Stolen

Disclaimer: This is the last chapter. You know the drill. Reviews are welcomed, flames are not.

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Chapter 10: You Remind Me of the Babe

Harry knew something was wrong when the clock chimed thirteen times. He straightened as he heard the professor behind him move closer. Something must've happened to Sirius.

From below they heard, "Harry, Severus, come down."

There was no warmth to The Goblin King's voice. They shared a quick glance at each other before moving down the stairs.

The Goblin King, dressed in white and silver, was waiting patiently. He watched as they stepped off the last stair to face him. Wild blonde hair framed his face like a golden halo. A cloak of feathers hung off his shoulders.

"Harry, your godfather Sirius has failed his run. Even now he is lost in his memories within the Junkyard of Broken Dreams," The Goblin King informed them. His face was expressionless.

Harry paled. He'd been to that junkyard, and visited with some of the collectors. It was a horrible place, so depressing with its shattered childhood dreams. What was worse, he had even seen some of his own unfulfilled dreams there as well.

Agnes almost snared him a couple of times as she tried to pile his lost childhood on his back. If it hadn't been for Jareth being with him at the time, he was sure he would've stayed among his own wishful dreams. He had been that broken.

"Harry," Jareth's regal voice broke through Harry's sad musings, recalling him back to the moment at hand. "The Great Mother of Us All tasked me to find you a suitable guardian."

He looked over at the taller man, pinning him with his gaze. "And I have, Severus Snape. You may not have run the full length of my Labyrinth Severus, but you did run it. Do you accept your new responsibility?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Severus said with a resigned sigh as he gave a slight bow. "It would seem that Pot...Harry has practically raised himself. It is appalling that no adult has ever stepped up to guide and discipline him. I agree to this and will try not to see his father in him, despite his past behavior at Hogwarts."

Jareth gave a curt nod. "Harry?"

Harry sighed and looked up at the tall, dour wizard before turning to Jareth. "Then I will be leaving here? I won't be returning?"

"Harry you are not one of my subjects," Jareth pointed out quietly. "This isn't your home, however much you wish it. I only brought you here to repay the debt I owed you."

"But it's been great!" Harry protested. "I want to stay. This is the closest thing to home I've ever had, can't you adopt. . .?"

Jareth stopped Harry from saying anything more. "And it's been most enjoyable having you here. But I have no real claim to you.

"You have grown and learned much, but you don't really belong here. Aboveground is your home. Your whole life is waiting there, you're too old for me to change. Plus you've been blessed by The Great Mother Harry. She expects great things from you."

"Enough." Severus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, causing the teen to bow his head. Any further protests died on his lips. "What about Black?"

Jareth produced a crystal, showing Sirius Black asleep in a room of red and gold. "Since he came through an oubliette, he will probably remain here for the rest of his life." His words caused Harry's head to snap up to gaze into the crystal.

"He is still a wanted man, even if he was declared dead in the World Above. He is too damaged. It would be best for him to remain here," Snape stated flatly, his hand still on the teen's shoulder.

Harry opened his mouth to protest but at the look on Jareth's face he changed his mind. "Will . . . will I ever see him again?"

"I must warn you, Sirius Black will be different when you next see him. He'll be one of the junk collectors," Jareth warned."However, if that is your wish, you may visit. In fact I hope you will, with the crystal I gave you. I would want updates on how well you are doing at the least. You may be close to adulthood, but you will always be welcome here."

Harry couldn't help it as he launched himself at the Fae. "Thank you. Thank you."

Jareth smiled as he hugged the teen to him. His regal dignity forgotten as he comforted Harry. "Never forget Harry, I am very grateful that you came into my long life."

Slowly he loosen his grip and held Harry at arm's length. "I am very proud of you, but it is time for you to go. If you want to see me come to Gringotts. I'll leave standing orders for you. Remember the crystal I gave you. Use it wisely, and call me if you need help."

The Goblin King then looked over at the silent potions master. "And as for you." The Fae monarch's mismatched eyes narrowed as he gave the man a piercing gaze, "I want quarterly reports on how Harry is doing under your care. You will behave yourself and treat him well. My goblins fear me for a reason."

"Uh Your Majesty? What happened to Dumbledore?" Harry asked, changing the subject. He tried to ignore the pale look on the potions master's face. Jareth's displeasure was legendary in the Labyrinth.

Jareth smiled a vicious smile, causing Severus Snape to become even more nervous. "He is in the hands of the Great Mother. She takes a very dim view of anyone wanting to play 'god' as he was doing. Do not forget, there is no such thing as 'The Greater Good,' a fact he will learn to his sorrow. I would not worry about him."

Ruffling Harry's hair and giving him another hug, a loud gong suddenly echoed in the Escher Room.

"It's time."

Harry looked up at the Potions Master who came to stand beside him as Jareth stepped away and summoned a crystal. The Fae Monarch tossed it at the pair.

"Remember, there is paperwork waiting, for the both of you. Farewell Harry Potter, Severus Snape. I shall be watching both of you closely."

Then, in a swirl of sparkling motes, the pair found themselves standing in front of Gringotts. Harry was still dressed in his attire from the Labyrinth – a poets shirt and leggings. Severus Snape was dressed in his black teaching robes.

"So now what?" Harry hesitantly asked the pale, dour professor.

"Now, Pot...Harry, we live our lives," the man told the anxious teen who started at the lack of snarkiness in his professor's voice. "With the Dark Lord gone, and Albus with him, there is nothing stopping us from living your life. I, for one, shall be tendering my resignation at Hogwarts forthwith."

Severus Snape looked up at the bank silhouetted against the afternoon sky and snorted. They needed to get the paperwork signed before any one could get their hooks into the Boy Who Lived. How he – and the brat – hated that moniker. Yes, getting away from Hogwarts would do wonders for his disposition.

"If you say so sir." Harry looked up as well, uncertainty laced his voice.

Severus knew that the removal of the two strongest wizards in centuries would leave a huge hole in the power structure of the Wizarding World. It would be interesting to see what happened next.

Harry Potter was too young yet to wield any true political power, what with how the Ministry's been waffling about him in the press for the past couple of years. . . it had taken a toll on boy's reputation. It'll be interesting to see what develops.

If what Albus had said was true, and the Dark Lord had created a way to be immortal, well . . . Severus was certain that the Goddess took care of that little problem. She could be very vindictive when crossed. He shuddered and refuse to think what his former masters were doing right about now.

Glancing over at the much healthier looking teen, he mused, 'We will have to sit down with the Gringotts Goblins and discuss how we should play this.'

By resigning Hogwarts, and now no more a Death Eater, Severus no longer needed to play favorites with the Slytherins. He didn't need to watch his performance neither did he need to be a spy, for either side.

Teaching Potions was dangerous business. He'd needed that snarky reputation just to keep the dunderheads from blowing up the castle. Potter and Longbottom were. . .

No, he had to change his way of thinking about Potter. He really didn't want THAT Being back in his life. The literal 'Sword of Damocles' gave the bitter man shivers.

'Potter better be appreciative of what I am doing for him.'

Severus placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, catching his attention. "Come, I'm sure there will be many wishing answers." He almost laughed at the sour look Potter gave him.

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The paperwork was waiting, just as the Goblin King had promised. A quick read through and a few signatures and the scrolls folded in on themselves and disappeared.

Harry found out it was a few days before his birthday. So he hadn't missed it after all. From his private calculations, he had been in the Underground for about six months, give or take.

The director of Gringotts displayed a vicious streak when asked for advice about the two elder wizards disappearances. "I say, say nothing. It isn't your place. There is no way they can be linked to either of you. Lord Potter was already missing. So how does that tie in with him? No, it would be better, and more entertaining, to let the fools in the Wizarding World figure it out for themselves. Maybe we can get some work done without them sticking their beaks into everything," he snarled.

The pair exchanged a glance and shared a smirk. It would serve everyone right. The Wizarding World would be running around with heads so far up their arses for months that they would never see daylight, let alone figure things out.

Severus stood and gave a slight bow to the director, as Harry cleared the images out of his mind of kicking back and munching popcorn while everyone was frantically searching for answers.

"Come, Pot . . . Harry. We'll go to Hogwarts and let your adoring fan club fawn all over you, now that you are back."

Harry made a long, sad face that almost caused Severus to lose what dignity he had left.

"Must we? Nothing will have changed. . . "

"Come brat!" Severus grabbed the whining teen by the shoulder as they walked out out of office leaving an amused goblin behind his desk.

They disappeared from the steps of the bank not caring who saw them. In the distance the two men thought they heard the Goblin King's voice faintly singing, "You remind me of the babe. . ."

And Goblin voices echoing, "What babe. . .?"

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

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A/N: This is it, the last chapter. We can now put this story to bed. Thank you all for the comments, reviews (both good and negative). We read them all, acknowledged some, ignored some while shaking our heads at the rest.

This story was dedicated to two men that gave their time and talents to entertain us. They will be missed.

The next story has been written and waiting for Frau's TLC. So stay tune.

Until next time. – GF and The Frau