Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Once in a Blue Moon
Once in a Blue Moon
Author: USA Tiger
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling and Final Fantasy 7 belongs to Square Enix
Author Note: I know a few people were surprised that Vernon resorted to getting a gun and stuff, but let’s face it he did the same in the canon when they were running from the letters and would have shot Hagrid if the gentle half-giant hadn’t bent the gun barrel. So I can totally see Vernon getting a gun and his temper getting the better of him to try and get rid of his problem that way.
My best buddy Asilyessam has internet problems so Tsuyu-the-Hanyou has taken over betaing the chapters for me.
Chapter 6
Harry and Zack hurried up the stairs and into Harry’s room, the door slamming shut in their haste to get it closed. Harry slid to the floor, his back against the door, with his hand over his chest feeling his heart race.
“That fat bastard!” Zack raged with a snarl. “I knew he was going to try something soon, but I didn’t think he’d try to kill us!”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe Uncle Vernon shot a gun at you,” Harry whispered in agreement. “Are you okay? He looked like he was hitting you pretty hard.” Harry was familiar with how hard Vernon could hit, it was rare but the man had laid his hand on Harry before as ‘punishment’.
“Nah I’m fine, I’m a super solider remember? I barely felt anything,” Zack said shaking his head then pressing his nose against Harry as he sniffed his kid over. “How about you kiddo? You didn’t get hurt or anything did ya?” Harry stank of fear and adrenalin but otherwise seemed unharmed.
”No,” Harry said. “I might have a bruise from hitting the floor when you pushed me, but I’m fine.”
“Whoops, sorry about that,” Zack said as he hadn’t mean to hurt his young charge.
”It’s fine, but what are we going to do Zack?” Harry asked running his fingers through Zack’s fur.
“Well one thing is for sure, we’re not staying here, not after that,” Zack said. “If we can’t get that Snape guy to take us somewhere else, we’ll run away. It’s not a fun life but I’ve lived on the run before. At least this time there’ll be no Shinra or Turks following us.”
“What is Professor Snape doing here?” Harry wondered. The man had appeared out of nowhere it seemed, blasting Vernon across the room. That was an image he was going to happily keep close to his heart.
“Err, who knows? Maybe he knew we were in trouble? Some spell thingy? The magic on your world works way different than mine,” Zack said. Harry supposed that was possible, so far what little magic he saw seemed to do anything. He leaned against Zack taking comfort in the dog’s presence and wondering what would happen to them now. He guessed living on the streets wouldn’t be too bad as long as he had Zack with him and it would only be a year, then he could go to that school Snape told him about.
“Mr. Potter, if you would open the door,” Snape’s voice snapped Harry and Zack out of their thoughts, Harry quickly jumping up and pulling the door open.
“Professor Snape,” Harry said as he moved out of the way so Severus could enter. “Thank you for saving us but… how did you know we were in trouble?”
“I did not,” Severus admitted. “I was on my way here and happened to hear the shots from your uncle’s gun.”
“Oh… why were you coming here?” Harry asked as he sat on his rickety bed with Zack sitting on the floor in front of him.
“An arrangement had been made for you to live elsewhere with a new guardian,” Severus explained as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And not a moment too soon seeing as how that fat muggle downstairs attacked you.”
“Oh… where am I going then?” Harry said as he jumped up and started to eagerly pull his things off the shelves onto his bed. “I get to take my stuff right? Zack is coming too?” Zack’s ears perked up, this was too good to be true.
“Zackary is your familiar, he will always go where you go,” Severus informed him. “And I have opened my home to you, if you would like. If not, there are other families who would take you in. Either way you will not be staying here.”
“With you… no that’s brilliant!” Harry said grinning up at Severus. In another life Harry would have hated Snape as much as the man would have hated him, but in this life Harry couldn’t help but like the man. He had gone out of his way to make sure Harry was safe, took him shopping to get new under clothing, knew his mum and now was offering him a new home. “When do we leave?”
Severus was surprised to find he was the tiniest bit relieved that Harry seemed thrilled to be coming to live with him. He supposed Harry had formed some sort of attachment to him, Severus seemed to the first person who showed him any real kindness, but he was glad none the less. He took out a shrunken box from his pocket and reversed the spell on it, returning it to its original size.
“Pack your things inside Mr. Potter, then we shall leave,” he instructed then stood by the door watching as Harry eagerly packed his meager belongings into the box, both those he bought a few days ago and the ones he had claimed from his cousin. Zack helped as well, just as eager to get out of the house with his pup. Once the box was filled up and closed, Severus shrunk it again then removed the gaudy colorful sock Albus had provided him. “This Mr. Potter is a portkey; a teleportation spell is attached to this sock and will move us from here to where the spell is tied to. You must touch the portkey to move with it, a finger will do.”
Harry touched the sock with a couple of his fingers and Zack laid his paw on another part, once both were ready Severus activated the portkey. With the feeling of a hook yanking from behind their navels, the trio disappeared in an instant just as the police, who the neighbors called when they heard the gunshots, knocked on the front door.
******
Harry and Zack landed on the ground in a heap, Harry holding his stomach as he tried to keep his breakfast down. Traveling by portkey was horrible! Zack groaned as his hind quarters which had been over his head, flopped back onto the ground stirring up dust.
“Here Mr. Potter, this will settle your stomach,” Severus handed Harry a small vial of a stomach soothing potion. Harry took the vial and quickly swallowed the potion inside, sighing softly as his nausea went away.
“I don’t think I like portkeys very much Professor,” Harry said as he stood brushing dirt and grass off his clothing. Zack stood and shook himself, portkeys had certainly been a new experience for him.
“Portkeys take a bit of practice to stay on your feet, you’ll one day get used to the feeling that happens when the portkey activates, though it is never pleasant,” Severus said. He wasn’t a fan of portkeys either, he much prefer apparating. “You may call me Severus for now Mr. Potter, it would be awkward for you to refer to me as professor at all times. But, when you start school, you will have to refer to me as such during classes and school activities.”
“Yes Professor, I mean… umm… Severus,” Harry said then finally took in his surroundings. Severus’s house wasn’t very large, it was about the same size as the Dursley’s home, maybe a little larger, but was much more rustic looking, having brick siding with vines growing up the walls. Just looking at it, it was clear it had much more personality than Privet Drive ever did and Harry loved it. The front yard had a neat little garden filled with plants he didn’t recognize. “What are those?”
“Potion ingredients. It is cheaper to grow my own than to buy then from an apothecary,” Severus said as he led the way up the stone path to the front door. “I would refrain from touching anything in the garden until you learn what they are, some of the plants are dangerous or must be handled a certain way.” Harry made sure his hands were in his pockets as he followed his new guardian. Severus opened the door, then ushered Harry and Zack inside.
The living room was simple, no telly, but there was something that looked a lot like an old radio on one table by the window. A fire place took up one wall, two overstuffed chairs flanking it with a matching overstuffed couch across from the fireplace on the other side of a low coffee table. The rest of the walls were adorned with bookshelves filled to the brim with books and other knickknacks.
“You are allowed to read the books on the lower shelves, the higher ones are warded so you will be unable to take anything from them. Take care of any book you take Mr. Potter, then return them when you are finished,” Severus said.
“Yes sir,” Harry quickly agreed. Zack started walking around curious as he explored.
“Make sure the dog stays off the furniture,” Severus added.
/“Awww, but the couch looks so comfy/,” Zack said making Harry bite his lip to keep from laughing. Severus stopped next to a closed door that had a strange looking light hanging outside of it.
“In the basement is my personal potions lab, you are not to enter without my supervision,” the potions master informed the boy. “If the light is green, then I am brewing a potion that I am able to leave or you can enter with my permission. Red, you are not to enter the lab at all as I would be brewing a potion that is dangerous and needs my attention. Unless there is an emergency, I will not answer until I reach a point I can step away from the potion, do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Harry quickly answered. “Sir… will I be learning how to brew any potions?” Severus eyed Harry for a moment before answering.
“We shall see, if you can follow my instructions and not act as a dunderhead,” he said then added much more softly. “Your mother had much skill in potions as well, in some ways she was better than I.” Harry’s eyes widen and a little gasp escaped, now his interest was really sparked. Severus showed them the kitchen next, small with a round table in the middle of the room, but enough for the three of them. A large food and water bowls stood to the side of the room that Zack assumed were for him.
Severus pointed out his office to Harry, giving the same rules as before that Harry could not enter the office without Severus’s permission and to always knock before entering. A small washroom sat under the stairs.
Upstairs were the bedrooms and the main bathroom. As before Severus’s rooms were off limits unless Harry needed Severus for anything. Another room was a simple guest room. The third room was Harry’s and the boy loved it. It was about the size of the guest room that Marge slept in at Harry’s relative’s house with a four poster bed in one corner, a desk, shelves and a wardrobe for his clothing. At the end of the bed was a giant dog bed for Zack to sleep on.
“I will lay down the rules during dinner Mr. Potter,” Severus said as he removed the box with Harry’s things from a pocket, then paused. “Harry,” he corrected, he might as well call the boy by his name he figured, and it might help him distance Harry from the boy’s father in his mind. Placing the box on the floor, he returned it to its original size. “I will call you down when dinner is ready. If you wish for your room to be decorated differently I will do so as long as it is not too outlandish.”
“No no, this is fine,” Harry said quickly as he knelt on the ground in front of the box and opened it. “Thank you Severus, for taking me and Zack in.” Severus gave Harry a short bow of his head then turned, leaving the room. Harry got up and tip-toed to the door, Zack moving silently with him, watching the Potions Master move down the stairs to the ground floor, then waiting until he could no longer hear the man’s footsteps.
“Can you believe it Zack?” Harry said in an excited soft tone.
“I’m shocked too. I was trying to think of a way to get you out of that horrible house but hey, this works even better than what I was thinking!” Zack said giving Harry a doggy grin and wagging his tail. He had come to terms with the Turk-like man and would trust Snape with Harry’s safety and housing. That
didn’t mean Zack wouldn’t keep an eye on Snape, not until he was 100% sure that the other man was a-ok but Zack had a good feeling about all this.
Harry returned to the box and started pulling his things out, hanging his clothing in the wardrobe, then putting his books on the shelves next to the desk. He found a few other books already there, he assumed they were placed there by Severus as he read the titles. Hogwarts: A History, Wizarding World 101: A muggleborn’s guide, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were just a few of the books on the shelves. Harry couldn’t wait to read them.
Zack meanwhile did his own exploring around the room, the furniture were good, sturdy wooden pieces unlike the crap the Dursleys made Harry sleep on before. He tested out his new doggy bed, flopping on it with a content sigh. It wasn’t a real bed but better than sleeping on the floor, or ground for that matter. And if he was honest it was better than the bunk beds he slept on in Shinra’s barracks when he was a cadet.
‘Gee, what does that say about Shinra when a dog bed is better than the crap the cadets sleep on,’ Zack thought to himself as he got up and walked over to the window looking out. The window was open, likely to air the room out, so Zack stuck his head outside and breathed in the fresh air. There was very little smell of pollution out here, Zack knew that the clear air would do the kid good. He could see into the back yard, which wasn’t very big and had more flower beds with plants, a few trees and a small house made of glass. Beyond that he saw miles and miles of forest.
To the side Zack spied what look like a small farm, he wondered if Snape’s neighbor had any kids that Harry could make friends with. Harry would be free to make friends now that they were away from his bully of a cousin.
“This place is pretty great,” Zack said as he turned to watch Harry put away the last of his things, Harry putting his stuffed dragon on the bed by the pillows. “Plenty of places for you to run around and I saw a farm next door! Maybe they have chocobos! Wait….” /Zack tilted his head to the head a little bit. /“Damn, forgot you guys don’t have those.”
Harry couldn’t help but laugh at the picture Zack made with the confused doggy head tilt.
Author: USA Tiger
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling and Final Fantasy 7 belongs to Square Enix
Author Note: I know a few people were surprised that Vernon resorted to getting a gun and stuff, but let’s face it he did the same in the canon when they were running from the letters and would have shot Hagrid if the gentle half-giant hadn’t bent the gun barrel. So I can totally see Vernon getting a gun and his temper getting the better of him to try and get rid of his problem that way.
My best buddy Asilyessam has internet problems so Tsuyu-the-Hanyou has taken over betaing the chapters for me.
Chapter 6
Harry and Zack hurried up the stairs and into Harry’s room, the door slamming shut in their haste to get it closed. Harry slid to the floor, his back against the door, with his hand over his chest feeling his heart race.
“That fat bastard!” Zack raged with a snarl. “I knew he was going to try something soon, but I didn’t think he’d try to kill us!”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe Uncle Vernon shot a gun at you,” Harry whispered in agreement. “Are you okay? He looked like he was hitting you pretty hard.” Harry was familiar with how hard Vernon could hit, it was rare but the man had laid his hand on Harry before as ‘punishment’.
“Nah I’m fine, I’m a super solider remember? I barely felt anything,” Zack said shaking his head then pressing his nose against Harry as he sniffed his kid over. “How about you kiddo? You didn’t get hurt or anything did ya?” Harry stank of fear and adrenalin but otherwise seemed unharmed.
”No,” Harry said. “I might have a bruise from hitting the floor when you pushed me, but I’m fine.”
“Whoops, sorry about that,” Zack said as he hadn’t mean to hurt his young charge.
”It’s fine, but what are we going to do Zack?” Harry asked running his fingers through Zack’s fur.
“Well one thing is for sure, we’re not staying here, not after that,” Zack said. “If we can’t get that Snape guy to take us somewhere else, we’ll run away. It’s not a fun life but I’ve lived on the run before. At least this time there’ll be no Shinra or Turks following us.”
“What is Professor Snape doing here?” Harry wondered. The man had appeared out of nowhere it seemed, blasting Vernon across the room. That was an image he was going to happily keep close to his heart.
“Err, who knows? Maybe he knew we were in trouble? Some spell thingy? The magic on your world works way different than mine,” Zack said. Harry supposed that was possible, so far what little magic he saw seemed to do anything. He leaned against Zack taking comfort in the dog’s presence and wondering what would happen to them now. He guessed living on the streets wouldn’t be too bad as long as he had Zack with him and it would only be a year, then he could go to that school Snape told him about.
“Mr. Potter, if you would open the door,” Snape’s voice snapped Harry and Zack out of their thoughts, Harry quickly jumping up and pulling the door open.
“Professor Snape,” Harry said as he moved out of the way so Severus could enter. “Thank you for saving us but… how did you know we were in trouble?”
“I did not,” Severus admitted. “I was on my way here and happened to hear the shots from your uncle’s gun.”
“Oh… why were you coming here?” Harry asked as he sat on his rickety bed with Zack sitting on the floor in front of him.
“An arrangement had been made for you to live elsewhere with a new guardian,” Severus explained as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And not a moment too soon seeing as how that fat muggle downstairs attacked you.”
“Oh… where am I going then?” Harry said as he jumped up and started to eagerly pull his things off the shelves onto his bed. “I get to take my stuff right? Zack is coming too?” Zack’s ears perked up, this was too good to be true.
“Zackary is your familiar, he will always go where you go,” Severus informed him. “And I have opened my home to you, if you would like. If not, there are other families who would take you in. Either way you will not be staying here.”
“With you… no that’s brilliant!” Harry said grinning up at Severus. In another life Harry would have hated Snape as much as the man would have hated him, but in this life Harry couldn’t help but like the man. He had gone out of his way to make sure Harry was safe, took him shopping to get new under clothing, knew his mum and now was offering him a new home. “When do we leave?”
Severus was surprised to find he was the tiniest bit relieved that Harry seemed thrilled to be coming to live with him. He supposed Harry had formed some sort of attachment to him, Severus seemed to the first person who showed him any real kindness, but he was glad none the less. He took out a shrunken box from his pocket and reversed the spell on it, returning it to its original size.
“Pack your things inside Mr. Potter, then we shall leave,” he instructed then stood by the door watching as Harry eagerly packed his meager belongings into the box, both those he bought a few days ago and the ones he had claimed from his cousin. Zack helped as well, just as eager to get out of the house with his pup. Once the box was filled up and closed, Severus shrunk it again then removed the gaudy colorful sock Albus had provided him. “This Mr. Potter is a portkey; a teleportation spell is attached to this sock and will move us from here to where the spell is tied to. You must touch the portkey to move with it, a finger will do.”
Harry touched the sock with a couple of his fingers and Zack laid his paw on another part, once both were ready Severus activated the portkey. With the feeling of a hook yanking from behind their navels, the trio disappeared in an instant just as the police, who the neighbors called when they heard the gunshots, knocked on the front door.
******
Harry and Zack landed on the ground in a heap, Harry holding his stomach as he tried to keep his breakfast down. Traveling by portkey was horrible! Zack groaned as his hind quarters which had been over his head, flopped back onto the ground stirring up dust.
“Here Mr. Potter, this will settle your stomach,” Severus handed Harry a small vial of a stomach soothing potion. Harry took the vial and quickly swallowed the potion inside, sighing softly as his nausea went away.
“I don’t think I like portkeys very much Professor,” Harry said as he stood brushing dirt and grass off his clothing. Zack stood and shook himself, portkeys had certainly been a new experience for him.
“Portkeys take a bit of practice to stay on your feet, you’ll one day get used to the feeling that happens when the portkey activates, though it is never pleasant,” Severus said. He wasn’t a fan of portkeys either, he much prefer apparating. “You may call me Severus for now Mr. Potter, it would be awkward for you to refer to me as professor at all times. But, when you start school, you will have to refer to me as such during classes and school activities.”
“Yes Professor, I mean… umm… Severus,” Harry said then finally took in his surroundings. Severus’s house wasn’t very large, it was about the same size as the Dursley’s home, maybe a little larger, but was much more rustic looking, having brick siding with vines growing up the walls. Just looking at it, it was clear it had much more personality than Privet Drive ever did and Harry loved it. The front yard had a neat little garden filled with plants he didn’t recognize. “What are those?”
“Potion ingredients. It is cheaper to grow my own than to buy then from an apothecary,” Severus said as he led the way up the stone path to the front door. “I would refrain from touching anything in the garden until you learn what they are, some of the plants are dangerous or must be handled a certain way.” Harry made sure his hands were in his pockets as he followed his new guardian. Severus opened the door, then ushered Harry and Zack inside.
The living room was simple, no telly, but there was something that looked a lot like an old radio on one table by the window. A fire place took up one wall, two overstuffed chairs flanking it with a matching overstuffed couch across from the fireplace on the other side of a low coffee table. The rest of the walls were adorned with bookshelves filled to the brim with books and other knickknacks.
“You are allowed to read the books on the lower shelves, the higher ones are warded so you will be unable to take anything from them. Take care of any book you take Mr. Potter, then return them when you are finished,” Severus said.
“Yes sir,” Harry quickly agreed. Zack started walking around curious as he explored.
“Make sure the dog stays off the furniture,” Severus added.
/“Awww, but the couch looks so comfy/,” Zack said making Harry bite his lip to keep from laughing. Severus stopped next to a closed door that had a strange looking light hanging outside of it.
“In the basement is my personal potions lab, you are not to enter without my supervision,” the potions master informed the boy. “If the light is green, then I am brewing a potion that I am able to leave or you can enter with my permission. Red, you are not to enter the lab at all as I would be brewing a potion that is dangerous and needs my attention. Unless there is an emergency, I will not answer until I reach a point I can step away from the potion, do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Harry quickly answered. “Sir… will I be learning how to brew any potions?” Severus eyed Harry for a moment before answering.
“We shall see, if you can follow my instructions and not act as a dunderhead,” he said then added much more softly. “Your mother had much skill in potions as well, in some ways she was better than I.” Harry’s eyes widen and a little gasp escaped, now his interest was really sparked. Severus showed them the kitchen next, small with a round table in the middle of the room, but enough for the three of them. A large food and water bowls stood to the side of the room that Zack assumed were for him.
Severus pointed out his office to Harry, giving the same rules as before that Harry could not enter the office without Severus’s permission and to always knock before entering. A small washroom sat under the stairs.
Upstairs were the bedrooms and the main bathroom. As before Severus’s rooms were off limits unless Harry needed Severus for anything. Another room was a simple guest room. The third room was Harry’s and the boy loved it. It was about the size of the guest room that Marge slept in at Harry’s relative’s house with a four poster bed in one corner, a desk, shelves and a wardrobe for his clothing. At the end of the bed was a giant dog bed for Zack to sleep on.
“I will lay down the rules during dinner Mr. Potter,” Severus said as he removed the box with Harry’s things from a pocket, then paused. “Harry,” he corrected, he might as well call the boy by his name he figured, and it might help him distance Harry from the boy’s father in his mind. Placing the box on the floor, he returned it to its original size. “I will call you down when dinner is ready. If you wish for your room to be decorated differently I will do so as long as it is not too outlandish.”
“No no, this is fine,” Harry said quickly as he knelt on the ground in front of the box and opened it. “Thank you Severus, for taking me and Zack in.” Severus gave Harry a short bow of his head then turned, leaving the room. Harry got up and tip-toed to the door, Zack moving silently with him, watching the Potions Master move down the stairs to the ground floor, then waiting until he could no longer hear the man’s footsteps.
“Can you believe it Zack?” Harry said in an excited soft tone.
“I’m shocked too. I was trying to think of a way to get you out of that horrible house but hey, this works even better than what I was thinking!” Zack said giving Harry a doggy grin and wagging his tail. He had come to terms with the Turk-like man and would trust Snape with Harry’s safety and housing. That
didn’t mean Zack wouldn’t keep an eye on Snape, not until he was 100% sure that the other man was a-ok but Zack had a good feeling about all this.
Harry returned to the box and started pulling his things out, hanging his clothing in the wardrobe, then putting his books on the shelves next to the desk. He found a few other books already there, he assumed they were placed there by Severus as he read the titles. Hogwarts: A History, Wizarding World 101: A muggleborn’s guide, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were just a few of the books on the shelves. Harry couldn’t wait to read them.
Zack meanwhile did his own exploring around the room, the furniture were good, sturdy wooden pieces unlike the crap the Dursleys made Harry sleep on before. He tested out his new doggy bed, flopping on it with a content sigh. It wasn’t a real bed but better than sleeping on the floor, or ground for that matter. And if he was honest it was better than the bunk beds he slept on in Shinra’s barracks when he was a cadet.
‘Gee, what does that say about Shinra when a dog bed is better than the crap the cadets sleep on,’ Zack thought to himself as he got up and walked over to the window looking out. The window was open, likely to air the room out, so Zack stuck his head outside and breathed in the fresh air. There was very little smell of pollution out here, Zack knew that the clear air would do the kid good. He could see into the back yard, which wasn’t very big and had more flower beds with plants, a few trees and a small house made of glass. Beyond that he saw miles and miles of forest.
To the side Zack spied what look like a small farm, he wondered if Snape’s neighbor had any kids that Harry could make friends with. Harry would be free to make friends now that they were away from his bully of a cousin.
“This place is pretty great,” Zack said as he turned to watch Harry put away the last of his things, Harry putting his stuffed dragon on the bed by the pillows. “Plenty of places for you to run around and I saw a farm next door! Maybe they have chocobos! Wait….” /Zack tilted his head to the head a little bit. /“Damn, forgot you guys don’t have those.”
Harry couldn’t help but laugh at the picture Zack made with the confused doggy head tilt.
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