Arabella Figg had apparently been informing Dumbledore for years that there was something wrong with the way Harry’s relatives were treating him. She intoned that he never even left his house, but Dumbledore swore that was hogwash. Harry clearly enjoyed the indoors more than his boisterous cousin, but surely he left the house sometimes. After all, it wasn’t like Arabella was home all of the time.

Now, she told them that young Harry didn’t even attend school. The first year the warning had been passed off. It was not unheard of for muggle children to begin school a year late if their relatives didn’t believe they had developed enough. When another year passed and the youngster still didn’t attend muggle primary, however, even Albus could not ignore it.

Thus, a month before what should have been Harry’s third year of school, Severus Snape had been sent to inform Potter's muggle relatives that they really must enroll him. The boy would already be far behind in his subjects, and it was doubtful he would be adept at in his basic knowledge when he started Hogwarts.

Severus wasn’t pleased that he was being sent to do the Headmaster’s dirty work. He had no real patience for spoiled children, and even less patience for the people who did the spoiling. There was no doubt in Severus’s mind that Potter’s offspring would be even more obnoxious than his father. After all, in conversations with Arabella Figg, it had been gathered that the young Dursley was pampered beyond belief, and even he had been forced to attend muggle primary. Yes, Severus thought, the Potter spawn must be a loathsome lout.

It was in this mind that Severus stalked up the front path of the Dursley’s pristine yard and boarded the three front steps. He rapped his knuckles smartly upon the oak door four times in quick succession before waiting rather impatiently for admittance.

A few moments later, lumbering footsteps preceded the door opening, at long last, to reveal a piggish blond boy with watery blue eyes and an already unhealthy girth. “Hello,” the boy said, “I’m Dudley. Mum’s in the backyard if you want her, but Dad’s gone out.”

Severus opened his mouth to reply, but just then a spindly, dark haired woman came around the corner, wiping her hands on her dress as she walked.

“Mum!” the boy said excitedly. “I told him Dad’s done out but you’re here.”

The woman gave her son a rather distracted look. “You what? Oh, Diddykins, that’s only for solicitors. Door-to-door salesmen can count the cars in the driveway.”

Severus watched the proceedings in an annoyed manner. What rude muggles, to assume he was a salesman without even asking him. And even if he was a salesman, it would be beyond rude to discuss evasive tactics in front of him.

“I’m not selling anything!” he interjected.

Petunia Dursley looked up at him in surprise. “Oh?”

“I’m actually here about your nephew.”

The fat kid’s eyes lit up in surprise and he pulled anxiously on the hem of his mother’s shirt. “Mummy, did Aunt Marge have a kid?”

“No, of course not, Sweetums,” Petunia replied absently, not taking her eyes off of Severus.

“You’re one of them,” she said at last, and then she turned her full attention on her son for the first time since Severus had been there. “Dudley, go get your Daddy and send him down here, and then you can play on the computer until supper time.”

“Really?” Dudley asked, grinning. “Daddy said no more this week.”

“Just this once.”

At that, the whale boy raced towards the stairs. Severus watched him go with thinly veiled disgust. He knew better than to hope that the Potter brat would be any different than his abominable cousin, and the very thought of having a daft ogre like that running around Hogwarts four years from now was almost too much to bear.

“Well,” Severus said to the stick woman. “Do you really expect me to stand upon your front door all morning, or are you going to invite me inside?”

Her lips thinned to a white line, but she opened the front door a bit wider and stepped aside to allow Severus entrance. He supposed it was the most he could expect from a muggle, and stepped across the threshold. After all, his only goal was to leave here ASAP, and trying to teach manners to muggles was not the way to accomplish that.

“What’s going on, dear?” a husky voice asked. “Dudders said there’s a funny man at the door.”

“It’s one of them,” Petunia said, turning to the ghastly elephant trudging down the stairs. “He’s asking after Lily’s boy.”

That was an odd way of putting it, considering Severus had never mentioned Lily. He didn’t see what the muggle woman would gain by bringing up her late sister .Was she trying to evoke pity? She’d get none from him.

“Ah,” the pug faced man said. “Did you tell him the boy’s not living here any more?”

“I was just getting to that,” Petunia said. She turned to Severus and sniffed, “He’s not living here any more.”

“Don’t be foolish!” Severus snapped. “Do you honestly think that we wouldn’t know if he had moved?”

Vernon Dursley’s face turned bright red. “What she means to say is; he’s away.”

“Away?”

“At boarding school, actually.”

Severus frowned. “In August?”

“It’s a year round school.”

Severus frowned. “Why send your nephew to a boarding school? It can’t be cheap. And your son attends a public school.”

“Erm…” Vernon turned to his wife for help now.

“Don’t be silly, Vernon. We can tell him,” Petunia said. “I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Yeah, because Severus was known for being understanding. He huffed a sigh and stared at the woman, vaguely wondering why he was still here. Potter was attending school, and that had been Severus’s mission. Now he could leave. And yet, he was still here, preparing to listen to an insipid woman give an undoubtedly long winded explanation.

“You see,” she said. “Harry was very traumatized by what happened to his parents. He was… Disturbed. Always throwing tantrums and whining about not having enough. Vernon and I loved him dearly, but we had Diddykins to think of. Harry was always bullying Dudley and was jealous of anything we gave Dudley. It all got to be too much, so we sent Harry to boarding school. Anyone would have done the same.”

Severus wasn’t surprised to hear about Potter’s selfish nature. Ran in the family, he was sure. In fact, he almost felt sympathetic toward the wig in front of him, as well as her gargantuan husband. Almost. But then, the blond boy from earlier stepped out from his hiding place under the stairs, his blue eyes filled with curiosity.

“Mummy,” he said. “Who’s Harry?”

Severus saw red. He couldn’t believe that a couple of idiotic muggles tried to pull the wool over his eyes. He cast his angry glare over first the father, and then the mother and both of them cowered fearfully. Then, without another word of warning, he delved into the thin one’s mind.

A cage... A basement... A horrible growling sound…

Severus pulled out quickly, leaving the woman looking dazed and distraught. Making a noise low in his throat, Severus stalked to the basement door and yanked it open. The pit below was pitch black and smelled musty. Frowning, Severus cast a quick Lumos and began down the stairs.

And there was the cage, just as he’d seen it in Petunia’s mind’s eye. It was a square thing, four feet by four feet and perhaps five feet tall. And just as in Petunia’s memory, Severus could hear the savage, deep throated growl from within.

Severus moved cautiously towards the cage, until his wand tip was close enough to reveal the creature within. It was a boy, or had been at one point. From his small stature and clumsy movement, Severus would have guessed him to be three years old, four at most. Yet unless those wide green eyes and knobby knees were a lie, this was Harry Potter himself- a seven year old child.

He was covered head to toe in what appeared to be his own excretion, and the floor of his cage was covered in the same. His filthy black hair hung in strands down to his knees. His arms and legs were covered in scars and burns, new and old alike. His skin was pallid and seemed to cave in upon him, so he was more skeletal than alive. It was a far cry from the spoiled hellion Severus had envisioned.

“What have you done to him?”

The muggles had followed him down the stairs, and stumbled backward at his low, icy tones. Only the youngest one seemed unafraid of Severus, his expression open and innocent as he approached the cage, seeming entranced by his cousin. He stepped forward curiously, holding a hand out to the cage, only to snatch it back when Harry snarled at him.

Dudley Dursley turned those wide eyes now to Severus. “What’s wrong with him?”

Severus frowned, and before he could contemplate the impact his words might have on the boy, he snarled. “Your parents. He might have been just as healthy as you are now, but your parents turned him into this instead.”

Dudley cocked his head to the side. “Can you turn him back?”

“What?”

Dudley shrugged. “I bet if I was locked in a cage right now, I’d be like him one day. So I’ll bet if he’s taken out, he’ll be like me one day.”

Severus severely hoped that Potter never turned out like his cousin. Still, the boy had brought up a salient point. Was it impossible to heal six years of emotional scarring? “It won’t be easy,” Severus said to the boy, “but your cousin may, in the proper environment, have a chance at some recovery.”

***

“How many warnings were you given that things were not right, Albus?” Severus hissed, obsidian eyes flashing dangerously. “And you heeded none of them!”

The headmaster did not reply. His expression was impassive, clouded. His shoulders were rather hunched, it was true, but he gave no real outward sign that he even heard Severus. His sea blue orbs were fastened on the child lying upon the hospital bed in front of them.

Albus Dumbledore gave a mournful sigh. “I will send him to St. Mungo’s in the morning.”

“You will do no such thing!”

Dumbledore looked up, confusion etched across his weathered face.

“This isn’t something you can hide away and not think about, Albus!” Severus thundered, “This is a boy’s life you’re talking about, and I’ll be damned if I let you lock him up again. Not after what he’s been through.”

“And what would you suggest I do with him?” Dumbledore returned. “He needs constant supervision. At this point he’s no better than an animal- you had to sedate him to bring him here.”

“No better than an animal? No wonder you’re willing to lock him up again, if that’s the way you feel. You’d best not concern yourself with him any more, Albus. I’ll take care of him myself.”

“Severus, what about your job?”

“To hell with my job! It’s not as though I’m living in the slums of London. I have more than enough to get by.”

“Why?” Dumbledore asked. “Why trouble yourself for one child?”

“No child deserves to be locked away.”

Dumbledore turned away. “You’d best be packing if you’re heading back home.”

Severus nodded and left the room. It wasn’t until he was half way to the dungeons that he realized that this may have been what Dumbledore had planned all along, when he sent Severus out there that morning.

Screaming was the first thing Snape heard as he approached the hospital wing. It was an agonized wail, filled with a certain yearning that was moving even to his marred soul. He hastened his steps to the infirmary and threw open the door.

Harry was crouched catlike in a corner, his green eyes blazing angrily as he alternated between wailing piteously and hissing at Dumbledore and Pomfrey. In turn, they were at a loss, seemingly afraid to move any nearer to him.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” he muttered. “Are you wizards or not?”

“Do you suggest that we continue to sedate him?” Dumbledore asked mildly. “This had to be dealt with at some point.”

“Not by you,” Severus muttered. “I should have been the one to rouse him.”

“Yes, well, you’re here now.” And with that, Dumbledore left the room. Pomfrey was right behind him, pausing only to drop some potions bottles on the bed beside Severus. Then, he was alone, with only a savage Harry for company. Shite.

The kid was seven years old, for Merlin’s sake. Severus had twenty someodd years on him, not to mention the fact that he was a reformed Death Eater. What did he have to be afraid of? Still, he could not help but feel a certain sense of foreboding. After all, if he could not get past this crucial milestone, the road ahead would be all but impossible. This was it, the big test. Did he, Severus Snape, have what it took to help this child?

He crouched down on the floor, feeling a bit like an overgrown ape, and tried to remain at eye level with the boy so he would be less intimidating, a technique he’d heard in a teaching course which he’d never put to practice before. Now, crouched like a fool and struggling with what to do next, he wished he’d taken the course more seriously. He floundered with his memory for a bit, trying to recall something that would be of use. Use good body language… Speak in a firm but controlled voice… Tell the child what you expect from them.

Sighing, Severus said what came naturally to him. “Alright, there, Harry… You’re alright. Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore- I won’t let them.”

Harry tipped his head slightly to the side at Severus’s words, but from animal instinct or actual understanding, Severus couldn’t say. It didn’t really mater at this point. Severus knew better than to aim for the stars this first day. This struggle would be through a series of short-term goals. The first was to get Harry to cease behaving like a total animal.

“That’s right, Harry,” Severus said encouragingly. “There’s nothing to fear here. It’s just you and me. You can calm down a bit.”

By the time Severus said the last part, Harry had already stopped carrying on, more interested in studying Severus with those penetrating green eyes. Still, he thought it pertinent to try and connect actions with words. Saying calm down after Harry had done so might allow him to connect the two.

“Now, Harry, I know you’re scared and confused right now but I want you to try and trust me,” Severus said. Hah! What a joke. Who in their right minds would trust Severus Snape? He didn’t even trust himself. He held a hand out to the boy in an unquestionable request for Harry to come nearer.

Harry stared, transfixed, at the hand. He trembled a great deal, glancing nervously at Snape’s face every few seconds and then back to the hand, his fingers toying anxiously with the hem of his filthy shirt. As a general rule, Severus was not a patient man, but he found that he had patience enough for this. Harry was, after all, trying very hard to be brave. With his past, it was sure to be hard.

After a long wait, during which time Harry seemed to be debating with himself, the small child took a tentative step forward, out of his corner. When nothing frightening happened, he took another, and another, until he finally placed his grubby little hand into Severus’s palm.

“There’s a good lad,” Severus murmured, giving Harry a bare smile. The boy appeared as terrified and skittish as ever, but gone was the rabid look in his eyes and the vicious behavior he had previously exhibited.

The question was, what was he to do now? Pomfrey obviously meant for him to give Harry the potions, but it seemed an indecent way to repay the boy’s bravery. Surely there should be a reward for that first, with the potions following.

Severus thought for a moment and then he transfigured a bedpan into a simple foam ball that changed colors. It wasn’t much in the way of rewards, he thought dubiously, but given his lack of preparation on that count, it would have to do. He still felt guilty as he held the ball out to Harry, but the child’s look of wonder at the simple gift was enough to vanquish his fears. To Severus it may be a simple ball, but to Harry it was as precious as gold.

“That’s your ball to keep forever,” Severus said. He felt foolish, not knowing how much Harry could understand, but it seemed important to use the façade of making normal conversation with him.

Severus allowed Harry to indulge in frivolities with the ball only a few minutes before he tried the next task- medication. That had, after all, been the point in waking the child. The three bottles Pomfrey had left on the bed stared ominously at Severus. They were basic enough- a nutrition potion, a growth-inducing potion, and a healing potion. All three would be important for Harry’s physical recovery... and they all tasted vile.

Sighing, Severus uncorked the healing potion and held it out to Harry. Harry, in turn, gave the bottle a suspicious glare and a little hiss.

“None of that,” Severus reprimanded. “Drink it. It’s for your own good.”

Harry continued to glare, but when Severus made no move to cease offering it, the boy gave what was unmistakably a sigh. He reached out a shaking hand for the bottle and took it from Severus. Harry sniffed the contents tentatively and then, to Severus’s delight, tipped his head back and emptied the bottle in one swig. It was only after that he seemed to taste it. He gave a loud shout and chucked the bottle away from him with unnatural force, narrowly missing Severus’s head.

“No!” Severus snapped, “No throwing things. That was very bad.”

Harry’s lower lip trembled dangerously. Big, fat tears welled up in his eyes and began to track down his cheeks, and he whimpered just the tiniest bit before curling into a tight ball.

“Aw, hell,” Snape muttered. “I’m not the bloke to deal with crying.”

Severus looked about desperately for someone to take over, but it was not to be. He frowned a bit, his eyes going from the shattered glass on the floor to the shattered boy in front of him, and then, with another mutter of, “Aw, hell,” he took a cautious step towards Harry.

Severus hesitated a bit before gently carding a hand through Harry’s unruly mop. To his surprise, Harry didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned almost instinctively into the touch. Severus gave a little sigh of relief, continuing to card his hand through Harry’s hair until the child unfurled himself and rested his head upon Severus’s chest.

Severus sighed. “There’s my good boy. You’re okay.”

In truth, Severus was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It had been decent of him to comfort the boy when he was wailing, but this extra comforting felt odd. If someone walked in now his reputation would be shot to pieces.

To his relief, Harry pulled away on his own after a minute. He looked around, seeming lost and desolate. Severus supposed that it was justified in a way- as much as he was against any forms of self pity, Harry had a right to feel out of sorts in this sudden new environment. Hopefully, it would change soon.

“You still have two more potions to take,” Severus murmured apologetically. “I promise that if you drink them like a good boy, I’ll give you a special treat after.”

Harry frowned a second before holding his foam ball up to Severus. Severus smiled. So Harry did understand what he was saying, at least to some extent.

“Yes, Harry, like your ball,” Severus confirmed. “But to get the treat, you have to drink both potions like a good boy- and no throwing. Understand?”

He didn’t expect Harry to respond, and indeed Harry stayed silent, playing absently with his shirt while he kicked his ball from foot to foot. Sighing, Severus grabbed the nutrient potion from the bed and held it out to Harry.

“Enh!” Harry pushed at Severus’s hand, baring his teeth.

“No,” Severus said, being sure to keep his voice level. “No pushing. Drink the potion.”

“Enh!”

“Harry.”

Harry whined and kicked his feet a little, his brow furrowed in a stubborn crease. Severus took a deep breath, reminding himself to have some patience... Dealing with Harry was worse than an entire class of Hufflepuff first years.

“Come on, Harry. I know it doesn’t take very good but it will help you grow up big and strong. And remember our deal- cooperate and you get a treat.”

Harry raised his ball, his eyes wide.

“Like your ball, right.”

Harry spent a long time considering the proposal. Finally, frowning a little, he leaned forward so he was on his knees in front of Severus, too close for Severus’s comfort. Harry placed two fingers upon the potions bottle, and then he moved them to Severus’s lips. Then he brought them to the potions bottle again, and then to his own lips. He had to repeat the motion several times before Severus understood.

“If I take a sip, you’ll drink the rest?” Severus asked.

Harry cocked his head to the side, seeming to concentrate. Sighing, Severus uncorked the potion and took a small sip. He allowed a grimace to grace his features, knowing Harry would be more angered by his usual decorum than if he let himself go a little. His deed done, he offered the vial to Harry.

Harry sighed a little but this time he took it, tipped his head back, and downed it all in one gulp. He then did an uncanny impersonation of Snape’s half-grimace.

Snape snorted as he took the vial from Harry. “Cheeky little blighter.”

Harry squished his ball in one hand and gave what almost passed as a grin when it reshaped as he opened his fist. Watching him, Severus had to smile, reputation be damned. He made up for it by quickly grabbing the third vial and uncorking it. He would not allow Harry to con him into forgetting his priorities by being cute.

Catching Harry’s eye, Severus gave a small sip of this one as well before handing it over. Harry puffed out his cheeks, drank it down, and seemed to be on the verge of throwing this bottle against wall as he had the first. He caught sight of Severus, however, and paused. Then he held it out to Severus, his green eyes wide.

“Thank you, Harry,” Severus said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

The result was almost instantaneous. There was the trembling lip, the big, fat tears, the soft whimper, and then he was curled up in a ball, crying. Severus, found that he wasn’t as panicked this time, only curious. As he once again sat with the child, carding a hand through Harry’s hair, he tried to think of what could have caused this outburst. It was the second one in twenty minutes, and as he wasn’t keen to experience more of them, it seemed like a good idea to discern the cause.

The best place to start, he thought, was to try and find a correlation between the two incidents. When Harry had first cried, Severus had thought it was his tone of voice that set the boy off, but this time he’d been praising him, s that couldn’t be it. The obvious parallel would be that it happened right after Harry took the medicine, but he took the potion one other time without incident, so he cast that explanation aside. There must, then, be a connection in the words themselves.

Thank you, Harry. That wasn’t so bad, was it?
No, no throwing things. That was very bad.

And there was the connecting rod. One word, one common word. One word that would be recognized by Harry above every other. Bad. Severus had an unsettling feeling that it was the word that preceded each of the scars that marred what should have been clear skin on Harry’s young body. No wonder his instinct was to curl into a ball. Protect his face and stomach. Damn muggles. Severus gathered the child into his arms, his chin on the boy’s head, and whispered, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Alright, Harry,” Severus said, pulling away from the child slightly so he could look him in the eye. “We’re going downstairs now, to my room.”

He couldn’t tell if Harry understood or not. The boy sat there, twirling his long, filthy hair in his hands, looking at Severus solemnly through wide green eyes. Severus sighed, scooting forward a bit, and scooped the little boy into his arms. He was a lightweight, Severus thought with a sigh. Not much could be done about that at this time. The nutrient potion would help.

“I have to go talk to some people,” Severus said softly. He still felt strange talking to Harry when he wasn’t sure the boy could understand anything he was saying. Then again, he thought with a smirk, most of the dunderheads he taught didn’t understand what he was saying to them. At least Harry had an excuse not to. “You just turn away if you get scared. I won’t leave you alone with them, I promise.”

Harry said nothing, but he clutched a little tighter at Severus’s robes. Severus sighed, rubbing Harry’s back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. He really had no experience with comforting children. With a sigh, he opened the door to the hospital wing and stepped into the corridor beyond, thanking his lucky stars that it was August and there were no students about. Even if he wasn’t going to be teaching here any more, he wasn’t particularly keen on his reputation being ruined.

“Albus!” he said, his voice loud enough to call the man but not enough to scare Harry. “Poppy!”

To his immense relief, they both came almost immediately, emerging from Pomfrey’s office a little up the hall. Harry’s eyes widened when he saw that and he let out a little growl, tightening his grip on Severus. Severus gave him a warning look and Harry sighed before ducking his head into the nape of Severus’s neck, shaking a little with restrained emotions. With a weary sigh, Severus patted Harry’s back again, and the boy nuzzled further into him.

Dumbledore smiled lightly at Severus, his eyes bright with amusement. “He seems to have taken to you, Severus.”

“It’s not hard to win the affections of a child who’s never heard a kind word in his life,” Severus dismissed, bitterness tingeing his voice. As he said it, his grip tightened on Harry slightly, and he looked for all the world as though he were trying to hide the boy away.

Dumbledore turned serious now. “I’m not sure you understand the gravity of that, Severus. He’s not apt to put his trust in many people. He has taken to you; likely you are the only one he will look to for some time. It’s quite a responsibility.”

“I am aware, Albus.”

Dumbledore gave him a searching look before nodding once, satisfied. “Now, what did you need us for.”

“I want to know what you did to him in my absence,” Severus replied sharply. “He’s still filthy, so I assume you didn’t bother with a bath…”

Pomfrey frowned angrily at him. “I hardly let him go filthy, Severus. I did what I could with scourgify’s, but the grime is so deep at this point… But you’ll notice he’s not as bad as he was.”

“Yes, I’m so glad you managed to wipe the dung off of him,” Severus sneered. “That’s quite an accomplishment.

Pomfrey pursed her lips, “I was going to attempt a bath, Severus! That’s why we woke him, actually. I couldn’t attend to most of his wounds until he was cleaned up, so after making sure he was stabilized and his breathing was regular we roused him…”

Severus glared, “So not only have you left him filthy, but you haven’t managed to heal him either? It’s a wonder our students don’t leave here maimed for life.”

“Severus! That was out of line!”

Harry whimpered slightly at the sharp tone. Severus looked down at the boy with a frown before pulling his expression into a bland mask of indifference. “I apologize for my outburst, Headmaster. Harry and I are retiring to my chambers where I shall look after him. Good day.”

Severus couldn’t help but wince as he carried a whimpering Harry down the corridor towards the dungeons. He hadn’t meant to get carried away like that; he typically had a firm hold on his emotions… And now Harry was scared to death of the headmaster, which was definitely not what Severus wanted. He was trying to make Harry feel secure and comfortable in all sorts of situations, not scared.

“You’re fine, son,” he muttered, trying in vain to remove Harry’s death grip on his robes.

He frowned. One would think that a kid who had been beaten his whole life would be more than capable of walking down a hallway without having a heart attack. This should be like heaven for him, but somehow it seemed to make him frightened. Severus didn’t understand it… He definitely wasn’t the right person for this job.

“This is my-- er, our-- home, Harry,” Severus said, stopping outside the door of his chamber and pulling out his wand. Harry’s breath caught as he almost imperceptibly loosened his grip on Severus’s robe, his eyes fixed on the door. Severus tapped the plain wooden door a couple of times, muttering a password under his breath, and it swung open to reveal a sensible, cream colored living room.

To Severus’s relief, the open, light colors seemed to have a soothing effect on Harry, who loosened his grip on Severus’s robes ever so slightly and turned to look curiously about his new environment. He cocked his head to the side a little, reaching a hand up towards the chandelier as if to catch the rays of light, and Severus allowed himself a little snort at the childish naivety.

“I’m going to set you down now, Harry,” Severus said soothingly, and, while the boy was still distracted by the light and the warm colors, he placed him gently on the couch. Harry didn’t seem to mind, only giving Severus a curious look before turning back to admire the dust he could see sparkling in the light.

Severus kept an eye on Harry even as he stepped into the kitchen. His chambers were pretty open, and only the two bedrooms and the bathroom were walled off from the rest of his suite. He was usually alone, after all, and found it a bit depressing to be closed in all the time. Now, though, the open rooms served another purpose; he was not forced to separate from Harry. There was no telling what kind of mischief the boy could get into if left to his own devices.

Severus didn’t have very much in the kitchen as far as food went, eating most of his meals in the great hall, but as he very much doubted that Harry would do well if faced with a house elf, he would have to make do. He had enough to make a bland broth, which he laced with a bit more nutrition potion, and he poured the boy a bit of cranberry juice to accompany it- in a sippy cup. He had no desire to clean a red stain out of his tan carpet.

“Harry,” he called, setting the food on a table. “Breakfast time!”

Harry stood up on the couch and looked at him questioningly, his tiny hands gripping the back of the furniture. Severus repressed the urge to scold him for treating the furniture in such a disrespectful manner. They’d move on to etiquette later. Baby steps…

“Breakfast,” he repeated, pointing to the bowl.

Harry frowned, and it was obvious to Severus that he had no idea what was being said, but in the end it didn’t matter. After giving Severus one more curious look, Harry jumped over the back of the couch and crawled across the floor to the table. He pulled himself into something resembling Severus’s stance and gazed curiously into the bowl, his nose working like a little mouse as it tried to figure out the smell. He looked up at Severus, his eyes wide, and held up his ball with a question in his eyes.

“No, Harry,” Severus said, trying to swallow down his deepening anger at the boy’s relatives. “This isn’t your treat. This is your breakfast. I’m getting your treat ready while you eat.”

That said, he lifted Harry up and set him in the smooth wooden dining chair, using his wand to make the chair a little higher before pushing it in so Harry could reach his meal. Harry wasted no time, reaching a hand out to grab the bowl and pull it close to him and lapping the broth up like a dog. Severus looked away in disgust but he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the child’s first proper meal in Merlin knew how long. Harry wouldn’t understand the need for utensils yet, in any case. Severus was just happy not to have to fight to get him to eat.

The child properly distracted, Severus could allow himself to walk over to his bookshelf and peruse its contents. He had decided whilst still in the hospital wing that a book would be a much better treat than a ball. Harry could look through it on his own and admire the pictures, and at night Severus could read to him from it, which would help Harry connect words with pictures as well as getting used to people speaking to him, instead of around him.

Severus knew which book he was looking for, too. It was a special one which had been passed down in his family for generations. At the birth of each new Prince child, the popular stories from that year would be added to the collection. Muggle and wizarding stories alike lined its pages, some of which were a few hundred years old, though perfectly preserved through the years. Severus double checked the spells on the book to make sure it was tear resistant and would repel stains before carrying it to the kitchen.

“Finished, Harry?” Severus asked, keeping his voice mild as he picked the empty bowl up off of the table and set it on the counter, out of the way.

Harry looked at him, his eyes wide and curious, one hand still curled protectively around the sippy cup Severus had transfigured for him. Severus smiled, giving him a little pat on the head, before holding out the book he had gotten the boy. “This is your treat, son.”

Harry’s eyes widened in awe as he took the book into his hands, carefully turning the pages and staring transfixed at the pictures. When he came across the first moving picture he gave a little shout of surprise and Severus felt his pulse quicken, but when he looked Harry didn’t seem upset, only intrigued.

“After your bath I’ll read you one of those stories,” Severus promised, “and then you can have a little nap. How’s that sound?”

Harry gave him a shy look, and then, in a hoarse voice, he repeated the one word. “Sound?”

Severus stared, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Harry had just spoken. True, he was only mimicking Severus, but it was still a huge milestone, especially for the first day. He felt like giving Harry a treat again, but he didn’t want to make a big deal about the first word. It would probably actually put him behind, and Harry would try to use his milestones to take advantage of Severus and get things he wanted. In truth, Severus would need to think of a better way encourage Harry…

For now, he would just try to behave as though Harry’s speech was normal. He had learned through the years that if you acted as though you expected children to do things they were capable of more than if you treated them as though they were incompetent.

“Sounds good? Good,” he nodded decisively. “Let’s get that bath over with, then.”

He took the book gently from Harry’s hands but set it on the table where Harry could see it so he wouldn’t think it was being taken forever, and then he lead the boy by the hand down the hall to the pale blue bathroom. It was a grand thing, with a high ceiling and a shallow pool about the size of Hagrid’s pumpkin patch, two feet deep near the edges and almost four feet deep in the middle. The porcelain toilet and sink were behind a separate wall, not visible from the pool.

Harry was visibly frightened by the water. He tightened his grip on Severus’s hand, his eyes fastened on the pool. Severus sighed, realizing that it was another one of many phobias he’d have to manage. He wondered if he’d be able to handle all the problems Harry brought with him. He had no patience…

He had to stop thinking in that manner. He couldn’t question his capabilities any more. He was better for the child than a mental ward, and that was all that mattered. He might not be the ideal candidate under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances and he was the choice they would have to deal with.

“Alright, how about you use the toilet first,” Snape said, taking Harry over behind the little wall to where the toilet stood.

Harry wasn’t toilet trained, of course, but Snape was able to show him the basic idea of it. The child’s aim made Severus wince a little inside but he said nothing, only casting a scourgify when Harry was done. Sadly, that was the easy part. The hard part would be getting Harry to take an actual bath.

Severus took Harry’s shirt off before transfiguring the boy’s shorts into swimming trunks, trying not to scowl when he saw the abrasions that littered the child's body. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of bathing a naked seven year old. On second thought, he transformed his own robes into swimming trunks. Harry had already shown a fear to the water and he wasn’t eager to get his regular robes completely soaked whilst attempting to bathe the boy. The transfigurations would last two hours, tops, but that would be enough time.

Severus didn’t know what else to do. He had tried getting Harry in the water-- he needed a bath more than anyone Severus had seen, sweaty prepubescent boys included-- but the boy was fighting tooth and nails to stay away from the water- literally. Severus’s arms were littered with various abrasions from the boy’s defiance.

If it had been any other child acting in such an unreasonable manner, Severus would have assigned them to disemboweling slugs for a month. As it was…He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he cast yet another warming spell on the water. Really! How difficult could this be?

“What if I get in first?” Severus asked, at his wits end. “Like with the potions.”

Harry cocked his head to the side for a minute as though contemplating, but as Severus had expected, the boy didn’t actually reply. Still, Severus thought wryly, it was worth a try. He set the child on the floor of the bathroom and then, bracing himself - truth be told, he rather hated the water- he stepped into the bath. He allowed himself a little sigh of relief as the warm water untied the knots in his back. He had a lot of those, and somehow, he thought, he’d have a few more before the day was through. Harry was…difficult, to say the least.

He turned around, more confident now that he could convince Harry to get in the tub. Just like the potions… When he looked, however, Harry was gone, and the bathroom door, cracked open, was the only sign of where he’d gone. Severus groaned. Why him?

In a moment, Severus was out of the tub, feeling rather ridiculous as he ran, half naked and soaking wet, through his chambers. He couldn’t believe that he’d been so stupid as to believe that the boy would just stay put. It wasn’t like he was dealing with a normal child, after all, used to rules and discipline. Harry wasn’t used to there being anywhere to run to, but it made sense that he would, given the opportunity.

On the plus side, the boy had to be in his quarters. He had at least been intelligent enough to put wards on his entry door so the child couldn’t leave. He had not, however, bothered to childproof his quarters, not expecting to remain at Hogwarts for long, and his cupboards were full of potentially dangerous potions. Severus could only hope that Harry’s disdain for potions still remained…

“Harry?” he called, his voice hoarse with worry. “Where’d you go off to?”

There was, of course, no reply. If the boy had learned nothing else in his short time on Earth, he knew self preservation, knew it to the very depths of his soul.

Coming to the center of his room, Severus looked around warily for a few minutes before it occurred to him to use his wand. After, he felt like a bit of an idiot, scrambling around like a madman when he could have used a point me from the very beginning… He did so now, and was somehow unsurprised to see it pointing at the cupboard beneath his sink. Of course. He’d have to choose the one with the most potions.

Severus sheathed his wand and strode confidently across the room, crouching down in front of the cupboard and pulling open the door. Harry was crouching in between bottles of potions, blinking up at Severus worriedly.The bottles seemed a little disturbed, pushed aside to make room for the boy, a few turned sideways. On the plus side, none of them were opened, nor any liquid missing. Severus felt his heart rate beginning to return to normal.

“Harry,” he said, taking care to keep his voice even. “What are you doing in a cupboard?”

Harry looked about himself as though he’d just realized where he was. He frowned a little, reaching a tiny hand out towards a bottle of bright pink potion. Severus barely held back from slapping the boy’s hand. Instead, he carefully moved the potion away from Harry, hoping he’d get the idea.

“Although I greatly enjoy playing hide and seek with you, now is most definitely not the time,” Severus muttered, reaching in and lifting the boy carefully out of the cupboard. To his surprise, the child didn’t struggle. Somehow, that wasn’t comforting. It was almost as though Harry was resigning himself to what was coming.

Severus really just wanted to get the blasted bath over with, but he sensed that he would end up doing more harm then good if he didn’t find some way to communicate with Harry…This also seemed like a brilliant time to start disciplining the boy-- he couldn’t have him running around like some hooligan just because Severus feared what raising his voice would do to the child.

Sighing, Severus brought Harry over to the couch, casting a quick drying charm on his shorts and a warming charm on himself before settling down, the boy on his lap. Harry was as immobile as a corpse, dead in his arms. Severus sighed, and turned the boy so that he was sort of facing him.

“Look at me, Harry,” he intoned quietly.

Harry looked up sharply, his bright green eyes locked firmly upon Severus’s. He was shaking slightly in fear, but despite this his gaze didn’t waver. Severus found a little bit of pride swelling in his chest, but it didn’t seem like the time to mention it. Being proud of Harry one minute and then scolding him the next could only confuse the boy.

“Harry, running off today was very b-…naughty,” Severus began, feeling himself flush a little at the childish word. For Harry he reminded himself. You’re doing this for Harry. “You scared me. There are a lot of things that you could have gotten into that would have made you sick. Furthermore, I don’t appreciate you running away from me. If you are upset or have a problem, I’d rather you communicate with me.”

Harry gave Severus an accusing look, pointing mutely towards the bathroom. Severus sighed again, pinching his nose.

“I know you were scared in the bathroom. Sometimes, we have to do things that make us scared, or upset, or very, very tired. That’s just part of life. If you had stuck around, though, you might have realized that I was going to do everything in my power to make things okay for you. I got in the water first- like with the potions.”

Harry stared at Severus for a few minutes, and then he sighed audibly. Leaning forward a little, Harry put his head on Severus’s shoulder in what Severus could only assume was an apology. He patted the child’s back awkwardly.

“Round two?”he asked, looking at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shivered a little, but this time he didn’t put up a fuss as Severus carried him into the bathroom. Still, not taking any chances,Severus warded the bathroom door before stepping directly into the tub, not releasing Harry for a moment. As the water first lapped the child’s toes, Harry gave a shriek, but as Severus brought the boy further into the water, he seemed to realize it wasn’t really that bad. When the two were about waist deep in water, Harry reached a hand out and tentatively slapped at the surface of the water, giving a tentative smile as Severus tried in vain to dodge the splash.

“That’s how you want to play, is it?”Severus growled, and then, without thinking, he splashed the boy back.

Harry was grinning broadly now, and in the water fight that resulted, Severus almost forgot that he was supposed to be washing the child. Just as he was to tell Harry it was time to settle down and clean up for real, he felt a heaviness on his body.Oh, no…The temporary transfigurations had worn off, and he and Harry were both fully dressed in the tub.

Harry looked down at his raggedy shorts billowing up around him, a confused expression on his face. He took a tentative step forward, and then another… And then he looked up at Severus, and giggled.

Severus smiled warmly at the boy. Maybe things would be okay after all.

Severus quickly finished bathing Harry and pulled him out of the tub. The boy seemed rather reluctant to leave the water- he had been having fun jumping and watching his clothing billowing out around him- and Severus wondered at the child’s fickleness. Not that he was complaining that the water phobia wouldn’t be something he’d have to deal with every day…

“Don’t you want to read your new book?” he asked the child, smiling encouragingly as he pulled the wet shirt over Harry’s head.

Harry gazed up at him trustingly as Snape wrapped a fluffy white towel around his tiny frame, only slipping his trousers and pants off after. He then carried the boy, wrapped in the towel, into his bedroom and set him on his bed.

“Stay there, Harry,” he said, his voice firm, as he turned to his wardrobe and selected an outfit to shrink for the boy. It wouldn’t be as good as if the boy had his own clothes, but neither would it billow about him like an elephant’s hide. Still, Severus would have to find a way to take the child shopping soon. He wondered at how that would work. Surely the child would balk at being brought into a crowd? Yet neither could Severus trust him with a babysitter at this point- it had not gone well with Poppy and Albus.

For now, Severus contented himself with pulling a green t-shirt over the child’s head and helping him into some black trousers. That was mercifully simple, but Harry had difficulty accepting the idea of having socks on his feet. It was cold in the dungeon, and Severus didn’t like the idea of the child running about barefoot, but Harry wasn’t used to socks- his relatives hadn’t provided him with any.

“Really, Harry!” Severus snapped when Harry kicked him in the jaw for the third time. “That is quite enough!”

Harry’s lower lip trembled a bit, and his eyes went glossy with tears. Snape felt his stomach loop- he wasn’t supposed to snap at the boy!- and then he told himself to shape up. More than anything, the child would require discipline at this juncture. He could not think that it was acceptable to lash out when he was upset, no more than he could run away.

No, now was not the time to cave in to the boy’s crying. It would send an entirely wrong message. Instead, he mollified his tone a bit, and touched two fingers on Harry’s leg as he spoke. “You do not kick.”

That said, he picked the offending stocking up once more and managed to get it onto Harry’s foot. Harry reached a hand down to pull at the fabric after, but Severus was quick and, tapping the boy’s wrist lightly, quickly dislodged him of that notion.

“Enh!”

“Harry…”

Harry gave Severus a forlorn look, but said nothing more as the other sock was put on his foot. Severus then picked the child up, settling Harry upon his hip. Harry sighed a little, wrapping his arms around Severus’s neck and setting his head on Severus’s shoulder. Severus was a little surprised to note that it was lunch time already… Well, he thought, it was doubtful that Harry would complain about a little more food before his story… And then after the story, Severus thought, looking at Harry’s resting head, a nap would not be amiss.

“You hungry, little one?”

Harry shifted a little at the words, but didn’t seem to know their meaning yet. That was okay- baby steps. He would learn. For now, Severus set Harry once more upon the couch, figuring that it was a good time to start a routine, even if it was a simple one. He quickly set about making another light broth, adding a bit of potato and corn in with the nutritive potion this time, hoping to accustom the boy to solid foods sooner rather than later. He poured some water into the sippy cup he’d transfigured earlier, and called Harry over to the table.

Harry smiled this time as he leapt over the couch, seeming to understand, to some extent, what was happening. He dug into his meal rather eagerly, as before, and was done before Severus had finished making his own sandwich. Harry didn’t seem to mind, though- he sucked contentedly on his water whilst Severus ate, his two tiny hands wrapped so carefully around the cup that Severus couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“Ready for your story?” Severus asked when he had finished his meal.

To Severus’s surprise, Harry seemed to know what that meant. He set his sippy cup on the table and quickly fetched his book, holding it out to Severus. Surprised, Severus couldn’t resist giving him a pat on the head. Inwardly, he wondered how Harry could know the meaning of that so soon.

“Let’s go over to the couch to read,” Severus said, guiding the fragile child to the settee and setting him down. In a moment, Harry was curled up against the armrest, looking at Severus expectantly. Severus wondered if he should pick a story to read, or let the child…

“How about you pick a story,” Severus said, handing the book to Harry. He didn’t want Harry to become dependent upon him to make all the important decisions, and thought that it was probably important to start off on the right foot.

Harry frowned at Severus, confused, and Severus reached over and showed him how to flip the pages. “Just stop when you find a picture you like.”

Harry stopped on a picture of a prince and three witches in a lake. Severus smiled. It was from the Tales of Beadle the Bard, and he thought that it was rather appropriate that Harry have his first story be such a classic one. Besides, he was found of the morals taught to children who read the tales, even if Harry wouldn’t understand them yet.

By the time Severus had finished telling how all four of the friends had gotten their wishes, he looked over to see Harry fast asleep on the settee. He smiled a little. At least he wouldn’t have to fight with the boy about taking a nap. He wondered if it would be better to leave him here on the couch, or to bring him into the bedroom… Eventually, he decided on the latter. He could get a neck ache in the position he was in now.

Standing up, Severus set the book on the coffee table before stooping to pick up Harry. Harry’s head lolled against Severus’s chest, but the boy did not rouse. Severus carried him into the bedroom, and then struggled to hold him in one arm while pulling the covers down with the other- the boy was a lightweight, but Severus didn’t have his body weight balanced correctly, and ended up stooping down on one knee, Harry half sitting on him while Severus pulled down the covers. When Severus finally had him tucked into bed, and the child had still not made a move, Severus might have worried he was dead, but that he could see the little chest rising and falling steadily.

Severus backed silently out of the room, though not before adding a monitor to Harry so he would know if the child awoke. Arriving back in the main room, he whispered, “Dusty!”

A young house elf popped into view, smiling a little from beneath his baseball cap. “What’s up?”

Severus frowned. Dusty had apparently been watching teen-based soap operas on the television again. The poor thing thought that he could get educated in “proper speech” by watching the tube, and Severus had to deal with different phases in Dusty’s speech depending on whatever show was his favorite at the time.

“Will you please prepare the manor for my return. Do the master bedroom as always, and also prepare the nursery for a boy of seven. We’ll be there for supper tonight. Make a light soup, he has a weak stomach.”

“Sure thing, dude. No problem!”

Severus winced as, with a loud CRACK!, Dusty disappeared. That one had to be the most insane house elf he had ever met… And yet, he was smart. He had more common sense than many of his type, constantly preaching the value of education, and he was loyal as a tee despite the freedom Severus had granted him when he’d come of age. All in all, despite Dusty’s… oddities… he was the best house elf Severus had ever met.

Severus was trying to prepare Harry for the move to the manor that afternoon when the incident occurred. He and Harry were sitting on the floor of the living room as Severus showed the child pictures of the manor, hoping to accustom him to the place before they moved over, when there was a loud popping sound, and suddenly, Dusty was standing in the middle of the room.

Harry’s reaction was instantaneous. He screamed, a loud, howling sounds, before scuttling away from Dusty like a crab. He hid behind Severus, hissing menacingly at the poor elf, who looked frightened out of his wits. Severus carefully took stock of the situation. Dusty hadn’t used his formidable magic to curse the child, and Harry hadn’t run for the potions cupboard- yet. He thanked Merlin for small blessings.

He was more worried about Harry than Dusty. Dusty was quick, and if he hadn’t cursed the child yet he wasn’t about to. Harry’s behavior was more wild and unpredictable. Thus, he was the one Severus would have to deal with first. He turned about so quickly that his lank black hair slapped against his cheek.

“Behave!” he made his voice firm as he carefully placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders.

Harry glared up at him, wild-eyed, and then wrenched back before sinking his teeth angrily into Severus’s arm. Severus grimaced but picked up the child this time, restraining him more completely. Harry thrashed for a while until he grew weary, his body sinking against Severus’s arms.

“Calm down,” Severus said, a little more gently although still firmly. “There is no need for you to be carrying on so.”

Harry hissed again, although he seemed to have lost some of his steam. Severus took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he tried to think of how to deal with the situation at hand. His eyes fell to the chunk that was missing out of his arm from when Harry bit him, and his stomach rolled the slightest amount when he glimpsed his bone shining beneath.

“Sir?” Dusty asked, sounding less certain of himself than usual. “Would you like a bandage?”

Severus contemplated that for a moment. Undoubtedly his arm could use one, but if Dusty got closer to him, Harry might start panicking again, and he didn’t want to deal with that right this second. It wasn’t bleeding too much to manage; his internal magic preserves were preventing that. “I think not, Dusty. I’ll make sure to put something on it tonight so that it doesn’t get infected.”

The house elf nodded, trying, and failing, not to look to curious about the child Severus had begun to whisper assurances to. Finally, Severus glanced up again.

“Did you need something just now, Dusty?” he asked, looking tired. “When you popped in?”

“Fable sent me to tell you that dinner’s in an hour.”

Severus winced. Fable took pride in her food, and she’d be insulted and angry if Severus was late to a meal that he’d asked her to prepare. At the same time, he was afraid that Harry wouldn’t be ready to head over to the manor that soon. It was all too clear to Severus that he needed to set some boundaries for Harry before they got there, and explain house elves to him…

“Can you send Fable here, please?”

Dusty looked apprehensively from Severus to Harry. “Sir?”

“I’ll make sure that Harry doesn’t hurt her. It may be wise to warn her of his… phobia… though.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was only after Dusty left that Severus realized the elf had been calling him ‘sir’. That was something… He wondered if it was due to Harry’s presence, or if Dusty had switched television programs again. He couldn’t think of what show would teach Dusty that kind of respect, but he had been sans-ballcap…

Severus glared down at his charge, who had finally calmed down completely and was simply resting in Severus’s arms, looking at Severus apprehensively. Well, that was something… At least he recognized that he had done wrong.

“I’m very disappointed in you,” Severus told Harry, narrowing his eyes. “I can’t believe that you would behave in such a fashion, and biting me is completely unacceptable.”

Harry’s eyes were moistening with what Severus decided were crocodile tears. The boy wasn’t sorry at all. He frowned, wondering how he should discipline Harry. He knew that he had a minute or two before Fable showed up- she would have to put her food in a stasis and Dusty would have to tell her about Harry- but he didn’t have enough time to have a proper conversation with the boy.

“There’s going to be another house elf coming here,” Severus told him. “If I set you down, will you be able to refrain from that outlandish behavior and comport yourself with dignity?”

Harry stared at Severus mutely. Frowning, Severus released Harry and pulled the boy to his side, keeping a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I expect you to remain right beside me. If you can not handle that when Fable shows up, you are to go into the bedroom.” He pointed in the direction of the bedroom helpfully. He didn’t have time to see if Harry understood him or not as at that moment there was a CRACK and another elf was in the room.

Fable was wringing the hem of her skirt nervously between long green fingers, her eyes wide as she stared at Harry. Harry looked at her just as nervously, and one of his hands reached out and gripped Severus’s trouser leg, his nails digging into Severus’s thigh. It was much better than the boy’s earlier reaction, but Severus thought that might have more to do with the fact that Harry knew he was in trouble than the fact that Harry had actually realized the house elves weren’t frightening.

“Master called?”

Severus let the master thing slide, though he had asked the house elf on more than one occasion to call him anything else. He was already preparing to ask her to hold dinner for a bit longer. Making her upset first would not help his cause.

“Fable,” Severus began, frowning a little in consternation. “The child who is currently clinging to me is named Harry. He was… abused… in an extreme way for many years. Due to this he is rather unpredictable.”

Fable nodded to show her understanding, though it was clear from the crease in her brows that she wasn’t sure where Severus was leading with his speech. Severus decided to simply cut to the chase.

“Harry doesn’t understand simple things, and he’s incredibly violent when provoked. I’m trying to get him used to the idea of moving over to the manor, but my success is… limited… and I’m afraid that Dusty appearing the sitting room before I had the chance to explain to Harry about house elves rather set us behind schedule. I fear we may be to dinner later than you had planned for us.”

“Oh!” the house-elf’s ears drooped a little, and Severus feared that she was horribly upset, but when she looked up at him her eyes were more concerned than anything. “I can be holding dinner, master, and I can be making sure the little ones aren’t going near the young master for now. Would master like help with the young master later? Perhaps if he’s around a house-elf later, he will grow used to them.”

It wasn’t a bad suggestion, actually. Severus gave Fable a rare smile. “That would be wonderful. I think that for now it would be best if you, Dusty, and the children try to stay away, but perhaps around bedtime you could come introduce yourself?”

Fable positively beamed. “Of course, master, sir!”

She was gone almost before she had finished spitting out the sentence, and Severus was left thinking how terribly redundant it was to be called both master and sir in the same sentence. He shook the thought away and forced himself to focus on more important matters- namely, Harry.

Severus knelt beside the boy, who was looking anywhere but at him. He sighed, forcing back his frustrations before he dealt with Harry. “Look at me, please.”

Harry’s eyes locked with his. Harry withered a little under Severus’s gaze and began to chew upon his lower lip. Severus sighed and gently pried the offending lip away.

“You seem to be under the misconception that the entire world is your enemy and the best strategy in life is to attack first, ask questions second,” Severus said. Realizing what he’d just done, he shook his head. Small words, Severus, he reminded himself. He was, after all, trying to communicate with a seven year old. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Attacking people is not okay. You do not growl. You do not hiss. You do not bite. You do not spit. You do not kick. You do not hit. Do you understand me?”

Harry’s eyes were watering again, but Severus found that it was getting easier and easier to ignore that. After a moment, Harry nodded his head slowly, although he looked rather like he thought that he was condemning himself to the gallows. Still, Severus took the step forward for what it was. He flicked his wand, sending one of the wooden kitchen chairs into the corner.

“When you are naughty, you will be sent to sit in the naughty chair, and you are not to get up again until I think that you can behave like a gentleman.”

Harry’s eyes widened considerably. He looked like he’d rather rip his eyes out than go sit down. Severus felt a bit bad- after being locked away for so long, forcing the boy to stay in one spot again was almost mean- but he reminded himself that Harry was in sore need of the discipline.

“Go on,” Severus told him, nudging him between the shoulders. Harry slowly padded over to the chair and sat down, looking at Severus through big puppy dog eyes.

Harry was barely in the chair for thirty seconds before he began to squirm, his eyes racing about the room. His left hand tapped irritatedly on his thigh and he began to nibble on his lower lip again. Good thing dinner was soon, Severus thought wryly. He wondered how long Harry should sit there. Age dictated that he be there for a while, as did the enormity of Harry’s wrongdoing, but Severus didn’t want to scar the child, and it wasn’t as though Harry had really known better. Yes, Severus had told him to calm down, but the truth was that Harry’s fears had been warranted- at least from the child’s point of view… In the end, Severus had Harry sit there for two minutes before he walked over and crouched in front of the chair.

“Alright, now, before you can get down from the chair you’re to say you’re sorry.” It was doubtful that Harry would know what it meant, but the mimicry would- hopefully- help him learn. “Can you say sorry.”

“S’rry.”

“Good boy.” Severus stepped aside and let Harry slide off the chair onto the floor. “Now, back to preparing for the manor…”

Severus decided, at long last, that Harry was ready for the move to the manor. Severus had explained, as well as he could, the layout of the manor. He had told Harry that they would be staying there from now on. He had also gone over basic rules, speaking to Harry about going to Severus whenever he was scared or upset rather than lashing out and reinforcing the new time out system. They were as ready as they would ever be.

“Come here, Harry,” Severus instructed, holding his arms out. Harry toddled across the room and allowed Severus to pick him up. Harry lay his head on Severus’s shoulder, his eyes drooping a little as he clutched Severus’s robe.

How could the boy be tired already? Severus wondered. He decided that he’d have to consult a healer about it. Children Harry’s age should be able to get through more than a couple of hours without dozing off. After all, most seven year olds attended school.

Pushing the thought from his mind, Severus threw floo powder into the fireplace and reached a hand up to wrap around the back of Harry’s head. Severus didn’t want Harry trying to look around while they were in the floo. Severus stepped into the fireplace and called out his destination, and a moment later he was stepping into the sitting room of Snape Manor. Harry was whimpering a little, and Severus whispered platitudes in order to calm him down.

A moment later, Harry was squirming to get down. Severus set Harry down, and the boy immediately scampered off to explore the room. Harry ran his hands over everything, getting to know the texture of everything from the upholstery on the settee to the wood on the floor. Every new feeling seemed to bring Harry excitement; he would grin up at Severus as though he’d never been so happy in his life. Severus wondered why Harry hadn’t exhibited such joy at the tactile world back in the Hogwarts quarters.

“It’s very nice, isn’t it?” Severus asked, smiling at Harry. “It’s dinner time now. You can look around afterwards.”

Severus led Harry into the dining room. Harry seemed just as thrilled with the furniture here. He trailed his fingertips lightly over the stone wall, and when Severus transferred him to one of the dining chairs, Harry stroked the cushion he was sitting on. He was so distracted that he didn’t even notice the food appearing in front of him.

“Harry!” Severus’s voice was sharper than he meant it to be. Harry looked up, startled, and his eyes scanned the room around him. It was as though he couldn’t figure out where the noise was coming from.

“Harry, look at me.”

Now the green eyes locked onto Severus. Harry’s lips parted a bit as though he was confused. It wasn’t until Harry leaned forward, tiny fingers gripping the table, eyes squinting, that Severus understood. He stood up and walked closer to Harry’s chair. Harry looked less confused now. He gave Severus a small smile.

James Potter had been nearsighted, although Severus had never known how bad it was. He should have suspected that James had been near blind to anything more than a few feet away. After all, if it had only been a minor optic impairment, potions would have solved it and glasses wouldn’t have been necessary.

Clearly, Harry had inherited his father’s poor eyesight. It was probably why he was exploring things here with his hands. Severus’s quarters had been fairly small, and Harry would have been able to see everything to some extent, even if they were blurry. Here at the manor, the rooms were a lot bigger. Everything Harry came across probably seemed to be popping up unexpectedly. It would be like a huge adventure to a child who could barely see.

Severus mentally stored away the new note: Harry needed an eye specialist. For now, Severus merely directed Harry to the plate in front of him. “Eat your food, son.”

Predictably, Harry ignored the silverware provided and picked up one of the carrots on his plate, holding it in one fist and nibbling at the top. Satisfied, Harry ate the rest of his carrot. Severus moved back to his own seat when he saw Harry trying the other items on the plate, which included applesauce and pre-cut pork.

Harry couldn’t finish all the food on his plate. In fact, more than half was left when Harry hopped down from his chair and began to walk around the dining room, his stockinged feet making a little swishing sound against the floor. Severus allowed Harry to wander, and, a moment later, finished with his own meal. He walked over to Harry and set a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Harry looked up with that smile back in place on his face.

“Did you enjoy your dinner.”

“Dinner!”

“Yeah, it was good, wasn’t it? Come on, let’s go upstairs and look at your new bedroom.”

Severus decided that he was satisfied with the way that Dusty decorated Harry’s bedroom. The walls were done in a pale blue, and the floor was covered in plush white carpeting. The furniture was sturdy and made out of hard plastic that Harry wouldn’t be able to hurt too much. There was a bed and a little chair on one wall, and on another, a desk facing a window that had been charmed not to open enough for Harry to go out. Additionally, there was a toy box for Harry.

Severus walked Harry around the room. He showed Harry how to put his book on the bookshelf and how to put his ball in the toy box. Harry was excited by the toy box. He opened and closed it repeatedly, grinning when the metal latch banged against the plastic box.

“Do you have to go potty?” Severus asked. When Harry didn’t respond, Severus led him into the bathroom nearby and helped him use it again. Harry seemed happy enough to use the toilet, and Severus hoped that he could have the child potty trained soon, without too much effort.

Harry went back into his room without Severus leading him this time. Harry gathered up his book and his ball and carried them into the center of the room. Sitting down, he looked from one to the other as though he was trying to figure something out. His mouth was moving slowly, but Severus had to get closer to hear what he was saying.

“Treat,” Harry was whispering, over and over, looking from the ball to the book and back again. Trying to connect them, Severus realized.

“Book,” Severus said, touching the object. He moved his hand to the other item, and, equally deliberate, said, “Ball.”

Severus repeated the process several times before looking at Harry. “Where’s your ball?”

Harry carefully reached a hand out and wrapped around the ball. As Severus’s nod of approval, Harry gave a little shriek of delight. “Ball! Ball ball ball!”

He wasn’t satisfied, though. Harry ran across the room and pointed at various objects, everything from the bed to the floor, looking for Severus to give him the words. Severus did so, gladly, amazed at how quickly Harry was able to learn the words.

“Where’s your bed, Harry?”

Harry raced across the room and jumped onto the bed, his eyes shining. Severus smiled. “Very good.”

“Pillow!” Harry said. “Cover. Sheet. Bed.”

Severus smiled again and moved closer to Harry. He was as excited as Harry was for the boy to learn new words. He hadn’t expected Harry to be so eager to learn. He had expected teaching Harry to be an uphill battle. Instead, he realized, Harry was happy to be in the new world. He wanted to know everything he could about it…. Just like Lily when she experienced the magical world for the first time.

Severus was so distracted that he forgot to anticipate a visit from the house elves, so when a knock came at the door, he was as surprised as Harry was. He covered it with a carefully bland expression.

“Go open the door, Harry, and see who’s there.”

Harry frowned but walked across the room and pulled on the door handle. Designed for a child’s hand, the door handle wasn’t made to turn as many were, but merely needed a touch. The door swung open without a problem.

Harry tensed when he saw the family of house elves standing in the hallway, and then he ran back to where Severus was standing. Although it wasn’t the best reaction Harry could have ever had, Severus was proud. Harry had come to him, as they had talked about. He rewarded the child by putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“They’re called house elves, Harry.” Severus said. “They are very nice. They live with us. It’s time that you be introduced to them properly.”

To Severus’s surprise, it was neither Dusty nor Fable who approached Harry first. Instead, it was the youngest of their three sons, a toddler who’s skin still hadn’t turned from it’s peach color to the green of an elder house elf.

“Hi!” the boy said. “I’m DaVinci.”

“Say hello, Harry.”

Harry looked a little nervous at the house elf, but this one was smaller than Harry was, and thus not quite as threatening as his parents. Harry opened his mouth and gave a quiet, “H’llo.”

The first step was the most important. Severus carefully introduced Harry to the rest of the family of elves. The three boys, DaVinci, Monet, and Greco, and the parents, Dusty and Fable. Harry seemed a little frightened of each of them… and then, Harry saw the little bundle Fable held in her arms.

“Baby!” Harry shrieked excitedly. “Pretty little baby!”

He reached a hand up and softly petted the blankets around the elves’ daughter. Severus was barely watching him. His mind had traveled a million miles away. Where had Harry learned the word ‘baby’?