Disclaimer- This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The same goes for Baldur's Gate II, Terry Pratchet, Patricia C. Wrede, David Eddings and Mercedes Lackey.
Warnings- Slash, violence, language and triads
A/N- This is a SLASH fic. Other warnings are: angst, citrus, bad humor, lots of words, attempts at plot, etc… If I make up a spell my Latin comes from http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/Latin/. Enjoy and please leave some CC.
Chapter I
An Unexpected ArrivalFor all stories, there is a beginning, and an end. The problem is, there is only one story. It began with time, and it will end with time. All other stories are not true stories, they are small threads in the tapestry of the great story, and as such there is only one true beginning. Still, there are small beginnings, a revolution, a death, a birth- a place where people can point and say, "This is a beginning."
On this night, in the warm air of a British summer, where the stars were glittering and the moon was a near perfect sphere in the sky, something began.
Voldemort stared out into the night. The emissary to the giants had not returned, but the coup of Azkaban was running along schedule. Things were falling into place so very neatly… Except for one thing, Hogwarts, but that was no surprise. Damn Dumbledore. Damn Potter. Damn Snape- well than again maybe there was hope there. Voldemort sighed and tapped his finger against the wooden throne, feeling the smooth grain of the wood, his long fingers caressing it. Snape never had truly revealed who the other Death Eaters were, merely he had been captured and forced to reveal some of his companions. Unlike Karkarov, who would get what was coming to him so very soon…
Voldemort pondered the question, was Snape loyal? He had accepted the other Death Eaters back who had been, questionable even. Lucius Malfoy for instance, just how much should he tolerate? Voldemort didn't feel much emotion anymore; snakes were not creatures of passion, they were cold and calculating, admirable creatures. He gently stroked Nagini's head. And when he gained the inability to die… Already he was taking the long view of things. He could afford to wait, centuries if necessary. The subversion of humanity was a delicate thing. Something that could be very entertaining given time…
The laugh was low and deliberate; it hadn't seen much use in 50 some odd years. Beside him Wormtail clenched his new hand, it still gave him tears of beauty. But something hovered in the back of Wormtail's mind. I am in debt to Harry Potter. And that thought made for terror, as if Voldemort somehow found out… Wormtail wasn't even imaginative enough to think of what could happen if that happened. He didn't know what exactly the bond did, but it was old magic and old magic was always powerful.
At last, she had found them, the dragons. High up in the Himalayas, but she had found them. The signs had pointed him straight to them, the dragons. Deep caverns within the earth, the bowels of the mountains. But she had found them. Oh faery dragon blood would enable her to cast the greatest of spells, written by Merlin himself. She caressed the ancient scroll in her hand, first the search for Merlin's tomb and now this. Soon she could return to the court and they would be able to defeat Voldemort and Dumbledore, as long as the Americans stayed out of it…
Europe was done for and south east Asia along with Africa had their own internal problems. But America… The American council based their magic on not only Latin, but had studied with the Japanese and Issue. The odd triad of those three magical ministries could destroy everything she and her brethren had worked for. But no matter.
She turned to the young man next to her, with his fiery red hair. Pity, he had almost begun to grow on her. A thought occurred to her, yes, that fate would be fitting. She smiled as she raised her wand, now everything would fall so neatly into place…
"Oh my little Duddy is all grown up now, Vernon he's a MAN!" Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, one of the most famous figures in wizardry at age 15, was totally ignored and or worse in his relative's house. Well, scratch the and or worse, all he had to do was say "Sirius" and his relatives became much more docile. However he didn't press things, the Dursleys might decide his godfather could maybe support him on his own and that would raise a whole bundle of problems of its own.
Dudley smiled wickedly. His mother and father doted on him so much that it made Harry sick. Dudley no longer resembled a young Orca, just more along the lines of a fat dolphin. The strict school had made him lose a few pounds, but he was still the same spoiled selfish bratty kid he'd been when he was five. Harry sighed and went back up into his room. Then he brightened, he still had some cake to eat from his birthday that Ron had sent him didn't he?
He darted into his room and almost died of the shock that ran down his spine when he saw who was in there.
"Well stop staring Potter, I need help." Professor Snape snapped at him. Harry shook himself out of his daze, and saw that Snape's robes were stained with blood. And a chunk of his shoulder seemed to be missing. Harry was frozen mentally but his body went into automatic. He whipped out his wand and cast the Decino Excrucio charm to relieve the pain. Then he paused, he didn't know much in the way of healing spells, but it was obvious that was what Snape needed. For now his hatred of Snape was covered by the need to help someone who was in obvious trouble.
"What did you do to yourself?" Harry asked incredulously. Snape hissed as the pain left, and then cast his eyes around Harry's room.
"Where do you keep your potion ingredients boy?" Harry responded automatically to that tone of authority even while he gritted his teeth in anger.
"Boy, what are you- AAAAAAHHH!" Aunt Petunia screeched at the sight of a bloody man dressed in wizard robes. And then she fainted. Snape stared down at her and shrugged. For some reason that just made Harry laugh. Snape gave him a cold look, and then a small grin flickered across his features. It appeared that something could reach out across the hatred the two felt, laughter. Aside from love, laughter truly was the greatest medicine.
Harry wasn't thinking of that though. Now where did I put those potions ingredients? He tapped his trunk with his wand and it opened. He drew out everything in there. Snape's eyes grew almost pleased.
"Well Potter, despite your obvious negative qualities, I must owe you some thanks for this assistance." The words were stiff and Snape acted like they were dragged out of him by a wild horses and hot irons, and they weren't very creative as well but Harry didn't particularly care. Harry knew he shouldn't have expected genuine gratitude from Snape, it just wasn't realistic. So what Snape said to him next was very surprising.
"I'm sorry Potter, that was ungracious of me, I truly am grateful for this assistance, and to answer your earlier question-"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Uncle Vernon yelled. Dudley stood behind them, his face blanched at the sight of so much blood. Harry looked at Snape's face and noticed his color was waning to white. Quickly Harry whipped his wand and waved it at the door.
"Extundo Foris." Now whenever Uncle Vernon tried to get in the door he found himself bouncing back from the entryway. Harry would have stopped to take the time to laugh as his uncle was tossed down the hall but Snape needed help. He looked at Snape anxiously, suddenly he was captivated by the small gotee the man had, it made him look rugged and somehow powerfully sexual. My god am I thinking this about Severus Snape? But he does look hot right now… except for the blood and everything- what the hell am I thinking?
"My thanks, again, Potter now please-" What followed was a series of instructions and the quick brewing of a potion that would restore health to Snape. Harry couldn't believe that he had all the ingredients, but then he listened to Snape and the way he give his instructions, the careful pauses, and the eyes full of intense thought. I don't have everything, he's playing fast and loose with the ingredients and substitutions. Harry's respect of Snape's potion brewing ability increased then and there, he'd never really known just how good the man was. Only those with great experience, proving that apparently Snape did deserve his position as Potions teacher, improvised on spell or potion ingredients.
Finally it was ready, Snape drank the potion before it even had time to properly cool, his eyes going wide as it burned his throat. After drinking it he screamed in pain, apparently the charm Harry had placed was broken. Then Snape glowed bright blue for a second, before his wounds healed. Color slowly returned to his cheeks, and took in a deep breath.
"Thank you Potter, now I must address these, Muggles." The word was said with such distaste that Harry frowned, but then shrugged, the Dursleys deserved every bit of abuse Snape might give them. After all, Snape wasn't constrained by the law of not being able to practice magic. Then something that had been tickling the back of his mind came to the surface.
"Where's your wand?" Snape grimaced and opened his mouth as if to snap at Harry, but stopped.
"It was destroyed." And then Harry started, what would, or rather who would attack Snape and how could his hand have been destroyed?
"Don't ask Potter, You're safer if you don't know." Harry bristled at that, safer? He was the person that Voldemort wanted to kill most in the world, safer? Harry shook his head and Snape grimaced again.
"Very well Potter, point acknowledged, I have discovered quite by accident that there is another power moving out into the world, one that will challenge Voldemort, and can possibly win." Harry grew cold, something out there was greater then Voldemort aside from Dumbledore? Already wizards all over Britain had begun to revert to how they acted when Voldemort was in power. The rumors that the Ministry couldn't squelch grew daily.
"Yes Potter, it is bad." He answered just one of the questions Harry knew were in his eyes. "I must make my report to Dumbledore soon, but I need to spend the night and then go to Diagon Alley, I need another wand." Harry nodded, and then smiled, Snape would absolutely terrify the Dursleys, who had long since fled because the shield held them out. Harry's day was looking up quite suddenly, who'd have ever thought he'd be grateful for Severus Snape?
"Well Potter, where do we go now?" Snape was distinctly uncomfortable in the Muggle clothes, but he didn't look half bad and Harry mentally smacked himself for such thoughts. Harry had magicked, with Snape's help, some of Uncle Vernon's clothes, just to give the man something to wear.
"Now we go through here," He led Snape up through the street and through the Leaky Cauldron to the brick wall. Within seconds they were in Diagon Alley. Harry decided now would be a good time to get some supplies, so he and Snape needed money. He gave a glance at the potions teacher and wondered why he didn't hate the man so much; he had been so cruel to Harry and his friends for so long. Why should he forgive him? He looked out of the corner of his eye at the man, obviously uncomfortable in his clothing and sneering at everyone around him.
"Why are you looking at me Potter?" Snape hissed almost kindly, but underneath the tone was steely ice. Harry sighed, nothing had changed, but somehow that was reassuring. Something so horrible that it caused Snape to seek Harry Potter out for refuge would be terrible indeed. Harry readjusted his glasses when he noticed that the top half of the world was getting pretty fuzzy.
The two entered Gringotts and joined the queue. Snape tapped his foot angrily, he didn't enjoy being kept waiting. Harry sighed, why was he accompanying this bad tempered evil man again? He took out his wand and gently began to polish it, perversely enjoying Snape's obvious anger that he had a wand and Snape didn't. Finally they reached a goblin.
The goblin looked at Harry with interest and the look it gave Harry made him want to smack the creature. But he knew better than that. Goblins had their own methods of dealing with wizards. Truly the only reason they owned and operated Gringotts was that they had a perverse fascination with money. It also kept the interspecies peace.
When they reached Harry's vault Harry quickly grabbed a few Galleons, Sickles and a big handful of Knuts. He thought he saw Snape peer into the vault but when he turned around the potions master was staring around the tunnel they were in.
Soon they were at Snape's vault and Harry snuck a curious look. There was a huge pile of Knuts in one corner and a series of small towers of Sickles in another. In the third corner was just a huge heap of Galleons and a chest with some jewels glistening out from out. And in the fourth there was another chest, this one with spare bits of parchment creeping out.
But in the middle of the room was a cauldron. It was plain and steel looking but had powerful runes inscribed on it. It was bubbling, and Harry wondered what it held. The Goblin looked curious as well. Snape snatched a large handful of Galleons, a small bag and two towers of Sickles before backing out of the vault. The look he cast Harry dared him to comment, so Harry didn't.
They left then, Harry's pocket's jangling with gold and Snape holding a small pouch that tinkled and seemed to have something else in it along with his shopping money.
"Well I guess you should come with me." Snape looked distastefully at Harry. The two began the walk down to Mr. Ollivander's shop. Harry looked around him with attentive eyes. He was only able to come to Diagon Alley a couple times a year, and it always just felt so right to be amongst other wizards. Conversely Snape appeared extremely uncomfortable in his Muggle clothing. Suddenly Snape turned into a store and dragged Harry with him. Harry realized that he had almost missed Mr. Olivander's wand shop.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." Mr. Olivander said. Snape just snorted while Harry became curious, how did Mr. Olivander know Snape was coming?
"I knew my dear boy because I am bonded with each wand, I can almost see their futures, as a matter of fact I did see this one's future. A wand cannot be used after it is broken unless specially prepared." Suddenly something clicked in Harry's head, and the ramifications of it were astounding. Mr. Olivander smiled in a kindly old man fashion. Snape just nodded tersely.
"I need another wand then." Snape said. Mr. Olivander nodded and, still smiling that slightly unsettling smile, picked a wand off the counter and gave it to Snape. Snape looked at him.
"You aren't going to measure my arms or any of that nonsense?" Mr. Olivander laughed.
"I trust you two won't give a way my craft secret, but the moment anyone walks in that door I can tell exactly what kind of wand they need and more importantly exactly what kind of wand they should have." Harry looked sharply at Mr. Olivander who winked at him. "I knew that your first wand would be destroyed, so I gave you one that would work, but it won't compare at all to this one. 12 inches, flexible, Phoenix and unicorn hair made with cherry, powerful but adept at enchantments. One of my better creations." Snape nodded, obviously impressed.
Harry stared at his wand and then at Mr. Olivander. "You knew," he murmured breathlessly, and then glared at him accusatorily, "You knew that he would- that I- that-."
"Oh yes my dear boy, obsession in the mind of a wizard breeds strong magic, but only one kind. All I know is wands, but I know them so well I don't need to know anything else."
"Potter what on earth are you talking about." Snape demanded, his eyes flashing. He obviously didn't like being excluded.
"What Mr. Potter was talking about was his latest encounter with Voldemort," Harry barely noticed Snape's fingers clench into fists. "The only reason he survived was because his wand and Voldemort's are brethren, and so they created Priori Incantatem, the only reason Mr. Potter survived." Mr. Olivander repeated as if to himself. Snape had heard all this before, but hearing it now and putting it and the half pieces of conversation together, he realized along with Harry just what the man was talking about.
The two of them left the shop several minutes later, fairly confused and in a slight daze. Snape shrugged it off and dragged Harry along to get some robes. As Snape was measured Harry glanced around the room, just taking it all in. Then it was his turn to get some new school robes. Snape left the shop looking much more pleased, while Harry just sort of strolled along, waiting till they could separate.
"Well I guess now I can go, you have your wand-"
"Nonsense Potter," Snape cut in sharply, "I have to be around if only to correct any violent mistakes you make, or to prevent your fan club," the amount of scorn Snape could fit into those two words had to be breaking some law of grammar physics somewhere, "From injuring anyone." Harry had figured as much, Snape might still hate him but he wasn't about to let him get hurt. Harry considered losing Snape in the crowd but he had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy. He glared angrily at the man, and then remembered that Snape owed him. Snape was in his debt. The smile that flickered across his smile at that thought increased when he saw the look of loathing Snape cast at him.
Snape stopped a moment to get a copy of the Daily Prophet. He murmured to himself as he read leaving Harry free to wander around a little.
"Professor Snape!" A familiar voice exclaimed. Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy zero in on his favorite teacher and house head. Snape put down the paper and Harry thought he saw something flash through Snape's eyes but then he smiled.
"Hello Draco, how has your summer been?" Draco beamed.
"Fantastic, father took me to a bunch of quidditch games, aside from that we went traveling to visit famous sites of wizardry. Some of the curses were pretty interesting." Snape nodded while Malfoy continued to talk about his travels. Harry felt a pang of jealousy, Malfoy might be an annoying evil little git but he had a family… Harry turned and was about to go into a broomstick store but Snape's voice interrupted him.
"Potter come over here and listen to Malfoy's recitation of his summer." Harry trudged over, Snape had to be one of the cruelest people he knew. If he'd been paying attention he would've seen the look Draco gave him, one of surprise then happiness with an odd tinge of something else.
"So Potter, decided to switch sides?" Harry's head shot up at that. The two of them were focusing on each other so hard they missed Snape's eyes narrowing and his suspicious gaze flickering back and forth between them.
"You wish Malfoy, I despise you and your-" Snape interrupted and Harry glared at him, missing the crushed look on Malfoy's face. But he didn't miss the poisonous glare of hatred that the boy sent him next.
"That's enough of that Potter, if it were school right now I would subtract points from Gryffindor, so consider yourself lucky. Now be quiet and listen to Draco's summer."
"I don't feel so well right now professor, something smells a trifle rancid here, and I wouldn't want to make Potter upset over his Muggle family that loves him so very much." Draco snapped back. His incredibly light blond hair gave his face an angelic look while his eyes changed it to that of a vengeful spirit. Harry shook his head, what the hell was he thinking about? After ruthlessly shoving those thoughts from his head he began to respond but was cut off once again by Snape.
"Potter if Malfoy doesn't find your presence appealing don't be to harsh on him, not everyone loves you as much as your fan club." Harry stifled the urge to curse both his potions teacher and Malfoy but only barely. "But speaking of that Muggle family I believe it's time that you went home. Let's go." Harry, shaking with rage left quickly with a smirking Snape. Draco watched them go, and then he growled and left.
Boy, we are leaving to go to France for the rest of the summer, we will be leaving you with Ms. Figg, and all of your stuff is already with her.
That was the message that awaited Harry when he got home. He didn't know how Uncle Vernon had gotten tickets on the Underground to Paris but that didn't matter, what did matter was that it had happened. The message was short and too the point. Harry sighed, at least Ms. Figg wouldn't be so bad, even the cat smell wasn't so awful when you got used to it. He missed the raising of Snape's eyebrows and the narrowing of his gaze.
"Well Potter let's go meet this lady who you should be staying with." Harry looked at Snape suspiciously. Why the hell would his Slytherin loving Potions teacher want to meet some old Muggle woman that smelled of cats and oddly enough of cabbage? But he led Snape across the street and over to her house. The door opened before he could knock and Ms. Figg stared out from the doorway. Her eyes narrowed and then she smirked.
"Well Severus if you want to use my fireplace you better do it damn quick, I'm expecting company any moment now."
To Be Continued In- Chapter II; Interesting Times!