Atrum Viridis

AN: ^^ hello again! Sorry this update was a couple of days later than I had planned but I’ve been working on my new story as well called “Healing the Heart” in the HP crossover section! X3 feel free to drop by and tell me what you think of that one too! ( Shameless self promotion) Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing! It makes me so happy to have nice people talking to me! Oh and to answer Cyador’s comment, no I completely agree, Snape wouldn’t consciously be so worried but he doesn’t realize how he’s acting. He just got out of the hospital and he doesn’t know anything about what’s going on with Harry and in his mind he is still honor bound to protect the boy for Lilly’s sake. (he’s also in denial X3) He’s definitely going to be mad though when he finds out what’s happened while he’s been asleep!





Chapter Eleven: The Change











Minerva was having a hard day. Well, a hard month really, if you wanted to be technical. Her life at the moment was a flurry of chaos as she struggled to have the repairs finished on Hogwarts as soon as possible but at the same time ensuring that all the wards and protective enchantments were done correctly. After having to face such a task she had formed a new respect for Dumbledore for having held the job for so long…though it would explain how he would seem a bit… eccentric sometimes…



This was beside the point, however. The point was that with everything going on - Hogwart’s rebuilding, Severus’s hospitalization, and Potter’s sudden vision on how he was going to survive in a world that was absolutely obsessed about him – Minerva McGonagall was ready for just about anything to happen. This coupled with how well she knew Severus meant that when the fireplace in her office suddenly burst with bright green flames and the disheveled potions master stumbled out she wasn’t all that surprised. She heaved a sigh, forcing back the urge to groan and knowing that this was not going to be an easy conversation…



“WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS GOING ON!?” Severus demanded as he stormed towards where his old teacher was seated and slammed the newspaper down on the desk.



Minerva pinched the brim of her nose as she glanced at the headline. She had read that one, so she knew what it said. She also knew just what Severus was going to say when she tried to explain.



“Potter is missing!?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me!? Why haven’t you sent out the order to find him!? That ignorant toad wart of a child is a MAGNET for trouble! WHY HAVEN’T YOU FOUND HIM YET!?”



The graying haired woman frowned, pushing back the urge to silence the man with magic and instead conjured a chair for him.



“Sit down Severus.” She said calmly, though the words only seemed to make the raving wizard nearly explode.



“SIT DOWN!? SIT DOWN!!!? Potter is missing and you want me to sit down!? I did not risk my life all these years just so he can get himself killed right after defeating the DARK LORD!” he ranted. “That insufferable brat thinks he’s invincible! He can’t just WANDER around Diagon Alley and not expect to get mobbed or attacked!”



“Sit DOWN Severus!” The headmistress snapped, her patience growing thin and the sharp edge to her voice said so.



Severus glared darkly, obviously wanting to argue but he still remembered his life as a student at Hogwarts and Minerva was just as imposing as she was then. Giving in, he glared darkly, barely holding himself back from grumbling under his breath as he situated himself in the chair. The woman nodded at this, seeming to calm a little herself and carefully smoothed a hair back into place after it had fallen from her little outburst.



“Alright now…let’s start from the beginning.” She said evenly, looking at the paper. “I suppose this story does seem upsetting without an explanation. I am sorry I did not have a chance to warn you before you found out. Potter is not missing, he is not hurt, and to my knowledge he will probably be safer now than before.”



Severus raised an eyebrow at the woman’s words before glaring again.



“Are you meaning to tell me that the little whelp isn’t in danger? He’s perfectly fine romping about somewhere with his Gryffindor friends?” he growled out, more than just a little annoyed that he had taken all the energy to get worked up over nothing.



Minerva gave the other a sad smile.



“Where I do not concede that the boy is anywhere close to being ‘fine’ after the incident, I can say that I do not believe him to be in any danger.” She said carefully.



The potion’s master hadn’t been a spy for years for nothing though. He caught onto the faint uncertainties in her voice and how her eyes kept glancing down at the picture of Potter being thrown into the wall on the cover of the Prophet. There was definitely something that she wasn’t telling him and by Merlin’s beard he was going to know!



“You do not believe that he is in danger?” he asked carefully. “Does this mean you have not seen the boy?”



Minerva looked startled for all of a split second before gathering herself again and shaking her head.



“I have seen Potter, he came here not long after…this happened.” She said, motioning towards the picture again with obvious disgust. “He told me what he planned on doing to ensure that he wasn’t followed again and I couldn’t help but agree with his plan. I may not like what he’s doing but it is rather ingenious for someone his age to think up and for the life of me I can’t tell him no.” she finally sighed.



Severus frowned, taking in the haggard look in the woman’s eyes. He hadn’t noticed how tired she seemed when he had first stormed in. Now…well now she almost looked as old as Dumbledore had. It irked him to see her in such a way…it made him feel older as well.



“What…plan is this that you’re talking about?” he asked, a bit more calm but still annoyed and wanting to know what was going on.





It must have been something that she didn’t think he would agree too because she kept trying to hold back from telling him specifics. That was unsettling though because all of the scenarios that he could think of – living with the Weasleys or hiding out with an Order member in the muggle world – were rather safe. What had the brat done this time that made his teacher and friend afraid to tell him?



Minerva hesitated; knowing that Severus would not be taking this well but finally gave in.



“First of all, Severus, Harry is not longer a child…he is of legal age and should be allowed to decide how he is going to live his life…and second I honestly can’t see another alternative.” She explained, trying to delay just a bit, to try and make sure he understood what she was dealing with.



Unfortunately it only seemed to make Snape more annoyed and more agitated.



“Another alternative besides what, Minerva?” he ground out through his teeth.



The aged woman actually winced faintly before sighing.



“He’s going into hiding.” She said simply. “I don’t know how he found the spells or where he came up with the ideas but he decided that he’s going to change his appearance and simply become someone else. I’m helping him come up with a new name and get legal documents to hide his identity…once I’m done he plans on faking his death and then leaving to live a different life. No one but myself and Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Granger will ever know…well and now you.”



McGonagall watched her student closely as he just seemed to stare, too shocked to be able to form words. A small part of her reveled in the chance to see him so speechless. It was a rare opportunity indeed. The other part feared the reaction she could not yet see.



For a long moment Severus said nothing, letting the other’s words sink in.



“He’s going to fake his death…and just disappear?” he said evenly, his voice far too calm for what he had just heard.



The headmistress nodded.



“I see.” He said simply, standing and brushing his hands over his robes carefully to get out any wrinkles. “Well then as long as you are so wonderfully ready to see the brat end up with the same fate as his father who am I to say otherwise.”



“Severus!”



“No, Minerva, I can’t believe how incredibly foolish you are being by agreeing to this!?” he bellowed, slamming his palms onto the desk, sending baubles and a few papers to fall to the floor. “Potter is still a target! You KNOW they haven’t rounded up all the Death Eaters! They’ll be looking for him! They won’t be fooled by something like this!”



The woman frowned, standing from her seat and leaning closer to give her previous pupil a warning glare.



“I KNOW that they’re not going to stop looking but Severus I just don’t have another option! He’s chased wherever he goes! He killed the Dark Lord and saved all of our lives! He doesn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life locked up in Sirius’s old house!” she said heatedly.



“Find another option! He can’t just be out on his own! He won’t last a week!”



A sigh escaped the professor’s lips and she rubbed her temples to try and sooth away the growing migraine.



“You don’t give him enough credit Severus, he managed to spend most of the year running from Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself without getting caught. I’m sure he’ll be able to do so now.”



“He wasn’t ALONE then! As much as I loath the little twit, Granger was with him and no doubt managed to keep whatever fool hardy ideas he had in check! Potter isn’t capable of caring for himself! He’s still a CHILD!” He demanded, not understanding how everyone was able to ignore the fact that while Harry was legal age he was still not an adult.



He would be on his own, living a life with no one to keep him from doing something stupid. No doubt it would only take days before a Death Eater was able to track him down and Potter – who thought himself invincible – would not even think to be ready for any attacks at his home. Oh he knew Potter had defeated Voldemort. He knew the prat had some semblance of skills but those skills were also intertwined with a prophecy. Well the prophecy was over and whatever devil’s luck the brat was living on was sure to run out sooner or later…probably sooner rather than later.



Minerva wilted, sinking down into her chair, the old drawn look in her eyes coming back.



“I know he’s still a child Severus but he’s seen things many of us – except you perhaps – haven’t seen. He’s mature even if you don’t want to admit it and we can’t control his life forever. If I tell him no he will do it anyway and simply disappear without telling any of us where he is going. At least this way he’ll keep in touch with me enough so that I know everything is okay and the basic area where he’ll be.”



“Couldn’t he just stay with those blasted Weasleys? Didn’t the oldest one get married? Couldn’t he live with them?” he argued, still thinking there was another way to do this.



She shook her head.



“If Harry stayed with any of the Weasleys it’d be too obvious and I can’t let him stay here. He’s going to be staying at Rosmerta’s in Hogsmeade once he uses the potions to change his appearance until he can find a suitable place to live.” She explained, folding her hands carefully and giving him a look that clearly said that the argument was over.



Severus clenched his fists faintly at the thought, knowing how easily the Death Eaters would pick the boy out in a place like that. It was all just too damn obvious! How could they even think this plan was acceptable!?



“It’s too dangerous for him to be on his own, Minerva. Send Arabella to stay with him or something, ANYTHING.” He demanded.



Minerva sighed heavily again and frowned deeper.



“Severus, Arabella has moved to Spain to live with her sister. There is simply no one that Harry knows well enough to live with but that won’t be too obvious. He does know how to take care of himself and we can-” but the woman trailed off as an idea came to her.



A smug look crept across her face and she set back in her chair slowly. The look made Severus nervous – he had seen if a few times before when the woman had won the house cup or beaten someone particularly well at something. It never meant anything good for others when she wore it…



“I’ve just remembered that there is the perfect person for the job.” She said coolly.



Snape heaved a sigh. “Good then you can send him off with them.”



Minerva smirked wider. “Yes I do believe they will be perfect. They have hidden home, plenty of room for a teenager, and seem quite concerned about his safety.”



“Fine, ship him off and…” he trailed off faintly and he hesitated at the look she was sending him.

His mind raced before realizing just what the woman was meaning.



“Oh no! NO! NO! AND NO!!!” he hissed. “There is no way that I’M going to take care of the brat! I am not his godfather nor am I ANYTHING that would obligate me to sell my sanity like that! I already saved the little horror from impending death! I’m not going to sentence myself to living with a Gryffindor until the prat grows up!! I’d end up killing him myself!” he ranted, actually wincing at the idea of Harry Potter invading his home and tormenting him at every turn.



“Then stop harassing me!” she insisted. “There is no one else to be with Harry and since you are so adamant against helping I suggest you leave me alone to deal with the situation my way.” She said annoyed.



Severus straightened, grumbling angrily before spinning on his heels and stalking towards the fireplace. His mind raced with different scenarios of what could happen and what was happening. He wasn’t naive enough to think that the boy would be safe just by changing his appearance. Death Eaters used disguises all the time to disappear or get into where they wanted; they knew what to look for to find out if someone was who they thought they were. Barty Crouch was a prime example. A boy, even one who had stood against the odds that Potter had wouldn’t have the experience to know what to look for and that meant a weakness. He would be dead just like Lily in a week. But of course no one listens to him…



Fine, they don’t want my opinion, then I’m not getting involved. The brat can take care of himself.



With that last thought; he grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the fire before stepping in and disappearing, going home. He was through being involved with a Potter that did nothing but step on his efforts. He shouldn’t have bothered in the first place…it wasn’t like Lily was there to forgive him for what he had done. She wasn’t going to suddenly show up alive and thank him for saving her son so many times…no he had done his part, he had kept the brat alive and that was enough for his conscience…really. Now he could just get on with his life, Gryffindor free.









Harry watched as Ron continued pacing the length of the potion’s lab. He had been going at it for two hours now since he had told Hermione and him that he was going to change his appearance that night. They had tried to talk him out of it for days since he had sprung the idea on them but he thought they finally realized the truth of the situation. As Harry Potter he was never going to have a normal life. He would never be able to move on from the events tied to Voldemort. If the wizarding world had held onto his fame for eleven years when he had just been a baby and some accident had helped him take out the Dark Lord he doubted that they would forget his actual battles and struggle against the monster before killing him for good. No…it was best to leave, or to at least hide.



The grotesque pink book lay open on a nearby table, the pages of a few potions and spells marked with pieces of paper. He thought that the more simple the disguise, though, the more likely it would work. Half truths were easier to keep up than huge elaborate façades that could be mixed up or forgotten. Hermione had agreed as well. Ron still ranted.



“You’re completely off your rocker, mate! Where are you supposed to go? What are you going to do?” he asked, looking up but still pacing around the cauldrons that were smoking and bubbling.



Harry sighed as he continued to stir the deep purple concoction in his smallest cauldron. He had known Ron wasn’t going to just let him go without another try at convincing him to stay but this was getting a little annoying. After all they had been through he would think that his best friend would trust him a little.



“Ron, shut up and sit down.” He snapped, not meaning to sound so annoyed but he couldn’t help it.



He was nervous too about this. He didn’t know how to be someone different or to buy a house or anything like that and even though Professor McGonagall had said she would help it was still a bit over whelming. But he also knew that if he was ever going to be able to go outside again without an invisibility cloak that he just couldn’t have the name ‘Potter’. Besides…compared to killing Voldemort this should be easy, right?



Ron threw himself down into one of the chairs and sulked, causing Hermione to sigh softly and shake her head.



“We’re just worried Harry.” She said softly, looking up from where she was carefully cutting some fluxweed for the potion they were currently working on.



Harry sighed heavily and nodded, raking a hand through his disheveled hair.



“I know, I know, I’m sorry…but I’m stressed too, alright. I’m going to do this and you can’t change my mind so please just stop nagging me.” He said with a faint pleading look to the red head.



Ron frowned both out of anger and out of worry as he watched his best friend. He could see the paleness of his cheeks and the dark, heavy circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep. Harry hadn’t left the potion’s lab since the whole fiasco at Diagon Alley and it was really starting to take its toll. He knew how bad the other’s nightmares could get - he had heard a lot of them while rooming with him at Hogwarts after all – and it always left him feeling helpless because he knew there was nothing he was able to do that could help him. And after everything Harry had done for him…the helplessness was something that Ron couldn’t forgive himself for. The idea that Harry would be alone with no one to watch his back…without him to watch his back was unsettling. He still felt like he had to make up for leaving them. For abandoning his best friend when he needed him the most. Harry was stubborn though and if this was truly what he wanted…he figured his friend deserved that much at least…even if he wasn’t happy about it.



“Fine.” He finally grumbled, looking away as he crossed his arms over his chest.



Hermione smiled softly and nodded to her fiancé before handing the fluxweed over to Harry. Harry insisted that he was capable of making potions on his own now – and he was getting pretty good – but he hadn’t turned down her offer of another set of hands preparing the ingredients.



Harry took the chopped up pieces and turned back to the potion. He gently dropped the leaves into the potion carefully before giving it one slow clockwise turn and watched as they disappeared into the liquid. There was along moment before the concoction shifted colors to a bright canary yellow. He checked the book again just to make sure that was correct before nodding. The color was the right shade and it wasn’t bubbling so that was supposed to mean that it had come out correctly. Good. He really didn’t feel like having to do this one over again. He took the small, empty glass bottle off to the side of the table and gently dipped it into the potion. Once it was full he corked it and wiped the excess potion off the side and placed it on the table next to the rest of the potions.



“Alright, that should be the last of them.” He said thoughtfully, going over everything in his head.



He didn’t want to forget anything after all. They were all essential if he was going to be able to pull off the disguise. And first things first…he had to deal with his eyes. He knew that the dark green eyes his mother had given him were practically a trade mark of his and even if he changed everything else his eyes would give him away if they remained. Before he changed the color, though, he wanted to address the problem of his glasses. They hadn’t had time or even thought about the idea that he didn’t actually need them but after looking through a few books he found that a spell to fix his eyesight did exist…the potion for it was just a little difficult and more expensive.



Hermione had helped him get the ingredients and since it had taken the longest to make they had started it first. Taking a number of potions all at one time wasn’t always safe even if the potions didn’t mention any side effects from taking them together. Because of that Ron and Hermione had insisted that they stay with him just incase there were any weird side effects of the potions.



Harry took the potion he had finished and set his glasses aside.



“Alright…let’s hope this works.” He chucked.



Pulling off the top he tipped the bottle and downed the whole thing in one go. The taste of old socks and grass almost made him gag but he held back the reflex. For a moment nothing happened but soon he felt warmth seeping into his eyes and washing over his retinas. A tingling followed and slowly things began to come into focus. A few moments more and Harry was able to see perfectly just as well without the glasses as he had been able to with before. He chuckled and looked at his hand.



“Oh cool.” He said moving to look in the mirror.



Hermione chuckled and Ron raised an eyebrow.



“You look different mate.” He said before shrugging. “Not that different though.”



Hermione rolled her eyes. “Of course not, he hasn’t taken any of the other potions yet. Once he does, it’ll be better.” She said.



Harry smirked and nodded, picking up another, rather liking how he didn’t have to have glasses any longer. There had been plenty of times on their adventures that he had almost gotten hurt or someone else gotten hurt because he couldn’t see or something had happened to his glasses. It was definitely nice to not have to worry about that any more. But Ron was right. He didn’t look different. It took some of the next potion, a dark blue one to change the color of his eyes.



“Blue would bring too much attention.” Hermione said thoughtfully. “It’s popular and catches people’s eyes. You should probably go with a darker color.”



Harry nodded; thinking for a moment before having the color he wanted firmly set in his mind then downed the awful potion. This one tasted even worse than the first but he managed to keep it down again. He kept the color in mind as he felt a faint tingling sensation. After a moment he opened his eyes again and went to inspect them in the mirror, hoping that it had turned out like he wanted. It did. His once bright green eyes were now a deep, dark chocolate brown - mundane and not at all anything that would grab too much attention.



Hermione stepped closer, leaning in to carefully scrutinize his eyes to make sure nothing had been damaged or there was anything that seemed out of place. Finding that it was alright and they did just seem to have changed color she smiled.



“Well, I believe that was a good start. They actually look quite nice on you Harry.” She smiled.



“Oi!”



“Oh Ron, honestly, he’s not the one I’m marrying!” she snapped back, rolling her eyes.



Ron blushed darkly while Harry laughed, turning to go get the next potion. It was a clear one and he only needed a little bit of it.



“Which one’s that?” the red head asked, watching closely as Harry uncorked it.



“It’s for my hair…I need it longer.” He said, swishing the potion around a little and looked at it.



“But why not use that spell Malfoy used on Hermione?” he asked curiously, wincing at the glare that his fiancé shot at him. “What? Wouldn’t it be easier than making potions that take forever?”



“Yes if he wants a huge mane of hair, he just wants it longer.” The girl said in a faint huff.



Harry chuckled, downing the potion. This one had no taste, thank God, but instantly he felt a pull on his skull, as if someone was tugging on his hair all over. It wasn’t too painful but it was pretty strange. He watched for a moment as his messy hair began growing quickly. Within minutes it was down to his knees. A few more minutes and it finally stopped growing all together, which showed that it was done. Ron couldn’t stop laughing.



“You look like a banshee.” He laughed.



Harry threw an apron at the boy but couldn’t help but laugh faintly at how strange he looked. He turned, grabbing some of the hair and tried to see how thick it was. It was down to his feet now and he did have to admit that he did look rather strange. Thankfully the weight of the hair kept it from being too wild, though it did seem to want to tangle easily. He looked up to Hermione with a sheepish smile and shrugged.



“Do you think you could help cut it a little?” he asked.



The girl nodded, smirking faintly and moved behind him. She brushed it out a little with her fingers, making sure it was as even as possible before using the nice cutting charm they learned and sheering off the majority of it. The hair was still long, but it only fell a little past his shoulders instead of down to the floor. Harry had looked it up and it obviously wasn’t abnormal for pure blooded wizards to have long hair. Sirius had had long hair and so did Lucius Malfoy and Snape. He figured it would be easier to blend in if he had long hair too and no one would question his heritage that he cooked up.



“Are you keeping it black?” Ron asked as he watched Hermione skillfully braid the mane of hair into a rope, tying it off so that it wouldn’t get messy or in the way.



Harry nodded.



“Yeah, black isn’t too uncommon and it won’t draw attention.” He explained, nodding a thanks to Hermione before looking to the mirror again.



He did look different, the dark eyes and long hair. It just really sucked that he couldn’t magic the scar in the middle of his forehead away. Once again, however, Hermione came in handy and thought up a great alternative. He’d probably never would have thought of using muggle make-up to cover it but the idea was so simple he couldn’t believe he hadn’t come up with it himself before.



He sat down on a stool and watched in the mirror as Hermione brought out two items from her pocket.



“I got them at a store when I went to visit my parents.” She explained as she took one out, a tube with a top that unscrewed and showed a stick with a sponge on the end.



“This is concealer, it’ll make the scar blend in, put it on like this then use your finger to pat it in so that it’s even.” She explained. “See, then use the powder like this, it’ll blend everything in.” he said softly.



“Wow, I didn’t know that you knew how to use make-up Hermione. Why don’t you ever wear any? It’s-OW! Why’d you throw that!?” Ron demanded, rubbing his temple pain – a healthy bruise already forming there from the stirring spoon that was laying on the floor now.



Hermione sent a glare at her soon to be husband and just shook her head while Harry chuckled under his breath. She finished up covering up his scar before pulling back.



“I’m a girl, Ron. I know that you tend to forget that but I do know how to use make-up even if I don’t feel like wearing it because it’s highly inconvenient.” She said annoyed.



Ron winced sheepishly and sat back in hopes of not angering the dangerous woman any further, his hands up to try and make peace. Harry stood and looked closer to the mirror. It didn’t completely get rid of the scar but he had to admit that it was unnoticeable unless you looked really hard. He looked over his new appearance, the long hair that was struggling to get out of the braid, the bangs helping to cover the scar and deep brown eyes. He had to admit…he didn’t look like Harry Potter anymore.



“So…what have you decided on your new name?” Hermione asked, brushing off her hands before looking back to Harry.



Harry stopped for a moment before smiling faintly.



“Yeah…James…a little obvious…but…I want to go by James…Professor McGonagall will tell me what my last name should be.” He said with a faint smile.



Hermione and Ron exchanged a look before smiling a little.



“…that sounds good.” Ron said.



“Yeah…I thought so.”





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AN: I know I know, the name is obvious but I absolutely adore the idea of Harry going by his father’s name. To be honest I can’t really come up with a good name that would fit Harry and no offense to others who give him a fake name, sometimes they just don’t sound very good ^^” I’d rather him just stick with James for now. Sorry for this coming out later than usual, I’ve been a little sick over the last week or so. Tell me what you think though!