Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Story Notes:
More fluff than creep, but at least its finished this year.
Chapter 1

All Hallows Eve 1992

“Harry, Ron, come on up to our dorm! I’ve got all the stuff we need for that ritual to find out who my Dad is, and tonight is the best night to do it according to the book.” Dean interrupted a game of Exploding Snap. “Nev and Seamus are ready and waiting so we can get going now.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Hermione asked. “Casting spells tonight makes them more potent. Who knows what will happen if you do it wrong. I don’t think you should be trying this without proper supervision.”

“We’ll be fine Hermione. I’ve read the ritual through loads of times. I’m sure it will work- as long as I don’t let Seamus wave his wand about that is.”

The second year boys scampered eagerly away up the stairs.

*****

 

Severus Snape was patrolling the corridors of the school in his usual foul feast day mood. He could not understand why the students found it so important to be up to no good after over indulging on all the sweet treats on offer. Instead of rioting safely in their common rooms they felt the need to spill out into the corridors and Snape had already taken multiple points from all Houses. The jewels in the house point hour glasses were going to be sorely depleted in the morning. He stomped along a corridor following the sound of what seemed to be drunken singing, only to come face to foot with Peeves.

“Ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee, hee! Gryffindor boys seek paternity.

Oh, Snapey, what did you do? Will someone find the truth about you?”

 

The poltergeist somersaulted down the corridor and disappeared behind a tapestry cackling with glee.

 

Snape began to stalk after him, but was brought up short by a voice in his ear.

 

“Sod off, Potter,” he growled. “Why must you always pester me on Halloween, As if I ever forget what day it is.”

“Only night I can reach you, Snivelly,” the voice spoke more loudly. “You’ll need to hurry if you don’t want Harry to find out – they’re doing the Paternis Revelio ritual up in the boys dorm – luckily not too well – but if you don’t want our secret revealed yet you’d best run.”

With a curse, Snape turned around and rushed to the nearest short cut to Gryffindor tower. He disillusioned himself after ordering the Fat Lady to give him entrance, and ignoring the cacophony in the Common Room he took the steps two at a  time up to the second year boys dorm, cancelling the charm as he rounded the corner out of sight of the students.

“Arthur Weasley, Severus Snape, Padrai……..”

A disembodied voice paused as the wooden door to the dorm flew open and hit the wall with a great thump.

Snape strode in, robes whirling violently. “What in Merlin’s name do you think you are doing,” he snarled, dousing the lighted candles at the corners of a lopsided pentagon chalked out on the floor before vanishing the markings too. He launched a clean air spell to get rid of the rather evil burnt herb smell that permeated the room.

“I wanted to find out my father’s name,” said Dean angrily. “But now you’ve ruined it.”

“It was working too,” said Seamus. “My Dad’s name is Padraig, and it said Arthur Weasley. Oh, but….surely you’re not Dean’s Dad?”

Snape sneered. “Does it look as though I could be related to Mr Thomas, and – he looked at a quivering Neville – certainly not! No, boys, I’m sorry, but your spellwork would need to be far more precise than that was to get an accurate result. The pentagon was not drawn evenly for a start, your candles were mismatched, and someone had burned something.”

Seamus shifted guiltily.

“No, I am the adult wizard in closest proximity to your pathetic attempt which is why it came up with my name,” Snape improvised.

“But sir,” said Ron, “it mentioned my Dad’s name.”

“Yes, and I believe your father is at this moment in the Headmaster’s office discussing your twin brothers’ latest transgression, which is where you all should be for trying out such a ritual tonight of all nights. Who knows what you could have drawn through the veil. Now, pyjamas on, and into bed with you all.”

Snape stood with arms folded across his chest, then when all five boys were under the covers he cast a moderate forgetfulness and confundus charm on the room together with the suggestion that the ritual had been unsuccessful. He thought that would be enough that when they woke in the morning the events of the evening would be vague and hazy. The last thing he saw as he closed the dorm door was a worryingly alert pair of green eyes watching him.

***

The same green eyes seemed to be following him around the classroom in Potions the next day. Merlin, they looked at him exactly as Lily had looked whenever she thought he was keeping a secret from her. He was going to have to speak to her son. Fortunately, as Potter was not concentrating on his work and allowed his cauldron to boil over, it was easy to assign a detention for that evening, which the boy seemed more than happy to accept.

***

Snape sat at his desk waiting for Potter to arrive, He took out the Muggle picture of Lily that he kept in a secret compartment in the top drawer and studied it. “I hope you are going to help me say the right things to your son,” he told it, but Lily just smiled back at him as enigmatically as always. He slotted the photo back into its hiding place as someone knocked on his office door.

“Enter.” Snape indicated that Potter should sit down, and considered how to begin.

“Why did you want us all to forget last night?” Harry blurted out, pre-empting Snape. “You must have something to hide, The other boys seem to think the ritual failed, but it didn’t, did it?”

“You were not supposed to remember either, Mr Potter.”

“Well, I didn’t WANT to forget,” Harry replied aggressively. “There’s a mystery here, and I want to find out what it is.”

“A little respect would not go amiss here,” Snape said mildly. So, the boy was not a complete James Potter clone. He had his mother’s curiosity and perseverance as well as her eyes, and seemed to have Snape’s own resistance to compulsion spells along with his hair colour.

“Sorry,” Harry muttered.

“This is a difficult situation for me.” Snape spoke again. “You deserve to know the truth, but I cannot allow you loose with the knowledge.” He smirked at Harry’s look of alarm. “Don’t worry – I’m not going to harm you, but for both our sakes I will need you to allow me to hide the information I am about to share with you deep in your mind where no-one, not even you, will be able to access it until the charm is released.”

“I assume you know the principles of reproduction,” Snape continued after a short pause to gather his thoughts.

Harry blushed and nodded.

“In about five percent of Pureblood wizards there is a problem with fertility. In these cases the witch in a couple is permitted to choose someone to help, and she can then perform a spell to make the resulting baby look as similar to her wizard as she wishes. The spell used is known only to witches, and once completed the baby is in all ways her husband’s child in the eyes of the wizarding world. Your mother asked me to help as James Potter was unable to father a child.”

“So…..you are MY father,” Harry said slowly as Snape finished speaking.

“Biologically that is correct, but for everything that matters James was your father, and he was besotted with you. I was merely what I believe the Muggles call a sperm donor.”

“Why did Mum choose you?”

“Lily and I were good friends as children, and as a Halfblood I was a sensible choice.”

“Did James know?”

“He did. You must understand that it is a relatively common practice and he was truly your father,”

“Why didn’t you come for me when you knew James Potter and my Mum were dead?”

“Harry – James Potter WAS your father,” Snape emphasised. “I just helped you arrive and I have no legal claim on you. Besides Albus wanted you hidden and he was secretive as to where you were. I am not cut out to be a father, and because I promised James and Lily to do all I could to keep you safe I needed to keep my distance and watch what is happening among those who could be your enemies. Supporters of the Dark Lord. Do you understand?”

Harry stared at Snape, looking for something in the man’s eyes. “I suppose so. But now I know can’t we be friendly?”

“No, Potter, things must remain as they are until the Dark Lord is defeated for good. Now will you trust me to enter your mind and hide your recollection of this talk. It is the safest option for us both, and I promise that when the Dark Lord has been vanquished I will reverse the charm, or if I should die before that the charm will break after a few days.”

“Okay. Do it,” Harry said reluctantly.

Snape gave Harry a strong calming draught before doing what he felt was necessary,

*

“Come on, Potter, get up,” Snape told the drowsy boy.

“Yessir, “ Harry mumbled.

“Come along.” Snape put a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder and manoeuvred him towards the door. “You may tell your friends that I found your cauldron cleaning skills very acceptable this evening.” He opened the door. “And Potter, take your time when preparing any potion ingredients from daisy roots to flobberworms and rat spleens. You will get much better results if you slice and dice evenly.”

“Thank you sir,” Harry walked dazedly back to the Gryffindor common room, a comfortable warm feeling in his chest that he couldn’t quite account for. Surely he wasn’t starting to enjoy scrubbing cauldrons?

*****

 

All Hallows Eve 1998

The first Halloween after the final defeat of Voldemort Harry Apparated to the outskirts of a foggy Godric’s Hollow. He pulled his cloak closer as the damp air chilled him on the walk to the cemetery, and tried not to jump at the rustles and creaks in the hedgerows.

At past midnight the village was mostly quiet, although the noise and light spilling out of the back room of the pub showed evidence of an adult party with a licence extension. Children had clearly been out earlier trick or treating, and a few carved pumpkins grinned vacantly at him from gateposts and doorsteps.

Harry reached the dark deserted churchyard, glad that he knew exactly where to go on this visit. He laid a bouquet of pink roses – his mother’s favourite flowers according to Snape’s memories – on the grave of Lily and James Potter and murmured a few words to them. He ran a hand over the white marble headstone before moving to the dark granite marker next door. He knelt down to lay a bunch of rosemary at its foot as he traced the inscription which he knew by heart.

Severus Snape

1961-1998

Respected father

A truly brave man

 

“I thought you might come here tonight,” a slightly rough voice whispered from the other side of the Potter’s marker where a shadowy version of Snape stood. “You did as well as we all hoped. I trust that you received the items I left for you?”

“Yes,” Harry replied with a smile. “The books are proving useful in my Auror training – even the Potions one.”

“One can but hope for miracles,” Snape’s voice held a hint of amusement. “Thank you for the kind words you have spoken about me since the battle.”

“I only told the world the truth,” Harry said. “And I have all the memories you left for me. They have helped a lot, but I so regret not having the chance to get to know you properly.”

“Pot….Harry! Do not waste a second of your life regretting things you cannot change, as I did,” Snape ordered, looking more Snape like in form as the moon escaped from behind the clouds for a moment, seeming to illuminate his large nose and glint off the buttons of his robe. “We are all immensely proud of you, and you owe us nothing. Look forward to the rest of your life, and when the time comes, make sure that your children have a better early life than we did, and be as good a father as James would have been to you.”

“I’ll do my best,” Harry said, pulling at a piece of ivy that was already encroaching on Snape’s grave.

“Good lad, that is all anyone can ask and I know you will succeed, Be happy, Harry. Goodbye.”

Harry’s head snapped up and he jumped to his feet to find himself alone in a deserted churchyard.

With a sigh he took out his wand, and deliberately and with great determination thought of the Burrow.

Harry was never entirely sure, no matter how many times he viewed the memory of that night, if Snape’s shade simply vanished while he blinked or if he really did hear the very soft pop of expert Disapparition.

 

 

 

The End.

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