Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everyone in this story 
except of Morrigan Snape and Cassiopeia Black.

Pairing: SS/SB
 
Rating: PG-13. Warning: implied incest

Summary: When Dumbledore asked Black and Snape to 
shake hands in GoF, I thought, they are behaving like two 
little boys, and Dumbledore like their impatient father. 
Plotbunnies sprang out of the wilderness...


Family Ties, Chapter Seven: Fathers and Sons
By Ratwoman
ratwoman02@yahoo.de

Albus Dumbledore reread again and again Sirius last letter. 
It was quite... revealing. 

>>I guess you were referring to 'what happened two days 
before the Shrieking Shack incident', when you asked me in 
your last letter what I feel for Severus. Good question. 
Mostly envy, I think. He has always been the clever one, the 
intelligent one. I felt like you, Cassie and Morrigan loved 
and cherished me for being a good, fine boy who can climb 
trees and stuff, but that you were more proud of Severus' 
mind. Even when you were voicing your worry about his 
interest in the Dark Arts, you always were just as much 
proud of his understanding of them. I don't know, maybe by 
having intercourse with him I subconsciously hoped to 
incorporate the qualities I envied him for. Ask him, he is the 
clever one.<<

Sirius was clearly underestimating his own intellectual 
capabilities, but it all made sense; after all, one saw in his 
significant other the qualities one wanted to own. 
Unfortunately, his sons had recognised those qualities they 
(thought) they were lacking in each other.

Not that he did not still think it was gross that his sons had 
at some time committed incest, but he could make some 
sense of it now.

Sirius furthermore uttered his concern about Harry. Albus 
could only agree with that. Someone had corrupted the 
Triwizard Cup so that it had given out Harry's name as a 
fourth participant of the Triwizard Tournament, and there 
was no doubt that whoever had done that did not have 
Harry's welfare in mind. Albus wondered whether it would 
serve to relieve Sirius if he told him that he had asked 
Severus to keep an eye on Harry; he very much doubted 
that.

There were more things worrying Albus: Severus had told 
him that his Dark Mark was growing clearer, and that he 
knew the same for Karkaroff's Dark Mark. 

Albus was glad to have his old friend Alastor Moody here. 
There was someone he could rely on if things were getting 
harsh. At least so he thought.

*

It was amazing that Harry Potter as the youngest participant 
of the Triwizard Tournament had gathered the most points, 
together with Cedric Diggory. But nothing was decided 
before the third task was over.

Albus knew, Harry could have hardly have come off so well 
without outside help, but he was not sure who had assisted 
him. Maybe the foolish Ludo Bagman? Surely he would like 
it if the youngest participant won, it simply looked good. 
Then maybe Sirius Black; he was very worried about his 
godson's safety after all. Sirius was hiding in Hagrid's house 
at the moment, ready to do something when alerted. 

Anyway, whoever had put Harry's name into the Goblet of 
Fire was likely to strike today or never. Albus had put 
Minerva, Alastor, Hagrid and Professor Flitwick as patrols 
around the maze for the case that one of the participants 
needed to be rescued; there was nothing more he could do 
now. 

The time they spent waiting for the participants was 
annoyingly long. Too long, for Albus' taste. 

An hour passed, and more, then Albus saw Severus 
convulsively clutching his left forearm. Oh no, could it be 
that...? 

Severus walked calmly over to Albus, looking very pale. 

"He's back." he whispered.

"You're sure?" Dumbledore replied. Severus nodded his 
head. 

So the moment they had feared most had come. Was it a 
mere coincidence that it was at the same time the Third 
Task was taking place? 

Albus got more and more worried the more time passed, 
looking desperately for the Champions. 

Then suddenly... Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory appeared 
at the entrance of the maze, falling to the ground. Cedric's 
body was strangely limp, and Harry was crutching the 
Triwizard Cup in his hand. 

Albus jumped up and rushed towards the boys and 
crouched down next to them. Harry opened his eyes when 
he called his name, a look of complete horror on his face. 
"He's back." Harry whispered. "He's back, Voldemort."

Cornelius Fudge, looking appalled, bend down beside him. 
"What's happened?" he asked, then whispered in shock, 
"My God - Diggory! He's dead!"

The words were repeated by the frightened crowd that had 
gathered around them. Dumbledore was beyond speech. 
One of his students had died and he had not been able to 
prevent it. 

Dumbledore helped Harry to his feet. The boy looked as if 
he had gone through hell.

"Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here..." Fudge 
said. Albus saw Amos Diggory running towards him. Gods, 
how should he explain that to him? 

Moody reached them and said: "I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, 
I'll take him..." 

"No, I would prefer..." Dumbledore answered. "Harry, stay 
here," he said before turning to Amos Diggory and the hard 
task of telling him that his son was dead. 

Mr Diggory was too shocked to really understand what 
Albus was telling him, repeating again and again: "No, he 
can't be dead..." Albus sighed. No father should have to 
bury his own son. 

Dumbledore turned around to take care of Harry, but the 
boy was not there anymore. Dumbledore's eyes searched 
the field for him and saw Harry Potter far away being led off 
by Mad-Eye Moody. Or someone who looked like Moody, 
because the Alastor Moody he knew would not remove 
Harry Potter from his sight after what happened tonight. 
Why hadn't he noticed earlier that Moody was not behaving 
like his old friend at times? 

"Minerva, Severus, follow me!" Albus ordered. 

* 

Albus strode to the castle with Minerva and Severus, rage 
and fury running through his blood. Who was the one who 
had taken on Mad-Eye Moody's identity and fooled him for 
almost a year? His mind worked incessantly on the way to 
the castle... The Dark Mark appearing on the sky at the 
Quidditch World Cup, Bartemius Crouch dismissing his 
house-elf Winky... maybe Sirius Black was not the first 
wizard who had escaped from Azkaban after all. 

It was very easy to storm into Moody's office and stupefy 
the impostor; almost too easy after all the trouble he had 
caused. 

Albus ordered Severus to fetch a Veritaserum and call the 
house-elf Winky, and Minerva to bring a large dog from 
Hagrid's house to his office. He could always trust them that 
in times of trouble they'd work efficiently and ask questions 
afterwards; Severus and Minerva left without a word. 

Albus used the time before they returned searching 
Moody's magic box. After turning the seventh key he found 
his old friend lying unconsciously in a pit. Albus was worried 
and very angry about the state Alastor was in; he was very 
thin, almost starved, and he must be freezing, too. 
Dumbledore quickly explained to Harry how a Polyjuice 
Potion had been used to take on Moody's form, then he sat 
down and waited for the impostor to take on his former self. 

Minutes passed, then Albus recognised that his assumption 
had been right; Bartemius Crouch Junior was the impostor. 
Albus clearly remembered Barty Crouch's trial, how his own 
father had send him to prison and announced that he was 
no longer his son. He also remembered the cold, arrogant 
way Barty Crouch Senior had told Cassie that HER son did 
not even deserve a trial. At her very understandable 
outbreak he had reacted as if she had just shown particular 
weakness by standing to her son even though Sirius 
appeared to be a Dark Wizard. In Albus eyes, many Death 
Eaters showed more humanity than Bartemius Crouch 
Senior.

Severus and Minerva came back, clearly stunned about 
Crouch's identity. Winky, on the other side, was devastated 
and flung herself protectively over Crouch. Dumbledore 
assured her that he was simply stunned and asked Severus 
for the Veritaserum.

Only interrupting with short questions to direct him to what 
he needed to know, Albus listened quietly to Barty Crouch's 
story, how Crouch's mother had sacrificed her life to save 
him from Azkaban, how his father had kept him under 
control by constantly putting the Imperius Curse on him. 
Albus was not sure which was crueller - being in Azkaban, a 
place of constant terror, or being without a break under the 
Imperius, deprived of the free will. How could a father do 
this to his own son? 

Albus listened silently as Barty Crouch related how he had 
begun to fight the Imperius and how there had been 
moments when he'd been free of it. How he had conjured 
the Dark Mark on the sky at the Quidditch World Cup, not to 
frighten normal wizards, but to scare those former Death 
Eaters that were not enslaved but nevertheless did not seek 
their master. 

Loyalty... loyalty was seen as a virtue, but what if that 
loyalty was bound to the Dark Lord? 

A blissful yet insane smile spread across Crouch's face 
when he told how his master had come for him. Crouch and 
his father changed places; now it had been Crouch Senior 
who was confined with the Imperius. The story went on with 
Crouch Junior's attack on Moody, his murder of his own 
father, and his turning the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey in 
order to bring Harry to Lord Voldemort.

All the while, Dumbledore kept thinking, that he, Albus, had 
at least not made as many mistakes with his own sons as 
Crouch Senior. The difference was that he had never made 
his love dependant on the choices they had made. That he 
had stood to them no matter what they had done. 

*

A few hours later Fudge proved himself to be a complete 
idiot by not only bringing a Dementor into the castle, who 
constantly performed the Dementor's kiss on Crouch, but 
Fudge even refused to believe that Voldemort was back. 

Albus was not really surprised that he had to organise the 
resistance alone.

"And now it is time for two of our number to recognise each 
other for what they are. Sirius, if you could resume your 
usual form."

The big black dog who was sitting next to Harry's bed 
looked up and turned into a man. Sirius looked much better 
than a year ago, but there still was a haunted look in his 
eyes. 

Dumbledore was dimly aware that Mrs Weasley was 
shrieking back, but he was more interested in Severus' 
reaction. Staring at his brother with a look of fury and 
horror, Severus snarled: "HIM! What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation, as are you Severus. I trust you 
BOTH." Albus said pointedly. "It's time for you to lay aside 
your old differences and trust each other." Albus bit his 
tongue before he could add something like 'but don't 
commit incest again'. 

Anyway, his sons were just glaring at each other with the 
utmost loathing. Albus sighed and said impatiently: "I will 
settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will 
shake hands, you are on the same side now. Time is short 
and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, 
there is no hope for any of us."

Severus and Sirius still glared at each other, but then very 
slowly moved towards each other. They shook hands, but 
let go very quickly. For the flicker of a second Albus could 
see desire flaring up in their eyes, so he quickly stepped 
between them. 

"That will do." Albus said, then ordered Sirius to gather up 
the old crowd. Sirius turned into a dog once more and left 
the room. Even more dangerous was the task he had in 
store for his other son. 

"Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are 
ready, if you are prepared..." he almost hoped Severus 
would refuse to take on his old role as a spy.

"I am." Severus said, even paler than usual, but his black 
eyes shone with excitement.   

"Then good luck," Albus said and watched Severus leaving 
the room. Much as he wished to, he could not protect his 
sons from danger. But he could trust them to do the right 
thing in the end.



*** 

FINIS