In the early hours of the morning, when the sun was still hidden beyond the horizon and the sky was only just beginning to lighten, Severus Snape was enjoying the rare experience of a restful, dreamless sleep without any assistance from sedative based potions or even  Dreamless Sleep itself. It was a sense of peaceful bliss that came to Severus extremely scarcely. As fate would have it however, this particular sleep was not destined to last the entirety of the night as the loud crack of apparition had Severus sitting up with his wand in his hand so swiftly it was almost impossible to trace at what point he woke up.

It could have been the sound itself that woke him, or the instinctual grab of his wand, or perhaps the force of throwing himself out of bed in the space of moments, but in a matter of seconds Severus had gone from a peaceful sleep to armed alertness. He was just turning toward his door when he saw the source of the disturbance, a rather contrite looking Albus Dumbledore with his hands held before him, palms open in a calming gesture Severus knew all to well from the amount of times the old man had done this to him; for all he seemed contrite at the time, he had a habit of continuing to terrorize Severus in the early hours of the morning when he had something of considerable importance to say.

Disgusted nevertheless, and irritated to have been torn from a perfectly good sleep, Severus lowered his wand and snapped, "What, Albus?" While glancing toward his door in a swift and furtive gesture to remind the old man he had a rather unwanted house guest in Peter Pettigrew. Albus smiled benignly, which indicated to Severus he was both aware and counting on the aptly ratlike individual’s penchant for eavesdropping and cowardice to assist him in whatever plot he had cooked up this time.

"I have a mission for you, Severus. It is of the utmost importance," he began gravely, "I'm afraid it cannot wait until morning. Please, take a seat." Albus stated this last with an air of graciousness that made Severus' upper lip curl in derision. This was still his home, and he did not need permission to sit in it. Shaking off the lingering annoyance, Severus drawled, “I’d rather not, Headmaster.”

Albus nodded, used to Severus’ early morning surliness and continued. “Voldemort must not learn of this,” he began in a soft but urgent tone, using the coded statement that meant he was giving Severus a deliberately false trail to feed to the Dark Lord. “I trust you can find a way to explain to him where I am sending you without too many questions being asked?”

Severus was silent, as though thinking before he answered, “That would depend on how long I will be gone, I imagine.”

Albus smiled at this even as he stated in a mildly soothing tone, “Just until the second week of August - I will of course still need you at Hogwarts, and I do know how much time you need to prepare for your start of term classes. I’m hoping it won’t take quite so long as that, but at the worst...”

Severus frowned throughout all of this and stated with some measure of honesty, “That will be difficult to do, Headmaster. The Dark Lord - “

Albus cut him off with a hard tone, meant more for the man who was surely listening in than for the Potions Master. “This is not a request, Severus. You will find a way to excuse yourself from his service for the summer. My sources have confirmed that the Trinium Crystal has been located in Bermuda, and I need your diplomatic skills in order to acquire it.”

Again, Severus frowned. The Trinium Crystal was a genuine artifact that, when used, permitted any Animagus with a canine form to take on the form of any animal that fell into the canidae family. To the Dark Lord, it would look as though Albus was collecting this for someone in his ranks - perhaps even Potter, who may be unregistered. It would also be something the Dark Lord would not want in Albus’ possession, and so there would be a counter-mission to go after it.

The truth was, Albus already had the Trinium Crystal, and this was a particular plot the Headmaster had come up with in the case of an emergency need of Severus in which his absence would otherwise be inexcusable to the Dark Lord. Whatever was going on, Severus was to report that Albus was sending him to Bermuda to retrieve it, which would not only excuse Severus but also distract the Dark Lord and some of his servants as they try and deduce why it is needed and attempt to capture it first, as Severus position as a spy for the Dark Lord would be revealed if he delivered it personally, and the crystal would not be considered important enough to Lord Voldemort to warrant risking his spy in Dumbledore’s court. The problem, however, was that Severus had no idea what his true mission was going to be for the next few months.

“I understand, Headmaster.” He stated simply, causing Albus to nod calmly.

“Excellent. In that case Severus, I suggest that you pack. I will meet you at Headquarters in two hours to give you your ticket and a few things that may help you on your journey.”

Severus nodded, knowing this would be when he would receive the details of his true mission, and Albus apparated away. The Potions Master waited a few moments, taking the time to dress himself before flicking his wand at his bedroom door, opening it to reveal Pettigrew, shamelessly standing behind it even after being granted plenty of time to stow himself away. “Well? Go inform Lady Malfoy that she will be receiving our company, and be sure the Dark Lord is summoned!” He snapped, leaving the unsavory task of calling the Dark Lord at this obscene hour of the morning to pitiful Pettigrew and the ever simpering Narcissa, wanting nothing to do with it personally. It also granted Severus the satisfaction of expressing his dominance over the trembling, graceless bastard who was not so subtly spying on him. Whatever Albus had in store for him, Severus was grateful to get away from the man who betrayed Lily Evans to the Dark Lord. There was only so much patience a single man could possess, and the urge to throttle Pettigrew increased incredibly each and every day.

Sighing heavily, Severus closed his eyes and took a moment to calm his mind. It was truly far to early in the morning to be facing the Dark Lord's considerable wrath, though he did hope he would be able to tame the beast with the 'valuable' information of Dumbledore's 'mission'. In the meantime, it was wise to bring his mind to bear and set up his shields carefully.

In a somewhat meditative state, Severus opened his trunk and began waving things inside. He had no idea where he was going, so he packed his winter cloak and charmed gloves just in case - when it came to Albus Dumbledore, it was wise to prepare for even the wildest of adventures. Also in the trunk Severus placed his various books and research materials, setting them all in the secret compartment that held an undetectable extension charm in its chamber. Once he had everything settled he double checked the strength of the featherlight charm before shrinking the trunk and setting it in the hidden pocket of his travel cloak.

Heading down to his parlor, Severus paused just long enough to activate a spell that would give Pettigrew a rather nasty surprise if he tried to snoop through anything, then stepped into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder. "Malfoy Manor," he growled, dropping the gritty powder and vanishing in a burst of green flame. It was an inelegant route of travel and Severus personally detested it - thankfully all of his clothes were charmed against dirt and grime, and as such he was able to step out of the Malfoy's ridiculously large fireplace as pristine as though he had walked up the drive.

He had barely taken two steps when Narcissa rushed up to him, her eyes wide with ill-concealed fear as she whispered, "He's here, Severus. Please, this had best be important - he's not in a good mood,” she warned him nervously.

“Do you think I would call on the Dark Lord at this hour if it were not important, Narcissa?” Severus sneered in return, before disregarding whatever reply she may have had and striding into the Malfoy’s entry hall where the Dark Lord stood over a cowering Pettigrew. Ever since Lucius’ imprisonment after the break-in at the Ministry, the Malfoy Manor had become a hive of sorts for the Death Eaters to contact the Dark Lord with news, hold prisoners or even hide out and enjoy the hospitality of Lucius’ disgraced family. It was an added insult to their considerable injury, but it made things simpler for Severus. He was about to announce himself when the sibilant voice of the Dark Lord stopped him in his tracks.

“Ah, Severus,” Voldemort greeted smoothly as he turned to face the Potions Master, red eyes narrow and cold as they gazed upon the other man, “Wormtail says you had a visitor this morning.”

Severus smiled thinly at the use of Pettigrew’s childhood nickname and inclined his head incrementally toward his Lord. “Yes, my lord. Albus Dumbledore arrived to inform me of a mission he wishes me to undertake. I am to lie to you, my lord,” he drawled smoothly, a small smirk on his face as though the mere thought was both ludicrous and ironic, a joke between himself and the Dark Lord, who just now cocked his head ever so slightly like a bird eyeing its prey.

“And what are you to tell me, Severus?” He murmured softly, the snakelike voice almost curious in tone.

“Whatever I can come up with, apparently, that will excuse me from your service until the third week of August.” Severus allowed himself a small snort. “As though such an excuse would be easy to come by.” At this, he was rewarded with an amused sound from the Dark Lord, indicating his temper was now calmed by curiosity and pleasure in Severus’ ironic humor.

“As it is,” Severus continued smoothly, “He wishes me to go to Bermuda. His sources have confirmed the location of the Trinium Crystal, and he wishes for me to retrieve it, though of course for what purpose, I have not been told,” He added with a genuine trace of bitterness. It was easy to call up the emotion, to think of how little Albus truly told him and dwell upon it as the Dark Lord’s eyes assessed his own for the validity of his statement. Apparently satisfied with the truthfulness in Severus thoughts and feelings, the Dark Lord turned away and moved towards the stairwell that Severus knew led to the Malfoy dining room, which had been serving as a meeting place for the Death Eaters since Lucius’ incarceration.

“The Trinium Crystal,” The Dark Lord mused as he made his way up the stairs. “A most curious artifact for the Order to require, wouldn’t you agree, Severus?”

Understanding the silent summons also being made, Severus made to follow the Dark Lord as he answered, “Quite. With Black dead, there is none whom I can think of which could make use of it. Unless...” He trailed off, as though uncertain, until the Dark Lord prompted, “Go on.”

With a slight frown, Severus mused to his Lord, “It could be that perhaps Potter has mastered the art. It wouldn’t be unlike him and his little friends to go and study it of their own accord - Merlin knows that boy is just like his father,” Severus spat, reminding the Dark Lord of James Potter’s ability and how he came about it by bringing up the all-too easy to call upon hatred of the other man. This also served the purpose of seeding a reason for the Dark Lord to try and find the crystal for his own use, or at least to ‘debilitate’ the Order’s plans.

“Perhaps,” the Dark Lord agreed mildly. “I would like you to try and discover this, if you could, Severus.” He added lightly, the tone so casual Severus knew it was an order.

“Of course my lord,” he agreed with as much sincerity as he could muster, adding a touch of sinister glee at the thought of catching Potter out as an unregistered Animagus to add an authentic tone to his desire to serve.

“Wormtail,” The Dark Lord called suddenly, his voice deceptively gentle, causing Severus to suppress a shiver even as Pettigrew approached, openly shaking in his fear of his master.

“Yes, m-my lord?” He stuttered, as the Dark Lord withdrew his wand. “Your arm, if you please, Wormtail,” he drawled icily, making the other man whimper as Severus sneered his contempt and complete lack of pity for the man now being used to call the others to this room.

The Dark Lord’s wand pressed to the mark on Wormtail’s arm, and Severus stood stoically as his own mark writhed to life, burning its call through his veins as he watched Wormtail also writhe, clearly hating this process. In moments, the room was filled with Death Eaters drawn from their beds, the anti-apparition wards lowered by Narcissa at the Dark Lord’s request when he arrived, Severus was certain.

Bellatrix looked as wild and eager to please as ever, while Yaxley and Dolohov looked sour about being woken early. Thicknesse was pale and bedraggled, though he stood at attention with a carefully measured expression Severus almost gave him credit for. The Dark Lord surveyed them and the others calmly before he informed them, “It would appear, my friends, that the Order has need of the Trinium Crystal. What for we, at this point, are unaware, though that is of little importance of course,” he stated smoothly, allowing those gathered to frown or murmur in response, according to their various natures. “For they will not retrieve it. Amycus,” He stated sharply, “You and Alecto shall go to Bermuda, where the crystal is located, and you will be sure to bring it here quickly. Albus believes it will take Severus until the second week of August to retrieve it - be quicker.”

The Carrows grinned their approval, and the Dark Lord turned to Yaxley. “I wish for a list of all registered canine animagi - though it is unlikely that this is for someone on the registration list, it will be good of us to be prepared.” The other nodded, so the Dark Lord turned and vanished, dismissing them all with his own disapparition.

Turning sharply as the sound of cracks resounded throughout the dining room, Severus strode past Narcissa before she could say anything - but that did not stop her from grabbing his arm. “Severus,” she began, but he shrugged her off, turning to her with a dark look before he growled, “I will be back before the start of term Narcissa. You would do me a great favor if you were a bit more discreet,” he admonished, sending a glare in Pettigrew’s direction before sweeping down the stairs as the woman took a moment to recover from being reprimanded in her own home. Before she had a chance to approach him again, Severus had stepped into the fireplace with a handful of the Malfoy’s Floo powder and stated, “Albus Dumbledore’s Office.”

Moments later, Severus was taking some of the Headmaster’s Floo Powder and nodding toward Fawkes before transferring to the Order's new Headquarters. It was perhaps seven in the morning now, but Albus was already waiting for him and, thankfully, there was not a Weasley in sight this early in the morning. Severus assumed Arthur had left by then, and Molly had made herself scarce. He also realized now just how early he himself had been awakened, and shook his head slightly in disbelief at Albus' apparent need of urgency.

Severus took a seat even as Albus waved for him to do so and once he was in a chair, the old man pushed a bowl of fruit at him. The Potions Master eyed the bowl dubiously before picking out an apple and nodding for Albus to get on with it. The Headmaster waited until Severus finally took a bite before he began speaking in a deliberately slow manner, which meant Severus was to listen to every word regardless of how unrelated the topic may seem to the current situation. It was a stalling tactic Severus was used to when Albus had something he wanted to say but knew a blunt opening would result in some sort of revolt.

“As you know, Severus, Harry has once again been sent home to his relatives for the summer months. Now, this is not something I want the rest of the Order to become aware of, but Harry’s living conditions at home are...less than ideal.” Albus looked at the Potions Master over his half-moon glasses and received a disgusted look in reply, as the last thing Severus could care about at this moment was how pampered the little prince was. Wordlessly he returned to his apple and hoped the man would get on with the point.

“Of course, I’m quite certain there’s been no physical abuse but - “ Severus' sharp glance back toward the Headmaster caused a small, sad smile to cross the old man’s features before he continued on, “Considering the events prior to summer vacation, I worry about how the neglect will affect Harry this year. He’s never had a very happy childhood, but he’s always managed to persevere,” Albus stated with no small amount of pride, before his expression darkened and he stated simply, “But with Sirius Black’s death and the full weight of the prophesy upon him now, I fear that being isolated with his relatives may break him down. We need him to be strong, Severus, we can’t afford to lose him. Especially not when my own strength is waning so quickly.”

For a long moment, there was silence in the room as Severus’ eyes fell to the Headmaster’s blackened hand and his mind began deducing what Albus was asking of him. Just as he was about to refuse, Albus continued on. “I cannot send someone who will sympathize with Harry too quickly. I need his summer accommodations assessed in an unbiased light, and I know if I send in someone who will leap to Harry’s defense at so much as a glare in his direction, I will not receive that.”

As Albus laced his fingers together, Severus knew the old man was all but openly saying, ‘I know you hate the boy, and thus will be reluctant to step in unless you absolutely must.’ He barely managed to withhold his sneer even as the Headmaster continued on quietly. “I want you to observe Harry’s living conditions closely for three days, then give me a full report on your findings. If you should find that the conditions are unsavory enough to warrant an intervention, we will have to find alternative living quarters for the boy this summer. Please keep in mind however, that Harry’s home with the Dursley’s is protected by Lily’s blood sacrifice,” Albus said sternly, in a way ruthlessly reminding Severus of his oath to protect the wretched child as well as of his failure to protect Lily all in one simple statement. “The conditions will have to be measured in what we feel Harry can manage at this point in time, considering his grief and his knowledge of the prophesy. If it is a simple matter of neglect then perhaps we can arrange to have his friends visit and lift his spirits.”

Albus fell quiet a moment, thinking of a child kept locked under the stairs for eleven years - a truth he had not realized until the day Hogwarts administrated the boy’s letter automatically. He had not thought to look in on Harry until then - to truly look in on him, in any case. He had glimpsed Harry shopping with his Aunt as a child, and watched him pick weeds from the garden briefly, but had not thought to observe the child in what he had been so sure would be a happy home. The letter Hogwarts magical quills addressed had alarmed him mildly, and he had sent Petunia a letter in regards to the boy’s treatment, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he should have done more. Harry never complained but for that first time, which he had taken as a sign all was well after his letter. Recently however, Albus had come to think that perhaps the reason Harry had not complained was more because he felt Albus would not listen after being turned away before.

Severus stirred, drawing him back to the present, and he pierced the younger man with his most serious gaze as he stated solemnly, “If it is more, however - if the living conditions are truly unacceptable - I trust that you will be honest and we will come up with another way to guard Harry this summer. Only you can do this, Severus. You are an excellent spy, and you are not the sort to act impulsively on anyone’s behalf. You also have a better knowledge of unsavory living conditions than most in the Order,” he added with a trace of genuine sadness. “If anyone can measure how likely it is for Harry to break there this summer, it is you, Severus.”

Pinned by the old man’s gaze and unspoken accusations, Severus had no choice but to clench his fists and accept the mission with but a single attempt at rebuttal. “And how am I to observe him for three days, unseen, in his own home Albus?” The infernal Headmaster smiled at him and drew his wand. Instantly Severus’ eyes widened and he began, “Headmaster, you cannot honestly mean to - “

“Oh but I do, Severus,” Albus interrupted, before stating firmly, “Abdotectum tego.”

Severus stiffened as he felt the cool wash of the spell cross over him, before glancing down at himself. A slight hiss of breath was his initial response to the result; he was completely invisible, and even after moving his hand several times he could not see any disturbances in the air, as with normal Disillusionment Charms. He gave Albus a slightly envious glance that he was almost certain the man could see through those glasses of his, for the man spoke while looking directly at him despite his current state.

“The spell will only wear off if you cast the counter, Severus. However I suggest you continue to wear it until you have gathered the information I need. Three days should be plenty of time, I’m sure.”

With a smile, Albus stood and in a highly disconcerting fashion, reached out and laid a hand on the invisible man’s shoulder. “Number four, Privet Drive. Good luck, Severus.”

With a mild pat, Albus left Severus to mull a moment over this less than savory mission, before the Potions Master disapparated with a crack to Arabella Figg’s house which he knew from his single, hateful night of patrol before Albus realized the utter stupidity of having Severus guarding Potter’s summer home. He stared angrily at the house where he would be spying on Potter of all people, before wondering idly if the household was still asleep and if he could sneak in. He had to hand it to Albus, the man had a gift with manipulation rivaled only by Tom Riddle before the madness. The singular mention of physical abuse had been enough to stun Severus enough to not argue, but now as he thought on it he realized the very idea was beyond ridiculous.

Making his way to the back of the house, Severus was considering finding a way to dodge the mission and avoid three days of watching Potter whine on about how bitterly unfair his life was to his simpering relatives when the back door opened swiftly and a body was tossed out into the yard. Severus watched in mild interest as Potter quickly caught himself and half hopped, half stumbled back into a standing position as a grotesquely obese man came out after him.

What happened next caused Severus to frown slightly as the man gestured sharply toward a bed of flowers, his motion causing Potter to jerk away and raise his hands a bit in a manner Severus recognized all too well as defensive. That alone would have been enough to cause some soft-hearted fool like Lupin to think the boy expected to be hit, and more than that he was cowed by the thought. Severus, however, highly doubted that Harry Potter, the Boy-Whose-Arrogance-Knows-No-Bounds, was intimidated by a fat Muggle and decided not to read too much into the reaction. The idea was ludicrous enough to make the Potions Master choke back a snort that would have given away his presence, to Potter if not the Muggle. 

Silently, Severus crept forward with his eyes on the two as the fat man ordered Potter to clear out the weeds and repaint the shed by lunchtime, or he'd not see a single scrap of food until tomorrow evening. “And if you even think,” the fat man growled, pointing an abnormally thick finger at Potter, “Of trying to contact any of those freaky friends of yours, you’ll regret it, you hear me?”

From his new angle, Severus could see Potter’s face twist with a mix of exasperation and bitterness. “I told you, I can’t contact them without m-” the boy stopped even as the other man’s face turned a rather alarming shade of purple, and Potter quickly stated, “Only with Hedwig Uncle Vernon. And I won’t, I swear. I’ll get to the weeds then, shall I?” He stated with a rather light air before moving quickly as though to hop to it. 

To Severus' surprise, Potter's ‘Uncle Vernon’ was surprisingly quick for a man so large. He had Harry by the scruff of the neck just as the boy darted toward the flower beds and Severus had stepped forward a bit almost out of instinct as Vernon snarled softly into Harry’s ear, “Too right you won’t boy. Because if I even so much as hear that bloody bird’s cage rattle, you can bet it will be the last time it does, understand?” Potter quickly agreed, his voice meek, and he was released. Vernon turned and left him, and for a moment Potter stared after him with a haunted look that made Severus’ heart twist despite himself. Lily’s eyes had never looked so old, and there was something deeply wrong about seeing them so now, even on Potter’s face.

Shaking off the sudden feeling of concern for Potter, Severus moved to the shed and sat on the concrete, where the imprints of his shoes would not be noticed by the boy. For the first hours of the morning, very little of interest happened. Potter weeded with the brisk efficiency of someone used to hard labor and the understanding of what was meant to remain in the garden bed and what was not. The sun had risen, and even in the coolness of the morning Potter’s neck began to glisten with sweat as he worked, barely making a sound. It was around ten when Potter finally finished the weeding, which concerned Severus slightly. The boy had done an excellent job, even Severus could not deny that much, but he still had the shed to do, and in two hours if Vernon’s threats held any weight - which Severus suspected they did, though he refused to think too much on the implications of such a suspicion. He wasn't ready yet to accept that Potter's life was less than ideal. It was more than likely the boy had disobeyed his Uncle and was being properly punished for it. In fact, Severus mused, that was probably precisely what was going on. Potter had broken some rule, and his Uncle was reinforcing it with yard work and keeping Potter from whining to his friends about his punishment.

Severus had just finished smirking about what he was certain was the true state of affairs when he noticed that Potter was coming toward the shed. Realizing he needed to move now, and do so without Potter noticing, the Potions Master flicked his wand to cause a slight flash off to the boy's left. The boy turned quickly to see what it was, and Severus moved deftly to the shadow of the nearby tree, mentally cursing himself for not paying attention.

Potter, meanwhile, had shrugged off the flash and was now entering the shed. A few moments later he was out with a bucket of paint and some supplies, which he set on the concrete where Severus had been seated just moments before. Taking a seat in the shadows, the Potions Master lost track of time as he watched Potter go about his task. The first coat was done when a thin woman whose horse-like face Severus sharply recognized as Petunia Evans stepped out of the house and examined the flowerbeds before walking over to where Harry sat with his brush, repainting a dry section with its second coat. She sniffed at him and, from her apron drew out a muffin which she tossed on the ground by the boy, who barely looked at her as he stated dully, “Thanks Aunt Petunia.”

“Be sure to finish that by dinner. Vernon will be most displeased if this is unfinished by the time he gets home.” Petunia’s shrill voice was as grating as Severus remembered, though he rolled his eyes at the fact Potter was being fed despite his Uncle's firm words. It would seem Severus had been correct in assuming this was a punishment, but of course Potter was too damned precious to be allowed to starve.

“Yes Aunt Petunia.”

There was silence between them for a moment, before Potter fidgeted slightly and finally glanced at her, as though wondering why she had not left yet. Petunia continued to look down at him, before finally she said in a voice so soft Severus had to lean forward to catch it, “You should have known better, then to get those freaks to threaten us. Vernon’s been in a temper ever since, and its entirely your fault. What were you thinking, getting those - those people  - to approach us like that? I’ve never been so mortified,” she tutted, lips pursed in a highly unattractive manner, as Severus brows rose in surprise at Potter's audacity. Threatening his family now, was he? To think Albus thought he was being mistreated, when in truth he was as much a delinquent at home as he was at Hogwarts!

“Just keep to yourself boy, and be sure to keep your mouth shut.” She stepped back as Potter rose to his feet to paint a higher spot, then turned to go.

“Is that why you’re feeding me, then? So I’ll keep quiet?” There was nothing in his tone of voice that Severus could pick out as defiant - if anything, the boy’s tone was completely deadpan - but the Potions Master was genuinely shocked by the sheer disrespect and gall the boy had to say such a thing.

Petunia reacted as though the boy had spit on her, and as far as Severus was concerned, Potter may as well have. She turned sharply, pointing a bony finger at him and snapping in a waspish whisper, “I don’t have to give you anything, boy,  so you had best mind your attitude! You ought to be grateful, getting food off our table when you can’t even finish your chores on time!”

To Severus’ disgust, Potter bowed his head as though he were ashamed, which the Potions Master had never known him to be, and answered softly, “Sorry Aunt Petunia. I was just wondering, because I didn’t finish the shed, but you were still feeding me.”

The woman seemed to deflate with this statement, which said a great deal to Severus about how Potter was treated in this household, if he was so easily forgiven for everything, though he was slightly impressed when Petunia managed to turn it around and remind Potter he was, indeed, being punished. “I don’t need you fainting before you finish the job, so don’t let it get to your head boy.”

Turning sharply, she left Potter to his painting. After finishing nearly half the second coat, Potter returned the abandoned muffin almost reluctantly and ate it in a brisk manner that hinted he may not have eaten anything before it, then sat in the grass for a moment’s break.

Severus settled back against the tree, frowning as he evaluated what he had seen so far. While it went beyond a shadow of a doubt Potter was being punished for his usual rule breaking antics, he couldn't help but wonder what possessed the idiot boy to threaten his family. It also appeared that Petunia’s disgust toward wizardry had not ended with her envy and hatred of Lily, if all this ‘freak’ talk was to be taken into account, though that really could just be because the family was so upset by whatever Potter and his friends had threatened. As Severus watched Potter go about the third and final coat, he wondered mildly what Albus would say when Severus reported that Potter was as insufferable as ever but that his family seemed more apt at disciplining him than the Headmaster.

When Potter finished, Severus rose as well and carefully stretched his aching muscles before creeping along after Potter and sliding in the house after him, following alarmingly closely in order to avoid getting hit by the door as it shut automatically. He froze in the doorway as Potter continued on obliviously, and Severus felt both relief and irritation that Potter had not noticed how closely he was shadowed. The boy would have to brush up on his instincts if he hoped to survive war against the Dark Lord.

Shaking his head, he followed the boy into what had to be the most obsessively clean house he had ever set foot in. As he glanced in the living room, Severus' keen observation skills couldn't help but notice a rather surprising lack of golden boy photos. In fact, upon closer inspection, he could not see a single photo of Potter in the room, though there were a copious amount of a boy whose physique was on par with the Crabbe and Goyle boys.

As if summoned into being by Severus' questioning looks at these pictures and the lack of Potter ones, the boy in question lumbered into the room with two other boys. One was tall and skinny, with a pockmarked face and a mean slant to his eyes, while the other was average in height but strong of build, with pale brown hair that was unfashionably long for a Muggle. All four boys stopped upon seeing each other, and Severus watched with interest at the way Potter's cousin stepped forward a bit with a grin to the pockmarked fellow and said, "What are you looking at Potter? Got a thing for Piers now do you?"

The pockmarked boy grinned in a manner that reminded Severus jarringly of Walden Macnair, even as Potter's voice took on that defiant tone that grated on the Potion Master's every last nerve. "What are you talking about, Dudley?"

"Heard you moaning in your sleep again, Potter. Who's Sirius? What happened to Cedric? He dump you?"

Severus' started slightly at this and looked sharply at the two boys as Potter's shoulders stiffened. "Now you're looking at Piers all nasty like. What's the matter Potter? Can't hang on to your boyfriends?" Dudley continued, his tone mockingly sweet.

"Shut up, Dudley." Potter ground out stiffly, but Piers seemed to have different ideas.

"Hey Big D, think we can beat the queer out of him? Cause I'd hate to think Potter might try something on me."

Dudley grinned at this and cracked his meaty knuckles while Potter stated, "I'm not queer, Piers, but if I was you can bet I wouldn't want anything to do with you."

Piers snarled, even as the brown haired boy laughed and stated in a high voice, "Not queer, Potter? Maybe if you bit the pillow a little more we might believe you!"

There was a bit of harsh laughter as Potter began backing up, but before Severus could fully accept what he was witnessing, Dudley was on the boy, his ham sized fist colliding with a sickening crack against Potter's cheek. Piers walked forward as Dudley landed another on Potter, who seemed more interested in trying to scramble out from under his obese cousin than in fighting back, and to Severus complete confusion, Piers took hold of a cabinet and upturned it, causing the ornaments atop it and the fine china in its display to shatter in an almighty crash. The boy with the long brown hair turned and left the house, yelling for Petunia as Dudley continued to lay into Potter.

When Petunia Dursely came in with the brown haired boy, Dudley got off Potter and turned to her with a look on his face worthy of a Malfoy. "He's lost it Mum!" He yelled, just as Piers stepped in with a more elaborate explanation of matters.

"We came in and Potter started calling me a queer, and when we told him to shut it he threw down the cabinet and tried to come at me, but Dudley grabbed him and gave him what for."

Dudley nodded with this story and added, "Those are expensive too Mum, I knew you'd be real mad and I was just real pissed Potter would do that to your stuff."

Severus was wondering idly just how stupid these boys must be, considering the unlikelihood of Potter throwing down the cabinet before lunging at someone simply due to the lack of logic in throwing it into his path and jumping over the glass, when Petunia did something unexpected. Potter had just gotten up when she stepped over the shattered china and slapped him clear across the face, making his head turn with the force.

"You ungrateful little beast!" She screeched, "Look what you've done! Just look!" She cried, as though to a stupid dog rather than a teenage boy. Severus stared in utter disbelief at this display, but stuck to his current orders of three days observation. This, as bad as it was, was clearly a case of teenage bullying and miscommunication. Severus didn't want to think that things were always handled in this manner, and that it was merely a heat of the moment display. Once Petunia had a moment to think clearly, she would surely realize Potter had been set up by Dudley and his friends, in the unlikelihood of Potter not yelling his defenses out.

"Clean it up - NOW." Petunia barked, "And mark me boy, when Vernon gets home he'll be having a few words with you, and then I want you out of my sight. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the summer, do you understand me you little monster?" Potter nodded, already picking up glass with his bare hands as Petunia turned to Dudley and her demeanor changed so fast Severus almost suspected an enchantment. "Oh Duddey-dear, you're such a good boy protecting Piers like that. Come, all of you, let's go get some ice cream." Her tone was so sweet and maternal as she ushered her son out the door that Severus would have gawked in surprise at the drastic difference from moments before, if it were not entirely unlike him to do so.

The brown haired boy followed her out, but Piers walked to Potter and slammed his foot down on Potter's hand, causing the boy to cry out for the first time since this all began as his hand was crushed into glass. "You're disgusting, Potter." Piers sneered, before running to catch up with the others.

After the door closed, Potter continued picking up glass without tending to his hand. Severus watched with a frown as the boy cleaned up, throwing away the shards and righting the cabinet, then vacuuming the carpet and the inside of the cabinet. He had not even bothered with his own defense despite how obvious the set up was, which disturbed Severus more than he cared to admit. The Potions Master watched with a slight chill as after taking out the garbage and the vacuum bag, Potter tore a piece of his own shirt, bound his hand at last, then proceeded to take a cloth and wipe up his blood from the vacuum, the cabinet, and the floor. He was still scrubbing diligently when Petunia and her son returned, followed immediately by Vernon whom they had waited for. Potter continued to scrub as the man towered over him, but it was clear to Severus that the boy was nervous. 

"Get up boy. Go to your room." Vernon's voice was deceptively soft, a tone that Severus instinctively knew was the most dangerous of all. Without intending to do so, his mind flung him back to a memory of Tobias using that same tone, and even Voldemort. Yelling was almost always preferable to soft tones when you knew someone dangerous was angry.

Still determined to see what would happen throughout the entirety of three days - for there was no way every summer day was this bad for Potter, or the whole Wizarding World would know of it by now - Severus carefully followed Potter up the stairs and to a room he was startled to see had seven locks on the outside of the door. Inside, the room was small and sparsely furnished, and had no locks on the inside.

Severus stepped to a corner of the room and knew he would need a way to remain undetected in these close quarters when he noticed Vernon came in and shut the door quietly behind him, effectively trapping the invisible Potions Master in the room before he could decide just how to go about remaining as invisible as he appeared. As such, Severus chose to simply stand very still, wait this next scene out and hope that his corner would not be needed by either Potter or his uncle.

"I never should have let Petunia keep you," the obese man began in that soft tone, "I never should have let you out of that cupboard, let alone let you go to that freak school of yours."

Potter's face did not move from its completely blank expression as Vernon spoke and Severus struggled to accept the idea of Potter in a cupboard. Everything he had seen thus far clashed harshly with the life he had anticipated the boy to have lived. The difference between his assumptions and the reality was almost too staggering to be possible.

"You never dared touch a thing in this house until you went there," Vernon continued, pulling Severus from his contemplation, "Never spoke a word against us, till that place. Now, now you go and blow up Marge, talk back to me, threaten us with your freaky friends, and, to top it all off, YOU DESTROY MY HOUSE!"

The sudden bellow brought a wince from Potter, as Vernon advanced on him with a vicious growl, "You're a freak. And its time you remembered your place." In a surprisingly quick motion, Vernon grabbed Potter by the shirt and gave him a sharp shake, again rather like one would react with a particularly bad dog rather than a human boy. "You're never going back there boy, and if you think those freaks can rule the way I run my house, you have another thing coming!" 

With that, Vernon stormed from the room, slamming the door shut with the sound of seven decisive clicks following immediately afterward. Severus kept an unaffected expression despite the fact nobody could see him, and as much as he tried to rationalize it away he knew, all too well, that he was deceiving himself. He had been deceiving himself since he first set foot on the Dursely's lawn, and he'd been too proud to care. Now he was locked in a small room with Potter, who despite the verbal and physical abuse seemed almost bored. He simply slid off his bed and, to Severus' mild interest, pulled up a floorboard.

Reaching into the secret hole he had revealed, Potter pulled out a jar Severus recognized as a healing salve he himself had brewed for the infirmary. There had been some off counts the last three years but neither he nor Pomona had thought much of it, thinking the salves merely unaccounted for amidst the madness of tending to so many students. Because it was a simple potion that could cause no harm even if someone had nicked some, they never really cared to look into it. Perhaps they should have, but then, Severus reasoned, would they have believed Potter even if he had confessed? The Potions Master knew, from his own rationalizing of today, that he most likely would not have.

Potter carefully applied the salve to his hand, then his face where the Dursley boy had caused the beginnings of a bruise, and despite how calmly Potter tended to himself, or perhaps because of it, Severus felt a sudden rage at the boy for hiding this. Was his pride so incredibly vast that he would rather go through this than have his less than ideal life exposed? Severus almost wanted to say the boy deserved his bruises for being such a complete and utter fool, when a thought arose in his mind that froze him to the spot.

 'Please keep in mind however, that Harry’s home with the Dursleys is protected by Lily’s blood sacrifice...'

Albus statement suddenly held another, harsher indication. Potter may have tried, but he wouldn't openly state he was being bullied by his cousin, or abused by his Aunt and Uncle in any manner. No abused child would without either coercion or a very, very good reason, you know that much Severus. And if he tried, and received nothing, then perhaps he has merely accepted this. Perhaps it has nothing to do with pride and everything to do with what Albus dubs, ''perseverance."

Watching Potter pour himself quietly into his bed after stashing away the salve, Severus wondered if he should even bother waiting three days to report, before remembering the rest of Albus' speech. He frowned as he considered how wrong it was to think even for a moment that any child would be able to endure this, but Lily's sacrifice was too great a protection to give up easily. Gripping his wand, Severus performed as complex a distraction charm as he could manage silently in order to keep Potter from this corner for now, then took a seat on the floor. As his eyes fell closed, automatically forcing his body to sleep in the way he had trained it to do over the years, no matter what the conditions, the last thought to float through his mind was, Lily did not die so that her son could live like this.  

The early hours of the night passed by with very little to take note of until Severus woke to a soft thud. Potter had kicked the wall by his bed in the midst of a fitful sleep and Severus took that as a sign to move. Raising to his feet slowly, the Potions Master stepped over to Potter and cast a spell as silently as possible to keep the boy asleep before he turned to the door. Potter's owl fluttered her wings and hooted a soft inquiry to the soft sounds of rustling cloth made when Severus moved, but she seemed wise enough to not make too great a fuss over it. With a tight lipped determination, Severus cast a slightly modulated Alohamora on the door, careful not to affect any of the locks in a way Vernon may note in the morning.

Once free of Potter's room, he stole down toward the Dursley's master bedroom. Here he was careful as he cast a silencing charm on the door before listening closely for any signs of wakefulness on the other side. When nothing but snores were forthcoming, he slid into the room and once again cast a deep sleep spell. Once assured the Dursley's would not stir from their slumber, Severus stood over Vernon with an expression of pure contempt and a gaze that was almost cruel in its calculation, though it could hardly be seen. What he was about to do was risky, not so much because it was illegal but more so because Vernon was unconscious. The layers of the mind were often difficult to access when reaching through the veil of sleep, but Severus could not condone another two days of this and he needed sufficient proof beyond what he had seen today in order to convince Albus of that fact. What was more, Severus had a deep desire to know just what these Muggles had been doing to Potter all this time, and therefore, just what the boy had managed to hide during their Occlumency lessons.

He recalled, briefly, a scene of Potter in a tree and a rather ruddy looking dog barking up at him while his relatives looked on and laughed, but at the time Severus had not thought to analyze it at all. As with the healing salve, Severus couldn't help but wonder just how many signs he had deliberately overlooked. What interested him, however, was that he had not seen more in Potter's mind, considering the fact Albus had not granted the boy use of a pensieve. There was a suspicion in his mind now, one that would not leave him alone even in his sleeping hours, and he knew he would have to pursue it eventually. For now, however, it was time to discover the truth of Potter's life amidst the Dursley's.

After wading his way through the knit cloth of Vernon's unconsciousness, Severus swiftly found himself in the unprotected and unorganized mind of a Muggle. It took him a brief moment to remember the right way to Legilimise one, before he envisioned Potter. In the outer world, Vernon grunted in his sleep as memories of Potter boiled readily to the surface for Severus to peruse at leisure. Amid the flashes of a young boy pushed repeatedly into a cupboard were images that shocked Severus. A young boy screamed at after coming to his aunt with a nightmare; the self-satisfaction found in burning Hogwarts letters as the boy looked on; Petunia swinging a hot fry pan at a miniscule Potter's head, the boy saved from a braining only by a quick ducking reflex; and memory after memory of the words There is no such thing as magic!

A memory of a woman who could only be related to Vernon surfaced at one point, and Severus understood with a searing fury just why Potter had blown the horrid woman up with accidental magic. As Severus' thoughts turned to Lily, Vernon's mind responded with the frustration felt when the boy learned his freak parents had not, in fact, died in a car crash and the contempt felt for the boy's layabout drunk of a father - a lie told so much Vernon had driven himself to believe it wholeheartedly. More recently, Severus found a fear of Sirius Black, a fury at Alastor Moody who dared to threaten him in public, and a vindictive desire to punish him and Potter both by never letting him see another witch or wizard as long as he lived.

By the time Severus felt he had enough evidence, he also had an overwhelmingly stark picture of Potter's life at home. It was somewhat disconcerting to be pleased with Weasley's for taunting muggles and flouting the decree of wizardry, but in the face of all he had seen those moments had been the only true good ones. That and an odd memory about Dudley and an escaped snake at the zoo. He was almost tempted to consider asking Potter about that sometime when he shook himself and slid from the room with an unholy glower on his face. Where he had before been so certain Potter's family could never see him as anything but a little saint, he was now convinced Albus had been far more aware of things than he had let on. What infuriated Severus was that the infernal man had not done something sooner. He had sworn to protect the boy, sworn to keep him from harm, and every summer he was sent back to the place Lily's blood sacrifice was spit upon by these Muggles. It took an intense willpower to walk out of Number Four, Privet Drive without casting a series of unforgivables on Petunia Dursley.

Not even caring for discretion or politeness in the midst of his seething anger, Severus Disapparated in front of Arabella Figg's house and directly to the Burrow. He could not even return home, considering he was meant to be on his way to bloody Bermuda. There was a sharp call from upstairs as Severus strode sharply toward the fireplace, removing Albus' Disillusionment Charm as he went, even as the sound of footsteps alerted him to an absolutely alarmed Arthur Weasley, whose wand was raised as if expecting a fullblown invasion from a solitary apparition crack. "Severus, what - "

"Forgive my intrusion," Severus sneered, unable to keep his anger from directing itself at the man whom he had likely awoken with his abrupt and admittedly rude arrival, "But as Albus has seen fit to have me convince the Dark Lord I'm off to Bermuda, this is the only fireplace from which it is safe to contact him." Arthur did not lower his wand, so Severus snapped out one of the Order's private security questions and tossed in the comment he had placed at the bottom of Ginny's end of term exam to calm him. It seemed to do the trick, as the Weasley patriarch decided to descend and lower his wand as well as his voice. "Its urgent then?" He asked, before answering his own question, "Yes, of course it is - wouldn't have come at this time if it weren't, I imagine. Go on then - powder's on the mantle. Anything else you need?" He added rather graciously for a man shocked from his bed in the middle of the night, inadvertently reminding Severus of his own awakening just yesterday.

Battling down his irritation in the face of a man who could be as courteous as he himself could be rude, Severus gave a tight lipped smile. "That won't be necessary, Arthur, but thank you. Give my best to Molly in the morning," he suggested mildly as he turned to the fireplace, all but sending the other man back to bed. He didn't wait to see the reaction to his words before he had stepped through the Floo and onto the threshold of Albus Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster rarely left the castle even in the summer, and had private quarters both in his office, and in some undisclosed location Severus prayed he would not be in, simply because the only way to reach him then would be through a portrait, and Severus detested speaking to them.

It appeared that evening his prayers were being granted top priority, for Albus was not only in his office quarters, but sitting at his desk despite the incredibly late hour. At Severus' arrival, he lowered his quill slowly and looked the younger man over. It was easy to recognize the signs of an infuriated Severus Snape - despite his iron control, the man had never let go of habits he had held as a child. His hands were tightly furled, an indication that he was fighting both with himself and with his control over his anger - a rarer sign in his adult days, and so it draw Albus to a higher state of alertness.

The corners of the younger man's eyes were lined tightly, giving Severus an almost malicious look, which was the most common sign of anger in him. While partially hoping this anger was stemming from Harry being perfectly fine and therefore frustrating Severus beyond the ability to stay put for his mission, Albus was far too old to be quite so optimistic. "A rather short three days, Severus," he opened, causing Severus to pull out of whatever inner battle he had been locked in and stride purposefully toward the elder wizard. Before Albus could say anything more, Severus pointed sharply toward the cabinet which held the Headmaster's pensieve and growled, "I think, Headmaster, that everything which needs to be said will be better done through witnessing it."

Albus gave no indication of being disturbed by this, although he was highly so. Severus only resorted to reporting via pensieve when the memories were too terrible for him to speak of, for they woke within him other memories he would rather not face. That something in Harry's home could push Severus to a pensieve report, two days earlier than intended, worried Albus considerably. Standing, he waved Severus toward the cabinet graciously and watched as the younger man set to placing the memories within. It was a longer process than Albus had anticipated, which increased his concern.

When Severus was done, the anger had faded to a tired resolve as often happened when such memories were drawn away, and he nodded to the Headmaster. Wordlessly, Albus bent over the pensieve, and abruptly found himself facing what could only be the memory of a frightened looking four year old Harry. Before he could think to wonder at this, he heard a voice bellowing at the tiny child that motorbikes do not fly, and magic does not exist. It did not take long after this for Albus to realize a member of the Dursley house had been forcibly Legilimized, but rather than step out to admonish Severus for his ambiguous slip of the law, the Headmaster waited to see what all had been discovered. The ending scene, with Harry's cousin as witnessed by Severus himself, was perhaps the most jarring of them all for the sharp clarity of it.

With a weary sigh, Albus pulled himself from the memories and gazed at Severus sadly. He allowed the silence to linger a moment before he confessed what he imagined Severus would doubt most of all. "This is far worse than I ever anticipated." When he was leveled with a dark glower and a raised brow that screamed doubt, Albus continued softly, "I did know they didn't treat him as a son - and I did intend to have words with them on it, when I went to renew Harry's stay with them for next year - but I never anticipated they were quite this cruel. Neglectful, yes - badly so, perhaps - but verbally and physically abusive? Never. I suspect, however, that the level of abuse has increased recently." At Severus disbelieving look he explained, "I don't believe Petunia has ever raised a hand against Harry until now - "

"Oh no, certainly not," Severus interrupted with an insidious drawl that was very much a part of his nastier sense of humor, "Just frying pans. Never a hand." Albus couldn't deny that particular memory, but he could justify it. "Heaven knows Molly has threatened a swing now and again - they aren't meant to hit, Severus, only warn. I'm certain this is merely Petunia at her wits end. She may be a shrewd woman, Severus, but I don't think she is a wicked one." Sighing heavily, Albus took a seat at the base of the pensieve, surprising Severus somewhat. "I don't suppose the same can truly be said of Mr. Dursley, however."

That the man was not granted the use of his given name showed Severus he was insignificant to the Headmaster, or at the least that he was highly disappointing. The Potions Master merely looked down at the Headmaster and waited for the verdict. He expected perhaps that the man would insist on an order member inside the house, or even that he would have Potter dragged to the Burrow, but what he said instead was so outrageous Severus was certain he had heard wrong. "There's nothing for it. I'll simply have to send Harry with you to Roan House."

There was, for a time, complete and utter silence in Albus Dumbledore's office, with only the snuffles and snores of sleeping portraits to break through it. Then, in a voice so soft and dangerous it was almost a hiss, Severus ground out, "I beg your pardon, Headmaster?"

With a sigh, Albus rose back to his feet and leveled Severus with a very somber stare. "I cannot leave Harry in a home where he will be mistreated, and where an Order member may be forced to use magic on Muggles to keep the peace. The Burrow is not a secure enough location, regardless of the safety measures in place on it now. Roan House is, by far, the safest place for Harry this summer. And as Voldemort expects you to be in Bermuda - "

"You planned this!" Severus accused, somehow managing to shriek and whisper at the same time. Albus had always admired the dramatic skill, though he himself doubted he could ever pull it off quite so well. "From the beginning, this was what you had in mind - Potter and I, in that house! What are you expecting will happen, Albus? That after a summer alone with him I will be able to tolerate the boy? We'll be lucky if I don't strangle him - he's bad enough to deal with here, I flatly refuse to spend my summer babysitting a wretched little - "

"Would you rather he be locked away all summer, left to brood on his fate and all that he has lost, as his cousin taunts him and his Aunt and Uncle revile him? Or that I place him and the Weasley family at risk? We have enough power at our disposal to protect him at the Burrow for two weeks, at best. Any longer and we risk exposing the Weasley's and Harry to exceptional danger - "

"I would rather," Severus interrupted sharply, "You find someone else to babysit him! Why not Lupin - "

"There are two full moons before the summer ends and you know he needs considerable recuperation - "

"Kingsley  - "

"Is protecting the Muggle Prime Minister. Alastor and Nymphadora are presently overrun at the Ministry - "

"Minerva, dammit - he's in her house - "

"Minerva is still recovering from the wounds she sustained defending Hagrid, Severus. She is still confined to her chair most days; it would be both illogical and impractical to have her watch over Harry." Whatever Severus may have been about to object with next was put to rest by Albus' following statement. "You made an oath to protect him, Severus. Are you choosing to go back on it when he clearly has most need of you?"

For a moment, Severus honestly could not speak through his outrage at the corner Albus was pushing him into, all thoughts of concern for Potter, all considerations that perhaps there was more to the boy than he assumed were harshly chased away by the imminent thought of spending an entire summer with him. The only argument he had left had trouble forcing its way through his lips, but he managed it all the same. "He will be miserable, Albus. The boy detests me - "

There was a smile on Albus' face now, and Severus suddenly felt like a schoolboy who had just inadvertently told on himself. "Then perhaps, Severus, now will be a good time for the two of you to resolve your differences. You'll have plenty of time to come to terms, I do believe."

Disgusted and somewhat wishing he had never bothered to peer into Vernon Dursley's sleeping mind, Severus stared at Albus with bitter resignation in his eyes. "What, then, is Roan House?" He asked in the tones of a man asking what time he was to be hanged. As though not catching the tone and only hearing the question itself, Albus brightened considerably.

 "Ah yes, Roan House," he stated, making his way back to his desk with Severus following reluctantly behind and taking a seat when waved toward one, sensing a bit of lengthy explanation about to come his way. "It is Unplottable, naturally, and of course under the Fidelius Charm for which I am the Secret Keeper. It is small, though large enough for yourself and Harry I am certain. It is a place I have kept to myself for many years," Albus stated mildly, though there was something off about his tone that caused Severus to frown slightly.

"I believe, Severus, that it would be best for us to take a portkey in the morning. I'll arrange to have Hagrid pick up Harry and bring him here first thing. In the meantime, I suggest you get some sleep. It will be a rather long day tomorrow, I imagine."

Severus gazed at the Headmaster as though expecting something else, but when the Headmaster simply tilted his head at him, the Potion Master ground out, "Are you, or are you not, going to explain to me where you intend to hold Potter and I captive this summer?" That the place was under the Fidelius Charm and Unplottable told him nothing whatsoever about what he was to expect in means of living space, territory, or even wards. Basic Unplottability and even a Fidelis Charm did not feel like enough to protect the Boy Who Lived from the threat of the Dark Lord.

Albus had the outright audacity to chuckle in reply. "Now now Severus, all in good time. I cannot introduce you to the wards until morning, as they're rather testy and more than a bit impenetrable at night. I'd rather not disturb them. I will come and fetch you from your quarters in just a few short hours, and then you may see for yourself just where you will be, what was it?" He murmured, looking over his half-moon glasses at the surly young man glowering at him from across the desk, "Held captive over the summer, I believe it was?"

When the Potions Master merely continued to glare, Albus sighed softly and relented a tad on the boy. "I will have Hagrid Floo to Arabella's around six. By the time he returns with Harry, I would like you to have been introduced to the wards and somewhat familiar with them. I will fetch you an hour and a half sooner, Severus, so I really do suggest you try and get some rest."

This appeared to be as much information as the Headmaster was going to divulge, so with a final glare Severus rose to his feet and made his way to the door. Once there, he couldn't help but sneer, "I am not a child who will simply feel better in the morning, Albus. Do not insult me and deceive yourself. I am not pleased with this, nor do I intend to be." Feeling a little less annoyed now that he'd made himself clear, Severus left the Headmaster's office and made his way toward his dungeon quarters.

There was perhaps two or three hours before Albus would awaken him at four thirty, and he intended to actually sleep through them. Doing anything else would likely result in him being homicidal before the sun even rose. As such, when he arrived in his rooms the first thing Severus did was make some tea, which he promptly laced with a rather strong sedative. Fifteen minutes more, and he was asleep in his bed, too well dosed to dream.
 

Four-thirty in the morning came, predictably, far too early. Severus found himself jerked awake by feel of his wards triggering an alarm, mere moments before Albus called through the Floo. With a quiet groan, Severus slid out of bed and stuck his head out the door long enough to bellow at the fireplace that he'd be up shortly. Whether Albus heard him or not, Severus was too irate to care.

Closing his bedroom door sharply, Severus dressed himself rather quickly, having gone to bed prepared to leap up a few hours later. Knowing that he was rather low on sleep over the past three days and was now preparing to be led to some unknown location where he would be spending the remainder of his summer locked up with the Potter brat was enough to give him the onset of a massive headache.

Deciding that a calming draught might not be terribly out of place at this moment, Severus detoured to his personal potions store that remained at the school over the holidays and downed a vial before Flooing himself to the Headmaster's office. Stepping out, Severus took one look at the Headmaster and, calming draught or no, very nearly turned right back around to the Floo for a hasty escape.

The man was obnoxiously chipper for this time of the day and was beaming at Severus as though he'd been struck upside the head with a cheering charm. Resisting the urge to growl at the old man, Severus reluctantly made his way to the chair opposite the man's desk and ground out, "Why are we doing this at four in the morning, Albus?"

The infernal Headmaster just chuckled at him as he  rummaged around in one of his desk drawers, presumably looking for an object to turn into a portkey. Instead what he pulled out was an iron ring with a set of five keys, each elegantly crafted of various metals ranging from bronze to silver. Setting these on the desk, Albus took up his quill and wrote something on a piece of parchment which he tapped with his wand twice, sealing an eyes-only spell before slipping the piece of parchment and the keys into his robe.

"Now then Severus," He began brightly, causing the Potions Master to repress a wince, "We had best get you introduced to the wards at Roan House. Not all of them will fall to your control while you're there, but you should be able to strengthen and lower a few of them as you see fit." As Albus finished speaking, there was a sudden booming knock at the door that successfully startled Severus enough to cause him to turn his head sharply toward the door as though expecting some sort of attack. Instead, it opened to reveal Hagrid, who had to duck in order to step into the office.

"Ye called fer me, sir?" The half-giant queried in a tone that had to be the closest to grouchy as Severus had ever heard it. The Potions Master had to suppress a self-satisfied smirk at the knowledge he was not the only person whom the Headmaster was happy to inconvenience at disgusting hours of the morning.

"Ah, Hagrid. I do apologize for the early call," Albus greeted, sounding anything but sorry and being by far the sunniest individual in the room. "I was hoping you could pick up Harry for me this morning. I've already contacted Arabella and she's promised to keep her Floo open for the two of you - if you're willing, of course?" The Headmaster asked, his tone telling Severus that Albus already knew what answer Hagrid would give - and the half-giant did not disappoint.

"Harry yeh say? O' course Headmaster, o' course! I'd love ter pick him up. What time yeh want him by here for?" He asked, not once seeming to wonder why Harry was to be suddenly pulled from his summer home. This brought a slight frown to Severus' face before he dismissed it as Hagrid's usual obtuseness.

"I was hoping you could pick him up around six and perhaps treat him to breakfast before bringing him in. Eight should be plenty of time I'm sure."

Hagrid beamed so much at this that Severus was unsure who could now contest for the sunniest man in the room - all he knew was he could not for the life of him figure out how anyone could be happy this early in the morning without excessive amounts of pepper up or caffeine. "He'll like tha' fer sure Headmaster. Don' feed 'im much, do they, those Muggles?" He added much to casually for Severus' liking.

"And just what do you mean by that?" He snapped, unable to even try keeping a civil tongue considering his current situation. To Severus' interest, Hagrid displayed an expression of horror that was usually followed by -

"I shouldn't have said that." The half-giant looked distinctly abashed a moment, but after a slight cough from Albus, Hagrid's face went ruddy and he muttered, "Harry don' talk much about it, bu' I overheard 'Mione sayin summat to Ron abou' sendin Harry food o'er the summer, is all. Started sendin' him a bit myself - always seemed real grateful in his letters ter me, figured it'd have to be mighty bad if he's happy for my cookin, yeh see."

Severus unfortunately did see. He was aware from Legilimizing Vernon Dursley that Harry was fed a very minimal amount of food. Had there been more time to assess it all before he'd been informed of how the rest of his summer was to be spent, Severus would have wondered how a growing teenager such as Potter managed to make it through those summers. Now that he was aware Potter had been getting care packages from his friends and Hagrid, Severus turned a cold gaze on the Headmaster. He flatly refused to believe Albus had not been aware of this, but he did not openly criticize him before Hagrid. That, Severus felt, could wait until they were alone.

"Well then," Albus stated with a little less cheer then before, "I imagine he'll quite enjoy his time with you this morning, Hagrid. I'll see you both at eight?" There was a mumbled assent from Hagrid, then the sounds of him shuffling out and closing the door behind him as Severus continued to stare at the Headmaster. Albus returned his gaze calmly, though the brightness of his eyes had dimmed considerably from before.

"You must understand, Severus," Albus stated slowly, "That Harry's home with the Dursley's was very critical to his protection. I knew he wasn't happy, that the family was considerably neglectful of his needs, but I did not ever suspect it to be as bad as you have recently revealed. I made a gamble, Severus. An unhappy child is still a living one, and I've done my best during his time at Hogwarts to make up for the areas in which the Dursley's failed him." The Headmaster paused, noting that Severus' gaze had become flinty and dangerously narrow, which was a considerable warning sign. Sure enough, when the younger man spoke his words were sharp enough to cut and true enough to make Albus wince visibly.

"Lily did not die so that you could gamble with her child's welfare, Albus!" Severus spat, fury rising inside of him faster than he would have believed possible. "An unhappy child is still a living one? Well, a belief like that certainly explains your penchant for turning a blind eye to the suffering of your students! And you have the gall to wonder why so many snakes turn to the shadows for comfort."

Shaking his head, Severus forced himself back under control. When he spoke again, his tone was completely level and cold enough to freeze water. "Neglect can be as painful as physical abuse, Albus. In many cases, it can often be worse. You have seen what it can turn children into."

Severus curled his lip in disdain with that last comment, clearly referring to himself to stress his point. He could tell from Albus' pained look that the point was well made - but that did not stop Severus from stating what had been on the tip of his tongue the night before, torn away from him by the prospect of a summer with the blasted child.

"What were you thinking?" He hissed softly, black eyes flashing dangerously. "That perhaps by growing up unloved and reviled by his relatives, he would be so grateful to our world he would die for it?"

Even as he asked the question, Severus felt a yawning abyss form in his stomach, nauseating him entirely. The look Albus gave him was so utterly traumatized that the Potions Master was unsure if he had hit the mark or just completely shocked the older man. Knowing that such a thought had not been the Headmaster's ultimate intention would ease some of the nausea he was currently feeling, and the Headmaster's response was clearly genuine.

"I have done many terrible things in my life, Severus, but whatever I have done to make you think that low of me is by far among the worst of them. I know you and I have never seen eye to eye when it comes to some of your Slytherins, but I would never have a child deliberately raised to be a martyr."

The challenging look that suddenly crossed Severus' face gave Albus pause, before he stated quietly, "I have done many things to prepare Harry for his final meeting with Voldemort, Severus. I confess to manipulating many events and permitting far more danger than I should have in order to strengthen him, and that I have made terrible mistakes while doing so."

Here, Albus winced slightly as he recalled Harry's response to being ignored last year, as well as the consequences involved in that decision. Sighing, Albus continued with a quiet but firm tone. "Never once have I done anything with the intention of letting Harry become a martyr. I am not raising the boy to be a lamb for the slaughter, as you have so eloquently insinuated, but doing my best to train a young boy to survive under horrible conditions. I did not place Harry with the Dursley's so that he would suffer, Severus. All I wanted was for him to be raised away from his fame, so that he would be humble and gentle, as opposed to proud and arrogant."

Albus sighed, his heart rather torn by the accusation Severus had made and the internal fear that the man may have a point on some level that Albus had not realized. Had that truly been one of his subconscious reasons for ignoring Harry's home life? He could only hope, for the sake of his soul and Harry's that it had not been. Albus did not fail to notice the way his last words on arrogance and pride had affected Severus, but he wisely ignored the younger man's almost completely repressed wince. When Severus spoke again, he sounded as worn as Albus felt.

"You have gambled a great deal when it comes to Lily's sacrifice and Potter's well being. I am unsure how much of your answer I am willing to accept at this point, so I suggest we move on." Pinching the bridge of his nose to combat the threatening return of his headache, Severus found himself asking once again, "Just what do you expect to have happen at Roan House, Albus? I do not appreciate being maneuvered like this."

Here it was Albus' turn to shake his head, though the return to the subject of Roan House brightened him. Severus was already showing a very large shift in his opinion of Harry, which was a very good sign. He only wished it had not come at the high price of similar childhoods.

Rising to his feet, Albus picked up the yellow quill laying on his desk and stepped around to Severus. Holding it out, the Headmaster replied as honestly and cryptically as only he could manage. "I expect many things to happen, Severus, but more than anything I expect for you and Harry to get along." He deliberately made the last sound as a threat, rather than a hope for the long run, and Severus' sneer showed he understood only the threat as he took hold of the quill rather than answer him.

Moments later, Albus was tucking away the quill as Severus looked around himself with a growing expression of alarm. The Headmaster watched with mild amusement as the younger man's expression turned from irritated upon arrival to calculating as he glanced around to gather his bearings, then to mildly horrified as he took in the area around them.

They were completely surrounded by trees, many with trunks wide enough around to need four or five people to encircle. Roots tangled across the forest floor and sported a healthy covering of brownish moss that blended in very well with the wood and dirt. The clear area in the circle of these ancient trees was covered in tall wild grass that in some areas was almost waist deep, making it impossible to tell if any wild animals were nesting within the clearing. Just as Severus turned to face him with a question clearly ready to fly from his lips, Albus held out the piece of parchment from earlier.

The look of relief was almost comical as Severus took the parchment, a rare moment of allowing his features to clearly state that he was hoping something. In this case, that the area around them was a very well crafted illusion. Albus held back a large smile as Severus raised his eyes from the parchment and found only half of his hope come true. Where the young man had once seen only grass, there was now a stone cottage with a sloping roof and a very untamed garden. In some areas the weeds were so intense they truly were waist height, while others had seen fit to try and claim the greying fence surrounding the small cottage as a part of them. Weeds had grown so strongly around the wood that in some places the fence was pushed backwards by the weight of them.

Albus watched Severus closely as the man took in the wild garden and the cottage itself, with its blue-grey stones and dark thatched roof. The cottage had always had a very rangy look to it, Albus thought fondly, though its years without a tender to its garden had rather improved that fact. As Severus continued to remain conspicuously silent, Albus decided to break the tension himself.

"There used to be tulips, but I'm afraid I haven't been here much over the years and have as such neglected to replant them." Severus gave him a disbelieving look, but Albus predicted the coming retort and stated simply, "Fidelius, unplottable, and blessedly impossible to find even if you know where it is, this house is much more than it appears, my boy. Come, let us introduce you to the wards."

Stepping forward and blithely ignoring the expression on Severus' face, Albus led them to the rusted iron gate and pulled out the set of keys from before. Taking the bronze one, he slid it into place despite the fact the gate was all but falling off his hinges. Severus discovered why instantly.

All along the fence shimmered shields Severus recognized - everything from Muggle repellants, intruder alarms and anti-apparition charms almost as strong as the ones at Hogwarts, to a highly concentrated Protego Horribilis and at least three spells Severus did not fully recognize. The outer perimeter alone was impressively protected well beyond the two charms Albus had informed Severus of and the Potions Master couldn't help but be somewhat impressed.

"Severus, if you please," Albus stated, drawing the younger man from his contemplations and nodding him towards the key. Wordlessly, Severus placed his hand on it and Albus instructed him to turn it to the left and hold it. Doing so, Severus was then informed of the password - Little Horse - which he voiced as Albus waved his wand. After a few moments, Severus felt control of these spells fall to him and at Albus' instruction, he stepped into the yard. As he did so, Severus realized that one aspect of the Horribilis being so concentrated actually gave it an invisible but entirely physical manifestation. Even if the fence did not exist, trying to walk past that perimeter would be very much like walking into a solid brick wall.

Reaching out, Severus brushed his fingers against the shield and found his theory proven as they met a warm and very resilient resistance. He turned to the Headmaster, but froze as he saw that someone was now standing right in front of him. Where she had come from, he had no idea, but there was something about her that felt incredibly wrong. Her hair was waist length and auburn, left loose over an ankle length white dress that was relatively formless. Her feet, Severus noted, were bare and dirty, as though she had been walking through the forest without shoes for some time.

"Arianna." The girl turned at the sound of the Headmaster's voice, which Severus was alarmed to note sounded as though the man was on the verge of tears. His wand was in his hand even before the Headmaster continued with, "Please accept Severus as the new Master of Roan House."

The words alerted Severus immediately to what was wrong with the girl. She wasn't in fact human, but rather the physical manifestation of another ward. This particular magic was incredibly rare and more often than not, Dark in nature. The Potions Master looked at Albus in genuine surprise, even as the Ward spoke.

"Does he have my key?"

"Ah, yes, of course." Albus breathed, as though he had anticipated resistance. Handing the key ring to Severus, Albus pointed to the silver one that had gold inlaid in it.  "This is perhaps a touch more complex, Severus." Albus said softly. "You must detach the key and give it to Arianna, and thank her for letting you stay here. The key will eventually return itself to you - she is the Guard. If someone were to manage their way through the outer defenses, they would be forced to fight Arianna. She is capable of three very powerful spells, but once they are used it is up to the inner defenses should you be unable to escape by then. The likelihood of her needing to use them is very slim, of course." He added lightly.

Severus gazed hard at the Headmaster, uncomfortably certain that there was more to Arianna than the old man was letting on, but did as requested. As he handed over the key and thanked her, Severus found himself dazzled by an unexpected smile. "Of course! I love meeting new friends." The Ward returned, before slowly fading from view. The Potions Master blinked, and heard the Headmaster sigh softly behind him.

"She was my sister," Came the entirely unexpected explanation and causing Severus to turn around sharply. "This cottage was where I and a good friend of mine worked on our various experiments. Arianna needed...close watching and our mother had passed away by that time, so we often brought her here with us." The Headmaster's smile was unbearably sad and, having never been privy to the man's past before, Severus found himself too shocked to glance away from it.

Seemingly understanding, Albus stepped to the house and continued in a much lighter tone. "She was the one who named our little cottage. Arianna thought it had the look of an old, wild horse and often referred to it as her happy place. It was my friends idea to place her manifestation as the Guard."

Stopping at the door, Albus' expression grew a bit shadowed as he admitted softly, "It is because of Arianna that I have avoided using this place as Headquarters, or anything of importance until now. I did not think I would have the heart to face her."

Severus did not know what to say to this, but he thought he understood what Albus was not saying. The man had been afraid of seeing Arianna again - afraid that particular ward might even turn on him. It was clear there was a dark shadow when it came to Albus' sister - one that he had only been motivated to face when he was in dire need of protection for Potter. That, in itself, was telling.

"Now then, this is the last and hopefully easiest. Use the iron key now, and turn to the right." He stated, nodding Severus to the door. Wordlessly, Severus did as requested and found his hand covered by the Headmaster's as he turned the key. The man's wand waved in a circle above their joined hands and a fine green thread wrapped around them both.

"What happens at Roan House, stays at Roan House," The Headmaster stated solemnly, before nodding an indication for Severus to repeat the statement. After doing so, the thread broke and the door opened of its own accord, just slightly.

"Welcome to your summer home, my boy." Albus murmured softly, motioning him inside. Somewhat unnerved by the password, Severus did as requested and found himself genuinely surprised by the inner state of the cottage.

Where the outside was a shambling, rangy show of neglect and wilderness, the inside was practically immaculate. Off to the left was a small living area with a plush green rug and chocolate brown furniture. There was a couch and two chairs in a semi-circle around the rug, facing the fireplace. Between the couch and chairs were small end tables, and the far wall was lost behind two very large bookcases. One was filled, while the other was not.

To the right of the door was a small cooking area with a wood stove and a large, dark brown table. There were three chairs and each had a green seat cover to soften the wood. Just beyond the kitchen was a hallway, and Albus led Severus this way. There were three doors - one at the end, and two across from each other. The one at the end Albus revealed to be a humble bathroom with a small shower, sink and toilet, as well as a hamper and a full cabinet of towels and cleaning supplies. Severus raised a brow and Albus smiled a bit.

"My friend was very concerned about hygiene. The House is therefore charmed against dust and dirt, and the cleaning shelves stock themselves - both the ones for people and the ones for cleaning house." He nodded to the cabinet under the sink as he stated this, and Severus found a fair amount of All-Purpose Stain Remover was indeed stocked beneath it. "The same is of course said of the food cupboards," Albus added lightly, causing Severus to snort softly.

Leaving the bathroom, Albus stopped and eyed the doors, before taking one key off the ring and handing the rest to Severus. "You are now in control of the perimeter wards, the House wards and your room. Arianna is independent - she will react only when needed. Harry will receive the key to his own room, but you are still Master of the Wards - you can get in even if he locks you out, but I would suggest avoiding that if possible. The House has a way of having its own say in things - if you abuse your power here, the House itself may bar you from him."

At this, Severus gave Albus a sharp look, but the headmaster shook his head. "I'm afraid the explanation for that is far too long and twisted to travel today, Severus. Respect Roan House as an entity much like Hogwarts and you will not find yourself in any trouble." The Headmaster paused before adding, "The House protects its inhabitants as fiercely as a mother bear protects its cubs. This protection is not only against what is outside, but what is inside. You and Harry can fight as much as you like, but you will come to find the House will not tolerate the two of you abusing one another. It will lay its own laws in that respect. It is always clear when a new line is drawn, so don't worry about that." He added lightly as he pointed to the door which Severus' bedroom key would unlock.

Noting the alarmed and swiftly enraged expression now clouding Severus' face, the Headmaster gave a slight smile. "The House will not take away your free will, Severus, nor force you to like anyone you do not wish to like. It will merely keep you and Harry from - what did you say - ah, yes - killing each other this summer. It won't allow Harry to hex you anymore than it would allow you to force Harry into an unfair and overdone punishment." Here, he gave Severus a look that said all too well what he thought of some of the reasons made for Harry's often very hard-worked detentions. Severus had enough grace to swallow whatever he'd been about to snap with and instead turned his attention to the door.

"You may change the password once you're inside. Just place the key to the handle and say the old one, then the new one twice, and it will reset. You get in by turning your key once right, and once left. The password is currently 'Don't ask.'"

Raising a brow at the Headmaster, but receiving only a bemused smile in reply, Severus did as requested and stepped in to survey his new quarters. There was a handsome four poster bed that was easily twice the size of the one he had at Spinner's End that sported a deep navy coverlet that matched the equally dark carpet. There was a desk and an empty bookshelf, as well as a wardrobe and an end table on either side of the bed. Before he had a chance to comment on anything, Albus spoke.

"I'll leave you to settle in then, Severus. I do believe Harry is waiting for me now." Severus turned sharply as the Headmaster began walking away, and was quick to follow him out. However, he was stopped from saying anything at all when he felt a soft sigh in the wards around them - as if they recognized something and were lazy to comply. Before Severus could register or ask what that meant, Albus Disapparated and the feeling sharply closed off.

Realizing there was apparently a much stronger 'Master of the Wards' here at Roan House, Severus stiffened sharply before attempting to do the same. As he reached for the anti-apparition wards however, he suddenly felt a swat to the back of his head.

Turning sharply, Severus found himself facing nothing but air. A slight chill ran down his spine as a voice sounded inside his mind that sounded quite disturbingly like a much younger Albus Dumbledore. 'You can't do that unless its important, or you'll weaken it. Leave it alone please.'

There was a sense of amusement all around Severus for a brief moment, before he once again was left feeling as though he were alone in the House. Deciding then and there to demand considerable explanation from the Headmaster when he returned to introduce Potter to this place, Severus turned and stormed back to his newly appointed room.

Closing the door, Severus took the time to change his password before removing his cloak and setting it over the chair that sat before the desk. Removing his trunk from the inner pocket, Severus enlarged it and calmed himself by setting its contents about the room. By the time he had the bookshelf packed full, Severus was centered once again and had begun formulating the questions he would ask the Headmaster upon his return.

Realizing he did not have enough room on the bedroom shelf for all his books, Severus levitated the rest out to the living area and placed them on the empty shelf there before warding it with an alarm spell that would alert him if Potter tried to take any of the books. He doubted it would happen, considering the boy's obvious lack of interest in research, but it was better safe then sorry.

Returning to his room, Severus locked it and stood before the door a moment before making his way back to the living area, where he settled into a chair to wait and develop his questions. It was clear from the Headmaster's statements and that little moment earlier that the House possessed its own sentience. A sentience with the Headmaster's younger voice, in a place guarded by the manifestation of the man's sister. Severus knew three things beyond a shadow of a doubt from those two facts.

The first was that this was likely the safest place in the world for himself and Potter, all protections considered. The second was that he and Potter were, indeed, prisoners this summer, as Albus was still the ultimate master of this place and had somehow made it clear that they were not meant to leave. The third was that this house held many secrets, and Severus had a feeling that some of them could very well be dark. He was not entirely certain how he felt about the last, but the second infuriated him. He did not appreciate being caged.

Little did he know, at that very moment Harry was sharing much the same sentiments.
 

The day had started out rather bleakly. Harry had spent the vast majority of the night tossing and turning in his sleep, trying in vain to drag himself out of the nightmares filling his mind. He finally managed to jerk himself awake after Hermione got the Cruciatus curse from Bellatrix Lestrange and Ron was tossed bodily through the Veil as the ghosts of his parents yelled at him to do something rather than just stand there watching his friends suffer and die.

He'd known, ever he was a child, that he had the ability to dream quite vividly. Most of the time his mind had stayed true to memory, but every now and again there would be something new - or slightly altered - from what Harry knew to be true. These slight changes often made the nightmares far worse than the memories themselves, and as he grew older the changes to fact became more and more extreme. Sometimes the people would change, making the context of what was happening become alarming in a manner that would leave him a little twitchy and often result in him snapping at his friends without meaning to. With the memories Harry had, it was often bad enough to have a nightmare based on pure fact, but when Cedric became one of his friends, or the Death Eaters transformed into members of the Order as he was tortured, it always hurt more than the truth when he finally managed to wake.

Dragging himself out of bed, Harry had determinedly ignored the pain in his hand from yesterday and waited until Aunt Petunia opened his bedroom door to let him use the washroom before making breakfast. Still trying to shake the all-to-real sound of Hermione's screams from his mind, Harry was just pulling out the pans when the doorbell rang. He heard Uncle Vernon growl something as Aunt Petunia bustled to the door, wondering audibly who would be calling at such an absurd hour of the morning. Harry had no intention of paying much attention beyond that, proceeding to cut up the peppers for his relatives omelettes when his Aunt's sudden screech from the hallway had him spinning around with the knife still in hand. He was poised as though prepared to cast a defensive spell even as Vernon rose sharply to his feet and stormed out into the hallway.

Harry would rather have taken another dose of Skele-Gro than admit the genuine fear he had felt in the moments between Aunt Petunia's scream and Uncle Vernon's advance to the doorway. Most of him was wildly thinking about Death Eaters and wards failing, while a small part of him was honestly terrified that something had just happened to his Aunt. There was no love lost between them, but that didn't change the fact she was still his mother's sister and he could not stand the thought of yet another person dying because of him. Thankfully, all of this fear was obliterated from his mind as Uncle Vernon bellowed at full volume, "You again! What - get out of my house!"

Setting down the knife, Harry rushed to the hallway expecting to find Arthur Weasley, or maybe Mad-Eye. His face almost broke in two when it split into a huge grin at the sight of just who blocked the Dursley doorway. Hagrid was half-hunched over as he stood in the hallway and glared down at the Dursley's. Aunt Petunia was white as a sheet, her hand over her heart as though she'd just experienced a heart attack, while Uncle Vernon's face had become one of its more vibrant shades of purple.

"How dare you just walk in here after what you did to our son - " Uncle Vernon was cut off by the sight of Hagrid's pink umbrella, which was now pointed menacingly at his nose. Still grinning, Harry carefully skirted his Aunt and stepped onto the stairs so that Hagrid could see him. Sure enough, the half-giant turned at the motion from behind the Dursley's, and whatever he might have been about to say or do to Vernon was forgotten at the sight of the boy.

"Harry! Up an' at em are yeh?" Hagrid asked jovially, treating Harry to a large grin. "Go an; get yer things Harry, I'll be taking yer back to Hogwarts today. Dumbledore's orders," He added with an air of importance that Vernon apparently took offense to.

"Now see here," He started, but Hagrid cut him off rather sharply in Harry's opinion. He knew that his large friend was no fan of the Dursley's, but it was unusual to see something so close to a temper in the friendly half-giant.

"Shove it, Dursley, if yeh know what's good for yeh."

Deciding to get his things before Hagrid got himself into any trouble by performing magic, Harry dashed up the stairs and began throwing everything he owned back into his trunk. His mind was whirling - he'd never, ever been taken from the Dursley home this early into the summer. Not only that, he'd certainly never been taken to Hogwarts - it was the Weasley's or more recently, Grimmauld Place. Harry didn't know what had changed Dumbledore's mind and, even if it turned out to be something horrible, the fact he was getting away from the Dursley's after just two weeks was so exhilarating he didn't care.

Placing the last of his things from their hidden compartment under the floorboard into his trunk, Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage and made his way down the stairs in time to overhear Vernon saying Harry would not be going anywhere. Remembering his Uncle's threat from last night, Harry moved down the stairs as quickly as he could in the hopes of trying to just rush out the door before any real confrontations could be had. He had just made it to the landing when he heard Aunt Petunia utter a statement that shocked him so much he stood rooted to the spot.

"We're the boy's legal guardians. You can't take him anywhere if we don't allow it."

Her voice was quiet, but there was a thread of steel in her voice Harry had never heard before. Bolstered by his wife's statement, Vernon puffed himself up and narrowed his piggy eyes at Hagrid. "That's right. You even so much as take another step in this house, and we'll call the cops, you hear me? The boy's our responsibility and if we say he's not going, then he ruddy well shall not be going!"

A sick feeling rose up inside Harry and he looked at Hagrid desperately, praying the half-giant had some sort of argument for this. He had never before considered his relatives legal standing with him until that moment and it unnerved him greatly to think they had such power over him. Hagrid, much to Harry's shock and the indignation of the Dursley's, tilted his head back and laughed.

"Yer mad, Dursley, if yeh think Muggle threats like that are gonna work. Come on Harry - "

"Its the law," Petunia hissed, stepping forward as though to give Hagrid a stern talking to, but the half-giant had more intellect than even Harry gave him credit for.

"Yeh ain't got the papers ter prove it Dursley, an yeh know it as good as I do. As fer yer cops - I know a bit about Muggles, y'know. They got laws about child abuse, did yer know that?"

This statement had an alarming affect on the three standing in the hallway. Petunia's face drained of all color as she stepped back suddenly, as though she had just been slapped harshly. Vernon's face grew, if at all possible, even redder, while Harry looked torn between sicking up and attempting to Apparate despite having no idea how to do it, just to escape this.

"How dare you insinuate - "

"I'm no idiot Dursley!" Hagrid bellowed, causing Petunia to let out a startled cry and Vernon to actually step back reflexively. "Kid ne'er goes home durin the holidays, do he? Always looks like he ain't had a thing ter eat after a summer with you folk. I ain't said a thing - not one thing - outta respect for Harry - but don' yeh dare act like yeh got rights to im when yeh treat im as yeh do!"

Feeling incredibly ill and embarrassed, Harry edged down the rest of the stairs and squeezed past his Aunt, hoping he could just leave with Hagrid without this getting any worse. Unfortunately, his Uncle was a bit harder to get by and, in the desperate hope that Vernon was shell-shocked enough to not be fully thinking straight, Harry politely asked the man to excuse him.

The events that passed in the following few moments took place so quickly that Harry was left feeling dizzy and shaken by the time he and Hagrid had stepped over the threshold of Arabella Figg's doorway. Vernon had spun around, his expression more wild than Harry had ever seen it - worse, by far, than the expression that day at the zoo - and yelled something about slander and lies just as Dudley finally made himself known. He stepped around the corner that led to his room, saw Hagrid and let out a terrified squeal. Vernon seemed to take this as a sign of wrong doing and grabbed Harry roughly by his shoulder, bellowing for him to go to his room, now, before suddenly the man was tossed back along the hallway, the force of Hagrid's push almost enough to send the fat Muggle sprawling.

Before Harry could even fully grasp what had happened, a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and his trunk disappeared as Hagrid propelled him from number four, Privet Drive and took the trunk himself. Petunia cried something that Harry didn't catch and moments later, they were inside Mrs. Figg's house.

Dazed, Harry looked up at Hagrid, who appeared to be composing himself. After a moment's silence, Mrs. Figg came bustling out to see what the trouble was. "Harry? What happened child, you look as pale as death!" She exclaimed, startled by the haggard appearance of the two now standing in her hall. Harry didn't quite know what to say, so he looked back at Hagrid. The half-giant's face had lost its ruddy color and he appeared calm as he stated gruffly that he'd had an 'altercation' with Mr. Dursley.

"Foul man," Mrs. Figg muttered, before waving Harry in. "Come in child, come in. You'll need the Floo, won't you Hagrid?"

"Nah," Hagrid grunted as he tucked Harry's trunk under one arm and placed a surprisingly gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Takin the Knight Bus, we are. Jus' though' we'd check in with yeh firs'. Mind if we use the alley then?"

"No no, by all means," Mrs. Figg murmured, waving them toward the back of her house. Urged along by Hagrid, Harry stepped out into the backyard and made his way to the alley, aware of Mrs. Figg standing out on her porch, watching them. As Hagrid pulled out his umbrella to summon the Knight Bus, he looked down at Harry with an expression so filled with emotion that the boy had trouble deciding which one was the most prevalent.

"M sorry bou' losin' mah temper like tha' Harry. Could nah believe the nerve of them Dursley's. Legal guardians - pah! An him grabbin yeh like tha' Harry - s'not on, that. Jus' not on." He muttered, but Harry was saved from replying by the arrival of the Knight Bus. Stepping aboard, Harry was mildly interested when Hagrid asked for the Leaky Cauldron but he chose to say nothing as he took a seat on one of the beds.

"Yeh alrigh there, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he took a seat across from the boy, looking a bit ashamed of himself. Still a bit shaken by the entire scene, Harry managed to dredge up a smile for his oldest friend and nod. He honestly did not know how he felt about what had just transpired. That Hagrid had confronted the Dursley's on Harry's treatment in such a way made him feel both grateful and ashamed that it had even been necessary. He had been surprised Hagrid knew about child abuse laws and horrified by the threat of them - he could just imagine the Daily Prophet's field day if his life at the Dursley's was ever revealed.

The fact Hagrid had pushed Uncle Vernon was shocking, but not too alarming. Harry trusted Hagrid considerably and knew the man would never actually hurt someone. He had been defending Harry, the boy knew that much, and he had a horrible habit of miscalculating his own strength. A bit of a stagger across the hallway was probably nothing compared to what could have happened to Vernon if Hagrid had truly felt like giving him what for. Deciding to just push the whole argument to the side for now, Harry looked at Hagrid and asked what had been on his mind before the confrontation.

"How come I'm getting picked up so early Hagrid? Did something bad happen?"

To his intense relief, Hagrid gave him a smile and shook his head. "Oh nah, nothin bad Harry. No' to sure what's goin on in Dumbledore's head, but he wanted me ter pick yeh up and take yeh out ter breakfast."

Harry blinked at this, wondering why he'd needed to pack his things if that's all Dumbledore had wanted Hagrid to do - and wondering a bit at why Dumbledore wanted him taken out to breakfast - when Hagrid carried on.

"Gonna be taken yeh ter see him after, see. He's go' summat up his sleeve, Dumbledore does."

Harry couldn't help the grim, bitter smile that crossed his face at that statement. Dumbledore quite often had 'summat up his sleeve' and Harry was just beginning to resent that. He wondered briefly if he was going to be punished for his temper tantrum in the man's office when the bus came to a sudden, screeching halt that sent him tumbling right off the bed. Hagrid chuckled as he helped Harry back up and off the bus. Before they headed into the Leaky Cauldron, Hagrid turned to Harry and told him to release Hedwig.

"She's a smart bird Harry - she'll know where ter find yeh. She'll appreciate it more n' the way we're gonna be goin."

Imagining taking Hedwig through the Floo, Harry grimaced and nodded before opening the ows cage. She gave him a slight glare, not altogether pleased to be cast out during the day when she'd much rather be sleeping, before letting out a soft hoot and taking off. Rising with Hedwig's cage held firmly in one hand, Harry followed Hagrid inside the Leaky Cauldron. Thankfully, Harry didn't have to concern himself with what terrifying dishes might be considered breakfast at this particular establishment as Hagrid took Harry directly to the large fireplaces at the back.

Harry was about to remind Hagrid of his last misadventure with this mode of magical transformation when the man held what looked like a peacock feather under his nose. Without meaning to, Harry felt himself stiffen and glance at Hagrid with mild alarm. As though sensing Harry's unease, Hagrid bent down and murmured, "I was the one tha' brough' yeh ter the Dursley's when yeh was jus' a babe, n I was the one ter give yeh yer Hogwarts letter to. Gave that cousin o' yers a nice gift ter remember me by too."

Harry couldn't help but smile at the memory of Dudley with a pigs tail and he quietly thanked Hagrid as he reached out and wrapped his hand around the feather. Portkeys were perhaps his least favorite way to travel, ever since the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but he trusted that Hagrid really was who he said he was. There was a moment of Hagrid smiling fondly at him, and then the uncomfortable feeling of a hook came, followed by a dizzying spinning sensation and the all-to-familiar feeling of being slammed unceremoniously into the ground.

Rolling a bit, Harry gazed up at the sky and wondered in an almost nonsensical manner how many times he'd been thrown at the ground by some force or other, be it Muggle relatives, broom jinxes, duels or portkeys. The clouds above were replaced by Hagrid's amused face as the half-giant bent over him and asked if he was alright. Grinning somewhat painfully, Harry groaned and rolled over before rising to his feet.

For a brief moment, Harry was completely disoriented, before he recognized the building in front of him. Glancing up, he found the sign of the Three Broomsticks to confirm what he suspected, before looking over at Hagrid.

"Well, in yeh go! Can' order nuthin out here, can we?" Hagrid asked brightly as he ushered Harry inside.

Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks was a surprisingly comforting affair. Madame Rosmerta slathered his pancakes with far more whipped cream and berries than there should have been, which reminded Harry so much of Mrs. Weasley that he ended up giving the woman one of his brightest smiles and a genuine thank you before digging in. Hagrid seemed content to nurse a large tankard of Butterbeer and simply watch Harry eat, which could have been uncomfortable but was instead reassuring. It left Harry feeling cared for and oddly protected, which for an alarming moment almost choked him with emotion as it brought thoughts of Sirius forcefully to mind.

The Three Broomsticks was bright in the sunlight and his pancakes were so sweet he was sure Hermione would have had a panic attack at the sight of them, and the surprisingly motherly way Madame Rosmerta topped up his pumpkin juice and smiled at him managed to keep Harry from getting lost in the gloom. He smiled at Hagrid when he finished and had the rather unusual urge to hug Madame Rosmerta before they left. Thankfully, he managed to quash it before he did anything embarrassing, and he was soon happily trotting after Hagrid toward the castle.

There was a comfortable silence between himself and Hagrid as they made their way toward the school, and the closer they got the more excited Harry became. He wasn't sure if he would be spending the summer at Hogwarts - and in truth the logical part of him doubted it highly - but the fact he was out of the Dursley house after just two weeks and was seeing his real home again so soon was positively euphoric.

"Yer no' mad with me, are yeh Harry?" Hagrid asked suddenly as they made their way up the final hill before they would be on Hogwarts grounds.

"What?" Harry asked, somewhat startled by the sudden break in silence as well as momentarily confused by the question. "Oh - no, I'm not." He reassured the man, before explaining, "It was a bit...embarrassing, really. Its not like I ever say anything about the Dursley's, so I guess I was just shocked." He took a moment to fight down a flush of shame before he said in a quieter tone, "Thanks though, Hagrid. For everything."

He wasn't sure how much he was thanking Hagrid for, but a part of him felt like it really was for everything. His first Hogwarts letter, Hedwig, the man's friendship, the defense against the Dursley's, all of it.

There was a gruff sound from Hagrid, and Harry had to fight down a grin as he realized he'd embarrassed his friend as well. At least it was a good reason to be embarrassed.

Stepping through the doors of Hogwarts castle, Harry had to fight down the explosion of hope that blossomed suddenly and sharply in his chest. He knew he couldn't stay here, and he was extremely grateful to be back so soon, but it was hard not to hope it could be more than just a short visit.

Hagrid led him to the entryway to Dumbledore's office and paused, giving the password that almost made Harry trip over his own feet at how blatantly obvious it was.

"Lemon Drops."

The gargoyle swung about, and the two made their way up the stairs, Hagrid with Harry's trunk once again under his arm and Harry with Hedwig's cage in one hand. At the door, Hagrid knocked and it opened of its own accord. Stepping inside, Harry was mildly astonished to note the office looked exactly as it had before his temper - perhaps even a bit more cluttered, even. Sitting mildly at his desk was the Headmaster, his hand gently stroking the bright red and orange plumage of his phoenix, Fawkes.

"Ah, Harry! I trust your trip went well?" Dumbledore greeted, though his gaze shifted so quickly to Hagrid as he asked that Harry felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. Suddenly regretting the overly sweet breakfast, Harry fought determinedly with his body so as not to reintroduce himself to the Headmaster by hurling all over his floor.

"Yes sir," He choked out at last, when he no longer felt like speaking would cause him to gag. His reaction caused Hagrid to frown and, terrified of what the half-giant might blurt out, Harry quickly smiled at him and said, "I'm alright now Hagrid. I think the Headmaster needs to talk to me alone for a bit now, though."

As he said it, Harry knew it was a gamble, but even if Dumbledore didn't send Hagrid away, at least it was clear Harry didn't want Hagrid to say anything. Thankfully however, Dumbledore agreed with this statement and Hagrid took his leave, but not without patting Harry on the shoulder in what was meant to be a gentle manner, but had enough force to it to almost cause the boy's knees to buckle.

Once the man had left, Harry once again had a minor argument with his stomach as he ducked his head and made his way to the chair across from Dumbledore, leaving Hedwig's cage where Hagrid had left his trunk. Taking a seat, Harry was genuinely shocked and relieved when the first words out of Dumbledore's mouth were, "Please look at me Harry."

Lifting his head, Harry gazed at the Headmaster pleadingly, hoping against hope that the man wasn't going to go back to ignoring him like last year. He was surprised by the Headmaster's rather chagrined expression, which faded into a small smile.

"You will remember Harry, that I confessed to you last year that I am capable of making mistakes?" At Harry's mute nod, the Headmaster continued. "I would like to stress again the fact that ignoring you was one of those mistakes. I was not trying to avoid you just now, my boy."

Grateful for the Headmaster's ability to read him, Harry gave a slim smile before taking a slow breath and asking, "Why am I here, sir? I mean - trust me, I'm glad of it, but - " Something shadowed the Headmaster's face briefly, cutting Harry off as he stared in disturbed shock. For one, brief second, Harry found himself genuinely afraid of the old man in front of him. The moment passed and Harry was left to wonder just what it was he had seen when Dumbledore rose to his feet and walked over to the window overlooking the grounds. There was a long moment of silence, before he spoke again. When he did, Harry found himself wishing Dumbledore had chosen not to say a word.

"It has come to my attention recently, Harry, that your home life is far worse than I ever would have imagined." This statement alone was enough to root Harry to the spot, but Dumbledore was not even close to being finished. "I knew, of course, that you were not happy. You said as much yourself, twice. There is nothing I wish more, Harry, then that I had listened to you then. Once again it appears that I have made a very large mistake in regards to you, my boy. I do hope that one day, you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Harry attempted to speak here, attempted to find something that he could say in response to this, but Dumbledore was still staring out the window and was rather unaware of the boy's struggles.

"I confess I knew that your family was woefully neglectful when it came to your needs, but it was my opinion that the wards were more important than anything else. Keeping you alive, at any cost, was my primary interest. It has been brought to my attention that I had absolutely no right to gamble your happiness and welfare on the blood wards," Dumbledore said softly, something in his tone drawing Harry's attention as he added, "I find, Harry, that I must agree. Your mother must be quite furious with me."

That statement was enough to make Harry's jaw drop. Never, in all his years at Hogwarts, had he thought about that particular flaw in the blood ward argument. His mother had died so that he could live - if that was the case, surely she would have wanted him to live happily?

Feeling as though something was scrubbing him raw, Harry swallowed past the tightness in his throat and asked something he had never dared to hope after second year, "So does this mean I'm never going back to the Dursley's?"

Albus turned from the window at last and gave Harry a small, sad smile that froze the hope inside Harry, before the man stated softly, "I should imagine not, Harry."

Unsure he had heard right, Harry stared at the Headmaster and when nothing else was forthcoming, he blurted, "Does this mean i can live with the Weasley's then?"

Here Dumbledore's smile was rueful, and he shook his head as he returned back to his desk. "I'm afraid not, my boy. To do that would be far too dangerous for everyone involved. There is, however, a safe haven that I have hidden away for many, many years." Taking a seat, Dumbledore smiled at Harry and informed him a bit about the protections placed at Roan House. It was Unplottable, under the Fidelius Charm, impenetrable to Muggle eyes and impossible to find even without being Unplottable. It had wards as powerful as the ones at Hogwarts and was protected by a very powerful spirit enchantment.

"Sir," Harry interrupted at this point, "What's a spirit enchantment?"

Dumbledore was silent a moment, before he explained. "Spirit enchantments are very advanced, very difficult branches of magic, Harry. I will explain more to you about Roan House's spiritual enchantments when we arrive, simply because I'd rather avoid repeating the conversation."

"Sir?" Harry asked, confused by that statement.

"Ah yes," The Headmaster mused, the twinkle in his eyes seeming to work double force suddenly. "A member of the Order will be staying with you over the summer, Harry, so that you don't find yourself too lonely. Lemon drop?" He asked, handing one out to Harry.

Bemused, Harry accepted the candy and unwrapped it as his mind tried to deduce who would be taking care of him over the summer. As he popped the sweet in his mouth, Harry rejected the idea of Lupin due to the whole werewolf issue and knew it probably wasn't a Weasley as they had their own family to tend to. He wondered if maybe it was Tonks or Kingsley - that would be wicked, he decided, as they could probably give him tips and training for how to become an Auror.

Albus waited until he say Harry's shoulders relax before he continued speaking, extremely grateful that the boy had accepted the lemon drop. There was just enough calming draught laced onto the candies he handed out to keep those about to receive potentially unwanted news from exploding too viciously, though not enough to allow them to suspect they'd been - for all intents and purposes - drugged.

"Things have become steadily unstable among the Death Eater ranks and I've found myself reasonably concerned. As such, it has been arranged for Professor Snape to go into hiding as well, Harry. Seeing as I need to protect both of you, it has been decided that he will be your guardian this summer."

There was a deafening silence on the tail of this announcement, and Albus found himself treated to a rather unexpected reaction from the boy. All color had drained from Harry's face and he looked very much as though he had just swallowed his lemon drop too early. The look of sheer horror was so far from the look of outrage Albus had been expecting that he was almost concerned the boy had, indeed, swallowed his candy too soon and was trying not to choke. He was just about to cast a spell to clear the boy's airway when Harry stated with an air of absolute certainty, "I'd rather go back to the Dursley's, if its all the same to you sir."

Albus could hardly believe his ears. For a long moment he found himself simply staring at Harry, before Albus felt himself growing very indignant on Severus' behalf. "I wouldn't have expected such a cruel statement from you, Harry." Albus stated in a heavily disappointed tone.

"What are you talking about, Professor?" Harry asked lowly, the color slowly returning to his cheeks as his anger started to rise. "You think its cruel that I prefer summer with my relatives as opposed to a summer locked away with that greasy git - "

"I will not listen to you slander Professor Snape in this office again, Harry," Albus stated sternly, leveling the boy with one of his colder gazes. When this seemed to be enough to still the boy's mouth a moment, Albus continued in a steady and firm voice. "I think it is cruel, Harry, that you would think so lowly of a man who has worked so hard to protect you."

Harry's mouth opened with a heated retort, but Albus raised a hand and stated sharply, "You would rather spend a summer where you would be treated in the same manner as a Malfoy House-Elf than with a man who would ensure that you are fed every day, that your homework is properly attended to, that your questions are answered, that any injury you manage to procure is healed? You would rather return to a household where you have been physically abused on more than one occasion, rather than spend a summer where your worst punishments would be lines or a reasonable amount of chores? Or is it, Harry," Dumbledore asked crossly, "That you think so lowly of Professor Snape that you genuinely believe he would be worse than the Dursley's?"

There was something in the Headmaster's tone that actually caused Harry to stop and think before answering him. Snape had a devilishly nasty temper, Harry knew that much, and he hated Harry just as much as Uncle Vernon did. He'd only gotten physical with Harry that once, and Harry had deserved a total thrashing if he were to be completely honest. Yet even after going through the man's memories and rightly earning himself a whole hell of pain, the most he'd gotten was a grip on his shirt that brought him way to close to Snape's face for comfort and a jar of cockroaches thrown at him as he ran out the door.

Thinking about that, Harry also realized it was rather odd that Snape would have thrown so high, even in his anger. If he had been actually trying to hit Harry, the boy realized with a jolt that the man probably could have. Not to mention he could have used a spell or something. Still, there was the fact that if Snape did do anything bad, all Harry had to do was tell Dumbledore and he'd get sacked - if it was bad enough.

Even as he thought this, Harry was somewhat alarmed to find a feeling of unfairness snake through him as he realized that assessment was unjustified as well. A memory thrust itself into the forefront of his mind that left Harry pale and staring at Dumbledore blankly for a moment, as he realized how easily Snape could have been rid of him in third year if he wished. Yet instead of doing what Harry would have expected considering after getting blasted by Harry in the Shrieking Shack, the man had placed himself between three of his most hated students and a bloody werewolf.

Sighing heavily, Harry gave Dumbledore a defeated look and murmured softly, "No sir, I don't think that."

"In that case, Harry, I trust you'll rethink your earlier statement?"

Harry gave a dull nod before asking quietly, "When is Snape coming to pick me up then?" He asked, his voice submissive even to his own ears.

"Professor Snape, Harry," The Headmaster corrected gently, before saying mildly, "Fidelius Charm Harry, only I can introduce you to Roan House and her wards. As it is, Professor Snape is currently awaiting us there."

Resisting the urge to sigh again, Harry sat quietly as Dumbledore took out his wand and waved it, before summoning what Harry realized with a start was Hedwig's cage and his trunk, shrunk down to matchbox size. The Headmaster placed these in a pocket of his robe, before holding a set of brass scales out to the boy and stating mildly, "If you'd be so kind, Harry?"

Biting back a groan at still more portkey travel, and fighting down the image of Cedric hit by the killing curse, Harry took hold of the scales and closed his eyes through the whirling hell that was this particular method of wizarding travel.

Once again deposited back to the earth with a painful lack of ceremony or grace, Harry found himself glaring at the hem of Dumbledore's robe and wondering how in the world he and others managed to land on their feet after travelling this way.

With a bitter groan, Harry pushed himself to his feet before he realized the Headmaster had been offering him a hand up. Smiling to show he hadn't meant to ignore him, Harry looked around himself, momentarily stunned by the size of the trees and wondering wildly if they were deep in the Forbidden Forest. Just then, the Headmaster handed him a piece of paper, and Harry read Gwynvera's Circle, Forest of Dean, 30 miles west of Mould-on-the-Wold, England.

Looking up from the paper, Harry cracked a grin at the sight of the cottage that appeared immediately after. Forgetting for a moment who awaited him inside of it, Harry took in the sloping roof and the blue-grey stones with a happy heart. The garden was such a tangled mess of overgrown life that Harry could just imagine his Aunt's heart attack at the sight of it. This house reminded him firmly of the Burrow, with its devil-may-care property, though in a way it sort of brought to mind an old cat lounging around in a rats nest.

Still smiling, Harry followed his professor's instructions on getting inside. Laying a hand on the gate, Harry spoke the password and stepped inside. Unlike Severus, he did not meet with Arianna but instead walked straight to the door and turned the handle, spoke the password, and stepped inside without any real consideration toward the passwords themselves.

As he was taking into account the prim interior, Harry was jarred from his blissful contentment by the sight of a very familiar black figure seated in a chair. The thought of a summer with Snape alarmed him once again and, despite his conversation with Dumbledore just moments ago, Harry couldn't help but feel as though he had dodged a bludger only to crash into the stands at breakneck speed. Swallowing heavily, Harry resisted the urge to turn around and beg the Headmaster to place him somewhere else - anywhere else - so long as it was far away from the man who was now walking towards him with a thunderous scowl.

Harry was almost convinced by that look alone to beg, when he realized with a jolt that the professor was not even looking at him, but at the Headmaster. His brows rose in surprise when the first words out of his least favorite Professor's mouth were, "I demand explanations, Albus. I will not tolerate any of your cryptic answers in regards to this prison," He spat, using as much vitriol on the Headmaster as he did on Harry. "I want the truth, Albus, and I want it now."

The Headmaster, much to Harry's interest, looked very much as though he had anticipated this rather hostile greeting. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder as though to reassure him in the face of a pre-pissed Professor Snape before he stated calmly, "I intend to do just that, Severus, but first I suggest we all sit down. I'm afraid there is a lot to tell."

Harry looked up at the Headmaster, sensing a weariness in his words that seemed misplaced in their sadness. Then he glanced at Snape, who looked ready to spit fire and drive Gryffindor into the negatives before he spun on his heel and returned to the chair he had previously occupied. Despite himself, Harry looked back up at the Headmaster with an expression that showed a little too clearly that he was regretting taking back his comment on preferring the Dursley's.

The Headmaster's grip on his shoulder tightened a bit sharply, and Harry found himself led to the couch as Dumbledore took the chair facing Snape. Harry immediately felt vulnerable and nervous being caught in between Snape and Dumbledore, and for a moment he sat as stiffly as a rabbit praying that stillness would make it invisible. The tension between the two men was enormous and Harry had absolutely no wish to be placed in the middle for any reason.

Without even thinking about what he was doing, Harry abandoned the spot on the couch in favor of sitting on the floor beside Dumbledore. For a brief moment, Harry felt as though he'd crossed an empty space amid a battlefield and only now would he be safe. The sheer sense of survival instinct that had taken over in the span of a few seconds surprised even him, and he missed two crucial reactions to his change of position.

Severus had been left with nearly an hour in which to think his questions through and for a  considerable sense of indignant rage settle in his stomach. No matter how he looked at it, Roan House had him trapped, and while being caged was bad enough, there was the fact he would be ensnared here with Potter that made all of it ever so much worse. When the Headmaster had arrived, he had barely even noticed the boy in his determination to keep Albus from abandoning him again. When he noticed the Headmaster lay a hand on the boys shoulder, he forced himself to reign in the greater part of his temper at the subtle reminder of just why Potter was being brought here.

Severus had thought nothing of Albus placing Potter on the couch precisely between them, as he presumed the Headmaster wished to address them both. In fact he had considered the move a bit diplomatic as well, considering it kept Potter out of his immediate range of sight seeing as he would be paying more attention to the Headmaster. As such, he had missed the rather terrorized look on Potter's face at first. It was not until the boy suddenly shot to his feet that Severus looked at him, and for the shortest of seconds the man's breath caught.

He knew that expression well, having worn it many times in his own youth. That look of being caught in the middle of two enraged parents and having no idea which one was going to strike out first. Severus felt something cold settle in his stomach when he saw how quickly Potter moved to the floor at Dumbledore's feet, so clearly showing whom he considered the safer option. His haunted expression was swiftly masked, but not before Albus noticed it. It was Severus' expression and the way Harry huddled at his feet that forced Albus to realize he was dealing with two very damaged young boys and he would have to be a little more patient in his pushing of them.

His exasperation with Severus evaporated, and Albus reached down to gently lay a hand on Harry's head, an expression of genuine shock showing on his and Severus' faces when the boy flinched at the touch. There was a heavy silence for a moment, before Albus leaned back and said softly, "I apologize for not telling you all of this sooner, Severus. There wasn't enough time, but perhaps it would have been wise of me to make some. I do hope you can forgive, once again, an old man's oversights."

There was a moment of silence as Snape gazed at Dumbledore, but Harry noticed there was something odd in his expression, something Harry had never seen before. However, before Harry could place what it was, it was gone and Snape was inclining his head in a relatively calm manner. With mild surprise, Harry realized the tension between the two men had faded into something else. He wasn't sure he could describe it, but there was a heaviness now that for some reason, made Harry feel almost unbearably sad.

Squirming a bit on the floor, Harry leaned back against Dumbledore's chair and decided to try and dispel it. "Professor Dumbledore," He opened, looking up at the man as he glanced down from his chair. "You said something about spirit enchantments earlier. Are you going to explain them now?"

Severus' gaze snapped up from Harry so quickly Albus idly thought there should have been a sound associated with it. With a slight smile, Albus thanked all that was blessed for Harry's intuitive nature. He had found a way to bring them all away from this awkward silence without any seeming amount of effort, for which Albus could only be grateful.

"I believe that would be a good place for us to start, Harry." Albus stated softly as he gazed at Severus, all but hearing the cogs whirling in the younger man's mind. "Severus, perhaps you can help me with the beginning of this tale by explaining to Harry the nature of spirit enchantments?"

Severus gave the Headmaster a very long look, before settling his gaze on Potter and falling into the all to familiar mode of lecturing.