Harry sighed as he sat on the edge of his youngest son's bed in the darkened room. "You said that half an hour ago Eli." Eli was turning eleven in a few weeks and had been groping for any details he could get of Hogwarts from any source he could. Unfortunately he was just beginning to learn manipulation as well, unlike Sam, who'd picked it up at a rather early age.

"But I'll vouch for him this time dad. Just one more?" Samuel had a sly but hopeful look on his face.

"Don't you hear enough stories while you're at Hogwarts?"

"Grandpa doesn't tell us anything about when you were at Hogwarts except that you were in trouble a lot. He said you broke the record for detentions before Christmas one year."

"That was my third year, and your grandpa gave most of them to me. Now close your eyes and go to bed."

"We haven't said good night to mum yet," Elias protested, and as Harry kissed him gently on the forehead, he said, "I'll make sure she comes in before you fall asleep." He kissed Sam on the forehead as well, ignoring the fake look of disgust his thirteen year old was giving him, and made his way tiredly out of the room. It had been a long day in the Auror's office and he was exhausted. He didn't care if he was 33 or 50, chasing Mundungus Fletcher down the street in the middle of downtown Edinburg was no run in the park. Especially when he was throwing Tri-W stink bombs over his shoulder at you.

He heard light whispering break out between the two boys as he made his way down the hall to his waiting wife in their own room.

"Asleep yet?" Ginny asked.

Standing with his hands on his hips with a smile, Harry said, "They're demanding five kisses each from their mother."

"I doubt that she said with a smile as she wrapped her husband up in her arms.

"Well, they want a goodnight anyhow. And they're going to try to finagle you into giving them a story."

"Will I give them one?"

He gazed into her beautiful blue eyes and nodded. "Maybe just one," he said gently, running his fingers through her orange hair. "But don't be too long. I'm tired."

"Well, that's incentive to come back," she joked.

Harry spread his arms out and flopped backward onto the gloriously soft bed, eyes closed. Ginny watched him for a moment, knowing he'd be asleep in a few minutes, and then went down the hall to her two sons, both with their father's unruly black hair, and noted that they were wide awake.

"Mum! So good to see you! Come in and sit down!"

She crossed her arms and said, "Sam, if your uncles aren't going to teach you something productive then you won't get to spend time in their shop anymore."

"We just want one story mum, just one."

She looked to Eli who nodded enthusiastically and she climbed over Eli to lay in bed with him on top of the covers. Using her wand to wave the light down even further she said, "Close your eyes and I'll tell you a story."

"One about Hogwarts?"

"One about Grandpa Sev. There's a lot of things you don't know about him you know."

"Like what? Did he pull a funny prank on Headmistress McGonagall or something?" asked Sam.

"Yes, but that's not the story I'll tell tonight."

There was a collective, "Oh," from the boys, but Ginny hushed them.

"Just listen. Now, you know your dad is adopted by Grandpa Severus, but you've never heard how that happened. Your dad used to live with other relatives, and they weren't nice at all. They made him live in a tiny room and they didn't like him very much."

"They didn't like daddy?" Eli asked, confused. Ginny shushed him again, and he lay his head back on the pillow again.

"No, they didn't like him because they were Muggle and they didn't like magic. So when your dad went to Hogwarts he was very pleased to meet Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, and they became best friends. They became his family. That was the year before I went to Hogwarts, but I do know a few stories from daddy's first year there. I'll tell you one, just to start, and then maybe we'll have another tomorrow night."

Both boys were silent as Ginny launched into one of the scenes she'd been allowed to see from Harry's pensive years ago. It was old history and he wasn't as touchy about it as he used to be, and knew he would not mind the boys hearing this one in particular.

"It starts with a big test daddy flunked right before Easter Break in grandpa's class..."

Harry fidgeted as he waited for his test to be handed back. He'd studied hard but just didn't feel like he'd been grasping the material all that well, even with Hermione's help. At this point his brain just felt like mush from the hard studying they'd been doing, and he just wanted to go to sleep. Ron and Hermione weren't going home for the Easter holiday, for which he was thankful, because he wouldn't dare return to the Dursley's earlier than he had to. He wasn't even sure what awaited him upon his return after Hagrid had threatened Uncle Vernon last summer and given Dudley's rear an attractive curly tail.

Breaking Harry's train of thought was a long, dark shadow that fell over his desk, looming there, just daring him to look up.

"Deplorable as usual Potter," Professor Snape said in a tone that said he wasn't surprised. Harry shuddered. He'd already gotten on the wrong side of this one Professor more times than he could count this year, and as of now felt as if it was actually uncle Vernon looming over him.

Snape dropped Harry's test on the desk and moved on to the next unlucky student as Harry unrolled the parchment and closed his eyes. He hadn't even managed a D for dreadful, but instead there was a big red T marked on the top and Harry couldn't help but feel that the T looked a little nicer than Snape's usual scribbles, as if he had actually enjoyed marking Harry's paper as a complete and epic fail.

A bell rang somewhere in the distance to signal the end of class, and everyone began packing up their supplies. Harry didn't manage to get out the door quick enough however before a silky voice bade, "Potter, you will be serving Easter detention with me the day after tomorrow, in remedial potions."

"Yes sir," Harry said, and ducked his head on his way out.

"That's bogus," Ron griped at lunch. "Fred told me they do a big prize hunt at lunch on Easter day. They hide fake wands all over the castle and grounds, and when you find one you wave it and a prize like candy or toys pop out. George said they got their first rubber chicken that way."

"Well, maybe you can save me one," Harry said, feeling down. He didn't really think he'd like a rubber chicken, but at Easter Dudley always ended up with a grocery bag full of candy at least, and he was never allowed any of it. He'd never even really had more than a few pieces of candy in his life until he met Ron on the Hogwarts Express.

As Easter loomed closer, Harry dreaded the detention in the two days between failing his big test and being forced to skip a day of prizes to meet Professor Snape in the Dungeons.

The dreaded day came however, and as Ron and Hermione began their search for fake wands around the castle, Harry made his way down to the Dungeons, hoping upon hopes to find just one fake wand on the way down the stairs. He went slowly and kept his eyes peeled, wondering if there were any place to hide a wand in a barren dungeon corridor, and he discovered that the answer was a disappointing no.

"You're late Potter," Snape commented dryly as Harry walked in with his hands in his pocket. "The point of this detention was for you to be punished, not to dawdle on your way down looking for wands."

"Yes sir," Harry said quietly.

Snape pointed to a cauldron and said, "You will brew the Draught Of Good Sleep again, without your book notes. You will stay here until you produce a passable potion. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," Harry said again, waving the fire up on his cauldron and then setting his wand on his desk as he went to gather supplies. The potion took two hours at a minimum to brew properly, and Harry was sure the hunt would be over by then.

Harry was nearly two hours into his potion, and was just coming to an end as he added his last ingredient in and stirred seven times counter clockwise. The potion turned a satisfying purple, meaning he had probably brewed it correctly, and he sat on the stool next to him to take a break. Two hours was a long time to stand.

As he sat down though, he found he'd sat a little too far to the left, and to keep himself from falling, he grabbed the lip of the work bench to steady himself, his hand gripping something that felt smooth. Smooth like a wand hiding just under the lip of the table.

Harry kept his hand there on it now that he'd knocked it loose. He'd found a wand! He'd found just the one! Excitement filled him as he wondered what would shoot out of it, but dread also. Didn't Ron say they shot stuff out the end when you waved it? That wouldn't do well at all to have it exploding in a classroom with Snape, who appeared to think this kind of thing was a waste of time in the first place.

Ever so slowly Harry withdrew his hand, trying to hold the fake black wand steady and set it on the desk. At the last second he couldn't help but rub his thumb over the smooth finish of his prize however and without warning the tip of it exploded, sending colorful streamers everywhere with a loud bang.

"Potter!" The small explosion was followed by another, this time from Snape as the man shot up out of his seat, startled just as much as Harry had been.

"Did I not specify that this is detention! Not an Easter wand hunt!"

"Yes, yes sir," he said, stammering for a proper response.

Despite the ranting the professor engaged in over the next few moments, Harry couldn't help but look down in the midst of the fallen streamers to his small prize. There on the table sat his very own set of Quidditch figurines. His very first toy in his remembrance.

"Oh for the love of- Potter! Wake up!"

Harry's head snapped up at his Professor's irritated tone.

"Your potion is passable, just get out of my classroom. And take those ridiculous things with you!" he shouted, pointing at the Quidditch figures, clad in gold and red.

Harry gathered his things and fled the room, ending the memory that Ginny had seen.

She finished her story and observed that both of her children were asleep.

As she climbed over Eli and went down the hall to find Harry sleeping, still sprawled out on their bed on his back, she mused about something she had suspected since she'd first seen the memory.

She could never know for sure unless she asked her father-in-law, but she was fairly positive that upon spying the enamored look on Harry's face at the small toys, the man simply didn't have the heart to take them away, and so let Harry escape with them. He must have known they were important, because Harry still kept the figurines in a box under the bed with a few other trinkets and prized possessions.

The first gift of many, she mused, as she lay on top of the covers and put her head on Harry's chest, falling asleep herself.

"Hey kid, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Almost. There's no one to tell us a story!"

"Story? Aren't you getting a little old for it? You know your grandma stopped telling us stories when we were about your age."

Eli stuck his bottom lip out, and when he could see it wasn't working he crossed his arms. "Please? Mum's with the neighbor down the street and dad's out back working on something for Teddy because he's gonna be over tomorrow night."

"Oh, that. Well, what kind of story do you want?" He asked as he allowed Eli to take his hand and drag him up the stairs to their bedroom, where Sam was laying on his back on the bed looking at a magazine.

"Let's see," Ron said, holding out his hand for the magazine, and Sam turned red as he handed over Witch Monthly, the article advertised on the cover reading, "Top ten things witches look for in a wizard." Ron read it out loud and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't listen to this. If you want to know the top ten things then ask your dad or me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but that's not the kind of bedtime story I came up for."

Sam sat up, looking interested, and stuffed the magazine back under his bed as Ron handed it back to him.

"Are you gonna tell us more about dad when he was at school?"

"Dad been telling you old school stories again?"

"Nope," Eli said as he threw himself down onto his bed with a bounce and got under the covers. "Mum told us last night about Easter holiday in yours and dad's first year."

"Oh, you mean stories about your dad and grandpa Severus."

"Yeah. Know any good ones?"

Ron sat on the edge of Sam's bed and thought for a few moments.

"I guess I know one I could tell, from our second year. But I only know what he told me."

"Tell us uncle Ron!"

"Tell us!"

"Only if you promise to go to sleep."

"Promise."

"Ok, then. Well, it was the summer. Your mum told you then about the Muggles your dad lived with? How much?"

"They were mean," Eli supplied.

"Real mean," Sam finished. "But that's really all she said."

"Well, that's all I'll say then."

Using his hands to animate the story, Ron started with, "It was the summer between first and second year, and Professor Snape had been sent to check up on your dad, because Headmaster Dumbledore had owled him, but he hadn't owled back."

* * *

The heat was unbelievable, and Severus had been forced to stop in a phone booth in Little Whinging to cast a spell to banish his black robes, and place a cooling spell on his long, dark shirt and pants. He cursed softly that Dumbledore had sent him on such a pointless mission. It wasn't bad enough that he'd had to put up with the brat and his failing potions and explosive detentions, but now his private vacation time was being breached as well.

Severus strode with purpose down the sidewalk of the distinctly Muggle neighborhood towards Four Privet Drive, determined to be sure the brat was alive and bratty as ever, and then return to his blissfully free day of reading Potions journals and not thinking about Potter whatsoever. He had no idea that this was not to be as he approached the house, identical to all the others, with a precisely trimmed lawn and perfectly trimmed flower garden. It figured that Petunia would keep her property so neat, she always was a neat freak. Just the thought of the pretentious woman left a sour taste in his mouth.

Steeling himself for what was sure to be an encounter that would set his nerves on edge and give him a headache, Severus rapped smartly on the front door and waited. And waited. And waited. After two minutes, another set of knocking, and another three minutes, he scowled and noted that the car in the driveway was gone. Probably on vacation and the Headmaster's aging owl had not delivered his messages to the brat at all. Figures, just another mission that had turned out to be a waste of his time.

Severus descended the three stairs from the door and was partway down the walk when he heard running water in the back, possibly from a hose, and what sounded like a whimpering dog. Just the neighbors in the back, he tried to tell himself, but his curiosity was peaked nonetheless, and he let himself in the side gate, being sure that nobody had seen him lest they call the police. That was the last thing he needed at the moment.

There was another whimper just before Severus came around the edge of the house to find Potter kneeling down next to the garden hose, trying to wash blood off of the palm of his hand.

"Ahh... darn it." The boy said to himself in response to a sting of pain. Severus watched him silently for a moment more as he took in his condition. He had a bloody gash on his forehead which appeared to be covered in dirt and congealed already, as well as several bruises on his left arm.

"Potter?"

Harry startled at the sudden voice of the unexpected visitor and dropped the hose as he jumped up from his position on the grass and stood straight. Severus was impressed with the sudden respect he had just received, or perhaps it was fear, he noted as he came closer and saw the boy's eyes.

"What has happened?"

"Fell," Harry said, eyes never leaving his Professor's.

"From where?"

Harry motioned behind him to where he knew the ladder lay from where he had been thrown into it when he had failed to clean the gutters to uncle Vernon's satisfaction.

"And what were you doing on a ladder?"

"Threw a Frisbee on the roof." Another monotone answer as his eyes stared hard into the Potion Master's.

"I see."

Severus looked to Harry's still bleeding hand and asked, "Where are your guardians? Why are they not tending to you?"

"On vacation," Harry said on automatic.

"Without you?"

"It was to Southend-On-The-Sea to see Aunt Marge. She doesn't have room for everyone to come. Only my aunt and uncle sir."

"And your cousin?"

"He's still at school sir. Summer school."

Severus waved his wand and a thick handkerchief appeared from thin air. He handed it to Harry who quickly wrapped it around his dripping hand and bit his lip.

"Am I to understand you are staying here alone Potter?"

"Yes sir."

"Why?"

"Well, twelve's the legal age in the Muggle world sir, to be left alone at home I mean. And aunt and uncle have only been gone a day." Harry tried to stare dead into his Professor's eyes, hoping he knew little about the Muggle world and wouldn't catch the lie.

"This is unacceptable Potter. You will come with me to have your injuries tended to."

Before Harry could say anything Professor Snape had gripped his arm and he felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs as they began to spin. Only a moment later they appeared in a busy waiting room someplace Harry knew had to be magical with the manner of people that were about.

"Sir?"

"This is St. Mungo's, the wizarding hospital of London. Sit. Now." Harry sat in the chair that was nearest him and watched miserably as his Professor went up to the window to speak to a nurse clad in white, supposedly to admit him and have him seen about his injuries.

What was going to happen when Snape figured out that he was lying? He would take him back to the Dursley's and by then they'd be home from getting ice cream. They'd taken Dudley because aunt Petunia said he'd been ‘traumatized' by the scene he'd witnessed and needed cheering up. Harry knew better though, as Dudley had been the one who'd snuck up the ladder when Harry'd gone inside to get uncle Vernon to inspect his work. Dudley had thrown a few handfuls of leaves and garbage into the gutters and then laughed as his father came down the ladder and tossed Harry into it.

Harry looked down to his ripped shirt. It had been the only one he had left without holes or tears in it, and now it was ripped at the collar and down near the bottom hem where he'd been grabbed.

Snape came over, looking irritated and stood in front of Harry. "It will be some time until you will be seen. They are backed up and are short handed."

"Yes sir," Harry said, keeping his eyes averted and holding his injured hand, injured palm facing up. It had already bled through the handkerchief, and Harry wondered if he would be in trouble for ruining his Professor's handkerchief as well.

Harry tried to keep his mouth clamped shut, despite the questions he wanted to ask about the various ailments that people seemed to have around him, such as the enormous fish latched onto some man's head, or the woman with purple hands, or the child that was completely green from head to toe, including his hair.

After they'd been sitting for nearly twenty minutes, Harry trying desperately not to fidget so as not to irritate the man next to him even more, a nurse called them back to a small room and told Harry to sit on the bed before leaving.

Harry looked at the unnaturally tall bed with no sheets or blanket and wondered how in the world he was going to get up there with his injured hand. A quick look around showed no step stool, and he bit his lip anticipating the trouble he'd be in when the nurse came back with the doctor. He heard an irritated sigh behind him and turned to realize that Professor Snape was still in the room with him.

Before Harry knew what was happening, and before he'd even had a chance to flinch back at the sudden movement, Snape had caught him up under the arms and lifted him onto the bed. He was just giving an astonished Harry a look that clearly read, ‘not a word to anyone' when the door opened and a healer came in with a teal shirt and pants with a golden Snitch pattern.

"What seems to be the problem then?"

Harry held up his hand and the healer looked at it carefully before also examining the gash in his head.

"Take a tumble lad?"

"Down a ladder," Snape clarified from where he stood with his arms crossed behind the healer.

The healer raised a brow but at seeing who had spoken didn't say anything. Weird, Harry thought. Is the healer afraid of him too?

In just a few minutes the two gashes had been healed and the healer had rubbed a cream on Harry's other bruises on his arm. "Those should be gone by morning," the healer said with a smile. "Try not to climb any more ladders this summer kiddo."

"Yes sir," Harry said, and pushed himself down off the bed, glad that he no longer needed Professor Snape's help.

Ten minutes later, after watching a nurse fill out some paperwork, Professor Snape and Harry reappeared in Little Whinging in the back yard.

"I cannot allow you to stay here by yourself," Snape informed him in an irritated tone.

"I expect you to be back here in five minutes with all of your things."

"Where will I go sir?" Harry asked, astonished that his lie was going to make it possible to get away from the Dursleys for at least a little while.

"Assuming they are amenable, I will take you to the Weasley's home until such time as your relatives return from vacation."

Having to resist the urge to jump for joy, Harry ran into the house, jiggled the lock to the cupboard under the stairs until it clicked open like he knew it would, and then pulled out his trunk of school things. He was back outside in less than two minutes.

"And your familiar Mr. Potter?"

"My owl is already at the Burrow sir. I sent her a few days ago."

"I see. Grip my arm then."

Harry hesitated, but then did as he was told, and he and his things were gone.

* * *

Your dad told my mom and dad that his aunt and uncle were going to be on vacation for the rest of the summer, and he got to stay with us until he went back to Hogwarts. It ended up being a pretty decent summer thanks to Professor Snape, but we'd never say that back then, Ron finished, noting that Eli was asleep.

"Dad's uncle threw him around?" Sam whispered with some seriousness.

Ron gave him a serious look. "I don't know if you're supposed to know that or not. It's best not to say anything to Eli when he wakes up tomorrow if he doesn't remember that part of the story."

"You can trust me uncle Ron," Sam said, and Ron tussled his hair before turning the light out. "I know I can. Wouldn't have told you if I couldn't. Now go to sleep before your mum and dad have my hide for keeping you up so late."

"K. Night uncle Ron."

Ron made his way down the stairs and out to the shed in the back yard where Harry tinkered with something on the workbench.

"Nearly done with that thing yet?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

Harry looked up and grinned. "Not nearly. Going to be up half the night finishing it. Not every day my godson turns 20 now is it?"

"Not every day he moves in with a girl either?"

Harry raised a brow. "Yeah, didn't see that one coming this early. He only moved out last year into his own flat."

Ron shrugged. "You and Ginny got your own flat at twenty."

"We were married though."

Ron grinned. "You know Ted. Quite the lady's man you've raised there Mr. Potter. Besides, I think he mentioned something to Hermione about wedding bells sometime in the near future."

Harry stopped what he was doing and leaned on the workbench. "That rascal. Can't even tell his own godfather first?

Ron grinned. "Cheer up mate. Hermione's persistent, remember? Bet he said it to make her stop pestering him."

With a shake of his head Harry said, "Saw your silhouette up in the boy's room. They rope you into telling a story?"

"St. Mungo's, 2nd year."

"Hm... come help me with this dratted thing."

As Ron came over to help, Harry pondered on the incident himself. He supposed it was inevitable that his children find out about the Dursley's eventually, but he'd hoped to forestall their questions until later. It seemed they were going to hear them now however since Ginny had interested them in how Severus had adopted him when she'd told them that first story the other night.

Maybe he'd talk to them some tomorrow when Teddy came over. That boy always did enjoy hearing stories of his old school days. Yes, he had just the one to tell too.

"It doesn't fly mind you, I think Ginny would have a fit if it did." Harry watched as Teddy went to it and ran his hand over the blue finish. He'd been in Ravenclaw when he was in school, so Harry had painted it blue. He always thought Teddy would have done better in Gryffindor with all the trouble he'd been in though, or even Hufflepuff with all the friends he had throughout the four houses.

"It's perfect," he said. "I'll ride it to work every day." Harry knew he wasn't just saying it either, because he looked enamored. He was sure Teddy's girlfriend would be on the back of it by night's end.

"Got two helmets," Harry said, going to the work bench behind the motorcycle. "One for you and one for Hadley."

He took the larger blue helmet being offered to him. "I wouldn't mind you taking a ride, but Ginny said you'll have to take classes first and get your Muggle license. The boys might try to goad you into something too, so be mindful."

Teddy shook his head. "No I won't take them out, promise."

Harry grinned. To him Teddy was still that grinning little baby he used to bounce on his knee, or that too courageous little boy who got stuck on the second story roof because he'd secretly amped up the power to his kid broom with Ginny's wand when she wasn't looking. Even though he was 20 and had just moved into his own flat, Harry still saw the little boy in him.

He ran his hand over the motorcycle one more time (it was old but Teddy knew his uncles had worked hard on it to get it running and take the dents out), and then set the helmet on the work bench and turned back to Harry.

"C'mon. Boys are probably having a fit upstairs since you're still here and it's past their bed time."

"You know Sam probably doesn't keep a bedtime at school. I never did."

Harry gave him a look as they crossed the darkening yard. "I know, I got enough owls about you sneaking around in the night."

"I wasn't sneaking," Teddy corrected him. "I was planning."

Harry opened the back door and they entered the kitchen. "Planning, that's something Fred and George would say. Let's see... planning on bewitching Professor McGonagall's desk, so any time she touched it it meowed?"

"And her chair," he reminded him, going to the counter to pour himself some coffee.

"Uh huh. Planning on switching Grandpa Sev's shampoo so it turned his hair brown like yours?"

"That wasn't a prank," Teddy insisted then. "No one believed he was my grandpa and I was going to lose my broom in a bet to Alvin Knott."

Harry nodded. "Planning on being out late brewing potions you could bring home to stick Elias and Samuel in their beds?" He was grinning now.

"You were in plenty of trouble when you were in school," Teddy pointed out as he set his coffee on the counter. "I seem to remember grandpa telling me you held the record for most detentions in one year."

"You know what happened," Harry said, setting his own coffee down, and Teddy nodded. That had been in third year and Snape had given Harry 45 detentions for cursing him in the shrieking shack to protect Remus and Sirius. Those 45 detentions, one for each day left in school, sat on top of the 10 he'd received for ‘running away' at Christmas. It had taken almost another year for Severus to figure out that that one had been a lie.

"What happened at Christmas?" Teddy asked then, looking up. Harry had told him he'd gotten detentions for being caught at the castle when he wasn't supposed to be there, but he'd never told any of the boys why he was there. Only that he'd lied to Professor Snape.

"You really want to know?" Harry had a small smile but the rest of him had turned serious, including his tone. His godson didn't fail to notice.

"Well you know about all of my rule breaking and grandpa was always tight lipped about most of yours except that you were always in trouble."

Harry was quiet for a moment. He supposed Teddy was old enough to know now. Earlier that night he'd told Elias and Samuel the story of cursing Severus in the shrieking shack, but that was mundane compared to what had happened at Christmas.

"I've told you before that my aunt and uncle weren't nice and that Professor Snape adopted me. I didn't tell you the details though."

"I've heard bits," Teddy said seriously. Harry knew that like Eli and Sam he'd heard stories here and there of Harry's time in school.

"I think maybe that Christmas in my third year was when Severus started to look at me a little differently. I always thought that was why he was so hard on me when I cursed him in the shrieking shack, because he'd been trying to be nice and I'd gone and taken the other side."

"But Sirius and my dad were innocent."

"Yes, but he didn't know that then, or he didn't care. The man he is today isn't who he was then. Take Christmas for example..."

* * *

Harry was soaking wet and shaking. He supposed he'd been shaking for days as he crossed the countryside in secret, hopping the Hogwarts Express, and then on foot when the train suddenly stopped in a little village miles from Hogsmead. He shook from the cold, but also from exhaustion and maybe a little from fear. As he stood in the snow looking up at the castle through the darkness, he knew he wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be with the Dursleys, where he'd been sent home for the Christmas Holiday for ‘safe keeping' from the escaped convict Sirius black, who'd broken into castle. Harry had protested at the Headmaster's plan but hadn't told him he would rather face down the murderer of his parents than the Dursleys at Christmas time. Maybe he should have, he thought as he trudged up to the castle. If anyone found out he'd gone cross country alone with a murderer on the loose, he'd have detention for the rest of the year he was certain. Worse than that though, he'd have to explain why he'd gone cross country in the first place.

When he was finally outside the oak front doors, he wondered how to get in. They would probably be unlocked, but what if Filch or Snape were waiting on the other side? He knew it had to be late, maybe after midnight, but there was always a chance of running into somebody, wasn't there? There were still students inside and that meant teachers patrolling the corridors. Knowing he couldn't stay outside forever, especially in his tattered wet clothes and the snow coming down, Harry pushed the heavy oak door open just enough to peer inside. Warmth hit his face as he looked around the dim Entrance Hall, candle light flickering from high torches. It was empty so he slid in and closed the door.

Wary eyes darted from shadow to shadow to be certain he was alone, and then he sprinted to the stairs as best as he was able and up to the first floor. He would have loved to have gone up to his common room to change into something clean and dry, but there was no chance of that. He'd have to wait until breakfast tomorrow because Dean had stayed for the break and was likely up there sleeping. At least Harry had had the insight to leave his trunk there and had only taken his backpack with a single shirt and pair of pants to the Dursleys.

Legs aching from walking and being bruised, Harry cast his mind about for where he could stay the night. A classroom was out of the question, because Filch gave those a deep cleaning over the breaks, and he didn't know the password to get into any of the guest rooms that sat near each house. A familiar Ravenclaw banner caught his eye and he hurried to push it aside and climb into the narrow secret corridor that lead up stairs to the next floor. This would have to do, he thought glumly as he sat gingerly on the third step up. No one would bother him here and he could have a chance to dry off and rest, even if there was no place to lay down. He put his elbows on his knees and took his head in his hands. Some Christmas, he thought. No presents from his friends (he'd insisted they wait until they all returned from the break), and a whipping from Uncle Vernon for showing up at home. Well, not home, Harry corrected himself as he continued to shiver. Harry had only stayed one night before he'd taken off for London to see if he could catch the Hogwarts Express back to the castle. He clenched his eyes shut trying to remember exactly how many days it had been since he'd left Four Privet drive... four? Five? His mind was fuzzy and he wasn't sure.

He drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, plagued by dreams that told his mind he was still out stumbling in the darkness and snow, and just as he tripped over a log buried deep in a drift, he was startled awake by a loud shout.

"POTTER!"

Harry jumped so bad he found himself shaking again and accidentally knocked his elbow on the hard stone wall of the narrow stairwell. He looked around wildly, wondering where he was, and then his eyes found purchase on a seething Potion's Master, who was holding the blue tapestry aside and staring at him. Harry stared back.

"What is your sorry Gryffindor carcass doing here when it is supposed to be at its home?"

He tried to work out what had been said to him, but his mind was fuzzy. He hadn't eaten in a long time and he was still tired, wet, and achy all over. Harry watched instead as the Professor's eyes raked over him, taking in his black eye and dirty face.

"Out, now," the man ordered, and Harry got up and came down the two steps to the bottom and out into the light. It must have still been night because the castle was dark.

"The Headmaster is gone and so is Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall," Snape spat as he stared down at Harry. "That means I am in charge of both the school, your house, and the infirmary. You will come with me."

Harry's heart fluttered. There was no one there to save him now. Maybe if he made a dash for Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff and tried to find Sprout or Flitwick... no, Snape was waiting for him to lead off and he'd never be able to run with his foot hurting like it was.

It was a quiet, tense journey to the Hospital Wing and Harry continued to shake, all the hairs on his arms and neck standing straight up. His mind raced for any way out of this situation but he couldn't see one.

The door to the empty Hospital Wing slammed open with a force that made Harry startle again as he approached it, and the lights waved up as he and Snape went inside.

"Sit," Snape ordered, and Harry sat on the bed nearest the door, feeling odd to be there instead of his usual bed on the other side of the aisle and closer to the windows at the end of the ward. He watched as Snape went to a cupboard and pulled out a blanket, and could hardly believe it was for him. Suddenly the man waved his wand and Harry's filthy, soaking, torn clothes were gone except his underwear, and he was too shocked to do anything. Snape threw the blanket at him and Harry wrapped it around himself, but not before the man had seen the bruises on his torso and arms.

"Why are you here Potter?" Anyone else might have asked it with concern, he thought, but not Snape. It was a demand, and the man stood there towering over him with his arms crossed waiting for an answer.

"C-came back," Harry said. He couldn't help the stutter. His teeth were chattering.

"From Surrey?"

He nodded.

"By yourself?"

Another nod.

"And why pray tell would you pull such a dunderhead move? Ignoring the fact that it's the dead of winter and there's a murderer on the loose who is searching specifically for you."

Harry looked away, knowing his cheeks were turning red. There it was. He only had two choices... tell the truth or lie. A lie looked more appealing at the moment though. The man expected him to give a ridiculous answer, not an answer about being beaten and starved and shoved into a cupboard to spend the holiday. So a ridiculous answer was what Harry gave him.

"I ran way because I was pissed that I wasn't getting what I wanted for Christmas," he turned his face up to look right into the Potion Master's eyes.

"You what?" his voice was low and deadly.

"I wanted a faster broom and they said no, so I left." The look on Snape's face at that moment made Harry positive that he was going to reel back and smack him, but he didn't. In fact, he looked rather restrained and Harry could tell he was working hard to keep his temper in check.

"And the injuries?" Snape closed his eyes briefly while he asked. Maybe he couldn't stand to look at Harry at that moment.

"Got into a fight in London," Harry said, feeling less bold now than he had a moment ago. "On the way to the train."

"Fool," Snape spat, opening his eyes. "Be lucky hypothermia and a beating is all you got. You could have died. I've never met such an insolent child before. Asinine is what you are."

Harry watched him as he went back to the cupboard and pulled out two potions and a tin of something. He made Harry drink the potions and tossed the tin onto the bed. "Spoilt brats can put their own bruise balm on," he spat. "And they can also serve detention for every day for the rest of the break until the Headmaster returns. You'll be very lucky if he doesn't expel you for your foolishness." He waved his wand again and a pair of the normal striped blue and white hospital pajamas appeared folded on the bed next to Harry.

"Get dressed and go back to your common room. You are to stay there except for meals and detention, which will be served from lunch to dinner with me, every day, and from dinner to nine pm." Then he turned on his heel and swept out of the Hospital Wing, leaving Harry there to sort things out for himself.

While the potions had stopped the shaking and taken some of the ache out of his body, he was still careful as he put the bruise balm on gingerly and carefully got into the pajamas. Then he walked barefoot through the castle to Gryffindor and up to his warm bed.

* * *

"He made me serve every detention, despite that I was sick with a cold," Harry said. "Dumbledore came back on the last day of break and sent a letter to my aunt and uncle but I don't know if he ever heard back or not. I didn't get expelled but they did put a note in my record."

Teddy was silent for long moments before he looked up and asked, "I thought you said Grandpa Severus started looking at you differently... until the shrieking shack."

Harry got a thoughtful look and tilted his head slightly. "I don't know why, but he seemed a little nicer after that. He didn't give me any more detentions until the shack and he didn't give me the usual venomous comments either."

"Grandpa venomous?" Teddy laughed. He was stern yes, but he'd never seen him be downright mean like Harry was describing.

"People change," Harry reminded him then, and Teddy nodded.

"I better get home," he said then. "I have to be up early for work tomorrow and Hadley's probably wondering where I am."

"Bring her by next time," Harry said. "And then you can tell us about the wedding."

Teddy froze and then turned slowly to look at his Godfather. "We're not really getting married," he said, "I mean, not yet. We don't have plans or anything."

Harry held up his hand. "Relax, I know how Hermione is."

Teddy let out a sigh. "She cornered me and said she didn't think Hadley and I should live together unless we were planning on getting married."

Harry laughed. "Ok, you don't have to explain to me. Go home. Maybe you can bring her by for dinner next week."

"Eli and Sam will already be at school by then."

"That's ok. I think you'd rather bring Hadley when they aren't here to tease you about her."

Teddy grinned.

After he was gone, Harry went upstairs and peeked into his son's room. They were sleeping and he found Ginny reading a book in bed.

"Teddy go home then?"

"Yeah, he had to get up for work early."

As he lay in bed that night, Harry thought back to the time between Christmas and the shack in his third year. Occasionally he'd caught Severus looking at him at meal times or in classes, and the look had almost looked like pity, but he'd never understood why. Maybe it had been pity because he'd thought Harry so spoiled that he'd run away just because he hadn't gotten his gift of choice. There was no way for him to know that Harry never got gifts from his family for any reason. As he drifted off, he also remembered the horrified, betrayed look Severus had had as Harry's curse had struck him in the shack, and the coldness and nastiness with which he treated Harry after that night, continuing into the start of his fourth year. For the first time in years, Harry had a restless sleep.

The door opened and light spilled out into the hallway. "You'd better come in here young man," Severus said sternly, and Eli hung his head in shame, hands in his pockets as he moved past him and into the office. He sat down and Severus did the same on the other side of his desk.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Eli didn't look up and shook his head. "No? Then am I to decide for myself what happened and base your punishment off of that?"

Eli looked up. "No sir," he said. He'd never been scared of his grandfather before, but suddenly he was. He really was a very stern man if you had done something wrong, he thought, and after hearing stories of his dad's time in school, Eli knew he could really be a lot worse if he chose to.

Severus sat back and crossed his arms, waiting for his youngest grandchild to give his side of the story. Minerva had firecalled him only minutes before, telling him that his first year Slytherin grandson was on his way down to see him and that she was expecting him to receive at least one detention for pushing Alastair McGee down. Alastair was a third year and Severus wondered that with Eli's courage that he hadn't been placed in Gryffindor.

Eli, seeing his grandfather was content to wait him out, finally said, "He was making fun of me for being in Slytherin!"

"And this is surprising to you how?"

Eli grumbled and Severus raised a hand up to his ear to indicate that he couldn't hear grumbles.

"He said only dark witches and wizards come out of Slytherin and I was shaming my family by being there! He said Sam wouldn't do anything like this."

"And did you ask the hat to place you in Slythern?"

"No."

"Then you should have known better than to listen to him when you knew you had no choice in the matter. Furthermore, dark witches and wizards have come from all houses in the past, not just Slytherin."

"Voldemort came from Slytherin."

"So did I," Severus said sternly, and he fixed a hard look at his grandson. "And so do you." Eli looked at the ground again.

"There is nothing to be ashamed about being in Slytherin, and I know for a fact your mother and father would not approve of this type of violence."

"But my family's always in Gryffindor... dad, mum, aunt Hermione, uncle Ron, Fred and George..."

"Teddy was in Ravenclaw, I was in Slytherin, your cousins Fred and George junior are in Ravenclaw and Rose is in Hufflepuff. Your logic is flawed and it did not, and still does not give you the right to push someone down. I am especially surprised that you would push down an older and much larger student. It does not seem like a wise choice."

Exasperated, Eli said, "I had to do it grandpa! If I didn't stand up and show them I couldn't be pushed around now, then they were just going to keep pushing me around every day!"

Severus sighed and uncrossed his arms. He couldn't deny that this part of Eli's thought process was probably spot on and he knew the boy had probably gotten this from Harry, who was a firm believer in standing his ground when being picked on in school. The number of times he'd gotten into duels in the middle of the night with Draco Malfoy... he rubbed his temple.

"Dad always said not to start a fight, but if I was in a fight, I should be the one to end it." Eli's voice was firm, and Severus looked up.

"Did he in any way push you or touch you first?"

"No."

"You will need to learn the difference between types of fights. I will not contradict what your father has told you, but you can't bring violence into a fight that's not already violent. Do you understand? Furthermore there is more than one way to end a fight. You could walk away and deny them the right to see you get riled, you could use wit and prove that you are smarter, or you could get a teacher. In any case I would be remiss if I did not at least teach you this much: do not pick fights with older, larger, more experienced students when you are alone. You are lucky professor McGonagall was just around the corner because you could have ended up cursed or worse." He fixed Eli with a stern gaze and Eli looked down.

"I do not want you to be ashamed of being placed in Slytherin. Each house has its own merits and things to be proud of. The fact that you were placed in Slytherin tells me that you are bold and cunning by nature and I already know this to be true besides. You must figure out how to use these things to your advantage." He continued looking at Eli and realized the boy seemed too down for his own good. A thought struck him then and he asked, "What house did you ask to be put in?"

Eli looked up. He hadn't asked to be in any house specifically, but he had asked to be away from Sam. He was tired of hearing how good Sam was at flying and how good he was in Transfiguration. Eli figured if he was in Gryffindor he'd be expected to be just as good. He did like flying but he didn't like the thought of transfiguration at all, and if Sam was on Gryffindor team as Keeper Eli had figured it would be hard for him to get on the team and live up to his brother.

"Well?"

"I didn't. I just asked not to be with Sam."

"I see." There was silence for a few moments, and then Severus asked, "Did you know your father was almost put into Slytherin?"

"He was?" Eli's curiosity was definitely peaked.

"The Sorting Hat wanted to place him in Slytherin, but he did not wish to be put into the same house another student he didn't like was put in. The hat placed him in Gryffindor instead."

"But he was meant to be in Slytherin?"

"Perhaps."

"Huh." Eli looked thoughtful.

"It is likely you will not be the only one of your family to be in Slytherin in any case. You still have 6 younger cousins do you not? I believe four of them will be coming to school next year and one the year after that."

"Yeah," Eli said.

"Perhaps if you show them how well you have done in Slytherin, one of them may ask to be put there."

"Well what can I do to show them Slytherin's so great?"

"Stay out of trouble for one thing, and earn as many house points as you can so you can help your house mates win the cup. There is also Quidditch."

"First years aren't allowed to play."

"Your father played as a first year and since he left school two other first years have been given special permission to play. There happens to be two spots open on Slytherin team this year for Beater and Chaser and I know that your father has seen to it that you are proficient on a broom."

"You mean you'll let me try out?" His eyebrows rose into his unkempt hair and Severus was reminded forcefully of a younger Harry, though Eli didn't have glasses or a scar.

"I will on the condition that you stop moping about being put into Slytherin, and stay out of trouble."

Eli grinned. "I will." He stood up to leave, excited, but Severus cleared his throat.

"Eli," he said, and the first year turned around. "You will still have to serve detention tomorrow night with Professor McGonagall."

"Can't I serve it with you?"

Severus was surprised. "You would still wish to serve detention with me after the stories your parents have told you?"

He nodded. "They don't say much and you're not so bad for being a professor."

Severus almost snorted but refrained. "You will have to serve your detentions with another professor so it does not look like I am playing favorites. I do not let any of your siblings or cousins serve detention with me."

"Oh... ok." His smile had faded a little but it wasn't gone altogether. He hurried to the desk and gave Severus a quick hug. "Night grandpa!" And then he was gone, presumably back to Slytherin where Severus hoped he would stop moping long enough to try to make some friends.

When he was gone, Severus sat back to write a letter to Harry letting him know what had happened. He'd send it in the morning. He suspected that Sam had written home about what house Eli had been put into, but Eli hadn't, and maybe his letter could shed a little light into why for his adopted son. When he was done he sat back with his cup of coffee and gave himself to thought about Harry's adoption and how it had come about. He never would have believed that he would adopt Harry Potter, yet it had happened. Even when he'd done it, he hadn't been certain, but now with three grandsons and a host of other family surrounding him there at Hogwarts and on holidays, he was thankful he had, even if it had been trying then and sometimes continued to be trying now.

* * *

Harry held his arm as he walked up the long dark drive to the castle by himself. He'd purposefully hidden himself in a closet on the train so his friends wouldn't see him and Hermione wouldn't fuss over him. He was certain his right arm and maybe even his wrist was broken and he knew his ribs weren't in much better shape. At least it wasn't snowing, he tried to tell himself to cheer himself up. The last time he'd walked to the castle alone in the night, there had been a foot or more of snow and he'd been soaking wet and freezing after a long journey from Surrey. Now he only had the walk from the train station in Hogsmead since he'd intentionally missed the carriages. He was sure Hermione and probably even Ginny were having a fit by now, but what else could he do? His plan was to say he fell off a carriage so he could go to the Hospital Wing but he wasn't sure if that would hold up.

His feet felt heavy and he had to concentrate on forcing himself to pick them up high enough so he didn't trip on ruts in the dirt road. It had been a long time since he'd really had a good meal, and he silently cursed his luck that after the Quidditch World Cup he'd been made to go back to spend the rest of the summer with the Dursleys. It had been Dumbledore's idea after the death eaters had marched on the campground and the dark mark had been sent up. Harry wished he could have just gone into hiding with Sirius or stayed with the Weasleys, he was certain he'd be safe enough with them. But no, he'd had to go back and Uncle Vernon was none too pleased about it after Harry had told him he'd be gone for the rest of the summer.

Finally Harry had made the castle and as he looked up to the top of the front steps, he was displeased to find the great oak front doors already standing open and light spilling out, a tall figure silhouetted in the doorway with its arms crossed. Snape. He really wanted to grumble but knew the man would hear him. After cursing him in the shrieking shack at the end of the year before he was certain the man was out with a renewed sense of vengeance to make his life a living hell. Not that it wasn't bad already, but he was sure Snape was going to try to punish him more than ever this year. Maybe he'd set two detention records in a row.

"Making a fashionably late entrance Potter?" Snape sneered as Harry made the top of the steps. He let his arm drop slowly and bit his lip to keep the throbbing pain at bay. It still hurt if he cradled it but keeping it elevated felt a lot better than letting it hang there.

"Fell off a carriage," Harry said, but his voice had no real conviction in it and he knew he wasn't convincing.

"Or consorting with that mutt of a Godfather?" The man sneered. Harry's cheeks turned red. He wished he had just been out talking with Sirius. He hadn't heard from him all summer though and didn't know where he was or if he was coming back. He suspected the Headmaster knew and wished for once that he could be in the loop on things involving him.

"Fell off a carriage," Harry said.

A thin smile came to the Potion Master's lips then and Harry's stomach did a little sommersault. That wasn't good. He'd never seen the man smile before.

"Detention Potter. Dungeons." He pointed and Harry didn't even bother to give a longing look to the open doors leading to the Great Hall where he could hear laughter and chatter and smell wonderful food that his stomach longed for. Not that he would be able to keep anything down after not really eating for so long, but a roll or some broth would have been nice. Anything to give him some energy to do detention or even just get up to Gryffindor tower to go to bed.

Harry's legs felt like lead by the time he made the bottom of the Dungeon stairwell, and gravity had pulled him along down the stairs more than anything else. Snape swept past him, probably still smiling, Harry thought bitterly to himself, and to a broom cupboard where he pointed and Harry went in and with his good hand put a mop in a bucket and filled it with water and then picked it up to carry to the largest Dungeon classroom. Even though his bad arm never touched the mop or bucket, it still throbbed from Harry's exertion in carrying it.

"I want this entire floor spotless," he said. Harry looked at the large room and wondered how he was going to use a mop with only one hand, but his question was cut short as the mop disappeared and was replaced by a rag. "It wouldn't be detention if it wasn't easy Potter," Snape spat at the downtrodden look on the Gryffindor's face. "Get to work." He went to sit on the edge of the teacher's desk at the front and Harry slowly got to his knees. This was going to be bad. He needed his good arm to support himself, which meant he'd have to use his bad hand to hold the rag. There was no way he was going to get the floor clean. He'd be able to do little but drag the wet rag across the top of the floor and get it wet.

Trying to be quick Harry experimentally tried to close the fingers on his right hand around the rag. It hurt, but it was doable. Once he got it wet and the rag was heavy with water though, it was excruciating to lift it out of the bucket. He sat up on his knees and used his good hand to get the rag out onto the floor and then went back to supporting himself and tried to painfully close his right hand around the rag again.

"We're not here to play games," Snape called from the front of the room, but Harry wasn't listening. Dizziness was working on engulfing him and he blinked hard several times hoping it would go away. He leaned forward and tried to put some pressure on the rag and the pain overwhelmed him, sending his head spinning. It was long moments before the pain lessened enough to let him realize that his forehead was against the cold stone floor and he was cradling his arm underneath himself, hot tears coming out of his eyes. He was breathing heavy and trying to concentrate on just continuing to do that.

"What's wrong with you?" Came Snape's voice from above him. Harry didn't answer and from the little he could see of the room saw the Professor kneel beside him. "Let me see." The voice was irritated but Harry didn't care. He just wanted the pain to go away. He rolled onto his left side so his injured arm was free and Snape could see it. He felt him trying to take his arm and pull it away from his body, but Harry refused to let him and continued to cradle his arm.

"It's broken," he heard him say. Harry didn't answer. Breath, he thought, in and out, in and out. And then in a tone he couldn't decipher... maybe it was wariness, maybe mocking, he couldn't be sure, Snape asked, "What happened this time? Fall off a ladder? Get into a fight?"

"Fell- carriage," was all Harry could manage to say.

"I'm beginning to believe you less and less," Snape said and Harry did recognize his tone as tired and weary now.

"I will help you to the Hospital Wing." Harry allowed the Professor to help him to his feet, but once he was up, he knew he wouldn't stay that way. His legs buckled and Snape lowered him back to the floor.

"I'll never make it up there," Harry said, trying to grit his teeth.

"Are your legs injured as well?"

"No- dizzy. Hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?"

Harry bit his lip, angry that the hot tears were still spilling from his eyes unbidden. It was because of the pain, he told himself, anyone with a broken bone would cry, even if they were fourteen.

"Lunch," Harry lied. He supposed the last thing he had eaten had been at lunch time but it was days ago. He'd taken half of Dudley's sandwich from the waste bin. He knew his cousin had thrown it away just to have the satisfaction of watching Harry eat from the garbage can, but he had no choice. Food was food and he was starving.

"Dobby."

Harry looked up as Snape called for the house elf and he appeared, popping into existence. "Please bring us a sandwich and water."

"No," Harry said. He looked up and found Snape looking down his long nose at him. Now that he'd said no, he didn't know what to say. Dobby and Snape looked at him for long moments and then Harry said, "I couldn't- it won't stay down." Snape stared at him for what seemed like an eternity and Harry stared back. Finally he turned back to the elf.

"Warm broth and water Dobby," he said, and the elf nodded, looking worried and was gone with a loud pop.

"Are you telling me the Weasley's didn't feed you at all this summer?" Severus asked in a voice that said he was clearly not amused.

Harry hunched over his arm, feeling shaky and still dizzy and shook his head. "I wasn't with them."

"I was under the impression you were staying the summer with them."

"Dumbledore made me leave after the death eaters went to the World Cup."

Dobby appeared again with a bowl of broth and a tall glass of water and set them on the floor next to Harry.

"Fetch Madam Pomfrey," Severus said and the elf nodded and disappeared again. He watched as Harry took the bowl with his good hand, propping his broken arm against his raised knees, and drank it, trying to keep it from spilling with his shaky hand. The incident at the World Cup had been four weeks ago. If the boy hadn't eaten in four weeks... where had he been? He hadn't been traveling cross country by himself again had he? That would explain why he hadn't been up on the carriages and why his friends hadn't seen him on the train and had alerted the Headmaster...

Harry was nearly done with the broth when Madam Pomfrey opened the door to the classroom and hurried in with a bag. Severus recognized it as the medical bag she kept in the staff room behind the Great Hall in case of emergencies.

"What's happened?" she asked as she kneeled beside Harry, who had set the broth down and was cradling his arm to him again as though he didn't want anyone to touch it.

"Fell off a carriage," Harry said, and Severus sneered. The boy was clearly lying, and as he watched Poppy scan his arm with her wand and start pulling out potions, a thought that had brushed his mind earlier that evening seemed to solidify and really click into place. Every time he seemed to encounter the child after a holiday he was hurt. He'd claimed he'd fallen off the ladder, and he'd claimed he'd been in a fight in London. Now he claimed to have fallen from a carriage and he'd definitely not eaten if he couldn't hold down solid foods. He almost seemed... abused. Severus shook himself though as Poppy gave the Gryffindor a potion and helped him drink it. No, this was spoilt Potter who had run away from home because he hadn't gotten a broom for Christmas... well, technically he had from Black but still.

"Severus, help me get him into a chair so I can mend his arm." He walked the few paces to Potter and bent to lift him under his arm but as he and Poppy lifted Harry shouted out in pain and fresh tears sprung to his eyes.

"Stop," he begged. "Please." They had him in a chair before he could cry out again though and Severus was disturbed by how badly he was shaking.

"We didn't touch your arm dear," Poppy said trying to sooth him, and Harry shook his head. Instead he used his left hand to point to his ribs and then covered up his eyes with his hand to hide his tears and tried hard to stop himself from sobbing from the pain. His breath hitched several times and continued to do so as Poppy gave Severus a worried look and then scanned the boy's chest and stomach.

"His ribs are broken."

Before the night was out Severus had called Dobby back and instructed him to get Albus, who had come down at once to help them heal Harry enough to get him to the Hospital Wing. Harry continued to say he'd fallen from the last carriage as it had hit a bump and denied hiding on the train from his friends or coming to school via some other means than the train. Once he'd been healed and spelled full of the max amount of nutritive potions allowed, he'd gone quiet and refused to answer any more questions. The Headmaster had asked if his family had hurt him and Harry had done nothing but shake his head and say that he had had a pleasant summer reading Quidditch magazines and lounging around in the back yard with his cousin.

The Headmaster already knew of his trip to St. Mungos after his first year and Harry's attempt to run away back to the castle during Christmas Holiday last year, so Severus didn't remind him. In the privacy of the Headmasters office later that night, Albus said, "He insists he fell from the carriage. Perhaps he is a little clumsier in his growing body than he realized."

"You know he didn't fall from a carriage. A broken arm, perhaps, but not his ribs as well and malnutrition."

"I have no power to take him from his family if he does not ask, and the Wizengamot cannot remove him without his word that they have done something to him. It is possible that you are making too much of the situation."

"Foolish old man!" Severus spat and then turned away because he knew his outburst was foolish. Albus didn't chastise him for it though and merely fixed him with a tired gaze.

"I can do nothing," Albus said, and Severus swept out of the room, slamming the door.

‘You can,' he thought, ‘it's not that you can't do anything, it's that you won't.' And he was surprised then as Albus' voice from long ago popped into his mind, quoting to him something from a Muggle who had once said that evil only gains a foothold because people allow it to.

As horrible as it was that Harry had been injured before the school year had even started, Severus, along with the rest of the staff, were displeased to find that the child had somehow gotten his name into the Goblet of Fire and had been chosen as the second Hogwart's champion that year. The Headmaster had been irritated to say the least, and the rest of the staff surprised that it had been Severus who had stepped forward to suggest that perhaps, the boy hadn't been the one to put his name in the cup. With the things they planned on putting the contestants through that year, anyone would be foolish to put their name in if they were below seventh year, and he had the feeling Potter was tired of being injured.

Potter thought his friends were helping him throughout the year, and Severus had been content to let it stay that way, acting behind the scenes. He'd been the one to check out the book on summoning charms and leave it at the library desk in her name when he'd found out Potter would have to get around a dragon. He'd also been the one to suggest to Hagrid that maybe Harry should have a look at the dragons beforehand. And he'd purposefully left Gillyweed in a jar on his desk in the days leading up to the second task, and had turned the other way to give Granger time to take it and give it to Harry. And when he caught the brat out after hours sneaking back from the library, he'd refrained from giving him detention (twice) knowing he'd been studying to try to be ready for the third task.

And then the third task had come, and the boy had come back from the center of the maze, arm bleeding and holding Cedric Diggory's lifeless body. This was when Severus had come out of the shadows again.

Moody, or rather Crouch Jr. had taken Potter to the castle followed by himself and Albus busting down the door and forcing Veritaserum down the imposter's throat. He'd given a quick looking over of Potter to be certain he was ok, but mostly the boy seemed to be in shock as he watched the scene unfold and listened to how Crouch had put his name in the cup and then tried to take credit for helping Harry get through all the tasks to get him to Voldemort.

"Severus, take Harry and send for the Dementors. I think they'll find they're missing a prisoner."

Severus went to where Harry sat in the chair against the wall holding his bleeding arm and staring into space in a daze.

"Potter, up."

Harry didn't move so Severus put his hand under his arm and lifted until the boy stood. Hand still on his arm he lead him into the corridor and down through the dungeons and a throng of upset students who had just come into the castle. In the Entrance Hall they encountered Minerva and he told her to send for the Dementors and briefly what Albus had said and then continued to the dungeons with Harry.

"I think I need to go to the Hospital Wing Professor," Harry finally said as they neared his office. He raised a brow and let go of Harry's arm. Apparently the child had come out of his trance.

"It is not the best place for you right now."

"Why not?"

"They will be taking Mr. Diggory there."

"Oh."

He unlocked his office door and stepped aside to let Harry enter, where the boy promptly sat in a guest chair and proceeded to stare off into space again.

"I will mend your arm. Keep it still," Severus instructed as he brought over a bottle of alcohol and a sterile cloth from his cabinet. He sat in the other visitor's chair and cleaned Harry's arm. It was his right arm again, the one he'd broken at the start of the year.

"It's broken," Harry said and Severus scanned it with his wand.

"It is not."

"Yes it is, Uncle Vernon did it."

Severus looked up. "Potter, this is not the start of the year. There is less than a week left of school and you've just been through the last task in the Tri Wizard tournament." Harry didn't seem to be listening though as he held his arm and Severus used his wand to suture the wound together.

"He always does something. He did in my ribs the night I got back from the World Cup, and he threw me down the stairs the next week and did my arm in."

"You said you fell off a carriage," he tried to remind him. It was unsettling how the boy was prattling on about something he'd denied for so long. Severus wondered if he had really gotten his two injuries confused, but in the next minute Harry was talking again.

"And he got me at Christmas time last year too. It was the night I got back. He was angry I'd come back to ruin their Christmas. He wanted me to stay in my cupboard for the whole holiday again. I told him I didn't fit anymore and he got mad. So I came back to Hogwarts, only the train didn't come all the way here so I had to walk in the snow."

Severus poured more of the alcohol on another clean cloth and tried to clean the blood off of the now closed wound. He'd only have a small scar if he was lucky, but he'd have to put essence of murtlap on it right away or else the scar would be large and raised.

"I am aware that you lied to me," Severus said, trying not to be too harsh with the cloth because he hadn't had a chance to give the child any pain relief potion yet.

"And Dudley put leaves back in the gutter after I cleaned them, and when he went to look it was full of garbage, so he threw me into the ladder. I was lucky though because I got to spend the summer with the Weasleys and they fed me and everything."

Severus set the cloth down and Harry finally met his eyes. "Do you think Cedric will be so lucky?"

"What do you mean?" He wasn't certain if the child was still in a trance or not. He certainly seemed dazed.

"He's gone now. He doesn't have to see Voldemort come back. I bet it's peaceful wherever he is."

"Yes," Severus said.

"It won't be peaceful this summer," Harry said. "I always have to go back. Always."

"Do you want to go back?"

Harry locked eyes with him. "No. Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you consistently lied. You could have told me the truth any of the times I had found you injured and been removed from the situation, but you did not."

Harry finally looked away. "You would never have believed me. No one would believe a boy would sleep in the cupboard under the stairs."

No, I suppose not, Severus thought. He supposed if he'd come upon the boy during the summer in the back yard and he'd said, ‘They're mean to me they make me sleep in a cupboard and hurt me,' that he might not have believed him, and this disturbed him greatly too. A lot of things disturbed him lately.

"If you do not want to go back, you will not go back."

"Who will believe me?" His eyes were full of tears that hadn't yet fallen and Severus looked into his needy eyes.

"I will."

"I didn't expect you this early," Severus said, moving aside to let his son in. Harry closed the door after entering.

"Ginny wanted to come early to bring a few things for the boys. She wanted to catch them before breakfast. Sam already ruined two pairs of shoes and Eli wrote home and said he lost his coat in a transfiguration accident."

Severus nodded and led the way into the kitchen where he sat down at the table while Harry poured himself a cup of coffee. Harry took a long drink, refilled his cup, and then sat down opposite of Severus.

"Would you like me to spell it directly into your stomach?" Severus asked as he watched Harry take another long drink of the hot black liquid.

"This'll do," Harry said, sitting back in the hard dining chair and closing his eyes, looking like he'd rather go back to sleep. "Just needed a pick-me-up before the match."

Severus let his eyes roam to the dark circles under Harry's eyes. He knew Harry often worked late as an auror and was sure he wouldn't have chosen to rise so early to travel to Hogwarts for a Quidditch match that wasn't until nine that morning.

"You haven't been sleeping," Severus observed. It wasn't a question. The dark circles were the work of more than just one night's short slumber he decided.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at his father, and then said candidly, "Not very well. Not for a few weeks." He'd learned long ago not to make things up just for his father's benefit as he always seemed to figure out the truth on his own in the end, leaving Harry looking foolish for his falsehoods.

"The nightmares have returned?"

Harry shook his head and took another well-deserved drink of hot, black coffee. "No," he said. He ignored the Potion Master's raised brow, content not to talk about it further. Harry had always been plagued with nightmares since he was a child, but they'd only intensified after he'd gone to Hogwarts. With Cedric's death, Sirius falling through the veil, the war, and the loving treatment the Dursleys always bestowed upon his return back to Privet Drive, he'd been plagued with re-living the events frequently in his sleep.

"I can brew a batch of dreamless sleep," Severus suggested, unfolding that morning's copy of the Prophet.

"It's not the dreams," Harry repeated. He knew the man seated across from his was persistent however, and didn't feel like dancing around the subject for the rest of the morning when he was there to see Eli's first Quidditch Match as Slytherin's new star Chaser. "I've just had thoughts circling, that's all. It's hard to fall asleep sometimes."

"Hm," Severus said, eyes scanning down the front page of the paper.

"You're doing it again," Harry said, finishing his cup off.

"Doing what?"

"You know what, acting uninterested and being quiet so I'll get uncomfortable and try to fill the silence."

"I wouldn't do that," Severus said with a small smile, eyes never leaving the paper.

"Who do you think I learned it from?" Harry asked. "That's why I'm the chief interrogator at the Auror Division."

"Maybe you should pick Occlumency back up again," Severus said. It really was the best way to stop an overactive mind at night so one could sleep, as well as deal with issues that were plaguing the conscience.

"You know I'm rubbish at that."

"You never made that much of an effort," Severus corrected. There was a knock on his door again and he got up to answer it before Harry could contradict him.

Harry filled his cup of coffee again as Severus let Ginny in and offered to get her a cup of coffee or tea. Harry let their voices fade into the background. His father would never know just how hard Harry had tried to learn Occlumency to please him. Harry had known that after being adopted he'd been a disappointment to Severus and had done all he could to please him. Anything and everything between bringing his grades up to sitting through tortuous hours of occlumency lessons just to show him he was smart enough to figure it out.

Ginny came into the kitchen and began making herself a cup of tea, gave Harry a quick kiss, and then went into the living room to sit by the fire.

"How has Eli been doing in Slytherin?" Ginny asked Severus as Harry came into the living room and sat next to Ginny on one of the two couches.

"He's made a few friends. Aside from the one incident with Alastair McGee he hasn't gotten into any trouble."

"Well I'm glad for that," Ginny said.

Harry nodded. "We haven't gotten any letters about Sam yet so I expect one is overdue."

"As far as I know he's been staying out of trouble. Fred and George Jr however..."

Harry laughed and shook his head as he took another drink of his coffee. "Oh yeah, we heard about that."

"Mum was furious," Ginny said. "She said Fred and George are encouraging their sons to get into more trouble than they ever did. She said if they didn't punish them she would over Christmas break."

"It would help if their father's would stop sending them to school with items from their shop, especially banned ones."

"I heard the boys were selling things from the shop," Harry said.

"As they have always done," Severus said.

They chatted for another half an hour before Severus called the elves to bring down some breakfast. After breakfast, when Harry had finally had enough cups of caffeine that he felt awake enough to watch the match, they went upstairs and Ginny went to speak to Eli to tell him how proud she was of him and Harry found Sam in the Entrance Hall, about to head down to the Quidditch Pitch with the Gryffindor team for their first match of the season.

"Hey dad," Sam said. "Don't worry, I got it all figured out. I'm going to go easy on Eli today. He won't even know it. I'll just act like I'm having an off day when he's got the Quaffle and let him score a few."

"Do you think he got on the team by people going easy on him?" Harry asked.

"No, but what am I supposed to do? I don't want to make him look like a fool out there."

"I think you underestimate him sometimes," Harry said. "Just do your best, like I've always taught you to, and he'll do his best. It's not really Quidditch if you don't respect the other players enough to do your best."

"What do you mean? I have to go easy on him because he's my brother."

"I know you love him, but show that you respect him," Harry said. "He'll know you're not doing your best, and he'll think you think he's not a good enough player to beat you. There's no victory in that. If he has to work his hardest to beat you though, and score goals past you, and he makes a goal, he'll feel on top of the world." Harry wasn't sure Sam understood, so he decided to attack the issue from a different angle. "If you were taking a Potions test and grandpa just gave you an O because you were his grandson, how would that make you feel?"

"Well it'd be nice to pass with flying colors for once!" Sam said brightly, but then he thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "I guess I'd feel kind of stupid like he thought I couldn't do it on my own and had to do it for me."

"Right, and if you studied really hard and he didn't do you any favors and you got an O?"

"It'd feel like I did something worth doing," Sam said. "Ok ok, I won't let up on him."

Harry tousled Sam's hair and Sam grinned before he hurried out the front doors and down the steps after the rest of his team.

As Harry sat in the Pitch in the adult stands later that morning next to Ginny, his father, and Professor McGonagall, Harry's mind wandered back to his failed attempts at Occlumency. He had always tried his hardest at that, and even though he'd failed he hadn't felt bad about the failure. He'd tried to impart to both his sons and Teddy that if they did their best at anything they tried he'd be proud of them. Harry only wished he'd had that growing up. Even after Severus had realized the truth of Harry's home life, things had not always been easy and Severus had not always believed Harry was trying to do his best. It wasn't until after Umbridge had forced his hand that Severus finally started seeing some good in Harry. Harry was never quite sure if he was thankful for the awful things Umbridge had done or resentful. If she hadn't shown up at Hogwarts and started in on Harry right away, Severus probably never would have adopted him.

* * *

Harry had had a peaceful summer at Hogwarts, that is, if one discounted the recurring nightmares of the light leaving Cedric's eyes and Uncle Vernon and Dudley thrashing him just before his return for his fourth year. Other than that, things were peaceful, or they should have been, but to Harry they were melancholy.

After his admission to Snape, the man had gone to the Headmaster and both had agreed that it would be best for Harry to stay at Hogwarts over the summer. He was moved into a guest room in Snape's quarters since most of the other staff would be out of the castle for the summer holiday, and left to his own devices.

Harry ate by himself in the Great Hall at meal times, spent time by himself out on the grounds roaming around the lake and occasionally visiting Hagrid, and read by himself in his room. He saw Snape every day, but few words were exchanged as they passed each other in the living room or corridor outside Snape's quarters. When the man did say something it was usually to ask if Harry was keeping himself out of trouble, to remind him to be in his room by curfew, or to ask if his summer homework was complete. Snape's sour attitude was still there. Harry could feel it lingering just beneath the surface of his docile exterior. The snide comments had gone, but Snape was still essentially Snape. He wanted nothing to do with his temporary charge except see that he was staying out of trouble.

Harry was grateful that Snape had believed him and kept him from going back to the Dursleys, but he was aware he was living in the home of a man who hated him just about as much as his own family.

He tried to pass the time writing to Ron and Hermione, but he went weeks without a reply from either. It wasn't until the middle of July when Snape told him to be up at six am and meet him in the living room, that he found out why his friends had yet to respond to him. Snape had simply said they were flooing out for ‘Order business' and taken him through the floo to a dusty old house.

"Harry!"

Harry was surprised to find Ron and Hermione waiting for him in the living room when he stepped away from the grate. Snape swept past him and out of the room.

"Hey," Harry said quietly.

"Snape looks in a mood today," Ron said. "Big Order meeting. Course we're not allowed to go. Fred and George have been working on a way to listen in but they said their invention isn't quite ready yet."

"Why haven't you responded to my letters?" Harry asked. It looked as though Ron and Hermione had been living here, wherever ‘here' was. Hermione's cat was asleep on the back of an old sofa and she had a pile of books on an end table. Ron also had a small pile of Quidditch magazines on the floor next to an old armchair.

"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione said. "We really wanted to but haven't been allowed. This is Order Headquarters and we've been staying for safe keeping. Dumbledore told us under no circumstances were we to send letters to anyone or we could give away the location. He also said letters could be intercepted and read by the other side."

"It would have been nice if someone had sent word to me," Harry groused. "I thought you were mad at me or something." Harry wasn't a fool. He'd seen copies of the recent Prophet articles that had been coming out. He was disgusted about the lies they were spreading about him and Dumbledore and about how Cedric had died. When his friends hadn't replied to his mail he wondered if they had started to believe the lies Rita Skeeter had been printing.

"We're not mad at you Harry," Hermione assured him. "I've actually written a reply to every letter you've sent. They're up in my room. Ginny's been writing to you too. We were waiting until we saw you to give you the letters."

Harry looked at Ron but he held up his hands. "Don't look at me," he said. "You know what I think about writing. I knew Snape would have to bring you round eventually to one of the meetings."

They led Harry up to Ron's room while Hermione retrieved her letters, and the two spent almost an hour telling Harry about their summer thus far at Grimmauld Place. After learning that Sirius and Remus were there Harry hoped to see them, but they never made an appearance. It was nearing noon when Snape found Harry upstairs and told him they were going back to the castle.

"Can't he stay just a little while longer?" Ron asked. Snape only sneered in return and stated he didn't have time to come back for Harry later that evening, so they left, Harry going with two stacks of letters and a bag of Every Flavor Beans Ron had been saving for him.

"I don't have time to traipse back and forth across the country for you Potter," Snape said when they returned to their dungeon quarters.

"I didn't ask you to sir," Harry said.

"No, you talked your friends into doing it for you. If you are bored and have taken to scheming I can find work for you to keep you out of trouble."

Harry stared at him. He was bored. Even scrubbing floors would be better than wasting his summer sitting around in the dungeons. "Ok," he said resolutely.

"Ok?" Snape repeated.

Harry nodded.

"Just- find something to keep yourself occupied and out of the way," Snape said, shaking his head. Harry had a feeling the man wanted to snark about not having time to babysit Harry or find things for him to do, but he didn't. Instead he left Harry alone again, disappearing out into the castle, presumably to his office to work on whatever he needed to for the Order.

Harry didn't get another chance to visit Order Headquarters, and he didn't hear from his friends for the rest of the summer. Later, when Professors started turning up in the middle of August to begin preparing for classes, Harry wondered that he had ever despised being bored. He should have been content to lead such a peaceful life, because there was no possibility of that once Dolores Jane Umbridge turned up.

Harry had been minding his own business one day, sitting on the steps leading up to the first floor while he read a book, when someone cleared their throat behind him. "Hem hem."

Harry turned and found a squat woman dressed all in pink above him at the top of the stairs.

"Excuse me," she said, coming down the stairs. "What class do you teach?"

Harry frowned. This must be the new Defense Professor. He had a feeling she wasn't dumb though, and couldn't possibly have mistaken him for a teacher.

"I'm just a student," he said.

"Oh," she said, "I see. I was under the impression that students were not allowed on the grounds until September 1st, therefore I thought you must be a Professor."

Harry had only met this woman two minutes ago and already he felt uneasy around her. "I'm staying with Professor Snape maam. In the dungeons."

"I see. I didn't realize you had been removed from the care of your family Mr. Potter."

There it was. He knew she wasn't stupid. She knew exactly who he was. Even if they'd never met before, she couldn't miss his ugly scar or glasses. And the Prophet had been printing pictures of him all summer, calling him a liar and a disturbed youth who only wanted to frighten and terrorize the community.

"Not removed exactly," Harry said.

"Then why are you staying at the castle?"

"For my safety," Harry said.

"Oh dear, whatever would you need to be kept safe from?"

Harry really didn't want to say his relatives, but knew it wouldn't be wise to say Voldemort either. When Harry didn't answer, she smiled, but it wasn't a true smile. It never reached her eyes.

"Since you seem to have nothing to do at the moment Mr. Potter, perhaps you would be amenable to helping me move boxes into my office. I'm afraid since I don't know you, I just can't trust to leave you to your own devices within the school when there are so few staff around."

Harry didn't protest and followed her up the stairs to the Defense office, where twenty or more boxes were piled in the corridor outside.

He moved boxes where she directed, and then before he could escape, she asked him to begin unpacking them. He was surprised an hour and a half later when she gave him several biscuits from a pink tin with kittens on the outside.

"I believe in reward for hard work Mr. Potter," she said. Harry accepted the biscuits, told her thank you, and left, wanting to escape back to the Dungeons. He didn't eat the biscuits, and left them on Snape's kitchen counter instead. He skipped dinner that night, and breakfast the next morning, not wanting to run into Umbridge again. He couldn't pinpoint why exactly she made him uncomfortable, but she did. She seemed too polite, and played stupid even though she clearly knew a lot of things. Her smile was fake too. Everything about her seemed to be fake.

"Will you be skipping lunch today too Potter?" Snape asked as he walked past Harry sitting on one of the couches in the living room with a library book.

"I didn't skip, I ate here." Snape kept a few things in the pantry and fridge. Mostly coffee, tea, and things for quick meals like oatmeal or soup.

"I see," he said.

Harry didn't want to say something about trying to keep away from Umbridge because he didn't want Snape to yell at him for being rude to staff.

"I believe she's out of the castle today," Snape said.

"Who sir?" Harry asked, trying to feign naivety like Umbridge had done. Apparently she could do a better job of it than he could.

"You're a terrible liar," he sneered. "No one would fault you for trying to stay away from Dolores Umbridge. She's a dangerous woman."

"Sir?"

He passed Harry and went into the kitchen. He came back out a few minutes later with a cup of coffee.

"Stay on her good side Potter. If I have to warn you again I will be very displeased." He left the quarters and Harry frowned at the warning. Why would Harry need to stay on her good side? Why was she dangerous? Why would Snape even care to get mad at him if he didn't stay on her good side?

Harry would soon find out the answers to these questions. Over the remaining two weeks til the start of the term, Umbridge had found and cornered Harry almost every time he ventured out of the Dungeons, and had him up into her office or the Defense classroom to do one thing or another for her. Moving furniture, organizing books, writing out new classroom rules for Defense, and copying out lesson plans that she dictated to him. Harry didn't like what he'd seen in her office at all. From what he could tell, they wouldn't be practicing Defense that year. He'd already read through the entire new Defense book they'd been assigned, and there was nothing useful in it at all. It was like she didn't want them to learn anything or to be able to defend themselves. She almost seemed disappointed when Harry didn't say anything about it to her, but Snape's warning to be careful rang through his mind every time he thought about it. If Snape was wary of this woman, and she made Harry feel uncomfortable and on edge, there had to be a reason.

Two days before the rest of the students were going to arrive, Umbridge found Harry reading in the Great Hall after lunch. She was with a man Harry didn't recognize. He was tall and lean, he had dark, well trimmed hair, wore a suit, and had a black briefcase.

"There you are Harry," she said. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. She never used his first name. She also seemed far too happy about something.

"Professor?" Harry greeted uncertainly.

"This is Jacob Jones of the WCW."

"WCW?" Harry asked.

"Wizarding Child Welfare office. We have some paperwork for you to sign."

"What paperwork?" Harry asked.

"Professor Umbridge would like to adopt you," Mr. Jones said with a smile, as if it were a treat he was delivering to Harry. Harry choked even though he hadn't been eating anything.

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"Oh don't be such a silly boy Harry," she said with a fake smile, pretending as if they were old friends. "He's been spending so much time with me lately Mr. Jones," she said, "he comes to my office regularly for biscuits and to help me with lesson plans and organizing my office. I feel comfortable saying he would be well matched to become my son."

"Er," Harry started shaking his head. He felt trapped.

"It's my understanding that you are no longer in the care of your Muggle guardians," Mr. Jones said.

"I'm Professor Snape's ward," Harry said.

Mr. Jones raised his eyebrows.

"His very temporary ward," Umbridge hurried to tell him. "While Professor Snape makes a good head of house for Slytherin, and a fine Potion's Master, I'm afraid he doesn't seem to make a very good guardian." She shook her head and looked as though it grieved her. "I've witnessed Harry skipping countless meals and he often seems down."

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't skip meals," he said. "Sometimes I eat in the quarters with Professor Snape. He makes great food," Harry lied. He didn't know what else to do.

Mr. Jones pulled a few papers out of his briefcase and began making notes. "Is Professor Snape planning on adopting you then?" he asked.

Harry bit his lip. If he lied Umbridge would call him on it. She'd march down to the Dungeons to get Snape right then and Snape would laugh in his face and abandon him to be adopted by Professor Umbridge.

"Er-"

"Harry."

Harry's head snapped up to the door leading out of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was standing there and he felt a wave of gratefulness wash over him to have an adult he trusted there.

"Yes Professor?" he asked, unable to keep the eagerness and anxiety of his situation out of his voice.

"Professor Snape is looking for you."

"Ok, thank you Professor," he said, practically leaping out of his seat and bounding out of the Great Hall. Once he was in the Entrance Hall, Professor McGonagall touched his wrist and gave a small shake of her head. Aware that Umbridge and Mr. Jones were still within earshot, she said loudly to Harry, "I believe he's in the Headmaster's office."

Harry nodded once and then took the stairs two at a time to get up to the next floor. He made his way to the Headmaster's office and found Snape waiting outside for him.

"Not a word," he said as he said the password and the statue leapt aside to grant them entrance.

At the top of the stairs the door opened, admitting Harry and Snape, and Dumbledore ushered them inside. Harry took note that he threw a privacy ward at the door before speaking.

"What did Professor Umbridge want to speak to you about Harry?" the Headmaster asked without preamble. Harry looked between him and Snape. Both seemed wary and serious.

"She wanted to adopt me!" Harry said loudly, anxiety finally getting the better of him.

The two men exchanged glances.

"To adopt you?"

Harry nodded, eyes wide.

"You do not want Dolores Umbridge to adopt you," Dumbledore said.

"No sir," Harry said, shaking his head. "She makes me uncomfortable."

"What were her reasons for wanting to adopt you?"

"She said I come to her office to spend time with her and to have biscuits and help her... she made it sound like I wanted to do those things. I don't sir. She always corners me when I leave the Dungeons and makes me help her. And she told that guy that Professor Snape was a bad guardian because I was skipping meals. I just lied and told her he makes great meals and we eat in his quarters."

Snape scoffed and looked like he wanted to say something about the comment, but didn't at a serious look from Dumbledore.

"This is very serious Harry," the Headmaster said. "Dolores Umbridge is a dangerous woman. If she were to gain custody of you there is no telling what would happen. As it is she is planning to take over the school in short order."

"But she can't," Harry said, shocked.

"She can do whatever the Minister allows her to," he said. "I know you've seen the papers and what they're saying. The Minister isn't pleased. He's denying all rumors of Voldemort surfacing. If she gains custody of you they will do whatever they have to in order to silence you. I would not put it past either of them to remove you from school and send you to St. Mungo's to the psychiatric ward."

Harry felt all the blood drain from his face and was sure he'd gone as pale as a sheet. He felt a chair hit the back of his legs and realized that Snape had moved the chair up to him so he'd be forced to sit down.

"What am I gonna do?" Harry asked, voice hollow.

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged glances again.

"If you were to be adopted by someone else first she would be unable to gain custody of you."

"What about Ron's parents?" Harry asked, hoping the Headmaster wasn't suggesting what he thought he was.

"We gained word this morning that she put in a petition to gain custody of you. If the Weasleys or anyone else puts in a petition it will come second to hers. She appears to already be making a case for you wanting to be adopted by her and her having a relationship with you. Our only hope is to prove that even though there was no prior petition, that you would be better suited being adopted by someone who has already had guardianship over you for some time and already has a relationship with you."

Harry was quiet and didn't say anything, and after a long silence, Snape cleared his throat. He sounded uncomfortable. "Me Potter."

"I know," Harry said.

"We can make the case that you have already been staying with him for the summer, and that even before that he was the one you chose to confide in about your home life, and that you had a prior established relationship because he'd taken you to St. Mungos when you were younger for injuries sustained at your families home."

"That's all true," Harry said, "but..."

"But what Potter?" Snape snapped.

Harry clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. He wasn't going to say it. There was no need to. Snape hated him. He despised him. They didn't have a choice though so it didn't matter. Harry tried to tell himself that the summer hadn't been all bad before Umbridge had shown up, but couldn't convince himself that being Snape's ward would be a good thing. He was hard to get along with, and Harry was just being shuffled to one more guardian who didn't want him and wanted nothing to do with him.

"It's settled then," Dumbledore said. "I'll contact the Ministry. Harry, I want you and Severus to work on a story. It needs to appear as though this is what the two of you want. You need to come up with examples of times where you've bonded. If we can't make a good case as to why you should go to him Harry, then there's a very real possibility that Dolores will win her petition."

"I'm 16, don't I get a say in where I go?"

"Unfortunately not," Dumbledore said. "Wizarding majority isn't until 17 and the court has never taken anything of the like into consideration before."

"Yes sir."

Snape and Harry spent an hour coming up with fake things to say and rehearsing their story in the Dungeons after they left the Headmaster's office, and that evening Mr. Jones knocked on Snape's door.

"Professor Snape," he said, "I understand that you do wish to adopt Mr. Potter?"

"I do," he said, and Harry was surprised to see the man smile. He didn't think it was possible aside from when he was very angry and plotting to punish Harry.

Snape made tea and he and Harry spent what seemed like hours telling Mr. Jones their carefully crafted story about how they played chess together every evening, about how they went to the lake to skip stones together, and about how Harry only felt comfortable confiding in Snape about his home life with the Muggles. Harry even brought out a poster Ron had once given him and told Mr. Jones about the birthday party Snape had thrown for him last month. In the end Mr. Jones seemed satisfied and had taken pages of notes.

"I think this is all in order," he told Harry and Snape. "I don't see why you can't adopt Mr. Potter by this time tomorrow. I'll floo back in the morning with the paperwork."

He left, and as soon as he'd gone, Snape left the room and left Harry alone again. Harry went to his room and lay on his back in the dark, staring at the ceiling. It was a wonderful story and he only wished it were true. Aside from the one time at the end of the previous school year, he'd never told Snape anything. It would have been nice to go to the lake to skip stones, or to play board games, or if anyone at all had thrown him a birthday party, but none of it was true. Harry had received no gifts, or gotten so much as a ‘happy birthday' when he'd turned 16. And Snape didn't want him.

By the end of the next day the papers were signed. Harry had been officially adopted. There was no celebration and Snape spent the entire day ignoring Harry after Mr. Jones had taken the paperwork and left.

The day after that, Harry's friends arrived back on the Hogwarts Express, and Umbridge began her reign of terror on the school. She was angry that Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore had thwarted her plans, and made Harry pay a few days into the term with a blood quill detention. She was angry later in the term to find out Harry had started an illegal dueling club and forced Dumbledore to flee the school. She was angry at Snape for being complicit in all of it and cut his pay in half. She was angry at every staff and student at Hogwarts, but never more so than she was at Harry.

Snape was livid when he found out about Harry's mangled hand part way through November.

"I warned you to steer clear of her Potter!" he snapped while applying essence of Murtlap to Harry's hand in his quarters late one night after a long blood quill detention.

"I tried."

"Obviously not," he spat. "This has clearly been going on for weeks."

Harry kept his mouth shut and Snape narrowed his eyes at him. "Months?"

When Harry didn't answer, Snape cursed. "You are my ward Potter. That makes me responsible for you and your body. I expect you to notify me of any injuries that need tending to immediately after they happen."

"You didn't tell me that," Harry said, upset, "how was I supposed to know?"

"That is the nature of a parent child relationship."

"But you're not my parent, are you?" Harry asked, his long held feelings finally bubbling up to the surface. He could only take being tortured, talked down to, and snarked at for so long. "You just did it to keep me out of St. Mungos."

"For which you should be thankful," Snape said, scrubbing the murtlap roughly into Harry's newly healed wound.

"Ungrateful."

"Excuse me?" Snape spat, letting go of Harry's hand roughly.

Harry stared at the coffee table, expression void of emotion. It startled Severus to see him that way. He'd been melancholy throughout the summer and into the term, but he hadn't seen him emotionless like this since the last night of the Tri-Wizard tournament.

"Potter?"

"I'm ungrateful," Harry said, finally coming back to himself. His cheeks turned slightly pink. "That's what my family always said."

Snape sighed. Sometimes it was easy to forget the child had suffered at the hands of his relatives. He'd been finding it hard to look past his previous prejudices against the boy since having his suspicions confirmed at the start of the summer.

"I'm sorry sir," Harry said. "I don't mean to be ungrateful."

When Harry went to his room that night, not wanting to risk getting caught out after curfew trying to get back to Gryffindor tower, Severus sat by himself in the living room, staring at the bloody rag and the nearly empty bowl of murtlap. He didn't know why he had expected Harry to just come to him for help now that he was his legal guardian. Clearly the boy wasn't used to seeking out help from adults for any issue, especially not injuries. Not when most of his injuries had been caused by the adults he was supposed to trust the most. Instead of going to the Hospital Wing, or the Headmaster, or his Head of house, or his new guardian, Harry had simply endured, like he always had. He didn't complain, he didn't act spoiled and demand people cater to him when he was injured. He just did his best to keep pushing on and get through the year. Not pampered, not spoiled, Severus reminded himself. Just Harry. Maybe he should repeat that to himself more often, he thought, and stop being intentionally blind.