“And how do you feel Minerva?” Dumbledore and McGonagall were in the latter’s office drinking tea and crumpets.

“Better, thank you Albus. Poppy gave me a calming draught and I slept like a baby, my leg is also better now.”

“What do you think about my idea?”

“I think that you are a meddling old man, those children do not deserve to be rewarded with a party.”

“They will have to get the room ready first, I can assure that it will take them some hours of hard work, they wont be allowed to use magic.”

“I was planning to stop Potter from playing Quidditch during the next game.”

“That would have been excessive Minerva.”

“You do not know how scared I felt when I found the empty beds or how I felt later when I thought they had gone after the stone! I could hardly feel the floor under my feet.”

“The children had no involvement in Quirrell’s deception.”

“I know, but I would have not been there if they had been in their beds.”

“In that case you would have not been able to stop Quirrell…” Minerva knew that once Albus Dumbledore made up his mind there was no way to make him see reason…

“Any way…”

“I must remind you that they are just kids.”

“Kids grow up Albus… I really like Harry. I… he reminds me so much of his father and Sirius… I had been accused of being too lenient before…  Maybe if I had been a little stricter… A tragedy could have been prevented.”

“Severus will not allow that child to go wild…”

In that moment a white figure appeared before them. Madam’s Pomfrey Patronous asked them to hurry to the Infirmary because there was an emergency.

Minerva and Albus arrived at the Infirmary minutes later. In spite of their respective ages they moved fast. At first sight the infirmary looked empty. Pomona and Filius arrived also…

“What is the emergency?” The four wizards started looking around when some movement above their heads made them look up.

“Over here!”

“Poppy! What happened?” The medi-witch was floating over their heads, making a great effort to stay upright.

“Help me down and I’ll explain.”

With a movement of Flitwick’s wand the floating witch was lowered and placed softly on her feet.

Madam Pomfrey explained them that she had sent her patronous to the school staff when Severus and Harry had fainted. She realized that something was going on with Harry and that Severus was helping him. She saw the struggle of Snape and the child in his arms. Then Harry turned and touched the form lying on the bed. Quirrell stood immobile but she heard a noise and a cry and his skin crackled and crumbled as an eggshell, the struggle stopped. A dark cloud left the body and flew out the window, breaking it. Severus fell to the floor protecting Harry with his body.

Madam Pomfrey had been unable to do anything. She sent her patronous. She tried to levitate the couple to make them comfortable until help arrived… the moment her charm touched them she felt it bouncing back and hitting her, it made her float to the roof.

The five wizards surrounded Severus and Harry. Flitwick placed his hand near them and felt as if he was holding same pole magnets. His hand was repelled with the same force he was using. As he was doing it softly the push was not hard… He turned to see his colleagues watching him and smiled.

“What is so funny, Filius?”

“This my friends are the blood wards working. The blood adoption has successfully transferred the blood wards to Severus and Harry.”

“What should we do now?”

“I can only speculate, once the danger is gone…they will recede, meanwhile we can only wait.”

“I am not comfortable leaving them on the floor…”

“We may place cushioning charms on the floor and around them… Nothing may touch them now.”

“We can tend into Quirrell meanwhile…” Mentioned Sprout.

“Poppy saw him crumble, he…”

“I may be wrong Poppy, but there is someone between the shell…”

They looked and realized that there was Quirrel inside himself. The man had lost the painful grin and looked as if he was sleeping peacefully.

Severus walked through the fog following a light. He was walking on a path between trees. He could see the moon between the trees, he had been walking for a long time. He was looking for something… He had followed the light. He was sure that it was the right thing to do.

Once he was closer he realized that the light came from a house. A medium sized house with curtained windows. White walls and a tended garden with roses. He walked closer. The house was inviting him to knock. But now that he had arrived to the door he was not sure to be welcome. He looked through the window and saw that there were people inside.

There was a child seating at the table. Writing… no, he was drawing because Severus saw him change colors from a box in front of him. Behind him was an open door and Snape could see that there were people inside the room. Then he saw a woman with long red hair coming out with a glass of milk and a plate in her hands. She placed the glass on the table and the child took a cookie from the plate.

The woman, the mother sat beside him and Severus could see the boy basking in her eyes. She was interested in his explanation. The boy was telling her what was in his drawing. Severus wished he were able to hear them. Then a man came into the room. He had dark hair and glasses. He tickled the child as he leaned to hear the explanation…he took a colored pencil and draw something in the paper. The boy looked at him. Severus did not want to interrupt the family. He should go. He tried to step back but his legs were not obeying him. He was stuck. He saw the woman look up to the window… he had been seen. The man went towards the door and opened it.

Where Severus expected rejection he found the hand of James Potter beaconing him inside. He stepped in and the woman, Lily, stood to welcome him. There were not words between them, just the understanding that they were together in the venture of loving and protecting the black haired child that was sitting at the table.

Severus looked at them. All past trouble between them forgiven and forgotten. He wondered if this was happening inside Harry’s mind or his own. He stood by the two adults.

Harry looked up from his drawing and looked at the black dressed man. Now his family was complete, it was time. He stood up and walked towards them. The kid was happy. Accepting the situation as a nice dream. He looked at his parents and adoptive father and then embraced them. This was what he had seen reflected in the mirror of Erised, so many months ago. He knew that it was as real as possible.

He would forget most of what had happened that day inside the small house with his parents, but he would always remember the feeling of being surrounded by endless love.

Embracing them he could tell that his mother smelled like flowers and chocolate cookies. His father like the wind when he soared the air trying to catch the snitch. And Severus, his new dad… he smelled of potions ingredients.

That smell was what brought him back to conscience. He felt the robes against his cheek and the sound of a heart beating by his ear... He opened his eyes but closed them again because the light was bright.

Hushed voices were near. Harry tried to hear what they were saying…

He could tell that they were at the Infirmary. He must have moved because he heard behind him the relieved voice of the medi-witch.

“Harry?”

“Ma’am…” Harry turned his head, His arms were embracing the Potions Master still.

“Harry, can you move?” The medi-witch leaned to his side.

“I think so…” Harry slide down from Snape’s body and found himself seated on the floor. He felt that Snape was also moving beside him. But he was not sure as he felt that all the room was moving around him. He closed his eyes and opened them to find the schoolteachers looking at him. Dumbledore, Flitwick, Sprout and Poppy, they seemed relieved and walked closer.

Severus sat as well. He did not reject the hand that held him upright.

He blinked several times to clear his eyes. Then looked around him and at his colleagues.

“Why are we on the floor?

“Can you stand?” Severus looked at the woman as if she was crazy, of course he could stand. He tried to do it and as the floor was not steady he sat again.

“I think that it is better if I just sat here for a while.” He felt the child beside him snuggle to his side. “Harry, are you all right?”

“That was the weirdest dream… Did you have it too? Was is your dream or mine?”

“I don’t know.” Exasperated because of the way he felt Severus stared at his colleagues. “Is there a reason why you find it appropriate to allow us to stay on the floor?” Flitwick got closer and said, “you were surrounded by very powerful wards Severus you deflected any charm that come this way…. We had to let you lie there…”

“I see…. Then the wards… ?”

“It was a success!

“I… will appreciate your help now….”

“Yes, yes, of course my boy.” With a flick of his wand Dumbledore conjured a chair under Severus and Harry. The boy did not know what had happened but he wanted to stay close to his adoptive father.

Aided by that support, Snape stood up.

“Can you tell us what happened?” McGonagall voiced in name of the present. Surprisingly Harry answered them.

“Something wanted to get into my head… wanted my body… because…. He said it had been my fault… it was… I think it was Voldemort,” Harry did not pay attention to the grasps around him he took Severus hand and continued. “He was tying himself around my mind but…” He looked at his adopted father. “You were there… you said that you need to cut the line and you used pliers and I saw my parents… my mom and dad and you... and Voldemort couldn’t stay in my mind any more,  he wanted to hurt me but you make him go away…” Harry buried his face into the potions master’s robes. The familiar scent calming him. He felt the calming arms also around him.

“It was a nightmare surely Harry… now that you are awake…” The Headmaster tried to clam him…

“Not a nightmare Albus. I was there.”

“But you-know-who…”

“He is not dead. He was inside Quirrell. He tried to possess Harry. He is not alive but neither is he dead. I think that he will be back…”

“That is why the wards were triggered…”

“Did you see my parents, dad?”

“Yes, Harry, they helped me. How do you feel?”

“Well. I think. It hurt when Voldemort wanted to stay inside me, but now I am fine.”

Madam Pomfrey moved her wand to run some tests.

“I am hungry.”

“What time is it?” Asked Snape to his colleagues.

“It’s almost time for dinner… You seem fine Harry, I will ask for something light and I think you need to rest. You may stay here until tomorrow if you want Severus.

“But I am not tired… It was lunch time when we came to the infirmary… we already slept for several hours…”

“More than several hours Harry…. You came to the infirmary yesterday.”

“Yesterday…! Is today Saturday?!... What about the Quidditch game?”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t  play, Mr. Potter… Gryffindor lost the game…”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“That is enough Harry,” Severus intervened. “The wards prevented them from  touching us. They had to let them subside on their own.”

“We tried to touch you every half and hour Harry, we were pushed away… until ten minutes ago, when you woke up…” Flitwick explained.

“Then I will never have to go back to my relatives house… never?”

Severus had explained to him that they were not sure about the transference of the blood wards, and had said that Harry and him would have to make some test and if they were not in place, they would have to ‘live’ with the Dursleys for a fortnight.

Harry knew that if his father was with him, he had nothing to fear from his relatives, but he did not want that to happen.

“We will visit them Harry. Of course they know that now I have adopted you, but they need to sign some papers for the muggle adoption. We are going to see them, but there is no need for us to stay there.”

“I wanted to play the last game… now we have no chance to win the cup. I am sorry Professor McGonagall…”

“Do not be sorry on that account. Mr. Potter. Your housemates understood.”

“I wrote you an apology letter… I am sorry I snuck out from the dorm… I am sorry that you broke your leg…”

“I will read your letter, later, Mr. Potter. But do not count on playing if you behave like that again. I do not care much about Quidditch cups if you think that you can be so naughty.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Can we eat now?”

With a movement of her wand the Medi-witch appeared several trays.

“We’ll leave you to your dinner, we should go down to the Great Hall now.”

“Would you stay in the infirmary Severus?”

“No. Headmaster, will go to our quarters as soon as Madam Pomfrey allows us.”

“Good… I will have a word with you later.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

Harry woke the next morning to the smell of waffles. He took a fast shower and reached his father in the kitchen as the man was placing the whipped cream and strawberries on the table.

“At last! At least you are clean.”

“Good morning dad! Thank you for the waffles, they are my favorite breakfast.”

“I know. How did you sleep?”

“Fine… I guess I was tired after all. Did you and the headmaster talk all night?”

“No.”

“I did not hear when he left… What did he say?”

“Nothing that you need to know.”

“Dad…! You talked about me didn’t you?”

“I am not going to discuss my conference with the Headmaster. We did talk about you and about… Voldemort. There is nothing else for you to know.”

“But dad!”

“No buts, child.”

Harry cut a big piece of waffle and placed it completely inside his mouth with and angry movement.

“It is not polite to eat like that Harry…” Severus unfolded his paper. The boy drank some milk.

“It is not polite to keep secrets… after all he wanted to get inside my head, so he is not completely dead…. And what would happen if he tries again?”

“You will have to learn Occlumency, shielding of your mind,  that way you will be protected from those kinds of attacks…” Severus saw the child flinch. “I will teach you during the summer.”

Harry cut his waffle in tiny pieces, Snape was reading his paper but could tell that the boy was not happy about summer lessons. Then the boy said.

“That is all you want me for… to teach me things… you want to teach me to write and potions and all… and now you want to teach me  occlumen-thingy and… you should have gotten another kind of son, one that did not need so much teaching!”

Harry let the fork go, stood up from the table and was going to run to his room when the stern voice of his father stopped him.

“Harry James!”

Harry stopped, but did not turn around.

“Come here.”

Harry stood frozen in his place.  He did not know why he was so angry…

“Have you trouble hearing child? Come here.”

Severus saw the struggle. He should have tried a different approach. After the experience of the day before it was logical for the child to have questions. He did not want to burden Harry with the topic of his conversation with Albus, but the child need reassurance and… After several seconds of hesitation Harry turned and walked back, he stood beside his adoptive father.

He felt the man’s arm held him in a hug. And his voice talking slowly.

“It will be alright child. You are safe now.”

“I am sorry.” It was nice to be hugged like that and to know that even after a tantrum he was loved. Harry took the napkin that Severus gave him and cleaned his eyes…

“Don’t you want to finish your waffle?”

“My mother smelled like chocolate cookies and cinnamon…” Snape sigh, yes that was the smell he associated with Lily… He understood that Harry would have memories…

“Yes, she did. Do you want some chocolate syrup for you waffle?” Or his pieces of waffle…

“They loved me… my parents… I… you said that they loved me but I couldn’t remember and now… did you see them? Were they really there?”

“I am not sure Harry, but I am sure that they love you and they helped me to take out Voldemort from your mind… the rest I can’t tell.”

“It was like a dream… but I knew it was not a dream… You love me also.” That was a statement. Snape detected not doubt in the child.

“I thought that we have already talked about that…”

“Yes, I’m sorry… I am glad that you choose me… I will try to learn…”

“You will have more than enough time to enjoy your summer child…”

 “So.… You are not going to tell me what the Headmaster said…”

“I will tell you when you need to know Harry. Right now we do not know for sure and it will confuse you. Do you understand?”

Harry only shrugged.

“Finish your milk, you may have some more strawberries and cream…”

“Yes, Dad.”

“The headmaster has found the appropriate room for the party that you are planning.  It needs some cleaning…”

“We have only four days to get it ready… Can I see it?”

“Finish your meal first.”

During the end of term feast Harry sat and looked at the staff table and at his father talking with Professor McGonagall. He thought that his father was smiling. The meal was excellent as always. The Hall was decorated with flags in the different house colors.

Ron and Hermione were seated beside him. Hermione was very happy with her grades and Ron was happy with his cake.

Just last night Ron had almost been sick with too many sweets and now was eating the chocolate cake with big spoonfuls…

The Slumber Party had been a success. Harry liked the room that the Headmaster had found. It was the size of three classrooms. Each child had chosen a wall and painted it in a different color. Then the castle elves filled it with all kinds of furniture. Chairs and lounge sofas and cots. And a long table. The table was kept full of salty and sweet food. And exotic drinks. They had played hide and seek and charades. After a while the girls had gone to one side to play beauty shop and the boys had an eating contest. The adults in the castle had watched them in turns.  When they were tired the furniture changed into sleeping rolls and the children fell asleep as they felt tired. Every body had enjoyed the party.

Harry looked around once again. He recalled how he had felt almost a year ago. He had been a lonely scared child, lost in the great station looking for an impossible platform number. Dreading having to go back to Privet Drive with his tail between his legs… Then he was scared that he was not going to be magical enough… He entered the castle hoping to belong to this strange wonderful world… scared of rejection… He remembered the feast at the beginning of the term. Even after being sorted, all the faces had been of strangers.

And now he had real friends and the faces were no longer faces of strangers… now he really belonged not only to the magical world but also to the dark dressed man that was his father.

The Head master had given points to all the houses for friendship after the slumber party,  Harry did not know the total count,  but Ravenclaw won the Quidditch cup.  The House that won the house cup would be announced at the end of the feast. But he had heard that the Headmaster was going to call it a tie between the four houses…

Well it was for the best.

He saw Draco Malfoy and the blond boy waved at him. They still were not friends, but Draco said that he was going to ask him for a visit during the summer… He also looked forward to visiting Ron’s family.  And he had to plan for his birthday….He had friends and family and as if that was not magical enough… he was a wizard.