"Really?" Severus said calmly. "In the first place, Black, Harry is not an object to be arbitrarily passed around. Secondly, I believe at age eleven, Harry will have some say in the decision as to whom he wants to live with and as I recall he was none too impressed with either you or his father."
"Snivellus," Sirius growled, his fists clenched as he started towards Severus, but Dumbledore held him back. "Calm down, Sirius. We'll get this worked out." He turned back to Severus. "Harry is a child and he doesn't know what's good for him."
Severus smirked as he imagined Harry's reaction to Dumbledore's patronizing attitude. "I believe I am correct in what I said about Harry having a say in his placement, but you may check with Sarah Mullings at Wizarding Child Services if you doubt me." He turned to go, but then stopped. "By the way, where is Potter exactly?"
Dumbledore frowned. "He's in St. Mungo's due to the fact that the Unspeakables were more interested in trying to question him rather than getting him immediate medical attention."
"I see," Severus replied his mind racing. That would give him more time to get Lily's identity established, but they would still need to act quickly. "Since nothing can be decided until Potter is out of the hospital I believe the best thing for Harry is to keep his living arrangements as they are currently." He left the office and returned to the Dungeon where he found Lily and Cissa laughing and Harry smiling as he listened to them.
"What did the Headmaster want, Severus?" Narcissa asked.
Severus sat down on the coffee table opposite the couch. "Apparently, there was a major disturbance in the Veil Room in the Department of Mysteries and when the Unspeakables went to investigate they found Potter."
"James came back too?" Lily asked. "Where is he?"
"He's in St. Mungo's. Apparently he did not get immediate medical attention as you did."
"Does that mean I have to go back and live with him and Sirius, Dad?" Harry looked alarmed.
Severus shook his head and put his arm around Harry. "That's for Wizarding Child Services to decide, Harry and I am sure Mrs. Mullings will ask for your input."
"Good, because I want to stay with you and mum."
"If you are feeling up to it, Lily I can take you to see your husband," Severus said.
Lily shook her head. "I don't really have any desire to see him, Sev. His stupidity and arrogance are the reason You-Know-Who found us in the first place. First, he chose Sirius as our Secret Keeper – someone who when drunk blabs everything he knows and then the two idiots got together, behind my back, and chose Peter. I never trusted that little rat and my instincts were right, but James kept whining and saying he was a Marauder and would never betray us."
"We do need to get your identity established as soon as possible," Severus said. "Possibly in the next day or two if you will be ready."
"I will be, but how am I going to establish my identity when I don't have my wand any longer?" Lily asked. She knew the main way someone's identity was established was by their magical signature because it never changed.
"But you do, Mum," Harry said and ran into his bedroom. He came back holding the slender, delicately carved wand in his hand. He gave it to her. "Dad found it and he's kept it for me all this time."
Lily ran her fingers over the carving on her wand that felt like an old friend. She looked up at him and said, "Thanks, Sev."
"You are welcome. Do you feel up to going to Gringotts on Monday?"
"But what about your classes, Sev?"
"We will not be gone that long, Lily and I can have one of my seventh year NEWT students take over my first and second period classes if need be."
"I don't have anything to wear either," Lily said, realizing the nightgown she now wore was the only thing she possessed.
"Don't worry, Lily. I can floo to Twilfit & Tatting's and pick you up some things," Narcissa volunteered. "And then when you're feeling better we can go shopping for a complete new wardrobe."
"Cissa, I would so appreciate it if you would," Lily replied. She knew Cissa had excellent taste in clothing and she wouldn't end up with the frumpy-looking clothes she's worn previously to satisfy James.
"Consider it done. I'll go first thing tomorrow," she promised as she stepped into the floo to go back to Malfoy Manor.
"What about James Potter, Mum?" Harry asked. "Are you going to stay married to him?"
Lily sighed. "I know you've probably always dreamed of having a family, but I cannot go back and live with your father again. He was jealous and possessive; he didn't want me to have any friends of my own – especially Sev, Cissa and Lucius. He insisted I dress in these frumpy- looking robes. When we were forced to go into hiding we fought a lot and I could hardly stand to be around him. To make matters worse Sirius was always over and when he couldn't come over once we went into hiding, James sulked, pouted and was generally disagreeable."
"It's okay Mum if you want to split from him. The way Sirius talked about him and bragged about what they did at Hogwarts and as Aurors I don't think I'd like him much anyway. He sounds like he'd be an older version of Ron Weasley."
"Ron?" Lily said remembering the cute redheaded baby who was a few months older than Harry. "I can't believe Arthur and Molly would allow him to behave in such a way."
"Well, he is very prejudiced against anything Slytherin," Severus said. "I never knew either of the Weasley's as I was never in the Order, but usually that kind of thinking starts at home."
"He got mad because Dad adopted me and I got sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor and he's been nasty ever since. Percy, Fred and George are really nice though. They keep him in line with threats of their mum sending him a Howler."
Severus smiled. "Molly's are pretty loud. The twins have received several of them."