The chatter of a great many young voices sounded through the Great Hall in exited talk of the upcoming Christmas holidays, but Harry Potter sat in silent contemplation at the recent turn of events. Mere hours ago, he was informed by Dumbledore himself that for the first time ever, he would have to return home for the holidays. With Voldemort rising in power, the school governors had decided that the wards around Hogwarts must be strengthened and it was decided that all students would be sent home due to the school's vulnerability during the re-warding process.

"Are you o.k. Harry?" Hermione softly asked, sliding her hand across the table and lightly touching her fingertips to the back of Harry's hand. It had been resting on the tabletop gripping a fork for the last 10 minutes without the slightest movement.

Startled out of his silence, Harry quickly made eye contact with his bushy-haired friend and gave a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Hermione. It's just...," Harry paused, trying to think of a way to put how he felt into words. "I'm not exactly sure what to expect from Uncle Vernon. He's not going to be happy about this."

"I still don't see why you can't just come home with me, Mate" Ron shook his head in disappointment. "I still think you'd be safer with us than with those muggle relatives of yours."

"Don't worry about it too much, Ron. It'll only be for a few weeks. Uncle Vernon may be mad about the situation, but really, there's not much that could happen in the short amount of time I'll be there." Harry missed the look that passed between his two friends upon hearing that. Harry suddenly got a determined look on his face and rose from his seat. "I'm going to go pack my things for the trip home tomorrow. I'll catch up to you both later." And with that, Harry quickly left the Great Hall on his way to Gryffindor tower.

The following morning, the trio found themselves sitting aboard the Hogwarts Express on their way back home. Harry was in a contemplative mood and he occupied his time quietly staring out of the window at the passing scenery, while Ron and Hermione discussed their holiday plans, only occasionally glancing in Harry's direction with looks of concern. It seemed that ever since Sirius had died at the end of last school year, Harry easily slipped into small bouts of withdrawn solitude. After several failed attempts to draw him into their conversation, Ron and Hermione had finally decided to let him be.

Several hours later, the train began to slow as it pulled into the station at platform 9 ¾. Harry had fallen asleep about an hour ago, his head resting against the window, his breath fogging the glass close to his mouth. Ron laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and shook it gently, "Wake up, Harry. We're here." Harry jerked his head up with a start, looked around in sleepy confusion for a moment and, remembering where he was, hurried to his feet. The three friends lugged their trunks behind them as they exited the train and walked through the barrier separating their world from the muggles. After finding an empty bench to wait on, they talked quietly amongst themselves while waiting for their families to pick them up. It was only a few minutes later when Mrs. Weasley showed up to get Ron.

"Harry, dear, are you sure you don't want to come with us for the holidays?"

"Trust me, Mrs. Weasley, it's not because I don't want to go, it's because Professor Dumbledore decided it would be safer for me to stay at my relatives' house. I practically begged to get to stay with Ron, but there is no changing Professor Dumbledore's mind when it comes to these sorts of things."

"Yes, I guess you're right. Well, do send an owl every few days to let us all know how you're doing. Oh, and don't forget to look for Errol come Christmas morning, we'll be sending a few things your way."

Harry smiled up at her, "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

"Think nothing of it dear," She threw her arms around him in a fierce hug, "Have a good holiday, we'll be thinking about you."

 She released him from her arms and turned around to hug Ginny who had just walked over from a small group of forth year students that were standing around a large pillar talking. Ron and Harry exchanged goodbyes and the Weasleys soon parted, leaving him and Hermione alone. They talked quietly for a few minutes until Hermione's parents showed up. Hermione turned to Harry, "You did tell your Uncle that you needed to be picked up, right?"

"Of course," Harry replied with a resigned look on his face, "But it's just like him to make me wait a long time for him to show up. It's just another way for him to show me he's the boss. He never does anything till he's good and ready to do it." Harry glanced up and caught Hermione's concerned look. "Really Hermione, it'll be fine, he'll come sooner or later. Don't wait on my account; I'll be o.k. until he arrives."

Hermione bit her bottom lip in a look of pure indecision, but moments later, she reluctantly said her goodbye to Harry and walked with her parents out of the station, throwing a look at Harry over her shoulder every few paces.

Harry sat quietly, looking around, observing the bustle of activity that always occurs around busy train stations like this one. He was unaware of how much time had passed in this manner until he suddenly realized that it had started to get dark. He now began to worry. Uncle Vernon had never made him wait this long before. Had something happened?

Harry got up and walked towards the main entrance to the station, dragging his heavy trunk behind him, and clutching the handle of Hedwig's cage in his other hand. He had a few muggle coins in his pocket and had decided to look for a phone booth to call his Uncle from. He looked out into the inky blackness of the night and saw a phone booth on the far corner of the station, not that far from the parking lot.

As he walked towards it, he suddenly felt the strange sensation of being watched. He cautiously looked around before setting his trunk and Hedwig up against the side of the booth and walking in. He grabbed the phone up and put it to his ear, but before his finger dialed even one number, he felt something hard shoved up against the nape of his neck and a few words were breathed into his ear, "Come quietly Potter, or you won't live to see morning."

 He dropped the phone and tried to turn to look at his attacker, but the assailant was clutching the back of Harry's shirt in a deadly tight grip. Before he could think about what was happening, he was literally dragged out of the booth. His senses suddenly returned to him and he began to thrash around trying to escape his captor's hold. His right foot made contact with Hedwig's cage and its door was flung open as the cage crashed noisily to the ground. Hedwig immediately took flight, disappearing into the darkness of night.

Harry threw his head to each side trying to find something to aid him in his plight. What he saw made him gasp out loud. Several cloaked figures were swiftly approaching, closing in around him as he struggled. Before he knew what was coming, the Death Eaters had surrounded and then stunned him. Harry felt blackness close in on him and the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the sound of harsh laughter.

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Several hours later, at Hogwarts, as Dumbledore sat at his desk enjoying a cup of tea and a handful of lemon drops, he was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by a light tapping noise at his office window. He slowly rose from his seat and made his way over to the window, thinking it to be some more of the regular correspondence he typically received as Headmaster of the school. As he allowed the owl into the room, he immediately became alarmed as he recognized it to be Hedwig. Dumbledore than began a series of urgent fire-calls and within the following hour, it was learned that Harry Potter never made it home. He was now missing!

  Several weeks had passed since Harry disappeared. Snape had been to several Death Eater meetings and had not been able to garner any information on the boy's whereabouts. There had been hints dropped by some of the more favored among Voldemort's followers, but nothing substantial that would help the Order in locating him. The only thing that was known for sure was that there were Death Eaters involved in his abduction. Despite his lack of fondness for the boy, Snape didn't even want to think what they might be doing to the child in all the time it was taking the Order to locate him. Snape knew all too well in which ways the Dark Lord could torture the raven-haired youth, and if it took much longer to recover him, than it might be a better mercy just to finish him off instead of bringing him back to Hogwarts.

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(A Month Later)

"Albus!  ALBUS!!"  Snape hurried through the corridors of Hogwarts, heading to the Headmaster's office. As he rounded the corner and caught sight of the stone gargoyles that guarded the office's entrance, he came to a halt. The door was opening and the man he was looking for came sweeping down the steps in a flurry of purple robes.

"What is it Severus?! Have you found him?"

"Indeed I have, and we must take action immediately!"

"Well then, there's no time to waste."

Dumbledore led the way back into the office taking the steps two at a time, with Snape close on his heels. Even before the office door could fully close, Dumbledore was on his knees making a fire-call to key Order members, trying to arrange an emergency meeting. In a matter of minutes, both Snape and Dumbledore were standing in 12 Grimmauld place, waiting as select members of the Order arrived by portkey, or floo.

 When the last member arrived, Dumbledore wasted no time and got straight to business, "Severus has located Mister Potter and we must act on this information quickly in order to get to him before he is once again moved to a different location. Severus will explain further." And with this, Dumbledore swept his arm towards Snape, who came forward and began speaking at once, the somber timbre of his voice relaying the severity of the situation at hand.

"As you all know, Potter was abducted approximately six weeks ago. He is currently being held in the dungeons of an old manor belonging to another one of the Dark Lord's followers in a non-disclosed location. Although I have not personally seen Potter since his abduction, I have recently been sent word that the Dark Lord is requiring my service in a matter pertaining to Potter's health. As many of you are aware, I do have a background in healing as it pertains to potions. It seems that the Dark Lord is enjoying Potter's torture enough to want to keep him alive as long as possible. I know nothing of his condition other than the fact that the boy has stopped eating a week ago. I have been asked to see to him in two days time. I will be sent a portkey that will send me to the dungeons where Potter is currently being held. Despite the fact that I will not know the precise location of the manor, I believe a well placed portkey could bring the boy within our grasp without compromising my position as a spy."

"How do you propose to get him out then?" a voice sounded from the back of the room.

"When I administer to Potter, I will most likely have to put in a feeding tube. If we turn it into a timed portkey, it could transport Potter to safety long after I am gone, thereby lifting any suspicions about where my loyalty lies. Whichever followers are on guard duty at the time will most likely be blamed, and consequentially put to death for the disappearance, thereby lifting any suspicion of my involvement.

"Let's just hope Malfoy Sr. is on guard duty that night then, huh?" Mad Eye's voice called out, followed by his rough sounding laugh. The solemn mood of the room prevented anyone from sharing in Mad Eye's mirth. The look Dumbledore gave the man quelled the laughter quickly and there was a sudden bustle of activity as plans were made and supplies were gathered in preparation of Potter's return.

As was expected, Snape was sent a portkey the following day along with a note telling him what time it would activate the following day. Later that evening, Dumbledore stopped by Snape's rooms to create the second portkey out of the sterilized bit of tubing that Snape had gotten from the infirmary a few hours before. The new portkey was timed to activate approximately eight hours after Snape's planned departure, which would give him sufficient time to be long gone before all hell breaks loose when they discover Potter missing.

Snape picked up a black bag and began filling it with various potions, bandages, and healing salves. He knew Voldemort would not approve of any measures more than what was strictly needed to keep Potter alive, but he had hopes of sneaking Potter some of the healing potions in an effort to ease his pain and ensure his continued survival.

The last thing he placed in his bag was the tubing that would act as a portkey, and several nutrient potions. When his supplies were all in order, he slipped on his Death Eater robes, slid on his mask, and stood in the center of his rooms clutching a muggle pocket watch. Within minutes, the watch grew warm and began to glow with a faint blue hue, and Snape suddenly disappeared from sight.

Meanwhile, at a large, decrepit manor, hundreds of miles away, Voldemort and several of his followers, mainly those in his inner circle, had gathered for a meeting, which was to be followed by an evening of entertainment. Voldemort would be bringing out his favorite toy for everyone to play with...Harry Potter.

Snape arrived in a large cell in the dungeons where he was greeted by two other Death Eaters he had never seen before. As he looked to his left and right, he could see that this particular cell had been set up as some type of retreat for the guards. The room had a small table set up with a few straight-backed wooden chairs around it, and a ratty looking old couch pushed up against the far wall with a couple of old wizarding magazines and yesterday's issue of the Daily Prophet sitting on one of it's faded cushions.

"You ‘ere to fix up Potter?" asked the shorter of the two, with a heavy accent.

"Of course." Snape snapped, waiting for one of them to lead the way there. After a few seconds, Snape's patience wore thin. "Well, are you going to show me which cell he's in, or would you like me to go knocking door to door?"

The short one who spoke earlier gave a little jump and scrambled out the door and into the small, dark corridor beyond. Snape followed at a brisk pace as the guide led him to the end of the corridor and then down another corridor to the right where, if possible, it was even darker, the only light coming from a small torch attached by a bracket to the wall halfway down the length of it.

The short man stopped walking abruptly, yanked a large ring of keys out of a pocket in his black robes, and then flipped through the keys one at a time until finally inserting one of them into the lock on the heavy oak door that they were standing next to.

"This ‘ere be his cell," the man stated proudly, as if he had done Snape some great service. Snape, however, was not impressed. He impatiently pushed the man aside with his shoulder and swung the door open. At once, a putrid smell hit his face as he stepped into the room. As his eyes adjusted to the heavier darkness, it became apparent what was causing most of the stench. In the far corner of the room sat a bucket which was obviously being used as some sort of toilet. From the look and smell of the thing, it had not been cleaned out in quite some time.

As Snape let his eyes wander from where the bucket sat to the opposite side of the room, he finally saw Potter. The boy was lying on a table that sat near the far wall. His wrists and ankles had thick, metal cuffs around them and each had been fastened by a short length of chain to a metal ring that protruded from each corner of the table. The dim light in the chamber wasn't sufficient enough to allow Snape to properly see the boy, but as he stepped closer and cast Lumos, he promptly stopped all movement towards the child. Potter was a mess.

Taking a moment to steady himself, Snape made his way closer, and walked all the way around him, taking in the damage to the boy, and determining what injuries were the most life-threatening. It would be good to alert Poppy so she could be prepared. But upon closer inspection of Potter's back, Snape was taken aback at the amount of damage that had been done.

The skin on the boy's back could barely be seen due to the damage he had suffered at the hands of the Dark Lord and his followers. There were whip marks, dark purple bruises, and even some wounds that looked as if he might have been stabbed. Some of the wounds were bleeding, while some were slowly oozing puss due to infection.

The boy's abused body was near skeletal from the small rations and self-induced starvation, and he even seemed to be sporting several broken bones, the most obvious being the wrists and the right leg due to the funny angles in which these limbs were laying. Snape's eyes roamed lower down the boy's body and saw the dried up, crusty looking blood that made an ominous trail from his backside, down each of his inner thighs. Snape closed his eyes in disgust; he would never be able to understand how someone could do this to a child. He was interrupted from his thoughts by the Death Eater who had followed him into the room.

"Don't take his cuffs off."

Snape remained quiet, but shot the man a questioning look.

"As of late, every time we un-cuff him to move him ‘round a bit, he starts hurtin' himself. It was right funny at first, watchin' him claw at his skin or bash his head on the wall, but the last time he did it, he busted his head up so bad he would have died if a healin' spell hadn't been cast on him." Then, the man added with a chuckle, "The Dark Lord wants to keep his new plaything around as long as possible, you know."

Snape strode forward and crouched at the side of the table to get a good look at Potter's face. Although it was hard to see well due to the angle at which it was turned, Snape was still able to see that one of Potter's eyes was dark and purple, swollen almost completely shut. The other was clenched shut of its own accord, and Potter's jaw was clenched, in what Snape thought to be, preparation for another torture session. There was a large, bloody gash along the hairline that left half of the boy's scalp caked over in dried blood. That must be were he smashed his head, Snape deduced. He leaned over to Potter's bloody ear and tried to get his attention.

"Potter."  No response.

"Potter!" Still no response.

Snape lightly touched the boy's shoulder and that most assuredly got a response. The battered child opened his mouth and began screaming. It might have been quite loud if he hadn't already screamed his throat completely raw weeks ago. Snape tuned out the hoarse screams, but the look of pure terror and anguish that the boy's face held was heartbreaking for Snape to witness.

Knowing he had a job to do, he enlisted the help of the other man in order to position Potter's body in such a way as to allow Snape to insert the feeding tube. Together, they released the cuffs and rolled his patient's weakened body over before reattaching the restraints.

"Hold his head straight and still," Snape instructed his unwilling assistant. Begrudgingly, the other fellow grabbed Potter's face with both of his meaty hands and waited for Snape to finish. Snape pulled out the feeding tube, and with quiet proficiency, started guiding the thin rubber tube up the boy's nose and down his throat. He gagged and sputtered for a few seconds at one point, but went back to screaming and struggling seconds later. Snape quickly attached a bag filled with a nutrient mix and, after a quick spell, the bag was left floating in the air above the table, allowing gravity to force the contents of the bag through the tube.

With that messy chore finished, Snape followed his guide out of the dungeons, up several sets of stairs, and through a set of large ornately carved doors that led into a cavernous room where many Death Eaters were milling about, having just finished up their meeting. The room was decorated mostly in a deep, rich red, with large tapestries hanging on almost every available wall surface. There was a large dais on the right of the room with nothing upon it but a grand throne-like chair that looked as if it was carved out of a single large section of a tree. The carved snakes wound their way over nearly the entire surface of the chair's legs and back, and there was a plush, silky black cushion on the seat of the chair. As Snape stood at the back of the room observing his surroundings, a smooth hissing voice grabbed his attention as it began speaking from close behind him.

"Severusss"

Snape whipped around and quickly lowered himself to the floor, kissing the hem of Voldemort's flowing black robe. He held his position for a few seconds, until that same voice commanded him, "Up."

Snape rose, keeping a stoic look on his face, and looked to the Dark Lord before speaking, "My Lord, ask what you will of me."

Voldemort raked over Snape's body as if measuring him up, "Tell me my servant, did you attend to our young guest?"

Swallowing back his feelings of hatred and disgust for the creature before him, Snape answered, "Of course, my Lord. You must be proud of owning such a fine new toy."

"That I am, Severus. And he makes such delicious noises every time he is taken...He has become quite a favorite among most of the inner circle. Would you like a turn as well?"

"You are too generous my Lord, but I cannot. That bumbling old fool Dumbledore will notice my absence if I am gone much longer, and I am expected to attend a meeting with several of the other professors in less than an hours time."

"Then you are free to leave, but I expect you back soon with news on the Order's activities or you might outlive your usefulness. Now be gone." And with this, Voldemort waved his hand at Snape as one might when shooing off a stray dog. Not being one to over stay his welcome when it comes to the Dark Lord, Snape swiftly made his exit, sweeping through the main doors of the manor and out into the stillness of the night. As soon as he crossed the anti-apparition barriers, he transported himself to Hogwarts to help ready the hospital wing for the arrival of The-boy -who-lived-and-was-broken.

It was almost 2 a.m., and not everyone was asleep in the large castle known as Hogwarts. The many vast, empty corridors and classrooms were silent and dark, since all of the individuals awake at this hour were all waiting impatiently in the infirmary. Dumbledore, Snape, and of course, Madam Pomfrey  were all sitting in a small, private room located in the back of the infirmary, right next to Pomfrey's office. The room wasn't very big...it really didn't need to be since it only contained one bed, a nightstand, and a few wooden chairs

Not much conversation occurred as these three waited; they all had some expectation on what to expect when Harry finally arrived, which should be within the next 10 minutes by their calculations. The small nightstand's top was covered in a wide array of various bottles containing pain relievers, healing potions and salves, and other such concoctions that might be able to improve Harry's condition.

The mood of the room was definitely subdued. As the time passed, restlessness seemed to drive Poppy Pomfrey to pull down the thick, white blankets on the bed so that it would be ready for when Harry arrived. One corner of the room was left open to allow enough space so that, when the portkey activated, Harry would not arrive in a space where he might stumble into furniture or anything else; they all knew Harry would find the portkey to be quite a bumpy ride given his condition

A few more minutes passed in solemn passivity until a faint white shimmer gave a second of warning before Harry appeared abruptly into the center of the open space created for his arrival in the corner of the room. The three adults leaped to their feet and started in his direction, but they all stilled in shock a second later as the sight before them finally registered in their brains. Harry lay screaming and thrashing around upon the floor, clawing at his head and arms, leaving long bleeding wounds in their path.

Pomfrey was the first to get over her shock, "For Merlin's sake, Severus! Help me restrain him!"

Snape dropped to the floor by Harry's writhing body and yanked the boy's hands down to the floor, where he proceeded to keep a firm grip on him as Pomfrey snatched a small bottle from among all the other potions on the nightstand. The shimmering liquid in the bottle was a light purple in color, and as Pomfrey pulled the cork seal from the top, Snape could smell the unmistakable scent of the concoction. He knew it to be one of the stronger muscle relaxer potions available, one of the side effects being heavy sedation.

As Pomfrey lowered herself to the stone floor, she reached out and gripped Harry's jaw in her hand. Keeping the child's head as still as she could, she poured the potion into Harry's open and screaming mouth.  She clamped a hand over his mouth to force him to swallow and he began to buck his body and toss his head from side to side in a weak attempt to dislodge the hand from his face. Seconds later, the potion was swallowed and Pomfrey released her patient as he coughed and spluttered from the vile taste

It only took about 5 minutes to see the potion begin to take affect. Slowly, Harry ceased his screaming until his breath evened out more and only the occasional whimper was heard. The thrashing limbs finally stilled and Snape was able to release the mangled arms that he had been holding

When Harry had finally stilled enough to be moved safely, Snape scooped the battered child into his arms and carried him over to the bed. Harry's head lolled from side to side, his eyes half open, with only the small moan or whimper escaping his mouth as any proof that the child was still alive

Dumbledore sadly waited in Pomfrey's office as Snape and she spent the following three hours treating Harry's injuries. As they went about their work, the two had to constantly bat away Harry's hands as he made weak, clumsy swiping motions through the air in his confusion and pain. They healed his many broken bones, bruises, cuts, abrasions, and infections before finally attaching another bag of the nutrient potion to the feeding tube that was still in place.

By the time they were done, most of the injuries were on the mend, and most of the bottles of potions that had been on the nightstand, lay empty and scattered across it and the floor. Harry seemed to have gotten a little color back in his pale face and the small, pitiful sounds he had been making when they first started had diminished

The last wounds that needed tending had been purposely left as last due to the unpleasant nature of the injury. Poppy enlisted Snape's help in this final task, despite his obvious discomfort with it. "Severus, help me turn him on his side, facing you. Then I want you to pull his knees toward his chest and hold him in that position as I heal him. It will be uncomfortable and he may fight you despite being sedated, so hold him tight."

Snape gave a curt nod of his head and followed the instructions. Harry was only vaguely aware of his surroundings as Snape moved him into position. When they were ready to begin, Pomfrey laid the covers across the boy's body in such a way as to prevent them falling in the way as she worked in an effort to lessen the shivering of his cold, naked body

Snape watched as Pomfrey sat the potions and salves she would need close by. He quickly turned his head, unable to watch the actual healing take place. Instead, he focused his gaze upon the face of the broken child before him. Their eyes locked onto each other's and Snape had to wonder to himself if the unfocused, glassy look he was receiving was just from the potion the boy had taken, because if not, than it did not bode well for any involved

As Pomfrey began healing the last of the injuries the reaction was almost immediate. Regardless of the sedating qualities of the potions he consumed, Harry's eyes shot fully open and he lurched forward on the bed as he attempted to escape the cause of his discomfort. Snape held him firmly as more salve was applied and Harry began fighting his new captor. As Pomfrey continued her grim work, Harry once again started to whimper and moan in pain and fear; a few times, he even cried out. It was a heart-wrenching animalistic wail of despair that seemed to settle right into Snape's very bones

A few minutes later, the work was done and Harry began to settle again. Snape began to dress Harry in some pajamas while Pomfrey headed to her office to update the headmaster on his favorite pupil's condition

Snape dimmed the lights, arranged Harry more comfortably on the bed, and covered the raven-haired youth with the blankets before pulling up one of the wooden chairs. He plopped his tired body down and trained his eyes on Harry's almost motionless form before sighing deeply and shutting his eyes for a mere one hour rest prior to getting up and preparing himself for another frustrating day of teaching

The following day passed very slowly for Snape, and it wasn't until lunchtime that he finally got a chance to go to the infirmary to check on Harry. Though, if anyone asked, he was only going to check if Pomfrey would need her potions stores restocked.

As Snape walked into the infirmary that afternoon, he could hear screaming as he drew nearer the private room in the back. He quickened his pace, and as he stepped through the door, he could see Pomfrey attaching restraints to Harry's wrists

"What's happened, Poppy?"

"When he finally roused from the sedatives, he began clawing at himself. He's yanked out the feeding tube and he tried to leave the bed, but I got here just in time to prevent it. Can you stay with him a moment while I get a few things?"  She quickly left the room, not even waiting to get a reply

When she returned, Pomfrey was clutching a new feeding tube and another bag of the nutrient potion. She reinserted the tube quickly and attached the bag to it, knowing that the boy's weight was dangerously low and he would most likely need a feeding tube for at least another week before he would be well enough to start on solids again

Several days passed in similar fashion for Snape and Pomfrey. They both had altered their schedule as best they could so that Harry would only very rarely be left unattended. Over the course of those few days, the true extent of physical and psychological damage that occurred during Harry's imprisonment and torture made itself known. He had extensive nerve damage from the many times he was made to suffer the Cruciatus curse which made all of his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. The starvation that occurred caused a loss of muscle mass and weakness. But what was far worse, was the damage to the boy's mind.

Snape had performed Legilimancy in an effort to find some clue to the boy's confusing behavior, but the quickly flashing images of death, blood, torture, and pain forced him to end the spell mere moments after it began. Although the child was kept restrained for his own safety, there had to be an Order member stationed in the room at all times in case one of his thrashing fits started. The Order members who took shifts in the hospital wing were all taught which potion to force down the boy's throat when the thrashing became too wild; Harry had already re-broken one of his wrists during the first fit he had the day after he was rescued.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

More than a week went by and, as of yet, none of the students in the school were aware that their Golden Boy had been found; the entire situation was being kept secret out of concern for Harry's safety since, if he was ever found by the wrong people, he would be defenseless. There was currently a meeting being held several floors above, in the Headmaster's office, concerning Harry's health and what actions must be taken regarding it

"The boy can't keep going like he is, Albus," Snape made his opinion known. "I do not think there is any way to heal his mind from the tortures he endured, not if you're expecting him to return to the way he was before any of this happened. We may need to consider placing him in St. Mungos."

Shock and outrage at Snape's statement caused several heated arguments to start, but Dumbledore remained quiet, staring at those present until it all quieted back down

"What have you to say in this matter, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked. "Do you feel as Severus does about Harry's chances of recovery?"

Everyone was silent, waiting for the medi-witches assessment. "Actually, Albus, I must agree. It has been over a week now since he arrived and we're still unable to get through to him. The trauma and abuse he sustained while in the Death Eater's hands have scarred his mind beyond repair."

Dumbledore stared at his desktop and thought for a few minutes, the others in attendance to this meeting watching him in the hopes that he would refute the information that they were just given, but he merely sighed and furrowed his brow as if having made a herd decision that he was not happy about. A few of those who noticed this, shot silent, pointed  looks to each other from across the room,  knowing they would not like to hear what Dumbledore was about to say

"Have either of you considered performing a full mind fade?"

The room was silent except for Snape and Pomfrey since they were the only others in the room who even knew what Dumbledore was speaking about

"Headmaster, surely you can't be serious?" Snape began, shocked into sudden speech. "How can he be expected to fight the Dark Lord after we do something that extreme? He won't know who the Dark Lord is, he won't know what Hogwarts is, he bloody well won't even know who he is!"

"Severus," Dumbledore began, "Does he know any of those things now?"

This statement pushed the room into silence while those watching the conversation looked on in confusion as to what was being discussed

"What exactly are you proposing, Albus?" Molly Weasley blurted out, seemingly asking the question that was on everyone's mind. But instead of the Headmaster answering, it was Madam Pomfrey who replied

"He is referring to a very complicated spell that completely erases everything in a person's mind. It is considered by some to be dark magic, since it leaves the victim as helpless as a newborn babe, having no idea about the world around them or even of whom they are as a person...and it's irreversible."

"How exactly will that help Harry?!" Molly shrieked. This time however, it was Snape who answered

"It will allow Potter a fresh start. He would wake up after the spell is cast and have no memory of his previous life or any of the tortures he endured. As the Headmaster pointed out, Potter is hardly responsive to anything we've done to help him as of yet. We can't keep the boy as he is, restrained to the bed and screaming all day. Perhaps it would be better to do the spell. He could always be re-taught the things he needs to know; granted it would take a very long time, but I don't see any alternative."

"I agree," Pomfrey announced, "Besides, with the amount of nerve damage he sustained, he will have to relearn much of it anyways. In the state he is in now, Harry is unable to walk, talk properly, or even feed himself. It will take months of nerve regenerating potions to heal him enough to where he would not need constant supervision. If we go ahead with this spell, he would be starting over both mentally and physically like a newborn. We would have to find a more permanent caregiver. He won't be able to remain in the infirmary forever."

Dumbledore nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, but we have time to figure that out as we go." Dumbledore then looked at the faces of those watching him. "Do you all concur with this plan of action?"

Most answered with either a nod of the head or a reserved "yes" except for Molly. "Are you sure there is no other way?" She asked, her eyes glassy from unshed tears

"I'm afraid it is the only viable option at this point, Molly. However, I know how much you care for Harry and I think it would be beneficial for him if you had a hand in his recovery afterwards."

This statement did much to improve Mrs.Weasley's outlook on the whole situation, so she just nodded her head in consent as tears made tracks down her cheeks.

It was decided that the spell would be cast the following afternoon, which allowed them a little time to make the needed preparations

Snape got very little sleep that night after leaving Dumbledore's office. Following the meeting, he had slowly paced back to the quiet sanctum of the dungeons and began gathering ingredients from his personal storeroom in preparation of making the special potion that would be needed to allow them to complete the spell successfully. In order for the spell to work, the subject would need to be in an altered state of mind to allow the magic access to all thoughts and memories; no matter how repressed they may be in the subconscious.

The finished potion was gently simmering in a golden cauldron as the sun slowly began to rise above the horizon, announcing to the entire world that a new day had begun. Snape, being in the dungeon, could not see the sunlight, but knew it would soon be time to head to the hospital wing with a full flask of the recently finished potion.

Meanwhile, those rays of sunlight that failed to reach Snape's sallow skin, had found their way into the small private room at the back of the infirmary. Harry Potter lay in a restless sleep, his face twisting in a grimace of remembered pain that always seemed to find him  in his sleep. The rays of light fell gently upon his chest and he slowly began to rouse himself from his nightmare laden slumber.

Madam Pomfrey stepped briskly into the room with a tray of potions and supplies that would be needed that day. She sat the tray on the nightstand, the slight metallic ping of the metal sounding loud in the room. She attached another bag of the nutrient mix to the feeding tube and then went through her daily routine of checking Harry's vitals and accessing how healed he was. Luckily, most of the physical reminders of the torture had healed; all that was left was some swelling and pain where the broken bones had been repaired.

As the medi-witch finished up, she was joined in the room by Dumbledore, Snape, and Mrs. Weasley.

"Good morning, Poppy," Molly exclaimed, "How is the poor dear this morning?"

"He's doing much better than he was a few days ago. Most of the damage is gone, but he'll probably be sore for quite some time."

Pomfrey moved to the side to allow Snape to step closer to that side of the bed.  "So, Severus, were you able to finish the mind relaxing potion?"

In answer, the potions master simply raised the flask up for all to see, the shimmering pink liquid catching the rays of sunlight streaming into the window.

"Very well," Dumbledore announced, "Let's get things under way, shall we?"

"Indeed." Snape replied. He never was very talkative in the mornings.

Snape uncorked the flask and tipped it into Harry's mouth. The boy was still half asleep and swallowed most of the potion before realizing what was going on. As his awareness returned, he suddenly threw his head to the side and tried to spit out the lingering drops of the foul tasting substance, spit and potion dribbling down the side of his face. Pomfrey stepped forward with a soft moist cloth in her hand and wiped the mess off of the child's cheek and chin.

Harry was unable to focus his eyes enough to know who or how many were in the room with him, but he could sense that he was not alone and began to panic. His breathing became erratic and he started to whimper and jerk on his restraints. The adults in the room sat themselves down in the wooden chairs that were sitting along the wall opposite the bed as they waited for the potion to take full effect.

It only took about 10 minutes for the effects of the potion to be obvious to all present. The boy's head lay peacefully back upon the pillows and his breathing seemed to have slowed down. His mouth hung open and his eyes were almost completely closed in this heightened form of relaxation.

Snape stepped closer to the bed and leaned down over the boy's form, pulling up the eyelids to check the effectiveness of the potion. He was apparently pleased with what he found since he then turned around and nodded to the Headmaster. As Dumbledore rose from his seat to approach the bed, Snape backed up until he was out of the way, but still staying close in case something went wrong. The last thing they needed was to send the child into shock.

Dumbledore raised his wand, pointing it directly at Harry's head. The Headmaster closed his eyes as he began chanting a stream of words in Latin that none of the others in the room had ever heard before. This was the type of spell only very rarely mentioned in even the more obscure books that were available on mind magic.

The chanting continued for several minutes, growing louder every time the words were repeated. Suddenly, a great blast of yellow light went flying towards the bed, encasing Harry's head as it pulsed, seeming to glow despite the brightness of the room. Harry's brow was slightly furrowed, but that was the only outward sign of distress he made during the entire process.

After the blast of light had left his wand, Dumbledore dropped his wand and would have fallen to his knees if Snape had not been there to catch him before he hit the ground. The other two scurried forward to help the man to a seat where he rested; trying to recuperate from the strong burst of magic he had to produce in order to complete the spell.

"Well, Severus," Molly asked, "How long will Harry be asleep now that this is over?"

"It's hard to say, really. But most realistically, He will most likely not be awake and aware of his surroundings until tomorrow. We'll have to wait until then."

"Yes," Pomfrey agreed, "And even after he awakes, we'll need to keep the restraints on. He won't understand what is going on and, in his confusion, he might hurt himself and the restraints will keep him from falling out of the bed or pulling out the feeding tube, which will have to stay in place until he is fully able to get all the sustenance he needs by mouth. It looks like the feeding tube may be a long term thing." She finished her little speech with a sad look to her face as she stared at the pale faced child asleep on the bed.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

As usual, Harry Potter could not follow in the norm of things. Although he should have woke the day after the spell was cast, he remained asleep for almost a full day beyond that. By the time his eyelids fluttered open, there was a small gathering of various people standing around his bed waiting for some sign that everything had went as planned.

Molly Weasley was the first to notice that Harry was starting to rouse. "Shh...He's waking up," She announced to the room in a loud whisper. All attention was turned to the boy in the bed as those who had been waiting in the chairs stood and made their way over to the bed, where they stood around it watching to see what would happen.

Harry's eyes opened wide as he took in his surroundings. His mouth opened wide in a sleepy yawn that made a few of those standing there chuckle quietly. Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley remembered something, "Harry dear..." He looked in her direction since she was the only one talking, but he couldn't comprehend any of what she was saying.

"We got another pair of glasses made for you." She slid them onto his face and his eyes opened even wider as everything slid into focus. Harry looked at her a few more moments before swiveling his head in the other direction, taking everything in. Before anyone realized what was going on, his eyes filled with tears and he began sobbing. All of those strange faces staring at him had scared him and his body was hurting but he didn't know why.

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey came bustling into view. "Why was I not alerted when he started to wake?" She asked irritably.  She shooed out most of the people, which consisted largely of Order members, until it was only herself and Molly left in the small room. She then marched herself over to the boy who was now sobbing harder than ever.

She reached into the large pockets of her robe and pulled out a large medicine dropper and a small flask filled with a light blue potion. She filled the medicine dropper with the calming draught and attached it to the end of the feeding tube, pushing the plunger down and causing the potion to flow through the tube and into the distraught child's stomach.

During all of this, Molly had not left his side. She stood there carding her hand through his messy hair, speaking soothing words in a quiet tone, trying to calm him as best she could. As the potion started having an effect and Harry's cries quieted, he looked up at Molly and kept his eyes locked with hers. Harry sighed deeply as he relaxed into the bed, the comforting words and actions of this woman bringing a small grin to his face. He felt safe with this person and she made him feel better. He studied her face, wanting to remember what she looks like in case he started to feel scared again, then he would know who to look for to make things better.

Pomfrey brought one of the chairs that were against the wall over to the side of the bed so that Molly would have a place to sit. Molly did indeed sit down, but she kept her hand stroking through Harry's hair until he fell into a light sleep.

The next time Harry opened his eyes, he could see several figures standing in the corner of the room talking. He watched them with interest, not understanding any of the strange sounds that they uttered.

Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape, and Molly Weasley were standing in the corner of the room having a hushed conversation regarding several issues related to Harry's care.

"I know you want to take him home with you, Molly," Pomfrey argued, "But like I said before, Albus would never let Harry leave the safety of Hogwarts castle. And besides, he will need someone with a medical background to care for him until he is more capable of taking care of himself."

"I anticipate," Pomfrey continued, "that with intensive physical therapy and speech therapy, Harry should be able to recover at a very quick rate."  She saw the temporary look of hope in Molly's eyes that her last few words had caused, but she continued on, "Do realize that I am using that term in context. Although Harry's mind is like that of a small child's right now, his cognitive development is physically unchanged. He is still capable of the reasoning and other thought processes of any other 16 year old. And while he won't have to relive 16 years of his life, he will need at least a year or two, depending on his progress, before he will be able to relate to his peers enough to interact with them on a normal level."

The other two adults listened intently as the medi-witch continued her assessment, "Anyone put in charge of his care will need to expose him to as many new experiences as possible and we all need to talk to him as often as we can; that will be the best way to speed up his recovery."

Molly than glanced over her shoulder and gave a little jump. She hadn't expected the child to be wide awake and staring at them all like he was. She drew her companions' attention to him and walked over to the bed. 

"I see you're awake now, did you have a good rest?" She knew he would not answer, but she continued to talk to him until their conversation was interrupted by a loud gurgling sound. Molly turned her head in Poppy's direction. "I think Harry here is hungry."

Pomfrey gave a small smile and left the room to get something for Harry to eat. When she returned, she was carrying a bottle filled with juice, a small bowl with a watery-looking grey substance sitting in it, and a bag of the nutrient mix that had been keeping Harry alive since he had returned to Hogwarts.

"Let's see if we can get this young man to eat any real food for a change, shall we?" She smiled warmly in his direction.

She sat the few items on the nightstand and pulled a spoon and a few soft cloths out of her robe pocket. After placing the spoon into the bowl, she tucked one of the cloths up under Harry's chin in anticipation of a mess since this would be his "first" experience with food. Harry watched all of this with wide eyes.

Pomfrey picked up the bowl and stirred the contents for a few seconds to make sure they wouldn't be too hot, and then scooped a little onto the end of the spoon before raising it to the boy's lips. Using the bottom of the spoon to push his lower jaw down, she then stuck the spoon into the open mouth, only to be rewarded with a funny grimace of displeasure from Harry. That was the only warning she got before he used his tongue to push the contents of what had been on the spoon out of his mouth, the soupy mixture dripping down his chin and onto the cloth that she had placed there earlier.

Snape rolled his eyes at Potter's antics and excused himself from the room, muttering something about how the boy's manners were just the same as they were before. Molly ignored this and turned to Poppy, "What are you trying to feed him?"

"Its porridge mixed with some nutritional supplements."

Molly grinned and replied, "Add sugar."

Pomfrey looked into the bowl for a few seconds, stirring the mixture around before deciding to agree. As she got up to leave the room again, she handed the bottle of juice to Molly. "See if you can get him to drink any of that; his instincts will help him learn how to get the juice out."

It only took Molly a matter of a few minutes before she had the boy taking a tentative suck on the bottle. But by the time Pomfrey made her way back into the room, he had already downed half of it . The second try to get Harry to eat the porridge went much more smoothly, and he ate most of it before he turned his face away from the approaching spoon. Molly then let him finish off his juice, while she ran her fingers through his hair; she was amazed how much this simple gesture always seemed to relax him.

After he had fallen to sleep, Pomfrey set up a monitoring spell, attached the bag of nutrient potion to the feeding tube, and then both ladies left the room, dimming the lights as they left. Hopefully he would sleep through the night and be ready to face tomorrow, which was promising to be a big day. It was the day when Harry would meet the other two-thirds of the Gryffindor Trio.

Harry woke that night around 2 a.m., screaming out into the darkness of the hospital wing. In Pomfrey's  personal quarters, a small bubble started pulsing silver and emitting a loud beeping noise, alerting her to Harry's distress. In the matter of only a few minutes, she had gotten herself to his bedside, turned up the lights, and calmed his frantic tears. When he was finally calm enough to be left alone for a few minutes, she left the room and prepared a bottle of warm milk mixed with a small dose of sleeping potion. When she got back to the room, she fed the mixture to Harry and stayed by his side until he was sound asleep.

Harry slept late the next morning, not waking until 10:00 a.m. Ron and Hermione had gotten the morning off from their classes and had been informed of the circumstances surrounding Harry's medical treatment. As they waited to see him, they sat on one of the empty beds in the main room of the infirmary, nervously avoiding talking about any subject that might be Harry-related. They had been called into Dumbledore's office the previous evening and informed of what was going on, but they had not, as of yet, been able to let it sink in...they just could not wrap their minds around the idea that they would never have their friend back, at least not the way they both remembered him to be.

They were both startled from their thoughts when Madam Pomfrey swept over to where they sat and ushered them into the small room in the back. As they stepped in, they walked cautiously up to the right side of the bed and watched as Mrs. Weasley spooned food into Harry's mouth. Ron was the first to break the silence.

"Mom, I didn't know you were here! You knew where Harry was this whole time and didn't tell me? You knew how worried me and Hermione were." Ron just stared at his mother in disbelief as she put the spoon down into the small plastic bowl she was holding and turned in her seat to give Ron a disapproving look.

"You'll just have to trust me, Ron, that everything that was done concerning Harry was done that way for a reason. Besides, you didn't need to see him in the condition he was in before." She left her answer at that, with a finality in her tone of voice that banked no arguments. Ron knew better than to push his mother on the issue any further and turned his attention to his raven-haired friend.

"Hey there, Harry. It's me...Ron." He began, casting his eyes to Hermione in a silent plea for help. He simply did not know what to say or how to act towards Harry now that things had changed between them.

"We've really missed you, Harry." Hermione started, "we're so glad you made it back to us. Don't worry, Ron and I will be there for you every step of the way during your recovery."

"That's right, mate." Ron added himself into the conversation, his nervousness melting away as he looked at his friend laying there safe and whole. "We can teach you loads of stuff! And just wait until you're finally able to start walking around again, we'll show you around Hogwarts and help you find all of the cool shortcuts and secret passages. You might even get to fly on your broom again. You always did like to fly."

Ron and Hermione smiled at Harry who returned their looks with a small smile of his own. He liked these people: they were funny and they smiled at him a lot. They made him feel good inside.

Molly left after a few minutes to give the friends some privacy, and Ron and Hermione continued to gab away at Harry until lunchtime, when they had to leave. As they said goodbye and headed to the door, Harry looked around at the room and realized that once these people left, he would be all alone. He hated being alone; it scared him so badly to even think about it. He tried to think of some way to make them stay and before he knew what he was doing, he had called out to them.

"Guh!"

The two friends jumped in surprise at the small sudden shout they had heard and they quickly hurried back to the side of the bed.

"Harry," Hermione exclaimed, "Did you just talk to us?"

She paused as if expecting an answer, and after several minutes of silence, they had both about given up the hope of getting a responce, when Harry opened his mouth some and made a small noise that sounded a lot like a grunt.

"Did you hear that ‘Mione? He's trying to talk to us!"

The broad smiles on their faces made Harry work even harder to please them and he made the same grunting sound again, only louder this time. The looks he was receiving made Harry so happy that he smiled from ear to ear and even giggled a bit.

"We just have to show this to your mother, Ron. She would absolutely flip to see him trying to talk already!"

Ron ran out the door and returned moments later, dragging his mother behind him by her arm.

"Ronald Weasley," She fussed at him, "Let me go this instant! What was so important that it couldn't wait until I had finished my lunch?"

He was about to answer her, but was interrupted by another giggle of quiet laughter, followed by a rather loud grunt sound and even more laughing. Mrs. Weasley turned to look at the cause of the noise and then rushed to Harry's bedside.

At first, she could only stare down on him in mild surprise, before smiling broadly. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you smiling so much," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a motherly hug.

A few minutes later, they finally left; Molly going back to her lunch, the teens heading to the Great Hall for a quick bite before their next class. Pomfrey made her way into the room shortly afterwards, carrying a tray with several different potions on it. She set the tray on the nightstand and proceeded to measure out his required doses. She put them through the feeding tube followed by another nutrient mix. She had just began cleaning up when Snape came sweeping into the room, cloak billowing behind him as usual.

"How is Mr. Potter faring today? Have your scans shown any improvement to the nerve damage now that I've altered the potion?"

"He's doing better today; and the latest scan has shown a definite improvement in the nerve damage. I expect him to heal quickly enough that he might be able to start physical therapy soon, might even be able to try walking within the next month or two."

Snape said nothing in reply; he merely nodded his head once in consent. As he stepped up to the bed, he noticed Harry smiling up at him and he quickly turned his gaze back to Madam Pomfrey. He watched her run a few more scans and he was going to inquire on what the latest finding were, but Dumbledore rushed into the room at that very moment with a very grave look upon his face.

"Poppy, I need to speak with you in your office, please." He held the door open for her as she left and Snape realized he was alone in the room with the one child in the whole school who he could tolerate the least...well, besides Mr. Longbottom that is. He sneered down at the boy, but Harry continued to look around the room smiling softly, his gaze locking with Snape's every few seconds. Moments later, Poppy hurried into the room, handed Snape several parchments and told him the Headmaster would explain everything, and then she left just as quickly as she had come.

Snape stared down at the parchments in his hands and, as he flipped through them, he noticed that one sheet was a schedule of sorts, while the others were a set of instructions. He allowed a momentary look of confusion to cross his face before it changed to a look of anger.

"Albus!" He called out, knowing the headmaster would most likely be sitting just outside the door waiting for this exact reaction. Sure enough, the man entered and made his way to one of the chairs. He sat and gestured for the Potions Master to join him. Snape reluctantly sat, the anger he was feeling preventing him from relaxing, and he thrust his hand forward, waving the parchments once in front of Dumbledore's face. And in a restrained voice he said "Explain this."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly and Snape knew then that he would not like what he was about to hear.

"I'm sorry Severus, but Poppy was called away, and we need you to look after Harry until she is able to return."

"What do you mean ‘called away'? What is going on and how long am I going to be saddled with Potter's care?!"

"Calm down, Severus. We just received word that there was a Death Eater attack in the village where her sister lives. There was a lot of damage done and a lot of residents injured before members of the Order were able to drive them out. Her sister requested Poppy's presence to assist with the care of the wounded since they live too far away to make travel to St. Mungos a realistic endeavor. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I'm sure she will hurry back as soon as she can."

"What about my classes?" Snape asked, desperate for an excuse to get him out of this newly appointed task.

"I will make arrangements for a temporary replacement to take over the classes until Poppy returns." Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked to the door. "I'll just be seeing to the addition of Harry's new room in your quarters, Severus. I'll be back shortly to help transport him when I'm done." Dumbledore flashed a smile at Snape and walked briskly out the door.

Seconds later, Snape's mouth finally caught up with his brain and he shouted out, loud enough for Dumbledore to hear through the corridors, "What do you mean ‘in my quarters'?!" Dumbledore chuckled to himself in amusement as he walked down the steps leading into the dungeon.

When Dumbledore arrived back to the infirmary that evening to escort Harry to his new room, he met an irate potions master trying and failing to settle the wailing boy on the bed next to which he was standing. Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the scene before him before he questioned, "Is there a problem, Severus?"

"Of course there bloody well is a problem!" he shouted out, barely making himself heard above the cries sounding out throughout the room.

"Language, Severus…" Dumbledore chastised, even though a hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. He walked toward the screaming child and leaned down, whispering words of comfort into his ear as he stroked his hand over the raven-colored locks of hair. Slowly, the noise tapered off until the deep even breaths that were heard, indicated that the child had fallen asleep.

Snape consulted the list that Poppy had given him as he left the room to gather the supplies that would be needed for Potter's care, muttering under his breath the whole way. As Snape gathered and shrunk down the necessary items, Dumbledore released the restraints on Harry and grabbed an extra blanket to wrap the boy in before they made their attempt at relocation. Snape walked in the room as Dumbledore was tucking the fluffy blue blanket around the child, securing the boy's limbs in the tightly bound material. He finished this chore and then stepped back to take the black bag from Snape's hands, allowing him to move forward in order to scoop Harry into his arms.

Dumbledore held the door open and carried the small black bag which now held Harry's medical supplies. Snape had managed to get the boy into his arms without fully awaking him and he began to make his way past Dumbledore in the doorway, thinking darkly of how his peace and quiet would be ruined by the boy's presence.

However, much to Snape's relief, Harry had slept through the night, only shifting weakly under the covers as Snape attached another bag of nutrient potions to the feeding tube at 2 a.m. I'll have to have a talk with Poppy when she comes back about this damn schedule of hers, he thought to himself, knowing that if he cursed out loud about the unfairness of it all, the child would wake up and then he wouldn't get any sleep.

The following morning, he was awakened by weird sounds issuing from the new room that had been created at the end of the hallway. He got dressed and walked over to Harry's door. As he poked his head into the room, he was surprised to see the boy looking in wonder at the walls, drapes, paintings, and any and everything else he could set his eyes on. As he thought about it, it made perfect sense to the Professor that these things would peak Potter's interest; he had nothing to look at in his old room but bare stone walls and floor, the window being too small to let any of the landscaping of Hogwarts grounds to be seen all the way from the boy's bed.

It had been decided the night before to leave the restraints off to see how Harry would do and Snape was relieved to see that the boy was merely clutching to the hem of his blanket, the material bunched into his hands. He pulled away from the doorway before he was seen and called for a house elf to bring breakfast. The creature reappeared minutes later carrying a tray so large that it weaved precariously to and fro as it walked towards the table to set it down.

Snape could not help but to roll his eyes after the elf disappeared; there must be at least twenty different breakfast items on that tray. He rifled through the serving bowls trying to find something suitable for Harry to eat before coming across a bowl of applesauce. He scooped some into a clean dish, put a small sprinkle of cinnamon on the top, and marched himself into Harry's room.

Snape's sudden entrance startled the boy, and he gave a small yelp of surprise before he realized who it was, then he smiled brightly as the potions master got everything in order. Finally, when a spare cloth had been placed under Harry's chin, Snape pulled up a chair and began spooning mouthful after mouthful into the child. As Snape fed him, he regarded the circumstances. Who would have thought that Snape, despised resident bat of the dungeons, would be caring for Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Golden Boy? Salazar Slytherin would be rolling over in his grave!

Snape's thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant knocking on his door. He put the bowl on the bedside table and stalked toward his door, irritated at the disruption. As he threw the door open, the two figures that had been standing there quickly took a few steps back. He narrowed his eyes at them, cursing his bad luck; It is too early to have to deal with Weasley and Granger, especially on a Saturday.

After a moment of hesitation, Hermione stepped forward and explained why they were there. "Sir, Professor Dumbledore told us that Harry would be staying in your quarters for the next few weeks, and we were wondering if could see him for a little while." Snape glared at the girl and she cleared her throat somewhat nervously but then continued, "I know it's early, sir, but we're going into Hogsmeade today and we'd like to see him before we go."

Snape glared at them for a full minute, silently enjoying it as they fidgeted under his gaze. He looked from one to the other before answering in his typical drawl, "If you must, but only for a few minutes. Unlike others, I actually have important things to attend to today."

The two hurried through the door and were escorted silently into Harry's room. As they entered, they received quite a surprise; Harry had somehow reached the bowl of applesauce during Snape's absence and was now covered in the stuff. The hair that normally hung down over his scar was now sticking up at odd angles, with small clumps of drying applesauce clinging to a few spots. It was smeared down both sides of his face and was dripping off his hands in small drops which were landing haphazardly over the surface of his blanket.

Both Ron and Hermione burst into laughter at their friend's misadventure while Snape gritted his teeth in an attempt to stop a scathing remark from leaving his mouth. Merlin! Even confined to a bed, Potter still finds a way to get into trouble!

Snape stepped swiftly up to the bed, shot a passing glare at the two visitors that made them immediately hush, and then placed a few well-aimed 'Scourgify's that took care of most of the mess, leaving Harry's hair, face, and hands still somewhat sticky. During all of this, Harry remained blissfully unaware of the professor's sour mood. He had been staring at the two new people in his room. He remembered them from the other day and quickly offered a small, "Ah!"

Upon hearing the noise, Ron and Hermione directed all their attention to the boy cuddled up on the bed. The two began to converse with Harry and each other while Snape went to eat some of the breakfast that was surely cold by now. He left Harry's door open and sat at the small table in the main room of his quarters to eat. Although he could no longer make out what they were saying, he could still see enough through the open door that he felt it was safe to take his time eating this meal; after all, now that Potter was here, who knew if he'd get to eat a meal in peace again.

The potions master was just finishing the last bite of his eggs when Ron and Hermione decided it was time to go and they walked slowly down the hall, toward the main entrance door. Snape stood up to see them out, but before he took a step toward them, Hermione turned around, flipped some of her long, bushy hair over her shoulder and addressed her professor, "Sir, would it be alright if we came by later this afternoon, perhaps right before supper? There were a few things we'd like to buy for Harry while we're in Hogsmeade today."

The young witch looked expectedly up at Snape for an answer, and despite knowing he would regret it later, Snape reluctantly agreed. Hermione flashed him a polite smile of thanks before hurrying Ron out the door by his arm, clutching him as if he were a wayward child and talking excitedly of all the things that Harry might like to have from Hogsmeade.

Snape closed the door and stood for a moment with his eyes shut, just enjoying the quiet…until he faintly heard a soft crying sounding from within Harry's room. With a small sigh, Snape walked back into the boy's room and found the child crying into his pillow, his blankets balled up around him like some sort of nest.

Snape honestly didn't know what to do. The only thing that came to mind was to copy the Headmaster's actions from the night before, but he then decided he would never be so desperate that he would ever willingly brush his fingers through Potter's hair; so he began talking to him. Using the same tone of voice usually reserved for his Slytherins, he started spouting out the directions for making Polyjuice potion. While he talked, Snape put the room into order and gathered a change of clothes for Harry. The even tone of voice and steady dialog seemed to calm the boy and the crying stopped after a few minutes. Snape then left the room momentarily, stepping into the bathroom to start a warm bath for the sticky Boy-Who Lived.

While the tub filled, Snape scooped Harry up and carried him to the bathroom. He sat Harry down in a small chair in the corner of the large bathroom and then used his wand to banish the applesauce-covered pajamas. As he raised his wand to banish the disposable underpants the boy was wearing, he realized that Harry would likely remember this later on. Therefore, in order to avoid a violation of the child's privacy and any arguments that would be caused by said violation, he thought it would be better to delegate this particular task to someone else. Having made up his mind, Snape summoned a house elf and instructed the creature on how to bathe his charge.

Harry was bathed, dressed, in bed, fed, and put to sleep two hours later. The potions master then sat down in the dark green wing-backed chair that sat by the fireplace in his study. The fire was blazing and he had just gotten all settled down to read a new issue of Potions Today when there was a loud knock on hisdoorHe leaped out of his seat and marched over to the door, seething about the fact that someone dared to disturb the first few minutes of peace and quite he'd had all day.

When the door opened, he realized with a suppressed groan that he had already approved this particular disruption when he agreed that morning to allow Weasley and Granger to visit after their Hogsmeade trip.

"May we see Harry, Sir?" Hermione asked. Snape stepped back to allow them to enter and they walked to Harry's room talking excitedly about the purchases they had made that day…Well, Hermione talked and while Ron smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

The noise they made as they neared his door woke Harry up; so he was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when they came in and they could not help but to smile at him as he yawned loudly.

"Hey, Harry," Ron spoke up, "We got you some stuff from Hogsmeade. I wanted to bring you some chocolate frogs, but Hermione said that it wouldn't be a good idea to do that considering what happened with the applesauce this morning. Don't worry, I'll make her see reason and I'll bring you a couple as soon as I can."

As the teens visited, Snape went back to his reading. By the time he finished reading the journal through, it had gotten late and the fire had died down until there was little left but glowing embers. He cast Tempus and the spell revealed that it was supper time and the Great Hall was likely already filling with hungry students. He rose from his chair and had taken only two steps before he heard a door being shut and seconds later, both Ron and Hermione were standing in front of him.

"Sir, maybe you should hold on to these," the bushy-haired Gryffindor suggested, holding out the large bag that she came in with. "These are the toys and such that we got for Harry today."

Snape allowed a look of irritation to pass his face as he reached out for the bag. "What, exactly, is in this bag, Miss Granger?"

In answer, Hermione sat the bag onto the nearby desk before the professor could reach it and proceeded to pull an item out.

"This, Sir, is a flutterby ball." She held up a multi-colored plush ball about the size of a grapefruit that had wings like a butterfly. She held her wand to it and tapped the ball between the wings. Suddenly the wings started flapping and the ball slowly rose from her outstretched hand. It fluttered around slowly at eye-level before Hermione reached out and grabbed it. It stopped moving as soon as she got it in her grip. "We got it at the toy store in Hogsmeade; we thought it would help Harry gain better muscle control if he played with it often." She placed the ball back into the bag and continued, "We also brought some coloring books, crayons, and a stuffed animal."

She then held the bag out once more for Snape and as he took it and looked in, she said, "The stuffed toy is an owl that looks like Hedwig. He really liked it and he fell asleep with it." This was all said with a proud smile for having gotten her friend something he liked so much.

"You should both be moving along now; supper is being served in the Great Hall as we speak." Their faces looked slightly crestfallen with the hasty dismissal as they turned toward the main door to their professor's quarters, but just before Hermione opened the door so they could walk out, Snape said, "I'm sure Harry is very thankful for the gifts."

Both Gryffindors looked at each other and smiled; that was the closest thing to a 'thank you' that they had ever heard leave that man's mouth.

The following day, Ron and Hermione were once again ensconced in Harry's room and talking amongst themselves quite loudly, something which Snape highly disapproved of. Ron and Hermione were taking turns naming the pictures in one of the coloring books that they brought the day before.

"Look Harry," Ron pointed to a page with a picture of a family on it. "This is the sister, this is the brother, this is the mommy, and this is the daddy."

Ron was just about to turn to the next page when Harry, brow crinkled in concentration, slowly said, "da-ee." Ron's eyebrows shot up in the air and he excitedly turned to Hermione. "Did you hear him 'Mione? He's trying to say 'daddy'!"

Hermione eagerly leaned forward and touched the picture of the father again. "Daddy. This is a daddy, Harry. Can you say it? Say daddy." She nodded her head in encouragement as Harry leaned closer to the picture as well. He pulled his hand out from the warm sheets and pointed at the picture in the same manner as Hermione had moments ago and slowly said, "Daddy."

Both Ron and Hermione jumped up in their excitement and started talking about all the other words they could teach him right away while Harry merely laid back on his pillows and watched them, smiling. Ron and Hermione sat back down on the bed and began trying to get Harry to say some new words when, having heard the commotion, Snape stepped into the room to make sure everything was alright; the last thing he needed was for the two visiting Gryffindors to upset his charge.

The three teens looked up at him as he entered and before anyone else was able to utter a sound in explanation, Harry threw his arm into the air, pointed at his professor, and shouted "Daddy!"

Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped, but the only outward sign of surprise Snape gave was a widening of his eyes. Several seconds passed in shocked silence before Ron couldn't hold it anymore. He burst out laughing and he was quickly followed suit by Hermione and then Harry, who thought his friends were very funny indeed.

Snape wasn't sure what to think of the situation besides being angry at the audacity of the Gryffindors to laugh at his expense while in his quarters. Yes, I will definitely have to find a way to take a great many points for this later. Snape's eyes narrowed in irritation and he swept out of the room, his billowing robes flicking against the door frame as he made his retreat.

Ron and Hermione left that evening on their way to the Great Hall for supper after the whole 'Daddy' incident, covering their mouths with their hands and not making eye contact with the irate Potions Master in an attempt to hide their mirth. They had just shuffled their way out the door when it slammed loudly behind them. They glanced at each other and broke down in a fit of giggles again as they made their way up the deserted corridor.

In his quarters, Snape was on his way to check on his charge and to bring the boy something to eat. As he entered the room, once again he heard a happy voice call out, "Daddy." Snape sent a death glare to the raven-haired youth, but apparently Harry was oblivious to the meaning behind the look because he continued to smile at his caretaker in a look of pure contentment. Slowly, the glare fell from Snape's face. What is the use of a perfectly good death glare if it has no effect?

For a lack of anything better to do at that particularly awkward moment, Snape began talking to the boy in hopes that the child would understand at least some of what he was saying. "I am not your father, Potter. Honestly, I don't know what those friends of yours were telling you, but the proper way to address me is 'Sir', understand?"

Harry blinked a few times in bewilderment of what his 'daddy' was trying to tell him. Finally, his eyes wandered over to the tray Snape held with the bowl of food on it. He pulled his arms out from under the blanket that Hermione had tucked around him before she left, and he reached towards the bowl. Snape saw Harry's arms swing toward him and he retreated a few steps.

"Hungry? I have a bowl of chicken noodle soup for you. If you can eat this without any problems, I'll be requesting something of a more solid nature for you to eat at breakfast tomorrow. A banana, perhaps?" As he was talking, he got everything set up and had pulled up a chair. He sat down and scooped some of the soup onto the spoon. As he directed it towards the boy's mouth, Harry reached up and clumsily grabbed the spoon and thrust it in his mouth, spilling most of the contents down the front of his clothes.

Snape closed his eyes in annoyance and gritted his teeth. Great Merlin! Why me?

He took a few deep breathes to quell his anger, and snatched the spoon back. Harry pouted a little but didn't cry, and the pair finished the experience with no more mishaps.

The following day, Snape was summoned to the Headmaster's office to discuss Harry's progress. Snape left Harry asleep and in the care of a house elf before making his way to Dumbledore's office. As he raised his arm to knock, the office door opened of its own accord and the Headmaster's cheerful voice rose from within.

"Ah, Severus, how are you this morning?"

"I've been better…," Snape mumbled as he took a seat.

"Oh, come now," Dumbledore interrupted, "Surely Harry isn't that much trouble?"

Snape offered no reply, but shot a withering look to his old friend instead.

The Headmaster softly chuckled. "Yes, well, the sooner he recovers, the sooner you'll find your rooms empty again."

It was said as a way to placate the potions master, but as Snape considered the Headmaster's words, he found that he had grown somewhat used to having someone to talk to these past few days, even if he never got a reply, and he wasn't exactly looking forward too much to being completely alone again.

"So," Dumbledore continued, "How far along has he progressed?"

"I believe he is ready to begin physical therapy. He has shown signs that the nerve regeneration potion is working and he has been grasping at objects more and more often." Snape's memory automatically recalled breakfast from earlier that morning, when he learned that it is extremely difficult to remove dried bananas from one's hair.

"That is good news, indeed. I have an acquaintance in America that I believe will work to our advantage. He is a wizard by the name of Michael Greenway. He specializes in physical therapy and he is a very trustworthy person. If Michael is amendable to the suggestion, I think it would benefit Harry if we could start the therapy as soon as possible. I can have him floo here a few times a week to work with Harry in your quarters, if that is alright, Severus."

"Of course, Albus," Snape replied, knowing any other answer would not be accepted.

The old Headmaster's face lit up with a smile and he said, "Now, on to other matters. Molly Weasley has been contacting me several times every day since we moved Harry from the hospital wing. She is requesting a visit with him."

Great…more interruptions to my day! The grumpy look Snape gave was apparently amusing because the Headmaster began to chuckle again.

"Look at it this way, Severus; it will allow you some time to get other things done. The Healer who came from St. Mungo's to assist us temporarily during Poppy's absence has reported just yesterday that she is running low on a few potions."

"Very well, Albus. Is there anything else you require?" The narrow-eyed look of annoyance and the hint of sarcasm in the reply was enough to get the old man chuckling aloud this time. Snape huffed and shook his head. He rose from his seat and made his way back down to the quiet of the dungeons, the Headmaster's chuckles still ringing in his ears as he walked.

…

Several days later, as Snape finished the last bite of his lunch, there came a loud knocking on his door. He swung the door open to find Dumbledore standing there with a man he had never seen before standing just behind him.

"Ah, Severus, I would like you to meet Healer Greenway." As Dumbledore moved back, the healer stepped forward to introduce himself. The man was young, in his mid-thirties. His hair was short and sandy colored, and Snape was suddenly reminded of a younger Remus Lupin. He wore a muggle type suit of light brown with a white shirt, but without a tie, and he carried a large black medical bag in his left hand. He extended his free hand towards Snape and said with a smile, "Hi. You can just call me Mike if you like. So where is the young man I've heard so much about?"

Snape gave a nod of his head in greeting and proceeded to make his way towards Harry's room, leaving Dumbledore in the Main room where he sat himself down on one of the chairs near the fireplace. Snape led Mike inside the bedroom and gently shook the boy's shoulder to wake him. "Some of the potions he's on make him sleep more than he normally would." Snape offered in explanation as Harry slowly began to stir from his slumber.

Finally, two sleepy eyes opened and he looked about the room before his eyes met Snape's and Harry grinned up at his, "Daddy."

Mark's eyes widened a bit and he exclaimed, "I didn't know he was your son."

Snape whirled around and said slowly, as though talking to someone stupid, "He's not. He is just confused."

Mike stepped up to the bed to greet the boy who looked eagerly up at him, "Hi, Harry. My name is Mike. We're going to have some fun together, O.K.?" Then he sat his black bag on the small nightstand and opened it, pulling several objects out as Snape quietly left the room to speak with the Headmaster.

Snape settled himself down in a chair opposite of Dumbledore's and gazed into the flames blazing in his fireplace. "Molly Weasley would like to know if she can come by tomorrow afternoon to see Harry. I told her it would most likely be alright to come at that time, but it can be changed if need be." Dumbledore cast a questioning glance at Snape.

"Of course, Albus," Snape replied. "That will be fine."

After a long pause spent in thought, Snape then continued. "Now that Potter is learning to speak again, it would be wise if we brought in a personal tutor to help with the basics, like reading and penmanship. We'll need to keep everything going at a steady pace if the boy is to ever catch up with his peers."

"I know, Severus. That was something I've been meaning to speak to you about. I think I've found the perfect person to tutor young Harry…"

"But…" Snape added, knowing there was more to be said.

"But I don't think you'll agree with my choice for the position."

"Well then, who is it?" Snape asked, his impatience leaking through into the conversation.

"Remus Lupin."

Snape remained silent for a few minutes before surprising the Headmaster with his next statement. "I suppose he really would be best for the job."

Dumbledore's bushy eyebrows had indeed shot up in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled brightly at his potions master, eyes twinkling madly. "I'm glad you agree; he'll be at Hogwarts by the end of next week, just as soon as he completes the mission he's on for the Order." Dumbledore leaned back in the chair and pulled a bag of lemon drops from an inner robe pocket. He popped one into his mouth and sat silently in thought for a few moments before continuing.

"I can have him work with Harry from about breakfast until lunch. That would free up half of the day for you and you'll be able to teach your morning classes again."

Both men stared into the fire, contemplating the future until Snape changed the subject as nonchalantly as he could. "Have you heard from Poppy lately?"

"Yes, I have actually. I received an owl just this morning that said everything was going well, but there were some who were seriously wounded during the attack who are still not healed enough to be released from her care as of yet. She said it might be another month or two before she'll be able to make it home."

"What do you plan on doing with Potter when summer break starts?"

"Truthfully, Severus, I think we'll just have to wait and see how well he's doing when the time comes." Snape nodded his head in agreement.

Before much else could be said, their solitude was interrupted by the sound of footsteps making their way down the hall. Mike appeared from around the corner and made his way over to the other two men. Both stood as Mike neared them and Dumbledore was the first to ask, "Well, how did it go?"

"It went quite well I'd say. We need to get him out of that bed as soon as we can though; his muscle mass is deteriorating the longer he stays there, and we'll need to start on some leg exercises to build up his strength before he can make any attempt at walking. We'll more than likely need to allow him the use of leg braces for a while, just until his strength and coordination approve. But on the whole, I think he'll be able to fully recover with time."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a roll of parchment which he handed to Snape. "I'll be coming to see him three times a week. This is a list of exercises you can do with him in between my visits that will help him recover as fast as possible. I'll warn you now, there are parts of this process that he may not be happy about. It will be a lot of hard work and he may get disappointed or frustrated at times, but I am positive that he could be walking by summer break as long as we keep at it."

"That's wonderful news," Dumbledore exclaimed, obviously giddy at the words of hope. He showed the man out the door, talking as they walked about any and everything. Snape made his way back to Harry's bedroom to check on him. He stepped into the room and walked over to the bed. He stared down at the boy's sleeping form nestled into the bed, the covers tucked right up to his chin on one side, and on the other, his whole arm hung out from under the fluffy blue blanket with his stuffed owl still clutched in the crook of his arm. Snape couldn't help it…he smiled.

…

The weeks passed; Molly had her visits, the physical therapist came, and the other two-thirds of the Gryffindor trio talked to Harry almost every day. It was now nearing the end of May and Harry had learned a great slew of words, not all of them acceptable in Snape's opinion. He was now able to walk short distances unassisted and was even feeding himself. Through Lupin's hard work, Harry was now also able read a few small words and had recently learned to write his name. Severus kept a house elf in his quarters full-time in order to help him deal with a mobile Boy-who-lived and the Potions master had left the child to the elf's care to attend a meeting in Dumbledore's office to discuss Harry's progress with him.

"Remus came to talk to me last night, Severus. He is concerned that, although Harry's recovery is progressing smoothly, that we are not exposing him to enough experiences…in other words, he is being too sheltered. As he is right now, he is as naïve as a toddler."

"I am aware of this Albus, but I don't see how we can allow him to be seen in public without running the risk of revealing my true loyalties. If word were to get out about this, I'm as good as dead."

"Perhaps it is time to stop your spying duties then, Severus. You know as well as I that he has been suspicious of you for quite a while now. You could…"

"No, Albus," Snape interrupted. "I can't…"

"You paid your debt long ago; if you continue to go back to him merely for the sake of the limited amount of information you gather, you will end up getting yourself killed. Is that what you want?"

"No, of course not. But once word reaches the Dark Lord of my betrayal, it will no longer be safe for me to walk the streets."

"Severus, it is hardly safe now…not for you, not for anyone.

Long minutes passed in silence, the only sounds being the occasional small trill of song from Fawkes sitting on his perch in the corner.

Finally, Snape bowed his head a little, staring at seemingly nothing and he spoke in a weary, tired voice. "Perhaps...," he faltered, "Perhaps you're right."

…

As Harry woke the next morning, he stretched and relaxed in his bed for a while, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine that came in through the window and fell across his resting form. When he had decided that he had soaked up enough sun, he threw his covers to the side and clambered out of bed. After sliding on his glasses, he padded down the hall and into the other bedroom to see his 'daddy'. Harry silently pushed the door open and hesitated. The shades had been drawn and the thick, dark green curtains had been shut tight against the morning light. Harry glanced through the room toward the bed. The dimmed light that escaped the curtains wasn't enough to illuminate the entire path from the door to the bed and, being scared of the dark, Harry felt it best to get the journey over with as fast as possible. He hurried across the stone floor, almost tripping on the ornate rug that was laid beside the bed, and leaped atop the bed and shut his eyes tight as he huddled against his 'daddy'.

Snape was jolted out of his slumber by what felt like a bludger ramming into him. He threw his eyes open and almost shouted out in alarm. One arm snaked out to grab his wand from the bedside table while he tossed his head to the side to see what the disturbance was. Letting out an almost silent sigh of relief, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "Potter, what are you doing in my bed?"

Harry slowly opened his eyes, cast Snape a sheepish grin, and replied, "I came to wake you up 'cause I'm hungry…" The smile slid off his face and he continued, "But it's dark and I was scared."

Snape patted the bony shoulder a few times before rising from the bed and throwing a robe over his night clothes. "Well, come on then. Let's get you something to eat"

Harry jumped out of bed and grabbed Snape's hand with his own. This had become a habit with the boy as of lately, one that the potions master had begrudgingly accepted. The pair made their way into the main room and sat at the small wood table set up in the corner.

As Snape called for a house elf and requested their meals, Harry flipped through the pages of a story book that had been left on the table the night before. That was another habit that Snape had to deal with. Every night for the past several weeks, Harry had insisted on a bedtime story and, of course, Snape was the only other person there to read to him. He had tried to get out of it at first, refusing to read at all; but Harry had pitched such a fit that Snape learned it was easier to just read and get it over with. By now, the professor didn't mind reading so much since it always relaxed the child and made him fall asleep faster.

The house elf arrived with their meals and Harry sat his book aside as Snape served out a portion of eggs onto both plates. Snape decided now was a good a time as any to broach the subject of what he had discussed with the Headmaster the night before. "There is something I needed to speak to you about."

Harry paused his actions, his spoonful of eggs suspended halfway to his open mouth. He slowly lowered his arm, taking in the look of seriousness on Snape's face. "Did I do somethin' wrong?"

Snape quickly let his expression soften before answering, "No. Nothing like that." He thought for a few seconds in silence wondering how best to explain things to the child in front of him. He looked up and noticed that Harry still wasn't eating; the boy was just sitting there looking quite worried while his plate of food grew cold. "I know you're hungry, eat your food." He waited until the boy had taken his first bite before starting again. "I spoke with Professor Dumbledore last night…"

"You mean Albus?" Harry asked, grinning around a mouthful of eggs. Snape winced at the bad table manners and thought of this other bad habit of Harry's. Not only did he display atrocious table manners at times, but he was also constantly calling people by their first name, despite Snape's repetative correcting.

"Yes. I spoke with Dumbledore last night and we decided that you should get to see more of the castle and meet the other students. Perhaps even go outside occasionally."

"I can?" Harry asked excitedly. He had spent many hours looking out the windows, staring at the other children walking around Hogwarts grounds and wishing he could as well. "Can I go today? Can Remus take me?"

"No, I'm afraid not; not today at any rate. I'll be taking you to breakfast in the Great Hall tomorrow morning though, and I expect you to be on your best behavior. Lupin will be coming at his usual time this morning to work with you on your studies. You can ask him then about taking you outside sometime tomorrow. Now finish eating, he should be here any minute."

Sure enough, there was a knock sounding on the door five minutes later. Snape let Remus in and explained what had been discussed with Dumbledore the previous evening, and Remus was smiling widely by the end of it. This was a big step for Harry as far as Remus was concerned and it was as if this served as evidence of the lengthy recovery process…a good sign to show how far Harry had already come.

Snape left shortly thereafter, getting a tight hug from his charge before he could escape out the door. It wasn't so much that he minded the hugs Harry frequently gave him now, it just embarrassed him to no end to let it happen in front of Remus, who had heard all about the whole 'daddy' incident from Ron and Hermione and had been teasing Snape relentlessly about it.

"Alright Harry, let's get started." Remus interrupted the pair, allowing Snape to make his get-a-way. "Go fetch your parchment and quill." Snape slipped out the door as Harry rushed as fast as his still-wobbly legs could take him and quickly reappeared with what he needed to start the day's lessons. Harry loved his lessons with Remus. The two had grown quite close over the past several weeks and he preferred to be with Remus whenever he could not be with his 'daddy'.

Meanwhile, Snape was entering his classroom and silencing the combined group of sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins with his patented death glare. The class carried on as usual and Snape was glad that Longbottom had not scored high enough on his O.W.L.s to be in this advanced class. But despite this, there was still an exploded potion by the end of class, courtesy of Ron Weasley. How he made it into advanced potions, I'll never know.

He scowled at the boy and watched with well concealed glee as he cowered slightly before letting Granger usher him out of the room, following the other students fleeing the billowing smoke and noxious fumes. As the last of the students disappeared through the doorway, Snape scanned the classroom and found his godson, Draco Malfoy standing at his desk.

"What are you still doing hear Draco? Don't you have a class to be running off to?"

Malfoy put on a cocky grin and replied, "Don't be short with me just because you're having a bad day. Honestly, Weasley had to have cheated to have made it into this class. So, you still haven't told me why I never get to visit with you any more. You never minded before if I came to your quarters to study or talk…you know Crabbe and Goyle aren't exactly the talkative type." He added on sarcastically.

Snape released a longsuffering sigh and steered Draco toward the door to the side of the room that led to his office. "Come and sit." He gestured to a chair in the corner of his office. "I have much to tell you, and I have a few minutes before the next class period starts."

Snape took a second chair, pulled it in front of Draco's and sat down. What followed was a hurried description of the previous few months, with limited details on the specifics in order to preserve some of Harry's privacy. By the time everything was finally said, Draco's eyes were wide open and his mouth agape with shock. He had thought his godfather was doing some secret work for Dumbledore, as he had known about Snape's true allegiance for over a year now, but he had no idea it involved Harry Potter of all people.

"So Potter doesn't remember anything?"

"No, he has had to relearn everything, even the most basic of things. And now the Headmaster and I have decided it's time to reintroduce him to the rest of the world."

Draco sat in contemplation for a few moments before giving a slight nod of his head, as if coming to a decision in some type of internal debate. "I want to see him."

A momentary look of shock crossed Snape's face, but he quickly regained his composure before the boy had noticed and replied, "Why? What are you planning, Draco?"

Donning the most innocent look he could muster, he answered, "I'm not planning anything. I would just like to re-offer my hand in friendship. He refused me during our first year and I would like to try again. There's nothing wrong with that is there?"

As Snape seemed to consider the proposal, Draco silently begged for him to say yes. Draco was expected to officially become a Death Eater this summer, and when the time came to defy his father's wishes, Harry would be a powerful ally to have on his side, even if he wasn't 'up to par', so to speak. It was surely nothing that time would not solve.

"I will allow it, but, Draco, if you try to pull one of your little schemes with him, so help me," Snape narrowed his eyes, "they'll never find the body. Understood?"

Draco gulped and silently nodded his head. He had no doubt whatsoever that his godfather was telling the truth.

….

The next morning, the Great Hall erupted in shocked whispers and even a few muffled shouts of astonishment as Snape and Potter walked in. Here was their missing Golden Boy, who had not been seen or heard from in almost six months, and he was holding the hand of every Gryffindor's worst enemy, Severus Snape. Harry continued to clutch Snape's hand, and from the way he was squeezing it, the potions master could tell the boy was nervous. And why wouldn't he be? He had only met a handful of people since his recovery began, and he certainly was never in a crowd as large as this before. They walked only a third of the way before Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

Snape glanced down and saw Harry's face stricken in a look of panic. The boy's eyes were wide and his bottom lip was slightly trembling as he swung his head back and forth looking for some mode of escape. Snape snapped his eyes back to the crowd of pointing and staring students and he threw on his best death glare. Slowly, the students regained their seats and their composure, and did everything they could to avoid eye contact with the Professor before them.

Once everyone seemed to be minding their own business again, Snape leaned forward and whispered in Harry's ear, "Come on, Potter. No one here will hurt you." He tried to pull the frightened boy forward again, but he still refused to budge. Snape leaned down again, "Look at the front of the room. Do you see that large table?" Harry barely nodded his head in affirmation. "Good. Do you see those two empty chairs? That is we are going to sit. You see, you'll get to sit next to Lupin." Snape gestured toward the table and Harry looked at it again and saw the empty chair next to where Remus sat, smiling and waving at Harry from across the room.

Harry gave a hesitant half-formed smile and allowed Snape to pull him slowly forward. When they finally reached their seats, Harry threw himself into Remus' arms and gave him a big hug. Once he finally sat down, Snape began spooning small amounts of food onto Harry's plate.

The rest of the meal passed without incident and as they were finishing up, Dumbledore rose from his seat to address all of the students.

"As you can all see, one of our own has been returned to us. He was rescued from Voldemort's clutches and has been recovering here at Hogwarts for a while now. He still has a ways to go before he will be able to return to classes, so I ask that you all refrain from making yourself a nuisance if you happen to see him in the halls." He gave a pointed look towards the Slytherin table before concluding his little speech. "Now, off to classes, and good luck to those who are about to take their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s."

The entire student population rose from their seats and began making their way towards the main doors to the Great Hall, occasionally throwing furtive glances over their shoulders at the oblivious Gryffindor sitting at the Head Table.

Once all the students left, the professors then lifted themselves from their seats to either head off to their classrooms or join one another in a little small talk. Remus sat down in the now vacant seat next to Snape's and leaned closer in to keep Harry from hearing their little conversation. "Well, Severus," Remus began with a smile, "Is he still calling you 'Daddy' ?"

Snape scowled at the man and answered, "Of course he is. He's somehow gotten it stuck in his head to call me that. I've bloody well tried everything I can think of to persuade him otherwise, for all the good it's done me."

Remus tried and failed to hide a sly smile. "Really, now. It isn't that bad is it? I've noticed you don't even complain about it anymore unless someone else brings it up."

"And what good will it do to complain," Snape answered in annoyance, "He'll still call me that and you know it."

Remus stood to leave, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath, "Sure, Severus. Whatever you say."

Snape cast Lupin one last look of indignation before turning his attention back to his young charge. "Almost done?" Harry nodded his head in affirmation, put one last bite of eggs in his mouth, and stood up to leave. Snape stood as well and had taken but one step forward before Harry once again slid his hand into the Potion master's and gripped it in a steady firmness. Snape glanced in both directions to be sure no one was watching and he smiled down at the boy. "Alright, now come along."

….

It was evening and gossip had spread throughout Hogwarts that day faster than a snitch on the Quidditch field.

"Did you hear? Harry Potter is back."

"I heard that You-Know-Who never kidnapped him. I heard that Dumbledore had secretly sent him away for training."

"No, that's not true; he was kidnapped alright. I heard they tortured him."

The voices suddenly hushed as the students milling about the hallway looked up and caught sight of Snape and Harry walking up the corridor on their way to supper.

"Don't you all have somewhere to be?" Snape asked as harshly as he could. The students suddenly scattered like leaves in the wind.

Having learned his lesson at breakfast that morning, Snape was sure to arrive with Harry well before any of the students began to show up so that there would be no repeat performance of that morning's events. Harry sat happily coloring away on a piece of parchment Snape had given him as the two waited on the rest of the students and faculty to arrive.

As the staff table filled, Harry was putting the finishing touches on his creation and he then held it up in front of Snape's face and announced, "Look Daddy! I made this for you. Do you like it?" Snape's cheeks turned an alarming shade of red as he snatched the picture from in front of his face and swiftly set it flat on the table in front of him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see several of the staff who had overheard, covering their smiles and giggling behind their hands. He looked towards Harry and noticed a confused and hurt look on the boy's face. "But don't you like it? I made it just for you, da…"

"Harry," Snape blurted the boy's first name out in an effort to stop him from completing his sentence. "It's a very nice picture, but it's almost time to eat and we must put your crayons away."

"Oh…" Harry answered, still somewhat confused by Snape's behavior. "But can I color some more later?"

"Yes, of course you can. Now hand me your crayons." Harry gathered the crayons and handed them to Snape one at a time, watching as they were slid back into their box one by one. Snape then placed the box and the colored sheet of parchment into his large robe pocket and turned his attention to the rest of the occupants of the room. By now, most of the students had arrived and he was irritated to notice both Weasley and Granger staring at him, both with wide smiles on their faces. They didn't hear him say that to me did they? It should be punishable for any Gryffindor to grin at the head of Slytherin house like that! Not that I mind so much when Harry does it…Great Merlin! Now I'm referring to him by first name in my head! What is this world coming to?

Snape's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp tug on his sleeve. He looked down at the source of disturbance and saw Harry grinning up at him. Harry pointed towards Ron and Hermione and then waved excitedly back at them. The boy acts as if he didn't just see those two dunderheads less than 3 hours ago.

Snape got Harry's attention and informed him that, "It's rude to do that at the table. If you rather, you can go and sit with them instead." Harry's grin faded from his face and he threw his arms around Snape's shoulders. And in a voice on the edge of panic he said, "Don't make me sit there; I want to stay with you."

Snape freed an arm from Harry's grip and patted the boy on his back, temporarily forgetting that anyone might see the gesture. "You can stay here if you like; you don't have to sit with them if you don't want to." He paused to allow the child to settle down and then asked, "Why don't you want to sit with your friends?"

"They're just my friends, but you're my daddy; I want to sit with you." This time, Snape did nothing to refute the soft spoken words.