Part 5

"Since we've settled this matter, I'll leave you alone. I have a few more things to take care of before Severus can officially become your guardian. Have a good day."

Dumbledore, as if nothing had happened, gave Harry a warm smile and exited the office. The two Gryffindors hadn't expected this and tumbled inside the moment the door opened.

"It seems you have more visitors, Severus. I'm glad you have such good friends, Harry."

The children only gave innocent smiles. Snape let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't enough that he had one Potter to deal with—now he had to take care of his two friends as well. That cunning old fox, Dumbledore, had just dumped three troublemakers on him at once.

"Come in, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," Snape requested with his usual cold politeness. The children obeyed. They walked over to Harry, standing on either side of him. The Potions Master had the distinct feeling that Ron and Hermione were shielding Potter.

Once the headmaster had made his swift exit, an oppressive silence fell over the office. The children remained tense, eyeing the older man with caution while Severus pondered what to do with the ever-restless trio.

"I don't think this is the best place for a conversation," he finally said, making the Gryffindors flinch. That reaction almost amused him.

He stepped toward the nearest wall and tapped his wand against the bricks. A few seconds later, the wall trembled and revealed a dark passage. The trio stood frozen.

"Please, after you. My personal quarters," Snape invited them with little enthusiasm and a hint of irritation. "I'm not going to wait forever."

For a moment, the children remained motionless, but Snape's sarcastic remark spurred them into action.

Snape's living quarters weren't quite what they had expected. Harry and Ron even felt a little disappointed. The sitting room was rather ordinary—two velvet green armchairs sat in the center, facing a luxurious black leather couch. On the other side of the room, a fireplace built of gray bricks crackled softly with warm flames. The walls were nearly invisible beneath towering bookshelves, all packed with texts on Potions and magic. Snape gestured toward the couch, and the Gryffindors obediently took their seats.

"Would you like some tea?" Snape asked dryly. The trio hesitantly nodded, uncertain of what else to say.

"Wizel!"

With a soft pop, a house-elf appeared in the sitting room, bowing deeply in anticipation of orders.

"Bring some tea for my young guests, Wizel. And a strong coffee for me."

"Of course, Master."

Wizel returned a few minutes later, carrying four steaming cups and a plate of biscuits.

"What is this, Wizel?" Snape asked, nodding toward the plate.

"I thought the young guests might want a little snack."

Snape didn't press further, though he shot the elf a disapproving glance. He knew all too well that Wizel enjoyed spoiling children with sweets. The elf set the tray down on a mahogany coffee table between the armchairs and the couch before vanishing with another soft pop.

"Now then, while I am your temporary guardian, Mr. Potter, I expect you to follow certain rules. The first and most important—your ever-present trio is to stay out of trouble. The recent incident with the Whomping Willow proved that you are incapable of avoiding trouble."

Ron and Harry shamefully lowered their gazes, hiding behind their steaming cups of tea.

"And I do not want any secrets kept from me. Last year, during the Philosopher's Stone incident, I was there. Yet none of you thought to inform me, and you could have been seriously harmed."

The Gryffindors shifted uncomfortably, nibbling on their chocolate biscuits as they mulled over Snape's words. Sometimes, trouble simply found them, and there was nothing they could do about it. Trusting an adult was even harder.

"That's all for now. Once all the paperwork is finalized, we will have another discussion, Mr. Potter. Have a good day."

After ushering the children out, Snape finally allowed himself to relax. He collapsed into his favorite velvet armchair, lost in thought over Dumbledore's recent words.

"Think of Lily, Severus. The boy just needs a little love—just like you did. I think you two are well-matched. At least for a while, take care of him."

"That cunning old man," Snape thought, rubbing his tired eyes. "He's made me Potter's temporary guardian. But somehow, my headache has tripled. Potter comes as a set—with Granger and the youngest Weasley. And it seems there's no way out of it."

"Wizel! Bring me a Headache Potion."

"Yes, Master."

***

New prospects with Snape troubled Harry all night. The nightmares weren't the usual ones—these were different, and they refused to let him sleep. At one point, he dreamt of his worst fear.

The Dark Lord.

Snape handed him over without hesitation, without a single trace of remorse. Ron and Hermione lay lifeless beside him, their bodies slowly growing cold. The echo of Snape's Avada Kedavra still rang in his ears. The Potions Master gazed indifferently at their corpses before shifting his gaze to Harry.

Voldemort laughed. A chilling, cruel laugh. And the ghosts of his friends sneered at him.

"Harry, this is your fault."

"You have no idea how much we regret becoming your friends."

"You don't deserve our love or our friendship."

Voldemort's eyes gleamed like blood-red rubies. His grotesque smile never faltered.

"Look at you. A pathetic little nobody. You let them all down. You couldn't save anyone. You're alone. Completely and utterly alone."

"No!"

Harry woke up with a start, his own scream barely muffled by his pillow. Luckily, growing up with the Dursleys had taught him how to silence his cries. He had no intention of waking anyone up.

Glancing around to ensure everyone was still asleep, Harry slipped out of bed, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak, and left the common room. He needed fresh air, and there was only one place to go.

Navigating the castle's corridors in near darkness, he carefully avoided patrolling teachers and Filch. Finally, he reached his destination.

The Astronomy Tower.

The highest tower in the castle. And the safest. No professors ventured here at night, and many students from Gryffindor and Slytherin took advantage of that. Perhaps they were drawn by the peace and quiet that could only be found at night. Or maybe it was the thrill of breaking the rules. Everyone had their own reasons.

Harry climbed to the very top. A gust of autumn wind hit him immediately. He shivered from the cold but didn't back down. Taking a deep breath, he filled his lungs with crisp night air, and just like that, the fear and nightmares began to fade.

He sat on the cold stone floor, gazing at the clear night sky. Here, at the very top of the tower, he felt as close to flying as he could without a broom.

The quiet of the sleeping castle was broken by soft footsteps.

For a moment, Harry panicked, thinking he had been caught. But as he listened, he quickly relaxed.

Then, something warm and woolen draped over his shoulders. A red, knitted blanket.

Harry exhaled, finally at ease.

"Sorry for waking you," he murmured, resting his forehead against the white stone railing. The fluffy blanket quickly warmed him, and his shivering stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his unexpected—but very welcome—guest settle beside him.

"It's nothing," Ron assured him. "You know, you don't have to apologize every time you feel bad. Another nightmare?"

Harry gave a weak nod.

"Want to talk about it?"

Another nod.

As selfish as it sounded, he was glad he had woken Ron up. More than anything, he needed to know that Ron and Hermione were still there. That he wasn't alone.

"It wasn't exactly a nightmare. I mean, yes, I had a nightmare, but it was about Snape. And you too. I dreamed that you were gone. That you rejected me, abandoned me, or—worst of all—died at Snape's hands," Harry blurted out in one breath. Tears welled up in his eyes again.

"Hey… It was just a nightmare. You're our friend, and we'll never leave you. I promise. Just tell us if something's wrong, if something is bothering you. We're always here to help," Ron said as his warm hand rested on Harry's shoulder. That small gesture meant much more to Harry than Ron could have imagined.

"You know, sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you or Hermione. I never thought I could have such amazing friends as you."

"Don't say nonsense. You're our friend, and that's enough for us to care about you and look after you. You do the same for us. You don't need to be someone special to be loved," Ron said as he sat on the wide railing of the small balcony of the Astronomy Tower. It wasn't the safest thing to do, but the Golden Trio had pulled off similar stunts more than once. The cold wind hit his face, reminding him of flying on a broomstick. Harry sat beside him, wrapped in a warm Gryffindor blanket. Watching the stars in the clear night sky, he thought about Ron's words:

"You don't need to be someone special to be loved."

Leaning against his friend, Harry whispered softly in his ear:

"Maybe you're right. Thank you."

"Don't mention it…"

No one said anything else. Ron quietly hummed a tune that sounded like an old Muggle lullaby, while Harry enjoyed the comforting thought that he was not alone. That he had Ron and Hermione, and that was enough. And that even Snape's guardianship wouldn't be able to ruin his life at Hogwarts.

So, on the wide railing of the little balcony in the Astronomy Tower, they sat together until dawn, watching as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. A new day was beginning.