A Father's Love

A Father's Love

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A Visit to the Dursleys

*

"What it is you wanted to see us for, Albus?" asked Severus. Even though he of course wouldn't show it, he was a bit worried. Not only was it worrying that he Headmaster called for him on the summer holiday, which he usually spent away from the school and with Remus, but his husband, who was drifting off next to him, was also a reason for him to worry. Ever since the strange dream about Jeremy being treated badly, the werewolf had been almost afraid to go to sleep. It had been five days now, and Remus wasn't getting any better.

"It is about Harry," Dumbledore said, sighing. This made even Remus raise his tired eyes at the ancient wizard. Then Dumbledore continued, "Arabella Figg, who, like you know, is keeping an eye on Harry for me, has reported something... alarming. While Harry usually comes to stay with her every time the Dursleys go somewhere and don't want him to be on the way, yesterday they left the house for several hours with no sign of Harry. Also, she hasn't seen him even outside the house for many days, and she's worried that something might have happened to the poor child."

Severus nodded slowly. He didn't doubt that a minute. He had never been in good terms with Lily Evans, later Potter, but he knew through Remus that Lily's sister Petunia despised anything magical. And, being four, Harry should be just showing his first signs of magic.

"And what does this have to do with us?" asked Remus then sharply, full awake for once. His previous daze seemed to have been wiped away completely at this news about Harry. Even though he had been bitter about the fact that the Potters had got Harry so shortly after he'd lost Jeremy, he'd loved the child, and he had even applied to take care of Harry after Lily and James died. Unfortunately, the Ministry had seemingly preferred even magic-hating Muggles to an unmarried werewolf/Death Eater couple. Not that Remus had given up so easily.

"I want you two to go there and examine the situation," the Headmaster said gravely. "If you see it fitting, bring Harry immediately here."

Severus and Remus exchanged determined glances. Then they bid their goodbyes to the Headmaster, exited his office and the school, and Disapparated.

*

"If they've truly done anything to Harry, they will pay," grumbled Remus while walking towards Number Four Privet Drive. They were coming from Arabella Figg's house, where they'd listened to her report of everything stranger she had noticed. And it didn't sound good.

"Don't do anything rash," Severus said coolly, although even he couldn't help but worry a bit for the boy. Even though Harry Potter was indeed a Potter, he was still a child. Having lost a son he hadn't even known of, he didn't hope anybody else's child to get hurt, not even James Potter's. "If they've done something to him, it's not our job to punish them. We'll just get the boy away, tell Albus, and let the Aurors take care of them."

"I'll try to remember that," muttered Remus in half agreement, half irritation. He was worried, but most of his worry had been turned into controlled anger. Well, it was certainly better than the depressed state he'd spent the few last days in.

"You do that," said Severus, then stopped in front of the Dursleys' front door. He raised a hand to knock on the door, then waited patiently as he heard sounds of footsteps approaching the door from the inside.

As soon as Petunia Dursley opened the door and saw the robe-clad people outside it, she drew a sharp breath. "Get away from here, you freaks!" she shrieked and banged the door shut.

Severus didn't care about this. Instead, he just nodded politely at his husband, stepping aside to allow Remus access to the door. Then he watched with a smirk as Remus just as calmly stepped forward, raising his hand as if to try knocking again. However, he seemingly put a bit too much strength behind his knock, as the door was soon torn of its hinged and sent banging on the Dursleys' floor. Well, that had to be just dealt with. It was not his fault that he had werewolf strength, now was it?

Petunia Dursley, who had just got far enough from the door not to be knocked down by it when Remus broke it, stared at them with her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Then she managed to stammer, "Who -- who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Remus Snape, and this is my husband Severus Snape," replied Remus, sounding surprisingly calm considering the circumstances. Severus merely smirked as he stepped inside over the broken door after the werewolf just as Remus continued, "We've been sent to check on Harry."

"There's nobody with that name in this house!" bellowed somebody then. As they looked into the direction of the yell, they saw a man resembling nothing but a stranded whale standing in the nearby doorway. "Now, get out of here!"

"Oh, but there should indeed be a boy called Harry in this house," Severus said coldly, fixing his best glare at the man. To his great satisfaction he noticed that this worked just as well on the Muggle as on his students. "Harry Potter, more accurately. Or have you maybe misplaced him somewhere?" At this, he raised his wand in a threatening manner.

"Fine, he was here!" shrieked the woman. "But then -- then he changed! And he's going to stay inside until he changes back!"

"Changed?" echoed Remus sharply. "What do you mean?"

"He did some freaky stuff and now he looks even more freaky than before," the whale -- Vernon Dursley was Severus's best guess -- grumbled. "Now he know what's happened to him. So, get out!"

"Oh, I don't think we will," Severus said silkily. "At least not without Harry. Now, WHERE IS HE?"

Even Dursley seemed to know better than to argue with an armed, angry Death Eater. "In the cupboard," he grumbled.

"CUPBOARD?!" shrieked Remus, outraged. "Get him here on this instant, Dursley, if you value your life!" He, too, whipped his wand intoight, pointing it at the now purple-faced Muggle.

Not daring to argue, Dursley walked to the stairway. To the great shock of the two wizards, he then opened a heavy padlock on a tiny door under the stairs and janked the door open. "Come out of there, freak," he commanded sharply. Then, not waiting for an answer, he reached a hand inside and pulled the tiny boy out of the cupboard.

Remus and Severus stared at the boy. He was much thinner and smaller than a boy his age should have been. There were a couple of fading bruises as well as traces of tears on his face, and his clothes seemed to be both old and way too big for him. What was even more shocking, however, was his general appearance. From Arabella Figg they had heard that little Harry looked exactly like James had, with the exception of Harry having his mother's brilliant green eyes. Now, however, Harry was nothing like that. He didn't have messy black hair, roundish face, or emerald eyes anymore. Instead, his face was heart-shaped, his hair tamed and golden brown, and his eyes were the deepest black either of them had ever seen in anybody's eyes.

Severus was completely stunned for a moment. Remus, however, did not hesitate much as he saw what he'd never even dreamed of seeing on his waking hours. "Jeremy?" he breathed in both shock and surprise. Then, without waiting for any response, he stepped forward and lifted the boy into a tight embrace.

***