Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created by JK Rawling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thank you to CrimsonReality, Jaid Ziaen, Japanese-jew, jumping-jo, risi, athenakitty, bandgsecurtiyaw, Griffindors, AeTeRa, angelkitty77, Mikee, zafaran, logi, Blue Werewolf Boy, Felinity, Barby-Black, writerlover101, and Kateri1… for reviewing and for your encouragement to continue this story. I have placed review replies on the forum. CBeMe

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Innocence Lost

By CBeMe

Chapter 3½

Who I Am

Remus Lupin stared out the window into the back garden of Grimmauld Place, his thoughts deeply entwined in the memory of the conversation he had with Albus Dumbledore the night before. He'd had to refuse the headmasters polite offer of a lemon drop, his stomach still full from the large supper the Order had enjoyed while they discussed Harry's situation. During that supper their leader had left out and misled the group about some of the details surrounding Harry's disappearance, such as the fact the young man was a guest of Gringotts Bank and that was likely the reason for the increase in security at their London branch. The goblins took the reputation of one of the safest places in the wizarding world seriously. But slowly, surely the old man had convinced everyone, then Remus himself, that his assessment of the situation was correct and that only he could properly deal with the errant teenager when he was found and returned to his family.

After supper, sitting in the study at Grimmauld Place, Albus Dumbleldore and Remus Lupin discussed Sirius Blacks will among other things. Or more specifically how grateful Remus was for everything his mentor had done for him. The visit the headmaster had made to his parents soon after he was bitten with kind words and information on how to care for their young son. The opportunity to attend Hogwarts, no one had ever willingly allowed a werewolf anywhere near polite society before. The warning about the possibility of passing his curse onto any child he might have, Remus never wanted to see another go through the suffering he endured. The offer of odd jobs and a place to stay when he had nothing else, Remus would never be able to repay the old man's kindness.

Fingering his worn out robe Remus thought about the inheritance Sirius had left him. With one hundred thousand Galleons he would no longer have to worry, he could live like a human being, pay for the wolfsbane potion that eased his monthly transformations, perhaps even provide a safe place for Harry to live after he came of age and the protections Albus said he placed on Privet Drive failed. But, the headmaster informed him that he had been searching for the Potter's will since their deaths and had been unable to find it. Remus folded his hands in front of him and stared back into the garden. If Albus couldn't find the will then he had no hope, it was best not to concentrate on idle dreams.

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Having retreated to his office at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore took the time to review the main players in the drama surrounding Harry's disappearance.

"Fawkes," he called to his pet.

His familiar had his back to him as he had so often these days. The handsome bird would only turn around when someone he approved of entered the office, much to Albus' annoyance. Most of his visitors were used to the odd behavior and Albus had managed to suppress any questions about his fitness by pointing out that a phoenix would not stay with a wizard they did not approve of. No one else needed to know how to bind a magical animal to a human, now did they? A phoenix's back was still a phoenix.

The meeting the previous evening had gone well. Queries about what was best for young Harry were satisfactorily answered, and his associates accepted the task of searching for the errant hero eagerly. Moody's opinion on the goblins could have been left out, but the paranoid Auror had been out of his control for many years, blast that flask!

Bill Weasley was another case entirely. His position at Gringotts Bank was valuable but also prevented him from joining the Order of the Phoenix, although he would help in the war against Voldemort. Albus had to walk a fine line, keeping information from the man while at the same time trying to obtain as many details about the goblins and their bank as possible. Unfortunately, Bill was notoriously tight lipped. Albus had failed to decipher any information about Harry's presence at Gringotts from him. His occlumency shields were even better than Snapes! But, as long as he informed his employers that Albus Dumbledore was working hard to overcome the wizarding world's prejudice toward them, he was worth keeping around.

His younger twin brothers had no such restrictions on their loyalty, yet they too had avoided joining the Order. Mrs. Weasley, after some gentle persuasion, had finally given her permission for them to join. The boys had thanked him for thinking of them, when he asked, but declined due to the amount of time they needed to put into their new business venture. Getting as many people as possible under his influence was imperative, especially now that his control over the Council of Lords had ended. He would have to be more convincing, if that little shop was going to be a nuisance, well there were ways of dealing with that.

Severus Snape, Potions Master, 'reformed' Death Eater, spy, and one of Albus Dumbledore's favorite projects. It had been so simple, the Snape family believed in giving their children a childhood free from the pressures they would face as adults, leaving eleven year old Severus amazingly innocent. Albus' previous interferences had involved orphans, now he had the opportunity to obtain a living family's titles, he would not allow it to go to waste. Severus was well ahead of his peers in his coursework, all of the Heirs were. But he had no understanding of politics and had not participated in any of the rituals that would one day permit him to bear the title 'Lord of Snape.' By the time the opening feast had ended, and the youngsters directed to their common rooms for the night, Severus Snape's future had been drastically changed. Now, as an adult, much to Albus' delight, Severus had no where else to turn. Even if he managed to one day break free from the headmaster's direction he could not return to his family and his reputation prevented him from joining wizarding society.

A warm glow from his earlier success settled in his stomach as Albus Dumbledore turned to his plans. They needed to be adjusted to account for Harry Potter leaving Privet Drive and his imminent return. Harry was the key to ultimate control of the wizarding world and Albus refused to allow that power to go to someone else. First step, prevent Lord Snape from learning the identity of his younger son.

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Harry woke from his two hour nap, pushed aside the heavy fabric of the hangings surrounding his bed, and climbed out without noticing the silver bell on the nightstand. A great deal more alert than when he first arrived, he looked around the room curiously taking in the dresser, various decorative tables, and a few comfortable looking chairs sitting before a large stone fireplace. Through an archway he saw a large wood desk, the walls surrounding it filled with empty bookcases. If Harry thought this was odd he ignored it and turned instead to ponder a set of robes made from fine cloth, hanging on a dressing stand in front of the largest wardrobe he had ever seen, they looked to be his size. But they weren't his, so he pushed thoughts of changing out of the silk pajamas Penny had let him use aside in favor of climbing onto a cushioned bench and staring out over the extensive castle grounds below. Comfortably settled on the bench, gently petting Heros, who had perched on the arm of the bench, and avoiding disturbing the fuzzy throw at the other end, Harry reviewed the events of the summer hoping to find an answer to his present predicament.

It started when he returned to number 4 Privet Drive for the summer holiday. No, it started at the train station when his relatives were threatened by a few members of the Order of the Phoenix. Actually, the beginning would have to be the conversation he had with Professor Dumbledore in his office right after returning from the Department of Mysteries. It all started with a prophecy…

With difficulty, Harry dug out from under the weight of the emotions suffocating him when he thought of his Godfather, Sirius black, who had been killed just weeks before in a battle with the Dark Lord Voldemort. It was his fault. If only he had realized the vision was not real but a trap. If only Snape wasn't so mean. If only Dumbledore had told him what was going on instead of ignoring him. If only Sirius had fallen to the left instead of backwards through that stupid veil.

The explanation Dumbledore offered, along with his apology, was that he was an old man who sometimes makes mistakes but was doing what he considered best to protect Harry. His actions solely aimed at giving Harry as much time as possible before he would have to fulfill the prophecy. Kill or be killed, was the way the Headmaster explained it to his student.

The old man had gone on to detail why Harry must stay with his Aunt each summer. About the protections on Privet Drive that provided him a sanctuary from Voldemort. About how dangerous it was, not just for Harry but for those around him, for him to stay elsewhere. The hassle it caused when he visited the Weasleys and constant security issues when he was at Grimmauld Place. The Order had made the necessary adjustments but did Harry really want to put everyone out like that just for his own comfort?

He had shook his head 'no' of course he didn't want to cause anyone trouble and listened mournfully as the rules for his summer were laid out.

1.) He would go to his Aunts house and remain there for the entire summer.

2.) He would remain inside the house. No wandering.

3.) He would not send post to anyone except the Order.

4.) He would not be a burden on his friends, or anyone else.

It was at the train station, during the confrontation with the Dursleys that he learned of the three day rule. That he was required to send a letter to the Order every three days, he had planned to add notes to his friends to the envelopes so they could keep in touch.

His relatives had been furious when they finally arrived at the house. Harry was ordered out of the car and into the house, and then pushed up the stairs into his room where everything of a remotely magical nature was taken from him, including his wand. His Aunts softly muttered words 'Order, Dudley, Safety, Rules…' reached Harry's ears. Hedwigs cage had been locked and the window boarded up as Harry sat on his bed, his overweight cousin, Dudley, standing over him leering while slamming his Smeltings stick into his hand.

"Like to see you get any post out of here now boy," his Uncle Vernon had sneered before taking his wife and son, leaving Harry alone in the locked room.

And so the countdown began, the Order had said they would check on him if they did not receive a letter every three days. Harry watched the light through a gap between the boards covering his window and used a broken stub of a pencil and a scrap of paper to keep track of the days. He shared the small sandwich and glass of water that was pushed through the flap at the bottom of the door once each day with Hedwig. When they were finished, he pushed the dishes and a bucket that had been left for his needs back out. The fourth day Harry was eager for the Order to arrive. The fifth day, excited. The sixth day, impatient. The seventh day, confused. On the eighth day the Dursleys realized that they had been the victims of an idle threat and their treatment of their nephew went sharply downhill.

He didn't know how much time had passed before Professor Snape had arrived, it seemed like forever. The threats from the Order had seemed comforting when they were given, there were supposedly members nearby guarding him at all times, why hadn't they come to help him? Why had Headmaster Dumbledore sent Snape with the letter from Gringotts? Nothing happened within the Order without Dumbledore's permission, yet the Headmaster seemed upset when he saw Harry at the will reading. Even seeing how ill Harry was he had wanted him to return to the Dursleys immediately. Only the goblins interference had prevented it.

Speaking of the will reading, why were there so many people there who had nothing to do with the proceedings? He recognized Neville Longbottom and some Slytherin, Zambini, if he remembered correctly. Headmaster Dumbledore, Moony and Tonks would have been invited but what of all the other people? The woman at Gringotts who claimed she was his mother had said that they were the Council of Lords. He still didn't know what exactly the Council of Lords was or did. And why did Sirius never tell him about Lordships or that he had chosen Harry as his heir.

The whole situation was aggravating. Even after Headmaster Dumbledore said that he would tell Harry everything it seemed that Harry was still in the dark. To make it worse his new 'family' (he still didn't have any proof) had decided to de-age him. Sirius' will had said that Lord Snape was trustworthy, but…

A soft 'pop' interrupted Harry's musings. "Master Sarek, you is awake! Why did you not summon Penny?" asked the house elf from earlier as she led him over to the robes he had noticed earlier. "Get dressed and I will take you to Master Snape."

Soon Harry was following Penny down a richly appointed hallway, portraits nodding somberly to him as he passed by. As they descended a glorious staircase Harry noticed a small group gathered at the bottom waiting for them. He recognized Lord Snape and Salena, but not the young girl. Soft blond waves cascaded over her shoulders and down her back while the most piercing blue eyes Harry had ever seen examined him curiously. The loud 'bang' of a boor slammed shut brought his attention to the new arrival.

"Severus, we have been waiting for you." Lord Snape greeted his eldest son. "Come over here with Sarek and meet your sister."

Black eyes narrowed into an unflattering glare, Severus stalked forward to examine the girl. "She does not look like a Snape," he sneered.

"Sarena was adopted, Severus. Are you not going to say hello?" chided Salena.

Giving a curt bow Severus greeted the child then stepped aside to watch what Sarek would do.

Following Severus' example, Harry gave a small bow then held out his hand. "I am pleased to meet you Sarena," he said.

"You must be Sarek," the girl answered, eagerly shaking his hand. "I was so happy when mother said you would be attending Hogwarts with me this year. I don't know anyone else who will be and I didn't want to be alone."

"Sarek and I need to talk. We will see you at supper," Lord Snape reminded his family and then showed his young son into his office.

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Severus Snape turned his attention back to the child standing next to his mother. With the girls' bright smile and cheerful disposition she looked like a Hufflepuff. He was seriously starting to question his decision to return.

It had been surprisingly easy to retrieve what he needed from Hogwarts. He had not seen any sign of the Headmaster during his short trip back to the school. A very good thing considering he had little time to waste and would have done whatever was necessary to prevent the old man from discovering his secret. Years of planning and scheming had finally paid off. He had purchased the final crystal just days before and had it safely hidden behind blood based protective wards in his private chambers.

Now he collected the crystal, hiding it beneath his cloak and securely fastening it to his body, just in case. He used one of the secret tunnels to escape the school and once free of the wards apparated to the outer boundary of Snape castle. Slowly he walked, using his wand to scan for the last location. He dug deep into the bedrock to settle the crystal, protecting it from detection by the ebb and flow of the earths own magic.

With each crystal costing two months pay, it had taken years of work to assemble enough to shield the grounds surrounding Snape Castle. For even with his disinheritance his father had not disowned him, there was one place he could always call home. Even through the influence of Albus' potion his Slytherin paranoia demanded that he secure a place to go should either of his masters decide they no longer needed him. After all, ambition is naught to a dead man.

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Harry took the offered seat across a large mahogany desk from Lord Snape.

"Sarek…"

"My name is Harry," he reminded the Lord.

"You need to get used to being called Sarek. Yes, you are Harry Potter but you are also Sarek Snape and whatever Griphook and Glade chose to name you. Not to mention Black. We didn't do this to punish you or to make your life more difficult. It had to be done."

"Why am I your son now? I am nearly sixteen. the time that I might have needed parents is long gone."

Sendon leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully across the table at his young son. This was not going to be easy. "There are duties and responsibilities to being a Lord, Sarek. The Snape family has long had a tradition of waiting to formally confirm an Heir to the Snape Lordship until they were old enough to make their own decision to accept it. Usually just after their graduation from Hogwarts. Prior to his confirmation Severus chose to ally himself to the Dark Lord Voldemort. Such an alliance was incompatible with the Lordship of the Snape family, therefore Salena and I started trying for a second child. After much effort we were blessed with you. The dangers were great. Whoever had stolen Severus from us, we had no doubt would attempt to obtain control of you as well. Your mother was not as young as she once was, we could not have other children. You were our last hope. So, we did what has not been done in the entire recorded history of our family. We started the rituals that would one day permit you to become the Lord of Snape minutes after your birth and followed them with as many protective measures as we knew of. Then we took the final step to ensure your safety. We sent you away. We did not want to Sarek. We had to. Your survival was more important than my or your mother's feelings.

"Penny was to deliver you to an appropriate wizarding family. I asked her earlier today, she said that she followed your owl and he led her to the Potters. I cannot tell you why they chose to accept you for I do not know. But I do know that they managed to adopt you without disturbing your rights to the Snape line. They knew who you were Sarek. They added you to their family and made you their heir knowing that you would one day claim the Lordship of Snape. They wanted you to have both. Perhaps they knew more that I did. Maybe they knew that a second duel Lord was needed to rebalance the Council of Lords. I don't know.

"They added their own protections as well. The goblin adoption was pure genius. And Sirius' will, that locked all your assets down and sent you to meet both the goblins and me. Cleverly worded, I did not realize Black was that smart. No one would suspect from reading the will that you were being directed toward your last living parents.

"Understand this Sarek. None of your parents have been trying to take you away form the others. Even though we may never have met we all love you and have the same goal, your survival. It is simply that as our previous arrangements have not been sufficient more drastic action has had to be taken."

Harry sighed, "So I am Sarek Snape. what happens now? I have already done first through fifth years at Hogwarts. I do not want to attend all of those classes over again."

"As it happens it is not unusual for children from prominent families to be ahead of their classes. We will simply tell the truth, that you have undergone extensive home tutorial. You will be receiving training this summer. Your advanced knowledge will be proven by sitting both the OWL and NEWT exams before the beginning of the school year. If there are any objections we will state that should you manage to complete the Hogwarts curriculum early we will arrange an apprenticeship for you. Most likely in Potions, Severus is the only Professor we can trust at the moment, but that could change."

"Could you please explain to me what the Council of Lords is?"

"Not today, it is time for supper and you are not yet well. It would be best for you to rest for the rest of the evening. You will learn about the Council and many other things in you summer lessons."

Sarek sat across from Severus and between Sendon and Sarena at the supper table. Tired from his long day he paid little attention to his mother and sister as they planned his eleventh birthday party. Before he managed to plant his face in his plate Penny returned to take him back to bed.

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PLEASE HELP: This is the end of the first part of the story. The stage has been set. Please, either on the forums or in your review, ask plot questions so I know if there are any major holes that I need to fix before moving on. If everyone is asking the right questions then, Hurray!

Thank you for reviewing. I appreciate your input and advice. CBeMe