Walk the Shadows

'Who?'

He rose and put the paper down. 'Sun Tzu. A Chinese General, and well known Wizard who waxed philosophic about war.'

'Oh.'

'Succinct as always, Mr. Potter. Have you frittered away enough of the morning? Or are you finally ready to get our visit to Diagon Alley underway?'

Harry gave him a half smile. 'I'm ready. But, well, I'm going as a long-haired, hat-wearing, glasses-less, soon-to-be-sixth-year, but what's your disguise going to be? A boil on the left cheek of—'

Snape's hand shot up, and Harry jumped back a step as the potions master pointed at him with one long finger. 'Finish that question at your peril,' he warned.

Harry gulped, thinking he had, perhaps, gone too far. But he really wasn't sure where too far was and so had to test things out from time to time. 'Er, that's all right. I was done.'

'Yes. I imagine you are.' Turning to his desk, he took out a small vial of a sludgy looking liquid and shook it gently. 'Besides, that was to be my Halloween costume.'

As Harry gaped at him, wondering if Snape was serious – it was so hard to tell, sometimes – Snape uncorked the vial and took a swallow.

Polyjuice, it had to be. Harry watched, fascinated, as Snape transformed before his eyes. His black hair turned brown and shortened just a smidge, his eyes took on a softer, warmer hue, his face filled out, and he shrank about three inches.

Lupin.

Feeling something catch in his throat, Harry stared at him. 'You're gonna . . . going to want to get some different robes, Professor. Remus doesn't wear black.'

Remus – Snape rolled his eyes and went to his room, coming out a few moments later dressed just like Remus had been a couple days ago. 'Let's go,' he said with Remus' voice, and stepped toward his fireplace. 'Floo to the Headmaster's quarters first, and we'll go from there to Diagon Alley. Understand?'

'Yes, sir. I'm not three, you know.'

Remu – Snape drew a short, sharp breath. The glare he leveled at Harry just didn't have the same weight as it usually did, coming from those amber eyes. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fire, saying 'Dumbledore's Office,' quite clearly.

It took Harry a minute to compose himself; he still felt awfully guilty for the way he'd yelled at Remus the other day, even though Snape had said –several times now – that he'd been right to vent some of his real feelings, and he was right to feel let down by those he trusted. He had not realized he would be going shopping with Remus, though . . . even if it wasn't really him, it was going to be hard.

Finally, figuring he'd used up his quota of Snape's patience already today, he grabbed a handful of powder and went through to Dumbledore's Office. Stumbling out of the Floo, like he always did, Harry was caught by two strong hands that righted him before he hit the ground.

Still a bit disoriented, he panicked and pulled away, wrenching his arm out of the steadying grasp and scrambling back till he hit a chair. 'Don't!'

'Potter. Harry, it's all right.'

'Please, don't, Rem—' He shook his head as the white dots dancing in his eyes receded and he remembered who he was really with. God, was he ever going to be all right again? 'I mean, sorry, sir.'

Snape looked at him, Remus' arms crossed over Remus' chest. The office was empty aside from the two of them, and Harry was just as glad he didn't have to face Dumbledore today. He hadn't actually been here since the night he'd trashed this room . . . and looking around, it seemed like most of the fragile, breakable, priceless items had been repaired and were back where they'd been two months ago. He wasn't sure how he felt about that – surely there should be some proof remaining of his destructive anger that night.

'Are you sure you're ready for this, Potter?' Snape-Remus asked, frowning.

'Course I am.' Harry took a slow breath and nodded. 'But you've got to quit calling me that, especially now. Remus doesn't call me Potter. Oh, er, what will you be calling me?'

Snape smiled sharply. With Remus' face it looked like gas. 'Today your name is Nicholas. I will go through first. Do try not to flail about too much on the other end, mm? The idea is to not draw attention to ourselves.'

'Sorry, sir.'

Without another word, Remus-Snape Floo'd through to Diagon Alley, and Harry followed right after him, this time making sure of the pronunciation, so he wouldn't end up in Knockturn Alley instead. The last thing he'd need would be a side trip to Borgin and Burkes. But he guessed he got it right this time, as he came out in the Leaky Cauldron. Once again, though, had to rely on Snape to catch his fall.

'You can fly upside down and backwards on a broom, but can't Floo without falling on your face?' Remus- Snape murmured, setting him back on his feet.

'I haven't had much practice,' Harry retorted. He brushed at the soot on his robes – the ones he'd had sized from Snape's own wardrobe. If nothing else, he would be overjoyed to have his own clothes again.

'If I remember correctly, you caught a thrown Remembrall the first time you were on a broom. From over a hundred feet away. McGonagall, for one, was much impressed.'

'Yeah, well, that was different.'

'Enlighten me,' Remus-Snape said as they left the Leaky Cauldron and made their way up the street to Ollivander's. They'd determined that what Harry needed most of all right now was a wand, and if they had to leave