"Do I hafta go?" Harry whined as he buttoned up his butter yellow shirt. "I'm smart enough now, aren't I?"

Severus moved his son's hands away from the buttons on his shirt. He'd missed one and the shirt was askew. "I thought you enjoyed Primary, Harry. Don't you want to see your friends?"

Harry scowled and stuck out his lower lip. "Keep doing that," warned Severus, "and I'll jinx you with a Face Freezing Jinx."

Harry let out a breath, turned away and started rummaging around in his wardrobe for a clean pair of trousers.

It was Severus' turn to scowl. "Whatever is that mess of clothing at the bottom of your wardrobe?"

Harry replied, but it was muffled since he was half in and half out of the wardrobe. With a quick eyeroll, Severus caught Harry by the waist and lifted the squirming seven year old, shifted him to under one arm and then used his wand to straighten the mess in the wardrobe. He dropped his son onto the bed and summoned a pair of dark navy corduroy trousers.

"Put those on and then get your lunch from Dobby. I'll meet you at the Floo."

"But, da-ad..." Harry began.

Severus turned sharply, aiming a warning glance at his son. "Trousers. Now. No arguments."

As soon as his father's back was turned and he was in the hallway, Harry quickly stuck his tongue out at his father and then grinned to himself at getting away with the little bit of naughtiness.

Minutes later Harry was dressed and leaving the kitchen with his Muggle Batman lunchbox that Draco had bought him for Christmas. Severus summoned Harry's purple hat, gloves, and cloak and held the lunchbox as his son did an awkward twirl that had him soon ensconced within the warmth of the winter clothing.

Severus held out the lunchbox as Harry set his conical hat straight. "I still don't want to go, dad," Harry said, the words partially muffled by his scarf.

His father adjusted the scarf so Harry's mouth wasn't obscured. "Fine. Tell me why you don't want to go back to school," ordered Severus with a barely suppressed huff.

"Stupid Sarah Weasley's going to be there and I hate her!"

Sarah Weasley was twin sister to her brother Jared. Both children had lost their parents to a Death Eater attack and Percy Weasley had adopted the two youngsters. Harry had met the twins at the Burrow during Christmas. It had been Sarah's bossy personality that had earned Harry his second time out for the day.

"Harry!" Severus snapped out. Harry cringed, knowing he'd just crossed a line with his father. "Don't you dare declare to me or to anyone else that you hate another person. Ever! Sarah Weasley is an obnoxious child, but that is not a reason to hate her."

Harry was suitably abashed. With his shoulders drooping, he whispered, "I'm sorry, dad. I really don't hate Sarah, but she's just not nice. With her around, school isn't going to be fun and since Miss Molly is her granny, she's probably going to get away with murder and it'll all be blamed on me."

"I highly doubt that, Harry. Molly Weasley is an eminently fair teacher when it comes to all of your classmates. She won't treat you or Sarah any different." Severus reached for the Floo powder and threw it into the orange flames. "The Burrow, Little Red Schoolhouse!"

Harry sat at his desk in Molly Weasley's little red schoolhouse, looking every inch the well-behaved young Snape. He was very nearly always the first to arrive to school since his father was such a stickler for being on time. Molly bustled back and forth preparing for the rest of her students by placing small journals upon each desk.

One by one, each of the students at Molly's small school appeared through the Floo.

The first to come through was handsome Hamish Madley. He was a sandy-blonde-haired boy that was already taller than all the boys at Primary. He waved happily to Harry and ran over to sit beside him so they could share Christmas holiday stories.

A few minutes later, Danielle Spinnet, a be-spectacled, bookish looking little strawberry blonde stepped through the Floo and was immediately welcomed by the two boys. Hamish's big brown eyes sparkled at the little girl and she blushed under his sudden, unwavering attention. Harry scowled and grabbed Danielle's hand possessively.

The small, silent bid for domination between the two young wizards was interrupted as Andrew Bulstrode, the young brother of Millicent Bulstrode stepped through the Floo. Always with a smile that made him look cherubic, Andrew trotted happily over to his friends. To Hamish and Harry's utter, gobsmacked surprise, Danielle darted away from them and practically attached herself to Andrew. Andrew gave the lithe bookworm a big hug and then she grabbed onto his hand as she gave him a big smile.

Harry and Hamish both glowered, then looked at each other and shrugged. Infatuation was fleeting at their age.

The next through was Harry's best friend, whom he'd written to everyday of the holiday. Hieronymous Tonks, better known as Mouse, stumbled through the Floo, wheezing from the soot. His Aunt Andromeda was right behind him, scolding him for the mess he made on the school floor, and brushing the soot off her nephew. Mouse recovered his breath, muttered a goodbye to his aunt, and wriggled out of the older witch's grip. Andromeda was about to take the boy to task again, when Molly interrupted neatly, allowing Mouse to get away.

Harry, Mouse, and Hamish fell into a kind of huddle where all three began chatting about their holidays. Only Harry knew two more students were expected and he was studiously trying to avoid looking at the Floo. Unfortunately, the Floo whooshed again, depositing a rather harried looking Percy Weasley and twins Sarah and Jared.

Both twins had golden blonde hair and blue eyes. Their personalities were markedly different, though. Sally was bossy, especially towards Harry, and Jared was polite, but hid a pranksters streak. Sarah and Jared were both seven years old.

Molly smiled brightly at Percy. "I'm sorry we're late, mum." He glared pointedly at Sarah who just sniffed imperiously. "We had a slight disagreement in regards to what would be worn today."

"Not from me!" piped up Jared with a smug smile he shot at his sister. Sarah sneered until she saw Harry. Harry, pretending to be deep in conversation with Mouse, didn't want to know what was headed his way. His feeble attempt at completely ignoring Sarah was all for naught.

"Hullo, Harry." Sarah eyed his clothing and sniffed as she appeared to disapprove of his corduroy trousers. "I'm going to sit next to you."

Harry watched with a murderous expression on his face as Sarah, bold-as-you-please, ordered Mouse to vacate his desk. When the small boy just stared at the little girl as though she were mad, Sarah promptly pinched his upper arm. He scrambled, rubbing his arm, and left his desk. Sarah grinned in triumph and seated herself.

Mouse had stepped over to Harry and he whispered in his best friend's ear, "Bit full of herself, isn't she?"

Harry wanted to laugh and agree, but Sarah was looking at him and he felt suddenly like a fish that had been caught. Glumly, he slouched over his desk and kicked his feet against the legs.

"You're totally mean and unfair and... and... mean!" Harry shouted as he tumbled out of the Floo and into the living room at Fairwinds. Taking only a second to brush off any soot, he ran past his mother and stomped up the stairs.

A very weary, and angry father stepped gracefully out of the Floo and went over to the hall closet where outer wear was kept. Slowly and deliberately Severus removed his heavy wool cloak, his scarf, and his gloves. He then straightened his frock coat, checked the buttons, and tugged his shirt cuffs back into place.

"Severus?" Echo had stopped just at the entrance into the living room. She could hear angry stomping and a door slamming shut. "Harry's certainly in a snit. What happened?"

The potions master held up his hand. "I need some tea first, Echo. Could you..."

"I'll fix it, love. Go sit down and I'll bring it to you."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and went to settle himself in his worn leather chair that sat near the roaring fireplace. He leaned back, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Counting to ten was not even an option as his mind drifted back to an easier part of the day.

After dropping his son off at primary school, Severus had returned home where he met Lucius having a late breakfast. The two men then went down to Severus' potions lab and began to work on releasing Lucius' memories.

Severus had brewed a modified version of Dreamless Sleep Potion that would allow Lucius to dream, but in a lucid state. He would be able to see his emerging memories as though he were a spectator viewing memories with a pensieve. This would allow Lucius to wake if something was too difficult to watch.

"This will make the integration of your old memories with the newer ones easier," explained Severus.

"And that's because there isn't a way to unlock just a few memories at a time," stated Lucius.

Severus nodded. "I wish there were an easier way, but you have about 40 years worth of accumulated memories. The best that I can do, is to break a hole in the wall that they're behind so that they leak out, instead of taking over all at once."

"What sort of... madness can I expect to fend off, Severus?"

"You'll have all your memories back nearly instantly, but again, it will be more like pensieved memories. You'll be distant from them, but wholly cognizant of the memories themselves. What will come slowly are the emotions of your past. This will make your emotions feel out of control which is why, during the day, I have a Calmative that will ease those emotions so you won't feel completely out of control. Don't be surprised, though, if you find yourself weeping, or laughing all of a sudden."

Lucius smiled somewhat. Those two emotions I don't mind. I'm more afraid of the fears, worries, and anger this will awaken. Will I be a danger to anyone?"

"Again, the Calmative will help. You'll feel your emotions, but you will have enough control that you won't act irrationally upon them." Severus summoned the book that had been given to him by Hermione's father. He placed it on the table between himself and Lucius.

Tapping the cover of the book, Severus dropped into what his students had known as his 'lecture mode'.

"This describes a condition once known as 'Shell Shock'. It is now referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Muggle men returning from the harsh realities of war, often experienced this. You'll be in a kind of PTSD state as you integrate your past with the present. The book suggests one treatment of discussing your memories with others like you that have experienced the same troubles. Since there are no Death Eaters left, the only person you have to talk to, that understands, will be me. Therefore, I have decided that once a day you and I will talk."

Lucius interrupted, "The nightmares I've had?" He was referring to the nightmares, horrific phantoms of guilt and fear, that were small pieces of his past worming their way into his dreaming state.

"The time we spent as Death Eaters was more than just an uneasy time. Under Voldemort's thumb, there are things that we did, that no one but you and I would be able to understand." Severus was no longer lecturing. His voice reflected that he, too, was still haunted by those dark days.

Lucius didn't voice it, but he had a feeling that the man seated across from him needed to 'talk' about those dark days as much as he would be needing to. He changed the subject.

"I'm curious, Severus, about the magic that sparked between myself and Draco the other day, that triggered a shared memory. Do you have any idea what that might have been?"

"I can only guess that it might be similar to the Old Magic that connects myself to Echo, and to Harry." At Lucius' questioning glance, Severus explained that Old Magic was a magic woven by strong emotions. The Old Magic had first shown up between Severus and Potter at the Battle of Riddle Cemetery. However, Severus had been somewhat unaware of it. He began to tell Lucius about the tail end of the battle.

"Bellatrix, more mad than ever she had been, was firing off the Killing Curse, and other deadly spells of her creation left and right. I could hear her maniacal laughter when her spells caught Black and killed him. I was fighting beside the Headmaster and Miss Granger when I had a sudden urge to break from them and run towards the center of the battle. I hadn't gone far, when I saw Potter upon the ground, crawling towards the dead body of his godfather. In that same instant, I saw Bellatrix raising her arm to deliver a killing blow to the Boy-Who-Lived."

Severus shifted, held out his palm, and concentrated as he pinched his thumb and index finger together. There was just the tiniest spark of glittering crimson, but it lasted long enough for Lucius to see it.

"I had already begun to cast a spell. Not the Killing Curse, but a modification to Sectumsempra, the Cutting Curse. It hit that vile woman directly at her back, flaying..." Severus stopped. There was no need to describe the horrible death he'd dealt Bellatrix LeStrange. He had meant to kill her. That he would not deny. However, his modification had been horrific. As soon as he was free of hospital, he destroyed all his notes on the curse in the hopes that no one would ever use it again.

"I had seen the crimson glow around Potter," continued Severus. "What I learned later, was that there had been a similar glow around me." Severus did not reveal that the knowledge of the Old Magic surrounding him like an aura, had been seen by Potter, who had recorded the event in a journal that had been found by the older wizard when he rescued the de-aged Potter from his cruel aunt's home.

Severus then went on to tell Lucius about the second time he'd seen the Old Magic. It had occurred when he rescued Echo from her psychotic, ex-husband.

A note sent to Lucius via owl by his circus employer had him leaving before the afternoon was over. Severus finished out the afternoon by working on an order for one of his potion contracts. Once that was done, he left Fairwinds to pick up his son at school.

Hearing the tea things clink softly drew Severus back to the present. He looked up just as Echo was floating a tea tray into the living room. She settled it upon a small table to the right of her husband and then began to pour tea for each of them.

"What happened at school, Severus? Was someone hurt?"

"Sarah Weasley," he sighed heavily. He really didn't care for the little girl who was, most certainly, a bossy creature. What he disliked most, was how Sarah managed to quickly bring out the worst in a little boy who was more often than not, a good-natured, caring child.

"Molly is teaching the children the value of journaling and she purchased some very nice journals for each of her students. Beautiful dyed dragon hide so each one was a different colour. Molly had given each child their favorite colour, but Sarah was not happy with hers, it seems. The little wretch spent most of the school day haranguing Harry about how his journal was the best one of all of them. At lunchtime, when she took it from him and dropped hers in place of it, Harry almost lost his temper."

Severus paused to take several needed sips from his tea. He then continued. "Molly assured me that Harry really did try to keep his temper, but Sarah stepped on his last nerve when she not only took the journal, but broke his quill that I gave him for Christmas. Molly said that was by accident."

"Oh no!" Echo had seen the way Harry treasured anything that was a gift to him. Most of all, though, he prized the treasures that his father had given him since rescuing him from his Aunt Petunia. Severus would buy toys and other silly things for Harry, and he loved them, but it was the more practical gifts from his father that he prized most of all. Sarah destroying the quill was tantamount to destroying a part of Harry's soul.

Severus had his eyes closed, as if in pain. Echo's worry shot up to adrenaline levels as she asked, "Severus, what did he do? Is Sarah all right?"

"Sarah will be fine," he replied, his eyes still closed.

"Severus!" Echo bit out a bit sharply. His answer did not lessen her fears.

The wizard opened his eyes with a sigh. "Harry had a burst of accidental magic." Severus took a long sip of his tea. "I should probably have expected this, but I truly just forgot. As I'm sure you know, accidental magic is usually practical, mischievous, or defensive in nature. Harry's burst was offensive in that it struck out at Sarah, sending her backwards into a bookshelf. She landed awkwardly and broke her wrist. Percy's with her at St. Mungo's right now."

For a very long moment, Severus was quiet. After a few minutes had passed where her husband merely watched the flickering flames in the fireplace, she spoke up and broke the silence.

"Severus, it isn't that unusual for a child's accidental magic to be offensive and considering what a beast that child is, I can't completely blame him." Her husband didn't reply. He just kept staring into the flames. "What aren't you telling me?" Echo demanded.

Severus' teeth ground sharply and he replied, "I don't blame Harry for the accidental magic. It just took me by surprise. But that is not what angered me." Severus rose, putting down his teacup and moved to stand in front of the fireplace, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. After another few minutes, the angry wizard finally got to the point of his annoyance. "The little brat actually had the gall to say to me that Sarah deserved to get hurt, and that if his magic hadn't hit her, he would have!"

"Little Sarah does seem to bring out the worst in our son," she sighed.

Severus nodded in agreement as he turned his back to the fire. "She is a devil of a child, but even so, Harry must learn to keep his temper." He lowered his head, his hair curtaining on either side of his face as he rubbed the temples of his head with his thumb and index finger. "I was worried about when Harry's magic manifested that it might not be the strength of a seven year old boy, but that of a teenager." He stifled the shudder that threatened.

"I never thought of that," gasped Echo as she stood and began to rub her husband's back gently. "The Second Chance Potion appears to work better than we thought."

Severus lifted his head and kissed his wife's cheek. "Indeed. I don't know what I would have done had that child been hit with teenaged strength accidental magic."

"Since you didn't have to deal with that, what did you do?"

"Blistered that boy's bottom," he declared tautly. "Consequently, I am the most unfair and meanest person on earth."

Another kiss to his wife's cheek and Severus returned to his chair, dropping wearily into it. "Harry's always been such a kind-hearted child..." began Severus. His thoughts returned to the time before his son had de-aged himself after the final battle. His vision much clarified by time he acknowledged to himself that Potter had not been the arrogant prat he'd accused the boy of being. Potter had always fought for those he thought were being harmed, and that included a few of his less obnoxious Slytherins.

"He is seven years old, my dear. He will not be growing up beneath the sharp hand of his aunt who taught him to never stand up for himself." Echo smiled, a gentle smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. "Harry obviously has his father's temper," she paused as her husband scowled softly at her.

Echo held out her hands and as Severus grasped them, she urged him out of the chair. "Go talk to your son, dearest. It would only hurt you both if he goes to sleep thinking you're the worst father in the world."

Severus smiled softly at Echo, and with a brief hug, he made his way up to his son's bedroom.

Harry stomped angrily up the stairs, and with the tears blinding him, he stumbled into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. For a moment he stood in the middle of his room, breathing heavily, scowling deeply. He swiped at his tears, and then rubbed his very sore bottom. Finally moving to his bed, he dropped onto the purple velvet comforter and yanked one of the goose down pillows from its neat placing and stuffed it under his head.

He couldn't believe his father had actually spanked him in front of Miss Molly. Cheeks reddening in embarrassment at the renewed memory, his stomach flipped nauseatingly.

"I'm not sorry!" Harry growled into his pillow.

He'd tried to ignore the swot Sarah, but she just wouldn't leave him be. First she wanted his purple, dragon-hide journal, and then the prat broke the beautiful quill his father had given him at Christmas. He didn't know he was going to manifest his magic, but he still felt that Sarah deserved it. Why wasn't anyone spanking her for being a terrible person?

Harry sniffled woundedly and scrubbed his teary-eyed face into his pillow. It wasn't too long before he drifted into an uneasy, light sleep.

Minutes, or maybe it was hours, or maybe it was seconds, but Harry was roused sharply from his nap as his father knocked on his door. Harry felt a little disoriented as his adrenaline had been stirred up, making his heart beat too rapidly in his chest.

A second knock stirred the youngster from his bed. He walked to the door, feeling the after-effects of the adrenaline rapidly leaving. He unlatched the door, and opened it just enough for him to peek out.

Severus, still wearing his frock coat, stood in the hallway outside his son's door. He looked down at the green eyes that blinked owlishly at him. He realised that Harry must have fallen asleep while he was talking to Echo.

"You tol' me to go to my room," Harry said softly, but with a touch of bruised rebellion.

"I know. However, I don't believe I told you to slam the door." Harry was about to smart mouth back at his father when Severus crossed his arms over his chest. He was now, every inch the Professor of Potions that had frightened scores of first years for over 15 years.

Harry paled slightly and involuntarily stepped backwards until his back was to the frame of his bed. He rarely saw his father like this, and he couldn't remember having seen such... what? Anger? No. Disappointment. His father's deep black eyes glimmered with disappointment, but also puzzlement.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Severus relaxed his posture, even though he felt far from relaxed. It wasn't his intention to scare his son. He conjured one of Harry's purple and gold tapestried chairs near the bed, and indicated to his son that he ought to climb up on it. At that moment, Hector came in, his big tail wagging heavily as he jumped up to be beside his boy. Harry, now seated, cross-legged, on the bed, leaned a bit into the oversized, golden retriever, and welcomed the feel of the Hector's big head upon his thigh.

For several long minutes there was an uneasy silence between father and son. It was Harry who broke the silence when he shifted, and winced as the pain of his spanking still haunted him.

"You hit too hard," Harry pouted, staring down at his boots.

Severus knew this wasn't going to be easy. To be honest, it was the first time he'd ever spanked his son when he was still angry. Harry's outburst that Sarah deserved what she got and he STILL wanted to hit the girl, just caused a fuse to snap.

Harry's head lifted as he heard his father summoning a pain relieving balm. With the dittany based cream held up in his hand, he offered to put it on.

Harry slipped off the bed, with another wince, and then held out his hand for the short, wide container. "Can I put it on myself?"

Severus just nodded and gave his son the small container. Harry turned and disappeared into his loo. For nearly ten minutes, Severus tried to figure out just what he would say to his son. He was very sorry that he had punished Harry while he was still angry.

He had to acknowledge that as much as he'd been angry with Harry, as soon as he realised what he was doing, he stopped. Appalled at his actions, yet unable to separate his anger with his son from his sudden anger at himself. He had never expected his son, his sweet child, to declare that he wanted to seek revenge upon another.

Harry emerged from the loo, wearing his soft, flannel pyjamas. Adding to his comfort was his plushy soft bathrobe. He climbed back up onto his bed, next to Hector.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

"What are you sorry for, Harry?" asked Severus carefully.

Harry squirmed a bit and wrapped the bathrobe belt around his hand nervously. "Slamming my door?" he posited with caution.

Severus frowned. "Do you still feel that Sarah deserved to get hurt?" Harry couldn't meet his father's eyes. He only twisted the belt further until Severus leaned forward and tipped his son's chin up with his index finger.

Harry's green eyes darted away from the penetrating gaze of his father as hot tears began to fall from his emerald eyes. His father was just going to lecture him and wasn't ever going to listen. He sniffled sharply, as his heart cracked painfully. His hands disappeared into Hector's winter coat as the part of him that once hid from his abusive aunt, reflexively massaged the the dog's heavy fur. Harry intended to just remain quiet until his father gave up and left, but he couldn't. As much as his heart hurt, and he just wanted to sleep forever, he had to say what he felt.

Ignoring his father's question about Sarah, Harry blurted, his voice full of pain, "Why'd you b'lieve Miss Molly an' never let me explain?"

It was the sound of someone feeling betrayed that brought Severus up short. He stiffened at his son's painful question, wondering if he had done more than spank his son in anger.

"What are you talking about? Molly only told me what happened. You were fine until you told me that Sarah deserved the broken wrist... and," he emphasized, "you did say you wanted to hit her."

"But I didn't mean it! You always said you'd listen and you din't!" Harry's voice was sharp, and laced with pain and anger. He swiped at the tears that betrayed his aching heart.

Severus leaned forward, but was shocked when Harry scooted away from him and pressed himself against the headboard. Hoping that it would reduce any threat Harry might perceive, Severus settled back in his chair. "Just calm down, son..." Harry didn't say anything, but his tears did increase.

Severus was now frustrated, but the anger he'd had towards his son was twice now directed at himself. What have I done? Molly had met him at the Floo telling him first about Sarah's broken wrist before telling him about Harry's burst of accidental magic.

"Harry really tried to keep his temper, Severus, but when Sarah broke his quill by accident, he just lost his temper." Molly smiled soothingly as she noticed the darkening cloud of anger settling upon the Potions Master's face.

"Did he hit her?" Severus inquired tautly.

"Oh no! But, you know children at this age, Severus..."

"It wasn't an 'accident'!" spat Harry from the corner. "An' I'm not sad she broke her arm cause she's mean!"

Red split Severus' vision and before he knew it, his son was over his knee...

Harry brought him back to the present with another loud sniffle. Severus automatically conjured a clean handkerchief, but Harry refused it and wiped his tears on the arm of his robe.

"Harry," Severus' tone was now free of any anger, or parental righteousness. Now he needed to listen. "I know I should have listened then, but I am now. What were you trying to tell me?"

Another sniffle and then Harry began his side of the story. "Sarah wanted to sit by me and she wanted Mouse's desk. When Mouse wouldn't move, she pinched his arm. Really hard. Before Mouse could tell on Sarah, Sarah told Molly that Dani'd pinched Mouse so Dani had to stand in the corner while we started our sums. Sarah kept bothering me and then she wanted my journal. Miss Molly got them all special for us in our favorite colours and mine was purple, but Sarah told me I better give it to her or she was gonna hurt me. She kept poking me, and bothering me, and even kicked me once until it was lunchtime."

Harry paused and took a deep breath. He was about to wipe his face with his arm again, but his sleeve was looking kind of yucky. Severus did a small cleaning charm on the arm of the robe and tried handing the handkerchief, again, to his son. Harry took it this time, wiped his eyes, and blew his nose.

"So what happened at lunch?" asked Severus in order to encourage Harry to finish his story.

"Well, no one wanted to sit with Sarah including her brother. We all took the round table. We just kind of ignored her until Ham saw Sarah take my journal from my desk. I told her to put it back and when Mouse took the journal from her, Sarah picked up my quill pen. She said she'd break it if I didn't give her my journal. When I told her no, she broke it! It wasn't an accident! Sarah told Miss Molly it was, but she was lying cuz even with a broken wrist she didn't want to get in trouble. And, I only said I wanted to hit her because I was really, really mad at her, but I never would have. And, it did kind of feel good, at first, that her wrist was broken, but then I felt kinda sick in my stomach. When Miss Molly came back, she was real nice to Sarah and when Sarah said I'd done it on purpose, Miss Molly got mad at me, and she wouldn't hear anything from me. I hadda sit in the corner 'til you came and it wasn't fair cuz I never did anything bad!"

Harry yawned. After all that, he felt bone weary and now he just wanted to lie down. The little boy shifted until he was neatly flopped over Hector. Hector just yawned and made himself a bit more comfortable for his boy.

Harry murmured into Hector's fur so it was muffled, but Severus could understand the words. "She's a bully, dad."

Severus rubbed his left temple with his index finger. Deep down, Severus did feel that Sarah got what she deserved for her beastly actions towards his son. Listening to Harry's side of events that day, sent his mind back to his own tormentors, the Marauders: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. He also recalled wishing many times that the Marauders would fall off a cliff, get eaten by a hippogriff, or worse.

"Dad?" His son's voice brought him tentatively back to the present. "I do feel kinda bad that Sarah's wrist got broke, but that's because she got away with everything. It was like a punishment. Miss Molly was being so nice to Sarah while she held her and Sarah was just saying it was all my fault." Harry's voice rose. "It wasn't, though! Honestly! I really, really tried to just ignore her, but she's just plain mean!"

Severus sighed and slumped wearily in the chair. How often had he asked his own mother why the Marauders never got punished for bullying him. His first year he had tried to ignore the Gryffindor boys, but it seemed like the quieter he took their taunts and name-calling, the worse it would get. When he did strike back, it wasn't the Marauders who lost points, or got detention, it was him.

Harry continued, "Mouse told me to ignore Sarah, and Ham, he told Sarah to leave me alone, but she said a nasty word and then pinched him, too. Danielle told me to tattle on her, but Sarah was doing lots of mean things right in front of Miss Molly's back. I mean, when she wasn't looking, you know? Sarah's real sneaky, too. Miss Molly did catch Sarah trying to take my journal away, but Sarah only got a warning." Harry shrugged his shoulders and stroked Hector's large head. "Mum's told me before it's not nice to hit girls, and you told me not to get into fights, and I really did try not to. But it... it..." In shame he dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Please continue, Harry," Severus spoke softly, encouragingly to his son. "I want to hear everything."

"I was really angry when she broke my quill. It was just the greatest Christmas present ever, and I was looking forward to using it. I really wouldn't have hit her, but when my magic pushed her into the bookcase and she started crying, I couldn't help it. It just felt like that's what she deserved after everything she'd done to me, to Ham, to Dani, and to Mouse."

Fresh tears spilled down Harry's cheek, and Severus felt his heart break. With a huff of frustration, he patted his lap, and held out his arms. Harry quickly clambered off his bed and curled up into his father's embrace. At least he now knew his father still loved him.

The sobs came then. Harry really didn't like to cry, but sometimes it washed all the bad feelings away. Especially when his daddy held him tight and rubbed his back.

Severus waited until the sobs began to abate before speaking again. "When I was just a bit older than you," Severus began softly as his body rocked, and he carded his fingers through Harry's fine hair, "There were four boys who teased me everyday. I tried not to retaliate, but then they tormented me even worse, I had no choice but to fight back. What hurt the most weren't their hexes, but the fact that none of the adults ever caught them. And, if they did, I wasn't allowed to give my story of what happened. I was just given detention, and lost points."

Although Harry couldn't see him, Severus briefly closed his eyes.

"That sounds like me," Harry replied, his cheek against his father's chest so he could hear his heartbeat.

"It does," agreed Severus as he lightly kissed his son's head.

"Daddy? Did I deserve the spanking?" Harry asked timidly as he twisted one of the cloth covered buttons on his father's frock coat.

Severus nodded, then replied. "You did, but I should have waited until we got home. I was wrong to spank you when I was angry. I also should have listened to your story first. I knew, from what Molly told me, that Sarah had been bothersome. I was concerned over her broken wrist, and I was angry when you declared she deserved it. I take it that you don't feel that way now?"

Severus felt Harry's head shake against his chest and under his hand. "I was just really angry, daddy. Miss Molly made me sit in the corner 'til you came and I was really sure that... that you'd listen to me and then tell her she was wrong for punishing me... but, you didn't."

That hurt! Severus hadn't meant to take Molly's side against his son, but when he'd arrived at the schoolhouse, he'd been immediately accosted by Molly who proceeded to tell him the days events and why Harry sat in the corner.

How many times as he was growing up had he wanted someone to take his side, to just listen to him? Lily had been there, for a time. As for Albus... well, their relationship had been a long and bumpy one. The few times Albus had helped him when he was a student, were times that were kept silent, just between himself and the old man. It was the night that he'd come to Albus with the Dark Mark still causing his skin to bleed at its edges, that things had changed. All his fear, his anger, washed away with tears. He had wept such crippling sobs that he'd been as a broken marionette. He could not raise himself up off the floor. Knees cracking, Albus had dropped to the floor beside the grief stricken, young wizard and held him until his tears had stopped.

"I do realise, now, that I should have kept control of my own temper and waited to hear your side of the story," began Severus, apologetically.

Harry pulled slightly away from the comfort of his father's chest and looked up into his eyes. Severus cupped one cheek, and his son leaned into the affection.

"I promise, you, my dear child, I will not let that happen again. Will you forgive me?"

Harry nodded and then threw his arms around his father's neck. "I forgive you, daddy!" He kissed Severus cheek, and hugged him. Once back down in his father's lap, he asked, "What do I do about Sarah?"

"I will speak to Molly this evening. For the time being, though, I want you to try and ignore Sarah as much as possible. Hopefully, after my talk with Molly, Sarah will get some much needed correction from her father."

With the awful day over, including the parts that hurt, Harry sank gratefully into his father's embrace. Severus rocked his son, enjoying the fact that Harry hadn't yet grown so much that he could still be held. It wasn't long before his son was soon fast asleep.