“What, in Merlin’s name, was that?” Severus Snape whirled abruptly to face Albus as the door clicked shut behind him, his face a picture of blind fury. The younger wizard clenched his fists, clearly working to avoid any physical expression of the rage that he felt at his employer’s reckless words.
“His father, Albus? What could you possibly hope to accomplish with such deceit?”
They were standing toe-to-toe in the dim candlelight of a small but elegantly appointed hallway. Faced with the calm visage of the elderly wizard in front of him, Severus found that he could no longer contain his anger. It presented itself in a burst of pure adrenalin that surged through his veins, causing an uncontainable tremble in his hands.
Taking a moment to securely ward the door with a series of privacy spells, Albus Dumbledore simply nodded calmly as he waved his hand over Severus’s shoulder in a careless display of wandless and wordless magic.
Teeth clenched, Severus leaned threateningly towards Dumbledore, drawing himself up to his full height as he inhaled deeply. “What, in Merlin’s name, were you thinking? What conceivable good could possibly come of further confusing that already addled boy?“ Severus turned slightly and stabbed a long forefinger at the closed and warded door behind them.
“Ah, I am so pleased that you asked,” interrupted Dumbledore brightly, apparently completely unaffected by his colleague’s demonstration of ire. It occurred to Severus that perhaps he needed to temper his frequent displays of rage for moments that were truly worthy. It was apparent that they no longer had the desired impact on the very man he wished to target.
In this moment, however, he felt entirely warranted in expressing his displeasure.
“Please, Severus, understand that there is some method in this old man’s madness,” the Headmaster held out a placatory hand, grasping the younger man’s shoulder as he carefully steered Severus down the heavily oak-panelled hallway towards the bedroom where Aunt Aggie had graciously, albeit somewhat frostily, led him earlier that day.
Stalking beside Dumbledore to the next doorway down the hall, the Potions Master paused at the entry to the room, gesturing impatiently for his employer to enter ahead of him when the older man paused at the threshold. Severus decided that he might as well hear whatever patently ridiculous scheme the old man had dreamed up before continuing his well-justified rant.
Albus avoided meeting his flinty stare and instead moved away to seat himself on the chesterfield at the fireplace, admiring the ornate marble surround as he did so. It had been quite some years since the elderly wizard had been a guest at Kall Hus, and he had forgotten the cold, yet elegant beauty of the Prince family seat. He allowed his gaze to wander about the room, taking in the dark green damask wallpaper that graced the walls, perfectly matched with the fine Persian rug that carpeted the room. Sighing softly, Albus raised his eyes at last to meet with those of his employee. He could not help but chuckle. Already, Severus had assumed his customary impassive mask.
“You are fooling nobody, Severus,” Albus allowed his amusement to warm the delivery of his statement. “I am well aware of how you feel, and I daresay I deserve to be the recipient of your anger.”
Moving stiffly, Severus stalked over to join him, his slender white fingers clutching the dark brown leather the only telling sign of the restrained ire beneath his expressionless facade.
“Come, sit with me, my friend,” Albus patted the cushion beside him. “We have much to discuss and I truly do not know how you remain upright after the trying circumstances you have had to cope with in the past 24 hours.”
Severus snorted and continued to stand stubbornly for a few moments, his eyes narrowed as he glared down his nose at his employer. The fight, however, seemed to drain out of him as he stood there, his shoulders slowly slumping in resignation. Grudgingly, the severe man moved to take a seat at the other end of the sofa, shifting his own gaze to the fire and leaning his head back as he took a deep breath.
“It is my fervent hope that Harry will regain a true sense of himself within a relatively short period of time,” Albus began softly. “I am sure that you understand, however, that his current condition puts both you and the boy at considerable risk.”
Severus jerked his head in an impatient nod, rolling his eyes at this statement of obvious fact. If the boy were to announce to Aunt Aggie that he was, in fact, Harry Potter, and not Henrik Snape as they had been pretending…it did not bear thinking on too hard. Suffice to say that the inroads Severus had made with Agatha would be dashed to pieces and his tenuous place in the Prince family instantly made forfeit. They were by now too far entangled in the lie for the truth to be revealed.
“Unfortunately, it is not possible to know how long it might take for young Harry to recover his faculties. It may only be a matter of hours….it might be days or weeks-“
“Weeks?” the whispered word fell from the thin lips involuntarily, Snape’s black eyes widened in horror.
“Calm yourself, dear boy, I am merely considering all possibilities. I think it unlikely that Harry is – injured – to that extent. The magic I performed in order to revive him was complex and not widely known or used. It was a rather desperate move on my part, I confess, but I do not regret my actions.”
“Too worried about losing hold of your greatest weapon against the Dark Lord to consider the consequences, Headmaster?” He watched the wizened face blanch and then sag in defeat.
“Do you truly think so little of me, Severus?” the Headmaster asked in a defeated tone.
“Forgive me, Albus,” Severus passed a weary hand across his eyes.
“I suppose you have every right to question my motives where that child is concerned.”
Severus shook his head. “No, it was ill-said of me.”
Albus leaned forward and looked intently at the younger wizard whose face was currently lined with fatigue.
“You have every right,” the older wizard was emphatic in his statement. “I have made many mistakes in my dealings with Harry,” he reached out and placed a slightly shaking hand on Severus’s arm. “And he is not the only lost and orphaned boy in my care that I have wronged.”
Snape visibly flinched and shifted uncomfortably under the Headmaster’s touch.
“Please, Severus, I am asking you to put your trust in me yet again. I know I do not deserve it,” he removed his hand from the younger man’s forearm with one last affectionate pat and settled back into his chair.
“But let me explain. Harry needs to believe that his current circumstances pose no danger to him. That child – and yes, at this very moment, he is a child, only five years of age – is frightened and alone. If we could convince him that this living situation involves a new guardianship and, along with it, a change of name… Well, it might be possible to keep things in hand.”
“You are proposing that we simply tell the boy that his name is now Henrik Snape and that I am his new father?” Severus allowed his incredulity to show in the furrow of his brow. “Albus, Harry has a family! He has already made mention of his aunt in the brief time that we conversed just now. He is not going to simply accept that he somehow went to sleep and woke up in a different country, bearing the appearance of a completely different child, and is now apparently a member of a new family that is unfamiliar to him in every way! The idea is preposterous!”
“We have very little choice. And I believe that there is a way we can assist Harry to accept this version of events…”
Slouching back into his own chair, Severus allowed himself a moment to close his eyes and take another a few deep breaths. The headache resulting from the botched Legilimency session of the early hours of that morning still lingered behind his closed eyelids, reminding him of Dumbledore’s recent intrusion into his mind.
At least the Headmaster had been able to reassure him that while his memories had indeed been tampered with, the event in question had taken place quite some years ago and was therefore not likely a threat to either Potter or his position as a spy in the Dark Lord’s ranks. It didn’t make Severus any less leery of the fact that someone had accessed his mind and apparently removed very specific memories of his childhood. He was deeply concerned about who was responsible and their motives for doing so, but at least, in this moment, Severus Snape was not a danger to those around him.
No, now the risk was Potter himself. The repercussions would be terrible indeed if the boy did not fully recover from the magical backlash of Dumbledore’s revival spell. What good was a Chosen One who was convinced that he was five years old and therefore could not even perform intentional magic? Not only was the boy now a liability in the fight against Lord Voldemort, but he posed a very real and present danger to the success of their current mission. With one careless sentence, Harry could expose them as frauds to the entire Prince household.
Severus had a personal stake in ensuring that this visit to Kall Hus went smoothly, but so, too, did the Order. Although Severus did not yet know the reason for it, Albus had impressed upon him the importance of ensuring that Aunt Aggie, as matriarch of the Prince family line, welcomed Severus back into the fold.
The Potions Master felt the unwelcome weight of guilt settle in his stomach at the sudden realisation that in his concern for his own situation, he had overlooked the fact that there was a larger tragedy still in all of this. If the boy did not recover, the stark reality was that it would be as if the 16 year-old version of Harry Potter had died. After all, who was a person but the unique sum of their memories and experiences? In losing his teenaged awareness of the world and all the attendant recollections of his life up to this point in time, Harry would also lose much of who he was. Severus felt a pang of grief and fear for the infuriating, stubborn, determined, courageous boy that he, albeit grudgingly, had protected these past years.
In recent days, Snape had developed a greater understanding of Harry. At times, he could see echoes of his own adolescent darkness reflected in him. He could no longer simply think of Potter as an arrogant trouble-maker. Rather, there was a particular fragility to the child that he had never thought possible.
“Severus?” Dumbledore’s faded blue gaze regarded him curiously.
Severus focused himself once again on the old man before him.
“Why must you always interfere, Albus?” he asked in a voice completely devoid of any emotion.
“I do apologise for the necessary deception-“
“Ha!” Severus followed this with an incredulous huff. “You are apologising to me? What of the boy? Where does he fit in this latest abominable manipulation of yours?”
“Please, Severus, allow me to finish,” the Headmaster implored, feeling every one of his 106 years at that moment. The matter of Harry’s guardianship had been weighing heavily on his mind since the moment he had stepped away from 4 Privet Drive only a little over a week ago. Had it been so short a time? It seemed impossible, given how much Dolores Umbridge had been able to accomplish in her posturing with the Muggle authorities.
Albus leaned back slightly and steepled his hands in his lap, considering the impact that this conversation would have on the fragile truce that Severus seemed to have forged with Harry. The two had always maintained such an antagonistic relationship in the past that he was loath to do anything that might cause further conflict. However, the truth was that Albus’s hand had been forced. His meddling this time was with a compassionate purpose, rather than a considered move for the greater good.
“I mentioned to you some days ago that there will be a hearing to determine Harry’s new custody arrangement in the Muggle world.”
“You did,” Severus inclined his head jerkily, refusing to look at the Headmaster. He recalled the Floo conversation with Dumbledore from several days previous that had earned Harry a lecture on the perils of eavesdropping. It was fortunate that the boy had not been privy to the initial few minutes of the call. In all that had taken place over the past few days, Severus had given little thought to the matter of the Muggle court hearing. After all, they would both be returned to Hogwarts and he had assumed that Harry would no longer be his responsibility at that time.
“Well, the situation has become a great deal more complicated and, indeed, more perilous than I had originally anticipated,” Albus sighed.
He was somewhat gratified to note that he now had Severus’s full and undivided attention. The black eyes bore into his own, subconsciously seeking beyond the older wizard’s mental shields. Albus did not shift his gaze, but gently pushed back against the intrusion, reminding his protégé that both were equally matched when it came to mind magic. To his credit, Severus immediately withdrew, a slight wince indicating his non-verbal apology.
“Please, Severus, allow me to explain.”
He waited for Severus’ terse nod before continuing. “When the Dursleys chose to abandon their obligation to care for Harry, they nullified their legal guardianship in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. While the repercussions were severe in terms of the breach of a magical contract, leading to the destruction of the Blood Wards on Privet Drive, in Muggle terms, it should have been a simple matter to have the boy transferred into what they would term a ‘foster care’ arrangement. It was my intention to guide the selection of a new, more suitable, wizarding family to take Harry on as a ward until his 18th birthday. This would have been possible, with a little magical interference. Kingsley had, in fact, agreed to assist me with this endeavour.”
Severus nodded slowly, although he frowned pensively as he did so, obviously recalling their Firecall from a few days earlier. Albus had wondered if the younger man had momentarily forgotten that conversation in all that had followed since. “I had thought to wait until your mission here in Sweden was at an end, thus allowing Harry to be a part of that process upon your return to Scotland.”
“You would allow the boy to choose his new guardians? Surely the Weasley family-”
Albus spread his hands in a gesture of humility. “I am…aware…that there have been a number of decisions in the past - my decisions - made with little regard for Harry’s input or agreement. I wanted to right that wrong. Unfortunately, there has been an unexpected development.”
“Which is?”
“Dolores Umbridge.”
“Umbridge? How is that reprehensible woman tied up in any of Potter’s custody arrangements?” the Potions Master tensed, his sneer expressing his dislike for the Senior Undersecretary more openly than the venomous delivery of his words.
“It appears that she has been holding a rather bitter vendetta against young Harry after her suspension from the Ministry. She has appealed to the Muggle authorities on Harry’s behalf, as a ‘concerned’ adult and has accused the Dursley family of abusive actions against Harry.”
“And is there any truth to her claims?” Severus gave the Headmaster a piercing look that held clear recognition that perhaps Harry’s upbringing had been less than satisfactory.
“There may well be, however, that is by-the-by. Most disturbingly, Dolores has also put forward a petition that she be granted custody of Potter as his new guardian in the eyes of Muggle law, until he comes of age and turns 18.”
“That cannot be allowed to happen,” his voice barely audible, but nonetheless terrible in its underlying menace, the Potions Master’s jaw clenched, his expression tightening in resolve.
“I agree. Which is why my hand has been somewhat forced,” Albus responded in just as deadly a tone.
“In what way?”
The older man suddenly rose from his seated position, slowly making his way towards the window and briefly taking in the snow-laden landscape before turning back to face Severus.
“I am trusting you with this, Severus, above all others. Most especially where the protection of Harry Potter is concerned. You have taken a vow to protect the boy and the time has come, Severus, to come good on your word-“
“Haven’t I always-“
“Yes,” Albus paced to stand in front of the younger man, whose face appeared almost waxen in his affront. Lowering himself so that he sat directly beside the Potions Master, Albus placed a hand on his shoulder and tightened his grip, turning Severus towards him in what was clearly a fatherly gesture. “This is precisely why I wish for you to become the boy’s legal guardian in the Muggle world. No, hear me out, Severus. Your identity would be hidden and your position as a spy for the Order not compromised in any way. It is my plan that you will come forward in the Muggle world as Harry’s estranged biological father. It will take some careful arranging and some significant use of concealment magic on Kingsley’s end, but I am assured that it can be accomplished. It is the only way to protect Harry from Dolores Umbridge and from Tom Riddle himself.”
Aware that the Headmaster was awaiting his response, Severus inhaled deeply and then chose his next words carefully. “It is not possible to perform mind magic on the boy, so there can be no implanted suggestion. I will not perform it and I will not permit you to endanger yourself or Potter in that manner. Harry will need to believe that I am his new guardian based on some form of evidence.”
Albus nodded gravely. “I have the necessary paperwork. In fact, I have had it in my possession for some time.”
“Paperwork?” Snape tilted his head curiously.
“Due to the allegations of Dolores Umbridge, the Muggle authorities have begun an investigation into the care that Harry received whilst under the guardianship of Petunia and Vernon Dursley,” the Headmaster sighed.
“A hearing at the Children and Family Court has been called for the new year. Both Harry and I have been called as witnesses. A case of child abuse and willful neglect had been brought against the Dursleys. In retaliation, the family have effectively renounced all custody of Harry. They have signed documents to that effect,” Dumbledore hesitated for a moment to clear his throat. “These documents would serve as proof to Harry that they are no longer his guardians.”
“Surely you cannot mean to show them to the child?” Severus was utterly aghast at Albus’s matter-of-fact pronouncement. “He does not understand what is happening to him right now and is already in distress. This will only serve to cause further grief!”
The Headmaster smiled sadly. “I do believe your heart is showing.”
“Do not attempt to deflect from the matter at hand, Albus,” Severus huffed in dismissal and looked away.
“I think we shall find that Harry may not be as dismayed at the situation as you imagine. There is much that you do not know about his life at Privet Drive. Suffice to say that Harry’s childhood experiences are perhaps not dissimilar to your own.”
Severus felt his cheeks flush.
“It may take a little time, but I believe that Harry will come to accept you as his new guardian, and the Prince family as his own.”
“Very well, we shall proceed with your plan. But, Albus?”
“Yes?”
“Do not presume to know how that child will react to the discovery that he is no longer wanted by his own flesh and blood, no matter the circumstances.”
The older wizard nodded slowly, his expression resigned. "I believe Harry will have a difficult time ahead of him, Severus. But you will be there to see him safely through it."
Turning away from the Headmaster, Snape indicated his agreement with the slightest incline of his chin, paused for a moment, and then swept from the room.
Chapter 14