Harry relaxed in his cupboard, listening to the sweet melody of the raindrops falling outside. It may not have been winter but the rain was still coming down like mad; after all, people say April showers brings May flowers. Harry sat there quietly enjoying his solitude, listening to the calming sounds coming from outside as he waited for his relatives to wake up.

Before long, he heard the telltale sounds of his aunt’s light footsteps coming down the stairs. She knocked on his door and unlatched the lock.

“Boy!” she hissed quietly. “You are to get up and begin breakfast before your uncle wakes up.” It was always boy. The Dursley’s never called him Harry. The only people who called him Harry were the faceless people in his dreams. The sense of –was it love?- caused him to figure they might be his parents. Then again, he wasn’t entirely sure since he’d never actually seen a picture of them nor had he heard their names. Aunt Petunia always referred to them as freaks.

“Yes Aunt Petunia,” Harry answered dutifully as he sat up. He pulled some socks over his bare feet and clambered out of his room. He set out the usual rations of bacon, eggs, sausage and toast and got to work preparing the meal.

Before long, thunderous footsteps were heard from upstairs, signalling that his massive uncle and whale-like cousin were awake. Setting down the last plate before his relatives came in, Harry retreated to his cupboard to gather clothes for the day. There wasn’t much to choose from as all he had to wear were Dudley’s old clothes. Aunt Petunia would never buy new clothes for the good-for-nothing-freak that he was.

The boy entered the bathroom and closed the door in an attempt to ward off the sounds of his relatives pigging out at the table. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t received any food since yesterday at lunch. Apparently he did something wrong last night and his uncle locked him in his cupboard before dinner and obviously forgot to feed him. Maybe there’d actually be something left over for him this morning.

Harry quickly changed, brushed his teeth and attempted to make his hair lie flat but had no success. Aunt Petunia would surely gripe about it later, as she’d been doing for the last couple of days. He returned his dirty clothes to his cupboard before entering the kitchen to clean up. Thankfully, only his aunt was in the kitchen so he didn’t have to worry about running into his cousin or uncle just yet.

“Here.” Aunt Petunia shoved a plate with a piece of toast and the last bit of scrambled eggs in his hand. “Eat it quickly and clean this up before you go to school.”

Harry devoured the food, quickly rinsed all the dirty plates, and put them in the dishwasher before rushing to grab his backpack. It was one of Dudley’s old ones and one of the arm straps had broken off but it was still perfectly useful. Inside were his pencils and a notebook that he did all his schoolwork in. The small boy quickly pulled on his shoes and glanced at his watch, realizing he’d need to run if he wanted to make it to class on time.

As he left the house, he could hear his aunt coaxing Dudley into one of his coats. “You don’t want to get sick do you, my Dudders? Please put it on for mummy.”

Harry began jogging to school since he wasn’t allowed to receive a ride from his aunt; only her precious little Dudders gets a ride to school. He didn’t really mind walking, and in some cases jogging, to school since it was good exercise. Plus it helped his stamina and he was therefore more likely to get away from Dudley and his gang of bullies.

Before long, he made it to school and thankfully not too soaked since the rain had pretty much stopped. He entered room 112 and took his usual seat near the front of the class where all the kids wearing glasses were seated. Harry smiled wryly at the thought of how most teachers apparently thought that students with glasses can’t see very well so they need to sit up front. It never occurred to them that glasses were worn so they can see no matter where they sit.

Harry was torn from his musings as the bell sounded and the last of the students came barrelling in. Miss Williams called for attention and then proceeded to take roll.

“Today,” she began, “we will begin by taking a little math quiz. Please pull out only a pencil and an eraser.”

Shuffling was heard throughout the classroom as students complied. The teacher passed out the tests and everyone began quietly. Harry bit his lip as he quickly glanced over the sheet. Even though he knew the answer to most of it, he couldn’t attempt to do well unless he wanted to get into trouble. Dudley was rather thick and Uncle Vernon was never pleased if the boy’s marks were better. Harry sighed. This was just another typical day and he continued to do poorly as always in order to survive life with the Dursleys.

Lunch, as usual, was spent alone. None of the other kids ever talked to him unless they wanted to face the wrath of Dudley and his friends. He wished someone would just stand up to Dudley, but none of them had the guts. If he was in there position he’d… well, actually he didn’t think he was brave enough either. Harry sighed bitterly as he went back to his meagre school lunch.

The rain had stopped therefore, students were allowed to run around outside for the remainder of their lunch break. After finishing, Harry shuffled slowly towards the exit, not in a hurry to meet up with Dudley any time soon. His cousin took great pleasure in tormenting him while at school and of course at home too.

Luckily for him, Dudley was nowhere in sight when he stepped out into the chilly, breezy atmosphere. Harry wandered around for a while until he felt the need to use the loo before the break ended.

He was washing his hands after he finished business, when the door opened. Harry looked into the mirror and saw the grinning face of his cousin. He let out a quiet sigh before turning around to face Dudley.

“What do you want Dudley?” The small boy asked tiredly. The Harry Hunting game was really getting old and he was rather sick of letting his cousin bully him around. But then again, there wasn’t much he could do unless he wanted to face Uncle Vernon’s wrath.

Dudley smirked and instead of commenting, he threw a punch at Harry. Expecting the punch, Harry dodged and weaved past his cousin towards the exit. Before he could make it, he was tripped by his cousin’s friend Piers, and fell flat on his face. Both boys laughed as Harry tried to get up but slipped on the wet bathroom floor instead.

The bell sounded, causing the two bullies to head towards the door but before they left, Dudley made sure to grab his glasses and chuck them aside. Harry slowly picked himself up from the filthy floor and looked around for his glasses. He could barely see but he managed to find them just as the final bell sounded.

Harry rushed through the halls skidded to a stop in front of 112. He entered quietly but Miss Williams still noticed him.

“You’re late Harry,” she reprimanded, giving him a disappointed gaze.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” he replied, looking down at his trainers. Even at school, he couldn’t seem to do anything right. His teachers in the past had given him disapproving looks and chastised him when he didn’t turn in homework or failed a test. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do well; it was just that he wasn’t allowed to do well.

“Well you can help me clean up a little bit today after school as punishment,” Miss Williams stated as she handed him a worksheet that the rest of the class had started on.

“Yes ma’am.” That wouldn’t be too hard. He was used to cleaning in the Dursley household.

“Please pick up and put away the crayons Harry,” the teacher suggested after the other students left for home that afternoon.

Harry quietly began gathering the crayons. They had art class earlier that day and got to draw whatever they’d liked. Today he drew a picture of a fire-breathing dragon. When he got home, he’d have to make sure it was hidden from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. One time he’d had a dream about being on a flying motorcycle and drew it in his next art class. When they found the picture, Uncle Vernon had given him a sound smacking and told him motorcycles can’t fly and there’s no such thing as magic.

After a few minutes of tiding up, Miss Williams briefly glanced outside and saw Harry’s cousin getting picked up.

“I see your cousin outside, so you’d better go catch your ride,” she said.

“I don’t get a ride home,” he informed her. He never did. Little freaks like him weren’t allowed to sit in the car unless absolutely necessary. The same applies to sitting on their living room furniture. It just wasn’t allowed. “I walk home everyday.”

“Oh,” she stated, feeling perplexed. “Why don’t you get a ride with your cousin?”

“My aunt says the exercise is good for me,” Harry answered, grabbing his school bag. “I’m sorry for being late to class and I’ll try not to do it again.”

“Okay, run along. I’ll see you tomorrow in class,” Miss Williams answered. She turned to the window and watched as the little black-haired boy took off walking in the direction of his home. He didn’t have a coat on either, which caused her some concern since it was due to rain again soon. She made a mental note to ask him about it tomorrow.

Harry walked briskly outside, enjoying the cloudy weather. Just before he arrived at number four, it began to rain again. He took his time walking while enjoying the rain.

Dudley hardly ever ventured outside during the rain which meant he’d escape his cousin outdoors. The rain served as a source of calm sounds along with a retreat from his miserable home. He always thought it was slightly odd how he’d spend hours outside in the rain and never get sick, even though he would become thoroughly soaked. Then again, that was probably just one of the freakish qualities about himself that the Dursleys despised.

His time outside in the rain came to an end as he reached his residence. He entered the house and made sure to leave his muddy shoes outside, else his aunt would whack him with a wooden spoon for tracking mud around her perfectly clean house.

“What took you so long boy?” Aunt Petunia demanded from the kitchen, where she was making her precious Dudley an after school snack.

Harry, looking down, replied, “I had to stay after and help Miss Williams clean up the classroom.”

“Why’d you do?” she snapped, accusation in her voice.

“I was late to class after lunch,” he informed her quietly. He studied the hole in his grey faded sock. His little toenail was even sticking out a bit.

“And now you were late to get here. You’d better get started on cleaning up Dudley’s bedroom, the upstairs and the downstairs bathrooms, along with preparing dinner. There’s a roast in the oven and I expect you to also have the mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable done by the time Vernon gets home.”

“Yes Aunt Petunia,” Harry replied. He placed his satchel in his cupboard and headed upstairs. Dudley’s room was always icky and the worst room to clean. Best to start there.

Vernon arrived home promptly at six o’clock that evening. Harry had rushed through the bathrooms in order to have dinner completed on time and barely managed. The potatoes were finished just as his uncle walked in. Five minutes later, after changing out of work clothes, Vernon appeared in the kitchen along with Dudley. Aunt Petunia was already seated at the table and currently in the process of cutting up Dudley’s meat. She placed all the fatty pieces on a smaller plate, along with a small spoonful of potatoes and veggies before giving it to Harry, who was standing quietly in the corner.

“Thank you Aunt Petunia,” he said as he accepted the place. He was lucky they decided to feed him tonight. Actually, he was especially lucky since he’d gotten food this morning as well.

“Go eat over there,” she ordered.

Harry obediently went off to the side and sat down in the corner. Another rule in the Dursley household was that he wasn’t allowed to eat with them and he was rarely allowed to sit on their furniture. He slowly ate his food, attempting to savour the flavour as long as possible. Naturally after they’d finished eating, he’d get stuck doing the dishes.

Harry was scrubbing the dirty pans when he heard his aunt’s shrilly voice.

“BOY! Get over here now!” she screeched. He set the pan back into the sink, dried off his hands. He hoped nothing was wrong and that he wouldn’t get punished, but by her tone, he guessed she wasn’t happy about something or another. When he found her, she was standing by the bathroom with her hands on her hips.

“Did you even clean this bathroom?” she demanded and he just nodded, not sure what was going on. She reached forward and pulled him in the bathroom and shoved his face towards the sink, which he had cleaned earlier. Dudley must have been in here because it now had some toothpaste smudged on it along with some spilt mouthwash along the countertop. His aunt pointed towards the trash, which he’d honestly forgotten to empty.

“You call this clean?” Aunt Petunia shrieked. Harry shook his head negatively and looked down to study his socks again. “What would the neighbours think if they came over and saw this bathroom in this state? Now go to your cupboard and wait for your uncle to sort you out.”

Harry did as he was told and entered his cupboard. He tried to calm his racing heart as he dreaded the upcoming punishment. He could hear her explaining to Uncle Vernon how he didn’t clean the bathroom properly. Before long, thunderous footsteps approached his door and slammed it open. His uncle grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out.

“What’s this I hear about you slacking off on your chores?” he hissed dangerously.

“I-I’m sorry,” Harry stuttered out.

“Sorry isn’t good enough!” he roared, pulling the boy close enough to his face. Harry kept his gaze down and longed to wipe the spittle off of his face.

Vernon threw his nephew to the ground and kicked him once in the side. “Now get in that bathroom and clean it up properly. After you’ve finished, remain in the bathroom. Your hair is a disgrace and Petunia’s going to cut it.”

“Y-yes Uncle Vernon,” Harry stammered out fearfully from his position on the ground. His arms were clutched around his stomach, ready to protect it if his uncle decided to kick him again. Vernon returned to his television show and Harry slowly got to his feet. That wasn’t so bad. At least his uncle had only kicked him once.

When finished cleaning, he pulled the toilet seat down and sat on it while he waited for his aunt. She came in a few minutes later carrying a shaver. She didn’t say anything to him and got right to work on removing every last bit of his hair, with one exception. The only section of hair that remained was just enough to cover his scar. Aunt Petunia hated that scar and wanted to keep it hidden as much as possible. Harry was rather fond of the neat marking, but at the moment he wasn’t.

He stood in front of the mirror, staring at his badly shaven head in horror. Dudley walked by and noticed Harry’s horror-struck face. He started laughing and then he began to ruthlessly tease his cousin. Harry ignored him and got down on his knees to begin cleaning up hair littered across the floor. School tomorrow would be a nightmare! All the kids would tease him for having that lone patch of hair. If only that scar wasn’t there, then he’d at least have a fully shaved head.

After the bathroom was once again in pristine condition, Harry crawled on his little cot in his cupboard and pulled his knees up to his chest miserably. Several tears managed to escape as he curled there in misery. For once, he wished he would get dreadfully sick or something would happen and he could avoid school until his hair grew back. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, so he’d just remain there for as long as he could. It didn’t take too long before he drifted off into a deep slumber.

The next morning began the same as the previous day with Harry crawling from his cupboard to start breakfast. Since no one was in the kitchen, he hummed a quiet tune. Cooking was rather enjoyable and he didn’t mind the chore as long as he wasn’t starving. It was pure torture when he was forced to cook on an empty stomach.

The bacon was nice and crispy when he removed it from the frying pan and onto the plate. He continued humming quietly as he flipped the frying eggs over and removed them when they were done. He quickly toasted and buttered several pieces of toast and began setting the plates on the table.

Just as he put the last plate on the table, his aunt entered and shrieked loudly. He dropped the plate on the table, thankfully it didn’t break, and turned toward her.

“Wha-what did you do!?” her screech caused Vernon to come barrelling down the stairs.

“What’s wrong Pet?” he asked as he approached, wearing his ruffled nightshirt. She just pointed at Harry. Vernon’s face began purpling.

“BOY! What-how-” he stammered angrily. “Turn it back this instant!”

Harry looked around confused. Nothing around the kitchen area looked any different than before. What could they be getting upset over now? “What are you talking about?”

Vernon just marched towards him with his arm extended. Harry flinched away and tried to avoid the massive hand but it still managed to snatch him by the collar. His uncle marched him towards the bathroom where he gasped in surprise at seeing that his hair had grown back over night. How’d that happen?

“Boy! You’d better turn it back right now or you’ll be sorry!” he threatened, still very much purple-faced.

“I-I don’t know how! I didn’t m-mean to do it,” Harry cried. It wasn’t like he knew how he changed it in the first place.

“GO!” he furiously shoved the boy. Harry shakily went towards his cupboard but was stopped by his uncle’s arm pushing him towards the basement door.

Vernon opened the basement door and motioned for Harry to go down there. “Get down there and wait for me,” he snapped, clearly irritated. The basement was where he was sent when punishments would be especially bad. He’d only been down here once before and that was when his uncle gave him his first lashing with his belt. He shuddered at the memory.

He stumbled down the steps and descended into the dark and dreary basement. The small boy made his way over to a corner and pulled up his knees and hugged them to his chest. He was in for it now. Growing his hair back must be another one of his freakish traits. Harry shivered, half in coldness and half in anticipation for his upcoming punishment. Above, raised voices were heard.

“I’ll not have a freak in my house! I won’t stand for it!” the voice of his aunt cried. “I thought you’d beaten it out of him since we haven’t seen the boy do anything freakish for years!” What exactly were they trying to beat out of him? It’s not like he does things on purpose. Sometimes he doesn’t know how it happened. Like his hair growing back.

“I’ll take care of the boy and later you can try cutting his hair again,” Vernon soothed his upset wife. She calmed down slightly and he sent her off to finish getting Dudley ready for school.

Oh no, Harry thought. That meant he’d loose all his hair again. Maybe this time, she’d just shave it all off, he hoped.

Vernon made his way down to the basement where his nephew was crouched in the corner. “Take off your shirt!” he barked as he pulled off his belt. Oh no, not the belt again!

Harry unsteadily got to his feet and peeled off his shirt. Moments later, his uncle’s belt came down towards him and struck his back. Harry cried out.

“Shut it boy!” Vernon snapped before he brought the belt down again. By the fourth strike, Harry had slumped to his knees, as his legs could no longer support him. Several strikes later, he slipped into the awaiting darkness

Harry awoke to someone slapping his face. He opened his eyes and gazed up briefly at his aunt before he shifted his gaze downwards. She must’ve come to tell him it’s time for his second hair cut.

“Be in the bathroom in five minutes,” she ordered before she retreated back upstairs.

He moved slightly, gasping at the pain. It was rather difficult to sit up since his back screamed in agony at the slightest movement. He managed to sit up and reached one hand behind his back to feel if he was bleeding anywhere. Mostly the skin was very tender, but his uncle had repeatedly struck one spot near the base of his neck and it had split his skin open.

Harry grabbed his shirt and painfully pulled it over his head then slowly got to his feet. Going up the stairs was agonizing as his shirt constantly rubbed his tender back. He finally made it to the bathroom and stood still while his aunt once again mangled his hair. He sighed dejectedly, wishing that he could get away from here. He probably could run away but then again, how would he survive? He didn’t have any money and didn’t want to end up in an orphanage either.

After Aunt Petunia finished cutting his hair, she assigned him some chores. Might as well make him do something useful since he wasn’t at school. At least Dudley’s messy and stinky room was cleaned yesterday.

Harry was dusting the living room when he dropped his feather duster by the couch. As he slowly bent down and as he retrieved the duster, he noticed a small pocket mirror half hidden under the couch. He grabbed it and looked it over. It wasn’t one of his aunts so it must belong to one of her friends that she regularly gossiped with. She constantly had “tea parties” with the ladies but all they did was gossip the whole time. The day before those parties, Aunt Petunia always worked him especially hard since she demanded everything to be perfect. Can’t have the ladies noticing any imperfections now can we?

Harry stuffed the small mirror in his pocket and completed the rest of his dusting. His aunt then sent him off to his cupboard. After this morning and the chores, he was quite tired. He curled on his stomach, to avoid aggravating his back any further, and drifted off to sleep.

Harry woke up a while later at the sound of his aunt slamming the door on her way out to pick Dudley up. He sat up slowly and fearfully placed a hand on his, hopefully bald, head. A few tears slipped out when he felt hair up there. His aunt and uncle would have kittens once they discovered his hair had already grown back and he’d get punished once again for something he couldn’t control. He felt doomed.

A thought occurred to him as he sat there. Obviously he had a talent of sorts with growing his hair back and it made him curious to see if he could do anything else with his hair.

Harry slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the mirror. Reaching up, he pulled the little string to turn on his cupboard light. As the cupboard lit up, Harry looked into the mirror and concentrated on trying to change his hair back to bald. Nothing happened.

He sighed and tried something new. Instead of trying to get rid of his hair, he focused on something that seemed easier. After several minutes of concentrating, he managed to make his hair change into light shade of brown.

Harry panted with exhaustion. That was hard to do. He focused on returning it back to normal before he slumped down on his cot and promptly fell asleep.

Petunia opened the cupboard door later that afternoon and peeked inside. The boy was asleep and his hair had grown back again. She scowled. She did NOT want another freak in the family. It was bad enough growing up with her perfect freaky sister.

She reached forward and shook the boy’s shoulder. “Up. Get up now.” The boy didn’t move at all. She leaned closer to make sure he was still breathing. He was. She let out a sigh of relief that the boy wasn’t dead or else Vernon might’ve gone to jail if someone found out. She tried shaking him again but he didn’t even stir. She frowned and backed away from the door. She slammed it closed and left the boy there. Might as well let Vernon deal with the little freak.

Harry remained sleeping until later that evening when his uncle came home. He slammed the door loudly, jarring Harry awake. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, wondering why he’d slept so long and why his aunt hadn’t made him get up to start dinner. He then heard Aunt Petunia telling Uncle Vernon that his hair had grown back again. She started mentioning something about him not waking up earlier either. What was that about? Surely he hadn’t slept that soundly.

His uncle could be heard grumbling loudly and his aunt was once again whining about having a freak in the family. She pleaded with Vernon to do something.

“Fine,” Vernon agreed. “Take Dudley and go get something to eat. I’ll be back later this evening,” Vernon waited until they were gone before approaching the cupboard door.

Vernon pulled the door open and it reached in. He viciously yanked Harry out by the arm with a pop, as his arm was dislocated. He cried out in pain and clutched his arm to his chest as soon as his uncle released it. Oh, how that hurt! He didn’t think he could stand moving his arm at all.

“I’ve had enough of you boy! You’ve caused this family nothing but problems from the start!” he bellowed, spittle flying everywhere. “We’ve had it with you and you’re gonna get it now!”

Harry stared at his uncle in horror as the beefy man removed his belt. No! Not the belt again! Harry made to run towards the door but his uncle grabbed him and threw him on the floor.

Harry cried out as his dislocated arm was jolted. Before he could move again, his uncle’s foot came crashing against his ribs. Vernon made to kick him again but Harry managed to move aside somewhat, causing his uncle to kick his leg. The kicking stopped but instead, Vernon brought the belt down on Harry. It only took a couple more hits before Harry’s weakened body could take no more and he succumbed to the darkness for the second time that day.

Once the boy was out of it, Vernon stopped whipping him and retrieved his keys. He picked up the boy, muttering in disgust, and tossed him on the backseat floor of his car. He didn’t want the boy to dirty up his car after all. He backed out of the garage and drove until he reached the outskirts of London. He drove around for a while until he found a dark empty alleyway, where no one would see him.

Vernon looked around just to make sure no one was nearby. He didn’t see anyone so he lifted the light body from his car and tossed it carelessly on the ground.

He jumped back in his car and drove off. Never once did he look back.

Harry began to stir when he heard the sound of a honking car in the distance. Wait—honking cars? He quickly opened his eyes and sat up gasping in pain. His left arm was aching fiercely and looked swollen. His back was still very tender along with his aching ribs. Harry took a few slow breaths to calm his racing heart.

He blearily looked around and took in the unfamiliar setting. It was hard to see without his glasses but he used his good arm to grope around until he found the pair, thankfully they were still intact. They slipped on easily and everything came into focus.

Suddenly everything else came into focus. They’d kicked him out! Left him to fend for himself in who knows where. Harry closed his eyes and tried to fight off the memory of his own relatives dumping him because he was some kind of freak. It’s not like I could help it! Harry thought indignantly. I didn’t mean to grow my hair back.

The seven-almost eight-year old sighed and slowly got to his feet. He kept his left arm tucked as closely to his body as possible to help keep it from aching as much. If he even moved it just a bit, it hurt like mad!

Using his right hand, Harry reached into his pocket to see if he had anything at all on him. The only thing that came out of his pocket was some lint. Reaching into the other pocket revealed the little mirror that he’d found yesterday. That wasn’t going to help at all but at least he could practice changing his hair colour some more later. It was actually a pretty neat trick, even if it meant his aunt and uncle were right about him being a good-for-nothing freak.

Harry looked around the alley and decided to head towards the sounds of traffic. The alley was starting to give him the creeps, it was so quiet around here. He began walking, while keeping a hold on his left arm to prevent it from moving much. Harry’s stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t had any breakfast yet, if it was still even breakfast time. For all he knew, it could be late in the afternoon. How long had I been unconscious in the alley? Harry wondered.

After maybe an hour, if his ruddy watch worked then he’d know the actual time, he came across a small café. There were several small outdoor tables but only one happened to be occupied. Harry crept closer to the café when it was obvious the lady was finished with her meal, even though there was still food on the table. She left a tip on the table and exited the small restaurant.

Harry quickly used his good arm to stuff the few coins into his pocket and grabbed the basket of food before quickly dashing away. The smells of the food made his stomach growl again but he didn’t stop walking until he was safe distance away. He felt bad about taking the tip money, but who knew if he’d need it later?

Once he was a suitable distance away, he sat down and began to eat the food. Left over in the meal basket were the remains of the lady’s fish and chips. Right now on his empty stomach, nothing had ever tasted so good before, even if it was the remains of someone else’s food. He was rather used to eating the leftovers of the Dursley’s food. Thinking of the Dursley’s made him sad and yet angry at the same time. They were my family! How could they just abandon me like this?

Once the food was gone, he got up and wandered some more until he found what appeared to be an abandoned house. It didn’t look structurally safe since it leaned to the side so much but it would have to do. The sky was darkening and it looked like a big storm was coming in. After searching around for a bit, he found an entrance to the building that wasn’t boarded up. He carefully crawled though the opening and tried not to jerk his arm too much. Once inside, he looked around and studied his surroundings.

The house had old wall paper that peeled off the walls along with cobwebs everywhere. He’d gotten used to spiders in his cupboard so the webs certainly didn’t bother him. A flash of lightening and the roar of thunder caused him to jump and his heart to start racing. Moments later, he could hear the telltale signs of the rain starting to fall.

Harry looked around for a dry corner, away from the leaky roof spots, and curled up in it. The boy let the rain lure him into a peaceful state of mine as he tried to relax into the place that would temporarily be called his new home. Before long, he drifted off to sleep.

The rolling thunder awoke him later and when he looked outside, it was quite dark. His stomach growled but he ignored it. There was no way he was going to wander out there at night time!

Harry suddenly realized hunger wasn’t his only problem. He had to use the loo. He got to his feet, hoping to find something suitable in this house. It was a two story house and as he wandered around, he found the kitchen and dining areas. He vowed to investigate the whole house more once he found a bathroom.

He pushed open one door only to reveal an empty bedroom. There was a puddle in here, obviously from the hole that he spotted in the roof. He pushed open another door and found a bathroom. It didn’t look too good with the cracked countertops and rusted sink. There wasn’t even the customary water that he’d expected to find in the toilet bowl. He quickly did his business before returning to investigating the house.

The first floor had been looked over so he moved towards the staircase. The stairs didn’t even look sturdy but he decided to walk slowly and carefully up them. He felt curious about the old house and had to explore it. He was always curious but at the Dursley’s they hated when he asked questions, so he always had to keep his curiosity to himself.

The first door revealed another empty bedroom. Moving on, he opened the next door. It appeared to be a study because there was an old beat up desk in there. Harry entered the room and made his way over to the desk and pulled open one drawer. It was empty but when he opened the next one, he was surprised to find some paper along with some pens inside. He was about to continue exploring the house when he noticed a secret little compartment on the side of the desk. He opened it and saw a gold pocket watch that was covered in several layers of dust. He blew on it and some of the dust flew off. Harry then used the edge of his large shirt to clean it up a bit further.

On the cover of the pocket watch was the letter P in a fancy engraving. Harry thought it was perfect since his last name started with a P. He just hoped no one would ever come back here looking for it. He pressed the button and the watch opened. Inside was the clock, which wasn’t working. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t set the time since he didn’t know how to and didn’t want to risk breaking the delicate object.

He closed the pocket watch and slipped it into his pocket, next to his mirror, which were the only two things he currently owned, other than the clothes on his back.

He left the room and explored the rest of the house but found nothing else. He returned to his corner and sat down again. He shivered from the cold and curled into a small ball to keep warm. Thankfully it wasn’t winter, else he’d surely freeze. Harry stopped those thoughts, not wanting to think about how he’d survive the winter without any coats or blankets to keep warm.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew the mirror. Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to work on changing his hair again. It was easier this time to make his hair brown so he decided to try something different. He concentrated on giving himself a pair of brown eyes. He didn’t think it was going to work at first, assuming that only his hair would change but was surprised when his green eyes slowly turned to brown.

“Wicked,” he said softly.

He tried blue this time and the change came quicker. It seemed to get easier once he figured out what he was doing. Unfortunately it still left him feeling drained after he played around with his eye and hair colours. Once back to normal, his eyes slowly drifted closed until he fell asleep.

The next couple of days went basically the same as the first. In the morning, he’d walk around a bit and usually get some food from that same café. Not too many people ate outside since the weather wasn’t too good but the few that did were unknowingly providing him with a bit of food. He hadn’t dug through dumpsters or anything like that yet and hoped he could avoid that for as long as possible. Since he’d gone several days before with limited food, this wasn’t that big of a deal.

Harry’s evening were filled with fun as he worked on changing his hair into funny styles. He’d even got a Mohawk once, although it was hard at first. With his constant practicing, it was becoming easier and easier to make the changes. He even used it when he went out sometimes so that no one would notice the same kid visiting the café everyday. He may have been able to change his face but he was still stuck wearing the same clothes and his left arm still hung limply by his side. He really wasn’t too sure what he could do about that. He didn’t want to make the pain worse by trying to pop it back in but even if he wanted to try, he had no idea how.

The days continued to pass slowly with a familiar rhythm until one particular day. It had started out the same as the last few with him getting up and heading outside. The clouds had cleared up and more people were out and about. A couple had just left the café and he snatched their leftovers like usual. There was hardly anything but he still took it. He walked briskly, not wanting to run since it’d hurt his arm. He just turned the corner when he slammed into someone and landed on his bottom.

“I-I,” he cleared his throat. His voice was raspy since it hadn’t been used much lately. Harry looked up and stared into the soft blue eyes belonging to a man in a police uniform. Harry’s eyes widened further.

“Please-I’m sorry sir. I-I didn’t mean to run into you,” Harry stuttered as he gazed downward. He absently noted that the food he was carrying had been dropped and some sauce had spilt on the man’s shoes.

“Oh no,” he whispered as he partially scooted back from the still policeman, who hadn’t moved. What if the man was mad and threw him in jail? Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always said that policemen throw evil little freaky boys like him in jail. He just hoped the policeman didn’t know he was a freak and lock him up.

“Now, now. It’s all right.” The man pulled a tissue from a pocket and bent down to wipe off his shoe. “No harm done, see?”

“I’m sorry sir,” Harry whispered. He kept his gaze down, wishing he wasn’t here now. He belatedly realized that his arm hurt from the fall along with his bottom.

“Like I said, it’s alright. Why don’t you stand up, lad?” He extended an arm but Harry flinched away and lifted his right arm to protect himself. Harry didn’t want to get hit again; his back was getting better but his arm constantly throbbed. Harry peeked up at the man, who wore a sad expression on his face. When the man retracted his arm and stepped back slightly, Harry slowly got to his feet.

“My name’s Officer Peterson. What’s yours?” the officer asked kindly as he looked the boy over. The child was wearing filthy clothing that didn’t fit properly and his left arm dangled there limply. The way he flinched away suggested abuse but he didn’t know for sure.

“H-Harry, sir,” he boy whispered. The boy’s stomach chose that moment growl, causing the boy to redden.

“You know, I was just on my way to lunch at this little café over here. Since your food ended up on the ground, would you like to join me?” he questioned.

“I-I couldn’t do that sir. I don’t want to impose,” the dark-haired boy replied.

“Don’t worry about that! Now come along. Let’s get something to eat.” He went to put his hand on Harry’s shoulder but the boy tensed so instead he dropped it.

“Thank you sir,” the young child whispered gratefully. He was too hungry to resist the temptation of free food.

They shared a table outside, since it was quieter. A waiter soon brought over some water and menus for them to browse. Harry glanced over the menu and searched for the cheapest thing he could find.

“What can I get for you?” the waiter asked Harry.

“I-I’d just like some toast please,” he said hesitantly.

“Toast? Are you sure that’s all you want, Harry?” Officer Peterson asked. “Why don’t you get the lad a turkey, ham, and cheese sandwich. Does that sound alright Harry?”

“Yes sir. It’s fine.”

“Do you want anything on it? Like mayonnaise, tomatoes, and lettuce?” the waiter suggested.

“Yes please,” Harry said quietly.

“And for you sir?”

“I’ll take the roast beef sandwich please, along with a salad. Could you get the boy a small salad as well?” the officer added.

“Sure thing,” the waiter replied. “What kind of dressing?”

“Ranch sound okay Harry?”

“Yes sir,” Harry responded, not looking at anyone. He didn’t even know this man but he was buying him lunch. He didn’t know what to think. Since when were people nice to freaks like him?

“I’ll be right back with your salads,” the waiter said as he took their menus. Their salads arrived quickly and they ate them in silence. After they finished their salads, the officer spoke up.

“So how old are you Harry?”

“Seven, sir,” he offered. “I’ll be eight in a couple more months.”

“When’s your birthday?” he inquired, trying to get the quiet boy to talk.

“July 31st,” Harry replied. “Sir,” he added. He’d been taught early on to address adults as sir or ma’am. He didn’t want to upset a police man who could have him arrested. He really hoped the man wasn’t planning on doing that after they finished eating. There had to be a reason Officer Peterson was buying him lunch. Maybe the man wants him to do something afterwards?

His musings were interrupted by the man’s voice. “Really? My birthday is only a couple days after that on August 3rd.”

Harry gave the man a small smile. He wondered if this man got to celebrate his birthday with his family or friends. At the Dursleys, he never got to have a birthday cake, presents or anything.

The waiter came over just then, set aside their salad plates and put their sandwiches down on the table. Harry waited until Officer Peterson began eating before he took a tentative bite of his food. It was delicious! He finished rather quickly, although made sure not to look like a pig in front of the nice police man. That was the best sandwich I’ve ever had!

Harry sat, still and quiet in his chair as he waited for the officer to finish. His thoughts were wandering as he wondered what would happen next. He didn’t think he was going to jail but surely the officer would want something in return for buying him lunch.

Officer Peterson finished his sandwich and paid the bill. Harry stood there, not sure what to do next. He settled with thanking the man. “Thank you very much, sir. That was very good.”

“You’re welcome Harry,” the man replied kindly. He paused for a minute, deciding what to say next. He spoke carefully, trying not to spook the boy off.

“How’d you hurt you arm, Harry?”

“Um, I dunno,” he responded, not looking the man in the eye.

“Can I have a friend of mine take a look at it? He’ll make it feel better since I’m sure it hurts a bit,” the officer suggested.

“ ‘S not that bad sir,” Harry muttered.

“So would it be okay if my buddy looked at it anyways? You’d even get to ride in my car and we could turn on the sirens if you’d like.”

Harry hesitated. His arm really did hurt and it’d be nice to get it fixed. “Alright,” he agreed, looking down at his dirty shoes.

“Great! My car is parked just over here.” Officer Peterson gently led the young whelp to his squad car and opened the front passenger side door.

Harry looked up. “I’m sitting up front?” he questioned. He’d expected to sit in the back, where the bad people went.

“Sure! No need to sit in the back like a criminal.” Harry reluctantly sat down and the gentleman buckled his seatbelt on for him. The officer went around the car and sat down in the driver’s seat and started the car.

“You want the sirens on?” he asked.

“No, that’s okay sir,” Harry responded. For the rest of the ride, Harry sat there quietly wondering how he was going to get back to that old house before it got too dark.

“We’re here.” Harry looked up and noticed the police building in front of him.

“A-are you arresting me?” Harry asked fearfully.

“No, why would you say that?”

“I thought we were going to see your friend,” the young boy answered quietly.

“We are. My friend works here,” the officer replied with a small smile. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to arrest you. You haven’t done anything wrong have you, lad?”

Taking leftovers didn’t count as something wrong did it? “No, sir,” Harry replied.

“Now that that’s settled, let’s head inside,” the officer stated as he stepped out of his car. Harry followed him and slowly exited the car. His arm was still aching from his earlier fall and he made sure to keep it tucked closely to his body to minimize movement.

The officer gently placed a hand on the small boy, who flinched, and led him inside. He manoeuvred past several desks until he reached an interrogation office. He wasn’t planning on interrogating the boy; he just needed a room to place him in until he contacted child services and a doctor.

“Can you wait in here for me Harry?” the boy nodded. “I’m going to find my buddy to look at your arm and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Harry sat down in a chair as Officer Peterson left. He was reasonably nervous about being in a police station with all these bigger people around. He clutched him arm and tried to stop from shaking but it was useless. He was scared, alone as usual, and in a large unfamiliar building.

What felt like hours to Harry, but really was only 15 minutes, the officer returned with another man. This man carried a bag and around his neck was a stethoscope. He looked rather kind, but Harry was still weary of the larger man. Everyone looked so large to him but none were quite as large and scary looking as his uncle.

“Hi there,” the doctor greeted. “I am Doctor White. What’s your name?”

“Harry,” the boy answered quietly while clutching his injured arm to his chest.

“I see your arm is hurt. Would it be alright if I looked at it?” Harry nodded slowly.

“Do you think you can take off your shirt for me? So I can get a better look at it?”

Harry’s eyes widened. If he took off his shirt, both of these men would see what his uncle had done to him. He shook his head negatively.

“Please Harry?” the doctor pleaded. “I’ve even got another shirt here that you can wear once I finish looking you over.”

Harry closed his eyes and wished, with all his might for, all his scars and markings to disappear. He hoped his new talent for changing would help him right now hide those markings. If not, then these men would surely learn what a freak he was. He slowly peeled off his shirt, and kept his eyes closed, afraid to see the disgust in their eyes.

His eyes shot open when he felt something cold press on his chest. The doctor had out his stethoscope and was listening to his racing heartbeat. When finished, he went around the small boy and inspected his arm.

“It looks like your arm was dislocated. It will be painful to put it back in place since it’s been out of socket for several days now.” Doctor White concluded. “Is it alright if I give you a shot to numb the pain, Harry?” Harry just nodded his head, not wanting to speak right now. He watched as the doctor filled a syringe with clear liquid and came towards his left arm.

“Ready?” Harry bit his lip and nodded. The cool tip of the needle was placed against his skin and Harry held back the small wince that wanted to escape. The Doctor smiled encouragingly at him and handed the boy an icepack. “Please hold this on your arm to reduce the swelling and as soon as the medication kicks in, I’ll fix your arm right up.” Harry accepted the icepack and held it on his sore arm.

“I’ll be just outside with Officer Peterson while we wait,” the doctor said before the two men stepped outside. Once the door was closed, they spoke with the child services woman who waited outside for them.

“What’s your analysis, Doctor White?” the woman asked, with a pad of paper in her hand.

“He is severely malnourished to the point where all of his ribs are visible. His left arm was dislocated and appears to have been that way for several few days now. Other than that, he appears to be in good health and no other markings or scars are visible.”

The woman made notes of everything. “Did he say what his full name was?” she asked Officer Peterson.

“No. He just said his name is Harry. I’ll ask him when we are finished here.” The officer turned his sad gaze to the small boy sitting in the room.

“Do you know how long he’s been on the streets or if he ran away from home?”

“I don’t know any of that for sure. I suspect that he was abused in his previous home because he flinches away from every touch. I even checked for missing child reports a few minutes ago and he doesn’t fit any descriptions.” Peterson concluded.

She nodded and made more notes. “When you are finished, I’ll have to drop him off at St. Lukes Orphanage unless you find any more evidence on his family.”

“Can I take him there instead?” Officer Peterson asked. “He’s been through so much today and I’d really like to be the one who drops him off, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “I’ll give you all the paperwork and when you get there, just hand it to Ms. Morgan in the front office.”

“Thank you. I’ll go back in there and see if he’ll tell me anything about his family.” The officer disappeared through the door, leaving the doctor to talk further with the child services woman.

“Hey Harry. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine sir,” Harry answered shortly.

“Do you know your last name?” the officer asked.

Harry shook his head. He didn’t want to tell them in case they found out he was related to the Dursleys and then decided to send him back. “No sir. I don’t know it.” He looked down once again, not wanting to see any anger or disappointment on the nice man’s face.

“That’s okay. What about relatives? Do you have anyone we can contact?”

“No sir,” Harry answered quickly. He certainly didn’t want the Dursleys to be contacted and have them come all the way down here.

“Okay then Harry. I’m going to ask Doctor White to come in now so he can fix your arm.” He stepped outside and briefly told the woman that Harry didn’t know anything about relatives or his last name. The Doctor followed him back in once she had all the information.

“You can put the icepack down now Harry.” Harry placed it on the table. “This still might hurt a bit even though I gave you a shot earlier. Are you ready?”

“Yes sir,” he answered before bracing himself. Doctor White gripped his left arm and popped it back into place. Harry winced but showed no further discomfort.

“Okay there Harry?”

He nodded. His arm really did feel better for the most part. It was still numb but it felt better than it had for the last few days.

The doctor rummaged through his bag until he found a dark blue arm sling. He handed Harry a clean white shirt first and gently assisted the boy into it. Then he adjusted the sling to the right length before putting that on Harry as well.

“Your arm will be sore for a while longer now but you’re a young lad so it should heal pretty fast,” Doctor White stated. “Wear the sling on for at least a week so your arm will heal properly. Okay Harry?”

“Yes sir,” he replied. The sling was comfy and kept his arm in one place. This was better than having to hold his arm like before it was fixed. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem,” the man replied with a smile. “I’ve got other people to visit so you take care.”

Harry gave him a hesitant smile back before looking back down. “Bye,” he added shyly.

“Good bye Harry.” The doctor waved as he left Harry and Officer Peterson in the room together.

“Come on Harry,” the officer said as he led the small boy from the room. He stopped by his desk and picked up Harry’s file before exiting the building.

Harry got in the car, thinking that the officer was going to give him a ride back to the café. They drove for a while, listening to the quiet radio. As the music played, Harry slowly drifted off to sleep.

He awoke when the car stopped and looked outside. It wasn’t the familiar place he was expecting. Instead the car stopped in front of a large brick building. Several kids were playing on the small playground towards the back of the building. Harry looked around, wondering where they were, until his eyes stopped on the sign “St. Lukes Orphanage”.

“Harry?” Officer Peterson asked. Harry tore his gaze from the sign and looked the man in the eye before looking downward. “I’m sorry but since you don’t know of any relatives, then I am required by law to tell the Child Services about you living alone on the streets.” The officer exited the car, opened Harry’s door and knelt down to the boy’s level.

He gazed sadly at the boy. “This is where you are going to live now.”

Harry watched from the window as Officer Peterson drove away

Harry watched from the window as Officer Peterson drove away. The man brought him here, told him that he was staying here from now on and introduced him to Ms. Morgan. Then he left. Just like everyone else, it seemed.

“Come Harry, I will show you to the room you will be staying in from now on.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, ignoring the flinch, and gently led him through the silent halls. They went up to the second floor of the building and she opened and motioned for him to enter.

The room was plain and simple. On one wall, there was a metal-framed bunk bed set along with a dresser. Across from that, another bunk bed was set up along with a small desk on the side. Three of the beds were currently occupied with someone’s belongings, leaving the one of the top bunks for Harry.

“Here are the basic rules: You get up at seven every morning, breakfast is at seven-thirty and classes begin at eight. Since we are limited on teaching staff, classes are combined. Children ages six to eight learn the basics of reading, writing and such; nine to twelve learn more intermediate reading and writing skills and the rest of the older children learn more advanced materials. You’ll have the same classes as the three boys sharing this room so they will be able to show you to the classrooms. Any questions so far?” Ms. Morgan asked.

“No ma’am,” Harry replied. It wasn’t too complicated yet and he hoped it wouldn’t be too bad here. He’d heard plenty of stories from his relatives when they threatened to drop him off at an orphanage and none of those tales were good.

“You’ll have a break before lunch, which is at noon. Follow the students and they’ll lead you to the dining hall. After lunch is over, you’ll have more class until two-thirty. Once that’s over, you are free to do whatever you like until dinner time. I’d also suggest doing your homework before playing but hardly anyone listens to my advice there. We have equipment outside for you to use and there is a recreation room around here with some cards, puzzles, pencils, crayons, paper and board games for you kids to entertain yourselves with.” She went on to explain more rules about where he was and wasn’t allowed along with curfew times before she finally finished.

“Now do you have any questions Harry?”

“What am I supposed to wear, ma’am?” Harry asked, looking towards the dresser.

“Ah-yes, I’d forgotten to mention that part. Since the boys you share this room with are roughly your age and size, you will share clothes. Everything you’ll need is in there.”

Well that wouldn’t be too bad. Maybe these clothes would fit better than Dudley’s old cast-offs?

“Classes have already ended for the day so it is currently free time. If you’d like, you can remain here to get settled in.” she stated before leaving.

After she left, Harry just stood there, looking around the room again. He walked to the window and peeked outside. It was rather loud outside with many kids playing on the playground or just hanging out together.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused Harry to turn around. A blond haired young boy stood in the doorway. He was taller than Harry by at least a couple of inches. He had blue eyes and was rather thin and wiry looking.

“Hullo,” the boy greeted. “I’m AJ. Are you sharing this room too?”

Harry nodded. He wasn’t sure what to say since he never had the chance to interact much with other kids with Dudley always scaring them off. But Dudley wasn’t here this time so maybe he’d actually make a friend.

“So what’s your name?”

“Oh,” Harry stuttered. “Um, my name is Harry.”

“What happened to your arm Harry?” AJ asked curiously.

“Nothing,” Harry replied as he looked out the window. “I just hurt it and have to wear this sling for a couple of days.”

“’kay. Do you wanna go play in the rec room?” the blond boy asked.

“Sure.”

After relaxing in the rec room for a while, AJ showed him around the orphanage. He pointed out the bathrooms and the classrooms along with the dining hall. Dinner would begin shortly so they decided to wait for the dining hall to open. AJ did most of the talking but Harry would try and say something from time to time. He wasn’t really used to someone listening to what he has to say.

After dinner, they returned to their room and met the other two boys. The taller of the two introduced himself as Peter. He had light brown hair, green eyes and was a little chubby. The other boy said his name was Brandon. He had dark hair, brown eyes and was just a smidgeon taller than Harry. Harry greeted them shyly and told him his name.

Once introductions were made, the other boys began working on their homework assignments while leaving Harry to do whatever he liked. He wanted to practice his hair and eye color changes but couldn’t while the others were in the room. Tomorrow was probably going to be a long day so he decided to try and sleep. He went over to the dresser and rummaged around for a pair of pajamas. He used his good arm to pull off the sling before changing any further. He hoped his scars were still hidden from earlier as he pulled off his shirt. Not wanting to be exposed for too long, he quickly pulled the shirt on.

Before changing pants, he reached into the pocket and felt around for his mirror and pocket watch. He slid both items in his pillowcase and then changed into PJ pants. The metal framed bunk bed felt icy cold as his bare feet touched the ladder to the top bed. Once up there, he turned away from the light and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Harry woke to someone shaking his shoulder. He immediately shed away from the hand and used his good arm to block his face, expecting to be hit. When nothing happened, he cautiously opened his eyes and met the stares of his roommates. His face reddened as he lowered his hand and avoided eye contact.

“Err,” Peter began hesitantly. “Its time to get up.” He quickly turned back to getting ready for the day.

Harry slowly sat up. That was the best sleep he’d had in a long time. This bed was much comfier than his old cot or the cold floor of the abandoned house. He regretfully slid out of the comfortable bed and began getting ready for the day. He looked through the dresser and pulled out a pair of pants that would fit much better than his last pair along with a t-shirt. He carefully pulled the shirt on, making a point not to jerk his arm. The numbness had worn off from yesterday’s shot so it ached a bit. After he finished dressing, he put on his sling and followed his roommates to the dining hall.

The orphanage was big and he felt like he’d get lost if he didn’t follow the others. There were quite a few kids in the dining hall. Most of the kids around here were older than him seeing as younger kids were adopted more often. There was a group of about twenty teenagers that AJ mentioned he might want to leave along. He’d said they weren’t really mean and didn’t pick fights often but occasionally they did. The blond boy also mentioned that this was one of the better orphanages since he’d been to several before this. AJ told him how in some orphanages, there isn’t enough food and the older kids bullied younger ones frequently. Harry was glad he was here rather than some horrible orphanage; he’d prefer to return to the streets than be stuck in one of those places.

After they finished eating, Harry followed the other boys to the classroom that Mr. Matthews taught. He was a rather nice man who gave Harry a notebook for his work along with a couple of pencils. Once the bell began, the teacher began his lesson.

“That wasn’t too bad for a first day was it?” Peter asked Harry that night as they were preparing for bed.

“It was alright,” he replied as he settled into his bed. He reached a hand in his pillowcase and checked to make sure that his watch and mirror were still there. They were. He still wasn’t too sure what he was going to do with them. He didn’t want someone to wash his pillowcase and sheets and accidentally discover them. They were the only things he owned. Harry sighed tiredly and rolled over and drifted off to dreamland.

The rest of May flew by quickly as Harry got into the routine of waking up at seven and starting classes at eight. Even with three meals a day, he was still small and skinny for his age but at least his ribs were not as visible as they were before. He stopped wearing the sling several days after arriving at the orphanage. Like the Doctor White said, he was young so he healed rather quickly.

Harry talked with his roommates occasionally but he really didn’t open up much to them. Ever since he arrived at the orphanage, he’d withdrawn into himself. It wasn’t as bad as he imagined it here but he’d still rather be living elsewhere. Everything was constantly loud and he really preferred his solitude but that was impossible to find in a large orphanage such as this one.

It had been getting somewhat quieter lately since many kids were being sent off to ‘children’s homes’. Harry didn’t understand why they were spreading the kids out, but it seemed adults were attempting to reduce the number of kids in one home. Supposedly it would allow the orphans a chance to have more personal interactions with the adults. He’d even heard rumours that St. Luke’s would close once all the kids were sent off. Harry didn’t care what they were trying to do. He just wanted to be left alone.

He still had his watch and little mirror. Once and a while, when he was alone in his room, he’d work on changing his eye color. He couldn’t practice with his hair since Brandon had walked in one day just as he changed his hair back to normal. They’d know he was a freak if they found out his little secret.

Harry discovered that he could will his scars to appear and disappear as well. He knew he’d made them disappear for the doctor but now he could concentrate on actually bringing them back and hiding them again. Knowing that he could make his body do strange things led him to try other changes. He learned that he could make his fingers longer and fatter if he concentrated hard enough. The first time he learned something new always took a lot out of him so he always slept well after that.

June passed and classes stopped for the summer. Summer break was always something kids looked forward to. They were able sleep in an extra hour and got to play for the whole day. Ms. Morgan assigned chores occasionally but they were simple compared to the ones he had to do when he lived with the Dursleys. Harry tried not to think about them but sometimes he had a nightmare about his uncle and couldn’t help but remember that his own family abandoned him. It still hurt to remember that so he avoided thinking about them as much as possible.

July passed along with Harry’s birthday. He didn’t tell anyone about it so it passed unnoticed. There were too many kids here for Ms. Morgan to try and celebrate each of their birthdays. Summer came to and end and school started up again. Mr. Matthews still taught his age group so everything went along as always until one day.

On a breezy early September day, Harry sat outside admiring the scenery. The trees had begun changing from green to various shades of yellow and orange. Harry loved to look at the trees and observe how they had changed almost daily and then watch as the wind blew them from their tree and onto the grass below. He was lost in thought and didn’t hear the footsteps approaching. Harry turned sharply towards the petite strawberry-blond-haired woman who sat down beside him.

When she looked at the boy, she was amazed by the beautiful green eyes hidden behind the black framed glasses. The boy’s messy black hair and small stature caused her motherly instincts to kick in. He looked positively adorable to her.

“Hi there,” she greeted softly.

“Hi,” Harry replied shyly.

“My name is Catherine. What’s yours?” she questioned.

“Harry, ma’am.”

“You don’t have to call me ma’am. It makes me feel old!” she joked. Harry let a small smile come to his face.

“How old are you Harry?”

“Eight.” She wished he’d actually give more than one or two worded answers.

“What do you like to do for fun?” Catherine asked in hopes to get the boy to open up to her and speak more.

Harry sat there for a minute, feeling confused. Most of the adoptive parents that came here passed him by. He was small and skinny and hardly anyone looked twice at him. Now this woman was here asking him questions. Was she here to adopt a child or just visiting? He decided to be polite and answer whatever she asked him.

“I like to read, color, and um draw pictures,” he replied timidly. He was not used to individual attention.

“I like reading too. It’s very relaxing. Do they have a library here?”

“Yes but its pretty small,” the dark-haired boy answered.

“I imagine it is hard to find peace and quiet around here,” Catherine commented.

“Yes. Very hard with all the others running around loudly.” Harry looked over to her and gave her a tentative smile. She beamed back at him.

“I like it when you smile,” she noted. Harry’s face heated up and looked to his feet, as he always did when he was nervous.

“What’s your favorite color?” Harry asked quietly in attempt to turn the attention away from himself.

“Hmm. That’s a tough one. I love so many colors but green has always been one of my favorites. What about you?”

“I like green too,” he replied shyly.

They continued talking and questioning each other for the better part of an hour. Harry felt really comfortable around Catherine. She seemed very nice and she often said things that made him laugh or smile. When it began getting dark, Catherine finally stood, as did Harry.

“It appears to be getting late. I enjoyed talking with you Harry.” Harry blushed and looked down again. He really didn’t want her to leave. She was so nice to him and took the time to talk with him but now she was going to leave now and he’d probably never see her again.

A finger gently pushed his chin up and he stared into Catherine’s kind blue eyes. “For the past several months, I’ve filled out papers, been inspected in every way possible and questioned extensively. I have one last question for you Harry. Can you answer truthfully?” he nodded, wondering what she was going to ask.

“Would you like to come live with me?”

Harry stared at her. Did she just ask what he thought she did? Could this finally be his chance to get out of here? He didn’t want to get his hopes up since everyone left him at one point or another.

“I-um-why-,” Harry paused for a minute to take a deep breath. “Why would you want to adopt me?”

She looked at him sadly. “I am unable to have children of my own and I’ve always wanted my own son. I’ve been here many times searching for the right child to adopt. I came back here again today, hoping to find a special little boy that captured my heart and I did. That little boy is you.”

Harry blushed and looked down again. Catherine gently lifted his chin up and they stared into each other’s eyes.

“You are a sweet little boy, Harry. I would love to adopt you, if you’d like me to. If you don’t feel comfortable with me or just don’t like me, then I won’t adopt you against your wishes. Just please tell me what is going on in your mind right now, Harry.”

Harry looked at her uncertainly. He really liked her and would love to go home with her, but what if she found out he was a freak who could do weird things? He made up his mind. The worst that could happen would be for her to send him back.

“I’d really like it if you’d adopt me,” Harry said shyly as he peeked up at her. She smiled brightly and gave him a little hug. He flinched but didn’t pull away. This was the first hug he remembered receiving from anyone. His relatives certainly never hugged him. He figured his parents did before they died in a car crash.

“Well let’s go inside and we’ll tell Ms. Morgan the good news,” Catherine suggested as she led the way to the office. They passed several kids, who looked jealous since they figured he was getting adopted. Harry felt bad for them since he knew what it was like to watch others meet their new parents and leave this place.

Catherine knocked on the door and they entered when Ms. Morgan told them to. The caretaker looked up in surprise at seeing little Harry coming in with Catherine. She knew this little boy was very quiet and always kept to himself. She figured he’d been abused in the past with the way he always flinched away from people. She had better mention this to Catherine as well.

“Found one, have you?” Ms. Morgan gave her an encouraging smile.

“Yes, I have surely found quite the treasure here. He’s a sweet little boy.” Catherine replied with a big smile. Harry ducked his head down, once again blushing at the praise.

“Well then, Harry could you run to your room and grab anything that you have?” Ms. Morgan suggested.

“Yes ma’am,” the dark-haired boy replied before dashing out of the office with a smile on his face.

“That’s one of the few times I have seen a smile on that boys face,” the caretaker noted. “He always keeps to himself and rarely talks or interacts with the other children.”

“That must explain why I don’t recall seeing him on any of my previous visits. He must’ve been off hiding in the shadows.” Catherin surmised. “Can you tell me anything about his past?”

“I’m afraid we really don’t know much. He’s lucky he is getting adopted so soon. Most children are here for quite a while before they’re adopted but young Harry has only been here since May. He was brought here by a police officer who found the boy living on streets. Harry came here in bad shape as well. His left arm was in a sling because it had been dislocated, he never said how, and he was extremely malnourished and almost all of his ribs were visible. There hasn’t been much improvement in his size since he has been here, but he at least put on a little weight with constant meals.”

“He flinched when I hugged him. Do you suspect abuse in the past?”

“Yes,” Ms. Morgan replied sadly. “The officer that dropped him off suspected the same thing. At the time though, the boy didn’t have any scars or bruises or anything of that sort when the doctor checked him over.”

“Is there anything you’d recommend that I do for him?” Catherine asked.

“First off, I’d suggest taking him to your doctor. Perhaps he might be able to advise you on helping him gain weight. Come to think of it, you should ask Harry if he’s ever had shots because he’ll probably need those as well. I’d also recommend you take things slowly with him. I’ve seen plenty cases of abuse in the past and most times, the children are overwhelmed by the simplest of things. So if you’ve got family, I wouldn’t suggest introducing them all tomorrow. Give him a little time to settle in first.”

Ms. Morgan paused. “Are you sure you feel up to dealing with an abused child? They are often the more difficult children…” she trailed off.

Cathy shook her head repeatedly. “I’ve already made up my mind and promised that boy a chance to get out of here. There’s no changing my mind now.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” Ms. Morgan called out. The door opened and Harry peeked inside. In his arms he carried the few possessions that he owned such as his school notebook and some drawings.

Catherine patted her hand on the empty seat next to her. “Come sit here Harry while I fill out some boring paperwork.” Harry did so and Ms. Morgan pulled out the forms.

Catherine had begun the process quite some time ago and it involved many tedious forms to fill out. Her house was also inspected by the child services and it had taken quite some time before she was cleared and able to actually look at the children. Catherine spent some time reviewing the final forms and going over everything then finally signing on all the dotted lines.

“Since you don’t know you, last name, you’ll be taking mine. Okay Harry?” Catherine explained to Harry, who nodded. “Do you know your middle name?”

“I think it was James,” he offered.

“Okay. Even if it wasn’t, we can still use that. Now that we’re finished here, let’s take you to your new home, Harry James McKinney.”

After a quiet drive, they arrived. Harry stepped out of the car and studied the house he’d be calling home from now on. It was a two story white brick house with a pool tucked in the backyard on the right. There were even small rose bushes planted along the front, adding a nice touch to the home. Harry followed Catherine and he giggled softly when she kicked a rubber pink flamingo on her lawn.

Harry stopped and looked around the house in wonder once they stepped inside. There was a white corner couch on the right and a staircase against the far right wall with a piano by it as well. On his left, a small study area held a computer and loads of books that Harry itched to read. Directly in front of him was the small dining area which held a simple table with four chairs. To the left of the table was the entrance to the kitchen. On the opposite side of the dining room was a small bathroom. There were several plants scattered about and lots of paintings and pictures.

Catherine led him upstairs and showed him her room and bathroom first. She had a spacious room painted in a soft green color. The upstairs bathroom was larger than the downstairs one and it had a bathtub and two sinks. Next she led him to his room. She held her breath as she slowly opened the door, hoping that he would like it.

Harry entered the room and looked around in wonder. His room was painted a soft blue color and his bed sheets matched it. He had a small nightstand with an alarm clock on it along with a white dresser. There was a small TV and gaming system in one corner along with a red comfy looking chair for him to sit in. Towards the foot of his bed, there was a small colorful toy box. In another corner, there was even an art easel for him to paint on.

“Wow,” Harry said softly. When he looked out the window, he could see the pool along with a swing set. The whole pool area was fenced off with a white picket fence.

“Do you like it?” Catherine asked hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if he’d like it since he’d probably never had such a nice room before. Before going to the orphanage, she had fixed the room up because she knew she would be bringing home a young boy who would hopefully like the way she decorated it.

“I love it,” Harry declared as he looked around in wonder. He turned toward Catherine and gave her a pleased smile.

She beamed happily back at him. “Are you hungry?” Harry shrugged. “Because I was thinking about ordering us a pizza since it’s getting late and I don’t feel like cooking. So does that sound good?” Harry nodded. “Hmm, how about ham, bacon, and pineapple?”

“Okay,” he agreed quickly.

“I’ll go order that while you get settled in. I’ll let you know when it gets here.” She left Harry to further investigate his room. Harry slowly walked over to the toy chest and opened the lid. Inside were various action figures, toy cars and even a small container labeled Legos. He’d never heard of Legos before so he opened the container and out fell a pile of small connectable building blocks and small yellow people. If it wasn’t electronic, then Dudley would never have touched it so that explained why Harry hadn’t seen these in his cousin’s large toy collection.

With nothing else to do, Harry started to build a small little house. He used the large green flat board to snap his pieces onto. All the colorful bricks fit perfectly together and held rather well. He lost track of time until a light hand touched his shoulder. He dropped the Legos in his hand and flinched away from the hand.

Catherine looked at him sadly as she retracted her hand. “I’m sorry to startle you. I just wanted to let you know the pizza was here.” Harry started to pick up his Legos when Catherine stopped him.

“You can leave them out. I’m sure you’ll play with them later because I know they’re certainly fun.” Harry nodded and followed her downstairs and into the dining room. On one side of the table was a large cardboard box containing the pizza and next to it were some paper plates and napkins. Catherine grabbed herself a paper plate and pulled a slice of the pizza onto her plate and grabbed a napkin before sitting down. Harry followed her and grabbed himself a slice. He carefully bit into the hot pizza and savored the taste. It was wonderful! He’d never had pizza at the Dur- he quickly stopped his train of thought. He did not want to think about them on this special night.

After they ate their fill and washed up, they prepared to head in for the night. Harry pulled on a pair of pajamas that Catherine bought for him. They were a bit large since she bought a single pair, not knowing what size the child she planned to adopt would wear. She already told Harry they’d go shopping soon to get him more clothes that fit.

Harry had just settled into bed when Catherine peeked her head through the open door. She entered, wearing a matching set of red and black checkered pajamas. When she reached his bed, she pulled the covers up and tucked him in.

Harry stared at her, with slight shock in his expression. He’d never been tucked in before! He just met this nice lady earlier that day and she had treated him so well so far. He had a nice room, toys, she fed him and now she tucked him in. It was a lot to take in for the young eight-year-old, who was used to people not caring for him.

“Good night Harry. Sweet dreams,” she before lowering her face and giving him a quick soft kiss to the forehead.

Harry was even more shocked now. He sat there numbly for a second before stuttering out a thank you. “Thank you for everything,” he said quietly. “Good night err-” he paused, unsure what to call her.

Catherine, seeing his dilemma, solved it for him. “You can call me Catherine or Cathy if you’d like. And maybe someday mum, if you feel comfortable enough. But for now, Catherine or Cathy is just fine.”

Harry nodded slightly as his eyes struggled to stay open for a bit longer. “G’nite Cathy,” he said faintly as his eyes slowly drifted closed. Cathy returned to her own room and silently wished that everything would turn out fine and that someday this little boy would call her mum.

Harry woke early the next morning and slowly crawled out of bed. He pinched his arm to make sure that being adopted and having this wonderful room were not all part of a dream. When assured everything was real, he let a big smile cross his face. The clock on his nightstand said it was just after seven in the morning. Unsure what to do next, he decided to head downstairs. Everything was quiet so he assumed Cathy was still asleep.

He entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Inside it, there was everything he’d need to make breakfast so he got to work. He just finished as Cathy entered the kitchen, rubbing sleepiness out of her eyes.

“What are you doing?” she asked, clearly shocked.

“I-I,” Harry stuttered. She looked slightly angry and he didn’t know why. Wasn’t he supposed to cook and clean?

“Did you cook all this just now?” Catherine asked as she looked over at the table. There was a single plate set up. In the middle of the table, there was a dish of scrambled eggs, a plate with several bacon strips on it, another plate with buttered toast and a glass of orange juice.

“Yes ma’am,” Harry replied nervously. Did he make too much? Too little? Was it not done the way she liked it?

Catherine looked at the tense boy standing before her. He looked distressed over her reaction but she didn’t know how else to feel. This eight year old made her breakfast. It should be the other way around!

She sighed quietly. “It looks delicious Harry. Thank you.” She sat down in front of the single plate and frowned when Harry continued to stand there.

“Did you already eat this morning?” she asked.

“No ma’am,” Harry replied while biting gently on his lip. At least she wasn’t angry anymore.

Catherine sighed again. Maybe this had something to do with the people he lived with before he ended up in the orphanage. “Well grab another plate and please join me.”

Harry’s eyes lit up in surprise at being invited to eat with her. He scrambled to find the cupboard with plates in it. This kitchen was nice but he had yet to remember where everything was stored. After also locating silverware, he hesitantly sat down at the table.

She began serving herself and he waited until she finished before he put a little scoop of eggs, a single bacon strip and a piece of buttered toast. They both ate their food in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Catherine put down her fork when she finished. “That was very good Harry. Thank you very much.”

Harry blushed and ducked his head down. “Thank you ma’am.”

Cathy frowned. Why did he keep calling her ma’am again? She plastered a smile on her face and used her finger to push his chin up once again. “What happened to calling my Catherine or Cathy?” she asked gently.

“I’m sorry ma- um Cathy,” the young boy immediately apologized.

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “Why don’t you head up and get showered and dressed for the day?” Harry looked uncertainly at the pile of dirty dishes but Cathy cut in before he got any ideas.

“You made breakfast so I’ll do the clean up. Now run along and when you’re finished getting ready, please meet me in the living room.” He nodded tentatively and left the room.

As Harry showered, Cathy placed the dirty items in the dishwasher and headed upstairs to get herself ready. Twenty minutes later, she arrived in the living room to find Harry standing by the window. He immediately turned towards her when she entered. She gave him a smile and sat down in a recliner. She motioned for him to grab a seat as well and he did.

“I’m sure you don’t want to talk about your past, but there are a few things I’d like to ask you.” Harry gave her a tiny nod to continue as he nibbled on his bottom lip nervously.

“Were you expected to make breakfast for your parents, relatives, or whoever you lived with before?” Harry looked down and nodded once. “I just want you to know that’s not necessary here. Actually, I’d really prefer if you weren’t cooking without adult supervision. You are only eight and I wouldn’t want an accident to occur because you could burn yourself on the stove or something could catch fire. Okay Harry?”

“Yes ma- Cathy,” he amended.

“For now I only have one more question,” she began. Harry looked cautiously up at her. “There was only one plate set up when I arrived. Were you not allowed to eat with them?”

Harry took a deep breath. He could do this. “They only let me have the leftovers and didn’t allow me to eat with them often.”

Catherine smiled encouragingly. “Thank you for telling me that Harry. I want you to know that you will always be welcome to eat at the table with me. And you can eat as much as you’d like too.” She paused, unsure if there was anything else she wanted to bring up.

“You can head up to your room and play for a while. I’m going to call my parents and tell them the good news. You’ll probably meet them in a day or two.” Harry nodded and retreated upstairs. Just as she reached the phone, she spotted the teddy bear she picked up a couple of days ago. She grabbed the bear and headed upstairs to Harry’s room.

The door was open and Harry was playing with a couple of the action figures. His green eyes met her blue for a moment before he looked down.

“Hi there Harry,” she greeted. “I picked this up the other day and, well, I’ll understand if you’re too old and all for it…” Cathy rambled before catching herself. “Anyway, here you go.” She handed the bear over to Harry.

Harry stared at the bear. It was a traditional brown scruffy looking bear with small beady eyes and a little nose. He petted the soft fur in amazement. He’d never had his own stuffed teddy bear before. Harry looked up and Catherine and gave her a shy smile as he clutched the bear to his chest.

She smiled back. “I see you like it. Go back to your playing while I talk with my parents.” She left Harry sitting on the floor before his toys, protectively clutching his bear.

Later that afternoon, Catherine took Harry to a small clothes shop. He was desperately in need of some clothing that actually fit and was newer than the ones he wore.

Harry looked around the shop, feeling embarrassed because she was going to spend money on him because she wanted to. That wasn’t something he was used to. He glanced at shirts and pants until Cathy came up to him with some pants in her arms.

“Could you try these on for me? I grabbed several different pairs so you can try them on and let me know which size fits you.” Harry grabbed the pants and headed into a dressing stall. He pulled on the first pair of pants, which were too small. The second pair wasn’t quite as small but didn’t leave him enough room to grow. He had just put the third pair on when Cathy called out to him.

“Can you show me which pair you think fits best?”

The pair he just put on felt perfect so he shyly stepped out to show her. She smiled and looked at the outfit he was wearing. With a proper shirt, he would be adorable!

“Here is a shirt I grabbed. Will you put it on and step out again for me?” Harry looked in her blue eyes and agreed. She looked really happy that he was cooperating so far. Apparently she thought he’d be like Dudley, throwing a fit when asked to try clothes on.

He stepped out again moments later just as another mother walked by.

“Aw, he’s certainly an adorable child,” the passing woman commented and Catherine smiled back.

“Yes he is,” she agreed. “You can put your other clothes on and then we’ll find a few more shirts and some other pants but you won’t have to try them on since we’ve got your size now.” He did as directed and handed her the pair that fit and left the others on a rack for the sales person to put back.

Catherine went around the store picking out lots of clothes for Harry. She grabbed some jeans, pajama, socks, underclothes, lots of shirts and several warm sweaters. She tried not to go overboard but he did need a whole new wardrobe after all.

“Thank you Harry for being so patient with me. I love shopping,” she added with a sheepish smile as they each carried several bags to her car.

“Thank you Cathy for buying me clothes.” Harry smiled happily.

Catherine picked up Italian food on their way back since it was getting late and once again she didn’t feel like cooking. After they finished eating, Harry went upstairs and changed into his new pajamas. The shopping trip was long and he was rather tired. Like the previous night, Cathy came in just as he crawled into bed.

“Would you like to meet my parents tomorrow? My mother really wants to meet you,” the strawberry-blond haired woman said.

Harry bit his lip nervously. He wasn’t really up to meeting more people but it would be only two and they’d technically be his grandparents. “’kay.”

She smiled brightly. “Great! I’ll talk to them and they’ll come over for lunch or dinner. Good night, Harry. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night Cathy,” he replied, clutching the bear under the covers as she tucked him in and once again kissed his cheek before turning off the light and heading to her own bed.

A hand gently shaking Harry’s shoulder the next morning caused him to sit up abruptly.

“ ‘m sorry,” he muttered incoherently as he looked around for his uncle but he only saw the blurry figure of Catherine. She handed him his glasses and everything came into focus.

“Sorry I startled you Harry,” she apologized. “I just wanted to tell you breakfast was ready.”

“Oh,” he replied. He slid out of bed and followed Cathy to the kitchen, where several wonderful smells were. On the table were eggs, sausage, and pancakes. When Harry placed a pancake on his plate, he noticed the little dark lumps in it. Catherine caught his puzzled look and smiled.

“They’re chocolate chip pancakes. Have you tried them before?”

Harry shook his head negatively. He cut off a small piece and bit into it. Mmm! It was delicious! He gave Cathy a smile. “They’re yummy!”

“My mother used to make them for me all the time when I was younger. Wait until you try hers. She adds something in it that makes is absolutely wonderful! I just wish she’d tell me what it was,” she added wistfully. Harry giggled and continued munching happily on his pancakes.

After they finished eating, they cleaned up the kitchen together with Cathy washing and Harry drying. Afterwards, Cathy recruited Harry to help her tidy up the house before her parents came.

“I don’t want them to think I’m a slob,” she joked as she dusted off the fireplace mantle.

“I think you keep your house pretty clean anyways,” Harry commented as he cleaned off the coffee table.

“Thank you Harry. I have to do something on my days off,” she replied. “It’s your house now too, you know.”

Harry didn’t comment. He wasn’t ready to call this place home yet in case she changed her mind. She might get sick of him and send him back.

As if sensing his comments, she paused and knelt by him, looking directly at him. “Harry. I want you to know that I won’t send you back there. If anything happens to me, my parents will gladly care for you. You have my promise on that Harry.”

He gave her a hesitant, hopeful smile. “Okay Cathy.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick hug before backing away slightly. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do that but it was worth it when he saw her smile joyfully.

“We’re just about done here, so why don’t you run upstairs and get ready?” The strawberry-blond haired woman suggested. “I’ll finish this up.”

Harry nodded and dashed upstairs. He searched around through his new clothing and pulled out a nice pair of black slacks and a dark green dress shirt. He wanted to look nice when he met his new grandparents. After a quick shower, he changed into his new clothes and waited downstairs for Cathy.

She came down, wearing a light blue dress shirt that matched her eyes along with tan pants. She beamed happily when she caught sight of Harry.

“It seems we both had the same idea,” she murmured as she looked Harry over. She slowly reached a hand towards him, trying not to startle him, and attempted to pat down his messy hair.

Harry gave her a shy smile as she acted motherly. He always imagined his mother would do that when she wanted to make his hair lie flat.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted them. Catherine motioned for Harry to come with her towards the door. He stood off to the side as she opened the door and let her parents in. She greeted them both and gave them quick hugs before turning towards Harry, who was nibbling on his lip nervously again. She made a mental note to try and break that habit later.

Cathy went and stood next to Harry and placed her hand on his shoulder. She could tell he was trembling slightly and staring at her father wearily.

“Harry, this is my mother Eleanor Jeanne McKinney.” She was a short older woman with hair like Cathy’s only hers was graying. She had green eyes and a kind expression on her face.

“Hello dear,” Eleanor greeted, with a tray of food in her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you. You can call me Ellie if you’d like,” she added.

“And this is my father, Nicholas Anthony McKinney,” Cathy introduced. Nicholas was a very tall and held himself up proudly. He was very fit for his age and Cathy had mentioned earlier that he’s a retired military man which would explain his good fitness. He had blondish hair, also graying, and the same blue eyes that Cathy had.

“N-nice to meet you both,” Harry stuttered uneasily. He looked to the ground, unable to meet their eyes.

“Here let me get that for you mom,” Cathy interjected. She grabbed the platter from her mother and went to the kitchen. Her mother followed her, placing her bag on the counter.

“Harry looks like a sweet little boy. Is he a bit shy?” Eleanor questioned.

“Yes he is,” Cathy nodded, looking towards the direction where she left Harry standing with her father. Hopefully he’d be okay while she talked with her mother. She went on to explain what Ms. Morgan told her about his past life and what he revealed after breakfast the other day.

“Poor little dear,” Ellie remarked. “You are certainly going to have your hands full trying to get him to open up.”

“It will be worth it. He’s so adorable when he smiles,” Catherine said. Her mother smiled knowingly as they sat together and talked.

Harry stood still as Cathy went into the kitchen with her mother. He didn’t really want to stand here alone with Nicholas but he wasn’t going to bother her in case she wanted time along with her mom. He continued to stand there, staring down at the new shoes Cathy bought for him.

Nicholas stood there, observing the small boy. He was quite small and scrawny but he was still a young boy who had plenty of growing to do. Nicholas moved over to the couch and sat down. He frowned as the boy made no move to sit or do anything.

“Come sit here Harry,” he tried to say kindly but it came out more of a command. That tended to happen after spending too many years in the military. The boy’s head jerked up and his astonishing green eyes met his blue ones. The boy shuffled over and sat down on the couch but as far over as he could be. He noticed a slight tremor running though the boy. The lad was obviously frightened and he didn’t know why but he’d make sure to find out from Catherine or his wife later.

“How old are you Harry?” Nicholas asked.

“Eight, sir,” he answered dutifully. He really wished Cathy was in the room. He had a feeling the man sitting next to him wouldn’t hurt him but it didn’t stop the tremors. Nicholas was rather tall and very intimidating from the petite eight-year-olds point of view.

“You’re family now so you can call me Nick or grandfather,” he assured the young boy with a slight American accent.

“Yes s- Nick,” Harry whispered. It felt very odd for him to be calling someone older than him by their first name. It was drilled in his head long ago to respect his elders by calling them sir or ma’am.

“What do you like to do for fun?”

“I like to read,” Harry murmured.

“Look at me when you speak and speak clearly,” Nick said in an authoritative tone.

Harry reluctantly looked up and spoke again, “I like to read.”

“That’s better,” the older man praised. “Reading is enjoyable. What do you like to read?”

“Um, just about anything that I can get to,” the eight-year-old responded.

“I have old military books that you might be interested in.” Harry’s eyes lit up. Harry had a questioning look in his eye but didn’t want to bother the man with his questions.

Nicholas caught the look. “If you have a question, ask it.”

“C-Cathy said you were in the American military,” he began hesitantly. “Could you tell me about it?”

Nicholas smiled at the small boy sitting next to him as he began one of his many tales. “I grew up in America and when I turned eighteen, I joined the United States Marine Corps…”

A while later, Catherine peeked in to see how Harry was doing. The young boy was listening as her father explained one of his many stories using hand gestures to act out the tale. Harry looked enthralled at everything her father way saying so she went back into the kitchen and let them be.

“Did you have fun today?” Cathy asked that night as Harry climbed in his bed.

“Yes. Nick has lots of good stories to tell,” he responded as he grabbed his stuffed bear from the nightstand and clutched it under the covers.

“I’m glad you two got along well. The school you’ll be going to is close to their house so when I’m working late, you will probably walk to their house after school.” She could tell he enjoyed her motherly actions like kissing him on the forehead at night so she made sure to do it before turning off the light.

“Good night Harry. Sleep well.”

“G’night,” came the sleepy response.

Harry searched around his room, trying to find the pocket watch he’d found in the old abandoned house. He found it along with the small mirror in the pocket of his old pants. Seeing the mirror reminded him that he wanted to practice changing his face around some more. He hadn’t been able to practice lately with everything going on around here. He set the mirror aside and went downstairs to find Cathy.

“Cathy?” Harry asked, getting her attention from the book she was reading.

“Yes Harry? What can I do for you?” she placed her bookmark on the page and closed the book.

“I found this before I went to St. Lukes and I wondered if you know how to fix it for me.” He handed over the old pocket watch and she inspected it.

“You have quite the old fashioned watch here,” Catherine murmured. She tweaked around with it and set the time.

“How’d you make it work?” Harry asked. “I thought it might need a new battery.”

“No use for batteries in this watch. It’s one of those that you wind up. Watch.” She demonstrated how to wind it up and then handed it back to Harry.

“Thank you,” the young boy exclaimed. He’d need to clean it up a bit more and it would be a perfect keepsake.

“Where did you find it?” Catherine asked curiously. She watched as Harry looked down apprehensively and scooted back further in his chair.

Harry bit his lip and answered. “It was in the drawer of a desk in an old abandoned house.” He never liked talking about things that happened to him but Cathy was always nice to him. Just being around her made him want to talk to her but he couldn’t find it in himself to bring anything up. If she asked, he’d at least try and answer her questions.

Cathy could tell he didn’t like talking about his past but she knew that telling someone can help them move on. She decided to ask more questions hoping he wouldn’t close up and shut her out.

“How long did you live in that house?”

Harry pulled on the edge of his shirt nervously. “About a week I think.”

“Was anyone there with you?”

“No,” he replied. “I was by myself.”

“How did you end up there?” Cathy asked slowly. She didn’t want to push him too much.

“My U-um Vernon dropped me off there,” Harry managed to get out. He didn’t want to say uncle because then she might be able to find the scary man. He didn’t want to ever see them again and would rather just forget about everything. For all he knew, she’d want to get them in trouble and he didn’t want to deal with any of that.

Cathy paused and hoped her next question wouldn’t scare him off. “Was this Vernon person the reason you were hurt when Officer Peterson found you?”

Harry was breathing a little harder than normal. He pulled his legs up and hugged them to his chest. “Yes,” he whispered.

Cathy sighed. She wished she could find this man and have him arrested for hurting this little boy. She slid over next to Harry and gently put her arms around him, noticing the flinch, but ignoring it for now.

“It’s okay Harry. You won’t see him again and he’ll never hurt you again,” she reassured. Her shirt began to get wet as Harry silently cried. He wasn’t making any sound and the only to tell he was crying was by the wetness on her blouse.

“Shhh, it’ll be aright.” She held him close while she tried to think of a story to tell him in hopes of making him feel better.

“Have I told you yet about the time I went to America with my parents and we went to Disneyland?” she could feel him shake his head negatively. “Well then…” she began.

“…and afterwards my mum was so sick she couldn’t even stand to look at food. She practically turned green when my father asked her if she wanted some crackers to settle her stomach. She later vowed to never ride that again. Although we did return a few years later and my father and I managed to get her on it again,” she concluded. Harry had managed to calm down and stopped crying after she had begun talking. When she finished her tale, he was giggling softly.

“Between me and my father, you will always have a good story to listen to,” Catherine murmured sleepily. Harry hadn’t moved away from her embrace and they were both comfortable. It wasn’t long before they both fell asleep.

They woke up about an hour later when the phone rang. Catherine got up and answered it while Harry relaxed there on the couch. He didn’t really like talking about things earlier but he felt slightly better now that someone knew. He could tell that Cathy would keep his secrets and not tell anyone, except maybe her parents but that was okay for him. He didn’t mind if they knew but he wasn’t about to volunteer information to them.

“You hungry?” Catherine asked as she plopped down next to him.

“Yeah,” Harry yawned.

“Well let’s go rummage through my kitchen and see what I’ve got.” They both got to their feet and entered the kitchen. After looking around they found the ingredients to make spaghetti.

“Spaghetti sound good?” Cathy asked Harry as she pulled out the box of noodles.

“Yup,” he replied. “Can I help you make it?” She looked surprised and he caught the look. “I like cooking, despite the fact that I always had to do it. It’s fun and sometimes relaxing.”

“Alrighty then. Let’s get started.”

Later that night as Harry was brushing his teeth before bed, he remembered that he wanted to practice changing his face. He wished he knew what it was called since he just kept referring to it as changing.

He stood in front of the mirror and practiced changing his hair and eye color. He made his eyes match Catherine’s and changed his hair to her strawberry-blond color. Her face was narrow and he tried to imitate it. He hadn’t tried this before and wasn’t too successful at first. Nothing happened but after several minutes of concentrating, he managed it. It felt very awkward at first, feeling his face change around like that but when he changed it back, it felt more like a tickly sensation. After his face was normal again, he went to bed and fell asleep before Catherine even stopped in to say goodnight.

The remainder of the week flew by. In the mornings, Catherine would wake Harry and they’d eat breakfast together. Afterwards, they would usually go their separate ways for a while. Harry thoroughly enjoyed his new room. All the toys were fun to play with and he loved drawing and painting on the easel in his room. Usually towards their evenings, they would meet up again and talk more. Cathy would often tell stories from her childhood and describe all the wonderful places she went with her parents. She was an only child so she was somewhat spoiled when it came to going places and getting what she wanted.

Harry opened up to Cathy and mentioned some things about his past. He never went into details about his relatives and just called them by their first names. He mentioned the some of the better parts of his past such as going to school. He told her how he loved school and wanted to do well but mentioned how he wasn’t supposed to do better than Dudley. Catherine made sure to tell him she wanted him to do his absolute best when he started school. Harry knew that he could do well and he actually wanted to do as well as possible to make Cathy happy.

During one of their talks, he mentioned that he used to be called boy and freak. Catherine got very upset about that and he didn’t understand why. She told him that he was not a freak no matter what because he was her special little boy. He wanted to tell her then about the weird things that he could do but couldn’t work up enough nerve to talk about it. Things were settling in between them and he really didn’t want her to get rid of him so he decided to keep quiet about those weird incidents. He was pretty sure she’d find out sometime but he wanted to enjoy everything while he could.

Harry was the happiest he had ever been in his entire young life. He had a new mum, although he had yet to actually call her that, a real bedroom of his own, toys of his own and all the food he could want. Things were finally looking up for young Harry.

It was Saturday morning during breakfast when Cathy mentioned school.

“On Monday, you’ll start attending the school up by my parent’s house. Cleveland Primary the closest one around here and everything has been worked out so you can attend it. I go back to work on Monday as well, so my father will be there to walk with you to their house. It’s a really simple route so you shouldn’t have any problems walking there on your own in the future. Now that I think about it, have I even told you what I do for a living?” Cathy asked Harry.

Harry shook his head with a mouth full of cereal. It was the good kind with mini marshmallow type of pieces in it. He simply loved it!

“Oh. I thought I did at some point.” She smiled sheepishly. “Well, when I was younger, I had a fascination with languages so I attended college and studies several foreign languages. I loved using my hands to speak so I majored in sign language interpretation. My current occupation is a sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing.”

“What does that mean you do?” the eight-year-old asked curiously.

“One of the main things that I do is to attend trials and interpret for people. If a deaf or hard of hearing person is on the stand giving a testimony, I will interpret their signs and tell the people in the courtroom.”

“Can you teach me something in sign language?” Harry asked excitedly. It would be neat to learn another language or at least a couple of words.

Cathy demonstrated by placing her right hand fingers tips to her lips with her palm facing her chin. She then moved her hand away from her face with her palm upwards. Harry imitated her actions and she smiled.

“What did that say?” he asked eagerly.

“That meant thank you,” she replied. “I’ll teach you more later but we should get ready to go.”

“Where are we going?”

“Shopping,” she replied happily. Harry looked at her confused. What more did he need? “We will be getting you school supplies.”

“Oh! Okay.” He rinsed his bowl in the sink and placed it in the dishwasher before dashing upstairs.

After they both dressed, they got into Catherine’s car and drove off. Cathy’s house was in London so there were plenty of stores close by that sold school supplies. She insisted on buying plenty of everything which meant lots of paper, pencils, pens and erasers. Harry found and picked out a dark blue backpack that came with a matching lunch box. After an hour of shopping around, they finally left. They had just stepped outside when Harry ran into someone.

Severus Snape was walking along through muggle London. He hated it down here but one of the best apothecaries was hidden in the muggle world. He was walking along when he ran into some kid exiting a store.

“Watch it,” he snapped. He never did like the little brats. The small dark-haired child flinched away but he did not notice because he was too busy staring in shock. It was the Brat-Who-Lived! Here in London of all places. The kid looked exactly like his arrogant father and had that famous scar of his must be hidden beneath his messy mop of hair. Snape sneered at the boy and his –aunt?—before stalking off.

Severus reached the apothecary in record time since he angrily stalked through the streets. Seeing that brat brought back bad memories of the oh so wonderful and perfect James Potter. The kid would probably be just like his father! A small voice in the back of his mind pointed out that the brat didn’t even know his father but he shushed it. The kid’s aunt probably told stories about his parents and spoiled him rotten.

Snape quickly chose his ingredients before striding out of the store. His trip was ruined after seeing Potter Jr. He stepped into an alley before apparating off. Usually it wasn’t safe in case a muggle caught sight but he didn’t care at the moment. He just wanted to make it back to his lab and start a potion. Just as he entered the school, he ran into Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus blah blah blah Dumbledore. That man had entirely too many middle names!

“Good afternoon Severus,” the old coot greeted.

“Afternoon Headmaster,” Snape drawled. “You should know I saw your precious Potter today.”

The headmaster looked surprised. That was shocking since the man seemed omnipresent.

“And how did young Mr. Potter look?” the older man asked with that damned annoying twinkle in his eyes. Was that some kind of disorder or something?

“Peachy.” The headmaster gave him a look and he mentally rolled his eyes. Of course, if he actually rolled his eyes, people would probably freak out if he acted so humanlike. Those rumors were certainly spreading extremely quickly about him being a vampire. Maybe he should give them a show and drink some dark red liquid and-

“Severus,” the headmaster pulled his attention away from the joyful thoughts of tormenting the children.

He sighed. “The brat was fine. He was with his aunt I believe and they appeared to be,” he grimaced in distaste, “school shopping.”

The coot’s eyes twinkled further. He must take sadistic pleasure in making people uncomfortable at times.

“Good, good. I have not heard from Arabella in quite some time so it’s good to know things are going well.” Who was this Arabella? The coot must have seen his expression and answered his unasked question. “She is the squib that I have watching over Harry.”

What? No full team of aurors watching the brat daily to make sure he remains in one piece and received everything he could possible want? He sneered in disgust at the thought. That’s all the brat needs are more people to enhance his ego.

“May I be excused Headmaster? I’d like to get started on my work.” He really didn’t want to talk anymore about that Potter brat. It would only be a couple more years before the kid showed up for his first year.

“Of course, Severus.” The coot smiled and walked on. Now what potion should I start?

They had just exited the store when Harry ran into a tall older gentleman.

“Watch it,” the man snapped. Harry flinched away from the intimidating dark-haired man. Before Harry had the chance to apologize, the man stalked off.

“Come on, Harry,” Catherine said. Apologizing was one thing that her adopted son constantly did. She had tried to convince him that he didn’t need to apologize for every little thing but didn’t have too much luck yet. With time, he’d learn it was okay not to say sorry five times for something.

The car ride back was mostly in silence, except for the sounds coming from the radio. She had seen the boy flinch away from the man and knew from talking with Harry that this Vernon character he mentioned caused him to shy away from men in particular.

When they got back to their home, she sent him upstairs with his supplies. She’d let him rest for a bit before talking about his fear of men. She sat down in her recliner, leaned back and it wasn’t much longer before she dozed off.

A while later, the sound of something falling and glass breaking woke her up instantly. She sat up and saw Harry trying to pick up the broken glass pieces with his bare hands. She could already see blood from where he’d cut his hands.

“Harry! Stop, you’re hurting yourself,” she tried to pull his hands away from the broken picture frame glass. When she touched him, he flinched violently and curled into a ball.

“ ‘m sorry, ‘m sorry. Don’t hit me. Please, I‘m sorry,” he cried.

Catherine’s heart went out to this poor little boy. It broke her heart to see him like this. She silently cursed the atrocious people who cause this child to get so distressed over broken glass.

She carefully gathered the boy in her arms and held him, ignoring the fact that he tensed. She rubbed his back and murmured soothing words until he calmed down.

“It’s okay Harry. Don’t worry about the glass. You’re not in trouble,” she whispered in his ear.

“ ‘m sorry, Cathy. I tripped and my hand accidentally hit the frame. It fell and broke,” Harry stammered out.

“Don’t worry about the frame. May I please take a look at your hands?” Harry slowly extended his arms. He had two cuts on his left hand but they weren’t serious enough to require stitches. Catherine gently led him into the bathroom, cleaned up his cuts and bandaged them. She then led him back in the living room and they both sat down on the sofa. She kept her arm around him and held him closely.

After several minutes of sitting there quietly, she asked. “Do all older men scare you?”

Harry looked up at her sharply before turning his gaze down. “I-um, not really. Just some,” he whispered.

“Is it because Vernon used to abuse you?” Harry noticeably flinched at the term abuse.

“I-it wasn’t abuse,” he protested weakly. “He was just punishing me when I did something wrong.”

Catherine scowled, but Harry didn’t see since he was looking down. This child should not be standing up for that horrid man. There are no excuses for hurting a child!

“What horrible thing did you do wrong that caused him to dislocate your arm?” she asked with emphasis on ‘do wrong’. From what she’d heard from Harry, everything he did was wrong in their eyes.

Harry tensed. He didn’t know that she knew about that. Ms. Morgan must have mentioned it to her before he was adopted. But he couldn’t tell her about him freakishly growing back his hair. He’d only been here less than a week and didn’t want to leave. Harry kept his head down and didn’t answer the question.

Catherine knew she shouldn’t have asked that last question. One last question to ask that had been bothering her for a while.

“Harry,” she began cautiously. “Did Vernon ever touch you inappropriately?”

Harry looked at her confused, but then his eyes widened when he caught onto her meaning. “No! He’d never touch a freaky ugly boy like me,” the boy declared vehemently.

“I’m sorry for asking you these questions,” Catherine apologized. “I guess I just needed some reassurance that he never did anything like that.”

“It’s okay,” the boy replied quietly. “I know your asking because you-you care.” The last word was whispered, as if he was hoping she wouldn’t deny feeling such a thing for him.

Cathy smiled and placed a kiss on top of his head. “I do care for you Harry. Very much so. My parents care for you already too, you know.”

“The people you lived with… were they your parents?” Catherine asked after a moment of silence.

“No. My parents died in a car crash when I was younger,” he added sadly.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” That means Vernon wasn’t his father. Perhaps he’s Harry’s grandfather or uncle? She wanted to ask but she knew how tight lipped he was when talking about them. He only referred to those atrocious people by their first names.

“Well you should run upstairs and wash up. My parents are stopping by tonight and they’re bringing something for us to eat.” She glanced at the clock. “They should be here in a bit.”

Harry nodded and dashed upstairs to clean up a bit before dinner. Cathy remained on the couch for a moment, rubbing at her temples. Slowly, but surely, she was making progress with Harry and getting him to open up. Only time will help him with his past.

“Hey Harry,” Cathy greeted the sleepy boy that walked in for breakfast that Sunday morning. “Good morning.”

“G’mornin’,” he grumbled out. Last night he hadn’t slept too well, not that Cathy knew of course. He was used to keeping quiet after having bad dreams since his uncle always told him to keep quiet and stop crying or ‘else I’ll give you something to really cry about.’

Harry picked at his breakfast, not feeling like eating much. Nightmares always left his stomach churning in fright and worry that his uncle would find him or that Cathy would start treating him like his relatives used to.

“Harry?” The boy looked up and met the concerned gaze of Cathy before looking away. “I have some errands to run and I’ll need you to come with me.”

“Okay. When do you want to leave?” the eight-year-old asked.

“I’d prefer to get things done and out of the way before it gets too late. I have work tomorrow and you have your first day of school as well.”

Harry grimaced slightly. He loved school but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to fit in. He never did in his old school, but then again, Dudley was there. This time, no cousin to mess things up so maybe he’d make a friend?

“I’ll go get ready then since I’m finished,” Harry said as he rinsed his plate off.

Cathy watched the young boy go, wondering what was on his mind this morning.

Several hours later, Cathy and Harry were found sitting in the car. All the errands that Catherine needed to run were done so they were heading to lunch before going back home. After quiet lunch, they hopped into the car. Before starting it, Cathy noticed a sign across the street advertising for a local haircut business. She paused and looked over at Harry’s messy mop of hair.

“Hey Harry.” He turned his bored gaze from the window towards her. He really had behaved well today even though he was undoubtedly bored with her running all of these errands.

“When’s the last time you had a hair cut?” she asked. She noticed the boys eyes widened and a panicked look entered his eye. He seemed to curl into himself protectively and started mumbling under his breath.

“Nooo… please, I didn’t mean to do it…”

Catherine was very shocked. What brought this on? Had something happened the last time he had a haircut. She reached over and began rubbing soothing circles on his back. When she first touched him, he flinched away violently but there was no where for him to go in the car. After a while, he began to lean into the touch and slowed his frantic breathing.

“Are you okay now, Harry?” Cathy asked. She was worried for the boy and distraught over what could have happened to him that caused such a reaction.

“Yeah,” he whispered hoarsely. His face burned with shame over his reaction and he mentally scolded himself. He was not with the Dursleys and had tried to remember that. When Cathy mentioned a haircut, he had freaked out, thinking of the last time he had one, curtsey of his aunt. It had been truly a dreadful cut and then of course afterwards when it grew back and what his uncle did- he stopped those thoughts instantly.

Once he was thinking rationally again, he realized that Cathy wouldn’t do that to him. If she made him get a haircut, surely she wouldn’t cut it all off? She just wasn’t that type of person to do that. He decided to try and put some trust in her and let her do it. If it looked bad, well then oh well. He was used to kids making fun of him anyways. She wouldn’t find out about his freakish tendencies since he’d make sure his hair wouldn’t grow back no matter how bad the cut.

He turned his green eyed gaze to hers. She looked worried over his freak out.

“I-,” he began hesitantly before clearing his throat. “I didn’t have a good experience last time I had a haircut. I’m sorry for freaking out. You can c-cut my hair if you’d like.”

Catherine wanted to ask more on this subject but chose not to. She’d try and talk with him later this evening. “It’s okay Harry. I wasn’t going to cut it myself since you’d probably end up bald,” she joked but then noticed how he grimaced instead of laughing.

“Anyway, I just saw that advertisement over there,” she pointed to the sign, “and I thought we could stop by there. All they’d do is trim your hair. Not much else.”

Harry bit his lip and thought it over. There was a better chance that it wouldn’t look so bad if a professional cut it. He nodded his head in agreement.

“Do you feel up to getting it done now? I mean you do start school and all tomorrow,” Cathy suggested.

“Okay,” Harry replied. He followed Cathy out of the car and they crossed the quiet street. A bell sounded as Catherine pushed open the door. It was pretty quiet in the shop.

“Hello there. What can I do for you today?” A young woman greeted from the counter.

“May I use the restroom first?” Harry whispered to Cathy. She nodded and pointed to the door with the bathroom sign on it.

“My adopted son needs a haircut,” Catherine began. “The people he lived with before caused him to have a bad experience with a haircut so he is very nervous.”

The other woman nodded sympathetically. “Okay then. My last client cancelled so I have time to squeeze him in. What did you want done to his hair?”

“Just a quick and easy trim. His hair is getting quite long and he starts school tomorrow so a haircut is a good idea right now.” Cathy replied.

Harry then returned to the talking woman and he still looked particularly nervous. “Well let’s get your hair washed up first.” The woman suggested. Harry made no move to follow her. He was looking at Cathy, wanting to ask her to stay with him but couldn’t bring himself to ask that of her. She probably wouldn’t like it if he was always so clingy.

The hairdresser, seeing the problem, stepped in. “You can come too,” she said to Cathy, who smiled and followed the woman back with Harry trailing next to her.

Harry sat down in a chair, which leaned back and his head rested in a sink. He concentrated on breathing normal as the lady soaped and rinsed his hair. So far, it wasn’t too bad.

After washing and conditioning his hair, he was led to another chair and watched in the mirror as the hairdresser pulled out her scissors. Looking through the mirror, he could see Cathy sitting not too far behind him, which caused him to relax slightly. Even though he’d only known Cathy for a week now, he felt that he could count on her to keep him safe.

The hair stylist approached him slowly and pulled up a portion of his hair and snipped it off. He tensed and clenched his hands tightly into fists, leaving red half moon shapes imprinted in his palm. The woman continued working around, snipping off bits and pieces here and there. It was nothing like this haircut with his aunt. She had aimed to remove it, no matter how it looked. This woman was taking her time, cutting it precisely and making it look good. It didn’t take long before Harry was relaxing and no longer freaking out over the haircut. A short while later, it was all over and the two headed back to the car.

“Was that okay?” Cathy asked worriedly. Harry looked fine and more relaxed that he was earlier but he thought she’d make sure.

“Yeah,” Harry replied gracing her with a shy happy smile. She smiled back.

That evening before bed, Harry practiced making sure his new haircut would stay. Several days ago, he began creating a new image which was what he’d look like if he was Cathy’s real son. He’d gotten the hang of narrowing his face finally without getting overly tired when practicing that.

With only the mirror as a witness, he transformed his face into that of what he’d look like if Cathy was his real mum. When ‘wearing’ this face he became Cathy’s biological son, as he liked to pretend. This face didn’t have an uncle who hated him. This face didn’t have a cousin who used to bully him. This face didn’t have the aunt who used to starve him. This was the face of who he wanted to be.

Harry sighed and regretfully changed his face back, making sure his new haircut appeared as before. He really liked it and would try to make sure it always stayed like that. No need for future haircuts because if Cathy liked it, then he’d be able to keep it that way to make her happy.

He left the bathroom and crawled in his bed. He felt around until his hands brushed against the stuffed teddy bear. He pulled it close to his chest and hugged it.

Cathy came in a few moments later and began her usual routine of tucking him in.

“Are you all ready for school tomorrow?” she asked.

“I’ve got all my supplies organized in my backpack,” Harry answered tiredly.

“Okay then. I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed his forehead. “Good night.”

“Night,” came the sleepy response.

“Class,” the teacher got the students attention. “This is Harry McKinney. He is new here and I hope you all will welcome him and show him around.” Harry fidgeted as he stood next to the teacher. All the students were staring at him and it unnerved him. He didn’t like being stared at so he looked down to avoid their gazes.

“You can sit over there, Harry.” The teacher pointed to an open desk and Harry quickly walked over to it and sat down. It was going to be a long first day.

Harry’s first day at Cleveland Primary school went by slowly but the final bell sounded and he went outside to look for Nick. The older man was talking with someone so he went and stood by him quietly until he was noticed.

“Is this the grandson you were talking about?” The man Nicholas was conversing with inquired.

“Yes,” Nick declared proudly. “This is Harry. Harry, this is a neighbor of mine, Charles.”

“Nice to meet you sir,” Harry said as he extended his hand and shook with the other man.

“I’ll talk more with you later, Charles. I’ve got to show Harry how to walk to my house.” Nick stated as he placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“Bye Nick, bye Harry,” Charles said. Harry gave him a small wave as he followed Nicholas.

“So how was your first day at school?” The older man asked.

“It was okay,” Harry stated clearly. He remembered how Nick liked when people spoke loud and clearly to him. “The class work seemed a bit easy though.”

“Then you shouldn’t have any problem with your homework. We cross here,” the blue eyed man pointed to the crosswalk where a school safety person was standing and making sure children didn’t run into the street.

The two crossed the street and walked up two blocks. As they walked, Harry talked about a few people that talked to him in class today. He hadn’t said much, since he was extremely nervous with this being his first day and all.

“It’s just-” Harry began but paused for the right words. “I’ve never had friends before,” he revealed softly, but loud enough for Nick to hear. “I-I don’t really know what to say to them when they talk to me.”

“You don’t really need to think about what to say, it should just come out,” Nick clarified. “Talking should be natural not forced. Just start with something easy like asking what their favorite sport team is or something.”

“I don’t even have a favorite team,” Harry murmured to himself more than Nick, but the older man still heard.

“You don’t have a favorite team?” the retired military man asked in surprise.

Harry glanced at him quickly as they walked before looking away. “I wasn’t allowed to watch TV at the Dur--, um, with the people I lived with before.”

“Well, I happen to be a sports fanatic so it won’t be long before you are fully educated with all the best sport teams around.” Nicholas announced.

Harry smiled. It was nice having Nick around. Despite the fact that he was an intimidating man, Harry grew to like him. He had a funny sense of humor and always had good stories to tell about his time in the American military.

“Pay attention,” Nicholas commanded and Harry looked up. “This is the street you turn down. It’s the third block down. My house is just down here. Will you be able to find it tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Harry agreed. “It’s not too hard to find at all.”

“Just remember up two blocks from the school, make a right and go down three more blocks before you get to my street.” Nick explained. “Take another right onto my street and here we are.”

They stopped in front of a nice soft yellow colored house. The front of the house was nicely done. The lawn was mowed, the flowers were blooming nicely and everything looked wonderful. Nick led him inside and they both removed their shoes before stepping on the carpeted area. Harry was given a short tour of the small home before he sat down at the table and began his homework.

The assignments were easy so he breezed right through them. Once he was finished, Nick insisted on looking over everything to make sure it was right. Harry nervously handed him the paper, hoping that the man wouldn’t think he was stupid if there were any errors.

“Well done, Harry,” the older man praised and Harry’s eye lit up with surprise. “Only one error here on this math problem.” He pointed to which one and explained what Harry did wrong. After a quick correction, Harry placed his homework back in his satchel.

“Come watch some TV with me Harry. I’m sure we’ll find some sports on here somewhere.” Nicholas began flipping through channels as Harry sat down next to him. Harry wasn’t as nervous sitting next to him as the first time he met the man but he was still slightly cautious.

“Wow, absolutely nothing good on,” Nick commented as he shut off the TV. “Well then, how about a story?” Harry nodded excitedly. He loved hearing stories from Nick because he told them so well.

Nick began another one of his great adventurous tales. “There was this time I…”

“Ready to go Harry?” Cathy asked Harry one day. She had just gotten off work and arrived at her parent’s house to take Harry home for the evening. Several weeks had passed since he had started school. Everything was going well as could be. Harry hadn’t made any good friends but he was at least talking to some of the kids. He was finally opening up somewhat and that was slow but good progress.

“I just need to grab my homework from the table and we can go.” Harry got up from the couch and grabbed his stuff from the table. Catherine said goodbye to her parents and the two left.

Her parents had been lifesavers these last weeks. Since neither worked anymore, they were almost always home and available to care for Harry after school while she worked. Her father was a great influence in the eight-year-olds life. Harry just adored the man and loved hearing stories and learning things from him. Nick was definitely a positive influence for Harry because it showed him that not every intimidating man in his life will treat him as horribly as Vernon.

During their evenings, Cathy and Harry would sit together and talk. Harry never said much more on the topic of those people he had lived with. But she figured there wasn’t much else to say about them since she already knew that he was forced to cook, clean and cater to their every demand.

“So how was school today?” Catherine asked, coming back to the present.

“Good,” the dark-haired child replied. “I got my spelling test back.”

“Oh? And how did you do?”

“I only missed one,” he admitted.

Cathy smiled proudly. “That’s great! You did wonderfully!”

Harry blushed at the praise. He still hadn’t gotten used to receiving praise from someone.

“You want to hang it on the refrigerator?” she asked as she pulled into their driveway.

“Really?” Harry’s eyes lit up. He’d never been able to hang his stuff on the fridge. That was always reserved for Dudley in the past.

“Sure! My mum used to put all kinds of my assignments and art projects on it. I think it’s about time we added something of yours.” Cathy unlocked the front door and they entered the house. A few minutes later, Harry’s spelling paper along with a small well done sticker was hanging on the fridge much to joy of Harry.

The rest of September flew by and October arrived. With it came chilly windy days filled with falling leaves. One day after school, Harry was walking when someone shoved him from behind. He lost his balance and fell, but managed to use his hands to slow the impact. He looked behind him and saw one of the bigger kids from his class.

“Stupid teachers pet,” the boy, Steven, snarled before stalking off. Did others really think he was a teacher’s pet just because he worked hard? He made sure to study and work hard since Cathy was always proud after he received tests back with good scores. Oh well, he was used to not having friends so not a major loss here. At least he was able to talk with others since Dudley wasn’t around to scare them off.

Harry slowly got to his feet and looked at his hands. He had scraped them when he fell and they were now aching and bleeding slightly. He ignored it though, since it was nothing compared to what he used to feel. A few minutes later, he arrived and entered the house. He took off his shoes and went into the kitchen, where Nicholas and Eleanor were sitting.

“Would you like a snack Harry?” Ellie asked as she sipped her beverage.

“Yes please,” he replied as he sat down at the dining table. She returned with some crackers and some juice. Harry reached for a cracker and paused when Eleanor gasped.

“What happened to your hands?” she asked worriedly while inspecting them.

“Um, well some kid pushed me on my way here,” he murmured, embarrassed. “It’s fine though,” he stated adamantly, pulling his hand back. To him, it didn’t matter since he was used to being bullied by others. Dudley and his friends always tormented him and no one cared so why should they now? It was just scraped hands anyways.

“Let me clean it up or it could get infected,” Ellie insisted and Harry grudgingly allowed her to clean it up. Since it mattered to Eleanor, he decided to just go ahead and let her do as she pleased.

After Harry finished his homework that evening, he joined Nick on the couch to watch TV. He noticed Nick’s pensive mood and decided to ask what was wrong.

“Did something happen?” Harry asked concerned for the man that he had begun to care for and trust.

Nick turned his attention to the young lad sitting next to him. “Harry, my daughter has informed me that you were abused,” the boy noticeably flinched, “in the past. I know this was just some school boy incident earlier today but I want you to stand up for yourself. If this kid comes after you again tomorrow, I don’t want you to let him bully you around. Now, I am not condoning fighting but I just want you to stand up for yourself and don’t let him walk all over you. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied. He did get it but he wasn’t allowed to defend himself from his cousin in the past unless he wanted to face his uncle. Then again, this wasn’t life with the Dursleys, so maybe he should try standing up for himself?

“Having said that, would you like me to show you something you can do next time this kid -or any others for that matter- come after you?” Harry nodded eagerly. “Come on then.”

Nicholas led them both to the garage, where some exercise equipment was along with some soft mats that he placed on the floor. “We’re going to practice on these in case you fall. First thing, you should learn is to move out of the way of incoming blows. So just duck, step aside or whatever suits you to avoid me. Ready?”

Harry nodded nervously. He was pretty sure he could do this. But when Nick’s fist came slowly towards him, he froze. His eyes widened briefly before shutting closed as he prepared himself for the hit. It never came.

He slowly opened his eyes and met the sad gaze of the man he had begun to think of as his grandfather. Harry’s face burned with shame. Nick was here just trying to help him defend himself but instead of ducking, he just froze.

“Harry,” Nick began. “I won’t ever raise my hand against you as punishment or when I’m angry. I am just trying to help you defend yourself. Can you see the difference between the two?”

Harry nodded. “I’m sorry. I’d like to try again, if you still want to help me.” His gaze turned to his shoes. A hand gently pushed up his chin and he stared into the same blue eyes that Catherine had.

“I will always be here to help you. All you need to do is ask,” he assured the boy. “This time, I will move slower so you’ll have plenty of time to move. Do not be afraid, you can do this.”

This time when Nick’s arm moved towards him slowly, Harry stepped to the side to avoid the blow.

“Good!” Nicholas praised. Harry practiced this several times, with Nick moving his hand a little quicker each time. Harry continued to step out of the way of each incoming fist. Once he got the hang of that, Nick moved on and demonstrated how he could easily trip someone. It was fairly easy to do and Harry was able to get the hang of it quickly.

“I don’t want you to go starting any fights or purposely tripping anyone when you feel like it. If someone starts a fight with you, you should either get help from an adult or run away, especially if it is an older student who is larger than you. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied surely. He’d never be like his cousin who purposely pushed, tripped and beat up other kids.

“Okay then.” Nick smiled.

It was a chilly November morning when Harry woke up, feeling a bit unwell. His throat was scratchy, his nose stuffy, and he felt too hot under his bed covers. He slowly got out of bed and went through his usual routine of getting ready before school. He peeked outside and saw it was raining lightly. He smiled, despite feeling unwell, because he simply loved the rainy weather. When he arrived at the table for breakfast, his stomach churned at the sight of food.

Cathy had just poured herself a glass of milk when she noticed Harry. His face looked slightly green as he stared at all the food on the table.

“Are you feeling alright Harry? You look a little green in the face,” she paused and looked a little closer. “Huh. Your hair almost looks green too.” She rubbed her eyes for a moment and refocused her gaze on Harry. His face still had a greenish tint to it but his hair looked black as ever.

“That’s weird. I could have sworn your hair looked greenish for a moment. Must have been the lights,” she muttered.

Harry gave a quiet sigh of relief. He hadn’t meant for his hair to do that but the sight of food sickened him and it just happened.

“Are you feeling alright?” Catherine placed her hand on his forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“I didn’t feel very good when I woke up but I’m fine. I’ll be okay,” he assured her, but it didn’t help much.

“You should have told me that you’re not feeling well. I’m not going to force you to attend school if you are feeling this way. Go back upstairs and change into your pajamas and cover up in bed.” The strawberry-haired woman instructed.

After Harry went back upstairs, she made a quick call to her parents. Her mother was already on her way to visit a good friend so only her father was home. He agreed to come over and take care of Harry while she had to work. She desperately wanted to stay here herself but it wasn’t possible since she was incredibly busy today.

She went back upstairs to check on Harry and found him reading a book while sitting in his bed. He was back in his pajamas but the covers were not tucked around him. She pulled the blanket up to cover him but he kicked the blankets away.

“It’s too hot,” Harry grumbled.

“You probably have a fever so you need to stay warm. I have to work today so my father will come over to take care of you. I’ll be right back with the thermometer to take your temperature.”

After the thermometer beeped, she removed it from his mouth and checked the reading. “You do have a fever so you’d better stay covered up, young man,” she said firmly to the young green-eyed boy who gave her an innocent smile. Those vibrant eyes caused her stern resolve to break as she smiled at him. “I am serious though Harry. You need to stay covered up in order to help get better.” A callout from below alerted the two that Nicholas had arrived. Cathy shouted for her dad to come upstairs and after a moment, the man arrived upstairs.

“Hey Harry,” Nick greeted. “I hear you are not feeling too well.” Harry nodded. “I brought over a couple of movies and some books for you to read. You need to take it easy today so you can get better.”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied, staring down at his hands. Being sick was not fun if he was forced to stay in bed all day, but at least Nick was here. And he brought books and movies! Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all?

“I’m already running a bit late. Listen to my father and behave yourself,” Catherine instructed before she left to work.

“Do I have to stay in bed? I’m not tired,” Harry insisted.

The older man pondered it for a moment. The boy didn’t look too sleepily but chances were that if they put a movie on, he’d be out like a light in a heartbeat. “Alright then,” he acquiesced. “Bring your blanket and curl up on the couch while I grab the movies.”

Harry smiled happily and did as he was told. Nick showed Harry the movies and together they chose one to pop in the VCR.

“Do you need anything? Water?” the older man asked as the watched the beginning previews.

“Water please,” Harry requested. He was a bit parched.

Sure enough, Harry managed to fall asleep in the middle of the movie. Nick turned it off and made sure the young boy was properly covered up. He then took out his book and began reading.

Some time later, Harry woke. Nicholas was reading his book and looked up when he saw movement from Harry. He bookmarked his page and set the book down.

“How are you feeling?” the retired military man asked.

“Okay,” Harry croaked out through his dry throat. He gratefully accepted the glass of water that Nicholas handed him. “Thanks,” he said after sipping the cool water.

Harry was still feeling a little groggy so he relaxed back on the sofa and stayed there quietly. Several minutes later, he asked the question that he’d wanted to ask for some time now.

“When I first met you,” Harry began cautiously. “You said I could call you Nick or g-grandfather,” he stumbled. He bit his lip nervously and carried on when Nick nodded encouragingly. “Did you really mean it? Can I call you that?” he whispered, fearful of rejection.

“I would be honored if you would call me that,” Nicholas said sincerely. Harry smiled brightly, feeling extremely relieved that he hadn’t been rejected.

“May I ask why you have not called Catherine by such a title?” the older man asked carefully. The boy had been in this family now for several months and had yet to call any of them by something other than their first names. They didn’t want to push him though.

Harry looked away from his grandfather’s gaze. “I wasn’t sure I was ready,” Harry admitted. “Would my real mum want me to call someone else my mother?” Harry turned his conflicting gaze to the caring one of Nick.

“I am certain that your mother would want her child to be cared for and loved by good people. She wouldn’t mind if you called someone else mum,” he stated with conviction.

Harry gave him a tentative nod. He’d been here for a while now and felt comfortable enough around these three people. They didn’t seem to have any intentions of sending him away, which was still one of his major worries. He figured that it was about time that he called them by something other than their first names.

Nicholas smiled when his grandson nodded. If he knew his daughter right, she would probably get all teary eyed after the first time he called her mum. The young boy sitting before him opened his mouth to say something but instead sneezed. The sound of something breaking came from his left and he jumped up. The water glass on the table had shattered. Nicholas looked around, trying to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Glasses didn’t just shatter on their own. Finding nothing, he handed Harry some tissues and then picked up the broken pieces. If he wasn’t so puzzled over this latest mystery, he might have noticed the frown marring his grandson’s face.

After blowing his nose, Harry stared intently at the glass that his grandfather was picking up. It broke after he sneezed. Perhaps it was one of those freakish things he did? He’d better be careful or else his new family would find out. Surely they’d send him away after finding this horrible secret and he just couldn’t let that happen so he’d have to be especially careful.

Catherine came home tired that evening. When she entered the kitchen, she could see her father cooking some soup up for dinner.

“Hey dad,” she greeted as she shrugged off her coat. “How is Harry doing?”

“He is doing better. I believe his fever has broken but he is still congested. He ate a little earlier but hasn’t felt like eating much else. I made enough soup for us all to have tonight.”

“That’s good. Did he behave for you?”

“He did. Everything went well today,” Nicholas said before pausing. “There was something strange though. Several odd incidents happened. We were out in the living room earlier this afternoon and one of your glasses that was on the table broke.”

“How is that odd?” Catherine asked, feeling confused.

“Because it just shattered. We were talking and it just broke. Just like that.”

“That’s certainly strange. Anything else happen?”

“A picture fell, although it might not have been hung up properly, and I could have sworn the lights flickered several times.”

“Hmm, that is strange. That reminds me. Just this morning, I could have sworn Harry’s hair was a dark shade of green but at the time, I thought I was seeing things. Maybe these events are connected?” Catherine surmised.

“Perhaps,” her father concluded.

After a few Harry felt well enough to go back to school. He tried to be as careful as possible not to cause any more odd incidents but he was pretty sure that his grandfather noticed something was up. How else could you explain glasses breaking, pictures falling and lights flickering every time the sick boy sneezed?

It was only a couple days after he was well again when he called Catherine mum. It had just slipped out when he had thanked her for something and both of them stood there shocked. Harry, thinking the worst over the silence, was about to turn away when she wrapped him a tight hug. It wasn’t long before Cathy had gotten all teary eyed.

After seeing the happiness on her face, he made a point to call her mum as much as possible. Harry lived to please her so he often tried to do everything possible to keep her happy.

It wasn’t long before the month of November flew by and Christmas approached. Harry was a little apprehensive about the holiday since he didn’t know what to expect. He used the money that Cathy gave him as allowance to buy her something sweet for Christmas. His grandfather had offered to take him shopping and while they were out and about, Harry found a beautiful golden necklace with a heart shaped pendant on it. On the cover of the ornament, it had a beautiful tiny lily flower engraved on it. For a reason that Harry couldn’t explain, he felt drawn to the item and had to get it for his new mum. It cost more than he had but Nick had no problem pitching in.

Since Harry used his allowance money on Cathy’s present, he didn’t have any left to buy anything for his grandparents. He ended up painting each of them a special picture on the nice canvases that Cathy had given him a while ago. For his grandmother, he painted a beautiful garden scene with the flowers in full bloom. She loved taking care of her garden and often Harry would assist her after school.

For Nick, he decided to paint a military picture. Using a book he borrowed from Nick, he painted a copy of the US Marine Core eagle, globe and anchor logo. In the background, he added the American Flag, since it was the American military after all.

When Christmas day arrived, both his grandparents had adored the paintings. He spent a long time on each of them and was pleased when they enjoyed his eight-year-old artistic creations. Harry was a little nervous about giving Cathy her gift because he wasn’t so sure she really liked jewelry. He hadn’t seen her wearing much more than earrings, a ring or two and once and a while a necklace. When she opened the gift, she just loved it and gave him a big hug before putting the necklace on.

Harry felt incredibly spoiled when he saw the mountain of presents, all with his name on them. The three older McKinney’s had spoiled him rotten by buying all these things. He received more paints, a couple of board games, and many different toys that he would surely enjoy playing with.

After gifts were exchanged, the family of four had a big feast that night together. The two women spent the morning cooking up quite the feast and after they finished eating, they sat together on the couch to watch television. It didn’t take long before the youngest McKinney had fallen fast asleep next to the people he now called family.

After Christmas, the days were filled with fun for little Harry. With no school, he was able to play with all his new toys and board games. It turned out that Cathy was quite the competitive player when they pulled out the games. On New Years Eve, the four go together and stayed up until Midnight playing board games and snacking on food. Finally, the clock struck twelve. Harry smiled as he sat contently with his family and hoped that this was the start to a great year.

Quite a few months had gone by and life couldn’t get any better for young Harry. He had a new mum, two wonderful grandparents and his very own room filled with toys. He still didn’t have many friends but he had started talking to one boy more often in class and they got to know each other pretty well. Harry hoped they’d get to hang out sometime and possibly have a sleepover. These last few months had been absolutely wonderful for the eight-year-old and he hoped nothing would ever ruin his happiness.

Before Harry knew it, the school year was over. Cathy was very pleased when he brought home his final report card filled with good grades and decided to take Harry to the new toy store that opened in London. It was one of the largest around and had only opened a few weeks ago and Harry was eager to check it out.

Unfortunately, Cathy was called in to work at the last moment so Nick volunteered to take his grandson to the store. Unlike the first week it opened, it wasn’t too busy so Nick agreed to let Harry wander around as long as he didn’t stray too far.

“Cool,” Harry murmured to himself as he inspected the cool action figure. He just put it back on the shelf when he heard several voices that made him freeze, eyes widening in horror.

“What about this my Dudders? Would you like mummy and daddy to get this one for you?”

“No! I want this one!” The voice of his cousin Dudley Dursley whined loudly and impatiently.

“We’ll get that one then,” Vernon Dursley acquiesced to his son’s demand. “Now wasn’t there some action figure guy that you wanted? Let’s go look at them then.”

Harry stood still, frozen by fear as the voice of his relatives came closer. His mind had shut down in panic and he couldn’t bring himself to move from the isle that his relatives would come to any minute now.

Nick looked at the family that entered with disdain. The father and son were entirely too large, while the wife was the complete opposite. How could these parents condemn their child to an early grave by allowing him to eat so much? That boy was likely to become diabetic or get some other health problem due to the amount of junk food he ate. As they walked by, Nick could even see the large half eaten candy bar in the kid’s hand.

The older man walked away from the family, which was now attracting attention with the obnoxious demands from the boy, and began looking for his grandson. Harry had wandered off and was around here somewhere. Nick spotted him standing still in the middle of an isle with a look of terror on his face. The retired military man began gently pushing past a crowd of kids and tried to make it towards Harry.

Nick stopped walking and stared in shock. His grandson was doing something weird, causing his face to slowly change. The boy’s hair lengthened and turned to a strawberry blond color, matching that of his daughter’s. The boy’s face even narrowed slightly and finally his eye’s changed to the exact shade of his own. Harry then hastily stuffed the glasses Catherine had purchased for him into his pocket. Nick, stared in astonishment after the transformation, wondered what just happened.

It took a moment for Harry to snap out of his shocked state. He wanted to flee from the isle but there was no where to go except towards the Dursley’s who he could now see approaching from an isle over. He quickly concentrated on changing into the “Cathy’s son” face. He could feel his face narrow, his hair lengthen, and a slight tingling in his eye’s that assured him his eye color changed. He quickly pulled off his glasses, not wanting to be recognized at all. They were new frames but the Dursley’s knew he wore glasses so he didn’t want to stand out at all to them. He planned to slip by them, hopefully unnoticed, and get out of this store as swiftly as possible.

Harry lifted his shaking hands and grabbed a random toy off the shelf and looked down at it. Glancing out of the corner of his eyes, he was able to see the Dursley family enter this isle. Dudley had grown since the last time he saw him but not in height, rather he had gotten wider. Vernon was as big and scary as he last remembered him and Petunia still wore that same expression of wanting to please Dudley in every way possible.

“I want the new ninja turtle guy!” The large boy demanded.

“Okay Duddykins,” Aunt Petunia agreed easily. “What’s his name? The character you want?”

Dudley frowned in concentration. “Mi- Mekelanglo? Something like that.”

“Did you mean Michelangelo, my sweetums?” Petunia asked with that sickening smile that Harry hated.

“Yeah. That’s what I said,” Dudley stated indignantly. He began looking around for the toy and started sniffling after finding the empty shelf where the toy should have been.

“There aren’t anymore mummy! I want one NOW!” the boy demanded, fake tears coming to his eyes.

Vernon came closer to Harry, who couldn’t bring himself to move, and began ruffling through the shelves. “I don’t see anymore, Dudley. We can always go somewhere else and get one.”

“NO! I want one now!”

Vernon came closer to Harry, who turned his gaze down to the toy he was holding. His eye’s widened when he realized he was holding the action figure that Dudley wanted. Just as Harry realized what he was holding, so did Vernon Dursley.

“Give me that boy,” Vernon snatched the toy from Harry’s shaking hands. He looked down with disdain at Harry’s slightly dirty clothes from playing outside earlier that day. “What are you doing in here boy? I’ll bet you can’t buy anything anyways so go on, scram.”

Harry looked at the man who haunted him in nightmares and shook in terror. He couldn’t bring himself to move or walk away or anything. He just froze. He knew that his uncle wouldn’t recognize him but it didn’t make it any easier to move. Being called boy again didn’t help either.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Go!” The last word caused Harry to take a step back in fear.

“Don’t talk to my grandson that way,” the stern voice of Nicholas came from behind Vernon. Harry let out a quite sigh of relief. His grandfather was here and Vernon wouldn’t be able to do anything to him with Nick around.

The fat man turned around and glared at the retired military man. “I’ll talk to him however I please.”

“Come Harry,” Nick instructed. The two older Dursley’s looked startled for a moment and turned to look again at the boy. Harry kept his eyes on the ground and walked shakily towards his grandfather. They won’t recognize you, they won’t recognize you, they won’t recognize you. Harry silently hoped that was true.

“If I ever see you talking to my grandson like that again, you will be sorry,” Nick threatened and placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder. He felt the flinch and frowned internally. He thought Harry had gotten over that.

“Don’t you threaten me!” Vernon took a step closer to them. “Do you know who I am?”

Nick felt Harry take a step back. “I do not care if you are related to the Queen of England. Do not ever speak to my grandson ever again.” With that said, Nicholas turned and led Harry out of the store. They hadn’t bought anything but neither felt like looking around anymore. They both climbed into the car and as Harry was buckling his seatbelt, a sudden shocking thought occurred to him. Nick must have seen him change, otherwise the man shouldn’t have recognized him. Harry sat perfectly still in his seat as his mind screamed out in horror. Nick knew his secret! Oh no, no, no, no, no!

A short and silent drive later, the two arrived at Harry’s house. Cathy was still at work since the house was empty when they entered. Nick led Harry to the sofa and the boy sat down without much thought. Harry was still in shock over thinking he would be sent away now that everyone would learn of his freaky secret.

“Harry,” Nick got his attention. “What happened back there?” he asked slowly from the seat next to the boy.

Harry pulled his legs up to his chest and hugged them closely. “I-I,” he began but started crying. Nick reached over and began rubbing circles on the distraught boy’s back. Harry flinched again, which caused Nicholas to frown.

“Please, ‘m sorry, don’t send me back, please, please,” Harry mumbled incoherently through the quiet sobs racking through his body. Everything was so perfect! Why did the Dursley’s have to go and ruin everything?!

“Send you back where?” Nick asked softly. He was very worried about Harry’s reaction right now and wasn’t too sure what to do. He couldn’t find any logical explanations for the reason Harry now looked like his biological grandson with the new face features. The transformation itself was interesting and he wanted to learn more about it but at the moment, asking Harry to demonstrate was out of the question.

Harry lifted his red, puffy, and still blue eyes to meet Nick’s gaze momentarily before looking down again. He let out a quiet hiccup. “The orphanage. Please don’t send me back there. I love it here,” he whispered.

“Oh,” Nicholas said with sudden understanding. He gathered the boy in his arms and held him as he felt the shudders go through Harry’s body. “Harry, I promise you that no matter what happens, none of us will ever send you away. Never,” he stated clearly.

They sat together quietly for several minutes before Nick spoke again. “Can you do this –transformation? – when ever you want?”

Another soft hiccup before Harry answered. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I practiced a lot.”

“Can you show me? Maybe change back to how you normally look?” the older man asked curiously.

Hesitantly nodding, Harry complied and closed his eyes and concentrated on returning his black hair and green eyes. A soft gasp made him open his eyes and he looked at Nicholas, who was staring at him in wonder.

“So this is your normal appearance without changing anything?”

Wavering slightly, Harry shook his head negatively. “I-I hide scars,” he said softly.

“Oh,” Nicholas replied. Scars from the people that abused him? Wait until he got his hands on them… He shook his head to rid the negative thoughts before turning back to the boy. “I think this is a very unique thing that you can do.”

Harry looked up at him, clearly shocked. “You-you don’t think I am a f-freak?”

“No!” the retired military man exclaimed vehemently. Harry leaned away from the sharp tone, but stayed in his seat. Nick lifted Harry’s chin and gently eased the boy’s face to look at his. “You are not a freak. Just because you can do something special doesn’t mean you are a freak.”

After Nick released his chin, Harry paused for a minute before nodding.

“Did you know those people?” Nicholas asked carefully. Harry’s head shot up quickly before looking down. He curled his arms around his stomach and nodded once.

“Who were they?” he probed gently.

“J-just people I lived with before,” came the hushed answer.

Nick thought for a minute. That would explain his reaction and changing his face like that to avoid them from recognizing him. It also made sense why those dreadful people looked startled when he called Harry to his side. If only he knew their last name, then he’d track down those bastards…

“That fat guy was Vernon?” the older man asked for clarification. He received a nod in return. “Can you tell me his last name?”

Harry shook his head in a negative manner fiercely. He figured that Nick wanted to have a little chat with his uncle and then send Vernon to jail. But then he’d have to testify or something like that and he couldn’t do that! There was no way he would be able to tell so many adults all the horrible things his uncle did to him.

Nicholas looked at his grandson and could tell the boy was withholding the information. He didn’t know if it was to protect Vernon or some other reason. He might not be able to get this guy now, but he would find out who he was sooner or later.

“You aren’t going to tell anyone are you?” Harry asked suddenly. No one else needs to know his secret!

The retired military man could see the desperation on his grandson’s face. The boy clearly wanted to keep this a secret. He didn’t want to disrupt their relationship or cause Harry to lose faith in him. He sighed wearily. “For now, this will stay between the two of us. If you use this –disguise- of sorts to get away with anything, I will tell your mum.”

Harry gave him a relieved smile. His secret was safe for now.

“Can you change for me again? I’d really like to see it,” Nick asked curiously.

Harry nodded and concentrated. In just a few seconds, he was now sporting the face that bore several similarities to Catherine.

“That is truly remarkable,” he commented. “What made you chose this look?”

The boy looked down embarrassed. “I just wanted to look like Cathy’s son, biologically.”

Nick smiled at the boy leaning comfortably against him. “You are her son in every way but blood. You will always be a part of this family. Never forget that Harry.”

Harry awoke early on the morning of July 31st and sat up slowly. He was nine today! He was pretty sure that Cathy knew his birthday but she hadn’t said anything about it. It was pretty quiet downstairs with the exception of quiet murmurs. That must mean grandma or grandpa was over, otherwise Cathy wouldn’t be talking to anyone this early. She wasn’t much of an early riser, as Harry had found out.

Harry went downstairs and entered the suddenly silent and dark kitchen. The lights flickered on and his mum and grandparents were standing there with smiles on their faces. They all began to sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song, which made Harry grin widely. It was his very own birthday party!

“Come sit at the table Harry,” Catherine pulled out a chair and set an empty plate in front of it. “I made all your favorites this morning so dig in.”

“Thank you,” Harry said sincerely as he sat down.

The others joined Harry at the table and everyone began to fill their plates with food. Throughout the entire meal, Harry had a silly little grin on his face, showing that he was absolutely thrilled with this day so far.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get changed while we clean up? Then we can leave,” Harry’s adoptive mum suggested.

“Where are we going?” the boy asked curiously.

“You’ll see,” she replied and made a shooing motion.

Harry dashed upstairs and got ready quickly. He was very eager to find out where they were going. In a matter of minutes, he was downstairs waiting by the front door. His mum had already gotten ready for the day and she had just finished loading the dishwasher. His two grandparents followed her out of the kitchen and the four headed outside to pile in the car together.

A short drive later, Harry found himself staring up in wonder at the giant sign that read: ‘Chessington World of Adventures’.

“We’re going to an amusement park?!” he asked shocked, but very thrilled.

“Obviously,” Nick answered with a smile.

Harry gave him a mock-glare. “That was one of those questions you don’t answer. What’s the word I’m looking for?”

“Rhetorical?” Eleanor suggested.

“Yeah, rhetorical,” Harry answered, sounding out the last word slowly.

The traffic was moving slowly and Harry started squirming in his seat in anticipation. “Come on…” he muttered and scowled at the other drivers.

The adults in the car all shared knowing smiles. It wasn’t often that they saw Harry like this, gleeful and filled with excitement. Deciding to come here was a good idea after all.

Finally they parked and the birthday boy all but dragged them to the gates. Of course, they had to stand in line which felt like forever to Harry. At last they made it to the booth, paid for their tickets and entered the park.

Harry looked around in wonder at all the exciting rides and places to check out. This was certainly going to be a birthday to remember!

After one exhausting day filled with walking, rides, food, more walking and more rides, they finally left the park. Harry was practically dead on his feet, but he was still grinning happily. He got to ride so many rides and even check out the zoo portion of the park. It was neat seeing all the different animals but he felt bad for them that they had to be trapped in those cages rather than running wild.

Once they made it to the car, the nine-year-old climbed into his seat slowly. He was feeling sleepy so he figured he’d rest his eyes just for a minute…

Cathy and her parents smiled as they gazed at the worn out boy who had fallen asleep. It was quite the eventful day. Since it was Harry’s birthday, they allowed him to drag them all across the park to all the rides that he wanted to go on. They stopped for lunch after a while and after that, Harry pulled them towards the zoo area. They spent a while looking at all the different animals until Harry decided it was time to go on more rides. No wonder the boy was so tired!

Harry woke when the car pulled to a stop in the driveway of their home. He yawned as he hopped out of the car and followed the adults into the house. Once in the living room, Cathy ushered him upstairs to put away the souvenirs that he picked up from the park. Harry placed the bag in his room and came back downstairs into the kitchen, where everyone else was waiting. As he entered, they started singing the birthday song for the second time that day but this time there was a birthday cake in front of him. Once they finished the song, Harry made a wish and blew out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” his grandma asked.

Harry gave her a big smile and replied cheekily, “If I told you that, it wouldn’t come true!”

“Aw, yes of course. Well grab some cake and afterwards we’ve got presents.” She motioned to the pile of presents off to the side. Harry’s eye’s widened and he grinned happily before digging into his piece of cake.

After everyone had finished, Harry tore into his presents. He received the usual interesting toys and such that he would surely have fun playing with later.

“This last present is from all three of us. Come on,” Nicholas said and motioned towards the garage door. Harry followed curiously, wondering what needed to be kept out there and stopped in shock. In front of his was a brand new shiny bike, just for him.

“I’ll even teach you how to ride it tomorrow,” Nicholas said. Harry turned and gave him a big hug before doing the same to the two women who were beaming happily at him.

“Thank you so much!” Harry exclaimed as he looked over the new bike. This was certainly the best birthday ever!

True to his word, next day, Nick showed Harry how to ride his new bike. It wasn’t easy though for Harry, who felt embarrassed at not being able to keep the bike steady enough. He could feel his face heat up after each time he lost his balance and had to stop riding in order to prevent falling. Nicholas was being patient with him, which Harry was grateful for. Before he managed to get the hang of it, he was called inside for lunch.

Harry, still feeling irritated at being unsuccessful, was quiet and sported a sullen expression on his face. He picked at his food and eventually pushed his food away.

“Can we try again?” Harry asked his grandfather, who had finished his lunch already.

Before Nick could respond, Cathy interrupted. “Why don’t you take a break for a while, Harry? You seem to be getting frustrated and I don’t want you to try too hard and end up hurting yourself.”

Harry scowled. He wanted to learn how to ride now! “Please? I just want to learn how to ride,” he mumbled the last part.

“What was that?” the older gentleman asked.

“I said that I just want to learn to ride my new bike,” Harry replied, speaking clearer this time since he knew Nick hated when people didn’t speak up properly.

“Why don’t you just go up to your room for now?” Catherine suggested. She could tell if he went out there and wasn’t successful, then he’d become more frustrated.

“Fine,” the boy snapped.

“Harry,” Nick warned. “Don’t speak to your mum that way.”

Harry lowered his frustrated gaze downwards. “Yes, sir. May I be excused now?” Catherine agreed and Harry dashed upstairs and threw himself onto his bed. All he wanted was to learn how to ride his bike! Why can’t he go back outside and try again? It wasn’t long before the boy became sleepy lying on the bed and soon fell asleep.

“Harry,” his grandmother said as she shook Harry by the shoulder lightly. The boy grumbled slightly before slowly opening his eyes.

“’lo Grandma,” he mumbled as he sat up and slipped on his glasses.

“You’ve been sleeping for a while now. Cathy said you are welcome to try riding your bike once more before it gets dark.”

Yes! “Okay,” Harry replied, much more awake now. “I’ll be down in a bit.” She left and Harry went to the bathroom, freshened up a bit before darting downstairs.

Nicholas was already outside waiting for him. He climbed back on the bike and his grandfather guided the bike a bit before letting go. Harry wobbled a bit before balancing the bike long enough to peddle on. He made it up to the end of the street before he stopped since he wasn’t supposed to go further than that. He turned around the bike and slowly started peddling back to his grandfather. He did it on his own! He was finally able to balance the bike and ride on his own without any assistance.

Harry looked up at Nick and grinned happily as he came closer to the man. Harry had only looked up at his grandfather briefly, but that was enough time for him to lose his concentration on balancing the bike. The slightly uneven pavement didn’t help either because Harry still ended up loosing control. The bike slid from underneath him and he skidded on the cement while his bike ended up on the edge of the curb.

Nick rushed over to Harry quickly and pulled the boy up with surprising strength for such an older man. He quickly looked Harry over and only found a bleeding elbow from the fall.

“Bloody hell, that hurt,” the boy grumbled.

“Where did you hear that word?” the older man asked sharply.

Harry looked up at his grandfather. Oops, he hadn’t meant to actually say that out loud. “I heard it from some older kid.”

“Don’t use such language again. If I hear that –or any other foul terms- you will end up with a bar of soap in your mouth. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” the nine-year-old answered. Why was everyone telling him what to do lately? It seemed like nothing was going right today.

“Come on,” Nick gently led the boy towards the house. “Let’s get this cleaned up.”

After entering the house, Eleanor immediately pushed the boy into a chair and began to gently wipe away the dirt from the cut. She then spread some ointment on it before placing a large band-aid over the entire scrape.

“There you go sweetie,” Harry’s grandmum said. “All cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes so you should wash up.”

After dinner, his two grandparents left for their own home and Harry joined Cathy on the couch in front of the telly. It was getting late when a movie came on. Harry wanted to stay and watch it but he knew any minute now he would be sent up to bed.

Sure enough, he heard his adoptive mum say, “Harry, it’s getting late. You should head up to bed now.”

“Can’t I stay up and watch this movie with you?” Harry whined. He knew he shouldn’t keep pushing her today but he really wanted to watch the movie. It wasn’t like he had school tomorrow or anything since it was summer time after all.

“No, Harry. You’ve had a long day as it is.”

“Please?” the boy begged. “It’s summer vacation so it’s not like I have school tomorrow.”

“I said no, Harry,” Catherine stated firmly. The boy was quite cranky today after his repeated failures at riding a bike but the nap had helped him for a while. Then of course he fell off the bike, which put him back in an irritable mood.

“Pretty please?” Harry grumbled. “It’s just one night!”

“No and that is final. Just go to your room and stay there quietly please.” It wouldn’t hurt to let him stay up once and a while but she felt that she shouldn’t give into him right now. Another night, she’d offer to let him stay up but not tonight.

“Fine!” The boy snapped and stormed upstairs.

Harry yanked his pajamas out of the drawer and carelessly threw his current clothing on the floor in a messy pile. He pulled on the night clothes and crawled into his bed. The boy turned off his light and tossed his glasses on the nightstand. As he slowly calmed down in the dark, he realized that he had been quite bratty out there.

He realized with a sickening shock that he just threw a temper tantrum just like his cousin Dudley. He never wanted to be like any of those relatives and immediately began to feel bad for snapping at Cathy when she had been so nice to him. It was just yesterday when he’d had the best birthday ever and here he was getting upset over a bike. He shouldn’t have become so frustrated with his failures and then snapped at his family.

Harry sat up, thinking about going downstairs and apologizing for his behavior but then he remembered what Cathy had said last. She said to stay in his room. Oh, what if she hated him now? He never should have said anything! Now Cathy was probably having doubts about him and maybe she was even regretting spending so much of her time and money on him.

Harry tried to calm his panicked breathing as his mind automatically brought up all the horrible things that could happen. If he was thinking rationally, it should have occurred to him that Cathy wouldn’t send him away after one argument. But at the moment, he was panicking and naturally not thinking straight.

He glanced over at the clock and was shocked to realize that it was past eleven thirty and he had yet to see Catherine. She always came in to say goodnight to him. She had come every night since he arrived here to tuck him in and now tonight, she hadn’t shown. That must mean she really was mad at him. Knowing that she didn’t come up to say goodnight made him feel an ache in his chest that he couldn’t explain. The boy curled in a small ball on his bed and cried softly in his pillow. He really screwed things up now! It wasn’t long before the exhausted boy fell asleep in his bed.

A short while later, Catherine awoke from her seat on the couch and made her way upstairs. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch but she was tired from a long day. As she reached Harry’s door, she peeked in and saw the boy fast asleep on his bed. She pulled up the blanket and covered him up before lightly kissing his forehead and whispering a goodnight. It was too dark in the room for her to see the remnants of the tears on the boys face and Harry was far too asleep to notice that Cathy had come after all.

Harry woke the next morning, unsure what to do since Catherine had said to stay in his room. With the people he grew up it, it was no wonder why he took orders such as that literally. The boy at least got dressed before he pulled out a book to read. If he was still in trouble, it wouldn’t be right to play with his toys so he settled with a book.

Downstairs, Catherine was eating breakfast alone. She wasn’t sure why Harry wasn’t down yet, even though she could hear him moving around upstairs. She assumed that he was still sulking though and had decided to stay upstairs for the time being. For now, she agreed to let him be and ate her breakfast. By lunch, she still hadn’t seen him and decided that was enough.

“Harry,” she poked her head in and found him sitting on his bed reading. “Why don’t you come downstairs, eat lunch and afterwards I have a few errands to run and you’ll accompany me.”

The nine-year-old nodded and bookmarked his page before standing up. She wasn’t smiling or showing any emotion and that caused Harry to worry. He really hoped her errands had nothing to do with getting rid of him. He couldn’t decide whether it would be better if she left him in some alley like his uncle had or stuck him back in the over-crowded orphanage.

Lunch was a quiet tense affair. Both were assuming the wrong things. Cathy thought the boy was still sulking, while Harry worried over being sent away for upsetting his adoptive mum.

After lunch, Harry slowly followed Catherine to the car, dreading every step he took. He really hoped they were just running some pointless errands and she wasn’t going to send him away. They hadn’t driven far before Harry couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

“I-I’m sorry!” he blurted. He reached his hand up and scrubbed furiously at the single tear that escaped. Only little babies cried and he was a big boy and they didn’t cry.

Catherine glanced over clearly surprised to see Harry crying. The moment she took her eyes off the road was a mistake though. Another car had run the stop sign and slammed into their car. It impacted the front of the passenger side, causing the airbags to instantly deploy. Everything quickly went dark for the two McKinneys.

Catherine slowly woke up, hearing a strange beeping sound. It took her a minute to realize what she was hearing and she sat up in shock. The moment she did so, she felt pain along her right side and gasped. She fell back on the bed with a pained groan.

“Cathy?” she opened her eyes slowly and looked into the concerned ones belonging to her mother.

“Where’s Harry?” the woman managed to get out. Her throat was rather dry and from her tone, her mother could tell which was why she poured a couple of water and helped Cathy sip it.

“Harry is fine. He is currently in the children’s ward and your father is sitting with him. Last I heard he hasn’t woken up yet.” Eleanor informed her. “I will be right back. The doctor wanted to know when you woke.”

Catherine sat there, wishing she had enough strength to get up and see for herself that Harry was okay. For now her mother’s word would have to do. The strawberry blond-haired woman turned to the door as her mum reentered along with a doctor.

“How are you feeling, Ms. McKinney? Any pains? Aches? Difficulty breathing?”

Catherine dutifully answered his questioned before finally being able to ask her own.

“How is Harry doing? Was he hurt badly?” she asked, worry written all over her face.

“Your son is doing fine. Even though the car impacted on his side, he was reasonably unhurt, which was very unexpected. Once you see the damage done to your vehicle, you’ll be surprised that your son survived. It’s a miracle that he only ended up with a broken leg. The only other complication is he has yet to regain conciseness. By the way, you both have been here for two days now. Your only injuries were bruising to your right side from impacting your vehicle therefore you should be released by tomorrow.”

The doctor then exited and Catherine turned back to her mother. “What about the other driver? What happened to him or her?”

“All I know if that the man was in a hurry and ran the stop sign. I believe that the doctors just mentioned that he was a little shaken up, no injuries or anything.” Ellie replied.

Cathy leant back on the pillows, wishing that she could see Harry. Tomorrow wouldn’t come soon enough.

“Finally!” the strawberry blond-haired woman muttered to herself. “I thought they’d never let me out of here.” After the doctor checked her over once more, she was finally released. The first thing she did afterwards was make her way to the Children’s ward. She quickly located Harry’s room and entered. It was quiet and she slowly made her way next to the unconscious boy and sat down. She reached out and grabbed his limp hand and held onto it tightly.

“Harry,” she began, not knowing if the boy would be able to hear anything or not. “I am sorry for having that dreadful argument with you and then just leaving you to yourself. At times, you seem like such a normal happy child that I forget about your past. I should have figured out that you weren’t sulking in your room. Please forgive me, for that and for landing you in the hospital. I can’t believe I took my eyes off the rode…” she trailed and then started to cry softly.

“You mean so much to me, my sweet little boy. Have I told you that? Adopting you was the greatest thing I have ever done and I will never regret that decision. The doctors haven’t found anything wrong with you, but yet you are not awake. Why? Please, just please wake up,” she ended with a soft whisper.

Cathy returned the next day to sit with Harry. There were still no changes but she still continued to sit by his side. She’d talk with him, not really knowing if he’d hear it. After sitting there for so long, Catherine decided to get up and stretch. She wandered to the room where coffee was provided for everyone. It was a bit crowded so she lowered herself into a seat across from a brown-haired gentleman.

“Mind if I sit here?” she asked politely.

“Not at all,” he replied and looked up at her.

Catherine found herself mesmerized by his gorgeous chocolaty brown eyes. Even though he was sitting down, she figured he was about six feet tall, had a nice build and was slightly muscular. He wore a rich dark green button up shirt along with black slacks. Cathy was lost in her thoughts and missed what he just said.

A pink tinge appeared on her face as she asked, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I merely stated that my name is Connor Blair,” he replied with a charming smile.

“Oh,” Catherine replied. He had a great smile too! “I, uh, my name is Cathy. Well Catherine McKinney. And it’s nice to meet you.”

“So are you an escaped patient out for a coffee break or are you visiting someone?” Connor asked.

“I was involved in a car accident just a couple of days ago,” the blue-eyed woman began.

“Pardon me for interrupting, but are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little bruised up. I was just visiting my son, who was regretfully in the car with me at the time of the accident.” Cathy replied.

“Your son?” the brown-haired man asked, his smile fading. “Is your husband with him now while you’re on coffee break?”

Catherine gave a short laugh. “Husband? No, I don’t have a husband. Harry is my adopted son.”

Connor’s smile reappeared. “I apologize for my assumption. I’m sure you’ve heard that assuming-”

“Makes and ass out of you and me,” Cathy finished with him. They both laughed a little at that and smiled at each other.

“So are you visiting a friend or family member? If you don’t mind me asking,” she added.

“Friend actually,” the man replied. “A buddy of mine got badly injured at work and I thought I’d keep him company.”

Cathy was about to say more when a nurse came over. “Ms. McKinney, the doctor sent me to find you. Your son appears to be waking up.”

Catherine stood quickly. She was about to leave but she remembered the gorgeous chocolaty eyes of the man she was sitting with. She reached into her purse and pulled out one of her business cards.

“Here’s my card with my home number on it,” she handed it to Connor. “In case you’d like to go out for drinks sometime?” she ended hesitantly.

He smiled brightly. “I’d like that. I’ll call you sometime.” She smiled back and left. She strode through the halls quickly and pushed open Harry’s door. A doctor was reviewing Harry’s chart but he looked up when Cathy entered.

“Ms. McKinney?” he asked. She nodded. “Your son Harry appears to be waking up judging by these machines,” the man motioned towards all the devices set up on the side of the bed, “monitoring his health. I’d like you to alert a nurse or myself when he fully regains consciousness.”

“Okay,” Catherine agreed. “Thank you.”

She resumed her normal seat next to Harry and held onto his hand. She jumped slightly when she thought he squeezed back, but figured it was just a twitch of his hand. It was about an hour later when Harry groaned. Cathy immediately sat up straighter and clutched onto his hand like a lifeline.

“Harry? Can you hear me?”

Another groan and his mouth opened slightly. “ ‘ater,” he rasped out.

“What was that?” she asked softly and leaned in closer.

“W-water, ‘pleez.” This time Cathy understood and grabbed the cup from the table, poured some fresh water and allowed Harry to take several small sips of it.

“I’m so glad you are awake, Harry. I was worried about you after finding out you hadn’t woken yet,” the woman babbled.

“ ‘m tir’d,” Harry murmured sleepily.

“Go ahead and rest. Everything will be alright now,” she said.

The doctors finally released Harry several days later. They were quite worried about his excessive sleepiness which wasn’t caused by any medications in his bloodstream. After declaring his as healthy as could be with a broken leg, they released him. Cathy wheeled Harry down to the front of the building and was just pondering if she’d have enough strength to life Harry into the car. That dilemma was solved when she spotted Connor heading inside the hospital.

“Connor,” Catherine called out. The brown-haired man turned towards her and smiled.

“Catherine,” he greeted. “How are you today?”

“Fine,” she smiled at him. “This is Harry, by the way.”

Connor looked down at the small tired looking boy sitting in a wheelchair with a cast on his foot. “Nice to meet you Harry,” he replied unenthusiastically.

“You too, sir.” Harry responded quietly. The man looked friendly enough, but yet he didn’t sound too friendly. Maybe it was just the tiredness affecting his judgment?

“Do you think you could do me a favor?” Cathy asked uncertainly.

He gave her one of his charming smiles. “Sure.”

“Could you lift Harry into the car for me? I don’t think I’d be able to do it with my sore side and all.”

“Anything for you, my lady,” Connor answered with a grin. He pulled open the door of the rental car and lifted the nine-year-old into the car.

“Thank you kind sir,” Cathy teased with a grin of her own.

“Anytime,” he replied. “Would you like to have lunch with me next Tuesday?”

“Sure,” she responded happily. “When and where?”

“How about that new Italian restaurant that just opened? Know which one I’m talking about?” Connor asked.

“Yes. I’ve been wanting to go there. One o’clock sound alright with you?” Cathy asked.

“Sure. I’ll see you then,” Connor stated before waving briefly as he entered the hospital.

Cathy got into the car with a content smile on her face and started the engine.

“You’re going on a date?” Harry asked softly.

Catherine jumped slightly. She had momentarily forgotten that Harry was sitting in the car next to her. “Yeah. I’ve been a bit busy for a while now and honestly haven’t had time to go out with anyone.”

“I’m sorry if I’ve taken up your time-” the boy began before he was cut off.

“Don’t even think about finishing that,” the strawberry-blond haired woman stated gently. “You mean everything to me now Harry. You are very important to me and I don’t want you to even think that you are interfering in any way with my social life. Things have been hectic lately but I will find time to see my friends and such. Just please don’t blame yourself,” she finished.

Harry smiled tiredly at her. “Okay,” he agreed. “Are we going home now?”

“My parents will be there waiting for us and I expect you to take it very easy. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. But, yes, we are finally going to get home.”

Harry listened to Cathy’s advice and took it easy for the next few days. He was still tired but that finally went away after several days. Since the doctors couldn’t find any reason to his tiredness, Harry assumed it was something he did. According to his mum, the car was badly smashed on his side of the car, which led the boy to assume he did something freakish in order to protect them. Even if it was freakish, it managed to prevent either person from getting severely injured in the car, which Harry was grateful for.

It was somewhat difficult for the young boy to maneuver up and down the stairs when using his crutches so he mostly stayed upstairs. His adoptive mum even brought him meals in bed so that he didn’t have to go downstairs.

On Tuesday, Nicholas came over while Cathy went to have lunch with Connor. Nick and Harry watched movies and just talked while she was gone. When she returned, she was smiling brightly and informed them both that she had another date with Connor planned for dinner on Saturday.

Cathy seemed happier having someone else around in her life. The rest of August flew by quickly as Cathy went on dates and Harry relaxed around the house. He wanted to ride his bike more but with a broken leg, that wasn’t exactly possible. Luckily for him, he went to his checkup and the doctor checked his leg over, surprised that it seemed to have healed rather quickly.

Just before school started up again for Harry, Connor was introduced to Nicholas and Eleanor. Harry’s two grandparents had arrived earlier and they were sitting around, waiting for Connor to arrive. Finally the doorbell rang and Cathy jumped up excitedly to answer it. She talked with him for a second before bringing him into the living room, where her parents were relaxing on the couch with Harry.

“Connor, this is my father Nicholas,” Cathy introduced and Nick stood to shake hands. “This is my mother Eleanor. And you know Harry, of course.” Connor gave a quick nod.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” the chocolate brown eyed man stated with a kind smile.

“It was nice to finally meet you,” Ellie replied. “Cathy has been talking about you quite a lot lately.”

“Is that so?” Connor looked over and noted the pink tinge appearing on Catherine’s face. She smiled somewhat sheepishly and lowered herself into a chair. Connor followed her example and sat next to her.

“So what do you do for a living?” Nick asked the man sitting across from him.

“I am a certified public accountant and I occasionally work with a friend of mine in his photo studio.” Connor answered.

“Photo studio? Do you develop the pictures or actually take them?” Ellie asked curiously.

“A bit of both actually,” the brown haired man replied. “I took a course in photography several years ago and since a friend of mine owns his own studio, I like to help out from time to time.”

A silence spread over the group. Finally Cathy broke it by suggesting they go ahead and eat dinner. Everyone agreed and gathered around the kitchen table. Dinner was filled with quite chatter, mostly between Ellie and Connor. The older woman asked him all kinds of questions ranging from his family to things he does for fun. After they finished eating dinner, Eleanor brought out a cheesecake. She made it herself using the recipe she got while visiting a friend in the states. After everyone devoured the delicious dessert, they returned to the living room to sit around and talk some more. Finally it began to get late and Connor decided to head home. He said a quick goodbye to everyone before leaving.

“So,” Cathy started. “What did you think?”

“I think he is a sweet gentleman,” her mother said with a smile. “Quite the charmer too.”

“I think I am going to get some coffee. Anyone else want some?” Catherine asked.

“I’ll come with you,” Ellie replied. “We’ll discuss this new man of yours away from the boy’s ears,” she said, flashing a quick look over at Harry and Nicholas sitting next to each other.

After Catherine and her mother exited the room, it was silent until Nick spoke.

“What do you think about this Connor?”

Harry shrugged. “He seems alright. He doesn’t really talk to me or anything. Mostly ignores me.”

“Hmm,” Nick said, frowning slightly. “Maybe he’s not too fond of children?”

“Probably,” the boy agreed. He then yawned.

“Tired?” the retired military man asked. Harry nodded sleepily. “You should head up to bed then.”

Instead of getting up to move, the boy leaned into his grandfather’s side and closed his eyes. “I’m comfy here.”

“Then stay there. I’ll probably end up carrying you to bed once you fall asleep anyways,” Nick said with a fond smile. He heard a quiet mumbled of agreement before the boy’s breathing evened out.

A few minutes later, the two women reentered the room. Both noticed Harry was asleep so they kept their voices down.

“Dad,” Catherine said quietly and the man looked up at her. “You never said earlier what you thought of Connor.”

Nick took a deep breath. “Honestly?” she nodded. “I’m not sure I like him. He seems nice enough but, well I don’t know. I just don’t like him.”

Eleanor looked over at her husband and let out a soft laugh. “Is that the protective father shining through? Seems like yesterday, you were threatening that poor boy that wanted to take your only daughter to a dance. Didn’t you threaten to gut him with that Marine issued knife of yours?”

The three adults laughed. “Yeah, so maybe I was being a bit protective then. But what else could I do when that boy –who was three years older than Cathy- wanted to take her to a dance?”

“You could have left him alone,” Catherine suggested. “You know, he was too terrified to dance with me, thinking you’d show up and get him if he even touched me.”

Nicholas smiled guiltily. He was a father and that was his only daughter. Can you honestly blame him?

Harry turned a bit in his sleep and grumbled something incoherently, causing the adults to remember that the sleeping child was still in the room.

“Maybe I am just being overprotective,” the older man pondered. “Anyways, it is getting late so we should be off soon. But first, I’ll take him upstairs.” Despite his age, the man was able to lift the fifty-five pound boy up and take him to his bed. He woke the boy when he arrived and instructed the sleepy nine-year-old to change into his pajamas before crawling into bed.

“Good night, Harry,” Nicholas said as he turned off the light.

“G’nite,” Harry murmured before falling asleep.

Time passed quickly once school started up for Harry. He studied hard and excelled in his classes, which pleased his mum and his grandparents. When he received his first semester grade report as school let out for the Christmas break, they took him out to eat at his favorite restaurant for getting top marks in all of his studies.

This year, Christmas was going to be spent at their house and Harry’s grandparents were going to come along with Connor. Cathy had been going on steady dates with the man and they seemed to be getting along quite well together. Sometimes Connor would even come over to their house, but they had yet to go to his.

Since the man didn’t have any living family, he would be spending the holidays with them. Harry wasn’t quite sure what to think about that. He had a wonderful Christmas with the three McKinney’s last year and wasn’t so sure he wanted to include the other man. But since Connor made Cathy so happy, he figured he could try and get along. He didn’t want to be selfish after all.

Harry was wrapping his gifts when the doorbell rang. He got up to answer it since he could hear the shower running, signifying that his mum was still in the shower. The boy went downstairs and opened the door.

He looked up and stared into the chocolaty brown eyes belonging to Connor.

“Is Cathy around?” he asked, stepping inside without being invited.

Harry frowned. Sheesh, that was rude. No ‘hi Harry’ to start? Just, ‘where is your mum?’

The boy closed the door and turned to the older man. “She’s upstairs in the shower.”

Connor made no obvious signs of hearing the answer other than he headed towards the stairs.

Before Harry could help himself, he blurted out, “You can’t go up there right now!”

The brown haired man turned back to the boy and rolled his eyes. “Oh course, that would be improper of me, wouldn’t it?” he said with sarcasm. “Well boy?” Harry winced at the term. “Where are your manners? Shouldn’t you ask me if I’d like something to drink?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” the boy stuttered. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No,” the man replied before seating himself on the couch.

Harry was confused. Why did the man tell him to ask that when he didn’t want anything to drink? This guy must not care for kids much, unless it was just him. It really did seem that the man didn’t like him. He never talked to Harry, nor did he even acknowledge that Harry was nearby unless necessary.

Despite being confused, Harry seated himself in the living room, to keep Connor company until Cathy came downstairs. It was silent while neither felt like saying anything. Finally Harry broke the silence, to at least try and get along with the guy that captured his adoptive mum’s heart.

“So, uh, do you have a favorite sport team?”

“No,” Connor answered with boredom evident in his tone.

It was silent for a few more minutes before Harry tried again.

“Well, what about-” the boy started.

“Look,” Connor interrupted. “I don’t really want to sit here and talk with you. I came here to see Cathy and that’s all. So why don’t you run up to your room or something? Be a good little boy and leave me alone.”

Harry turned his gaze from the man to his lap. Maybe he was really annoying the man with his stupid questions. He just wanted to try and get along because he knew it would make Cathy happy to know if they got along, even if it was only a little. Harry gave a short nod of understanding before he left the living room and went up to his bedroom.

The nine-year-old sat there quietly for a while, contemplating the mystery that surrounded Connor. The man seemed pleasant enough for the most part but yet, he was not so friendly judging by their conversation downstairs. It could just be that Harry was annoying him with his pointless questions. Harry wasn’t sure what to do but for now, he decided to leave the gentleman alone. He’d talk politely if they were eating together or whenever Cathy was around but other than that, he wouldn’t probably attempt anymore conversations. Harry heard Cathy walk by his bedroom door and head downstairs. He could hear them talking below as he got back to the task of wrapping.

Christmas Eve was already coming up tomorrow and Harry was excited. His grandparents wouldn’t be coming over until Christmas day and unfortunately Connor would be visiting all day tomorrow and supposedly staying the night to celebrate Christmas with all of them. Oh well, Harry wouldn’t let that man spoil his day. He’d work on getting along for Cathy’s sake and disappear to his room if need be.

Harry finally wrapped the last of his presents and gathered them up before going downstairs. As he reached the foot of the stairs, he saw his mum kissing Connor under the mistletoe hanging in one of the doorways. They broke apart quickly and Cathy turned to smile at him.

“What have you got there?” she asked curiously.

“Presents. I wrapped them myself too,” he said proudly as he held up the packages. They were pretty well wrapped for a nine-year-old.

“Nice job,” the strawberry blond haired woman commented. “Why don’t you put them under the three?”

Harry nodded and went over to their Christmas tree and set the packages underneath it. He hoped this Christmas would be as good as his last, even with Connor present.

Christmas day arrived and Harry woke early, feeling incredibly excited. He loved knowing that he is included in all holidays, now that he doesn’t live with the Dursley’s anymore. They never included him in any of their holiday plans.

Harry put on his glasses before quietly walking down the hall to Cathy’s room. The door was mostly closed and he quietly pushed it open. He froze in shock at seeing Connor sleeping on the other side of the bed. That explained where he slept since they didn’t have a guest room. Harry thought it would have been the couch, but obviously he was wrong. He was about to leave when his adoptive mum’s eyes popped open.

“Isn’t it a bit early?” she asked, closing her eyes again.

Harry smiled. Sometime she really wasn’t a morning person. “Nope,” he said quietly. “It’s seven-thirty. I think that’s a bit late, if you ask me,” he added cheekily.

His adoptive mum groaned and opened her eyes. “Okay, okay. Go downstairs and look through your stocking. We’ll be down in a bit.”

Harry nodded and dashed downstairs. He had finished pulling out all the goodies by the time the two adults came downstairs.

“Finally,” the boy said playfully. He jumped up and gave Cathy a hug. “Happy Christmas,” he said first to her and then turned to Connor, “Happy Christmas.”

The man grunted and headed towards the kitchen, most likely to get some coffee. It seems he isn’t much of an early riser either.

After everyone regrouped by the tree, they began opening presents. Harry was surprised to see something for him from Connor. He opened the package and it revealed a book. It was a history text on the two world wars. Harry opened it and flipped through a few pages. It looked a bit dull, but at least the man gave him something.

“Thank you, sir.” Harry said. Connor flashed him a fake smile, probably because Cathy had been watching. That was the first time the man had smiled at him, even if it was not a meaningful one.

By the time Harry finished opening his gifts, he had quite the pile of things ranging from toys, games, clothing and such.

Connor noticed and commented on it to Cathy. “Wow, you sure spoil him.”

Catherine frowned when she saw Harry look down. She knew that he’d feel spoiled with just a few things since he was used to getting nothing.

“Why don’t you go put all your new things in your room?” she suggested. Harry nodded and gathered up many things in his arms and traipsed upstairs.

She turned her attention back to Connor after Harry was gone. “Look, there is a reason that Harry gets so much. I hadn’t said anything before because I didn’t feel the need to. Harry’s past, well, it wasn’t very good. The people he lived with before abused him and he was used to not ever getting anything because he didn’t feel like he was worth anything. So maybe I do tend to spoil him, but he deserves it after growing up with those dreadful people.”

Connor listened intently before nodding his head. “I see where you are going. I just hope that he doesn’t eventually get to the point where he becomes demanding and starts expecting to always get so many things.”

“I’m certain that he won’t get like that,” Catherine stated calmly.

The man raised an eyebrow. “And how can you be so sure?”

“The child other child that Harry grew up with was completely spoiled. He got everything he wanted and more. Harry has told me before, that he wouldn’t ever get that bad. He’s seen how that other boy acted and it basically disgusted him. So I am fairly certain he won’t ever act like that,” she explained. Before either could argue on the matter any further, Harry came back downstairs.

“Ready for breakfast?” Catherine asked as she got to her feet. Harry nodded eagerly and followed her into the kitchen, Connor wasn’t far behind them.

A short while after they ate and got dressed, Nick and Ellie showed up. They spent the rest of the day enjoying themselves and each ate their fill at the delicious Christmas feast. Harry went to bed, happy and content, after having enjoyed his second Christmas with the McKinney family.

Things got back into a regular routine after the Christmas holidays were over and Harry went back to school. Cathy was still seeing Connor often and he had become a regular sight to find around their house.

On Valentine’s Day, Harry had been dropped off over at Cathy’s parents house while she went on a romantic date with Connor.

“So where are we going?” she asked curiously.

“We are going… here,” Connor replied as they pulled into the parking lot of the Italian restaurant where they went on their first date. They ate their meal and chatted quietly. Cathy was wondering what was wrong with Connor, since he looked a bit nervous.

She figured it out just as he stood from his seat and dropped to his knees before her.

“When I first met you, I could tell just by looking in your beautiful blue eyes that you were going to be very special and dear to me. And I was right.”

He pulled a small box out of his pocket. “Catherine McKinney, will you marry me?”

Harry and his grandparents had just finished watching a movie when Cathy arrived to pick up Harry. She came inside, wearing a bright smile, and Connor followed after her, their hands intertwined.

“Did you two have a nice time?” Ellie asked, immediately noticing the bright smile on her daughters face.

“Yes,” Cathy replied, sitting on the couch with Connor next to her. She shared a quick glance with him before turning back to her family. “We have something to tell you.”

Harry looked back and forth between the two, wondering just what they had to say. Whatever it was, it made his mum very happy, judging by the happy smile on her face.

“We’re getting married.”

Silence met this statement before Eleanor jumped to her feet excitedly. She pulled her daughter into a hug before doing the same to Connor.

“I knew something was up when you came home practically glowing with happiness,” Ellie remarked. “Congratulations by the way.” She turned to her husband. “Do you have anything to say Nick?”

Nicholas slowly got to his feet. He stared at his daughter’s fiancé for a moment. He slowly extended his hand to the other man. “Welcome to the family, Connor.”

The adults started talking about the upcoming wedding and Harry sat in shock on the couch. He couldn’t believe his mum was going to marry this guy. He knew they had been dating a while now, but he didn’t think it was that serious between the two. Did that mean Connor would be his new… dad?

Harry was lost in thought as someone sat down beside him. He looked up into the soft caring blue eyes belonging to Cathy.

“Harry? Are you okay with this?” she asked softly.

The boy took a deep breath. “Yeah. I think he is good for you,” he answered honestly. Connor did seem good for Cathy. He just wasn’t so sure how he’d get along with the man now though.

His adoptive mum smiled brighter, and he knew that his approval pleased her. She obviously loved Connor, and Harry was grateful that she took the time to ask his opinion. Cathy gave him a hug before standing up.

“We should be getting home since it is late,” she stated after looking at the clock.

Harry got to his feet and gathered his belongings before saying goodbye to his grandparents and following his mum out to the car. Connor had driven Cathy to the restaurant so he was the one who dropped them off at their home. Harry went to the front door and waited for his mum to unlock it but she wasn’t right behind him like the thought. He turned around and saw her kissing her fiancé goodbye. Being nine, he was naturally grossed out so he turned back to staring at the door and finally Cathy came up and unlocked it as Connor drove off.

Harry placed his belongings in his room and changed into his pajamas before crawling into bed. Cathy stopped by for her usual goodnight but Harry didn’t fall asleep right after that. He stayed awake for quite some time, thinking about everything that had happened today. His mum was engaged to a man that he didn’t particularly like, but he figured he could try once again to get along. Maybe Connor would be nicer since he’d probably be around a whole lot more now? Only time would tell.

Life at the McKinney household became hectic after the upcoming marriage was announced. Papers and notes were scattered everywhere around the house detailing parts of the wedding. The date had been set for a few weeks after Harry’s 10th birthday, on the afternoon of August 12th, 1990. In order for Cathy to get Harry involved in the wedding, she had asked Harry to be the ring bearer boy. Harry was very grateful to be included in the wedding and he even began to get excited for the event.

Connor had moved out of his apartment and into their house the following month after he proposed. Harry still wasn’t sure what to think about that. It took some getting used to seeing the man walk around the house all the time but Harry eventually grew used to it.

The relationship between Connor and Harry hadn’t changed either. They both tolerated each others presence when Cathy was around and ignored each other when she wasn’t. The man continued to shoo Harry away if Harry even attempted to try and talk with the man. Finally, one day after another attempt by Harry to just talk with him, the man snapped.

“Look,” he gritted out. “I don’t like kids. Okay? I don’t want to make any type of relationship between us. Cathy likes when we talk at the dinner table and that is as far as I go. Got it, boy? So stop bugging to me.”

Harry scrambled from his seat and dashed upstairs to his room. He threw himself on his bed and stayed there for a while thinking. He wasn’t going to try anymore, that was for sure. All these past attempts were for Cathy and partly for himself. He’d like a father-figure of his own, but this man would never be that person. So he stopped trying.

Harry’s 10th birthday came and went quickly. He was happy that, despite the wedding which was soon approaching, his mum still remembered his birthday. They had a small party at the house and his grandparents had come over as well. Together, they had watched movies, played a few games and just had a fun simple birthday party.

Finally the day of the wedding arrived. It was a beautiful sunny day and thankfully not too warm. The wedding started at eleven in the morning and everyone showed up bright and early.

Harry, who carried a small pillow with each of the rings on it, slowly walked up the isle as directed. He was wearing a little suit that fit him nicely and he looked positively adorable to the adults, who tended to constantly smile at the cute young boy. The remainder of the ceremony passed and before they Harry knew it, it was over.

The reception was filled with music, dancing and food. Harry lingered by the food table for the most part. It wasn’t like there were any kids his age to dance with, if he even wanted to. He watched as his mum smiled happily when she danced with her new…husband.

Connor really hadn’t been that bad lately, which Harry was grateful for. The man mostly worked and they continued to tolerate each other’s presence.

Harry looked up, when he felt a light tap on the shoulder. He stared up into the blue eyes belonging to his adoptive mum. She was really pretty today. Her dress fit her perfectly and the design looked wonderful on her.

“Would you care for a dance?” she asked, still smiling brightly.

“I-well, I don’t really know how to,” the ten-year-old admitted.

“That’s okay. Just try not to step on my feet, and you’ll do fine.” She grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor. Harry felt really short at his 4’4” height, compared to her 5’7”. After he got the hang of it, it was kind of fun dancing around with his mum. Luckily, he’d only stumbled on her feet once or twice.

After the reception was over, Cathy and Connor left for their honeymoon. They were driving to a place along the beach for a nice relaxing week. Harry would be staying with his grandparents in the mean time, which suited him just fine. He always loved spending time with them so it would be a nice week for Harry as well.

Harry was eating breakfast one morning a few weeks after the wedding and thinking about what he wanted to do for the day. Connor had to work today and Cathy would be home with him so maybe they’d do something fun together. Plans changed unfortunately when she was called into work after a colleague called in sick. What made that day even worse, was when Harry found out both of his grandparents were out of town for the weekend. The ten-year-old began to dread what he knew Cathy would suggest next, and sure enough, she did.

“Connor?” she asked, gaining the man’s attention from reading the paper. He looked up and smiled at her, which she returned. “Do you think it is possible you can bring Harry with you to work today?”

“Don’t you have a babysitter or someone else you can contact?” he suggested.

“I’ve never had need for one since my parents were always available. They’re out of town this weekend visiting a friend so I don’t have anyone else to leave him with. I can’t take him with me since I am due to interpret in court later this afternoon and he is too young to be left home alone,” she explained.

Connor thought for a minute before nodding. “I guess I can take him.” He turned to Harry. “Bring a book or something to amuse yourself until I get off at four.” Harry nodded his agreement and went back to eating his cereal. After he finished, he raced upstairs to get dressed and then he grabbed a book.

Driving with Connor was a quiet affair. The man had the radio on low and neither talked until they arrived at his office. It was a small building located on a quieter street off the busy Charing Cross Road. Connor entered the office and Harry trailed after him, clutching his book to his chest.

“You can sit here,” he indicated to the chair, “and make sure you don’t touch anything.” With that said, Connor busied himself with his paperwork. The ten-year-old opened his book and started reading, hoping that would pass the time. It worked for about an hour, but then he became bored. He looked around the office for a while and stared at the pretty much bare walls. The only things that were on the walls were some certificates and a single picture from the wedding.

Harry started fidgeting after he began to feel the need to use the bathroom. He didn’t want to disturb the other man so he sat there quietly until he couldn’t take it any longer.

“Is there a bathroom that I can use?” the boy asked quietly.

Connor looked up, gave an annoyed sigh, before setting down his pen. “Our bathroom is out of service right now. Since you can’t sit here without fidgeting, then why don’t you go wander? There are plenty of bookstores around here and I’m sure one of them has a bathroom.”

Harry paused for a minute. Wander? On his own? He didn’t want to get lost but then again, anything was better than sitting here for hours and hours. To a ten-year-old, that was like forever.

“Um… okay,” the boy agreed hesitantly.

“Good. Be back before four o’clock or else you’re walking home.”

Harry nodded and left the office. It wasn’t like this was the first time he had wandered London alone. He shuddered, not wanting to think about the times when he actually lived on the streets out here. The boy quickened his pace, intent on finding a bathroom first thing. Luckily enough, the first bookstore he came across had a public restroom. Afterwards while washing his hands, a thought came to him. He hadn’t really practiced changing lately so why not do it now? He stared at his reflection in the mirror and watched as his hair changed to match Cathy’s along with the rest of his facial features. It felt good to “wear” this face again so decided to leave it for the rest of the day.

For a while, he browsed through shelves, looking at various books until he got bored and decided to leave. He wandered for a while, entering some stores and skipping over others. Harry made sure to keep track of the time and exactly where the office was located so he wouldn’t get lost.

Harry glanced down once again to check his watch and noticed the time was going on three already. With his head down, he didn’t see where he was going and bumped into a large man. For a minute, he froze, thinking this guy was his Uncle Vernon. It took him a second to notice that this man looked nothing like his uncle, other than the fact that he was large. He muttered out a sorry and ducked into an alley to catch his breath. Why was it Vernon never stopped haunting him? He sighed wearily and leaned against the wall. After staying there for a while, he decided it was about time to head back. Before he exited the alley, he once again bumped into another person, causing this man to drop his jar, which shattered upon impact with the cement.

Harry looked up at the dark gaze belonging to the man standing before him. “I-I’m really sorry, sir.” The boy bent down and began picking up all the little squishy things. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were tiny eyes, belonging to a beetle perhaps? It was slightly disgusting, but Harry was determined to pick up all of it since he did make the man drop the jar in the first place.

Severus Snape had just completed his weekly apothecary trip when some foolish child ran into him, causing him to drop the jar of beetle eyes. He sneered at the kid, who muttered out apologies and bent down to retrieve the spilled contents. He watched as the boy swiftly gathered all the potion ingredients, without much thought. It appeared to be a muggle boy, judging by the lack of robes. It took him a moment to realize the boy hadn’t even become disgusted with handling such ingredients; they were rather squishy and disgusting but yet they were needed in many potions.

The pile in the boy’s hand was growing larger and there was no where to place them, so Severus pulled out a spare jar. As he tapped the boy on the shoulder, he noticed how the child flinched back and stared back at him with guarded eyes.

“Here,” the potions master grumbled as he shoved the jar towards the boy. The child grabbed the jar and dumped his handful of beetle eyes in it and continued to pick up the remainder of them.

Severus watched thoughtfully. This muggle child wasn’t like others he’d seen. They were always rowdy and rambunctious and just had too much energy. Now this child was calm and had immediately apologized for breaking the jar. Then the child had even begun to pick up the ingredients without waiting for a command to do so.

He was torn from his musings as the boy stood and held out the jar, which now contained all his beetle eyes in it.

“Here you go, sir.” Severus accepted the jar he was handed. “I’m sorry for running into you and causing the other jar to break.”

The potions master just brushed off the apology and inspected the ingredients to ensure they were not damaged. They were acceptable enough for his students to use.

“Sir, may I ask what you might use those beetle eyes in, if they are in fact beetle eyes?” the boy timidly asked.

Severus was surprised. This muggle boy could tell by just looking at them that they were beetle eyes. Some of his second and third year students couldn’t tell the beetle eyes apart from the Puffer-Fish eyes.

“They are indeed beetle eyes. I use them to make-” he paused, deciding whether it was safe or not to mention potions, “potions,” he concluded, figuring that he wasn’t likely to ever see this boy again so it wouldn’t matter anyways. The child might end up thinking he was some crazy guy anyways making up stories about brewing potions, which muggles only hear about in those silly little fairy tales.

“Oh,” the boy replied rather dumbly according to Severus. “Do you dice them up or grind them before adding them in?”

The potions master was once again shocked. This mere muggle was actually thinking about how one would add them in, unlike the rest of his students. The incompetent ones tended to toss the ingredient in, regardless of whether or not is should be diced, grinded minced and so on.

“It depends,” Severus replied as he studied the boy, who looked genuinely interested. “on what potion I am creating.”

“Do you make medicines? Like to help with a cold or the flu?”

“I do, but none require the use of beetle eyes,” the older man replied.

The boy looked like he was going to ask another question, when his watch beeped. The boy looked down at his wrist and paled significantly.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ve got to go,” the boy stuttered before he dashed away.

Severus looked at the boy’s retreating form and wondered just what made the boy retreat hastily. Even if he was nothing more than a muggle, Severus wanted to talk a bit further with the child. He seemed rather bright and asked intellectual questions, unlike the rest of the dunderheads he had the misfortune of teaching.

Severus just shook his head and sighed. The boy, whose name he never received, possibly had the potential to succeed in potions. If only he were a wizard…

Harry glanced down at his watch as it beeped and paled when he noticed it was already four o’clock. He was going to be late!

“I-I’m sorry. I’ve got to go,” Harry stuttered before he dashed away.

He weaved in and out of the crowds as he rushed to his destination. He wished he would have had more time to talk with the tall, but slightly scary bat-like man, since the possibility of potions intrigued him. The idea of creating something, such as medicine or potions, to help others fascinated him.

Harry stumbled to a stop in front of the office building and quickly glanced at his watch. He was about ten minutes late. He took a deep breath and concentrated on changing his face back to it's original form. He then steadied himself and slowly pushed open the door. Connor was sitting at his desk with a scowl on his face.

“You are late,” the man snapped as he got to his feet.

Harry held his ground as the man approached. He spoke softly, yet clearly, “I’m sorry-” he began before he was cut off.

Connor reached forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The man leaned in close and said quietly, but harshly, “Don’t let it happen again.” He released his hold on the boy’s shirt and shoved him towards the door. “Get in the car.”

Harry grabbed his book from the chair he sat in earlier and exited the building. He climbed in the front seat and buckled up. He saw Connor lock up the building before getting in the car and driving them home.

Just before Harry opened the car door, a hand on his wrist caused him to stop. He slowly looked up and met Connor’s gaze.

“Don’t mention to Cathy your little excursion today,” he stated firmly and tightened the hold on the boy’s arm.

Harry nodded automatically. He didn’t think his mum would like that he was out wandering around London by himself anyways. He hadn’t planned to tell her anyways, especially since his day went much better without being stuck around Connor.

Harry jerked his arm away from Connor, quickly entered the house, and headed up to his room first thing. He stayed in there until he heard his mum arrive home. The boy went downstairs and greeted her.

“So how was your day with Connor?” She asked as she kicked off her shoes.

“Fine,” Harry replied with a quiet sigh. “Just fine.” If only that were true…

Harry was sitting on the couch downstairs watching the end of a movie with Cathy. Connor was gone for a few hours and Harry was grateful to have his mum all to himself. Once the movie ended, Cathy shut off the telly, and they relaxed on the couch until she broke the silence.

“Are you excited for the upcoming school year?” she asked the ten-year old.

“No, not really,” he admitted.

“Why? Haven’t you made any friends?” the strawberry-blond haired woman asked.

“Yeah, a few but I’ve never seen them outside of school. I’ve asked before if they want to come over after school, but they haven’t been able to. Always claimed they had to get to practice or there was something to do after school,” the boy explained with a shrug.

“Hmm,” Cathy murmured, somewhat sleepily.

“Are you happy with Connor?” Harry asked hesitantly. He really wanted to know if she was truly happy with this man or not but hadn’t worked up the courage to ask until now.

His mum gave one of those dreamy girlish sighs. “Yeah. He’s great you know? Quite the charmer. Has these gorgeous brown eyes and such a great smile…”

Harry tossed a pillow at her. “Eww! I’m ten and I certainly don’t want to hear all that mushy stuff,” the boy complained with a grimace.

Cathy smiled and tossed the pillow back at him. He caught it and grinned before tossing it back at her again. They both laughed as had a small pillow fight with the couch pillows.

“What are you two up to?” A voice called from the door way. Both stopped their fun fight and noticed Nick standing by the door.

“Grandpa!” Harry exclaimed excitedly. He leapt from the couch and ran up to the older man to give him a big hug. Both of his grandparents had been busy lately and Harry hadn’t seen them much.

“Hey Harry. How are you?” he asked, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Better now that you are here,” Harry replied, grinning happily.

“What on earth were you two up to in here?” Nicholas asked, looking around the disheveled living room.

“We were just having a pillow fight,” Cathy explained and she stood and hugged her father. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. An old buddy of mine is fixing up his house and I’ve agreed to help him out. We painted his kitchen last weekend,” Nick explained.

“Ah, that was where you were.”

“Did you need me for something?” the older man asked, worried that he wasn’t there when his daughter might have needed him.

“No, no. It was nothing big. I was just called in on Saturday and Connor had to take Harry with him to work,” the blue-eyed woman explained.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Are you working on this Saturday as well?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid so. Are you going to be gone again?” Cathy asked.

“I am. Your mum and I are going to be attending the funeral. It’s a bit of a drive so we are going to leave Friday and stay for the weekend. I would bring Harry with us but this is no place for a young boy. Perhaps Connor can take him again?” Nick suggested.

Harry grimaced, but neither adult saw the expression.

“I’ll ask him once he gets home, which should be any minute now.”

Sure enough, Connor came walking through the front door moments after she said that. She greeted him while Harry went upstairs to his room. Nicholas followed shortly after, to see what his grandson was up to.

“Hey Harry. What are you doing?” the retired military man asked.

“I’m just looking for my book—and here it is,” the boy replied and held up the item.

“So what is it about?” Nick asked curiously. As Harry was explaining, he could hear his mum and Connor heading upstairs to their room.

“Sounds interesting,” the man commented. Nick then excused himself to use the bathroom. Harry was sitting there flipping randomly through the book and paused when he heard raised voices.

“Why can’t you find a babysitter? There’s plenty of time to find someone else to watch the boy on Saturday,” Connor remarked.

“Please? I am just asking you to do this again, for me and for my son,” Cathy pleaded. “You said he behaved himself again and I’m sure he’ll be fine again.”

“It’s not like he is your biological son,” the man muttered but Cathy clearly heard him.

Harry heard that comment and stood up quickly. He left his room and headed downstairs and raced to the backyard, where he slumped against a tree.

Had he stayed, he would have heard the sound of his mum yelling at Connor for saying such a thing. He hadn’t even noticed his grandfather as he rushed down the stairs.

As Harry sat there under the tree, he pondered over Connor’s words. It was true, what the man had said. He wasn’t Cathy’s real son, as much as he wished and hoped for it to be so. A single tear fell from his eye and he furiously wiped it away. He was too old to be crying like a baby anyways and it never helped anything. After a few more moments of silence, he heard the back door open. He remained still in his spot, hoping to be hidden from whoever had ventured outside. Apparently, his grandfather had seen him since it took only a moment for the older man to spot him.

“Connor was wrong in what he said,” Nick stated as he slowly lowered himself on the grass next to his grandson.

Harry remained silent. It was true though, no matter what anyone said.

“Did you know that Connor’s sister died a few years ago?” Nicholas asked softly.

The boy looked up sharply. He hadn’t heard anyone say anything about that. He knew that the man didn’t have any remaining family since none showed up at the wedding.

“Apparently his younger sister was babysitting some children, probably a bit younger than yourself, when something tragic happened. One of the boys had found his father’s gun and was playing with it when she noticed. It accidentally went off when she was trying to take it away from the boy.”

Harry felt horrified. His teachers always taught the students to never touch a gun and he’d be sure to not play around with one after hearing about Connor’s sister.

“I didn’t tell you this to scare you,” his grandfather said. “I told you because at times, I believe Connor resents children for causing the accidental death of his sister.”

It dawned on Harry right there that that could very well be the reason Connor didn’t like him. But he wasn’t the boy who hurt his sister, so why was the man still so mean and resentful?

“You know we all love you, right?” Harry nodded. “It doesn’t matter who you were born as because you are now a part of the McKinney family and you always will be,” Nick said with complete certainty.

“Now, that story does not excuse Connor’s comment earlier. I think he’s been quite busy lately and he might be under stress. I’m sure it will be hard to at times, but give him a chance. It’s not easy, and I know that seeing as I am the father of the woman he is married to, but everyone deserves a chance.”

Harry nodded again. The thing was, he did give Connor a chance. He really did try to get to know the man but every attempt was brushed aside.

“If you ever have any problems, with your mum, Connor, or anyone else, you know you can talk to me right?”

The boy looked into his grandfather’s blue eyes and saw that the man was completely sincere. He nodded and gave the man a hug. Perhaps this was the right time to mention last Saturday and all the other small incidents between him and Connor?

Just as he opened his mouth, the back door opened again.

“Are you both out here?” Cathy called and then spotted them lounging under the tree. “I was just coming to tell you that dinner will be ready in a bit.”

“Okay,” both Harry and Nick replied.

“Come on, let’s get inside. It is getting dark anyways,” Harry’s grandfather commented.

“I’ll be there in just a minute,” the boy said softly.

The older man stared at him for a moment before nodding. He went back inside and left the boy to think.

Harry pulled his legs up to his chest and sat there reflecting over that story. It made sense why Connor didn’t like children, but it wasn’t like he had ever done anything wrong to make the man dislike him. Harry sighed and wished he would have been able to talk a bit further with Nick. It would have helped to talk about Connor, but yet he didn’t want to bother his grandpa with these stupid little things. He could handle being disliked by Connor and occasionally shoved around like on Saturday. The more he thought about it, the more sure it would have been stupid to whine to his grandfather about that. It wasn’t like Connor was really hurting him or anything.

Harry also thought back to earlier when he asked Cathy about whether or not she was happy. She was hardly ever really “girly” but when he asked her that, she got that dreamy expression as she described her husband. She really was happy, which made Harry glad to know. He didn’t want to spoil that and look like some attention-seeking-brat who wanted his adoptive mum all to himself.

It would be nice to talk to someone about all the dilemmas that he faced, but he didn’t know who. If he talked to any of his family, they’d make it a big deal and he certainly didn’t want that. Harry let out another quiet sigh and stood up slowly. Until he found someone else to talk to, he would just keep quiet about it and continue to get along as well as possible with Connor.

Saturday arrived and Harry had to once again to go with Connor for the afternoon. The ride to the man’s office was just as quiet as last week, with neither Harry nor Connor speaking to each other. The boy exited the car, with another book in hand, and followed Connor inside the building. He went to sit in the chair from last week, but was stopped by a firm grip on his wrist. Harry looked up into Connor’s chocolaty brown eyes.

“I got a lot more work done last week after you left,” Connor stated.

“Okay…” Harry trailed off hesitantly, slightly unsure what that meant. Did the man want him to leave already or what?

The grip tightened on his wrist, and he winced. Harry resisted the urge to pull his wrist away from the man. He wasn’t quite sure how the man would react to that so he stayed put.

“Don’t get smart with me boy,” Connor snapped. “If you are too thick to understand what I was implying, then I shall have to spell it out for you. Get lost. Scram. Go wander. Do whatever, but make sure to be back here by four. And don’t be late this time.” Connor emphasized this point by tightening his grip even more so on the boy’s wrist.

“Yes, sir,” Harry muttered and pulled his wrist to his chest once the man finally let go. The boy turned and walked out, carrying the book he brought to read in his arms with him. He wouldn’t have minded sticking around for a while and reading his new book, but apparently Connor wasn’t up for pleasantries today.

Harry wandered once again along the busy Charing Cross Road, entering some stores and skipping over others. Last Saturday, he’d checked out most of the bookstores and today, he decided to skip over those. Instead, he wandered into a clothes store, a small toy store and one that was filled with nick-knacks. He even used the bathroom in the clothes store and decided to change his face again. It always made him feel better when he slipped into his “second face”, as he called it. It always reminded him, that despite his doubts, he was considered part of the McKinney family.

After a while, he began to get bored from wandering shops and decided to read his book for a bit. There weren’t any good places to sit anywhere so he decided to sit on this empty crate in an alley. He recognized this area from when he ran into that strange man last week. He silently hoped to see that man again sometime because he had so many more questions to ask.

Harry pulled out his books on plants and began reading. Strangely enough, he had originally picked out this book from the public library because he remembered that man talking about adding various ingredients to his potions and it made Harry curious to know more. The library didn’t have any books on potions, which confused the boy. He stumbled across this book and he wondered if plants were used in potions. Therefore, Harry checked out the book, and here he was sitting in the alley reading about plants.

After a while, Harry looked up when he saw a shadow standing over him.

“Wha’ ‘r ye doin’ outta ‘ere boy?” a man slurred out. Harry could easily tell that he was drunk with the way he reeked of alcohol.

“Nothing,” Harry replied before standing up. He stepped to the side of the man, about to exit the alley, when the drunken man grabbed his wrist. Harry winced as the guy clutched his sore wrist, which was surely bruised by now.

“Lil’ boys like ye aught not ter be outta ‘ere by yerself,” the man muttered and pulled Harry closer.

Harry kicked at the man and tried to yank his arm away but the man just laughed and slapped him. Harry fell from the force of the blow and hit the pavement. He immediately tried to shuffle away from the creep, but was stopped when the man grabbed his ankle. Using his other foot, he managed to kick the man in the jaw. The drunken man dropped his foot only for a moment, which was not enough time for Harry to get away. The man quickly snatched his foot and pulled him behind a dumpster, blocking the view from the street.

“Let go!” Harry shouted and tried to twist away from the creep. Harry closed his eyes, feeling something strange building within him and suddenly the drunken man wasn’t holding him down anymore.

Harry sat there for a minute, breathing hard and scared to open his eyes. He feared he had done something freaky again and didn’t want to know what he’d done. After his breathing was under control, he cautiously peeked open his eyes. He saw a tall, dark-haired man bending over the drunken one, who appeared to be unconscious. The dark-haired man was holding what appeared to be a stick, which caused Harry to rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing straight. After he put his glasses back on, he noticed that the other man didn’t have a stick anymore in his hand and was now coming his way.

“Are you all right?” The stranger asked. When Harry looked at him, he recognized the man from last Saturday. Harry saw recognition passed through the other man’s eyes too.

“I- I think I’m alright,” the boy replied, clutching his bruised wrist. “What happened to him? Did you hit him or something?”

“Something like that,” the older man replied dismissively. “May I see your wrist?”

Harry tentatively held out his arm and allowed the man to push up his sleeve and examine the wrist. There were several hand shaped bruises, but it was mostly from Connor earlier.

“Was this from just now?”

Harry swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. “Y-yeah,” he answered unconvincingly.

“Really now?” the dark-haired man replied with skepticism. Instead of pushing it further, he pulled a small tube of salve from his pocket and applied it. Harry was surprised at how quickly it worked. The bruises were fading almost instantly, although they could still be seen if one looked hard enough.

“Did you make that?” Harry inquired curiously.

“Yes,” the man replied shortly. “As you can tell, it is used to aid the healing of bruises in addition to reducing swelling and to help heal other small wounds.”

“What is your name?” The man asked suddenly.

“Harry, sir,” the boy replied.

For some reason, his name caused the man to look at his forehead for a moment. Then the man shook his head as if to clear away unwanted thoughts.

“May I know your name, sir?” Harry asked tentatively. He wasn’t sure why the man looked at his head. Maybe he was looking for something? Harry remembered that he did have an oddly shaped scar up there, but he always hid his scars. He mostly wanted to hide the ones that his uncle caused and when he concentrated on making them disappear, all scars did, including the one on his forehead.

“Severus Snape,” the man replied without much thought, still looking a bit lost in thought.

“Where are your parents, Harry?” the man-Mr. Snape- asked.

“My mum’s at work and my-” Harry paused. He couldn’t bring himself to call Connor his dad. “-step-father is working nearby here.” Step-father was the best he could do without directly saying that Connor was related to him.

“You haven’t run off, have you?” Snape asked sharply.

Harry shook his head negatively. “No, sir. He –uh asked me to let him get his work done and just said I could wander for a while.”

The taller man scrutinized the boy. He could tell the boy was lying, but decided against pushing it any further. Perhaps this step-father man was the one who bruised the boy’s wrist? The unconscious imbecile behind him couldn’t have caused the bruising to appear that quickly when he was manhandling the boy. So it must have come from elsewhere. There wasn’t much that he could do for the boy, unfortunately. Wizards were not supposed to meddle in the affairs of muggles. He is lucky the boy hadn’t seen him shoot a spell at the drunken man to get him away from the child.

“Are you going to make it a habit to run into me every Saturday from now on?” Severus ventured.

Harry smiled slightly. He wouldn’t mind bumping into this man every Saturday if it meant that he was able to talk about the fascinating subject of potions with him.

“I don’t know. My mum doesn’t work every Saturday but when she does I usually get sent with my step-father,” Harry stumbled over the last words. He would never get used to calling Connor anything other than his first name. “Are you always out buying ingredients on Saturdays?”

“I am,” Snape replied. “I teach at a school,” filled with useless dunderheads, “and I am constantly in need of more ingredients. There are no classes on the weekends, therefore I purchase ingredients then.”

“What do you teach?”

“Potions, of course,” the dark-eyed man replied.

“Oh,” Harry replied. He didn’t know schools taught potions and said just as much to the man.

“They do, only select schools teach the subject.” Snape explained.

“Where is this school? Can I go to it?” the boy asked curiously. “It sounds really fascinating and I wouldn’t mind learning the subject.”

Severus scrutinized the muggle boy before him. No schools would teach potions except for magical schools and it wasn’t like he was permitted to inform the child that. He probably shouldn’t have ever mentioned the concept of potions to this boy since he is a muggle after all.

He thought for a minute on how to best phrase his answer without mentioning the wizarding world. “You can say that it is an elite, selective school. If you have been accepted, then you will receive a letter during the summer. You have to be eleven; therefore it will be a few years before you could possibly receive this letter.”

Harry scowled. “I am ten, thank-you-very-much,” he replied seriously. He let out a soft laugh at seeing Snape’s eyebrow raise in a disbelieving manner. “What? It’s true!”

“Hm,” Snape grunted as he looked at the boy closer. “You don’t look a day older than nine.”

“I’m just a little short…” Harry protested weakly, but smiled nonetheless. Mr. Snape was kind of funny looking with that disbelieving smirk on his face. “So can I ask you a few questions?”

Snape glanced over at the unconscious man behind him. He wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

“Let’s adjourn to the café across the street for some tea then I shall answer all of your inquiries.” Harry nodded and followed the man across the street. They sat at a table slightly away from others and Snape ordered them both a cup of tea to sip while they talked.

Harry was practically bouncing on his seat as he waited for Mr. Snape to put his tea cup down. Finally the man did so and he jumped right into his questions.

“That bruise potion stuff from earlier, what is it made of? How did you make it? Is it possible for me to make it? How long does it take to make potions? I checked out a book on plants and I was wondering if any of these were used in your potions. The library didn’t have any books on potions so there wasn’t anything else I could find on the subject, other than that plant book I mean. Is the-”

“Stop,” Severus commanded and the boy immediately ceased his blabbering.

“One question at a time, if you will,” the man requested.

Harry placed his book on the table. “There aren’t any books on potions at the library. I found this book on plants and I was wondering if you used plants like these in your potions as well.”

Severus grasped the book and opened it. After flipping through several pages he handed it back to the boy.

“There are several ingredients listed in there that I use for various potions. One common ingredient would be daisy roots. That also happens to be one of the key ingredients in that bruise salve I used on your wrist earlier,” the man explained.

Harry nodded. “Okay, so can you tell me more about that salve? Like how you made it and stuff?”

“And stuff?” Severus grimaced at the boy’s choice of words. “That particular salve is fairly easy to make. As I stated previously, daisy roots are a key ingredient. They need to be diced rather precisely in order for them to be most potent. Another important ingredient for this potion is the ginger root, which is also mentioned in that book of yours. The ginger root has medicinal properties that enabled your bruise to heal rather quickly,” he explained.

“About the ginger root- do you dice that precisely as well in order for it to be most potent?” Harry asked curiously. This entire subject really fascinated him and he wished that he could learn more. There was so much that potions could do and they seemed rather easy to make. It was like cooking after all, wasn’t it?

“This potion requires the ginger root to be ground up, not diced.”

“What exactly is the difference?” the boy inquired. “And does it really affect the potion if you dice an ingredient rather than grind it?”

“It makes all the difference, which apparently some of my students cannot seem to comprehend,” Severus replied with a scowl directed at his incompetent students rather than the boy sitting across from him.

The man took a sip of his tea before continuing. “Dicing is used in order to get the precise sizes necessary for the potion. Grinding is used to extract every possible portion of the root, such as the juices that are an additional part of the ingredient. Some potions require the liquid portion to be added before or after the base ingredient.”

“How do you get liquid out of a root?” Harry asked, unsure how that was possible.

Severus frowned. It was a good question but not easily answered in a way the ten-year-old could understand.

“The easiest way to put it is to think of when you water a plant. The roots absorb the water and the various roots contain certain properties to them. Such as the ginger root, which specifically contains healing properties. The water absorbed in the root sustains the life of the root until you either don’t water it anymore, which causes it to die, or until you use it,” the dark-haired man explained.

“I think I get it. So when you grind it, that will basically separates the liquid from the root?”

“In a sense, yes,” Severus replied. “It is of course more complicated than that, but I will not be able to explain everything to you.”

Harry nodded and finished off his tea. After glancing at his watch, he realized now would be a good time to leave in order to not be late.

Harry stood and picked up his book. “I’ve got to go now. Thank you for answering my questions.” He patted around in his pockets but found nothing in them. He bit his lip as he hesitantly met the dark-eyed gaze.

“I-well, I don’t have any money on me right now,” the boy admitted.

Severus waved it off. “It’s just a cup of tea. I’m hardly going broke over it. Go before you are late.”

Harry smiled at the man. “Thank you. And well thanks for earlier too,” he added, referring to the incident earlier. “Do you think I’ll see you next Saturday?”

“Perhaps,” the man replied. “Do not make a habit of needing to be rescued from drunken men though,” Severus teased slightly.

If anyone asked, he would never admit to being nice or to teasing this child. There was just something about this boy that caught his attention. He knew this boy was intelligent, and had no doubts there. What intrigued him most was the boy’s interest in potions. Harry was a mere muggle, but yet he caught on so easily to concepts that his older students still hadn’t grasped.

“I’ll try, but trouble seems to find me,” the boy added with a grin before dashing off.

Severus shook his head and stood. He left some muggle money on the table before exiting the café. He entered the alley and found the drunken man still unconscious. His spell shouldn’t have been that strong but Severus just shrugged it off and cast a few satisfying hexes on the man. That would surely help the man think next time he went to harm anyone, especially a child. The potions master smirked at his handiwork and Apparated away.

After Harry departed the small café, he quickly made his way over to the office building where Connor was working. He glanced around quickly, to make sure no one was watching, before concentrating on changing his face back to normal. After he was sure his appearance was back to normal, he entered the office cautiously.

Connor briefly glanced up before returning to his paper work. Harry quietly moved to the chair and sat down in it. While waiting for Connor to finish up, he flipped through his book on plants.

“Let’s go.”

Harry looked up quickly and saw that Connor had finished his work. The man then grabbed his keys and stepped outside, Harry following after him. Connor locked up the office and they left. It was quiet in the car until the brown-haired man spoke again.

“What did you do today?” he asked.

Harry looked over at him before turning back to the window. “I just wandered around, mostly checking out the stores.” Harry was puzzled; why did Connor even care?

“Cathy called earlier. A co-worker of hers was fired so she needs to work Saturdays until they find a replacement.”

Harry quickly glanced again at the man, who was glaring at him, as if daring him to argue. He didn’t have any plans to argue with Connor over that. Knowing that Mister Snape went to buy his ingredients on Saturdays meant that he would have a chance to see the man. So if his mum worked on weekends now, that suited him as long as he was allowed to meet up with Mister Snape.

“Nothing to say?” Connor snapped. “Doesn’t it bother you getting stuck with me?”

Harry took a deep breath and exhaled. He was trying not to let Connor’s constant snappy tone to bother him, but it was hard when the man wanted nothing to do with him.

“I don’t mind,” Harry replied softly. “It doesn’t really bother me.”

“Hmph,” Connor grunted as he turned his attention back to the road. It wasn’t long before the two arrived home. When they entered, they were surprised to see Cathy home already.

“Hey guys,” she greeted each of them with a quick hug. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Harry replied shortly.

Cathy smiled. “Did you behave?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

“Did he tell you that I’ll be working Saturdays from now on?”

Harry nodded.

“Will that be okay with you?” she asked. “I think your grandparents have plans to keep helping their friend work on his house so they’ll probably be gone on weekends.”

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “I really don’t mind spending my Saturdays with Connor at his office.”

She smiled brightly. “I’m glad to see you are getting along so well then.”

Connor smiled at her and made a show of reaching his hand out and placing it on Harry’s shoulder. The boy fought the urge to shake it off. Connor gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it.

Harry excused himself and headed upstairs to the safety of his room. He sat down on his bed and sighed deeply. It was hard to lie to his mum about his relationship with Connor but he didn’t know what else to do. His mum really loved the man and he didn’t want to cause them to break up over a few stupid incidents between him and Connor.

Harry kicked off his shoes and relaxed on his bed. At least he’d get to see Mister Snape every Saturday that he was stuck with Connor. There was at least one thing to look forward to.

The following Saturday, Harry met up with Mr. Snape again but this time, he waited at the café rather than the alley. After last weekend with that other man attacking him, he didn’t want to chance anything. Luckily, Mr. Snape had spotted him and when he arrived, they had tea while Harry asked many questions. Just as last week, the older man patiently answered them all. Not that Severus Snape would ever admit it, but he enjoyed teaching a student that showed real potential for the subject.

Eventually they parted their ways and Harry went back to the office like usual. He always made sure to change back to his normal appearance first. Connor would probably freak out if he showed up looking different. Since Mister Snape thought that he had strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes, he had to continue looking like that otherwise the man wouldn’t recognize him. Plus he didn’t want the man to learn about his freakish talent of changing his features around.

Harry had gotten quite good at changing his face around. With lots of practice, he could easily change his eye color, hair color and recently he’d started practicing with making more interesting changes. He played around with making funny faces, like changing his nose and ears. Once he gave himself pointed elf like ears and another time he even managed to give himself a pig like nose. That took a lot out of him though and he almost didn’t have the strength the change it back. Each and every time he practiced, it became easier and easier for him, plus it was fun to make funny faces.

Primary school started up again for Harry, which excited the boy. He was eager to get back to learning; plus school meant that he got to see his grandparents every day. Harry didn’t get to see either of them nearly as often as usual since they had started spending their weekends helping out a friend.

With classes back in session, things fell into a nice routine for Harry. Monday thru Friday he had classes, and on Saturdays he met up with Mr. Snape. The older man continued to be a helpful presence to Harry. The young boy would always have more questions to ask and he would always answer. Harry also continued to read books on plants, as directed by Mister Snape. Not that Harry knew it, but the muggle world had lots of plants that wizards and witches used in their potions.

Time passed rather quickly and before Harry knew it, winter was approaching. He knew he wouldn’t be able to see Mr. Snape anymore since Connor planned to start taking Saturdays off.

Harry was currently sitting at the same café where he always waited for Mr. Snape. Today would be his last visit for some time and Harry was sad about that fact. He really enjoyed talking with Mister Snape, who was kind of funny in his own way.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Harry greeted when the potions master arrived.

Severus grunted in response as he lowered himself into a chair. The man had dark shadows under his eyes, obviously from lack of sleep.

Harry looked at him with concern. “Are you feeling alright, sir?”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I have not been sleeping well recently with the numerous assignments that I am required to grade before the term ends. Only one more week before the students go home.”

Harry nodded in understanding. “I’m glad for the break too.”

“I am sorry, but I do not feel up to much conversation today,” Severus stated.

The older man then pulled out a book and handed it to Harry. The boy cautiously accepted the book and looked over the title. It was a book on basic potion making.

“What’s this?” Harry asked.

“I was led to believe you possessed more intelligence than that,” Severus stated with a smirk, causing Harry to roll his eyes. Severus continued, “I know that you have been unable to locate a book on potion making, therefore I have decided to supply you with one of your own.”

Harry looked at the man with surprise and excitement written all over his face. “You bought this book for me? As an early Christmas present?”

Severus grimaced. “You could call it that. I felt that you needed an actual book on the potion making concept. Many of your previous questions have been answered in detail in this book. Since our ‘meetings’ have been temporarily suspended, I expect you to write down the questions that you have once you’ve finished this book. I will attempt to answer anything further next time we meet.”

Harry smiled brightly, causing Severus’ own lips to curve upwards ever so slightly. Who knew giving a child a book would make him so happy? It wasn’t like that book was very interesting, but yet it covered the basic material. The second reason he chose that particular book was for the fact that it was intended for use by squibs. Magical terms would not appear in that book since squibs, who have the ability to brew basic potions, would not like to be reminded of the fact that they cannot perform magic. It was the perfect book for this child.

“Thank you! Thank you so much sir,” Harry said.

Severus merely inclined his head. He then got to his feet. “I must take my leave. Have a pleasant holiday.”

“Thank you again and I hope you enjoy your holidays too,” Harry added shyly.

Severus exited the café and disappeared down an alley, where he Apparated away.

Harry clutched his book to his chest and smiled happily. He couldn’t wait to read the book, but it would have to wait until he got home. Connor said to be back by two o’clock today, which meant he wouldn’t have much time to start reading since it was already one thirty.

The boy left the small café and completed his usual ritual of ‘changing’ back to normal before entering Connor’s office. Harry would greatly miss his visits with Mister Snape, but thankfully this book would be able to help him learn lots. And next time he saw Mister Snape, he would surely have plenty more questions to ask the man…

Harry stood by the window inside the classroom, watching the heavy rainfall. The weather was taking a turn for the worst and the school instructors had advised parents to come pick up their children early. Nick and Ellie weren’t available, and neither was his mum. That left Connor.

Harry knew the man wouldn’t be pleased when he arrived. It wasn’t much later when Connor arrived. Harry gathered his belongings and followed Connor out to the car. The rain was pouring by now and the two raced to the shelter of the car.

When Harry glanced at Connor from the corner of his eye, he could easily see that the man was scowling fiercely. Harry buckled his seat belt and then reached down in his bag to search around a book. As he pulled out the novel, an assignment fell out. It was a test that he had received back earlier that day and he hadn’t done too well on it.

Just as Connor started the car up, he had glanced over and had seen the test grade. He snatched it from Harry’s hands and skimmed over it. “Hm. I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

Harry looked down at his hands. He wanted to say he was smart and usually got better grades but chose to keep quiet.

“If you were Cathy’s real child, I’m sure you would have inherited her intelligence,” the older man stated off handedly.

Harry winced. Ouch. Connor really knew just what to say to hit a nerve. Harry bit his lip to stay quiet. It wouldn’t help matters if he decided to start yelling at the man anyways.

Harry was staring determinedly at the opened book in his hands. The car stopped at a stoplight and he could feel Connor’s gaze settling on him.

“Hm. I hate dealing with this nonsense of having to pick you up because the bloody weather. I should just take you back at the orphanage and then I won’t have to deal with this anymore.”

“NO!” Harry shouted. He couldn’t let that happen! He turned his horrified gaze to the man driving the car. “You can’t do that! Cathy loves me and she would never agree to it!

“I’ll tell her then! About you making me wonder around London by myself and--”

A sudden slap caused Harry to stop talking. Connor quickly pulled the car into an empty parking lot and turned his attention to the boy sitting next to him. The boy was sitting perfectly still with one hand pressed against the side of his face where he had been struck.

Connor reached out and grabbed Harry’s chin, forcing the boy to look at him.

“You will not tell Cathy anything of this sort. For one thing, she would not believe anything that a worthless little boy like you would tell her. She’d think you were making this up to gain attention or some other nonsense.”

“She would believe me,” Harry muttered out defiantly.

The grip on the boy’s chin tightened and Harry fought back a wince. “Fine then. Go ahead and tell her. You will just make things worse for yourself.” Connor released the boy’s chin. “And for her.”

“What?” Harry asked. Surely Connor wasn’t threatening to hurt his mum?

“You heard me. You are only making things worse for yourself and for Cathy.” Connor flashed the boy a smirk. “You don’t want that do you?”

Harry was already shaking his head no. “Please. Just please don’t do anything to her.” He really hated begging but it felt necessary right now. He didn’t know what he’d do if Connor decided to hurt Cathy. There was no way he’d allow that.

Connor smirked. The boy was too easy to manipulate. He wore his heart on his shoulder and made it easy to find the right buttons to push in order to ensure the boy’s silence. He really did love Cathy and had no intentions to hurt her, but the boy didn’t know that. Now that he had the upper hand over the boy, he would finally teach the child how all children should be: silent, obedient, and out of the way.

As Connor pulled back onto the road, Harry turned his attention to the falling raindrops outside. He knew things would be changing more, none for the better, and it unnerved him. There was no point in getting worked up over what was to come so he concentrated on watching the falling rain. As each drop fell, his breathing calmed down until he was as relaxed as he could be while in the car with Connor.

The holidays passed quickly and happily and before he knew it, spring was soon approaching. Connor was going to be starting to work Saturdays again, which meant that Harry would finally see Mr. Snape and ask him all the questions that he’d been dying to ask. As he read the book, Harry had written down all the questions that came to mind. Most of his questions were about how certain ingredients reacted with each other.

Harry was also glad to see the man again since it meant he’d get away from Connor for a few hours. After the incident in the car a few months ago, things had been relatively calm around the house. Harry had really been expecting Connor to jump out at any moment and explode at him for whatever he’d done wrong, but the man hadn’t done anything. The waiting and anticipation only made it worse for Harry.

The first Saturday in March was when Harry got his chance to meet up with Mr. Snape. The boy was so overjoyed, he just about gave the man a hug, but at the last minute decided against it. Mr. Snape didn’t seem the type to like hugs and Harry really didn’t know the man that well but he was still really glad to see the man again.

They settled down at their usual table and sipped their tea. Harry immediately began his questioning and wrote down the answers. Snape didn’t even get a chance to answer all the questions before Harry’s time was up. It wasn’t until the following Saturday when he managed to finish answering the boy’s questions.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Snape asked after he thoroughly answered each and every one of Harry’s questions. “I believe you would benefit from learning basic calming techniques, such as meditation.”

“ m‘kay,” Harry stated somewhat unsurely. “What for though?”

“I believe, since you are young, it will start by helping you organize your thoughts and assist you with retaining information better. In addition, it will aid you in gaining control over your emotions.” Severus explained.

Harry nodded. “Is this something you can teach me or do I need to get a book?”

“I will assist you as much as I can but it would be beneficial if you visited your local library.”

“So can we start now? Or should I read first?” Harry asked.

“We shall begin today. Start by picturing a calming moment in your mind.” The man instructed.

Harry concentrated on finding something to calm himself. The first thing that came to mind was when he sat underneath the shady tree in his backyard just the other day. It had been quiet and relaxing at the time.

“Do you have something in mind?” Snape asked and Harry nodded. “Concentrate on breathing in and out while visualizing the scene. Think about the sights, smells, what you heard.”

Harry did as he was told but couldn’t hold the concentration for long. There were too many sounds around them that kept distracting him. He looked up at Mr. Snape and said, “I can’t concentrate out here. There’s too much going on.”

“You need to learn to concentrate, despite what is going on around you. Tune out what is going on around you and focus solely on the memory. What are you using to concentrate on?” Snape asked.

“I was thinking about when I sat outside under the tree in my backyard a few days ago.”

“Perhaps you should think of something different. Use a stronger memory or action that is soothing,” Snape suggested.

It suddenly dawned on Harry what he should use. Once he thought about it and concentrated on all the details of the memory, he was able to tune out everything that was going on around him. It wasn’t until Snape tapped his arm, when he finally snapped out of it.

“I take it you were successful.” Harry blushed lightly and nodded. “What memory did you use this time?”

“Well, it’s not a specific memory,” Harry began. “I’ve always liked watching the rain so I imagined myself watching and listening to raindrops. I guess I’ve always found it sorta relaxing.”

Snape nodded. “That will be sufficient. I recommend that you spend five minutes daily disregarding everything that is going on around you. When you feel you are ready, increase the time to ten minutes a day and continue on. You need not to practice longer than thirty minutes a day.”

“Okay. Um, so how exactly does this help me learn to concentrate better?” Harry asked.

“You are essentially maintaining focus on one thing at a time. With practice, it becomes easier for you to get focused on the subject and maintain your focus without your mind wandering. These exercises are primarily teaching your mind the basic forms of discipline. It may not appear to aid you, but with time, you shall see the results of your hard work.”

Harry nodded his understanding and sipped his tea. He ungracefully spat it back in the cup and clumsily groped around for a napkin to wipe up the small amount that had spilled.

“Uh, sorry about that sir,” Harry apologized while blushing brightly. “Oh no,” Harry whispered as he checked his watch. “I’m gonna be late so I gotta go. Bye.”

Severus watched as the boy left in a hurry. He reached across the table and grabbed the notebook that Harry had accidentally left behind and stood up. Snape’s dark eyes quickly scanned the area, but could not spot the light-haired child anywhere. He paused briefly on a dark-haired man talking to a dark-haired child in a stern manner but continued searching for Harry. The boy wasn’t anywhere in sight so Severus decided to hold onto the notebook until next time he saw the boy.

Harry quickly ‘changed’ back and mentally cringed, wishing he hadn’t been late. Connor didn’t look pleased at all for having to come out here and search for him.

“Are you too stupid to tell time anymore?” The brown-eyed man hissed in Harry’s ear. He placed a hand on the back of the boy’s neck, making it look like a fatherly affection to those around them. What people couldn’t see was how tightly Connor was gripping the boy’s neck.

“No,” Harry replied. “I lost track of time.”

“That’s what you said last time,” the man snapped. “I warned you not to be late again.”

Harry swallowed. He wanted to apologize but his throat was suddenly feeling very dry.

“Get in the car,” Connor instructed and shoved the boy towards the car.

Harry managed to catch himself in time to prevent himself from hitting the car. He opened the car door and buckled his seatbelt. For the entire ride home, he sat quietly and perfectly still, not wanting to attract any more attention from Connor. At one point, he briefly peeked over and saw the man was scowling fiercely.

Harry was relieved once the car finally pulled up to their home. He was even happier to find out that Cathy was home, which meant that Connor wouldn’t do anything, or at least that was what he hoped.

Harry entered the house and looked around for his mum. She wasn’t anywhere in sight downstairs but he could hear her rustling about in the upstairs bathroom. Harry was on his way up to his room when Connor reached out and grabbed his arm. Harry yanked his arm out of Connor’s grip.

“Don’t touch me,” Harry snapped quietly since he didn’t want his mum to hear. Harry knew he shouldn’t have said that, but since his mum was upstairs, he was feeling rather brave.

Connor’s face turned a nasty shade of red and raised his hand to slap Harry. Since Harry had seen the hand coming, he was able to move, but Connor’s hand still caught the back of his head.

Harry lost his balance and fell onto the end table. The thin glass covering the end table shattered into a hundred little pieces.

“Harry? Connor?” Cathy called out from upstairs. She appeared at the top of the stairs, gasped, and came running down as quickly as she could.

“What happened? Should I call the medics, or should-”

Harry held a hand against the cut above his left eyebrow. “’m okay,” he said, trying to reassure her. He then tried to stand, but wobbled unsteadily.

“Don’t move,” Cathy insisted. She grabbed the towel that Connor had fetched and pressed it against the cut. “There’s so much blood,” Cathy added horrified.

“Head wounds bleed a lot,” Connor mentioned.

“Oh, ‘m s’rry. I’ll clean up,” Harry slurred. He was feeling rather disorientated at the moment and he couldn’t think of why.

“No don’t Harry. You don’t need to,” she insisted. “Can you pick him up and put in the car?” Connor nodded and Cathy rushed off to start the car.

Connor bent down and lifted the boy into his arms. “If anyone asks, you tripped on the rub. Understand boy?”

“Yess, Unc’ Vernon,” Harry mumbled, barely audible.

Connor wondered why the boy called him uncle Vernon. He didn’t know who this man was but assumed it was the boy’s previous guardian.

Cathy reappeared from the garage in order to open the door for Connor and did the same for the car door. She was clearly freaking out over the whole incident and was in no condition to drive so Connor took the keys. Cathy sat in the back, holding a cloth against the bleeding cut, while clutching Harry’s hand tightly.

Harry was sitting there silently, wondering why his aunt would be holding his hand. She never touched him unless it was absolutely necessary. He was really confused about everything going on around him. All he could remember was he hit his head. He didn’t recall if he was pushed or tripped on his own. Either way, it would always be considered his fault according to Uncle Vernon. That brought him back to his current ponderings. Why was his aunt holding his hand and why would his uncle, who looked skinnier that he remembered, be driving him to the doctors? Only Dudley was allowed treatment for his injuries. Speaking of Dudley, where was he?

Harry was torn from his musings as the car stopped. The driver can to the back and picked him up and carried him inside. Before he could try and focus on the man’s face, he was taken away by a doctor.

The nice doctor took care of him and stitched the cut over his eyebrow right up. She talked to him about inconsequential things, probably in hopes of distracting him from the pain. It didn’t matter anyways, he was used feeling some sort of pain. The friendly doctor told him to relax while she went to talk with his mum. Mum? Why would she say that? Maybe she thought Aunt Petunia was his mum or something.

Harry sat there for a few minutes until the nice doctor returned, followed by three people. One looked like his aunt, although her hair was lighter than he remembered, and the other two were older, judging by their grayish hair. Harry focused on the conversation his aunt was having with the doctor.

“The cut above his eyebrow was pretty deep and I had to put in several stitches. It should be all healed up within in a week or so.”

“Can we take him home now?” Harry was confused. That was not his aunt’s shrilly voice.

The doctor nodded, gave a few quick instructions on how he was to take it easy for the next few days, and then left to tend to other patients.

“Here are your glasses, Harry,” said the older man, who he still didn’t recognize. Harry slipped on his glasses and everything came into focus. He stared at the three people standing before him. He didn’t know who they were or what they were doing here. Where were Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?

His head started to throb as he tried to think. The door opened, and instead of seeing his relatives, he saw a brown-haired man enter. Harry closed his eyes and looked down as everything came rushing back. He remembered everything from why he wasn’t with the Dursleys to why he was at the hospital in the first place.

“Are you sure you feel up to leaving, sweetie?” Cathy asked.

“Yeah,” the boy replied. “I’m fine. I just want to go home.”

“What happened? Did you trip on the rug or-?” Cathy questioned, waiting for Harry to reply.

“Yeah,” Harry replied again. His eyes darted over very briefly to Connor before turning downward. He didn’t feel like he could look his mum in the eye and lie to her face. He hated doing it, but he didn’t want to risk Connor hurting his mum.

“I tripped on the rug and hit the table, breaking the glass. Sorry,” he added.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” his mum reassured. “Let’s just get you home.”

Harry nodded and slowly stood. He was much steadier on his feet now than earlier. As Harry followed his mum outside, he missed the speculative glance his grandfather gave Connor. The young boy also missed the fact that his grandfather had seen his quick peek at Connor when he explained what happened.

“What happened?” Snape demanded the following Saturday when Harry arrived for their weekly study sessions. “Does this have anything to do with you being late last week?”

“What?” Harry asked breathlessly. Could Mr. Snape know? Did he see Connor scolding him last week? Then it occurred to Harry that Mr. Snape couldn’t have seen him since he changed his hair from the strawberry-blond that it currently is, to his normal dark hair.

“No, of course not,” the boy replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Harry thought quickly of something to change the subject. “Did you pick up my notebook last week? I left it here by accident.”

Snape nodded and didn’t want to let the subject matter drop, but decided to anyways. There wasn’t much he could do for this muggle boy. With his...record… he would probably get a one-way ticket to Azkaban for hexing a muggle, even if the man deserved it. Plus, he didn’t have any proof against the boy’s step-father.

Snape straightened in his chair and decided that if there wasn’t anything he could do, he would at least make sure the boy enjoyed their meetings. It was the least he could do, plus it would allow the boy some freedom away from his step-father. He could only hope this boy’s childhood wouldn’t turn him into a bitter old man, such as himself.

Harry woke up late one morning in July and went downstairs to pour himself a bowl of cereal. The past few months had gone by very quickly. It seemed like Spring was just arriving yesterday but now it was well into summer. Thinking back to the beginning of Spring reminded him of that awful incident with Connor. That had been the first time Connor had really hurt Harry, and it had shocked Harry that the man had done it while his mum was upstairs.

Ever since then, Harry had been walking on eggshells around Connor. It seemed that the man was content with that for the most part. He stayed silent, and mostly out of Connor’s sight when they were home alone together. Occasionally, he’d screw up and do something that apparently upset Connor. The man wasn’t afraid to show his displeasure anymore either, but he was always careful to make sure Cathy wasn’t home. The man also made sure that the ‘evidence’ was hidden beneath his clothes. That part didn’t matter as much to Harry, since he was rather skilled at hiding injuries and past scars.

Even to this day, his mum hadn’t seen the horrid collection of scars across his back and the lightning shaped one across his forehead. He always made sure his freaky talent hid them from her since it wouldn’t be smart to suddenly have scars appear one day from nowhere. Then she’d learn about all his freakishness and then she’d agree with Connor about sending him away. He wasn’t taking any chances, so they remained hidden.

The only one who knew about it was his grandfather. After spotting the Dursley’s in the toy store, he had ‘changed’ and apparently Nick had seen. Harry was incredibly shocked to learn that his grandfather really didn’t mind this freakish talent. In fact, the man was fascinated by it.

Harry missed seeing his grandparents. He used to see them all the time when Cathy worked since they’d be the only ones around to care for him. But ever since Connor entered the picture, Harry ended up spending “quality time” with him instead so that his grandparents weren’t stuck watching him all the time. Plus they had been helping a friend paint and remodel his home for the last few months on the weekends so they were often busy.

The weekends were Harry’s biggest joy though, even if it wasn’t spent with his grandparents. Every Saturday Connor worked, Harry would go with him, even if his mum was home. She always seemed to think it was sweet that Harry wanted to spend more “quality time” with Connor. Harry of course never did such a thing since he always left the car and walked directly to some public loo, where he would ‘change’ into the face that Mr. Snape knew him as.

Harry really thrived under Mr. Snape’s teaching. There was so much to learn about how potions were made. There were many different ingredients and lately, Mr. Snape had him memorizing the properties and uses of each ingredient. He’d quiz Harry and reward him with something for getting so many right. Sometimes Mr. Snape would give him candy rewards and they were always quite interesting to try. It was always a different type and something that he hadn’t actually heard of, nor seen in any store. Harry, being curious, tried to find out where they came from so he could buy more but Mr. Snape never said. His favorite, so far, were the chocolate frogs. They looked so realistic, he was afraid they’d come to life and hop away! Mr. Snape had just smirked at him when he mentioned this and had handed him another frog from the bag.

Other than learning about potions, he had been practicing the calming techniques that Mr. Snape suggested. At first, he thought it was really pointless and kinda hard. Sometimes there was too much going on and he couldn’t focus but other times, it came really easy for him. As usual, Mr. Snape was right though. After diligently practicing it, he became pretty good at learning to focus when he needed to and it actually helped with other things. Studying for a school test seemed much easier, for one thing.

In a way, it also helped him control his emotions. Mr. Snape had showed him how to hide what he was feeling because he said Harry would benefit from it. At first, that didn’t make much sense since he was only eleven; why would he need to hide his emotions?  It became clear though whenever he was around Connor. That man could easily spot his weaknesses and Harry decided that he didn’t want Connor to find out anymore. He already knew that he couldn’t stand it if his mum was hurt so Connor always made sure to mention that when he was being punished. Harry worked hard in his lessons with Mr. Snape and always enjoyed them, even if it meant that he willingly gave himself a ‘sixth day of school’.

Every Saturday after his time was up, he’d always walk away, wishing that he had more time. Harry was careful to not be late ever again since he didn’t want Connor to lose his temper again. He could handle the punishment, but if something were to happen like the table incident, others would notice. It was bad enough that Mr. Snape didn’t really believe his story about the incident. As it was, his grandfather seemed to be a bit… standoffish? cold? distanced?... from Connor lately. It seemed as he too suspected something wasn’t right with the whole incident.

Harry was torn from his musings when he thought he heard an owl hoot. It was the middle of the day. What would an owl be doing around here? Harry shrugged and continued eating his late breakfast. Maybe his mum or Connor left the telly on before they went to work.

Harry smiled at that thought. He was almost eleven and his mum had finally decided that he could be left home alone. The first time she left him home alone, she had called several times throughout the day to check on him. He was perfectly fine, of course, but it made him happy to know that she cared.

Harry rinsed his bowl when he was done and was drying his hands when he heard the sounds of mail being dropped through the letter slot. He walked over and reached down to pick up the small pile. As he shifted through the stack, he paused suddenly. He looked closely at one letter which bore an odd looking seal on it. He slowly turned the thick letter over to see who it was addressed to and his eyes widened in surprise.

To: Mr. Harry Potter…

Harry walked away from Connor as he always did on Saturdays and made his way to the café where he always met Mr. Snape. He was pretty nervous and tried not to show it. It was only two days ago when he received a strange letter. At first, it freaked him out to see a letter addressed to Harry Potter, which he vaguely remembered was his last name. He’d gone by Harry McKinney for so long that it took him a moment to realize that the letter was for to him.

But then, he opened it. And that certainly wasn’t what he’d been expecting to find.

Magic.

It seemed to be so real. Everything on the supply list seemed official, but he didn’t have the faintest idea where to find those items. He didn’t even know if this was real or not. Something told him though, that this was very real. After all, it explained all the interesting things he could do, like the “changing” his face around.

He was really hesitant to show it to Cathy since he didn’t want her to find out he was a freak. He’d been hiding his odd talents for a long time now and didn’t want to tell her about them. But, if this school was real, then he’d have to tell her. Before discussing it with her, he wanted a second opinion and he knew just who to ask.

Before crossing the street into the café, he made sure his appearance was the usual strawberry-blond haired, blue-eyed boy that Mr. Snape was used to seeing. As he approached, he spotted Mr. Snape already sitting at the table, sipping his tea. Harry slipped into a seat and greeted the older man.

A while after they discussed the usual potions topic, Harry breached the subject he’d been waiting to mention.

“Can I ask you something?” Harry asked hesitantly.

“You already did, but you may ask another,” Snape replied with a smirk.

Harry smiled faintly. “Well, d’you promise not to laugh?”

“I won’t.”

Harry leaned forward and whispered, “Do you believe in magic?”

Snape resisted the urge to smirk. “I do.”

“Really?” Harry asked, astonished.

“Really,” the older man replied dryly. “Why are you inquiring?”

Harry bit his lip. “I got this letter.” He slid the envelope across the table.

Severus immediately recognized the seal across the back of the envelope. He turned it over and dropped it in shock. Then he scowled and looked at the boy across from him.

“You are Harry Potter!?!” he demanded.

Harry jumped from his seat. “I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I- need- should go-um I just gotta go now.”

Before Snape could do anything, the boy dashed off and disappeared into the crowds of people.

Severus sat back at the table and stared at the letter lying innocently in front of him. He massaged his temples briefly before opening the letter. It was definitely the standard Hogwarts letter.

But how could this boy be Harry Potter? He looked nothing like James Potter, or Lily. When the boy was first born, he’d heard that the child looked identical to Potter but with Lily’s green eyes. How could this boy with blondish-red hair and blue eyes be Lily’s child? Unless….

Could the boy be a Metamorphmagus?

That was the only explanation for it. If only the boy hadn’t reacted by dashing off, he’d be able to inquire more on how this mess started. Why didn’t the boy already know about being a wizard? Shouldn’t his relatives have told him about everything?

Severus grimaced, thinking how he’d been spending his Saturdays with James Potter’s son. Potter was probably rolling in his grave at the thought of his son spending time with Severus Snape, of all people. Severus smirked then, thinking about how Potter’s son will be so successful in potions since they’d been studying it together for quite a few months now.

Even if he hadn’t needed to buy any ingredients on these past Saturdays, he still came to teach the boy. He was pleased to learn that this boy, who certainly wasn’t a muggle as he originally though, was a wizard. All the potions information they covered would help the boy pass first year potions without a problem.

Snape glanced down at the letter, which the boy had left behind accidentally. He pocketed it and resolved to visit the boy and his family to explain further on the school. Since the letter contained his address, Snape decided would go later this evening. He left money for the tea on the table and Apparated away after ensuring no one was looking.

Harry dashed away from Mr. Snape. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything. The man probably thought he was a freak now. How many people really believe in magic anyways?

What puzzled Harry was the man’s reaction to the name Harry Potter. What caused him to get all upset over that? Maybe it had something to do with like the first time he met the man. Mr. Snape had looked at his forehead, where that scar was hidden, after he said his name was Harry.

Harry shook his head to clear it off all these rambling thoughts. He ducked into the loo at a bookstore and changed back to normal. He was about a half hour early today with arriving at Connor’s work. Hopefully the man wouldn’t mind.

Harry entered the office building and froze in alarm. Connor appeared to be in a meeting with another person and they both turned towards him when he entered.

“Hello,” the kind looking man greeted. “Are you lost?”

“No sir,” Harry replied. Connor didn’t look pleased that Harry had interrupted.

“Mr. Grant, meet my… adopted son… Harry. Harry, this is Mr. Grant, a client of mine,” Connor introduced tersely.

“It’s nice to meet you sir,” Harry replied respectively.

“You too, lad,” the kind man said. “Shall we finish up here?”

“Yes, but could you excuse us for one moment?” Connor asked.

“Sure, I’m in no rush,” Mr. Grant replied. He smiled kindly at Harry, who gave a tentative smile back.

Connor beckoned Harry to follow him into the back room where the files were kept. He closed the door and turned to Harry.

“What are you doing back so soon?” He demanded.

“I’m sorry I interrupted-”

Connor shoved the boy against the wall. “If this were any other client of mine, I would’ve taken my belt to you for interrupting an important meeting.” Harry winced at the threat. “Mr. Grant happens to be a family man so I expect you to go out there and sit quietly in some corner. If he talks to you at all, I expect you to be polite and answer whatever he says. Got it?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied sullenly. This wasn’t helping his day get any better. All he wanted to do was come back here and sit quietly but fate was working against him again. Connor just had to be in some meeting with a client when Harry had walked in. Thankfully, Mr. Grant liked kids so he wasn’t upset or anything about Harry’s interruption.

“What was that?” Connor asked dangerously.

“Yes sir,” the boy replied. Better not get cheeky with this man.

“Now go out there, smile on your face, and sit quietly until we are finished.”

Harry followed Connor out of the room and smiled at Mr. Grant before settling into a seat off neat the corner of the room. He sat quietly and concentrated on naming the properties of different potion ingredients. He paused his thinking when he heard Mr. Grant speaking about him.

“He’s such a quiet, well-behaved boy. I’ll bet he’s a smart one too,” the man commented.

Connor gave the man a weak smile. “Err, yeah. Well, I believe once you get those forms back to me, you’ll be all set.”

The man smiled again. “I won’t take up anymore of your time. It’s such a nice day out, I’ll bet you two are eager to get home and play some ball perhaps? Or maybe some other sport you like?”

“Yes, of course,” the brown-haired man replied before standing. “I’ll bet your own family is waiting for you. Take care and feel free to drop off those forms anytime.”

Connor and Mr. Grant shook hands before the man left. Connor glanced quickly at Harry, who looked away. The older man went back to his desk and filed some papers in the cabinet before grabbing his keys.

Harry had been staring at the wall, thinking about his day. He was really interested in the magic school, but was afraid of everyone’s response to it. Judging by Mr. Snape’s reaction, he knew everyone else would freak out as well. Perhaps it was best he didn’t say anything anyways. Then he could go on being an ordinary boy. Well, mostly ordinary since he could still do things that weren’t considered normal.

A strong grip on his upper arm pulled him from his stupor and yanked him to his feet. He looked up at Connor, who was still gripping his arm rather tightly. Harry barely resisted the urge to pull away from the man.

“Let’s go,” he stated before pulling the boy towards the door.

“I can walk by myself,” Harry muttered. He winced immediately; he hadn’t meant for that comment to leave his mouth.

“What was that?” The older man asked, tightening the grip on Harry’s arm.

“Nothing,” the boy replied quietly.

“That’s what I thought.” Connor finally let go of Harry’s arm when they reached the door.

As usual, the car drive home was silent. As soon as they arrived home, Harry jumped out of the car and quickly went up to the safety of his room. Well, it wasn’t exactly safe since Connor could come in there if he wanted, but Harry always felt safe in his own room anyway.

Harry stayed up in his room until he heard the doorbell ring. He didn’t hear anyone going to the door so he stood up and started down the stairs. He was just descending when Connor opened the front door.

Standing on his porch was Mr. Snape.

Connor got up from his comfortable position on the couch and went to answer the door. When he opened the door, he was quite shocked at the odd man standing on his doorstep. He’d expected it to be some salesman but this… well, it was odd.

The man appeared to be wearing some sort of dress. It was very odd and caused Connor to do a double take. The tall, dark-haired, and pale man was standing there holding some letter in his hand.

“Can I help you with something?” Cathy asked, coming to stand next to Connor.

“My name is Severus Snape and I am here to speak with you about Mr. Potter.”

“There’s no Potter here,” Connor replied and started closing the door. “Wrong house.”

Severus stuck his boot in the door to stop it from closing. “I assure you that I have the correct address. Mr. Potter is currently standing on your stairwell.”

Both Cathy and Connor turned towards Harry, who was still standing there in shock.

“That’s my son, Harry-” Cathy began.

“Potter,” Severus finished the sentence for her. “That would be his biological father’s name.”

“Oh,” Cathy looked shocked. She’d always wondered what his last name was but when she adopted him, Harry had claimed he didn’t know. “Please come in. Perhaps we can finish this discussion over tea?”

Severus sat there observing the two people across from him. They were both undoubtedly surprised at the news they had just heard. Severus had explained that Harry was a wizard and could do magic. He also went on to explain how the boy would be attending Hogwarts this year, since his parents already paid for his tuition plus there would be extra for the supplies if the boy went to Gringotts first.

“How did you know that this was Harry?” Cathy asked.

Harry’s eyes went wide and he looked at Mr. Snape, well Professor Snape now, and tried to convey with his eyes that their meetings were supposed to be a secret. Severus understood that the boy was hiding something and decided he would choose his words carefully.

“I was in London for some potion ingredients and I recognized the boy. I could easily distinguish that he was the son of a classmate of mine. Upon closer inspection, I noted that he was the son of James Potter.”

“Did you know his parents then? Maybe even went to school with them?” Cathy wondered.

“I did. Harry’s mother was a good friend of mine,” Severus replied.

“What was her name?” Harry asked softly. The Dursleys never told him his parent’s names.

The Potion Master’s eyes almost went wide before he controlled his expression. “Lily, her name was Lily Evans-Potter. James Potter was your father.”

“How did they die?” he asked again, just as softly. The Dursleys just had to be lying when they told him his parents died in a drunken car crash.

“They were murdered by the Dark Lord,” Severus replied.

Harry bit his lip and blinked quickly to prevent the tears leaking from his eyes. He stood and excused himself to go up to his room. This was the first time he heard the truth about his family and it was a lot to take in.

Severus watched as Cathy followed Harry from the room. She was probably going to comfort the distraught boy. The Potions Master then he turned his attention to the man sitting across from him and the said man was sipping his beverage and glaring at the wizard.

“So this witchcraft stuff is real?” Connor asked snidely.

“Wizardry is the correct term,” Severus corrected. “And yes it is real.”

“Hm,” Connor grunted. “That explains the freaky things I’ve seen the boy do once or twice.”

“Such as?”

“The boy fell halfway down the stairs once and landed without a scratch on him.”

“You speak as if you have no concern over Harry’s welfare,” Snape stated with a frown.

Connor snorted. “I don’t particularly care for kids. What’s it to you?”

Severus stood suddenly. The sudden motion prompted Connor to get up as well. Severus was just as tall as the man standing before him, but Snape was much more intimidating looking. His dark eyes and foreboding manner easily scared younger children. Connor just looked unimpressed with the tall, dark man standing before him.

“That boy will be a very talented wizard and if you continue to provoke him in any manner, you will not like the consequences.”

Connor merely rolled his eyes and glared at the man before him. “I’ll treat the boy as I wish and I doubt he’ll ever have the guts to stand up to anyone.”

Severus closed the distance between the two so quickly it was as if he Apparated. He grabbed the brown-haired man’s collar and shoved him against the wall with an enraged expression on his face.

“I am warning you muggle,” he spat. “If you even think about laying a hand on that boy, you won’t have to worry about whether or not he stands up for himself because you will have me to answer to afterwards.”

Severus released his hold on the man, and resisted the overwhelming urge to hex the muggle before him. It was very tempting, but this muggle wasn’t worth going to Azkaban over.

He briefly straightened his robes before resuming his seat. He sipped his tea and watched as the man before him resumed his seat as well.

It was only a few minutes later when Cathy and Harry returned to the room. The two could easily feel the tension in between the two men and wondered what had occurred while they were away from the room.

“So, can you show us some magic?” Cathy asked, breaking the silence that had descended upon the room.

Harry, with slightly red eyes, looked up. He had yet to see any magic that he hadn’t done accidentally on his own and was rather eager to see what all wizards and witches were capable of.

Severus nodded curtly and pulled out his wand. He transfigured his teacup into a small footstool, then into a shoe and finally into a small bird before he transfigured it back into a teacup. He then murmured another spell which caused the dishes to start washing themselves.

“Wow,” Harry replied. That was more than he had expected to learn at a magic school. At first, he thought he’d be learning to do silly things like pulling rabbits out of hats but what Professor Snape showed them just now was much more interesting.

“I have more imperative information that I must also share with you,” Severus stated after putting his wand away.

“What?” Cathy asked worriedly.

“As I mentioned previously, Mr. Potter’s parents were killed by the Dark Lord.”

“What does that have to do with Harry? The man was caught, wasn’t he?” she asked.

“Not precisely,” Severus began, “He was killed, in a sense, but there are rumors that he did not completely die. Allegedly, he remains in existence, but very weak and likely not in an actual body form.”

“Does that make him a spirit or something?” Catherine wondered. “How did he end up like that?”

“In a sense, yes. The reason he lost his corporeal form was due to Mr. Potter here,” the Potions Master replied.

“Me?” Harry squeaked. “I didn’t do anything.”

“I must start at the beginning to fully explain this. The Dark Lord was slowly rising to power when your parents graduated from Hogwarts. All those that opposed him were targeted by his followers, Death Eaters, and usually ended up dead. Your parents were firmly on the light side and he wanted to attack them.

“In order to protect your family, Potter had his best friend Sirius Black become your Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm. It is a complex and powerful charm that magically hides people or a building with the location known only to a designated Secret Keeper. The Secret Keeper was the only one who could tell people where they were. Sirius Black betrayed your parents.”

Harry gasped, along with Cathy. Connor remained silent for the story.

Severus continued, “The Dark Lord would not have found them unless Black revealed their location. On the night of October 31st, he entered their home and killed them. He turned his wand on you and cast the Killing Curse. It rebounded on him, killing him or at least removing him from his corporeal form. You are the only person to have ever survived the Killing Curse. In the Wizarding world, you are famous and known as the Boy-Who-Lived.”

“What caused it to rebound on him?” Harry asked. He didn’t really like the thought of being famous for something he didn’t even remember.

“You mother,” the man replied. “She protected you with her love and sacrificed herself to save you.

“Oh,” Harry replied. So now he was famous for something his mother did. She died to protect him and every time someone looked at him, they would probably see the ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ rather than remembering the parents he’d lost that night. It wasn’t even like he did anything to earn that title.

“I’m going to be in my room for a bit,” Harry said as he stood. He had some thinking to do about everything he heard today.

“So after they died, who was Harry sent to?” Cathy asked. That had been something she’d been wondering for a long time. Those bastards that hurt sweet little Harry needed to be brought up on charges.

“Mr. Potter was sent to his Petunia Evans and her family. Petunia was Lily’s sister and since Lily gave her life to protect her son’s, Harry needed his mother’s blood to continue protecting him. Therefore he was sent to live with her.”

“Some protection,” Cathy exclaimed angrily.

“I had been meaning to ask, but how did Mr. Potter end up in your care?” Severus asked.

“Those-those foul people!” She exclaimed angrily. “His own relatives treated him like dirt! He told me how he was worked like a slave all day long and received hardly any food. They punished him excessively for the littlest things.

“When he was only seven-years-old those bastards left him in some alley in London. Nothing but the clothes on his back, which were in terrible condition as well because they belonged to an extremely large boy, possibly his cousin then. He was so skinny and small when I first met him. You see, he had lived on the streets for about a week, until he was picked up by child services and placed in an orphanage.

“That was where I first met him. Such a quiet, small and timid boy he was. I fell for him immediately and adopted him right away. It took me a while to help him get over the abuse he suffered from his relatives. I had the help from my parents, as well. Speaking of them, will I be able to share the news of him being magical?”

Severus was furious with hearing about how Harry was treated by his relatives. He wanted to hex them badly, but once again, he would likely end up in Azkaban for such a thing. Then again, it might be worth it if he got to hex them and Connor…

“Yes, I believe you can share this with them,” Severus replied after a moment. “However, they, along with yourselves, are not permitted to tell other muggles about the Wizarding world.”

“Muggles?” Connor asked.

Severus resisted the urge to sneer at the man. “Muggles are non-magic people. Squibs are people born to a wizard and witch who have no or limited magic.”

Harry finally reentered the room and sat back down at the table. There was so much he learned today and it was a lot to take in all at once. Just as he sat down, Connor got up.

“This- all of this is ridiculous,” he said before leaving the room.

“I’m sorry,” Catherine apologized. “This has been a shock for us. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go speak to him.”

Severus nodded and she left, not before placing a kiss on Harry’s head. He smiled up at her but began to bite his lip when he looked back at Professor Snape.

“Are you a Metamorphmagus?” the man asked suddenly.

“A what? Sir,” the boy added.

“Can you change your appearance at will?”

“Oh,” Harry replied dumbly. He concentrated on making his face similar to the man’s across from him and nearly laughed at the professor’s expression.

Severus got his answer when he watched the boy change. He did a double take as he stared at a younger looking version of himself sitting across the table.

“You may change back to yourself now,” Severus suggested and the boy did so. “Why did you disguise yourself when we met in London?”

“Well,” Harry bit his lip. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I wanted to make myself look like Cathy’s biological child-”

“Hence, the matching hair and eye colors,” Severus finished.

Harry nodded and continued, “And while I was in London, I decided to use that- err face- but then I ran into you. And you knew what I looked like so I continued using that face.”

“I see,” the Potions Professor replied. “After your encounter with the Dark Lord, you were left with a lightning bolt scar.”

Harry nodded and willed it to appear.

“Why have you concealed that?” the man asked.

“When I was first picked up from the streets, a doctor was checking over my arm. Um, it had been dislocated I think, so I had to take off my shirt.” He bit his lip again. “I-I have some scars on my back and I didn’t want them to see it so I wished for them to hide. All of my scars went away, including the one on my forehead. I got used to hiding them and forgot about them really.”

Severus nodded and watched as the boy concealed the scar once again. “What were you doing in London by yourself in the first place?”

Harry looked down. “Please don’t tell my mum,” Harry whispered quietly. “Connor and I –um- don’t really get along well. Back when I first met you, I had to go with him on Saturdays to work since no one else was available to watch me. He needed to get work done and I was, err, bugging him, so he told me I could check out the bookstores nearby.”

“Why don’t you tell her that you two ‘don’t get along’?” he asked.

“Because,” Harry looked around to make sure his mum was still upstairs. “He is her husband-”

“And you are her son.”

“And she loves him-” Harry continued.

“And she loves you,” Severus finished.

Harry scowled. “I know that. But she married him and I have to try and get along with him.” Technically, he had long ago given up trying but Mr. S- actually Professor Snape now, didn’t need to know that.

Severus could tell that they boy was being stubborn. He sighed and decided to deal with that another day. Sooner or later, he’d find out the truth about the relationship between Connor and the boy. If that man was hurting the boy, like he suspected but didn’t have proof, then he would hex the muggle.

“Now that I have verified that you are a Metamorphmagus, I would highly suggest you keep this talent to yourself. With your fame,” he sneered slightly, “it would be helpful to have this talent hidden. I’m sure it will be useful later. The less that know about it, the better.”

Harry nodded. It made perfect sense so he would have to be sure to keep it a secret.

Cathy came back downstairs and informed them that she had just got off the phone with her parents. They’d be coming by Sunday evening for dinner to discuss Harry and the new school he’d be going to.

Severus also mentioned that Harry would need to take a trip to Diagon Alley for supplies. Since Cathy was off on Monday, Severus agreed to come back to their home and escort them to the alley. The Professor had briefly mentioned the alley in his earlier explanations and Harry was excited to go.

Severus finished up all explanations before he finally left for the evening. They’d see him early Monday morning for Harry and Cathy’s first trip to the magical world.

Sunday afternoon, both Nick and Ellie came over. Cathy explained to them all they had learned the previous day and they were just as shocked as she was with the news.

Nicholas excused himself after they finished talking and went up to Harry’s room. The boy was currently sitting on his bed, reading quietly.

“Hi Harry,” Nick greeted as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Harry looked up apprehensively. He knew his mum had just told them the news so he was worried how they’d react.

“Hi Grandpa,” the boy replied.

“I just heard that you have some special talents,” Nick began.

“You don’t think I’m a… freak?”

“No!” the older man insisted. “I think it makes you a very special boy. Cathy thinks so too.”

“Really?” Cathy did seem very excited and open to the whole concept of magic last night.

“Yes, you Grandmum thinks it’s wonderful as well. Now listen here,” he began sternly, slipping into his firm military tone. “I do not want to hear you referring to yourself as a freak ever again.”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied. He smiled and leaned forward to give his grandpa a hug.

“So does your mum know about that face changing talent?” the older man asked.

“No,” the boy replied. “Mr. –I mean Professor Snape told me that I should keep it a secret. He says the less that know about that, the better. He also said that since I’m, um, famous,” Harry grimaced, “that it would be extremely useful for me. Like, I could get away from the crowds or avoid them all together or something.”

“Intelligent man,” Nicholas praised. “That is good thinking since this talent will prove to be useful. You would be an excellent officer, since you could easily change your looks for every undercover mission.”

Harry smiled. His grandpa was always thinking about things in regards to his time in the American military.

“There is a name for it, and I think it’s Meta-morph-magus,” Harry said, pronouncing it slowly. “Or at least it is something like that.”

“Interesting word,” Nicholas commented. “From what Cathy was telling us, there are quite a lot of terms that we’ll be hearing.”

“Like what?” Harry wondered.

“Well, she mentioned the words muggle and squib. Do you know what they are?”

Harry shook his head.

“I don’t either. She mentioned them briefly in passing but I don’t believe she explained properly. What do you say we find out?”

Harry nodded and followed his grandpa out, smiling all the way. He was glad that his mum, grandpa and grandmum all were pleased with him being a wizard. As for Connor, maybe the man would finally leave him alone, if he was scared of Harry’s new status as a wizard. Harry dismissed Connor from his mind and focused on thinking about his family. They were proud of him and didn’t care that he was a wizard. That’s all that mattered. And tomorrow, they were going to Diagon Alley which should be quite an adventure.

Harry sat on the couch in the bright clean living room, tapping his foot impatiently as was he watched his mum tie her shoes. Professor Snape was due to arrive any minute and he was extremely eager to enter the wizarding world. The door bell finally rang and Harry enthusiastically jumped up and answered it.

Severus Snape stared at the boy before him. Every time he looked at the boy, he found it hard to remember that this was not a ‘miniature James Potter’ staring back at him. This was a boy that he, as much as it pained him to admit, came to care for. This was the child he once thought was an intelligent muggle boy who was interested in potions. Now he came to find out that this boy wasn’t just a wizard, he was the bloody boy-who-lived. It was just his luck to learn that bit of information.

Severus entered the house at the prompt of the excited boy before him. His lips quirked upwards as the boy began reciting a list of questions about how to get to Diagon Alley, what was in it, and so forth.

The Potions Master held up his hand to halt the questions spilling from the boy’s mouth. “I believe that it would be unnecessary to answer your inquiries because we shall depart if you both are ready. Diagon Alley is a sight to see, not to hear about.”

Harry nodded. He was beyond ready to go! The whole morning had crept along slowly since he was so eager to leave. He glanced over at his mum and noticed she too was ready to go.

“If you would both place your arms on mine, then I will apparate us near the entrance. The sensation will feel unusual but it will be over swiftly.” The two did as instructed and then felt as if they were being squeezed in a tight tube. It only lasted a second before they landed unsteadily on the ground.

Harry looked around and recognized the general area they were standing in. “Diagon Alley is near here?”

Severus looked at the boy and nodded. “Before we depart, I would suggest that we alter your appearance.”

“Why?” Cathy asked. “Is it because people might recognize him as the ‘Boy-Who-Lived’?” she asked, bringing her fingers up to quote the term.

“Yes.” Severus looked a bit uncomfortable as he continued, “It could also put me in a… predicament… if others saw me walking around with the Boy-Who-Lived.”

“What do you mean?” Catherine asked confused.

The man just shook his head. “I apologize. I cannot say any further on the matter.”

She nodded acceptingly. “So what are you going to change? On Harry, I mean,” she added.

“We will alter his eye color, to one matching yours, since he is known to have Lily’s vibrant green eyes. I will also do a temporary eye correcting charm to remove the glasses. Potter, James that is, was known for his terrible eyesight which many expected to be passed down to his son. I believe that will be sufficient since others would not expect the boy to be with me.”

Catherine watched as the older man waved his wand at her adopted son. When Harry removed his glasses and looked up at her, she gasped. The boy’s eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, matching her own perfectly.

Harry smiled up at her. Even though it looked like Professor Snape had changed his appearance, he hadn’t really done anything. The man had fixed his sight temporarily but Harry made the change to his eye color himself. It felt good being able to look like his mum while they were in public together. The other most noticeable trait of the Boy-Who-Lived was the scar, which has been hidden for several years.

“Wow,” Cathy murmured. She smiled at the boy and looked up into the dark eyes belonging to Mr. Snape. She had never noticed until now just how dark those eyes were. The man quirked an eyebrow up as she stared, which caused her to blush and look away. “I apologize for staring. Err, shall we go now?” she suggested.

“Of course,” Severus replied. He led the way until they stopped in between of a big bookshop and a record store.

“What are we looking for?” Cathy asked. She didn’t see anything magical or out of the ordinary.

Severus grasped her hand and suddenly she could see the building that appeared in between the book and record store. The man released her hand but she could still see it. Now that she knew where it was located, she would be able to find it.

“Wow,” she mumbled for the hundredth time today. “How is it that I couldn’t see it before, but now I can?”

“You just had to know where to look,” the Potions Master replied. He opened the door for Cathy and gestured for her and Harry to enter.

Harry looked around the dark and dingy pub. It wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting to see for the entrance to Diagon Alley.

“Hullo Perfessor Snape,” a really big man with a bushy beard greeted, slightly slurred, from his seat.

“Hagrid,” the man replied with a sharp nod.

“Wha’ brings yeh here today?” The large man, larger than anyone Harry or Cathy had ever seen, asked. “Oh, is that yeh son?” he asked, squinting to get a better look at the dark-haired boy who entered with Snape. “Didn’ know yeh had one.”

“No,” Severus replied sharply. A few other people in the pub had looked their way when Hagrid mentioned that, wanting to know if Hogwarts ‘evil potions professor’ might have a family. “We have business to attend to. Good day.”

The Potions Master swiftly led them through the crowded pub until they reached a small back alley. Harry and Catherine both looked around. What was supposed to be out here? Before either could actually ask that question, Severus had pulled out his wand and tapped a series of bricks.

The bricks he had tapped suddenly quivered in the middle; a small hole appeared and it grew wider and wider until an archway stood before them. They stepped through it onto a cobbled street where various stores, big and small, were located. Harry and Cathy both peeked behind to watch as the alley entrance reset itself into a standard brick wall. Then, the two turned their wide-eyed attention to the street before them.

The closest store to them advertised cauldrons – all sizes, Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver, self-stirring, collapsible, and more. Next to the Cauldron shop was the Apothecary, where Harry could see various potions ingredients advertised. On the other side, there was a small, darkish store which looked to be a quiet little bookstore, perhaps selling rare books.

Further down the street was a joke shop, which the young boy in the group of three would have loved to visit. His mum, of course, wouldn’t likely let him spend money on frivolous items such as prank material. Next to that was Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had many beautiful owls hooting in their cages. One particularly striking owl that caught Harry’s attention was a large Snowy owl with amber eyes.

As they moved on, Harry made a note to come back to that store later. As they walked further in the alley, they passed even more stores. Robe shops, book stores, Quidditch supplies and even an ice cream parlor. They even passed Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382BC, where Harry knew he’d be getting his very own wand.

After traversing through the crowded street, they finally reached Gringotts bank, which was the Wizarding world’s bank. Harry and Cathy both were surprised to hear that Harry’s parents had both left him a considerable amount of money. Severus paused long enough for the two to read the poem warning people not to try and steal from the bank. Cathy stared at the creatures in the building, wondering what they were.

As they stood in line, she leaned towards Severus and whispered, “What are they?”

“Goblins,” the man replied. “They are in charge of the bank.”

“Next,” the goblin called out. The three stepped up to the counter.

“We are here to make a withdrawal from Mr. Potter’s vault,” Severus stated.

“Do you have Mr. Potter’s key?”

“No, I do not. Mr. Potter will need a new key, for I do not know who was in charge of his key while he was underage.”

“Very well.” The goblin pulled out a form and scribbled on it for a moment before turning his attention back to them. “To verify your identity, Mr. Potter, I will need you to place a drop of blood here.”

The goblin handed the boy a small needle and he quickly poked his finger. He then squeezed a drop onto the indicated area and watched in fascination as the form emitted a bright blue glow before returning to normal.

“You identity has been verified. Here is your new key.” The goblin handed over the shiny new gold key and Harry clutched it tightly in his hand, not wanting to lose it. The goblin barked out a command in a rather funny language, Harry thought, which caused another goblin to come over. “Griphook will escort you to your vault.”

“Thank you,” Harry said politely. The goblin looked astounded for a moment before inclining his head.

As they followed Griphook, Harry whispered to Professor Snape, “Why was he shocked when I said thanks?”

“Goblins are not accustomed to receiving appreciation from wizards,” Severus explained. “Many tend to look down on them as inferior beings and don’t feel they are worth thanking or even acknowledging more than necessary.”

“Well that’s rude,” Catherine stated bluntly. “Everyone, no matter what skin color or species, should be treated equally. What do you think causes wars and such?”

Before they could discuss the matter further, they reached a small cart.

“What are we doing?” Cathy asked. It looked like they were going to ride a roller coaster or something.

“We are going to Mr. Potter’s vault,” the goblin stated simply.

“The cart will take us through the underground tunnels, where the vaults are located,” the potions professor explained. “It will be a short ride but it will seem like those muggle… ruler coasters?... as you call them.”

Harry giggled. “Roller coasters,” he corrected.

“Yes, yes,” the man said dismissively. He held open the cart door and motioned for Cathy to enter first. She did so and Harry quickly followed after her. Soon, the cart was off and Harry was laughing with the excitement of it. Who knew taking a trip to the bank would be so much fun?

The cart finally slowed and just moments ago, Harry could have sworn he saw a dragon. He shook it off as if imagination getting the best of him. But then again… this was a magical world with other species such as goblins. So were there dragons as well? And vampires? Werewolves? Unicorns? He’d have to ask Professor Snape when he got a chance.

“Vault six hundred and eighty-seven,” Griphook announced as they stopped fully.

“Wow! What a ride!” Harry exclaimed. “Can we go faster on the way back?”

“No!” Cathy and Severus replied at the same time. The two adults were both looking a tad sick from the fast ride.

Harry pouted. “You’re no fun,” he grumbled.

“Key please,” Griphook requested as he stood in front of the vault entrance. Harry handed over the key and watched as the goblin placed it in the lock. The vault door shook for a moment and slowly opened. Harry felt his jaw drop open as he stared at the mounds of gold before him. He suddenly felt the childish urge to jump in it and throw it around, but decided his mum and Professor Snape wouldn’t like that at all.

“Is this all his?” Catherine asked in astonishment. “I mean, his parents left him all this?”

“Yes,” Severus replied. “I believe there is also a family vault, which contains heirlooms.” He looked the goblin for confirmation and Griphook nodded.

“How much do I need?” Harry asked. “What are they called? Where can I place the coins?”

Severus took a moment to explain the proper names for wizarding money along with how many Knuts in a Sickle and how many Sickles to a Galleon. He also showed them where several small money bags were located inside the vault. After placing a generous amount in one of the little bags, the three left. They climbed back into the cart and sped away back to the bank lobby.

“Thanks for the ride Mister Griphook,” Harry said enthusiastically. That was fun! He couldn’t wait until they had to come back again for more money. Although, it looked like his mum would rather wait in the lobby next time while Harry made the trip down to his vault.

The goblin gave him a wryly grin before leaving to tend to other customers.

“So where are we going-” Harry began.

A loud slam came from the bank entrance. The hairs on the back of Harry’s neck stood up as an odd screeching alarm sounded from the vault tunnels. The once calm bright room was now filled with shouts coming from both wizards and goblins.

“What’s going on?” Harry’s voice shook slightly.

“Be quiet for a moment,” Severus instructed as he pulled out his wand. His eyes scanned the crowds furiously as he searched for the cause of the panic. There were no obvious signs of a problem, other than the sounds of an alarm coming from the tunnels they previously exited.

Harry was scared. This wasn’t exactly the best introduction to the wizarding world. The trip had been fine so far, up until the point where they became locked in a bank full of panicking people. The goblins looked furious, while the wizards and witches of all ages tried to get out of the bank. The doors were sealed and with the wards around the bank, there was no escaping until the goblins reopened the doors.

Harry raised his shaky hand and grasped Cathy’s for support. She clutched it tightly and gave a comforting squeeze. They remained where they were standing to avoid getting separated with all the people running around.

Finally, a goblin stood on one of the counters and called for attention. He was a short, wrinkly and old, but he still managed to gain everyone’s attention. The room quieted down fully after a few moments.

“Someone has broken into a vault.” Gasps were heard throughout the crowd of fifty or so wizards and witches. They immediately began whispering amongst each other but were quickly silenced by the old goblin. “You all will remain here until we have completed our investigation.”

“How long will that be?” One wizard called out from the back.

“We will be finished within the hour,” The goblin stated before getting down. He hissed out a few commands to other goblins and they rushed off to follow his orders. A few of them were in charge of getting the wizards and witches to sit down or at least to move away from the door.

Severus led them to the side, where Cathy and Harry could sit down. Severus insisted on standing, wand still out, as he surveyed the area. It was obvious there wasn’t an attack but the man was still paranoid something could happen. The person who broken into one of the vaults could easily be in the crowd.

After Harry had a chance to relax, he started pestering the potions master about other questions he’d been holding on to. He asked about dragons, and if there were some guarding the vaults. Once he got started on one magical creature, that led to questions on other creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and unicorns.

Severus, being the knowledgeable professor he was, answered all the boy’s questions thoroughly. Catherine listened intently too, imagining all the creatures that were described. Severus made a comment about Harry practically being a Ravenclaw with all his questions and his statement caused another round of questions to pop up. Harry didn’t know what a Ravenclaw was, so Severus had to explain each of the four houses. He mentioned Slytherin house with much pride and ensured Harry that despite the rumors, the entire house was not all bad. To prove his point, he brought up Sirius Black, a Gryffindor who went bad.

Before long, the doors opened, but it wasn’t to let the people out. Several Ministry employees with dark red robes entered the bank. Severus let out a soft sigh, causing his two companions to look at his questioningly.

“Who are they? The ones in red, I mean,” Catherine asked.

“They are Aurors,” Severus replied. At their blank looks he added, “Ministry law enforcement.”

“What d’you think they’re here for?” Harry wondered.

“Probably helping the goblins with their investigation,” the boy’s mum replied.

A particularly odd looking Auror headed their way. His entire face was covered with scars and he appeared to have a fake eye in. That was obvious by how it swiveled around in the socket, in ways which no normal eye could. The man also walked with a limp, and when his pant leg rode up, Harry could see why. He was just like one of those pirate characters with a wooden peg leg.

“Snape,” the man grunted. His magical eye swiveled around until it focused on Harry. The boy stared at him for a second before looking away.

“Moody,” the potions master replied tightly.

“Who’s this? Did you finally leave your dungeons and start a family?”

Severus clenched his fists tightly. “No,” he replied after regaining composure.

“Well then who’s the lad? Rumor up the alley is that you’ve got a son.” Moody’s eye swiveled to Cathy, who stared defiantly at the man. He couldn’t intimidate her the slightest.

Severus’ nostrils flared violently and his scowl deepened. Damn Hagrid and his big mouth. The man had a few drinks and now this ridiculous rumor spread around. When they finally manage to get out of this blasted bank, Hogwarts students will probably be staring, each trying to glimpse the potions master and his rumored family.

“This is Mrs. McKinney and her son. He will be attending Hogwarts this year.” Severus didn’t supply any further information. He scowled at Moody, who smirked at him before walking away. The man knew the rumor wasn’t true, but he still came over to taunt Severus over the ridiculous matter.

“Who was that weird guy and what happened to him?” Cathy asked.

“That was Alastor Moody, an old ministry Auror. All those scars were caused from battles he’s been in.”

“That eye of his… is it magical? Like does it do special things or something?” Harry asked.

“I believe it is capable of seeing through glamours and invisibility charms or cloaks,” the man replied.

“Does that mean he could see through mine?” the boy wondered.

Severus shook his head. “He can’t see through your particular disguise.”

Harry nodded. He understood that Severus meant his Metamorphmagus ability. As he sat there, he recognized a goblin that was walking by.

“Mr. Griphook,” Harry called out.

The goblin stopped and turned towards the boy with a slightly astonished expression on his face. Goblins all looked so similar, but yet this one polite child recognized him and remembered his name. That alone was a rare occurrence at Gringotts.

“Yes, Mr. Potter. What can I do for you?”

Severus searched around, with a paranoid look on his face as he ensured that no one was close enough to hear the name Potter. All the people were relatively calm now, unlike the madness from earlier, and all they needed was for someone to hear the name Potter.

“Are we going to be able to leave soon? I’ve got to get my supplies and all,” he replied enthusiastically.

“Yes, I believe we are all finished here,” Griphook replied.

“Did you catch the guy? The one that robbed you?” The boy asked, leaning in to hear the response.

The goblin shook his head. “We did not. However, the vault in question was not robbed for it had been emptied previously today.”

“Oh, well that’s good then. You know, that you didn’t actually get robbed. Just broken into I guess,” Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yes, we are fortunate for that,” the goblin replied. “I’m sure you will be released momentarily. Have a good day Mr. Potter.” Griphook inclined his head before walking off.

Not too much after Griphook said that, the doors were finally opened. Many of the wizards and witches rushed for the exit to escape the stuffy bank. Severus held Cathy and Harry back, not wanting to lose either in the crowd. Once it was safe, the three finally headed back into the alley where they had shopping to finish up.

Harry wasn’t too sure what to think of Mr. Ollivander. They had just visited the man’s shop to get a wand, which Harry was thrilled to finally get. The creepy thing about his Phoenix Feather wand was that it was apparently the brother to Voldemort, the man who killed his biological parents. He really didn’t know what to think about that. It was kind of weird too how Mr. Ollivander knew who he was, even with his disguise. The man didn’t even blink before he greeted him as Harry Potter.

The boy figured the man must have been expecting him and perhaps remembered what his parents looked like. If people looked hard enough, they would be able to tell he was James and Lily Potter’s son, but no one was looking for Harry Potter to be with Professor Snape. As it was, people, namely students, were occasionally glancing their way to see if their potions professor was out with his own kid. Cathy had strawberry-blond hair and since Harry’s was black, people assumed Snape was a likely candidate to be the boy’s father. It was rather amusing to Harry, who could barely hold back his laughter, whenever some student looked their way. Professor Snape would get this angry scowl on his face that made the boy want to laugh. It was if the man was plotting ways to give the students detention before the school year even started.

After the wand shop, Harry was fitted for his robes. He met a nice young boy, who was also starting Hogwarts this year, named Neville. Harry tried asking the boy questions about Hogwarts, but Neville was pretty shy and claimed he didn’t know much. What he did know though, he shared with Harry, who was only too eager to listen.

Once Harry received his robes, he followed his mum and Professor Snape to the apothecary store. It was dark and dingy in there, plus it smelled terrible. Harry quickly followed the potions professor through the store to purchase the required ingredients. After they escaped that store, they visited a few others for items such as quills, parchment and other things. Finally, they headed towards their last stop of the day, which happened to be the bookstore. They were tired and ready to head home, so they gathered the necessary books quickly before departing.

Before going home, they decided to stop at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. Harry flipped though his book while he waited for his food. Professor Snape had excused himself a short while ago, and hadn’t returned yet. Harry was skimming through his History of Magic book when Professor Snape returned.

He coughed to gain Harry’s attention. The boy looked up and gasped. The man was carrying a cage with a stunning white owl in it, the same one he’d looked at earlier.

“She’s for you,” Severus explained. “Every child needs a familiar and owls are particularly useful creatures as well.”

“She’s beautiful,” Cathy commented as she looked at the amber eyes of the owl.

“Wow!” the boy exclaimed. “Thank you!”

Severus gave a sharp nod. “Consider her an early birthday gift.”

“Thank you so much!” Harry said again. He looked closely at the bird and smiled at her. She hooted softly at him.

“What are you going to call her?” the boy’s mum asked. Harry glanced down at his open History of Magic book.

“Hedwig,” he replied with a smile. “I’ll call her Hedwig.”

After Severus escorted the two McKinneys home, he Apparated back to Hogwarts. The potions master hoped that the Headmaster had returned from his latest errand at the Ministry of Magic. The incompetent Minister, Cornelius Fudge, had requested aid from the Dumbledore who, as usual, rushed to the man’s side. The Headmaster had been gone since and had yet to learn about Harry Potter.

Severus was sure the older man wouldn’t be pleased when he learned his precious golden boy wasn’t living with Petunia. He sneered when he thought of those dreadful people. Even the potions master himself wouldn’t have sent the boy to her if he’d known. After growing up around both Petunia and Lily, he could easily see that Petunia was jealous of her sister.

“Acid Pops,” Severus muttered crossly. He hated these ridiculous passwords that the Headmaster insisted on using. He walked up the staircase and knocked politely on the door.

“Come in Severus,” the Headmaster said wearily.

The potions master entered and noted immediately that the older man was fatigued and exhausted.

“Good afternoon Headmaster.”

“Tea, Severus?” the man nodded and accepted the offered cup.

“I have some news concerning Harry Potter,” the dark-haired man said after setting his cup back on the table.

Albus leaned forward and peered at the man across from him. Severus managed to say the name Harry Potter without any of his usual malice, which immediately put the Headmaster on alert. Since Severus was so gifted at hiding his emotions, Albus couldn’t tell if something was seriously wrong or not.

“What is it? Has something happened to the boy?” Dumbledore glanced at some odd gadgets on his shelves briefly. Nothing appeared out of place.

“Yes,” Severus replied slowly. “The boy is no longer in the care of the muggles you left him with. Why you left the boy with Petunia Evans, of all people, is inconceivable to me.”

“I left him there so he could be protected by the blood war-”

“What protection?” Severus exclaimed angrily and jumped to his feet. He immediately began pacing the office.

“What has happened, my boy?” Albus inquired worriedly. “Where is the boy now, if he is not with them?”

Severus sat back down wearily. He started explaining how he first met the boy near Diagon Alley and ended with how the boy brought him the letter, which exposed the child’s real name. He also included the bit where Catherine explained how she received custody of the boy.

By the end of the explanation, the Headmaster was sad for the child’s suffering but his blue eyes were twinkling. Severus groaned mentally, knowing that the man was probably scheming. As it was, the Headmaster had previously told him to give Harry Potter a chance rather than assuming what the boy was like. Unknowingly, Severus gave the boy a chance and now he’s seen the real boy, rather than the Potter Junior that he’d been expecting.

“What are you going to do about the Dursleys?” Severus demanded after he finished explaining. “Why didn’t you notice the boy was gone?”

The Headmasters took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I had someone who watched over the house for me and she never informed me that anything was amiss.”

“Who?”

“Arabella Figg,” Albus replied.

“Isn’t she a squib?”

Dumbledore nodded. “She lived not too far from Mr. Potter’s relatives. If anything happened to Harry, she should have flooed me immediately.”

“When was the last time you heard from her?”

“It’s been several years, I’m afraid. She only contacted me if something was wrong and I assumed that everything was fine since I had not heard from her. These,” the man motioned towards the devices he’d glanced at earlier, “tell me if the wards around Privet Drive are still functioning. They all appear to be working fine.”

“Hm,” Severus grunted. The man sitting in front of him placed their saviour under the watch of a squib and some ridiculous devices. A lot of good that did.

“I would like to visit Arabella to see why she has not contacted me and I’d like to visit the Dursleys. Care to join me?”

Severus nodded immediately. He would love to meet Vernon Dursley in particular.

The Headmaster got to his feet and grabbed a pinch of floo powder. “Arabella Figg’s residence!” He stepped in the green flames and was immediately whisked away. Severus copied his actions and stepped from the fireplace into a surprising scene.

Albus was currently standing in front of two very spooked muggles. He was trying to calm them down, but had no success. Severus cast a few calming spells on the two and watched as they both relaxed perceptibly.

“Is this not Figg’s residence?” Severus asked.

Dumbledore sighed, “This is her house but neither person is her.”

“Who are you?” Severus asked. “Do you know what happened to the woman that used to live here?”

“She passed,” the woman began. “I think there was an accident that happened several years ago. Apparently she tripped over one of her cats and fell down the stairs. At least that’s what the realtor mentioned.”

“How did you get in here?” the man wondered.

“That is not your concern,” Severus replied. He turned back to Albus, “Are we done here?”

Dumbledore nodded. He waved his wand an obliviated the two muggles before they left the house. Once outside, he cast a notice-me-not spell over the two to prevent unwanted attention from nearby muggles. They both walked quickly until they reached the Dursley’s residence. There was a car parked in the driveway, which meant they were likely to catch them while they were home.

Albus rang the doorbell and waited for it to be answered. A plump blond boy, about Harry’s age, answered the door.

“What d’you want?” he asked rudely.

“We would like to speak to your parents,” Dumbledore stated.

“Why?”

“Because,” Severus growled. He had no tolerance for rude boys such as the one standing before them. “Go get them. Now.”

Dudley scowled and turned his face towards the kitchen to yell out, “Mum! There are some weird people asking for you!”

Dumbledore frowned as he studied the wards around the house. He could tell that the security wards, such as the anti-Apparation and portkey wards, were still intact. However, he could not feel any signs of the blood wards. They must have collapsed once Harry was gone.

“What do-” Petunia began. She took one look at them and started to close the door. Severus stuck his foot in the doorway to prevent it from closing all the way.

“I have nothing to say to you freaks. Now get off my property!” Petunia commanded.

“No. I suggest you let us inside now to discuss this matter,” Severus snarled.

It was then the woman looked at Severus closer. “You! You’re that freaky boy that corrupted Lily.”

“I did not corrupt your sister. She was born a witch and I had nothing to do with that,” Severus stated firmly. “I advise you to let us enter. Now.” Must he repeat himself constantly?

Petunia scowled but opened the door. The two men entered and immediately met her large, purple-faced husband.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “And what are you doing in my house?”

“My name is Albus Dumbledore and this is my associate Severus Snape. We are here to discuss Harry Potter-”

“That freak? He’s long gone. Now leave!” Vernon insisted.

“We will not leave until you have answered our questions,” Dumbledore stated.

“What do you want to know?” Petunia asked quietly.

“Why? How could you abandon him in London?” the older wizard asked.

“Because he was a worthless freak!” Vernon shouted.

Petunia made to hush her husband but it was too late. Severus had already whipped out his wand and silenced the large man. Vernon started screaming explicates but nothing was heard. Once he realized his voice no longer worked, he turned a dark purple shade before launching himself at Severus. Snape was prepared of course and mumbled a spell which had Vernon hanging in the air upside down.

“Severus,” Albus warned. Snape sighed and regretfully returned Vernon right side up. He bound the man to a chair to prevent him from attacking them again.

Petunia scowled at the whole scene, but made no move to help her husband. She was smart enough to tolerate their presence without causing more trouble as her husband had already done. She was thankful that Dudley was up in his room and had not witnessed any of this freakish magic.

“I ask you again, Petunia. Why could you not treat Harry as your own child? Why did you abandon him in London?”

“That boy was a freak. I couldn’t treat him as part of this family with his abnormalities. It isn’t normal and I couldn’t stand Dudley being around him. What if my precious Dudders was contaminated?”

Severus sneered. “You imprudent muggle. Being around a wizard is not like some disease that your son could catch.”

“Hmph. Either way, the boy was gone once he started doing freakish stuff.”

“I am ashamed of your Petunia,” Albus remarked. “I thought you would be able to care for a young innocent child but I was wrong.”

Petunia began to look a little worried. “W-what are you going to do to us?”

Severus smirked at her and pulled out his wand.

Harry put the last book in his trunk before closing the lid. These last few weeks had been wonderful. Ever since he found out he was a wizard, he’d been reading as much as he could. He especially loved his potions books since he was finally able to learn more on his favourite subject.

He also loved practicing the spells, without actually casting them though. Professor Snape mentioned how he was forbidden from casting spells outside of Hogwarts until he was of age. The best part about that rule was that only he knew it. Connor didn’t, which meant the man would steer clear of him.

Harry had even taken to practicing wand movements while Connor was near. The man would always get nervous and usually leave the room. Harry couldn’t help but enjoy those moments since he felt as if he had some power over the bigger man.

Harry pulled on his pajamas and crawled into bed. It would be the last time he slept in this bed until Christmas time since it was the last day of August. Tomorrow, he would leave and finally start learning magic.

A soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He softly called for the person to enter and smiled when his mum peeked in. She came and sat on the edge of his bed.

“Excited about tomorrow?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. I’m excited and a little nervous. I’m going to miss you since I won’t get to see you until Christmas time,” he admitted softly.

Catherine hugged the boy. “It’ll be okay. As long as you write me often, then everything will be okay. If you forget though, I’ll have Professor Snape help me make one of those screaming letter things… howlers?”

Harry giggled. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?” He gave her a pathetic puppy-dog look that caused her to melt.

“Of course not,” she replied with a smile. “If you forget to write me though, then Hedwig won’t come here to pick up your goodie packages.”

“Mmm, what kinds of goodies are you going to send me?” Harry asked.

Cathy shook her head. “Nope, my lips are sealed.” She looked around conspiratorially. “But I will say that between me and your Grandmum, you’ll always get something good.”

Harry yawned. “That sounds good.”

Cathy gently pushed the boy on his back and pulled the covers up. “You should get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“G’night mum,” Harry said as he closed his eyes. Cathy leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Good night,” she replied softly.

After a tearful departure, Harry finally separated from his mum. Connor had to work so he and Harry said their goodbyes earlier that morning. Since Cathy was nearby, Connor made sure to give the kid a pat on 

the head and mumbled something about staying out of trouble before he left. Harry hadn’t realized how hard it would be to leave his mum. It was the first he’d be away from his mum for an extended amount of time. But finally Harry managed to separate from her in order to board the magnificent red train.

They had arrived early so it wasn’t too crowded when he searched for a compartment. He pulled his trunk into one that was currently empty and sat down. A short buzz in his pocket startled him. He pulled out a little prank toy that he’d found earlier in the car. It was one of those hand buzzers that someone would wear before shaking hands. Harry didn’t know why he grabbed it from the car, but he felt like it might be useful in case he wanted to joke around with anyone.

Harry nervously ran a hand through his hair. He was very nervous about the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing. He didn’t care for the idea of being famous but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He pressed a hand on his forehead where the scar was and willed it to show. People knew he had it so there was no point in hiding it any further anyway.

A short while later, a young blond-haired girl entered. She looked around and smiled at Harry.

“Hi. Do you mind if I join you in here? It’s getting pretty full out there.”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’m Harry.”

“I’m Susan.” She reached out and shook his hand and gasped when she saw the lightning bolt scar. “Oh! You’re Harry Potter?”

Harry bit his lip. “Yeah.”

“So what house do you want to be in?” Susan asked curiously.

Harry stared at her for a minute. That was it? No questions on what it’s like to be the Boy-Who-Lived? He had been expecting questions from everyone and stares but she didn’t make a bid deal about it.

Harry blushed when he realized he had missed her question. “Sorry. What’d you ask?”

“I just wanted to know if you had any ideas on what house you wanted to be in,” she replied.

“I dunno. I wouldn’t mind going in any of the houses.”

“Really? Even Slytherin?”

“Yeah. I’ve known Professor Snape for a while and he’s really nice to me. He’s head of Slytherin so I think I’d like to be in his house.”

“I’ve heard stories that Professor Snape is really mean to the students,” Susan said.

Harry shrugged. “He can be cranky sometimes but as long as you follow his directions in class, then you should be alright.”

“Well, I don’t think I’ll end up in his house. My family has mostly gone in Hufflepuff so I’ll probably end up there.”

“Do you have a lot of family?” Harry asked.

“Not really. My parents and grandparents died in the last war so I’ve been living with my Aunt Amelia. She’s Head of the DMLE.”

Harry frowned. “What’s DMLE?”

“Department of Magical Law Enforcement,” Susan replied. “How come you didn’t know that? Weren’t your parents both magical?”

“Yeah but I didn’t find out I was a wizard until a month ago,” Harry replied.

“Really? How did that happen?”

Harry bit his lip. “It’s a long story that I’d rather not go into,” he replied softly.

Susan nodded. “Okay, that’s fine.”

The two continued chatting for a bit and finally the train left the station. They had been chatting for a while when two twin red-headed boys entered.

“Look Gred. Its two innocent firsties,” one said.

“I see Forge. Think of all the pranks we could play on them,” the other suggested.

They both bowed simultaneously.

“He’s Fred,”

“And he’s George,” They introduced, alternating between who’s speaking.

Harry slipped his hand in his pocket. They mentioned pranks earlier and he knew they would appreciate a good joke. He felt the cold metal buzzer slip onto his hand before he pulled it from his pocket.

“Hi, that’s Susan and I’m Harry.” The boy held his hand out and shook George’s—or was it Fred’s?—hand. The other boy jumped as he shook the hand and was zapped by the buzzer.

“Whoa. What was that?” the red-head asked.

“Nothing,” Harry answered innocently.

“Go on,” the first boy prompted his twin. “Shake his hand.”

The second red-head cautiously shook Harry’s hand and was zapped as well.

“Wicked,” he commented. “How’d you do that?”

Harry pulled of the buzzer toy and handed it to them. They examined it and played around with it for a minute before handing it back to Harry.

“Where’d you get this?” Fred asked.

Harry shrugged. “Dunno. I found it in my car on the way over and thought I’d bring it. Seems like you two are having a lot of fun with it.”

“Is this a muggle prank?”

Harry nodded slowly. Professor Snape had mentioned that many wizards were prejudice against muggleborns. Technically he wasn’t one, but he was raised as a muggle. Neither boy cared though and Susan didn’t look concerned either.

George whispered to his twin, “I think we may have found a new potential prankster.”

“Yes, he is young and corruptible too,” Fred whispered back.

“You know I can hear you, right?” Harry commented with a smirk.

They shrugged and went back to whispering. Harry looked over at Susan and shook his head in amusement. She was smiling too at the twins antics.

The compartment door opened and a blond-haired boy entered. He held himself regally and looked snobbish with his expensively tailored robes.

“Are you Harry Potter?” the boy asked, looking at the dark-haired boy. “Rumour on the train is that you’re coming to Hogwarts this year,”

Harry nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m, Harry Potter.” He saw the shocked expression on the twin’s face.

Draco glanced over at the Weasley’s and looked disdainfully at them. “You must be Weasleys with those shabby robes and that appalling red hair. Potter, you should hang out with better people like myself. I’m Draco, by the way. Draco Malfoy.”

Harry made sure the buzzer was in his hand before reaching out to grasp Draco’s hand. He really didn’t care for the attitude of the boy and would rather not hang around him. Draco jumped and yanked his hand away after he felt the buzz.

“What was that?” he demanded. A pink tinge crept up his face as he tried to cover up his shock.

Harry shrugged. “Why don’t you leave before these two decide to hex you for your rude comments?”

Draco stomped off with a sullen scowl on his face.

“Nice one,” Fred commented.

“If you ever have any problems with that one-”

“Or any other person-”

“Let us know and we’ll prank ‘em.”

Harry smiled. “Thanks guys. Here,” he handed them the muggle prank toy. “Why don’t you guys keep that? Have some fun with it.”

“Thanks,” they replied together. “We should go check on-”

“Ickle Ronnikins. He’s a firstie too. We hope-”

“To see you in Gryffindor,” They finished together.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll be in Gryffindor. Probably Slytherin.”

The twins exchanged glances. “That’s fine with us but-”

“You’d better be careful around the other snakes-”

“Along with the Head of Slytherin, Professor-”

“Snape. He’s a strict one, but he-”

“Knows the potions subject well.”

Harry nodded. “I know. I’ve met him before.”

“Well, it won’t matter to us-”

“Whichever house you go into. Don’t forget-”

“That if you have any problems, you-”

“Can come to us anytime,” they finished simultaneously. They bowed again before leaving the compartment.

Harry looked over at Susan. “You won’t mind if I end up in Slytherin, will you? I’ve heard a lot of people are prejudice against that house. Saying they’re dark and evil people.”

“I don’t care. I know you aren’t a bad person and if you end up in Slytherin, then you end up there. It won’t matter to me,” Susan reassured.

Harry smiled. “Thanks. It’s good to hear that not everyone will mind.”

“I’m not sure how the rest of the school will react though, with you being the Boy-Who-Lived,” Susan pointed out.

“I know,” the boy replied. “But honestly, I don’t care that much. I’m sure people would be shocked, but I’d like having Professor Snape as my Head of House.”

The compartment door opened and a tall black boy with dark hair entered. “Mind if I join you? Sure? Thanks,” he said before waiting for an answer. He plopped down on the seat next to Harry.

“Um… Who are you?” Susan asked.

“I’m Blaise Zabini. Who’re you?”

“Susan Bones,” she replied.

Harry looked at the boy next to him. “Harry Potter.”

“That’s nice,” he replied. “I was kicked from my compartment so I’m going to take a snooze here. Keep the voices low, will you? Thanks.” The boy propped his legs on the seat across from him, next to Susan, and closed his eyes.

Susan looked at Harry and giggled quietly. Harry smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Harry stood with the other first years in the Great Hall. It was magnificent in there with the beautiful ceiling that was bewitched to look like the nights sky. All the older students were currently sitting at their tables wearing their robes. Harry and the other first years had to ride the boats across the lake. That was when they caught their first glimpse of Hogwarts. It was a sight to remember, that was for sure. Once they reached the castle, Professor McGonagall had led them to the corridor outside the Great Hall. Hogwarts had several ghosts, as the first years came to find out. The ghosts chatted with several first years for a minute before floating away. Just as they left, McGonagall had returned and let them into the Great Hall. The first years were currently staring at a Hat on a footstool.

Suddenly, the hat moved and began singing:

Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Harry stood nervously as he waited for the Hat to call his name. Susan was already sorted and she had gone into Hufflepuff like she’d predicted. He scowled as Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. If he ended up there, he could just avoid the annoying blond-haired boy.

“Potter, Harry,” Professor McGonagall called out.

Harry swallowed nervously as he approached the stool. The hat was dropped over his head as the whispers started spreading.

“Hmm… Difficult. You have courage... plenty for Gryffindor. What’s this? You don’t really want to go there? Ahh… You’d like to be in Slytherin with Professor Snape. Hm, yes. You would do well there. If that is where you want to be then it had better be… SLYTHERIN!”

The Great Hall was silent.

Harry slowly removed the hat and handed it to a shocked Professor McGonagall. She stood there, her mouth gaping, but quickly came to her senses. She accepted the hat with a slight frown and gestured towards the Slytherin table. Harry walked towards the table, his footsteps echoing in the silent hall.

Over at the Gryffindor table, the Weasley twins started clapping for the boy. Susan, over at the Hufflepuff table, began clapping as well. It wasn’t long before many were clapping politely as the Boy-Who-Lived sat down. Harry slid onto the bench and met the curious stares of his new housemates. The blond boy from the train, Draco, stared at Harry with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before calling out the next name. There were only a few more students left and the boy Harry met earlier on the train, Blaise Zabini, was last to be sorted. He was sorted into Slytherin and chose to slide into the empty seat next to Harry.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, rose to his feet. “Welcome!” he began. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin out banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!” The beaming Headmaster resumed his seat as the students clapped.

“Seems the Headmaster is a bit barmy,” Blaise stated enthusiastically. “But I like him!”

Harry shook his head in amusement. He then paused, blinked twice, and closed his mouth, which had dropped open. Food had appeared—just like that! Seeing magic like this would take a bit of getting used to.

The aroma of the food caused him to place a bit of everything onto his plate. He dug in and nearly groaned in pleasure. The food was absolutely delicious! Some of the dishes he’d never even seen before, but they looked tasty. They tasted as wonderful as they looked and Harry longed to get the recipe to share with his mum. A sudden pang of sadness crept upon him. It seemed like a long time to go without seeing his mum, but he was grateful that he at least had Professor Snape to talk to.

As if sensing thoughts directed towards him, the Potions Professor turned towards the Slytherin table and met the stare of his newest addition. Harry Potter in Slytherin house was quite a shock, but it had always been a possibility. Severus had seen the Slytherin tendencies in Harry, but he figured the boy would follow in his parents’ steps anyway.

Harry smiled at the man he’d gotten to know so well over the past year. The Professor gave him a sharp nod in return. As Harry gazed across the staff table, he suddenly felt and odd sharp sting in his forehead. He winced and raised his hand up to his scar and rubbed it lightly. Harry looked around and tried to figure out what had caused the sharp pain but came up empty handed. No one had their wand out so it couldn’t have been a stinging hex or something similar.

Harry glanced up at the Head Table and winced again as he met the stare of one of the professor’s. This man wore a purple turban and frowned at him before turning back to his food. Harry didn’t have time to ponder the teacher any further once the desserts arrived.

The dark-haired boy grinned as he surveyed the variety of dessert items in front of him. They all looked so wonderful that he couldn’t help but take a little of this and that. Before long, he was completely stuffed and feeling sleepy.

The jovial Headmaster got to his feet again and the hall silenced as they waited for him to speak.

“Just a few more words to add before we retire to out dormitories for the evening,” he began. “First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.”

Harry laughed softly as the Headmaster’s twinkling eyes glanced over at the Weasley twins. He knew from the moment he met them that they were into all types of mischief.

“I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in between classes in the corridors. Also, Quidditch trials will be help in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch.

“And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side if out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.”

Harry wasn’t sure if the man was serious. He spared a quick glance at Professor Snape and knew the Headmaster was not joking around. A few other students had laughed but this certainly wasn’t a laughing matter.

“And now, before we go to bed, let us since the school song!” cried Dumbledore. Harry grinned as he recognised the scowl of Professor Snape’s face. It was the expression the man usually wore when he was quite displeased about something. The other professors’ expressions were rather forced as well as they began singing along.

As the song came to an end, the two Weasley boys continued singing along to a very slow funeral tune. Harry clapped and gave a tired grin once they finally finished.

“And now, bedtime,” the Headmaster said. “Off you trot!”

Harry sleepily got to his feet and followed his other housemates. Blaise walked along side of him, quiet and sleepy like the rest of the first years. They students stopped as they reached a blank stone wall. Harry watched as an older student said the password, Serpent, and the wall shifted. Similar to the entrance to Diagon Alley, the wall formed an archway that permitted the students to enter.

Sofas were scattered about the darkened room along with several bookshelves lined against the walls. Primary colours in the room were their house colours, green and silver. There were no windows since the common room itself was located under the lake.

Harry looked around the common room and spotted Professor Snape in the corner. The boy was surprised to see that the man was already in there waiting for them. The Potions Master stepped out of the shadows.

“Take a seat,” he ordered.

“Welcome to Slytherin,” Professor Snape said as he surveyed his newest students. “Pride. Cunning. Unity. Survival. Power,” he said pausing dramatically with each word. “These are all factors of the Slytherin house, the house which you have been sorted into and will remain a member of until you complete your schooling here. As a Slytherin, you shall face suspicion and fear by other students and professors. In order to survive, the Slytherin house must remain united at all times. I cannot stress that point enough times. A lone Slytherin is an easier target than a group.

“Tomorrow morning during breakfast I will hand out your class schedules. I expect all of my students, new and returning, to abide by the rules at all times. You are to arrive promptly and fully prepared for your classes. If any of you need my assistance, you will find me in my office on the designated hours, which are listed on the notice board. Should you require assistance navigating the school, the older students will aid you for the first week only. After that, you are expected to know the basic routes to and from your classes. I have nothing further to add. You are dismissed.”

Harry and the rest of the first years headed to their designated dorm. Inside there were six beds spread about with trunks at the foot of each bed. Harry located his bed rather quickly since it was stationed right by the door.

After rummaging through his trunk, Harry pulled out a pair of pyjamas and headed towards the bathroom to wash up before bed. A pale, dark-haired boy was exiting the bathroom as Harry entered.

“Watch it Potter,” the pale boy snapped as he shoved by Harry.

The green-eyed boy frowned slightly, but shrugged it off and went to the sink to wash up. He changed while in a stall, not comfortable enough to change in front of the others.

Harry exited the bathroom and met the curious stares of his new housemates. The blond boy from the train was staring particularly hard, in a manner which made Harry feel as if the boy were judging him.

“What?” Harry asked irritably. He had expected some staring, but it was getting on his nerves now.

“Did you really live with muggles?” Draco spat the last word out like it was pure filth.

He shrugged. “So what?” Harry drew himself upright and tried to imitate one of Professor Snape’s glares. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Draco didn’t seem too bothered by the stare, but he did look away. “But-muggles? You should’ve grown up with a proper wizarding family! Not some filthy muggles!”

Harry whipped out his wand quickly and pointed it directly at Draco. The blonds’ own wand was just out of reach and he made no move to grab it; instead he watched Harry.

“Don’t ever call my mum- adoptive mum-” he corrected, seeing as everyone knew his real mother was dead, “a filthy muggle again. Is that clear?”

Draco stared, wide-eyed, at the dark-haired boy before him. The green eyes were blazing with anger, causing Draco to swallow nervously. He didn’t want to get on Harry Potter’s bad side any time soon.

“I- I apologize,” Draco ground out. Malfoy’s never apologized but he’d make an exception this once.

Harry lowered his wand and nodded his head sharply. He finished walking to his bed, ignoring the silence in the room.

A low whistle startled the first year boys. They turned towards Blaise Zabini, who was smirking.

“Hm, I think I’ll give you a 4.3 out of 5. You were pretty frightening back there,” Blaise commented as he leaned back on his bed post. “But there’s still room for improvement.”

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

“I think hanging around you will prove to be very interesting,” the boy added with a mischievous grin.

“Stuff it Zabini,” Harry snapped half-heartedly.

He closed his curtain before anyone else could bother him and pulled his legs up to his chest. In attempt to calm his racing heart, he concentrated on the breathing techniques Professor Snape taught him. He, a boy with no practical experience with casting spells, had pulled a wand on a pureblood boy, who more than likely knew and had used spells before.

He reacted without thinking, like a foolish Gryffindor as Professor Snape would’ve said. He couldn’t let Draco get away with calling his mum a filthy muggle though. The threat seemed to have worked, which Harry was relieved to know.

After his heart rate went back to normal, he crawled into his bed fully. He could hear the other boys shuffling around as they prepared for bed. It wasn’t long before the other boy’s snores filled the room. Harry stayed awake for some time, unable to fall asleep. He missed his mum already and his mind was too busy worrying about tomorrow’s classes to allow him the comfort of sleep. Finally, after much tossing and turning, Harry fell into a deep sleep.

Harry sat at the Slytherin table the next morning, pushing food around on his plate. He’d eaten some, but with so many students staring blatantly at him, he couldn’t bring himself to eat much. He only managed a couple bites before he started pushing it around more than eating it.

Professor Snape spotted the boy’s discomfort immediately and began glaring at any student that stared at the young boy. Many got the picture and turned their focus away from Harry. Severus studied the boy and noted the dark circles which likely meant the boy had a restless night sleep. According to the boy’s adoptive mother, Harry hadn’t been away from her for a long stretch of time. She had mentioned how the boy had been rather clingy to her since she’d adopted him. Perhaps being away from her would do the boy some good, and Severus could only hope it wouldn’t cause the boy to break down at some point either.

After a glance at the clock, Severus gathered his bundle of timetables and stood. He strode towards the Slytherin table, cloak billowing behind him, and began passing out timetables to his students. Harry received his and looked it over. First class was Transfiguration. He gathered his belongings and went in search of the classroom, Blaise trailing behind him.

The two boys found the classroom rather quickly and were the first to arrive. Harry wanted to sit up front and Blaise grudgingly followed. It wasn’t long before the rest of the students arrived and their professor was nowhere in sight. There was, however, a grey tabby sitting on her desk.

Harry stared curiously at the cat. It had odd markings, circles around the eyes and the cat was sitting stiffly, too stiffly for a normal cat. Before he could say anything to Blaise about it, the cat leapt off the table and transformed into Professor McGonagall.

After calling roll, the professor began a lecture on Transfiguration.

“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts,” she said, surveying the new first years. “Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned.”

She then demonstrated a few transfiguration spells before assigning them the process of changing a matchstick into a needle. Harry remembered reading about this spell and was ready to practice it. It took a few attempts before his match turned silver, but it wasn’t fully a needle yet.

“That’s more progress that I can get,” Blaise commented as he looked at his own match, which had a pointy edge but nothing more.

Harry, determined to do well, continued practicing until he finally got it right. He smiled happily before turning to Blaise, and helping him with the spell.

“Yes!” Blaise exclaimed when his match turned into a needle. Class was almost over, but with Harry’s help, he managed to change his match too.

“Congratulations Mr. Zabini,” Professor McGonagall said as she caught site of the boy’s silver needle.

“Harry got it first then he helped me,” Blaise pointed out.

The older woman looked at Harry for a moment before turning away, her eyes held a pained expression. “Yes, well five points to Slytherin for your work.”

The bell rang only moments after that and the two boys gathered their belongings before walking to their next class, Herbology.

“I wonder why she was like that,” Blaise commented.

“Like what?” Harry asked.

“Well, she sorta looked at you funnily. Like she couldn’t stand seeing you or something,” the dark-haired boy replied.

“I think I know why she was like that,” Harry said. “My parents were Gryffindors and Professor Snape told me how much McGonagall would’ve wanted me in her house.”

“Oh, so she’s probably not too happy you’re in Slytherin,” Blaise surmised.

Harry nodded. “Yeah and apparently she’s not the only one.”

The other boy looked confused. “What do you mean?”

The green-eyed boy shrugged. “Haven’t you seen the way people are always looking at me, some glaring? People aren’t happy their ‘saviour’ is in Slytherin.”

“Yeah, I guess I’ve seen some glares. Come on, we’d better hurry if we want to get to the greenhouses on time.”

The two boys made it just before the bell rang. Harry realized they shared this class with the Hufflepuffs and smiled at Susan. She waved them over and the two boys joined her for their first Herbology lesson.

Harry and Blaise left their last class for that day, Charms, and headed towards the Great Hall. Their Charms lesson was rather interesting with the short, excited Professor Flitwick teaching. He had squeaked when he called Harry’s name during roll call, which caused Harry to blush as snickers rang throughout the classroom.

The green-eyed boy ignored the stares as they sat down for dinner that evening. It was getting easier for him to dismiss all the curious faces, but it still made him uncomfortable when he tried to eat. Harry set down his fork, stood up and left. He ignored Blaise, who was calling after him, and exited the room.

Harry began walking down the hall, towards the common room, when another boy ran into him as he turned the corner. Harry slowly got to his feet and looked at the other boy.

“I told you to watch it, Potter,” the boy snapped. It was his pale roommate, Nott, he believed.

“Look, it’s not like I did it on purpose,” Harry replied angrily.

“Whatever,” Nott said. “I wasn’t impressed by your performance last night and I assure you that I won’t hesitate to hex you if you point your wand at me.” The boy said threateningly.

Harry rolled his eyes and began picking up his books. He saw Nott glare at him before stomping off in a huff. Harry reached for his last book, when someone else picked it up and handed it to him.

“Harry, Harry, Harry,” two voices said in unison.

“What have you been up to lately?”

“Trying to conquer the school as Prince of Slytherin?”

“That won’t do-”

“-nope, that won’t do at all.”

Harry rolled his eyes at the two Weasley twins. “What? Is that some rumour going around?”

“Yep,” they replied.

“We heard you threatened Draco Malfoy-” one said.

“-The Draco Malfoy-” the other replied with a fake incredulous expression on his face.

“-And you two are fighting for to be top snake-”

“-No offence there-”

“-By duelling last night in the common room-”

“-So is it true?” they finished together.

“No, it’s not true,” Harry said, shaking his head. It was hard to follow a conversation with them when the constantly completed each other’s sentences.

“He made a comment about my adoptive mum and I didn’t like it. Err, well I reacted without thinking and pulled out my wand. I pretty much told him not to talk bad about my mum and he apologized.”

“Malfoy apologized?” they exclaimed in shock.

“That was something I wouldn’t-”

“-have expected in this lifetime.”

Harry shrugged and leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. “Good thing I didn’t try and hex him.”

“Why’s that?” they asked.

“Because I don’t know any spells, except what I’ve read,” Harry replied.

They shared a look with each other before stepping on either side of him and tossing their arms around him. They led him down the hall.

“First thing to do is get you some food-” one began.

“-You are a bit scrawny-” the other twin pointed out.

“Am not,” Harry denied.

“-It’s not like you ate in the Great Hall anyway-”

“-How could you with all those people watching?”

“-After food, we will show you a few tricks to have up your sleeve-”

“-To show people that they shouldn’t mess with a Weasley-”

“What do you mean Weasleys? I’m a Potter,” Harry pointed out.

“Ah, but your mum-”

“She was a red head-”

“Wasn’t she?”

Harry looked down. “I don’t know,” he whispered sadly. “I’ve never seen a picture of her.”

The twins were at a loss for words for a moment. “Either way, you’re one of us,” they said.

Harry smiled gratefully. “Thanks guys.” It was nice having these two as older brothers. “So have you guys been tormenting students with that hand buzzer yet?”

The twins smiled gleefully and began describing the fun that they had already had with the muggle device as they walked towards the kitchens.

Professor Snape stepped out of the shadows after the students were far enough away. He should have known the boy never saw his parents before. After all, he himself was the first one to tell Harry their names. With a determined expression on his face, the Potions Master went to find a picture of Lily Potter for her only son to have.

Harry sat in a comfy green armchair Friday morning. His first Potions lesson was first thing today and he was nervous. He didn't want to let Professor Snape down by messing up his potion or getting a question wrong. The boy continued skimming through his potions book even though he had practically memorized it by now.

"What potion does chapter eight focus on?"

"The Draught of Living Death," Harry answered immediately without thought. He looked up and saw Blaise descending the staircase.

Blaise snickered and Harry flushed slightly red.

"Seems to me, you've suitably memorized that book," Blaise smirked. "Care to join me for breakfast, or are you trying to memorize every sentence now?"

Harry closed the book with a sigh and stood. "I suppose I'll join you."

"Oh, thank you so much Mr. Boy-Who-Lived," the other boy replied with total adoration on his face. "I feel so honoured to be in your presence."

Harry rolled his eyes and laughed along with Blaise. That boy sure can be dramatic at times!

Even though Harry joined Blaise for breakfast, he could do little more than push his food around his plate. The green-eyed wizard really looked up to the Potions Master and didn't want to let the man down by not doing well in his class.

Blaise noticed him pushing his food around. "Will you relax? You'll do fine. It's just potions."

"I know," he hissed. "I- well- look, I just can't explain this to you. I'm going to get a head start to the dungeons. See you later." With that said, Harry stood and left his dumbfounded friend sitting at the Slytherin table.

Harry walked briskly to the dungeons, being careful of his surroundings. Professor Snape had warned his first years not to wander by themselves in the event some older student decided to bully them. Harry wasn't too worried though. He was already almost there and had yet to run into anyone. Plus, Fred and George had taught him a few interesting hexes that he could use if necessary.

Harry slowly walked through the open potions classroom door and noticed it was empty. He claimed a seat in the front and pulled out his materials while he waited for someone else to arrive.

The Potion Master's door opened. "Mr. Potter," he greeted.

"Good morning, Professor Snape," the boy replied.

"How are you managing in Slytherin?"

Harry shrugged. "Fine, sir."

The Potions Master started intently at his student. "And the incident with Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry blushed and looked down. "He insulted my mum, sir. And I, uh, pulled out my wand and told not to talk about my mum like that again."

The man gave a sharp nod. "And Mr. Malfoy's reaction to that? Neither of you were in the infirmary therefore curses must not have been cast," he surmised.

"Well, actually he apologized and then I went to bed."

One of Professor Snape's eyebrows rose. Before he could comment, he heard students approaching. "I would like to come to my office tomorrow, when it is convenient for you."

Harry's eyes widened and he bit his lip. "Have I done something wrong, sir? Is that because I threatened Malfoy?"

The man shook his head. "No. I merely wanted to discuss a few matters with you."

"Okay," Harry nodded his head slowly.

Several Slytherin students came into the classroom and sat down. Blaise claimed the seat next to him and Harry was surprised to notice that Draco Malfoy sat directly behind him. The other boy had been keeping his distance lately, although Harry could tell the boy was watching him with a calculating expression on his face.

The green-eyed wizard turned his attention back to the front. He noticed that Professor Snape was gone.

The classroom doors opened forcefully and hit the wall with a loud bang. All the students turned to see their potions professor swoop into the classroom like an overgrown bat.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began very softly. Every student in the classroom could easily hear him, despite his soft, strict tone.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of your will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper to death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Harry held onto every one of the man's words. The entire speech made potions sound so much more interesting than he thought. He couldn't wait to get started! The professor went through the roll sheet before looking over at his newest batch of students.

"Weasley!" Professor Snape snapped suddenly. The entire class jerked into attention at the abrupt loud exclamation. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

The Draught of Living Death- chapter eight, Harry thought ironically, recalling Blaise's teasing earlier that morning.

"Uh, I dunno, sir," the red-headed boy replied.

"Thomas! Where would you find a bezoar?"

Stomach of a… goat? Harry wondered.

One of the Gryffindor girls raised her hand and was waving it around, eager to answer the question. Professor Snape ignored her and stared at the boy who was stumbling to find an answer.

"Tut, tut – clearly the Gryffindors chose not to open a book. Potter- care to share the answers?"

"Powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood creates the Draught of Living death and a bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat, sir," Harry replied quickly.

"And what does a bezoar do, Mr. Potter?"

The boy paused. "It's a stone that can save you from most poisons." It took Harry a second to recall the properties but with all his extra potion reading, it didn't take him long to remember.

"Five points to Slytherin for your correct answers," the man stated.

Harry nearly smiled brightly as he saw approval shining in the older man's eyes. He remembered he was in class though, so he refrained from expressing his happiness.

Professor Snape flicked his wand at the board and the instructions appeared. He had the students pair up and set them to work on a potion to cure boils. Harry and Blaise got to work on theirs and managed to successfully create their first potion. The Gryffindors weren't doing so well though since one boy managed to blow up his potion and became covered in boils. Harry felt bad for that boy but he was extremely grateful that his own potion didn't blow up. As the Slytherins headed towards the History of Magic classroom, Harry could be seen wearing a small, happy smile. Potions class wasn't so bad after all.

Harry followed the other students as they headed out to the Quidditch pitch. Today they were having their first flying lesson. It had originally been planned for next week with the Gryffindors but something came up and Madam Hooch had to reschedule the lessons. The green-eyed wizard was grateful they didn't share this lesson with Gryffindors since it would have likely ended badly.

When the Slytherins reached the pitch, they immediately noticed the brooms lined up. Thinking quickly, Harry quickened his pace and claimed one of the brooms that didn't look too roughed up. Blaise snatched the one next to him and flashed him a grin.

"Flying is brilliant," the boy said. "You haven't tried it yet, have you?"

Harry shook his head. "Grew up with muggles, remember?"

Blaise winced. "Yeah, I forgot about that. You'll get the hang of it easily, I'll bet."

Harry tried to smile, in hopes of covering up his nervousness, but it wasn't too successful. It sounded brilliant, but he was also afraid of making a fool of himself in front of the other Slytherins.

"Step up," Madam Hooch ordered. "Place your hand over the broom and say 'UP!'"

Harry called his broom and was surprised when it jumped immediately into his hand. Several other students were successful while others had problems getting their brooms to rise.

"Now, mount your brooms. First you are going to hover briefly, then touch back down. Understood?" The students nodded their consent and did as instructed.

Harry nervously got on his broom and rose a few feet off the ground. It was a bit difficult to balance at first but it wasn't long before the green-eyed wizard felt secure as he hovered there.

Madam Hooch instructed students to practice hovering and touching back down for several minutes before she let them move about more freely. Students were told to spread out more and practice flying around in circles.

Harry could barely restrain his excited grin as he flew back and forth across the Quidditch pitch. After everyone had got the basics down, she permitted them to fly around freely, as long as they didn't fly higher than six feet off the ground. It wouldn't be until the next lesson when they were allowed to fly later. Harry, however, was too excited to wait that long.

Later that evening, after Harry ate, he slipped outside and jogged over to the Quidditch pitch. It was brisk and getting dark out, but he couldn't resist the temptation to practice flying more. This time, none of the other students were watching so he could fly around freely.

"Alohomora," the green-eyed wizard whispered and watched as the broom cupboard door creaked open.

A little extra reading goes a long way, he thought with a grin. He rummaged through until he found a decent looking broom. He hopped on and soared into the evening sky. It felt as wonderful as he'd anticipated. The sense of freedom was exhilarating as he flew fast. He shot up as fast as the broom would take him before diving down. He wore an excited grin the whole time.

Harry remained outside for a while until the cold wind blew across his face and made him shiver. Glancing at his watch made Harry realize much more time had gone by than he'd anticipated. He flew back to the ground and walked quickly to the broom cupboard, where he once again stored his broom.

A thought occurred to him as he closed the door. He knew how to unlock it, but he didn't know how to lock it back up.

A murmured word from behind caused Harry to jump and spin around quickly. Professor Snape was standing behind him and had just tucked his wand back away. Harry glanced at the door and noticed it had been locked.

"Mr. Potter, will you please accompany me to my office?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied with an unhappy sigh. He was surely in for it now. Professor Snape would surely take away points or give him detention for breaking into the broom cupboard.

Harry followed Professor Snape to his office and immediately sat down when the professor motioned for him to do so.

"I'm sorry-" Harry began but stopped when the Potions Master raised his hand to silence him.

"Mr. Potter, I didn't call you here to berate you for your evening escapade. You are not the first, nor are you going to be the last, student to borrow the school brooms for a short period. I would like to compliment you on your exceptional flying skills however."

Harry sat there, mouth gaping, as he tried to comprehend the fact that he wasn't in trouble. It took him another moment to realize that Professor Snape had even complimented his flying skills.

"Uh, thanks, sir," the boy managed to get out.

"I merely requested your presence to inquire about your first week. Other than the incident with Draco, have you become accustomed to being a Slytherin?"

"Everything has been good so far," Harry said. "I haven't had any problems with any of the students so that's good, I guess."

The man nodded. "I know many of the school's population weren't expecting you to end up in the Slytherin house."

"I don't care what they think," the boy replied with a shrug. "Is there anything else you wanted?"

"Yes," Professor Snape stood, went over to his desk and rummaged around through it before pulling out something. He walked over to Harry and handed it to him.

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared down at a picture of a beautiful red-haired woman. He caught sight of the green eyes and knew immediately that it was her mother.

"Is," he cleared his throat. "Is this my mother?" he asked hoarsely.

The Potions Master nodded. "Yes, that is a picture of your mother when she was in her final year here."

"Can--can I keep this?" Harry asked, clutching the picture to his chest.

"You may," the man replied, lowering his head.

"Thank you very much, sir," the green-eyed wizard stated as he continued to gaze at the picture.

"Have you been keeping in contact with your family?" Professor Snape asked.

"Yeah, I've been writing my mum about twice a week so far and my grandparents about once a week. Her and Grandmum have been sending me packages," he added with a small smile.

The Potions Master noticed that the boy didn't mention anything about Connor Blair. "What about Mister Blair? Do you write him?"

Harry looked away and shrugged. "Yeah, I've written him once but he hasn't replied yet. My mum said he's been busy lately."

"Do you get along well with him?" Severus pressed on.

Harry shrugged again. "I guess."

"What do you mean 'I guess'?"

Harry remained silent for a minute, debating if he really wanted to talk about Connor or not. "We don't really get along that well," he began before taking another breath to continue on. "All those times I met you, were because I had to go with Connor to work. He said he'd get more done if I went outside for a while. So I wandered through the bookstores and eventually I stumbled across you."

Professor Snape frowned. "That man let a ten-year-old wander through London by himself?" he asked, astounded that a man would do that.

Harry bit his lip and looked down.

Severus stared intently at the boy. "Does he… treat you acceptably?" he asked cautiously.

Harry's breath hitched for a second but he covered it up by coughing slightly. "Yeah, he doesn't- he's not mean like my… uncle."

The older man could see that the boy was hiding something but chose not to push it further. He'd find out the information he needed soon, but not tonight.

"Headmaster Dumbledore and I paid a visit to your aunt and uncle before this term started," Professor Snape stated.

"You- you met them…?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Yes," the older man replied.

"What did you do to them?" the boy asked.

…Flashback scene…

Severus smirked at her and pulled out his wand.

"I saw a most lovely garden outside that I simply must investigate," Headmaster Dumbledore said as he walked towards the door. He turned back, looked Severus in the eye and said, "Don't be too harsh," before stepping outside and closing the door.

Severus turned back to the two Dursleys and glared hatefully at them.

"You made a young boy's life miserable because he was a wizard. Every single push, hit, hateful word, and everything else will remain in your memory for a long time. The exact number of days Harry Potter was in your care will determine the length of your punishment."

The Dursley's looked terrified. "What are you going to do?"

Severus swished his wand and chanted a long strand of Latin before lowering his wand.

"Every night you will dream of what you did to Harry. Every single night, with no rest until the curse has broken, you will dream of all the hateful comments, pushes, slaps and chores you made him slave over."

Vernon didn't look impressed. "That's it?"

Severus sneered at the man. "No. Instead, you will dream of what you did to Harry, but you will see your son in his place. You will dream of belittling your son, pushing your son around and even hitting your son."

Petunia's eyes widened. "No," she gasped in horror.

The Potions Master just glared at her. "The two of you deserve worse," he spat before standing up.

A creak on the stairs caused him to turn around. The large blond boy, Dudley, was standing there looking down at him.

Severus just smirked and lifted his wand. "You are incredibly spoiled obese child." He muttered a curse in Latin and Dudley looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Food will no longer taste good to you. All sweets will taste especially revolting and food in general will no longer appeal to you." Dudley's eyes widened and he stared at the dark, tall man in horror.

Severus wore a smug smirk as he headed towards the door. Just before stepping outside, he flicked his wand once again at the Dursley boy. A few seconds later, Dudley howled and clamped his hand over his behind. He turned around and shrieked when he could see a pink curly pig tail sticking out.

He closed the door behind him and stepped outside to a strange sight. The Headmaster was leisurely casting a few petty hexes around the house. Severus recognized a few of them as weed enhancers and rapid lawn growth.

"All finished Severus?" the man asked, not pausing in his work. The once beautiful garden was already taking a turn for the worse as weeds overtook the plants.

"Yes."

"Weren't too harsh?"

"Regretfully, no. I could have easily done worse."

"I'm sure you could have, my boy. Shall we head back to Hogwarts?"

Severus took one last look at the Dursley house and vowed to return once more in the future.

…End Flashback…

Harry was quiet for a moment. "At least you didn't physically hurt them."

"Why in Merlin's name do you care if they were hurt?! They are the ones that hurt you. They should suffer for what they've done!"

Harry flinched and looked down at his feet, hiding his fear. Professor Snape was downright scary when he was angry. "I-I'm sorry, sir."

He heard the man sigh and Harry peeked up through his hair fringes. The professor's eyes were closed and he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Mr. Potter. I apologize for losing my temper.”

Harry slowly turned his face upwards and could see that the man was no longer angry with him.

"It's okay, sir. It's just, they are my last remaining relatives and I didn't want to see them hurt."

The man sighed again. "Why? Why would you prefer they remain unharmed after what they did to you?"

"I think what you did was a suitable punishment. Besides, if they hadn't, erm, left me in London, then I wouldn't have ever met my new mum."

"I see," Professor Snape nodded.

He glanced at the clock and stood. "It is late. I shall escort you to the common room to ensure that you arrive without further delay."

Harry made sure he still had his mother's picture in his hand as he trailed after the man until they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Terrence Higgs wasn't much of a seeker," Professor Snape stated offhandedly.

"Sir?"

"Quidditch, Mister Potter. Tryouts are tomorrow afternoon and I expect you to arrive promptly on time."

"Yes, sir. Thanks, Professor Snape. For everything," Harry said sincerely. He received a sharp nod in return.

"Good night, Mr. Potter."

"Night, sir," Harry replied softly.

Cathy hummed softly as she finished her latest letter to her adopted son, Harry

Cathy hummed softly as she finished her latest letter to her adopted son, Harry. They’d been keeping in constant contact with each other, which helped soothe the ache in her heart. Ever since Harry had gone off to school, she’d been lonely and wishing for her boy to be home, where she could spoil him all she wanted. But since he wasn’t there, she made sure to write often and send at least one goodie package a week. Her mother had been very helpful as well. She often came over and together they’d bake something new to send to Harry.

Just yesterday, the two women had baked a dozen chocolate chip cookies, one of Harry’s favourites, and as soon as Hedwig came, she’d mail it off. Spying the white owl in the distance, she quickly sealed her letter and then opened the window for the owl. The beautiful white owl swooped in and landed on her perch in the kitchen.

“Hey girl,” Cathy murmured as she stroked the beautiful white owl’s feathers.

Hedwig hooted and stretched her leg out. Tied to it was a small box and a letter. The box was magically charmed, by Professor Snape, and allowed larger items to be placed inside to make travelling easier for the owl.

Catherine removed the little box and the letter. She opened Harry’s letter and read through it, smiling at his tale, but frowning ever so slightly at the last part. Harry had tried out for the Quidditch team, and had made it on, as a first year no less! She didn’t know what to think about that.

From what she’d heard about this sport, it was dangerous. If flying high up didn’t make it dangerous enough, then surely those bluggers, or whatever they were called, made it ten times worse. If Harry was hit by one of those… she didn’t know what she’d do.

Cathy sighed. She didn’t have the heart to write him and forbid him from playing Quidditch. Perhaps she’d write Professor Snape. Yes, that would ensure that her boy was kept safe and sound. Such a good man he was, for watching after her boy while he was so far away from home. It was good for Harry to have such a close relationship with Professor Snape as well, since it likely helped heal the old wounds Harry had from those despicable people he used to live with. While her father helped in that regard as well, he wasn’t around all the time. As for Connor, well she wasn’t so sure anymore about the relationship he had with Harry.

She had noticed things were a bit strained between the two at first, but it really seemed to have improved. She really noticed Harry’s attempt to converse with her husband, but the more she thought on it, Connor never cared to talk back. He usually just shrugged and went on doing whatever he was doing before, as if Harry wasn’t standing there trying to talk with him.

Cathy felt really puzzled now. She couldn’t figure out why she’d never seen the relationship between the two. Maybe, she thought, I was too in love to really pay attention.

That thought alone caused her to shiver in disgust with herself. The signs weren’t all there though. Why else would Harry volunteer to go to work with Connor? At first, it had been necessary for Harry to be with someone instead of being home alone, but once she no longer worked weekends, why didn’t Harry stay home? If the two didn’t really get along, then there was no reason for Harry to go out of his way to spend time with her husband.

Catherine shook her head. She was getting confused. At first, she always thought they got along. Then she came to the conclusion they didn’t get along well. Now she was back to thinking they got along well enough to intentionally spend time with each other. Which is it? she wondered.

The blue-eyed woman rubbed her eyes and sighed. She couldn’t come to any conclusions about past interactions between the two, but she’d certainly be on the lookout when Harry came home for Christmas. Then she’d really watch to see how they got along.

She bit her lip, a habit she’d seen Harry do often, and tried to hold back her tears. Could she have failed her adopted son by marrying a man he didn’t get along with? No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about Harry and his relationship with Connor. Just as a few tears leaked out, strong arms pulled her into a comforting hug.

“Hush there, everything will be alright.”

The strawberry-blond haired woman calmed herself as she leaned into her father’s arms. She knew it was him the moment she was surrounded his arms and enclosed into his warm hug.

She pulled away and looked in her father’s concerned face. “What are you doing here?”

“I was nearby and though I’d stop by briefly. You didn’t answer my knocks and since your car is in the driveway, I went ahead and let myself in. What has you so upset?”

Cathy sighed. “For one, I miss Harry.”

“He’ll be home in about two months,” Nick replied, smiling.

She smiled back. “I know.” Her smile disappeared and her face took on a more serious look. “Can I ask you something? And have your honest thoughts and opinions?”

Nicholas saw the seriousness in her gaze and nodded.

“What do you think of Connor?”

He immediately looked concerned. “Why? Has he done something to you? Are you having doubts about your marriage?”

She shook her head. “No. I just started thinking about the relationship between Harry and Connor. Do you think they really get along?”

The older man frowned slightly. “That’s hard to say. I’ve noticed times when they appear to get along well, but other times when I’ve observed something a little off between the two. Regretfully, I haven’t come by often enough with everyone together, so I really haven’t seen much interaction between the two.”

Catherin sighed. “I started wondering today about whether they really get along or not. If I think back, sometimes they seemed to get along great. Like when Harry went to work with Connor on Saturdays, even though I was home. They must’ve gotten along for my son to willingly go to work with my husband.

“But on the other hand, I’ve seen a few tense moments between the two. Once or twice, Connor has brushed Harry off when he was talking or something. Could I be imagining all this? Do you really think something isn’t right between the two?”

Nick sighed. “From Connor’s past, we know he isn’t overly fond of children. I’ve seen him interact a few times with Harry, but I can’t recall if they were tense around each other or if he was sincerely trying to get along with my grandson.”

“I’m just so confused,” the blue-eyed woman admitted.

Her father gave her another hug. “I know. I’ll admit I didn’t overly care for Connor when I first met him. He just didn’t seem right, I guess. I’ve grown to see him more though and he seems like a decent man. Anyone can easily see that he is in love with you.”

Cathy smiled. “Yeah, that might be the only thing I am sure of at the moment. It’s just figuring out the relationship between him and my son, which I am unsure about. I’ll make sure to watch how they interact with each other around the winter holidays.”

Nicholas nodded. “Your mum and I will be over often too, since we’ve got to spoil that boy rotten for the few weeks he’s back home,” he teased.

Cathy grinned mischievously. “Why do I have the feeling my son is going to be overloaded with sweets and gifts and everything you two can imagine?”

Her father shrugged. “Blame Ellie. She’s the one who’s already planning what she’ll do when he gets home, even though that’s over two months away.”

The strawberry blond-haired woman laughed. “I figured she’d do something like that. Care to help me finish up Harry’s latest goodie package?”

Ever since that first flying lesson, Harry had been back on a broom every chance he got. He had gone to tryouts as Professor Snape had suggested, and actually made the team. The older students grumbled about a first year winning the position but with his talent, they couldn’t complain for long. His smaller size also helped him manoeuvre around smoothly and he was able to catch the snitch quickly. The captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, Marcus Flint, hadn’t wanted him to even tryout, but relented after Professor Snape showed up.

The Potions Master came to oversee the tryouts to make sure the best candidate won the position. Last year’s Seeker was a bad choice since the boy only caught the Snitch half the time. If it weren’t for all the points Slytherin Chasers had earned, then they would’ve lost the matches.

With Professor Snape watching, Harry was even more determined to catch the Golden Snitch. The tryouts consisted of two potential Seekers competing against each other to catch the snitch while the Beaters hit Bludgers at them. With Harry’s small size, he was able to dodge the Bludgers and still catch the snitch, while also on a school broom. Harry figured he might be able to borrow someone’s broom for a real match, but he’d have to find someone willing to let a first year use their broom.

After making the team, Harry practiced almost daily with the Slytherin team. The rest of the team were decent players, but it seemed like they were more concerned about cheating in order to win rather than applying any real talent to the game. The first match was coming up two weeks after Halloween and Harry was already getting excited for the match.

Halloween morning, Harry woke early and couldn’t fall back asleep. After showering and dressing, he wandered down to the Great Hall, which was occupied by only one other person at this quite early hour. Professor Snape was sitting at the Head Table, sipping his drink leisurely.

“Good morning Professor,” Harry greeted softly, his voice echoing in the quite hall.

“Mr. Potter,” he greeted with a nod. “Shouldn’t you still be sleeping at this hour?”

The boy shrugged. “Yeah probably. I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep. Thought I’d come get some breakfast,” he added.

The Potions Master motioned for the boy to have a seat. Harry nervously sat down at the Head table and stared at his empty plate.

“Uh, they do serve breakfast this early don’t they?” Harry asked, looking around to see if food was on any of the house tables yet.

“Of course, Mr. Potter,” the man smirked. “You merely have to request what you’d like.”

“Oh.” Harry looked at his plate. “Um, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast?” he said unsurely. A second later, his plate now contained hot scrambled eggs, several slices of bacon, and a few pieces of buttered toast.

Harry grinned. Magic was great. “Cool,” he said before digging in.

The two ate in silence until Harry set down his fork, having eaten his fill.

“I should go, sir,” the boy said, standing. “Before any others arrive and wonder why I’m eating up here.”

“Actually,” Professor Snape began, getting to his feet as well. “I would appreciate it if you would accompany me to my office.”

“Okay,” the first year replied. “Have I done something wrong?”

The older man shook his head. “No, I merely wished to give something to you.”

Harry was curious now, and wondered what the man had for him. Perhaps it was another picture of his mum Lily? Or maybe it was a picture of his father, James? He’d heard he looked just like the man, but he still hadn’t seen any pictures. Then again, it probably wasn’t a picture of his dad. Professor Snape never mentioned him and didn’t look like he even wanted to talk about James Potter. He didn’t know why, but figured the two had gone here to school together and didn’t get along.

Harry shook himself from his thoughts as they reached the older man’s office. Harry looked around at all the jars filled with creepy things while he waited for the Professor to return from the back closet. A moment later, the man came out, carrying a long thin package.

“Here,” he said, handing the package to the young boy.

Harry, almost sure of what it was, tore off the brown paper wrapping to reveal a brand new Nimbus 2000.

“Whoa,” he said, turning his shocked gaze to his potions professor. “I thought first years weren’t allowed to have brooms.”

“Ideally, no. In this case, the Headmaster has allowed this since you previously tried out for, and gained a position on, the Slytherin Quidditch team.”

Harry ran his thumb across the Nimbus logo. “I can’t wait to try it out,” he said enthusiastically. “Thank you very much, sir.”

“You are welcome; however, I did not purchase the entire broom with my own finances. I recommended that you receive a broom for Christmas and Catherine agreed. She preferred that you have your own broom for the upcoming Quidditch match, therefore you received it early,” he explained. “As it was my idea,” he added, “I insisted on providing partial funding for it.”

“Thank you again, sir,” Harry said gratefully as he examined his new broom. “It’s perfect.”

“Perhaps you’d be interested in trying it out now?” Severus suggested.

Harry thought about it for a minute. “I’d like to, but I probably should get stated on this essay that’s due next week. I don’t want to get overworked if I slack off. Otherwise, I’d get frustrated with all the homework piling up,” the boy explained with a shrug.

The Potions Master nodded. “That is responsible of you. Most students wait until the last minute possible. If you are feeling stressed, practice those calming lessons we had several months ago. It is beneficial to your state of mind along with organizing your thoughts.”

Harry smiled at him. “I’d almost forgotten about those lessons. I’ll have to try that next time the homework piles up. Darn professors,” Harry muttered, sending a teasing grin at the older man.

Severus nearly rolled his eyes. “Shoo. Go try out that broom of yours and then start on your assignment.”

“Yes sir!” Harry saluted with a grin before dashing off.

“No running in the halls Mr. Potter!” Professor Snape added half-heartedly at the boy, who by then had disappeared around the corner.

“…and it was excellent. Everything about it was great.” Harry concluded.

Harry had certainly taken Professor Snape’s advice earlier that morning and tried out his new broom. It was better than he’d imagined! It was much smoother than the old school broom. He could turn easier, fly faster, and diving down was quite thrilling. If his mum were here, she’d have kittens after watching him practice even the simplest of manoeuvres on his new fast broom.

Regretfully, his practice time came to an end but he knew he’d get to fly more later, perhaps that evening. But tonight was the big Halloween feast that he’d heard so much about. He hadn’t had a chance to tell Blaise about his new broom until their last class for that day, History of Magic. Since the Professor was a ghost, he didn’t pay much attention at all to the students. Harry had just finished telling Blaise about the excellent quality of his new broom when the bell sounded.

“Wow,” Blaise said. “Any chance I can have a go? Y’know, after you’ve had a chance to break it in, of course.”

“Sure,” Harry replied, smiling at his friend. “You can try it out this weekend, if you’d like.”

“If I’d like?” Blaise remarked with a smirk. “Gee Harry, I’m pretty sure I’d like to keep it afterwards too. Y’know, if I like it and all.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

They were outside the Great Hall when Harry realized he didn’t have his book bag. He groaned. “Ugh, I left my bag in Binn’s class.” He poked his head in the Great Hall and looked at all the neat decorations.

The other boy winced. “And it’s got your essays in it too.” The boy’s stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

“Impatient for the feast are we?” Harry chuckled.

“Hey now! You know I missed lunch earlier,” Blaise retorted.

“And who chose to stick his nose so far into a book, that he barely made it to class on time?” Harry recalled.

“Well, it was fascinating…” Blaise feebly defended himself. He sighed in defeat and crossed his arms defensively, with a pout on his face.

“You know I’m just teasing. I’m gonna run back and grab it and you go ahead and eat. See you in a bit.”

Harry dashed down the hallway for the second time that day. He couldn’t wait to get to the feast and he too was hungry. But he didn’t want to lose his essays so it was better to just grab them now. When he got to the professor’s classroom, he entered it and quickly located his bag. He snatched it up and slipped it over his shoulder before departing from the classroom.

Harry paused and leaned against the wall to straighten his green striped tie; Professor Snape didn’t tolerate messy uniforms after all. The Slytherin started walking again, when he heard a muttered whisper and suddenly he lost his balance and tripped, head first into the stone wall. Bracing his hands in front of himself, he prevented his head from hitting the wall.

He shakily got to his feet and looked down at his left hand. He had slashed it open when he braced himself. One of the sharp edges of the uneven stones had nicked his hand, causing it to bleed. He grabbed his book bag and replaced it on his arm just before a bigger student walked by him, purposely shouldered him, and caused the bag to fall again. He glared at the boys, several Gryffindors, judging by their ties.

“Slimy snake,” one sneered. The others laughed as they continued on.

Harry continued glaring at them, even though their backs were turned, until they were out of sight. With three of them, older students at that, it was best not to pick a fight. This was why Professor Snape said his students should travel together since others were less likely to provoke a group. He sighed and grabbed his bag once again before walking down the hall in search of the nearest loo where he could wash up his hand.

After turning on the water, Harry placed his hand under the cool water and watched as the red was rinsed from his hand. It stung a bit, but he shrugged it off. He grabbed a paper towel and dried off his hand. Just as he tossed the paper towel, he heard a girl shriek nearby. He exited the bathroom quickly and looked around to see who cried out. The girl’s bathroom, a few doors down, was wide open. He ran over to it and peeked inside, not excepting the site before him.

A large mountain troll stood there, club in hand, and looking around slowly. He caught sight of the petite blond girl standing frozen in the bathroom and swung his club near her.

“Move!” Harry shouted as he ran into the bathroom. He pulled out his wand and quickly thought over all the spells he’d learned. It’s not like first years learned what to use on a troll. Before he could think of a spell, the troll swung his club again, right on one of the bathroom sinks. It smashed open, water leaking everywhere. The girl, who he quickly realized was Susan, stood in shock of it all.

“Move!” Harry shouted again. “Before it hits you!”

The blond haired girl jerked her attention to him and started moving towards him when the troll swung again. Susan shrieked and ran to the side, avoiding the club, which hit the stalls this time with a thundering crack as they broke apart. She crouched in the corner, afraid to move any further.

Harry thought fast as the troll lifted his club again, and shouted the first curse that came to mind.

“Rictusempra!” he cried, hoping that the tickling curse would have some effect.

The troll stopped moving, giving Susan time to dash to Harry’s side, before it started making odd sounds, as if it were trying to laugh.

The two students were just about to go find help, when several professors came running in. Professor McGonagall was followed by Professors Snape and Quirrell. Professor McGonagall was the first to send a spell at the troll, followed by Professor Quirrell, who was supposedly a troll expert. Instead of trying to deal with the troll, Professor Snape ushered the two students from the bathroom and let the others deal with the troll.

“What happened?” he demanded. Seeing a few scrapes and scratches on the girl, Severus decided it was best to have them both checked over by Madam Pomfrey.

Susan was the first to speak. “I –I was in the bathroom when the troll came in,” she said shakily. “I think I screamed because then Harry came running in.”

“Can you explain your presence near the girl’s bathroom, Mr. Potter?” Professor Snape asked.

“I left my book bag in Professor Binns class, sir. I went back to get it and on my way to the feast, someone cast a tripping hex. I fell and scraped open my hand,” he said, showing his palm to the man. “I went to the bathroom to clean it up and that’s when I heard Susan scream.”

“I see,” the Potions Professor replied, scowling. If he found out who those students were, they would be punished for attacking a first year.

They arrived at the entrance to the infirmary and the professor led the two students in.

“Have a seat,” he instructed. He disappeared into the Medi-Witches office and returned with the woman following right behind him.

Madam Pomfrey quickly looked over the two and cleaned up their scrapes before dismissing them. Professor McGonagall, who had come to the infirmary after she was done helping with the troll incident, escorted Susan back to the Hufflepuff dorm. Professor Snape led Harry to his office instead.

“Mr. Potter,” he began, sighing wearily. “What possessed you to act like a foolish Gryffindor and rush into that bathroom?”

Harry bit his lip and looked down. “I don’t know, sir. I heard her scream and tried to help her. I wasn’t much help though,” he added miserably. “Am I in trouble?”

“No,” the older man replied slowly. “However, if you ever do something foolish like that again, you will be mister!” he said sternly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you eaten?” Professor Snape asked suddenly.

Harry shook his head. “No, sir.”

The man disappeared into his side office, the one students didn’t enter, and came back a minute later with a tray filled with a variety of food.

“Here,” he handed the boy the tray.

Harry accepted it. “Thanks,” he replied before eating. He was starving and went through the meal rather quickly. The professor had even included a few dessert items, which Harry enjoyed greatly.

The green eyed wizard set down his fork and sighed happily. The Halloween feast was certainly one of the best meals he’d had here so far.

“Are you eager for the upcoming holidays this year, Mr. Potter?” Professor Snape asked suddenly.

“Yes, sir,” Harry replied enthusiastically. He’d already started counting down the days until he got to see his mum again. “I’ve missed my mum loads.”

Severus carefully considered his next question. “And what of your… Connor?”

The boy resolutely studied a picture on the wall. “What of him, sir?”

“Are you eager to see him as well?”

The first year shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Judging by your constant reluctance to speak of Mr. Blair, I am assuming you do not care for him.”

Harry shrugged again. “We… we just don’t always get along. That’s all.”

“You have mentioned that previously,” the Potions Master pointed out. “Will you clarify further?”

Harry bit his lip. He didn’t really want to talk about Connor, but this was Professor Snape asking.

“I don’t think he likes me,” the green-eyed wizard admitted. “I tried and tried to interact with him but he always seemed to ignore my efforts. Is there something wrong with me? Why doesn’t he like me?” The pent up emotions, feelings, and frustrations about Connor spilled from his mouth like running water. Harry turned his frustrated gaze downwards and refused to look into the man’s eyes.

“Mr. Potter.”

The boy didn’t look up, embarrassed at his weak moment. A moment later, Professor Snape placed two potion stained fingers under his chin and lifted until Harry gazed into his dark eyes.

“Listen to me,” he commanded softly. “There is nothing wrong with you. Mr. Blair does not realize what he is missing out on by not knowing you. I do not know why he doesn’t like you either. Do not let that concern you. Concentrate on those who like you for who you are. Like your adoptive mother, Catherine. And your grandparents. Like Blaise. And… like me.” He added, very softly.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath before slowly allowing a joyful smile to cross his face. “Thanks, sir, for y’know, talking to me and all. I know I shouldn’t care about what Connor thinks, but it’s hard since he is married to my mum.”

The Potions Master nodded. “If you ever need to talk, my office is open anytime day or night. Do not hesitate to seek me out, Mr. Potter.”

Harry nodded back. “I should go now. Good night, sir,” he said before grabbing his belongings and departing.

Severus watched the boy leave and sighed wearily. Why was Potter’s son affecting him this way? What in Merlin’s name possessed him to say that?! It was true though that he did enjoy the boy’s company. Harry was smart and had a love for potions just as he himself did as a young boy.

The man shook his head as if to clear it before getting to his feet. His leg immediately throbbed at the motion, reminding him that he needed to clean it up. Good thing neither student saw his bloodied up leg. A stiff drink sounded good right about now. All this sentimental blather was irritating him and a good stiff drink would cure that.

With that in mind, Severus strode to his personal quarters, disguising his limp. Upon entering, he went directly to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink. He sat down wearily and sighed tiredly.

He didn’t know what he was going to do about Harry and Mr. Blair. The boy hadn’t outright said anything, but something must’ve gone on. Especially since this imbecilic man let a young boy wander London by himself just because he didn’t want the child near him while he worked. He’d find out sooner or later what exactly was going on between them and ensure that absolutely no harm came to that boy.

The next morning, students were once again turning to stare at Harry as he entered the hall, walking alongside Blaise. The troll incident had been spread around the school like a wildfire and everyone couldn’t resist talking about it.

Harry focused on his destination, the Slytherin table. He had just sat down when Susan Bones approached him.

“Hi Harry,” she said shyly. “I never got to thank you yesterday. So um, thanks,” she said before blushing and walking away before Harry had the chance to respond.

Blaise snickered. “Looks like you’ve turned Susan into another one of your fan-girls.”

Harry scowled at him. “Shut up. She is not one of my fan-girls,” he replied, saying the word with disdain.

“Yes she is,” the other boy insisted. “Never should’ve saved her life.”

Harry playfully punched Blaise in the arm. “What was I supposed to do then? Let her get crushed by the troll? Besides, I didn’t really save her from the troll anyways. The Professors arrived before I could try anything.”

“I didn’t really save her,” Blaise mocked with a teasing grin on his face. “Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.”

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his food. “One of these days, I’ll find something to tease you about. See how you like it then.”

Blaise laughed. “Go ahead. See if you can dig anything up on me. Perhaps you’d like to know what my favourite stuffed toy was when I was younger? And that you can still find him under my bed…”

Harry looked quizzically at his friend. “Seriously? Do you really have a stuffed toy hidden under your bed?”

“Yep,” Blaise replied. “Under my bed at home of course.”

Harry groaned. “I should’ve known you were pulling my leg.” He checked his watch. “We should go now so we’re not late for class.”

The two finished up their food and left the Great Hall. They didn’t make it far before Harry was surrounded on both sides by two red-headed twin boys. The each looped their arms around his and pulled him back away from Blaise. Harry made a little eep as he was yanked back.

“What is this we hear–”

“About you taking on fully grown–”

“Mountain trolls and living–”

“To tell the tale?” they finished together.

“Who me?” Harry asked innocently. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“And to think we considered this little chap our brother, Gred.”

“Yes Forge, I know. And he didn’t even think to invite us along.”

They both turned to Harry and gave him sad, disapproving looks. They couldn’t hold the look long and soon broke into laughter. The young Slytherin couldn’t help but to laugh as well. The twins were quite amusing.

Blaise came and tugged Harry away from the twin red-headed boys. “So terribly sorry to interrupt the family reunion,” Blaise began dramatically. “But I’m kidnapping Harry so he can make sure I don’t fail potions. Gotta have someone do my work for me, right?” he added cheekily, ignoring the scowl on Harry’s face.

“Bye guys!” Harry called over his shoulder. “Stay out of trouble!”

“We will!” came two voices, sounding entirely too innocent.

“The Bludgers have been released and there goes the Snitch. Don’t forget– first Seeker to catch the Golden Snitch earns their team 150 points!” Lee Jordan reminded. He was the commentator for the first Quidditch match– Slytherin vs. Gryffindor.

“Madam Hooch has the Quaffle and tosses it into the air. Gryffindor Chaser Katie Bell is the first to grab it. She passes to Angelina, who catches it and heads for the Slytherin goals. Go Angelina, go! She’s almost there… and ouch! That had to hurt! Bole wacked the Bludger right at Angelina, hitting her arm and causing her to lose the Quaffle.

“Slytherin Chaser Pucey catches the Quaffle and heads towards the goals. Nice Bludger work Weasleys! Pucey dropped the Quaffle due to an excellent shot made by the Gryffindor Beaters. Gryffindor is back in possession of the Quaffle! Angelina has it– she passes to Alicia. She nears the Slytherin goals… she shoots– and Bletchley misses the goal! Ten points to Gryffindor!” Lee shouted excitedly.

“Slytherin back in possession. Warrington has the Quaffle. He passes to Flint…”

Harry droned out Lee’s voice and concentrated on finding the Golden Snitch. He’d been so nervous earlier this morning since it was his first Quidditch match. With his new broom though, the game was much more thrilling. He could actually test the limits of the broom without worrying. The school’s brooms were old and he tried to go easy on them during practice, but they were nothing compared to his new broom.

Harry scanned the area looking for the Snitch. So far, it was nowhere in sight. He could see the Gryffindor Seeker, whose name he didn’t know, searching as well. A brief flash of gold caused him to turn his head sharply. He didn’t see the Snitch anywhere but continued looking.

About fifteen minutes into the game, he spotted the Snitch. He dove towards it, leaning as close to the broom as he could, allowing himself more speed. The Gryffindor Seeker was hot on his tail, and getting closer. Just as Harry neared the area where the Snitch was spotted, a Bludger flew into his path and he veered off course to avoid it.

Harry sent a mock scowl at Fred, who grinned cheekily back. By the time Harry turned back to the Snitch, it was gone.

Harry scowled for real this time. It had been so close! He flew around a bit more, in search of the Golden Snitch when suddenly the broom jerked.

The first year clutched his broom tightly and tried to fly downward. The broom jerked again and wouldn’t go any lower. He tried again, wanting to get off the broom now. It wasn’t supposed to do that and it terrified him being this high up with a broom that was suddenly acting funny.

He tried to wave at the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, to call a time out, but the boy was occupied. He had the Quaffle and was heading towards the Gryffindor goals. He was probably going to score, but Harry didn’t care about that right now. All he wanted to do was get off the broom and land safely on the ground.

Suddenly the broom gave a big lurch and he slipped off. One hand managed to hang onto the broom and he quickly brought up the other to grab on as tightly as he could. The Nimbus continued to shudder and jerk him around, but he held on tightly as he could. Harry could hear the silence in the crowd as they watched him hang on.

The first year risked a peek down and realized he was at least fifty feet up. He could even see Fred and George flying below him, hopefully to catch him, if he ended up falling. Anytime they came close though, he could feel the broom lurch more and rise higher.

Harry scanned his frightened face towards the crowd, searching for the one person he thought might be able to help him. His green eyes soon found Professor Snape’s dark eyes. The man was staring intently at him, and appeared to be muttering under his breath.

One professor got up and tripped, falling on several others, including Professor Snape, which caused him to lose his concentration. The others grumbled a bit as they straightened themselves out and turned their attention back to the Slytherin hanging on his broom.

Harry noticed immediately when the broom stopped lurching around. He took that chance to swing his leg around it and breathed a sigh of relief once he was seated back normally. He was still clutching the broom tightly, but he felt much safer already.

Just as he was situated, he saw the Golden Snitch hovering near the ground. As he spotted it, he noticed the other Seeker did as well. The two flew towards it, neck and neck. Harry’s broom, being a newer model, gave him the bit of extra speed that he needed. He levelled his broom out on the pitch and stretched his hand out as far as possible. The Gryffindor Seeker was still trailing right behind him, hand outstretched as well.

Harry pushed his broom to the limit, reached his hand out, and grasped the Golden Snitch. The crowd roared widely. It had been a close match! Lee Jordan sounded sour as he announced the final score of the game.

Harry slowed his broom and landed on the field. His teammates landed near him and slapped him on the back in congratulations. The boy held back his excited grin for a moment as he searched the crowd. He caught sight of Professor Snape standing off to the side of all the excited teens. The first year caught saw the man’s nod of approval before he turned away.

Harry couldn’t hold back his grin now.

Harry packed up his Quidditch gear and shoved it in his locker. He was the last one out but he knew Professor Snape would be waiting for him. Ever since the Quidditch match, the man has insisted on supervising their practices in case anyone tried to jinx Harry’s broom again. He even went as far as escorting Harry back to his dorms after practice, also to ensure that no harm came to the boy before he was safely in the common room.

“Good evening, sir,” Harry greeted as he approached his Potions Professor.

“Mr. Potter,” he acknowledged with a nod. “Are you eager to return home tomorrow?”

The boy nodded with excitement. “I can’t wait to see my mum. The first half of the year went so fast! Christmas break will probably go too fast as well.”

The man nodded. “I presume it will.”

“What are you doing for the holidays, sir?”

“Working on my potions, of course,” he replied, with a very small smile.

“What else would you do?” Harry said with a grin. “So uh, do you have any family to see?”

“No,” Severus Snape replied. “Why do you ask?”

The boy shrugged. “Just wondering, that’s all.”

“What are you up to, Mr. Potter?” he asked suspiciously.

Harry smiled innocently. “Nothing really…” As the older man’s gaze focused on him, he gave in. “Okay, okay. My mum just thought you might be interested in joining us for Christmas dinner. I mean, if you weren’t busy or anything. Plus my grandparents would like to meet the man they’ve heard about.”

“What have you been telling them?” he asked, in order to cover his shock. He hadn’t been expecting an invitation over for Christmas.

Harry bit his lip and smiled shyly at man walking beside him. “I’ve told ‘em how you’ve been helping me and making sure I‘ve been adjusting well and all. Nothing bad, I promise.”

“I will consider the offer. I shall owl you during the break.”

Harry nodded. “Good night, sir,” he said before entering the common room.

Professor Snape sighed as the boy returned safely to his dorm. A dinner invitation?!

An excited Harry jumped into Catherine’s arms the next day. The train ride, while fun, felt as if took entirely too long. It had been months since he’d last seen his mum and he just couldn’t wait to be in her arms again.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Harry mumbled in Cathy’s shirt as he clutched her tightly.

“Me too,” she smiled. “Look who else came.”

Harry slowly detached himself from his mum and looked around. He spotted his two grandparents standing nearby, smiling happily. Harry gave each a hug before the group grabbed Harry’s belongings and headed to the car. A short drive later, they arrived home.

Harry walked in and looked around the house, the happy smile never leaving his face. His grandfather grabbed one end of the trunk and helped him carry his trunk upstairs.

After placing the trunk in the room, Nicholas studied his grandson thoughtfully. The boy appeared happy and healthy. This school must take good care of their students, which caused him some relief. It wasn’t easy allowing a young boy to go to a school which is so far away and the only means of communication are by the boy’s pet owl. The owl was quite reliable though and ensured the letters and packages were delivered but it was still hard to only communicate by paper with his grandson, who meant so much to him.

“It’s good to have you home, Harry,” Nick said, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Harry grinned happily. “It’s great to be home. I’ve missed seeing you guys and sleeping in my own bed and everything. I’m going to be sad when break ends though,” he said.

“Me too. Until then, let’s enjoy the time you are here,” Nicholas stated.

“’kay,” Harry replied as he ruffled through his trunk for some casual clothes. “I’ll be down in a bit. I’m going to change out of my uniform first.”

The older man nodded. “Okay.” He headed towards the door and paused. “You do remember that you can talk to me anytime you need, right? About anything.”

Harry turned his gaze to him and nodded. “Of course.”

Nicholas smiled briefly before leaving. Harry watched him leave with a puzzled expression on his face. He wasn’t sure where that came from. He shrugged and went back to pulling out some clothes to wear.

Harry had just pulled a shirt over his head when his door opened. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, turning to face the person who entered.

“Oh,” Harry muttered. “Um hi,” he said shortly to Connor who had entered his room. The older man hadn’t changed much since Harry had last seen him.

“Hello,” Connor replied dryly. “I just got off and Cathy sent me up here to ‘welcome you home’ so there. Now that pleasantries have been exchanged, you should hurry downstairs. Dinner will be on the table shortly.” With that said, the brown-haired man left.

Harry watched him leave and shook his head. Some things never changed and apparently Connor was one of them.

Nicholas watched his grandson and son-in-law carefully throughout dinner. Now that he was actively watching the interaction between the two, he could easily see how they avoided each other. Neither actively talked to the other unless necessary. Harry seemed to avoid looking at the man as well.

The retired military man didn’t like this at all. From the way it looked, the two didn’t get along well. Then again, this was only the first day that he’d actually started actively watching the two.

Ellie put her hand on Nick’s arm. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.

The older blue-eyed man sighed and shook his head. “Nothing.”

Eleanor sighed. Nick was a stubborn man and she knew she wouldn’t get any answers from him tonight.

Nicholas turned his attention back to the dinner table. His daughter was listening as his grandson was told another story from school. He glanced at Connor again before willing himself to look away. He would be sure to keep an eye on interactions between the two but not tonight. Tonight he needed to relish in the fact his grandson was home. With that in mind, he turned his focus back to Harry and managed to enjoy the rest of his evening.

Christmas day came quickly, much to Harry’s pleasure. His family was certainly glad he was home since he felt as if he received loads of great gifts. Harry had used a catalog to order his family gifts before he left from Hogwarts and all of them received a wizarding world trinket of some sort.

“Smells great in here,” Harry said as he entered the kitchen later that Christmas evening. His mum had been cooking in here with the help of her mother and together they’d created quite the feast.

“That is does,” Ellie replied with a smile directed towards her grandson.

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” Cathy asked. “Shoo. Get dressed before Professor Snape arrives.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Harry replied. His Potions Professor had owled him earlier that week accepting their invitation to dinner since he didn’t have plans of his own. Harry was glad the man would be able to make it. His grandfather in particular was eager to meet the man his grandson constantly talked about.

Professor Snape had really been helpful throughout the entire term and Harry didn’t know how he could’ve survived being in Slytherin without the man. The older students would have been much more likely to go after him since he is the boy-who-lived­. As it was, he still received hostility from some of the Slytherins, such as Nott, but no one actively went after him.

The doorbell rang below and Harry rushed downstairs to answer it. He had finished changing just in time too. He pulled open the door and smiled at Professor Snape.

“Happy Christmas!” Harry greeted.

“Evening, Mr. Potter,” he greeted as he stepped inside. He removed his coat and hung it on the wall hook.

“How’s your holiday been so far?” the boy asked.

“Adequate,” the tall man replied. “Yours?”

“Great, sir! I received loads of gifts from my friends. Blaise sent me a really nice quill set along with some of my favorite sweets. The twins sent me a few jokes and said I should use them on- oh, um never mind.”

“Me, I presume?” he asked with a smirk.

“Maybe…” he said mysteriously. “I wouldn’t do that though! Anyways, I also received this wicked cloak that lets me become invisible when I put it on! Isn’t that great? Don’t know who sent it though since it just came with a note saying it was my father’s and that I should use it well. Oh, and Susan sent me something too. It was a book that I’d wanted and she must’ve heard me talking about.”

Severus raised his eyebrow at the fast, excited speech of the boy before him. The cloak must’ve come from Albus since he was the only one foolish enough to give an eleven-year-old that particular family heirloom at such a young age.

“Are you planning on introducing me to your relatives anytime soon?” the dark-haired man asked with amusement.

“Oh yeah,” Harry blushed. “They’re in the kitchen. This way.”

Professor Snape followed the young boy into the room. He entered and spotted the boy’s adoptive mother standing nearby along with the two older people who must be her parents. Connor wasn’t in the kitchen yet.

“Professor Snape, that’s my grandmum Ellie and my grandfather Nicholas, oh and you’ve already met my mum. This is my Head of House, Professor Snape.”

“Thank you for inviting me over,” Professor Snape greeted.

“If you all would like to go in the dining room, the food will be served shortly.” Cathy directed.

They entered the dining room, where Connor was waiting.

“Mr. Blair,” Severus greeted. Connor gave a nod of acknowledgement without saying anything in return.

Quiet talk was shared throughout the meal as everyone partook in the wonderfully cooked meal.

Connor was the quietest of the bunch, not asking questions about the magical world as both Ellie and Nick were doing. Nicholas was quite interested in hearing about the magical world from someone else’s perspective. Since Harry wasn’t permitted to do magic outside of school, Professor Snape was able to demonstrate a few things for them.

After the main course, plus desert, the group converged into the living room. The two older McKinney’s enjoyed talking with Professor Snape, who was patient enough to answer all of their questions.

Harry was in the kitchen getting marshmallows for his cocoa when Professor Snape joined him.

“This is for you,” the man said, holding out a small wrapped gift.

Harry smiled and tore off the green wrapping. He opened the small box and pulled out a chain with a silver rectangle shaped pendant attached to it. At first it looked like an ordinary pendant, but when he turned it over, he saw the lily engraved on the other side.

“It belonged to your mother,” the older man explained.

“Wow,” Harry exclaimed. “How’d you end up with this?” he asked curiously.

“I originally gave it to her when we were younger,” he explained. “Before Lily went into hiding, she gave it back to me and said to keep safe for her. I felt that you should have it.”

“Thank you very much, sir.” Harry said as he looked at the silver pendant in his hand. He placed the chain around his neck before reaching into the counter behind him and pulling out a small gift.

“I got you something too, but it’s sorta stupid and not nearly as nice as that.”

Severus accepted the gift and peeled off the festive wrapping slowly. Harry watched anxiously, hoping the man would like it.

Professor Snape pulled the item from the box and looked curiously at the miniature cauldron in his hand.

Harry rushed to explain. “It’s actually an inkwell. It won’t spill on you even though there’s no top cover and holds more ink that it looks like. I also had them etch that on here,” Harry pointed at the bolded date on the other side of the fist sized cauldron. “I read somewhere that you received your potions master on that day so I thought it’d be neat to add that on. I know it’s stupid and all…”

The older man held up his hand to halt the boy’s apologies. “Calm yourself, Mr. Potter.”

Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to stop stuttering excuses.

“Thank you,” the Potions Master began. “It is not a stupid gift either. I appreciate it and the fact that you took the extra time to engrave that date on there for me.”

“Really? You like it?” At the man’s nod, Harry sighed. “I really wasn’t sure what to get for you. I saw that in a catalog and it seemed to fit.”

“Now that we are done, perhaps we should rejoin your family?” Severus suggested.

Harry grabbed his cocoa and followed the man back into the living room.

The remainder of that week flew by and the New Year passed quickly as well. Harry had enjoyed being around both his grandparents, who stuck around as much as possible for the holidays as they could. Harry noticed that his grandfather had been watching him and Connor lately. It seemed to really annoy Connor, who’d recently started noticing it. A few days before the Harry returned to Hogwarts, Connor seemed to have had enough.

Harry was up in his room when Connor came in, scowl on his face.

“What have you been telling people?” Connor demanded as he closed the door behind him.

Harry stared defiantly back at the man. “Nothing.”

Connor glared. “Don’t lie to me boy!” he whispered dangerously. “Now, I want you to tell me what you’ve been saying that has everyone here watching every single bloody thing I do.”

Harry glared back. “I haven’t said anything!”

Connor closed the distance between the two so quickly it was as if the muggle had apparated. “Don’t you talk back to me boy!” he whispered perilously as he loomed over the boy. “You’ll just make things more difficult for yourself… and others.”

The threat was clear, however Harry was beyond caring right now.

“Whatever,” the boy snapped before he shoved Connor away from himself and headed for the door. Before he reached the door, he was grabbed by the wrist and pulled sharply backwards.

The strong older man had grabbed a hold on him and pulled him away from the door before he could get out. A pop was heard as Connor yanked hard enough to dislocate the arm. He quickly released the boy’s arm but Harry wasn’t able to regain his footing before his head hit the wooden desk in his room. The silence was interrupted by the sounds of quick footsteps approaching the room.

Nicholas looked up the stairs with apprehension. Harry was up in his room retrieving something but voices could be heard arguing quietly. The older man wasn’t sure why, but he felt compelled to go upstairs. With each step, his apprehension grew as he heard his grandson snapping at someone. Just as he reached the last step, he heard a loud thump and silence. He quickened his pace to a jog and rushed to Harry’s room.

He was shocked at what he saw.

His grandson, his only grandson, was on the ground unmoving but clearly breathing. The boy’s arm was lying limply and a bruise could be seen forming already on the side of his head. From hitting the desk. Or rather being thrown into the desk from what he concluded. Without doubting his conclusion, the retired military man turned his attention to the only other person in the room.

Nick clenched his fist and threw the punch straight for Connor’s face. It caught the stunned man right on his jaw. Connor’s face jerked back as he stumbled backwards.

“Wait-” he tried to get out.

The retired military man didn’t halt his movements though. He tossed another punch right at the man’s midsection this time. It caught Connor in the stomach, causing the man to gasp frantically for a breath. He was still trying to talk and stutter out some excuse but Nick wouldn’t hear any of it.

The older man swung again, this time catching Connor in the eye. He would have a shiner tomorrow, that was for sure. Nick hit him again and went to swing again but his arm was pulled back. He looked into his wife’s concerned eyes and lowered his arm. The despicable man before him had a split lip and several bruises that would appear quickly. That would have to do for now.

Nicholas forced himself to look away and turn his attention towards Harry. His daughter was kneeling beside the boy with tears running down her face. Ellie went to her daughter and pulled her back to allow Nick to pick up the eleven-year-old. Eleanor rushed downstairs to grab the keys for the car and then started it up. The four were soon on their way to the hospital, leaving a bruised Connor alone.

“How is he?” Catherine asked nervously. She had been pacing nonstop ever since the doctor’s took Harry into a room to put his arm back into place in addition to checking out his head wound.

“He is doing better. He suffered a concussion to the head, causing his current state of unconsciousness but I believe he should wake soon. His arm was also set back into proper place.” Doctor Greene said to the distraught woman.

She nodded. Her father was standing beside her and she leant into his side. He placed his arms around her conformingly.

“We also took pictures as evidence so you can file charges against your husband.” The doctor added.

“He’s not my husband anymore,” she sniffled. “Not after this.”

Doctor Greene excused herself to tend to other patients while Catherine stared at her hand.

She grabbed at the ring on her finger and tried to pull it off. She scratched at her hand when it wouldn’t budge. “Make it come off, take it off,” she cried with great frustration.

Her father’s large hand clasped around her hand and ceased her frantic movements. With a few gentle twists, he was able to free the ring from her hand. He led her to a chair and had her sit down. He pulled up a seat on one side while Ellie sat on the other.

She brought her hands up to her face and shook her head in denial of it all. It was just too much for her to handle right now.

“Why? Why didn’t I realize he hated my son? Enough to- to harm my precious boy,” she sniffled.

“It’s not your fault,” both Nick and Eleanor said at the same time.

“Yes it is! I married him! I didn’t see that they didn’t get along!”

“Hush, everything will be alright,” Nicholas reassured. “You had no way of knowing this would happen. He was good at deceiving us all into believing that he liked the boy. At the surface level, they appeared to get along. Everything will be alright,” he repeated.

“Why didn’t Harry say anything?” she whispered. “Doesn’t he trust me?”

“He does,” Eleanor stated firmly. “You’ve seen the way that child has blossomed from the scared little boy he first was. You know he loves you with all his heart. Do not ever doubt that.”

“I know,” the blue-eyed woman replied. “I’m just so confused right now.”

“We understand,” Nicholas said. “We will be here for you. Don’t forget that.”

“Come,” Ellie said, pulling her daughter to her feet. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and then grab some coffee.”

“Will you go sit with him?” Catherine asked before they left. Her father nodded and headed towards the children’s ward where Harry was currently sleeping.

Harry woke later, his head pounding painfully. He looked at his blurry surroundings and turned towards the table next to his bed and reached for his glasses. As he placed them on, he noted immediately that he was in an unfamiliar room. Judging by the white walls and beeping monitors, he figured he was in a hospital. He started to slide off the bed when his door opened. A tall aging man entered the room and spotted him.

“Harry! What are you doing out of bed?” the man asked as he approached. He grasped the boy’s arm carefully and helped him get back on the bed.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, looking over the boy carefully.

“Fine, sir,” Harry replied.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the blue-eyed man asked. “You haven’t called me sir in ages,” he added.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just a little headache,” Harry said as he lifted his hand up to massage his head.

The door opened for a second time and two more women came in.

“You’re awake!” the younger of the two women cried as she rushed over to the boy.

“Don’t squeeze him to death Cathy,” the older man remarked with a smile.

Cathy let up slightly, but still clung to Harry. “I’m so glad you are awake. I was worried when you fell unconscious.”

Harry pulled back from her and shook his head slowly. “Sorry, but who are you?”

Severus was bottling a potion when a familiar white owl came flying through the small open window

Severus was bottling a potion when a familiar white owl came flying through the small open window. Harry’s owl, Hedwig, hooted repeatedly at him until he sealed the vial in his hands and approached her. She held out her leg and hooted urgently. The Potions Master quickly removed the letter and scanned it quickly.

He dropped the parchment and strode over to his potions cabinet. The dark-haired man searched through his stores and grabbed a few specific vials and placed them carefully in his robes. He locked his office as he left and walked quickly to the gates of the school. With so few remaining for the holidays, he didn’t run into anyone, students or professors. As soon as he reached his destination, he placed a temporary invisibility charm over himself and Apparated away.

Severus landed outside the muggle hospital and walked quickly inside. He found the nearest restroom, where he entered and removed the invisibility charm along with changing his appearance to match that of an average muggle.

“Where can I find Harry Potter?” Severus demanded of the nurse at the front station.

She scowled at his tone but looked up the boy’s information and gave him directions to the children’s ward. As he entered the boy’s room, he spotted Catherine and her two parents sitting near Harry’s bed. The boy himself looked terrible. He was pale and had an IV needle in his arm along with a rather large bruise on the side of his head.

Catherine spotted him first. “Severus! I am so glad you came. Is there anything you can do for him? The doctor said that he is experiencing memory loss due to the hit on his head. Something about swelling in his brain. It just sounds bad and I didn’t know who else to contact.”

Severus nodded throughout her explanation. “I have a potion that will reduce the swelling, and that should restore him to his proper state of mind. If that does not work, I have several other potions to try, however they are primarily used with memory charm incidents. I am not sure how they would affect him.”

She nodded wearily. He could easily see that she was exhausted from the whole ordeal.

“I will give him the first potion and then we shall wait to see if it has helped any before trying the other methods.” Severus pulled out a vial with a bright pink potion in it and approached the sleeping boy. He gently shook the boy, who groggily opened his eyes.

“Drink this,” Severus said softly.

The boy opened his mouth and grimaced as the liquid went down his throat. He fought to keep his eyes awake, but failed and was soon asleep again.

“He will sleep for several more hours and when he wakes, we will find out if the potion was effective or not.” Severus explained.

“Will the potion be affected by any of the medications in his system that the nurse gave him?” Eleanor asked.

Severus shook his head negatively.

Nicholas, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, got to his feet. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Even if this doesn’t work, you came quickly and tried to help my grandson.” He held out his hand and Severus shook it.

The retired military man got a sudden gleam in his eye. “Perhaps you’d be interested in helping me with one more favour?”

Severus saw the look in the man’s eyes and looked cautiously at him.

“Would you be interested in returning to Cathy’s home with me? Connor is supposed to stop by to grab his belongings…” the older man trailed off with a small grin.

Severus smirked.

When the two arrived, Connor was already in the house gathering his belongings. He looked up briefly as the two entered before turning away again. Severus caught sight of the fresh bruises marring the man’s face. He glanced over and give an approving glance to Nicholas, the only person who would’ve likely done such a thing to Connor.

“How long will it take?” Nicholas asked. “For you to gather all your belongings?”

Connor shrugged, keeping his eyes focused on his task rather than the two men in front of him.

“I believe I can help with that,” Severus said as he pulled out his wand. “Pack,” he muttered. Connor jumped as his personal items flew from upstairs and all throughout the house, landing neatly in front of him. Severus muttered another word, Connor jumped again, as all the items flew into a box that he was holding, one that surely wouldn’t be able to hold all of his stuff. He was rather surprised when the box didn’t feel any heavier either.

Connor didn’t comment, but he placed the box on the ground and turned to finally face the two men. He focused his gaze on Nick and said, “I just want you to know that I really loved your daughter.”

Nick stared at him silently before speaking, “I don’t doubt that, but with my daughter came my grandson, a boy who should not have been subjected to your mistreatment. You knew that she would choose her child before you yet you still proposed and married her. If you didn’t like children, you should have found someone else to marry.

“I have a daughter that needs to be comforted right now over the loss of her husband and a grandson that needs to be taken care of. Goodbye and get out of this house and don’t ever return.”

Connor stared at him for a moment and picked up his last box and headed towards the door without looking back once.

Severus, who had been silent through their conversation, pulled out his wand and pointed it at the retreating man’s back. After a few silent incantations, he stashed the wand again and smirked.

After Connor left, Nick turned back to him.

“Alright, spill it. What did you do to him? He didn’t look any different,” the older man observed.

“He may not look any different to us, but any woman that looks at him with interest will see a balding man with bad acne,” Severus explained.

Nicholas laughed. “I like it. Anything else?”

The Professor shrugged, somewhat innocently. “I might’ve added in a spell that causes him great discomfort when he tries to be... intimate, shall we say, with anyone.”

Nick’s laughter rang through the quiet house and Severus’ satisfied smirk lasted for the rest of the afternoon as he plotted the final piece of revenge, which would be executed at a later date.

Catherine walked back into Harry’s room and approached the sleeping boy. She gently smoothed his hair back in a motherly fashion and smiled when the boy opened his expressive green eyes.

“’lo mum,” Harry mumbled.

“Hi Harry,” she replied softly, trying not to cry. Professor Snape’s potion must have worked since he remembered her this time.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, taking a seat beside the bed.

Harry sat up slowly and reached for his glasses. He slid them on and the room around him came into focus. He spared a quick glance at his mum and noticed that she looked as if she hadn’t slept properly in the last few days.

“I’m fine,” he shrugged. “How long have I been here?” he asked, looking around the room. There was another empty bed in the room, which he figured was located in the children’s ward due to the colourful images on the walls.

“It was only yesterday that you,” she paused and sniffled, “were hurt.”

Harry looked down. He knew that everyone knew about Connor now and felt ashamed, and yet relieved at the same time. He didn’t want his family to see him weak, but it was too late for that. The damage was done and at least Connor would be out of the picture.

“What’s going to happen now?” the boy asked softly.

Cathy took a deep breath. “I am filing for a divorce immediately,” she looked down at her hand, which was bare without her wedding ring. “C-Connor will be brought up on charges as well.”

“What?” Harry asked with surprise. “Why?”

“Why?” Catherine repeated, shocked. “Because he abused you! He needs to be punished for that!”

Harry shook his head slowly. “I don’t want to go through a trial,” he whispered.

The strawberry-blond woman placed her arm on Harry’s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “It will be okay,” she promised. “I can’t stop the proceedings anyways since the doctors collected evidence when you arrived. The charges have already been filed. It is likely to be several months, possibly even summertime, before the trial proceeds.”

Harry sat there silently, not looking at his mum. He didn’t want to go through this but it seemed he had no choice.

“Why?” his mum asked quietly, pulling him from his musings. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

The boy looked pointedly at his hands. After a few minutes of silence he answered, “I was… ashamed,” he admitted with difficulty. “I didn’t want to ruin your marriage or to make a big deal of it all.”

“Oh, Harry,” she leaned forward and hugged him tightly. Harry clutched her and tried to stop a few tears that leaked out.

“Please, please don’t ever hide something like this again. I wish you had told me sooner that he was hurting you or that you just didn’t like him. I’m sorry,” she said pulling back. “I failed you as your mum by being too blind to see that the man I was married to was hurting my own son. I’m so sorry.”

Harry reached forward this time and held onto his mum. “Please don’t think that. It’s not your fault. It’s mine because I didn’t say anything.”

She held tightly onto the boy. “How about we call it even? It’s neither of our faults,” she compromised with a small smile as she pulled back.

Harry returned the smile and nodded.

“So, when do I get out of here?”

By the time, Nicholas and Severus returned from Cathy’s home, Harry was awake and being discharged. The doctor had released Harry, after testing him to ensure that his memory was indeed back, and gave them strict instructions to return if Harry has anymore problems.

“My mum told me that you helped me get better,” Harry said to his Potions professor. “Thanks.”

“I would have done it for any of my students,” the man replied uncomfortably. He felt as if he’d been thanked too many times already, all for one potion that merely took an hour to brew.

“Shall we go home?” Eleanor asked coming up behind the group. She’d been on the phone for the last hour talking to a lawyer about the case with Connor.

“Yeah,” Harry replied. “Let’s go home.”

Harry waved at his mum one last time as the train moved forward. He watched out the window until she and her parents were no longer in site. He leaned against the seat and rubbed his eyes tiredly. The last few days of vacation had been tense. His grandparents had even been staying at their house, insistent on being there in case Connor came back for any reason. Harry wasn’t sure how long they planned to stay there either.

He considered dozing off for a bit in his quiet empty compartment, but decided against that. He wasn’t likely to get any sleep anyways. Last few nights, he’d been waking up in a cold sweat, after dreaming of Connor. The dream Connor didn’t harm him; rather the man kept coming back for his mum, just as he said he’d do if Harry told anyone. He’d been able to get past the nightmare by checking on his mum but now that he was going back to school, he wouldn’t be able to do so. He’d have to hope that she was safe and sound.

Harry was interrupted from his thoughts as his fellow Slytherin friend, Blaise, came inside.

“Hey Harry,” the dark skinned boy said, plopping down on the other seat.

Harry managed a weak smile. “Hi Blaise,” he greeted.

Blaise looked at him seriously for a moment, an act which wasn’t commonly found on the playful boy’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning forward.

Harry shrugged. “Nothing. Doesn’t matter anyways.”

Blaise looked at him before sighing. “I can tell you won’t budge. Fine, fine.” He sighed dramatically, going back to his usual playful banter. “So how was your hols?”

“Fine,” the dark-haired boy replied shortly. “Yours?”

“Great actually. Got loads of gifts, and thanks for yours by the way. Did you like the quill set? I didn’t want to get you another book. You’re nose is buried in enough books as it is,” he added teasingly.

Harry smiled, a real one for the first time in a few days. “You don’t ever change, do you?” he asked rhetorically, rolling his eyes.

“And even though you didn’t get me any books,” he said, pausing as he reached in his bag. “It doesn’t mean that other people didn’t.” Harry held up the book that Susan got for him and grinned.

Blaise sighed dramatically and placed the back of one of his hands against his forehead, before falling against the back of the seat. “What am I going to do with you?” he whined.

“I need some sugar,” Blaise announced suddenly, bouncing to his feet excitedly.

Harry laughed. “Looks like you’ve had plenty already.”

The other boy shrugged and then grinned. “Can’t have enough! You want some? I’m going to find the sweets trolley.”

“No thanks, I’m fine right now,” Harry replied.

“Alright, suit yourself,” Blaise said, heading for the door. “Be back in a bit.”

A few minutes after Blaise left, two more people entered. Harry looked up and sighed. “What is today, National Cheer Up Harry Day or something?”

“Why of course it is,” the Weasley twins replied together.

“Didn’t you get the owl-”

“That said a certain young, thoughtful-”

“Innocent, firstie looked unhappy?”

“And who,” Harry interrupted before they could continue, “Told you to come cheer me up?”

The twins glanced at each other and then said together, “Blaise.”

Harry groaned.

“Ahh, don’t be mad,” one said. The two twins plopped down on either side of him.

“Blaise passed us on his mad trolley hunt-”

“-He’s a bit barmy without his sugar, you know-”

“-and suggested that we come cheer you up-”

“-He’s right too. Harry does look a bit peaky, wouldn’t you say Gred?”

The other twin agreed and Harry tried to suppress a grin at their antics. It was a bit hard to follow which one was speaking when they jumped back and forth.

Harry yawned, feeling tired after his restless sleep the night before. Fred –or at least he thought it was Fred– saw the sleepy look on Harry’s face and got to his feet, pulling his twin with him.

Fred looked at Harry seriously. “I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it, but if you ever want to talk to us, just come find us.”

“We may be fun and games all the time, but we can be serious at times,” George continued.

“I know we’re Gryffindors-” Fred said.

“-and you’re a Slytherin-”

“-but don’t let that stop you from coming to find us.” Fred finished.

“Now get some sleep-”

“-you look like you could use it-”

“-and don’t forget to use our Christmas gift on Snape,”

Harry raised an eyebrow, as if saying, ‘do I have a death wish?’

“Or the Slytherins,” George amended, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

“Bye guys,” Harry called out. “Thanks,” he added softly and they nodded back.

Harry felt his eyelids drooping and couldn’t resist the urge to curl up on the seat. It wasn’t long before he was asleep.

Sometime later, Harry became aware of two people talking quietly. He kept his eyes closed and listened.

“I’m worried about him,” Blaise admitted.

Harry wondered if he looked that bad that Blaise was really worried over him. He knew he hadn’t slept that well but was it that obvious? He probably should have slept better, knowing Connor wasn’t living there anymore, but he couldn’t stop worrying about his mum’s safety.

Harry was torn from his thoughts as a female voice responded.

“Did he say what happened?” Harry recognized the voice as belonging to Susan.

“Nope,” the other boy replied quietly. “I think it had something to do with his family though. Not sure what happened but something must’ve.”

“What could’ve happened over Christmas break?” Susan wondered. “It wasn’t…” she whispered so softly that Harry strained to hear her, “You-Know-Who was it? I’ve heard some rumours about him still being alive somehow.”

Blaise shook his head. “I doubt it was that. It must’ve been serious though because I’m almost certain I saw Professor Snape standing in the shadows watching everyone board the train. I don’t think professors are usually here at the train station unless for a specific reason.”

Harry let their voices wash over him as he concentrated on what Blaise had last said. Why would Professor Snape have been at the train station? The only reason that came to mind was to make sure that Connor didn’t show up and cause trouble. Perhaps the professor was worried Connor would meet them at the station and go after Harry for revenge before he made it on the train and back to school. Harry wasn’t sure the reason why he’d come, but could barely repress the smile threatened to appear. It was obvious Professor Snape cared, not that he’d ever admit that of course.

With those thoughts in his mind, Harry fell into a peaceful slumber.

Later that night, Harry pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and shoved it under his pillow before closing his curtains. He’d told Blaise he was tired and going to bed, but he wasn’t really sleepy. With the refreshing nap on the train, he wasn’t ready to go to bed. Once all his roommates went to sleep, he planned to sneak out and test out his new Invisibility Cloak.

Within a little over a half hour, the rest of his roommates turned in for the night. Harry waited another ten minutes to be sure that they were asleep. He peeked out of his curtains and saw that everyone had closed theirs as well. He pulled the cloak over himself before slipping out of bed. The Common Room was deserted except for two students talking quietly in the corner. Neither noticed as the door opened and the invisible boy slipped out.

Harry wandered the halls for a while, enjoying the peaceful silence. He held his breath as he passed Professor Sprout, but she never noticed him and he kept on walking. Harry had turned down one corridor when he spotted Mrs. Norris. The cat –who Harry really didn’t like- seemed to know someone was nearby because she started meowing loudly in the quiet corridor.

Wondering if Filch would come investigate, Harry decided it was best to duck into a nearby room. He slipped silently in the room and ensured that the door was closed, preventing Mrs. Norris from following him if she tried.

Harry glanced around the room and spotted a tall cloaked object. He tried to contain his curiosity, but couldn’t help but approach the object. He gently lifted the white cloth and tried to peer underneath it, but instead the entire cloth came down. A puff of dust flew up when the cover disturbed the room which obviously hadn’t been inhabited for quite some time.

Harry covered his mouth and tried not to breath in the dusty air, until it settled down. Coughing might alert any of the professors patrolling nearby of his presence.

Harry turned his attention to the unveiled object. It was an extremely large mirror. Across the top, an odd phrase was written, one that didn’t make any sense to Harry. He stepped in front of the mirror and that was when he saw it.

His family.

He saw his mum, Lily and dad, James, both staring at his proudly. Harry felt his breath catch as he stared wonderingly at the picture. Just to check, he looked over his shoulder and didn’t spot them standing beside him. In the background, more people appeared, this time relatives, judging by similarities to them and his parents.

Next to his birth parents, Cathy and her parents appeared. They looked at him with pride as well. Harry grinned happily at the image. It was perfect. His whole family, they are happy and proud of him. It was perfect, but Harry felt as if someone was missing.

Another figure appeared on the side of the mirror and Harry leaned forward to get a better look. Standing off to the side, nearly hiding in the shadows, was none other than Professor Snape. He looked like the snarky professor that he is, but he too was smiling proudly. Harry felt his heart swell with emotion as he gazed at all the faces in the mirror.

A crash from outside the room stirred Harry from his musings and the boy panicked. Filch was outside nearby muttering to himself, which caused Harry to dash for another door in the room, one which he hoped was an exit.

Harry had taken a few steps down the corridor, when he realized he’d left his cloak on the floor of the mirror room. He turned back to dart back in the room when he caught sight of Mrs. Norris coming around the corner. Knowing that the cat was lurking nearby meant that Filch must be close by as well. Harry tried to open the closest door to him, but it wouldn’t budge. He whipped out his wand and muttered the unlocking spell as quietly as he could and sighed with relief when it clicked open.

Harry slipped inside and closed it softly behind him. Mrs. Norris could be heard prowling around and meowing nearby. Harry heard her hiss when she came close to his hiding spot and was afraid she was going to alert Filch, but instead she ran off. Harry could hear the caretaker talking to his cat as they continued to wander the school corridors for students out of bed.

The dark-haired boy sighed with relief, turned around and then gasped when he caught sight of what must have scared Mrs. Norris off. Sleepily standing up was a large dog. Not just any dog, a three-headed one at that!

Harry backed against the door as the three-headed beast stood up. It looked rather groggy after being woken but with three sets of jaws, he didn’t want to risk seeing just how friendly the dog might be. Harry’s breathing sped up as his left hand reached behind his back, grasping for the handle while his right held out his wand.

He finally managed to open the door and slipped out just as the three heads came growling and snapping at him. He slammed the door shut and ran. He dashed across to the door where the mirror was, entered the room and slumped down on the ground in front of it. His breathing was very erratic as he tried to calm down. It was too much for one night and he couldn’t seem to breathe properly. All of his frustrations came to the surface as he sat on his knees in front of the mirror.

He was livid with Connor and all that he did. Angry that the man hurt him. Angry that he threatened to hurt his mum. Angry that the man was still haunting him in his dreams; even though he was supposed to be happy now that the man was gone. The irritation he experienced when students stared at him in wonder for being the bloody boy-who-lived and all that nonsense. The annoyance he underwent when other students whispered bad things about him after he’d been sorted into Slytherin. Everything that he’d been upset over recently, or had bottled in for some time, came to the surface in full force. He felt like throwing or breaking something but had nothing nearby to destroy.

It was too much for Harry to handle and he broke down. He tried to stop the tears from flowing down his face but couldn’t do anything to make them quit flowing. His frantic breathing from his encounter with the three headed beast, combined with the tears running down his face, made breathing difficult. He tried to catch his breath but couldn’t manage a deep breath. Before he could panic, a tall figure crouched down in front of his and held his face in his hands, causing the boy to stare directly at the man in front of him.

Professor Snape was talking to him but the ringing in his ears made it hard to hear what he was saying. Finally, the ringing quieted and he was able to hear that the man was talking to him, coaching him to breathe slowly, in and out. Harry thought of the rain, the one sound that soothed him when he was frustrated or scared. He could see every single drop as it fell, he could hear the splatter as it hit the ground and even smell the fresh scent of the rainwater.

Harry opened his eyes and looked into the dark eyes belonging to his professor. He felt his face heat up and looked down.

“How are you feeling?” Professor Snape asked.

Harry shrugged. “Tired now. I’m sorry, sir, for freaking out.”

Severus waved off the apology. “Do not concern yourself over that. It was bound to happen, considering all that has occurred recently. No doubt you have been bottling up your emotions and felt it was necessary to release them tonight. Might I ask what in particular caused it?”

“I don’t know really, sir,” Harry said. He motioned towards the mirror, “Have you seen this before?”

Severus studied it before turning his gaze to the boy before him. “Yes, I know what this mirror does. Do you understand what it showed you?”

“Not really,” the boy admitted. “It showed me my family, my entire family.”

The man nodded and motioned to the words along the top, Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. “I show not your face but your heart’s desire.”

“Why did it show me my family?”

“Perhaps your deepest desire was for your parents, both who you likely don’t remember much of.”

Harry nodded. “But yet, I saw my mum, Cathy,” he said. “And other people that aren’t my related to me by blood,” he added, with a slight blush. He didn’t think he would be able to tell Professor Snape that he’d seen him in the mirror too.

“You consider them your family do you not? Family is not only in blood,” he supplied.

“Oh,” the boy replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry yawned.

The Potions Professor got up off the floor and held out his hand for Harry to take. The boy accepted and was pulled to his feet as well.

“I believe it is time for you to return to bed, Mr. Potter.”

Harry nodded and grabbed his Invisibility Cloak. He turned towards the door and pouted slightly when he saw the Professor holding out his hand expectedly. The boy sighed as he handed the heirloom over to his professor.

“I will keep this, at least until tomorrow, when I will decide what to do then. You are to meet me in my office at seven o’clock for detention for being out after hours.”

Harry looked at the man in shock. He certainly wasn’t expecting a detention.

“Relax Potter,” the man said. “I won’t have you scrubbing cauldrons, at least not this time. Instead you and I will be having a chat concerning the use of this cloak,” he held it up, “for one thing. In addition, I would like to talk more on the matter of tonight. Talking will help you release some emotions that you have built up and unless you want a repeat of this event, I suggest we work on this now.”

The first year nodded dejectedly. Part of him did want to talk about everything, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually start talking about it. He knew that Professor Snape would poke and prod him until he said something and Harry only hoped that the words would come easily once he got started.

“Yes, sir,” he added.

“Come; let’s get you back to the Common Room.”

As they walked, Harry turned towards the man and asked a question that had been bothering him. “How’d you know I was even out? I mean, aren’t you usually in your office grading or doing whatever professors do at this time of night?”

The man smirked. “I have wards on the entrance to the Common Room that alert me when any first year students leave the Common Room at night.”

“Why only first years?” he asked curiously as they approached the entrance

“Primarily because they are new to the school and may or may not know their way around. They are also not as likely to be able to defend themselves against someone, should they be attacked. By second year, I trust that you can either defend yourself or have the common sense to stay inside during the night.”

Severus stopped at the entrance, turned towards the boy and said, “Good night, Mr. Potter.”

Harry mumbled the password and stepped inside before turning back to his professor. “Thank you for helping me, sir. And good night.”

As the entrance closed, Harry saw the Professor’s cloak billowing as he stalked down the dark corridor.