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

Chapter Seven - The World Falls Down

Severus was seething inwardly as he left Dumbledore's office. The man had truly lost his mind, what was left of it. He had been so blind to Harry in all these years, failed Lily in his promise to protect her only son and now he found himself at a loss for what to do. Strangely enough, he found himself back in his quarters standing before Harry's trunk debating on doing something he had sworn to himself he wouldn't. He fought with himself inwardly then came to a decision. Pulling his wand, he flicked it at the trunk and the locks opened with audible clicks.

~*~

After racing back with the news like a dog with a particular juicy bone, Wormtail told Voldemort everything he had learned while at Hogwarts. There had been no new news on Harry Potter but Voldemort was pleased to learn everything else. With a waved hand to dismiss Wormtail upon orders to return to Hogwarts since he seemed to be a much more effective spy than Severus; the Dark Lord plotted behind closed doors. With the plan firmly ensconced within his mind, Voldemort's sinister laughter filled the manor, rocking it to its very foundations.

~*~

Severus opened the trunk, peering intently at the various objects that were within. Harry's infamous Invisibility Cloak was first and Severus marveled at the material, debating whether or not to throw it on just to see what it was like. But in the end he chose not to and set it aside. He found quills, parchments and several journals with Harry's initials on them, a dream journal, and a photo album. The journals and the album he placed at his side before turning his eyes back to the trunk's interior. Jumpers of various colors with patterns on them, which could only have been made by Molly Weasley were folded neatly and brought a smile to Severus' face as he knew the woman was protective of her children and it appeared that Harry Potter was no exception. He discovered a thick packet of parchment at the bottom that looked vaguely familiar and he resisted temptation to tap it with his wand for fear of further insults. A Zonko product indeed. Severus thought to himself as he set it down and opened the photo album.

He felt rather odd rifling through Harry's personal things, but there was so much about the young man that Severus had turned a blind eye to. He had previously thought that Harry had been treated like a prince at home only to have that dashed when he visited Privet Drive and spoken to Petunia Dursley. Severus had never known how much she hated Lily or her magical nephew. But it shaped Harry into who he is, independent, stubborn, hard working . . . His inner thought chided him. The first photo had Severus blinking back tears, as it was Lily Potter holding a baby Harry in her slender arms and lifting his chubby little hand to wave at the wizarding camera. Where had he gotten these photos? He wondered as he flipped through the pages. There were more of Harry and his parents, then they changed to become some of Harry and his friends laughing and genuinely having a good time. And it made him realize at that moment how much like his mother Harry truly was.

Putting the album back into the trunk, Severus went to his small kitchenette and prepared a kettle of tea pouring himself a cup before retreating to his favorite chair and sat down in it, his face lined with thought before he reached for one of Harry's personal journals. Opening it up, he began to read.

July 7, 1996 - It's so strange. I've been thinking back along the years that I've come to Hogwarts and I came to a revelation. They revere me so much, I've been put on a pedestal, thrust into the limelight as it were to be this weapon of the light when all I ever wanted was to be normal. I guess this would be me whining which someone I know would probably tell me to shut up because I'm an impertinent brat, but I think I've bloody earned it. I just want to be Harry. No one ever lets me do that. My relatives work me like a house elf all summer, then when I get to school and want to learn I'm in and out of the infirmary so often I wonder how anything I do manage to learn stays in my head. Not to mention everyone talking about how I'm the 'Chosen One' or the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. Why can't anyone like me for me, for who I am. I don't want to be anyone's hero. I just want to be Harry.

I think I've started to develop feelings for him . . . the great greasy bat. I mean real ones, not just a crush. He's constantly saved my life and tried to protect me over the last five years which is more than I can say for Dumbledore. When I destroyed his office I was angry. Angry that he had been keeping things from me, and it makes me wonder what more he kept from me over the years. Why I got away with so much, how I never got in real trouble when I got in trouble. Sure I saved the school, but I could have lost Ron or Hermione. They've always backed my play, no matter how reckless it was. But so much could have been prevented if I had known.

Severus raised an ebony brow at those words on the page before him and his onyx eyes re-read the passage as though he was seeing things but that didn't shock him the most, what did however was the neatly written list of when he had in fact tried to save him or tried to protect him.

1. Snape saved me from falling to my death during my first Quidditch Match by speaking the counter-jinx to Quirrel who was trying to kill me. That was nice of him, though at the time I thought he was trying to kill me, especially when Hermione told me later that she had seen his mouth moving and his eyes unblinking. It was only later when I confronted Quirrel before the Mirror of Erised that he told me Snape was trying to save me.

2. Did he save my life in my second year? I can't remember . . . he did get rid of that snake that Malfoy conjured. Damned ferret looked so smug when he cast it but then I turned it around when I discovered I could talk to the reptile. Reminds me of when I set that Burmese Python on my cousin when I was ten years old at the zoo. I could talk to the snake but I wasn't sure how I was doing it at the time. But yeah, that counts when he used the spell to get rid of the snake as saving my life.

3. He tried to come to my rescue in the Shrieking Shack, where I discovered that Peter Pettigrew had betrayed my parents and it wasn't Sirius as everyone had previously thought. I had to stun him even though Hermione yelled at me about it later, called me a barmy git if I remember right. But I don't think he'll ever forgive me for that, though I was trying to hear someone explain to me exactly what was going on. And he did try and protect Ron, Hermione and myself from Remus, who had become a werewolf. I'm not sure if he did that because he's a teacher, but it does count in trying to save my life even though it was a slightly stupid thing to do.

4. The Tri-Wizard Tournament. wait, that year was far too hectic to remember if he had tried to save my life or not, but I think he did. That year was hard, it was mostly a blur for me. With my friends in Gryffindor tower turning on me because they thought I had put my name in the Goblet of Fire, which I bloody well did not, to trying to decipher the puzzles and keep myself from nearly getting killed, again. I don't need anymore fame than what I already have.

5. He tried to teach me Occlumency in my last year, though it really didn't take. May have been in the way he was attempting to teach me. He didn't explain it to me, just thrust me into it like I was supposed to know what I was doing. However, he did alert the Order when I told him about Sirius at the Ministry of Magic, it wasn't the best hint, but it was the best I could do at the time.

So, all in all it looks like Severus, Professor Snape was trying to protect me, and I guess somewhere along the line I fell for him. He's kept me grounded all these years, unlike everyone else. He didn't put me on a pedestal, he treated me like everyone else, though he hates me. I know why he hates me, I think. It all stems back to my Father and how much I look like him. It's not my fault and I'm not my father, I guess, I'll just have to keep my thoughts to myself and guard my heart a little bit better.

Severus closed the journal pinching the bridge of his nose, as he rose to his feet and looked for a bottle of fire whiskey. Upon finding the bottle, he ripped the cork out, fumbling for a tumbler poured a generous amount and slammed it back. He loves me, the Savior of the Wizarding World loves me. He sighed deeply sinking back into the chair where he hung his head, lost in thought about what the Dark Lord had instructed him to do.

~*~

Harry blinked up at her wondering how she knew when no one else had been able to figure it out. He whined softly and looked up at her, his ice blue eyes curious. "Ah, bet you're wondering how I figured it out." She queried, as he barked sharply in response. Minerva smiled, which was rare to grace her features in the presence of a student. "You are far too perceptive in that form. You knew who to retrieve when Severus was hurt. It was natural for you to come to your Head of House, and you ran off before I could send you to fetch Poppy." She continued, as she rubbed his ear gently.

A soft whimper left Harry's throat as he snuffled and rubbed the top of his head with a paw. He couldn't make his wishes known and he was frustrated. Well, at least someone knows what happened to me. I still don't know how to change back.

"Harry, can you change between your forms?" there was a definite negative shake of the furry head. "Hm, if I knew how this occurred then I could help you decipher how to change back. Poppy said that you had no magical core, which can only mean that you over taxed it when the change first happened." She said, it was clear that she was thinking and speaking her thoughts though Harry could only look worried and whined. "Your magic will return to you, Harry. It will just take time. For now, you should just go ahead and do what it is that you are. You're safe in that form for now, from You-Know-Who. I will not tell anyone what I have learned." Minerva finished as she leaned down and rubbed the fur on his forehead finding the raised scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. "Harry, I am glad that you are safe."

Leaning up, Harry licked her cheek affectionately, before snuffling and padding back out of her office. Trotting through Hogwarts back towards the dungeons. Shaking her head, Minerva went to look up a particular book in the Restricted Section of the Library, knowing that something had thrown the transformation off. It was a complete one, that was for sure, but something had happened, some anomaly that had caused him to deplete his magical core which led to his inability to shift back and she was going to discover what it was. When she reached the Library, she headed straight for the appropriate section and went to look for the volumes on the Animagi and when she found the one she wanted, picked it up and took it with her.

~*~

When Harry returned to Severus' quarters, he noticed that a new smaller door had been put next to the portrait that led inside. It was smaller and the painting was of a beautiful fawn, flicking his icy gaze between the two paintings, he noticed that the two animals looked very much alike. Where did this come from, I wonder. Placing a paw on the painting, the fawn let out a small sound and kicked in happiness before stepping aside and letting the doorway open. Harry padded inside and saw that Severus was sitting in his favorite chair holding a book in his hands. Pausing by his water dish, he lapped up some of the cool liquid before making his way to the pile of blankets by the fire and stretched out, snagging his favorite chew toy on the way.

Severus looked up briefly as Kyrian came in and curled up before the fire, chewing on the rubber copy of the Daily Prophet. He smiled at his companion's antics then turned his onyx eyes back to the journal that he had been reading, occasionally hearing a squeak from the toy. Turning the page, Severus then noticed that there were several dried droplets on the pages before him and his fingers traced Harry's writing which seemed less rushed and more thought out than what he turned in on his assignments. As he read, he realized what he was reading his face contorting into a scowl. Sirius Black, a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember, but he did love Harry. He thought.

Sirius, one of the last links to my parents, who I never got to know. Gone in the blink of an eye, because of me. I had to go running to the Ministry of Magic half-cocked and wanting to save him when in reality, I'm the one who got him killed. I remember some of the conversations we had back at Grimmauld Place. Long talks about my parents, and how much they loved me. I did confront him about the way the Marauders antagonized Severus. Yeah, I may as well call him that here, he'll never know.

I looked into Severus' pensieve, and saw how my father and Sirius had tormented him. Severus was pissed when he discovered what I had done and I can't blame him for it. But what I didn't understand was why they treated him that way. I get treated that way at home all the time and it hurts, it shapes you. And it probably shaped Severus into the man he has become. No wonder he's so cold, and trusts no one. I finally bit the proverbial bullet and asked Sirius what they had been thinking.

Sirius said that they were being; his words: 'young and stupid' and I had to agree with him on that. I told him that there was no call to do that to anyone, and having been abused by my whale of an Uncle and Cousin, I knew all about what that could do to a person. It was then that Sirius asked me why I didn't tell anyone about the abuse I was receiving at home, I didn't answer him then. I wasn't ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready to tell anyone what happened to me in that house, but it made me more independent, and I learned to rely on myself, something Hermione tells me not to do so much.

Severus closed the journal and set it on the small table next to him, sighing he leaned back, staring at the fire and contemplating all that he had learned about Harry Potter in the month that he had been missing. The more he learned, the more Severus began to realize that he did care in more ways than one about the young man, who had to grow up so quickly. He defended me to his Godfather. And he was not to blame for Black's death, that rests squarely atop Bellatrix not Harry's shoulders. How Harry manages to do all that he does amazes me. He thought before rising and after scratching Kyrian's ears headed into his bedroom.

~*~

The damage of the house was extensive. It was as though World War Three had taken place in the quiet suburb of London, known as Surrey. Officers were moving slowly through the house, along with the fire department looking for any clues as to what had transpired but so far they were coming up with nothing. They were baffled by one door on the second floor which had several locks upon it and what appeared to be some sort of flap cut into the wood. The officers noticed that this room had been ransacked as though whoever the perpetrator was had been searching for something. Bystanders stood outside wondering what was going on and all gasped in alarm when three black body bags were brought out and put in to the coroner's van before the sirens went off and the bodies were carted off. Only one bystander looked on with a smile of satisfaction.

She had done her job for her Lord well, torture after all was her specialty and this was no different. When He had learned where the Potter brat lived, she had been dispatched to discover the boy's whereabouts. The boy's relatives had told her nothing, and that had disappointed her but then she realized that someone else had been in the house for the tingle of magic remained but who it had been was beyond her. Making her way to the edge of the block she apparated away but not before someone else had seen her.

The figure that had seen the woman apparate away went back to her house and instantly contacted the aurors of the Ministry and it was Kingsley Shacklebolt who had shown up to take her statement and see the carnage for himself. When he arrived he cast a notice-me-not charm over himself and slipped into the house. He instantly noticed a small cupboard beneath the staircase of the house and after what he had heard that day when Harry Potter had been reported missing by Dumbledore himself, he paled at the thought of the Savior of the Wizarding World kept in that small space. There were photos scattered about with their frames bent and the glass shattered, but that was not what made him want to exit this house and throw up what he had in his stomach. There was a painting or what used to be a painting over the fireplace one that had been slashed by either steel or magic and what had been left were the words: 'Come out and play!' along with something that Kingsley had never seen before. There were six eyes staring sightlessly out at the room, 'I see you' was written beneath it. The only one who could have been responsible for this particular carnage was Bellatrix Lestrange. With that knowledge he left the house on Privet Drive and apparated quickly back to the Ministry of Magic.

Shaken to the core by what he had seen at that house, Kingsley contacted Arthur Weasley who had spoken of needing to tell him some things as well at what had transpired at that house on Privet Drive. Molly was still in a state of panic even though Hermione Granger had come to the Burrow to spend time with the family before school started. Harry had been missing for over a month and no one had any inkling on his whereabouts. With the meeting to take place that following morning, Kingsley prepared his report for the Ministry officials and went home to a bottle of Butterbeer though something stronger may have been called for.

~*~