Harry rubbed his eyes as he awoke the following morning and climbed out of bed. He stretched and gazed through his clouded window to see that the sun was only just beginning to rise. He wasn't sure why he was awake this early but decided to stay up anyway and changed into his school uniform.

He had a little bit of time before Emile was going to walk him to school so Harry cautiously made his way downstairs and decided to have his breakfast while he waited for her.

He reached the last step and hesitated; Simon was moving about in the kitchen as he prepared scrambled eggs in a frying pan.

'What?' He asked Harry the moment he'd spotted the boy staring at him.

'Nothing.' Harry shrugged and stepped into the room. Once the man had turned to ignore him, Harry quickly grabbed some fruit and made himself some jammed toast. There was a tense silence as they each went about their breakfast tasks.

Harry couldn't bare to be near Simon for long, so he ventured outside to eat the rest of his toast as he sat on the front step of the house.

As usual, his gaze trailed over to the stranger's house; the home of his silent hero whose name Harry still didn't know. His thoughts wandered to the button he'd been given and the way the man had scared off those would-be bullies with only a few words. Harry wished he had that kind of power and influence.

He chewed the last of his toast and returned inside to gather his schoolbag. Emile wandered into the kitchen and fixed herself something to eat while Simon retreated to the table and proceeded to complain about whatever he was reading in the newspaper.

Harry paid them little attention as he preferred to pretend away their existence by imagining that he was the only one there.

'You'll be shopping today.' Emile told him as they left the house and walked in the direction of the school.

'Simon will give you the list and money this afternoon as I have to work late.' She sighed. 'Remember the rules.'

'Yeah, the leftover money is mine,' Harry nodded. 'And don't break the eggs.'

'Exactly.' Emile agreed as she glanced over at the school grounds. He waited for her to comment on something or ask him questions about his studies...but the silence continued. It was during these moments in which Harry hated because he was constantly reminded that no one cared.

Harry stopped at the gates of the school grounds and watched Emile leave. He felt downhearted for a moment but convinced himself to appear confident and untethered in case someone noticed and picked on him for it. With those recollections, Harry glanced around nervously for the boys that had chased him the previous day. They didn't appear to be around. With an exhale of relief, he approached a group of boys from his class to watch as they played hopscotch in an attempt to pass the time.

'Wanna play?' A blonde boy asked when he spotted Harry standing on the sidelines.

'Um, sure.' Harry shrugged. He placed his schoolbag on the ground and reached for the stone they passed to him. He tossed it and it landed three jumps away. It felt nice to be invited to join in for once as he never really had friends nor did anyone give him much attention.

The bell rang and Harry turned to grab his bag. He hurried after the group he had played with and followed them along the corridor to their classroom. After he'd hung up his bag on its designated hook, Harry sat in his seat and prepared for the day.

'Good morning, everyone.' Mrs Kline greeted her class and began to call attendance. Harry was used to being "Cody Evans" by now that he responded to this adopted name as clearly as the others replied to their own names.

He thought back to when he had first heard that name, although it was difficult to remember it clearly. It had occurred around about the same time as when he'd been taken from Erin. Harry gasped as he recalled how lady at the orphanage had been the first to call him by that new name. She'd said that one day he'd be thankful for it, or something.

'Cody?' The teacher glanced over at him; she and the rest of the class had obviously heard his sudden gasp.

'Sorry. It's nothing.' Harry blushed and ducked his head with embarrassment while a few of the other students sniggered.

'Okay than.' Mrs Kline nodded and proceeded with the first lesson which was a revision of their spelling words.

Harry kept his head down for a while and tried to ebb away his embarrassment while his realization swam through his mind. It must have meant more than he'd previously thought because he had trouble with his spelling whereas he was usually really good at it.

'Hey, Evans.' A boy behind Harry hissed and he turned around to face the sandy-haired boy with brown eyes.

'What?' Harry whispered and hoped that the teacher wouldn't catch him talking during class; he'd had enough attention for one day.

'What are you doing after school?' The boy asked curiously.

'Uh, shopping.' Harry replied.

'Oh. Well, can't you ask your mum to let you come over to my place instead?'

'I can't.' Harry sighed. The one time he might make a friend and he had no option but to turn the boy down.

'I have to do the shopping by myself.' He revealed and realized that it indeed wasn't a normal task given to a child of his age because the other boy looked quite surprised by his reply.

'Oh, ah...right.' The boy frowned. 'Well, can I come? We can go to the park when we're done, if you like?'

'Yeah, okay.' Harry grinned but winced as the teacher called his name again. 'Sorry.' He told her and turned back around.

'I'm Jack, by the way.' The boy hissed and Harry nodded to let him know that he'd heard him.

Harry fidgeted in his seat and hoped that the day would go past as quickly as the previous one had appeared to. However, it seemed that when one is waiting for something time goes by slower, or at least it feels that way.

The day progressed slowly and almost painfully for Harry. He barely managed not to jump from his seat when the lunch bell rang. At least during a meal break he would be able to find a more effective way of passing time.

'Wanna play some basketball?' Jack asked him as they stepped outside with their lunch-boxes.

'Yeah.' Harry nodded. 'But I've never played before.'

'Me neither.' Jack smirked as they hurriedly ate their lunch and went to join two boys at the court. The other boys were a bit older than them but Jack and Harry proved to be a good team; they were able to keep up with them although their goal-scoring skills weren't to be envied.

'It's sure harder than it looks.' Jack gasped as he hunched over to catch his breath while Harry went to retrieve the ball. The older boys had gone to hang out with their other friends and had left them the court.

'Yeah.' Harry agreed.

'So, Cody...what are your parents like?' Jack questioned curiously.

'Oh um, I don't live with them.' Harry sighed in admittance. 'They died when I was a baby and I stayed with a nice lady for a while. Than I was sent somewhere else and they died too.' He frowned and hoped he wasn't changing his friend's mind about being around him.

'Who are you with now?' Jack asked instead.

'Just some friends of the other people.' Harry shrugged. 'I don't like them very much. How about you? What are your parents like?'

'Well...' Jack thought for a moment as he straighted and reached for the ball to try and score a goal.

'Mum's a doctor so she's on call a lot. Dad's a mechanic so I know a fair bit about cars because of him. I don't see them much but it's okay, I guess. I mean, I still have my big brother.' Jack shrugged and glanced away as though he was ashamed of his family as well.

'It's okay.' Harry replied. 'Sometimes things just don't work out real good.'

'Yeah.' Jack smiled and tossed the ball upwards. It bounced off the side of the hoop and Harry had to run to catch it.

Harry was really enjoying himself and found that he quite liked Jack. Although he'd never had a friend before so it was nice to finally be seen and that someone chose to spend some time with him. He stared at the hoop and tried to line the ball up with it before he tossed it.

'Nearly!' Jack complimented as the ball hit the side of the hoop...but for some reason it didn't fall. Both boys stared as the ball slid slightly around the hoop's edge and than flipped sideways into the net.

'Wow, score!' Jack seemed to find it amazing while Harry frowned at the bouncing ball and wondered what had happened. Surely that wasn't natural? He had missed the goal, but than how...?

'Yeah, score.' He nodded anyway and brushed it aside as the school bell rang yet again.

'So how long will the shopping take?' Jack wondered.

'Dunno, I've never done it before.' Harry shrugged. 'But it should be faster if you're helping me.'

'Excellent.' Jack grinned. 'I saw which way you left yesterday when those bullies chased you, you live down near Spinner's End, right?'

'Yeah.' Harry frowned as he remembered the bullies. He sat into his seat and sighed. He noticed that this time Jack had moved to sit beside him at his left rather than behind him.

'I've seen the park near there; I live a little up the road from it.' Jack nodded. 'I've always wanted to climb that big tree and try the roundabout...but it's always freakishly empty, so I stayed away.'

'It's not so bad. There just aren't a lot of kids near where I live.' Harry told him.

'Oh, okay. Good. We'll have it all to ourselves than.' Jack smirked.

Harry smiled at Jack and had a newfound motivation towards his schoolwork for the rest of the day as he looked forward to shopping and playing with his first real friend.

Harry barely glanced at the clock on the wall until the home bell finally rang in his ears and he was putting his things away. The boys gathered their bags and turned to leave the school grounds.

'But what about your parents, won't they wonder where you are?' Harry asked Jack as they crossed a road and headed towards the park.

'I'm gonna go home and tell my brother. I'll meet you back here, okay?' Jack asked as he realized that Harry was right.

'Yeah, okay.' He nodded and turned a corner. Once Jack was out of sight, Harry ran as fast as he could home. A new sense of joy had filled inside of him as he couldn't wait to have fun after the shopping. And it wouldn't be too heavy to carry back with a friend to help him.

'What are you smirking at, boy?' Simon scowled as Harry rushed inside a few minutes later.

'Nothing.' Harry lied and put his bag upstairs before he approached the man again. 'I have to do the shopping still, right?'

'Damn right you do! And don't break the eggs.' Simon thrust a handful of notes into Harry's grasp.

'Lose this money and I'll have your head for it.' He glared and than handed over a handwritten list. 'You get none of the change if even one item is missing, got it?'

'Yeah.' Harry shoved the money and the list into his pants pockets before he turned and rushed from the house.

'There you are!' Jack spotted him and the boys started walking to the shops together.

'So what do we have to get?' He wondered.

Harry passed him the list and Jack nodded as it wasn't really a lot of things, but with cans and bottled liquids it didn't seem to be light weight.

They arrived at the store Emile had taken Harry to previously and grabbed a trolley. The boys took turns in pushing it around as they followed Emile's tips that Harry could remember and got most of the things on the list.

Harry discovered that his friend had a mischievous streak in him when Jack suggested that they have three items each and see who can get them the fastest. Harry had been to the store before so he had a little memory of where everything was; and yet Jack managed to only just beat him in their little race by over a minute.

After nearly an hour, Harry read through each item on the list while Jack checked that they had them. Once it was all ticked off, they pushed the trolley to the counter and paid for the purchases.

'How much money do you have left?' Jack wondered and Harry counted it out to show him.

'Nice. We could get an ice lolly each and maybe a ball to play with?'

Harry knew he wasn't supposed to spend all of the money at once but there was plenty and they had said it was his.

'Alright. You get them while I wait with the bags.' He handed the money over and Jack disappeared into a store for a few minutes. He returned with a bright blue ball and two ice lollies.

'This was great.' Jack commented as they carried the bags back to Spinner's End while also trying to lick their treat.

'Yeah. I have to do this once a week, so maybe we could do it again sometime?' Harry hoped.

'Sure.' Jack nodded and followed Harry to the house. 'Wow, this place is creepy.' He glanced around at the shadowed houses.

'Try living here.' Harry said bitterly. 'Wait here; I'll be right back.'

'Okay.' Jack shrugged and waited outside while Harry carried all the bags inside.

'There you are.' Simon scowled at Harry although the boy was back early.

'I got everything.' Harry told him and tossed the rubbish from his ice lolly into the bin before he put the shopping away.

'I'm going to the park for a bit, is that okay?'

'Yeah, scram.' Simon nodded without taking his gaze off the TV. 'I don't want you around.'

'Thanks.' Harry gasped and went outside to rejoin his friend. He closed the door just as the stranger left his house across the road and appeared to be heading toward an alley nearby as he glanced down at a list of his own.

'Who's that?' Jack pointed to the stranger.

'Oh, not sure.' Harry shrugged. 'I mean, I don't know his name but he's cool.'

'He looks mean.' Jack observed the man's dark appearance and the glower on his face.

'I know, but sometimes it's the people who look nice that are mean while the ones who look mean are just grumpy.' Harry shrugged. 'Come on, the roundabout awaits!'

'Yeah.' Jack grinned and rushed after Harry.

Both boys ran right past Severus who was caught off guard when two kids suddenly ran by him. He noticed that "Cody" had a friend and was thankful that the boy had someone else because Severus wouldn't have made it through his own childhood without Lily. Everyone needed a friend.

Harry and Jack played at the park until it started to get dark. They bid farewell and Harry began his slow walk back to Spinner's End.

He really hated the place he lived in and the way the adults treated him, but the world seemed a lot brighter when he had a friend to hang out with from time to time. It reminded him that not everything was bad and scary.

He stepped inside and was surprised to see Emile there was she had said that she'd needed to work late. His curiosity was fulfilled when he realized he'd just walked into an argument.

'What was the reason?' Simon snapped. 'They just fired you on the spot? What did you bloody do, woman?' He stood and glared at Emile.

'I stole some cash, that's it.' She scoffed. 'Not fricking much though, if you ask me.'

'And I didn't!' Simon growled. 'How are we going to pay the rent?' He shouted. 'And the food? Boy, how much change do you have?' He turned on Harry.

'Um, not much.' Harry quickly pulled out all his change and Simon snatched it.

'You idiot!' He turned to Emile. 'Can't you do one thing right?'

'Don't take this out on me!' Emile shouted back and Harry covered his ears at the sound.

'You got fired!' Simon retorted. 'Now we're going to starve and the rent won't be paid. You expect me to take out another loan from Mr Kort? No way! Get off your fat arse and find another job.'

'Why don't you? All you do is watch TV and complain all day!' Emile screamed at him and Harry was frozen to the spot near the doorway.

'Don't you DARE turn this around on me you useless wrench!' Simon bellowed.

'Boy, you're getting a job.' He pointed at Harry as though his words were the law.

'What?' Harry gasped. 'I c-can't! I'm just a kid a-and I have school!'

'Too bad. Someone's got to pay their way around here.' Simon growled.

'Leave Cody out of this.' Emile said. 'You get a job, you idiot!'

'NO!' Simon strode to Harry and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. 'You better side with me, boy. You're getting a damn job and this wrench is being thrown out.'

'This is my house!' Emile shouted. 'Don't you dare!'

Simon glared down at Harry and shook him. 'Tell her to get out.'

Harry trembled with fear and glanced at Emile. He couldn't do such a thing because it was her home too and without her Simon would have no one but him to yell at.

'TELL HER!' Simon bellowed and Harry whimpered just as a cup that had been sitting on the table burst and shards of glass fell everywhere. The shock of the incident was enough of a distraction that enabled Harry to slip from Simon's grip and flee upstairs.

'Get back here, brat!' Simon ran after him.

Harry slammed his bedroom door shut and grabbed his blanket for comfort. He heard the man thundering up the stairs and didn't know what to do. Than he remembered the button. He frantically searched his pockets and under his pillow but it was missing!

'Dare you run away from me!' Simon burst into the room and the door rebounded against the wall. 'You get down here and do as you're bloody told.'

'Leave me alone!' Harry pleaded as his hand brushed over something near the end of his bed. He turned and stared at it, realizing that he had found his treasured button and his only escape.

'What is this? A baby blanket?' Simon grabbed at the blanket and Harry panicked.

'No, let it go!' Harry dropped the button as he used both of his hands to tug at his precious blanket. 'It's mine, let it go!'

'Nothing is yours!' Simon shouted. 'You live here only because we dare to put up with you. So give this ragging thing up!'

'No!' Harry yelled back desperately. 'It's mine!'

There was a loud riiip and the blanket became two. Harry stumbled backwards and smacked his head against the side of his bed as he fell. He grasped his end of the blanket and shoved it into his schoolbag as quickly as he could with mere seconds to snatch his button.

Simon dropped the other piece of the blanket and approached Harry; his face looked more livid than Harry had ever seen it.

Taking a huge risk, Harry lunged for the second piece of his blanket. Simon had caught him and the punch that contacted with his face was awful, like a hammer being dropped onto an already-injured foot.

Tears shed from Harry's eyes as he reached up to touch his pained nose and stared at the blood that smeared his hand. He shoved the last piece of his blanket into his bag and sat on the floor as Simon gathered more anger and turned on him again.

'You freak, you bloody brat!' Simone shouted as Harry rubbed his button desperately and hoped that the man was right about it being special.

'I'll teach you a lesson!'

Harry closed his eyes as he rubbed the button a third time and for one horrible second he thought nothing had happened. Only then did he realize the silence around him and how it felt oddly colder. Harry felt sick inside for some reason and his nose throbbed even more as blood continued to drip down his face and onto his school shirt.

Harry pried open his eyes and saw that he was outside and standing right in front of the stranger's house. This was his only chance. But Harry still didn't know the stranger very well and wasn't sure if he wanted to hide right across the street from Simon.

He glanced around at the dark street and pondered on just making a run for it. Maybe he could go to Jack's house or...no, that wouldn't work.

'Where is he?'

Harry gasped as he heard Simon's voice and the man burst out of the house. Frantic, Harry reached up and pounded against the door of the stranger's house with all his might. He silently pleaded that the man had returned to the house by now since he had gone someplace that afternoon.

'Please be home, please, please. Please be home.' Harry trembled as he banged desperately against the door when Simon finally spotted him.

'What happened?' Emile asked as she too stepped outside. She nursed a sore elbow until she turned and saw Harry as well.

'That brat!' Simon swore profoundly as he advanced towards Harry.

'Please, please!' Harry begged and gasped when the door flew open and his hero stood there looking quite concerned.

'Save me!' He stared up at the man while Simon continued to yell behind him. 'He's going to kill me!' Harry trembled and was certain that his words were true.

Severus had been brewing a complicated potion when he'd heard the banging and had gone to investigate it.

When he'd opened the door he saw the young boy in tears and with blood all over his face and on his clothes. He was stunned by the sight and even more so by the child's terrified words. He glanced over at Simon who was composing himself as he crossed the street and continued to glare at the boy.

'That brat's a liar.' Simon pointed to Harry. 'He's in trouble and needs to be punished. Don't believe whatever rubbish he's told you.'

'I can assure you, Mr Gale, that I am not fooled quite so easily.' Severus said smoothly and out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the child had started crying.

'Good.' Simon nodded, having misinterpreted what Severus meant. 'Get home, boy!' He snarled at Harry who had clutched a handful of his hero's robes.

'The boy is not going anywhere with you.' Severus stepped forward and placed a hand on the back of Harry's head just as he had the previous day.

'That brat is under my care.' Simon scowled. 'You have no right.'

'For a child under your care, it appears that he isn't cared for even in the slightest of terms.' Severus narrowed his eyes. Even Simon seemed to realize that this man could be very dangerous.

'We didn't even want him!' Emile joined in as she caught up with the group. 'My blasted brother got himself killed and we had no choice but to take him in.'

'If you want him, you can have him!' Simon snapped. 'He's nothing but trouble! Good for bloody nothing!'

'I can't expect terribly incompetent people such as yourselves to notice anything worthy about a child in which you don't even realize is exactly that...a child.' Severus had on his most intimidating glare and the other adults were starting to realize they should probably leave Harry alone now.

'I'm done.' Simon growled. 'I don't ever want to see that punk again. I'm moving out too, you can have your stupid house.'

'I don't want it.' Emile frowned and glanced at Harry. 'You're on your own now, kid. No one wanted you then and no one will want you now.' And with that they turned and headed back across the street.

Severus thought the boy would be relieved to be rid of them but instead the child resolved further into tears and sank to the ground.

'Get up.' Severus instructed but Harry didn't even hear him. Rolling his eyes skyward, Severus grasped the boy's arm and dragged him inside the house far enough that he could shut the door and block out the cool night air.

'Nose...hurts.' Harry remembered and poked his still-bleeding nose.

'Do not touch it.' Severus scowled as he cast a healing charm and disappeared the blood from the boy's clothes and face.

'Wash your hands and than use this.' He passed the child a balm. He wasn't quite as gifted with healing as one would presume and had only managed to make sure that the boy's nose wasn't broken.

Harry nodded and struggled to his feet. Severus pointed out the directions to the bathroom and Harry slowly climbed the stairs as he did as he was told. He kicked over a stepping stood and stood on it to look into the mirror and noticed that the blood was gone. He washed his hands with the prickly soap and gulped when the red liquid flowed down the drain.

Harry stared at it for quite some time before he was able to turn off the water and dry his hands. He dabbed on the balm, which hurt a bit but than his entire nose tingled until it felt quite better already.

He stepped down from the stool and sat on the floor. Harry extracted the two halves of his blanket from his schoolbag that he had over his back and sniffed at the torn and bloody object.

Ten minutes later that's exactly how Severus found him.

'What are you doing?' He demanded to know.

'He wrecked it.' Harry continued to stare at the blanket. 'It was special and he ripped it.'

'It's just a ridiculous blanket.' Severus was surprised the boy still had it.

'No, it's not!' Harry insisted and sniffed the larger half of it. 'It smelled like home...like honey. And now it smells like blood and yucky stuff.' He shivered to think of the cigarette ash and beer on the man's hands as he'd yanked the blanket.

'It is easily fixed. Now, get off the floor.' Severus sighed as he snatched the blanket from the boy and grasped his arm to lift him into standing position. He nudged the child back downstairs. Harry sat on the nearest armchair as he entwined his thumbs and stared intently at them.

He didn't dare look around the stranger's house because he already knew it was darker than his previous residence and it actually scared him quite a lot. Although the many shelves of books were a bit interesting.

Harry also hoped it wasn't a mistake to come here because while Simon's treatment was often brutal and unkind...this man was unpredictable and Harry was still yet to learn of his motives.

'What happened?' Severus question the boy as he stood a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest.

'I...I got back from the park and they were shouting.' Harry curled up into a ball and sniffed again. 'Simon yelled at me and said I had to get a job cuz Emile lost her job.' He told Severus.

'I didn't want to. I mean, I'm just a kid!' He insisted and hoped that his hero would believe him.

'Go on.' Severus encouraged.

'Simon got mad because I wouldn't do what he said and then something really weird happened. A glass broke. I mean, it went everywhere and no one had touched it!' Harry gasped.

'Than I ran.' He ducked his head further. 'Simon chased me and I tried to get my blanket. I was gonna use the button you gave me but he punched me.' Harry sniffled and tried to conceal his tears but it was too overwhelming.

'I was so scared.' Harry sobbed. 'I-I thought he was gonna k-kill me!'

'Hush, it's over now.' Severus placed a hand atop the child's head and guided him closer as he crouched before the child. Harry realized that he meant and lunged at Severus to hug him; he wrapped his arms around the man's neck and clung to him desperately.

Severus remembered all the times his parents fought and how scared he had been for himself and his mother, how all he had wanted from for someone to take the pain away, to make sure he was safe. There were times when all he had wanted was a bit of friendly contact from his mother or father; a hug or reassuring words that would help him sleep and make the world just a little bit brighter instead of being clouded with darkness as it always appeared to Severus.

His heart ached for the little boy that was in a similar situation that he had been and how desperately the child held to him as he sobbed his young heart out against Severus' robes. He rubbed the boy's back as he recalled his mother had done once or twice when he had been much younger.

He said nothing and just allowed the boy to vent for a while until finally the sobs subsided and the child pulled away to sit on the armchair again.

'Sorry.' Harry mumbled. 'But thanks. If you hadn't saved me...I-I dunno what Simon would have done.'

'No one has the right to harm a child.' Severus frowned.

'Now I've got nowhere to go.' Harry realized. 'They'll send me back to that lady who gave me a pretend name.' He muttered without realizing it. 'And Erin will never find me, ever!'

Severus wondered what the boy was talking about but another issue had to be addressed first.

'You stated that the glass had abruptly shattered?'

'Yes.' Harry nodded. 'It was like the basketball.' He realized. 'I missed the hoop but than it sort of stayed there and fell in the net.'

Ah, interesting. Severus just realized that he and this child were even more alike than even he had originally realized. Accidental magic, indeed. That did raise some furthermore interesting questions though.

'Where are your parents?' He wondered.

'They died.' Harry said sadly. 'When I was a baby. Then Erin took me in and she loved me but...now I don't think she'll ever find me.' He sighed and leaned back against the armchair.

'You are tired. You may remain here until I figure out where to send you.' Severus nodded and Harry stood. He wondered about what the boy meant by a "pretend name" but for now he preferred to just let the child rest after such a traumatizing day.

Harry was barely aware of his clothes being transfigured into pajamas as he lay against the softness of a single bed and cuddled up to his clean, repaired blue blanket. His eyes closed and he fell asleep within seconds.

Severus glanced down at the child and shook his head with amusement towards the attachment the boy had formed with the blanket. He was pleased however, that the boy was with him now and no longer across the street with those uncaring beasts that dared to call themselves people.

'They can't hurt you anymore, Cody.' Severus brushed some hair from the boy's face. 'I never escaped before it was too late, but I promise that you will.' He frowned with determination.

Severus narrowed his eyes as his fingers brushed over an odd scar on the child's forehead. It was shaped like a lightning bolt and for some reason it seemed to be familiar.

'Who are you?' Severus whispered although he expected no answer.

It was becoming quite clear to him now that perhaps this boy wasn't just Cody Evans, but in fact he was someone else...someone familiar.

Severus frowned as he tried to figure out the latest mysterious bestowed into his mind until his own tiredness won over. Severus left the room to clean his lab and head off to rest as well; he had been brewing constantly lately and needed sleep.

He'll figure out what to do with the boy tomorrow; for now it would all remain a mystery and Severus was only pleased that he had saved the child from a terrible fate. He guessed it made him some kind of hero...it was also the last thing he had expected to happen because this boy had made him realize that there was hope.

There was still light in the world and he wasn't quite ready to let it go again.

The sun was brighter than usual the following morning, but the light was cast over a different place than Spinner's End.

Erin Summers awoke with a start, having broken free from her dream of the dark-haired toddler that she was still determined to find.

Sighing, she rubbed a hand over her face and climbed out of bed to change. She brushed her teeth and didn't bother with breakfast as she searched her table for a particular pile of papers. She had been given a clean bill of health and since that day many weeks ago she had been relentlessly searching for her special child. And she finally had a solid lead.

Grabbing her car keys, Erin clutched the form and rushed outside to her car. The child's car seat was still in the back as she didn't dare to remove it even though he would surely be too old for it now.

As she pulled out of the driveway, Erin wondered what little Harry looked like after all these years and tried to imagine an older boy but with those same emerald eyes she loved so much. The eyes that had shone up at her with innocence and curiously; it was his eyes she missed the most.

As she parked outside the designated building, Erin barely remembered to lock her doors before she gathered her eager courage and hurried inside.

'Can I help you?' The woman behind the counter asked and Erin glanced at the name tag before she nodded.

'Yes, Natalie.' Erin said with a firm nod and placed the important form onto the surface of the counter that separated them.

'I'm looking for my son...Harry Potter.'