***1 November, 5:17 p.m. ***

The Minister and his lackeys had finally left and Severus could let his guard fall in front of Albus.

Albus had sent for some single malt.  No doubt, he figured Severus could really use a stiff belt of liquid encouragement about now. Albus stood in front of his desk and poured two fingers into the cut crystal tumbler. He walked over to where Severus was sitting and offered his young friend the glass.

Severus' elbows rested on his knees and both of his hands covered his emotionally drained face. When he sensed Albus standing before him, Severus dragged his hands half-way down his face. His ebony eyes looked up at his old mentor. Seeing the offered whiskey glass, Severus sat up and leaned back in his chair. He accepted the glass from Albus. "What am I to do Albus?" he asked wearily. "Every instinct in me tells me to take Harry and leave, but I cannot condemn him to a life on the run."

Albus sat on the corner of his desk, and poured himself some of the same amber liquid. "It would do you no good if you did decide on that course of action," Albus concurred gravely. "If Sirius Black was desperate enough to attempt a break out from Azkaban and intelligent enough to succeed, then he will track you and Harry down no matter where you run."

Albus took a sip of whiskey and smacked his lips together before continuing, "You are safe here. The wards at Spinners End and the Burrow are strong. Black does not know where your home is located and has no reason to connect him to the Weasleys. It only stands to reason that Black will attempt to come here and no man can get beyond these walls if they are warded out."

"Yes…," Severus said ominously as he stared into his whisky glass. "They make the same claims about escaping from Azkaban." Severus sat his unfinished glass down on the side table. "Forgive me if I don't share your confidence."

"There is nothing to forgive." Albus said solemnly. "Tomorrow, I will call a meeting of the Heads so we can discuss appropriate security measures."

Fudge had insisted upon allowing Dementors to patrol the school, but Albus was equally against their presence. No Dementors. There was a pregnant professor at the school, and she could under no circumstances be exposed to Dementors. If Lucy were to become overexposed, she could give birth to something that was little more than an Inferi.

"Has anyone bothered to question Lupin?" Severus snapped. The question was legitimate. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were like brothers in their youth. Lupin may know where Black may try to hide out. However, the old animosities that Severus had just barely begun to come to terms with were beginning to once again rear their ugly heads again. Severus could not help but to feel bitter and suspicious.

"Not yet." Albus told him, completely ignoring Severus' readily apparent ire towards his former schoolmate. "According to Aberforth, Remus was only awake for a couple of hours this morning after he transformed back into his human self. Remus is too deeply into his sleep. He cannot be awakened. We must wait until after the end of the current lunar cycle until we can question him on what knowledge he might have of Black's old haunts."

Severus arose and walked over to the window in Albus' office. Looking outside, Severus noted with some small sense of irony that the day looked as dreary as he felt right now. Fudge had not given an explanation as to why Black had suddenly snapped. The only information Severus received from the inept Minister and his minions was that the other prisoners on the corridor heard Black screaming for Harry's blood, but when the guards had arrived to check on the disturbance, Black had calmed down and was left to himself. By headcount the next morning Black was gone, and no one knew how it happened.

Moody had addressed Albus and told the Headmaster that Black's neighbour had a visitor at the time of the incident. Moody said they could not reveal the identity of the visitor or the prisoner at that time because the investigation was still ongoing.

It sounded like Thestral shite to Severus. Severus saw the look in Moody's good eye. The Auror was still angry that he had not managed to throw Severus in Azkaban after the fall of Voldemort. Severus could tell that Moody took a perverse pleasure in telling him that it was his, Severus' blood; Black was calling for, not Harry's. That was fine with Severus. It was better that Black focused his energies on him, his former nemesis, and not on Harry.

The question in Severus' mind was, how did Black find out his connection to Harry? The Ministry was keeping that hush too.

As Severus looked out across the Black Lake, he noticed the large a barn owl approach. It grasped what appeared to be a news paper in its talons. Severus stepped aside as the window opened to allow the owl entry. Severus had correctly surmised that the Daily Prophet was sending out a special edition, from which he could see the scowling face of Sirius Black plastered across the front page, but Severus had no desire read the article.

The wind that entered along with the owl was biting cold, but Severus was oblivious to it. It was only the first of November, but if it became much colder, Hogwarts could expect an early snow this year.

The owl had not even made it back out the window when Albus suddenly asked, "Where is Lucy?'

Severus snapped out of his reverie to see Albus reading the paper. "By now she should be in the Great Hall awaiting me and Harry… Why?" Severus strode over to Albus' desk and the Headmaster handed him the paper.

Severus quickly scanned the article and cursed under his breath. "Damn it."

"Exactly," Albus concurred. "We need to get to Lucy before she sees this article."

Severus tossed the paper on Albus' desk and the two wizards exited through the conference room that was off to the left and hurried through another door that led into the staff corridor.

The wizards had only just left the conference room, when they heard Lucy's voice bellow from the Great Hall. They couldn't help but to hear Lucy. Severus was sure Kenneth could hear her in Azkaban.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!"

Albus froze in his tracks. "Oh dear…I think we're too late."

Severus' face contorted with frustration. "Shite!" he exclaimed and ran the rest of the way down the corridor in order to catch Lucy.

As Severus rounded the door that led to the Head table he noted that. Pomona, Aurora and Andrew Myers, the Muggle studies professor, were all out of their seats ready to rein in any chaos Lucy's outburst may have caused among the students, but instead, the Great Hall was silent.

Severus scanned his eyes until he caught sight of Lucy. She was marching towards the main entrance to the hall in a colossal rage. The heads of the students turned as their gazes followed the angry, diminutive witch. A flaming orange winter cloak materialised around Lucy as she exited the hall.

Severus did not have the time to be impressed by Lucy's potent display of rage induced magic. He had to catch her before she did something foolish.

Severus quickly took the steps down from the dias to the student floor and swept past the House tables. An unidentified student yelled "Be careful, Professor. She's in a right state!" as Severus exited the hall, he could hear the murmur of the students begin again.

Severus took the steps at the entrance of the castle three at a time. To his eyes, the world looked dead. The grass was now dead and brown, the leaves had long since fallen off of the trees, and the dark shadows of passing clouds could be seen between the bare branches, the full moon would occasionally limn the clouds in a ghostly silver.

The wind was whipping about him cold and sharp. The only students who had bothered to venture out were the members Gryffindor Quidditch team who were practicing for their first game with Slytherin following weekend.

Damn.

Lucy was already halfway down the path to the Disapparation point. Her flaming cloak was the only bit of colour that seemed to defy the dismal dusk.

Severus picked up his pace and called out to her. "Lucy!"

He was not sure if Lucy was ignoring him, or simply could not hear over the wind. "LUCY!" Severus called even louder. Now he was at an outright run to catch up with her.

Lucy had not paid attention Severus' approach. When he was finally beside her he reached out and grabbed Lucy's arm and spun her around to face him.

"What, Severus?" In her misplaced anger, she spat at him. Her hand had a white-knuckle grip on her wand. Wherever Lucy was going…she meant business.

Lucy's lack of surprise to see him had confirmed to Severus, that she had indeed heard him call. But Severus let that small detail pass for now.

"Where in the Hell do you think you're going?" he said, breathing heavily and doing a poor job keeping his own anger in check.

"Your son needs you, Severus!" Lucy said with a hint of warning as tried to free herself from Severus' his grasp. "I'm going to Azkaban! That Bastard is going to beg for death by the time I'm through with him!"

With a jerk of her shoulders, Lucy broke free from Severus, but he managed to wrap an arm around her midsection and held her back.

"Azkaban! Are you daft, woman? What the Hell has gotten into that brain of yours?"

"Let me go, Severus! Didn't you see the Prophet? It was Kenneth. Kenneth told Black about you and Harry." Severus could feel the rise and fall of Lucy's breathing quicken as she desperately tried to keep from crying.

Severus had only scanned part of the article in his haste. Some upstart reporter named Rita Skeeter had managed to sneak into Azkaban and interview Black's neighbour. Of course it had to be Musgrave. From what Severus had quickly read, Musgrave had indeed spoken to Black. Musgrave would have never had known Black was also Harry's godfather, if he had not heard it from Black's own mouth.

Lucy, however, had read the entire article.

Kenneth Musgrave had told the reporter that he believed Black was truly mad. Black claimed that Harry Potter was his godson, and that he, Black, had been imprisoned without a trail and his godson was given over to a real Death Eater.

Musgrave claimed he had fallen asleep at some point during Black's ramblings and Black had escaped at some point after that.

It was obvious that Black was raving. Of course he would not have been convicted and sent to Azkaban without a trial. Bartemius Crouch had made an impressive public display announcing how the evidence against Black had been overwhelming and how the emergency session of the Wizengamot had found Black guilty by a unanimous decision.

Albus had not been there for Black's trial. He had been called away when his niece, Lucy's grandmother, had died from a prolonged illness in the United States. She had died only two days after Voldemort's downfall. Albus had made it back to London just in time for Severus' hearing.

Whoever this Skeeter woman was, she had concluded that Black's guilt over betraying the Potter's had sent him over the deep end and that it was quite possible he was looking for Harry right now. Black's deranged mind may believe he is saving Harry Potter from his former Death Eater guardian, Severus Snape. But would Black snap again and try to kill Harry if he ever laid his hands on the child?

It was an irresponsible article written with a sensational slant with the intent of instilling panic in the wizarding community.

Lucy had been surprised that nothing was mentioned about why Kenneth was imprisoned. Lucy doubted the Skeetter woman even asked. It was obvious she was only intent upon digging up as much dirt on Sirius Black and Harry Potter as she could, and not giving a wit about the trustworthiness of her source.

"Yes, I saw the story in the Prophet." Severus told her. "But I can't allow you to run off half cocked to Azkaban."

"Don't go telling me what you will and will not let me do, Severus Snape," Lucy said darkly as she still tried to struggle her way past Severus. She did not want to hex the man she loved, but she would do it if she had to. "I'm a big girl, Severus…I don't need you to…"

Severus had had enough. Lucy was blinded with anger and she had to come to her senses. He spun her around, held her by the shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. "Then stop acting like an angry child and think about what you are doing!" he said to her abrasively. "Do you really intend to march your arse into Azkaban and expose your unborn child to Dementors?"

That had sunk in.

Lucy's face palled as she realised what she was about to do. Her anger was now replaced with frustration and guilt.

"Oh my God…You're right. I can't go to Azkaban," Lucy said thickly. She stood there for a moment as she thought about what she had almost done, tears welled in her eyes.

Lucy wiped a tear from her face with the palm of her shaking hand. "What the hell was I thinking?" Her tone was full of despair. "But, Severus …what I'm I going to do? He sent that…that monster after…after Harry…After a baby."

Lucy turned her head away in shame as she continued to wipe away tears. She blamed herself for bringing this horror down on Severus and Harry. She felt it was her responsibility to right it.

Severus gently pulled Lucy's hand away from her face and gave her a clean handkerchief from his pocket. "What you will do is stay here and help me to keep watch over Harry." Severus said as calmly as he could. "I have no doubt you could handle yourself in Azkaban and I am touched by your protectiveness of Harry, but I won't let you risk your child for mere revenge."

Her lips were pursed in frustration, Lucy nodded gave a weak nod in defeated concession. Severus may be right, but it didn't help her feeling of helplessness. In her entire life, she never thought she was capable of hating someone…but right now…she truly hated Kenneth Musgrave.

She turned from Severus and walked back in the direction of the castle. Severus watched as she stopped. Her cloak billowed around her in the wind and he could see her shoulders tense and her wand hand shake. In a flash Lucy whipped out her wand and let her frustration go.

"Argh!" The small holly bush that was once setting along the side of the path was now in ashes.

Severus noticed she had scarred a stray dog from where it had been seeking refuge from the wind behind a tree about twenty yards off. It ran off in the direction of the Whomping Willow. It was probably one of Hagrid's new acquisitions.

Lucy composed herself and spoke to no one in particular, "You know…my old college roommate, Michelle Louviere is Voodoo Queen in New Orleans," Lucy pondered. "She makes these exquisite anatomically correct Voodoo Dolls…A man doesn't actually need his testicles in Azkaban…does he?"

Severus was silent as he watched the witch he loved make her way back to the castle. He stood there for a moment, balled his fists tight and shoved them in his pocket in a gargantuan effort to keep from cupping his groin protectively.

Severus wished that Lucy could go to Azkaban. Musgrave would get no less than he deserved. Severus secretly hoped that if he didn't get his hands on Sirius Black, Lucy would. He had just become keenly aware that Hell hath no fury like Lucille O'Conner when she is really pissed off.

Sirius Black had retreated back to the Shrieking Shack. It had laid on about two more centimetres of dust since he was last there, but it was still less filthy than Azkaban. At least the memories he was haunted with here were happier than the ones he was tormented with in Azkaban.

Sirius had been hoping to sneak inside the castle and sniff out Harry and possibly nick a wand off an unsuspecting first year. A first year losing a wand would not be looked upon with suspicion and Sirius needed a wand. At the moment, he could only perform a few wandless spells. He would need a wand before he even attempted to confront Snape. At least he could Disapparate. But Sirius would give anything to perform a warming spell right now. He could make a fire in the hearth the Muggle way, but the smoke from the chimney would draw attention. He needed to at least get Harry before he Disapparated to safety.

Sirius could not believe his luck when he spotted the boy by the gamekeeper's hut. His heart ached when he saw how much his godson resembled James.

Harry looked happy and hale. But Sirius knew the boy was in mortal peril in Snape's hands. At first, Sirius could not think of a logical reason Snape would want to raise Harry Potter, then it hit him.

Power.

Snape was jockeying for power. It also made sense as to why he went after Musgrave's fiancé. She was a Dumbledore, if not in name, she was in blood. Snape was trying to ingrain himself into a powerful family. And if Snape could rally the Death Eaters around him by being the wizard to raise and influence the child who defeated Lord Voldemort…well it was clear to Sirius that Snape would try to raise Harry to be a dark wizard, and he would set up himself or Harry as a new Dark Lord.

Once upon a time…Sirius would have thought the entire scenario was ludicrous. But Dumbledore was still alive and allowed him to rot in Azkaban for five years. Something had to have happened to the old man's senses. It wouldn't surprise Sirius one bit to discover that Dumbledore was either dark or daft. Why else would he give Harry to Snape?

The only thing Sirius knew was that he had to get Harry away from Snape, and kill Snape if he had the chance. No doubt Snivellus had to do quite a bit of power brokering to get his hands on Harry. He would not let go of the boy easily.

Sirius was thankful he met Musgrave when he did. Why hadn't it occurred to him to use his Animagus form to escape before now? He wished he could have brought Musgrave along with him. Sirius' task would have been far easier to pull off with two wizards. Unfortunately, it would be a while before Musgrave could hold his form long enough to fly.

Musgrave had been worried that the small broken bone in his hand would equate to a broken wing, but Sirius told him that it was not necessarily the case. Small bones tended to morph with larger bones during the transfiguration. It was the large bones that would take most of the stress. Musgrave's ulna would become the main bone in his wing structure. A small hairline fracture in his metacarpal should not affect much-if anything.

Sirius encouraged Musgrave to continue practicing. If Musgrave makes made good his escape, he was to go to a pre-determined place and leave word of his whereabouts. Sirius would go once a month to see if Musgrave leaves a message and make contact from there.

Sirius had told Musgrave to claim that he, Sirius, had gone mad. Musgrave would be questioned, and to have him question Sirius' sanity, would divert suspicion away from Musgrave.

Too bad the weather had been so dismal tonight. Sirius had finally seen Musgrave's Lucy. Sirius heard Snivellus call out to her, but the wind had cut off the rest of their conversation. Sirius could not see her face because it had been cloaked, but he couldn't help but notice her fiery temper.

Sirius was attempting to get himself closer so he could hear their conversation, but when she had incinerated the very holly tree he had intended to hide behind, Sirius thought better of getting too close to her.

Musgrave had told him that Lucy had been a sweet, unassuming, and demure witch. To Sirius, Lucy seemed cross, hotheaded, and impudent. It must be Snape's negative influence, Sirius supposed.

Sirius took the dust encrusted blanket from the bed and attempted to shake it out. The cloud of dust only managed to settle back onto the bed and give Sirius a sneezing fit.

He began to turn down his grimy bed when he stopped. He remembered how he, James, and Peter would have to chain Remus to this very bed during the full moon.

Tonight was a full moon. Although Sirius still harboured resentment towards his old friend for never visiting him, he could not help but wonder how Remus was faring. Sirius had no way to know Remus' circumstances. Sirius did not even know if his old friend was still alive. Wherever Remus Lupin was tonight, Sirius hoped he was safe and well looked after.

And Peter. There was another who Sirius needed to make sure he dispatched.

Sirius had to stop thinking. There was too much to consider… such as how was he going to manage take out his vendettas whilst on the run with a six year old child? Sirius resolved he would think about that after he got Harry back. Once Harry was safe, he could then think about how he would make the world right again.

***5:42 p.m. ***

Severus stepped through the Fat Lady's portrait and into the Gryffindor common room. Albus had given Severus the password so he could retrieve Harry from Minerva.

The common room was uncannily quiet and the reason became abundantly clear when Severus saw who sat in the wingback chair closest to the fire place. Minerva McGonagall was still there watching over Harry as he played Gob-stones with some of the older children.

Minerva had no way of entertaining a small child in her quarters, so she opted to bring Harry to the common room where he could find diversion with the other children. At least he knew the Weasley boys. However, with Black on the loose, she refused to leave the child without adult supervision. So she graded papers as the children quietly played.

To the first years, seeing Harry Potter was still somewhat of a novelty and they tended to hold back on the outskirts of the room or on the stairs. The older children had become used to the Boy-Who-Lived, living and playing amongst them at Hogwarts. To them, Harry had become an ordinary little kid.

Even seeing Professor Snape, the sternest Professor to grace the Halls of Hogwarts since Minerva McGonagall, casually walk into the Gryffindor common room had not shocked most of the students.

In his first year teaching, Severus Snape had been on the fast track of earning himself the dubious title of the Greasy Bat of the Dungeon. Snape had been beyond strict; he was blatantly cruel to nearly all but a few favoured students. However, after he had become the guardian of Harry Potter, the students noticed a slow change in the Professor's usually sour demeanour.

This year the change was even more evident. Snape was no longer biting and unfair. Oh…make no mistake about it…he ran his classroom with an iron glove hand and put up with nothing. He could still make a Seventh year N.E.W.T. student wet their pants if he really wanted to.

But at least now he would wait until after a lesson to really lay into a student, rather than humiliating them in front of the entire class. And now instead of giving outright zeros for mucking up a potion, he gave detentions with a chance to re-brew. A student would take an automatic fifteen point loss in their grade, but a low grade was better than no grade at all.

To the older student's the reasons for the change in their professor it was no big mystery. The first was fatherhood, the second was a girlfriend. It was no secret that Professor Snape and Dr. O'Conner were a hot item.

Unknown to the staff at Hogwarts, there were two betting pools going about the sixth and seventh year students. The first concerned whether or not Professor Snape was actually the father of Dr. O'Conner's baby, and the second was how long it would be before Dr. O'Conner sported a ring from their Potions Master.

Harry had his back to Severus, but he noticed when everybody's attention had switched from the game to what was going on behind him.

In his usual manner, Harry jumped up and yelled, "Daddy!" as ran over and hugged Severus' leg.

Severus' lips pursed with embarrassment at Harry's unabashed show of affection in front of the entire Gryffindor House.

Try though Severus might, he could not seem to instil the concept of decorum into Harry. The child still insisted upon calling him 'Daddy' in front of the student body, no matter how much Severus insisted that 'Godfather' or even 'Father' was more appropriate.

Without thinking how doting he looked, Severus instinctively picked up Harry and settled the boy on his hip.

"Severus." Minerva said as she arose from her the chair and put down her grading. "What have you…?"

Severus shook his head and put a silencing finger to his lips. "Albus is calling a meeting of the Heads in the morning." he informed her. "So..." Severus said, turning his attention to Harry. "I take it you behaved for Professor McGonagall?"

Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Why do you always ask that? I'm always good." Harry said, affronted by his daddy even questioning his behaviour.

Severus managed to keep his scoff in check, but Minerva had not. "He was fine, Severus," she said good- humouredly before turning a firm gaze over the rim of her glasses to her lions. "I only wished all of our students were half so well behaved."

Severus matched her gaze as he looked around the room at the students, as if they dared to try and corrupt his innocent son. The students scrambled in an effort to find something to do that seemed 'innocent'.

Severus took his leave of Minerva and stepped out of the portrait hole and headed towards the dungeon. When they were in the corridor, Severus set Harry down to walk on his own, but still took hold the boy's hand. Harry had grown some and he tended to become heavy, quickly.

Severus was making sure to keep pace with Harry's short legs. Harry looked up at him when he noticed they weren't heading towards the Great Hall. "I thought we were having dinner with Miss Lucy?"

"We were," Severus said as he looked down at Harry. "But she has had an upsetting day and has retired to her rooms for the evening." That had been a sore spot with Severus. He did not believe that Lucy should be alone tonight, but she was being stubborn. Severus could not convince her that Black's escape was not somehow her fault.

"Is she upset about that serious prisoner guy?"

Severus stopped in his tracks. Harry pulled at his arm because he had not realised his daddy had stopped so suddenly. Severus' brow furrowed with fear and confusion. "What? Where did you hear that?"

Harry shrugged, "Just some kids. Everybody seems to be afraid of some guy because he's serious."

If the topic hadn't been so…well… serious, Severus would have laughed at Harry's childish interpretation of the whole situation.

Harry noticed his daddy's concern, but didn't understand it. "I don't know why everybody is so scared," he said innocently. "You're serious and you're not scary at all."