Chapter Twelve: Meetings and Beginnings
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office shifting through the mountainous paperwork that had managed to pile up unsuspectingly.
Cornelius Fudge was one of the most incompetent wizards that he had ever had the pleasure of dealing with. How that man ever had won the election for minister was beyond him, he was still amazed that the man had ever graduated from Hogwarts. Sealing another letter to the illustrious minister he settled down to read a letter that a students parent had sent in regards to the newly changed age restriction on the visits to Hogsmead when he heard someone knock timidly on his door. Glancing up at the plaque mounted on the wall beside the door he saw that Minerva's daughter had arrived.
Jocelyn nervously knocked on the door leading to the Headmasters office. It would be the first time meeting the infamous Albus Dumbledore, the man that her mother had told tales about since she was a small child. When the door opened she slowly walked in glancing around the office with wonder. The pup that she still held firmly in her arms started squirming and she set it down on the floor beside her.
"I found him on the way up here, does he belong to one of the students or professors?" Jocelyn asked while watching the puppy sit absolutely still beside her feet. She looked up into the Headmasters face.
"I can honestly say that I have never seen this fellow around here before. Students are only allowed to bring a cat, owl, toad, or bat with them as familiars. And as for the staff, I don't believe that any of them have acquired any pets recently." Albus said quietly as he studied the strange puppy on the floor. He had the distinct feeling that there was something familiar about this animal, but he couldn't put his finger on it at the moment. Looking back up at the young lady in front of him he continued, "Now, I was curious as to how you were able to hear me answer your question and how you were able to speak as well as you did. I was under the impression that you relied on your gift of telepathy for communication."
Jocelyn smiled lightly at the Headmaster, "I could hear you because I have been a recent recipient of a muggle surgical procedure that has corrected my hearing to a degree that I am able to hear and speak without many problems." She answered as she reached down to pet the pup on the head.
Noticing that he was trembling she scooped him up in her arms once again and cradled him close to her chest hopefully making the poor thing feel a little less afraid.
"A muggle procedure you say? Could you tell me a little more about it?" Albus asked his curiosity rearing its head.
"Well, basically I had a cochlear-implant surgically placed in my ears...." Jocelyn began explaining to the very curious Albus Dumbledore. She didn't notice that the black pup had slunk over into a darkened corner and sat huddled in a ball.
Daylan was frightened. He didn't know who the woman was that had picked him up but he recognized the man as the one that was in his daddy's rooms last night when he woke up. He was scared because he knew that wherever his Daddy was he was going to be really mad at him. Daylan just hoped that he didn't punish him like his uncle did. Just as he was getting ready find a way to sneak out of the room his Daddy and another strange woman burst into the room. His Daddy didn't look mad though; he looked like he was scared. But why would he be scared? Daylan looked at the woman that had came into the room with his Daddy. He sniffed the air and something strange. He smelled a CAT! Wait a second, Daylan thought to himself. There are no cats in here. It was only when that woman came in he could smell it. Huh, that was really weird he thought to himself.
"Severus, slow down and repeat what you just said. I couldn't understand a word that you just said." Albus said trying to calm the panicking man.
" Daylan is gone." Severus blurted out, not even noticing the blonde haired woman sitting in front of Albus's desk.
Albus looked slightly alarmed and then told Severus and Minerva to sit down. "Start from the beginning and tell me what happened."
Severus took a deep breath and recounted the events leading up to when Daylan told him the reason for all of the beatings.
"He kept saying that the reason that his uncle was beating him was that he was a freak and he did 'the Bad Thing' and when I asked him if he could show me what the Bad Thing was he turned into a Bloody Wolf Pup! I was so shocked that I just sat there and he took thought that I was disgusted with him and took off running in his puppy form. Minerva and I have searched the entire castle and cannot find him. I am too afraid to even thing what could have happened if he managed to get out of the castle." Severus said his voice shaking with fear and panic.
"I don't think that you have to worry about that." Said a voice from beside him. Severus jumped. He hadn't even known there was someone else in the office.
Minerva smiled, "Jocelyn I didn't know that you where going to come so soon." She said to her daughter, and then frowned at what she had just said.
"What do you mean? I don't think that you realize how dangerous the Forbidden Forest is."
Jocelyn smiled at her mother and then looked at the man sitting beside her. " He wouldn't happen to be pure black and have the oddest shaped patch of white on his forehead with brilliant green eyes would he?" She asked slightly amused at confused expression on the man's face. When he nodded she continued. " On my way up here he literally ran into me so I picked him up and brought him up here with me thinking that he belonged to a student or one of the staff."
"Where is he?" Severus asked relieved that nothing had happened to his son.
"He was right beside me but it seems that he is probably hiding right now." Jocelyn said smiling.
Severus glanced around the room but couldn't spot his son. He suddenly had a great idea. He knew exactly how to show Daylan that he had done nothing wrong. Severus stood up abruptly and then with out a word he shifted into his animagus form, an adult black wolf with piercing black eyes. Raising his nose he sniffed the air delicately trying to pinpoint where Daylan was hiding. Following his son's scent he found him curled up in a ball in a darkened corner his tail tucked between his legs. With out any hesitation he licked his son on the nose and then gently picked him up by the scruff of the neck with his powerful jaws. He carried him over in front of the chair that he had been sitting in set him down softly and then shifted back into his human form. Several seconds went by before Daylan shifted back into the black haired little boy and then launched himself into his father's lap sobbing like it was the end of the world.
Albus watched Severus cradle the small boy in his arms and begin rocking slowly back and forth. "Well since we are all in here now. I suppose that introductions are to be made." Albus smiled at Minerva.
"Severus this is Minerva's daughter, Jocelyn McGonagall." He said and then turned toward Jocelyn. "And Jocelyn, this is Severus Snape and his son Daylan. Daylan is the young child that your mother had written to you about."
Severus glanced up at the woman and was struck at exactly how much she resembled Lucius. It was without a doubt that the woman sitting beside him had Malfoy blood running through her veins. The shit would definitely hit the fan if some one would ever see her and realize exactly who her father was.
Albus Dumbledore stood looking out his window at a complete loss at what to make of the past several days events. First Minerva's daughter Jocelyn shows up almost a week earlier than what she said in her response letter.
And when she does show up it is in perfect time to rescue Daylan. Who at the time was a wolf puppy running around the school trying to keep away from his father, for the simple reason that Daylan feared that his father was going to reject him for his unusual ability. Albus shook his head slightly in amazement; Daylan was a remarkable child.
He had been especially surprised and a little skeptical at Severus's description of Daylan's flawless transformation in his chambers but when he had seen with his own eyes in his office it had been truly amazing. The child most likely started shifting into his animagus form as a type of defense mechanism, and from the way it looked he had started doing it shortly after he had been placed with the Dursley's.
Albus let his chin hit his chest in a sad sigh. At times like these he wished that Cornelius Fudge had never been elected to be the Minister of Magic. The man was too damn stubborn for his own good. It had been at his insistence that Daylan was to be sent to his relatives instead of letting him stay at the school. He had to talk to Severus at what they where going to tell the Minister when it became apparent that Harry Potter was missing from his relatives home. He had an idea but wanted to make sure that Severus agreed with it.
Jocelyn's early arrival couldn't have happened at a more needed time. Daylan would need to get started on his schooling as soon as she was ready. The sooner that happened the better that it would be for everyone.
Albus thought back to what she had told him about her operation that she had had to correct some of her hearing. He would have to look into that with Poppy and see if it would benefit Daylan.
Albus slowly stood and walked over to his window. He would give Severus the afternoon to get Daylan settled back down before he went down and told him his plan for the minister.
Severus carried Daylan back down to their quarters; the boy had fallen asleep in his arms while he had talked to Minerva and her daughter. His thoughts drifted back to the woman that he had met for the first time in Albus's office. While talking with her and Minerva she had seemed to be a very intelligent person and had taken instantly to Daylan. He knew that Daylan would benefit greatly from having her as a teacher. He wondered how he should go about telling her about Daylan's alter identity.
Daylan started stirring in his sleep after Severus had laid him down on his bed. He brushed his hand gently over his son's forehead brushing the strand of raven hair away from the offending scar. They needed to cover it up some how, but he wasn't sure what would work. A rather simple idea popped into his head. He silently swept from his room and went to the fireplace. He threw in a pinch of floo powder and called for Minerva. Several seconds went by before her head popped into the fireplace.
"Is something the matter Severus?" Minerva asked worriedly.
Severus chuckled. "Actually I have come to ask you a rather strange question that I hope that you will not smack me for." He replied smiling.
Minerva glanced at the man in front of her imploringly. "And what would that question be?"
"Would you happen to have any of that muggle liquid makeup that you would use on your face?" Severus asked unsure if he was describing the stuff correctly. He had only seen Lily using it once or twice but hadn't really paid that much attention to it.
Minerva sat thinking for a few seconds before she answered. "I think that I do but if not I am sure that Jocelyn would. May I ask why you would need it?"
"I would rather not say over the floo but if you could find it would you please bring it down to my rooms." Severus asked hoping that his idea would work. He would only know when it was tried. If not then they may have to resort to more drastic measures.
He had thought about his son being Harry Potter for a while and how he would deal with that knowledge. It had taken a while before Daylan fully understood that his name was no longer Harry but Daylan. He had to basically tell his son that the Dursley's had lied and that was never his name to begin with. He would sit Daylan down when he was older and tell him the truth but for now it would remain a secret.
When he had talked it over with Albus a few days before they had decided that until Daylan was fully adjusted with Severus and caught up with his studies they would let a few others know the truth behind his son. But when it came time for Daylan to start Hogwarts he would be enrolled as Harry Potter. They wouldn't hide that fact that Severus was Daylan's father and hopefully it wouldn't cause a big stir in the news. But he knew that as soon as it hit the Prophet that Harry Potter wasn't truly a Potter there would be a huge scandal that paper would make up. It sickened his to think of what would happen but hopefully by that time they will have all been ready for the backlash.
Severus then thought of what would happen when the Ministry realized that Harry Potter was not longer living with his relatives. He supposed that would be another thing that he and Albus needed to sit down and figure out.
He knew that there was no way that they could let the Ministry know that Daylan Snape was actually Harry Potter. He would loose his son for sure.
Severus stood and walked over to his kitchen sink and filled the teakettle with water. He needed a cup of hot strong tea to clear his head. Shortly after filling cup with his favorite tea he heard someone knocking on his door. He quickly walked over and opened it revealing a very flushed Jocelyn McGonagall.
Severus realized that it was time to tell Jocelyn exactly who his son had been before he became Daylan Snape.