Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter one

It was barely what you could call a house. The walls wouldn't last long. They were already collapsing; plaster and rumble coving the floor.

Severus Snape took a few deeps breaths as the panic rose inside him. He walked as quickly he could towards the ruin. The door was blown clear off its hinges and had shattered against the wall. A picture of a young baby holding a messily painted welcome sign lay singed and torn on the floor, its frame shattered around it.

Snape picked it up and stuffed it in his robe pocket. He leant against the wall and took a few deep breaths to steady himself before making his way over the fallen ceiling beams. The wall moved slightly and let out an ominous creak as he leant against it, so he moved away as quickly as he could.

He turned the corner of the hallway and promptly turned away in disgust, a wave of nausea passing over him. James Potter's lifeless body lay at the bottom of the flight of stairs. His eyes were opened wide in fear with the tell-tale sign of the killing curse, the lighting bolt still showing brightly on his chest, peeking out of his ripped shirt.

Snape had never been fond of his schooltime bully, James Potter, by any means, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Snape bent down and closed James' eyes out of respect before moving past him and up the stairs. The staircase rocked dangerously with every step. Come morning, the house would be nothing but a pile of rubble, dust and ghosts.

There was the sound of a child crying from a nearby room at the top of the stairs. Snape moved quickly towards the noise. Harry, no more than eighteen months old, stood unsteadily in his cot, tears running down his face and with his tiny hands clutching the charred wooden railing. Snape picked him up and cradled the him carefully in his arms before conjuring a ball of water for Harry to play with. He turned to look at the rest of the nursery.

He froze.

A flash of copper hair on the other side of the cot. With trembling hands, he carefully put Harry back down, feeling that his arms weren't his own. He found himself moving towards Lily, the world passing in slow motion.

He fell to his knees beside Lily, dragging her broken, bleeding body into his arms, tears pouring down his cheeks. A wordless cry, a scream of pain exploded from him. He'd never felt pain like this. He felt like he would explode from grief, his world collapsing in on itself in the tiny room. He was going to die here, he couldn't breath.

"Lily." he choked between sobs, clutching her limp form close to his chest, "I'm...I'm so sorry, Lily I..."

She'd moved, he was sure she moved. He released her slightly, so she was lying on his lap, cradled in one arm.

"Lily?" He called out, "LILY!"

She moved again, her eyes fluttering open as her chest moved slightly with small laboured breaths.

"S...Severus? Wh...Where's Harry?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper and a drop of blood trickled from her lips.

"He's here, he's OK, he's fine." Snape said, relief flooding his voice. He used his free sleeve to wipe away fresh tears only to have them replaced immediately.

"Good." Lily said falling back into unconsciousness.

"Lily, no!" Snape ordered her loudly, "Wake up! You've got to stay awake!"

There was a thundering crash as a large piece of the roof caved in across the room, barely missing the cot and showering all three of them with a fresh layer of plaster and dust.

Snape found himself snapped back to the urgency of the situation and he knew it was time to leave.

Laying Lily carefully back down, he got to his feet and lifted the crying Harry into his arms. Kneeling back down, he held Harry in one arm, and pulled Lily into the other. With a deep breath, he apparated straight to the lobby of St. Mungo's.

A swarm of medics surrounded him at once, checking Lily for a pulse. It was faint but there.

"What happened?" A medic asked him, summoning a note pad and quill as the trauma team levitated Lily and began moving her to a treatment room.

Snape attempted to look past him to see what they were doing with Lily, but the medic blocked his view with a look of annoyed patience.

"Excuse me, sir, but it's clear that this woman has been viciously attacked." the officious little man said urgently, "We need to know what happened. My name is Marius Hogweed."

Hogweed glanced down at the crying and fussing baby in Snape's arms. He looked back up, suspicion crossing his features, "Is this your son?"

"No." Snape replied, clutching Harry closer to him, "He's hers."

"We'll take him then. He can stay in the nursery wing." Hogweed stated, reaching out to take Harry.

"No!" Snape snapped, stepping back from Hogweed's outstretched arms, "No, Harry stays with me."

Hogweed hesitated, "Harry was it? Harry's hurt his head. We should make sure he doesn't have a concussion."

Snape ran his finger over Harry's bleeding forehead, tracing the lighting bolt shape with his finger.

"He doesn't." Snape said, confused. He sat down on a nearby chair, his legs shaking. He felt suddenly exhausted, "I wasn't there...I arrived too late. But I think I can tell you what happened."

Hogweed sighed, tired after a long and busy day. He really didn't want to deal with yet another difficult patient on Halloween. However, his better nature and professionalism took over and so with a deep breath he sat down next to Snape.

"Was this an attack by You-know-who?" Hogweed asked in a low voice, so as not to alarm other patients and staff.

Snape nodded slowly, "Yes, yes I believe it was."

Hogweed took another deep breath, he'd seen to many attacks from that man recently.

Harry started fussing again. Snape made an attempt to calm him down, using the distraction to get his own thoughts in order.

Hogweed took out his notebook and quill again. He needed this man's story in writing as soon as possible for when the Aurors turned up. Memories changed with time. He took another deep breath, before he spoke again, as gently as he could, "Do you have any idea why?"

"Lily and James were in hiding." Snape answered, "They thought...no, they were in danger. He...I mean, You-Know-Who thought Harry was a threat."

"What?" Hogweed asked sceptically, "The child?"

"Yes." Snape said coldly.

"What happened?" Hogweed continued, not sure what to believe.

"I arrived to see the house in ruins. James Potter is dead and there were clear signs of the killing curse."

A sudden moment of clarity struck Snape.

"They had a secret keeper." Snape hissed, "The house was under a Fidelius Charm. Sirius Black, he was the only secret keeper they had. He must have betrayed them! You have to find him! Now!" Snape stood up suddenly causing Harry to start crying again.

"We'll alert the Aurors," Hogweed said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Was there any obvious sign of You-Know-Who?"

"Only the destruction he caused," Snape told him, sitting back down, "The front door was blasted in, the house was falling to pieces." He sighed, "It's probably collapsed completely by now..."

They were interrupted by a young witch.

"Marius? The patient is stable. And awake." she told Hogweed.

"Thank you Lizbeth." Hogweed nodded.

Snape jumped to his feet and rushed down the hallway, barging past Lizbeth, holding tightly onto Harry, and ignoring the calls to stop from behind him. He spotted Lily lying in bed through the small window in the door a few doors down the corridor. He hesitated before going in.

Lily smiled weakly up at him as he entered.

"You still have Harry."

Snape smiled back as best as he could. Her voice was weak, and tinged with pain, that he seemed to feel as well.

"I tried to sell him to the gift shop, but apparently that's not allowed." Snape softly said, forcing a smirk onto his face despite the tears that were trying to force their way out.

Lily smiled, letting out a small laugh before instantly wincing in pain. Snape moved closer to Lily's bedside, holding Harry out to her so they could touch fingers.

He drew out a chair next to her bedside and sat down

"They've been asking a lot of questions." Snape explained, trying to keep the whirlwind of his emotions in check, "I told them that the house was under a Fidelius and that Sirius was your secret keeper. They're going to look for him now. They'll find him, don't worry."

"What? No! NO!" Lily shouted before crying out in pain.

Lizbeth came charging into the room, hearing Lily's shout and cry of pain.

"Are you all right?" She asked, carefully examining Lily.

Lily began to hyperventilate, "No...no!"

"Lily!" Snape said soothingly. "Lily! Calm down!"

Several alarms went off from nowhere and more medics rushed in. One touched the inside of Lily's arm with a scarp of fabric, leaving a blueish stain on her skin. Lily immediately began to calm down.

"It...It wasn't Sirius." Lily gasped laying back down into the pillows, fighting the calming potion.

"Wh...What?" Snape spluttered in disbelief, "I thought...but surely?"

"We changed it last minute," Lily gasped out. Talking was clearly still difficult for her. "We knew...we knew that HE would assume it would be Sirius. So, James suggested we changed it."She took a few breaths before continuing. "It was Peter. Peter Pettigrew was our secret keeper. Not...not Sirius..."

Snape turned to the medics who were standing awkwardly in the corner of the room unsure what to make of the little drama.

"You have to let the Aurors 're out there now. You have to tell them that it wasn't Sirius. They have to find Pettigrew." Snape stated simply.

Lily shifted on the pillow, "He's an animagus. Peter is. He's a brown rat thing, brown like...like his hair."

"They'd better find Black anyway." Snape told them, "Knowing him, he'll kill Pettigrew if he finds him first. I know I would."

Lizbeth nodded before rushing from the room. The remainder of medics left after taking a few notes and making some checks on Lily's condition. Snape saw the medical identification card before they shut the folder. Lily Potter (née Evans) age 21. Muggleborn. Widowed.

Snape sat quietly for a few moments. Harry had stopped crying and was playing with Snape's hair. Lily booped him weakly on the nose with her finger, and Harry giggled.

"Lily can you remember what happened?" Snape asked quietly.

Lily lay back rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands

"We'd just been told that Peter had vanished." She began to explain quietly, "We got a letter saying it was suspected he'd betrayed us. The letter disintegrated as we were reading it and then the door was blasted in." She took a deep breath and tried not to cry, "I grabbed Harry and ran upstairs. James stayed on the stairs to...to give us time. We didn't have our wands with us. Harry had gotten into the habit of playing with them so we kept them upstairs."

Lily started crying now, unable to hold her tears back any longer. "He.. he.. he killed James. I heard him die. I slammed the door shut. Tried to think of a way out. But he blasted it open. He told me to hand Harry over. I put him in his cot and stood between them. I told him 'No'. He used the torture curse on me. Kept telling me to move. But I couldn't let him get to Harry, I couldn't let him hurt Harry. I didn't care if I died, if Harry would be safe."

Lily paused, her breathing ragged. "I think I must have blacked out for a second. I was on the floor and he was aiming his wand at Harry. I tried to stand back up I wasn't quick enough!" Her tears returned and she burst into sobs. "He cast the killing curse! Then there was a huge explosion and then...and then I woke up in your arms. He was gone, and the next thing I knew I was here...and Harry's still alive."

Lily reached out towards Snape, and he took her hand in his.

"I'm...I'm sorry about James." he said quietly.

Lily nodded and picked at the edge of the blanket, pulling at a loose seam "Thank you." She said leaning into him, doing her best to bring herself under control. She moved slowly into a sitting position with Snape's help.

"I hate waiting," she said with a sigh.

Thirty-two hours later Lily was able to sit up in bed and hold Harry for short periods of time. There was a sudden knock on the door. It was opened and in walked a much more pleasant Hogweed, followed by a rather annoyed looking Sirius Black. Sirius took one look at Snape and opened his mouth to say something.

Snape shushed him and indicated that Lily was firmly asleep, curled up with Harry.

"Can I help?" Snape asked icily.

"Haven't yet." Sirius hissed back glaring at Snape.

Hogweed stepped in between them and beckoned them into the corner by the door, where they could talk quietly.

"I thought you would like to know, gentlemen, that I was informed a few minutes ago that Mr Peter Pettigrew was arrested by a squad of Aurors. Apparently, he had killed twelve muggles and was looking at framing Mr Black here for everything. He has confessed and is on his way to Azkaban as we speak." Hogweed informed them. Both Sirius and Snape let out a sigh of relief.

He gave Lily a quick check over before quietly leaving the room. Sirius and Snape glared at each other, the only sound in the room being Lily's still slightly laboured breathing as she slept.

"You can leave now." Sirius hissed at Snape.

"No." Snape sneered back, "I can't. Lily needs me. But, feel free to go yourself. The door is just behind you. I'm sure even you know how to use one."

Snape turned back towards the bed but Sirius grabbed his arm and spun him back.

"She doesn't need you, Snivellus. She needs James. You know, the man she fell in love with? The one she married?"

Snape found himself scowling,"James is dead," he spat, "I've been here looking after Lily. And Harry. Where have you been, Black? Out drunk on a date with yet another one-off shag instead of protecting your best friends?"

"I've been looking for the man who tried to kill her and her son!" Sirius yelled.

Harry woke up at the noise and he began to fuss. Lily stirred in her sleep, but thankfully didn't wake. Both Snape and Sirius went over together and Snape tucked Harry back in, making some soothing sounds, lulling him back to sleep.

"This isn't going to work," Snape said quietly, not looking at Sirius for fear of loosing his temper, "I'm not leaving them again. I won't. We don't get on, Black. We never have. But we can't be angry at each other right now. Not when Lily needs us."

"Look Severus," Sirius sighed, tears forming in his eyes, "James was my best friend. When my own family kicked me out he took me in. I lived with them. They were my family the only family I've ever known. I don't know how to be anything but angry that James is dead. I need to be here to help his son. I need to be here for Harry or I am going to be angry for the rest of my life and it's going to kill me."

Snape looked at him levelly for a moment. "We both know what it's like to grow up in angry households, Black. With families at each others' throats." His gaze returned to Lily and Harry, sleeping peacefully once again. "We can't do the same. It'll destroy them."

"Yeah I guess it did kind of mess us up," Sirius agreed. "And they've been through enough."

Snape nodded, "It's true. We don't matter any more. We don't like each other, and that's fine, but they need us now. Both of us, for Harry and Lily. Always."

An hour or so later, Sirius and Snape were seated either side of Lily's bed. She and Harry both still slept, and the two men had stayed quiet. Snape dozed uncomfortably in his chair, whilst Sirius kept a careful watch over their vulnerable charges.

There was a knock on the door and Lizbeth came in looking overly excited, "Sir! Sirs!" She burst out excitedly.

With a grumble, Snape roused himself and shifted into a better sitting position, "What is it?"

"There is someone here to see you!" Lizbeth informed them.

"Who is it?" Sirius asked reluctant to move and not in the mood to play guessing games.

"Albus Dumbledore!" She shrieked, excitedly, "He's waiting in the hall."

Snape and Sirius sighed and walked over to the door. Albus Dumbledore stood outside the room. Snape and Sirius moved into the hallway, closing the door behind them. An uncomfortable silence moved between them.

"Can we help you, Albus?" Severus said looking at his friend curiously.

"Yes Severus." Dumbledore replied in his soft voice, "I'm sorry, and I think this may be hard for you to accept, but I'm here for Harry."

"What?!" Sirius erupted, "You must be joking!"

"Lily is alone." Dumbledore stated calmly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Her husband is dead, her house is destroyed and Harry must be protected."

"Lily can protect her son." Sirius pointed out, his temper starting to boil, "You know she's capable. And so can we for that matter. Where would you take him anyway?"

Sirius took a few deep breaths to calm himself, whilst Dumbledore watched him indulgently for a few moments with an annoying calmness.

"To his aunt's." Dumbledore told them, "Lily's sister. He can live away from the magical world. He can have a normal life."

Snape slammed his fist onto a small, nearby table. The vase of flowers on top of it crashed to the floor, shattering and spilling its contents.

He stood close to Dumbledore, looking him squarely in the eye. "NO! That women is evil. She made Lily miserable. She won't raise Harry. She'll break him!"

Sirius looked over to Snape in shock at the outburst. A small glimmer of joy crossed Dumbledore's eye but was gone as quickly as it appeared. Sirius rested a hand on Snape's shoulder when he saw it, giving it a slight squeeze in warning.

"I feel the best thing for Harry would be to stay with his mother." Sirius calmly explained, "She is his parent after all and it would cause her even more pain to lose Harry as well. As for having a safe home, Grimmauld Place is protected. My mother passed away a few months ago and we use it for the order after all at the moment. I would be happy for Lily and Harry to move in with me. I'm afraid the Order would have to find somewhere else to meet. You-Know-Who may be gone, but his followers aren't."

"I really must protest." Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

"Why? What reason can you have?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Dumbledore pursed his lips for a moment and paused. "Perhaps you are correct. As you suggest I will contact the other members of the Order. Give my regards to Lily and young Harry."

Dumbledore looked over the two men, stroking his long beard thoughtfully for a few moments. He then turned on the spot, and disapparated.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked, curiously.

Snape sighed, "Yes. Very much so. And I want a bedroom that doesn't face south."

"What?" Sirius froze.

"If Lily's moving in, so am I." Snape stated simply, folding his arms and daring Sirius to refuse. "I'm sure you can survive, housemate."