“Come on Pot- Harry. I will not hurt you. It’s alright.” Slowly, Harry’s arms came down from his face and he focused his eyes on Severus.

“Pro- Professor?” asked the boy in a small scared voice.

“Yes Po- Harry. I have come to take you away from here,” he said in what he hoped was a comforting voice. Harry nodded and seemed to relax a fraction.

“Where are your things?”

“They’re under the stairs, in a cupboard,” he said weakly. Severus could see that the boy needed immediate help.

“Accio trunk,” he said softly. There was a thump from downstairs and three scared screams as the trunk came up the stairs and landed at Severus’s feet. He smirked and took all of the padlocks from the trunk’s latch.

“Professor?”

“Yes?”

“I have some stuff under that floorboard,” he said, pointing with a small hand.

Reaching in, Severus felt a soft something and a hard something. Pulling them out, he saw the invisibility cloak and a photo album. He put them into the trunk and shrunk the lot of it to put into his pocket so that he could carry Harry without difficulty.

Carefully as he could, Severus slid an arm under the boy’s knees and the other beneath his head. He felt him tense and murmured soothing words to him. He went slowly down the stairs so as not to jar Harry and make his injuries worse. Poppy Pomfrey could only do so much and some of the injuries looked old and infected.

Reaching the front hall, he could see all three Dursleys standing still as stone, staring at nothing. Severus decided to give them something to think about before leaving.

“You all are the worst sort of muggles I have ever come across. If it weren’t for Albus’s instructions not to hurt you, I’d have a bonfire blazing right here in this house and you all would be part of it. Mistreating a child be it wizard or muggle is the worst crime in my opinion. Believe me, I will be back and I will deal with the lot of you,” he said, his evilest smirk in place. It made the Dursleys fall over themselves scrambling into their kitchen before the door slammed behind him.

Securing Harry more in his arms, Severus apparated to Hogsmeade and ran as fast as he could to Hogwarts infirmary.

***

“Poppy! Poppy come out here this instant!” Severus yelled even before the doors had fully opened.

“Severus Snape! What do you mean coming in here and yelling like that! I could have… Oh!”

She spotted the bloody form in his arms and instantly turned all business.

“Who is this boy…? Oh, never mind. I need a blood replenishing potion, healing creams, dreamless sleep draft and… anything else you think is necessary.”

For a moment, Severus could not move. Poppy Pomfrey never got this flustered.

“Now Severus! This boy’s life hangs in the Balance!” Severus resisted saying that if Potter died, they all would. He hurried out and down to his potions stores to get the required vials. He would get the headmaster when things had calmed down a bit.

***

After collecting what he needed, Severus walked slowly back. He couldn’t get the image of Harry’s arms protecting his face that small body curled under a dirty sheet on an old mattress. He hated to think about it, but he knew that the images would haunt him for a long time. The realization that Harry and he had similar lives hit him, but he pushed it away.

***

“Severus! Give me those vials this minute! Harry could have gotten…”

“Poppy, if you start yelling at me, Potter will only get worse,” he said in a matter of fact manner. She huffed, but went to Harry. Severus went to get the headmaster. He didn’t think he could handle another verbal thrashing from the mediwitch.

***

“Malted milkballs,” Severus sneered at the gargoyle guarding Albus’s chambers and office. He hated those candy passwords. If he didn’t know better, he would swear the man did it just to hear him say something that in other circumstances would not pass his lips.

“Come in Severus,” said Albus before his hand even touched the oak door. Grimacing, he opened the door and stepped into the round office.

“So Severus. How is young Harry?” Severus couldn’t wait to wipe that calm look from the headmaster’s face, make that twinkle disappear from those blue eyes.

“Potter is far worse than either of us could have imagined.” He found himself having to hold back anger as he remembered Harry’s, no, Potter’s condition.

“Please Severus, sit. Would you like some tea or a lemon drop?” For Severus, this was the last straw. He had just given Albus the opportunity to ask in what condition his golden boy had been found, and Albus had asked him if he wanted tea? For all the both of them knew, Potter could be dying up there. So he exploded at his mentor, father figure and friend.

“How dare you Headmaster! It is your fault that potter ended up the way he did. Was it not you who said he should be put in that hellhole? Yes, you Headmaster! Then you send me to fetch him, having an idea of what I might find, completely aware of my past and how this would affect me? You think this will bring Potter and I together! Well, let me tell you something Albus! This will not work! I will not be taken in by your supposed caring right now. Yes, you have done favors for me, turned my life around, but just because you have done that doesn’t mean that I will jump when you say!”

Severus could see that his rant had affected the old man deeply. The lines on his face were carved permanently it seemed and he could have sworn that a tear glittered in those eyes.

‘Well, I accomplished my goal of making his twinkle disappear.’ Severus thought wryly.

“I am well aware that it was I who placed him in that danger. Believe me, if I had known…”

Severus said nothing. He thought that enough guilt had been put upon the man. “Come; let us see how Harry is fairing.”

***

Back at the hospital wing, Severus stood beside Albus as he looked down at Harry. He could see that Albus wanted revenge on the Dursleys and he smirked inwardly, knowing that he would be the one to do the deed. He couldn’t wait.

“Poppy, may I see the paper with the list of injuries?” asked Albus. Reaching to the bedside table, she picked up a roll of parchment, handing it to him.

Severus watched as Albus’s eyes scanned the parchment. Wordlessly, he held out a hand and took it from him to see for himself.

Injuries include several broken ribs one nearly puncturing a lung, a concussion, broken wrist, two broken fingers, several lacerations all over the body from what looks to be a steak knife being stabbed and quickly withdrawn, and numerous bruises. There is also evidence that this has been going on for a long time, many scars.

Severus stared fixedly at the parchment now crumpled in his fist. After all the boy had been through, he had to reevaluate how he felt. He was angry that Albus had been right all along.

He tossed the paper on the table and stalked toward the door, but was halted by his mentor’s voice.

“Severus, hold on. I need to talk to you in my office.” Turning, he met the sad gaze of his old friend. He thought he knew what was about to come and he didn’t like it one bit.

***

Severus sat in an armchair across from the headmaster with a cup of tea in front of him. This time when he had been offered tea, he had accepted. He thought of saying no, but he thought he might need a dose of calming potion for the coming conversation. Only in his head would he admit that his earlier outburst had been irrational.

“So what do you wish to discuss?” Severus sighed, tensing for the expected answer.

“It being summer, all of the professors except your self are leaving for a break. Since you have opted to stay here, Harry needs a place to stay and I ask that you watch him. He will not be the boy you knew. What I mean is that he does not have the fire in his spirit right now. I need you to, implore you, to help him recover as much as he can both physically and emotionally.”

Severus sat there thinking about what Albus had said. He knew of course, that he was right.

He could handle Potter. The only issue was his pride, and of course Voldemort. He was still a spy and he would be punished if it were found out that he had Potter in his custody.

“Albus, what about Voldemort. I still must go to meetings to obtain information for the Order.”

“I am sure he will be ok while you are gone. He will be sixteen after all.” Severus sighed.

“He hates me and… I hate him too.”

“You don’t really feel that way,” he said knowingly. Severus only glared.

“Very well. I’ll take the boy, but don’t expect me to mollycoddle him.”

“That is exactly why I am asking you to take care of him. You have never lied to Harry. You may have been harsh, unfair, but you have always been honest. I think that in time he will realize this and you two can work out your differences.” Severus made a noncommittal noise before pushing his empty tea cup away and standing.

“When should I collect him?”

“Poppy will inform you when Harry is well enough to be put in your care. I forgot to say that she will be here as well.” Those damned eyes of his were twinkling once again and Severus growled.

“Very well, I shall prepare a room for him,” he said before sweeping out of the office, his robes billowing out behind him, a reflection of his irritation.

***

Harry opened his eyes, but promptly shut them as the bright light stung them. He gave a soft moan, wondering where he was. Then he sensed someone standing by the bed.

“You may open your eyes now Mr. Potter. I have dimmed the lights.” ‘Ahh, the hospital wing again.’ He thought as he slowly opened his eyes.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Alright,” Harry said as he sat up, automatically reaching for his glasses which were put into his hands. He was relieved to see them repaired from when Dudley had broken the lenses in half. Slowly, he looked around.

He could see several empty potion vials on the bedside table, and Madam Pomfrey stood beside his bed, looking down at him with a sad look in her eyes. Harry turned away from the pitying look and stared fixedly at the wall.

“Mr. Potter, the Headmaster is going to want to ask you some questions, is that alright?”

Harry only nodded resignedly. He knew that it would come and he just wanted to get the telling over with.

He did not turn around as he heard the nurse head for the fireplace to call him. He thought about his summer and how he planned to explain it. He knew it would be hard to do, but it had been hidden for long enough. It had to be told.