Canis Lupus: Redux

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me but the wonderful J.K. Rowling and last I checked that wasn't the name on my driver's license. So I'm making no money, all I have are student loans, and an ornery cat who thinks driving me bonkers is his lot in life.

One last note: I’m sure I’ll get things wrong on occasion, please, if you find something I’ve done wrong that you just need to nitpick on, send me an email and I will fix it. I can be reached at: thedarksynfullegend@gmail.com

Much love to my friends who listen to me rant and rave, my betas the CelticMuse and Darkwatch, and most of all to those of you who take the time to read and review my stories. Thank you.

Warnings: Action Adventure, Angst, First Time, Romance, Slash
Timeline: Set after Book Five: Order of the Phoenix. Canon until then.

Italics – thoughts.
. . . italics – flashback
. . . Bold italics – dream/fantasy sequence
Bold Text - Journal or Paragraph entry.

Summary – Harry has been working on becoming an animagus to spend the full moons with Remus now that Sirius is gone. Unfortunately he becomes stuck in his animal form and no one knows what has become of the young wizard. Fortunately, one Severus Snape comes across Harry and decides to adopt the stray. Harry sees a completely new side of his most hated Potions Master.

Author's Note: This story was posted before but I left the readers wondering and it was irking me that I didn't expand on scenes that needed it, and a few more things were pounding in my brain that needed to come out. So for all the readers who read, left reviews and commentary...and finally finished a year later...this one is for you.

- The Dark Synful Legend




Canis Lupus: Redux

By TheDarkSynfulLegend

Chapter One – Here I Am

The portraits gossiped, as Severus Snape strode determinedly through the hallways of Hogwarts School, his black robes billowing behind him like angry storm clouds. He had been ensconced within his private lab working on potions that Poppy would need for the upcoming term and currently they were under stasis spells so that they did not advance without his presence. What could he possibly want now. He knows that I'm busy during the summer holiday. When he reached the gargoyle that stood guard before Dumbledore's office, he ground out the password then proceeded up the winding staircase that was revealed and knocked on the Headmaster's door. “You sent for me, Headmaster?” He inquired, his voice cool even as he observed all the knick-knacks in the office with a raised ebony brow.

Dumbledore nodded and popped a lemon drop into his mouth, tucking it into his right cheek, “Severus, come in dear boy. I know that you are terribly busy, but I need to know if Voldemort has any idea of the boy's whereabouts.” He said, gesturing for Severus to seat himself. “Ah, how remiss of me, tea? Biscuit?”

“No, thank you, Headmaster.” he replied though he did sit in one of the chairs that Dumbledore had in his office. “The Dark Lord has no idea where he is, and is just as mystified as we are. The insufferable brat has a penchant for getting into trouble and this is no different.” He said, rubbing his left arm absentmindedly.

“Severus, I think you should pay a visit to Harry's home on Privet Drive...” Albus started as Severus' lips curled into a sneer, “Now, I know you and Mr. Potter don't see eye to eye, and that you don't get along with the boy, but this is a matter of his security.” He continued, watching Severus' face as it contorted into several different expressions.

Severus Snape, potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School, was livid; he did not have time to go checking up on his most hated student, though that honor did vacillate between Harry and Neville Longbottom. “He is probably off with Mr. Weasley, and I am not going to run around after a teenage boy who cannot stay where he is told to stay, Headmaster.” Severus retorted, his mouth curving into a scowl.

Albus removed his half-moon spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache that was forming behind his temples. “Severus, I would feel better if you were to check on him.” Albus Dumbledore told no one that the blood wards that surrounded Privet Drive had faltered; they were still standing but something was wrong at that house.

Severus rolled his dark eyes and then glared at the older wizard. “Why me, Albus? I have potions that need my attention that I must finish before the start of term.” He said before he noticed that there was no distinctive twinkle in Albus' eye. With a deep sigh, Severus made his decision. “Fine. I will go but if I find that idiotic Gryffindor, the Dark Lord may not have to kill him.” Severus snapped as Albus smiled, and waved him off. For I may, if he has done something stupid. He thought to himself as he turned, with a swirling of his robes.

As he made his way back through the quiet halls of Hogwarts, his shoes clicking on the stone walkway he never noticed that the portraits were watching his every move. He approached his quarters, burning lamps on the wall flickered, casting soft light amidst the shadows. “Deliverance.” he whispered, as the door clicked and opened to admit him. Removing his outer robes, Severus tossed them over a nearby wing-backed chair and headed for his bedroom. Once there he made his way to the large armoire and changed his clothes. Heading to his personal lab, he tucked a few potions into a bag, just in case. As a potions master, he never went without a few on his person. When he was finished, he went into his sitting room to the fireplace. Reaching into a flower pot that was filled with what appeared to be ash, he took out a handful and tossed it into the hearth, “Arabella Figg's house.” Then dropping to one knee, he shoved his head into the green flickering flames, ensuring that she would see him.

~*~

Seated in her favorite chair, Arabella Figg was stroking her cat Mr. Tibbles, behind his ears, who lay in her lap purring lazily. When green flames erupted in her fireplace she wondered who from the Order of the Phoenix was contacting her. She had been ordered by Dumbledore to watch over Harry Potter, who was only two streets away on Privet Drive, and she constantly went for walks to see where he was and what was going on. “Professor Snape!” She exclaimed, glancing at his head in the fire. “Is something wrong?”

“I am in need of your floo for a few moments, might I come through?”

“Of course, Severus.” She replied, shooing Mr. Tibbles off her lap as she rose to greet her guest. The flames flared high and Severus stepped through, looking as ominous as ever, “Would you care for some tea?” She inquired.

Severus shook his head as he brushed off his clothes. “No, thank you, Arabella. I came to check on Mr. Potter.”

She nodded, “I make it a habit to walk by there every day, on my rounds, and I have to tell you Severus, I haven't seen him in a few days.”

“Did you see him leave? Did the Knight Bus come by?” Severus queried as he tried to piece together the puzzle that was Harry Potter's disappearance.

“No, Severus, I would have alerted the Order if I had.” She replied, “Though, Mr. Dursley has been known to not let Harry out for days at a time, that doesn't mean I don't worry.”

Severus nodded, “I have to ascertain his whereabouts, I will return to use your floo again if that is agreeable.” Severus stated in a questioning tone. Making a noise of agreement, she showed him to the door, concern clear on her face as she watched him walk down the path. Upon leaving Arabella's house, Severus wandered down towards Privet Drive while thoughts ran like lightning through his mind. Not let Potter out for days at a time? He wandered down the line of houses that all looked remarkably similar in design. How do muggles live so bunched together? I will never understand that. He thought as he reached Number Four. There was nothing outside, no car in the driveway and he paused for a moment to see if he could sense anything out of the ordinary, everything seemed perfectly normal. Mr. Dursley must be at work. Severus went up to the door and knocked sharply on it.

“Just a moment!” Came the voice from inside. Moment's later, the door opened and Petunia Dursley stood there. “How can I help you?” She asked, while clutching the neckline of her dress taking in the dark figure in her doorway. His hair was long, hanging in his eyes which were black as pitch. There was something familiar about him as her eyes scanned the rest of him. A crisp white button down shirt was tucked into black slacks and he wore a fetching black jacket over it. He didn't seem like a police officer, but one never knew.

“Where is your nephew?” Severus asked sharply, his voice the one that he used on students that garnered their full attention and he noticed she paled ever so slightly.

“Gone. And good riddance to the freak.” she snapped, before closing the door sharply in Severus' face.

As the door slammed shut in his face, Severus' upper lip curled into a snarl and, not even bothering to pull his wand, cast a wand-less alohamora at the door watching in silent glee as it opened under his command. “That was rude, Petunia. I thought you would have had been taught better manners, being Lily's sister and all.” He remarked, walking through the door with an almost predatory lope.

“YOU!” Petunia screeched, “Get out you abnormality! I will not have you in my home.”

Severus ignored her and looked around, into the garishly decorated living room where there were pictures hanging on the walls and perched in frames on a few scattered tables. As his onyx eyes inspected them, he saw none of Harry but plenty of others which he assumed were of family. “No pictures of Harry, Petunia?” He inquired, “Where is he?” When she refused to answer, Severus began to look around more, searching for the elusive teenager. It was only when he started up the stairs to the second floor that Petunia let out a squeak and ran to block his way.

“Get out of my house.” She hissed at him. “I know all about you and your freaky ways. And I remember you now, from when I was a child. It's bad enough my nephew is like his mother, a freak! I didn't want him in my house, I never did! Vernon and I swore that when we took him in we would stamp that nonsense out of him!” She continued to rant, as Severus glanced over her shoulder at a door that had more locks on it than a Gringotts vault, he also noticed that a crudely made flap was in the bottom of the doorway.

Severus Snape had seen and heard quite enough out of Petunia, so he drew his wand and pointed it at her throat. “Silencio.” He calmly intoned. Petunia realized she couldn't utter a single syllable and started clawing at her throat. He pushed past her and entered the room that obviously belonged to Harry. The room was empty save for a few books scattered about and a battered rucksack in the corner which Severus realized was the one the teenager carried at Hogwarts. A cot was pushed against a wall and covered in a threadbare blanket. The desk seemed serviceable but what astonished him was there were no pictures on the walls, nothing to indicate a wizard lived inside. He spotted Harry's owl's cage but the bird wasn't present nor was Harry's trunk. “Where are the rest of his things? His owl perhaps?”

Petunia whimpered a few times as she pointed downstairs frantically with her finger, continuing to try and make her voice work. “Oh, for Merlin's sake!” He snarled, as he turned and stared at her from where he stood in the center of what was Harry Potter's bedroom. “Accio Harry Potter's trunk.” he said, flicking his wand. There was a mighty crash from downstairs and while Petunia let out a soundless shriek; she darted quickly out of the way. Shrinking Harry's trunk, the rucksack and Hedwig's cage, he pocketed the items before striding downstairs to investigate the sound of the crash. When he got to the foot of the stairs he turned and walked to the broken door but what he saw inside made him swallow a few times.

Harry's trunk had smashed a doorway to a small cupboard beneath the staircase. When the stoic man peered inside, he saw that there was a light bulb hanging on a chain over a filthy mattress, several muggle books, broken toys and one appeared to be a knight on horseback with a broken foreleg. On the wall, scribbled in what appeared to be crayon were the words: Harry Potter. Eyes flashing, Severus turned and sent his most deadly glare at Petunia. “Finite Incantatem.” He hissed, lifting the spell and it was taking all he had not to hex the woman into oblivion. “Explain yourself!”

Petunia tilted her head, “He was a freak!” her voice was still edged with anger and hatred, but started to soften. “I gave him a room...”

“A cupboard under the stairs is not a room, Petunia.”

“I gave him food off my table, food that my Dudley couldn't eat because it was going down his ungrateful throat.” She tried.

“Enough to keep a gnat alive, perhaps!” Snape countered. “This is how you treated your nephew? You kept your sister's child in a cupboard?!” He held up his hand to silence whatever rant was about to leave her lips. No wonder he never wanted to come back here over the summer. He thought to himself as he remembered numerous occasions he had overheard the young man asking Minerva to stay at Hogwarts or even go to the Burrow for the summer holidays. “You did a grave disservice to your nephew, Petunia. Your sister would have been ashamed of you.”

She lifted her head higher and looked up at him over her nose, “I don't care. He was just as strange and abnormal as she was. My husband and I dealt with him!”

Severus snorted, as he headed for the door. He sent her another glare over his shoulder, “Where did he go, Petunia?” He asked but when the horse faced woman refused to respond he continued on his way.

Petunia watched him walk away and when he was a few steps off the porch she hissed at him, “I wash my hands of that ungrateful boy.” She finished, slamming the door.

Severus felt a tingle of magic and knew that something else had just happened but it would have to wait until he returned to Hogwarts to figure out what it was and as he strode back towards Arabella Figg's house, he thought to himself, He won't be coming back here, ever again. Not if I have anything to say about it.

~*~

He padded through streets which were not far from his old home, and saw someone leaving Number Four. He blinked with astonishment as he recognized the man. Snape? What's he doing here? Wait...maybe he can fix me! Harry thought excitedly as he ran towards the Potion's Master. Severus was moving quickly back to Arabella's house, determination in his stride. Harry ran faster, his powerful legs eating up the distance as he crossed the street without pausing. He never heard nor saw the car that came out of nowhere like a bat out of hell. A yelp left his muzzle as he suddenly went flying through the air and landed in an undignified heap on the grass.

Severus turned having heard a loud yelp of pain, watching in horror as the dog that had been crossing the street was clipped by an oncoming car and sent flying. The car didn't even stop and kept going as though it didn't realize that anything had happened and Severus moved silently towards the injured animal. He'd always had a fondness for dogs, except that monstrous beast Fluffy that Hagrid had kept at the school for a year, even though he never would have admitted it. Harry's vision was blurry as he opened his eyes and glanced up at Severus, whining in the back of his throat. “Stay still.” Snape said to him, moving a hand carefully through the coppery fur. At one point of contact, Harry's back leg twitched. “Where is your owner, boy?” He queried, rubbing the space between Harry's eyes with his thumb making him whimper softly. “Well, lets see.”

Merlin, he's so gentle. What is he searching for I wonder? Harry thought to himself as he felt Snape's fingers in his fur, parting it around the throat as though looking for something.

“No collar. No tag.” Severus said softly as he stroked the fur lazily with his fingertips. “Well, you are certainly not what I expected to find today, but I cannot leave you here.” He finished speaking with a shake of his head and with a tenderness that Harry had never seen or expected picked up the large dog, one arm under his forelegs, the other supporting his hind legs.

Harry let out a surprised whurf as he was lifted but settled quietly into Snape's arms. Well, this is interesting. He thought as they approached Arabella Figg's house. He had always hated coming here until he discovered that she was part of the Order of the Phoenix and sent by Dumbledore to keep and eye on him all those years. But she never told the Headmaster that I was being neglected...did she? He thought, the door opened before they arrived and the look in the squib's eyes was filled with shock.

“Severus, where did you find him? I haven't seen him before.”

“He was struck by a vehicle which then drove off.” Severus muttered as he shifted Harry in his arms.

“Perhaps you should take him to the vet and get him examined.”

“What, pray-tell is a vet?”

“A veterinarian. They take care of animals here in the muggle world.” Arabella replied as she gazed at the dog in Severus' arms.

Severus made his way into the living room and sighed, “Then I suppose that is what I shall have to endeavor to do next. Where would I find one?” He queried.

“Here, let me make a comfortable place for him...” Arabella said with a smile as she pulled a blanket from a nearby closet and set it down before the fireplace watching as Severus gently placed Harry down on it. Arabella then watched the stoic man quietly sitting next to the handsome animal and stroking one of the large ears.

Oh Merlin! A little to the left! Harry thought as he tilted his head a bit to get the scratches exactly where he wanted them. Yup! Right there! Severus chuckled as he continued to rub the ear with his fingers, watching as Arabella puttered about making a phone call.

Both dog and man ignored her as she had a brief conversation with someone on the other end of the line, content with where they were for the moment. “They said to bring him straight over, Severus. It only a block or so down the road. We can walk it quickly. I take Mr. Tibbles there; it's a lovely place.” Arabella said, as she closed the book and glanced over at the Professor and Man's Best Friend.

“That would be fine.” Severus replied, glancing down at the dog that was looking up at him with pale blue eyes the color of ice. “And you, I suppose....are stuck with me.” Harry looked up at his Potion's Professor and licked his hand slightly, indicating that he didn't mind in the slightest.

~*~
Author's Note -

To Demon-lover - Glad to see you're back. And that you enjoyed the story the first time around. I made some subtle changes, and there are a couple of brand new scenes. So Enjoy!

To griffonsperch - Another fan! Yay! I'm sorry that it took me a year to get the sequel which is a rewrite of the original out. >.< Anyhow thank you for the review, they keep the muse fed.