"Mr Weasley," said Snape silkily, "What is that you have brewed?"

Although Snape was not as angry as he had been in the past he was certainly party to a little sarcasm once in a while.

"It's a bone reconstruction potion," muttered Ron

"I think you will find it's much too dark to be any such potion," said Snape smoothly, "How many baby eels did you put in?"

"Two, no maybe three," Ron mumbled, "I'm not sure."

"Mr Weasley," said Snape sternly, "Potions making is an exact art. The consequences of 'not being sure', as you put it, can be dangerous, even fatal."

He pointed his wand at the cauldron in question, which was already beginning to bubble dangerously.

"Evenes….BANG"

Suddenly, Ron was lying on the ground, his robe singed and Snape was nowhere to be seen. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were staring in silent horror.

"You've done it now, Weasel," sneered Malfoy after a few minutes, "Snape's going to have you cleaning bats blood off his ceiling for months."

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed.

"I don't think so, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

He had noticed Snape's black robe on the ground and it was moving. Pulling it back, he stared in horror.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. WAAAAAAAAAAAAH."

"Uh oh. The Headmaster is going to kill you, Ronald," said Hermione. She moved to pick up the screaming baby that was once their potions professor. The baby pulled back in terror.

"Everybody move back," Harry suddenly sprang into action, "You're scaring him."

It took mere seconds for Harry to send everyone out of the classroom. Even the Slytherins were too shocked to protest at taking orders from Harry Potter.

That left the trio alone. Baby Snape had stopped screaming but was still sobbing uncontrollably.

"I think you need to go and get the Headmaster," said Hermione, "Babies don't cry like that for nothing. It sounds like he's hurt."

"He is," said Ron, now ashen faced, "Look!"

They saw small cuts and dark bruises on the baby white skin and one ankle looked to be at a funny angle."

Hermione looked like she would be ill.

"I'm getting Dumbledore," said Harry.

"No need, Harry," came a deep voice behind him. All three spun around to see their old headmaster, wearing starry robes and a very concerned expression.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I made a potion wrong. Snape tried to make it disappear and…." Ron babbled.

"I know, Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore distractedly crossing quickly to the baby, who shrieked anew, his dark eyes full of fear.

"Perhaps you could collect some of the potion and bring it to my office?" the headmaster had softened his voice and crouched down on the ground. Hermione obeyed and the three were sent out of the classroom. This left Dumbledore alone with the tiny potions master.

"Severus," he said very softly, "I am just going to pick you up, all right? I'm not going to hurt you, my little one."

He reached out very slowly and picked the baby up. Severus cried out again.

"Oh, ssssshhhh, child. Shhh," Albus crooned as he gently wrapped him in a blanket, "We're going to go to Madame Pomfrey and let her fix all your hurts. My poor little baby."

He slowly got to his feet and walked to the hospital wing with Severus sniffling in his arms.

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"Gracious, Albus. What happened to him?" Nurse Pomfrey started to clean the cuts and rub healing salve into them. Baby Severus clung fast to Dumbledore's robes and began to wail again as Madame Pomfrey attempted to examine his ankle. Albus rocked him and murmured soft tender words in the small ear.

"It looks like it was broken and not healed. It has reset itself wrongly. Albus, I'm going to have to use a spell to break it again before I can fix it."

Dumbledore was horrified but did his best not to convey this to the shaking baby.

"Can you give him anything to numb the pain?" he softly asked.

" I can use a slight freezing spell to numb his ankle a bit," answered the witch, "I can't use a potion as we don't know what the potion causing his de-ageing was made of."

She conjured a soft chair for Albus to sit in. He held Severus carefully in his arms.

"It's best to tell him what we are doing and to be as comforting as possible," said the nurse softly.

Dumbledore hid his feelings of anguish at his child's suffering and cuddled him close. He noted that Severus was slightly calmer.

"Severus, Nurse Pomfrey here is going to make your ankle better for you. I'm sure it is very sore, hmm?"

The baby whimpered.

"Yes, I know it is, my poor darling. I know," Dumbledore cooed, "We're going make it all better and then we're going to get you a bottle and some nice warm clothes. Won't that be nice?"

"I just have to cast a little spell to freeze your ankle, dear," said Madame Pomfrey, taking out her wand. The child's lower lip trembled and Dumbledore shushed him again.

Madame Pomfrey did the highly unpleasant job as quickly as possible, gently speaking to the baby along the way and helping Albus to comfort him. Another small spell took the last of the pain away. She motioned to Albus that she was finished.

"There, there, sweetheart. It's all finished now. All done, my darling," Dumbledore paced the room, comforting the crying child while Pomfrey got some baby clothes, a bottle and a nappy.

Severus would only let Dumbledore dress him and was very soon in the strong arms once again. He did allow the mediwitch to examine him and she gave her report that from what she could tell, the potion hadn't done any lasting damage and would probably only last a few weeks. She also informed Albus that Severus was approximately nine months old. That done, she handed Albus the bottle and promised to go into Hogsmeade for toys and more baby things.

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Albus entered his office and was surprised to find the three Gryffindors still waiting for him. The offending potion was now sitting on his desk.

He sat down calmly in his chair and heated the bottle with a spell, gently encouraging Severus to drink it.

"Did Madame Pomfrey see his ankle?" asked Hermione at last.

"She did indeed, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore softly, "And she made it all better, didn't she, poppet?" Dumbledore was now addressing the dark haired infant in his arms.

"Yes, she did. You were such a brave boy, weren't you, Severus? Such a brave little boy." He kissed the dark head and smiled as Severus snuggled against him.

"Sir," said Hermione quietly. Dumbledore looked as though he had forgotten they were there, "It was not the potion that hurt him, was it?"

"I wouldn't think so," said Dumbledore, almost in a whisper, "It is probably an injury he had when he really was nine months old."

Ron and Hermione looked scandalised. Harry, however, looked merely sad.

"Small wonder," thought the Headmaster, "He comes closest to knowing what that feels like."

He decided that now was not the best time to berate himself. It was of no help at the moment. Instead, he looked up at the three teenagers, a very serious look in his clear blue eyes.

"I would ask all of you to keep what you know to yourselves," he said, "This is a very delicate situation and we have to consider Professor Snape's feelings. I hope, however, that it will help you understand why he can be a little unpleasant sometimes as an adult. It is difficult to show kindness and compassion when one has little experience of what they feel like."

Dumbledore looked at Harry as he said this and Harry saw the sorrow and the unspoken apology in the old man's eyes.

"We won't say anything," Harry said earnestly and his look said "I'll try to forgive you. I'll try to understand."

The Headmaster smiled softly at them all as Ron and Hermione voiced Harry's promise to keep the information quiet.

They left the office shortly afterwards and Dumbledore called a house-elf to bring the potion to St Mungo's. Madame Pomfrey had arranged for a healer at the hospital to examine it.

Severus finished the bottle, which was packed full of nutrients, the nurse had reported that Severus was malnourished and promised to send for some more nutrient rich baby foods.

"There, sweetie pie. Are you feeling better now?" Dumbledore crooned as he rubbed the baby's small back, helping him to bring up his wind, "Madame Pomfrey is going to get you some nice toys to play with. Yees, you'll have lots of fun. I've a feeling you didn't have nearly enough before but not this time, my treasure. You're my child and I'm going to make sure you enjoy yourself."

He cuddled Severus and continued speaking to him in a warm singsong voice, which kept the baby calm. It wasn't long before Severus was rubbing his eyes with small fists.

"Time for a little sleep," Albus cooed, "You're a tired boy, aren't you?"

Madame Pomfrey arrived just in time with all the baby supplies including a large box of toys. She smiled when she saw how calm Severus was with the headmaster. The child clearly trusted him.

Albus ran a small baby bath for the child (Madame Pomfrey had warned that Severus might be afraid of a large bath-she had seen the boy's medical files) and he gently lowered the child into the warm water. The baby sighed in contentment and then looked up fearfully, expecting the water to turn cold and the Headmaster's soft voice to become harsh.

"Oh that's lovely warm water, isn't it?" Albus said tenderly, "Lovely splashy water, little one. Let's get you washed, hmm. There's a good boy"

He proceeded to gently bathe the small child and encouraged Severus to kick his feet in the water. Dumbledore was delighted to hear the infant's first little noises of childish pleasure as the water rose into the air and he laughed merrily, letting the child know that it was all right to play.

When the water began to cool, Albus took Severus out and wrapped him in a warm fluffy towel. Once he was dry and dressed in sleep clothes from Madame Pomfrey's purchases, he gathered him into his arms again and rocked him, humming a lullaby. Soon the baby was fast asleep, a small thumb in his mouth.

Severus slept soundly in his new cot until about 6 o'clock the next morning. He awoke and looked around. Where was he? He felt wet and uncomfortable but he knew the cross voices came when he cried. He pulled himself up on the bars of his cot and stared over the top. He saw a large bed beside him and from it there was a funny snoring noise. Then the person in the bed turned over and he saw a long white beard.

Out of nowhere, a memory was triggered in his young mind. An old man was spinning him around and cuddling him, warmth in his blue eyes. Daddy had looked on with a scowl as Severus grabbed a handful of the man's white beard.

"Aby! ABY!" baby Severus could only think that Albus was the man in the bed and he wanted him to hold him, to make him feel better. He suddenly found that he could not stop the tears, cross voices or not.

Dumbledore shot up in the bed and looked around blearily, trying to re-engage with the waking world. He had been dreaming of the time he visited the Snape's. Eileen Prince had invited him to see their new baby, Severus. Sebastian Snape did not seem to like him, or any other wizard much, he recalled. Eileen had become very distant from the Wizarding world after that and Dumbledore did not see Severus again until the boy arrived at Hogwarts. He later learned that this was the only stand Eileen ever took against her violent husband. Her son was a wizard and she wanted him to learn magic.

Looking around the room he suddenly realised what had triggered the dream. The very real baby Severus seemed to be calling his name. He rushed over to the cot thinking the child was hurt.

"Severus, child. What is it?" he carefully lifted him out and was quick to spot the wet nappy.

"Oh dear me," he soothed, "You are a bit wet, aren't you, treasure? Let's get you washed and make you more comfortable. Don't cry, my little darling. It's all right. It's all right."

Severus was taking shuddering breaths, his face wet with tears.

"Dagamamababaaba," he sobbed.

"Oh, goodness me, is that right?" Dumbledore cooed as if the babbling all made perfect sense to him, "Well, we'll just have to make it all better, won't we? Yes, my pet."

He removed the wet nappy and noticed that the child seemed to have a bit of a rash. He gave Severus a quick bath and applied some soothing lotion to the red skin.

"There now, was that what was troubling you, little one?" he left the nappy off while he put the child's top on, giving the lotion time to work in the air. He kept up a constant stream of chatter as he dressed Severus, trying to engage the frightened infant into some little games.

"Where is Severus's hand, hmm?" he said gently as he put it into the sleeve of the blue jumper.

"Oh, there it is!" he smiled when the small fingers became visible at the top of the sleeve. Severus laughed and Dumbledore repeated the game all through the process.

-----------------

Once the baby was ready, Albus set him on his bed with a warm bottle, surrounding him with cushions. A quick spell held them in place, preventing Severus from falling out. This gave the headmaster a few minutes to wash and dress. He noted that the child never took his eyes off him, as if afraid he was going to leave him alone.

"What are we going to do today, little one?" he asked the child with an affectionate smile.

Severus took the bottle out of his mouth and looked solemnly at the old wizard.

"Mamibabaaataaa," he responded.

"Oh yes, child. We'll have to have a go with all those lovely new toys. I think we should go outside too. You need some fresh air, little man."

The baby was patient for a while but he was hungry and wanted something more solid than a bottle.

"Aby," he whimpered. Dumbledore stared at him in surprise.

"Did you just say my name, sweetheart?" Albus asked. He had been convinced he imagined that earlier.

The baby responded by reaching up his arms.

"Aby," he cried again.

Dumbledore beamed with happiness as he picked Severus up.

"My clever boy. You remember my name!" he danced around the room with the child in his arms and cuddled him close, kissing the dark head.

"This is nice but I'm still hungry," Severus thought and began to whimper again.

"Come on, my dearest. Let's get you some porridge and fruit. Would you like that? Yes, we need to fatten you up a bit, don't we?"

Dobby had the breakfast table set up with the new high chair next to the headmaster's. Dumbledore strapped the baby in and tied a bib around his neck.

"Severus ate everything he was given and cried when Albus paused in feeding him for even a second."

"All right, all right," Dumbledore half chuckled as he offered the child another spoonful of porridge, "You have to go easy, little one. You don't want a sore tummy."

When Severus was finished Albus started t open some toysm with Dobby's help. He laid out a soft play mat for Severus and arranged the toys on it. That done, he picked the baby up and set him down in his new corner. Severus stared at the toys, looking a bit at a loss. Albus had anticipated this, however, and planned some intervention.

He built up some of the blocks and then reached out and knocked them all down. The baby laughed sweetly.

"Now, you do it, Severus," he said warmly, building the tower again. With only a little prompting, Severus reached out a clumsy arm and knocked it over. He clapped his hands and laughed, seeing that no one was going to hurt him here or stop him from playing. He picked up two blocks and started to bang them together, shrieking in excitement and babbling happily. He enjoyed how he could make his voice louder and softer.

"That is fun, isn't it child?" Dumbledore stroked the soft baby cheek. He was pleased at how relaxed Severus was.

The headmaster continued to introduce toys to Severus including a flapping snitch and a magical shape sorter, which sent out different coloured smoke signals in the appropriate shape. He smiled indulgently as Severus tried to catch the smoke triangles.

Severus was really enjoying himself but soon became tired. After all, he'd had an early start to the day.

"Aby," he cried as he rubbed his eyes.

"I'm here sweetie," Dumbledore had left him to play alone for a while as he read his post. He now came back and picked up the sleepy Severus.

He checked the child's nappy and then tucked him into his cot, stroking his hair as he fell asleep.

As he returned to his office he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

Professor McGonagall entered, looking distracted.

"The Minister is here," she said, "He's demanding to see you about Severus. Someone must have told him what happened."

Dumbledore immediately sprang into action.

"Minerva, please go down and bring the Minister to my office. Do not be too hasty though, I need a little time.

With the Deputy Headmistress gone, Dumbledore went to the fire and immediately called Harry in Gryffindor tower.

In moments, Harry and Hermione were in his office. It was the first day of the school holidays and Ron had gone home to see Charlie, who was on a short visit from Rumania.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Harry asked. He could tell something was very wrong.

"Harry, I need you and Miss Granger to watch Severus for me. The Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, has discovered what transpired here and I am unsure as to what he intends to do".

"Yes, sir," the both responded quickly.

"Thank you," smiled the Headmaster, "Severus is sleeping at the moment. It may be necessary for you to bring him to my office at some point although I will try my best to avoid that. In the meantime, stay here".

Albus walked back into his office just as the stone gargoyle at the bottom of the stairs sprang aside. This gave him a few minutes to compose himself and soon his was wearing his look of all knowing serenity.

Professor McGonagall entered with Minister Scrimgeour and to Dumbledore's slight amusement, the Auror, Dawlish.

"Good afternoon, Minister, Dawlish," he smiled benignly, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Dispense with the chit chat, Dumbledore," Scrimgeour barked, "You know why we're here".

"Chit chat? Why, those were manners, Rufus," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. Rufus looked annoyed.

"I heard what happened to Snape," he glared at the Headmaster, "Where is he?"

"I am sure you know the answer to that question," Dumbledore replied calmly, "Otherwise you would not be here".

"Who is caring for him, you?" the Minister let out a laugh which sounded more like a growl.

"Why, yes, Rufus. I am," the Headmaster confirmed.

"Why is he not in the spell damage ward in St Mungo's?" Rufus looked like he could not believe his ears, "Dumbledore is more senile than even I gave him credit for," he thought.

"Surely you have enough to do with Voldemort back without wasting valuable time on menial tasks like caring for an infant Death Eater".

Dumbledore stood up. His voice remained calm but the others were in no doubt of his power. His eyes were filled with fury. He would not have anyone speak in that way about his child.

"First of all," he said, his eyes boring into Scrimgeour's, "St Mingo's is out of the question given the security implications. You know well that there are many who wish Severus harm, given his position as a spy for the light. It would be extremely irresponsible to put him in such a dangerous position. You do remember Bede's murder last year, I trust?"

Scrimgeour knew that Dumbledore was indirectly criticising the Ministry's lack of security last year and he was not pleased. He made to interrupt but Dumbledore silenced him with a look.

"Secondly," he continued, "There would be little point in putting Severus in a spell damage ward since his current condition was caused by a potion. The potion in question is being analysed at St Mungo's as we speak".

"Why can't you give Snape back to his parents?" Dawlish blurted out. Scrimgeour glared at him but Dumbledore answered him kindly, as one would a befuddled child.

"My dear Dawlish. I see you have not been a party to the full facts of the situation, " he smiled, "It would be difficult to reunite Professor Snape with his parents given that they died when he was fifteen. Unfortunately, his mother became involved with the Death Eaters and as his father was a Muggle…"

"Yes, yes, Dawlish, keep quiet. You don't know what you are talking about. Dumbledore, kindly get on with it and stop rambling like a senile old fool".

"Why, certainly, Rufus," Dumbledore's eyes positively sparkled with amusement. McGonagall secretly suspected that he was enjoying himself.

"Finally, I should point out to you that since the death of Severus Snape's parents the Ministry approved my application for guardianship of the boy. This role was extended after his role as a spy came to light as it was felt he needed someone to keep an eye on him. After all, as you are so fond of mentioning, Minister. Severus Snape was a Death Eater and the Ministry did not trust him as much as I do".

"How touching," Scrimgeour gave the older wizard a sneer reminiscent of Snape himself, "I doubt it is valid now, however. It probably expired after Voldemort vanished the first time".

"I assure you it is still valid. I checked after the accident happened. See for yourself". Dumbledore held out the parchment and allowed Scrimgeour to examine it and perform the validation spell. The parchment glowed green, confirming Dumbledore's words.

"I want to see Snape. Bring him to me!" Scrimgeour lost his temper, shouting at Dumbledore who looked at him steadily, his eyes firm as he was looking at a disruptive student.

"I don't see why that is necessary," he said calmly.

"I am the Minister for Magic!" Scrimgeour's anger continued, "I have every right to see a child to whom the Ministry has granted you guardianship".

Dumbledore decided that he probably had no choice but to let Scrimgeour see Severus. He needed to show he had nothing to hide or Scrimgeour would probably send in Wizarding child protection services, no doubt under the guise of concern for Dumbledore's well-being. They would probably claim that Dumbledore was too old or overstretched given his vast responsibilities.

"I will have Minerva go and get Severus," he said, ignoring the look of shock on McGonagall's face, "Before I do, however, I must insist, Rufus that you calm yourself and control you r temper. Severus is a baby. You are an adult and frankly in your current state you would terrify him".

Scrimgeour was less than appreciative of this assessment. "How dare that old goat talk to me as if I were a naughty student". He quelled his internal rage with difficulty. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

"How do you know Snape is really a baby? He may have retained his adult mind. You cannot be certain that he is loyal to you, Dumbledore. This could all be a trick to get information for Voldemort.

"Really, Rufus," Dumbledore's teacher like manner continued, "That idea would rival Alastor Moody's most far fetched conspiracy theories. I hardly recite all the Ministry's secrets to a baby. This was an accident, which occurred because a mismade potion exploded over Professor Snape. The student responsible for this had not been concentrating fully on the task in hand".

"I want to see him, Dumbledore," Rufus barked.

"I'm afraid Mr Weasley has gone home for the holidays. His brother is home and they are having a family reunion. A wonderful way to spend one's time off".

"Not Weasley, I want to see Snape!" Scrimgeour could not decide whether the old man ad finally lost his marbles or was simply teasing him. Either way, he was beginning to lose his temper again.

"Certainly, my dear man," smiled Dumbledore. "Just keep calm. Minerva, could you please fetch Severus?"

McGonagall did as she was asked. She soon returned with Hermione and Harry Potter who was holding the baby in his arms. Severus, who had only recently woken up, looked around the room. On seeing the Headmaster, he whimpered and reached his arms out.

Before anyone could do anything, however, Scrimgeour had grabbed the baby roughly from Harry.

"Right, Snape. The game's up," he said gruffly, "Tell me why you are pretending to be a baby. Tell me!" He shook the child a little and Severus began to cry.

Dumbledore was across the room in an instant but he was not as fast as Harry. Pulling the crying child from Scrimgeour's grasps the boy shouted, "HOW DARE YOU HURT A BABY! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE SHAKEN LIKE THAT? THIS IS NOT AN ADULT SNAPE. LEAVE HIM AND PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE ALONE, YOU PRAT!"

Harry's tirade was loud enough to drown out Severus's cries. He was shaking with anger and barely noticed when Dumbledore took Severus from him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Well, I think that concludes our meeting, Minister," Dumbledore's eyes were burning with fury and fire, "You have mistreated and innocent baby, more the act of a Death Eater than the Minister for Magic. It is extremely dangerous to shake an infant. If there is any permanent damage to Severus, you will hear from me. Leave this school immediately!"

The Minister looked from Harry to the Headmaster and realised that he had lost control.

"Dumbledore's man through and through," he snapped. Harry did not respond and McGonagall practically shooed the Scrimgeour out.

Dumbledore turned his attention back to Snape. He examined him as best he could while talking to him in soothing tones. He asked Hermione to take the still quiet Harry to his sitting room while he called for Madame Pomfrey.

The nurse was horrified at the tale Albus told her. She scanned the baby for injuries, murmuring healing spells over him.

"He will be fine, Albus," she told him, "Luckily, it appears Scrimgeour did not shake him very hard. Not that he should have shaken him at all, the monster!"

"Indeed," said Dumbledore, "Thank you, Poppy".

He listened to her instructions and took the jars pain potions she left for the baby. He then turned his attention back to Severus who was still trembling and crying softly.

"Oh, my poor darling," he soothed, rocking the child, "My poor baby. What did the bad man do to you, hmm? Yes, I know it was very sore, sweetheart. I will not let anyone harm you again. It's all right now. I will not let anyone take you away, my precious child".

Severus rubbed his eyes.

"Let's get you a bottle and get you changed, my pet," Albus cooed, "I think it's time for another sleep, little one".

Very soon Severus was in a clean nappy and a warm bottle. Dumbledore rocked him in his arms and it took only a few bars of a lullaby for the exhausted baby to slip back into slumber.

Albus tucked Severus into his cot and kissed his forehead before returning to his living room where Harry was perched on the edge of his sofa. He was staring blankly ahead and Hermione was looking very worried.

"Is Professor Snape all right?" she asked.

"Severus is fine, Miss Granger," Dumbledore was reassuring himself as much as the young witch, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry didn't respond but continued to stare at the wall.

"He has been like this since he came back from your office, when he saw Scrimgeour hurt Severus" Hermione did not seem able to go on with that description, "I've tried talking to him but he seems to be in some kind of shock"

Dumbledore sat down opposite Harry and stared intently at the boy.

"I think you are right, Miss Granger," he murmured finally, "He had quite an outburst. Very revealing actually. I should have done something years ago. I should have checked more thoroughly". He sighed heavily.

Again, Hermione suspected the Headmaster was talking to himself rather than her. Finally, the old wizard looked up, his expression grave.

"Miss Granger. Why don't you go back to Gryffindor tower and leave Harry with me? I will get through to him. I will send you an update on proceedings later".

Hermione knew when she was being dismissed. She left quickly. She trusted that Dumbledore knew what he was doing.

"Harry?" Dumbledore again tried to pull the young man out of his trance, putting a hand on his shoulder. Still there was no response.

"Harry," the Headmaster's voice was a little sharper this time, "Come now, my boy. I know you got quite a shock today but you mustn't shut yourself off".

Harry blinked and stared at Professor Dumbledore as if seeing him for the first time.

"Sir?" he asked.

"Good, Harry," Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder lightly, "I am glad you are back with me again. How are you feeling?"

"He didn't take Severus, did he?" Harry asked urgently.

"No, my boy. Calm yourself. The Minister did not take Severus," Dumbledore took his hand from Harry's shoulder and to Harry's surprise, laid it on top of his own.

"I must say, Harry. I was ever more impressed and proud of you today. You defended Severus admirably today. You saw him as the young child he is and not as the Potions Master you dislike".

"I couldn't let Scrimgeour hurt a baby," Harry mumbled. He looked away, embarrassed.

"That is what makes you the remarkable young man you are," Dumbledore's voice was rich in praise.

Harry continued to stare somewhere over the Headmaster's shoulder.

"Harry," Dumbledore squeezed his hand, "When you lost your temper with the Minister today you said something very important. Do you remember?"

Harry gave him a quizzical look.

"You said, "Do you know what it feels like to be shaken like that?" Perhaps what Scrimgeour did to Severus triggered a memory of a past experience?" Dumbldore kept his tone as unpressing as possible but Harry knew he expected an answer. He took a deep breath.

"When I was little. I don't remember much of it. Uncle Vernon used to shake me a bit. Aunt Petunia, too, if she was angry enough. They didn't like me to play with Dudley's toys. I remember being in Muggle hospital once. My arm was broken. I had used Dudley's toy car. Vernon lost his temper. Anyway, it's over now. It's not important". Harry made as if to get up but Dumbledore stopped him.

"It is important, Harry," he said softly, his eyes full of sorrow, "The fact that you see the violence and ill treatment you suffered at the hands of your relatives as unimportant is something of which I am deeply ashamed. I should have made sure that you were safe, not only from Voldemort but from your aunt and uncle's cruelty. What the Dursleys did to you was appalling. It was very wrong".

Harry found that he could not meet the Headmaster's eyes, which glittered with tears.

"I used to dream that my parents hadn't died," he found himself admitting, to his own amazement, "And when I found Sirius I thought we could live together and that we could be a family. It was stupid, really," again he tried to stamp down his emotions, looking away.

"It was not stupid," Dumbledore put his hand under Harry's chin and forced him to meet his eyes once again, "You have every right to feel that way, every right to grieve for the parents and godfather you lost and every right to be angry with me for the awful situation with your relatives".

The sincerity in Dumbledore's voice was making it very difficult for Harry to control his emotions. It was the old wizard's next move, however, which crumbled the last of his defences. He suddenly leaned forward and gathered Harry into his arms. Harry expected this from Molly Weasley but not Professor Dumbledore. Even though Dumbledore had always helped him, he had usually kept a polite distance between them. The thought that the Headmaster might love him as a son or grandson was something Harry had never thought about. He didn't believe in clinging to hopes like that. Only now, as the thin arms slid around him he dared to think it was true.

Harry had spent most of his life trying to hold back tears hen times were hard. Unusually he had managed it, keeping a tight reign on his emotions or simply getting angry. Now, however, he was unable to keep up his defences. To his utter shame or was it relief, he ban to sob, hot tears scalding his cheeks.

Dumbledore tightened his arms around Harry and one hand directed the boy's head onto his shoulder.

"It's all right," he whispered softly, "Let it out, my child. Let go. Goodness knows it is long overdue. That's right. Shh now shh."

Harry complied, losing the last of his control. He had been unprepared for seeing Scrimgeour treat Severus so roughly. He never thought it would have such an impact on him.

Dumbledore was now rocking him back and forth as if he were a young child, running his hand through his hair. All the while he kept up the soft litanies.

"I am sorry I was not there for you enough," the old wizard whispered, his voice sounding strained, "I should have helped you more but I promise you, I will be here for you from now on. Everything will be fine. My poor child".

When Harry's tears had finally stopped, Dumbledore conjured a warm cloth and wiped his face. Harry looked ashamed.

"Showing emotion is not shameful, Harry," Dumbledore said softly, "It is natural and healthy. It is what makes us human".

Harry suddenly felt exhausted.

"Why don't you lie down here and rest," said Albus kindly,

"I am going to do some paperwork and Severus is sleeping so it will be nice and quiet".

Harry was too tired to protest and was soon lying down. He felt warm blankets being tucked around him. Almost asleep, he felt a kiss pressed to his forehead.

"Sleep well, my dear boy," Dumbledore whispered tenderly and went into his office to work.

Some time later Severus woke up. He hurt! It was dark and no one was with him. The memory of the rough hands frightened him and he cried out.

Dumbledore had been working steadily for over an hour, keeping an ear out in case either of his young charges awoke. He immediately heard the scream and went to Severus's room.

"Severus," he said, "It's all right. I'm here, little one. I'm here".

He picked up the infant who continued to whimper.

"Do you still hurt, my precious?" he asked tenderly, "Madame Pomfrey left me some nice potions to make you feel better. Shh, there there now. It will be all right".

He retrieved the potion and gave Severus a few drops. He felt the tiny body relax. He kissed the dark head and rubbed the small back.

"Whose my best boy, hmm?" he cooed as he swayed from side to side, keeping the baby calm, "Whose my pride and joy?"

Severus nestled closer, feeling safe in the strong arms. Dumbledore heard a small rumble.

"Is it dinner time, sweetie?" he smiled, "Will we get you some nice chicken and potato and gravy. Yes, you like that, don't you? Come now, child. Let's get you changed and we'll see what Dobby has for us".

The process of changing Severus proved to be the next hurdle. The baby was still very frightened and was not going to relinquish his grip on Albus without a fight.

"Severus, child," Dumbledore soothed, "It is going to be fine. I just need to put you down to change you and then I will pick you up again. Shh".

After a lot of cuddles and platitudes, Dumbledore managed to lay Severus down on the changing table. He managed to distract him by blowing lots of multicoloured bubbles out of his wand. They floated all around Severus, who reached his little arms up to them, giggling when they burst.

"There we are now. All nice and clean," Albus lifted the child into his arms once more.

When they returned to the living room, Harry was sitting at the table with Dobby heaping food onto his plate. He was trying to protest but the house-elf wasn't easily swayed.

"Harry Potter is much too thin. Harry Potter needs to eat more". He admonished in his squeaky voice.

"Yes, Dobby," placated Dumbledore, "I think Harry has enough now, however. Perhaps you could bring some dinner for Severus and me?"

"Of curse, sir," the elf beamed, "Dobby will bring dinner for Headmaster Dumbledore and little Master Severus,"

"Thank you, Dobby," Albus smiled and the elf disappeared with a crack. He tried to put Severus in his highchair but quickly realised he was fighting a losing battle.

"All right, darling, I won't put you in your chair," he soothed, putting Severus on his lap and tying a bib around the baby's neck.

"He has been quite clingy since this afternoon," he explained to Harry.

"I don't blame him," Harry replied, "Scrimgeour wasn't exactly the nicest adult he could have met".

"No indeed," the Headmaster patted Harry on the arm, "Did you sleep well, my boy? How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right, sir," Harry said, "Just a bit jumbled up, I suppose".

The Headmaster smiled at the boy's honesty about his emotions.

"Quite understandable, child," Dumbledore softly replied, "It will take time to sort out your feelings".

Harry nodded. He was surprised at how comfortable he now felt talking this way to Professor Dumbledore.

"Perhaps later you might like to play a game of chess?" Dumbledore suggested as Dobby returned with the food.

"Yes, I'd like that," Harry was pleased, "I'm not very good, though. Ron always beats me".

"Yes, Mr Weasley certainly has a talent for it," the Headmaster chuckled, "I may be able to teach you a few things that will help".

"Ba ba ba ba ba!" Severus babbled, spraying out bits of potato.

"You mustn't talk with your mouth full, young man," Dumbledore mock admonished him. The baby laughed and grabbed a handful of his beard.

"Open up, you little rascal," laughed Albus, giving him some more food.

Harry watched the old Professor as he fed Severus and spoke softly to him. It was clear that Dumbledore cared deeply for the little boy and probably the adult Snape too. Harry admitted to himself that Snape must e trustworthy for the Headmaster to care so much for him.

After dinner Harry and Dumbledore played some chess. Severus had been exhausted after the day's events. He had fallen asleep in Harry's arms while Albus had been getting him nightclothes and a bottle. Harry mused that it was a very peaceful feeling, holding a sleeping baby.

"Well, my boy. Your technique is certainly improving," Dumbledore smiled as Harry finally managed to beat him at a game of chess, "I suggest you give Mr Weasley a game when he gets back. He will get a surprise".

Harry smiled at the praise as Dumbledore stood up rubbing his eyes.

"Well I don't know about you but I am rather tired after such a long day. No doubt Severus will wake me early wanting that bottle he missed tonight".

Harry was tired too but he did not really want to go back to Gryffindor Tower. There was no one in his dormitory and though he felt ashamed to think it, he was afraid to be alone after all the memories he had relived.

Dumbledore was watching him intently and when he looked up he saw a look of concern on the old wizard's face.

"Harry, if you don't mind, I would prefer that you stay in my guest room tonight. You had quite a turn earlier and I would rest more easily if I knew you were not too far away".

"Yes sir," Harry tried to hide his relief, "I'll go and get my things and let Hermione know where I am staying".

"Of course, child," smiled the Headmaster.

Very soon both wizards were asleep. Whatever the next day had in store would have to wait.