Story [Harry Potter] Slave Child, Finally updated again! 10/16

Thank you! Yes, in the end, I didn't have the heart to let anything worse happen to the Grangers, and yeah, I can see Dumbledore really enjoying a good party too, lol. As for the non-appearance of the slavery spell, the next chapter should answer questions. I hope to have it up sometime next week.

I am so sorry for the long wait! I hope you're still reading. Here are a couple of happy chapters to make up for it.

Kriztin

Chapter 77

Harry glanced at his father to see if he knew what was going on, but Severus was still, watching Dumbledore intently, almost quizzically.



Dumbledore frowned slightly, but waved his wand over them again in silence.



Again nothing happened.



After a moment, Harry cleared his throat nervously. "Um, sir, is something wrong?"



Dumbledore's blue eyes did not merely twinkle; they positively blazed. When he spoke, his voice was fiercely happy. "No, Harry. Something is right! Very, very right. I'm not sure why or how it has happened, but the slavery spell has been broken. You're free."



Harry stared at him in silence, thinking that he surely must have misunderstood. He shook his head, afraid to hope.



Dumbledore reached to take his hand and squeezed it hard. "It's true, Harry."



"I'm free," Harry whispered, turning to his father. Tears blurred his vision and his voice shook. "Dad, I'm free."



Severus had been staring in disbelief, but suddenly he stepped close and swept Harry up in a great and joyful embrace. He didn't say anything but just held Harry close, so tightly that it almost hurt, but Harry didn't care. He was so stunned and so happy that he could scarcely take it in.



The slavery spell was gone. He was free.



A sob rose in Harry's throat as he flung his own arms around his father and hugged him tightly in return. "Dad, I'm free."



"Yes," Severus' voice was shaky and he stopped and cleared his throat before repeating more firmly. "Yes, I heard."



Finally they moved apart and looked to see Dumbledore beaming at them, his own eyes suspiciously bright.



Severus cleared his throat again before speaking. "But how? How did it happen, Albus?"



Dumbledore was quiet for a few minutes. "I'm not entirely sure," he said slowly. "I believe there may be two distinct possibilities, but I'm not sure which, if either, is responsible for breaking the slavery spell."



He fell silent again before Severus said, rather dryly, "Well, perhaps you would care to share your thoughts with us? Harry and I are a bit curious."



Dumbledore chuckled. "Of course. Have a seat."



They all sat down in armchairs before the desk and Dumbledore steepled his fingers together. "As I said, I'm not certain but so far as I can see there are two explanations. The first is the simplest, but I believe, also the least likely. I'm sure you both recall that Harry was grievously injured in the battle of Diagon Alley last summer."



Severus caught his breath. "Of course! I should have thought of it sooner. I can't believe I didn't."



Harry looked from one to the other. "What?"



"Your heart stopped beating for a moment after Bellatrix cast the sectumsempra spell against you," Severus told him. "Poppy had to resuscitate your heart. The slavery spell is broken by death, remember?"



"So I died for a moment and that broke the spell?" Harry asked.



"Possibly, but I have my doubts," Dumbledore responded. "For you did not truly die, Harry. Your heart stopped, and certainly you were very close to death at that point. You would have died if Poppy had not been able to resuscitate you...but she did, and I don't believe you had truly died, but were still at an in-between state. It is conceivable that in that moment or two you were close enough to death that it broke the spell."



"But you don't think so," Harry supplied.



"No, I don't think so," Dumbledore agreed.



"So what is the other explanation, Albus?" Severus wanted to know.



"It is a far more nebulous one," Dumbledore replied. "The greatest wizards of all time have not been able to fully explain or understand it. As you both know, Transfiguration is a complex and potentially dangerous branch of magic. Normally the focus is on tangible items, changing one objec

Chapter 78

At Hogwarts all the Christmas decorations had been taken down except for the one colossal tree at the far end of the Great Hall.

?It will have to be taken down tomorrow,? Dumbledore said regretfully as he, Harry, and Severus entered the Hall that evening. ?But I do like to leave it up through New Year?s.?

Harry grinned at him. It wasn?t really funny, but he was just so happy that he couldn?t stop smiling. He had been joyous all through the amazing miraculous day and he had never felt more like celebrating than on this New Year?s Eve.

He, his father, and the house elves had arrived a few moments earlier, Flooing into Dumbledore?s office where the headmaster had been waiting for them. Norie and Zan had been reluctant to come, but for Harry?s sake they had finally agreed. They had followed along, looking ill at ease, as the group had gone downstairs to the Great Hall, their eyes wide with wonder as they gazed about. Now at the wide arched door leading into the Hall, they stopped and stood frozen, staring at the large room and the crowd of people assembled inside.

?It?s all right,? Harry tried to reassure them. ?You know a lot of people here already.?

?We are just not accustomed to large crowds anymore, Master Harry, and it is not common for house elves to be guests at a party with wizards,? Zan said quietly.

?Well, it needs to be more common,? Harry said firmly.

Severus nodded in agreement. ?Indeed. Norie, Zan, there is no need to worry. Just stay with us, if you wish.?

?My friend Dobby is supposed to be here, too,? Harry told them. ?I think you?ll like him.?

He scanned the cavernous Hall, searching for Dobby, but with so many others milling about it was hard to spot one small house elf. Much of the Weasley clan was there, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the twins, Ron, and Ginny, as well as Bill and Fleur Delacour. Hermione was there with her parents, as was Neville and his grandmother, Luna and her father, and most of the Hogwarts professors. Harry was pleased to see that Hagrid had finally returned and was there, too, towering head and shoulders above the rest. He had hated not being on good terms with Hagrid lately and vowed to himself that as soon as possible, he was going to speak with him and get everything settled between them.

Draco was there too, standing beside Neville, of all people. Though, now that Harry thought about it, perhaps it wasn?t too surprising after all. Neville was fiercely loyal to his friends, but he was also very forgiving and not the type to hold grudges. Once he had accepted that Harry had forgiven Draco, and that the blond boy really had changed and wanted to make amends with them all, he would be willing to give Draco a second chance, Harry was sure.

Just then everyone caught sight of Harry, Severus, and Dumbledore in the doorway and rushed over to greet them. Various Weasleys, Hogwarts professors, and friends hugged Harry, shook his hand, and clapped him on the back. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick surrounding Severus and offering him their congratulations. Harry grinned even further at the slightly startled expression on his father?s face. It was about time Severus realized that he had friends, too, who liked and appreciated him.

With everyone greeting him and talking to him at once, Harry hadn?t had a chance to make his really big announcement about the slavery spell being broken. Before he could, Dumbledore?s voice, obviously under a sonorous charm, boomed through the Hall. Somehow he had wormed his way through the crowd up to the dais and now he called for everyone?s attention.

?Welcome, everyone. We are all happy to celebrate the New Year with Severus and Harry as they officially became father and son today.?

At this point, everyone began to clap and cheer and Dumbledore paused for a moment, smiling. When the noise had begun to die down, he continued.

?And we have a particularly joyful reason to celebrate tonight. Ha

Aww! Really cute concept for a fanfic! I love how Harry finally gets adopted!

Thank you, Miana and s65horsey!