Remus jumped so badly as he wrote out an outline for the next Order meeting, that he spilt the ink all over the yellow parchment, his hands flying to his ears as his sensitive hearing was pierced by a glass shattering shriek, followed almost instantly with an intense and overwhelming revulsion of self, bringing tears to his eyes unwittingly.

Stumbling to his feet, he turned to Dumbledore, who seemed to have been effected in near the same way by the scream; only he didn’t need to block his ears. The headmaster only spared him a brief glance, before he dashed out of Remus’s office, the werewolf hot on his heels, heading straight for the hospital Wing.

“What on earth was that, Albus?” Remus managed to get out between breaths, glancing at the headmaster out of the corner of his eye. “I’ve never felt anything like that before? Did you feel it too?”

Albus nodded. “I did indeed, Remus,” he replied, turning a corner and heading down one staircase to the Hospitals floor. “And as to what it was … I believe it was Mr Potter…”

“Harry?” Remus was both shocked and appalled by the statement. “What would make him scream like that? And how would he do it in the first place?”

He saw Albus shake his head slightly as he turned down the last corridor, not answering as he stopped dead at the sight of the huge Ward doors half hanging from their hinges in front of him.

“What on earth?” Remus muttered, striding forward, just behind Albus, who had started to jog down towards the Ward.

They rounded the ruined doors to find the room all but empty, save for Madame Pomfrey, who was now striding towards them.

“Poppy, where are Severus and Mr Potter?” Albus asked immediately, his eyes training over the bed Harry had occupied a few minutes beforehand.

Poppy seemed to be quite flustered and upset, but she still answered with a strong voice.

“Severus left right after we heard that awful scream. He told me to tell you that Mr Potter had reached Stage One … whatever that’s supposed to mean. I think I saw Mr Potter as well, if I’m to believe what Severus told me. I saw some large creature running out of the Ward just after I heard some yelling. I found Severus on the ground, apparently having been struck by this creature; he told me that the creature was Harry…”

Poppy trailed off, and Albus nodded, shooting a concerned glance towards the doors that lead to the hallway.

“Albus, what’s going on?” Poppy asked quietly, her skin looking quite pale. “I asked Severus, but he told me to ask you.”

“I will answer your questions in time, Poppy, but at the moment I would like you to tell me where Severus was heading?” Dumbledore replied apologetically, though he was already turning toward the doors again, intending to head out even if it was without instruction.

Poppy was obviously miffed by this arrangement, but didn’t complain as she informed the Headmaster of what Snape had told her, about heading towards the bathrooms in the area.

Dumbledore thanked her graciously and hastily left the Ward, Remus close behind. Silently, they both strode through the halls, checking all the nearest bathrooms as they went, only to come up empty handed in all. Anxiety growing, they got to the boys bathrooms on the third floor, eliminating two from the search before they came across one with a splintered door.

Shooting a brief glance at each other, both Dumbledore and Remus jogged the remaining yards and rounded the doorframe, skidding to a halt at what they saw.

The room had been close to demolished. Mirrors were shattered; the shards littered about the wet floor; a number of stalls had been splintered into nothingness; some of the porcelain sinks on the opposite wall had been ripped from their housing, leaving the broken piping to spray their water about the room.

The most prominent sight, however, was that of Severus Snape kneeling beside, who Dumbledore suspected, was Harry … in his newest guise. If not for the current seriousness of the situation, Dumbledore would have called the scene almost sweet. Snape currently had his hand on Harry’s brow, checking his temperature via Muggle means rather that his wand. Not only that, but what made the scene so different, was that Harry’s head was currently cradled in the Potion Masters free arm in an almost tender fashion.

Taking a quick sideways glance at Remus; who for his part was staring blatantly at the pair on the floor, Albus quickly stepped forward and knelt on the opposite side that Snape was occupying.

“How is he, Severus?” Albus made sure his voice was quiet, for he didn’t want to startle him in any fashion, lest he accidentally hurt Harry in the process.

Snape looked up at Dumbledore for a moment, before returning his attention to the form cradled in his arms, still making sure that his health was of satisfactory standard before attempting to shift him back to the Hospital Wing.

“He doesn’t seem to have sustained any major injuries, apart from some surreptitious cuts along his hands and arms; though they seem to be healing already.” He pointed at Harry’s hands and arms, correctly diagnosing the small slashes as half healed. “Apart from that however, I don’t believe he is physically unwell, barring his sudden exhaustion, and the shock from his most recent experience…” he trailed off, eyes lingering on the newest additions to the Golden Boys features, a spark of something like sorrow glimmering until snuffed out by the mask of indifference again. “I require some assistance in moving him back to the Hospital Wing.”

Dumbledore nodded and stood with Severus, pointing his wand at Harry’s unconscious form at the same time as Snape, and casting the levitating charm … only to see both his own and Severus’s spell turn into a soft glow, before seeping into Harry’s silvery skin. It had no effect.

“What the hell?” Remus muttered, though he was ignored by the two others standing. Dumbledore creased his brow in thought, but Snape simply cursed under his breath.

“I had thought that your assistance, Albus, might have overpowered Harry’s defences just enough for the charm to work on him … but as he isn’t conscious, he can’t allow the spell to work on him willingly.” He sighed heavily, staring down at the newly awakened Avatar, before his gaze swivelled suddenly to Remus. “Get out your wand, Lupin,” Snape demanded non-too politely. “Maybe your booster to the charm will do what Dumbledore and I couldn’t on our own?”

Shaking physically from the slight daze that had swamped him at the sight of Harry’s vastly different body, Remus obediently drew his wand and cast the levitating charm alongside Dumbledore and Snape …… with no change in result. Harry still lay on the chipped and broken tiled floor.

“How are we going to move him then?” Remus asked, looking Harry up and down, estimating him to now weigh no less than one hundred and seventy pounds, most likely more, what with the sudden bulkiness he’d acquired.

Without another word being spoken, Remus was stunned speechless as Snape put his wand back into his robes, before bending down and awkwardly lifting Harry from the floor, fumbling for a few moments as he got him steady in his arms. As soon as Harry was settled, Snape stepped from the room, apparently quite capable of carrying Harry all the way to the Ward.

“You know, I could have made him a stretcher,” Dumbledore whispered quietly into Remus’s ear, smiling benignly. “But he’d already picked Mr Potter up from the floor before I could suggest it. I would call that something like a shining star of hope … wouldn’t you?” With that, Dumbledore left and followed Snape, who had already vanished around the first corner. Remus took a few more moments before registering what Dumbledore had just told him.

Snape cared … at least a little … and that at least was a step in the right direction in accepting Harry Potter as his son.

***

Night had long fallen, casting its shadows throughout the deathly silent Hospital Wing, where two occupants rested side by side. Madame Pomfrey had long since returned to her sleeping quarters, trusting the brooding and sourly Potions Master to keep vigilance over her sleeping charge.

Snape was still in the same place he was when the Matron had finished giving Harry a quick running over, declaring that he was merely exhausted, and required a good nights sleep.

Snape had seen Poppy’s reaction when she got her first good look at Harry’s new endearments, and he could tell she felt a great deal of pity … for his son. Poppy had tried to get him to leave, but something in him demanded that he stay. And stay he did, refusing to sleep lest something happened while he was unprepared and unsuspecting.

The young man before him stirred slightly, and Snape sat upright … but soon Harry settled again, his breathing deep and steady. Letting out the breath he’d been unaware he was holding, Snape leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees, studying the features of the boy he thought he knew, in a thin beam of moonlight that crept though the high windows, illuminating the silver skin in such a way that it seemed to shine and glimmer.

It was almost an unearthly glow surrounding the sleeping form. An invisible aura that projected the power he possessed. Snape knew that he had another bout of explaining to do, especially after what had happened that afternoon, but this time, Snape didn’t feel so irked by the idea. He merely accepted the fact as something he had to do, almost dismissing his previous bias that the boy was a Gryffindor.

Twisting his lip though, Snape thought about the way his son’s initial transformation had come about. It had been quite painful, if how Harry had behaved was anything to go by … and it made Snape ponder on how the next developments might show themselves. He knew that his physical body still had some changing to do … but what of his magical development? Knowing that with the first change came the first magical influx, Snape was curious to know just how strong Harry was now, in the magical sense. He already knew he was rather strong, and that was before the change … so how would he be now?

Snape smirked in the darkness, as a sudden picture of Harry having a mock skirmish with Dumbledore flashed across his minds eye. That would be an interesting sight … but not only that. Harry would gain even more raw magical strength when his body finally adjusts to his new power fully. When Harry arrives at his final form, he would most probably be able to defeat Dumbledore in a real duel with ease. Leaning forward again, Snape covered his mouth as he continued to study his son, realizing for the first time, just how frightening an idea that would be …

Leaning back in his chair again, Snape shook his head, knowing that if he would trust anyone with such abilities, it would be the boy before him. Harry would never abuse the new powers he would have access to, and the idea strangely afforded him some kind of comfort.

A sharp noise behind him made Snape startle, turning in his seat to see the cause of his disturbance. Almost immediately, Snape was out of his chair, swiftly making his way towards the person approaching him, careful to remain silent so as to not disturb Harry’s rest.

“What do you want, Lupin?” he asked, whisper quiet though no less venomous. “Surely whatever it is could have waited until tomorrow?” Snape threw a significant look towards Harry’s sleeping form, before turning back to see Remus’s eyes resting on the changed boy as well.

“I suppose it could have waited for tomorrow, Severus,” Remus replied just as quietly. “But, I wanted to tell you now, that I have finished the letter for the Order, and have just sent it off.” He looked back at Snape evenly, pausing for a moment, then taking a breath. “I told them – ”

“If you told all of them anything about what happened here, they’re going to want him to join without a second thought!” Snape interrupted, raising his voice unintentionally. “Tell me you at least had enough sense to leave out who Harry’s father is…”

Remus didn’t speak for a few moments, but looked at Harry again, then returning his eyes to the Potions Master.

“If you would let me finish what I was saying… Severus…” he said calmly, “I told the other members … nothing of what happened here this afternoon, and didn’t even pass mention of who Harry’s father could possibly be. I know you told us you didn’t want to reveal that information, and I will respect that request, until I deem it necessary that Harry needs to know. If he becomes distressed in any way, due to not knowing, I will tell you first, so you can let him know. But if you don’t … I will.”

Remus held Snape’s cold glare for only an instant, before whirling around and marching back out of the Ward, leaving the other staring at where he had been standing … neither noticing a pair of glowing green eyes blinking in the darkness.