"No. I assumed he was in the Hospital Wing after what went on this morning." She shook her head and looked as though she was ready to tear up. "Poor boy. I knew those Muggles were trouble when Albus left him there with them. I should have insisted that Albus place him somewhere else."

"He is not in the Hospital Wing or Gryffindor tower."

"Have you asked his friends?"

"I was not certain they were even still in the castle."

"Molly and Arthur won't be arriving until Friday to take their children and Ms. Granger. They should be around here somewhere."

"They are not also taking Potter?"

"Albus thinks he should stay at the castle for the time being."

"Foolish," Severus muttered under his breath.

"What was that Severus?" she asked, looking back down at her list.

"Nothing." After what the boy had been through, he should be with his friends, not left to his own devices.

"Have you tried Hufflepuff?"

He looked up at her. "Why would the boy be in Hufflepuff?"

"It was just a thought Severus. A lot of students have been down in Hufflepuff today. Those that are left are really coming together to support the Hufflepuffs. I've even seen some Slytherins down there today."

Severus frowned and then left her to her list and the group of parents in the Entrance Hall and headed for Hufflepuff corridor. He was surprised that once inside he wasn't able to step inside more than a few feet. There were students lining the corridor on both sides, sitting on the stone floor. Some were reading, others were talking quietly, some were hugging each other, and some just staring at the floor. They looked up and some pulled their feet back to make room for the Potions Master to walk down the corridor. He didn't see Potter, but all of the Weasley children were there scattered amongst the other students. He was surprised to see Ginny Weasley and Hermione sitting next to Pansy Parkinson all writing something on one piece of parchment.

"Sorry Professor," Pansy said, pulling her feet back as he neared.

"Might I enquire what you are doing miss Parkinson?"

She and the other girls looked up at him. "Writing down all the good things about Cedric to give to his dad," Pansy said. "We're all adding things to the list."

He looked at the roll of parchment again and realized it was long and filled to the brim with writing. "Everyone here knew Cedric," Hermione said quietly. "He was nice."

Severus turned to let his eyes scan back down the hall. Draco was sitting on the floor halfway back next to Teddy Nott. Both looked solemn.

"Give me the parchment," Severus said quietly, turning back to the girls.

They looked up and he noted that Granger and Weasley looked worried. Pansy handed it to him uncertainly and he held his hand down for the quill she was using. When she handed it to him he held the parchment against the smooth stone wall and began to write in an empty space. He didn't much care for Hufflepuffs, but he had never minded Cedric, who always sat quietly during class lectures and who always showed up to class on time. He was respectful and Severus appreciated that. When he was finished he handed the parchment and quill back to Pansy and then continued past them to the Hufflepuff entrance. He said the password and it opened to reveal the whole of Hufflepuff house sitting silently in the common room. His eyes scanned the room and found Amos Diggory in the center with his head in his hands, and on the other side of the room was Harry sitting by himself on the floor in a corner with his eyes down. He looked as though he was trying very hard to blend into the stone wall.

A few eyes looked up and followed Severus as he made his way across the room to Harry.

"Potter," he said quietly.

Harry looked up and Severus restrained himself from swearing. The entire right side of the boy's face was one large bruise, and his right eye was fairly swollen.

"I believe you have someplace else to be."

"I invited him," Amos said then from the center of the room, not looking up or moving at all.

Severus sighed. He didn't want to start trouble in the middle of their vigil.

"He can return after he has been seen in the Hospital Wing," Severus said quietly. Amos did look up at that and over to Harry's face. So did a lot of the Hufflepuff students.

"You'd better go Harry," he said. "I didn't realize you hadn't been seen to yet."

Harry looked uncertain, like he didn't want to leave, but stood up quietly and then followed Severus out. He kept his eyes glued to the floor as they made their way through the corridor full of students on the other side of the common room entrance. Severus wondered if Harry just didn't want his peers to see his bruises, but Harry continued to look at the floor as they made their way up through the castle.

"Why did you not go to the Hospital Wing as I instructed?" Severus asked. His face could have been mostly healed by now if he'd gone that morning instead of waiting until dinner. Now his face would be bruised for days because he'd waited.

Harry shrugged.

"I expect verbal answers," Severus said, trying not to let his irritation creep into his voice. He was aware Potter was on emotionally fragile ground with the return of Voldemort, Cedric's death, and his relatives and what they'd done on top of it all. All of the students were fragile but Harry most of all. He didn't want to deal with tears or distraught emotions. Minerva or Poppy were better equipped and willing to handle emotional issues.

"Doesn't matter," Harry answered.

"Healing your injuries does not matter?" Some of the irritation did make it's way out, but the teen didn't seem to notice.

"Heal the bruises, they'll give me more. Fix one broken bone, they'll break another one." Harry finally looked up at the Potions Master, who seemed surprised. "Healing me will make you feel better, but in the end it doesn't help me."

"I have already told you that other arrangements are being made for your living situation."

Harry just stared at him blankly.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Dumbledore will never let me live somewhere else. He never does." He said it as though it was the only thing he believed in life, that he was stuck with his relatives and there was no one who could save him. He turned as if he were going to head towards Gryffindor and Severus frowned.

"Potter, where are you going?"

"To pack."

Severus called after him to stop, even shouting at him that he was about to be in trouble for not listening, but Harry didn't stop or look back or do anything at all to indicate that he'd heard him. Severus followed after a moment, long legs striding quickly to catch up with the boy and get in front of him. Path blocked, Harry stopped.

"Please move sir. I have to pack so I'm ready when the Headmaster comes."

"The Headmaster is not coming for you. You are staying in the castle."

Harry made to move around him, but Snape stepped in his way, and then did so again as Harry tried the other side.

"You have to move!" Harry said, panic rising as his voice rose. "He's gonna be mad if I'm not ready to go!"

"Potter-" Severus started, but the boy surprised him by reaching out forcefully with both hands and pushing into his professor's chest. It hurt, and it knocked him back a little, but he reached forward and forcefully grabbed the boy's wrists as he was coming in to strike him again. Harry struggled, and Severus struggled to hold his arms still while he was careful not to touch the boy's face or shoulders where his uncle had damaged him earlier. "Potter- calm down!"

"Harry!" It was the Headmaster's surprised voice that stopped the child from struggling.

"I- he wouldn't let me go pack. I'm trying to get ready to go, I promise!" Severus didn't miss the way the boy shook as he let go of his wrists.

The Headmaster approached cautiously and said quietly, "You're not going anywhere dear boy."

"But my relatives-"

"It is my hope that your uncle will spend some time in jail given what has occurred. In any case, you will not be returning to them. I must apologize to you Harry. With the tournament coming to a close, and your name having been put into the cup, I feared the worst, and wanted to bring your aunt here so the blood wards could protect you at school during the final task."

"You- he said you paid them."

"It was the only way to get your uncle to agree to come."

Harry began to breathe rapidly, and Severus reached out instinctively and grabbed his wrists, which startled him, though he didn't fight back.

Dumbledore looked up at Severus and said, "Take him to the Hospital Wing Severus."

"And then?" Madam Pomfrey could knock the boy out with a sleeping potion and keep him dosed with a calming draught, but somehow he didn't think that was going to help. He also didn't think she'd want to keep Harry in the Hospital Wing after his injuries healed.

"Take him home Severus."

Severus sent Albus an icy glare, but dared not argue about where the boy would be going for the summer in front of him. He wouldn't survive it he was certain. Letting go of Harry's wrists, he guided him towards the Hospital Wing, leaving Albus watching sadly from the empty corridor.

* * *

Aside from leaving the boy with Poppy in the Hospital Wing for the night after he was given Dreamless Sleep, Severus didn't leave Potter alone until it was time to leave. Harry stayed in the guest room in his quarters, or otherwise was instructed to go in the castle where Severus went. The fourth year asked to return to Gryffindor tower to say goodbye to his friends, but Severus asked an elf to bring his friends to the Great Hall to say goodbye instead. Harry spent breakfast with them Friday, the entire group somber until the Weasleys came to pick their children and Hermione up. Molly hugged Harry tightly for almost two minutes when she arrived, knowing the boy needed it. Severus noted from the empty head table that the boy's eyes were red when she let him go, but he seemed calmer than he had been in days.

When his friends were gone, Severus collected the Gryffindor, the last in the castle, and took him back to the Dungeons, where they'd spent the last two days. All of his things had been brought down by the elves, and he'd been sitting quietly, not even acknowledging that Severus was there aside to ask after his friends.

The one time Severus had to leave him alone, he took Potter to the Slytherin common room, where Draco, Pansy, and the Head Girl were still waiting for their parents to come for them, the last of the Slytherins yet to leave. He waited for Potter to protest, or to ask why he was leaving him alone, but the boy remained silent.

"Potter is to stay here for an hour or so," he informed the Slytherins.

"Yes sir," the Head Girl replied, and then he left. When he came back almost two hours later, all was calm, and the four students were as he had left them.

Two days after the Weasleys and Granger had left, the other remaining students had all been picked up, leaving only Harry and the staff. "We will be leaving this evening Potter."

"Yes sir."

"You need to go to the library and check out several weeks worth of reading material."

"When are we going to the library?"

"You may go now."

"You're letting me go by myself?"

"You appear to have calmed down somewhat."

"Yes sir," Harry said quietly. He left Snape's quarters and made his way slowly up through the castle towards the library. It was strange to be in the school when it was empty like this when there would normally be a month left of classes still before the summer holiday. Mrs. Weasley had said she would have left her children there for the rest of the school year, but with so few students ready to stay, they'd decided to close the school early. Instead the Professors had assigned homework and essays to be done at home for the remainder of the term. Students would have to owl their essays in by June 15th, but Harry had already done most of his assignments in the hours he'd spent in the guest room of Snape's quarters, and had turned them in already.

Harry took his time walking up and down the rows of books in the library, glad to be free of Snape's presence for a while. He'd been distraught, and a little confused in those first few days after the tournament and the incident with his uncle, but Snape had acted like Harry would do himself harm if he left him alone. It surprised him that he was allowed to be by himself now. He wasn't going to waste a minute of this time alone by hurrying back with books.

Harry spent twenty minutes browsing Quidditch books before he picked one, and another forty browsing novels before he found a few he thought he'd like to try. More time must have passed than he'd thought, because Snape came looking for him and found him browsing books in the advanced Charms section. It wasn't a subject he was particularly interested in, but he quickly pulled a book off the shelf when Snape strode over to him.

"You were to return when you had reading material."

Harry held up the five books he had so far. "I was still looking."

Snape looked him up and down, and when he was satisfied that Harry was whole and unharmed, he said, "Check the books out. It is time to leave."

Harry took the books to Madam Pince, who wrote down which titles he was taking, and then followed Snape back to the Dungeons.

"Bring all of your belongings and the books. We will not be returning for more than a month."

"Yes sir." Harry was already packed, so he only had to put his new library books into his trunk and bring the trunk to Snape's living room along with Hedwig and her cage.

Snape came out of his own room a minute later with a black trunk of his own. Harry wondered what was inside.

"My fireplace has been connected to the floo in my house temporarily. It will be open for exactly three minutes starting at five twenty seven. You will go first. Be certain you and your trunk are out of the way as soon as you step through."

Harry nodded. Snape looked at his watch, waited thirty seconds, and then threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. "Snape residence, London." The flames flared green, and Harry stepped in with his trunk and Hedwig's cage, and then he was gone in a flash of green.

Harry wasn't certain why he'd expected Snape's house to be like his quarters at Hogwarts. As soon as he came out the other end of the floo, he pulled his belongings out of the way and looked around the dark room briefly. Were they in a flat?

The fireplace came to life again a moment later and Snape stepped out with his trunk. He looked at his watch, counted for a few seconds, and then nodded as the green flames disappeared. He waved up the lights with his wand and Harry squinted for a moment at the bright flat they were in.

"This is my home Potter. Respect it and my belongings, and we will have nothing to argue over."

"Yes sir," Harry said.

It was a large open space with a full wall of windows in the kitchen that went from floor to ceiling. There was no balcony that Harry could see. The kitchen and living room were all one large open space, and there were black metal stairs leading up to a second story landing, which was open to the lower story.

"The bathroom is there, the door behind the couch." Snape said. "The two bedrooms are upstairs. The room you will be staying in is the closest to the stairs. Take your belongings up. You may use magic to levitate your trunk."

"I thought we weren't allowed outside of school?" Harry asked, as he began to levitate his trunk towards the stairs.

"Special dispensation has been given by the ministry for the remainder of the school term so students can practice what they are learning with parental supervision."

"Yes sir." Snape had yet to ask him to show him anything from his other classes. He'd made a brief comment about Harry doing his schoolwork a couple days ago, but when Harry had said it was all completed and turned in, that had been the end of it.

Harry took his belongings upstairs and at the first door, found a guest bedroom with two single beds and a wardrobe. There was a window over one of the beds, and Harry looked out over the top of London's buildings. The flat was modern, and the furniture simple and clean. The walls of the flat were brick, though a lot of the fixtures and furniture were black and white. It seemed to fit Snape's personality well - no nonsense. Harry was happy there was no floral wallpaper like aunt Petunia seemed to enjoy.

Harry picked the bed away from the window, and pulled his books out. He stacked them up and set them on the floor next to the bed, and put some of his clothes into the wardrobe. He let Hedwig out and let her out the window, and then put her cage at the foot of the second bed.

Not sure if Snape had other things for Harry to do, he went back onto the landing and downstairs.

"There aren't any house elves here Potter," Snape said. "We will have to cook for ourselves, and you will need to keep the guest room tidy and do your own laundry. There's a machine in the bathroom."

"Yes sir."

"I will get groceries tomorrow. Until then there should be soup in the cupboard."

Harry didn't feel very hungry, and hadn't since before the last task of the tournament, but he moved on automatic to start making dinner, since it's what the Dursley's would have expected of him. He found two cans of tomato soup and a pot and spoon and began heating the soup on the stove.

Snape came back downstairs a few minutes later just as Harry was pouring the hot soup into two bowls.

"You know how to cook?" he asked, giving the soup a wary look.

"I do most of the cooking at home."

"I see."

Harry thought Snape would ask more about life with the Dursleys, but was glad when he didn't, and instead sat down to eat. They ate in silence, and after the dishes were done, Harry went back to his room and started one of the novels. He read until he was too tired to keep his eyes open any longer, glad he had something to do and think about other than Voldemort, Cedric, and his uncle.

* * *

Severus thought taking the boy would be a burden, but so far it hadn't been. The child was quiet, spent most of his time reading or staring out the window, and had so far been respectful. He'd done his own laundry, cooked for himself, and kept the guest room tidy.

It perturbed Severus to some extent that the boy was so quiet. He said a word here or there as was necessary, but other than that, there was nothing. Severus knew the child was having nightmares because he heard him shout out at night occasionally, but he didn't speak about them, and Severus didn't ask.

About a week after they'd gone to the flat in London, the Daily Prophet began printing things about Harry and Albus. Severus considered hiding the paper from the boy at first, but in the end decided against it. He would be doing the boy an injustice if he let him find out about what the Prophet had been printing from people once he returned to school.

Harry seemed to take it in good stride at first, until the Prophet printed a story saying that Harry was lying about Voldemort's return, and was only doing so for attention because he was, ‘a troubled youth who was abused as a child.' The Prophet cited this as a reason not to trust him.

After reading this edition of the Prophet, Harry set the paper down and went quietly to his room, the same blank stare on his face he'd had those first few days after Cedric had died.

Later when Severus went to check on him, he couldn't find the boy anywhere in the apartment. A point me spell led him out of the flat, down two blocks, and down into the underground to a transitline station. The Gryffindor was sitting on a bench watching people board the train.

"Going somewhere?" Snape asked. Harry looked up at him blankly, and then back at the train as it pulled away."

"No."

"You were not given permission to leave."

"I didn't know I couldn't," Harry lied. He'd had a feeling he wouldn't be allowed, but had gone anyway. He'd finished all his books from the library and had nothing left to keep his mind from everything that was going on around him.

"Come back to the flat."

Harry stood up and found Snape giving him an uncertain look. He followed him back to the flat however and when they were inside, Harry said, "Sorry. My relatives never stop me from going out in summer. They like me to leave the house after my chores are done and not come back til' after dinner."

"While Voldemort may be lying low, his followers are not. The safest place for you at the moment is inside. Do not leave."

"Yes sir."

Severus thought that had settled it. As loath as he was to admit it (especially given how many detentions he'd given the Gryffindor in the previous years), the child usually did as he was told. But two days later, after returning home with groceries, Severus couldn't find the boy again and found him at the same underground station watching the trains.

"Potter, did I not tell you to stay at the flat? You're not to go out on your own."

"Sorry sir." Harry followed him back to the flat without complaint and helped put the remaining groceries away.

Three more times over the next two weeks, Severus found Harry at the transit station. It had almost become a game, to try to keep Potter from going out and catch him when he tried, but with underage magic still allowed outside of school for another week, Potter was able to disable his barriers, alarm spells and tracking charms placed on the doors and windows of the flat.

He was always easy to find though.

"What is it about the trains Potter? Why here? Why do you insist on sneaking out just to come to the underground?" Especially if he isn't going to go anywhere, Severus thought.

Harry was quiet for long moments as another train pulled out of the station, before he said, "Because they're fast, and I think maybe someday they can take me away from here... take me to someplace else."

"Because my flat is that bad?" Severus asked warily.

"Because the Hogwarts express did that once." He got up and led the way out of the underground and back towards the flat, Snape following, disillusioned as he always was when in public with Harry so they wouldn't be seen together.

Severus thought on the boy's answer for hours afterwards, and finally came to the conclusion that the Hogwarts Express had taken him away from the Dursleys and their abuse. What was he trying to escape from now? Perhaps reality. Severus looked up towards the empty second floor landing, and for the first time in his remembrance, felt like he understood something about Potter. It was something they had in common. For his entire childhood and most of his adult life all Severus had wanted to do was escape reality.