NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: 10. Amazement
"Really?" Harry asked looking around at her. "That was great! I didn't even feel it!"
As they left the Infirmary, Harry asked, "Dad, what does this nutrient potion do?"
"Well, it will provide you with extra vitamins and minerals to help you catch up on growing and gaining weight. You can pour it into your juice or milk at meals; it's tasteless. You're lacking some important nutrients because your relatives didn't feed you properly."
"Ohh …are we going back to the Dungeon?"
"No. I thought we'd go up to the Deputy Headmistress' office so you could meet her. Professor McGonagall will also be your Transfiguration professor." They made their way up to Minerva's office on the seventh floor near Gryffindor Tower and Severus knocked on the door. "Come in, Severus and Harry," Minerva called.
Harry looked at Severus in amazement. "How does she know it's us, Dad?"
"I believe her door is charmed to let her know who her visitors are."
"Cool!"
They entered Minerva's office and she rose from behind her desk and came over to Severus and Harry. "It's wonderful to see you again, Harry although the last time I saw you was when your mum, Lily brought you to see me. You were just a wee bairn then."
"You knew my parents, Professor?" Harry asked excitedly.
"Oh my, yes," Minerva said. "Both your father and mum were in my house, Gryffindor."
"Professor, I'd like you to meet my son, Harry Potter-Snape," Severus said by way of formal introduction
"I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter-Snape. How do you like living at Hogwarts?"
"It's really cool, Professor! Dad's been teaching me about Potions and helping me practice my wand movements for Charms. I'm also trying to turn a match into a needle, but I only got it to look pointy, but it's still mostly a match."
"Most children can't get it to be pointy on their first try so you're doing well. It will get easier as you learn more about focusing your magic," Minerva assured him.
They returned to Severus' quarters and Harry went to his room. The floo sounded and Severus turned to see his friend, Lucius Malfoy's head sitting in the flames. "Luc, nice to see you. What can I do for you?"
"Draco asked if he could spend Friday night with you and return home Saturday morning. I told him I would check with you since it's just before the start of school."
"Of course. Why don't you and Draco step through? In fact I'm happy you contacted me as I have news of my own to tell you."
Lucius and Draco stepped out of the fireplace. Lucius was slightly taller than Severus' 6'2, pale with shoulder-length platinum blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed very expensively and elegantly, his clothes obviously tailor made, and his boots were glossed to a high shine. Beside him stood Draco who was eleven and had the same white blond hair and blue eyes as his father only he wore his short and combed back. He was dressed in a casual, but expensive robe with polished dress shoes rather than trainers.
"Please sit down and I'll call Blinky for some tea and biscuits," Severus said. He called Blinky and requested tea and biscuits. He moved Harry's stack of textbooks aside to make room for the tea tray and took it from Blinky when he returned setting it carefully down on the table. "Harry?" He called. "Could you come out here, please?"
"Yes, Dad," Harry replied. He came out of his bedroom and walked into the living room to stand beside his father.
"Harry, I'd like you to meet Mr. Lucius Malfoy and his son, Draco. Draco will be starting Hogwarts this year also. This is my son, as of this morning, Harry Potter-Snape."
Harry politely shook hands with Lucius and then Draco. "It's nice to meet you, Sir, and you too, Draco."
They all sat down and Severus poured tea, handed the cups round and the plate of biscuits."What house do you think you will be in, Harry?" Draco asked.
"I don't know. Dad's told me a little bit about the houses, but maybe you can tell me more about them, Draco," Harry replied.
"Harry, why don't you take Draco and show him your room?" Severus suggested.
"Sure! Come on, Draco."
Draco followed Harry out of the room. Lucius turned to Severus and asked, "When did this happen?"
"I took Harry's Hogwarts letter to him and found out his relatives were treating him very badly and that is when I decided to take him away from them. I did not know Lily had already appointed me Harry's guardian until I went to the Ministry to file for guardianship. I did not know the full extent of how badly Petunia and her oaf of a husband were treating him until we spoke with Sarah Mullings this morning. Merlin's beard! They were treating him worse than some people treat their house elves."
"Do you think Dumbledore knew, Severus?" Lucius asked.
"It would not surprise me a bit. I am sure he has plans for Harry."
"Well, the prophecy did predict Harry defeating the Dark Lord." Lucius always looked a bit downcast when he mentioned it as it was him that had overheard part of it and told Voldemort. Once he realized he'd unintentionally put the Potter's in grave danger he went to Dumbledore and asked him to hide them and turned a spy for him against Voldemort.
"It was not your fault, Luc," Severus said. "You did not know he would use it to target the Potters. It was Voldemort and it was James Potter's stupidity in trusting Pettigrew that cost Lily her life."
"As you know Cissy and Lily were good friends although she hated Potter and his best friend and her cousin, Black. She was devastated when she heard Lily had been killed."