“You’re raising him like a pig for slaughter.” Severus was angry. How could the so-called Headmaster of a world renowned school not care for the well-being of a poor boy? It’s disgusting and vile. Severus may be a death eater, he may not be the best professor at Hogwarts, but he would never want to see children die. Especially not the child of the woman he loved the most. Not the child that he cares so much for.
“Don’t tell me you’ve come to care for the boy, Severus.” Dumbledore spoke, the confusion showing on his brow.
Severus pulled out his wand. “I do care for the boy, Albus.” The black haired potions master waved his wand and casted a quiet “Expecto Patronum”. A gorgeous doe appeared within the air, prancing around before running out of the glass window. “I’ve always cared for the boy, though I mustn’t show it.”
“Lily? After all this time?” Albus asked.
“Always.”
“You care for the boy because he is Lily’s?”
“I care for the boy because he deserves to be loved. All his life he’s been treated like vermin or a celebrity. He’s never seen as just Harry.” Severus explained. “He’s just a boy. A boy who had no idea who he was until he was six years old. A boy who was thrusted into the world of magic and expected to fight the world’s darkest wizard. All for the greater good. All because of a dumb prophecy. He deserves to live, Albus. He deserves to have a family that loves and cares for him.”
Dumbledore had a weird twinkle in his eye, one that shows disapproval. “And you think you are the family he deserves?”
Severus looked at Dumbledore with passion and determination. “I am the family that cares.”
“The Weasley’s care.” Dumbledore pointed out.
“As does Lupin. And yet they don’t see Harry as anything more than either replicas of his parents or as the Boy Who Lived.” Severus didn’t need to think about what he said next, it sort of flew out instead. “I see him as Harry, a child who needs to be well cared for. He’s got such a beautiful and wonderful soul and I’m very lucky that I get to raise him. Lily would be very proud of her son today. And I’d like to think that even after all of the things I’ve done to her, she’d be proud of me too for taking care of her child.” Severus finished his rant, looking at Albus.
“You speak as though he is your son.”
“That’s because he is.” Severus replied.
Albus looked at Severus. His emotions are written clearly. Dumbledore was angry and confused at the information given to him. “When did this happen?”
“1994.”
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“Because it’s none of your business what others do, Albus.”
“In matters of life and death, it does matter.”
“And in which way is this matter life or death?” Severus asked.
“The boy must be with a blood relative in order for the protection against Voldemort to work.” Albus explained.
“And yet the blood magic doesn’t protect a small boy who was beaten and abused everyday for simply not being a muggle. He was neglected, abused, malnourished. All so that he could be protected from the Dark Lord.”
“Sacrifices need to be made.”
The anger in Severus’ chest got tighter. He was ready to explode at any moment. “Ah, yes. Let’s sacrifice children for the greater good. Let’s send them to abusive households and force them to get almost murdered simply so that they stay safe from a dangerous wizard.” He responded venomously. “There are other means for protecting Harry.”
“But none of them are as strong as the Blood Protection.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong, Albus.” Severus replied. “Perhaps if you actually used your head to think about other possibilities rather than only focusing on killing the Dark Lord, you’d have realized that Blood Protections only work when the child is loved by the one who holds the blood.”
And for once, the old man didn’t have anything to say. That was quite shocking, to say the least. Severus had never seen Albus speechless before. And the raven haired man was proud to render Albus speechless.
“You’re nothing anymore, Albus. You’re not the man you used to be. Times have changed as has the people around you. If you cannot see the flaws in your ways then there’s a whole other war coming your way.” Severus spoke.
“How dare you speak to me that way? I can easily out you to everyone. Don’t you dare defy me, Severus. Know your place.”
“I do know my place. I would rather die protecting Harry than allow him to be subjected to anymore abuse. And if you out me to the Dark Lord, then so be it. I will forever be at Harry’s side, protecting him until the very end.” Severus spoke from his heart.
“Because no matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone does, he will always be my son. Always.”