Apparently, going to sleep had been the right decision, because when Severus Snape woke up early the next morning, his mind had arrived at a conclusion as to what to do next. And when he entered the Great Hall (which was much more quiet than usual, he noticed) for breakfast, seeing the headmaster twinkling at him as if nothing had happened, he felt a grim determination taking possession of him. It didn't matter what the old coot was thinking, it didn't matter if he had to leave Hogwarts in order to carry out his plans, he would make sure that Harry wouldn't fall victim to neither the headmaster nor the Dark Lord - or what was left of him.

And it wasn't as if Dumbledore could blackmail him. He wasn't exactly poor, and if the man decided to sack him, he could always earn a living by brewing potions. Yes, it might be due to Albus' testimony that the wizengamot had, after the war, acquitted him on all accounts, but while Severus would always feel grateful for having escaped Azkaban, it wasn't as if the old coot could just revoke the statement he had made ten years ago. And even if he did (which was unlikely, since it would cast a dubious light on Albus himself), there was simply no way to reopen his case, as the verdict was legally valid and even the sometimes rather medieval legal system of wizarding Britain made it impossible for someone to be charged twice for the same crime.

So, no, Severus wasn't worried about Albus. Of course, the man would try to interfere with anything the Potion Master would do that didn't suit his plans, but after so many years of serving first one mad-man and than another one, Severus was well able to deal with all the manipulation that was sure to come.

Fortunately, he had only two classes today, both of them in the morning, so he could spend the entire afternoon - and even the night, if necessary - in Surrey, interrogating Harry's family and the doctors that had treated him. Because this seemed to be the most sensible thing to do first, before he planned how to get the boy out of St Mungo's. Petunia and the other people responsible for Harry during his stay in the Muggle-world knew more about the boy than anyone in the wizarding world, they had, after all, looked after him (and apparently managed to keep him alive and out of jail) for almost ten years! So surely they would be able to provide Severus with plenty of information about how to handle Harry, how to care for him and whatever else he needed to take into account. Of course, they didn't know that it was magic of the darkest kind rather than some sort of mental illness that had led to Harry acting the way he did, but when it came to dealing with him in every day life, it didn't matter, did it?

During breakfast, Albus tried to make polite conversation, but the Potion Master barely listened to the ramblings, too preoccupied with going through a mental list of people he could contact in order to get more information regarding Horcruxes. It wasn't as if he just could walk into a random book-store in Knockturn Alley and asking whether they sold any books about how to split one's soul. And while Lucius probably had the biggest collection of books about any form of dark magic imaginable, Severus would only ask him for help if nothing else worked, as Lucius wasn't exactly that kind of person you trusted with something important.

In the end, he decided that there was only one person that was both enjoying Severus trust and likely to have a certain degree of knowledge about that kind of magic he was looking for.

So before he went back to the dungeons, he made a detour to the owlery and send a short note to the witch in question, asking for a meeting as soon as possible. It wouldn't do to include further information in the letter, and he knew that Audrey wouldn't expect him to write her in advance why he wanted to meet her anyway. The old woman was perhaps the most paranoid person Severus had ever met, it just suited him. And he knew that she would never blackmail him (or Harry) with anything she might learn when he spoke to her. She just wasn't the type of person that took advantage of other people's private affairs.

When Severus apparated into a small, dark alley near Privet Drive, he wondered whether he should have asked Petunia for a meeting beforehand. After all, it wasn't exactly polite to just ring at someone's door and demand information, especially if the person in question had hated you with passion throughout your youth. Not that the Potion Master cared about whether he was polite or not, but it was he who needed the woman to cooperate, and offending Petunia didn't seem a good way to start such a delicate conversation.

But then he shrugged - it wasn't as if the woman would welcome an owl either, at least if she hadn't changed completely - and went towards the end of the alley. He had caught McGonagall in the morning and she had provided Severus with Harry's records that both contained the address of the Dursley's and particularities about the hospital Harry had been treated at, but he still needed at least ten minutes until he had found the right street, and a few more to finding the right number. How managed the Muggles not to constantly getting lost with everything looking the same?
Finally, however, the Potion Master rang at the door of Number 4, Privet Drive and it was only a few seconds before a thin, horse-faced woman opened the door.

"How can I -" Petunia stopped mid-sentence, blinking at the man that stood on her threshold. There was something about him... but nobody she (or Vernon) knew would dress like this, all black, like... a Satanist! But Dudley couldn't... could he? Her poor Duddybums?! But no, wait... perhaps... "Who are you?" She demanded, perfectly aware that she was rather rude, but it didn't matter, did it?Because this man surely wasn't a normal person...

"Petunia. You don't remember? Severus Snape, I think you might-" But he was interrupted by a muffled screech.

"Youuuuu!" Petunia almost sagged with relief, at least her Duddy wasn't in danger. "What do you want, Snape?"

"I'm here because of your nephew, Petunia, as you can imagine. But perhaps it would be more appropriate to discuss this indoors?" Severus asked, half-expecting to have to force his way inside the house. But to his great surprise, the woman stepped back and motioned him in.

"So finally one of you are coming, now that's too late anyway?! Well, come in, then, I don't need the neighbours seeing you! My husband and son aren't at home but I suppose it doesn't matter anyway, does it?"

Severus shook his head. "No, I wanted to talk to you. I'm sure you are aware of your nephew's... difficulties?"

"Aware? Aware of his difficulties? Who do you think had to put up with the boy for the last ten years?! What were you thinking when you left him on our doorstep, with no means to contact anybody of your lot?!"

"I don't know what exactly happened that night, but I think Albus Dumbledore - he's the headmaster and was responsible for Harry's placement with you-"

"I know who he is!" Petunia interrupted, blushing only so slightly, "and he seems not to have changed at all since the time Lily was- ... destroying a family like this, it's just so typical of your wizard-lot!"

"I'm not sure I know what you are referring to, but I gather that you weren't overly happy with finding the boy in front of your door?" Severus sneered. Petunia hadn't changed at all.

"Of course not! Well, at first he wasn't too horrible, I guess... a nuisance, yes, but not too bothersome. But then he got insane and we had to answer all kind of questions, even the police was here after the boy almost killed himself! Can you imagine what the neighbours were thinking?! They kept talking for month! And then we had to talk to a shrink, as if there was something wrong with our family! Oh, and just last week, when we thought that finally we were safe from all that people from the madhouse, they called us again because apparently, your paper doesn't work! They even threatened to inform the authorities if we wouldn't hand in a proper one during the following weeks, so you will provide me with some sort of form because I won't have you make us out to be some disgusting child abusers!"

"What are you speaking of, Petunia?"

"I personally told the giant that we needed some sort of records to prove the boy's doctor that we haven't just abandoned him! They sent some, saying that the papers would show exactly what the person reading them would needed to know, but they didn't work - well, they did, but the copies didn't!"

"You have gotten the documents for the muggle-borns, then? Well, I can assure you they work, there have been no complaints from any other family!"

"Maybe because they didn't make copies?"

"What do you mean - wait..." Severus paused. He had read about those devices that enabled muggles to make copies of whole books even without magic - but he had never heard of them trying to copy magical documents. "You are trying to say that someone made copies of the paper McGonagall send you?"

"Of course they made copies! Haven't you lot made any progress at all since Lily went to school?!"

"Yes, but... well, I don't think anybody has ever thought about someone actually trying to duplicate magical documents with muggle-means... Well, but I don't think it'll be a problem, if only..." Severus fell silent when a horrifying thought struck him. It surely wasn't difficult to deal with one or two cases of muggle-authorities who had tried (and naturally failed) to made copies of the documents Hogwarts send to any muggle-born, but what if this had been going on for years, or even decades? He had no clue when it had become a custom for muggles to make copies of any single paper they got their hands on, but what if there were thousands of empty papers in the archives of them (as the standard Hogwarts-paper was by no means the only one that wizards used to deal with muggle-authorities)? And what if someone noticed?! Or had they already noticed this... inconsistency a long time ago and had started to investigate and perhaps even found out...? Muggles weren't stupid, no matter what some purebloods might think, Severus had first-hand experience of what they were capable of...

He forced the uneasiness back. He hadn't come to Surrey to deal with muggle-wizard-relations but to find out more about Harry. There were other people that could deal with the mess they had created by not keeping in touch with the muggle-world during the last 30 years. The Potion Master almost smirked when he thought about the havoc it would wreak on the ministry as soon as he informed them what he had discovered.

"Well, I'll make sure that someone will remedy the situation."

"See that you do, I won't have you lot causing even more trouble than you already have!" Petunia snapped.

"Well, then perhaps we could focus on Harry? I need to know what happened to him, everything!"

"Why? What has he done this time?"

"He was brought to the wizarding hospital 24 hours ago because he and a fellow student sustained serious injuries when Harry got hold on a knife. Currently, it is unclear what will happen to him." Severus told the woman facing him and was surprised when he saw her looking worried, although she tried her best to keep her face expressionless.

"He will... I mean, will he... survive?"

"Yes. His injuries weren't life-threatening, but as he attacked another student, the headmaster decided it wouldn't be safe to keep him at Hogwarts."

"So he can't stay in the school? But we won't take him back, no, not with him already attacking other people, it's much too dangerous! He will have to go to an institution, then, as Dr Green already suggested..."

"I don't think it would be wise to send him to any institution led by muggles, Petunia. The boy isn't mentally ill, as it appears..."

"So it's something freakish?! And you lot never bothered to inform us about this little fact?! Can you imagine what we had to put up with, what the boy did to us?!" Petunia all but yelled.

Well, Severus could actually understand her. The situation had been less then ideal, and when he thought about what Harry had had to endure while staying with his family... to say nothing of the possibility that, if Harry had been treated right away, the whole mess could have been avoided... well, he couldn't change the past. "Harry seems to suffer from an... injury, for lack of a better term, he sustained in the attack that led to the death of his parents. Of Lily." Severus swallowed. For ten years now, he had tried his best to come to terms with what had happened, but he still felt as if he couldn't breath each time he thought about Lily. "For whatever reasons, the headmaster didn't deem it necessary to have a healer taking a look at Harry before he placed the boy with you, nor did he provide you with any means to contact St Mungo's - the wizarding hospital - should the need arise so I'm afraid-"

"The entire time we had to put up with people snooping around in our private affairs because of something your lot has done to the boy?!" Petunia was outraged.

"Yes. It's unfortunate, but as I said, I don't know why Dumbledore acted the way he did. However, when Harry arrived at Hogwarts, it became apparent that he had certain... difficulties, and I was able to determine that residual effects from the attack are responsible for his problems. Unfortunately, before I could do anything about it, this... incident occurred, and I couldn't prevent the boy from being send to St Mungo's."

For once, Severus was grateful that Petunia refused to have a proper talk about anything magical, as he hadn't known how to explain what had - apparently - happened to Harry. How did you tell someone who despised magic anyway that, for ten year, a part of one of the vilest wizards that had every existed had been present in her home, however unwittingly?
But even so she didn't know what exactly was wrong with her nephew, Petunia seemed to be shaken by what had happened to Harry, and she didn't put up much of fight when Severus (again) demanded an account of what had happened during those almost ten years Harry had lived with her.

And after the Potion Master had listened to her talking about the first incident the Dursleys had witnessed (he thought it unlikely that it had been the first one at all), the time Harry almost killed himself, the weeks he had refused to eat (well, being prevented from eating, Severus mentally corrected the woman) and about several other occasions the Horcrux had made its presence known, after hearing all of this, the Potion Master couldn't help but to feel pity for the woman in front of him.

Later, of course, Severus wasn't so sure any more that Petunia had indeed told him everything, especially about her and her husbands treatment of Harry. He couldn't quite believe that Petunia - or at least the Petunia he had known during their childhood - had been desperate when Harry had refused to eat, that she hadn't been able to sleep out of worry for her nephew.
More likely, she had been embarrassed at what the neighbours might think of her and her family, and, as she had practically admitted herself, that the doctors might question the picture of the loving and caring family she had tried to draw.
But well, Harry wouldn't return anyway - at least not if Severus had any say in the matter, and he was rather determined to have one - so it didn't really matter any more, did it? Yes, if he had known sooner, the Potion Master would have investigated much more thoroughly, he hadn't risked exposing Harry to a neglectful environment, but neither would he have uprooted the boy from his home if his family had actually cared about him.

But with the knowledge he had gained during the last few days sending Harry back was out of question - if the Horcrux could do so much damage even when magical powerful adults were present, he didn't dare to think about what could have happened if such an incident had occurred while Harry still being with his relatives.

"He won't come back, will he?" Petunia asked after several minutes of silence.

"No, I'm afraid this isn't possible. Or at least not until I have found means to, eh, heal Harry from this condition." If he would find something that would banish the Horcrux, and if he would get hands on Harry before Albus could proceed with his plan, Severus added (silently, though, since he didn't think Petunia would welcome such an information).

"I won't have him back here at all!" The woman snapped, "he has done enough damage to my family, your lot are responsible for him being even more freakish than Lily, so you will deal with him! If I tell Vernon what the boy has done this time... well, he won't allow him to come back either, even if he does take his medication!"

This last comment made Severus almost wince. The medicine! He had completely forgotten about the medicine! "I guess it's important that he takes these drugs, then?" He inquired.

"Of course it is! He's impossible to handle if he didn't take the meds, and if it hadn't been for those additional pills we could make him take when he was completely uncontrollable, the boy couldn't have stayed here at all!"

Severus felt guilty. Then it was his fault that Harry had hurt both himself and Ronald Weasley, it was his fault that the child was in St Mungo's. If he only had known sooner, if he only had spoken to Petunia right away... but he couldn't change it now, and it wouldn't help anybody - least of all Harry - if he dwelt on missed chances.
And then... he doubted that muggles had indeed invented a substance that could control Horcruxes - beings they didn't even know about, that shouldn't even exist inside a living soul! So it wasn't even sure whether continuing giving Harry the real pills would have made a difference. Severus knew that this wasn't really an excuse for his and Poppy's carelessness, though...
Well, he would have to talk to the psychiatrist anyway, perhaps he would find out more about what those substances where supposed to do, and how they might have affected Harry. It would be important to have as much information about those drugs and its effects as possible, perhaps they might even help him when it came do dealing with Harry in every day life, and he would have to take them into account when searching for means to get rid of the Horcrux, too. After all, they might have altered Harry's mind, the way it worked, and perhaps they had even done something to the Horcrux, even if it had only been accidentally.

"Well, I need to speak with his doctor anyway, I'll make sure to ask him about those pills too. Our medi-witch... and, ehm, I, weren't sure whether to give the boy muggle-drugs..."

"You are talking to Dr Green?" Petunia asked, suspiciously.

"Yes, of course." Severus frowned.

"And what are you going to tell him? I won't have you associate my family with your lot! Besides, he won't believe you anyway, he might just think you're as psychotic as Harry is!" Petunia sneered.

"Well..." Severus hadn't given much thought to that matter. Originally, he hadn't considered it necessary to tell the doctor something about magic or anything that belonged to their world at all, but if he really wanted to understand what had happened to Harry during all those years, if he really wanted to know whether the muggles had found something helpful that wizards didn't know about, it might be better to be more... open about everything. After all, the doctor was some kind of specialist for people like Harry - well, for people like Harry in the muggle-world - so he might know things neither Severus nor Poppy (or any healer from St Mungo's) had taken into account. And if Harry might benefit from him... well, stretching the Statue of Secrecy a little bit, he would do so. He could always obliviate the doctor, couldn't he?

"You don't need to worry, I'll make sure he won't bother you. But this brings me to another thing I need to discuss with you. If you're willing... you're the official guardians of Harry. However, since I'm responsible for the boy just now, and for his- well, his treatment, it would be rather helpful if you'd sign over guardianship to me. I mean-" he hastily added when Petunia opened his mouth, presumably to protest (it was rather unusual for a teacher to take over guardianship, Severus had to admit), "only for the next few month. I won't take the boy from you permanently, I only want to make sure that he'll receive the best possible treatment, and it would be much easier if I had official guardianship over him."

"But the letter - there was a letter with the boy, it said that we wouldn't be safe if we didn't take him in!" Petunia protested. While the offer was rather tempting, she wouldn't put her family at risk only to get rid of the boy!

"You mean the blood-wards? They only provide protection against the Dark Lord and his followers, and since a part of him has been present -" Severus stopped. No, he wouldn't tell Petunia this particular detail. But honestly, it wasn't possible for wards to function properly if part of the danger they had been set against had been under their protection, too, and for so long, even! Severus wasn't an expert when it came to wards, but he was sure of this. Had Albus ever thought about this? Would he have endangered Harry under the pretence of blood-wards only to have him stay with his family? But why? It didn't make sense! But perhaps... well, perhaps the headmaster had only learned about the Horcrux when he had talked to the Sorting Hat, just as he had claimed...
Severus almost growled in frustration. Why couldn't the old coot be open, why couldn't he just tell him everything, rather than only divulging one bit of information every now and then?

"Well, what are you trying to tell me?" Petunia interrupted Severus' thoughts.

"The wards - they cannot possibly provide protection against the threads they were set for. I don't know why Albus told you... well, but rest assured, you'll be much safer if Harry doesn't stay here."

Half an hour later, the Potion Master and new guardian of Harry James Potter left Number 4 Privet Drive, rather satisfied at what he had accomplished. After he had explained about the wards and hinted that the very wizard that had killed Lily had hurt Harry far more severely than everyone had believed, and that due to this 'injury' the wards were all but useless, it hadn't taken much convincing to get Petunia to sign over guardianship for Harry. She had not even asked whether she would be able to see the boy again, and Severus could only assume how living with the Dursleys must have been for Harry.

Severus briefly wondered whether he should return to Hogwarts, as he had already accomplished more than he had dared to hope. He hadn't imagined it being this easy to convince Petunia to give up on her nephew. Well, he surely wouldn't complain. Of course, it was... odd, he Severus Snape, arch-enemy of the boy's father, being his new guardian, but he hoped he would get used to the idea. It wasn't as if he had to love the boy only because he was responsible for him. He was only doing this because it was the only way to make sure that someone - he - at least tried to safe Harry from the fate Albus had planned for him. He didn't know whether he would succeed, he didn't know whether it was possible to eject the Horcrux out of the boy's head without condemning him to a fate perhaps even worse than death. But he would try. Yes, he would try, and if he would fail, than he would make sure that Harry didn't suffer longer than necessary.

Severus shivered when he thought about what lay ahead of him, that, in the end, he might be the one who would cast the fatal curse at the child - but he would do what would be the best for Harry, the boy deserved at least one person who was prepared to fight for him, and not for some dubious greater good.

And with that thought, the Potion Master turned into the narrow alleyway again, cast a last glance towards the house Harry had lived in for ten years, and then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Harry slowly became aware of his surroundings. There were several different voices, but he couldn't place any of them. He was lying, again, but the blanket didn't felt like the one he had in his dorm but more like the one he had had when staying in hospital. But it didn't smell like hospital at all.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to discover that, apparently, one of his eyes was covered with some sort of bandage. He didn't know what to make of it.
Well, at least they hadn't covered both of his eyes again, like this one time when he had been brought to hospital years ago, and he was able to make out a large, white room. Several forms - also in white - were hurrying from one end to the other and back again it. Some areas seemed to divided from the main room by curtains or something similar, but without his glasses, Harry was unable to tell where exactly he was.

Nobody seemed to pay him any attention, though, and he was relieved that he might actually be able to figure out where he was or what had happened before he needed to answer difficult questions. Because this was how it normally went when he woke up without knowing what had happened, there were always people that tried to ask him all kind of stupid questions.

Hogwarts. He had been in Hogwarts, yes, and there had been Professor Snape who had promised to help him fighting against the demon. And Ron had become his first real friend. One by one, the events of the previous week came back to Harry. The last thing he remembered, though, was sitting down to have lunch in the Great Hall. Then, everything was blank.

Most likely, the demon had tried to get him again, the boy thought. He wasn't stupid, after all, and after (almost) all his life being targeted by that thing, Harry recognized the signs.

But he wasn't in the hospital-wing either. It wasn't white, and it wasn't nearly as large as this room seemed to be! But then where was he? Had they brought him away? Was he still with wizards or had they sent him back to a normal hospital, realizing that Harry was too freakish even for them?

Harry tried to shift in order to see whether there was anything he recognized on the other side of the room, and it was then that he became aware of two different things. First of all, he was lying in a bed. Well, he shouldn't be surprised, they always put him in a bed when the demon had hurt him, but nevertheless it upset him. He hated lying in a bed! The more pressing matter, though, was that it was really difficult to move. It didn't feel as if he was tied down, it rather felt as if his whole body had become incredibly heavy, and only with great effort he managed to turn his head.

Had the demon hurt him this badly?

Harry felt his breath quickening. He mustn't panic now! If he panicked, they only would make him lying in bed even longer! He needed to stay calm, he needed to show them that he wouldn't do anything if they allowed him to get up!

Just then, one of the white figures approached his bed, having seen that Harry had moved. "Ah, hello Mr Potter, I see you're awake. I need to cast a few diagnostic-spells at you, all right?" A female voice asked cheerfully.

"No..." Harry whispered, his voice barely audible. He didn't want someone casting a spell on him, spells hurt!

"I'm afraid I must do so, Mr Potter, I'm sorry, it'll be over in no time!"

As soon as the voice had died down, Harry became aware of tingle all over his body. It didn't hurt, though, it just felt... odd. A few seconds later, the voice announced that everything was all right (though Harry didn't know what she was speaking of, he was lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room, so apparently, nothing was all right!), and when the white figure started to move away again, Harry, bewildered that the woman seemed to have no intention of explaining anything or telling Harry why he couldn't move, called after her. "Uhm, I can't move..."

"Yes, dear, of course not! We can't have you wandering away, can we? No, this way, we can be sure that you stay in bed, and if you need the toilet, just ask one of the nurses."

Hospital, so, Harry thought. "Uhm, can I see Dr Green?"

"What do you want to see, Mr Potter? I'm sorry, but I have never heard of something like this."

"I'm not... I'm not in the hospital Dr Green works?"

"You're at St Mungo's, dear, Janus-Thickey-Ward, spell-damage. Well, of course, you haven't been injured by a spell, but since it's the only closed ward St Mungo's has, there wasn't really another option."

"It's... it's a wizard-hospital, then?"

"Of course, dear, what else?" The woman answered, as if Harry's question had been a stupid one. Didn't she know that there were normal hospitals, too?

"How long will I have to stay?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, I don't know... as long as you need to, I'd say."

Harry swallowed. He knew that such an answer normally meant he had to stay in hospital for several month. "I don't want to lie down. I don't like lying in beds."

"That's unfortunate, dear, but you'll have to put up with it. It's too dangerous to allow you to move around freely."

"But - I won't do anything! I promise, I won't do anything!" Harry tried his best not to cry, he knew that if he started to cry or panicked, his chances of getting free were all but non-existent.

"No, Mr Potter, we can't let you out of this bed, you have just to put with it. And now I need to tend to another patient, you aren't the only one who needs our help, you know! I suggest you stay put and try to calm down, but if you don't manage, we will ensure that you do, rest assured! " And with another threatening glance the woman in white closes - Harry still didn't know who or what exactly she were - turned around. She had barely made two steps, though, when Harry started to cry.

He had tried his best. He really had tried, and he knew that he would have to pay for his outburst, but he was just an eleven year-old boy and now he just couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Pleeeeaaseee - " Harry sobbed, "pleeease l-let me-eee goo-oo, I do ev-every-everything!"

"Mr Potter, stop acting up at once!" The woman demanded-

But Harry continued crying. He didn't know why such things always happened to him, why it was him that constantly got locked up and tied to a bed - it didn't matter whether it was done by magic or by physical restraints. He just wanted to be left alone, he wanted to be free, he couldn't bear the thought of being hold captive again, he couldn't, he just couldn't!

At one point, Harry started screaming, alternatively begging the woman to let him go and hurling insults at her, but he didn't really comprehend what he was doing or what was going on, he was too focused on breathing, on staying alive, in not getting mad - because this was what would happen now, he just knew it, he couldn't take it any more, it was tearing him apart, he wanted to die, for the first time in his life he, Harry, really wanted to die because this was better than becoming mad, better than being kept in captivity for the rest of his life -

Harry didn't notice the pair of grey eyes that were staring at him from just a few feet away.