Dum Spiro, Spero-While I Breathe, I Hope

Disclaimer : I don’t own Harry Potter in any way, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Draconians are my thing though. I own Phoebus and Snape‘s family pretty much, whoot! Unfortunately I don’t own Sevs…Damn.

Notes and warnings : Slashy goodness as always. Oh, and this is completely AU, as I read most of OoTP and well, the certain death of a certain character would ruin this fic. Mind you, I am peeved at J.K. for killing this particular character off, he’s one of my faves. -_-; So this fic goes on, disregarding the OoTP line, or at least that one little thing. Plus Remus being DADA teach again in the fic, yeah.


Dum Spiro, Spero
(While I breathe, I hope)
Part 6 : Horribile Dictu - Horrible To Relate
By Reppa

 
The pit of his stomach seemed to fall out on him as he gawked. First of all, how in the world could Snape be his mother’s uncle…when he was her age? Harry shook his head, trying to get such a silly idea out of his head, either do that or try to figure something conceivable out, “Wait…that can’t be right. You guys went to school with him, he can’t be my great uncle, that’s just too weird…”

Sirius shrugged, closing the books with a snap and throwing them aside. Personally, knowing such a thing now angered him, the very idea was rather sickening, not to mention very strange. Shifting in his tattered clothes, the animagi scowled darkly, looking out the window, “I don’t know how this could possibly be, but if we’re to get any real and authentic answers we go to the fountain. Dumbledore. Of anyone, he’d know just what the hell’s going on.”

“I just hope it’s not what I think…” Remus noted gloomily but Sirius scoffed. He’d heard the lycanthrope’s idea and though it ludicrous to even consider it.

“Please, those things aren’t real. They’re just another story to put the fear of Dark Wizards and demons into children. Now, let’s go see the old man, I want some bloody answers a wan want them now.” With that, the boy’s godfather morphed into the dog form before trotting away. Harry followed after with Lupin’s beckoning and the three of them exited the Gryffindor tower. They made towards the griffon statue before the Headmaster’s quarters, but they slowly came to a halt as they were greeted by a somewhat unwelcome sight. Standing there was Phoebus as well as a tall, slender to the point of skeletal woman.

The woman was quite lovely in her own dark way. Like a female dragon, though her skin wasn’t scaly, it had very fine, delicate wrinkles to look like them. She had long, shiny black hair done up in the most bizarre fashion and a fine, velvet Victorian gown. She practically beamed when her pale eyes saw them, her arms held out in a rather welcoming manner, “Why hello, darlings, I am Claudia Snape. And you must be the renown Harry Potter, fair Lupin, and the unscrupulous Black.”

Harry’s green eyes widened in shock, twisting to look about should there be anyone near. However it seemed this woman had some common sense as there was no one about. Soon he turned back to her, paying no mind to how pretty in the strange sense the woman was. “S-Snape…? You’re related to the professors?”

“Why, I’m thdeardear mother. Though those babies never show me a scrap of respect.” Claudia pouted mockingly, Harry had to fight a laugh despite his surprise.

“Indeed.” Phoebus chuckled, smiling softly at them. Their shocked looks were to be expected. His mother most certainly did not look the age a mother of men in their prime would look. He turned his strange eyes to Remus, still smiling those there was an amused twinkle in his eyes, “And I see you found where I hid your texts. Sorry I had taken them, but we had hoped to keep this…well, shall we say, scandal under wraps. It’s quite a gruesome deal I’m afraid.”

Remus’ brows flexed into a furrowed state as he regarded the fellow professor. He wasn’t exactly sure what to think of the man now. He wasn’t sure what to think of Severus either really. Unsure what to think of the Snape family in it’s entirety really. “We saw the yearbooks. And there’s unicorn blood on the cloak. If my suspicions are true, you are hiding quite the magical wonder. Especially since it lived so long when they die so easily...”

“Yes, yes. I’m afraid we can’t keep hiding it. But at least it’s a small bunch who’s found it out.” The woman noted, turning away from them, “Now, Dumbledore wants to see us all now, though Severus-pooh will be along later. Quite busy, the dear.”

They could practically hear the dog snickering as the woman murmured the password and the statue gradually shifted away to reveal the stairwell to the Headmaster’s office. Once the small group had ascended the stairs, they were greeted by the sight of Dumbledore and McGonagall, both of whom bore grave looks. The Transfiguration teacher stood, frowning at her student, “Why is Harry here?”

“Why, we all know Harry has a great deal to do with this. A very great deal really.” Phoebus replied, taking a seat near the Headmaster, his calm appearance not faltering.

“What do I have to do with this?” The young Gryffindor inquired, seating as his head of house instructed him to, brows frowning some. By this time, Sirius had shifted to his human form and everyone else was seated. “Is it because Snape is my great uncle?”

“What I want to know is how Severus can be an Evans and then so many years later be the same person as a Snape?” The convict growled roughly, sitting himself on the edge of the desk, frowning at Dumbledore as he shot the Snapes a fowl look, not liking them in the least though he found Claudia rather amusing.

The elderly Headmaster nodded slightly, the answers to these questions well in reserve. “Well, to start things off…The Snapes adopted Severus so to speak. He may look a great deal like them, but that is only due to what he had…been through. The Snape family is quite different from him in not only behavior but…we’ll save that for later discussion. And yes, Moony, it is what you think it is.”

“Professor! How could he have survived that long then? All documents and records state they die so early on, it’s unbelievable that one exists. You can’t tell me he’s one of them! A Draconian...It’s just impossible.” Remus burst out, immediately on his feet. At first Harry gave him a quizzical look before he looked at the others. The two Snapes looked rather solemn, McGonagall looked horrified as she turned to Albus, and Sirius had a look of pure unadulterated shock and disgust.

The boy frowned, taking in these new facts. He was still lost, the only thing he caught was the part that Professor Snape was adopted. But he was clueless as to what they were referring to now. Dumbledore held up his hand to calm the werewolf, “Relax, Remus. It is indeed possible. I ask that you not look down on Severus more than you and Sirius already do. Harry, you will learn what it is in some time, but now is not the time. Do not bring this up on Severus.”

“Bloody hell…” Sirius groaned, rubbing his temples, “We have one of the Forsaken here in Hogwarts…Oh God, what in the world were you thinking, Dumbledore? What possessed you…Where did you find it?”

“He is not an it, I thank you.” Claudia snapped with indignation, though the man in question was not her real son, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t defend him. Harry could see he was going to like her.

“It’s a hermaphrodite, it is all well and fine to call him an it.” The convict growled lowly, glaring at the woman who seemed to puff up in anger, “It’s a menace. If it isn’t now, it will be.”

“Sirius!” The DADA professor breathed, silencing him with a stony glare as he sat back down. He didn’t like the idea of such creatures, but he wasn’t going to act like Severus was any less human. Even he had his moments when he showed he had some feelings in him. “If you don’t still your tongue, I will still it for you. This is serious, we need no petty grudges between you two to make this any worse than it already seems.”

McGonagall stood, pale as a sheet as she pulled Harry to his feet, “Albus, I’m taking Harry back to the tower. I’ll be back with Severus momentarily. He is not going to be happy…Oh he isng tng to be most unhappy.” She murmured on with this as she escorted the frowning boy away. He still didn’t know what they were talking about and his Head of House sputtered at him when he asked. It was apparent he wouldn’t get any answers from anyone until he found Hermione, if she knew that was.

He was lead away back up into Gryffindor tower where he took a seat on the plush chair near the fire. Thankfully, neither Remus nor Sirius had taken the diary as he settled down and flipped it . Un. Unlike the last diary of Riddle’s, this one was not written in invisible ink but stark black scratchy writing. This also bade well that he wouldn’t end up sucked in and tricked by the figment of his great rival.

Deciding against reading it just yet, he hid it away and sighed lightly. He wanted to find Hermione, so he departed from the tower and made his way towards the library. There wasn’t a soul he could find about. Part of him wondered if there were any books on the subject matter as the Gryffindor started to browse the shelves though not before long, he came up empty handed, “People are so flustered about it, and there’s nothing on it. What is a Draconian?”

“Do you talk to yourself often? Really, Potter, it’s a disturbing thing to do.” A voice pointed out a few aisles away. Soon, Malfoy had popped out from the ‘W’ section, a couple of books in hand though as he approached, he kept their titles well hidden from sight, “Just what can you be musing about that it has you mumbling to shadows?”

Harry was fairly certain that the books Draco had undercover were on his condition, but he refrained from saying anything, he reasoned the Slytherin had enough to deal with on the subject. Giving a light shrug, the dark haired boy scratched his chin lightly, his other arm hanging loosely at his side, “Something that has Dumbledore, some Professors, and the Snape family in heated discussion…”

That seemed to really catch the blond’s attention as the Gryffindor boy continued, “Some monster they were referring Professor Snape to. Ahm, called it a Draconian?”

It looked as though the gears in Draco’s head were turning as he mulled the term over, looking for some recognition. And it seemed the Malfoy couldn’t really place his thumb on it. His cold eyes narrowed some, as he continued to strain before shrugging lightly, “Sounds familiar, but I have no clue. Sorry, Scarhead, try sticking your nose in a book.”

“Well, I would if any book here had something on it. And you’re one to talk. Just what are those books about?” Harry raised a brow, prodding gently from that scar commentary. He watched Draco shift his arm some in turn.

“None of your business.”

“Mm, did Professor Snape tell you about what happened a week a ago?”

The other boy’s brows flexed slightly, looking a little vexed, so it was obvious he hadn’t heard about him being in the dungeon on the full moon. He debated on whether he should tell him about it or just keep quiet, “Well, just so you know, I know that you’re a lycanthrope like Professor Lupin…”

“And…?” The tone Draco spoke with, it was a very ‘I figured and your point being?’ sort of appeal.

“During that full moon, I was in the dungeons and I ran into you.”

“So you were dumb enough to go into the class room to run into me.”

Harry snorted some while the other snickered at him, he wouldn’t deny it was a stupid move, but he had to point out it was all done in curiosity to the noises he heard. “You know…unlike everyone else, I don’t have a problem with the you know what. Well, unless you try to eat me again…”

The blond perked his brows at what he said, taking that as some sort of ‘truce’/’let’s be friends’ sort of thing. The both of them stood there for a few moments, looking at each other before Draco gradually excused himself, leaving Harry behind in the library to cross his arms quietly and watch him go.

 
End of chapter 6