“Incendio!”

The crusty slop that was the Daily Prophet burned. Severus glared at it, watching the paper curl inward with the embers. It didn’t ease his irritation on the whole matter. Soon, ashes coated the empty breakfast plate. He wanted nothing more than to repair the damage, only to set the Daily Prophet on fire once more. On second thought, how about the entire establishment? Severus huffed to himself. 

Blasted imbeciles.

It was ridiculous how fast the news had gotten around. Utterly ridiculous. There had been no time to collect themselves. Two days. Only two days! The boy had been confined to bed rest and already the entire wizarding world knew everything. Thankfully, Severus felt it safe enough for the boy to be about, but that wouldn’t fix this nonsense – the nonsense of an article about Harry becoming the Headmaster in the Daily Prophet.

Penned by Rita Skeeter herself, no less.

The odd, yet major problem was the article had been rather benign. It was a troubling sign to Severus. The apocalypse was upon them if someone as scathing as Rita Skeeter wasn’t writing scandalous articles. Unlike the trash the woman had produced during the Triwizard Tournament, the article only stated facts.

‘Youngest headmaster to date.’

‘Replaced Umbridge.’

Etc.

There was nothing within the article one could consider derogatory or provocative. It stated the facts concisely with a bit of history of previous Headmasters. And that was what pissed Severus off the most. He couldn’t even sue the paper for printing about Harry. It wasn’t libelous at all. He’d have no leg to stand on with it.

Besides, it was too late now. 

The Dark Lord would know about the change at Hogwarts.

He wasn’t sure how he would take the news. His mark hadn’t burned yet. Though, Severus didn’t really expect it to; he was never called away from his ‘post’ here. The Dark Lord didn’t want to jeopardize his ‘spy.’

What irony.

Severus had never not answered the call for an extended period of time. Once the Dark Lord realized that he wasn’t going back…

Severus sighed, rubbing the mark underneath his robes.

He didn’t fear pain. Severus could handle pain. But he feared not having the strength to continue on, working as a professor, staying strong for Harry – he couldn’t let that boy know if something was wrong. That self righteous little twerp would think it was all his fault, as if he had any control over the Dark Lord’s actions.

Silly child.

The day would come when the Dark Lord would target Severus with a vengeance. He would be furious – forever infuriated at being betrayed by the one he’d thought would never betray him. The Dark Lord was arrogant. He wouldn’t suspect a thing until the news struck.

There were so many variables now and he was unsure how to approach things. Dumbledore hadn’t showed up. News about Harry’s adoption hadn’t surfaced. Everything was a matter of time. When would things hit the fan? That was the question. Severus hoped the boy’s friends would have the common sense to remain silent about the adoption.

If the Dark Lord would be furious about Severus’ betrayal, he’d be apocalyptic once he learned his spy had adopted his prophesied enemy. The monster would go on a rampage.

Hopefully, that time wouldn’t be soon.

Severus did have to admit: a humorous outcome had occurred through all this trauma. Umbridge was stuck in the courtyard. The castle had produced a tall cage for the horrible creature, making it impossible for her to lie down or sit down. No amount of magic would remove her from her public prison. It would not be moved. It would not release the woman, no matter the attempts.

Not that any of the other professors tried all that hard.

It quickly became apparent that Umbridge was Hogwarts’ prisoner.

So, why fight it?

The other teachers had become a united front, allotting students a five minute leeway if they could prove they had been dealing retribution to the horrid woman. Daily humiliation of the toad had become an open assignment. Many of the teachers slid in little comments of how a certain lesson could be applied. Even the house elves had gotten in on the fun, leaving ‘fresh’ rotting food out for students to pelt at the woman. Umbridge raged and screamed for hours.

Sweet music to the ears.

Footsteps in the hallway drew Severus’ attention. Harry bounced into the kitchen, smiling brightly.

“Morning, Professor,” chirped Harry.

“Good morning,” said Severus, watching him sit down. The boy seemed to have an exuberant amount of energy today – a good sign, then. He fidgeted constantly as he filled his plate with food. Harry ate with gusto; his legs swung beneath him, making his body bounce in his seat.

Severus almost snorted.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” began Harry, toast in his mouth. Severus couldn’t understand why the poor manners didn’t bother him as much as it once did. “It’s about Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

“Ah, thinking about finding a new professor?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, but I remembered something. Hagrid mentioned once that the position is jinxed. D’you reckon that’s true?”

“It is not jinxed,” said Severus. His expression darkened. “It’s cursed.”

“What! Really?” said Harry with a gasp, sitting straighter in his chair. He stared at Severus with wide eyes. He frowned. “I thought Hagrid was exaggerating. And just how do you curse a job?” he asked, perturbed. “Is that even possible?”

“I’m unaware of the magical mechanics of that myself,” said Severus with a shake of his head. “It’s not a branch of magic I’ve studied. I know it’s not common. However, the curse is undoubtably by the Dark Lord’s hand. Defense Against the Dark Arts hasn’t held a consistent professor for decades. It was poor even during my days as a student.”

“Oh,” whispered Harry. He slouched in his chair.

“It’s a problem which has plagued Albus every year,” said Severus, sighing. “The reason Umbridge was appointed by the ministry in the first place was because he’d been unable to find a replacement this summer. Now, this is your responsibility.”

Harry went silent, looking at his food with furrowed eyebrows and distant eyes.

Finding a new defense teacher would prove difficult, especially since the school year had already begun. The curse was well known amongst the wizarding world by now. Generations of wizards and witches have had inconsistent teachers due to a petty curse. No one would want to risk it.

“Sir, I have a question.”

“Oh?”

“Well, if the curse is affecting the ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts’ position, wouldn’t it be best to remove it altogether?”

“You’re suggesting no defense?”

“Not exactly,” said Harry. There was a twinkle in his eye. Oh, he’s figured something out. “The curse isn’t affecting other classes, right? What if we remove the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and make a brand new one?”

Severus blinked.

Well, it was a possibility.

“I think we could call the new class ‘Self Defense’ and redesign it completely, so hopefully the curse can’t recognize it. Maybe we can get multiple professors for it, too. And I want to expand it outside of just using spells. We should add physical defense, too – you know, physical fitness and martial arts.”

Severus nodded, a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. The boy beamed further. Severus wasn’t sure how the curse worked and what parameters were in place, but knowing the Dark Lord’s arrogance… They might have a chance. This was certainly something to look into; he doubted the Hogwarts’ library had much of anything useful in this area. Perhaps, the restricted section…

At any rate, a visit to Diagon Alley sounded like an excellent idea.

“If we could get good at dodging spells and getting into the enemy’s faces, we might have a better chance. A Death Eater is going to have a harder time casting spells if he’s got a broken nose.”

“Well said,” said Severus, trying extremely hard not to outright smile at that thought. Imagine that – Death Eaters taken out by a pop in the nose. What a delightful picture.

“So, you think it’s a good idea?” asked Harry, leaning closer over the table. His expression was filled with longing, his desire for approval strong. “You think I’m onto something?”

“I think you should bring it up at a staff meeting,” said Severus. “I think it’s a better idea than we’ve had in decades.”

“Awesome. I was thinking I should schedule a staff meeting soon, too,” said Harry. He shifted, looking a bit nervous. “Would Saturday be okay?”

“I’ll let the other professors know that their young esteemed Headmaster wishes for a meeting on Saturday. Nine o’clock?”

Harry flushed, but grinned, nodding with enthusiasm.

A contented silence lifted between them. It was different than before. The tension that had once been a barrier between them was long gone. If Severus could pinpoint a feeling from the boy… Security. Yes, that was what fit the best. The boy seemed to feel secure with him, perhaps even comfortable. 

Yet, hesitancies plagued Severus’ heart.

He didn’t have any good experiences with family. Severus had one or two good memories from when he was young, but after that it was bad – very bad. He could only remember the arguing. His parents had argued about everything. And then the drinking – his father had drank himself away to the bottom of endless bottles.

This pleasant contentment between Harry and himself, it was new and unknown. Severus had always been an awkward child and teenager, unable to make true connections with other people, besides Lily – and even there he had failed miserably. In his adulthood, he managed to cloak it with intelligence and a snarky mouth.

It hadn’t been the best combination, he could admit to himself.

But now… He had to care for another human being. There were so many factors involved with that. He had to care for the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of a child.

A hunted one, at that.

It was a bit terrifying. Facing the Dark Lord sounded a whole lot easier than taking care of a teenager.

He wanted to do right by Harry. He didn’t want to simply offer a roof over his head and a warm bed to sleep in – Severus truly wanted the boy to thrive. Why did this feel different than before? Why had adoption changed his thinking, in comparison to the apprenticeship or to the guardianship? Harry would’ve roomed with Severus during those years. There was no real difference. Right?

But it did.

I’m… a father now. I’m a father.

A litany of colorful phrases loaded with an assortment of expletives lifted through his mind. A second later, he cringed at his own thoughts. Thank you, Tobias Snape. Severus grabbed his tea, hoping to hide his expression.

I’m a blasted father.

Dear Merlin. May the Lord have mercy upon my soul. How can I be a decent father?! Me, the spawn of such filth as Tobias Snape? What have I done? 

How am I…?

What am I…?

There’s no way I can…

How nice. The boy had no idea his new father was having a mental breakdown and all right across the breakfast table. Oh, joy. Caffeine. Where was the caffeine? Better yet, maybe a calming draught.

How about ten calming draughts?

Something shifted in the air.

Severus frowned, breaking from his spiraling thoughts. Harry stiffened in his chair. Magic swirled suddenly. A creaking, aching groan of agony echoed through the castle walls. The ground shook beneath their feet – and for a moment, Severus wondered if an earthquake, of all things, was happening. But no… it was more like the castle was…

The boy went white.

“Harry,” said Severus, worry bursting inside his chest. He was never going to get used to this feeling. “What is it? Are you all right?”

That groaning, almost wailing sound still filled the ears.

Tears welled up inside those green eyes. They slipped down Harry’s cheeks. Severus stood up and knelt at the boy’s side. He gripped his forearms. Terror gripped Severus’ heart. Those tears fell faster, those eyes wide.

“He’s dead,” whispered Harry.

A chill entered the air.

“Who?” breathed Severus.

“Euan Abercrombie,” whispered Harry. He squeezed his eyes shut. A wave of tears fell. His chest heaved in a shuddered gasp. “He… He just died. The castle—”

The floo flared to life.

“Severus.”

He stood up and strode into the living room. Madam Pomfrey’s head was in the fireplace, her expression grim amongst the flames. Severus nodded to her.

“I understand.”

Severus looked back at Harry. The boy pushed himself away from the table and stood up as well. He sniffed deeply and wiped his face with the back of his arm. Mourning strength filled his expression.

“I’m coming with you.”

And Severus couldn’t deny him.