Chapter 9

It had been nearly a week since the King's impromptu marriage, and the castle had begun to settle into its new rhythm. Severus, though still brewing potions in his new private laboratory, had taken on the role of consort with surprising efficiency. He now oversaw the castle's finances.

On this particular day, Harry had been looking forward to something rare: a quiet dinner with his husband. There were no audiences or ministers scheduled for today, and the number of suitors had died down significantly. The flutter of wings broke the silence as Harry sat in his office reading sme minor reports he had been setting aside.

A black owl swooped in through the open window, landing neatly on the edge of his desk. Harry frowned as he took the letter. His face drained of color when he broke the seal and began to read.

The parchment trembled slightly in his hands as he scanned the words again, hoping that he had misread. But no, the message was short and clear. His parents were arriving at Slytherin Castle tonight. They wished, no, basically demanded, to 'talk.'

Harry's breath came too fast, his chest started tightening as the words on the parchment blurred. His hands shook, and he pressed them against the desk as though to anchor himself. The thought of his parents arriving here sent a wave of dread through him. His throat constricted, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.

The office door opened roughly ten minutes later. Severus entered with a ledger in hand, but stopped short when he saw Harry trembling. He set the book aside immediately and crossed the room. "Harry," Severus said firmly while placing both hands on his husband's shoulders. "Breathe. In. Out. Slowly."

Harry tried; his breath was ragged at first, but Severus's steady presence grounded him. As the panic ebbed, it left him shaking but functional enough to hug the Potion master.

"What is wrong?" Severus asked.

Harry swallowed hard, then handed him the letter. Severus's eyes scanned the words, and he frowned. "Didn't you basically give them some territory at the outskirts of Britain to look after?"

"I had to. Simply banishing them after I took the throne would have caused a scandal. James is a Lord twice over. King or not, an heir disowning his family voluntarily would have caused an uproar. People would have started questioning everything. My mental state, my competence. So far, only Draco, Ginny, and Neville know the full truth."

"The full truth?"

Harry hesitated, then turned to him. "Do you remember my first year at Hogwarts?"

Severus nodded as both thought back to that night.

Eleven-year-old Harry sat nervously on the stool, the Sorting Hat whispering in his ear. "You have ambition, cunning, a hunger to prove yourself... Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness."

Harry slid off the stool after his House was called amidst clapping and made his way to the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy had shifted over, offering him a seat.

"Potter, huh? Well, you're mine now. Stick with me." Harry smiled faintly at the blonde, relieved to have a friend.

Hours later, when the Slytherin dormitory was quiet, the door slammed open, startling Harry and his roommates awake. James Potter stormed in with fury blazing in his eyes. Behind him, the Headmaster stood.

"No son of mine will be a snake!" James bellowed, grabbing Harry by the hair and dragging him from the bed. Harry cried out in pain and stumbled as he was yanked into the corridor.

Meanwhile, Severus's wards had flared, waking him up instantly. When he rushed into the dorms, the frightened first years had told them about Harry being dragged away. The Potion master found them in the Great Hall foyer. His wand was already drawn as James continued to drag his son.

"Potter!" Severus snarled. "Unhand my student at once!"

"Severus, James, and Lily have decided to homeschool Harry instead. It is their right as parents."

"Their right? He is my snake, Albus, and I will not see him manhandled like this, even if he is a Potter!" Severus growled as he kept his wand trained on James. A curse was already forming in his mind that would not hurt the child.

But before Potion master could strike, Albus flicked his own wand. The spell hit Severus squarely, freezing him in place. Petrified, he could only watch as James dragged Harry away with the boy's cries echoing through the empty hall.

Harry's voice was quiet now, though his hands still trembled faintly. "It wasn't the first time my father's anger hurt me. He always justified it under the law of disciplining and raising a worthy heir."

Then Harry gave a small, wry smile as he saw Severus's jaw tighten. "That was the first law I changed after becoming King. No parent can hide abuse behind the excuse of discipline anymore."

"Good," Severus said simply.

Harry hesitated, then asked, "Severus... have you ever heard of the Boy‑Who‑Lived?"

"I had heard the Headmaster go on and on about it in the years following the attack on the Longbottoms. He was muttering about something not being right." Severus confessed. "Honestly, I simply thought it was the ramblings of a man who might have inhaled too many Lemondrops."

Harry's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Apparently, this 'Boy‑Who‑Lived' was supposed to be me. Dumbledore came to my parents a month before my first year and told them his suspicions. He convinced them to let me attend Hogwarts, promising I'd be a good little lion and make the family name proud. But the night my father dragged me out of Hogwarts, he was muttering about how he should never have listened to Dumbledore. After that, they went low‑contact with him. Years later, I learned the name was tied to a prophecy that never came true."

"To the outside world, the Potters were the perfect aristocrats. Lord Potter, also Lord Peverel, became a competent Lord after his parents' passing. He married his school sweetheart while defying social norms at the time." Harry laughed bitterly. "Lily Potter, Muggleborn, but quickly learned to carry herself in high society as Lady Potter-Peverel. Then there was Harry Potter, the promising heir to the vast Potter-Peverel estates and fortune. Loved by his parents and homeschooled by the best Masters Galleons could buy. WHAT A LOAD OF CROCK!" Harry laughed bitterly while a tear escaped his eye. "I had to ask fucking permission to piss in that household!"

Severus's eyes darkened, but he said nothing and let Harry spill the truth that he had been keeping buried. Harry pressed on while leaning into Severus's embrace. "When the Fidelius charm was cast over the Potter cottage, Lily had a bad feeling. She pleaded with James to move to the old Potter castle that night. James hadn't set foot in it since his parents' funeral. That night, Voldemort attacked the cottage but found no one home. He killed Pettigrew, apparently their secret keeper, for giving him false information."

"After that, my parents grew paranoid. I think the Muggle term is 'extreme helicopter parents.' I was supervised in everything. I wasn't allowed to do half the things normal children did because it was 'too dangerous' and could 'potentially kill me.' Lily was overprotective. Her favorite line was 'Mother knows best.' James took a more pragmatic approach. He made a schedule for everything. When I ate, studied, slept... even when I peed."

"They thought they were protecting me. But really, they were just caging me. If it wasn't for the Malfoys, I'd still be locked in that hell." Harry muttered. "And tonight, they're coming here. I already know why they are coming. I thought I had more time before the news reached them."

"You are not that child anymore. You are King."