“We’ve made our decision. We chose Australia.”  Severus stated to the healer. He looked at his son in confirmation and Harry agreed. “It’s summertime there now, and much warmer than the United State’s winter.” Severus reasoned with Healer Linda.

The witch nodded and drew her wand in a circle in the fire.  A scroll appeared out of the air and floated in front of the Slytherin. The Potions Master reached and grabbed it. He read the message and nodded. “That’ll be fine. Good day.” He bid his goodbye to the Healer who nodded and cut the connection. Then he turned to his son. “Harry, I’ll tell you the exact location when we arrive at the destination. The walls here have ears and like to gossip with their mouths. “Indeed, several portraits were awake and not even bothering to look like they weren’t holding onto every word. 

“Well if you want to be that way!” A large woman spat, blaring at the Slytherin with angry painted eyes.

“Yes, I do say! Young people these day, they don’t know how to treat their elders!” An old wizard in a sleeping cap answered, shaking his fist at Severus.

“Be quiet or I shall cast a silencing spell that will even work on paintings!” Severus snarled. “I’m sorry about  that Harry.” He looked at his fatigued son, “I will summon your friends, we need to leave in a few hours.”

“So soon?” Harry softly asked, worry clouding his face.

“The sooner that we leave, the sooner we arrive and we have got quite the journey to undertake. “ Severus’ face softened, “we’ll also have to take alternate routes and methods of traveling as you are. . .indisposed at the moment. Your recovery is paramount.”

“Yes sir. I understand.” Harry hated sounding like a weakling and he missed his spunk that he typically wore as armor. He had no energy for pretending between being hurt and the mind numbing potions he was prescribed.

“Will you all right while I go and fetch Granger and the Weasley’s?” Severus didn’t want to overload the lad but didn’t want him to feel like he was being abandoned either. A thin line to walk was before him as he began to embrace his surprising paternity. It didn’t help matters that he had treated the child horribly from the moment Harry walked into his Potions’ classroom.

“Yes sir, I’ll be fine.” Harry answered dully. He cast his eyes down and Severus knew that the boy didn’t really want to be alone but would cooperate for his sake.

“I’ll be back momentarily. If you need anything, Madam Pomfry is just inside her office.” Severus felt his lips turn upwards in what he recognized as a long forgotten smile. “I will get you friends. I’ll try not to scare them-too unnecessarily.” He promised as he exited the Hospital Ward. 

                                                            ~~SE~~

True to his word, Severus was only gone for a maximum of fifteen minutes. A fact that Harry found oddly comforting. And to the Gryffindor’s delight, he had truly come back with his closest mates. Of course, Harry, supposed that they would have created a mutiny if they learned he took off to a different country-a different CONTINENT-without so much as a “goodbye!”!  It was probably safer for the school to allow his friends to visit him while in the Hospital Wing. Harry had already learned that the twins could be quite persistent deviants when it came to getting their way for a cause. Somehow, he didn’t doubt that if they wanted to, they would even find a way to track and follow him into Australia with Ron and Hermione in tow. Harry guessed that the girl’s resolve for following school rules could be easily broken as she had already demonstrated in the past couple of months.

“Hey mate! We heard you’re going to Australia!” Ron greeted as he sat down on the edge of his friend’s bed. “Charlie went once and he said, and I quote, that he had the ‘most awesome time mate!’ And did you know Australia used to be the place where the British would dump their criminals!” The eleven-year old redhead certainly knew the amusing facts of a place. “And that it’s the summer there!” Ron bounced on the bed slightly. He was concerned for his friend definitely, but he couldn’t help feel excited for him-maybe he’d get to visit his mate there. “And I heard the surfing is awesome-“ Three pairs of elbows ambushed him. “What?” Ron asked, uncertain as to why he was being attacked.

“Ron-oh never mind!” Hermione threw her hands in the air, looking very much as exasperated as she felt.

Even if his friend didn’t get the point of the attack, Harry certainly did. He bit his lip and then forced his lips into a small smile. “It’s ok guys. He didn’t mean anything by it. Plus, he’s right, surfing is supposed to be prime there! My family went once and Dudley bragged that he had the time of his life. I don’t know how he was able to surf; I’d figure he’d break the board and the wave!” Harry snarked as he recalled the vacation his relatives had taken but had left him with the “cat lady.”

As he hoped, all three of his friends burst out laughing, having been shown a picture of his cousin, and even he could spot Severus smirking in the corner. At least the man didn’t look like he wanted to stun and fry Ron into a crisp anymore as he had moments earlier.

The three friends chatted for another hour before Severus reluctantly approached Harry. “It’s time we were off. House elves have already sent our belongings to the coach we’ll use to leave Hogwarts. “ Harry looked at his friends.

“I guess this is it, then. I’ll see you guys-“he paused, “I’ll see you guys later.” He finished. Now that the time had come, he felt an odd feeling fluttering in his chest. It took a moment for him to realize it was being homesick already. He had never longed for his home, because the house he grew up in wasn’t home and he never missed it.

The friends said their byes and slowly walked to the door. Harry wondered, briefly, if they would miss him as much as he would miss them. He didn’t know how that would be possible; he knew he’d never been missed. Ron and Hermione did seem like genuine friends-even if Ron got hotheaded at times and Hermione was a bit of a know-it-all, they were the closest thing that the Gryffindor had to friends. And the twins, George and Fred, were every bit the big goofy brothers, or at least the closest things that Harry had as brothers. He wouldn’t dare consider the bully Dudley to be a friend let alone a brother.

“I’m ready,” he stated to Severus when he saw the man staring at him. Huh, he must have dazed off into space again.  The man nodded and drew his wand. A moment later Madam Pomfry came out of her office and handed Severus a large bag that he proceeded to stuff various potions, tubing and extra braces, among other things into. Strangely, the bag never got full. Harry watched as the man incanted a softly spoken Latin spell and the bag shrank to the size of a button.

“Thank you Madam Pomfry.” Severus intoned as he nodded to the Mediwitch. He incanted another softly spoken spell that Harry couldn’t quite hear well enough to decipher what language it was spoken in. A stretcher floated in midair to the group. You’ll ride out in this, but I took the liberty to make it and myself, invisible to any onlookers. I supposed that you wouldn’t want to be seen be taken out on stretcher. Plus it gives the added safety of not allowing those who would do you harm to see you leave.” Severus explained. “Ready?” Harry gave his consent, not knowing what he was consenting to, but trusting the man. He noticed that his sheets wrapped around him as he floated in midair to softly land on the stretcher. His medical tubing trailed along and came to a rest on top of his stomach.

With a final nod to the Mediwitch, Severus stood up and trailed after the stretcher that had secured Harry onto it with a sticking spell.

They passed invisibly through the halls of the castle, passing, at times, through crowded hallways but due to the spell, never being detected. Harry found that he rather liked the change of not being recognized. It was a luxury that he rarely received any longer.

Before too long, they were outside. A coach was waiting for them, just as Severus had promised. The stretcher that held Harry slid into the coach and Severus followed it. Severus muttered something seemingly into the air and the coach took off and soared into the sky.

Harry couldn’t help but being excited. “Australia, here we come.”