Lupin leaned over the table, his hands flat on the tabletop, scanning the news article. This particular paper was the type that had a great deal of celebrity gossip on the front and a bikini-clad woman on the inside page. Severus could see that the story wasn't on the front page, as it would have been if Harry had been in the Daily Prophet, but towards the back, with a few stories of true crime and other depravity.

Severus watched the other man's brow furrow, tried to gauge how bad it could be. "Well?" he snapped, having no patience to wait while the man read the damned thing to himself.

Harry was shaking like a leaf. "You said no one would find out," whispered the boy.

Severus gripped his wand in his pocket in case the child's magic acted up again. Carefully, he put his other hand on Harry's shoulder. That was becoming an increasingly natural gesture. It seemed to help-at least there were no exploding teacups. Harry scooted his chair towards Severus.

"What are they saying about me?" the boy asked, tremulously. Severus realized distractedly that there was a small hand gripping his robe.

"It doesn't name you." Lupin sounded relieved, his shoulders were relaxing by degrees. He pushed the paper over to Severus, retook his seat across from Harry.

The potions master let go of his wand, pulled the paper over to him to read, while he kept that steadying hand Harry's shoulder. The young wizard made no move to read the article, looking at the paper as if it were a dead rat

The picture showed Vernon and Petunia flanked on either side by police. Petunia was trying to cover her face with her handcuffed hands, while Vernon snarled at the photographer.

House of Horror!

Acting on information received from Scottish Child Care and Protection Network, authorities investigated the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, where they found evidence of horrific child abuse and neglect.

According to files, the couple have been arrested for keeping their 10-year-old, mentally impaired nephew locked in the bedroom for over two years, only allowing the boy out to do chores and attend school.

It appears that the boy was sent to live with his aunt and uncle after his parents died in a drunk driving incident eight years ago.

The young victim was only allowed to use the family bathroom for a few minutes in the morning and evening, according to reports. Neighbors say the boy, who has not been named, was only ever seen working in the garden.

"I've seen the poor lad working out in the garden from morning 'till night," says a next door neighbor, "Skinny little thing, but Petunia just used to say he was fussy about food. Of course with his problems, it was hard to know what was going on. He never spoke to anyone...wouldn't look you in the eye."

Out of place in the otherwise immaculate house, seven locks secure a grimy, ill lit upstairs room containing an old desk and a camp bed, while the bedroom next door overflows with the latest in electronic gadgets. A few ragged and stained but freshly laundered t-shirts hang in a pressboard wardrobe that looks like it was salvaged from a skip. Brown stains on the floor and bars on the window convey the impression of a Third World prison cell, rather than a child's bedroom. Even the smell is reminiscent-a bucket in the corner gives silent testimony of the duration of the child's imprisonment.

Worse evidence faced investigators, as they searched the house. In a boot cupboard under the stairs they found clear evidence that the child had been locked in there, possibly for a prolonged period of time. Children's scribbles and a few little stars, bright blue and lime green, appear to have been drawn across the walls in magic markers, sporadic flares of color on grimy ivory. A handwritten sign proclaimed it to be a boy's room and a dirty crib mattress with a blanket lay in the corner, a few broken toys hidden underneath it.

The abuse came to light during a routine health inspection at the boy's school, a secure facility for mentally disabled children. The exam found evidence of recent and past physical abuse, along with evidence of severe malnutrition.

The Dursleys told police they were forced to keep the child locked up to stop him taking food from the fridge, and to prevent him acting out dangerously, alleging that he assaulted a family member this past summer.

The couple's own son was apparently well treated, showing no signs of either neglect or abuse. When questioned, the older boy frankly stated that the other boy had been locked up almost every day since he'd come to live with them.

Experts say that it is apparent that the nephew was the victim of target child syndrome. Targeting one child for abuse is actually more common than people would believe. Many parents single out one individual child for their negative attention and abusive treatment...

Severus had read enough. He breathed a sigh of relief for sloppy reporting, "They've got your age wrong in the story. How well known is the Dursley name?"

Harry shook his head, "I hardly ever talk about them," he muttered. "I think only the Weasleys and Hermione know their name."

"The situation is not dire, then," Severus told him firmly. "Very few wizards follow Muggle news-particularly this type of paper. Those who do aren't likely to connect a mentally disabled ten-year-old with the thirteen-year-old Boy Who Lived."

"Dumbledore needs to be told, nonetheless," Lupin said, putting down his teacup. He stood up and summoned his cloak. "I should go inform him."

"Tell Poppy, too," grunted Severus. "I'll speak to Arthur Weasley. Should someone at the Ministry make the connection, he'll need to know. "

Lupin nodded curtly, then paused to say in a gentle voice, "Harry? It'll be all right. Really."

The boy was looking rather green now; too much drama in one morning, "They must have talked to the Wilkinses," Harry muttered, ignoring Lupin completely. "Mr. Wilkins always thought I was a lot younger than Dudley. Aunt Petunia told Mrs. Wilkins I was mental."

Lupin caught Severus' eye over Harry's head. "Will you be all right until Arthur gets here?" he asked Severus solicitously. He gave a smile that Severus assumed was supposed to be encouraging.

"Wait." Harry shook himself, apparently taking in what Lupin said. "You mean Mr. Weasley?" At Lupin's affirmative nod he asked, "Why is Mr. Weasley going to be here?"

Severus replied, "Professor Lupin has some pressing business tonight and tomorrow at Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey feels that we need some help while he's gone. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have invited us to stay with them." He peered closely at the boy to see how he'd react, somewhat relieved to see that the child was at least curious.

Briefly Harry met Severus' gaze. The child's open face reflected uncertainty, distrust and something like pleading. Then his eyes seemed to go blank and he looked away. "All right," he said quietly. He scratched Snuffles' head. "What should we do with Snuffles? he asked. "I don't know if they'll have room for him."

Lupin smiled gently. "I'll take him back to Hogwart's, shall I? He can stay with Hagrid overnight." The professor patted his hand against his thigh and Snuffles jumped up to go to the man.

Harry nodded vacantly, still not meeting either man's gaze. Bereft of the dog, the child let go of Severus' robe as well, folded his hands in front of him on the table and stared at them.

"Pack up some clothes for two days," Severus told the child, hoping to distract him for five minutes.

That vacant nodding again, but his trembling had subsided. "Did...did you tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about...?" He trailed off.

"No," Severus replied firmly. "They know I have been ill, but that's all. You may decide how much or little to tell them."

"I'd rather they not know," Harry said in a subdued tone. His hands and his shoulders slowly relaxed, so Severus assumed that he was at least a little reassured.

"That's fine, Harry," Lupin assured him. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

Harry stood. "I'll just..." He made an uncertain gesture with his hand in the direction of the door to the hallway and then turned on his heel, fleeing the two men.

Severus listened to the boy's light tread on the stairs. Taking his wand from his pocket he threw a one-way silencing charm on the door.

Lupin watched him with interest. The dog sat next to the man, looking as interested in whatever Severus had to say as Lupin did.

"What do you think this will mean to Harry?" It galled Severus to ask Lupin for advice, but he was out of his depth.

The other man sighed. "I'm afraid this is likely to hit him pretty hard once it sinks in." Lupin looked up at the ceiling and then crossed the floor to sit back down. "He's been telling himself that his relatives weren't that bad. I think that this," Lupin spread his hand to indicate the headline, "is likely to bring home to him how abnormal the whole situation was. It's better for most people if they're able to come to that realization slowly."

"Do you think he's in danger of harming himself again?" Severus asked in a low voice, verbalizing the fear that most haunted his thoughts. A shiver passed through him as he involuntarily pictured again the scene of Harry, barely breathing, almost unconscious and struggling against the makeshift rope.

The man looked uncommonly grave. "I'm afraid we can't discount the possibility that this could send him right over the edge." He shook his head. "But I think for now, a verbal agreement with him not to injure himself is the best we can do."

Severus nodded his understanding. In his experience, sworn word was indeed a preventative to suicidal gestures. In his own students, he’d found that the very act of promising to speak to someone first was often enough to derail the impulse.

Lupin went on, "I would say that Harry’s need for silence on this should be respected. Not to mention that although I trust the Weasleys’ discretion, I shudder to think what would happen if the Ministry were to get wind of this."

"Don't talk to me about the Ministry," snarled Severus. Suddenly all the tension twisting through him seemed to come to an abrupt boil. "You hardly need tell me what their views on felo de se are," he spat. At the other man’s blank look, he growled, "I'm sure you must have heard about my mother's death?"

Lupin shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

That surprised Severus, he'd assumed that the whole mess had been common knowledge at school. Other Pureblood students had certainly not been shy about discussing it. Although, now that he considered it, Lupin had never been one to listen to gossip.

"My mother's death was determined by the Ministry to be self-murder," Severus said in a deadly quiet voice.

Lupin's eyes grew wide, his face paling. "I...I didn't know that," he said putting a hand out toward Severus. "I'm sorry."

Severus wished he felt well enough to sweep from the room in a temper. He settled for snatching his hand out of Lupin's reach. "Spare me, Lupin," he hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Ministry...did they...?"

"Confiscate my mother's assets?" gritted Severus, "Drag her name and the name of her family through the mud? Refuse her burial in her family crypt? Yes, on all counts."

Lupin looked positively distressed. "Severus..."

"Never mind," Severus said wearily; he just didn't have the energy to sustain his anger. "That's neither here nor there. Getting back to Harry, I'll talk this latest over with Arthur. He sent me an owl this morning that he and his eldest son will stop here around lunchtime to escort us."

"I'll stay until then, in that case," said Lupin, "Dumbledore can wait."

Severus shook his head. "I disagree. I think you need to inform the Headmaster immediately and I certainly don't want to put this in an owl." He also really wanted Lupin to leave him in peace, rather than hovering over him like a nervous nursemaid.

The other professor sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "If that's what you prefer." He stood again. "You can reach me until this evening. Moonrise is around six."

Severus nodded sharply. "Go check on Harry before you leave," he said, not having the wherewithal to climb the stairs again.