Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

Title: Harry Potter's Terrible Day, Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended  
WARNINGS: This story will contain corporal punishment of minors. If this offends you in any way, I suggest you read no further.

Harry Potter was having one of the worst days of his young life. First he had woken late, and got a severe scolding from Aunt Petunia, followed by a cuff about the head from his uncle for burning the bacon at breakfast. His uncle also informed him that he would not be receiving breakfast or dinner as punishment of his not getting up on time.

So Harry had ended up going to school with an empty stomach, and then got a firm rebuke from his teacher for losing his homework. Dudley had taken it before school and shredded it, but Harry was afraid to tell the teacher the truth because then she would say that he was lying. As a punishment, his teacher had made him stand in the corner, and then told him he would have to stay after school to complete yesterday and today's homework since he could not be trusted to bring his homework back to school. Harry groaned inwardly. He was going to be in so much trouble for coming home late!

And to make it all worse, he could hear Dudley and his gang sniggering in the back of the room while he was being punished. It wasn't fair. How come Dudley was always seen as a good boy when he was so bad inside? How could this day get any worse?

But it did. Dudley came and stole his lunch when the teachers weren't looking, and then once Harry went out to the playground, Dudley and his friends decided to play their favorite game, "Harry hunting." Harry was just trying to get away from them and decided to jump behind the trash cans. The next thing he knew, everything went black. He felt like he was being squeezed from all directions, and then he fell hard on the ground.

Harry looked around in surprise. The school was gone, and in its place were rows of dilapidated old houses. Harry didn't know what to think. What had happened to him? Where did his school go? And how much trouble was he going to be in when the Dursleys found out?

Harry had scarcely had time to adjust to his new environment, (in fact he had yet to stand up) when someone tripped over him. He looked up to see a tall man in some kind of billowing black dress glaring at him. The strange man had black and greasy shoulder length hair, cold black eyes, pale skin, yellowish teeth, and a hooked nose. He was the scariest man Harry had ever seen. Harry wanted to get up and run away from the scary man, but his muscles seemed to be frozen. For a moment he and the man just stared at each other.

* * *

Severus Snape was not having a good day. He had fought and fought with Albus to get this day off, only to have everything go wrong.

He had been unable to get the supplies he needed for a very important potion, the very reason for needing the day off. And now, he had received word that there was a problem at his residence. The wards had gone off, and so Severus had apparated, only to trip over a street urchin on the way to his abode.

He glared down at the boy, and then his heart almost stopped. That hair, and those eyes, but it couldn't be...

Severus reached down and roughly pulled the child to his feet. He brushed the boys bangs from his forehead revealing the scar. Damn! How had the boy gotten here? And what was he supposed to do with him?

* * *

First and foremost, Severus knew he had to get Potter off the street. Luckily he lived in a muggle neighborhood, and thus no wizards should see him, but Snape didn't want to take any chances.

He grabbed the boy by the arm and began dragging him down the cobbled street to his home. The boy seemed to falter for a moment, and then began to struggle trying to remove his arm from Snape's firm grip.

"Let me go!" screamed Potter.

Severus turned, silencing the boy with a spell before picking him up like a like a sack of potatoes and continuing on his way.

* * *

Harry could scarcely believe it. This scary, ugly man had grabbed him without saying anything, and started dragging him down the street!

And then, when Harry tried to fight him, he had brought out this stick thingy and suddenly Harry couldn't talk. It didn't matter how loud he screamed, no sound came out. So once Harry was picked up, he started trying to hit the man's leg with all his might, as this was the only place he could reach in his current position.

All of a sudden the man pulled Harry up, and the next thing he knew the man was raining spanks down on his bottom. Harry arched his back and cried out, but of course no one heard him.

* * *

After swatting the boy, Severus whispered into his ear, "You will cease this behaviour at once, Potter." When the boy stiffened, Severus continued, "Yes, I know who you are, and your fame will get you nowhere with me. I am going to put you down and you will calmly walk by my side until we get to my home, at which time you and I will have a long discussion about why you are here, when I know your residence is in Surrey. If you so much as step one foot out of line, I will stop right here and now and tan your sorry little backside until you cannot sit for a week. Do. You. Understand?"

The boy stilled for a moment and then nodded vigorously. Severus placed the boy on the ground, taking his closest hand. The child looked up with fearful tear-filled eyes, his free hand reaching behind to rub his stinging backside. Snape did not react, but turned and continued down the street.

* * *

Harry struggled to keep up with the scary ugly man's long strides. He had long since quit trying to talk or yell, and anyways the man had given him a lot to think about.

Harry couldn't imagine how he had ended up here, wherever here was. He knew there was no way the man would believe him if he told him what happened, but he wasn't sure what else to say. Harry had no clue what the man meant about his 'fame'. What was he famous for? Being the only kid who had to live in a cupboard instead of having a bedroom like everyone else?

Harry was quickly tiring and had tripped twice in trying to keep up with the man. The first time, the man just jerked him back up to his feet and continued on, but the second time the man stopped and glared at him. Even though Harry's backside wasn't stinging anymore, he was afraid that perhaps the scary ugly man would spank him again. He reached his hand back in an attempt to protect his bottom. Instead, the man sighed before picking Harry up again for the rest of the journey.


	2. Chapter 2

_a/n: revised 08/29/07 to include some spoilers from DH, mainly the fact that Severus knew both Petunia and Lily as a child. I am using this fact because it will help develop the character Petunia. The changes are minor and do not affect the plotline. I am very sorry for not updating I **am** working on the current chapter and will post it as soon as I can, but am posting these because I'm afraid if I don't, they might be erased._

Chapter 2

Severus Snape was not fond of children. In fact he loathed them. He would have liked to ignore Potter, and continue on his way, but did not do so for several reasons. First of all, if Albus were to find out, Severus knew he would have to sit through one of his tedious lectures. In addition, Severus had to admit a grudging respect for the headmaster. The thought that Albus would be disappointed in him if he didn't help the boy rankled him more than the thought of a lecture from him. More importantly, Dumbledore had reminded him many times of the supposed debt he owed to James Potter. Though Severus disagreed, as he believed the entire episode between him and the wolf had been staged, Albus had been adamant. For better or worse, James Potter had saved his life. And while he told Albus that this was the reason he felt obligated to watch over the child, he knew within himself this was a lie. It was Lily's child. That was reason enough.

Severus was brought out of his musings when he came upon the old two story house. Carrying the boy had been no hardship, and Snape wondered why he weighed so little. He opened the front door with his wand, entered the small sitting room, and set the child down before closing and locking the door.He then pointed at the threadbare sofa, and stated in a commanding voice, "Sit."

Harry scurried over to the couch, not wanting to do anything that would make the ugly scary man mad again. He sat down and looked up fearfully. Severus glared at the boy for a moment before saying, "Potter, my name is Professor Severus Snape. You will call me Professor or Sir at all times. Is that very clear to you?"

The boy nodded. Snape continued, "If I restore your voice I trust that you will behave more civilly now?"

Potter nodded again. Snape canceled the spell he had placed on the child, noting that the boy had cringed when he brought out his wand. He took a moment to survey the child. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Potter was dressed in clothing that was clearly too large for him. He didn't appear to be overly filthy, as he would expect from a runaway, but how else had the boy ended up here of all places? In addition, his glasses appeared to be have been taped. In short, the boy before him didn't look anything like he would have expected a pampered Potter to look.

He watched as Potter squirmed, obviously becoming more nervous at the close scrutiny. Severus folded his hands, placing his chin on top of them, before saying, "Explain yourself."

Harry wasn't sure what to say to that. What did the man want him to explain? Testing to see if his voice really worked, he said, "W-what do you want to know?"

At Snape's glare he quickly added, "Sir."

"You may begin by explaining why you were on the street where I found you."

"I don't know," said Harry honestly.

"Are you to tell me you don't know why you have obviously run away from home?"

"I d-didn't run away," Harry replied softly.

"Then what happened?" asked Snape, quickly losing patience with the boy.

Harry was very afraid now. It was obvious that the man was becoming angry with him. With nothing to lose he said, "I was running from Dudley and his gang. I was only trying to jump behind the trash cans, and then it happened."

"What happened?" Snape ground out, wanting to reach over and throttle the boy.

"Everything went black, and it felt like someone was squeezing me. Then I was on the street where you found me."

Severus could scarcely believe it. The boy had apparated across the country! He looked at the child in front of him. The boy was almost cringing, like he was expecting to be berated for what he had just said.

Severus said, "What is the matter, boy?"

Potter said, "You believe me?"

"Why wouldn't I believe you?"

Harry whispered, "C-cause no one ever believes me."

Severus had a sinking feeling that he was about to find out that Potter was not coddled and worshiped as he expected. Although if he was honest with himself, he knew that Lily's sister would not treat the boy well. She had been a petty and jealous child, and Severus doubted she was much different as an adult.

Being head of Slytherin, Severus seemed to get more of the children with less than stellar pasts, and had made it a point to become aware of the signs that would let him know if he needed to investigate the home lives of the students in his house. While Slytherin parents tended to be strict, most of them loved their children deeply. It was the very few half bloods, and the rare mudblood sorted into his house that tended to appear at Hogwarts with those signs. And although Snape would have liked to ignore it, the boy in front of him appeared to be showing quite a few of them. Along with his shabby clothing and unkempt appearance, the boy flinched easily, and would not maintain eye contact

If there was one thing Severus disliked more than dealing with children, it had to be the dunderheads that abused magical children because of their gifts. There had been a few times in Snape's career as a professor that he had been sent to check on mudbloods who had failed to report to Hogwarts. He had turned the last family he visited into toads, before removing the child in question. Dumbledore had been quite aggrieved to learn that he had resorted to such measures, even though he had explained to the headmaster that it was only a temporary spell, and the family would return to their nasty selves in a few hours.

Since then, Dumbledore had taken to sending Hagrid to retrieve the children. Severus supposed it was best that way. As he had vowed to protect Potter, Severus felt he had to make sure the child was being treated appropriately. But before he could question him further, he heard a large growl coming from the child's stomach.

"When did you last eat, boy?"

Harry blushed. He didn't want to tell the man the truth, but he also was afraid not to answer him. So he said, "I h-had lunch at school."

The boy was lying. Severus looked at him darkly and said, "Dishonesty and disobedience will not be tolerated in my home. Unless you want to find yourself discovering the consequences of such behaviour, I suggest you tell the truth. When was your last meal?"

Potter's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "I had supper last night."

Severus couldn't imagine that Petunia would go so far as to not feed the boy, but the boy appeared to be truthful once more. He decided to delve further into the issue. "Why have you not eaten today?"

The child squirmed, seeming to not want to answer the question. Severus rose and sat next to the boy before putting a finger under Potter's chin and forcing him to look up. "I asked you a question, and I expect an answer."

Harry really didn't want to look at the Professor anymore but was afraid to move. The man's eyes glittered dangerously. Harry said, "I didn't get breakfast 'cause I overslept and burnt the bacon." In a very soft whisper, he added, "I don't get supper tonight either."

Severus was shocked at the boy's answer. "And what happened to the lunch you said you had at school?"

"Dudley stole it," Harry answered.

That was the second time the boy had mentioned that particular name. "And who is this Dudley?"

"He's my cousin."

"And how is it he gets away with such behaviour?" asked Severus.

Harry shrugged. "He does it when the teachers aren't looking. And if I tell on him he says I am lying."

Surely muggles weren't that daft! "And your teachers believe him?"

Harry nodded sadly.

"And your relatives? They also believe him?"

"Yeah."

"And why is that?"

" 'cause no one ever believes me."

Ah. So we were back to that. Severus was growing tired of questioning the boy. He lifted the boy's chin again, and looked deeply into his eyes. Using legillimancy, he broke into Potter's mind, hoping to find answers. The memories he saw only furthered his belief that there was something very wrong in the boy's home.

Surely if Albus knew of this he'd have the child removed and placed elsewhere. And that would save Severus the headache of dealing with the boy for a few more years. Potter had lost consciousness during Severus' attack on his mind, so Severus picked up the child, before apparating back to Hogsmeade to return to the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Severus Snape was livid. "Surely you must be joking, headmaster!"

"No, Severus. He must be returned."

"After all that I have told you, you still deem it appropriate to leave the boy with those despicable muggles?"

"The protections offered..."

"Mean nothing if the boy comes to us broken from abuse. Surely you realize that Potter is being raised in just the environment that helped to bring the Dark Lord to power!"

Seeing that Albus was not going to listen, Severus stalked from the headmaster's office. So be it. He could not say that he had not tried to protect the boy.

* * *

A week had passed. Severus did not know how or when the boy had been returned, although he had heard rumors that the child had at least been fed before being sent back. During that week, Severus was the surliest he had ever been. Every house but Slytherin had lost a record number of points, and even the children of his own house were in fear of igniting the potion master's temper.

Finally on Friday, Minerva had enough. Her house had lost over 200 points during the week, and she was going to stop this foolishness. McGonagall knew what the problem was, and though she knew Albus would be angry if he found out, she had decided on a solution. She strode to the dungeons to Professor Snape's office. She banged on the door several times to no avail. "Severus, I know you are in there. Open this door at once!"

Still there was no answer. The man was ignoring her. Knowing full well that Severus could hear her, she said conversationally, "Very well. I will inform my 7th year students that they may indeed redecorate the dungeons. Red and gold would look splendid down here..."

She turned as if to leave and the door to Snape's office flew open. Entering the office, she sat, ignoring Snape's glower. "Severus, it does not become you to sulk," she said.

"To what do I owe this visit?" asked Severus, continuing to glare at the unwanted intruder.

McGonagall handed him a scroll. "Take the weekend off. Sort this out and find out if your suspicions are true."

Severus' eyebrow rose as he read the scroll, "#4 Privet Drive, Little   
Whinging, Surrey."

He looked at McGonagall suspiciously, "And why would you trust me to do this?"

"I agree with you, Severus. I tried to tell him when he put the boy with those muggles, but he wouldn't listen. In addition, I watched over Potter last week until he was returned to his relatives. The boy seemed too frightened and wary for my tastes. I must warn you though, Albus went to a great deal of trouble to modify the memories of the muggles. They believe the boy climbed on the roof of the school. I'm not sure what Albus gave the child, but he said Potter would think everything he had seen was a dream. He may not even remember you."

"Very well," said Severus. "I'll instruct my prefects to come to you if there are any problems. What do you plan to tell the old man?"

McGonagall's eyebrows rose at Severus' choice of words. "I see you are still quite angry with him. I'll simply say that you requested additional time to work on that potion you seemed so keen to make last week, since your weekend was interrupted. I'm sure no one will have difficulty believing that."

Severus inclined his head, accepting the arrangement. Once Minerva left, he called his prefects, informing them to watch over the students and report to McGonagall if there were any problems. Satisfied with his plans, Severus prepared to head to Surrey. He was going to do some reconnaissance, and find out what exactly was going on in the boy's house.


	4. Chapter 4

_a/n: revised 08/29/07 to include some spoilers from DH, mainly the fact that Severus knew both Petunia and Lily as a child. I am using this fact because it will help develop the character Petunia. The changes are minor and do not affect the plotline. I have created a forum for people to discuss the story and bug me for updates. I believe you can access it from my author's page._

_a/n: I would like to thank all who reviewed. I would also like to remind readers that I said this story would contain corporal punishment of minors._

Chapter 4

Meanwhile, Harry's terrible day had turned into a horrendous week. Harry had awoken in his cupboard, not quite sure how he had gotten there. He tried to come to breakfast only to be told that he was grounded, and that he would not be leaving his 'room' for the next five days. When he had asked why, he had been jerked out long enough for his uncle to cuff him about the head and launch in to a long tirade about how he had embarrassed the family. According to the man, Harry had been found atop the school chimney the previous day. Harry tried to argue that he hadn't done anything, but his uncle merely cuffed him again before stuffing him back into the cramped cupboard.

In the long hours that followed, Harry tried to remember what had happened. But it seemed the only thing that stuck in his mind was a man's face, and a very scary man at that. Without any proof to the contrary, Harry supposed the Dursley's must have been right. He spent the next five days hungry and alone, only getting to eat when he could sneak into the kitchen after the rest of the family went to sleep. Finally, on Wednesday morning, he was free. After a stern lecture, he was sent to school. As often happened, Harry was now behind in his lessons. So while the other children were allowed to run and play during lunch and recess, Harry was left to sit in the classroom completing his missed work. And to make it worse, his first day back the whole school was called to an assembly. Harry was publicly reprimanded, and the headmistress grimly informed the students that anyone caught climbing school buildings would be suspended as he had been. Harry had blushed furiously through the entire scene, wishing the ground would open and swallow him up.

* * *

Severus apparated to the outskirts of Little Whinging. Knowing he had to blend in well in order to complete his mission, Snape had reluctantly donned muggle clothing. Unlike many of his wizarding peers, Snape made it a point to know how to dress appropriately when he had to foray into the non-magical world, even going so far as to make a point of continuing to keep up with the current trends in muggle clothing. He detested muggles generally, but Severus was much too proud of a man to allow himself to be seen dressed in unsuitable clothing.

He strode down the street, passing a school, and a neat row of houses. His attention was drawn to an altercation between some boys that appeared to be about Potter's age. He was going to continue on his way until he noticed the child who appeared to be in the midst of the foray was none other than the boy he was looking for.

For reasons unknown to him, four very large boys seemed to be intent on pummeling the child. Wanting to get Potter alone, Severus sent stinging hexes to the posteriors of each of his attackers. As the boys howled and danced around trying to rub out the fire Snape had ignited in their bottoms, Potter took the opportunity to disappear under a nearby bush.

The other boys looked around, bewildered as to what had stung each of them. One of them suggested that perhaps it had been a bee. The boys searched for a beehive for a few minutes, before losing interest and taking off to play somewhere else. Knowing that Potter had nowhere else to go, Snape walked over to the bush and said, "You may come out boy, they are gone."

There was no way Harry was going to come out of the safety of the hole he had found. He had no idea who the man now standing in front of him was. He remembered well the lessons he had learned at school about 'strangers' and there was no way Harry was going to come out and let some stranger take him and do the things the police constable had warned his class might happen if they were abducted. Harry curled into a ball, hoping the strange man would go away soon.

Severus glared at the bush. He knew the boy was in there, most likely hurt. Why the child would not come out he did not know. He said in a low, clipped voice, "Potter, you may not remember me, so I shall introduce myself again. I am Severus Snape, and I have come to see to your safety. You will come out at once, or suffer the consequences."

Harry recognized the voice, although he did not know from where. He slowly crawled out, and stood, looking up to the stern face above him. It was the scary man from his dream! Harry was regretting his decision to leave the safety of his hiding place. Thinking quickly, he stomped hard on the man's foot, and then attempted to flee.

Snape cursed, and stifled the urge to throttle the boy then and there. He raised his wand, petrifying the child before he could get more than five steps away. He followed that with several stinging hexes to the boy's bottom before muttering another spell so that any muggles passing by would not notice them. He stalked over to the boy, who was lying face down on the ground. He knelt down turning the child over. Potter was a mess. The taped glasses had broken completely, and were hanging off one ear. The boy was sporting a black-eye, and his his nose was bleeding profusely. Tears leaked from the child's eyes as he looked at Snape in fear.

Severus pulled out a handkerchief to stopper the bleeding, before conjuring a bowl of water and a clean cloth. He removed Potter's glasses, healing first his nose and then his eye. After cleaning the boy's face, and making sure he had no other major injuries, he repaired Potter's glasses, and returned them to their rightful place.

He saw recognition in the boy's eyes. "I see you now remember me," he said, looking intensely at the child.

He continued, "Whether or not you believe it, Potter, I am attempting to protect you. You will not attack me or attempt to run again. Unless, of course," he said with a smirk, "you wish that backside of yours to sting quite a bit more than it does now."

The man stood and Harry saw a flash of red light, then noticed he could move again. However, before he had time to get up on his own, he was jerked to his feet. His chin was grabbed in a tight hold and Harry was forced to look up into the dark eyes of the man he now remembered as the professor. "You will behave."

"Y-yessir," said Harry softly.

Severus took the child's hand. He remembered seeing a cafe when he first apparated. Believing that to be a better place to talk to the boy, he headed off in that general direction. Potter now walked meekly alongside of him. He heard quiet sniffles from the boy and noticed him reaching around quite often to try and rub the sting out of his obviously quite sore bottom. Snape had developed the particular stinging hex he used on the boys himself. He had been told by several of the youngsters in his house that it felt rather like a switch had been used on their bare bums. However, unlike a switch, it did not mar the skin, and Snape felt safe to use it on any miscreant who defied him.

By the time they had reached the cafe, the boy's tears had subsided. Snape chose an out of the way booth. Potter looked at him pitifully when ordered to sit, but Snape merely pointed at the seat and glared at the boy. The child sat gingerly, clearly still feeling the effects of Snape's earlier displeasure.

"Have you eaten today?" Snape inquired gruffly.

"Y-yessir."

At Snape's raised eyebrow, the boy said, "R-really, I did." He added softly, "Just not very much."

"Why is that?" Snape asked, knowing he probably didn't want to hear the reply.

Harry shrugged and said, "Dudley took most of it."

The waitress appeared, and Severus ordered a light meal for both of them. While they were waiting, Severus was determined to get some answers. He said, "Explain to me why those boys were attacking you."

"They were Harry-hunting"

"Harry-hunting?"

"Yeah, it's a game my cousin likes to play."

"And what is the object of this particular 'game'?"

"To catch me and beat me up," said Potter matter-of-factly.

"Have you told your guardians about this 'game' your cousin plays?" asked Severus.

"Yeah, once." said Harry. "But then I got in trouble for telling lies about Dudley."

Severus wanted nothing more than to march to Petunia's home and turn Potter's relatives into something worse than toads. Slugs maybe. But to do such a thing would tip Dumbledore off. Severus needed to know more about what was going on, so that he could develop a plan. However, from the few facts Potter had revealed, along with the flashes of memories he had seen in the boy's mind, he was quite sure this cousin of his was nothing more than a bully. Over the years, Snape had become quite adept in dealing with such children. He had taken more than one boy down a peg or two, and relished the thought of making sure this muggle never attacked a wizard again.

Deciding to change the subject, Snape said, "Exactly what do you remember of our last meeting?"

"I remember I was running from Dudley, and then you found me on the street." Harry blushed and said, "You sp-spanked me because I tried to get away. And you took my voice away. But then you gave it back. And you believed me when I told you what happened, and you can tell when people lie to you...and...that's all, I guess."

"You remember nothing more about that day?"

Harry thought hard. "Y-you were wearing a black dress, and you have a really weird stick." He paused and then added, "And you're a professor, and I'm supposed to call you Sir."

Severus pursed his lips. He would not yell at the boy. However, it was taking every bit of control he had to not to berate Potter and tell him in no uncertain terms that Severus Snape did not wear a dress! Apparently his countenance betrayed him, as the child's eyes suddenly widened and the boy looked down and said, "S-sorry, S-sir."

Severus sighed. Losing his temper would not do. He forced his face into a neutral pose. In a quiet, but firm voice he ordered, "Look at me."

The child raised tearful eyes to him. Satisfied that he had the boy's attention, he said, "I am not angry at **you**, Potter. It is your dreadful lack of knowledge that infuriates me."

"Oh," said Harry not understanding at all.

"Tell me boy," said Severus, "How is it that I, as you said, took your voice away?"

Potter seemed to ponder that for a moment, before replying in an excited voice, "You're magic!"

Severus looked around the cafe surreptitiously. To his surprise, none of the muggles seemed to be bothered by the boy's outburst. Still, he did not want any attention drawn to them. "Lower your voice!" he admonished harshly.

The boy deflated visibly in front of him. Severus said in a calmer voice, "You are not mistaken, Potter." However, the child only seemed to withdraw farther. Snape silently cursed, deciding that Petunia and her family would indeed pay for their obvious mistreatment of a wizardling. Before Severus could attempt to bring the boy out of his reverie, their meals arrived.

Severus began to eat his filled baguette, but stopped when he noticed the boy had not moved. Using the gentlest voice he could muster, he said, "Eat, child."

When the boy still did not move, Severus sharpened his tone. "Potter!"

The child jumped and looked up at him. Snape pointed at the boy's plate and said, "Eat. Now."

Harry really had not meant to make the professor mad. How could he have been so stupid to say that the professor was magic? Everyone knew magic wasn't real. But how else could he explain what happened to him when he was around the surly man? When ordered to eat, Harry looked at the plate woefully. He was feeling sick to his stomach, and was sure he couldn't eat a bite. But knowing that disobedience was not an option, He picked up the sandwich in front of him.

Certain that Potter would acquiesce, Severus tucked into his own meal, although he continued to watch the child closely. At first the boy only nibbled at the baguette in his hands, but soon he began to eat with gusto. After a moment, Severus began to fear that the boy would choke and reached over and grabbed his hand. When the child looked up fearfully, Severus said calmly, "No one will take your food away. However I do expect you to behave in a civilized manner when eating. Is that clear?"

Potter swallowed and nodded. Once Snape released the boy's hand he noticed that the child made a concerted effort to eat more sedately and used the napkin that had been provided.

The meal was proceeding in relative peace until a family entered the restaurant, talking boisterously. He recognized Petunia straight off, the sour look on her face reminding him the the many times he had seen that same look as a child. She was accompanied by a large walrus shaped man, and a boy who seemed to be a miniature (if a child that large could be called miniature) version of him. Snape's eyes narrowed at the boy. It was one of the children he had caught attacking Potter.

Snape noticed that Potter had paled. The fact that the child was so obviously frightened just from seeing his family told Snape a great deal about his homelife. He motioned for the boy to be silent. The family chose to sit in a booth directly in front of them, but luckily the booth seats were tall enough that they had not seen the boy.

Potter's cousin wailed, "But mummy it hurts!" when asked to sit down.

"Duddykins," she said, "I looked sweety. There isn't a mark on you." Potter covered his mouth and started giggling. Obviously he had seen the other boys jumping around rubbing the seat of their pants earlier.

Severus' attention was drawn back to the family in front of him when the man growled, "When I get hold of that boy, I'm going to box his ears. I'm sure this is more of his _freakish_ nonsense!"

"Now Vernon," said Petunia reasonably, "let's not worry about **him**. We'll have a nice dinner, and then we're going to see a movie. What was that one you wanted to see again, Duddykins?"

Then the large child began talking loudly about getting to see something called "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Severus returned his attention to Potter. The boy had his head down and seemed to be intent on playing with the hem of his overly large shirt. Snape said quietly, "Do they always speak of you in this fashion?"

Potter nodded. Just then the boy's cousin got up, ostensibly to use the loo. As he passed the booth he turned, and seeing Potter, he said loudly, "The _freak's _**here**, Daddy!"

The man lumbered over, grabbed Potter's shirt and yanked him out of his seat. The boy was hanging inches from the man's purple face.

"Why you little..."

Severus interrupted the man, saying in a deadly calm voice, "Unhand the boy. Now."

Still holding Potter, the man turned and said "What business is it of yours if I punish my own nephew?"

Severus said quietly, "I am an acquaintance of the boy's _parents_. Unless you wish to anger me further, I would suggest you **put...the...boy...down**."

The muggle dropped Potter and advanced toward Severus, saying, "You're another one of those _freaks_! I'll not have you filling the boy's head with nonsense!"

"I would not try it if I were you, Dursley," said Severus, pulling out his wand so only the man could see it. He continued, "If I had not seen your brat attacking Potter, I may not have taken an interest in him. However, now that I have, let me assure you that I will be checking on the boy regularly. If I feel that he is receiving less than _adequate _care, you will see just how 'freakish' I can get."

The man's face grew even more purple, but he seemed to at least have enough sense to know to not try to attack a full fledged wizard. He turned and sat back down with Petunia, apparently believing if he ignored them they would go away. Severus turned to check on the boy. He looked shaken, but otherwise alright. Severus placed enough muggle money on the table to pay for their meals and then held his hand out to the boy. Potter took it wordlessly. As he passed the muggles' table he turned to them and said, "It appears you will be occupied for the evening. What time should the boy return home?"

Petunia whispered harshly, "You! Lily told me about you! You're a follower of that man who killed them!" She reached over and tried to pry Harry from Snape's grasp. But Harry turned and grabbed Snape's waist and held on for dear life.

Snape placed a protective hand on Harry's back and smirked at her. Then his face became very serious and he said, "Yes, at one time I was a follower of the Dark Lord. But the day I found out he wanted to harm Lily's child, my allegience to him ended. I became a spy for Dumbledore, but unfortunately I was unable to discover who the traitor was, and could not prevent Lily's death. The day she died I made a vow to protect the boy."

Then she looked at him and spat out, "We were promised that your kind would leave us alone!"

Before she could say more, Severus said, "If you had been treating the boy _appropriately_, I would not need to be involved!"

"What have you been telling him?" the woman demanded of Potter.

Before the boy could say anything, Severus said, "As of yet, very little. But I'm sure by the end of the evening I will have a **full** picture of his life with you."

"Maybe you should just take him. We never wanted him," she said nastily.

Severus leaned into the table so his nose was just inches from Petunia. He whispered, "While the Dark Lord may be vanquished, I assure you his followers have not been. However, if you want me to take the boy, I shall. And as I _am _a former follower of the Dark Lord, I know just who to contact when the wards fall. They will know exactly where you are, and I assure you that they would like nothing more than to erase away any existence of Harry Potter's family. Are you really willing to endanger your life so?"

The woman seemed to deflate. She said in a monotone voice, "Nine. We will be returning by 9 p.m. If you are finished with the boy before then, take him to Mrs. Figg's. The boy knows the way."

Severus ordered Potter to let go of him, grabbed his hand, and then turned and left the restaurant. This day was not going as planned. But perhaps having the child for the evening would allow him to get the answers he sought. He ordered the boy to show him the way to his home. It was time to see just what kind of existence Potter had.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As soon as they left the restaurant, Harry said, "You knew my parents?"

"Yes," said the professor shortly.

Harry guessed that the professor didn't welcome questions any more than the Dursleys did, but he really wanted to know what was going on, so he tried again. "Magic's real?"

"Yes."

"And you're magic?"

The man stopped and studied him. He said, "The appropriate term is **wizard**, Potter. And yes, I am a wizard, as are you."

Harry looked up in shock. "But I c-can't be a wizard."

Severus arched an eyebrow at that. They had come to stand in front of a park, so Snape led the boy to a nearby bench. He sat down, motioning for Potter to join him. "Then how else can you explain how you apparated to northern England last week?" he asked.

At the boy's questioning gaze, he added, "Apparition is a magical form of transportation, Potter."

The boy sat quietly for a moment, and then said, "But why does everyone think I climbed up on the school chimney?"

Remembering what McGonagall had said, Severus replied, "There is a wizard who believes that it is safest for you to live with your family right now. Since they are muggles..."

"What's a muggle?"

"A non-magical person." Leveling a stern gaze at the youngster, Snape said, "Do not interrupt again."

Satisfied Potter would now listen, Snape continued, "Since they are muggles, they would have difficulty believing the truth. That wizard modified their memories so that that they believe you were only on the rooftop, instead of halfway across the country."

"Oh," said Harry. "So all the strange things that happen to me are magic?"

"Most likely," said Severus. The boy fell quiet for a few moments. Severus rose to continue the journey to the child's home when he noticed an elderly woman he recognized coming down the street. Damn! He should have known Dumbledore had his spies in the area. He grabbed Potter, and headed for a copse of trees. He knelt down, pulling the boy to him, and said, "You must be very quiet."

Harry whispered, "Why? It's just batty old Mrs. Figg."

Severus turned the boy and swatted him hard. "Do **not** question me," he growled. He had made sure that he and Potter were well-hidden, and now was trying to determine whether it would be safe to use magic in the area. He tapped the boy's head to disillusion him and a cat came to stand in front of their hiding space and began to wail. Well, there was his answer. He held the boy close and apparated away.

* * *

As soon as they appeared in Snape's sitting room, Severus tapped the boy's head again to reverse the disillusionment spell. He led Potter over to the couch and sat down, moving the child so that he was standing in front of him. He grabbed the boy's chin and forced him to look up until their eyes locked. "If you **ever **choose to question my orders again, I will turn you over my knee and spank you until you are very sorry indeed. Have I made myself perfectly clear?" 

"Yessir," said Harry. He didn't want to get on the professor's bad side. The man had a hard hand! Harry jumped when he heard the professor yell, "Mitsi!"

Then the strangest creature Harry had ever seen appeared. It was shorter than he was, had bat-like ears, tennis-ball sized eyes, and wore a tea-towel for its clothes. The creature bowed low and said, "How can Mitsi be serving Master Snape, sir?"

"Find McGonagall and tell her to come here at once," growled Snape.

The creature bowed low again, and disappeared. The professor said, "Before you ask Potter, that was a house elf."

The man rose and strode over to one of the bookshelves. He came back with several books in one hand. He pointed to the couch, ordered Harry to sit, and handed him the books. "These should keep you occupied for the time being," he said gruffly.

Harry opened the first book, A Child's Guide to Fantastic Beasts. Once opened the picture on the front page started talking to him! The man wore a strange dress like the professor's and told Harry that if he had any problems reading the book to ask any one of the people in the illustrations, and that they would help him. This was the neatest book Harry had ever seen!

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Minerva asked, pointing to Harry. Severus did not respond to her immediately, instead he ordered his elf to watch over Potter. He led McGonagall into the kitchen and said angrily, "You did not inform me that the headmaster had spies in the area!" 

"Whatever are you talking about, Severus?"

"Arabella was there!"

"Oh, I had forgotten about that. Yes, she lives a couple of blocks away from Potter, but I doubt there are any other protections."

"But you cannot be sure?"

"No. But if there had been, Albus would have known that Harry had disappeared before you brought the boy to him last week. He was as surprised as everyone else when you came in carrying the child."

Severus paced the floor for a few moments before turning to Minerva and saying, "Can you watch Potter for a few moments? I need to get a few items from my lab."

When McGonagall nodded, Severus turned and disappeared behind a door. Minerva decided to see how the boy was faring.

* * *

Since his cover had already been blown, Severus saw no need to continue to dress as a muggle. After changing into more comfortable clothing, he scanned the shelves of his lab. The first thing he sought was kneazle repellent. Using a spray bottle, he doused the bottom of his robes with the potion. Then he found and swallowed a potion to mask his magical signature. Lastly he looked for the haud-contineo potion. It was illegal, but it would serve to protect the boy. Before the night was out Severus was going to make sure the whale of a man and his son could never harm Potter again. Snape also grabbed his bag of often used potions before returning to check on his charge.

* * *

Severus returned to the sitting room to find Potter sitting on the couch next to McGonagall. The boy was holding a green dragon, and Minerva was showing him how to make it roar. "But what happens when the batteries run out?" asked Harry. 

McGonagall laughed and said, "This is a magical dragon, Harry. It will always roar if you want it to."

"And it's mine to keep?"

"Of course it is, child."

Harry hugged Minerva and said, "Thank you! I never had a toy that was all mine before."

Severus cleared his throat. McGonagall looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"For now, we will have to return him."

"But Severus, you just heard the boy..."

Snape held up his hand and said, "If we were to take Potter now, the entire wizarding world, and most likely the muggle world too, would be searching for him. The situation must be handled **delicately**."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Severus took a seat in the armchair and said, "I have a way to prevent Potter's uncle and cousin from harming him. And before you ask, no, I will not tell you the specifics. I plan to spend the rest of the weekend monitoring the situation."

McGonagall said, "Very well. I do not like it, but until you have a better idea, I guess this will have to do." She stood up and stalked out the front door, closing it with a bang.

Potter was looking at him with wide eyes. Severus wasn't sure what to tell the boy. So instead of explaining, he said, "You will never speak about the things you have seen today. In a moment we will return to your relatives. When we get there, you will walk home as if I am not around. I will be close by, but you will not be able to see me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," said Harry. "But..."

"But what?" Severus said in exasperation.

"Will I get to keep my dragon?" asked Harry softly.

"Why would you ask such a thing?"

The boy seemed to shrink into himself again. Severus vowed once more that those muggles would pay. When he called the boy over to him, the child came obediently, although he refused to look up and had a death grip on the toy McGonagall had obviously transfigured for him. Severus took a deep breath to quell the anger welling up inside of him. He lifted Harry's chin, forcing him to make eye contact and asked in a neutral tone, "Why are you afraid that someone is going to take your dragon away?"

" 'cause I got it here, and it's magic. If I'm not supposed to tell anyone I was here, then how can I tell them where I got it from. Plus if Dudley sees it, he'll just take it away and tear it up."

Damn it all! The boy was inching his way into Severus' heart with each new fact that he revealed. Snape sighed, and picked the child up and set him in his lap. At first, Potter sat very stiffly. It was quite obvious to Severus that the boy had very little experience with being cared for. Snape said, "No one is going to take your dragon away. I will put a charm on it, so that no muggle will even know that it's there. But to get it home, I will have to shrink it, as it would look strange for you to be carrying an invisible toy."

Potter held tight to the dragon for a few more moments, before cautiously holding out the toy. Severus tapped the dragon, and the boy watched in awe as it shrunk until it was small enough to fit in his pocket. Placing Potter back on his feet, Severus announced that it was time for them to go. The boy gave him no argument, but Snape saw the look of longing the child shot at the book he had been reading. Shaking his head at how soft he was becoming, Severus shrunk each of the books he had gotten out for Potter, and deposited them in a pocket of his robe.

He walked over, and picked the child up. "Apparition will be easier for you if you hold on tight." The boy obeyed, and Severus apparated them back to the outskirts of Little Whinging. Once there Snape disillusioned himself and ordered the boy to begin walking home. He followed at a close distance. They had barely reached the park when Snape saw Arabella coming towards Harry almost at a run.

"Harry! Where have you been, child?" she asked as she seemed to be checking the boy for injuries.

"Playing," lied Harry.

"You are not supposed to be out this late, young man!" Arabella scolded.

"I went home, and the car was gone and the doors were locked," he lied again.

Figg looked askance at the boy. She obviously didn't believe him, but without evidence to the contrary, Snape knew there was little she could do. The kneazle repellent was working wonders. Two of her 'cats' (Snape could tell by looking that they were at least half kneazles) had appeared, but they came nowhere near Snape.

The woman decided to take Potter with her. Severus chose not to follow. He would have to find the boy's home on his own, but as he had memorized the address that Mcgonagall had given him, he was sure he could find it quite easily. He had gone only a few more blocks when he found Privet Drive. His thought as he passed the square looking houses was that muggles had no imagination at all. Checking to make sure there were no unwanted eyes watching, he discreetly unlocked the door and entered the house. He made sure to lock the door back as he didn't want the Potter's relatives to be aware of his presence. He muttered a soft 'lumos', and proceeded to explore the house.

It was antiseptically clean, and the walls were covered with pictures of Potter's cousin. There was nothing in view that would suggest that the boy even lived here. He checked the kitchen, and then headed up the stairs. The first bedroom he came to was full of broken toys. He thought perhaps it was Potter's room, but the wardrobe was empty. He moved on to the next room, which was full of all sorts of muggle contraptions. The walls were lined with posters, and there was a comfortable looking bed in the midst of the chaos. Severus supposed that his must be Potter's cousin's room. He went on to find two more rooms, one which was obviously the master bedroom, and another which was probably the guest room. So where did the boy sleep?

Severus went back downstairs. Maybe there was a room he missed. But after checking all the rooms again, he found not one sign of Potter's existence. His eyes fell on the only door he had not opened. Surely not! But as he opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs and peered in he knew this had to be where the boy slept.

There was a small cot, with a threadbare blanket. A very few broken toys were scattered around. Severus fumed. His house elf had better quarters!

After placing several spells to mask any magical activity, Severus found an out of the way corner of the sitting room, and prepared to wait for the muggles' return.

* * *

Harry was now sitting on Mrs. Figg's couch, being forced to look at picture after picture of her cats. He hated it here. The house smelled like cabbage. To make it worse, she had grilled him about where he had been the last few hours. Harry had told the best lies he could, remembering he wasn't supposed to tell what had really happened. 

At first he thought maybe it all had been a dream, but then he put his hand in his pocket and felt the shrunken dragon. He wanted to take it out, but remembered what the professor said about muggles not being able to see it.

All too soon, he heard the familiar sound of his uncle's car pulling up in the drive. Harry gulped. He didn't know if the professor was still around, and knew his uncle was sure to me mad about what had happened at the cafe.

He was not wrong. He could see his uncle's face from the couch, it was purple with rage. "Is the boy here?" he demanded.

Mrs. Figg called Harry over. He came very reluctantly. As much as he hated Mrs. Figg's house, he had a feeling he was safer here than going anywhere near his uncle. He tried to scoot around him and run to the car, but his uncle grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. After Mrs. Figg shut the door, Vernon turned and shook Harry like a rag doll, saying, "You'll be sorry this time, boy!"

He drug Harry to the car, and all but threw him into the back seat. Dudley was sniggering at Harry's plight, and punched him as soon as Harry was within his reach. Despondent, Harry curled into a little ball as close to the door as he could. Dudley continued to punch him all the way home. His aunt and uncle said nothing, of course. Harry wondered what happened to the professor. He had said he was here to protect him, but where was he when he needed him the most?

As soon as the car pulled into the drive, Harry jumped out and ran to the house, hoping to find a way in, and into the safety of his cupboard.

* * *

Snape saw the muggle's car pulling into the drive and moved to the window for a better view. He saw Potter race to the door, obviously very frightened. Seeing his uncle lumbering towards him, Snape opened the door for the boy. Potter raced to his cupboard. A few moments later the man came in and hollered, "Get out here boy! I'm not finished with you yet!" 

Snape noted with satisfaction that the bulky man couldn't fit through the cupboard door, and it was clear that he could not reach Harry. Snape waited until all three muggles were inside before stepping out of the shadows and saying in a deadly voice, "**Silence**!"


	6. Chapter 6

a/n (11/29/07): I have made major changes to this chapter. I decided I needed Petunia to remember the facts of the day, as well as receive a lecture from Snape. I have made these changes because it will help develop the character Petunia. The changes are minor overall and do not affect the plotline

Chapter 6

Harry sat curled in the farthest corner of his cupboard where his uncle couldn't reach him. His heart soared as he heard the voice of the professor.

His uncle retreated from the door of his cupboard, and Harry heard him holler, "What the ruddy hell are **you **doing here?"

Harry heard a thump, then he heard his aunt scream and there was another thump.

He heard his cousin shout, "Mummy!", but then all he could hear was the professor talking. He inched his way to the door, and peeked out the slats. His cousin was sitting quietly on the couch!

After Severus stupefied the adults, and subdued Potter's cousin with the imperio spell, he said loudly, "Potter, it's safe. Come here."

He watched as the boy opened the door carefully, and peered out, his eyes widening as he saw the crumpled figures of his aunt and uncle. "Are they...dead?" he asked.

"No, merely sleeping. Now **come here**."

Potter had the small dragon clutched to his chest as he came to stand in front of the potions master. Severus knelt down to get a good look at the boy. One ear of the boy's glasses seemed almost imbedded in his skin. Severus removed them gently, repairing them and placing an unbreakable spell on them for good measure. Setting them to the side, he retrieved a potion from his robes.

"Close your eyes," he ordered softly.

He applied the potion to the boy's reddened skin before asking, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Potter pointed to his shoulder, ribs and stomach on the same side. Snape corked the potion for the moment before removing the boy's shirt. He then applied the potion to the rest of Harry's injuries. He tapped the dragon with his wand to enlarge it, before leading the child over to a large overstuffed chair.

He sat down, pulling the boy up into his lap. "What happened?" he asked grimly.

Harry found himself leaning against the man's chest. "Uncle Vernon was really mad," he said softly.

"Is he the one that hit you?"

"No, he shook me really hard, and threw me in the car. Dudley hit me."

Snape cursed. Stupid muggles! Did they not realize shaking a child could cause permanent harm? He cast a diagnostic spell on Potter to insure there were no further injuries. Luckily there seemed to be none. He noticed the boy no longer flinched when he brought out his wand. In fact the wretched child was snuggling into him! He said, "Do **not **go to sleep. We have much to discuss."

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked fearfully.

"No," said Snape. "I merely wish for you to understand a few things. When your uncle and cousin wake tomorrow they will remember nothing of what happened at the restaurant or what is about to occur here. You are not to speak of it. I am going to use magic so that they can no longer harm you. This does **not **mean that you may take advantage of this. I will be here throughout the weekend to ensure your safety, and then I will have someone watching you. You may not be able to see either me or them. Since your uncle will no longer be able to touch you, if you misbehave I will deal with you myself. Do you understand?"

"Yessir."

Snape retrieved a knife from his robes, saying, "I need a few of your hairs. Stay still and this will not hurt."

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the knife, but he held very still. He felt the professor holding a few pieces of hair as he cut them off. Then the man said, "Now you will go prepare for bed and wait for me in that blasted cupboard."

Harry slid off the professor's lap, and hurried to obey.

When the boy had disappeared into his 'room', Snape rose and made his way to his first victim, the boy's cousin. He used the knife to make a cut on the boy's arm, and procured a vial of the boy's blood. He tapped the vial with his wand, labeling it, and then reached into his robes for one of the vials of the haud-contineo potion. He added three drops of the boy's blood, and then one of the hairs he had gotten off Potter. The potion bubbled for a few moments before turning puce. He held the vial out to the child and ordered him to drink. Afterwards, he used legillimancy to enter the boy's mind and obliviate and adjust the needed memories. He ordered the boy to go to bed, grinning at the thought of what would happen to the child the next time he so much as tried to lay a finger on Potter.

After Potter's cousin had gone up the stairs, he moved to repeat the procedure with Potter's lard of an uncle, the only change being he had to ennervate the man before casting another imperius curse and forcing him to drink the potion. He obliviated his memories in much the same way, then sent him off to bed.

Snape sneered at the woman on the floor. He had something special planned for her. He had considered just obliviating her, but decided it would be much more effective to force Petunia to retain the memories knowing that no one would believe her. In addition, he wanted to have a long talk with her to ensure Potter's continued safety and force her to treat the boy better.

He knelt down and secured a vial of her blood, and was about to ennervate Petunia when Potter slipped out of the door to his cupboard. "Where do you think you're going?" growled Severus.

"I have to put my clothes in the laundry or Aunt Petunia will be mad," said Potter.

Snape motioned for the boy to lead the way. Potter moved into the kitchen and toward the door to the basement. As he still had that damned dinosaur clutched in one hand, and his clothing in the other, he was having problems opening the door. Severus reached over to open it for the child. At the boy's hesitation, Snape muttered a soft, "lumos," so they could see their way down into the darkened room.

Once downstairs, Snape watched impassively as the boy expertly divided his clothing into the correct piles. What was a seven year old boy doing with the knowledge of how to sort laundry?

Snape was brought out of his musings when Potter returned to his side and softly thanked him. "Why were you frightened?" he asked as he lifted the boy into his arms for the return journey.

"I don't like the dark," admitted Harry.

"I would think that cupboard of your is quite dark," noted Snape.

"That's different," said Harry.

"And why is that?"

The boy shrugged and said, "I'm safe there."

"Meaning?"

"Uncle Vernon can't get in at all, and Dudley can barely fit through the door. The last time he tried he got stuck!"

"What about your aunt? I'm sure she can fit through the door."

Harry said, "She doesn't come in. She just tells Uncle Vernon to leave me in there."

"Do they lock you in?"

"Uh-huh."

"For how long?"

The boy shrugged and said, "When they're really mad, all day."

By that time they had reached the top of the stairs. Snape put the boy down, closed the door, and pushed him towards his cupboard. When Harry got to his aunt, he turned to Severus and said, "What are you going to do to her?"

"I will merely speak with her to ensure you recieve adequate care in the future," he lied smoothly. "You need not worry about it. Now to your room."

Once Harry entered the cramped space, Snape followed, having to bend almost in half to enter it himself. Harry climbed into the cot, and covered himself up. Severus had reached into his robes to pull out the shrunken books. After enlarging them he handed them to the boy.

"What if someone sees them?" asked Harry.

"The muggles won't notice," Snape assured the boy.

"W-would you read me a story?" Harry asked softly.

Snape sighed. "What would you like a story about?"

"Dragons."

Of course. Dragons. Snape was going to curse McGonagall when next he saw her. With nowhere else to sit, he sat on the floor and proceeded to read the boy his wanted story. If someone had told him a week ago he would be reading a bedtime story to the bloody boy-who-lived, he would have taken their heads off. But the boy was growing on him. Snape glanced up halfway through to notice that the child was fast asleep. He rose quietly and left the cupboard

Once back in the living room, Snape ennervated Petunia and used a mild imperio to force her to stand and move to the couch. He then handed her a potion to drink. Once the woman downed the potion, he bound her with magical ropes and removed the imperio spell. Petunia glared at him, and attempted to speak. Severus waited patiently for her discover that she could not.

When she finally closed her mouth, he spoke. "I have given you a tongue-tying beverage. You will not be able to speak for the next hour. I have several topics I wish to speak with you about, and don't wish to endure your incessant whining. First of all, I have removed the memories of your altercations with me from your son and husband. Potter has been ordered not to speak of it, and I assure you he will obey me in this matter. Of course, you could try and tell someone, but who would believe you?"

Snape smirked at the woman's affronted look and then continued. "You will change your attitude and treatment of Potter beginning immediately. First, you will move the boy out of that blasted cupboard. The smallest bedroom upstairs will be adequate so long as all those broken toys are removed. You will provide a decent bed with appropriate bedding. A wardrobe, desk, chair, and bookcase will also be provided. I and others who care about the boy will provide Potter with toys and books. We will ensure that none of the toys will be overtly magical, although the boy will receive books that teach him about his magical heritage. I would suggest that if you don't want your husband and son to be aware of the nature of the toys and books that you prevent them from entering the boys room."

"Next on the agenda. You will feed the boy three nutritious meals each and every day. You will provide him with decent fitting clothing in good repair. He will do no more than half an hour worth of chores each day. You will not lock the boy in his room. You will not punish him for his magical outbursts. Magical children tend to have accidental magic outbursts when they are very frightened or angry. I suggest you take that into consideration."

"The behavior your husband and son display to Potter will end immediately. To that end I have given them both a potion that will cause _unwanted _effects if they so much as lay a finger on the boy. If this happens, you will _not _discipline Potter. I assure you if you do not stop the 'harry-hunting' games your brat and his friends play with Harry, and do not stop him from taking and eating they boy's lunch at school I will step in." Severus smiled nastily at her and said, "I'm sure you don't want _that _to happen."

"I will be spending the weekend here until I have arrangements in place to ensure the boy's health and well-being are being monitored. You need not worry about your husband and son seeing me. I shall be discreet. Now, I imagine you are quite tired. Tomorrow will most like prove to be a long and interesting day."

Snape flicked his wand and the ropes holding Petunia disappeared. Petunia gave him a furious glare, but rose from the couch and headed towards the stairs. Snape waited for half an hour, then sent a patronus message to McGonagall to let her know of his progress and needs. Afterwards, he went upstairs to the spare bedroom he had seen earlier. He disillusioned himself and put a charm on the door to inform him if anyone was trying to enter, before laying down himself to get some rest. By the looks of it, it was going to be a long weekend.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Harry Potter's Terrible Day, Chapter 7: Destiny

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended

WARNINGS: This story is very definitely AU. I will use some information from the books as I deem necessary as well as other characters as I see fit. I had thought that my muse had died on this story, but has recently come to life thanks to the many people who have continued to review. This will be a Snape mentors Harry fic, although he will mentor many other children as well. This story will contain corporal punishment of minors. It will not be the main point of the story, but will be used as an acceptable use of discipline. If this offends you in any way, I suggest you read no further. This chapter describes a scene of sexual abuse. I will mark it so that those it offends or triggers may skip the scene.

This chapter will feature no Snape/Harry interaction but is necessary as it sets the tone for the remainder of the tale. Even though Snape will now have a larger goal, the story will still focus on Harry.

* * *

As Snape slowly arose to consciousness, he noticed two things. First the bed he had fallen asleep in seemed quite a bit harder than it had when he had lain down. Second, the room seemed unusually bright, even to his closed eyes.

He opened his eyes and saw a bright blue sky above him. How had he gotten here? Perhaps he not awoken but was having a dream. Either way, his instincts kicked in and he reached automatically for his wand. With it in hand, he stood quickly and scanned his surroundings for signs of danger.

He noticed that he was in some sort of field, surrounded by a dense forest. Ahead of him lay a hill, dotted with spots of flowers of every hue. Deciding that the top of the knoll would give him a better vantage point with which to discover where in Merlin's name he might be, Severus took off in that general direction.

After approximately half an hour of trudging up the hill, Severus noticed two black dots in the distance. As he came closer, he saw that the two dots were actually robed figures. Taking a firmer grip of his wand and mentally preparing himself for a possible battle, Severus approached the two wizards cautiously.

As he came close enough to see them clearly, it took all of Severus' skills as a spy not to drop his wand and gawk. Remembering his manners, Severus bowed low and said, "It is an honor to meet you, my Lord Slytherin."

"Up child," admonished Salazar Slytherin, "I am not, nor have I ever been your Lord."

Severus straightened and looked at the other figure. "Evans," he said curtly.

"It is a pleasure to see you again," said Lily Potter. "But you know it has been many years since I was known as Evans."

"You deserved better," sneered Snape.

Lily sighed and said, "I did not come to argue with you about your feud with James."

She held up a hand before Severus could retort and said, "There were mistakes made on both sides, and even if we had lived I do not believe the two of you could have ever gotten along. But if I could go back, I would forgive you for your rash statement to me when James and his friends were picking on you. Looking back, I see that you were lashing out because of anger and humiliation. I dearly wish it had not been the end of our friendship."

At Snape's disbelieving glare she added. "I came here today with Salazar to _thank_ you. When you first found Harry, you only intervened because you saw it as your duty. But then you returned today and helped him despite of who his father was or who the wizarding world thinks he is. You showed great compassion and empathy. For that I thank you."

Salazar said, "And it was this act that let us know that you were ready to accept your _destiny_."

Severus couldn't help it, he did gape then. "M-my destiny?"

"Yes," said Salazer, "Your destiny. But perhaps we should start by answering any questions you might have." With a wave of his hand the meadow and hill changed to a cozy room similar to Severus' quarters at Hogwarts.

"This is a dream," said Severus emphatically.

"No," said Lily, "This is a place between life and death, where those who have gone on can communicate with the living. Harry has come here many times, although he doesn't remember it.

"While your body is still at my sister's house, we called your soul to come here. But unlike when a dementor takes a soul, yours shall return to your body unharmed."

Salazar motioned for everyone to sit, and soon they were settled in plush leather chairs in front of a roaring fire. At that moment, a house elf popped in and offered them all tea. Severus graciously accepted a cup and began to sip it slowly as he gathered his thoughts as to what he wanted to ask.

But before he could ask his first question, Severus noticed that his emotions now seemed very muted, while he seemed a bit clearer headed. He instantly knew that something had been put in the tea, but it was like no calming drought he had ever imbibed before. The drawback to most calming potions was that it tended to muddle the mind, but this seemed to do the opposite. Therefore, his first question was, "What did you put in the tea?"

"Ah," said Salazar, "Lily said you would notice if I put the calming potion in your tea. It is one I created myself. Knowledge of it and many other potions have been lost throughout the ages."

Knowing he now had Severus' full attention, he continued. "One of the rewards of accepting your destiny is that I will share with you my knowledge." He picked up a small book off of a nearby table and said, "This journal will help you on your journey."

The journal had 5 silk bookmarks attached at the top. Salazar opened the book and placed one of the bookmarks there. He said, "The first section will inform you of any children who need your intervention before they reach Hogwarts. The second section," he said as he placed another bookmark in the journal, "will list the allies you need to accomplish your destiny as you need them along with any knowledge you might have need of. The third section is spelled so that you can communicate with your charges. The fourth section will contain my potions and research, and the fifth and final section is for you to put any thoughts or research down in a place that none other than you can access it. Lily set the charms on it herself, and once you accept it and place a drop of blood on the cover, no one else but you will be able to touch the book without severe consequences. The book will remain this small, but will never run out of pages."

Salazar let Snape have time to digest this information, and then said, "Now I'm sure you have many more questions."

Severus sat for a few minutes, and then finally spat out, "So what is this _destiny_ you keep speaking of?"

Salazar said, "It will make more sense if I start at the beginning. You are of course aware that the others and I founded Hogwarts approximately 1000 years ago. What is not well known is that the reason we came together was due to a wizard who approached the four of us."

"At that time, only the very rich could afford to hire tutors to teach their children advanced magic. The only recourse the poor had was apprenticeship. While some wizards shared their knowledge freely with their apprentices, for others apprenticeship was tantamount to slavery. And the darkest of wizards would not only use their apprentices as slaves, they would defile their bodies as well."

Salazar paused for a moment and then said, "This wizard, whom I will call Nathaniel, began to rescue the children who were being harmed, and attempted to teach them himself. He soon realized that it was impossible for him alone to teach all of the children he had saved, so he approached us about starting a school that all magical children could attend."

"And thus Hogwarts was founded. It was only after I left that Nathaniel approached me and revealed how he came to be what he called an _agonotheta ab liberi_, or champion of the children. And that, Severus is what you are. I'm sure that you have wondered why you have seen auras surrounding people for most of your life."

"I will listen to no more of this _drivel_," sneered Severus, "There is no possible way that I could be this _champion_ you speak of. I hate children."

"You might dislike children," said Lily, "But I have watched you the last six and a half years. Since you found the child, Miranda, dead in a pool of her own blood the night after Voldemort's defeat, you have done all you can to protect the children of your own house."

"Do not speak of her!" exclaimed Severus.

Salazar waved his hand, and a young lady appeared. She was pale with midnight black hair that cascaded down her back to her waist. But the thing that Severus noticed the most was that she was bathed in an aura the color of sunlight. A chair appeared next to Lily, and she sat down and smiled brightly at Severus."

"Hello professor," she said softly.

Severus was speechless. This bright young lady seemed so different from the dead child he had found with the black aura. He finally blurted out, "The black is gone!"

"Yes," said Miranda, "Black is the color of defilement. For me my death was a release, a blessing, and it meant the end of years of being raped by my father."

She continued, "But I did not come here just to let you know that I am now healthy and happy. I came to ask you to help my two sisters and my brother that are still stuck at home."

Salazar waved his hand and a screen appeared much like a muggle movie screen. Severus jerked his attention away from Miranda to the scene unfolding in front of him.

_**WARNING: SEXUAL ABUSE SCENE**_

The screen revealed a dark room. The only thing Severus could clearly see was a middle-aged man laying down next to a girl who looked to be approximately six or seven years old. The child was naked, and the man was using his fingers to rape her.

"So tight," the man cooed. "Soon you will be ready, little one; soon you'll become Daddy's precious girl."

Bile rose in Severus' throat as he watched the girl shudder with the forced climax. Anger rose and he wanted to kill the man who was defiling this child. The scene faded and Severus turned his attention back to Miranda.

_**END OF SEXUAL ABUSE SCENE**_

Miranda said softly, "He only rapes the girls. But he beats the boys and belittles them all. Will you save the rest of my family?"

And it was at that moment Severus knew. He could no more ignore this child than he could Potter. He did not know how he would accomplish this so called destiny, but he knew he could ignore no child who was truly in need.

He looked at Salazar and said stiffly, "You said you had information about the auras I see."

"Yes," said Salazar. "The reason you could never find information to match the auras you see is that they are not auras of power, but of pain. They are not recorded anywhere, as the only other wizard I have known to see them was Nathaniel. Black as you know is the color of defilement, red is the color of physical harm, green the color of physical or emotional neglect, blue the color of belittling behavior, and purple is the color of entitlement."

Severus took a moment to digest this information, then turned back to Miranda and said, "I will do all in my power to save your siblings."

Miranda thanked him profusely, and then Severus turned his attention back to Salazar. "Surely you cannot expect me to raise all these children myself."

"No," said Salazar, "You will have many allies to help you. Your job will be to put the children under your protection, although it would be best if the wizarding world did not know who exactly is saving the children. Do you accept your destiny?"

"Yes," said Severus softly, "I will help all the children I can."

Salazar rose and handed the journal to Severus. He pulled out a knife, grabbed Severus' other hand and made a small slice in one of his fingers. He squeezed a drop of blood onto the journal and it glowed silver for a few moments. Severus said, "This is impossible. You stated that it is my soul that is in this place, so it is impossiblr for that to be my real blood."

Salazar said, "I had Rowena weave a complicated spell, and whatever is happening to your soul's representation of your body here will be transferred back to your physical body. I only need a few more moments of your time and we will send you back to the corporeal plane."

He pulled a vial of silver fluid out of his pocket. "This is a basic protection potion. The instructions are in your journal. You will need to make a great deal of it as you will need it for each child you place under your protection. You will need to place one of your hairs in the vial, then one drop of blood from each of the child's abusers."

He took Severus's left arm and poured the potion on his wrist. The potion slithered around his wrist and then left four intertwined snakes of red, blue, yellow and green. "You have four snakes because you are the protector. The children will only have one, and it will represent the colors of the house they are in at Hogwarts, although some may have a bit of all the colors, as it is impossible for them to show only the traits of one house. This potion will make it impossible for their abusers to harm them in any way. Unfortunately, there is no potion to protect them from harmful words that are said to them."

Severus tried to pull his arm back but Salazar held it tightly and said, "I am not finished yet, child."

He then placed his hand where Severus' dark mark should be. "I hearby name you _agonotheta ab liberi_, and I sever your link to the wizard Tom Riddle, and call the dark magic to leave your body."

Severus gasped in pain and shock as he saw the dark mark reappear, and his arm burned more painfully then when the mark was made. The blackness then rose above his skin into the air and dissipated. "You will serve neither the dark nor the light, but the children."

He kept a tight hold on Severus' arm and pulled out a ring. It had the sign of the Slytherin on it, and Salazar said, "I name you as my adopted true heir. With this ring all will know of your new status. I rename you Severus Salazar Prince Slytherin. I denounce Tom Riddle as my heir, and if I had the power I would remove his gifts as well."

He then placed his free hand on Severus' neck and said "Receive the mark of Slytherin, and so all the gifts of the Slytherin line."

Severus' neck tingled a moment. Then Salazar took his seat and said, "A seer came to me late in my life and told me that in the future, I would need to name an heir not originally of the Slytherin line. You will have the gifts of Parseltongue and your legilimency will improve. In addition, your skill in the art of potion making will improve. You will present yourself to the goblins at Gringott's, show them the ring and the mark, and you will be taken to a vault set aside for this purpose. It will have a deed to a location that is unplottable, completely hidden and unknown. A basilisk guards the perimeter, and any muggles who are unfortunate enough to get through the anti-muggle protections are eaten. It is surrounded by a forest that is thought to be haunted. That is all the help I can give you currently. We will meet again. Follow the directions in the journal, and you will meet your destiny."

Lily said, "There is one final item. As Salazar said before, it would be best if the wizarding world did not know who was intervening in the life of the children. There is a potion in the journal that you can place in the children's tea that will prevent them from speaking of who you are, how they came to be helped, or anything else you speak of for one hour. It also places a block in the mind so that the information cannot be retrieved by legilimency. To further your ends the world will only know your identity as the Dark Prince."

Lily laughed and Severus' expression and said, "Well you wanted to be known as the Half-Blood Prince. Your have a dark history and your mother's maiden name was Prince. It fits you well."

Salazar said, "And now we come to the end of our meeting. We have given you all you need to know for now. Sleep."

Severus fought hard, but immediately his eyes started closing and he went into a blissful, deep sleep.


End file.

Harry Potter, Angst