Chapter 11 House Warming

As Severus and Leila stepped inside their new home together for the first time, Harry could be heard running around upstairs exploring his new domain. When his rampaging foot falls finally came to a halt and silence reigned once more Severus smirked pleased with him self. Leila was confused for but a moment before a squeal of joy came from upstairs and a whirl wind that was Harry nearly apparated down stairs he ran so fast and leaped at his father who caught him with a short oomph of protest.

"Dad dad you're the best I love it thankyouthankyouthankyou sooooo MUCH!" Harry chanted and bounced in his fathers arms. Leila giggled a bit at the sight but her curiosity got the better of her.

"What dear husband mine did you do to have our son in such a state of excitement?" She asked amused at her husbands plight.

Severus looked over at her a bit guiltily he wasn't one for spoiling their son but he had decided that to compensate for having to move back to England that maybe a little spoiling for his family was in order just this once. "Well I may have set up a small beginner's potions lab in half of our son's room. Just a small one mind you but since he likes potions so much and I wanted to encourage him well…" He trailed of a bit sheepish for his show of extravagance. Sirius and Remus just snickered at him in the back ground. They had been yelled at a time or two for unnecessarily spoiling the boy as Severus called it when Sirius bought the boy his first broom and Quiditch ball set.

"Oh is that all." Leila commented casually. "The way he was carrying on I had thought you might have finally gotten him that snake he's always wanted." She teased him. Both knew that their son could talk to snakes having discovered it when one of the Institute kids brought in a garter snake from the garden to show off to his friends. That was nearly 5 years ago and the boy still to this day every chance he gets asks if he could have a snake for a pet. Each time they explained he was not old enough, but this year the two had decided to get him that snake for his familiar to take to school with him. They decided that despite the bad stigma attached to parcel mouths that they would not let such a thing interfere with their sons developing talent. He would be warned about the rumors and such that would more than likely start if he made his ability public but that they would support any decision he made in that regard.

"Oh mom you have to see it! It's brilliant! And if that is just a beginners lab then I can't wait to see yours!" He enthused excitedly and wiggled down to try and hall his mother up the stairs.

"Now you settle down young man. We are only here to drop off our things and then its out shopping. We still have to get your school supplies." Leila said sternly and shook her finger at him. Sirius and Remus just laughed at him as he went cross eyed fallowing her finger.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot! Can we get Ice cream to?" He asked hopefully bouncing up and down.

"Not if you don't calm down. You are already hyper as it is. I doubt you need sugar to add to that." Severus eyed his overly energetic son. Perhaps that nap wasn't such a good idea after all. They should really find some other way to deal with Hadrian's flooing problem anyway. Perhaps if they were to have the boys eye's repaired permanently that would fix the issue, or maybe it was an inner ear problem. He would have to study the possibilities more he decided.

"Well you three can go do your shopping, me and Padfoot are going to go check in with Charles' contact over here and see if she has any missions she needs help with. According to Charles there have been a few incidences involving mutants lately that need some serious attention. Rumors are going around that Juggernaut is in the area in Brie." Remus said as he started leading Padfoot out the door. He loved Harry but he wasn't going shopping with Leila ever again not after last time. The very memory still gives him the shivers. So many smells and colors that he just couldn't handle this close to the full moon.

"Well ok if your sure then say Hi to Moira for me." She said happily as she watched her two best friends evacuate the house like it was falling in. She turned to Severus who was quietly trying to escape as well. "Oh no you don't your coming to! This is our first family outing since coming here and I intend to make it a well known fact that you husband dear are off the market." She stated simply and grabbed both her husband and her son and started out the door into the Hogsmeade shopping district.

Three hours later…

The small group of three where seen trudging back to their new home ready for some well deserved rest. But it was not to be for standing at their door looking as unconcerned as ever was Headmaster Dumbledore and his Deputy Headmistress McGonagall.

"Good evening dear friends and welcome back to England… or Scotland as the case is right now." Albus Dumbledore chuckle bemusedly at his own joke and twinkled at them merrily.

"Good evening Headmaster a pleasure to see you both again after so long. Harry this is Headmaster Dumbledore and his deputy Headmistress McGonagall. Professor McGonagall will be teaching you transfiguration this year." She said smiling at her old head of house. "Please won't you join us inside for a spot of tea?" She offered their guests ignoring Severus' grumbling about interfering old coots.

"Thank you my dear we would love to." The Headmaster smiled and looked down at Harry and blinked a bit owlishly at him. 'Well that is interesting.' He thought to himself as he got his first true feel of Harry's magical reserves.

The five of them trooped into the house and after depositing their purchases in the kitchen Leila started the tea service going and pulled out a box of biscuits for the guest. Meanwhile in the living room the Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher sat down on a love seat before the fire, Severus took his favorite wing-back chair, and Harry sat on the floor with the carrier for his new pet.

"So young man what sort of familiar have you gotten?" McGonagall asked eying the glass pet carrier. Surly the boy hadn't gotten a toad those had gone out of style quite some time ago.

Harry grinned and pulled a 1 ½ ft baby emerald tree boa out of the carrier. "I got an Emerald tree Boa! Isn't she beautiful? She had the brightest white banding among the lot, and she was the only girl. The shop keeper said she'd probably grow to almost 8ft long!" He said happily as he let her coil around his shoulders. "I've named her Abrianna." He cooed at his new pet happily but stuck to English in front of company as he had been told by his father that the hisses he made where rather disconcerting to the listener.

Severus seeing his employer and colleague's face turn a bit green at the sight of the snake smirked a bit before clearing his throat. "We had told him that Abrianna may not be allowed in the school and in respect to that possible issue we have also purchased him an owl." He stated calmly just as said owl swooped in and landed on the back of his chair abstaining from going near her master do to the presence of the snake. "This is Hedwig, Harry's other familiar. Hedwig happened to be a beautiful Snowy owl with warm amber eyes. Harry turned to look at his owl and smiled.

"Hedwig why don't you come down here Abrianna won't hurt you and I'm sure you won't hurt her you should get to know each other." He coaxed his other familiar to come down. The owl looked on him imperiously before deciding to do as asked. She fluttered to the floor and eyes the snake which eyed her back.

McGonagall cleared her throat to regain her composure. "Yes well it is true that Snakes are not on the preferred pet list but there is no rule against it. As such you may if you wish bring Abrianna but Hedwig will have to be there under your fathers care as students are only allowed one familiar at a time." She stated firmly.

"Can Hedwig stay with you father please?" Harry asked hopefully and gave his best puppy dog eyes.

Severus sighed and glared at Minerva but nodded reluctantly. "Very well but she is still your responsibility so don't neglect her." He stated sternly.

"Oh don't worry father I won't!" He said happily and hugged his father. "May I be excused to go get Abrianna and Hedwig settled in?" He asked hopefully. With so many old people in the room the conversation looked to end up rather boring for him.

"If you wish but don't make a mess." He said and waved his son off just as Leila walked in with a tray of tea and biscuits.

"Take a cup and some biscuits dear and have fun with your pets." She said as he passed her by. She placed the tray on the table and sat down. "Help your selves." She smiled happily taking her own cup. Everyone made themselves a cup and sat back sipping a bit.

"So my dear how does it feel to be back home?" Albus inquired politely.

"Well it's been pleasant so far except when we ran in to the Potters. Honestly it's like they are completely different people! I still can't believe how much they have changed even after all this time." She said a bit sadly. "But there son looked quite well and seemed a trifle less hostile than his parents. According to my son the boy even smiled at him." She said with a touch of hope in his voice. "Dare I hope that their attitude hasn't completely ruined the boy?" She asked carefully.

"Indeed it seems that we are fortunate enough that Daniel has inherited the family heart that you your self posses rather than the family mindset the Lily displays. I find him to be an enjoyable young man. He is a little arrogant I'll admit but he has a good heart even so with all the spoiling that Lily and James pile on him. I like to take a bit of credit for keeping him even a little grounded. Also his friendship with the Weasley children has helped tremendously, well with the exception of young Ronald. He seems to be a rather jealous young man and I've been told that he and Daniel get along as well as oil and water." Albus said with a slight chuckle.

"Well that is at least something. Maybe it won't be completely intolerable having the boy in my potions class." Severus groused. "Though if his skills are anything like James' then I don't really want him with in ten feet of a cauldron. If not for Black, Potter would have killed us all." He grumbled. "Thank Merlin my son inherited Leila's skills." He muttered to himself.

"Yes well on to more important matters I'm afraid. As you know I believe that Voldemort is not in fact dead. To this end I have been training Daniel, well as much as Lily will allow in order to prepare him for his destiny. In order to test the skills that I have been teaching him I have set up a bit of a Mystery for him to solve this year. From there he began detailing his plans for the year and the Mystery of what lay in the 3rd Floor Corridor and the obstacles he has set up. "Now the stone itself is actually a counterfeit. The original is safely hidden away with Nicolas and Pernella so there is nothing to fear on that front. So what do you think?" He asked curiously.

"I think the idea is sound and as long as you monitor his progress carefully and it does not interfere with his studies I don't see how it could hurt. But why are you telling us this? Shouldn't this be something you discuss with Lily and James?" Leila asked confused as to why they were being told.

"Two reasons." He said simply and cleared his throat. "Number one I though it was not outside the realm of possibility that the boys would become friends and that leading your boy into the Mystery was a possibility, and number two, with the two of you for parents I believe that anything suspicious happening would not go unnoticed by him. So I felt it prudent to tell you rather than have you tear strips out of my hide should Harry become involved with out my telling you of the possibilities." He finished sheepishly.

Severus snorted. "Sound enough reasoning thank you for the warning Albus it is much appreciated." He said with a stern nod.

"Yes thank you very much Albus the information is most appreciated. I would hate to have my son owling me about this and be in the dark at least now if that happens I can reassure him." Leila said with a thankful smile.

With that talk turned to the upcoming school year and catching up between old friends. It was looking to be an interesting year for Harry. They just hoped nothing went wrong with any of the Headmasters plans.

Somewhere deep in the woods…

"Master its true I overheard that fool James Potter talking about it with his Mudblood wife. He was practically drooling over all the recognition the Potter name would get if all went according to plan." A weak sounding voice whimpered into the darkness.

"Very good Quirinus, you will be richly rewarded for your loyalty and aid to your master." Said a dark forbidding voice that seemed to echo with power. "So the Philosopher Stone is in Hogwarts." He chuckled wickedly. "The fools don't know the danger they are in soon I will have a body and I will destroy that whimpering worm, that so called "Boy Who Lived" and all will bow before the MIGHT of the Dark Lord Voldemort!" He laughed insanely the sound bouncing of tree through out the forest sending fear into every beast that heard it.

AN/: I just could not let Hedwig go I love her to much but I really wanted Harry to have a Snake so this is my solution. ^_^ Hope you enjoy it. But don't get spoiled I have a lot of projects coming up no telling when the next time I will get a chance to update will be. I just though since I had time I'd give you one more chapter while I could.