For the next few days Severus recovered. He was still weak, but after some careful handling and good nourishing food, he began to improve. Luckily for the others, the nutrient potion Healer Barnes gave them worked and they did not catch the flu.

Albus was still conscious that Severus needed a session with Jeffrey Barnes. The child's illness had caused some disturbing hallucinations, often leaving Dumbledore at a loss. All he could do was pace the floors with the little boy in his arms, crooning softly to him that he was safe and loved.

Jeffrey had observed Severus playing on several occasions, and noted that he enjoyed sorting things into groups, whether they were coloured bricks or toy animals. He decided that this would be a good place to start.

On the day of Severus's first session with Jeffrey, Remus collected Harry and took him out for the day. They went to the Weasleys, since Dumbledore knew it was safe for his little charge.

Minerva retired to her rooms to attend to some paperwork. She wanted to give Albus and Jeffrey space to work with the little potions master.

Jeffrey Barnes entered the Headmaster's living room with a brightly coloured bag and a broad smile. Severus, who had been hiding in Dumbledore's arms, peeped out curiously. "Hello, Severus," said the Healer brightly, "How are you feeling today?"

"Don't want more poshuns," said the child quietly.

Jeffrey chuckled. "No more potions today, little one," he assured the boy. “Just some toys for you to play with. Do you want to come and see them, Severus? You can bring Albus".

In the end curiosity won out. Severus pulled Dumbledore over to the bag of toys. Jeffrey was now sitting on the floor and Albus joined him.

In true childish excitement, Severus emptied the bag out over the floor. The bag contained several small toy figures. Closer inspection revealed their identities. Dumbledore stared in amazement. These were all the people little Severus had encountered in his world by the age of three, both for the first time and now. These included himself and Minerva. It also included Salazar and Araminta Snape. Dumbledore could not help but feel sad upon seeing again the lovely young girl whose life had ended so tragically. Pulling himself out of his musings, he and Jeffrey drew back, letting the little boy examine all the figures.

"Severus, can you find yourself in there?" Jeffrey asked quietly after a time.

Severus smiled and held up the figure of the small, dark eyed boy.

"Very good," the healer praised him, "Now, can you tell me who the others are?"

Slowly, Severus held up each one and identified it. Jeffrey noted the slight tremor when he named his parents. He knew he would need to work through this with the child.

"When Severus was a little boy, where did he stay?" Jeffrey asked.

Severus thought for a moment and then placed the figure of himself beside his parents.

"All right," said Jeffrey, "I am going to move the other people away for now. Can you show me Severus with his parents?"

Severus seemed to need time to digest this request. Jeffrey moved back again and initiated some small talk with Albus, letting the little boy take control of the game.

After a few minutes Severus began to speak, imitating his father. "Minta, I need you to brew some potions for our master. Get it done quickly and get that lazy brat to help you!"

"Salazar, Seberus is only a little boy," he imitated his mother.

"Rubbish!" shouted the father. Severus put himself and his mother in front of an imaginary cauldron with the father beside them.

"You spilled the potion. Useless brat! Why can't you do anything right!" he shouted as his father had done all those years ago.

"Throw him in the sella," Salazar shouted at Araminta, "Two days down there should get rid of that lazy streak."

Jeffrey got the distinct impression Severus had only understood those words when he got older. The child tripped over the last sentence but never lost the angry tone.

"Salazar, No!" Severus was doing a good impression of his mother's pleading voice.

He then pretended to hit his mother with his father. "Do as I say!"

So Severus got his mother to put him in the cellar.

Jeffrey and Albus sat in complete silence, managing to hide their horror. Severus seemed totally engrossed in the memory now, as if looking at it through a pensieve.

"Mummy please? Want out! Don't like dark. Scary!"

"No 'orthless boy! You'll stay there 'til I say you can come out. Shut up Minta with that stupid crying. It's your fault. Severus is YOUR FAULT! HE'S A DISGWACE!"

Before either adult had time to react, Severus had grabbed the figure of his father and held it over his mother.

"Crucho, crucho, crucho!!" he shouted.

Dropping the toys. Severus fell on the ground and started to scream. It was a shrill, piercing, terrified sound. It took the healer a minute to work out that it was not just an imitation of his mother under the Cruciatus curse, but a flashback.

Albus was horrified. Even though he knew the basic facts about what had transpired in the Snape house, he was unaware of the full extent of the brutality Salazar Snape had inflicted on his wife and child. He remembered that Salazar had eventually murdered his wife in a jealous rage, believing she had found someone else and was going to leave him, taking Severus with her. It took a long time for the ministry to prove this crime, however. Salazar had covered his tracks well. Severus had been left alone with his father for a further four years. By the time Salazar became a wanted man and received the Dementor's kiss, he had already delivered his son to Voldemort.

"Why did I not help him sooner! Why did I not see? " Dumbledore asked himself angrily, “Perhaps If you had paid more attention to the Slytherins than the Gryffindors” a voice in his head answered. He sighed.

Going to Severus, he put a soft hand on his back. The child had now stopped screaming, but continued to whimper, covering his face as if expecting to be beaten.

Dumbledore ignored the little boy's flinch and continued to stroke his small back, speaking softly to him. “Severus, child?" he cooed, "It's all right. You are safe. It is just me, just Albus. Jeffrey is getting you a nice drink to make you feel better".

The child was shaking violently and Dumbledore slowly gathered him up into his lap. "My poor little darling," he breathed into the dark hair, "My poor little one. You are safe now. No one will hurt you. There is no need to be frightened any more".

Severus clung to the old wizard, who rocked him gently and hummed softly in his ear. Jeffrey held out the calming draught and Severus was coaxed into drinking it. Eventually the shivering stopped and Severus lay almost limp in Dumbledore's arms.

Jeffrey took this opportunity to redirect the game. He picked up the figure of Severus and that of Albus. He then called the child softly. "Where is Severus now?" he asked, "Who has got Severus now?"

Severus reached up a small hand and pointed at Albus, who kissed him gently on the forehead.

Jeffrey then asked him where he should place the toy, and was pleased when he was told to put him on Dumbledore's lap.

After several more minutes, Severus got up, the potion having taken full effect. He picked up the figures of Harry and Minerva. "They go with Abus and Seberus," he informed the healer, who smiled.

"Do you know what feelings are, Severus?" Jeffrey asked.

Severus looked confused. Jeffrey realised he would have to simplify things. Reaching into his cloak, he produced some faces illustrating several emotions.

"What is this face, Severus?" he asked.

"Happy," came the soft reply.

"Very good, little one," Barnes smiled. He then put the little figure of Severus with that of his father.

"Was Severus happy when he was here?" he asked carefully. Severus looked at him for a few seconds and shook his head.

"Why don't you show me what Severus felt when he was with his father?"

The healer gave Severus all the faces. The child eventually picked out a sad and a frightened face.

"So, Severus was sad and scared at home?" Jeffrey knew he was asking some very leading questions here, but he wanted to give the little boy the words to describe his feelings.

Severus nodded. "Seberus sad cos Father hurted Mummy and took her away an she didn't come back".

Jeffrey nodded. Having suspected Severus may have witnessed his mother's murder, he was determined to keep a neutral expression so as not to stress the toddler more.

"What about Severus. Did Father do anything else to Severus?" Barnes probed.

Despite the potion, Severus trembled. He shut his mouth tightly and covered his face. Dumbledore was about to tell Jeffrey that this was too much for his child now when Severus turned and looked at him, as if checking he was still there.

"I'm here, darling," he soothed gently; "You're safe".

Severus ran to him and buried his face in the purple robe. Dumbledore hugged him.

Jeffrey waited a couple of minutes, and then pushed the toys to Dumbledore.

"Get him to show you," he whispered.

"Severus, why can't you tell us about your father, hmm?" Albus ran his hand through the dark hair.

"Mustn't tell. Can't tell," the child whispered, a shiver running through him. Albus held him tighter.

"Why not, child?"

"Cos Father will give me to the Dark Lawd and he'll put me in a poshun".

Dumbledore had a considerable task in keeping down his anger at Salazar Snape. He felt nothing but relief that the man was dead.

"Why don't you show us instead then?" he asked. "You won't get into trouble. I promise." He stroked the dark hair while Severus considered.

Severus took the toys and again he began to imitate his father. "I should have killed you like your stupid mother," he said angrily, "I'll teach you a lesson. Crucho! Crucho! Crucho!"

Again Severus whimpered, pretending to be the small figure. He then grabbed the toy.

"Bad Seberus! Bad Seberus"" he shouted. He then stared down at the toys of Harry, Albus and Minerva. He didn't know how to feel.

"Oh dear, poor Severus," said Jeffrey softly, "Father was very angry, wasn't he?"

Severus nodded.

"He said some very bad things to Severus," Jeffrey continued.

"Severus bad," the child answered in a small voice, "Father said Severus made Mummy go 'way cos she hated Seberus."

"Did Mummy hate Severus?" Jeffrey asked

"Abus said Mummy loved Seberus lots," the child answered.

Albus reached out and stroked his cheek, trying to hold the tears back. How could that monster Snape put his child through so much, and then make Severus feel he was to blame?

"Your mummy did love you a lot Severus," he reassured the child, "It was not your fault she died. It was your father's. Do you understand?" he said, as he continued to caress the small face. He received a small nod in return.

Without any prompting from Jeffrey, Severus put the toy potions master in the toy headmaster's arms.

"Good child," Albus whispered, "That is where you belong. I love you very much. You are my little boy".

Severus threw himself into the strong arms again and allowed Albus to comfort him once again.

"How do you feel now, Severus?" Jeffrey asked.

"Happy," said Severus, "I'm Abus boy now".

"Yes you are," Jeffrey beamed.

"An I'm 'Nerva's boy too," he picked up the figure of McGonagall and placed it with the others. He then picked up Harry and did the same thing.

"That is called a family, little one," Jeffrey told him, "You deserve to have a family who love and care for you. You are a wonderful little boy," he stroked the child's hair. "You have done very well, Severus. You have worked through some very hard things today and you have been very brave".

Severus looked up at the green-eyed healer, a small smile on his face.

"I am going back to the clinic to make some notes," Jeffrey told Dumbledore, "That was a very good start".

Albus smiled shakily. He was still reeling from today's revelations, many of which confirmed his suspicions. He wondered how he could have missed it at the time.

He felt a calm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let guilt get the better of you, Albus," Jeffrey advised, "You may have made mistakes but you couldn't know everything that was happening.

“I could have done more,” Albus murmured, “When he was being tormented by the Marauders here at Hogwarts I did not help him. It must have made him feel he was to blame. I have done no better for him than his father in some ways”.

"Albus, you have made some bad decisions in the past but it does not mean you are like Salazar Snape. You have a chance to make amends now. Severus needs you to be there for him now.”

"I will be," Dumbledore held the drowsing toddler tightly, "I will be".