After the Storm.

After the Minister had disapparated, Skelper remained on the platform patiently gazing down at him. Harry couldn't move, couldn't get up off the rails, and Hecate knew where his wand was. Rage boiled through him and then he realised that there still was something he could do.

'Ludo!' Even if the barrier was closed, some of the chess pieces could fly and the knights were supposed to be good at retrieving things. He wished that they'd come and retrieve him right now.

From the train, Harry could hear the small explosions of steam and metallic creaking that generally preceded departure and wondered if there would be time. Then a shadow swept over him. There was a blur of wings overhead and a clicking of movement in the structure of station roof; as if something heavy were settling onto it and then, ethereal and thrilling, Harry heard singing. Overhead milk-pale flight- feathers, painted gold by the late evening light, edged into view. It was one of the winged women that were the chess set's bishops, now fully life size. Settling herself comfortably, she ran her fingers across the strings of her instrument and then she began to sing a mesmerising counterpoint.

The effect of the music was startling: the wizard on the platform seemed to have lost interest in anything other than the weirdly lovely cadences. Two of the winged women alighted onto the platform and, still singing, began to close in on their audience. Meanwhile strong hands were lifting Harry, arms wrapping around him and pulling him upwards into the gathering darkness of the sky just as, with an explosive burst of steam, the Hogwarts express began its journey. Harry hung above London, the cold of the downdraft making his eyes water so that the all the lights were smears of orange gold. It was beautiful but he was beginning to shiver. Harry's rescuer began to descend.

Whatever spell had been holding him was wearing off. Hearing a sound like ripping canvas from the direction of the barrier, Harry could turn his head sufficiently to see Tonks, Snape and Lupin come through it in a knot, wands drawn, to stand looking up at him. They were followed almost immediately by Hermione, Ron, and Ginny and Jane. The station rose around him and Harry was deposited gently onto his back on the platform.

'Finite incantatum!' Snape was standing over him, looking lethal.

'It wasn't his fault,' protested Lupin. 'He was delirious. Some nightmare about Dementors, he was yelling for Jane to get clear. Dammit, I knew there was something odd about his reaction when he got bitten, the way he relaxed when you arrived. He was relieved to see you. And you only have to look at her. I'd have guessed anyway.'

Snape scowled at Lupin and then turned back to Harry.

'It was Sirius!' mumbled Harry as Snape dragged him to his feet. 'The bastards had Padfoot on a choke chain.'

'So you went charging off on your own,' snarled Snape.

'Sorry. I'm sorry. I was stupid!'

'You say that as though there were some likelihood of your being anything else.' Snape glanced along the platform. 'Potter, perhaps you should put away the chess set.'

'What?' said Harry 'The angels?'

'Angels?' demanded Snape. 'Those are lyres, not harps! Are you totally unafflicted by any sort of classical education? I'd have thought the names might have told you. They're sirens!'

'What?'

Snape's wand was back out. 'You lot. Sod off or else.' The siren, who had been nuzzling the neck of Fudge's fallen henchmen, sat up smirking and wiped traces of blood from her chin with the back of her hand before all four shimmered into invisibility. Snape turned back to Harry. 'You cannot feed people who annoy you to your playthings.'

'What about Umbridge?'

'Umbridge was not required to answer questions.'

Snape strode down the platform and dropped a coin onto the floor. A twitch of his wand turned it into a small cage. Moments later a rat was being dropped into it. Having spent several detentions dissecting small creatures for potions ingredients, Harry wondered what the future held in store for the transfigured Auror. Snape caught Harry's expression. 'Transfigured materials react unpredictably in potions; as you should be aware by now. Really Potter, have you learnt nothing?'

Tonks had been muttering into a hand mirror. 'The Ministry are trying to take over Hogwarts. If they gain access to the school's records they'll find out about you and Jane and Harry. I'm to call a meeting of the Order,' she told Snape just as Madeye Moody appeared.

'Take the children to Grimmauld Place,' said Snape. 'Jane, go with them and then stay out of the way.' He picked up the cage containing the rat and disapparated.

'Well this is certainly better than using the Underground,' murmured Lupin as they all piled into the magically altered ancient red Mercedes.

'It was Sirius,' protested Harry.

'Perhaps,' said Lupin.

'How else would they know about Padfoot?' demanded Harry.

Dark looks were exchanged. 'Someone has been talking to the Ministry,' said Moody. He turned to Jane. 'I seem to remember being told that you were a muggle,' he said.

'Alastair,' said Tonks, easing out into a stream of traffic, 'before you say anything unfortunate, the troll's leg umbrella stand is in the attic. It would be no effort at all to find it.'

Moody chuckled.

'Pardon,' said Harry.

'Well,' said Lupin 'the last time Sirius upset Snape, Tonks put him head first into the umbrella stand and kicked it up and down the hall.'

'Tonks did that?' said Ginny.

'Tonks is a Metamorphmagus,' replied Moody. 'She once took on a young troll and won.'

'It fell off a roof,' Tonks said between her teeth.

Hermione turned to Jane. 'Professor Snape's your father?'

'Yes,' said Jane softly.

Apparently accidentally, Hermione elbowed Ron who gasped and rubbed his ribs. Harry wondered what Ron had been about to say. 'There was a contract, apparently,' he offered, wondering what that meant.

'Don't be daft Harry. That would mean that they were betrothed. Apart from anything else, the terms of a betrothal are for life; even in the case of divorce, and sorry,' Ron turned to Jane, 'but it's pretty obvious you're muggleborn.

'And he's adopted Harry,' said Jane.

Looking around him, a part of Harry was almost inclined to regret the absence of a camera. 'Thanks Jane,' he muttered.

Your friends - your problem said the look on Jane's face. She had a large Charms textbook too.

'You might have warned Neville,' reproached Ginny finally.

'He knows,' replied Jane, lowering her book. 'He borrowed Harry's cloak and ambushed my father outside his rooms. Hit him with "Petrificus" and then tried to feed him Veritaserum.' Ron looked impressed. 'I persuaded him not to. Neville wanted to know if he'd been there the night that his parents were tortured.' There was an uneasy quiet. 'He was,' said Jane. 'But only because he'd been sent to find them.'

'Neville attacked Snape?' said Ron, still awed.

Jane shook her head at him.

At the House on Grimmauld Place, Tonks started to lead Jane up to her own room on the top floor. The warm yellow of the gaslights made the entrance hall seem almost welcoming and Harry gave Jane a smile of encouragement, grateful that the portrait and the house-elf-heads were gone, and then Snape came barrelling out of the library. Jane almost fell down the stairs to throw her arms around her father and this time he didn't try to pry her off. He was getting better at the parenting thing, Harry decided.

Snape's eyes narrowed. Harry had forgotten that he didn't always need to yell 'Legilimens' to know what people were thinking. 'Go,' murmured Snape and Jane and Tonks went.

Minutes later the front door swung open. Members of the Order of the Phoenix began to arrive and file into the kitchen. One of the last to arrive was Hestia Jones clutching a parchment in both hands. Snape took the parchment and read it, then handed it to Moody who studied it gravely. Then all three went into the kitchen and shut the door behind them.

Extendible ears produced a hubbub without distinguishable speech until there was a sudden roar of 'Quiet!'

There could be no doubt that Snape was good at what he did: the noise stopped instantly. 'I know them,' he stated. 'They'll take him apart. When did we become the kind of people who would leave one of our own to face torture?'

Muttering ensued.

'If we hand Skelper over to the Aurors it will bring down the Ministry,' said Snape. But if that is our intention there are other ways in which this might be achieved. We have no choice but to agree to the exchange.' The muttering became acquiescent. 'Send the owl,' said Snape. 'Right now it would be best if everyone were to return to whatever they were doing before absences are noted.'

The meeting broke up rapidly, with Percy Weasley leading the throng out of the house. Harry went into the kitchen to find Snape talking quietly with Arthur and Molly Weasley, Moody, Lupin and Tonks.

'What's happening,' said Harry.

'Fudge has offered to exchange Black for Skelper,' said Snape. 'The Auror who tried to kill you.'

'When?' asked Harry.

'Nine o'clock on Platform 9 ¾.' Snape turned to Moody. 'Keep Skelper here until I get back

I'll see Sirius in about two hours . . . thought Harry. But why would . . . ? 'Why?' he asked Snape.

'I thought it might be amusing to occupy the moral high ground for once,' said his guardian. 'No to mention avoiding the embarrassment of being blackmailed by the werewolf.'

'Yes,' said Harry, glancing at Lupin in surprise, 'he would . . . wouldn't he?' For a moment he was delighted that Lupin had such an effective weapon and then he was utterly ashamed. Staring at the floor he could feel only relief that he did not have to choose between his godfather and Jane's safety. No wonder Snape had hidden her existence.

A hand rested lightly on Harry's shoulder and he looked up to meet Snape's dark eyes. 'Piss poor friend if he wouldn't,' said Snape and Harry blinked in astonishment. 'Harry,' said Snape, 'I want you to stay here. Trust me.'

Harry nodded and Snape swung open the front door and swept out into the night. 'Chin up,' said Tonks and then followed him.

Harry shut the door behind them and then went to sit on a step near the bottom of the stairs and tried to distract himself by wondering how Professor McGonagall was getting on with the Ministry at Hogwarts. Jane came silently down to sit beside him. 'What happened?' she asked. Harry told her. 'He's up to something,' said Jane.

Harry had to agree. Snape had seemed almost happy. Ginny sat down on Harry's other side. Hermione and Ron sat on the stairs behind them and, silently, they all waited.

'It's nearly a half past eight,' said Hermione, unnecessarily, as Lupin and Moody came into the hallway.

'Where the hell is Snape?' growled Moody. 'I'd better make a Portkey.' Only magical means could now take Skelper to the rendezvous on time.

Where is Snape? Harry asked himself. As the minutes had elapsed his fears for his guardian had grown. He could feel Jane trembling beside him and put his arm around her. Finally, as an ominous rumbling in the grandfather clock announced the imminent striking of the half hour, the front door crashed open.

The entry was typically Snape's but the body wasn't. A wicked smile spread over the stranger's face as he put a small cage onto the floor. 'Snape?' asked Lupin as the chimes faded.

In answer the new arrival drew his wand and turned the cage into a coin. On the floor a small cat seemed scarcely able to contain the fury in its tiny black body.

'I though the mutt might appreciate a change of perspective.' Snape drawled, his voice strange but recognisable.

'That's Sirius?' Lupin caught the cat mid spring and was clawed for his pains.

'Finite incantatum!' said Snape and the small cat became a large dog that became a man. Sirius Black was as ragged and filthy as when he had first escaped from Azkaban and his rage seemed to have grown along with his body. It was as well that Lupin had not let go of him.

'Only this time. And I caused only enough damage to get you hospitalised so that we could acquire the Saint Mungo's Portkey,' explained Snape. As he spoke the Polyjuice began to wear off. Completely ignoring the unpleasant effects of transition, Snape strode into the library, followed by Sirius, Lupin and everyone else.

'You went into Azkaban to get Sirius Black?' demanded Moody, incredulously.

Snape took a moment to complete the transformation by re-transfiguring his clothing back to the Muggle garments he'd been wearing. 'I did,' he said. 'I am familiar with several delayed action poisons that will destroy a body completely. So are they. Fortunately they are in the habit of obtaining their supplies from Saint Mungo's, much to the annoyance of the staff there. It was quite easy to abduct their man Smith and take his place. Smith is still sleeping off the effects of a recreational potion and will remember nothing. As you are aware, I am familiar with Azkaban's interrogation facilities.' Moody was avoiding Snape's eyes. 'Interrogation . . . I interrogated Skelper and as you can see he is undamaged.' The errant Auror crouched in a corner of an enlarged cage trying very hard not to be noticed.

Sirius was a little calmer now, although Lupin still had his arms around him. 'Regulus died as a result of your interrogation,' he stated.

Snape turned very slowly to face him. 'Who told you that?' he asked and Harry had never heard anything so cold.

The answer dripped into the silence. 'Bellatrix.'

'Bellatrix tortured your brother,' said Snape heavily. 'When it became obvious that he was dying, I was sent for and I did what the Dark Lord told me to do. I gave him Veritaserum knowing that it would kill him. Quickly and quite painlessly. It was the only thing I could do for him and I was punished for it.' Snape turned away. 'Regulus Black was my friend.'

'Show me,' demanded Sirius. Harry noticed that the penseive was still on the desk where he had seen it last.

'You don't want to see . . .' began Snape.

'Show me!'

Snape approached the penseive, put his wand to his head, drew out a memory and dropped it, sparkling, into the bowl. As Harry moved towards it, Moody caught his shoulder to stop him. Sirius leant forward and disappeared into the light that erupted from the swirling liquid surface. Lupin followed him in.

Snape sat down at the desk and rested his chin on his hands. Jane went around the desk to put her hands on her father's shoulders. Black eyes met Harry's. 'Tonks has warned the Aurors. Whoever turns up on Platform 9 ¾ will be arrested. If you can keep your head below the parapet you're probably safe for a while, at least from the Ministry. Skelper's testimony and Black's continued existence will bring down Fudge's regime in a matter of hours. The Aurors were not at all pleased by the Silencing Orders regarding Pettigrew'

'Thank you,' said Harry and then swallowed. 'That doesn't seem anything like enough for what you've done.'

Snape smiled and this time it was a smile. He leant back in his chair and, apparently of its own volition, his left hand travelled up to rest over Jane's. 'My enemy owes me a life debt and Nymphadora Tonks thinks that I'm wonderful,' he said quietly. A surprisingly gentle smile became mordant. 'I will also have the pleasure of informing Black that I have adopted you.'

'You . . . ?' Harry decided that he wanted to hear the sneaky reptile say it. 'You broke into Azkaban to rescue Sirius just so that you could gloat?'

'That had not, in fact, occurred to me,' said Snape, in a voice like thick silk velvet. 'However . . . '

'Now that you come to mention it . . .' continued Jane. Both grinned and Harry found himself smiling. This wasn't 'Snape the Bastard' or perhaps it was, given the cumulative effects of a lover, the presence of his daughter and having both Voldemort and the Aurors off his back.

Harry heard the front door open and Snape stood up. 'One more thing to do,' he said lazily. Harry followed him into the hallway. 'Petrificus totalis!'

Percy Weasley dropped.

Immediately wands were drawn and the impact of Percy's fall softened. Other wands were pointed towards Snape but no spells were cast.

'Arthur?' Arthur Weasley nodded. The former Potions Master drew a phial from his pocket, knelt and emptied it into Percy's mouth. Then he stood up. 'Finite incantatum!'

'Bastard,' spat Percy Weasley, sitting up. 'Bloody . . . bastard.' His father helped him as he stumbled to his feet shaking his head as if to clear it. 'I'm sorry.'

Arthur Weasley put his arms around his eldest child. 'It's our fault,' he said. 'Skelper said . . . We thought we knew what they were like, but "Imperius", backed up by potions. . . I'm sorry, Percy. ' The embrace became an arm around Percy's shoulders. 'How much do you remember, son?'

Percy rubbed at his forehead. 'It's beginning to come back. Bloody Fudge!'

'He's finished,' said Arthur.

Percy shuddered. 'Git,' he said.

'I think that we could both do with a drink,' said Arthur, proudly guiding his son towards the kitchen where Molly Weasley would undoubtedly be waiting impatiently. Harry realised that she had not wanted to witness what had just happened.

Snape turned to Harry. 'I've to deliver Skelper to the Aurors. You go and wait in the kitchen. Give your godfather the opportunity to collect himself.'

Harry nodded. 'Do you know what's happening at Hogwarts sir?'

'It seems that the Ministry of Magic have been in receipt of some Further Education and it may be quite some time before some of them leave. And Draco Malfoy is now ahead in the Interhouse Indoors Mass Tag Quiddich, the better part of the last hour having taken place in the dungeons, and yes, Mr. Weasley, it will probably still be going on tomorrow, and I imagine that the Ministry can be persuaded to pay for most of the repairs. Jane?'

'I'm ok. We were worried about you.'

'Go on then,' said Snape. Harry put an arm around Jane's shoulders and followed the others.

In the kitchen Molly Weasley was busy fussing over Percy who seemed embarrassed, especially after the rest of the Weasley tribe arrived.

'Percy,' said Harry, 'I never did thank you, did I?'

'For what?' put in Bill.

'Getting me out of the Ministry,' said Harry and settled back while Percy explained the stroke of genius that had at once located Harry and transferred him out of the fortress that was the Ministry of Magic's London Office. Getting into the Ministry, he discovered, was the easy part.

Sirius and Lupin came into the kitchen, Sirius' cleanliness emphasizing his emaciation, and Molly quickly ladled a cup of broth from the stew and put it on the table for him, even though dinner was nearly ready. Sirius finally released his bony hold on Harry, sat down at the table, picked up the cup in both hands and sipped the soup. 'How are you Harry?' he asked.

'I'm fine.'

'Snape's . . . adopted you?'

Harry tried not to feel guilty about the rigidity of Sirius shoulders. 'Yes. They were afraid that if the Ministry got hold of me I wouldn't survive. Looks as if they were right.' Sirius still wasn't looking at Harry. 'Snape and Jane took me in so there was already a bond. Just papers to be signed.' Harry paused. 'He's been pretty decent.'

Sirius' eyes wandered to Jane and then he turned his attention back to his soup.

Snape's been more than decent thought Harry.

The memory of a summer afternoon returned as though preserved in honey: the sun hot in the sky and Harry, Jane and Tonks resting in the cool, green shade where the edge of the pine forest met the beach.

Jane sat up, twigs and sand in her hair. 'He's a bloody awful father; he's winging it. Every now and again he gets this look in his eyes and you can see he's completely lost the plot. He simply does not know what he's supposed to do next.'

Sitting with her back against a tree, Tonks swallowed some more of her drink. 'He's trying.'

'Yes,' said Jane, 'he does. I thought . . .' Her fingers combed some of the debris from her hair. 'I thought he'd invented Arithmancy, just to amuse me, but it's more like he's reinvented himself. He's faking it, but he's wouldn't do it if he didn't care.

In his own abrasive manner Snape had acted as though he cared, even after Voldemort had gone. Even when there had been no one else there apart from Harry.

'Actually,' said Harry, 'he's been pretty good to me. How are you, Sirius?'

'Ok,'

Harry swallowed. 'What happened to you?'

'I fell in the Chamber of Mysteries. I woke up in Azkaban.'

Harry felt sick. 'How long?'

'Months.' Sirius put the cup down. 'So Harry,' he said 'why don't you tell us what happened?'

'Where shall I start?'

'Start with the Chamber of Mysteries.'

As Harry told his tale, Sirius gradually began to relax and Hedwig's persecution of Snape drew a faint smile. But even omitting certain events, most particularly the incident involving Jane's store cupboard, Harry's story took a long time and Molly set the dinner aside to stay hot.

Snape and Tonks came in just as Harry was describing Voldemort's unfortunate demise. They were followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and a female Auror whom Harry did not recognise. As Arthur poured them all a glass of wine, Shacklebolt shook Sirius gently by the shoulder. 'Got you,' he rumbled, 'and if you don't register as an animagus in the next twenty-one days you are in deep, deep trouble.'

'You look bloody awful,' said the unknown Auror kissing Sirius' cheek and dropping a small pile of paperwork onto the table in front of him.

'Good to see you too, Bel,' said Sirius affably, leaning back and flipping the papers straight under the table. As they all sat down, Harry noticed that Tonks had a tight hold of her companion's arm. Snape couldn't leave without a fuss. Eventually he took a sip of the wine. Tonks only let go of Snape after Harry had finished his story and dinner had been served. Snape looked up from the plate of stew in front of him to challenge Sirius who gazed levelly back.

'Who has the "Star of Grace" now?' Sirius asked.

'Draco Malfoy,' replied Snape.

Sirius smiled with satisfaction and Snape noticed Harry's puzzlement. 'The talisman only protects the bearer incidentally,' he explained.' It can't make you do anything you wouldn't otherwise, but it makes it more likely that your decisions serve to protect those who are affected by them. It was for this reason that it was gifted to the church during a period of religious persecution.'

'Why did Riddle want it? It couldn't have been any use to him,' asked Sirius.

'Propaganda, it would be unavailable to anyone else, and he'd had the idea that it could be destroyed and used in a Potion.'

'Could it?'

Snape shrugged. 'I would not have liked to attempt it.'

Regulus' courage had given the talisman to Snape and saved Harry and now Voldemort was gone. Clearly this had also been Sirius' thought as he was silent for several minutes after the meal began.

'I imagine that Draco ascribes Harry's success against Riddle to the stone?' Sirius said finally.

'He does,' replied Snape.

'And he controls the Malfoy fortune?'

'He will.'

Sirius smiled again. 'Excellent.'

Dinner was as good as ever. As the table was being cleared, Tonks excused herself and took Snape and Sirius outside into the garden. Lupin intercepted Harry. 'I imagine that she's reading the riot act,' he said. 'You might want to stay well out of the way.'

'Yeah. Tonks trashes trolls,' smirked Fred or George, 'although . . . was she . . . I mean, Snape?'

Harry shot him a warning glance. 'Tonks said that he was one of only four people who recognised her whatever she looked like and the only one who didn't care.'

'He's certainly no Guilderoy Lockhart,' said Hermione thoughtfully.

'I think that what you fail to realise is that most people are actually terrified of Tonks,' said Lupin turning to Jane. 'Come to think of it, most people are pretty scared of your father.'

Harry remembered a red handbag and a vulture trimmed hat. 'Not to mention the resident werewolf,' he said.

Lupin smiled ruefully. 'Or the infamous Harry Potter.'

Harry leant his face against the window. As his eyes adapted to the dark he could see Tonks, with her arm around Snape's waist, facing Sirius, all of them looking relaxed. The barking of Sirius' laughter, made faint by the glass, was the signal for Tonks to let go of Snape and hug Sirius, after which the men shook hands, stiffly but more definitely than had been the case when they had done so at Dumbledore's insistence, and then all three turned back towards the house.

Harry turned away from the window, back to the brightness and warmth of the kitchen and found Ginny standing beside him. 'Are you infamous, Harry Potter?' she asked in mock reproach.

'Oh, very . . . very infamous,' said Harry, trying not to laugh as Hermione accidentally brushed against Ron and Ron, to the delight of his bothers, turned scarlet.

For the first time in his life he was quite, quite certain that it would be alright.