Harry Potter's Real Dad

Intrigued by Iris's remark, Severus followed the kids, pushing his cart along. He caught up to them running through the stands, looking at hoodies with big T-rexes and brachiosauruses and velociraptors. Harry kept running back to the one with T-rex on it, and Severus decided to find Harry's size on the rack. The two kids found more dinosaur themed clothing and then monster truck themed shirts. Severus was happy to let Iris lead the way and picked up what he noticed Harry take interest in. This was not so bad after all.

Finally, Severus decided he had enough clothes to get Harry through winter at least. He paid for everything and put all the bags in the trunk while the two kids jumped in their car seats expectantly, Harry finally getting into the routine of car travel.

Once they were secured, Severus decided to make a quick stop at Iris's school to inquire about enrolling Harry, hoping it was not too late. It was mid-January, and the staff were very excited to have Harry join the school and they would mail Severus the required paperwork and needed records he would have to send in. Severus hoped Harry was up to date on his vaccines. He would have to find out where Harry had gone previously for doctor visits.

When he was ready to leave, he found Iris in her classroom talking with her teacher, showing Harry off. All the students were on lunch now, so the classroom was empty. Severus paused outside the door, leaning against the frame as he listened to Iris.

"And after the doctor's, we went shopping and found a lot of dinosaur things for him," Iris was saying, Harry quietly standing beside her, his head slightly lowered. "He likes dinosaurs."

"Is that so?" the teacher, Mrs. Hadewin said, smiling at Harry. "We'll have a little paleontologist in our classroom, won't we?"

Harry shrugged, but offered a small smile.

"He doesn't talk much," Iris explained. "Dad says he has to get comfortable around us, and I have to help him and show him everything's not so bad—that's why Dad let me stay home today."

"Well, I am so proud of you for being such a good sister," Mrs. Hadewin said. "I look forward to seeing you in class, Harry."

Harry didn't say anything, and Severus entered the classroom.

"Okay, you two, I think it's time to head home," Severus said.

"Aww," Iris pouted.

"Would you like to stay for your afternoon classes?" Severus asked, raising a brow. "Or help me fix up Harry's room?"

Iris frowned in thought, then said, "Fix up Harry's room!"

"Then let's head back to the car."

As the two kids ran ahead, Mrs. Hadewin walked at Severus's side.

"I am so sorry to hear what's happened with Harry," she said. "How did you find out he was your son?"

"DNA test," Severus said, leaving out any more details than that.

"I read the paper this morning. The details were atrocious. His bedroom was a cupboard? And they made him a chimney sweep—my heart breaks just thinking about it. I wish you luck, Mr. Snape. And I do look forward to having little Harry in my class. I think he'll do very well here."

"Thank you," Severus said. He bid farewell, then drove home.

He opened the trunk and used a spell to transport all the bags to Harry's room and the new medications to his own bedroom to review later.

"Why are we back here?" Harry asked as he jumped out of the car.

"Because its where we live, silly," Iris said, skipping over to him.

"No, it's where you live. I live with my aunt and uncle. I have to go back to them."

"Nuh-uh," Iris said, shakingher head, her red hair flying about. "Daddy says you're staying here now. You're never leaving. Ever."

Severus had just shut the trunk when he heard Iris declare the truth. He winced, waiting for Harry's reaction to that.

"No!" Harry shouted at her. "I have to leave. This isn't my house. I want to go home." Harry ran to the back of the car and looked up at Severus. "I want to go back home. Take me back."

Severus sighed, and kneeled in front of Harry. He might as well as tell the child.

"Harry," he began gently. "Your aunt and uncle were arrested this morning on several accounts of child neglect, abuse, and endangerment. They are behind bars without bail while they wait for their trial. Your cousin is living with an aunt and you are staying with us. That's the end of it."

Harry blinked back tears.

"Why were they arrested?"

"Because what they did to you—how they treated you was wrong."

"No, it wasn't. Aunt Petunia loves me. She never hurt me."

"I disagree. Making a child climb up a chimney is dangerous and illegal. You could have been killed. It's aggravating your asthma, you could have suffocated."

"I was careful."

"She denied you food—"

"No, she fed me. Every day."

"She made you a slave to her family—"

"No, she didn't. I have to help around the house."

"And she did not report you missing when you mysteriously "vanished." And your uncle allowed all of this."

"You can't keep me here! I want to go home." Harry stomped his foot.

"Unfortunately, you have nowhere else to go. Your relatives are behind bars and we have a trial to get through. It would really help me if you tried to understand why what they did was wrong."

"They didn't do anything. Take them out of jail."

"That's beyond my control, Harry," Severus said, standing up and throwing his hands up.

"Then I'm taking them out of jail," Harry declared before running off down the driveway.

"Harry!" Severus shouted, running after him. He grabbed Harry before he could run into the street, lifting him up and carrying him back to the house.

"No!" Harry screamed, kicking all the way. "I don't want to stay. I want Aunt Petunia! I want to go home. I want Aunt Petunia!"

It was hard to hear. Severus set Harry down in the house before he shut and locked the door with a spell that wouldn't allow Harry to open the door. Harry pushed past him and tried to open the door before screaming and pounding on it. Severus quickly and wordlessly spelled every window and outside door to the house locked, sadly watching Harry throw himself to the floor, kicking and crying, yelling about not wanting to stay and missing Aunt Petunia. And he knew that "Aunt Petunia" did not miss Harry. Noted in the muggle paper that morning, Aunt Petunia's words about her missing nephew had been "good riddance."