Harry had always imagined what a hug felt like…granted he never imagined it kneeling on the floor covered in blood and cuts or that the person he was hugging would be in an equally awkward position, guaranteeing an uncomfortable hug… but it was the best thing he had ever felt. Harry shifted so he was more comfortable.

"What's your name, sir?" Harry's voice issued forth from somewhere near Severus' shoulder.

"My name is Severus Snape and I teach at Hogwarts." Harry's quiet tears had slowed and faded in the warmth of Severus' embrace.

"My name is Harry, sir."

"I know. I knew your Mum. She told me your name when you were born." Technically Snape thought to himself, Lily had told him… letters still counted as telling him. Severus knew he couldn't stay like this forever. Harry needed to get to Hogwarts; he needed to be treated… but Snape's anger toward Harry's family burned inside of him. Eating away at his stomach. He pushed the anger aside, some things were more important than revenge.

"You know my mum?" Harry's voice was barely a whisper. If not for their closeness Severus wouldn't have heard it all. It broke his heart… made him want to scream and cry at the injustice of it all. That this child had grown up with out his family. Without Lily to sing him to sleep at night or hold him close when he scraped his knees.

"Yes, Harry. I knew you Mum. Her name was Lily, she was my best friend." Harry pulled back and looked at Severus with something akin to awe. Severus' hands shook as he reached out and wiped the tears from under Harry's eyes.

"You have her eyes Harry. I can see her in you just by looking at them." Harry's bruised face broke into a wide grin as he snuggled back into Severus' arms. If there were two things that living at the Dursley's had taught him they were how to hide in plain sight and to trust his head and his heart. Harry knew, as sure as he knew his heart would continue to beat, that this man, his mum's friend, was good.

"Harry, we need to leave. I'm going to take you somewhere safe. Do you trust me?" Severus pushed Harry back just enough to look him in the eye as he spoke. Harry looked at him for a moment, Lily's eyes bored into him searching his soul for something, before he nodded.

"Alright, Hold on tight." Severus gathered the boy even closer to him and with a nearly silent crack they vanished from the small hut on the rock.

Severus felt Harry grasp him tighter as they apparated, when the world righted itself around them; he stood just outside of Hogsmeade, his eyes locked on Hogwarts for a moment before he glanced down at Harry.

The boy's eyes were closed, Severus felt the slow steady rhythm of his heart and breathing, he'd passed out. Severus looked back at the castle, his own heart beating wildly in his chest. He knew that if he took Harry there Albus would send him back to the Dursley's. He knew that Dumbledore meant it for the best, for the greater good, but he couldn't let Harry fall pray to Dumbledore's manipulations and plans they way he had.

He summoned his Patronus and sent it off with a message to Minerva and Madame Pomfrey to meet him at the Three Brooms Sticks as quickly as they could without drawing suspicion.

Severus shifted Harry so that he lay more comfortably in his arms and covered him with notice-me-not spells as he strode into the village. It was busy at the Three Broom sticks but he managed to catch Madam Rosmerta's eye. He motioned toward the back down, moments later the two of them stood in the darkness behind the Inn together.

"What's this about Severus? If you can't tell I'm bloody busy." Her arms where crossed in front of her chest and her lovely face was marred by a scowl.

"I'm calling in your debt. I need a safe room… somewhere out of the way… somewhere quiet." Rosmerta looked at him in shock. They'd been friends for years. They seemed to relate better than most of the other teachers, both of them spies for Dumbledore… both of them outcast by the light for being to in touch with the Dark side of magic. Five years ago a small group of Voldemort's more unstable former followers had been causing trouble for the Aurors. Dumbledore had ordered Snape to join them… it was through that unsavory mission that he learned of a pending attack of the Three Broom Sticks. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and the Death Eater's had planned to kill anyone they found inside. Snape had warned Rosmerta and staged a set-up. No children had been allowed into Hogsmeade that weekend… just Aurors. Rosmerta had been so grateful she declared a debt to Severus… one that he had just called up.

"Severus what's…" She never got to finish the question.

"I can't tell you… and you can't say anything to anyone about this. Not Albus… not anyone. Minerva and Poppy are coming down from the school… no one else can know that I'm here or that I was ever here. Can I trust you?" Severus was growing desperate. He could feel Harry beginning to move around in his arms. Not enough to draw attention through the charms, but enough to let Severus know that he would wake soon.

"Come this way." Rosmerta led them through the back down and up a small-unnoticed hallway that was hidden by shadows. The stairs didn't creak like the one's in the main staircase did… this passage was meant for stealth.

"Here." Rosmerta's voice was soft in the stillness of the barely lit hallway. The door opened to revel a small clean room. A serviceable bed dominated one wall and the fireplace was flanked by two well used by sturdy chairs.

"I need your word Rose…" Severus used her nickname to remind her that they had been through thick and thin together… they needed to continue to stand together.

"You have it." She griped his shoulder tightly and turned to leave the room, "I'll send Minerva and Pomfrey up when they get here." The door closed behind her and Severus was left in the strange stillness of the space.

For a moment his eyes poured over the surfaces of the room, before his mind came back to him and he settled Harry on the bed.

He dispelled the charms and sat beside Harry as he awoke.

"What was that?" Harry's voice was breathy and rough.

"It's called apparating. It allows witches and wizards to travel instantly from one place to another. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. It can be rather uncomfortable the first time." Severus laid his hand against Harry's. His finger's clutching the boy's.

"Where are we?" Harry's eyes darted around the room the same way that Severus' own had just moments prior.

"A place called Hogsmeade. We're in Scotland. Some friends of mine, … and your parents, are coming to meet us. One of them is a Healer. She's going to make you feel better." Severus felt a little unsure about how to talk to Harry.

"I see. Who are they? How do they know my parents?" Severus saw the spark of intelligence behind Harry's eyes and his lips drew up into a smile… yes, this was definitely Lily's son.

"Their names are Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey. They both work at Hogwarts with me. Professor McGonagall was your Father's favorite teacher. She was also very close to the both of them while they were at school. Madame Pomfrey was the Healer for their class and mine. She can fix anything." Severus smiled… but the look of concentration on Harry's face stilled him.

"Why didn't she save them after the car accident? Why didn't their magic save them?" Harry looked up at him and Severus could see that his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Car crash?" Severus' couldn't hide the confusion in his voice.

"You said you were her friend… how can you not know about the car crash that killed them?" Harry looked more angry than sad now and Severus could understand, though the anger that grew in him was closer to a violent all consuming rage. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"You parents didn't die in a car crash. They were murdered. An evil wizard named Lord Voldemort killed them. He wanted to kill you and your parents would let him. They loved you so much they died to keep you safe. Harry… what's wrong?" Harry had gone ghostly pale, except his cheeks, which were flushed.

"How could they? How could they lie to me like that? I get that they didn't want me… I get that they thought I was a freak, I mean they don't know that magic is real, but to lie to me about my parents death…" Harry trailed off for a moment, his fingers rose until they brushed against the famous lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"How did I get this?" Harry asked as he pulled the fringe of his hair back from his forehead, leaving the livid scar in plain view.

Severus brushed his fingers across it.

"After he killed your parents, he tried to kill you. He cast a curse on you called the Killing Curse. No one has ever survived it but you. No one knows for sure what happened that night, but you are famous in the Magical world… because that night when Voldemort cast the curse on you something happened and not only did you survive but he died. It is believed that you single handedly ended his reign and saved all of us." Severus drew his fingers away from the scar and used them to raise Harry's face so their eyes met.

"You Aunt and Uncle were wrong not just because they lied to you. They should never have laid a single hand on you. They should never have called you a freak. Your Aunt Petunia knew that your mother was a witch. She wanted to have magic too, but when she learned that she didn't she grew angry and bitter toward your mum. You deserved better." Severus would have said more but a firm knock at the door interrupted him.

"Severus?" Snape could recognize Minerva's voice clearly but he needed to be sure. He motioned for Harry to be still and silent as he drew his wand and opened the door just a crack.

"What was the last thing Minerva McGonagall said to me before I left Hogwarts to work on my Potions Mastery?" Snape pointed the wand directly as her throat, a spell on the tip of his tongue.

"I told you that no matter what happened you would always have a home at Hogwarts." Minerva answered immediately. Snape nodded and leveled his wand at Madame Pomfrey.

"What is your animagus?" Snape didn't relent in the face of Pomfrey's rather intense blush.

"An Albino corn snake." She whispered softly. Severus let them both enter the room. Pomfrey moved with grace and speed toward the bed, where Harry looked at both women with wide eyes, her own seasoned eyes taking in the bruising on his face and arms.

" Severus… what's going on?" Minerva looked at Harry and knew that he was James and Lily's son… how could she not… she had been named his Godmother in their will.

"It's a long story why don't I tell you while Poppy treats Harry. Is that acceptable?" He glanced at the three other people in the room waiting for a nod from each before beginning.

The story of the letter, the hut on the rock, the beating, and them ending up here took more time than Severus had planned. He gained more insight into Harry as the boy threw in bits of information that he didn't have and Madame Pomfrey threw in things she had learned while treating him. Finally they sat in silence each of the adults lost in thought while Harry, under Poppy's careful gaze and a potion's influence, slept.

"We need to get him to Hogwarts. He needs to be somewhere safe." Minerva's voice was thready with unshed tears.

"You're right, he needs to be someplace safe," Severus looked Minerva in the eyes. For a long moment no one spoke… "But not Hogwarts."

Poppy whipped around and stared at Severus for a moment before looking back at the sleep child with sad eyes.

"You are, of course, correct Severus." Poppy didn't say anything more.

"What do you mean? Why not…" Minerva trailed off. She had told Dumbledore ten years ago that the Dursley's were not good people. She'd told him that they wouldn't do right by Harry, but he hadn't listened. She asked many times over the years why Harry couldn't come live with her and how he was doing only to be pat on the shoulder like a petulant five year old and sent on her way. She straightened her shoulders and strengthened her resolved. She wouldn't let Dumbledore have another chance to destroy Harry's life; she owed it to James and Lily.

"What did you have in mind?"