July 30, 1990; 4 Privet Drive, Surrey

Harry was beyond terrified. Lately, his uncle was looking at him in ways that made his tummy feel sick, like he was a toy he wanted badly to play with, but couldn't quite touch, at least not yet. Just that evening, Uncle Vernon had given him an evil smile and pushed him against the wall. The big man had chortled nastily, then ran his hand roughly over Harry's bottom, giving it a squeeze. He'd leaned down and whispered harshly into Harry's ear, “By this time tomorrow you will be 10 and your arse will finally be mine. Don't think that Petunia will stop me, because she really doesn't care. Besides, it's not like she doesn't know about my little...hobby, after all.” Harry had nearly wet himself in fear, barely managing to stop himself, knowing that it would only anger his uncle. Vernon Dursley tossed Harry into his cupboard with a smirk and slammed the door shut. Harry waited with trepidation for the sound of the latch being thrown, sobbing silently when he did.

Harry knew he had to escape. His teacher, Miss Bethany, had warned him and the rest of his class about people like his Uncle Vernon. She told them that if someone touched you in ways that felt bad or made you scared that they might you needed to get away from that person and tell someone you trust what they did. There was a really big problem, though. Harry knew he couldn't trust anyone at the school, not even Miss Bethany. He had tried just last year to tell someone that Uncle Vernon hit him all the time and that his Aunt Petunia wouldn't let him eat most days, whether he had been bad or not, and no one had believed him. They hadn't outright called him a liar, but had certainly implied it. Then, to make matters worse, the school had contacted his uncle and told him what he had said. It had been the worst beating he had ever had. He had missed several days of school after his Uncle had been told and no one even checked to see if he was alright. No one had cared.

Harry began to tremble. He was trapped and felt as if there was no hope left for him. All he had ever wanted was a family that loved him, and that dream seemed to be more and more impossible with every passing day. He closed his eyes and wished as hard as he could that the door of his cupboard would miraculously open or better yet, disappear. Suddenly, he felt something inside him let loose and saw a flash of light through his eyelids. He opened opened his eyes and barely suppressed his gasp of shock.

The door was gone...just gone as if it had never existed! He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was imagining things and reached out his hand to touch the door. His hand went through the doorway and he felt a tear run down his cheek. This was his chance! He collected his meager belongings and as quietly as possible went to the kitchen. He quickly put together several sandwiches and put them in a brown paper bag. He took one long, last, furtive look around the first floor of the only home he could remember, then opened the front door and slipped out into the night.

Harry didn't know where he was going or how he would get there, but he now had hope. Now he could find somewhere safe, somewhere where he might be loved or at least wanted...in a good way, not like Uncle Vernon. With this in mind, Harry set off into the unknown, searching for a place to call home.

July 30, 1990; Hogwart's School

Severus Snape snarled in bitter rage as he stalked out of his current nemesis' office. Albus Dumbledore, meddling old fart that he was, had decided that he, and only he, would be the one to check on Harry Potter tonight. Apparently, there had been a disturbance in the wards that evening or some such poppycock. 'Why me? There are SO many others who would happily check on him! But no...it has to be me,' he thought angrily as he walked through the hallowed halls of his place of employment. 'That boy had best be dying or worse. I will see to it that the vexatious little brat pays quite handsomely, otherwise!'

Upon reaching his quarters, Severus grabbed a pinch of floo power and tossed it into the flames. When they turned green, signifying that the floo was ready for use, he called out, 'Arabella Figg's House, Surrey,' and stepped into the flames.

After ensuring that not a speck of ash had touched his robes, he glanced around the shabby room he had arrived in. He sneered at the sight of Arabella's many cats and kneazles. Frankly, he was surprised that her house didn't reek of cat urine. While the furnishing was quite old and shabby, it was also immaculately clean and neat. He would need to ask her how she managed to keep cat fur from covering every surface. His cat seemed to shed on everything, so he wanted her secret.

“Good evening, Severus,” came a timid, feminine voice from a nearby doorway, “What brings you to my home so late at night?”

Severus turned to face the woman, one Arabella Figg, not bothering to return her greeting. She knew him well enough not to expect one. “I have come to check on Mr. Potter's well-being. Didn't Albus inform you that I was to arrive?”

Arabella shook her head in the negative and her eyes filling with tears, she whispered, “Finally, he has sent someone to help poor, sweet, little Harry. I'm so glad.”

Severus froze, shock infusing his being. “What mean you, Arabella?”

“Oh dear, I take it that Albus didn't tell you of my letters?” she murmured with a disturbed frown. “I've been trying to tell that stubborn old fool for years that the child is badly treated by those awful people. He is painfully thin and tiny for his age. I've seen him injured far too often. Everything from bruises to broken bones. While I know that boys can tend to be rough at play, that doesn't seem to be the case with Harry. He is a quiet boy, very unassuming and keeps to himself. He even appears to be terrified of most adults, particularly of men. His uncle, I believe his name is Vernon, is constantly shoving him and ordering him about. I know for a fact that he abuses that poor child, I even saw him strike the child on numerous occasions, but no one will listen to me. I've gone to the Muggle Police several times, but that man seems to have connections in high places. They also think I'm crazy, I think.”

“You told Albus of this and he did nothing?” He was shocked to the core when she nodded, wiping tears from her face. He was beyond flummoxed by this news. While Severus was well aware of Albus' unfortunate predilection for ignoring the plight of certain children, he would have thought that he would protect his precious 'savior' from such abuse at the very least. His shock rapidly changing to rage, Severus decided that he must do something. He walked to the front door of the house and stalked out onto the porch, intent on formulating a plan with Arabella following close behind. If Arabella was correct and the child was wary of adult men, coaxing him to leave the wards would be nigh impossible. The wards protecting the house at 4 Privet Drive were impenetrable to anyone with the Dark Mark, which to his eternal shame included him. That made extracting the child directly from the residence problematic at the very least. He didn't dare try to grab him at his school; there would be far too many possible witnesses. Looking across the street, toward his quarry's residence, he was startled to see a small child sneaking out of the house with what appeared to be a small brown bag in his hand. The boy's clothing was little better than rags and Severus could practically see the outline of his bones through his skin. There were hand-shaped bruises on the boy's arms and neck. He could clearly see them from more than a hundred feet away under the glow of the night lamps.

“By Merlin,” he whispered with horror, “is that Harry Potter?” The child he was looking at didn't look a day over 8 years old and yet, if he was young Harry, tomorrow would be his 10th birthday. How anyone could believe that this child wasn't abused was inconceivable to him.

“Yes, Severus. It is,” came Arabella's sad reply. “Now you see why I can't understand how no one else notices the abuse. You are going to take him?”

“If he leaves the wards, I will take him without hesitation. Obviously, the boy cannot remain here with those...people. I assume that you will support me in this endeavor, Arabella. I've a notion that Albus is going to object quite strongly to this removal. Be advised, that it could be an ugly battle.”

“Of course. I will even provide my memories and testimony to the courts if it becomes necessary. I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe!” She raised her chin high, her determination obvious. Normally, she was quite shy and timid, but to protect this precious child she would do whatever it took.

“Excellent. I thank you.” They stood, silently watching, as the boy glanced around in clear trepidation, most likely looking for observers, before beginning to run swiftly away from his soon to be former home. Severus knew that it would be best to wait until Harry was further away from the house with it's dangerous wards and out of sight to take him. The last thing he needed was for someone to report the child had been kidnapped to the Muggle authorities. He wordlessly cast a notice-me-not spell on himself, and nodding at Arabella's soft, “Good luck,” began to follow the child into the night.

Albus Dumbledore was extremely nervous. He had to make sure that Harry Potter wasn't 'too' damaged when he arrived at Hogwart's next year, because that would make him look bad and that simply would not do. He was supposed to be regularly checking on the child's welfare, as per the Ministry's orders, but really he had much better things to do.

He hoped that he hadn't made a mistake when he had sent his pet Deatheater, Severus Snape, to fetch his future tool. Surely, he could trust Severus to only scare the Dursley family into backing off at least long enough for the child to reach Hogwart's relatively intact. 'I do hope that Severus won't try to remove the child from there. He has such a weakness for abused children and it would be a pity if I had to dispose of him. Potions masters of his caliber are few and far between and his use as a spy is even more invaluable.' Severus could be difficult to control at times, but in the end he generally submitted to Dumbledore's will...or so he thought.

On the whole, Dumbledore wasn't particularly worried about things such as broken bones and bruises, they were irrelevant and hardly unusually for young boys, but now, he had learned of that muggle's other predilections. He apparently liked to have sex with preteen boys. Harry, now having reached Vernon Dursley's favorite age group, would be too much of a temptation to him and that simply would not do. No, it wouldn't do at all. 'I need the boy softened up and malleable...not broken. A little physical abuse can be explained away, but sexual...that's different. It can't be hidden, at least not from Poppy. She checks every child for it and I cannot allow something like that to be discovered. It would be far too damaging to my reputation and I don't want to even think how Severus would react if he found out that I let something that terrible happen to his precious Lily's child.'

With a shake of his head and a soft sigh, Albus stroked his beard and settled down to wait; he was confident that Severus would return soon enough, whether he would be alone or not was the only question.

Harry ran swiftly to the end of the street and sat on the bench located there to catch his breath and think. He knew he needed to get as far a way from his relative's house as possible, but was trying to figure out how. He wouldn't get far on foot and he had no money. He wasn't even sure where he could go that the people in charge wouldn't contact them as soon as he arrived.

Harry already knew quite well that the so-called authorities didn't care. They had come to check on him at the Dursley's several times, because of that nice older lady that lived across the street, Mrs. Figg. The last time they visited his face had been one big bruise and his right arm was broken, but they didn't even blink. One of them, a woman, had only spoken to his aunt and uncle for a few minutes, when his uncle had pulled out his wallet and handed her a wad of money. She had shook his uncle's hand with a smile and left saying that the report would disappear. No, the authorities couldn't be trusted.

'Wait a minute,' Harry thought, suddenly. 'Perhaps, Mrs. Figg can help me. I think she will, but I don't wanna get her in trouble.' Mrs. Figg was probably the only person in the world that he could trust not to tell Uncle Vernon. She was also delicately built and he was afraid that his uncle, who was quite large and mean, would hurt her if he found Harry at her home. Plus, if the Police found she might be charged with something. He was torn, but did he really have a choice? 'I can't do this on my own. I need help to leave this place and I know that she will at least try. It won't hurt to ask.' His mind made up, Harry stood and began to walk back up the street toward her house.

All of a sudden, Harry could almost swear he was being followed. He was getting prickles on the back of his neck and he felt just like he did when he was avoiding his cousin and the boys he hung with during their Harry Hunting games. 'Maybe I should try to stay out of sight, just in case.' He started to try keeping to the shadows and making as little noise as possible. If nothing else, it would be good practice for later. He had heard that a lot of bad things could happen on the streets and if Mrs. Figg couldn't help him that's probably where he'd end up.

Having finally arrived at Mrs. Figg's house, Harry decided to go around to the backdoor where he would be less exposed. Reaching the door, he knocked, thinking, 'I hope that she isn't already in bed and that she will hear my knocking without me needing to shout. The other neighbors would notice that and it would be very bad for both of us.'

When Severus saw the child stop at the end of the street and sit on the bench as if waiting for the bus, he wasn't sure what to think. The bus didn't run at night in this town. The boy seemed to be seriously considering something, so he forced himself to calm and settled down to wait. Within a few minute, the child stood up with a determined look on his face and, to Severus' surprise, started to head back the way he had come. 'What is he doing? It's far too exposed and well-lit here for me to grab him, but I cannot allow him to enter the wards again. If he gets too close, I suppose, I will simply have to take the risk. There will be little choice.' Severus held his breath as Harry nearly walked right into him and then, his curiosity aroused, once again began to follow the boy.

Within a few minutes, Severus had nearly lost sight of Harry several times as he crossed to the other side of the street and began to slip in and out of the shadows. 'Impressive,' Severus thought with a faint smile crossing his face. 'He is quite skilled at using shadows to his advantage, which could prove useful in the future. Especially, if we end up having to hide from Albus.'

When Harry reached Arabella's house, he slipped through the fence and walked around the house and knocked on her back door and Severus finally understood. 'Clever boy! He probably realizes that Arabella would be more than willing to help him. This might work to my advantage, so I had best make my way inside before she answers the door to warn her.' He turned and hurried to the front door and using the alohamora spell, let himself in. He went to the door to the room that he suspected was most likely her bedroom and knocked gently, calling out softly, “Arabella, are you still awake?”

“Who...who's there?” came Arabella's frightened response.

“Don't worry, Arabella. It's just Severus, again. Harry is at your backdoor knocking.” He said. “I believe that it will make things less harrowing for all involved if you let him in.”

“H..Harry is here? Why would he come here?” she asked as she exited the bedroom while cinching her house robe's belt.

“Perhaps it would be best if you asked him that question. I know what I suspect, but it is possible, although improbable, that I might be incorrect. Go, answer the door. I will wait here and listen. We wouldn't want to startle him into flight.”

“Yes, your presence might frighten him. You are a stranger and a man.” She firmed her lips and nodded. “I had best hurry. It would do none of us good if Harry began to shout to catch my attention. The last thing we need is to wake the neighbors." She quickly walked through the kitchen to the back door and opened it up. Upon seeing Harry, she attempted to look surprised to see him, then quickly ushered him in. “Is there something wrong, Harry? It is awfully late and your family surely wouldn't approve.”

“I...I need your help, Mrs. Figg.” Harry whispered, suddenly finding himself having to fight back tears.

“My help, dear? Of course. Come sit down at the table and I will make us some hot cocoa and we will talk. Will that be alright?” she said gently, having seen immediately that the boy was getting emotional.

Not a moment later, Harry found himself flinging his arms around her and sobbing uncontrollably, just like a baby. He was overwhelmed by the feelings that poured out of him at her words. He couldn't remember a time that anyone had been so kind to him. He almost pulled away when she gasped with surprise, but then she wrapped her arms around him and gently rubbed his back, humming softly and murmuring, “There, there, child...let it all out.” And so, he did.

Once she felt Harry had calmed enough, Arabella pulled away. She calmly walked over to the stove and lit it, then after filling the tea pot, set it on the burner to heat up. As she was doing so, she asked, “Do you feel better now, Harry?”

“Yes, ma'am, I do. Thank you.” he hiccuped in reply, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. He wasn't allowed to cry in front of his relatives, so usually he suppressed his feelings, but he knew, somehow, that Mrs. Figg wouldn't mind.

Arabella motioned for Harry to sit at the table across from her and once he did, she reached out and grasped his hands. “Tell me what is wrong, Harry, and I will do my best to help you. No matter what it is.” She kept her voice soft and steady, not wanting to set him off again.

Harry nodded, sniffling, trying to be brave. “You...you believe me when I say that my uncle hurts me, right?” At her nod, he continued. “Earlier today, my uncle told me something that really scared me and...and now I think that I need to be far away from him to keep it from happening.”

“What did he tell you?” she said, trepidation rising.

“He....He....” Harry knew he had to tell her, but was scared that his trust might be misplaced. He had been betrayed far too many times.

“Go ahead, Harry. I promise that I won't make any judgments against you.” She prompted carefully, not wanting to rush him.

Harry decided to say it as quickly as possible, because he didn't think he could otherwise. “He pushed me against a wall and touched me on the butt and said that my arse was his tomorrow and I don't think he meant hitting me. Then he locked me in my cupboard again and I was so scared, Mrs. Figg.” The words all ran together as he said it but now that he had said it out loud, Harry found himself feeling oddly light and calm.

“I'm sorry, Harry, but I didn't catch all that. Could you tell me again?” Mrs. Figg queried, obviously confused.

Before Harry could respond, Severus stalked into the room, clearly enraged, having understood perfectly what the child had said. He knew that he had most likely scared poor Harry with his abrupt entrance, but he'd had enough. Thoroughly infuriated, he snarled, “That sick bastard, Dursley, is planning to molest the boy, Arabella. I had wondered why Albus sent me to check on him despite having ignored your warnings for so long, but now...now I understand perfectly. He is due to start school next year and Poppy is adamant about checking all the children for sexual abuse. She does it every year, with the full support of the school governors, which that manipulative old man knows well. The Ministry would have been immediately contacted when it was discovered and his guardianship revoked. He could even be ousted from Hogwart's. He could not and would not risk it.”

Pacing back and forth his eyes blazing with ire, Severus continued. “The wards around the house might have been set up to monitor intent, so perhaps that's how he figured it out Dursley's plans. I doubt very much that he would ever admit to it though.” He knew now that he should never had trusted the headmaster with Harry's safety. He should have insisted on raising the boy himself, despite his status as a spy and former Deatheater. “He told me that Harry was perfectly safe with his mother's relatives, that I needn't worry, but now I think he was lying to me. I'm sure that the he suspected all along what would happen, but thought that it would be a sure way to make Harry easier to manipulate. Albus wouldn't bother concerning himself over mere physical abuse, particularly when its results might be of use to him.”

As the tall, thin man with a harsh, hawk-like face and black hair that had entered the room so suddenly paced and growled in anger about someone named Albus to Mrs. Figg, Harry was trying to figure out why he felt so comfortable in his presence. Mrs. Figg kept looking over at him, as if worried that he would bolt or something, while trying to calm the furious man down, but he truly felt almost secure for the first time in a very long while.

'Who is this man and why does he seem so safe to me?' Harry wondered. He wasn't quite sure what to think, while he supposed that he should be scared of him, since he was truly intimidating to look at, he instead found himself relaxing in the man's presence, and he didn't know why. For some unknown reason, his gut told him that this man would never hurt him and would keep him safe, just like Mrs. Figg. There was something very familiar about his voice and the way he looked, something hidden just on the edge of Harry's memories, just out of reach. He was sure that he somehow knew this man. So when the man paused for a moment to take a calming breath, Harry decided he would simply have to ask. “Do..do I know you, sir? I don't know why, but...I feel like I do, though I can't exactly figure out how or when we met.”

Severus froze at the inquiry, anger forgotten in his shocked state. His eyes wide and glistening with tears, he whispered hesitantly, voice filled with wonder, “You remember me?”

Severus looked at the boy with disbelief. 'He remembers me? How? Dear Merlin, he doesn't remember that day does he? The day that his parents...., no...he must be confusing me with someone else. He was far too young to remember what happened at Godric's Hollow.' “Harry, I can say with authority that we have met, however, the chances of you actually remembering me are slim. Perhaps, I simply resemble someone you have met more recently.”

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. “No...I'm pretty sure it's you I remember. It's confusing though, 'cause it's almost like something is stopping me from grasping it. Like there is...I don't know... a...a...roadblock, I guess.”

'A roadblock? Interesting terminology, I can't help but wonder if the child has been obliviated or memory charmed,' Severus thought, his mind beginning to churn. 'His description certainly approximates some of the cases of obliviation where the caster missed part of what was being hidden and the 'victim' had flashes of the memory when certain events happened. Suddenly, Severus began to become quite nervous and wonder if perhaps his own memory might have been messed with. Perhaps they had met more recently and someone didn't want either them to remember it. There was only one way to be certain, he would have to check. “Harry, this is difficult to explain, but I can tell if anyone has....tampered with your mind. If you wish me too, I can ascertain whether this has happened.”

“Ascertain? What does that mean?” Harry asked looking a little confused.

“Ascertain means to check, Harry. I can go into your mind and look to see if anyone has done something to make you not remember clearly.” Severus explained.

“You mean like read my mind? Is that even possible?” Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening with amazement. The idea that such things could actually be real was incredible to him and he was beginning to wonder what else might be possible. 'Wow. This is so exciting!' He couldn't help but smile and bounce a little.

Severus allowed himself a brief smile at the boy's obvious excitement. “Yes, Harry, it is possible to read minds if you have the ability, however, in this case that isn't what I will be doing. Legilimancy isn't quite the same as telepathy, which is the ability to read minds. Legilimancy only allows me to view memories, not what you are or were thinking. I'm merely an observer. It's complicated to explain and perhaps someday I will teach you the way of it, but for now I require your answer. May I look?”

Harry swallowed with a sudden burst of nervousness, but nodded. He wanted, no needed to know. “Yes, I think you should. I'm scared, but I know that it's important to know the truth.”

Arabella gasped as she realized what Severus suspected. “Severus can we speak in the other room, before you proceed with this?”

Severus looked over at her startled. “Of course, Arabella. Harry, stay here and drink your cocoa. Please remain seated and stay away from the windows and doors. We will return shortly.” At Harry nod, Severus motioned to Arabella to proceed to the other room and followed. Once they had, he shut the door and cast privacy spells to ensure that they weren't overheard. “It is safe to confer now.”

“Do you suppose that I may have been as well, Severus? I have always felt that it was odd that Albus didn't send anyone to check on Harry's well-being. I think that you have been sent before, perhaps even several times. Once Albus was certain that Harry wasn't going to die from the level of abuse, he simply erased our memories. He couldn't remove too much of mine if he wanted me to still be effective at watching Harry, so he only took the parts involving you. It's the only thing that makes sense. I would like you to check me as well, but it is perhaps better if you do so away from Harry. We wouldn't want to scare him.”

Severus took a deep breath. “Very well. Try to remain relaxed. If you fight me, this could become painful. Look into my eyes, Arabella.” When their eyes met, Severus raised his wand and cast the spell. “Legilimens.”

Severus carefully began to search through Arabella's memories for voids, paying little attention to anything else. Her memories were her business, he was only interested in finding the obvious signs of obliviation. When he came upon one, he very gently prodded at it, testing the strength of the blockage. “Arabella, I've found a memory that might be obliviated. I can break through it if you wish, but it might cause you some discomfort.”

“A little discomfort is worthwhile if it will help Harry.” Arabella whispered mostly to herself. She was determined that Harry would be safe. If that meant that she needed to suffer a little pain, well then, she would accept it with open arms and heart. She was confident that she could trust Severus to be as gentle as possible. “Do it, Severus,” she said with conviction.

Severus smiled grimly and began to prod at the memory more firmly, searching for an exploitable weak spot. Finding one he began to chip away at it with fervor, causing Arabella to gasp slightly in pain. Finally, he broke through the blockage and slipped into the memory, pulling her consciousness in along with him.

Severus and Arabella stood silently in a corner of the room watching the events hidden in the memory pass by.

Arabella was sitting in her parlor drinking tea, when the flames in her fireplace suddenly turned green. Moments later a man dressed in dark robes stepped into the room. At first it was clear that she was unsure as to who it was, but then recognized him. “Severus? Is that really you? It's been such a long time.”

Severus turned and grimaced slightly with annoyance. “Far too long, Arabella. I wish I could say I was just here for a social visit, but Albus has persuaded me that I should check on young Harry Potter.”

Arabella looked positively relieved. “I had wondered if he was going to ever respond to my letter. The Dursleys asked me to watch the poor boy earlier this week and I was shocked at his condition. He had an incredibly bad case of diaper rash and was quite thin. To be honest, I couldn't help but feel that he was showing signs of neglect. I was hoping that he would come and check, just to make sure.”

“Neglect? Surely they would take care of their own flesh and blood...” Severus was obviously disturbed by the notion that anyone would harm such a young child. “He didn't mention your letter to me, so I cannot comment upon it. However, since I am here, I will attempt to discern if he has been neglected.”

“Good. As luck would have it, the Dursleys are supposed to drop little Harry off soon. Apparently, they are going to visit Vernon Dursley's relatives and will be gone overnight. I'm not quite sure why they are not taking him with them, but am tickled to have the opportunity to watch him again. He is such a sweet child.”

Realizing that there would be a short wait before more relevant information would be available, Severus sped up the memory until the point where the Dursleys arrived. There was little point in spending more time than was necessary waiting to see what was so important to hide. By his reckoning, just over an hour had past.

At precisely 3 pm, a loud banging noise came from the front door. Arabella turned to Severus, “Perhaps it would be best if they didn't see you. Go into the kitchen while I answer the door.” After Severus nodded his acquiescence and walked noiselessly to the kitchen, Arabella straightened her dress and walked over to the door. Upon opening it, she looked at the thin woman standing before her holding the hand of a small child. “Good evening, Mrs. Dursley. Thank you for allowing me to watch Harry.”

“It's about time. I was beginning to think that you would never answer the door. We will be gone until tomorrow afternoon. I would stay and chitchat with you,” the woman sneered, obviously stretching the truth. “but if we are to arrive at our destination before dinner we must leave now.” Having said her piece, Petunia Dursley roughly pushed the child toward Arabella causing him to stumble. “Here is the boy.” She turned abruptly and walk down to where her husband was impatiently waiting for her in their car with their own child safely strapped into his child seat.

Severus was shocked at the sight of the child before him. He couldn't have been much more than 2 years old, and yet had yellowing bruises on both arms and was far too thin, showing none of the normal chubbiness he had shown last he'd seen him. At this point in time, his family couldn't have had custody of him for more than a few months, six at most, so his condition was rather horrifying in its implications.

Arabella took little Harry's hand and led him into the parlor. “Severus, it's safe to come out now. Harry, I'm going to introduce you to a very good friend of mine. He might look a little scary, but he is really quite nice.” When Severus entered the room, Harry tensed at first but relaxed slightly when the man didn't try to approach him immediately.

“Is this the boy, Arabella? Dear Merlin, what have they been doing to him. I saw him the day his parents were killed and he surely weighed more then than he does now. He is far too thin.” Severus walked slowly over to the child and knelt in front of him. “Hello, Harry. I'm sure you don't remember me, but my name is Severus Snape and your mummy was my best friend. I'm sorry that I haven't visited before.”

Harry looked into his black eyes, smiled sweetly, and touched his face. It was clear that he was trying to remember where he'd seen this man before. Then the boy's eyes suddenly filled with tears and he began to sob softly. “I's saw yoo after boogieman comed an' hurted Mummy an' Papa. Yoo's were cry'in an' tellin' her t' wake up, but she didn't. Yoo's pick me up and taked me to big man on bike and we flied away.”

Severus watched as his past self pulled the child into his arms, comforting him and whispered, a tear running down his face, “I'm sorry that I wasn't able to arrive in time to save them, Harry.” Arabella put her hand on his shoulder in silent support.

Severus stood up and stalked over to Arabella. “Arabella, you are right. There is little doubt that those muggles are at the very least neglecting him. I fear that they might be abusing him physically as well. We need to tell Albus right away, so that arrangements can be made.” He made his way over to the fireplace and tossing a pinch of floo power into the flames, which turned green, and said. “Hogwart's Headmaster Dumbledore's office.” He knelt in front of the fireplace and stuck his head in. A few minutes later, he pulled his head back out and quickly got out of the way.

Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the flames with a benevolent smile on his face. To the obvious shock of both the other adults in the room he quickly stunned them and walking over to their bodies said, “I'm sorry to do this to both of you, but Harry Potter must remain with his relatives.” He walked over to little Harry and gazed into his eyes and whispered, “Legilimens.” After learning what he wished, he obliviated the child and both adults. Albus then moved Arabella and Harry to the couch and arranged them to look as if they had fallen asleep while she read to the child. He then cast mobliocorpus on Severus and after reactivating the floo left Arabella's home with him floating behind.

Severus pulled out of Arabella's mind, dismayed at the evidence that he had found. “Dear Merlin,” he breathed, “he knew that early that Harry was being mistreated. He deliberately left him there, even knowing the horrible truth.”

Arabella was in tears. “How could he?! My poor Harry might have been saved so much hurt if that man hadn't done this. Severus, what are we going to do?” She was terrified at the prospect of going against the powerful Headmaster of Hogwart's but she knew that protecting Harry was of utmost importance. “I never thought that I would ever have to say this, but we must protect Harry from Albus Dumbledore.”

Severus' thoughts were racing. He knew that Albus must never get his hands on Harry. But how to prevent it? Severus began to pace agitatedly. “You are right, Arabella. We need to protect Harry from Albus, but finding a way to do so is going to be difficult at the very least. Albus is young Harry's magical guardian,” Severus paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his visage, “....or so he claims. The Potters did have a will, Lily told me so, however, Albus claimed that none was found. For reasons I do not think I need to explain, I now have doubts as to the veracity of this claim. What if he had found the will and simply decided to conceal or destroy it? He wants to control the 'Boy that Lived' and, as we have already learned, is willing to do just about anything to accomplish his goals. Lily would have taken measures to ensure that Harry never ended up with Petunia. This I know to be fact. Lily was well aware of her sister's hatred of all things magical." Severus paused, briefly, an interesting idea coming to his mind. "Albus convinced the Ministry that he was the best candidate to protect Harry and they awarded him magical guardian status until such time a will was produced.” Severus smirked. “Perhaps it's time that I called in a few....debts.”

“Debts, Severus?,” Arabella queried, beginning to get nervous at the obvious signs that Severus was beginning to let his Slytherin side rule.

“There are certain...associates that owe me favors and several of them work for the Ministry. Many magical documents, most importantly wills, are automatically duplicated and placed within certain specialized vaults within the Ministry. Unfortunately, they are not open to the public, but with the right connections one is able to persuade those with access to locate certain documents. They need only know what to search for.”

“Wouldn't the Ministry have checked these vaults before now?” Arabella's brow furrowed slightly when Severus shook his head in the negative.

“Do you really think that Albus wouldn't have considered that possibility, Arabella? I'm sure he convinced the Alice Longbottom that it was unnecessary with little difficulty. Sirius Black, on the other hand, would have stubbornly insisted upon inquiring about the will.”

“Sirius Black, Severus? Isn't he the man that betrayed the Potters? Why ever would he have the ability to make such a request?” Arabella was beginning to get the idea that Severus had begun to figure something out and it was bothering him.

“Because he is Harry's godfather. Sirius Black should have been the one who gained custody of Harry when Lily and James died, but he was thrown into Azkaban before he could claim him. I was informed by Albus that he was convicted of murdering Peter Pettigrew and several muggles. However, I do not recall ever hearing about a trial, but I had assumed that there had been one. Now of course, I'm not sure there was one at all.”

“Surely they couldn't have convicted him without first trying him?” Arabella was shocked at the thought.

“It was war, Arabella. Trust me, I doubt they cared about trivial things such as mere legalities.” Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he mused, “Several things have always bothered me about the circumstances surrounding Pettigrew's murder. The bodies of the muggles were complete, but all they found of him was a single finger; there was very little blood and the rest of his body was never located. Where did it go? It certainly couldn't have vanished without a trace. The Aurors arrived moments after the slaying and one even claimed to witness it, so Black could not have hidden the body if indeed there ever was one; he simply didn't have time. I cannot help but wonder if Pettigrew actually died in that alley or if he simply escaped. Black's wand was snapped at the scene, which is odd. Usually, the wand would be tested to establish guilt and it wasn't. The lack of motive also bothers me. Why would Black kill his friend? It doesn't make sense. In retrospect, I now believe that Albus decided to remove him from the picture and arranged for him to be dealt with. What better way than to frame him for a murder he didn't commit and toss him into Azkaban?" Severus' eyes narrowed, slightly. "I've always found it difficult to believe that Black betrayed the Potters. My own observations told me that he and James Potter were closer than brothers and I was shocked at the news that he apparently had. Now, however, I suggest that just because Albus claimed that Black was the secret keeper, doesn't mean he actually was. If you add to that the attack against the Longbottoms, whom were tortured into insanity just a few days later, the playing field was completely clear for Albus to take full control. Rather convenient, if you ask me.”

“So what you are saying is that you feel that Albus orchestrated all this just to insure he gained guardianship of Harry. Doesn't that seem a bit crazy and far-fetched even for him?” Arabella exclaimed.

“Arabella,” Severus chided gently. “I don't believe he created the situations; he merely took advantage of and twisted them to suit his needs. I believe he persuaded the Ministry to jump to conclusions rather than actually investigate when it came to Black. Remember, Albus is a master manipulator and think about what we learned about him just today. We discovered that he was so adamant to keep Harry under the care of the Dursleys that he Obliviated all of us and left Harry, a helpless toddler, in that home despite having full knowledge of their treatment of him. That in and of itself says a great deal about the lengths he is willing to go to stay in control. Sirius Black gaining custody would have been disastrous to his plans. Do you want to know why?"

At Arabella's nod, he continued. "During one of my conversations with Lily, she explained that they had made thorough plans as to Harry's education and upbringing and that if anything happened to them, Black had been apprised of them. They were well aware of the danger they were in and wanted to ensure that their child would be well taken care of. She trusted him implicitly with Harry's welfare. I know its unexpected to hear me say this about him, because it could be construed as a compliment, but I am positive that Black would have followed Lily and James Potter's instructions to the letter and certainly would not have allowed Albus to interfere with them. If Albus wished to have nominal control over Harry's future and fortune, he would have to eliminate Sirius Black. He had no choice.”

Severus and Arabella both jumped when the large grandfather clock in the room suddenly began to chime. Severus turned to look at it and noticing that it was midnight sighed. “It is quite late and Harry is most certainly exhausted. We should put him to bed. I will wait to scrutinize his memories until morning.”

Arabella, feeling a bit emotional, knew that her red eyes and tear streaked face would upset Harry. Wiping her eyes with a tissue, she said to Severus in a soft voice, “I agree. While I do wish that we could get all of this done tonight, Harry is a young child and needs his rest. I will go upstairs and make up the beds in the guest rooms. Please go and fetch him.”

Quickly surmising Arabella's reasons for not wishing to join him in collecting Harry and feeling the need to lighten the atmosphere in the room, Severus smiled slightly and with a slight courtly bow said, “As you wish.” Arabella returned the smile and allowed herself a giggle at Severus' reference to her favorite tale and turned to leave. As she made her way up the stairs, Severus closed his eyes for a moment and occluded his mind. He knew that he too needed to be calm if he didn't wish to frighten the boy in any way. Once he was confident that he was fully calm, he quietly proceeded to the kitchen.

Harry yawned and stretched slightly. 'I'm bored and sleepy,' he inwardly groused. All he really wanted to do at that moment was go to sleep, but he knew that the man wanted to look into his mind. 'What's takin' them so long?' His patience quickly wearing thin, Harry began to fidget more and more as time passed by.

Soon, though he had been trying his best to heed what the man had asked him to do, he simply couldn't remain sitting a moment longer. He stood and began to wander aimlessly around the kitchen, trying to keep himself awake. He quickly realized, however, that it wasn't working and decided that he might as well find a someplace to sleep.

He glanced about the room and spying the large and rather plush rug that was lying on the floor in front of the kitchen sink, he thought, “Surely, Mrs. Figg won't be too upset if I move that rug over there to the corner and took a nap on it,” he muttered to himself. He sidled over to where the rug was and quickly snatched it up from the floor. He decided, seeing as the rug was quite generously sized, that he could easily wrap it about him like a cocoon. Doing so would help block out the light and keep him warm, but still allow him to breath freely. Satisfied that he would be comfortable enough in the rug, Harry rolled himself up into it, rested his head on his arms, and slipped silently into sleep.

Severus entered the kitchen and gasped with dismay. Harry was no where in sight. “Harry, where are you?” he queried, careful not to raise his voice. After futilely glancing around the room in an attempt to locate the child, he took his wand in hand and gave it a flick muttering, “Point me Harry Potter.” He was bewildered when his wand directed him to what appeared to be a rolled up rug in the corner. He silently crept over to the rug and carefully unwound it. To his relief, Harry was sleeping peacefully within, a serene look on his face. Severus gazed at the sleeping boy for a few moments, then whispered, “Let's get you into a bed.”

Careful not to jostle the boy awake, Severus slipped one arm under Harry's legs and, supporting his neck with the other, tenderly picked him up. He felt his eyes begin to burn slightly with tears and his jaw clench in anger at how light the child was. He was several stones too light for his age and body type. 'Damn those bloody muggles! They will rue the day they decided to mistreat you!' Taking a deep, calming breath, he began to slowly and carefully navigate his way through the house. Upon reaching the second floor Severus softly called out, “Arabella? Which room shall I place him in?”

“He knows which room is his, Severus. He has stayed here many times.” Arabella replied as she walked out of the Blue Bedroom. Her eyes widened at the sight of Harry cuddled up in Severus' arms, clearly sound asleep. “Poor thing was completely tuckered out, wasn't he? He is used to the Yellow Bedroom which is to your left, Severus.” Walking over to the door and opening it for him, Arabella watched as Severus gently placed Harry on the bed, slipping Harry under the covers and tucking him in. It was clear to her that he had already beginning to fall in love with the child. Suddenly, she knew that somehow, someway, everything was going to be alright. “Severus, I've prepared the Blue Bedroom for you. I'm heading to bed. Goodnight and sleep well.”

"Good night, Arabella. May your dreams be sweet." Severus wasn't prepared to leave Harry alone in the room just yet, so he carefully sat down upon the bed. Unable to resist, he began to card his fingers through the child's fine black locks. A sad smile crossed his face when the child leaned into the movement of his hand, clearly craving the gentle touch. Continuing to stroke Harry's hair, Severus allowed himself to linger for perhaps half an hour. Finally, he decided that it was past time for him to seek his own respite. Severus leaned down and brushed his lips across Harry's forehead, then reluctantly stood and began to walk toward the door. He didn't wish to leave the room, but he knew that he too was going to need his rest. Before dousing the lights, he turned to take one last look at Harry. “Good night, my Harry.” he whispered, “Sleep well and know that you are safe. I won't allow anyone to ever hurt you again, sweet boy. I swear it.”

Albus Dumbledore was at the end of his patience. Surely, Severus should have contacted him by now. It was well after midnight and he was growing tired of waiting for news. “What do you think, Fawkes? Shall I go and see for myself what is going on?” When the phoenix that was his familiar gave a warning trill and shook his head in the negative, Albus sighed, knowing that Fawkes was rarely wrong. He decided that he might as well give Severus until morning to return and headed to bed.

Fawkes tilted his head to the side after the annoying one left the room and gave a soft snickering trill. The old fool might think that he was his familiar, but phoenixes were special and could choose to keep or destroy the bond between them and their 'master' if they ever felt the need. He only remained with the old man so that he could keep an eye on his activities. Fawkes, as he was called at this time, had been around for a very long time and had been the 'familiar' of nearly every headmaster at Hogwarts, though they weren't aware that he was the same phoenix. Like all phoenixes, he had the ability to adjust the color scheme of his feathers and his aura slightly, which was a carefully guarded secret of his kind. Long ago, he had been given the task by his first and only true master and bond-mate to protect the students and teachers from the future headmasters if ever it was necessary. He had accomplished this by allowing himself to bond with those who's minds he could touch, watching carefully for corruption. In all the centuries that he had been faithfully fulfilling this task, he'd only been forced to take measures once, until now. Soon, he would be able to initiate his plans to rid the school of it's center of corruption...soon. First, however, he needed to find out what young Severus Snape was up to.

After waiting to hear the telltale signs that Dumbledore was sound asleep, Fawkes carefully undid his jesses and softly trilled his password to a hidden passageway to the Owlery. Watching as the portrait of a woman surrounded by children slid to the side, he prepared for flight waiting for the right moment. Taking to wing he flew through the opening and once out of earshot of the Headmaster, he flashed himself to the location of his quarry.

Severus Snape walked across the hall to the room that Arabella assigned him to sleep in. Entering the room, he was unsurprised to see the bed was turned down invitingly. Smiling he thought, 'As always, Arabella, you are an excellent hostess.' With a few simple waves of his wand, he transfigured his robes into suitable sleepwear and headed to the attached bathroom to prepare himself for bed. Just as he was leaving the bathroom, there was a bright flash outside of the window of the room. His eyes narrowed as he recognize Dumbledore's familiar and prepared for the coming battle.

Fawkes tapped gently on the window pane with his beak and gave a reassuring chirp. Please let me in. I mean you and the boy no harm, young warrior. I wish only to help you. Despite what you may believe, I am no ally of Albus Dumbledore. I am the spy in his midst, so to speak, and not now or ever, a true familiar to him. The only man I called master is long gone from this world and until fairly recently I've not met anyone else worthy of the title.

Severus was startled by the clarity of the phoenix's words in his mind. He had never before realized just how very intelligent Fawkes was. He couldn't help but be curious. “Just how old are you? And who was your original master?”

Exact years, I cannot give you for time means little to me, though my first master's name may give you some idea. His name was Salazar Slytherin. Could you open the window?

Severus was floored by this news, having expected the first master, if one of the Founders, to be Godric Gryffindor. “Slytherin, not Gryffindor?” he whispered to himself as he opened the window to let Fawkes inside, too stunned to object.

Yes, Salazar saved my egg after my dame and sire were accidentally killed by rock slide. My egg was miraculously unharmed and he took the time and care to incubate it until I hatched. He was a great man with an astonishing heart. My loyalty was his from the moment I first heard his voice soothing me from within my egg. Godric, too, was a good man and perhaps under different circumstance, I might have chosen him, however, his mind was closed to me. His ability for spell work may have been formidable, but he had no gift for the mind magics, such as occlumancy.

“You mentioned that you are a spy in Dumbledore's midst. What did you mean by that?” Severus was determined to milk Fawkes of every bit of information that he could. He would decide whether to trust him once he was satisfied.

Salazar bade me before his death to protect the school and to keep a watchful eye on the Headmasters. Most of them were good men and women who truly cared about the needs and education of the students.

“Most? How many had agendas that went against good of the students.” He asked, shocked that he had never heard of such treachery in the annals of Hogwarts: A History. Though, he did suspect who one of them might be.”

Only two have been truly dangerous to the students. The first I will not speak of, as he changed his ways and earned my forgiveness. Albus Dumbledore, on the other hand, is a dangerous man and needs to be removed from power. I've little doubt that he will ever change. The methods I used on the other have had no impact on him. I have witnessed many of his atrocities, including those done to you, both as a child and as an adult. He hides his treachery well behind his apparent benevolence and most do not suspect him as the evil force that he is.

“How long have you known that he was not to be trusted?”

That is difficult to answer, as even I was fooled for quite some time. He seemed truly a kind and caring man, until a young man named Riddle came to Hogwarts. This was before he became headmaster, of course, but I was still able to observe many of his manipulations when it came to that boy. Riddle could have been a great force for good, given the the support and guidance that he needed. He seemed to go out of his way to push the boy to focus on his anger and to seek revenge for the sins of his parents. Rather than help him find pride in his strength and intelligence, he made the boy feel ashamed of his heritage and status as a half-blood.

“According to legend, Slytherin was also a stickler for purity of blood and didn't want half-bloods and muggle-borns attending the school.”

That is not true. How could he be a stickler for blood purity, when he himself was born of, as you call them now, muggles? He, instead, merely objected to students that had no previous knowledge of the magical arts.

“Salazar Slytherin was a muggle-born? But that goes against everything that we have been taught about him.” Severus didn't know what to think about this news. It change many of his perceptions of the Founder of his house.

Sadly, many people misinterpreted the reasons he objected. All he asked was that the applicants to the school be given tests to show that they were prepared for the classes that were offered at the school. If they weren't, he asked that they be given training someplace else until they could pass the admissions tests. It was the students' levels of education that mattered to him, not their birth status.

“Yes, I can see the sense in that. Most muggle-born students and even some half-bloods are dreadfully unprepared for the lessons at Hogwarts. If they were given introductory courses starting at around age nine, it would make their introduction to magic and Hogwarts so much easier on them, their families, and the other students.”

So you can see his point. Unfortunately, Rowena was the only other Founder to understand his reasoning, at least in part. She understood that students with little knowledge would have difficulties, but felt that a mentoring program would suffice for catching them up.

“That brings a several questions to my mind for her. First, who did she expect to mentor these children? The teachers? Other students?” Severus hissed, his disgust at her lack of foresight obvious. “I then ask, when do those children have time to be children? They would have to spend all of their free time studying to catch up. That is neither healthy nor reasonable for them.”

Those are precisely the questions he brought forth, but she decided to ignore him and sided with Helga and Godric. The majority won and Salazar did his best to follow the policies that were laid down, but as time went by and his point was proven over and over again, he grew bitter and unsatisfied at the lack of reaction from his friends to the plight of those children. He soldiered on, helping as many as he could, until a muggle-born student, overwhelmed by sheer volume of work he had to do, committed suicide. That was the final straw. He swore that he would put a stop to the madness.

“What did he do?” Severus asked, saddened by the fact that a student had died, because they couldn't handle the pressures placed upon them.

Sadly, the others refused to see reason and he was forced to make the painful decision to leave Hogwarts behind. He made it his mission to seek out and identify as many magical children as he could and attempted to start his own school. His aim was to give children with the gift of magic the training they needed to later succeed at Hogwarts. Terribly, his past arguments were used as a means to destroy this goal.

“If his school had been implemented, much good would have been achieved. It's sad that the short-sightedness of the other Founders destroyed his hopes of helping to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.” Severus would love the chance to set up such a school himself, but knew that, as in Salazar's time, the chances such a school being accepted was very slim.

I will visit you again, young Severus, but for now, I must leave you to your rest. Having touched your mind once, I will always be able to contact you. I will keep you advised of Dumbledore's movements. I ask only this of you. Keep Harry Potter close and safe from harm.

“Thank you, Fawkes. I truly appreciate your help and the information you shared. I swear that I will do whatever it takes to protect Harry from those that wish to harm him, no matter who they may be.” Severus gazed directly into the phoenix's eyes, allowing him to see the truth of his words.

Fare thee well, young Severus. May your dreams be good and your steps be light. With that said, Fawkes flew out the window and flashed himself back to Hogwarts and made his way back to his perch.

Severus, suddenly feeling the weight of his exhaustion, crawled into his bed and slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that he would have warning if Albus tried to come to Surrey to check on his progress.

Albus Dumbledore awoke with the sun as was his habit. He grumbled slightly to himself about how he could use a few more hours, but got out of bed despite his weariness. 'I wonder if Severus has returned?' He grabbed his favorite (and most gaudy) robe and creaked his way to his office. “Fawkes, did Severus return to the castle last night?”

Fawkes turned his head and thought jeeringly, 'Little do you know old man that all your plans are about to collapse around you.' Out loud, he gave a soft trill and shook his head in the negative to answer the Headmaster's question.

Dumbledore frowned in vexation at this news. He walked over to his desk and quickly scribbled a note on a blank piece of parchment. “Take this to Severus Snape, Fawkes. I want it to be clear that I expect an immediate answer. Do you understand?”

Fawkes chirped his response and in a brilliant shower of sparks flashed himself to the home of Arabella Figg.

Dumbledore sat down at his desk and contemplated his fingers. “I do hope that Severus hasn't gotten any clever ideas. He too often sees more than I wish him to. He has become far too observant for my tastes.”

Severus started awake when he heard what sounded like an insistent tapping upon the window in his room. He looked toward it and saw the bright plumage of Fawkes flickering like flames in the brilliance of the sunrise. He quickly went to the window and opened it. “Good morning, Fawkes. Is something wrong?”

The old man sent me with a message. He seems to believe that I am little more than an owl. I would apprise him of his idiocy, but that would only make him suspicious of me, so I demur. Here is the letter. He demands an immediate answer. Fawkes' annoyance at being used as an owl was obvious in his tone.

Severus reached out and took the message. He opened it slowly, not sure he wanted to know what Albus had written and began to read.

Severus,

I stayed up late last night waiting to hear what you had discovered about the situation at the Dursley household. I was dismayed when I received no news from you by midnight. Did something prevent you from contacting me? I would appreciate being privy to what you have learned. Please respond to this message as soon as you received it.

Albus Dumbledore

“I suppose I will have to tell him something.” Severus frowned in thought. “I cannot apprise him of the complete truth, of course, but I will have to be careful to give enough information that he will have no reason to be suspicious.”

You might consider trying to buy yourself some extra time, by insinuating that due to the late hour, you were unable to contact the family at all.

“That was exactly my intention. One should not waste opportunity when it comes knocking.” Severus summoned a quill and after spelling the original message clear, penned his response on the same piece of parchment.

Headmaster,

I apologize for not contacting you immediately upon my arrival. I regret to say that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit with the Dursley household. When I arrived on Privat Drive last night, all lights within their home were extinguished and it was apparent that the household was already abed. I thought it wise to wait until today to contact them, as I did not wish to cause unnecessary conflict by rudely awakening the household.

After my discovery, I returned to Arabella's home and apprised her of this difficulty. She most graciously invited me to stay the night within her home and proceeded to give me some insight into the neighborhood. I believe, based on our conversation, that it would be best to wait until early evening to attempt contacting the the household again. This is to ensure that every member is available for questioning, if it is found to be necessary.

Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused by my thoughtlessness.

Severus Snape

“With luck, this note will give me the time necessary to spirit young Harry away to safety.” Severus sent a brief prayer to whatever deities might be listening that his hopes would be realized.

Fawkes cooed soothingly and rubbed his head gently on Severus' shoulder. Do not worry, young warrior. I will ensure that he takes the message at face value.

“Thank you, Fawkes. I appreciate your help more than I could ever express.” Severus reached up and gave Fawkes a good scratch. Fawkes extended his clawed foot to Severus, who passed him the message. Taking to the air, Fawkes gave a gentle trill of support and vanished.

Severus closed his eyes briefly, then decided that he had best awaken Arabella and Harry soon. They had a lot to accomplish and very little time in which to accomplish it in. 'Today is Harry's birthday. We will have to do our best to make it a good one for him, despite the worries we have. We should have time to have a fairly restful breakfast, then we will have to endeavor to make a plan to extract Harry from the neighborhood safely and with haste.' Severus quickly showered and dressed, then proceeded to the Yellow bedroom to awaken Harry.

Harry snuggled deeper into the nice soft pillow his head was resting on. He shifted slightly and yawning expansively, opened his eyes. 'Huh? How'd I get here? Last I remember I was in the kitchen...I guess that someone must of carried me up here.' He gave a mental shrug and got out of bed. He quietly walked to the bathroom and used the facilities. After washing his hands, he brushed his teeth. He was quite glad that he had stayed at Mrs. Figg's house often enough that he kept a toothbrush here. 'I wonder if The Man is still here?'

A knock suddenly sounded on the door of the room causing Harry to give a little squeak of startlement. Harry walked over to the door and opened it. “Hello.” he said shyly to the tall dark man.

“Good morning, Harry. May I come in?” came the man's deep voice.

“Um, yeah...,” Harry moved out of the way and watched as the man entered the room and walked over to the bed and gestured for him to sit down.

“Before I say anything else, congratulations are in order, I believe. Happy Birthday, Harry.”

Harry's eyes widened with surprise that the man had remembered that it was his birthday. “Thank you, sir. I'm not used to anyone remembering my birthday, at least not in a good way.”

Severus did his best to hide his disgust at the Dursleys and said, “You are welcome, Harry. I came to wake you and to ask what you would like for breakfast. As it is your birthday, it shall be your choice.” Harry would enjoy this birthday. He would see to it.

“I can really choose?” Harry found his lips stretching into an ecstatic grin as he was suddenly immersed in a glow of happiness. The Man was wonderful. His Aunt Petunia would have expected him to make breakfast for the family and wouldn't have allowed him to have any of it most likely. To have someone offer to make him breakfast had him over the moon.

Severus was taken aback at the strength of the boy's joy at his simple offering. 'Why is he so happy about such a simple thing?' “Of course, Harry. What would you like?” Severus tried to keep his voice level and calm, not wanting to make Harry feel at all nervous.

“Um, I'm not sure. What choices are there?” Harry wasn't sure what might be available in Mrs. Figg's kitchen and didn't want to ask for anything too difficult to make.

“Harry, whatever you want you will get, regardless. Just ask.”

“Then I would like to have pancakes and sausage links. If that's alright?” Harry was a little unsure, but he knew somehow that this man would do as he said.

“Very well. Do you know what variety of pancakes you would like? Do you want them plain or would you prefer to have something added into the batter, such as blueberries or chocolate chips?”

“The um..blueberry kind, please.” Harry was stunned at this opportunity. He had always wanted to try blueberry pancakes. They smelled so amazing.

“Excellent choice. Now, shall we find you some clean clothing to wear?”

“I have clothing here, sir. I stay over here a lot and Mrs. Figg has a couple of outfits that she keeps in this room for me to wear.”

Severus gave a sharp nod. “In that case, wash up and dress. I will go downstairs and begin the process of procuring breakfast.”

“Yes, sir. I won't be long. Promise.”

Severus smiled and stood. He walked over to Harry and ruffled his hair slightly. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we have time enough for you to shower if you wish.”

Severus left the bedroom and started to head toward the stairs, but decided that he had best stop by Arabella's bedroom first to see if she was up. He knocked on her door, and called out softly, “Arabella, are you awake?” Having received no answer, he thought, 'I will let her sleep in a bit longer. It will do her no harm.'

Once Severus had walked downstairs and entered into the kitchen, he said in a commanding tone, “Dassy!”

A small house elf, with large, cerulean eyes appeared before him.“You called, Master?”

“I need you to fetch me the necessary ingredients for blueberry pancakes, enough for two adults and a ten year old child, and about a pound of sausage links.”

“I will be but a moment, Master.” Dassy vanished from sight with a soft pop and reappeared not a minute later and placed the requested items on the counter. “Do you wish Dassy to cook for you?”

“No thank you, Dassy, though I do appreciate the offer. I do, however, have something else for you to accomplish for me.”

Dassy wiggled with joy. Master was a good master, but rarely asked anything of her and she wanted so badly to be useful. “What do you need? Dassy is happy to help.”

“I need you to find an appropriate house from among the properties that I own for myself and a young child to live in. I'm especially interested in the ones that are unplottable and unknown by both my....former associates and Albus Dumbledore. I need a place by this time tomorrow, if it is all possible. Now go and quickly.”

Dassy's eyes widened with the realization that something very important was happening in her life. She was overjoyed that her master trusted her with this task. “Dassy will find the perfect house for you, Master. I will make you proud.” She vowed to her master before disappearing once again.

“I know you will, Dassy.” Severus murmured a moment later. “You have never let me down.” He was quite proud of his house elf. She had worked very hard to learn how to speak properly just to please him. He was confident that she would be successful.

He snapped his fingers and the stove lit immediately, then reached for the appropriate skillets. He set the pans to heating and turned toward the ingredients.

Harry had picked out the best clothing that Mrs. Figg had for him in the armoire and put them on. He wanted to look nice for his birthday, because he had a feeling that it was going to be the best one he had ever had. He quickly scurried over to the stairs and after a quick glance around, gave a wicked smile and slid down the banister.

He sniffed the air and smelling the wonderful scent of cooking sausages, felt and heard his tummy grumble. He couldn't wait to eat his first ever birthday breakfast.

Severus quickly glanced toward the kitchen door as Harry came into the room. He hid a smile at Harry's obvious good mood. He figured that it might be a good idea to properly introduce himself.

“We did not get a chance to speak further last night and I wanted to ensure that you had some information about who I am. My name is Severus Snape and I knew your mother very well. Lily was my best friend and I loved her very much. We lived very near each other while growing up and met when we were just a little younger than you are now. She was on a swing in a local park and having reached the highest she could go jumped off and floated gracefully down. Now, this was something only a magical child could do and being one myself, I just had to get to know her.”

“So you wanted to know my mum, because she was a freak just like you?” Harry asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

“Harry..., having the gift to use magic does not make you a freak. It merely means you have a special ability. It is no different than excelling at sports, the arts, or even academics. Never...ever allow anyone to make you feel that way. Do you understand me?” Severus said firmly. He was barely able to keep the true depth of his ire from showing to Harry. He was horrified that Petunia's attitude toward magic had seemed to have worsened with time.

Harry was surprised at Mr. Snape's words, but not wanted to anger the man unduly, said, “Yes, sir. I'm sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize. I am well aware that you have been indoctrinated to think a certain way about yourself. We will work on this together, if you are amenable.”

“I'm not sure I understand what you mean, sir, but I will do my best.” Harry smiled and gazed up at him, his emerald orbs shining with hope. He really wanted this man to like him.

“You will understand with time, Harry.” Severus said, as he began to place pancakes and sausages onto . “Could you do me a favor, Harry?”

“Um, sure. What do ya want me to do?” Harry said, excited to be useful.

“Please go upstairs and fetch, Mrs. Figg. Tell her that breakfast is ready.”

Arabella woke slowly, as was her norm, and gave a long, slow, luxurious stretch. She was accustomed to waking at dawn, and was very surprised to see that the sun was already high above the horizon. “Oh, dear,” she whispered, “We've overslept!” She quickly slipped out of bed and grabbing her housecoat, walked swiftly to the room she had assigned to Severus Snape. “Severus? Are you up and about yet?” she said, as she knocked firmly upon the door.

“Good morning, Mrs. Figg. Did you sleep as well as I did?” came a soft, sweet voice from near the stairs.

Arabella turned and smiled at Harry, who looked very relaxed and well-rested. “Yes, I must say that I did. Too well, in fact, as I overslept.” She said ruefully.

Harry giggled and said, “Mr. Snape asked me to come upstairs to see if you were awake. He told me to tell you that breakfast was ready.”

“Breakfast? At this hour? Why, it's practically brunch!” Arabella spluttered, slightly flabbergasted, then sighed, “Very well. Tell Severus that I will be down in ten minutes. I wish to get dressed and attend to my morning ablutions before breaking my fast.”

“'kay, I'll tell him.” Harry said happily as he practically skipped down the stairs.

Severus Snape turned and hid a smile as Harry came back into the kitchen, still in an obviously chipper mood. “Did you speak to Mrs. Figg, Harry?”

“Uh huh,” Harry chirped, “She told me to tell you that she would be down in ten minutes. Said something about getting dressed and doing morning....a-a blue sons? Whatever that is.”

“Ablutions,” Severus corrected him gently, slowly enunciating the word. “She meant that she wanted to do her morning routine of washing of her hands, face, and teeth.”

“Oh...I see!,” Harry exclaimed, then frowning. “Why didn't she just say that?”

“She used the term ablutions, because it takes less words to explain what she was doing.” Severus calmly explained. “Breakfast is ready, so go ahead and sit down at the table and I shall serve you.”

Arabella sniffed the air with appreciation as she descended the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, she exclaimed, “Something smells marvelous. What are we having for breakfast today?”

“We are having blueberry pancakes and sausage. Mr. Snape let me choose, 'cause it's my birthday.” Harry said with a happy smile.

Arabella gasped softly as she realized that she had forgotten. “Oh dear, how amiss of me! I completely forgot. I apologize, Harry. Happy Birthday, sweetling.”

“It's alright, Mrs. Figg. I know a lot has gone on and it's easy to forget things like birthdays.” Harry shrugged. “I'm kinda used to it.”

Arabella's eyes filled with tears. “No Harry. It's not alright. You are a very special boy and I care about you. I shouldn't have forgotten something as important as your tenth birthday.”

“Don't cry, Mrs. Figg. Please!” Harry ran over to her and gave her a hug. “You and Mr. Snape have already given me the best present ever. You care about me and are helping me get away from my family. That means so much to me, you know?”

Arabella held him close and stroked his hair. “Yes, my dear. I do know. I wish that we could have gotten you out of there so much sooner.”

Harry looked up at her, his eyes eerily wise. “Maybe it just had to be the right time. If you had been able to get me out sooner, things might have gone wrong. You never know.” After those words, they all fell into a contemplative silence.

Petunia Dursley woke with a start when her alarm began to ring. She reached over quickly and shut off the alarm, not wanting her husband, Vernon, to awaken too early. He was always grumpy in the morning, but would be exponentially worse if he woke before 7 o'clock and that was an hour away. He would expect his breakfast to be ready and on the table when he got up, so she had to hurry. She grabbed the clothes that she had laid out for herself the evening before and after a quick shower, dressed. She swiftly, but silently ascended the stairs and went to awaken her nephew.

Upon arriving at the cupboard in which Vernon insisted he sleep, she was shocked to discover its door was missing. Fear began to course through her veins as she realized that the boy was gone. 'Where is he? Vernon will kill me if he discovers he is gone.' She knew that it was terrible of her to allow him to do awful things to the boy, but at the same time she considered her safety and that of her son more important. Without Harry around as a buffer, she was terrified at what would happen to them.

Petunia took a deep breath. She would have to do what she could to prevent and alleviate as much of his inevitable rage as was possible. She needed to distract him. A full English breakfast would be a suitable solution. Vernon would assume that Harry had prepared the meal, even if he didn't actually see him. He rarely paid attention to the boy until after the workday was done, but if he did ask for Harry, she would simply tell him that she sent him to the store. Either way it would give her time; time to think and find out where Harry was or, in the worse case scenario, how to keep Vernon's rage focused anywhere but on her.

She went to the kitchen and started to prepare the meal. She had to work fast, but carefully. It wouldn't do if she ruined any part of it. It had to be perfect or her ruse wouldn't work.

Vernon Dursley's nose twitched; there was an amazing aroma wafting up the stairs and his stomach began to rumble in appreciation. He cracked open one eye and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read quarter to six and he decided that he would wait just a bit longer to arise. It wouldn't do to make the boy nervous and risk his breakfast being ruined.

He gave a slow stretch and allowed himself to relax, a smirk crossing his face as he thought of all the fun he would have later that night when he took the boy to his apartment in London and initiated him into his new role. He had yet to decide if he would keep the boy there or return him to the cupboard here in Surrey, but that decision could wait. Petunia wouldn't dare object either way. She knew her place and would do as he said or pay the price. He wasn't concerned about Dudley wondering where the boy was if he left him in London; he would simply tell him he had enrolled the boy in a program to rid him of his unnatural ways. His son was a good boy and would believe him without restriction.

He glanced over at the clock and seeing that it was now only five minutes until seven, decided to get up and prepare for the day. The meal was sure to be nearly done and if he wanted it fresh and hot, he'd best get moving.

Petunia set the table and arranged the platters invitingly. She wanted Vernon happy and he loved a well-laid table heaped with delicious food. She glanced at the clock and seeing the time rushed up the stairs to awaken her son, Dudley.

She smiled lovingly down upon her son's blond curls for a moment before reaching down to shake him gently. “Wake up for Mummy, Diddums. Breakfast is on the table awaiting you. You can go back to bed after if you like.”

Dudley made a soft whining noise in protest, but opened his eyes at the mention of food. “Mum?....What we havin'?”

“Full English, love. Your father's favorite. I hope that it is alright with you.”

“Mmm...sounds good, Mum. Do I have to get dressed?” Dudley gave her a pleading look.

“No, my darling Diddums. Not if you do not wish to.” She smiled fondly at him.

“Kay, I'm getting up then. Be down after I brush my teeth and use the toilet.”

Petunia headed back down to the kitchen to await her family's arrival. A short while later, Petunia heard Vernon's heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and tensed. She hoped that he wouldn't notice that the door to the cupboard under the stairs was missing. If he did, all her hard work was for naught. She braced herself for his anger just in case, but forced herself to maintain a facade of serenity. It would be terrible if he noticed her worry and decided to investigate its cause.

“Good morning, Petunia. I see the boy prepared my favorite breakfast today.” Vernon said pleased at the sight that was before him.

Petunia mentally breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, he did, Vernon. I hope that it meets your standards.”

“It had better or I'll be forced to teach him another lesson.” Vernon glanced around the kitchen and frowned when he didn't see Harry. “Where is the boy?”

“I sent him to the store to pick up supplies for dinner. Did you need him for some reason?” Petunia kept her voice neutral and steady by sheer will alone.

“No, it's quite alright, Petunia. I was just curious, as the kitchen is spotless. Usually, he would still be cleaning at this point.” His brow pulled down slightly as if he was perturbed by the inconsistency.

“The boy didn't clean it, Vernon. I did. I wanted him to get to the butcher and put in my order before the best cuts were gone.” She hoped that he would take her explanation. “I wanted to enjoy breakfast with my family. Isn't it nice for it to be just us for once?”

Just then, Dudley came into the room. A smile spread across his face when he took in the large spread on the table. “Wow! It looks wonderful, Mummy. Good morning, Father. Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning, Dudley. I slept quite well. Thank you.” Vernon beamed at the apple of his eye, his son. “Sit down and let us break our fast. That boy isn't here, so we can enjoy a proper family meal.”

Petunia relaxed with relief as her husband and child dug into the feast before them. She knew that her ruse had worked, at least for now. She would worry about what to do about Harry after Vernon had left for work. Until then, she would enjoy her breakfast.

Fawkes flashed back into the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. He flew over to the desk and, after leaving the message from Severus, went to and alighted upon his perch. He had an important task to do; the old man needed to stay far from Surrey until Severus and his young charge were safely away. He would have to find a way to prevent the old fool from leaving Hogwarts until that time arrived. When it did, Fawkes had a very important decision to make. He would have to go to his Master's quarters and speak to him. He needed sound advice.

Fawkes' head jerked up when Dumbledore entered the room. He gave a soft, welcoming trill and inclined his head toward the desk. He watched as Dumbledore turned and seeing the letter on the desk immediately walked over and picked it up.

Albus opened the letter in his hand cautiously. He wasn't sure if he could fully trust Severus, who could be stubborn, willful, and far too intuitive. He scanned the parchment wandlessly for any hidden surprises and finding nothing amiss, perused the contents. He frowned with vexation when he read that Severus had not yet seen or spoken to young Harry or his relatives. He did, however, have to concur that Severus was right to wait. Angering those that had custody of the boy would do little to help his cause. He needed the cooperation of the Dursleys, if he wished to ensure that Harry would be attending Hogwarts next year and would be malleable enough to control. It wouldn't do if the boy turned out like his parents and developed a mind of his own. Harry Potter needed to be the perfect sacrificial lamb if his plans were to reach fruition. Nothing and no one could be allowed to get in his way.

“I suppose this means that I will have to once again practice being patient,” he grumbled with irritation. “I will give him one more day, Fawkes. If he hasn't returned by this evening, I will go to Surrey myself.” His mind made up, he decided to go about his day as normal. He would concern himself with what he would do about the situation with Severus and Harry when evening came.

Fawkes breathed a mental sigh of relief. Severus' letter had worked to buy them a little bit of time. He hoped that Severus had a plan in place to get them out of Surrey before evening. There was no way that he could warn them and he would attempt to delay Dumbledore as long as possible, but in the end, the old man would go to Surrey.

Fawkes watched as his 'master' went about his morning routine, waiting for him to leave the office. When he did, Fawkes flashed himself into what used to be the personal quarters of Salazar Slytherin. He went to his Master's study and settled upon the desk.

Master, I wish to speak with you about a decision that I feel I must make.

The man in the portrait above the fireplace adjacent to the desk stirred and said, “Say what you will, my dear friend, I will listen. Why do you seem so troubled, Áed?”

I am not exactly troubled, but a bit hesitant to do what my heart says, Master. I have dedicated my existance to continue protecting the students of Hogwarts, but now my heart says it is time to move on and I am unsure if it is the right thing to do.

“What mean you by move on, Áed?” The man said gently.

I have sensed one with whom I could bond, Master. Fawkes lowered his head, not sure as to how his master would react.

The man, who was once Salazar Slytherin, smiled with quiet joy. “I am glad, old friend. You deserve to be happy and bonded.”

You do not mind, Master? Fawkes' golden eyes widened with startlement and a feeling full of hope burst within his heart.

Salazar gave his former familiar a stern look. “ Áed, you are very loyal and I thank you for that, but I have been gone from your world for over a millenium. It is beyond time for you to move on and discover the joy that comes with having a bonded companion once again.” He smiled sadly. “I will miss you, of course.”

I suppose that there is no reason why I cannot still visit you, even if I bond with another.

“That is true. Perhaps you could bring your new master to speak with me. I would like to meet the person whom your heart seeks.” Salazar smirked, wickedly. “Besides, there are a great many things he will need to be aware of."

You wouldn't dare! Fawkes glared at Salazar menacingly, firey sparks erupting in the air about him.

Salazar's deep, rich laugh boomed across the room at Fawkes' reaction to his teasing. “But, of course, I would, but don't worry, Áed. I won't tell him anything inappropriate for his or her ears.”

You are a terrible, awful nuisance and I will miss you so much. Fawkes flew over to the mantle and rubbed his head gently upon his former master's portrait. Thank you, Salazar. You will always be in my heart.

“And you in mine, dearest Áed. Wind to thy wings and may the rest of your days be bright.”

“Yes, sir. I'm not really used to eating this much. I know it's bad manners not to finish eating what you take, but I don't think I could eat another bite.” Harry was obviously getting a bit upset and fighting tears.

That Harry, who was a growing boy, couldn't eat more than what amounted to what a very small child would eat was very troubling to Severus. It didn't bode well for what more he would discover about the treatment and care that Harry had received from the Dursleys. “If you feel like you cannot eat any more, it is perfectly fine for you to stop doing so, Harry. I would much rather you leave something on your plate than to have you develop a stomach ailment.” Severus hesitated for a moment, then reached over and gently rubbed Harry on the back to soothe him. “Harry, look at me. I'm not angry or even upset with you. You cannot help that your stomach is too small to eat more and it is perfectly normal for a child's eyes to be far larger than their stomach. Do not worry so.”

Harry gave a small sniff and nodded. “'kay. I am sorry, though, sir. Could you wrap it for me, so I can eat it later?”

“If you want me to, I will, but it is hardly necessary. Besides, if my plans come to fruition, we will not be here for the next meal of the day, so it is rather pointless to save it for you.” Thinking quickly he turned to ask his hostess a question. “Arabella, do you think that your felines would appreciate a treat? Some sausages, perhaps?”

Quickly catching on to his hint, Arabella smiled and said, “Oh, yes! I'm quite sure that they would adore having one.” Turning to Harry, she continued. “Harry, why don't you cut up the sausages into pieces and give my pretties some? The adults only please, as the kittens aren't quite old enough for something as rich as sausage.”

Harry visibly brightened and nodded with excitement. He loved to play with Ms. Figg's cats and was always up for spoiling them a bit. Deep down in his heart, he secretly hoped that maybe Mr. Snape and Ms. Figg might be willing to allow him to have one of the kittens for his birthday. He especially liked the grey one with the white feet. He reached out for a knife and carefully began to slice the sausages into even pieces.

Severus watched Harry's deft handling of the knife and the preciseness of the slices he made with surprise. Though Harry had told him that he was accustomed to cooking, he wasn't expecting the child to show so much skill. 'Maybe I should start teaching him about potions once we are safely situated. I hope that Dassy will return soon with her findings!'

Dassy was beginning to get a bit tired. She had been to most of the houses owned by her master that were unknown by his associates, but none had been suitable for habitation without a great deal of work or hadn't met his basic requirements. Dassy knew that a proper potions lab was a must, as was an area for a garden. He also needed enough habitable rooms for himself and a child.

'A child! I's finally gets a child!' Dassy's eyes glowed with excitement at the very idea of having a child to care for. She had always hoped that her master would marry and have children. It was every house elf's dream. Finding herself revitalized by the thought of finally caring for a child, Dassy popped herself to the next property. Arriving, she looked around her. At first, she thought that it might be a newly acquired property until she tested the wards. It was then that she realized that this was one of the homes her master had inherited from the Prince family. The feel and power of the wards was unmistakable.

The grounds were a touch overgrown, but appeared to have been maintained fairly recently. It really was a lovely piece of countryside. The property was surrounded by trees on all sides and was very private. There was what appeared to have been a vegetable garden at one time and a sadly neglected flower garden at the back of the house. There was also a nice sized piece of lawn for the child to play on and she could hear the faint sound of running water, which meant there might be a stream nearby. Dassy observed that there was a well on the property and checked it to make sure it wasn't dry. She found that it was indeed a working well and nodded with satisfaction. That was one worry out of the way. The only thing she needed to check is if it was still connected to the house or was meant only for maintaining the gardens and lawn.

She quickly sent a detection spell to see there were any structural issues with the house and found everything to be solid. While the house had clearly not been inhabited in sometime, it seemed to be in excellent condition and well maintained. The spells to keep the home from decay and rot were still going strong.

Having thoroughly assessed the outside of the house, Dassy decided it was time to proceed to the interior of it. Her first order of business was locating her domicile, the kitchen. She soon discovered that the kitchen was filthy and rather outdated, but those were trifling matters and easily fixed. She turned the faucet in the sink to see what would happen and was happy to see that the plumbing was still in working order. It was also good to see that the water, while brown at first from the sediment that had settled in the pipes, soon became crystal clear. She checked the cupboards and was happy to find them empty and showing no signs of rodent activity. So far it was looking very promising.

There were several doors along one of the walls in the kitchen and Dassy checked them one by one. The first led to a walk-in pantry and the second was a laundry area. The third led to what was probably once a servants stairway. She tested the staircase and found it to be stable and strong, but decided to wait until she was ready for the second floor to investigate further. The fourth and final door led to another staircase, this one leading down to what she assumed was the cellar. She descended the stairs and was happy to discover several rooms, one of which was an extremely outdated but usable potions lab. It would take Master Severus very little work to bring it up to his minimal standards. The other rooms were a specialized storage room for potions ingredients and a small wine cellar.

Dassy quickly toured the the rest of the first floor, finding the rest of the rooms to be rather dusty, but in otherwise good shape. The main floor had been well laid out with a large foyer in the center with a parlor, living room, dining room, and study all leading off of it. Each room had a fireplace and all of them were in good working order, needing only a good cleaning. Even the furniture, while very dated and in need of cleaning, was in excellent condition. This house was looking very promising, indeed.

Dassy ascended the grand staircase in the foyer and began to assess the second floor. She found four large bedrooms and two bathrooms, all in excellent shape. She went through the door to the servants stair and found that it not only went down to the kitchen but also went up to the attic. She decided to investigate and discovered that the attic contained a storage room, which had a treasure trove of extra furnishings and artwork, and the servants quarters, which had its own bathroom.

She was excited; Dassy was certain that she had found the perfect house for her master. “I's best go and tells the master. He will wants to know and quickly. I hopes I has chosen well.” With a look of hope in her eyes, Dassy popped herself to the house where she had last spoken to her master.

Severus watched fondly as Harry played with the kittens in the front parlor after giving out treats to the adult felines. He had quickly noticed that Harry had a definite preference for the little grey one with the white paws. The kitten seemed just as attached to Harry and never strayed far from him. It even seemed to guard him, which was a rather amusing sight to see. That Harry and the kitten already shared a strong bond was clear. He would have to speak with Arabella about acquiring it for Harry. Every child needed a familiar and a Kneazle was an excellent choice. They were intelligent and extremely loyal. His mind made up, Severus motioned to Arabella to follow him into the kitchen.

“Is there something wrong, Severus?” Arabella murmured softly, once the door had closed behind them. There was a worried note to her voice.

“Nothing is wrong, Arabella. I merely had a question that I didn't wish to ask in front of Harry.” Severus said with a faint smile.

“About what, may I ask?” She said a touch sharply, irritated by his having worried her, even if it was unintentionally done.

He raised a brow questioningly at the look on her face and her tone of voice, but decided to ignore them for now. “Harry seems to have become rather attached to one of your kittens and I was wondering if you would be willing to come to an agreement about purchasing it?”

Suddenly feeling silly for having gotten upset, Arabella smiled happily. “Yes, he appears to especially like the little grey female with the white socks. She is generally a shy, quiet little thing, but is very friendly and open with Harry. I never would have considered letting Harry have one of my darlings in the past, but now that he will be with you, I have no issue. She will be the perfect birthday present for him and that's exactly what she shall be, my birthday gift to him. You may buy all of the supplies that she will need, of course, but I will accept no money for her.”

“That will be perfectly acceptable. Shall we tell Harry of his new acquisition?” Severus said as he extended his arm to escort her back to the parlor.

As she reached out to accept his arm, Arabella responded. “Yes, we shall. He will have to choose a name for her and I wish to know what it is before you leave. I would like a picture as well.” Arabella felt a bit sad that she would likely not see little Harry for a long time, but knew that she couldn't possible leave on a moments notice because of her pretties. Besides, this was her home and she had no wish to leave it.

As they re-entered the parlor, they discovered that Harry and the little grey were now curled up together on the settee. It was obvious that neither boy nor kitten had noticed their return. The boy's fingers were taking long slow strokes over her back and the kitten's body was vibrating so hard with the power of her purring that she was having to hold onto his leg with her claw to keep from falling. Harry began to whisper to her in a tone just barely loud enough for them to hear from their vantage point. “I don't know if Mrs. Figg or Mr. Snape will agree, but I cannot bear the thought of not taking you with me when I leave with him. If they say yes, I think I will call you either Bianca or Deirdre. Which do you like?”

Severus and Arabella watched in fascinated awe as the kitten tilted her head to the side and began to watch Harry carefully. Seeing that he had her full attention, Harry said, “Do you like Bianca?” and motioned with his right hand, then said “Or Deirdre?” and motioned with his left. The kitten, her eyes clear and bright with intelligence, looked from one hand to the other, hesitated and seemed to seriously consider the choices for a moment, then gave Harry's right hand a gentle lick. The boy giggled and said, “Bianca, it is. That's my favorite, too.” Harry cuddled little Bianca close and resumed his stroking.

“Harry?” Arabella said gently, a soft smile on her face.

Harry gasped with startlement and looked up to see them standing just a few feet away. He hadn't even noticed them returning to the room. A blush of embarrassment flooded his cheeks and he said softly, “Um, I..I suppose that you heard me? What I said I mean.”

“Yes, Harry, we did, but it doesn't matter, because I had already decided to give her to you. Bianca is yours. Happy Birthday, dear heart.”

Harry's eyes grew big and he shook his head like he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. “Really? I can keep her? She's mine?”

Severus nodded seriously and intoned “Yes. Arabella and I have spoken on the subject and agreed that you belonged together.”

Harry carefully set Bianca down on the settee and jumped up off of it. “Thank you so much. I promise that I'll take really, really good care of her.” Harry cried, tears of happiness running down his face. He ran over to them and flung his arms first around Arabella, who gave him a gentle squeeze in return, then around Severus, who awkwardly patted him on the shoulders, being not as sure how to handle such things.

“You are welcome and I will make sure that you do.” Severus said, his voice stern, but softened by the almost smile on his face. “She will be your responsibility.”

Harry trilled out a happy, “Yes, sir!”. He skipped back over to his kitten, whom he picked back up hugged close, asking her joyfully, “Did you hear that, Bianca? They said I can keep you.” Bianca gave a soft mew of assent and rubbed her head against his cheek, marking him as her own. Harry giggled as her whiskers tickled him. It was clear that both child and kitten were filled with happiness and it was a beautiful sight to see.

Dassy arrived in the kitchen at Privat Drive and looked around the room. Observing that there were dirty dishes in the sink she quickly waved her hand causing one side of the sink to fill with soap bubbles and the sponge to begin to wash them. The other side of the sink filled with clear water and the dishes rinsed themselves, then allowed the dish towel to dry them. They then put themselves away neatly. While this was going on Dassy cleaned up all the signs of cooking and eating in the kitchen.  Soon, she was satisfied with the outcome of her labors and looked around with a smile.

Dassy walked over to the door of the kitchen and considered what she should do next. She could hear voices other than Master's through the door and didn't wish to cause him any problems. Since she didn't know if it was required of her to remain hidden, she decided to be cautious and knocked on the door using a pattern, which Master Severus had taught her, to identify herself to him.

Severus, hearing the familiar knock, gave a satisfied smirk. “It is alright, Dassy. There is none here that could cause issue. Come, tell me, did you find a house that will work?”

Dassy shyly slipped out the door and went over to her master. “I's found a really nice place. It's a little dated, but very private, and in good shape. It has a potion's lab, a garden with green space, and four bedrooms. I's thinks it perfect for your needs and those of the Little Master.”

Pleased by the description so far, Severus glanced at Arabella and asked her to leave the room so that she would not hear the location for safeties sake. She couldn't tell that which she didn't know. Arabella inclined her head in acquiescence and went out to the porch to take a breath of fresh air.

Once Arabella was safely out of hearing range, Severus turned back to his house elf and said, “Where is it located, Dassy?”

“It be in Scotland. I's not sure of exact location. Alls I's know is that it is one of the Prince estates and is west of Inverness. It is surrounded by forest and is fully warded.” Dassy was nervous, knowing that it was pretty close to Hogwarts and hoped that it wouldn't make it a bad choice.

“I don't recall owning a property there, but I trust you Dassy.” Severus went out to the porch and said, “Arabella, I am going to have Dassy take me to the house, so that I can see it for myself. Is that alright?”

Arabella smiled and said, “Of course. I hope that it will be a good fit. You need to get the child out of here before Albus arrives. Please hurry.”

“I will endeavor to be swift as the wind, Arabella.” He turned and went back to parlor. “Harry?”

“Yes, sir?,” the boy said, unable to take his eyes off the strange creature that Mr. Snape called Dassy. He was kind of scared, because he didn't know what it was.

Severus frowned slightly at the child's wide eyed reaction to his house elf. He would have to do something about it. For now, an introduction and explanation would have to suffice. “Harry, I want you to meet Dassy. She is a house elf and a member of our household. She is very gentle and sweet and would never dream of hurting you. She is my housekeeper and cook, and will also care and watch out for you when I cannot.” Severus said gently. He had to admit to himself that he, too, had been startled the first time he saw a house elf, and, thus, couldn't be too terribly surprised by Harry's reaction. “I am going to go with Dassy to see the house that she found for us. If it will suit, I will be back to collect and escort you to the house. Do you understand?”

Harry tore his eyes away from the house elf and turned toward nodded to Mr. Snape, saying, “Yes, sir. I understand.” Harry turned back to the Dassy, whom he suddenly noticed seemed to be a bit hurt by his fear. He decided that it would be best apologized to her. “I'm really sorry for being scared, Dassy. I've just never seen anyone like you before. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.”

Dassy nodded with understanding. “Is alright, Master Harry. I's understand. It will takes time for you to get used to me.” She couldn't help but be a little hurt, but knew that it was understandable if the child had never seen a house elf before. She, too, was startled the first time she saw a wizard and had been scared by their, to her, unusual appearance. She knew that all she had to do was be herself and all would be fine. The child would come to like her; she was sure of it.

Dassy looked to her master and asked, “Are you's ready, sir?” At her master's nod, she touched his arm lightly and popped them to the house.

Fawkes shook out his feathers in nervousness, fighting the urge to preen himself bald. He was trying to calm himself for what he was about to do. He had thought was the hard part would be talking to Salazar about it, but now he realized that it was actually the easy part. Now, he had to convince his choice of partner to bond with him and he was terrified that he would be turned away. He wasn't sure that he would survive the rejection. Much as he loved Salazar and always would, he felt that this bond mate was his true one, the one that all phoenixes longed for and few ever found.

He had been considering this decision for years, but had been unsure of how Salazar and, more particularly, his new bond mate would react. He was glad that he had finally worked up the courage to go to Salazar and ask. Salazar's reaction had been unexpected, though welcome. He should have known that Salazar would only wish him happiness. He had been an idiot for worrying so. Salazar was far too good and understanding a man to expect him to remain alone and unbonded when a worthy candidate was available. He now wondered if Salazar had always know that this would happen and was prepared for it.

His potential bond mate, however, was a different story. There was something about him that spoke to Fawkes and always had, though he had never acted on it. The more he saw, though, the more he wanted to be with him. No, needed to be with him. Fawkes knew that their hearts would make a perfect match. What worried him was the things that had happened over the years that could complicate the outcome of his request. His bond mate had reason not to trust him. Fawkes had witnessed the way Dumbledore treated him and neglected his needs, both emotional and physical. It was disturbing to say the least, but his fear had held him back. Was it too late? Would he be able to forgive Fawkes' lack of action for so many years? Would he accept the bond?

Severus had the oddest feeling of being welcomed when they arrived at the house. It was like a whispering in the corner of his mind, just beyond his shields. There was more to this house than met the eye. He listened to Dassy's chatter as she showed him around the outside of the house with half an ear, while attempting to understand his intuitive knowledge that this place was special in some way. Dassy led the way into the house through the kitchen entrance. He barely glanced around, because he knew that she was well able to tell if this area was appropriate.

“Master, the lab is through this door.” Dassy said, slightly nervous. She knew that the potion's lab could be a deciding factor in his decision. They descended the stairs and she showed him into the room.

Severus took a long hard look around. This was his element. He cast a careful spell at the walls to check the specialized wards and was startled when a flash of light burst at the first touch of his magic. He watched in breathless fascination and wonder as the lab began to update itself to the highest modern standards. Self-up-dating spells of this caliber were extremely hard to execute and thus, were almost unheard of. He was beyond satisfied with the standards to which this lab had been built. This was definitely the work of a true Potion's Master, as there was no expense spared in the quality. He glanced into the other rooms in the basement and was very happy with what he found. This would be the perfect work space for him.

They went back to the kitchen and Dassy asked. “Does you wish to see the bedrooms or formal rooms first, Master?”

“It would be best to see the condition of the bedrooms first, I think. If the formal rooms aren't perfect, it is no real issue. The bedrooms, however, must be in fairly decent condition and livable.” Severus said with a serious tone. Dassy led him to another doorway in the kitchen, which led to the servant's stair. When he saw where the stairs led he was happy to see that the closest bedroom to the stair was the master bedroom, which was very convenient for those times when his brewing ran late. He looked at all the bedrooms and, finding them to be in excellent condition and of generous size, was very pleased. Even the bathrooms were in impeccable shape.

He led the way down the grand staircase and began to look through the formal living spaces. When they reached the parlor, the portrait above the fireplace caught his eye immediately. A chill ran down his spine as he recognized one member of the family featured in the portrait. His voice shaking slightly, he queried, “Dassy, I thought you said that this was a Prince property?”

Dassy looked positively startled at his question and said, “I..it was on the list, Master, and the wards feel right. I..is there something wrong?”

“Look at the portrait above the fireplace, Dassy. Do you not recognize the man in it from my portrait guardian at Hogwarts? That is Salazar Slytherin. This property couldn't possibly belong to the Princes.” Severus was frightened by the implications that the portrait being in this house held. He was absolutely positive of his family's bloodlines; they had, after all, been hammered into him by his grandfather. “The Prince family's connection to the Founders is Ravenclaw, not Slytherin, and the lines never met. Please, let me see the list.”

Dassy shook slightly at her master's obviously fear, and taking the list out of her pocket, handed it to him. Severus looked at the list and quickly noticed something odd about the last entry, which was this residence. “Dassy, look,” he breathed with wonder and a touch of fear. “Not only is this not my handwriting, but the style of script is very old-fashioned, ancient even. I think...that someone or something made sure that we found this place.”

Severus pulled out his wand and began to feverishly test the document for spells and enchantments, but he could find none. It wasn't a self-up-dating document, so there was no reason for the entry to be there that wasn't supernatural or contrived. With that in mind, Severus checked to see who had touched the list other than him since he first wrote it, as he knew that he had never updated it himself. There had been no reason two. Only one name had appeared and that was Dassy's. There was just one more test he could perform. A spell that would reveal the name of the person that had written the entry, whether by spell or hand. It took a great deal of power, which was why it was rarely used. Fortunately, he was a powerful wizard with deep reserves. Far deeper than he would ever admit to, especially to those who would use him, such as Albus Dumbledore. With a precise wave of his wand, he focused his magic and demanded commandingly. "Subcriptio, ostendo sum vestri erus!"

Severus watched breathlessly as the spell began its work. When red letters began to appear above the parchment, he found himself leaning forward to read them better. To his shock, the words spelled out, 'Identity, Unknown.' “Impossible!,” he exclaimed. He was floored that the spell, which was known for its reliability, had failed. A look of fierce determination appeared on his face, as he began to plan his next move.

Unbeknownst to Severus, the figures in the portrait above the fireplace began to stir, awakened by the use of magic by a human within the walls of the house. “Welcome to our home,” one of the little girls in the portrait said softly.

Severus nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a soft, unfamiliar voice come from behind his location. He swung around sharply, his wand at the ready. “Who is there?,” he demanded, harshly.

“I am Lisbon. Who might you be and how is it you are here?,” the girl replied, calmly.

Severus' eyes fell upon the portrait, which was now fully active, and relaxed slightly. “I am Severus Snape. I am not sure how it is that my house elf found this house. I was attempting to discover who added it to my list of residences, but my spell failed.”

One of the men in the portrait smirked. “That is not surprising, particularly if it was the family's magic that brought you here. However, what I find odd is this; usually, when someone from our line enters the property's boundaries, everything is fully awakened immediately. That did not happen this time and I have to wonder why.”

“I am most certainly not of the Slytherin line,” Severus said in a low tone. “I am descended from Ravenclaw.”

The man tilted his head to the side. “As far as I know, the Ravenclaw and Slytherin lines have never crossed. How interesting! It is also interesting that you are aware of which family this home belongs to.”

Salazar smiled and said, “That is easily explained by me, Stefan. One of my portraits guards his rooms at Hogwarts.”

“Ah, that makes sense then. He merely recognized you, father.” The man said with a nod.

“It does not, however, explain how this residence appeared upon my list of properties.” Severus said, frowning.

“True enough. Has anything...out of the ordinary happened recently in your life, Severus?” Salazar inquired.

“Harry,” Severus breathed. “Perhaps it has something to do with him.”

“Who is this Harry?” Salazar said gently. He saw the worry in the Potion Master's eyes.

“Harry Potter is the child of my best friend, Lily Evans and her husband, James Potter. They were murdered a little over 8 years ago, leaving their son an orphan. He was sent to and raised by his mother's sister, Petunia Dursley. Unfortunately, Petunia, who is a muggle, abhors everything to do with magic and subsequently has treated him abominably.” Severus said, torn between sadness and anger. “However, that doesn't explain how Harry might be related to your line. It is well known that the Potters are descended from Gryffindor. Lily was a muggleborn.”

“You are veru correct in your assertion about the Potter line. The question is then, is which line the Evans come from. Are you certain that this Petunia is a muggle or might she be a squib instead?” Stefan interjected.

“Petunia was tested when her younger sister was found to be a witch. She showed no signs of magical blood at all and all squibs have a touch of magic in their blood.” Severus said with a frown. “I have often wondered if one of the Evans girls might have been adopted, but never thought to actually ask. Merlin knows that they did not resemble each other in the slightest. I suppose that I could do some research into the genealogy of their family.”

“What do you mean they looked nothing alike?,” said Lisbon.

Severus turned and looked at the girl. “Lily had dark auburn hair and emerald green eyes. She was incredibly beautiful. Her face was heart-shaped face and she was tall and rather curvaceous with a bright, engaging personality. Petunia, on the other hand, has a medium shade of blonde hair, pale blue eyes and a rather long, plain face. She is stick thin and of average height with few curves. She tends to be very judgmental and snobbish. Now that I think of it, neither girl looked anything like their parents either. Both Rose and Richard Evans were slim and tall with very dark hair. Perhaps they were both adopted.”

“There is one way to determine if young Harry is of the Slytherin line. Bring him here and we will know immediately.” Salazar said with confidence.

“Normally, I would wish to do further investigation before taking such a risk, but I do not have the luxury of time right now. I will bring Harry here before nightfall.” Severus said. “I must remove him from that neighborhood before he is found by his relatives. His protection and safety is of utmost importance.”

“You seem quite worried about the child. Is there more to this story than you have told us?” Salazar inquired.

“There is, but it will have to wait until I return. I must go and ensure that Harry is still safely hidden from those people. I will speak with you once I have returned.” His fears of not finding a safe haven for him and his child mostly alleviated, Severus called to Dassy and bid her to return him to the Figg residence.

“Pet, I am off to work,” Vernon said gruffly.

Petunia forced a smile and gave her husband a kiss upon his cheek. “Have a good day at work, dear.”

“I plan to, Pet. Here is the list for the boy. Make sure that he completes it before I return.”

Petunia took the list and inwardly winced at it's length. There was no way that she could complete it on her own. She needed the boy back and fast. “I will do my best, Vernon, but you know how lazy the freak is.”

“If he gives you any cheek today, just tell me when I return. I will deal with him, then.” Vernon said as he lumbered to the door.

Petunia watched as her husband climbed into his car and drove away. She waved at him until he was out of sight, as was her usual routine. Lord knew she didn't wish to give Vernon any reason to suspect that there was something wrong.

“Mum, it's too early to go out and see my friends. I'm gonna go back to bed,” Dudley whined.

Petunia carefully hid her annoyance at her child's tone of voice and smiled at him conjolingly. She was actually beginning to wonder if coddling her son so much was actually a good idea, but knew that a sudden change in behavior would only cause problems at this time. “Go right ahead. Diddums, Mummy needs to go out and do some shopping. I will be back before lunch and will wake you then, if you haven't already done so yourself. Will that be alright?”

“'kay, Mum. Have a nice shopping trip.” Dudley smirked at the idea of having no supervision. He wondered when the freak would get back. This would be an excellent opportunity to 'play' with him. It had been a while since he had had a decent Harry Hunt.

Seeing the devious look that crossed her son's face, Petunia realized that she had best make sure that he didn't get in trouble. The neighbors were beginning to act doubtful to her loud assertions that it was Harry that caused problems and she certainly didn't want her child labeled as the wrong sort. “Dudley?”

“Yes, Mum?” Dudley said with an overly innocent expression on his face.

“Do not leave the house until I get back. Do you understand me?” Petunia said, firmly.

“But, Mummy! What if I wake up and get bored?” Dudley sniveled, thinking that his mother would cave, like she often did. Though, now that he thought of it, that was usually only when his dad was around.

“Then you may play your video games or watch the telly. Mummy, will be very upset with you if you aren't at home and behaving when she gets back. I am going to go over to Ms. Figgs' house and have her keep an eye out for you, so don't try any tricks.”

Dudley scowled at his mother, but knew that there was little point in arguing with her when she got like this. His father might indulge his every want, but his mum had a will of iron when she wanted to. “Oh, alright! But I want a present,” he demanded.

“Fine, if you behave you will be allowed to pick out a new game, which I will pick up tomorrow.” Petunia said, barely suppressing a snarl. She hated to overindulge him, yet again, but knew that if she didn't Dudley would tell his father. She was perfectly aware of what would happen if her husband learned that she hadn't given in to his child's every demand. She would do almost anything to prevent having her husband's wrath come down on her, even if it made her sick to her stomach at times. She gave her son a kiss on the forehead and watched him make his way back up the stairs before turning and leaving the house. Petunia quickly made her way across the street to Mrs. Figgs' house intent on getting her to keep an eagle's eye out for her son.

Arabella puttered around the house, trying not to think about Severus taking little Harry away. She knew that it was for the best and that Severus would take excellent care of Harry, but she would miss the boy's presence in her life. She hadn't realized until now just how much happier she was when the boy was near.

“Mrs. Figg? Is something wrong? You seem a bit sad.” Harry said in a soft, worried voice.

“Oh, Harry! I'm not exactly sad, but I am going to miss you so much.” Arabella explained, “You have brightened up my life so much in the short time I have known you and while I know that you will be happy with Severus, my heart breaks a little knowing that I might never again see you.”

Harry hugged her tight and whispered, “I love you, Mrs. Figg, and I'll miss you, too.”

Arabella froze when she heard the first knock on her front door. Looking down at the boy she was protecting, she whispered urgently, “Harry, go upstairs quickly and quietly. Do not make a sound. Do you understand?” Harry nodded and did as he was told. The last thing he wanted was to be taken back by the Dursley family. Having waited until Harry was safely upstairs, Arabella went to answer the door.

Taking a quick look through the window next to the door to see who was there, Arabella saw with horror that her visitor was Petunia Dursley. Feeling herself beginning to panic, she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. All she had to do was open the door, greet the woman cordially, find out what she wanted, and send her on her way. If she could remain calm, everything would be alright. Nothing else was acceptable. Taking another deep breath, Arabella forced a cordial smile on her face and opened the door.

Petunia was just about to knock on the door again, when it suddenly opened. She and her least favorite but most reliable neighbor, exchanged the usual pleasantries, but something felt different somehow. She wasn't sure why but there was something off about Mrs. Figg. She couldn't put her finger on it though, so pushed it to the back of her mind.

“I am sorry to bother you this morning, but I find myself needing a favor. I have a few important errands to run and my son is still tired and wishes to kip a little longer. Would you be willing to keep an eye on him for me? I will be back by noon at the latest.” Petunia asked.

Mrs. Figg blinked and said, “I am not sure if I can today, Mrs. Dursley. I have guests to attend to this morning.”

'Since when does she have guests,' Petunia thought bemusedly, but shaking it off, quickly said, “You wouldn't need to leave your home for more than a few minutes at a time, Mrs. Figg, as all I require is someone to check on him occasionally. Dudley knows that he is to stay in the house if he wakes before I arrive home. He has the telly or games if he needs something to do.”

Arabella was relieved that Petunia was only here for a baby-sitter, but knew that she would have to ask about Harry. Unfortunately, Petunia would think it odd if she didn't. “I suppose I could do that much. What of your nephew Harry? Will I need to watch out for him as well?”

Petunia visibly stiffened and lied, “That will not be necessary. Harry went with my husband to the office. He is going to the his 'helper' for a bit this morning. I will be picking him up before returning home.”

“I see,” Arabella said slowly, carefully hiding her glee at Petunia's bold-faced lie. It was clear to her what the main 'errand' this morning was, finding Harry. She suddenly had a wonderful idea. Affecting a confused expression she murmured, as if it was under her breath, “I could've sworn I saw sweet, little Harry walking toward the bus stop this morning carrying a little nap-sack, long before Mr. Dursley left. Must be the old age catching up to me, since I am obviously seeing things.” She barely hid her smirk as Petunia's eyes widened minutely before she controlled her expression.

Petunia obviously forcing herself to smile and fake not hearing what Arabella had just said, “Thank you so much for doing this. I will find a way to make it up to you.”

Arabella smiled, “It's no issue at all, dear. I simply adore your boys. Good day to you.” She continued to smile as Petunia reciprocated, then watched with amusement as she rushed down the walk, nearly ran across the street, and after getting into her vehicle, drove off. Just as she had hoped, Petunia headed toward the bus stop. She just hoped that she had bought them enough time to get Harry to safety.

Once she was absolutely certain Petunia wasn't coming back, she went to the bottom of the stairs and called up that it was safe to come down. She smiled happily as Harry all but ran down the stairs and threw himself into her arms.

Severus was greeted by the sight of Harry flinging himself into Arabella's arms and couldn't help but smile. “Did I miss something while I was gone?”

“Mr. Snape, you're back!” Harry pulled himself from Arabella's arms and launched himself at Severus. Wrapping his arms around the man's waist he blurted out the questions he was burning to ask. “Is the house nice? Does it have a garden I can play in with Bianca? Are we gonna live there?” 

Severus laughed and pulled away, saying, “Yes, it is perfect for our needs. You and Bianca are going to love the garden; it's will be quite lovely with just a bit of cleaning up.”

“Really? I can't wait to see it. Bianca...oh Bianca, did you hear that? It has a garden just for you and me; isn't that wondrous?!” Bianca mewed in agreement as she wound herself between her boy's ankles. Harry quickly knelt down and picked her up, cuddling her close.

Severus turned to Arabella. “ The house appears to be just what we need. The warding is strong and the house is sturdy, well laid out, and spacious. It has a full Master level potion's lab with updating charms. It even has enough bedrooms that you could come and visit. I haven't checked the floo yet, but that is rather irrelevant as I will most likely send Dassy to pick you up or apparate you myself.”

“Why is that Severus?” Arabella asked with a frown.

“Floo travel is monitored by the Ministry. Far too many of my former associates have influence in the various departments. Lucius Malfoy comes to mind.” Severus said with a grimace.

Arabella echoed his grimace. “I didn't even think of that. You are right, it's best to be cautious and use a form of travel that isn't easily traced. I would love to visit you and Harry at your new home once you are settled. I will go and pack up what little I have for Harry. Don't bother going to the Dursley's home. Every piece of clothing they have for him is better sent to the rag bin.” 

Harry blushed and muttered, “Like I want to look like I'm wearing rags or something. Don't have much of a choice. They were all hand-me-downs from Dudley. 'Course I never got them if they were nice, 'cause Aunt Petunia would send them to charity. Only ones I got were the ones that were too rough to give away. Guess she didn't care if I looked like a street kid, 'cept of course when anyone said something, then she would lie and tell 'em that I was just careless with my clothes. Eventually I got pretty good at fixing the worse issues, sewing up holes and the like. ” 

By the end of his explanation, Harry's eyes had filled with tears and Arabella rushed over and pulled him into her arms. “I never believed her, which is why I made sure to have something nice for you to wear whenever you were here. I don't know how anyone could not notice that your clothing was never new and that it was several sizes too large. The Dursleys have no excuse either, because I know that they are collecting a stipend from the government to care for you. You are NOT a burden on their household.” 

“They got money? B..b..but, why then do I only get Dudley's rags?! Harry sobbed.

“They probably spent it on other things.” Severus snarled. “They seem to have expensive tastes in cars and I am sure that the interior of the house shows it has well.”

Harry nodded. “That's true a-and D-dudley is ALWAYS g-getting new g-games and t-toys. What few t-toys I have, I had to s-snitch out of the t-trash. D-dudley has broken more t-toys this w-week than I have gotten in my w-whole life, I am sure. He...he gets just about everything he wants. It's not f-fair!” As he spoke Harry went from being sad to being angry. It wasn't right....not right at all the way his 'family' had treated him. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed that things were beginning to rattle around him.

Severus quickly realized that Harry was about to have a rather strong episode of accidental magic if he didn't calm him down and quick. “Harry, I need you to calm down. Look at me and just breathe, please.” Harry did as he was told and tried to calm himself down. Once he was calm enough he asked why Severus had been so worried. “Harry, your magic was about to be released and you might have gotten hurt or hurt one of us, without meaning to. I wanted to alleviate that possibility. It wouldn't have been your fault. You are young and accidental magic will happen, but I know that you would be destroyed if you hurt one of us.”

“Magic? I have magic?” Harry said with a little trepidation.

“Oh, yes. I can tell already that you are going to be very powerful once you reach your full potential. Hasn't anything happened that you couldn't explain? Something you wanted very badly to happen?”

Harry thought back and had to say, “Yeah..., once my teacher was being mean to me and called me a liar and her hair suddenly turned blue. And once, Dudley and his friends were chasing me and I ended up on the roof of the school. Then, just last night, I wished really hard for my cupboard door to disappear so I could run away and it did.”

Severus smiled and stroked Harry's hair gently. “There you have it. You do have magic and will be real wizard someday. I will help you and teach you all that I know. I swear it.”

Petunia tried to keep herself from accelerating from a fast walk to a sprint as she crossed the street and headed toward her car. She now had a lead and with a little luck she would be able to catch up to Harry. “I must find Harry, before someone else does...” she muttered to herself as she reached her car and got into it. “Lord only knows how long it has been since he managed to get out of the cupboard.”

Even though it could have been several hours since the boy took off, he could only get so far on foot and she knew very well that he couldn't have possibly taken the bus, since he had no money to pay the fare. She could only hope that he had stayed on the main road, since it would be impossible to find him if he had veered off into another direction. She prayed that he hadn't been seen and picked up by the authorities. The last thing she needed was for one of Vernon's police 'friends' at the local precinct to contact him about their ward's attempt to run away. She shuddered to think what he might do to her if he ever found out that she had lied to him. She knew it was wrong, but her fear of her husband greatly overshadowed any feelings of remorse she had for allowing him to use her nephew as an outlet for his anger.

It had suddenly occurred to her that there was another issue she had to resolve before her husband returned home, the missing cupboard door. She leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and thought, 'Replacing the door is irrelevant without Harry, so locating him will have to be my first task. Hopefully, that won't take too long, so that the boy will have time to replace it.' Thanks to her husband's inherent laziness, the boy had installed a door on the shed in the past and the process was sure to be similar. It was a good thing to, because she might have had to hire someone to put it in, which would have caused questions to arise. Vernon was a terrible miser when it came to household expenses and he would immediately notice that kind of expenditure. He preferred to waste 'his' money on gadgets for Dudley and luxuries such as his favorite brandy and Cuban cigars rather than on necessary repairs on the house. Shaking her head, she started the car and backed out of the drive. The missing door was irrelevant if she didn't locate and retrieve her truant of a nephew. She had no time to waste if she was to sort this horrid situation without Vernon catching on to her deception.

Arabella smiled at the scene before her. Who would have thought that Severus Snape could be so gentle and sweet? Much as she hated to do it, she knew that she had to interrupt the moment. They really needed to leave quickly, while there was still time. “Severus, Petunia was here just before you came back.”

Severus' arms tightened around Harry, as Arabella's words hit him. He took a deep breath, his mind racing for a moment, then released Harry and stood up. “I take it you had Harry hide, since he is still here. What did she want?”

“Yes, I sent Harry upstairs while she was here. Ironically, Petunia wanted me to look in on her son every now and then while she was 'running some errands'. I asked her if she needed me to watch out for Harry as well, but she lied and said that he was with her husband 'helping' at his work place. I decided to play the daft, old woman and muttered something about seeing things, basically told her what we saw Harry doing before he came here, and, by doing so, sent her on a lovely wild goose chase.” Arabella gave a sly smirk.

Inclining his head minutely, Severus returned the smirk and said, “I believe that you would have made a most excellent Slytherin, my dear Arabella.”

She replied with a slight curtsy, “Why thank you, Severus. That is quite the high compliment coming from you,” she replied with a slight curtsy. “Seriously, though, you and Harry need to get out of here soon. I don't want to risk her coming back and seeing a Harry-shaped silhouette in the window.”

“That is very true.” Severus said then turned to his soon to be ward. “Harry, please head upstairs to gather your belongings.”

Harry nodded and said, “Yes, sir.” The child picked up his kitten, then thundered up the stairs to the dismayed amusement of the adults.

Severus shook his head with a smile. “It is fortunate that the house appears to be in excellent, if dated, condition, so we will be able to occupy it immediately. I do want to tell you about the one odd state of affairs I discovered about the house, though, before we go.”

“Whatever do you mean, Severus?” she queried.

“To begin with, I did not recognize the property, nor the handwriting the address was written in, and neither did my house elf. Then, in one of the rooms, there were family portraits and none were of members of the Prince family.”

“None of them? Which family were they of, then?”

“Apparently, it was the home of members of the Slytherin family. According to the portraits, it should only be open to that bloodline. I know that the Prince line is Ravenclaw in origin, so why was it included on the list of properties that were left to me?” Severus crossed his arms in front of him in contemplation.

“That is odd,” Arabella murmured with a furrowed brow. “Could it have something to do with your determination to hide Harry? Could he be descended from the Slytherin line?”

“Indeed, that is a possibility, but also a curiosity, as I am certain that the Potter and Longbottom families are descended from the Gryffindor line. The Black line is highly unlikely, since they would certainly shout the connection to the rooftops,” he said with a sneer.

“Well, it could also be the Snape line.” Arabella said with a laugh.

Severus scowled at the very thought of that circumstance. “Fortunately, that possibility has already been disproved. The portraits said that the house would know when an heir entered. Apparently, something special will occur and it did not happen with my entry. I suppose that we will find out if it is Harry when we arrive. If something does, then it must be the Evans line; if not, then something else is going on. I might need you to do some research for me.”

Arabella smiled. “I would be delighted to help. I have little to do day to day and having a project would be quite nice. That said, should we put some precautions in place? I believe that we will need some way to protect you and Harry beyond not telling me the actual location of the house. Perhaps...an oath of some kind? Will an unbreakable vow work for a squib?”

“You make an excellent point, Arabella. I do not know if the vow would be successful, but we could try. The first real issue is the lack of a binder. We might have to come up with a different solution, though I hope to avoid modifying your memories.”

Arabella grimaced. “That isn't a solution that I would choose or agree to. My memories have been messed with enough, thank you very much. Damn that old man for helping to hide what was going on at that house and leaving sweet, little Harry there to be abused. He is supposed to be a great man who cares deeply about the children. It just makes no sense.”

Severus grimaced. “It all depends on how you look at it. It is clear that he has some kind of agenda. What that is, I cannot say for sure, but I have a terrible feeling that Harry's enormous potential is central to it. The child's core strength appears to be immense. On one hand, this is a good thing, for it has enabled him to survive the Dark Lord and the Dursleys. Unfortunately, it may have caused Dumbledore to be concerned about being eclipsed. The old man is powerful, but old, and one's power can fade in the twilight years of life. He is still very powerful, of course, but Harry still is very young and nowhere near his magical maturity and I can already feel his magical power.”

Arabella's eyes widened. “You can feel Harry's magical power?”

Severus sighed. “It is like looking into the sun to one such as I. I am not nearly as powerful as young Harry or Dumbledore, but I am still considered to be a very strong wizard and with this strength comes certain...abilities. One such ability is what is often referred to as 'mage sense', the ability to see and sense magic. I can literally see Harry's magic if I look with my other sight. It is also how one can ascertain if someone is a squib, such as yourself, or a true Muggle.”

Arabella's brow furrowed. “Whatever do you mean by that, Severus?”

“It is not common knowledge, but there is a difference if you have the power to see it. You, like all magicals, have a magical core, Arabella, and Muggles simply do not. Despite what the general populous thinks, there is no such thing as a Muggleborn. It is a government created myth. All of the so-called Muggleborn children have at least one parent that is a squib and all squibs are descended from Magical families. The Ministry does not want them to discover the truth because it likes to confiscate all the funds it can get from supposedly 'dead' lines. This is why I advised Lilly to have go to Gringotts and take an inheritance test, but she thought I was, as she put it, 'having her on.' I suppose it never occurred to her that I had no reason to lie to her. When it is safe to do so, I will take Harry to the Goblin's to have a thorough bloodline inheritance test done, because I am sure that Lilly was from one of the supposedly extinct lines.”

Arabella shivered. “That makes a frightening amount of sense. I don't know if you know, but I am the last known member of my line. My lack of useable magic made me ineligible to inherit and the Ministry confiscated my family's assets when my parents died and there were no clear fully magical heirs. It isn't right, but is apparently entirely legal. They even tried to take the money that I earned from my job in the Muggle world, saying that I must have gotten it from my parents. To tell the truth, my parents did pad my bank account quite generously, but most of it I did earn through hard work. Now I wonder if my parents didn't convert as much of their wealth to Muggle money as was possible to keep it out of the greedy paws of the Ministry.”

“If they did, I commend them on having at least that much foresight, though there was a way to prevent the Ministry from touching a single knut.” At Arabella's raised brow, Severus continued with a smirk. “If you know that you are the last Witch or Wizard in your line, you can stipulate to Gringotts that, after your death, your vault is to be held in trust until a witch or wizard carrying the blood of your family in their veins is successfully identified. Incidentally, that just happens to be how Rowena Ravenclaw protected her vault. While it is common knowledge that she had a magically powerful daughter, Helena, who died young and childless, it is not well known that she had a son, who was discovered to be a squib. His line, quite unfortunately, produced several generations of squibs, but a young wizard was eventually born and was able to reclaim the vault. His name was Septimus Prince and he was my ancestor on my mother's side.” Severus smiled. “Septimus took it one step further and added a entailment clause which links all properties to the vault and keeps them out of Ministry hands, as well.”

“I didn't realize that you could do that,” Arabella exclaimed.

“You can and it is completely legal.” They both turned as a proverbial herd of elephants, in the shape of a small boy, came down the stairs. “Are you ready to go Harry?”

The child in question grinned. “Yes, sir. I am.” Harry quickly ran over to them and leaned against Arabella.

“Excellent. Now all we have left to do is figure out how to protect Arabella from Albus Dumbledore.” Severus frowned in thought.

“Can't we just take her with us for now? She could leave a note or something about going to the market.” Harry gave a sheepish look and said, “No offense, but women take forever to shop.”

Severus rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Or we can simply take it a step further. Arabella, just how attached are you to this abode?”

“Are you suggesting that I just...go with you?” she said with surprise.

“That is exactly what I am suggesting and, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. I know that you want to continue caring for Harry and he is attached to you as well. It also nullifies the worry about Dumbledore harming you.”

Arabella smiled and gave a emphatic nod. “That is an excellent point, Severus. As to the house, it is just a house and not even really mine. Technically, it is owned by Albus, so I likely would have to leave it regardless. I am more than willing to leave, as long as I can take my cats and personal items. I am not especially worried about the majority of the furnishings, but would like to keep the dining set and my bedroom furniture. They are family heirlooms.”

“The other house has little in the way of furnishings, so we can easily take everything. I will simply have Dassy move it all over to the other house. It actually will save time and energy, as this way I will not have to conjure anything. I will also have her remove my books and supplies to the new house, then lock down my house at Spinner's End, so that it is protected. There is no point in trying to hide the fact that we have absconded with Harry. The timing is too suspect.” Taking a deep breath, Severus called for his house elf.

“Master called?” Dassy queried.

“Arabella is coming with us. I need this house packed up and moved to the house near Inverness. I also need my books, supplies, and personal items to be removed from my quarters at Hogwarts and my house in Spinner's End and taken to the new house. Spinner's End is to be locked down.” Severus commanded.

“As Master wishes, it will be done.” Dassy said formally with a curtsy, then snapped her fingers, disappearing with a pop along with all the living room furnishings.

Awesome!” Harry exclaimed with an excited bounce.

“Indeed.” Severus said with a smile, while Arabella laughed.

 Arabella simply couldn't wait to start the next chapter of her life; it was a new adventure and she would have her little Harry with her. She took a moment to look around the house that she had lived in for the past eight years and realized with surprise that she wouldn't even miss it. It had never even really been a home to her. Albus Dumbledore's offer of a place to live in exchange for her watching over the Dursley residence had simply come at an opportune moment in time. Both of her parents had just died and since she was a squib and ineligible to inherit, it left her with no place to go. At the time, it was a relief to simply have somewhere to live.

Scowling, Arabella remembered being thoroughly appalled by the behavior of the Ministry. Her parents hadn't even been dead for 24 hours and the Ministry was already trying to evict her from her home. They even told her that the contents of the house were to be left behind. They weren't even going to allow her to take her personal items and clothing. She wouldn't be surprised if they would have even taken the clothes off her back! Thankfully, a few items were saved for her by a good man, who risked his job and freedom, to help her.

She would be forever grateful to Arthur Weasley for saving her most treasured items. She would have been left with nothing, if it wasn't for his kindness. A few hours before the Ministry was due to arrive to 'inventory' the house and its contents, Arthur had knocked on her door. He gave his condolences and then told that he was there to help her retain at least some of her family's legacy. He told her that she should choose the items that meant the most to her and he would hide them for her. She had practically flung herself at him, she was so relieved. He had patted her back awkwardly for a few minutes, then reminded her that they only had a very short time to work with. Calming herself, she had quickly showed him the items she treasured most. He shrunk the items and then replicated them by transfiguring pieces of tissue. He told her to send him her new address once she was settled and he would bring them to her as soon as the coast was clear. He had been careful not to be seen and even took pains to disguise his signature by using a different wand. Thankfully, his plan worked and the Ministry never suspected the subterfuge. Naturally, they did come calling when the items reverted into tissues, but as she was a squib and the items, which were still in Arthur's possession, were nowhere to be found, they were forced to let her go. A couple of months later, Arthur had helped her set up the items in the house on Wisteria Walk.

Severus found himself to be more than amused at Harry's fascinated gasps as Dassy went about the house flicking her fingers, conjuring boxes and causing items to 'pack' themselves. The boy clapped in delight and exclaimed that she was awesome every time she snapped her fingers making the furnishings and boxes vanish. He couldn't help but delight in Harry's delight and smile at Dassy's blushes. Luckily, she was well used to being complimented. Like many raised on the Muggle side of things, he treated her not as a possession, but as an treasured friend. Severus shuddered to think how hard moving this house would be without the considerable talents of his beloved house elf. He definitely treasured her far more than most anyone raised in the Wizarding world would. Almost before they knew it, Dassy was done moving all the non-living contents of the house. Now all that remained were the three humans and Arabella's beloved felines.

Dassy, her cheeks still rosy with her pleasure at Harry's complements, popped in front of him and asked “What will Master Severus have Dassy do now, sir? I is not sure what Lady Figgy wants me to do with her kitties. I does not know if they are safe to transport by myself.”

“Safe? Oh, never mind. What am I thinking? I do understand. Arabella?” Severus raised his voice slightly to catch her attention. She had been staring thoughtfully into space for quite some time now.

“Hmmm? Oh, I have been woolgathering a bit, haven't I? I do apologize, Severus.” Arabella said with a slightly wistful smile. “Was there something you needed?

“No need to apologize. You are allowed to reminisce about your time in this house.” He said gently. “Dassy has completed moving all your furnishings and needs to know what you wish her to do about moving your feline companions.”

“Oh? Oh, yes!” She exclaimed. “I had nearly forgotten that many animals do not respond well to being moved by house elf magic. Don't worry about them being hurt by your magic, Dassy. Thankfully, my kitties are Kneazle cross breeds and respond well to house elf magic. They will be fine as long as they are in cushioned carriers.” Dassy bowed at the waist and flicked her fingers and six rather small looking carriers appeared.

“Aren't those a bit small?” Harry asked, head tilted slightly to one side.

“Oh's no, Little Master. They's are far larger on the insides.” Dassy giggled. Harry couldn't help himself; he ran over to one of the carriers, opened the door, and stuck his head inside to the amusement of everyone else.

“Wow! There is so much space inside of these!” He breathed in wide-eyed excitement. “There are cat toys and beds and even litter boxes! Any cat would love to live in one of these.”

Trying hard not to laugh, Arabella suggested that Harry help her fetch the cats for transport to their new home. He jumped up and ran up the stairs calling out to the cats who had been sequestered in one of the bedrooms upstairs. A scant few minutes later Harry all but skipped down the stairs with a long line of cats following him, mewing happily. They had hesitated only momentarily at the carriers, easily taking Harry's word that they were quite safe. After all, Harry had told them all about the wonders inside of them when he came to get them.

Severus stared for a moment, then when Arabella giggled something about the tale of the Pied Piper, he started to laugh. He and Arabella practically had to hold each other up, their hysterics were so strong, much to Harry's confused consternation.

She had been searching for what had to be several hours now and Petunia was beginning to get frantic. She had looked everywhere and there was no sign of the blasted boy. She had even taken the risk of talking to the known early risers in the neighborhood to see if any had seen him. They all just looked at her like she was insane. After all, what child of that age would be running about at that hour? She had even tracked down the early morning driver for the local bus service and questioned him. He, of course, denied seeing any children, let alone one fitting the description she gave. She was even beginning to wonder if perhaps some random person had grabbed Harry. She hoped that he was just hiding really well.

“Get a hold of yourself, Petunia, and think!”, she told herself firmly. “What are you missing?”

She had searched the entire neighborhood several times and even ventured into some of the surrounding ones, keeping in mind how far he was likely to get on foot, to no avail. She had even taken the risk of asking around if anyone had seen him. She would have to remember to tell Vernon that the boy ran late coming home if she found him, just in case. It wouldn't do for him to discover her subterfuge. Suddenly, her mind was drawn back to Ms. Figg. She was the only person in their neighborhood that might help the boy if he asked. It was well-known that she liked the boy greatly and even had the temerity to defend him against Vernon's claims that Harry was a criminal in the making. She told all that would listen that he was a good boy. The whole neighborhood was aware that Harry was good as gold for Ms. Figg, which had caused a few raised eyebrows at first, but eventually they began to believe Vernon or at least pretend to. It was a good thing for her and her husband that most of the neighborhood felt that Ms. Figg was more than just a bit eccentric. Petunia he had often wondered if the woman was far more clever and far less crazy than one would think and now, she was beginning to consider the possibility that she had something to do with Harry's disappearance? Was it even possible that the woman had deliberately sent her on a wild goose chase? There was only one way to find out and that was to confront the woman.