly little songs in the high squeaky voice when he'd read to him at night.

Memories of his father always brought a pang to his heart, so he returned to the sitting room to read his new potion's book and wait for Harry to come home. Soon he became deeply engrossed in his book and never noticed Harry's hand of the magical locator in the corner move from 'At Hagrid's' to 'Lost'.

*~~***~~*

Harry, meanwhile, was traveling deeper and deeper into the dungeons and becoming more upset by the minute. He had never been taught to stay in the same place if he was lost, so he kept going in the feeble hope he would soon come across some sign of friendly life.

Hungry and half blinded by tears, he never noticed the heavy coating of dust on everything in the corridor before him. He was, however, acutely aware of both the lack of lighting and the eerie grinding sound of stone rubbing together echoing all around him. Terrified into motion, he immediately turned to go back in the direction he had come from… and found himself face to face with a stone wall.

Frantic, the boy pushed as hard has he could on every part of the wall he could reach, looking for a secret button to release him from his prison. His daddy had told him that the castle had many secret corridors and rooms and sometimes liked to move things around. His Uncle Albus told him Hogwarts had a personality and was alive but daddy said it was just ancient magic. Then Uncle Albus winked at Harry and gave him a cookie. It was funny how the loveable old man began and ended all his conversations with sweets. Maybe that's why daddy hardly ever let him be babysat by Uncle Albus.

Of course, Fawkes was usually the one keeping a careful watch on him. For instance, there was the one time when Harry had climbed up the bookcase to look at the singing hat up close and lost his footing. The scarlet phoenix immediately flew up and grabbed the back of Harry's trousers in his talons, safely floating the small boy to the ground before Uncle Albus had ever known what had happened.

A creepy clicking sound brought Harry back to the situation at hand and he tried to keep his tears from falling as he slid down to the ground with his back to the wall. He knew the clicking was probably just a rat scurrying across the stone floor, but unfortunately the monsters inside his mind were being brought to life once again. The lack of lighting was making them even more terrifying than they had ever been in his room at night. Especially since his daddy wasn't there to scare them away.

Feeling even more hopeless than before, he pulled his knees close to his chest and did the bravest thing any four-year-old could have done in his predicament… he cried for his daddy.

***~~**~~***

Severus jerked awake, instantly pushing his neglected book off to the side as he tried to figure out what he was doing sleeping on the couch. He rubbed his face and stretched to get the blood flowing again. Frowning at the time, (nearly eleven o'clock), he stood up to make sure Black had put Harry to bed for him. 'Why in the world did he let me sleep through dinner? Crazy mutt.'

Harry wasn't in his bed. His frown deepening in confusion, he went to see if his own bed was occupied. Sometimes his son found the bigger bed to be more comforting after a bad dream, but usually only if Sev was in it.

No Harry there, either.

He glanced at the locator and just about panicked when his son's picture was hovering over the word 'Lost'. He grabbed his cloak and sprinted toward Hagrid's hut.

As soon as the tiny cottage was in his visual range, he felt his insides clench. There were no lights on. Even as his brain tried to inform him that this was the time the keeper was usually patrolling the grounds with his boarhound, Severus never slowed his pace. Perhaps Harry and Sirius fell asleep here and Hagrid didn't have the heart to wake them? It certainly sounded like the giant man.

When his frantic pounding met with no answer, Professor Snape immediately tried the knob. The door easily swung open. He knew there was no way his son was inside, especially not if his locator was working correctly. But fear for the life of the one most precious to you tends to override rational thought. Severus found himself turning on the lights and even going so far as searching under the bed in desperation.

Just as he turned to go back to the castle to try to contact Sirius at every place he could think of, something caught his eye. There, tacked up amidst the organized clutter was a child's drawing. He took a closer look at the proudly displayed piece of art and a soft smile came to his face as he remembered this morning when it was painted.

***Flashback***

Severus was scowling as he marked through an entire paragraph of one of his students' essay on the uses of Mandrake Root in medicinal potions. 'This dunderhead wouldn't know a cauldron from a glass vial if both items were placed in front of her and neatly labeled.' He proceeded to tell her so in the margin of the scroll. By the time he was through, it looked as if a mini massacre had occurred upon the parchment.

He really loved the effect red ink had on his grading. Scratching a giant 'D' on the paper with barely concealed glee, he glanced up to make sure his son was still painting peacefully at his table before reaching for the next essay.

Another twenty minutes went by before Severus heard the telltale sounds of a chair scraping on the floor as its small occupant jumped up. With a half-full jar of red paint in one hand, a freshly finished drawing in the other, and a brilliant 100 watt grin on his face, Harry ran to show Sev his new masterpiece. Unfortunately, nearly there his foot caught on a chair leg and the paint in his hand went flying… directly onto one of his daddy's brand new shirts.

Harry looked as if he were about to apologize, but Severus (who had been nursing a headache since he began marking) jumped up and away from the desk to keep the wet paint from dripping onto his hard work.

"Harold Jamison Potter!! What have I told you about running?!" Harry went pale at hearing his whole name emerge from his father's mouth. That was never a good sign.

"I'm sorry daddy… I just wanted to…."

"I don't care what you wanted, Harry!" During his tirade he grabbed his wand and began every cleaning spell he knew. In the end all that happened was he got a not-as-vibrant-shade-of-red shirt. He looked as though he'd just committed murder. "You know better! And because you decided once again that you don't have to listen to me, you've ruined one of my fav…."

Severus shut up and went pale realizing he was about to do to his son what his mum had always done to him. Ever since he could remember, his mother had tended to make Sev feel guilty about every error he'd ever made. As a result, instead of learning from his mistakes, Severus had lived in terror of making them. He'd actually cried for three days over a broken vase which he'd found out later in life that his mum had never liked anyway.

He sighed and looked down at the trembling child. Harry was trying very hard not to cry, but failing as the red cheeks grew increasingly more damp.

Ashamed of himself beyond words, he immediately crouched down and opened his arms wide. Harry rushed to hug him and Sev could feel the child's tears soaking into his ruined shirt. "It's okay Harry. It was an accident… I promise I'm not angry. Calm down."

He picked up his son and took him through the back door to the wash room. Severus wet a cloth and sat his son on the sink as his sobs were dissolving into hiccups. He then gently began mopping up the tears. When Harry's breathing finally evened out, he threw the cloth into the hamper and carried him back into the office.

When they were settled in the big chair, the father pushed his son's unruly hair out of his eyes and kissed the top of his head. "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

Harry, still miserable, just nodded and leaned back into the comforting warmth of his daddy. They sat there for a few minutes before Harry looked back at him. "You can have the sickle Siwi gave me for candy to get a new shirt daddy."

Severus smiled softly. "No son, that's your money. It was just a mistake… everyone has accidents. And you know what?"

Harry shook his head.

The potions teacher leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. "It's okay to have accidents because that, Harry, is how we learn and grow." He ruffled the inky black hair. "And if you learn from your mistakes now… well you'll find yourself making less of them when you get bigger."

Severus smiled. Harry smiled back and wrapped his arms around his dad's neck. "I'm sorry daddy."

"Me too, son. Me too. Now what were you going to show me?"

Emerald green eyes grew wide with excitement as he pushed himself off Severus' lap and went to where he'd dropped his picture. He frowned slightly as he noticed a smudge of red paint in the corner. "Oh no! I messed up Hagwid's picture, daddy."

Severus winced at the puddles of paint on his floor but gave a reassuring smile to his son. "Let's see it, son." He viewed the crooked lines of what could only be Hagrid's hut and indecipherable smudges as if he were seeing the Mona Lisa. It was then that he noticed the 'flaw'. Evidently when the boy dropped the picture in distress it landed in some paint. "This is very good Harry. We can fix that smudge… bring me your brush."

Harry watched with worshiping eyes as his daddy took the brush and made a perfect heart out of the still wet paint. When he was done he pulled the young boy back onto his lap so he could see the change up close. "There you go… now you have a heart in the corner so Hagrid will know how much you love him."

He was rewarded with a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thanks daddy. You always make it better!"

***End Flashback***

Severus reached out and gently traced the heart with his hand. "We'll see, Harry. I'll do my damndest." Abruptly, he straightened and stalked out of the hut, spelling the lights out as he left.

***~~*~~***

Auror Sirius Black was exhausted. He was currently seated at his desk at the ministry surrounded by towering piles of paperwork. It was the threat of demotion from his supervisor which kept him working late in the attempt to have his write ups filled out correctly, (and on time), for once in his distinguished career.

Setting his quill down and massaging his aching fingers, he was about to go pour himself a cup of tea when a voice behind him caused him to jump and knock over the nearest stack of parchments. He'd never even heard the floo activate, but there was Snape's scowling face floating in the flames.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, Your Surliness? Have you been taking lessons from my boss on sneak…" He paused when he noticed how pale his friend's face was. "What is it?"

"Black, where the hell is my son?"

The auror paused and blinked. Checking his watch and ignoring the icy cold fear creeping up on him, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "He's not in bed?"

Severus glared at him. "Don't you think I would have checked there?! I looked both there and Hagrid's hut. You did bring him back to our quarters, I presume?"

Sirius immediately stood up, knocking more papers off his desk. He didn't even notice. "Well not exactly, but Hagrid promised me…." He trailed off when he noticed the involuntary twitch of the professor's eye which meant something was about to explode. "Don't worry Sev, we'll find him. Meet me at the front gates. I'll apparate there as soon as I get outside Ministry wards."

Inadvertently stepping on some loose paper, the auror paused long enough to grab his cloak then ran to the nearest apparition point. Before he knew it he was standing in front of an irate Potions Master, whose fists were clenched at his sides most likely to keep from wringing Sirius' neck. He gulped audibly.

"Explain." Black flinched at the terse command and proceeded to tell him everything he knew, finishing with a heartfelt apology. The two men turned as one and wordlessly went back to Hagrid's only to discover the Giant had not yet returned home. This was not surprising, considering it was part of his job and was not normally back until close to daylight.

They then went back to the castle and woke up every single professor beginning with the headmaster, and when that didn't turn up Harry they sent the heads of houses to wake the students with Professor Sinistra acting in place of Severus. Soon even the ghosts and portraits were on the lookout. Peeves claimed to know where the wayward Potter was but, (after being threatened by both the Bloody Baron and Snape), admitted he knew nothing.

At a quarter to 1am the castle had come alive and students and teachers alike could be heard calling out Harry's name from the tallest towers to the deepest parts of the dungeons. Even Filch, who professed to hate small children with a passion denied himself sleep in order to patrol the halls with Mrs. Norris by his side. Sirius wondered if it had anything to do with Harry always giving his leftovers to the feline on the days they had fish. Everyone knew the way to Filch's heart was through his cat.

Albus had finally managed to track down Hagrid, who had been busy laying traps deep in the dark forest to catch the creature stalking his friends. While on their way out of the wood they each told every centaur, fairy, elf, and other friendly creature they came across to keep an eye out for a missing human child. Hagrid had even thought to ask his friend Aragog for help but Dumbledore didn't think it to be a good idea to let the huge colony of giant spiders know that there may be a potential meal for one of them wandering around.

House elves were seen popping in and out of closets and other places that the young boy may have wandered into. By 3am Sirius had decided to attempt sniffing out Harry in his animagus form, angry that he hadn't thought to try before the swarms of students began searching. It seemed every trace of the tiny raven-haired child had been covered with other, newer scents.

The students were tiring, so Professor Snape offered 100 points to whomever found his son. The Gryffindors especially worked harder seeing as how that would be the first time Snape had ever threatened to award points to their house. This, in turn, caused the Slytherins to search faster to prevent that from happening.

As the sun rose that morning everyone except Severus and Sirius met in the Great Hall to rest and regroup.

When noon approached, Aurors were called in and Poppy nearly had to stupify the head of Slytherin to get him to take a calming draught. She then forced a soothing elixir into him to ease the achiness of his throat caused from calling his son's name incessantly. By 12:03pm, he was back on the hunt.

Two hours later, Severus was in the Great Hall with the group of Aurors and other professors. They were going over a map of Hogwarts, trying to come up with a more organized way to search when a startled gasp cut through the crowd. Everyone looked at the female auror who had made the noise, then followed her gaze to a brightly glowing golden orb floating in the center of the room.

~~~**~~**~~~

Near 11:30 the previous night, Harry had long since awakened from his nap. Having no idea when the wall would open up again, (and due to an increasingly urgent need to go to the loo), he reluctantly crept forward into the darkness.

He kept one hand instinctively on the wall to his right to ground himself. Harry gained courage by pretending his daddy was standing behind him, encouraging him like he did when Harry got his toy broomstick last year. A tiny smile came to his lips as he remembered what it felt like the very first time he found himself flying. His daddy had been so funny… running after him - excited by the milestone reached, but terrified. It made no difference that Sirius kept explaining to him that the short broom was charmed to never allow him over five feet above the ground. Nor did it matter that it was impossible for the toy to fly over the lake (or even past Hogwarts wards).

Ironically, it wasn't until Harry had 'crashed' and begged to ride his broom some more that Severus had realized his son wasn't going to break. Not to mention the fact that he was as stubborn as a mule. Sirius had mentioned the fact that if he let his stress levels get too high now, he'd never survive Harry's teenage Quidditch years.

The father had agreed and instead of fretting, he began giving his son tips on how to gain more control from his broom. Everyone's expectations proved correct… Harry was a natural in the air. However, he'd crashed into trees and toppled off the toy enough times that Severus was heard muttering in the hall that Harry wouldn't be getting a real broom until he was at least thirty-five.

Sirius' retort that Harry would be 'getting my motorcycle when he turns sixteen anyway' had Severus downing a calming draught with one hand while the other was attempting to strangle the auror.

Harry was startled suddenly when he walked face first in what felt like a huge spider's web. Determined that such a web could only contain a giant, (possibly man… er, child-eating) spider, the young boy yelped with fright and began batting at the sticky threads clinging to his face. In his desperation to be free of the strands, one of his flailing elbows knocked into something protruding from the wall. Harry didn't hear the resounding 'click' and grinding sound bouncing off the walls, however. He shuffled backwards and screamed when the floor suddenly gave out from beneath him.

**~~***~~**

The boy soon found himself sliding in a downward spiral to an unknown location. After the smooth surface of the slide finally leveled out, Harry found himself slowing down considerably. He finally came to a stop in a brightly lit corridor.

The first two doors he came to were locked, but the third was easily pushed open revealing a bathroom. Briefly forgetting his fears for a minute, Harry gratefully took care of his needs before continuing on his trek.

Unlike the hallway from which he had just left, this one was cheerful and clean. He came across two more locked doors and three which were completely devoid of anything. There was even one that had dozens of chairs lined up, facing a raised platform. On the platform stood one large chair in the center flanked by four more cushioned seats, two on each side. These chairs were all facing the others.

Harry shook his head and backed out of the boring looking room. Finally he came to the last door at the end of the mysterious corridor.

There was no handle. The young boy cocked his head to the side and reached out to see if he could push it. As soon as his hand made contact with the smooth wood, a golden light formed around the tips of his fingers and spread outwards.

Soon the golden light grew so bright that Harry had to turn his head. Oddly enough, the boy wasn't frightened by this display.

When the light dissipated he looked back and gasped. The door was gone! Harry inched into the huge room and his eyes grew wide. The round chamber was divided into five equal spaces, four bearing the colors and mascots of each of the houses of Hogwarts. The last section was painted in a variety of reds, oranges, yellows, and golds. It's mascot, drawn to perfection, was undeniably a phoenix.

Occupying each area was a weapon hanging on the wall, a huge book on a stand, a table, and a cupboard. Harry eyed the ornate dagger in the Slytherin area with interest before he realized he wasn't alone in the room.

Sitting in the center of the chamber was an old man Harry didn't recognize. The stranger was smiling warmly at the boy and Harry felt safe around him.

The man's gray beard hung almost as long as Uncle Albus'. He was dressed in lilac robes with a shiny rope belt which looked like real gold. In one hand was a long, wooden staff.

Harry slowly approached him and was in awe of the man's eyes. They were also lilac, yet deeper than the color of his robes and they shone like diamonds.

On a table before the man was a crystal ball. Harry had seen one in Auntie Sybil's room before his daddy told him he couldn't go there anymore.

The woman had told him he was going to die within the next week and Harry wouldn't leave his dad's sight until he was sure she was wrong. To say dad and Aunt Minerva were livid would be an understatement.

The strange man waited until Harry was a few feet away before he spoke. "Hello, young one. I have been waiting for you for many years."

The boy's eyes grew wide. "But I'm just a little kid!"

Laughter rang through the air. "So you are. But I meant to say I have been waiting many years for you to be born."

Unphased by the strange answer, he stated, "My name's Harry, what's your name?" Harry climbed onto a stool next to the wizard.

"I am known only as the Guardian of the Phoenix."

Confusion clouded the emerald-green eyes. "Didn't your mummy give you a real name?"

The guardian smiled gently. "She did, but it has been so many years ago that I have forgotten it. You may call me 'Guardian' if you'd like."

Harry thought about it. "That almost sounds like a name... Uncle Albus has a phoenix. His name is Fawkes and he likes me."

"Then Fawkes must be a good judge of character. Tell me Harry, do you know why you're here?"

The boy nodded. "Yes sir. I was helping Hagwid make cakes and I got lost trying to find my daddy. Then I fell down a big slide like the one at the park Siwi took me at for my birthday and came here." Harry suddenly looked sad. "I think I broked your door. I'm sorry."

The Guardian smiled reassuringly at him. "There is absolutely nothing to be sorry about. The door is most assuredly not broken, else you wouldn't have been able to enter." He stood and picked up the small child before walking over to the cupboard located directly under the painting of the large phoenix.

He set Harry down on the nearby table, pulled out a small box and opened it. "Actually, fate has endeavored to bring you here so I could give you this."

The Guardian clasped a chain around the boy's neck. Hooked to the chain was a stunning phoenix pendant. Its golden wings were spread open. The tail was a detailed mixture of flames and feathers, and the eyes were bright green emeralds.

All Harry could say was, "Wow."

The old man chuckled. "This charm will be with you throughout your entire life, and cannot be removed by any force. You are the one we all will look to for guidance in times of darkness. You are the hope of our world in more ways than one, young master, and this will offer you help whenever you are in need of it -- as will I."

The boy looked up. "But... It's yours. Don't you want it?" Harry could scarcely believe this nice man was giving him something so beautiful.

"My sweet child, this is not the phoenix I'm destined to protect... you are. One day you will come back to this place, for you now hold the key to returning. Sleep now, child and find your daddy. Know that I'll be watching over you always." Guardian smiled and touched the end of his staff to the pendant.

Harry suddenly felt very sleepy. He rubbed at his eyes and was vaguely aware of the soft golden light surrounding him once more before he gave into the urge to rest.

***~~**~~***

Everyone in the Great Hall had their wands out, pointed at the sphere of light. Without warning it exploded silently, causing everyone to shield their eyes from the blinding flash.

Severus was the first to look back and gasped at what he saw. His son was laying on the floor exactly where the orb was. "Harry!"

He shoved everyone out of his way in his desperation to reach the boy. Severus knelt down at his son's head and felt for his pulse. He gave a huge sigh of relief after finding it.

The distraught father ignored Sirius' incessant babbling and gently picked the boy up. He shed his cloak in the process and wrapped it around the child. Snape cupped Harry's cheek in his hand and softly rocked the boy.

"Harry, baby, wake up." The professor began to get worried when the boy gave no sign of waking. "C'mon, Harry, open your eyes for daddy. Albus, why isn't he waking up?"

Dumbledore knelt down beside the two men after forcing the crowd to move back and give Severus some room. He placed a wrinkled hand on Harry's temple and gently pushed back the silky hair. "He seems to be under a spell."

Albus closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly the boy in Severus' arms began to groan and the headmaster pulled his hand away.

Bright green eyes fluttered open and focused on the man holding him. "Daddy?"

Severus gave out a laugh that half-sounded like a sob and held his son more tightly. Tears were streaming down his face and he reached down to kiss the beloved forehead. "Oh Merlin, I was so worried. I'm never letting you out of my sight again... I love you so much!"

The father couldn't believe that just yesterday he was complaining because Harry's toys weren't picked up. A few minutes ago he would gladly have endured wading through Green Gryphon toys for the rest of his life if it meant his son would come home safe.

Harry began to grow upset. "Daddy, why are you and Siwi crying?"

Severus shifted so Harry was sitting in his lap, facing him. "We're crying because we're happy to see you again. We missed you very much."

Harry gave a bright smile and wrapped his arms around his dad's neck. "I missed you very much too."

***~~***~~***

After a brief, (but thorough), checkup from Poppy, Harry was pronounced healthy. Severus picked him up and walked beside Sirius in the direction of the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office.

Albus ordered a late lunch of soup and sandwiches to be brought up to his rooms and for the first time in history Harry willingly cleaned his plate. Oddly enough this made Severus feel worse, for he thought of how hungry his child must have been while he was lost.

When the boy finally finished his pudding, Sev cleaned the squirming child's face and they all adjourned to the sitting room.

It took a lot of prodding and patience to get the full story out of the four-year-old. Snape wasn't quite sure how much of it was real and how much was proof of his son's active imagination. But when he pulled out the phoenix, everyone gasped.

Examining the strange piece of jewelry closely, the men could find no clasp. Severus didn't know if he trusted the man Harry called 'Guardian', but Albus' next words reassured him.

"There is an extremely powerful spell keeping this chain around Harry's neck. I do not believe there is a wizard alive today that could break it." The headmaster smiled at Harry, who was now telling Fawkes of his adventure. "But I wouldn't worry, Severus. There are absolutely no traces of darkness on the pendant. I have a feeling that young Harry's 'Guardian' was truly meant to bestow the necklace upon this child."

Sev nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Can I take him home now?"

"By all means, my child." Albus squeezed his shoulder. "But do bring him back for a visit soon. I daresay you're not the only one who needs reassurance that Harry is safe and sound. Even Fawkes is paying rapt attention to the boy's every word... and he just got his new feathers!"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Severus cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it, Black." He turned to make sure Harry was still across the room and couldn't hear him. "I trusted you to see my son home and you didn't do it. That means no babysitting until I'm assured that your priorities are once again in the right places."

"Severus, you weren't there... Hagrid got this look on his face, and I couldn't tell him that you didn't trust him to keep an eye on Harry."

"Black, I would much rather hurt Hagrid's feelings than lose my son!" He took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm. "He's as nice as he can be, but he's too naive to be in charge of a small child. And what's worse is that you knew this and still let Harry stay!"

Sirius hung his head in defeat. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Severus looked him over and nodded. "I accept your apology. But if you ever make a mistake like this again... even if Harry does come home safe, I'm going to wring your neck."

That said, the father walked over to his son and lifted him onto his shoulders. Harry giggled and latched onto his daddy's hair. "Let's go home, squirt."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus set Harry down on the couch as soon as they arrived home and took his place next to him. "Harry, you're getting to be a big boy now... I think it's time to have a 'big boy' talk."

The child's eyes widened when he heard his daddy call him a 'big' boy. "Really?"

Severus smiled. "Really. I just now realized that I never taught you what to do if you get lost like you did yesterday." He took a deep breath. "First of all, when whomever's watching you tells you to come home by yourself, I want you to tell them that you don't know the way. Unless it's an emergency.

"If it's an emergency, I want you to run to the Great Hall and hide under my place at the table. I want you to stay there quietly, no matter how long it takes. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "Stay under your place at the table."

"Silently -- correct. In this situation don't come out for anyone besides me, Uncle Albus, Aunt Minerva, Uncle Filius, Aunt Sprout, Poppy, or Sirius. If someone else calls your name, I don't care if you know them or not, do not show yourself."

"Okay daddy, I won't."

Severus smiled and hugged the boy. "Do you have any questions?"

Harry shook his head.

"If you're not at Hogwarts and you get lost, I want you to go into a crowded shop you know well and sit in the middle of the floor until I find you. If anyone picks you up that's not supposed to, what do you do?"

The boy smiled and giggled. "I kick, bite, and scream 'Help!' and find an auror or a mummy witch with small children!"

"Good boy. How do you floo here?"

Harry bit his lip and thought hard. "Umm... throw a pinch of floo powder into a fire and only step in if it turns green. Then I call out 'Hogwarts Dungeons, Severus Snape's Rooms' when it stops spinning I say the floo password: 'Fawkes'."

Severus smiled. "That's perfectly correct, son. One other thing, then you can go play. If you're with me or anyone else in a place you are unfamiliar with or where there are no other people around, and you suddenly find yourself alone, you're to plop yourself down on the ground and stay exactly where you are until I find you. Understand?"

The boy grinned. "Stay on the ground 'till you find me, daddy. Okay!"

As soon as they had finished their talk, the boy ran to his toys. Severus contentedly watched his son play and even joined in when asked.

Father and son dallied the day away and enjoyed a hearty dinner of roast chicken and corn. When night came Harry could be found snuggled peacefully in his daddy's arms as the older wizard read aloud from 'Greg the Green Gryphon and the Muggle Who Lost His Shoes'.

Severus made sure to sing all the silly little songs in all the requested squeaky voices. As he neared the end, he glanced down to see Harry out like a light. He set the book on the table beside his bed and put out the candles with a simple spell.

As he was laying down and shifting his dozing son into a more comfortable position, Severus realized that there was nowhere on Earth he'd rather be than here with his son.

No matter what the future held for little Harry, Severus would happily be there beside him to help see it through.

"Well here we are. The official beginning of summer vacation!" Remus guided the child out of the floo, looking around for Severus.

Seven-year-old Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around his teacher. Since he'd come of age to begin formal learning, his father had hired Remus Lupin as a private tutor. It had been his way of helping the other man out while ensuring a safe learning environment for his son. "Are you sure you can't go with us?"

Severus had planned a trip for him and Harry to an elaborate magical amusement park in Rome. Harry had been looking forward to the trip for ages but wished he could share the experience with his tutor and Sirius. The two men, however, had their own plans for the summer. Sirius had invited his best friend to spend their vacation in the Bahamas where they would 'stay for two luxurious months being pampered and scouting for women.'

His dad had rolled his eyes and told them they were dogs in every sense of the word. Harry didn't understand what he'd meant, but he knew they were bound to have more fun riding hover carts than lying on the beach.

"I'm sorry. I do want to see lots of pictures when you get back though." The older man lifted the child high in the air and swung him around once, smiling at the eruption of giggles. "Just think, this time next week you'll be tossed through the air by every spell possible."

Harry laughed and ran to his room as soon as his dad walked through the door. "Bye Uncle Remus! I'll take lots of pictures!"

-----------

Remus hung around long enough to be paid by Severus. He'd tried to decline, stating he owed Sev that much for the supply of Wolfsbane he'd brewed for him to take. The professor laughed and pushed the moneybag back. "It's not like I'm paying for the ingredients. Argue with Albus and go enjoy your summer."

-----------

Catastrophe struck.

The night before they were supposed to catch the portkey for Rome Severus came down with a bad case of Dragon Spots. It was normally a childhood disease that was all but wiped out with the invention of a counter spell. Unfortunately it seemed that Severus had never received the proper charm.

Covered in itchy blue spots, Snape was immediately placed in quarantine in the infirmary. Harry seemed to have no one to keep him. Poppy would be busy with her patient. Albus was leaving and all the other professors had already made plans as well.

Sirius and Remus had been gone for three days, so there seemed to be no one until Albus remembered Lily's muggle sister.

He was currently in the quarantined area, speaking with the sick man about the situation. Severus agreed to leave the child with his Aunt. "I'm glad you remembered, Albus. Lily hardly ever spoke of her family and I keep forgetting she has some relatives still living."

He immediately began coughing. Albus patted him on the back. "You just rest, Severus. I'll take care of Harry."

"Tell him I'm sorry about our plans and I love him."

Albus stood up and began to leave. "Of course. You concentrate on getting well."

-----------

Harry stood nervously holding the headmaster's hand as Albus rang the bell at 4 Privet Drive. Oh how he wished someone from Hogwarts could watch him this summer so he could help take care of his dad!

Finally, after what seemed like ages the door opened to reveal a thin woman with a long neck and sour disposition. "Yes, may I help you?"

Albus grinned widely. "Ah, Mrs. Dursley I presume?"

The lady frowned and eyed the man suspiciously as if he were about to either attempt to sell her a vacuum cleaner or convert her to his religion. "I am Mrs. Dursley, and who might you be?"

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I'm the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and…." Albus looked confused as the door was suddenly slammed in his face. He shared a glance with his young charge and knocked.

After a few minutes of ceaselessly pounding on the wood, his efforts were rewarded when the stern woman yanked the door open. "Listen, I don't know what you're doing here but I'll have none of the neighbors seeing you on my doorstep!"

Unperturbed, Dumbledore grinned once again. "Why of course!" He pushed past her into the house and tugged the seven-year-old behind him. "I'll be brief, Petunia… may I call you Petunia?"

The lady in question went from chalk-white as they came into her home to red when he asked her the question. "No you may not! How dare you enter…"

"Very well, Mrs. Dursley. I'll be brief." He sat down at the kitchen table and nodded at Harry to sit as well. Never losing his smile, he continued. "Now I'd like to introduce you to your nephew, Harry Jamison Potter. Harry, this is your Aunt Petunia."

The boy nodded and smiled shyly at her but Petunia wrinkled up her nose as if she had encountered a horrid smell.

"Now, I'm sorry to say little Harry's father has come down with an unfortunate case of Dragon Spots. It's not serious, but he will be in quarantine for a few months. I'm afraid you'll have to look after him until the danger is passed, but that's what family is for is it not?" He misread her horrified expression and began to make an attempt at placation. "Now there's nothing to worry about. Harry has already been spelled against receiving the affliction. Not to mention only wizards and witches are able to catch it, so you needn't fear anything on that regard. However, should the lad suddenly spark a fever and break out in blue spots I will leave you a parchment you can contact me through." He pulled out a blank piece of paper and laid it on the table. "I'll be at my grand-daughter's house in Greece for the summer, but it's not important. Anything you write on this parchment will show up on the one I will have with me."

Petunia kept gasping as if she were a fish caught on the bank, trying desperately to make it back into her pond.

In the meantime, Albus reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a tiny box and his wand. He unshrunk the child's trunk, ignoring the muggle's small shriek, and patted him on the head before heading to the door. "I expect you to behave yourself Harry. You're father will be by to collect you as soon as he's up and about again. Good day to you, Mrs. Dursley. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything."

The sound of the front door closing sounded very loud to Harry's ears. Turning away from the door, the two occupants warily regarded each other. Petunia stared wide-eyed at the child and covered her mouth as if trying to hold in a scream.

Just then the front door opened to reveal a large man with a mustache and no neck, followed by a boy who looked to be about Harry's age. The boy seemed to be the spitting image of what could only be his father.

The man frowned upon seeing Harry and was about to say something but before he could Petunia grabbed his arm and pulled him into the sitting room, whispering harshly and scowling in Harry's direction. The man was getting more and more red in the face as his aunt continued her tirade.

The boy came up to him then, catching his attention. "Who are you?"

"Harry. I think I'm your cousin." Harry hated the cold feeling inside when he realized he'd be spending the summer in a place he wasn't welcome. He clamped the lid on his homesickness and concentrated on the other child.

"You're not MY cousin. I don't have any cousins. You're just loony!"

Harry sighed. "Aren't they your parents?" He nodded. "Well my mum and your mum are… were sisters. That makes us cousins. What's your name?"

"Dudley." With that, he shoved Harry down. "And I'm not your cousin. My mum doesn't have any sisters so you're a liar. Why are you in my house."

Scowling much like his father would, Harry picked himself up off the floor. "I have to stay here for a little while until my dad gets better."

Dudley sneered. "Daddy won't let you stay here. There's no room. You're not allowed in my rooms or Aunt Marge's room." He pushed Harry again but thankfully he was ready and braced himself on the counter. "Guess you'll have to stay in the doghouse then! And don't think of touching any of my toys!"

The boy then scrunched up his face and ran to his parents. "Mummy, daddy, I don't want him here! He's going to try to take my toys and one of my rooms, I know it!" Both adults proceeded to glare at the wizard child.

Harry began to feel very small at the cruel expressions on his relatives' faces. Petunia bent down and started reassuring her obese son that 'No, that freakish child is most definitely not going to be touching any of your things, nor is he taking your second bedroom. Now go fix yourself a snack, Popkins, and turn on the telly.'

Placated for the moment, Dudley left his still fussing parents and threw his cousin a triumphant grin before digging through the fridge.

Harry sighed and sat down at the table. 'Oh daddy, please get better soon.'

-----------

Severus Snape was miserable. He lay in his quarantined room, bored out of his mind. Browsing through some of the magazines and books left by fellow employees, he sighed as none of them caught his interest.

Idly scratching a rather troublesome blue spot on the end of his nose, he wondered how his son was faring with the relatives he'd never met. Sev felt a little bad that he hadn't even remembered Lily had a muggle sister before Albus mentioned it a week ago. There were so many years she and her husband had missed out on due to his carelessness. 'Ah well, I'm sure they'll make up for it nicely this summer and then I'll be sure to let him visit regularly. If I'm not mistaken, they've even got a boy his age.' He thought of how they probably were at this very moment -- plying the boy with sweets and pinching his cheeks as aunts and uncles were prone to do.

Smiling, Severus remembered his own Aunt Gertrude who used to spoil him rotten every time she came for a visit. Uncle Raymond would then reach into his pockets and pull out a shiny galleon in exchange for a hug from his only nephew. Then he would ruffle his hair and send him out into the yard to play with Sev's two cousins while Aunt Gertrude would sniffle and comment on how the kids grow up so fast.

Severus wondered if Harry was disappointed that they weren't going to be able to go to the 'Great Wizarding All-Magical Amusement Park' in Rome as he'd scheduled. He shook his head. 'I'm sure his aunt and uncle will make up for it by doing something 'muggle' with him. Harry has been ever curious about that world.'

-----------

Harry decided he absolutely hated the muggle world. He scowled up at the bottom of the stairs from his little cot in the broom cupboard. He resisted the urge to kick the wall in annoyance. For two weeks he'd been in this cursed place where he'd been turned into the Dursleys' personal house-elf.

The first thing Uncle Vernon had done when he'd been apprised of the situation was take a pair of kitchen tongs and dispose of the magical parchment Uncle Albus had left. Aunt Petunia handed Harry a bottle of cleaner and a rag, making him scrub the table until it shone.

Uncle Vernon had then grabbed his trunk and locked it in the basement. He had protested this action vehemently until his brutish uncle backhanded him across the face. Harry, who had never had a hand raised to him EVER, stood there in shock with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Dudley laughed at him as if that was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

After being yelled at for 'disrespecting his elders', Harry had been dumped unceremoniously into the tiny cupboard under the stairs and had to go without supper. What started out as his punishment quickly became his bedroom as Petunia found an old camping cot that fit perfectly under there. He had suspicions that it was also due to the fact that Dudley had far too much fun jumping up and down on the stairs in order to make the spiders fall down on him.

None of them wanted him anywhere near his trunk, for reasons unknown, so any clothing he wore came from things his cousin had outgrown. He glared more menacingly as his stomach began to growl. They'd also gotten into their heads that he was going to cost them as little as possible, so he'd had to contend with tiny rations of food.

For a child who had grown up never wanting for anything, this was a hugely difficult situation to have to get used to. He looked down at the phoenix pendant resting against the dingy yellow T-shirt that was way too big for him. Harry thought about calling his guardian for help but decided against it. The old man had told him in the past that he would only help him in dire emergencies. No matter how depressed he was over being here, he didn't think his life was in danger.

He winced as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. Every muscle in his body was screaming from the amount of work that he was ordered to complete. Of course, the bruises he'd received from his bully of a cousin didn't help. He especially didn't like Dudley's and his friend Piers' new game called 'Harry Hunting'. On the plus side, Dudley was too fat to climb trees and Piers was too stupid.

Harry sighed. It was going to be a long summer.

-----------

Poppy frowned as she checked Severus' temperature. She didn't like the way it kept rising, but considering his ailment it wasn't unusual. Her patient was currently sleeping, tossing and turning with troubling dreams.

She forced him to drink his potion before rubbing an anti-itching salve on the spots. 'Poor little bugger'.

The medi-witch left the rooms and headed for her desk after walking through the germ-free barrier. There she composed a letter to the potion master's son, informing him that his dad was okay but unable to write to him because of the illness. She also stated how much she was sorry that his dad had to miss his birthday, but was sure Sev would make up for it when Harry came back.

She smiled tenderly before sealing the letter with wax and taking it to the owlery. She hated being the only one in the castle. Every step she took seemed to echo for miles, making her slightly uneasy. 'The sooner September gets here, the better.'

-----------

Dudley was watching a show on the telly when he heard a tapping at the sitting room window. Thinking it was one of his friends, he slung open the curtain and screamed at the sight of a huge brown bird holding a letter.

Vernon thundered down the stairs, unknowingly knocking dust down onto the child in the cupboard. "WHAT? What is it?"

Dudley ran to his father. "Daddy! Th… there's a bird trying to break in the window!" He pointed a pudgy finger towards the glass where the tapping continued.

Vernon glared at the animal and the letter it bore before beginning to worry what should happen if the neighbors caught sight of this freakishness. He knew this had something to do with the boy. Scowling, he inched up the window and tried to snatch the letter without touching the bird.

The owl glared disgustingly at the human before letting go of the envelope and flying back to Hogwarts.

Despite the note being addressed to Harry, Vernon tore open the letter and briefly read over its contents. After all, he had every right to know all that went on under his roof! Smirking evilly at a new way to torture his unwelcome houseguest, Vernon threw the note into the fire before pounding on the cupboard door.

"Bad news boy… it seems that freak father of yours has taken a turn for the worse. This barmy nurse sent a note saying he probably won't make it past your birthday." He relished the sound of the panicked gasp from behind the locked door. "And don't get any ideas about staying here, either because as soon as he kicks off you're going into the first orphanage I can find!"

He stomped off with glee, satisfied that he'd made life that much more difficult for the boy. Maybe this summer wouldn't be a total waste.

-----------

Harry began shaking. 'No it's not true. It can't be true! He's lying." His brain kept reminding him that his uncle was probably making all this up, but his heart wanted to know how the other man knew of his birthday.

Silent tears started streaming down his cheeks. He turned his face into the thin pillow and screamed in anguish.

He finally cried himself to sleep.

-----------

Over the next month there was a terrible change in young Harry Potter. He grew more despondent, never speaking to anyone -- not that they cared. The child's body grew thinner and sicklier. Though fed less than adequate portions, Harry couldn't find it in him to eat much. Every meal he would poke around at his food while his uncle smirked at him. His birthday passed with absolutely no word from anyone. He never even noticed, as he was so consumed with worry. Sirius and Remus would have sent his gifts to Hogwarts and the rest would wait for him to return before celebrating.

One Saturday morning in mid August Harry was pulling weeds in his aunt's flowerbed. Ignoring his aching hands, the child listed slightly to the right and continued on with his work. He never heard the low 'pop' coming from somewhere behind him.

-----------

Finally spot-free and declared non-infectious by Poppy, Severus immediately dressed and apparated to Privet Drive after a quick breakfast. He started to owl Harry yesterday to let him know he was coming but decided a surprise was in order.

As soon as he popped onto the well-kept yard of number 4 Privet Drive, he made sure no muggles caught sight of his method of travel. The only person in sight was his son. He smiled secretly and started to sneak up on the child when something made him pause. 'He's sick.' The child looked so weak, pulling weeds while favoring his right side. His skin was pasty-white and Severus Snape saw red at the purple and yellow bruise on his right cheek.

"Harry?" The child jumped at the sound of his father's voice and turned around in shock. Sev rushed over to his son and knelt down before him.

"Daddy?"

The way Harry said that one word crushed the professor's heart. It was as if he was afraid to believe his eyes. Severus reached up to gently touch the bruise coloring his cheek before nodding. "It's me, son. Sweet Merlin, Harry, what happened to you?"

Harry began sobbing like a baby and his equally distraught father immediately gathered him into his arms, stroking his hair. "It's okay, I've got you," he murmured into the soft, black hair.

A few minutes later, Severus was gently rocking his child when a woman's voice came from inside the house. "You'd better have all those weeds cleared off the lawn when you're done, you little freak, or you can forget about lunch! After that you can start on mowing the yard and Lord help you if you're not done before Vernon and Duddikins get back from the zoo!"

Sev was seething by the time Petunia finished her demands. He stood up with his son in his arms and stalked over to the front door before kicking it open. Petunia's irate reaction was nothing compared to his. By the time the slytherin was through with her, Petunia Dursley was cowering in the kitchen clinging to a frying pan.

He gently set his child on the floor and pulled his chin up so he could meet his eyes. "Where's your room? We need to get your stuff together and go back to Hogwarts."

Harry looked confusedly at his father and appeared so out of sorts that Severus began to truly worry about his child's mental state. "Harry!" Once he had gotten his attention again, Severus gently held the boy's head still. "Listen to me, baby, where do you sleep?"

The thin boy pulled away and led Severus to a cupboard door. The father clenched his jaw at the sight of the loosened padlock hanging to the side. Pulling the door open, he forced himself not to go avada the bitch in the kitchen. Guilt was tearing apart his insides like acid when he took in the tiny space filled with spiders on the wall. He squeezed his son's shoulders before stepping back and closing the door. "Where's your trunk?"

Harry pointed at the kitchen and spoke for the second time since his arrival. "They locked it in the basement. I couldn't get my clothes."

Sev ruffled his son's hair and pulled him into the kitchen. With a simple 'alohamora' the basement door flew open. "Go find your trunk. I'll be down in a moment." When Harry had disappeared, the man turned threateningly to Mrs. Dursley. "Where did he get that bruise?"

Petunia huffed. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. The boy's clumsy!"

In an instant he had his wand pointed at the housewife. "If you don't tell me who put that bruise on my son's cheek you'll soon be searching far and wide for your internal organs, now WHO HIT MY SON?"

Frightened out of her mind, the woman broke down. "Vernon… it was Vernon. The fre… boy hadn't finished his chores."

If at all possible, his expression darkened. "I see. And this Vernon is your husband?" She nodded shakily and he abruptly turned and went down the darkened steps. "Lumos." The basement lit up, revealing little Harry sitting on his trunk which was chained and padlocked. Sev shook his head in disgust and pulled his son up before banishing the chains. Severus dug through the trunk and pulled out a change of clothing for his son. He stood by while Harry changed, cringing when he saw how loose the trousers were on the child.

When they were finished, Severus angrily threw Dudley's hand-me-downs across the room and shrunk the trunk. Placing it in his pocket, he grabbed Harry's hand and they left the house.

The Knight Bus was summoned and soon they were on their way to Hogsmeade.

-----------

At Hogwarts, the two stopped briefly at their chambers to drop off Harry's trunk then went to the infirmary. Severus had an irate Poppy Pomfrey do a full physical checkup. She then treated the child for malnourishment with a few potions before taking care of the bruises. Besides the one on his cheek, he also had bruises on his arms in the shape of finger marks. Battling guilt and depression, Severus kept Harry in his lap the whole time he was being treated.

Resting against his father's chest, Harry stared passively out the window. Finally, Poppy straightened. "Well, I think he's about done here. He'll need to take the nutrient potions for another week or so. I won't be happy until he gets back up to the weight he was before."

Severus nodded and stroked Harry's hair. "Okay. I want a detailed list of all your findings to put on file at the ministry. I'll need it by tomorrow at the latest." He stood up and set his despondent child on the floor.

Poppy was writing something down on a piece of parchment. "Okay I'll have it ready by breakfast. You'll contact Sirius?"

"He and Lupin won't be back until next week. I don't want to wait that long." He glanced down. "No, I think Weasley can help me out. Will you be able to watch him tomorrow?"

Severus was graced with a raised eyebrow. "Need you even ask?"

He chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "I need not." He accepted the list. "I think I have all of these nutrient supplements in stock. If not, I'm sure I can manage to throw something together. Come on son. Thank you again Poppy."

-----------

When they got home, Severus immediately ordered food from the kitchens. After eating their fill, Harry was changed and put to bed. The Potions Master settled down on the couch thinking about all that had happened this day. It had never entered his mind that anyone remotely related to his Lily could be anything less than loving.

He hated himself for allowing Albus to place him with those monsters. He was worried more than he could say about how this would affect Harry in the long run.

Sev was staring off in space for another hour before his son woke up screaming for him. He rushed into the room and calmed him down as best he could.

-----------

As the weeks went by, Harry began to open up more and was able to talk about all the cruelties he had faced. He spoke of his uncle hitting him and telling him his father was going to die.

Not wanting to subject the child to the horrors of the ministry trial brought up against the muggles, Severus received permission to have Harry's testimony read by the medi-witch along with her own reports of his injuries.

Sirius had to be physically restrained during the entire proceedings to keep from murdering the Dursleys. The final outcome pleased everyone greatly except for the defendants. Vernon Dursley was sentenced to fifty years in Azkaban for child abuse. Petunia received the same. She had to be placed under a partial body bind as her child was taken away from her and sent to Vernon's sister Marge.

That night Severus threw a belated birthday party for Harry, inviting all their friends and professors. School would start in a few days bringing an abrupt end to summer vacation, but for now they were content to be in each other's presence.

The nightmares, however, would never completely fade away.

'And Greg soon found himself in a marvelous room filled with all the treasures one gryphon could imagine. There were rubies the size of bludgers and diamonds the size of snitches. Beads of shining emeralds were draped over many things. Even the floor of the room was covered in a sea of galleons.'

Severus finally reached the end of Harry's newest Gryphon book just as his five-year-old son lost his hold on consciousness. Gently covering him in the patchwork quilt Molly gave him for his birthday, the teacher bent down to tenderly kiss the tiny forehead.

"Sweet dreams son," he whispered before leaving to find a glass of water for his parched throat. Reading aloud to his child was something he'd done nearly every night since he'd come into his custody. It was a ritual he greatly looked forward to despite his growing tired of the insanely popular 'Green Gryphon'. Sometimes he wished Harry had never found out about those books. He'd tried many times to interest the child in another character -- to no avail.

He'd even, in desperation, taken Harry to a muggle library and let him pick out any book he wanted. Unfortunately his son chose a muggle fairy tale which involved the tragic demise of a witch. The child had cried for an hour after finding out the witch was burned alive and refused to sleep by himself for a week. If Severus hadn't been so exhausted while reading aloud that night, he would have 'edited' the story. But that just happened to be the night Poppy had demanded he restock her supplies of dreamless sleep potions and his mind hadn't been present during the reading.

No matter how annoying his current fixation was, it was nothing compared to a nearly hysterical child.

'How much longer can this phase possibly last?' While filling up a glass at the kitchen sink, Sev began chuckling as an image of him reading the same stories to a ten-year-old Harry came to mind. His expression turned to sadness when he realized that by that time Harry most likely would be appalled to have his dad reading to him at night, no matter the material.

He sighed. 'They grow up too fast....' With this final thought, the professor changed into his nightshirt and slid into his own bed.

-----

"Daddy, wake up!"

Severus never heard the slight squeak of his bedroom door opening. Nor was he aware of the sound of tiny bare feet running toward him. But the enthusiastic leap onto his unprotected abdomen, followed by the high-pitched screech directly into his ear caught his attention faster than an exploding cauldron.

"Ugh..." Ignoring the fierce little bundle of energy who had an annoying knack for waking him at five am every morning, Sev pulled the blankets over his head and turned over. Harry lost his balance and landed on the mattress beside the older man.

He giggled and tugged the blanket back down. "No daddy, it's morning and Uncle Moony is getting me today, member?"

Sev sighed. "'Remember', and yes I do but he won't be here until after breakfast which starts in... two hours."

When the time came for Harry to begin his education Severus had decided to forego placing him in Primary Wizarding with the rest of his peers. There was too much public interest in his son for him to feel safe dropping him off at any institution. Since Black's friend Remus Lupin was currently unemployed due to his 'illness' and not likely to have any steady source of income in the near future - well, it only seemed logical to pay Lupin to give Harry private lessons. Though he still had many unresolved issues with being nearly killed by Lupin in school, even he had to admit that the werewolf had a remarkable way of getting through to children.

Together they had been trying to help Harry with his 'baby talk'. His son had a hard time altering his speech patterns. To this day he still sometimes said 'Siwius' instead of 'Sirius' but with Remus' help he was improving greatly. Now he only slipped up if he was nervous or excited.

Sev thought the problem stemmed from the child's fans knocking each other down just to get a glimpse of the extremely shy boy. His son had always been wary of too much attention and tended to hide in the face of it. 'It's been four years, people. Leave him alone already!'

"Daddy?"

He snapped his attention back to the sleep-tousled boy beside him. The emerald eyes were staring widely at him in confusion. Severus realized his son had been trying to get his attention. "Yes, son?"

Harry gave a brilliant smile. 'How can anyone be this awake at five in the morning?' "I said can we have chocolate cake for breakfast?"

Severus chuckled. "I don't think so, Harry. I have a hard enough time keeping up with you when you're not high on sugar."

The boy appeared to be thinking hard. "It doesn't have to have sugar, daddy. I only want the chocolate!"

The father sat up and began to stretch. He briefly considered letting his son taste unsweetened cocoa to see the comical expression the act was sure to produce. "That may be so, however chocolate is still not on the menu. Now go dress in the clothes I laid out for you."

Harry reluctantly slid off the big bed and padded toward his room.

Severus smiled at the dejected boy. "Remember Harry, buttons go in the front and the tags go in the back like I showed you."

His answer was a toothy grin and a giggle. Harry's mood never stayed low for long. "Okay daddy!"

-----

As soon as they entered the hall Harry jerked free from Severus' hand, broke his dad's 'no running in Hogwarts' rule, and took a flying leap into Remus' outstretched arms.

"Uncle Moony I knew you'd come early to have breakfast with me today!"

"Is that so? And how did you know I'd be early?" The prematurely graying werewolf nodded a brief hello to the potion's master then focused his attention back on Harry while carrying him to his place at the head table. Minerva graciously gave her seat to him so Harry could sit in between him and his dad.

"I dreamed it last night. Artie told me I talked in my sleep. He said I said you would be early and also that Siwi... I mean Sirius is gonna take me fishing Saturday." Harry reached for a piece of french toast as Severus began filling his plate for him.

Remus looked questioningly at Severus. "Artie?"

"Harry's new imaginary friend. He 'showed up' at our room three days ago. The two seemed to get on pretty well." He then looked down at his son. "I thought Artie had left. I haven't heard you talking to him since the night he came to visit you. Did you have a fight?"

Wide emerald eyes met the professor's. "Oh no daddy. Artie said he'd never leave me!"

Smiling indulgently at the small boy, Lupin leaned closer. "I sure would like to meet Artie, Harry. Is he here with you today?" He wasn't worried in the slightest about the boy's new friend. Neither was Sev. Both men knew that imaginary playmates were perfectly natural at this stage of Harry's life and they welcomed the invisible being for the sole reason that he was important to this child.

"No, Uncle Moony. He said he had other things to do today but I'll see him later. He's also gonna come with me when Sirius takes me to O'Leary Loch."

Sev raised an eyebrow. "And when were you planning on telling me that Sirius asked you to go fishing? I don't recall dolling out permission for such an adventure."

"Oh don't worry daddy. He hasn't asked me yet." The older men scrunched up their faces in confusion, so Harry elaborated. "But he will ask you this afternoon when he gets off work."

Remus smiled, assuming the youngster had overheard Sirius speaking to someone about the surprise fishing trip and somehow worked it into his imaginary companion. Either that or Harry was making all this up. One glance at Severus proved the other's thoughts were along the same lines.

Neither of them thought any more on the subject. Soon Lupin and his pupil were finished with breakfast. Kisses and hugs were generously given to daddy and the two were flooing into Lupin's cabin for their lessons.

-----

Severus was busy grading third year quizzes when the fireplace in his sitting room flared up. Sirius Black stepped out coughing and brushing soot from his auror robes before looking up. "Is it possible to hate someone so much that their head will explode from your force of will alone?"

The professor sighed and arched an eyebrow. "Since you're standing here talking to me with your head still attached to your body, I'm going to have to say 'no'."

Sirius snorted in bitter humor before taking a seat on the sofa. "My supervisor is driving me insane! One mistake -- one minuscule error on my HB3-202 form and he's on the rampage. Like it's my fault, anyway... the idiot can't spell worth a flip and his handwriting's atrocious. I don't see why he can't fill out his own damned paperwork and leave me in the field where I belong."

"So why come to me with all your inane griping? Would you rather wade through piles of essays written by uneducated morons who would rather chase balls on broomsticks than open books?" He shoved another failed test to the bottom of the pile and started on the next. Black would find no sympathy here.

He heard a sigh behind him. "Nah... but Remus is still teaching Harry how to read and I'll distract him. Besides," he stated grinning, "you're the father of my child... I think I'm supposed to let you know what's going on in my life."

Sev rolled his eyes. "Thank you for that disgusting image, Black. I'm sure Lily would have loved it."

"Hah! She'd be giggling well into the weekend."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Black could no longer resist the impulse to chatter like a squirrel. He had picked up the stuffed dragon Albus had given little Harry a few years ago and was smiling softly. "Speaking of the weekend, would you object to me taking Harry on a little fishing trip?"

"I suppose you're planning on going to Loch-O'Leary?," he asked with a knowing smirk.

Black jerked his head up at that and didn't seem able to hide the look of raw astonishment that graced his features. "How...?" O'Leary was absolutely nowhere in the vicinity of Hogwarts and they would have to take what would be Harry's first trip via portkey, so it wasn't likely Sirius would believe it was a lucky guess.

Deciding to spare the mongrel a coronary episode, he explained. "Harry told me this morning. Evidently your desire for the trip to remain secret lasted only a precious few seconds."

Silence. He looked up to see confusion etched across the man's pale face. "Severus, I only just thought of the trip on my lunch break today... right before coming here. Not only have I not talked to Harry, but you are the only one I've discussed this with."

Seeing the truth in the other's eyes, it was his turn to feel the cold tendrils of shock floating through his veins. "Do you think Harry has the gift of foresight?"

"I don't know... has he ever predicted anything before?"

Sev thought a moment. "He seemed to know Lupin would be early today in order to join us for breakfast, but I wrote it off to childish impatience. I honestly never gave it a second thought."

Before either could speculate further, the object of their attention flooed in. He was crying loudly, held protectively in the arms of Remus Lupin. Severus jumped up immediately and pulled the sobbing child to him, searching for any kind of wound but not finding anything. He looked to Lupin. "What happened?"

The werewolf ran his fingers through his light brown hair and shrugged. "I don't know what happened. One minute we're going over his letters again and the next he starts screaming 'I'm gonna fall on the pointy spikes'.

Severus and Sirius exchanged horror-filled glances. Robbed of his ability to speak, the professor began lightly rocking side to side and rubbing his son's back.

The only thing he could think of was 'Oh Merlin, please don't let him have the gift....'

-----

A vial of calming potion later Harry was napping peacefully on the couch. He looked so tiny, wrapped up in the soft fleece blanket, that Severus couldn't stop his fingers from running through the silky black hair. He plucked Roofus, the stuffed dragon, from the mantle where Black must have laid him and tucked him in close to the child. The green and blue toy was slowly becoming Harry's favorite since Pafoo had been tragically eaten by Hagrid's three-headed dog Fluffy.

That had been a disaster that took Harry months to overcome. Come to think of it, Harry still didn't like Fluffy, even though the tragedy happened two years ago.

Black had taken Lupin into the next room to explain why they were so worried by the child's frightened words. Deciding to clean up some of the dishes from tea time, Sev turned to grab a cup and froze.

Roofus was sitting back on the mantle. He checked the toy for spells. Finding none, he chalked it up to his own fraying nerves. He must have meant to give him to Harry and got sidetracked by his thoughts. So he grabbed the animal and tucked him under the blankets before levitating the dirty dishes to the sink.

Re-entering the room, he couldn't hold back a gasp of shock. The dragon was once again resting next to the floo pot, as if he'd never been moved. He looked to make sure the door to his study was still closed. Certain that the remaining Marauders were not playing pranks, he then thought maybe Harry was performing spontaneous magic in his sleep.

He dismissed that theory because it takes strong emotions to trigger episodes in young children. The calming potion would forbid any strong emotions at all -- asleep or not. Severus also ruled out intruders, ghostly or otherwise, since he had the strongest set of wards on his rooms that he could apply.

So what was causing this?

-----

Sirius went back to the sitting room, followed by a pale-faced Remus, only to be met with the oddest sight. Snape had pulled an armchair close to Harry and was perched on the end of it with his wand drawn. The professor was staring avidly at the toy dragon in his godson's arms.

Before he could amuse himself with a witty comment regarding the odd situation, he paused at the same time Severus tensed. The toy's eyes were glowing a bright purple. It began levitating, then seemed to propel itself over to the mantle above the fireplace. Snape unconsciously kept his wand trained on the harmless looking toy before dropping it back to his side. Sirius and Remus, meanwhile, wore gobsmacked expressions during the whole episode.

Black was the first one to break the silence. "What the hell was that all about?"

Severus looked up before grabbing the dragon. "I don't know. It's been doing this since you both left the room." He handed the plaything to the auror. "I want you to take this to the Cursed Artifacts office at the ministry and see if they can find anything out about it because I'm at a loss."

Lupin scrunched his face up. "I'll go ask Albus if he knows anything first. Wasn't he the one that gave the dragon to Harry?"

Snape nodded. "Good idea. While you're doing that, ask him if he'd join us for dinner tonight. I would like to consult with him about this idiosyncratic situation."

Sirius looked at the man oddly before heading for the door. "Sometimes I think you memorized the freaking thesaurus. Who talks like that?!" The auror was still grumbling under his breath as the portal closed behind him.

Severus just rolled his eyes.

-----

When Harry finally came around, Severus asked him carefully if Roofus had ever acted strangely before. To his father's surprise, Harry simply replied that 'Artie doesn't like me talking to Roofus when he's here.'

Severus nodded absently. "Harry, is Artie here now?"

Harry nodded and pointed to the other side of the room. "He's been staring at you all this time, daddy." The boy frowned. "But I don't like the way he's looking."

The father glanced quickly to where his son pointed without seeing anything unusual. "What do you mean."

"He looks very angry daddy." He suddenly spoke loudly toward his imaginary friend. "Artie, why are you looking like that at daddy?"

Severus couldn't help the slight feeling of nervousness he had at his son's words. "Why is he angry at me?"

Harry looked frightened. "Because he says you're gonna try to take me away from him... and he's not gonna let you. He says he'll take me away first."

After Harry's words, Severus immediately grabbed his son and ran to the safest place in the entire castle. He yelled Albus' password and didn't even pause for breath before jogging up the moving staircase.

The headmaster obviously sensed his Potion Master's frantic state, for he opened his office door immediately. Severus slammed the door closed before leaning on it and taking deep breaths.

The child in his arms wasn't quite sure how to react to his daddy's panic attack so he kept his arms wrapped around his father's neck and hid his face.

Remus Lupin, who was seated across from Albus had jumped up as soon as they came barreling through the door at breakneck speed. "What is it?!"

Albus had remained seated, but there was absolutely no sparkle in his eyes. He'd never witnessed a fear this intense coming from the man before him save one time -- the night he'd had to tell him of the attack at Godric's Hollow.

Severus, still breathing heavily, sat down beside the werewolf. He refused to relinquish his grip on his son while telling them why he was terrified. By the time he had finished, Harry was facing Albus with his daddy's arm holding him close. He nervously had his left index finger in his mouth while the adults discussed the matter.

The headmaster finally turned his attention to the child before him. "Harry, is Artie here in the room with us now?"

The child craned his neck and looked all over the room. "No, Uncle Albus."

The old man nodded before offering the boy a piece of candy, who happily accepted.

"Harry, why don't you tell us all about Artie. Let's start simple. What does he look like?"

The boy thought for a moment. "Um... he's blue and small but biggerer than me. He gots pointy ears and no nose."

Albus stroked his beard while the other two men wracked their brains. Remus stood and began pacing. "Why don't we set him down with a pile of Magical Creature and DADA books to see if he recognizes anything."

Severus nodded. "Sounds plausible. Harry, are you certain he has no nose?" Harry nodded and began swinging his shoes. "Have you ever seen any creature like him before? Maybe in one of your picture books?"

Harry stuck out his tongue as if deep in thought before grinning. "No, daddy. But I don't think Artie'd let anyone take his picture... he doesn't like being blue. He won't even let Kooky see him 'cause he's scared she'd laugh."

Sev paused before remembering that the boy was friends with the elf in charge of their quarters. "Why would she laugh?"

The child shrugged. "Artie doesn't like being blue.", he repeated. "He only lets me see and hear him. He says I'm his family now and he's mine and he'll take care of me forever!"

-----

After the meeting Remus headed toward the library to research the possibilities while Severus bundled Harry up in his cloak and flooed to Sirius' bachelor pad in London. The auror was nowhere in sight so Sev took the boy back to the only bedroom to lay down with him for awhile.

He turned up his nose as the normal state of disarray stretched into the bedroom. Sev moved various stacks of parchment to the desk along with a woman's brassier, which he sincerely hoped did not belong to Black. By the time he was finished Harry was rubbing his eyes.

"Daddy, where's my pony pajamas?"

Snape kissed the child on the forehead. "I'm afraid we left the school too soon to pack. I'm sure one night without your pony pajamas won't kill you. You'll be sure to tell me the moment you see Artie, right?"

Harry nodded and closed his eyes. Severus removed the sleeping boy's shoes and socks along with his shirt and trousers before pulling the thick blanket over him. He then cast a cleaning charm on the bedding... twice for good measure, and lay down with the child.

No sleep came for Severus, however. He had a feeling he would be getting precious little rest until the whole matter was resolved.

-----

Sirius stumbled in very late that night... or early that morning depending upon how you looked at it. He nodded at Severus, who was drinking a cup of tea in the kitchen then headed toward the bedroom.

Folding back the covers, he noticed little Harry and blinked. 'If I'm supposed to be babysitting, why was I at work? Who was watching Harry? Snape's gonna kill... hold on.'

Tossing his outer robe on top of the desk, and nearly triggering an avalanche, Sirius backtracked to the kitchen. He was met by a raised eyebrow and a snide comment.

"I see your brain is still in the same working order it was when we were in school."

"Ha ha, what are you doing here?"

Snape smirked. "Are we not welcome? Where's your sense of hospitality? I am the so-called father of your child, after all. Can your crankiness be attributed to this being your 'time of the month', or is your brassiere on too tight?" The professor laughed darkly, seemingly remembering something.

The auror snorted. "Harry is welcome here at any time. You, on the other hand, are far too cruel to a poor, overworked ministry employee."

Living up to his name (for once), he became serious. "What happened?"

The animagus grew pale as Severus relayed all that had happened in his absence. Sirius poured himself a cup of tea. "Arthur found traces of magic on the toy you gave me, but was unable to determine the spell or the source. The signature was either too old, or a brand of magic that he's unfamiliar with. He suggested sending it to his son Bill, who is well on his way to becoming a curse breaker."

Severus nodded. "It couldn't hurt. He may be able to at least tell us what sort of creature we're dealing with."

Sirius yawned. "Listen, I'm not going to be much more help until I get some sleep. You take the room with Harry and I'll crash on the couch. We'll come up with something tomorrow."

The other man nodded. "Yes, you're right. I will endeavor not to worry any more about the matter at hand. And you have my gratitude for allowing us to remain in your domicile in the meantime."

Sirius sighed. "Why can't you just say, 'I'll try not to let all this get to me. By the way, thanks for letting me and the kid crash at your place'?"

Severus turned back around to face him. "That is what I said, is it not?"

The auror levitated the dishes to the sink and cast a dish washing charm, shaking his head all the while. "You're hopeless, Snape."

"Good night, Black. May your slumber be imbued with gratifying cerebrations."

Sirius' growl followed him down the hall.

-----

The next morning found young Harry Potter waking up long before his father and Sirius. He pushed his daddy's arm away from him and jumped off the bed. Soon he was dressed in the clothes he'd worn the day before because all the other clothes he found were way to big for him.

After taking care of his morning needs, the boy was soon making a spectacular mess in the kitchen. Milk was steadily dripping off of the table and the cereal he spilled littered nearly the entire floor.

He ignored the crunching beneath his untied shoes as he made his way to a cleaner chair with his breakfast.

Harry was almost finished when a familiar popping sound reached his ears. He turned and was faced with his not-so-imaginary friend Artie. The boy scowled at the noseless creature before him. "You scared my daddy, Artie. I don't like you anymore!"

Artie didn't appear ashamed in the least. "You is not needing him, little Master. I is being your family now. And you is being Artie's. It is taking Artie all night to find where he is taking you and now we must be leaving."

Harry took a step back. "I don't wanna. I'm telling daddy!"

He turned and ran toward the door but he was grabbed by the wrist before ever reaching it. Instead, he screamed for his daddy and Uncle Sirius to help him.

Moments later the two bedraggled men burst through the kitchen door and slid to a stop while brandishing their wands. Though the actual stopping was difficult with soggy cereal coating the floor, Sev and Siri managed by grabbing a hold of each other.

Sirius took one look at the creature and gasped.

-----

Harry's scream instantly broke through the peaceful dream Sirius was enjoying. Pausing only long enough to pull his wand from beneath his pillow, he jumped up and nearly tripped over a frantic Snape on the way to the kitchen.

After a few seconds spent trying to find traction on the slippery floor, the auror had his wand targeted on the small blue house elf who had obviously foregone his invisibility charms. Recognizing the being instantly, he couldn't believe he hadn't made the connection before now.

Of course! James had long ago told him of his parents' newest house elf who'd been caught looking through his former master's private things. The being had been punished and forced to remove his own nose for being 'nosey' before receiving unwanted clothing.

Years later there was an incident where the unfortunate elf had been cleaning in James' childhood room. He'd accidentally stumbled across one of the marauders' failed pranks. The powder they'd made was designed to turn skin and hair a bright blue. Unfortunately Remus had discovered that the color was permanent and they'd cancelled the plans to use it.

On the plus side, Remus' blue owl was the most unique familiar the halls of Hogwarts had ever seen.

It explained so much. Harry wasn't old enough to recognize the creature as a house elf. There were too many differences between Artie and the elves the child had grown up knowing. The missing nose, the blue skin, and the partial invisibility charm that only Harry was able to see through, to name a few.

What worried Sirius the most was the insanity lurking behind the wide, panicked eyes. This elf had lost three families already. The first had abused him, obviously, and then James' dad had welcomed him into their home. Then they'd died, leaving Lily and James to keep him briefly.

Harry, being the last remaining link to the Potter household, was literally all he had left. And the determination in his expression hinted that he wasn't letting this child go without a fight.

"Okay Artie, let him go." Sirius knew very little about house elven magic, but he did know that this one would have one hell of a time trying to apparate Harry through the many wards he had erected. This left the being with few chances to escape with the small child. "We don't want anyone to get hurt here. I know you're upset, but you don't want Harry to be scared do you?"

-----

Severus was nearly frantic. He watched as Black attempted to calm the little monster down but all he could focus on was the look of fear in his little boy's eyes. He never wanted to see that expression there again as long as he lived. The oddly blue-colored elf had a fierce grip on Harry and seemed to be using him as a human shield, effectively keeping the two men from throwing hexes his way.

Pointy ears flopped as the would-be kidnapper jerked his head left and right, looking for an escape route. Severus would be damned if he'd give him one.

"I is not scaring little Master Harry!" He seemed incredibly offended at the accusation. "Artie is a good elf. He is taking Master away so Artie is getting his family back."

Artie raised his fingers and a flash lit up the room, causing the two men to look away from the blinding light. Then a loud crash sounded and when they turned back there was a huge gaping hole in the wall and Harry was missing. Severus knocked Sirius down and ran with all his might through the hole leading outside, but it was no use.

Artie had taken Harry beyond the wards and transported him to only Merlin knows where.

"Damn it to bloody hell!" Severus repeatedly kicked the nearest tree, ignoring the crowd that had formed when hearing the blast coming from their neighbor's dwelling. He ignored the concerned questions and stormed back inside, casting a repairing spell on the wall as he went in order to keep the slack-jawed idiots out.

He found Sirius placing a frenzied firecall to the ministry and then to Dumbledore. As they were waiting for the aurors and the order members to arrive, Severus paced worriedly. He was clutching the plush black cat his son had left at his godfather's home a month before.

Black sat on the couch in a daze. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists.

Albus was the first to arrive, followed by some order members. Severus was expecting this, seeing as every move the ministry made had to be accompanied by paperwork -- filed in triplicate. At least that was what he'd gathered in listening to the excessive grousing coming from the mutt.

-----

Albus Dumbledore was a powerful man. He was also an old man. But seeing Severus, (a man he'd come to know as a son), in such a state he became a very determined man. And now he was going to use this determination in conjunction with the power and wisdom to bring this man's son back to him.

"Severus, you need to sit down." He guided the professor to the couch and pushed him into a sitting position. The distraught man immediately buried his face in his hands.

Dumbledore was about to speak when the floo flared up once again. A wild-eyed Remus Lupin stumbled out of the fireplace and paled upon seeing the expressions of the others. His shoulders immediately slumped. "I'd hoped the information was false, but I can see it wasn't. What are we going to do, Albus?"

"I understand that Sirius has had some experience with our kidnaping elf? Mr. Black, if you would tell us everything you know about the mysterious 'Artie'?" He waved his arm and the auror faced the others. "All I know is that he used to belong to a wizard who was cruel to him. His master caught him snooping and forced him to cut off his own nose as punishment. Shortly thereafter, however, he was given clothing and sent away." He finished explaining about the two generations of Potters claiming him as well as the traumatic situation which resulted in the creature having blue skin. "He was hardly ever seen by both James and his father after that. I guess that's when he started using the invisibility charm on himself out of shame... though I honestly didn't know house elves could be embarrassed."

Albus nodded and stroked his beard. "House elves, you will find, are some of the most emotional beings that we know of. They will very seldom go against the wishes of their masters, however, so we can assume that the Potters allowed Artie to hide his humiliating blue state."

Suddenly a glass tumbler crashed into the brick wall, causing the occupants to jump in fright as the glittering pieces dispersed. Severus, who had thrown it, stood up and glared at Black. "This is all well and good, but could you please let me know how all this talk is going to FIND MY SON?!"

Sirius looked away and ran a hand through his hair. The others, save Albus, began to fidget in the awkward silence that followed his emotional outburst. The old headmaster reached out and placed a calming hand on the other's shoulder. "We will find him, Severus. But we need to be able to think like Artie before we can get a clue as to where he would take Harry. We'll need to get inside his head, so to speak."

"He'll take him home!" Sirius jerked his head up as the idea had come to him. "Harry is the master... he called him that in the kitchen before they disappeared..."

"Don't be absurd!" Auror Candace Cassidy spoke up. "Godric's Hollow has been completely destroyed! Even the remaining rubble had been removed years ago. And I'm sure the senior Potter estate has been condemned. There hasn't been wizard magic there for years! Since our magic, not that of the house elves, is what holds a wizarding home together, the floorboards probably would break under the boy's weight by this time."

Everyone was silent for the moment while they thought about her words. It stood to reason that the first home of Artie's was out of the question because of the fact that when given clothing, the elves were forbidden to return. "Sirius?!" Black looked at Severus, startled out of his thoughts by the panic in his reluctant friend's voice.

"What is it?"

Severus appeared even more frightened that he did previously. "Are there pointy spikes anywhere on the grounds of the Potter Estate?!"

Both Sirius and Remus gasped, remembering the incident that had the young child in tears screaming, 'I'm gonna fall on the pointy spikes!' "At the western side of the manor! James and I were never allowed to fly our brooms there because of the spikes. His mum was scared we'd fly into them and impale ourselves. There's a small part of the house where the fence is extremely close to the wall."

-----

Sev didn't wait for another word. He'd immediately cast floo powder into the grate and yelled out 'Potter Manor'. When nothing happened, he changed his command to 'Hogsmeade' and whirled away in a cloud of soot and green flame. After arriving, he wasted no time apparating to a house he'd only ever been to once with Albus. Luckily he had a wonderful memory and was soon standing in the parlor.

He gasped and instantly had his wand trained on the group of people standing there before recognizing them. Keeping his voice low so as not to alert the infernal elf to their presence, he demanded, "How in Merlin's name did you get here before me?!"

Albus smiled benignly. "The name of this house is 'Cloverdale', my dear boy. Had you not been so impatient, you would have known."

Remembering the reason for his impatience, Severus moved toward the stairs. He was vaguely aware of his mentor heaving a great sigh, but too occupied with his mission to care. Though trying very hard to avoid making any noise, the groaning and creaking wood beneath his feet was being extremely uncooperative. When wizards passed away or moved, their houses simply died when left untended. All that was left behind was the mere shell of what once was a live, almost sentient being.

He broke out of his thoughts when he saw something. Crouching down, Sev picked up a shiny button. There was no dirt on the item, so he could only assume it belonged to Harry.

"What is it?"

Severus jumped in fright when Sirius' voice whispered the question from behind him. Evidently the auror had some skill after all. "Black don't do that! Where's everyone else?"

"They've fanned out. Albus thought it would be more productive to search the entire house. Hopefully there's enough people here that our combined magic will awaken the house long enough to keep us all safe." He paused and gestured to Sev's pocket. "Did you find a clue?"

"Yes, it's Harry's button. Now shut up and keep your eyes open." He continued creeping down the hallway, gently opening doors as he walked through the west wing. Severus listened heedfully for any voices. He'd already forgotten the presence of Black as he focused on his son.

He paused and held up his hand as a tiny whimper met his ears, followed by muffled words. They inched over to the last door on the right and leaned in to listen.

"But Master Harry must tell Artie what to do! Artie is not knowing how to run a wizard house!"

This was met with more sobs from Harry. "I don't know! I just want my daddy!!"

That was enough for Severus. Nodding to Black, he steadied his wand and kicked the door in. The house elf barely had time to gasp as two stupify curses were zooming toward the blue creature. Unfortunately, his reflexes were good and he popped over to where Harry was standing in front of the back wall.

"Daddy!!" The child started to run to his father when the curses suddenly met with the wall and caused the room to shake ominously. Unbalanced, the boy fell but was immediately grabbed by Artie, who was backing up to where they were previously standing.

Severus was furious. He thought of every single spell he knew, trying to figure out which one would permanently sever the ties between him and Harry. Finally it came to him... the perfect spell. It was ideal because it had to be cast at the human in order to work. Artie was currently using Harry as a shield, so he wouldn't be expecting it. The spell was originally designed as a punishment when a wizard was exiled. That way, he or she would not even have their personal servants to fall back on as recourse for crimes against society.

Swishing his wand twice, followed by a short vertical slice through the air, he pointed it at his son. "Nexcomunie Fidels!" Harry flinched as the bolt of red light hit his chest, though Severus knew for a fact that he was in no pain. The house elf began panicking when the same red light encompassed him.

"Nononononono..." Shaking his head back and forth in denial, Artie desperately grabbed Harry and yanked him backwards. Unfortunately, Harry tripped on a loose floorboard and fell back, pushing the little elf into the wall. Weakened by time and the earlier stupify curses, they both crashed through the wood and fell to the ground.

"NO!" Severus rushed to the hole and fearfully looked for his child.

The boy was wide-eyed and hovering upside down about an inch from the long iron spikes. Remus was standing below, carefully maneuvering Harry's body safely away from the fence and to the ground with a spell. Sirius and Severus collapsed against each other in relief.

He vowed to himself at that very moment to work harder on improving Remus' potion in thanks for his intelligent decision to wait by the fence.

Before making his way back to the ground level, Sev couldn't help but notice that Artie hadn't been so lucky in the fall. He hoped Remus also had the sense to keep his son from the grisly sight of the small blue being pinned through the heart and unmoving.

-----

"How is he?" Sirius dropped in a few days later with Remus. They had both wanted an update on their favorite little boy.

Severus looked up from his novel as the two flooed in. "He bounced back a lot faster than I did. He doesn't talk about it much, but he seems happy. He's in his room playing with his toys right now."

Sirius nodded. "Why don't we all go fishing?" When the others looked at him, he continued. "It seems that our dear Harry does have the gift of foresight and it would simply be a shame for such a wonderful vision to not come true. It may even get our own minds off the recent scare."

Sev and Remus looked at each other before laughing. Maybe things would get back to normal sooner than they thought.