The next morning Snape knocked at Harry’s door at 8, he heard the boy’s voice acknowledging it and went down to the dining room. After 15 minutes to boy had not appeared. Snape went back up and after a brief knock entered the room.

Harry was dressed for the day, in a chair of the sitting room. He had been ready to go down when he remembered about the previous day happenings, he was not going to be able to face Snape.

He hardly heard Snape entering his room.

“Well, Mr. Potter. Are you planning to skip breakfast? Wasn’t I clear when I told you that you need to eat every meal?”

“I thought that you wouldn’t like to see me, sir.”

“Mr. Potter, we live in the same house, how do you think we could accomplish that?”

“I just…. I was going to have breakfast… I was going to wait until you were finished, sir.”

“That is not acceptable, Mr. Potter, you will eat while the food is warm, if you have to be in the same room as I for that, it’s too bad. Now move it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Snape followed the boy to the dinning room. He couldn’t understand children.

Snape waited until Harry was seated and in the middle of his breakfast to ask.

“What give you the “impression” that I wouldn’t like to see you today, Mr. Potter? I did tell you last night that I would see you at breakfast, didn’t I?”

Harry was about to answer.

“Do not talk with your mouth full, Potter.”

Harry drank some juice.

“You were angry with me yesterday. Sir.”

“And do you think that I had no reason to be angry, Potter?”

“Yes, sir, you had….”

“You disobeyed me about where you were permitted to roam with the bike, Potter, and you discarded the protection gear, in consequence, when you fell down in the forest, where you were not supposed to be, you hurt yourself….”

“It was only a scrape!”

“Don’t interrupt me, Potter! Or you’ll have lines in addition to the essays that you already have to deliver today.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Keep eating. You may believe that scraping your arms and knees, and getting some bumps is no big consequence for your thoughtlessness. But it is. You should not disregard an injury or place yourself in danger just for fun. Your relatives were lousy guardians, they did not instill you with any sense of survival….”

“I survived them….! I survived the basilisk and Quirrell!”

“200 lines Potter. One more outburst and you’ll also spend the morning in the corner. You may talk in turn, just wait for me to finish.” Snape drank his coffee.

“You are good at disentangling yourself from harm's way, Potter, but you should learn to stay out of its way.”

Harry realized that he was allowed to talk. He recalled the last thing that Snape said.

“Do you think I’m good, sir?”

“If you were not good, Mr. Potter, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation. You have survived three encounters with the Dark Lord, no one has done that before. Your parents died defending you, the least you should do is to keep yourself out of danger.”

“Do you know why did he want to kill me, sir?”

“You were instrument of his demise, Mr. Potter. You were between him and the Philosopher’ stone.”

“I don’t mean last year, Professor, I mean… Why would he want to kill a baby?”

Snape was not the correct person to explain this to Potter. But was the only one here.

“Mad melomaniacs do not have ethical problems with killing an infant, Mr. Potter. It’s clear that his intentions were to kill everyone in that house, regardless of the age. That kind of display of power help to create terror. He never thought that, that would prove fatal for him.”

“But how…? I mean, sir, He is not dead. How can that be?”

“I do not have all the answers, Mr. Potter. Even though I can speculate as of the possibility that you would keep on being his target. If for nothing else, because you did damage his reputation. And keep on doing it.”

“So you think that He’ll come back for me, sir?”

“I’m sure He will, Mr. Potter. And I am not the only one.”

“Does Professor Dumbledore think that too?”

“Yes, he does. Mr. Potter. Your mother’s act of defending you made it possible that you survive the attack. Her blood kept you safe then and kept you safe with Quirrell, but it needs to be sustained, that is why you had to live with your relatives. To keep the protection you had to live within your mother’s blood relatives. Professor Dumbledore never thought that you would be mistreated there. I for my part thought that you would be a spoiled, insufferable brat. As it turned out, we were wrong.”

Snape pointed to a piece of strawberry left in Harry’s plate. Harry ate it.

“What brings us back to our conversation, Mr. Potter. I have no problem in having you in my sight, today or everyday. In fact, I am inclined to think that if I will accomplish keeping you out of harm, I should keep you in my sight permanently. Should I do that, Mr. Potter?”

“No, sir.”

“Should I allow you to go biking again, Mr. Potter? To take a bath alone, without worrying that you will use the first chance to risk your skinny neck?”

“I’m not that skinny…., Sir”

“You may go back to your room now. Mr. Potter. Think about my concern as you write your essay, we’ll address it later. I’ll see you at exactly 5 to 12 for lunch, Potter. You have a watch and no excuse, so be on time. Do you understand, Mr. Potter?

“Yes, sir.”

“See you at lunch then, Potter.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harry entered his room and went to the study room. He had his parchment there. He felt numb. It had been a very strange breakfast/lecture, after last night misadventures.

He had been ashamed to be with Snape. He didn’t know what to tell him, the man had washed his hair! How weirder could it turn? And now…

He found written on the board a line in Snape’s hand that read ‘I should NOT interrupt while someone else is talking. I should wait for MY turn to speak’

He wouldn’t be able to finish the essays or the lines on time. He started with the lines. When he had completed around 50 lines, his hand started to hurt. He moved it and decided to start on the essay about the bike. After a while he looked at the watch and it was 15 before 12. So he went to the bathroom and washed for lunch. His hands were smeared with ink that couldn’t be removed easily. He scrubbed and decided to let it be. He would have to return to write after lunch. He wished he had stayed out of the forest.

Lunch was a quieter affair.

Snape and Harry arrived at the same time to the diningroom. There were several plates with vegetables and cold chicken. Harry fixed a salad and he also had a bowl of broth. Snape choices were similar.

When Harry finished his food, he sat pondering to eat an apple, he was full now but knew that before dinner he would be hungry. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on an empty stomach.

Snape had not mentioned any rule about not eating in the bedroom, they have even eaten in his sitting room. But now he was on restriction…. He turned to look at Snape. He was going to ask him if he was allowed to take some fruit to his room.

Snape had watched him closely and saw the internal struggle. The boy was going to ask for something!

“Sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter.”

“May I take some apples to eat latter?” The boy looked scared, and as if he was bracing for a lecture.

“Certainly. As many as you wish, Potter. I’ll ask the elves to place a pitcher of milk and one of pumpkin juice in your sitting room, also something else for you to eat at mid-afternoon.”

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll go now.” Harry bolted out of the room.

Harry felt foolish. He knew that Snape was not going to deny him food. He knew it. Why did he feel like crying then?

He entered his bathroom and washed his face. Why was he crying!? He was such a baby. It was like…. Like that first Christmas at Hogwarts, when he found the presents and realized that they were for him.

Before that he knew that there were no presents for him, no matter how ‘good’ he had tried to be. He had felt so grateful to Ron’s mother. Hers was the first pullover that was his, only his. He had felt like crying then, but Ron was there, so he had stopped the tears, and then he had unwrapped the invisibility cloak! He was so exited… But now he was crying over a couple of apples! He splashed more water on his face.

Being punished at the Dursley’s was so different!

First he would be sore, hard to walk sore, then he would be hungry. He was always hungry there, but if his aunt or uncle were displeased, he could go a whole day or more with out food. Just some bread or left over that he would be able to sneak. He did not go thirsty, because he could steal a drink from the hose in the garden or from the bathroom. And now….!

And now, he was not sore, Snape smacks had been hurtful at first but the smart had disappeared before Harry fell asleep. He’d had two meals. Complete healthy meals and was allowed more nourishment and even a mid-afternoon snack!

He kept on wetting his face. Did he really deserve to be treated like this?

He took a towel and dried his face. He realized that water had splashed from the sink to the floor. Looking at it he felt new tears coming. Snape had been very nice even after he flooded the bathroom….

“Do you know, Mr. Potter, there are some anti-spilling charms that are used in sinks and bathtubs?” A voice said from the door.

“Sir…. I’m sorry.”

“What is the problem, Mr. Potter, are you hurt?”

Snape looked at the boy that was shaking his head and hiding behind the towel, from head to feet, he even used his wand for a quick diagnose spell. But everything was fine. Even though the boy kept crying. Snape step closer and looked if there was something broken in the sink that could cause the boy some regret.

“What is it, child?”

Harry did not think about it, he turned to the professor ashamed of his tears and hid them on the man’s chest. He kept on crying.

Snape held him. He was thinking to ‘accio’ a calming draught when he felt that the boy stopped crying.

“I’m such a baby.”

“No, you are not, Mr. Potter.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I splashed the floor again and got your clothes wet.”

Snape moved his wand and Harry felt himself within a small whirlwind, and everything was dry, even his tears.

“Why are you so upset, Child?”

“I’m not sure, sir. I… you said that I could bring food to my room…”

“Was that good or bad, Mr. Potter?”

“Will you ever call me, Harry?”

Harry hugged the man again. Snape walked with the boy attached to his chest to the sitting room, they may as well sit down to talk.

“What is the problem, Harry?” The name felt strange on his mouth but it made the child look at him.

“I don’t know, there is no problem at all, sir. I… have a lot of new things, these rooms, a lot of food and even when I’m in disgrace I am not hurt or hungry. I don’t know if I deserve all this, because… because if I don’t… this won’t last. I guess I… you have been so good to me. And… I…. did not follow your instructions….I don’t want to… to like it here, because… because… it will end at the same time as the Summer and… and back in school you won’t like me again.”

Snape accioed a calming draught and placed some drops in a glass of water.

“Here, Harry, drink this, and take deep breaths.”

When Harry calmed down he said:

“It is normal that you feel confused. You have gone through some hard years with your relatives, it will take you some time getting used to it, but be sure that you deserve this. You deserved better than what they gave you. And before your relatives took you in, you had it. Your parents would have given you nothing less.” Snape waited as the information entered Harry’s mind. He could see the boy understanding but doubting. “And you will keep on having it, with me or with anyone else, but we won’t let you down again, Harry.” The boy hugged him again.

“I will draft our schedule for the rest of the summer. Starting on Monday I will schedule time for us to talk about your relatives and about your feelings, we may talk about it any time you need, but a scheduled time would give it structure. This doesn’t mean that you are weak, and it would worry me, if you just try to forget it and pretended it did not happen. The treatment that you went through left scars, not only on your rump and back, also inside you, child, we have to find them and cure them.”

Harry only looked at him, not crying any more.

“Are you better now, Harry?

“Yes, sir. I had never cried this much with out a good reason.”

“You had a good reason, Child. Can you go back to your work or do you want to take a nap?”

“I’ll go back to my work now, sir.”

Harry felt strangely calmed. But he couldn’t concentrate so he continued with the lines. After finishing them he went to his sitting room and found the juice and milk that Snape had mentioned. He drank a glass of juice and saw that the house elves had left apples and some mini-apple pies. He got a glass of milk and one of the pies, it was delicious.

He finished with the essays and wished for Hermione to be there, she knew a great charm that would remove the ink stains of the parchment.

He had to copy it very carefully and was tired. Dinner would be one hour and a half later so he went to his bedroom and lay down on his bed.

He was such a baby having to take a nap! He woke one hour later and went back to the study room, he had not done any homework. Just the essays and the lines. Snape had said that he should begin with his homework. Would he be angry if Harry had not started?

Harry went down to dinner. He found the table ready, but Snape was not waiting for him. Harry saw the grandfather clock in the wall and realized that there were 10 more minutes until dinnertime. He walked toward the parlor and heard voices, one was definitively Snape’s, the other sound familiar, like Professor Dumbledore, but far away… As he got near he heard the conversation.

“…. yes Headmaster, I’ll see that he is ready when you arrive.”

“I know Severus, sorry for the inconvenience, but I had reserved seats at the Knight bus, and we do have a long journey ahead of us, so I would rather start early. I trust that you have supplied Harry with adequate clothing?”

“Yes, Headmaster, he will be properly attired.”

“Have him pack and have an extra change of clothes on hand just in case.”

“Just keep him away from sinks, bathtubs and fountains.”

“C’mon on Severus, it couldn’t be that bad.”

“The boy is a bundle of emotions, Headmaster, I think that he will need something more, some professional counseling, I’m not sure that I’m the right person for this job.”

“You are my friend, you are… Tomorrow you may rest, and plan how to handle it.”

“Rest!? Old man, have you read Madam Pomfrey’s prescriptions requirements? I already started brewing but that woman would have me working day and night for the rest of the summer.”

“Would you have time for my… request?”

“I have all the ingredients and will start with the preparation tomorrow after you leave. Explain to me again why am I doing it….”

“Because you are the best Potion Master that I know. And I trust you.”

“You do not know a lot of Potions Masters, Old man, and you are known to trust everyone. I am not comfortable with what you plan to do.”

“There is pleasure in helping a friend….”

“That…. Creature is not my friend.”

“I understand, that is what makes it better. Well I have to go. Please tell Mr. Potter about tomorrow… No need, He already heard it, Mr. Potter I’ll pick you up at 8.30. See you both later.”

Harry had looked around the corner and saw Snape’s back, he did not count on Dumbledore’s head looking at him. He hid behind the wall.

“Mr. Potter?”

Harry sat in the hall, could this day be a little bit longer?

“Mr. Potter, show yourself, stop lurking behind the wall.”

Harry stood up and entered the parlor.

“It’s not good manners to eavesdrop, Mr. Potter.”

“I’m sorry. I…. was looking for you. Dinner is ready… and… I just followed your voice.”

“You should have stopped and turned around the moment that you realized I was having a private conversation.”

“Were you talking with Professor Dumbledore in the chimney..?”

“Indeed. The floo can be used as means of communication as well as transportation, the powder you need is less for this. Well, you heard him, you must be ready to go tomorrow at 8.30 so I’ll wake you up at 7.30 for breakfast. Now lets eat.”

Harry walked behind Snape to the dinning room.

With more questions than answers Harry couldn’t eat. He kept moving his food around the plate.

“Don’t play with your food, Mr. Potter.” Harry took a bite.

As Snape saw that he did not take any more he said:

“How many apple-pies did you eat, Mr. Potter?”

“Only one, sir. Almost 2 hours ago.”

“Why then are you not hungry, Potter?”

“Professor Dumbledore is going to take me away. Is he not?”

“He’ll be here at 8.30 tomorrow. You heard him, Mr. Potter. You’ll have to be ready and packed. He is very punctual.”

“But I thought that… that we were getting along, sir. You… you even talked about next week schedule, Why is he taking me now…?”

“I thought that you were aware of this, Potter, you should know….”

Harry’s mind filled in, he should know that no one wanted him….

“I don’t… I’m sorry to be such a burden… Sir. I’ll pack my things now, sir.” He stood up and walked fast to the door, he wanted to run.

“Harry, come back here!” That stopped him. He hesitated but turned back and sat on the table.

“You called me, Harry…”

“You said I could earlier. No tell me, ‘Harry’. What do you think is the reason why professor Dumbledore is coming tomorrow?”

“He will take me away because I’m too much trouble and too disobedient and too sloppy, you don’t want me here any more. I’m sorry.”

“Harry… look at me, Didn’t professor Dumbledore tell you that he was going to visit?”

Snape saw how the hope brightened the child’s eyes.

“Yes, when I bid him good bye at school, he said he would visit on Saturday.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, Harry, he’ll pick you up and will take you on an outing. He will bring you in time for dinner. You’ll sleep in your bed. You’ll stay here until it’s time to go back to school.”

“Why do you want me to pack then, sir?”

“He wants you to have a change of clothes in case you need them, Mr. Potter.”

“I’m not a baby to need to carry a change of clothes!” He said indignantly. Then he understood. “You are not going to send me away. Thank you.”

“No, Mr. Potter, I am not going to send you away. I’m just going to send you to that corner. Face the wall for 5 minutes and think of the naughtiness of eavesdropping. If you had not followed your nose to the parlor, I would have told you about Professor Dumbledore intentions for tomorrow and we would both had gone with out the angst. After the 5 minutes you will sit back in your chair and finish your dinner.”

Harry stood in the corner.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Not talking while you are in the corner, Harry.”

Five minutes later Snape placed his arm over the boy’s shoulder and turned him around. He saw that the boy had sobered up and look calmer.

“Well, Mr. Potter, are you ready to finish your dinner?”

“Yes, sir.” Suddenly Harry felt that he was hungry. He felt his food an realized that it was still warm. He ate it with out looking at his stern guardian. He was too happy to stop smiling. Ron would think that he was crazy, he had been upset thinking that he would be taken away from Snape!

“Have you finished with your impositions, Mr. Potter? I want you to go to bed as early as possible, if you had not, you’ll finish on Sunday.”

“I’ve finished, sir, I… I have not started with my homework, though.”

“You’ll start in earnest next week, Harry, why are your hands stained with ink?”

“It smeared as I write, sir.”

“Don’t you know how to use a quill, Potter?” Harry felt his ears turn red. This was the man that he wanted to keep on living with.

“That would hardly be my relatives fault, sir, Muggles do not use quills.” Harry answered quietly.

“I know that, Mr. Potter, mind your cheek, but it would be your Head of house business to ensure that all her charges are instructed in the correct art of writing. We will have to address it next week also.”

Harry finished his food. He saw that he was not given any dessert. But the platter of pies was near Snape. He turned to look at his guardian and said:

“May I eat one apple-pie, sir?”

“I should send you to bed with out dessert, Harry, after your abominable behavior, but as you have finished with your punishment essays and lines, you may, just one with a glass of milk.”

Harry smiled at Snape.

“Where is Professor Dumbledore going to take me, sir?” He asked as he licked his fingers, Snape gave him a napkin but Harry had already cleaned his hands.

“I have no idea, Mr. Potter. If you have finished go to your room and bring me your lines and essays. Then you may get ready for bed.”

Harry returned after some minutes and delivered his parchments.

“Good night, Professor.”

“Good night, Harry.”

Harry felt exhausted, he fell asleep the moment his head was placed on the pillow, he woke up three hours later to check the watch, and he didn’t want to oversleep.

He kept on waking almost every hour, he even dreamt that he woke up when Dumbledore had left.

He woke up when he felt a hand shaking him. He should know that Snape would not allow him to be late. Harry stood up and went to the bathroom.

“Would I wear a glamour, Sir?”

“You and Professor Dumbledore will pass as tourists, Mr. Potter, so dress casual, remember a jacket or pullover, at this time of the year the rains are frequent, but light. I am not sure if you are going to walk in the sun or not, you’ll find in your bathroom a pot of sun block potion apply it to your legs, arms and face, you should also wear this cap, we do not want you to be recognized, it will keep your scar covered.”

Harry moved automatically, it still seemed too good to be true, and Snape was sounding like Aunt Petunia when Dudley went on a school outing. He was almost 13 years old! Why should he apply that smelly cream?

“Mr. Potter, have you heard what I said?”

“Yes, sir, I have to wear a cap…”

“Apply the cream.”

“It smells strange… Sir.”

“The smell will evaporate, it will protect you from sunburns.”

Harry thought he was being paranoid, but well, it was Snape.

The picky man made Harry change his clothes, he said that Harry’s t-shirt was too red.

“But I like this color. sir.”

“Wear a more discreet color, every one will remember a green eyed child with the red t-shirt.”

“What is wrong with that? We are not going to rob a bank!”

“Change it, Mr. Potter.”

How could the man do that? Finish the discussion with his scary glares…?

Harry had eggs, ham and sausages, juice and milk for breakfast, Snape made sure that he ate every small piece, Harry was finishing when they heard a chime, like a doorbell. Snape stood up from the table and went to the living room, Harry wanted to follow, but again a stare made him stay put and keep on eating.

Snape returned moments later with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. The couple was dressed very strange Harry almost chocked with his toast.

Professor Dumbledore had blue pants, pink shirt and a yellow jacket, a straw hat and dark eyeglasses, his beard seamed to have been shrunken to a small goatee.

Professor McGonagall wore a plaid skirt and a jacket, with a red scarf that almost reached the floor, she also had a straw hat and dark eyeglasses.

If Snape did not want anyone remembering them, they should use his invisibility cloak.

“Harry, are you ready?”

“Yes, professor, where are we going?”

“Get your teeth washed, Mr. Potter”

“Yes, sir.” Harry went out and back in less than two minutes.

“We have a hat for you, Mr. Potter”

“Thank you, sir, but I have a cap.”

“Good child.”

“We are going to explore London, Mr. Potter.” Minerva informed him. “Is there any place that you would like to visit?”

“The Tower, and the Dungeons, and the Wax Museum, and…. And the Zoo?”

“I want to see the Haunted Buildings, may be we’ll find some one we know there.”

“Albus!”

“C’mon on, Minerva, just relax, this is supposed to be fun!”

“I’m not sure of where we are going, Severus, but we’ll bring him back at 7, the latest.”

“We’ll take the floo back to Hogwarts, from there we’ll take the knight-bus to the Leaky Cauldron, we’ll walk in London from there.”

“We’ll go back the same way.”

“He is taking a supplement Minerva, he needs three healthy meals, he had already breakfasted so just be sure he had an appropriate lunch and tea or dinner. Please do not stuff him with candy.”

“We will. Severus, but a candy or two never harmed anyone.”

“But 50 would.” Mumbled Snape. “Do not bring me a sugar-high, overactive pre-teen please. Mr. Potter this is a treat for you, be sensible and enjoy your outing.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Shall we go…? The Knightbus is arriving soon.” They walked toward the chimney in the sitting room.

“A word with you, Mr. Potter.”

“Yes, sir?”

Snape held Harry outside the parlor.

Snape gave Harry a backpack.

“Here is your change of clothes, a pullover, some apples and juice. You would find also the sun block cream, re-apply it if you feel your skin get dry. Also here is some muggle money, in case you need it.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“See you later, Harry.”