You're My Father

Chapter 3

Albus Dumbledore sat down at his desk and placed his head in his hands after he watched Harry storm out of his office. This had not gone the way he wanted it to. He never expected his great great grandson to be so angry about it. He never realized just how far his feelings went towards his Muggle relatives.

"I should have realized it though. Should have paid more attention to the fact that he always wanted to go anywhere but the Dursley's. Never really said why but it should have tipped me off."

Sighing again he hit his forehead against the desk, "I'm a failure as a grandfather.....I don't even realize when my grandson's miserable."

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Severus closed the door behind Harry as he walked in. He watched as his son took his first look around his suit with amazement and confusion. 'I guess it does look quite the opposite of what one would expect of me,' he chuckled to himself.

He walked further into the room and gestured for Harry to follow him. He walked over to the couch and sat down and Harry took the seat next to him.

"Ok Harry. I know you have a lot of questions and they will all be answered but I need to explain some things first. Ok?"

Harry nodded.

"Ok, now this all started with my mother, Edna Snape. She was as evil and Slytherin like as you could get. When Voldemort started talking about wanting to be the next dark lord she got wind of it and wanted to be a part of it. But when she went to him, he told her that he didn't want women in his front lines. He only saw women as the bearers of the next generation of what he was now calling Death Eaters.

So she figured that she would get a powerful pureblood to marry her and have a child (perferably a boy) and get in his circle that way. She thought and thought of who she could seduce and finally she thought of the perfect man. A man who was part of the wizarding world's most prominent pureblooded families. The Potters. Specifically Harold Potter, son of Jeremy Potter and Anastasia Dumbledore Potter. In her mind there could be no one better. You see the Potter and Dumbledore families are two of the most powerful families in our world and adding both blood lines with the Snape blood line would create a very powerful witch or wizard."

Harry nodded. It sounded like his grandmother was a very evil person. He hoped he never have to meet her.

Severus had begun to get a far away look in his eyes, talking about the fact that he was created on the pretense that he would serve the dark lord was hard to do. Swallowing thickly he started talking again.

"She started right away on seducing my father though it took a great deal of work on her part to get him to think she was really interested in him. Harold knew her involvement in the dark arts and wanted nothing to do with her at first. But through her charms he slowly began to fall in love. But it was only one sided. My mother never loved him."

Harry was shocked at this, "So she just used him? Poor grandfather. I hope he realizes it soon."

Severus nodded, "I've met father before and he is a very nice man. I've always felt bad that this happened to him. But I've also been jealous of James for having a father who obviously cared for him while I had a mother who was never satisfied with anything I did."

Harry was beginning to get slightly confused, "How did you end up seperated anyway? I would think Grandmother would like having two sons who were very powerful magically."

"Yes, you would think. But she only wanted one. As for why we were seperated that will come in a minute."

Harry nodded and waited to hear more.

"Now, once she became pregnant she told Jeremy that she had no more use for him. She cared us to term and when she went into labor the mediwizards insisted on calling the father. Saying it was hospital policy to have the father there if possible during the birth.

Now Harold was mad at Edna but he wanted to be there for the birth of his son or daughter so he went. Now, James came out first and Edna was madder then mad that he resembled the Potter family so much. But they both got a surprise when I came out next. Twins wasn't something Edna thought was possible. She was apparently a little happier that the Potter genes weren't as distinctive in me as they were in James. She turned to the nurse and told her to do whatever they wanted with the first baby, she didn't want him. He could die for all she cared. She only wanted me."

"What?" Harry was horrified that anyone could be so mean.

Severus smiled sadly, "Yes I know. It was a horrible thought and the nurses refused to do so. Said that if she didn't want the other baby then maybe she could think of adoption but they wouldn't on good conscience kill the baby. Now Harold was happy to hear that the nurses wouldn't do what Edna wanted but still didn't want to have his son put up for adoption. 'Edna, why don't you let me take the other one? Why put him up for adoption when he can come with me?' he had asked."

"Now, Edna didn't really like that idea. She didn't want to be linked to Potter anymore then she had to. But finally agreed to it. So, she took me with her and Harold took James with him. And since I did resemble a Potter she put a few charms on me that changed my looks to resemble a Snape."

Harry looked interested in that piece of information, "She really didn't like that you had Potter genes in you?"

"No, she didn't want to have to be reminded that she 'lowered' herself to that. According to her anyway. But, back to the story. Edna raised me to be a little death eater. But what she really didn't count on was that I didn't harbor the same feelings she did towards the dark arts. Oh I could pretend all right but my heart was never in it."

Harry was a little surprised by that, "You never wanted to be a death eater?" He had always thought that he willingly joined but then changed his mind.

"No, Harry I didn't. I did only to please my mother. I knew for as long as I could remember that she wasn't happy with me but I wanted nothing more than to please her. Have her tell me she was proud of me. So when it was time for me to go to Hogwarts I knew it would help if I could get into Slytherin. But when I tried on the hat, it started talking about going into Gryffindor. When I asked for Slytherin, it said no that I wouldn't fit in there. But I pleaded with it and it finally relented and sorted me into Slytherin."

"For my first week I was miserable. The bloody hat was right. I didn't fit in there. And it didn't help that the Marauders wouldn't leave me alone. It wasn't until the first weekend that Albus asked me up to his office. Only being a first year I panicked, wondering what he wanted."

Severus went on to explain that Albus told him about his family and that he was his great grandfather. Telling a young Severus that it was just to be a secret between the two of them. Severus's mother was never to know that he knew of Albus's relation to him.

"So, you were kept in the dark about who you were most of your life too. But at least you were told early." Harry said sadly.

Severus stared at his son, 'It must really bug him that he is always kept in the dark about things. Going through life never knowing who he truly was.'

"You're right, I was told early in life but it was still quite a shock. And I was given even more of a shock the summer before my 5^th year. I had been outside practicing Quidditch, I was the Slytherin seeker. And yes, Harry, you get your seeker talent from me. When I came inside I heard Mother arguing with someone. So being nosy I went to the door of the room they were in and listened behind the door. Mother apparently forgot to put a silencing spell on the room."

"Who was she talking to? Was it about you and James?" Harry asked.

Severus chuckled at his son's questions. "Well I would find out later that the man she was arguing with was my father and yes they were arguing about James and I."

"Edna! Why must you be so unreasonable? All I ask is to at least be able to meet my other son!"

"Look Harold! I thought we had this settled 15 years ago! I had Severus and you took the bastard child! And neither of out paths would cross again! Why must you be difficult!"

Harold's face quickly became red with anger, "First off, Edna. I never want to hear you refer to one of my son's in that matter ever again! Second, WE never settled it. YOU did! If it was up to me I would have taken both boys the first moment I could!"

All of a sudden Severus jumped when something shattered in the room before he heard his mother's voice again. "Look Harold Potter! We had an agreement and you are not going to go back on it! Severus is proud to be a Snape and he will be a death eater. And nothing you can do will change his mind! Now I want you off my property!"

There was an audible POP as the man disapperated and a slam of a door announcing his mother's exit from the room.

Severus stayed where he was, too shocked to move. There was only one thought running through his mind; 'My father wants me.'

"To say that this piece of news was shocking was an understatement. For my whole life I had been told that my father hadn't wanted me and to suddenly find out that the truth was the complete opposite and that I was being kept from him by my mother was more than just a little frightening. Not to mention that he was also the father of my 'at the time' most hated enemy."

Severus stopped talking for a moment to contemplate a new thought that entered his mind. He turned his head to his son and his eyes softened just a bit, "And I'm willing to bet that's not too different from how you're feeling Harry?"

Harry's head shot up and stared at his father for a few moments before nodding just a little bit.

Severus sighed, "And for that Harry I'm truly sorry. When Lily became pregnant with you it was a complete surprise to all of us. We hadn't really wanted to start a family so soon after marrying and especially with Voldemort still on the rise. But it happened we couldn't have been more thrilled. But there was the problem of my genes being affected by the charms on me. What if they did and you ended up looking like a Snape? How were we to explain that? But we lucked out, you were the spitting image of a Potter. There would be no doubt that you were James's son and that was what we needed to keep our plan working. James would continue to be the loving husband and now father and I would be the evil death eater. All the while I would come every night to visit you and Lily and James."

"What did Sirius and Remus think about all this? I mean weren't they suspicious?"

Severus shook his head, "They didn't know. We didn't tell anyone. We thought that the less people who knew the less likely anything would happen to any of us. I don't think any of us thought there was the possibility that any of their friends could be a traitor."

Harry nodded but then suddenly thought of something, "Wait, you do know that it was Pettigrew that betrayed my parents and not Sirius right?"

"Yes, Harry. I didn't up until last year but Albus told me everything. And as much as I hate to admit it Sirius is innocent." Noticing his son's look he chuckled, "But, as much as I may dislike the man I'm not going to keep you from him. He is your godfather after all."

Looking relieved, Harry grinned up at his father but it suddenly disappeared as another thought came to him.

Severus was startled by his son's sudden downcast look, "What is it Harry?"

"How in the world am I going to explain this to Sirius? He isn't going to want me as his godson when he finds out who my father really is," he said as tears sprang to his eyes once more.

Severus grabbed ahold of his son's shoulders and stared him in the eyes. "Harry, if Sirius loves you as much as I know he does, a little thing like James being your Uncle instead of your father isn't going to change how he feels about you. And if it does then he didn't deserve to be your godfather in the first place."

Harry nodded wearily, suddenly feeling tired. Severus noticed this and spoke up. "Harry you look like you can barely keep your eyes open. Why don't you go get some sleep and we can continue this in the morning. Ok?"

"Ok, professor. I'll see you in the morning." Harry got up and on a whim he hugged his father before retreating to the tower.

Severus sat on the couch in shock for several minutes after Harry left. He didn't think his son would feel comfortable enough with him to do that for a while yet. 'Maybe things will work out after all,' he mused to himself.