Emerald in the Storm

Chapter One: The Prince's Tale

As soon as his results for his VULTUREs had been delivered to his family home, Harry had been whisked away by his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Moody. He had been told that it was for his own protection, and had subsequently been introduced to Professor Moody's husband, Auror Shacklebolt, as the pair of them had placed heavy wards upon the safe house he was to be living in. It was further up in the Alps than his parents' home had been, and all he had for company was his snowy owl, Hedwig.

After turning eleven, Hedwig had literally flown into their home, and hadn't left Harry's side since then. His parents didn't mind this form of companionship for their only child, and Hedwig quickly became extremely loyal to her new master. After doing some research, he discovered that the owl had likely escaped by Eeylops Owl Emporium, located in Diagon Alley, the wizarding shopping center in Great Britain. Stunned, Harry had anonymously forwarded the correct amount of Galleons to the shop with a quick note, ensuring that the employees there knew that Hedwig was safe in his care.

Harry was currently staring out the window of the safe house; he had turned sixteen a handful of weeks ago, and had been left there, with Hedwig, all on their own. He had been given access to sixth-year textbooks in all the subjects he'd chosen, and was encouraged to read and study with the timetables left to him by his private tutors. Hedwig, meanwhile, was permitted out each evening for a hunt, and seemed to thrive in the snowy weather, due to the fact that she literally blended in with their surroundings. All in all, although they were alone, the owl and the young man certainly had plenty of things with which to occupy their time.

There was plenty of snow around them, despite the fact that it was currently the second week of the month of August. Hedwig, perched upon one of her many perches throughout the chalet, ruffled her feathers becomingly beside him. She knew entirely well that her hunting time was not for several hours, although it did tend to get darker earlier the higher up you were on the Alps. It did not phase Harry, who enjoyed darkness, as well as the cooler temperature, and he would delight in making the fire bigger and brighter and studying before it, sometimes with a mug of hot chocolate.

There seemed to be something prickling at the wards of the chalet, and Harry wondered what it could be. It felt different than his parents' magic, as well as Professor Moody and Auror Shacklebolt's, not to mention the fact that the two latter individuals were the only people who reportedly knew about his location. His parents, in Portugal and India respectively, just knew he'd been moved, but to where, they did not know. However, someone else must've stumbled upon the chalet, due to the prickling of the wards; something about this magical signature seemed familiar, comforting, somehow, and Harry felt himself trembling as it seemed to encroach ever closer, Hedwig cooing from beside him.

Suddenly, the wards seemed to burst open temporarily, and a figure in a black, furred cloak stepped through the snow, a rainbow-hued phoenix on his arm. Harry's eyes widened as snow seemed to pick up around the figure, falling dramatically every which way. Something inside Harry told him that he could trust this person, whoever they were, and he dashed away from the window and towards the mighty front door. Throwing it open, he stood upon the threshold of the chalet, watching as the figure stepped ever closer, the phoenix trilling upon his arm.

"Hello?" Harry asked, peering through the snowstorm as much as he was able. "Who are you, why have you come? Are you lost?"

The figure, which Harry quickly deduced was a man as he stepped closer, pulled back his hood as he finally stood opposite Harry, and peered closely at him, something familiar smoldering within his black eyes. "Harry?" he asked.

Harry's heart thundered from within him. "Yes," he replied, shuddering from the cold around the pair of them. "Who asks? Who are you?"

"Severus Snape," the man replied. "I have been sent here to fetch you. I am familiar with Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Trust me, neither would have informed me of your location if I was not to be trusted."