The Goblet of Fire
Severus observed the Great Hall during the Choosing of the Champions. Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with his friends around him. Miss Granger and Mister Ronald Weasley sat at either side of his chair, holding his hands. The Weasley twins sat on the other side of them, and Mister Longbottom and Miss Weasley sat across from Harry at the table. He could smell Harry’s apprehension from across the room, spikey and sour at the same time, and it made him unhappy. No matter how certain Harry was that Severus would take his place in the Tournament, that Harry would be safe in the end, this would be yet another thing that made Harry stand out amongst his peers. Not to mention; everyone would know Harry was an Omega, a Wyrd, after today. Severus’ Wyrd.
The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were following the Goblet with rapt attention, as were the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, even if neither were as obvious as the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. He doubted that many Ravenclaw students had put their name in the Goblet, and while several Slytherins had, they knew not to show their excitement publicly.
The three Champions were selected from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to much cheering from their classmates and Severus almost relaxed, until he saw Harry’s pale face and hard jaw. He was staring at the Goblet as if he feared it would explode and kill them all. Apparently, Harry believed that he wasn’t out of danger yet. Thus, Severus actually snarled when the Goblet lit up for a fourth time and spit out Harry’s name.
“No!”
“Bloody hell!”
“Fuck that!”
All came from the group around Harry and while Miss Granger and Miss Weasley looked to be near tears, Harry now only looked resigned and his scent changed to a muted sadness, the scent of cold wind. He had been right. His name would come out of the Goblet. Someone was out to hurt him, or kill him, again. Severus would not have it, not at all. When his Slytherins began to make ugly noises, he threw a scathing look their way and they all subsided immediately. Minerva didn’t as much as twitch when Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs began to jeer at Harry from around him, so his glare took care of them too. If not, a week's detention surely would.
Severus got up and walked down from the dais where the Head table stood. “Mister Potter, do please join us and the rest of the Champions in the antechamber.”
That finally made Harry and his friends move, when none of them had moved to Albus’ requests for the same. Harry hadn’t even said a word to protest his choosing. All of them came up to the Head table and Miss Granger looked straight at Albus. The icy rage in her eyes would have made even Severus weary, if it had been aimed at him. Silver sparks of magic snapped around her and made her wild hair even wilder. The young witch would without a doubt grow up to be formidable.
“Do not be concerned, Miss Granger, no harm will come to him. I will see to it. I give you my word,” Severus told the girl while putting a hand on Harry’s shaking shoulder to lead him away from his friends. Darkness was rippling from his cloak, flowing from his hair and seeping from underneath his boots and Miss Granger flinched when she first met his eyes, but then kept his gaze and gave him a sharp nod.
In the antechamber there was chaos. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, how it had happened and who had done it. Most tried to blame Harry, and no one stood up for him or tried to take the blame off him. As usual, come to think of it. Severus was half tempted to just bite Harry, to mark him and send him out to his friends as soon as Harry gave the responsibility of the Tournament over to Severus. But he had promised himself to wait and see if anyone here could, and would, find a way to get Harry out of the Tournament, by a method they hadn’t found themselves.
Harry was silently trembling beneath his hands and his resolve was faltering because of Harry’s obvious distress, but Harry had agreed to wait and see if there was another way out, when they had gone over their plan this morning and again before the Feast. Therefore, Severus had to manage to keep himself in check. Even in the face of Harry’s discomfort and fear. Harry knew that he wouldn’t have to compete, that there was no chance in Hell that Severus would let him compete, but the situation was still stressful for him.
The only one not commenting or complaining were the Durmstrang Champion, Victor Krum. He stood by his Headmaster and watched the scene with hard eyes. Severus caught him looking at Harry and himself a time or two, in those moments he saw curiosity in the dark eyes. He undoubtedly noticed Harry’s subtle trembling and Severus’ sure hand on his shoulder. A contact that strictly speaking was improper between a professor and student. He certainly noticed it when Harry shifted to lean a bit closer to Severus. Severus felt Harry’s own Darkness nip at his cloak seeking contact and reassurance. Severus’ Darkness slowly began to envelope his distressed Wyrd, while it was becoming increasingly difficult to not shed more of his human skin. No matter the fact that he hadn’t known such a thing could happen before right this moment. Mister Krum’s eyes widened at the sight, but otherwise he didn’t react.
“You are telling me now that the only security against someone placing someone else’s name into the Goblet was the age line?” Severus sneered. “That would be a great method of ridding oneself of a rival, would it not? Or an excellent opportunity to let a prank easily go too far, perhaps?” he added icily with a scathing glance at Albus and Minerva before he looked back at the Ministry officials.
“Severus, surely you don’t believe a student would ever …”
“I surely would, Headmaster,” Severus growled. “And there are more than just students that could have done the deed. That point is moot now, however. The Aurors will discover what was done and how, even if they might not figure out who.”
“There is no reason to call the Aurors, my boy,” Albus began, and Severus felt both himself and Harry flinch.
“Of course there is, Headmaster. Or do you not want to find out who in particular wants to kill Harry Potter this year? I certainly do. The letter is already sent, by way of one of the Weasley twins, I can assure you. Mister Potter and his friends suspected something like this would take place, and they planned for it accordingly.”
Albus’ face hardened. “We will figure this out between us, this is school business. You are overstepping yourself, Severus.”
“Hardly,” Severus scoffed. He carefully turned Harry around to look at him and looked directly into two glowing orbs of darkness in a thin, paperwhite face with harsh angles. He could see black veins under Harry’s papery skin and Darkness curled through his hair and ran down his body in rivulets. The black eyes blinked up at Severus questioningly and he carefully put a hand to the little being’s sharp cheek and crooned consolingly. Harry leaned into his hand as if he never had done anything else. Thin lips turned into a small smile and for a moment he could see teeth behind the lips, a lot of very sharp teeth. His Wyrd’s scent had a hint of anticipation in it now, while also still holding the cold of sadness and regret.
Apparently, they both had trouble keeping their human skin intact at the moment. Seeing Harry like this made Severus aware that while he didn’t find Harry sexually attractive, and thank the stars for that, he was truly very beautiful. In either and all shapes, but maybe particularly when he began shedding his human skin. Because now Severus could see more of the magnificent being underneath, he could see the outline of the true Wyrd, and he was no less than breathtaking.
On the other hand, Severus also knew, suddenly and inexplicably, that the fact that Harry was shedding his human skin so soon after they had begun courting, not to mention so soon after Harry had begun to present as an Omega, as a Wyrd, was not a good sign. It wasn’t bad for him, by any means, but the fact that he did was a sign of great stress and that was something Severus should have been able to protect him from. His Wyrd should have been comfortable enough to begin to shed his human skin in his own time, not because he felt frightened and his instincts wanted him to change, to get bigger and stronger and much, much more powerful. Harry’s Wyrd instincts would fight for him to survive in a way his human instincts hadn’t been able to. If his instincts felt that shedding his human skin, no matter how momentarily it happened, was the best and safest action to take for him, then Severus had already failed his charge.
“There does not seem to be another way out for you, my precious,” Severus crooned.
“Alright.” Harry nodded. “This was the plan we came up with. And when I’m safe, I can enjoy Aunt Andi’s rage on my behalf even better.” He chittered a laugh and showed off more of those very sharp and decidedly very deadly teeth.
Severus smiled indulgently at him.
Andromeda had raged when her daughter had told her what Harry feared, almost suspected. Tonks had reported that Andromeda had spent an hour straight in the ‘crash and curse’ room before being able to calm down and start planning. She had been through Severus’ quarters that morning to check on Harry’s health and assure herself that there was a plan on how to keep her nephew safe. Severus was uncertain about when he had adopted, or been adopted into, the Tonks family, but by now it was an undeniable fact. As Harry enjoyed having a family who cared about him, he wasn’t truly able to object.
“Yes, this was the plan,” Severus crooned and leaned closer. Harry turned his head into Severus’ hand to expose his neck. There was no hesitation, no fear. Harry was bearing his neck to his Warder and he felt safe doing so. It was a great show of trust given to a man that had tormented and belittled him for years. Severus knew that and appreciated it more than he would ever be able to put into words.
Severus put his free hand on Harry’s shoulder.
Someone was shouting. Others were swearing. One woman was shrieking.
Severus bit into the pale skin where Harry’s neck met his shoulder and sank his sharp teeth deep.
Harry was his. His to protect. His to shield. His to keep safe and happy. His to help. His to guide. Harry was his family. Harry was his Fate. Harry was his Key. Harry was his Wyrd. Harry was his.
Blood pooled in his mouth, and he drank it down while Darkness stirred and flowed and danced around them and people screamed.
Harry was his. And now, no one could ever come between them. Now, he could protect Harry from everything, including magical contracts and deadly Tournaments.
After several moments and two swallows of Harry’s dark, delicious blood, Severus raised his head and licked his lips. The black blood oozed out of the many small puncture wounds on Harry’s paperwhite skin and then melted away in black smoke. The wounds remained, but began to heal. They would heal without any trouble, but they would scar in silver and black, Severus knew. As they should, given that it was a bonding bite. It would be a reminder and a warning to everyone that saw it.
Harry’s black eyes now had glowing stars in them when they looked into Severus’.
“Yours?” he crooned tentatively.
“Mine.” Severus assured and kissed his forehead.
Harry cleared his throat and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “Please take my place and participate in the Triwizard Tournament for me, Severus. I do not want to even try. But stay safe too, that’s very important.”
Severus had made certain that Harry would say it aloud for their audience as soon as he possibly could. It was binding even without witnesses, but he felt better knowing that there in fact were witnesses.
“Of course, my Omega, on both accounts,” Severus said in an equally clear voice. The words tasted harsh and bitter on his tongue, they should have been crooned, not spoken, he knew, somehow. “My own,” he crooned, because he could, because he knew both of them would like it if he did.
Harry’s eyes crinkled in a smile and the stars twinkled at him before slowly going out as his Wyrd power dimmed and his human skin began to pull back over his Wyrd features. The warm scent of pleasure, of belonging, of safety, lingered.
Then Severus straightened and looked at the room filled with panicking people. Darkness still lapped in the corners of the room but now it retreated. Harry was safe. Safe from everything. Mister Krum was physically blocking Albus from approaching them, as was Moody. Madame Maxime had both her hands on Miss Delacour’s shoulders and had backed them into a corner. In another corner were the Ministry officials and Headmaster Karkaroff. Minerva, Pomona and Mister Diggory all stood still as statues against a wall.
“Severus, what have you done!” Albus thundered.
Harry flinched and Severus drew him nearer.
“What needed to be done,” Severus sneered. “Harry would never have survived the Tournament, not because he is stupid or incapable, but because his health would have given out before he reached any kind of goal. He has just now healed enough to live something like normally in his day-to-day life. He does not even take the damn stairs on his Healers orders, Albus! You would not have survived this either, I can guarantee that much, if Healer Tonks nee Black learned that you trapped her patient in a fucking blood sport because your only security measure was a bloody age line! I, on the other hand, can and will take the responsibility and compete in the Tournament in Harry’s stead.”
He let his gaze roam from one to the other of the other three Champions. “I will only participate to fulfil the Tournament requirements, not to win. That would hardly be proper.”
Mister Krum nodded once, sharply. Miss Delacour swallowed and then nodded. Mister Diggory stood like a statue for long moments, pale face drawn and sweaty before he nodded jerkily.
“You cannot take such control of a student’s life, Severus! It’s against …” Albus began.
“It is not against international directive, no,” Mister Krum broke in with his heavy accent with a look at Albus as if he detested the man, or thought him a fool, or both. He managed to get his face under control in short order, though. “And anything regarding … how do you say in English - sudba? … Fate? And their Shields, it is international directive before national, yes?”
“Indeed, Mister Krum,” Severus said. “It’s done. Headmaster, and it cannot be reversed. I heavily suggest that you do not try. I’m still figuring out my instincts and my capabilities, however, I do recognise that anyone who endeavour to remove Harry from my care will regret it, deeply, if only very, very shortly. Do not let your own hubris lead you into becoming the first Suicide by Alpha on these shores in hundreds of years, Albus. Harry is mine now. To protect, teach, help and care for. Stay out of it, or suffer the consequences.”
He knew that of course, Albus bloody Dumbledore would not stay out of it.
He looked straight at Crouch and Bagman. “Gentlemen, I assume it is self-explanatory that I will take my Omegas place in the Tournament?”
Bagman mopped his face with a handkerchief and just blinked at him.
“You are a suspected Death Eater, Snape,” Crouch growled, showing his teeth. “You will not participate in any kind of public event, much less an event that I direct!”
“As my own trial under your supervision showed, I was a spy, Crouch,” Severus told the irritating man. “And I will participate in Harry’s stead, no matter your thoughts on the matter. Harry will not be forced to place his life in danger because of your collective incompetence.” He let his gaze drift from Crouch to Bagman to Albus and back.
Crouch tried to get closer to him, to both of them, but Moody blocked him.
“Don’t be a bigger fool than you have to be, Crouch,” Moody rasped. “He is an Alpha with an at-risk Omega, he will flay you alive without a thought and never even think about it later. If he has to raze Hogwarts and all her inhabitants to the ground to keep his Omega safe, that is what he will do. The same with the other two schools if that is what it takes to get his Omega free of the magical contract that binds him to the Tournament. Have you never read your history; you fool! Letting him participate in the Tournament is the easiest way for him to keep his Omega safe, so you will bloody well let him!”
Apparently, Moody had read his history, because the man sounded positively terrified. Severus hadn’t known that Moody was one to read, much less a history enthusiast of any kind.
Crouch spluttered, but then Mister Krum rounded on him.
“You want us all dead, da? That is your desire, your master plan? Attract top students off Europe’s schools and get us slaughtered by your failures and folly? Britain has forgotten old histories, my people have not!” His accent became even stronger. “Britain is home to a courting pair, first one in the world for many years, this is honour, this is history, act like it!”
It was dawning on Severus that Bulgaria just might have another view on Alphas and Omegas than Britain, because Mister Krum genuinely sounded like he believed it to be an honour and not a portent of doom. He wondered if maybe other countries had more courting pairs, or at least someone more recent, than Britain. If they maybe didn’t kill the newly presented Omegas. Not that he truly had any proof that Britain did that, either. Just a lot of suspicion and speculation.
“You can’t speak to me like that, boy!” Crouch said frostily.
“Act your own age, Crouch!” Moody snarled. “And use your brain. I did not understate the danger we are all in if Snape doesn’t participate in Potter’s stead. So get on with it!”
Crouch took several deep and harsh breaths and finally got on with it. He told the Champions what little information there was, and apparently made Mister Krum even more assured about the British Ministry’s incompetence, by the look of disgust on his face, while making both Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory pale in slowly dawning understanding and horror. Severus carefully led Harry out of the room and out into the Great Hall where apparently everyone, not only Harry’s friends, waited.
Severus didn’t like this next part any more than Harry did, but it was a necessary step in both keeping Harry safe, getting the truth out there and maybe, hopefully, keep all the fools that wanted to hurt or harass Harry from getting killed. Severus would always try his best to keep from killing anyone, but he knew with absolute clarity that he was no longer human and that his instincts did not perceive human lives the same way that he had perceived them only a couple of months ago. They were no longer nearly as valuable as they had been. Most of them were little more than ants, and only those he himself or Harry had a close relationship to, stood any chance of even getting a second thought before he killed them in defence of Harry, if required. He understood that it had to be like that, because his task was to protect Harry at any and all cost. He still regretted the necessity of such a drastic change in his morals. It mollified him slightly that he at the very least could regret his change in morals, even if it wouldn’t change his actual actions.
He suspected, hoped really, that he would always regret killing children, but he assumed that that wouldn’t stop him from doing so, if they posed an actual threat against Harry. Trying to push Harry down a set of stairs or put any kind of harmful potion in his drink or food would most likely make him react just as bad as an Avada Kedavra thrown at Harry’s back.
Severus heard Moody grumble behind them. “… not telling the staff about a courting pair, Albus, what kind of bloody nonsense is that! If he had been any less level-headed in this situation the school could already have been filled with corpses of the entire next magical generation!”
“Alastor, really, I know you don’t like him, but Severus would hardly …”
“Get it into your thick skull; Snape is no longer Snape as you knew him! All the histories agree on that much. And he very much would kill a school of children to keep his Omega safe, that is why all those laws exist, Albus! To make the rest of us behave and keep it from happening, for Snape is no longer able to.”
“If he can’t control himself, maybe he shouldn’t be allowed to live!” Pomona hissed.
Harry flinched hard and Severus gripped his shoulder more firmly for a moment in reassurance.
“Shut your trap, woman! He can hear you!” Moody hissed back.
Severus looked over his shoulder and met Moody’s gaze. He had never liked the paranoid and belligerent man, and as a Dark wizard that Moody always had judged outright from the beginning, he had never seen any chance of that changing. Now Moody shrugged in a ‘what can you do’ way and shook his head commiseratingly at Severus. Severus’ Darkness slipped across the floor to taste Pomona’s feelings and thoughts. The older witch twitched uncomfortably, but didn’t seem to react further or understand what was happening. Moody’s good eye swung to her while his magical eye swung down and looked at the Darkness filling the air around her feet, then he looked at Severus who shook his head in a miniscule way. Pomona was upset and frightened, but not hostile, at this point in time. Moody nodded once. It was likely the most amiable exchange between them for their entire acquaintance, non-verbal as it had been.
Severus stopped in front of the dais where the Head Table stood and waited until the voices in the Hall died down almost completely.
“I, Potion Master Severus Snape, am an Alpha. Two months ago, I began courting my Omega, Harry Potter. From this night forward we are bonded. This happened so soon into our courtship because someone wanted to harm my Omega by placing his name in the Goblet of Fire and thus having him compete in the deadly Triwizard Tournament. Mister Potter has given me leave to participate in the Tournament in his place, and as I am his bonded Alpha, I will gladly protect him in this way.
“For those of you who do not know what a bonded Alpha and Omega pair implies or the correct behaviour towards a bonded Omega, I highly recommend asking your Head of House or talking to your fellow students and find out. Later this week I do not doubt there will be more information about the situation directly from the Ministry of Magic, or delivered from the Prophet.”
Now the fact that information about Omegas and courting pairs had been censored so heavily for the children of their world would bite them all in the behind. He could understand that the facts of the situation were scary, and that the children here didn’t actually need to know as they would never meet a courting pair. Or so they had all thought. Because now they would be around a bonded pair every day for years, until Harry graduated, and information about safe behaviour in such a situation was close to non-existent, and that was dangerous for everyone.
“However, I will give this warning now, and do trust me when I advise you that this is most likely the one and only warning I will ever give you on this topic; do not harm my Omega! Alphas and Omegas are more than simply human, and I, as an Alpha, are utterly incapable of letting harm to my Omega pass. If you deliberately harm him, it is my right by law to punish you, even if you are children. Not as a professor at the school, but as an Alpha. This type of punishment may include bodily harm, even death, if the injury is grave enough or if I find it likely that you will not cease your attempt at harming him. I do not wish any of you to find out exactly how violently or how fast I will react if you harm my Omega, so do not attempt it!”
Utter silence filled the great space, and he walked out of the Hall together with Harry and closely followed by his friends. He could feel eyes on him and knew that their problems had just begun, and still he couldn’t regret for a single moment that he had found Harry the night of the Welcome Feast. It had changed him completely; and he would never regret it. It had given him family, a place to belong and a purpose he now realised that he had sought all his life.