“So, you’re definitely going with Snape?” Fred asked.

It was the last day of the school year. Harry and the twins were sitting up in the Astronomy Tower. In the distance they could see the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students leaving. Hogwarts students would be brought to the train station in a couple of hours. For the first time ever, though, Harry would not be taking the Hogwarts Express. Instead, he would be going ahead with Alexei to his new home. He wasn’t thrilled with the transportation methods: a mixture of Portkey and Apparation.

Harry nodded to the twins. “All three of them. Both Severus and Lucius have things to do, so I’m leaving with Alexei when all the students leave.”

“You must be excited,” George said. “Never returning to the Dursleys’ again.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” Harry said. He could hardly express how happy he was.

“We’re happy for you,” Fred said.

“You’ve been through so much this year and, despite it all, you’re leaving with a family,” George said.

“A strange family,” Fred added and Harry chuckled.

“But a family,” George said.

“It is pretty weird,” Harry agreed. “I don’t know if I ever told you, but I saw Ron in dreams all year. He helped me a lot and he supported all this with Severus before I did. I saw him once more, the night after the task. I think he’s happy, somewhere good. He’s with Draco and Cedric. All he wants is for us to stay friends.”

The twins were quiet for a bit, a hit of sadness in the face of Ron.

“Of course we’ll stay friends,” George said.

“We just want to be here for you,” Fred said.

“Especially now,” George added.

Harry smiled at them, glad to have kept their friendship through everything. He had gained a family, but he lost a lot of friends. It had truly been the toughest year he’d ever had. 

He and the twins stayed in the Tower, chatting and watching the Beauxbatons carriage fly away and the Durmstrang ship sink into the water. While talking, Harry looked over at the Quidditch Pitch. It had been restored, the maze removed. Memories of the maze flashed in his mind and they started to bring up the graveyard, but he forced them back. Those events plagued his sleep and he wanted these last moments with the twins to be free of that horror.

He hadn’t talked about it yet. Severus, Lucius, and Alexei still didn’t know everything about that task and night. Lucius knew what happened in the graveyard, but apparently hadn’t told the others.

Must be waiting for me to tell them, he thought. It was clearly the man’s way of letting Harry discuss it when he was ready.

“Time to go, boys.”

Harry turned and found Alexei. He and the twins got to their feet and followed the vampire to the Entrance Hall.

“Have a good summer, Harry,” George said.

“Write, will you?” Fred said.

“I will, promise,” Harry said and waved as they joined the crowd of students leaving the castle. Harry stayed off to the side with Alexei. The vampire allowed him to stand there for a while, watching the students leave. Most of them were chatting happily and excitedly. The return of Voldemort and Cedric’s death hadn’t impacted most of them very much. Many of their lives continued as normal. He wished he was one of them.

The maze had changed him, just not in the way he thought it would. This entire year had changed him. His whole life was different now.

“Ready to go, rebenok?”

It was different, but not wholly bad.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

He walked with Alexei down to Hogsmeade village.

“So, I have your trunk and Hedwig has been sent on ahead,” Alexei said. “Severus and Lucius will join us later today.”

Harry nodded, understanding. Severus had a final staff meeting and Lucius had work at the Ministry. His year sabbatical for grief was officially over and he had to return to his job at the Ministry.

Once in the village, Alexei stopped them and pulled out a tea cup. Harry couldn’t help the tightness that appeared in his chest at the sight of the Portkey. He was back in the maze and back in the graveyard. It was all happening again. His panic had caused him to start shaking and his eyes quickly watered. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories but they just replayed all the faster and clearer.

In his panic, he didn’t notice Alexei kneel in front of him and place the Portkey on the ground. He vaguely noticed something touch his hands and he tried to pull away, assuming the touch meant pain. Whatever it was held him tighter and his breathing quickened as he awaited his torture.

When it felt like his heart would explode, he slowly became aware of the voice talking to him.

“Harry,” the voice said. “Moy rebenok, listen to me.”

He turned his attention to his hands where he realized it was another pair of hands holding his. The others were gently stroking the back of his with their thumbs.

“Just breathe, Harry,” the voice said softly. “Take your time. Focus on me.”

Harry did as he was told. He put all his focus on the hands holding his. They were a comfort and were grounding him. He forced his breathing to slow which calmed his pounding heart. His shaking stopped and he finally allowed his eyes to open. He could feel where tears had dried on his face.

He looked down at Alexei who was watching him with concern, but also understanding and patience.

“Do you hear me?” Alexei asked and Harry nodded. He was calmer, but glad the vampire hadn’t yet released his hands. “I know this must be hard, taking another Portkey so soon.”

Harry tried to shake his head to prove he was okay, but Alexei stopped him.

“You do not have to pretend with me, rebenok,” Alexei said. “Unfortunately, a Portkey is out only option. It is too far for you to Apparate.”

“I know,” Harry whispered, feeling stupid. They could have been there by now, but he was being stupid and difficult.

“I can’t take away this fear,” Alexei said, “but you know you can trust me. I am not going to hurt you and you know exactly where we’re going. No surprises. Can you trust me?”

What a question. Of course he trusted Alexei. He nodded.

Alexei smiled gently and squeezed Harry’s hands. He let go of one to pick up the tea cup again and got to his feet. Harry felt his chest begin to tighten again, but he forced it down by focusing on Alexei’s hand still grasping his. There was still some underlying panic, but he was able to keep it at bay.

“When you’re ready,” Alexei said and he held up the tea cup.

Harry stared at it, silently cursing himself for still acting so stupid. It was just a Portkey and it was Alexei. He knew and trusted him. The vampire would never trick him or hurt him. He blew out a breath and forced his way through his fear. He reached out and grabbed hold of the Portkey. He forced himself not to scream as the Portkey pulled them away from Hogsmeade.

It was the longest Portkey trip ever. In reality, it was only a few seconds, but it felt endless. His feet hit the ground and he released the Portkey as though it burned him. He tried to calm his breathing and turned into Alexei’s chest when the vampire rubbed his back. He allowed the touch to comfort him and he reached out with his other senses to confirm he was not back in the graveyard. He felt a warm breeze ruffle his hair, the sun beat down on his back, and the sounds of people chattering happily.

Definitely not the graveyard.

He turned his head so he could see what he was hearing and feeling. They stood on the immediate outskirts of a quaint village. It was filled with little homes and varying shops. Roads were made of cobblestone and lined with sidewalks. People on foot and bicycles filled the little streets, commuting and window shopping with friends or family. They were clearly Muggles.

It was a larger village than Hogsmeade, and Harry found himself enamored with the Nordic village. All the signs were in another language, in Norwegian, and everyone spoke in that other language as well.

Harry found himself calmer and pulled away from Alexei. As he did so, he looked back at the vampire.

“Feeling better?” Alexei asked and Harry nodded. “So, the house is on the other side of the village. I thought we might walk through and then Apparate the rest of the way.”

Harry nodded again, smiling. They started to walk casually through the village and he couldn’t stop his eyes from jumping all over. It was like his first trip to Diagon Alley. There was just so much to see and he didn’t want to miss anything.

“Do they know about magic here?” Harry eventually asked.

“No, it is a completely Muggle village,” Alexei said. “There is a larger town about two hours away and some magical people are there.”

“What about us just appearing like that then?” Harry said, referring to the Portkey.

“Warding around the village,” Alexei said. “Essentially makes them blind to and ignore anything magic-related. I did it so I could be free to travel magically and potentially perform magic if needed.”

Harry nodded in understanding. “What about the house?”

“They know it’s there, but it just looks like a normal house and they believe I am Muggle. There is also a ward that deters them from coming near the house. They never feel a need to visit.”

“What about all this extra protection you guys have mentioned?”

“Many, many wards, rebenok,” Alexei said with a dramatic sigh and Harry laughed. “No magic can be detected. It is impossible to Apparate or Portkey within one kilometer of the house. Private Floo that can only be used with a password. To name a few.”

“Am I allowed to leave?”

Alexei nodded. “There are wards that go down to the water in the valley. Also, enough space for you to fly.”

“Brilliant!”

Finally, they reached the other side of the village and he could finally see his new home. It looked just like the picture he had stared at for weeks. Beyond it was the fjord, the beautiful lake settled between the massive mountains. Even in June, almost July, the mountains were still snow-capped.

“It is almost more beautiful in the winter,” Alexei said.

Harry almost didn’t believe him. He could this scene be any better? He couldn’t believe he was here. This was his home now. He never had to go back to Privet Drive. He never had to be alone again. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe he was happy. A part of him could hardly believe it was all real. Everything that had happened that year, and all through his life, did not make it apparent that he would have ever ended up here.

He had a family.

He had a home.

“Ready?” Alexei asked, interrupting his thoughts that were about to make his heart burst. He nodded eagerly and stepped into Alexei’s arms for the Apparation. He kept as calm as possible through the uncomfortable squeezing. It was brief, though, and it stopped fairly quickly. He opened his eyes and there it was, a mere one kilometer away: his home.

A shape flying around the roof caught his eye. It was Hedwig! He watched her soar before she flew into a section of the roof near the chimney. He looked at Alexei in question.

“There is an owl perch up there. Covered, warm, perfect for her to rest and be free outside to come and go as she pleases.”

Harry smiled. Finally, a summer she wouldn’t be locked in her cage.

“Come on, let’s get inside,” Alexei said and they finished the trip to the large cottage. As they crossed through the wards, Harry could feel the magic power. They walked up the few small steps onto the front porch. It was a large wooden porch and at the far-right side was a large porch swing. It was facing the valley, a lovely spot for gazing at the landscape. He had a feeling he would be there often. He watched as Alexei put his palm to the door knob. It glowed briefly and he heard a click, the door clearly now unlocked. Alexei swung the door open and allowed Harry to step inside. Harry did so and stopped almost immediately to look around.

“You can remove your shoes and keep them here,” Alexei said, entering and closing the door behind him.

Harry did so almost absently, kicking off his shoes while continuing to gaze around. He didn’t see Alexei’s amused grin and didn’t realize the vampire moved his shoes to the correct spot for him. He was too focused on slowly stepping forward to see more. He was in a large open area. There was a door to either side of him, a hallway in front of him, and a staircase in front of him. Down the hall, there appeared to be a few doors to a variety of rooms. It was a very bright house in terms of both natural light and colours. All the walls were nice, light, pastel colours. It was very inviting. The floor was a beautiful hardwood, as were the stairs.

“Are you going to go beyond the entrance?” Alexei asked jokingly.

Harry flushed slightly, embarrassed he had just been standing there, staring. Alexei chuckled and threaded his fingers through the boy’s dark hair, both affectionately and to ruffle it.

“Come, I’ll show you around,” Alexei said and led Harry to the right. “Sitting room,” he announced.

The room was quite large, full of comfortable furniture and large bay windows that allowed a view of the front porch and expanse of land. There was a large, dark grey sofa against the back wall, across the room from the windows. To the adjacent left of the sofa was a matching loveseat, and beside that a deep red recliner. To the adjacent right of the sofa was another red recliner. This one was more tucked into the corner closest to the entrance. It had a small table beside it and a tall lamp.

Harry was surprised at the Muggle lamp.

“Yes, there is electricity here,” Alexei said. “Not like Hogwarts. Very Muggle. I once was a Muggle myself. I still enjoy aspects of Muggle life. Not everything has to be done with magic.”

Harry nodded, understanding and agreeing. There were two other lamps in the room. In the middle of all the furniture was a dark wood coffee table with detailed carving. Near the loveseat was a large, intricate fireplace with mantlepiece. The floor was covered in a thick, soft, deep red carpet. The walls were a light blue-grey, helping all other colours pop and adding to the cozy feeling. He could already imagine them all in there in the evening, fire lit and some reading, others chatting.

Alexei touched his shoulder to get his attention. He followed the man from the sitting room, past the entrance, and into the room to the left from the open entrance area. 

“Kitchen and dining room,” Alexei said.

Harry never thought he would love a kitchen so much. It was so open, an island to the far right separating the kitchen from the dining room, but still in an open concept. The kitchen had all the typical appliances: refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, coffee machine. The appliances lined the far wall, separated by a ton of counterspace all the way down to the island. The appliances and counters created an L-shape with two large pantries. Cupboards were above the counters and appliances all the way down to the island as well.

In the dining area, there was a large circular dining table. Both rooms had nice laminate tiled flooring. The walls were a pastel yellow, making it so much brighter. There were large windows on the wall facing the front porch, as well as a window that faced the valley.

“And, we continue,” Alexei said and Harry once again followed him. This time they went down the hall. There were two doors on the right and doors on the left. Pointing at each door starting on the right, Alexei said, “Severus’ lab. It will be up to him what kind of access you have. Bathroom. Library and study. Guest bedroom.”

Harry couldn’t wait to check out the library. He walked with Alexei upstairs where there were several more doors.

“Here we have the bedrooms and the other study. Each bedroom has a bathroom attached. We have not chosen yet. We wanted to give you first pick.”

Harry walked around the stairway railing and went to the room at the far end. He pushed the door open and was instantly sure it was the room he wanted. The walls were a soft blue and the floor was covered in a thick and fluffy dark blue carpet. In the corner to the right of the doorway was a large queen bed, covered in a poufy blue, white, and black checkered comforter and a few pillows. Beside it was a white wicker beside table with a drawer, glass top, and lamp on top. On the adjacent wall to the left of the doorway was a door that went to the bathroom and, further down, a large wooden wardrobe. Across from the wardrobe on the opposite wall, the same wall the head of the bed was pressed against, was a desk and comfortable-looking rolling office chair. On the opposite side of the room from the doorway was a large window with a cozy window seat. Beside it, built into the wall, were several shelves, creating a bookcase and place for trinkets.

He rushed over to the window and found the best view. He could see the entire valley. the path that went down to the water, the still and expansive lake, the massive mountains with snow on top, the endless blue sky.

This was it. This was his room. This was his home.

“I take it you don’t need to see the other rooms,” Alexei said, amused.

Harry turned around and found the vampire leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed. The man’s face was amused, but also soft and affectionate. He sat on the window seat with a smile and shook his head.

“Nope, this is the one,” Harry said, gazing around again.

“Then you are free to settle in,” Alexei said and he pulled Harry’s miniature trunk from his pocket. He placed it on the bed and waved his wand, returning it to its original size. “I will be downstairs.”

“Okay,” Harry said and watched him leave. Once alone, he realized how quiet it was. He had never really experienced true silence. At the Dursleys’, someone was always talking and making noise, usually Dudley. In Gryffindor Tower, he was with four other boys. Even after Ron was gone, others were talking and snoring and playing games. In Severus’ quarters, there was always someone there and, even if they weren’t talking, they were doing some kind of work. There were usually sounds of scratching quills, rustling papers, and crackling fire.

Now…it was completely quiet. It was nice but, at the same time, unsettling. He found the silence encouraging traumatic memories to come to the surface. He jumped to his feet and approached his bed, throwing his trunk open. He needed to do something so he wouldn’t think about the graveyard. It still haunted him enough at nighttime; he didn’t need it now, especially not while he was enjoying his new home.

He started pulling clothes out of the trunk and brought them to the wardrobe. He hung up everything he had until he was done with his clothes. Left were his important possessions. He put his invisibility cloak folded neatly on the bottom of the wardrobe and near the back to partially hide it. He placed the cleared Marauder’s Map on the desk. He put his photo album on one of the upper shelves in the wall bookcase. He propped it up so he could easily see the front cover with the picture of him, Ron, and Hermione from first year. Finally, he placed the framed photos of his parents and him, Ron, and Hermione from third year on his bedside table. He closed his trunk and slide it under the bed before sitting to look at the pictures. He missed those two so much. They were his first friends and his best friends. All the crazy things that had happened in the first three years of Hogwarts had been experienced together. They had been inseparable.

How had it all come to this? How had he lost both of his best friends, but also gained others? How had he lost everything, but also gained so much more? How had his life changed so much between gaining a family, but also gaining a war through Voldemort’s return?

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The graveyard was pushing hard in the silence and his musings.

“Harry?” a voice called, interrupting his growing dark mental cloud.

He looked up, realizing it was Severus calling him. He hurried downstairs, and found Alexei and Severus in the sitting room.

“So, what are your thoughts?” Severus asked, gesturing to the house.

“It’s brilliant!” Harry said and Severus smiled.

“Are you settled?” the professor asked and Harry nodded. “Good. Sit. I have some things to tell you.”

Harry’s stomach flipped and he tried not to panic. He had nothing to be afraid of; he wasn’t in trouble. He walked over to sit on the sofa with his guardian as Alexei sat on the loveseat.

“Dumbledore is attempting to deal with the media and the Ministry in terms of Riddle’s return,” Severus said.

“Attempting?” Harry repeated.

Severus sighed and leaned back on the sofa, his arm draped across the back behind Harry. “We all know what Fudge is like. At this time, he is refusing to believe Riddle has returned. A prolific journalist for the Daily Prophet is a strong Fudge supporter and is running with their own story.”

“What does that mean?” Harry asked.

Severus sighed again, sadder this time. “They are determined to ignore the truth about Riddle. You, and Dumbledore, are being painted as liars and delusional.”

Harry felt a stab in his heart at the news. The world was going to believe he was lying? What would he even gain from lying about Voldemort? What would Dumbledore gain? He really couldn’t trust the Ministry. He couldn’t trust adults. None of them were ever there to truly help. No adults were reliable, especially not those in any kind of power.

He mentally stopped and shook himself. That wasn’t completely true, not anymore. Severus, Alexei, and Lucius weren’t like that. He could trust them. They wanted to help him, would help him, had helped him…they had proven that many times that year. The fact that he was currently sitting in this amazing new home proved it. Just because Fudge was an idiot, Severus was insane, and Dumbledore had his own agenda didn’t mean everyone was the same.

“Well, wouldn’t be the first time everyone thought I was lying or insane or evil,” Harry said sardonically.

The two men looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Harry shrugged. “You can’t say it’s not true. Remember second year in particular?”

Severus hummed, acknowledging the truth of what Harry was saying. “Regardless, it is something you will have to deal with until Fudge changes his mind.”

Harry just nodded. Wasn’t the worst thing he’d deal with.

“Now, for some better news,” Severus continued. “Alexei has pulled his many Ministry strings. Our adoption petition has officially been approved, and hidden, of course.”

“So, it’s all done?” Harry asked.

Severus nodded with a smile. “You are officially and legally my son.”

After a few moments where he comprehended what Severus was telling him, he reached out and wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, hugging him tightly.

He had a father.