Whelp

He knew Lily was dating James at the time, but they seemed to have entered a cooler phase of their relationship, and he'd mentioned it to Lily after a meeting one September night, that she seemed sad. She'd broken down, and cried on his shoulder, about how James was being a prat --well, he knew that! -- and how she couldn't believe some of the things he'd say to her, or about other people. Over the course of the evening, they talked like they hadn't done since school, and when he kissed away the tears on her cheeks . . . well. One thing led to another.

Yet, inside of two weeks, she'd announced her engagement to James, followed in less than a month by their wedding, and Harry had been born in July, a good ten months after their one night together.

'No. It was ten months. She couldn't have . . .'

'Severus, give an old man some credit. Lily knew if it was discovered that the child was yours, your position in Voldemort's inner circle would have been compromised. She came to me, asking if I knew any way to delay the baby's birth, without harming him, of course.'

'You . . . you helped her? You kept this from me, all this time?'

'I'm sorry,' Albus said. There was nothing but sincerity in his voice. And Severus hated him for it.

'You're sorry! Just think what kind of life I could have given him, if only I had known! He would never had been with those Dursleys to begin with!'

'And your Potions Mastery?'

'Sod my potions! Why didn't you tell me? If not at the beginning, then at least once the Dark Lord was gone?'

'For the same reason Lily had to hide this from you.' Albus' eyes were clear blue, and twinkle free. 'Severus, there are still servants of Voldemort's at large, who would do whatever they could to harm the boy. You know this better than anyone. I thought he would be better off with protections from Lily, leaving you free to continue your work for the Order.'

'And we see how well that worked out.' Severus sank back in his chair, head back in his hands. He couldn't believe it. Harry was really his son. 'What about the ritual, then? Why did it work at all?'

'I spoke with Enid before hand, and we discussed what would be best. She doesn't know the truth,' Albus added quickly. 'Just that not everything was as it seemed.'

Severus couldn't help it; he chuckled low in his throat, an almost desperate laugh. 'I can see through her charms, can't I? That's why he looked right to me from the start, even though he went through all that pain?'

Albus took his own seat again, and surveyed Severus over the top of his folded hands. 'Lily's charms came off, yes, as a result of the ritual. But you could already see him as he truly was because he was of your blood.'

'Why the subterfuge, Albus? Why not just tell me he was my son when you asked me to go take a look at him?'

'I had to make sure you truly wanted him, and not out of obligation. It was the only way the ward could be transferred.'

Severus sighed, feeling tired, and sick to death of being manipulated. But none of that was Harry's fault. And f he truly was the only one -- besides the Dursleys -- who could keep Harry, then he would do it. He only hoped that he would not hurt the boy further in his ignorance and carelessness. 'I may need to take him to a Muggle hospital, because of the damage to his hand.'

'Whatever you need, my dear boy. I know this is a lot to take in. Perhaps you ought to spend the rest of the day with Harry. Don't worry about the staff meeting this afternoon. It will be mostly going over dormitory cleaning schedules, anyway.'

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Severus rose. 'Thank you, Albus,' he said with a slight incline of his head.

'Not at all,' the Headmaster replied, but Severus was already on the stairs, in search of Harry.

---

In Hagrid's hut, Harry took a seat when Hagrid waved him into one, having to climb up on to it like it was a jungle gym set at school. While the giant man filled the kettle with water from a big barrel, Harry motioned for Nelli to join him from where she was hanging back, by the doorway. Nelli shook her head, but Harry gestured again. 'C'mon, Nelli. Father says Hagrid's kind.'

'Oh, no, Master Harry. Nelli is not supposed to be in others's houses,' she said with a worried frown. 'Not unless she is invited.'

'Well, Hagrid can invite you, right?' Harry raised his voice. 'Hagrid, sir? Can you invite Nelli in for tea, too?'

The man turned from the fireplace, where he'd just hung the kettle and gave them a wide grin. 'O' course, 'Arry. Step in, there you go, little Nelli. Always room fer one more.'

'See?' Harry grinned at Nelli as she sidled closer to him and hopped onto the chair beside him -- there was plenty of room for them both. 'Thanks, Hagrid, sir.'

'Ach, 'Arry, it's jus' Hagrid.'

Harry smiled at him. 'And this is Nelli. She's a house elf, like me.'

Nelli turned her head so fast Harry thought he heard a Pop! Her eyes were very wide. 'Youse is not being a house elf, Master Harry.'

'I was. At the Dursleys. Father says I don't have to be one anymore, though.'

Hagrid put a plate of round cakes on the table. They were crusted with sugar and slivers of nuts. 'Oh, now, Harry. People can't be house elves. They're a diff'rent kind o' creature alt'gether.'

'But I was one.' Tears of frustration formed in his eyes, and he dashed them away with his good hand. 'I did cleaning and cooking and gardening, and all of it. If I wasn't a house elf, why'd they keep