Kitten

August 16, 1991 (pt.3)

Back in the playroom Harry, Draco and Neville sat in a circle chatting as they got to know each other. Neville, Harry realized, was nothing like his parents. The cherub boy was almost just as shy as he was when it came to new people, nothing like his parents who exuded confidence and poise. 

“So Harry, are you excited for the upcoming school year?” Neville asked.

“School?” Harry tilted his head in confusion

“Yeah, we were supposed to get our Hogwarts letters in the mail a couple of months ago”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t know anything about that. I never got a letter.” Draco and Neville could hear the sadness in the boy’s voice and wanted to cheer him up. 

“Well that’s okay,” Draco said. “Maybe it was late or something.”

“Plus, with your mother being a teacher at the school, it is unlikely that you wouldn’t attend.” Neville confided. 

“He is?” Harry asked.

The other two occupants nodded. He’s a teacher at a school? Cool! Harry thought internally. 

“What house do you think you’ll get sorted into?” Draco asked his cousins.

“Slytherin, of course.” Neville answered, he puffed out his chest in a show of pride. “All Blacks are sorted into house Slytherin.”

Draco smirked.

“Not true, not all of them. And besides you might be the very first Black to be sorted a Hufflepuff.” 

Neville gave his cousin a look of offense as if he had spit on his very name. Before he could open his mouth to reply a voice at the door replied, 

“Bite your tongue whelp”

All three boys turned to the doorway and saw Rodolphus leaning against the frame with an affronted scowl on his face.

“I’ll have Severus cut you up and store you as potion ingredients.”

Harry’s mouth dropped in shock and he looked on at the man with slight horror. His cousins, completely oblivious to his fear, only laughed at the elder Lestrange’s remark. Well, Draco laughed and Neville smirked at his father. When the blond finally stopped laughing his lips twisted into a haughty smile. 

“As if mother would allow it.”

Rodo raised an eyebrow, “Humph. I don’t know dragon spleen is quite rare. And I’ve been needing some new dragonhide boots. Mine are quite worn now.” He said while looking at the underside of the boots that were currently on his feet.”

“Rodo, we told you to go get the boys not taunt them with threat of disembowelment”

Said man chuckled at his wife’s remark, but nonetheless beckoned the trio into the sitting area. Draco and Neville flanked Harry as they made their way into the room. Harry went to sit next to his Papa. Neville perched himself in between his parents and leaned into his mother, Bellatrix carded her hands through his dark, thick hair. Draco opted to sit cross legged in between his mother’s legs, which only prompted her to run her fingers through his hair as well. 

“So boy, since we know the school is fast approaching there are some things we need to discuss first?” Lucius said.

“Like what, Papa?” Draco asked. 

“Well first thing’s first, since you all will be in the same year together we all think it would be best if you roomed together.” Narcissa said as she continued to play in her son’s hair. 

“But I haven’t even gotten a letter yet,” Harry projected. When all eyes turned to him, he forced himself not to shrink back. He reminded himself that these people were his family. They would never hurt him. He looked over at his mother who had pulled an envelop seemingly out of nowhere. 

“I was going to give this to you the day I saw you at your...relative’s,” Severus spoke the word with contempt, “house. That was originally why I was there-” The potions master was cut off when he noticed tears leaving his son’s eyes. 

“Y-you never meant to rescue me from t-them?” The small boy asked tearfully and Severus felt like he had been punched in the chest. He never did get to tell Harry the whole story of why he was there that day or how he came to be in the first place. He had meant to, really he had, but with everything going on the only thing he could focus on was making sure his son was better. Opening his mouth to explain, Harry transformed into his Kayte form in front of them and flew under the couch. 

“Harry-” Severus started, only to be cut off once again. This time by his nephew who was now in the form of a small dragon. He looked up the dour man with a look up disapproval, his tail swishing to show his irritation. They all watched as Draco lied down in front of the couch that his kitten cousin was now hiding under. To the surprise of all the adults in the room, Neville shifted as well and in his place sat a young Wyvern. Both serpents moved to lay in front of the couch a series of hisses escaping them both. 

Severus felt torn as he looked at his husband. He could see that Tom didn’t judge him, but the man felt like a right idiot for not debriefing their child sooner. One part of him wanted to shift, but another part knew that it would be best for him to wait this out. The boys would need each other come the school term and Harry needed to become close with others who were not his parents. The conversation between the young trio went on for about five minutes, although it felt longer. Eventually they managed to get Harry to crawl from under the couch and approach his mother. The little kayte remained in his form but flew into Severus’s lap. 

“Harry, I didn’t mean for it to seem like I didn’t want you.” He said while he looked down at his son, his hands beginning to pet the little one’s fur. “I should have told you before what I was doing in Surrey and for that I apologize. And while it was not my intention to find you there, I believe that it was fate that brought us together. You are our son and I will never not want you. Do you understand me, kit?” 

Harry meowed. 

Severus offered him a small smile. 

“Harry, like Severus was saying, we want you boys in close proximity. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have other friends, but we would all feel more comfortable with you three together.” His grandfather said. The three creatures looked at him taking in his words.

“We are not completely sure yet, but we have a feeling that Dumbledore is the mastermind behind your abduction all those years ago,” smoke escaped Draco’s nostrils and Neville hissed angrily. Bella ran her nails lightly across her son’s wings in an attempt to soon him. The motion had its desired effect and the small wyvern calmed slightly. The trick always seemed to work, even when he was a little hatchling. 

“He took you for whatever reasons, and we have a good inference that he will do everything in his power to keep you under his thumb. By now I am certain that he is aware that you are not still in Surrey. Whether he knows I am the reason for it, I am not sure,” Severus took over. “He will do everything in his power to manipulate you. To keep you as weak as he can, and he will do everything in his power to isolate you from those who mean the most to you.” Severus was looking straight into his son’s eyes to show the severity of what he was saying.

Harry mewed pitifully and tried to bury his head in his mama’s chest. Both Tom and Severus could feel the waves of anxiety and fear through their bond with Harry. The pair immediately sent feelings of reassurance, love, and comfort to their son. When Harry finally took his head from its hiding place, it was Lucius who said, 

“We will do everything to counteract his attempts, but none of us can be with you all the time. Not even Severus. We want you both to be safe and protected; we want to make sure that you, and your cousins, will be able to protect yourselves when we can’t.”

Just then Draco shifted back. He settled comfortably from where he had been perched on his mother’s lap, leaning back against her shoulder. “How will we do that Papa?” 

“For the next couple of weeks, up until it is time for you to go to school the three of you will be getting training from each of us. Severus and your grandpa will begin teaching you Occlumency. Tom and Bella will be teaching a few spells that could possibly help you if you ever get into a fight. Rodolphus and I will be giving you lessons in your creature forms. And your grandmother will help you with combat training. “

The boys looked shocked, and a tad bit unnerved with how much they had to learn in such a short amount of time. 

“But why combat training?” Neville asked. 

“What have we always taught you, Neville?” The boy looked up at his mother.

“The most dangerous thing anyone can do in a fight is to underestimate their opponent.” 

Lucius nodded. “That is correct. You never know what type of training an enemy has under his or her belt. And it’s...”

“Always better to be over prepared than underprepared.” Draco finished. His father shot him a proud smile while Narcissa ran a hand through his hair.  

“And we as Slytherins are already faced with high prejudice. We must always be on our guard.”

Harry changed back into his human form for the first time since the conversation started. He was worried about one thing. “What if I don’t get sorted into Slytherin?” 

“All the more reason to be on your guard, kit.” His papa said. “While I find it highly unlikely that you would be sorted into any other house but the house of serpents, if that is indeed the case you must be able to protect yourself at all costs.” 

Draco raised his hand slightly, “I have a question.”

Everyone turned their eyes to him.

“When will we have time to train and get our school supplies?” 

“We go get some of your things this afternoon and you will have your first lessons with your uncle Severus and grandpa later this evening.” Lucius answered. 

“Your first combat training will begin tomorrow morning.” Their grandmother said. “Since you won’t be able to practice spell work due to lack of wands and being underage, your first lessons on defense spells will be reading up on them.”

“We will form a schedule for when the school year starts for you three to continue training even when you are at school.” Tom finished, steepling his fingers together as he leaned his forearms onto his legs. 

“Right now, however,” Narcissa said, depositing Draco onto the floor so she could stand. “You three are going to take a nap and then we will make our way to Diagon Alley to get some of your supplies.”

All three boys looked affronted at having to take a nap, and looked ready to protest their displeasure. But one look from all three mothers had them stopping in their tracks. Instead they just sighed and made their way up to their respected rooms for some much needed rest time. 

The adults stayed downstairs going over plans and forming a schedule for the boy’s training. There was lots to be done for the first school year, and they would all be ready.