1994

“And, you are sure that this…thing will take us to where Potter resides?” Lucius Malfoy looked over the bottle cap disgustedly.

 “I am sure,” Wormtail nodded enthusiastically.

“How do you know?” Malfoy glared down his nose at the rat, sneering slightly.

“I had thought to discovered where Lily Potter’s sister lived, and then found the bottle cap in the next yard,” Wormtail explained. “When I shifted it, it took me away to Spinner’s End. When I tried it again, I was back where Potter supposedly lived.” His smile was oily. “When I realized that it took me from Spinner’s End to Privet Drive, I knew that Snape had to have gone there before he left.”

The smile Lucius gave sent chills down the spine. “Snape must have gotten help from Potter,” he said thoughtfully. “Makes sense. But I think a visit is in order.”

&&&&&&

Severus paced around the meadow, frustrated and furious. What had just happened? He had let the Headmaster take Harry away from him. Again! Why hadn’t he done anything?

Fuming and hissing, the Head of Slytherin looked back towards the cottage. He went over to a chair and flopped down, much like Harry had done a while earlier. He could not bring himself to admit that he was wrong in the way he handled Albus. The old fool deserved Severus’s brutal words. They were all true, at any rate.

Sitting in the shade, the professor thought back to the conversation:“Severus, you should not say things like-”

“Like what? Abused? Well the boy was,” Severus growled. “His relatives treated him like… like the Malfoys treat a house elf! It was deplorable.”

“I know, Severus, but you can’t-”

“You knew!” the Potions Master could not help but be appalled. “How long have you known about this?”

Sighing, the Headmaster rubbed the bridge of his nose. “My boy, sometimes it’s for the overall good that we must suffer awful things. Harry’s comfort at the Dursleys might be scarified, but his overall health and wellness are secured.”

Snape could do nothing but stand there in outrage. “So you are saying that you would let those Muggles kill Harry for his health instead of wizards?” venom dripped from his cold words. “This is outrageous, Albus, even for you! You leave Potter there, and he’ll die!”

“You assume too much,” Dumbledore said firmly. “I know that his relatives resent him, but they would not-”

“Oh, but they have,” Severus’s voice was grave. “Albus, they’ve beaten the boy. Severely if I’m any judge. He flinches when anyone touches him, he’s malnourished, and he lived in a cupboard until he attended Hogwarts. A cupboard, Albus!”

For a long moment, neither one spoke. Had Severus not been so angry, he would have felt a bit of guilt over causing the elderly wizard to look so forlorn. But as it was, the Headmaster was not so feeble, and the Potions Master was not so sorry. Black eyes met blue, and it was a power of wills for a moment, as one wizard tried to read the other. “I knew about that,” Dumbledore admitted.

“You knew!” Severus exploded. “How long have you known?”

“From the beginning, I’m afraid,” Albus admitted. “But, Severus, it was for his own good.”

“I’m supposed to believe that?” Snape spat.

It was then that the Headmaster looked the younger wizard over carefully, his blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Why are you so concerned about this, Severus? You’ve never liked Harry before.”

"Just because I don’t like the brat doesn’t mean I’m going to let someone kill him!” Severus growled defensively. “He’s after all, just a boy. Didn’t you always tell me that?”

And the conversation never made much progress after that. The two had gone around and around until finally the Headmaster got angry. When Albus Dumbledore got angry, he got stubborn, becoming impossible to work with.

“Can’t the Weasleys take him?” Severus asked, hoping he did not sound pleading.

“No,” the Headmaster shook his white head. “I’m afraid I cannot do that. Molly and Arthur are being watched this summer.”

“Or someone else?” the Potions Master racked his brain, trying to come up with something better. “Anyone else would be better than those Muggles.”

“Even you?” Albus almost smiled.

“Yes,” Severus said defensively. “Even I am.”

“I am sorry, my boy,” Dumbledore shook his head. “But the bloodwards demand that I place Harry back into his aunt’s care. He will be safer there.”

Growling in distain, the professor looked across the meadow again. He had been dangerously close to telling his mentor that he was Harry’s father. It had been on the tip of his tongue. But when the time came, he could not do it. The Headmaster’s betrayal after Severus had informed the old man about his wedding was still fresh in his mind. What if the Headmaster preformed a similar trick again? Both he and Harry might forget, and then who would help them?

Standing up in resolve, Severus decided that there was nothing else to do at the moment. He had to make arrangements. He would make sure his son was out of those Muggles care. He would not leave the child to be abused. But as he began to walk, he felt the strangest sensation in his left arm. It was then that he realized he did not have the bottle cap.

&&&&&

Outside Privet Drive, Harry felt his stomach lurch. What had just happened? He did not want to be back at Privet Drive! Snape had said that they were leaving! The man had said that Harry didn’t have to live here anymore! So how had he just let Harry just get carted away?

"Now, Harry,” when Dumbledore spoke, the boy had a hard time meeting the man’s eyes. “I know that this arrangement is not to your satisfaction, but you must understand that it is for your own good, yes? The bloodward is a powerful form of protection, and we must take advantage of this. Yes?”

“Yes, sir,” the young wizard hung his head low. And here he had the hope that things were going to get better! When did his life ever get any better?

When Dumbledore smiled, and rapped on the door, Harry had to bite his bottom lip to keep from getting sick. The door opened to a very smartly dressed Petunia standing in the doorway. “Harry!” she exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, my dear,” Albus smiled cheerily at the Muggle woman. “It seems that Professor Snape was overstepping his bounds when he took Harry away this morning. I’ve brought him back.”

Petunia looked both alarmed and slightly sick. “Well, I have a job interview today, and Vernon, Dudley, and I were going to leave tonight to go to a tour and meeting at Smeltings,” she looked anxiously at the Headmaster. “We’ll be gone all night!”

Was his aunt trying to give an excuse as to why Harry could not stay here? Did she really not want him, or was she trying to help him out? Would he ever really know? “Ah, well, one night will not do much harm,” the old wizard smiled. “I’ll put up extra wards before you leave.”

“Can’t Se- I mean, Professor Snape keep Harry?” Petunia’s blue eyes flashed with panic. “I wouldn’t want-”

"Oh, do not trouble yourself!” Dumbledore stepped in past the woman, Harry in tow. “I’ll go help Harry unpack, if you want?”

Unable to think of anything else, Petunia nodded numbly, before she motioned up the stairs. As he was going, Harry thought he heard the distinct sound of crying. Was that… Dudley?

The Headmaster took all of Harry’s things out of his pocket and unshrank them. Then he smiled over at the boy again. “I am sorry about this.” The young wizard was tempted to believe it. “But there really is no other way. I cannot let you go gallivanting around the wizarding world alone. You need to stay here where you’re out of sight and hidden. You know that, right?”

At Harry’s nod, Dumbledore messed up the boy’s hair affectionately. “Come, come now, my boy. Let us see your relatives off!"

When they got down the stairs, and Harry saw his cousin and uncle, he decided that Snape must have done something terrible to them. They had horrible bruises under their eyes as though they had not slept in weeks, and looked a lot paler than the younger wizard had seen them in a long time. Their eyes were glassy and unfocused, looking a bit yellow, again as though they had sleep deprivation. From their fearful expressions upon seeing the Headmaster, Harry supposed that Snape really had done something terrible to them without his knowing. After all, who would be afraid of Dumbledore while he was wear that awful outfit?

“Well, I’m off,” the Headmaster smiled at the family. “I’ll be back later, Harry, to secure the ward.”

There was a chorus of “yes, sir” coming from all the men in the house, causing Harry to stare over at his cousin and uncle again. Had the Potions Master drugged them? But Dumbledore did not seem to notice, or if he did, he ignored it, and left the house with a happy smile.

Once the door was closed, Petunia looked over the house. “They’re all right. I hope,” she glance at her husband and son. “Severus said that they would be acting… a bit more polite from now on,” she looked her family over again. “But Harry, we really will be gone until later tomorrow morning. I just wish that they didn’t make this parents’ visitation an overnight thing,” she growled.

Harry shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ll just do homework, or something.”

Again, Petunia looked her nephew over carefully. “Are you sure that you’re all right? Why didn’t Severus stop him from bringing you back?”

“I have no idea,” Harry said sadly. “I don’t think he told the Headmaster about us being related.”

Frowning, the woman looked over at her clock. “I really must be off, Harry. There’s leftovers in the fridge, if you want them. I’ll be back tomorrow by noon at the latest.”

As the Dursleys filed out of the house, Harry watched as Dudley and Vernon followed Petunia like ducklings. He really could not help but wonder what Snape had done to those two. Perhaps he would find out when he went back to school? But no, Snape would probably be mean and nasty to him again. It really was too much to ask for the Potions Master to be nicer.

 Sighing, Harry walked back up the stairs and flung himself on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, and for a moment, wished he could burn a hole through it. But what would that solve? Nothing really. It would just make him mad in the end.

Rolling over, Harry glanced at his trunk. His trunk! He had letters from the Weasleys and Hermione. Those would cheer him up!

Rushing over, the young wizard threw open the lip and grabbed the presents and letters. At least his friends always made him feel better!

&&&&&&

That night, the Death Eaters all congregated together, all of them in high spirits. “Brothers!” Lucius called above the crowd, next to him, stood Wormtail, basking in the blond Death Eater’s spotlight, as though Malfoy were a prince. “Tonight we fulfill our Master’s wishes! Tonight, we destroy Harry Potter!”

There came a loud cheer from the group, until one person spoke up. “But what about wards, eh? How will we get past those?”

Smiling viciously, Lucius looked around the assembly, drawing out the suspense. “We have ways around that,” the Death Eater laughed. “It appears that it does not keep out animagus, and we just so happen to have an animagi.” The rat smiled victoriously. “Wormtail will go through the wards and take them down from the inside. Once he’s done, we will attack, and kill everyone in our path!”

The cheers rose up into a roar from the Death Eaters before they all became silent again, as plans were being made and set into motion. No one noticed that there was one member in the back that did not cheer, nor did he help with the planning. When things began to quiet, he slipped out the back, his mind reeling with fear.

&&&&&&

That night, Harry had decided that he would go to bed early. He had had a disappointing, and boring day. His letters from Ron and Hermione had made him happy, but it had not been the same as actually seeing them again. He had thought everything was going to be great leaving the Dursleys, but here he was, right back where he started!

So, laying in bed, he found himself exhausted. Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he was asleep. He was once again lost in dreams with the Potions Master and snakes with the Headmaster stomping on the head of the snakes. He did not hear the loud crack of aparition outside.

&&&&&&

The Death Eaters all gathered and transported themselves to Number Four Privet Drive that night at midnight. Their glee was barely contained as they watched Wormtail transform into a rat and run through the wards that had been placed. They watched anxiously as he began to take down one ward at a time.

“Hurry!” Lucius hissed. "Hurry so that another may come in and help you!”

&&&&&&

A figure in black strode into the house silently, making sure he would not rouse the inhabitance within. He searched the entire house, but found nothing. In defiant anger, he rushed up the stairs as quickly as he could. Thinking only of his objective, the man looked through all the rooms. There was no one, no one except the boy in the smallest room.

Opening the door soundlessly, the black figure took out his wand, ready to attack should anything happen. He leaned over the bed, and covered the boy’s mouth.

Harry woke with a start, eye wide, heart pounding in fear. All he saw without his glasses, was a tall, black shape looming over him. He began to thrash and tried to pry the hand off of his mouth. It was a Death Eater, in his house!

“Be silent, you silly boy,” came the familiar drone of Severus Snape.

Sagging in relief, Harry thought he might cry. When Snape released his mouth, the young wizard found his glasses were thrust into his hands as the professor began feverishly shrinking everything and picking them up. “Sir, what-”

“Be silent!” Severus hissed. Harry noted the anxious undertone and was afraid. “Death Eaters are outside.”

Leaping up from out of bed, the Gryffindor looked around anxiously. “What do we do!” he whispered desperately.

Glaring at the boy’s panic, Severus grabbed him by the arm and pushed in toward the door. “We’re leaving. Get out of here, and don’t make another sound,” he commanded.

Fear trickling through his veins, Harry pushed back his fear, and did as he was told. Snape, his father, had come back for him. He had come back! He had not left his son to the fate of the Dursleys or Death Eaters. Perhaps the professor really did care?

Coming to the stairs, Harry noticed the professor paused. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but when the man nodded down the stairs, the young wizard thought it was probably best to do as he was told. After the first couple steps, he felt, rather than heard, the professor following him.

In the hallway, Harry could see the moving shapes of the Death Eaters outside as they worked to break down all of the wards. Snape never paused, however, and grabbed the boy by the arm and lead him into the kitchen. The older wizard, with his wand in hand, opened the back door and sent Harry out, but not before scanning the area.

“Come on,” he urged.

They ran until till they met the fence, but as Harry slowed, Snape did not. He merely waved his wand and vanished the fence. Running after the long legged professor, Harry looked back as the fence reappeared. By the time they were several houses down, both wizards heard an ungodly screech that came from the Dursley house.

“Make for the park,” Severus instructed the boy, pausing to let Harry past him, wanting to guard the child’s back. “Do not stop, keep going!”

Together, the two wizards sprinted to the park, to the place where they had both apparated that morning. Only when they stopped to actually transport did they see the flames that lapped up into the sky, where the Dursley house had been only moment before.