Before going to bed on Halloween, Harry and his daddy would always take the time to light two special candles. These candles represented Harry's Mummy and his Other Daddy, as the boy referred to him as. Severus would hold his wand in one hand and Harry's hand in his other while lighting them with two highly focused flames, his son's eyes glowing solemnly in the candlelight as he did.

Then Harry would put something down in the space before the candles—usually a picture that he had drawn—before giving a verbal message to the hopefully listening spirits. He would always insist that Severus stay there for his message, even though the man always offered to give him privacy.

At age five, the message went something like this:

"Hi Mummy! Hi Udder Daddy. My daddy says dat you might be able to hear me t'night, so I shoulds tell you how I am. I just lost a tooth and put the toof under my pillow like my daddy said to, and guess what! The Tooth Owl came and took it and brought me back my own sivler sickle! Daddy says I can spen' it on anything I want, 'cept for dungbombs, but I don't like them anyways 'cause they're stinky," he spoke brightly, holding Severus's hand tightly the entire time.

"I hope you like da picture I drawed for you. See? It's got me and daddy and Capt'n, but I put you two up in tree lookin' down at us, waving and smilin'. See?"

Finally the little boy ran out of things to tell them and asked his daddy to pick him up before saying his goodnights.

"I love you Udder daddy and I love you mummy. I miss you. I hope you have a good sleep and maybe you'll come see me tomorrow? Even if I can't see you, I hope you come."

And Severus kissed him and then carried him off to bed.

Age 6:

"Hi Mummy, hi Other Daddy," Harry was still an exuberant child at six, but he was a bit more shy when it came to dealing with situations that he wasn't entirely used to.

"My daddy took me to the beach dis year with the Ma'foys, and me and Draco built this humongous sand castle! And Mr. Ma'foy charmed Draco's dragon—he's a purple stuffed dragon, daddy says to say—to move and he climbed up to the very top and wouldn't come down! And den we started yellin' for him to come down an' suddenly Captain was up dere too! Daddy said that it was my acc'dental magic that made it happ'n, and he and Mr. Ma'foy had to come and help us get them down."

Six year old Harry was a taller than his five year old counterpart had been, but he was still a bit behind according to how he should have been. That year he decided to explain part of that to his parents as well.

"Poppy says I still gotta eat more and do lots of exercise so I can keep growing and catch up to wheres I'm s'posed to be. Daddy says that it's 'cause of how Aun—I mean, 'cause of Petunia," he got an approving nod from his father and then continued on. "It's 'cause she didn't feed me like she should have when I was littler. But Daddy feeds me real good! He a'most always gives me dessert, unless I've been bad, and dat's not so often. Anyway, Daddy said I gotta go get ready for bed now, bye! I love you!"

And he scampered off to brush his teeth, leaving Severus standing alone next to the lit candles.

"I miss you Lily. I wish you were here. He's such a good son. He would make you proud—make both of you proud."

Age 7:

"I bet you've been wonderin' how I've been!" He paused, as though waiting for a response. Beside him, his daddy squeezed his hand lightly and he looked up into his face with a loving smile.

"I know a whole lot more den I did last year. I can write now and I been reading some too. Sometimes I go over ta the Malfoy's place and play with Draco and Teddy—his last name is Nott, Daddy just poked me to make sure I remembered to tell you. His daddy is grouchy, but Teddy is cool, and Daddy says it's good that we're friends. And you won't believe this, I bet, but Teddy is shorter than me! And sometimes Pansy and Milly are there too, but we don't talk to them, 'cause they're girls and Draco says they have cooties. But they're usually nice though, so I try and be nice back, like Daddy says, but," he added in a whisper, "I just make sure not to ever touch 'em."

Severus snorted with laughter and Harry looked up at him with a befuddled expression. After a moment, he shook his head and then continued his message.

"Oh and Draco made me really angry a coupla days ago and I accidentally growled at him, and turned into my bear form. And den when I calmed down, I ran off and hid, 'cause I felt bad and was scared daddy would be mad at me. Daddy says that my accidental magic unlocked a door that I shouldna been able to get into and den I spent the rest of the day up in the attic, talkin' to Draco's great-grandma! She's a ghost, but she doesn't do much but—what'd you call it Daddy?"

"Lurk, son."

"Right. She don't do nothing but lurk up dere and I learned lots of cool things about their family, and then they weren't angry me when Daddy found me, but he said he was scared, which made him seem like he was angry, but he wasn't really," Harry paused for a breath and to think for a moment before he finished his message.

"I remember! Daddy's teaching me ta fly, and Ariana is helping me practice. She's real nice, almost like a cousin, if I had a cousin, but I don't, 'cause I don't have any aunts or uncles, but if I did, she'd be the cousin I'd choose if I could. I love you mummy and I love you too other daddy. Uncle Albus says to say thanks for helping out with him, but he wouldn't tell me why, so I hope you unnerstand, 'cause I don't."

This time, Harry had already brushed his teeth and he ran off to bed to read a bit to himself, before his daddy came in to kiss him goodnight and tuck him in.

"I hope you understood him. He's been talking about the both of you, especially since he started learning to fly. Everyone says he flies just like you James, but I think he has more of your grace, Lily."

Age 8:

"Hi Daddy James, hi Mummy. I made a new friend this year. His name is Neville and he's really nice, but Draco doesn't like him. We got in a big fight, and I only growled at him a little bit. Draco tried ta prank him, but I saved him at the last moment, and he accidentally pranked his daddy instead!" Harry's eyes went wide with the memory, and his daddy patted him gently on the shoulder.

"And now Neville and I are da bestest of friends, and Ariana even likes him and she usually only talks to me and the plants in the greenhouse! Oh and she talks to 'fessor Sprout too, but that's just 'cause they can talk plant to each other, and now I think Neville can too. Daddy said I was getting jealous, and he took me out to ride my broom for a while until I calmed down. And then it turned out that Draco wasn't really mad at me, but just scared, like that time I got lost at the Malfoys and Daddy couldn't find me."

"Mummy, did you ever feel like that about Daddy James? Daddy says that Daddy James got in trouble a lot when he was in school and that sometimes he thought you were gonna rip his head off. Okay, daddy just clarified," here Harry looked up smartly at his daddy and smirked while Severus rolled his eyes. "He said that he didn't say that. He probably put it nicer, but I'm the one askin', right?"

"Daddy says I've got to go bed now. Tomorrow I've got a maths test. Daddy says that maths will help me in potions, so I gotta get through it, even if I don't want to. I love you Mummy. I love you Daddy James. Maybe you two can get a ghost cat and I can meet it someday later on?"

He scooted off to bed, leaving his daddy in front of the candles just like all of the other years. He knew that his daddy wanted a chance to say something too, but that he wouldn't do it until he made space for him.

Back in the room he had just vacated, Severus was still standing in front of the candles, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"That last comment was a barb at me, Lily. The boy wants a cat, but last week he wanted a dog, so I do believe we shall wait on making that decision for a while longer. Besides, with Hagrid around, who really needs pets?"